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British jobs for British workers [by John Bean]
6 July 2015 by Loyalist ·
[The Liberal, Labor, and Conservative parties in the UK have betrayed the British working class.]
By John Bean, 24 March 2009
The BNP belief that the so-called differences offered by the established party triumvirate is a myth has again been justified in their attitude to the recent British workers’ wildcat strikes in an attempt to protect British jobs from unfair foreign competition. The Lib-Lab-Con has unanimously warned our workforce that they must not be xenophobic and that the very concept of protectionism in relation to jobs is an evil that “plays into the hands of the BNP.” They tell us that global action is the only way out of the economic disaster facing us, yet it is globalism itself that caused it. It is globalism that has seen 250,000 Britons lose their jobs in the last three months — bringing a total in excess of 2 million unemployed — while 200,000 immigrants have come in to take most of the remaining jobs.
Like the majority of the strikers at Total’s Lindsey oil refinery, where the wildcat strikes first began, the BNP has nothing against fellow Europeans such as Italians, Portuguese or Poles, but it is through EU rules that we have seen the influx of European welders and pipefitters to take jobs that have been refused to British unemployed refinery workers with years of experience. It should be noted, however, that more than 151,000 people from outside the EU were given permission to work in Britain last year. That was a 17% increase on the 140,000 handed out during the whole of 2007. Indians were the largest recipients of work permits at almost 50,000.
The Daily Telegraph recently reported that almost all the growth in new jobs over the past seven years could be accounted for by immigrants. There were 1.34 million more people in work than in 2001 but the number of British-born workers fell by 62,000 over the same period. It also emerged in January that there were at least 170,000 more migrant workers than official figures suggest because of undercounting in the employment statistics.
Since Lindsey and the supportive wildcat strikes that took place elsewhere, including Scotland and Wales, there has been the abrupt dismissal of 800 agency workers at BMW’s Mini production plant at Cowley. There is also growing resentment at Cammell Laird’s Birkenhead shipyard, where ship fitting contractor Trimline is bussing in Polish workers for work on a Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessel.
What do the established trade unions say about all this? Their response has been to conform to New Labour’s globalist doctrine. The Unite union sold the workers a pup when they got the strikers to return to work because the union had got the Total management at Lindsey to allocate 102 jobs to local British workers. The fact is that these 102 jobs were already secure and the management had expected that they would have to allocate as much as 700 jobs to locals!
The BNP and the independent new trade union Solidarity have been very active in supporting the wildcat strikers. As Scottish Herald writer Ian MacWhirter wrote in his paper on February 2: “In the 1930s, the Jarrow Crusade marched on London to demand work; now in 2009, they will be marching to demand foreigners are sent home. The British National Party is finally in from the cold — inheritor of the great tradition of British industrial militancy.”
From the “Nationalist Notebook” column, by John Bean, in the 100th edition of the BNP magazine, Identity. Published on the website of the British National Party.
Filed Under: Great Britain · Tagged: economic protectionism, immigration and workers, John Bean (author)
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LL Cool J, Jamie Foxx Exchange Blows On Set Of Oliver Stone Football Flick
Apparently, LL Cool J and Jamie Foxx got a little too caught up in their roles on the set of Oliver Stone's football flick "Any Given Sunday."
The two actors, who play athletes in the film, exchanged blows on February 27 at Miami's Pro Player Stadium while filming a scene that got a little out of hand.
According to the Miami-Dade Police, LL started pushing Foxx, his rival in the movie, and then punched him in the face while wearing a helmet. LL and Foxx agreed that the next time the rapper was going to hit the comedian, he would warn him first. However, Foxx told police that after the incident, he was struck by LL's arm in the back of the head while walking away. As he turned around, Foxx struck the 6'2'' rapper in the face.
LL Cool J told police that during the taping, he pushed Foxx to make the scene more believable since they were acting, though it wasn't scripted. Minor injuries occurred to both their faces, however both refused treatment.
Spokespersons for
the Dade County Court and the state Attorneys General said that no charges have been filed thus far.
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Open Your Mouth and Sing
Sing it!
Musical Improv Games
list of musical improv games
Maydays take off at the Komedia
Last night’s Maydays show at the Komedia was a fine example of how an audience can make a show take off. The studio bar was bulging not only with people, but with a warm excitement, a radiant benevolence for the show they were about to witness. 30 paying customers were turned away at the door and it was standing room only for those lucky enough to get in at the last minute.
With the help of Adam Kidd’s booming voice over, and my typically over the top musical entrance music, The Maydays arrived on stage in a storm of almost American style applause and whooping. I am very happy to say that the show lived up to its reception as the Maydays took articles from The Argus (Brighton’s local newspaper) and transformed them into magical, comical and downright surreal scenes (I still don’t know what an “ash-pumper” is!).
The second half flew past in a flurry of articles, quick-fire gags and longer, 5-person scenes (examples of both on the videos). The descent into crudity as we reached the climax of the show was fortunately approved by the audience and we ended on the line, “So you found the cream then?”. If you were not there...use your imagination!
It was gratifying to live up to the Saturday night slot we have managed to fill at the Komedia Studio Bar, and I am sure that this contributed to the large amount of people that were coming to see us for the first time. It really does feel like the wave of improvisation is building, and that I for one feel very excited and privileged to be paddling on my surfboard ready to catch it.
To come and see us in action, check out the Maydays website.
Warming up Poynings church
It is healthy to be reminded why we do what we do sometimes. Last night was a prime example of this. The quiet village of Poynings nestles snugly behind the South Downs, safely shielded from the brashness of Brighton, guarding the lower entrance to Devil's Dyke. The Maydays were playing in the Village Church as part of their fundraising efforts for some new heating. The need for this was all too apparent as I sat and watched Rebecca shivering with her entire body as she waiting on the wings. We were performing our new show, "All about you" which takes anecdotes from the audience and turns them into sketches and songs. It is a lovely format in an intimate community like Poynings as most people know each other, so te anecdotes are meaningful to all. However, nobody was expecting the acrimonious break-up of a teanage couple to dominate the evening, with anecdotes from both parties!
The atmosphere was far warmer than the temperature, and we soon warmed to our task, the homemade mulled wine and mince pies keeping the audience alive. Highlights were surely the death of a clown, foxes against humans and the expensive crisp blues. On a personal level, the chance to play the church organ for our final Gospel number was a unique experience for me. Admittedly, the song itself still needs a bit of work, but as for new experiences, that one is hard to beat.
After the show we were approached by so many members of the village whose friendliness and genuine curiosity in improvisation was heartening and heartfelt. We found ourselves in the local pub soon afterwards and continued to be chatted to and welcomed into what felt like a close-knit and vibrant community.
THe discussion amongst the Maydays turned to the value of doing gigs in communities. It does say something that we had a bigger, more appreciative audience than at some of our Komedia shows in Brighton. Also, we all left feeling that we had not only entertained the village, but had contributed to their much needed cause also. Thank you to the wonderful people of Poynings!
Find out more about what we do at themaydays.co.uk
UB40, Patrick Swayze and Iron Man
This week saw the start of two Maydays courses, the first of 2011. Last night I was lucky enough to be teaching the first session of our longform course and what a great group they are. I’ve worked with everyone before with the exception of Jo, but having seen her shortform showcase last year felt like I already knew her and was a bit starstruck. We also have three musical improv veterans on the course.
Having taught a fair bit of longform now, I always feel the need to explain to groups right form the start how challenging the leap from short to longform can be. Without set structures there isn’t the feeling of a safety net the way there is in a pre-ordained game like those made famous by “Whose Line…?” On the flip-side though, Longform brings with it great freedom, and a chance to find your own artistic expression, “singing your own song” as UB40 would say.
Having been thinking about musical improv quite a lot recently, it’s interesting to start thinking about scenes and collections of scenes as having rhythm much like a piece of music. We talked a lot last night about group responsibility. I was suggesting that perhaps in a longform piece the place with the least responsibility is in the scene, since all you can do really in be in it and keep committing to where you are and what you are doing. On the side-lines however, you are responsible for everything; colouring the scene, tag-outs, walk ons, walk ins and most importantly Editing.
I’m a big believer in serendipity and following an email I got this morning, was led to the website of Oslo based troupe Crumbs. Here’s what they had to say on Editing:
”When is a scene over? When does a scene start? How do I get out of a scene that is over? How do I change what is happening in a scene when I don't like it? How do I affectively use editing to tell the story? What does the editing tell me about the story? How do we tap into the natural rhythm of the scene to realize when we should be making our transitions and what transitions best fit the moment?”
They suggested that good editing is about “feeling the moment and creating opportunities to create new ways to transition. Timing isn't something you are taught, it is something you feel.”
I very much like this last sentence. So I will not be teaching timing for the next few weeks but feeling it. I was desperately hoping to find the clip from dirty dancing where he says “the steps aren’t enough, you have to feel the music,” to illustrate this point, alas I could not. Found this instead; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0lOwj88TrQ
Ah, the joys of youtube.
Heather Urquhart and Joe Samuel are professional musical comedy improvisers. Find out more at themaydays.co.uk
Heather Urquhart
Maydays
Musical Improv
Musical Improv Comedy
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* “The increase in the number of nonpartisan voters signing up (in Nevada) has surpassed the number of Republicans every single month since February,” writes Steve Sebelius in his column today. “And nonpartisans aren’t even an organized political party!”
Then again, neither are the Republicans!
* Another One Bites the Dust. Morning Score reports that “Saeed al-Shihri, a Saudi national and al-Qaeda’s #2 in Yemen, was killed in a missile strike by a U.S. drone yesterday.”
Rest in pieces, Saeed!
But here’s the disturbing thing: Saeed was reportedly caught once before and jailed at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba for six years. How did he get out? And who released him – the Bush administration or the Obama administration?
* Hustler magazine publisher Larry Flynt has offered $1 million for dirt on Mitt Romney’s finances, including “unreleased tax returns, and/or details of his offshore accounts and business partnerships.” In a full-page ad offering the bounty, Flynt asks, “What is he hiding?”
Holy cow, the smut peddler sounds just like Harry Reid!
* Why does anyone pay any attention to national polls on the presidential race, even if it’s a poll of “likely” voters? We don’t elect a president via a national vote – though a lot of Democrats since 2000 would like to change that.
The only thing that really matters is the electoral vote, where about a dozen “swing” states will decide who the next president is.
Don’t be distracted by these national polls. They’re all but meaningless…except to the media who love to write about them.
* Democrats, who historically have been viewed as weak on the military since – well, since many of them HAVE been historically weak on the military – intend to try to cover their historical weakness by repeatedly claiming Mitt Romney is weak on the military because he didn’t mention the military or the war in Afghanistan in his acceptance speech at the GOP convention.
Sorry, but that dog won’t hunt. Next?
* From the Baltimore Sun: “Wendy Rosen, the Democratic challenger to Republican Rep. Andy Harris in the 1st Congressional District, withdrew from the race Monday amid allegations that she voted in elections in both Maryland and Florida in 2006 and 2008.”
I wonder how many times she voted for Al Gore in 2000?
* I have no love for Democrat CD-1 candidate Steven Horsford, but this line of attack from the NRCC and the campaign of Republican challenger Danny Tarkanian that he’s “corrupt” because, among other things, he once parked in a handicapped spot, is really stretching the definition of “corrupt.”
Real corruption is what authorities pinched Trenton, NJ’s mayor for doing this week; taking $100,000 worth of bribes in the form of cash and casino chips for a fake parking garage project. Horsford’s transgressions are bad enough without having to embellish them into something they’re not.
* Following up on my Baltimore Orioles re-engagement thanks to the fact that it’s September and they’re only 1 game behind the Yankees, here’s why that is so stunning:
The O’s have finished dead last in each of the last four years and have suffered through 14 consecutive losing seasons since 1997. So, yeah, those of us who grew up with Frank & Brooks Robinson, Jim Palmer, Boog Powell and Earl Weaver are pretty darned excited about where the team is right now.
Though truthfully, we’re still waiting for the collapse. But it’s been a heckuva run so far!
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Chuck Muth March 2, 2017
Thailand to Go “Cold Turkey” on Sugar Subsidies
The old saying is that those who say something can’t be done should get out of the way of people already doing it.
Those words of wisdom should be kept in mind by Members of Congress who say the U.S. sugar program can’t be reformed in such a way as to promote the principles of free trade while simultaneously protecting domestic sugar producers from foreign competitors who enjoy unfair advantages thanks to government meddling in the market.
Just such a proposal has been offered to Congress for the last couple of years. Sponsored by Rep. Ted Yoho, the “Zero for Zero” proposal would eliminate the relatively minor import quotas and tariffs in current U.S. sugar policy in return for foreign countries zeroing out their direct and indirect industry subsidies.
And for those who say it can’t be done, we now direct your attention to Thailand…
Last week Reuters reported that the Thai government “will stop subsidizing sugar production and drop domestic control of consumer prices for sugar by the end of the year.”
The decision was the result of a get-tough complaint leveled by Brazil with the World Trade Organization (WTO) “arguing that Thailand’s subsidies for sugar producers have dragged down global prices.”
“Thailand is the world’s second largest sugar producer after Brazil,” Reuters noted. “Brazil said in November that it had seen the proposal for changes in Thai policies and said that it was an acceptable solution.”
Of relevant note is the fact that Brazil and Thailand seem to have worked this situation out between themselves in a bilateral, as opposed to multi-national, fashion – just the kind of trade negotiation strategy and policy the new Trump administration is championing.
Now the questions to ask are: Will Thailand follow through with its pledge and implement true free-market reform? When will the Brazilian industry follow suit and get rid of its $2.5 billion worth of government goodies? How about India, Mexico, and all the other subsidizers?
The Zero-for-Zero proposal would give the United States leverage to get answers to those questions and bring about a real world sugar market that responds to real-world supply and demand factors instead of government manipulation.
Naysayers in Congress who continue to refuse to consider Congressman Yoho’s common-sense reform proposal and insist on continuing to “do what we’ve always done” with the upcoming farm bill should look at the example demonstrated by Brazil and Thailand and re-think their position.
If you don’t think it can be done, at least don’t stand in the way of people ready, willing and able to do it.
Related ItemsBusinessGovernment
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William Bolcom: Songs of Innocence and of Experience
Soloists, choirs, University of Michigan School of Music Symphony Orchestra, University Musical Society, Leonard Slatkin (cond.)
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The excitement is generated by the sheer energy and dedication of the huge performing forces gathered for this recording project. The singers range from professionally trained voices such as Christine Brewer to Nathan Lee Graham, an actor/singer who declaims The Chimney Sweeper and provides the Broadway-type rock voice for A Divine Image. Conductor Slatkin leads the University orchestra through some thorny, though always expressive, orchestral passages, and also guides the more "naïaut;ve" musical settings with enthusiasm and not a hint of condescension. Unfortunately, the recording does little favor to the electric guitar or rock drums, which have the cheesy feel of 1960s or '70s Broadway attempts to sound "hip."
And that's where the frustration starts to creep in, especially with repeated listening. For amid this wild burst of creativity, Blake's creation wanders in and out of focus. When the huge choral forces are singing out, or the soprano voices (which also include Marsha Brueggergosman, a new and exciting artist) soar high, Blake's words become almost incomprehensible. As a result, it is only in the simple settings that Blake's poetry can be fully heard, and this tends to overemphasize the "naïve" quality of the poet.
When the work ends with A Divine Image, all that is worthy and questionable about Bolcom's achievement becomes evident. First there is a transitional passage of contemporary orchestral texture, and then the off-kilter beat of a reggae song begins. It's a decent tune, but as the concluding piece, it offers no musical sense of resolution or restatement.
The question becomes then, how successfully has Bolcom achieved his goal of a "synthesis of the most unlikely stylistic elements." Ultimately, the differing styles are segregated in individual settings. Most of the denser orchestral passages come as transitional pieces. The simpler music tends to be self-contained. Perhaps Bolcom wants to heal the divisions between "serious" and "popular" music that have widened so dramatically over the last century or so. Blake's Songs of Innocence and of Experience, with its blend of sometimes naïve form and language in expressions of deep, complex themes, provides ample opportunity for Bolcom to employ all the contrasts and contrary impulses of modern orchestral and folk music. Whether Bolcom has achieved his goal or only provided a mix of styles without bringing them all into a cohesive whole, each listener must decide.
But spending time with Bolcom's Songs of Innocence and of Experience is sure to provide listeners, no matter how they decide the above question, more than enough excitement and fascination to make up for any perceived frustration. Naxos deserves commendation for making this work available at last.
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Cannes Lions Cyber winner: Åland bank calculates carbon footprint of every credit card purchase
A new campaign that helped the Åland bank calculate the carbon footprint of every credit-card purchase has taken one of the top digital prizes as this year’s Cannes Lions Festival.
The Åland Index Initiative for the Bank of Åland (Ålandsbanken) won a Grand Prix in the Cyber category during the 2017 Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity. The campaign was created in partnership with Hill+Knowlton Strategies and RBK Communication.
With the Bank of Åland, the team created the Åland Index, which calculates the true cost of a purchase by combining financial risk analysis data, merchant consumer codes and carbon pricing.
The Index allows consumers to be presented with a digital environmental report with their credit card statement, showing them the cumulative environmental impact of their purchases, along with suggestions for balancing one’s footprint locally or globally.
“I am thrilled that the Åland Index has received such prestigious recognition at Cannes Lions. The initiative was bold, innovative and ambitious and is a real testament to the collaborative efforts of the bank, RBK Communication and Hill+Knowlton Strategies,” said Anne-Maria Salonius, Director Finland, Ålandsbanken.
“Change has many parents. With H+K alongside us we have had the privilege of an engaged team running by our side, every step of the way, to address pressing environmental challenges with the Åland Index,” said Mathias Wikström, CEO/ECD of RBK Communication.
“Congratulations to The Bank of Åland and the team who worked on this impressive campaign, which uses an incredibly innovative combination of content, public affairs, and data to help consumers see their individual purchasing decisions in the broader context of global
sustainability. This Cyber Grand Prix win, and the creative and ambitious idea behind it, only emphasizes my long-held belief that our greatest asset is our talent,” said Jack Martin, Global Chairman and CEO of H+K.
A Grand Prix is given to one campaign per overall category and is the work that the jury selects as one of the most inspiring and impactful campaigns at the Festival. Åland Index now joins the list of 2017 Grand Prix winners.
The Cyber Lions recognize excellent campaigns driven by digital content. This is a very competitive category, each year bringing increased imagination and execution in each campaign that is submitted.
The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity is the creative communications industry’s premier celebration of ingenuity, creativity, and innovation. The Lion is recognized globally as the highest award for creative excellence in communications.
Ads, Content content, global
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St. Cedd of Lastingham
Commemorated on January 7
Saint Cedd was a missionary and bishop who spread the faith throughout England during the seventh century.
The eldest of four brothers, all of whom became priests, he was born in 620 AD into a noble Northumbrian family. At an early age, he began studies at the Lindisfarne Priory, where he became familiar with Irish monasticism. After pursuing further studies in Ireland, he was sent by Bishop Finan of Lindisfarne to evangelize the people of Essex. He baptized many of the locals, built several churches, and founded monasteries in Bradwell-on-Sea and East Tilbury.
After his consecration to the episcopacy as Bishop of Essex, he reinstated Saint Paul's in London as the main seat of his diocese. He remained fond of his northern homeland and made regular visits there. On one such occasion in 658, he was approached by King Aethelwald of Deira who, finding Saint Cedd to be a good and wise man, pressed him to accept a parcel of land at Lastingham in Yorkshire on which to build a monastery. Saint Cedd eventually agreed, laying the foundation stones after the parcel had been cleansed through prayer and fasting. He became the first Abbot of Lastingham and remained so while still ministering to his flock in Essex.
Saint Cedd died in Lastingham during a great plague that also claimed the life of his brother Cynebil. Eventually, he was buried under the altar of a little stone church built at Lastingham in honor of the Mother of God. His relics were later transferred to the Litchfield Cathedral, which had been built by his brother Chad.
The Orthodox Church in America
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You are here: Home > Sheringham High school > Our School > Our Mission
Sheringham High School seeks to offer the highest possible quality of education to all of its students.
The principle which underpins the school's aims, objectives, policies and practices is a belief in the worth and potential of each individual student, regardless of that student's age, abilities, social and ethnic background or gender. Each student is entitled to equal regard which will be manifest in the same quality of teaching, resources and care as is accorded to any other student in the school whilst recognising individual need.
The staff and governing body of Sheringham High School aim to create an atmosphere of mutual respect and academic challenge in which individual students are encouraged to achieve their full potential within a secure and caring environment. Our motto is 'Success for All' and we passionately believe that every student is capable of achieving success.
Therefore we aim to:
ensure that all students are accorded equal regard and equality of opportunity;
encourage a positive attitude to learning including increasing students' responsibility for their own learning;
help all students to acquire respect for religious and moral values and an unprejudiced view of other ethnic groups, religions and ways of life;
encourage the personal, social and moral development of every student including the nurturing of self-discipline, self-respect, a respect for others and the human and natural environment;
help all students to develop lively, enquiring minds and the ability to question and argue rationally and to foster habits of responsibility and self- discipline;
create a caring community, exercising concern and respect for the safety and welfare of others;
provide a broad, balanced and relevant curriculum for all students;
promote student and staff well-being;
enable all students to fulfil their educational potential and to pursue excellence in preparation for work and leisure;
help all students to acquire the skills and knowledge relevant to adult life and employment in a fast-changing world;
foster the notion of education as a continuous lifetime process;
help every ‘looked after’ student achieve the highest standards they can, including supporting aspirations to continue in further and higher education;
position the school at the heart of the community.
Every individual who is part of the school, from the Headteacher to the youngest student, is encouraged to behave at all times with care, courtesy and consideration.
Safeguarding our students
This school is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all of our students and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. The school has detailed child protection and safeguarding procedures which are available for inspection.
For information related to Promoting British Values click here >>
Holt Road, Sheringham
Sheringham High School is one of four schools in the North Norfolk Academy Trust. The Trust is passionate about raising standards for young people in North Norfolk and aims to give students the very best education and to manage the Group’s available resources to the maximum benefit.
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Presenting COFFEE TOWN! (The Logo!)
Hey everyone! I feel it's an appropriate time to share the logo I made for CollegeHumor's first theatrical venture, COFFEE TOWN. The movie is written and directed by Brad Copeland ("Arrested Development, My Name Is Earl") and stars Glenn Howerton, Steve Little, Ben Schwartz, Josh Groban and Adrianna Palicki.
It was a really fun challenge coming up with something that felt distinctive - (The words "coffee" and "town" are two words that have been pretty exhausted from a design point of view). Do comment if you'd like the crazy nerdy explanation of how this final product came to be, but ultimately, I simply hope it reads as much "Coffee" as it does "Town" as it stands. To me, the whole success of this design rides on that 50/50 balance of interpretation. Enjoy! (And go see the movie when it comes out!)
On the set of COFFEE TOWN
Music and Art play nice together. Cover art for Lyle Divinsky - an AWESOME singer/musician.
Hello world - tomorrow is the first day of the Music portion of SXSW in Austin, TX. If you are there, you may be lucky enough to grab a CD from Lyle Divinsky, who is a seriously amazing singer. Check out his stuff! http://lyledivinsky.bandcamp.com/
I'm very proud to say I have contributed in some part to the promotion of his work. I made the new cover art that you can see on his site and on the CD's that he'll be giving out at SXSW.
Here's what it looks like:
Cover Art for Lyle Divisnky
The piece is inspired by Lyle's comfort with the stage he knows best... the NYC Subway. His recording studio rides on underground tracks. I think there's something very whimsical and Romantic (Capital R, none of that mushy stuff), about performing live in a location like the subway. Live performances are unique in their ephemeral quality... but here, the audience is equally as ephemeral. And so, to stay and listen, is really a gift you give to yourself. I can't think of a better one than to stumble across this guy during a daily commute.
By the way, if you've checked out Lyle's work, you will probably see the phrase "Sasquatch Sessions" coming up a bunch. This is because Lyle refers to himself as the "Sasquatch of Soul." The drawing below is a very literal take on that phrase.... I like it. That was a really amusing drawing to make. I drew it while waiting in a doctor's office. I was most inspired by the thought of the sasquatch's hair literally being guitar strings. I have decided that this must be the thing that distinguishes a Sasquatch of Soul from the other regular squatches. The hair of a soulful sasquatch would have musical properties, and when held taut, you could strum it like a guitar and make beautiful music. Like this guy!
The "Sasquatch of Soul" - pencil sketch
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Unique research centre constructed by Nordecon opens doors in Tartu
Opening its doors today and marking the launch of high-level research will be the Study and Research Centre (SRC) commissioned by the University of Tartu and constructed by Nordecon. The total cost of the design and construction of the centre, which is the most modern of its kind anywhere in Northern and Eastern Europe, was 7.23 million euros without VAT.
“What made construction of the SRC so special was what it’s going to be used for – which made its technical systems far more complex than with ordinary buildings,” explained Priit Luman, director of the Building Construction Division of Nordecon AS. “That said, we had a really strong team working on it from all sides, so we managed to work it out without any problems. Given the function the centre will be serving, it’s without doubt the most research-intensive building Nordecon’s ever worked on – so that’s another, very valuable, string to our bow.”
The three-storey centre, which covers a gross area of 4807 m2, was constructed just off the Viljandi highway on Maarjamõisa Field in Tartu. Nordecon launched design work on the project in February 2012, with construction commencing in summer that year.
The enclosed areas on the first and second floors of the centre feature storage facilities for animals, medical laboratories for behavioural experiments, an MRI department and surgery facilities, as well as recreational and locker rooms with sluices and air showers for employees. The third floor features a ventilation chamber and offices. The parts of the first and second floors overlooking Ravila Street are to be used as offices and a seminar room.
Due to the complexity of the SRC, the building is divided into zones in which colour coding on the floors simplifies movement between open and closed zones.
Development of the SRC, which forms part of the University of Tartu, was financed by the Archimedes Foundation (in addition to the university itself) in the amount of almost 3.5 million euros. The building was designed by Uko Künnap.
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Do You Know Your ...
Do You Know Your ABCs? Islands, that is.
About Caribbean, · about Sea & Sand
They're as far south as you can go in the Caribbean Sea. A stone's throw north of Venezuela, the 'ABC' Islands are blessed with a location outside the Caribbean's hurricane zone… and on the radar of travelers in the know.
Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao were part of what was formerly known as the Netherlands Antilles, and they are still part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Colorful Dutch colonial and West Indies heritage, unique climates, landscapes and ecosystems much different from the rest of the Caribbean, and that slightly more remote location, make the ABC Islands a haven for travelers looking for a new kind of island experience.
The closest of the ABC islands to Venezuela, only 15 miles off its coast, Aruba is still only a 2½ hour flight from Miami, and has the most standard 'Caribbean' tourist development.
But instead of the tropical humidity and frequent rain you associate with the Caribbean, Aruba's climate is a dessert-like dream: dry, sunny, and breezy with constant trade winds crossing the flat surface of the island.
The western and southern coasts are known for their white, sandy beaches, ideal locations for the majority of the island's hotels and resorts. Palm Beach, Eagle Beach, and nearby capital of Oranjestad are home to the island's international restaurants, shopping, casinos, golf and other international travel amenities.
But make sure to get off Aruba's beaten track. The famous trade winds shape one of the most famous symbols of Aruba: the divi divi tree, bent into fantastical, bonsai shapes.
The arid landscape is also dotted with cactus and aloe vera plants; a tour in Arikok National Park, which covers nearly 1/5th of the island, is a great way to see this unusual Caribbean landscape, as well as caves and archeological remains of original inhabitants, and the dramatic rocky eastern coast of the island.
Don't miss San/Sint Nicolaas, and up-and-coming 'second city' for all that is young, hip and artistic in Aruba. Public murals painted by artists from around the world, an early fall art festival, and trendy hipster bar and restaurant scene make it worth your while to explore farther afield from the capital.
The smallest of the ABC Islands, Bonaire is essentially a coral reef pushed out of the sea and surrounded by one of the world's most celebrated coral reef systems. The reefs start from the very shoreline and have made Bonaire a bucket list destination for divers who considered it one of, if not the very best shore diving destinations in the world.
Bonaire has led the Caribbean in nature conservation and eco-tourism. The entire coastline, from the high-water mark on land to a depth of 200 feet offshore, was designated a marine sanctuary in 1979. It protects the 350 species of fish, 60 species of coral and 4 species of sea turtle in its reefs.
Bonaire's shoreline is dotted with lagoons and inlets that are home to marine birds including one of only four nesting grounds of Caribbean flamingos. Outside of that highly protected area, mangrove forests are popular kayaking and snorkeling destinations for hotel guests and passengers in port from cruise ships.
Nearby Lac Bay on the windward side of the island is on the map of the world's top wind surfers. With reef protecting the entrance to the bay and consistent trade winds, it's one of the stops of the PWA Windsurfing Freestyle World Cup. In fact, the island's most famous export might be its windsurfers; half of the world's highest-ranked freestyle windsurfers are from Bonaire. So if you have been meaning to take up the sport, this is the place to find both ideal conditions and expert instruction.
In the southern part of the island, Bonaire's unique topography has salt water flowing over low lands, enabling the island to commercially produce salt by evaporating seawater. One of the more unique – and delicious - souvenirs you can find in the Caribbean.
Larger than Aruba or Bonaire, Curacao is also a more commercial center with financial and oil-refining business. It's a popular cruise port and has direct flights from cities on the Eastern seaboard as well as Miami and the Netherlands.
The capital Willemstad dates from the first half of the 1600's. Its collection of well-preserved Dutch colonial architecture, cotton-candy and lacy versions of design typical of Netherlands in the 17th century, is the best example of the style in the Dutch Caribbean and has earned UNESCO World Heritage status.
In addition to the marvelous pastel-perfect streetscape, the Dutch built forts in the 1600's to protect themselves in the age of piracy and European marine warfare. Six can still be seen today; preserved historic sites, or transformed into hotels, casinos, and even plazas.
The island also has a thrilling geological feature for avid scuba divers: the 'Blue Edge', where the sea shelf drops sharply off only 200 feet from shore.
Also famously blue, and possibly more famous than the island itself, is its world-famous namesake liqueur. Curacao is the famously peacock blue liqueur that's also a top souvenir of any trip to the island. It's distilled from the island's Laraha fruit, a bitter orange that is the failed result of very early Spanish settlers' attempts to raise Valencia oranges in the dry, poor soil. Although its fruit is almost inedible, the peel is powerfully aromatic. And that trademark blue? It's always just been added color.
With their extraordinary terrain, climate, heritage and lifestyle, the ABC Islands should be on any traveler's list of top Caribbean destinations.
Interested in Occidental Hotels & Resorts?
Sink Your Teeth Into This UNESCO Cultural Experience
Serengeti Safari & Zanzibar
The Best of Eastern Europe
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HomeBig EastVillanova Outlasts Princeton In Women’s Basketball 61 – 54
Villanova Outlasts Princeton In Women’s Basketball 61 – 54
December 13, 2012 phillycollegesports Big East, College Basketball, Villanova, Women's Basketball 0
VILLANOVA, PA. 12/12/2012 – It was a game where neither team shot the ball particularly well and had a difficult time getting consistency on offense. Points would be at a premium. The Villanova Wildcats got points early from senior forward Laura Sweeney, and a second half opening spurt to get a 61 – 54 win over the Princeton Tigers at The Pavilion. Sweeney scored 9 of her 11 points in the first eleven minutes of the game. It was valuable for the Wildcats that she did.
Laura Sweeney
“It was important, but I wish I had more consistency during the game,” Sweeney said. “When people are having a hard time scoring, defense is much more important. That’s what did it.”
Leading 26 – 18 at halftime Villanova opened the second half with a 13 – 5 run moving in front by a score of 39 – 23 with 15:25 on the clock. That would be the largest lead for the Wildcats. It provided a cushion they would need.
“It was important,” said Villanova Coach Harry Perretta. “When you get up 14 points, it’s hard for them (Princeton) as we were getting more opportunities. It was hard for them to make up those 14 points. We went up 6 and made another little run to go up 11. It was a good learning experience for our players.”
“Villanova is a team that shoots the ball well and in a forty minute game a team that shoots the ball well will go on a run,” said Princeton Coach Courtney Banghart. “As poorly as we were playing, we were in the game, somehow. If you told me they would take 23 threes and make 8, I’s be happy. They just happened to make four when we couldn’t score.”
Princeton would remain in contention cutting the lead to 47 – 43 at the 5:43 mark. Villanova answered with a 7 – 0 run, then made 7 of 9 free throws to close out the game. A key sequence in the run was a fast break layup by senior guard Rachel Roberts on a pass for freshman guard Caroline Coyer, one of her team-best 4 assists. Coyer also led the Wildcats in scoring with 12 points. Roberts made a three a minute later to close the run.
Villanova made 21 of 54 shots (38.9%). The Wildcats were better in the second half making 11 of 22. From the three-point line Villanova was 8 for 23. If the offense wasn’t clicking, rely on the defense. The Tigers were 21 of 67 from the floor, and just 3 of 13 from beyond the arc.
One answer Villanova did not have was for Princeton guard Niveen Rasheed who had a game-high 15 points, 5 assists, and 7 rebounds.
Villanova won its seventh straight game, and gutted out a win against a team that beat them by 20 last season. Sweeney credited it to the tenacity and resilience of her team.
“They (Princeton) are a good team that have been beating a lot of good teams,” said Sweeney. “They got us last year. We knew they weren’t going to go down easy. Our determination and out grit is something. We are intense and that is what helped us.”
Twitter: @Phillycolsports
Big East Women's Basketball
Courtney Banghart
Harry Perretta
Ivy League Women's Basketball
Princeton Women's Basketball
Villanova Women's Basketball
A Big Five Upset Win For Villanova
Villanova Men Win Third Straight Game
Saint Joseph’s Wins In Overtime Over Columbia
November 30, 2018 phillycollegesports Atlantic 10 Conference, College Basketball, Saint Joseph's, Women's Basketball 0
PHILADELPHIA, PA. 11/29/2018 – This was the first ever meeting between the Saint Joseph’s Hawks and the Columbia Lions in women’s basketball. Maybe there should be more? The Hawks found a way to win defeating […]
Philly Women’s College Basketball Week In Review – Games of February 18 – 24
February 27, 2013 phillycollegesports College Basketball, Women's Basketball 0
PHILLY COLLEGE SPORTS WOMEN’S BASKETBALL REVIEW Philly College Sports.com Players of the Week – Alyssa Baron, Penn and Chatilla van Grinsven, Saint Joseph’s Alyssa Baron contributed in many ways to her Penn team who swept […]
Philly Women’s College Basketball Week In Review & Awards
January 14, 2019 phillycollegesports College Basketball, Drexel, Saint Joseph's, Women's Basketball 0
PHILLY WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL WEEK IN REVIEW Drexel and Saint Joseph’s Win in Conference Games Games of January 7 – 13, 2019 PhillyCollegeSports.com Player of the Week Alyssa Monaghan – Saint Joseph’s – The […]
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Minimum Competencies for Medical Officers of Health (MOH) in Canada
Reviews of Canada’s public health systems have stressed the importance of strengthening the public health workforce. The knowledge, skills, and attitudes of individuals, collectively referred to as “competencies”, are considered a basic building block to support a comprehensive approach to workforce development. Core competencies for the public health workforce have been developed.
The Medical Officer of Health (MOH) Competencies Working Group, with the support of the Public Health Agency of Canada, have been working to produce a set of Minimum Competencies for MOHs in Canada. The initial draft document has been extensively revised based on input from MOHs and stakeholder groups and is now available as "A set of Minimum Competencies for Medical Officers of Health in Canada".
Abstract for the poster presented at the CPHA Conference (June, 2008) available here.
For further information or to comment on the Minimum Competencies for MOHs in Canada please contact: skills @ phac-aspc.gc.ca
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Home / bribery / corruption / Crooks / DAVID ARORE / Peter O'Niell / Post Courier / voter rights / SO ARORE CLAIMS VOTER RIGHTS ABUSED?
SO ARORE CLAIMS VOTER RIGHTS ABUSED?
January 26, 2016 bribery, corruption, Crooks, DAVID ARORE, Peter O'Niell, Post Courier, voter rights
by BRYAN KRAMER
Post Courier ran a front page article, "Voter Rights Abused", which quoted Member for Ijiviatri, David Arore's claims that election petitions infringe on the rights of voters and called for an urgent amendment to the law.
"It is a serious issue that needs to be addressed in the conduct of elections as per the Organic Law on General Elections," he said.
"You talk about the rights of the candidates but what about the rights of the voters. Isn't that abusing and questioning their rights? They should also take the candidates to court for denying their rights to vote a leader of their choice."
"..We need to change the laws and I will take it up before Parliament to have these laws amended so we do not have unnecessary courts of disputes and by-elections. Make them tighter so that laws are not abused for the convenience of a few people who want to disrupt service delivery and infringe on the rights of the people. We need to re-look and make amendments," he said."
I hardly thought the story warranted front-page coverage. His comments were rather absurd and distorted an important issue.
While Mr Arore is certainly correct in saying the law needs to be reviewed and amended, however it should not be amended to address his concerns, but the law should be amended to ensure that those who are found guilty of bribery or illegal election practices (including himself) should automatically be disqualified from ever re-contesting an election, or holding public office. It should also ensure those found guilty of election fraud be automatically criminally prosecuted.
What Mr Arore conveniently ignored to mention is that he was found guilty in a court of law for committing bribery – a criminal offence under Section 103 of the Criminal Code.
On 29 May 2015, the National Court voided his 2012 Election win after finding, beyond reasonable doubt, that he used money and food to entice voters to vote for him during the elections.
Soon after the judgement, Yumi FM reported Arore saying “I’ve decided for myself personally that I will run for the by-election. I'm tired because this is my second term and I’ve been in court for seven years now.”
Two weeks later, he back flipped and filed an appeal in the Supreme Court, however his case was later thrown out for lack of sufficient grounds.
Following the ruling he should have been charged by police and criminally prosecuted. Instead he is allowed to re-contest the election.
Section 216 of the Organic Law on Elections stipulates that: "where the National Court, in the trial of an election petition finds that a person has committed an offence under this Law or any other law (which includes bribery and undue influence) the Registrar of the Court shall promptly report the Court’s findings to Public Prosecutor as well as forward all papers relevant to the finding to the Commissioner of Police.”
Further still, Section 298 of the Organic Law on Elections states that the Electoral Commission may acting on the advice of the Public Prosecutor, to bring legal proceedings against any person found guilty of bribery under the criminal code.
The same provision goes on to state that a person convicted of an offence under Sections 99, 100, 102, 103 (Bribery) 108 and 110 of the Criminal Code Act shall be disqualified from voting, holding elective public office, or being employed in the Public Service in a provincial government or a local-level government.
It is clear the intent of the law is to ensure that candidates who are elected through corrupt means should not only have their election voided, but also be criminally convicted and barred from ever holding elected office.
So the question is, why hasn't Arore been criminally charged after being found guilty of bribery? Has the National Court Registrar forwarded the National Court's ruling to the Public Prosecutor and Commissioner of Police to bring criminal charges against him? This is a mandatory statutory requirement imposed on the Registrar of National Court.
Police also have constitutional responsibility to uphold the law. Section 198 of the Constitution states it is the function of the Police Force to lay, prosecute or withdraw charges in respect of offences, meaning the Police may arrest and charge anyone with probable cause (reasonable evidence) whom they believe has committed an offence. Most officers will be reluctant to make an arrest for lack of evidence. In this case, a "Court of Law" in an election petition proceedings has found David Arore guilty of bribery beyond reasonable doubt. So why hasn't the Public Prosecutor, Police Commissioner, or any other Police Officer in Oro moved in and laid formal charges against him?
A Court of Disputed Returns or Election Petition Court are civil (non-criminal) proceedings. Cases are tried in the National Court where the Court's focus is whether the integrity of the electoral system and its process has been breached in accordance with Organic Law on Elections.
It will consider the allegations raised in the election petition and determine, based on the evidence, if they are true. Where the dispute or allegations relate to illegal voting or improper practices relating to the counting process, the Court may order a recount instead.
In this case the runner-up candidate challenged Arore's 2012 election on the grounds he committed bribery. Section 215 of Organic Law on Elections states that if the Court finds that a winning candidate has committed just one act of bribery his election must be voided.
After finding Arore guilty, the Court did not convict or sentence him on account that those powers lie with the Criminal Court.
In this instance Mr. Arore will need to be formally charged and prosecuted through a criminal process. This involves a slightly difference process to election petition proceedings, however the trial where the Court will consider the evidence is the same. Instead of the Organic Law on Elections, the Criminal Code will be applied. If found guilty he will be sentenced to prison for up to one year for each offence. An important distinction is that unlike someone who is being charged for the first time and presumed innocent until proven guilty, in this case Arore has been found guilty and under the Evidence Act, the National Court's ruling can be submitted as evidence against him in criminal proceedings.
It's my view it would just be a matter of course to run the same evidence again and have the Criminal Court arrive at the same judgement but this time confirming a conviction (found guilty in criminal court) and imposing a prison sentence. A conviction would automatically disqualify Mr. Arore from ever re-contesting or holding public office.
While Mr. Arore's view that election petitions are an abuse of the voter’s rights, the Judiciary have expressed a rather different view which includes:
"An election petition by its very nature challenges and questions the integrity of the electoral system and its process,.. Thus, an election petition is not, and ought never to be considered, such a light matter.
“It is in the public interest that corrupt unscrupulous persons who manipulate the electoral system and its processes to assume leadership positions should not continue in such positions to the detriment of the country and its people.
“No democratic society which has a proper regard for the rights and dignity of mankind could accept a person into public office who has been found to have committed even one act of bribery or undue influence in order to gain that office. Just one such act must taint his suitability.”
So while Mr. Arore claims election petitions are an abuse of the voter’s rights, the very law which provides for that right also legislates to protect it from corrupt unscrupulous persons who manipulate the electoral system and its processes to assume leadership positions.
Section 215 of the Organic Law on Elections states that if the National Court finds that a winning candidate has committed or has attempted to commit bribery or undue influence, his election shall be declared void.
It also states that any finding of guilt by the National Court shall not bar or prejudice a prosecution for an illegal practice. In other words just because their election is voided it does not mean they cannot still be criminally prosecuted, as bribery and undue influence are criminal offences.
Undue influence is covered under Section 102 of the Criminal Code. The Supreme Court upheld the view that to constitute undue influence under s. 102 of the Criminal Code it must be proven that a person, by fraud, prevented or obstructed the free exercise of will or choice by a voter. Fraud includes a false statement made by a person to a voter, known to be false with the intention that the voter should act upon it or be mislead by it.
So a person who threatens or prevents a voter from exercising his/her free choice to vote or by fraud knowingly makes a false statement with the intent to influence a person's vote is guilty of undue influence, a criminal offence.
In this case, it’s my view ,Peter O'Neill on three separate occasions is guilty of committing such an offence while campaigning for his PNC candidates during three separate by-elections.
On 14th November 2013, during 2013 Madang Open By-Election, he attended a campaign rally at Bates Oval announcing to a public, that should the people of Madang vote for any other person other than Mr. N Duban, Madang people would miss out on a having an elected Member appointed to a Ministry in the Government. He stated he had reserved the Ministry of Police for Nixon Duban. Three other PNC Ministers who accompanied O'Neill also made statements that Madang People would lose out on vital services if they voted for anyone other than the PNC candidate. This constitutes a threat to the voting public with the intent to interfere with their free choice. Evidence of which is well documented on audio recordings.
On 11th January 2013, during the Kairuku-Hiri Open By-Election, O'Neill attended a campaign rally staged by the PNC candidate Paru Aihi at Tubusereia Village. O'Neill gave a campaign speech uttering a threatening statement that if the people voted for anyone else other than Paru Aihi they were not going to be in Cabinet and that he had held the Ministry of Education exclusively for Paru Aihi. Evidence of which is well documented on video recordings.
More recently, on 4th November 2015, Peter O'Neill attended a campaign rally staged by David Arore, threatening the voters to vote for the People’s National Congress Party candidate David Arore so that they can access development funds.
The report stated O’Neill told the crowd at the Independence Oval in Popondetta last Saturday that a province needs a leader who was with the Government. “You need to vote for Arore if you want development in the electorate,” O’Neill said. “Nothing can be done if you are not in the Government. You must be inside the Government to benefit from electorate development funds.”
It's not wonder Arore was returned following the By-election on account of sitting Prime Minister shamefully threatening rural people of Ijivitari Open.
In a democratic society which has a proper regard for the rights and dignity of mankind and the rule of law the likes of Mr Arore and Mr. O'Neill would be convicted and serving prison sentences.
Sadly when those who abuse their high office to comprise the system that is supposed to uphold the law, the people will continue to suffer.
NB, if Peter O'Neill or Mr. Arore feel they have been unlawfully defamed by my article then please feel free to bring defamation proceedings against me as I am only too happy to sustain my allegations in a court of law and have the ruling used as evidence to convict them in criminal proceedings.
SO ARORE CLAIMS VOTER RIGHTS ABUSED? Reviewed by PNGBlogger on January 26, 2016 Rating: 5
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Arts and Entertainment >
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50 Movies in 2010
Author Topic: 50 Movies in 2010 (Read 65998 times)
vizzah
Self-cleaning mutant
Re: 50 Movies in 2010
Quote from: Dan on November 15, 2010, 09:35:41 AM
Quote from: vizzah on November 15, 2010, 08:58:52 AM
Not counting Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, since we got 20 minutes through and turned it off. Lamezilla.
Booooooo. I disagree, and don't know how you thought the first 20 minutes was lame. It's non-stop hilarious.
More like non-stop fuckin' weird, spazzy, and almost downright uncomfortable to watch. There wasn't a single joke in the first 20 minutes. What could one have possible laughed about?
In case of emergency, breakdance.
Ah well. I guess we have different tastes in movies. I loved the terrible band. I love the awkward delivery. I loved stuff like "could we not make this a one night stand? For one thing I didn't even get any." Or, after she names 45 different types of teas, all he says is "did you make some of those up?" instead of answering the question. Or "you have a band? Yeah we're terrible. Please come?" or the way he's all proud of himself for meeting a girl even if she's 17 and he's all cute about it.
Okay, I'll stop now.
My heart belongs to Ryne Sandberg
Quote from: trixi on October 18, 2010, 11:02:59 PM
2. The Proposal
3. My One and Only
4. African Violet
5. 17 Again
7. The Hangover
8. Inglourious Basterds
9. Revolutionary Road
10. Julie and Julia
11. The Hurt Locker
12. Taking of Pelham 123
13. (500) Days of Summer
14. Blind Side
15. Up in the Air
16. Ghosts of Girlfriends Past
17. It Might Get Loud
18. Valentine's Day
19. Couples Retreat
20. Ugly Truth
21. Eclipse
22. Shutter Island
23. Remember Me
24. Precious
25. Ladies and Gentlemen: The Afghan Whigs
"Beware the lustful fires that burn in a librarian's heart. They can rage beyond all control."
Quote from: vizzah on November 15, 2010, 12:27:32 PM
More like non-stop fuckin' weird, spazzy, and almost downright uncomfortable to watch.
That's what I thought about Moulin Rouge, but lots of people swear it is the greatest thing they've ever seen. Meh.
Quote from: trixi on November 15, 2010, 07:03:35 PM
Details, please. I know not of what you speak.
c-lando
Bacon Research & Sparkle Development/Cr0ndog Millionaire
Quote from: Butter on November 16, 2010, 08:27:10 AM
x2. WORST MOVIE EVER!
Once the bacon's done, all pants are off.
PANTS PANTS REVOLUTION!!!
Quote from: c-lando on November 16, 2010, 11:14:42 AM
Hmmmm. When I saw Moulin Rouge in 2005 or so I know I had had ZERO desire to see it, but thought that it was much better than I was expecting. I felt it was original and pleasurable I suppose. I haven't seen it again, though, and have never had any desire to do so. But that doesn't mean I thought it was the worst movie ever.
Does that help with a sort of point-of-reference?
va-vacious
Quote from: va_vacious on October 25, 2010, 10:18:12 PM
New to me movies are bolded.
1. Up In the Air
2. Bottle Rocket
3. The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus I could have used a little bit more exposition, but visually amazing.
4. The Hangover Funny, but Bradley Cooper's character was annoying. Would have been better in the theater
5. Avatar 3-D version. As has been stated before, so pretty
6. The House Bunny It didn't suck. And was way more conservative/traditional than I would have expected.
7. Keeping Mum Maggie Smith plays a psychopath, Rowan Atkinson plays a normal person, and Patrick Swayze plays a sleazy golf pro.
8. Tin Man Sy-fy mini series redoing "The Wizard of Oz". Stick to the original, as Zooey D. is annoying and Alan Cumming is underused.
9. The Talented Mr. Ripley Who knew you could feel sympathy for a psychopath?
10. When in Rome Cute, predictable, and snappier than expected.
11. Gods and Monsters very quiet film, and interesting look at the director who created Frankenstein and Showboat.
12. 2010 Academy Award Nominated Animated Short Films
13. 2010 Academy Award Nominated Short Films
14. In Good Company Dennis Quaid = good, Scarlett Johannsen = I don't understand the appeal.
15. Shaun the Sheep off the Baa By Nick Park, lots of sheep shorts. Previews were for the under 5 yo crowd.
16. Alice in Wonderland 3D. Just enough Johnny Depp. Good flick, very fun, and remarkably not scary-creepy.
17. Saving Face Chinese lesbian living in New York tries to keep her life from her mother.
18. Hogfather Another Sy-Fy type movie. Really need to stop watching these, because they aren't as good as they should be.
19. Fanboys So fun, and the music was dead-on. I'll leave all other fan-wanking to people more vested in Star wars.
20. How to Train Your Dragon 3-d. I think I should be getting residuals for dragon-inspiration. Toothless= dead ringer for my cat!
21. Sex, Lies, and Videotape- I still love James Spader, though he has creepy characters nailed.
22. 17 Again. Sucked Again
23. The Proposal- not too bad on the plane
24. Four Rooms Interesting combo of short films. Tarantino is annoying, though.
25. Barbershop Light movie, and pretty funny. I'd heard it was good, and I definitely enjoyed it.
26. Babies very cute, and we westerners way smother our kids. Look out for goats!
27. Shrek 4 It was what it was. Needed more Gingy and Puss.
28. A Lot Like Love Ashton Kutcher is actually pretty good! I liked this movie alot- it would be a good one to watch again.
29. Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay. Like the first one better, but NPH makes this one for me.
30. Leonard Maltin's Animation Favorites I'm counting these, because they are movie shorts. Sponsored by the Canadian Film board. Interesting, especially some of the really old ones. Thanks, Netflix.
31. Desk Set Hepburn/Tracy as a reference librarian and an efficiency expert. Still very relevant to today, though google has made lots of the drama obsolete. Very good!
32. Best in Show Still very good, though I prefer a mighty wind
33.Toy Story Haven't seen in years, but it was soooo good. Am ready to see the third part now!
34. Up Again, Pixar does amazing things with stories.
35. Pinnochio Came in half-way through, but I'm counting it as "seen". Don't lie, or your nose will grow!
36. Toy Story 3 A delightful experience, and I admit, I was teary eyed multiple times.
37. Despicable Me Also fun, and amazingly light. Loved how Vortex's stuff was all Apple-y and seamless.
38. We are Marshall Those kids were babies. Matthew McC. wasn't bad in this, amazingly
39. Bourne Identity Time for the annual viewing! Damon is looking like a child in this one. Still so very good.
40. Ponyo Miyazaki does it again, nice tight story, interesting world was created, and the goldfish was red.
41. Pixar's Shorts, Vol. 1 Included the one with the lamp, which I hadn't seen, and the short that inspired Toy Story Very good!
42. Miami Vice I just couldn't care, but was more excited to see Ciaran Hinds than Colin Farrell.
43. The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus Better the second time around, still visually amazing.
44. Reality Bites. Oh, Winona, you so made the wrong decision in this one! (Watching at 35 is very different than at 20)
45. You Again could have been better, but will work very well as a Saturday movie on TNT or something.
46. Easy A A very cute movie, and way more name actors than I expected. Emma Stone did a great job carrying the movie.
47. Life as we Know It This movie was so made for women- Josh Duhmel w/o shirt, w/ baby, in motorcycle jacket, gets kiss close up.
48. Capote Really good, I liked that it wasn't about the murders specifically. And the casualness of Harper Lee being there was great. Would have really liked a movie about her.
Quote from: c-lando on January 02, 2010, 02:06:59 PM
1. TAKING OF PELHAM 123 - 01/01/10 -RedBox DVD - 3 out of 5
2. SMOKIN' ACES - 01/02/10 - CABLE - 1 out of 5
3. SHERLOCK HOLMES - 01/03/10 - AMC Parkway Point - 3 out of 5
4. THE READER - 01/08/10 - DVD from library - 4 out of 5
5. UP IN THE AIR - 01/17/10 - AMC Pkwy Pt - 5 out of 5
6. SEVEN POUNDS - 01/24/10 - DVD from library - 2.5 out of 5
7. THE DARJEELING LIMITED - 01/30/10 - Blockbuster DVD - 3 out of 5
8. AN EDUCATION - 01/31/10 - AMC Barrett Commons 24 - 3 out of 5
9. THE FANTASTIC MR. FOX - 01/31/10 - AMC Barrett Commons 24 - 4 out of 5
10. NIGHTS AT RODANTHE - 02/07/10 - DVD from library - 1 out of 5
11. THE BURNING PLAIN - 02/08/10 - DVD - 1 out of 5 - written and directed by the writer of BABEL.
12. WHEN IN ROME - 02/17/10 - AMC Pkwy Point - free movie ticket, popcorn and drink. WOOHOO! - 2 out of 5
13. CRAZY HEART - 02/20/10 - AMC Pkwy Point with Mom and Amanda - 3.5 out of 5
14. THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES - 02/21/10 - DVD from library - 2.5 out of 5
15. SHUTTER ISLAND - 02/24/10 - AMC Pkwy Point with Victor - 2 out of 5
16. SURROGATES - 02/27/10 - RedBox DVD - 3.5 out of 5 - better than expected
17. HACHI: A Dog's Tale - 02/20/10 - RedBox DVD - 3.5 out of 5
18. TWO LOVERS - 02/21/10 - DVD from library - 2 out of 5 - Meh.
19. CHLOE - 02/28/10 - AMC Barrett Commons 24 - 2.5 out of 5
20. HOT TUB TIME MACHINE - 04/04/10 - Regal Cinemas Atlantic Station - 3 out of 5
21. NINJA ASSASSIN - 04/04/10 - RedBox DVD - 3 out of 5
22. SURFER, DUDE - 04/05/10 - Encore - 1 out of 5
23. THE HEARTBREAK KID - 04/08/10 - TNT - 1 out of 5
24. LE DIVORCE - 04/24/10 - TIVO - 1.5 out of 5
25. KICK-ASS - 04/25/10 - AMC Parkway Point - 3 out of 5
26. BEN X - 04/26/10 - DVD from library - 2.5 out of 5
27. DATE NIGHT - 05/09/10 - AMC Pkwy Pointe - 3 out of 5
28. IRON MAN 2 - 05/23/10 - AMC Barrett Commons 24 - 3.5 out of 5
29. JUST WRIGHT - 05/29/10 - AMC Barrett Commons 24 - 3 out of 5
30. BABIES - 05/30/10 - AMC Barrett Commons 24 - 3 out of 5
31. MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA - 05/31/10 - dvd from library - 2.5 out of 5
32. MOON - 06/05/10 - dvd from Blockbuster Online - 4 out of 5
33. GET HIM TO THE GREEK - 06/06/10 - AMC Pkwy Point - 2.5 out of 5
34. BRIGHT STAR - 06/09/10 - dvd from library - 4.5 out of 5
35. HANCOCK - 06/13/10 - Encore - 3 out of 5
36. RACHEL GETTING MARRIED - 06/13/10 - dvd from library - 3.5 out of 5
37. CHERI - 06/13/10 - dvd from library - 3 out of 5
38. THE MERRY GENTLEMAN - 06/13/10 - dvd from Blockbuster Online - 3 out of 5
39. CHERRY BLOSSOMS - 06/14/10 - Sundance channel - 3.5 out of 5
40. STAR 80 - 07/02/10 - Encore - 3 out of 5
41. EXTRAORDINARY MEASURES - 07/02/10 - dvd from library - 2 out for 5
42. KNIGHT & DAY - 07/04/10 - AMC Parkway Point - 3 out of 5
43. TOY STORY 3 in 3D - 07/05/10 - AMC Parkway Point - 5 out of 5
44. THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO (Man som hatar kvinnor) - 07/10/10 - RedBox DVD - 5 out of 5
45. THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE (Flickan som letke med elden) - 07/10/10 - Lefont Sandy Springs - 3 out of 5
46. THE SLAMMIN' SALMON - 07/11/10 - RedBox DVD - 1 out of 5
47. DESPICABLE ME - 07/18/10 - AMC Parkway Point - 2.5 out of 5
48. COME EARLY MORNING - 07/18/10 - DVD - 3.5 out of 5
49. THE TWO ESCOBARS - ESPN 30 for 30 - 07/17/10 - 5 out of 5
50. REVENGE OF THE BRIDESMAIDS - ABC Family - 07/20/10 - 2 out of 5
51. THE CLIENT LIST - 07/23/10 - Lifetime Original Movie - 2.5 out of 5
52. SALT - 07/27/10 - AMC Loew's Crestview (in Alsip, IL - I think) - 3 out of 5
53. TOWELHEAD - 07/31/10 - Blockbuster Online DVD - 2 out of 5
54. INCEPTION - 08/01/10 - AMC Parkway Point - 3 out of 5
55. HOLLYWOODLAND - 08/03/10 - dvd from library - 3 out of 5
56. TERRIBLY HAPPY - 08/13/10 - dvd from Blockbuster Online - 2.5 out of 5
57. GOOD HAIR - 08/13/10 - dvd from library - 2.5 out of 5
58. PARANORMAL ACTIVITY - 08/14/10 - dvd from library - 1.5 out of 5
59. GREENBERG - 08/20/10 - Blockbuster Online DVD - 3 out of 5
60. SCOTT PILGRIM VS THE WORLD - 08/22/10 - AMC Parkway Point - 5 out of 5
61.'30 FOR 30' Jordan Rides the Bus - 08/24/10 - ESPN - 2 out of 5
62. THE WEATHER MAN - 08/28/10 - dvd from Blockbuster Online - 3 out of 5
63. NANNY MCPHEE - 08/28/10 - AMC - 2.5 out of 5
64. THE PREGNANCY PACT - 08/28/10 - Lifetime - 2 out of 5
65. THE WISH LIST - 08/31/10 - Hallmark - 2 out of 5
66. THE GIRL WHO KICKED THE HORNET'S NEST - 08/31/10 - 3 out of 5
67. RED RIDING TRILOGY: 1974 - 09/02/10 - 3.5 out of 5
68. AMELIA - 09/10/10 - DVD from library - 1 out of 5
69. STATE OF GRACE - 09/10/10 - TIVO from some cable channel - 4 out of 5
70. JENNIFER'S BODY - 09/10/10 - HBO - 3.5 out of 5
71. MACHETE - 09/11/10 - Starlight Drive-In - 3 out of 5
72. PIRANHA 3D - 09/11/10 - Starlight Drive-In - 3 out of 5
73. THE TOWN - 09/18/10 - AMC Parkway Point - 3.5 out of 5
74. GREY GARDENS - 09/25/10 - HBO - 2 out of 5
75. RED RIDING 1980 - 09/25/10 - Blockbuster Online DVD - 3 out of 5
76. THE GIRLFRIEND EXPERIENCE - 09/25/10 - On Demand - 2.5 out of 5
77. ANIMAL KINGDOM - 09/26/10 - 3 out of 5
78. EASY A - 09/26/10 - AMC Parkway Point - 3 out of 5
79. THE GHOST WRITER - 09/28/10 - dvd from library - 4 out of 5 + Ewan's backside. WOOHOO!
80. WHITEOUT - 10/05/10 - HBO - 1.5 out of 5
81. EVERYBODY'S FINE - 10/05/10 - HBO - 3 out of 5
82. WATCHING THE DETECTIVES - 10/09/10 - OnDemand - 3.5 out of 5
83. THE SOCIAL NETWORK - 10/17/10 - 5 out of 5 - AMC Parkway Point
84. RED - 10/17/10 - 2 out of 5 - AMC Parkway Point
85. DEAR JOHN - 10/17/10 - dvd from library - 3.5 to start, 0 on the finish. So, maybe I'll give it a 1.5. Uck.
86. COP OUT - 10/19/10 - DVD from library - 0 out of 5
87. MONICA & DAVID - 10/21/10 - HBO Documentary - 3 out of 5
88. PRINCE OF PERSIA - 10/27/10 - dvd from library - 1.5 out of 5
89. JACKASS 3D - 10/30/10 - AMC Pkwy Pointe - 2.5 out of 5
90. SHE'S OUT OF MY LEAGUE - 10/31/10 - dvd from library - 1 out of 5
91. THE TIME TRAVELER'S WIFE - 10/31/10 - HBO - 3 out of 5
92. POST GRAD - 11/07/10 - HBO - 0 out of 5 - HORRIBLE!
93. '30 FOR 30': Fernando Nation - 11/07/10 - ESPNHD - 3.5 out of 5
94. VALENTINE'S DAY - 11/14/10 - DVD from library - 1 out of 5
95. MCCABE & MRS. MILLER - 11/17/10 - dvd from Blockbuster Online - 3 out of 5 - If I were to sit down and tell someone everything that goes on in this movie, it seems much more interesting than how it played out in the movie. I liked the look of the film (except the fake snowfall) but it still seemed hokey to me for some reason. Last shot of McCabe was great.
More thoughts...
This has GOT TO BE the least "talky" of any of Robert Altman's movies.
Julie Christie's hair is an abomination in this movie. She looks worse than cat vomit. That ain't right.
The way the music was cut into the film was really odd. Yes, it's music by Leonard Cohen. But, it is just bizarre how it is randomly mixed into the film.
Keith Carradine was almost unrecognizable, yet easily my favorite character in the movie.
Quote from: Hell Toupee on October 01, 2010, 08:39:55 PM
1. District B13
2. Big Fan
3. Departures
4. Julie & Julia
5. In the Loop
6. Beautiful Losers
7. It Might Get Loud
8. Sin Nombre
9. Bronson
10. Law Abiding Citizen
11. Surrogates
12. The Invention of Lying
13. The Damned United
14. Twilight: New Moon
15. Michael Jackson's This Is It
16. The Ghost Writer
17. The Informant
18. The Blind Side
19. Demolition Man
20. Sherlock Holmes
21. Capitalism: A Love Story
23. Ninja Assassin
24. The Box
25. Kick-Ass
26. The Yes Men Fix The World
27. Bad Lieutenant: Port of New Orleans
28. District B13: Ultimatum
29. Iron Man 2
30. Prince of Persia
31. Alice In Wonderland
32. The A-Team
33. Toy Story 3
34. Inception
35. Clash of the Titans
36. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
37. Freakonomics: The Movie
38. The Social Network
39. Harry Potter and the Deathly Boredom Part 1 (2 out of 5) - They could've done a three hour movie of the book and I would've been ok with that. Instead, in this part at least, you get 25% of any real stuff going on and 75% of the main characters running in and out of tents. Literally. Everytime something interesting happens, they cut to the characters in the wilderness in tents running away from things that never show up. It was like the Blair Witch came around to rattle some branches and then Ron Weasley would stand in a corner moping because Harry and Hermoine are busy having Horcrux Ghost Sex (tm). I wanted to fall asleep, and almost wanted to walk out, but since I haven't read the books, I wanted to see the story; the story of Harry and Voldemort and Harry's friends and enemies, not tent pitching (in more ways than one).
Vizz, this is a documentary made by their sound guy, Steve Girton, while they were touring in the early 90s. I actually saw it in Sept during Midpoint and never posted it. The original thought was they would release it, but talking with John and listening to Steve, there seems to be a problem with licensing the music.
scurvygirl
Fiery One
1. Bubba Ho-tep
2. Twilight
3. Twilight: New Moon
4. Saved!
5. Moon
6. Whip It!
7. The Holiday
8. Big Nothing
9. Alice in Wonderland (in 3D)
10. Adventureland
11. Twilight: New Moon - rifftracked
12. Raiders of the Lost Ark
13. The Hangover
14. Abraxas, Guardian of the Universe
16. Mary and Max
17. The Boondock Saints
21. E.T., the Extra-terrestrial
22. Best Worst Movie
23. Troll 2
25. The Evil Dead
At a zombie-themed party last night, thanks to Netflix Instant Play:
26. Zombieland
27. MST3K: The Corpse Vanishes
28. Let Sleeping Corpses Lie (1974)
That last one was very slow-paced and boring, but really kind of impressive for its time, at least we thought so, but it was pretty late at that point in the night.
Remember to always be yourself. Unless you suck.~ My BIG DAMN hero, Joss Whedon
Bonne et heureuse semaine!
Ella Minnow Pea
Numbers Guru
Quote from: Hell Toupee on November 19, 2010, 08:15:54 PM
Since you haven't read the book, I'll just have to break the news to you that it followed the book very closely. There were a couple hundred of pages of not much happening, but just hanging out in a tent away from civilaztion.
Don't worry, though, the last part more than makes up for it in action.
It probably could have been 1 long movie, but it captured the feeling I had when reading the book - aren't they ever going to DO anything?
also known as rcc94
I figured that would be the price to pay for watching this book split into two movies... you get a boring one to set up the better half. Unfortunately, it was a disservice as a film, but probably made the book lovers happy.
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Claire represented England in cricket over 150 times during a 13-year international career between 1998 and 2011, winning two World Cups and the Ashes in 2005 and 2008. She retired in 2011 having made a superlative and award-winning impact on her sport.
Claire played cricket from the age of 10, both while at school and as an undergraduate, progressing to county level and frequently being selected for a range of England age-group squads, including the Under 21 team which took her to South Africa. Her full international debut was in 1998 in a One Day International against Australia.
Her cricketing excellence has broken records and won her many accolades. She still holds the record from 2006 for the highest score of any cricketer in an ODI match at Lords – 156 not out – beating Viv Richards’ previously held record of 138 from 1979. In 2009, she was the first woman ever to be selected as one of Wisden’s Cricketers of the Year. She won the ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year in 2009, and that same year was also named as ECB’s Women’s Player of the Year. She was awarded an MBE for her contribution to cricket in 2010.
Whilst playing and after retirement, Claire worked for SUMS Consulting, based at the University of Reading. She completed a part-time MA in Applied Management at Henley Business School in 2016. She has worked on projects with SportsPark on a number of occasions and was a visiting lecturer for the School of Systems Engineering, speaking to final year undergraduates about project management in the real world.
“The University of Reading gave me a wonderful opportunity, after my sporting career had finished, to position some of the learnings that I had taken from sport and understand how to apply them in a business context.
claire taylor mbe
MA Applied Management, Henley Business School (2016)
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Year : 2019 | Volume : 8 | Issue : 1 | Page : 17-24
Cognitive mapping of the public's risk perception based on gender and age in Saudi Arabia
Adel F Almutairi, Abdallah A Adlan, Mahmoud Salam, Ala'a BaniMustafa
King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Ministry of National Guard-Health Affairs, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Date of Web Publication 16-May-2019
Dr. Adel F Almutairi
Science and Technology Unit, King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Ministry of National Guard-Health Affairs, 22490, Riyadh 11426
DOI: 10.4103/sjhs.sjhs_145_18
Background: Humans process their lifetime experiences internally as mental images that constitute their cognitive maps, which they employ to recall and assess important features in their relative contexts. This study aims to develop a cognitive map of the public's risk perception based on gender and age in the unique Saudi cultural context. Methods: Data were collected using a self-administered survey measuring the public's perceived risk of nine common life hazards. Differences in gender (bivariate analysis) and age (correlation analysis) over each domain were presented. Cognitive mapping was developed. Results: Of the 317 participants, there were 211 (67.6%) females and 101 (32.4%) males with 32.5 ± 10.7 years as the mean and standard deviation of their age. A series of regression models showed that males had a better perception on the knowledge and control domain compared to females about the hazard of nuclear reactors (β = −0.2, adjusted P < 0.001), yet worse perception on the knowledge and control domain about caffeine intake (β = 0.21, adjusted P < 0.001). Males also had a worse perception of the severity and dread domain in regards to caffeine intake (β = −0.16, adjusted P = 0.005) and pesticides (β = −7.54, adjusted P = 0.002) compared to females, yet females had worse perception of the severity and dread domain concerning bicycles (β = 0.31, adjusted P < 0.001) compared to males. Older study participants had a better perception on the dread and severity domain in regards to caffeine intake (β = −0.26, adjusted P < 0.001) compared to younger participants. Conclusion: Gender and age differences in the risk perception toward some life hazards were observed among Saudi adults, which define the structural features of the Saudi cognitive map.
Keywords: Cognitive mapping, hazards, mental images, risk perception, Saudi Arabia
Almutairi AF, Adlan AA, Salam M, BaniMustafa A. Cognitive mapping of the public's risk perception based on gender and age in Saudi Arabia. Saudi J Health Sci 2019;8:17-24
Almutairi AF, Adlan AA, Salam M, BaniMustafa A. Cognitive mapping of the public's risk perception based on gender and age in Saudi Arabia. Saudi J Health Sci [serial online] 2019 [cited 2019 Jul 17];8:17-24. Available from: http://www.saudijhealthsci.org/text.asp?2019/8/1/17/256784
The computational view of the mind demonstrated that mental maps or cognitive maps are a form of mental processing called cognition, which helps people acquire, code, store, recall, and decode information about the phenomena that are happening in their lives. Consequently, cognition helps people to perceive, contextualize, simplify, and interpret their experiences, for instance, as difficult, risky, pleasant, irritating, or simply neutral.[1] Cognitive maps have been widely utilized in many disciplines, including psychology, education, archaeology, geography, cartography, and management.[2]
In this study, we adopted the term “cognitive mapping” to denotes a sketch of the public's risk perceptions of a number of health hazards, which are defined as the threats posed to people or things they care about or cherish. Whereas risk refers to one's likelihood of experiencing the effects of a certain hazard.[3] Thus, risk perception is related to the subjective assessments and judgments that people make about the characteristics of risk and the severity of its consequences. Hence, one's risk perception does not necessarily always match the magnitude of the actual hazard.[4] The most influential and comprehensive psychological theory that dominates the field of risk perception is the “psychometric paradigm.”[3],[5] This is a taxonomic scheme using psychological frames to produce quantitative representations of risk perceptions, which fall into a number of domains. The first is the dread domain, which refers to the potential for fatal consequences, catastrophe, or future threat. Unknown risk, the second domain, revolves around characteristics such as unobservable or uncontrollable outcomes, while affect, the third domain, refers to the state of one's emotions.[6],[7]
However, risk perception is believed to go beyond the individual, as it is partly a social and cultural construct reflecting the values, symbols, history, and ideology of the society in which someone lives.[8] The people in Saudi Arabia, therefore, might have different risk perceptions than those in other countries as a result of their unique daily exposures to events, shared beliefs, and common cultural attributes, all of which can shape their perceptions of the severity of the risks associated with the things around them. The media can also affect the public's perceptions of certain risks based on the method and frequency of their coverage.[3] For example, in the past few years, blood with the human immunodeficiency virus was transfused to a young Saudi girl in the southern region of Saudi Arabia. As this incident was given great prominence in the media, it is still echoing in the minds of the public.[9]
It is argued in the literature, that when people are more aware of certain risks or they know someone who has died from a particular risk (e.g., a disease), they tend to believe such incidents occur more frequently than they actually do.[3] Thus, their risk perceptions are formed by their awareness of the risk, in conjunction with emotions such as dread and fear, which can sometimes make them overestimate the occurrence and severity of hazards.
Before making any health-related decisions, people usually weigh the risks and consequences against the expected benefits. Understanding the public's risk perceptions of certain hazards can help in designing interventions to change health-related behaviors, anticipating their responses to hazards, as well as improving the methods of communicating risk information to laypeople and experts.[10] Experts often assess the risk based on probability, whereas the public evaluates the risk based on consequences.[11] Furthermore, individual characteristics, such as optimistic bias or unrealistic optimism, can lead to the misperception of the likelihood, frequency, and severity of certain risks. For instance, those who smoke and have optimistic bias tend to believe that smoking poses risks to other people but not to themselves.[3]
Two main factors that can play a role in people's risk perceptions in terms of their propensity to take risks are gender and age. Many studies in the literature revealed the existence of gender differences, in particular, that males are more likely to take risks than females.[12],[13] Interestingly, such difference was not uniform in some domains of risk, in which there was no difference or females were more likely to engage in risky behaviors than males in the social domain.[12],[13],[14] For age, while it is often assumed that younger people are less cautious and more likely to take risks, a study conducted in England with 127 participants found no age differences in risk perceptions concerning the most studied behaviors (e.g., skiing, smoking, playing soccer, drinking alcohol, and using illegal drugs).[15] However, other studies indicated that older people perceive more risk in behaviors related to health and ethics domains and less risk in behaviors associated with social domains.[16] Thus, knowledge about the differences in the public's risk perceptions based on gender and age has practical and theoretical significance.
The majority of the studies in the literature were conducted in different contexts to measure people's risk perceptions and health behaviors associated with specific hazards, such as climate change, air pollution, caffeine, sharing injection needles, smoking, pesticides, bicycles, and nuclear waste.[17],[18],[19],[20],[21] However, no studies have been conducted in Saudi Arabia to measure the public's risk perception of such life hazards.
Populations in the Middle Eastern region consist of diverse ethnic, linguistic, sectarian and socioeconomic identities. Although the Saudi Arabian population is an extension of the surrounding Middle Eastern communities, it remains one of the most conservative and possesses distinctive features. For instance, some of the Western cultural norms, such as cinemas, theatres, dancing shows have not been introduced until late 2010. Tribal and religious bonds are widely spread which results in high rates of social desirability. All these factors influence the population's perception towards current life hazards or risks and more importantly newly introduced ones, such as nuclear power. Moreover, the Saudi Arabian landscape is mainly a harsh desert which discourages the public community from adopting eco-friendly and healthy methods of commuting such as bicycle riding. Saudi Arabia is a big importer of groceries from the regional and international markets, some of which are labeled as genetically modified or treated by pesticides. Therefore, some Saudis and based on certain religious reservations might be more suspicious about its quality. These few risks and in addition to others might have been perceived differently across communities with various cultural differences. Thus, the goal of this study is to develop a cognitive map of the public's risk perception based on gender and age in the unique Saudi cultural context. We also aim to determine whether females or males perceive more risks in regard to the nine life hazards and whether risk perception increases positively with age.
This is a cross-sectional study, which adopted a prevalidated self-administered questionnaire.
Population and sampling
The study setting was a major national festival for heritage and culture held annually for 2 weeks in Riyadh city, the capital of Saudi Arabia. This event is a magnet for Saudi Arabians who visit it from different regions and areas of the Kingdom with an annual record exceeding one million visitors. Eligible study participants were members of the Saudi Arabian population, adults (≥18 years), and were willing to take part in the study. The data collection was executed by a team of certified research coordinators who were skilled at approaching study candidates, inviting them to enroll in study, secure informed consent and administer surveys. Data collection booths were designated at the event site so that by convenience visitors were exposed to the surveyors. During the invitation, the study purpose, procedure, and expected benefits were explained to potential participants. Those who agreed to participate received the study package, which contained a copy of the questionnaire and the study's information letter.
A total of 405 participants were invited to participate in this study, yet 317 (78.3%) agreed to enroll and completed the survey. Female participants made up the majority of the sample (n = 211) at 67.6%, whereas male participants formed the minority (n = 101) at 32.4%. Participants had a mean age of 32.5 and standard deviation of 10.7 years. Specifically, 152 (48.7%) were <30 years of age, and the rest of the sample (n = 160, 51.3%) were 30 years or above.
Data collection instrument
The survey was self-administered and questioned the participants about two exposures age and gender. Other variables that might have a potential confounding effect on the study outcomes, such as the level of education, occupation, and marital status were not evaluated since this was beyond the study objectives. Participants self-reported their perceived risk against nine common life hazards which are prescription drugs, caffeine, sharing injection needles, genetically modified foods, blood transfusion, pesticides, nuclear reactors, bicycles riding, and smoking (e.g., cigarettes).[6] Participants responded to 10 statements for each hazard [Table 1], five statements measured the dread and severity toward the hazard (statements 1, 2, 3, 7, and 10) while the other five statements measured the degree of knowledge and control over this hazard (statements 4, 5, 6, 8, and 9). The responses to each of the statements were rated on a 7-point Likert scale with reference to a group of qualitative characteristics.[21]
Table 1: Cognitive map assessment statements (modifiable for any life hazards)
The risk perception questionnaire was originally developed in English, and it has not been used and tested in other cultures, such as that in Saudi Arabia. Therefore, this tool was subjected to a number of tests to confirm its validity and reliability for utilization in an Arabic community. Specifically, all items for the nine hazards were translated into Arabic, by a professional translator, and then translated back into English with minor revisions. It was also subjected to further scrutiny by an expert in the social sciences to ensure that the wording of these items was appropriate and that they were readable, clear, and relevant to the local context.
The Statistics Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS, version 25, Armonk, NY, USA) was used to perform the data analysis. Age and gender were analyzed using descriptive statistics, including the arithmetic mean, standard deviation, frequency, and percentage. The weighted mean of the sample was calculated to correct for any gender bias based on the male-to-female distribution in the Saudi population.[22] The responses obtained from participants for each of the two domains within the nine hazards were converted into percentage mean scores (PMS). The reliability of each scale was measured using Cronbach's alpha coefficient as follows: nuclear reactor 0.50, caffeine intake 0.59, sharing injected needles 0.64, genetically modified food 0.67, blood transfusion 0.76, pesticide 0.72, bicycle 0.66, prescription drugs 0.64, and smoking 0.70. High PMS of the perceived severity/dread on a certain domain signified more fear of the domain being risky, whereas higher PMS of the perceived knowledge/control signified the level of awareness toward this risk. Since the data were normally distributed, independent Student's t-test was used to identify the gender differences in the PMS of dread/severity and knowledge/control domains in all nine hazards. Hedges' g was presented as an appropriate measure of the effect size between the two groups. Pearson correlation test was used to assess the relationship between the participants' age and the PMS for each hazard. A series of linear regression models were constructed to determine if the sex and age factors were significantly associated with the study outcomes. The level of significance was set at P < 0.05, yet after applying the Holm–Bonferroni correction, the corrected P value was set statistically significant at <0.02. In order to better understand how the public perceived the risk of these hazards, cognitive mapping was developed by plotting mean scores of the two domains (knowledge and control of this risk) against (dread and severity of this risk) for each hazard.
Ethical clearance and approval to conduct this study were obtained from the Institutional Review Board at the Ministry of National Guard–Health Affairs (RC16/09). Participation in this study was voluntary and anonymous, as there were no self-identifiers in the questionnaire. After agreeing to participate, informed consents were sought from these participants.
Cognitive mapping of risks
The participants' responses to the two domains, namely (1) knowledge and control and (2) dread and severity, were plotted in for each risk based on gender, as illustrated in [Figure 1] and [Figure 2] respectively.
Figure 1: Participants' responses to knowledge and control scale for each risk based on gender
Figure 2: Participants' responses to dread and severity scale for each risk based on gender
Males (PMS = 63.5 ± 20.2) had a significantly higher perception scores on the knowledge and control domain than females (PMS = 56.8 ± 12.4) in regards of nuclear reactors (P < 0.001). The perceived PMS of dread and severity regarding the caffeine intake was higher among males 36.6 ± 23.4 compared to females 27.4 ± 18.8, P < 0.001, but the perceived knowledge and control score was higher among females PMS 67.8 ± 15.9 compared to males 59.4 ± 21.0 in relation to caffeine intake, P < 0.001. Other weighted means of overall sample scores within each domain were presented in [Table 2]. To examine the relationship between participants' age and their responses to the two domains of each risk, Pearson correlation was used. The analysis showed a significant negative relationship between age and the perception PMS of caffeine (r = −0.29, P < 0.001) for the dread and severity domain as well as a negative relationship between age and the perception PMS of sharing injected needles (r = −0.16, P = 0.004) for the knowledge and control domain. In addition, there was a significant positive correlation observed between age and bicycles (r = 0.188, P = 0.001) as well as age and prescription of drugs (r = 0.143, P = 0.011), both in terms of dread and severity.
Table 2: Gender differences in the percentage mean scores of the perceived severity/dread and knowledge/control domains among various life hazards
A series of regression models showed that males had a better perception on the knowledge and control domain compared to females about the nuclear reactors domain (β = −0.2, adjusted P < 0.001), yet worse perception on the knowledge and control domain about the caffeine intake (β = 0.21, adjusted P < 0.001). Males also had worse perception of the severity and dread domain in regards of caffeine intake (β = −0.16, adjusted P = 0.005) and pesticides (β = −0.18, adjusted P = 0.002) compared to females, yet females had worse perception of the severity and dread domain in regards of bicycles (β = 0.31, adjusted P < 0.001) compared to males. Older study participants had better perception on the dread and severity domain in regards of the caffeine intake (β = −0.26, adjusted P < 0.001) compared to younger participants. However, younger study participants had better perception on the dread and severity domain in regards of prescription drugs (β = 0.16, adjusted P = 0.005) compared to older participants. In regards of the knowledge domain of sharing injected needles, younger participants had better [Figure 3] perception (β = −0.15, adjusted P = 0.009) compared to older participants [Table 3].
Figure 3: Cognitive mapping of risk perception
Table 3: Factors significantly associated with the perceived severity, dread, and knowledge among various domains
The cognitive map in [Figure 2] illustrates the public perception of the risks of these hazards from the least to most severe and dreadful: caffeine, prescription drugs, bicycle riding, blood transfusions, genetically modified foods, pesticides, nuclear reactors, sharing injections, and smoking. Two interesting factors that played a role in this order were the knowledge that risks could be controlled and that there were benefits associated with the potential health hazards. Thus, looking at the cognitive map reveals that the public regarded smoking and sharing injections as extreme health hazards since they have no benefit.
The strengths and novelty of this study lie in the fact that it provided a snapshot of how the Saudi public has built their perceptions of a number of selected hazards that can affect their health. These health hazards range from potentially mild to extreme. This public's cognitive map of hazards could help decision and policy makers, health educators, and clinicians to understand how the Saudi public perceives these risks and design, for example, educational campaigns accordingly. Decision makers in Saudi Arabia should take into consideration public fears when making choices that will affect the entire population, such as the concerns about genetically modified foods or establishing nuclear reactors as the government is planning to build a number of them in the country.
The findings of this study illuminated how the Saudi public perceived a number of potentially life-threating hazards, including blood transfusions, nuclear reactors, bicycle riding, caffeine intake, genetically modified foods, pesticides, sharing injection needles, and smoking. People develop such perceptions through experiences accumulated during their lifetimes, such as interactions with those in their community. Significant difference in perception between Saudi males and females could be due to many reasons, including the fear that might have resulted from the fact that it is a cultural taboo for females in Saudi Arabia to ride bicycles in public places.[23] The existing literature has also reported that women are more likely to be concerned about their personal safety and traffic risks than males.[24] A positive association between dread and severity on one side, and age on the other side could be related to the influence of age in general on risk-taking behavior when it comes to health. Previous studies have also shown that people's fears of riding bicycles are related to the perceived possibility of being injured as a result of an accident with a motor vehicle.[25] Concerns about personal security can certainly affect risk perceptions.
Understanding how the public perceives blood transfusion is very important since this life-saving medical procedure could be required at any time by anyone as a result of illness or injury. Males scored higher on the severity and dread domain than females, which was not consistent with the results of previous studies that found that females tend to report higher risk perception than males.[6],[26],[27],[28] This might be due to the fact that the current study included blood transfusion with eight other risks, while the other published studies focused on one domain, either blood transfusion or donation only.
Females had higher scores on the knowledge and control domain of caffeine intake, and lower scores for the severity and dread domain compared to males. This is not surprising as having more knowledge about the effects of caffeine on health should lead women to have a better understating of the magnitude of its risks. Moderate caffeine consumption is generally safe for a healthy adult.[29] Although this study did not examine the consumption of caffeine among groups, many studies have indicated that males consume more caffeine than females, a difference that has been attributed to many factors,[30] and therefore, they are more likely to suffer and fear its consequences.
While many studies have been conducted on people's perceptions of the risk of nuclear reactors, most were carried out in nuclear countries such as Japan. These studies showed high-risk perception among the Japanese about nuclear reactors and low public support and acceptance of nuclear power generation due to radiation risks, in particular after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident in March 2011.[19],[20],[21] Females' responses related to risk perception were associated with cancer incidence and perceived risk of death due to nuclear energy. The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster significantly influenced the public's perception in other countries as well, such as China and Taiwan.[31],[32],[33],[34],[35],[36] Despite the fact that there are currently no nuclear reactors in Saudi Arabia, the public is still influenced by the dreadful reports of nuclear accidents in other countries.
Although pesticides are important in agriculture to control insects and produce crops that are both plentiful and appropriate for human consumption, they are becoming of increasing concern to the public due to their impact on human health and the environment.[37] In regards of the pesticide dread and severity domain, findings in this study were not consistent with those in the literature, as females tended to perceive pesticides as more harmful to the environment and health compared to males.[38],[39]
Even though the sample in the current study was representative of Saudis in all regions, as it was conducted at the primary annual national festival for heritage and culture that attracts people from all over the county, it was still a rather small sample size due to the length of the questionnaire. Therefore, future studies with a larger sample size are recommended to confirm the public's cognitive map of risk perceptions. Another limitation was the unequal gender distribution. According to the report issued by the General Saudi Authority for Population Statistics in 2016, males represent 51% of the population, while females represent 49%, making the percentages nearly equal. To overcome this limitation, the weighted mean was employed. In addition, there are many other life hazards, such as motor vehicle accidents, pollution, and extreme weather conditions that are worth investigating in future studies.
A cognitive map of the public's risk perception is a unique reflection of the Saudi cultural context. Gender and age differences do exist across a number of life hazards. The cognitive map provides a better understanding of the way people perceive common risks, thereby helping decision makers, health educators, and clinicians design their health-related interventions to overcome people's fears and misconceptions.
The authors would like to thank King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia for funding this study. Our special thanks go to the study's participants without whom the project would not have been possible.
The study was funded by King Abdullah International Medical Research Center.
Pirani BM, Varga I, editors. The new boundaries between bodies and technologies. Newcastle Cambridge Scholars Publishing; 2009.
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Paek HJ, Hove T. Risk Perceptions and Risk Characteristics. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press; 2007.
Ngo LT, Bruhn R, Custer B. Risk perception and its role in attitudes toward blood transfusion: A qualitative systematic review. Transfus Med Rev 2013;27:119-28.
Slovic P, Weber EU. Perception of risk posed by extreme events. 2002.
Lee D. Perception of blood transfusion risk. Transfus Med Rev 2006;20:141-8.
Slovic P, Peters E. Risk perception and affect. Curr Dir Psychol Sci 2006;15:322-5.
Rundmo T. Explaining risk Perception. An Evaluation of the Psychometric Paradigm in Risk Perception Research. Trondheim, Norway: Norwegian University of Science and Technology; 2004.
Abolfotouh MA, Al-Assiri MH, Al-Omani M, Al Johar A, Al Hakbani A, Alaskar AS. Public awareness of blood donation in central Saudi Arabia. Int J Gen Med 2014;7:401-10.
Slovic P, Fischhoff B, Lichtenstein S. Why study risk perception? Risk Anal1982;2:83-93.
Sjöberg L. Risk perception by the public and by experts: A dilemma in risk management. Hum Ecol Rev 1999;6:1-9.
Weber EU, Blais A, Betz EN. A domain specific risk-attitude scale: Measuring risk perceptions and risk behaviors. J Behav Decis Mak 2002;15:263-90.
Johnson JG, Wilke A, Weber EU. Beyond a trait view of risk-taking: A domain- specific scale measuring risk perceptions, expected benefits, and perceived-risk attitude in German-speaking populations. Polish Psychol Bull 2004;35:153-72.
Harris CR, Jenkins M. Gender differences in risk assessment: Why do women take fewer risks than men? Judgm Decis Mak 2006;1:48-63.
Field JV, Schreer GE. Age Differences in Personal Risk Perceptions: A Note on an Exploratory Descriptive Study. Risk 2000;11:287.
Bonem EM, Ellsworth PC, Gonzalez R. Age differences in risk: Perceptions, intentions and domains. Behav Decis Mak 2015;28:317-30.
Sjoberg L, Drottz-Sjoberg BM. Public risk perception of nuclear waste. Int J Risk Assess Manage 2009;11:248-80.
Leiserowitz A. Climate change risk perception and policy preferences: The role of affect, imagery, and values. Clim Change 2006;77:45-72.
Bickerstaff K. Risk perception research: Socio-cultural perspectives on the public experience of air pollution. Environ Int 2004;30:827-40.
Brewer NT, Chapman GB, Gibbons FX, Gerrard M, McCaul KD, Weinstein ND. Meta-analysis of the relationship between risk perception and health behavior: The example of vaccination. Health Psychol 2007;26:136-45.
Lee DH, Mehta MD, James PD. Differences in the perception of blood transfusion risk between laypeople and physicians. Transfusion 2003;43:772-8.
General Authority for Statistics. Population in Saudi Arabia by Gender, Age, Nationality (Saudi/Non-Saudi) – Mid 2016 A.D. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: General Authority for Statistics; 2016. Available from: https://www.stats.gov.sa/en/5305. [Last accessed on 2018 Apr 22].
Winter FD, Chevrier MI. Conflict resolution in a different culture. Proc (Bayl Univ Med Cent) 2008;21:300-3.
Mitra R, Ziemba RA, Hess PM. Mode substitution effect of urban cycle tracks: Case study of a downtown street in Toronto, Canada. International Journal of Sustain Transp 2017;11:248-56.
Fishman E, Washington S, Haworth N. Understanding the fear of bicycle riding in Australia. J Australas Coll Road Saf 2012;23:19.
Merz EM, Zijlstra BJ, de Kort WL. Perceived blood transfusion safety: A cross-European comparison. Vox Sang 2016;110:258-65.
Vetter TR, Adhami LF, Porterfield JR Jr., Marques MB. Perceptions about blood transfusion: A survey of surgical patients and their anesthesiologists and surgeons. Anesth Analg 2014;118:1301-8.
Masser BM, White KM, Hamilton K, McKimmie BM. An examination of the predictors of blood donors' intentions to donate during two phases of an avian influenza outbreak. Transfusion 2011;51:548-57.
Temple JL, Bernard C, Lipshultz SE, Czachor JD, Westphal JA, Mestre MA. The safety of ingested caffeine: A comprehensive review. Front Psychiatry 2017;8:80.
Demura S, Aoki H, Mizusawa T, Sato T. Gender differences in coffee consumption and its effects in young people. Food Nutr Sci2013;4:748-57.
Miura M, Ono K, Yamauchi M, Matsuda N. Perception of radiation risk by Japanese radiation specialists evaluated as a safe dose before the Fukushima nuclear accident. Health Phys 2016;110:558-62.
Hidaka T, Kakamu T, Hayakawa T, Kumagai T, Jinnouchi T, Sato S, et al. Effect of age and social connection on perceived anxiety over radiation exposure among decontamination workers in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. J Occup Health 2016;58:186-95.
Tsujikawa N, Tsuchida S, Shiotani T. Changes in the factors influencing public acceptance of nuclear power generation in Japan since the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster. Risk Anal 2016;36:98-113.
Ho JC, Lee CT, Kao SF, Chen RY, Ieong MC, Chang HL, et al. Perceived environmental and health risks of nuclear energy in Taiwan after Fukushima nuclear disaster. Environ Int 2014;73:295-303.
Ho JC, Kao SF, Wang JD, Su CT, Lee CT, Chen RY, et al. Risk perception, trust, and factors related to a planned new nuclear power plant in Taiwan after the 2011 Fukushima disaster. J Radiol Prot 2013;33:773-89.
Lei C, Sun Q, Cheng X, Zhang Q, Fu Y, Chu C, et al. Survey on risk perception of radiation following an incident involving a stuck 60Co source in Henan province, China. Radiat Prot Dosimetry 2012;151:682-8.
Krieger R. Reviewing some origins of pesticide perceptions. Outlooks Pest Manage 2005;16:244-8.
Mehta MD. Public perceptions of food safety: Assessing the risks posed by genetic modification, irradiation, pesticides, microbiological contamination and high fat/high calorie foods. Pierce L Rev 2002;1:69.
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[Figure 1], [Figure 2], [Figure 3]
[Table 1], [Table 2], [Table 3]
Almutairi AF
Adlan AA
Salam M
BaniMustafa A
Cognitive mapping
mental images
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Pastor’s Vision
Associate Minister, Rev. Charles E. Sumpter
Associate Minister, Rev. Shelitta D. Moore
Associate Minister, Reverend Howard A. Milligan
Youth and Young Adult Minister, Rev. Brian A. Walker
Pastor’s Aide
Media / Music
Marquee Ministry
Christian Education Calendar
Sacrificial Offering Pledge Meter & Form
Rev. Howard A. Milligan, Associate Minister
Reverend Howard A. Milligan is a native of St. Croix, Virgin Islands.He was born to Henry A Milligan and Ms. Aldora Morton on January 7, 1972. He accepted Christ as his savior on March 12, 1992; while serving onboard the aircraft carrier, USS Saratoga CV-60. He received his call to the ministry in 1994. Reverend Milligan preached his first sermon on February 28, 1995 at Eastside Church of God in Jacksonville, Florida under the leadership of his father in law and spiritual father, Bishop Shade J. Herring Jr.
After years of training, Reverend Milligan and his wife completed the Church of God Ministerial Internship Program in May 2002. After completing the training for the first tier of licensing in the Church of God, Howard received his Exhorters license. Because of his vast experience, integrity, and consistent obedience to God, Reverend Milligan was allowed to complete the Church of God Ordination in January 2004.
Throughout his ministry and humble submission to God, Reverend Milligan has been given the opportunity to minister to numerous congregations across denominational and cultural lines. Also, Reverend Milligan has ministered on several U.S. Navy vessels. Over the past twenty years, he has served in the following positions: Associate Pastor, Bible Study teacher, Sunday school teacher and Youth Pastor. In addition, Reverend Milligan has conducted revivals to lead lost souls to Christ.
While preaching the gospel, Reverend Milligan has faithfully served his country for the past 28 years. In March 2006, he was commissioned as a Naval Officer. Currently, Howard is a Lieutenant Commander and stationed at the Defense Logistic Center in Richmond, Virginia. Reverend Milligan received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Organizational Management from Ashford University. He received his Master of Science in Management degree from the University of Management and Technology.
Reverend Milligan has been married to the former Ms. Kimberly Herring, for 23 years and they are the proud parents of Howard Jr. and Kaylen.
Reverend Milligan’s favorite statement when he received compliments on his teaching or preaching “Keep Praying for me”.
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SZONE.US Forums > Current Events > News > Personal Liberty
$50 million To Fight Infectious Diseases
Personal Liberty Bob Livingston provides you with a conservative, Christian view on life. Helping you live free in an unfree world. Delivering news on improving you health, boosting your wealth, and protecting your civil liberties."
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08.17.12, 01:48 PM
@PersonalLiberty
Join Date: 05.09
WASHINGTON,* (UPI) –* State health departments will receive funds totaling $49 million under the Affordable Care Act for infectious disease prevention, U.S. officials say.
Kathleen Sebelius, secretary of the U.S. Department of the Health and Human Services, announced awards, intended to bolster epidemiology, laboratory and health information systems in health departments in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, the Republic of Palau, the District of Columbia, New York City, Los Angeles County, Chicago, Philadelphia and Houston.
This is the third year of funding by the Affordable Care Act Prevention and Public Health Fund for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity for Infectious Diseases Cooperative Agreements.
“Today’s awards support the critical work of public health departments to prevent, track and respond to new and emerging infectious diseases,” Sebelius said in a statement.
Forty-nine states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico will receive funding to carry out strategies to protect patients from health care-associated infections — a patient gets a infection while in a hospital or medical facility.
Sixteen states will receive funding to prevent healthcare-associated infections across the spectrum of healthcare by building multi-facility prevention initiatives in California, Colorado, Connecticut., Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland., Massachusetts, Michigan, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Tennessee, Vermont and Wisconsin.
http://personalliberty.com/2012/08/1...ious-diseases/
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SAINT MARY OF EGYPT
ORTHODOX CHURCH IN AMERICA • NORCROSS GEORGIA
Things to know when attending
Orthodox Christianity is the Church instituted by Jesus Christ. As such, it is no less than the vehicle provided by God Himself to bring us back to the state we were originally created to be in. Orthodoxy is characterized by a firm reliance on the teachings of Holy Tradition, among which include Holy Scripture, patristic teachings, theological balance and accuracy, hierarchical organization, and a strongly sacramental life.
Is this the same thing as Eastern Orthodox?
While the term "Eastern Orthodox" is regularly used to describe the Orthodox Church, it is not commonly used by the Orthodox because of its imprecise (and therefore confusing) implications. We simply refer to ourselves as "Orthodox".
So what is your association with Egypt?
Our parish's matron Saint, Mary, was from Egypt. We are not part of the Church in Egypt. You can read about Saint Mary of Egypt by clicking here.
So are you Greek, or Russian, or what?
We are a parish and diocese of the Orthodox Church in America. The OCA (as it's commonly known), received its "autocephaly" (its permission to elect its own bishops and to govern itself independently), from the Russian Orthodox Church in 1970. While the OCA has Russian roots, our parish is composed of many different ethnicities and cultures, and many converts from other Christian confessions, and naturally with the worldwide communion of Orthodox Churches.
How is Orthodoxy different from other Christian confessions?
The Orthodox Church is the Church founded by Jesus Christ. It has faithfully preserved the teachings of Our Lord in an unbroken line stretching all the way back to the Apostles. Orthodox teachings represent a distinctively different theology than what is taught by the Roman Catholic Church, and its spiritual children, Anglicans and Protestants. To borrow a phrase, the Orthodox Church is Orthodox, but not Jewish; catholic, but not Roman; evangelical, but not Protestant. While we share much in common with our brother and sister Christians, especially with the Roman Catholic and Oriental Orthodox because of our shared heritage, we confess that the Orthodox Church alone has maintained the fullness of the Apostolic faith and teachings, and therefore brings Christ to us in the deepest and most intimate way possible. Echoing the Apostle Philip, we invite you to come and see!
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Slide20XX
John Hamilton Smith V, also known as "Slide20xl," is a video game music producer, classical music composer, and video game aficionado living and working out of the Capitol Hill neighborhood in Seattle, WA.
As a young music student, he began his studies at the viola before deciding to combine his developing passions for video games, music composition, and video game music MIDI files into a singular purpose: making a career out of writing music for video games.
Since then, he's studied music performance and composition at the University of Georgia and electronic music production, sound design, and video game music production at the Berklee College of Music. In 2011, he attended the Red Bull Music Academy in Madrid, Spain, where he worked with musicians from across the globe and attended lectures presented by pioneers in the field including Erykah Badu, MF Doom, Young Guru, Frankie Knuckles, and Tony Andrews.
He's produced music and sound effects for several works by students from Carnegie Mellon University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He's also led direction and development on a pair of crowd-controlled music-based video games -- the first of which debuted at RBMA in 2011 and the second of which appeared at MIT's inaugural "Hacking Arts" festival. His most recent work includes sound design and the complete soundtrack for Princeton-affiliated online neuroscience game EyeWire and music composition and sound design work for Against Gravity's virtual reality title, Rec Room.
Outside of his passions for video games and music, he loves discovering critically acclaimed and cult-classic anime series, perusing design magazines, and enjoying a night out with good company, good drinks, and an exceptionally good dance floor.
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Michael Jackson Song List
"Make Tonight All Mine" is on the following albums:
The Best of Michael Jackson (Anthology Series) - Make Tonight All Mine [Previously Unreleased 1973 Mix]
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WBB: OU Fans Invited to Attend Preseason Banquet
The Fast Break Club, the official booster club of the OU women's basketball team, has set its annual preseason banquet for Monday, Oct. 13, at the Lloyd Noble Center.
Fans and Fast Break Club members may reserve seats immediately for the dinner hosted on the Sooners' home court. Limited seating is available. The cost is $35 for adults, $10 for children (12 and under) and $500 for a corporate table (seats eight).
Current and former OU women's basketball players will serve as wait staff, so fans have the opportunity to get up close and personal with their favorite Sooners.
The evening includes a silent and live auction featuring an all-access pass for two to a road game versus Duke in Durham, N.C. on Wednesday, Dec. 17.
Doors open at 6 p.m. Dinner and program will begin at 7 p.m.
Don't miss out on the food and fun, and your chance to meet the OU women's basketball team! RSVP to the OU women's basketball office by Oct. 10 by phone at (405) 325-8322. Payment must be received before seats can be reserved. Payments cannot be refunded and are considered a donation to Oklahoma Women's Basketball should you be unable to attend the banquet.
Please mail payments (checks only, no cash) to:
Oklahoma Women's Basketball
2900 Jenkins Avenue
/// SoonerSports PR
Oklahoma Basketball
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29 Mayıs 2014 24 Ekim 2014
Soma Mining Disaster worst mining disaster worldwide in the last 40 years
Down with Erdogan and his murderous regime!
Coşku Mıhcı, Socialist Alternative (CWI in Turkey)
The Soma mining disaster shocked Turkey; the official number of death toll is 301. Some trade unions, NGOs and political parties are claiming that it could be much higher. It is the worst mining disaster in Turkish history, the worst in the world in 40 years, and the 19th worst in world history.
Soma is a town and district of Manisa province of Turkey and thousands of residents work in the coal mines. The Soma mining incident started on 12 May 2014 at 3:10pm. Government officials and ministers announced that at the time of disaster, 787 miners were working in the mine, but even the manager and the owner of the coal mine are unsure about how many miners were trapped inside, because of the widespread and notorious use of uninsured subcontracted workers.
They also don’t know what exactly caused this disaster. The last government inspection was done only two months ago, and inspectors say they didn’t find any safety problems inside the mine. Some mining engineers claim that this coal mine is one of the best coal mines in Turkey in terms of technology and safety regulations.
In 2013, Turkey was the worst country in Europe and the third worst country in the world when it comes to deaths in work-related accidents. 1,235 workers died last year because of work accidents. Turkey is among three countries in the world which hasn’t signed the ILO’s (International Labour Organisation) safety regulations about the mining sector – the other countries being Pakistan and Afghanistan. Because of this, under Turkey’s laws, there isn’t any obligation to build safety rooms inside the mines.
Initial reactions
Prime Minister Erdogan visited the Soma mine on 15 May, and made a public statement about the disaster. He said that mining working has a destiny or nature of possibility of death, adding that similar mining disasters occurred in history eg 1862 in England, 1907 in France, etc.
This statement from Erdogan, the problems in rescue operation, and the lack of clear official information, created an explosion of anger in Soma.
Relatives of dead and rescued miners started to protest against Erdogan and other government officials in the city, they started kicking the cars of government officials, shouting: “Erdogan has to resign”, “Erdogan the thief”, “Erdogan the murderer” and hooting at Erdogan when he was passing inside the city.
Erdogan went out from his car and tried and talk with protesters with his special security, and said: “If you hoot at me you will be slapped”. His advisor kicked a relative of a dead miner, who was protesting, on the ground. This situation enraged protesters even more, and Erdogan had to take refuge in a market on the road with his special security men. He then punched a protester twice in this market.
This offensive and utterly contemptuous behaviour of state officials created huge anger throughout Turkey.
Workers and youth move into action
Because of pressure from their members, three out of six trade union confederations called a one-day general strike on Thursday 14 May and for demonstrations in city centres. But due to the bureaucratic structures of most trade unions and the low percentage of unionisation rates in Turkey, this general strike was not very effective. However, workers in big factories like Bosch, Renault and Ford went on strike for the first time in a decade.
There was a massive demonstration in Soma, also in other big cities like Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir, and as expected, the riot police violently attacked these demonstrations.
In three universities, two of them in Istanbul and one in Ankara, students started occupations of the mining engineering faculty buildings in their campuses. These demonstrations and occupations are continuing, although with a decreasing intensity. Some of the student occupations have ended because their demands were conceded. Their demands called for the university authorities to make a statement about the mining disaster and to dismiss a professor who was an advisor for the mining company.
Meanwhile, the miners in Soma have been on strike without any agreement or endorsement from their official trade union. Their strike is still continuing, despite the pressure and threats from the mining company owners. Last week they started a sit-in protest in front of the town’s prefecture to demand improvements in their working conditions and for the people responsible for the disaster to stand trial.
The sit-in protest ended on Monday, but the miners didn’t go back to work. Hundreds of them went on to occupy the local headquarters of the Mine Workers’ Union (Maden-İş), demanding that the main trade union officials – who have been more involved in collaborating with the mining company than in protecting their members’ rights – step down.
The regional trade union leader Tamer Küçükgencay subsequently offered his resignation in an attempt to try and calm the crowd. However, the workers continued their protests, calling for all five board members of the union to resign. The board members then declared their resignations as well!
The miners in the village then started protesting in front of the national mining organisation, their main demand being the renationalisation of the mines.
This last example shows the way forward; determined collective action and clear demands can bring results. The demands and concerns of the Soma miners are also felt and shared by many miners and other workers across the country – as similar disasters could have happened in other ’death traps’ where working conditions are, fundamentally, no better.
This is why it is vital that the inspiring struggle of the Soma workers does not stay isolated but is enlarged and replicated across Turkey, in a powerful and organised mass movement to bring down the present murderous and corrupt AKP regime.
A national day of strike action in the entire mining industry to demand the nationalisation of the whole industry, under the miners’ control, could be a first step in enlarging the present movement.
But the struggle should also appeal to the growing numbers of workers and young people who are fed up with the present state of things. A massive and well-prepared general strike could, in that sense, shake the government to its foundations and bring the struggle to a new, qualitatively different level. Setting up action committees should be the order of the day, to coordinate this struggle and its aftermath and to prepare the basis for replacing the present pro-capitalist government of the AKP by a workers’ government.
Changes of line and divisions in the AKP
This government is exposed and damaged. Initially, all ministers, government officials, mining company owners and managers said that no one had committed any malpractice. And no one in the government resigned, because the AKP government feared that taking one step back or admitting any governmental responsibility would run the risk of a collapse of their rule. Their political power, despite the good results of the AKP in the local elections last March, is in a very fragile state after last year’s Gezi Park protests, the corruption probes, May Day restrictions and police violence. Because of that, all the AKP members acted in the first days very arrogantly and in unison.
However, under the effects of the protest movement, cracks have now begun to appear within the Turkish ruling class on which way to follow. Despite the evident collusion between the mine bosses and the AKP authorities, 26 mine executives were arrested on Sunday 17 May, in an attempt by the regime to calm down the people’s rage and to push the blame away from itself.
Since then, open divisions within the government have also emerged with, in particular, the Labour and Energy Ministers blaming each other for the disaster and the Energy Minister accusing the ruling party for having changed policy “three times” since the disaster occurred.
There will be a presidential election next August, and Erdogan was expecting to win this election too. But because of the chronic unsolved economic, social and political problems, which have been mostly created by the AKP government in the last 12 years, and the anger fuelled by the late disaster, the layer of people opposing the AKP government is growing. Many working class areas with a traditionally AKP-leaning vote have now turned against the government.
Some might feel a bit frustrated after the 2013 Gezi Park protests and the last local elections because of the lack of change. But despite the complicated feelings of the masses, a year of massive struggles, demonstrations and strikes has caused a huge leap forward in the political consciousness of all layers in society; a sweep of change we haven’t seen in the last 35 years in Turkey.
This is an unexpected situation for the AKP government and the Turkish bourgeoisie as they thought that they had consolidated their power, and that the economic situation of Turkey was good compared with other countries in the Middle East and Europe. They thought that Turkey was a safety harbour in a whole region of countries fighting with financial crisis, mass uprisings, civil wars and military interventions. But this political and economic stability has been based on a systematic pressure on society and extensive exploitation of the working class. The years of economic growth have bounced back in the face of the ruling class, as the Turkish working class with more boldness has demanded its share of the cake.
The ruling class was feeling very confident because of the lack of powerful opposition parties, of a mass workers’ alternative and because of politically controlled trade unions. Because of this disorganisation of the working class and the left, the masses rose up spontaneously, so both the government and all the organisations of the working class have been caught out.
The increasing fragility of the AKP’s power has undermined the self-confidence of the rulers and they cannot find solutions for minor political problems; conversely they are enlarging problems every day.
On the other hand, because of the bureaucratic structures of most of the trade unions and the sectarian attitude of the leadership of the main left parties (who are mostly struggling with each other), it means that their primary intention remains their narrow organisational interests, instead of advancing the movement and the demands of the masses.
These problems inside the left parties have caused a decline in the number of leading activists and members in recent years. However, the ongoing mass movement will create a new, vibrant political atmosphere in which the idea of a new, mass and fighting working class party can develop among broader layers of workers and young people. The politically active and genuine grassroots members of the left parties have an important role to play in pushing things in this direction.
Socialist Alternative, the Turkish section of the CWI, is anticipating the development of a working class mass movement in the very near future. As a small political group, we are trying to intervene in the present struggles and are formulating demands to consolidate the developing anger, for changing not only the government but also the whole economic structure upon which it relies; the profit-driven and crisis-ridden capitalist system.
Our demands are:
The formation of an independent commission of inquiry consisting of representatives of mineworkers, trade unions and democratic civil society organisations. Such a commission should have full transparency on its activities– all its findings must be made public!
The company owners, along with the government, must be held responsible and liable for what has happened, a criminal investigation must be started immediately!
Free medical assistance must be provided to the survivors and to the families of the victims, along with substantial financial compensation.
End the temporary employment agencies, imposing neoliberal, deregulated and flexible working conditions. No more child labour. Pay the miners a living wage.
Remove all legal and practical obstacles to trade union membership and encourage union membership.
Disclose the Soma mining company’s finances. The mine owners have enriched themselves in recent years on the backs of the workers – all these profits should be returned to the workers!
Soma and all privatised companies must be renationalised, without compensation, under democratic workers’ control and management.
Down with Erdogan and AKP rule! For the building of a mass movement of workers and youth to bring down this authoritarian clique of thieves and murderers!
A one-day strike in the whole mining sector, as a first step in the building of mass general strike movement against the government
A government of workers’ and poor people, based on socialist policies
Erdogan & Kapitalismus töten Kumpel!
Burjuvazinin Adaylarına Oy Yok, Oylar Demirtaş’a!
Government bans metal-workers’ strike
4 Şubat 2015 Government bans metal-workers’ strike için yorumlar kapalı
President Erdogan seeks dictatorial powers in April referendum |SOSYALİST ALTERNATİF
30 Mart 2017 sosyalistalternatif President Erdogan seeks dictatorial powers in April referendum |SOSYALİST ALTERNATİF için yorumlar kapalı
EU: Alliance with Turkey to close borders |Per-Ãken WESTERLUND
9 Mart 2016 EU: Alliance with Turkey to close borders |Per-Ãken WESTERLUND için yorumlar kapalı
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529 Lesson Plan: High Scores for 529 College Savings Program
Looking for a tax-advantaged college savings plan that has no age restrictions and no income phaseout limits — and one you can use to pay for more than just tuition?
Consider the 529 college savings plan, an increasingly popular way to save for higher-education expenses, which have more than tripled over the past two decades — with annual costs (for tuition and fees, and room and board) of more than $48,510 per year for the average private four-year college.1 Named after the section of the tax code that authorized them, 529 plans (also known as qualified tuition plans) are now offered in almost every state.
Most people have heard about the original form of 529, the state-operated prepaid tuition plan, which allows you to purchase units of future tuition at today's rates, with the plan assuming the responsibility of investing the funds to keep pace with inflation. Many state governments guarantee that the cost of an equal number of units of education in the sponsoring state will be covered, regardless of investment performance or the rate of tuition increase. Of course, each state plan has a different mix of rules and restrictions. Prepaid tuition programs typically will pay future college tuition at any of the sponsoring state's eligible colleges and universities (and some will pay an equal amount to private and out-of-state institutions).
The other type of 529 is the savings plan. It's similar to an investment account, but the funds accumulate tax deferred. Withdrawals from state-sponsored 529 plans are free of federal income tax as long as they are used for qualified college expenses. Many states also exempt withdrawals from state income tax for qualified higher education expenses. Unlike the case with prepaid tuition plans, contributions can be used for all qualified higher-education expenses (tuition, fees, books, equipment and supplies, room and board), and the funds usually can be used at all accredited post-secondary schools in the United States. The risk with these plans is that investments may lose money or may not perform well enough to cover college costs as anticipated.
In most cases, 529 savings plans place investment dollars in a mix of funds based on the age of the beneficiary, with account allocations becoming more conservative as the time for college draws closer. But recently, more states have contracted professional money managers — many well-known investment firms — to actively manage and market their plans, so a growing number of investors can customize their asset allocations. Some states enable account owners to qualify for a deduction on their state tax returns or receive a small match on the money invested. Earnings from 529 plans are not taxed when used to pay for eligible college expenses. And there are even consumer-friendly reward programs that allow people who purchase certain products and services to receive rebate dollars that go into state-sponsored college savings accounts.
Funds contributed to a 529 plan are considered to be gifts to the beneficiary, so anyone — even non-relatives — can contribute up to $15,000 per year in 2019 per beneficiary without incurring gift tax consequences. Contributions can be made in one lump sum or in monthly installments. And assets contributed to a 529 plan are not considered part of the account owner's estate, therefore avoiding estate taxes upon the owner's death.
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 allows distributions from 529 plans to be used to pay up to a total of $10,000 of tuition per beneficiary (regardless of the number of contributing plans) each year at an elementary or secondary (k-12) public, private or religious school of the beneficiary’s choosing.
Major benefits
These savings plans generally allow people of any income level to contribute, and there are no age limits for the student. The account owner can maintain control of the account until funds are withdrawn — and, if desired, can even change the beneficiary as long as he or she is within the immediate family of the original beneficiary. A 529 plan is also extremely simple when it comes to tax reporting — the sponsoring state, not you, is responsible for all income tax record keeping. At the end of the year when the withdrawal is made for college, you will receive Form 1099 from the state, and there is only one figure to enter on it: the amount of income to report on the student's tax return.
Benefits for grandparents
The 529 plan could be a great way for grandparents to shelter inheritance money from estate taxes and contribute substantial amounts to a student's college fund. At the same time, they also control the assets and can retain the power to control withdrawals from the account. By accelerating use of the annual gift tax exclusion, a grandparent — as well as anyone, for that matter — could elect to use five years' worth of annual exclusions by making a single contribution of as much as $75,000 per beneficiary in 2019 (or a couple could contribute $150,000 in 2019), as long as no other contributions are made for that beneficiary for five years. If the account owner dies, the 529 plan balance is not considered part of his or her estate for tax purposes. (If the donor makes the five-year election and dies during the five-year calendar period, part of the contribution could revert back to the donor's estate.)
As with other investments, there are generally fees and expenses associated with participation in a Section 529 savings plan. In addition, there are no guarantees regarding the performance of the underlying investments in 529 plans. The tax implications of a 529 savings plan should be discussed with your legal and/or tax advisors because they can vary significantly from state to state. Also note that most states offer their own 529 plans, which may provide advantages and benefits exclusively for their residents and taxpayers. These other state benefits may include financial aid, scholarship funds, and protection from creditors.
Before investing in a 529 savings plan, please consider the investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses carefully. The official disclosure statements and applicable prospectuses — which contain this and other information about the investment options, underlying investments, and investment company — can be obtained by contacting your financial professional. You should read these materials carefully before investing.
By comparing different plans, you can determine which might be available for your situation. You may find that 529 programs make saving for college easier than before.
Sources: 1) The College Board, 2018
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Track & Field - W
Home Meet Info
UAlbany Track & Field - W BIO
< Back to Roster page
Tara Belinsky
Player Profile:
Year: Graduate
Hometown: Locust Valley, N.Y
High School: Manhasset
Other College: University of Connecticut
Major: Communications
UAlbany wins sixth straight Commissioner's Cup
Belinsky’s TFRRS Profile
Shot Put: 53-06.50
Weight Throw: 52-10.25
Discus: 134-01.00
Hammer: 156-08.00
Season Bests
Belinsky competed exclusively in the shot put in her final season at UAlbany. She opened at Puerto Rico’s Spring Break Classic, winning the shot put with an outdoor school record mark of 49-01.00. She surpassed the previous mark of 48-01.25 set in 2015 by Janice Johnson. Belinsky would break her own record in each of the next two meets, placing sixth in the College division at the Florida Relays in 49-07.00, and placing first at UConn’s Northeast Challenge in 53-06.50, becoming the first woman to throw 50 feet outdoors, following the same accomplishment indoors. Belinsky won the shot put at UAlbany’s Bobbi Palma Spring Classic, and next placed eighth at the Penn Relays with another mark over 50 feet. Belinsky won her second America East Outdoor title in the shot put with a mark of 49-01.50, breaking the previous championship meet record of 48-10.25 set in 2004 by Northeastern’s Zara Northover. After a fourth-place finish at the ECAC Outdoor Championships, Belinsky ended her season and her career with her first-ever trip to NCAA East Preliminary Championships, placing 32nd in 50-03.25. Following the season, Belinsky was honored as an America East All-Academic, her first for the outdoor season. She is also a finalist for the America East Woman of the Year Award, and a nominee for the NCAA Woman of the Year Award.
Did not compete, and was named team captain ahead of the season for the third-straight year. She was a recipient of the Athletes & Recreation Leadership Award.
Belinsky opened the season at the Alan Connie Shamrock Invitational, placing sixth in the discus and seventh in the shot put. Following a 10th-place finish in the College division shot put at the Florida Relays, Belinsky recorded her season best in the shot put at UConn’s Northeast Challenge, placing second overall. She won the shot put at UAlbany’s Spring Classic, while placing fourth in both the discus and the hammer, setting a season best in the latter. Belinsky won her second shot put title and first for the outdoor season at the America East Outdoor Championships, while also placing sixth and setting a season best in the discus and placing 11th in the hammer. Belinsky ended her season placing fifth in the shot put at ECAC Outdoor Championships. Following the season, Belinsky was honored as a SUNY Scholar-Athlete and as a USTFCCCA All-Academic. Additionally, she received the UAlbany SAAC Leadership Award, the America East Presidential Scholar-Athlete Award, the America East Helping Hands Award, the SUNY Chancellor Scholar-Athlete Award, and the UAlbany Presidential Leadership Award for Outstanding Senior.
Belinsky, who was named team captain before the season for the second-straight year, and was elected president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee for the year, opened the season at the Boston University Season Opener, placing fourth in the shot put. At the Great Dane Classic, Belinsky placed second in the shot put and seventh in the weight throw. She recorded personal bests in the shot put in two-straight meets, first at the Dr. Sander Invitational Columbia Challenge and next at Boston University’s Bruce Lehane Scarlet & White Invitational. Her mark at the Columbia Challenge, 48-11.00, set a new school record, surpassing the previous mark of 47-04.50 set in 2004 by Joy Williams. Belinsky competed in her first Tyson Invitational at the University of Arkansas, recording her third-straight mark over 49 feet to place sixth overall. She placed second and the shot put and fourth in the weight throw at the America East Indoor Championships, setting a season best in the latter. Belinsky ended her season at ECAC Indoor Championships, placing fourth in the shot put with a season best 50-00.00, becoming the first woman in program history to throw 50 feet or more. Following the season, Belinsky was named to the America East All-Academic team.
Belinsky opened her season at the Florida Relays, placing ninth in the College division. She won the shot put at the UAlbany Spring Classic, and set her season best in the hammer, placing sixth. Following a victory and season best in the shot put at the Capital District Classic, Belinsky placed fifth in the shot put and eighth in the hammer at the America East Outdoor Championships. Belinsky ended her season placing eighth in the shot put at ECAC Outdoor Championships. Following the season, she was honored with the UAlbany Presidential Leadership Award.
After being named team captain before the season, Belinsky opened the season at the Boston University Season Opener, placing fifth in the shot put. She placed third in the shot put at the Great Dane Classic, before earning her first collegiate victory at the Middlebury Winterfell meet, winning the shot put and placing second in the weight throw. Belinsky earned back-to-back runner-up finishes in the shot put at the Villanova Open and the Villanova Invitational, recording her season best in the former. Belinsky won the shot put at the America East Indoor Championships, while also placing sixth in a season-best effort in the weight throw. Following the season, Belinsky was honored as an America East All-Academic.
Belinsky opened the season at the Alan Connie Shamrock Invitational, placing 30th in the shot put and 43rd in the hammer. She recorded her season best in the shot put at UConn’s Northeast Challenge, placing fourth overall. Her season best in the hammer came at UAlbany’s Spring Classic, where she placed eighth. She earned a fifth-place finish in the shot put at the America East Outdoor Championships.
Belinsky recorded her best mark in the first meet of the season, a seventh-place effort at the Great Dane Classic, her first meet at UAlbany. Following a fourth-place finish at the Villanova Invitational, Belinsky placed sixth at the America East Indoor Championships.
Before UAlbany
Belinsky attended UConn for one year before transferring to UAlbany.
Belinsky was a four-year letter-earner at Manhasset High School where she served as team captain both her junior and senior year. She was a New Balance All-American in 2013, Outdoor New York State Champion in 2013, Long Island Champion in 2014, a three-time Indoor Nassau County Champion from 2012-2014, and a three-time outdoor Nassau County Champion from 2012-2014.
Tara Belinsky is the daughter of Lisa and Larry Belinsky. She has two sisters, Victoria and Olivia. She also has one brother, Drew.
Tara Videos:
> More Videos
Track & Field - W Photos:
> View Gallery
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Module 4: Infiltration of Organized Crime in Business and Government
Links between organized crime and corruption
Article 15 of the Convention against Corruption defines bribery as both the promise, offering or giving of an undue advantage to a national, international or foreign public official and the solicitation or acceptance of an undue advantage by a national public official.
The legal distinction between bribery and extortion is not straightforward, it varies between jurisdictions and a person can be guilty of both in many instances. The debate over the bribery-extortion distinction has centred on the second type of extortion, namely the extortion under colour of official right. There is a degree of overlap between the two concepts and "extortion 'under colour of official right' equals the knowing receipt of bribes" (United States v. Holzer, 1988). Both offences involve the exchange of money, property, or services, but the manner in which the exchange occurs and the parties involved often vary depending upon the nature of the crime.
In extortion, the receiver is making a threat towards the extorted party, threatening to perform a certain action that will harm the extorted party unless the extorted party gives the receiver whatever the receiver requests. On the other hand, in cases of bribery, the bribed party will do something in favour of the bribing party.
Bribery relates to a corrupt benefit given or received to influence official action so as to afford the giver better than fair treatment. Both the person giving and the recipient are guilty of bribery. On the other hand, coercive extortion by a public official is the seeking or receiving of a corrupt benefit paid under an implicit or explicit threat to give the payer worse than fair treatment or to make the payer worse off. The payee is guilty of extortion; the payer is the victim of extortion.
In other words, bribery and extortion present several significant commonalities and differences, which are illustrated in Figure 4.1 below.
Organized criminal groups commonly use bribery to protect their illicit activities. For instance, members of organized criminal groups may do illicit favours or pay judges, jurors, police or other public officials in exchange for them to "look the other way". Extortion characterizes the infiltration of legitimate business when organized criminal groups try to force payments from individuals or businesses using threats to avoid worse than fair treatment.
Figure 4.1 Characteristics of Bribery and Extortion
The line between bribery and extortion is rather blurred when a public official expects a bribe for an action they are paid to carry out. Surveys in different countries have found that businesses and citizens often have little choice but to pay what is asked. (UNODC, 2013; UNODC, 2017) This situation makes it difficult to assess the true voluntariness of the exchange.
Examples of bribery from the Western Balkans and Nigeria
WESTERN BALKANS
Roughly, one in ten businesses (10.2 percent) that had contact with a public official in the 12 months prior to the survey paid a bribe to a public official. (UNODC, 2013)
Most bribes are solicited by public officials in return for public services that are their duty to deliver, indicating that those officials have little fear of being sanctioned. This suggests that in such cases bribery is not simply seen as a kind of administrative lubricant to smoothen the bureaucratic process, but rather as a scheme to extort money or other types of bribe from the citizen requesting the public service. (UNODC, 2017)
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All Links in Two Topics of Indiatimes (indiatimes.com) Are Vulnerable to XSS (cross site scripting) Attacks
Blackhole December 4, 2014 3
(1) Domain Description:
http://www.indiatimes.com
“The Times of India (TOI) is an Indian English-language daily newspaper. It is the third-largest newspaper in India by circulation and largest selling English-language daily in the world according to Audit Bureau of Circulations (India). According to the Indian Readership Survey (IRS) 2012, the Times of India is the most widely read English newspaper in India with a readership of 7.643 million. This ranks the Times of India as the top English daily in India by readership. It is owned and published by Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. which is owned by the Sahu Jain family. In the Brand Trust Report 2012, Times of India was ranked 88th among India’s most trusted brands and subsequently, according to the Brand Trust Report 2013, Times of India was ranked 100th among India’s most trusted brands. In 2014 however, Times of India was ranked 174th among India’s most trusted brands according to the Brand Trust Report 2014, a study conducted by Trust Research Advisory.” (en.Wikipedia.org)
(2) Vulnerability description:
The web application indiatimes.com online website has a security problem. Hacker can exploit it by XSS bugs.
The code flaw occurs at Indiatimes’s URL links. Indiatimes only filter part of the filenames in its website. All URLs under Indiatimes’s “photogallery” and “top-llists” topics are affected.
Indiatimes uses part of the links under “photogallery” and “top-llists” topics to construct its website content without any checking of those links at all. This mistake is very popular in nowaday websites. Developer is not security expert.
The vulnerability can be attacked without user login. Tests were performed on Mozilla Firefox (26.0) in Ubuntu (12.04) and Microsoft IE (9.0.15) in Windows 7.
POC Codes:
http://www.indiatimes.com/photogallery/“>homeqingdao<img src=x onerror=prompt(‘justqdjing’)>
http://www.indiatimes.com/top-lists/“>singaporemanagementuniversity<img src=x onerror=prompt(‘justqdjing’)>
http://www.indiatimes.com/photogallery/lifestyle/“>astar<img src=x onerror=prompt(‘justqdjing’)>
http://www.indiatimes.com/top-lists/technology/“>nationaluniversityofsingapore<img src=x onerror=prompt(‘justqdjing’)>
POC Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EeJWu8_5BKU&feature=youtu.be
Blog Details:
http://securityrelated.blogspot.com/2014/11/two-topics-of-indiatimes-indiatimescom.html
What is XSS?
“Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) attacks are a type of injection, in which malicious scripts are injected into otherwise benign and trusted web sites. XSS attacks occur when an attacker uses a web application to send malicious code, generally in the form of a browser side script, to a different end user. Flaws that allow these attacks to succeed are quite widespread and occur anywhere a web application uses input from a user within the output it generates without validating or encoding it.” (OWASP)
(3) Vulnerability Disclosure:
The vulnerabilities were reported to Indiatimes in early September, 2014. However they are still unpatched.
Discovered and Reported by:
Wang Jing, Division of Mathematical Sciences (MAS), School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences (SPMS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore. (@justqdjing)
http://www.tetraph.com/wangjing/
http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2014/Nov/91
http://lists.openwall.net/full-disclosure/2014/11/27/6
http://permalink.gmane.org/gmane.comp.security.fulldisclosure/1256
https://progressive-comp.com/?l=full-disclosure&m=141705615327961&w=1
http://tetraph.blog.163.com/blog/static/234603051201501352218524/
http://www.techworm.net/2014/12/times-india-website-vulnerable-xss
https://cxsecurity.com/issue/WLB-2014120004
https://mathfas.wordpress.com/2014/12/04/all-links-in-two-topics-of-indiatimes
http://diebiyi.com/articles/security/all-links-in-two-topics-of-indiatimes
http://www.inzeed.com/kaleidoscope/computer-security/all-links-in-two-topics
http://itsecurity.lofter.com/post/1cfbf9e7_54fc6c9
http://computerobsess.blogspot.com/2014/12/all-links-in-two-topics-of-indiatimes.html
https://vulnerabilitypost.wordpress.com/2014/12/04/indiatimes-xss
http://whitehatview.tumblr.com/post/104310651681/times-of-india-website
http://www.tetraph.com/blog/computer-security/all-links-in-two-topics-xss
Categories Computer Security, XSS Vulnerability Tags 0-day, 0day-exploit, Application Exploit, Attacks, computer topics, Cross-Site Scripting, cyber-intelligence, Hacker Prevent, India Times, Indiatimes, indiatimes.com, IT News, photogallery, technology, top-lists, Two Topics, web bugs, whitehat, XSS
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City moves on sidewalk upgrades
By Sarah Reed/Managing editor
Several property owners on the 700 block of South Main Street met with city officials and MoDOT representatives Oct. 31 to discuss a possible sidewalk project that would bring the walkway up to ADA compliance. (Sarah Reed/The Concordian)
Property owners' opinions on the necessity to redo the sidewalk on the 700 block of South Main Street seems to vary as much as the grade. While some agree there's a need to bring the west sidewalk to ADA compliance at a quoted price of $18,500, others have fairly new walkways in front of their businesses. The latter don't seem to be in favor of the project, but also don't want to hold it up should a majority of the property owners agree.
During a Concordia Board of Aldermen meeting Monday evening, aldermen discussed the city's options for paying for the project -- which would be accomplished while MoDOT repairs the adjacent stairs. They also received more input from two property owners who were present.
Jeff Peterson, owner of a vacant lot in the center of the block, indicated he was in favor of the project, but not in favor of having owners fund it in its entirety.
"The difficulty here is ... having it all come at one time from the owners, when what we're really talking about here is city infrastructure for the future of Concordia, Mo.," Peterson said. "What I would prefer is that the city find a mechanism to participate in the $18,500."
Peterson agreed the city needs to move forward with bringing the sidewalks into ADA compliance, but urged the board to question the motivation.
"Are the five of you going to do something on the back of the property owners, or are you going to do it hand-in-hand with the property owners?" he said.
Peterson, who said he's developed real estate for the past 25 years, had proposed a different sidewalk design early last month. It called for tapering the sidewalk toward the middle -- creating a street-level pad in the center of the block that ramps north and south. The city and MoDOT officials questioned if that would establish new drainage problems in addition to the amount of space available.
For the property owners who've installed sidewalks in recent years, little incentive is available.
"My sidewalk is already compliant," said Britt Hasselbring of the walkway in front of Britt's Central Drug Store. "All we're going to do is tear up the sidewalk and put the same thing back in."
Later, he stated he wasn't opposed to the project as a whole, but didn't see this as the best plan.
Alderman Ruthie Fischer, who wasn't present for the previous board meeting, asked about funding options. Should the city go all-in and pick up the entire bill, more than $12,000 could come from the tourism budget.
"We have about $36,000 in additional tourism funds," City Administrator Dale Klussman noted, "and the tourism board has already deemed downtown as one of those tourism places."
MoDOT will need an easement the width of five feet in order to reconstruct the stairs, regardless of the city's decision on sidewalks. But the transportation department is looking to negotiate the right of way if sidewalks are part of the project. The estimate hasn't yet been quoted.
"The safest and easiest way is just to let MoDOT put the (stairs) back to its elevation that it's at right now," Klussman said. "The downfall to that -- ADA comes in, in a couple of years (for example), and we're right back where we are now, with the potential of the investment being greater, because you're going to have to pull those steps out, too, when you go to replace the sidewalk ..."
Aldermen approved moving forward with Mo-DOT on the project, pending the city attorney's approval in addition to later determining the city's level of participation.
During the meeting, the city repealed a decision it made in December 2012.
This time last year, then-aldermen named Meyer Motors as the city's preferred towing service.
The adopted ordinance required all city departments to contact the company for non-preferred tows," meaning when vehicle owners request a tow, but not a specific tow company.
Monday, city officials repealed the ordinance and indicated they would establish a rotation for tow calls that come into Concordia Police Department.
The change reportedly came about when CPD recently changed dispatching centers from Lafayette County to the city of Higginsville.
"This ordinance allows (us) to develop a non-preferred towing rotation," Klussman said. "This is just, in essence, allowing department heads to get ahold of dispatching, and dispatch will do a rotation for those services that have applied to do towing in Concordia."
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Pharrell knew Trump was going to win “before he even became the nominee”
In a new interview with the New York Times, Pharrell explained how the political moment shaped N.E.R.D.’s fifth studio album.
By Ben Dandridge-Lemco
Pharrell Williams attends the Chanel Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2017-2018 show, July 4, 2017 Pascal Le Segretain / Getty Images
N.E.R.D.'s albums have always captured the societal moment in which they were created and their fifth record, No_One Ever Really Dies is no different. Their recent single, "Don't Don't Do It," released on Wednesday, finds Pharrell and Kendrick Lamar each addressing police brutality and the killing of unarmed black Americans at the hands of officers.
In an interview with <i>New York Times, Pharrell explained how the current political landscape inspired the new album and said that he knew Trump would be elected from the jump. "Before he even became the nominee, I said that he was gonna win that,” he said. “The other thing that no one wanted to listen about is when I would say to them, ‘Dude, he saved NBC.’ That guy knows how to talk to people.”
Read Next: OVO Sound Radio premieres “Lemon” remix featuring Drake
“People are desensitized,” he continued. Technology, he complained, has blunted the emotional impact of troubling news, distancing people even farther from empathy."
Read N.E.R.D.'s full interview with the New York Times here. No_One Ever Really Does is set to be released December 15.
Electronic, Hip-Hop, N.E.R.D., Pharrell
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Macroeconomic impact of UK liberal economic policies
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By Graham Gudgin and Ken Coutts
A sea-change occurred in the early 1980s in the way the UK economy was organised. From then on, until the present day, openness to trade, light-touch regulation of commerce and free competition have been the watchwords, alongside low income tax rates and constraints on trade union action. Most importantly, the removal of a raft of restrictions on banks and building societies, combined with the abolition of controls on the international movement of capital, allowed a huge expansion in household borrowing. These liberalisation measures extended an earlier trend including the bonfire of war-time restrictions, international trade agreements to reduce tariffs, the move to floating exchange rates between 1971 and 1973, and the switch from direct to indirect controls on bank lending in 1971. However, even by the late 1970s the UK economy was still strongly managed by government. Controls were still in place on capital movements, investment, prices and incomes. Trade unions remained powerful and the basic rate of income tax was at 30% with the top rate at 83%. Most lending to households was still undertaken by heavily controlled building societies. Government economic policies prior to the late 1970s still aimed to maintain full employment although the practice had become more difficult to achieve. After 1979 policy switched decisively towards controlling inflation, firstly through monetarism and later by using interest rates to meet inflation targets.
It is often taken for granted in media and policy making circles that more structural economic reforms, involving greater labour market flexibility, will increase the efficiency of the economy. This assumption may arise because liberal markets are linked to a political philosophy of individual freedom and responsibility. It may also be because many economists in business and academia have a presumption that private sector organisation of economic activity is superior to any state intervention. We make no such assumption. Instead, the purpose of this report is to assess the factual evidence on the macro-economic impact liberal policies on the UK economy. In particular it is to assess their impact on the growth of GDP, productivity, employment, unemployment and inflation. The report shows that GDP and productivity have grown more slowly since 1979 than over previous decades, contrary to widespread belief. Although inflation and industrial disruption were reduced after 1980, unemployment and inequality have been higher. The volatility of the economic growth has also been much greater. The fluctuations in GDP have come in large waves in contrast to the ripples of the 1950s and 1960s.
Any support for the conventional wisdom that the liberal market regime since 1979 has had a favourable impact on growth of the UK economy thus depends on a view that economic performance would have been worse after 1979 even if the previous ‘corporatist’ regime had been maintained. One view is that the high inflation of the 1970s would have continued to have been a problem if a liberal market regime had not been adopted from 1979, leading to slower growth. However price inflation fell sharply from 1980 in all advanced economies irrespective of the economic policy regime.
An important post-1979 change that should be taken into account is the slowdown in growth in the volume of world trade in goods from the mid-1970s. A likely cause of the slowdown was the ending of the long recovery in the war-torn economies of Europe and Asia, but the switch to floating exchange rates may have played a role. We estimate that the growth in real per capita GDP in the UK would have slowed from 2.6% per annum to 2.2% per annum due solely to the impact of slower growth in the volume of world trade. Assessed against this more slowly growing benchmark trend, per capita GDP in the UK exceeded the trend in the late 1980s and in all years from 1994 to 2008. It then fell well below the trend and now looks unlikely to regain it for many years, if ever.
We argue that per capita GDP was maintained at levels above this trend after 1979 only by the build-up of high household debt levels. Once debt, and the rising property prices supported by rising debt, reached unsustainable levels, as it did by 2007, the banking system crashed and the level of GDP fell much further below previous trends than in any period since the Great Depression. The UK economy now appears to be developing permanently on a lower and slower long-term trajectory than for any period in the last 80 years. Our view is that the Labour Government was misled into believing that the economic growth rates of 1997-2007 could be sustained, and hence kept up a growth in public spending higher than might otherwise have been the case. A belief that the trend growth of the economy had increased during this period was held by the Treasury and by many academic economists. The politicians can hardly be blamed for accepting this professional advice.
Growth in per capita GDP is the arithmetic sum of growth in productivity (GDP per hour), hours worked per employee, employment rates and the ratio of working-age to total population. It is clear that productivity has grown at a slower rate in the post-1979 liberal market period than previously. This is associated with the decline of manufacturing, a casualty of free market policies and globalisation. Manufacturing had, and has, consistently faster productivity growth than service sectors. The conversion of the UK economy to one based overwhelmingly on services has reduced the rate of productivity growth from around 2% per annum thirty years ago to less than 1.5% per annum today. For many years from 1982 to 2005 the falling rate of productivity growth was offset by a rising employment rate to generate a growth in per capita GDP not far below the pre-1980 trend. Even with employment rates recovering between 1982 and 2007, rates were however generally lower after 1979 than before this date and unemployment much higher. Other factors helping to maintain the growth of per capita GDP were a reduced annual decline in average hours worked, and generally favourable changes in the proportion of the population who were of working age. Without these offsetting changes in employment rates, hours worked and dependency ratios per capita GDP in the UK would have grown by 1.6% per annum on average since 1980.
Inflation, de-regulation and privatisation
The main improvements in the liberal market era have been lower inflation and a greatly reduced rate of industrial disruption. More than anything else it was the huge rise in inflation during the 1970s and associated industrial disruption that stimulated the change in economic policies from 1979 onwards. UK inflation was generally a little higher than in the USA or G7 average over the 1950s and 1960s and again in the 1980s. It was in the period 1971- 77 that inflation rose well above the US or G7 average levels, averaging seven percentage points above the level of inflation in the USA, and peaking at just below 25% in 1975. However UK inflation had returned to a level close to the US and G7 averages by 1978, although the subsequent breakdown of wage controls, a new oil price hike and a near doubling in the rate of VAT led to an increase in inflation in 1979 and 1980.
The main improvement relative to the G7 average came not with the Thatcher Government’s monetarist policies over the 1980s but following the UKs ejection from the European exchange rate mechanism (ERM) in 1992. After 1992 UK price inflation was generally below the G7 average, due initially to high unemployment and after 1996 to a large appreciation in the Sterling exchange rate. However UK price inflation has returned to its traditional position, a little above the G7 average, since the large depreciation of Sterling in 2008. It was only in the exceptional 1993-2007 period that the UK had lower inflation than the G7 average. Otherwise inflation relative to other major economies in the post 1979 period has been similar to the 1950s and 1960s.
While the high inflation of the 1970s is often viewed as the culmination of earlier corporatist policies, it can just as easily be treated as a temporary aberration that was on its way out by the time the Thatcher government took office in 1979. Inflation was high in all major economies in the 1970s due to high deficit spending in the USA, the resulting collapse of the Bretton-Woods exchange rate system and the associated quadrupling of world oil prices in 1973. The corporatist era’s policy regime of wage and price controls in a context of strong unionisation was unable to deal well with this disruptive situation and policy mistakes were made. The threshold wage agreements introduced by the Heath Government in 1973, caused prices to soar in 1974 following the oil price increase, but rises in unemployment were kept smaller than would otherwise have been the case. Inflation is likely to have been somewhat higher after 1980 than it actually was if corporatist policies had continued, but unemployment would have been much lower.
Other projected gains from liberal market policies have not been realised or not sustained. Total taxation is no lower now relative to GDP than in the 1970s. The enterprise boom in new firm formation did not outlast the 1980s and new firm formation rates are now only a little higher than in the decades prior to 1980. If business investment was expected to have risen from its low rates in the pre-1980 period, then the expectation was not realised. Nor has the record of research and development spending improved. Indeed it has worsened. Again this is likely to reflect the loss of manufacturing with the UK experiencing the largest proportional loss of any industrial nation.
Any consideration of the changes in business regulation in the post-1979 period is complex. The prices and incomes controls of the pre-1980 period did not work well and arguably had a limited impact on inflation. Such controls would in any case have become redundant as global inflation came down over the 1980s and 1990s. Regional development controls on manufacturing investment did help regions with high unemployment but were in abeyance by 1979. Although such controls were abandoned, a regime of grant-based incentives has continued up to the present albeit one regulated through EU state aids rules. The huge success of a low business tax regime in attracting multi-national firms to the Republic of Ireland shows that regional attraction measures can be very effective.
The growth of new regulations over recent decades, many EU-wide, in health and safety and other areas are part and parcel of a higher standard of living. Countries with more controls, including Germany, Austria and Sweden, do not appear to suffer a significant overall productivity penalty. OECD studies suggest that, among deregulation measures, it is free trade that has most impact. We argue that most of the tariff reductions on trade in goods had already been introduced by 1979. Nevertheless it remains true that, on average, the post 1979 period experienced much freer trade than the preceding decades. Other regulations, including labour market rules, appear to have had a limited impact. UK attempts to derogate from EU labour regulations are likely to have done little to increase economic growth or productivity over recent decades. We conclude that the regulatory regime before 1980 had little negative impact, and that the fact the UK has had a somewhat lighter regulatory regime than other EU countries since has done little to increase economic growth or productivity.
It was the de-regulation of bank lending which had most impact after 1979. Financial de-regulation, undertaken initially in 1971 and more determinedly after 1979, led to faster growth in GDP up to 2007 but eventually left a highly indebted household sector and a devastated banking sector. Since the financial crash of 2008 the UK economy has languished further and further below the pre-2008 trend and seems most unlikely ever to regain that trend.
The impact of privatisation on industrial efficiency has been judged in most studies to have been limited. This was surprising because privatisation improved corporate governance, and freed companies from political interference and from Treasury financial controls which were likely to have constrained investment. Commercial objectives including profitability became more dominant and firms improved efficiency in marketing, innovation and finance, and were able to diversify into overseas markets, becoming large multinational companies. Even so, studies across privatised companies have concluded that either there were no long run effects on UK output or that it was tough regulation rather than privatisation per se that gave rise to welfare gains for consumers. Studies of individual privatisations show mixed results. Only some studies detected clear performance gains and a number confirmed that the main gains occurred in the run up to privatisation. In general however efficiency gains were, as expected, more likely when accompanied by competitive markets or effective regulation.
The official historian of UK privatisation concludes that ‘the strident claims of ministers during the 1980s and 1990s about the benefits of privatisation were exaggerated and the true picture is more of a mixed one’. It should also be borne in mind again that any efficiency gains at company or sector level only lead to macro-economic gains if redundant labour is re-employed in productive activity. The persistently high unemployment of the 1980s and 1990s indicates that there was insufficient re-employment to growing sectors and fits our observation above that, far from improving, the trend growth in GDP per hour deteriorated substantially from the early 1980s.
It is true that the retreat of state involvement in the UK has avoided repetitions of some of the commercial failures of the corporate age including nuclear power (AGRs), Concorde and launch rockets. However other countries, and notably France, persevered longer with these technologies and now have more successful firms in these areas than does the UK. Nor was it the case that government commercial failures were confined to the corporate period. Commercial blunders were equally possible in a regime of liberal markets, as shown by the mis-selling scandal over privatising pension provision as personal pensions in 1985, and the attempt to privatise vocational training as individual learning accounts in 2000.
Relative productivity performance
Much of the support for the liberal market reforms comes from a belief that the UK’s economic performance improved relative to Western European competitors although not, it should be noted, relative to the USA. Other than the support of what we regard as inappropriate theories currently dominant in much of university economics, and in some quarters a philosophy of individual freedom, it has been the UK’s improved performance relative to major European competitors that has underpinned the consensus around the economic benefits of market liberalisation.
In the immediate post-war years, levels of productivity and per capita GDP in the UK were well above those of most of Western Europe. The advantage had disappeared by 1979 as productivity in other EU countries improved faster than in the UK, but after 1979 the UK matched or bettered growth in per capita GDP in the original EEC members. There is however little evidence, as we have argued, that this improvement in relative growth was caused by any improvement in the actual growth of UK GDP. Rather, the improved relative performance was caused by a dramatic slowing in the growth of continental EU economies from the early 1970s onwards. GDP in the EU6 countries grew rapidly at an annual rate of 4.5% per annum from 1950-73, slowing to 2.5% per annum in 1973-79 and only 1.6% per annum from 1979-2007.
By 1980 French and German labour productivity levels were approaching 90% of US levels and had little further room to converge, while their hours worked per employee continued to fall. Moreover there was no compensating rise in employment rates, including in Germany until the Hartz labour market reforms of a decade ago. As a result, growth in per capita GDP slowed within the EU6. These conditions did not apply to the UK, where labour productivity was only 75% of the US level in 1979 and has never subsequently reached 90%. With less globalisation and hence a slower decline in manufacturing we believe that productivity growth would have slowed down less after 1979 than it actually did. On the other hand a more unionised UK is likely to have continued to reduce hours worked per employee as in the EU6 countries.
One of the proximate causes of slow productivity growth in the UK has been the low rate of investment both by businesses and government. Data from the IMF show that the UK has consistently had the lowest rate of total investment of any major economy. The investment rate in the liberal market era has been even lower than in the previous corporatist decades, but both were low. OECD data shows that business investment has been the lowest of any major economy since 1980.
Our conclusion is that UK growth in per capita GDP did not improve after 1979 and even the achievement of keeping close to pre-1980 growth rates was attained by keeping working hours from falling further. Labour productivity has remained below that of France and Germany and has fallen further behind the USA. There is little to suggest that liberal market policies in the UK contributed to convergence with other European economies.
One confidence-sapping characteristic of the pre-1980 decades was the continuous decline in the UK share of world trade in goods. This decline appeared to cease after 1980 initially due to the growing production of North Sea oil and gas combined with high oil prices. The longer trend has been a continued decline in the UK share of world trade at much the same rate as before 1980. Once again there is little to suggest a sustained improvement in performance due to liberal policies. Instead the UK current account on the balance of payments has been continually in deficit since 1983 in sharp contrast with earlier decades. This has occurred despite a growing surplus in trade in services.
Slow Growth in Future
The future implications of the analysis in this paper are serious. The trend in productivity growth in a UK economy heavily denuded of manufacturing by decades of globalisation is unlikely to be much above 1.4% per annum. Growth in the employment rates did offset declining productivity growth from the early 1980s, but this offset cannot be sustained in future. With the employment rate in 2014 once again close to a peak, there will be little or no future secular growth in employment rates. Even worse, projected decline in the proportion of working-age people, due to an aging population, will reduce the long-term trend in growth of per capita GDP by a further 0.5% per annum. If the average number of hours worked per employee continues to decline, even at the slow rate of recent decades, a further 0.3% per annum will be subtracted from the growth rate of per capita GDP. The trend growth rate of per capita GDP would then be only 0.6% per annum. If this sounds alarmist, we should note that observed growth over the decade to 2014 has been only 0.4% per annum. We thus expect the UK to experience the secular stagnation that Lawrence Summers projects for the USA, but the reasoning involves fundamental trends in sectoral productivity and demographics rather than the demand-side factors invoked by Summers.
The main contention of this paper is that financial liberalisation was the sole aspect of the liberal market reforms introduced into the UK, initially in 1971-73 and more consistently from 1979, which materially increased the rate of economic growth. The freeing up of finance led to a huge, and eventually unsustainable, expansion of household borrowing. This temporarily accelerated the growth of consumer spending and hence GDP and of house prices, but in 2008 contributed to a banking crisis and the longest recession for over a century. Other than this unsustainable boost to demand from financial liberalisation there is little evidence that other liberal market policies taken together improved the trend rate of economic growth in the UK even temporarily, although they may have been advantageous in other ways. Evidence that the growth rate was poor in the post-1979 liberal period also lies in the consistently high level of unemployment which has averaged 8% since 1979, (not including the concealed unemployed on sickness benefits), compared with 3% in the three previous decades.
The liberal market reforms were one attempt to stem the rate of decline in the UK share of world trade. Joining the EEC in 1973 in the expectation of tying the UK economy to fast growing markets had been another. While post- 1979 liberal reforms may have had some success in improving management and industrial relations, they have also allowed UK firms to relocate production to emerging economies helping the extreme de-industrialisation of the UK economy. As far as EU membership is concerned, the UK actually joined one of the world’s slower growing trade blocs, as growth slowed permanently in France, West Germany and other EEC nations just as the UK acceded.
Margaret Thatcher regarded the British in 1979 as a “a brave people who were stifled and controlled by a bureaucratic state that penalised the good and rewarded the bad, stifled innovation, while generating feckless welfare dependency”. The policies designed to reduce bureaucracy, promote innovation and reduce welfare dependency clearly did not succeed in raising rates of economic growth. Even in 2007 government current spending was higher as a percentage of GDP than it had been in 1979. Welfare dependency rose by 50% during the Thatcher-Major years and remains at this level today. Attempts to reduce taxation through lower public spending were also only temporarily effective and did not survive the first post-Thatcher recession in 1990/91. Levels of business investment in the UK have remained low compared with all major competitors. Company formation rates rose only briefly and are now not much higher than before 1980. Expenditure on R&D has also remained lower than competitors and indeed the UK is the only major country in which R&D expenditure has been trending downwards relative to GDP. The erosion of manufacturing has left the UK with a permanently lower rate of productivity growth. OECD research shows that less regulated labour markets do not lead to a better economic performance. Even trade restrictions like the 11% cap placed on car imports since 1977 have served the UK well as Japanese car manufacturers subsequently set up production plants in the UK.
What was achieved by liberal economic policy was a reduced level of industrial disruption and weaker trades unions, although in part this was due to higher unemployment. It is difficult to estimate the direct economic impact of improved labour relations and lower level of industrial disputes. Common sense indicates that less disruption should be a good thing in itself but not necessarily if the result has been a weakening of wage bargaining power that has allowed a resurgence of extreme income inequality. We note that the UK economy grew consistently and well through the 1950s and 1960s even with poor industrial relations, as it did in the USA with extra-ordinarily high strike levels by British standards. Moreover, the idea that high inequality is necessary for enterprise and innovation also receives little support from the data. Recent research from the IMF suggests that increasing inequality is not associated with faster growth in GDP or higher productivity.
This report attempts to lay out the facts of UK macro-economic performance under contrasting policy regimes. It does not attempt to say much in detail about alternatives to the current liberal market regime. We can say that while we believe a framework of competition between companies and organisations promotes productivity growth, the evidence appears to show that this is not necessarily sufficient to generate adequate growth in productivity. In complex economies like the UK, in which governments are inevitably involved in supporting the economy, the extreme assumption that free markets will generate optimal outputs is shown to be untrue. The evidence suggests that policies aimed at maintaining full employment generated better growth outcomes than policies that instead targetted inflation. The main reason is likely to be the greater certainty engendered when governments maintain demand at a high level. This encourages company investment and skill formation. Persistent tightness in labour markets also promotes rapid sectoral change as low productivity sectors run short of labour which is attracted to higher paying sectors. The problem with liberal market regimes is that they leave demand management to an unco-ordinated private sector. Bank lending, chiefly to households, fills the gap vacated by governments and has negative impacts on house prices and ultimately on bank viability. Aggregate demand is usually too low, resulting in high unemployment which while depressing inflation has permanently unfavourable social effects. Our conclusion is that a wider range of varieties of capitalism are available to policy-makers than is commonly assumed.
From: pp.8-12 of World Economics Association Newsletter 5(3), June 2015
http://www.worldeconomicsassociation.org/files/Issue5-3.pdf
Download WEA commentaries Volume 5, Issue No. 3, June 2015 ›
David Chester says:
Now that we have a good means for analysis of macroeconomic progress, see my new book “Consequential Macroeconomics–Rationalizing About How Our Social System Works” (available from chesterdh@hotmail.com as a reviewers e-copy for free), it is possible to better follow the way this performance was regulated before and after “deregulation”. It suggests to my mind that the limitations of progress depend of the opportunities for access to land, that are being withheld.
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No.1 Guided Tour
Baroque Theatre
Castle Tower
The State Castle and Chateau Český Krumlov
Building of the Little Castle with attached Castle Tower is the oldest part of Krumlov´s Castle. The castle which bore the name Krumlov was founded in the middle of the 13th century (between 1291 - 1308) on the rock cliffs rising above the meandering Vltava riverbed by the Lords of Krumlov. Due to the expansion of the Upper Castle as a residence, the Little Castle became only a part of the fortification and storage space. Today´s appearance of the Little Castle is Rennaissance in style and comes to us from the late 16th century when the Krumlov Castle was reconstructed into a Rennaissance residence. In 1591 the Little Castle and tower were richly decorated with mural paintings and figural and arcitectural motifs by Bartoloměj Beránek - Jelínek but the Little Castle was still in use as a storehouse. There was a residence and office of the steward of the household around the beginning of the 18th century. In the 19th century there were offices and residence of the director of the domain. In 1947 the Krumlov Castle was nationalised by a special law of the National Assembly and in 1950 the Little Castle was converted into flats.
The Little Castle with a tower is the main view point of the town of Český Krumlov for its dominant location and outstanding painting decoration.
The new history of the Little Castle started in 1990´s. In 1992 the town and Český Krumlov Castle were added to the UNESCO list of cultural and natural heritage. The paintings of the Little Castle and tower were renovated after 1993.
Financial resources for the Project of the Castle Museum in Český Krumlov were obtained from EEA Grants and Norway Grants in 2008. Since 2009 the National Heritage Institute is prepairing a unique project of the new Castle Museum in Český Krumlov. The Castle Museum starts its operation during the month of January 2011.
EXPOSITION OF THE CASTLE MUSEUM
The exhibit is in the style of historical 19th century museum. The interiors are furnished with historical lights, restored Dutch stoves and replicas of old museum exhibition boxes.
A. GROUND FLOOR
The ground floor of the Museum house a place for refreshment, a study room for researchers, a space for educational activities and welcome center.
Model of the Krumlov Castle The model represents the real appearance of the Krumlov Castle in the late Gothic period (in 1550) before its extensive Rennaissance reconstruction in 1570´s.
A.00. Lapidarium The word "lapidarium" was inspired by the Latin "lapis" (ganetive lapidis) which means the stone. The modern term lapidarium is used for places where are stored various stone statues and architectural fragments from the Middle Ages and modern period. The most important exhibit of this exposition is the copy of the Rosenberg tomb stone made out of red marble. The original tomb stone is built into the northern wall of the presbytery of the Church of the Ascension of the Virgin Mary in the Vyšší Brod Monastery.
B. FIRST FLOOR
The actual museum exhibit is located on the first floor.
B.01. Hall of the Lords of Rose The Hall of the Lords of Rose reminds of two branches of the Witigos - the Lords of Krumlov, who founded the local noble residence in the 13th century, and the Rosenbergs, who were the owners of the castle from 1302 to 1602.
Painting “Division of the Roses“ depicts the beginnings of the Witigos (Anton Streer, 1742). The founder of the dynasty, Witigo of Prčice, called the “Father of the Roses”, divided his manor between his sons who wore differently coloured roses on their shields. A green rose, the escutcheon of the founders of Český Krumlov, is missing in the painting. The appearance of the Krumlov castle in the 16th century is depicted in the middle of the scenery.
Codex Manesse from the beginning of the 14th century depicting the Czech King Wenceslaus II (facsimile, 1925-1927). The King Wenceslaus II (1271 – 1305) grew up under the influence of his stepfather, a member of the Witigos from Krumlov, Zawish von Falkenstein. In 1920 he ordered the execution of Zawish. After the extinction of the Witigos of Krumlov, Wenceslaus II handed over the Krumlov Castle in 1302 to another branch of the dynasty, the Rosenberg dynasty with an escutcheon bearing a red rose.
Panel painting of the Nativity by Master of the Vyší Brod Altar from the middle of the 14th century. The person who ordered this piece, presumably Peter I. of Rosenberg (†1347), was painted with the Rosenberg escutcheon in the right bottom corner. (Copy) Peter I. of Rosenberg served as the highest valet at the court of Jan of Luxembourg where he was one of the most influential aristocrats in the country. At the same time he was also the most richest aristocrat in the country. Peter tried to gain a glory equal to the royal court, even marrying the widow of the Czech king Václav III. (Wenceslas III.), Viola Těšínská. Peter I. of Rosenberg was the sovereign reponsible for giving the castle and town its original 14th century appearance.
The first edition of the Nürnberg World Chronicle by Hartmann Schedel of 1493. On the right page, Schedel’s chronicle briefly describes the capture of Wenceslaus IV, the Czech and Roman-German King, who is also depicted on the right edge of the book under the heading “Wentzlaw“. Particularly Heinrich III of Rosenberg (†1412), who imprisoned his King in the Český Krumlov Castle twice in 1394 and 1402, among others, participated in the capture of Wenceslas.
Ulrich of Rosenberg (1403 – 1462) forged a deed that acknowledged the privilege of the members of the Rosenberg dynasty to inherit each other’s property. This forgery protected the dynasty property from being divided among a number of relatives and also placed “the Rosenberg King“ among the richest noblemen in the Kingdom. (Facsimile.).
Wilhelm of Rosenberg was developing a fictive story about his relationship to the Italian noble dynasty of Orsini and adopted their escutcheon in the middle of the 16th century. (Wall painting reproduction from the 19th century.) Wilhelm of Rosenberg was one of the most significant figures of Czech history from the late 16th century. From 1570 he was the highest Burgrave of Prague (the function of highest Burgrave is comparable to today´s position of Ministry Chairman). From 1573 till 1575 he led negotiations concerning the occupation of the Polish crown on behalf of the Habsburgs. He was offered the crown on his own behalf, but he could not accept the candidacy due to political reasons. He was also a knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece from 1585.
Peter Wok of Rosenberg (1539-1611). The last member of the dynasty sold Český Krumlov to the Emperor Rudolph II (copy of the painting).In contrast to his older brother Wilhelm, he was not engaged in public affairs to such an extent, even though we was an educated and skilful politician. His seat in Třeboň, for example, became the center of negotiations in the opposition movement of the estates against the Habsburgs in 1609, when the famous Imperial Charter of Religious Freedom was issued by Rudolf II. Peter Vok was named the Honourable Chairman of the revolutionary government in return. He was mostly interested in art, literature, and collecting – in his time he owned the largest library in Bohemia, numbering almost 11,000 volumes. Because of debts that he inherited from his brother, mostly due to the high expenses involved in representation, he had to sign a contract in 1601 selling Český Krumlov to the Habsburg Emperor Rudolf II.
Session of the Provincial Court of the Czech Kingdom at the Prague Castle in 1593. A member of the Rosenberg dynasty had the right to sit at the most honourable place to the right hand of the king. Although the then head of the dynasty did not attend the depicted session, the Rosenberg coat of arms is painted in his place next to the throne. (Oil on canvas, end of the 16th century).
B.02. Hall of the Dukes of Krumlov The Habsbourgs, who bought Český Krumlov from the last Rosenberg in 1602, were the owners of the castle for only two decades. In 1622, the Emperor Ferdinand II. gave the local manor to the Styria noble family of Eggenbergs. The Eggenbergs died out in 1719 and Krumlov was passed on to the Schwarzenbergs. From 1628 the owners of the vast dominion boasted the title of the Dukes of Krumlov.
Johan Ulrich of Eggenberg (1568 - 1634) acquired the Krumlov manor in 1622. Prince Johann Ulrich received Český Krumlov in return for his financial assistance to the Emperor Ferdinand II. as well as for his participation in the Thirty Years´War and the Battle on White Mountain. He was elevated to the status of Prince with title of Duke in 1628.
Diploma of the Emperor Ferdinand II of 1628, by which the Krumlov dominion was promoted to a principality with the ducal title. This document entitled the owner of the manor, a member of the Eggenberg dynasty, to use the title of the Duke of Krumlov. In the years 1634-1786, the Český Krumlov dominion was the only manor in Bohemia and Moravia, to which the ducal title was bound. (Facsimile.)
The third Duke of Krumlov, Johann Christian of Eggenberg (1641-1710) and his wife Maria Ernestina of Schwarzenberg restored the glory of the abandoned Rosenberg residence in Český Krumlov that he rebuilt in Baroque style. Around the early 1670's the Krumlov castle became the site of ambitious building activity which affected the castle from the 1st courtyard all the way up to the castle gardens. From 1673-1675 the large castle halls were reconstructed and the roofs of the upper Castle were made level. In 1682, on the project of Jakub de Maggi and Petr Spinetta, a new theatre building was finished on the 5th castle courtyard.
Maria Ernestina of Schwarzenberg (1649-1719), the wife of Johann Christian of Eggenberg, as a passionate reader greatly enriched the castle library. Johann Christian and Maria Ernestina, born Countess of Schwarzenberg, had no children and that is why the heritage of the Eggenbergs, the Krumlov estates, was thus passed on to the nephew of Maria Ernestina after her death in 1719, Prince Adam Franz of Schwarzenberg.
Arms of the Styria noble family of Eggenbergs.Five red roses of Rosenberg are the symbol of the Duchy of Krumlov. In 1710, the coat of arms was depicted on the funeral flag of Johann Christian of Eggenberg.
Genealogical tree of the Schwarzenbergs (1688-1689), originally from Franconia in Germany. In the middle of the 17th century, the Schwarzenbergs settled in Bohemia.
Adam Franz of Schwarzenberg (1680-1732). When he took over the Krumlov manor in 1719, he became the holder of the largest manor in Bohemia. Adam Franz was in the Emperor´s service and gained the Order of Golden Fleece in 1712. He also became the first Duke of Krumlov when the Krumlov domain was elevated to a princedom with the title of Duke in 1723. He ranked among the most important persons of the Schwarzenberg family and supported the arts and science. Important architects, sculptors and artists worked at his domain. Adam Franz also bought paintings and extended the library.
Diploma of the Emperor Charles VI in the form of a book from 1723. By this document, the Emperor renewed the title of the Duke of Krumlov for the subsequent owners of the manor after the extinction of the Eggenbergs. (Facsimile).
Joseph I. Adam of Schwarzenberg (1722-1782) as a child with the Order of the Golden Fleece (1732). Prince Joseph Adam was just ten years old, when the Emperor Charles VI. shot his father Adam Franz at a deer hunt near Brandýs nad Labem. After the death of Adam Franz his wife Countess Eleonora Amalie took the guardian reign over the Schwarzenberg possession and the Emperor himself reserved protection over the young prince.
Joseph I. Adam of Schwarzenberg (1722-1782) - adult portrait. Prince Joseph Adam initiated expensive reconstructions of the Krumlov Castle in Rococo style. Joseph Adam began his construction activities by building the winter riding hall in 1744. The Upper Castle buildings were vertically aligned in 1748 - 1749, the originally Gothic St. George´s Chapel got its new appearance in 1748, followed by the Masquerade Hall in 1748. After completing the works in the Castle Garden dominated by Cascade Fountain and Summerhouse Bellaria (1755 - 1757) the Prince had the old Eggenberg Theatre building pulled down and built a new building in 1765 - 1766. When the Baroque Theatre was finished it was connected with the Castle building by a corridor leading over the Cloak Bridge. That market the end of the historic development of the Castle.
Pauline Charlotte of Arenberg (1774-1810), the wife of Joseph II. Johann Nepomuk of Schwarzenberg. Princess Pauline tragically died at the age of 36 in the fire at a ball which was held in Paris in 1810 on the occasion of Napoleon’s wedding. The tragical ball in Paris was given on 1st July 1810 by her brother-in-law, Austrian ambasador Prince Charles I. Philip of Schwarzenberg.
B.03.Manor administration office In 1719 Český Krumlov became not only the residential town of the Schwarzenbergs, but mainly the main administration centre of the family dominion. The highest number of economic officers out of all Schwarzenberg manors worked here. Even when the princely family moved its main place of residence to Hluboká in 1848, the Krumlov Castle kept its character of an administration centre in a certain way for more than another 100 years.
The exposition of the office was furnished with authentic furniture according to historic photographs.
Johann Adolph II of Schwarzenberg (1799-1888) was forced, after the abolition of serfdom in the middle of the 19th century, to adapt the administration of the large manor to the new conditions. In 1848, he moved the main family residence to the newly rebuilt Hluboká Chateau, which relegated the Krumlov residence to the role of a historical, but only rarely visited museum.
Adolph Joseph of Schwarzenberg (1832–1914). Member of the Czech Parliament and the Imperial Council representing the towns of the Prachatice region. Adolph Joseph initiated restorations of the Krumlov Castle.
Johann II Nepomuk of Schwarzenberg (1860-1938), as well as other family members, financially supported humanitarian organizations, scientific and cultural associations.
B.04. Office of the Director of the manor In the 19th century, the apartment of the director of the manor administration offices were located in these rooms. This leads us to the theme of the second part of the exhibition which attepmts to at least outline the living style of bourgeois families in the second half of the 19th century and in the exhibition cases items that were surrounding them are displayed.
The office of the director is equipped sumptuously compared to the previous administrative workers (clerks) and represents the high position of its owner. Besides items that usually appeared in the offices of that time, also gentlemen´s personal items are exhibited, including gifts that the Prince received from his subordinates.
B.05. Salon The salon served for hosting guests, for an afternoon snack or a glass of liquor or digestif after dinner. It was equipped mainly with comfortable sitting furniture – sofa for two to three people, armchairs, a coffee table, other small tables and one or two display cases. In one of the display cases, the lady of the house used to store “family treasures“. Solitaires made of glass, porcelain, ivory, pearls or precious materials, souvenirs from travel, rarities, first hair of their children stored in a medallion, first teeth of the children adjusted by a goldsmith, rosary beads of their mothers, pipes of their fathers etc.
The other display case served for the storing of coffee and tea sets, small cups for chocolate, dessert plates, bowls, glasses and carafas for liquor and digestif. Also spoons, forks, dessert knifes, scoops, tongs and other necessary cutlery which was decorated for these purposes.
B.06. Bedroom The character of the burgess houses was based mainly on the needs of families which used to be quite large. In the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century it was quite usual - in contrast to today´s situation - for a Central European family to have 7 - 12 members. Therefore, the apartments used to be large. They consisted of a bedroom for the parents, a boys´room, a girls´room, a salon, a dining room, a kitchen with a pantry and a storage room, a bathing and laundry room, a mais´s room and a large entrance hall. An earth closed used to be located at the end of a gallery or in the mezzanine.
The equipment of bedrooms, where the morning hygiene took place, standardized at the beginning of the 19th century. On a marble desk of the bathroom chest of drawers there were a large and deep basin, a jug with cold water and a smaller jug for warm water, a soap bowl, a long bowl with a lid for toothbrushes, a smaller bowl with a lid for tooth powder and a long bowl for a hair brush.
At the time of earth closets, the necessary equipment of bedrooms included a chamber pot, or a toilet chair and portable bidet. There was also a screen behind which personal hygiene took place.
B.07. Dining room In bourgeois families, the lady of the house strictly distinguished between the working part of the apartment from its social part. The family would dine in the dining room and coffee or tea were served in the salon in the afternoon. The lady of the house would serve the table but the food was brought from the kitchen by the maids. All operations of the house - organisationally, financially, in terms of work and personally – were run by the lady of the house. She had a maid available for harder work (carrying water, wood and coal, washing the floors etc.), an assistant cook for assistance with shopping, diet planning and help with cooking; and a maid for assistance with the every-day cleaning of the entire apartment, with the laundry and serving the table. Organisation of the household and cooking were taught in special schools. Management of the household was a demanding profession in terms of managerial skills and effort, which was close to managing a guest-house or a small hotel.
Naturally, there was an extension table in the middle of the dining room and padded chairs around it. On the sides there were one or more dressers which used to be called “credenza“ back then and later buffet after the French model. Side tables, flower stands and the necessary display case with extraordinary pieces of porcelain and table decorations. Walls were decorated with paintings, mainly with prints of still life, flowers or views of the nature. Privacy of the apartment was protected by crocheted curtains lined with heavy curtains which were drawn at night to keep the warmth inside.
Asian art stored in the Český Krumlov Castle contains a relatively high number of Chinese figures carved out of soapstone. They came from the times of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and mainly represent figures related to Taoistic and Buddhist iconography.
Goblet with a sealed ruby spiral belonged to Adam Franz of Schwarzenberg. It comes from Janoušek smelt house near Vimperk which was operating on his manor and was one of the most progressive glass works of its time. The time classification results from a well-known event: in 1712 Adam Franz received the Order of the Golden Fleece.
Goblet with a cut portrait of Johann Adolph of Schwarzenberg, Europe, end of the 19th century
B.08. Iconography of the Český Krumlov Castle The Krumlov Castle located on a rock above the river became an inspiration for many artists who depicted it in many time periods and after architectural changes. Oil and watercolour vedute, drawings and prints are from the 16th to 19th century.
In this corridor are displayed copies of the most interesting views of the Castle.
B.09. Treasury of sacred art The main theme of the exposition in this room is the spiritual dimension of life in the Český Krumlov Castle and the surrounding manor, particularly the forms of tangible manifestation of the Baroque Catholic devotion.
The exhibited items can be divided into three groups:
1) As a separate collection, we can see the artefacts
from the sacred and secular spaces of the Český
Krumlov Castle, particularly liturgical clothes and mass
equipment associated with religious services held in
the Castle Chapel of St. Georg, items documenting
the personal devotion of the residents of the
Castle, “religious decorations“ and various small
reliquaries from the Castle premises.
2) Another group of artefacts displayed in this room is
a collection of equipment from the Baroque Pilgrim
Chapel of the Holy Cross on the Kreuzberg, an
important supporter of which was also the nobility of Český
Krumlov. Preserved parts of furniture have been stored in
the Depositary of the Český Krumlov Castle since the 1960’s
after the Chapel was attacked by vandals.
3) The third group of artefacts forms a unique, newly
restored collection of late Baroque reliquaries with
remains of so called saints from the catacombs,
originally from the altars in the former Franciscan
Monastery in Český Krumlov. The decoration of these
reliquaries was carried out by the monastic workshop
of the Poor Clares from Český Krumlov. The Franciscan
Monastery and the associated monastery of the Poor Clares
had a number of links to the castle residence resulting
from the fact that they were both founded by the
Rosenbergs in the 14th century and the subsequent
owners of the manor did not break their contacts and
widely supported both monasteries. Items from the former
Franciscan Monastery in Český Krumlov came from the
possessions of the Order of the Knights of the Cross
with the Red Star who is today’s owner of the
premises of the monastery. They were either
donated to the exposition or lent for a long term.
Box reliquary with the remains of St. Reparat
In accordance with the historic certification issued in Rome on November 6, 1769, the remains of St. Reparat came from the catacombs, from which they were excavated in connection with the Baroque respect for early Christian martyrs. The remains were acquired by the Franciscan Monastery in Český Krumlov where they were transported by a local burgess and joiner Anton Leyrer. The remains were decorated by the Poor Clares of Český Krumlov. The reliquary of St. Reparat was placed in the monastery church for public respect on July 26, 1772, after a grandiose religious ceremony with a procession attended by the residents of the town including the Prince Joseph Adam of Schwarzenberg (1722-1782).
B.10 Armoury
In the Český Krumlov Castle, the Armoury was part of the collection of antiquities and coins located in the so called Romanesque Chamber until the second half of the 19th century. After the reconstruction of the Hluboká Chateau, most of the weapons were transported and placed in the newly built historicist romantic armoury representing the military glory and family traditions. Today, the Armoury in the Hluboká Chateau is open in almost its original appearance.
The Romanesque Chamber also served as a family museum where weapons and uniforms of family members were stored, as well as weapons received as gifts and archaeological findings. The displayed collection of the military items include weapons from the Romanesque Chamber, which could not fit into the armoury at Hluboká, and other weapons, which became part of the Schwarzenbergs‘ possessions later, often as gifts or souvenirs from travels at the end of the 19th century and in the first third of the 20th century.
Thematically this varied and not very homogenous material is loosely divided into several areas installed in blocks of display cases:
1) Hunting forearms and accessories mainly from the
18th and the 19th centuries.
2) The collection of Oriental weaponry is very interesting
as most of the firearms are of African origin and associated
with African safari of the Prince JUDr. Adolf
Schwarzenberg, which he went on with his wife Hilda in
the years 1929-35.
3) Accessory and ceremonial firearms with individual
modifications that probably belonged to different members
of the Schwarzenberg dynasty and became part of the
collection as inheritance. Besides sabres, there are also two
uhlan pikes that are directly associated with the second
Austrian Uhlan regiment “Schwarzenberg“ established by
Marshal Karl Phillip of Schwarzenberg in 1790. A number of
members of the dynasty served in the regiment until the
20th century.
4) The collection of practice fencing swords, foils and
sabres from the 19th century is an important and rarely
displayed material. Fencing always had a prominent
position within the sporting activities of the noble society.
This is confirmed by a diploma from the Prague fencing
school awarded in 1914 to JUDr. A. Schwarzenberg.
B.11. Mint
Private minting is an interesting chapter of the history of coinage. The right to mint their own coins was granted to some noblemen and dignitaries, secular and religious, rarely even towns on grounds of a special privilege granted by the ruler. Many of these mints have an extraordinary documentary and artistic value. Out of the Lords of Krumlov, already the Rosenbergs managed to get the right to mint their own coins in 1422 from the Emperor Sigismund. The Eggenbergs and Schwarzenbergs also had these privileges.
Johann Ulrich von Eggenberg was granted the “big palatinate“ in 1625 on grounds of which he had the right to mint his own coins.
“...Furthermore, we (i.e. Emperor Ferdinand II) did this special favour and act of freedom to our dear beloved noble uncle and Imperial Prince Johann Ulrich von Eggenburg, Prince and Lord of Krumlov; on grounds of our imperial and royal power by this certificate we give him and his descendants the right to build and establish a mint on their manors and territories, which are currently owned by them or will be owned by them in the future, and have minted by proper minting masters, who will be called for this duty, various golden and silver coins, small and big, as allowed by the Imperial Minting Order, and have slogans, portraits and symbols on both sides, and properly manage the coins without being inhibited from it by anyone....“
Johann Ulrich von Eggenberg had the first original mint in Český Krumlov built in one room of the so called Upper Castle. From the court locksmith in 1677, Christian Fauster, we know that he cleaned and repaired 1 big minting machine, 2 broaching machines, 3 piercing machines and 1 minting scissors. The last minting took place in 1688 and it was the last minting by the Eggenbergs.
Johann Adolph I zu Schwarzenberg was granted to “Right of the big palatinate“ by the Emperor Leopold I in 1671.
The minting right was most used by Ferdinand, son of Johann Adolph. His mints were one of the prettiest, but they were made in Vienna, Kremnica, Nürnberg, Köln am Rhein and Augsburg, but never in the Krumlov mint. The grandson of Johann Adolph, Adam Franz, took pleasure in minting golden coins. However, he did not use the Krumlov mint either.
Eggenberg minting machines from the 17th century. These are machines for broaching and rolling of metal strips, so called “cán“. There were also piercing machines which served for minting the appropriate shape of the coins, so called “střížky“ and a pocket machine for the minting itself. Excess silver from the edges of “střížky“ was cut off by the special scissors. The first know machine out of the set was made in 1631 by a Prague coin master Tobias Schuster of Goldberg for Johann Ulrich von Eggenberg and the first Eggenberg stamp was made by an Austrian engraver Hanns Gebhard. Other minting machines with stamps for talers, ducats, 15-kreuzers and groschen were made by Imperial engraver Johann Georg Müller of Vienna in 1676.
Graphite crucibles for metal casting come from the foundry in Zlatá Koruna.
Copies of engravings depicting the work process in the mint at the beginning of the 18. century.
B.12. Schwarzenberg Guard
The Schwarzenberg Guard was estabilished as a personal guard of Adam Franz of Schwarzenberg in Hluboká probably in 1703. By the end of the year 1741, the guard was relocated from Hluboká Chateau to the Krumlov Castle where it stayed until it was terminated in March 1948. No other noble dynasty in Bohemia ever managed to keep its guard for so long. Besides theirs representation duties, the guards had many other activities that allowed them to make some extra money in addition to their low base salary. Due to a general popularity of military bands, from the 1870´s these additional activities included playing music for the purposes of the princely family and the residents of the Český Krumlov region.
Ceremonial uniforms of the Schwarzenberg Guard (turn of the 20th century). The appearance of every-day and ceremonial uniforms of the Schwarzenberg Guard was slowly adjusting to the military design (while retaining the dynasty colours - blue and silver). The basic design of the displayed uniform was introduced in the Austrian army in the middle of the 19th century and was used by the Krumlov Guard until its end. A charakteristic attribute of the Schwarzenberg Guard were hats made of bear skin which used to be an ordinary part of the grenadier uniform in the 18th century.
Drums with a painting of the Schwarzenberg coat of arms. As it was usual for infantry units, the Schwarzenberg Guard had one or two drummer during its entire existence. These (or similar) drums may have been used already in the 18th century.
The exposition in this room includes also a rich collection of weapons, musical instruments, documents and supplements from the guard fund.
B.13. The end of the old times + B.14. Biograph
This corridor was built during the Rennaissance reconstruction of the Castle - during the reign of Wilhelm of Rosenberg and connected the chambers of the Rosenberg ruler in the Upper Castle with the Monastery. Here, the corridor runs around the tower and bridges over the Bear moat.
The theme of the exposition in this area is the end of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century, the time when the old times were ending at the Český Krumlov Castle. The exposition includes historic photographs and projection of historic recordings. The images capture the views of the Krumlov Castle and the life of the Schwarzenbergs.
The Český Krumlov Castle, the Castle No. 59 - Upper Castle, the Guided Tour No. 2, the Room with heraldic tapestries
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30 Medal of Honor recipients in Chicago
July 21, 2011 (CHICAGO)
One of those recipients is former Army Staff Sergeant Walter Ehlers, a World War II veteran. He spoke at the Pritzker Military Library Thursday.
Ehlers, 90, fought in Africa, Sicily and then stormed Normandy Beach. He pushed his men to move forward on the beach -and his heroism earned him the nation's highest military honor.
Ehler's older brother was killed during the invasion when a German shell struck his landing craft. Ehlers called his brother his hero.
"He paid the supreme sacrifice. He laid his life on the line going down that ship. He didn't know he was gonna get hit. You don't know those things. You can be the best soldier in the world, and get killed," he said.
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Home / What guides us / What Is Blended Finance, and Why It Matters
What Is Blended Finance, and Why It Matters
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[Bank of America Logo]
[The Power To Finance Progress]
[Bank of America Vice Chairman Anne Finucane] Philanthropy is important but
[Anne talking] not nearly enough to address the world’s issues.
[Anne talking] If you do a commercial bank, a development bank, a nonprofit, even a private equity fund, and you blend all of our work together, we can stand up things just we couldn’t have even done before, and we have examples now of that.
[Anne talking and a video of wind farms] It’s a wind farm in the North Sea
[Construction workers moving solar panels onto a roof] It’s 30,000 solar paneling of homes in Spain
[Gary White of Water.org] and in the case of Water.org
[Footage of Water.org]
[A woman places a lei on Gary White] Gary White opened a checking account.
[Anne talking] We get involved on a local level, we contributed some money to his cause
[Gary White walking towards a river] and as time went on and
[Children swimming in a river] His goals and vision
[A spout pouring water] grew, we grew in terms of our
[A woman in a field]
[Anne talking] giving. They came forward with an idea of creating a fund. It’s simply this: a pretty safe investment
[Infographic of: “WaterCredit Investment Fund 3” $50 million fund, 3% return, $5 million zero interest loan] you would get about a 3% return which is better than what you’d get from a government
[Anne talking] bond. So this is a way to sustain and to grow it over time. $50 million is a lot better than, you know half a million dollars at a time.
[“What would you like the power to do?”]
Blended Finance Anne Finucane bankofamerica 1359940|enter782|cr-en954 _self 1359940|enter782|2014_810|| 1359940|enter782|2014_270||
The world is facing monumental challenges: From climate change to the lack of clean water and sanitation, from the need for affordable housing to sustainable energy and infrastructure. While solving for these challenges requires stronger collaboration between the public and private sectors, academia and nonprofits, it will most certainly also require an extraordinary level of capital investment to scale solutions globally. According to the Global Commission on the Economy and Climate, as much as $90 trillion is needed over the next 15 years to develop a sustainable infrastructure that can begin to address the world’s most pressing environmental, economic and social issues.1
But where will all that money come from? “We have to mobilize the entire capitalist system to move the needle on challenges this large,” says Brian Moynihan, chairman and chief executive officer of Bank of America. “The world has trillions of dollars to invest, but the question is, can you get it organized?”
Now, an approach known as blended finance is helping to put the power of private capital to work on issues ranging from the environment to gender equality to ending poverty and hunger in developing and emerging markets. That is, sustainable development projects that typically start with public or philanthropic capital are blended with (and get a powerful boost from) private investment capital seeking both financial returns and the satisfaction of contributing to global solutions.
How blended finance works
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- Two main types provide long-term, large-scale capital to fund critical development needs:
- Institutional investors (banks, insurers, asset managers, etc.), who invest the vast majority of the required capital and typically invest for profitable risk adjusted returns
- Concessionary investors (public development assistance and foundations), who invest lesser amounts but may be willing to accept higher risk of loss or earn below-market rates of return
- Teams of finance subject matter experts, often sponsored by development banks or private institutions (foundations and NGOs), who match projects to investment capital
- Receive the financing and apply it to specific needs often found in emerging markets, including clean water access, medical facilities and sustainable development programs
The power to drive change
Take, for example, the WaterEquity fund, which brings together government agencies like the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, foundations, financial institutions and accredited investors to provide funding for clean water and sanitation efforts in the developing world.2 As part of that effort, Bank of America provided $5 million of interest-free capital as the first money into a fund that ultimately attracted $45 million in additional private capital for water and sanitation projects in South and Southeast Asia. Safe water and sanitation, beyond their humanitarian implications, will boost the global economy by creating healthier and more productive citizens and businesses. “Together with other financial services companies, development organizations and non-profits, we can use blended finance to support such projects as affordable housing, clean water and gender equality—challenges too big for anyone to solve on their own,” notes Anne Finucane, Vice Chairman Bank of America.
Blended finance has also been used to provide affordable housing in underserved communities. For example, Bank of America is working with the city of Charlotte, NC, to address the city’s affordable housing shortage. In collaboration with government agencies, a local foundation and private investors, the Bank is committed to establishing an affordable housing fund designed to raise as much as $50 million to increase the affordable housing supply. In a similar vein, Bank of America provided a $3 million grant to the nonprofit Root Capital in support of their efforts to promote and implement sustainable agriculture. Over the past 20 years, Root Capital has provided more than $1.3 billion in development capital to farming families and communities in Latin America, sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia.3
Goals at a global scale
As promising as such projects are, they represent just the start of blended finance’s potential to unlock trillions of dollars to address a wide range of issues, such as those outlined in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The 17 goals run the gamut from access to clean energy to better working conditions, to expanding educational opportunities. In supporting those goals, the World Bank Group is promoting a variety of innovative, public-private financing approaches structured so that private investors may choose among various levels of risk and potential reward.
When the World Bank Group, other development banks and global financial institutions such as Bank of America use their resources not just to make direct loans and other financing structures for development, but to help reduce risks for private investors—that’s when capital can start building to a scale equal to the world’s challenges.
“A single project can benefit from the combining of different investor risk tolerances and expected rates of return,” Moynihan says. “That’s what blended finance is about. There’s the potential to mobilize vast amounts of capital without sacrificing private capital returns.”
To help move that process along, Bank of America recently announced $60 million in initial funding to create the Blended Finance Catalyst Pool, which supports climate resiliency, access to clean energy, affordable housing and water and sanitation. Development banks, institutional and private equity investors and other financial institutions are intended to co-invest alongside the Blended Finance Catalyst Pool, driving greater capital flows. Investment may be in the form of debt or equity and include funds that support SDG focus areas.
Amid the magnitude of challenges facing the world, the boundaries that separate people from one another seem less important than the overarching needs that bring them together, Moynihan says. “It’s about what we can all do, together, to drive meaningful change in the world.”
1https://newclimateeconomy.report/
2https://about.bankofamerica.com/en-us/what-guides-us/solving-the-worlds-safe-water-problem.html
3https://rootcapital.org/our-impact/
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Filters: Author is C. Harth [Clear All Filters]
Hossaini, R., M. P. Chipperfield, A. Saiz-Lopez, J. J. Harrison, R. von Glasow, R. Sommariva, E. L. Atlas, M. Navarro, S. A. Montzka, W. Feng et al. "Growth in stratospheric chlorine from short-lived chemicals not controlled by the Montreal Protocol." Geophysical Research Letters 42, no. 11 (2015): 2015GL063783.
Lunt, M. F., M. Rigby, A. L. Ganesan, A. J. Manning, R. G. Prinn, S. J. O’Doherty, J. Mühle, C. Harth, P. K. Salameh, T. Arnold et al. "Reconciling reported and unreported HFC emissions with atmospheric observations." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 112, no. 19 (2015): 5927-5931.
Saikawa, E., R. G. Prinn, E. J. Dlugokencky, K. Ishijima, G. S. Dutton, B. Hall, R. L. Langenfelds, Y. Tohjima, T. Machida, M. Manizza et al. "Global and regional emissions estimates for N2O." Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 14, no. 9 (2014): 4617-4641.
Arnold, T., D. J. Ivy, C. Harth, M. K. Vollmer, J. Mühle, P. K. Salameh, P. L. Steele, P. B. Krummel, R. H. J. Wang, D. Young et al. "HFC-43-10mee atmospheric abundances and global emission estimates." Geophysical Research Letters 41, no. 6 (2014): 2228-2235.
Ivy, D. J., T. Arnold, C. Harth, P. L. Steele, J. Mühle, M. Rigby, P. K. Salameh, M. Leist, P. B. Krummel, P. J. Fraser et al. "Atmospheric histories and growth trends of C₄F₁₀, C₅F₁₂, C₆F₁₄, C₇F₁₆ and C₈F₁₈." Atmos. Chem. Phys. 12, no. 9 (2012): 4313-4325.
Arnold, T., J. Mühle, P. K. Salameh, C. Harth, D. J. Ivy, and R. F. Weiss. "Automated Measurement of Nitrogen Trifluoride in Ambient Air." Analytical Chemistry 84, no. 11 (2012): 4798-4804.
Weiss, R. F., J. Mühle, P. K. Salameh, and C. Harth. "Nitrogen trifluoride in the global atmosphere." Geophysical Research Letters 35, no. 20 (2008).
Prinn, R. G., J. Huang, R. F. Weiss, D. M. Cunnold, P. J. Fraser, P. G. Simmonds, A. McCulloch, C. Harth, S. Reimann, P. K. Salameh et al. "Evidence for variability of atmospheric hydroxyl radicals over the past quarter century." Geophysical Research Letters 32, no. 7 (2005): L07809.
Li, J., D. M. Cunnold, H.-J. Wang, R. F. Weiss, B. R. Miller, C. Harth, P. K. Salameh, and J. M. Harris. "Halocarbon emissions estimated from Advanced Global Atmospheric Gases Experiment measured pollution events at Trinidad Head, California." Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres 110, no. D14 (2005): D14308.
Greally, B. R., P. G. Simmonds, S. J. O’Doherty, A. McCulloch, B. R. Miller, P. K. Salameh, J. Mühle, T. Tanhua, C. Harth, R. F. Weiss et al. "Improved continuous in situ measurements of C1–C3 PFCs, HFCs, HCFCs, CFCs and SF6 in Europe and Australia." Environmental Sciences 2, no. 2-3 (2005): 253-261.
Prinn, R. G., J. Huang, R. F. Weiss, D. M. Cunnold, P. J. Fraser, P. G. Simmonds, A. McCulloch, C. Harth, P. K. Salameh, S. J. O’Doherty et al. "Evidence for Substantial Variations of Atmospheric Hydroxyl Radicals in the Past Two Decades." Science 292, no. 5523 (2001): 1882-1888.
Prinn, R. G., R. F. Weiss, P. J. Fraser, P. G. Simmonds, D. M. Cunnold, F. N. Alyea, S. J. O’Doherty, P. K. Salameh, B. R. Miller, J. Huang et al. "A history of chemically and radiatively important gases in air deduced from ALE/GAGE/AGAGE." Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres 105, no. D14 (2000): 17751-17792.
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Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera
Speakers: Tom Watters and Jim Green
March 10, 2016 | 1:00pm - 2:00pm
Presented Online | Museum in Washington, DC
Tom Watters, Center for Earth and Planetary Studies senior scientist, and Jim Green, Director of the Planetary Science Division at NASA Headquarters, share new evidence of very recent geologic activity on the Moon. This evidence is revealed in dramatic images captured by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC).
Join Tom Watters, Center for Earth and Planetary Studies senior scientist, and Jim Green, Director of the Planetary Science Division at NASA Headquarters, for an overview of new evidence of very recent geologic activity on the Moon. This evidence is revealed in dramatic images captured by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) and showcased in a new exhibition. They will describe the remarkable discovery that the Moon is “shrinking,” and the talk will be followed by a tour of the Museum's new exhibition A New Moon Rises, which features large prints of the Moon’s majestic landscapes.
A New Moon Rises: New Views from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera opens February 26.
This program is made possible through the generous support of Boeing.
Back to What's New in Aerospace
See Full Events Calendar
Eyewitness to Space: Art and the Apollo Program
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Finmeccanica integrated Mode 5 Reverse-IFF to the Italian Typhoons
World Defense & Security Industry News - Finmeccanica
Finmeccanica has upgraded the Italian Typhoons’ air-to-ground capabilities. In cooperation with the Italian Air Force the company integrated a Mode 5 Reverse-IFF system to the Tranche 1 Eurofighter Typhoons. The new capabilities were recently presented to NATO Battlefield Combat Identification Capability Team officials.
An Italian Air Force Typhoon fighter jet flying with the air refuelling system extended
(Credit: Eurofighter GmbH)
As an IFF system it is based on the same concept to communicate with other forces in the battlespace. In the case of reverse-IFF the system uses the transponder to scan ground vehicles, allowing the pilot to determine the exact location of friendly forces and avoid putting them into danger.
During the demonstration, the Italian Air Force simulated a Close Air Support mission at the Pratica di Mare Air Force Base. The reverse-IFF system was installed in a number of Lince armoured vehicles of the Italian Army. As the fighter aircraft approached the area the vehicles transmitted the “friendly” signals notifying the pilot of their status.
NATO considers the reverse-IFF system a feasible short-to-mid-term solution for the air-to-ground identification, bearing no technological or mechanical risks. The Mode-5 standard was conceived in the late 90s and developed in the 00s by the Italian industry before being adopted by NATO as the new standard for military platforms, which will be mandatory across NATO members starting from around 2020.
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What shall be after the centennial of the Armenian Genocide? Perhaps, we will not know it in the coming years. We may not feel it even within this decade. But clearly the “After Centennial” will be a turning point not only from a purely historical perspective but also, hopefully, in the consciousness of the people.…
April 24, 2015 in 20th century, 21st Century, Armenian Genocide, culture, history.
“The possibilities for moving forward remain but we should not take matters for granted.” In advance of the Centennial of the 1915 Armenian Genocide, The Abovyan Group sat down with Ara Sarafian, Director of the Gomidas Institute in London, to talk about the Genocide issue, Turkish-Armenian relations, the Kurds, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Hrant Dink, William…
March 31, 2015 in 20th century, 21st Century, Armenian Genocide, interview, Kurds, Turkey.
Memory and Memorial: April 24 Atop Tsitsernakaberd
In 1967, Yerevan gained a number of public statues and memorials. This year marked 50 years of Soviet Armenia, and an obelisk devoted to the anniversary rose along the curves of Saralanji Avenue in commemoration. In the neighboring Victory Park, devoted to World War II remembrance, Mother Armenia also raised her sword in 1967. These…
April 24, 2014 in 20th century, Armenian Genocide, Caucasus Studies, civil society, culture, East European Studies, history, Post-Soviet Studies, Russian and Soviet Studies, Soviet Armenia, Soviet Nationality Studies.
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Kellie Pickler’s ‘Pickler & Ben’ Racks Up Three Daytime Emmy Nods
The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) announced Wednesday (Mar. 21) that Kellie Pickler's talk show with Ben Aaron, Pickler & Ben, has been nominated for three Daytime Emmy Awards, something that's got all parties involved pretty excited.
And with good reason: This marks a nice feat, considering the show is in its first season. Hosts Pickler and Aaron are nominated in the category of Outstanding Informative Talk Show Hosts, set hairstylist Debbie Dover Hall is nominated for Outstanding Hairstyling, and show Director Joe Terry and Associate Director Wesley MacMillan are nominated for Outstanding Directing in a Talk Show/Entertainment News/Morning Program.
The show was recently renewed for a second season. It's shot in front of a live studio audience in Nashville, and it offers guest appearances by various celebrities, as well as special segments highlighting community do-gooders and members of the military and their families. There are also home design, cooking and specialty DIY projects featured.
Faith Hill is one of the show's producers and had a heavy hand in the design of the modern farmhouse set, among other things. Dolly Parton, Tim McGraw, Little Big Town and Reba McEntire are just a few in country music who appeared on the show in Season 1, in addition to designer Christian Soriano, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition's Ty Pennington and more.
"We just feel blessed to be in everyone's homes in the morning or afternoon and just be a bright part of their day," Pickler has said of the show.
Country Music's Most Notable Entrepreneurs
Next: This Kellie Pickler Song Is an Ode to Her Grandmother
Source: Kellie Pickler’s ‘Pickler & Ben’ Racks Up Three Daytime Emmy Nods
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Diego Rivera Self-portrait Highlights Christie's Latin American Sale
Christie’s Latin American Sale in New York on May 28 and 29 will feature rare masterpieces spanning from 17th century Colonial art to Contemporary paintings. Important artists represented include Diego Rivera, Leonora Carrington, Mario Carreño, Cundo Bermúdez, Wifredo Lam, Rufino Tamayo and Matta. The two-day sale will offer 276 lots and expects to realize in excess of $14 million.
A self-portrait by Diego Rivera will lead the sale (estimate: $1.2-1.8 million). Sigmund Firestone, an American engineer and art collector from Rochester, New York, met Rivera and Frida Kahlo on a business trip to Mexico in 1939, and subsequently maintained a friendship and correspondence with the artists, commissioning self-portraits from each.
Rivera painted himself approximately 20 times between 1906 and 1951, the year of his last known self-portrait. In the Firestone portrait, the artist is depicted with unflinching realism and a mature self-consciousness. In the painting, Rivera holds a note, nodding to a nineteenth-century Mexican portrait tradition, which reads, “To my dear friend /Sigmund Firestone /Diego Rivera /January 1, 1941.”
Fourteen letters exchanged between Rivera, Kahlo and Firestone are sold with the portrait. In one letter, Kahlo affectionately signed the letter with magenta-pink kisses, one for “Sigy” and one each for his daughters, Alberta and Natalie.
One of the finest examples by Leonora Carrington, The Giantess, also known as The Guardian of the Egg, painted circa 1947, is another leading work in the sale (estimate: $800 000-1 200 000) . This large scale painting was the cover of the exhibition pamphlet of Carrington’s 1948 show at the Pierre Matisse Gallery in New York. In this surrealist seascape, a towering Giantess allegorically commands the flora and fauna of the earth, sea and sky. The Giantess embodies Carrington’s fascination with mystical femininity and the enchantments of the cosmic world. Between her palms she clasps a mysterious black egg, a symbol the artist frequently includes in her work.
Iconic gems by two of Cuba’s most accomplished artists – Mario Carreño and Cundo Bermúdez – are important masterpieces in the sale. Mario Carreño’s Fuego en el batey (Fire in the farm), painted in 1943, dates to the artist’s most sought after period and is a tour de force within Carreño’s outstanding long trajectory (estimate: $1-2 million). Cundo Bermúdez’s Las comadres, 1942, illustrates two comadres sitting on a sofa; one is fanning herself while the other knits (estimate: $400 000-600 000) . Comadre is a term which describes a close relationship between women who are godmothers to each other’s children. In this painting, the everyday moment is transformed into a spectacle of color and form, from the ornately structured sofa to the rich tropical colors of the woman and the background.
Included in the sale are works by renowned modernists such as Joaquín Torres García, Wifredo Lam and Rufino Tamayo. Torres García’s exquisite Composition, 1931, was painted during an important time in his career while working in the international milieu of Paris (estimate: $400 000-600 000) . Torres-García sought to translate an order in painting symbolically structured elements to embody an ideal harmony within the universe. Wifredo Lam’s Non-Combustible, 1950, is one of the finest examples in the artist’s modernist vocabulary which includes anthropomorphic hybrid figures (estimate: $350 000-450 000) .
Five paintings by Rufino Tamayo are offered in the sale and span his prolific career, from the 1940s to early 1980s. Among the works of art sold to benefit the acquisitions of Latin American Art for the Los Angeles County Museum of Art are Tamayo’s Child Playing (Niño jugando), executed in 1945, (estimate: $500 000-700 000) and Diálogo, painted in 1971 (estimate: $200 000-300 000). Hombre con un farol, reveals all the elements that had propelled Tamayo onto the international scene in the early 1940s, with the inclusion of the modernist fragmentation of form, poetic symbolism, and his inventive experimentation with color and hue (estimate: $400 000-600 000).
Several works by Matta are available including Les Separés vivants (also known as Funfural) painted in 1945-46, which alludes to the atrocities of the atomic age with its menacing figures set against an orange and red geometric background (estimate: $250 000-350 000).
The sale is strong in works by Brazilian artists and features Adriana Varejão’s Azulejaria de cozinha com peixes (Kitchen tiles with Fish), from 1995 (estimate: $120 000-180 000) . Reflecting upon Brazil’s complex colonial history, the painting is a modernist grid – now subverted through the use of the decorative tile motif. Other Brazialian artists in the sale include Lygia Pape’s Untitled (Grupo Frente), 1954 (estimate: $80 000-120 000); Helio Oiticica’s Metasquema 19, 1957-58 (estimate: $60 000-80 000); and Emiliano di Cavalcanti’s Baianas, 1959 (estimate: $40 000-60 000) .
Masters from Oaxaca, Mexico are well represented in the sale. Francisco Toledo’s Conejo con pescado (Rabbit with fish) recalls his Oaxacan roots and celebrates the spirituality of this indigenous world where animals represent miraculous beings (estimate: $250 000-350 000) . Sergio Hernandez’s Crucifixión, 1991 (estimate: $70 000-90 000) and Rodolfo Morales’s Orquesta de las tías, 1987, (estimate: $35 000-45 000) are other examples in the Oaxacan tradition.
Geometric abstraction is exemplified in the auction by Argentina’s Roberto Aizenberg and Mexico’s Gunther Gerzso. Aizenberg’s Pintura, 1988-89, reflects his obsession with stark but magical solitary structures that hint at a psychological meaning and cultural symbolism (estimate: $80 000-120 000) . Partly influenced by the ideas of Aizenberg’s teacher Juan Batlle Planas and the work of the Surrealists but also Picasso and De Chirico, these compositions are studies in geometry and abstraction as well. Gunther Gerzso’s abstract painting Azul-Verde-Naranja, 1964, is a classic example from his most prolific period, and harmoniously blends blue-greens in an abstract geometric landscape (estimate: $80 000-120 000) .
Day Sale – May 29
The Day Sale will begin with a wonderful grouping of 18 lots of Colonial art including religious art, portraits, sculpture and Casta genre. One of the earliest works in the section, painted circa 1650-1670, is San Miguel Arcángel by the Circle of the Master of Sopó (estimate: $20 000-25 000). A landscape painting Vista de Antigua con el volcán Fuego (Guatemala), 1795-1798, attributed to Juan de Dios Vicente de la Cerda depicts the eruption of the volcano Fuego in Antigua, Guatemala (estimate: $30 000-40 000) .
Every major artist and movement is represented in the Day Sale, with estimates for some works of art beginning at $3 000.
Tags: Contemporary Art, Frida Kahlo, Picasso
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Author Carol Browne
The Star-Crossed Seamstress – a New Release for Author Suzanne G. Rogers
Romance at its finest with this new release from the incomparable Suzanne G. Rogers. This beautifully written sure-to-be-bestseller is an historical romance that will touch your heart as it sweeps you away to an era long gone.
Skylar flees a family scandal in Boston, expecting assistance in society from her English relatives. Once her plans fall apart, however, she is obliged to earn money with her skills as a seamstress. Just when she’s given up on the notion of marriage, her path crosses that of a charming laborer who inexplicably sets her pulse racing.
When wealthy Joe Fiddick hits a patch of bad luck, he seizes the opportunity to do something meaningful by helping a neighbor and her pretty granddaughter with repairs to their cottage. As it turns out, he has more in common with the granddaughter than he realizes…and what they share spells disaster for their budding romance.
Will Joe and Skylar be star-crossed lovers or can the rift between them be mended?
“Let’s start with the window in your workroom,” Joe said. “It can’t open and close properly because the hinges are rusted?”
Skylar nodded. “Yes. I should dearly love to have fresh air, but I cannot seem to force it open.”
He recoiled. “Insupportable! You cannot perspire over a petticoat or suffocate over a seam!”
Skylar couldn’t suppress a giggle. “Or gasp over a gown.”
His eyes crinkled at the corners. “Or faint over a fichu.”
“Or swoon over a sash.”
Joe chuckled. “Or pant over a pantaloon.”
“Or…or…become clammy over a coat.” She wrinkled her nose. “I suppose that last one wasn’t very good.”
“On the contrary, I thought it was splendid. In addition, since I’d just exhausted my cleverness, you win the game.” He made a gesture of invitation. “Will you show me to the window in question?”
“Indeed, I shall. Follow me.”
As Skylar led him into the cottage and down the hall, she had a smile on her lips. Joe was only a laborer, perhaps, but obviously he was possessed of wit as well as good looks. Even though he was poor and lowborn, she imagined he must cause quite a stir in his neighborhood.
In the workroom, Joe unlatched the window, gave it an experimental push, and peered at the hinges. “I’m going to need to pop out the pins on these hinges and sand off the rust. After a drop or two of oil, the window will give you no reason to complain.”
“I hope you’re right.”
When she leaned in closer to examine the hinges, his physical proximity made the fine hair on her forearms stand on end. Her eyes met his and for several heartbeats it was if something unspoken passed between them
She cleared her throat. “I see what you mean about the rust.”
The Star-Crossed Seamstress can be read alone or as part of The Mannequin Series.
The Mannequin (Book One) is available at your favorite bookstore here.
Grace Unmasked (Book Two) is available at your favorite bookstore here.
Suzanne G. Rogers lives with her husband and son in romantic Savannah, Georgia, on an island populated by deer, exotic birds, and the occasional gator. She’s owned by two Sphynx cats, Houdini and Nikita. Movies, books, and writing are her passions.
Learn more about Suzanne G. Rogers on her historical romance blog and her fantasy blog. Stay connected on Facebook and Twitter. Also, be sure to check out the website for the Sweet Romance written by Suzanne G. Rogers.
Virtual Book Tour – Sharon Ledwith’s Birthday Bash!
In celebration of Sharon Ledwith’s birthday, all of her books are on tour, on sale, and ready for you to discover. Make sure to follow the tour and enter the giveaway for two signed books, open internationally!!
https://saphsbookpromotions.blogspot.com/2019/02/book-tour-schedule-sharon-ledwiths.html
About the Books:
Legend of the Timekeepers (Book 0.5):
There is no moving forward without first going back.
Lilith was a young girl with dreams and a family before the final destruction of Atlantis shattered those dreams and tore her family apart. Now refugees, Lilith and her father make their home in the Black Land. This strange, new country has no place in Lilith’s heart until a beloved high priestess introduces Lilith to her life purpose—to be a Timekeeper and keep time safe.
Summoned through the seventh arch of Atlantis by the Children of the Law of One, Lilith and her newfound friends are sent into Atlantis’s past, and given a task that will ultimately test their courage and try their faith in each other. Can the Timekeepers stop the dark magus Belial before he changes the seers’ prophecy? If they fail, then their future and the earth’s fate will be altered forever.
Add to Your Shelf on Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21777537-legend-of-the-timekeepers
The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis (Book 1):
Children are the keys to our future. And now, children are the only hope for our past.
When 13-year-old Amanda Sault and her annoying classmates are caught in a food fight at school, they’re given a choice: suspension or yard duty. The decision is a no-brainer. Their two-week crash course in landscaping leads to the discovery of a weathered stone arch in the overgrown back yard. The arch isn’t a forgotten lawn ornament but an ancient time portal from the lost continent of Atlantis.
Chosen by an Atlantean Magus to be Timekeepers–legendary time travelers sworn to keep history safe from the evil Belial–Amanda and her classmates are sent on an adventure of a lifetime. Can they find the young Robin Hood and his merry band of teens? If they don’t, then history itself may be turned upside down.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15781303-the-last-timekeepers-and-the-arch-of-atlantis
The Last Timekeepers and the Dark Secret (Book 2):
Only a true hero can shine the light in humanity’s darkest time.
Fourteen year-old Jordan Jensen always considered himself a team player on and off the field, until the second Timekeeper mission lands him in Amsterdam during World War Two. Pulled into the world of espionage, torture, and intolerance, Jordan and the rest of the Timekeepers have no choice but to do whatever they can to stay one step ahead of the Nazis in order to find and protect a mysterious book.
With the help of the Dutch Resistance, an eccentric baron, Nordic runes, and an ancient volume originating from Atlantis, Jordan must learn that it takes true teamwork, trust, and sacrifice to keep time safe from the evils of fascism. Can Jordan find the hero within to conquer the darkness surrounding the Timekeepers? If he doesn’t, then the terrible truth of what the Nazis did will never see the light of day.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31831121-the-last-timekeepers-and-the-dark-secret
Lost and Found: Mysterious Tales from Fairy FallsThe Fairy Falls:
Fairy Falls was bores-ville from the get-go. Then the animals started talking…
Animal Shelter is in trouble. Money trouble. It’s up to an old calico cat named Whiskey—a shelter cat who has mastered the skill of observation—to find a new human pack leader so that their home will be saved. With the help of Nobel, the leader of the shelter dogs, the animals set out to use the ancient skill of telepathy to contact any human who bothers to listen to them. Unfortunately for fifteen-year-old Meagan Walsh, she hears them, loud and clear.
Forced to live with her Aunt Izzy in the safe and quiet town of Fairy Falls, Meagan is caught stealing and is sentenced to do community hours at the animal shelter where her aunt works. Realizing Meagan can hear her, Whiskey realizes that Meagan just might have the pack leader qualities necessary to save the animals. Avoiding Whiskey and the rest of shelter animals becomes impossible for Meagan, so she finally gives in and promises to help them. Meagan, along with her newfound friends, Reid Robertson and Natalie Knight, discover that someone in Fairy Falls is not only out to destroy the shelter, but the animals as well. Can Meagan convince her aunt and co-workers that the animals are in danger? If she fails, then all the animals’ voices will be silenced forever.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35017082-lost-and-found
Purchase Your Copy of Each eBook for the Sale Price at Mirror World Publishing:
https://mirror-world-publishing.myshopify.com/search?q=sharon+ledwith
Additional purchasing options listed below (but the books are not on sale on those platforms).
Meet the Author:
Escape to the past
and have a blast.
Ledwith
is the author of the middle-grade/young adult time travel adventure series, THE
LAST TIMEKEEPERS, and the teen psychic mystery series, MYSTERIOUS TALES FROM
FAIRY FALLS. When not writing, researching, or revising, she enjoys reading,
exercising, anything arcane, and an occasional dram of scotch. Sharon lives a
serene, yet busy life in a southern tourist region of Ontario, Canada, with her
hubby, one spoiled yellow Labrador and a moody calico cat.
Learn more about Sharon Ledwith on her WEBSITE and BLOG. Look up her AMAZON AUTHOR page for a list of current books. Stay connected on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, PINTEREST, LINKEDIN, INSTAGRAM, and GOODREADS. Check out THE LAST TIMEKEEPERS TIME TRAVEL SERIES Facebook page.
Connect with Sharon Ledwith:
Sharon’s Website: www.sharonledwith.com
Sharon’s Blog:
http://sharonledwith.blogspot.com/
Sharon’s Facebook
Page: http://www.facebook.com/#!/seledwith
Sharon’s Author
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Sharon-Ledwith-210150205690477/
Timekeepers Series Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/The-Last-Timekeepers-Time-Travel-Series/373953795955372
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The books are only on sale through Mirror World Publishing, however, they can be purchase on other platforms:
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Giveaway Details and Entry Form:
One winner will received 1 signed paperback copy of The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis, and 1 signed paperback copy of Lost and Found. This giveaway is international!!
Torn from Home
In this life many of us are torn from home. The reasons this happens to us are varied. It could be economic necessity that forces us to move elsewhere to find work. It could be further education or marriage that take us far away. Perhaps we are promoted and transferred to a different location. We might be compelled to escape from a bad neighbourhood or situation, or we simply cannot pay the rent any more and are thrown out onto the street. For many unfortunate souls, being torn from home happens because they are refugees who must flee for their lives and seek asylum in another country.
Whatever the reasons, rarely are we torn from home because of personal choice. Pulling your roots from the soil that nurtured you is always painful. Relinquishing the known for the unknown takes courage. Being forced to do this as a matter of survival is not a decision any of us would relish.
It’s nearly forty years since I left the place I still call home and, while my childhood there was not a happy one, there are some memories of the place I cherish in spite of everything, but they leave me with feelings of homesickness and nostalgia that make my heart ache.
So I cannot imagine how much more painful feelings such as these must have been for Krystyna Porsz. In my novella Being Krystyna – A Story of Survival in WWII I described how she witnessed her city, her country, being ravaged, ruined and enslaved by the Nazis. She lost everything, including most of her family, and was taken against her will to the hell of Ravensbrück concentration camp.
I doubt I’ll ever go home. Krystyna did not want to. What happened to her was so awful, so life-changing, that she kept moving forwards and never looked back. She made a new home and a new family for herself in a foreign land and she stayed there until she died.
Krystyna was even torn from herself, refusing to reclaim both her cultural identity and her real name, despite being safe in the UK, because for the rest of her life she feared the Nazis would return. Given the resurgence of fascism on the world stage now, I think she was right.
On Holocaust Memorial Day today let us spare a thought for everyone who has lost their home, in war and peace and for whatever reason, because, as Krystyna could testify, once you have been torn from home, it is lost to you forever.
Being Krystyna:
Amazon UK – http://tinyurl.com/gm4d9qy
Amazon .com http://tinyurl.com/z66aalk
The Editing Process – What to Expect.
My thanks to author Sloane Taylor for having me on her blog this week.
https://sloanetaylor.blogspot.com/2019/01/edits-ugly-truth.html
When it comes to seeing in the new year and summing up the old one, I’m lagging behind the rest of my author pals. I had to work at one of my day jobs over the festive period and have been battling a virus for ten days so my heart hasn’t been in it.
I’m feeling brighter today and, while I always wish I’d done more with each year that passes, if I am honest 2018 did see a certain level of achievement that should spur me on to greater things in 2019.
In my capacity as The Wordsmith I gained some interesting new clients and proofread and edited diverse pieces of text, among them a dissertation on ICU patient care for a nurse and a horror story for a budding author. I did a number of CVs and covering letters and was also asked to write two poems to help in the marketing of a kitchen appliance!
While the business of keeping a roof over my head took up most of my time and energy, I still had some small success as a published author. My non-fiction novella Being Krystyna-A Story of Survival in WWII received many superb reviews on Amazon and was also featured in a talk given at the Houses of Parliament by a professor of human migration.
In November, Gateway to Elvendom, book two of my fantasy trilogy The Elwardain Chronicles, was published by Burning Willow Press and in December their charity anthology Crossroads in the Dark IV featured my short story Ghosts in the Machine.
On a personal level, I joined the Labour Party and committed myself to the socialist cause and to the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn, who I hope will be the next UK Prime Minister.
One of the best things I did in 2018 was to join the writing community on Twitter. It’s not just an opportunity to gain more followers but to engage with like-minded people and to share tips and information that will benefit all of us involved in the writing and publishing industry.
I finally got myself a smartphone in 2018 so I have a camera at long last, and I made my first video which was shown at a book launch party on Facebook.
While I’m sure I must have done more than all that in 2018—it seemed more like a century than a year while I was going through it—I hope I can be much more productive in 2019. I do have another book coming out; book three of my trilogy, which is entitled Wyrd’s End. I’ll be working with my editor on that sometime soon. I’ve been working on both a prequel and book four but I don’t expect either to see the light of day this year! I have another short story in the Burning Willow Press charity anthology which will be out in December. And there are a couple of books already written I need to find homes for.
Plans for 2019 so far include a local book signing in January and attendance at the Deepings Literary Festival in April. I think it’s time I joined Instagram too. Oldies like me have to take their time with new technology but we get there in the end.
I never make new year resolutions as a rule but having interacted with so many writers recently and realised what a self-doubting, introverted, self-deprecating bunch we are, I think it’s time to stop with the self-criticism and fear of rejection and start appreciating and valuing myself and my abilities. I don’t have to be perfect. It’s okay to ask daft questions and make mistakes. My opinion is as good as anyone else’s. And so is my writing!
Happy 2019, everyone!
Amazon author page US: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B0034P87QC
Amazon author page UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/-/e/B0034P87QC
Twitter: https://twitter.com/@CarolABrowne
Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorCarolBrowne
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5171653.Carol_Browne
The Fae’s Amulet – New Release for Author J F Posthumus
from J.F. Posthumus just in time for the necromance lover on your Holiday list!
What would you do if you had the power to destroy the world…
In her younger years, Catherine Woulfe was known as the Lady of Death…but those days are long past. Now, at over 300 years old, she is older, wiser…and painfully dull. Instead of using her necromancy skills for things like killing people and taking over governments, she now works as a private investigator, helping people find their lost treasures.
But when a charismatic stranger walks through her door, searching for one of the most powerful artifacts ever created, she is drawn into a case where she must use all of her old powers—including several forbidden ones—if she is to find the missing amulet. When the last person to see the amulet goes missing, she realizes it’s time for the Lady of Death to summon her minions and go on the warpath.
Angels and demons are searching for the amulet, as is a mysterious dark elf about whom little is known. Everyone is stalking her, waiting for her to find it so they can grab it for their own; meanwhile, her client has awoken feelings long suppressed, which is proving to be…distracting. Can Catherine find the trail of the thief and recover the amulet before the thief uses it to summon a deity that will destroy the Earth? More importantly, if she gets it, will she give it back?
A knock on the door pulled my attention away from the emails I was sorting through for the day. I lifted my brows in surprise at the visitor standing in my doorway. Dark eyes met mine, and it took every bit of willpower to keep from admiring the way his designer clothing fit his body. He wore the perfectly tailored three-piece suit with the same ease most wore jeans and a t-shirt. His face was elegant and had aristocratic features, which fit his six-foot-three-inch frame perfectly.
Thankfully, unlike most people, I wasn’t intimidated by his height, stature, or handsomeness. Or his reputation.
“The Consigliere,” I said. “To what do I owe this dubious pleasure?”
“Dubious?” The Consigliere’s honey smooth baritone carried across the room. “You wound me, Lady Catherine. I am here on good business.”
“That’s Miss Woulfe to you. Good for whom?” I said through gritted teeth I hoped looked like a smile.
“For all parties concerned, naturally.”
I drew in a breath and let it out slowly as he entered my office, allowing the door to shut with a soft whisper behind him.
The man was handsome and immaculate from his brown hair to his loafered feet.
He could have been a model for Men’s Fitness or a Chippendale’s dancer. There was sensuality in his movements, and he exuded confidence. We moved in similar circles, and his reputation preceded him wherever he went. While I was spoken about in cautious whispers, he was spoken about in awe, if not longing.
And the bleeding sod refused to take his twinkling brown eyes off me.
His gaze made me want to check my snug, professional-looking chignon to make sure no stray, black strands were flying loose. At least I didn’t have to worry about my long-lasting lipstick.
I paused a moment and glanced away as though I were pondering his unspoken request. When I met his eyes again, I replied in a flat, cold tone, “No. Whatever it is you’re trying to sell, you can take elsewhere. Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.”
“You don’t know what my business is; nor do you know who besides you could benefit…yet you dismiss it.” He was still looking at me, smiling, while his words poured from between his yummy lips. “Is my reputation that sullied in the circles in which you walk that you won’t even listen, or is there another reason for your behavior?”
I snorted. “Not hardly, and you know it. There are few reasons you, of all people, would desire my services, and it isn’t for the appraisal of any occult item.”
“Are you as wrong in your appraisals as you are in your presumptions?” Fergus Sterling taunted before continuing, “Your reputation must have been paid for.”
He held out a photograph.
My impulse was to cursorily glance at the picture, but my eyes locked on it once I saw the item captured on the paper. Ancient workmanship surrounded a jeweled eye of blue. The amulet was legend, myth, and history.
“Ilygad Amon,” I said, realizing a moment later I had said the words under my breath instead of speaking properly.
Sterling’s voice was smug. “So, you do know some of what is reputed.”
Ignoring his attempt to rile me, I took the picture and looked closer at it.
“The captured eye of the Christian demon, Amon,” I explained, “transmogrified into a jewel by ancient fae Magick—some claim by traveling gypsy witches, others give credit to followers of Anubis—and locked into a box made of equal parts gold and lead. It’s ancient and used only in the darkest Magick.”
“Would you be willing to help track down this piece, verify its authenticity, and turn it over to parties who wish it to remain unused or, at least, contained from further use?” Sterling asked. I could hear the smile in his voice as he waited to see how I would react.
“How do you know I won’t try to keep it for myself? I am, after all, a practitioner of the Dark Arts, or to be more precise, a necromancer of considerable talents.” I offered him a placating smile. “Or is that why you came to me? You could easily authenticate this piece, unless my parents were incorrect when they said you’ve been alive since the middle ages.”
“How sweet of them to make me younger than I am,” he replied jovially. “I could do the job, but my age and reputation are considered disadvantages to the interested parties. They want someone who has less experience with such powerful objects.”
“Then they obviously aren’t aware of half the items I possess,” I replied. “Who are the ‘interested parties?’ I don’t go into anything blind.”
“You know my reputation, so you know I don’t give out my clients’ identities.” Sterling countered. “They were referred to me by Zeus and Merlyn.”
I wasn’t going to touch that one with a fifty-foot pole. Instead, I rolled my eyes and leaned back in my chair.
“Have a seat, and let us discuss fees.”
Once Sterling was seated in the plush, antique chair opposite my oak desk, I nodded. The Eye of Amon was an artifact I’d only heard about growing up. Finding it and verifying that it was more than myth would certainly add to my resume. The job would have to take precedence over any opinion I had of the arrogant, but delectable, male in my office. “My standard fee for such a task is $250,000, plus expenses.”
“A quarter million?” he retorted. “That’s all?”
It really annoyed me that I couldn’t tell if he was being sarcastic or incredulous.
“You have a problem with my fee?” My voice was sharp, like a whip’s crack.
“Had I known you charged bargain prices, I would have sought you out sooner, for other clients.” He smiled cattily. “Of course, I’d only do so if you deliver what’s being asked for.”
I knew I was leaning toward him, narrowing my eyes and smiling tightly. I didn’t care, though. “Of course. And, of course, you won’t have a problem signing a contract. Correct?”
Turning slightly, I opened the drawer to my left and removed one of the contracts I kept there for such occasions. I had two types of contracts: one for mundane, normal people and another for anyone of a Magickal, supernatural, or preternatural persuasion. The latter contract was binding in multiple ways.
It took less than five minutes for me to fill it out, then I slid the papers across the desk to Sterling.
“You know how this works: read, sign, and date. No blood is required for this particular contract.”
Wife and a mother of five, J.F. Posthumus is an IT Tech with over a decade of experience. When she isn’t arguing with computers and their inherent gremlins, or being mom to the four younger monsters (the eldest has flown the nest and is doing quite well on his own), she’s crafting, writing, or doing some other sort of art. An avid gamer, she loves playing Dungeons & Dragons, and a variety of other board games with her family and friends. J.F. is also a hopeless romantic, thanks to all the fairy tales she cut her eyeteeth on. They were what she learned to read before discovering the Boxcar Children Mysteries. From there, J.F. Posthumus fell into the rabbit hole that’s reading, where she discovered a love for mysteries, fantasy, and the occasional romance. Since writing was her favorite subject, J.F. naturally incorporated her love of murder, mysteries, and fantasy into her works.
When J.F. came up with the idea of a body being found at a local building, it was only natural to create a necromancer for the job. From there, Catherine’s story unfolded, complete with monsters, magic, and a little bit of romance…
Learn more about J.F. Posthumus on her website. Stay connected on Facebook and J.F.’s Facebook Author’s Page.
BOOK EXCERPT – “The Exile of Elindel” (Book 1 of the trilogy “The Elwardain Chronicles”) by Carol Browne
My thanks go to Fantasy Souls for sharing an excerpt of my book The Exile of Elindel on this amazing blog …
Fantasy Souls
Elgiva, a young elf banished from Elvendom, must seek shelter among the Saxons as her only hope of surviving the coming winter.
Godwin, a Briton enslaved by the Saxons, is a man ignorant of his own inheritance and the secret of power he possesses.
A mysterious enemy, who will stop at nothing to wield absolute power over Elvendom, is about to make his move.
November 26, 2018 · 12:05 pm
Blitzen Learns How to Fly – A Festive Children’s Story from Author Tina Ruiz
Tina Ruiz has outdone herself with her heartwarming children’s holiday story Blitzen Learns How to Fly. The characters are believable. The pictures are bright and cheery, and the story will hold a child’s attention from the first page to the last. The lesson on bullying and confidence building is evident, and the rest of the tale is simply charming. This is the perfect gift for every young person.
Blitzen was born at the North Pole, but he is unable to fly. Because of that, he is taunted and called names by the other reindeers. Rudy saw what was happening, and he decided to teach Blitzen how to gain some confidence. And with a little magic powder from Santa, Blitzen is not only able to fly, but he becomes part of Santa’s famous team.
Amazon Buy Links
E-Book – Paperback
Tina Ruiz was born in Germany, but her family moved to Canada when she was in grammar school. She began writing children’s stories when her own were little. Through the years Ruiz wrote twenty-seven books. Most of those stories went into readers for the Canada Board of Education. Two did not. Mayor Shadoe Markley is a story about a ten-year-old girl who becomes Mayor for a Day through a contest at school.
Little did Ruiz know that story would “change the world.” The book came out at early January 1988. By the end of that same month, everyone was calling the mayor’s office at City Hall, trying to get the forms to fill out so their children could participate in the contest. Thirty years later that same contest is still runs at full speed. And not only in Calgary, but all across Canada. The Mayor’s Youth Council is now in charge of the celebrated contest and invites Ruiz to attend and meet the lucky winner. It’s usually followed by a hand-written thank you card from the mayor himself. Recently Ruiz was invited to be part of the Grand Opening of Calgary’s New Library where the mayor shook her hand and introduced her to the attendees.
Tina has worked in television and radio as well as being a professional clown at the Children’s Hospital. She lives in Calgary with her husband who encourages her to write her passion be it high-quality children’s books or intriguing romance.
Stay connected with Tina Ruiz on her Facebook group Tina Speaks Out.
New epic fantasy release: Gateway to Elvendom – The Elwardain Chronicles Book II
My thanks go to author Sloane Taylor for hosting my new release on her blog …
https://sloanetaylor.blogspot.com/2018/11/tis-season-to-slip-into-fantasy.html?showComment=1542134974666#c619134052243137892
Coming Soon – Moonshadow’s Guardian by Dianna Gunn.
by Dianna Gunn
Few things are as universally human as our fascination with our own deaths. Stories about the dead, and what happens to them when they leave this realm, have permeated every human culture. And although they haven’t always been called necromancers, there have always been tales of people who could communicate with the souls of the deceased. Many cultures even have festivals to celebrate the dead, like the Day of the Dead or early Halloween celebrations.
In the many of the most well-known tales, these necromancers are cruel, evil people who abuse the souls of the dead. People who raise undead armies or use secrets they learn from the dead to blackmail the living.
Surely communicating with the dead is not inherently evil? These powers could be used to provide families with closure when a loved one dies suddenly, or if resurrection is possible to grant a second life to one dead too soon.
As someone who lost my father to cancer at the tender age of twelve, I have obvious reasons to be drawn to this idea. I can’t begin to explain what it would mean to me to actually communicate with my dad, to show him the books I’ve finally put into the world and see his big smile, to hear him tell me how proud he is of me.
So in Moonshadow’s Guardian, necromancy is a complex thing. It has potential to be evil, and indeed the greatest evil known to this kingdom is a necromantic curse. But necromancy also has the power to be used for good. Necromancy allows people to enjoy second chances at life, to communicate with their loved ones, and to gain closure. In some instances, it’s even used as part of murder investigations.
There may be no clear answers on the ethics of necromancy in Moonshadow, but one thing is for certain: they have the same fascination with death known throughout human cultures right here on Earth.
All Riana has ever wanted is freedom. Unfortunately, that’s the one thing her kind cannot have.
Bound by the curse in her demonic blood for millennia, Riana has tried several times to bend the rules and live out her life in the mortal realm. Now her consistent rule breaking has drawn the attention of Loki, God of Mischief, the main tormentor of Riana’s kind. But instead of punishing her, he offers her the escape she has always desired. All she has to do to is save the kingdom of Moonshadow from a mysterious magical plague.
Armed only with the inherent power of her own blood and Loki’s pet dragon, Riana is determined to fight for the right to create her own destiny.
However, when her mission forces her to destroy the last remnants of an ancient culture, Riana must ask – what is freedom really worth?
Moonshadow’s Guardian is a tale about the meaning of belonging, and the struggle to create a future not defined by your past.
Pre-order your copy on Amazon and Kobo now! Your copy will magically appear on November 17th.
Dianna L. Gunn is a freelance writer by day and a fantasy author by night. She knew she wanted to be a writer since she was eight years old. Dianna wrote her first novel for Nanowrimo at eleven years old. As an adult,Dianna quickly discovered writing books is not an easy way to make a living. So she decided to broaden her horizons, seeking another career that still allowed her to work with words.
Her freelance writing career started when she became a marketing intern at Musa Publishing in September 2011 and quickly became a staff writer in charge of multiple imprint blogs. Since then she has worked with a variety of small businesses and non-profits to improve their online brands and create long term marketing strategies. Some of her most notable work has been for the tech education non-profit STEAMLabs and natural dog care company ProPooch. She is dedicated to helping her clients build successful brands and making their dreams come true.
Need help creating awesome content for your business? Send an email to diannalgunn@gmail.com explaining what your needs are, and she will help you.
When she isn’t helping her clients bring their dreams to life, Dianna can be found working on her own dream of being a successful fantasy author.
Dianna blogs about writing, creativity, and books at The Dabbler.
Learn more about Dianna on Facebook and follow her on Twitter.
Follow Author Carol Browne on WordPress.com
Disturbed in a Positive Way – by Author Alicia Joseph
The Soul Mate Tree Box Set: Twelve Titles on Sale for 99¢
The Fantasy World of Author Gina Briganti
California Can Wait – New Release for Marci Bolden
Blackflies & Blueberries – Virtual Book Tour with Giveaway
www.ginabriganti.com on The Soul Mate Tree Box Set: Twelve Titles on Sale for 99¢
C.D. Hersh on The Soul Mate Tree Box Set: Twelve Titles on Sale for 99¢
Author Carol Browne on The Soul Mate Tree Box Set: Twelve Titles on Sale for 99¢
www.ginabriganti.com on The Fantasy World of Author Gina Briganti
Author Carol Browne · Writer of speculative fiction and non-fiction
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Love Is Something Heavy: An Interview with Mixed Media Artist Sara Rahbar
Sara Rahbar is an artist who bravely transverses borders and permeates boundaries. Though often labeled an “Iranian American artist” (her family fled Iran in 1982 during the beginning of the Revolution), she prefers to relocate herself in a collective humanity. Transcending genre, her work ranges from photography and paint to textiles and sculpture. Rahbar’s work reflects this permeability, combining seemingly antithetical ideas – American flags sewn together with traditional Middle Eastern fabrics, hearts made out of military backpacks – in a beautiful and generative juxtaposition.
At the same time that Rahbar moves fluidly between varying geographies and ideations, she maintains immovable strength in herself and her work. She says, “I love strong things.” Here, she’s talking about working with bronze in sculpture. But this statement speaks to the artist’s attitude towards art, selfhood, and humanity at large. In a world where pervasive pain and violence can feel crippling, Rahbar is able to find peace – by going vegan, by thinking critically, and namely, by concretizing our anxieties through art.
Sara Rahbar will be showing new work from now until May 6th at NADA in New York City for Carbon 12 Dubai Gallery. We got to talk to the artist before the opening about exploring identity, documenting history through art, and communicating emotion in the age of superficiality.
OLIVER KUPPER: Your work deals a lot with conflict and identity loss. This sense of tumult has really seeped into your upbringing. Do you have really clear memories of leaving Iran during the revolution?
SARA RAHBAR: No, I really don’t. I have blacked out a lot. I left Iran when I was like four and a half or five. And I can barely remember anything from that whole time period. In the beginning people just assumed that my work was about identity because my first body of work was the flag series, but I wasn’t thinking about identity at all when I made them, it was always about so much more than that for me.
KUPPER: That’s really interesting.
RAHBAR: It’s more about what I’ve witnessed. I’m recording, like a camera, this history that’s happening around me. I don’t think much about my identity. I don’t care much about it, to be honest with you. The only time I care about it is when I am being labeled. Being labeled as “Iranian American” really bothers me. I just don’t feel like I’m any of those things. I’m just a human being living on the planet earth.
KUPPER: So at that age, you really had no memory of that. The art you’re making now came from a later period. And it was just a circumstance.
RAHBAR: I don’t consciously try to bring anything back into my work. Iran is such a faded memory for me. The last couple of times that I was there, I felt so disconnected. The memories are gone and it doesn’t feel like home. I’ve stopped going back. I don’t remember anything enough to actually be able to use it in my work. But there’s something there. The memories are gone, but the feelings are left. There’s a lot that is subconscious – frustration, anger, fear, confusion. But I’m definitely not trying to mesh any two cultures or identities together, I just follow my instincts when it comes to my work.
KUPPER: How old were you when you started to communicate your ideas through art?
RAHBAR: I think I started drawing when I was very little. I think that i was around five or six years old. I remember collecting stuff and drawing. Of course, I didn’t think it was anything serious. I just always liked making things.
KUPPER: You were being creative.
RAHBAR: Yeah. I think it was an instinct.
KUPPER: Were your parents really traditional, or did they support you being creative?
RAHBAR: They weren’t very traditional. My mom, and my brother were always very supportive. At the same time, I don’t think anyone really understood what the hell I was doing or why, including me. There definitely was a fear of, “How the hell are you going to be able to support yourself doing this?” I wouldn’t say anyone was religious, traditional, or conservative. Nothing like that at all.
KUPPER: It’s rare when a kid wants to become an artist.
RAHBAR: Unless you have a family that has a background in the arts, it can be be kind of scary thing. It’s hard to imagine how you’re actually going to sustain yourself from doing this. There is a lot of unknown, like everything else in life.
KUPPER: What did your parents do?
RAHBAR: My mom was a social worker in Iran. She worked with runaways and abused children. But when she came to the US with my father they went into the restaurant business. You have your degree when you’re in your home country, and you come to a new country and you have to start from scratch. When we came here, we had nothing, and my uncle owned a restaurant. So that’s where my father went to work. It was easy and it paid the bills for a family of four. And later on they eventually went on to own their own restaurant.
KUPPER: Well, Americans love to eat. You open a restaurant, and Americans will be there to eat the food.
RAHBAR: [Laughs.] Yeah, you figure, it’s a basic necessity…
KUPPER: You went back to Iran, and you worked on a really interesting photography series. What did you discover about your return and this work? What did you discover about yourself?
RAHBAR: That was when I finished school. And by “finished school,” I mean I ran out of money. So I had to figure some things out. I didn’t understand what it meant to have a body of work, or to do a series. I just knew that I had to find my own voice. My first instinct – and I always go by instinct – was to take a plane right from school in London to Iran. Everything happened like a domino effect. It was the 2015 election, so there was a combination of influences. First, I would go into the studio with all these things I had collected – costumes, objects and decorations that were used for horses and donkeys, random things I’d find in flea markets. At the same time, I was documenting the elections with sound and photography. For some reason, the camera was the first thing that I picked up when I went there. I always painted and drew, but it wasn’t enough for me. So I figured, I’ll do photography, sound, and projection. Painting always left me feeling like I needed more. Also, in Iran, I had a lack of space, so it was just easier to photograph. Everything was so new and different. I kept going back and forth, photographing and documenting. Now, when I look back on it, I think, “What the hell was that?” Not the stuff on the streets with the election, but the stuff in the studio. I don’t know what the hell that was. It was just about objects and color. I was trying to sort some things out. I’m more connected to the sculptures I’m doing now. I feel like the photographs were me trying to resolve something in my head.
KUPPER: Or it was an experiment.
RAHBAR: That period was very experimental. I was also super young. This was ten years ago. It was very raw. Like, “I like this. So I’m going to put it on my head and take a photo.” But then again I was just following my very basic and immediate instincts, and I still am. [Laughs.]
KUPPER: Did you ever feel like what you were doing was going to be censored while you were there?
RAHBAR: For sure. But I always knew that I would leave eventually. There was always this angst and discomfort that I felt when I was in Iran. I was always reminded somehow that I was a foreigner and a woman, and this always made me feel very uncomfortable. So I always knew that I could never show the work there, or stay there long term.
"There are so many different elements at play– violence, workers, pain, love; it’s the human condition. Being alive on this planet and trying to go from one day to the next. I don’t really think it through too much. It’s instinctual. It comes from what I’m witnessing around me."
KUPPER: Is that why you left, to be able to show that work?
RAHBAR: No. It was like a relationship that comes to an end. It just ran its course. I remember waking up and being like, “I’m done.” I’m getting a plane ticket and not coming back.
KUPPER: Interesting. And you went to New York after that?
RAHBAR: Anywhere can be your home; it’s for you to decide what “home” means to you. You can restart anywhere. And for me, New York has always felt like my home.
KUPPER: Did the flag series become before or after that? Or during?
RAHBAR: I made my first flag for my graduation project when I was still in London. It was right around that time of the crazy chaos of 9/11. I never thought that in 10 years I would make 52 flags.
KUPPER: As a mixed media artist, what do you enjoy about each medium that you employ, and what are some of their limitations?
RAHBAR: I can’t think of too many limitations. I love bronze, and I love wood, and there are so many different kinds of wood and bronze, and so many different techniques that can be used, I’m learning more and more every day. I didn’t specifically study art. So I don’t have any specific technical skills. I make things and I learn as I go along. And I don’t think that that is necessarily a bad thing. I make mistakes, I figure things out and I don’t let anything stop me, I keep moving forward no matter what. And I like that freedom. Sometimes, it’s a limitation and it can be frustrating. With bronze especially, because it’s expensive, definite, and time-consuming. But I feel like it’s good to make mistakes, learn and make your own way. Sometimes the mistakes are the best things that can possibly happen, good things can happen when you let go and let things come on their own, naturally.
I always knew that I was going to do sculpture. Working with textiles, painting, and taking photos, always felt safer for me somehow, it took me a while to make that jump to bronze and wood. I had to work up the courage, but now I feel completely free.
KUPPER: There’s a lot of freedom, but you also have a lot of control over your materials. It seems like control is also an integral part of your work. Would you say that’s true?
RAHBAR: I have issues with control. It’s a very strong underlying theme in my work– guns, police nightsticks– objects that hold things down, hold things together, and contain things. I use these objects a lot. It definitely stems from my childhood. I don’t like to feel controlled. I have issues with police and authority. It comes through in my work.
KUPPER: What can we expect with your new work being shown with Carbon 12 at NADA?
RAHBAR: It’s new work. I’m recording a history that is taking shape and form around me. There are a lot of old tools and guns used in these works. They are like these historical sculptural totem poles. There are so many different elements at play– violence, workers, pain, love; it’s the human condition. Being alive on this planet and trying to go from one day to the next. I don’t really think it through too much. It’s instinctual. It comes from what I’m witnessing around me. And If I sit there and analyze it too much, I will kill it.
KUPPER: It’s hard to live sometimes. It’s a very intense world.
RAHBAR: [Laughs.] Not to be depressing and negative, but that’s how it is.
KUPPER: It seems like we have art to be able to put those pieces together, like a psychological puzzle.
RAHBAR: Exactly.
KUPPER: Which is why your work is so interesting. Is your work about finding peace or coping with war?
RAHBAR: I would like to find peace. I find peace when I’m making the work. I was definitely not at peace when I was younger. I’m getting closer to it as I get older. As long as I’m working, there is peace within me. I’m very aware, that when I’m not working, I’m uncomfortable in my own skin. The work makes me feel comfortable, and allows me to be able to be with myself, and the world around me. My work is very therapeutic for me. It saves me from myself time and time again.
I’m very sensitive, I don’t like seeing humans or animals in pain. I’m a vegan, and it upsets me tremendously when I see animals being slaughtered and tortured. Images of war upset me, violence kills me, sometimes it feels like we are constantly trying to kill and eat everything around us. And there is so much happening at the same time, that it’s easy to become overwhelmed and feel exhausted and paralyzed.
KUPPER: I agree with you. There’s a lot happening.
RAHBAR: You just want to hit pause, and tell everybody to stop what ever it is that they’re doing.
KUPPER: You just want to stop and have a moment to think, and get people to consider what they’re doing.
RAHBAR: Humans behave very badly. We are constantly attempting to kill off each other, this plant and all the living things that live on this plant with us.
KUPPER: The animal torture, the war– with the Internet, you have so much access to what’s going on. It gets even more intense because you can’t hide from it.
RAHBAR: Exactly. I go on Instagram, and I get so overwhelmed sometimes. The images, the videos – there’s so much access and information. And just because you aren’t looking at it doesn’t mean that it’s not happening.
KUPPER: Do you have any other series that you’re working on? Or are you continuing to work with these materials? Do you have a dream project you want to work on?
RAHBAR: I feel like bronze is my dream material. I love strong things. Glass makes me super uncomfortable. Lace, soft fragile things make me uncomfortable. Bronze makes me so happy. I feel like I found my material. And mixing wood and bronze together, that’s my happy place. Right now, I’m working on a lot of isolated body parts in bronze. I read this quote the other day by Benjamin Alire Saenz that really got to me: “Love was always something heavy for me. Something that I had to carry.” …That hit me supper hard when I read it, and It has been the inspiration for the body of work that I’m working on currently.
Bronze, on its own, can feel cold, but when I combine the bronze with wood and the objects that I collect, it softens it some how. Making objects with bronze and wood, that’s my happy place.
You can see new work by Sara Rahbar at Carbon 12 Dubai's booth (4.05) during the NADA Art Fair in New York from May 5 to May 8, 2016. Intro text by Keely Shinners. Interview by Oliver Maxwell Kupper. Photographs by Arash Yaghmaian
In Art Tags sara rahbar, something heavy, love war, peace, mixed media, sculpture, bronze, nada art fair, nada art new york, how to make sculptures, super
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Flip Wilson
Clerow "Flip" Wilson Jr. (December 8, 1933 – November 25, 1998) was an American comedian and actor, known for his television appearances such as The Flip Wilson Show. Wilson also won a Grammy Award in 1970 for his comedy album The Devil Made Me Buy This Dress.
When Steve tries to come up with an idea for a school talent show act in "The Talented Mr. Dingleberry" after his singing is sabotaged, Roger pitches becoming his ventriloquist dummy. He shows off a scrapbook of his former act which includes several game show appearances. Later, when Roger turns more psychotic than usual, Steve discovers that the scrapbook also contains clippings from where his former partner Dennis was blamed for a series of murders and sent away to the Danvers Asylum for the Criminally Insane. There, he finds Dennis who reassures him that it was indeed Roger who committed the murders, killing the entire cast of Hollywood Squares in order to become the center square. Wilson is shown with a knife stuck in his back.
Retrieved from "https://americandad.fandom.com/wiki/Flip_Wilson?oldid=74471"
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Location: Archon Manuscripts World Wars letters Ulysses S. Grant III Papers Finding Aid
Ulysses S. Grant III Papers
Illustrations and photographs for Ulysses S. Grant: Warrior and Statesman
Scrapbooks 1-2
Scrapbook 5
Scrapbooks 9-10
Scrapbook 11
Free-Standing Volumes
Ulysses S. Grant III Papers, 1898-1967 | Southern Illinois University Special Collections Research Center
Title: Ulysses S. Grant III Papers, 1898-1967
Primary Creator: Grant, U.S. (Ulysses S.) (1881-1968)
Extent: 10.0 Boxes
Arrangement: Arranged by document type.
Subjects: Grant, U. S. (Ulysses S.), 1881-1968, Grant, Ulysses S. (Ulysses Simpson), 1822-1885, Hoover, Herbert, 1874-1964, United States - History - Civil War, 1861-1865
Forms of Material: Clippings (information artifacts), Correspondence., Ledgers (account books), Manuscripts for publication., Photographs, Records (documents), Scrapbooks, Speeches, addresses, etc.
Papers of Ulysses S. Grant III (1881-1868), grandson of Ulysses S. Grant (1822-1885).
This collection spans Grant's long military career and his numerous civic leadership positions and includes monthly personal reports, correspondence, speeches, manuscripts, Supreme War Council records, journals and pamphlets, awards and certificates, free-standing volumes, books, and scrapbooks.
Ulysses S. Grant III was the son of Frederick Dent Grant and Ida Honoré and the grandson of President Ulysses S. Grant. He was born in Chicago and educated in Vienna, where his father was the United States Minister to Austria-Hungary. He attended Columbia University until 1898 when he received an appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point, graduating sixtth in the Class of 1903 (Douglas MacArthur ranked first). Grant served in the Philippines (1903-04); Cuba (1906); and on the Mexican Border (1913-17), including the Veracruz Expedition (1914) and the Pancho Villa Expedition (1916). Promoted to major during World War I Grant served on the staff of the Supreme War Council at Versailles during peace negotiations. Grant held various army engineer commands between the wars and oversaw the park system in the national capital. During World War II he headed national civil defense and was promoted to major general in 1943. Retiring after the war, Grant served as vice president of The George Washington University, president of the American Planning and Civic Association, trustee of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and chairman of the Civil War Centennial Commission from 1957 to 1961.
In 1907 Grant married Edith Root, daughter of Elihu Root, who served as secretary of state under Presidents McKinley and Roosevelt.
Grant, U. S. (Ulysses S.), 1881-1968
Grant, Ulysses S. (Ulysses Simpson), 1822-1885
United States - History - Civil War, 1861-1865
Access Restrictions: Unrestricted access.
Use Restrictions: To quote in print, or otherwise reproduce in whole or in party in any publication, including on the World Wide Web, any material from this collection, the researcher must obtain permission from (1) the owner of the physical property and (2) the holder of the copyright. Persons wishing to quote form this collection should consult Special Collections Research Center to determine copyright holders for information in this collection. Reproduction of any item must contain the complete citation to the original.
Acquisition Source: Donation.
Preferred Citation: [Item], Ulysses S. Grant III papers, Special Collections Research Center, Southern Illinios University Carbondale.
[Package 1: Commissions],
[Package 2: Illustrations and photographs for Ulysses S. Grant: Warrior and Statesman],
[Package 3: Scrapbooks 1-2],
[Package 5: Scrapbook 5],
[Package 8: Scrapbooks 9-10],
[Package 9: Scrapbook 11],
[Volume 1: Books],
[Volume 2: Free-Standing Volumes],
Item 1: Author’s Galleys - U.S. Grant
Item 2: Original typescript
Item 3: Yellow copy of typescript Chapter 16-18
Item 4: Yellow copy of typescript Chapters 4-15
Item 5: Yellow copy of typescript Chapters 1-8
Item 6: Unedited photocopy of typescript
Item 8: Yellow copy of typescript Chapters 14-18
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Keeping GPS systems accurate with laser gyroscopes
Scientists have figured out a way to measure the slow and tiny wobble of the …
Chris Lee - Nov 10, 2011 12:56 pm UTC
The Earth shown with rotational axis and magnetic field lines. The axis actually changes over time.
Illustration by ThinkStock
with 18 posters participating, including story author
No modern car (nor any smartphone) is considered complete without some sort of navigation product. Indeed, even my wife's bottom-of-the-line, not-so-smartphone has a cell-tower-based navigation system. Ironically, my wife never uses it and is never lost, while I have no navigation system on my phone and am lost all the time. Wait, what were we talking about again? Oh yes navigation and global positioning. A group of researchers have come up with an elegant, laser-based method of helping GPS systems determine where we actually are.
GPS systems rely on a constellation of satellites to provide a signal that provides an absolute location on the Earth's surface. Hidden behind that simple statement is a lot of technology, such as highly accurate clocks and calculations that take into account the effects of general relativity.
One of the less commonly known challenges of GPS is that the Earth wobbles its way through life, and that wobble throws off positioning calculations unless it is taken into account. Essentially, the axis of the Earth's spin changes with time. And to make it more difficult, these changes happen on a range of timescales that span days, years, and beyond. A recent Physical Review Letter introduces a new method for measuring the long-term changes in the Earth's axis of rotation.
The shorter variations are, luckily, quite predictable, so a mathematical model can be used to account for them. These models are built into positioning calculations. However, the Chandler oscillation has a frequency of about one complete cycle per 435 days, That makes it really difficult to directly measure, because the long-term drift in most measurements are larger than the slow changes resulting from the Chandler oscillation. That, in turn, makes it very difficult to include in calculations—models must be calibrated against reality, meaning that many years worth of data are required to ensure a good fit.
The solution is to look to things that are unchanging. One of the corrections that goes into GPS comes from a network of radio astronomy observatories that keep track of the apparent location of a series of distant quasars. But that is a lot of technology just to ensure that you don't accidentally end up in the canal on your way to the supermarket.
Now a group of researchers split between New Zealand and Germany have put together a laser gyroscope that is sensitive enough to measure the Chandler wobble.
The idea is pretty simple. Make a laser so that the light travels in a circle. As long as the laser is not exactly at the equator, the axis of the light's rotation will have some overlap with the Earth's rotation. These couple together and change the exact frequency of the light emitted by the laser. So if the axis of the Earth's rotation happens to wobble, this is picked up as a small periodic deviation in the frequency emitted by the laser.
That sounds simple, but we're talking about measuring a very slow frequency change. During that time, a lot of things will change: the mirrors that keep the light circulating will age, the laser medium will age, the Earth's crust will stretch, the temperature will change, the pressure will change. In fact, it would be easier to name the variables that won't change in that time... except I can't think of any. So this project was really about understanding every possible change, eliminating those that can be eliminated, and independently measuring those that could not be eliminated.
In the end, the researchers managed it. Somewhere in an underground facility in Germany, there is a ring laser, sitting on a granite table, inside a pressure vessel. Its sole job is to see if lady Earth is about to fall off her bicycle. It sounds absurd, but modern life and equipment currently relies on a network of radio antennas pointed at distant stars, so a couple of lasers replacing that network is no small improvement.
Physical Review Letters, DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.107.173904
Chris Lee Chris writes for Ars Technica's science section. A physicist by day and science writer by night, he specializes in quantum physics and optics. He Lives and works in Eindhoven, the Netherlands.
Email chris.lee@arstechnica.com
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SHELBY SINGLETON R.I.P. ROCK IN PERPETUITY!
SHELBY SINGLETON 12/16/31 – 10/7/09
This morning I was talking to my friend “Country Paul Payton”, about some “Classic Hits” radio promos we’re working on, when he asked me if I knew that Shelby Singleton had passed away. I was taken aback and nearly dropped the phone; I told Paul I’d call him back, then spent the rest of the morning reflecting on one of the pioneers of the Modern Music Business…a man I was proud to call my friend
“The first time I met Shelby Singleton was in the mid-sixties, when he was head of Mercury records A&R department. I was a small publisher always trying to get a song cut. Fortunately, my new wife Sheilah is working at Mercury, one of her closest friends is Carol, Shelby’s secretary. It isn’t long before I’m able to go in and out of the inner offices whenever I want. One day as I’m talking to Carol at her desk, Shelby rushes in from the studio, with a record he just produced and he invites us in to listen to it. It’s a cut from the next Brook Benton album, and although it doesn’t sound like a hit single, it’s a cut an artist can be proud of.
This is the first time I have a chance to sit down with Shelby. We talk for a bit about music, and he plays me a new band he’s signed, The Blues Magoos, and describes them with a word I never heard before, “Psychedelic”,
Shelby remembers, “The Blues Magoos were the first Psychedelic group I ever heard-My thought was this was so different it had a shot in the market- We decided to call The album “Psychedelic Lollypop” as the stories of the day in all the news was hippies putting LSD on lollipops to get high. The first single from the album was “Tobacco Road“ It was a immediate success. Mercury wanted me to find more groups like the Blues Magoos, but I said no, let’s work on this group!”
Shelby always kept his door open and encouraged me to do more producing, in fact when he left Mercury and started his own record company, I produced the first record he released by 9 year old Dewey Jones, “Please Mr. Johnson (Send My Brother Home) protest against the Viet Nam War.”
Over the years we lost touch, but reconnected on Facebook. I talked to him a few months ago and asked him for a few paragraphs to include in my book. True to his generous nature, he gave me pages more than I asked for, including a few hilarious stories that are some of the highlights of my book!
I was fortunate to have known Shelby and shared some of those stories. Perhaps legendary singer/songwriter Ray Stevens, himself one of the most unique souls to smack boot heels on a Music City sidewalk, says it best, “Shelby Singleton was absolutely one of a kind.”
Respectfully, Artie Wayne https://artiewayne.wordpress.com/about-artie-wayne/
Copyright 2009 by Artie Wayne from his book “I Did It For A song” https://artiewayne.wordpress.com/2009/07/12/thank-you-for-one-million-hits/
BACK TO THE R.I.P. ROCK N PERPETUITY ARCHIVES https://artiewayne.wordpress.com/2008/08/20/rip-rock-in-perpetuity-archives/
BACK TO ARTIE WAYNE ON THE WEB! https://artiewayne.wordpress.com
Tags: "Country Paul Payton", Blues Magoos, Brook Benton, mercury records, Shelby Singleton R.I.P. ROCK IN PERPETUITY
13 Responses to “SHELBY SINGLETON R.I.P. ROCK IN PERPETUITY!”
Barry Osalncer Says:
This is so sad to hear this about Shelby the gentleman of the south. When I was living in Nashville we had a few meals and great talks and when living and working at Mercury Records as you said his door was always open… It has not bee that long since we sent messages via FB. I will remember him and that big smile. And pray for his family.
Dang it.
So sorry you’ve lost yet another friend. The one blessing in this is knowing you will see him again. But not too soon I hope!
Brooks Arthur Says:
This one hurts. “TRIPLE-S”… Is what I called him. Triple-S truly helped to get my career rolling. We became the best of friends. May he rest in peace.
Dennis Lambert Says:
Few people know that Shelby Singleton was one of the most important mentors I’ve ever had. When I met him, in 1964, he was the head of A & R at Mercury Records. He took an instant liking to my songs and to me, I suppose, although we were so culturally different!. There I was, a sixteen year old NYC kid full of P & V and there was Shelby, a true Southern gentleman, spewing his now famous descriptions…”it’s colder than a well diggers ass in Montana”. He introduced me to Quincy Jones, the newest member of the Mercury A&R family and then to Luchi DeJesus, Ed Townsend, Hal Mooney, Bobby Scott…all members of Mercury’s A & R staff. He encouraged me, supported me, motivated me and then ultimately hired me as a member of the NY A&R staff to work closely with him and Quincy on projects of all kinds. Like Shelby, I enjoyed, and felt I could relate to a lot of different styles of music. This was one of his great strengths. He could go from rock to country to pop to folk seamlessly. He was also an incredible “people person”. I came to understand that and see it first hand with so many different kinds of folks. I saw Shelby from time to time over the years and stayed in touch, although not frequently. When I did see him, I always told him just what he meant to me and how he truly jump started my career.
In the late 70’s. I met Tom Jones in Las Vegas. He invited me to come see him and talk about making a record together. He told me Jerry Lee Lewis was his idol..the artist that really lit a fire in him. I told him I worked with Jerry Lee and that I wrote a song for him in the mid 60’s (thanks to Shelby). When Tom excitedly asked me what song i had written, I said he wouldn’t know it. It was obscure and unimportant in the grand scheme of JLL’s career. I told him the title…there was a momentary pause…and then Tom sang the entire song acapella. When I got up off the floor, Tom said he had been opening his show with my song, “This Must Be The Place” for almost a year. This was just one example of what the great Shelby Singleton did for people like me.
Shelby Singleton – one of the true music business giants and for all the right reasons.
MET SHELBY IN THE 90’S IN NASHVILLE. HE OWNED PART OF THE SUN RECORDS CATALOG. HAVE A NICE PIC OF SHELBY & I AT HIS OFFICE. HE GAVE ME A SUN RECORDS
KEY CHAIN.
LOST CONTACT AFTER HIS BUILDING BURNED DOWN. I ALSO
GOT TO KNOW HIS SON WHO WAS PRODUCING IN NASHVILLE.
YOU DON’T KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE WE BOTH KNOW IN
COMMON. PROBABLY EACH OTHER. E MAIL ME & LET’S TALK.
I’D LIKE TO EXCHANGE NUMBERS. JUST A FEW ARE CHARLIE
CALELLO, JOEL DIAMOND,(BOTH GOT ME AN ENGELBERT CUT.)
ARTIE KORNFELD, ARTIE KAPKLAN, BROOKS ARTHUR, TRADE
MARTIN (WROTE TUNE FOR (JOEY DEE) TOGETHER. LINDA
NOVEMBER AND TOO MANY MORE . WE SHOULD TALK.
PEACE & RESPECT, RAY DAHROUGE
THIS NOT A DUPLICATE
Marc Miller Says:
This is *very* strange! For my b-day (yesterday) I bought “Plantation Gold” (The Mad Genius of SSS, Jr. and Plantation/SSS Records 1967-76), one of the most out-there collections of *anything* I’ve ever heard!!! RIP SSS!
Artie, I appreciate the name-drop, but I was just the messenger. The news was broken to me in a discussion group by Nashville bassist Bob Moore’s wife, Kittra. Shelby Singleton was a real “record guy” in every sense of the word – pioneering, audacious, and very mmusically aware. He left a wealth of recordings, many good to great, many hits, and some at least “interesting.” Not knowing him personally, I can say as a former radio personality and music director in various formats that his contributions to music often made me smile, sometimes made me wince, but always enriched my gig. They don’t make ’em like him anymore, and the music biz is poorer for that.
Jason Odd Says:
Leaving a message in such good company is daunting enough, but in regards to the passing of Shelby Singleton, it’s very heavy indeed.
I wrote the sleeve notes to a recent CD release; Plantation Gold, by the Omni Records Corp.
Essentially a compilation based around mostly country material recorded for the Singleton’s labels, Plantation and SSS-International. It was a dream gig.
Shelby Singleton cut and distributed some of the most amazing records I have ever heard, and can lay claim to personally producing more than a dozen albums in various genres, which are stone cold classics.
He helped popularise the sitar-guitar as a production sound, alongside Joe South and the boys over at American Sound Studios in Memphis.
If you concentrate on that small feature alone, there’s a period of hit records where as soon as you hear those funky little electric sitar riffs, it has to be one of those three, if it’s followed by dobro, it’s a Singleton cut for sure. (that’s also a salute to Singleton’s former sideman and session leader, Jerry Kennedy)
Singleton surrounded himself with great singers, songwriters, song-pluggers, producers, publishers and engineers. He hired away deejays who broke his records, in part recognition of their talent, but of course in an attempt to make the Singleton Corp. more efficient at pushing their product.
He was old-school country and rock and roll and understood R&B. He changed what he thought would make a song better, and if often did.
I won’t name names, because it’s not fair to the others who tried, but many producer and A&R contemporaries of Shelby tried their hand at their own labels and production companies. They didn’t do as well. The people I’m thinking of cut some great records and had some damn fine ideas, but they weren’t like Singleton, who I think was driven by a heady mix of business acumen, musical knowledge, and an absolute sense of adventure, a willingness to really gamble with song that didn’t fit in with prevailing trends.
No doubt about it, a family man, a friend to many, and one hell of a record man. Shelby Singlteon, Rest In Peace, we will miss you.
Denise of the Delicates Says:
Another great loss for our “Music Family”..
vikki Sallee-Dillard Says:
Artie, I just heard the news about Shelby and I am so very sorry, I just spoke with his Assistant A very sort time ago and I thought he was doing fine. A wonderful Music Person and very sweet person. I feel Sad for our loss , kids and Grandkids as well. Love and Prayers to you all. Vikki Sallee-Dillard & Douglas Dillard
I never knew Shelby SIngeleton, but I sure was aware
of his history..read articles about him, and saw his photos…
Sorry to hear of your loss, those of you who knew him…
He seemed like a wonderful person.
IT IS A SAD TIME , I GET MAD TIME, WHEN WE LOSE A DEAR FRIEND AND ICON !!!!
MY LIFE CHANGED THE DAY I MET SHELBY SINGELTON……HE WAS MY MENTOR…MY RABBI..
MY CHEER LEADER…..AND MOST OF ALL MY FREIND…
I WILL MISS HIM,
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Can you help me understand this? Answer 1 and I'll answer 1 for you!?
Me and this girl predated for 5 months (she said she didn't want to date over the holidays b/c of how her last bf treated her over the holidays the year before). Some friend drama happened in our group and she ended up breaking up. When she broke up, she said she thought I liked her more than she liked me. Days... show more Me and this girl predated for 5 months (she said she didn't want to date over the holidays b/c of how her last bf treated her over the holidays the year before). Some friend drama happened in our group and she ended up breaking up. When she broke up, she said she thought I liked her more than she liked me. Days later she said she was embarrassed by what she said because she said she did like me "A LOT". Days later I told her how I felt and she said she didn't feel the same way she did in November. A few weeks ago (a month had passed) I told her I still liked and cared for her and asked how she felt. Her first words were "I don't know" and that she loves talking to me, spending time with me, likes me a lot, respects me, but that she needs to figure out who she is and that she doesn’t know if she can date anyone right now and that it probably doesn't make sense that it doesn't make sense to her mom or friend. She also has kept a snapchat streak of 40 days now with me and was upset when I broke it after we broke up. We recently went on a mission trip together and friends thought we were still together with how we talked, acted, and stayed around each other. What do you think?
Best Answer: When a Girl I LIKE gets "iffy" with me (she does know who she is or what she wants, she confused), I SAY:
"Okay. I'll give some space. There are some OTHER GIRLS, I think want to date me. If I don't get into a relations with them or make one PREGNANT, I'll check with you in a month."
If she thought she was going to control me... she just found out
different. Most people figure out what they want RIGHT AWAY.
ez2tock2 · 4 months ago
Me and this girl predated for 5 months (she said she didn't want to date over the holidays b/c of how her last bf treated her over the holidays the year before). Some friend drama happened in our group and she ended up breaking up. When she broke up, she said she thought I liked her more than she liked me. Days later she said she was embarrassed by what she said because she said she did like me "A LOT". Days later I told her how I felt and she said she didn't feel the same way she did in November. A few weeks ago (a month had passed) I told her I still liked and cared for her and asked how she felt. Her first words were "I don't know" and that she loves talking to me, spending time with me, likes me a lot, respects me, but that she needs to figure out who she is and that she doesn’t know if she can date anyone right now and that it probably doesn't make sense that it doesn't make sense to her mom or friend. She also has kept a snapchat streak of 40 days now with me and was upset when I broke it after we broke up. We recently went on a mission trip together and friends thought we were still together with how we talked, acted, and stayed around each other. What do you think?
Was he hitting on me or wants a new job?
I sent him a sexual text with a funny photo...it was a sex act he didn't really care for but I loved it. What does this response mean?
How do I delete my question thanks?
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On the Night You Were Born (Board)
Author(s): Nancy Tillman
Board Books | BABY SHOWER GIFT GUIDE
Now available in its entirety in board book format, Tillman's masterpiece is perfect for acknowledging the special people in our lives that they are loved. Full color. 8 x 8.
Praise for Nancy Tillman: "This is one of those rare baby books that should make both skeptics and sentimentalists of all ages happy."--"Publishers Weekly", for "On the Night You Were Born" "A beautiful tribute to the uniqueness of every child."--"Kirkus Reviews "for "On the Night You Were Born""" "Many parents will welcome this opportunity to tell their children how special and loved they are."--"Booklist" for "On the Night You Were Born" "As in "On the Night You Were Born", the words directly address a young listener with comforting, fanciful imagery. . . . Culminating in a final scene of a sleeping child in a floating bed under a watchful moon, this gentle, tender offering will buoy children with its strong messages of safety and love."--"Booklist "for "It's Time to Sleep, My Love""" "A luxuriant bedtime retreat for children and parents alike."--"Kirkus Reviews" for "It's Time to Sleep, My Love""" "A beautiful and timeless book."--"School Library Journal "for "The Spirit of Christmas" "Bestselling author Tillman offers a dreamlike interpretation of the collective spirit that permeates the holiday."--"Kirkus Reviews "for "The Spirit of Christmas
Nancy Tillman is the author and illustrator of the "New York Times" best-selling picture book "On the Night You Were Born" and its companion journal, "The Wonder of You: A Book for Celebrating Baby's First Year." Her other books include "Wherever You Are: My Love Will Find You," "The Spirit of Christmas" and "Tumford the Terrible." A former advertising executive, Tillman now writes and illustrates full-time. She lives in Tualatin, Oregon.
Publisher : St. Martin's Press
Imprint : St. Martin's Press
Produced in : United States
Dewey classification : [E]
Author : Nancy Tillman
Illustrations : illustrations
Bind : Board book
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November 27th – Black History
Today in Black History – November 27 *
1942 – Johnny Allen Hendrix is born in Seattle, Washington.
Hendrix’s father, James “Al” Hendrix, later changes
his son’s name to James Marshall. James Marshall
Hendrix will be best known as Jimi Hendrix, leader of
the influential rock group, The Jimi Hendrix
Experience. His music will influence such groups as
“Earth, Wind, and Fire,” “Living Colour,” and “Sting.”
He will join the ancestors on September 18, 1970 after
succumbing to asphyxiation from his own vomit. He will
be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992
and the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2005. His star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame will be dedicated in 1994. In
2006, his debut album, “Are You Experienced,” will be
inducted into the United States National Recording
Preservation Board’s National Recording Registry. Rolling
Stone magazine will name him number 1 on their list of
the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time in 2003.
1951 – Sixteen-year-old Hosea Richardson becomes the first
licensed African American jockey to ride on the Florida
circuit.
1957 – Dorothy Height, YMCA official, is elected president of
the National Council of Negro Women.
1964 – Robin Givens is born in New York City. She will become
an actress and will star in “Head of the Class,” and “A
Rage in Harlem,” “Michael Jordan: An American Hero,”
“Blankman,” “Foreign Student,” “Boomerang,” “The Women
of Brewster Place,” and “Beverly Hills Madam.”
1968 – Eldridge Cleaver, Minister of Information for the Black
Panther Party, becomes a fugitive from justice as a
parole violator.
1989 – Jennifer Lawson assumes her duties as Executive Vice
President for National Programming and Promotion
Services at the Public Broadcasting Service. The Alabama
native is the chief programming executive for PBS,
determining which programs are seen on the network. She
is the first woman to hold such a position at a major
television network.
1990 – Charles Johnson wins the National Book Award for his
novel “Middle Passage.” He is the fourth African
American to win the award, formerly called the American
Book Award.
Author blackoutloudPosted on November 28, 2014 November 28, 2014 Categories Civl Rights, Entertainment, History, Literature, Music, Politics, SportsTags Dorothy Heights, Hosea Richardson, Jennifer Lawson, Robin GivensLeave a comment on November 27th – Black History
November 24th – Today in Black History
1874 – Stephen A. Swails is re-elected president pro tem of the
South Carolina State Senate.
1874 – Robert B. Elliott is elected Speaker of the lower house
of the South Carolina legislature.
1880 – Southern University is established in New Orleans,
Louisiana.
1880 – More than 150 delegates from Baptist Churches in eleven
states organize the Baptist Foreign Mission Convention
of the United States at a meeting in Montgomery,
Alabama. The Rev. William H. McAlphine is elected
1883 – Edwin Bancroft Herson is born in Washington, DC. He will
become a pioneering physical education instructor,
coach, and organizer of the Negro Athletic Association,
and the Colored Inter-Collegiate Athletic Association.
Inducted into the Black Sports Hall of Fame in 1974, he
will be widely considered “the Father of Black Sports.”
1935 – Ronald V. Dellums is born in Oakland, California. He
will become a Berkeley city councilman, where he will be
a vocal champion for minority and disadvantaged
communities. In 1970, he will stage a successful
campaign for the 9th district seat in the U.S. House of
Representatives. Among his leadership roles will be
Chairman of the District of Columbia Committee.
1938 – Oscar Robertson is born in Charlotte, Tennessee. He will
attend the University of Cincinnati, where he will be a
two-time NCAA Player of the Year and three-time All-
American. He will go on to play for fourteen years in
the NBA (Cincinnati Royals and Milwaukee Bucks) and earn
All-NBA honors 11 times and lead the Royals and the Bucks
to ten playoff berths. Robinson, along with Lew Alcinder
(Kareem Abdul-Jabbar), will lead the Bucks to their only
NBA Championship. Robertson will conclude his career
with 26,710 points (25.7 per game), 9,887 assists (9.5
per game) and 7,804 rebounds (7.5 per game). He will be
voted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1979, following
his retirement in 1974 and be voted one of “The 50
Greatest Players in NBA History.”
Author blackoutloudPosted on November 24, 2014 Categories Education, History, Legislation, SportsTags Baptist Churches, Baptist Foreign Mission, Edwin Bancroft Herson, Lew Alcinder, Negro Athletic Association, Oscar Robertson, Rev. William H. McAlphine, Robert B. Elliott, Ronald V Dellums, South Carolina State Senate, Southern University, Stephen A. Swails, William H. McAlphineLeave a comment on November 24th – Today in Black History
November 19th in Black History
Today in Black History – November 19
1867 – South Carolina citizens endorse a constitutional
convention and select delegates. 66,418 African
Americans and 2350 whites vote for the convention and
2278 whites vote against holding a convention. The
total vote cast is 71,046. Not a single African
American votes against the convention.
1921 – Roy Campanella is born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
He will become one of the first African-American
baseball players signed to major league ball after
Jackie Robinson breaks the color line. He will become
the first African American catcher in Major League
history. Campanella will play for the Brooklyn Dodgers
and be the National League’s Most Valuable Player in
1951, 1953, and 1955. He was given the second MVP award
in 1953 on his birthday. His baseball career will end
when he is paralyzed in an automobile accident in
January, 1958. He will then work for many years in the
Dodger organization. He will be elected to the Baseball
Hall of Fame in 1969 and will join the ancestors on
1949 – Ahmad Rashad, is born Bobby Moore in Portland, Oregon.
Rashad will be a first-round draft choice of the St.
Louis Football Cardinals in 1972. He will go on to play
for Buffalo and Seattle before settling in Minnesota in
1976 and playing the next seven seasons for the Vikings.
Rashad will hold the Viking career reception lead (400)
and be second in reception yardage. Overall, Rashad will
have 495 receptions in 10 seasons. Rashad — who played
his college football at the University of Oregon — will
be inducted into the state of Oregon Sports Hall of Fame
in 1987 and the University of Oregon Athletic Hall of
Fame in 1992. He will also be the author of a book,
“Rashad: Vikes, Mikes, and Something on the Backside,”
published by Viking Press. During the summer of 1991, he
will expand his broadcasting resume by handling
television play-by-play for the Seattle Seahawks pre-
season football games.
1955 – Carmen de Lavellade begins a contract for three seasons as
a dancer with the Metropolitan Opera.
1957 – Otis J. Anderson, NFL running back (NY Giants, 1990
Superbowl MVP), is born.
1984 – Dwight Gooden, of the New York Mets, at 20 years old,
becomes the youngest major-league pitcher to be named
Rookie of the Year in the National League. The Mets
pitcher led the majors with 276 strikeouts.
1985 – Comedic character actor Stepin Fetchit, born Lincoln
Theodore Monroe Andrew Perry joins the ancestors at the
age of 83.
Author blackoutloudPosted on November 19, 2014 Categories Entertainment, History, Legislation, Music, Politics, SportsTags Ahmad Rashad, Carmen de Lavellade, Dwight Gooden, Otis J Anderson, Roy Campanella, South Carolina, Stepin FetchitLeave a comment on November 19th in Black History
1797 – Abolitionist and orator, Sojourner Truth, is born a
New York slave on the plantation of Johannes
Hardenbergh. Her given name is Isabelle VanWagener
(some references use the name Isabelle Baumfree).
She will walk away from her last owner one year
prior to being freed by a New York law in 1827, which
proclaimed that all slaves twenty-eight years of age
and over were to be freed. Several years later, in
response to what she describes as a command from God,
she becomes an itinerant preacher and takes the name
Sojourner Truth. Among her most memorable appearances
will be at an 1851 women’s rights conference in Akron,
Ohio. In her famous “Ain’t I a woman?” speech she
forcefully attacks the hypocrisies of organized
religion, white privilege and everything in between.
1900 – Howard Thurman is born in Daytona Beach, Florida. A
theologian who studied at Morehouse with Martin L.
King, Sr., he will found the interracial Church of
Fellowship of All Peoples. The first African American
to hold a full-time faculty position at Boston
University (in 1953), Dr. Thurman will write 22 books
and become widely regarded as one of the greatest
spiritual leaders of the 20th century. He will join the
ancestors on April 10, 1981.
1936 – John Henry Kendricks is born in Detroit, Michigan. He will
become a prolific songwriter as well as a major rhythm
and blues singer better known as Hank Ballard. He will
perform with his group, The Midnighters, and make the
following songs popular: “There’s A Thrill Upon The Hill”
(Let’s Go, Let’s Go, Let’s Go), “The Twist”(made famous
later by Chubby Checker), “Finger Poppin’ Time”, “Work with
Me Annie”, “Sexy Ways”, and “Annie Had a Baby”. He will be
enshrined in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990. He
will join the ancestors on March 2, 2003.
1949 – Jackie Robinson, of the Brooklyn Dodgers, is named the
National League’s Most Valuable Player.
1956 – Harold Warren Moon, professional football player
(Minnesota Vikings, Houston Oilers, and Seattle Seahawks
quarterback), is born in Los Angeles, California. He will
be the first undrafted quarterback and first African
American quarterback to be elected to the Football Hall
of Fame in 2006.
1964 – The head of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, J. Edgar
Hoover, describes Martin Luther King as a “most
notorious liar”. This statement is indicative of the
agency head’s dislike of the civil rights leader.
1969 – The National Association of Health Services Executives is
incorporated. NAHSE’s goal is to elevate the quality of
health-care services rendered to poor and disadvantaged
communities.
1975 – Calvin Murphy of the Houston Rockets, ends the NBA free
throw streak at 58 games.
1977 – Robert Edward Chambliss, a former KKK member, is
convicted of first-degree murder in connection with the
1963 bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in
Birmingham, Alabama, that killed four African American
teenage girls.
1978 – The NAACP’s Spingarn Medal is presented to Ambassador
Andrew J. Young “in recognition of the deftness with
which he has handled relations between this nation and
other countries” and “for his major role in raising the
consciousness of American citizens to the significance
in world affairs of the massive African continent.”
1980 – Wally “Famous” Amos’ signature Panama hat and embroidered
shirt are donated to the National Museum of American
History’s Business Americana collection. It is the
first memorabilia added to the collection by an African
American entrepreneur and recognizes the achievement of
Amos, who built his company from a mom-and-pop
enterprise to a $250 million cookie manufacturing
1983 – “Sweet Honey in the Rock,” a capella singers, perform
their 10th anniversary reunion concert in Washington, DC.
1994 – Bandleader Cab Calloway joins the ancestors in Hockessin,
Delaware, at age 86.
Author blackoutloudPosted on November 18, 2014 Categories Civl Rights, Holiday, Music, Religion, Slavery, SportsTags African American, Howard Thurman, Isabelle Baumfree, Isabelle VanWagener, Martin Luther King, Sojourner TruthLeave a comment on November 18th in Black History
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Bloody Spear at Mount Fuji
by Jeremy Clarke.
Despite the bloody implications of its title, Bloody Spear At Mount Fuji (1955) is more like a period road movie, introducing a series of offbeat characters, each in their own unique situation. Whilst Mount Fuji puts in an appearance in the opening frame and in one of the many scenarios on the road, it’s only towards the end that we get a seven-minute fight scene involving a spear and a great deal of blood. Since the fight takes place near barrels of sake which get punctured during the mayhem, a good deal of wine is also spilled.
The central character is not the samurai Sakura (Teruo Shimada) who has a drink problem and whose name in kanji reads as ‘alcohol smell’. Rather it’s his retainer and spear carrier Gonpachi (Chiezo Kataoka) who is accompanied by his own assistant Genta (Daisuke Kaito). As Sakura’s party travels along the Tokaido – the route connecting Edo to the old capital of Tokyo – orphan and spear-carrier hopeful Jiro (Motoharu Ueki) strikes up a friendship with Gonpachi. On the same journey are a wandering shamisen player (Chizuru Kitagawa), her small daughter Okin (Chie Ueki) and a pilgrim (Eitaro Shindo). The travellers are held up at one point when another samurai and his entourage block Tashiro the route with a picnic in full view of Mount Fuji. Other intrigues include a man forced to sell his daughter Otane (Yuriko Tashiro) into prostitution and a notorious thief on the loose.
All this provides a very different view of the familiar samurai. Alongside a concern with social issues, director Tomu Uchida (1898-1970) represents samurai as interlopers or buffoons. He’s much more sympathetic to people lower down the social ladder, such as servants, orphans, itinerants and even thieves. The whole represents a reaction against the militarism which gripped Japan in the 1930s and led to a disastrous war, defeat and the subsequent American occupation.
Uchida’s career spanned half a century and can be divided into three distinct phases. Between 1922 and 1942 he made some 45 films including silents and talkies. Between 1941 and 1954 he worked in Manchuria for the Manchukuo Film Association (Man-Ei) and its Chinese-owned successor corporation, mainly in newsreel documentary. Rumour has it that the sight of the post-surrender seppuku of the Man-Ei boss, Masahiko Amakusa, had persuaded Uchida that it would be safer for him to stay in China for a while as Tokyo’s post-war purges rooted out propaganda filmmakers.
He returned to Japan in 1954 and made 26 films with a progressive, left-wing focus on social justice. Jonathan Clements’s Anime: A History also notes that it was Uchida who was the bag-man for Toei, trying to persuade the stop-motion animator Tadahito Mochinaga, a colleague from his Man-Ei days, to sell his facilities to the studio. While Uchida’s powers of persuasion were found wanting, it was at Toei that he completed A Fugitive From The Past (1965), considered his masterpiece, in which a thief escapes a bungled heist and takes up with a prostitute. A 1999 critics’ poll in the film magazine Kinema Junpo rated it the third best Japanese film of all time, coming below Seven Samurai (Akira Kurosawa, 1954) and Floating Clouds (Mikio Naruse, 1955) but above Rashomon (Kurosawa, 1950) and Tokyo Story (Yasujiro Ozu, 1953). Such acclaim suggests a director whose films merit further investigation: hopefully Arrow Academy will release more.
Yet among Japanese film directors in the English speaking Western world Uchida remains relatively unknown. Several decades ago, Donald Richie in The Japanese Film: Art and Industry suggested four reasons for his obscurity. Virtually none of his pre-war films have survived. His post-war works are mostly period films, a genre owned by Kurosawa in the western mind. His personal, film-making style is, at best, eclectic. And finally, his post-war output was mostly at Toei, a company targeting the commercial, domestic market with little interest in international exposure.
However, something of a rehabilitation has taken place in the past decade. This can be traced back to the 2004 edition of Japan’s annual FILMeX Festival where a retrospective selection of Uchida’s works was shown in new, English subtitled prints. This had two immediate effects. The selection toured various festivals and cinemas throughout the world and Wild Side released some of the films on DVD in France in 2006. Curiously, none of these films were released on any home cinema format with English subtitles in the English-speaking world at the time.
Arrow Academy’s new Bloody Spear at Mount Fuji disc contains a number of extras from the Wild Side releases. The transfer looks good with nice, clear, readable English language subtitles. Jasper Sharp provides a commentary track with a little info on the film and a great deal more about the personnel involved and their place in wider Japanese history and film history. It was Sharp who along with Alexander Jacoby was responsible for bringing the FILMeX prints to London in late 2007.
However with Wild Side’s extras, Arrow have blurred the screen area containing French subtitles to add English subtitles below the mostly unreadable but still visible French ones which has the effect of blurring out the very bottom of the image too. This is annoying when clips of the films appear in these extras: personally I would have preferred the burned-in French subs left unblurred below the English ones. Perhaps there’s a contractual obligation here resulting from Arrow’s deal with Wild Side or their rights holders.
That said, the English-subtitled Wild Side extras include a superb, fifty-minute filmed interview with Uchida’s son Yusaku, who worked as an assistant director at Toei on some of his father’s post-war films, recalling his career and working methods on the set in fascinating detail.
Bloody Spear At Mount Fuji is out on Blu-ray from Arrow Academy.
Nov 9, 2018 Jonathan Clements
All Posts, FeaturesArrow Academy, cinema, Japan, Jeremy Clarke, Tomu Uchida110
Cowboy Bebop Ultimate Edition
Interview: Koji Yamamoto
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Lex Med Blog Lexington Medical Center Official Blog
Lexington Family Practice Celebrates 40th Anniversary
Lexington Family Practice is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. From a two-provider practice in a small office in Lexington in 1976 to a network of 30 physicians in eight locations around the Midlands today, Lexington Family Practice has maintained a tradition of taking excellent care of generations of families.
Dr. Henry Marion treats a patient at Lexington Family Practice Northeast.
Lexington Family Practice’s first office opened on Mineral Springs Road in Lexington in 1976. At the time, there were no traffic lights between the physician practice and Lexington Medical Center’s main campus in West Columbia. And the town of Lexington’s population was just over 1,000.
Dr. Robert Callis
Robert Callis, MD, and Henry Martin Jr., MD, were two of the first three physicians at the practice. They had worked together during their medical residencies at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. At the time, the Midlands did not have a lot of young family physicians. But the need for them was clear as the doctors began to see dozens of patients each day.
From the beginning, Lexington Family Practice wanted to provide innovative health care to the people of Lexington. The practice was one of the first in the area to employ its own pharmacist; the first to offer weekend hours and weekend clinics for “urgent care” patients before urgent care centers ever existed; and it was one of the first family practice offices to offer echocardiograms. Later this year, Lexington Medical Center will begin offering a nurse practitioner fellowship at one of the Lexington Family Practice locations.
“We always wanted to stay a step ahead,” Dr. Martin said.
Dr. Henry Martin
Their work also included medical care that other specialties often oversee today, including taking care of a high percentage of pediatric patients. They earned a solid reputation that led to expansions over the years with the practice opening locations in Irmo, Ballentine, Lake Murray, Northeast Columbia, Otarre Pointe, West Columbia and White Knoll.
“Each new practice has always had a seasoned, established physician,” Dr. Callis said. “We wanted to make sure that there was consistency at all locations.”
Lexington Family Practice became part of Lexington Medical Center’s Network of Care in 1998. The practice has received national accolades for its successful management of high blood pressure and diabetes in patients.
Dr. Martin and Dr. Callis continue to work within the hospital’s network of care. Dr. Martin treats patients at Lexington Family Practice Otarre Pointe and Dr. Callis oversees Quality and Population Health in the hospital’s Physician Network. And Dr. Callis has a daughter who is a physician at the practice’s Ballentine location.
For more information about Lexington Family Practice locations and providers, visit LexMed.com/PhysicianPractices.
Dr. Henry Marion, Dr. Henry Martin, Dr. Robert Callis, Lexington doctors, Lexington Family Practice 40th Anniersary, primary care physicians
Lexington Medical Center Governor’s Cup Road Race
Calling All Bloggers! We’re Hosting a Blog Contest
One Response to “Lexington Family Practice Celebrates 40th Anniversary”
Tammy Grubbs Reply January 30, 2019 at 12:19 pm
Two of the best! Glad they have been a part of taking care of the patients in our community for more than 40 years!
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History, People & Company
27 Sep, 2016 0 comments
The works council of the 1970s and 80s
When I first started in my role as full-time employee representative on the works council, my predecessor gave me the following piece of advice: “One thing I’ll say to you is this: If you ever become Chairman of the Works Council, don’t go to the Board of Management and point out paragraphs and what’s in them. They know them better than you do. But do talk on behalf of your people and make sure that you get something out of the talks for them.” I always followed this advice and it meant we all got on very well during negotiations. Two examples stick in my mind in particular:
‘Analytical job evaluation’, a procedure used primarily to describe the roles of industrial employees in exact terms, was a hot topic in Germany in the 1970s and 80s. There was a points system in place – the higher the number of points, the higher the pay group on the scale. From time to time there would be borderline cases in which one or two points more would mean a higher pay group. We fought for every point. Sometimes we had to admit defeat, but other times our strong relationship with the employer’s representative worked in our favour, allowing us to achieve a better result.
Another case I remember well: One particular works agreement stated that industrial employees had to cash in their piecework scheme coupons within 12 months. One of our colleagues in Tool Production had clearly not received that information, however, and by the time he left the company, he had coupons worth 17,000 Deutschmarks in his drawer. He planned to use them to go on a nice holiday with his wife. The employer of course held the view that the coupons had expired. This meant the Chairman of the Works Council at the time being sent by his colleagues from Tool Production into the ‘dragons’ den, tasked with getting as much as possible for the employee who was leaving. In the end, a payout of 12,000 Deutschmarks was agreed upon.
The fight for a 35-hour week
The introduction of a 35-hour week was the subject of industrial disputes in Germany from the end of the 1970s. In the metal industry, the strike began on 14. May 1984, involving 14 selected automotive suppliers in the northern Württemberg/Baden area. Immediately, after the walkouts began, industrialists announced that lockouts would be taking place. This included MANN+HUMMEL, who locked out their industrial employees for a total of seven weeks in this period. Emergency filter production and tool production services were set up – the employees had to man the machines and the secretaries helped out in the kitchen.
Us full-time works council members kept the strike premises occupied and recorded the names of those locked out and those on strike every day. Members of the IG Metall union received 12 Deutschmarks of strike pay per day, which was paid in cash every two weeks. One lunchtime, a colleague and I drove to the ‘Bank für Gemeinwirtschaft’ credit institution in Stuttgart to withdraw one million Deutschmarks, neatly packed into two aluminium cases, from the union account to ensure that there was enough money in the strike fund. Overnight, this strike fund was kept in the canteen safe.
Despite the hard fight presented by the industrial dispute, both sides tried to be fair. Dr. Bracher (Chairman of the Board of Management) from MANN+HUMMEL often visited us at the strike premises to hear what we had to say, for example. In his role as Chairman of the IHK (the Chamber of Industry and Commerce), he took part in negotiations between the trade union and employee associations and was keen to achieve a good result for all. I always thought of him highly for this.
Contending with compromise
I was elected as Chairman of the Works Council in 1990. A period of economising followed this: The Labour Director at the time came to me in 1997 with instructions from the shareholders, who wanted to halve the maximum rate offered by the company pension scheme for all employees. It left me in shock, but we negotiated hard and managed to keep the full pension for all employees already on the company books in 1997. The reduced rate would only apply to new employees joining the company from 1998 onwards. I consider that one of our major successes, although I would say at this point that there is no such thing as ‘success’ – just compromise.
Author Manfred Bär
Manfred Bär joined MANN+HUMMEL in 1964 in the metalworking shop and was elected to the works council in 1978 with the third best result. In 1980, he was released and took over the chairmanship of many committees, including the Analytical Job Evaluation, Early Retirement, etc. From 1990 until his departure in 1999, Bär was chairman of the works council.
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Them releases 'The Complete Them: 1964-1967'
by jfarrar on December 08, 2015 Read in
For decades Them’s Van Morrison-era catalog wallowed in out-of-print purgatory due to contractual issues now largely lost to rock history. Back in the 1980 and ’90s, those of us wanting to explore the Irish group’s mid-’60s recordings for Decca had to resort to tracking down dusty vinyl copies of The Angry Young Them, Them Again and their string of singles. There simply didn’t exist many legitimately produced anthologies during the cassette and compact disc eras. It’s a situation that stretched deep into the current age of digital streaming, but fortunately, it has come to a close with the long-overdue release of The Complete Them: 1964-1967.
There’s no overestimating the historical value of this Legacy Recordings anthology, which is the first and last word on the brilliant music Them unleashed over the course of just a few years. Though they didn’t attain the dizzying commercial heights of The Rolling Stones, their scruffy and aggressive take on R&B-flavored beat music was as influential to the evolution of garage rock, hard rock and, later, punk. The few hits they did have — “Gloria,” “Here Comes the Night” and “Mystic Eyes” — became standards every up-and-coming band had to master. The Doors, Patti Smith and The Velvet Underground are a few artists deeply indebted to their feral stomp ’n’ howl.
But Them were far more than primal; they were progressive, too. Toward the end of 1965, they began exploring folk-rock and soul-infused singer/songwriter fare with dazzling results. “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue” just may be the most sublime Bob Dylan cover ever attempted. Just as impressive are deep cuts “Hey Girl” and “My Lonely Sad Eyes,” which find the young and intensely sensitive Morrison inching closer to the ambitious sound he would realize on the 1968 masterpiece Astral Weeks.
In terms of fidelity, The Complete Them: 1964-1967 sounds fantastic. Numerous tracks are offered in mono and stereo. Of particular interest to completists will be the “true stereo” version of “Friday’s Child.” Recorded not long before Morrison’s departure in 1966, and released on an EP exclusively for the Dutch market, the gorgeous, acoustic ballad has seldom been heard by American ears, and to hear it the way it was intended is a genuine thrill. Whether you’re new to the Them legacy or an old school Van Morrison fan intimately familiar with his work, this anthology is essential listening.
NextWhy the Year Belongs to FutureDecember 08, 2015
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Wiki Inventor Ward Cunningham Dishes on the Future of His Creation
By Fredric Paul • Feb. 11th, 2016 • Technology Industry
software development, wiki
In honor of Wikipedia’s 15th anniversary last month, we sat down with Ward Cunningham, staff engineer at New Relic—and creator of the very first wiki—to discuss the past, present, and future of his invention and get his thoughts on the importance of Wikipedia.
New Relic: What was the problem you were trying to solve when you created the wiki?
Ward: About 20 years ago, as computers were becoming more powerful and more widespread, I was trying to change the way people wrote computer programs to take advantage of that, via object-oriented programming, among other methods.
Eventually, we latched onto this idea that had been developed by Professor Christopher Alexander, an architect at U.C. Berkeley, and his colleagues, called Patterns. The theory was that before there were architects, people just built structures, and they actually did a better job. Old cities are much more interesting than modern cities, for example, in the sense of being alive. Well, we wanted programs that are alive.
Patterns are things you can see in the city, and Alexander said those patterns form a language just like written language. And while we can study language, when it comes to talking, we don’t have to stop and say, “Let’s construct a sentence. I’ll probably need a subject and an object and a verb in there.” It just pours out.
Similarly, when builders were ready to create, they just spewed out designs. So he asked, “Well, where did that ability come from?” It came from building a house with your father, and with his father and so forth. It was just stuff you did. And as a human you learned it just like you learned to speak a language.
So they set out to develop a form of writing about how cities were assembled. And we said, “We can take that same form, this pattern form, and apply it to object-oriented programs.” He was looking at things present in the city, and we were looking at things present in software.
New Relic: So how did you get from there to the wiki?
Ward: Well, patterns weren’t anything anybody ordered; my boss hadn’t asked for that. But we thought it was a way forward, so we assembled an email list of 500 people and put together the first PLOP (Pattern Languages of Programs) conference in 1994. About 100 people showed up, including graduate students from the University of Illinois, where they were building Mosaic, the first graphical Web browser. One of the students—Brian Foote—very generously showed it to me, told me how to do it, and suggested that the Web’s version of hypertext would be the right way to collect this body of work about how we’re going to write programs. And he told me that I should do it.
I don’t know why they didn’t just do it themselves. But I liked the idea. I started by asking people to send me patterns as text files, and I’d convert them to HTML. But that was boring. So I made a website where they could submit their patterns through the Web, and then I would process them into HTML and show them what they got. And that was wiki.
New Relic: So what exactly is a wiki, anyway?
Ward: It’s basically a way of writing where you’re reading. On the Web before that, you would read something in one place but if you wanted to write more, you would have to go through a completely different mechanism. You couldn’t author through the Web before that.
New Relic: Would you consider Wikipedia to be the best-known application of the wiki?
Ward: It’s certainly the one my neighbors know!
New Relic: How did your work on the wiki lead to the formation of Wikipedia?
Ward: They picked up on wiki after it had been in existence for five years. Ben Kovitz was one of my regular contributors; he’s a computer programmer. He knew Larry Sanger—one of Wikipedia’s co-founders, who along with Jimmy Wales was trying to put together this thing called Newpedia. But after working on it for a year, they had gotten only about five articles or something on it … the pace was too slow.
So Ben suggested to Larry that they put together a wiki for authoring of the articles, and then experts would come and proofread them. But as the community formed around the wiki it became a very tight loop—it’s write, publish, and then review—so reviewing ended up happening after you publish. That makes it a lot easier for different people to apply their various expertises. It’s basically an open source project where strangers meet and create value together.
New Relic: How involved are you in Wikipedia today?
Ward: I’m an advisor. I’ve met all their executive directors. I see them struggling a bit to make good on their promises to their contributors. I follow the academic research it has spawned. I’m a fan but not an editor.
New Relic: What’s next for the wiki?
Ward: I’m working on developing the new wiki. After 20 years of watching the wiki develop and being disappointed in some regards, I think I know what the answer is: what I call a Federated Wiki.
The concept is all about using wikis to share data—let’s take the rows and columns of a spreadsheet and make it hypertext in a data wiki. Let’s put the data in wiki in a way that it can be shared. We use JSON—a JavaScript notation—instead of HTML, because that is no longer the simple language that Brian Foote showed me 20 years ago. It’s turned into a mess.
I’m four years into that project. The first year with support from Nike, where I was a Code for a Better World Fellow, and three years with a community of developers around the world that have tried all kind of things with it.
To participate, you create your own server. Think of it like a blog: If you want to have a blog, you put one up on a server somewhere. Here, if you want to participate in the federation of wikis, you put up a wiki. But they all share in the same way using the Creative Commons and so forth. We’re up to more than 800 sites now; most of them added in the last year.
The Federated Wiki allows users to share their data but still own it. No one can modify it and say it’s what you created. Instead, I write to my wiki, and you write to your wiki. Anything you write, I’m welcome to take via Creative Commons with built-in attribution. But when I revise it, I put it on my wiki, not back on your wiki. So somebody could read my page and say, “Wow, Ward, you’re really doing great stuff here.” And then they look and see that I really wrote only one paragraph and it all came from you. It’s kind of a collective ownership because I’m giving it away—and the nice thing about digital stuff is that I can give it away and still own it.
So here is the big win: The people who write for Wikipedia spend a tremendous amount of energy correcting abuses. Federated Wiki solves the problem because when I put something on my wiki server, you’re free to use it but you can’t screw with my original. And if your version is better, you’ll get the eyeballs, but then I’m free to take your version back. Pretty soon, we’re advancing big problems in the world.
Background image courtesy of Shutterstock.com. Ward Cunningham photo credit: Carrigg Photography for the Wikimedia Foundation.
Fredric Paul (aka The Freditor) is Editor in Chief for New Relic. He's an award-winning writer, editor, and content strategist who has held senior editorial positions at ReadWrite, AllBusiness.com, InformationWeek, CNET, Electronic Entertainment, PC World, and PC|Computing. His writing has appeared in MIT Technology Review, Omni, Conde Nast Traveler, and Newsweek, among other places. View posts by Fredric Paul.
The views expressed on this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of New Relic. This blog may contain links to content on third-party sites. By providing such links, New Relic does not adopt, guarantee, approve or endorse the information, views or products available on such sites.
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New Technology Counters the Studio Stranglehold on Movie Making
1 Comment / February 12, 2014 February 12, 2014
Amateur movie making has come a long way, and now can be almost identical to big budget professional studio productions.
We wrote recently about the impact of new technology on how we can watch movies in the near future. Our contention is that creating a true ‘big screen’ experience, as good as or better than a movie theater, is now finally becoming a reality in our own homes with the new 4K displays plummeting in price.
But while most of us understandably focus primarily on how and where we watch movies, there is a similar but less obvious revolution underway in how movies are made and distributed.
It is interesting to reflect for a minute on how our movie watching and video entertainment has changed over the last few decades, then consider the as yet incomplete implications of that not just for how we watch movies in the future (that was the topic of the previous article) but also for how video entertainment in general is made and distributed.
A few decades ago, there was only one way to see a movie – in a theater (and don’t forget that only a few decades before that, there was no such thing as television at all – the only form of video/visual entertainment was either live theater or movie theater presentations).
Furthermore, the chances are that there were only one or two theaters within a convenient distance of where we lived and worked, and they probably had only one screen each. Although theaters tried to juggle their content by having things like Sunday night double-feature reruns, children’s movies on Saturday afternoons, and so on, for prime screening times, there was only one available movie per theater, with only one screening time every three or so hours, and not many theaters to choose from.
The Rise of the Studio System
This system was enshrined in place for at least fifty years, and was reflected by the industry that created the movies. There was only the potential for a limited number of movies to commercially succeed each year, because there was a limited number of movie theaters, screens, and screening times available.
So there became a massive concentration of power in what has been termed the ‘studio system’, as represented by the people and companies who had access to get movies into theaters and onto their screens. Theaters would commonly have exclusive deals with studios, and the studios in turn created exclusive contracts with actors and directors, and so a very artificial ‘cult of personality’ was deliberately created so as to enhance the perceived appeal and therefore success of the limited number of movies that were made.
The movie industry became incredibly incestuous and also totally isolated/insulated from change or challenge.
An entire sycophantic supportive (and in part parasitic) industry grew up around it, and popular culture came to adore stars and view them not only as rare beauties but also as thought and style leaders. Such perceptions were – and are – probably undeserved, but suited the purpose of all involved. In particular, people would spend good money to see a movie not so much due to what the movie was, but rather because of who appeared in it.
The risk to the studio and the theaters was reduced accordingly, and while stars were paid very generously, that added to their special status and increased their box-office appeal, while quietly behind the scenes, the stars were tightly tied via contractual obligations to their studio masters.
At a time when the world was rejecting its royal families, it was simultaneously replacing them with movie stars as people to fawn and obsess over.
The World Starts to Change, But Not the Studios
Eventually, movies started to enjoy broader distribution channels, but this change was a long and slow time in coming. When movies started to be rescreened on television, there was initially a long delay between a movie’s theatrical release and its eventual tv appearance; besides which, television quality back then was – by today’s standards – laughably bad (although, in truth, at the time it seemed miraculous and it took a long time for people to truly perceive its poor quality).
Home video started to appear in the late 1970s – initially with very expensive video players, and very expensive content. You could pay $100 or more for a copy of a movie, and in the early 1980s, $100 was much more a cost than it is today.
The late 1970s also saw the development of multi-screen theaters, a development which transformed the economic model for owning and operating a movie theater. Prior to that, movie theaters were decreasing in number and some pundits predicted their extinction; but now there are more screens per head of population than at any previous time, and the movie theater business has returned to profitability.
Television as a distribution medium continued to evolve. More channels of programming appeared, and television programming became 24/7. Cable added tens and then hundreds of new outlets for programming of all types, and also weakened the grip on distribution and audience access formerly enjoyed by the big three networks. Satellite distribution added still more outlets for programming, and the market changed from too much potential content and not enough outlets to now having too many outlets and a great hunger for content – but with no budget for expensive production.
Television quality also improved, making it more appealing and involving, and increasingly well suited for ‘big screen’ type entertainment.
An interesting development was making movies – by the major studios, even, as well as new organizations such as HBO – that were never intended for theatrical release. Straight to television or straight to video movies became more common. The movies that did go the theatrical release route were appearing much sooner on television and cable and video, to the point that studios now get more than half their income from most movies via non-theatrical distribution.
All these various developments weakened the former strangle-hold the movie studios had on movie making and movie distribution, but even though the game had changed, most players instinctively attempted to preserve the previous set of rules.
In particular, there were two aspects of movie making where the studio system still dominated. The first was (is) the financing side of movie making. As a partial response to the proliferation of lower budget television programming, movies became more expensive and more spectacular, and so cost more and more money to make and then to promote and distribute.
The second aspect was the deification of movie stars was even further affirmed. You could probably never see the people designated as ‘the best actors’ appearing in television programs, you had to watch a movie for this special honor. Although the cost of actors was ever-growing, it suited the traditional studios’ purposes more than ever, as a competitive response to new sources of movie-type entertainment, to continue to promote big name super-stars.
Meanwhile, technology continued to quietly change the rules of the game. In particular, there have been two enormous changes that are only now starting to be recognized by the studios.
The Two Changes That Will End the Studio Stranglehold on Movie Making
The first change is that distribution channels have continued to multiply. We started off with only a limited number of theaters, each with one screen, and they were semi-monolithically aligned with the movie studios. We then had limited television distribution, we then had greater television distribution, we then had multi-screen theaters that were not so tied to specific studios, we then had cable and satellite, and we then had video – both for sale and for rental.
But we now have streaming, too. We now have internet streamed video, adding literally thousands more channels of content distribution. Roku alone has over 1,000 public channels and also an unknown number of additional private channels (see our recent article about Roku and its private channels).
Indeed, it seems that Roku users are now installing more private channels than public channels on their players. Creating a private channel is a relatively easy and inexpensive thing that ordinary people can do (and adding a public channel is only slightly more complex).
It isn’t just Roku; there are many other internet streaming service gateways out there now, meaning that essentially anyone can now start distributing almost any content to just about anyone else – and everyone else – and anywhere/everywhere, too, and with few technological or financial barriers.
Keep in mind also the increasingly theatrical experience that can be enjoyed via high quality internet video streams, and the net result is that the distribution process as between a movie maker and a movie watcher is now wide open.
Now for the next change. The cost of making good ‘theatrical quality’ video has been falling. This seems counter-intuitive, because the cost of making a ‘blockbuster’ big studio extravaganza seems to be ever-rising, higher and higher.
But the cost of making a ‘B list’ movie has been falling. There is no longer any need to buy or hire extraordinarily expensive camera equipment along with all the dollies, booms, lighting, and other apparatus and paraphernalia. You can make a high quality movie with little more than a compact camcorder these days (here’s a Sony 4K camcorder that will sell on the street for under $2000, indeed, there have been ‘proof of concept’ movies filmed with lower quality HD camcorders and which have been shown to have perfectly good high quality imagery. Add a Steadicam mount – which with the now tiny and featherweight digital cameras it supports has become simple, easy and affordable – and you’ve a low-cost professional rig that will get you through most of your filming. Image stabilization has gone a long way to removing the need to have dollies moving on rails. Use a simple dolly for some shots, and instead of an outrageously expensive set-up for aerial or crane shots, a remote-controlled micro-helicopter (here’s one that costs only $1200 – including camera!) can give you similar or identical results, and you’ve got a 99% solution at 1% (or less) the cost of what the big studios are still paying.
You also no longer need high-end very expensive editing facilities. You can use your home computer and buy editing software costing less than $100 (Corel Video Studio Pro X6 is under $40 on Amazon and supports 4K video as well as HD and other formats) to create and edit a high quality, high-resolution, professional grade movie.
Skip also the mega-millions of dollars for special effects. While some of the ultra-high end stuff is still expensive, many of what have now become more modest effects have become very easy to create. These costs too are plunging down to ordinary and affordable, and instead of requiring room sized super-computers, can run on your home computer. The Corel software mentioned above already includes some special effect generating capabilities. Add an extra $10 to upgrade from Corel Video Studio Pro X6 to Corel Video Studio Ultimate X6 for more, and if you’re wanting really big budget results, maybe add their MotionStudio 3D software as well (about $80 extra).
It is also relevant to note that the lead times for all these stages of the production and post-production processing have collapsed, allowing a movie to go from concept to completion much more quickly. And one more cost saving – digital shooting to hard drives or memory cards have saved the not insignificant cost of movie film, too.
Lastly, skip the tens of millions of dollars that you’d otherwise pay to movie stars and big name directors. If you have a look at the career path and background of both stars and directors, you’ll see that a lot of the time, they burst into the market without years of experience or training or anything at all rather than apparently luck. On the other hand, Hollywood is littered with spectacularly failed movies with the biggest budgets and biggest name directors and stars.
Much as Hollywood wishes there was, there is no guarantee between the stars and directors they choose, and the success of a movie. We’re not saying that skill and experience don’t help, but it seems that the best directors and actors are either ‘born’ with much of their ability naturally present, and just need technical honing of their rough edges, or else are wholly artificial creations by the studios, often with no underlying guarantee of consistent quality output at all.
We’re seeing the first fruits of this already. In addition to the HBO type movie making companies that make movies first for the cable market, we’re now seeing video streaming services such as both Netflix and Hulu start creating content intended for their streaming services, bypassing the theaters and the cable companies.
Netflix in particular has chosen some high-profile series (Lilyhammer and House of Cards) as well as doing some interesting experimentation, reviving defunct television series (such as Arrested Development) and experimenting with other types of programming too (here’s a list of much of what they have done so far and what is currently in development).
Amazon’s Under-the-Radar Moves Hint at the Future
Perhaps the most ‘under the radar’ action at present is coming from Amazon. They have a division, Amazon Studios, that is seeking to sponsor and support new ‘Indie’ moviemakers and their movies. This has not yet had much impact on the industry as a whole, but few would choose to bet against any Amazon backed ‘disruptive’ venture – the company is one big disruptor.
Amazon is adding an interesting new component to the movie-making mix. They are getting feedback from the public at every step of the way. This may allow for a much more focused approach to making successful movies, based on what people like, rather than based on the illusory appeal of stars.
Amazon has already marginalized the book publishers who for a long time held an analogous role as the ‘gate keepers’ in the book industry – all book sales and all book writing had to go through the publishers (instead of studios) and were sold through bookstores (instead of movie theaters). Now anyone can publish a book, and can distribute it online. Not only can they do this, but they can do it quickly, in mere minutes (publishing a book through the traditional process can take 18 months) and much more profitably, keeping sometimes 50% or more of the proceeds of their sales (traditionally published authors get as little as 5% of book selling prices).
Will we see a similar future with movie making? Will you and I be able to make studio quality movies for thousands instead of millions of dollars? And, after having made the movie, will we be able to then get it to the public quickly, conveniently, and profitably?
The answers to all these questions (except the last one!) are already clear, and affirmative. As for the profit part, that is up to us and the quality of our creations.
1 thought on “New Technology Counters the Studio Stranglehold on Movie Making”
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The Mrs. Pepperpot-books
Gyldendal 1957
Original title: Teskjekjerringa
Mrs. Pepperpot is a little old lady who lives in a cottage in the countryside together with her husband, Mr. Pepperpot. Mrs. Pepperpot has a secret – she occasionally shrinks to the size of a pepperpot, but nevertheless always manages to cope with the tricky situations that she finds herself in, at least partially thanks to the fact that upon shrinking she also gains the ability to understand and talk to all animals. Alf Prøysen’s books about Mrs Pepperpot rank as modern classics among children’s books. The first volume was published in 1956, and other volumes followed in 1960, 1965, 1967 and 1970. Several picture books have also been published.
Alf Prøysen (23 July 1914 – 23 November 1970) was a Norwegian author, poet, playwright, songwriter and musician. Prøysen was one of the most important Norwegian cultural personalities in the second half of the twentieth century. He made significant contributions to literature, music, television and radio. He is most noted for his series of books featuring the fictional character Mrs. Pepperpot which established him as a children's author.
Titles in the series sold to:
American English, British English, Catalonian, Chinese, Chinese complex, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Estonian, Finnish, Japanese, German, Korean, Lithuanian, Spanish, Welsh
Gyldendal Agency | Anne Cathrine Eng: [email protected]
Edited March 07, 2018 by Gyldendal Agency
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George W. Collins, Jr. named Top 100 Attorney
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Archive | Academy Awards RSS feed for this section
Jack Palance Centennial
Today, February 18, 2019, would have been Jack Palance’s 100th birthday. He died in 2006 at the age of 87. He acted in films for the entire second half of the 20th century and his TV roles continued into the 21st century. The son of a Ukrainian coal miner, he had unusually taut facial features, a result of reconstructive surgery after his face was burned in a plane crash during a test flight in WWII, giving his face a dramatic look that made him a natural for villain roles, most notably the gunslinger Jack Wilson in SHANE, or various historical ethnic roles such as Attila the Hun (SIGN OF THE PAGAN), the Mongol chieftain Ogatai, son of Genghis Khan (THE MONGOLS), the Apache rebel Toriano (ARROWHEAD), Mexican revolutionary Raza (THE PROFESSIONALS), the biblical character Simon the Magician (THE SILVER CHALICE) and even Fidel Castro (CHE!).
Tags: I Died a Thousand Times, Jack Palance, Robert Aldrich, Sudden Fear
Categories Academy Awards, Actors, Centennials, Hollywood Cinema, Italian cinema
The Weirdest Double Feature Ever?
The above ad appeared in The New York Times on Sunday, March 30, 1969.
Imagine going to a movie theater and seeing these two posters advertising the evening’s double bill:
Tags: Cecil Parker, Circus of Fear, Gone with the Wind, Leo Genn, Psycho-Circus, Vivien Leigh, Whitestone Drive-in
Categories Academy Awards, Actors, Bronx Theaters, Hollywood Cinema, Theaters
Revisiting THE FRENCH CONNECTION (1971)
I recently picked up a used 2-disc set containing THE FRENCH CONNECTION and various extras, including two documentaries on the film, deleted scenes, and separate audio commentaries by stars Gene Hackman and Roy Scheider and director William Friedkin. First, I re-watched the film for the first time since seeing it on cable sometime in the 1990s. I then went through all the extras. But before I get to my reevaluation, a little history is in order.
Tags: Eddie Egan, Gene Hackman, Roy Scheider, Sonny Grosso, The French Connection, William Friedkin
Categories Academy Awards, Actors, Directors, Hollywood Cinema, New York in the movies
Yoshiko Kawashima – Manchu Princess, Japanese Spy: Four Films
Earlier this year, I attended five films in a series at Japan Society in New York entitled “The Most Beautiful: The War Films of Shirley Yamaguchi and Setsuko Hara,” curated by Aiko Masubuchi, and wound up seeing five films there, three of them starring Yamaguchi, more widely known as Yoshiko Yamaguchi, and two of them starring Hara, all made in the years 1937-1943, during the period of Japan’s occupation of China. As preparation for seeing these films, I began reading a novel about Yamaguchi called The China Lover, by historian Ian Buruma, who has written several books about Japanese history and culture, two of which I’ve read. In the novel, there’s a character named Yoshiko Kawashima, who is also known as Eastern Jewel, a historical figure who was a princess of the Manchu royal family and a cousin of Pu Yi, the famed “Last Emperor” of China. She got her Japanese name when she was sent to Japan at the age of six to be raised by Naniwa Kawashima, a Japanese translator of Chinese and friend of Yoshiko’s father, Prince Su. She self-identified as Japanese for much of her life. I realized as I was reading about her that I own a DVD of a Hong Kong film called KAWASHIMA YOSHIKO (1990), a full-scale biopic starring Anita Mui in the title role. I’d never seen it, so I resolved to do so at the earliest opportunity.
Anita Mui as Yoshiko Kawashima
Tags: Anita Mui, Bernardo Bertolucci, Chia Ling, Ian Buruma, Joyce Godenzi, Lady Karate, Maggie Han, Phyllis Birnbaum, Shirley Yamaguchi, The Last Emperor, The Last Princess of Manchuria, The Raid, Yoshiko Kawashima
Categories Academy Awards, Actors, Authors, Criterion, Hong Kong Cinema, Kung Fu Cinema, World War II
Oscars 2015: Shorten the Speeches, Amp Up the Stars
Every year the Oscar show unfolds and seems to last forever and every year everyone complains about it. I always tell myself I’m not gonna watch anymore and then, of course, I do. All the way to the end, which is way past my bedtime. This year, the Oscar show was more like the Independent Spirit Awards, with virtually the same movies in competition. Lots of indie people filled the auditorium and few bonafide Hollywood stars of any magnitude were around. There were lots of presenters I didn’t recognize, some of whom I’ve heard of but wouldn’t have been able to recognize (e.g. Chris Pratt), some of whom I’ve never heard of (Ansel Elgort, anyone?), and some whom I’ve heard of but was seeing live for the first time (Margot Robbie). And there were frequent cuts to audience members, presumably nominees, whom I was clearly supposed to know but didn’t.
Eddie Redmayne, eventual Best Actor winner for THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING, although I didn’t recognize him when they first showed him
Tags: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Julie Andrews
Categories Academy Awards, Actors, Hollywood Cinema, Television
History on Film: Lincoln vs. Django
DJANGO UNCHAINED and LINCOLN complement each other in many ways. Both deal with historical events from time periods that are very close to each other—DJANGO is set in 1858, LINCOLN in 1865. Both deal with the subject of slavery. Several of the important characters in DJANGO are slaves and the film shows what life was like for them on the ground. LINCOLN talks about slavery but never shows us a single slave. DJANGO offers a fanciful approach to history, with entirely fictional characters and events; LINCOLN recounts events that actually happened and uses actual historical figures as its main characters. DJANGO is like the eccentric substitute social studies teacher who comes in and throws out the textbook to offer students a revisionist history and wild stories about what “really” happened, while LINCOLN is the Establishment Historian who comes in with impeccable credentials and lays out a detailed view of the subject based on rigorous study of original documents and the actual written words of the participants. In terms of precedents of historical filmmaking, I would argue that Steven Spielberg, director of LINCOLN, follows in the tradition of someone like Darryl Zanuck, who made carefully wrought historical dramas a centerpiece of the 20th Century Fox film lineup for nearly 40 years (YOUNG MR. LINCOLN, WILSON, THE LONGEST DAY, PATTON), while Quentin Tarantino, director of DJANGO, adopts the more freewheeling approach to history taken in the past by Sam Fuller (I SHOT JESSE JAMES, RUN OF THE ARROW) and Larry Cohen (THE PRIVATE FILES OF J. EDGAR HOOVER), in addition to Sergio Leone and the other Italian filmmakers who offered a highly stylized view of western (and western movie) history in their films. Tarantino highly exaggerates to make his points, while Spielberg sticks to the historical record and dots all the i’s, crosses all the t’s and gets all the facial hair and suitcoats right. (As opposed to Django’s green vaquero-style “Little Joe” jacket, taken from “Bonanza.”)
Tags: Django Unchained, Italian westerns, Larry Cohen, Lincoln, Oliver Stone, Quentin Tarantino, Sam Fuller, Steven Spielberg
Categories Academy Awards, Directors, Hollywood Cinema, Westerns
The Oscars – A few things that made me happy this year
Well, another year and another tepid Oscar ceremony marked by few surprises, lackluster Best Picture nominees, low-watt star presenters and their dreary scripted antics, and little in the way of actual entertainment value. Still, it went by pretty fast (comparatively) and didn’t get bogged down along the way. I was able to pay bills and do other business while it was on.
However, there were a few bright spots for me. For one, there was Rooney Mara, Best Actress nominee for THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO. Granted, I knew she didn’t stand a chance of winning but I was pleased she was nominated and thought she looked pretty awesome sitting there, adorned with some old-school glamour and a touch of the exotic.
Tags: Christopher Plummer, Rooney Mara, The Artist, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, War of the Gargantuas
Categories Academy Awards, Hollywood Cinema
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Postdoctoral Research Scholar
National Institute of Aerospace (NIA) has immediate openings for a postdoctoral Research Scholar.
Postdoctoral Research Scholar - Unsteady Simulations with Adaptive Space-Time Unstructured Grids
National Institute of Aerospace (NIA) has an immediate opening for a postdoctoral Research Scholar to work in collaboration with multiple government agencies to conduct research on the topic of unsteady simulations with adaptive space-time unstructured grids. This position requires creative individuals who are willing to continually learn and challenge the status-quo. The successful candidate will develop and implement a non-standard numerical algorithm in NASA’s FUN3D code for unsteady simulations on adaptive grids and perform algorithm development, implementation, and extensive verification and validation studies in a teamwork environment at NASA Langley Research Center. Progress will be published in journal articles and presented at relevant technical meetings.
The successful candidate will work as part of team located in the Computational Aerosciences Branch at NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton Virginia, and will be expected to collaborate across branches, disciplines and government agencies in performance of the work.
Implement/verify/validate a new solver (space-time, implicit gradient, hyperbolic viscous, zero-volume, low-dissipation) with FUN3D code.
Integrate the solver with an existing grid-adaptation module.
Develop new algorithms as necessary to successfully construct the new solver and demonstrate it for two-dimensional unsteady simulations on three-dimensional adaptive tetrahedral grids.
PhD in engineering, computer science, mathematics, physics, or equivalent.
Knowledge in discretization and solution algorithms for unstructured-grid CFD.
Advanced programming skills in modern Fortran and/or C++.
Demonstrated work in cross functional team environment.
Experience with Linux and Git environment.
Mathematical skills to analyze numerical algorithms.
Postdoctoral Research Scholar - Numerical Analysis
National Institute of Aerospace (NIA) is seeking candidates for a postdoctoral Research Scholar to conduct projects in the area of Numerical Analysis and High-Performance Computing (HPC). The focus of this research is on analysis of current computational paradigms used in practical computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations on leadership-class computing platforms and their interactions with other disciplines for applications across the speed range, including both aeronautics and space missions. Successful candidate is expected to develop and demonstrate new approaches to improve accuracy, efficiency, robustness, scalability, and automation of nonlinear and linear iterative solvers used in such computations and publish papers based on results.
The successful candidate will work as part of team located in the Computational Aerosciences Branch at NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton Virginia, and will be expected to collaborate across branches and in performance of the work.
Analyze performance of practical CFD solvers on leadership-class computing platforms
Develop, implement, and demonstrate new approaches to improve accuracy, efficiency, robustness, scalability, and automation of nonlinear and linear iterative solvers
Develop and implement new models in a practical large-scale CFD code
PhD in engineering, applied mathematics, computer science, physics, or equivalent.
Ability to quickly learn, analyze, and implement new CFD concepts.
Strong CFD background with demonstrated large-scale code development experience
Familiarity with HPC requirements
Creativity and analytical skills
Work in a team environment.
Due to export restrictions on the software involved in this research, US Citizenship or Permanent Residency is a bona fide requirement for both positions.
Interested candidates should apply via NIA’s career opportunities site located at www.nianet.org under the ‘About NIA’ tab. Please include a letter of introduction, resume, and the names and contact information of three current references.
NIA, located near NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton Virginia, is a non-profit research and graduate education institute created to perform aerospace and atmospheric research, develop new technologies for the nation, and help inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers.
NIA ranked #3 in the 2019 Top 50 Best Nonprofits to work for in the U.S.!
NIA is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and does not discriminate against any applicant for employment because of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic prohibited under Federal, State or local laws.
About National Institute of Aerospace
National Institute of Aerospace, located near NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, is a rapidly-growing, non-profit research and education institute created to perform leading edge aerospace and atmospheric research, develop new technologies for the nation, and help inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers. Additional information about NIA and its education and research programs is available via www.nianet.org.
Postdoctoral research position in genetic epidemiology Nashville, Tennessee
VUMC 2 Days Ago
Postdoctoral Position at UNR Reno, Nevada
University of Nevada 2 Weeks Ago
Postdoctoral Scholar/ Research Associate in Retinal Tissue Engineering Kansas City, Missouri
University of Missouri-Kansas City 2 Weeks Ago
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Career Learning Center Reference Checking Resume Writing Coaching More >>
Dr. Phil Millage is President of Inspire Executive Coaching, LLC, and his focus is helping others (primarily executives) discover their gifts, talents and abilities. As a talent developer, Dr. Millage has found whenever people have clarity about their talents, they can determine a clear vision for their future.
The focus of Phil's career has been to employ his strength of "Ideation" in helping his clients improve career satisfaction, increase job engagement and thus, secure business success. Phil's mission is always to advance both the people and organizations he serves.
There is no question that experience is essential for one to be a successful talent developer and coach. Phil believes he has learned the most by collaborating with executives rather than as a result of his academic pursuits. Phil has coached hundreds of business executives. He has successfully started and managed several companies and held a Vice President or higher position in seven organizations.
On a personal level, Phil is known for his down-to-earth, midwestern perspective, and for his authenticity as a person. Phil's home base is Indianapolis (Fishers), Indiana.
In summary, Phil is a:
1. Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach and Professional Speaker.
2. Talent developer and has coached and/or consulted in 120+ organizations. Much of his work has involved strategic planning.
3. Past Professor of the Year at Indiana Wesleyan University and he has taught at 4 universities in concert with building his entrepreneurial start-ups. 4. Thinker and writer and thus, Phil has many publications and has presented at top universities including Harvard, Oxford, and Cambridge Universities. In November 2015, he delivered 2 papers on "coaching" at the Saïd School of Business, Oxford University and was chosen as a Global Top 50 Educator by the Association of Business & Economics Research, Oxford Journal.
Ready To Get Started With Phil?
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Update: ZAPIRO
The short URL of the present article is: https://cartoonistsrights.org/j2fsc
http://mg.co.za/article/2012-10-25-zapiro-were-confident-of-our-case-with-zuma
http://www.iol.co.za/news/crime-courts/outrage-at-zapiro-s-cartoon-goes-global-1.1599576#.U6ZCUI1dW28
http://www.iol.co.za/news/crime-courts/zapiro-relieved-zuma-suit-is-over-1.1412989#.U6ZFT41dW28
ZAPIRO by CartooningForPeace
www.zapiro.com/
In 1983 he became active in the newly formed anti-Apartheid movement, the United Democratic Front and as a result was arrested under the Illegal Gatherings Act and, subsequently, monitored by military intelligence. Zapiro was an important participant in South Africa’s End Conscription Campaign, designing its logo. After his military service he applied for and was awarded a Fulbright scholarship to study cartooning at the School of Visual Arts in New York for two years.(wikipedia)
In 2006, former Deputy President of South Africa Jacob Zuma furthered his claim of being “tried by the media” and has threatened to bring defamation action against various elements of the press for remarks that he alleges are defamatory. Approximately R15 million of the R63 million rand demanded by his legal representatives are in connection with Zapiro cartoons.
In 2008, Zapiro met with further animosity, this time from the South African ruling party, the African National Congress (ANC) over a cartoon that appeared in the Sunday Times on the 7th of September, 2008. The cartoon depicts a scene where the ANC president’s (Jacob Zuma) staunchest supporters (ANC Youth League president Julius Malema, secretary general of the ANC – Gwede Mantashe, SACP secretary general Blade Nzimande and Cosatu secretary general Zwelinzima Vavi) are holding down Lady Justice, while Jacob Zuma is in a state of undress getting ready to “rape” Lady Justice.[8] Mantashe, who is shown in the cartoon with a speech bubble containing “Go for it, boss”, labelled the cartoon “racist”, while ANC spokesperson Jesse Duarte said the cartoon is “vile, crude and disgusting”. Zapiro refuses to apologise for the cartoon. The African National Congress, the South African Communist Party and the ANC Youth League released the joint statement.[9] as a formal response to The Sunday Times, while the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) issued a separate press statement[10] On 21 May 2010 the Mail and Guardian published a strip from Zapiro depicting the prophet Muhammed, as part of Everyone Draw Mohammad day.[11][12] On 20 May 2010, the M&G had won an eleventh-hour court bid by the Council of Muslim Theologians to bar the publication of the cartoon.[13] A week later, Zapiro released another cartoon in response to the various reactions to the original cartoon. In it he says that he will have to accept that exceptions will have to be made in regard to ‘religious censorship’.[14] This was seen by some as a statement that he felt that his freedom of speech would have to have been limited because of those that were insulted by his cartoon which had graphically depicted the prophet Mohamed.
Zapiro’s work appears daily on the website of South African independent news publication, Mail & Guardian and weekly on the site of the Sunday Times.
Update: THE 12 DANISH CARTOONISTS
Update: BAHA’ BOUKHARI
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Dr. Liem has been practicing optometry since 1996. Certified by the American Board of Optometry and a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry, Dr. Liem has published articles in a number of professional journals. Her awards and recognition include the Beta Sigma Kappa Certificate of Achievement, a National Eye Institute Predoctoral Research Fellowship and a University of Toronto Open Master’s Fellowship. She has also served as preceptor for the Home Eye Service of the New England College of Optometry. Dr. Liem received her doctor of optometry degree from the University of California Berkeley School of Optometry after graduating from the University of Toronto with a bachelor of science and a master of science. Dr. Liem enjoys skiing, golf, paddle-boarding and knitting. She resides in Kennebunk with her husband, two daughters, cat and dog.
OFFICES: Dr. Liem sees patients in the Old Port at 455 Fore Street in Portland and at 7 Portland Farms Road in Scarborough.
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Catalog Record: Services for children with epilepsy; a guide for public health personnel | HathiTrust Digital Library
Services for children with epilepsy;
a guide for public health personnel.
American Public Health Association.
New York, American Public Health Association, 1958.
Public health personnel
Limited (search only) University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Services for children with emotional disturbances; a guide for public health personnel.
American Public Health Association. Committee on Child Health.
Services for children with hearing impairment; a guide for public health personnel.
Services for children with cleft lip and cleft palate; a guide for public health personnel.
Services for children with orthopedic handicaps; a guide for public health personnel.
Services for children with dentofacial handicaps; a guide for public health personnel.
Services for handicapped children; a guide to general principles and practices for public health personnel.
Services for children with vision and eye problems; a guide for public health personnel,
Services for children with heart disease and rheumatic fever; a guide for public health personnel.
Services for children with cerebral palsy, a guide for public health personnel.
Services for children with cerebral palsy : a guide for public health personnel.
American Public Health Association. Program Area Committee on Child Health.
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CALL CHERI DIRECTLY | 08 9328 6157
KARL LANGDON
Please fill out the form if you wish to enquire about this speaker
Sports broadcaster, FORMER WEST COAST EAGLES CHAMPION PLAYER, Master of ceremonies/ speaker
Karl Langdon was one of Western Australia’s highest profile AFL players during his 100 games career with the West Coast Eagles. He was a member of the West Coast Eagles team which won the club’s first AFL Premiership in 1992 and also represented Western Australia on five occasions.
Karl’s interest in sport blossomed during his five years at Guildford Grammar School. He was captain of the cricket, football and athletic teams and in 1985 won the school’s Sportsman of the Year Award. He became the only student in the school’s history to captain all three sporting teams.
Karl went on to represent Western Australia in both Under 16 and Under 19 level cricket, and played first grade cricket for Claremont/Cottesloe. At the Australian Under 16 Championships in 1983 he was selected in the Australian team which also included Peter Sumich, who went on to become a goal kicking champion for the West Coast Eagles.
In 1985 Karl was recruited by Subiaco Football Club. He played in the 1986 Premiership team for Subiaco and represented the Club on 69 occasions. In November 1987 he was drafted by the West Coast Eagles and went on to play 100 games for the team.
Karl retired from competitive football in 1996 after serving eight years at West Coast Eagles.
Since his retirement from football Karl has been sought out for multimedia roles and is now a football commentator and sports broadcaster for Radio 6PR and hosts the station’s various sports programs in addition to his AFL, WAFL and cricket commentary duties. He was also a regular member on Channel Seven’s Footy Show hosted by Basil Zempilas.
Karl is an entertaining motivational speaker and first class master of ceremonies who has hosted numerous corporate, government and sporting functions.
Accolades from previous speaking engagements
“Karl presented himself really well and had excellent interaction with our audience which consisted of many of our leading clients.. Very good speaker.”
Clayton Erwin, TOLL SPD
“Karl is an outstanding MC. Our awards night ran smoothly and everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves. We will definitely book him again for future events.”
Adrian Jarvis, City of Cockburn
SPEAKERS CONTACT
P.O. Box 6205, EAST PERTH WA
08 93286157 | 0417938189
cherigardiner@iinet.net.au
www.cherigardiner.com.au
© 2018 Cheri Gardiner. All rights reserved | Privacy Policy | Sitemap
Website by BEVIN CREATIVE
Speaker Categories
Media / Communication
Motivational / Inspirational
P.O. Box 6205, EAST PERTH WA, 6892
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League Events
Year of Chicago Theatre
Theatre Thursdays
August Wilson Monologue Competition
Foundation and Corporate Donors
Cadillac Palace Theatre
151 W. Randolph St.
Google Maps Directions
Runs Mar 24 – Apr 12, 2020
From Lincoln Center Theater that brought you The King & I and South Pacific, comes “a sumptuous new production of the most perfect musical of all time” (Entertainment Weekly), Lerner & Loewe’s MY FAIR LADY. Director Bartlett Sher’s glowing production is “thrilling, glorious and better than it ever was” (New York Times). “Every so often a revival comes along that reminds you how indispensable great theater can be” (NY1).
Boasting such classic songs as “I Could Have Danced All Night,” “The Rain in Spain,” “Wouldn’t It Be Loverly” and “On the Street Where You Live,” MY FAIR LADY tells the story of Eliza Doolittle, a young Cockney flower seller, and Henry Higgins, a linguistics professor who is determined to transform her into his idea of a “proper lady.” But who is really being transformed?
All patrons, regardless of age, must have a ticket. MY FAIR LADY is recommended for ages 8+
Visit Theatre Website
If you like this show, you might also like:
Runs Jul 16 – Aug 04, 2019
Runs Sep 27, 2016 – Jan 05, 2020
Runs Jul 09 – Jul 27, 2019
Windy City Playhouse
Comedy/Drama, New Work
Runs Jan 02 – Jul 28, 2019
2019 is the Year of Chicago Theatre. This citywide, year-long focus on theatre is the first of its kind in the U.S.
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Snag half-price deals to a wide variety of theatre productions for the current week as well as future performances.
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The League most gratefully acknowledges funding from the MacArthur Fund for Arts and Culture at Prince for their support of this website.
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Unpacking the complexity of China's rise
ChinaPower: HOME
Browse translated content:
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What Is Power?
/ChinaPowerProject
@ChinaPowerCSIS
chinapower@csis.org
ChinaPower PODCAST
The ChinaPower Podcast dissects critical issues underpinning China’s emergence as a global power. By bringing together the leading experts on China and international politics, the series offers our listeners critical insights into the challenges and opportunities presented by China’s rise. These extended discussions are hosted by Bonnie S. Glaser, senior adviser for Asia and the director of the China Power Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Ms. Glaser is concomitantly a non-resident fellow with the Lowy Institute in Sydney and a senior associate with Pacific Forum.
Bonnie S. Glaser
China and the World Trade Organization: A Conversation with Tu Xinquan
In this episode, Dr. Tu Xinquan joins us to discuss China’s relationship with the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the economic impact of its membership since joining in 2001. Dr. Tu evaluates China’s compliance with its WTO obligations, as well as its use of the WTO’s trade dispute mechanism. He also explains China’s recommendations for WTO reform and the role it seeks to play in the organization moving forward.
China’s Nuclear Strategy and Capabilities: A Conversation with Hans Kristensen
In this episode, Dr. Hans Kristensen joins us to discuss China’s nuclear policy, nuclear weapons capabilities, and nuclear doctrine. Dr. Kristensen assesses the significance of Beijing’s no-first-use policy and compares China’s nuclear arsenal with those of other major powers. He also explains potential factors that may lead China to increase its nuclear arsenal and alter its current nuclear strategy in the future.
China’s Evolving Role in the United Nations: A Conversation with Courtney Fung
In this episode, Dr. Courtney Fung joins us to discuss China’s role and actions as a United Nations Security Council permanent member, including its “status dilemma” in the UN, voting and veto records, and evolving position on the Responsibility to Protect. Dr. Fung addresses China’s significant interest in UN Peacekeeping Operations and its desire to play a larger role in global governance. She also offers insights on how China may become a more active participant in the UN, as well as whether China will support UN reform.
Carbon, Climate, and China: A Conversation with Barbara Finamore
In this episode, Barbara Finamore joins us to discuss China’s policies toward climate change, its efforts to reduce carbon emissions, and the implications for both the country’s energy markets and the global community. Ms. Finamore examines Beijing’s progress on meeting its emissions reduction targets and how its domestic climate change policies have changed over time. She also explains China’s growing use of clean energy technology through investments in new-energy vehicles, solar energy, and wind power.
The Real Costs of Huawei Technology: A Conversation with James Lewis
In this episode, Dr. James Lewis joins us to discuss China’s Huawei Technologies, including the potential inclusion of its technology in 5G infrastructure around the world. Dr. Lewis analyzes the economic and technological appeal of Huawei equipment and details the reasoning behind serious security concerns from the US and other democracies over using Huawei’s technology. He also discusses where countries stand in the global race to adopt 5G technology.
Charting Progress in China’s Belt and Road Initiative: A Conversation with Jonathan Hillman
In this episode, Mr. Jonathan Hillman joins us to discuss the geopolitical implications of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in advance of the second Belt and Road Forum. Mr. Hillman analyzes changes in expectations and objectives since the first Forum in May 2017, and expands on how current dynamics have affected the attitudes of China’s BRI partners and the U.S. toward the initiative. He also touches upon how Beijing’s economic and technological ambitions for the BRI have evolved.
China’s Push to Reform Global Governance: A Conversation with Melanie Hart
In this episode, Dr. Melanie Hart joins us to discuss China’s growing influence and ambitions within the global governance system. Dr. Hart addresses the key reasons behind China’s dissatisfaction with the current order, and how this has shaped its approach to adopting a leadership role in global governance reform. She also assesses the efficacy of China’s efforts and how liberal states should respond.
UAV Technology in China: A Conversation with Tate Nurkin
In this episode, Mr. Tate Nurkin joins us to discuss the latest developments in China’s unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) industry. Mr. Nurkin explains and analyzes the integration of China’s expanding drone technologies into its military capabilities. He also highlights the impact of Chinese UAV companies on international and domestic commercial markets, as well as how China’s UAV exports and capabilities are viewed by US policymakers.
ChinaPower provides an in-depth understanding of the evolving nature of Chinese power relative to other countries. The project examines five interrelated categories of Chinese power: military, economics, technology, social, and international image. Through objective analysis and data visualization, ChinaPower unpacks the complexity of China’s rise.
China Power Project
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© 2019 by the Center for Strategic and International Studies. All rights reserved. | Privacy Policy
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Potential bylaw targets growing number of 'van-dwellers' in Squamish
Aaron McArthur GlobalNews.ca
WATCH: The community of Squamish is struggling to deal with a huge influx of tourists who choose to sleep in their vehicles. Aaron McArthur reports.
Thomasina Pidgeon lives in some pretty tight quarters: she calls her Toyota Sienna minivan home.
The Squamish resident has been living in a van for the past 20 years, and lately she says she is getting harassed more and more by district officials and getting chased away from parking spots where she has stopped for the night.
Now thanks to a soon-to-be-passed bylaw, she faces the additional possibility of huge fines.
Homeless in the snow? Long-time Whistler resident fears losing his trailer
Under the bylaw, the District of Squamish will have the ability to levy fines for illegal campers on Crown land up to $10,000. Pidgeon says it’s not going to make her budge.
“I am not going to move, this is home, this is where the best climbing in Canada is,” she said. “But I don’t like the principle of blocking Crown land. It’s public land, and everyone should be able to access it.”
WATCH: Long-time Whistler resident worries he’ll lose his RV home
Pidgeon is one of the thousands of people who identify as “van dwellers”: nomads who have chosen to live off the grid in pursuit of a less cluttered lifestyle.
In Squamish, there are hundreds of people who consider themselves locals. They camp out on main streets, or along forest service roads, without paying rent.
They have drawn the ire of more traditional homeowners who believe the vans are an eyesore, and the people inside are taking up resources from the rest of the community.
Motor city: Vancouver home to growing community of RV-dwellers amid housing woes
There has always been a contingent of van dwellers in Squamish, most of them climbers. But the number of vans parked along the forest service roads or in town has steadily grown.
According to Mayor Karen Elliott, there will be an estimated 3,000 vans in Squamish over the summer, with most of them belonging to tourists.
That’s who this bylaw is aimed at, she says, although she understands there are dozens of locals who live this way, many of whom are working and who simply can’t afford the increasing rents in the area.
WATCH: Housing crisis leaves many homeless living in vehicles in Metro Vancouver
“This bylaw gives our bylaw officers the ability to move people off of Crown land within the district, but we have had ongoing discussions with people about this complex issue,” Elliot said.
“There are truly homeless, or people at risk of becoming homeless, that are living in vans and we don’t want to harass them. We want to build more stable housing instead. And we have heard from the business community. Many of the young employees in town are living in vans because they can’t afford to live anywhere else.”
While the bylaw passed first reading unanimously, it is being held until the end of July to pass second and third reading in order for greater consultation from local residents who say they have been excluded from the dialogue.
Mother and disabled daughter say Vancouver housing crisis has them living in van
A new advocacy group was launched this year called Vehicle Dwellers of Squamish, which has been working with the council to help create space for legitimate local residents.
Member Rufio West would like to see a permitting system put in place where people might be charged a nominal fee in exchange for a safe place to park.
“If the district pushes us farther down the service roads with this bylaw, I fear a lot of campers may end up crowding the city centre. People don’t know where else to go,” said West.
WATCH: City of Vancouver won’t allow woman to help homeless man
Even targeting the tourists that use a van as a mobile home is a risky proposition, as the district relies on tourism for a great deal of its economic activity.
A recent economic impact assessment showed $10 million was injected into the community just from mountain biking this past year.
Balancing the economic interests of the city with a need for some basic rules on camping is proving challenging.
Torched camper raises new concerns about Vancouver’s RV-living community
Kirby Brown, general manager of the Sea to Sky Gondola and the head of Tourism Squamish, says the key will be to build sustainable infrastructure for both recreation and local workers.
“Investment is needed to build the infrastructure that will let the tourism sector flourish. We have to maintain a sustainable amount of growth,” said Kirby.
The mayor agrees, saying the current situation is leading to environmental degradation and increasing the risk of forest fires.
She says the bylaw won’t be used to target van dwellers who are discreet, only the people obviously breaking the rules.
“We don’t want to shut down tourism. We want to keep welcoming people to the community, but we are going to ask them to follow some of our rules so it works for everybody,” Elliott said.
Pidgeon thinks vans should be considered a form of housing. She can’t afford to upgrade her vehicle, let alone pay rent in Squamish. Even a cheap camping spot would cost her about half her monthly income.
“At some point, we have to stop putting up more ‘no camping’ signs,” she said. “I feel like the community should accept us. If you see a van on the street you should just accept that someone lives there. It is affordable housing.”
The second and third readings of the bylaw are expected to be completed by the end of July.
© 2019 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
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“Oh, no, it isn’t the trees . . . .”
The young JACK BENNY (Benjamin Kubelsky) with his violin.
I was about to watch an episode of the Jack Benny Program recently when I became absorbed in the opening theme. The theme is associated not just with the television series but with Jack Benny himself. The song, “Love in Bloom,” was not written by amateurs. The music was by Ralph Rainger and the lyrics by Leo Robin. Ralph Rainger, a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame, wrote a lot of music for movies between 1930 and 1942. One of his compositions, “Thanks for the Memory,” written for The Big Broadcast of 1938, won an Academy Award. (I’ll have more to say about that song in a later post.) Leo Robin, who wrote the lyrics to “Love in Bloom,” is also a member of the Hall of Fame. His work included “Thanks for the Memory,” “Beyond the Blue Horizon,” “Prisoner of Love,” and “Blue Hawaii.”
“Love in Bloom” was introduced in 1934 in the film She Loves Me Not. It was sung in a duet by Bing Crosby and Kitty Carlisle.
LEO ROBIN
Crosby, that same year, was the first to record the song, which was nominated for an Academy Award.
Kitty Carlisle — an elegant woman whom, incidentally, I once visited at her Manhattan apartment — liked the song enough that she considered adopting it as her own theme. She scuttled that idea, however, when Benny made the song his signature, frequently playing it, and deliberately butchering it, on his violin.
The song has qualities that don’t come across in most of Benny’s renditions. You can see for yourself as Crosby and Kitty Carlisle sing it in the film. Click HERE.
You can also see a hiliarious routine in which Benny and Liberace play the song on the keyboard and violin on a 1969 episode of Liberace’s TV show. Here Benny lets himself show, for a while at least, that he was more competent on the violin than he cared to admit. Click HERE.
Posted in Early television, Movies, Music | Tagged Bing Crosby, Early television, Jack Benny, Kitty Carlisle, Leo Robin, Liberace, Love in Bloom, Music, Ralph Rainger, Songwriters Hall of Fame, Television | 4 Comments »
Books: “Love Song”
I have always associated “September Song” with Jimmy Durante, who recorded it for an album in 1963. I like Durante’s version because it has a touch of melancholy that doesn’t come through with quite the same effect when the singer is Bing Crosby or Sammy Davis Jr.
Come to find out in Ethan Mordden’s book Love Song that the song was written by Kurt Weill and Maxwell Anderson specifically for another entertainer who had no singing voice — namely, Walter Huston. Huston played Peter Stuyvesant in the 1938 Broadway musical Knickerbocker Holiday and he more or less insisted that he should have a solo in the show. Weill and Anderson accommodated him, devoting only a couple of hours to writing the song. The show was designed to criticize the New Deal by portraying Stuyvesant as corrupt and dictatorial in his rule over the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam in the mid 17th century. The musical closed after about six months, although it was the basis for a later movie. The song didn’t attract too much attention until Walter Huston’s version of it was used in the 1950 movie September Affair. After that, it was recorded by many male and female vocalists, ranging in type from Ezio Pinza to Tex Ritter. Among the females who recorded it was Lotte Lenya, who was twice Kurt Weill’s wife and the love of his life — after his music.
The composer and the singer are the subjects of Mordden’s book, which is subtitled The Lives of Kurt Weill and Lotte Lenya, although Mordden devotes at least as much attention to Weill’s sometime collaborator Bertolt Brecht as he does to Lenya.
Pretty much everything in this book has been reported before, but Mordden brings to the story a knowledge of music and 20th century culture, and a sharp wit, that makes this a worthwhile profile of three fascinating figures — the trio who, among other things, brought the world The Threepenny Opera.
Weill was Jewish and totally absorbed in music; Lenya, who was born Karoline Blamauer, was flirty and unfettered. They separated and divorced once, but remarried and never really lost their mutual devotion. They became enamored of each other in Berlin during the hiatus between the two world wars, or during the pause in the one great war, depending on how you look at it.
This was the period of the ill-fated Weimar Republic, a part of German history perhaps not well known to Americans — certainly not to me. Mordden shares his own understanding of the uproarious time with its inept government, dead-on-arrival economy, and non-conformist arts scene, an odd recitative to the rise of Adolf Hitler.
LOTTE LENYA
It was in the Weimar incubator that Weill and Brecht hatched The Threepenny Opera, Brecht’s book lampooning the milieu in Berlin at that time. The show appeared in 1928 and is regarded as a classic, but the nascent Nazi crowd thought it smelled of socialism. Eventually, Nazism drove Weill, Lenya, and Brecht out of Germany. Weill and Lenya went first to Paris and then to New York where the artistic and personal freedom they experienced for the first time had a trans-formative effect on their lives.
The couple hadn’t planned to stay in the United States, but they did stay, and both became American citizens. It may have been inevitable, at least for Weill, because he had long had an interest in using American themes in his compositions.
Weill was prolific and versatile; his work included cantatas, orchestral pieces, chamber works, and film scores, but he is best remembered for what he wrote for the stage, including the musical plays Johnny Johnson; Street Scene – ostensibly an American opera; One Touch of Venus, which introduced the song “Speak Low”; and, of course, Knickerbocker Holiday and The Threepenny Opera.
Lenya’s career as an actress and singer had its ups and downs. After Weill died in 1950, she became the central figure in a revival of his work. She recorded many of his songs. In 1952, she sang in Leonard Bernstein’s concert version of The Threepenny Opera at Brandeis University; that led to a New York production that ran for 2,706 performances. Lenya won a Tony Award for her performance, even though the show ran off Broadway.
In 1966, she created the role of Fraulein Schneider in the original Broadway production of Cabaret, believed to have been inspired by Weill’s work, and she had highly visible movie roles in The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone and From Russia with Love.
Brecht, with whom Weill worked on several projects, settled in East Berlin where, Mordden writes, he was a “stooge” for the Communist regime. “Oathed to the extermination of oppression,” Mordden writes, “Brecht allied himself with the most oppressive regime of the century, and he lived by recognizing no one’s rights but his own.’’
Brecht comes across as a character who many found magnetic but who was offensive in many respects, including his abusive treatment of actors and his substandard personal hygiene.
Posted in Books, Music, Theater | Tagged "From Russia with Love", Bertolt Brecht, Bing Crosby, Cabaret, Ethan Mordden, Ezio Pinza, Jimmy Durante, Knickerbocker Holiday, Kurt Weill, Lotte Lenya, Maxwell Anderson, Peter Stuyvesant, September Song, Tex Ritter, The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone, Threepenny Opera, Walter Huston, Weimar Republic | Leave a Comment »
“If it ain’t got that swing”
TAYLOR TEAGARDEN
Taylor Teagarden’s major league baseball career hasn’t amounted to much yet. As of yesterday, he had appeared in only 136 games in five seasons. He has shown a flair for the dramatic on a few occasions—last night being a notable example—but he hasn’t yet become the Jack Teagarden of the diamond.
Jack was another story altogether. As soon as I heard of Taylor T., I wondered if he and Jack were related. Naturally a guy would wonder that, what with the unusual last name and the fact that both of these Teagardens were from Texas.
Well, I say “naturally.” It was natural for me, because of a 78 rpm record that belonged to my parents. I loved that record when I was a kid, and I still do. It’s a rendition of a 1941 Johnny Mercer song, “The Waiter, the Porter, and the Upstairs Maid,” sung by Bing Crosby, Mary Martin, and Jack Teagarden. It’s one of those witty, sophisticated lyrics that Mercer wrote best. You can hear and see that trio singing Mercer’s song at this site: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0e1DF4TUYY. Or you can come over Saturday afternoon, and I’ll play it for you on the Victrola. If you don’t know what a Victrola is, you probably already stopped reading.
JOHNNY MERCER
Jack Teagarden, who came from a family loaded with musical talent, was in heady company with Crosby and Martin, and he was a very good crooner himself, as well as a composer and bandleader. Among the highlights of his memorable career were his vocal turns with Mercer and Louis Armstrong. But he made his most indelible mark as an innovative jazz and blues trombonist. He is often referred to as “the father of jazz trombone.” You can learn a lot about this important figure in American cultural history at www.jackteagarden.info.
Although it’s a lot easier than it was in the pre-digital age to answer such questions as, “Is Taylor Teagarden related to Jack?”, I have had trouble finding out. Until I wrote this post, I had found only one reference, buried in an non-authoritative web site, reporting that the catcher thinks he might be the great great nephew of the musical genius. But my friend Brian VanderBeek, a sports writer with the Modesto Bee, responded to this post by reporting that he had met Taylor Teagarden in 2007 when Taylor was playing for Bakersfield in the California League and Taylor, on that occasion, confirmed that Jack Teagarden was his dad’s great uncle.
Taylor is with the Orioles now, and his season got a late start due to a back injury. It remains to be seen if he will leave in baseball a footprint like the one Jack Teagarden left in music, but Taylor has already taken advantage of baseball’s unique capacity for providing even the most obscure player with opportunities for heroics.
JACK TEAGARDEN
He came up with the Texas Rangers in 2008, and his first major league hit was a sixth-inning home run off Scott Baker of the Minnesota Twins. Baker had not given up a hit up to that point. And Teagarden’s homer produced the only run in what turned out to be a 1-0 game. When he came off the disabled list for the Orioles on July 14 of this year, he hit a two-run homer that broke up a 6-6, 13-inning tie with the Tigers.
Last night, Taylor got to play Mr. Clutch again as he pinch hit a single in the top of the 18th inning, driving in the winning run as the Orioles beat the Seattle Mariners and pulled into a virtual tie with the Yankees for first place in the American League East. No matter how the rest of his career goes, Taylor T. can always say with another lyricist, Ira Gershwin, “They can’t take that away from me.”
Posted in baseball, Music, Uncategorized | Tagged "The Waiter, and the Upstairs Maid", Baltimore Orioles, baseball, Bing Crosby, Jack Teagarden, jazz, Johnny Mercer, Mary Martin, Music, Swing, Taylor Teagarden, the Porter | 1 Comment »
“You’ll go down in history!”
There’s a radio station in these parts that started the week after Thanksgiving to play nothing but Christmas music. And that has been pretty much restricted to non-religious Christmas music, which sharply limits the available tracks, even with generic winter tunes like “Let it Snow” thrown in.
JOHNNY MARKS
We usually stick to the public radio classical music station, but once in while, when that station delves into music we find grating, we have switched to the commercial station, but the steady diet of what seems like a dozen songs can be nauseating. Earlier today, within less than 30 minutes, that station played yet again “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer” by Gene Autry, “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” by Brenda Lee, and “Have a Holly Jolly Christmas” by Burl Ives. It occurred to me as I reached for the remote that all of those songs were the work of Johnny Marks. That’s no small thing when one considers that relatively few pop Christmas songs have become standards.
“Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer” was actually a collaboration with Marks’s brother-in-law, Robert May, a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Dartmouth, who worked as a copywriter for Montgomery Ward.
For many years, the retail chain had been giving away Christmas coloring books to children who visited Santa Claus at Montgomery Ward stores, but in the 1930s, turned to creating its own book, which featured the tale of Rudolph, written in verse by Robert May. By 1946, more than six million copies of the book had been distributed. To its credit, Montgomery Ward, which originally owned the copyright to Rudolph because it had been written by an employee as an assignment, turned the rights over to May in 1947. Marks turned May’s poem into lyrics and set it to music. Although other singers turned down the chance, Gene Autry recorded the song for the Christmas season of 1949 and the disc sold more than 2.5 million copies the first year and has sold tens of millions since.
Incidentally, May’s achievement was remarkable in its own right in that he managed to add a character to the ages-old Santa Claus legend.
Marks, who attended Colgate and Columbia universities, also wrote “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day,” a musical adaptation of a poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. The song was recorded by several major artists, including Harry Belafonte, Bing Crosby, and Kate Smith.
From what I’ve read, although “Rudolph” made Marks a rich man, he wasn’t crazy about being remembered only for that and a few other Christmas songs. As it happens, Marks also collaborated with Carmen Lombardo and D.L. Hill to write one of my favorite songs, “Address Unknown.” It was a big hit for the Ink Spots. You can hear their recording by clicking HERE.
I don’t want to leave Johnny Marks without mentioning that he served with the U.S. Army during World War II — specifically, as a captain in the 26th Special Service Company — and he was awarded the Bronze Star and four battle stars.
Serving under General George Patton during the invasion of Normandy, Marks won the Bronze Star for leading 20 men in an attack on a castle and capturing the 100 Germans inside.
Posted in Music | Tagged Bing Crosby, Brenda Lee, Burl Ives, Christmas music, Christmas songs, Gene Autry, Harry Belafonte, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Johnny Marks, Kate Smith, Montgomery Ward, Music, Robert L. May, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer | 2 Comments »
The popular song “Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams” was written in 1931, and its lyricists, Ted Koehler and Billy Moll, provided a hopeful message that sounded all the more melancholy because of the reality of the times – economic depression. My favorite recording of that song was made by Kate Smith. I like the way she sings two lines — both of them in this verse:
Your castles may tumble / that’s fate, after all / Life’s really funny that way / No use to grumble / Smile as they fall / Weren’t you king for a day?
Kate Smith had a wonderful, musical laugh, which I loved to hear on her radio and television shows. And she laughs that laugh on the word “funny” in that verse without breaking the tempo of the line. I can’t hear her sing that line too often, and I’ve had the recording for about 40 years. Then, at the end of the verse, she does a little glide on the word “day,” starting on the note and then smoothly sliding down the scale. Again, I’m obsessed with that line. I play the song just to hear her treatment of that one word – “day.”
In a similar vein, for many years, whenever I learned that a TV station was going to broadcast the movie “High Society,” I would watch it so that I could hear Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra perform the duet “Well, Did You Evah,” sometimes referred to as “What a Swell Party This Is.” I even figured out about how far into the movie that song occurs, because I didn’t want to watch the whole film, which is a flawed remake of “The Philadelphia Story.”
The movie has a book by John Patrick and songs by Cole Porter. In “Well, Did You Evah” Crosby and Sinatra simultaneously sing Porter’s lyrics and exchange spoken barbs. At one point, Crosby sings, “Have you heard / about dear Blanche? / Got run down by an avalanche.” Sinatra says, “Nooooo,” and Crosby answers “Don’t you worry. She’s a game girl, you know. Got up and finished fourth.” Sinatra: “This kid’s got guts.” Crosby: “Havin’ a nice time? Grab a line.” At which point, Sinatra resumes singing. Crosby was Mister Smooth, and the way he delivers the line, “Don’t you worry. She’s a game girl, you know . . . ” has captivated me since the first time I heard it about 50 years ago. Fortunately, I now have bookmarked that song from YouTube and I can listen to Crosby say that line as often as I like, which is often, because I’m obsessed.
I don’t experience this kind of fixation only with music. It also occurs with the spoken word — for example, with Al Pacino’s speech in the climax of the movie “Scent of a Woman.” I read a review of that movie in which the critic remarked that Pacino’s dramatic choices were confined to whether to speak loud or louder. It’s fair to say that Pacino often gobbles the scenery, but the most effective line in that speech is one for which he lowers his voice and uses the words like sharp instruments. It is the last sentence of this passage: “As I came in here, I heard those words, ‘cradle of leadership.’ Well, when the bow breaks, the cradle will fall. And it has fallen here; it has fallen. Makers of men; creators of leaders; be careful what kind of leaders you’re producin’ here.” When Pacino says those last words – “Be careful what kind of leaders you’re producin’ here” – he makes them prophetic, ominous. I bookmarked the video of that scene, too – it’s at THIS LINK — and I never tire of hearing him say it. I’m obsessed.
SETH RUDETSKY
I recently learned that this behavior doesn’t constitute a private disorder of mine – and that there is a name for it: deconstruction. The dawn broke when I was at the George Street Playhouse in New Brunswick talking to Seth Rudetsky, who is so versatile that he defies definition. It’s something like comedian-actor-radio host-raconteur-musician-composer. I was talking to him because he is going to appear in the George Street production of the musical play “[title of show].”
Rudetsky hosts a web site which includes a series of videos he calls “Deconstruction.” In these, he plays clips from Broadway musicals — a subject he knows inside-out — and analyzes, in his supercharged manner, the techniques with which a singer such as Florence Henderson, Laurie Beechman, or Kristin Chenoweth handles a song – or a line, or a word, or a syllable. “I’m obsessed!” he often says when he has played a phrase over and over again, mouthing the words along with the singer.
I’m glad to finally know that I’m in good company. Rudetsky’s site is at THIS LINK.
Posted in Music | Tagged "Scent of a Woman", Al Pacino, Billy Moll, Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, George Street Playhouse, Great Depression, Kate Smith, Seth Rudetsky, Ted Koehler, Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams | 4 Comments »
“How long ya’ gonna be gone?” — Ruby and Kalmar
Sheet music to "So Long, Oolong"
When Patricia T. O’Conner, author of popular books on English usage, visited the Leonard Lopate show on WNYC this week, the segment was introduced by a vocal of the song “Three Little Words,” which made me think of Harry Ruby. Ruby and his longtime colleague, Bert Kalmar, wrote that song in 1930 for what would now be considered an offensive movie.
The film was “Check and Double Check” — the only movie made by Freeman Gosden and Charles Correll in their blackface roles as Amos Jones and Andrew H. Brown — characters they made famous with their long-running radio series, “Amos ‘n’ Andy.” The song didn’t get small-time treatment in the film; it was performed by Bing Crosby and the Duke Ellington Orchestra.
The song also lent its name to the title of the 1950 film biography of Ruby and Kalman.
HARRY RUBY
Harry Ruby first came to my attention when I was a kid, and he made a guest appearance on the Danny Thomas television show, “Make Room for Daddy.” Ruby sang another song he had written with Kalman, one that — some might say mercifully — is not as well known as “Three Little Words.” The 1920 tune was “So Long, Oolong. How Long Ya’ Gonna be Gone,” which had racist overtones, as did so many Tin Pan Alley songs written in that era.
The song is about a Japanese girl named Ming Toy, whose boyfriend left for what was supposed to be a short spell but turned into a long spell. Hence the chorus: So long, Oolong, how long ya’ gonna be gone?”
Ruby and Kalman were prolific, and some of their work was much more sophisticated than the Oolong affair. For example, they wrote “My Honey’s Lovin’ Arms,” which got a signature performance many years later in “The Barbra Streisand Album.” The pair also wrote “Who’s Sorry Now?” “Nevertheless (I’m in Love with You),” “A Kiss to Build a Dream On,” and the Betty Boop theme, “I Wanna be Loved by You,” among others.
As talented and productive as Ruby was as a songwriter, though, what I like best about him is that he always wanted to be a baseball player. He tried, unsuccessfully to make it into the pros, and he never missed a chance in later life to get close to the game. His devotion to the sport is the source of one of the great baseball anecdotes.
Ruby seized an opportunity to appear in “Elmer the Great,” a sports movie starring the comedian Joe E. Brown, who was also a devotee of baseball. The movie was shot at the old Wrigley Field, a minor league park in Los Angeles. One of the scenes called for an player, to be portrayed by Ruby, to drop a ball hit to him in the outfield. Ruby walked off the set, insisting that he wouldn’t drop a ball on purpose for any amount of money. Later, when Brown and Ruby happened to be in the company of Lou Gehrig, Brown told that story, figuring that Ruby would be embarrassed. Gehrig, with a straight face, said it was the greatest baseball story he had ever heard
Posted in American History, baseball, Celebrities, Early television, Music, Television, Theater, Uncategorized | Tagged "I Wanna be Loved by You", "Make Room for Daddy", "So Long, "Three Little Words", Amos 'n Andy, Barbra Streisand, baseball, Bert Kalmar, Betty Boop, Bing Crosby, Charles Correll, Danny Thomas, Duke Ellington, Freeman Gosden, Harry Ruby, Joe E. Brown, Leonard Lopate, Lou Gehrig, Oolong", WNYC | Leave a Comment »
The party of the second part
I had a phone conversation last night with Elaine Stritch concerning her upcoming appearance at the Paper Mill Playhouse in “The Full Monty.” Something in her conversation put me to mind of a song written by Johnny Mercer sometime around the time I was born. I’m crazy about Mercer’s stuff – and there’s a lot to be crazy about since he wrote about a thousand songs. His lyrics were so hip; I never get tired of listening to them.
The song I was thinking about last night was “The Waiter, the Porter, and the Upstairs Maid.” This was part of the lyric:
The people in the ballroom were stuffy and arty / So I began to get just a little bit frayed / I sneaked into the kitchen, I dug me a party / The waiter and the porter / And the second storey maid. / I peeked into the parlor to see what was a-hatchin’ / In time to hear the hostess suggest a charade / But who was in the pantry a-laughin’ an’ scratchin’ / The waiter and the porter and the upstairs maid.
There’s a great recording of this song by Bing Crosby, Mary Martin, and the Jack Teagarden Orchestra. The smart-alec lyrics were perfect for Crosby.
The reason I thought of that song last night was that Elaine Stritch was telling me about the sort of egalitarian social life she leads in which she is likely to talk to and even make friends with almost anybody. “I don’t know how I’d live,” she said, “if I couldn’t talk to the consierge when I get home after a performance or a rehearsal.”
I asked her what she meant by a remark attributed to her: “Being bored is the greatest sin.”
She said: “What is boring is spending your life with the same kind of people all the time. I avoid that. I reach out. I spent half of my life in kitchens. At parties, I would end up in the kitchen, having a ball. Or I’d be with the musicans; I l0ve to hang out with musicians.”
“But,” she said with a laugh, “I also had a lovelyevening with the Queen of England, so the hell with everybody.”
Mr. Mercer — on four:
If ever I’m invited to some fuddy-duddy’s / I ain’t-a gonna watch any harlequinade / You’ll find me in the kitchen applaudin’ my buddies / The waiter, the porter and the upstairs maid.
Posted in Celebrities, Music, Popular Culture, Theater | Tagged Bing Crosby, Elaine Stritch, Johnny Mercer, Paper Mill Playhouse | 2 Comments »
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Ben Nicholson Home Ent Reviews
Blu-ray Review: The Poirot Collection
Hercule Poirot has been a mainstay on British television screens over the past quarter of a century thanks to David Suchet’s definitive portrayal of the portly Belgian sleuth. Courtesy of UK distributors StudioCanal, three of the great detective’s most widely watched feature-length cases are now available on Blu-ray in a new box set – entitled The Poirot Collection – featuring Albert Finney’s Academy Award-nominated turn in Murder on the Orient Express (1974) and two of Peter Ustinov’s appearances as Agatha Christie’s flatfoot in which he encounters Death on the Nile (1978) and Evil Under the Sun (1982).
Sidney Lumet’s Murder on the Orient Express sees Poirot (Finney) to exercise his famous little grey cells when travelling to London from Istanbul via the eponymous long-distance train. The detective is approached by a vulgar American businessman, Ratchett (Richard Widmark), about deciphering a threat on his life; a job which Poirot refuses. That night, the train is caught in a snow drift and Ratchett is shuffled off this mortal coil. It seems an impossible crime undoubtedly committed by one of the starry passenger list. Lauren Bacall, Ingrid Bergman, Jacqueline Bisset, Sean Connery, Anthony Perkins, Vanessa Redgrave and Michael York all fall under the gaze of suspicion in what is the best of the triumvirate.
Equally placing the Belgian en vacances, the other two films – Death on the Nile and Evil Under the Sun – feature Ustinov in the lead role, first taking a barge down the Nile and then at an island holiday resort. In both cases, a beautiful young woman is murdered amidst a maelstrom of motives and a sea of watertight alibis. Lois Chiles meets an unfortunate end floating downstream with Jane Birkin, Bette Davis, Mia Farrow, George Kennedy, Angela Lansbury and Maggie Smith all in the frame. Whilst Diana Rigg regrets sunbathing alone with Roddy McDowall, James Mason and the returning Birkin and Smith (in different roles) amongst the suspects.
Ustinov’s Poirot is the further of the two from the iteration of the character that we know from ITV and the source material, and both of his films in this collection present a far more comedic portrait of Christie’s revered sleuth. And yet, all three make for classic Sunday afternoon viewing as you attempt to beat the Belgian investigator to the real culprit. The strong supporting casts mean that they’re always fun and the production values make for whodunnit outings that tend to feel a little slicker than the later TV show, even if Suchet remains the most authentic Hercule.
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Competition: Win ‘John Dies at the End’ *closed*
This week welcomes the long-awaited home entertainment release of John Dies at the End (2012), the frenetic, freakish and action-packed new film from Don Coscarelli (director of Bubba Ho-Tep and Phantasm) and based on the cult novel of the same name by author David Wong. To celebrate the DVD and Blu-ray release of John Dies at the End this Monday (17 February), we have THREE DVD copies of Coscarelli mindboggler to give away to our readers, courtesy of the good people at distributors Eureka Entertainment. This is an exclusive competition for our Facebook and Twitter fans, so if you haven’t already, ‘Like’ us at facebook.com/CineVueUK or follow us @CineVue before answering the question below.
There’s a new drug on the streets. Soy sauce promises users an out of body experience like no other as they drift across time and experience other dimensions. When slacker friends John (Rob Mayes) and Dave (Chase Williamson), a pair of college dropouts who can barely hold down a job between them, try the drug they can see for the first time a horde of demons populating the globe, hiding in plain sight among normal human beings. What follows is a dark and hilarious adventure like no other as they battle the invaders and the stage is set for a gripping thrill ride as they attempt to save the world from invasion.
To be in with a chance of winning one of THREE copies of John Dies at the End on DVD, just answer the following simple question:
John Dies at the End‘s Paul Giamatti was a member of the supporting cast in which 2014 Bafta winner?
a) 12 Years a Slave
b) American Hustle
c) Gravity
To enter, simply fill out the contact form below with your name, email address, subject (‘John Dies at the End’) answer and postal address.*
*Please note that this is a special competition which only our Facebook and Twitter fans will be eligible to win. If you are not on our Facebook ‘Like’ list, then you can easily join us by following this link: facebook.com/CineVueUK and/or follow us on Twitter @CineVue.
John Dies at the End is released on DVD & Blu-ray from Monday 17 February, courtesy of Eureka Entertainment.
This competition closes at 6pm on Thursday 20 February 2014.
http://www.foxyform.com/form.php?id=208352&sec_hash=793074dcafe
foxyform.com
• The competition is open to UK readers only.
• Prizes must be taken as stated and cannot be deferred. There will be no cash alternatives.
• CineVue does not accept any responsibility for late or lost entries due to the internet or email problems.
• CineVue reserves the right to cancel the competition at any stage, if deemed necessary in its opinion, and if circumstances arise outside of its control.
• Prizes unclaimed after 28 days will be deemed to have been forfeited.
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Home Staff
Larissa Campuzano
Design and Implementation of Experimental and Nonexperimental Evaluations
About Larissa
Larissa Campuzano has expertise designing and implementing experimental and nonexperimental evaluations. Her main research areas are education and international development.
Campuzano is the project director and principal investigator of the evaluation of the Human Capital Project of the Millennium Challenge Corporation’s second compact with El Salvador. The second compact includes evaluations of the Integrated Systems of Full Time Inclusive Schools model, the strengthening of the national education system, and the improvement of the technical vocational education system. She was also the project director of evaluation services for the Millennium Challenge Corporation’s first compact in El Salvador. The interventions evaluated under the first compact include the improvement of secondary schools, scholarships for secondary education, improvement of a technical postsecondary institution, training for skills development, technical and material assistance for productive development, and a loan program for productive development.
Campuzano leads the implementation of three experimental evaluations of reading programs funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) in Peru and Guatemala. These evaluations are based on randomized controlled trial designs, and they followed students for the first two or three years of elementary education. She was a task leader on the impact evaluation of the dropout prevention programs for East Asia funded by USAID. Campuzano was the deputy principal investigator for the English Language Learners topic area of the What Works Clearinghouse, and she is a member of the peer review team of the Regional Educational Laboratories, an initiative of the U.S. Department of Education. Campuzano has published in peer-reviewed journals such as Games and Economic Behavior and the Journal of Well-Being and Social Policy. She holds a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Rochester.
Evaluation of the Formal Technical Education Sub-Activity of the Human Development Project, El Salvador
Evaluation of the Non-Formal Skills Development Sub-Activity of the Millennium Challenge Corporation's Compact with the Government of El Salvador
Performance Evaluation of the Non-Formal Skills Development Sub-Activity: Interim Results, 2009 to 2010 (Memo)
VIEW MORE PUBLICATIONS
Meet Our Summer Fellows!
El Salvador: Impact Evaluation of Education, Training, and Productive Development
Mathematica is evaluating the human development activities of an initiative that seeks to address poverty and economic development in the Northern Zone of El Salvador.
Educational Technology: Does It Improve Academic Achievement?
Mathematica’s National Study of the Effectiveness of Educational Technology Interventions was a rigorous evaluation of the efficacy of technology applications designed to improve student learning in math and reading in grades K-12.
The What Works Clearinghouse: Improving Practice, Research, and Policy
In 2002, the U.S. Department of Education's (ED) Institute of Education Sciences (IES) established the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) to collect, review, and report on studies of education interventions. The growing focus on evidence-based decision making increased demand for this type of information. Since...
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Tagged: labor
History of Our Newspapers
Connecticut Labor Press/News
LCCN: sn92051282, The Connecticut Labor Press (New Haven, Conn.), 191?-1921 LCCN: sn92051283, The Connecticut Labor News (New Haven, Conn.), 1921-1925 The masthead of the Connecticut Labor Press of 1920 declared the 3-cent weekly...
Connecticut Recognizes Labor Day
Check out the new online display of historic Labor Day souvenir ribbons and great clips from digitized historic Connecticut state newspapers! It can be found on the website of the Connecticut History Museum at...
A Slavonian Labor Day in Bridgeport, 1914
The range of events on Labor Day in Connecticut in 1914 included those special to the immigrants who made up a large percentage of the workforce. In Bridgeport, hundreds of Slavonians gathered at Sokol...
The Examiner and the Weekly Examiner
LCCN: sn86077047, The Examiner, Hartford, Conn., 1881-188? LCCN: sn92051407, The Weekly Examiner, Hartford, Conn., 188?-190? LCCN: sn92051523, The Labor Standard, Hartford, Conn., 1908-192? A cooperative association “comprising individuals of various creeds, professions, and...
The Workmen’s Advocate
Workmen’s Advocate (New Haven, Conn.), 1883-1891 [LCCN: sn90065027] On September 8, 1883, the New Haven Connecticut Trades Council published, for the price of one cent, the first issue of the Workmen’s Advocate. Its...
Introducing the New Haven Workmen’s Advocate
On the occasion of the traditional worker’s holiday, May 1, the Connecticut Digital Newspaper Project would like to introduce a rare state labor title that we are soon to digitize. On September 8,...
American Mechanic and Home Journal
LCCN: sn93053981, American Mechanic and Home Journal (Norwich, Conn.), 1849-18?? In its first issue, the American Mechanic and Home Journal, published in Norwich, Connecticut, by Ayer & Co., proclaimed itself “Bound to Advocate...
The Connecticut Citizen
LCCN: sn94053145, The Connecticut Citizen (Ridgefield, Conn.), 1892-189? On October 8, 1892, in an editorial entitled “Our Object,” the publisher of Ridgefield’s the Connecticut Citizen said, “with this first issue the weekly begins...
Liberty Bell and Workingmen’s Advocate
LCCN: sn93053978, The Liberty Bell and Workingmen’s Advocate (Norwich, Conn.), 1867-186? The first issue of the weekly Liberty Bell and Workingmen’s Advocate, published in Norwich, Connecticut, appeared on March 7, 1867. The editor...
Mechanics’, Operatives’, and Laborers’ Advocate
LCCN: sn92051568, Mechanics’, Operatives’, and Laborers’ Advocate (Norwich, CT), 1836-1837 The Mechanics’, Operatives’, and Laborers’ Advocate, was published weekly in Norwich, Connecticut, by J. Holcomb in 1836 and 1837. It identified its audience as...
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Davino F Nascimento
Literary Interests
Source: Social Media
December 22, 2016 dfnascimento Literary Interests
TLS – Machiavelli’s Utopia
Sculpture of Machiavelli for the Uffizi
© Adam Eastland/Alamy
WILLIAM J. CONNELL
“Machiavelli’s Utopia” might be thought to refer to a book which, like Utopia itself, never existed. Thomas More wrote Utopia; Niccolò Machiavelli did not. Machiavelli’s The Prince, moreover, is a book sometimes thought to describe a dystopia. All the same, I have a specific book in mind. The somewhat mysterious fifth edition of Utopia, published in Florence in 1519, may now be said to have had an interesting connection with Machiavelli.
Utopia was published 500 years ago, in December 1516, in Louvain, in a splendid edition edited by Erasmus. The book was a great success. The first edition was followed by a printing in Paris in 1517, and by two from Froben in Basle in 1518. Scholars consider these first four editions important for establishing the text, since they are the ones More could possibly have influenced. In the context of these other carefully prepared editions, the fifth edition of Utopia, which was published by the Giunti Press of Florence in 1519, appears truly odd. This Utopia was not issued as a stand-alone volume but was instead appended to a previously published collection of translations from Lucian by More and Erasmus. This Lucian collection had been published (most recently) by the Aldine Press at Venice in 1516, and, apart from the addition of Utopia, the 1519 Giunti volume was in every respect a knock-off of the Aldine.
Scholars have been puzzled by the placing of Utopia at the end of the Giunti volume. In 1519 More’s work was still fresh and selling well; there seemed little reason to hide it. New documentary evidence, discovered in a series of archives in and around Florence, sheds light on the odd publication, and one of the more exciting aspects is that it involves Niccolò Machiavelli. This is important because historians in recent decades have preferred to describe the origins and goals of humanism in Northern Europe and in Italy in quite different ways. This new evidence indicates that the intellectual conversation in Europe in the years before the Reformation was more inclusive than is usually thought. It brings Machiavelli back into the mainstream of Renaissance intellectual life, notwithstanding that many scholars have considered him an autodidact and an outlier, and it makes it easier to discern how, in the period preceding the Lutheran moment, More and Erasmus were contributing to strains of thought that were more radical with respect to politics and religion than has generally been acknowledged.
About thirty-five years ago, in separate studies, the scholars Silvana Seidel Menchi and Carlo Dionisotti noticed that the “Florentine” Utopia of 1519 appeared in the third volume of a curious set of five volumes of Erasmian works all published by the Giunti Press; and each of the books was a knock-off of a previous Aldine volume. The first contained Erasmus’s translations of Hecuba and Iphigenia at Aulis by Euripides; the second was The Praise of Folly; the third was the Lucian-Utopia volume; the fourth was a previously published grammatical collection with William Lily’s treatise “On the Eight Parts of Speech” appended but attributed to Erasmus; and the fifth was a collection of Erasmus’s writings on princes and politics, including “The Complaint of Peace” and “The Education of a Christian Prince”, along with several of his translations from Isocrates and Plutarch on princes, and with his adage, “The Sileni of Alcibiades”, and his “Oration on Virtue” appended to the works in the Aldine original. Dionisotti noted that the Lucian-Utopia volume appeared to have been printed under special circumstances and was perhaps pulled from the market, since a press inventory of 1604 reveals unsold copies eighty-five years later. Both Seidel Menchi and Dionisotti stressed that the works in this Erasmian series that included Utopia were slanted towards political and secular themes. Missing were Erasmus’s religious and devotional writings and his substantial works on rhetoric. The Florentines behind the publication appear to have been reading Erasmus and More with particular attention to their politics.
To piece together the story behind the Giunti publications we have to start with a visit that Erasmus made to Florence thirteen years earlier. Erasmus’s Italian journey, which would result in a stay that lasted until 1509, has often been recounted. In 1506 he accepted an appointment as travelling tutor to the two sons of Henry VII’s royal physician, a Genoese. Erasmus was supposed to accompany the boys in their university studies at Bologna in exchange for expenses and a stipend. In June of that year the three of them crossed the Channel, and in Paris Erasmus left two books to be published with the printer Badius. One of the books comprised his translations of Hecuba and Iphigenia at Aulis; the other was a volume of Lucian translations that he and More had prepared. The Euripides was published in Paris in September 1506; the Lucian would not appear until November; and in the meantime Erasmus would send from Florence some additional translations that were added to it. From Paris the small party travelled south and crossed the Alps. When they arrived at Bologna, to his alarm Erasmus learned that the city would soon be under attack. Pope Julius II was leading an army against it, so Erasmus escaped to Florence with the two boys. Scholars have frequently lamented that we know next to nothing about Erasmus’s stay in what had been, and in some respects still was, the capital of the European Renaissance. All that has been known is that he was translating additional works by Lucian while waiting for the publication of his Euripides back in Paris. By November 11, Erasmus was back in Bologna for Julius’s triumphal entry.
There is, however, a letter of Erasmus’s, written twenty years later from Basle, which offers fresh clues about the stay in Florence. The very funny epistle describes for Erasmus’s correspondent the explosion of a gunpowder magazine in Basle. Erasmus tells how, since the gunpowder was stored next to a brothel, the blast sent prostitutes and their clients scurrying half-naked through the streets. But most interesting, Erasmus writes, is how the tremendous noise of the explosion reminded him of a thunderclap he heard long ago when he was in Florence waiting for news of Julius and Bologna. Erasmus relates that he was studying with friends when he left them to relieve his bowels. It was while he was tending to nature that there was a thunderclap that sent him rushing back to his friends. Soon a physician hurried by, who told them that three nuns had been struck by lightning and that two of them had died.
The mention of Pope Julius while describing a bowel movement alludes perhaps to Erasmus’s dialogue, Julius Exclusus, while the deaths of the nuns may indicate doubt concerning the value of the religious life. But, most importantly, the letter tells us that Erasmus made some friends while in Florence, though they are not identified. A diary kept by the shopkeeper Luca Landucci dates the lightning strike to November 4, 1506, and tells us that the Dominican convent of Santa Caterina was struck. Since the convent stood close to the famous Library of San Marco, we can assume that that was where Erasmus was studying. Although we don’t know the identity of Erasmus’s friends, someone in Florence seems to have remembered him long afterwards. For, if we look again at the Erasmian series published by Giunti, the first and the third volumes – the Euripides and the Lucian – comprised the very works that Erasmus was worrying over when he was there in 1506.
Although the books of the Erasmian series offer no obvious clues as to who may have selected them for publication, Dionisotti was able to follow up an earlier notice by Roberto Weiss, a longtime Professor of Italian at University College, London, and an authority on the ties between Italian and British humanists. In 1521 the Giunti press published a Greek vocabulary by the second-century grammarian Julius Pollux. It contains a dedicatory letter from Antonio Francini, who directed the press’s publications in Latin and Greek, addressed to none other than Thomas Linacre, the Royal Physician to Henry VIII, who was also the teacher and reading companion of More and Erasmus. Francini, in his letter, praises the achievements of the English humanists, Linacre, More, Grocyn, Pace and Tunstall, and he boasts that it was he personally who had seen More’s Utopia through the press. Linacre had studied in Florence in the 1490s, and, although Francini regrets that he did not meet Linacre back then, he indicates as a friend they had in common, and as the man who made possible these publications by the Giunti, his former teacher, one “Giampiero Machiavelli”. The mention of a “Machiavelli” in connection with Linacre and More is of course fascinating, but although Weiss and Dionisotti looked high and low for a connection with the famous Niccolò, neither was able to identify this Giampiero. Indeed, Giampiero Machiavelli does not appear in the ordinary Florentine fiscal and baptismal records; nor does he appear in family genealogies.
Recently, however, thanks to a string of archival finds, it has been possible to identify Giampiero Machiavelli. Most importantly he was a priest, which explains why he is missing from many of the usual archival records. In fact Giampiero held the benefice in the church at Sant’Andrea in Percussina, outside Florence, which abutted the farm where, in the evening, “dressed in regal and courtly clothes”, his relative Niccolò wrote The Prince.
Giampiero turns out to have been rather close to Niccolò. It was Niccolò who arranged for Giampiero to circumvent several prohibitions under canon law so he could take the benefice at the family homestead. In the same years in which Niccolò rose to importance in Florence’s chancery, Giampiero was elected to the city’s most prestigious religious confraternity, the Misericordia, and he became director of Florence’s cathedral school. The two Machiavelli cousins can be documented sharing an interest in the Epicurean philosophy of Lucretius. It was probably in 1497 that Niccolò made a full transcription (sometimes described as an “edition”) of the De rerum natura; while a prose paraphrase of the first three books of Lucretius’ poem was published in 1504 with a prefatory letter by Giampiero. Both Niccolò and Giampiero were at times hounded by followers of the late Dominican preacher, Girolamo Savonarola. And we know from the Dialogues of Antonio Brucioli that both cousins participated in the literary and philosophical discussions that were held in Florence’s Rucellai Gardens.
There is no reason to suppose that Niccolò met Erasmus while the latter was in Florence, although it was possible. Erasmus was waiting for news concerning Julius, and on October 28, seven days before the thunderclap that Erasmus remembered so well, Niccolò returned to Florence from an embassy to Julius bearing the latest news of the papal army’s progress. Giampiero, however, as an old friend of Linacre’s, is more likely to have met Erasmus in 1506, and, given the role attributed to him by Francini, to have prompted the publication of the Euripides and Lucian volumes.
But there is an even more complex story concerning this Florentine connection to the world of Northern humanism that remains to be told. In 1510, the Savonarolans in Florence blocked Giampiero’s election to a chaplaincy in the cathedral. In the aftermath he resigned his position at the cathedral school and, following Erasmus’s example, accepted an appointment as the travelling preceptor to an intellectually promising and extremely wealthy young cleric who was about to pursue university studies. So began Giampiero Machiavelli’s close ten-year relationship with Lorenzo Bartolini.
Bartolini, who was a cousin by marriage of Niccolò Machiavelli, belonged to a family that occupied leading roles in the Florentine Republic while at the same time, through its bank, managing the financial affairs of the exiled Medici family. The sharp distinction between “republicans” and “Mediceans” that historians have used when charting Florentine allegiances in this period simply won’t work. The young Lorenzo Bartolini was much beholden to the exiled Cardinal Giovanni de’ Medici, who resigned to him several extraordinarily lucrative benefices, the most prominent being a position as commendatory abbot of the richly endowed Augustinian Abbey of Sainte-Marie d’Entremont in Upper Savoy.
Bartolini’s travels for university study, with Giampiero as his preceptor, began in 1511 with a stint at Pavia, although the two were forced to return to Florence in 1512 when Swiss troops invaded the town. In October 1513, at a time when Giampiero’s cousin Niccolò was already well advanced with The Prince, they left Florence again, this time to study in France, first at Valence along the Rhône, and then, from 1514 to 1519, at the University of Paris.
An account book preserved today in a private archive outside Florence records the expenses of the young Lorenzo Bartolini during these travels. By matching these accounting entries, which offer firm dates, with notarial contracts in Florence and snippets of information from a great many other sources, it has been possible to compile an impressive list of the individuals with whom these two Florentines, Lorenzo Bartolini and Giampiero Machiavelli, came into contact. When studying first at Pavia and then at Valence, they were following the jurist Filippo Decio, who had taught canon law at Florence when Giampiero was a pupil. It was Decio who had provided legal justification for Louis XII’s Council of Pisa in 1512 that aimed to dethrone Pope Julius II, and who would later be sought out by Henry VIII for arguments in support of the latter’s divorce. At Valence the pair came into contact with the humanist Christophe de Longueil, whose expenses they supported for several years. In Paris they subsidized the anti-Arabist physician Pierre Brissot in the period before he decided to travel to the New World in search of new medicinal plants. Bartolini was welcomed into the circle around Lefèvre d’Étaples, who was then studying Aristotle, and he is mentioned in books by Josse Clichtove and Gérard Roussel. It is possible that Linacre met the two Florentines in France in 1514, when he accompanied Mary Tudor to her wedding with Louis XII. The connection must have remained firm, at any rate, since one of Linacre’s few surviving letters is addressed to Giampiero and dates from December 1513.
The account book, while providing much information concerning the relationships of the Florentines, also provides insight into their intellectual interests. In Paris they received many shipments of books in Latin and Greek (“più libri e volumi latini e greci”) from Venice and Florence. Only a few are named, but they include a Sallust and an edition of the works of Plutarch that were purchased specifically for Giampiero, as well as a Lucian in Greek, the De rebus gestis Francorum of Paolo Emili, a Ptolemy, a Dioscorides, and John Lascaris’s translation from Greek of a treatise On the Illnesses of Horses. The dimension of the book purchases is indicated by an entry that states that when Giampiero’s preceptorship came to an end in 1521, Lorenzo allowed him to keep 200 of the books for himself.
Another of the French scholars with whom the two Florentines became familiar was Guillaume Budé. Towards the end of their stay in Paris, as Bartolini was completing his studies, the pupil and preceptor planned a trip to pay homage to More in England and to Erasmus in Flanders, and it was Budé who sent introductions ahead of them. On their return to Paris in the autumn of 1519 Bartolini received his baccalaureate, and then the two of them went home to Florence.
Given this back story, a more detailed account of the Giunti Erasmian series is possible. Both Giampiero and Lorenzo enjoyed close relations with the Giunti Press, which even dedicated its 1519 Iliad to Lorenzo. The publication dates of the first three books in the Erasmian series – Euripides, Praise of Folly, and Lucian-Utopia – suggests they were timed in advance of the visits to Erasmus and More, so that they could be presented as testimony to the esteem in which these Northerners were held in Florence. The fourth and fifth books in the series were instead published soon after the return of the preceptor and his pupil to Florence. The fourth simply updated an existing grammatical textbook by including the new (and soon to become very influential) grammar, “On the Eight Parts of Speech”, that they must have picked up in England or Flanders. But the fifth and last volume, which has to do with princes, is best explained by returning to Giampiero’s cousin, Niccolò.
Niccolò Machiavelli had been unemployed since 1512, when he was fired from the chancery. Even worse, in 1513, he was arrested, tortured and briefly imprisoned on a false charge of conspiracy. There had been attempts to rehabilitate him, but after 1515 he came in for savage criticism on account of the harsh lessons and alleged impiety of The Prince. Still, he had important friends who hoped eventually to secure him employment with the Medici. A number of these friends were associated with the Giunti Press, which in 1521 would publish his Art of War. All the most “Machiavellian” of Erasmus’s writings seem to be gathered in this fifth Giunti volume. Indeed, there is reason to believe they were selected with a view to easing Machiavelli’s situation. If Machiavelli’s Prince could be seen simply as one voice, along with those of Erasmus, Isocrates and Plutarch, addressing problems inherent in princeship and statecraft, its sharper messages would be seen in a broader context and therefore blunted.
There are a number of passages in Machiavelli’s writings that owe something to Erasmus, and of special interest is a letter that has gone unnoticed. From the period 1515–20, when Machiavelli completed The Prince, The Discourses and Mandragola, only a few letters survive, but there is a passage in one of them that suggests a deep appreciation of Erasmus. In December 1517 Machiavelli mentioned that he and a group of friends from the Rucellai Gardens had been planning a trip to Flanders. The early editions of the letter misread the word Flanders (Fiandre) as “Francia”; the Allan Gilbert translation that is still in print reads the word as “France”. The group never made the journey. But since, in addition to Machiavelli, it can be shown that several of these friends were readers of Erasmus, it seems likely that in 1517 – soon after the publication of Erasmus’s Education of a Christian Prince and of More’s Utopia (which Erasmus saw through the press) – Niccolò and his Florentine friends’ plan was to visit Erasmus, much as Giampiero Machiavelli and Lorenzo Bartolini would do in 1519.
When in February 1520 the Giunti published the fifth of the Erasmian volumes, Giampiero Machiavelli and Lorenzo Bartolini had been back in Florence for several months. We know from correspondence between two other friends of Niccolò’s, Filippo and Lorenzo Strozzi, who were also involved with the Giunti Press, that they were arranging to introduce Machiavelli to Cardinal Giulio de’ Medici with a view to restoring him to favour. Niccolò’s meeting with the Cardinal took place in March 1520, only a few weeks after the publication of the fifth Giunti volume. Given the context, it seems reasonable to hypothesize that the Erasmian book on princes was published by Niccolò’s friends in an effort to mollify critics of The Prince. And, if so, it worked. Machiavelli was restored to favour; soon after, he was appointed official historiographer of Florence; and in 1521 he published his Art of War – with the Giunti Press.
There remains a further possibility that deserves mention. It has now become at least possible to imagine that, when Thomas More wrote Utopia in 1515 and 1516, he had some knowledge of Machiavelli’s Prince. More, to be sure, was sufficiently brilliant to have written Utopia without The Prince. Ideas concerning princes and statecraft were very much in the air, as we know not only from the writings of Erasmus, More and Machiavelli, but also from Budé’s work on princes (begun in 1515), and from the circulation of Plutarch (whose works Giampiero purchased). Given the dating of The Prince and Utopia, given Giampiero’s friendship with Linacre, and given More’s liking for the Italian language, we can’t rule out the possibility that More may have read Machiavelli’s Prince in some form, or that he had at least heard about it from Linacre or another intermediary. Machiavelli was almost certainly immersed in writing The Prince when Giampiero left Florence for France in October 1513; by December 10, 1513, we know that Machiavelli had shown the work to his friend Filippo Casavecchia; a few weeks later he sent some part of it by post to Francesco Vettori in Rome. By early 1514 Machiavelli seems to have completed a preliminary version; and in the spring of 1515 he retouched the work in the final form that we now have. More, for his part, began writing Utopia shortly afterwards, in the summer of 1515. If More did see The Prince, one imagines he received as a challenge Machiavelli’s famous declaration in Chapter 15, that “Many have imagined republics and principalities that have never been seen or known to exist in reality”. The “Dialogue of Counsel” section of Utopia’s Book I discusses the strategic position of the King of France in a manner that sounds like an Englishman’s response to Chapter 3 of The Prince (a discussion of France that omits England). And More’s description of the military in Utopia reads like a parody of Machiavelli.
These are, necessarily, speculations. The solid discoveries here are that Machiavelli was not the lonely writer he is so often imagined as being; that he belonged to a network of writers who were contributing to a shared discussion of princes and statecraft; and that Erasmus and More, in the years before the Lutheran break, were being read in ways that were more radical than is generally thought – and than they themselves would wish to be thought after the Reformation took off.
The author is grateful for discussions of this research in seminars held in London, at the Legatum Institute and the Institute for Historical Research, and in New York, at the Grolier Club.
London – UK
(no title) April 16, 2018
Things Fall Apart July 23, 2017
Why bother with poetry? January 11, 2017
TLS -All’s well that spends well December 23, 2016
Erick’s visit to London: British Museum & BBC Studios
British Library (London)
St Pancras Hotel (& Station)
BBC Studios (London)
British Museum.
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UMD students, College Park residents struggle to access grocery stores
Alex Carolan·@alexhcarolan·May 10, 2016
Northern College Park resident Caroline Wick walks 10 minutes to the MOM’s Organic Market on Rhode Island Avenue when she needs to grocery shop.
For Wick, who doesn’t own a car, this short walk is convenient. But the former University of Maryland student said if she “lived just a few blocks south” and faced a longer walk, “it would be really inconvenient.”
Even with the Safeway on East-West Highway in Hyattsville that opened April 6, 1.6 miles from this university, Wick said she’s only been there once. She added that she’d like to see “a few more corner stores and stuff that you see around Metro stations and other places … [in College Park] there’s just none of that.”
University students and city residents face a shortage of convenient grocery stores if they don’t own a car, a reality highlighted by the U.S. Agriculture Department, which considers the city to be part of the larger food desert in Prince George’s County. A food desert in urban areas such as College Park is where many residents live more than one mile away from grocery stores, according to the USDA website.
Shoppers, which is 2.4 miles away from this university, and MOM’s Organic Market, which is 3.3 miles away, are the two grocery stores within the city’s limits. For students and residents close to Route 1, the TargetExpress that opened in July 2015 appears to be one of the few more convenient options to buy groceries.
But for students such as Deanna Rubin, a senior microbiology major who lives in the University View, the TargetExpress isn’t a sufficient grocery store replacement.
“I know that technically TargetExpress has made it better for some students, but in my experience, every time I’ve gone there they’ve been out of a lot of the produce and food,” Rubin said.
Though Rubin owns a car and shops at the Giant on Greenbelt Road, she said not owning a car when she lived in Courtyards last year made it difficult for her to grocery shop. Rubin said she ran out of food at times because she couldn’t get to a grocery store and would have to order out food that was more expensive and less healthy.
“The nearest grocery store was Giant, which was well over a mile away,” she said. “And that would’ve been walking on [Route] 193, which is a highway. So that’s not really safe.”
She went grocery shopping whenever her friends with cars could drive her, she added, and even took a bus once that went from the campus to the Giant in Greenbelt.
Both Rubin and Wick said the city’s downtown — near this university — would be the most convenient place to have a grocery store. Lidl, a European grocery chain, could potentially make its home about a mile from campus at the Clarion Inn site at 8601 Baltimore Ave, according to a February Diamondback article.
Terry Schum, the city’s planning director, wrote in an email that the approval process between Lidl, the city and the county just began, and that the process will take about six months.
Lidl would help combat the city’s food desert status, Schum told The Diamondback in February.
Anthony Schams, a senior biochemistry and mathematics major who lives in the University View, said his parents drive 30 minutes from their home in Rockville to take him grocery shopping at the Target on Greenbelt Road because he doesn’t own a car. If Schams needs groceries badly, he said he goes to the 7-Eleven beneath The Varsity.
“Because of that I can’t really do a lot of cooking,” Schams said. “I think a lot of people have that problem where if you don’t have a car, you really have to work with others to get food. That’s kind of why I’m stuck getting a lot of Taco Bell.”
Schams said he’s seen students in Facebook groups offer to drive other students to grocery stores, but otherwise, “There doesn’t seem to be an incredibly convenient [transportation] option.”
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Decompressing History
Economic history from below the tropics
Tom Westland
Emiliano Travieso
World Cup Mashups
How unequal was the federation of French West Africa?
When the French parliament, including colonial representatives, was discussing the framework of a new relationship between French Africa and the metropole, a slight plaintive note could be detected in the contributions of the representatives of Côte d’Ivoire and Gabon. Respectively, these colonies were the largest economies of the federations of French West Africa (Afrique occidentale française, or AOF) and French Equatorial Africa (Afrique équatoriale française, or AEF). The white Ivorian planter Gaston Lagarosse said:
we think it necessary that those territories with the financial means ought to contribute to stabilising the budgets of less well-off territories that still fly the French flag, we nonetheless think also that this expenditure ought to be divided up among the whole of the French Union, including the metropole, instead of merely among the African federations, which are in any case groupings that are quite artificial and bring together peoples that are quite different from one another.
Luc Durand-Réville of Gabon said more or less the same thing:
the French Union for us means putting Côte d’Ivoire on the same level as [the former department] Côtes-du-Nord or the deparment of Aisne on the same level as Gabon. This is the context in which the solidarity of the French Union must be applied economically, socially and politically. Such solidarity in the French Union must exist, yes, but not within a single grouping of territories with arbitrary borders.
The complaint is about imperial inequality and the demand for redistribution. The French colonial federations in Africa were unequal, with some richer territories and some less well-off. For France, this provided the motivation for federating its colonies in the first place: rather than having to subsidise the poorer territories itself, it could call on the richer colonies, like Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal and Gabon, to do so. For Côte d’Ivoire and Gabon, however, this was unfair: if France wanted an empire, it should shoulder the cost of equalising incomes within it.
Some brief historical background: AOF incorporated eight colonies (clockwise from the northwest: Mauritania, Sénégal, Guinée, Côte d’Ivoire, Dahomey/Benin, Niger, Haute-Volta/Burkina Faso, and Soudan français/Mali). Depending on the context Togo is included, but because of its status as a League of Nations mandate, it was de jure separate from the rest of the AOF. The AOF was formed in 1895, but the actual establishment of federal political and economic infrastructure is usually dated from 1905, when the capital moved from Saint-Louis to Dakar and federal budgets were formulated. In the 1950s, various proposals for autonomy within the empire—or for independent federations that mimicked the structure of the AOF—were floated…and sank. By the early 1960s, all of the AOF colonies had become independent countries within their colonial borders.
It should be fairly obvious that economic inequality among the various parts of the empire was crucial to the politics of the last few years of colonial rule; moreover, it can, I think, help to explain why some of the grand projects for democratic imperial federalism, of the kind outlined by Frederick Cooper and Gary Wilder, failed to eventuate. And since Emiliano mentioned the work of Branko Milanović in his post, I think it’s a nice fit that Branko has done a lot of work on the economics of international federations and their collapse; I think it’s hard to understand the eventual collapse of Afrique occidentale française as a federal project without understanding the economic challenges of fiscal federalism. In fact, I have a working paper on this question in progress! In this post, though, I’ll focus not on the politics of imperial inequality and instead work on establishing just how unequal the AOF federation was, focusing on three separate questions:
One of the easiest way to compare one colony to another is to look at stuff that’s relatively conceptually easy to measure, like real wages, using the now well-known methodology of Bob Allen. This involves coming up with a ‘barebones subsistence’ basket of goods—the stuff that’s enough just to keep someone alive, not comfortable—and to calculate the basket’s price. Then you divide the nominal wage of a labourer by this basket price multiplied by three (assuming the labourer is also looking after a spouse and two children). We can then compare these ‘welfare ratios’ across time and across countries. As it happens, I’ve been working on creating such series for French West Africa; and, as it happens, as part of the new release of the Maddison database on per capita income (for more of which, see below), so have some other researchers. My work is nowhere near complete yet, but I picked a random year (1953) for which I’m pretty certain of the wages I’ve collected. The Maddison database working paper also presents urban real wages (expressed as a percentage of South Africa’s, but we can back out the original wefare ratios), for 1950. Both are presented below:
Welfare ratios in French West Africa, 1950 and 1953
Maddison, 1950
Sénégal 2.9 2.9
Côte d’Ivoire 2.0 3.5
Haute-Volta/Burkina Faso 1.7 1.5
Soudan français/Mali 1.0 2.1
Dahomey/Benin 1.2 2.1
Niger 1.0 1.4
Guinée française/Guinea 1.0 2.0
My wage estimates are a mostly a little higher than for the Maddison estimates. Partly I think this reflects the fact that there was fairly strong growth in the AOF in the early 1950s, and high nominal wage growth. Obviously, the main takeaway here is that Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire had high urban wages—not unrelated, they also had fairly large urban sectors, compared with the rest of the AOF federation. You can see this in both the Maddison wage estimates and mine. When it comes to the second tier economies—the ‘inner periphery’ of the AOF—my estimates diverge somewhat from the Maddison ones.1 For the Maddison authors, this inner periphery consists of Haute-Volta (Burkina Faso today): in Ouagadougou, wages were reasonably close to those in Abidjan and over half of those in Dakar. In my estimates, however, the ‘inner periphery’ is composed of Soudan français (now Mali), Guinea and Dahomey (Benin). My own figures fit my priors better than the Maddison ones do (which is not necessarily a good thing!), as I think that distance to the coast—and hence to coastal trade—probably explains a lot about urban welfare in West Africa. The existence of the Dakar-Niger railway (which actually terminates on the Niger river, in Mali, not in present-day Niger) also helps to explain why wages might have been higher in Soudan français, which is nonetheless a landlocked colony: it enabled fairly large towns like Bamako and Kayes to develop, with large-ish urban sectors. On the other hand, meat was fairly cheap inland, thanks to the existence of large cattle herds in the Sahel.
And my data comes largely from the official Annuaires statistiques (supplemented with some other sources); if the Maddison team has looked at archival material detailing actual market transactions in markets for goods and labour, their numbers may be much more accurate than mine. All in all, I think I’ll be a lot more certain about the contours of wage inequality in French West Africa after a long stint in the archives in Aix-en-Provence and Dakar later this year, but it’s reasonably clear that workers in the cities in Senegal and Cote d’Ivoire had the highest wages in Afrique occidentale française.
Here, by the way, are some photos from the Archives nationales d’outre mer of two late colonial cities, one on the coast, the other inland:
Niamey:
Per capita income
As I mentioned above, the team behind the Maddison Project Database recently released a new version of their database, with new estimates of GDP designed to facilitate cross-country comparisons of income. These estimates make use of multiple price benchmarks to compare prices of goods and services across countries, rather than simply doing the comparison once and assuming (or hoping) that relative price levels remain unchanged across countries.
For African countries, including the colonies of Afrique occidentale française, the Maddison team decided to derive new estimates of relative GDP per capita for 1950 by considering the relationship between real urban wages, urbanization, food demand, and agricultural productivity. On the first two, the authors can bring data to bear (real wages from papers like Frankema and van Waijenburg and Bolt and Hillbom and the archival work they have done for AOF; urbanisation from the World Urbanization Prospects data). For the second two, they are required to make some assumptions about the parameters.
The net effect of the new income estimates compared to the ‘old’ Maddison figures from the 2013 update is to reduce inequality between both the sample of African countries for which they have new income estimates as well as to reduce inequality between the colonies of AOF (excluding Mauritania, for which there is no new estimate).
However, part of the reason for this compression of inter-colonial inequality is, in my opinion, the choice of a fixed parameter to express the difference in productivity between the agricultural and non-agricultural sectors (which I’ll just call the ‘productivity gap’). For all countries in their sample, this parameter in the MDP is 2, based on a paper by Gollin, Lakagos and Waugh. We can quibble about whether they picked the right number from that paper—I’d argue that maybe they should have picked a productivity gap of 3, since their choice of 2 is one that has been corrected for the different characteristics of agricultural workers, which we care about when we want to know about the intrinsic differences in the nature of both sectors, but not so much when all we want to know is how much stuff a worker produces in aggregate, for which we just need the raw, unadjusted productivity gap.
More fundamentally, though, if we’re interested in the inequality between colonies, it would be interesting to see what happens when we allow the productivity gap to vary between colonies. After all, in the Gollin, Lakagos and Waugh paper, it’s quite clear that the productivity gap varies enormously from country to country; the assumption that it was stable across African colonies is probably a little too strong. So how do we come up with varying productivity gaps? Well, the Gollin Lakagos and Waugh paper doesn’t help us greatly; their regressions don’t offer much in the way of explanatory power.
However, fortunately for us, they were trying to do something much harder than we’re doing: they were trying to explainproductivity gaps; all we need to do is predict them. And to do that, we can actually use one of their other reported variables: the share of the population in agriculture, which is reasonably strongly correlated with the agricultural productivity gap. 2
When I do a simple OLS regression of agricultural productivity gaps on employment shares in agriculture using Gollin, Lakagos and Waugh’s data, I end up the following fitted equation:
Agricultural productivity gap = 1.3 + 0.08 * agriculture’s employment share
And since the Maddison estimates are already assuming that agriculture’s employment share is simply one minus the urbanisation rate, I can then use fitted values of the agricultural productivity gap to substitute in for the fixed parameter used in the Maddison estimates. This yields what I’ll call my ‘productivity-varying’ estimates of per capita GDP in AOF in 1950:
GDP per capita:
Maddison (absolute)
Maddison (% of Senegal)
New (absolute)
New (% of Senegal)
Sénégal $2343 $2030
Dahomey $1217 51% $777 38%
Haute-Volta $1377 59% $854 42%
Soudan français $1292 55% $924 45%
Côte d’Ivoire $1746 74% $1283 63%
Guinée française $1227 52% $830 41%
Niger $1153 39% $737 36%
The changes are fairly dramatic, but the main impact of my new estimates is to distance Senegal from the other colonies in the AOF. The Senegalese city of Dakar was the capital of the federation, supporting a fairly extensive bureaucracy, and so the colony itself had a much higher rate of urbanization than any of the other colonies; mechanically, this means that its per capita income is assumed to be much higher than that of any other colony in the federation.
Per capita income Ginis (population-weighted) for country groupings in 1950
Whole mini-sample
Afrique occidentale française
‘Old’ Maddison 0.17 0.25
New Maddison (income) 0.11 0.16
‘Modelled’ gaps 0.17 0.24
What does this mean? Well, it means that if we allow for varying productivity gaps, our estimates of intercolonial inequality in AOF are substantially revised: more or less all the way back up to the levels that the ‘old’ version of the Maddison database found. Much of this increase in estimated inequality is driven by the relative ‘pulling away’ of Senegal.
This has obviously important implications for the writing of West African political history. It also seems moderately interesting in understanding the possibilities for industrialisation in the periods before and after independence. If we take the Maddison figures, then Senegal’s share of AOF’s total GDP in 1950 was 20%; according to my revised figures, it represented 25% of total AOF GDP. According to the received wisdom, the loss of the West African market in 1960 largely doomed the nascent industrial sector in Dakar, forcing it to rely on the home market. There is no doubt something to this, but I think it’s important to quantify exactly how big the West African market was for Senegal.
We can compare these figures to other federations for which population-weighted inter-regional Ginis were calculated by Branko Milanovic: if we take the Maddison GDP figures, then the federation of AOF was about as unequal, in a regional sense, as India in the 1980s. If we take my figures, then it falls somewhere between ‘Chinese’ and ‘Brazilian’ levels of regional inequality:
The last metric on which we want to compare the economic fortunes of the constituent colonies of Afrique occidentale française is taxation, and it is federal taxation that provides the key to understanding the economics of federalist politics in the late colonial period, as the quotes as the beginning suggest. For the most part, AOF relied on trade taxes to fund its federal budget. This meant that, even though some trade was registered in the colony of destination (there were customs posts at Kayes in Soudan français, for example) much of the tax revenue for this budget was remitted by the coastal states, and especially Senegal (which, in the port of Dakar, had one of the best deepwater ports in West Africa, second only to Freetown) and Côte d’Ivoire.
Needless to say, as we saw at the beginning, the disproportionate burden of taxation falling upon the coastal states was a source of considerable angst for them:
Trade taxes per capita per year
Mauritania 13 francs
Haute-Volta 46 francs
Niger 64 francs
Soudan français 99 francs
Guinée 368 francs
Dahomey 412 francs
Côte d’Ivoire 1243 francs
Sénégal 1796 francs
This was not, it should be stressed, the only way in which the ‘sand’ states like Soudan français and Niger contributed to the federal budgets: they also made lump-sum transfers from the other tax revenues they collected. We should also consider that federal spending was disproportionately concentrated on the same states that remitted most of the tax revenue, so the actual net fiscal impact was not quite the same: I also have a working paper in progress to quantify the fiscal transfers within the AOF over the course of its history. In the following chart, I show the absolute scale of these transfers—defined as federal spending minus federal taxes—for 1925, the year for which I have the most complete data:
The pattern, which was reasonably stable over the life of the federation, was that the coastal states, with the exception of Senegal, subsidised the inland colonies. Dahomey’s burden was largely taken over by Côte d’Ivoire later on in the period of federation. Senegal’s privileged position as a rich state that nonetheless received more federal spending than taxation was due to the location of Dakar, the federal capital, within Senegal’s territory; this ensured that federal spending outweighed federal taxation. I think this is a fairly obvious reason for Senegal’s relative enthusiasm for federalist projects just before independence, compared to the absolute reluctance of Côte d’Ivoire.
Whichever way you slice it, there was a considerable amount of inequality within the federation of Afrique occidentale française. My own estimates of GDP and wages suggest slightly more inequality than the more well-known estimates. I think the instability of the federation, and its collapse upon independence (as well as the failure of proposed successor states, like the Fédération du Mali) has a lot to do with this economic inequality. In future work, I hope to offer a model that uses some of the data I’ve covered in this post to explain the political economy of federalism in West Africa in the middle of the century.
The fact that there is significant divergence for some countries when you compare across the estimates may be partly due to the fact that we’re looking at different years, but may also partly reflect methodology used to construct the subsistence baskets—when you use the Allen basket approach, you are sometimes forced to make choices about what to include in the basket (which grain is the cheapest? should we count pork as a protein option if most of the population of a city is Muslim and therefore won’t eat it?) [return]
Presumably they didn’t incorporate this into their regressions because the employment share, like the productivity gap, is determined by more fundamental geographical endowments [return]
PhD student in economic history at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge View all posts by Tom Westland
Next Next post: Pinochet’s inequality miracle
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How Did Antiochus III Influence the Hellenistic World?
Bust of a Hellenistic Era Ruler Believed to Be Antiochus III in the Louvre Museum
The era of Greco-Roman history known as the Hellenistic Period (336-31 BC) is often overlooked and sometimes trivialized by historians and classicists. Some experts argue that the era was lacking in the artistic beauty and cultural significance of the earlier Greek city-state period: most of the great Greek philosophers were pre-Hellenistic and most of what are considered Greece’s finest works of art and architecture were made before 336 BC.
On the other hand, other scholars contend that the Hellenistic Period lacked the geopolitical significance of the Roman Empire because, for instance, Augustus was able to do what no Hellenistic king could by uniting the entire Mediterranean basin under one government. With all of that said, the Hellenistic Period was still a very important part of Greco-Roman culture.
The Hellenistic Period was essentially a bridge that joined the Greeks and Romans into what experts of “big history” refer to as “Hellenic Civilization.” It was a period of turmoil, war, and expansion, when Macedonian Greek kings eschewed democracy but attempted to spread other elements of Greek culture to the east. Among the Hellenistic kings, Antiochus III of the Seleucid Empire was one of the greatest. From his throne in the newly founded city of Seleucia, Antiochus III influenced the greater Hellenistic world by waging wars against Ptolemaic Egypt and Rome and by recognizing the native Babylonian culture, while promoting Hellenism within the kingdom.
Hellenism and the Hellenistic World
In order to understand Antiochus III’s role in the Hellenistic world, a brief examination of Hellenism is warranted. The term is derived from the ancient Greek word for Greece, Hellas, and refers to the philosophy that became popular in the Greek speaking world in the late fourth century BC whereby certain elements of Greek culture were forcefully spread to non-Greek speaking lands in the east. The Hellenistic kings did this a number of ways, including building new cities – Alexandria, Seleucia, Antioch, etc. – and by forcefully moving as many as hundreds of thousands Greek speaking migrants into the Near East. [1] But Hellenism would have only been a high-minded philosophy discussed in the academies of Greece if it were not for Alexander the Great and his successor generals who spread the idea by force.
The Seleucid Empire
Map of the Seleucid Empire at Its Height
After Alexander died in 323 BC, his vast empire was divided among his Macedonian generals who were known as the Diadochi. Disagreements over succession were immediately apparent, so the generals met in a city called Triparadeisos, Syria in 320 BC in order to reach an amicable settlement. Although the agreement led to civil war among the Macedonians, which are known as the Wars of the Diadochi, a general named Seleucus walked away with the Babylonian “satrapy,” which comprised all of Mesopotamia, part of the Levant, and most of Persia. [2]
Seleucus established a new Macedonian dynasty in Mesopotamia, known as the Seleucid Dynasty, and officially assumed the kingship in 305 BC, becoming the new king of Babylon. Seleucus, who is now known as Seleucus I (ruled 305-281 BC), established many of the hallmarks of Seleucid culture and created a template for later kings, such as Antiochus III, during his long and prosperous rule. Although he was a proponent of Hellenism, settling thousands of Greek speaking migrants in Mesopotamia during his rule, he also tolerated and even supported the native Mesopotamian culture to some extent. He commissioned Babylonian scholars to include the early Seleucid kings in the Babylonian Chronicle and they were also included in the Uruk King-lists through the reign of Seleucid II (reigned 246-225 BC). In addition, Seleucus I observed the important Babylonian New Year festival, which no doubt helped to further ingratiate his rule and his new dynasty among the influential native Babylonian priests. [3]
Antiochus III in Power
Coin of Antiochus III
When Antiochus III (ruled 223-187 BC) came to power, he had the benefit of inheriting a fairly stable and prosperous kingdom. With that said, the rule of Antiochus III “Megas,” or “the Great,” represented the apex of Seleucid power – the empire stretched to its farthest extent and the kings commanded the respect of rulers from Rome to India. It would be on the battlefield where Antiochus III would have the greatest impact in the Hellenistic world, although he was not always successful.
Not long after Antiochus III came to power, he was challenged by one of his regional governors, or “satraps,” named Molon. Perhaps believing that the new king was naïve and inexperienced, Molon led a rebellion in his satrap of Media. Antiochus III, though, proved to the other Seleucid satraps that he was not to be challenged, as he quickly put the rebellion down and executed Molon. [4] But Antiochus had little time to enjoy his victory because an older and more powerful enemy was causing problems in the west.
The Fourth and Fifth Syrian Wars
Perhaps the greatest enemy that the Seleucids had was another Macedonian descended dynasty – the Ptolemies of Egypt. The Seleucids and Ptolemies fought six major wars, known as the Syrian Wars, against each other for control of the region they knew as “Coele-Syria,” which was the inland region of the Levant, not including Judea. Four wars had already taken place between the Ptolemies and Seleucids by the time Antiochus III came to the throne, usually with very little change in the geopolitical map, but the upstart Seleucid king believed that he could easily defeat Ptolemy IV (reigned 221-204 BC). The Fourth Syrian War lasted from 219 BC until 217 BC, ending in dramatic fashion at the Battle of Raphia on June 22, 217 BC. All expected Antiochus III to win the war, but Ptolemy IV pulled out the upset, routing the Seleucid forces. The victory was only temporary, though, as native Egyptian military officers aligned with native Egyptian priests fomented a rebellion in order to overthrow the Ptolemies. [5] The Ptolemies were able to suppress the native rebellion and hold Coele-Syria, which meant that Antiochus III had to switch his tactics from military force to diplomacy.
Most successful rulers show their true acumen as a leader during peacetime and in the art of diplomacy. Any king with a large enough army can win battles, but it takes a certain amount of cunning and intelligence to be able to negotiate beneficial deals during peacetime and arrange alliances that can put one in a more stable position when war does resume. Antiochus III did this by arranging the marriage of his daughter to the next king of Egypt, Ptolemy V (ruled 204-180 BC). The marriage temporarily brought peace to the two kingdoms, but Antiochus III merely used the respite to consolidate his forces and prepare for a surprise attack in Coele-Syria.
Antiochus III proved to be much more successful in the Fifth Syrian War (202-195 BC) than he was in the previous installment, as he not only retook Coele-Syria but also added Phoenicia, coastal Palestine, and Judea to the Seleucid possessions. [6] Antiochus was partially aided by severe inflation in Egypt, [7] but the battlefield victory was nonetheless total and complete. Antiochus III’s victory over Ptolemy V made him the most powerful monarch of the Near East and arguably also the strongest among the Hellenistic kings. But the Seleucid king’s new won status also pulled him into a war with Rome that proved to be the beginning of the end of the Seleucid Empire.
The Roman-Seleucid War
Drawing of a Panel from Pergamum Depicting the Battle of Magnesia
War was a constant state of affairs during the Hellenistic Period among the Macedonian descended rulers, but by the early second century BC the Romans entered the mix. Since Macedonia was the ancestral homeland of all the Hellenistic kings, they often set their sights on conquering the land in addition to whatever empire they ruled. Macedonia was also close to Rome, which had been expanding steadily in the western Mediterranean and was fresh off its decisive victory over Carthage in 202 BC. In 193 BC, Antiochus III decided to invade Philip V’s (reigned 221-179 BC) Kingdom of Macedonia, but was ultimately challenged by the Romans. At first, the Romans were cautious of Antiochus’ power and aligned with him:
“With affairs in this disturbed state, the Romans had no hope of overcoming Antiochus, but were content if only could preserve their former conquests. For he was regarded as a mighty ruler even by virtue of his own power, by which he had subjugated Media among other exploits; but he became far mightier still through having gained as sons-in-law Ptolemy, king of Egypt, and Ariarathes, king of Cappadocia. In view of this estimate of Antiochus, the Romans, so long as they were at war with Phillip, were careful to court his favour, keeping up friendly relations with him through envoys and sending him gifts. But when they had vanquished their other enemy, they despised also this king whom they had formerly feared.” [8]
The Romans’ opportunity to turn on the Seleucids came when Eumenes II, the king of Pergamum, offered his army in an alliance against Antiochus III. The Roman-Pergamum army routed the Seleucids at the Battle of Magnesia in late 190 or early 189 BC. Although Antiochus III did not relinquish any Seleucid lands to the Romans, he was forced to send royal hostages to Rome and to pay a large indemnity, setting the stage for the Seleucid twilight and Rome’s dominance in the eastern Mediterranean. [9]
Antiochus III, Hellenism, and the Native Babylonian Religion
The final way in which Antiochus III influenced the Hellenistic Period was his nurturing of the Greek and Babylonian cultures within his kingdom, often simultaneously. Although he did not take the active role promoting Babylonian historiography the way that the first two Seleucid kings did, he was known to play a role in the important Babylonian New Year festivals. [10] While he was doing that, Antiochus III also promoted Hellenism in Mesopotamia by building gymnasions and almost exclusively promoting Greek speakers within the royal administration. [11]
Antiochus III played a major role in the history of the Hellenistic world. He ruled the Seleucid Empire when it was at its greatest point in terms of physical extent, wealthy, and power, gaining the respect of the other powerful leaders of the world through his military prowess. Antiochus III battled the Ptolemies, eventually taking considerable land from them in the Levant, but was ultimately stopped short in his conquest of the Mediterranean by the Romans. The Seleucid king was also a supporter of the cultures of both his Greek and Mesopotamian subjects, which helped make him one of the more interesting and important of all the Hellenistic kings.
↑ Bryce, Trevor. Ancient Syria: A Three Thousand Year History. (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2014), p. 168
↑ Bryce, pgs. 159-161
↑ Boiy, Tom. “The Reigns of the Seleucid Kings According to the Babylonian King List.” Journal of Near Eastern Studies 70 (2011) pgs. 1-10
↑ Bryce, p. 182
↑ Chauveau, Michael. Egypt in the Age of Cleopatra: History and Society under the Ptolemies. Translated by David Lorton. (Ithaca, New York: Cornell University Press, 2000), p. 11
↑ Chauveau, p. 84
↑ Cassius Dio. Roman History. Translated by Earnest Cary. (Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 1954), XIX, 9, 18
↑ Boiy, p. 11
↑ Price, Simon. “The History of the Hellenistic Period.” In The Oxford History of Greece and the Hellenistic World. Edited by John Boardman, Jasper Griffin, and Oswyn Murray. (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001), pgs. 370-5
Retrieved from "https://dailyhistory.org/index.php?title=How_Did_Antiochus_III_Influence_the_Hellenistic_World%3F&oldid=13624"
Near East History
Ancient Mesopotamian History
Hellenistic Period
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Lactic Acid Found to Fuel Tumors
Published November 20, 2008 | Updated January 20, 2016
Duke Health News919-660-1306
A team of researchers at Duke University Medical Center and the Université catholique de Louvain (UCL) has found that lactic acid is an important energy source for tumor cells. In further experiments, they discovered a new way to destroy the most hard-to-kill, dangerous tumor cells by preventing them from delivering lactic acid.
"We have known for more than 50 years that low-oxygen, or hypoxic, cells cause resistance to radiation therapy," said senior co-author Mark Dewhirst, DVM, Ph.D., professor of radiation oncology and pathology at Duke. "Over the past 10 years, scientists have found that hypoxic cells are also more aggressive and hard to treat with chemotherapy. The work we have done presents an entirely new way for us to go after them."
Many tumors have cells that burn fuel for activities in different ways. Tumor cells near blood vessels have adequate oxygen sources and can either burn glucose like normal cells, or lactic acid (lactate). Tumor cells further from vessels are hypoxic and inefficiently burn a lot of glucose to keep going. In turn, they produce lactate as a waste product.
Tumor cells with good oxygen supply actually prefer to burn lactate, which frees up glucose to be used by the less-oxygenated cells. But when the researchers cut off the cells' ability to use lactate, the hypoxic cells didn't get as much glucose.
For the dangerous hypoxic cells, "it is glucose or death," said Pierre Sonveaux, professor in the UCL Unit of Pharmacology & Therapeutics and lead author of the study, published in the Nov. 20 online edition of the Journal of Clinical Investigation. He formerly worked with Dr. Dewhirst at Duke.
The next challenge was to discover how lactate moved into tumor cells. Because lactate recycling exists in exercising muscle to prevent cramps, the researchers imagined that the same molecular machinery could be used by tumor cells.
"We discovered that a transporter protein of muscle origin, MCT1, was also present in respiring tumor cells," said Dewhirst. The team used chemical inhibitors of MCT1 and cell models in which MCT1 had been deleted to learn its role in delivering lactate.
"We not only proved that MCT1 was important, we formally demonstrated that MCT1 was unique for mediating lactate uptake," said Professor Olivier Feron of the UCL Unit of Pharmacology & Therapeutics.
Blocking MCT1 did not kill the oxygenated cells, but it nudged their metabolism toward inefficiently burning glucose. Because the glucose was used more abundantly by the better-oxygenated cells, they used up most of the glucose before it could reach the hypoxic cells, which starved while waiting in vain for glucose to arrive.
"This finding is really exciting," Dewhirst said. "The idea of starving hypoxic cells to death is completely novel."
Even though hypoxic tumor cells have been identified as a cause of treatment resistance for decades, there has not been a reliable method to kill them. "They are the population of cells that can cause tumor relapse," said Professor Feron.
A significant advantage of the new strategy is that a new drug does not need to reach hypoxic cells far from blood vessels and it does not need to enter into cells at all - it merely needs to block the transporter molecule that moves the lactose, which is outside of the cells. "This finding will be really important for drug development," said Sonveaux.
The researchers also showed in mice that radiation therapy along with MCT1 inhibition was effective for killing the remaining tumor cells, those nearest the blood vessels. This proved to be a substantial anti-tumor approach.
The study was funded by grants from the National Institutes of Health; the Belgian American Educational Foundation (BAEF); from governmental foundations, F.R.S.-FNRS, Communauté française de Belgique and Région wallonne; and the J. Maisin and St. Luc Foundations in Belgium.
Other authors included, from Duke University Medical Center: Thies Schroeder, Melanie C. Wergin, Zahid N. Rabbani, and Kelly M. Kennedy from the Department of Radiation Oncology; Michael J. Kelley, from the Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology; and Miriam L. Wahl from the Department of Pathology. And from the Université catholique de Louvain (UCL), in Brussels, Belgium: Frédérique Végran, Julien Verrax, and Christophe J. De Saedeleer from the Unit of Pharmacology & Therapeutics; and Caroline Diepart, Bénédicte F. Jordan, and Bernard Gallez of the Unit of Biomedical Magnetic Resonance.
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UK: From $1 firm, Lord Ashcroft nets £132m
Simon Bowers
Lord Ashcroft, the Conservative party deputy chairman and major donor, has agreed to sell his loss-making US janitorial business in a deal that will bring him a £132m windfall.
The proposed sale of OneSource to ABM Industries shocked UK investors yesterday because it values the company, which is 74% controlled by Lord Ashcroft, at £179m. That is more than seven times its stock market value on the Aim junior stock market in London.
OneSource, which carries out duties from litter removal to toilet cleaning for more than 10,000 US customers, was created by Lord Ashcroft after he acquired the US arm of a Danish cleaning firm, ISS, for just $1 ten years ago.
Henrik Slipsager, chief executive of ABM, said: "Although OneSource is a public company traded on Aim, it has a very limited public float. Its chairman Lord Ashcroft has an interest in 74%, so we didn't see the market traded value of the shares as representative of OneSource's inherent value - either as a standalone company or as part of a combination with ABM."
OneSource made a $1.9m (£930,000) loss for the year to March 31 and has been struggling to break even in the face of thin margins and union resistance to Lord Ashcroft's attempts to cut labour costs.
The business is now close to resolving years of worker compensation claims but it was hit this year by a $4.1m charge after unions forced it to recognise obligations to pension plans it had sought to exit. The issue remains in dispute.
The £48.10-a-share offer from ABM is 46 times the firm's earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation - a ratio almost unheard of in the City.
Mr Slipsager insisted the price was justified because of the "unique" opportunities for cost-cutting presented by the enlarged group. He expects to cut duplicated back office jobs and to generate annual cost savings for the combined group of between $45m and $50m.
ABM is also well placed to take advantage of OneSource tax losses which could wipe $14m from the enlarged group's tax bill.
The sale of OneSource is the latest of a string of staggering feats of financial alchemy which have punctuated Belize-based Lord Ashcroft's business career and have left the British tax exile with a complex web of business interests worth an estimated £800m.
Other lucrative deals include timely purchases of share options at burglar alarm group ADT before the business was sold to US conglomerate Tyco for $6bn. His fortune took a dent, however, when Tyco was hit by a corporate corruption scandal involving the then chief executive Dennis Kozlowski.
Lord Ashcroft, who has been a regular donor to the Tory party, was appointed deputy party chairman by David Cameron in 2005. In 1999 he had twice been turned down for a peerage by the political honours scrutiny committee, despite being nominated by William Hague. After his eventual ennoblement, he successfully fought a court action to have "disobliging references" in government files on him ruled to be "without foundation".
OneSource has not been a listed company for long, having been demerged last year from another of Lord Ashcroft's London-listed vehicles, BB Holdings, which contains his interest in Belize Bank. A third listed business, Carlisle Group, contains Lord Ashcroft's UK cleaning and recruitment interests. All three are tightly held by the British peer and form the most visible part of his labyrinthine business empire, much of which is incorporated in offshore tax havens.
104 Globalization
185 Corruption
201 Executive Compensation
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Early Romantic Era
Romantic Era Explored
When people talk about “Classical” music, they usually mean Western art music of any time period. But the Classical period was actually a very short era, basically the second half of the eighteenth century. Only two Classical-period composers are widely known: Mozart and Haydn.
The Romantic era produced many more composers whose names and music are still familiar and popular today: Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Schumann, Schubert, Chopin, and Wagner are perhaps the most well-known, but there are plenty of others who may also be familiar, including Strauss, Verdi, Liszt, Mendelssohn, Puccini, and Mahler. Ludwig van Beethoven, possibly the most famous composer of all, is harder to place. His early works are from the Classical period and are clearly Classical in style. But his later music, including the majority of his most famous music, is just as clearly Romantic.
The term Romantic covers most of the music (and art and literature) of Western civilization from the nineteenth century (the 1800’s). But there has been plenty of music written in the Romantic style in the twentieth century (including many popular movie scores), and music isn’t considered Romantic just because it was written in the nineteenth century. The beginning of that century found plenty of composers (Rossini, for example) who were still writing Classical-sounding music. And by the end of the century, composers were turning away from Romanticism and searching for new idioms, including post-Romanticism, Impressionism, and early experiments in Modern music.
Background, Development, and Influence
Classical Roots
Sometimes a new style of music happens when composers forcefully reject the old style. Early Classical composers, for example, were determined to get away from what they considered the excesses of the Baroque style. Modern composers also were consciously trying to invent something new and very different.
But the composers of the Romantic era did not reject Classical music. In fact, they were consciously emulating the composers they considered to be the great classicists: Haydn, Mozart, and particularly Beethoven. They continued to write symphonies, concertos, sonatas, and operas, forms that were all popular with classical composers. They also kept the basic rules for these forms, as well as keeping the rules of rhythm, melody, harmony, harmonic progression, tuning, and performance practice that were established in (or before) the Classical period.
The main difference between Classical and Romantic music came from attitudes towards these “rules”. In the eighteenth century, composers were primarily interested in forms, melodies, and harmonies that provided an easily-audible structure for the music. In the first movement of a sonata, for example, each prescribed section would likely be where it belonged, the appropriate length, and in the proper key. In the nineteenth century, the “rules” that provided this structure were more likely to be seen as boundaries and limits that needed to be explored, tested, and even defied. For example, the first movement of a Romantic sonata may contain all the expected sections as the music develops, but the composer might feel free to expand or contract some sections or to add unexpected interruptions between them. The harmonies in the movement might lead away from and back to the tonic just as expected, but they might wander much further afield than a Classical sonata would, before they make their final return.
Different Approaches to Romanticism
In fact, one could divide the main part of the Romantic era into two schools of composers. Some took a more conservative approach. Their music is clearly Romantic in style and feeling, but it also still clearly does not want to stray too far from the Classical rules. Schubert, Schumann, Mendelssohn and Brahms are in this category.
Other composers felt more comfortable with pushing the boundaries of the acceptable. Berlioz, Strauss, and Wagner were all progressives whose music challenged the audiences of their day.
Where to Go After Romanticism?
Perhaps it was inevitable, after decades of pushing at all limits to see what was musically acceptable, that the Romantic era would leave later composers with the question of what to explore or challenge next. Perhaps because there was no clear answer to this question (or several possible answers), many things were happening in music by the end of the Romantic era.
The period that includes the final decades of the nineteenth century and the first decades of the twentieth is sometimes called thepost-Romantic era. This is the period when many composers, such as Jean Sibelius, Bela Bartok, and Ralph Vaughan-Williams, concentrated on the traditions of their own countries, producing strongly nationalistic music. Others, such as Mahler and Strauss, were taking Romantic musical techniques to their utmost reasonable limits. In France, Debussy and Ravel were composing pieces that that some listeners felt were the musical equivalent of impressionistic paintings. Impressionism and some other -isms such as Stravinsky’s primitivism still had some basis in tonality; but others, such as serialism, rejected tonality and the Classical-Romantic tradition completely, believing that it had produced all that it could. In the early twentieth century, these Modernists eventually came to dominate the art music tradition. Though the sounds and ideals of Romanticism continued to inspire some composers, the Romantic period was essentially over by the beginning of the twentieth century.
Music doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It is affected by other things that are going on in society; ideas, attitudes, discoveries, inventions, and historical events may affect the music of the times.
For example, the “Industrial Revolution” was gaining steam throughout the nineteenth century. This had a very practical effect on music: there were major improvements in the mechanical valves and keys that most woodwinds and brass instruments depend on. The new, improved instruments could be played more easily and reliably, and often had a bigger, fuller, better-tuned sound. Strings and keyboard instruments dominate the music of the Baroque and Classical periods, with small groups of winds added for color. As the nineteenth century progressed and wind instruments improved, more and more winds were added to the orchestra, and their parts became more and more difficult, interesting, and important. Improvements in the mechanics of the piano also helped it usurp the position of the harpsichord to become the instrument that to many people is the symbol of Romantic music.
Another social development that had an effect on music was the rise of the middle class. Classical composers lived on the patronage of the aristocracy; their audience was generally small, upper-class, and knowledgeable about music. The Romantic composer, on the other hand, was often writing for public concerts and festivals, with large audiences of paying customers who had not necessarily had any music lessons. In fact, the nineteenth century saw the first “pop star”-type stage personalities. Performers like Paganini and Liszt were the Elvis Presleys of their day.
Romantic Music as an Idea
But perhaps the greatest effect that society can have on an art is in the realm of ideas.
The music of the Classical period reflected the artistic and intellectual ideals of its time. Form was important, providing order and boundaries. Music was seen as an an abstract art, universal in its beauty and appeal, above the pettinesses and imperfections of everyday life. It reflected, in many ways, the attitudes of the educated and the aristocratic of the “Enlightenment” era. Classical music may sound happy or sad, but even the emotions stay within acceptable boundaries.
Romantic-era composers kept the forms of Classical music, but the Romantic composer did not feel constrained by form. Breaking through boundaries was now an honorable goal shared by the scientist, the inventor, and the political liberator. Music was no longer universal; it was deeply personal and sometimes nationalistic. The personal sufferings and triumphs of the composer could be reflected in stormy music that might even place a higher value on emotion than on beauty. Music was not just happy or sad; it could be wildly joyous, terrified, despairing, or filled with deep longings.
It was also more acceptable for music to clearly be from a particular place. Audiences of many eras enjoyed an opera set in a distant country, complete with the composer’s version of exotic-sounding music. But many nineteenth-century composers (including Weber, Wagner, Verdi, Mussorgsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, Grieg, Dvorak, Sibelius,and Albeniz) used folk tunes and other aspects of the musical traditions of their own countries to appeal to their public. Much of this nationalistic music was produced in the post-Romantic period, in the late nineteenth century; in fact, the composers best known for folk-inspired classical music in England (Holst and Vaughan Williams) and the U. S. (Ives, Copland, and Gershwin) were twentieth-century composers who composed in Romantic, post-Romantic, or Neoclassical styles instead of embracing the more severe Modernist styles.
Music can also be specific by having a “program”. Program music is music that, without words, tells a story or describes a scene. Richard Strauss’s tone poems are perhaps the best-known works in this category, but program music has remained popular with many composers through the twentieth century. Again unlike the abstract, universal music of the Classical composers, Romantic-era program music tried to use music to describe or evoke specific places, people, and ideas. And again, with program music, those Classical rules became less important. The form of the music was chosen to fit with the program (the story or idea), and if it was necessary at some point to choose sticking more closely to the form or to the program, the program usually won.
As mentioned above, post-Romantic composers felt ever freer to experiment and break the established rules for form, melody, and harmony. Many modern composers have, in fact, gone so far that the average listener again finds it difficult to follow. Romantic-style music, on the other hand, with its emphasis on emotions and its balance of following and breaking the musical “rules”, still finds a wide audience.
The Music of the Romantic Era. Authored by: Catherine Schmidt-Jones. Provided by: OpenStax. Located at: http://cnx.org/contents/e71564ba-cafd-442a-97f6-30b9d2ee4af0@11/The_Music_of_the_Romantic_Era. License: CC BY: Attribution
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Remembering: Paul Soldner
Published on Thursday, January 6, 2011.
Image courtesy of the Soldner family.
Groundbreaking ceramic artist Paul Soldner died at the age of 89 on Monday. The internationally recognized pioneer was instrumental in the evolution of ceramic art. Soldner was often referred to as the "father of American raku," and also known for his innovative work with low-temperature salt firing.
Throughout his career he taught at Claremont Graduate University and Scripps College, where he also curated the annual ceramic exhibition. He was a member of the American Craft Council's College of Fellows, which honors remarkable artists who have significantly contributed to their craft for more than 25 years, and in 2008 Soldner was awarded the organization's Gold Medal for consummate craftsmanship.
In a 1982 profile of Soldner in American Craft, Judith Dunham wrote:
When Soldner first experimented with raku in 1960, his only source was a suggestion in Bernard Leach's seminal publication, A Potter's Book. Initially unsuccessful with his stoneware raku firings, Soldner persisted until he reached the level of refinement, expertise, and control that make his low fire work of the 1960's and 1970's such an impressive achievement. Because little if any documented information was available on raku 20 years ago, Soldner's process relied heavily on creative exploitation of the accident. Researchers frequently ask Soldner for his bibliography on raku, low-fire salt or kiln building. "Sometimes they think I'm playing a game," he says, "when I tell them I followed nothing. There was just a curiosity and observing accidents."
Soldner admits that accidents in art do not evolve and flourish without guidance. "What one does with an accident," Soldner cautions, "is the important thing. If it isn't possible to see the accident in a constructive sense-that is, if one can't grow from it-it will remain an accident."
Soldner told Dunham that a student once asked him why he didn't teach clay history, and he replied, "I'm more interested in making it. Although that sounds egotistical, I am trying to create something that will earn a historical place." And that he did.
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Create Some Noise
Creative Marketing Solutions
Weekly Noise
Brexit: The Shaping of New Consumer Trends
Jeffrey Baker · Oct 25, 2018 ·
When the UK voted to leave the European Union on 23rd June 2016, no-one quite understood what was going to happen moving forward. Although things are little clearer more than two years on, businesses and consumers still have a looming cloud over the post-Brexit scenario, whether the UK’s economy will take a big hit, slow decline, or no effect at all. Leavers believe there will be minimal impact on the economy upon divorce, remainers believe the complete opposite. Additionally, the price of goods & services, cost of living and the state of the NHS are all concerning factors to the future of the UK after the big split.
The critical questions to consider with only months left until we leave are; what does this mean for the future of marketing in the UK? How will it affect the way we buy and consume our essentials and luxuries? Will we have enough in our pockets to afford luxuries at all? The exploration of potential consumer buying habits and confidence levels will determine what strategies marketers will need to have prepared and ready for March 29th 2019. The transition period is likely to come into effect, meaning we will still operate under EU rules & regulations. Therefore, it is crucial for businesses to have a contingency plan and strategies in place if the entire Brexit deal collapses within the last two months of negotiations; providing they haven’t already struck a deal before the end of 2018 (let’s hope).
Deal, or no Deal?
A no-deal scenario for the UK leaving the EU is a scary thought for everyone. Let’s face it. Businesses and consumers will feel the biggest hit; with the UK potentially facing tariffs of 90% on EU goods. Trading under World Trade Organisation terms equates to “an average tariff of 4%, which is about £4.5 billion to £6 billion-worth of increased costs per year on our exports”. To elaborate on the consequences of a no deal scenario, the leading problems most likely to happen are:
A fall in the value of the pound, which means sourcing international promotional material will be increasingly expensive. However, those exporting from the UK may find some opportunities in this, acting as a stepping stone to growing outside of the UK – that is if the expected taxes don’t restrict this all together.
Uncertainty of approximately 2,550 EU workers within the design and creative industries, tightening the supply of creative accessibility and the pockets of those looking to pay for creative work.
Cause chaos around cross-border services, i.e. financial services, aviation, broadcasting, professional and legal services, including neighbouring industries that work closely with these services. Fast forward to October 2018; this event is very unlikely to happen, but a lot of outlined effects are still very real. Nevertheless, if the Conservatives want to be out of power for the next 30 years, a no deal Brexit won’t be an option. Recently it has been reported that Brexit talks are 95% complete in terms of securing an agreement. That doesn’t mean that the no deal scenario is completely ruled out, though. The intricacies of a deal with the EU are tenfold; which is why it’s currently difficult to predict such an outcome.
Changes in Consumer Behaviour and Confidence
Until the vote, we thought we understood the consumer. Endless models on consumer buying behaviour and analysing confidence levels have assisted us to accurately build profiles and strategic campaigns effectively. Mark Haviland of Rakuten Marketing EVP Global Development, stated that “Marketers must work hard to understand their customers better if they are to engage customers in this unsettled market”. A report by Rakuten on the changes in consumer buying habits after Brexit suggested the following:
UK consumers may favour goods made or sourced in the UK after Brexit.
Foreign-produced premium goods such as handbags, casual apparel and formal clothing brands likely to be affected from a loss of trust by 41% (handbags), 39.3% (casual apparel), and 37.8% (formal clothing).
56.3% of consumers may not prefer to pay more for online delivery in the event of an increase in premium brands
Although there will be a change in consumer buying habits, brands can utilise these results to curate new strategies and campaigns to benefit from. For example, brands with a ‘home-grown’ ethos, can capitalise on the change in UK consumerism towards goods made or sourced in the UK after Brexit. A focus on a campaign appealing to this audience could be a feasible option if your brand didn’t already have a ‘home-grown’ ethos.
Living costs and rising inflation are significant factors in consumer confidence. If living costs rise, confidence in personal finances go down, consumers feel the squeeze in their pockets, meaning they are less likely to spend on luxuries and focus more on essentials. The rippling effect of consumer change limits the way marketing delivers effective results for companies, so it’s vital that consumer confidence remains at safe levels. Thankfully, the hot weather from August 2018 helped boost consumer confidence levels but remained in negative figures at -7. However, the further we go into negotiations without a secure deal by Christmas could ignite a decrease in consumer confidence as the worry of Brexit will catch up as an underlying concern for people, alongside rising inflation.
The Impact on Marketing Strategy
To adapt to a constantly evolving situation, marketers need to align their future strategies and predict all possible outcomes of Brexit before Q1 2019 hits. Brexit has resulted in a pragmatic approach from marketers that requires intensive thought and decision-making on how companies can still maintain consumers and generate new leads after March 2019.
The interesting conundrum of the impact on marketing strategy is the effect on marketing budgets post-Brexit. The IPA (Institute for Practitioners of Advertising) suggested that UK marketing budgets have been growing at its slowest rate since 2015, notably in Q3 of 2018. It is no coincidence that it’s a concern for businesses; uncertainty surrounding Brexit has caused careful consideration of financial planning and it comes with no surprise that marketing budgets are amongst those affected, with 80% of companies freezing or reduced budgets (69% and 11%). Despite that, the chances of a deal is more likely than a no deal, so there is optimism within the marketing world to invest more into budgets to expand internationally, for those that haven’t yet explored export strategies.It is evident that marketing strategies will need to change after Brexit because we don’t know the exact details of how it’s going to change buying habits, only predictions. What we can take-away from these predictions, however, is that it’s going to take more than a ‘wait and see’ approach to Brexit, which is no longer an option only months away from the final decision of departure.
So how can Businesses Market to These Changes?
Export Strategy
For brands, it’s less complicated now than ever to market your products outside of your home turf. What lies underneath the big data umbrella is accurate demographic segmentation and personalisation right at your fingertips. The integration of digital (social media, digital display, Out-of-Home advertising) within marketing has revolutionised the way we impact people’s lives. A significant marketing trend for businesses come Q1 2019 is to focus on an export strategy post-Brexit as the price and confidence in the pound continue to stagnate at a low level. The idea that SMEs are taking shots at exporting goods outside of Europe to drive export growth is something few and far between but is happening with succession. A CIM (Chartered Institute of Marketing) report produced in May 2018 suggested that 70% of SMEs, already exporting goods, is set to increase 3% in the next three years. Look into building campaigns that sell the international accessibility of English products and services. An export strategy is essential to thrive in times of uncertainty, especially when the pound is at a weak point because prospectively, imports will be more expensive and it financially makes more sense to focus on export growth.
Economic pressures due to a potential hard Brexit could entail more expensive imports, meaning businesses will need to develop their ‘home-grown’ ethos to justify their price, or even undercut the more expensive imports. This approach will mean a re-evaluation of your pricing strategy and as a business, the responsibility and its margins are down to you. So what is the focus? Great service for value. This is no new concept in the customer-centric marketing world, but in times of uncertainty, consumers need to feel like they are getting substantial value for money. Businesses need to adapt to this mindset during the rise of inflation. The weakened currency has pushed up import costs, so it is crucial that consumers are aware that prices are inevitably going to rise after Brexit. As inflation increases, the marketing department is fully responsible for pricing strategy; so getting your pricing strategy right to get your business through financial uncertainty from Brexit is so important to retain and grow your customer base.
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Bangladesh next live stream matches:
HEAD COACHChandika Hathurusingha
HOME GROUNDMirpur Stadium
The Bangladesh national cricket team, or The Tigers, is the representative of Bangladesh in international cricket. It is administered by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB). Bangladesh is a full member of the International Cricket Council with Test and One Day International status. It played its first Test match in November 2000 against India, in Dhaka, becoming the tenth Test-playing nation. Bangladesh's first official international cricket competition came in the 1979 ICC Trophy in England. On 31 March 1986, Bangladesh played its first ODI match against Pakistan in the Asia Cup. Cricket is now the most popular sport in the country surpassing football. In 1997, Bangladesh won the ICC Trophy in Malaysia and thus qualified for its first Cricket World Cup to be placed in England in 1999. On 26 June 2000, Bangladesh was granted full ICC membership.
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Amendment agreed to Committee of the Whole House amendment offered
1. H.Amdt.760 — 113th Congress (2013-2014) Description: At the end of the bill, before the short title, insert the following: SEC.___. None of the funds made available in this Act may be used for a loan guarantee for Innovative Technologies in Manufacturing under the heading "Economic Development Administration, Economic Development Assistance Programs". Amends Bill: H.R.4660 Sponsor: Rep. Broun, Paul C. [R-GA-10] (Offered 05/29/2014) Latest Action: 05/29/14 On agreeing to the Broun (GA) amendment (A071) Agreed to by voice vote. (All Actions)
2. H.Amdt.442 — 113th Congress (2013-2014) Description: Amendment reduces funding for the Federal Maritime Commission by $100,000 and applies the savings to the Spending Reduction account. Amends Bill: H.R.2610 Sponsor: Rep. Broun, Paul C. [R-GA-10] (Offered 07/30/2013) Latest Action: 07/30/13 On agreeing to the Broun (GA) amendment (A026) Agreed to by voice vote. (All Actions)
3. H.Amdt.338 — 113th Congress (2013-2014) Description: Amendment requires the Secretary of Education to include in the required report to Congress the average salary of employees who were determined to be associated with eliminated or consolidated programs or projects by the underlying legislation and a report on the average salaries of the employees of the Department according to their job function. Amends Bill: H.R.5 Sponsor: Rep. Broun, Paul C. [R-GA-10] (Offered 07/18/2013) Latest Action: 07/18/13 On agreeing to the Broun (GA) amendment (A021) Agreed to by voice vote. (All Actions)
4. H.Amdt.242 — 113th Congress (2013-2014) Description: Amendment provides that all claims arising from projects taking place under the bill are to be filed within 60 days and resolved within 180 days. Amendment also places restrictions on appeals and institutes a "loser pays" requirement on individuals or entities filing suit, except in specified circumstances, and stipulates that the amendment only applies to individuals or entities which are not parties to the pending leases. Amends Bill: H.R.2231 Sponsor: Rep. Broun, Paul C. [R-GA-10] (Offered 06/28/2013) Latest Action: 06/28/13 On agreeing to the Broun (GA) amendment (A009) Agreed to by recorded vote: 217 - 202 (Roll no. 300). (All Actions)
5. H.Amdt.1328 — 112th Congress (2011-2012) Description: Amendment reduces funds for administrative expenses for the Surface Transportation Board by $1,940,000 and to apply the savings to the spending reduction account. Amends Bill: H.R.5972 Sponsor: Rep. Broun, Paul C. [R-GA-10] (Offered 06/26/2012) Latest Action: 06/26/12 On agreeing to the Broun (GA) amendment (A013) Agreed to by voice vote. (All Actions)
6. H.Amdt.1326 — 112th Congress (2011-2012) Description: Amendment reduces funds for the administrative expenses of the Maritime Guaranteed Loan program by $10,000 and to apply the savings to the spending reduction account. Amends Bill: H.R.5972 Sponsor: Rep. Broun, Paul C. [R-GA-10] (Offered 06/26/2012) Latest Action: 06/26/12 On agreeing to the Broun (GA) amendment (A011) Agreed to by voice vote. (All Actions)
7. H.Amdt.1279 — 112th Congress (2011-2012) Description: Amendment reduces funding for the Congressional Research Service by $878,000 (FY 2012 Level) and to apply the savings to the spending reduction account. Amends Bill: H.R.5882 Sponsor: Rep. Broun, Paul C. [R-GA-10] (Offered 06/08/2012) Latest Action: 06/08/12 On agreeing to the Broun (GA) amendment (A002) Agreed to by recorded vote: 214 - 189 (Roll no. 372). (All Actions)
8. H.Amdt.1061 — 112th Congress (2011-2012) Description: Amendment reduces funds for the salaries and expenses of the Marine Mammal Commission by $181,500 (6 percent). Amends Bill: H.R.5326 Sponsor: Rep. Broun, Paul C. [R-GA-10] (Offered 05/08/2012) Latest Action: 05/08/12 On agreeing to the Broun (GA) amendment (A028) Agreed to by voice vote. (All Actions)
9. H.Amdt.647 — 112th Congress (2011-2012) Description: Amendment reduces the operating budget of the Office of the Secretary of Energy by $2.5 million and applies the savings to the spending reduction account. Amends Bill: H.R.2354 Sponsor: Rep. Broun, Paul C. [R-GA-10] (Offered 07/13/2011) Latest Action: 07/13/11 On agreeing to the Broun (GA) amendment (A044) Agreed to by voice vote. (All Actions)
10. H.Amdt.353 — 112th Congress (2011-2012) Description: Amendment reduces the funding for the Office of the Under Secretary for Management by $600,000 and applies the savings to the spending reduction account. Amends Bill: H.R.2017 Sponsor: Rep. Broun, Paul C. [R-GA-10] (Offered 06/01/2011) Latest Action: 06/01/11 On agreeing to the Broun (GA) amendment (A005) Agreed to by voice vote. (All Actions)
11. H.Amdt.414 — 111th Congress (2009-2010) Description: Amendment adds a requirement to title I that the Secretary of Energy submit to Congress an annual report describing activities undertaken in the previous year, active industry participants, efforts to recruit new participants, progress of the program in meeting goals and timelines, and a strategic plan for funding of activities across agencies. Amends Bill: H.R.3246 Sponsor: Rep. Broun, Paul C. [R-GA-10] (Offered 09/16/2009) Latest Action: 09/16/09 On agreeing to the Broun (GA) amendment (A003) Agreed to by voice vote. (All Actions)
Sponsored Legislation [11]
Amendments (H.Amdt. or S.Amdt.) [11]
Status of Amendment
Amendment agreed to Committee of the Whole Remove
House amendment offered Remove
House amendment agreed to [11]
House amendment offered/reported by [11]
Roll call votes on amendments in House [2]
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| Download Results
Legislation 116 (2019-2020) 109 (2005-2006) Schakowsky, Janice D. [D-IL]
1. H.R.3770 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) To require the chief election officials of the States to provide voter registration forms at certain naturalization proceedings, and for other purposes. Sponsor: Rep. Boyle, Brendan F. [D-PA-2] (Introduced 07/16/2019) Cosponsors: (3) Committees: House - House Administration Latest Action: House - 07/16/2019 Referred to the House Committee on House Administration. (All Actions) Tracker:
2. H.R.1327 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) Never Forget the Heroes: James Zadroga, Ray Pfeifer, and Luis Alvarez Permanent Authorization of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund Act Sponsor: Rep. Maloney, Carolyn B. [D-NY-12] (Introduced 02/25/2019) Cosponsors: (332) Committees: House - Judiciary Latest Action: Senate - 07/16/2019 Read the first time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under Read the First Time. (All Actions) Tracker:
3. H.Res.495 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding the prevention of Iran from obtaining or developing nuclear weapons. Sponsor: Rep. Lee, Barbara [D-CA-13] (Introduced 07/16/2019) Cosponsors: (24) Committees: House - Foreign Affairs Latest Action: House - 07/16/2019 Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. (All Actions) Tracker:
4. H.Res.489 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) Condemning President Trump's racist comments directed at Members of Congress. Sponsor: Rep. Malinowski, Tom [D-NJ-7] (Introduced 07/15/2019) Cosponsors: (187) Committees: House - Judiciary Latest Action: House - 07/16/2019 Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection. (All Actions) Tracker:
5. H.R.3760 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) To enhance the rights of domestic workers, and for other purposes. Sponsor: Rep. Jayapal, Pramila [D-WA-7] (Introduced 07/15/2019) Cosponsors: (27) Committees: House - Education and Labor, Energy and Commerce, Ways and Means, Judiciary, House Administration, Oversight and Reform Latest Action: House - 07/15/2019 Referred to the Committee on Education and Labor, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, Ways and Means, the Judiciary, House Administration, and Oversight and Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for... (All Actions) Tracker:
6. H.R.582 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) Raise the Wage Act Sponsor: Rep. Scott, Robert C. "Bobby" [D-VA-3] (Introduced 01/16/2019) Cosponsors: (205) Committees: House - Education and Labor Committee Reports: H. Rept. 116-150 Latest Action: House - 07/15/2019 Rules Committee Resolution H. Res. 492 Reported to House. Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 582 with 1 hour of general debate. Previous question shall be considered as ordered without intervening motions except motion to recommit with or without instructions... (All Actions) Tracker:
Array ( [actionDate] => 2019-07-11 [displayText] => Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Education and Labor. H. Rept. 116-150. [externalActionCode] => 5000 [description] => Introduced )
7. H.Res.432 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) Condemning the attacks on peaceful protesters and supporting an immediate peaceful transition to a civilian-led democratic government in Sudan. Sponsor: Rep. Kildee, Daniel T. [D-MI-5] (Introduced 06/10/2019) Cosponsors: (71) Committees: House - Foreign Affairs Latest Action: House - 07/15/2019 Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection. (All Actions) Tracker:
Array ( [actionDate] => 2019-07-15 [displayText] => Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 414 - 1 (Roll no. 476).(text: CR H5789-5790) [externalActionCode] => 8000 [description] => Agreed to in House )
8. H.R.3742 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) To amend the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act to make supplemental funds available for management of fish and wildlife species of greatest conservation need as determined by State fish and wildlife agencies, and for other purposes. Sponsor: Rep. Dingell, Debbie [D-MI-12] (Introduced 07/12/2019) Cosponsors: (67) Committees: House - Natural Resources, Budget Latest Action: House - 07/12/2019 Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned. (All Actions) Tracker:
9. H.R.553 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) Military Surviving Spouses Equity Act Sponsor: Rep. Wilson, Joe [R-SC-2] (Introduced 01/15/2019) Cosponsors: (371) Committees: House - Armed Services Latest Action: House - 07/12/2019 Assigned to the Consensus Calendar, Calendar No. 1. (All Actions) Tracker:
10. H.R.36 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) Combating Sexual Harassment in Science Act of 2019 Sponsor: Rep. Johnson, Eddie Bernice [D-TX-30] (Introduced 01/03/2019) Cosponsors: (102) Committees: House - Science, Space, and Technology Committee Reports: H. Rept. 116-153 Latest Action: House - 07/12/2019 Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 115. (All Actions) Tracker:
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11. H.R.3712 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) Wage Theft Prevention and Wage Recovery Act Sponsor: Rep. DeLauro, Rosa L. [D-CT-3] (Introduced 07/11/2019) Cosponsors: (18) Committees: House - Education and Labor Latest Action: House - 07/11/2019 Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor. (All Actions) Tracker:
12. H.R.3698 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to provide for additional disclosure requirements with respect to content from registered foreign agents. Sponsor: Rep. Eshoo, Anna G. [D-CA-18] (Introduced 07/11/2019) Cosponsors: (2) Committees: House - Energy and Commerce Latest Action: House - 07/11/2019 Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. (All Actions) Tracker:
13. H.R.2328 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) Community Health Investment, Modernization, and Excellence Act of 2019 Sponsor: Rep. O'Halleran, Tom [D-AZ-1] (Introduced 04/15/2019) Cosponsors: (82) Committees: House - Energy and Commerce Latest Action: House - 07/11/2019 Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee (Amended) by Voice Vote . (All Actions) Tracker:
14. H.R.2035 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) Lifespan Respite Care Reauthorization Act of 2019 Sponsor: Rep. Langevin, James R. [D-RI-2] (Introduced 04/02/2019) Cosponsors: (14) Committees: House - Energy and Commerce Latest Action: House - 07/11/2019 Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee (Amended) by Voice Vote . (All Actions) Tracker:
15. H.R.1044 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act of 2019 Sponsor: Rep. Lofgren, Zoe [D-CA-19] (Introduced 02/07/2019) Cosponsors: (311) Committees: House - Judiciary | Senate - Judiciary Latest Action: Senate - 07/11/2019 Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (All Actions) Tracker:
16. H.R.677 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) 21st Century President Act Sponsor: Rep. Pocan, Mark [D-WI-2] (Introduced 01/17/2019) Cosponsors: (41) Committees: House - Judiciary | Senate - Judiciary Committee Reports: H. Rept. 116-139 Latest Action: Senate - 07/11/2019 Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (All Actions) Tracker:
17. H.R.3668 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) To direct the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to issue an occupational safety and health standard to protect workers from heat related injuries and illnesses. Sponsor: Rep. Chu, Judy [D-CA-27] (Introduced 07/10/2019) Cosponsors: (27) Committees: House - Education and Labor Latest Action: House - 07/10/2019 Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor. (All Actions) Tracker:
18. H.R.3172 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) Safe Sleep Act of 2019 Sponsor: Rep. Cardenas, Tony [D-CA-29] (Introduced 06/10/2019) Cosponsors: (6) Committees: House - Energy and Commerce Latest Action: House - 07/10/2019 Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee (Amended) by Voice Vote . (All Actions) Tracker:
19. H.R.2647 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) SOFFA Sponsor: Rep. Matsui, Doris O. [D-CA-6] (Introduced 05/09/2019) Cosponsors: (6) Committees: House - Energy and Commerce Latest Action: House - 07/10/2019 Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee by Voice Vote . (All Actions) Tracker:
20. H.R.1618 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) Nicholas and Zachary Burt Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Prevention Act of 2019 Sponsor: Rep. Kuster, Ann M. [D-NH-2] (Introduced 03/07/2019) Cosponsors: (7) Committees: House - Energy and Commerce, House Administration Latest Action: House - 07/10/2019 Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee (Amended) by Voice Vote . (All Actions) Tracker:
21. H.R.806 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) Portable Fuel Container Safety Act of 2019 Sponsor: Rep. Thompson, Mike [D-CA-5] (Introduced 01/28/2019) Cosponsors: (51) Committees: House - Energy and Commerce Latest Action: House - 07/10/2019 Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee (Amended) by Voice Vote . (All Actions) Tracker:
22. H.R.397 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) Rehabilitation for Multiemployer Pensions Act Sponsor: Rep. Neal, Richard E. [D-MA-1] (Introduced 01/09/2019) Cosponsors: (201) Committees: House - Education and Labor, Ways and Means, Appropriations Latest Action: House - 07/10/2019 Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute by the Yeas and Nays: 25 - 17. (All Actions) Tracker:
23. H.R.3645 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) To amend title 13, United States Code, to provide that individuals in prison shall, for the purposes of a decennial census, be attributed to the last place of residence before incarceration, and for other purposes. Sponsor: Rep. Clay, Wm. Lacy [D-MO-1] (Introduced 07/09/2019) Cosponsors: (18) Committees: House - Oversight and Reform Latest Action: House - 07/09/2019 Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Reform. (All Actions) Tracker:
24. H.Con.Res.52 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) Expressing the sense of Congress that there is a climate emergency which demands a massive-scale mobilization to halt, reverse, and address its consequences and causes. Sponsor: Rep. Blumenauer, Earl [D-OR-3] (Introduced 07/09/2019) Cosponsors: (47) Committees: House - Energy and Commerce Latest Action: House - 07/09/2019 Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. (All Actions) Tracker:
25. H.Res.478 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) Expressing support for the designation of Journeyman Lineman Recognition Day. Sponsor: Rep. Sanchez, Linda T. [D-CA-38] (Introduced 07/09/2019) Cosponsors: (109) Committees: House - Energy and Commerce Latest Action: House - 07/09/2019 Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. (All Actions) Tracker:
26. H.R.1856 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) Ending Homelessness Act of 2019 Sponsor: Rep. Waters, Maxine [D-CA-43] (Introduced 03/25/2019) Cosponsors: (46) Committees: House - Financial Services, Budget Committee Reports: H. Rept. 116-137 Latest Action: House - 07/05/2019 Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 101. (All Actions) Tracker:
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27. H.R.3606 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) High Speed Gunfire Prevention Act Sponsor: Rep. Cicilline, David N. [D-RI-1] (Introduced 07/02/2019) Cosponsors: (31) Committees: House - Judiciary Latest Action: House - 07/02/2019 Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary. (All Actions) Tracker:
28. H.R.3593 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) Hot Cars Act of 2019 Sponsor: Rep. Ryan, Tim [D-OH-13] (Introduced 06/28/2019) Cosponsors: (2) Committees: House - Energy and Commerce, Transportation and Infrastructure Latest Action: House - 07/01/2019 Referred to the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit. (All Actions) Tracker:
29. H.R.3281 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) Deceptive Practices and Voter Intimidation Prevention Act of 2019 Sponsor: Rep. McEachin, A. Donald [D-VA-4] (Introduced 06/13/2019) Cosponsors: (61) Committees: House - Judiciary Latest Action: House - 06/28/2019 Referred to the Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet. (All Actions) Tracker:
30. H.R.3265 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) 3D Printed Gun Safety Act of 2019 Sponsor: Rep. Deutch, Theodore E. [D-FL-22] (Introduced 06/13/2019) Cosponsors: (42) Committees: House - Judiciary Latest Action: House - 06/28/2019 Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security. (All Actions) Tracker:
31. H.R.3252 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) Global Respect Act Sponsor: Rep. Cicilline, David N. [D-RI-1] (Introduced 06/13/2019) Cosponsors: (62) Committees: House - Foreign Affairs, Judiciary Latest Action: House - 06/28/2019 Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties. (All Actions) Tracker:
32. H.R.3239 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) Humanitarian Standards for Individuals in Customs and Border Protection Custody Act Sponsor: Rep. Ruiz, Raul [D-CA-36] (Introduced 06/12/2019) Cosponsors: (153) Committees: House - Judiciary, Homeland Security Latest Action: House - 06/28/2019 Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship. (All Actions) Tracker:
33. H.R.3234 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) Keeping Gun Dealers Honest Act of 2019 Sponsor: Rep. Langevin, James R. [D-RI-2] (Introduced 06/12/2019) Cosponsors: (12) Committees: House - Judiciary Latest Action: House - 06/28/2019 Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security. (All Actions) Tracker:
34. H.R.3222 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) No Federal Funds for Public Charge Act of 2019 Sponsor: Rep. Chu, Judy [D-CA-27] (Introduced 06/12/2019) Cosponsors: (42) Committees: House - Judiciary Latest Action: House - 06/28/2019 Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship. (All Actions) Tracker:
35. H.R.3214 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) Equal Access to Justice for Victims of Gun Violence Act Sponsor: Rep. Schiff, Adam B. [D-CA-28] (Introduced 06/11/2019) Cosponsors: (18) Committees: House - Judiciary Latest Action: House - 06/28/2019 Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security. (All Actions) Tracker:
36. H.R.3133 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) Gay and Trans Panic Defense Prohibition Act of 2019 Sponsor: Rep. Kennedy, Joseph P., III [D-MA-4] (Introduced 06/05/2019) Cosponsors: (34) Committees: House - Judiciary Latest Action: House - 06/28/2019 Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security. (All Actions) Tracker:
37. H.R.3106 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) Domestic Terrorism DATA Act Sponsor: Rep. Thompson, Bennie G. [D-MS-2] (Introduced 06/05/2019) Cosponsors: (29) Committees: House - Homeland Security, Judiciary Latest Action: House - 06/28/2019 Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security. (All Actions) Tracker:
38. H.R.3076 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) Federal Extreme Risk Protection Order Act of 2019 Sponsor: Rep. McBath, Lucy [D-GA-6] (Introduced 06/04/2019) Cosponsors: (64) Committees: House - Judiciary Latest Action: House - 06/28/2019 Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security. (All Actions) Tracker:
39. H.R.2933 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) Food and Agribusiness Merger Moratorium and Antitrust Review Act of 2019 Sponsor: Rep. Pocan, Mark [D-WI-2] (Introduced 05/22/2019) Cosponsors: (12) Committees: House - Agriculture, Judiciary Latest Action: House - 06/28/2019 Referred to the Subcommittee on Antitrust, Commercial, and Administrative Law. (All Actions) Tracker:
40. H.R.2660 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) Election Security Act of 2019 Sponsor: Rep. Thompson, Bennie G. [D-MS-2] (Introduced 05/10/2019) Cosponsors: (52) Committees: House - House Administration, Homeland Security, Intelligence (Permanent Select), Science, Space, and Technology, Foreign Affairs, Judiciary Latest Action: House - 06/28/2019 Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties. (All Actions) Tracker:
41. H.Res.444 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) Reaffirming the importance of the United States to promote the safety, health, and well-being of refugees and displaced persons. Sponsor: Rep. Lieu, Ted [D-CA-33] (Introduced 06/14/2019) Cosponsors: (73) Committees: House - Foreign Affairs, Judiciary Latest Action: House - 06/28/2019 Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship. (All Actions) Tracker:
42. H.R.3589 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) Greg LeMond Congressional Gold Medal Act Sponsor: Rep. Thompson, Mike [D-CA-5] (Introduced 06/27/2019) Cosponsors: (179) Committees: House - Financial Services Latest Action: House - 06/27/2019 Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services. (All Actions) Tracker:
43. H.R.3572 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) Redistricting Reform Act of 2019 Sponsor: Rep. Lofgren, Zoe [D-CA-19] (Introduced 06/27/2019) Cosponsors: (50) Committees: House - Judiciary Latest Action: House - 06/27/2019 Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary. (All Actions) Tracker:
44. H.R.3563 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) Stop Shackling and Detaining Pregnant Women Act Sponsor: Rep. Garcia, Sylvia R. [D-TX-29] (Introduced 06/27/2019) Cosponsors: (41) Committees: House - Judiciary Latest Action: House - 06/27/2019 Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary. (All Actions) Tracker:
45. H.R.3554 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) End Purchase of Firearms by Dangerous Individuals Act of 2019 Sponsor: Rep. Cicilline, David N. [D-RI-1] (Introduced 06/27/2019) Cosponsors: (19) Committees: House - Judiciary, Energy and Commerce Latest Action: House - 06/27/2019 Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee... (All Actions) Tracker:
46. H.R.3553 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) To amend chapter 44 of title 18, United States Code, to ensure that all firearms are traceable, and for other purposes. Sponsor: Rep. Cicilline, David N. [D-RI-1] (Introduced 06/27/2019) Cosponsors: (28) Committees: House - Judiciary Latest Action: House - 06/27/2019 Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary. (All Actions) Tracker:
47. H.R.1146 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) Arctic Cultural and Coastal Plain Protection Act Sponsor: Rep. Huffman, Jared [D-CA-2] (Introduced 02/11/2019) Cosponsors: (182) Committees: House - Natural Resources Committee Reports: H. Rept. 116-133 Latest Action: House - 06/27/2019 Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 97. (All Actions) Tracker:
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48. H.R.434 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) Emancipation National Historic Trail Study Act Sponsor: Rep. Jackson Lee, Sheila [D-TX-18] (Introduced 01/10/2019) Cosponsors: (55) Committees: House - Natural Resources Committee Reports: H. Rept. 116-135 Latest Action: House - 06/27/2019 Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 99. (All Actions) Tracker:
49. H.Res.472 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) Requesting the President to strongly condemn Jamal Khashoggi's killing, hold accountable individuals identified as culpable, and condemn imprisonment of and violence against journalists around the world. Sponsor: Rep. Speier, Jackie [D-CA-14] (Introduced 06/27/2019) Cosponsors: (34) Committees: House - Foreign Affairs Latest Action: House - 06/27/2019 Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. (All Actions) Tracker:
50. H.Res.469 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) Recognizing the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising. Sponsor: Rep. Haaland, Debra A. [D-NM-1] (Introduced 06/27/2019) Cosponsors: (24) Committees: House - Judiciary Latest Action: House - 06/27/2019 Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary. (All Actions) Tracker:
51. H.R.3517 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) Restore Honor to Service Members Act Sponsor: Rep. Pocan, Mark [D-WI-2] (Introduced 06/26/2019) Cosponsors: (105) Committees: House - Armed Services, Veterans' Affairs Latest Action: House - 06/26/2019 Referred to the Committee on Armed Services, and in addition to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee... (All Actions) Tracker:
52. H.R.3509 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) LGBTQ Data Inclusion Act Sponsor: Rep. Grijalva, Raul M. [D-AZ-3] (Introduced 06/26/2019) Cosponsors: (96) Committees: House - Oversight and Reform Latest Action: House - 06/26/2019 Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Reform. (All Actions) Tracker:
53. H.R.3501 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) Safeguard our Elections and Combat Unlawful Interference in Our Democracy Act Sponsor: Rep. Engel, Eliot L. [D-NY-16] (Introduced 06/26/2019) Cosponsors: (32) Committees: House - Foreign Affairs, Judiciary, Financial Services Latest Action: House - 06/26/2019 Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, and Financial Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of... (All Actions) Tracker:
54. H.R.3498 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) Combating Deceptive Immigration Enforcement Practices Act of 2019 Sponsor: Rep. Velazquez, Nydia M. [D-NY-7] (Introduced 06/26/2019) Cosponsors: (22) Committees: House - Judiciary Latest Action: House - 06/26/2019 Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary. (All Actions) Tracker:
55. H.R.2925 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) Protecting Data at the Border Act Sponsor: Rep. Lieu, Ted [D-CA-33] (Introduced 05/22/2019) Cosponsors: (10) Committees: House - Judiciary, Homeland Security Latest Action: House - 06/26/2019 Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship. (All Actions) Tracker:
56. H.R.2922 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) Respond NOW Act Sponsor: Rep. Kuster, Ann M. [D-NH-2] (Introduced 05/22/2019) Cosponsors: (35) Committees: House - Energy and Commerce, Judiciary, Ways and Means, Budget, Education and Labor Latest Action: House - 06/26/2019 Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security. (All Actions) Tracker:
57. H.R.2913 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) Eastern Mediterranean Security and Energy Partnership Act of 2019 Sponsor: Rep. Deutch, Theodore E. [D-FL-22] (Introduced 05/22/2019) Cosponsors: (33) Committees: House - Foreign Affairs, Financial Services, Oversight and Reform, Ways and Means, Judiciary Latest Action: House - 06/26/2019 Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security. (All Actions) Tracker:
58. H.R.2908 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) Filipino Veterans Family Reunification Act of 2019 Sponsor: Rep. Case, Ed [D-HI-1] (Introduced 05/22/2019) Cosponsors: (16) Committees: House - Judiciary Latest Action: House - 06/26/2019 Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship. (All Actions) Tracker:
59. H.R.2867 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) Ethan's Law Sponsor: Rep. DeLauro, Rosa L. [D-CT-3] (Introduced 05/21/2019) Cosponsors: (32) Committees: House - Judiciary Latest Action: House - 06/26/2019 Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security. (All Actions) Tracker:
60. H.R.2865 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) Reverse Mass Incarceration Act of 2019 Sponsor: Rep. Cardenas, Tony [D-CA-29] (Introduced 05/21/2019) Cosponsors: (13) Committees: House - Judiciary Latest Action: House - 06/26/2019 Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security. (All Actions) Tracker:
61. H.R.2851 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) Fairness and Accuracy in Employment Background Checks Act of 2019 Sponsor: Rep. Scott, Robert C. "Bobby" [D-VA-3] (Introduced 05/20/2019) Cosponsors: (13) Committees: House - Judiciary Latest Action: House - 06/26/2019 Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security. (All Actions) Tracker:
62. H.R.2843 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) Marijuana Freedom and Opportunity Act Sponsor: Rep. Jeffries, Hakeem S. [D-NY-8] (Introduced 05/20/2019) Cosponsors: (37) Committees: House - Energy and Commerce, Judiciary, Natural Resources, Agriculture, Transportation and Infrastructure, Small Business Latest Action: House - 06/26/2019 Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security. (All Actions) Tracker:
63. H.R.2842 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) POD Act of 2019 Sponsor: Rep. Crow, Jason [D-CO-6] (Introduced 05/20/2019) Cosponsors: (13) Committees: House - Judiciary, Homeland Security Latest Action: House - 06/26/2019 Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship. (All Actions) Tracker:
64. H.R.2813 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) Asylum Seeker Work Authorization Act of 2019 Sponsor: Rep. Pingree, Chellie [D-ME-1] (Introduced 05/16/2019) Cosponsors: (8) Committees: House - Judiciary Latest Action: House - 06/26/2019 Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship. (All Actions) Tracker:
65. H.R.2749 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) Restoring Justice for Workers Act Sponsor: Rep. Nadler, Jerrold [D-NY-10] (Introduced 05/15/2019) Cosponsors: (48) Committees: House - Judiciary, Education and Labor Latest Action: House - 06/26/2019 Referred to the Subcommittee on Antitrust, Commercial, and Administrative Law. (All Actions) Tracker:
66. H.R.2729 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) PROTECT Immigration Act of 2019 Sponsor: Rep. Quigley, Mike [D-IL-5] (Introduced 05/14/2019) Cosponsors: (15) Committees: House - Judiciary Latest Action: House - 06/26/2019 Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship. (All Actions) Tracker:
67. H.R.2719 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) Stamp Out Elder Abuse Act of 2019 Sponsor: Rep. King, Peter T. [R-NY-2] (Introduced 05/14/2019) Cosponsors: (4) Committees: House - Oversight and Reform, Judiciary, Energy and Commerce, Ways and Means, Education and Labor Latest Action: House - 06/26/2019 Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security. (All Actions) Tracker:
68. H.R.2708 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) Disarm Hate Act Sponsor: Rep. Cicilline, David N. [D-RI-1] (Introduced 05/14/2019) Cosponsors: (118) Committees: House - Judiciary Latest Action: House - 06/26/2019 Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security. (All Actions) Tracker:
69. H.R.2687 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) Customer Non-Discrimination Act Sponsor: Rep. Watson Coleman, Bonnie [D-NJ-12] (Introduced 05/10/2019) Cosponsors: (28) Committees: House - Judiciary Latest Action: House - 06/26/2019 Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties. (All Actions) Tracker:
70. H.R.2686 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) Border Property Protection Act Sponsor: Rep. Waters, Maxine [D-CA-43] (Introduced 05/10/2019) Cosponsors: (14) Committees: House - Judiciary Latest Action: House - 06/26/2019 Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship. (All Actions) Tracker:
71. H.R.2674 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) Gun Theft Prevention Act Sponsor: Rep. Morelle, Joseph D. [D-NY-25] (Introduced 05/10/2019) Cosponsors: (12) Committees: House - Judiciary Latest Action: House - 06/26/2019 Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security. (All Actions) Tracker:
72. H.R.2662 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) Asylum Seeker Protection Act Sponsor: Rep. Escobar, Veronica [D-TX-16] (Introduced 05/10/2019) Cosponsors: (36) Committees: House - Judiciary Latest Action: House - 06/26/2019 Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship. (All Actions) Tracker:
73. H.R.2637 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) Preserving Overseas Immigration Services Act Sponsor: Rep. Espaillat, Adriano [D-NY-13] (Introduced 05/09/2019) Cosponsors: (13) Committees: House - Homeland Security, Judiciary Latest Action: House - 06/26/2019 Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship. (All Actions) Tracker:
74. H.R.2635 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) PREP Act Sponsor: Rep. Cummings, Elijah E. [D-MD-7] (Introduced 05/09/2019) Cosponsors: (19) Committees: House - Judiciary, Veterans' Affairs Latest Action: House - 06/26/2019 Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security. (All Actions) Tracker:
75. H.R.1225 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) Restore Our Parks and Public Lands Act Sponsor: Rep. Bishop, Rob [R-UT-1] (Introduced 02/14/2019) Cosponsors: (297) Committees: House - Natural Resources, Education and Labor Latest Action: House - 06/26/2019 Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 36 - 2. (All Actions) Tracker:
76. H.Res.465 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) Expressing support for the designation of June 26 as "LGBTQ Equality Day". Sponsor: Rep. DelBene, Suzan K. [D-WA-1] (Introduced 06/26/2019) Cosponsors: (142) Committees: House - Judiciary Latest Action: House - 06/26/2019 Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary. (All Actions) Tracker:
77. H.Res.464 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) Original LGBTQ Pride Month Resolution of 2019 Sponsor: Rep. Green, Al [D-TX-9] (Introduced 06/26/2019) Cosponsors: (77) Committees: House - Judiciary Latest Action: House - 06/26/2019 Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary. (All Actions) Tracker:
78. H.Res.358 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) Calling on the Government of Cameroon and armed groups to respect the human rights of all Cameroonian citizens, to end all violence, and to pursue a broad-based dialogue without preconditions to resolve the conflict in the Northwest and Southwest regions. Sponsor: Rep. Bass, Karen [D-CA-37] (Introduced 05/07/2019) Cosponsors: (51) Committees: House - Foreign Affairs Latest Action: House - 06/26/2019 Committee Agreed to Seek Consideration Under Suspension of the Rules. (All Actions) Tracker:
79. H.R.3485 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) Driver Fatigue Prevention Act Sponsor: Rep. Speier, Jackie [D-CA-14] (Introduced 06/25/2019) Cosponsors: (2) Committees: House - Education and Labor Latest Action: House - 06/25/2019 Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor. (All Actions) Tracker:
80. H.R.3483 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) Integration of Baseball Commemorative Coin Act Sponsor: Rep. Richmond, Cedric L. [D-LA-2] (Introduced 06/25/2019) Cosponsors: (113) Committees: House - Financial Services Latest Action: House - 06/25/2019 Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services. (All Actions) Tracker:
81. H.R.3468 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) Fair Pay for All Act of 2019 Sponsor: Rep. Brown, Anthony G. [D-MD-4] (Introduced 06/25/2019) Cosponsors: (8) Committees: House - Education and Labor Latest Action: House - 06/25/2019 Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor. (All Actions) Tracker:
82. H.R.3464 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) To establish a National and Community Service Administration to carry out the national and volunteer service programs, to expand participation in such programs, and for other purposes. Sponsor: Rep. Larson, John B. [D-CT-1] (Introduced 06/25/2019) Cosponsors: (185) Committees: House - Education and Labor, Ways and Means Latest Action: House - 06/25/2019 Referred to the Committee on Education and Labor, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee... (All Actions) Tracker:
83. H.R.3463 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act of 2019 Sponsor: Rep. Cartwright, Matt [D-PA-8] (Introduced 06/25/2019) Cosponsors: (55) Committees: House - Education and Labor Latest Action: House - 06/25/2019 Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor. (All Actions) Tracker:
84. H.R.3375 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) Stopping Bad Robocalls Act Sponsor: Rep. Pallone, Frank, Jr. [D-NJ-6] (Introduced 06/20/2019) Cosponsors: (152) Committees: House - Energy and Commerce Latest Action: House - 06/25/2019 Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee (Amended) by Voice Vote . (All Actions) Tracker:
85. H.R.3250 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) Julius Rosenwald and the Rosenwald Schools Act of 2019 Sponsor: Rep. Davis, Danny K. [D-IL-7] (Introduced 06/13/2019) Cosponsors: (13) Committees: House - Natural Resources Latest Action: House - 06/25/2019 Referred to the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands. (All Actions) Tracker:
86. H.R.3189 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) Improving Legal Services for Female Veterans Act Sponsor: Rep. Wild, Susan [D-PA-7] (Introduced 06/10/2019) Cosponsors: (31) Committees: House - Veterans' Affairs Latest Action: House - 06/25/2019 Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity. (All Actions) Tracker:
87. H.R.550 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) Merchant Mariners of World War II Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2019 Sponsor: Rep. Garamendi, John [D-CA-3] (Introduced 01/15/2019) Cosponsors: (296) Committees: House - Financial Services Latest Action: House - 06/25/2019 Motion to place bill on Consensus Calendar filed by Mr. Garamendi. (All Actions) Tracker:
88. H.R.299 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2019 Sponsor: Rep. Takano, Mark [D-CA-41] (Introduced 01/08/2019) Cosponsors: (333) Committees: House - Veterans' Affairs Committee Reports: H. Rept. 116-58 Latest Action: 06/25/2019 Became Public Law No: 116-23. (All Actions) Tracker:
Array ( [actionDate] => 2019-05-14 [displayText] => Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 410 - 0 (Roll no. 203).(text: CR H3743-3746) [externalActionCode] => 8000 [description] => Passed House )
Array ( [actionDate] => 2019-06-12 [displayText] => Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate without amendment by Voice Vote.(consideration: CR S3450) [externalActionCode] => 17000 [description] => Passed Senate )
89. H.R.3454 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) Help Empower Americans to Respond Act Sponsor: Rep. Watson Coleman, Bonnie [D-NJ-12] (Introduced 06/24/2019) Cosponsors: (9) Committees: House - Judiciary Latest Action: House - 06/24/2019 Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary. (All Actions) Tracker:
90. H.R.3451 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) Humane Enforcement and Legal Protections for Separated Children Act of 2019 Sponsor: Rep. Roybal-Allard, Lucille [D-CA-40] (Introduced 06/24/2019) Cosponsors: (27) Committees: House - Judiciary Latest Action: House - 06/24/2019 Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary. (All Actions) Tracker:
91. H.R.3435 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) Local Public Health And Safety Protection Act Sponsor: Rep. Clay, Wm. Lacy [D-MO-1] (Introduced 06/24/2019) Cosponsors: (15) Committees: House - Judiciary Latest Action: House - 06/24/2019 Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary. (All Actions) Tracker:
92. H.R.3418 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) Protecting Our Students by Terminating Graduate Rates that Add to Debt Act Sponsor: Rep. Chu, Judy [D-CA-27] (Introduced 06/21/2019) Cosponsors: (19) Committees: House - Education and Labor Latest Action: House - 06/21/2019 Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor. (All Actions) Tracker:
93. H.R.3374 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) LGBTQ Business Equal Credit Enforcement and Investment Act Sponsor: Rep. Rouda, Harley [D-CA-48] (Introduced 06/20/2019) Cosponsors: (18) Committees: House - Financial Services Latest Action: 06/21/2019 Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR H5026) (All Actions) Tracker:
94. H.R.2897 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) AFTER Act of 2019 Sponsor: Rep. Boyle, Brendan F. [D-PA-2] (Introduced 05/22/2019) Cosponsors: (32) Committees: House - Agriculture Latest Action: House - 06/21/2019 Referred to the Subcommittee on Livestock and Foreign Agriculture. (All Actions) Tracker:
95. H.R.2863 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) Traveling Exotic Animal and Public Safety Protection Act Sponsor: Rep. Grijalva, Raul M. [D-AZ-3] (Introduced 05/21/2019) Cosponsors: (32) Committees: House - Agriculture Latest Action: House - 06/21/2019 Referred to the Subcommittee on Livestock and Foreign Agriculture. (All Actions) Tracker:
96. H.R.3394 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) Children's Act for Responsible Employment and Farm Safety of 2019 Sponsor: Rep. Roybal-Allard, Lucille [D-CA-40] (Introduced 06/20/2019) Cosponsors: (30) Committees: House - Education and Labor Latest Action: House - 06/20/2019 Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor. (All Actions) Tracker:
97. H.R.3391 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) To Offer Refugees College Help (TORCH) Act Sponsor: Rep. Huffman, Jared [D-CA-2] (Introduced 06/20/2019) Cosponsors: (30) Committees: House - Education and Labor Latest Action: House - 06/20/2019 Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor. (All Actions) Tracker:
98. H.R.3381 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) Hold Accountable and Lend Transparency on Campus Sexual Violence Act Sponsor: Rep. Speier, Jackie [D-CA-14] (Introduced 06/20/2019) Cosponsors: (49) Committees: House - Education and Labor, Judiciary Latest Action: House - 06/20/2019 Referred to the Committee on Education and Labor, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee... (All Actions) Tracker:
99. H.R.3378 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) Stop Child Summer Hunger Act of 2019 Sponsor: Rep. Davis, Susan A. [D-CA-53] (Introduced 06/20/2019) Cosponsors: (25) Committees: House - Education and Labor Latest Action: House - 06/20/2019 Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor. (All Actions) Tracker:
100. H.R.3376 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) Lady Liberty Act of 2019 Sponsor: Rep. Connolly, Gerald E. [D-VA-11] (Introduced 06/20/2019) Cosponsors: (76) Committees: House - Judiciary Latest Action: House - 06/20/2019 Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary. (All Actions) Tracker:
110 (2007-2008) [1,042]
Resolutions (H.Res. or S.Res.) [164]
Concurrent Resolutions (H.Con.Res. or S.Con.Res.) [69]
Joint Resolutions (H.J.Res. or S.J.Res.) [20]
Health [224]
Crime and Law Enforcement [98]
Immigration [59]
Taxation [49]
Labor and Employment [43]
Finance and Financial Sector [38]
Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues [37]
Environmental Protection [36]
Public Lands and Natural Resources [36]
Commerce [25]
Science, Technology, Communications [23]
Transportation and Public Works [22]
Energy [21]
Law [14]
Emergency Management [13]
Agriculture and Food [11]
Housing and Community Development [11]
Families [10]
Judiciary [300]
Ways and Means [225]
Education and Labor [196]
Foreign Affairs [174]
Oversight and Reform [159]
Financial Services [105]
Transportation and Infrastructure [56]
Science, Space, and Technology [31]
Intelligence (Permanent Select) [18]
Rules [13]
Ethics [5]
Rules and Administration [1]
Lee, Barbara [D-CA] [31]
Maloney, Carolyn B. [D-NY] [31]
DeLauro, Rosa L. [D-CT] [30]
Conyers, John, Jr. [D-MI] [21]
Slaughter, Louise McIntosh [D-NY] [17]
Schakowsky, Janice D. [D-IL] Remove
Lee, Barbara [D-CA] [660]
Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC] [656]
Democratic [1,138]
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Twelfth Amendment - U.S. Constitution
Twelfth Amendment - Election of President
Amendment Text | Annotations
The Electors shall meet in their respective states, and vote by ballot for President and Vice-President, one of whom, at least, shall not be an inhabitant of the same state with themselves; they shall name in their ballots the person voted for as President and in distinct ballots the person voted for as Vice-President, and they shall make distinct lists of all persons voted for as President, and of all persons voted for as Vice-President, and of the number of votes for each, which lists they shall sign and certify, and transmit sealed to the seat of the government of the United States, directed to the President of the Senate;--The President of the Senate shall, in the presence of the Senate and House of Representatives, open all the certificates and the votes shall then be counted;--The person having the greatest number of votes for President, shall be the President, if such number be a majority of the whole number of Electors appointed; and if no person have such majority, then from the persons having the highest numbers not exceeding three on the list of those voted for as President, the House of Representatives shall choose immediately, by ballot, the President, the votes shall be taken by states, the representation from each state having one vote; a quorum for this purpose shall consist of a member or members from two-thirds of the states, and a majority of all the states shall be necessary to a choice. And if the House of Representatives shall not choose a President whenever the right of choice shall devolve upon them, before the fourth day of March next following, then the Vice-President shall act as President, as in the case of the death or other constitutional disability of the President.--The person having the greatest number of votes as Vice-President, shall be the Vice-President, if such number be a majority of the whole number of Electors appointed, and if no person have a majority, then from the two highest numbers on the list, the Senate shall choose the Vice-President; a quorum for the purpose shall consist of two-thirds of the whole number of Senators, and a majority of the whole number shall be necessary to a choice. But no person constitutionally ineligible to the office of President shall be eligible to that of Vice-President of the United States.
12th Amendment Annotations
Election of President
This Amendment, 1 which supersedes clause 3 of Sec. 1 of Article II, was adopted so as to make impossible the situation occurring after the election of 1800 in which Jefferson and Burr received tie votes in the electoral college, thus throwing the selection of a President into the House of Representatives, despite the fact that the electors had intended Jefferson to be President and Burr to be Vice- President. 2 The difference between the procedure which it defines and that which was laid down originally is in the provision it makes for a separate designation by the electors of their choices for President and Vice-President, respectively. As a consequence of the disputed election of 1870, Congress has enacted a statute providing that if the vote of a State is not certified by the governor under seal, it shall not be counted unless both Houses of Congress concur. 3
[Footnote 1] A number of provisions of the Amendment have been superseded by the Twentieth Amendment.
[Footnote 2] Cunningham, Election of 1800, in 1 History of American Presidential Elections 101 (A. Schlesinger ed., 1971).
[Footnote 3] 3 U.S.C. Sec. 15.
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Wednesday, 30th January, 2019 10.00 am
Contact: Joanne Wildsmith Democratic Services Tel: 9283 4057 Email: Democratic@Portsmouthcc.gov.uk
Appointment of Chair
Councillor Ian Lyon was duly appointed as Chair for this meeting.
Declaration of Members' Interests
Exclusion of Press and Public
RECOMMENDED that the following motion be adopted
"Under the provisions of Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972 as amended by the Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985, the press and public be excluded for the consideration of the following item on the grounds that the report contains information defined as exempt in Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972."
Agenda item and paragraph numbers:
Item 4 - Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976 - Consideration of a driver licence matter
Under the following exemption paragraph numbers:
1. Information relating to an individual
2. Information that is likely to reveal the identity of an individual
3. Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular
person (including the authority holding that information).
(Members are asked to hand in their confidential papers to the Democratic
Services Officer at the end of the meeting.)
It was agreed that the following motion be adopted:
Under the provisions of Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972 as amended by the Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985, the press and public be excluded for the consideration of the following item on the grounds that the report contains information defined as exempt in Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972.
Minute 7 (agenda item 4) - Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976 - Consideration of a driver licence matter.
Exemption paragraph numbers 1, 2 & 3:
3. Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information).
Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976 - consideration of driver licence matter
The exempt report by the Licensing Manager asks the committee to consider the suspension or revocation of a current Private Hire Driver licence pursuant to section 51 of the 1976 act as appropriate to this case.
Consideration of the driver licence matter was held wholly in exempt session, with the driver in attendance and the simplified hearing procedure was followed.
RESOLVED that a decision of temporary suspension was reached.
(A copy of the full decision would be sent to the driver.)
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THE MOUNT OF OLIVES: its past, present & prophetic future, plus associated current events 14 JUNE 2017
This article’s purpose is to provide information that relates to prophecy. The Mount of Olives plays a role in prophecy: “And his feet [Messiah’s] shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east…”(A) Indeed, the prophet who uttered this prophecy is buried there. (See the picture of Zechariah’s Mount of Olives tomb in the thread.) Ezekiel had prophesied that the Glory of the Lord would leave the temple and go to the Mount of Olives.(B) And in 66 A.D., a rabbi watching the beginning of the Roman destruction of Jerusalem reported that he witnessed the glory of God moving to the Mount of Olives from the Temple Mount.(C) Yahshua ascended to heaven from the Mount of Olives (D) and witnesses were told he would return “the same way you have seen Him go into heaven”.(E) So for various reasons both Jews and Christians expect the resurrection of the dead to begin at the Mount of Olives, & many Christians over the centuries have expected Christ to return first to the Mount of Olives.
WHAT IS THE MOUNT OF OLIVES [in Heb. Har HaZeitim]? If you are in the old walled city of Jerusalem, you may realize it was built on the top of a mountain… and that a low area called the Kidron Valley (aka Valley of Josaphat) is to the immediate east beyond the east Golden Gate of Jerusalem. On the other side of this small valley a ridge (or mount) begins called the Mount of Olives or Mount Olivet. It has had Olive trees on it for 3,000 years, and when I visited it, I saw an Olive tree that was there when Christ went to the Garden of Gethsemane to commune with God. The tree would have also witnessed when Yahshua gave his Olivet Prophetic Discourse on the last days (found in MT 24:1-51, MK 13:1-37, & LK 21:5-36). And the tree would have witnessed Christ being arrested in the Olive Garden.(F) You can see a picture of this ancient 2,000 yr. old tree in the thread. The Mount of Olives 2,684 ft. place it about 240 ft. higher than the temple mount.
SOME OF ITS PAST. King David, when fleeing his rebellious son Absalom came to the Mount of Olives first.(G) King David’s son Solomon built pagan altars on the Mount(H), which remained until good king Josiah destroyed them.(I) Besides using the oil from the Olive trees of the Mount of Olives to anoint their kings, the Israelites also built a city of dead, the Silwan Necropolis with 122,000 graves on the Mount, incl. Absalom’s. (See picture in the thread.) Yahshua began his donkey ride into Jerusalem in fulfillment of Zechariah’s prophecy at ZECH 9:9 from the Mount of Olives. The people placed palm branches and yelled “Hoshana Rabbah” (or in English “Hosanna in the Highest”)
THE TEMPLE. Directly to the west are the limited remains of God’s temple, originally built by King Solomon. President Trump recently visited the Wailing Wall (the Western Wall of the defunct Temple) and prayed for wisdom. Trump at Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial Museum on May 23rd said, “I was humbled to place my hand upon the wall and to pray in that holy pace for wisdom from God.” But where is Trump coming from?? He has appointed his son in law Jered Kushner to many important missions, incl. to broker peace between the Israelis & Palestinians. Jered Kusher is very close associate with George Soros, our Illuminati trouble maker who claims Trump is a dictator and needs to be removed. Jered’s family’s real estate business is located at 666 5th Ave., NYC. Quite bizarre…we have an intelligent son in law of Trump’s who looks like he is Illuminati (nominally an Orthodox Jew md. to Ivanka Trump). And he is planning to broker peace for Israel? Jered reminds me of Kevin Lomax (played by Keanu Reeves) in Devil’s Advocate (1997), except I don’t think he is going to switch allegiance from the dark side! Jered also slipped over to Afghanistan with the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The Taliban have taken over 150 districts of 400 in Afghanistan and are fighting in 50 more. Defectors are joining them. It looks like the U.S. with 10,000 troops in Afghanistan is beginning to lose. Now this relates in a way to the Mount of Olives. In LK 22:39, we read that Yahshua went out as usual to the Mount of Olives and was followed by his talmidim (disciples). The arabic equivalent for Talmid is Talib, and the Hebrew “im” plural in Arabic is “an”…the word “disciples” in Arabic is Taliban! Now you know the rest of that story!
Daniel 9:27 prophecies of the Anti-Christ standing in a rebuilt Temple and doing an “Abomination of Desolation”. Trump is in favor a the temple being rebuilt. Hmmm. But we know in the long run, Christ will reign: “The moon will be dismayed, the sun ashamed; for the LORD Almighty will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and before its elders—with great glory.” (Isaiah 24:23)
So much is happening around the world: nanotechnology, genetics, a weak Italian banking system, and various instabilities and tensions around the world. The World’s (Illuminati’s) Kingdom of Death seeks our destruction & death in countless ways. Except for God, we are vulnerable. We are in for a lot of changes in this year and the years to follow. In the middle of all these changes, we can anchor ourselves in the Word of God and have faith in a Creator God, our heavenly Father, who doesn’t change. “For Thou [Lord] art the same, and thy years shall have no end.”(J) “For I am YHWH, I change not;…”(K) “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of Lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.”(L) Let us accept every good gift and every perfect gift from above!!
Be blessed dear reader.
(A) ZECH 14:4 (B) EZK 11:23 (C) Rabbi Jonathan’s eyewitness testimony (D) ACTS 1:1-12 (E) ACTS 1:11 (F) LK 22: 39-46 (G) 2 SAM 11:7-8 (H) 1 KGS 11:7 (I) 2 KGS 23:13 (J) PS 102:27 (K) MAL 3:6 cf. HEB 1:12, 13:8 (L) JAS 1:17.
Author: DeprogramWiki Updates on June 15, 2017
Categories: Fritz Springmeier, Fritz Springmeier Facebook Updates
FRANKEN SKIES DOCUMENTARY FILM SHOWING 13 JUNE 2017 «» RESTING IN GOD’S, CHRIST’S & OUR HUSBAND’S LOVE: a message on true love. 17 JUNE 2017
Last update on July 4, 2017
Author: DeprogramWiki Updates
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Our program in the Philippines
Development and Peace has a long history of involvement in the Philippines. Its community development program is focused on land reform, agriculture and access to resources for impoverished rural and urban communities.
On November 8th, 2013, the Philippines was hit by the strongest typhoon in its history: Super Typhoon Haiyan. In response, Development and Peace is helping affected communities become more resilient and participate directly in the reconstruction process. Drawing on the expertise of its existing partners, Development and Peace is addressing the poverty, socio-economic inequality and state of powerlessness that makes poor and marginalized communities so vulnerable to natural disasters.
The program has four main components:
Recovery and Reconstruction
Pope Francis Village
“It is such a blessing from God to have my own boat. What I give of my catch is such a small compared to what we have been given.” Rodel Doble, a fisherman who received aid from Development and Peace and Caritas Philippines – NASSA after Super Typhoon Haiyan.
This program recognizes the fundamental importance of accountability to, and the democratic participation of, affected populations. It transforms the generosity and solidarity of Canadians into a lasting contribution towards improved living conditions and a better future for those most affected.
Read about Development and Peace’s approach to reconstruction in this report by Jess Agustin, Program Officer for the Philippines.
Typhoon Haiyan: Ensuring participation and justice in the reconstruction process
The Philippines has a population of close to a 100 million. Decades of poor governance has denied the population access to basic amenities and corruption continues to be barrier to development that responds to the needs of all.
The country has vast mineral wealth, however, a 1995 mining bill opened the sector to foreign investment, which has caused the proliferation of open-pit mining to the detriment of the environment and with little benefit to local populations, including a large percentage of indigenous communities.
Despite the majority of the population living from subsistence farming, most land is concentrated in the hands of a few. There have been various attempts to reform this inequality, however, it has been a long process where small-scale farmers have not always received the support they need to gain access to land or make their crops profitable.
In addition to these multiple socio-economic challenges, the Philippines is prone to natural disasters, such as earthquakes and typhoons. The effects of these are exacerbated by poverty and environmental degradation. In recent years, the strength and frequency of these storms has augmented due to climate change.
On November 8, 2013, the Philippines was struck by the worst natural disaster in its history when Super Typhoon Haiyan (known locally as Yolanda) tore through the centre of the country. The storm reached wind speeds of up to 348 km per hour and made landfall six times, destroying nearly everything in its wake. According to the United Nations, 14 million people were affected by the disaster. The islands of Leyte and Samar were the hardest hit, and the whole region of the Visayas was severely damaged.
Development and Peace – Caritas Canada launches new documentary After the Storm: Building the Pope Francis Village
When local organizations in the Philippines supported by Development...
Making sure the government does its part in Typhoon Haiyan reconstruction
It has already been three years since Super Typhoon Haiyan (known locally as Yolanda) ripped through the Visayas in the Philippines, yet reports show that only 1% of houses promised by the government have been built.
The Pope Francis Village school in the Philippines nears completion
The local elementary school in the community of Diit is a beehive of activity these days.
Philippines: Community organizing key to building back better
Development and Peace understands the importance of strong communities. When communities are united, cohesive and organized, they have to power to improve their living conditions and to be more resilient in the face of natural disasters.
Breaking ground on the Pope Francis Village
It is hard to imagine that a hilly piece of land on the outskirts of the seaside city of Tacloban in the Philippines will soon be transformed into a bustling village with a population of about 3,000 people. But this is exactly what will take place over the next few months as construction of the Pope Francis Village begins.
What a difference a year makes!
One year ago, we met Ramon Apit. His community in Barangay 86 was completely torn apart by Typhoon Haiyan in November 2013.
The Philippines: Community resistance to mining
As part of the International People’s Conference on Mining, I had the chance to participate in a solidarity visit to the city of Mankayan in the Province of Benguet in the Philippines.
The Philippines: People’s mining conference sheds light on mining abuses
From July 30th to August 1st, the International People’s Conference on Mining (www.peoplesminingconf.net) took place in Quezon City, the Philippines.
Model resettlement site in the works in the Philippines
When Super Typhoon Haiyan laid waste to the fishing communities that lie along the banks of San Pablo Bay in the city of Tacloban, few imagined that a rebirth could rise out of such complete devastation.
A healing garden in the Philippines
At the first hint of a cool breeze from the setting sun, a buzz of activity takes over a small plot of land that faces the sea in the city of Tacloban in the Philippines. The garden is soon full of women and children toiling away under the pinkish hue of the sky – the sign that it is finally cool enough to till the earth, pull up weeds, and tend to the vegetables sprouting from the ground.
Learning from past experiences in reconstruction
The world just marked the anniversaries of three of the most devastating natural disasters to happen in recent history: the 2005 Indian Ocean tsunami; the 2010 earthquake in Haiti; and the 2013 typhoon in the Philippines.
Pope visits Development and Peace partner in the Philippines
On his recent visit to the Philippines, Pope Francis spent a day in Tacloban meeting with survivors of Typhoon Haiyan. While there, he was hosted by the Archdiocese of Palo, whose Social Action Centre is one of Development and Peace’s main partners in its response to Typhoon Haiyan in the area.
Typhoon Hagupit: Lessons learned from Haiyan help limit impact
Barely one year after the devastation of Typhoon Haiyan, the Philippines has had to brace itself for the arrival of another typhoon.
Philippines: Restoring livelihoods swept away by Typhoon Haiyan
When Typhoon Haiyan tore through the Philippines, it not only destroyed people’s houses and swept away their belongings, for many, it also took away their ability to make a living.
Philippines: It takes a village to rebuild a community
The tiny community of Baranguay 86 in the city of Tacloban is barely visible. Hidden behind an overgrowth of bush, a small muddy path leads to a cluster of dwellings pieced together like a patchwork quilt. The community, like most in the city of Tacloban, was severely hit by Typhoon Haiyan (known locally as Yolanda).
Philippines: A new start with a new home
Mr. Sopriano Barsana, a retired policeman on the island of Samar in the Philippines, stands in front of his house – or what used to be his house. All that remains is one standing beam and a concrete floor littered with pieces of rusted tin, chunks of cement bricks in various stages of disintegration and brambles of metal wire.
The challenges of reconstruction in the Philippines
The impact of Super Typhoon Haiyan on the most poor and vulnerable was devastating. Many lost everything without the means to rebuild. One year later, are their lives improving, or are they more at risk of being further marginalized and left out of a reconstruction process that will leave them further impoverished.
Development and Peace organizes reconstruction conference to mark the one year anniversary of Typhoon Haiyan
To mark the one-year anniversary of Super Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines, Development and Peace is organizing a conference in collaboration with its partners in the country to assess the progress of reconstruction efforts to date and learn from the lessons of the past disasters of the Southeast Asian Tsun
A race to the end in the Philippines!
Just when I thought my Development and Peace Amazing Race had become a bit routine we hit a road block!
A full schedule and a full heart in the Philippines
After a long flight from Canada, our Development and Peace delegation arrived in Manila around midnight, Saturday, August 15, 2014. We were tired but excited to begin our visit with our partners in the Philippines, particularly those responding to Typhoon Haiyan.
Making sure no one is forgotten in the response to Typhoon Haiyan
The fierceness of Typhoon Haiyan can be easily seen from the road that winds along the coast of Eastern Samar (Philippines). Every few hundred metres, out of the billowing coconut trees, another town of ramshackle houses appears, the tarps that serve as roofs flapping in the wind. With so much devastation around, it is easy to lose sight of what is beyond the palm trees.
Two days of emotions in the Philippines
Arthur Peters is the Executive Director of ShareLife of the Archdiocese of Toronto. He is part of a delegation visiting Development and Peace projects in response to Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) in the Philippines.
A spirit that can’t be broken, even after a typhoon
It’s been nine months since Typhoon Haiyan (known locally as Yolanda) barrelled through the Philippines, yet evidence of its gale force winds and crushing waves are still very visible all around the city of Tacloban, one of the worst-hit areas. Although debris has been cleared from the roads, at times it feels as if it has simply been pushed to the side.
A race for experience on the post-Haiyan solidarity tour of the Philippines
Fran Lucas, of the Catholic Women’s League, is a member of the Development and Peace delegation visiting Typhoon Haiyan-affected communities in the Philippines.
Delegation to visit Typhoon Haiyan-affected communities in the Philippines
A delegation representing several Catholic groups in Canada is travelling to the Philippines, by invitation of Development and Peace, to visit communities affected by super Typhoon Haiyan in November 2013.
A mountain of memories to share
There comes a time in most journeys when the mind and heart make the switch over from focussing on the travel and adventure to thinking about returning home. Yesterday was that day for us. For our last full day in the Philippines, we put ourselves in the hands of our partner, PETA (Philippines Educational Theatre Association).
Securing homes for the homeless after Typhoon Haiyan
Rebuilding a community one house at a time
Today, we travelled to Caisawan in the province of Eastern Samar to actively participate in the Typhoon Haiyan (known locally as Yolanda) Shelter Recovery Program.
Celebrating new homes after Typhoon Haiyan
A group of twelve Development and Peace members from the Prairies and the Atlantic provinces, accompanied by two staff members, are on a solidarity trip to the Philippines.
Cassava cooperative changing lives
T'Boli indigenous community faces an uncertain future
Indigenous community threatened by a mining project
A group of 12 Development and Peace members from the Prairies and the Atlantic provinces, accompanied by two staff members, are on a solidarity trip to the Philippines.
Manila's urban poor defend their rights
The disappearance of Manila Bay
Connecting two worlds together
Development and Peace raises $10.3 million for relief and reconstruction in the Philippines
Development and Peace has raised over $10 million to provide humanitarian aid to communities in the Philippines that were impacted by super Typhoon Haiyan, which left an estimated 14 million people in need of some form of assistance due to the storm’s impact.
Activities in full swing thanks to your generosity
Development and Peace has increased support to relief efforts in the Philippines thanks to the outpouring of generosity from across the country in response to Typhoon Haiyan.
Video: The Philippines: A toxic legacy
The island of Marinduque in the Philippines is a small paradise. The island rises in a mountainous peak that is covered in lush tropical forests and its calm villages imbue the island with a peaceful tranquility. On closer inspection, however, the island has strange colours that flow through its rivers, some which are half dried up. That’s because there is a toxic legacy on the island, one left behind by a Canadian mining company. Even if the mine was abandoned in 1996, the community is still living the impacts of the mine. And still trying to find justice.
Aid reaching remote areas affected by Typhoon Haiyan
“Tacloban and the island of Leyte have received wide media coverage, but Panay Island mustn’t be forgotten,” said Father Mark Granflor, director of the Social Action Centre of the archdiocese of Capiz (the diocesan Caritas office). “Here too, families have been very badly hit and people are suffering.
Temporary shelters distributed in hardest-hit areas of the Philippines
The city of Tacloban, one of the areas that suffered the worst devastation from Typhoon Haiyan, received some relief when the Caritas network delivered 500 tarpaulins to those left without shelter after the storm.
The tarps were transported by the Australian Air Force, who took the Caritas cargo from Cebu, the main hub of relief efforts, to Tacloban, on a C-130 Hercules.
Solidarity has no boundaries
“Solidarity is important to the Philippines,” said Trixie Suarez, headmistress of the Singapore School on Cebu, one of the islands badly damaged by Typhoon Haiyan.
“Our students and teachers organized a fundraiser so that in partnership with Caritas we can help people affected by this natural disaster,” she said.
Food and shelter distributions underway in the Philippines
There is devastation everywhere and the victims are in desperate need of everything,” said Fr. Edwin Gariguez, Executive Secretary of Caritas Philippines-NASSA, after visiting destroyed villages in the province of Leyte, one of the hardest hit areas by Typhoon Haiyan.
Development and Peace and the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops announce joint appeal for the Philippines
Development and Peace and the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) have launched a joint appeal for relief efforts in response to Typhoon Haiyan, which swep
Development and Peace responding to growing needs in the Philippines caused by Typhoon Haiyan
The Philippines was struck by the worst disaster in its history on Friday, when super Typhoon Haiyan (known locally as Yolanda) ripped through the country.
Typhoon Haiyan: Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of the Philippines
Just a mere few weeks after a violent earthquake struck the island of Bohol in the Philippines, the country is experiencing one of the worst typhoons in its history.
The Philippines: Is consent too much to ask?
Over thirty people have crammed into a small wooden hut surrounded by mountains and rice paddies in the village of Bayog. Inside, a lively debate is raging.
“When the company put the monuments to demarcate the land of the mine, some of our land was included inside, but we don’t want our lands to be inside,” states someone in the hut.
Earthquake in the Philippines: Development and Peace supports the victims
A violent earthquake measuring 7.2 on the Richter Scale shook Bohol Island in the Philippines on October 15, 2013. The quake and its numerous aftershocks struck the central region of Visayas, killing nearly 200 people and affecting over three million more. The most impacted regions remain very difficult to reach for those attempting to provide humanitarian assistance.
Mine unearths conflict in the Philippines
Timuay Boy Anoy, a tribal leader of the indigenous Subanens of the Philippines, knows all too well the conflicts that come with a mine. When the Filipino Government handed over Subanen ancestral lands as a concession to a Canadian mining company, the community quickly dissolved into factions of those in favour of the mine and those opposed.
Our response to Typhoon Saola in the Philippines
In August 2012, Typhoon Saola (also referred to as Gener) and torrential rains caused extensive damage in the northern Philippines, particularly in the capital Manila and its surrounding areas.
Philippines: State of emergency declared after Typhoon Bopha
Typhoon Bopha (known locally as "Pablo") passed to the south of the large islands of the Palau archipelago on December 3, on its way to the Philippines, with winds recorded at over 250 km per hour. The human toll has been catastrophic and continues to rise with every passing day. The number of dead has risen to 500 people and 400 others are still missing.
Flood victims in the Philippines receive support from Development and Peace
Development and Peace is supporting local organizations in the Philippines to bring aid to flood victims there. Heavy rains in the capital Manila and surrounding areas have submerged entire communities, causing the death of over 100 people and the displacement of close to 3 million people.
Development and Peace congratulates partner on receiving prestigious environmental award
Development and Peace congratulates Father Edwin Gariguez, Executive Secretary of CBCP-NASSA/Caritas Philippines, on being honoured with the Goldman Prize for his outstanding efforts to protect the environment.
Prestigious Environmental Prize Awarded to Development and Peace Partner
For a week during Lent I had the great privilege of accompanying Father Edwin Gariguez through a solidarity visit of the Atlantic Provinces. Father Edu is executive director of NASSA, the social action arm of the Philippines Catholic church and one of Development and Peace’s most enduring partners.
Filipino community in solidarity with victims of Tropical Storm Washi
The Filipino community is very active and a source of inspiration…
It was with these words that Michael Casey, Executive Director of Development and Peace, opened a meeting yesterday with two representatives of the Federation of Filipino-Canadian Associations of Quebec (FFCA).
Small-scale farming improving living standards in the Philippines
Agrarian land reform has been a hard struggle in the Philippines. At a certain time, it was estimated that 10% of the population controlled 90% of the land. A land redistribution program was put in place to try to create a fairer reality. Although this reform has been ongoing for two decades, it has been a long and slow process.
Development and Peace helping its partners respond to tropical storm in the Philippines
Development and Peace is committing $50,000 towards humanitarian aid in the southern island of Mindanao in the Philippines, which was hit by flash floods and landslides triggered by Tropical Storm Washi on December 17th and 18th.
Development and Peace preparing to provide aid in flood-stricken Philippines
Flash floods triggered by Tropical Storm Washi in the southern region of the Philippines has claimed the lives of close to one thousand people, mostly women and children, and the government of the Philippines has declared the situation a national calamity.
What a day in the life is like for 11-year-old Jonacel in the Philippines
What a day in the life is like for 13-year-old Janine in the Philippines
Flickr Photo Set
2013 Philippines - Haiyan
Observation mission to the Philippines
Delegation - One year after Typhoon Haiyan
Typhoon Haiyan: One Year Later
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of islands that make up the Philippines
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live in poverty
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Amelia Earhart: The Truth at Last
Propaganda versus fact in the disappearance of America’s First Lady of Flight
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Monthly Archives: September, 2016
Fred Goerner’s “In Search of Amelia Earhart” Part I: Was 1984 Orbis retrospective published anywhere?
By earharttruth on September 19, 2016 | 14 Comments
Nobody realized it then, but from the moment Time magazine ripped Fred Goerner’s bestseller The Search for Amelia Earhart in 1966 as a book that “barely hangs together,” the sad truth about Amelia and Fred Noonan’s miserable deaths on Saipan in Japanese captivity was thenceforth treated as a forbidden subject by the U.S. corporate media.
By 1984 things were even worse, and speaking of Amelia Earhart and Saipan in the same sentence was reserved for paranoid conspiracy theorists, fringe nuts, like this writer, who were shunned by polite society. The establishment had long circled its wagons around this sacred cow, and still has no intention of admitting a truth that would destroy the grand, well-crafted legacy of Democrat icon Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Until recently I believed that Fred Goerner’s fine 1984 retrospective, “In Search of Amelia Earhart,” had appeared in a British publication called Orbis magazine, and stated so in Truth at Last. But now I find there was no Orbis magazine in 1984. Orbis Publishing Ltd. was a United Kingdom-based publisher of books and partworks (a new term for me). The company was founded in 1970 and changed its name to De Agostini UK Ltd. in 1999.
Fred Goerner at KCBS San Francisco, circa 1966. (Courtesy Merla Zellerbach.)
It was apparently for Orbis that Goerner penned this piece, but I can’t determine where it actually appeared in Britain — or if it appeared at all. I’ve searched online in vain for any British or American magazine, newspaper or periodical and found nothing that remotely resembles this relatively unknown 9,300-word summary of the most important evidence supporting the Marshalls-Saipan truth at the time. I found it in the Goerner Collection files at the Admiral Nimitz Museum in Fredericksburg, Texas, several years ago, and for true Fred Goerner fans and Earhart aficionados, this is a special treat, unavailable to the public anywhere until now.
Following is the first of three parts, virtually unedited from the original, of “In Search of Amelia Earhart,” by Fred Goerner for ORBIS Publishing, England.
“IN SEARCH OF AMELIA EARHART”
by Fred Goerner
Amelia Earhart carefully taxied her Lockheed Electra 10-E twin-engine airliner to the takeoff stand at the Lae, New Guinea 3,000 feet runway. Behind the cockpit in the main cabin was Captain Frederick Noonan. He had secured all loose items and cinched tight the safety belts attached to his navigator’s chair.
It was July 2, 1937. Amelia and Fred had often acknowledged that this would be the most difficult and dangerous part of their well-publicized around-the-world flight.
Their course would take them over an expanse of Pacific Ocean never flown before: 2,556 miles, mostly over open water, bound for tiny Howland Island, a three-quarter by one-half-mile fleck of land just north of the equator where the U.S. Navy, Army Air Corps and Interior Departments had recently scratched out a rudimentary airfield.
The U.S. Navy and Coast Guard had each provided a plane guard vessel. The Navy’s USS Ontario (AT-13) would be stationed in the open sea at the flight’s midpoint and the Coast Guard Cutter Itasca would anchor near Howland Island. Each would try to assist with communications and both could serve as rescue ships should Earhart and Noonan have to attempt an emergency landing on the ocean.
Perhaps the most dangerous and difficult aspect of the endeavor would be the takeoff. the plane was grossly overloaded with 1050 gallons of 86 octane fuel together with 50 gallons of 100 octane gas to provide extra power to the twin 550 horsepower Pratt & Whitney Wasp engines for initial lift.
Amelia had practiced such takeoffs at the Lockheed field in Burbank, California, but this was the first time during the world flight she would have to test what she had learned. She remembered all too clearly the nearly disastrous crash they had experienced on the attempted takeoff from Honolulu three months earlier. Carrying only 900 gallons of fuel, the Electra had begun to swerve on the takeoff run. The plane lurched to the left, then the nose began to come right. Amelia had overcorrected by pulling back on the left engine throttle, and “The Flying Laboratory” as she called her plane, careened into a vicious ground-loop, collapsing the landing gear. The Electra had come to a stop in a shower of sparks. Good fortune still followed her and those who flew with her.
Despite the gasoline sprayed along the runway, there was no fire and no one had been injured; however, Captain Harry Manning, one of the two navigators, decided he had risked his life enough in the interests of Amelia Earhart and returned to his sea command, leaving only Fred Noonan to help Amelia find her way around the world.
Guinea Airways employee Alan Board is credited with this photo of the Electra just before leaving the ground on its takeoff from Lae, New Guinea on the morning of July 2, 1937. This is the last known photo of the Earhart Electra, NR 16020.
It was exactly 10 a.m. New Guinea time as the Electra spun into takeoff position. The bright controllable-pitch Hamilton Standard props whirled by the powerful Wasp engines chewed great holes in the air as Amelia checked the rpm’s and magnetos, sending a hurricane blasting back against the vibrating 55-foot wingspan. Satisfied with the performance of both engines, Amelia throttled back. The Guinea Airways mechanics had done a thorough job in making “The Flying Laboratory” as airworthy as possible. A brief test flight with light fuel load the day before had established the quality of their work.
Amelia stared down the runway for a moment. Had they figured everything? She thought so. The air temperature and humidity matched the wind direction and velocity to provide the necessary lift given the weight of the aircraft and the length of runway. She and Fred had unloaded every ounce of personal baggage that could be spared. Even a few pounds could be crucial.
She once again checked the power and fuel mixture settings that had been given her by Clarence “Kelly” Johnson of Lockheed Aircraft. “You must use every foot of the runway you can,” he had said. “Hold it down to the last second. With that load, you must have the airspeed or its all over!”
After the Honolulu crackup, Johnson had repeatedly tutored Amelia in heavy-load takeoffs at the Burbank field, using an Electra similar to hers. At one point the look-alike Electra had wandered off the runway and into a ditch. The weight in that aircraft, however, had been iron bars, not gasoline.
With a smooth, positive motion, Amelia pushed both throttles forward to full open, slipped the brakes, and the Electra began to lumber forward. The roar of the engines claimed the attention of a small band of spectators at the Guinea Airways’ hangars. The group included J.A. Collopy, District Superintendent of Civil Aviation for the Territory Of New Guinea; Harry Balfour, senior radio operator at the Lae Aerodrome; and technicians and pilots of Guinea Airways.
Collopy would later write in his official report to the Civil aviation Board:
“The takeoff was hair-raising as after taking every yard of the 1,000 yard runway from the northwest end of the aerodrome towards the sea, the aircraft had not left the ground 50 yards from the end of the runway. When it did leave it sank away but was by this time over the sea. It continued to sink to about five or six feet above the water and had not climbed to more than 100 feet before it disappeared from sight. It was obvious the aircraft was well handled and pilots of Guinea airways were loud in their praise of the takeoff with such an overload.”
Collopy detailed the amount of gas aboard the Electra, the repairs accomplished at Lae and concluded the report with his own feeling that the weak link in the flight was the lack of expert knowledge of radio on the part of Earhart and Noonan. He deplored the fact that their Morse code sending was very slow and that they both preferred to use voice telephone. “Mr. Noonan told me that he was not a bit anxious about the flight to Howland Island and was quite confident that he would have little difficulty in locating it. I do think that had an expert radio operator been included in the crew the conclusion might have been different.”
Harry Balfour, circa 1937, the radio operator at Lae, New Guinea, the last person to carry on a two-way radio conversation with Amelia Earhart.
A few minutes after the Electra disappeared from the sight of Lae, radio operator Harry Balfour received a long awaited weather forecast for the Earhart flight from the U.S. Navy Fleet Air Base at Pearl Harbor. The message had been routed through American Samoa and Suva, Fiji. As Amelia and Fred would be flying dead reckoning most of the day and night, it was vitally important that they know the wind directions so navigational corrections could be made for drift.
At 10:22 a.m., 11:22 a.m. and 12:22 p.m., Balfour transmitted the information by radiophone on Earhart’s daytime frequency, 6210 kilocycles:
“PARTLY CLOUDY SKIES WITH DANGEROUS RAIN SQUALLS ABOUT 300 MILES EAST OF LAE. SCATTERED HEAVY SHOWERS REST OF ROUTE. WINDS EAST SOUTHEAST ABOUT 25 KNOTS TO ONTARIO. THEN EAST TO NORTHEAST ABOUT 20 KNOTS TO HOWLAND.”
Balfour heard no acknowledgment from Earhart, but assumed she had gotten the message and had simply been too busy to reply. At approximately 3 p.m. Lae time, Amelia’s voice came through Balfour’s receiver, clear and unhurried. The plane was flying at 10,000 feet, but she was going to reduce altitude because of thick banks of cumulus clouds ahead.
Then at 5:20 p.m., she broke through again on 6210 kilocycles to announce they were currently at 7,000 feet and making 150 knots speed. The position reported was latitude 4 degrees 33 minutes South, longitude 159 degrees 06 minutes East, a point about 785 miles out from Lae and almost directly on course. The true ground speed was only about 111 knots, indicating the Electra was indeed bucking the headwinds mentioned in the U.S. Navy weather forecast. Earhart closed the broadcast by stating her next report would be on 3105 kilocycles, her nighttime frequency.
Balfour radioed back that her signal was coming through strong and she should continue to use 6210. Amelia again did not acknowledge, and Balfour heard nothing more.
To 34-year-old U.S. Navy Lt. Horace Blakeslee, the assignment as commanding officer and navigator of USS Ontario (AT-13) was both fascination and frustration. Ontario, a single screw seagoing tug launched in 1912, was the U.S. Navy’s only remaining coal-burning vessel, and serving as a plane guard ship for the Earhart flight stretched her capabilities to the maximum, In fact, Ontario was no longer considered fit for patrol duty and had been delegated the official yacht of the U.S. Navy Governor of American Samoa.
To make the more than 1,200-mile voyage to the mid-point of the projected Earhart flight, remain on plane guard station for as much as two weeks and then return to the U.S. Navy Station at Tutuila, Samoa, Blakeslee fully loaded Ontario’s coal bunkers and piled a reserve supply on her decks.
By the time Earhart and Noonan took off from Lae, New Guinea, Blakeslee and his crew had already been steaming up and down a small portion of Earhart’s announced flight path for 10 days. Consumption of coal and water was reaching a critical point.
Blakeslee had no illusions that two-way communication between Earhart and Ontario could be established. The Electra had no low-frequency broadcast capability and the Ontario no high-frequency equipment. The Ontario was to broadcast the letter ‘N’ on 400 kilocycles with the ship’s call letters repeated at the end of each minute. With a low-frequency receiver, Earhart presumably could estimate her distance from Ontario by strength of signal. Her direction finder, restricted to high frequency signals, would be of no use to home on Ontario.
With Earhart’s 5:20 p.m. reported position, the Electra was due over Ontario at approximately 10 p.m. Ontario time. Blakeslee recalls (and is substantiated by Ontario‘s official log) that at 10 p.m. the weather consisted of scattered cumulus clouds moving from the east-northeast and occasional showers. One of the watch officers believed he heard the sound of an approaching aircraft a few minutes after 10 p.m. and the Ontario searchlight swept the sky.
The seagoing tug USS Ontario (AT-13) was assigned to a plane guard position at the projected mid-point of the Earhart flight. The watch officer said he heard the sound of an approaching aircraft a few minutes after 10 p.m., an aircraft that must have been the Electra, on course for Howland Island at that point.
By 1 a.m. the overcast had become complete and heavy rain squalls were buffeting Ontario. Blakeslee radioed for and received permission to return to base. The old ship barely made it, “scraping the bottoms of the coal bunkers.”
At the same time as the men of Ontario believed the Earhart plane to be passing overhead, the radio operator of the Nauru Island station to the north copied Amelia saying, “A ship in sight ahead.”
The 250-foot Coast Guard Cutter USS Itasca steamed slowly by Howland Island, barely keeping way. The radio room was fully manned, and a satellite station ashore on Howland housing a new and highly secret high-frequency radio direction finder was ready for action as well.
The Itasca ‘s Captain, [Cmdr.] Warner Thompson, was not a happy man, however. He and the Coast Guard had the responsibility for assisting the Earhart plane to a safe landing at Howland, but he was now convinced that Itasca was being denied important information where the night was concerned. Try as he would Thompson could not find out exactly what frequencies Earhart was going to use or even the range of her direction finding equipment.
Thompson was also not pleased with a number of persons he felt were looking over his shoulder aboard ship. There was Richard Blackburn Black, the Department of Interior representative who had arranged with the Navy and Army for construction of the Howland airfield and who was billed as Earhart’s personal representative. It was Black who had brought the hush-hush high-frequency direction finder aboard Itasca, and who had wanted to bring along a U.S. Navy radio expert to operate the apparatus. Thompson had flatly refused to use a Navy man on a Coast Guard ship, but under pressure had finally permitted a Navy radioman second class named Frank Cipriani to be trained in Hawaii in the use of the equipment.
Also aboard were several U.S. army and U.S. Army Air Corps representatives along with the reporters from Associated Press and United Press. They all had their own interests and needs, none of which, Thompson felt, aided in the task of guiding the Earhart plane to a safe landfall.
The Itasca radio room was crowded by midnight. The wire service correspondents jockeyed for position with the Army men. Coast Guard radiomen William Galten and Thomas O’Hare along with Chief Radioman Leo Bellarts hovered over the transmitters and receivers.
It was a long wait. Earhart’s voice did not break through the static on 3105 kilocycles until 0245, and then all that could be clearly understood was “CLOUDY WEATHER . . . CLOUDY” an hour later at 0345, her voice was heard again saying “ITASCA FROM EARHART. ITASCA BROADCAST ON 3105 KILOCYCLES ON HOUR AND HALF-HOUR — REPEAT-BROADCAST ON 3105 KILOCYCLES ON HOUR AND HALF-HOUR. . . . OVERCAST”.
The Itasca operators transmitted on 3105 asking Earhart to send on 500 kilocycles so the ship’s low frequency direction finder could get a fix on her. Obviously no one on Itasca knew that Earhart did not have the equipment to broadcast on 500 kilocycles.
Another long wait, and then at 0453 Amelia’s voice was recognized again but the signals were unreadable. The first real sense of worry began to permeate the radio room. At 0512, Earhart’s voice again. This time much clearer: “WANT BEARINGS ON 3105 KILOCYCLES ON HOUR. WILL WHISTLE IN MICROPHONE.”
Amelia with the Bendix Radio Direction Finder Loop Antenna, which replaced Fred Hooven’s Radio Compass for use during her world flight attempt in 1937. Hooven was convinced that the change was responsible for Amelia’s failure to find Howland Island, and ultimately, for her tragic death on Saipan. We’ll have more on Hooven, his Radio Compass and other related topics in a future post.
The only high-frequency direction finder available that could take a bearing on 3105 kilocycles was the Navy set ashore on Howland, and there the Coast Guard operator Cipriani was in a sweat. Earhart wasn’t staying on the air long enough for him to get a fix. The whistling into the mike helped, but it was too short as well. Another important factor was also disturbing Cipriani. The wet-cell batteries that powered the direction finder were beginning to run down. He could only pray that they would last long enough to give Earhart a proper heading.
Amelia broke in again three minutes later at 0515, this time only saying “ABOUT 200 MILES OUT.” Again she whistled briefly into her microphone. Another half-hour dragged by, and then again Earhart’s voice, this time with a note of pleading. “PLEASE TAKE A BEARING ON US AND REPORT IN HALF-HOUR. I WILL MAKE NOISE IN MICROPHONE. ABOUT 100 MILES OUT.” Still more whistling. On Howland, Cipriani made a note on his log: “Her carrier is completely modulated. I cannot get a bearing.”
Nothing further from Earhart until 0730. Her voice was becoming heavy with concern. “WE MUST BE ON YOU BUT CANNOT SEE YOU BUT GAS IS RUNNING LOW. HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO REACH YOU BY RADIO. WE ARE FLYING AT 1,000 FEET.”
The atmosphere in the Itasca radio room was heavy with alarm. The operators redoubled their efforts, still pleading with Amelia to transmit on 500 kilocycles.
At 0757, still on 3105 kilocycles, Amelia’s voice filled the radio room at the clearest level yet. “WE ARE CIRCLING BUT CANNOT SEE ISLAND. CANNOT HEAR YOU. GO AHEAD ON 7500 KILOCYCLES ON LONG COUNT EITHER NOW OR ON SCHEDULE TIME OF HALF-HOUR”
The Itasca operators looked at each other in amazement. Now Earhart was trying to use her own direction finder, but none of them had any idea it ranged to 7500 kilocycles. Quickly the Itasca transmitter began to pour forth a stream of letter “A’s” on the suggested frequency.
Almost immediately, at 0803, Amelia replied, “WE RECEIVED YOUR SIGNALS BUT UNABLE TO GET MINIMUM. PLEASE TAKE BEARING ON US AND ANSWER ON 3105 KILOCYCLES.” This time she made long dashes by depressing the microphone button, but still the Howland direction finder could not get a bearing. Cipriani shook his head in desperation. The batteries were almost completely discharged.
Radio room of USCG Cutter Tahoe, sister ship to Itasca, circa 1937. Three radio logs were maintained during the flight, at positions 1 and 2 in the Itasca radio room, and one on Howland Island, where the Navy’s high-frequency direction finder had been set up. Aboard Itasca, Chief Radioman Leo G. Bellarts supervised Gilbert E. Thompson, Thomas J. O’Hare and William L. Galten, all third-class radiomen, (meaning they were qualified and “rated” to perform their jobs). Many years later, Galten told Paul Rafford Jr., a former Pan Am Radio flight officer, “That woman never intended to land on Howland Island.”
Forty miserable minutes dragged by in the Itasca radio room. Frustration etched every face. as one of the operators would later say, “It was like not being able to reach a friend who was falling over a cliff.”
At 0843, an Earhart voice that some would later call frantic blurted, “WE ARE ON THE LINE OF POSITION 157 DASH 337. WILL REPEAT THIS MESSAGE ON 6210 KILOCYCLES. WE ARE NOW RUNNING NORTH AND SOUTH.”
Amelia was switching to her daytime frequency. Itasca‘s operators immediately monitored 6210 kilocycles but were greeted with nothing but static. An hour wore by. Still nothing. Some of the men went on deck and gazed up at the morning sky, hoping a miracle would bring Earhart and Noonan into sight. The horizon was empty save a weather front of cumulus clouds many miles to the northwest.
Warner Thompson, Itasca‘s captain, waited until 10:30 a.m., then radioed Honolulu that the Earhart plane was probably down at sea and he was going to begin a search operation.
Search, indeed. But where? What did “157-337” mean? It probably was a sun line that Noonan had been able to shoot just before Earhart’s last radio transmission. But a sun line was no good without a reference point. The plane could be anywhere along 2,000 miles of that sun line. On a compass reciprocal “157-337” could represent a southeast to northwest line through
Howland Island itself. Thompson reasoned that the weather front to the northwest might have prevented Earhart and Noonan from seeing Howland, so he would search that area first.
The disappearance took every headline in America along with most of the rest of the world. George Palmer Putnam, Amelia’s husband who was waiting in Oakland, Calif., was stunned, but he believed in his wife’s resourcefulness and he believed in her luck.
Noonan’s wife, Mary Bea (Martinelli), told the press she was confident her Fred and Amelia would be rescued. She had married Fred Noonan just three weeks before the around-the-world flight began.
President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who had made the arrangements for U.S. Government cooperation with the flight, immediately ordered the American battleship USS Colorado which was on a summer reserve training cruise near the Hawaiian Islands to proceed at top speed to the Howland Island area to assist with the search. Colorado carried three catapult observation planes that could cover wide areas of ocean.
Amelia’s had been literally a flight into yesterday. Because of the International Date Line, she and Fred Noonan had taken off from Lae, New Guinea, at 10 a.m. July 2, and the had vanished sometime after 8:43 a.m., July 2, Howland Island time.
On the evening of July 3, 1937, President Roosevelt, after consultation with the Chief of U.S. Naval Operations Adm. William D. Leahy, ordered the Navy aircraft carrier USS Lexington and three U.S. Navy destroyers to proceed from the west coast of the United States to the vicinity of Howland Island to augment the search. (End of Part I of Fred Goerner’s “In Search of Amelia Earhart.”)
Posted in: Uncategorized | Tagged: "In Search of Amelia Earhart", Cmdr. Warner K. Thompson, coast Guard Cutter Itasca, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Fred Goerner, Harry Balfour, Howland Island, USS Ontario
General’s letters to Goerner reveal Earhart truth
By earharttruth on September 1, 2016 | 10 Comments
Even casual observers of the Earhart saga are familiar with the statement allegedly made by Navy Adm. Chester W. Nimitz, then retired but still bound by classified information laws, to Fred Goerner in late March 1965, just before the radio newsman left San Francisco to interview Marine Commandant Gen. Wallace M. Greene at his Pentagon headquarters in Arlington, Va. “Now that you’re going to Washington, Fred, I want to tell you Earhart and her navigator did go down in the Marshalls and were picked up by the Japanese,” Goerner claimed Nimitz told him.
Only the most cynical accused Goerner of fabricating Nimitz’s statement, while some ignored it completely, but we’ve had only Goerner’s word that Nimitz shared this blockbuster secret with him. However, another iconic World War II hero, Gen. Alexander A. Vandegrift, commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps from 1944 to 1947, actually put a similar statement in writing — not once, but in two letters he wrote in response to the indefatigable Goerner, still hot on the Earhart case.
These letters, first reported in Amelia Earhart: The Truth at Last, are reproduced here for the first time. Vandegrift’s first letter, of May 10, 1971, was typed in all upper case, while his second, of Aug. 10 1971, was handwritten, but otherwise they are unedited. I do not have Goerner’s initial letter to Vandegrift, which prompted his response.
Gen. Alexander A. Vandegrift, eighteenth commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps, confirmed Amelia Earhart’s death on Saipan in an August 1971 letter to Fred Goerner. Vandegrift wrote that he learned from Marine Gen. Tommy Watson, who commanded the 2nd Marine Division during the assault on Saipan and died in 1966, that “Miss Earhart met her death on Saipan.”
Frederick Allan Goerner
Twenty-Four Presidio Terrace
My Dear Mr. Goerner,
In reply to your letter of 6 April, relative to the rumors in reference to the way Miss Earhart met her death, I’m sorry I can’t help you in any way.
I heard the rumor during the South Pacific campaign, particularly the one in Saipan, but when I tried to investigate I found nothing to substantiate the charges made. I have no doubt that Miss Earhart met her death in that area because that has been substantiated. But how and why I have no information. I’m sorry that I can’t be of more help.
A.A. Vandegrift
General USMC (Ret.)
General, USMC (Ret.)
720 ELDORADO Lane
DELRAY BEACH, Florida 33444
Dear General Vandegrift
I was most grateful to receive your recent communication containing response to my questions concerning the fate of Miss Amelia Earhart.
As I wish to quote from your comments, I want to make absolutely sure that the implications of those comments is clearly defined and no false conclusions are reached.
You mentioned that you had received information which alleged that Miss Earhart had been on Saipan, and you added, “I have no doubt Miss Earhart met her death in that area because that has been substantiated. But how and why I have no information.”
Did you mean that it had been substantiated that Miss Earhart had been on Saipan and had died on Saipan, but it was not determined how and why she died?
If that is the correct interpretation, it would be most helpful to know how it was substantiated that Miss Earhart had been on Saipan and had met her death there. Were her remains recovered or was documentation to that fact uncovered?
I thank you very much for your gracious attention to this letter. I shall look forward to your comments with tremendous interest.
With respect and admiration, I am,
24 Presidio Terrace
P.S. For your convenience, I am enclosing a self-addressed, stamped envelope.
Maj. Gen. Thomas E. “Terrible Tommy” Watson, 2nd Marine Division commander during the Saipan invasion, allegedly told Gen. Alexander A. Vandegrift, commandant of the Marine Corps, that “it had been substantiated that Miss Earhart met her death on Saipan.” Watson died in 1966, Vandegrift in 1973.
Frederick Goerner
Dear Mr. Goerner:
Please pardon my delay in answering your letter of June. In the meantime, I have been in the hospital and have not felt too well since my return.
In writing to you, I did not realize that you wanted to quote my remarks about Miss Earhart and I would rather that you would not.
General Tommy Watson, who commanded the 2nd Marine Division during the assault on Saipan and stayed on that island after the fall of Okinawa, on one of my seven visits of inspection of his division told me that it had been substantiated that Miss Earhart met her death on Saipan. That is the total knowledge that I have of this incident.
Having known General Watson many years, I naturally accept this information as being correct. General Watson I’m sorry to say, died some years ago and therefore cannot be contacted.
I am sorry if my remarks misled you but I cannot add anything more to this report.
Vandegrift’s Aug. 10, 1971 letter was written in longhand by an unknown party, possibly his second wife, Kathryn Henson Vandegrift, who was still alive at the time. The general must have been ill at the time, as his signature was shaky and bore no resemblance to the rest of the document; he died two years later. Like Nimitz and Gen. Graves Erskine, two other major flag officers who revealed the truth to Goerner in clandestine ways, the general must have wanted to encourage Goerner, though he was still sworn to silence in the top-secret case.
Vandegrift’s claimed source for his information, former Lt. Gen. Thomas E. “Terrible Tommy” Watson, died in 1966, and this could be why Vandegrift shared the truth with Goerner as he did. The letter could be technically considered hearsay, and he probably assumed it would afford him a level of protection against any ramifications if his disclosure became known.
Gen. Graves B. Erskine, deputy commander of the V Amphibious Corps during the Battle of Saipan in 1944, told two close associates of Fred Goerner in 1966, “It was established that Earhart was on Saipan.”
With a distinguished career that culminated in his selection as the Marine Corps’ first four-star general, who could possibly question Vandegrift’s credibility? He was awarded the Medal of Honor and the Navy Cross for his actions at Guadalcanal, Tulagi and Gavutu in the Solomon Islands in 1942, honors that conferred upon its bearer the gravest moral responsibilities. Undeniably, in that bygone era, long before the modern-day corruption that has stained even our esteemed Marine Corps, the word of a Medal of Honor recipient who also led the world’s greatest fighting force was as good as gold. Moreover, Vandegrift had nothing tangible to gain from telling Goerner the truth, and he had no self-interested reason to do so.
Vandegrift’s claim that his “total knowledge” about Earhart’s death on Saipan was limited to the brief statement he attributed to Watson could not have been true. A three-star general in July 1944, Vandegrift had been commandant of the Marine Corps since Jan. 1 of that year. Watson, as commander of the 2nd Marine Division on Saipan—wherein Lt. Col. Wallace E. Greene performed as operations officer—was at the tip of the spear in the top-secret operation to destroy the Electra, charged with its successful execution by a chain of command that included Navy Secretary James V. Forrestal and beyond to the commander-in-chief.
In the highly unlikely event that President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s orders to destroy the Electra had not passed through Vandegrift, he would have been fully briefed by Watson about the operation immediately upon their next meeting, if not sooner. Goerner’s reply to Vandegrift’s August 1971 contained two pointed questions:
●Did General Watson communicate to you HOW it had been substantiated that Miss Earhart had met her death on Saipan?
●Did General Watson indicate whether or not the human remains of Miss Earhart or her navigator had been recovered?7
Goerner’s query was returned undated, with “No” handwritten after each question, signed again by Vandegrift in a trembling hand. Goerner’s file on Vandegrift ends with a brief November 1971 note to Goerner, thanking him for sending a copy of The Search for Amelia Earhart, wishing him “every success in the publication and sale of this book,” and promising to have it read to him as soon as he returned from the hospital. Vandegrift died on May 8, 1973.
Posted in: Uncategorized | Tagged: Amelia Earhart, Amelia Earhart: The Truth at Last, Fred Goerner, Gen. Alexander A. Vandegrift, Gen. Graves Erskine, The Search for Amelia Earhart
Artist’s rendition of the proposed Amelia Earhart Memorial Monument, with a new location planned for the old Garapan Prison, where Amelia and Fred Noonan were held briefly by the Japanese in the summer of 1937.
To contribute to the Amelia Earhart Memorial on Saipan (see March 16, 2018 story), please make your tax-deductible check payable to: Amelia Earhart Memorial Monument, Inc., and send to AEMMI, c/o Marie S. Castro, P.O. Box 500213, Saipan MP 96950. The monument’s success is 100 percent dependent on private donations, and everyone who gives will receive a letter of appreciation from the Earhart Memorial Committee. Thank you.
The Second Edition of “Amelia Earhart: The Truth at Last,” is a large 7″ by 10″ paperback offering 370 pages at the same low retail price of $19.95, and significantly less at Amazon.com. The book adds two chapters, a new foreword, several new subsections, the most recent discoveries, rare photos and a near-total rewrite to the mountain of overwhelming witness testimony and documentation presented in the first edition of “Truth at Last. ”
Even as a child, Amelia had the look of someone destined for greatness. In this photo, she seems to be gazing at events far away in time and space. Who can fathom it?
This is a priceless portrait of our heroine at the tender age of 7. She seems to be peering into timelessness, as if she can actually see the amazing adventures that are in store for her — and us. Who can fathom it?
Follow "Amelia Earhart: The Truth at Last" via email.
Amelia at Spadina Military Hospital, Toronto, Canada, circa 1917-’18
While visiting Muriel at St. Margaret’s College in Toronto in 1917, Amelia encountered three Canadian soldiers who had lost a leg, and decided, on the spot, to join the war effort. She enrolled in the Voluntary Aid Detachment and was assigned to the Spadina Military Hospital. “Sister Amelia soon became a favorite among the wounded and discouraged men,” Muriel wrote.
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Arrival at Londonderry, Ireland, May 21, 1932
Earhart had spent the last 15 hours tossed by dangerous storms over the North Atlantic, contending with failing machinery and sipping a can of tomato juice to calm her queasy stomach. That day—May 21, 1932—she planned to end her journey at Paris’ Le Bourget airfield, where exactly five years earlier Charles Lindbergh had completed the first solo transatlantic flight. When her Vega’s reserve fuel tank sprang a leak and flames began engulfing the exhaust manifold, however, Earhart wound up navigating to a Northern Ireland pasture. From that moment , Amelia Earhart’s star shined brightest, and her like has never been seen since.
Acclaim at Londonderry
Another great photo of Amelia, as she prepares to take off from Derry, Northren Ireland, and fly on to London, where worldwide fame awaited. After a flight lasting 14 hours, 56 minutes during which she contended with strong northerly winds, icy conditions and mechanical problems, Earhart landed in a pasture at Culmore, north of Derry, Northern Ireland. The landing was witnessed by Cecil King and T. Sawyer. When a farm hand asked, “Have you flown far?” Earhart replied, “From America.” The site now is the home of a small museum, the Amelia Earhart Centre.
Summer 1960: The Saipan Truth comes out
The headline story of the May 27, 1960 edition of the San Mateo Times was the first of several stories written by ace reporter Linwood Day that set the stage for Fred Goerner’s first visit to Saipan in mid-June 1960 and led Goerner’s 1966 bestseller, “The Search for Amelia Earhart.” Day worked closely by phone with Goerner, and on July 1, 1960, the Earhart frenzy reached its peak, with the Times announcing “Amelia Earhart Mystery Is Solved” in a 100-point banner headline accross its front page.
San Mateo Times, July 3, 1960: Josephine Blanco Akiyama’s eyewitness account
This story appeared in the San Mateo Times “Family Weekly” news magazine on July 3, 1960. The sensational account revealed details of her life as an 11-year-old on 1937 Saipan, but the true picture of what she actually saw that day remains in question. Was it a seaplane or a landplane in trouble that landed at Tanapag Harbor?
Fred Goerner with witness Manual Aldan, Saipan, 1960
Fred Goerner with witness Dr. Manuel Aldan on Saipan, June 1960. (Courtesy San Francisco Library Special Collections.)
The only bestseller ever penned on the Earhart disappearance, “Search” sold over 400,000 copies and stayed on the New York Times bestseller list for six months. In September 1966, Time magazine’s scathing review, titled “Sinister Conspiracy,” set the original tone for what has become several generations of media aversion to the truth about Amelia’s death on Saipan.
This story, which announced Thomas E. Devine’s Saipan gravesite claim, appeared in the San Mateo Times on July 16, 1960. Devine returned to Saipan in 1963 and located the gravesite shown to him by the Okinawan woman in August 1945, but did not share his find with Fred Goerner. Instead Devine planned to return to Saipan by himself, but he never again got the opportunity.
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Grounds for a Possible Search for Amelia Earhart: E.H. Dimity’s 1939 argument for new search, Part I
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Thomas E. Devine, Saipan veteran and author of “Eyewitness: The Amelia Earhart Incident” (1987)
Thomas E. Devine, whose involvement with events surrounding the discovery and destruction of Amelia Earhart’s Electra 10E as a 28-year-old Army postal sergeant on Saipan in July 1944 shaped the rest of his life. Devine’s 1987 classic, “Eyewitness: The Amelia Earhart Incident,” is among the most important books about the Earhart disappearance ever penned.
Thomas E. Devine’s “Eyewitness: The Amelia Earhart Incident” (1987) is Devine’s first-person account of his eyewitness experiences on Saipan, where he saw Amelia Earhart’s Electra 10, NR 16020 on three occasions, the final time the plane was in flames. Devine’s book is among the most important ever penned in revealing the truth about the disappearance of Amelia Earhart.
On November 13, 1970, the Japan Times reported, for the first time, the shocking claims of Mrs. Michiko Sugita, who was told of Amelia Earhart’s execution on Saipan in 1937. Sugita, the eleven-year-old daughter of the civilian chief of police on Saipan in 1937, told the Japan Times in 1970 that Japanese military police shot Amelia Earhart as a spy there. Sugita, the first Japanese national to report Earhart’s presence on Saipan, corresponded for a time with Thomas E. Devine, but later went missing and his letters were returned, marked, “No such person, unknown.”
Mrs. Michiko Sugita, Japanese national, Earhart witness
Mrs. Michiko Sugita, whose account as told to the Japan Times in 1970 remains the only testimony from a Japanese national that attests to Amelia Earhart’s presence and death on Saipan following her July 2, 1937 disappearance. Sugitia corresponded with Thomas E. Devine for a few years in the mid-1970s before Devine’s letters were returned with the notation, “No such person. Return to sender.”
This story appeared at the top of page 1 in the July 13, 1937 edition of the Bethlehem (Pennsylvania)-Globe Times. “Vague and unconfirmed rumors that Amelia Earhart and Fred Noonan have been rescued by a Japanese fishing boat without a radio,” the report began, “and therefore unable to make any report, found no verification here today, but plunged Tokio [sic] into a fever of excitement.” The story was quickly squelched in Japan, and no follow-up was done. (Courtesy Woody Peard.)
Adm. Chester W. Nimitz: Fred Goerner’s most respected informant
Adm. Chester W. Nimitz, Commander in Chief, Pacific Fleet, circa 1942, the last of the Navy’s 5-star admirals. In late March 1965, a week before his meeting with General Wallace M. Greene Jr. at Marine Corps Headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, Nimitz called Goerner in San Francisco. “Now that you’re going to Washington, Fred, I want to tell you Earhart and her navigator did go down in the Marshalls and were picked up by the Japanese,” Goerner claimed Nimitz told him. The admiral’s revelation appeared to be a monumental breakthrough for the determined newsman, and is known even to many casual observers of the Earhart matter. “After five years of effort, the former commander of U.S. Naval Forces in the Pacific was telling me it had not been wasted,” Goerner wrote.
Marshall Islands 50th Anniversary Commemorative Stamps, 1987
The independent Republic of the Marshalls Islands issued these four postage stamps to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Amelia Earhart’s landing at Mili Atoll and pickup by the Japanese survey ship Koshu in July 1937. To the Marshallese people, the Earhart disappearance is not a mystery, but an accepted fact.
A rare sepia photo of Amelia in 1937, highlighting her freckles.
General Graves Erskine, deputy commander of V AMphibious Corps during the invasion of Saipan.
“The further a society drifts from the truth, the more it will hate those that speak it.” — George Orwell
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Jeff Bezos, Thinking Like a VC, says Amazon is “the Best Place in the World to Fail.”
May 24, 2016 · by Marcel Weiß · in Amazon · 3 Comments
Business Insider summarizing an interview Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos gave to the Washington Post where he talked amongst other things about the Fire Phone:
“If you think that’s a big failure, we’re working on much bigger failures right now. And I am not kidding. And some of them are going to make the Fire Phone look like a tiny little blip,” Bezos said in an interview with The Washington Post’s executive editor, Martin Baron, on Wednesday. (…)
“The size of your mistakes needs to grow along with” the company, Bezos said. “If it doesn’t, you’re not going to be inventing at scale that can actually move the needle.”
Everyone knows by now that Amazon is, essentially, run like a collection of startups. Bezos revealed in this interview that Amazon’s management has come to the obvious conclusion. They look at the big picture of their “startups” like a VC looks at their portfolio:
The great thing is when you take this approach, a small number of winners pay for dozens, hundreds of failures. And so every single important thing that we have done has taken a lot of risk taking, perseverance, guts, and some of them have worked out, most of them have not.
It is easy to look at Amazon’s huge successes like AWS, the marketplace or even the Echo and Alexa and oversee the huge flops that came with Amazon’s approach from Amazon Destinations and the Fire Phone to A9, which is still around but was originally supposed to become a search engine and advertising giant the same like Google is today.
Business Insider:
This approach has led to a number of failed projects, like its hotel-booking site, Amazon Destinations, and auction site, Amazon Auction. But it’s also led to massive successes, such as its Amazon Web Services and the Amazon Echo, which is why Bezos likes to call the company “the best place in the world to fail.”
Keep this in mind when thinking about rumors on Amazon building a global logistics arm.
There was recently a good portrait of Jeff Bezos in Fortune, which gives even more insight into how Bezos works and thinks, and subsequently how Amazon is run:
Bezos is preternaturally consistent. He still preaches customer focus and long-term thinking. Yet of necessity, as Amazon has become massive—and as he has indulged his eclectic and time-consuming pursuits—he has become the sort of leader who empowers others. “He was at the center of everything at the beginning. The leadership was Jeff Bezos,” says Patty Stonesifer, the former Microsoft msft executive and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation CEO who has been on Amazon’s board for 19 years. “Today it’s not a hub-and-spoke connecting to him. He has become a great leader of leaders.” Indeed, his evolution portends dramatic repercussions far and wide: The possibilities of a less tethered Jeff Bezos are equal parts exciting (imagine what he’ll do) and terrifying (pity whom he’ll crush). (..)
It’s all too much for Bezos to micromanage, and he acknowledges picking his spots. His latest passion is for higher-end fashion, an area Amazon has been upgrading in recent years; Bezos says he is focused on Amazon’s plans for its own private label. “I think there’s so much opportunity for invention there,” he says. “It’s very hard to do online. It’s fragmented offline. People value a curatorial approach.” This, he says, is a significant departure for Amazon. “We didn’t curate a selection of books.” As for Bezos’s other areas of focus at Amazon, he says he’s spending time on “certain elements of AWS, but out a few years,” as well as on Alexa and the company’s fulfillment centers. As for specifics, “I can’t really share any because it’s too much of a road-map kind of issue.” (…)
He says Amazon’s annual planning process—and the detailed narratives its managers prepare for them—allows Bezos to closely “audit” the company’s efforts. Otherwise, says Wilke, “I would say his style has gone from being more prescriptive to teaching and refining.”
The portrait in Fortune is very good read.
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Why Amazon Echo and Alexa Don’t Need to Fear Google Home and an Apple Siri SDK | Early Moves · May 25, 2016 - 1:31 pm ·
[…] his Washington Post interview, which we referenced yesterday already, Jeff Bezos also talked about Echo and the Alexa platform behind […]
Das Beste: Mai 2016 auf neunetz.com · June 2, 2016 - 3:15 pm ·
[…] Jeff Bezos, Thinking Like a VC, says Amazon is “the Best Place in the World to Fail.” […]
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Look at This City!
Posted: September 23, 2012 in 1960, Berlin, Berlin Wall, Republikflucht, Walter Ulbricht, Wende
Tags: Adenauer, anti-communism, denazification, Der Schwarze Kanal, Hans Globke, Hans Speidel, Karl Gass, Karl-Eduard von Schnitzler, Potsdam, RIAS, Stasiland, Sudelede
On Sunday morning, August 13, 1961, the citizens of Berlin woke up to a remarkable event. While they were sleeping, East German soldiers had constructed a barbed wire fence around the entire city of West Berlin. Workers were already beginning to tear up the roads between the east and the west, and armed soldiers stood at various points along the fence, making sure no one got through unless authorized. Some people found themselves faced with a dilemma. If you were a West German, but lived in the east, you were given a choice: become a citizen of the GDR or get the hell out. For East Germans working in the west the choice was little more severe: stay, live, and work here. East Germans who, for whatever reason, found themselves in the western sector that night, the choice was the hardest of all. They could stay in West Berlin, but it would mean giving up everything they owned. In some cases, it meant leaving behind entire families.
So how did this happen? Only a few months earlier, Walter Ulbricht had assured everyone that East Germany had no intention of building a wall (“Niemand hat die Absicht, eine Mauer zu errichten!”). Now, suddenly, here it was. Within a few weeks, the barbed wire barricade turned into a fence, and, eventually into the wall with its swath of raked earth, tank traps, nail beds, and 24-hour hyperlighting. Buildings along the border were torn down and East German border guards were given orders to shoot to kill anyone trying to cross the border illegally.
The GDR always insisted that the wall was never meant to keep people in, but to stop the pernicious influences capitalism, and the intentionally disruptive tactics of the United States and West Germany, both of which were hell-bent on destroying the GDR (true enough). For them the wall was an anti-fascist protection barricade (Antifaschistischer Schutzwall). To explain and defend the building of the wall, the documentary film branch of DEFA made Look at This City! (Schaut auf Diese Stadt), a film exploring the forces at work against the GDR, and what led to the barrier’s eventual construction.
And what a film it is! Director Karl Gass has created a lively piece of cinema that, whether you agree with any of it or not, will keep you entertained. The film gets off to a rip-roaring start with U.S. military troops marching in formation set to the sounds of The Coasters singing “Yakety-Yak.” This is followed by more scenes of U.S. military personnel overlaid with various American big band tunes. This isn’t a radio station from America, the narrator tells us, but one from West Berlin. The film follows this basic structure throughout, with the American forces shown to pop tunes and big band numbers, and the scenes of factories and people in East Germany shown to the strains of Beethoven and other German composers. It is hard to say if the filmmaker thought that the western music would appear coarse and vulgar to the German audiences. The narration seems to suggest that this was the intent, but it is this very juxtaposition between western pop culture and German classicism that makes this film so much fun to watch. In one scene, clueless American soldiers take snapshots in front of the Soviet War Memorial in Treptower Park. This is followed by scenes of WWII war footage showing the attacks on Berlin. The message of the film is stated at the beginning and at the end: the GDR wanted peaceful coexistence; it’s the west that provoked the building of the wall.
The film makes some valid points. The western powers did renege on many of the agreements made during the Potsdam Conference, not least of which was the way it turned a blind eye to the reinstatement of several ex-Nazis to prominent positions, most notably, Chancellery Chief of Staff Hans Globke, who had helped Adolf Eichmann draft the Third Reich’s race laws, and NATO Commander Hans Speidel, who had served as a General in the Wehrmacht under Hitler. The West’s approach to Denazification seemed to be, “Well, we’re going to let you go back to work, but we’re going to wag a finger at you every once in a while.”
There is also evidence that many of the decisions made by West Germany were intentionally designed to play hob with the East German economy. This was done largely at the behest of the United States, which had become rabidly anti-communist during the fifties. Nowadays, people point to Joseph McCarthy as some sort of anomaly, but, in truth, the prevailing sentiment in the U.S. was “better dead than red.” McCarthy was just the most visible proponent of this philosophy. The U.S.-sponsored radio station RIAS (Rundfunk im amerikanischen Sektor) was actively, even aggressively at times, using its broadcasts to spread dissent in the east. As the film points out, Stalin made overtures to help create a united Germany, free of both Soviet and American troops (this was also one of the tenets of the Potsdam Accord), but Adenauer dismissed the offer as a ploy. Public sentiment was in favor of Stalin’s proposal, but that counted for little. The Americans were still calling the shots and their anti-communist fervor made it impossible for Germany to reunite.
But the film also overstates its claims, blaming all of East Germany’s economic problems on the west. In truth, many of its problems came from Ulbricht’s refusal to adopt any meaningful reforms lest he cede one iota of his authority to others. In the previous post (Destinies of Women), I talked about the fact that, from 1946 until the early fifties, people were going to East Germany to find work because the Soviets were doing a much better job of getting German industries up and running again. Now the tables had turned. People started to leave East Germany in favor of opportunities in the west. The borders between the two countries were closed, but the agreement to keep Berlin open as a jointly controlled city made it the perfect place to cross over. The Republikflucht could have been stopped, but Walter Ulbricht wasn’t the man to do it. After the protests of June 17th, 1953, the Soviets agreed to help quell the protests providing that Ulbricht enact meaningful reforms. Ulbricht took the Soviet’s help, but instead of implementing changes, the GDR leader dug in his heels, pointing to the events in Poland and Hungary as justification for his position. As thing deteriorated further, Ulbricht asked the Soviets for more and more financial aid, but they had problems of their own dealing with the new U.S. president, John F. Kennedy, who, by Krushschev’s account was “not very clever,” citing the Bay of Pigs debacle as evidence of this.
Things came to a head when West Berlin—in spite of multilateral agreements to the contrary—started using the Western Deutsche Mark. This created a serious economic imbalance between the eastern and the western sectors of the city. Since many things were state-subsidized in the GDR, East Berliners could make more money by working in the west while paying the cheaper rents in the east. West Berliners took advantage of the lower food prices in the east, getting their East German helpers and co-workers to bring them supplies. A black market sprang up in West Berlin to take advantage of the disparity between the western and eastern currencies. In the end, the utter intransigence on both sides of the border led inexorably to the wall. Although they made political hay of it at the time, the west was perfectly happy with this solution. “Better a wall than a war,” JFK is reported to have said when he learned of the new barrier, but that didn’t stop him from traveling to Berlin and announcing that he was a donut.*
As with the United States, you were more likely to lose your job in West Germany during the fifties for being a member of the Communist Party than for being a former Nazi. No one knew this better than the film’s narrator, Karl-Eduard von Schnitzler, who lost his job at Nordwestdeutscher Rundfunk in Hamburg, for his leftist leanings. Mention von Schnitzler, even today, to anyone who grew up in East Germany, and you’ll get an immediate reaction; usually a look of disgust. Not even Stasi chief Erich Mielke or Honecker’s hated wife Margot prompt such strong reactions from people. In his song, “Ballade von den verdorbenen Männern” (“Ballad of Corrupt Men”), Wolf Biermann referred to him as “Sudelede,” a nickname that stuck. In her grim, but highly readable book, Stasiland, Anna Funder reports that he was also known as “von Schni–,” because that’s how long it took people to get up and change the channel when he appeared on TV.
At first glance, von Schnitzler looks like an unlikely candidate for the communist cause. His father was a well-respected German diplomat and heir to a German banking dynasty. Karl-Eduard was cousin to Georg von Schnitzler, a member of the IG Farben board of directors and one of the people convicted of war crimes during the Nuremberg Trials (see Council of the Gods). He was also reportedly the illegitimate great-grandson to Frederick III, whose reign lasted a mere 99 days.
As a member of the bourgeoisie, Karl-Eduard had a privileged upbringing, but that didn’t stop him from joining the communist party while still in school. During the war, he was drafted into the Wehrmacht, but was captured by the British. Shortly after that, he started working for the German-language branch of BBC radio. After losing his job in Hamburg, he moved to East Germany, where he became well known as the host of Der schwarze Kanal (The Black Channel), a weekly television show that examined, reinterpreted, and ridiculed West German news reports. Von Schnitzler’s stock in trade was sarcasm, which he delivered as if he was merely stating the facts. He had been doing this on Der schwarze Kanal for couple years before he made this movie, so he was well-prepared for the job of narrating this film
After the Wende, von Schnitzler became the target of a great deal of public criticism He never wavered from his position that the Wall was a good thing and that the state had every right to shoot people trying to climb over it. His appearances on television talk shows were often rowdy affairs with people constantly interrupting him whenever he tried to defend his position.
The new world order took its toll on von Schnitzler. It’s not easy being the most loathed person in your own country. Talk show appearances after the Wende show a man who continued to try and defend his position in the face of catcalls from the audience. He died of pneumonia September 20, 2001 in Zeuthen, a small municipality south of Berlin.
Look at This City! was directed by Karl Gass. A West German by birth, Gass was working in radio in Cologne after the war when—like von Schnitzler—he came under fire for his defense of the German Communist Party (KPD). In 1948, he moved to East Germany, where he continued writing radio scripts and began studying film production. During the fifties, he started making Der Augenzeuge (Eyewitness) newsreels, which were screened before the main features in East German cinemas. Look at This City! was his first attempt at a feature film, and it is apparent that the years for study paid off. The film, with its combination of new and old footage with new and old music, still stands as a classic example of documentary filmmaking. Gass’s biggest success as a director came in 1985 with Das Jahr 1945 (The Year 1945), a look at the last 128 days of the Third Reich. Gass continued making documentaries right up until the Wende. His last film, Nationalität: Deutsch (Nationality: German) is a look at the life of a small-town teacher from the Weimar Republic, through the Third Reich, to the GDR. With the fall of the wall, no one so closely associated with the socialist aspects of East Germany really stood a chance of getting films made in unified Germany. He spent his final years writing non-fiction, primarily on the history of Prussia. He died in 2009.
Predictably, reactions to the film divided along political lines, with critics in the west calling it propaganda and critics in the east defending its message. Reviewers both east and west acknowledged that it was a well-made film. The film drew large audiences, especially in Berlin, where people were still trying to wrap their minds around this new border that divided their city. Today, the film is recognized as both a classic documentary and a unique chronicle of the events that led to the Berlin Wall.
IMDB page for this film.
The last episode of Der Schwarze Kanal.
* Much has been made of JFK’s infamous “Ich bin ein Berliner,” statement. The correct wording would have been, “Ich bin Berliner.” By adding the definite article ein, as many have pointed out, he was using the correct form to say that he was a “Berliner,” which is a kind of filled donut popular in Germany. Others have defended him, saying that the definite article could also be used to stress that he was with the people of Berlin (although, I think that untranslatable little bit of German grammar, doch would have been the logical choice for that). The statement has been used, from time to time as a running joke in German movies, and was even used as the name of a film about a con man who claimed to be the illegitimate son of JFK. Nonetheless, I think everyone listening to his speech that day understood what he was trying to say.
® says:
It’s there.
Thanks Moritz!
Another well researched review of another enticing sounding film. It is becoming clearly evident that East Germany put out a LOT of wellmade important films, little known in the West, that can add to a better understanding of German and WWII history. Thanks for your thought provoking reviews! And thanks for posting the ENTIRE movie so I can finally watch one of these films.
Thanks. Glad you enjoyed it. There are a few East German films available on YouTube, but most don’t have English subtitles.
adrioch says:
I’ve seen the film and it is quite excellent. I was wondering if you may know the composer who wrote the classical score during the first moments of the film where they show footage of Berlin at war during WWII? I think that musical piece really help set the tone and it is astounding. Thank you.
If I had to guess, I’d say Beethoven, but I’m not sure which piece.
Destinies of Women
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Saints Versus Scoundrels – Who Would Win in These Dream Debates?
Chloe Langr December 27, 2017 0 0 0 views
What if the greatest saints could have sat down with history’s greatest scoundrels and debated the big topics? What would debates between Edith Stein and Friedrich Nietzsche have looked like? Or what would Flannery O’Connor have to say to Ayn Rand if she got the chance?
In his latest book, Dr. Benjamin Wiker invites readers to join him as he interacts not just with the ideas that have shaped human history, but with the people who created those ideas. Within the pages of Saints vs. Scoundrels, you’ll find imaginary (and lively!) conversations between the great truth-tellers and the great peddlers of lies throughout human history. Not only will you learn incredible historical facts, but you’ll also come to know the great personalities of the thinkers who’ve sparked great conversations throughout the course of human history.
Dr. Wiker starts off his book by imagining how different our world would look if the greatest saints could have met the greatest scoundrels. “What we believe, how we live, and the effects we have on how other people think and live is immeasurably great, for better or worse,” he writes in the introduction. “Lives are salvaged and lives are destroyed. We know from history the enormous effects that people such as Saint Francis have had for good and people such as Machiavelli had for evil. The great debates are deadly serious because different answers given by different towering figures form later generations for good or ill.”
Granted, Saint Francis of Assisi never got the chance to sit down with Niccolo Machiavelli and hash out the details about the existence of God. But both of these historical figures and many others, have sparked movements and ideas that resonate in our own present day world. How amazing would it be if they had met and shared thoughts at a family picnic, or sat down with a cup of coffee in a living room? “If the scoundrels could have met the saints,” Dr. Wiker writes, “their lives and the lives of countless others they’ve influenced might have been radically different.”
In his book, Dr. Wiker brings to life debates between scoundrels and saints with his dynamic storytelling ability. And his latest book allows you to be a fly on the wall and listen in on the ultimate dream debates of Western civilization. He examines five dream debates in his new book. Here is a sneak peek at three of the debates and how the saints and scoundrels would’ve measured up!
1. Saint Augustine and Jean-Jacques Rosseau debate justice
Jean-Jacques Rosseau and Saint Augustine were both men who have had tremendous influence throughout human history. So what would happen if they debated about the subject of justice?
Wiker argues that if the two great minds has ever interacted, Rousseau would have been a much different man. He would have “realized that his entire philosophy of ‘natural man’ was all a fiction he invited to excuse his own treatment of women and the abandonment of his own children, and then changed it accordingly,” he writes.
If Rousseau’s view of justice had changed, Wiker wonders if there ever would have been a sexual revolution in the 1960s. But instead, Rousseau relied on a concept of justice that was exclusively of this world. He rejected the responses of Christ and Augustine when they both talked about justice.
So who was more passionate about justice? Wiker argues Augustine wins by a landslide. “In truth, St. Augustine was far more passionate about justice, which becomes clear especially in his City of God, where he chastises pagan Rome for its many brutish injustices perpetrated in pursuit of empire. As Augustine and the Church declare, justice is defined by God; it is, in fact, a virtue, one of the four cardinal virtues.”
2. Edith Stein takes on Friedrich Nietzsche and the search for truth
Friedrich Nietzsche is one of the most influential and misunderstood philosophers of the modern era. Wiker remembers how his professors in graduate school crowded around Nietzsche. Nietzsche understood that in a world without God, the only higher power left is human willpower. Unfortunately, the Nazi regime demonstrated just this type of deity.
Edith Stein was seized by the Nazis on August 2, 1942. She was shipped off to Auschwitz concentration camp and given the number 44074. In her martyrdom, she embraced the truth of the Crucifixion and the suffering of Christ. She understood philosophy and theology, and how the two subjects are often intertwined.
“I am often amazed at the ignorance and confusion of so many who call themselves philosophers but dismiss theology as irrational,” Wiker writes. “They pridefully proclaim that they have chosen reason over blind faith.” But, in doing so, they miss out the beauty of the truth.
“Edith Stein – every bit as intelligent as Nietzsche – searched diligently for the truth, first as an atheist, but then as a convinced Christian.” It is she who we should look to as an example of a modern philosopher and theologian.
3. Flannery O’Connor and Ayn Rand go head to head about narcissism
If Flannery O’Connor was ever introduced to Ayn Rand, things would get pretty heated. “I know that there are many folks, perhaps even some reading this, who consider Ayn Rand to be a kind of secular saint, a twentieth-century champion of the individual in the face of stifling, dehumanizing threats of socialism and communism. The problem with Rand,” Write writes, “is that her reaction in favor of radical individualism – a philosophy based on an entirely self-centered ethical system – was equally erroneous.”
If there was anyone to pick up on Rand’s narcissism, it would be Flannery O’Connor. O’Connor’s had a very refined theological sense, one that permeated her understanding of all aspects of who she was and the life she lived.
Rand’s philosophy reduces everyone around her to either a prop or puppet for her to manipulate. “That’s why there are no real characters in Rand’s Atlas Shrugged with the kind of depth that we find in any of Flannery O’Connor’s (much, much shorter) stories. Rand, unlike Flannery, didn’t believe that real, particular flesh and blood people were worthy of studying in depth. She was all that mattered,” Wiker writes.
The beautiful, intricate mess of humanity that Flannery O’Connor recognizes in her short stories makes her a knowledgeable critic of the narcissism that permeates Rand’s writing.
Want to read more about the ideas and people that shaped our world? Get your hands on a copy of Dr. Wiker’s book and learn about the history of the Church and the world with his dynamic storytelling ability and wit! You can find the book at your local Catholic bookstore or online at Sophia Institute Press.
Tags Book Review patron saints saints Sophia Institute Press
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Tag: political flunkies
new fossil fuel sources + overproduction = bankruptcy for greedy developers
July 11, 2019 July 11, 2019 1 Comment
❝ For decades, elected leaders and corporate executives have chased a dream of independence from unstable or unfriendly foreign oil producers. Mission accomplished: Oil companies are producing record amounts of crude oil and natural gas in the United States and have become major exporters…With a global glut driving down prices, many are losing money and are staying afloat by selling assets and taking on debt…
❝ In the last four years, roughly 175 oil and gas companies in the United States and Canada with debts totaling about $100 billion have filed for bankruptcy protection. Many borrowed heavily when oil and gas prices were far higher, only to collectively overproduce and undercut their commodity prices. At least six companies have gone bankrupt this year, and Weatherford International, the fourth-leading oil services company, which owes investors $7.7 billion, is expected to file for bankruptcy protection…
❝ One concern is that the industry will be forced to leave oil and gas in the ground as climate change prompts environmental restrictions on drilling or a shift to alternative fuels.
As usual, the fossil fuel barons relied on their political bubbas in the White House and Congress to stand in the doorway to blockade any changeover to cleaner and cheaper energy generation. Climate change deniers from both parties were doing their share. Trump was elected and pledged to continue his own variety of populist ignorance to support backwards as the only true American direction.
A funny thing happened on the way to the bank, though. The rest of the world ignored our crooks and hustlers. As did a number of state governments. Not the majority. Just the states that understand that science and engineering, progressive policies result in cleaner, forward-looking economies.
Doesn’t mean problems are all solved. “Backwards” still includes a lot of federal flunkies calling themselves Democrats and Republicans. Change is only coming in the fullest sense of the word if all the deadwood is cleared out of the way.
Better off than your kids will ever be? A new look at income inequality
August 1, 2016 August 1, 2016 3 Comments
❝ The real incomes of about two-thirds of households in 25 advanced economies were flat or fell between 2005 and 2014. Without action, this phenomenon could have corrosive economic and social consequences.
❝ Most people growing up in advanced economies since World War II have been able to assume they will be better off than their parents. For much of the time, that assumption has proved correct: except for a brief hiatus in the 1970s, buoyant global economic and employment growth over the past 70 years saw all households experience rising incomes, both before and after taxes and transfers. As recently as between 1993 and 2005, all but 2 percent of households in 25 advanced economies saw real incomes rise.
Yet this overwhelmingly positive income trend has ended. A new McKinsey Global Institute report, Poorer than their parents? Flat or falling incomes in advanced economies, finds that between 2005 and 2014, real incomes in those same advanced economies were flat or fell for 65 to 70 percent of households, or more than 540 million people. And while government transfers and lower tax rates mitigated some of the impact, up to a quarter of all households still saw disposable income stall or fall in that decade.
❝ These findings provide a new perspective on the growing debate in advanced economies about income inequality, which until now has largely focused on income and wealth gains going disproportionately to top earners. Our analysis details the sharp increase in the proportion of households in income groups that are simply not advancing — a phenomenon affecting people across the income distribution. And the hardest hit are young, less-educated workers, raising the spectre of a generation growing up poorer than their parents.
The important part of the analysis is that, of course, this can be changed. The disturbing part is that in many educated, industrialized Western nations we must rely upon politicians in one or another form of republican society who pay little attention to those who put them into office. They refuse to lead, they cower before the economic power of those who pay for election – and re-election – campaigns and, cowards that most are, refuse to bend to democratic reformation that might end their position as the real welfare kings and queens of society.
Limited for decades by the 2-party farce that passes for choice in many lands – not just the United States – we are brainwashed by 99% of media mouthpieces that this is the best of all possible worlds. Just look at us! We are all better off than we ever were in the history of nations. But, the groundwork is solidly in place. Choice and liberty had better be allowed to become opportunity or the next couple of decades will move populism beyond fear, racism and bigotry.
UPDATE: Here’s an interview with Richard Dobbs, this morning. Not as dynamic as the report, itself; but, you get the flavor in a careful, scholarly way.
Top corporate bosses paid more than firms paid in taxes
September 1, 2011 September 1, 2011 2 Comments
Jeff Immelt advising Obama on jobs that pay a lot less than he makes
Daylife/Reuters Pictures used by permission
The 25 highest paid US chief executives earned more last year than their companies paid in federal income tax, a study has said.
The average annual remuneration of the 25 bosses was $16.7 million, the left-leaning think tank Institute for Policy Studies (IPS) found. One chief executive on its list is General Electric’s Jeff Immelt, who the IPS said was paid $15.2 million in 2010 while his firm got a $3.3 billion tax refund…
Its spokesman said the study did not include significant federal income taxes paid in 2010 for previous years…
Other bosses on the IPS list are those of eBay and Boeing…
The IPS said two thirds of the 25 bosses were the heads of companies that utilised offshore subsidiaries in tax havens such as Bermuda, Singapore and Luxembourg.
IPS senior scholar and co-author of the report Chuck Collins said: “I think it’s an exposure of weakness in a company if their profitability is dependent on their accounting department and not on making better widgets.”
The think tank also found many of the firms spent more on lobbying politicians than they did on taxes.
The IPS said Boeing spent $20.8 million on lobbying, while paying only $13 million in federal income taxes.
Anyone surprised?
I know, I know. I mean surprised that there were only 25 in the study getting away with this?
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Smokers Should Pay for Their Own Health Care Costs Incurred From Smoking Related Diseases Essay
healthcare costs for smokers are significantly higher than their non-smoking counterparts, and this paper reviews the relevant literature to measure the degree, if any, to which smokers are currently paying their own health care costs. An analysis of the costs that are associated with the second-hand smoke generated by smokers to identify additional costs is followed by a summary of the research and important findings are presented in the conclusion.
Smokers Should Pay for Their Own Health Care Costs Incurred from Smoking-Related Diseases
Despite a growing number of aggressive campaigns to completely eradicate the habit in recent years, many Americans continue to smoke tobacco and incur a number of smoking-related healthcare problems as a result. In fact, the costs that are associated with caring for smokers’ healthcare needs far exceed those of their nonsmoking counterparts, but some analysts argue that smokers are already paying their own share of health care costs through hefty excise taxes and that the federal government actually makes money off smokers. These arguments, though, ignore the other costs created by smokers through second-hand smoke which can be harmful and even deadly. Calculating the costs of human life is a subjective enterprise, of course, but it is possible to calculate with some degree of accuracy that additional health care costs incurred from smoking-related diseases to determine if smokers are actually paying their own way. To this end, this paper provides a review of the relevant literature to determine the extent to which smokers are currently paying their own health care costs, followed by an analysis of the costs that are associated with the second-hand smoke generated by smokers to identify additional costs. Finally, a summary of the research and the outcome of the analysis are presented in the conclusion.
Current Funding Mechanisms for Smoker Health Care
According to Daynard and Barr (1999), since the mid-20th century, the big tobacco companies have engaged in a veritable conspiracy to hide the real truth about the dangers of smoking in ways that have helped recruit new generations of smokers. In fact, despite the growing body of evidence that smoking causes a wide array of healthcare problems and further exacerbates numerous others, a new group of smokers emerges and the costs that are associated with treating them continue to escalate (Sunstein, 2004). Indeed, each year, more than one million people in the United States develop smoking-related illnesses and more than 400,000 eventually die from these healthcare problems (Daynard & Barr, 1999).
Not surprisingly, then, many observers have called for American smokers to pay more of their share of the staggering healthcare costs they incur each year, but there are some factors involved that affect this argument in fundamental ways. For example, because there is so much money involved, there have been serious efforts in recent years to calculate just how much the federal government spends on the extra healthcare costs that are associated with smoking tobacco and it turns out that smokers are a gold mine for the government. The results of an early federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) study showed that based on the significant excise taxes that are paid by smokers when they purchase tobacco products, smokers actually pay more than the costs of the individual health care (Daynard & Barr, 1999). Moreover, some authorities even argue that the manner in which Medicaid payments are subsidized by smokers even violates the Social Security Act by forcing them to pay what amounts to extra premiums into the federal health care system through heavy excise taxes on tobacco (Traylor, 2010). The 1998 Master Settlement Agreement reached between most of the states and the federal government concerning Medicaid reimbursements for smoking-related diseases. Nevertheless, among the several provisions of the Master Settlement Agreement was the stipulation that the defendant tobacco companies had the responsibility to cover the costs associated with treating tobacco-related diseases that were assumed to be caused by the use of their products (Traylor, 2010).
The foregoing facts make arguments in support of requiring smokers to pay even more appear spurious on their face, but there is more involved in the analysis than first meets the eye and these issues are discussed further below with respect to the second-hand smoke generated by smokers.
Second-Hand Smoke and Health Care Costs
Even though many tobacco companies have known about the harmful effects of smoking for more than a half century and other research has confirmed these suspicions for more than 40 years, the potential adverse health effects of so-called “second-hand smoke” have only come to light relatively recently (Cox & Foster, 2011). In reality, though, just as many people begin to cough and wheeze almost as soon as they start smoking cigarettes, nonsmokers who are forced, for whatever reason, into close proximity to smokers for extended periods of time will likely experience these adverse health effects as well over time, making the connection with second-hand smoke fairly intuitive. Indeed, anyone who has ever sat too close to a campfire can readily testify to the harsh effects of inhaled smoke from whatever source. There are a number of second-hand smoke sources as well, making the experience pervasive for many nonsmokers who work in environments where large numbers of smokers congregate such as casinos (Cox & Foster, 2011).
Similar to its “first-hand” counterpart, second-hand smoke contains more than 50 carcinogenic substances and the research to date confirms that exposure to second-hand smoke can cause lung cancer, respiratory tract infections, nasal sinus cancer, and heart disease and there is no safe threshold for exposure (Cox & Foster, 2011). Therefore, it would appear reasonable to suggest that even though smokers are paying hefty excise taxes that help pay for their own tobacco-related health care needs, they are inflicting health care problems on others that will also require expensive treatment over time in ways that remain understudied. There is also the question of wrongful death. Although actuarial tables exist that help calculate the value of a lost life, these calculations fail to take into account the diminished productivity and quality of life issues that second-hand smoke causes, especially since the actual costs that are involved are unclear. Therefore, even though just a minority (approximately 28%) of Americans currently smoke, a majority of Americans continue to be exposed to the second-hand smoke they produce (Russell, 1999). Around 17% of Americans live with someone who smokes, and a majority of Americans (58%) have lived with someone who smokes at some point in their lives (Russell, 1999). Studies have shown that almost half (45%) of all Americans are concerned about the effects of second-hand smoke on their individual health, with younger people feeling less concerned than their older counterparts (Russell, 1999). Research, though, has also confirmed that younger people tend to underestimate the long-term effects of smoking (Sunstein, 2004).
Conversely, the counter-argument to the foregoing would be that smokers tend to contribute much more in Social Security contributions than they ever receive back because they do not live as long as their non-smoking counterparts (Daynard & Barr, 1999). For example, Limbaugh (2001) notes that report a June 1999 report from the Congressional Research Service found that because of their premature deaths, smokers save the federal government almost $30 billion in health care costs each years. According to Limbaugh, “The Congressional Research Service concluded that ‘all in all, smoking has apparently brought financial gain to both the federal and state governments'” (quoted in Limbaugh, 2001, p. 11). This point is also made by Daynard and Barr (1999) who emphasize that although the argument that tobacco smoking costs the government money appears intuitive and is widely accepted as factual, the reality is far different. “Reduced to an issue of government ‘cost,'” they advise, “cigarette smoking represents a net gain in government revenue. Combined with the massive tax revenues the government…
Hypertension, Hypercholesterolemia, Depression Research Paper
Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility Research Paper
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Creatine is classified as a "dietary supplement" under the 1994 Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act and is available without a prescription. Creatine is not subjected to FDA testing, and the purity and hygienic condition of commercial creatine products may be questionable [21]. A 1998 FDA report lists 32 adverse creatine-associated events that had been reported to FDA. These include seizure, vomiting, diarrhea, anxiety, myopathy, cardiac arrhythmia, deep vein thromboses and death. However, there is no certainty that a reported adverse event can be attributed to a particular product [22]. A recent survey of 28 male baseball players and 24 male football players, ages 18 to 23, found that 16 (31%) experienced diarrhea, 13 (25%) experienced muscle cramps, 7 (13%) reported unwanted weight gain, 7 (13%) reported dehydration, and 12 reported various other adverse effects [23].
A push–pull workout is a method of arranging a weight training routine so that exercises alternate between push motions and pull motions.[28] A push–pull superset is two complementary segments (one pull/one push) done back-to-back. An example is bench press (push) / bent-over row (pull). Another push–pull technique is to arrange workout routines so that one day involves only push (usually chest, shoulders and triceps) exercises, and an alternate day only pull (usually back and biceps) exercises so the body can get adequate rest.[29]
In the last week leading up to a contest, bodybuilders usually decrease their consumption of water, sodium, and carbohydrates, the former two to alter how water is retained by the body and the latter to reduce glycogen in the muscle. The day before the show, water is removed from the diet, and diuretics may be introduced, while carbohydrate loading is undertaken to increase the size of the muscles through replenishment of their glycogen. The goal is to maximize leanness and increase the visibility of veins, or "vascularity". The muscular definition and vascularity are further enhanced immediately before appearing on stage by darkening the skin through tanning products and applying oils to the skin to increase shine. Some competitors will eat sugar-rich foods to increase the visibility of their veins. A final step, called "pumping", consists in performing exercises with light weights or other kinds of low resistance (for instance two athletes can "pump" each other by holding a towel and pulling in turn), just before the contest, to fill the muscles with blood and further increase their size and density.
Progain contains an easily digested source of carbohydrate, providing much needed carbohydrate to fuel your workout before or after. By adding creatine to your diet, in a shake, in food or in capsules, is proven to increase strength, build muscle size and support training intensity. At Maximuscle we have a number of products with added creatine, such as: Creatine Monohydrate, Creatamax Capsules, Cyclone (powder & bars), Progain Flapjack.
In 1990, professional wrestling promoter Vince McMahon announced that he was forming a new bodybuilding organization named the World Bodybuilding Federation (WBF). McMahon wanted to bring WWF-style showmanship and bigger prize money to the sport of bodybuilding. A number of IFBB stars were recruited but the roster was never very large and featured the same athletes competing; the most notable winner and first WBF champion was Gary Strydom. McMahon formally dissolved the WBF in July 1992. Reasons for this reportedly included lack of income from the pay-per-view broadcasts of the contests, slow sales of the WBF's magazine Bodybuilding Lifestyles (later WBF Magazine), and the expense of paying multiple six-figure contracts while producing two TV shows and a monthly magazine.
Studies of so-called "smart drugs" have also been taken out of context. Some "smart" nutrients, available over the counter, are marketed as a way to "increase mental focus and concentration during training." The problem is that the studies they're based upon involved either animals or people with brain pathology. In normal people the effects of smart drugs remain unproven, except anecdotally.
If you’re satisfied with your athletic performance but seriously want to bulk up, we recommend these creatine pill supplements from Crazy Muscle. They're made of a blend of three of the most effective types of creatine, Creatine Monohydrate, Creatine Alpha-ketoglutarate and Creatine Pyruvate, instead of just one type like other supplement brands. The formula also promises faster recovery times between workouts so you can push yourself harder even after a big workout the day before.
How long and how often? Two or three weekly 20- to 30-minute, weight-training sessions are sufficient to start reaping noticeable benefits within four to 12 weeks, such as improved energy and muscle tone. Within six months, most people increase their strength 40 percent or more. Give your body at least one recovery day between sessions (although some people may need more, especially in the beginning).
Although creatine can be bought commercially as a standalone product it is often found in combination with other nutrients. A prime example is the combination of creatine with carbohydrate or protein and carbohydrate for augmenting creatine muscle retention [5] mediated through an insulin response from the pancreas [69]. Steenge et al [70] found that body creatine retention of 5 g CM was increased by 25% with the addition of 50 g of protein and 47 g of carbohydrate or 96 g carbohydrate when compared to a placebo treatment of 5 g carbohydrate. The addition of 10g of creatine to 75 g of dextrose, 2 g of taurine, vitamins and minerals, induced a change in cellular osmolarity which in addition to the expected increase in body mass, seems to produce an up regulation of large scale gene expression (mRNA content of genes and protein content of kinases involved in osmosensing and signal transduction, cytoskeleton remodelling, protein and glycogen synthesis regulation, satellite cell proliferation and differentiation, DNA replication and repair, RNA transcription control, and cell survival) [25]. Similar findings have also been reported for creatine monohydrate supplementation alone when combined with resistance training [71].
A meta-analysis of 16 studies conducted on creatine and its influence on power and strength,[368][369] (with or without exercise in all age groups above 16, but placebo controlled and without crossover[368]) compiled studies utilizing a 5-7 day loading period with continued maintenance thereafter and studies assessing 1-3 rep bench press strength in trained young men. Seven studies (four of which are online[370][371][372][373]) totaling 70 people using creatine and 73 people in placebo showed a 6.85kg increase in strength relative to placebo, the benefits of which peaked at 8 weeks.[368] This meta-analysis also quantified a significant increase in squat strength (9.76kg) yet failed to find a significant influence on peak bicep contraction power, which may have been influenced by the two null studies[374][375] being in elderly people while the positive study[376] was statistically outweighed, but noted an 1.8-fold increase in power associated with creatine over placebo. The other meta-analysis conducted the following year[369] calculated effect sizes for creatine supplementation and noted no significant differences between genders or when comparing trained and untrained individuals. The mean effect size of exercises lasting below 30s (those that use the creatine-phosphate system) was 0.24+/-0.02 and performed significantly better than placebo, where exercise increased performance by 4.2+/-0.6% while the addition of creatine enhanced this effect to 7.5+/-0.7%.[369]
For beginners, your own body weight might be enough to get you started. However, it can be hard to challenge your body without any additional resistance, so to progress, you'll need some equipment. If you decide to strength train at home, you'll want to invest in some basics, such as resistance bands, weights, and an exercise ball. Try to have a range of weights: a light set (3 to 5 pounds for women, 5 to 8 pounds for men), a medium set (5 to 10 pounds for women, 10 to 15 pounds for men), and a heavy set (10 to 20 pounds for women, 15 to 30 pounds for men).
Creatine non-response is when muscular loading of creatine is under a certain threshold (10mmol/L), while “response” to creatine means having more muscular creatine loading (20mol/L or more). There also exists a “grey area” inbetween, where some benefits are achieved but not as many as pure responders will experience. Response appears to be positively correlated with muscle mass and type II muscle fibers.
These effects are secondary to creatine being a source of phosphate groups and acting as an energy reserve. The longer a cell has energy, the longer it can preserve the integrity of the cell membrane by preserving integrity of the Na+/K+-ATPase and Ca2+-ATPase enzymes.[241][235][236] Preserving ATP allows creatine to act via a nongenomic response (not requiring the nuclear DNA to transcribe anything), and appears to work secondary to MAPK and PI3K pathways.[226]
Neurological and cognitive function has also been shown to be improved by creatine supplementation [47,48]. Rawson and Venezia [49] review the effects of creatine supplementation on cognitive function highlighting that higher brain creatine has been associated with improved neuropsychological performance. Creatine supplementation protocols have been shown to increase brain creatine and phosphocreatine contents. Cognitive processing hindered due to sleep deprivation and natural impairment due to aging can be improved by creatine supplementation. This review also highlights other possible benefits of creatine ingestion to older adults, such as improvements in: fatigue resistance, strength, muscle mass, bone mineral density, and performance of activities of daily living. Some of these benefits occur without concurrent exercise. The authors inform that discrepancies between studies do exist and are hard to explain but may be possibly due to differences in diet, race and/or supplementation protocols. However, the ideal dose of creatine to maximize brain uptake is not known. Patients have been supplemented with 40 g while in healthy adults positive results have been reported with around 20 g per day [49].
You don’t have to, but you can. The typical creatine dose is 5 grams once or twice per day, but it’s sometimes suggested that one should “load” creatine by taking 20 to 25 grams per day for the first week of usage. This is then followed with 3 to 4 weeks of 5 grams per day, then a break for a week or two, then repeat. This may bring about more acute increases in strength and muscle size — creatine will “work” more quickly, in other words — but it’s not necessary.
I know this goes against the recommendations you often see in stereotypical bodybuilding routines (i.e. the ones that involve having a single “chest day” or “arm day” or “shoulder day” once a week), but that’s just one of the many reasons why those types of routines suck for us natural, genetically-average people, and work best for steroid users with great genetics.
The creatine transporter is a sodium[139][140] and chloride[141][142] dependent membrane-associated transporter that belongs to the Na+/Cl-dependent family of neurotransmitter transporters.[143] In muscle cells and most other cell types,[131][141] the isomer of the creatine transporter is known as SLC6A8 (solute carrier family 6, member 8). SLC6A8 is encoded by the gene present on the Xq28 region of the human X-chromosome and is expressed in most tissues.[144] A related gene encoding a creatine transporter variant has also been identified at 16p11.1 that is expressed exclusively in the testes.[145] These two transporters share 98% homology.[144][145]
Once training is resumed under these conditions, there may be little in the way of caloric support to ensure that protein synthesis and muscle growth occurs. Muscle may even begin to cannibalize itself as the body enters into a catabolic state. Even with the best of diets this can sometimes happen if training demands override the nutritional balance or imbalance.
There is a nuclear receptor known as TIS1 (orphan receptor, since there are no known endogeouns targets at this time) which positively influences transcription of new creatine transporters[171] and, in C2C12 myotubes, seems to be responsive to cAMP or adenyl cyclase stimulation from forskolin (from Coleus Forskohlii) with peak activation at 20µM.[171][172]
For example, say you are pursuing a muscle power objective in which you have decided to perform 3 sets of 8 repetitions each. You'll want to make sure you don't add too much weight so that you are able to perform all 8 repetitions before your muscles are too tired to finish the set. Conversely you'll want to make sure you add enough weight so that you are not simply breezing past the repetitions and finish your sets of plenty of energy still left in the tank. While it may take a few workout sessions to find the right combination, once you'll do it'll be easy to monitor and increase weight as you progress.
Another study demonstrated that females receiving 4 days of high-dose creatine intake (20 g/day) followed by low-dose creatine intake (5 g/day) during 10 weeks of resistance training (3hours/week) increased muscle PCr concentrations by 6%. Also, maximal strength of the muscle groups trained increased by 20-25%, maximal intermittent exercise capacity of the arm flexors increased by 10-25% and fat-free mass increased by 60% [11].
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The Children of Abraham
By James L. Evans
The ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine stands as one of the most difficult, and most deadly, political conundrums we face as the human community. At every corner peace is stymied by tightly held absolutes. Israel absolutely devoted to defending itself against all incursions—no matter what. Palestine absolutely determined to take back land they claim was stolen from them—at any cost. The clash of these absolutes has left both sides bloody.
Contributing to the mix is the involvement of the Christian community. On the one hand Mainline Christian groups have traditionally stood with the Jewish community in America on political and social issues. Many in the Jewish community along with Mainline Protestants comprise much of the liberal arm of the Democratic Party.
But the conflict with Palestinians has created a rift between some mainline groups and Israel. In recent years, leaders within the Presbyterian Church, USA as well as other mainliners, have called for divestment from companies doing business with Israel. This tactic recalls how the world community eventually helped bring an end to apartheid in South Africa.
But is the distribution of power in the Israeli/Palestinian conflict really analogous to South Africa? Many mainline Christians certainly believe so. And traditionally, liberal Christianity has reflexively taken the side of the underdog. This position is rooted in the theological notion that God is always on the side of the weak.
While actual divestment has not taken place, the mere mention of it has generated deep concern within the Jewish community. Some express feeling abandoned by their former friends.
Meanwhile, the rift between mainline Christian groups and Israel has created something of a vacuum. This vacuum has been filled by conservative evangelicals. These Christians support Israel unconditionally. A particular reading of the book of Revelation has convinced many evangelicals that in the last days those who have not sided with Israel will face the wrath of God.
Of course, the people of Israel do not fare too well in this end-time scenario either, at least for the ones who do not accept Jesus as Messiah. But many in the Jewish community are less worried about end-time events than they are about present-day violence and gladly welcome the significant support of conservative Christianity.
And so it is that Christians, both liberal and conservative, complicate the already complicated and volatile conflict between Israel and Palestine simply by taking sides. Unwittingly, and perhaps with the best of intentions, they add their own theological absolutes to the political absolutes that already make a path to peace hard to find.
I can’t help but wonder if there is not a better role for Christians to play. Rather than taking sides in this conflict, even with considerable theological justification for doing so, I wonder what would happen if Christians in America committed themselves to a third side—a side that opposed violence in any form for any reason.
Admittedly this third side would position us in the most dangerous place imaginable—standing between warring foes. But this third side would provide the Christian community an opportunity to press for peace in both directions at the same time.
Perhaps it is not without significance that all parties involved in this conflict claim a connection to the biblical character Abraham. As such we all share in a promise that one day we will be blessings on the earth. This would seem an opportune time for Abraham’s children to work together to make the promise real.
James L. Evans is pastor of Auburn First Baptist Church in Auburn, Ala.
Israel Jim Evans Palestine
Report: 41% of U.S. Children Live in Low-Income Homes
By EthicsDaily.com Staff
#EthicsDailyLocal: Center for Children and Families Inc.
Missing Children and Missing Politicians
By Mitch Randall
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Asia, Global Policy, Middle East, US/EU
Turkey Refuses to Dogmatically Take Sides in ‘Cold War 2.0’ – Ankara Instead Prioritises Its National Interests
Written by Adam Garrie on 2019-03-07
More in Asia:
Trump Approaches Turkey With Realism Whilst The EU’s Turkey Policies Have Descended Into Madness 2019-07-17
A Prosperous Philippines Can Break Both The Mainstream And Social Media Monopoly 2019-07-17
Even though the end of 2018 saw Turkey and the US easing many of the tensions that had been stirring since the Gulenist terror coup of July 2016, relations between the two NATO partners continues to to face new challenges. In 2019, the biggest challenges facing Turkey and the United States are as follows:
1. Continued disagreements on setting up a northern Syria safe zone in the aftermath of a phased US troop withdrawal (the time table of which is self-evidently a source of contention within Washington).
2. Turkey’s refusal to back out of purchasing S-400 missile defence systems from Russia
3. America’s attempt to leverage Turkey-Russia relations by threatening not to deliver Turkey’s order of F-35 fighter jets
While Turkey prefers a compartmentalised approach to each of these issues, the United States continues to treat these matters as parts of a monolithic Turkey policy – albeit one that appears more manic-depressive than coherent.
Yesterday, the US timed new threats to exclude Turkey from the F-35 programme that Ankara was instrumental in getting off the ground in the first place, alongside a decision by Washington to withdraw Turkey from the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) programme. The GSP offers trading partners lower tariffs than the standard threshold set by the WTO. Whilst Donald Trump may well have withdrawn Turkey from GSP sooner or later in any case, the timing of Washington’s decision was clearly not coincidental as the US has self-evidently once again used tariffs to try and attain a concession from Ankara on the S-400 deal.
This pattern of the US bringing up the S-400 deal to try and extract concessions from Turkey is not new – it is in fact a year old trend in Turkey-US relations and one that has thus far borne no fruit for Washington. Einstein defined insanity as doing the same thing repeatedly whilst expecting a different result. But when it comes to Turkey-US relations, it would appear that the reason why the US keeps repeating the same line against Turkey in the hopes that the result will be different, is due to the fact that Washington itself is deeply divided between realists and extremists when it comes to Turkey. As such, America’s default position has been one of repeating the same threats.
Ankara has likewise been consistent in defending its right as a sovereign state to conduct commerce, including in the arms and security sector, with any and all partners of its choosing. Turkey has even made ironclad guarantees to the United States that the S-400s on Turkish soil will only ever be operated by Turkish personnel and that furthermore, the S-400s will not pose any risk of Russia attaining new intelligence on NATO military hardware.
Turkey has also said that it is still open to purchasing the US Patriot missile defence system in addition to the S-400s, on the condition that the offer on hand makes sound economic sense. One of the very reasons that Turkey initially turned to Russia for the S-400s was because of the fact that the US wasn’t willing to offer Turkey the kind of win-win deal that was secured with Moscow.
Thus, one can see that Turkey is open to multilateral win-win cooperation with a variety of partners. In terms of the security sector however, the US remains hellbent on forcing Turkey out of its dynamic partnership with Russia. This is something that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan made clear is out of the question.
The Turkish President recently commented on the matter in the following way:
“We concluded the S-400 issue, signed a deal with the Russians, and will start co-production. Later, we may work with S-500s”.
Reiterating Turkey’s stance, the President said:
“It’s done. There can never be a turning back. This would not be ethical, it would be immoral. Nobody should ask us to lick up what we spat”.
In defending its sovereign right to buy defensive weapons from any producer of Ankara’s choosing, Turkey is sending a clear message that the only kind of deals that the country is interested in are those that are based on respective negotiations in pursuit of win-win outcomes.
It is therefore in America’s own interests to negotiate with Turkey based on that which is possible, as opposed to that which the US desires in some alternative zero-sum reality. The fact of the matter is that under President Erdoğan, Turkey’s path of independent development is not going to be reversed in any sector. Because of this, the US is only holding itself back by refusing to exercise flexibility when resolving issues with its longstanding Turkish ally.
Patriot missiles
S-400s
Adam Garrie
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Commonly prescribed drugs could increase the risk of dementia, says a new study
The study, carried out by experts from the University of Nottingham and funded by the NIHR School for Primary Care Research, found that there was nearly a 50% increased risk of dementia among patients aged 55 and over who had used strong anticholinergic medication daily for three years or more.
Anticholinergic drugs help to contract and relax muscles. They work by blocking acetylcholine, a chemical that transmits messages in the nervous system.
Doctors prescribe the drugs to treat a variety of conditions, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, bladder conditions, allergies, gastrointestinal disorders and symptoms of Parkinson's disease.
These medicines can have short-term side effects, including confusion and memory loss, but it is less certain whether long-term use increases the risk of dementia.
The research, published in the JAMA Internal Medicine journal and led by Professor Carol Coupland from the University's Division of Primary Care, looked at the medical records of 58,769 patients with a diagnosis of dementia and 225,574 patients without a diagnosis of dementia, all aged 55 and over and registered with UK GPs contributing data to the QResearch database, between 1 January 2004 and 31 January 2016.
The study findings showed increased risks of dementia for anticholinergic drugs overall and specifically for the anticholinergic antidepressants, antipsychotic drugs, antiparkinsons drugs, bladder drugs and epilepsy drugs after accounting for other risk factors for dementia.
No increased risks were found for the other types of anticholinergic drug studied such as antihistamines and gastrointestinal drugs.
Professor Tom Dening, Head of the Centre for Dementia at the University of Nottingham and a member of the research study team, said: "This study provides further evidence that doctors should be careful when prescribing certain drugs that have anticholinergic properties. However, it's important that patients taking medications of this kind don't just stop them abruptly as this may be much more harmful. If patients have concerns, then they should discuss them with their doctor to consider the pros and cons of the treatment they are receiving."
The 58,769 patients with dementia had an average age of 82 and 63% were women. Each dementia case was matched to five control patients of the same age, sex, and general practice.
Anticholinergic drug exposure was assessed using prescription information over a complete period of 10 years from 1 to 11 years before diagnosis of dementia or the equivalent dates in control patients, and was compared between the two patient groups. Further analysis looked at prescriptions for anticholinergic drugs up to 20 years before diagnosis of dementia.
This is an observational study so no firm conclusions can be drawn about whether these anticholinergic drugs cause dementia, and it is possible that the drugs were being prescribed for very early symptoms of dementia.
Professor Coupland said: "Our study adds further evidence of the potential risks associated with strong anticholinergic drugs, particularly antidepressants, bladder antimuscarinic drugs, anti-Parkinson drugs and epilepsy drugs.
"The risks of this type of medication should be carefully considered by healthcare professionals alongside the benefits when the drugs are prescribed and alternative treatments should be considered where possible, such as other types of antidepressants or alternative types of treatment for bladder conditions. These findings also highlight the importance of carrying out regular medication reviews.
"We found a greater risk for people diagnosed with dementia before the age of 80 which indicates that anticholinergic drugs should be prescribed with caution in middle-aged people as well as in older people."
These results, along with those of a similar study published in 2018 help to clarify which types of anticholinergic drug are associated with the highest risks of dementia.
In the 1-11 years before the dementia diagnosis date or equivalent in controls, nearly 57% of cases and 51% of controls were prescribed at least one strong anticholinergic drug, with an average of six prescriptions in cases and 4 in controls. The most frequently-prescribed types of drugs were antidepressants, anti-vertigo and bladder antimuscarinic drugs - which are used to treat an overactive bladder.
The increased risk associated with these drugs indicates that if the association is causal around 10% of dementia diagnoses could be attributable to anticholinergic drug exposure, which would equate to around 20,000 of the 209,600 new cases of dementia per year in the UK.
This is a sizeable proportion and is comparable with other modifiable risk factors for dementia, including 5% for midlife hypertension, 3% for diabetes, 14% for later life smoking and 6.5% for physical inactivity.
Charlotte Anscombe
charlotte.anscombe@nottingham.ac.uk
@UoNPressOffice
http://www.nottingham.ac.uk
JAMA Internal Medicine
National Institute for Health Research, School for Primary Care Research
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The case for and against Garry Monk
October 27, 2017 March 4, 2018 Alex Fowler
So, another disappointing defeat for Boro. Nobody was expecting much from the cup trip to Bournemouth, but it still adds to the ongoing malaise that has set in.
There have been no wins in the league since mid-September, but the cup had provided some respite until now. A morale-boosting cup win might have given the players a lift and kick-started the season, but it feels like we’ve been saying that for months now. Instead, we’re left reflecting on more individual errors and sucker punches. This continuation of poor form has lead many to seriously question Garry Monk’s position. He hasn’t been able to get his team playing in a clear, consistent style, nor has he been able to instill a winning mentality. He was given a lot of money to rebuild the squad and mount a promotion challenge, but at the moment that looks a long way off. Some fans have leapt to his defence and said that 13 games is far too early to sack a manager. I don’t think that’s necessarily true. If something is simply not working, and there’s no signs of improvement, then what’s the point in just blindly sticking with it in the hope of magical improvement?
Luckily, I do not think that’s the case with Monk just yet. The team have shown enough in flashes to suggest that they can play better and it might just be a case of Monk putting his finger on the correct system and getting the players fully committed.
But there’s no doubt he is in a precarious position and the pressure is building. He had a clear objective to win promotion and must have convinced Steve Gibson he was the right man to deliver exactly that. I’ve had a look at the arguments for and against keeping faith with Monk.
A summer of upheaval
This excuse has been raised many times and is starting to wear pretty thin. But it was a tumultuous summer. Relegation, the fallout from Karanka’s departure, the Agnew situation, massive turnover in playing staff. There are other teams that had major overhauls in the summer, but possibly none as much as Boro. This was a whole club transforming from top to bottom to scrub off the stench of a rank season and a divided dressing room. There are so many psychological factors that could be affecting the team spirit and individual performances and those wounds might take time to heal. It can’t go on forever obviously, but maybe they do just need a bit more time to fully get back to 100%.
He didn’t get his signings
This might seem a funny one given the amount of money spent, but there’s no doubt Monk would have liked a different make-up to his front five. There were high-profile moves for Sheiyi Ojo and Jota, links with various other wingers and at the beginning it even looked like he might be willing to give Ramirez a chance. All through pre-season he played a 4-2-3-1 formation, but come the start of the season didn’t really have the players he wanted for it. With the signing of Ashley Fletcher, he hastily reshuffled to a 4-3-3 system with which the players did not look at all comfortable. Even the players he did bring came quite late and were short of match fitness. By the end of the window, in order to play a balanced and functional team he needed to call upon a player he wanted to get rid of as soon as he walked through the door, and a player who can’t really be trusted to put in consistent performances. Not ideal for trying to put your stamp on things.
Key players have been missing
Again, with the money spent this shouldn’t be too much of an excuse but injuries and suspensions to key players, particularly in certain positions have hampered the progress of the team. Braithwaite looked bright in his first start, and appeared to be that important link between midfield and attack, but then got injured in his first league game. Gestede and Marvin Johnson were both doing well before injuries, and Traore even looked to be going in the right direction before his idiotic suspension. These forced changes have contributed to the disjointed start to the season.
Individual errors
Monk deserves some criticism for not being able to knit together this expensive squad, but sometimes you have to feel for him when players make basic errors. Ayala’s back pass against Wolves, needless penalties, Traore’s sending off against Villa, even Assombalonga’s misses against Forest. Without all these avoidable mistakes, we could well be up near the top of the table.
Man Management
Coming into a new club in desperate need of a lift, it’s a bold call to completely freeze out a popular, senior, experienced member of the squad like Downing. Especially when Public Enemy Number 1 Gaston Ramirez is offered an olive branch. When Ramirez eventually left as everybody expected, Downing’s move to Birmingham fell through and Monk failed to land other targets, he was forced to come crawling back to Downing and reinstate him. It was sold as redemption for Downing and a sign he had worked his way back into the team, but in truth Monk turned to him because he had nobody else. The whole situation could have been handled much better. And there have been other instances of players performing well then finding themselves out of the squad. It all smacks of a manager not knowing what he’s doing.
Failing to find a settled system
This has been one of the biggest criticisms of Monk. There are some mitigating circumstances, but I feel Monk should have come in, picked a system he wanted to use and stuck with it. Even if it didn’t perfectly suit every player at his disposal, he had time to drill people on their role in the team. That way when new signings came in, or people came back from injury, they would slot in seamlessly. As it is, any time there’s an injury, suspension or loss of form, it prompts a whole system change to accommodate the replacements.
Lack of leadership
People have touched upon a lack of passion, or a lack of engagement with fans – I think the bigger issue is a general lack of leadership and discipline from the coaching team. There’s nothing wrong with a mild-mannered manager – just look at Mauricio Pochettino. But I have doubts over whether Monk has really stamped his authority on the squad and won over everybody. It doesn’t help that he keeps changing his mind over players and formations. He reminds me of a middle-manager type, with lots of cheesy motivational buzz-words and business jargon, but sometimes players just need a kick up the arse. He needs to admit when the team haven’t played well enough – and then work on it throughout the week.
He also needs to identify the real leaders in the squad and keep them in the team. I’m not Leadbitter’s biggest fan but one thing you get from him is an ability to drag the team through tough games and motivate everybody around him.
His track record
Sadly, the past doesn’t bode well for Monk. A lot of people saw him take a limited Leeds side close to the playoffs and assumed it was a good achievement. But you can’t plainly ignore the way they faded away at the end of the season. And at Swansea, after a good first full season it all unravelled very quickly. It all paints a picture of somebody with good ideas who can have a positive influence, but struggles to keep a team playing at a consistent level. Whether it’s poor man management, tactical naivety or just a lack of discipline, it’s concerning that he’s never been able to see a job through for the long term. Boro was supposed to be his big job, a place where he could finally settle and build his reputation. But if he fails his first objective, he shouldn’t be given any more time.
A Manager’s Connection With The Fans Is Based Totally On Results
Match Preview: Reading vs Middlesbrough
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