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Home > Statistics > Population > Deaths > Figures
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Appendix figure 1. Deaths at the age of under one year by sex in 1990 to 2018 (26.4.2019)
Appendix figure 2. Life expectancy at birth by sex in 1980 to 2018* (26.4.2019)
Appendix figure 1. Life expectancy at birth in EU28 countries in 2016, men (26.10.2018)
Appendix figure 2. Life expectancy at birth in EU28 countries in 2016, women (26.10.2018)
Appendix figure 1. Deaths by age group and sex in 2016 (28.4.2017)
Appendix figure 3. Infant mortality in Nordic and Western European countries on average in 2013 to 2015 (28.4.2017)
Appendix figure 1. Deaths by age group and sex 2015 (14.4.2016)
Appendix figure 2. Life expectancy at birth by sex in 1980 - 2015* (14.4.2016)
Appendix figure 3. Infant mortality in Nordic countries on average in 2011 - 2013 (14.4.2016)
Appendix figure 1. Life expectancy at birth in EU28 countries in 2014, boys (28.10.2016)
Appendix figure 2. Life expectancy at birth in EU28 countries in 2014, girls (28.10.2016)
Appendix figure 2. Life expectancy at birth by sex in 1980 - 2014 (14.4.2015)
Appendix figure 1. Average life expectancy at birth in EU 28 countries in 2013, boys (23.10.2015)
Appendix figure 2. Average life expectancy at birth in EU 28 countries in 2013, girls (23.10.2015)
Appendix figure 1. Deaths by age group and sex 2013 (8.4.2014)
Appendix figure 2. Life expectancy at birth by sex in 1980 - 2013 (8.4.2014)
Appendix figure 3. Life expectancy of males and females at birth by region on average in years 2011 - 2013 (8.4.2014)
Appendix figure 4. Mortality during first year of life in Nordic and Western European countries an average of 2009 - 2011 (8.4.2014)
Appendix figure 2. Life expectancy of male and female persons at the age of 65 in 1971 - 2012 (12.4.2013)
Appendix figure 3. Life expectancy of males and females at birth by region on average in years 2010 - 2012 (12.4.2013)
Appendix figure 4. Number of dead women by age group in 2011 and 2012, per mille (12.4.2013)
Deaths by age group and sex 2009 (15.4.2010)
Official Statistics of Finland (OSF): Deaths [e-publication].
ISSN=1798-2545. Helsinki: Statistics Finland [referred: 18.7.2019].
Access method: http://www.stat.fi/til/kuol/kuv_en.html
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Displaying items by tag: pet cancer awareness
AKC Canine Health Foundation Marks Pet Cancer Awareness Month with Investments in Canine Cancer Research Initiative
RALEIGH, NC (April 30, 2019) - The American Kennel Club Canine Health Foundation (CHF) marks Pet Cancer Awareness Month this May with the launch of their Canine Cancer Research Initiative. The focus of this initiative is to direct research funding that will advance understanding, treatment and prevention of canine cancer to benefit dogs. With almost $2.3 million already invested in currently active canine cancer research, new oncology grants were recently awarded to study brain tumors, melanoma, osteosarcoma, and lymphoma, including:
02663: Comparative Brain Tumor Consortium (CBTC) Meningioma Pathology Board
02643-A: Examination of the Effects of Cannabidiol on Canine Neoplastic Cell Apoptosis/Autophagy and Chemotherapy Resistance or Sensitivity
02642-A: NF-kappaB Inactivation Enhances Apoptosis in Canine Osteosarcoma Cells
02636-A: Development of RNA in-situ Hybridization to Identify T Regulatory Cells and their Function within the Tumor Microenvironment of Canine Oral Malignant Melanoma
02595-A: Defining the Flow Cytometric Characteristics of Normal and Diseased Canine Spleen and Visceral Lymph Nodes
These studies complement ongoing canine cancer studies for hemangiosarcoma, lymphoma, bladder cancer, and more. Information on all active studies can be found in CHF's Research Grants Portfolio, including studies funded through CHF's Hemangiosarcoma Research Initiative.“The AKC Canine Health Foundation has a longstanding commitment to canine cancer research. The Canine Cancer Research Initiative provides an opportunity to advance our understanding of cancer in dogs while also exploring new targets for their diagnosis and treatment,” states Dr. Diane Brown, CHF Chief Executive Officer. “With the support generated through this initiative, CHF can resource more research to help dogs while also informing a comparative oncology aspect to the same cancers that affect people. Together with our donors, we are making progress in the fight against cancer.”The increase in canine cancer research funding is bolstered by the American Kennel Club’s pledge to match donations to the CHF Canine Cancer Research Initiative with an equal donation to CHF for canine health research up to $250,000 in 2019.Since 1995, CHF has invested more than $13 million to study canine cancer in search of ways to diagnose cancer earlier and treat it more effectively. Learn more about AKC Canine Health Foundation’s Canine Cancer Research Initiative and join the fight against cancer at akcchf.org/caninecancer.
About AKC Canine Health Foundation
Since 1995, the AKC Canine Health Foundation has leveraged the power of science to address the health needs of all dogs. With more than $46 million in funding to date, the Foundation provides grants for the highest quality canine health research and shares information on the discoveries that help prevent, treat and cure canine diseases. The Foundation meets and exceeds industry standards for fiscal responsibility, as demonstrated by their highest four-star Charity Navigator rating and GuideStar Platinum Seal of Transparency. Learn more at www.akcchf.org.
Established in 1995, the AKC Canine Health Foundation's (CHF) mission is to advance the health of all dogs and their owners by funding scientific research and supporting the dissemination of health information to prevent, treat and cure canine disease.
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AKC Canine Health Foundation
8051 Arco Corporate Drive, Suite 300, Raleigh, NC 27617
tel: 888.682.9696 | fax: 919.334.4011
AKC Canine Health Foundation Marks Pet Cancer Awareness Month with Free Online Resources
RALEIGH, N.C. (May 4, 2016) – The AKC Canine Health Foundation (CHF), a nonprofit organization whose mission is to prevent, treat, and cure diseases in all dogs, marks Pet Cancer Awareness Month by providing free educational resources and research updates on canine cancer to dog lovers throughout the world.
“During the month of May, CHF focuses on providing news and information to help educate dog owners about the cutting-edge research and improved treatment options in the field of canine cancer, while also emphasizing the continued need for further research,” said Dr. Diane Brown, chief executive officer of CHF.
Canine cancer treatment options continue to improve and many have a One Health benefit, providing insight and better treatment options not only for our dogs, but for their human companions as well. For example, CHF has awarded a grant to Dr. Rowan J. Milner at the University of Florida to study vaccine development against osteosarcoma, an aggressive form of bone cancer that is diagnosed in nearly 10,000 dogs per year and also afflicts children.
CHF recently learned of Mya, a German Shorthaired Pointer who was diagnosed with osteosarcoma. Mya received radiation and chemotherapy treatments that were originally developed to treat the same disease in children. Mya’s inspirational story speaks to the importance of canine cancer research and the benefits it holds for both species.
Since 1995 CHF has funded over $11.5 million in canine cancer research. Over 200 research grants have provided breakthroughs in treatment options and diagnoses, and have helped scientists study cancer at the cellular level, allowing veterinarians to diagnose cancer earlier and treat it more effectively.
Dog owners and dog lovers can directly impact the future of canine cancer research by making a donation to CHF. New or lapsed donors who have not given to CHF since December 31, 2013 will have their contributions matched dollar for dollar by the American Kennel Club (up to $500,000).
Visit www.akcchf.org/caninecancer to access free resources and to learn more about canine cancer.
About CHF
For more than 20 years, the Raleigh, NC-based AKC Canine Health Foundation has leveraged the power of science and research to improve the lives of dogs and their people. The Foundation works to prevent, treat, and cure diseases that impact all dogs, while providing professional information and resources for a new breed of dog owner. Take action because you care; find out more online at www.akcchf.org.
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Home » Erene Society » History of Philoptochos
The philanthropic endeavors of the Greek Orthodox Ladies Philoptochos Society during the past seven decades is a genuine expression of Christian charity, which has embraced an enormous manifestation of love. This manifestation of love has been evident in the multitude of meaningful programs and activities undertaken during the seventy years of its existence.
Philanthropia is a tradition of the Greek Orthodox Church, dating from the Byzantine Empire, which was the first State to offer philanthropic and charitable assistance to its citizens.
St. James, in his Epistle, Chapter 1, Verse 22, exhorts all Christians to be "Doers of the Word, and hearers only". The members of the Philoptochos are "doers". Their accomplishments are monumental and are recorded in the annals of every Chapter of the organization.
The beginning of the Philoptochos Society can be traced to the late nineteenth century when hundreds of immigrants were arriving daily in the United States from Greece. Asia Minor and Constantinople. In 1894, Father Paisios Ferentinos, who was serving the Holy Trinity Church in New York City, undertook, with the assistance of Mrs. Amalia Feramoschos and Mrs. Penelope Eleftheropoulos, the formidable task of welcoming the new émigrés and assist them to acclimate themselves to their new environment.
Throughout the nation women's clubs were being formed: in New York City, Chicago, Lowell, Philadelphia, Birmingham, Boston, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., St. Louis, Milwaukee, Newark, and wherever there were Greek Orthodox Churches.
In 1902, the first Ladies Philoptochos was officially established at the Holy Trinity Church in New York City, under the spiritual guidance of Father Methodios Kourkoulis, and the leadership of three prominent ladies in the Greek community: Mrs. Anthony Rallis, Mrs. Nicholas Calvocoresis and Mrs. George Galatis. The Society applied for a charter to the State of New York as a philanthropic agency engaged in charitable activities rendering services to the poor.
In 1909, a Philoptochos Society was formed in Chicago, utilizing the facilities of the Hull House, a social center, as its headquarters. Miss Jane Addams, a fervent phil-Hellene, was the director and founder of Hull House, and rendered immeasurable services to the Greek community. The first tangible evidence of the benevolence of Greek women was officially recorded on June 29, 1920, in a volume edited by the Rev. Dr. Demetrios Constantelos, in a compilation of encyclicals of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese, spanning more than seventy years: "Encyclicals and Documents of the Greek Orthodox Church of America - the First Fifty Years". A document included in this volume is a letter addressed to Archbishop Alexander of Rodostolou from Mr. J.P. Xenides, who was the secretary of the Relief Committee for Greeks of Asia Minor. The letter thanked the Archbishop for contributions received, among which was a $200 donation from the Greek Women's Benevolent Association of Chicago. This was in response to the appeal Archbishop Alexander had sent to the Churches and individuals - probably in 1919 - urging the Greek Orthodox in America to deprive themselves in order to send a generous contribution to the victims of Turkish "barbarism".
In 1922, The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North and South America was founded and received its incorporation from the State of New York, His Eminence Archbishop of Rodostolou was the first Primate of the Church. The Archdiocese was organized and functioned under the ecclesiastical and spiritual jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople.
After several years the State of New York granted a Charter to the Holy Trinity Philoptochos Society in New York City which was received on July 23, 1928. This Charter or Incorporation was issued under the Membership Corporation Law, in the name of the "Greek Ladies Philoptochos Adelphotis of New York, Inc." thereby recognizing it as a local philanthropic organization.
On February 28, 1931, Archbishop Athenagoras was enthroned as Primate of the Greek Orthodox Church in North and South America. He was highly regarded as a man of vision with extraordinary administrative ability. A new era in the life and mission of the Greek community commenced under his leadership.
These were turbulent times for the Greeks in America. Archbishop Athenagoras soon realized the urgency of providing adequate philanthropic and relief services to the poor and suffering omogenia.
With the convening of the Archdiocese Fourth General Assembly in New York City in November 1931, the Philoptochos Society was an important item on the agenda. A decision was taken to establish a national women's organization as the official philanthropic auxiliary of the Church, merging all of the existing chapters, which numbered more than 300, to function under the Archdiocese constitution with specific By-laws issued for the Philoptochos.
Archbishop Athenagoras, immediately set about developing the proper legal structure for the new organization. Cognizant of the fact that the Holy Trinity Philoptochos had received its incorporation or charter from the State of New York, the Archbishop and executive committee of the Society deemed it prudent to utilize this Incorporation. Mrs. Eriphili Vrachnos, President of the Philoptochos, presented the Charter to Archbishop Athenagoras, and Central Council was appointed which included the executive committee of the Holy Trinity Philoptochos Society, and the presidents of all Philoptochos Chapters in the greater New York Area, with the Archbishop serving as President. The ladies were as follows: Despina Rallis, Amalia Feramoschos, Eriphili Vrachnos, Despina Vlahakis, Elpiniki Zogdu, Matina Politou, Panagiota Atheneou, Aikaterini Gamanos, Olga Kallimachos, Stella Korakidou, Sofia Limberopoulou, Maria Xenicou, Aikaterini Papagiannis, Alexandra Falbo, Eleni Christidou, Zenobia Psakix, Aglaia Polyzoidou. This became the nucleus of the national Federation of Greek Ladies Philoptochos Societies of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North and South America.
For the next several months, the Philoptochos Societies continued their work, aiding the sick, the needy, the poor, the imprisoned, and the impoverished. They served on educational committees, organized choirs, baked the "prosforo", sewed the Altar cloth, offered friendship and fellowship to newcomers, and supported a variety of civic and community programs to raise funds for their respective parishes.
On October 20, 1932, Archbishop Athenagoras issued his first encyclical to the Philoptochos Chapters, listing a series of By-Laws and Guidelines under which the organization would function under the Constitution of the Archdiocese.
The Archbishop expressed his "joy" for the opportunity to "send this important communication to the Greek women of America". He acknowledged receipt of the documents on the organization of the "Adelphotis - Sisterhood, in accordance with the Constitution of the Archdiocese" and the ratification of the Society's elections.
The Central Committee of the Adelphotis was established in order to strengthen the organization, to serve the local chapter and to present an organized program to the Greek community.
A very important task has been entrusted to the women. We will not mention here the decades of philanthropic activities of the Greek women in the social and philanthropic sector, however the desired results were not achieved due to the lack of a systematically structured organization, with the proper authority to guide this effort.
"The Fourth General Assembly of the Archdiocese, convening at the Annunciation Church in New York City from November 14 - 20, 1931, voted this authority and ratified a Constitution which will be of valuable assistance to you." The encyclical also stated that in Article 9 of the By-laws under the Constitution, required that the Priest serve as President of the Philoptochos in order to offer counsel to the local organization. The officers of the local Philoptochos chapter shall be elected by its members, according to Article 9.
The Archbishop requested that the "Philoptochos plan many events for the entire family, featuring music, lectures, performances, sponsoring bazaars and the St. Basil's pita, charging a small admission fee and having a raffle. For the children, develop a separate club under your Chapter, which should have its own President, present children's observances and meetings, so that the youth will become accustomed to your good example and will be of greater interest to them". He asked that they study the By-laws and implement them for edification of Greek Orthodox Christians in America.
Please contact the City Hall, the Welfare Department and the American philanthropic offices in your city to make your work more fruitful.
"The Archdiocese has acquired two homes and orphanages at Pomfret, Connecticut, and the St. Stefanos Monastery at Gastonia, North Carolina. It is urgent that we establish a children's home and orphanage and I would be happy if you would undertake the sustenance of the orphans of the community."
The historic encyclical inaugurated the National Philoptochos Society, encompassing every aspect of service Archbishop Athenagoras envisioned for the organization to assist the Greek Orthodox community.
Following this initial encyclical from Archbishop Athenagoras granting official status to the Ladies Philoptochos as a Archdiocesan philanthropic organization, the mission of the Adelphotis began in earnest to comply with the By-laws and to serve effectively the Greek community.
In October, 1935, the first general assembly of the Philoptochos Adelphotis was convened in Boston with Archbishop Athenagoras presiding. The sessions were held in the Saints Constantine and Helen Church in Cambridge, Mass. In his letter to the Philoptochos Chapters and the other women's clubs invited to participate, the Archbishop listed the following:
The Hotel Minerva in Boston was designated to house the delegates.
Room rates $2.00 per day.
Luncheon was available at a cost of .50 cents. Dinner at a cost of .75 cents.
A letter from His Holiness Patriarch Photios was read to the delegates and elicited great joy among the ladies.
Archbishop Athenagoras addressed many communications to the women, over the years, offering suggestions, counseling their efforts, praising their accomplishments, as he did on June 17, 1936, stating in an encyclical to the Priests, Board of Trustees and all Greek Orthodox Christians in the Archdiocese: "the mission promoted by the Philoptochos in many parishes has accomplished miracles". On another occasion the Archbishop offered many suggestions to increase the membership of the Philoptochos in order to aid the poor. He asked that the ladies be concerned for the school and the students who are poor; he asked that the Feast day of Saints Cosmas and Damianos, which is observed on November 1st, be designated as the Patron Saint of the Philoptochos (unless the local chapter has another patron Saint already designated); and he asked that the organization observe "Brotherhood Day, Thanksgiving Day, Halloween, the Christmas Tree, and the St. Basil's Pita".
On July 17, 1936, Archbishop Athenagoras, in an encyclical to the Greek Orthodox community, expressed concern for the education of the youth. He asked that a survey be undertaken to learn how many Greeks were members of the parish and how many were not; how many Afternoon Schools and Sunday Schools were functioning and how many parishes had Philoptochos Chapters. He urged the establishment of Afternoon Schools and Sunday Schools where they did not exist and organize Philoptochos Societies in their respective communities. He further asked the Philoptochos, if at all possible, to take responsibility for both of these schools.
The Holy Cross Theological School was founded in June, 1937, in Pomfret, Connecticut, by Archbishop Athenagoras who announced to the Philoptochos Society that it would begin functioning the following September. The Archbishop directed a special appeal to the Philoptochos to "devote" themselves to the Theological School, "where your children will be educated as teachers and priests". He exhorted the Greek women to prove once again "your strong faith and you will triumph" by undertaking this worthy project.
The Ladies Philoptochos Societies accepted the challenge. Throughout the Theological School's history, the Philoptochos has contributed generously in numerous ways. One famous event was the "fasoulatha" dinners held in the Church halls with proceeds sent to the School. In his encyclical, Archbishop Athenagoras stated, "with the establishment of the Holy Cross Theological School, a new page has been turned in the history of the Greeks in America and the great role of the women will be recorded". In the ensuing years the Philoptochos was - and still is sixty-six years later - in the forefront of activity to aid the School and its vitally important programs.
In a relatively short period following its establishment, the Philoptochos was engaged in a broad program of philanthropy, educational projects, emergency relief in the United States and Greece on a local and national level.
Another glorious chapter in the history of the Philoptochos Society was the mobilization of its members to lend assistance to Greece following the invasion of Mussolini's armies in October, 1940. Prime Minister John Metaxas' dramatic "OHI" to Italy's request to surrender, resounded around the world. The Greeks in America felt great pride and love for their Motherland and rushed to help. The Greek War Relief Association, Inc., was launched by Harold Vanderbilt and Spyros Skouras with the blessings and cooperation of Archbishop Ahtenagoras. The Philoptochos undertook the enormous task to aid the courageous Greek people who were starving and suffering untold hardships. Hundreds of thousands of packages were shipped to the people of Greece, including food, clothing, medicine, blankets, hospital equipment and an ambulance bearing the name of the Philoptochos.
Spyros Skouras of Twentieth Century Fox spearheaded the activity of the Greek War Relief. He arranged for a premiere benefit of the famous film, "Gone With the Wind" with the ladies engaged in the myriad of details for this event; a special "Tag Day" was initiated by the Philoptochos throughout the U.S. with the ladies soliciting contributions on street corners, restaurants, super markets and other business establishments, including the neighborhood theatres; many events and programs were organized with proceeds sent to the Greek War Relief; and "knit a sweater for a soldier" was a popular project. Sewing Centers were set up with the valuable assistance of the Council of Hellenic-Jewish Clothing Manufacturers which was headed by Joseph Josephs, providing hundreds of articles of clothing for children and adults in Greece. Heading this project was Mrs. Agatha Vernicos of London, as chairman, Mrs. Sophie Hadjiyanis and Mrs. Katy Vlavianos were co-chairmen, and the secretary was Mrs. Despina Vrachopoulos.
The activity of the Greek War Relief continued for several years. With the entry of the U.S. in the war following Pearl Harbor, the Ladies Philoptochos devoted long hours to selling War Bonds, to the American Red Cross under the leadership of Dr. George Papanickolaou, who later developed the famous "Pap" test to detect Cancer of the uterus in women, and offering hospitality to soldiers on leave prompting the American Government to praise the efforts of the Philoptochos.
On March 3, 1944, Archbishop Athenagoras announced that the Philoptochos Society had purchased the magnificent 250-acre Jacob Ruppert estate in Garrison, New York, at a cost of $55,000. It was choice property beautifully landscaped and situated on the shores of the Hudson River, opposite the West Point Military Academy. The Archbishop's dream had become a reality! He had attempted since 1932 to establish a Children's Home and Orphanage. Now, with the valuable assistance from the Philoptochos and the proceeds of the Vasilopita from the two previous years, the Ruppert Estate would become a haven for Greek Orthodox children.
On March 15, 1944, the legal papers were signed and the Philoptochos took possession of the estate, which included several buildings. The Children's Home and School was placed under the direct supervision of the central Council of the Philoptochos.
Still ahead to be accomplished were two huge tasks: the complete renovation of the buildings; and the legal status of the organization. The Philoptochos applied for and received a Certificate of Incorporation from the State of New York dated July 12th, 1944.
With the approval of the Certificate of Incorporation by the State of New York, the Philoptochos Greek Ladies Societies, Inc. was recognized as a duly accredited national philanthropic tax exempt organization of the Greek Orthodox Church of North and South America, engaged in extending benevolence to the Greek-American community.
In August of 1944, a special General Assembly of the Philoptochos Society was convened at St. Basil Academy and a new Constitution was adopted and new By-laws enacted.
The next major task was the renovation and furnishings of the Academy's buildings: the main administration building, the Dean's residence, the classrooms and dormitories, the reception hall, and setting up a Chapel and recreation room. Modern equipment was purchased for the kitchen and laundry.
In November, 1948, Archbishop Athenagoras was elected to the highest ecclesiastical office of the Orthodox Church: Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople. He departed for his historic See in January, 1949. During the years that followed Patriarch Athenagoras I bestowed the highest honors of his Ecumenical Throne on several dedicated Philoptochos Ladies by granting them the title of "Archontissa".
During the first twenty years of its existence the Philoptochos Society's major accomplishments were recorded, among which were the Church's most important institutions: the Holy Cross Theological School (which moved to Brookline, Mass.), and St. Basil Academy.
Archbishop Michael was elected Primate of the Greek Orthodox Church in the Americas in 1949. Under his spiritual guidance, the Philoptochos continued its mission of humanitarian services. They assisted the Archbishop in establishing the Greek Orthodox Youth of America, and participated in an arduous campaign, launched by the Archbishop, to have the U.S. Government place the initials, G.O. on dog tags to accurately identify Greek Orthodox members of the Armed Forces. This was a remarkable accomplishment by the Greek Orthodox community.
Archbishop Michael, in 1951, placed the administration, budget and supervision of St. Basil Academy under the Archdiocese. Since its establishment, the Philoptochos had been totally responsible for its operation. The Society continues to this day its dedicated support of the institution.
A devastating earthquake shook the Ionian Islands in 1953 and once again the Philoptochos chapters rallies its forces to offer considerable assistance, sending food, clothing, medicine and financial support to the beleaguered people of the Ionian Islands.
A new plateau was reached in 1956, when the Philoptochos National Conference, for the first time, was convened simultaneously with the Archdiocesan Clergy-Laity Congress in Washington, D.C. At this Conference the Philoptochos was urged to participate in local chapters of the United Council of Church Women.
At the initiative and leadership of Archbishop Michael, an Old Age Home was founded in Yonkers, N.Y. in 1958. Among its founders were prominent Ladies of the Philoptochos, including Sophie Hadjiyanis and Katherine Zoullas. The Society organized many special fund-raising events donating the proceeds to furnish the rooms of the Home. Substantial support from the Ladies Philoptochos Society has continued to the present.
During the Clergy-Laity Congress and Philoptochos Conference in Salt Lake City, Archbishop Michael became ill and returned to New York. He died shortly thereafter. Several months later the Old Age Home was named, "St. Michael's Home for the Aged" dedicated to the memory of its founder, the beloved Archbishop Michael.
Source: © 2014 Greek Orthodox Ladies Philoptochos Society, Inc. http://www.philoptochos.org/index/history/
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Indian women's football team have the potential to break into top-30, says Indian chief national coach Anadi Barua
http://www.sportskeeda.com/2013/01/20/indian-womens-football-team-have-the-potential-to-break-into-top-30-coach-anadi-barua-interview/
Women’s football in India went through a bit of a low-profile phase after the national team retained the second SAFF Football Championship crown in Colombo last September.
Four months after the SAFF glory, the Indian eves are once again making the right noises, pulling off a historic solitary goal win over the much fancied Netherlands side (Dutch hold a FIFA world ranking of 14) at the Father Agnel Sports Complex in Navi Mumbai on Sunday. This win levelled the two-match exhibition series after India went down fighting 0-2 in the first tie in Kolhapur.
The much-cherished win over the Netherlands, which came on the back of Ashalata Devi’s early goal, bodes well for women’s football, where the country never misses out on an opportunity to impress.
Besides the memorable win on Sunday, what was heartening to see was that the Indian girls never got overawed by the prospect of facing a top soccer side like Netherlands and stayed competitive for most part of those two matches.
Undoubtedly, Indian women’s team chief coach Anadi Barua is on cloud nine. “I don’t think anyone would have given us a chance to beat the Netherlands. This is win is significant for women’s football in India. Our girls were just fantastic. I’m so proud of my girls,” a seemingly excited Anadi told Sportskeeda in an exclusive interview.
The dogged performance of the Indian women’s football team in both the matches left Anadi talking extremely highly about his team. “We fought hard in both the games. We maintained decent possession and of course, we were even more sharp than we were in Kolhapur. Obviously, it was never going to be a walk in the park for us as Netherlands are a formidable side. It was a huge learning curve for the girls. There were a lot of positives we can take from these two matches,” Anadi says candidly.
Anadi took charge of the national women’s team only a few weeks back. In fact, the seven-day camp held in Kolhapur was all he had to get the best out of the team for the two exhibition ties. “I’m happy to guide the girls. They are a disciplined lot; they have got the right attitude to excel and more importantly, they’re very focused on what they want to do on the maidan. I’m saying this from the (experience of) seven-odd days I have spent with the team,” he reveals.
The former India midfielder, who donned the national colours in the 1986 Nehru Cup in Thiruvananthapuram, feels that the Indian team needs to work on their goal-scoring abilities. “Our girls lack the goal-scoring skills. In football, you can’t win matches if you don’t score goals. If our girls work on this area, we can give a lot of sides a run for their money,” Anadi puts things in perspective.
There is a general feeling that the Indian women’s team does not play enough international matches or tournaments. Does he think that such a scenario would prove detrimental to the growth of women’s football? “I agree. Our girls need more international exposure. They have to play more international tournaments against quality sides – we should be looking at playing at least 20 internationals a year. I remember in the late seventies, the Thailand, Sweden and England eves came to India and played around 15 matches (all combined). AIFF has done a great thing by arranging these two matches against the Netherlands. I’m sure there will be more to come,” the man, who was awarded the best player in the 1980 Subroto Cup, exudes optimism.
Anadi, who played for various Delhi clubs like Simla Youngs, Indian Nationals, Moonlight and SBI in a career spanning nearly 16 years (1978-1994), believes regular participation in international tournaments can go a long way in improving India’s world ranking. “We can surely climb up the ranking ladder if we regularly feature in international matches. Indian eves have the potential to be in the top-30 if not more,” he was paints a positive picture.
The Indian women team’s chief coach, who obtained a FIFA diploma from Brazil in 1995, stresses the need for the women’s team to play with various men’s teams at the domestic level in order to sharpen their match competitiveness. “Girls should play with the boys under-17 team or even the senior men’s team. It will do a lot of good to their self-confidence and bring about improvement in their game. They can also play some I-League teams like Mohun Bagan, East Bengal among others,” he explains.
The former Indian footballer, who represented Delhi for seven years in Santosh Trophy was mighty impressed with the turnout in both the games. “Around 20,000 spectators were watching the match in Kolhapur and another 5,000 were outside the stadium. Another 4,000 watched the second match in Navi Mumbai. It is great to see so much interest for women’s football.”
Anadi was asked to assume charge of the national women’s team for the two exhibition international ties against the Netherlands. Is he is looking at a long-term stint in the hot seat? “I was asked to take over as coach of the team for these two matches and I’m trying my best for the team. It’s an honour to be the coach of the national team. I’m not thinking too much about the future,” he added.
Posted by Suhrid Barua at 6:25 PM 1 comment:
HIL will help to unearth hiddent talents, says Ranchi Rhinos midfielder Birendra Lakra
http://www.sportskeeda.com/2013/01/16/hil-will-help-to-unearth-hidden-talents-ranchi-rhinos-midfielder-birendra-lakra-interview/
He is one of the quietest performers in the Indian hockey team. He is the coy, reticent kind, who invariably lets his hockey stick do the talking during the 70 minutes of play. Meet India’s talented midfielder Birendra Lakra, who oozes hope of shouldering the midfield responsibilities in the national team.
The 22-year-old hails from a nondescript hamlet – Lachhra in Sundargarh district in Odisha – a district which has produced the likes of Dilip Tirkey and Ignace Tirkey, and often serves as the supply line for the national team.
Interestingly, there are as many as eight Odisha players featuring in the Hero Hockey India League and all of them are from the Sundargarh district. Five of them, including Birendra, were snapped up by Ranchi Rhinos (Amit Rohidas, Susanta Tirkey, Aman Miraz Tirkey and Stalin Victor Minz). Two others – Bipin Kerketa will turn out for Delhi Waveriders and Suresh Tappo will play for Mumbai Magicians.
Last six months have been a mixed bag for Indian hockey. The disappointing Olympics journey was atoned for to some extent by an expected but encouraging fourth-place finish in the FIH 34th Champions Trophy and a runners-up finish in the Asian Champions Trophy.
For any upcoming player, exposure to major tournaments is the key and Birendra is richer in experience. “After the disappointment in the Olympics, we did well in the Melbourne and Doha tournaments. On the personal front, I’m happy with my game; there has been improvement in my speed and trapping in the last twelve months or so,” he remarked.
Having done his bit for the national team, Birendra is keyed up to put up a good show in the HIL for Ranchi Rhinos. “We have a lot of talented youngsters in our side. Our foreign players also have plenty of experience. Hopefully, we will come up with a good showing.”
Birendra is still famously remembered for his reverse flick goal against France in the final of the Olympic qualifier last year.
A product of Rourkela Steel Plant’s SAIL Hockey Academy, Birendra is putting in all the hard yards at Ranchi Rhinos’ training sessions. “Our training sessions have come off well. We practice two hours from 9 am to 11 am in the morning and from 4 pm to 6:30 pm in the afternoon besides one hour of gym training. It’s a nice experience for our youngsters to train together with our foreign players,” he said.
There seems to be a lot of talking about teams like Delhi Waveriders and Jaypee Punjab Warriors, possessing enough firepower and being bandied about as the red-hot favourites. Birendra feels that it would all boil down to which team plays good hockey on a particular day. “People may say this team is the favourite and this team is not. In my book, all five teams are evenly balanced. The team which plays good hockey consistently will win the league,” opines Birendra who is still famously remembered for his reverse flick goal against France in the final of the Olympic qualifier last year.
The lanky Odisha lad, who has made 44 international appearances and scored five goals for India, has no doubts that HIL would throw up talented youngsters. “Look, there are a lot of talented youngsters who do not make it to the national camp. These youngsters often go unnoticed. HIL would be a massive opportunity for these young turks to showcase their wares and catch the attention of the selectors,” he touched a realistic point.
Hockey runs in the family. Birendra’s elder brother Bimal also played for India. His sister Asunta Lakra also played for the Indian women’s hockey team. “All three of us played in the same position – as a midfielder,” he said, buzzing with excitement.
Hockey is not the only sport Birendra plays. “I play football during my spare time. I enjoy playing the sport when I’m not playing hockey, which is my first love,” quipped Birendra who sees former India captain Dilip Tirkey as his role model.
“Dilip bhai is one player I look up to. I met him at a church during the New Year. We do discuss about hockey among other things when we catch up,” revealed the youngster whose killer cross was the one from which Nitin Thimmiaah scored the match-clincher against Belgium in the quarterfinals of the 34th FIH Champions Trophy.
Birendra, who honed his skills initially under coaches Peter Tirkey and Herman Lakra and later under Rajukant Saini, is happy to see Ranchi host the semifinals and the final of the Hero Hockey India League. “One thing is for sure; we would get a full house for all our matches held in Ranchi. People here have huge passion for hockey. Of course, we would enjoy the home advantage if we make it to the last-four stage,” the Indian right-half concluded.
Posted by Suhrid Barua at 9:37 AM 2 comments:
No HIL team is a favourite, says Indian hockey team vice captain Vokkaliga Raghunath
http://www.sportskeeda.com/2013/01/14/no-hil-team-is-a-favourite-indian-vice-captain-vokkaliga-raghunath-interview/
Having emerged out of the shadows of senior players like Sandeep Singh and Ignace Tirkey with stellar performances in the 34th Champions Trophy and the 2nd Asian Champions Trophy, Indian hockey team vice-captain Vokkaliga Raghunath is now bracing up to do the same for Uttar Pradesh Wizards in the inaugural Hockey India League.
The much-hyped league would be a great opportunity for the strapping 25-year-old to maintain his recent consistent run and play a big role in helping the Sahara India Pariwar-owned Lucknow franchise to corner glory. “It will be great fun playing with and against some of the world’s best players. The competitive element will always be there in every match, but it is not often that you get a chance to play with the likes of Teun De Nooijer, who is a big name in world hockey, Jeroen Hertzberger, Eddie Ockenden and Sander Baart. I’m really keyed up to fare well in the HIL and help my team go the distance,” Raghunath said in an exclusive interview.
All the five teams are going through their paces at their training camps, which have grabbed notice for its short duration. Raghunath doesn’t feel that a training camp for a week or so should be inadequate preparation for the teams. “Look, most of the players are intelligent and smart enough to quickly adjust within the given time-frame. I really don’t think that there should be any concerns about the short duration of the camps. It should work out fine with all teams,” he pointed out.
The confabulation veered towards the league’s strong contenders and Raghunath believed that the tournament is split wide open. “It’s hard to pick a favourite. In my opinion, no team is a favourite, any team can be beaten on any given day. It all boils down to a team playing good hockey on a particular day.”
The Indian drag-flicker, who has played 132 internationals and scored 94 goals, is fully convinced that the HIL would do a world of good to Indian hockey. “Batraji (Narinder) has worked really hard to get this league going in India, hats off to him. Hockey players are well taken care of (paid well for the league) and I’m confident that more youngsters would take to hockey.”
2012 International Super Series - Day 2 Uttar Pradesh Wizards will be coached by legendary coach Roelant Oltmans, who guided the Dutch national team to 1996 Atlanta Olympics gold and 1998 World Cup glory in Utrecht. And like many others, Raghunath is excited about getting tips from him. “Oltmans is a great coach. I will be looking to benefit from his inputs. It will be help me to emerge as a better defender in future,” the Coorg lad opined.
Indeed, Raghunath’s defending skills have drawn copious praise from various quarters in the last two international tournaments in Melbourne and Doha. “A year back, I was not a good defender, I was only a drag-flicker who could score goals from penalty corners. I have worked on my defending skills over the last few months and I think it is beginning to show in my performance. I’m a better defender now and feel confident about tackling marauding forwards as well defending short corners,” the Indian Oil Corporation officer said with a tinge of confidence.
Indian hockey team is used to facing strong, well built players from Europe and Australia. Now India have the two burly Rs in their defence – Raghunath and Rupinder Pal Singh, and can afford to give a dose of their own medicine (tough body play) to the opponents. “Hockey has changed a lot over the years. It has become more physical with so much of body play involved. You have to be at your best physically at all times and be ready to give everything for your team for 70 minutes. It’s good that India have well built players in the side. Trainer Jason Conrath is working hard with the boys,” he quipped.
Has the mantle of vice-captaincy brought extra responsibility on his broad shoulders? “I’m always looking to improve as a player. Of course, vice-captaincy is a responsibility I’m looking to handle to the best of my ability. As a player, I don’t just think of myself only as a defender, I’m ready to play in any position, even upfront if needed,” he puts forth his views.
The elevation of Raghunath as vice-captain coincided with the naming of Sardar Singh as the national team captain after Bharat Chetri led the London Olympics side. Raghunath is more than happy to be his deputy. “It’s a joy to have someone like Sardar Singh in the side. He leads from the front, he gels well with his team-mates, gives equal respect to every team member and always motivates them. He is one of the world’s best centre-halfs and is very down-to-earth as well. As a vice captain, I’m ready to give him whatever support he needs,” he lavished praise on his captain.
How does he assess chief coach Michael Nobbs? “The one thing I like about his is that he always remains calm. Players don’t feel pressurized by his presence. He explains to every player in a nice way. We owe a lot to him,” he observed.
There is a school of thought that Raghunath and Rupinder have made the comeback route of Sandeep Singh even harder. Raghunath backs the seasoned fullback to be in the national team sooner than later. “Sandeep Singh is an asset to any side. If he is in the team, we will have three drag-flickers in the side for 70 minutes, which will be a great thing for India. I’m missing his absence and have no doubts that he will be back in the side soon. Sandeep will be a bonus for us,” added the burly defender.
In fact, there is cut-throat competition in the Indian drag-flicker department with someone like Sandeep out of the side. Even talented 18-year-old Gurjinder Singh of WSH fame is also waiting in the wings and was even named as a standby for the national team probables for the first camp at Patiala after the London Olympics campaign. “Healthy competition is good for the side. It pushes every player to raise the performance bar and benefits the team immensely,” he fired a parting shot.
Posted by Suhrid Barua at 9:27 AM 1 comment:
Hockey India League will be a learning curve, says Indian hockey striker SV Sunil
http://www.sportskeeda.com/2013/01/13/sv-sunil-interview-hockey-india-league-will-be-a-learning-curve-for-me/
‘Burst of speed’ is SV Sunil’s middle name. No one can question the fact that he is the fastest moving player in the current Indian team. Fast counter-attacks or blistering solo runs are synonymous with Sunil.
It is this attribute of his which makes him an exciting player to watch on the hockey turf. He can rattle any opposition with speed – remember the 2011 Champions Challenge tournament where he made the South Africans sweat and left them bemused with his acceleration, scoring two goals in India’s 7-4 rout – or even the India-Pakistan match at the 2012 Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, where he scored a splendid match-clincher in the dying moments with a diving effort.
Sunil knows that speed is a great weapon to have, but also realizes the fact that judicious use of speed is imperative if it has to benefit the team.
“I know speed is my forte and I have been able to trouble the opposition on many occasions. But I’ve been guilty of missing chances as well as I have not been able to provide the final thrust in an attacking move mainly because of my inability to combine with my team-mates. I need to slow down my pace a bit at times so that my team-mates can benefit from my moves. I’m working on it,” the Indian striker told Sportskeeda in an exclusive interview.
The year 2012 may not have gone the way Sunil wanted – a disastrous London Olympics campaign and the FIH 34th Champions Trophy where he struggled with injury and form. But the Asian Champions Trophy in Doha towards the end of the year saw Sunil find his goal-scoring touch.
Hockey Olympic qualifier practice
In fact, the Indian team’s performance in the Champions Trophy and the Asian Champions Trophy left many of its ardent supporters pleasantly surprised. Sunil attributes the impressive performance to the induction of many youngsters in the side.
“Lot of youngsters were given a chance to play for the country, which was a big moment for them. These youngsters knew that they were included in the place in place of senior players; so the onus was on to perform and they exuded extra josh in both the tournaments,” the Coorg lad said matter-of-factly.
Sunil’s unbridled passion to play for the country can be gauged by the fact that he refused to return home when his dad passed away while he was donning the Indian colours at the 2009 Sultan Azlan Shah Cup. How could he take such a strong decision tinged with emotion?
“My father wished that I earn a big name in hockey, so I thought if I could play and help my country win, he will be happy. So far, I’ve been able to achieve only 25% of what I desired – I’ve to achieve the rest 75%,” the 24-year old gangling striker observed.
Sunil, who has played 115 internationals and scored 47 goals, felt that the Hero Hockey India League would be a huge learning curve for him.
“You keep learning all the time. HIL would be a massive platform to learn and the same applies to many Indian youngsters, who would be playing with and against some of the world’s top players for the first time.”
Australian hockey icon Jamie Dwyer is Sunil’s favourite hockey player; no wonder, he is buzzing with excitement about playing alongside him.
“It’s a big thing for me to share the dressing room and play with the world’s best striker. He has been the FIH World Player of the Year on five occasions and he is definitely special. I hope to imbibe some skills from him,” he gushes.
Jaypee Punjab Warriors have an incisive forwardline but Sunil insisted that it counts for nothing if a team cannot deliver on the field.
“Our strike force is robust. Besides Dwyer, I have good friend Shivendra Singh for company upfront – I have been playing with him for five years – there is also Dharamvir Singh who is also handy. You got to understand that looking good on paper is fine but we have to perform on the field.”
Sunil, however, believed that his side stood a good chance of winning the league.
“If you look at our team combination, we have a good team. I think we have a bright chance of emerging triumphant.”
The soft-spoken, demure Services striker is a big Aamir Khan fan.
“I unwind myself by watching moves with my friends. Aamir Khan is my favourite, I have watched all his movies so far,” he asserted.
India has the potential to be world-beaters, says celebrated Australian hockey striker Jamie Dwyer
http://www.sportskeeda.com/2013/01/11/interview-india-has-the-potential-to-be-world-beaters-says-celebrated-australian-striker-jamier-dwyer/
Touted as one of the best hockey strikers in the world, Jamie Dwyer instils fear in the opposition. His goal-poaching knack has made him the man to watch out for on a hockey turf over the years. A veteran of three Olympics, three World Cups and eight Champions Trophy tournaments, Dwyer has played 286 internationals for the Kookaburras (nickname of the Australian men’s hockey team) and scored an impressive 182 goals.
The 33-year-old striker is training hard for Jaypee Punjab Warriors as they launch their campaign in the inaugural Hockey India League against Delhi Wave Riders at Delhi on Monday. Dwyer is excited to be part of the Hockey India League and hopes that the league would do a world of good to not just Indian hockey, but world hockey as well. “There is so much of excitement about the Hockey India League, not just in India but but also across the globe. People are talking about hockey on Facebook and Twitter - which just shows that HIL is generating a lot of buzz,” Dwyer said in an exclusive interview.
The five-time FIH World Player of the Year winner believes HIL will uplift Indian hockey. “HIL will definitely raise the profile of hockey in India. It will encourage many youngsters to take up hockey,” the celebrated striker said.
The Kookaburras striker is glad to see hockey players earn some good money from the league. “Hockey players don’t earn much like the cricketers the world over. I think HIL is a great opportunity for the players to earn some good money, they thoroughly deserve it,” Dwyer observed.
India’s creditable performance in the FIH 34th Champions Trophy in Melbourne came in for praise from Dwyer. “They are very skillful, they looked confident in the Champions Trophy. There was a lot of self-belief in the side,” he pointed out.
Dwyer, whose crucial extra time golden goal helped Australia to beat Netherlands and bag their first-ever hockey gold in Athens (2004), reckons the Indian team need to work on their consistency. “Consistency is one thing that has let India down. If they can improve on their consistency, I’m sure India will regularly reach the semifinals and finals of major tournaments like Olympics, World Cup and Champions Trophy.”
Australia, Germany and Netherlands are the hockey powerhouses in the world. Can India come anywhere close to them? “Definitely. India has immense potential and can be a world-beater in the years to come. They must play teams like Australia, Germany, Netherlands on a regular basis, which will lead to an improvement in their hockey,” he remarked.
Dwyer, who is nicknamed ‘Foetus’, called for the setting up of hockey academies across the country. “You need more hockey academies across the country. You need coaches to guide youngsters at different age levels with proper planning and training. These academies will be able to provide a strong supply line to the national team.”
Jaypee Punjab Warriors is being talked about as the team to beat in the HIL. How does he assess his team’s chances? “We are really looking forward to the league. We have got a good team, but that’s on paper, we got to deliver on the turf,” Dwyer wraps up the conversation on a realistic note as he is in a tearing hurry to hit the practice session.
I try to avoid ghee-coated aloo parathas: Indian hockey captain Sardar Singh
http://www.sportskeeda.com/2013/01/08/i-try-to-avoid-ghee-coated-aloo-parathas-indian-hockey-captain-sardar-singh-interview/
Fresh from captaining the Indian hockey team to impressive performances in the 34th FIH Champions Trophy and the Asian Champions Trophy, Sardar Singh took a well deserved small break and is now bracing up to guide the Delhi Wave Riders to a decent showing in the inaugural Hockey India League.
The 26-year-old stopped short of tagging any team as favourites and only chose to paint a realistic picture. “Look, all five teams are evenly balanced. Of course, every team would have their own strengths but let me tell you, no team can be taken lightly,” he said in an exclusive interview.
The league promises to showcase some exhilarating hockey over the coming four weeks. Sardar believes that the team which makes the most of the scoring opportunities will be strong contenders for the HIL crown. “Any team which consistently converts the scoring chances will emerge as strong title contenders. Similarly, any team which makes lesser blunders, especially in defence, would be better placed to win the league,” he pointed out.
The Haryana Police DSP is of the opinion that recovering fast after matches will hold the key for all teams. “There will be back-to-back matches and it is not going to be easy. I guess that’s where teams recovering fast will enjoy a competitive advantage,” he makes his point.
There is already so much talk about Hockey India League giving India hockey a big ‘push’. And the Delhi Wave Riders’ marquee player has no doubts that the HIL would raise the profile of hockey not just in India but also on the international stage. “It is the best thing that has happened to Indian and world hockey. The Indian players will hugely benefit from it, even the foreign players would richly benefit. Hockey India deserves a pat on the back for conducting the HIL.”
One of the world’s best centre-halfs cited the example of the Premier Hockey League to buttress his point. “The PHL was a great success and it should have been continued. People who were running after cricket were turning towards hockey. Not just that, the PHL provided a supply line of youngsters to the national team. Hopefully, HIL will provide the supply line for India and showcase some hidden talents.”
The Indian midfielder feels that the presence of some of the world’s top players will surely help to pull in more crowds to the stadium and hook more people to the television. “Definitely it will. Guys like Jamie Dwyer, Taeke Taekema and Teun de Noojer are well known world over. Presence of such iconic players will draw in the crowds and viewers on TV,” he said on a bullish note.
The Indian team’s performance in the 34th FIH Champions Trophy and Asian Champions Trophy has raised the banner of hope among the hockey fans. And Sardar feels that all the hard work put in by the boys after the disastrous Olympics campaign came to the fore. “Trapping and man-to-man marking was a concern at the Olympics but we worked hard on these areas and it showed in Melbourne and Doha. Our defence did a great job, even while defending penalty corners,” he observed.
No other player sprang a bigger surprise than goalkeeper PT Rao – his standout performance was a big positive surprise for Sardar. “It was a pleasant surprise. We did not even expect Rao to perform so well in Melbourne but he did a fantastic job. His vast experience of playing at the domestic level also stood him in good stead,” he was lavish in praise for the 34-year-old Services goal-tender.
Sardar touched a pertinent point when he talked about the need to play against top teams on a regular basis. “We need to play against teams like Australia, Netherlands and Germany on a regular basis. Playing against such teams would give our players more confidence and also improve our hockey.”
The demure Indian captain, who has played more than 150 internationals, assessed the performance of the Indian forward line. “Gurwinder Singh Chandi and SV Sunil have been around for some time and fared well. There were quite a few youngsters playing in their first tournaments and made some mistakes; probably they were little nervous going into their first senior tourney. I’m sure they will get better with experience.”
Small breaks between tournaments are a great thing for any player. And for Sardar, it is no different. He enjoyed the break after playing three tournaments in a span of one month.
But like always, he takes all care to keep a check on his diet while he is on a break and spending time with his family. “You need to watch out for your diet. Like when I go to my village, my relatives shower me with so much affection and serve me ghee-coated aloo parathas. Initially, I couldn’t say no to them but later was able to convince them that having ghee disturbs my fitness. Now they are fully aware of what I eat and what I don’t,” he flashed a broad smile before sounding the final hooter.
I’m focusing on my defending skills, says Indian drag-flicker Sandeep Singh
http://www.sportskeeda.com/2013/01/06/im-focusing-on-my-defending-skills-drag-flicker-sandeep-singh-interview/
India’s disastrous London Olympics campaign saw the selectors wield the axe on quite a few senior players for the 34th FIH Champions Trophy in Melbourne. Among the senior lot, ace drag-flicker Sandeep Singh’s exclusion raised the banner of surprise in many quarters.
But with the Indian team faring well in the Champions Trophy as well as in the 2nd Asian Champions Trophy, the comeback plans of Sandeep would even get tougher.
The seasoned fullback knows well enough and is slogging it out in a bid to stage a comeback to the Indian team. “I’m working hard on my training – not just trying to fine-tune my drag-flicks but also focusing on my tackling and man-to-man marking,” Sandeep said in an exclusive interview ahead of Mumbai Magicians’ training camp which begins in Mumbai on January 9.
Indian team’s chief coach Michael Nobbs has been pretty vocal in saying that Sandeep has to reinvent himself to facilitate his return to the national team. The 26-year-old said he is striving hard to become a better defender. “I’m not just looking to score goals from my drag-flicks; I’m doing whatever I can to improve my defending skills. If I consistently convert my penalty corners, tackling and my man-to-man marking, it will benefit the team hugely,” he puts things in perspective.
And the inaugural Hockey India League would be the passport to a national call-up for the Shahabad born player. “I just want to perform well for Mumbai Magicians and help them win the crown. I’m determined to make a mark in the league with both short corner goals and defending skills. Hopefully, my performance in the HIL will help me to stage a comeback to the national side for the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup tournament to be held in Malaysia in March,” he said with a tinge of resoluteness.
Sandeep, who has scored 138 international goals so far, feels that HIL will help to strengthen the base of hockey in India. “HIL is a great thing for Indian hockey. We not only have some of the world’s best players but also some of the top coaches here. It will be a massive learning experience for all the Indian players and the same applies to me as well,” he exuded hope.
Mumbai Magicians is coached by legendary Australian coach Ric Charlesworth. Sandeep is keen to seek tips from him in a bid to further improve his defending skills. “Ric was with the Indian team at the 2008 Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Malaysia. In the past, I have benefited immensely from his pep talk. I’m eagerly waiting to seek more inputs about bettering my defending skills,” he said candidly.
Mumbai Magicians boast of a robust goalkeeping department, which has the likes of Indian goalies – PR Sreejesh and PT Rao besides Pakistan’s Imran Butt. “We do have a decent line-up of goalkeepers. Hope they live up to their billing,” he said optimistically.
The Magicians have three foreigners in defence – the Australian duo of Joel Carroll and Matthew Swann and Spain’s Sergi Enrique. “All these guys bring a lot of experience to the side. We just got to deliver on the turf,” Sandeep said realistically.
The name of Joel Carroll tempts one to quiz Sandeep about being bought by the Mumbai outfit for his reserve price of $27,800, which got enhanced only because Caroll was bought for $56,000 and as a marquee player, the Indian will be getting 15% more than what the Australian was sold for. Sandeep, however, said he was not unduly concerned at being bought by Mumbai for his base price. “To be honest, I’m not at all disappointed with the fact that I was bought at my base price. I’m happy with what I have in my life and don’t think money is everything in life,” he clears the air.
So, one asked jocularly if he owes a party to Carroll for doing him a favour, Sandeep flashed a broad smile and ducked the topic.
The Mumbai Magicians’ marquee player, who burst on the national scene emerging as the top goal scorer for India at the 2004 Junior Asia Cup in Karachi, has high expectations from the three Pakistani midfielders. “All the three Pakistan players – Mahmood Rashid, Fareed Ahmed and Mohammad Tousiq lend strength to our side. I’m really looking forward to playing alongside them.”
But there is a feeling that Mumbai Magicians’ forward line lacks experience. But Sandeep doesn’t see any cause for concern. Australia’s Glenn Turner is the only experienced campaigner along with talented Malaysian Faisal Saari. “Don’t count out our Indian players. We have players like Chinglensana Singh and Sarvanjit Singh among others; they are all good and will lend value to our side,” the defender concluded, fully backing the desi players.
Posted by Suhrid Barua at 6:13 PM 3 comments:
I’m not under pressure to perform, says Indian hockey forward Shivendra Singh
http://www.sportskeeda.com/2013/01/05/im-not-under-pressure-to-perform-shivendra-singh-interview/
Hockey fans across the country can look forward to a dose of riveting action as the inaugural Hockey India League (HIL) commences on January 14. And one man who would be looking to make a big impression in the much-hyped league and stage a comeback to the national team is Indian centre-forward Shivendra Singh.
The 29-year-old experienced striker, who was axed from the Indian team after the country’s hugely disappointing London Olympics campaign, has been putting in the hard yards and is determined to put up a decent showing in the HIL after a string of solid performances in the domestic tournaments. “I’ve been training hard and feeling good about my form. I scored consistently in the Lal Bahadur Shastri, Nehru Hockey and Obaidullah Khan Gold Cup hockey tournaments. I hope to maintain the same form in HIL,” the soft-spoken forward who will be turning out for Jaypee Punjab Warriors in the HIL, said in an exclusive interview on the sidelines of their team’s opening day camp in Jalandhar.
The Gwalior lad is fully aware that an impressive stint in the HIL would significantly enhance his national recall chances for the 2013 Sultan Azlan Shah Cup hockey tournament to be held at Ipoh, Malaysia in March. “The Sultan Azlan Shah Cup will be India’s next international assignment after the Asian Champions Trophy. It’s only natural that players who perform in the HIL would stand a bright chance of making it to the national team,” he said matter-of-factly.
Is there any pressure on him to deliver considering the fact that the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup is India’s next international campaign after the HIL? He brushed aside any such thoughts. “I don’t think that there is any pressure on me to perform just because an international tourney is held after the HIL. I’m just going to play my natural game; if I put pressure on myself it will only affect my game. It is always better to stay positive.”
A lot of water has flown under the bridge since India’s disastrous London Olympics campaign. Is there anything he can pinpoint as to what could have led to our wooden spoon finish?
“Look, the team was fully fit and there was no shortage of motivation. It’s difficult to pinpoint one single factor but I just feel maybe our limited exposure to the blue turf proved to be our undoing. We played on the blue turf in our Olympic preparatory tours to France and Spain; we played about four games on the blue turf. One can’t blame anyone for our limited exposure to the blue turf as we qualified only five months preceding the Olympics,” he pondered.
But the Indian team showed resurgence of some sorts with a fourth place finish in the 34th FIH Champions Trophy and a runners-up finish in the Asian Champions Trophy. “Our boys put up a superb show. Our defence was outstanding. Both Vokkaliga Raghunath and Rupinder Pal Singh showed a lot of responsibility in the absence of seniors like Sandeep Singh and Ignace Tirkey. Raghunath, in particular, seems to be handling his vice captain responsibilities very well. Even goalkeeper PT Rao dished out a stellar performance,” Shivendra was all praise for the Indian defence.
Talking of the Hockey India League, Jaypee Punjab Warriors is being talked about as the team to be beat with a bevy of star players in their ranks. Shivendra feels that on-field performance counts than just looking formidable on paper. “It’s nice to have a good side but how we perform on the turf will matter the most. Having a good side is nice but you got to combine well as a side,” he put things in perspective.
Shivendra, who played 180 internationals and scored 81 goals, is excited about playing alongside the likes of SV Sunil and Australian legend Jamie Dwyer. “Sunil is a good friend of mine while I know Dwyer quite well also. Hopefully, we would form a lethal combination,” he exuded an upbeat tone.
One thing that makes Shivendra prominent among others is his headband he wears in every match. “I started wearing it for my wife Nishi, she likes me wearing the headband,” he says coyly.
One can be rest assured that there will never be shortage of hockey discussion at home since his wife is a former international women’s hockey player. What’s more, Nishi was also a forward like Shivendra. “She played for India during the 1999-2004 period. Both of us worked for the Railways before I moved to Air India,” said the Air India Assistant Manager.
Shivendra’s favourite striker is Dhanraj Pillay, who is the technical director of the Uttar Pradesh Wizards, while goalkeeper PR Sreejesh has been the toughest nut for him to crack. “I like Dhanraj bhai for his burst of speed. He can rattle any defence with his speed. I found PR Sreejesh the most difficult to beat. Even in practice, I find it difficult to breach his defence,” said Shivendra who is also a close pal of Sreejesh. “Yeah, Sreejesh is one of my closest friends in the Indian team. It’s not because of my close friendship I’m saying he is the most difficult goalkeeper to score off, he is genuinely a tough cookie,” the Indian centre-forward signed off.
Posted by Suhrid Barua at 6:05 PM No comments:
I'm working on my consistency, says Indian shuttler Ajay Jayaram
http://www.sportskeeda.com/2013/01/04/interview-im-working-on-my-consistency-says-indias-top-shuttler-ajay-jayaram/
2012 was an up-and-down year for India’s second highest ranked men’s singles shuttler, Ajay Jayaram. From scaling the highs of reaching his maiden Super Series semifinal – the Li Ning China Masters, a tournament where he stunned Japan’s world number three Kenichi Tago in the opening round – to shocking China’s world number 12 Wang Zhengming in the first round of the Yonex Sunrise Hong Kong Open, to enduring early exits in quite a few tournaments, the year 2012 remained a mixed bag for him.
Undoubtedly, his big wins over fancied opponents like Tago and Zhenming are a pointer to his immense potential to upset the apple-cart of the world’s best.
The demure Indian Oil employee sounded upbeat about the improvement in his performance graph in 2012. He spoke on this and much more in an exclusive interview.
How would you assess your performance in 2012. Do you think consistency is one thing you really need to work on?
2012 has been an up-and-down year for me. I have had some good results from time to time, but haven’t been able to maintain consistency in my performance. Obviously, consistency is something I’m working on. I believe I need to work on the mental aspect of my game as well so that I can churn out good results on a consistent basis.
You started the year 2012 with a ranking of 28 and you finished it with a ranking of 31. So, you haven’t gained much in rankings nor you have slipped much. What are your thoughts on this?
Look, rankings do not always speak of how well a shuttler played during the entire year. I played some of my best matches in 2012. I defeated much fancied players like Kenichi Tago and Wang Zhengming. I battled with the the world number one Lee Chong Wei and took him to three games twice this year. I also achieved a career-best ranking of 23 and attained a Super Series ranking of 11. But as I’ve said before, I’ve been unable to maintain the same level throughout the year, which I believe is the reason why I haven’t progressed much ranking-wise.
September 2012 will hold special memories for you since you reached your career-best ranking of 23. Your thoughts?
Well, when I started 2012, I was definitely hoping to break into the top-20. However, I sustained an injury at the start of the year and when I did play some good matches, I couldn’t gain the necessary points as I had to defend some of my points from the previous year; also my performance was a bit patchy. However, I was happy to reach a career-high ranking of 23, it was special. Although I won’t say I’m entirely satisfied, I would consider it as a landmark, which I hope to better in 2013.
There has been a lot of talk in various quarters about how you missed the London Olympics bus. In hindsight, how would you look at it?
The Olympics was definitely a heart-breaking moment for me. Everything changed so suddenly and unexpectedly. I was deeply disappointed. But I believe I handled the setback quite well. I put that Olympics disappointment behind me and worked really hard and was able to string together good results.
Parupalli Kashyap went on to become the first Indian men’s singles player to reach the Olympic quarterfinals. What’s your take?
I think Kashyap has been playing very well and not just in the London Olympics. The latter half of 2012 has been pretty good for him. He has been quite confident and aggressive on court and I think that’s what is getting him the good results.
Parupalli Kashyap once said all five of you (Sourabh Varma, RMV Gurusaidutt and Anand Pawar included) are good enough to break into the top-10. What’s your view?
I reckon there about 6 to 7 players in India who are capable of breaking into the top-15. Many of us have pipped much higher ranked shuttlers in the last twelve months or so. There are about 5 of us already in the top-50. I’m sure you will see more players from India in the top 15.
Do you think this healthy rivalry augurs well for the future of Indian badminton?
Definitely. I think that is the main reason why Indian badminton is faring well. Healthy competition is always good for the sport. You tend to work harder only when there is rivalry and it also keeps everyone on their toes with little room for complacency.
Saina Nehwal is doing wonders to Indian badminton with her consistent performances on the world stage and winning a plethora of endorsement deals. Why do you think that our men’s singles players are struggling to get sponsors despite five Indians being in the top-50?
Saina is undoubtedly doing wonders to Indian badminton. And she deserves every bit of the endorsements she is getting. However, there isn’t enough corporate support for the next lot of players. I think there is a crying need to raise more awareness about where and what we play. Although the scenario is changing for the better, it still needs to improve further. Hopefully, the IBL (Indian Badminton League) will have the desired effect.
Game-wise, which are the areas you are looking to improve in 2013?
Over the last year, I have become more aggressive on court and have added a few more strokes to my armoury. I think I’m lacking a bit in the mental aspect of the game. I need to become more mean and positive on court. I’m working on it. Hopefully, I’ll be able to make it happen this year.
Unforced errors are an Achilles’ heel for the best of shuttlers. How are you addressing it?
Attack is the best form of defense, goes the saying. The same way, I think worrying too much about unforced errors only tends to make you commit more of them. I think the trick is to stay positive and not lose too much sleep over it.
Your semifinal finish at the Li Ning China Masters tournament must be one of the high points of your career since it was your maiden last-four finish in a Super Series event. Tell us a bit about your performance.
The China Masters is definitely a high point of 2012. It was a special feeling since it was my maiden Super Series semifinal appearance. I remember going into my first round match against world number 3 Tago with a very positive attitude. I played an aggressive game and was quite confident, which paved the way for my opening win and subsequently my semifinal finish.
You also upset China’s world number 12 Zhengming Wang at the Yonex Sunrise Hong Kong Open. Would you rate that win as one of your big wins in 2012?
I rate my win against Wang Zhengming at the Hong Kong open as my best win in 2012. Wang was in a rich vein of form, having reached the finals of the China Open the previous week. I played a good match on that day, showing good variation at the net and maintaining sustained attacks throughout the match.
Which are the forthcoming international tournaments you are taking part in?
I’ll be leaving this weekend for the Korea Open Super Series Premier, followed by the Malaysia Open Super Series.
Who is your favourite men’s singles player and why?
My favourite player would have to be Peter Gade. Everything, from the way he walks into the court, his attitude, his commitment and his humility really inspires me. I have never seen any shuttler walk into a court and put in less than 100% effort at all times.
What does Ajay Jayaram do when he is not playing badminton?
I like to watch movies and sitcoms. I do read books occasionally, listen to music and try my hand at other sports.
You train under English coach Tom John. How much have you benefited from his coaching?
I have been training with Tom in Bangalore for the past 2 years and he has brought about a huge change in my game. The best quality about him is that he manages to get the best out of you in every session.
Hopefully sponsors will knock my door, says India's top ranked men's singles shuttler Parupalli Kashyap
http://www.sportskeeda.com/2013/01/02/hopefully-sponsors-will-knock-my-door-says-parupalli-kashyap/
Breaking into the top-15 of the world rankings is a significant leap for any shuttler. And for India’s Parupalli Kashyap, it isn’t any different. The Hyderabad lad is experiencing an on-top-of-the-world feeling after scaling a career-high world ranking of 14, following his maiden singles triumph in the recently-concluded Syed Modi International badminton tournament in Lucknow.
Cracking the top-15 is a realistic target Kashyap had set his sights on at the beginning of 2012. “I started the year with a ranking of 27 and was confident of moving up in the ranking ladder. Honestly speaking, I had set myself a target of reaching the top-15 by the end of 2012, so it’s hugely satisfying to achieve what I’m have been aiming for the year 2012,” Kashyap told Sportskeeda in an exclusive interview.
Kashyap’s arrival in the top-15 was largely possible due to his first singles crown in the Syed Modi International tournament. By his own admission, the biggest singles win did not get quite hog the newpaper headlines as the day happened to be the one-day international retirement of great Sachin Tendulkar. “Sachin is the God of Indian cricket. He deserves all the media attention. I don’t harbor any hard feelings but just thought many people probably might have forgotten the fact that the country’s top men’s singles player won his maiden international singles title,” Kashyap tossed a googly.
Indian Badminton has been taken to a new level by the exploits of Saina Nehwal but the Indian men haven’t been far behind performance-wise – as many as five Indians (Ajay Jayaram, Sourabh Varma, RMV Gurusaidutt and B Sai Praneeth besides Kashyap) are in the top-50. “Sania has had a phenomenal 2012 and I’m very happy for her – she deserves all the sponsorship deals for all the sweat and toil she is putting in. At the same time, sponsors must come forward to support the men’s shuttlers as well. I still don’t have a sponsor despite being the number one men’s singles player in the country over a long while now. I really hope cracking the top-15 would encourage the sponsors to knock my door,” he puts things in perspective.
The 25-year-old is pragmatic enough to realize that shuttlers got to make the most since a shuttler’s career is not very long. “We don’t make money like our cricketers. A shuttler’s career is short and we have to make the moolah during our playing days,” the Indian Oil Corporation A-Grade Officer said.
Kashyap became the first Indian men’s singles player to reach the Olympic quarterfinals last July-August. But he is a tad disappointed that his exploits at London failed to bring any cash awards. “The Central government had announced that a cash award of Rs 10 lakh would be given to all those athletes, who have entered the quarterfinals of their respective events, but till now I haven’t received any such award. Even the Andhra Pradesh Government hasn’t given me any cash award after my quarterfinal finish at the London Olympics,” he sang a sour tone.
There is a general feeling in Badminton circles that Kashyap has the ammunition to upset the best in the business, but has this knack of losing matches from winning positions. “I agree that I was losing matches from winning positions. It’s not that I become complacent after gaining a big lead. I think I’ve improved on this aspect. I’ve substantially tightened my game,” he observed.
The world number 14 believes he can be even more lethal if he works on his speed and defence. “I need to improve my percentage of speed. My defence is steady and if I can be more steady with my defensive game it will do a lot of good to my game.”
A product of the Pullela Gopichand Badminton Academy, Kashyap owes everything to the PGBA for what he is today. “I have been training at the PGBA since its start in 2004-05. Gopi bhaiya has been doing a superb job with the youngsters. He starts his day at 4.00 am and has time for every shuttler irrespective of his reputation. I have benefited immensely from him,” he lavished praise on his guru.
The soft-spoken likes Gopichand for his straight talking ways. “What I like about Gopi bhaiya is that he is harsh. When I say harsh I mean he will come down hard on you if he sees you are doing anything wrong in training or not focusing as desired, but off the court he is a great friend. These qualities make him a great coach. I don’t even need to say this; look at his contribution to Indian badminton, see how many shuttlers have come through under his tutelage? Indian badminton has largely thrived because of him,” he gushes.
The first career singles win and the highest world ranking achieved, Kashyap is now looking forward to the upcoming international tournaments. “I will be participating in the Korean Open in January first up and hope to do well over there,” he concluded on an upbeat note.
Hope Hockey India League changes the landscape of hockey in India, says HI secretary Narinder Batra
http://www.sportskeeda.com/2013/01/02/interview-hope-hil-changes-the-landscape-of-hockey-in-india-says-hi-secretary-narinder-batra/
Hockey in the country is set to get a massive leg-up as the inaugural Hockey India League (HIL) kickstarts across five venues – Delhi, Lucknow, Jalandhar, Mumbai and Ranchi , beginning January 14.
The much-hyped league is expected to give a fresh leash of life to the sport, which has taken some significant strides following the disastrous London Olympics campaign, with the national team showing sparks of hope with creditable performances in the 34th Champions Trophy and the Asian Champions Trophy.
The success of any tournament hinges a lot on how much of a helping hand it gets from the sponsors - Hockey India seems to have done their job on this front, announcing a multi-year sponsorship deal with two-wheeler major Hero MotorCorp. “We have inked a three-year deal with Hero MotorCorp. They will be our title sponsor of the league. We are extremely happy to be associated with them,” Hockey India secretary Narindra Batra told Sportskeeda in an exclusive interview.
In fact, this is not the first time that Hero has come forward to sponsor a hockey event. They were the title sponsors of the 2012 Olympics qualifier tournament as well as the 2010 World Cup, both held in New Delhi.
Hockey India had weathered much criticism from all quarters after India’s wooden spoon finish in the 2012 London Olympics. But the national men’s team’s eye-catching showing in both the FIH 34th Champions Trophy and Asian Champions Trophy tournaments seems to have reignited hopes among the hockey fans about the sport climbing up the performance ladder. Batra puts things in perspective. “We finished 11th in London and I agree that kind of performance was unacceptable but you got to move on and initiate corrective measures. I don’t really think about who is criticizing or praising me; I believe in being constructive. I try to do the job to the best of my ability,” Batra quipped.
How does he assess India’s performance graph in the FIH 34th Champions Trophy and Asian Champions Trophy tournaments? “Of course, we try to draw positives from every tournament but I’m more focused on the bigger picture of India being one of the world’s top sides,” he said.
The HI secretary has set realistic targets for the national men’s team. “I would like to see India among the top-6 by 2013-end or early 2014 and among the top-4 during the 2014-2016 period,” he observed.
Does he really think that the Hockey India League can change the landscape of hockey in the country? “Well, that’s our aim. We hope it does. We want to see more astroturfs across the country and more youngsters taking up the game.”
The Indian Premier League took the country by storm. And Hockey India would be hoping that the HIL becomes a crowd-puller. “We want to fill the void after IPL. Let us hope the HIL is a big draw,” he sounded upbeat.
One question that every hockey fan wants is to see one hockey body running the sport in the country as one unit. Batra is quick to react. “There is only one hockey body in the country. All have merged with Hockey India,” he said emphatically.
Batra is also the treasurer of the Delhi Disrict Cricket Association. How does he juggle both cricket and hockey? “I am not actively involved in the day-to-day activities of DDCA. I am fully occupied with Hockey India,” he clears the air.
India continued to languish at 11th position in FIH world rankings even after India’s fourth place finish in the 34th Champions Trophy, even as bronze medallist Pakistan surged five spots to be placed fifth. Batra is bullish about India moving up in the rankings. “We are not too bothered about it. We will surely climb up when the next FIH rankings are announced,” he concluded.
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The Warrior's Tale
The warrior's tale is a simple enough thing. Strong as steel, but fragile as chance. It is the wind in his soul and the wall we build around ourselves to tell us who we are.
Before there were cities or nations, and railways and airports, computers and telephones-- the tale was told around campfires. Acted out in pantomime, dressed up in animal furs and cave paintings. But the tale was the same. The people were confronted with a threat and they called upon the best and strongest of their men to go out and fight it. These were their warriors. What they did in the face of that threat is the tale.
The tale has many variations. Sometimes there are many warriors, sometimes only a handful. They march into the village of the enemy in triumph, or they make a last stand on a rocky outcropping, spending the last of their heart's blood to buy time they will never know. There is the weak man who becomes strong, the strong man who becomes weak, the woman who mourns the man who will never return, and the man who goes off to battle with nothing to lose. These tales have been told countless times in the ages of men, and they will be told again for as long as men endure.
It is not only the warriors who need the tale, or those left behind. Future generations learn who they are from this tale. "We are the people who died for this land," is the unseen moral of each tale. "We bled for it. Now it is yours to bleed and die for."
The warrior's tale tells each generation that they stand on the wall against a hostile world. And that the wall is made not of stones, but of their virtues. Their courage, their integrity and their craft. Theirs is the wall and they are the wall-- and if they should fail, then it will fail. And the land and the people will be swept away.
What happens to a people who forget the warrior's tale and stop telling it around their campfires? Worse , what of a people who are taught to despise the figure of the warrior and what he represents? They will not lose their courage, not all of it. But they will lose the direction of that courage. It will become a sudden unexplained virtue that rises to them out of the depths of danger. And their wall will fail.
It is the warrior's tale that makes walls. That says this is the land that we have fought for, and we will go on fighting for it. It is sacrifice that makes mere possession sacrosanct. It is blood that turns right to duty. It is the seal that is above law, deeper still to heritage. Anyone can hold a thing, but it is sacrifice that elevates it beyond possessiveness. And it is that tale which elevates a people from possessors of a land, to the people of the land.
Universalism discards the warrior's tale as abomination. A division in the family of man. Their tale is of an unselfish world where there are no more divisions or distinctions. Where everyone is the same in their own way. But this tale is a myth, a religious idea perverted into totalitarian politics. It is a promise that cannot be kept and a poison disguised with dollops of sugar. It lures the people into tearing down their wall and driving out their warriors. And what follows is what always does when there is no wall. The invaders come, the women scream, the children are taken captive and the men sit with folded hands and drugged smiles dreaming of a better world.
The warrior's tale explains why we fight in terms of our own history. The Great Swamp Fight. The Shot Heard Round the World. The Battle of New Orleans. Gettysburg, San Juan Hill, Belleau Wood, Pearl Harbor, Heartbreak Ridge, the Tet Offensive, Kandahar, and Fallujah. Generations of sacrifices must be defended. And those who wage war on us must be made to pay.
Universalism demands that war must answer to universal aims and objectives. That there is a universal law higher than war. But this is a children's story. The laws of men derive from their own interests. Those who can rule by force or coalition make their laws to serve their own ends. This is the way of the world.
Those who pretend to live by universalism will still fall to the law of steel. Rhetoric is no defense against fire and lead, and international codes have no defense against those who will break them. The talk may go on, but it is the warriors who will end it. It is still the warrior's tale to tell, even if all others have forgotten it.
The warrior's tale is no happy thing. It is bitter as bile and dark as death. But it is also a grand and glorious thing. For even in its full naked truth, it is the story of perseverance in the face of every agony and betrayal. It is the tale of how we live and why we die.
Even when all others forget their tale, the warriors remember. Even when they are called peacekeepers and turned into an army of clowns for the satisfaction of their political masters. The armies may decay, but warriors still remain in their cracks, on their edges-- men who are not wanted, but are needed because they are the only ones who can do the grim work and do it well. They may only be a hundredth of an army, or a thousandth. A fraction of a fraction. But without them there is no army, only empty uniforms.
When the warrior's tale is forgotten, then they become shadows. Dangerous men despised and feared. Thought of as killers, dismissed as monsters and stared at like beasts in a cage. But the society cannot deny them. It cannot deny that part of them. When the warrior diminishes, the energy is directed elsewhere. Sport becomes an obsession and matches end in bloody violence. Crime increases. Prisons fill up. So do police forces.
As the external war fades, the internal one begins. Barbarians come from without. Buildings burn, mobs rage and there is a savagery in the air.
No law can protect a society that has forgotten the warrior's tale. It will turn outward, and adopt the warrior tales of outsiders. The samurai will replace the cowboy. The sports star will be an outsider. Its heroes will become foreigners. Men who understand the virtue of violence and will do what their own people have been forbidden. Who have the vital energy that a society without a warrior's tale lacks.
When a people give up their own warrior's tale for that of others, they lose the ability to resist them. For each people's warrior's tale says that we are people, and they are enemies. We are warriors and they are murderers. When a people have no other warrior's tale but that of their enemies, they will come to believe that they are monsters. And that their enemies are brave warriors.
The day will come when they are asked who they are, and they will not know. They will point to their possessions and the names of their streets and cities. They will speak of higher ideals and cringe for not living up to them. They will be asked why they fight, and they will say that they do not want to fight. That all they want is peace at any price.
Even the most powerful of civilizations with the mightiest of cities becomes prey when it forgets the warrior's tale. It takes more than weapons to defend a city, it demands the knowledge of the rightness of their use. It is no use dressing men in uniforms and arming them, if they are not taught the warrior's tale. And it is nearly as little use, sending them off to watch and keep, if the men above them discard the warrior's tale as violent and primitive gibberish.
An army of millions is worth little, without the warrior's tale. Strategy is technique, firepower is capacity, both begin and end with the human mind. "Why do we fight," is the question that the warrior's tale answers far better than any politician could. "We fight because this is ours. It is our honor, our duty and our war. We have been fighting for hundreds and thousands of years. This is what makes us who we are."
We are the people, says the warrior's tale. But we are every people, says the universalist's tale. All is one. There is no difference between us and them. And we will prove it by bringing them here. Then the walls fall and it falls to the warriors to make their last stand. To tell another warrior's tale with their lives.
This is the quiet war between the philosopher merchants who want trade and empire, and the warriors who know that they will be called upon to secure the empire, and then die fighting the enemy at home. It is how the long tale that begins with campfires and ends with burning cities goes. The story that begins with cave paintings and ends with YouTube videos. Whose pen is iron, lead and steel. And whose ink is always blood.
We have been here before. Told and retold the old stories. The forest, the swamp, the hill and the valley. And behind them the lie, the maneuver and the betrayal. The war that becomes unreasoning and the people who forget why they fight. And one by one the warriors slip away. Some to the long sleep in the desert. Others to secluded green places. And still others into the forgetfulness of a people's memory. The hole in the heart of a people who forget themselves and become nothing.
powerful, read and ponder
Keep on fighting. Your words like bullets hit their mark.
Thanks for the words
A beautifully written tribute to soldiers, the best of whom do not go into battle or into harm's way to sacrifice themselves, but to preserve the values that are their country, their wives, their children, and even their right to mind their own business when no longer in uniform.
In answer to the question, 'Where do you have your retirement funds set in, stun guns or stocks?,' Mark Steyn says in his 11/08 National Post interview, "I think guns will come in more useful than stocks. And certainly most of my neighbours in New Hampshire have more firepower down in the basement then the average European Union army, and one can well see why they would think that way. But that’s the point. It’s gonna be, you know, it’s not gonna be pretty. It’s not gonna be Vienna after the fall of the Habsburgs. It’s gonna be something much more convulsive." Steyn of course is Canadian and Canada became a country as the consequence of the last breakup of the US following the Civil War, a war which pretty much introduced the world to industrial warfare. I don't think too many Canadians under about age 50 actually know that, however, because their thinking about war begins with Canada's engagement in WWI. And, what they think about that conflict focuses on how the Anglican Church supported Canada's engagement and wouldn't marry gays. Also, the military now should no longer reference Christianity in its oaths and insignia in order not to offend Muslims.
Invoking the martial spirit-- in aid of what? The only wars I see being fought mock the idea that anything sacred is being defended-- just the opposite. Sacrifice for nothing makes a sacrilege.
I'd like to see more fight around protecting the legacy of the founder stock and less about expanding empires for elites. We haven't fought a war that has anything to do with us since WW2. Every war since then has been the result of mindless calls to duty to pointless ends (see: Afghan, Iraq 1 & 2, Vietnam, Korea).
I salute the warrior-- I despise those who use him like a prop.
Ditto this a thousand times over
"Invoking the martial spirit-- in aid of what? The only wars I see being fought mock the idea that anything sacred is being defended-- just the opposite. Sacrifice for nothing makes a sacrilege.
I'd like to see more fight around protecting the legacy of the founder stock and less about expanding empires for elites. We haven't fought a war that has anything to do with us since WW2. Every war since then has been the result of mindless calls to duty to pointless ends (see: Afghan, Iraq 1 & 2, Vietnam, Korea)."
Do we need to form Sultan Knish Anonymous for those of us who are helplessly addicted to your devastating writing?
...considering how many comments here already are anonymous
Dan Mesa/AZ said...
What an outstanding article, I did not want it to end. That being said, I can't wait to go home, hug my kids, and give them a Warrior's tale tonite. Bravo Mr. Greenfield!
good on you Dan
Very powerful, Daniel.
"The invaders come, the women scream, the children are taken captive and the men sit with folded hands and drugged smiles dreaming of a better world."
The West's super-ego has become a LGBTQQIAAP post-modern Mrs. Grundy crushing the western ego while waving in the id of the sacred "other".
Jim McCrudden said...
Well said,
Churchill had the same idea.
“We sleep safely at night because rough men stand ready to visit violence on those who would harm us.”
I've been posting as anonymous but enter my name at the end of the post.
Am sending this to everyone.
My adopted son, Niall, was one of the warriors who did sacrifice himself.Will the son he left behind live to honor that sacrifice or be taught his father died in vain fighting against the worst enemy of humankind in human history?
Bravo!! Your' words bring an ache to the heart of Americans who hold memories of a time when warriors and leaders loved this land and it's people. Much has been lost due to citizen apathy. Deception now rules and is a mighty weapon in deed.
W. L. Bradley
The tale of the only two days ago remembered end of WWI where so many of the dead warriors where the volunteering intellectual flower of the European nations to be senselessly killed, pitted in droves against machine-guns on the "field of honor". Their death causing not only the literary brain-drain and with it the beginning of the end of the Western culture and enlightenment.
Terry Baker said...
Magnificent. That was magnificent.
My father went to Europe in 1944. He was a kind and gentle man, but he went there to fight.
I believe he did the right thing, and pray that I would be as brave and true.
BarryCuda said...
Most beautiful and moving essay I've ever read.
How do you do it, Daniel? You turn out one great column after another, and never seem to run out of ideas or eloquent words with which to express them. This piece was one of your best.
Truly beautiful.
Daniel, this piece led me to your older piece about the liberal Jewish eunuch. They really go together. Thanks.
overcaffeinated said...
Meh... seems a bit "Blut und Boden" for me (and I'm not even Jewish). "That there is a universal law higher than war. But this is a children's story." That seems dangerously relativistic. Clearly, there are just and unjust warriors? And can't one acknowledge a higher law without falling into universalism? What is the difference between simple objective morality and universalism? Do we fault mathematics for being universal? Perhaps you meant a universal political law, as legislated by a body like the UN. I'd agree with that, but to say there is no universal, objective morality is not something I agree with.
phew an awesome read that resonates the truth as the world of lies begins to crumble, the warriors tale shall be told as it is the world of truth, you trully inspire, thank you,
Willy Ruffian said...
Kiplingesq---and that's a big compliment in my world.
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US Supreme Court Center > Volume 263 > WEBB V. O'BRIEN, 263 U. S. 313 (1923) > Full Text
WEBB V. O'BRIEN, 263 U. S. 313 (1923)
Webb v. O'Brien, 263 U.S. 313 (1923)
Webb v. O'Brien
Argued April 23, 24, 1923
APPEAL FROM THE DISTRICT COURT OF THE UNITED STATES
FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA
1. A citizen can have no legal right to enter into a contract involving land with an alien who cannot legally make and carry out the contract. P. 263 U. S. 321.
2. In the absence of a treaty to the contrary, a state has power to deny aliens the right to own land within it borders. P. 263 U. S. 322.
3. A cropping contract between an owner of land in California and a Japanese alien which, though it may not amount to a lease or a transfer of an interest in real property, is more than a contract of employment in that it gives the alien a right to use, and have a share in the benefit of, the land for agricultural purposes exceeds the privileges granted to such aliens by Art. I of the treaty of February 21, 1911, 37 Stat. 1504, between the United States and Japan, and is forbidden by the California Alien Land Law, which denies to aliens ineligible to citizenship permission to have or enjoy any privilege, not prescribed in the treaty in respect to the use or the benefit of land for agricultural purposes. P. 263 U. S. 322.
4. In forbidding such contracts, the state law violates no right of the landowner or the alien under the federal Constitution. P. 263 U. S. 324. See Terrace v. Tompson, ante, 263 U. S. 197; Porterfield v. Webb, ante, 263 U. S. 225. Truax v. Raich, 239 U. S. 33, distinguished.
279 F. 117 reversed.
Appeal from a decree of the district court granting an interlocutory injunction in a suit to enjoin state officials from instituting proceedings to enforce the California Alien Land Law.
MR. JUSTICE BUTLER delivered the opinion of the Court.
This is a suit brought by the appellees to enjoin the Attorney General of California and the District Attorney
of Santa Clara County from instituting any proceedings to enforce the California Alien Land Law [Footnote 1] against them.
O'Brien is a citizen and resident of California, and owns 10 acres of agricultural land in the County of Santa Clara.
Inouye is a capable farmer, and is a Japanese subject living in California. O'Brien and Inouye desire to enter into a cropping contract covering the planting, cultivating,
and harvesting of crops to be grown on the land. They allege that the execution of such a contract is necessary in order that the owner may receive the largest return from the land, and that the alien may receive compensation therefrom; that the Attorney General and district attorney have threatened to and will enforce the act against them if they execute the contract, and will forfeit or attempt to forfeit the land by an escheat proceeding, and will prosecute them criminally for violating the act. They aver that the act is so drastic, and the penalties for its violation are so great, that neither of them may execute the contract even for the purpose of testing its validity and its application thereto, and that, unless the court shall determine the validity of the act and its application, they will be compelled to submit to it, whether valid or invalid, and to the appellants' interpretation of it, and so be deprived of their property without due process of laws and denied the equal protection of the laws in contravention of the Fourteenth Amendment.
Appellees applied for an interlocutory injunction. The matter was heard by three judges, as provided in § 266 of the Judicial Code. The injunction was granted, and the Attorney General and district attorney appealed.
O'Brien, who is a citizen, has no legal right to enter into the proposed contract with Inouye, who is an ineligible Japanese alien, unless the latter is permitted by law to make and carry out such a contract. At common law, aliens, though not permitted to take land by operation of law, may take by the act of the parties, but they have no capacity to hold against the state, and the land so taken may be escheated to the state. See Fairfax's Devisee v. Hunter's Lessee, 7 Cranch. 603, 11 U. S. 609, 11 U. S. 619-620; Doe ex dem. Governeur's Heirs v. Robertson, 11 Wheat. 332, 24 U. S. 355; Phillips v. Moore, 100 U. S. 208, 100 U. S. 212; Atlantic & Pacific Railroad v. Mingus, 165 U. S. 413, 165 U. S. 431. In the absence of
a treaty to the contrary, the state has power to deny to aliens the right to own land within its borders. Terrace v. Thompson, 263 U. S. 197; Haguenstein v. Lynham, 100 U. S. 483, 100 U. S. 484-488; Blythe v. Hinckley, 127 Cal. 431, aff'd, 180 U. S. 180 U.S. 333, 180 U. S. 340; In the Matter of Okahara, 216 P. 614. The provision of the act which limits the privilege of ineligible aliens to acquire real property or any interest therein to that prescribed by treaty is not in conflict with the Fourteenth Amendment. Terrace et al. v. Thompson, supra; Porterfield v. Webb, 263 U. S. 225; In the Matter of Okahara, supra. The treaty between the United States and Japan (37 Stat. 1504-1509) does not confer upon the citizens or subjects of either in the territories of the other the right to acquire, possess, or enjoy lands for agricultural purposes. Terrace et al. v. Thompson, supra; In the Matter of Okahara, supra.
By the proposed cropping contract, Inouye is given the right for a term of four years to plant, cultivate, and harvest crops -- berries and vegetables -- on the land, and to be free from interference by the owner, who undertakes to protect him during the term against interference by any other person. He is entitled to housing for himself, and is granted the right to employ others to work on the land, and to give to them free ingress and egress and the right to live on the land. He is entitled to one-half of all crops grown on the land during the term, to be divided after they are harvested and before removal from the land, and is given a reasonable time after the expiration of the term to remove his share of the crops. He is required to accept his share of the crops as reimbursement for expenditures made to carry on the farming operations, and as his only return from the undertaking. Assuming that the proposed arrangement does not amount to a leasing or to a transfer of an interest in real property, and that it includes the elements of a contract of employment (In the Matter of Okahara, supra), we are of opinion that it is more than a contract of employment, and that, if executed, it will give to
Inouye a right to use and to have or share in the benefit of the land for agricultural purposes. And this is so, notwithstanding other clauses of the contract to the effect that the general possession of the land is reserved to the owner, that the cropper shall have no interest or estate whatever in the land, that he is given one-half of all crops grown as compensation for his services and labor, and that division of the crops is to be made after they are harvested and before their removal from the land.
The treaty grants liberty to own or lease and occupy houses, manufactories, warehouses, and shops, and to lease land for residential and commercial purposes. [Footnote 2] Section 2 of the act extends the privilege to acquire, possess, enjoy, and transfer real property or any interest therein only in the manner and to the extent and for the purposes prescribed in the treaty. The treaty given no permission to enjoy, use, or have the benefit of land for agricultural purposes. The privileges granted by the act are carefully limited to those prescribed in the treaty. The act as a whole evidences legislative intention that ineligible aliens shall not be permitted to have or enjoy any privilege in respect of the use or the benefit of land for agricultural purposes. And this view is supported by the circumstances and negotiations leading up to the making of the treaty. See Terrace v. Thompson, supra; Same v. Same, 274 F. 841, 844, 845. As applied to this case, the act may be read thus:
"Ineligible aliens may own or lease houses, manufactories, warehouses, and shops, and may lease land for residential and commercial purposes. These
things, but no possession or enjoyment of land otherwise, are permitted."
The term of the proposed contract, the measure of control and dominion over the land which is necessarily involved in the performance of such a contract, the cropper's right to have housing for himself and to have his employees live on the land, and his obligation to accept one-half the crops as his only return for tilling the land clearly distinguish the arrangement from one of mere employment. The case differs from Truax v. Raich, 239 U. S. 33. In that case, a statute of Arizona making it a criminal offense for an employer of more than five workers, regardless of kind or class of work or sex of workers, to employ less than 80 percent native-born citizens of the United States was held to infringe the right, secured by the Fourteenth Amendment, of a resident alien to work in a common occupation -- cooking in a restaurant. The right to make and carry out cropper contracts such as that before us is not safeguarded to ineligible aliens by the Constitution. A denial of it does not deny the ordinary means of earning a livelihood or the right to work for a living. The practical result of such contract is that the cropper has use, control, and benefit of land for agricultural purposes substantially similar to that granted to a lessee. Conceivably, by the use of such contracts, the population living on and cultivating the farm lands might come to be made up largely of ineligible aliens. The allegiance of the farmers to the state directly affects its strength and safety. Terrace v. Thompson, supra. We think it within the power of the state to deny to ineligible aliens the privilege so to use agricultural lands within its borders.
The decision of the Supreme Court of California in In the Matter of Okahara, supra, a habeas corpus case, does not support the appellees' contention. In that case, an ineligible Japanese was held on a warrant charging him with conspiracy to effect a transfer of real property in violation
of § 10 of the Alien Land Law. The gravamen of the offense charged was that Okahara, in furtherance of the conspiracy, executed a contract with another whereby the latter transferred to him for a term of five years an interest in 20 acres of agricultural land. The only question before the court in that case was whether the contract amounted to a transfer of real property or of an interest therein in violation of § 10. The court said:
"the instrument before us cannot be characterized as a lease or transfer of any interest in real property, because it lacks many of the essential elements of a lease, while, on the other hand, it bears all the characteristics of an agreement of hiring. But if it cannot be said to be an agreement of employment pure and simple, it cannot under any rule of construction be held to be more than a cropping contract."
After referring to the terms of the contract and reviewing authorities, it said:
"The argument that the law forbids the making of a contract of employment or agreement to till the soil on shares can only be sustained by adopting the theory that the particular agreement under consideration transfers an interest in land."
The court held that the contract did not violate § 10, and discharged Okahara. The contract in that case differs in important particulars from the one before us; but, in the view we take of this case, we need not determine whether, within the meaning of the act, the contract between O'Brien and Inouye, if executed, would effect a transfer of an interest in real property. The question in this case is not whether the proposed contract is prohibited by § 10, but it is whether appellees have shown that they have a right under the Constitution or treaty to make and carry out the contract, and are entitled to an interlocutory injunction against the officers of the state. A negative answer must be given.
The privilege to make and carry out the proposed cropping contract, or to have the right to the possession, enjoyment,
and benefit of land for agricultural purposes as contemplated and provided for therein, is not given to Japanese subjects by the treaty. The act denies the privilege because not given by the treaty. No constitutional right of the alien is infringed. It therefore follows that the injunction should have been denied.
The order appealed from is reversed.
MR. JUSTICE McREYNOLDS and MR. JUSTICE BRANDEIS think there is no justiciable question involved, and that the case should have been dismissed on that ground.
MR. JUSTICE SUTHERLAND took no part in the consideration or decision of this case.
[Footnote 1]
Initiative Measure Adopted November 2, 1920 (Statutes 1921, p. lxxxiii).
"Section 1. All aliens eligible to citizenship under the laws of the United States may acquire, possess, enjoy, transmit, and inherit real property, or any interest therein, in this state in the same manner and to the same extent as citizens of the United States except as otherwise provided by the laws of this state."
"Section 2. All aliens other than those mentioned in section one of this act may acquire, possess, enjoy, and transfer real property, or any interest therein, in this state in the manner and to the extent and for the purpose prescribed by any treaty now existing between the government of the United States and the nation or country of which such alien is a citizen or subject, and not otherwise."
Section 3 provides that any company, association or corporation a majority of whose members are ineligible aliens or in which a majority of the issued capital stock is owned by such aliens is permitted to acquire, possess, enjoy, and convey real property or any interest therein in the manner and to the extent and for the purposes prescribed by any treaty, etc. Hereafter, ineligible aliens may become members of or acquire shares of stock in any company, association or corporation that is or may be authorized to acquire, possess, enjoy or convey agricultural land, in the manner and to the extent and for the purposes prescribed by any treaty . . . and not otherwise.
Section 4 provides that no ineligible alien and no company, association or corporation mentioned in § 3 may be appointed guardian of that portion of the estate of a minor which consists of property which such alien or such company, association or corporation is inhibited from acquiring, possessing, enjoying or transfering by reason of the provisions of the act. The superior court may remove the guardian of such an estate whenever it appears to the satisfaction of the court that facts exist which would make the guardian ineligible to appointment in the first instance.
"Section 5(a). The term 'trustee' as used in this section means any person, company, association, or corporation that, as guardian, trustee, attorney in fact, or agent, or in any other capacity, has the title, custody or control of property, or some interest therein, belonging to an ineligible alien or to the minor child of such an alien, if the property is of such a character that such alien is inhibited from acquiring, possessing, enjoying or transferring it. . . ."
"(b). Annually every such trustee must file a verified written report showing:"
"* * * *"
"(3). An itemized account of all expenditures, investments, rents, issues and profits in respect to the administration and control of such property with particular reference to holdings of corporate stock and leases, cropping contracts and other agreements in respect to land and the handling or sale of products thereof is required of such trustee."
Section 6 provides for sale and distribution of proceeds when, by reason of the provisions of the act, heir cannot take real property or membership or shares of stock in a company, association, or corporation.
Section 7 provides for the escheat of property acquired in fee by any ineligible alien, and that no alien, company, association or corporation mentioned in § 2 or § 3 hereof shall hold for a longer period than two years, the possession of any agricultural land acquired in the enforcement of or in satisfaction of a mortgage or other lien hereafter made or acquired in good faith to secure a debt.
"Section 8. Any leasehold or other interest in real property less than the fee hereafter acquired in violation of the provisions of this act by any ineligible alien . . . or by any company, association or corporation mentioned in section 3 of this act, shall escheat to the State of California. . . . Any share of stock or interest of any member in a company, association, or corporation hereafter acquired in violation of the provisions of § 3 of this act shall escheat to the State of California."
"Section 9. Every transfer of real property, or of an interest therein, though colorable in form, shall be void as to the state and the interest thereby conveyed or sought to be conveyed shall escheat to the state if the property interest involved is of such a character that an ineligible alien . . . is inhibited from acquiring, possessing, enjoying, or transferring it, and if the conveyance is made with intent to prevent, evade, or avoid escheat as provided for herein."
"Section 10. If two or more persons conspire to effect a transfer of real property, or of an interest therein, in violation of the provisions hereof, they are punishable by imprisonment in the county jail or state penitentiary not exceeding two years, or by a fine not exceeding five thousand dollars, or both."
"Article I. The citizens or subjects of each of the high contracting parties shall have liberty to enter, travel and reside in the territories of the other to carry on trade, wholesale and retail, to own or lease and occupy houses, manufactories, warehouses, and shops, to employ agents of their choice, to lease land for residential and commercial purposes, and generally to do anything incident to or necessary for trade upon the same terms, as native citizens or subjects submitting themselves to the laws and regulations there established."
Powered by Justia US Supreme Court Center: WEBB V. O'BRIEN, 263 U. S. 313 (1923)
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UBC APSC Sustainability Pathway Initiative
» Home » People
Naoko Ellis, CHBE, Lead
Naoko is a full professor in the department of Chemical and Biological Engineering with an expertise in biomass utilization including biofuels. She is involved in the living lab of the Bioenergy Research and Demonstration Facility conducting biomass tar reforming project. Through training students in the renewable energy research areas, Naoko connects developing technical competencies in engineers to the three pillars of sustainability in engineering training. Furthermore, she has also developed CHBE 573 (Environmental Engineering and Sustainability) which covers sustainability, systems thinking, life cycle assessment, industrial ecology/urban metabolism, adaptive leadership, personal leadership, reflective learning, environmental ethics, social change, mentorship, experiential learning, policy and environmental literacy.
Susan Nesbit, CIVIL, co-lead
Susan is a professor of teaching in the Department of Civil Engineering who has developed or re-developed 9 courses, including 4 core undergraduate courses. Her teaching focus is the interconnection between technical and non-technical aspects of engineering practice and her use of service learning is an exemplar in Harlap, Y., Fryer, M., (2011) “Global Citizenship in Teaching and Learning”, Society of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, and other books and reports. She co-developed UBC’s sustainability graduating attributes and is currently the UBC Sustainability Initiative Fellows Program Chair. Susan is also currently co-chairing the 7th International Conference on Engineering Education for Sustainable Development, to be held at UBC in June, 2015.
Danielle Salvatore
Eric Dening Jia, Web design
Eric is currently a PhD student in the department of chemical and biological engineering. He is currently in charge of the web design of the initiative.
The following three faculty members each represent different school within APSC. They have expressed strong interest in supporting this initiative.
Tim McDaniels is a professor in the School of Community and Regional Planning at UBC. He formerly served as the Director of the Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability, as the Associate Director of the School of Community and Regional Planning, and also as the interim Principal of the College for Interdisciplinary Studies. He also served as interim Director of the Bridge program, an interdisciplinary research-training program linking public health, engineering and public policy, funded by the Canadian Institute of Heath Research. Tim is a specialist in decision sciences and policy analysis, particularly in managing environmental and technology-related societal risks. His current research focuses on climate change adaptation in linked human/ ecological systems. He also has ongoing research projects concerned with building regional resilience in infrastructure systems.
Patrick Condon’s major teaching and research have been in sustainability, specifically in the sustainability of cities. He was the director of a major sustainability research institute on campus, the UBC Design Center for Sustainability. In that capacity he worked with scores of communities in BC and around the world to produce municipal scale sustainable urban design plans. He has held the UBC James Taylor Chair in Landscape and Liveable Environments since 1996, a chair dedicated to exploring the relationship between site and community design and global sustainability. He has published numerous books on the topic, most recently Seven Rules for Sustainable Communities (2010 Island Press). He teaches a large service course on the topic to 200 undergraduates yearly, ENDS 221, Sustainability by Design. Health and societal infrastructure are inextricably linked.
Dr. Lynam’s program of research and community engagement seeks to understand the conditions that contribute to the social sustainability of neighbourhoods. Her research has informed the development of innovative clinical approaches that have improved population health. The intersectoral RICHER clinical initiative has effectively engaged to mitigate the negative impact of community & built environments on health in the inner city. RICHER is currently a clinical practice site for students in a number of disciplines and could provide an enriched interdisciplinary learning environment to enhance discourses of sustainability.
Website sustainability.apsc.ubc.ca/
Email nellis@chbe.ubc.ca
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For Kasich, Is HillaryCare Really KasichCare?
By Zeke J Miller @zekejmillerNov. 21, 2013
Joshua A. Bickel / Corbis
Ohio Gov. John Kasich addresses the crowd during a campaign rally with presidential candidate Mitt Romney at Port Columbus International Airport in Columbus, on Nov. 5, 2012.
George W. Bush Surprises GOP Governors
Contemplating a run for higher office, Ohio Gov. John Kasich rebranded President Obama’s signature health care reform law as “HillaryCare” on Wednesday at the Republican Governors Association in Scottsdale in an attempt to link the former Secretary of State to the poor roll-out of the Affordable Care Act. But the key components of the law are not dissimilar from Kasich’s own 1994 healthcare proposal.
The pro-Hillary Clinton super PAC American Bridge is circulating a research document listing the ways Kasich’s own healthcare reform proposal is like the Affordable Care Act, branding it “KasichCare.”
In April of that year, Kasich, then the ranking member of the House Budget Committee, circulated a plan that included a form of individual insurance mandate. At the RGA meeting, Kasich suggested that reporters dig into who crafted the healthcare law on Capitol Hill, suggesting it as the topic for a book. Kasich’s 1994 proposal included guaranteed coverage for people with pre-existing conditions and a tax on so-called “Cadillac” insurance policies offered by employers, both components of Obamacare. At the meeting, Kasich was outspoken in his defense of expanding Medicaid using federal funds from the Affordable Care Act, a move many conservative governors rejected.
The American Bridge document is below:
1994: Kasich Proposes Legislation To Achieve Universal Health Coverage Though An Individual Health Care Mandate—All Individuals Must Be Insured. According to CongresDaily, “A key House Republican is circulating to select offices a market-based healthcare reform draft and discussion paper aimed at cultivating a bipartisan consensus around universal coverage without employer mandates. President Clinton has promised to veto any bill that does not achieve universal coverage. But while many legislators acknowledge it would be difficult if not impossible to get universal coverage absent an employer mandate, there is growing resistance in Congress to the idea and members now are searching for ways to soften the blow to the business community. The draft, crafted by Budget ranking member John Kasich, R-Ohio, and obtained by CongressDaily, pulls ideas from a number of proposals already on the table in Congress, including measures offered by Sen. John Chafee, R-R.I., Rep. Jim Cooper, D-Tenn., House Minority Leader Michel and Rep. Roy Rowland, D-Ga.”[CongressDaily 4/4/1994]
Kasich’s Plan Was Title “The New Prescription: Finding The Common Ground.” According to American Health Line, “Rep. John Kasich (R-OH) has drafted a health reform plan that “seeks to create a bipartisan consensus around proposals that constitute true health reform.” The plan, titled “The New Prescription: Finding the Common Ground,” provides for universal coverage by 2005 and creates voluntary alliances to help families and small businesses afford insurance.” [American Health Line 4/6/1994]
March 28, 1994: Kasich Releases Proposal And Accompanying Press Release. According to American Health Line, “According to a Kasich release, “The proposal is designed so that businesses (that) are currently providing health coverage would be permitted to continue offering their existing plans. There are no mandates requiring employers to pay for all or a portion of employer-provided coverage” (release, 3/28).” [American Health Line 4/6/1994]
Kasich Plan Sought To Achieve Health Care Compromise To Achieve Universal Health Care Through An Individual Mandate. According to the AP, “Another Republican, Rep. John R. Kasich of Ohio, is circulating a new compromise proposal that also aims for universal coverage by 2005 through an individual mandate.”[AP 4/6/1995]
Kasich’s Plan Mandated All Individuals Purchase Health Care Through Their Employers. The Federal Government Would Pay THE ENTIRE Premium For Those In Poverty. “Kasich’s plan would provide universal coverage by requiring individuals to enroll in insurance plans through employers. The federal government would pay the entire premium cost for those within 100 percent of poverty, and the partial cost for those between 100 and 200 percent of poverty. But for people exceeding 200 percent of poverty, little would change from the current healthcare system, meaning they could be saddled with the entire premium cost. Employers, however, could make voluntary contributions as they do today.” [CongressDaily 4/4/1994]
Kasich Plan Established Both Public And Private Health Care Purchasing Pools. According to CongresDaily, “The draft plan stops short of requiring states to establish purchasing alliances, but allows the creation of public and/or private purchasing pools. Both large and small employers currently providing health coverage could continue to do so. All other businesses with fewer than 100 employees would be required to join a purchasing pool or contract directly with a certified health plan. Employers with more than 100 employees would be prohibited from joining pools with small businesses. Large employers that do not pay 50 percent of the cost of the employer-provided plan, however, would have to allow employees to enroll in either a public or private purchasing pool, with the employer paying the same per-capita amount to those employees that they would contribute to the employer plan. The level of non-taxable benefits available to each employee would be limited to 80 percent of the national costs of health insurance for 1994. The tax cap also would limit the level of benefits deductible for employers.” [CongressDaily 4/4/1994]
Kasich’s Plan Guaranteed Coverage For Those With Pre-Existing Conditions. According to CongresDaily, “The plan calls for market reforms, including guaranteeing coverage for people with pre-existing conditions, and assuring renewability and portability from job to job. It also would incorporate a modified community rating system and reform the malpractice liability system.” [CongressDaily 4/4/1994]
Kasich’s Plan Contained A Functional Tax On Cadillac Insurance Plans By Capping How Much Of the Premiums Employees And Employers May Deduct From Their Taxes. According to American Health Line, “Cost-containment measures include a tax cap on the deductibility of employer-provided “Cadillac” insurance plans and a requirement that states disseminate information (outcomes/cost data) on providers in each region.” [American Health Line 4/6/1994]
Kasich, Like Democrats, Explained His Plan Was To Use “The Market.” According to American Health Line, “”Market reform” measures include outlawing restrictions for pre-existing conditions, assuring renewability and portability, and establishing a “modified community rating system.”” [American Health Line 4/6/1994]
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Kat's Korner: Sarah McLachlan finds new depth
Kat: "Awakenings" sounds like it should be the tenth track on Sarah McLachlan's Remixed album. Instead, it's the opener of Laws of Illusion. And that's a bit confusing until the end of the song when the heavy touches fall away and she sings:
I'm not the girl I was
But what have I become?
I'm not so willing anymore to bend.
Still pleasing and conceding,
But I'm not going to lose myself again.
It's in those final moments that you begin to think Sarah Mac's got an album in her.
"Illusions of Bliss" cements that notion by being the best track on the album. Sarah's singing about the loss of resolve over a strumming guitar until piano and drums kick in at the forty-second mark. It's such a natural flow that you stop to ponder why it wasn't the first single and then you remember Sarah Mac's the last real artist with Arista -- and The Label That Clive Built long ago lost the ability to sell music (around the time they kicked Clive to the curb, in fact).
Is "Loving You Is Easy" a hit? It sure doesn't sound like one. But who gets hits these days? Pre-puberty kids?
What's really sad is that "Loving You Is Easy" really isn't what Laws of Illusions about. It's kind of like someone really loves "Sweet Surrender" and rushes off to purchase Surfacing only to find out that Sarah Mac didn't make a dance album. This go round, she didn't make an album of gentle love songs either.
And that's a good thing.
It's shocking to hear Sarah sing, "When you ask for forgiveness, You're asking too much" ("Forgiveness"). And that it's shocking goes to how agreeable and sunny Sarah Mac's been throughout her career. This is the woman who, after all, sang and wrote, "Your love is better than ice cream." This is the songwriter whose songs had tension and danger on the outside, far removed from the bedroom ("Hold On"). When she continues, "I have sheltered my heart, In a place you can't touch" -- and this is the chorus -- you should grasp a change has taken place.
In real life, Sarah has gone through a divorce. And the meaning of this is what the artist is trying to process. Along with "Forgiveness," "Heartbreak" and "Changes" probably best captures the loss. And in terms of rebuilding, the song "Out of Tune" continues the terrain and does so in a way that would make it the best shot at a single after "Illusions of Bliss."
When I told friends I was thinking about reviewing the new Sarah McLachlan album, the reactions were mixed. Maggie, for example, feared I would "hammer nails through her hands" while Toni feared there was nothing worth writing when it came to Sarah Mac.
And the range of feelings really reflect something that the label is not getting across, Sarah's maturing as an artist. I've seen her on CNN and one of the morning programs and she gets the point across in interviews. But somehow the label feels the maturation of a talent isn't a hook worth selling an album on.
If Sarah was indeed recording the same album many expected from her, I'd be half way done nailing her to the cross right about now. I'd note she was, as always, tuneful and I'd also be noting that we'd all heard everything she had to sing about around the time of The Freedom Sessions. Afterglow did nothing for me. "World On Fire" was pleasant enough on the radio but nothing I needed to purchase. It was all just too much "Calgon take me away!" and I really don't have the time for paperback romance novels and lengthy baths with scented candles and bath salts. I live in the real world and Sarah didn't do a lot of connecting with me.
I could hear "Full Of Grace" (Surfacing), for example, and think it was beautifully performed and produced but if a life was being reflected, it wasn't of anyone in my circle.
While not wishing divorce or a breakup on anyone, I will note that it's expanded Sarah Mac. She no longer sounds like she has all the answers. Had she continued down that path, she would have sounded as smug as Carole King ended up sounding on Love Makes The World. Instead, she's got a rawness and exposed quality that's never been present before.
It's so confusing.
You let it all go
It'll fall apart.
Do you want me to stay and say I still want you?
You want me to,
Don't you?
"U Want Me 2" is not a song you'd find on any previous Sarah album. If you did, if there was any confusion, it would be played as a joke, as that teasing moment at the initial stage of a courtship. Instead, here's a mature woman completely lost in . . . whatever this is.
And that's the power of Laws of Illusion. That haunted and haunting voice of Sarah Mac's finally has the soulful topics it's always needed.
If this were 1998 or 1999, some might worry that Sarah had gone too far for her audience. But it's over a decade later and, no doubt, many of her loyal listeners have lived through similar experiences over the years. In Sarah's latest album, they find someone who does understand what they've felt, who can express it, but who doesn't pretend to have any answers.
They find Sarah still hurting -- and Sarah in pain is the strongest she's ever been on any recording. This is a benchmark for Sarah as an artist, raising the stakes for everything that will follow. Its beauty's most likely a given considering her previous work but it's depth is completely unexpected. Here's hoping she works these tracks steady on the Lilith Fair tour because this is an amazing album that demands to be heard.
I downloaded the standard version from iTunes for $9.99. It comes with a ten-page digital booklet containing lyrics and photos. Best of the latter, is a red tinted photo of Sarah. You also get a piano version of "Love Come" which is better than the full arrangement version.
laws of illusion
Quotas?
Oh, yeah, the Iraqi people
Targeting Sahwa, electricity 'riots' and more
Sunday is PTSD Awareness Day
Turkey and PKK
No outcry
Targeting LGBT and Sahwa
The ongoing war
Protests in Nasiriyah
'As soon as I saw them, I knew'
Kat's Korner: Forget the plantation, who forgot to...
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Captain Marvel Is Better Served Without a Love Interest
A recent article in The Guardian asked, “Why don’t superheroes fall in love anymore?”. It’s a valid question. Despite the trials and tribulations of a character who is mutated in some way and decides to save the world, fans love these characters. For example, Peter Parker gives so much to the world that fans want […]
Captain Marvel’s Kree-Skrull Conflict is the Future of the MCU
SPOILERS FOR CAPTAIN MARVEL AHEAD April 4th, 2014. Captain America: The Winter Soldier hits theaters and destroys one of the tenants of the Marvel Universe: the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division,. Ever since Clark Gregg dropped SHIELD at the end of Iron Man, fans were hoping to see the spy organization. Then 7 […]
How Captain Marvel Highlights Black Women in the Military
One of the best parts of Captain Marvel is its cast of women. From Brie Larson to Gemma Chan, the film has assembled an all-star cast of women to take on Captain Marvel’s story. One of those characters is Lashana Lynch’s Maria Rambeau. She’s Carol’s best friend and the mother of Monica Rambeau. In the […]
Will Avengers: Endgame Be Gwyneth Paltrow’s Last MCU Film?
With the 91st Academy Awards only a few days away, there’s much to celebrate on this year’s show if you’re a fan of superhero movies. I admit, I never thought I’d see the day that a film within the frame work of the Marvel Cinematic Universe would be nominated for Best Picture, let alone have […]
Captain Marvel: Who are Maria and Monica Rambeau?
We’re getting closer to Captain Marvel. The film will introduce several new characters, and represents a pivotal change in the MCU. It’s a change that’s more than just the first “female superhero”, Captain Marvel will also introduce the first legacy superhero and the concept of a legacy superhero. Every comic fan knows that Carol Danvers […]
Avengers: End Game Trailer: Best Moments from the Super Bowl Spot
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Character Profile: Who is Jude Law Playing in Captain Marvel?
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Marvel Shipyard: Happy & Aunt May
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Captain Marvel: Why Goose May Be the Most Important Character in Captain Marvel
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5 Comic Book Characters We Want to Appear in the Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse Sequel
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse has been a critical success. Here’s five spiders that should appear in the sequel.
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Ken Loach is Britain’s most renowned and most controversial director of socially conscious television drama. He is also an internationally acclaimed maker of feature films whose radical political messages consistently provoke strong responses in audiences and politicians alike. In 1965 he received the British Television Guild’s “TV Director of the Year” Award, while the 1990s have brought prizes and nominations at the Cannes Film Festival. His considerable body of work, documenting British society since the 1960s, is an acknowledged source of inspiration to his contemporaries.
Loach worked for a brief spell as a repertory actor before joining the BBC in 1963 as a trainee television director. Significantly this was during the progressive Director-Generalship of Sir Hugh Greene and coincided with Sydney Newman’s influential appointment as Head of BBC Drama. Loach’s earliest directorial contribution was on episodes of the ground-breaking police series Z-Cars, but he first attracted serious attention with Up the Junction, a starkly realistic portrayal of working-class life in South London, which went out in 1965 as one of the earliest productions in the BBC’s innovative Wednesday Playslot. This success marked the beginning of a long and fertile creative collaboration with story-editor and producer, Tony Garnett, which led to the recognition of their particular mode of documentary drama as the “Loach-Garnett” style. It also positioned Loach as the exponent of a televisual equivalent of the “social realist” British New Wave, so popular at the time in the cinema, theatre and novel.
Loach collaborated with Garnett on a number of other celebrated Wednesday Play productions, including, David Mercer’s famous play about schizophrenia In Two Minds (1967), which he later made into a feature film, Family Life (1971), and two significant industrial drama-documentaries written by ex-coalminer, Jim Allen, The Big Flame (1969) and The Rank and File (1971). These demonstrated Loach’s passionate concern to ignore theatrically derived artificiality in favour of authentic dramas on topical, important issues/dramas which give a voice to politically marginalised sections of society. By far the most powerful work from this period of Loach’s career, however, is Cathy Come Home (1966), a powerful study of the effects of homelessness and bureaucracy on family life. This remains one of the most seminal programme events in the history of British television.
Cathy Come Home, written by former journalist, Jeremy Sandford, exploded with tremendous force upon the complacent, affluent, post-Beatles culture of the “Swinging Sixties.” Drawing attention, as it did, to disturbing levels of social deprivation far in excess of those claimed by government, the play led to a public outcry, questions in Parliament, the establishment of the housing charity “Shelter,” and a relaxation of policy on the dissolution of homeless families. Reflecting years afterwards on this succés de scandale, Loach explained that, though he may have believed at the time in the potential of television drama for effecting social change, he had subsequently come to realise it could do nothing more than provide a social critique, promoting awareness of problems capable of resolution only through political action.
It is not only the subject matter of Cathy, and of Loach’s television work generally, that struck contemporary audiences and critics as innovative; his chosen form and style were distinctive and provocative too. Above all, he was concerned to capture a sense of the real, extending a range of practised cinema-vérité techniques to produce a sense of immediacy and plausibility that would in turn produce recognition in the spectator and inspire collective action. Lightweight, hand-held camera; grainy 16mm film stock; a black and white aesthetic; location shooting; natural lighting; direct, asynchronous sound; blending of experienced and non-professional performers; authentic regional accents and dialects; overlapping dialogue; improvised acting; expressive editing; incorporation of statistical information: all these strategies combined in varying degrees to create a compelling and original documentary effect markedly at odds with the look of traditional “acted” television drama.
In 1975, the distinctive “Loach-Garnett” style was employed in a notable exploration, nearly four hundred minutes in length, of British labour history, which functioned as a poignant commentary on the parlous state of contemporary industrial relations. This was the four-part BBC serial Days of Hope, scripted by Jim Allen, which follows a northern British working-class family through the turbulent years of struggle from the end of World War I to the General Strike of 1926. Loach, already subject to criticism for preferring the docudrama form (deemed reprehensible in some quarters for its potential confusion of fact and fiction), now found himself embroiled in an academic debate about the extent to which radical television drama, using the conventions of bourgeois realism, could be truly “progressive.” Loach, of course, insisted that his priority was a populist, political discourse rather than a rarefied, aesthetic debate of interest only to a critical elite. In other words, Days of Hope and the other strike dramas that preceded it were intended to open the eyes of ordinary people to the emancipatory potential of free collective bargaining within any capitalist culture.
Loach who had made his first feature film, Poor Cow, at the height of his television fame in 1967. He became a major founding partner, with Tony Garnett, in the independent production company, Kestrel Films, for which he made half a dozen low budget films between 1969 and 1986. His first project at Kestrel Films was Kes, a moving story of a young boy and his pet kestrel set against a bleak Northern industrial landscape. Some of the Kestrel projects were intended for television screening as well as limited theatrical release.
The Thatcher years found Loach increasingly in conflict with those who took exception to the left-wing thrust of his work and wanted to censor it or lessen its impact. Finding it difficult to ensure transmission of the kind of television drama he considered important, he turned for a while almost exclusively to straight documentary, convinced that the non-fiction form could more speedily and directly address the key social and political questions of the day. If anything, however, this route led Loach into even greater problems with censorship, culminating in the controversial withdrawals of the four-part series Questions of Leadership (1983) and Which Side Are You On? (1984), a polemical documentary about the socially disruptive Miners’ Strike. It was probably this unsavoury experience, and the greater freedom afforded by cinema, that drove Loach away from television at the end of the 1980s.
The 1990s have brought Ken Loach renewed success and established him as one of Britain’s foremost film directors, albeit not of mainstream, commercial films. Beginning with his political thriller about a military cover-up in Ulster, Hidden Agenda, which was reviled and praised in roughly equal measure on its first screening at Cannes, Loach has gone on to make roughly one feature film each year, usually with an early television showing in mind. These are, without exception, films of integrity which continue their director’s lifelong principle of bringing issues of oppression, inhumanity and hypocrisy to the public’s attention. The political content is, if anything, more foregrounded than in the earlier television work; the uncompromising focus on the disadvantaged or voiceless sections of society remains the same.
Tony Pearson
Photo courtesy of Ken loach
KEN LOACH. Born in Nuneaton, Warwickshire, England, 17 June 1937. Attended King Edward School, Nuneaton; St Peter’s College, Oxford. Married: Lesley Ashton in 1962; two sons and two daughters. Began career as actor with repertory company in Birmingham; joined BBC drama department as trainee, 1961; director with producer Tony Garnett, beginning with Up the Junction, 1965; founder, with Garnett, of Kestrel Films production company, 1969; has worked on a freelance basis, chiefly for Central Television, since the 1970s. Fellow, St Peter’s College, Oxford, 1993. Recipient: British Television Guild Television Director of the Year Award, 1965; British Academy of Film and Television Arts Award, 1967; Cannes Festival Special Jury Prize, 1990. Address: Parallax Pictures, 7 Denmark Street, London WC2H 8LS, England.
1962 Z Cars
1976 Days of Hope
1983 Questions of Leadership (not transmitted)
TELEVISION SPECIALS1964 Catherine
1964 Profit By Their Example
1964 The Whole Truth
1964 The Diary of a Young Man
1965 Tap on the Shoulder
1965 Wear a Very Big Hat
1965 Three Clear Sundays
1965 Up the Junction
1965 The End of Arthur’s Marriage
1965 The Coming Out Party
1966 Cathy Come Home
1967 In Two Minds
1968 The Golden Vision
1969 The Big Flame
1969 In Black and White (not transmitted)
1970 After a Lifetime
1971 The Rank and File
1973 A Misfortune
1976 The Price of Coal
1979 The Gamekeeper (also co-writer)
1980 Auditions
1981 A Question of Leadership
1983 The Red and the Blue
1984 Which Side Are You On?
1985 Diverse Reports: We Should Have Won (editor)
1988 The View from the Woodpile
1989 Split Screen: Peace in Northern Ireland
1991 Dispatches
FILMS (director)
Poor Cow, 1967; Kes, 1969; The Save the Children Fund Film, 1971; Family Life, 1971; Black Jack, 1979; Looks and Smiles, 1981; Fatherland, 1986; Hidden Agenda, 1990; Singing the Blues in Red, 1990; Riff Raff, 1991; Raining Stones, 1993; Ladybird, Ladybird, 1994; Land and Freedom, 1995.
FILMS (co-scriptwriter)
Poor Cow, 1967; Kes, 1969; Black Jack, 1979.
Bennett, Tony, Susan Boyd-Bowman, Colin Mercer, and Janet Woollacott. Popular Television and Film. London: British Film Institute, 1981
Brandt, George, editor. British Television Drama. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1981.
Hacker, Jonathan, and David Price. Take 10: Contemporary British Film Directors. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991.
Keighron, Peter, and Carol Walker. “Working in Television: Five Interviews.” In, Hood, Stuart, editor. Behind the Screens: The Structure of British Television in the Nineties. London: Lawrence & Wishart, 1994
Kerr, Paul. “The Complete Ken Loach.” Stills (London), May/June 1986.
Levin, G Roy. Documentary Explorations: Fifteen Interviews with Filmmakers. New York, 1971
McKnight, George, editor. Agent of Challenge and Defiance: The Films of Ken Loach. London: Flicks Books, 1995.
Pannifer, Bill. “Agenda Bender.” Listener (London), 3 January 1991.
Petley, Julian. “Ken LoachÑPolitics, Protest and the Past.” Monthly Film Bulletin (London), March 1987.
“Questions of Censorship.” Stills (London), November, 1984
Shubik, Irene. Play for Today: The Evolution of Television Drama. London: Davis-Poynter, 1975
Taylor, John. “The Kes Dossier.” Sight and Sound (London), Summer, 1970
Tulloch, John. Television Drama: Agency, Audience and Myth. London, Routledge, 1990
See also Cathy Come Home; Docudrama; Garnett, Tony; Wednesday Play
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Media Advisory,
News Conference,
Friday, June 28, 2019, at 10 a.m.,
Toronto Police Headquarters, Auditorium,
Deputy Chief James Ramer updates media on Project Kraken
On Friday, June 28, 2019, at 10 a.m., in the Auditorium at Toronto Police Headquarters (40 College Street), Deputy Chief James Ramer will update the media on Project Kraken.
The news conference will be available on TOC and live-streamed.
Deputy Chief James Ramer will be joined by Chief Superintendent Karl Thomas, Commander of the Ontario Provincial Police Organized Crime Enforcement Bureau; Chief Superintendent Michael Lesage, Officer in Charge of Criminal Operations of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police; and Deputy Chief Brian Bigras, York Regional Police.
Search and arrest warrants were executed across the Greater Toronto Area on June 27, 2019 after an eight-month joint forces investigation focused on drugs, guns, and gangs.
A significant amount of weapons, drugs and other illicit items, that were seized, will be made available for viewing.
Constable David Hopkinson, Corporate Communications, for Deputy Chief James Ramer, Specialized Operations Command
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Hill back in his Wheelhouse at Chicagoland
6/26/2019, 5:04 p.m.
Joliet - Austin Hill, driver of the No. 16 SiriusXM Toyota Tundra Sweet Home, Chicago … Austin Hill and the No. 16 SiriusXM team return to their most comfortable environment on Friday night as the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series turns to Chicagoland Speedway. The 1.5-mile tracks have long been a point of strength over the last three years for the HRE squadron, led by crew chief Scott Zipadelli. Hill is 1-for-1 at Chicagoland in the category of top-10 finishes and looks to build on his impressive effort from Texas Motor Speedway (TMS), the most recent 1.5-mile venue where he led 34 laps late in the event. Hill aims to continue the No. 16 team’s success at Chicagoland after the team qualified on the pole and visited victory lane in the last two trips to the “Land of Lincoln”. Start Towards the Front … Not only have 1.5-mile tracks been point of pride for the No. 16 group, but qualifying has been as well in 2019.
Five of six races on 1.5-milers have had qualifying contested, and Hill has earned top-seven starting spots in four of those races. Starting towards the front has translated into racking up valuable stage points, which Hill was able to do in six of eight stages in those four races at 1.5-mile venues. He and Zipadelli will look to replicate that success at Chicagoland to jumpstart an ascent up the standings. HRE Salutes … During the NASCAR Salutes campaign, HRE will honor service members close to the team members by placing their names on the right-side door of Hill’s No. 16 Toyota Tundra. Hillwill carry the names of his great grandfathers in the final Gander Trucks race during NASCAR Salutes. Earnest Wilson, U.S. Army, and Daniel Hammock, U.S. Navy, served during World War II and were both awarded the Occupational Medal and WWII Victory Medals.
Wilson was a Private First Class in the Army and began serving in 1945 and was honorably discharged in February 1947. Hammock served from 1941-1945 and was part of the Navy Construction Battalion and honorably discharged at the endof his service. Chicagoland History … The 2018-running of the Gander Trucks at Chicagoland was one of Hill’s best efforts of last year’s campaign with Young’s Motorsports. He started 14th and tallied his third top-10 finish of the season with a ninth-place result. Friday night will be his second start on the Magnificent mile-and-a-half and looks to become the first full-time Gander Trucks driver with multiple victories this season.
Season to Date … An 11th-place result at World Wide Technology Raceway last week has Hill positioned seventh in the Gander Trucks championship standings, and second on the provisional playoff grid. In 11 events, Hill has captured one victory, two top-five, and six top-10 finishes (tied for a career-high). Chassis Selection … Ole reliable chassis No. 007 returns for another outing this weekend at Chicagoland. Hill ran this Toyota Tundra at TMS earlier this month and has raced it on three occasions this year. Chassis No. 007 has top-10 finishes in all three appearances in 2019 with a best finish of sixth at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Tune In … FOX Sports has all of Friday’s on-track action covered from Chicagoland. FS2 will carry coverage of qualifying at 5:00 p.m. ET followed by the green flag on FS1 at 9:00 p.m. ET. Stay updated with Hill and the No. 16 team by following @Hattori_Racing on Twitter, @hattoriracing on Instagram, and Hattori Racing Enterprises on Facebook. Austin Hill Quote: On returning to a 1.5-mile racetrack: “I’m ready to get back to an intermediate for sure. We were really good at Texas the other week. That truck was so fast, and with Scott (Zipadelli) and the guys bringing the same truck to Chicago, I’m really looking forward to this weekend. I feel like we’ve had a lot of speed at all the mile-and-a-half’s this year, so Friday should be another good opportunity for us with our SiriusXM Tundra.
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The Noose Tightens Around Rushden
Posted by Ian | Jul 7, 2011 | Latest, The Northamptonshire Triangle | 1
There was always something faintly ridiculous about the decision of Rushden & Diamonds FC try and appeal against their expulsion from the Football Conference. Leagues have their rules and, if clubs don’t abide by them, they are likely to run into problems and, whilst the Conference has got many things wrong in recent years, one thing that they have managed to get a proper hold of has been the seemingly perpetual financial shenanigans going on at several of their clubs. There were, of course, rumours that Rushden would somehow manage to pull off some sort of result from the appeal, but with the club’s financial position remaining as dismal as at any point over the last few months and the supporters that were battling to raise funds to save the club having already decided that a new club would be a better use of their time, there was little reasonable prospect of any appeal being successful.
The next step in the process was utterly predictable. With the club no longer in the Blue Square Premier, Rushden & Diamonds were placed into administration by one of its creditors. This seemed like news to the club’s Chief Executive, Steve Beasant, who subsequently stated that, “The club will be placed into receivership via Nene Park owners, based upon their powers under historic legal charges over the club”. Perhaps this was a verbal tic on his part, but the club having been placed into administration would negate the winding up proceedings already brought against the club which were due to be heard to Monday, having already been adjourned by twenty-one days.
The administrator, Alan Clark of the insolvency company Carter Clark, however, has already stated that, “The administrator is not in a position to carry on trading the business”, all of which indicates that the Diamonds’ time is up. Meanwhile, the Southern League – which the club had been provisionally allowed into for next season, “subject to outstanding issues being solved and other conditions” (according to the Southern League’s website, the news section of which hadn’t as of yesterday been updated since the fifteenth of June) – hasn’t released its fixtures for next season yet, and they are not due to be released until the thirteenth of July. The Southern League’s secretary stated on Tuesday that, “Rushden & Diamonds have until close of Wednesday, July 6, to meet this league’s conditions for entry for season 2011-12”. This deadline has not been met (the club has been evicted from Nene Park, and hadn’t announced an alternative groundshare at the time of writing), and this morning Beasant’s comment that, “The Southern League will accommodate us. If I speak to them before close of play at the end of the week, they will welcome us”, was shown up for what it was as the league confirmed that the club would not be playing in it next season.
As such, the SaveRDFC group has become the focus of many former and Rushden & Diamonds supporters. The new club hopes to start playing from the start of the 2012/13 season, and further details can be found on the work that they are already undertaking here, although it seems highly unlikely that the new club will be playing at Nene Park either. Arrangements to share a ground elsewhere are reportedly ongoing, but Nene Park will continue to be occupied next season by Kettering Town. The Poppies will be moving into Nene Park next season, although at the time of writing it seems unlikely that they will be starting the new season there. It is understood that the club has applied to the Football Conference to start the season at Rockingham Road before relocating to a renamed Nene Park on a twenty-five year lease.
Meanwhile, Kettering supporters whose nerves haven’t been shredded enough by the move to Rushden may not find their blood pressure being helped by the reappointment of a familiar name into the managers seat at the club: Morrell Maison. The involvement of Maison, a former bankrupt, at Halesowen Town (where his ownership of the club ended in a Supporters Trust-backed boycott of the club by its supporters) and his arrival at Chester City as that club plummetted towards oblivion during the season before last are obvious causes for concern. Whether it is wise for the club’s owner, Imraan Ladak, to appoint such a potentially divisive figure as the manager of the team at a point in the history of the club when he needs to persuade supporters to trek over the Irthlingborough for home matches is, of course, a matter for considerable speculation.
Meanwhile, the Kettering Town Supporters Trust has decided, after a vote, not to break away and form a new club. The vote was split, but the decision taken by the Trust Board was that a sufficiently large proportion of its membership had not voted in favour of breaking away. It’s an understandable decision, but the result of the vote, the move to Nene Park and the appointment of Maison all combine to give the impression of a club that may have a very uneasy time of things next season. As we noted previously on this site, everything that has happened of late at both Rushden and Kettering has given the very distinct impression of being in the best interests of Keith Cousins and Imraan Ladak rather than the supporters of either club.
There can be little question that yet another summer in non-league football has been thrown into chaos by the goings-on at Rushden and Kettering. That the fixture lists for the Blue Square Premier, North and South were delayed until into July on account of the shenanigans at Rushden is a highly visible reminder of this. Supporters of Rushden & Diamonds will likely start next season with no club at all bar the under-18 team that the new club is planning to field next season, whilst supporters of Kettering Town may have cause to wonder what sort of club they will be supporting come the middle of August. All we can do is repeat an observation that we made a little earlier this summer; that this seems like an unsatisfactory position for all bar a handful of people.
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Phil of Bath on July 8, 2011 at 7:03 am
“That the fixture lists for the Blue Square Premier, North and South were delayed until into July on account of the shenanigans at Rushden”. Not true, I believe; the fixtures, done on Strudwick’s fag packets, were scheduled for Tue 5/7 and duly appeared. some great scheduled fixtures – Barrow v Bath City on a Tuesday night!
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Boys basketball: Southridge coach Vesel to take sabbatical
After 13 years in the program, Phil Vesel will step away for the 2019-20 season, handing the keys to assistant Scott Entinger
June 22, 2019 by Kyle Pinnell, OSAAtoday
Phil Vesel took Southridge to the second round of the 6A playoffs for seven consecutive seasons.
For the past 13 years, Southridge boys basketball coach Phil Vesel has been pacing up and down the sidelines at every Skyhawk basketball game.
In that time, he has been in the second round of the 6A playoffs for seven consecutive seasons, won a Metro League championship for the first time in program history and taken his team to two fourth-place finishes in the state tournament.
Next season, Vesel will take a break.
Vesel has decided to take a one-year sabbatical from coaching. Scott Entinger, an assistant in the program for the past decade, will take the reins as the interim head coach.
Vesel has thought about the decision since last season ended. Near the end of the school year. he brought up the idea to athletic director Trisha Shoemaker, and he asked Entinger about filling the position a week ago.
One of the factors that played a role in Vesel’s decision was when the boundaries switched a few years ago due to the introduction of nearby Mountainside. Next season, the Mavericks will have more than five players that have developed through the Southridge Junior Metro program.
“It’s been difficult,” Vesel said. “I think there are more kids currently at Mountainside that grew up in my youth program then there is on the varsity team at Southridge. It definitely has played a role. It wasn’t a deciding factor, but it was a part of the decision.”
The coach said that the biggest factor in his decision, though, is that he would like to spend more time with his family.
Vesel said the support from the administration helped him feel more comfortable making the decision. He is grateful for the opportunity to step away for a season without completely walking away.
“When I first spoke to them I was emotional,” Vesel said. “I’ve really poured my heart and soul into the Southridge program and youth program. We’ve been consistently one of the top teams. So to think about giving that up and getting away from it, that was a lot for me, and to have an administration that says, ‘What you need is some time to think about this and recharge,’ so that made it easier and I’m very grateful for that opportunity.”
Vesel says that he will not micromanage Entinger or give him any notes. He trusts him with the program and is excited to see what he has to bring. One of the reasons that Entiger was such a strong candidate for the position was because of the relationships that he has built over time with some of the players.
“Frankly, when I coach it’s to develop relationships,” Entinger said. “I think being a JV coach, sometimes you have kids for a couple of years, and you certainly can build lasting relationships that way. But I also think you can do it relatively quickly, too. No matter what level, just being able to know the kids the way that I do, I think that hopefully lends itself to the possibility of some success.”
Despite taking the year to step back, Vesel will still be involved with the program. He says that he is focused on redeveloping the youth program, which he calls the lifeblood of the program. He also plans on coaching his son’s team for another season.
Next year there will be a bit of a shakeup, but it will also be exciting, Shoemaker says. While Vesel won’t be on the sidelines, Entinger will get his opportunity to manage the varsity.
“What we know is that coaches put a lot of time into their teams,” Shoemaker said. “Maybe this is not something that would be horrible to step away and reevaluate whether they want a break without having to totally quit. We want to give coach Vesel the time he needs with his family.”
Added Vesel: “My plan is to be back, but honestly, I need some time to step back away from it and have a different lens.”
Kyle Pinnell
Student Contributor
pinnellkyle@gmail.com
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WWF sheds light on little-known Kara Sea polar bears
With shipping traffic is set to increase in Russia's North, WWF has set the foundation for a long-overdue survey of polar bear distribution in the Kara Sea.
An expedition in late April focused on the Severnaya Zemlya archipelago, where little is known about marine mammals.
The team surveyed the area by helicopter, noting the numbers and location of polar bears and other animals, like walruses, belugas, reindeer and muskoxen.
"The expedition region is really very difficult to access. The only way to get here this time of year is by helicopter. Aerial surveys are quite expensive and complex, and accordingly, little work has been done in the Kara Sea", said project coordinator Mikhail Stishov, of WWF-Russia.
"That makes the data we collected all the more valuable."
In addition, the group visited two remote research stations to share information about preventing deadly conflict with polar bears.
Over the next few months, the data will be analyzed by staff from Russian Arctic National Park, WWF's scientific partners for the expedition. The information gathered is just the first step towards a complete picture of the population's health.
The results will inform proposals to expand the system of protected areas in the region. WWF hopes to expand the survey work to surrounding areas, including the eastern coast of Taimyr and Novaya Zemlya.
Polar bear viewed on April 2015 WWF-Russia expedition to survey wildlife around the Kara Sea.
© Alexandr Chichaev / WWF-Russia
Tracks around polar bear den, Kara Sea, Russia. April 2015.
© Dmitry Ryabov / WWF-Russia
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Nepal announces new ambitious action plan to help secure future for its snow leopards
As governments from twelve snow leopard range countries meet in Kathmandu this week to increase efforts to safeguard a future for snow leopards, Nepal has announced its ambitious new action plan to tackle snow leopard conservation for the next five years.
The Snow Leopard Conservation Action Plan 2017-2021 sets the stage for Nepal to achieve its goal of ensuring that at least 100 snow leopards of breeding age populate each three of its landscapes by 2020. This commitment was made under the Global Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Protection Program (GSLEP), a combined effort of all twelve snow leopard range countries.
Prime Minister of Nepal, Pushpa Kamal Dahal comments:
“Snow leopards are the guardians of the water towers and the indicator of the health of the ecosystem. Thus it is not just the responsibility of a handful of snow leopard range nations to protect the snow leopard habitat. It is the need of everyone who needs clean air and water.”
The action plan will address the urgent need to continue research and monitoring using cutting-edge technology; improve habitat and corridors; mitigate conflict through community engagement; reduce wildlife crimes; and, strengthen trans-boundary coordination and cooperation. This all-encompassing new plan is estimated to cost $3.15 million.
To date Nepal has achieved many milestones in conservation, including satellite telemetry of snow leopards, innovative livestock insurance schemes, and increased participation of communities in research and conservation.
Man Bahadur Khadka, Director General of the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation comments:
“The Snow Leopard Conservation Action Plan 2017-2021 will continue to provide crucial guidance to carry on the good work done by the country in the past decade, supported by its people and organizations like National Trust for Nature Conservation and WWF Nepal.”
The updated action plan has been prepared by a technical team formed by the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation, with consultations at local to national levels, and interviews with key government officials, partner organizations and individual experts. WWF Nepal provided financial and technical support for the effort.
Earlier this week, the Government of Nepal also presented the status of its climate-integrated landscape management plan to secure snow leopard ecosystem in the Eastern Conservation Landscape*, discussing it with practitioners from the twelve snow leopard range countries. The landscape management plan is informed by geospatial, hydrological and climate models, and shows shifts in snow leopard habitats in various climate change scenarios.
Ghana Shyam Gurung, Senior Conservation Director for WWF Nepal, comments:
“Together, these two plans will bolster Nepal’s efforts to ensure that snow leopards thrive, even in the face of complex challenges like climate change. We are honoured to play a key role in this critical government effort and will continue our support to save this beautiful cat.”
The GSLEP steering committee meeting and landscape management planning workshops hosted by Nepal are both geared towards preparation for a Global Snow Leopard Summit of the twelve range nations, to be hosted by Kyrgyzstan on September 7 and 8, 2017.
*Development of the landscape management plan is supported by USAID, as part of the Conservation and Adaptation in Asia’s High Mountains project.
For more information please contact: Lianne Mason| lmason@wwf.org.uk | +44 7771818699
WWF is one of the world’s largest and most respected independent conservation organizations, with over 5 million supporters and a global network active in over 100 countries. WWF's mission is to stop the degradation of the earth's natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world's biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption. panda.org for news and information
Snow leopard (Uncia uncia) in winter.
© Klein & Hubert/WWF
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Spiritual Education Centers
Wencheng Gongzhu International Foundation
Wencheng Gongzhu International Foundation was established in Hong Kong in 2009 to support the compassionate activities of His Eminence Shyalpa Tenzin Rinpoche throughout Southeast Asia. Subsequently, branches have been opened in Malaysia and Taiwan. The organization is named after the legendary Chinese Princess Wencheng Gongzhu, who introduced Buddhism into Tibet and devoted her life to the spiritual and material well-being of the Tibetan people. Embodying the spirit of Princess Wencheng Gongzhu, the Foundation seeks to support and enhance spiritual growth across Asia.
Under the leadership of His Eminence Shyalpa Tenzin Rinpoche, the Foundation organizes teachings, seminars, meditation retreats and pilgrimages. It also helps to raise funds to support spiritual centers, such as the Education and Monastic College at Shyalpa Monastery in Kathmandu, Nepal.
Rangrig Yeshe and Buddhafield
www.buddhafield.us
In 1988, His Eminence Shyalpa Tenzin Rinpoche was invited to come to the United States to share his profound insight and wisdom. Rinpoche humbly agreed, and subsequently spent the next year teaching throughout the country. In 1989, Rinpoche and his students founded Rangrig Yeshe, Inc., a non-profit charitable organization, for the purpose of preserving the teachings and traditions of Tibetan Buddhism and turning the wheel of Dharma.
In 2003, Rinpoche established Buddhafield as his center of compassionate activity in the United States of America. Buddhafield is a pristine sanctuary of over 40 acres in Millerton, New York, just 90 minutes north of New York City. His Eminence envisioned Buddhafield as a pristine sanctuary where one can rest and remain at ease in these stressful turbulent times.
While Buddhafield is a physical place existing in time and space, the essence of Buddhafield transcends limited concepts and conditions. Buddhafield is an expression of open space, where one can find unconditional freedom, the room to relax and be at ease with oneself and the world. Rinpoche always describes it in this way: “We are building more than a retreat center, we are building a sanctuary of complete awareness within ourselves, in the center of our hearts.”
For the past several years, Rinpoche has conducted summer retreats at Buddhafield under a great white tent accommodating attendees from the United States and Asia. Plans are now underway to begin construction on the site, beginning with a great Stupa, representing the mind of enlightenment, and simple cabins for extended retreats. A hall for meditation and teachings, and a family residence for His Eminence are also proposed. Rinpoche has taught and traveled in the United States for over two decades, and the Buddhafield sanctuary is Rinpoche’s way of returning the kindness and generosity of the American people who have been supportive friends for so many years. Shyalpa Rinpoche’s sense loyalty is an example for us all.
Shyalpa Monastery, Nunnery, and Retreat Center
Shyalpa Monastery, Nunnery, and Retreat Center are located on Kopan Hill above
Kathmandu valley. The monastery and nunnery currently houses over 130 monks and nuns. The Retreat Center hosts students from around the world who wish to learn Buddhist teachings and enrich their spiritual practice.
In November 2013, an inauguration ceremony took place for the new Shyalpa Monastery Education Complex and Mipham Institute. This seven-story building houses seven classrooms, a library, two prayer halls, auditorium, computer classroom, staff lounge, sixteen apartments for instructors and staff, and a health clinic for the monks, nuns, and local villagers. The complex also includes facilities to host major events for up to 3,000 participants, with dining facilities and public toilets. The complex is situated on a hillside to the north, adjacent to the monastery compound.
Himalayan Children’s Fund
At the request of elder Tibetans, H.E. Shyalpa Tenzin Rinpoche founded the Himalayan Children’s Fund to help alleviate the hardship of Himalayan children and give them the opportunity for a better life through modern spiritual education.
Children who are currently living in India and Nepal have the opportunity to become monks and nuns and live at Shyalpa Monastery, where they learn and practice Tibetan Buddhist spiritual traditions and study reading, writing, math, and computer skills. These young monks and nuns will inherit the vast treasury of wisdom in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition and help to transmit their knowledge to future generations.
Click to view videos of the Shyalpa Monastery
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WOR
₩❍ℛ
About WOR
to add an event
Our latest artwork on display is made by graphic designer Ropp. He has an expo running right now at the Bob Smit Gallery. We went there last Friday to ask him about his work and the Rotterdam cultural life.
We arrive at the end of the afternoon and are welcomed by artist Ropp and Bob Smit himself. The gallery is part office, mostly expo space for the artworks of Ropp, Flamo and MESMO. Bob Smit is facilitator and business developer for artist like Ropp. Apart from showing and selling his work, Bob is also always looking for new opportunities for an artist to grow and be more known. He overflows with rather strong ideas and concepts and has a huge network. This show isn’t curated by Bob, but by Ropp himself. He invited his two friends to expose their work next to his. All the artworks are in a way similar, that they are analog abstract works, with the use of simple geometric figures and typography.
Ropp is best known for his work for bureau Mwah – tekstuele verwenners. But his autonomous work is at least as impressive. He is very content when working on his projects – or ‘playing’ as he calls it himself. ‘I love working for my own projects, without a client, because I can make works without an idea. I’d like to make something as universal as possible, that’s partly the reason why I make abstract works. The general idea behind a work mostly comes later. I find that very interesting. I like to tell my own story,’ told Ropp us.
Ropp continues: ‘I was already working a long time on my own projects and I was very interested in my own feelings with these artworks. Where are these feelings coming from? Colour does something to a human, but it doesn’t mean anything. Colour doesn’t exist in this world. Yes, we perceive it with our eyes, but colour is made up by the brain. This concept drives me. There seems to be a paradox with colour.’
‘When I’m painting – Ropp makes his images on a computer and paints them later on canvas – I think about paradoxes and metaphors. I work with metaphors, but that’s only my own feeling; I don’t communicate a story. My works are spiritual for me, what I express in images. For me it feels on a certain moment as the painting looks like and after it’s finished, everyone sees and feels something different. This transition of perception is far more fascinating than the actual story behind a painting. To express this in language is extremely different. That’s why I make abstract works, because my paintings are disconnected from time. I use figures that exist throughout time and without humans (circles, squares, straight lines). It arises from nothing and can become something, but in the end transforms into nothing. I think about life when I play, I’m always looking for beauty. Beauty is literally everywhere. You are an energy of love, looking for beauty and you come across different people and situations; all leaving an impression.’
By now we were a bit confused. Ropp explains: ‘It’s all about duality. People want clarity, but that doesn’t exist. As a person you are static, and the world revolves around you. From your point of view, you move through the universe, but it actually moves around you. There are always multiple points of view and they’re all true. This is the same for art: when you see beauty, you can recognize it. But when you recognize it, you already knew it and it was already inside you. When you see something new, you can make it your own and learn it. But when you make it your own, you change it via your own perception. Via this action you’ve changed it and therefore it’s gone. When this owning process has happened, you’ve changed it and you lost it, because it’s gone. This accounts highly for my works of art. There is always a paradox of what I meant and saw and how the painting is perceived now. But you have to understand that I don’t work with paradoxes or communicate a story at all. It’s about what you refer to, not what you name.’
Thank you Ropp for giving some back story to your paintings. We’re also curious about what you do, when you’re not working. ‘I love to go to openings,’ Ropp tells us, ‘see new things. I really like to see people express themselves and actually present them, it doesn’t matter in which medium that is. One of the many places where I can see such things is for example Gallery Frank Taal but I think almost every gallery in the city is interesting. I also enjoy visiting museums, like Boijmans or de Kunsthal. Next to old-school pubs De Schouw and De Hensepeter, I used to go to BAR. BAR is a place where the air is filled with a special kind of openness. At the beginning of a night there are so many possibilities of what’s going to happen. There is no fixed concept. In general I don’t want to limit myself to specific art forms or concepts. I love being surprised, that’s the reason I like just wandering around town.’
‘That’s why Rotterdam is cool – it’s a city where things arise and disappear again.’
http://ropp.nl
06-09-2017 pictures by Arno and text by Wouter
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Opinion: Dream Theater’s Discography Ranked
Posted on October 24, 2016 by worldprognation
i’m about to do a really hard thing. i’ll try to rank all dream theater albums in their order from “worst” (least best) to best. I’d like to start off by saying that I LOVE and know every single dream theater song. know all the albums from front to back. Dream Theater are the band that got me into prog and the first band i really got into hard 8 years ago. This is how i order the albums if i have to choose. doesn’t have to be similar to your view and we’d love to know how you rank them. Just pointing out that there’s no doubt of them being one of the best prog bands even today, still putting out strong music and attracting new fans and i still get excited like a little girl every time a new Dream Theater album comes out. this is insanely long, so you can read it, or just look at the ranking from 13 to 1.
so let’s start:
13. When Dream And Day Unite (1985):
i’m guessing this is pretty much consensus. if i had to pick my least favorite DT album this would probably be it. I do think this album has it’s jams and many strong moments, but even John Petrucci said when asked if there was an album he wished he could change that this would be the album. It’s not even their fault, i think (as do JP) that this album lacks a little in experience and you can hear it. It could’ve been one of DT’s best if they were to take that material and rewrite it today. Also, not a fan of Charlie Dominichi’s voice, and it took me a long time to get used to (more time than it took to get used to Labrie’s voice). Still, songs like “The YtseJam” and “The Killing Hand” will always be in my setlist.
12. Dream Theater (2013):
It hurts to put this album in this place, considering i still listen to songs from it from time to time and that i was practically in love with it when it came out, but as i said the collection is so strong, even albums like this one have to be in the 12th place. I’ll say what i like about it and the things that made me put it in 12th place. Let’s start with the good stuff: when their first single “The Enemy Inside” came out my mind was blown. To this day i still think this is one of their most creative songs. The energies i get from listening to this song are unbelievable. the drumming is amazing, the way they’re playing with the time signatures made me super excited for the album. The Bigger Picture is one of their best emotional songs, and False Awakening Suite has a very cool approach into writing music.
Let’s talk about the epic of the album- Illumination Theory: it has it’s strengths, but i think this song is not a classic DT epic. it should’ve been 12-14 minutes long max. After many listens It felt like they just wanted to check a box for an “Epic” in the album and move on, it didn’t feel very experimental or inspirational. it felt like a bunch of small songs put together a little awkwardly, not like in Octavarium, or In The Presence Of Enemies. the first and second parts are really really good. love that METAL riff with those vicious vocals. the third part is written well, but it feels on so connected as if it was put there to make the song go over the 20 minute mark, something that Jordan wrote in 5 minutes as a basic melody and built an elaborate symphony part over it. we all know Jordan Is one of the most gifted composers in the field, which is why it only took a few minutes to write it, but even though it’s really beautiful i’m not sure it’s enough.
the 4th part is really good, James is displaying awesome vocal skills. then there’s the instrumental part of the song. also, it has one or two really cool riffs and the rest are solos of John and Jordan to fill the song and the instrumental part to make it hit that 20 minute mark. the last part is really beautiful, reminds me of the end of Octavarium. Very emotional and deep and has that John Petrucci solo in the end that gives you the chills. But still the album didn’t hit the 20 minute mark so they added an “Easter Egg” that is another piano piece that Jordan wrote in 5 minutes and threw that on there to make the song long enough. So Even if it has it’s moments, it has certain parts that doesn’t make me feel that they were very inspirational at the time. A strong album with it’s flaws which is why it’s in the 12th place.
11. A Dramatic Turn Of Events (2011):
goddammit this is hard. A great album. Dream Theater had to show in this album that they’re still the same band, they had to prove it to they’re fans. Which is why they couldn’t experiment as much or get out of their comfort zone too much because of it. So they produced this strong album. it’s not overwhelming but it has many many strong songs. Can’t think of one song that was bad in any way and i still find myself coming back to this album from time to time. Also it has a special place in my heart since it got out exactly when i started writing music myself and studying this album and it’s writing style helped me to start writing and get inspired by music. Which is why it’s hard putting it here. Yes the drums aren’t very present but i like the mix of the album a lot. The one “problem” this album has is the fact that the arrangements of the song are similar to Images and Words, which kind of bummed me out (On The Backs Of Angels- pull me under, Lost Not Forgotten- under a glass moon, Outcry-Metropolis, Far From Heaven-wait for sleep, Breaking All Illusions- Learning to live). let’s face it- many bands do this kind of thing so it’s not that big a deal, but still.
10. Black Clouds And Silver Linings (2009):
great album. maybe you can hear a little of what Mike Portnoy was talking about when he said things are getting stale in their Write-Record-Tour cycle. John Myung wasn’t so present in the writing and barely spoke to the band members as i understood it at the time. nonetheless this is a great album. I don’t know why everyone are complaining about the lyrics of The count Of Tuscany, i think it’s a brilliant song, very emotional and badass. A Nightmare To Remember is such a great song. Very cool riffs and arrangements, and it takes you to many different emotional places. Wither is also a great song, very moving in my opinion. some say it’s boring and i disagree i really like it. The Shattered Fortress is really really cool but sometime i get a feeling it’s not as good as the other parts, because it hardly has any original parts. they basically made a medley of the other songs to rap this saga to an end. So although this is not one of my favorite albums, it’s still very good and pretty much comes in a tie with A Dramatic Turns of events. it’s hard since this one has Portnoy but A Dramatic Turn Of events does feel more inspirational.
9. Falling Into Infinity (1997):
this album came at a difficult time for the band. Mike Portnoy was on the verge of leaving the band and the label made their creative lives a nightmare with endless control over the creative content of the album. Still they managed to create GREAT songs. This album was one that took me a while to get into but once i did i was able to fully appreciate it’s greatness. It features amazing songs like “New Millennium” , “A Trial Of Tears”, “Take Away My Pain”, “Burning My Soul”, “Lines In The Sand”. Basically all of them.
8. Awake (1994):
WOW! such a great album. I love how obscure it is, it’s very dark and experimental and i love seeing bands experiment with their songs this way. John Petrucci was one of the first guitarists to feature the 7-string guitar and it’s sound in the album is unbelievable. songs like “The Mirror” “6:00”, “Caught In A Web”, “Space Dye Vest” “Erotomania”, “Voices” will always be in my playlists (and again i almost listed all of the songs in the album- had to try really hard to to add all the others 😉 ). this one also took a while to get in to but once i did it’s been on repeat constantly.
7. The Astonishing (2016):
“how the hell can you say this album is better than Awake?!@?!”. Yeah i know i’m surprised too. I decided to name this number 7 after a lot of thought (a train of thought!…..ok that was bad, i’ll show myself out), but as of now i find myself go back to this album quite a lot, and that’s the place i decided to rank it in. There’s a chance that would change in the future given that i once had DT12 very high on the list and it got down. This is really they’re most ambitious project to this date. not the best but definitely the most ambitious. I do think it’s too long and some songs act as fillers and not actual great songs. However, their creative drive is definitely felt in this album and there are some GREAT songs on it! Lord Nafaryus, Ravenskill (amazing song), “A Life Left Behind”, “Three Days” “Our New World” and many others. I’m really impressed by this album, it has great emotional peaks that makes the listening of this album an experience, like any other great concept album. but unlike Awake i have some complaints: first of all, like i mentioned it’s length. a slightly trimmed down version would’ve made the album more successful (to an hour and a half- a standard length of an Ayreon album 😉 ).
Second thing is the plot. When comparing this concept to Scenes From A Memory you see it’s flaws. The plot isn’t that interesting and a bit too fictional to my taste. i mean it’s okay that it’s fictional but it’s a bit childish- the end is pretty boring: Gabriel regains his voice, Fayth comes back to life, all is forgiven, and all the bad characters turn to good ones. kind of underwhelming, in comparison to Scenes from a memory ending that is pretty dark, interesting and has it’s twist in the plot. Another thing that comes to mind when comparing is the ending song. In SFAM the final song is so emotional, it gives a proper ending to the album. the ending song in this album (“Astonishing”) is not so impressive or emotional as the album is. The album is being criticized as being too much “disney”, but i think that basically every ballad that has a positive theme can be considered “disney”, and even if “The Spirit Carries On” would’ve been on this album the fans would say it’s a “disney” song even though it’s one of Dream Theater’s most successful song ever.
6. Train Of Thought (2003):
ok yes, that’s number 6. Can’t believe it took Dream Theater only 3 weeks to write it, it’s unbelievable. this is one hell of an album. The riffs, the atmosphere, the lyrics and the melodies work on every level. Just one badass album. I started listening to dream theater from the more heavier background so this album was definitely one that i connected with immediately. Some even consider this the last “great” album they’ve made but even though i strongly disagree i still think this definitely deserve #6 on this list
5. Octavarium (2005):
this is a special one. Dream Theater had this grand concept in mind that came to writing this EPIC piece. It’s based on numbers and music, and you can definitely feel the whole album work as a whole, like any other great concept album. The approach taken on the album is very special, where they would jam on riffs with Jordan playing the piano, so it came out much more melodic and soft. But still, i think they made a mistake when releasing the album, where they gave the fans the feeling that this is the top of their career. That this is the best that it’s ever going to get and that this album is the biggest musical achievement of their career. I think that going all in like that, made fans to be more indifferent for the one that came out 2 years later. Like, if a band says that this album is the best they’ve ever made then what’s going to happen only 2 years later when they come out with a new one?. Still there’s no denying that this is a very strong album, too many ballads in my opinion, but it got to this place in the list for a reason. It’s a great album filled with inspiration and has one of DT’s best songs: The mammoth “Octavarium”.
4. Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence (2002):
holy sh*t! this one took a while for me to get into, it has some really obscure songs, especially disc 1. this is one of the only times you ever hear a band change their sound completely. I mean, after a few listens it’s still the same dream theater, but with that modern sound and style, if you only heard the previous albums, you can actually believe this is not Dream Theater. It’s such a drastic change and it’s something you barely see today in any band. The experimentation in this album is unbelievably good, and cool. I love all these obscure moments you can hear in songs like “Misunderstood” and “Blind Faith”. This one is truly special and one of the only times you get to hear Dream Theater do something completely new (for that time, anyway).
3. Systematic Chaos (2007):
yes, i realize that’s a weird position for this album, but this one has a special place in the DT catalog for me at least. This was the first DT album I’ve ever heard, back in 2007. Just bought it, and for no particular reason played track #4- The Dark Eternal Night. I was blown away by the riff then and I’m hooked ever since. It usually doesn’t get anywhere near this place, but we all have a bias towards the first album we’ve heard. For most people it’s Images And Words, Six Degrees, or Scenes From A Memory, and this is mine. And I truly think that this album is incredibly underrated. The experimentation in this album is unbelievable, second only to six degrees IMHO. The instrumental part of The Dark Eternal night is so crazy, and songs like “Prophets of War” definitely give off that experimental vibe you get from listening to songs like “Misunderstood”. In The Presence Of Enemies is one of the best things they’ve ever done. one HUGE 25-minute epic with so many movements and emotional peaks it’s unbelievable. “The Ministry Of Lost Souls” is this great combination between a heartbreaking ballad and a full prog metal song with it’s instrumental section. Basically it’s like Mike Portnoy said, it’s like Train Of Thought, but much more diverse. This album deserve much more credit than it gets
2. Images And Words (1992):
yep, this masterpiece that forever changed the face of Progressive Metal gets #2 on this list. Although it’s pretty short (only 57 minutes) it features timeless classics like “Pull Me Under”, “Under A Glass Moon”, “Learning To Live” and “Metropolis Pt.1” and basically every other song in there. This album gives inspiration to countless artists to this day and definitely deserves to be in this spot. It was conceived in one of the bands most difficult times with them trying to find a new singer and struggling to find one for 2 years, until James came and the rest is history.
Scenes From A Memory (1999):
this is the winner for me! this album is just perfect in every way. i can’t say anything bad about this album. each song in there is just pure perfection. And the plot is so good for a concept album. It’s kind of dark and has this twist at the end, what more can we ask for (not for a part 3 please ;)). This is the perfect way to end the Metropolis saga, and this will always be the ultimate Dream Theater album IMO, although i’m definitely waiting for them to release something that can compete with this one for the title.
well, this is my list. you can agree, or disagree, let’s hear yours!
Albums Revisited 10 comments
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Mark Colgan says:
1. Awake
2. Scenes From A Memory
3. Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence
4. Images and Words
5. A Dramatic Turn of Events
6. Falling Into Obscurity
7. Black Clouds and Silver Linings
8. Dream Theater
9. When Dream and Day Unite
10. Systemaic Chaos
11. Octavarium
12. Train of Thought
12. The Astonishing
James Wilson says:
without a doudt the Astonishing is one of the worst albums they ever tried I haven’t listened to it 4 times. Dream Theater is my Favorite.
Phil Dawtrey says:
I agree the Astonishing is more like a broadway production it just doesn’t grab me like the rest of their albums , for me ,
Black Clouds and Silver Linings
Falling into Infinity
Metropolis Scenes from a memory
In no particular order are far supirior !
Miqueas says:
2. Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes From a Memory
5. Train Of Thought
9. Systematic Chaos
12. Dream Theater
13. Falling Into Infinity
Mihail Dimitrov says:
Well, I know it is hard; I love all of them as well. Here is my list:
13. When Dream And Day Unite (1985)
12. The Astonishing (2016)
11. Dream Theater (2013)
10. Black Clouds And Silver Linings (2009)
09. Octavarium (2005)
08. Systematic Chaos (2007)
07. A Dramatic Turn Of Events (2011)
06. Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence (2002)
05. Train Of Thought (2003)
04. Scenes From A Memory (1999)
03. Falling Into Infinity (1997)
02. Images and Words (1992)
01. Awake (1994)
Paul H. says:
01. Awake (In my opinion, simply the best album ever made by anyone)
02. Images And Words
03. Systematic Chaos
05. Black Clouds And Silver Linings
06. Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence
09. Scenes From A Memory
12. A Dramatic Turn Of Events
13. When Dream And Day Unite
Brad Brintle says:
7. Octavarium
1. Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes From a Memory (best album ever made)
13. Awake
Shame. The Astonishing
Demo. When Dream And Day Unite
* Shitty album. Dream Theater
* for DT quality (only illumination theory worth it)
Awake is the best album for me. I really love this album.
Images and Words and Scenes from my memory are in the second and third position for me.
After them I really like Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence and Black Clouds and Silver Linings. Both are good for me.
I really don’t like Train of Thought. The wrost in my opinion followed by The Astonishing which have good songs but a lot of hollow songs too.
1 – Train of Thought
2 – Images and Words
3 – Scenes from a Memory
4 – Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence
5 – Black Clouds
6 – Systematic
7 – Octavarium
8 – Falling into Infinity
9 – A Change of Seasons
10 – Awake
11 – When Day and Dream Unity
Unfortunately Dream Theater ended when Portnoy left, there are no more DT albums.
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Home / News / AMBASSADOR KHOJESTA FANA EBRAHIMKHEL MEETS WITH MS. GABRIELE HEINISCH-HOSEK, MEMBER OF THE PARLIAMENT (SPÖ)
AMBASSADOR KHOJESTA FANA EBRAHIMKHEL MEETS WITH MS. GABRIELE HEINISCH-HOSEK, MEMBER OF THE PARLIAMENT (SPÖ)
On Tuesday 7 May 2019, H.E. Ambassador Khojesta Fana Ebrahimkhel met with Ms. Gabriele Heinisch-Hosek, Member of the Parliament (SPÖ) and the chairwoman of the Social Democratic Women Movement.
Ambassador Ebrahimkhel received Ms. Gabriele Heinisch-Hose at her office. The thematic of women empowerment in Afghanistan was taken into depth discussion. Ambassador Ebrahimkhel underlined that Women Empowerment is a key pillar of the Foreign Policy of Afghanistan, and the Embassy and Permanent Mission of Afghanistan in Vienna likewise puts it as one of the main priorities of its strategic plan. Ms. Gabriele Heinisch-Hosek, who previously served as the Minister for Women Affairs welcomed the initiatives of the Government and the Embassy of Afghanistan in Vienna on women and pledged her support in that regard.
Ambassador Ebrahimkhel further highlighted the recent developments and achievements in the area of Women Empowerment in Afghanistan. She stated that “today, women work together with men and are active agents of peace and change. Women are the majority and the moving reality for the future of Afghanistan. Furthermore, significant efforts to increase women’s participation in official peacebuilding initiatives and the peace process have been made. Afghan women will not go back to the Taliban’s dark era.”
During the meeting, they have agreed on a framework of cooperation to guide the future engagements and to strengthen collaboration on the issues discussed.
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Category archives for “Gluten”
Maybe That’s Not Beer You’re Drinking
A professor once told me: “Always define your terms.” That statement rings true in much of the law and it turns out, also for beer. In today’s age of health consciousness and gluten intolerances, beers crafted from sorghum, rice, or wheat are starting to make inroads into the mainstream market. But from the perspective of the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (“TTB”), those products don’t qualify as “malt beverages.” Only beverages made from both malted barley and hops meet the definition of “malt beverage” under the Federal Alcohol Administration Act (“FAA Act”). Thus, the labeling regulations that apply to these non-traditional beer products actually come from the Food and Drug Administration, as opposed to the TTB. Some TTB/FAA Act requirements do still apply – namely the government health warning and product classification required by the Internal Revenue Code to ensure proper tax classification and collection. Additionally, formula approval may be required through the TTB.
Wine beverages containing less than 7% alcohol by volume, such as many wine coolers and cider products are also subject to FDA labeling requirements because their low alcohol content causes them to fall outside of the TTB/FAA Act definition of “wine” and therefore outside of TTB’s labeling jurisdiction. Note that although sake is made from rice, it’s considered a wine product for labeling purposes and a malt beverage for tax purposes (confusing, right?), so it falls under the TTB/FAA Act labeling requirements, provided the product contains 7% or more alcohol by volume. How to identify these new products as “gluten-free” remains difficult as no final guidance has yet been issued by the FDA or TTB about the true definition of “gluten-free.” For more information about using “gluten-free” on alcoholic beverage labels, see our post from earlier this year. The landscape for labeling these non-traditional products is complicated. If you have questions, feel free to contact a Strike & Techel attorney.
Gluten Claims on Beer, Wine, and Distilled Spirits Labels
TTB issued an extensive ruling last week that provides guidance to industry members seeking to label their products with statements about gluten-content. TTB Ruling 2012-2, available here, serves as in interim policy on the gluten-related labeling claims, until such time as the FDA, which governs labeling for all food items, and TTB finalize rules on the subject. As consumer demand for all types of gluten-free foods and beverages has risen over the last several years, proper labeling of those products has been a difficult issue for both the FDA and TTB. At its core, the problem is that testing for gluten-content remains imprecise. As a result, laws and regulations that permit labeling products as “gluten-free” or claiming a certain amount of gluten content have been slow to develop, and TTB’s practice has been to reject label applications that include gluten-based claims. TTB’s interim policy provides a means for industry members to include some gluten-related labeling information on their labels, and will likely result in the approval of more labels that claim to be gluten-free or low in gluten.
The FDA, and by extension TTB, has struggled with a definition for “gluten-free” for nearly a decade. The FDA was first tasked with issuing a rule to define “gluten-free” with the passage of the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004. The FDA then issued a notice of proposed rulemaking in 2007, proposing to define the term “gluten-free.” The proposed definition included that the item have no more than 20 parts gluten per million. The FDA has still not issued a final rule, and in 2011 recognized that for some food types, including fermented foods, there are no validated methods to determine if the product contains less than 20 parts gluten per million. Throughout the FDA’s process, TTB has deferred making its own rules related to gluten. The interim policy is TTB’s first effort to address the issue.
TTB regulates alcohol labeling and advertising through the Federal Alcohol Administration Act “FAA Act” and its regulations at 27 CFR parts 4, 5, and 7. At issue are regulations that: a) prohibit the use of labeling or advertising statements that are false or untrue in any particular, b) prohibit, irrespective of falsity, statements that directly, or by ambiguity, omission or inference, or by the addition of irrelevant, scientific or technical matter, tend to create a misleading impression, c) prohibit the use of any health-related statements in the labeling or advertising of wine, distilled spirits, or malt beverages if such statements are untrue in any particular or tend to create a misleading impression.
In its interim policy, TTB agrees with the FDA that “there are no scientifically valid methods for accurately measuring the gluten content of fermented products.” Up until now, this fact and the requirement that TTB prohibit misleading labels and advertising has meant that labels that include gluten-related claims have been rejected. TTB’s new guidelines provide a means for industry members to get labels approved that previously would have been rejected.
The interim policy sets forth two primary rules. First, TTB will allow the term “gluten-free” on the labels of products that are produced without any ingredients that contain gluten. For example, wines produced from grapes or vodka produced from potatoes may include the statement “gluten-free” on their labels or advertising material. No products made from gluten-containing materials may be labeled as “gluten-free.” For those products made from gluten-containing materials, including spirits and malt beverages “produced using wheat, barley, rye, or a crossbred hybrid of these grains,” TTB will allow labels that contain all of the following information: a) a statement that the product is “Processed or Treated or Crafted to remove gluten;” b) a qualifying statement to inform consumers that (i) the product was made from a grain that contains gluten, (ii) there is currently no valid test to verify the gluten content of fermented products, and (iii) the finished product may contain gluten; and c) a detailed description of the method used to remove gluten from the product. Approved statements may not contain any reference to the level of gluten in the product. Additionally, in order to evaluate the method used to remove gluten from the product, TTB will require submission of results of the “R5 Mendez Competitive ELISA assay” for the finished product for the purpose of screening the validity and effectiveness of the method used to remove gluten. Such statements may only be made on labels where the gluten content is less than 20 parts per million.
Despite the strict standard set by the TTB for gluten-related labeling, the new guidance is likely to result in numerous submissions for label-approvals based on the new rules. For additional information on labeling issues, feel free to contact one of the attorneys at Strike & Techel.
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Silver medal in Benicasim
For the first time in almost a decade, the Movistar Team cyclists could not revalidate the title in the Spanish Road Championships. It was a former teammate who broke this streak with a precise attack in the last descent to the Desert of Las Palmas. Gorka Izagirre got a meager but sufficient difference to reach Benicassim’s finish line alone.
Alejandro Valverde attacked from the group of favorites in the last climb of the day, contacting the head of the race before reaching the top. However, the Guipuzcoan left the rest without options. The Murcian showed his strength in the arrival, finishing second and reaching a silver medal that reaffirms him in the right direction to two weeks of the Tour de France.
Statements: We knew it was the most difficult year, with very strong rivals that other times were with us. I think we played the race well. Gorka has made a difference in the descent that has been impossible to recover, so we must congratulate him, he has been phenomenal. I back home with good feelings, finishing fourth in the ITT and second today. I found myself very well in the climbs.
Photo: Movistar Team
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The streak that does not stop
Alejandro Valverde keeps winning in the Tour of Spain. Bala achieved his second stage victory in the Spanish round this Saturday, beating Peter Sagan and Danny Van Poppel in a complicated final in Almadén. The Murcian, who at first did not think about the triumph, demonstrated again his excellent shape in the initial part of the race, overcoming several obstacles in the finish line.
This victory improves his legendary numbers. It is the eleventh success of Valverde in the Tour of Spain, the thirteenth of the season so far and the 121st as a professional.
As far as the competition is concerned, Alejandro remains second in the general classification, although he is approaching to the leader thanks to the bonus added in Almadén. Only 37” separate Valverde from Molard before the hard stage with final in La Covatilla.
Quotes: “I do am really surprised with this victory, to be honest. Even if I knew this finish would be tougher than a normal sprint, I didn’t expect it to be that steep. Arrieta was insisting to me on the radio, after our staff had arrived to the finish before the race, that it was an excellent finish for me. He told me: ‘Just follow the wheel of the one who overtook you yesterday.’ I told him: ‘Look, ‘Arri’, I won’t go chase the stage win. I’ll try to just not lose time, and that’s it.’ If you look at the finish, it was so nervous already before entering Almadén, but the team worked so hard to bring me to the front. Since it was uphill all the way to that roundabout with 500 meters to go, I sort of got into the mood to go forward, follow Peter’s wheel and contest the win.
Quotes: Movistar Team
Photo: Bettini Photo
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Traffic Fatalities in U.S. Far Worse Than in Other Affluent Countries
(photo: Doug Pensinger, Getty Images)
By Mike Stobbe, Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) — Traffic deaths are down, but a new report shows fatalities on the road are still a bigger problem in the United States than in other affluent countries.
The U.S. had by far the highest fatality rate for car crashes of the nearly 20 countries studied. The U.S. rate in 2013 was more than twice as high as in most of the other countries.
And traffic deaths haven't been dropping as fast in the U.S. The rate has fallen by nearly a third since 2000. But every other country had a steeper decline.
The statistics probably reflect that Americans tend to drive more miles and for longer periods, said Dr. Guohua Li, of Columbia University's Center for Injury Epidemiology and Prevention.
"The more you're on the road, the more you're exposed to the potential for a crash," agreed Erin Sauber-Schatz, lead author of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report. The CDC released the report Wednesday.
U.S. drivers also more often speed, drive drunk and take other risks, Li said in an email.
Some developing countries, not included in the report, have higher traffic death rates than the United States. But there's not enough good data to do a global comparison, CDC officials said.
Until last year, U.S. traffic deaths had been falling — often attributed to road and car safety improvements, child car seats, and efforts to increase seat belt use and discourage drunk driving.
But crash deaths have been declining more dramatically in other countries that have even stricter guidelines and road safety measures, CDC officials said.
The U.S. toll went up last year to 35,200, as drivers racked up more miles behind the wheel as a result of an improved economy and lower gas prices.
The report compared rates from the U.S., Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, New Zealand and more than a dozen European countries. The tally included drivers and passengers as well as pedestrians and bicyclists killed on the road.
The U.S. traffic crash death rate was about 10 deaths per 100,000 people in 2013. Belgium was the next closest, at 6.5. Sweden was the lowest on the list, at 2.7.
The researchers tried to account for the greater mileage in the U.S. by calculating traffic deaths per miles traveled. By that measure, the U.S. was still among the deadliest countries. But Japan, Belgium and Slovenia were higher.
Vital Signs: Motor Vehicle Injury Prevention — United States and 19 Comparison Countries (by Erin K. Sauber-Schatz, PhD; David J. Ederer, MPH; Ann M. Dellinger, PhD; and Grant T. Baldwin, PhD, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
U.S. Traffic Fatalities Up as Americans Drive More than Ever Before (by Joan Lowy, Associated Press)
Biggest Increase in U.S. Traffic Deaths in 50 Years (by Joan Lowy, Associated Press)
Traffic Fatality Rate Hits Historic Low (by Noel Brinkerhoff, AllGov)
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Amaris Ketcham
Poetic Routes
Design, Uncategorized
Poetic Routesaketcham2019-02-25T23:51:19+00:00
For about a year now, I have been working on “Poetic Routes” (http://www.poeticroutes.com), an interactive, poetic map that pinpoints reflections and emotions on specific streets, buildings, and landmarks within Albuquerque.
I started this map in part because when I introduce myself as a poet, people often act as though I am a practitioner of a coded, intimidating art. Most people have been taught something about poetry—that syllables are important, say, or meter or form, or that there is some package of preexisting analytical literature that tells you a poem is “great literature” written by a “great poet” (who is usually male, once white, now deceased). Most people are not taught to first appreciate the poem as a work of surprising beauty. Nor are they taught to connect it to their world, to the streets they walk down, the roadrunners they see, the roasting chile they smell, the cottonwoods they admire, or the Goodwill on their corner.
One way to connect people to poetry is through maps. Maps are a potent tool to tell interactive stories. A map of a city can tell us how to get from place to another. As it does so, the map outlines what we will pass along the way: a topographical map might show us the mountain that stands between our goal and us; a Doppler map details the weather we’ll encounter along the way. But can a map tell a story that isn’t linear? Do we always have to know where we are going?
“Not all who wander are lost,” countered JRR Tolkien. Even though maps are being more recognized for their ability to tell complex stories, I wanted to explore the potential of a non-narrative, inclusive story about Albuquerque.
To pin a poem to an intersection on a map is to pin a moment of time. Together, those moments start to build an understanding of Albuquerque that is larger and more complex than the map itself. It is a network of architecture and culture, language and nature, concrete details and local realities, history and lived experience—as well as the interactions that occur in the audience’s mind when two or more of these are juxtaposed.
A map shows the relationship between two objects in space, but when those objects are memories, reflections, epiphanies, and lyricisms, the audience participates in creating that relational link. “Viewers are as much a part of the landscape as the boulders they stand on,” writes Leslie Marmon Silko.
It is my hope that through this poetic cartography, both emerging and established writers layer their voices with the history and cultural vibrancy of the city. My hope is that this project, like the city itself, will show a complex and ever-changing set of relationships with our natural and built environment. This is our map of Albuquerque.
City on the Edge Podcast →
Freewriting
Recently Accepted Work
“Itsuki and I,” cream city review
March 2019 at Montana State University "Courting Creativity"
July 2019 at The Santa Fe Art Institute "Creative Cartography"
© 2019 Amaris Ketcham All Rights Reserved.
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Cooler Room
Culture and Community
Partner Programs >
Yellowbird Expressive Arts
Rentals Overview
Community Room Rental
Stone Paper Scissors
Garden pARTy 2019
Art Produce in City Beat
"The seven-headed serpent monster:
San Diego's alternative art spaces rise, fall, and rise again"
by Susan Myrland - San Diego City Beat - November 13, 2013
Excerpt featuring Art Produce:
Lynn Susholtz’s North Park space Art Produce is one of the few alternative galleries with longevity. Susholtz purchased the building in 1999, renovated it and reopened it as an art gallery in 2001. She added a community garden in 2010, used for film screenings, workshops, art installations and events. A third renovation in 2012 expanded the gallery and made room for a café, creating a synergistic relationship between the tenants, restaurant and art.
She chuckles when talking about her “atypical business model,” devoting the most lucrative space to the gallery: “It’s a non-profit-making enterprise, but not a nonprofit.”
“I wasn’t going to show typical commercial work,” she says. “It’s very hard for anyone to survive on selling paintings and sculpture.”
Giving into what she calls her “citizen artist alter-ego,” she elaborates on what alternative spaces mean for an urban area:
The gallery “gives folks a chance to have public culture in their own neighborhood and a sense of what it’s like to be in a creative space. A lot of people who live around here, [they’ve] never been to a gallery. They’re not going to pay $12 to take their family to a museum. It should be free and it should be in their neighborhoods. Everyone should have an opportunity to be engaged.”
Susholtz works to build dialogue between her gallery and the public but sees San Diego as lacking in opportunities for citywide discussion—a thought echoed by many of the others interviewed.
“There’s a tripod of art production, art patronage and art criticism, theory, discourse,” she says. “We don’t have many options for cultural discourse. Once you’re out of school, it’s done. We can’t be a growing, changing community if we don’t have places for discourse and public culture. There seem to be a lot of people in the art-production piece of the tripod, fewer people in the patronage, and even fewer in the cultural dialogue.
“There’s the building of public space, creating infrastructure. Everyone’s talking about that because that’s where the dollars are,” she adds. “But who’s actually creating the culture? Who are the artists, who are the theorists, the thinkers, the doers and the makers who need to be part of the discussion? Where’s the leadership?”
Susholtz hopes that the city’s Commission for Arts and Culture will soon find “a dynamic, visionary force” and that the next mayor will support the nascent Civic Innovation Lab that former Mayor Bob Filner created. It remains to be seen, though, if art—particularly experimental visual art— will be at the table. San Diego is a theater-and-music town first.
Click Here to read the entire City Beat article!
From craft brews to art news, all the latest at Art Produce.
San Diego, CA 92104
(619) 500-ARTS
© 1990 Lynn Susholtz. All rights reserved. Login.
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Petition:
'Publish the documents that established the "close alliance" between Britain and Israel':
https://www.change.org/p/theresa-may-publish-the-documents-that-establ ished-the-close-alliance-between-britain-and-israel?recruiter=83073330 7&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=share_email_ responsive
www.change.org
Theresa May: Publish the documents that established the "close alliance" between Britain and Israel
'US Air Force refused to take out massive ISIS convoy in Deir Ezzor: Russia':
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/us-air-force-refused-take-massive -isis-convoy-deir-ezzor-russia/?
'...“Americans peremptorily rejected to conduct airstrikes over the ISIS terrorists on the pretext of the fact that, according to their information, militants are yielding themselves prisoners to them and now are subject to the provisions of the Convention relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War,” the Russian Defense Ministry said.
Russia said it had addressed the US-led coalition twice with a proposal of carrying out joint air raids to eliminate the retreating ISIS convoy, but was turned down, allowing jihadist hundreds of militants to travel undeterred along the Euphrates River. Furthermore, the US was accused of hampering the Russian Air Force’s activities in southern Deir Ezzor.
“There is indisputable evidence that the United States pretends it is waging irreconcilable struggle against international terrorism in front of the international community, while in reality it provides cover for the combat-ready Islamic State groups to let them regain strength, regroup themselves and advance US interests in the Middle East,” the ministry said....'
'Turkish PM slams US for supporting ISIL’s withdrawal from Raqqa':
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/turkish-pm-slams-us-supporting-is ils-withdrawal-raqqa/
'Last month, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) announced victory in Raqqa City, which was seized by the Daesh in 2014 and proclaimed the group’s capital.
Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim condemned on Tuesday the United States for its support for the free withdrawal of a Daesh convoy that consisted of 50 trucks with 10 of them being loaded with heavy weapons from the Syrian city of Raqqa.
“We told the United States: it is not a strategy for big states fighting against terrorism to use some terrorist groups in a struggle with others. Now nobody knows where these withdrawn terrorists will use their weapons against civilians – in Turkey, Europe, America or the whole world,” Yildirim said.
The prime minister once again pointed out that Turkey considered the Syrian Kurdish Units terrorists.
“We see that armed Daesh terrorists left [Raqqa] being replaced by other terrorists from the Kurdish People’s Protection Units [PYD]. Is that a smart policy? We turned out to be right again. But our aim is not to be right but to defeat terrorism,” the prime minister added.
On Thursday, Syria’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations reported that it had sent letters saying that the Daesh-led coalition had ensured withdrawal of Daesh terrorists from Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor. The BBC broadcaster reported that the drivers hired by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) were forced to evacuate some 4,000 people from Raqqa in a convoy consisting of about 50 trucks, 13 buses and more than 100 vehicles of the Daesh itself in October.
The jihadists, including the foreign mercenaries from Azerbaijan, China, Egypt, France, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Turkey and Yemen, had taken from Raqqa everything they could, including weapons and munitions.
The terrorists captured Raqqa in 2013 since then it was considered the unofficial capital of the Daesh. The liberation of the city was considered one of the main goals of the international antiterrorist coalition led by the United States.
Source: Sputnik '.
'Syrian FM fires back at US over timetable to leave country':
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/syrian-fm-fires-back-us-timetable -leave-country/
'BEIRUT, LEBANON (11:40 P.M.) – The U.S.’ military presence in Syria violates the country’s territorial sovereignty and UN Charter, the Syrian Foreign Ministry announced on Tuesday.
“The U.S. military presence and the presence of any military in Syria without government approval is a direct assault on its sovereignty and a violation of the UN Charter,” the Syrian Foreign Ministry stated.
“On the contrary, this presence only leads to prolonging the crisis and further complicating it, and this is where the real goal of this U.S. presence in Syria lies,” the Syrian Foreign Ministry added.
The Syrian Foreign Ministry’s statement comes just 24 hours after the U.S’ Secretary of Defense, James Mattis, claimed the U.S. military will remain in Syria until a settlement is made.
“We’re not just going to walk away right now before the Geneva process has cracked. That doesn’t mean everyone stays there. That doesn’t mean for certain — certain troops are leaving… We’re going to make sure we set the conditions for a diplomatic solution… Not just, you know, fight the cop part of it and then say good luck on the rest of it. We did it for that — to support the diplomatic solution,” Mattis said.
The Syrian Government has repeatedly stated that it does not welcome the U.S.’ military presence in Syria and demands all of their forces withdraw under no preconditions.'
'RUSSIA NEVER PROMISED U.S., ISRAEL THAT IRANIAN FORCES TO WITHDRAW FROM SYRIA – LAVROV':
https://southfront.org/russia-never-promised-u-s-israel-that-iranian-f orces-to-withdraw-from-syria-lavrov/
'Russia has never promised the US and Israel a withdrawal of Iranian forces from Syria, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced on November 14. He added that the presence of Iranian forces in the country is legitimate.
Thus, the Israeli media reports about some Russian-Israeli-US deal on the issue appeared to be fake news as it had been expected.
Lavrov directly denied reports that the once again announced US-Russian ceasefire agreement in southern Syria included a Russian commitment to ensure that Iranian-backed forces would be withdrawn from Syria.
The minister stated that the Iranian presence in Syria is “legitimate” and added that the United States posed the biggest threat in Syria.
“If you look at who is the greatest danger, it’s just the wards of the United States, various foreign terrorists, militants who are attached to those groups of armed opposition that the US supports,” Lavrov said.
Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the Israeli side has informed the Russians and the Americans that Israeli forces will continue to take action in Syria according to its interests despite any ceasefire. Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman also promised to destroy the alleged Iranian military base, which is under construction in Syria. However, it’s clear that Tel Aviv will not get a Russian “support” in its efforts to limit the Shia influence in the country.
The video below was originally released on March 28, 2017. However, it still provides a comphrehensive answer why the Syrian-Iranian-Russian alliance remains strong.....'
'US Military to Stay in Syria Even After Islamic State Defeat':
https://www.strategic-culture.org/news/2017/11/24/us-military-stay-syr ia-even-after-islamic-state-defeat.html
'....US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis pledged last week that US forces would remain to prevent the emergence of “Daesh 2.0” and until the political process gets off the ground. His comments came as a new Defense Department report showed US troops in the Middle East have increased 33% in the last four months and currently stand at 1,723 in Syria - up from 1,251 in June.
The United States’ main goal is to counter Iran’s influence. “We need to cut off Iran's ability to build a crescent of influence,” said retired Air Force General Charles Wald. “We need to continue to build our coalition with countries of like mind.”
Rival Syrian forces are due to meet in Geneva on November 28 for the eighth round of UN-backed peace talks aimed at ending the six-year war in Syria. Staffan de Mistura, UN Special Envoy for Syria, met Russia's defence and foreign ministers on Nov.23 to discuss preparations for the upcoming Geneva event. Russia is to host the Syrian People’s Congress on Dec.2 in the resort city of Sochi.
Obviously, the US military presence in Syria is illegal. With Islamic State completely routed, the administration will need a lot of imagination to invent reasons justifying the operations on Syrian soil. The administration has never taken the pain to explain what its strategy is....'
And of course, May and Co. would back the US illegal stance, as probably would most of the EU.
'Pentagon Openly Threatens to Shoot Down Russian Jets Over Eastern Syria':
http://russia-insider.com/en/pentagon-openly-threatens-shoot-down-russ ian-jets-over-eastern-syria/ri21886
'....Now the Pentagon has graduated to openly raising the prospect of shooting down a Russian warplane directly through its spokespeople. Colonel Damien Pickart, the spokesman for US Air Forces Central Command, said yesterday the US military has “the greatest concern” it could “shoot down a Russian warplane because its actions are seen as a threat” — in other words, if they cross into “coalition airspace” in eastern Syria. Yes, bizarrely the Pentagon refers to Syria to the east of the Euphrates as “our airspace”...'
'...The US claims it can not honestly know if Russian aircraft are crossing the river by “mistake” or because they mean to attack “coalition forces,” and that therefore US fighters could already legitimately have shot them down in “self-defense”:
The Air Force pilots showed restraint, but given that the actions of the Su-24s could have reasonably been interpreted as threatening to the American aircraft, the F-22 pilots would have been with their rights to fire in self-defense, officials at the Qatar air base said.
This is pure nonsense. This is not about any fear of Russian attack, but about turf.....'
Posted: Thu Dec 14, 2017 11:18 pm Post subject:
US F-22s intercept Russian jets over Syria, fire warning flares
http://edition.cnn.com/2017/12/14/politics/us-f-22-intercept-russian-j ets-syria/index.html
By Ryan Browne, CNN Updated 1804 GMT (0204 HKT) December 14, 2017
RANCHO PALOS VERDES, CA - FEBRUARY 02
Russian President Vladimir Putin speak to the media after touring the Hannover Messe 2013 industrial trade fair on April 8, 2013 in Hanover, Germany. Merkel and Putin toured the fair, which is the world's largest industry trade fair and has partnered this year with Russia.
Russia retaliates against US after sanctions
BERLIN, GERMANY - OCTOBER 19: Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting to discuss the Ukrainian peace process at the German federal Chancellery on October 19, 2016 in Berlin, Germany. The leaders of Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany, known as the Normandy Four, met in Berlin to discuss implementation of the peace plan known as the Minsk Protocol, a roadmap for resolving the conflict in Ukraine after Russian forces invaded in 2014 and annexed the peninsula of Crimea. The United States has threatened renewed sanctions on Russia if the country did not either implement the plan in the coming months or arrive at a plan on how to do so. (Photo by Adam Berry/Getty Images)
Senate sends Russia sanctions bill to Trump
Vladimir Putin on Trump US politics _00003422.jpg
Putin: Claims of election interference are 'anti-Russia hysteria'
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Russian leaders lash out at US sanctions
An image published by the Makeyev Rocket Design Bureau of the RS-28 Sarmat rocket, or 'Satan 2.'
First photos of Russia's 'Satan 2' missile released
US President Barack Obama (R) meets his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin (L) in Los Cabos, Mexico, on June 18, 2012, during the G20 leaders Summit. Obama met today Putin at a G20 summit to discuss differences over what to do about the bloody conflict in Syria. AFP PHOTO/ RIA-NOVOSTI POOL / ALEXEI NIKOLSKY (Photo credit should read ALEXEI NIKOLSKY/AFP/GettyImages)
Is this the new Cold War?
A U.S. Air Force fighter lands at Kadena U.S. Air Base in Okinawa.NOW PLAYING
Sources: US jets intercept Russians over Syria
MOSCOW, RUSSIA - MARCH 10, 2017: Concord Catering General Director Yevgeny Prigozhin seen after the sixth meeting of the High-Level Russian-Turkish Cooperation Council. Mikhail Metzel/TASS (Photo by Mikhail Metzel\TASS via Getty Images)
Exclusive: Putin's 'chef,' the man behind the troll factory
Pokémon Go used in Russian-linked meddling effort
Russia government plane approached by NATO jet
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Russian opposition rallies on Putin's birthday
US President Donald Trump holds a joint press conference with his Polish counterpart at the Royal Castle in Warsaw, Poland, July 6, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / SAUL LOEB (Photo credit should read SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images)
WH: Trump to sign Russia sanctions bill
RANCHO PALOS VERDES, CA - FEBRUARY 02: Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg speaks on stage at the 2016 MAKERS Conference Day 2 at the Terrenea Resort on February 2, 2016 in Rancho Palos Verdes, California. (Photo by Jonathan Leibson/Getty Images for AOL)
Sandberg: Russia-backed ads 'upset' Facebook
A U.S. Air Force fighter lands at Kadena U.S. Air Base in Okinawa.
The US jets fired warning flares during the intercept
A defense official told CNN the aerial encounter lasted "several minutes."
(CNN)Two US F-22 stealth fighters intercepted two Russian aircraft Wednesday after the Russian jets crossed the Euphrates River in Syria, flying east of the "de-confliction line" that is supposed to separate Russian and US-led coalition aircraft operating over Syria, two US defense officials told CNN.
The US jets fired warning flares during the intercept of the two Russian Su-25 close air support jets according to the officials after they crossed the de-confliction line multiple times.
One of the officials said a Russian Su-35 fighter jet was also involved and that the aerial encounter lasted "several minutes."
The official said that coalition officers called their Russian counterparts about the incident via the pre-established de-confliction hotline.
Exclusive: US troops and Syrian forces battle ISIS near key base
US Air Forces Central Command which oversees air operations over Syria later confirmed the incident to CNN.
After crossing the de-confliction line, the Russian Su-25s "were promptly intercepted by two F-22A Raptors providing air cover for partner ground forces conducting operations to defeat ISIS," Air Forces Central Command spokesman Lt. Col. Damien Pickart told CNN.
"The F-22s conducted multiple maneuvers to persuade the Su-25s to depart our de-conflicted airspace, including the release of chaff and flares in close proximity to the Russian aircraft and placing multiple calls on the emergency channel to convey to the Russian pilots that they needed to depart the area," he added.
Pickart accused the Russian pilots of dangerous flying during the encounter.
"One Su-25 flew close enough to an F-22A that it had to aggressively maneuver to avoid a midair collision," he said, adding that "during the incident, a Russian Su-35 also flew across the river and was shadowed closely by one of the F-22As."
He said the encounter lasted approximately 40 minutes before the Russian aircraft flew to the west side of the river, saying officers from the US-led coalition contacted the Russians on the de-confliction line "to de-escalate the situation and avert a strategic miscalculation."
President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin pledged to continue to uphold those de-confliction measures in their recent joint statement issued on the sidelines of the APEC conference in Da Nang, Vietnam.
US concerned Russian aircraft behavior could spark clash over Syria
The statement said Trump and Putin "agreed to maintain open military channels of communication between military professionals to help ensure the safety of both US and Russian forces and de-confliction of partnered forces engaged in the fight against ISIS."
Pickart said the Russians had violated the agreement numerous times.
"In early November we verbally agreed through de-confliction channels that the Russians would remain west of the Euphrates River, and the coalition would operate to the east. Since agreeing to this de-confliction arrangement, the Russians have flown into our airspace on the east side of the river 6-8 times per day, or approximately 10% of the Russian and Syrian flights," Pickart said.
"If either of us needs to cross the river for any reason, we're supposed to first de-conflict via the line. It's become increasingly tough for our pilots to discern whether Russian pilots' actions are deliberate or if these are just honest mistakes," he added, saying, "the coalition's greatest concern is that we could shoot down a Russian aircraft because its actions are seen as a threat to our air or ground forces."
"We are not here to fight the Russians and Syrians -- our focus remains on defeating ISIS. That said, if anyone threatens coalition or friendly partner forces in the air or on the ground, we will defend them," he added.
America's top military officer, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Joseph Dunford, spoke on the phone last week with his Russian counterpart, Gen. Valery Gerasimov, according to a spokesman for the Joint Staff.
Several US officials told CNN that de-confliction and operations in Syria were part of the discussions.
'IMPLAUSIBLE DENIALS: THE CRIME AT JABAL AL THARDA. US-LED AIR RAID ON BEHALF OF ISIS-DAESH AGAINST SYRIAN FORCES':
https://southfront.org/implausible-denials-crime-jabal-al-tharda-us-le d-air-raid-behalf-isis-daesh-syrian-forces/
'....1. Uncontested facts
There are eight elements of this massacre where the facts are virtually uncontested:
· First, the attack was on the forces of a strategic opponent, whom the US wished to overthrow, weaken or ‘isolate’;
· Second, there was no semblance of provocation;
· Third, this was a well-planned operation, with days of advance surveillance;
· Fourth, the attack was sustained and effective, meeting conventional military objectives;
· Fifth, there was both immediate and longer term benefit to ISIS;
· Sixth, the US gave false locality information to the Russians before the attack, and their ‘hotline’ to Russia was defective during the attack;
· Seventh, the US made false claims about being unable to identify Syrian troops;
· Eighth, the US ‘investigation’ was hopelessly partisan, self-serving and forensically useless; there was no attempt to even contact the Syrian side.
Let’s look at each element in a little more depth
ONE: the attack was on a strategic opponent
Syrian forces were seen as adversaries. This was no ‘friendly fire accident’. The political leadership of the US-led operation had called for the dismissal or overthrow of the Syrian Government and had provided material support to armed opponents of the Government since mid-2011. The terrorist group ISIS had a campaign to create an Islamic State in the region and that objective was shared by Washington. US intelligence, in August 2012, had expressed satisfaction at extremist plans for a “salafist principality” (i.e. an Islamic State) in eastern Syria, “in order to isolate the Syrian regime” (DIA 2012). The US had not admitted providing finance and arms to ISIS / DAESH, but several senior US officials acknowledged in 2014 that their ‘Arab allies’ had done so (Anderson 2016: Ch.12). After the attack US and Australian officials referred to their victims as forces aligned with the ‘Syrian regime’ (Johnston 2016; Payne 2017), reinforcing the fact that the assailants did not recognise Syrian soldiers as part of a legitimate national army.
TWO: no suggestion of provocation
There was no suggestion of any provocation, as had happened in previous ‘mistakes’; for example where a pilot had mistaken gunfire or fireworks for a hostile attack. This attack was premeditated.
THREE: a well-planned operation, with substantial surveillance
All sides agree this was a carefully planned operation, with surveillance days in advance. Colonel Nihad Kanaan, the Syrian Arab Army commanding officer on ‘Post Tharda 2’ (a military post on the second of three peaks of Tharda mountain range) that day, told this writer that US-coalition surveillance aircraft were seen “repeatedly circling” the area on 12 September, 5 days before the attack (Kanaan 2017). US reports confirm this. On the day of the attack the New York Times cited US Central Command saying that “coalition forces believed they were striking a DAESH fighting position that they had been tracking for a significant amount of time before the strike” (Barnard and Mazzetti 2016). A US military report, some weeks after the attack, said a “remotely piloted aircraft” (RPA) was sent to “investigate” the area the day before and two RPAs revisited the same area on the 17th, identifying two target areas with tanks and personnel (Coe 2016: 1).....'
'Syrian government blasts back at Erdogan over ‘terrorist’ comments':
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/syrian-government-blasts-back-erd ogan-terrorist-comments/?
I checked, and can find no MSM coverage of this - bit too near the bone!
'Why Does Washington Hate Bashar al-Assad?':
http://ronpaulinstitute.org/archives/featured-articles/2018/january/23 /why-does-washington-hate-bashar-al-assad/
'...Trump can under the War Powers Act take military action to counter an imminent threat, which was never the case from Syria in any event, but after 60 days he has to cease or desist or go to Congress for authorization up to and possibly including a declaration of war. The military offensive against Syria began under President Barack Obama and it is far beyond that two-month window already, so egregiously in violation that some Congressmen are actually beginning to take notice. Democratic Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia has demanded that no military initiatives in Syria be undertaken without a Senate vote. He said on Thursday that “I am deeply alarmed that yet again, the Trump administration continues to raise the risk of unnecessary war, disconnected from any firm policy objectives and core national security interests. To be clear, neither the 2001 or 2002 AUMFs provide authority to target Assad or Iranian proxies in Syria, and it is unacceptable for this action to be taken absent a vote and approval of Congress.”........'
'Breaking: US ‘concerned’ Syrian government used sarin gas – Mattis':
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/breaking-us-concerned-syrian-gove rnment-used-sarin-gas-mattis/
Trying to pull that old 'False Flag' lie again.
Meanwhile: 'Either US to leave Eastern Euphrates or to be kicked out':
http://www.syriatimes.sy/index.php/don-t-miss/34693-either-us-to-leave -eastern-euphrates-or-to-be-kicked-out
'TEHRAN– The Iranian Leader’s Aide on International Affairs, Ali Akbar Velayati, stressed Wed. that “Either US will leave Eastern Euphrates in Syria or we will force them to leave,” according to the Mehr News Agancy.
Ali Akbar Velayati made the remarks in a conference in support of the Palestinian Intifada on Wednesday in Mashhad, adding “the Middle East is the beating heart of the world and every country wishes to have an influence in this region. How could we have remained silent when the flag of Israel was raised during the referendum in Iraqi Kurdistan region?”
Velayati noted the US plan for creating the Greater Middle East, and the developments in Libya, Syria, Iraq and Yemen as a result of it, adding “Washington seeks to partition regional countries to topple them, and the recent developments in Syria are a result of this plot.”.....'
'Years late to the party, mainstream media outlets like USA Today, Reuters, and Buzzfeed are just out with “breaking” and “exclusive” stories detailing how a vast arsenal of weapons sent to Syria by the CIA in cooperation with US allies fuelled the rapid growth of ISIS. Buzzfeed’s story titled, Blowback: ISIS Got A Powerful Missile The CIA Secretly Bought In Bulgaria, begins by referencing “a new report on how ISIS built its arsenal highlights how the US purchased munitions, intended for Syrian rebels, that ended up in the hands of the terrorist group.”
https://www.mintpressnews.com/the-surge-of-media-coverage-on-the-cias- arming-of-isis/235587/
'Supplies of material into the Syrian conflict from foreign parties – notably the United States and Saudi Arabia – have indirectly allowed IS to obtain substantial quantities of anti-armor ammunition,” states the CAR report. “These weapons include anti-tank guided weapons and several varieties of rocket with tandem warheads, which are designed to defeat modern reactive armor.”......'
And more recently, of course, another attack on Syrian Pro-Assad forces near Deir Azzor (where they made a very big previous (allegedly mistaken) attack on Syrian Arab Army positions, allowing the ISIS groups to make a lightning attack in the wake of the Coalition attack, and take over the Syrian positions:
'Syrian gov’t issues official statement condemning Coalition bombing':
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/syrian-govt-issues-official-state ment-condemning-coalition-bombing/
'Russia raises questions about US attack on Syrian government forces':
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/russia-raises-questions-us-attack -syrian-government-forces/
'US not looking for war with Syrian government: Pentagon':
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/us-not-looking-war-syrian-governm ent-pentagon/
'Breaking: 3 trucks loaded with ‘tons’ of chlorine enter Syria’s Idlib from Turkey – reports: https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/breaking-3-trucks-loaded-tons-chl orine-enter-syrias-idlib-turkey-reports/
Breaking: 3 trucks loaded with ‘tons’ of chlorine enter Syria’s Idlib from Turkey – reports
Andrew Illingworth -
BEIRUT, LEBANON (3:03 P.M.) – Three trucks loaded with chlorine (often used for false-flag chemical weapons attacks by rebel groups) have entered into militant-held areas of Syria’s Idlib province, so reports a source linked to the Al-Alam new group.
The report from the Al-Alam correspondent says that the trucks from Turkey brought with them ‘several tons’ of chlorine.
Al-Masdar News cannot verify the claim.
In the past, rebel groups (including Al-Qaeda affiliate factions) have used chlorine gas to stage attacks against civilian targets which are then blamed on government forces in the hope of provoking a Western military response.
Moreover, militant groups have also been caught red-handed in the use of chlorine gas as a tactical weapon against government troops – the most recent example of this being in very late October 2016 during a second offensive by Turkish-backed insurgents to break the siege on east Aleppo.
As a weapon in the arsenal of rebel groups, chlorine gas is delivered via artillery shells.
And: 'Trucks Carrying Chemical Materials Cross Turkish Border into Syria': http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13961202000852
Meanwhile, in the House of Commons, our MP's lie and cry their crocodile, War Criminal lies to try to get military intervention in Syria:
'Syria: Chemical Weapons':
https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2018-02-20/debates/FF4E69E5-3502 -4B20-945F-B8AD23737B46/SyriaChemicalWeapons
'Exclusive: British journalist destroys MSM lies on Syria':
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjOSZ6QgGgY
More eye-witness testimony from Syria.
Russian Army in Damascus
by Thierry Meyssan
Over the last four years, all commentators have underlined the impossibility for Russia to deploy ground troops against the jihadists in Syria at the risk of reliving their defeat in Afghanistan. But what is true if Moscow confronts Washington by proxy is false if the two great powers agree not only on the future of Syria, but the whole region. Thierry Meyssan was the first journalist in the world to announce the arrival of the Russian army in Syria in 2015. He is today the first to announce the deployment of its infantry.
Voltaire Network | Damascus (Syria) | 1 March 2018
Vladimir Putin (President of the Russian Federation) and General Alexander Bortnikov (Director of Russian Counter-Intelligence - FSB)
Washington has decided to relegate its project for the destruction of states and societies in the Greater Middle East to second place in its preoccupations, and to concentrate its forces on opposing the Chinese project for the Silk Road. This has apparently been implemented by President Donald Trump and the Prime Minister of Australia Malcolm Turnbull (representing the British), on 24 February at the White House.
This is not just the traditional conflict between the Anglo-Saxon maritime Empire on one side and the land-based Chinese project on the other. It also concerns the potential threat that Chinese industry represents for the whole of the developed world. To put it simply, while in Antiquity, Europeans were eager to obtain Chinese silks, today, all the Western powers fear having to the compete with Chinese cars.
Since Beijing has abandoned the project of re-opening the Silk Road along its historic route through Mosul and Palmyra, the United States have nothing to gain by sponsoring jihadists to create a Caliphate straddling Iraq and Syria.
It was also on 24 February that Russia and the United States presented Resolution 2401 to the Security Council - a text which had been ready since the night before, and in which there had been no changes made, although everyone pretended to continue their bargaining.
Allegedly adopted in response to the French media campaign aimed at saving the population of the Ghouta, this Resolution deals, in reality, with a solution for almost all of Syria.
It puts on hold the question of the withdrawal of Turkish and US troops. Concerning the latter, it is not impossible that they balk at leaving the extreme North-East of the country. Indeed, if China decided to route the Silk Road through Turkey, Washington would fan the flames in order to create a Kurdistan in Kurdish territory (if we accept that South-East Anatolia is no longer Armenian territory since the genocide) and block Beijing’s way.
Moscow has moved new planes to its base in Hmeimim, including two Su-57 stealth aircraft – jewels of technology that the Pentagon imagined would not be operational before 2025.
Above all, Moscow, which until now had limited its engagement in Syria to its air force and a few Special Forces, has now secretly moved in infantry troops.
On the morning of 25 February, the Russian land army moved into East Ghouta alongside the Syrian Arab Army.
It is now impossible for anyone at all to attack Damascus, or attempt to overthrow the Syrian Arab Republic, without automatically provoking a Russian military riposte.
Saudi Arabia, France, Jordan and the United Kingdom, who had secretly formed the « Little Group » on 11 January in order to sabotage the peace conference at Sotchi, will be unable to take any further decisive action.
The gesticulations of the British and French Ministers for Foreign Affairs, Boris Johnson and Jean-Yves Le Drian, cannot disguise the new agreement between the White House and the Kremlin, nor the international legality of the Russian military presence and its military action in favour of the civilians who are prisoners of the jihadists.
They can not hope to question this agreement, as their respective countries did in July 2012, taking into account the evolution of the local and international situation.
If necessary, we will pretend not to know that the two armed factions present in East Ghouta (pro-Saudi and pro-Qatari) are run by Al-Qaïda. They will be discreetly exfiltrated. The officers of the British MI6 and the French DGSE (who are operating under cover of the NGO Médecins sans Frontières) will be repatriated.
The war has not yet ended for the whole of the territory, but it is already over for Damascus.
Thierry Meyssan
Pete Kimberley
'Reality Check: No Sarin gas used by Assad in Syria?':
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/reality-check-no-sarin-gas-used-a ssad-syria/
'...The statement is getting very little media coverage but it is a very big deal.
According to Defense Secretary James Mattis, there is no evidence that the Syrian government has used sarin gas on its own people.
Here is exactly what Mattis told reporters at the Pentagon:
“We have other reports from the battlefield from people who claim it’s been used.”
“We do not have evidence of it.”
“We’re looking for evidence of it, since clearly we are dealing with the Assad regime that has used denial and deceit to hide their outlaw actions.”
Mattis insists that he wasn’t refuting the claims. But in a sense, he did....'
'IRANIAN GENERAL SOLEIMANI WANTS TO ‘SLAP WEST IN FACE’ WITH PROOF OF US-ISIS COOPERATION':
https://southfront.org/iranian-general-soleimani-wants-to-slap-west-in -face-with-proof-of-us-isis-cooperation/
'...The provided documents reportedly “contained precise information on the geographical position, time and exact details [of the US cooperation with ISIS].”
“When Mosul in Iraq was under the Daesh occupation, an American A330 landed at Mosul Airport, American generals got off the plane and military equipment was unloaded,” the Iranian politican said. “At the airport’s VIP lounge, the American generals talked with Daesh [ISIS] leaders in Mosul for three hours and 23 minutes and then boarded the plane and returned.”
Amir-Abdollahian continued saying that the US provided ISIS with “weapons and equipment it needed and that they had already agreed on.” He added that three helicopters landed and delivered military equipment to senior ISIS figures.
In a separate case, the US allegedly evacuated ISIS commanders arrested by Iraqi security forces. Some of these terrorists were then transfered to Afghanistan.'
'East Ghouta militants promise to free civilians in exchange for aid: Russian MoD':
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201803051062228124-eastern-ghouta-h umanitarian-aid-civilians/
This is confirmation that it is the headchoppers who are stopping the civilian hostages from escaping via the Russian Humanitarian Corridors, as they have offered to let the civilians go in exchange for Humanitarian Aid.
However, the US State Dept. called Russia's 5-hour daily corridor a 'Joke', and said people were afraid to use it in case of repercussions from Assad - what absolute BS:
'U.S. Calls Russia Idea of Syria Humanitarian Corridors 'a Joke':
https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2018/03/01/world/middleeast/01reuters- mideast-crisis-syria-usa.html
'Why the Arabs don’t want us in Syria':
https://www.politico.eu/article/why-the-arabs-dont-want-us-in-syria-mi deast-conflict-oil-intervention/
'America’s unsavory record of violent interventions in Syria — little-known to the American people yet well-known to Syrians — sowed fertile ground for the violent Islamic jihadism that now complicates any effective response by our government to address the challenge of ISIL. So long as the American public and policymakers are unaware of this past, further interventions are likely only to compound the crisis. Secretary of State John Kerry this week announced a “provisional” ceasefire in Syria. But since U.S. leverage and prestige within Syria is minimal — and the ceasefire doesn’t include key combatants such as Islamic State and al Nusra — it’s bound to be a shaky truce at best. Similarly President Obama’s stepped-up military intervention in Libya — U.S. airstrikes targeted an Islamic State training camp last week — is likely to strengthen rather than weaken the radicals. As the New York Times reported in a December 8, 2015, front-page story, Islamic State political leaders and strategic planners are working to provoke an American military intervention. They know from experience this will flood their ranks with volunteer fighters, drown the voices of moderation and unify the Islamic world against America....'
Though Politico is normally rubbish, this is a good article.
Righto. We're there.
Russia Says it Will Attack U.S. Military if Trump Strikes Syria Again
Tom O’Connor Newsweek March 13, 2018
https://www.yahoo.com/news/russia-says-attack-u-military-182702256.htm l
Top Russian officials have threatened to retaliate with force if President Donald Trump orders an attack that could endanger the lives of its soldiers stationed there in support of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's campaign against rebels and jihadis near Damascus.
Army General Valery Gerasimov warned on Tuesday that the U.S. was preparing to launch raids against Moscow's ally, the Syrian government, as it attempted to clear bastion of jihadis and rebels—some of which were once backed by the West—in the suburbs of the capital city of Damascus. The leading military official claimed that the U.S. would strike under the false pretense of a chemical weapon attack—a tactic that Russia has denied the Syrian military utilizes—and vowed to fight back.
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"In the event of a threat to our military servicemen’s lives, Russia’s Armed Forces will take retaliatory measures to target both the missiles and their delivery vehicles," Gerasimov said, according to the state-run Tass Russian News Agency.
GettyImages-931207138
Russian military police members stand guard at the Al-Wafideen checkpoint on the outskirts of the Syrian capital Damascus neighboring the rebel-held eastern Ghouta enclave on March 13, 2018, awaiting any civilians evacuating from the area. A U.S> strike on Syrian troops and their allies could endanger Russian personnel, prompting what Moscow officials said would be a retaliation. LOUAI BESHARA/AFP/Getty Images
U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley has railed against the Syrian government's recently intensified campaign to retake the insurgent-held district of eastern Ghouta outside Damascus, accusing Syria and its Russian and Iranian allies of mounting civilian casualties. As a fellow permanent U.N. Security Council member, Russia has vetoed a number of resolutions targeting Assad's government and has accused the insurgents of shelling nearby Damascus city. Haley also blamed Russia for breaking a 30-day ceasefire agreement reached earlier this month.
"When the international community consistently fails to act, there are times when states are compelled to take their own action," Haley told the U.N. Security Council on Monday, citing the current situation in eastern Ghouta as an example of this, as The Hill reported.
"We warn any nation determined to impose its will through chemical attacks and inhuman suffering, but most especially the outlaw Syrian regime, the United States remains prepared to act if we must," she added. "It is not a path we prefer. But it is a path we have demonstrated we will take, and we are prepared to take again."
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Russia has taken this as a sign that the U.S. was planning to attack Syrian military forces as it did in April, following charges that the Syrian airforce used sarin gas in the northwestern rebel-held district of Idlib, something Russia and Syria have denied. Less than 72 hours after the U.S. accused Syria of being behind the attack, Trump ordered a cruise missile strike from Navy warships in the Mediterranean.
In a disagreement that has become characteristic of U.S. and Russian involvement in Syria, Washington claimed that it had used a previously established de-confliction line to warn Russia of the attack. But Moscow denied this, saying Russian personnel at the targeted Al-Shayrat air base were put at risk.
RTX34HHA
Navy guided-missile destroyer USS Porter launches Tomahawk cruise missiles against the Al-Shayrat air base in Syria, April 7, 2017. The attack came less than three days after a chemical attack that Russia and Syria denied conducting in the rebel-held province of Idlib. Ford Williams/U.S. Navy/REUTERS
In response to Haley's warning at the U.N., the Russian Foreign Ministry also pledged a forceful response to any U.S. attack that threatened Russian troops who were stationed throughout Syrian military frontlines near Damascus. Accusing a "belligerent" Haley of promoting "criminal actions" in Syria, the ministry said "in this case, required retaliatory measures will be taken," Tass reported.
"If a new strike of this kind takes place, the consequences will be very serious," Russia Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in a separate statement also carried by Tass.
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"Mrs. Haley should understand that it is one thing to irresponsibly exploit the microphone in the U.N. Security Council and it is another thing when both the Russian and American militaries have communication channels and it is clearly stated via these channels what can be done and what must not be done," he added.
Russia intervened in Syria in 2015 at Assad's request, helping him overcome a 2011 uprising sponsored by the West, Turkey and Gulf Arab states. As lines blurred between the mainstream Syrian opposition and jihadis groups such as Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State militant group (ISIS), the U.S. switched its focus from regime change to defeating ISIS via support for a mostly Kurdish coalition known as the Syrian Democratic Forces.
But Turkey, a U.S. ally and fellow NATO Western military alliance member, has objected to Washington's support for Kurdish militias, which Ankara accused of harboring ties to the militant Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). A joint Turkish and Syrian rebel attack on the Kurdish enclave of Afrin has drawn Kurdish fighters away from the U.S.-led coalition fight against ISIS and into an alliance with Assad against Turkey.
RTS1NEQL
Two maps show areas of control in Syria as of January 8, 2018 and March 8, 2018. Turkey and its rebel allies have made gains against the Kurd-controlled enclave of Afrin, causing an exodus of Kurdish fighters from the U.S.-led coalition battle against ISIS in the east. Institute for the Study of War/Reuters
Responding to Russia's vow to strike back against potential U.S. military action in Syria, the U.S.-led coalition said its main focus was to fight ISIS, but that it shared Haley's opinion on the use of chemical weapons in Syria.
"Coalition officials regularly engage their Russian counterparts via established ground and air deconfliction lines, with the goal of ensuring mutual understanding and preventing escalations in tension. Our interactions with Russian officials have been professional and effective, proving the value of the deconfliction effort," coalition spokesman Colonel Thomas Veale said in a statement sent to Newsweek.
"Although the Coalition does not speak for the United States, we acknowledge the U.S. government's stance, echoed by our Coalition and NATO partners, that the use of chemical weapons use is unacceptable," he added.
Veale said the coalition would to continue backing the remaining, mostly Arab fighters of the Syrian Democratic Forces still battling ISIS in eastern Syria. These forces faced an "operational pause" due to the departure of Kurdish fighters, as well as recent tensions between pro-Syrian government forces that erupted into deadly violence, including the deaths of Russian citizens from U.S. airstrikes last month.
Syrian Army intercepts militant transport truck destined for East Ghouta https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/syrian-army-intercepts-militant-t ransport-truck-destined-for-east-ghouta-video/
The Syrian armed forces carried out a successful military operation intercepting a truck containing weapons and ammunition intended for militants, a representative of Syrian intelligence told Sputnik.
“We organized an ambush, as a result of which a large truck carrying ammunition and weapons has been intercepted; some of the equipment is made in America. Also there were medicines and equipment for satellite communication there. All this was intended for militants in Ghouta,” the spokesman said.
A video that appeared online shows ammunition and weapons found in the truck, including smoke grenades with the inscription “Salisbury England.”
According to the officer, it is not the first time that the Syrian army manages to intercept a cargo intended for the militants.
A few days earlier, Syrian forces intercepted a car that was carrying ammunition, mortar shells, guns and missiles to the region.
The success of the operation will be a serious blow for the terrorists and will contribute to the weakening of armed groups in Eastern Ghouta, the spokesman concluded.
Syrian Army Intercepts Truck Heading to Terrorists in Eastern Ghouta
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrpFIeTzDhs
'Interview with Peter Ford (Former UK ambassador to Syria)':
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZlAdpFZrqw
Ex-Brit Ambassador to Syria tells it like it is.
cogbias
Google: missfire "iron dome".
It's been a while since i posted on here. This'll be my last.
Israel blows hundreds of thousands firing Iron Dome missile at nothing in a bizarre, costly mistake
http://uk.businessinsider.com/israel-blows-hundreds-of-thousands-in-ir on-dome-missile-mistake-2018-3
Israel's military fired off a salvo of ten or so missile interceptors in a bizarre mistake that likely cost the country around a half million dollars.
Israel said it mistook machine gun fire and sirens for rocket launches, which is a pretty bizarre mistake to make.
Israel activated its Iron Dome missile defense shield on Sunday night, and videos on social media show at least 10 missiles streaking across the night sky.
But the missiles were fired in error, Israel later admitted.
"Following reports of sirens sounding in southern Israel, unusual machine gun fire towards Israel was identified. No rocket launches were identified. The (military) is looking into the circumstances which led to the activation of the Iron Dome system," a statement from Israel's army said.
A Hamas spokesperson also told Reuters that no rockets had been fired towards Israel
Israel's Iron Dome missile shield is composed of multiple different missile defense systems and batteries, and none of them run cheap. It's likely the missiles cost anywhere from $40,000 to $90,000 each.
Typically, the Iron Dome has a high rate of success and is one of the world's more battle-tested, effective missile defenses. Machine gun fire and sirens, while loud, hardly match the profile of a rocket launch, and isn't entirely uncommon around the Gaza strip, making it a bizarre mistake to make.
In warfare, it's common for adversaries to use cost imposing strategies against each other. Prompting hundreds of thousands of dollars in Israeli missile launches with some cheap machine gun fire would be an extremely efficient execution of such a strategy.
Below are a few videos of the missile launches:
'Proof: Intel Drop, Trump, Bolton behind Syria chemical attacks, confirmed':
https://www.veteranstoday.com/2018/04/08/proof-intel-drop-trump-bolton -behind-syria-chemical-attacks-confirmed/
'..The shells in the above video are identified as VX gas from British stockpiles.
Russian officials in Syria informed Britain through Oman that they would have to directly deal with Syria for the return of their personnel. We have received no further information since, Damascus has remained silent on how or if negotiations were proceeding.
We do know that US Representative Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii, a US Army combat veteran of Iraq, met with both President Assad and Donald Trump, in order to arrange for covert exchange, for substantial financial consideration, of captured Americans....'
Douma - What really happened - Chemical Attack that lead to missile Strikes on Syria
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21RyTTFIHxs
Rebel Chemical Attack leads to missile Strikes on Syria - Analysis
I don't know how long this video will stay up, or if my channel is going to be attacked again by censors, but if so you know where else to find me.
Twitter: @Partisangirl
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UK’s shadowy £1bn conflict fund being kept secret from MPs
Published time: 7 Mar, 2017 10:26
https://www.rt.com/uk/379702-conflict-fund-secretive-spending/
Ministers trying to find out what the government’s shadowy £1 billion (US$1.22 billion) conflict, stability and security (CSS) fund is being spent on say they are being given the runaround by Home Secretary Amber Rudd.
During a session of the joint committee on national security strategy held on Monday, Rudd named the Syrian White Helmet ‘rescue’ organization as one recipient, but evaded questions about what other nations and groups received a share.
Former Tory defense chief Lord Hamilton told Rudd that he had become aware that the committee was “responsible to parliament for the CSS fund,” but that MPs had been told the nations being handed cash were not to be revealed.
© Damir Sagolj Britain gave human rights abuser Bahrain £2.1mn ‘stability’ funding in 2016
“We said we would be mildly interested in knowing in which countries this money is spent.
They said we can’t be told because it is secret. We feel we are groping around in the dark.
”Rudd said that the fund was used for 97 different initiatives in 40 countries but declined to explain further, on the basis that the truth could be embarrassing and make other countries jealous.
She did acknowledge that some funding went on the controversial White Helmets, among others.
“They do a great job in reaching out, addressing UK interests in unstable areas,” she told the committee.
“They include groups such as the White Helmets in Syria, who do a great job.”
The White Helmets, which were founded by a former British Army officer, have been accused of being a front for Western soft power in the region.
A recent report by the committee lamented the lack of transparency, arguing that “The lack of information available to us means that the jury is out on whether the CSSF is striking the right balance between the longer-term prevention of conflict and instability and short-term reaction to events.
“The government is clearly keen for the [joint committee] to legitimise the CSSF by endorsing the fund’s operation. However, parliament does not have sufficient access to the information that we need effectively to scrutinise the CSSF,” the authors said.
For her part, Rudd insisted she should be judged by results.
Posted: Thu Apr 12, 2018 12:58 am Post subject:
'There Was No Chemical Attack in Syria':
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTtAm0OHW24&feature=youtu.be
'Virginia State Senator Richard Black discusses the latest "chemical attack" in Syria as a false flag attempt at pressuring Trump into a reckless confrontation with Russia in Syria. Learn more here: https://larouchepac.com/20180410/enough-call-congress-and-your-senator -and-tell-them-shutdown-robert-mueller-stop-british '
'Rebel group accusing Assad of gas attack 'USED CHEMICAL WEAPONS' against Kurds':
https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/944900/Syria-Assad-chemical-attac k-Douma-Jaish-al-Islam-Kurds-YPG-Kurdistan
PUBLISHED: 03:11, Thu, Apr 12, 2018 | UPDATED: 04:42, Thu, Apr 12, 2018
'Jaish al-Islam (Army of Islam) was formerly known as Liwa al-Islam (Brigade of Islam) and is a coalition of Salafist Islamist militant groups based in the Douma and Eastern Ghouta regions of the Syrian capital of Damascus.
Douma was the site of an alleged chemical weapons attack where up to 43 people were killed and it has been blamed on the Syrian regime.
But according to reports from news outlet Kurdistan 24, the group admitted it used chemical weapons in a mainly Kurdish populated area in the city of Aleppo, northern Syria in April 2016.
In an official statement, Jaish al-Islam said: “One of the field commanders in Aleppo used weapons that he was not authorised to use in these kinds of confrontations.”
The group claimed the brigade commander was summoned to a military court, adding: “He has been referred to the Military Justice to receive the proper punishment......"
And just look at the Comments! Even most Express commenters believe there is no proof Assad used them, and most point to the headchoppers.
'ISIS Used Chemical Arms at Least 52 Times in Syria and Iraq, Report Says':
https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/21/world/middleeast/isis-chemical-weap ons-syria-iraq-mosul.html
'The Islamic State has used chemical weapons, including chlorine and sulfur mustard agents, at least 52 times on the battlefield in Syria and Iraq since it swept to power in 2014, according to a new independent analysis.
More than one-third of those chemical attacks have come in and around Mosul, the Islamic State stronghold in northern Iraq, according to the assessment by the IHS Conflict Monitor, a London-based intelligence collection and analysis service.
The IHS conclusions, which are based on local news reports, social media and Islamic State propaganda, mark the broadest compilation of chemical attacks in the conflict. American and Iraqi military officials have expressed growing alarm over the prospect of additional chemical attacks as the allies press to regain both Mosul and Raqqa, the Islamic State capital in Syria......'
Even the New York Times quotes a London based report of the IHS saying Islamic State has used CW's 52 times.
Posted: Wed Apr 18, 2018 9:43 am Post subject:
‘OPCW-accredited Swiss lab can ‘neither confirm nor deny’ BZ toxin was used in Skripal poisoning’:
https://www.rt.com/news/424278-opcw-spiez-lab-%D1%81omment/
‘The Swiss state Spiez lab which has studied samples from Salisbury said it can “neither confirm nor deny” the Russian foreign minister’s statement that nerve agent BZ was used in Sergei Skripal’s poisoning.
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov made waves on Saturday when he said that Sergei Skripal, a former Russian double agent, and his daughter Yulia, were poisoned with an incapacitating toxin known as 3-Quinuclidinyl benzilate, or simply BZ. While the toxin was never produced in Russia, it was in service in the US, UK and other NATO states.
The top Russian diplomat was citing the results of the examination conducted by the Spiez lab, designated by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). The Swiss chemical laboratory worked with the samples that London handed over to the OPCW, Lavrov said.
“We cannot have any statement on that,” Andreas Bucher, Spiez Laboratory’s strategy and communications head, told TASS on Monday.
“We are contractually bound to the OPCW for confidentiality. So, the only institution that could confirm what Mr. Lavrov was saying is the OPCW. We cannot confirm or deny anything,” he added.
The Swiss state research center is controlled by the country’s Federal Office for Civil Protection and, ultimately, by the defense minister….’
“We are contractually bound to the OPCW for confidentiality…..”???????
An issue of a highly possible military clash between Russia and the West, and the Swiss lab hides behind a ‘confidentiality’ clause?
This issue should be totally transparent – WTF is going on?
‘TRUMP HITS SYRIA A SECOND TIME AND SIGNALS TO THE WORLD THAT THE U.S. EMPIRE IS COMING APART AT THE SEAMS’:
https://southfront.org/trump-hits-syria-a-second-time-and-signals-to-t he-world-that-the-u-s-empire-is-coming-apart-at-the-seams/
A very clear analysis of the attack on Syria from an American guy.
‘Douma Chemical Attack False Flag Operation EXPOSED!. (Translated)’:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSrRV-zdNic
Doctors and nurses give their testimonies regarding Douma ‘False Flag’ hoax coordinated by White Helmets.
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Disco_Destroyer
Posted: Tue May 03, 2011 12:55 pm Post subject: Syria - latest NATO/Mossad terrorists' war crime scene
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:MedU.png
Syria next ex-colony for French 'humanitarian' intervention?
'Come and see the violence inherent in the system.
Help, help, I'm being repressed!'
“The more you tighten your grip, the more Star Systems will slip through your fingers.”
www.myspace.com/disco_destroyer
Posted: Thu May 05, 2011 2:03 pm Post subject:
http://www.activistpost.com/2011/05/syria-attempts-to-break-free.html
Syria Attempts to Break Free
More reports of armed gangs, snipers, and dead Syrian security forces.
Tony Cartalucci, Contributing Writer
Bangkok, Thailand May 2, 2011 - As the media circus over Bin Laden's latest reported death just begins to set up camp, Syria is still fighting desperately against an admittedly foreign-funded campaign of sedition and unrest. Meanwhile, the West is attempting to increase pressure on Syria via sanctions and by expanding support for further intervention.
Syrian security forces have recently overrun the city of Deraa claimed to be the "cradle" of the "pro-democracy" protests. The operation coincides with widespread arrests and an amnesty offer by the Assad government for protest leaders to turn themselves in to avoid prosecution. Perhaps fearing order will ultimately be restored, the West has increased pressure on the Arab League to "take a stance" against Syria's crackdown.
While the corporate owned media continues to rely on "rights groups" and their "witness accounts," most of which are admittedly being funded, directed, and equipped by the US, Syria's state news service SANA has reported that on Monday the army "tracked down terrorist groups that have terrorized civilians and killed 10 of its members and arrested 499 of them." SANA also reported that security forces "killed five snipers who were shooting at pedestrians."
This concurs with earlier reports and an increasing amount of evidence that suggests, just as in Libya, Egypt, Tunisia, and last year in Thailand, the foreign-funded "pro-democracy" protesters are serving as unwitting fodder for armed militants and provocateur gunmen.
The "peaceful," "unarmed" protesters have managed to kill
over 80 Syrian security force members. The Syrian government
insists that armed elements are operating amongst the protesters.
Brookings Institution's "Which Path to Persia?" specifically mentions
providing "some form of military support" for US-sparked popular
revolutions facing competent security forces.
It should be noted that in Brookings Institution's "Which Path to Persia?" report, the option of providing military support for US-sparked "popular revolutions" was not only considered, but deemed as an absolute necessity for nations with fully functioning and competent security forces. The combination of popular revolution, insurgency, and inviting a military coup were all discussed and suggested for use in tandem. Undeniably this formula, despite being fashioned for Iran, has served as a template for the entire "Arab Spring."
The report states, "as far as the regime change options themselves, an American administration might choose to pursue all three of the specific routes—popular revolution, insurgency, and coup—on the grounds that doing so would increase the likelihood that one of them will succeed. Moreover, employing all three simultaneously might create helpful synergies among them. For instance, if the regime becomes bogged down fighting various insurgencies, Iranian military officers might become convinced that the leadership must be replaced and that there is an opportunity to do so."
It continues by specifically mentioning the use of military aid to perpetuate popular revolutions by stating, "consequently, if the United States ever succeeds in sparking a revolt against the clerical regime, Washington may have to consider whether to provide it with some form of military support to prevent Tehran from crushing it." In Libya, quite obviously this has been done on record, and emerging evidence suggests that it is now being done in Syria.
Syrian unrest is admittedly US-funded
Syria has long been slated for regime change. In 2002, then US Under Secretary of State John Bolton, would add Syria to the growing "Axis of Evil." It would be later revealed that Bolton's threats against Syria would manifest themselves as covert funding and support for opposition groups inside of Syria spanning both the Bush and Obama administrations.
In a recent CNN article, acting State Department spokesman Mark Toner stated, "We're not working to undermine that [Syrian] government. What we are trying to do in Syria, through our civil society support, is to build the kind of democratic institutions, frankly, that we're trying to do in countries around the globe. What's different, I think, in this situation is that the Syrian government perceives this kind of assistance as a threat to its control over the Syrian people."
Toner's remarks come after the Washington Post released cables indicating the US has been funding Syrian opposition groups since at least 2005 under the Bush administration and was continued under Obama. As we can see, the campaign against Syria transcended presidential administrations for nearly two decades.
In a recent AFP report, Michael Posner, the assistant US Secretary of State for Human Rights and Labor, stated that the "US government has budgeted $50 million in the last two years to develop new technologies to help activists protect themselves from arrest and prosecution by authoritarian governments." The report went on to explain that the US "organized training sessions for 5,000 activists in different parts of the world. A session held in the Middle East about six weeks ago gathered activists from Tunisia, Egypt, Syria and Lebanon who returned to their countries with the aim of training their colleagues there." Posner would add, "They went back and there's a ripple effect."
The West, perhaps seeing their window of opportunity closing, has become overtly aggressive in both their ongoing military campaign in Libya and their attempted military intervention in Syria. Indeed, calls have increased to exact a similar intervention against Assad that is currently unfolding against Libya's Qaddafi. All of this must be seen within the greater context of the admittedly foreign-funded and engineered "Arab Spring," and the greater campaign unfolding against Moscow, Beijing, and their peripheries.
Tony Cartalucci's articles have appeared on many alternative media websites, including his own at
Land Destroyer Report.
Posted: Sat May 07, 2011 10:19 am Post subject:
Anti Syria intel release war has been hotting up too recently
Syria 'tried to build reactor'(UKPA) – Apr 28, 2011
The head of the United Nations nuclear agency has said for the first time that Syria tried to secretly build a nuclear reactor.
Yukiya Amano said the target destroyed by Israeli warplanes five years ago "was a reactor under construction".
Syria denies the bombed building had any nuclear uses and also rejects claims that it is hiding secret atomic activities.
Previous International Atomic Energy Agency reports have suggested that the structure hit could have been a reactor.
But Mr Amano's comments were the first time the agency has said so unequivocally.
Syria has stonewalled IAEA attempts to follow up on an initial 2008 visit to the site.
'Syria needs a silent coup to prevent greater bloodbath'
Posted: Thu May 12, 2011 11:53 pm Post subject:
Deja Vu? US fires 1st salvo in word war with Syria
Posted: Tue May 31, 2011 1:30 am Post subject: Who cares in the Middle East what Obama says?
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/fisk/who-cares-in-th e-middle-east-what-obama-says-2290761.html
excerpt from: Who cares in the Middle East what Obama says?
by Robert Fisk, The Independent, 30 May 2011
Watching the hundreds of refugees pouring from Syria across the northern border of Lebanon, the Turkish government is now so fearful of a repeat of the great mass Iraqi Kurdish refugee tide that overwhelmed their border in the aftermath of the 1991 Gulf war that it has drawn up its own secret plans to prevent the Kurds of Syria moving in their thousands into the Kurdish areas of south-eastern Turkey. Turkish generals have thus prepared an operation that would send several battalions of Turkish troops into Syria itself to carve out a "safe area" for Syrian refugees inside Assad's caliphate. The Turks are prepared to advance well beyond the Syrian border town of Al Qamishli – perhaps half way to Deir el-Zour (the old desert killing fields of the 1915 Armenian Holocaust, though speak it not) – to provide a "safe haven" for those fleeing the slaughter in Syria's cities.
Robert Fisk’s anti-Syria propaganda
propaganda alert by Cem Ertür, 911Blogger, 29 April 2011
http://911blogger.com/news/2011-05-14/british-governments-september-20 02-dossier-iraq-cartoon
Last edited by cem on Tue May 31, 2011 1:42 am; edited 2 times in total
Posted: Tue May 31, 2011 1:40 am Post subject: Turkey plans to send troops into Syria
propaganda alerts:
by Cem Ertür, 911Blogger, 29 April 2011
Turkey’s top officials: A new regime should be established in Libya
by Cem Ertür, 911Blogger, 25 May 2011
http://911blogger.com/news/2011-05-24/turkey-s-top-officials-new-regim e-should-be-established-libya
.[/quote]
oooh will they go ahead anyway?
Russia says it won't support Libya 2.0 as Syria pressure builds
'Syria intervention will prove craziness of no limit'
UNacceptable: Russia blocking Syria resolution
http://rtr.org/videos/33400/23580/hidden-agenda-in-syria-to-show
'Hidden agenda in Syria to show itself after Bilderberg meeting'
Posted: Thu Jun 16, 2011 12:51 pm Post subject:
US Warships Moved To Syrian Coast
www.prisonplanet.com
Even as the Obama administration prepares to launch a full ground war in Libya while expanding its drone attacks inside Yemen and Pakistan, US warships are being moved towards the Mediterrenean coast of Syria, precisely in line with forecasts that the Bilderberg Group intended to launch a massive ne...
http://www.prisonplanet.com/us-warships-moved-to-syrian-coast.html
Posted: Sat Jun 18, 2011 10:28 pm Post subject: Turkey’s final warning to Syria
Zaman, 17 June 2011
Turkey’s final warning to Syria: Tomorrow may be too late for reforms
* We have spoken to the refugees; you cannot say ‘there is no oppression against the people’
* Allow the international press to have free access to the country; otherwise nobody will believe you
______________________________________________________________________ _________________________________
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2011/06/18/18682242.php
[propaganda alert]
compiled by Cem Ertür
1) Turkey’s final warning to Syria: Tomorrow may be too late for reforms (17 June 2011)
2) Turkey's Prime Minister Erdogan: Syria is not behaving in a humane manner (10 June 2011)
3) Syrian opposition meeting in Turkey supports regime change in Syria (3 June 2011)
4) Turkey plans to send troops into Syria to carve out a safe area for Syrian refugees (30 May 2011)
http://www.todayszaman.com/news-247685-turkey-says-syria-only-has-a-fe w-days-left-to-get-its-act-together.html
excerpts from: Turkey says Syria only has a few days left to get its act together
Today’s Zaman, 17 June 2011
Turkey has delivered a blunt message to the Syrian leadership, saying the regime's willingness to undertake sweeping reforms in the unrest-laden country will determine the position of Turkey in the coming days, if not weeks, diplomatic sources told Today's Zaman. [...]
According to an incremental plan, Turkey will start supporting tougher UN resolutions if the regime fails to live up to the expectations of the international community.
The strongest message yet to the Syrian leadership was conveyed by Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu, who spoke with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's special envoy, Hassan Turkmani, earlier this week.
“We underlined that Turkish support to Syria hinges on the willingness of the Syrian government to adopt sweeping reforms in the country. We detailed our suggestions before and even relayed a written proposal to Damascus on how they should proceed to stabilize the country,” the source explained.
“Actually, the situation in Syria is not exactly like the one in Libya. Syria is practically a domestic issue for us, I have said this many times. We have a [common] border that extends for 850-900 kilometres.
Currently there are [people] entering Turkey through the Altinozu [district]. [...] We really cannot close our gates to people fleeing for their lives and seeking refuge in Turkey. We have to let them in. But, of course, how long this will continue, that’s another matter. [...]
I say this clearly and openly, from a humanitarian point of view, his brother [Maher Assad] is not behaving in a humane manner. And he is chasing after savagery. Their appearance next to the women they have killed is such an ugly sight. These scenes are hard to stomach.
This [situation] is inevitably leading to the United Nations Security Council’s involvement and preparations are being made there as well. So, in the face of all this we cannot continue to support Syria. Because we do have relatives [living] there.”
[Turkey’ Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, TV interview at “Gundem Ozel” programme, ATV channel, 9 June 2011. This interview was conducted three days before the general elections in Turkey.]
Video of the interview (in Turkish):
Basbakan Erdogan Atv Gundem Ozel Secim Programinda - 9 Haziran 2011
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtkxJo3tJbE
Note: The excerpts above have been transcribed and translated from Turkish by Cem Ertür.
http://www.todayszaman.com/news-246120-assad-opponents-decide-to-suppo rt-regime-change-in-syria.html
excerpt from: Assad opponents decide to support regime change in Syria
Today’s Zaman, 3 June 2011
The Syria for Change conference, a three-day meeting held by opponents of the Syrian government in the southern Turkish city of Antalya, ended on Friday with the participants declaring their full support for the revolution and regime change in Syria.
excerpts from: Who cares in the Middle East what Obama says?
Turkish generals have thus prepared an operation that would send several battalions of Turkish troops into Syria itself to carve out a “safe area” for Syrian refugees inside Assad's caliphate. The Turks are prepared to advance well beyond the Syrian border town of Al Qamishli – perhaps half way to Deir el-Zour [...] to provide a “safe haven” for those fleeing the slaughter in Syria's cities.
'Turkey ponders buffer zone in Syria'
Turkey may send its military forces into Syrian soil to establish a “buffer zone,” should the current unrest in Syria skyrocket into a refugee crisis that would pose a threat to Ankara, a report says.
Press TV, 16 June 2011
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/184979.html
Turkey leads anti-Syria smear campaign
Turkey's smear campaign against the Syrian government is much worse than the propaganda spread by Arab media to tarnish the image of Damascus with regards to its recent unrest.
The destabilization of Syria and the broader Middle East war
by Michel Chossudovsky, Global Research, 17 June 2011
http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=25312
The Obama doctrine: Lawless imperial aggression (part II)
by Stephen Lendman, SteveLendmanBlog, 11 June 2011
http://sjlendman.blogspot.com/2011/06/obama-doctrine-lawless-imperial_ 11.html
America's next war theater: Syria and Lebanon?
Washington's war against the Resistance Bloc
by Mahdi Darius Nazemroaya, Global Research, 10 June 2011
Netanyahu’s Speech to Congress: Racism, War-Mongering and Fabrication
Netanyahu can’t reverse the tide of history
by Richard Becker, Global Research, 27 May 2011
Syria: Who is behind the protest movement? Fabricating a pretext for a US-NATO “humanitarian intervention”
by Michel Chossudovsky, Global Research, 3 May 2011
Al Jazeera's war on Syria
by Stephen Lendman, SteveLendmanBlog, 2 May 2011
http://sjlendman.blogspot.com/2011/05/al-jazeeras-war-on-syria.html
Libyan scenario for Syria: Towards a US-NATO “humanitarian intervention” directed against Syria?
by Rick Rozoff, Global Research, 30 April 2011 “
Media disinformation and the Syrian protest movement
by Voltaire Network, Global Research, 27 April 2011
Media disinformation: The protest movement in Syria Western media coverage of the events in Daraa
by Michel Chossudovsky, Global Research, 28 March 2011
by Cem Ertür, 911 Blogger, 25 May 2011
Turkish daily: Bunker to shelter Turkey’s top brass in the event of a nuclear war
by Cem Ertür, Dandelion Salad, 28 December 2010
http://dandelionsalad.wordpress.com/2010/12/28/turkish-daily-bunker-to -shelter-turkey%E2%80%99s-top-brass-in-the-event-of-a-nuclear-war/
President Gul: NATO missile plan is in line with our expectations
by Cem Ertür, 911Blogger, 22 November 2010
http://911blogger.com/news/2010-11-21/president-gul-nato-missile-plan- line-our-expectations
Once again, a CSIS report designates Turkey as the optimum route for a possible Israeli attack on Iran
by Cem Ertür, Dandelion Salad, 30 March 2010
http://dandelionsalad.wordpress.com/2010/03/30/once-again-a-csis-repor t-designates-turkey-as-the-optimum-route-for-a-possible-israeli-attack -on-iran/
Posted: Sat Jun 18, 2011 10:39 pm Post subject: Foreign Office: UK nationals should leave Syria immediately
http://ukinsyria.fco.gov.uk/en/news/?view=News&id=617542782
excerpts from: Foreign Office urges British nationals to leave Syria immediately
Foreign and Commenwealth Office, 18 June 2011
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has been advising against all travel to Syria and advising British nationals with no pressing need to remain in country to leave since 24 April. We have now extended our advice to read as follows:
"British nationals should leave now by commercial means whilst these are still operating. [...] Our advice is very clear, because of the current situation, we advise against all travel to Syria. We ask British Nationals to heed this advice and leave the country now.
Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2011 12:27 pm Post subject:
Syrian President Blames "Saboteurs" For Protests In Syria pt.1
Uploaded by MOXNEWSd0tCOM on 20 Jun 2011
June 20, 2011 CNN
http://MOXNews.com
2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cs8fvHtUVOs
3 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nop36pXFiw
4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcXC17dI_iI
5 BBC actually being unbiased? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3LrmbqzeMag
Posted: Thu Jun 23, 2011 2:27 pm Post subject: An open letter to the UN Security Council
http://laregledujeu.org/en/2011/06/22/125/to-members-of-the-security-c ouncil-of-the-united-nations/
Letter to the members of the security council of the united nations
by Umberto Eco, David Grossman, Bernard-Henri Lévy, Amos Oz, Orhan Pamuk, Salman Rushdie, Wole Soyinka.
La Regle du Jeu website, 22 June 2011
Dear Ambassadors,
We are calling your attention to the dramatic situation in Syria and to the Security Council’s proposed Resolution regarding Syria.
You are well aware of the situation in Syria which has been submitted to your attention.
Whole cities such as Deraa, Homs, Lattaquié, Kamchli, Banyas, whose names have become familiar to us all, have been cut off from the world, deprived of electricity and telephone communications. These cities are patrolled by tanks in the streets and by helicopters in the air, shooting into the crowds, sniper fire from the roof-tops striking the people below, militia bursting into homes one by one and abducting men between the ages of 15 and 80.
You must surely know the names of these prisons where they are herded : Tadmor (Palmyre) ; Palestine, Adra, Douma (Damascus) ; Sied Naya : the Hades of Syria. You must surely know of the tortures these thousands of men endure. You are most certainly aware and appalled, as we are all, of how students, democrats, ordinary citizens are treated, throughout the country, people who peacefully request a dignity and freedom they have never had at the price of thousands of arrests and hundreds of deaths.
The Syria of the El Assad clan is a dictatorship passed down from father to son for over forty years and who, with total impunity has instilled fear in the very heart of each citizen using barbaric means and overriding each and every humane law. Millions of defenseless citizens were forced into rebellion. This friendly and hospitable people were pushed to their limit and, with their bare hands, knowingly faced a death machine aware of the heavy price they would pay. For the last two months, the demonstrations in Deraa, Homs, Kamchli, Banyas and Lattaquié have ended in massacres by the army, militia and secret service. However, regardless of the terror and with great courage, the protestors, after burying their dead, would begin again the next day. This is admirable. This is monstrous. This happens behind closed doors within sealed borders. Humanitarian organizations and the international press are banished. “Silence, we’re shooting”!
Mr. and Ms. Ambassadors, you of all people are aware of the situation and at this very moment are faced with decisions. In fact, the international community has already begun to act.
Germany, Great Britain, France and Portugal have proposed a Resolution condemning this repression and which should be submitted to the Security Council of the United Nations of which your fifteen nations are current members.
The outcome of this Resolution is in your hands. It qualifies the repression in Syria as a Crime against Humanity. It does not propose sanctions against Syria nor military intervention. It is limited to condemning the repression and clearing the path for investigations into the Crimes Against Humanity. However limited, this Resolution is necessary.
Mr. and Ms. Ambassadors, for the battered people of Syria and their peaceful fight for freedom, it is essential that you adopt this Resolution.
With current unanimous international pressure and support by the Security Council, the Syrian government could eventually cease the massacres it inflicts upon its people daily throughout the country and with total impunity.
International public opinion, above and beyond its diversity, would finally be heard sending a message throughout the world affording immense comfort to the Syrian people and confirming the moral influence of the Security Council and each of its member states all becoming advocates of a universal conscience!
We strongly hope that this proposed Resolution be submitted for review and vote by the Security Council. It must imperatively obtain in advance the greatest amount of support by you, Mr. and Ms. Ambassadors of the Security Council. It would be tragic and morally unacceptable if, because of the threat of an eventual veto or the occasional abstention here or there, this proposed Resolution not be reviewed by your conscience only to finish in the bin of abandonment.
Peter Wittig (Germany)
Hardeep Singh Puri (India)
Colombie : Nestor Osorio (Colombia)
Jose Filipe Moraes Cabral (Portugal)
Baso Sangpu (South Africa)
Ivan Barbalic (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti (Brazil)
Denis Dangue Rewaka (Gabon)
Nawaf Salam (Lebanon)
Joy Ogwu (Nigeria)
Baodong Li (China)
Susan Rice (United States of America)
Gérard Araud (France)
Mark Lyall Grant (Great Britain)
Vitaly Churkin (Russia)
(Copy to Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations)
SIGNATURES :
Moscow has raised concern over France supplying weapons to Libyan rebels and over ambigious interpretations of the UN Security Council resolution on Libya. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has also once again said that the sides in the Syrian conflict should resolve their differences through dialogue only. Investigative journalist Webster Tarpley, who's in Tripoli, shared his views with RT.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Sjt22q3Bb4
Syria: Zionist Mobilization Kicks Into High Gear
http://www.intifada-palestine.com/2011/07/syria-zionist-mobilization-k icks-into-high-gear/
16. Jul, 2011 - by Jonathan Azaziah / Mask of Zion
Editor’s Note: WARNING – Photos and hyperlinks in the ’conclusion’ section of this essay are of extremely graphic nature. They have been included in this piece due to their unequivocal importance to the overall view of what is taking place in Syria.
The hasbara (propaganda) that is spread throughout the Zionist-owned mainstream media is identical in nature to a house of cards. No matter how imposing the house may be, remove one card from the structure, and it shall immediately collapse in an almost glorious fashion. It is due to its foundation; its towering essence is overshadowed by its flimsiness. The Zionist media imposes its hasbara in terrorizing fashion; like the usurping Israeli entity’s bombs falling upon illegally besieged Gaza or Lebanon, the hasbara enters the psyche as an F-16 bombardment. But unlike the bombs, which are so unstoppably and menacingly destructive, the hasbara is weaker than the web of a spider coming in contact with a machete. Remove just one element, one detail from a news story laced with hasbara, like the house of cards, the aforesaid story will crash to the ground, broken and dismembered.
This house of cards is what has been built upon the events unfolding in Syria, where President Bashar al-Assad is facing an uprising not seen since his father’s days. The Zionist media, in partnership with ‘Arab’ media giant Al-Jazeera, painted a rosy picture of heroic, peaceful demonstrators rising up against the dictatorship that has ruled their nation repressively for more than four decades. But that is all that it is, a picture; a story not rooted in reality or fact. Al-Jazeera has finally admitted, that the opposition has lied and exaggerated about casualties and protest numbers (1), to ‘further its cause,’ of course, in typical hasbara fasion, but this small admission, this small card removed from the frame, brings the house of cards crashing down.
Al-Jazeera’s admission only gives further credence to what has already been exposed: the Zionist entity and the House of Saud, allied with the US, Turkey and Jordan, have launched a full-scale destabilization operation against Bashar al-Assad and his government. Mobilizing its forces from certain ‘hotspots,’ or joint operations rooms, the Zionist-Saudi axis has used its agents ex-Syrian VP Abdel-Halim Khaddam, AIPAC member Farid al-Ghadry, Brookings Institution Fellow Ammar AbdulHamid, State Dept giant Jeffrey Feltman and multiple Syrian Muslim Brotherhood leaders to fund, incite, train, guide, organize and direct its agents within Syria to drive the Assad leadership into the ground in hopes of replacing it with an anti-Iran, anti-Hezbollah regime subservient to the Zionist-Saudi axis. With weapons being provided by Jordan and armed operations initiated by Zionist agent * al-Dhari, Syria has been plunged into chaos (2). Feltman’s role is crucial, as he developed the final phase of this plot with Saudi National Security Advisor ‘Prince’ Bandar bin Sultan, spending $2 billion in the process (3).
The Zionist entity’s hopes of prolonging the ‘kiss of democratic death’ destablization operation and weakening Syria, prior to invading it, destroying it and colonizing it as it did with 13 years of sanctions against (occupied) Iraq, seem to have died down. It seems the next phase has already arrived. Events in the last week have spun out of control at lightning speed and Zionist mobilization has kicked into high gear.
Syrian Crimes Against Humanity: Fact or Pretext For Invasion?
Amnesty International (AI) has a long, disturbing history of collaborating with globalist powers to foment illegal wars and conquer indigenous resources and territory. A corporate member of the Chatham House and bankrolled by Zionist billionaire war criminal George Soros, AI is a ruthless organization that has fooled a great deal of people due to the mask of ‘human rights’ that it parades around in. Most infamously, in the ‘incubator babies’ scandal, it represented an integral wing of the Zionist operation against Iraq just prior to the criminal Gulf War, disseminating horrific propaganda across the globe, portraying Iraqis as animals and baby killers to justify the invasion. The story was revealed to be false on absolutely every level, but AI’s mission had already been accomplished: the Zionist war against Iraq had begun. Over the years, AI has directed mountains of hasbara against Syria, specifically towards Bashar al-Assad’s father, the late Hafez al-Assad (4).
On June 6th 2011, Amnesty International accused the Syrian government, under the direction of Bashar al-Assad and his top officials, of committing crimes against humanity in the town of Tell Kalakh. AI stated that ‘scores of men’ were arbitrarily arrested, tortured and at least 9 had died in custody. Seemingly infuriated, AI thundered in its report that the Syrian regime would respond to nothing but ‘concrete international measures.’ The report was a call to the UN Security Council and International Criminal Court to take action against Bashar al-Assad. A very gripping account indeed; one that pulls right at the heart strings in a whirlwind of emotion. A civilian population under siege at the hands of a monstrous dictator and his security apparatus. But a problem exists within this account; a very prominent, drastic problem. AI obtained all of the information from ‘eyewitnesses’ in Lebanon in addition to telephone conversations (5).
First and foremost, how can ‘crimes against humanity’ accusations be made without any physical evidence provided? Secondly, how can an ‘independent’ NGO have such power that it can demand action to be taken against the nation it is accusing of such crimes from the highest international bodies on earth and be taken seriously? Thirdly, with Amnesty International’s track record of fabricating ‘humanitarian crises’ for the benefit of Zionist hegemony, how can such accusations even be considered credible?
Fourthly, if villagers are armed and firing on soldiers and policemen, they are not civilians; ‘eyewitnesses’ be damned. And if they’re not civilians, ‘crimes against humanity’ are out of the question. On that note, why hasn’t AI reported on the hundreds of Syrian security forces shot dead across Syria by armed Syrian Muslim Brotherhood fighters (6)? Specifically, why hasn’t AI reported on the Syrian security forces shot dead in Tell Kalakh? At least 2 were killed and more than 7 were badly wounded (7). This crucial piece of evidence simply reaffirms that these are not peaceful protesters but gunmen. It reaffirms that what is unfolding in Syria is not a ‘peaceful uprising’ but an armed insurrection. And it reaffirms, that AI’s ‘crimes against humanity’ accusations against Syria are monstrously false.
With that said, who are these so-called ‘eyewitnesses’ that AI met in Lebanon? And why were the meetings held in Lebanon? Why not Cyprus, Greece, Turkey, the Zionist regime itself or any other neighboring entity? Were these ‘eyewitnesses’ provided to AI? If so, by whom? The reason why these particular questions are so vital, is because former Lebanese Prime Minister Sa’ad Hariri’s Future Movement has worked closely with Zionist Near East Affairs asset Jeffrey Feltman and US Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro in organizing the press campaign against Syria ( , shaping public opinion in the region, and it would by no means be out of the ordinary if AI’s ‘Lebanese sources’ were provided by the Feltman-Hariri-Shapiro coordination, considering AI’s history of collaborating with Zionism and the role being played in Syria by the aforementioned three men.
Yet again, Amnesty International has been exposed manipulating and fabricating information to justify a take-down of what the Israeli entity and its allies commonly refer to as a ‘hostile environment.’ Yet again, Amnesty International shows that its true colors are not its typical yellow, but Israeli blue and white.
Arrival of The Ambassadors: Incitement and Subversion
Just two days after Amnesty International submitted its (now-debunked) ludicrous claims of Syria committing crimes against humanity in Tell Kalakh, the US and French Ambassadors to Syria made an unauthorized trip to Hama, a stronghold of the Zionist-Saudi axis’ operations against the Bashar al-Assad government. The US State Department called the visit a ‘show of solidarity with the protesters.’ And the solidarity was reciprocated. ‘Protesters’ disgustingly placed olive branches and roses on the vehicles transporting the Western ambassadors as they chanted ‘down with the regime!’ The perturbed Syrian Foreign Ministry, rightfully, blasted the unauthorized visit as incitement. Also, it is not a coincidence that enemies of Al-Jumhuriyyah al-Arabiyyah as-Suriyyah would travel to an anti-government hub as the government prepared to hold a national dialogue and end the nightmarish unrest in the country (9).
There is another element that the US State Department did not reveal to the public. An element behind the curtain, behind the ‘solidarity.’ The primary reason why US Ambassador to Syria Robert Ford traveled to Hama was to deliver tapping devices to the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood-dominated opposition. The devices were meant to capture images of their protests to later be amplified prior to airing them with the international Zionist media. The devices were also meant to spy on Syrian security forces, including the army and police in anti-Assad areas. While Syrian security forces dismantled a good deal of these apparatuses, many of them still exist in the Saudi-Zionist-backed opposition’s strongholds (10).
US Ambassador to Syria, Robert Ford.
This is simply another example of foreign powers meddling in the internal affairs of Syria to accomplish the mission of toppling Bashar al-Assad and replacing him with a puppet that will happily bow before the international dominance of Zionism. It is excessively important to document that this batch of incitement, while blatant, is nothing but the proverbial tip of the iceberg. Weapons, monies, intelligence and military support have been provided to the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood and its offshoots by the Zionist-occupied governments in the EU, US and Jordan to drown out the cries of the peaceful reformists who have been fully acknowledged by the Assad leadership (11).
The Ambassadors’ incitement and delivery of materials represents the culmination of more than 3 months of destabilization at the Zionist-led coalition’s hands; an overt act of subversion on top of all of the various covert operations. This infuriated the Syrian people, who have marched in the millions over the last few months in support of the Bashar al-Assad’s Resistance government (12). Their fury was expressed in the streets as hundreds marched to the US and French embassies in Damascus. Protesters broke the embassies’ windows and thunderously chanted against the Western regimes’ meddling (13).
Hillary Clinton, seen here bowing before AIPAC, says that Bashar al-Assad has 'lost legitimacy.'
In the aftermath, avid Zionist and murderous war criminal Hillary Clinton responded to the rage of the Syrian people and sharpened her sword of rhetoric. She explicitly stated, “He (Bashar al-Assad) has lost legitimacy, he has failed to deliver on the promises he’s made, he has sought and accepted aid from the Iranians as to how to repress his own people. He is not indispensable (14).” The arrogance of Clinton is nauseating; as if she and her government, who take their orders from the Zionist regime that has stolen al-Quds, have the right to dictate who will or who will not lead Syria; as if the majority of the Syrian people who support the Assad government and its Resistance don’t exist.
If the elements of the ‘Syrian Revolution’ that are calling for Bashar al-Assad’s ouster were actually indigenous, legitimate, honest, ‘pro-democracy’ protesters and not a militia-type force that is being armed and directed by an axis of foreign powers led by the Zionist entity and Saudi Arabia, why did they welcome the US and French Ambassadors to Syria with roses? Why would those who claim to represent the typical Resistance-based mindset that the righteous, dignified and strong Syrian people tend to have, show solidarity with nations that are enemies of Syria and are actively pursuing its downfall? And knowing that Syria has been a target perpetually locked in the crosshairs of Zionism and its allies, why would these ‘protesters’ pander to such powers? The answers to these questions are of course, rhetorical.
President Barack Obama, who has served the Zionist entity so well since being placed into office he has had an illegal settlement named after him (15), echoed the words of Hillary Clinton on July 13th as Western governments work closely to fight Russian and Chinese blocks and pass a resolution in the UN to take action against Syria (16). Though it would be an utterly devastating scenario for the Syrian people, it seems that another ‘humanitarian’ invasion is right around the corner.
Bernard-Henri Lévy: Globetrotting Zionist Asset
Zionist asset Bernard-Henri Lévy helped bring about a campaign of destruction in Libya and is now looking to produce the same result in Syria.
The French ‘intellectual and philosopher’ Bernard-Henri Lévy is no stranger to anti-Zionist writers and solidarity activists. He is known from one end of the globe to the next for infamously and disgracefully stating, “I have never seen such a democratic army (IOF), which asks itself so many moral questions (17).” Needless to say, Lévy is an ardent Zionist who is wholeheartedly dedicated to defending the criminal existence of the Israeli ‘state.’
Most recently, Lévy has been seen in Libya, playing an exceedingly prominent role, if not the most prominent role of all, in getting the West ‘involved’ in the murderous bombing of the oil-rich North African nation. Lévy single-handedly secured meetings for the CIA-proxy Libyan rebels with Zionist French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Hillary Clinton. He warned Sarkozy that if the West didn’t intervene, there would be a ‘bloodbath in Benghazi,’ Libya’s second largest city (1 .
Thanks to the efforts of Lévy and the Zionists of the Foreign Policy Initiative who ordered President Obama to attack Libya (19), there isn’t just a bloodbath in Benghazi but a bloodbath across Libya. The NATO coalition led by the US, France and Britain has murdered at least 1,108 Libyan civilians and wounded over 4,537 others since the genocidal, colonial effort began at the end of March (20). Lévy, who is very good friends with mass murderer and Zionist war criminal (Israeli Prime Minister) Benjamin Netanyahu, conveyed to his friend that the Libyan rebels are ready to recognize the Zionist entity as a legitimate state and that they will be ‘concerned with Israeli security (21).’ Lévy’s high-level meddling in Libya has led to a scenario right out of Qaddafi’s worst nightmare: the CIA-proxy, Israeli-advised rebels are prepared to let the Zionist regime establish a base in eastern Cyrenaica on a 30-year lease (22). These activities confirm that Lévy is no mere Zionist; he is a high-level sayan (helper) doing the bidding of Tel Aviv.
With Libya now in complete disarray at the hands of NATO and Israel, the globetrotting Zionist Lévy has set his sights on Bashar al-Assad and Syria. Lévy led a conference last week in Paris’s Cinema St. Germaine against the Assad government, likening Bashar al-Assad’s ‘crackdown on pro-democracy protesters’ to that of the Nazis. The conference was comprised of Zionists, former French officials, Syrian opposition figures and a Syrian Muslim Brotherhood representative. The point of Lévy’s conference was to mobilize the ex-French regime officials to lobby Russia and China in dropping their support for the Syrian Resistance government and getting both nations behind Libya-like resolutions against Bashar al-Assad. Lévy demanded that Syria be referred to an international tribunal (23).
Ammar Qurabi; fake human rights activist, closet Zionist.
The most disturbing of the attendees of Lévy’s meddlesome conference is a ‘Syrian opposition figure’ named Ammar Qurabi (24). Qurabi is the main source of information, statistics and rumors throughout the media institutions owned by the sheikhdoms of Qatar and Saudi Arabia and has repeatedly delivered fraudulent information and inflated protest numbers to the Zionist media (25). Qurabi’s wife writes for the London-based Saudi Arabia propaganda outlet, Elaph (26). He is frequently quoted as a ‘credible source’ by Western wire services like Reuters and AFP in regards to the ‘civilian death toll’ of the ‘Syrian Revolution.’ Qurabi however, is anything but credible. If the information initially presented doesn’t indicate that he is a stooge of the House of Saud, Qatar and Zionism, the following revelation most certainly will.
Prior to establishing Syria’s National Organization for Human Rights, Ammar Qurabi worked for Human Rights Watch and the Syrian Human Rights Committee. Human Rights Watch, handsomely funded to the tune of $100 million by billionaire Zionist war criminal George Soros, has a long history of working with Zionist think tanks and intelligence agencies in fostering war propaganda, specifically against the now ravaged nation of (occupied) Iraq. The Syrian Human Rights Committee is a promoter of Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International and an affiliate of the Patriotic Union Of Kurdistan, a Mossad-linked Zionist political party in northern Iraq with a militia trained by IOF (27). Do all ‘human rights activists’ work with elements of the Zionist war machine? Clearly, Qurabi is no ‘Syrian human rights advocate.’ He is an agent of the Zionist-Saudi axis’ destabilization operations against Syria.
With Ammar Qurabi keeping the lies flowing throughout Eastern and Western media and Tel Aviv’s ‘man in France’ Bernard-Henri Lévy upping the ante on the international front, Syria just cannot get a break from the Zionist entity’s mobilization.
Turkey’s Deadly Role In Syria Corroborated
The most diabolical character in Israel’s plot to take down Syria is the government of Turkey. In the two-part series on Syria preceding this piece, this author laid waste to the theory that Turkey represented Resistance in the region and exposed the Ankara regime as a willing participant in the ongoing destabilization operation in Syria, providing intelligence, military support, safe havens and meeting grounds to Syrian Muslim Brotherhood fighters, leaders and operatives and also facilitating contact between the Zionist-occupied American government and the Brotherhood. This treacherous, duplicitous behavior is part of a 1993 Turkish-Israeli Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that unites the two entities in military-intelligence cooperation on a large scale. The focus of this cooperation is to undermine Syria, Iran and Iraq; all enemies of the Zionist entity. The Zionist-run operations are funded with the billions in annual Turkish-Israeli bilateral trade (2 .
As documented in the previous sections with the vital role of Bernard-Henri Lévy and the incitement operation in Hama carried out by the French Ambassador to Syria, as well as in the aforementioned series with France leading the European charge in sanctioning Syria, the government of Nicolas Sarkozy has played a major part in fomenting the violent unrest in Syria. Sarkozy did excessive spy work for Mossad in the 1980s and remains a high-level sayan to this day (29); his allegiance to Zionism is undeniable. Multiple sources have now confirmed to Mask of Zion that the French and Turkish governments have drawn up their own MOU, to strengthen the 1993 Turkish-Israeli MOU and to focus more intimate cooperation in toppling Bashar al-Assad. The leaked MOU document was initially provided to Mask of Zion in French and then translated by a second source. The French-Turkish MOU is between PM Erdogan himself and French Foreign Minister Alain Juppé.
Below is the document in its entirety, which fully corroborates the evidence revealed in the ‘Kiss of Democratic Death’ series:
The Juppé – Erdogan Agreement:
France, through its Foreign Minister Alain Juppé, attentively views that Turkey joining the European Union will greatly serve an important role in the Middle East. Only France has decided to provide the necessary support to the entry of Turkey into the European Union. This support was to be provided after a documented promise was made via the implementation of this agreement which serves the regional and international interests of Turkey, France and the European Union.
1. France provides the necessary support to Turkey to facilitate its entry into the EU before the end of 2012.
2. Turkey is to provide support to France on its strategic position in the Middle East, particularly Lebanon, Syria and Israel.
3. Leaving Turkey and Israel to continue military activities in Turkey as per the 1993 MOU while France provides support to both of the military units.
4. France will in turn provide the necessary support to Erdogan’s upcoming parliamentary elections, to change the Turkish Constitution to serve the process of joining the European Union.
5. Turkey to facilitate the work of the Syrian opposition by organizing meetings of the Syrian opposition in Turkey and France, under the supervision of the representative of the European Union.
6. Turkey is ready to impose pressure on the Syrian regime to control the Middle East and bring down the Assad regime’s rejection of what it views as corrupt international policy in the Middle East.
7. Turkey to facilitate the entry of the Syrians displaced and allow the French media, or any other media allies, access to Syria.
8. Enable Turkey to control the regions of Aleppo and Idlib, northern Syria in exchange for France and Britain to control the rest of the occupied Syrian territorties.
9. Despite reluctance, Turkey is to help establish a U.S. military base in the east of Deir Al-Zour, Syria and France will provide the necessary support for this.
10. France is enjoying its status within the European Union to adopt a UN resolution on the Kurds of Turkey and to propose the creation of a Kurdish state in northern Iraq as a solution for them under the direct supervision of Turkey and France.
11. France is committed to using the veto on the costs of rights of Turkey as it deems appropriate boundaries between themselves and the alleged Kurdish state established in northern Iraq.
12. Facilitate business operations through Turkish territory to Syria and Lebanon, and not check the contents of the French tanks’ transit from Turkey to Syria and Lebanon.
13. The ongoing commitment of Turkey to the Convention on the Turkish-French business in Lebanon.
14. France provides the necessary support to Turkey and unconditional support on the outstanding issues between Turkey and Cyprus.
15. France to give Turkey $45 billion in the accounts of the European Union to support development operations in Turkey after Turkey’s commitment to the provisions of this Agreement and such amounts will be disbursed in tranches based on Turkey’s obligations to the provisions of this Agreement.
The document clearly (and disturbingly) speaks for itself. It is interesting to note, that like Turkish-Israeli trade, French-Israeli trade is just as lucrative, with annual profits skyrocketing to over 2 billion Euros ($2.8 billion) last year (30). The money funding the operations of the Tel Aviv-Ankara-Paris axis in Syria is awash in innocent blood, as every cent of it has passed through Zionist hands. Undoubtedly paid for by this blood money and as per number 5 in the Juppé-Erdogan Agreement, Turkey recently hosted yet another Syrian opposition conference in Istanbul on July 13th, 2011. While spouting usual, malicious rhetoric against the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Lebanese Resistance movement of Hezbollah, this meeting soared to new heights and is arguably the most dangerous to date, as attendees flamboyantly called on the Syrian armed forces to turn on Bashar al-Assad and help ‘the people’ overthrow the regime (31). As the Juppé-Erdogan Agreement and all of the evidence provided here display, it is not ‘the people’ doing anything, but a murderous nexus with the illegitimate Israeli regime sitting at its head.
Conclusion: A Tale Of Two Children
13-year old Hamza Ali al-Khatib; the story of his death as reported by the Zionist media is a grossly exaggerated farce.
Over the course of the last several months, one story that has permeated nearly all of the Zionist media’s coverage on Syria is that of 13-year old Hamza Ali al-Khatib, the first boy in this ‘tale of two children.’ He has become the ‘face of the Syrian Revolution,’ as many news outlets, including Zionist-created Al-Jazeera, have declared. The story goes something like this: seeking freedom and dignity like every other Syrian participating in the ‘peaceful, pro-democracy’ protests in the Dara’a Governorate, little 13-year old Hamza Ali al-Khatib hit the streets of Saida Village on April 29th, or the streets of Jiza Village, as ‘eyewitnesses’ can’t seem to be able to make up their minds. He was picked up by Syrian security forces in a routine ‘crackdown’ operation and tortured in custody for almost a month before being delivered back to his family with lacerations, bruises and burns to his elbows, face, knees, chest and feet, bullet wounds and castrated (32). Another sensational, shocking tragedy brought to the world by the Syrian Revolution.
The information, extracted from a Youtube video, is said to be congruent with reports from Human Rights Watch (HRW) about the types of torture used by Syrian security forces. HRW, all of its media glory and hype aside, has been exposed as nothing more than a tool of Zionist-globalist hegemony, fabricating reports whenever the Zionist entity and its allies need justification to prepare an ‘enemy’ country for regime change (as aforementioned), so how can any claim made by such an organization be taken seriously?
How can this Soros-funded band of propagandists and liars possess an almost infallible credibility when the foundation of its ‘legitimacy’ rests on pure illusion? In simpler terms, reports from HRW can’t be congruent with anything because HRW doesn’t tell the truth. The nail in HRW’s coffin comes with placing its senior researcher on Syrian Affairs, Nadim Houry, under a microscope: he’s also done work for the Rothschild-founded mega think tank, the Council on Foreign Relations, and he previously worked for the law firm Sherman and Sterling LLP, a group admittedly dedicated to furthering the interests of international bankers through privatization and globalization (33). What kind of human rights advocate also works for organizations solely dedicated to wiping out human rights worldwide through criminal wars and occupations? That is yet another rhetorical question.
Beyond that, a closer look at the Youtube video reveals that there is no evidence of torture at all, and most certainly not at the hands of Syrian security forces. The body is so discolored and disfigured from the discoloration, that one cannot be sure that it is even the body of 13-year old Hamza. It certainly looks to be someone else entirely. The video is definitely graphic, but at no point does the video show that the body has been castrated. Most bizarrely, the Arabic-speaking narrators of the video continue repeating ridiculous slogans about freedom and dignity. Where is the emotion and outrage of what has supposedly been done to the child? Where is the indignation? And casting further doubt on the entire matter, at the end of the video, the narrators call on the UN and Amnesty International to take action against Syria. Suspicious does not begin to describe this footage.
Contrary to reports in the Zionist Western press and Al-Jazeera, this is NOT the body of Hamza Ali al-Khatib.
There is an alternative view of what happened to Hamza Ali al-Khatib, a view that has not even been given a fraction of the coverage that the mainstream (i.e. Zionist) view has. The alternative view is: Hamza indeed did take part in ‘pro-reform’ protests in the Dara’a Governorate and was indeed killed. However, the boy was not ‘murdered’ by Syrian security forces. He was caught in the crossfire of Saudi-Zionist-trained armed fighters and Syrian security officials at the Saida military housing compound. The armed brigade captured several children, including Hamza, and led them to the compound at gunpoint. They then opened fire on army, police, security forces and civilians. In the April 29th battle, a Syrian security chief was gunned down along with several others. Hamza’s body was taken to the hospital and once he was identified, he was transferred back to his family. Bashar al-Assad himself traveled to the family’s home to offer his condolences. The body in the now-infamous Youtube video belonged to that of a still unidentified man in his 20s, which was photographed and taped by Syrian opposition members (34).
This information is quite congruent with previous documentation regarding opposition attacks on Syrian government targets. This information would also mean that the opposition lied about Hamza Ali al-Khatib, which is also congruent with previous documentation. Zionist-backed Syrian opposition forces have already played this game before by faking the death of a 10-year boy named “Ayham al-Ahmad.” The video quality was so poor however that the international media did not pay it any mind (35). A week and a half after the Ayham story failed, the news of Hamza, much more brutal, sensational and heart-wrenching, emerged on the international scene. Psychological warfare is the name of the game and it must not be forgotten that Mossad’s psychological warfare unit, LAP, maintains a cozy working relationship with the Zionist media (36).
14-year old Malik Ahmed Suleiman after he was strangled to death for supporting Bashar al-Assad.
The second boy in this ‘tale of two children,’ is one that the greater majority of those who follow mainstream news and even those claim to be activists have never heard of. This boy isn’t marketable, nor is he profitable and unlike Hamza, his story cannot be manipulated, mutated and transformed into a media fiasco. This boy’s name is Malik Ahmed Suleiman. He was only 14 years old. Young Malik was from the city of Homs, a major battleground between the Zionist-Saudi axis’ destablization operatives and supporters of President Bashar al-Assad. He was the son of Syrian Army Colonel Ahmed Suleiman, a supporter of President Assad and a staunch Syrian nationalist. On May 29th, while the world was incessantly clamoring about the false stories regarding Hamza al-Khatib, Malik Ahmed Suleiman was strangled to death with a belt in front of his home for holding up a picture of Bashar al-Assad during an anti-government protest.
Young Malik was targeted because his family had rejected the ‘Syrian Revolution’ and stood in solidarity with the majority of the Syrian people in their support for Bashar al-Assad. Why hasn’t this heinous murder been spoken about by mainstream media? Firstly, because the Suleiman family stands with the Resistance. And secondly, because Malik Ahmed Suleiman’s tragic story would invalidate the Zionist narrative regarding Syria’s ‘peaceful revolution.’
Al-Jazeera: An 'island' of Zionist propaganda.
What about Al-Jazeera? Why hasn’t Al-Jazeera reported on this horrific crime? Because Al-Jazeera is nothing more than the Arab wing of the Zionist media and since 2004 alone, it has suppressed hundreds of stories of Zionist atrocities in occupied Palestine and it deliberately ignored the Zionist regime’s admission of dropping millions of cluster bombs on Lebanon during the genocidal July War (37). Ghassan Bin Jeddo, who stepped down from his post as Al-Jazeera’s Beirut Bureau Chief because the network launched a ‘smear campaign against Syria,’ said, “Al-Jazeera has resorted to gutter journalism. It is now an operations room for incitement and mobilization (3 .” Malik Ahmed Suleiman doesn’t help Al-Jazeera ‘incite and mobilize’ against Syria, he blocks it.
What unites Malik Ahmed Suleiman and Hamza Ali al-Khatib is that they are both victims of a deadly, ominous destabilization campaign launched against Syria by the Zionist entity and the House of Saud. It is a campaign that has claimed the lives of police, civilians and soldiers alike and like a shark that smells blood in the water, it will not stop until it reaches its prey: Bashar al-Assad.
Malik Ahmed Suleiman before he was murdered by Zionist-Saudi destablization forces.
The Zionist end game is to fracture Syria into multiple states of ethnic-sectarian distinction (39), ripping apart the unified fabric of the society that has prospered under the leadership of the Assad family for decades. The means of achieving this end lies within the savage opposition, a creature of Zionist-Saudi cooperation. This creature must be exposed for the Israeli-engineered beast that it is and the plot that it represents now more than ever as Zionist mobilization continues its climb towards all-out invasion. It must be exposed for Malik. It must be exposed for Hamza. And it must be exposed for the millions of other Syrians and their children whose lives are very much at stake. It is up to the people of conscience to reject the status quo, break free from the mainstream shackles and do so.
~ The End ~
Article Source; Mask of Zion: www.maskofzion.com
(1) The Syrian Propaganda War by Listening Post, Al-Jazeera English
(2) Kiss Of ‘Democratic’ Death: Israel’s Plot To Take Down Syria I; Section – The Syrian Revolution: 100% Manufactured by Israel and Saudi Arabia by Jonathan Azaziah, Mask of Zion
(3) US Seeks To Exploit Anti-Assad Movement In Syria by Jean Shaoul, World Socialist Web Site
(4) Kiss Of ‘Democratic’ Death: Israel’s Plot To Take Down Syria I; Section – History On The Fly I: The 1976-1982 ‘Uprising’ by Jonathan Azaziah, Mask of Zion
(5) Report Reveals Crimes Against Humanity In Syrian Town by Amnesty International
(6) Kiss Of ‘Democratic’ Death: Israel’s Plot To Take Down Syria II; Section – Media Manipulation: Zionism and Al-Jazeera Unite by Jonathan Azaziah, Mask of Zion
(7) Interior Ministry Source: 2 Security Members Martyred, 7 Injured By Extremist And Terrorist Groups In Daraa And Tall Kalakh by Syrian Arab News Agency
( Syria, In The Eye Of The Storm – Part II by Nidal Hmedeh and translated by Eslam al-Rihani, Al-Manar
(9) U.S. Ambassador Greeted With Roses By Syrian Protesters In Hama by Robert Mackey, The New York Times
(10) U.S. Ambassador Smuggles Tapping Devices To Opposition In Syria by Al-Manar
(11) Lining The Chessboard Against The Resistance Bloc: War With Syria, Iran And Lebanon In The Works? by Mahdi Darius Nazemroaya, Voltaire Network
(12) Kiss Of ‘Democratic’ Death: Israel’s Plot To Take Down Syria II; Section – Media Manipulation: Zionism and Al-Jazeera Unite by Jonathan Azaziah, Mask of Zion
(13) Mobs Storm U.S., French Embassies In Syria by The Raw Story
(14) Clinton Says Syria’s Assad Has Lost Legitimacy by Andrew Quinn and Khaled Yacoub Oweis, Reuters
(15) Israel Creates ‘Obama’ Settlement, More Obstacles For Viable Palestinian State by Saleh Naami, Al-Ahram Online
(16) West Piles Pressure For UN Action On Syria by Ma’an News Agency
(17) Bernard-Henri Levy: I Have Never Seen An Army As Democratic As The IDF by Or Kashti, Haaretz
(1 By His Own Reckoning, One Man Made Libya A French Cause by Steven Erlanger, The New York Times
(19) US Neo-Cons Urge Libya Intervention by Jim Lobe, Al-Jazeera English
(20) 1,108 Libyans Killed In NATO Attacks by Press TV
(21) Libyan Rebels Will Recognise Israel by Global Research
(22) NATO’s Alternative Universe In Libya by Wayne Madsen, The San Francisco Bay View
(23) Syria Opposition And Pro-Israeli Confab by Press TV
(24) Ammar Qurabi July 07, 2011 by As’ad Abu Khalil, The Angry Arab News Service
(25) Syrian Muslim Brotherhood And Zionism: Who Is Ammar Qurabi? by As’ad Abu Khalil, The Angry Arab News Service
(27) Kiss Of ‘Democratic’ Death: Israel’s Plot To Take Down Syria I; Section – History On The Fly I: The 1976-1982 ‘Uprising’ by Jonathan Azaziah, Mask of Zion
(2 Kiss Of ‘Democratic’ Death: Israel’s Plot To Take Down Syria II; Section – Turkey: The Beast Of Two Faces Emerges by Jonathan Azaziah, Mask of Zion
(29) Sarkozy Accused Of Working For Israeli Intelligence by Gamal Nkrumah, Global Research
(30) France Seeks To Boost Trade With Israel by Brett Kline, Globes
(31) Syrian Exiles Call For Army To Side With People by Simon Cameron-Moore, Reuters
(32) Tortured And Killed: Hamza Al-Khateeb, Age 13 by Hugh Macleod and Annasofie Flamand, Al-Jazeera English; Torture Of The Child Martyr: ‘Rebel,’ 13, Shot, Kneecapped And Had Genitals Removed Before Being Killed By Syria’s Sadistic Regime by Liz Hazelton, The UK Daily Mail
(33) Globalist Infiltration Of International Rights Groups: Nadim Houry’s Syrian Propaganda by Scott Creighton, American Everyman
(34) The True Story Of Hamza Al-Khateeb’s Death Belies Media Fabrications by Syrian Arab News Agency
(35) NEDA Revisited: Another Staged CIA Martyr This Time In Syria by Scott Creighton, American Everyman
(36) Libya: The Zionist Dragon And The Drums Of War by Jonathan Azaziah, Mask of Zion
(37) Pro-Israeli Editors Seek To Influence Al-Jazeera International English Satellite TV by Khalid Amayreh, The Electronic Intifada
(3 Kiss Of ‘Democratic’ Death: Israel’s Plot To Take Down Syria II; Section – Media Manipulation: Zionism and Al-Jazeera Unite by Jonathan Azaziah, Mask of Zion
(39) Kiss Of ‘Democratic’ Death: Israel’s Plot To Take Down Syria I; Section – History On The Fly II: Oded Yinon, A Clean Break and Direct Israeli Aggression by Jonathan Azaziah, Mask of Zion
Kiss Of ‘Democratic’ Death: Israel’s Plot To Take Down Syria I – by Jonathan Azaziah
Kiss Of ‘Democratic’ Death: Israel’s Plot To Take Down Syria II – by Jonathan Azaziah
Jonathan Azaziah is an Iraqi, Moroccan-Hebrew, Russian MC, poet, activist and writer from Brooklyn, New York currently residing in Florida. His articles, poems and music predominantly deal with international Zionism and the effects that it has on the world’s oppressed people. His mixtape, Take The Red Pill Volume 2: Disarm The Octopus will be available for download soon. He is also a staff writer for Opinion Maker. http://www.opinion-maker.org/author/jonathan-azaziah/ He can be reached at jonathan.azaziah@gmail.com.
Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2011 12:08 am Post subject: London urges international pressure on Syria
http://www.presstv.com/detail/191976.html
excerpt from: London urges intl. pressure on Syria
Press TV, 2 August 2011
Hague told Radio 4's Today program that military intervention in Syria is out of the question but went on to describe the situation in the country as “frustrating” urging joint moves by the west, the Arab world and Turkey to pressure Damascus.
"It's not a remote possibility. Even if we were in favour [of UN backed military action], which were are not because there's no call from the Arab League for intervention as in the case of Libya, there is no prospect of a legal, morally sanctioned military intervention,” he said.
"We want to see stronger international pressure all round. Of course, to be effective that just can't be pressure from Western nations, that includes from Arab nations ... and it includes from Turkey who has been very active in trying to persuade President Assad to reform instead of embarking on these appalling actions," he added.
Posted: Mon Aug 08, 2011 2:20 pm Post subject:
Someone guilty of smuggling arms into Syria? VIDEO
'Syria govt. framed by gangs'
Mon Aug 8, 2011 12:40PM GMT
A university professor says gangs are committing all types of human rights violations and blaming it on the government amid the unrest in Syria.
“They are really trying to violate all types of human rights. They kill people, they cut their bodies and they do all these atrocities... and then they blame the regime,” Mohsen Saleh, a professor at the Lebanese University, told Press TV.
Syria has been experiencing unrest in the past few months, with demonstrations held both against and in support of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government.
Hundreds were killed when some protest rallies turned into armed clashes between alleged protesters and state security forces as well as organized attacks by well-armed gangs against the Syrian police force and border guards in the north of the country.
Saleh went on to say that the gangs committing the crimes are linked to some intelligence agencies in the US.
He also blamed the Turkish and some Lebanese parties for trying to “inflame the situation” in Syria.
“The interest of the United States is not an interest for the Lebanese and for the Turks or for the Jordanians or even the Syrians.”
To blame the government for the killings is the propaganda of the US in order to “maneuver” the situation in the Arab world, and swerve the revolution from its right path.
NATO special forces almost certainly crawling all over Syria right now
The Pentagon's "Salvador Option": The Deployment of Death Squads in Iraq and Syria
.....NATO headquarters in Brussels and the Turkish high command are meanwhile drawing up plans for their first military step in Syria, which is to arm the rebels with weapons for combating the tanks and helicopters spearheading the Assad regime's crackdown on dissent. Instead of repeating the Libyan model of air strikes, NATO strategists are thinking more in terms of pouring large quantities of anti-tank and anti-air rockets, mortars and heavy machine guns into the protest centers for beating back the government armored forces. (DEBKAfile, NATO to give rebels anti-tank weapons, August 14, 2011, emphasis added) ..............
...........Also discussed in Brussels and Ankara, our sources report, is a campaign to enlist thousands of Muslim volunteers in Middle East countries and the Muslim world to fight alongside the Syrian rebels. The Turkish army would house these volunteers, train them and secure their passage into Syria. (Ibid, emphasis added)...............
Posted: Mon Sep 05, 2011 11:08 pm Post subject:
Syria Sees Red: Russia, BRICS blast UN sanctions
Uploaded by RussiaToday on 5 Sep 2011
New deaths are being reported in Syria as the head of the International Red Cross meets the country's senior officials. He's in Damascus discussing the humanitarian side of the conflict which has claimed over 2 thousand lives. Meanwhile, Russia is rallying members of the UN Security Council to encourage the sides to stop violence and start negotiations. The Kremlin believes President Assad has worked to change the situation on the ground through reforms, and his efforts deserve some credit. But the U.S. and its West European allies are pushing for action against President Assad's regime, which they've already sanctioned. French political analyst Pierre Guerlain believes there's an underlying motive in calls for protecting Syrian civilians.
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RT Russia/China Veto UN resolution against Syrian government
Posted: Thu Oct 06, 2011 1:06 pm Post subject:
Dead Wrong: Living 'victim' talks on TV
Uploaded by RussiaToday on Oct 6, 2011
In Syria, at least six people are reported to have been killed in the latest clashes between protesters and security forces. Human rights groups continue to sound the alarm over multiple arrests and killings - but one high-profile victim has made an amazing reappearance. Ivor Bennett reports on the media's quickfire reactions at the expense of fact-checking.
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NATO's Hidden hand animates zombie Ashton
European Union hails Syria opposition group
The European Union on Monday welcomed a newly formed Syrian opposition council, but stopped short of any call to recognise the body, which is seeking international support for a six-month-old uprising against President Bashar al-Assad.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/8818554/Eur opean-Union-hails-Syria-opposition-group.html
A statement agreed by EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg welcomed moves by Syria's political opposition in Syria to unite and urged the international community to do likewise.
"The EU notes the creation of the Syrian National Council as a positive step forward," it said, while condemning the "brutal repression led by the Syrian regime against its population".
Syria threatened on Sunday to retaliate against any country that formally recognised the opposition council.
In Stockholm, a member of the Syrian National Council, formed in Istanbul on Oct. 2, said the group wants to be recognised internationally as representative of Assad's opponents, but has no plan to be an alternative government.
"Our role ends with the fall of this regime," Abdulbaset Sieda, a Swedish-based member of the council's executive committee, told a news conference, saying that discussions would then be held about future elections and broadening democracy.
The council includes academics, grassroots activists, the Muslim Brotherhood and the Damascus Declaration, the main grouping of established opposition figures.
While some of Assad's Western critics, including the United States and France, have welcomed formation of the council, they have not embraced it diplomatically or offered military help as they did the Libyan rebels who later overthrew Muammar Gaddafi.
"I think we will have to find out a bit more yet," EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said before the meeting. "We need to find out more and decide what we are going to do."
"I think we have been consistent in wanting to see significant change in Syria. The number of people who have died there is terrible. The continued approach of the government to repress people is awful. We've been working closely with our colleagues in the (United Nations) Security Council and with Turkey now in trying to put the pressure on."
French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe, whose country was the first EU state to recognise the Libyan interim council, said the Syrian body did not "have the same structure".
"So we are not at the stage of recognition," he told reporters. "But I believe we have to get to know them better and get a better idea of their intentions."
The United Nations says 2,900 people have been killed in Assad's crackdown on mainly peaceful protests. The Syrian leadership blames armed groups backed by foreign powers for the violence, saying 1,100 members of the security forces have been killed since the unrest broke out in March.
British Foreign Secretary William Hague did not directly reply when asked if EU states should recognise the council, but said he had met some opposition activists and continued to call on the government to end the violence.
"That is the immediate priority," he said. "The EU as a whole and member states will want to appeal for (an end to violence). Of course we can't directly intervene."
Juppe said France wanted to have contacts with the opposition, adding: "We are pleased to see the opposition has organised."
Asked about recognising the council, Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt said: "We are talking to them, as we are talking to a lot of other people who have the ability to influence events in Syria. We will be discussing that further today."
Dutch Foreign Minister Uri Rosenthal said the EU should do everything in terms of sanctions to force Assad to step down.
"We know that the sanctions up until now on the part of the European Union are working," he said. "We think that if that is the case we should look for more sanctions and especially for a rigorous implementation of the sanctions at hand."
Officials and diplomats said a committee was expected on Monday to endorse an agreement in principle to add the Commercial Bank of Syria to a sanctions list, which would bar Europeans from doing business with it and freeze its assets in Europe once the move is adopted later in the week.
EU officials say the aim, combined with already adopted sanctions on Syria's oil industry, is to block the government's access to funds, but the effect has been blunted by the decision by Russia and China to block a Western-backed U.N. Security Council resolution that could have led to broader sanctions.
anything to prop up the failing banks
yes but this demo looks like it's by the rich.......
Pro-Assad rally draws thousands to Syrian capital
http://rt.com/news/rally-capital-syria-people-733/
Published: 13 October, 2011, 01:57
The Syrian capital has been the scene of a massive show of support, the biggest for months, for embattled President Al-Assad, with calls for him to be given more time to make the promise of reform a reality.
Thousands of people gathered in the heart of Syria to show their support and loyalty to President Bashar Al-Assad. He is still struggling to quell a nationwide uprising despite promises of reforms.But his supporters say the government needs more time to push through change.
Fourteen people were killed by gunfire in two Syrian towns on Thursday in clashes between pro- Assad troops and gunmen believed to be army defectors, a human rights group reported.
Six soldiers and two army deserters as well as one civilian were killed in fighting in the southern town of Haara and five civilians were killed in the northern province of Idlib.
RT's Tesa Arcilla has travelled to Damascus to see for herself what is happening on the ground.
"America, out, out, Syria will stay free," chanted the crowd in the capital Damascus on Wednesday, many of them carrying pictures of Al-Assad and Syrian flags.
Thousands showing their support for the government is a sharp contrast with the images of anti-government protests which have been sought in other cities. But one thing is clear – there is political discourse, sometimes even tension, trickling down to the most basic unit of society.
Voices of support and continuing dissent ring out across the city, speaking of past and future unrest.
Polar opposites in their demands, they are united by a newfound zeal to take a stand.
What the demonstrators would indeed oppose is a decision coming from the outside. The belief that Syria’s choice should be made within the country was shared by most Damascus demonstrators.
"God, Syria and Bashar," sang the students, elderly, rich and poor gathered for the rally. Their slogans warned the European Union not to intervene in their country.
Two military helicopters were spotted by RT’s crew circling low over the pro-Assad rally in the Syrian capital. The helicopters flew Russian and Chinese flags, to mark the two countries’ vetoing of a UN Security Council resolution on Syria last week. Drafted by France, Germany, Portugal and the UK, the resolutions called for harsh sanctions to punish the country for the ongoing brutal crackdown on anti-regime protesters.
Presidential supporter Alla, along with her husband and young children, were one of many families who braved the heat and joined the crowds in downtown Damascus.
“It's true that we knew nothing about politics before but now we are taking a stand. Even if I'm a Sunni Muslim, I'm pro this president,” Alla told RT.
“Ever since most people started revealing their political stance openly, some people would mock me and say, ‘Since when do you know about politics? What do you know?’ There are divisions among family members, some are pro-Assad, some are anti. But that's how it is,” she explained.
It appears that political apathy is becoming less of an option for citizens of a nation now under intense international scrutiny.
“We never watched the news, I was never worried, I never had an interest in politics. Now we read books, we watch the news, we read articles, we check Facebook. We want to know more. Unless you have the right background and really know your country, you can't take a stand,” says Roula Yazaji, another Al-Assad supporter.
And then there are those, like political activist Louay Hussein, who are no strangers to picking a side and making it known.
He has long voiced his discontent at what he calls a repressive regime. Today, Facebook is one of his main tools in co-ordinating dissent.
“Activism has evolved in Syria,” he told RT. “For me, I feel that my voice goes further now. Back then, it started with stating an opinion, going to jail, then hitting a dead end. No-one would even know about it. That has changed now that people are more politically aware.”
Hussein has been thrown into jail, says he was tortured, and finds himself constantly looking over his shoulder.
“I was detained for spreading the word on the violent crackdown in Daraa,” he said. “But I'd feel like a coward if I didn't risk my life while those on the streets are doing so, asking for the regime to fall.”
A call staunchly opposed by those on the other side.
“Everybody wants change. Everybody wants reforms. They just have to give the government a chance. Give them time,” argues Al-Assad supporter Roula Yazaji.
While political curiosity and activism among Syrians are growing whatever side of the divide they’re on, people see the future of their country is at stake. But all are adamant that that future is firmly in their own hands.
Syria has been divided by six months of violent crackdowns on anti-regime protests that have left nearly 2,900 people dead, according to the UN. Pressure has been building on Al-Assad to step down, including widening international sanctions against the regime.
Watch more in RT's special report.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-15431926
24 October 2011 Last updated at 13:05
US ambassador Robert Ford pulled out of Syria
The US has pulled out its ambassador to Syria, Robert Ford, because of concerns for his safety, officials say.
Mr Ford angered Syrian authorities by showing solidarity with activists involved in an uprising against President Bashar al-Assad's rule.
A US spokesman said Mr Ford had left Damascus at the weekend after "credible threats against his personal safety".
Last month, Mr Ford and colleagues were pelted with eggs and tomatoes when visiting an opposition figure.
He was then briefly trapped in his office by pro-Assad demonstrators.
An official at the US embassy in Damascus told the Associated Press Mr Ford had not been formally recalled.
Mark Toner, a spokesman for the US state department, said Mr Ford's return to Syria would depend on an "assessment of Syrian regime-led incitement and the security situation on the ground".
Mr Ford, an Arabic-speaker who has served in several Arab countries, has expressed solidarity with protesters as well as denouncing Syria's crackdown on its opponents.
In July the ambassador visited the restive city of Hama in July along with his French counterpart, where he met demonstrators.
Last month he was among a group of mainly Western diplomats who paid condolences to the family of a human rights activist allegedly killed under torture.
Protests against President Assad's rule began in March in southern Syria and gradually spread across the country.
According to the UN, more than 3,000 people - mostly unarmed demonstrators - have been killed since then.
Mr Ford arrived in Damascus in January as the first US ambassador to Syria for more than five years.
http://rt.com/news/syrian-secret-nuclear-plant-343/
http://forum.davidicke.com/showthread.php?t=189097
Secret nuclear plant found in Syria – IAEA
Published: 02 November, 2011, 01:30
Edited: 02 November, 2011, 15:18
This undated image released by senior US officials shows what US intelligence officials said was a Syrian nuclear reactor (AFP Photo / US Government)
International Atomic Energy Agency investigators say they’ve discovered a secret nuclear plant in north-western Syria. They claim the complex has a similar design to a uranium enrichment plant Muammar Gaddafi tried to build in Libya.
However, there is apparently no evidence of nuclear production at the site, which is currently used as a cotton-spinning plant.
UN investigators say the previously unknown complex in Syria adds to suspicions that the regime worked with A.Q. Khan, the father of Pakistan’s atomic bomb, to acquire technology that could make nuclear weapons.
Correspondence between Khan and a Syrian official has also been found by the UN nuclear watchdog, as quoted by AP. According to the correspondence the Syrian official allegedly proposed cooperation as well as a visit to Khan’s laboratories.
A senior diplomat and a former UN investigator both provided the data on condition of anonymity.
The allegations come during difficult times for Syria, which is already under immense international pressure.
The timing of the IAEA's announcement is not coincidental, according to Spiked independent online magazine reporter Patrick Hayes.
"It shows how those institutions are formally independent from the UN, how political they actually are. This is a way of heaping more pressure on Syria at a time when the uprising has taken place. It brings about a kind of Western interference in a kind of insidious fashion. They are basically doing what they did in Iraq: using the guise of weapon inspections to poke their noses into all areas of countries that seem a bit suspicious," Hayes told RT.
Dr David Halpin, a British anti-war activist agrees with Hayes.
“The first thing I’d say is ‘Here we go again’: the main pretext for invading and bombarding Iraq was weapons of mass destruction. My second thought is that a neighbor of Syria that still holds this land, the Golan, has by all accounts a large nuclear armory and weapons to deliver this over some thousands of miles – not only are there rockets, there are also the dolphin submarines which were supplied by Germany to Israel [..]. All these are things I do not know [for certain], but I would be deeply suspicious about any story arising now about nuclear weapons, chemical weapons now, because Syria is in the crosshairs very evidently.”
President Assad has refused to allow inspectors access for several years. Halpin told RT that if he were President Assad he would be “rather worried about letting any inspectors in.”
“As for the inspectors that went to Iraq for years, I’m told that one of their tasks was in fact identifying the defense installations in the country, making sure their positions were known.”
'Syria just wants to defend itself from Israel'
Political analyst Rabia Qais says that Syria’s nuclear program is not a new issue for the international community as it has been raised many times in the past.
He believes that Syria, like any other country in the region, is determined to have its own nuclear program to defend itself from a possible attack by Israel, as Israel is the only country in the Middle East that does have nuclear weapons.
“I think Syria, as any other regime in the region, has tried to have their nuclear program. But I think that Syria did not [reach] the state of production. Saddam Hussein’s past regime tried to build their nuclear [program] as well as Gaddafi’s regime, also the Iranian regime [is] trying to build a nuclear program,” he said. “But the political question is, why raise the voice now? The international society always is defending Israel and accusing the Arab countries.”
If we are to gain a proper understanding of the Syrian fracas it is
essential that we view the following websites which reveal that
America has played a crucial role in the Arab League from the very
start of its foundation:
Whitlock, Craig. "U.S. Secretly Backed Syrian Opposition Groups, Cables Released by WikiLeaks Show." Washington Post, 17 Apr. 2011.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/us-secretly-backed-syrian-oppositi on-groups-cables-released-by-wikileaks-show/2011/04/14/AF1p9hwD_story. html
According to classified U.S. diplomatic cables provided by WikiLeaks, "[t]he State Department has secretly financed Syrian political opposition groups and related projects, including a satellite TV channel [Barada TV] that beams anti-government programming into the country." The "cables show that the State Department has funneled as much as $6 million to the [Movement for Justice and Development, a London-based network of Syrian exiles,] since 2006 to operate the satellite channel and finance other activities inside Syria....
"The U.S. money for Syrian opposition figures began flowing under President George W. Bush after he effectively froze political ties with Damascus in 2005. The financial backing has continued under President Obama.... It is unclear whether the State Department is still funding Syrian opposition groups, but the cables indicate money was set aside at least through September 2010.".......
Qaouk: Arabs in league with U.S. working to topple Assad
November 16, 2011 - By Dana Khraiche - The Daily Star Lebanon
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Politics/2011/Nov-16/154290-qaouk-ara bs-in-league-with-us-working-to-topple-assad.ashx
BEIRUT: Deputy head of the Hezbollah's executive council Sheikh Nabil Qaouk accused Arab leaders Wednesday of working with the U.S. in an attempt to topple President Bashar Assad’s government.
“Lebanon and its resistance cannot be [associated with] Arabs who are U.S. agents involved in the aggression against Syria,” Qaouk said during a ceremony in Beirut’s southern suburb of Ouzai.
“[Lebanon] would never take a position of treachery or conspire against Syria nor punish it politically, financially or economically,” Qaouk added.
The Arab League voted Saturday to suspend Syria’s membership, citing Syria’s failure to implement an initiative by the league to end the eight-month crisis in that country.
The regional organization also said it would impose political and economic sanctions against Damascus.
Lebanon voted against the decision with President Michel Sleiman warning that isolating its neighbor could result in dangerous repercussions.
During his speech Wednesday, Qaouk, who described the Arab League as being dominated by the United States, said the body was failing to play “role of the fair mediator,” and that Syria would overcome conspiracies against it.
Last week, Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah warned that any attack on Syria or Iran would engulf the region, prompting analysts to assume that Hezbollah would join the fight but against the Jewish state by opening the south Lebanon front.
During his speech Wednesday, Qaouk said the allies of the U.S. and Israel in Lebanon and the region were seeking to weaken Syria and Hezbollah.
"The American-Zionist project and its tools in Lebanon and the region is betting on weakening the resistance through the crisis in Syria and work to exhaust and weaken the regime in Syria,” the Hezbollah official said,” Qaouk added.
Arab League to U.S.: Stop interfering in Syria
Jul. 13, 2011 - Associated Press
http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2011/07/13/20110713syria-arab-l eague-backing.html
BEIRUT - The Arab League said Wednesday that Washington overstepped its bounds by saying Syrian President Bashar Assad had lost the legitimacy to lead his country.
Speaking to reporters in Damascus, Arab League Chief Nabil Elaraby said Assad assured him that "Syria has entered a new era and is now moving on the road of a genuine reform."
Syria came under withering international criticism Tuesday as the White House said Assad has "lost legitimacy" and the U.N. Security Council condemned attacks on the U.S. and French embassies in Damascus.
It was a sharp escalation in pressure on Assad and a sign that the Obama administration could be moving closer to calling for regime change in Syria over the violent crackdown on a four-month-old uprising. Previously, the U.S. position on Assad was that he should lead a transition to democracy or leave.
Elaraby said nobody has the right to say that the president of any country has lost his legitimacy.
"This issue is exclusively decided by the people," he said after meeting Assad.
Since the uprising began in mid-March, the Arab League has been mostly silent about the situation in Syria. Last month, Elaraby's deputy, Ahmed bin Heli, said Syria was a "main factor of balance and stability in the region." Elaraby repeated that position Wednesday.
Also Wednesday, Syria's Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem said he regretted Monday's attacks by government supporters on the U.S. and French embassies in Damascus.
"Whoever did that was wrong," al-Moallem said, adding that Syria is responsible for protecting the embassies and their staff "and we bear full responsibility for that."
Hundreds of Syrian government supporters smashed the embassies' windows and spray painted walls with graffiti. Three French Embassy workers were injured.
Earlier Wednesday, Syria's Oil Ministry said fire damaged a natural gas pipeline in eastern Syria. It was unclear if the blaze was accidental or sabotage. No casualties were reported.
Syria's state-run news agency said production continued using other pipelines. Syria produces about 350,000 barrels of oil per day as well as natural gas.
There were conflicting details about the fire late Tuesday in Deir el-Zour province, near the border with Iraq. Witnesses said they heard an explosion, raising concerns that there had been an attack. But Syria's Oil Ministry denied any explosion and said a fire erupted on a pipeline that was under maintenance.
Syria's oil exports are among the main earners of foreign currency to the government, particularly now that the country's four-month-old uprising has hit the tourism industry. Last year, tourism accounted for roughly 12 percent of GDP and brought in $8 billion in hard currency.
Reports of an explosion at the Al-Furat Oil Company's pipeline raised concerns of an attack, which would be the first of its kind as the country tries to quell the revolt against President Bashar Assad's regime.
Russian Warships Enter Syrian Waters To Prevent NATO Attack
Moscow in aggressive move to stop another “humanitarian intervention”
Russian warships have entered Syrian territorial waters in an aggressive move designed to prevent any NATO-led attack on the country under the guise of a “humanitarian intervention”.
http://www.prisonplanet.com/russian-warships-enter-syrian-waters-to-pr event-nato-attack.html
http://www.haaretz.com/news/middle-east/report-russia-warships-to-ente r-syria-waters-in-bid-to-stem-foreign-intervention-1.396359
Russia May Sell Syria Advanced Weapons as NATO Prepares to Attack
On Thursday, the Associated Press reported that Russia and China vetoed a United Nations resolution on Syria because they feared NATO would use the move as an excuse to bomb the Middle Eastern country.
Moscow said it opposes any resolution against Syria because of the way the United States, Britain, and France interpreted the resolution against Libya and used it as an excuse to invade the country and depose its leader Gaddafi under the cover of protecting civilians.
NATO exploited language in the resolution that authorized U.N. members to take “all necessary measures … to protect civilians and civilian populated areas under threat of attack” while excluding any “foreign occupation force” in Libyan territory.
Russia, China, India, South Africa and Brazil argue that the Libya resolution did not justify months of air strikes against Gaddafi’s regime that killed at least 6,000 civilians. They believe a new resolution might be used in the same way to attack Syria and depose al-Assad.
Despite the wrangling at the United Nations, WorldNetDaily reported on Tuesday that a senior Syrian diplomatic official told the news website NATO troops are training in Turkey for a Turkish-led NATO invasion of Syria.
At the same time, Middle East security officials said Russia has been inspecting Syrian forces and has advising Syria about possible Syrian military responses should NATO attack the regime of al-Assad, according to Aaron Klein.
Russia has sold a large number of Iskander ballistic missiles and the officials said considering the threat of NATO invasion the Russians are looking at selling Syria its advanced S-300 anti-missile system.
Assad, however, is concerned the European Union and the United States may dangle a carrot and dissuade the Russians from supporting Syria. Assad has said if his country is attacked he will set the Middle East on fire.
“If a crazy measure is taken against Damascus, I will need not more than six hours to transfer hundreds of rockets and missiles to the Golan Heights to fire them at Tel Aviv,” Assad reportedly said, according to Iran’s state-run Fars news agency. Assad made the comments in a meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmad Davutoglu on Tuesday, according to Ria Novosti.
It is reported Davutoglu relayed a message from NATO and the U.S. that Syria may face an international military campaign if al-Assad does not stop an alleged violent crackdown on an insurgency against his regime.
Assad reportedly warned that he will call on Hezbollah in Lebanon to launch an all-out missile campaign against Israel. He said Iran will attack U.S. ships in the Persian Gulf along with European interests.
WND also reports that Egyptian security officials said Assad instructed the Syrian military to be prepared for an air or ground campaign.
http://majortrend.tv/889/russia-may-sell-syria-advanced-weapons-as-nat o-prepares-to-attack/
Posted: Sat Nov 19, 2011 10:42 pm Post subject:
I didn't spot this one on the Military Industrial Hypnosis machine the BBC!
Russian warships enter Syrian waters to prevent NATO attack: report
Submitted 15 hrs 4 mins ago
http://nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/Inte rnational/19-Nov-2011/Russian-warships-enter-Syrian-waters-to-prevent- NATO-attack-report
“Russian warships are due to arrive at Syrian territorial waters, a Syrian news agency said on Thursday, indicating that the move represented a clear message to the West that Moscow would resist any foreign intervention in the country’s civil unrest,” reports Haaretz.
Russia has stepped up efforts to defend Syria in recent days, with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov keen to frame the violence in the country as a civil war in defiance of claims by western powers that President Bashar al-Assad has overseen a bloody crackdown on innocent protesters.
As we saw prior to the attack on Libya, which was also framed as a “humanitarian intervention,” NATO powers are keen to demonize Assad’s government by characterizing attacks by his forces as atrocities while largely ignoring similar attacks by opposition forces, such as this week’s raid on a Syrian air force intelligence complex that killed or wounded 20 security police.
U.S. State Department spokesman Mark Toner rejects Russia’s claim that Syria is in a civil war, stating, “We believe it’s very much the Assad regime carrying out a campaign of violence, intimidation, and repression against innocent protesters.”
Of course, we heard similar rhetoric even as NATO-backed Al-Qaeda rebels were commandeering fighter jets and firing rocket-propelled grenades in Libya, actions also undertaken by “innocent protesters,” we were told at the time.
As we have previously reported, despite overwhelming speculation that Iran will be the next target of a military assault, Syria is the likeliest target for the next salvo of NATO-backed regime change.
US President Barack Obama got the ball rolling back in August when he called on President al-Assad to step down. The UN has already withdrawn all non-essential staff from the country.
Without Russia’s help, Syria would be largely defenseless against a NATO attack. “I don’t see any purely military problems. Syria has no defence against Western systems … [But] it would be more risky than Libya. It would be a heavy military operation,” former French air force chief Jean Rannou commented.
Given that the western press has proven adept at manufacturing lies to justify military interventions, whether the actions of Assad’s regime represent genuine atrocities or legitimate conduct in the midst of a civil war remains unclear. Some have claimed the abuses are being embellished, while both former CIA agent Robert Baer and ex-MI6 officer Alastair Crooke point out that the Syrian people definitely want change, but not in the form of a NATO “humanitarian” assault. (The EU Times)
Amir Murtaza · Top Commenter · COMSATS Institute of Information Technology · 193 subscribers
WELL WELL WELL very good move by Russia to prevent further blood shed on the name of humanitarian intervention. As I am shouting out loud to so called intellectuals that CAPITALISM is on its knees and it need blood. As they are planning three WARS in this decade, an attack on Syria, attack on Iran and attack on Pakistan. What ever you do they will trigger these WARS as if they don't then these westerners are history. So they will take every dirty step in their books to save their skins. Therefore I request to Russia and China to intervene and intervene fast and with boldness else your next. Tell Americans and Britishers that we are coming to USA and UK to save OCCUPY WALL STREET PROTESTERS on humanitarian grounds.
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If It Feels Good, Suppress It: On Neo-Prohibitionism, Why Republicans Can't Be Openly Gay, And Such
By MANIFESTO JOE
There's a severely conflicted quality about right-wingers on the issue of pleasure. No one else is supposed to have any. Actually, they themselves aren't supposed to have any, either. But, they cheat. Then they feel guilty and beg God to forgive them. Then they do it again. And so on.
I'm not going into anything detailed here about Adorno's The Authoritarian Personality, although I think there's a connection. I don't have enough hours in psychology to expound upon that much-debated 1950 study, and it's been almost 30 years since I read it and wrote a required term paper.
I am going into general, personal observations -- everybody has those and something else. Right-wingers seem obsessed with sex and intoxicating substances -- obsessed with anything that will make you feel good temporarily. They don't want people to have free and open access to those things. And yet, they seem to have just as much trouble with that stuff as we left-leaning libertines do, and maybe more.
Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho, has brought this to wide attention lately, as did former Rep. Mark Foley, R-Fla., a while back. An amusing memory comes to mind. A Republican lawyer ex-friend told me back in the early '90s that Republicans don't go into politics for the sex, because there isn't much action for them. If I were still on speaking terms with him, I'd like to reprise that discussion. And -- back then we were talking about the "hetero" action, a la Bill Clinton.
I grew up in a time of false hedonistic promise -- in the late '60s, the mantra was, "If it feels good, do it." Forty years later, I realize that a society ultimately can't function that way most of the time. Work must be done. Faith should be shown to life partners. It's better to be sober in many situations.
But, there are times when it seems like a bit of transient pleasure is the only reason to be alive.
Since the '60s, the overall society seems to have moved sharply the other way, toward broad repression of anything that feels good. The sanctions typically run against anything any individual likes, even on their own time and with their own money.
It has been the political right wing that has mostly led this neo-prohibitionist, neo-Puritan crusade. And yet, ironically, it's largely their Washington icons who are being caught with the Blackberry messages and playing footsie in the stalls.
I'm a diametrical opposite of these Republican reprobates. I have no secrets. Back in the old days, I inhaled, among other things. I drink alcohol and enjoy good cigars. But, I've been married to the same woman for 22 years, and before her there were just a few steady girlfriends with whom I very sorrowfully parted. I guess I'm ultimately too square to understand the urges that compel some among us.
But, this seems all the more reason to chill out and not judge. I very strongly disagree with Larry Craig's political views, but I am unconcerned about how he spends his spare time. He says he's not, nor has he ever been. But even if he is, that's the least of my worries. Hell, let him start the first Washington chapter of the Log Cabin Republicans, if he wants.
Manifesto Joe is an underground writer living in Texas. Check out his blog at Manifesto Joe's Texas Blues.
Labels: GOP hypocrisy, GOP scandal, Manifesto Joe
>>>>>I realize that a society ultimately can't function that way most of the time. Work must be done.
I think the problem is, that Americans have their priorites wrong. They live to work. Whereas in Europe, the approach is more along the lines of "work to live." In Europe, the purpose of the economy is to serve the people. In the U.S., it's the other way around: people (at least working-class people) live to serve the economy. Most Americans I know wouldn't know the concept of leisure if it ran over them on the highway.
Manifesto Joe said...
It amuses me to think back on the futurists of the '60s and '70s predicting that we would all be working 25-hr. weeks by now. They obviously didn't understand or anticipate the American style of capitalism.
The game plan of the GOP (and their billionaire corporate paymasters) is divide and conquer. It's always been that way. Back in the 1800s, the robber barons pitted Poles against Irish and thus got them at each others' throats, instead of united against The Man and forming unions, etc.
Today, the GOP thugs pit gays against straights, blacks against whites, Red States against Blue States, etc. Get us all fighting against each other and as a result, we don't join forces and do general strikes. And while we're fighting each other, the GOP billionaire class is robbing the nation blind.
A general strike sounds like a great idea. But how to get enough people to do it?
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Modern yoga was created in what has been called the Modern Yoga Renaissance[216] by the blending of Western styles of gymnastics with postures from Haṭha yoga in India in the 20th century, pioneered by Shri Yogendra and Swami Kuvalayananda.[217] Before 1900 there were few standing poses in Haṭha yoga. The flowing sequences of salute to the sun, Surya Namaskar, were pioneered by the Rajah of Aundh, Bhawanrao Shrinivasrao Pant Pratinidhi, in the 1920s.[218] Many standing poses used in gymnastics were incorporated into yoga by Krishnamacharya in Mysore from the 1930s to the 1950s.[219] Several of his students went on to found influential schools of yoga: Pattabhi Jois created Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga,[220] which in turn led to Power Yoga;[221] B. K. S. Iyengar created Iyengar Yoga, and systematised the canon of asanas in his 1966 book Light on Yoga;[222] Indra Devi taught yoga to many film stars in Hollywood; and Krishnamacharya's son T. K. V. Desikachar founded the Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandalam in Chennai.[223][224][225] Other major schools founded in the 20th century include Bikram Choudhury's Bikram Yoga and Swami Sivananda of Rishikesh's Sivananda Vedanta Schools of Yoga. Modern yoga spread across America and Europe, and then the rest of the world.[226][227]
According to Georg Feuerstein, Laya yoga (yoga of dissolution or merging) "makes meditative absorption (laya) its focus. The laya-yogin seeks to transcend all memory traces and sensory experiences by dissolving the microcosm, the mind, in the transcendental Self-Consciousness."[277] There are various forms and techniques of Laya yoga, including listening to the "inner sound" (nada), practicing various mudras like Khechari mudra and Shambhavi mudra as well as techniques meant to awaken a spiritual energy in the body (kundalini).[278]
^ Mangano, Kelsey M.; Sahni, Shivani; Kiel, Douglas P.; Tucker, Katherine L.; Dufour, Alyssa B.; Hannan, Marian T. (February 8, 2017). "Dietary protein is associated with musculoskeletal health independently of dietary pattern: the Framingham Third Generation Study". The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 105 (3): 714–722. doi:10.3945/ajcn.116.136762. PMC 5320406. PMID 28179224 – via ajcn.nutrition.org.
Tantra is a range of esoteric traditions that began to arise in India no later than the 5th century CE.[181][note 17] George Samuel states, "Tantra" is a contested term, but may be considered as a school whose practices appeared in mostly complete form in Buddhist and Hindu texts by about 10th century CE.[183] Tantric yoga developed complex visualizations which included meditation on the body as a microcosm of the cosmos. They included also the use of mantras, pranayama, and the manipulation of the subtle body, including its nadis and cakras. These teachings on cakras and Kundalini would become central to later forms of Indian Yoga.[184]
During the Gupta period (4th to 5th centuries), a movement of northern Mahāyāna Buddhism termed Yogācāra began to be systematized with the writings of the Buddhist scholars Asanga and Vasubandhu. Yogācāra Buddhism received the name as it provided a "yoga," a systematic framework for engaging in the practices that lead through the path of the bodhisattva towards awakening and full Buddhahood.[169] Its teachings can be found in the comprehensive and encyclopedic work, the Yogācārabhūmi-Śāstra (Treatise on the Foundation for Yoga Practitioners), which was also translated into Tibetan and Chinese and thus exerted a profound influence on the East Asian Buddhist and Tibetan Buddhist traditions.[170] According to Mallinson and Singleton, the study of Yogācāra Buddhism is essential for the understanding of yoga's early history, and its teachings influenced the text of the Pātañjalayogaśāstra.[171]
One of the best known early expressions of Brahmanical Yoga thought is the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali , the original name of which may have been the Pātañjalayogaśāstra-sāṃkhya-pravacana (c. sometime between 325 - 425) which some scholars now believe included both the sutras and a commentary.[129] As the name suggests, the metaphysical basis for this text is the Indian philosophy termed Sāṃkhya. This atheistic school is mentioned in Kauṭilya's Arthashastra as one of the three categories of anviksikis (philosophies) along with Yoga and Cārvāka.[130][131] The two schools have some differences as well. Yoga accepted the conception of "personal god", while Samkhya developed as a rationalist, non-theistic/atheistic system of Hindu philosophy.[132][133][134] Sometimes Patanjali's system is referred to as Seshvara Samkhya in contradistinction to Kapila's Nirivara Samkhya.[135] The parallels between Yoga and Samkhya were so close that Max Müller says that "the two philosophies were in popular parlance distinguished from each other as Samkhya with and Samkhya without a Lord."[136]
Some cultures and religions have restrictions concerning what foods are acceptable in their diet. For example, only Kosher foods are permitted by Judaism, and Halal foods by Islam. Although Buddhists are generally vegetarians, the practice varies and meat-eating may be permitted depending on the sects.[2] In Hinduism, vegetarianism is the ideal. Jains are strictly vegetarian and consumption of roots is not permitted.
What started as an alternative to standard-issue military conditioning quickly grew into a life-changing career as Anthony "Flama Blanca" Fuhrman discovered his knack for lifting heavy and moving fast could catapult him to the top of his sport. Find out how this world-class Strongman and Titan Games competitor uses pop music and a larger-than-life persona to conquer the toughest lifts in competition. July 02, 2019 • 42 min read
The number of asanas used in modern yoga has increased rapidly from a nominal 84 in 1830, as illustrated in Joga Pradipika, to some 200 in Light on Yoga and over 900 performed by Dharma Mittra by 1984. At the same time, the goals of Haṭha yoga, namely spiritual liberation (moksha) through the raising of kundalini energy, were largely replaced by the goals of fitness and relaxation, while many of Haṭha yoga's components like the shatkarmas (purifications), mudras (seals or gestures including the bandhas, locks to restrain the prana or vital principle), and pranayama were much reduced or removed entirely.[228] The term "hatha yoga" is also in use with a different meaning, a gentle unbranded yoga practice, independent of the major schools, sometimes mainly for women.[229]
The bulking and cutting strategy is effective because there is a well-established link between muscle hypertrophy and being in a state of positive energy balance.[19] A sustained period of caloric surplus will allow the athlete to gain more fat-free mass than they could otherwise gain under eucaloric conditions. Some gain in fat mass is expected, which athletes seek to oxidize in a cutting period while maintaining as much lean mass as possible.
According to Crangle, some researchers have favoured a linear theory, which attempts "to interpret the origin and early development of Indian contemplative practices as a sequential growth from an Aryan genesis",[53][note 4] just like traditional Hinduism regards the Vedas to be the ultimate source of all spiritual knowledge.[55][note 5] Thomas McEvilley favors a composite model where pre-Aryan yoga prototype existed in the pre-Vedic period and its refinement began in the Vedic period.[58]
Contrary to certain rumors that animal-based protein is more suitable to trigger muscle growth than plant-based protein, a study by Mangano et al. (2017) could not provide any evidence for this. In contrast, if combined properly, plant-based protein can even have a higher biological quality. A combination of one part wheat protein (e.g. seitan) and two parts soy protein (e.g. tofu) has thus been favored by many bodybuilders. Some bodybuilders, such as Patrik Baboumian and Robert Cheeke, follow a strict vegan diet.[37]
The tantra yoga practices include asanas and breathing exercises. The Nyingma tradition practices Yantra yoga (Tib. "Trul khor"), a discipline that includes breath work (or pranayama), meditative contemplation and other exercises.[192] In the Nyingma tradition, the path of meditation practice is divided into further stages,[193] such as Kriya yoga, Upa yoga, Yoga yana, Mahā yoga, Anu yoga and Ati yoga.[194] The Sarma traditions also include Kriya, Upa (called "Charya"), and Yoga, with the Anuttara yoga class substituting for Mahayoga and Atiyoga.[195]
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Rory Hugh Culkin
Rory Culkin is an American film and television actor, best known for his role in the feature film "Signs" and for many roles in independent feature films such as "The Chumscrubber", "Lymelife", and "Columbus". He's the younger brother of actors Macaulay Culkin and Kieran Culkin.
Ri¢hie Ri¢h
The Zodiac
Lymelife
It Runs in the Family
Igby Goes Down
The Night Listener
The Chumscrubber
Chasing 3000
Welcome to Willits
The Song of Sway Lake
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Houston -- Seattle -- New York
Cookie Ashton
The story behind Houston-based artist Cookie Ashton reveals a passionate desire to continually explore, learn, and express her creativity.
Her work can be found in the Stafford Center for the Performing Arts, the Administration building for Texas State University, the Texas State Nursing School in Round Rock, Memorial Hermann Breast Care Center and Texas A&M University among many other personal and commercial collections.
Ashton is represented by Laura Rathe Fine Art - and her work is on display in both its Houston and Dallas galleries. To learn more, visit cookiesfineart.com.
Rothko Chapel
The Rothko Chapel is open to the public every day of the year at no charge and successfully interconnects art, spirituality and compassionate action through a broad array of free public programs. Founded by Houston philanthropists Dominique and John de Menil, the Chapel was dedicated in 1971 as an intimate sanctuary. Today it stands as a monument to art, spirituality and human rights. As an independent non-profit, non-governmental organization, the Chapel depends on contributions from foundations and individuals to support its mission of creating a space for contemplation and dialogue on important issues.
MOMMASTRONG.COM
Momma Strong is a fitness and motivation company on a mission to strengthen moms so that they can show up in the world in they way they choose. Founder Courtney Wyckoff, a certified personal trainer, corrective exercise specialist and mother of two, has created do-at-home programs to address the specific needs of mothers – in quick, 15-minute daily sessions. She also coaches members on a number of topics related to nutrition, wellness, exercise and injury prevention -- and offers intelligently designed online conditioning programs with in-depth looks at ways to improve physical, mental and emotional health. Optional week-long retreats, or “recesses,” offer opportunities to retune, gain strength and have fun under the guidance of a chiropractor, a psychotherapist and a corrective exercise specialist. Momma Strong also is actively involved in educational outreach programs. For more information, visit mommastrong.com.
Courtney Wyckoff
Radical Eats
Radical Eats, founded in 2011, is a Houston café located at 507 Westheimer. Chef Staci Davis focuses on locally sourced cuisine and starts with seasonal ingredients, which she and her staff then prepare in fresh, delicious and unique presentations. In addition to a regular menu of gluten-free, vegan and omnivore selections, the restaurant offers happy hour specialties, as well brunch on Saturday and Sunday. Catering is also available. For more information, visit radicaleats.com
Locally sourced, seasonal ingredients.
Radical Eats, founded in 2011
Located at 1701 Commonwealth, in Houston’s Montrose neighborhood arts enclave, the Flat serves up cocktails with a focus on high-end rums. There is also a wide selection of wines and local beer on tap. The lounge is known as a great venue for music and a space to show off moves on the dance floor. The food menu features wings and unique, gourmet pizzas. The bar is open seven days a week – from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. Monday through Saturday and from 1 p.m. to 2 a.m. on Sundays. Happy hour is from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and all day on Monday. Sunday offers reverse happy hour from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m.
Rich Medina at The Flat
Houston's Montrose neighborhood arts enclave
Justin Dunford
Dunford's artwork invites viewers to ponder; his imagery sparks further investigation. And if his paintings seem to hint at an underlying narrative, that's because Dunford is first and foremost a storyteller - no matter which medium he decides to use.
While most artists pick one material to explore, Dunford has a more varied repertoire. He draws, paints, prints and sculpts - but he also is an actor, director, scenic painter, carpenter, prop builder and puppeteer.
Old West Melodrama
Old West Melodrama, stationed at 100 Main Street in Old Town Spring, is the only performing group in the greater Houston area that offers melodramas and murder mystery dinner shows year round. The troupe, founded by Joe Cole, is comprised of experienced actors and performers who enjoy interacting with the audience. To purchase tickets or for more information, call 713-364-9190, emailreservations@oldwestmelodrama.com or visit www.oldwestmelodrama.com.
Anne-Joelle Galley
Born in Switzerland and raised in Mexico, Galley began studying art in London at the Institute of Contemporary Art in the late 1980s before moving to New York where she continued to perfect her style and technique. She is a life member of The Art Students League of New York whose notable students include Jackson Pollock. Her sought-after paintings are owned in private collections around the world.
For more information about Anne-Joëlle Galley's art, please visit her website at www.annejoelle.com.
Marthann Masterson
Marthann Masterson, a third-generation Houstonian, started her career as a professional chef and television personality. Her creative energy and talent has now moved to the art studio. She studied at the Glassell School of Art. Her work has been exhibited in Houston and Florida, where she won an international art competition and her paintings were viewed by more than 40,000 people. One of her pieces inspired a ballet in Sarasota, Florida. Masterson was also one of five featured artists in a “The Soul of The Artist,” a book by Janet Roe.
METdance
METdance strives to educate and revitalize a passion for dance through formal instruction and performance. With professional and youth dance companies, as well as a strong community outreach program, METdance is a leader in the vitality and diversity of Houston's dance community. The METdance company has traveled across the U.S. to perform works by influential and talented choreographers. Helmed by founder and executive director Michelle Smith, artistic director Marlana Doyle and associate director Joe Celej, the company is the sister organization to the METdance Center, which opened the doors to a newly renovated facility in May 2013 in Houston's Midtown district. For more information, visit www.metdance.org.
Mike Garman
Michael Garman runs his own boutique furniture design company, blacktronics.com, Inc.. He designs and builds the pieces by hand in his studio in The Woodlands. For more information, visit garmanfurniture.com.
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The open violence of the Balkan labour reforms: an interview with Aleksandar Matković
11 October 2017 by Aleksandar Matković , Petar Protić
Geox workers on strike
The following interview between Petar Protić and Aleksandar Matković originally appeared in Serbo-Croatian at Al Jazeera Balkans and concerns the recent labour laws that have been carried out almost simultaneously across several Balkan countries, each bearing similar tendencies: a weakening of workers’ rights and a strengthening of the rights of employers, the increase of precarious work and employers arbitrarily assigning work times as they see fit. These labour reforms form one of the central topics of the interview.
Protić: Recently the Chinese company Hesteel Serbia, which operates the Smederevo ironworks, requested that the Serbian government amend its labour laws because the management believes that it should have the right to burden workers with additional duties. At the same time, in the case of the Fiat strike, the state intervenes not by amending the operation of the company, which has evidently violated the law, but by negotiating with the maltreated workers. These two pictures, which have circulated through the media, suggest that Serbia is unambiguously in the service of large capital, which is of direct concern to the workers.
Matković: Fiat and Hesteel are two faces of the same investment policy: if you ask what connects the recent strikes in Serbia, it is the fact that they all occurred in foreign-owned firms. Geox, Yura, Goša, Gorenje Valjevo and many others are living proof of the failure of the government’s policies of relying on foreign investors. The entire economic policy of Serbia rests on the refusal to regulate domestic labour markets, although its structure of unemployment ensures that there is more than an adequate supply of vocatioal and educational profiles to meet the current demand. However, instead of investing in local infrastructure, the saviour to the ailing Serbian economy is seen mainly in the chaos of foreign investment.
The budget is burdened by huge subsidies paid out to foreign investors, while the employees are disciplined with open violence. From Hesteel’s demand that their workers be kept at their disposal 24 hours a day while living in a barracks (that’s why they demanded the labour law be changed), to the catastrophic situation in Goša and the fiasco at Fiat Chrysler in Kragujevac, literally not a single foreign-owned factory is operating legally. In addition, Serbia’s is the cheapest work force in Europe and no investment can justify such a degradation of the working class.
Further, the additional lowering of the price of labour is senseless because it is already low; and because investments do not go after cheap labour but after profit Profit The positive gain yielded from a company’s activity. Net profit is profit after tax. Distributable profit is the part of the net profit which can be distributed to the shareholders. : that’s why the bulk of the finished products produced in Serbia returns to the countries of origin where the highest profits are made. In this sense, foreign direct investments do not “exist” – only the turnover of capital. And what remains behind after this turnover is the literally cheap destruction of the employees, of their families and cities, the ruination of their health and the impossibility of the maintenance of life. In a word: a crisis of reproduction.
Protić: However, in order to arrive at an understanding of the labour laws, we must take a step back. It is well known that the economic development of the Balkan countries is largely dependent on Washington institutions such as the World Bank World Bank
WB The World Bank was founded as part of the new international monetary system set up at Bretton Woods in 1944. Its capital is provided by member states’ contributions and loans on the international money markets. It financed public and private projects in Third World and East European countries.
It consists of several closely associated institutions, among which :
1. The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD, 189 members in 2017), which provides loans in productive sectors such as farming or energy ;
2. The International Development Association (IDA, 159 members in 1997), which provides less advanced countries with long-term loans (35-40 years) at very low interest (1%) ;
3. The International Finance Corporation (IFC), which provides both loan and equity finance for business ventures in developing countries.
As Third World Debt gets worse, the World Bank (along with the IMF) tends to adopt a macro-economic perspective. For instance, it enforces adjustment policies that are intended to balance heavily indebted countries’ payments. The World Bank advises those countries that have to undergo the IMF’s therapy on such matters as how to reduce budget deficits, round up savings, enduce foreign investors to settle within their borders, or free prices and exchange rates.
and on the so-called “Troika Troika Troika: IMF, European Commission and European Central Bank, which together impose austerity measures through the conditions tied to loans to countries in difficulty.
IMF : https://www.ecb.europa.eu/home/html/index.en.html ” (the IMF IMF
International Monetary Fund Along with the World Bank, the IMF was founded on the day the Bretton Woods Agreements were signed. Its first mission was to support the new system of standard exchange rates.
When the Bretton Wood fixed rates system came to an end in 1971, the main function of the IMF became that of being both policeman and fireman for global capital: it acts as policeman when it enforces its Structural Adjustment Policies and as fireman when it steps in to help out governments in risk of defaulting on debt repayments.
As for the World Bank, a weighted voting system operates: depending on the amount paid as contribution by each member state. 85% of the votes is required to modify the IMF Charter (which means that the USA with 17,68% % of the votes has a de facto veto on any change).
The institution is dominated by five countries: the United States (16,74%), Japan (6,23%), Germany (5,81%), France (4,29%) and the UK (4,29%).
The other 183 member countries are divided into groups led by one country. The most important one (6,57% of the votes) is led by Belgium. The least important group of countries (1,55% of the votes) is led by Gabon and brings together African countries.
http://imf.org , European Central Bank Central Bank The establishment which in a given State is in charge of issuing bank notes and controlling the volume of currency and credit. In France, it is the Banque de France which assumes this role under the auspices of the European Central Bank (see ECB) while in the UK it is the Bank of England.
ECB : http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/Pages/home.aspx and the European Commission). And, as you have remarked, it was the breakup of Yugoslavia that opened the path to the liberalisation of the market.
Matković: First, following the breakup of Yugoslavia, the former Yugoslav republics found themselves between two forms of neoliberalism. The first wave followed the Reagan-Thatcher period and the so-called Washington Consensus, otherwise known as the “Ten Commandments” of neoliberalism. This set of policy prescriptions is what the World Bank had initially applied to developing regions in Latin America and subsequently in Europe after the fall of socialism. This reached its peak during the 2000s. The key reform in the former Yugoslav republics, alongside the changes to forms of ownership, was the reform of labour laws and of the institutions of what was once the system of socialist self-management.
The second wave developed in the other half of the 2000s along the Berlin-Brussels axis (and the IMF-European Bank, respectively) and was accompanied by austerity measures, the consolidation of the EU and the polarisation between its centre and periphery. The position of the Balkans in this constellation is seen today in the Berlin Process, which has suspended European integration until 2018 and has instead focused on the creation of a single Balkan market with Vučić at its helm.
Both waves have influenced the party programs of the former Yugoslav republics: already during socialist times there was a willingness to privatise, but this went hand in hand with nationalism. After Ante Marković abolished the system of workers’ self-management overnight, the first beginnings of privatisation could already be seen during the 1990s – in the figure of Slobodan Milošević. Milošević’s anti-bureaucratic rhetoric prior to his rise to power included demands for attracting foreign capital and the liberalisation of the markets. It was only with the imposition of sanctions that he re-nationalised the Yugoslav industries. And even Zoran Đinđić’s liberalism would not subsequently distance itself from that faithful combination of nationalism and proto-neoliberal politics. They remained interlocked. Of course, there is also this leftist narrative according to which it was the influence of the IMF in promoting centralisation inside the federal government that facilitated the collapse of Yugoslavia, with Michel Camdessus, the fund’s director at the time, even writing of a “silent revolution” in the socialist Balkans.
However, a few remarks are needed here. First of all, we need not exaggerate the “foreign” influences on Yugoslavia’s collapse. One must not overlook the internal problems of self-management which had undergone great transformations since its inceptions during the 1940s and the 1950s. At the time Boris Kidrič was alive, that system of self-management had included the Council of Producers in the National Assembly, various investment funds Investment fund
Investment funds Private equity investment funds (sometimes called ’mutual funds’ seek to invest in companies according to certain criteria; of which they most often are specialized: capital-risk, capital development funds, leveraged buy-out (LBO), which reflect the different levels of the company’s maturity. , socialist accumulation, etc. None of these were existent by the 1980s. And in the meantime the republican governments had been strengthened with the Communist Party losing its former political role. And you have the oft forgotten wave of mass strikes during the 1980s which, despite the passivity of the trade unions, demanded the preservation of socialism.
Secondly, we cannot mitigate the role of domestic nationalism. The right was and remains pro-capitalist and market-oriented, but alongside the political parties it had widespread support from the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, the intellectual elite and state security institutions. The war was waged by para-military formations close to them and the entire right-wing compound that resulted from their interaction led to the end of the SFRY. Today, it still lives on, in an altered form.
Protić: In your research you note that the last reforms of the labour law in Serbia follow the wider trend of reforms that has taken place throughout the Western Balkans, with the Serbian law relying on the Croatian, which was in turn based on the Slovene law. The problem which you highlight is the neoliberal legal framework of these acts through which precarious labour is, effectively, legalised. These and other practices that are negative for the workers, had earlier been snuck in through the back door, but are now for the first time recommended by the new law and have been established as the standard.
Matković: Precarious labour had also existed in previous laws, but merely as an exception to the rule. With the institutionalisation of neoliberalism in the former Yugoslav republics, a pan-Balkan (so to speak) form of austerity-led state arrangements has been created. It comprises mutually interconnected states bound by market integration and long-term austerity, which means that their austerity measures are no longer an expression of urgency or a specific answer to a crisis but are built to last. In this context of a “Balkan neoliberalism”, labour laws play a key role in the standardisation of precarious labour which is no longer an exception but the rule, with huge concessions to the employers.
Multi-year “short term” contracts, easier dismissals, flexible working hours, holidays, etc, all of this entwines the labour law into the existing “flexible” labour relations. But contrary to how it is currently presented, this labour law is only the tip of the iceberg: after it there are a series of laws which will further enroot this precarity into society.
The dual education law, for example, which foresees a double-tier education system with mandatory work in domestic and foreign companies for the “lower strata” of the young specialised workforce. These young workers would have no legal protection as they are not allowed to make any contracts themselves; instead, the labour contracts will be signed between the employer and the school. Or the set of five sectoral public sector laws, which will standardise volunteer work and unpaid internships in different parts of the public sector. Or, finally, the law on agency employment, which will standardise the practice of private employment agencies organising, allocating and relocating workers at the will of their clients (construction companies, big firms, private industries, etc), a system already practised in Croatia and Slovenia.
All of these laws mark a new institutional matrix being created based on long-term changes to the entire infrastructure of both the private and public sector. At the same time, it changes the conditions of the possibilities for resistance.
Gosa strike
Protić: And resistance in this context means, I presume, the creation of new legal frameworks based on deep economic analyses. What alternatives are there at present and what things require the most urgent attention?
Matković: Different alternatives exist, but the majority of them focus on legal battles only. The labour law is just one side of the coin, however. The above-mentioned laws that will follow it present major institutional reforms and should also be taken into account. For as such they craft an institutional totality that will function in sync. And that’s why every alternative must also suggest a counter-institutional framework which will depart from the current status quo. Legally, the labour law should shorten the length of precarious contracts from the current three years to six months to prevent the present abuses (how, for example, will your hospitals work if there is a constant turnover of staff? Or, say, scientific institutes for the development of technologies or medicine? These are already stagnating in the current state of affairs, and this is yet again solved through foreign investments).
The definition of labour time, of flexible working hours (article 50), which is absurdly vague, should be thrown out or redefined in such a way that an employer cannot rearrange working hours in the so-called redistribution period (article 58) except in extraordinary circumstances. Hesteel’s demand, for example, that their workers be made totally available 24 hours a day should be vigorously opposed. The articles which regulate the termination of a contract must not favour the subjective assessments of the employer. Article 179, which does just this (that is, it would allow dismissals without a court ruling if the employer merely suspects that the employee committed a criminal offense, thereby bypassing the courts entirely) was already declared unconstitutional in February of this year. Such struggle must be continued.
Likewise, since precarious work has already been standardised, the labour law would need to be expanded to regulate all forms of work, not only formal employment, because this leaves a large part of the work force without legal protections (this could, similarly, be included in the definition of working hours beyond that currently defined by the presence of an employer, as is the case now). Secondary work activities (the already-mentioned time during which the employee is “made available” to the employer, punching in and out of work, sending emails at night, etc.) all needs to be included in the definition of overtime work and adequately compensated. Employee offenses should be broken down into major and minor, so that dismissals cannot be made for minimal breaches, and similarly the regulation of the so-called “coerced dismissals”, which was dropped from the labour law, should be restated. [1]
Alongside legal reforms, however, there now exists a wider space to return from so-called “workfare” back to “welfare” policies: instead of unproductive subsidies for foreign investors, the labour price could be increased, indexed to inflation Inflation The cumulated rise of prices as a whole (e.g. a rise in the price of petroleum, eventually leading to a rise in salaries, then to the rise of other prices, etc.). Inflation implies a fall in the value of money since, as time goes by, larger sums are required to purchase particular items. This is the reason why corporate-driven policies seek to keep inflation down. and adjusted to the cost of living via the average consumer basket. This would guarantee the bare minimum needed for existence and would even unburden rather than further damage the budget. For even if the current wage level were raised some huge percent, say, for example, from 130RSD (1.07€) to 140RSD (1.15€) per hour, this would be felt less than the large subsidies that the government issues out to foreign firms every year. What’s more, unlike subsidies for foreign investment, raising the wage would actually help fill the budget by increasing aggregate domestic demand. In other words, the state could end austerity measures by tomorrow if it would stop giving away money to foreign companies for once.
These are basic things, of course, but they are rare in practice. Look at what happened at Fiat: their workers’ unions barely won a small increase in wages, in exchange for which they had to unconstitutionally abandon their right to strike, only so that inflation would eat away the minimal advances gained – such cheap games must end.
Protić: When we speak about workers coming together and opening new spaces of activity, you highlight the need to give the internal structures of these associations serious consideration, something that you have argued is an urgent political question for the left today.
Matković: The left has little concern for institutions, often dismissing them as “state ideological apparatuses” or the like, which is more of an excuse than it is a politics. However, this is exactly where the main problem lies: it is at once ideological and, above all, institutional. To take the example of the labour law, the interaction of these two levels can be seen precisely in the way in which the law was introduced, namely, through the infamous social dialogue. This ideologeme is the main hindrance to organising trade unions and workers’ associations and even to labour legislation itself. All three of these are under enormous pressure from the government, the Employers Union and the Serbian Chamber of Commerce, which, although a non-governmental body, is codified in law (for instance, in the new law on dual education).
The unions, which are supposedly the main players in this “social dialogue”, stand basically no chance in it. For this ideologeme obscures the need for deep institutional changes, in terms of: 1) facilitating the unionisation of precarious workers, for which the branch-divided organization of the unions should be overcome and 2) connecting the youth sections of the trade unions with student associations and parliaments, which, due to the dual education law, will either way have to be reformed. At the moment, the political education of students and workers is loosely maintained either by the non-governmental sector or organisations closer to employers, which is a powerful obstacle to any kind of self-organisation.
In the same spirit, the state and its institutions should not be mistakenly presented as monolithic and unitary structures: even in the National Bank there are different currents which have opposed and would oppose the current policies. In varying degrees, this goes for all institutions: it is always a game of power, and hence, of resistance. That’s why I believe that a good part of the existing institutions would gladly accept developing different policies because, with regards to those we currently have, any kind of alternative would be better. So, the institutional question must be addressed.
Protić: A lot of work goes into promoting peace and stability in the region. Politicians, for the sake of their image, always endorse a story of national reconciliation, although this is often because peace and stability are important for creating a favourable atmosphere for international investments. Similarly, media propaganda in Serbia portrays the government as the saviour of the Fiat workers, but this is a populist fiction. How powerful are populism and nationalism today and how powerful are they likely to become?
Matković: First, today’s nationalism does not have the mobilising capacity it once had during the 1990s. Unfortunately it has become an omnipresent part of culture, but its role has also changed. In the 1990s nationalism served the function of war during the Yugoslav conflicts; today the state-financed “culture” of nationalism still lives on after the completion of this function. With these recent strikes, however, something has changed. It is interesting what had transpired: workers who have finally broken through into the media no longer respond to this language of the nation. All these appeals to the workers to “show some love for Serbia”, as put by Serbia’s Minister of Labour, Zoran Đorđević, have been without much effect. Add to this the recent Bosnian plenums and it should be clear where the limits of nationalism stand today.
As one piece of graffiti from the Bosnian protests read: “We are starving in three languages.” That’s where nationalism is at today.
Second, two “periods” of nationalism are usually distinguished: that of the nineteenth century nationalism which is presented as an “integrative” period of the birth of the nation state when it was necessary to unify or rather “invent” the subject of the new citizen based on the principle of a common language, culture and, supposedly, tradition. And the second a “disintegrative” nationalism which emerged during the twentieth century by excluding minorities and in conjunction with racism, ethnocentrism, etc.
But we shouldn’t forget there’s also a “third” variety: one that also functions with neoliberalism and, rather than being its opposition, proves to be its perfect match: just look at the vast historical revisionism going on in Europe which legitimises the “long-term nature” of their nation-states. And think about the most significant difference between liberalism and neoliberalism: it lies precisely in the conception of the nation state. The latter demands a strong state and therefore a strong state mythology. It is not accidental that our revisionism arrived following the war, and not during, or prior to it. For the international history of the Yugoslav peoples and trans-Yugoslav working class, which had been studied by institutes of history and of Marxism throughout socialist Yugoslavia, first had to be destroyed so that a national “memory” could be “re-established”. This historical revisionism functions perfectly well with the neoliberal imaginary, and is in no way at odds with it.
If we want to further this thesis, we can say that nationalism even fits so-called globalisation: those who speak of the death of the nation state must have been living under a rock for the past fifty, and especially the last twenty years: they remain blind to the G7, G20 G20 The Group of Twenty (G20 or G-20) is a group made up of nineteen countries and the European Union whose ministers, central-bank directors and heads of state meet regularly. It was created in 1999 after the series of financial crises in the 1990s. Its aim is to encourage international consultation on the principle of broadening dialogue in keeping with the growing economic importance of a certain number of countries. Its members are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, India, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, USA, UK and the European Union (represented by the presidents of the Council and of the European Central Bank). , TPP, TTIP, which are all attempts to coordinate the expansion of the world market. And all of these entities relied on the nation state: for taxes, treaties, credits, accumulation, and so on. For all of these things you need to have the nation-state. And neoliberalism, which is a global order, is not on opposite ends with particular nationalisms. For, as long as the mythology of nation states exists, so too does the mythology of nationalism.
Furthermore, when we speak of populism, this merely signifies the right which has re-emerged through the surface of liberalism, and nothing more. From xenophobia to nationalism, there is nothing that the right hasn’t used before. Today the right returns through the collapse of political correctness, which it experiences as a liberation. From Berlusconi and Trump to Brexit and Orbán, this is the only change that has occurred in terms of the concept of “populism.”
However, there is a confusion on the left regarding populism, which needs to be addressed: progressive movements have nothing to gain by imitating the right. On the contrary, they have everything to lose from it: their own political position, above all. For, if you look closely, there cannot even be a “left populism”; populism is by its very form on the “right”: it shifts the points of social conflict, it confuses and mixes them up, as if it’s the same if one speaks of exploitation or of national reconciliation. Populism is the child of postmodernity with no long-term perspective. In the long run, it will not mobilise anyone; and what it leaves in its wake is political apathy. That’s why it should be forgotten.
Fiat workers on strike
Protić: It is interesting that you have written on the similarities between neoliberalism and post-fascism. Following theorists like Horkheimer, Mladen Dolar and G.M. Tamás, you speak of the historical ties between capital and fascism and the ways in which neoliberalism can be understood as a westernised fascism.
Matković: The liberal consensus on the question of anti-fascism is that it is a kind of “civilizational value” and global heritage, as if every anti-fascism was one and the same. Likewise, it lacks the most basic conception of what fascism is. After the global growth of the right following 2008, with populism returning alongside fascism, everyone is suddenly drawing parallels between the 1930s and today. However, it is mistaken and unnecessary to make simple comparisons with the Weimar Republic or Germany of the 1930s. What we need instead are analyses of how today’s market integration has been accompanied by the literal fortification of Europe, islamophobia, refugee camps and anti-immigrant policies and, above all, the intense fragmentation of labour. And much of that is incomprehensible without the heritage of fascism, just as fascism itself is incomprehensible without the heritage of liberalism: the collapse of Wall Street and the Great Depression. So, as you say, one should take a step back and throw light on the broader theoretical discussion of these phenomena. Or, if you like, to speak of the “dialectics” between the forces of the market and the forces of coercion.
This, however, is not a play of mirrors. It’s not about similarities at all. Similarities, of course, do exist, but the problem is how we explain them. And it is here that Marxism enters the game against the liberal consensus. Instead of withdrawing from anti-fascism, as some of the left have done, we need to “update” its roots.
And these roots can be found in the debates on the political economy of fascism which were most lively in the Second and Third International and the early Frankfurt School. But the problem with these theories is that they broke down because they couldn’t explain the question of the subject in fascism: “Where do fascists come from?”, which is the most crucial question of all. This is why the explanations have shifted, in the Frankfurt school but also more broadly, onto more psychologically-minded approaches which arose from the combination of psychoanalysis and Marxism (Wilhelm Reich, August Thalheimer, Marcuse, later Adorno and Horkheimer, etc). At this point, the concept of fascism had collapsed as it became reduced to the political sphere alone, to a synonym for force or coercion, or it had dispersed through notions of micro-fascisms, cultural-fascisms, etc. That’s why we observed this “accumulation” of fascisms in social theory, similar to that of the concept of capital (social capital, cultural capital, etc.).
Today, of all the theories of fascism that are out there, it is in fact rare to find a real theory of how fascism emerged, and not just a set of analogies with Weimar. That is why we need to speak of fascism in an integral sense, as an attack on universal citizenship (Tamás), as a form of socialisation (Polanyi), as an economic system, and so on. Only then will the profound changes that fascism has caused become visible – the economic shock, the institutionalisation of new relations between individuals, relations which do not rest on a voluntary association of free individuals but are rather based on para-state collectives (“capitalist unions”, selective-racist citizenship, etc.) and above all, the sacrifice of the European proletariat. It is only from here that its long-term consequences can be directly analysed. For in so far as fascism need not be presented as an eternal evil or an “anti-European” phenomenon but one to be sought in the European soil from which it emerged, it constantly demands a self-reflection of the political traditions of Europe.
Anti-Semitism had its institutional basis; Islamophobia has its own; anti-communism its own as well; anti-immigration, too. They did not fall from the sky. According to Agamben, the concentration camps were the mark of modernity, and modernity, to paraphrase Ellen Meiksins Wood, is nothing other than a broad name for capitalism, industrialisation and the corresponding ways of life. These and other remaining phenomena call for in-depth analyses so that the question: “What is that which we are fighting against?” can receive its answer. That is the task of anti-fascism today.
Translated by James Robertson
Source: LeftEast
[1] “Coerced dismissal” (iznuđen otkaz) implies a threat or blackmail of the employee from the employer in order to force the employee to resign by themselves. This often profits the employer by mitigating the costs of laying off the worker and by circumscribing the legal grounds for the termination of contract on his side.
is a Serbian philosopher and activist, currently working as a researcher at the Institute of Philosophy and Social Theory and coordinator of the Regional Scientific Centre of the IPST in Novi Sad. His work deals with theories of fascism, critique of political economy and contemporary Marxism. He is a PhD candidate at the Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts in Ljubljana, writing a dissertation on the political economy of fascism.
Other articles in English by Aleksandar Matković (1)
Labour strikes in Serbia: the Pit of Foreign Investment
22 January 2018, by Aleksandar Matković
Petar Protić
is a journalist and independent researcher from Belgrade.
ReCommonsEurope: Manifesto for a New Popular Internationalism in Europe
26 May - Eric Toussaint, Esther Vivas , Catherine Samary, Costas Lapavitsas, Stathis Kouvelakis, Tijana Okic, Nathan Legrand, Alexis Cukier, Jeanne Chevalier, Yayo Herrero
Municipalities and citizens movement defeat anti-democratic EU directive
24 April - CADTM, Collective, Corporate Europe Observatory, ACiDe
ReCommonsEurope Manifesto: a left-wing initiative in Europe
8 April - Eric Toussaint
Manifesto for a new popular internationalism in Europe
21 March - Eric Toussaint, Esther Vivas , Catherine Samary, Costas Lapavitsas, Stathis Kouvelakis, Tijana Okic, Nathan Legrand, Alexis Cukier, Jeanne Chevalier, Yayo Herrero
Venezuela: Suspend Debt Repayments and Create an Emergency Humanitarian Fund
11 March - Eric Toussaint
The euro project and the international integration of the South-Eastern European economies
13 October 2018 - Ana Podvršič
The government actively blocks the unity of the protests
15 April 2017 - Marko Stričević
Sarajevo: Hope and Social Rebellion in 2014
Solidarity with the people of Bosnia, Serbia and Croatia: the CADTM demands a moratorium on the debt of these countries and an end to austerity measures
2 June 2014 - CADTM International
Croatia should not enter the eurozone
27 March 2014 - Eric Toussaint
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Teacher Training Discovery Day
A Leading Role
Course Dates and Availability
Extended Course Tuition Dates
Level 3 Pilates: The UK National Standard
A national standard for Pilates was introduced in the UK in August 2005. It was ratified by the Qualifications Curriculum Authority (QCA) and is overseen by SkillsActive (the Sector Skills Council for Active Leisure and Learning) and the Register of Exercise Professionals. The standard sits at Level 3 in the National Qualifications Framework and is known colloquially within the industry as ‘Level 3’.
It is the first of its kind in the world and sets the minimum requirements in terms of skills and knowledge that a teacher should have to teach Pilates matwork.
Any organisation that provides a Pilates teacher training faculty in the UK is able to apply for recognition of its courses against this standard and it is strongly recommended that, if you are about to embark on a career as a Pilates teacher, you train with an organisation whose course has been ratified at Level 3.
You should expect that a Level 3 course will, in total, require about 250 hours of your time from commencement to certification (around 100 of these should be on a ‘contact basis’), but you should also be aware that some training providers offer online ‘distance learning’ in place of contact hours.
Body Control Pilates Education was part of the working group that helped create the standard. We firmly believe that a minimum of typically 150 direct contact hours (students working with tutors either in a classroom or supervised teaching environment) are necessary for a student to fully understand the scope of the Pilates Method, to be able to teach and progress clients safely and effectively, and to have the foundation to build a successful career.
Pilates teachers graduating from approved courses are eligible to apply for inclusion as a Pilates Teacher at Level 3 (Advanced Instructor) of the UK Register of Exercise Professionals (http://www.exerciseregister.org). The Register is the recommended information source for both club operators and members of the public, who may wish to check a Pilates teacher’s credentials in terms of training qualifications. A ‘Level 3’ Pilates qualification is now a precondition for entry onto the Register as a Pilates teacher.
The Fitness Industry Association (FIA), representing the major health club operators in the UK, now have a policy that only REPs-accredited teachers can teach in member clubs.
This Body Control Pilates Matwork Certification is approved against the Level 3 Pilates standard and, in fact, far exceeds the requirements of that standard. We are proud that we were the first specialist Pilates training provider to receive formal approval against the UK national standard for Pilates. This means that students graduating from the Body Control Pilates Matwork Certification Course are automatically recognised as meeting that standard.
Our course is also accredited by ActiveIQ under the mandatory requirement for all training providers to have their course ratified by an approved awarding body.
Please note that, instead of UK REPs membership, course graduates who are resident within the European Community (excluding the United Kingdom) will automatically become members of the European Register of Exercise Professionals (EREPs) as an accredited Pilates Teacher. EREPs is overseen by EHFA, the European Health and Fitness Association. EREPs and EHFA will play a pivotal role in the future development of a European-wide standard for Pilates, work on which is expected to commence in 2012.
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QB Mark Sanchez Our #5 Overall Draft Pick?
The Browns are apparently very impressed with USC's quarterback Mark Sanchez. Could it be that the Browns are so impressed that we might select Sanchez as the fifth overall pick in the upcoming College Draft? The answer is very likely NO. We sure hope not.
Unbdoubtedly, Sanchez is one of the very best QBs in the Draft this year. He is 6 feet 3 inches tall and weighs just under 230 pounds. He is just 22 years old. He received an All-American Honourable Mention by Sports Illustrated in 2008. He was named to the First Team All-Pac 10 in 2008. He was the All-American Player of the Year in 2004. Sanchez has played in four Rose Bowls, winning three of them in consecutive years between 2007 and 2009. He was named the 2009 Rose Bowl Offensive Most Valubale Player. He has been ranked third and second in quarterback polls among college coaches and the Associated Press. Mark led the Trojans to a 12-1 season last year, throwing 34 touchdowns (second in USC history). He passed for more than 3000 yards and threw 10 interceptions.
Sanchez performed well at the Indy Scouting Combine and in pro workouts since. In fact, some commentators have expressed the view that he is just as impressive up close as QB Stafford who could be the first overall Draft pick by the Lions. Sanchez is taking a risk in entering the Draft early rather than returning to USC in that quarterbacks often do not fair well in the Draft until they have exhausted all of their eligible College experience. In fact, USC head coach Pete Carroll has made no secret of his disagreement with Mark's decision to enter the Draft this year. Sanchez is the first QB at Southern Cal to do that in nearly twenty years.
So why would the Browns publicly express some interest in Sanchez. That is likely strategic in order to keep a trade of the fifth overall pick more viable. It suits no purpose for us to commit to selecting a defensive player in the first round, although that is exactly what we should do and probably what we will do. Brian Orakpo is still the leading candidate, or should be in our opinion. Aaron Curry is a possibility if the Kansas City Chiefs do not select him before we get to pick.
The Browns are hosting another private workout very soon with Orakpo along with other defensive players. That is where we should focus in the first round.
Besides, we have an ongoing quarterback competition between Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson. Quinn is already a first round Draft selection. Anderson is already a Pro Bowler despite last season's debacle. Why in the world would we want a third QB in the mix? If the plan is to trade Quinn or Anderson and pick up another QB, then that other QB should be a veteran who can mentor and play if required right away, not someone from the Draft who cannot make an immediate impact no matter how impressive in College.
Go Browns! Go Defense!
Labels: cleveland browns, college draft, mark sanchez, quarterback
Jenny June 28, 2019 at 9:27 AM
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Wu-Man Chu's album reviews:
The Beta Machine's "All This Time"
Published by Wu-Man Chu on May 16, 2017 at 9:38 p.m.
Updated on May 17, 2017 at 12:49 a.m.
Photo credit: Danny Excess and Justin Mohlman
LOS ANGELES – On March 28, The Beta Machine released “All This Time”. It featured five songs: “Pictures”, “The End”, “Again and Again”, “All This Time” and “Tower” featuring Carina Round. My physical copy arrived in the late part of April.
If superheroes had a soundtrack, “All This Time” would be it. The cover made me think of The Human Torch talking to Stan Lee. “Pictures” made me feel as if I was the last superhero on Earth, “The End” gave me the feeling of running away, “Again And Again” felt like I took flight, “All This Time” was me floating around in space and “Tower” provided the feeling as if I reached a new planet to start anew. It took me on a “Fantastic Voyage”, like Coolio.
The Beta Machine’s “All This Time” features Matt McJunkins (vocals, bass, guitar, synth, programming), Jeff Friedl (drummer, programming), Claire Acey (vocals for the exception of “Tower”), Round (vocals for “Tower”), Mat Mitchell (synth, guitar, programming), Danny Levin (horns on “Pictures” and “Tower”) and Max Hart (piano on “Tower”).
Songs on “All This Time” by The Beta Machine were written by McJunkins and Friedl. “Tower” was written by McJunkins, Friedl and Round. It was produced, mixed and engineered by Mitchell. Brian Gardner mastered it at Bernie Grundman Mastering, recording was at Clear Lake Recording Studios and Mat Mitchell Studios, Jeremy Berman was the drum tech, Danny Excess was charge of art direction, additional artwork was by Justin Mohlman and Ian J. Friedman, Esq. was in charge of legal.
Special thanks were credited to: Mitchell, Mohlman, David Kinsler, MJK, Billy Howerdel, Round, EODM, Stephen Steelman, Brad Ragland, Kevin Llewellyn, Patrick Surace, Priscilla Scott, Christian Conte and Sara Cummings. Very special thanks went to The Beta Machine’s Pledge Music supporters: Robbie Korwek, Kris Hughes, Trish Hughes, Thomas Iwanicki, Hila Dagan, Annie Tennyson, Guillermo Basoco, Trey Cornish, Adam Acey, Kayla Jacoby, Matt “Curfew” Reynolds, Logan Taylor Purvis, Tim Mobeck, Catharina Brandt, Sareth Ney (my alter-ego), Nikolas Vincent Brigando, Phil Parsons, Dr. Dennis “Freakasaurus” Dudek and Leonardo Da Vinci Hardie.
“All This Time” by The Beta Machine is copyrighted via Junkdaddy Music (BMI) and Jeff Friedl (BMI), except for “Tower”. “Tower” is copyrighted with both and Carina Round Music (ASCAP). It is manufactured and marketed by The Beta Machine.
Stream or purchase? Purchase it on Amazon, Google Play, iTunes and/or a physical copy at The Beta Machine’s shows.
Sareth Ney is the journalist for A Quarter and Dream Pictures. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mass Communications and Center for New Media from Colorado State University-Pueblo. He is a former apprentice to master of horror, Clive Barker. He is a Wu-Tang Clan inspired superhero, Wu-Man Chu. He is an award-winning short filmmaker; his goal is to write 150 articles in select time zones, inducts every article into his hall of fame, is a stand-up comedian, motivational speaker, founder and co-host of Pueblo's Independent Multimedia Podcast and is the festival director at Sareth-Fest Music and Comedy Festival.
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Lukas Graham is a Danish pop and soul band. The band released their first album, Lukas Graham, with labels Copenhagen Records and Then We Take the World in 2012. The album peaked at number one on the Danish charts. Their second album was released in 2015 and earned international attention with singles like "Mama Said" and "7 Years", the latter of which peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 list (among other countries' charts).
Lukas Graham's music has been described as a pop-soul hybrid. In a review of the band's new album, journalist Jon Pareles of The New York Times described their sound as the place "where pop meets R&B". Patrick Ryan of USA Today wrote that the band's songs "effortlessly blend elements of hip hop and folk". Lyrically, the songs often deal with relatable experiences like growing up poor ("Mama Said") or drinking ("Drunk in the Morning").The band's most popular song, "7 Years", describes growing up and aging at specific points in life (from seven years old to 60).
Lukas grew up in a self-governing artistic community in the middle of Copenhagen called Christiania.The area is known for both its "utopian", creative atmosphere, relative poverty, and crime. His experiences growing up in the community have shaped both the sound of his music and the lyrics he writes.
Drunk In The Morning (2 T Lukas Graham
Lukas Graham Lukas Graham
LUKAS GRAHAM.. -REISSUE- Lukas Graham
7 YEARS Lukas Graham
3 / THE PURPLE ALBUM Lukas Graham
3 (THE PURPLE ALBUM) Lukas Graham
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Chioma Umeha
Family Planning: Making Childbearing A Sweet Experience, Not A Tragedy
Recently, the news of a husband of a 35-year-old woman, Mrs. Queen Udekwe, based in Benin, Edo
State, who previously had a set of twins absconded after she was delivered of triplets made the rounds in the media.
The report has it that her husband fled immediately he discovered the children through the result of a scan conducted while his wife was still pregnant and vowed not to return home.
Several reactions greeted the development with many Nigerians condemning the action of the escapee husband. Some schools of thought reasoned that the birth of the triplets is a divine blessing and not a curse.
Therefore, they saw it as an act of wickedness and ingratitude to God for the man to abscond from his family. Some others, who reacted differently to the situation, said, it was a sign of high fertility rate in the couple.
Whichever perspective one decides to view, the issue throws up high fertility as one of the main causes of overpopulation problems.
The case of Udekwe’s family is only one sad example of how childbearing which is supposedly a sweet experience turns to a tragedy. There are uglier media reports of consequences unplanned pregnancies, uncontrolled births, and overpopulation.
Some couples have committed suicide simply for this reason. Recently, a man reportedly committed suicide after his wife gave birth to a new baby in Delta State.
According to media reports, the man killed himself by hanging after his wife delivered a baby through caesarean section, and was charged N15, 000.
It was gathered that he didn’t have the money hence he decided to kill himself.
Some women also commit suicide or abortion due to unplanned pregnancies and births, those who survive the abortion, often done by unskilled personal risk giving birth to children with deformities.
Others even abandon their child in odd places like the gutters, even toilets.
These are just a few examples of social problems of high uncontrolled childbirths which ultimately lead to overpopulation in any country.
However, studies have shown that this is preventable through the use of contraception.
Overpopulation is an undesirable condition where numbers of existing human population exceed the carrying capacity of the earth. This is mainly because of high fertility levels.
Currently, one of Africa’s problems is extremely the rapid population growth rate that makes it extremely difficult for governments to supply the needed social and economic programmes to improve quality of life.
For example, the total population in Nigeria was estimated at 191 million people in 2017 and a net increase of about 14, 000 people (21,000 births and 7,000 deaths) daily or about five million annually.
In 1960, Nigeria had 45.1 million people.
The United Kingdom, on the other hand, had a population of 52.2 million people in 1960 and was estimated at 66.2 million People in 2017, according to the latest census figures.
Although the UK had more people than Nigeria in
1960, Nigeria has about three times more people compared to the UK in 2017.
Between 1969 and 2019, Nigeria’s population grew by 267.4 per cent at 54.7 million people, while it has now increased to 201 million this year.
Nigeria’s population grew at an annual average growth rate of 2.6 percent in the last 10 years.
However, the World Health Organisation (WHO) defines the Total Fertility Rate (TFR) as the average number of children a woman would have if she survives all her childbearing (or reproductive) years.
Women are fertile from the age of 15 to 49.
Nigeria’s average TFR is rated between 5.5 and 5.7 children per woman which is higher than the African average of 4.7 children per woman.
With this figure, Nigeria is a lead contributor to Africa’s position as the region with the highest TFR, while Europe has the lowest TFR of 1.6 children per woman.
Health experts recommend family planning as a tool to check Nigeria’s burgeoning population.
Population growth can be a blessing to a nation if it is at par with economic growth, but Nigeria’s 201 million populations are outpacing economic growth by 0.63 per cent. This was the position of economic analysts.
Declining high fertility is often a blessing as it brings multiple positive consequences for human welfare and society.
After all, nation-building is by the people and for the people.
There is, therefore, the need to balance the reproduction and production capacities of the citizenry through effective policies and programmes with the welfare of the people as the paramount goal.
Healthy people are more productive while unhealthy, malnourished, stunted, poorly skilled people consume more than they produce.
This article was adapted from the Media Advocacy Working Group Family Being Column in Leadership Newspaper
Posted by Chioma Umeha at 17:36
Mrs. Chioma Adanma Umeha is a journalist of over two decades experience. At the moment, she is the Health Editor of Newswatch Times, Lagos, Nigeria. A graduate of Mass Communications from Anambra State University, Enugu, she also holds a Masters Degree in International Relations and Strategic Studies from the Lagos State University, Ojo, Lagos.
Why Family Planning Is Now A Must For Nigerian Couples
It is not news that family planning protects the health of women and children as well as reduces ugly risky overpopulation burdens by helping a family to plan and responsibly fulfill its parental roles.
The media is replete with many reports which X- rays the roles of family planning in population control, more so in view of the newest Nigeria’s population figures.
Nigeria’s population has risen to 201 million in 2019, according to the latest State of World
Population Report released recently by United
Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
Nigeria is considered the populous country in Africa, yet it is only the fourth largest African nation in arable land area.
Nigeria’s annual growth rate of 2.8 % means the population is growing by nearly three million people every year.
Nigeria’s annual growth rate of 2.8 percent means the population is growing by nearly three million people every year.
To put this in perspective, in 1911, the population was 16 million. It grew to 114 million by the year 2000 and to an estimated 174 million in 2014.
Based on the 2014 trend, it was estimated that the population would nearly double in 20 years.
According to the new UNFPA report, Nigeria’s population grew at an annual average growth rate of
2.6 per cent in the last 10 years.
Between 1969 and 2019, Nigeria’s population grew by 267.4 percent. In 1969, Nigeria’s population was estimated at 54.7 million people, while it has now increased to 201million in 2019.
Today, the reality is staring at everyone. Keen analysts say without urgent intervention through effective and strategic implementation of family planning models, the country, already on recession threshold, is bound to spiral more downwards into further socio-economic decline.
The rapid growth of the Nigerian population has widespread implications for its present and future citizens.
On Nigerian campuses, students stand by windows to listen to lectures and a typical room where only two students lodged in the 1970s now house up to 10 students.
Major cities like Lagos, Ibadan, Abuja, Port
Harcourt, Kano, and Kaduna are already experiencing an explosion in population; housing is overstretched, and a growing number of Nigerians are homeless.
The rate of population growth is outpacing huge attempts to increase employment opportunities in Nigeria, leading to considerable waste of the talents of young people.
Food imports will need to increase dramatically as use of land for building continues to compete with the use of land for farming.
Due to the use of land for building, by 1996, land used for agriculture had reduced to only 266,407 sq. km, or 29 per cent of available land for agriculture.
As available land for agriculture decreases, it becomes more difficult to feed the growing population.
People in large families are more likely to suffer from poor nutrition, stunting, and malnutrition, especially among children with broad dangerous implications.
Although there is no single answer to the population explosion challenges facing the nation, it is clear that the population needs to be balanced with the amount of land available to feed and house Nigerian citizenry.
By reducing the birth rate and slowing population growth, family planning would improve the health of Nigerians, especially children and mothers, in addition to providing significant socio-economic benefits.
Beyond obvious societal benefits, healthy timing and the spacing of pregnancies through family planning has incredible health benefits for mothers and children.
Approximately 814 women die in Nigeria due to complications related to pregnancy according to 2015 World Bank indicators. Women are more likely to die when pregnancies are spaced close together or the mother is very young or beyond the age that is healthy for childbirth.
Children are also more likely to die when they have siblings very close in age.
According to a USAID-supported Demographic and
Health Survey report, if all women waited three years to conceive after the birth of a child, 25 per cent of all deaths of children under five could be avoided.
Saving the lives of mothers and children is now a public health emergency. That is why family planning should become the greatest priority of every Nigerian couple today.
This article was published in the Media Advocacy working group family being column in Leadership Newspaper
Preventing Imminent Population Explosion, Disaster
It has become glaring to all stakeholders in every sector of the Nigerian economy that the Nigerian huge population, which supposed to serve as strength to the nation, has the tendency to sabotage government policies on economic growth and development.
According to the 2018 National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) report, if fertility were to remain constant at current levels, a woman in
Nigeria would bear an average of 5.3 children in her lifetime.
While fertility is low among adolescents (107 births per 1,000 women), the report revealed that it peaks at 256 births per 1,000 among women aged from 25
to 59 years and fertility is higher among rural women than among urban women. On average, rural women will give birth to about 1.4 children more than urban women during their reproductive years (5.9 And 4.5, respectively).
Meanwhile, family planning which refers to a conscious effort by a couple to limit or space the number of children they have through the use of contraceptive methods like female sterilisation, male
sterilisation, the intrauterine contraceptive device
(IUD), implants, injectables, the pill, condoms, and the lactational amenorrhoea method (LAM), has not been fully utilised by couples.
According to the NDHS report, only 17 per cent of currently married women use a method of family planning, with 12 per cent using a modern method and five per cent using a traditional method.
Among currently married women, the most popular methods are implants, injectables, and withdrawal
(Each used by 3 per cent), followed by male condoms (used by 2 per cent).
The contraceptive prevalence rate (CPR) among married women vary with age, rising from 3 per cent among women age 15 to 19 to a peak of 23 per cent among women age 35 to 39 before declining to
13 per cent among women age 45-49.
The implication of this, according to stakeholders is that tough times await Nigerians due to an impending population explosion.
Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin
Emefiele said Nigeria’s population would hit 425 million in 2050, the third largest in the world, unless urgent steps were taken to control it.
Emefiele, who painted a gloomy picture of Nigeria in comparison with other countries said the impending population explosion of Nigeria and attendant economic implications would create tough times for Nigerians.
He said with the rapid population on a yearly basis and a penchant for sabotaging government policies on economic growth and development, there would be a serious crisis if serious actions were not taken to control population growth.
The National Population Commission (NPC), Mr.
Eze Duruiheoma had said that Nigeria remains the
most populous in Africa, the seventh globally.
According to him, the recent World Population Prospects predicts that by 2050, Nigeria will become the third most populated country in the world.
Yet, the explosion in Nigeria’s population has not been commensurate with resources available in the country, hence, the need for Nigerians to embrace family planning says Duruiheoma.
The minister of Health, Prof Isaac Adewole, said universal access to family planning is a human right and a key factor in reducing poverty and attaining the Sustainable Development Goals.
Adewole said with the current Nigerian population of over 190 million people, efforts have to be made to create awareness of moderate family size nationwide, especially in rural areas.
He, however, called on all stakeholders to create more awareness of the need for Nigerians to embrace family planning.
A family planning facilitator, Mrs. Abiola Adekoya,
said family planning, when adopted by Nigerians, would reduce maternal mortality, help in preventing unwanted pregnancies and as well, help in curbing Nigeria’s population explosion.
Adekoya, who has administered family planning on lots of women, especially in her community at
Agboyi Ketu said family planning has been impactful to a lot of women in her community.
“If everybody adopts it; if there is male involvement, sensitisation programmes in churches, mosques, markets, our policy makers, it will go a long way in averting the huge population.
“The issue of abortion is reducing because people are aware of it; adolescents who cannot keep themselves are often advised to go for family planning instead of abortions.
“Parents should be able to counsel their children, they should be able to tell them the reasons why they should face their studies and keep themselves.
But the adolescent that cannot do it, it is better we counsel them on family planning only if they tell their parents”, she said.
Family Planning Critical In Tackling Abortion Rates Among Adolescents
When Udeme Akpa got admitted into secondary school, the joy of the parents knew no bounds. For them, it was like a prayer answered.
As the first daughter of a family of eight, there were so many expectations including lifting the family from what could be described as ‘age-long poverty.’
Udeme, 18, was living up to expectation until the unexpected occurred. Her woes began one evening when a man in her neighborhood gave her a ride to school.
Little did she know that the few minutes ride would later become a stumbling block to her life’s dream.
A few months later, the same man identified as Mr. Udoh invited Udeme to his house, but she turned him down. After much persuasion, Udeme accepted to visit him.
Sadly, innocent Udeme never knew she was playing with fire until he visited Udoh. On that fateful
Friday, Udeme decided to visit him.
Sadly, she was raped by the same man whom she thought showed her kindness. Subsequently, she had unprotected sex with Udoh.
Unfortunately, Udeme concealed the incident from her parents. Although Udeme was sexually active, she was not on any type of family planning. A few months later, Udeme discovered she was pregnant.
“I was confused and my friend took me to a chemist and because we didn’t have money to pay, the owner of the shop demanded that he sleeps with me before he will give me drugs. I had no choice than to do it,”
She narrated.
In the process of trying to abort the pregnancy, Udeme had complications that ruptured her womb.
She was hospitalised for weeks.
That incident ended Udeme’s dream to finish college.
Udeme is one out of thousands of adolescents in Nigeria that have either lost their lives or maimed for life due to lack of access to family planning.
The case of Udeme is also among the 214 million women of reproductive age in developing countries who want to avoid pregnancy, but are not using a modern contraceptive method, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO) report.
Sadly, unsafe abortion remains a reality in Nigeria, despite the fact that it is regarded as a taboo and illegal by law.
Stories of young Nigerians who die while undergoing abortion abounds but, the act still goes on in smaller rooms and performed by traditional healers which make it more dangerous and deadly.
Unintended pregnancy has become the bane in society. It is so rampant in society today.
Critical observers believed that pregnant teenagers in Nigeria are victims of the tragedy of all kinds.
Many of these girls have died as a result of unsuccessful abortions, while others like Udeme have also dropped out of schools.
Statistics available put the number of out-of-school children in Nigeria at 10. 5 million, while the United
Nations Children’s Fund, (UNICEF) says about 60 per cent of the figure are girls. Further findings also showed that unplanned pregnancies of teenagers make up the number.
However, for possible solutions, apart from sexual education, experts say encouraging teenagers to adopt family planning reduces the need for abortion, especially unsafe abortion like in the case of Udeme.
Family planning reduces adolescent pregnancies.
WHO report also shows that pregnant adolescents are more likely to have preterm or low birth-weight babies. Babies born to adolescents have higher rates of neonatal mortality.
Many adolescent girls who become pregnant have to leave school. This has long-term implications for them as individuals, their families, and communities.
It is also believed that when teenagers are protected from abortion and unintended pregnancy they do not drop out of school but stay in school.
Also, family planning methods, such as condoms, help prevent the transmission of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases among adolescents.
It has also been established that by reducing rates of unintended pregnancies, family planning also reduces the need for unsafe abortion.
There is a need to promote and make available for contraceptives for adolescent Nigerians in order to reduce their frustration accessioned by an unplanned pregnancy.
According to WHO, family planning is key to slowing unsustainable population growth and the resulting negative impacts on the economy, environment, national and regional development efforts.
Study Confirms This Popular Birth Control Does Not Increase Your HIV Risk
The world has spent nearly a quarter of a century wondering whether Africa’s most widely used birth control method could make women more likely to contract HIV.
Now, new research, conducted in four countries, including South Africa, has solved the riddle.
The three-month shot Depo-Provera does not increase a woman's risk of HIV infection; prove the results of the Evidence for Contraceptive Options and HIV Outcomes (Echo) study.
The findings were released at the South African Aids Conference in Durban Thursday and published in The Lancet.
For decades, it was like there was a spectre among the data - something researchers thought they saw but couldn't entirely be sure.
From South Africa to Tanzania, studies kept picking up what seemed like an association between the widely used three-month birth control shot marketed as Depo-Provera and HIV infection.
A 2016 review of nearly three dozen studies published in the journal Aids suggested Depo-Provera users could be 20% to 60% more likely to contract the virus compared to women who didn't rely on this hormone-based contraceptive method.
The problem was, none of this research proved it. Why?
Because it was never designed to do that, Scientists couldn’t tell if what they thought they saw in the numbers was right - whether it was the shot or if they were picking up on something else that was putting women at risk such as the lower rates of condom use that a 2005 study by the Guttmacher Institute detected among some DEPO users.
The findings of the Echo study are the product of a three-year study conducted among about 7 800 women in eSwatini, South Africa, Kenya and Zambia.
As part of this, women wanting birth control agreed to be randomly assigned one of three contraceptive methods a three-monthly shot of Depo-Provera, a copper implant inserted into the uterus; or a small, hormone-based upper arm implant known as Jadelle.
Although women were allowed to change the type of contraception they were assigned to if they wished, most didn't.
And because scientists believed it was unethical to withhold contraception from women who wanted it, everyone got one of the three choices.
Randomisation like this helps ensure that any factors, such as age, that could affect the study's results are spread equally among all groups, making these kinds of "gold standard" studies the best at determining cause and effect relationships.
The Echo found no substantial difference in the rates of HIV infection among the three groups.
So what should South African women know?
"From what we can see there is no increased risk from any of those three methods in terms of increasing your chances of contracting HIV", says executive director of the Wits Reproductive Health Institute Helen Rees. Rees is also a member of the five-person committee that led the study.
"However, none of these methods will protect you against HIV… and you still need to protect yourself from HIV infection", she explains. "But if you want to protect yourself against unplanned pregnancy, these methods are a real option for you."
Its simple messages like this that will now need to filter down to women and communities in languages and ways they can understand.
But their voices will also have to be represented in the high-level discussions that will follow Thursday's results.
Historically, the world has done neither well, and there may be a price to pay for that.
In October 2011, The Lancet published a study that suggested a possible link between Depo-Provera and HIV risk.
It prompted a high-level World Health Organisation (WHO) committee to see if it should issue warnings to doctors and women about the contraception that forms the backbone of birth control programmes in much of the Global South.
But with the kind of conclusive evidence Rees' trial provided this week, the WHO was left without much to say and not a very clear way of saying it: It advised women using Depo-Provera to also use condoms.
Activists were not impressed.
In reality, most women who opt for long-acting contraception like Depo-Provera do so because they are often unable to negotiate condom use, co-director of the international organisation Aids-Free World Paula Donovan pointed out at the time.
Lillian Mworeko is the East Africa regional coordinator of the International Community of Women Living with HIV/Aids.
At the time, Mworeko was one of the few women with HIV who was invited to the high-level WHO consultations on Depo-Provera and HIV.
At one point, the Ugandan activist and others were made to sign a confidentiality agreement that would have prevented them from reporting back to their networks back home, Donovan argued.
Mworeko called the WHO out for issuing a lack of clear guidance at the time: "Women at high risk of or living with HIV still have a right to informed consent, which includes the right to information that affects their health."
By 2017, the WHO had changed its tune, telling women that for most, Depo-Provera works well enough, but for some, it may be risky.
It would be another four years before Rees could fundraise the US$50-million (R746-million) needed to finance Echo, the world's first study that investigated whether Depo-Provera fueled HIV infections.
In total, Rees and her fellow researchers spent 15 years planning - and finding money - for the Echo study.
"Was it easy to raise money for this trial?" she asks. "The answer is no, it wasn't, and we have to ask why that is.”
Rees told Bhekisisa in November 2018: “‘if there was a product that men were using that had a question like this hanging over it. We would have had an answer by now."
We have the science, what now?
By 2017, the WHO had begun to tell women that Depo-Provera could make them more likely to contract HIV in hopes that it would allow those already at high risk for HIV - including many women in South Africa - make an informed decision about their choice.
In practice, however, few women in the Global South would have been given panoply of other options.
The WHO is preparing to issue updated guidance on Depo-Provera by late August, WHO spokesperson Tarik Jašarević told Bhekisisa.
As part of this, a 28-person expert panel, including clinical experts and outreach workers from countries such as South Africa and Zimbabwe will review the evidence.
Their nominations were put forth for public comment in May as part of the body's move towards greater transparency.
But only one of the participants is a woman openly living with the virus, according to biographies posted online.
The final composition of this committee is still being finalised.
Meanwhile, years without clear evidence and waffling about what to say to women about contraception and HIV risk, and how to say it, may have taken its toll.
Echo's findings come amid ongoing contraception stock outs that have run into their second year: "At the moment with stock outs, I could be given Depro-Provera one month if it's available and the next time I come to the clinic I might only be able to get [birth control pills].
People are being switched between methods without even being consulted on the side effects", activist Nomfundo Eland says.
Weeks ahead of this week's release of the Echo results, The Lancet accidentally released the Echo research online briefly.
Both the journal's media relations manager Emily Head and Rees confirmed to Bhekisisa that the early release was an administrative error.
Rees explains: "It was absolutely nothing more sinister than that."
But longtime HIV activist Nomfundo Eland argues it's raised suspicions among women who may already be sceptical of the findings despite the study's rigorous methods.
"We are going to have a hectic time [getting] women to believe it, especially women and activists who have been following the Echo agenda because the results were leaked", she says.
"We are asking ourselves questions - who leaked it? For what purposes? What information got out, and who has it?"
Eland warns activists also remain concerned that the early release led some study sites to rush feedback of results to participants, leaving them confused.
Rees, however, says that although the release did push some time frames forward, each of the 12 sites had already developed its own plan to let women know what the study found at the same time results were made public.
In some cases, sites let women know of the findings before this week.
But Rees admits some scepticism is perhaps to be expected.
"We hope that this study for most people will be massively reassuring.
This was the gold standard in terms of studies, and it was a study that was very well executed", she explains.
"But this is an issue that has been discussed backwards and forwards for years because no one was able to do a definitive study until now. That's left ambiguity, and when you have ambiguity, people build up a view."
Rees concludes: "There were certainly many people of the view, looking at the data that existed [before]... that there was a trend towards increased risk." Rees continues.
That some people won't believe the results even three years of research may be unavoidable.
It's probably inevitable because of the strength of view that has been built up over the years."
Echo solved one riddle, but it left many more.
About one in 20 women contracted HIV during over the course of the study’s three years - not because of their birth control, but because they face the same social and economic issues that lead 1300 young women in South Africa to contract the virus every week, show the country's latest household survey.
We need better and more contraception choices for women, Rees and Eland warn.
And more ways to reach women with the tools they need to prevent HIV.
"If women go for family planning, they get family planning", Rees explains. "If they go into HIV services, they get HIV services.
"We're not integrating our services… these are women who are presenting themselves and who are sexually active they need both. Together."
Family Planning: Making Childbearing A Sweet Exper...
Why Family Planning Is Now A Must For Nigerian Co...
Preventing Imminent Population Explosion, Disaster...
Family Planning Critical In Tackling Abortion Ra...
Study Confirms This Popular Birth Control Does Not...
How Myths, Misconception, Others Mar Family Planning Acceptance In Badagry Community
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Is This the New Standard?
Posted on January 28, 2006 by Chris
So El Presidente said the following at a press conference earlier this week in defense of the illegal wiretapping of American citizens that he authorized:
“…the FISA law was written in 1978. We’re having this discussion in 2006. It’s a different world. And FISA is still an important tool. It’s an important tool. And we still use that tool. But also — and we — look — I said, look, is it possible to conduct this program under the old law? And people said, it doesn’t work in order to be able to do the job we expect us to do. And so that’s why I made the decision I made.”
Riiigggghhhhttttt. OK, first of all the world is different in many ways, but it’s not that different. Like there weren’t terrorists in the 70s? Good god, that was the era when planejacking was invented and there were plenty of homegrown terrorist groups thriving in the Western democracies too. The idea that terrorism is some new crazy thing that we’ve never seen before is complete bullshit.
My larger point though is that this can’t be the new standard. When strictures on the government aren’t working for the president, he can’t just wave them aside. It is simply unbelievable that Bush can publicly state that he broke the law and it isn’t considered scandalous. It’s times like this when I like to apply what I call the “Clinton Test.” Why don’t you play along with me? Imagine for a moment that it’s 1996 and it comes out that ole Bill was illegally wiretapping American citizens. What do you think the Republicans would have done? Think they would have let Bill off the hook because they felt his heart was in the right place? Hell no. There would have been impeachment proceedings faster than you can say, “She gave me a Lewinski.” But Bush, he has nothing to worry about. He’s got a majority on Congress and the so-called moderate Republicans are too gutless to stand up to the administration. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court is going to be packed with conservative ideologues that will plague the country for decades. And the Democrats can’t seem to find two nuts between them.
I weep for America, I really do.
Ilsa, She Wolf of the SS is one of the most notorious exploitation films of all time. Released in 1975 the movie takes place in a Nazi prison camp run by the sadistic Ilsa. She is out to prove that women can stand more pain than men. She does this, of course, by horribly torturing her female prisoners. The male prisoners suffer a different fate. They get to sleep with Ilsa, but those that don’t satisfy her are castrated and their parts become souvenirs. Naturally, no man has ever satisfied the She Wolf of the SS, until rough and ready American pilot Wolfe arrives in camp that is. As he explains to his unmanned compatriots, he has such amazing willpower that he can hold off a climax indefinitely. “I guess you might call me a freak of nature,” he says with a straight face. Wolfe and others plan an uprising and after much gratuitous nudity and gross-out violence, Ilsa is overthrown and killed. Amazingly, being killed does not manage to stop Ilsa. She returns in three sequels: Ilsa, Harem Keeper of the Oil Sheiks; Ilsa, Tigress of Siberia; and Ilsa, the Wicked Warden.
Ilsa has graced many t-shirts (they were staple on St. Mark’s Place in NYC) and has even been the subject of a punk rock song by the always-terrible Murphy’s Law. But to date there has been no homage to Ilsa in miniature form…until now.
http://theminiaturespage.com/news/657835/
Not only Ilsa, but four other Nazi She Wolves as well. Need I say more?
Sick of 4E Already
God, 4th edition D&D; hasn’t even been announced yet and I’m already sick of it. These days it seems like a day can hardly go by without another freakout thread on whether or not WotC is going to publish D&D; 4E. Well, here’s a newsflash for everyone: of course they are. That’s the RPG business model in the print arena. You sell one edition and all the expansions you can for it until sales of new supplements drop to an unsustainable level. Then you do a new edition and reset the clock all over again. So it’s not a question of if WotC is going to release 4E, but when it’s going to happen.
The timing, I think, will tell us a lot about how D&D; sales have been the last couple of years. Under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t expect to see 4E until 2008. I think the 3.5 launch was bungled enough that they wouldn’t want to do 4E sooner than that unless they had to. So, if we see an announcement this August about a 2007 release date for the new edition I think that will speak volumes as the current health of the game.
The more pertinent issue for everyone else is whether the 4E rules will be put into the System Reference document and whether the d20 STL will continue. This is something I have no insight into. I could really see it going either way. With Charles Ryan laid off, the last person in a position of authority who was really behind the OGL is gone from there. On the other hand, stepping away from the OGL would cause them to take a PR hit and they may not want that affecting the 4E launch. Of course, gamers have a long history of making a big stink out of things and then going to buy this week’s object d’outrage anyway, a fact the sales guys over there are surely aware of.
From WotC’s point of view, I could see why they would not want to go through another d20 boom and bust with 4E. The thing is that the print market is hardly cluttered right now. There are maybe half a dozen companies that still regularly put out d20 material and even those releases are getting fewer and farther between. A middle path WotC might take is to just doing a licensing deal with the remaining good companies. That’d give some quality 3rd party support without cutting out the legs of the entire d20 industry. It would hit the PDF market pretty hard though.
The cold hard truth of the matter may be that what WotC does with the 4E and the OGL doesn’t even matter anymore. D20 sales have been declining steadily since the release of 3.5. Companies have come up with their own variants that are not reliant on the D&D; core books anymore and many of these are selling a lot better than d20 stuff these days. What happens with 4E will not affect the health of Mutants & Masterminds or True20, for example. Those are stand-alone games with their own player bases. Ditto for games like Spycraft and Arcana Unearthed.
Realistically though the soonest anything will be announced is GenCon Indy in August. Until then folks should relax and play some games. There are certainly plenty enough to go around.
Things That Make You Go D’oh!
I guess this means January is list month on my blog. Here are some things have made me say “D’oh” recently.
Deciding over the holidays that I really need to lose some weight and then coming home to find one of our vendors has sent a 5-lb. tin of butter cookies to us as a Xmas gift.
Sending a fellow publisher an e-mail about a typo on the sales page of their new PDF product and scant days later getting a new book of ours back from the printer and finding the exact same typo.
Having so many miniatures that I’ve managed to lose an entire army in the depths of my collection. I know it’s here somewhere…
Finally cleaning up the living room after the holidays only to have (at a conservative estimate) 15 boxes of books show up over the course of a single week and get dumped there “temporarily”.
Going to the post office to get some of the new stamps without realizing it’s the very first day they are on sale. Not only is there a line out the door, but there’s also been a run on the stamp machines and they are empty.
Getting knocked off my usual sleep schedule and deciding that 1 am is a good time to do things like clean and post stupid lists to my LJ.
10 Fundamental Contradictions in RPG Publishing
The first thing you need to understand is that in the RPG business, you can never win. Somewhere on the internet there’s the person or small group of people who happen to hate exactly the sort of thing you’ve just published. And then they must go on and on about it on every available forum for months or in some cases years. So just get used to that one right off the bat. But there is more to come, oh yes there is. Here are some real chestnuts:
If your core rulebook leaves any room for expansion, you are trying to rip people off by “making” them buy supplements. If you don’t produce any supplements, your game is dead and thus shouldn’t be played by anyone for the rest of time.
If your adventure has a discernable plot, you are trying to railroad the players. If it doesn’t, it is dismissed as simply a dungeon crawl.
If your book is mechanics heavy, it is boring and flavorless. If your book is mostly source material, it’s useless fluff.
If you do a licensed book that cleaves closely to the core rules, it doesn’t accurately reflect the setting. If you make rules changes to reflect the setting, it’s too far from the core rules.
If a book is late because you want to ensure a quality release, you are unprofessional. If you rush it out to meet the release date and there are typos or mediocre illustrations, you are also unprofessional.
If you try to appeal to the average fan, your products are too derivative and boring. If you try to break new ground, your products are too weird and niche.
If you never change your mind about a product line, you don’t listen to the fans. If you do change your mind, you are cursed oath-breakers.
If you publish a short setting book, it’s too sketchy. If you publish a long setting book, it’s too intimidating.
If you publish a niche product, retailers won’t buy it because it’s too risky. If you publish it as a PDF instead, you are trying to undercut retailers.
If you win an award, it doesn’t mean anything. If you don’t win an award, you must be doing something wrong.
I have a tendency to personalize symbols. I will wear a symbol that’s important to me, but I sometimes forget that other people may read very different things into them. My winter hat, for example, is a NY Yankees hat. I found it somewhere or other or maybe it was left at our booth during a winter con, I really can’t remember. I started wearing it not because I give two shits about professional baseball, but because I lived in NYC for 9 years and the city is in my blood. To me the hat is about New York City, not the baseball team. Most of the time I don’t give it a second thought.
Last month I was in Boston, showing Nicole and Kate around the North End a bit and then walking over to the South Station area to have dinner with my old friend Jay and his family. It struck me as I rode the Orange line into town that this was NOT a good place to wear a Yankees hat. If there’s anywhere that townie hooligans might attack someone for such a display, it’s Boston. So when I was walking around Beatown, I turned the hat around (’cause dammit, it was cold and I wasn’t going without) and everything was fine. I will think more carefully when packing for my next Boston trip, however.
Back in college in NYC, I had this punk rock trench coat. I had painted the name and symbol of a band I liked, Social Unrest, on the back. The trench coat was black (natch) and I had painted the symbol in white for a nice contrast. One night I was out with some of my friends at a 24-hour diner called the Waverly. It was 2 or 3 in the morning and after many cups of coffee we decided to split. On the way out I was accosted by a group of black skinheads (and before you ask, yes, there are black skinheads; they predate all the racist stuff that started later in the 70s). They asked me if I was into white power. I was boggled. “Uh, no,” I said, “and I’m not just saying that because there are five of you and one of me. What gave you that idea?” Turns out it was my jacket. The Social Unrest logo incorporates a cross and since it was done in white they had thought it might represent a Cross of Odin (a common white power symbol). I explained to them that Social Unrest was a punk rock band and a very left wing one at that. They were suspicious but the incident thankfully defused. My friend Aaron said, “Dude, that’s what you get for wearing obscure social symbols on your jacket.” Which was a bit dickish but really he was right. How people outside the punk scene would view that symbol hadn’t really been a concern to me when I was making the trench coat. Live and learn.
Now in Color
I don’t know about you, but I tend to think about World War I in black and white. The photos and footage you see is nearly always that way. The History Channel followed up their WWII in Color series with one that did the same for WWI, and while neat it simply colorized previously existing b+w footage.
About six months ago I ran across some actual color photos from WWI. It turns out the French army had a special unit equipped with expensive state-of-the-art (for 1914) cameras and this unit shot some of the only color photos of the war. The Military History Channel has been running an excellent 10-part series (The First World War) based on Hew Strachan’s book of the same name and you can see some of these photos in the credits. The other day I found a site that has a treasure trove of these shots and it is quite cool. You can find it here:
http://www.poiemadesign.com/wwi/index.html
The cameras were rather unwieldy so there are no action shots, but they are quite interesting nonetheless. I particularly like the photos of the French colonial troops because people often forget that it wasn’t just white folks in the trenches. Or that the war didn’t just take place in Western Europe for that matter. That’s one of the reasons I liked the Strachan documentary. It takes the “world” part of the World War I very seriously and dedicates entire episodes to theaters of war that usually get only a brief mention in such shows, if they are talked about at all.
You Drive Me Ape, You Big Gorilla
Posted on January 7, 2006 by Chris
Kate is at her Dad’s this weekend, so Nik and I are having some adult time. Last night we finally went to see King Kong. I had hoped to see it over Xmas break, but Kate would not go for it. When she was wee, a zoo gorilla scared her and since then gorillas are one of the few animals Kate does not adore. It’s for the best that we did not take Kate to Kong, what with the multi-mouthed worm-creatures that decapitate hapless sailors and all. Had we done so, I’d probably never live it down. Kate still gives Nik guff over the movie that ends with an otter being beaten to death with a shovel. That was not the cute and fuzzy animal experience she was looking for and Kong certainly would not have fit the bill either.
I ultimately found King Kong to be a disappointment. When it was initially announced, I was lukewarm. Over the last six months, however, my interest was piqued to the point that I really wanted to see it. Then at about the two-hour mark of the actual experience my enthusiasm began to wane. It felt to me like a team of super creative people went hog wild and lost sight of the story they were trying to tell. It’s not enough for Kong to fight a T-Rex, he has to fight three T-Rexes. The party doesn’t get attacked by giant spiders, but by a dozen different types of creatures in apparently limitless numbers. Then there was the “Jimmy” subplot, which I just didn’t care about and sucked up way too much time. And the less said about the dino stampede the better. All these indulgences lead to a film that is bloated and overlong by an hour. At a certain point, I was like, “Oh, just take him back to NYC already!” Now there was some neat stuff and the effects were largely very good, but I ended up liking Chronicles of Narnia much better than King Kong. That I did not expect.
There is a Kong art book I want to get though. Christian Gossett, the guy who created the Red Star comic that my company licensed, went to New Zealand to work at Weta Workshop on the film. He told me that the artists did so much concept artwork, much of which couldn’t be used in the movie, that they decided to do a book that reports on a fictional expedition to Skull Island. I flipped through it a couple of weeks ago and it looks quite cool. It’s really not the far from an RPG sourcebook actually, just missing game stats. I’ll be picking that up when I have the chance.
Props to the Dickies for the entry title.
Duel of “Death”
So “Santa” got Kate and I these foam swords for Xmas and we’ve been fencing with them in the kitchen, much to Nicole’s delight. Kate is into it and having mock fights with her is pretty fun. Kate clarified that we were only “fake killing” each other, so that was OK. Earlier tonight we dueling while Nik bravely tried to reorganize our cupboard in the midst of our battleground. After awhile, I leaned back against the sink to take a break. Kate says, “Come on, you’re just standing there playing with your sword.”
“Well, Kate, you’ll find that men like to play with their swords.” Nicole snickers.
“But you’re just resting!”
“Yeah, that’s usually what happens after men play with their swords,” I reply. Nicole laughs.
More banter and sparring follow. Finally, Kate gets fed up and says, “Less talk, more smiting!”
Yep, that’s Nicole’s daughter all right.
Kate shared much of her wisdom with us on our recent trip. She was really cracking us up, so I wrote down some of the highlights.
Kate clarifies things with her Mom: “I didn’t say you were mean, I just said you weren’t nice to people.”
Kate comments on the hardness of life on Little House on the Prairie: “Back in those days, Thomas Jefferson hadn’t even invented the light bulb yet!”
Kate reacts to Destroy All Monsters: “Godzilla is nice; he helps people.”
Blitzkrieg Commander IV: Thanks, Pendraken!
The War for Svarog Prime
Princes Valiant: Stewart and Greg
My Disappointment with Dunkirk
Erik Brickman. on Princes Valiant: Stewart and Greg
Chris on My Disappointment with Dunkirk
Ron Kruzie on My Disappointment with Dunkirk
Chris on Publications
Geir Maurtvedt on Publications
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Order DVD
Official selection ‘Houses with Small Windows’ at Kurdish Film Festival Berlin
August 7, 2018 /in Uncategorized /by clindoeil
We are pleased to announce that ‘Houses with Small Windows’, directed by Bülent Öztürk, will be screened at Kurdish Film Festival Berlin. The festival takes place from 23th until 29th of August, the film will be screened Tuesday 28th of August.
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Start edit ‘Madre del Oro’
July 25, 2018 /in Uncategorized /by clindoeil
As you can see in these pictures we are happy to announce the start of the edit of ‘Madre del Oro’, a film directed by Mary Jiménez & Bénédicte Liénard. For the editing we are collaborating with Marie-Hélène Dozo.
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Eurimages supports ‘Transnistra’
We got some big news at the end of last month that made us very happy! The Eurimages Board of Management decided to support the film ‘Transnistra’, directed by Anna Eborn. ‘Transnistra’ is a Swedish-Danish-Belgian project, produced by Memento Film and co-produced by Adomeit Film and Clin d’oeil. We are very grateful to Eurimages, but also to VAF, CCA and Casa Cafka for their support.
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Official selection ‘Sunnyside’ at États Généraux du Film Documentaire
July 16, 2018 /in News /by clindoeil
Great news from France: ‘Sunnyside’, directed by Frederik Carbon, has been officially selected for the 30th edition of États Généraux du Film Documentaire in Lussas! The film is selected in the ‘Expériences du Regard’ section at this festival, which will take place from the 19th until the 25th of August 2018. Please check the ‘Screenings’ page on the ‘Sunnyside’ website for more details about the dates and times of the screenings.
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Release ‘Manu’ in Belgium
June 5, 2018 /in Uncategorized, News /by clindoeil
After a very successful premiere and great press reviews we are happy to announce ‘Manu’ will be screened at different venues in Wallonia as well as in Flanders. Take a look at the website of the film to find out when it’s screened near you. You don’t want to miss out on this one!
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Official selection ‘Sunnyside’ at DOK.fest München
April 20, 2018 /in Uncategorized /by clindoeil
We are thrilled to announce the official selection of ‘Sunnyside’ for the 2018 DOK.fest München! The festival will take place from the 2nd until the 13th of May. The film will be screened in the DOK.panorama section on Sunday the 6th, Wednesday the 9th and Thursday the 10th of May.
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World premiere ‘Ubiquity’ at Hot Docs
March 23, 2018 /in Uncategorized /by clindoeil
We are very excited to announce that ‘Ubiquity’, directed by Bregtje van der Haak and coproduced with BALDR Film, will have its world premiere at the 2018 Hot Docs festival! Hot Docs will take place from April 26 to May 6 2018.
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Official Selection ‘Samuel in the Clouds’ Alpin Film Festival Romania
February 27, 2018 /in News /by clindoeil
Great news from Romania: ‘Samuel in the Clouds’ has been officially selected for the International Competition at the Alpin Film Festival in Romania! This festival takes place from February the 27th until March 4th 2018 in Predeal, Bușteni and Brașov. ‘Samuel in the Clouds’ will be screened on March the 2nd at 07:00 pm in Brașov.
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‘Sunnyside’ selected for Slamdance!
November 29, 2017 /in News /by clindoeil
We are very excited to announce that ‘Sunnyside’, the debut film of Frederik Carbon, has been selected as one of the eight documentary features in competition at Slamdance Film Festival 2018. The 24th edition of this annual festival will take place from the 19th of January until the 25th of January 2018 in Park City, Utah, US. This will be the film’s international premiere!
An exclusive peek at the full lineup is available here!
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Belgian premiere ‘Sunnyside’ at Filmer à Tout Prix
October 26, 2017 /in News /by clindoeil
We are very excited to announce that ‘Sunnyside’, the debut film of director Frederik Carbon, will have its Belgian premiere at Filmer à Tout Prix in Brussels on November 25th! The film will be screened at 06:45 pm in the ‘Belgian Panorama’ section and the director will be present for a Q&A after the screening.
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Official selection ‘Samuel in the Clouds’ International Mountainfilm Festival Graz
We are very excited that ‘Samuel in the Clouds’ has been selected for yet another great mountainfilm festival: the International Mountainfilm Festival Graz, Austria. The film will compete in the category ‘Nature and Environment’. The screening will take place on Wednesday November 15th at 05:00 pm.
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Official selection ‘Samuel in the Clouds’ BANFF Mountain Film & Book Festival
October 6, 2017 /in News /by clindoeil
Wonderful news from the mountains in Alberta, Canada: ‘Samuel in the Clouds’ has been officially selected for the film competition at North America’s largest mountain festival, the BANFF Mountain Film & Book Festival! The festival will take place from October 28th until November 5th 2017 and ‘Samuel in the Clouds’ will have its Alberta premiere on November 3rd at 07:30pm.
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© Copyright - Clin d'oeil - Made by Studio Plum
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BRAHMS' FIRST SYMPHONY
SCHEHEREZADE
A CONCERT FOR HOPE
BEETHOVEN AND TCHAIKOVSKY
MEET the BEAT
Nicole Buetti, Bassoon
Nicole is thrilled to be playing Bassoon and Contrabassoon in the Portland Columbia Symphony. In addition to the PCSO, she is the contrabassoonist in the Vancouver Symphony and the Salem Symphony and is a busy freelance player around Oregon and Washington. Abroad, she has performed with the Haydn Music Festival Orchestra in Vienna and as a soloist and chamber music artist with the Assisi Performing Arts Festival in Italy as well as working as a freelance musician in Los Angeles before moving north. She graduated summa cum laude with a double degree in music theory/composition and bassoon performance and has a Master's degree from the University of Northern Colorado in bassoon and contrabassoon performance.
When not playing bassoon, Nicole is a partner and composer for Goes to Eleven Media, a music media company, and just released her 6th album of educational songs for kids entitled "Just Be You!" She has dozens of YouTube videos for her kid's songs, all performed by a huge cast of puppet characters. In addition to her children's music, Nicole has many published works for orchestra, band, chamber ensembles and commercial works for film and television.
Nicole maintains a large private teaching studio, and has been teaching bassoon and composition both privately and at the University level for the last decade. She believes aspiring musicians should be open to all sorts of musical experiences. Embrace the weird and whimsical to keep life interesting!
Portland Columbia Symphony
cso@pacifier.com ~ 503-234-4077
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Commonwealth Preservation Group
Building Stewardship
Preservation Planning
Register Nominations
Preservation Resources
Survey of Local Historic Buildings is Underway
Seaboard/Wainwright Building, Norfolk, VA
Erected in 1926, the Seaboard Air Line Railway Building remains Norfolk’s only large-scale commercial example of the late Gothic Revival style. The nine-story building was one of the most important commissions of the regionally prominent firm of Neff and Thompson.
When first constructed, at 92,000 square feet the Seaboard Building contained the most office space of any structure in Norfolk. A reinforced skyscraper, at the time of construction it was also the third tallest building in the city. The building has an unusual V-shape and a largely intact exterior. The lobby retains most of its notable Gothic Revival decorative details.
Previous tenants also render the building significant. Founded in 1832, the Seaboard Air Line Railway was a major player in the east coast market, and consisted of nineteen railroads prior to the Great Depression. The company moved both passengers and freight along the coast. Prior to WWII, however, the Seaboard Air Line Railway relocated and the Wainwright Realty Corporation occupied the Seaboard Building. The word “Wainwright” remains emblazoned in the historic limestone façade above the decorative heraldic entry arch.
The building is eligible under Criterion C for Architecture as an excellent and rare example of large-scale non-religious Gothic Revival architecture in the City of Norfolk. It is also eligible under Criterion A for Commerce as the purpose built headquarters for the Seaboard Air Line Railway.
CPG wrote the register nomination for the Seaboard/Wainwright Building and also handled the tax credit application for its most recent renovation. Formerly doctors’ offices, the updated Wainwright Building now houses popular downtown apartments. While historic features were carefully preserved, modern amenities were also added. The building also possesses a small rooftop addition, barely visible from the street, which provides residents with access to a dog run, a clubhouse space, and far-reaching views of the Norfolk harbor
Register Nominations | Tax Credits
Email: admin@commonwealthpreservationgroup.com
Site Credit: hny creative
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CNN Aaron Brown Interview
An interesting segment with friends Schwartau, Steele, and the late Peter Black on emerging threats and scenarios.
BROWN: Tonight we brought together four gentlemen who have been thinking and working on worst-case scenario and solutions for years. Their warnings might have seemed far-fetched on September 10. Nothing seems far-fetched these days.
From Mountain View, California tonight, Peter Black, an expert on warfare targeting the infrastructure in the country. In Tampa, Florida, Winn Schwartau, an expert on cyberwar. Matt Devost in Washington, D.C. He’s at the Terrorism Research Center. And also in D.C. Robert Steele, a former spy and anti-terrorism operations officer. Good evening to all of you.
Let’s just go quickly around the horn. Peter, start with you if we can. two or three things that you find especially vulnerable out there.
PETER BLACK, INFRASTRUCTURE WARFARE EXPERT: I tend to be interested in things that will cause an economic shock to the United States. And the three that I figured would be interesting to discuss this evening are the Alaskan pipeline, the Panama Canal and the natural gas pipeline system.
BROWN: And Winn, we talked a bit about cyberterrorism a few moments ago. Areas you find particularly vulnerable?
WINN SCHWARTAU, CYBERWAR EXPERT: Three main areas. The wireless network — a thorough security disaster. Number two, people. We don’t look enough at people security and how they affect the operations. And number three is electromagnetic weapons. The government calls them due.
BROWN: And Mr. Steele, two or three that jump out at you.
ROBERT STEELE, FORMER SPY: Well, we have already lost the intelligence war. They attacked us and we had six separate failures. We have lost the public relations and cultural outreach war so far. And last but not, least public health. I think the anthrax is local. I think smallpox and the plague carried by living, suicidal bombers is the next step.
BROWN: And we’ll be back with you shortly. Mr. Devost. Matt, a couple or three things that jump out at you.
MATT DEVOST, THE TERRORISM RESEARCH CENTER: Yes. Our organization really isn’t in the habit of naming actual public targets. What we like to do is evaluate the overall approach. And I think what we need to be focusing on now is recognizing that the enemy is looking at how they can weaponize certain elements of our society and use those against us.
They no longer have to build the bombs themselves. They can use currently existing infrastructures and have consequences within our society. That’s kind of the approach that we bring to this.
BROWN: OK. So, Matt, feel free to jump in — all of you feel free to jump in as we go along. Peter, back to you. Why don’t you start on the Alaskan pipeline and we will work with that for a bit.
BLACK: Well, you probably remember there was a story a couple of weeks about a loony up in Alaska who fired a high caliber rifle at the pipeline and essentially dropped it for awhile. And that’s just a guy with a rifle in the outback.
The pipeline itself is highly vulnerable and the key insights that I think needs to be taken here is that it’s impossible to in fact post sentries all along its 800 mile course and at all the pump stations and Valdez and such and the like. The important thing with this system and other critical systems of the infrastructure of the United States is that we be prepared to bounce back if they have been struck. Bounce back quickly. It takes a licking and keeps on ticking should be the watch word for critical infrastructure.
BROWN: And the Panama Canal, the importance — it’s not really American property anymore.
BLACK: It isn’t, although we have treaties that can cause us to take over control again. But a huge amount of raw materials, oil, gas, finished products pass through it on the way to the Gulf — not the Persian Gulf but the Texas Gulf and to the East Coast. And also, the ability of the navy to move men and materiel is still critical — critically dependent upon the Panama Canal. And the Panama Canal is in many ways quite vulnerable.
BROWN: And I believe, Peter, your third one was the natural gas pipelines that work the northeast? BLACK: Yeah, and that’s one — although some of the guys on the panel may have some incremental information to add to this, it’s a system that is largely controlled by computers, operating switches and systems and such and the like. So it’s not just physically vulnerable, it’s cybervulnerable. And if the system were brought down, some studies have indicated that it would not recover quickly. You can imagine how long it would take everyone to get everyone to safely relight their pilot lights.
BROWN: We will revisit the solutions, part of all this, in a moment.
Winn, let me go to you. You laid out three areas as well. Expand on them in 90 seconds or so.
SCHWARTAU: Wireless networks. We have new standards out there. They don’t work. They’ve been cracked as recently as last July, and we’re seeing networks all over the country use them and they should not be. You’re going to break into them, sooner or later.
The electromagnetic weapons systems. This has been an area of U.S., Russian and Chinese research for many years, but there are also terrorist-level home-brew weaponization programs that are capable of causing immense damage to an infrastructure.
And then the third problem is people. How do we trust the people that are running the critical systems of this country and keep them operating reliably? We have not really combined the cyber and the personal — the personnel end yet.
BROWN: Mr. Steele, weigh in here. Either on anyone said or anything you want to add to the list.
STEELE: Well, all four of us are friends. And I think Winn Schwartau in particular, with Peter Black’s article in “Wired” as well, we are very successful at getting the U.S. government to spend a great deal of money on information operations and electronic issues. And Dick Clark exists today because Winn, among others, finally got Congress to pay attention to this.
What we didn’t realize was that we had allowed our international intelligence system and our domestic counterintelligence system and our domestic public health warning system to atrophy to the point that it simply work. And that really concerns me, because the president is putting good money into bad systems and not doing as Senator Shelby and McCain and Thompson suggest to actually hold hearings, hold the intelligence community accountable and get this stuff fixed.
BROWN: And Matt, I’ve got about a minute or so before I go break. Just take everything you’ve heard, if you the want, and sum it up.
DEVOST: Sure. All very valid concerns on all fronts. I think Peter touched on a very good point, though, and that is in our response and reconstitution of some of these infrastructures. We have to be focusing — when we look at what our threats and exposures are, we also need to focus on what our response would be and what the overall impact would be if a certain infrastructure went down.
We also need to recognize that our response is going to be a potential new target. The enemy will gather intelligence with regard to how we respond to certain events and will use that against us for future attacks.
BROWN: Are they doing that right now with anthrax, do you think?
DEVOST: I’m sure they’re watching with great interest our response to anthrax, recognizing that small traces of anthrax can shut down very large buildings. Now what if we find traces of anthrax in a building that is dealing with human services or health that can’t be shut down, that there are human life consequences if that building is shut down? We need to demonstrate an ability to respond to those types of events as well.
BROWN: And I know the producers are going to kill me now, but I saw you nodding there, Mr. Steele. Did you want to weigh in here just briefly on that point?
STEELE: It’s absolutely essential that the surgeon general seek to increase the public health system, the uniform public health service, by a factor of perhaps five, instead of attending classes and meetings on bullying kids. We have more serious things for him to be doing.
BROWN: There’s just one solution on the table. We will take a look at a number of others. We’ll take a short break first and then rejoin our guests after that.
BROWN: We’re back with our guests as we talk more about scenarios and solutions. Peter, you talked about the Alaskan pipeline, the Panama Canal, natural gas pipelines in northeastern part of the country. Is there a common theme to how you would make them more safe?
BLACK: Well, in the United States we’ve made a practice not of putting arson inspectors in everybody’s home, but rather of having fire departments that can respond quickly when an emergency does occur. There’s no reason why up on the Alaska pipeline they couldn’t have an emergency response team that would be practiced, constantly tested in their ability to identify and repair a damaged portion of the pipeline.
Same thing with the Panama Canal, same thing with the natural gas pipeline system and any number of other components of the critical infrastructure. It’s the ability to bounce back that is going to determine our ability to survive these kinds of attacks, not the ability to prevent them, because fundamentally, it’s impossible to protect against any and all attacks.
BROWN: Winn, same thing. Is there a common theme to how you would deal with the prospects of cyberterrorism? SCHWARTAU: Well, I agree with Peter absolutely. Response is absolutely critical. The term graceful degradation Robert came up with a few years ago, and how to reconstitute — I was at a store the other evening and their computers were down and I could not make a purchase. Now, if this happens systemically across the country we would certainly have some severe problems.
We don’t have the way to fall back right now to something that’s called paper and pencil, where we used to be able to do things. So we need to look at that in terms of how fast we can rebuild the systems and get back online.
The other thing we need to do is realize that cyberspace is not just about the virtual. It is based upon copper and glass and computers that’s physical. And we have to be able to protect the physical aspects of cyberspace as well.
BROWN: Mr. Steele, the other — I think maybe it was last week — we were talking with someone about smallpox. And I said, it struck me that if you could get someone to infect themselves with smallpox, get them into the country and walk him through — just walk him through a big city — you would have yourself an epidemic. How do you solve or protect against something like that?
STEELE: With counterintelligence and with effective clandestine intelligence. We have a decrepit, ineffective counter — counterintelligence and clandestine intelligence cadre today.
We also have not educated the American people. We are at war. The world is at war. There are billions of people that do not like America, and I think we have to help the public understand that we have not been doing our part in terms of getting along with the kinds of people that Senator McGovern pointed out earlier on CNN that harbor and spawn terrorists.
BROWN: The problem with that in this moment, it would seem to me, is I’m not sure how receptive the country would be to it right now. We are six weeks from the worst terrorist attack imaginable, just about.
STEELE: There are three things the president should be doing. He’s only doing one of them.
The first one is the tactical issue of hunting down and bringing to justice the terrorists that hit us.
The operational or intermediate issue is making America safe. That includes getting control of our visa process. Nobody’s records are truly checked by their host country or anyone else.
And the third strategic level is what approaches should we take to completely transforming the American military so that it can do manhunts, so that it can handle this kind of thing. You cannot send a nuclear carrier or a joint strike fighter against the kinds of bin Ladens that we are going to be fighting for the next hundred years. BROWN: Matt, I’ve been watching you up in the corner of my monitor here. You have got a great poker face. Sum some of this up here. I’m not sure what you are thinking right now.
DEVOST: I actually — we cheated in between — during the commercial break Robert brought up one of my pet issues, and that’s the issue of due diligence. And that kind of applies across all of these solution sets that we are talking about.
I know that particularly in the cyberarena, most of the vulnerabilities that can be exploited are known vulnerabilities for which patches exist. If the companies aren’t out there implementing best practices — that applies to physical infrastructures as well — if they’re not conducting the threat assessments, bringing the experts in, we’re going to continue to be vulnerable.
So we need to foster an environment where due diligence is the norm, and that we eliminate some of the negligence, eliminate some of the inherent vulnerabilities in these infrastructures so that we can all sleep a little easier at night.
BROWN: Winn, real quick…
BLACK: Aaron?
BROWN: Yeah, go ahead.
BLACK: I’d like to add one thing to this.
BROWN: Please. Please.
BLACK: The four guys you have got on the air tonight are all auslanders. We are all people who are outside the Beltway. We are all people who have talked about this stuff for a decade and have not been part of the governmental process.
STEELE: And are still not being listened to today.
BLACK: Yeah, and that’s true. And one of the key things that the Office of Homeland Security and the Bush administration has to do now is reach out beyond the Beltway, reach out to the people who are extraordinary and unconventional thinkers. And there are a cadre of those people available — we’re not the only four — and bring them into the process.
Think of it this way: the two major attacks that have taken place against the United States in the last seven weeks were not properly anticipated by the conventional thinkers in the government. Unconventional thinking, built around the premise of coming up with fast, agile and unexpected responses to these kinds of attacks, is critical now.
BROWN: Do any of you see in — just in the last seven weeks — that the government is more willing or even eager to work outside its traditional bureaucracies? I’ll take that as a no, I guess. DEVOST: I think I — I actually have encountered that a little. I think we are starting to see a few outreach initiatives. I just don’t think they’re as strong as they should be.
And there are some unconventional thinkers that are being brought in and some ideas being explored, such as the one that you mentioned earlier with Hollywood screen writers and producers and directors being brought in to think about those issues. Those are the things that wouldn’t have been done prior to September 11th that are now starting to make it into the mainstream but it’s certainly not nearly enough.
STEELE: No, now wait a minute. That’s absolutely wrong. There are some good people that are being brought in, but that is one Beltway remove. Calling in RAND or Booz Allen to bring in their resident geek does not cut it with me. The Pentagon has suddenly rediscovered that homeland defense should be its number one mission. They have not moved dollar one. They have not come up with concepts, doctrine. They are not changing anything about how they create a homeland defense command that Tom Ridge can take over.
BROWN: About a half minute. Who wants to take the next shot here?
SCHWARTAU: Security awareness. This has got — a battle that we’ve all been talking about for an awful long time inside the groups — whether we’re in the box or outside the box. But finally — we’ve been preaching for a decade — this is going to hit folks at home. And it’s hitting folks at home right now. Not only from the terrorist attacks we’ve seen, but from the way the cyberattacks are occurring and are going to increasingly occur. We have to get the folks at home to be aware of it, of what can go wrong and to become part of the solution and not part of the problem.
BROWN: I don’t know if the government will call on you guys again, but I will. Thank you very much.
STEELE: The people are what matter.
BROWN: Well, I don’t know if I represent them. But I’ll call. I hope you’ll join us again. You were all terrific today.
STEELE: Thank you.
DEVOST: Thank you.
SCHWARTAU: Thank you.
BROWN: An interesting couple of segments there. Thanks. Just ahead, a relic of the Cold War. Now it’s got the toughest job in America’s new war, very possibly targeting an American airliner for destruction. NORAD, when we come back.
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William Castle at Columbia, Volume One: Limited Edition (Blu-ray Review)
Review Date: Nov 07, 2018
1959/1960/1961 (October 19, 2018)
Columbia Pictures (Powerhouse Films/Indicator)
Film/Program Grade: See Below
Video Grade: See Below
Audio Grade: See Below
Extras Grade: A
Overall Grade: A
[Editor’s Note: this is a Region-Free release]
William Castle’s career as both a filmmaker and a showman, lacking the constraints of studio-dictation, was on the rise in the late 1950s with the success of Macabre and House on Haunted Hill through Allied Artists. His days as a studio-contracted director at Columbia Pictures were now a thing of the past, and it wasn’t long before the same studio came calling again when they saw how successful he was on his own. He soon returned to them, but with much more creative control over his work, producing a slew of mostly successful ventures with the company. Four of those films, The Tingler, 13 Ghosts, Homicidal, and Mr. Sardonicus, are included in Indicator’s newest Blu-ray boxed set offering William Castle at Columbia, Volume One.
Things begin with The Tingler, one of those William Castle films that you have to completely lose yourself in and buy into how ridiculous its premise is, which is that a creature can materialize along the spine of a human being during their greatest moment of terror. Totally illogical, of course, but there’s more to the film than its main plot. What makes it special is the presence of Vincent Price and a couple of show-stopping sequences, which includes an attempt to scare someone to death with things like a bathtub full of blood and a well-thrown hatchet, as well as a panic-stricken theater of people when the titular Tingler is loosed inside. It’s also the film that introduced Percepto, a William Castle gimmick that required randomly fitting theater seats with vibrating mechanisms, giving select audience members an extra jolt for their money. It worked like gangbusters and the film did well upon its initial release. Outside of House on Haunted Hill, The Tingler remains a long-standing favorite that continues to entertain horror aficionados, William Castle admirers, and fans who thrive on the film’s enormous camp value.
Next up on the chopping block is 13 Ghosts, another inherently corny but charming spookfest that ensnares a family of four into a haunted house by a late uncle who had the ability to see the ghosts that inhabited it with special glasses, something that audiences were also given. These Ghost Viewer spectacles gave you the ability to watch the film with or without seeing the ghosts. If you looked through the top half, which was red, you could see the ghost, but if you were too scared and looked through the bottom half, which was blue, you couldn’t see them. It was more gimmicky but effective showmanship on Castle’s part that worked like a charm, particularly on young audiences. As far as story and performances are concerned, they’re on about the same level as previous Castle efforts, which is to say not perfect, but adorably simplistic. Although the film lacks the presence of Vincent Price as the lead (what a much more popular film it would have been), horror fans will definitely recognize the presence of Charles Herbert, who had already appeared in The Fly and received top billing over all of the other cast members.
Castle followed up his film for all audiences with the decidedly disturbing Homicidal, which was one of his most interesting and violent films. This time around, he goes beyond inspiration and lifts wholeheartedly from the work of Alfred Hitchcock, particularly Psycho. However, the story of a murderous woman and the dynamics between her and her family still manages to stand on its own, especially when the revealing twist about two of the film’s main characters occurs. It’s difficult to talk about that plot without spoiling it, so I won’t try. The film’s gimmick is, perhaps, the more attention-grabbing of all the ones that Castle ever pulled off. Besides the film’s Fright Break, which implemented an on-screen clock, giving audiences 45 seconds to leave the theater if they were too frightened to witness the conclusion, there was also the Coward’s Corner. Anybody who left before the film ended had to be put through the ringer in front of other patrons in the theater’s lobby, including, above all things, signing a certificate that would declare them to be cowards. As for the merits of Homicidal, it’s actually one of Castle’s best films overall, exploring subject matter that wasn’t necessarily the norm at the time.
The final film in this set, Mr. Sardonicus, takes us into the world of a Baron whose face has been contorted into a hideous rictus grin, seeking out experimental medical aid in an attempt to mend him. The make-up design of the Baron is both disturbing and laughable, leaving one with a feeling of total unease. What’s also effective about it is the amount of time that goes by before it’s actually revealed. The rest of the time he wears a mask, pointing out that speech lessons that utilize the dormant muscles in his throat allow him to speak clearly. Like Homicidal, the film is also a notch above Castle’s usual work, with far more emphasis on character and shock value. Scenes involving the use of leeches, for instance, disgusted the BBFC so much that they struggled with releasing the film in the U.K. It’s also a gothic horror film in the tradition of Hammer Studios, Amicus Productions, and American International Pictures, which is one of the only times that Castle made a film outside of his normal standards. The attached gimmick was called the Punishment Poll, consisting of cards that were handed out to the audience which allowed them to decide the fate of Mr. Sardonicus at the film’s conclusion. Knowing that they would vote to show him no mercy, Castle shot only one ending. With great performances and a creepy atmosphere, Mr. Sardonicus works well, and is one of William Castle’s more out of the ordinary ventures.
When it comes to Indicator’s Blu-ray presentations of these films, there’s mostly good news. The transfer for The Tingler is a little less organic than I had hoped for, but solid nonetheless. The major upgrade is the sequence in which Mrs. Higgins is frightened to death. That scene has always looked bad due to being taken from a 16mm source and zoomed in to try and match the aspect ratio. It has now been scanned in 4K from a 35mm print of the film preserved in the BFI National Archive. It’s sharper and clearer with blood that doesn’t chroma bleed into the white portions of the sink or the bathtub. It’s not perfect, but it doesn’t stand out so much like a sore thumb. The rest of the presentation lacks a thoroughly even grain structure, but depth and detail are still potent. Delineation is pretty good with fairly deep black levels while the overall image is stable with little leftover in the way of debris or damage. For the audio, three different options are available: the film’s original soundtrack in English mono LPCM, a second option that substitutes the original audio for an English 2.0 LPCM track during the Percepto-driven theater scene, and another English mono LPCM track that features the original Drive-In version of the Percepto scene with William Castle’s dialogue. These three options can be toggled back and forth at any time. Everything is fairly clean and clear on the mono tracks with only the mildest of hiss, but good separation for all of the dialogue, score, and sound effects elements. The stereo portion, however, is hampered by heavy distortion. Optional subtitles are also available in English SDH.
13 Ghosts comes with four different viewing options: the original Illusion-O version, the red-tinted version, the blue-tinted version, or the plain black and white version. Unfortunately, Indicator hasn’t provided a pair of Ghost Viewers, which would have been ideal, but are likely attainable by other means. In actual fact, the ghosts are much more apparent in both the red-tinted and black and white versions. There’s also the ability to toggle back and forth between the original Illusion-O, red-tinted, and blue-tinted versions using the Angle button on your remote control. Truth be told, none of these versions are perfect viewing presentations. While there’s always a mild drop in picture quality during any scenes involving ghosts, everything surrounding them is much better with good detail and delineation, as well as fairly solid, but heavy, grain levels and deep black levels. There are also no major instances of damage or wobble (outside of a slight flutter at the 00:29:58 mark, which seems to be baked in), but some extremely minor speckling can still be observed. The audio, which is presented in English mono DTS-HD with optional subtitles in English SDH, preserves the film’s intended aural presentation. It’s not an altogether narrow track as there’s plenty of room to breathe for all of the separate elements, including the score, sounds of the ghosts, and dialogue. It’s obviously dated, but clean and clear throughout with no heavy distortion or hiss issues.
Homicidal, in terms of quality, is somewhere between The Tingler and 13 Ghosts. It’s not a thoroughly solid presentation, although grain levels are mostly even throughout with excellent detail and depth. It’s also not overtly sharp, but delineation is good, black levels are deep, and contrast is never overblown. Everything appears stable and clean with nothing more than occasional speckling leftover. There’s also some light flutter in the frame in a couple of scenes early on, but it doesn’t last all that long and isn’t all that intrusive. For the audio, another English mono LPCM track is provided with optional subtitles in English SDH. It’s a decent track with good dialogue reproduction and nice separation for the various elements, but perhaps needed a bit of a sonic boost as it plays a little quiet in places. It’s not an overly narrow presentation, but it’s clean and clear with no invasive hiss or distortion issues to speak of.
Mr. Sardonicus is also presented in a solid presentation, but with a slight softness. Grain, though not overly prevalent, is fairly even throughout with good depth and detail. Delineation is good with deep blacks but not lacking when it comes to white levels. Everything appears clean and bright with only the mildest of speckling, but some edge enhancement is definitely noticeable. It’s also a stable presentation with good contrast. The audio is once again presented in English mono LPCM with optional subtitles in English SDH. It’s a nice track without heavy distortion or hiss, sounding clean and clear with good dialogue reproduction and good separation for the various elements. The audio also tends to lean ever so slightly to the left at times, rather than the center.
THE TINGLER (FILM/VIDEO/AUDIO): B+/B/B
13 GHOSTS (FILM/VIDEO/AUDIO): B+/B+/B+
HOMICIDAL (FILM/VIDEO/AUDIO): B+/B+/B-
MR. SARDONICUS (FILM/VIDEO/AUDIO): B+/B-/B-
For the extras selection, this set packs quite a wallop. For The Tingler, there’s a new audio commentary with authors Kevin Lyons and Jonathan Rigby; Imaginary Biology, a new 16-minute overview and critical analysis with film critic Kim Newman; I Survived The Tingler, a 4-minute interview with actress Pamela Lincoln; Unleashing Percepto, a 3-minute interview with Barry Lorie of the Columbia Pictures Publicity Department; Scream for Your Lives!, a 16-minute vintage featurette about the film, featuring actor Darryl Hickman, the great Bob Burns, author Lucy Chase Williams, and film historian David J. Skal; a 3-minute theater lobby audio spot featuring Vincent Price and a promotional song; an isolated music and effects track in mono LPCM; the film’s original theatrical trailer in HD; a Trailers from Hell commentary on the film’s trailer by Joe Dante; a promotional materials gallery with 43 images; the Percepto instruction manual in 31 images; reversible artwork with the press warning booklet image on the opposite side; and a 40-page insert booklet with the essay Domestic Disturbance: Sadism, Violence, and the Family in the Films of William Castle by Kat Ellinger, another essay Loving The Tingler and Saving the Color Sequence by Michael Hyatt, William Castle on The Tingler – a section from Castle’s autobiography Step Right Up! I’m Gonna Scare the Pants Off America, Percepto!: What to Do and How to Do It – the original theater instructions for installing and operating, several critical reactions, the film’s original poster, and presentation details. All that’s missing is the audio commentary by author and film historian Steve Haberman from the Scream Factory Blu-ray release.
For 13 Ghosts, there’s the excellent 92-minute documentary Spine Tingler!: The William Castle Story; an audio commentary on Spine Tingler! with producer/director Jeffrey Schwarz and Terry Castle; the 8-minute Larger Than Life: The Making of Spine Tingler!: The William Castle Story; 13 Ghosts: The Magic of Illusion-O vintage 8-minute featurette with producer Michael Schlesinger, film historian Donald F. Glut, Bob Burns, and filmmaker Fred Olen Ray; a 12-minute introduction to the film by horror novelist Stephen Laws; the original theater lobby audio spot for the film; an isolated music and effects audio track in mono LPCM; the original theatrical trailer in HD; a Trailers from Hell commentary on the film’s trailer by screenwriter Sam Hamm; an image gallery with 66 images; reversible artwork with the free Ghost Viewer advertisement on the opposite side; and a 36-page insert booklet with the essay 13 Ghosts by Dan Whitehead, William Castle on 13 Ghosts – another section from Castle’s autobiography Step Right Up! I’m Gonna Scare the Pants Off America, A Séance with William Castle by Cedric Adams from the 1960 In the Corner column of the Minneapolis Star, several critical reactions, information about Spine Tingler!: The William Castle Story, the film’s original posters, and presentation details.
For Homicidal, there’s another energetic audio commentary featuring film historian and writer Lee Gambin; an 8-minute introduction by horror author Stephen Laws; Psychette: William Castle and Homicidal, a vintage 8-minute featurette with film historian Donald F. Glut, Bob Burns, David Del Valle, and Michael Schlesinger; a 5-minute newsreel from the film’s premiere in Youngstown, Ohio; Ballyhoo!, a 4-minute interview with entertainment journalist Bob Thomas, who reads excerpts from an interview he did with William Castle in 1960; an isolated music and effects audio track in mono LPCM; the original theatrical trailer; an image gallery with 41 images; reversible artwork featuring the film’s alternate black and white poster on the opposite side; and a 36-page insert booklet featuring the essay What Happens in Denmark Stays in Denmark: Down the Warren of William Castle’s Homicidal by Rebecca Nicole Williams, William Castle on Homicidal – another section from Castle’s autobiography Step Right Up! I’m Gonna Scare the Pants Off America, Exploiting Homicidal – a reprinting of the film’s press book, several critical reactions, the film’s original poster, and presentation details. All that’s missing is a short TV spot from the film’s DVD release.
For Mr. Sardonicus, there’s an audio commentary with authors Kat Ellinger and Samm Deighan; Gothic Castle, a 28-minute interview with author Jonathan Rigby about the film; The Punishment Poll, a 6-minute interview with Richard Kahn of the Columbia Pictures Publicity Department; Taking the Punishment Poll, an 8-minute vintage featurette with David Del Valle, Michael Schlesinger, Donald F. Glut, Bob Burns, and Fred Olen Ray; an isolated music and effects track in mono LPCM; the original theatrical trailer; a Trailers from Hell commentary on the film’s trailer by Stuart Gordon; an image gallery with 59 images; reversible artwork with an alternate poster for the film on the opposite side; and a 36-page insert booklet with the essay The Fabric of Nightmares: Mr. Sardonicus by Josephine Botting, William Castle on Mr. Sardonicus – another section from Castle’s autobiography Step Right Up! I’m Gonna Scare the Pants Off America, Exploiting Mr. Sardonicus – a reprinting of the film’s press book, Introducing Mr. Sarondicus: Ray Russell by Jeff Billington, several critical reactions, the film’s original poster, and presentation details. The only thing missing is the Ghost Story pilot episode from the DVD release.
Indicator’s William Castle at Columbia, Volume One Blu-ray boxed set is a wonderful addition to any horror fan’s film library. While these films are already fully available on Blu-ray in the U.S. (some given more distinct care than others), this curated collection featuring hours of extras in a beautiful package is well-worth the import. Highly recommended!
– Tim Salmons
13 Ghosts, 1959, 1960, 1961, Alan Bunce, Audrey Dalton, Barry Lorie, Blu-ray, Blu-ray Disc, Bob Burns, Bob Thomas, box set, boxed set, boxset, Burnett Guffey, Cedric Adams, Charles Herbert, Chester W Schaeffer, Columbia Pictures, Darryl Hickman, David Del Valle, David Hoffman, David J Skal, Don Glut, Donald F Glut, Donald Woods, Edwin H Bryant, Erika Peters, Eugenie Leontovich, Fred Olen Ray, Glenn Corbett, Guy Rolfe, Homicidal, horror, Hugo Friedhofer, Indicator, James Westerfield, Jean Arless, Jeffrey Schwarz, Jo Morrow, Joan Marshall, Joe Dante, John van Dreelen, Jonathan Rigby, Joseph Biroc, Josephine Botting, Judith Evelyn, Kat Ellinger, Kevin Lyons, Kim Newman, Lee Gambin, Limited Edition, Lorna Hanson, Lucy Chase Williams, Margaret Hamilton, Martin Milner, Michael Hyatt, Michael Schlesinger, Mr Sardonicus, Mr_ Sardonicus, Oskar Homolka, Pamela Lincoln, Patricia Breslin, Patricia Cutts, Percepto, Philip Coolidge, Powerhouse, Powerhouse Films, Ray Russell, Rebecca Nicole Williams, review, Richard Kahn, Robb White, Ronald Lewis, Rosemary DeCamp, Roy Jenson, Sam Hamm, Samm Deighan, Stephen Laws, Terry Castle, The Digital Bits, The Tingler, thriller, Tim Salmons, Trailers from Hell, Vladimir Sokoloff, Volume 1, Volume One, Von Dexter, Wilfred M Cline, William Castle, William Castle at Columbia, William Castle at Columbia Volume One
American Horror Project: Volume Two (Blu-ray Review)
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Why does beer taste good?
By Tim Sandle Oct 15, 2014 in Science
One answer to this question could be “because it does,” but that doesn’t get to the heart of the matter. The answer is with yeast and the yeast aroma not only appeals to people, it has a particular attraction for fruit flies.
The yeasts used to produce beer produce chemicals that mimic the aroma of fruits. The mechanism at play is that the “fruit aroma” attracts flies, and these flies then transport the yeast cells to new environments. These same volatile compounds are also essential for the flavor of beverages such as beer and wine. Thus, the fly-attraction chemicals are also the same as the people-attraction. The most common fly to be attracted is the fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster). The eye of the fruit fly is made up of 760 mini-eyes, making it one of the most complex organs in nature. The fly also has a highly developed sense of smell.
Yeast is essential in production of bread, beer and wine and people have been using different types of yeast for thousands of years to produce bread, beer and wine. A yeast is a type of fungus, a relatively complex organism.
The basis of the process is that yeasts consume sugars and convert them into carbon dioxide gas and alcohol. In bread, the gas causes leavening of the dough while the alcohol evaporates during baking. In beer and sparkling wines, both the alcohol and carbon dioxide gas are retained; whereas in wine the gas is allowed to escape. During this chemical process, yeasts produce several aroma compounds that are important for the taste, flavor and overall quality.
According to Lab Manager, scientists have now identified the genetic step that is key to the yeasts producing the flavour and which also attracts the flies. Research has shown that deleting a specific gene called ATF1 eliminates the attraction of flies to the yeast.
The researchers are of the opinion that the results could lead to the genetic development of new types of yeasts, which could be of benefit to the food industry. There is also a school of thought that thinks that understanding such mechanisms can assist with combating those types of yeasts that can cause human infections.
The research was carried out by scientists based at VIB, KU Leuven and NERF and the finding have been reported to the journal Cell Reports. The paper is called “The fungal aroma gene ATF1 promotes dispersal of yeast cells through insect vectors.”
More about Beer, Yeast, Wine, Bread
Beer Yeast Wine Bread
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Frequency of family meals increased by a new school presentation
January 2, 2018 diy.fyi 0
Teaching young adolescents practical cooking skills leads to positive changes for the entire family, a new study concludes. In their article, researchers evaluated the Kinect-Ed presentation and found an increase in the frequency of family dinners after participation.
FB’s Birthday: Thank You for 6 Years! Bottle Poppin’ + Summer Plans
December 25, 2017 diy.fyi 0
We’re celebrating 6 years of hard work, growth, and fun! FitnessBlender.com & Our YouTube channel now get a combined 36 million hits each month from people allover the world – thanks to every single one of you who have ever shared FB with family and […]
RAW POWER
Musically speaking, the years 1969 and 1970 were not good years for me. Raised on the Yardbirds, Cream, Jimi Hendrix, Big Brother and Blue Cheer, I watched in mute horror as my friends and fellow enthusiasts melted away into the more melodic, thoughtful, easy listening arms of Poco, Gram Parsons, and Steely Dan, as well as various monsters of prog rock. Friends who, at age 16, could play “Purple Haze,” note for note — and well — were suddenly putting down their Telecasters and picking up pedal steel and dobro. It was a plague of tasteful arrangements and excessive musicianship. You could barely attend a musical event without enduring an extended bluegrass solo, or 35 minutes of some jerk in a cape noodling away on a Mellotron.
So, THE STOOGES’ first album, an anti-social masterpiece of do-it-yourself aggression and raw, nasty, dirty rock and roll, came as a welcome emetic. A friend played it for me at his house, with the volume down, careful — as we both sensed this stuff was dangerous. And in fact, in those dying days of the 60’s , when you showed up at school actually carrying a vinyl album under your arm — to advertise the fact that you thought the Allman Brothers were awesome (they weren’t), or that you knew every note of Flying Burrito Brothers, or that you had the good taste and discerning nature to appreciate the works of Fairport Convention, carrying a STOOGES album under your arm set you apart. And not in good way.
Only speed freaks (not a high-prestige set in 1969) and guys who worked on their cars too much liked the STOOGES. “Problem” kids. Tormented loners. Guys about whom there were terrible rumors. (“He went mental and beat up his Mom.” “He shot somebody with a zip gun.”) That’s the kind of guy who appreciated songs like the sado-masochistic “I Wanna Be Your Dog,” the bleak “No Fun” (which pretty much summed up high school for me), and the psychotic “TV Eye.”
Those were the days when you held a new album in your hands and gaped at it for hours. You read the liner notes again and again, peered hard and then harder at the cover art, the photos on the back, trying to discern more — to glean some kind of information about the strange and terrible people who made these sounds that spoke, somehow, to the darkest regions of your teenage heart.
And what to make of the STOOGES’ lead singer, “Iggy,” whose apparent willingness to self-destruct in front of your eyes was both exciting and genuinely frightening? To side with the STOOGES at that time, to announce to your high school friends that you liked — no, LOVED — THE STOOGES pretty much put one publicly on the road to The Velvet Underground, The New York Dolls, early New York punk rock … and heroin.
Of all the people I’ve met, I’ve never been more intimidated, more anxious, more star-struck than when I met Iggy Pop. It was not in the sort of place you’d expect to meet a rock and roll icon: a beach in the Caribbean, oddly enough. I was attending a food and wine festival with my family and looked out my window to see Iggy laying out on a blanket, surrounded by nothing more toxic than mineral waters and fresh fruit. For the next three days, I’d see him in the same place, soaking up the rays and apparently rehabbing from a stage diving injury.
Though my family’s blanket was but a few yards away, and my then-5 year-old daughter would splash around in the water right next to him, it took me three days to summon the nerve to say hello.
So, it was a dream come true to actually hang out with my hero and (for better or worse) early role model for the filming of this Sunday’s Miami episode of PARTS UNKNOWN.
Now, some grumpy **** is going to point out, “Wait a minute, Iggy’s not fromMiami! He wasn’t born here! What the ****?”
True enough, but who in Miami WAS born in Miami? Believe me, we explore that exact issue in this episode, with people who proudly WERE born here.
But Iggy, like so many Miamians, came here to live after having lived a previous life — or in Iggy’s case, many previous lives. Miami has always been both refuge — and reward — for people from somewhere else, lured by a long standing dream, the promise of some kind of peace of mind on a beach.
So, this week, on PARTS UNKNOWN, we look at both the origins of Miami, the old school — and the dream of Miami, the Miami that millions of Cubans, Nicaraguans, Venezuelans and Americans see as the place — if things go right, or things go wrong — to go. The place that will always, hopefully, be waiting for them.
Stylistically, we were thinking of the great Italian film, La Grande Belezza (The Great Beauty). Our intention was to portray the unique architecture of Miami and Coral Gables in the same symmetrical, classical way as that film’s director portrayed Rome. Also, we lifted the film’s glorious early party sequence, which took some doing.
To Uncle Luke (aka “Luke Skywalker”), “Mac” of Mac’s Club Deuce, the amazing Questlove, Miami’s own chef Michelle Bernstein, and all the people who helped us make pretty pictures in this incredible town — and, of course, to James Osterberg of Ann Arbor, Michigan, aka Iggy Pop — thank you.
As a final note, I encourage anyone reading this to buy, first, the STOOGES’ classic, FUN HOUSE, which functions as a reminder of what rock and roll should be about — has always been about: sex, aggression, rage, self-hatred, frustration, heartbreak, love, and the occasional burst of pleasure. Then listen to the song PENETRATION, on their album RAW POWER, and feel your face melt right off your skull.
12 Essentials to Know When Hosting Thanksgiving for the First Time — Reader Intelligence Report
A Small & Swanky Thanksgiving Dinner
Are you hosting Thanksgiving for the first time this year? Hosting and cooking this great American meal is a big milestone for a cook, but it also can be a moment of some anxiety and nerves.
Well, our readers have quite a lot of advice for you. We asked them for their best advice on hosting Thanksgiving dinner, and here are 12 essentials, distilled from the most frequent points we heard. If Thanksgiving seems daunting, these 12 essentials will make it less so. They’ll show you how to get organized, stay calm, and enjoy Thanksgiving more than ever!
December 4, 2017 diy.fyi 0
A lot of people have ventured to Paraguay over the years in search of some sort of a dream. My great, great grandfather, Jean Bourdain was one of them.
I’ve looked for this mysterious ancestor before—in Uruguay, with my younger brother Chris. We were disappointed when our trail ran cold. We were left with a cryptic reference to the news that Jean had died in Asuncion, Paraguay. Which begged the question: “What the Hell was he doing in Paraguay?!“ and “Where is Paraguay, anyway?”
It’s certainly a country few of us know much about. Landlocked by its better known neighbors, Paraguay is probably best known for being a hideout for escaped Nazis, and for a succession of truly spectacularly lurid, out-of-a-comic-book dictatorships—the last being the administration of General Alfredo Stroessner. When I first looked at the possibility of making a television show there, many years ago, descriptions of the country by visitors were not promising: crime, corruption, counterfeiters, failed institutions, looted banks—in short, a backwater.
I thought I’d use the dubious quest for “The Missing Bourdain” as the spine of a show, a framework to investigate one of the least known nations in the Americas. My crew, looking at various storytelling structures, settled on the terrific film, “The Limey” as a rough template. In that film, Terence Stamp, playing a just-out-of-prison career criminal, voyages to Los Angeles, in search of answers after the death of his daughter. In this PARTS UNKNOWN episode, I explore Paraguay (and my family’s past) in similar non-linear fashion. It’s an amazing looking show. Everybody who worked on it, handcrafted it, is convinced its some of their best work.
What I found out—about Paraguay—about my family, surprised me. I hope it entertains you.
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Agriculture Arts & Literature Business & Industry Education
Folklife Geography & Environment Government & Politics History
Peoples Religion Science & Technology Sports & Recreation
Mardi Gras Queen Alexis Herman
on Tue, 07/02/2019 - 16:17
During her youth in Mobile, former U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexis Herman was actively involved in ...
Read more about Mardi Gras Queen Alexis Herman
"Alabama Day"
December 14 is the anniversary of Alabama becoming the 22nd state. The transition from territory to statehood started in July 1819 with a constitutional convention held in Huntsville . The Alabama territory was granted statehood on December...
Colonial Era in Alabama
The European presence in what is now Alabama began in the early sixteenth century, when Spanish explorers reached the Gulf Coast. In 1540, Hernando de Soto and his men became the first Europeans to traverse Alabama’s interior, bringing death...
Alabama Olympians
Alabama is well-known for its success in college football, but the state has produced many Olympic champions as well. In this arena, track and field and swimming and diving have been the sports in which Alabama athletes have dominated....
Alabama Bookshelf
Alabama’s history, culture, geography, and natural environment are covered in a wide selection of books. Here are a few we think you will enjoy. Several of the authors listed have written entries for the Encyclopedia of Alabama.
Spotlight on Alabama in Space
Jupiter C
Marshall Space Flight Center
Redstone Arsenal
Wernher von Braun
EOA News and Events
EOA in the classroom! The Alabama Department of Archives & History has lessons plans using EOA content.
New to EOA? For an introduction to EOA's content, please read historian Wayne Flynt's essay on Alabama.
Visit the new homepage for Alabama’s Bicentennial Celebration!
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Dosvitnii, Oles
Dosvitnii, Oles [Dosvitnij, Oles’] (pen name of Oleksander Skrypal), b 8 November 1891 in Vovchansk, Kharkiv gubernia, d 3 March 1934. (Photo: Oles Dosvitnii.) Writer, literary critic. In 1906 Dosvitnii enrolled at Saint Petersburg University, from which he was expelled for revolutionary activity. During the First World War he was court-martialed and sentenced to execution for spreading revolutionary propaganda among the soldiers, but he escaped and reached the United States via Mongolia and China. In 1918 he returned to Ukraine via Japan and took part in the civil war in 1918–20 on the Bolshevik side. He was involved in underground propaganda work in Galicia and spent eight months in the Warsaw prison. From 1920 he lived in Kharkiv. In 1921–3 he worked as an editor of various newspapers. For some time he was the chief editor of the All-Ukrainian Photo-Cinema Administration. In 1927 he became chairman of the Playwrights' and Composers' Union. From 1925 Dosvitnii was one of Mykola Khvylovy's closest associates. He was a leading member of Vaplite, from which he, along with Khvylovy and Mykhailo Yalovy, was expelled by order of the Central Committee of the Communist Party (Bolshevik) of Ukraine in 1927. Dosvitnii contributed to Literaturnyi iarmarok. During Pavel Postyshev's terror Dosvitnii was arrested and shot.
Dosvitnii published several collections of short stories, among them Novely (Short Stories, 1920), Tiunhui (1924), Piimav (Grabbed, 1930), Novely (Short Stories, 1932), and Postati (Figures, 1930). Among his longer works and novels are Amerykantsi (Americans, 1925), Alai (1927), Hiulle (1927), Nas bulo troie (There Were Three of Us, 1929), Khto? (Who?, 1927), and Kvartsyt (Quartzite, 1932). In 1930–1 Dosvitnii's collected Tvory (Works) were published in five volumes. His work was not artistically brilliant, but the subject of travel, with its exotic elements (the action usually takes place in an Asian country or America), introduced a new theme into the Ukrainian prose of the time and made for interesting reading. Dosvitnii was rehabilitated in 1955. His Vybrani tvory (Selected Works) and Hiulle were republished in 1959 and 1961 respectively, Kvartsit was republished in Russian in 1963, and Nas bulo troie was republished in 1969. The fullest to date edition of his works was published in two volumes in Kyiv in 1991.
Ivan Koshelivets
List of related links from Encyclopedia of Ukraine pointing to Dosvitnii, Oles entry:
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In an increasingly fast-paced and crowded world, our historic canals and rivers provide a local haven for people and nature. The Canal & River Trust are a charity entrusted with the care of 2,000 miles of waterways in England and Wales.
Friends of the Cromford Canal
The Friends of the Cromford Canal is a charitable organisation whose aim is to see the restoration of the historic Cromford Canal for the benefit of the general public.
Derby & Sandiacre Canal Trust
The Derby and Sandiacre Canal Society is the body of enthusiasts who support the reopening of the canal.
P. J. Barber Boatbuilder Ltd.
P.J. Barber Boatbuilder Limited is a small company led by Paul Barber, who builds traditional style narrowboats and wide beam (dutch style) barges. Also able to offer repair work, such as re-bottoming.
Langley Mill Boatyard
Langley Mill Boatyard, is a traditional working yard based in the East Midlands at the junction of the Erewash, Cromford and Nottingham canals. The yard has been established for over 40 years, and is now under new ownership. Dan and Vikki look forward to welcoming you to this quiet and tranquil spot only a few hours cruise from the River Trent for diesel, gas, pump out, dry dock facilities and more.
The Friends of Bennerley Viaduct
One of only two remaining wrought-iron viaducts in England, Bennerley Viaduct is a grade II* listed structure dating from 1877 and spanning the Erewash Valley for 440 meters (approximately 1/4 mile) between Cotmanhay in Derbyshire and Awsworth in Nottinghamshire. The viaduct deck is some 18 metres (60 feet) above the River Erewash. The Friends of Bennerley Viaduct are dedicated to restoring, conserving and celebrating this impressive structure
Bridge Inn, Cotmanhay
Nestled on the banks of the Erewash Canal in Cotmanhay, Derbyshire, this lovely olde worlde pub was, for many years, the hub of the community and a great destination for walkers, cyclists and the boating community. Sadly it is no more.
Birdswood
Birdswood is the historical narrow boat belonging to The Friends of Cromford Canal. The boat and our gift shop are run entirely by our dedicated team of volunteers. Birdswood runs scheduled trips throughout the year, open to members of the public. Our exclusive charters make a personal venue for your private function. Come and enjoy a peaceful journey along the Cromford Canal and get up close to the fabulous wildlife and take in the amazing scenery.
AWCC (Association of Waterways Cruising Clubs)
The Association of Waterway Cruising Clubs (AWCC) is a grouping of individual and independent clubs which offer their members facilities related to boating on the inland waterways of the United Kingdom.
Shardlow Heritage Trust
Visit Shardlow and its Heritage Centre for a fascinating insight into this 18th century canal transhipment port. Shardlow has a unique place in the history of the country. The 18th century canal port, with all its associated wharves and warehouses can still clearly be seen. Originally a river port, Shardlow developed greatly with the opening of the Trent and Mersey Canal in 1770.
J.D. Narrowboats - Shardlow
Since 2003, we've been building and repairing traditional, cruiser and semi-trad narrowboat shells, up to sixty-eight feet in length. Whether you're shopping around or looking to refurbish your current boat, you can cruise away with J.D. Narrowboats. We are the experts in bespoke narrowboat fitouts and sailaway specialists to the customer's exact requirements. We also undertake work on narrowboat widebeam, repaints and refits or part fits where required.
Nottingham Yacht Club
If you are in Long Eaton looking for a friendly Boat Club to have a drink, or whether you are having a nice walk, cycling, fishing or cruising on the Trent and looking to stop by to relax then our club is the perfect place for that stop off – we even welcome pets!
Derby Motor Boat Club
We are situated on the River Trent at Sawley Cut close to the junctions of the Trent with the River Soar, the Erewash Canal and the Trent-&-Mersey Canal and so are ideally placed for journeys north, south, east and west. We offer friendly, secure moorings at a reasonable price.
Soar Boating Club
Soar Boating Club is situated on the beautiful River Soar in the idyllic village of Normanton on Soar. Ideally situated between Kegworth and Loughborough offering travel links via Rail, Road or Air with East Midlands Airport only 6 miles away and Donington Park Race circuit within a stones throw.
Trent & Mersey Canal Society
The Trent and Mersey Canal Society is one of a number of specialist charities, whose members share a common interest or concern for their local waterway, or are inspired by the beauty and tranquillity of the waterway and its surrounds. In our case we are dedicated and committed to the Trent and Mersey Canal - one of Britain's oldest and best loved canals.
Beeston Canalside Heritage Centre
The Beeston Cut is a small but important link between the Nottingham Canal and the River Trent, with a rich history and place in the hearts of the local community, since work began in 1794.
Long Eaton Civic Society
Long Eaton Civic Society is a new community organisation that will work to promote local business opportunities. It cooperates with the local authority, planning committees, the Environment Agency,all other statutory authorities and with educational, industrial and voluntary organisations,kindred bodies and persons having similar aims to those of the society.
Awsworth Parish Council
Awsworth Parish Council dates from 1894 as depicted on the parish crest which was specially designed to mark its Centenary year in 1994.
Heanor and District Local History
The Heanor and District Local History Society was formed in 1968, and currently has a membership of around 140.
Long Eaton Natural History Society
The Long Eaton Natural History Society (LENS Wildlife Group) was founded in 1977 and offers a warm welcome to all who are interested in their natural surroundings.
The Australian Canal Society
A non-profit group of people interested in canals and inland waterways in Australia and the rest of the world.
Trent Covers
Trent Covers manufactures Canvas Sheets, Tarpaulins, Skip Nets and more to companies and individuals in and around the Nottingham, Derby and Leicester areas.
Showstoppers rosettes and trophies
We are a family business who celebrated our 25th Anniversary in 2013 and you can always be assured of personal service and top quality products such as club, champion and designer rosettes to equestrian and corporate awards.
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1776 saw an act passed authorising the construction of a navigation from the junction of the rivers Soar and Trent to Loughborough. This prompted a group of landowners and businessmen from Derbyshire to explore the possibilities of a canal linking the Derbyshire coalfields to the river Trent. This proposed canal would then link Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire to other Midlands counties and on to London. John Smith (formerly apprenticed to William Wyatt) surveyed the area from the river Trent to Langley Mill. The proposed canal would run through this area to a point opposite the river Soar. This was to be the Erewash Canal and its junction with the Trent is now Trent lock
The canal obtained its act of parliament in 1777. John Varley (later sacked for miscalculating water levels) was appointed as engineer with John and James Pinkerton as the main contractors. The canal was completed in 1779. It is 11.75 miles long with a rise of around 110 feet and has 14 locks. It was a commercial success from the start, mainly transporting coal.
From Langley Mill (where it has a junction with the Cromford and Nottingham canals) to Long Eaton it runs roughly parallel to the river Erewash. It also passes through or nearby, Eastwood, Ilkeston, Awsworth, Cossall, Trowell, Stapleford and Sandiacre.
The Erewash continued successfully transporting coal, quarry stone, bricks and metal goods until the railways began to take over around the mid 19th century. Through traffic via the Cromford and Nottingham canals had collapsed and the only significant operations remaining was in goods from Stanton iron works and coal.
In 1932 the canal was bought by the Grand Union, it was still a going concern and had a short revival transporting coal. During World War 2 it was used to carry bombshells from Stanton Iron Works and it was due to the iron works that the canal remained viable for so long. Nationalisation came in 1947, by then the loss of trade due to competition from other forms of transport was having a great effect and the last commercial narrowboat operation was in 1952.
In 1962 the British Transport Commission closed the top section of the canal, however it was kept in water to supply the lower half, the water being needed for Stanton Iron Works and it remained navigable. In 1963 control of the canal was transferred from the British Transport Commission to the British Waterways Board. In 1968 the Erewash Canal Preservation & Development Association was formed in response to a threat by the British Waterways Board to close the canal. In just five years following the formation the ECP&DA not only saved the canal but also restored Langley Bridge lock and the Great Northern basin and swing bridge. This was celebrated by an opening ceremony and their first boat rally at Langley Mill in 1973. In 1983 the Erewash canal was upgraded to Cruising Waterway Standard by British Waterways.
Since then ECP&DA members have been and still are involved in restoration work on many canals all over the country.
Restoration has continued at Langley Mill and projects include:
The Victorian pump house - built in 1894, buildings and pumps restored
The Nottingham Canal tollhouse - built in 1795 to collect tolls, used in 2008 as control centre for ECP&DA 40th anniversary rally
The Cromford Canal extension - on-going work beyond the boundary of Langley Mill Boat Co.
The Nottingham Canal Swing Bridge - built 1790s now carries traffic over entrance to Great Northern Basin
Awards that recognise the work of the ECP&DA Volunteers
In October 2008 the ECP&DA received an award from British Waterways for ongoing promotion and restoration work on the Erewash canal.
In June 2019 the ECP&DA received the Queen's Award for Voluntary Services - the MBE for volunteer groups.
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Iowa-based novel hits the store shelves
NEW YORK — New York-based novelist Stuart Harris’ debut novel, “The Northeast Quarter,” is available.
The novel tells the story of Ann Hardy, 10 years old at the beginning of the novel, who overcomes 12 years of betrayal, banishment and physical violence to mature into a smart, young, female lawyer who struggles to retain rights to her family’s richest piece of land in Iowa.
The story is the loosely based on gossip overheard by the author as a child between his mother and her cousins about family property in rural Iowa.
The novel is set against the background of life in the town of Winfield, Iowa, from the end of World War I to the Great Depression. When Ann finds allies in her quest for truth and justice, she is asked if she wants “revenge or her land back.” Her decision uncovers her inner strength and perseverance.
Harris said a key message of his tale and for young people today is “never give up.”
“Keep your promises and stand up for what you believe,” Harris said. “I saw a good tale in the exchange of news and family gossip that I overheard as a child and was inspired by the multigenerational sagas of one of my heroines, Edna Ferber.”
Harris also said his other literary heroes are Robert Louis Stevenson for plots pitting family members against one another and Lillian Hellman for riveting plays about conniving characters.
Harris, who lives in Brooklyn, New York, began writing for the theater professionally in 1991 when he was invited by the Ensemble Studio Theatre in New York to attend a summer conference. The experience led the California native to move to New York and become a playwright. Several of his plays have been produced Off Broadway and around the country.
“The Northeast Quarter” began as a full-length play developed by the Works in Progress Theatre Lab at Manhattan Theatre Club Studios in New York. However, Harris put playwriting on hold in order to create the story of generations of Iowa farmers in the historical novel.
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U. collaborating with UVA to digitize Wilson’s papers
By Zaynab Zaman | Oct 7, 2015
The University of Virginia and the University will be digitizing the papers of President Woodrow Wilson, Class of 1879, director of the Princeton University Press Peter Dougherty said.
The digitization process began Oct. 1, according to a press release.
The documents are Wilson’s most significant papers as determined by a variety of scholars at the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library in Virginia, University of Virginia Press Director Mark Saunders said.
Princeton University Press already published the printed editions of Wilson’s papers between 1966 and 1994. The documents were published in 69 volumes with a five-part index.
Saunders noted that the library has been accumulating Woodrow Wilson’s papers for years, but the family of Arthur Link, the original editor of the print edition, has been instrumental in bringing this digital project to fruition.
The library originally approached the Princeton University Press and then UVA became involved because of their digital publishing platform, Saunders said. “We got together pretty quickly and understood among the three of us what the benefits of the partnership were,” he explained.
Representatives of the library declined to comment.
Dougherty explained that Princeton University Press viewed the project as a good opportunity, primarily because of Wilson’s historical importance.
“We liked the idea and had great faith in the ability of the University of Virginia press to publish an excellent digital edition, and so we decided to go ahead with it,” Dougherty said.
Saunders explained that though only about 10 percent of Wilson’s papers were published in print editions, the number still amounted to more than 38,000 documents. Now, he said, more than 400,000 documents will be made available online.
He noted that there will likely be a good number of papers not worth digitizing, but that there are a significant number of papers whose digital availability would benefit scholars.
Saunders said the digitization process will include two phases. During phase 1, he said, the 69 print volumes will be digitized and published throughout an approximately two-year window. He noted that the group has almost finished fundraising forPhase 1.
Phase 2 will entail the collection and digitization of the documents that were not part of the print edition. Phase 2 is much more open-ended regarding a time limit, so it is unclear when it will be completed, he said.
“There are all sorts of challenges to accomplishing a high-quality digital documentary edition,” Saunders said.
Saunders added that after collecting the physical documents, scholars still must transcribe and annotate them because most readers will need to understand the context of the documents. Following that, the documents will need to undergo the actual publishing and digitization process, which is thorough and extensive.
“There are a lot of steps along the way, and those are challenges in and of themselves,” he said.
The digital collections will be accessible to institutional subscribers such as the University, Saunders said. He added that students, faculty and staff at subscribing institutions will have full access to the digital documents.
He explained that perhaps the most exciting thing about the digital collections is the opportunity to place a historical figure such as Wilson in conversation with other pivotal historical and political figures in United States history.
“I think that’s actually the great value of the digital collection, that Woodrow Wilson can talk across the years with someone like Thomas Jefferson or Abraham Lincoln or Lyndon Johnson, and they can discuss, if you will, issues like race or presidential power, things that are still in the newspaper today,” Saunders said.
He noted that the UVA press had previously published the papers of President George Washington, but Washington’s papers continue to be discovered.
“If you can still discover Washington’s papers 225 years on, then the chances that there are important Wilson papers out there in private collections in people’s attics, drawers, et cetera is pretty high,” Saunders said.
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Last-Second Changes
I haven't come across much on this in the research literature, but I'm willing to stick my neck out and assert that one thing that absolutely drives people in schools nuts are the number of last-minute changes from above. People are told that they will be teaching different subjects or grades days or hours before the school year begins, for example. I was hired by the school at which I worked two days before the start of the school year because the previous 6th grade teacher had just been moved across the hall to be a bilingual teacher.
This is far from the most egregious example, but the state just shuffled around an awful lot of administrators in Nashville. A month before the start of the school year is a lot better than a day, but the former principals have been hiring staff and otherwise preparing their schools for the fall for two months now.
Imagine Mr. Smith hiring a new teacher in June and then Mr. Jones being installed as the new principal in July. What if Mr. Jones doesn't like the new teacher or the new teacher doesn't like Mr. Jones? It's going to take at least a year to sort these kinds of things out, and many of them could have been avoided had the state simply acted two months earlier.
ms-teacher said...
Two years ago, I was given the assignment of teaching a 3 hour block class of REACH (DI reading program for those far below grade level) along with teaching history for two periods to two separate group of students. A month into the school year, there was a change in schedules and my second group of students for history had their schedule changed. I was given a new group of students, along with a new subject to teach, Earth Science!
Needless to say, I felt like I was rowing upstream with that class all year long.
Attorney DC said...
Similar story with my first (and only) year teaching in the San Diego City School District. I was hired in July to teach 8th grade English. After preparing my classroom, etc. I happened to be chatting w/ the VP on the Thursday before Labor Day. On her wall, I noticed the schedule had me listed as teaching 9th grade world history and geography. Sure enough, she confirmed I had been switched to this new subject(but not informed of the change). I worked over Labor Day weekend to prepare for my new subject, and was able to hit the ground running on Tuesday with the help of some very helpful teachers in the social studies department.
Of course, one month into the school year, the District realized their hiring numbers didn't match the actual student enrollment numbers, due to a mismatch b/w the estimated student enrollment and true enrollment figures calculated in September. As such, the three teachers with least seniority (myself included) were promptly removed from their jobs, and distributed to other schools throughout the county.
Due to the removal of the three teachers, all the 1,700 students' schedules were scrapped and they started all their classes over again in October.
In Need of Alteration
The Theory behind Merit Pay
"Rational" and "Stupid" are not Mutually Exclusive...
Why Do Teachers Get so Defensive?
How to Fix Testing?
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Ones to Watch: Tommie Hoban and Sean Murray
Published by eireguide on July 22, 2015
Since the end of last season the Irish media continue to regurgitate the fact that there is unlikely to be an Irish-born player under the age of 25 starting in the upcoming Premier League season. Irish fans will be hoping that this concerning situation changes with a move for Robbie Brady back to the top flight, but it is worth noting that two of Ireland’s most promising under-21 internationals are part of the newly-promoted Watford squad. Tommie Hoban and Sean Murray are both English-born, but have been committed to Ireland since they joined the Boys in Green as under-17’s.
Although only 21 years old Tommie Hoban has already made 57 appearances for Watford and was an integral part of the Hornet’s team last season as they won automatic promotion to the Premier League. After spending seven years in the Arsenal underage system Hoban joined Watford in 2009 and made his first team debut for the club at the age of just 17 in the final game of the 2010/11 season.
Hoban progressed steadily at Vicarage Road and the young defender was in outstanding form for Watford during the 2012/13 season, which resulted in him being voted the club’s Young Player of the Year. This was an impressive achievement given that he picked up a serious ankle injury in February of that season that would keep him out of football for a year. It is a testament to Hoban’s character that he returned after a long period on the sidelines to play 30 games for Watford last season. Hoban’s consistency also demonstrates a degree of resilience, given that Watford had four separate managers during the course of the season. Moreover, the success of Slaviša Jokanović in the managerial hotseat was based on an all-out attacking philosophy rather than defensive stability. Ironically, the experience of working under different managerial styles may benefit Hoban as he continues to cut his teeth in the professional game. He has certainly displayed some versatility during his time at Watford, as he has played at centre-half, left back and wing back on occasions.
Hoban qualifies to play for Ireland through his Dublin-born mother though his paternal grandparents were also born in Ireland. He has represented the Boys in Green at under-17, under-19 and under-21 levels and is one of the few players from the current under-21 team that looks like he might eventually step up to the senior squad. Hoban is clearly on the radar of Martin O’Neill who went to watch him play against both Charlton and Blackpool earlier in 2015.
In the short-term the challenge for Hoban is to try and nail down a place in the Watford first team, which will be more difficult given their new Premier League status. His task is further complicated as Watford have recently signed the Austrian international centre-half, Sebastian Prödl. There have been suggestions that Watford may be willing to loan Hoban to a Championship club, with both Charlton and Nottingham Forest mentioned as potential suitors. However, even if a loan move comes to fruition it would be a surprise if Hoban does not make a mark in the Premier League at some stage over the coming year.
Sean Murray is just three months older than Tommie Hoban and his career trajectory bears a remarkable similarity to that of his Irish under-21 teammate. Murray has made first team appearances for Watford in each of the last five seasons and racked up a total of 75 appearances for the club.
Murray was born in Watford and joined the club when he was nine years old. The young midfielder was still only 17 when he made his first team debut in a Championship game against QPR at Vicarage Road in April 2011. The following season he made his mark with an impressive performance against Tottenham Hotspur in the FA Cup. His good form continued, scoring four goals in seven games, which led to him winning the Football League’s Young Player of the Month Award in March 2012. Murray went on to win Watford’s Young Player of the Year award for the 2011/12 season.
Murray was a key member of Sean Dyche’s Watford team and became synonymous with well-timed late runs in to the box to score. In this regard, much of the team’s play was directed through the young midfielder. However, the purchase of the club by the Pozzo family and the signing of a number of continental players reduced Murray’s role at the club. This process was not helped by Murray picking up a series of niggling injuries. In spite of the turbulence Murray played a total of 39 times during the 2013/14 season, but only made nine appearances last season as the club won promotion.
Murray qualifies to play for Ireland through his grandparents. Like Tommie Hoban he has represented Ireland at under-17, under-19 and under-21 levels. This experience included reaching the semi-finals of the UEFA European Under-19 Championships in 2011. He has since gone on to play 11 times for the Irish under-21 team.
In light of Murray’s lack of football last season it is difficult to predict how he will perform if he receives opportunities in the Premier League. There is no doubting his technical ability and it may be a case that the style of play in the top flight will be more to his liking. However, if he fails to make an early impact, the wiser option might involve securing a loan move back to the Championship. In this regard if Murray found a club willing to allow him the freedom he enjoyed in the earlier part of his career it may benefit him more in the longer term. The opportunity to once again work with Sean Dyche (now at Burley) could rejuvenate his career.
Irish fans will be watching closely to see how this Watford duo progress over the coming season, hoping that they can add some much needed youth and energy to Martin O’Neill’s wilting senior squad.
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Good article. Tommie Hoban’s dad is Westport, Co. Mayo. Hit the Jester pub in Bridge Street, Westport. Great football pub and especially full of Watford paraphenalia. Tommie, according to owner Ken visits when home with the family.
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Topic: Mathematician
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Mathematicians generally work in theoretical mathematics or applied mathematics, and their daily routine is determined by which of these specialties they’ve chosen.
Many applied mathematicians said interpersonal skills are quite important in mathematics positions, and many wished they had taken more writing courses in college as their jobs require regular reports on progress and development.
Mathematicians said the best feature of their profession is the intellectual challenge of struggling with these numbers on an everyday basis.
www.princetonreview.com /cte/profiles/dayInLife.asp?careerID=94 (460 words)
Highbeam Encyclopedia - Search Results for Mathematician
As a mathematician he is known for his Tractatus de proportionibus velocitatum (1328), which attempted to derive novel quantitative relations between...
One of the greatest mathematicians of his age, Poincaré, by research in the theory of functions, especially the automorphic, Fuchsian, and Abelian functions,...
Crafty geometry: mathematicians are knitting and crocheting to visualize complex surfaces.
www.encyclopedia.com /SearchResults.aspx?Q=Mathematician&StartAt=11 (792 words)
Mathematician - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A mathematician is a person whose primary area of study and research is the field of mathematics.
Mathematicians are employed by private firms in various capacities or as professors at universities or other educational institutions, by research organizations, or by military or civilian government agencies.
Mathematicians differ from scientists in that physical theories in the sciences are usually assumed to be an approximation of truth, mathematical statements are an attempt at capturing truth.
en.wikipedia.org /wiki/Mathematician (1426 words)
Mathematician - Biocrawler (Site not responding. Last check: )
Mathematicians are typically interested in finding and describing patterns that may have originally arisen from problems of calculation, but have now been abstracted to become problems of their own.
Mathematicians differ from philosophers in that the primary questions of mathematics are assumed (for the most part) to transcend the context of the human mind; the idea that "2+2=4 is a true statement" is assumed to exist without requiring a human mind to state the problem.
Mathematicians differ from physical scientists such as physicists or engineers in that they do not typically perform experiments to confirm or deny their conclusions; and whereas every scientific theory is always assumed to be an approximation of truth, mathematical statements are an attempt at capturing truth.
www.biocrawler.com /encyclopedia/Mathematician (1440 words)
Mathematics - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mathematicians explore such concepts, aiming to formulate new conjectures and establish their truth by rigorous deduction from appropriately chosen axioms and definitions.
Mathematicians also engage in pure mathematics for its own sake without having any practical application in mind, although others may discover applications later on.
Insofar as a correspondence does exist, while mathematicians and physicists may select axioms and postulates that seem reasonable and intuitive, it is not necessary for the basic assumptions within an axiomatic system to be true in an empirical or physical sense.
en.wikipedia.org /wiki/Mathematics (3891 words)
Mathematician (Site not responding. Last check: )
Mathematicians are typically interested in finding and patterns that may have originally arisen from of calculation but have now been abstracted become problems of their own.
Mathematicians differ from philosophers in that the primary questions of are assumed (for the most part) to the context of the human mind; the that "2+2=4 is a true statement" is to exist without requiring a human mind state the problem.
Mathematicians differ from physical scientists such as physicists or engineers in that they do not typically experiments to confirm or deny their conclusions; whereas every scientific theory is always assumed be an approximation of truth mathematical statements are an at capturing truth.
www.freeglossary.com /Mathematician (1315 words)
Mathematicians also should have substantial knowledge of computer programming, because most complex mathematical computation and much mathematical modeling are done on a computer.
Employment of mathematicians is expected to decline through 2014, reflecting the reduction in the number of jobs with the title “mathematician.” As a result, competition is expected to be keen for the limited number of jobs as mathematicians.
In early 2005, the average annual salary for mathematicians employed by the Federal Government in supervisory, nonsupervisory, and managerial positions was $88,194; that for mathematical statisticians was $91,446; and for cryptanalysts the average was $70,774.
stats.bls.gov /oco/ocos043.htm (1815 words)
Definition of mathematician - Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary
Learn more about "mathematician" and related topics at Britannica.com
Find more about "mathematician" instantly with Live Search
See a map of "mathematician" in the Visual Thesaurus
www.m-w.com /dictionary/mathematician (26 words)
WPI professor is the first mathematician to be named a Jefferson Science Fellow
One of only six fellows chosen for the 2006-07 academic year, Davis is the first mathematician to be named a fellow during the national program's three-year history.
The fellowship, created in 2003 by the State Department in partnership with the Carnegie Corporation, the MacArthur Foundation, the U.S. science, technology, and engineering academic community, and professional scientific societies, brings senior tenured faculty members in science and engineering to Washington, D.C., for a year-long, on-site assignment.
As an applied mathematician, Davis has written textbooks, developed software to support student-centered learning in mathematical modeling, and consulted for a number of corporations.
www.eurekalert.org /pub_releases/2006-10/wpi-wpi101006.php (697 words)
Mathematician - Uncyclopedia, the content-free encyclopedia
A mathematician (not to be confused with Mathemagician) is a complicated mechanism for turning coffee into theorems (except for the rare oxygenarians).
The mathematician was invented by a well-known physicist in 1666.
A mathematician consists of a coffee uptake valve, a steam engine, and a caffeine converter, as well as a positronic brain used to generate theorems.
uncyclopedia.org /wiki/Mathematicians (1025 words)
Theoretical mathematicians most often work in academia or at research institutions to teach and advance knowledge by discovering new principles or revealing previously unknown relationships.
Applied mathematicians may work in government or industry and use sophisticated mathematical techniques to solve business, technical or scientific problems in such areas as aerospace, computer science, engineering, finance, operations or physics.
Mathematicians must have a profound understanding of mathematical principles, as well as good reasoning ability and persistence in order to identify, analyze and apply basic principles to technical problems.
jobprofiles.monster.com /Content/job_content/JC_ComputersSoftware/JSC_MathematicalScience/JOB_Mathematician/jobzilla_html?jobprofiles=1 (389 words)
Who are Boole, Fitch, and Tarski? (Site not responding. Last check: )
German mathematician who founded set theory as a discipline, and showed that whereas the rational numbers are countable (can be put in 1-1 correspondence with the integers), the real numbers are not.
German mathematician who, among many other significant contributions to all areas of mathematics, reduced geometry to a series of axioms and contributed substantially to the establishment of the foundations of mathematics.
Italian mathematician and a founder of symbolic logic whose interests centered on the foundations of mathematics and on the development of a formal logical language.
www.ucalgary.ca /~rzach/279/logicians.html (2138 words)
Profession Jokes - Mathematicians
A biologist, a statistician, a mathematician and a computer scientist are on a photo-safari in africa.
A mathematician, a biologist and a physicist are sitting in a street cafe watching people going in and coming out of the house on the other side of the street.
Mathematicians are like Frenchmen: whatever you say to them, they translate it into their own language, and forthwith it means something entirely different.
www.workjoke.com /projoke22.htm (3509 words)
Euclid (mathematician) - MSN Encarta
Euclid (mathematician), (lived circa 300 bc), Greek mathematician, whose chief work, Elements, is a comprehensive treatise on mathematics in 13 volumes on such subjects as plane geometry, proportion in general, the properties of numbers, incommensurable magnitudes, and solid geometry.
Probably the geometrical sections of the Elements were primarily a rearrangement of the works of previous mathematicians such as those of Eudoxus, but Euclid himself is thought to have made several original discoveries in the theory of numbers (see Number Theory).
Euclid's Elements was used as a text for 2000 years, and even today a modified version of its first few books forms the basis of high school instruction in plane geometry.
encarta.msn.com /encyclopedia_761573724/Euclid_(mathematician).html (204 words)
[No title] (Site not responding. Last check: )
Pappus of Alexandria was a mathematician and the author of commentaries on Euclid and Ptolemy and of a work on universal geography, much of which is now lost.
Evariste Galois (1811-1832) was a great mathematician, led a tumultuous life, and was killed under mysterious circumstances at the age of 20.
Some even call him the greatest mathematician of all time, but it seems difficult to compare mathematical achievements of recent centuries to those of the ancient Greeks.
www.lycos.com /info/mathematician--miscellaneous.html (394 words)
Search Results for "Mathematician"
Little is known of his life other than the fact that he taught at Alexandria, being...
B.C., astronomer and mathematician of Pitane in Aeolis.
...an Italian mathematician (1608-47), noted for his explanation of the rise of water in a common barometer.
www.bartleby.com /cgi-bin/texis/webinator/sitesearch?FILTER=&query=Mathematician (211 words)
A noted mathematician, Ralph E. Gomory is President of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.
Her first biographer, an Italian mathematician named Libri, is the source of two stories told about Germain that seem to frame her personality.
One of the most interesting ways of depicting the concept of "thinking like a mathematician" was proposed between the advent of the "new math" and its present mutation.
www.lycos.com /info/mathematician.html (434 words)
Yet, while the place of such words in mathematical discourse is beyond question, what is not beyond question is the widespread practice, as in our introductory example, of recklessly coining and using new eponymous terms, without consideration either to possible alternatives or to likely consequences.
A San Diego housewife and mother of five, she had no formal education in mathematics save a single course required for graduation from high school in 1939.
Nonetheless, in 1975, she took up a problem that professional mathematicians had twice left for dead, and showed how much life was in it still.
www.ivanrival.com /math.html (897 words)
NASA's KSNN™ - What does a mathematician do?
Applied mathematicians may use what they've learned to draw conclusions about the world, or they may look for these patterns simply because it's fun.
Mathematicians use a common vocabulary, conventions, and similar experiences to share what they learn with other mathematicians.
Review some of the traits of mathematicians with your students by watching the video newsbreak "What does a mathematician do?" Discuss that one thing mathematicians do is look for patterns and ways to describe patterns and location.
ksnn.larc.nasa.gov /k2/m_mathematician_a.html (424 words)
A Mathematician's Apology Summary
Godfrey Harold Hardy was one of the foremost mathematicians in England during the early part of the twentieth century.
He was primarily a pure mathematician, specializing in branches of mathematics that study the behavior of numbers (such as number theor...
He was primarily a pure mathematician, specializing in branches of mathematics that study the behavior of numbers (such as number theory and...
www.bookrags.com /A_Mathematician's_Apology (198 words)
Wired 2.08: The Geometric Dreams of Benoit Mandlebrot
The brainchild of maverick mathematician Benoit Mandelbrot, who coined the term in the 1970s and popularized it in the 1980s, fractals (for fractional dimensions) allowed him to eschew traditional geometric analysis in favor of his own flair for visualizing phenomena.
Plato was a tremendously brilliant mind, but as a mathematician, he was nobody.
The violence of some mathematicians against the use of computers is hard to believe.
www.wired.com /wired/archive/2.08/mandlebrot.html (709 words)
Mission Mathematician
So often we believe mathematicians are these strange men who sit all day in libraries or in dark corners inventing new ways of torture.
After you find your famous mathematician you will complete the note-taking guide and be ready to share the information you found with the rest of the class.
These mathematicians are all around you and are born every day.
lc011.k12.sd.us /mission_mathematician.htm (365 words)
Mathematician Jokes (Site not responding. Last check: )
The firechief takes the mathematician to the alley behind the fire department which contains a dumpster, a spicket, and a hose.
Surprised, the mathematician fiercely stared at the new patient again and said loudly "I differentiate you!", but still the other man had no reaction.
A biologist, a statistician, and a mathematician are on a photo-safari in africa.
www.joblatino.com /jokes/mathemat.html (726 words)
A mathematician: "Pi is the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter."
A group of mathematicians and a group of engineers are traveling together by train to attend a conference on mathematical methods in engineering.
The mathematician: "Three is a prime, five is a prime, seven is a prime, but nine is not a prime.
www.math.ualberta.ca /~runde/jokes.html (7351 words)
Math jokes collection by Andrej and Elena Cherkaev
The mathematician was sceptical, saying that he wanted first to understand the rules, to look on horses, etc. The broker whispered that he knew a secret algorithm for the success, but he could not convince the mathematician.
Mathematician: 3 is a prime, 5 is a prime, 7 is a prime, and by induction - every odd integer higher than 2 is a prime.
This leaves the mathematician somewhat perplexed, as he had observed right away that he was the subject of an anecdote, and deduced quite rapidly the presence of humor from similar anecdotes, but considers this anecdote to be too trivial a corollary to be significant, let alone funny.
www.math.utah.edu /~cherk/mathjokes.html (9904 words)
Mathematician's Perplex City profile (Site not responding. Last check: )
Mathematician is Male, 30, Taken and lives in the United Kingdom
Mathematician has achieved a best score of 56.20 seconds in 1 play of Win Sum Lose Sum.
Mathematician has answered 8/8 questions (Read them all...
www.perplexcity.com /profile/view.qbuild?player=Mathematician (143 words)
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The Fed Hits the Brakes: No Rate Hikes Projected in 2019
At its meeting on March 20, 2019, the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) maintained the benchmark federal funds rate at the target range of 2.25% to 2.50% that was set in December 2018. This in itself was not surprising. But other communications signaled a definite hiatus in the Fed’s policy of raising interest rates and tightening the money supply.1
The FOMC has raised the funds rate nine times since December 2015, with four increases in 2018 alone. As recently as September 2018, the committee projected three more increases in 2019. That dropped to two projected increases at the December meeting. But the March projections suggest that there may be no rate increases in 2019 at all.2
The FOMC also indicated that it would slow its program of reducing excess reserves of Treasuries and other government securities that were built up during and after the recession in a policy known as quantitative easing. The reduction program will stop after September 2019 unless conditions change, reflecting the Fed’s belief that there is no need for further tightening of the money supply.3
The strongest communication to come out of the March meeting may be the unusually direct comments from Fed Chairman Jerome Powell. “We don’t see data coming in that suggest we should move in either direction,” he said. “They suggest that we should remain patient and let the situation clarify itself over time....It may be some time before the outlook for jobs and inflation calls clearly for a change in policy.”4
Dual Mandate
Powell’s reference to jobs and inflation reflects the Federal Reserve’s dual mandate to foster maximum employment and price stability. The FOMC sets monetary policy in accordance with the mandate, using two primary tools: the federal funds rate and the monetary supply.
The federal funds rate is the interest rate at which banks lend funds to each other overnight to maintain legally required reserves. The funds rate serves as a benchmark for many short-term rates set by banks, including the prime rate, which in turn influences consumer rates such as auto loans and credit-card rates. It can also influence longer-term rates.
Theoretically, lowering interest rates and increasing the money supply will stimulate the economy, which is why the Fed took these measures during the recession and extended them through the long, slow recovery. (The federal funds rate was near zero for eight years, from December 2007 to December 2015.)
On the other hand, raising rates and tightening the money supply are intended to slow the economy, primarily to control inflation. In theory, a strong economy with low unemployment should put workers in a position to demand higher wages, and higher wages allow businesses to raise prices on their products, which allows them to expand and pay higher wages.
A moderate level of wage and price inflation is considered integral to a healthy economy, and the Fed has set a goal of 2% annual inflation as optimal for economic growth. However, despite a strong labor market, wages and the broader economy have not grown as quickly as expected, and inflation has generally remained below the 2% target. Thus, raising rates has been more of a preventive measure and return to historical norms than a response to an overheated economy or runaway inflation.
The shift from further rate increases suggests that the Fed believes there is little to fear regarding high inflation. In fact, Powell said that the greater danger is low global inflation, calling it “one of the major challenges of our time.”5 While the Fed has raised rates steadily over the last three years — providing flexibility to drop rates if necessary — central banks in other countries have been slow to act due to sluggish economies and low inflation. Some have kept their benchmark rates below 0%, creating a risk of asset “bubbles” and placing them in a difficult position in the event of an economic downturn.6
Market Reactions
The stock market rose moderately after the FOMC announcement, but stocks still closed with a small loss for the day. The market generally applauds lower interest rates, but investors continue to be jittery about the potential for global economic weakness. In the longer term, stable interest rates at current levels may be good for stocks, which began to rally on January 4, 2019 — when Powell first preached “patience” — and gained more than 15% through March 20.7
The reaction in the bond market was stronger. The prospect of lower rates for an extended period — along with the Fed's decision to keep more Treasuries in its portfolio — made current yields more appealing. Investors rushed to buy Treasury securities and other bonds, driving prices up and yields down. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 2.52%, the lowest level in 15 months and just seven basis points (0.07%) above the yield on the three-month T-bill — nearing a “yield curve inversion” considered by some economists to predict a recession. Two days later, on March 22, the curve inverted for the first time since 2007, with demand for longer-term bonds driven by soft global growth.8
Although pessimists have feared a new recession for years, Powell emphasized that the U.S. economy is “in a good place,” and the official FOMC policy statement pointed to “sustained expansion of economic activity” in its expectations for future economic direction.9–10 A potential pause in rate hikes this year does reflect some concern about economic growth, but it also suggests that the Fed believes the current level is a neutral rate where further movement up or down could have a negative effect. This is not necessarily cause for concern. It may just mean that the Fed is doing its job.
The return and principal value of stocks and bonds fluctuate with market conditions. Shares, when sold, and bonds redeemed prior to maturity may be worth more or less than their original cost. U.S. Treasuries are guaranteed by the U.S. government as to the timely payment of principal and interest.
1–3, 10) Federal Reserve, 2018–2019
4–5, 9) Bloomberg, March 20, 2019
7) The New York Times, January 4, 2019; March 20, 2019
8) MarketWatch, March 20 and 22, 2019
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Investment for sustainable livestock development in developing countries
by M.J. Walshe
Bank livestock lending peaked in the 6-year period 1974-79 when an annual average of seven free standing livestock projects and 19 projects with a livestock component were approved; costs including the cost of livestock components amounted to US$9.47 billion (1989 US dollars) and 5.15 billion (U.S.$ current). Livestock lending declined in the period 1980-85 to a yearly average of about two free-standing projects and 17 component projects; costs amounted to 5.77 billion (1989 US dollars).
Over the five year period 1986-90 the aggregate cost of Bank-assisted livestock projects and components amounted to US$3.54 billion (1989 US dollars) (Table 1). Average annual lending declined in real terms from US$1,578 billion for period 74–79 to US$962 million for period 1980 to 85 and US$708 million for period 1986–90. This means that average lending for the last two periods was only 61% and 45% of the earlier period (1974–79) in real terms.
For the first time no free standing livestock project was approved in FY90 but 11 projects were approved with a livestock component. The absence of a free standing project in FY90 is considered as a one-year anomaly and it is expected that the number of livestock projects per year will stabilize at about 2 free-standing and 12–15 component projects.
The reduction in livestock lending as a proportion of the total lending for agriculture parallels, albeit to a greater extent, agriculture's decline as a percentage of the Bank's lending operations; from 30.1% in 1980 to 16.3% in 1989 and 17.3% in 1990 (Table 3). The character of lending operations changed substantially over the last decade with greater emphasis being placed on lending instruments other than specific investment loans. IBRD and IDA lending by loan category is given below for FY90.
Lending FY90
Loan Category US$Million %
Specific investment 19,179.9 49.15
Sector investment 3,957.2 19.11
Financial intermediary 879.0 4.24
Sector adjustment 2,543.6 12.28
Program lending and Structural adjustment 1,434.0 6.92
Debt reduction 1,460.0 7.05
Technical assistance 203.0 0.98
Emergency reconstruction 54.0 0.26
20,710.7 100.00
A decade ago Bank lending was dominated by specific investment loans but the picture has changed drastically with the increased emphasis on other types of loans, especially sector investment loans, sector adjustment loans, program lending and structural adjustment loans.
REVIEW OF BANK EXPERIENCE WITH LIVESTOCK LENDING
The reduction in Bank lending for livestock was caused by the relatively poor performance of livestock projects as indicated by a number of reports and papers which reviewed lending for livestock development. The most important and comprehensive of these reviews- “The Smallholder Dimension of Livestock (1985)” - was undertaken by the Bank's Operations Evaluation Department (OED) which is entrusted, by the Bank's Board of Directors, with authority and responsibility to undertake an independent review and report on the performance of all Bank lending operations. In addition to the OED report the Bank's experience with Dairy Development was reviewed in 1982 (AGR Technical Note No. 6). The Bank's experience in Dry Tropical Africa was reviewed in 1981 by Mr. Stephen Sandford (Consultant) who produced a report for internal use. These three reports provide a good independent assessment of livestock lending including problems and issues and suggested lessons. Four World Bank reports which dealt with special aspect of livestock, e.g., veterinary, dairying and integrated crop- livestock are not dealt with in this paper although they provide valuable insights on livestock lending and the sustainability of development efforts. Salient points from these papers are, however, discussed later in this paper.
OED Report.
The OED report was based on a review of 124 audited projects and 206 ongoing projects which comprised the Bank's livestock portfolio at the end of 1983. Of the 330 total, 91 were livestock projects and 239 livestock component projects. Of the 124 audited projects, 52 were livestock projects and 76 were component projects.
From modest beginnings in 1959 in Uruguay, through late 1983 early 1984 when the OED study commenced, the Bank provided some US$11.7 billion (in constant 1983 dollars) for livestock development of which almost US$6.1 billion (52%) was targeted to smallholders. The livestock sub-sector was thus significant in the Bank's lending portfolio and smallholder livestock lending was an important part.
The rate of livestock lending increased through the 60's and 70's to peak in 1979 and thereafter to decline. Smallholder lending followed a similar pattern but the percentage of total livestock investments for smallholder development showed a steady increase from the late 60's to the present and over the 70's accounted for roughly two-thirds of all Bank livestock lending. This was in response to Bank management's increasing sensitivity in that period to equity considerations which affected all agricultural sub-sectors.
There were according to the OED report regional differences in project components and their design, in species/product emphasis and in target group, depending on ecological, socio-economic, cultural and traditional factors. Credit and livestock purchase were major project components in most regions. Nearly two-thirds of all audited projects included such components. About half of all projects included components for development of on-farm infrastructure, pasture improvement, and fodder development. Projects frequently included the above activities as multiple components. About 40% included a technical assistance and/or farmer training component. Other components occurred less frequently. In general, the design of smallholder projects was similar to that found for the whole set of livestock-related projects. The ongoing projects also had larger scope than the audited projects and nearly all of the components appeared with greater frequency suggesting that each project, on average, included a larger number of livestock-related components.
In terms of species emphasis, the OED report found that investments in cattle development (beef, dairy, and dairy-beef, in that order) accounted for about two-thirds of component activity in audited projects and an even higher proportion of total funds. Substantially less attention was paid to other species, viz. sheep, poultry, and swine, each about 10%; goats, about 5%; and miscellaneous species (cameloids, rabbits, bees, etc.), about 2%. Cattle development was also emphasized in ongoing projects, but its relative importance decreased to less than one-half of the total number of interventions. Thus, while cattle development continues to be important in ongoing projects, other species are now increasingly emphasized. This emphasis on other species reflects increased efforts to support and improve existing smallholder farming systems. In such systems there is also growing emphasis on integrating livestock with agriculture, to their mutual benefit.
All regions participated in the Bank's livestock development efforts according to the OED report. The number of livestock-related projects (audited and ongoing) at that time was spread fairly evenly by region, but the bulk (three fourths) of all livestock investments were in Europe, Middle East and North Africa Region (EMENA) and Latin America and the Caribbean Region (LAC). Smallholders received the highest proportion of livestock investments in Western Africa Region (WA), South Asia Region (SA), EMENA, and East Asia and Pacific Region (EAP) in audited projects, and in Eastern and Southern Africa Region (ESA), EAP, SA, and WA in ongoing projects.
Project Performance.
The average ERR of all audited livestock activities Bank-wide was 11% (OED report). The average ERR of 46 livestock projects was 7.2% and that of 58 component projects, 14%. 1 The lower average figure for livestock projects appeared to be due to the low returns from smallholder livestock projects (average ERR -0.3%) and large holder livestock projects (average ERR 6.2%), as mixed smallholder/largeholder livestock projects performed satisfactorily on average (ERR 11.6%). Smallholder component projects (average ERR 10.7%), largeholder component projects (average ERR 18.9%) also performed generally satisfactorily. While the results suggested that livestock investments made as a component of a diversified project were most successful than as a part of a straight livestock project, there was insufficient data to support such a conclusion statistically because separate ERRs were rarely available for individual components of multi-component projects, particularly if the individual components were relatively small, as they often were for livestock investments. It was stated that additional information was needed on the performance of livestock investments within livestock component projects, particularly as such investments comprised an increasing proportion of the total ongoing livestock portfolio at the time of the OED Study.
1 These averages were not weighted for project size. The weighted averages would be higher because project ERRs were highest in those regions having the largest livestock projects and investments (EMANA, LAC and SA) and lowest in those regions with smaller projects and investments (ESA and WA).
By region the OED Report showed that, EMENA, LAC and Southeast Asia had the highest number of total projects with ERRs exceeding 10% (77%, 68% and 67%, respectively) and ESA, EAP and WA had the highest number below 10% (74%, 56% and 50%, respectively). Some 14 of 22 projects (64%) with negative ERRs were in ESA and WA. By project type, livestock projects performed particularly poorly on average in both African regions and, to a lesser extent, in East Asia and the Pacific Region (EAP). Component projects also performed unsatisfactorily on average in Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA), but performed satisfactorily overall in all other regions, particularly in EAP which had the highest average ERR (33.7%) Bank-wide.
Ex-ante appraisal projections were observed to be much more optimistic than ex-port ERRs. Ex-ante ERRs on 46 livestock projects were some 200% higher than ex-post ERRs and on 58 component projects they were some 70% higher. Only one in six of all projects has ERRs at completion equal to or greater than appraisal ERRs.
Two conclusions emerged from the OED Study. First, a large number of livestock investments were successful, particularly in the regions where lending was highest, and their success should not be obscured by the existence of problem projects, particularly those in ESA and WA. Second, the substantial variation in project performance suggested a need for improved appraisal methods, especially greater attention to the production coefficients adopted, the benefit stream projected, the project time frame and risk analysis.
The principal factors affecting project outcome identified in the OED study were the availability or lack of:
technological packages adequately adapted to existing farming systems;
an economic context providing attractive producer incentives;
the institutional capability for implementing the proposed project;
qualified technical personnel;
a government commitment to livestock development and/or smallholders;
political and economic stability;
clear property rights for lands to be developed;
functioning producer organizations - particularly where group action is needed;
a project design which realistically takes into account country strengths and weaknesses; and
firm, consistent, but flexible supervision of implementation.
The OED report stressed that these factors were similar to those which cause problems in projects in other agricultural sub-sectors. An effort was made to identify factors specific to livestock. The risk in livestock projects appeared most closely linked to the inadequacy of applied livestock-related research in most countries, the lack of technical personnel, the weakness of livestock-related institutions and their lack of integration with agricultural institutions, the greater importance of land tenure issues, and the failure of some projects to recognize fully the inadequacy of the “base” on which projects had to build. The tendency to proceed too rapidly in terms of physical implementation, without sufficient technological, institutional and staff development, stood out.
The study also pointed out that the performance of livestock projects must also be measured in dimensions other than the simple ERRs. Many livestock projects were pioneering efforts, involving new relatively untested technologies, requiring institutional strengthening, staff development, and livestock policy formulation. Benefits achieved through improved institutions, staff development, and “learning by doing” were not revealed in the ERRs. Nonetheless, there was a strong correlation between the project ERRs and the audit reports assessments of achievements in these other areas - poor economic performance has often been accompanied by poor institutional development and the like rather than offset by improvements therein. Indeed, poor performance in these areas was a major cause of low ERRs.
The smallholder livestock and component projects examined by the OED Study fared worse than livestock projects (taken as a group). Their average ex-ante appraisal ERR was equally as high as other livestock projects, but their ex-post ERR was even lower.
The OED study concluded that the widely-held perception that the Bank's livestock development efforts have been unsatisfactory accounted, in part, for the steep decline in livestock lending since 1980.
The study found that the performance of Bank livestock was highly variable, ranging from very satisfactory to very unsatisfactory, but was satisfactory more frequently than not. It also appeared that considerable learning had taken place regarding the design and implementation of livestock projects, and it was concluded that future projects should perform better. Nonetheless, it also concluded that the evidence suggested that livestock projects overall may be more difficult than other agricultural sub-sector projects, and that livestock assistance, especially to smallholders, would probably require greater design, implementation, and supervision inputs than they had received up to that time. The study also concluded that the Bank should continue and probably increase its support for livestock development, especially to smallholders, given the high potential for raising their incomes and living standards. It pointed out that livestock were a key element in raising farm productivity and it was difficult to conceive of sustained increases especially in smallholder agriculture in most areas in the world without attention to livestock development; demand for livestock products was increasing rapidly in most developing regions, and livestock investments were expected to be increasingly economically attractive.
The study highlighted the point that livestock project design initially placed heavy emphasis on meat and milk and largely ignored other outputs such as traction and manure. This approach was strongly influenced by livestock systems in developed countries, and by an emphasis on larger commercial producers. The move toward smallholder livestock development had encouraged a shift toward more diversified use of livestock and the integration of livestock and agricultural production activities. It emphasized the need for this shift to be more fully reflected in project design, e.g., greater cognizance should be taken of joint livestock outputs when assessing the demand for and the benefits of livestock production, and greater effort should be made to coordinate the efforts of livestock and agricultural development agencies.
Milk was considered to merit greater emphasis relative to meat production. The primary need was seen as the organization of marketing, processing and distribution facilities, especially in regions where milk production was dominated by smallholders. Small-scale dairying was seen as undoubtedly one of the most promising avenues for future Bank lending.
It concluded that livestock development efforts suffered from a “cattle bias”. Additional emphasis should be placed on swine and poultry, small ruminants and other animals, especially through research, technical services, and market development.
The study made special mention of livestock-related projects in the African regions because of the difficulties which were experienced there. It pointed out that many of the countries in ESA and WA were newly independent with ill-defined policies and priorities, limited infrastructure, weak skilled manpower and material resources, widespread poverty, and a high prevalence of drought and pestilence. Many governments were overly centralized and urban oriented. Not only livestock investments fared poorly in such countries, but indeed all agricultural-related activities. Nevertheless, in several countries, livestock development appeared crucial to overall economic development and, in others, it would have a high positive impact. It emphasized that a substantial amount had been learned regarding livestock development, and there was evidence that where such lessons had been applied in ongoing projects the situation was improving.
Finally, it was evident from the study that smallholder livestock projects performed unsatisfactorily overall. The review indicates that efforts were often made to develop individual projects which were innovative, but these were also often ambitious in scope and size, were generally weak technically, and were implemented in a largely unfavourable economic climate in countries where government sometimes showed limited sensitivity to smallholder development potential and needs. Target groups sometimes failed to involve themselves in project design and implementation out of misunderstandings or from distrust of government intentions, and were other times excluded either for paternalistic or political reasons. The Bank may have been too ready to finance such ambitious projects, particularly where institutional support was weak, where land tenure problems were apparent, and where government commitment was questionable. In a number of instances, an exploratory pilot phase would have been more appropriate instead of a large, demanding and high-risk effort. The study mentioned that a number of operational staff hold the view that pressures of the lending program were a contributing factor in this context.
REVIEW OF BANK-FINANCED DAIRY PROJECTS
In 1982 the Bank prepared a comprehensive review of Bank/IDA-financed Dairy Projects (AGR Technical Note No. 6). The paper lists and reviews 75 projects which were either exclusively for dairying or had a dairy component. The total cost of these projects amounted to US$6,533 millions, the dairy components amounted to US$1,034 million and the loan/credit amounted to US$1,999 million.
Latin America (LAC) Dairy Projects.
The study concluded from a review of 30 dairy programs in LAC that the projects “successfully attained production targets, improved the institutional support structure and contributed towards the establishment of effective livestock credit systems”.
A feature of the region was the traditional preference for raw milk (which is boiled before use) and this enabled smaller producers to dispose of surplus milk directly to consumers without concern for an accessible processing facility. Low priced imports were a constant threat but it is concluded that “the livestock industry throughout the area had adjusted to the low price import option by developing a dual purpose production system, by utilizing natural pastures, by upgrading cattle and by increasing the carrying capacity of the land”. Project officers considered that marketing patterns did not need changing and processing facilities, especially for pasteurized milk, were adequate although increased investments would be required as dairying expanded. The report draws attention to the deleterious effect of low cost imported milk products on investment and production in many LAC countries but concludes “in the LAC area it is doubtful that there is a country or group of countries which could be described as marginal for dairy production in terms of the possible financial advantages of imported milk projects”.
Europe, Middle East and North African (EMENA) Dairy Projects.
Fifteen dairy or projects with dairy components were assisted in six countries (Morocco, Turkey, Yugoslavia, Ireland, Spain and Romania). Total project costs were US$2.47 billion and dairy development components amounted to US$778.01 million and Bank loans amounted to US$597 million. Projects are judged to have performed satisfactorily in all cases with the exception of large public sector farms in Yugoslavia. They encountered serious management, overstaffing and price problems. Yugoslavia changed its policies as a result of this negative experience and subsequent projects supported smallholders only. Dairy programs in virtually all countries emphasized pasture, forage and feed production. Successful dairy cattle importations were a feature in the case of Turkey and Morocco (Friesian and Brown Swiss). Another feature of these latter countries is the prevalence of raw milk consumption which enables producers to sell directly to consumers and traders without incurring processing costs. The Rumanian projects main objective was to improve yields and labour productivity by modernizing existing large public sector units (involving feeding, housing and milking). With the exception of Ireland, which exported most of its milk as manufactured products under EEC arrangements, production in the EMENA projects was almost entirely for home consumption to meet increasing consumer demand.
The report concludes: “Assessment of overall performance of EMENA dairy development projects provides evidence among most projects of measurable success in achieving project goals and governments' major objectives. The diversity of project design grew out of the need to develop approaches best suited for particular social, economic, and ecological conditions country by country. Successive programs in Turkey, Morocco and Yugoslavia built on earlier experiences, revising where necessary, and in the case of Yugoslavia, making a major shift from large social sector production units to emphasis on smallholder production. This shift of emphasis had also occurred in Turkey and Morocco and represented a welcome development which appeared to be the trend in all regions. The Rumanian experience represented an isolated set of conditions and as noted above was probably limited to one country”.
Eastern Africa Region (EA) Dairy Projects.
Bank-assisted dairy development in EA, six projects in four countries (Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania and Zambia) and a modest component in a Malawi rural development project, was small. Total project costs amounted to US$88.5 million, total dairy components amounted to US$65.4 and IDA credits amounted to US$56.6 million. The Ethiopian project was greatly affected by major political changes and was generally unsuccessful although the country has a good potential for dairying. The dairy components of three Kenya smallholder credit projects were highly successful. The extent of success is indicated by a consumption level of 75 litres/capita, by smallholders supplying 75% of the total market supply. The Tanzania project supported large units (350 cow units) under parastatal management and since 13 out of the proposed 17 units established did not cover operating costs, because costs were high and production coefficients were much lower than appraised estimates, the project was a failure. Although a smallholder component was included in the Tanzania project, it was seriously constrained by a shortage of grade cows. The Zambia project was drastically revised downwards after a review and the revised project involving 150 smallholders instead of the original 1,800 performed satisfactorily.
South Asia (AS) Dairy Projects.
Total investment in dairy development has amounted to US$547 million, total project costs amounted to US$556 million and loans and credits amounted to US$250. Four dairy projects in India2 and one in Sri Lanka were supported. In addition two livestock projects in Burma and Pakistan had dairy components. The Indian dairy projects have been singularly successful. Dairying in India is characterized by the development of well-managed cooperatives which handle collection, processing and marketing, and provide support services efficiently to existing small dairy farmers, who typically own one or two milking buffalo. Although production conditions in Pakistan are similar but generally superior to those in India and although the project aimed at replicating the Indian Amul model as far as possible, its performance has fallen far short because the project was not as well managed and was not as successful at institution building, at commanding government support or at defining and implementing appropriate pricing and marketing policies. The Sri Lanka project was drastically revised after initial disappointing experience to replicate the Indian/Amul model as far as possible. After revision, the performance was fairly satisfactory. A project feature was the poor performance and high mortality of heifers imported from Australia. The Burma project had limited success because the Socialist government showed little interest in supporting and developing the smallholder dairy sector despite its considerable potential.
2 The Indian dairy projects were highly successful and subsequent dairy projects also performed satisfactorily.
East Asia Pacific Region (AE) Dairy Projects.
The regions total investment in dairy production was US$50.3 million, total project costs were US$122.6 million land Bank loans amounted to US$62 million. Two dairy projects were assisted in Korea. A smallholder coconut development in Malaysia had a fairly substantial dairy component costing US$13 million and under the Philippines Second Livestock Project a small pilot dairy component costing US$0.225 million was supported. The Korean projects were highly successful in financial terms and production coefficients in most cases reached or exceeded appraisal expectations. However, they were judged to have negative economic rates of return by the Bank when opportunity costs of imported products were taken into consideration.
Under the dairy component of the Malaysian project the importation of 6,600 heifers for Government raising centres was envisaged. Serious problems were encountered with imported heifers, pasture development was much slower than expected and government tended to support large scale public and private enterprises over smallholders. A Bank supervision mission recalculated the ERR and showed that it was negative. It was shown that milk, reconstituted from imported ingredients, cost US$0.22/litre compared with US$0.24/lither for local milk delivered to the processing plant. On the basis of this analysis, government was advised to slow dairy development and most of the available funds were not used. Malaysia has an extremely humid tropical climate and Bank staff consider that the potential for dairy development is extremely limited. The Philippines pilot dairy component had limited success. Although the Philippines has some potential for dairy development despite the humid tropical climate, Bank staff are of the opinion that dairy development there will be slow.
REVIEW OF WORLD BANK LIVESTOCK ACTIVITIES IN DRY TROPICAL AFRICA
The 1981 “Review of World Bank Livestock Activities in Dry Tropical Africa” covered 34 livestock and 37 mixed livestock/crop projects in 26 Sub-Saharan countries. It was undertaken by Mr. Stephen Sandford 3 who had considerable experience of livestock development in Africa. The review dealt primarily with 30 “livestock only” projects (in 22 different countries) and only cursory reference was made to 37 mixed projects. Although the review was based on information in Bank Documents, the author drew heavily on his independent knowledge and broad experience of livestock production and pastoralist in arid and semi-arid regions.
The report concluded that “ranching” projects or ranching components failed dismally. It also concluded that components to improve marketing and livestock movement, slaughtering and processing “have an abysmal record” and that veterinary components and off-range fattening by smallholders have a “generally good record”. Sandford was unable to show any statistical relationship between failure and the size and complexity of projects, but nevertheless concluded “… it is my belief that projects are too big, too complex and excessively dependent on expatriates”. He further concluded “… that the increasing size of projects during the 1970's was more related to the Bank's own desire to spend more on agricultural sectors than on a realistic assessment of the absorptive capacity of the livestock sub-sector”. He also argued that the Bank emphasizes what happens at the top -- on the performance of the bureaucracy -- and underemphasizes what happens at the bottom -- actual performance at the field level.
3 Presently Head of the Livestock Economics Division, International Livestock Centre for Africa (ILCA), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Role of the Bank.
In Sandford's view, the Bank, apart from providing capital, provides three other important elements: (a) pressure on governments not to neglect their livestock sectors; (b) specific pressure in favour of particular policies, programs and components; and (c) technical advice on particular points. Overall he felt that little of the increased meat and milk production during the previous 20 years could be attributed to Bank projects or government programs if rinderpest measures and water development were excluded. He considered that what development there was came from a growth in livestock populations, required and made possible from growth in the human population and some expansion in livestock forage (crop residues). Despite this, he cautioned that livestock production and the welfare of livestock owners will decline further “… unless more effective and more wide-scale government sponsored programs are undertaken” because of the decreased availability of land for extensive production systems and the encroachment of cultivators on grazing land.
Despite his criticisms, he believed that the effect of the Bank's involvement on livestock development had “been beneficial” although over-influenced by “fashions” such as ranching in the '60s, fattening in the early ‘70’s and group formation more recently. He concluded “… Bank-financed projects are usually better oriented, as well as better financed, than other livestock programs implemented by governments, and the visits of Bank appraisal and sub-sector review missions are often the occasion on which government think most deeply about their livestock policies and programs”. Although he concluded that “… Bank expenditures (US$750 million) on livestock development will not be justified by production increases in the short term, important lessons can be learned from the experience” and management cadres in African countries are being slowly build up”. Livestock programs in Africa should be less capital-intensive, smaller amounts should be spent more slowly and much greater flexibility should be permitted. From the viewpoint of African welfare and economic growth he felt that it would be a pity “… if the Bank were to conclude that if it cannot spend very large sums fast, then it has no proper role in the future in African livestock development”.
Rangelands.
Sandford feels that there is little reliable evidence “…indicating either that widespread degradation is going on in African rangelands or that, if it is, it is due to livestock development programs”. However, he felt that continued caution over the development of water supplies was warranted, but as much for social as for environmental reasons. He considered the Bank's increased willingness to finance veterinary components favourably because of the positive effects on the welfare of poor and rich stock owners and because he does not accept the environmental danger argument. He condemns “ranching” as opposed to pastoralist systems on many grounds including:
ranches are less equitable because they increasingly favour the rich and powerful;
they are often a reason for expropriating land which is already being fully or partially used;
at least, under African conditions, ranches have no advantage in terms of increased food production over pastoralist systems or smallholder herds;
at least in terms of production coefficients there is no reason to favour one type of ranch (pastoral, cooperative, company group or private) over any other commercial arrangement by pastoralist; and
there is little evidence that animal numbers (stocking rate) can be controlled better on ranches, including private ranches than under pastoralist systems.
Sandford does not agree despite many claims to the contrary “that the know-how already exists to improve range and pasture productivity in African arid regions (less than 600 mm)”. Although he appears to agree that technology exists to improve rangelands and productivity in the higher rainfall areas (over 600 mm) major questions remain to be resolved, e.g., is technology cost effective and how can the management capability needed to successfully implement it be developed? (In view of the Bank's experience with ranches, and its justifiable reluctance to support them, the question is probably moot at this stage except for smallholders). Sandford placed considerable emphasis on the need for increased support for livestock research and attention was drawn to the smallness of research components in Bank projects (about 1.4% of total project costs). A recommendation was made “that the Bank should allocate a substantially higher proportion of its livestock programs for research” and it should adopt a more active policy of assisting research units in major livestock countries.
In view of the Bank's negative experience with livestock marketing and processing components Sandford recommended a special study on these. Much more attention should, in his view, be given to ranch records and information on ranch performance, in the Bank's records, is judged to be grossly inadequate. Emphasis was placed on the need to make greater use of “competent anthropologists” in project preparation and implementation. Although he refers to the use of anthropologists in 30% of livestock projects, there appears to have been no measurable difference between projects whether or not anthropologists were used. Sandford considered that veterinary components of livestock projects were successful although the extent to which costs were recovered was not clear. Producers put high priority on animal health inputs and the evidence available showed that they were prepared to pay for drugs, vaccines and medicines if given the chance to do so. He recommended that considerably more support should be given to veterinary research to fill the gap in coverage between the research programs of ILCA and ILRAD, to provide guidelines on how veterinary services should be improved and how field delivery systems should be organized and developed.
Pastoral Associations.
Although the recent emphasis on pastoral associations (Sandford includes group ranches in this category) was considered “a move in the right direction”, he cautions against seeking some “universal model”. Since he was sceptical about the value of grazing management or controls on animal numbers, except to the extent that pastoralist may themselves handle these matters, he was against their use as vehicles for implementing government controls on grazing or stocking rates. Association's main functions, in his view, embraced land tenure, resource management, provision of services, communication of information, external relations and the building and maintenance of community cohesion and morale. He made the point that associations have land tenure and land reform implications and they should be treated like land reform projects.
General Problems.
Staff-related problems, such as the inability to recruit suitably qualified staff occurred in 90% of the projects analyzed (by Sandford) and political policy-related problems in about 70%. In Eastern and Southern Africa, government policies were one of the most frequently cited problems. Formal project coordination committees worked badly, especially if established at a senior level. Project management costs, although difficult to estimate, appear to have been excessively high in some cases.
The Sandford review takes issue with the project approach towards livestock development in Africa and argues for a program approach. It also argues for flexibility in design and implementation of projects in dry regions to enable management to deal with unforeseen circumstances such as droughts. Sandford believes that the Bank becomes over-involved in detail and that Bank project appraisal methodology “has more to do with Bank ritual than with the effective design of projects”.
INVESTMENT IN LIVESTOCK IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
Present Status of Livestock Projects.
The performance of livestock projects is still a cause for concern. On the Bank's internal rating system, mandated for all projects under supervision, the performance of 40% of livestock projects in 1989 was unsatisfactory. Only Fisheries projects have a worse performance record and even area development projects, although bad, are rated somewhat better than livestock. This rating refers to free standing livestock projects and must be interpreted with some caution because one cannot infer from it that livestock components in broader based agriculture projects are performing less satisfactorily than other components. Since the rating system applies to the overall project we must assume (unless otherwise stated) that the performance of the livestock component is fairly represented by the overall rating. It is important to keep this in mind when one realizes that most of the lending for livestock is now made under component projects (Tables 1 and 2).
The findings of the three studies which I referred to are still valid and describe the main problems which underlie poor project performance. Overall performance is heavily biased downwards by poor performance, especially for Africa and to a lesser extent the East Asia and Pacific Region (Table 4). It is important to note that the performance of Livestock projects in all other regions was similar to Agriculture projects in general. The bias is considerable because the volume of lending and the size of projects are relatively small in these regions. In response to past deficiencies the lending program is now paying more attention to supporting smallholders, improving technical support services (i.e., extension, research, veterinary) institution building, cost recovery and privatization. Considerable emphasis is being placed on strengthening and restructuring veterinary services, on extension and research and encouraging the formation of Pastoral Association (for veterinary and resource management) in the Sub-Saharan Africa. Dairying is receiving renewed emphasis; dairy projects are under consideration, for example, in Sudan, Kenya, Madagascar, Uganda and Zambia. Furthermore, livestock have an important role in the “Bank's Areas of Special Emphasis”, namely: poverty alleviation, food security, protecting the environment, private sector development/public sector reform and women in development. There are, for example 26 Sub-Saharan African countries with extension and 17 with research projects, although the primary focus in these projects is on agriculture and not livestock. Much more needs to be done to strengthen livestock extension and research.
In addition to new initiatives in project design more efficient economic policies are being emphasized in structural and sectoral adjustment lending. These include more realistic exchange rates, free market policies, privatization and cost recovery.
IMPORTANT FACTORS AND EXAMPLES
It is important that long-term markets are available (and verified) to ensure profitability. Financial projections and rate of return calculations should be conducted with care. Although the World Bank places great emphasis on project analysis it is surprising how often projects fail because of inadequate profitability. Since livestock development is a long term activity, inflation and as a consequence high interest rates cause serious cash flow problems during the earlier project years. In addition to problems with prices and markets (which should be verified with care) technical and production coefficients are often over-optimistic. Unless judgements are made by experienced operators they are inclined to reflect what is technically feasible, or what is feasible in the developed world, without due allowance been made for differences in management capabilities, technical services or the availability, cost and quality of input supplies. For example, in African ranching or dairy projects it was assumed by all donors in earlier years that parastatals could achieve production coefficients similar to those obtained on good commercial (settler) farms. With hindsight we know this was not the case -- parastatal coefficients were similar to those achieved in the traditional sector and in addition parastatals suffered from political interference, overstaffing and price regulation as well as poor management (including financial management).
Profitability is also determined by the level of capital investment. Smallholders have a substantial advantage in most cases over large commercial farms. Combined with low opportunity cost labour (family) this can give smallholders a distinct advantage over large farms and parastatals. Consequently their financial viability is considerably less threatened by low production coefficients, prices or management skills.
Economic Justifications.
Even if an enterprise is financially attractive this may not mean that it is economically attractive as measured by the economic rate of return (ERR). The ERR omits subsidies and taxes. Border prices (free world market prices) are used to value inputs and outputs. Consequently, a satisfactory ERR is a much better indicator of long-term sustainability than the FRR. The ERR is particularly important in countries where free markets are not permitted to operate and where the exchange rate and prices are seriously distorted.
Government Economic Policies.
An overvalued currency is without doubt the most serious constraint on orderly sustainable livestock development in many countries. It is particularly serious for countries with an export surplus or the potential to develop exports. There is for example, an excellent market in the Middle East for live animals (especially sheep and goats) but Somalia, Sudan and Ethiopia have not been able to exploit this market, except to a limited extent, because exchange rates have been grossly overvalued. Conversion of earnings at the official exchange rates can be equivalent to a tax of 100% – 300% on livestock exports.
When one considers the stimulus that a 100% real increase in livestock prices would have on producers willingness to use new techniques and increase production, one begins to appreciate the magnitude of the overvalued foreign exchange problem. Governments are reluctant to move to a more realistic exchange rate because this would affect local consumer prices, especially for city consumers who wield a disproportionate political influence.
If the exchange rate is grossly overvalued the conditions are automatically created for a flourishing smuggling trade. Large numbers of animals (especially sheep and goats) are presently smuggled live to the Middle East from East African countries and large numbers of cattle are smuggled (walked) into Kenya from adjacent countries. If these conditions are not corrected, projects, which are aimed at improving livestock and meat marketing are doomed from the outset. This is usually true even if the actual marketing operation is in the hands of private traders with the public sector role confined to the provision of marketing and processing facilities on a fee for services rendered basis.
Although, it can be argued that smuggling has positive economic features it is a costly and inefficient way to conduct business. Government is denied access to revenue and foreign exchange which could have been generated by official exports.
A grossly overvalued exchange rate has an additional negative effect in that the real costs of inputs that require foreign exchange are not reflected in the price paid by farmers and are therefore, not recovered even if a full cost recovery policy (local currency) is in place. This is an important issue and common difficulty with revolving funds for veterinary drugs and medicines in donor supported projects. The adoption of a realistic exchange rate appears to be the solution to this problem. The Bank is addressing the exchange rate issue through its structural adjustment program, albeit with mixed results. Sustainable livestock development will, in many countries, depend on the success of these efforts especially if success is directly related to the availability of foreign exchange as would, for example, be the case for a veterinary project importing drugs and medicines. There will always be a problem of this nature unless a country's currency is freely convertible at realistic exchange rates.
Government price controls are a major cause of failure for projects which rely on Government or parastatal production, processing and marketing; they can also affect the private sector if rigorously implemented. Overall effects can even transcend national boundaries. Livestock projects in East Africa were negatively affected, to a major extent, by government price control policies -- even private sector ranches as well as parastatals. Livestock specialists and planners should not feel too guilty about parastatal failures because these policies had their origins in economic management theories and embraced all sectors (e.g., coal mining, car manufacture, and transport (in European countries) in those heady economic planning days.
Sustainable technology must take the realities of the country in question into consideration. Too often attempts are made to transfer technology from developed countries without realizing that they are unsustainable because labour/capital ratios are completely different and support services less developed; not only technical ones but also electrical, mechanical, manufacturing, communications and transport.
Investment in large commercial state or parastatal dairy production and processing in Africa and elsewhere is a good example of inappropriate technology. Smallholder dairying requires very little capital investment and, in addition, can usually utilize low opportunity cost labour. Consumers in many countries are not prepared to pay the extra costs of heat treating, packaging and distributing milk. Systems which are based on the sale of unprocessed milk (either fresh or sour), distributed from door to door by farmers or local vendors, are much more robust from an economic standpoint. Consequently dairy projects based on pasteurization and sale of milk in bottles or packages can only be justified if the milk shed is located at a considerable distance (at least 50 km) from the city market. Even where pasteurization is justified by transport distances considerable savings can be made by selling bulk milk to local vendors; as an alternative to a marketing system which may be doomed from the outset by heavy packaging and distribution costs.
The key mistake in attempting to transfer modern dairying practices to the developing world, arises from a lack of appreciation of relative costs of labour and size of incomes which by comparison with the developed world are usually 50 to 100 times smaller. The relative cost of labour must also be kept in mind when designing appropriate Artificial Insemination and other technical and input supply services. When one considers that the average workers daily wage is only equal to about 2-3 litres of milk, it is clear that every effort must be made to utilize cheap labour and economize on fixed capital (buildings, machinery and vehicles) as well as economizing on foreign exchange expenditures. These issues are discussed in more detail in a World Bank report entitled “Dairy Development in Sub-Saharan Africa” which will be published shortly in the World Bank's Technical Paper series.
The importance of grading-up, by crossbreeding, to achieve good dairy merit, must be emphasized. Crossbreeding is the cheapest and least risky approach. It avoids problems associated with acclimatization and minimizes the disease risk.
The record shows that mortality rates are unacceptably high for European breeds imported to tropical/sub-tropical regions and the number of animals imported should not exceed what is needed to establish an efficient crossbreeding program.
Processing technology, for milk and dairy products, should concentrate on simple manual system or ones with minimal mechanization -- for milk separation, butter churning and small scale village cheese manufacture. Butter and cheese manufacturing is particularly important in areas which have a pronounced seasonal milk surplus and that are located far from liquid milk markets. Milk powder manufacturing plants can rarely, if ever, be justified because of their high capital and operating costs and the availability of subsidized milk powder on world markets. Large processing plants for meat and poultry are also difficult to justify. Small abattoirs that provide slaughtering facilities for a fee are the best solution if the number of animals involved can justify moving beyond the private butcher. Housewives would usually prefer to use their own labour to dress fowl rather than pay high processing charges. Furthermore, live chickens are much easier to store and can be killed when needed. It is interesting to note that this system is still operating in Taiwan where per capita incomes are several times higher than in most developing countries. In my experience we should look to Asia for appropriate models for processing and marketing livestock. Furthermore, there is now ample evidence to support the proposition that responsibility for marketing live animals and livestock products should be delegated to the private sector. If the public sector has any role it should be confined to the provision of infrastructure (markets, railway stockyards and lairage at ports) and, in addition, help to facilitate these activities by reducing red tape, improving telephone and telex services, abolishing taxes, and facilitating veterinary certifications for exports. The working capital that is needed in the livestock and meat trade is extremely large and Governments must ensure that adequate amounts are available through the banking system.
Feed Supplies
The sustainability of smallholder livestock depends, in large measure, on feed supplies. Virtually, all smallholders produce forage and crop by-products and therefore dairying and cattle/sheep fattening enterprises can be undertaken by virtually all farmers. Furthermore, even if the quantity of feed is small it usually has little if any cash value (except when sold or bartered to nomads). Since home produced feed costs little, if anything, smallholder livestock farming is unburdened of one major risk-that associated with large fluctuations in feed prices and reliance on purchased feeds.
Likewise smallholder pig and poultry systems flourish on farms producing grains (e.g., maize, rice) and crops and cereal by-products (e.g., rice bran). Robust smallholder pig production was a feature of Danish agriculture until very recently (a flourishing pig production industry based on home grown barley) and robust smallholder pig production still flourishes in Poland (based on home grown potatoes and cereals) and in Yugoslavia (based on home grown maize and wheat pollard from home grown wheat). Likewise smallholder pig and poultry production flourishes in Asia because all smallholders have access to cheap rice bran. Rice milling is usually dispersed through numerous small villages and farmers receive or buy back most of the rice bran from their own crop; rice bran stores badly because its oil content is high and it is therefore unattractive to feed compounders. It must be fed fresh and since rice milling is a continuous process rice bran is constantly available to smallholders.
These traditional smallholder livestock systems are virtually risk free and will survive (as they did in Western Europe) until wage levels are such that their contribution to family income becomes insignificant or when they are incapable of providing an economic labour wage. For example, in Asian rice systems, a man can manage a flock of about 150 ducks grazing on rice paddies. This system persists when the cost of feed saved, by scavenging, is sufficient to justify a man's wage but the practice has collapsed in countries where wages have surpassed this level. These examples are given in order to stress the point that one needs to be vigilant and fully understand the implications of the underlying economic realities as well as their influence on switching points in farming systems (e.g., from manual to machine milking).
Smallholders are economically more robust than large commercial producers because they are much less subject to feed and product prices. They should be encouraged to the fullest whenever possible and will persist until gradually surpassed by economic development. Feed is normally the binding constraint on smallholder production and projects designed to assist this sector should always incorporate a well thought-out feed and/or forage component.
Commercial sustainable pig and poultry industries can be developed on imported feeds in countries with a deficit in these products (e.g., Taiwan, the Philippines and Korea). This is possible because it is much cheaper to transport feed grains than meat and poultry products. However, if the industry is to survive in the deficit country production standards and efficiency must be comparable with those found in developed countries. Developing countries usually has a substantial advantage in labour and construction costs and, in addition, the fertilizer value of waste products is usually much higher and as a consequence the waste disposal problem is minimized.
Although somewhat surprising, it is worth noting that few countries have a well thought out strategy for meeting their short, medium and long term feed supplies (energy and protein feeds). One needs only to look to the continuing chronic feed protein deficit in Eastern European and Asian countries to realize the full magnitude of the problem. Perhaps FAO and the World Bank could play a more substantial role in rectifying this situation. The gains that can be achieved, if enlightened policies are put in place, are phenomenal and clearly evident from the expansion of pig and poultry production, on imported feeds in many developed and developing countries.
Sustainable Support Services.
Sustainable smallholder development depends on sustainable technical and other services. Sustainability of services is largely a function of cost recovery. Even where the principles of cost recovery and privatization are accepted the task of developing sustainable institutions to deliver these services is a formidable one. Considerable investment will be needed in institution building, technical assistance, management training and staff training at all levels. Grass-root farmer organizations (i.e., pastoral association and cooperatives) need in most cases to be established and farmers trained to own, operate and manage them. This is a task that goes much beyond the life-span of the typical livestock project. One should look to Operation Flood in India and village agriculture/livestock cooperatives in Taiwan to see what can be achieved in the mature stage, and to initiatives for restructuring veterinary services and establishing pastoral associations in Sub-Saharan Africa to see what can be achieved at the earlier development stages.
In recent years the Bank has placed much more emphasis on institution building and the provision of services (e.g., extension, research and veterinary), in full cognizance of the importance of these to sustainable development. Although this is not the place to discus these important services, it is pertinent to point out, that in most developing countries livestock services are either non-existent, weak, non-effective or absent. The design of efficient affordable services is a difficult task which calls for innovation, the rejection of old nostrums and careful cost/benefit analysis to establish affordability, a pre-requisite for sustainability. While donor agencies can assist this process, governments must ensure that coherent policies and strategies are implemented to avoid confusion and to save time and resources. Donors must ensure that their activities and projects are consistent with the policies and strategies which have been set by Government.
Animal Health Services are of paramount importance to the sustainability of smallholder system but especially to dairy farmers using disease susceptible crossbreds. Although good progress has been made on conceptualizing restructuring and cost recovery most livestock farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa have still to ‘make do’ with, at best, a rudimentary and, at worst, a totally ineffective service. In Ethiopia, for example, the expenditure on veterinary drugs and medicines is only about 5% of the amount veterinarians estimate would be economically justified on the basis of epidemiological studies. It will be extremely difficult to rectify this situation even though the principles of restructuring and privatization are fully accepted. A major effort is needed to train veterinary field assistants that will be employed by service cooperatives, the front line institutions. Systems of bookkeeping and cost recovery must be developed and demonstrated which require time and a massive training program. A mechanism is needed to enable payments in local currency to be converted to foreign exchange to replenish imported veterinary stocks. In addition procurement and distribution must be streamlined.
Although one must assume that these problems can eventually be resolved one should question if the contribution or the role of farmers in administering drugs and medicines is adequately taken into account in present Sub-Saharan Africa models where veterinary assistants, selected from and paid by the traditional village community or pastoral association, are responsible for administering drugs, medicines and vaccines to livestock. When one considers that probably 90% of the veterinary drugs and medicines are administered by farmers in developed countries (as represented by farmer's expenditure), albeit in most cases under the veterinarian's instructions one begins to realize the importance of training the African farmer to play a much greater role in the administration of veterinary products. It would take an enormous increase in manpower, travel time and cost to replace the farmer's legitimate function in, for example, ‘drenching’ for stomach worms and liver fluke. Study and analysis is needed to sharpen the focus on these matters - perhaps FAO could help by establishing badly needed guidelines.
Despite some common misconception livestock projects normally make a substantial beneficial contribution to sustainable agriculture. In arid areas there is now ample evidence that irreversible degradation is not taking place on a large scale as a consequence of over-grazing. Rangelands generally recover when droughts give way to a wetter cycle of annual precipitation. The public clamour and fear of irreversible degradation appears to follow a similar cyclic pattern. The real environmental problem in arid areas is caused by erosion brought about by increased and continuous cropping as well as bush cutting (for fuel) which is, in turn, a consequence of population pressure. Overgrazing does exist and can cause erosion on slopes, but these effects are minor compared to those caused by human population pressure. Furthermore, grasses, forage, legumes and legume trees, introduced to provide livestock feed, are important builders of soil fertility and, in addition, provide ground cover which prevents or lessens wind and water erosion in susceptible areas (e.g., Ethiopian highlands).
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Yahshua Jesus Was Black”, Reveal Newly Found Manuscript – Tel Aviv Researchers
A team of archeologists from the University of Tel Aviv have uncovered a collection of ancient scrolls in the West Bank region, near the Qumran Caves, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were originally uncovered in 1947, and which promise to shed a new light on the life and physical appearance of Jesus Christ.
The newly found documents which are believed to have been written by a small Jewish sectarian group, called the Essenes, retraces different elements of the Old Testament and New Testament similar to the Dead Sea Scrolls, but scholars have turned their attention to a peculiar fragment which describes the birth of the Christ figure in a new light.A dark-skinned Jesus being postulated from archaeological discoveries
Professor Hans Schummer of the University of Tel Aviv[/caption]
The manuscripts that have been dated between 408 BCE to 318 CE describe the son of Mary as of a “darker color” of skin than her parents, a revealing information admits professor Hans Schummer.
The manuscripts that have been dated between 408 BCE to 318 CE shed a new light on the physical appearance of Jesus Christ, admits professor Hans Schummer of the University of Tel Aviv.
“It is quite revealing that the unknown author of the document notes with a certain sense of surprise that the infant’s skin tone is darker in color than his mother and father. Professor Hans Schummer of the University of Tel Aviv
“The infant was the color of the night” reads a part of the fragment of the scripture, “In the dark of the night, nothing could be seen of the infant except the white of his eyes” reads another excerpt.
Culled From JEW NEWS
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Tuesday 28th February, 2017
ECOWAS restates commitment to impartial poll observation
By Ken Sackey, GNA Accra, Feb. 28, GNA – Economic Community of West African States(ECOWAS) is working with development partners to improve the integrity of its Long-term Election Observation Missions as an effective tool for conflict prevention and deepening of democracy in the region. “Elections, and by extension, their observation, can contribute to the strengthening of democracy just as f
By Ken Sackey, GNA
Accra, Feb. 28, GNA – Economic Community of West African States(ECOWAS) is working with development partners to improve the integrity of its Long-term Election Observation Missions as an effective tool for conflict prevention and deepening of democracy in the region.
“Elections, and by extension, their observation, can contribute to the strengthening of democracy just as flawed electoral processes can derail the democratisation process of any nation,” ECOWAS Special Representative in Cote d’Ivoire Mr Babacar Mbaye said in Abidjan on Monday at the opening of a two-day workshop on the review of the impact of ECOWAS LTEOMs.
According to a statement issued by the ECOWAS Commission made available to the Ghana News Agency in Accra, Mr Mbaye, speaking on behalf of the ECOWAS Commission President Marcel Alain de Souza, told the gathering of electoral experts and representatives of ECOWAS Network of Electoral Commissions (ECONEC) and development partners that rigorous and impartial election observation was critical to delivering fair and credible elections for the entrenchment of democratic principles in the region.
He noted that after ten successful Long-term Election observation missions to ten Member States and in furtherance of the ECOWAS Commission’s commitment to constantly improving the integrity of its election observation missions, there was the need to review the process.
The ECOWAS Special Representative therefore tasked the experts to “identify what has worked, what has not, the challenges,” and come up with “concrete recommendations on how to make things better.”
He explained that “Preliminary Declarations of ECOWAS Election Observation Missions was generally accepted by local and international stakeholders as true and objective reflections of electoral processes in West Africa,’ but “like every other human endeavour, this exercise has not been flawless,’ hence the continuous efforts to improve the integrity of the process.
Mr Mbaye thanked development partners, particularly the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), GIZ, which has since 2014, supported the deployment of some ECOWAS LTEOMs to 10 Member States.
In her remarks, GIZ Representative, Mrs. Phidelia Amey also underscored the importance of Long-term election observation mission as a mechanism for conflict prevention.
Participants analysed the role of LTEOMs in identifying potential electoral disputes with the aim of triggering Preventive Diplomacy initiatives by ECOWAS authorities to prevent degeneration into full-blown pre- or post-election conflicts.
The Participants included experts who had served on previous ECOWAS LTEOMs, ECONEC, staff of the Political Affairs Directorate, including the EAD, as well as representatives of GIZ and the Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa (EISA).
The ECOWAS Commission in 2014 included long-term election observation mission to complement its regular short-term approach, with the first ever 45-day Long-term Election Observation Mission deployed to the post-transition general election in Guinea Bissau.
The LTEOMs provide more qualitative and comprehensive assessment and undertake more analytical observation of the critical phases of the electoral processes leading up to, during and after election days.
In consonance with the provisions of relevant regional instruments, especially the Supplementary Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance, ECOWAS has supported and observed major elections in its Member States as part of efforts to strengthen democratic practice in the region.
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Wednesday 28th February, 2018
Study calls for reform of national STI policies
By Maxwell Awumah, GNA Hohoe (V/R), Feb. 28, GNA - A study published by the African Academy of Sciences (AAS) is calling for reform of African national science, technology and innovation policies to augment development that drives progress in achieving Sustainable Development Goals. The study, Africa Beyond 2030: Leveraging Science and Innovation to Secure Sustainable Development Goals, made
By Maxwell Awumah, GNA
Hohoe (V/R), Feb. 28, GNA - A study published by the African Academy of Sciences (AAS) is calling for reform of African national science, technology and innovation policies to augment development that drives progress in achieving Sustainable Development Goals.
The study, Africa Beyond 2030: Leveraging Science and Innovation to Secure Sustainable Development Goals, made available to the Ghana News Agency, was based on extensive literature review, surveys and interviews with scientists, policymakers and development partners between 2016 and 2017 and details specific policy measures that countries must—individually and collectively—take to leverage STI to achieve the SDGs.
Professor Nelson Torto, Executive Director of the African Academy of Sciences, said “We need to bring science and technology to bear on sustainable development priorities to ensure a long term and intergenerational solution-driven agenda for eradicating poverty and improving lives of African people."
The United Nations adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in 2015.The SDGs are based on 17 SDGs, including ending poverty, promoting equality and equitable access to global resources, and tackling climate change.
They succeeded the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) which have been criticised for not demanding evidence-driven by science, technology and innovation.
Moreover, implementation of MDGs was insufficiently supported by domestic resources, particularly to achieve health and environmental sustainability targets.
The new study calls for harnessing STI to achieve SDGs and requires policy reform supported by strong budgets, skilled personnel and a legislative monitoring and evaluation component to assess impact.
In the past, STI policies have been criticized for short changing M&E frameworks and budgets and failing to incorporate national strategies on sustainable development. These may have resulted in weak government capacity and poor public understanding and ownership.
“The existence of the STI policies demonstrates a political will to advance the sector. There is also a dual commitment to achieve SDGs. Governments must exploit the interface between these two sides of the same coin to promote the equitable distribution of STI benefits and maximise impact of their sustainable development agendas and prom,” said Evelyn Namubiru-Mwaura, the AAS’ Policy and Strategy Manager.
Other key recommendations of the study are to: leverage domestic funding to support STI to ensure that the science agenda is led and driven by the sustainable development priorities of the Continent.
And again organise pan-African and national science-business-society dialogues to contribute expertise, funding and infrastructure to promote research and innovation in Africa.
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Unusually for the small townships of West Donegal, Glenties has both a Market House and a Court House. The former seems to have been built about 1840 for the Marquis of Conyngham. It is a long low gabled two-storey building with two separate outside stairways giving access to the upper floor: today used as youth club, recreation room, stores and garage. In the lower storey, there is a single wide segmental arc and on either side an arched doorway: windows have been added rather miscellaneously from time to time. The quoins and dressings are of cut stone, as are the chimneys, otherwise the building is of random rubble harled over. Rather oddly, but endearingly, the upper walls are set back all round on the base furnished by the lower storey and stringcourse. The eaves of the Sables have cheerful little carved wooden brackets.
The courthouse is surprisingly sophisticated. It is a variant on William Caldbeck’s standard design, of five bays and two storeys, with hipped roof, built over a basement containing the bride well cells. The two end bays project, and the roof over sails the central bays. In the upper storey are five large round-headed windows, set in recesses and plain round-headed architraves, with their original glazing; the doors are set between simplified pilasters supporting pediment-shaped heads. The eaves have square modillions; the imposing chimneys form an integral part of the composition. The quality of the stonework is uncommonly high throughout. The original courtroom furnishings, including high box-pews, remain quite unaltered.
This building was the cause of acrimony between the Grand Jury and the Lord Lieutenant. The Grand Jury considered it “unnecessary and inexpedient” in view of the propinquity of the new courthouse at Donegal; His Excellency differed, and directed them to build it, at a cost of £900. This sum they resolutely refused to vote, on the advice of their Surveyor, who suggested that £650 would be more than adequate. After an exchange of stiff memoranda and resolutions the Grand Jury was constrained, with very poor grace, to give way. The building was in fact completed in 1843.
The Grand Jurymen of Co. Donegal were as parsimonious as they were stiff- necked. At the height of the Great Famine, they noted that Lifford Gaol (built for 113) was overcrowded by an additional 87 prisoners; to remedy this inconvenience and to discourage those who might commit offences in order to be fed in prison, they solemnly recommended to Government that the statutory minimum diet in the prison be reduced to accord with the current diet outside.
August 6, 2007 in Local History
Glenties Notes on 13th August 2007
Glenties Notes on 21st May 2007
Today FM & Ray D'Arcy in Glenties
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Asian civilizations write "brilliant chapter" in human civilization: Xi
Asian civilizations have written a brilliant chapter in human civilization, said Chinese President Xi Jinping at the opening of the Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations (CDAC) here Wednesday.
Being one of the earliest human settlements and a major birthplace of human civilization, Asia takes up one third of the total land on Earth, has two thirds of the global population, and consists of 47 countries and more than 1,000 ethnic groups, Xi said in a keynote speech.
Asian people have made incredible cultural achievements over the past thousands of years and they have started cultural exchanges and mutual learning since the early days, he said.
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Health Safety & Environment
Do it safely or not at all | There is always time to do right
Category: Home Page
Construction is one of the most dangerous occupations in the world, incurring more occupational fatalities than any other sector in both the United States and in the European Union. In 2009, the fatal occupational injury rate among construction workers in the United States was nearly three times that for all workers. Falls are one of the most common causes of fatal and non-fatal injuries among construction workers. Proper safety equipment such as harnesses and guardrails and procedures such as securing ladders and inspecting scaffolding can curtail the risk of occupational injuries in the construction industry. Other major causes of fatalities in the construction industry include electrocution, transportation accidents, and trench cave-ins.
Other safety risks for workers in construction include hearing loss due to high noise exposure, musculoskeletal injury, chemical exposure, and high levels of stress.
Construction is the process of constructing a building or infrastructure. Construction differs from manufacturing in that manufacturing typically involves mass production of similar items without a designated purchaser, while construction typically takes place on location for a known client. Construction as an industry comprises six to nine percent of the gross domestic product of developed countries. Construction starts with planning,[citation needed] design, and financing; and continues until the project is built and ready for use.
Large-scale construction requires collaboration across multiple disciplines. An architect normally manages the job, and a construction manager, design engineer, construction engineer or project manager supervises it. For the successful execution of a project, effective planning is essential. Those involved with the design and execution of the infrastructure in question must consider zoning requirements, the environmental impact of the job, the successful scheduling, budgeting, construction-site safety, availability and transportation of building materials, logistics, inconvenience to the public caused by construction delays and bidding, etc. The largest construction projects are referred to as megaprojects.
Construction is a general term meaning the art and science to form objects, systems, or organizations, and comes from Latin constructionem (from com- “together” and struere “to pile up”) and Old French construction. Construction is used as a verb: the act of building, and a noun: how a building was built, the nature of its structure.
In general, there are three sectors of construction: buildings, infrastructure and industrial. Building construction is usually further divided into residential and non-residential (commercial/institutional). Infrastructure is often called heavy/highway, heavy civil or heavy engineering. It includes large public works, dams, bridges, highways, water/wastewater and utility distribution. Industrial includes refineries, process chemical, power generation, mills and manufacturing plants. There are other ways to break the industry into sectors or markets.
Engineering News-Record (ENR) is a trade magazine for the construction industry. Each year, ENR compiles and reports on data about the size of design and construction companies. They publish a list of the largest companies in the United States (Top-40) and also a list the largest global firms (Top-250, by amount of work they are doing outside their home country). In 2014, ENR compiled the data in nine market segments. It was divided as transportation, petroleum, buildings, power, industrial, water, manufacturing, sewer/waste, telecom, hazardous waste plus a tenth category for other projects. In their reporting on the Top 400, they used data on transportation, sewer, hazardous waste and water to rank firms as heavy contractors.
The Standard Industrial Classification and the newer North American Industry Classification System have a classification system for companies that perform or otherwise engage in construction. To recognize the differences of companies in this sector, it is divided into three subsectors: building construction, heavy and civil engineering construction, and specialty trade contractors. There are also categories for construction service firms (e.g., engineering, architecture) and construction managers (firms engaged in managing construction projects without assuming direct financial responsibility for completion of the construction project).
Building construction is the process of adding structure to real property or construction of buildings. The majority of building construction jobs are small renovations, such as addition of a room, or renovation of a bathroom. Often, the owner of the property acts as laborer, paymaster, and design team for the entire project. Although building construction projects typically include various common elements, such as design, financial, estimating and legal considerations, many projects of varying sizes reach undesirable end results, such as structural collapse, cost overruns, and/or litigation. For this reason, those with experience in the field make detailed plans and maintain careful oversight during the project to ensure a positive outcome.
The National Cement Share Company of Ethiopia’s new plant in Dire Dawa.
Commercial building construction is procured privately or publicly utilizing various delivery methodologies, including cost estimating, hard bid, negotiated price, traditional, management contracting, construction management-at-risk, design & build and design-build bridging.
Residential construction practices, technologies, and resources must conform to local building authority regulations and codes of practice. Materials readily available in the area generally dictate the construction materials used (e.g. brick versus stone, versus timber). Cost of construction on a per square meter (or per square foot) basis for houses can vary dramatically based on site conditions, local regulations, economies of scale (custom designed homes are often more expensive to build) and the availability of skilled tradespeople. As residential construction (as well as all other types of construction) can generate a lot of waste, careful planning again is needed here.
The most popular method of residential construction in North America is wood-framed construction. Typical construction steps for a single-family or small multi-family house are:
Develop floor plans and obtain a materials list for estimations (more recently performed with estimating software)
Obtain government building approval if necessary
Clear the building site
Survey to stake out for the foundation
Excavate the foundation and dig footers.
Pour a foundation and footers with concrete
Build the main load-bearing structure out of thick pieces of wood and possibly metal I-beams for large spans with few supports. See framing (construction)
Add floor and ceiling joists and install subfloor panels
Cover outer walls and roof in OSB or plywood and a water-resistive barrier.
Install roof shingles or other covering for flat roof
Cover the walls with siding, typically vinyl, wood, or brick veneer but possibly stone or other materials
Install windows
Frame interior walls with wooden 2x4s
Add internal plumbing, HVAC, electrical, and natural gas utilities
Building inspector visits if necessary to approve utilities and framing
Install insulation and interior drywall panels (cementboard for wet areas) and to complete walls and ceilings
Install bathroom fixtures
Spackle, prime, and paint interior walls and ceilings
Additional tiling on top of cementboard for wet areas, such as the bathroom and kitchen backsplash
Install final floor covering, such as floor tile, carpet, or wood flooring
Install major appliances
Unless the original owners are building the house, at this point it is typically sold or rented.
New construction techniques and sustainability
As efficiency codes have come into effect in recent years, new construction technologies and methods have emerged. University Construction Management departments are on the cutting edge of the newest methods of construction intended to improve efficiency, performance and reduce construction waste.
New techniques of building construction are being researched, made possible by advances in 3D printing technology. In a form of additive building construction, similar to the additive manufacturing techniques for manufactured parts, building printing is making it possible to flexibly construct small commercial buildings and private habitations in around 20 hours, with built-in plumbing and electrical facilities, in one continuous build, using large 3D printers. Working versions of 3D-printing building technology are already printing 2 metres (6 ft 7 in) of building material per hour as of January 2013, with the next-generation printers capable of 3.5 metres (11 ft) per hour, sufficient to complete a building in a week. Dutch architect Janjaap Ruijssenaars’s performative architecture 3D-printed building is scheduled to be built in 2014.
In the current trend of sustainable construction, the recent movements of New Urbanism and New Classical Architecture promote a sustainable approach towards construction, that appreciates and develops smart growth, architectural tradition and classical design. This is in contrast to modernist and short-lived globally uniform architecture, as well as opposing solitary housing estates and suburban sprawl. Both trends started in the 1980s.
The construction site may be shut down due to bad weather. Erecting scaffolded tents over the site may reduce the number of lost work days, increasing productivity.
The first huts and shelters were constructed by hand or with simple tools. As cities grew during the Bronze Age, a class of professional craftsmen, like bricklayers and carpenters, appeared. Occasionally, slaves were used for construction work. In the Middle Ages, these were organized into guilds. In the 19th century, steam-powered machinery appeared, and later diesel- and electric powered vehicles such as cranes, excavators and bulldozers.
Fast-track construction has been increasingly popular in the 21st century. Some estimates suggest that 40% of construction projects are now fast-track construction.
List of countries by the largest output in construction
List of countries with the largest construction output in 2015
Economy Construction output in 2015 (billions in USD)
(01) India 849
(02) United States 599
(03) China 569
(04) Japan 333
(05) France 147
(06) Germany 143
(07) United Kingdom 131
(08) Canada 131
(09) Australia 115
(10) Russia 111
(11) Brazil 109
(12) Italy 107
(13) Spain 104
(14) Indonesia 93
(15) Mexico 92
(16) South Korea 58
(17) Turkey 35
(18) United Arab Emirates 34
(19) Venezuela 34
(20) Netherlands 34
(21) Poland 34
(22) Switzerland 33
(23) Saudi Arabia 32
(24) Iran 29
(25) Colombia 29
Oil & Gas, any of a group of fuel gases produced from oil by exposing it to high temperatures. High-Btu oil gas is so called because of its high heating value; it is often used to supplement natural gas during periods of high demand. Refinery oil gases are produced as byproducts during normal heat treatment in oil refining. Their chief use is in the heating of refinery equipment. Typically, oil gas consists of methane, ethane, propane, butane, and some of their derivatives.
The American Petroleum Institute divides the petroleum industry into five sectors:
upstream (exploration, development and production of crude oil or natural gas)
downstream (oil tankers, refiners, retailers and consumers)
service and supply
Oil companies used to be classified by sales as “supermajors” (BP, Chevron, ExxonMobil, ConocoPhillips, Shell, Eni and Total S.A.), “majors”, and “independents” or “jobbers”. In recent years however, National Oil Companies (NOC, as opposed to IOC, International Oil Companies) have come to control the rights over the largest oil reserves; by this measure the top ten companies all are NOC. The following table shows the ten largest national oil companies ranked by reserves and by production in 2012.
Petroleum in an unrefined state has been utilized by humans for over 5000 years. Oil in general has been used since early human history to keep fires ablaze and in warfare.
Its importance to the world economy evolved slowly, with whale oil used for lighting in the 19th century and wood and coal used for heating and cooking well into the 20th century. The Industrial Revolution generated an increasing need for energy which was met mainly by coal, and with other sources including whale oil. However, when it was discovered that kerosene could be extracted from crude oil and used as a lighting and heating fuel, petroleum was in great demand, and by the early twentieth century had become the most valuable commodity traded on world markets.
Petroleum is a naturally occurring liquid found in rock formations. It consists of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights, plus other organic compounds. It is generally accepted that oil is formed mostly from the carbon rich remains of ancient plankton after exposure to heat and pressure in the Earth’s crust over hundreds of millions of years. Over time, the decayed residue was covered by layers of mud and silt, sinking further down into the Earth’s crust and preserved there between hot and pressured layers, gradually transforming into oil reservoirs.
The petroleum industry includes the global processes of exploration, extraction, refining, transporting (often by oil tankers and pipelines), and marketing petroleum products. The largest volume products of the industry are fuel oil and gasoline (petrol). Petroleum (oil) is also the raw material for many chemical products, including pharmaceuticals, solvents, fertilizers, pesticides, and plastics. The industry is usually divided into three major components: upstream, midstream and downstream. Midstream operations are usually included in the downstream category.
Petroleum is vital to many industries, and is of importance to the maintenance of industrial civilization in its current configuration, and thus is a critical concern for many nations. Oil accounts for a large percentage of the world’s energy consumption, ranging from a low of 32% for Europe and Asia, to a high of 53% for the Middle East.
Other geographic regions’ consumption patterns are as follows: South and Central America (44%), Africa (41%), and North America (40%). The world consumes 30 billion barrels (4.8 km³) of oil per year, with developed nations being the largest consumers. The United States consumed 25% of the oil produced in 2007. The production, distribution, refining, and retailing of petroleum taken as a whole represents the world’s largest industry in terms of dollar value.
Governments such as the United States government provide a heavy public subsidy to petroleum companies, with major tax breaks at virtually every stage of oil exploration and extraction, including the costs of oil field leases and drilling equipment.
Top 10 largest world oil companies by reserves and production
Rank Company (Reserves) Worldwide Liquids Reserves (109bbl) Worldwide Natural Gas Reserves (1012 ft3) Total Reserves in Oil Equivalent Barrels (109 bbl) Company (Production) Output (Millionsbbl/day)[1]
1 Saudi Aramco 260 254 303 Saudi Aramco 12.5
2 NIOC 138 948 300 NIOC 6.4
3 Qatar Petroleum 15 905 170 ExxonMobil 5.3
4 INOC 116 120 134 PetroChina 4.4
5 PDVSA 99 171 129 BP 4.1
6 ADNOC 92 199 126 Royal Dutch Shell 3.9
7 Pemex 102 56 111 Pemex 3.6
8 NNPC 36 184 68 Chevron 3.5
9 NOC 41 50 50 Kuwait Petroleum Corporation 3.2
10 Sonatrach 12 159 39 ADNOC 2.9
The Petroleum industry is a favorite subject in contemporary fiction. Films with oil-industry themes include There Will Be Blood (2007) set around Southern California’s oil boom of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and Syriana (2005) set in present-day Middle-East.
Some petroleum industry operations have been responsible for water pollution through by-products of refining and oil spills. The industry is the largest industrial source of emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), a group of chemicals that contribute to the formation of ground-level ozone (smog).
The combustion of fossil fuels produces greenhouse gases and other air pollutants as by-products. Pollutants include nitrogen oxides, sulphur dioxide, volatile organic compounds and heavy metals.
As petroleum is a non-renewable natural resource the industry is faced with an inevitable eventual depletion of the world’s oil supply. The BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2007 listed the reserve/production ratio for proven resources worldwide. The study placed the ratio of proven reserves to production in the Middle East at 79.5 years, Latin America at 41.2 years and North America at 12 years. A simplistic interpretation of the ratio has led to many false predictions of immanent “running out of oil” since the early years of the oil industry in the 1800s. This has been especially true in the United States, where the ratio of proved reserves-to-production has been between 8 years and 17 years since 1920. Many have mistakenly interpreted the result as the number of years before the oil supply is exhausted. Such analyses do not take into account future reserves growth.
The Hubbert peak theory, which introduced the concept of peak oil, questions the sustainability of oil production. It suggests that after a peak in oil production rates, a period of oil depletion will ensue. Since virtually all economic sectors rely heavily on petroleum, peak oil could lead to a partial or complete failure of markets.
According to research by IBIS World, biofuels (primarily ethanol, but also biodiesel) will continue to supplement petroleum. However output levels are low, and these fuels will not displace local oil production. More than 90% of the ethanol used in the US is blended with gasoline to produce a 10% ethanol mix, lifting the oxygen content of the fuel.
Researchers have discovered that the petrochemical industry can produce ground-level ozone pollution at higher amounts in winter than in summer.
Midstream operations are sometimes classified within the downstream sector, but these operations compose a separate and discrete sector of the petroleum industry. Midstream operations and processes include the following:
Gathering: The gathering process employs narrow, low-pressure pipelines to connect oil- and gas-producing wells to larger, long-haul pipelines or processing facilities.
Processing/refining: Processing and refining operations turn crude oil and gas into marketable products. In the case of crude oil, these products include heating oil, gasoline for use in vehicles, jet fuel, and diesel oil. Oil refining processes include distillation, vacuum distillation, catalytic reforming, catalytic cracking, alkylation, isomerization and hydrotreating. Natural gas processing includes compression; glycol dehydration; amine treating; separating the product into pipeline-quality natural gas and a stream of mixed natural gas liquids; and fractionation, which separates the stream of mixed natural gas liquids into its components. The fractionation process yields ethane, propane, butane, isobutane, and natural gasoline.
Transportation: Oil and gas are transported to processing facilities, and from there to end users, by pipeline, tanker/barge, truck, and rail. Pipelines are the most economical transportation method and are most suited to movement across longer distances, for example, across continents. Tankers and barges are also employed for long-distance, often international transport. Rail and truck can also be used for longer distances but are most cost-effective for shorter routes.
Storage: Midstream service providers provide storage facilities at terminals throughout the oil and gas distribution systems. These facilities are most often located near refining and processing facilities and are connected to pipeline systems to facilitate shipment when product demand must be met. While petroleum products are held in storage tanks, natural gas tends to be stored in underground facilities, such as salt dome caverns and depleted reservoirs.
Technological applications: Midstream service providers apply technological solutions to improve efficiency during midstream processes. Technology can be used during compression of fuels to ease flow through pipelines; to better detect leaks in pipelines; and to automate communications for better pipeline and equipment monitoring.
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November 30, 2018 - European Convention of Human Rights
United Kingdom: Court dismisses mortgage default rights complaint
A woman, thrown out of her rented home after her landlord parents defaulted on mortgage repayments, has lost her human rights fight against the United Kingdom.
In its 29 November decision in the case of F.J.M. v. the United Kingdom (application no. 76202/16) the European Court of Human Rights unanimously declared the application inadmissible. The decision is final.
The case concerned a possession order against a tenant after the landlords, who were also her parents, defaulted on their mortgage payments.
The applicant complained under Article 8 (right to respect for private and family life and the home) that the UK courts had refused to carry out a balancing exercise between her rights as a tenant to not lose her home and the mortgagee’s right to be repaid.
The European court reiterated that losing one’s home was an extreme interference with one’s rights which in principle should lead to a weighing up of the competing rights involved by an independent tribunal.
However, in a judgment concerning Croatia, the court had recently clarified that there is a distinction between public authority landlords and private landlords. In particular, where possession is sought by a private individual or body, the balancing of the parties’ competing interests can be embodied in domestic legislation, and it is not, therefore, necessary for an independent tribunal to weigh up those interests again when considering a claim for possession.
The court confirmed this distinction in the present case, finding that the domestic legislation had taken account of the competing interests at stake and that the finance company (as mortgagee) and the applicant (as the mortgagor’s tenant) had entered voluntarily into a contractual relationship in respect of which the legislature had prescribed how each of their convention rights were to be respected.
Indeed, if a private tenant such as the applicant could require an independent tribunal to conduct a balancing exercise before making a possession order, the resulting impact on the private rental sector would be wholly unpredictable and potentially very damaging.
The authorities had therefore been entitled to regulate tenancies such as the applicant’s through legislation intended to balance the Convention rights of the individuals concerned.
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Home » Sports » Migratory game bird hunting seasons set by new regulatory process this year
Migratory game bird hunting seasons set by new regulatory process this year
Tuesday, August 23, 2016 - 23:46 Edited from a Press Release
SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. - The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has adopted a new regulatory process for setting season dates and bag limits for migratory game birds starting this year. This will allow hunters to get information about 2016-17 migratory game bird seasons earlier than in past years, according to Mike Peters, migratory game bird coordinator for the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources (DNR).
“Migratory game bird regulations will now be set using the previous year’s biological and harvest data,” said Peters. “This means the regulatory process can begin much earlier and enables the DNR to get this information out to hunters sooner. Previously, waterfowl seasons were not set until late summer using the current year’s data. This made it very difficult to get the regulations printed before the September seasons opened. It also made it challenging for hunters to plan for these seasons. Now, the regulatory process will begin using information from the previous fall hunting seasons.”
The new regulations are available under the “Hunting” tab at www.wvdnr.gov.
Peters also says that the United States Geological Survey’s Bird Banding Laboratory (BBL) has just released a mobile version of reportband.gov. According to Jo Ann Lutmerding, biologist with the BBL, “This new version has improved capabilities for mobile users while maintaining the helpful functionality of immediate feedback about potential errors in a report and providing the banding information after a report is submitted. Users can also more easily report multiple bands. The BBL hopes these improvements will facilitate online reporting and assist users reporting from mobile devices in the field.”
Hunters are reminded that leg bands on harvested migratory game birds should be reported to the BBL through the BBL website, www.reportband.gov, now with a mobile version, or by calling 1-800-237-BAND.
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Celebrate Gun N' Roses "Appetite For Destruction" Turning 30 WIth New Massive Box Set
The legendary Guns N' Roses album "Appetite For Destruction" is considered by many to be the best debut album every released by a band. Since its release, the album has sold over 30 million copies worldwide and spawned three top ten singles. To celebrate the 30th anniversary of this monumental album, Geffen/UMe unleashed a new box set titled, "Appetite For Destruction: Locked N' Loaded Edition." It features 51-tracks, spread across four CDs and just nice as the music, is the 96-page book, which is also great and includes photos from Axl Rose's personal collection.
The first disc of this set includes a brand-new, remastered version of the album. The music sounds outstanding with more punch to the drums, as Axl's vocals are clear and you can hear the dual guitar attack of Slash and Izzy Stradlin on songs like "Mr. Brownstone" and "You're Crazy." Duff's bass motors through "Its' So Easy" and "Anything Goes," while Steven Adler shuffles through the album closer "Rocket Queen" with a jazz-like groove.
The second disc of the set includes all of the B-sides and the GN'R "Lies" EP, plus a rare live versions of the non-album song "Shadow Of Your Love." The disc also features early live cover versions of Bob Dylan's "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" and AC/DC's "Whole Lotta Rosie," both of which are still performed live to this day.
Longtime fans will enjoy the 27 unreleased tracks that make up the third and fourth discs of this set. Gun N' Roses entered Sound City Studios to record their debut album and we have almost an entire alternate version of the album from these sessions. The music is a little more raw and some songs are less developed than the finished product like "Paradise City," which closes with an out of control, punk-like ending. The band also recorded rare cover versions of "Heartbreak Hotel" and "Jumpin' Jack Flash," as well as early versions of "November Rain," which would become the pinnacle single of the "Use Your Illusion" albums. The set closes with another unreleased rarity, an acoustic version of "Move To The City," which was recorded during the "Lies" sessions, but never released until now.
The deluxe "Locked N' Loaded Edition" also includes a Blu-ray audio which includes a 5.1 surround sound version of the original album along with a handful of bonus tracks. The music videos for "Welcome To The Jungle," "Sweet Child O' Mine," "Paradise City" and "Patience" are also on the Blu-ray, as well as a brand new video of "It's So Easy" filmed in 1989.
If the 4CD/Blu-ray "Locked N' Loaded Edition" is out of your price range, there is also a 2CD deluxe edition, which includes the new remastered version of the album and an 18-track "B-Sides, EPs N' More" bonus disc. A 2LP 180-gram heavyweight vinyl edition is also available with a special 3-D hologram on the 4th side of the set. To find out more about this amazing new box set from Gun N' Roses, please visit gunsnroses.com.
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Jurij Gianluca Ricotti
Music Director and Sound Engineer @ JGRStudios
Jurij Gianluca Ricotti, Musician, Composer, Music Director, Sound Engineer, Sound Designer and Producer. His works are involved in multiplatinum albums around the world with top class artists and producers with Tony Renis and Humberto Gatica. Billboard Top 10, During his career he followed the inspiration given by the sounds. His Sounds manipulation, composition and inspiration was used by famous artists like Andrea Bocelli, Ennio Morricone, Ariana Grande, Rita Ora, Queen, Britney Spears, Steven Mercurio, David Silvian, Kevin Costner, Kacey Musgraves, MIMS, Malmsteen, Steve Vai, Desecration, Corona, Fernando Osorio, Tony Macalpine, Ana Belen, Armando Manzanero, Bireli Lagrane, Richard Galliano, Franco Fasano, Claudio Zitti, Alessandro Centofanti, Gianfranco Mauto, Marcello Giordani, Il Volo, Ron, Renga, Chiara, Vinnie Colaiuta, Nathan East, Michael Thompson, Michael Landau, Alfredo Golino, Pat Metheny, Scott Henderson, Mike Stern, Tal Bergman, Nguyen Le, John McLauglin, R.Zero, Giorgia, Vanoni, Paoli, Bungaro, Piotta, Cheope, Klimt 1918, Figure of 6, Junior Robinson, Cindy, and many more since 1991. He has worked as a Musician and Sound Engineer in Europe, Asia, Middle East, USA, Australia. Look at the music page for the album credits.
Click on the links below for more infos.
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Home > Articles > Programming
Managing Trust in Distributed Teams
By Pat Brans
With worldwide access available and relatively inexpensive via the Internet and modern technologies, many organizations are puzzling their way through learning how best to work with individuals and groups in multiple locations and time zones. Any kind of diversity in a team adds to the manager's complications, but building trust between individuals is the biggest problem of all. Pat Brans examines the unique trust issues involved in managing a distributed team.
Agile Software Development with Distributed Teams: Staying Agile in a Global World
Modern supervisors are increasingly likely to manage distributed teams—teams whose members work in multiple locations. Advances in information and communication technologies have made such teams possible.
Unfortunately, no high-tech invention can make up for a lack of management savvy. Very few supervisors understand the challenges of running a remote team, and only a handful understand how to use the available tools. Let's explore some of the major issues of managing a remote team, and we'll pick out the best ways of ensuring success.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Remote Teams
While distributed teams may seem chaotic at times, such arrangements offer many advantages. For example:
If your team is customer-facing, you can extend your geographic reach by positioning team members close to customers.
If your team develops software, you can draw from a large pool of skilled team members.
Regardless of the nature of the job, when you give workers the opportunity to live where they want and work from home, your team members will probably become more motivated. [1]
Despite these advantages, geographically dispersed teams also present a unique set of problems. Building trust and accountability is especially challenging, and establishing a team spirit is more difficult than it would be among members who work in the same office and see each other frequently. Remote teams lack face-to-face interactions, where body language and shared experiences can build deeper relationships more quickly.
Given the mix of advantages and risks, remote teams can be anything from a disaster to a highly creative force within an organization. The degree of success partly depends on the nature of the work, but mostly it relies on the skill of the manager, the quality of the team members, and the tools at the team's disposal.
The Importance of Trust
Let's start out with a reminder of that essential ingredient, trust—it's the "glue" that holds teams together. The more your team members trust one another, the more efficiently the team works as a whole. When trust is present, team members can substitute for each other, and they can hand off work to other team members without feeling the need to check on whether the work really gets done. When trust is present, if another team member says something is done, you can safely assume that it's not just "done," but done well.
Building trust can be one of the most challenging aspects of managing a distributed team. The first step is to understand which of the three kinds of trust is present among team members:
Calculus-based trust
Knowledge-based trust
Identification-based trust
Let's take a look at these different levels of trust.
Calculus-based trust is based on a very simple comparison between the costs and benefits of trusting another person versus the costs and benefits of not trusting the other person. This is the weakest form of trust, but over time it might allow two or more people to build a good enough relationship to move on to one of the two stronger forms of trust. [2]
Supervisors usually have to rely on calculus-based trust with new hires, when comparing the cost and benefits of handing off a task, and delegating only those work items for which the consequences are relatively light in the event the employee doesn't complete the assignment. The team members go through a similar calculation, comparing the costs and benefits of performing a task versus the costs and benefits of not performing the task.
Knowledge-based trust comes about once you know another person well enough to be able to predict his or her actions. For example, you may have seen this team member perform well in the past. You can delegate a task based on the knowledge that this person has followed through on another goal. One step beyond calculus-based trust, knowledge-based trust takes time to develop, and can be destroyed very quickly.
The strongest form of trust, identification-based trust exists when individuals link their own identities with those of other team members and with the group as a whole. You see this kind of trust within a family or among members of a tribe. Inside the group, members may squabble when conflicts of interest arise. But when it comes to doing what's good for the team, members strongly identify with the team, which means that you can count on them to do what's good for the group. [3]
Military units, sports teams, and even small companies are able to achieve some measure of identification-based trust, with members seeing one another almost as extended family. Sometimes even a large company—such as Google, with its strong and unique culture—can approach this ultimate form of confidence.
However, in most cases it's nearly impossible to establish a shared identity in a company. The employer-employee relationship is very much conditional on the exchange of work performance for money; rarely will someone put his or her life on the line for a business.
As difficult as it is to develop strong identification at the workplace, reaching this highest level of trust is especially complicated in distributed teams where members rarely meet, and where cultural gaps are hard to overcome. Nevertheless, managers should still strive to achieve some degree of identification-based trust among their team members. [4]
Rules and Tools
To foster trust, team managers should establish the following three rules, which are easy to remember if you think of the acronym PAT:
Predictability. When team members say they will do something, they should be encouraged to complete the task; if they can't follow through for some reason, they should at least inform other team members and explain why it won't happen.
On distributed teams, predictability includes team members' assurance that if they send a message to another member, they'll get a response in a timely manner. To encourage reliable behavior, some organizations require that group members respond to mail or phone calls from one another within 24 hours. [5]
Accountability. When a team member takes on a task, he or she should be held accountable for the work. When a group of team members work together on a task, a single person should be assigned accountability, thus avoiding ambiguity.
When your team is distributed, one good way to make accountability clear is to use a shared electronic folder to hold files listing who is responsible for each piece of work. Don't forget to update these files regularly to bolster predictability.
Transparency. Team members should communicate frequently with one another, regularly explaining their progress on goals and indicating whether they are on schedule (and if not, why not).
Supervisors should develop a culture that encourages communication among team members. Phone and email are useful tools for quick impromptu exchanges. Video conferencing is better for scheduled meetings, giving home workers a little time to touch up their looks before facing a camera.
To further promote transparency, managers should also schedule regular face-to-face meetings to allow team members to get to know one another in person. Such meetings may be quarterly or even yearly. The key is to establish a rhythm.
Do as I Say, AND as I Do
All too often, discussions on management focus on the behavior of team members. As much as supervisors need to be able to trust team members, and team members must trust one another, even more important is that team members know they can trust their supervisor.
To build mutual trust, team leaders need to respond promptly to email and phone messages. Managers must deliver on their promises, and they need to provide information and other resources that team members need to do their jobs.
Finally, supervisors should avoid appearing biased toward team members located closest to them geographically. It's too easy to develop a sense of local camaraderie when other people are co-located. When a supervisor shows any hint of favoritism, team members located at remote offices or home quickly feel alienated.
Far-flung work groups have many advantages, but supervisors can only reap the benefits when they know how to manage distributed teams.
[1] Ann Majchrzak et al., "Can Absence Make a Team Grow Stronger?" Harvard Business Review Volume 82, No. 5 (May 2004), pp. 131–137.
[2] Morton Deutsch, Peter T. Coleman, and Eric C. Marcus, The Handbook of Conflict Resolution: Theory and Practice, Second Edition, Jossey-Bass, 2006.
[4] Pamela J. Hinds and Mark Mortensen, "Understanding Conflict in Geographically Distributed Teams: The Moderating Effects of Shared Identity, Shared Context, and Spontaneous Communication," Organization Science Volume 16, No. 3, May/June 2005, pp. 290–307.
[5] Keith Ferazzi, "How to Build Trust in a Virtual Workplace."
SAFe 4.5 Distilled: Applying the Scaled Agile Framework for Lean Enterprises, 2nd Edition
By Richard Knaster, Dean Leffingwell
Unlocking Agility: An Insider's Guide to Agile Enterprise Transformation
By Jorgen Hesselberg
Professional Product Owner, The: Leveraging Scrum as a Competitive Advantage
By Don McGreal, Ralph Jocham
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Home Finance Looksmart Receives $60 Million In New Funding
Looksmart Receives $60 Million In New Funding
By Elizabeth Clampet | March 31, 1999
Web site directory Looksmart Ltd. Wednesday announced it has received $60 million in its latest round of financing.
This round of funding is reportedly one of the largest ever raised by a private Internet media company, bringing Looksmart's total capital raised-to-date to $79.3 million. Investors include Amerindo Investment Advisors, Citicorp Equity Capital, Cox Interactive Media, Essex Investment Management, Hambrecht & Quist, Macquarie Bank Group, New Millennium Partners and Sand Hill Capital.
In the past year, the company has seen explosive growth. Evan Thorley, co-founder and chief executive officer, told Reuters that its revenues this year will top $40 million, more than six times 1998 levels, and reports that the site is "massively oversubscribed."
Part of its sudden surge is due to partnerships with industry leaders including MSN, Netscape, AltaVista, HotBot and @Home Network, as well as more than 150 ISPs, including IBM.net.
"Since refinancing this company last May, we have had the opportunity to start building a great media company by focusing on the enduring characteristics of the business that will not be reliant on the day-to-day changes in technology platforms, distribution economics or corporate shenanigans," Thornley said.
The company also is planning an initial public offering later this year.
This latest round of financing will be used to fuel consumer branding, strategic acquisitions and international expansion.
Looksmart's directory consists of reportedly one of the Web's largest editorially reviewed collection of Web sites. Its human-powered approach has enabled Looksmart to help users find 'useful stuff quickly,' translating into strong user loyalty, the company said.
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Active Citizens, Africa, Armed Conflicts, Civil Society, Development & Aid, Economy & Trade, Environment, Featured, Global, Global Governance, Headlines, Human Rights, Natural Resources, North America, Poverty & SDGs, TerraViva United Nations, Trade & Investment
Africa Activists Urge Obama to Act on Extractive Industries Law
By Jim Lobe Reprint | | Print | |En español
Artisanal diamond miners at work in the alluvial diamond mines around the eastern town of Koidu, Sierra Leone. Credit: Tommy Trenchard/IPS
WASHINGTON, Aug 5 2014 (IPS) - As the three-day U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit got underway here Monday, anti-corruption activists urged President Barack Obama to prod a key U.S. agency to issue long-awaited regulations requiring oil, gas, and mining companies to publish all payments they make in countries where they operate.
“The companies need to be held accountable, and we would ask President Obama to also support us in this message,” said Ali Idrissa, the national co-ordinator of Publiez Ce Que Vous Payez (Publish What You Pay, or PWYP), in Niger, a country rich in uranium and iron deposits.
Anti-corruption activists are losing patience with what they see as pressure by the extractive industries to prevent the emergence of tough new disclosure requirements.
“We need to look at the entire production chain of these extractive industries; we need to continue putting pressure on this industry …so we can fight poverty and corruption and ensure we have a better development,” he added.
Idrissa, one of scores of African activists who have descended on Washington for this week’s unprecedented gathering, was speaking at a forum sponsored by the Open Society Foundations (OSF), Global Witness, Human Rights Watch, and Oxfam America, among other groups, on civil society efforts to promote government and corporate transparency and accountability on the continent.
The activists, whose numbers are dwarfed by the size of official government delegations, most of which are led by heads of state, as well as U.S. and African corporate chiefs eager to explore business prospects, nonetheless claimed at least part of the spotlight Monday.
At what was billed as a “Civil Society Forum Global Town Hall” meeting at the National Academy of Sciences, both Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary of State John Kerry echoed Idrissa’s concerns in general remarks.
“Widespread corruption is an affront to the dignity of your people and direct threat to each of your nations,” Biden declared. “It stifles economic growth and scares away investment and siphons off resources that should be used to lift people out of poverty.”
Kerry also stressed the importance of “transparency and accountability” not only in attracting more investment but also in “creat(ing) a more competitive marketplace, one where ideas and products are judged by the market and their merits, and not by a backroom deal or a bribe.”
While their words gained applause, it was clear from the OSF forum that anti-corruption activists are losing patience with what they see as pressure by the extractive industries to prevent the emergence of tough new disclosure requirements from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the federal agency that regulates U.S. stock and related markets.
At issue is section 1504 of the 2010 Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, an anti-corruption provision that requires all extractive companies listed on U.S. stock exchanges to publish each year all payments they make to the U.S. and foreign governments in the countries where they operate.
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According to the legislation, which is designed to counter the so-called “resource curse” that afflict many developing countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, taxes, royalties, fees, production entitlements and bonuses should all be reported down to the project level.
Eight of the world’s 10 largest mining companies and 29 of the 32 largest active international oil companies would be covered by the Act, which requires the SEC to develop specific regulations to implement its intent.
After nearly two years of consultations with businesses, activists, and other interested parties, the SEC issued draft regulations, but they were immediately challenged in a lawsuit filed by the American Petroleum Institute (API), a lobby group that represents the powerful oil and gas industry here.
The SEC has since reported that it does not plan to resume the rule-making process until March, 2015, a source of considerable frustration for the anti-corruption activists.
In the meantime, the European Union (EU), whose member countries have historically shown much less willingness than Washington to enact legislation to deter bribery and corruption by its companies operating abroad, has adopted and begun to enforce its own tough disclosure measures that go beyond the energy and mining industries to include timber companies as well.
“Until 2000, corruption and bribery by European [companies] was not only legal; it was tax-deductible,” Mo Ibrahim, a Sudanese-British telecommunications entrepreneur and prominent philanthropist for good governance in Africa, told the OSF Forum. “The United States, which has been a leading light on corruption, is now dragging its feet. Do you have a backbone, or what?”
He echoed the concerns of an open letter sent to Obama and signed by the heads of the national chapters of PWYP, an OSF-backed international anti-corruption group, in Guinea, Niger, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Chad, Ghana, and Nigeria, on the eve of this week’s Summit.
“It has been more than four years since you signed the Dodd-Frank Act, section 1504 of which obliges all U.S. listed extractive companies to publish the payments they make,” the letter, which was also signed by the African representatives on the PWYP global steering committee. “The law will yield crucial data that can help us hold our governments to account, but it has yet to come into effect.
“We ask you to urge the SEC for a swift publication of the rules governing section 1504 to ensure that they are in line with recent EU legislation and the emerging global standard for extractive transparency,” it said, adding that more also needs to be done to strengthen multilateral rules on taxation and creating a public registry of corporate beneficial ownership information as other critical parts of the anti-corruption struggle in Africa.
Harmonising the SEC regulations with those of the EU is particularly critical, according to Simon Taylor, co-founder and director of London-based Global Witness. “If the SEC gets it wrong, we will then have a double standard,” he noted, suggesting that some European companies could move to the U.S. if the latter’s requirements are less stringent.
API and other critics of the section 1504 have argued that strict rules will put U.S. companies at a disadvantage in bidding for mining or drilling rights, especially vis-à-vis China whose trade investment in Africa, particularly in the continent’s extractive resources, have exploded over the past decade and now far exceeds the U.S.
Beijing has failed so far to join the 12-year-old Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), an Oslo-based international organisation that promotes transparency and currently includes 44 governments, as well as extractive companies, civil-society groups, international development banks, and institutional investors.
But Ibrahim said it was “not acceptable for Europeans or Americans to say, ‘We want to be moral and ethical, but we can’t until this guy’” joins. “China is learning; it can understand and can change. They’re trying to find their feet [in Africa].”
George Soros, the billionaire philanthropist who created OSF, as well as a number of other foundations, said it was important to get China on board because “otherwise they are the spoilers. It is so important that I think we have to be willing to reconsider the whole structure of the [EITI which] they consider [to be] a post-colonial invention.
“They have to be involved in the creation of the system that they will abide by. That’s where civil society in Africa can be influential,” he added.
Jim Lobe’s blog on U.S. foreign policy can be read at Lobelog.com. He can be contacted at ipsnoram@ips.org
Edited by: Kitty Stapp
Republish | | Print | |En español
Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative
Publish What You Pay USA
U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit
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DORRĀNĪ
DORRĀNĪ (sg. Dorrānay), probably the most numerous Pashtun tribal confederation, from which all Afghan dynasties since 1160/1747 have come. It has always played a leading role in modern Afghan politics (Yusufzai; see AFGHANISTAN x).
Tribal composition. The Dorrānī confederation is a political grouping of ten Pashtun tribes of various sizes, which are further organized in two leagues of five tribes each. The Panjpāy (or Panjpāw) league includes three major tribes, the ʿAlīzī, Esḥāqzī (or simply Sākzī), and Nūrzī, as well as two minor ones, the Mākōzī (known as Mākōhī until the mid-19th century, sometimes simply Mākō) and Ḵōgānī (or Ḵawgānī/Ḵagwānī, not to be confused with the Ḵōgīānī of eastern Afghanistan). The Zīrak (or Jīrak) league includes the Mastīzī (an unimportant group, called Mūsāzī by Ḥayāt Khan), Al(e)kōzī, Pōpalzī (or Fōfalzī), and Bārakzī, with the latter’s offshoot the Acakzī (cf. Glatzer, 1983, p. 220, quoting an Acakzay version of the story in which the Bārakzī are said to be descended from the Acakzī; see ACƎKZĪ). The political leadership of the confederation has always belonged to the Zīrak league, shifting between the Pōpalzī and Bārakzī. Affiliations with tribe and confederation are the only ones currently in use; the leagues, though consistently mentioned in local chronicles, are never referred to spontaneously, and it remains to be ascertained whether they have ever functioned as autonomous political bodies.
In the genealogical idiom of the Pashtuns the confederation reputedly encompasses tribes descended from a common patrilinear ancestor, Abdāl (Awdal), who himself, it is further claimed, was descended from Qays ʿAbd-al-Rašīd, the ultimate ancestor of all Pashtun tribes (481
34); hence the original name of the confederation, Abdālī (or Awdalī; cf. Dorn, p. 257), later changed to Dorrānī (see below). The initial heterogeneity of the confederation is reflected, however, in both its tribal terminology and genealogical organization. Although Zīrak/Jīrak (Pashto “intelligent”), the sobriquet for Solaymān II (Leech, p. 450; Ḥayāt Khan, tr., table), is claimed as a common ancestor for all tribes of the Zīrak league (a denomination like *Zīrakī would be more likely), Panjpāy simply means “five legs” (i.e., “five septs”) and refers to the grouping of five independent tribes, without reference to a common ancestor. Moreover, the Panjpāy tribes Mākōhī and Ḵōgānī lack the typical Pashto suffix -zī (sg. -zay “tribe”), which supports the tradition that they were allogeneous tribes (Ferrier, p. 11; Ḥayāt Khan, tr., table and p. 67, referring to a tradition that the Ḵōgānī are descended from Abdāl’s second wife while the “Mākō” are truly an “adopted” tribe; cf. McMahon, who reported a tradition that the Ḵōgānī and Mākō are descended from the same father; Table 35); such genealogical imprecision generally typifies a process of adoption. It must also be stressed that the Adōzī tribe, though reputedly descended from Abdāl, does not seem to have ever been clearly included in the confederation (cf., however, Ḥayāt Khan, tr., p. 64, claiming that it is incorporated in the ʿAlīzī), reinforcing the idea that the confederation was originally of a political, rather than a genealogical, nature.
No serious estimate of the present strength of the various Dorrānī tribes is available, but collectively they may include at least 2 million people. Earlier tentative estimates are conflicting and unreliable, though suggesting that the Nūrzī and Bārakzī were, and probably still are, the two largest Dorrānī tribes (Table 36). The whole confederation reputedly comprised 60,000 families in the time of Nāder Shah (1148-60/1736-47), but this figure does not seem to have included the many nomadic components (Elphinstone, p. 400).
History. The origin of the Dorrānī confederation has not clearly been determined. A proposed connection between the name Abdālī and the ancient Hephthalite dynasty seems extremely tenuous (Masson, I, p. xiii). According to some traditions, the Abdālī tribes entered southern Afghanistan (from Ḡōr?) in the early 15th century (Taḏkerāt al-molūk, tr., p. 13). The earliest mention of a confederation by that name dates from the 16th century, when Shah ʿAbbās I (996-1038/1588-1629) bestowed supreme command of it upon the chief of the Pōpalzay tribe (Elphinstone, p. 397; Malcolm, II, pp. 410-11). This report suggests that some kind of political union had already been achieved among the Abdālī tribes, perhaps in order to fight against rival tribes like the Yūsofzī, Mohmand, and others that they successfully expelled from Arachosia at that time (cf. Tārīḵ-e moraṣṣaʿ), and that the Safavid state was simply institutionalizing it.
At about the same time the Abdālī were mentioned as a sheep-herding (i.e., nomadic) “tribe” living, at least partly, east of Qandahār (Āʾīn-e akbarī, tr. Blochmann, II, p. 403). In the mid-17th century Abdālī “tribes” were again reported living near Qandahār (ʿEnāyat Khan, p. 484). Driven from that area by Ḡilzay pressure in the early 18th century, the Abdālī (or at least part of them) then took refuge in “the mountains of Herat” (Ḥayāt Khan, tr., pp. 61, 67; Leech, p. 467), whence they fought against the Persians, gained control of Herat, raided in Khorasan, and “in the course of a very few years greatly increased in numbers” (Ferrier, p. 30), suggesting that outsiders were joining the confederation en masse. Nāder Shah managed to bring them under control, however, and raised from their ranks a contingent of 12,000 cavalry under the command of an ʿAlīzay chief (Ferrier, p. 67). At Nāder Shah’s death they felt strong enough to proclaim their independence. At a jerga (assembly of elders) held at the holy shrine of Šēr-e Sorḵ, 5 km southeast of Qandahār, they elected as their supreme chief Aḥmad Khan, a young member of the Sadōzī clan of the Pōpalzī tribe, son of an Al(e)kōzay mother; soon after he was formally crowned as Aḥmad Shah (1160/1747).
It was on that occasion that the name of the confederation was changed to incorporate the royal title dorr-e dorrān (pearl of pearls, i.e., primus inter pares), allegedly referring to “the distinctive custom of the Abdālī tribe of wearing a small pearl studded ring in the right ear”; Bellew, p. 31). The Dorrānī were thus explicitly supporters of the king, as were the so-called “Bar Dorrānī” (upper Dorrānī), a now obsolete designation for several eastern Pashtun tribes unconnected with the Dorrānī proper (Elphinstone, p. 325). From that time on the history of the Dorrānī effectively coincides with the history of the Afghan state. Unlike most other Pashtun tribes they have generally remained loyal to the dynasties sprung from their ranks and have only seldom rebelled. Notable exceptions were Ayyūb Khan’s revolt in 1297-98/1880-81 (arising from the long-standing rivalry between the Sadōzī Pōpalzī and Moḥammadzī Bārakzī for political leadership of the confederation and of Afghanistan) and a riot in Qandahār in 1338 Š./1959. The long tradition of Dorrānī loyalty to the state may explain why tribesmen did not join anticommunist guerrillas until comparatively late, after 1358 Š./1979 (Roy, p. 136; for similar late involvement of the Dorrānī in the anti-British uprising of 1256-57/1841-42, see Yapp, 1963, p. 312; idem, 1964, p. 373). On the other hand, two centuries of political domination of Afghanistan, with associated privileges (see examples in Kakar, pp. 73-74, 83, 99), certainly explain their claim to social superiority over all other ethnic groups in Afghanistan, including other Pashtun tribes (Tapper, 1991, pp. 38 ff.). In the last decades of the royal regime, however, as actual political power became more and more restricted to a narrow circle comprising the Moḥammadzay royal clan and a handful of leading Dorrānī families who had settled in Kabul as clients of the court, educated non-Moḥammadzˊī Dorrānī of lower or provincial extraction gradually sought alternative sources of promotion, rallying to communist groups, mainly Parčam, where they were heavily represented in the politburo, rather than to Islamic parties, in which they were totally absent from the leadership (Rubin, pp. 87-88; see CONSTITUTIONAL HISTORY OF AFGHANISTAN; COMMUNISM iv).
Tribal affiliation among Dorrānī gained an entirely new geographical consistency when Nāder Shah returned to them the lands they had lost to the Ḡilzī in southern Afghanistan (Leech, p. 469; Lockhart, p. 120). He allotted them on a tribal basis that has been broadly retained since that time: Zīrak tribes were given the tracts east of the Helmand and around Qandahār and Panjpāy tribes those in the west between the Helmand and Sīstān. The former are well watered, and Zīrak tribesmen have therefore become mostly agriculturalists; in the early 19th century, however, many peasant families were still living in tents, a clear indication of their former nomadic life (Elphinstone, p. 407). In the western territories, on the contrary, scarcity of water and poorer agricultural potential account for better conservation of nomadic traditions among Panjpāy tribes. Actually the tribal geography is much more complex than a simple opposition between east and west (for details, see Ḥayāt Khan, tr., pp. 65 ff.). For example, while some Nūrzī were settled east of Qandahār (Rawlinson, p. 512; Wylie, fol. 1480), Bārakzī and Acakzī clans are also found around Šīndand, in the very heart of Nūrzī territory (Gazetteer of Afghanistan III, pp. 344-45; Table 37). On the other hand, in the late 18th century conquests of the Hazāra expanded Dorrānī territory toward the north, into lower Orozgān (Rawlinson, p. 517). The present tribal geography is therefore blurred, all the more so as migrations and deportations have resulted in the spread of the Dorrānī from their homeland in southern Afghanistan, always for political, rather than demographic, reasons.
Northern Afghanistan has been the main target of Dorrānī out-migration. Two different waves of colonization, both sponsored by successive Afghan governments, can be distinguished. The first and least documented followed Aḥmad Shah’s imperial conquests (Ross, p. 31; de Planhol, 1973, p. 8; idem, 1976, p. 286, noting the toponym Sākzay, of unequivocal Dorrānay origin). The second, more important wave of colonization took place in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when the Afghan amirs systematically organized the colonization of depopulated Bādḡīs and Afghan Turkestan, relying massively on their Dorrānī cotribalists. Several thousand Dorrānī families migrated north, most of them from the nomadic clans of the Panjpāy tribes (Esḥāqzī, then Nūrzī; Tapper, 1973; idem, 1983; Table 37). Known locally as “Qandahārī,” wherever they actually came from, in their new locations they succeeded in acquiring political and economic leadership out of proportion to their numbers (e.g., only 10 percent of the total population of Sar-e Pol district in the 1970s; Tapper, 1991, p. 30).
Aside from the Acakzī, whose tribal territory straddles the present Afghan-Pakistani boundary between Qandahār and Quetta, several Dorrānī tribes also include minorities established east of Afghanistan, even as far as the Deccan (Ḥayāt Khan, tr., p. 66). They are concentrated mainly in the Punjab. Best known among them are the so-called Multani Pathans, actually Sadōzī (Pōpalzī) tribesmen. In the mid-17th century some members of the clan fled from Khorasan to Multān, in order to escape allegiance to Persia (Nabi Khan, p. 3); they were further reinforced by fellow tribesmen expelled by the Ḡilzay chief Mīr Ways Khan in the early 18th century (Ḥayāt Khan, tr., p. 71; Ibbetson, p. 93). Small colonies from the Pōpalzī, ʿAlīzī, and Al(e)kōzī tribes are also scattered in various other parts of the Punjab (Rose, III, p. 339; Ḥayāt Khan, tr., pp. 65-66, 72 ff.).
Substantial changes in the geographical distribution of the Dorrānī in and around Afghanistan occurred during the 1980s. Information is scanty, and it remains to be seen whether or not all these changes will last. First, it has been reported that the civil war has produced a flow of return migration of Pashtuns from northern to southern Afghanistan. Second, there has been massive emigration from southern Afghanistan to neighboring Pakistan and Persia (see DIASPORA ix, x). According to a sample survey in 1988, nearly 75 percent of all Afghan refugees in the southern part of Persian Khorasan were Dorrānī, that is, about 280,000 people (Papoli-Yazdi, p. 62).
Sociocultural characteristics. Although a majority of Dorrānī are now sedentary peasants or citydwellers (no figures are available), more than 20,000 families, about 110,000 people, were still nomads in 1357 Š./1978 (Table 37). Most of them belonged to the Panjpāy league for historical reasons (see above). Their summer pastures are mainly in the mountains of Ḡōr (Balland), where they compete with the local Aymāq populations for access to grazing lands. In sharp contrast to the situation in neighboring Hazārajāt, where the Hazāra villagers have been overpowered by Pashtun nomads (mainly Ḡilzī), the Aymāq have succeeded in keeping control of their territory; the Dorrānī nomads are considered only hamsāya (clients). Free legal right to pastureland is normally restricted to owners of springs or arable land in the vicinity, and Dorrānī nomads must therefore either pay grazing fees to local Aymāq owners or purchase springs or agricultural lands, which they then rent to Aymāq tenants (Glatzer, 1977, pp. 97 ff.). Some have settled on land they have bought and become seminomads, on the way to “aymaqization” (e.g., ten Al(e)kōzī families at Sōfak, 10 km northwest of Čaḡčarān).
Seminomadism is otherwise infrequent among Dorrānī, except in northern Afghanistan (Table 37). Joint families, however, frequently split into purely sedentary households that till the jointly owned lands and purely nomadic ones that take care of the jointly owned herds; shifting from one way of life to the other is easy (Glatzer, 1982; cf. Ḥayāt Khan, tr., p. 66, referring to the Nūrzī). Symbiotic relationships between settled and nomadic populations have thus been achieved on a much larger scale among Dorrānī than among Ḡilzī.
Dorrānī pastoral culture also differs in a number of ways from that of other Pashtun nomads, though this topic has never been thoroughly studied (Ferdinand, 1969, pp. 146 ff.). For example, Dorrānī use specific types of camel saddle and butter churn, as well as a black barrel-vaulted tent probably of the same origin as that used by the Baluch (Ferdinand, 1959, pp. 37 ff.); they wear somewhat different felt cloaks and shoes; the sexual division of labor among them is also unique, with the men fetching water and the women milking animals; they have a more pronounced handicraft tradition (female weaving, including weaving of the tent cloth); hunting (with hounds) plays a more important role in their daily life; and, finally, trade has never been introduced as an important component of their pastoral life, probably because their winter and summer quarters in Afghanistan are not complementary, with the exception of the Acakzī clans that migrate across the Afghan-Pakistan boundary to the Tōba highlands (Hughes-Buller, p. 71).
The Dorrānī confederation has traditionally been governed by a powerful hierarchy of hereditary tribal chiefs (sardārs). Kings depended on their support, and they held high positions in both central and provincial governments. Originally responsible for recruiting a feudal cavalry, they were consequently assigned rent-free tenancies (Turk. toyūl; Doerfer, II, p. 667-69) and were paid allowances in proportion to the number of horsemen they retained (for an extensive survey, see Rawlinson). They thus became a powerful and respected aristocracy, though also a potential threat to the monarch. Aristocratic government and pervasive state influence, combined with comparatively slight human pressure on agricultural and pastoral lands in southern Afghanistan, explain why feuds were traditionally uncommon among Dorrānī, aside from competition among chiefs for political power, and their country reputedly quiet (Elphinstone, pp. 389, 404; Gazetteer of Afghanistan V, pp. 145-46).
This peaceful situation has had durable consequences. First, Dorrānī customary law (narḵ) differs sharply from the standard paṧtūnwālī; for example, the Panjpāy tribes ignore the maraka (customary law court for minor disputes) and even consider the jerga (assembly of elders for settlement of important problems) a rather unusual institution (oral information; see also Elphinstone, pp. 404-05; Atayee, p. 67). Second, fortified settlements (qalʿa), the architectural expression of mutual distrust between tribal neighbors, are much less common among Dorrānī than in the rest of the Pashtun area and are restricted to the landed aristocracy (Elphinstone, pp. 407-08). A final distinctive feature of the Dorrānī is their Pashto dialect, characterized by the so-called “soft” consonants (described in Penzl; see AFGHANISTAN v, vi).
(For cited works not found in this bibliography and abbreviations found here, see “Short References.”) M. I. Atayee, A Dictionary of the Terminology of Pashtun’s Tribal Customary Law and Usages, Kabul, 1358 Š./1979.
D. Balland, Afghanistan—Nomadismus und Halbnomadismus, TAVO A 10/12.7, Wiesbaden, 1989.
H. W. Bellew, The Races of Afghanistan, Calcutta, 1880; repr. Lahore, 1976.
A. Bonner, Among the Afghans, Durham, N.C., 1987.
B. Dorn, “Verzeichniss afghanischer Stämme,” Bulletin scientifique publié par l’Académie Impériale des Sciences de Saint-Petersbourg 3/17, 1838, cols. 257-66.
M. Elphinstone, An Account of the Kingdom of Caubul, and its Dependencies in Persia, Tartary, and India, London, 1815; repr. Graz, 1969.
ʿEnāyat Khan, Šāh Jahān-nāma, tr. A. R. Fuller, ed. W. E. Begley and Z. A. Desai as The Shah Jahan Nama of ʿInayat Khan, Delhi, 1990.
K. Ferdinand, “The Baluchistan Barrel-Vaulted Tent and Its Affinities,” Folk (Copenhagen) 1, 1959, pp. 27-50.
Idem, “Nomadism in Afghanistan, with an Appendix on Milk Products,” in L. Földes, ed., Viehwirtschaft und Hirtenkultur, Budapest, 1969, pp. 127-60.
J. P. Ferrier, History of the Afghans, London, 1858.
B. Glatzer, Nomaden von Gharjistān. Aspekte der wirtschaftlichen, sozialen und politischen Organi-sation nomadischer Durrānī-Paschtunen in Nordwestafghanistan, Beiträge zur Südasien-Forschung 22, Wiesbaden, 1977.
Idem, “Processes of Nomadization in West Afghanistan,” in P. C. Salzman, ed., Contemporary Nomadic and Pastoral Peoples. Asia and the North, Studies in Third World Societies 18, Williamsburg, Va., 1982, pp. 61-86.
Idem, “Political Organisation of Pashtun Nomads and the State,” in R. Tapper, ed., The Conflict of Tribe and State in Iran and Afghanistan, London, 1983, pp. 212-32.
Moḥammad Ḥayāt Khan, Hayāt-e afḡān, tr. H. Priestley as Afghanistan and Its Inhabitants, Lahore, 1874; repr. Lahore, 1981.
R. Hughes-Buller, ed., Quetta-Pishin District, Baluchistan District Gazetteer Series, Ajmer, 1907.
D. Ibbetson, Panjab Castes, Lahore, 1916; repr. New Delhi, 1981; repr. Lahore, 1982.
H. K. Kakar, Government and Society in Afghanistan. The Reign of Amir ʿAbd al-Rahman Khan, Austin, Tex., 1972.
R. Leech, “An Account of the Early Abdalees,” Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal 14/162, 1845, pp. 445-70.
L. Lockhart, Nadir Shah, London, 1938; repr. Lahore, 1976.
A. H. McMahon, “The Origin of Duranis” (genealogical tree), National Archives of India, New Delhi, Foreign Department, Secret F, August 1895, no. 346.
J. Malcolm, Histoire de la Perse, 4 vols., Paris, 1821.
C. Masson, Narrative of Various Journeys in Balochistan, Afghanistan, and the Panjab, 3 vols., London, 1842; repr. Karachi, 1974; repr. Graz, 1975.
A. Nabi Khan, A History of the Saddozai Afghāns of Multān, Publications of the Research Society of Pakistan 44, Lahore, 1977.
M. H. Papoli-Yazdi, “Cultures et géopolitique en Iran. Les réfugiés afghans dans le Khorāssān,” Géographie et cultures 3, 1992, pp. 57-70.
H. Penzl, A Grammar of Pashto. A Descriptive Study of the Dialect of Kandahar, Afghanistan, Washington, D.C., 1955.
X. de Planhol, “Sur la frontière turkmène de l’Afghanistan,” Revue Géographique de l’Est 13/1-2, 1973, pp. 1-16.
Idem, “Le repeuplement de la basse vallée afghane du Murghāb,” Stud. Ir. 5/2, 1976, pp. 279-90.
H. C. Rawlinson, “Report on the Dooranee Tribes, 19th April 1841,” in C. M. MacGregor, ed., Central Asia II. A Contribution towards the Better Knowledge of the Topography, Ethnology, Resources, and History of Afghānistān, Calcutta, 1871, pp. 823-69; repr. with numerous typographical errors in Gazetteer of Afghanistan V, pp. 509-77.
H. A. Rose, ed., A Glossary of the Tribes and Castes of the Punjab and North-West Frontier Province, 3 vols., Lahore, 1919; repr. Lahore, 1978.
F. E. Ross, ed., Central Asia. Personal Narrative of General Josiah Harlan 1823-1841, London, 1939.
O. Roy, L’Afghanistan. Islam et modernité politique, Paris, 1985.
B. R. Rubin, “Political Elites in Afghanistan. Rentier State Building, Rentier State Wrecking,” IJMES 24/1, 1992, pp. 77-99.
N. Tapper, “The Advent of Pashtūn māldārs in North-Western Afghanistan,” BSOAS 36/1, 1973, pp. 55-79.
Idem, “Abd al-Rahman’s North-West Frontier. The Pashtun Colonisation of Afghan Turkistan,” in R. Tapper, ed., The Conflict of Tribe and State in Iran and Afghanistan, London, 1983, pp. 233-61.
Idem, Bartered Brides. Politics, Gender and Marriage in an Afghan Tribal Society, London, 1991.
Taḏkerāt al-molūk, partial tr. in H. G. Raverty, A Grammar of the Puk’hto, Pus’hto, or Language of the Afghāns, 2nd ed., London, 1860, pp. 5-14.
Tārīḵ-e moraṣṣaʿ, partial tr. in T. C. Plowden, Translation of the Kalid-i-Afghani, Lahore, 1901, pp. 167-208.
H. Wylie, Summary of Report on Toba (1879), India Office Records, London, L/P & S/7/23/1477-82.
M. E. Yapp, “Disturbances in Western Afghanistan, 1839-41,” BSOAS 26/2, 1963, pp. 288-313.
Idem, “The Revolutions of 1841-2 in Afghanistan,” BSOAS 27/2, 1964, pp. 333-81.
R. Yusufzai, “Influence of Durrani-Ghalji Rivalry in Afghan Politics,” Regional Studies (Islamabad) 1/4, 1983, pp. 42-66.
Table 35. The Dorrānī Tribes within Pashtun Genealogy
Table 36. Estimates of the Strengths of the Dorrānī Tribes at various dates (in numbers of families)
Table 37. Pastoral Nomadism among Dorrānī Tribes in Afghanistan (1978)
(Daniel Balland)
Vol. VII, Fasc. 5, p. 513-519
Daniel Balland, “DORRĀNĪ,” Encyclopædia Iranica, VII/5, pp. 513-519, available online at http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/dorrani-1 (accessed on 29 November 2011).
dorrani
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Sean Mc Manus & Congressman Russ Carnahan (D-MO)
UK’s EU ambassador attacks ‘muddled thinking’ in his resignation letter
Posted By: January 04, 2017
Belfast Telegraph. Tuesday, January 3, 2017
Sources said Sir Ivan Rogers has resigned as the UK’s ambassador to the EU
Britain’s outgoing EU ambassador has hit out at the “ill-founded arguments and muddled thinking” of politicians in his shock resignation letter.
Sir Ivan Rogers unexpectedly quit just months after he sparked controversy by warning the Government that a post-Brexit trade deal could take a decade to finalise, and even then may fail to get ratified by member states.
In a lengthy farewell email to his staff posted on The Times website, Sir Ivan revealed that civil servants still do not know the Government’s Brexit priorities and that “serious multilateral negotiating experience is in short supply in Whitehall” – unlike in Brussels.
And he criticized politicians and urged his civil servants to continue to challenge ministers and “speak the truth to those in power”.
Sir Ivan wrote: “I hope you will continue to challenge ill-founded arguments and muddled thinking and that you will never be afraid to speak the truth to those in power.
“I hope that you will support each other in those difficult moments where you have to deliver messages that are disagreeable to those who need to hear them.
“I hope that you will continue to be interested in the views of others, even where you disagree with them, and in understanding why others act and think in the way that they do.
“I hope that you will always provide the best advice and counsel you can to the politicians that our people have elected, and be proud of the essential role we play in the service of a great democracy.”
In the email, sent just before 1pm on Tuesday, Sir Ivan said he decided to step down early so his replacement can be in place when Article 50 is triggered in March and formal negotiations commence.
But it comes amid reports of tension between the senior diplomat and ministers, with the Daily Telegraph reporting that Theresa May and her senior team had “lost confidence” in him over his “pessimistic” view over Brexit.
Sir Ivan stressed the need for expert civil servants to play a central role in the negotiations and urged his staff to tell ministers the true opinions of the other 27 member states “even where this is uncomfortable”.
He wrote that “we do not yet know what the Government will set as negotiating objectives for the UK’s relationship with the EU after exit” but the UK’s Permanent Representation to the EU (UKREP) must be “centrally involved in the negotiations if the UK is to achieve the best possible outcomes”.
He added: “Serious multilateral negotiating experience is in short supply in Whitehall, and that is not the case in the Commission or in the Council.
“The Government will only achieve the best for the country if it harnesses the best experience we have – a large proportion of which is concentrated in UKREP – and negotiates resolutely.
“Senior ministers, who will decide on our positions, issue by issue, also need from you detailed, unvarnished – even where this is uncomfortable – and nuanced understanding of the views, interests and incentives of the other 27.”
Sir Ivan also said the allocation of roles in the UK’s negotiating team needs “rapid resolution” and hit out at assertions by some politicians that a free trade deal will be easy to negotiate.
He said: “Contrary to the beliefs of some, free trade does not just happen when it is not thwarted by authorities: increasing market access to other markets and consumer choice in our own, depends on the deals, multilateral, plurilateral and bilateral that we strike, and the terms that we agree.
“I shall advise my successor to continue to make these points.”
Sir Ivan said being Britain’s EU ambassador has been the highlight of his career and leaving will be a “tremendous wrench”.
The email, which was also obtained by the BBC, was made public after some MPs warned that Sir Ivan’s resignation showed that those who challenge Brexiteers are being increasingly frozen out.
Nick Clegg, the former deputy prime minister, said that “the trend seems to be for people who haven’t drunk the Brexit Kool-Aid, they are increasingly being pushed to the margins.
“And that’s not good for the country, it’s not good for a workable negotiation on Brexit, and nor is it actually good for the informal checks and balances that exist in a mature democracy such as ours.”
And in a highly unusual move, Lord Macpherson of Earl’s Court, the former Treasury permanent secretary, tweeted: “Ivan Rogers huge loss. Can’t understand wilful & total destruction of EU expertise, with Cunliffe, Ellam & Scholar also out of loop. #amateurism.”
He was citing Sir Ivan’s predecessor Sir Jon Cunliffe, Tom Scholar, who was previously an adviser to the prime minister on European issues and is now Permanent Secretary to the Treasury, and Michael Ellam, a former Treasury official who now works for HSBC.
But former minister and Conservative MP Dominic Raab told the BBC’s Radio 4 PM Programme that Sir Ivan’s “heart hasn’t really been in Brexit” and his resignation will be “quietly, cautiously and respectfully welcomed at the top of Government”.
Responding to the letter, Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron, said: “It is damning when our own top people are slamming this Conservative Brexit Government for using ill-founded arguments and muddled thinking.
“This is the biggest decision by the UK Government in modern times and Theresa May is marching ahead without a plan or even a clue.
“We need our top people around the table if we are going to avoid wrecking the country with Brexit. It is shameful that vital, talented people like Ivan Rogers are instead being driven away.”
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Capital Cities (Safe And) Sound Great On ‘Jimmy Fallon’: Watch
Robbie Daw @chartrigger | November 13, 2013 11:24 am
It’s been one long haul for Capital Cities and their Top 10 hit “Safe And Sound” — one that stretches back nearly three years, when the song was first independently released. Even at the point when we had the L.A.-based duo into our office this past spring, it wasn’t quite apparent yet whether or not “Safe And Sound,” which was was hovering just outside the Top 40 at the time, would climb into the upper reaches of the Billboard Hot 100.
But here we are all these months later, and the gents have a certified smash on their hands. Capital Cities are still out out there pounding the pavement, touring and doing TV promo, such as last night when the pair hit up Late Night With Jimmy Fallon. Quite frankly, they sounded great and, good sports that they are, bounced around joyously like it was the the first — or at least the third or fourth or fifth — time they were performing their peppy dance-pop jam. Watch above.
Get an eyeful of even more pop music coverage, from artist interviews to exclusive performances, on Idolator’s YouTube channel.
Tags: Capital Cities, Jimmy Fallon
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Post Production News
VFX News
IFTA Film & Drama Awards
Galway Film Fleadh 2017
Mark Noonan talks with IFTN ahead of 'Kevin Roche: The Quiet Architect' Irish release
13 Oct 2017 : Nathan Griffin
IFTN caught up with Irish director Mark Noonan (You're Ugly Too, They Shoot People) about his new documentary ‘Kevin Roche: The Quiet Architect, ahead of it's Irish release this Friday, October 13th.
The film charts the life and work of Kevin Roche - the "greatest living architect you've never heard of". Roche, now 95, is Irish-born but has made the most impact in the USA with many of the world's most famous buildings.
The documentary was co-produced with Wavelength Pictures and has just enjoyed a sold out premiere. The documentary made its world premiere at the IFI Documentary Festival in Dublin – Sunday, October 1st, and will feature at a number of other festivals in October including: Offline Film Festival; Kerry Film Festival and the New York Architecture & Design Festival in November.
Irish Director Mark Noonan's debut feature film You’re Ugly Too featured Aidan Gillen (Game of Thrones) and Lauren Kinsella (Albert Nobbs) and premiered at the 2015 Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale) where it was nominated for Best Debut Feature. Completed in Summer 2017, Kevin Roche: The Quiet Architect is his debut documentary feature, and was filmed at locations in New York City, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Indiana, Oakland California, Paris, Madrid and Dublin.
IFTN: You yourself have a background in architecture, can you tell me a little bit about that and how you got into filmmaking from there?
Mark Noonan: “Yes, I would have studied in the same University as Kevin Roche; I would have graduated from UCD in 2007, Degree in Architecture. I went straight from architecture to working in a film production company called ‘Venom Film’, in a production assistant capacity and then over the next few years I compiled some film work so I was dipping my toe in both worlds for a number of years until I made my first movie ‘You’re Ugly too’ and then I went full-time with filmmaking.”
IFTN: Was this documentary a passion project of yours or how did it come about?
Mark: “It’s actually an unusual one because I didn’t know about Kevin’s work because he’s not widely taught, he certainly wasn’t taught to us at University so I was completely unaware of his work actually. That’s actually one of the things that drew me to this project, this project was not my idea so I couldn’t claim it as a passion project, it was really the producer who knew about Kevin Roche, he read an article about him in the Irish Times I believe it was about his 90th birthday and he had a huge interest in architecture and had never heard of this guy either.
So he got in touch with me because he knew about my background and I was surprised and amazed that I never heard of this guy, and then the more I researched him, the more intrigued I became about who was this guy as an architect? How come I never heard about him? Yet, he built all these incredible buildings across the world. I suppose his personality came across the more we researched, and he seemed like he was quit unique amongst architects in general.”
IFTN: How different did you find the process of making a documentary compared to your previous feature film ‘You’re ugly too’?
Mark: “Completely different, to be honest, 100% different... I suppose with the documentary I was expecting it to be less structured so it really is more like a puzzle, you have the pieces as you shoot, as you make the documentary you get all the pieces together but you don’t quite know what order they are going to go in. I suppose you do have an idea but it’s not until you are in the edit that you start working on the puzzle so this was of course completely different to my dramatic movie where you have the script, you shoot the script, and then in the edit you play around and experiment but you do always have that really strong, detailed blueprint.
Whereas in the documentary there is a lot of trying things, chopping and changing, and trying to find a movie in the edit almost, which is very exciting but also quite nerve-racking because you aren’t 100% sure of it until you are quite a long way into the edit. The process was very, very different I must say.”
IFTN: Has Kevin Roche seen the documentary, and if so what did he think of it?
Mark: “He has, we are going to meet with him at the New York premiere next month. He sent us an email to say that he thought it was wonderful, he was very grateful for us taking the time to film all his buildings and to show such an interest. I mean, he did think it was far, far, far too long. He thought we could have done it in twenty minutes, so I think that’s in itself (an example of) his self deprecating nature. He doesn’t really see why anyone would want to watch a cinematic portrait of him, which we found quite funny but we are trying to do something that will live on the big screen so a twenty minute piece wasn’t something we every really considered, despite his input!”
'Kevin Roche: The Quiet Architect' goes on cinema release in Ireland - Friday, October 13th.
Submissions Now Open for the IFI Documentary Festival 2019
RTÉ to Broadcast Special Screening of 'Kevin Roche: The Quiet Architect' on March 19th
Mark Noonan's 'Kevin Roche: The Quiet Architect' Documentary Set to Feature at New Zealand International Film Festival
IFI Doc Fest Announces Call for Entries for Irish Documentary Filmmakers
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Morechai S. Goodman
Search for more by Morechai S. Goodman
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The Sabbath Epistle of Rabbi Abraham Ibn Ezra
The Sabbath Epistle ('Iggeret haShabbat) is a treatise written by Rabbi Abraham Ibn Ezra in the year 1158 while he was residing in England. The impetus for his writing this treatise was a note by a Biblical exegete that the Torah's "day" extended from one dawn to the following dawn. Ibn Ezra was appalled by this comment and composed an extensive letter in which he clarified the Torah's definition of a day, a month, and a year. In so doing, Ibn Ezra also expounded on the meaning of some difficult verses of the Bible.
Mordechai S. Goodman is Professor Emeritus at Dominican University, River Forest, IL, where he taught for 39 years in the Department of Mathematics. Dr. Goodman has Rabbinical Ordination from Bais HaMidrash LaTorah - Hebrew Theological College, Skokie, IL, and a Doctorate of Philosophy in Mathematics from Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, IL. He has published numerous articles on the works of Rabbi Abraham Ibn Ezra and recently completed a corrected and annotated edition of Ibn Ezra's commentary to Job. Dr. Goodman is married to the former Hadassah Sanft and together they have four children. Learn More
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Hussain lauds Tendulkar’s focus
Former England captain Nasser Hussain paid tribute to Indian batting legend Sachin Tendulkar for holding his own despite the turbulence that has engulfed the visitors in the aftermath of losing back-to-back Tests.
"As a youngster, if you ever wanted to learn how to behave in front of the media, maintain your integrity, or deal with adversity, there's no reason to look beyond Sachin," Hussain told MiD DAY on the eve of Wednesday's third Test between England and India at Edgbaston.
"Even when I played against him, I always noticed how he would purely focus on his batting, on his game, despite so much happening around him. In other words, he never reacts to any sledges. He is there, standing still, and batting like only he can. It's a tremendous testament to his fantastic technique and temperament," added Hussain.
Hussain went on to add that he wished to see Tendulkar score his 100th international ton in the third Test at Edgbaston.
"I wish he gets it here (at Edgbaston). It's a historic ground and it will be a fitting place to do it. I am still banking on England to win the series 3-0, but it would be nice to watch Tendulkar score a gem," said Hussain.
The now cricket commentator, however, ruled out the possibility of an Indian fight back in the series though: "The two leading run-scorers in the history of Test cricket (Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid) are a part of this Indian team. However, the team has not shown any encouraging signs. I am backing England to go the distance because they have taken more initiative."
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Fantasy Football – A Better Football Manager
All sports fans and video game players have heard of Fantasy Football – a sports game in which players act as managers of fantasy football clubs. Some may think that it’s similar to sports betting, where you constantly have to search for the best odds and bookmakers to place your bets, but in reality it’s much different. The managers choose their team members from a variety of real football players, and the points are based on actual performances of those players in the real world. The game is focused mainly on NFL (National Football League of America), Canadian Football League and college football. However, with the expansion of the gaming market and the growing popularity of the fantasy football games, other leagues have adopted the same strategy, so now, one can find a fantasy football manager for the English Premier League and other major leagues of the world. Easy as it may sound, Fantasy Football is mostly a strategic football manager game, in which both skill and luck are required.
Feel the thrill of a real team-management
So, the question appears here: is Fantasy Football better than the regular football manager games, or is it just a new fad spreading among the gamers? The answer is pretty simple: Fantasy Football carries a certain dose of excitement with it, mainly because it revolves around real-life performances of actual players. Having that in mind, gamers turn to Fantasy Football and try to draft the best team possible in order to achieve maximum results. The overwhelming sensation of waiting for the results of the fantasy league is definitely something all gamers strive for. That is why one of the main advantages Fantasy Football has over regular football manager games.
Another thing to have in mind when speaking about the Fantasy Football game as a new type of a football manager is that it lets players see how hard it is to actually pick a good and winning team. The managers of real-life football teams have an unenviable task of choosing only the best players for their team, even though sometimes they cannot do that because their finances are limited or the players do not want to join the team in question. Fantasy football managers deal with the same problem when looking for the players for their team – it often happens that the best players are busy with another team and that the managers are left with good, but not great players. They have to use different strategies and make combinations of players to win – just like real-life managers do. Sometimes, fantasy football managers have to react quickly and be active in order to set the lineup for their team each week. That is also one of the reasons why Fantasy Football will attract more and more players than a regular football manager. People love having responsibility, and this game offers them just that. Taking care of players’ health and activity, making the best moves for the team and actively participating in managing the squad is what makes Fantasy Football more interesting than a regular football manager game.
Be the best among the rest
Other reasons for Fantasy Football being a new and improved version of a football manager are that it includes trading the players, just like in real leagues and paying the fees needed to manage the team. Before starting the league draft, managers should pay all the league fees, thus setting an example for other players and continuing a good practice of the league. If managers do not respect the fees and refuse to pay them, they can be kicked out of the league. Having so many similarities to the real-life football managing, Fantasy Football has a potential of becoming one of the best football manager games available to players. Whatever happens, remember that it is just a game and do not let a single loss ruin your week, should it happen!
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Title: Abraham Lincoln
Subject: Elections in New England, Electoral history of Abraham Lincoln, United States presidential election, 1860, 1862, Hannibal Hamlin
Lincoln in 1863, aged 54
March 4, 1861 – April 15, 1865
Hannibal Hamlin (1861–1865)
Andrew Johnson (1865)
from Illinois's 7th district
Thomas Harris
Member of the Illinois House of Representatives
Hodgenville, Kentucky, U.S.
April 15, 1865(1865-04-15) (aged 56)
Petersen House,
Washington, D.C., U.S.
Lincoln Tomb, Oak Ridge Cemetery
Whig (1834–1854)
Republican (1854–1865)
National Union (1864–1865)
Mary Todd (m. 1842; his death 1865)
Robert Todd, Edward Baker, William Wallace ("Willie"), Thomas ("Tad") III
See: Abraham Lincoln and religion
Illinois Militia
(April 21, 1832 – July 10, 1832)
(April 21, 1832 – May 27, 1832)
(May 28, 1832 – July 10, 1832)
OBS:. Discharged from his command and re-enlisted as a Private.
This article is part of a series about
Early Life & Career
Lincoln–Douglas debates
"Cooper Union Speech"
Views on Slavery
"Farewell Address in Illinois"
First Term
Campaign for the Presidency
1st Inauguration
"Gettysburg Address"
Second Term
Reelection
2nd Inauguration
"Second Inaugural Address"
Assassination and legacy
Depictions
Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. Lincoln led the United States through its Civil War—its bloodiest war and its greatest moral, constitutional, and political crisis.[1][2] In doing so, he preserved the Union, abolished slavery, strengthened the federal government, and modernized the economy.
Born in Hodgenville, Kentucky, Lincoln grew up on the western frontier in Kentucky and Indiana. Largely self-educated, he became a lawyer in Illinois, a Whig Party leader, and a member of the Illinois House of Representatives, where he served from 1834 to 1846. Elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1846, Lincoln promoted rapid modernization of the economy through banks, tariffs, and railroads. Because he had originally agreed not to run for a second term in Congress, and because his opposition to the Mexican–American War was unpopular among Illinois voters, Lincoln returned to Springfield and resumed his successful law practice. Reentering politics in 1854, he became a leader in building the new Republican Party, which had a statewide majority in Illinois. In 1858, while taking part in a series of highly publicized debates with his opponent and rival, Democrat Stephen A. Douglas, Lincoln spoke out against the expansion of slavery, but lost the U.S. Senate race to Douglas.
In 1860, Lincoln secured the Republican Party presidential nomination as a moderate from a swing state. With very little support in the slaveholding states of the South, he swept the North and was elected president in 1860. His victory prompted seven southern slave states to form the Confederate States of America before he moved into the White House - no compromise or reconciliation was found regarding slavery and secession. Subsequently, on April 12, 1861, a Confederate attack on Fort Sumter inspired the North to enthusiastically rally behind the Union in a declaration of war. As the leader of the moderate faction of the Republican Party, Lincoln confronted Radical Republicans, who demanded harsher treatment of the South, War Democrats, who called for more compromise, anti-war Democrats (called Copperheads), who despised him, and irreconcilable secessionists, who plotted his assassination. Politically, Lincoln fought back by pitting his opponents against each other, by carefully planned political patronage, and by appealing to the American people with his powers of oratory.[3] His Gettysburg Address became an iconic endorsement of the principles of nationalism, republicanism, equal rights, liberty, and democracy.
Lincoln initially concentrated on the military and political dimensions of the war. His primary goal was to reunite the nation. He suspended habeas corpus, leading to the controversial ex parte Merryman decision, and he averted potential British intervention in the war by defusing the Trent Affair in late 1861. Lincoln closely supervised the war effort, especially the selection of top generals, including his most successful general, Ulysses S. Grant. He also made major decisions on Union war strategy, including a naval blockade that shut down the South's normal trade, moves to take control of Kentucky and Tennessee, and using gunboats to gain control of the southern river system. Lincoln tried repeatedly to capture the Confederate capital at Richmond; each time a general failed, Lincoln substituted another, until finally Grant succeeded. As the war progressed, his complex moves toward ending slavery began with the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863; subsequently, Lincoln used the U.S. Army to protect escaped slaves, encouraged the border states to outlaw slavery, and pushed through Congress the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which permanently outlawed slavery.
An exceptionally astute politician deeply involved with power issues in each state, Lincoln reached out to the War Democrats and managed his own re-election campaign in the 1864 presidential election. Anticipating the war's conclusion, Lincoln pushed a moderate view of Reconstruction, seeking to reunite the nation speedily through a policy of generous reconciliation in the face of lingering and bitter divisiveness. On April 14, 1865, five days after the April 9th surrender of Confederate commanding general Robert E. Lee, Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth, a Confederate sympathizer.
Lincoln has been consistently ranked both by scholars[4] and the public[5] as one of the three greatest U.S. presidents.
1 Family and childhood
1.1 Early life and family ancestry
1.2 Marriage and children
2 Early career and militia service
3 U.S. House of Representatives, 1847–49
4 Prairie lawyer
5 Republican politics 1854–60
5.1 Slavery and a "House Divided"
5.2 Lincoln–Douglas debates and Cooper Union speech
5.3 1860 Presidential nomination and campaign
6 Presidency
6.1 1860 election and secession
6.2 Beginning of the war
6.3 Assuming command for the Union in the war
6.4 General McClellan
6.5 Emancipation Proclamation
6.6 Gettysburg Address (1863)
6.7 General Grant
6.8 1864 re-election
6.9 Reconstruction
6.10 Redefining the republic and republicanism
6.11 Other enactments
6.12 Judicial appointments
6.12.1 Supreme Court appointments
6.12.2 Other judicial appointments
6.13 States admitted to the Union
7 Assassination and funeral
8 Religious and philosophical beliefs
10 Historical reputation
11 Memory and memorials
14 Bibliography
14.1 Cited in footnotes
14.2 Historiography
14.3 Additional references
Family and childhood
Early life and family ancestry
Abraham Lincoln was born February 12, 1809, the second child of Thomas and Nancy Hanks Lincoln, in a one-room log cabin on the Sinking Spring Farm in Hardin County, Kentucky[6] (now LaRue County). He is a descendant of Samuel Lincoln, who migrated from Norfolk, England to Hingham, Massachusetts, in 1638. Samuel's grandson and great-grandson began the family's western migration, which passed through New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.[7][8] Lincoln's paternal grandfather and namesake, Captain Abraham Lincoln, moved the family from Virginia to Jefferson County, Kentucky in the 1780s.[9] Captain Lincoln was killed in an Indian raid in 1786. His children, including six-year-old Thomas, the future president's father, witnessed the attack.[10][11] After his father's murder, Thomas was left to make his own way on the frontier, working at odd jobs in Kentucky and in Tennessee, before settling with members of his family in Hardin County, Kentucky, in the early 1800s.[12][13]
Lincoln's mother, Nancy, was the daughter of Lucy Shipley Hanks, and was born in what is now Mineral County, West Virginia, then part of Virginia. The identity of Lincoln's maternal grandfather is unclear.[14] According to William Ensign Lincoln's book The Ancestry of Abraham Lincoln, Nancy was the daughter of Joseph Hanks;[15] however, the debate continues over whether she was born out of wedlock. Lucy Hanks migrated to Kentucky with her daughter, Nancy. The two women resided with relatives in Washington County, Kentucky.[14][16]
Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Hanks were married on June 12, 1806, in Washington County, and moved to Elizabethtown, Kentucky, following their marriage.[17] They became the parents of three children: Sarah, born on February 10, 1807; Abraham, on February 12, 1809; and another son, Thomas, who died in infancy.[18] Thomas Lincoln bought or leased several farms in Kentucky, including the Sinking Spring farm, where Abraham was born; however, a land title dispute soon forced the Lincolns to move.[19][20] In 1811 the family relocated eight miles north, to Knob Creek Farm, where Thomas acquired title to 230 acres (93 ha) of land. In 1815 a claimant in another land dispute sought to eject the family from the farm.[20] Of the 816.5 acres that Thomas held in Kentucky, he lost all but 200 acres (81 ha) of his land in court disputes over property titles.[21] Frustrated over the lack of security provided by Kentucky courts, Thomas sold the remaining land he held in Kentucky in 1814, and began planning a move to Indiana, where the land survey process was more reliable and the ability for an individual to retain land titles was more secure.[22]
In 1816 the family moved north across the Ohio River to Indiana, a free, non-slaveholding territory, where they settled in an "unbroken forest"[23] in Hurricane Township, Perry County. (Their land in southern Indiana became part of Spencer County, Indiana, when the county was established in 1818.)[24][25] The farm is preserved as part of the Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial. In 1860 Lincoln noted that the family's move to Indiana was "partly on account of slavery"; but mainly due to land title difficulties in Kentucky.[21][26] During the family's years in Kentucky and Indiana, Thomas Lincoln worked as a farmer, cabinetmaker, and carpenter.[27] He owned farms, several town lots and livestock, paid taxes, sat on juries, appraised estates, served on country slave patrols, and guarded prisoners. Thomas and Nancy Lincoln were also members of a Separate Baptists church, which had restrictive moral standards and opposed alcohol, dancing, and slavery.[28] Within a year of the family's arrival in Indiana, Thomas claimed title to 160 acres (65 ha) of Indiana land. Despite some financial challenges he eventually obtained clear title to 80 acres (32 ha) of land in what became known as the Little Pigeon Creek Community in Spencer County.[29] Prior to the family's move to Illinois in 1830, Thomas had acquired an additional twenty acres of land adjacent to his property.[30]
The young Lincoln in sculpture at Senn Park, Chicago.
Several significant family events took place during Lincoln's youth in Indiana. On October 5, 1818, Nancy Lincoln died of milk sickness, leaving eleven-year-old Sarah in charge of a household that included her father, nine-year-old Abraham, and Dennis Hanks, Nancy's nineteen-year-old orphaned cousin.[31] On December 2, 1819, Lincoln's father married Sarah "Sally" Bush Johnston, a widow from Elizabethtown, Kentucky, with three children of her own.[32] Abraham became very close to his stepmother, whom he referred to as "Mother".[33][34] Those who knew Lincoln as a teenager later recalled him being very distraught over his sister Sarah's death on January 20, 1828, while giving birth to a stillborn son.[35][36]
As a youth, Lincoln disliked the hard labor associated with frontier life. Some of his neighbors and family members thought for a time that he was lazy for all his "reading, scribbling, writing, ciphering, writing Poetry, etc.",[37][38][39] and must have done it to avoid manual labor. His stepmother also acknowledged he did not enjoy "physical labor", but loved to read.[40] Lincoln was largely self-educated. His formal schooling from several itinerant teachers was intermittent, the aggregate of which may have amounted to less than a year; however, he was an avid reader and retained a lifelong interest in learning.[41][42] Family, neighbors, and schoolmates of Lincoln's youth recalled that he read and reread the King James Bible, Aesop's Fables, Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress, Defoe's Robinson Crusoe, Weems's The Life of Washington, and Franklin's Autobiography, among others.[43][44][45][46]
As he grew into his teens, Lincoln took responsibility for the chores expected of him as one of the boys in the household. He also complied with the customary obligation of a son giving his father all earnings from work done outside the home until the age of twenty-one.[47] Abraham became adept at using an axe. Tall for his age, Lincoln was also strong and athletic.[48] He attained a reputation for brawn and audacity after a very competitive wrestling match with the renowned leader of a group of ruffians known as "the Clary's Grove boys".[49]
In early March 1830, fearing a milk sickness outbreak along the Ohio River, the Lincoln family moved west to Illinois, a non-slaveholding state. They settled on a site in Macon County, Illinois, 10 miles (16 km) west of Decatur.[50][51] Historians disagree on who initiated the move.[52] After the family relocated to Illinois, Abraham became increasingly distant from his father,[53] in part because of his father's lack of education, and occasionally lent him money.[54] In 1831, as Thomas and other members of the family prepared to move to a new homestead in Coles County, Illinois, Abraham was old enough to make his own decisions and struck out on his own.[55] Traveling down the Sangamon River, he ended up in the village of New Salem in Sangamon County.[56] Later that spring, Denton Offutt, a New Salem merchant, hired Lincoln and some friends to take goods by flatboat from New Salem to New Orleans via the Sangamon, Illinois, and Mississippi rivers. After arriving in New Orleans—and witnessing slavery firsthand—Lincoln returned to New Salem, where he remained for the next six years.[57][58]
1864 photo of President Lincoln with youngest son, Tad
Mary Todd Lincoln, wife of Abraham Lincoln, age 28
Lincoln's first romantic interest was Ann Rutledge, whom he met when he first moved to New Salem; by 1835, they were in a relationship but not formally engaged. She died at the age of 22 on August 25, 1835, most likely of typhoid fever.[59] In the early 1830s, he met Mary Owens from Kentucky when she was visiting her sister.[60]
Late in 1836, Lincoln agreed to a match with Mary if she returned to New Salem. Mary did return in November 1836, and Lincoln courted her for a time; however, they both had second thoughts about their relationship. On August 16, 1837, Lincoln wrote Mary a letter suggesting he would not blame her if she ended the relationship. She never replied and the courtship ended.[60]
In 1840, Lincoln became engaged to Mary Todd, who was from a wealthy slave-holding family in Lexington, Kentucky.[61] They met in Springfield, Illinois, in December 1839[62] and were engaged the following December.[63] A wedding set for January 1, 1841, was canceled when the two broke off their engagement at Lincoln's initiative.[62][64] They later met again at a party and married on November 4, 1842, in the Springfield mansion of Mary's married sister.[65] While preparing for the nuptials and feeling anxiety again, Lincoln, when asked where he was going, replied, "To hell, I suppose."[66]
In 1844, the couple bought a house in Springfield near Lincoln's law office. Mary Todd Lincoln kept house, often with the help of a relative or hired servant girl.[67] Robert Todd Lincoln was born in 1843 and Edward Baker Lincoln (Eddie) in 1846. Lincoln "was remarkably fond of children",[68] and the Lincolns were not considered to be strict with their children.[69]
Edward died on February 1, 1850, in Springfield, probably of tuberculosis. "Willie" Lincoln was born on December 21, 1850, and died of a fever on February 20, 1862. The Lincolns' fourth son, Thomas "Tad" Lincoln, was born on April 4, 1853, and died of heart failure at the age of 18 on July 16, 1871.[70] Robert was the only child to live to adulthood and have children. His last descendant, great-grandson Robert Todd Lincoln Beckwith, died in 1985.[71]
The deaths of their sons had profound effects on both parents. Later in life, Mary struggled with the stresses of losing her husband and sons, and Robert Lincoln committed her temporarily to a mental health asylum in 1875.[72] Abraham Lincoln suffered from "melancholy", a condition which now is referred to as clinical depression.[73]
Lincoln's father-in-law and others of the Todd family were either slave owners or slave traders. Lincoln was close to the Todds, and he and his family occasionally visited the Todd estate in Lexington.[74] He was an affectionate, though often absent, husband and father of four children.
Early career and militia service
Lincoln depicted protecting a Native American from his own men in a scene often related about Lincoln's service during the Black Hawk War.
In 1832, at age 23, Lincoln and a partner bought a small general store on credit in New Salem, Illinois.[75] Although the economy was booming in the region, the business struggled and Lincoln eventually sold his share. That March he began his political career with his first campaign for the Illinois General Assembly. He had attained local popularity and could draw crowds as a natural raconteur in New Salem, though he lacked an education, powerful friends, and money, which may be why he lost. He advocated navigational improvements on the Sangamon River.[76][77]
Before the election, Lincoln served as a captain in the Illinois Militia during the Black Hawk War.[78] Following his return, Lincoln continued his campaign for the August 6 election for the Illinois General Assembly. At 6 feet 4 inches (193 cm),[79] he was tall and "strong enough to intimidate any rival". At his first speech, when he saw a supporter in the crowd being attacked, Lincoln grabbed the assailant by his "neck and the seat of his trousers" and threw him.[80] Lincoln finished eighth out of 13 candidates (the top four were elected), though he received 277 of the 300 votes cast in the New Salem precinct.[81]
Lincoln served as New Salem's postmaster and later as county surveyor, all the while reading voraciously. He then decided to become a lawyer and began teaching himself law by reading Blackstone's Commentaries on the Laws of England and other law books. Of his learning method, Lincoln stated: "I studied with nobody".[82] His second campaign in 1834 was successful. He won election to the state legislature; though he ran as a Whig, many Democrats favored him over a more powerful Whig opponent.[83]
Admitted to the bar in 1836,[84] he moved to Springfield, Illinois, and began to practice law under John T. Stuart, Mary Todd's cousin.[85] Lincoln became an able and successful lawyer with a reputation as a formidable adversary during cross-examinations and closing arguments. He partnered with Stephen T. Logan from 1841 until 1844. Then Lincoln began his practice with William Herndon, whom Lincoln thought "a studious young man".[86]
Successful on his second run for office, Lincoln served four successive terms in the Illinois House of Representatives as a Whig representative from Sangamon County.[87] He supported the construction of the Illinois and Michigan Canal, which he remained involved with later as a Canal Commissioner.[88] In the 1835–36 legislative session, he voted to expand suffrage to white males, whether landowners or not.[89] He was known for his "free soil" stance of opposing both slavery and abolitionism. He first articulated this in 1837, saying, "[The] Institution of slavery is founded on both injustice and bad policy, but the promulgation of abolition doctrines tends rather to increase than abate its evils."[90] His stance closely followed Henry Clay in supporting the American Colonization Society program of making the abolition of slavery practical by its advocation and helping the freed slaves to settle in Liberia in Africa.[91]
U.S. House of Representatives, 1847–49
Lincoln in his late 30s as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. Photo taken by one of Lincoln's law students around 1846.
From the early 1830s, Lincoln was a steadfast Whig and professed to friends in 1861 to be, "an old line Whig, a disciple of Henry Clay".[92] The party, including Lincoln, favored economic modernization in banking, protective tariffs to fund internal improvements including railroads, and espoused urbanization as well.[93]
In 1846, Lincoln was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, where he served one two-year term. He was the only Whig in the Illinois delegation, but he showed his party loyalty by participating in almost all votes and making speeches that echoed the party line.[94] Lincoln, in collaboration with abolitionist Congressman Joshua R. Giddings, wrote a bill to abolish slavery in the District of Columbia with compensation for the owners, enforcement to capture fugitive slaves, and a popular vote on the matter. He abandoned the bill when it failed to garner sufficient Whig supporters.[95]
On foreign and military policy, Lincoln spoke out against the Mexican–American War, which he attributed to President Polk's desire for "military glory—that attractive rainbow, that rises in showers of blood".[96] Lincoln also supported the Wilmot Proviso, which, if it had been adopted, would have banned slavery in any U.S. territory won from Mexico.[97]
Lincoln emphasized his opposition to Polk by drafting and introducing his Spot Resolutions. The war had begun with a Mexican slaughter of American soldiers in territory disputed by Mexico and the U.S. Polk insisted that Mexican soldiers had "invaded our territory and shed the blood of our fellow-citizens on our own soil".[98][99] Lincoln demanded that Polk show Congress the exact spot on which blood had been shed and prove that the spot was on American soil.[99]
Congress never enacted the resolution or even debated it, the national papers ignored it, and it resulted in a loss of political support for Lincoln in his district. One Illinois newspaper derisively nicknamed him "spotty Lincoln".[100][101][102] Lincoln later regretted some of his statements, especially his attack on the presidential war-making powers.[103]
Realizing Clay was unlikely to win the presidency, Lincoln, who had pledged in 1846 to serve only one term in the House, supported General Zachary Taylor for the Whig nomination in the 1848 presidential election.[104] Taylor won and Lincoln hoped to be appointed Commissioner of the General Land Office, but that lucrative patronage job went to an Illinois rival, Justin Butterfield, considered by the administration to be a highly skilled lawyer, but in Lincoln's view, an "old fossil".[105] The administration offered him the consolation prize of secretary or governor of the Oregon Territory. This distant territory was a Democratic stronghold, and acceptance of the post would have effectively ended his legal and political career in Illinois, so he declined and resumed his law practice.[106]
Prairie lawyer
Lincoln returned to practicing law in Springfield, handling "every kind of business that could come before a prairie lawyer".[107] Twice a year for 16 years, 10 weeks at a time, he appeared in county seats in the midstate region when the county courts were in session.[108] Lincoln handled many transportation cases in the midst of the nation's western expansion, particularly the conflicts arising from the operation of river barges under the many new railroad bridges. As a riverboat man, Lincoln initially favored those interests, but ultimately represented whoever hired him.[109] In fact, he later represented a bridge company against a riverboat company in a landmark case involving a canal boat that sank after hitting a bridge.[110][111] In 1849, he received a patent for a flotation device for the movement of boats in shallow water. The idea was never commercialized, but Lincoln is the only president to hold a patent.[112][113]
In 1851, he represented the Alton & Sangamon Railroad in a dispute with one of its shareholders, James A. Barret, who had refused to pay the balance on his pledge to buy shares in the railroad on the grounds that the company had changed its original train route.[114][115] Lincoln successfully argued that the railroad company was not bound by its original charter extant at the time of Barret's pledge; the charter was amended in the public interest to provide a newer, superior, and less expensive route, and the corporation retained the right to demand Barret's payment. The decision by the Illinois Supreme Court has been cited by numerous other courts in the nation.[114] Lincoln appeared before the Illinois Supreme Court in 175 cases, in 51 as sole counsel, of which 31 were decided in his favor.[116] From 1853 to 1860, another of Lincoln's largest clients was the Illinois Central Railroad.[117] Lincoln's reputation with clients gave rise to his nickname "Honest Abe."[118]
Lincoln's most notable criminal trial occurred in 1858 when he defended William "Duff" Armstrong, who was on trial for the murder of James Preston Metzker.[119] The case is famous for Lincoln's use of a fact established by judicial notice in order to challenge the credibility of an eyewitness. After an opposing witness testified seeing the crime in the moonlight, Lincoln produced a Farmers' Almanac showing the moon was at a low angle, drastically reducing visibility. Based on this evidence, Armstrong was acquitted.[119]
Lincoln rarely raised objections in the courtroom; but in an 1859 case, where he defended a cousin, Peachy Harrison, who was accused of stabbing another to death, Lincoln angrily protested the judge's decision to exclude evidence favorable to his client. Instead of holding Lincoln in contempt of court as was expected, the judge, a Democrat, reversed his ruling, allowing the evidence and acquitting Harrison.[119][120]
Republican politics 1854–60
Slavery and a "House Divided"
By the 1850s, slavery was still legal in the southern United States, but had been generally outlawed in the northern states, including Illinois, whose original 1818 Constitution forbade slavery, as required by the Northwest Ordinance.[121] Lincoln disapproved of slavery, and the spread of slavery to new U.S. territory in the west.[122] He returned to politics to oppose the pro-slavery Kansas–Nebraska Act (1854); this law repealed the slavery-restricting Missouri Compromise (1820). Senior Senator Stephen A. Douglas of Illinois had incorporated popular sovereignty into the Act. Douglas' provision, which Lincoln opposed, specified settlers had the right to determine locally whether to allow slavery in new U.S. territory, rather than have such a decision restricted by the national Congress.[123]
Eric Foner (2010) contrasts the abolitionists and anti-slavery Radical Republicans of the Northeast who saw slavery as a sin, with the conservative Republicans who thought it was bad because it hurt white people and blocked progress. Foner argues that Lincoln was a moderate in the middle, opposing slavery primarily because it violated the republicanism principles of the Founding Fathers, especially the equality of all men and democratic self-government as expressed in the Declaration of Independence.[124]
A portrait of Dred Scott. Lincoln denounced the Supreme Court decision in Dred Scott v. Sandford as part of a conspiracy to extend slavery.
On October 16, 1854, in his "Peoria Speech", Lincoln declared his opposition to slavery, which he repeated en route to the presidency.[125] Speaking in his Kentucky accent, with a very powerful voice,[126] he said the Kansas Act had a "declared indifference, but as I must think, a covert real zeal for the spread of slavery. I cannot but hate it. I hate it because of the monstrous injustice of slavery itself. I hate it because it deprives our republican example of its just influence in the world ..."[127]
In late 1854, Lincoln ran as a Whig for the U.S. Senate seat from Illinois. At that time, senators were elected by the state legislature.[128] After leading in the first six rounds of voting in the Illinois assembly, his support began to dwindle, and Lincoln instructed his backers to vote for Lyman Trumbull, who defeated opponent Joel Aldrich Matteson.[129] The Whigs had been irreparably split by the Kansas–Nebraska Act. Lincoln wrote, "I think I am a Whig, but others say there are no Whigs, and that I am an abolitionist [...] I do no more than oppose the extension of slavery."[130]
Drawing on remnants of the old Whig party, and on disenchanted Republican Party.[131] At the 1856 Republican National Convention, Lincoln placed second in the contest to become the party's candidate for vice president.[132]
In 1857–1858, Douglas broke with President James Buchanan, leading to a fight for control of the Democratic Party. Some eastern Republicans even favored the reelection of Douglas for the Senate in 1858, since he had led the opposition to the Lecompton Constitution, which would have admitted Kansas as a slave state.[133] In March 1857, the Supreme Court issued its decision in Dred Scott v. Sandford; Chief Justice Roger B. Taney opined that blacks were not citizens, and derived no rights from the Constitution. Lincoln denounced the decision, alleging it was the product of a conspiracy of Democrats to support the Slave Power.[134] Lincoln argued, "The authors of the Declaration of Independence never intended 'to say all were equal in color, size, intellect, moral developments, or social capacity', but they 'did consider all men created equal—equal in certain inalienable rights, among which are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness'."[135]
After the state Republican party convention nominated him for the U.S. Senate in 1858, Lincoln delivered his House Divided Speech, drawing on Mark 3:25, "A house divided against itself cannot stand. I believe this government cannot endure permanently half slave and half free. I do not expect the Union to be dissolved—I do not expect the house to fall—but I do expect it will cease to be divided. It will become all one thing, or all the other."[136] The speech created an evocative image of the danger of disunion caused by the slavery debate, and rallied Republicans across the North.[137] The stage was then set for the campaign for statewide election of the Illinois legislature which would, in turn, select Lincoln or Douglas as its U.S. senator.[138]
Lincoln–Douglas debates and Cooper Union speech
Lincoln in 1858, the year of his debates with Stephen Douglas over slavery.
The Senate campaign featured the seven Lincoln–Douglas debates of 1858, the most famous political debates in American history.[139] The principals stood in stark contrast both physically and politically. Lincoln warned that "The Slave Power" was threatening the values of republicanism, and accused Douglas of distorting the values of the Founding Fathers that all men are created equal, while Douglas emphasized his Freeport Doctrine, that local settlers were free to choose whether to allow slavery or not, and accused Lincoln of having joined the abolitionists.[140] The debates had an atmosphere of a prize fight and drew crowds in the thousands. Lincoln stated Douglas' popular sovereignty theory was a threat to the nation's morality and that Douglas represented a conspiracy to extend slavery to free states. Douglas said that Lincoln was defying the authority of the U.S. Supreme Court and the Dred Scott decision.[141]
Though the Republican legislative candidates won more popular votes, the Democrats won more seats, and the legislature re-elected Douglas to the Senate. Despite the bitterness of the defeat for Lincoln, his articulation of the issues gave him a national political reputation.[142] In May 1859, Lincoln purchased the Illinois Staats-Anzeiger, a German-language newspaper which was consistently supportive; most of the state's 130,000 German Americans voted Democratic but there was Republican support that a German-language paper could mobilize.[143]
On February 27, 1860, New York party leaders invited Lincoln to give a speech at Cooper Union to a group of powerful Republicans. Lincoln argued that the Founding Fathers had little use for popular sovereignty and had repeatedly sought to restrict slavery. Lincoln insisted the moral foundation of the Republicans required opposition to slavery, and rejected any "groping for some middle ground between the right and the wrong".[144] Despite his inelegant appearance—many in the audience thought him awkward and even ugly[145]—Lincoln demonstrated an intellectual leadership that brought him into the front ranks of the party and into contention for the Republican presidential nomination. Journalist Noah Brooks reported, "No man ever before made such an impression on his first appeal to a New York audience."[146][147]
Historian Donald described the speech as a "superb political move for an unannounced candidate, to appear in one rival's (William H. Seward) own state at an event sponsored by the second rival's (Salmon P. Chase) loyalists, while not mentioning either by name during its delivery".[148] In response to an inquiry about his presidential intentions, Lincoln said, "The taste is in my mouth a little."[149]
1860 Presidential nomination and campaign
"The Rail Candidate"—Lincoln's 1860 candidacy is depicted as held up by the slavery issue—a slave on the left and party organization on the right.
On May 9–10, 1860, the Illinois Republican State Convention was held in Decatur.[150] Lincoln's followers organized a campaign team led by David Davis, Norman Judd, Leonard Swett, and Jesse DuBois, and Lincoln received his first endorsement to run for the presidency.[151] Exploiting the embellished legend of his frontier days with his father (clearing the land and splitting fence rails with an ax), Lincoln's supporters adopted the label of "The Rail Candidate".[152]
On May 18, at the Republican National Convention in Chicago, Lincoln's friends promised and manipulated and won the nomination on the third ballot, beating candidates such as William H. Seward and Salmon P. Chase. A former Democrat, Hannibal Hamlin of Maine, was nominated for Vice President to balance the ticket. Lincoln's success depended on his reputation as a moderate on the slavery issue, and his strong support for Whiggish programs of internal improvements and the protective tariff.[153]
On the third ballot Pennsylvania put him over the top. Pennsylvania iron interests were reassured by his support for protective tariffs.[154] Lincoln's managers had been adroitly focused on this delegation as well as the others, while following Lincoln's strong dictate to "Make no contracts that bind me".[155]
Most Republicans agreed with Lincoln that the North was the aggrieved party, as the Slave Power tightened its grasp on the national government with the Dred Scott decision and the presidency of James Buchanan. Throughout the 1850s, Lincoln doubted the prospects of civil war, and his supporters rejected claims that his election would incite secession.[156] Meanwhile, Douglas was selected as the candidate of the Northern Democrats. Delegates from 11 slave states walked out of the Democratic convention, disagreeing with Douglas' position on popular sovereignty, and ultimately selected John C. Breckinridge as their candidate.[157]
As Douglas and the other candidates went through with their campaigns, Lincoln was the only one of them who gave no speeches. Instead, he monitored the campaign closely and relied on the enthusiasm of the Republican Party. The party did the leg work that produced majorities across the North, and produced an abundance of campaign posters, leaflets, and newspaper editorials. There were thousands of Republican speakers who focused first on the party platform, and second on Lincoln's life story, emphasizing his childhood poverty. The goal was to demonstrate the superior power of "free labor", whereby a common farm boy could work his way to the top by his own efforts.[158] The Republican Party's production of campaign literature dwarfed the combined opposition; a Chicago Tribune writer produced a pamphlet that detailed Lincoln's life, and sold 100,000 to 200,000 copies.[159]
1860 election and secession
In 1860, northern and western electoral votes (shown in red) put Lincoln into the White House.
1861 inaugural at the Capitol. The rotunda was still under construction.
On November 6, 1860, Lincoln was elected the 16th president of the United States, beating Democrat Stephen A. Douglas, John C. Breckinridge of the Southern Democrats, and John Bell of the new Constitutional Union Party. He was the first president from the Republican Party. His victory was entirely due to the strength of his support in the North and West; no ballots were cast for him in 10 of the 15 Southern slave states, and he won only two of 996 counties in all the Southern states.[160]
Lincoln received 1,866,452 votes, Douglas 1,376,957 votes, Breckinridge 849,781 votes, and Bell 588,789 votes. Turnout was 82.2 percent, with Lincoln winning the free Northern states, as well as California and Oregon. Douglas won Missouri, and split New Jersey with Lincoln.[161] Bell won Virginia, Tennessee, and Kentucky, and Breckinridge won the rest of the South.[162]
Although Lincoln won only a plurality of the popular vote, his victory in the electoral college was decisive: Lincoln had 180 and his opponents added together had only 123. There were fusion tickets in which all of Lincoln's opponents combined to support the same slate of Electors in New York, New Jersey, and Rhode Island, but even if the anti-Lincoln vote had been combined in every state, Lincoln still would have won a majority in the Electoral College.[163]
The first photographic image of the new president
As Lincoln's election became evident, secessionists made clear their intent to leave the Union before he took office the next March.[164] On December 20, 1860, South Carolina took the lead by adopting an ordinance of secession; by February 1, 1861, Florida, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas followed.[165][166] Six of these states then adopted a constitution and declared themselves to be a sovereign nation, the Confederate States of America.[165] The upper South and border states (Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri, and Arkansas) listened to, but initially rejected, the secessionist appeal.[167] President Buchanan and President-elect Lincoln refused to recognize the Confederacy, declaring secession illegal.[168] The Confederacy selected Jefferson Davis as its provisional President on February 9, 1861.[169]
There were attempts at compromise. The Crittenden Compromise would have extended the Missouri Compromise line of 1820, dividing the territories into slave and free, contrary to the Republican Party's free-soil platform.[170] Lincoln rejected the idea, saying, "I will suffer death before I consent ... to any concession or compromise which looks like buying the privilege to take possession of this government to which we have a constitutional right."[171]
Lincoln, however, did tacitly support the proposed Corwin Amendment to the Constitution, which passed Congress before Lincoln came into office and was then awaiting ratification by the states. That proposed amendment would have protected slavery in states where it already existed and would have guaranteed that Congress would not interfere with slavery without Southern consent.[172][173] A few weeks before the war, Lincoln sent a letter to every governor informing them Congress had passed a joint resolution to amend the Constitution.[174] Lincoln was open to the possibility of a constitutional convention to make further amendments to the Constitution.[175]
En route to his inauguration by train, Lincoln addressed crowds and legislatures across the North.[176] The president-elect then evaded possible assassins in Baltimore, who were uncovered by Lincoln's head of security, Allan Pinkerton. On February 23, 1861, he arrived in disguise in Washington, D.C., which was placed under substantial military guard.[177] Lincoln directed his inaugural address to the South, proclaiming once again that he had no intention, or inclination, to abolish slavery in the Southern states:
Apprehension seems to exist among the people of the Southern States that by the accession of a Republican Administration their property and their peace and personal security are to be endangered. There has never been any reasonable cause for such apprehension. Indeed, the most ample evidence to the contrary has all the while existed and been open to their inspection. It is found in nearly all the published speeches of him who now addresses you. I do but quote from one of those speeches when I declare that "I have no purpose, directly or indirectly, to interfere with the institution of slavery in the States where it exists. I believe I have no lawful right to do so, and I have no inclination to do so."
— First inaugural address, 4 March 1861[178]
The President ended his address with an appeal to the people of the South: "We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies ... The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield, and patriot grave, to every living heart and hearthstone, all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature."[179] The failure of the Peace Conference of 1861 signaled that legislative compromise was impossible. By March 1861, no leaders of the insurrection had proposed rejoining the Union on any terms. Meanwhile, Lincoln and the Republican leadership agreed that the dismantling of the Union could not be tolerated.[180] Lincoln said as the war was ending:
Both parties deprecated war, but one of them would make war rather than let the Nation survive, and the other would accept war rather than let it perish, and the war came.[181]
Beginning of the war
Major Anderson, Ft. Sumter commander
The commander of Fort Sumter, South Carolina, Major Robert Anderson, sent a request for provisions to Washington, and the execution of Lincoln's order to meet that request was seen by the secessionists as an act of war. On April 12, 1861, Confederate forces fired on Union troops at Fort Sumter, forcing them to surrender, and began the war. Historian Allan Nevins argued that the newly inaugurated Lincoln made three miscalculations: underestimating the gravity of the crisis, exaggerating the strength of Unionist sentiment in the South, and not realizing the Southern Unionists were insisting there be no invasion.[182]
William Tecumseh Sherman talked to Lincoln during inauguration week and was "sadly disappointed" at his failure to realize that "the country was sleeping on a volcano" and that the South was preparing for war.[183] Donald concludes that, "His repeated efforts to avoid collision in the months between inauguration and the firing on Ft. Sumter showed he adhered to his vow not to be the first to shed fraternal blood. But he also vowed not to surrender the forts. The only resolution of these contradictory positions was for the confederates to fire the first shot; they did just that."[184]
On April 15, Lincoln called on all the states to send detachments totaling 75,000 troops to recapture forts, protect Washington, and "preserve the Union", which, in his view, still existed intact despite the actions of the seceding states. This call forced the states to choose sides. Virginia declared its secession and was rewarded with the Confederate capital, despite the exposed position of Richmond so close to Union lines. North Carolina, Tennessee, and Arkansas also voted for secession over the next two months. Secession sentiment was strong in Missouri and Maryland, but did not prevail; Kentucky tried to be neutral.[185] The Confederate attack on Fort Sumter rallied Americans north of the Mason-Dixon line to the defense of the American nation. Historian Allan Nevins says:
The thunderclap of Sumter produced a startling crystallization of Northern sentiment....Anger swept the land. From every side came news of mass meetings, speeches, resolutions, tenders of business support, the muster of companies and regiments, the determined action of governors and legislatures."[186][187]
States sent Union regiments south in response to Lincoln's call to save the capital and confront the rebellion. On April 19, mobs in Baltimore, which controlled the rail links, attacked Union troops who were changing trains, and local leaders' groups later burned critical rail bridges to the capital. The Army responded by arresting local Maryland officials. Lincoln suspended the writ of habeas corpus in areas the army felt it needed to secure for troops to reach Washington.[188] John Merryman, a Maryland official involved in hindering the U.S. troop movements, petitioned Supreme Court Chief Justice and Marylander, Roger B. Taney, author of the controversial pro-slavery Dred Scott opinion, to issue a writ of habeas corpus, and in June Taney, acting as a circuit judge and not speaking for the Supreme Court, issued the writ, because in his opinion only Congress could suspend the writ. Lincoln continued the army policy that the writ was suspended in limited areas despite the Ex parte Merryman ruling.[189][190]
Assuming command for the Union in the war
After the Battle of Fort Sumter, Lincoln realized the importance of taking immediate executive control of the war and making an overall strategy to put down the rebellion. Lincoln encountered an unprecedented political and military crisis, and he responded as commander-in-chief, using unprecedented powers. He expanded his war powers, and imposed a blockade on all the Confederate shipping ports, disbursed funds before appropriation by Congress, and after suspending habeas corpus, arrested and imprisoned thousands of suspected Confederate sympathizers. Lincoln was supported by Congress and the northern public for these actions. In addition, Lincoln had to contend with reinforcing strong Union sympathies in the border slave states and keeping the war from becoming an international conflict.[191]
"Running the 'Machine' ": An 1864 political cartoon takes a swing at Lincoln's administration—featuring William Fessenden, Edwin Stanton, William Seward, Gideon Welles, Lincoln and others.
The war effort was the source of continued disparagement of Lincoln, and dominated his time and attention. From the start, it was clear that bipartisan support would be essential to success in the war effort, and any manner of compromise alienated factions on both sides of the aisle, such as the appointment of Republicans and Democrats to command positions in the Union Army. Copperheads criticized Lincoln for refusing to compromise on the slavery issue. Conversely, the Radical Republicans criticized him for moving too slowly in abolishing slavery.[192] On August 6, 1861, Lincoln signed the Confiscation Act that authorized judiciary proceedings to confiscate and free slaves who were used to support the Confederate war effort. In practice, the law had little effect, but it did signal political support for abolishing slavery in the Confederacy.[193]
In late August 1861, General John C. Frémont, the 1856 Republican presidential nominee, issued, without consulting his superiors in Washington, a proclamation of martial law in Missouri. He declared that any citizen found bearing arms could be court-martialed and shot, and that slaves of persons aiding the rebellion would be freed. Frémont was already under a cloud with charges of negligence in his command of the Department of the West compounded with allegations of fraud and corruption. Lincoln overruled Frémont's proclamation. Lincoln believed that Fremont's emancipation was political; neither militarily necessary nor legal.[194] After Lincoln acted, Union enlistments from Maryland, Kentucky, and Missouri increased by over 40,000 troops.[195]
The Trent Affair of late 1861 threatened war with Great Britain. The U.S. Navy illegally intercepted a British merchant ship, the Trent, on the high seas and seized two Confederate envoys; Britain protested vehemently while the U.S. cheered. Lincoln resolved the issue by releasing the two men and war was successfully averted with Britain.[196] Lincoln's foreign policy approach had been initially hands off, due to his inexperience; he left most diplomacy appointments and other foreign policy matters to his Secretary of State, William Seward. Seward's initial reaction to the Trent affair, however, was too bellicose, so Lincoln also turned to Senator Charles Sumner, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and an expert in British diplomacy.[197]
To learn technical military terms, Lincoln borrowed and studied Henry Halleck's book, Elements of Military Art and Science from the Library of Congress.[198] Lincoln painstakingly monitored the telegraphic reports coming into the War Department in Washington, D.C. He kept close tabs on all phases of the military effort, consulted with governors, and selected generals based on their past success (as well as their state and party). In January 1862, after many complaints of inefficiency and profiteering in the War Department, Lincoln replaced Simon Cameron with Edwin Stanton as War Secretary. Stanton was a staunchly Unionist pro-business conservative Democrat who moved toward the Radical Republican faction. Nevertheless, he worked more often and more closely with Lincoln than any other senior official. "Stanton and Lincoln virtually conducted the war together," say Thomas and Hyman.[199]
In terms of war strategy, Lincoln articulated two priorities: to ensure that Washington was well-defended, and to conduct an aggressive war effort that would satisfy the demand in the North for prompt, decisive victory; major Northern newspaper editors expected victory within 90 days.[200] Twice a week, Lincoln would meet with his cabinet in the afternoon, and occasionally Mary Lincoln would force him to take a carriage ride because she was concerned he was working too hard.[201] Lincoln learned from his chief of staff General Henry Halleck, a student of the European strategist Jomini, of the critical need to control strategic points, such as the Mississippi River;[202] he also knew well the importance of Vicksburg and understood the necessity of defeating the enemy's army, rather than simply capturing territory.[203]
General McClellan
After the Union defeat at the [204] McClellan, a young West Point graduate, railroad executive, and Pennsylvania Democrat, took several months to plan and attempt his Peninsula Campaign, longer than Lincoln wanted. The campaign's objective was to capture Richmond by moving the Army of the Potomac by boat to the peninsula and then overland to the Confederate capital. McClellan's repeated delays frustrated Lincoln and Congress, as did his position that no troops were needed to defend Washington. Lincoln insisted on holding some of McClellan's troops in defense of the capital; McClellan, who consistently overestimated the strength of Confederate troops, blamed this decision for the ultimate failure of the Peninsula Campaign.[205]
Lincoln and Battle of Antietam in 1862.
Lincoln removed McClellan as general-in-chief and appointed Henry Wager Halleck in March 1862, after McClellan's "Harrison's Landing Letter", in which he offered unsolicited political advice to Lincoln urging caution in the war effort.[206] McClellan's letter incensed Radical Republicans, who successfully pressured Lincoln to appoint John Pope, a Republican, as head of the new Army of Virginia. Pope complied with Lincoln's strategic desire to move toward Richmond from the north, thus protecting the capital from attack.[207]
However, lacking requested reinforcements from McClellan, now commanding the Army of the Potomac, Pope was soundly defeated at the Second Battle of Bull Run in the summer of 1862, forcing the Army of the Potomac to defend Washington for a second time.[207] The war also expanded with naval operations in 1862 when the CSS Virginia, formerly the USS Merrimack, damaged or destroyed three Union vessels in Norfolk, Virginia, before being engaged and damaged by the USS Monitor. Lincoln closely reviewed the dispatches and interrogated naval officers during their clash in the Battle of Hampton Roads.[208]
Despite his dissatisfaction with McClellan's failure to reinforce Pope, Lincoln was desperate, and restored him to command of all forces around Washington, to the dismay of all in his cabinet but Seward.[209] Two days after McClellan's return to command, General Robert E. Lee's forces crossed the Potomac River into Maryland, leading to the Battle of Antietam in September 1862.[210] The ensuing Union victory was among the bloodiest in American history, but it enabled Lincoln to announce that he would issue an Emancipation Proclamation in January. Having composed the Proclamation some time earlier, Lincoln had waited for a military victory to publish it to avoid it being perceived as the product of desperation.[211]
McClellan then resisted the President's demand that he pursue Lee's retreating and exposed army, while his counterpart General Don Carlos Buell likewise refused orders to move the Army of the Ohio against rebel forces in eastern Tennessee. As a result, Lincoln replaced Buell with William Rosecrans; and, after the 1862 midterm elections, he replaced McClellan with Republican Ambrose Burnside. Both of these replacements were political moderates and prospectively more supportive of the Commander-in-Chief.[212]
Union soldiers before Marye's Heights, Fredericksburg, just prior to the battle of May 3, 1863.
Burnside, against the advice of the president, prematurely launched an offensive across the Rappahannock River and was stunningly defeated by Lee at Fredericksburg in December. Not only had Burnside been defeated on the battlefield, but his soldiers were disgruntled and undisciplined. Desertions during 1863 were in the thousands and they increased after Fredericksburg.[213] Lincoln brought in Joseph Hooker, despite his record of loose talk about the need for a military dictatorship.[214]
The mid-term elections in 1862 brought the Republicans severe losses due to sharp disfavor with the administration over its failure to deliver a speedy end to the war, as well as rising inflation, new high taxes, rumors of corruption, the suspension of habeas corpus, the military draft law, and fears that freed slaves would undermine the labor market. The Emancipation Proclamation announced in September gained votes for the Republicans in the rural areas of New England and the upper Midwest, but it lost votes in the cities and the lower Midwest.[215]
While Republicans were discouraged, Democrats were energized and did especially well in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and New York. The Republicans did maintain their majorities in Congress and in the major states, except New York. The Cincinnati Gazette contended that the voters were "depressed by the interminable nature of this war, as so far conducted, and by the rapid exhaustion of the national resources without progress".[215]
In the spring of 1863, Lincoln was optimistic about upcoming military campaigns to the point of thinking the end of the war could be near if a string of victories could be put together; these plans included Hooker's attack on Lee north of Richmond, Rosecrans' on Chattanooga, Grant's on Vicksburg, and a naval assault on Charleston.[216]
Hooker was routed by Lee at the Gettysburg Campaign, which was a victory for the Union, though Lee's army avoided capture. At the same time, after initial setbacks, Grant laid siege to Vicksburg and the Union navy attained some success in Charleston harbor.[218] After the Battle of Gettysburg, Lincoln clearly understood that his military decisions would be more effectively carried out by conveying his orders through his War Secretary or his general-in-chief on to his generals, who resented his civilian interference with their own plans. Even so, he often continued to give detailed directions to his generals as Commander-in-Chief.[219]
Lincoln presents the first draft of the Emancipation Proclamation to his cabinet. Painted by Francis Bicknell Carpenter in 1864
Lincoln understood that the Federal government's power to end slavery was limited by the Constitution, which before 1865, committed the issue to individual states. He argued before and during his election that the eventual extinction of slavery would result from preventing its expansion into new U.S. territory. At the beginning of the war, he also sought to persuade the states to accept compensated emancipation in return for their prohibition of slavery. Lincoln believed that curtailing slavery in these ways would economically expunge it, as envisioned by the Founding Fathers, under the constitution.[220] President Lincoln rejected two geographically limited emancipation attempts by Major General John C. Frémont in August 1861 and by Major General David Hunter in May 1862, on the grounds that it was not within their power, and it would upset the border states loyal to the Union.[221]
On June 19, 1862, endorsed by Lincoln, Congress passed an act banning slavery on all federal territory. In July 1862, the Second Confiscation Act was passed, which set up court procedures that could free the slaves of anyone convicted of aiding the rebellion. Although Lincoln believed it was not within Congress's power to free the slaves within the states, he approved the bill in deference to the legislature. He felt such action could only be taken by the Commander-in-Chief using war powers granted to the president by the Constitution, and Lincoln was planning to take that action. In that month, Lincoln discussed a draft of the Emancipation Proclamation with his cabinet. In it, he stated that "as a fit and necessary military measure, on January 1, 1863, all persons held as slaves in the Confederate states will thenceforward, and forever, be free".[222]
Privately, Lincoln concluded at this point that the slave base of the Confederacy had to be eliminated. However Copperheads argued that emancipation was a stumbling block to peace and reunification. Republican editor Horace Greeley of the highly influential New York Tribune fell for the ploy,[223] and Lincoln refuted it directly in a shrewd letter of August 22, 1862. Although he said he personally wished all men could be free, Lincoln stated that the primary goal of his actions as the U.S. president (he used the first person pronoun and explicitly refers to his "official duty") was that of preserving the Union:[224]
My paramount object in this struggle is to save the Union, and is not either to save or to destroy slavery. If I could save the Union without freeing any slave I would do it, and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing some and leaving others alone I would also do that. What I do about slavery, and the colored race, I do because I believe it helps to save the Union; and what I forbear, I forbear because I do not believe it would help to save the Union ... [¶] I have here stated my purpose according to my view of official duty; and I intend no modification of my oft-expressed personal wish that all men everywhere could be free.[225]
The Emancipation Proclamation, issued on September 22, 1862, and put into effect on January 1, 1863, declared free the slaves in 10 states not then under Union control, with exemptions specified for areas already under Union control in two states.[226] Lincoln spent the next 100 days preparing the army and the nation for emancipation, while Democrats rallied their voters in the 1862 off-year elections by warning of the threat freed slaves posed to northern whites.[227]
Once the abolition of slavery in the rebel states became a military objective, as Union armies advanced south, more slaves were liberated until all three million of them in Confederate territory were freed. Lincoln's comment on the signing of the Proclamation was: "I never, in my life, felt more certain that I was doing right, than I do in signing this paper."[228] For some time, Lincoln continued earlier plans to set up [230]
Enlisting former slaves in the military was official government policy after the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation. By the spring of 1863, Lincoln was ready to recruit black troops in more than token numbers. In a letter to Andrew Johnson, the military governor of Tennessee, encouraging him to lead the way in raising black troops, Lincoln wrote, "The bare sight of 50,000 armed and drilled black soldiers on the banks of the Mississippi would end the rebellion at once".[231] By the end of 1863, at Lincoln's direction, General Lorenzo Thomas had recruited 20 regiments of blacks from the Mississippi Valley.[232] Frederick Douglass once observed of Lincoln: "In his company, I was never reminded of my humble origin, or of my unpopular color".[233]
Gettysburg Address (1863)
The only confirmed photo of Abraham Lincoln at Gettysburg, some three hours before the speech.
With the great Union victory at the Battle of Gettysburg in July 1863, and the defeat of the Copperheads in the Ohio election in the fall, Lincoln maintained a strong base of party support and was in a strong position to redefine the war effort, despite the New York City draft riots. The stage was set for his address at the Gettysburg battlefield cemetery on November 19, 1863.[234] Defying Lincoln's prediction that "the world will little note, nor long remember what we say here", the Address became the most quoted speech in American history.[235]
In 272 words, and three minutes, Lincoln asserted the nation was born not in 1789, but in 1776, "conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal". He defined the war as an effort dedicated to these principles of liberty and equality for all. The emancipation of slaves was now part of the national war effort. He declared that the deaths of so many brave soldiers would not be in vain, that slavery would end as a result of the losses, and the future of democracy in the world would be assured, that "government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth". Lincoln concluded that the Civil War had a profound objective: a new birth of freedom in the nation.[236][237]
General Grant
President Lincoln (center right) with, from left, Generals Sherman and Grant and Admiral Porter – 1868 painting of events aboard the River Queen in March 1865
Meade's failure to capture Lee's army as it retreated from Gettysburg, and the continued passivity of the Army of the Potomac, persuaded Lincoln that a change in command was needed. General Ulysses S. Grant's victories at the Battle of Shiloh and in the Vicksburg campaign impressed Lincoln and made Grant a strong candidate to head the Union Army. Responding to criticism of Grant after Shiloh, Lincoln had said, "I can't spare this man. He fights."[238] With Grant in command, Lincoln felt the Union Army could relentlessly pursue a series of coordinated offensives in multiple theaters, and have a top commander who agreed on the use of black troops.[239]
Nevertheless, Lincoln was concerned that Grant might be considering a candidacy for President in 1864, as McClellan was. Lincoln arranged for an intermediary to make inquiry into Grant's political intentions, and being assured that he had none, submitted to the Senate Grant's promotion to commander of the Union Army. He obtained Congress's consent to reinstate for Grant the rank of Lieutenant General, which no officer had held since George Washington.[240]
Grant waged his bloody Overland Campaign in 1864. This is often characterized as a war of attrition, given high Union losses at battles such as the Battle of the Wilderness and Cold Harbor. Even though they had the advantage of fighting on the defensive, the Confederate forces had "almost as high a percentage of casualties as the Union forces".[241] The high casualty figures of the Union alarmed the North; Grant had lost a third of his army, and Lincoln asked what Grant's plans were, to which the general replied, "I propose to fight it out on this line if it takes all summer."[242]
The Confederacy lacked reinforcements, so Lee's army shrank with every costly battle. Grant's army moved south, crossed the James River, forcing a siege and trench warfare outside Petersburg, Virginia. Lincoln then made an extended visit to Grant's headquarters at City Point, Virginia. This allowed the president to confer in person with Grant and William Tecumseh Sherman about the hostilities, as Sherman coincidentally managed a hasty visit to Grant from his position in North Carolina.[243] Lincoln and the Republican Party mobilized support for the draft throughout the North, and replaced the Union losses.[244]
Lincoln authorized Grant to target the Confederate infrastructure—such as plantations, railroads, and bridges—hoping to destroy the South's morale and weaken its economic ability to continue fighting. Grant's move to Petersburg resulted in the obstruction of three railroads between Richmond and the South. This strategy allowed Generals Sherman and Mark E. Neely Jr. has argued that there was no effort to engage in "total war" against civilians which he believed did take place during World War II.[245]
Confederate general Jubal Anderson Early began a series of assaults in the North that threatened the Capital. During Early's raid on Washington, D.C. in 1864, Lincoln was watching the combat from an exposed position; Captain Oliver Wendell Holmes shouted at him, "Get down, you damn fool, before you get shot!"[246] After repeated calls on Grant to defend Washington, Sheridan was appointed and the threat from Early was dispatched.[247]
As Grant continued to wear down Lee's forces, efforts to discuss peace began. Confederate Vice President Stephens led a group to meet with Lincoln, Seward, and others at Hampton Roads. Lincoln refused to allow any negotiation with the Confederacy as a coequal; his sole objective was an agreement to end the fighting and the meetings produced no results.[248] On April 1, 1865, Grant successfully outflanked Lee's forces in the Battle of Five Forks and nearly encircled Petersburg, and the Confederate government evacuated Richmond. Days later, when that city fell, Lincoln visited the vanquished Confederate capital; as he walked through the city, white Southerners were stone-faced, but freedmen greeted him as a hero. On April 9, Lee surrendered to Grant at Appomattox and the war was effectively over.[249]
1864 re-election
BEP engraved portrait of Lincoln as President.
While the war was still being waged, Lincoln faced reelection in 1864. Lincoln was a master politician, bringing together—and holding together—all the main factions of the Republican Party, and bringing in War Democrats such as Edwin M. Stanton and Andrew Johnson as well. Lincoln spent many hours a week talking to politicians from across the land and using his patronage powers—greatly expanded over peacetime—to hold the factions of his party together, build support for his own policies, and fend off efforts by Radicals to drop him from the 1864 ticket.[250][251] At its 1864 convention, the Republican Party selected Johnson, a War Democrat from the Southern state of Tennessee, as his running mate. To broaden his coalition to include War Democrats as well as Republicans, Lincoln ran under the label of the new Union Party.[252]
When Grant's 1864 spring campaigns turned into bloody stalemates and Union casualties mounted, the lack of military success wore heavily on the President's re-election prospects, and many Republicans across the country feared that Lincoln would be defeated. Sharing this fear, Lincoln wrote and signed a pledge that, if he should lose the election, he would still defeat the Confederacy before turning over the White House:[253]
This morning, as for some days past, it seems exceedingly probable that this Administration will not be re-elected. Then it will be my duty to so co-operate with the President elect, as to save the Union between the election and the inauguration; as he will have secured his election on such ground that he cannot possibly save it afterward.[254]
Lincoln did not show the pledge to his cabinet, but asked them to sign the sealed envelope.
An electoral landslide (in red) for Lincoln in the 1864 election, southern states (brown) and territories (light brown) not in play
While the Democratic platform followed the "Peace wing" of the party and called the war a "failure", their candidate, General George B. McClellan, supported the war and repudiated the platform. Lincoln provided Grant with more troops and mobilized his party to renew its support of Grant in the war effort. Sherman's capture of Atlanta in September and David Farragut's capture of Mobile ended defeatist jitters;[255] the Democratic Party was deeply split, with some leaders and most soldiers openly for Lincoln. By contrast, the National Union Party was united and energized as Lincoln made emancipation the central issue, and state Republican parties stressed the perfidy of the Copperheads.[256] On November 8, Lincoln was re-elected in a landslide, carrying all but three states, and receiving 78 percent of the Union soldiers' vote.[253][257]
On March 4, 1865, Lincoln delivered his second inaugural address. In it, he deemed the high casualties on both sides to be God's will. Historian Mark Noll concludes it ranks "among the small handful of semi-sacred texts by which Americans conceive their place in the world".[258] Lincoln said:
Fondly do we hope—fervently do we pray—that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away. Yet, if God wills that it continue, until all the wealth piled by the bond-man's 250 years of unrequited toil shall be sunk, and until every drop of blood drawn with the lash, shall be paid by another drawn with the sword, as was said 3,000 years ago, so still it must be said, "the judgments of the Lord, are true and righteous altogether". With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation's wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan—to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace, among ourselves, and with all nations.[259]
Reconstruction began during the war, as Lincoln and his associates anticipated questions of how to reintegrate the conquered southern states, and how to determine the fates of Confederate leaders and freed slaves. Shortly after Lee's surrender, a general had asked Lincoln how the defeated Confederates should be treated, and Lincoln replied, "Let 'em up easy."[260] In keeping with that sentiment, Lincoln led the moderates regarding Reconstruction policy, and was opposed by the Radical Republicans, under Rep. Thaddeus Stevens, Sen. Charles Sumner and Sen. Benjamin Wade, political allies of the president on other issues. Determined to find a course that would reunite the nation and not alienate the South, Lincoln urged that speedy elections under generous terms be held throughout the war. His Amnesty Proclamation of December 8, 1863, offered pardons to those who had not held a Confederate civil office, had not mistreated Union prisoners, and would sign an oath of allegiance.[261]
A political cartoon of Vice President Andrew Johnson (a former tailor) and Lincoln, 1865, entitled "The 'Rail Splitter' At Work Repairing the Union." The caption reads (Johnson): Take it quietly Uncle Abe and I will draw it closer than ever. (Lincoln): A few more stitches Andy and the good old Union will be mended.
As Southern states were subdued, critical decisions had to be made as to their leadership while their administrations were re-formed. Of special importance were Tennessee and Arkansas, where Lincoln appointed Generals Andrew Johnson and Frederick Steele as military governors, respectively. In Louisiana, Lincoln ordered General Nathaniel P. Banks to promote a plan that would restore statehood when 10 percent of the voters agreed to it. Lincoln's Democratic opponents seized on these appointments to accuse him of using the military to ensure his and the Republicans' political aspirations. On the other hand, the Radicals denounced his policy as too lenient, and passed their own plan, the Wade-Davis Bill, in 1864. When Lincoln vetoed the bill, the Radicals retaliated by refusing to seat representatives elected from Louisiana, Arkansas, and Tennessee.[262]
Lincoln's appointments were designed to keep both the moderate and Radical factions in harness. To fill Chief Justice Taney's seat on the Supreme Court, he named the choice of the Radicals, Salmon P. Chase, who Lincoln believed would uphold the emancipation and paper money policies.[263]
After implementing the Emancipation Proclamation, which did not apply to every state, Lincoln increased pressure on Congress to outlaw slavery throughout the entire nation with a constitutional amendment. Lincoln declared that such an amendment would "clinch the whole matter".[264] By December 1863, a proposed constitutional amendment that would outlaw slavery was brought to Congress for passage. This first attempt at an amendment failed to pass, falling short of the required two-thirds majority on June 15, 1864, in the House of Representatives. Passage of the proposed amendment became part of the Republican/Unionist platform in the election of 1864. After a long debate in the House, a second attempt passed Congress on January 31, 1865, and was sent to the state legislatures for ratification.[265][266] Upon ratification, it became the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution on December 6, 1865.[267]
As the war drew to a close, Lincoln's presidential Reconstruction for the South was in flux; having believed the federal government had limited responsibility to the millions of freedmen. He signed into law Senator Charles Sumner's Freedmen's Bureau bill that set up a temporary federal agency designed to meet the immediate material needs of former slaves. The law assigned land for a lease of three years with the ability to purchase title for the freedmen. Lincoln stated that his Louisiana plan did not apply to all states under Reconstruction. Shortly before his assassination, Lincoln announced he had a new plan for southern Reconstruction. Discussions with his cabinet revealed Lincoln planned short-term military control over southern states, until readmission under the control of southern Unionists.[268]
Historians agree that it is impossible to predict exactly what Lincoln would have done about Reconstruction if he had lived, but they make projections based on his known policy positions and political acumen. Lincoln biographers James G. Randall and Richard Current, according to David Lincove, argue that:
It is likely that had he lived, Lincoln would have followed a policy similar to Johnson's, that he would have clashed with congressional Radicals, that he would have produced a better result for the freedmen than occurred, and that his political skills would have helped him avoid Johnson's mistakes.[269]
Eric Foner argues that:
Unlike Sumner and other Radicals, Lincoln did not see Reconstruction as an opportunity for a sweeping political and social revolution beyond emancipation. He had long made clear his opposition to the confiscation and redistribution of land. He believed, as most Republicans did in April 1865, that the voting requirements should be determined by the states. He assumed that political control in the South would pass to white Unionists, reluctant secessionists, and forward-looking former Confederates. But time and again during the war, Lincoln, after initial opposition, had come to embrace positions first advanced by abolitionists and Radical Republicans..... Lincoln undoubtedly would have listened carefully to the outcry for further protection for the former slaves.... It is entirely plausible to imagine Lincoln and Congress agreeing on a Reconstruction policy that encompassed federal protection for basic civil rights plus limited black suffrage, along the lines Lincoln proposed just before his death."[270]
Redefining the republic and republicanism
Lincoln in February 1865, about two months before his death.
The successful reunification of the states had consequences for the name of the country. The term "the United States" has historically been used, sometimes in the plural ("these United States"), and other times in the singular, without any particular grammatical consistency. The Civil War was a significant force in the eventual dominance of the singular usage by the end of the 19th century.[271]
In recent years, historians such as Harry Jaffa, Herman Belz, John Diggins, Vernon Burton and Eric Foner have stressed Lincoln's redefinition of republican values. As early as the 1850s, a time when most political rhetoric focused on the sanctity of the Constitution, Lincoln redirected emphasis to the Declaration of Independence as the foundation of American political values—what he called the "sheet anchor" of republicanism.[272] The Declaration's emphasis on freedom and equality for all, in contrast to the Constitution's tolerance of slavery, shifted the debate. As Diggins concludes regarding the highly influential Cooper Union speech of early 1860, "Lincoln presented Americans a theory of history that offers a profound contribution to the theory and destiny of republicanism itself."[273] His position gained strength because he highlighted the moral basis of republicanism, rather than its legalisms.[274] Nevertheless, in 1861, Lincoln justified the war in terms of legalisms (the Constitution was a contract, and for one party to get out of a contract all the other parties had to agree), and then in terms of the national duty to guarantee a republican form of government in every state.[275] Burton (2008) argues that Lincoln's republicanism was taken up by the Freedmen as they were emancipated.[276]
In March 1861, in Lincoln's first inaugural address, he explored the nature of democracy. He denounced secession as anarchy, and explained that majority rule had to be balanced by constitutional restraints in the American system. He said "A majority held in restraint by constitutional checks and limitations, and always changing easily with deliberate changes of popular opinions and sentiments, is the only true sovereign of a free people."[277]
Other enactments
Lincoln adhered to the Whig theory of the presidency, which gave Congress primary responsibility for writing the laws while the Executive enforced them. Lincoln only vetoed four bills passed by Congress; the only important one was the Wade-Davis Bill with its harsh program of Reconstruction.[278] He signed the Homestead Act in 1862, making millions of acres of government-held land in the West available for purchase at very low cost. The Morrill Land-Grant Colleges Act, also signed in 1862, provided government grants for agricultural colleges in each state. The Pacific Railway Acts of 1862 and 1864 granted federal support for the construction of the United States' First Transcontinental Railroad, which was completed in 1869.[279] The passage of the Homestead Act and the Pacific Railway Acts was made possible by the absence of Southern congressmen and senators who had opposed the measures in the 1850s.[280]
The Lincoln Cabinet[281]
William H. Seward
Salmon P. Chase
William P. Fessenden
Hugh McCulloch
Simon Cameron
Edwin M. Stanton
Edward Bates
Montgomery Blair
William Dennison Jr.
Gideon Welles
Caleb Blood Smith
John Palmer Usher
Other important legislation involved two measures to raise revenues for the Federal government: tariffs (a policy with long precedent), and a new Federal income tax. In 1861, Lincoln signed the second and third Morrill Tariff, the first having become law under James Buchanan. Also in 1861, Lincoln signed the Revenue Act of 1861, creating the first U.S. income tax.[282] This created a flat tax of 3 percent on incomes above $800 ($21,000 in current dollar terms), which was later changed by the Revenue Act of 1862 to a progressive rate structure.[283]
Lincoln also presided over the expansion of the federal government's economic influence in several other areas. The creation of the system of national banks by the National Banking Act provided a strong financial network in the country. It also established a national currency. In 1862, Congress created, with Lincoln's approval, the Department of Agriculture.[284] In 1862, Lincoln sent a senior general, John Pope, to put down the "Sioux Uprising" in Minnesota. Presented with 303 execution warrants for convicted Santee Dakota who were accused of killing innocent farmers, Lincoln conducted his own personal review of each of these warrants, eventually approving 39 for execution (one was later reprieved).[285] President Lincoln had planned to reform federal Indian policy.[286]
In the wake of Grant's casualties in his campaign against Lee, Lincoln had considered yet another executive call for a military draft, but it was never issued. In response to rumors of one, however, the editors of the New York World and the Journal of Commerce published a false draft proclamation which created an opportunity for the editors and others employed at the publications to corner the gold market. Lincoln's reaction was to send the strongest of messages to the media about such behavior; he ordered the military to seize the two papers. The seizure lasted for two days.[287]
Lincoln is largely responsible for the institution of the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States.[288] Before Lincoln's presidency, Thanksgiving, while a regional holiday in New England since the 17th century, had been proclaimed by the federal government only sporadically and on irregular dates. The last such proclamation had been during James Madison's presidency 50 years before. In 1863, Lincoln declared the final Thursday in November of that year to be a day of Thanksgiving.[288] In June 1864, Lincoln approved the Yosemite Grant enacted by Congress, which provided unprecedented federal protection for the area now known as Yosemite National Park.[289]
Supreme Court appointments
Noah Haynes Swayne – 1862
Samuel Freeman Miller – 1862
David Davis – 1862
Stephen Johnson Field – 1863
Salmon Portland Chase – 1864 (Chief Justice)
Salmon Portland Chase was Lincoln's choice to be Chief Justice of the United States.
Lincoln's declared philosophy on court nominations was that "we cannot ask a man what he will do, and if we should, and he should answer us, we should despise him for it. Therefore we must take a man whose opinions are known."[288] Lincoln made five appointments to the United States Supreme Court. Noah Haynes Swayne, nominated January 21, 1862 and appointed January 24, 1862, was chosen as an anti-slavery lawyer who was committed to the Union. Samuel Freeman Miller, nominated and appointed on July 16, 1862, supported Lincoln in the 1860 election and was an avowed abolitionist. David Davis, Lincoln's campaign manager in 1860, nominated December 1, 1862 and appointed December 8, 1862, had also served as a judge in Lincoln's Illinois court circuit. Stephen Johnson Field, a previous California Supreme Court justice, was nominated March 6, 1863 and appointed March 10, 1863, and provided geographic balance, as well as political balance to the court as a Democrat. Finally, Lincoln's Treasury Secretary, Salmon P. Chase, was nominated as Chief Justice, and appointed the same day, on December 6, 1864. Lincoln believed Chase was an able jurist, would support Reconstruction legislation, and that his appointment united the Republican Party.[290]
Other judicial appointments
Lincoln appointed 32 federal judges, including four Associate Justices and one Chief Justice to the Supreme Court of the United States, and 27 judges to the United States district courts. Lincoln appointed no judges to the United States circuit courts during his time in office.
States admitted to the Union
West Virginia, admitted to the Union June 20, 1863, contained the former north-westernmost counties of Virginia that seceded from Virginia after that commonwealth declared its secession from the Union. As a condition for its admission, West Virginia's constitution was required to provide for the gradual abolition of slavery. Nevada, which became the third State in the far-west of the continent, was admitted as a free state on October 31, 1864.[291]
Assassination and funeral
Shown in the presidential booth of Ford's Theatre, from left to right, are assassin John Wilkes Booth, Abraham Lincoln, Mary Todd Lincoln, Clara Harris, and Henry Rathbone.
John Wilkes Booth was a well-known actor and a Confederate spy from Maryland; though he never joined the Confederate army, he had contacts with the Confederate secret service.[292] In 1864, Booth formulated a plan (very similar to one of Thomas N. Conrad previously authorized by the Confederacy)[293] to kidnap Lincoln in exchange for the release of Confederate prisoners. After attending an April 11, 1865, speech in which Lincoln promoted voting rights for blacks, an incensed Booth changed his plans and became determined to assassinate the president.[294] Learning that the President and Grant would be attending Ford's Theatre, Booth formulated a plan with co-conspirators to assassinate Lincoln and Grant at the theater, as well as Vice President Johnson and Secretary of State Seward at their homes. Without his main bodyguard, Ward Hill Lamon, Lincoln left to attend the play Our American Cousin on April 14. At the last minute, Grant decided to go to New Jersey to visit his children instead of attending the play.[295]
Lincoln's bodyguard, John Parker, left Ford's Theater during intermission to drink at the saloon next door. The now unguarded President sat in his state box in the balcony. Seizing the opportunity, Booth crept up from behind and at about 10:13 pm, aimed at the back of Lincoln's head and fired at point-blank range, mortally wounding the President. Major Henry Rathbone momentarily grappled with Booth, but Booth stabbed him and escaped.[296][297]
After being on the run for 12 days, Booth was tracked down and found on a farm in Virginia, some 70 miles (110 km) south of Washington. After refusing to surrender to Union troops, Booth was killed by Sergeant Boston Corbett on April 26.[298][299]
Doctor Charles Leale, an Army surgeon, found the President unresponsive, barely breathing and with no detectable pulse. Having determined that the President had been shot in the head, and not stabbed in the shoulder as originally thought, he made an attempt to clear the blood clot, after which the President began to breathe more naturally.[300] The dying President was taken across the street to Petersen House. After remaining in a coma for nine hours, Lincoln died at 7:22 am on April 15. Secretary of War Stanton saluted and said, "Now he belongs to the ages."[301]
Lincoln's flag-enfolded body was then escorted in the rain to the White House by bareheaded Union officers, while the city's church bells rang. President Johnson was sworn in at 10:00 am, less than 3 hours after Lincoln's death. The late President lay in state in the East Room, and then in the Capitol Rotunda from April 19 through April 21. For his final journey with his son Willie, both caskets were transported in the executive coach "United States" and for three weeks the Lincoln Special funeral train decorated in black bunting[302] bore Lincoln's remains on a slow circuitous waypoint journey from Washington D.C. to Springfield, Illinois, stopping at many cities across the North for large-scale memorials attended by hundreds of thousands, as well as many people who gathered in informal trackside tributes with bands, bonfires, and hymn singing[303][304] or silent reverence with hat in hand as the railway procession slowly passed by. Poet Walt Whitman composed When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd to eulogize Lincoln, one of four poems he wrote about the assassinated president.[305] Historians have emphasized the widespread shock and sorrow, but also noted that some Lincoln haters cheered when they heard the news.[306] African-Americans were especially moved; they had lost 'their Moses'. In a larger sense, the outpouring of grief and anguish was in response to the deaths of so many men in the war that had just ended.[307]
Religious and philosophical beliefs
George Peter Alexander Healy in 1869
As a young man, Lincoln was a religious skeptic,[308] or, in the words of a biographer, an iconoclast.[309] Later in life, Lincoln's frequent use of religious imagery and language might have reflected his own personal beliefs or might have been a device to appeal to his audiences, who were mostly evangelical Protestants.[310] He never joined a church, although he frequently attended with his wife.[311] However, he was deeply familiar with the Bible, and he both quoted and praised it.[312] He was private about his beliefs and respected the beliefs of others. Lincoln never made a clear profession of Christian beliefs. However he did believe in an all-powerful God that shaped events and, by 1865, was expressing those beliefs in major speeches.[313]
In the 1840s, Lincoln subscribed to the Doctrine of Necessity, a belief that asserted the human mind was controlled by some higher power.[314] In the 1850s, Lincoln believed in "providence" in a general way, and rarely used the language or imagery of the evangelicals; he regarded the republicanism of the Founding Fathers with an almost religious reverence.[315] When he suffered the death of his son Edward, Lincoln more frequently expressed a need to depend on God.[316] The death of his son Willie in February 1862 may have caused Lincoln to look toward religion for answers and solace.[317] After Willie's death, Lincoln considered why, from a divine standpoint, the severity of the war was necessary. He wrote at this time that God "could have either saved or destroyed the Union without a human contest. Yet the contest began. And having begun He could give the final victory to either side any day. Yet the contest proceeds."[318] On the day Lincoln was assassinated, he reportedly told his wife he desired to visit the Holy Land.[319]
Several claims abound that Lincoln's health was declining before the assassination. These are often based on photographs appearing to show weight loss and muscle wasting. One such claim is that he suffered from a rare genetic disorder MEN2b,[320] which manifests with a medullary thyroid carcinoma, mucosal neuromas and a Marfinoid appearance. Others simply claim he had Marfan's syndrome, based on his tall appearance with spindly fingers, and the association of possible aortic regurgitation, which can cause bobbing of the head (DeMusset's sign) – based on blurring of Lincoln's head in photographs, which back then had a long exposure time. DNA analysis is so far being refused by the Grand Army of the Republic museum in Philadelphia.[320]
Lincoln's image is carved into the stone of Mount Rushmore.
In [322]
President Lincoln's assassination increased his status to the point of making him a national martyr. Lincoln was viewed by abolitionists as a champion for human liberty. Republicans linked Lincoln's name to their party. Many, though not all, in the South considered Lincoln as a man of outstanding ability.[323]
Schwartz argues that Lincoln's reputation grew slowly in the late 19th century until the Progressive Era (1900–1920s) when he emerged as one of the most venerated heroes in American history, with even white Southerners in agreement. The high point came in 1922 with the dedication of the Lincoln Memorial on the Mall in Washington.[324] In the New Deal era liberals honored Lincoln not so much as the self-made man or the great war president, but as the advocate of the common man who doubtless would have supported the welfare state. In the Cold War years, Lincoln's image shifted to emphasize the symbol of freedom who brought hope to those oppressed by communist regimes.[325]
By the 1970s Lincoln had become a hero to political conservatives[326] for his intense nationalism, support for business, his insistence on stopping the spread of human bondage, his acting in terms of Lockean and Burkean principles on behalf of both liberty and tradition, and his devotion to the principles of the Founding Fathers.[327][328][329] As a Whig activist, Lincoln was a spokesman for business interests, favoring high tariffs, banks, internal improvements, and railroads in opposition to the agrarian Democrats.[330] William C. Harris found that Lincoln's "reverence for the Founding Fathers, the Constitution, the laws under it, and the preservation of the Republic and its institutions undergirded and strengthened his conservatism".[331] James G. Randall emphasizes his tolerance and especially his moderation "in his preference for orderly progress, his distrust of dangerous agitation, and his reluctance toward ill digested schemes of reform". Randall concludes that, "he was conservative in his complete avoidance of that type of so-called 'radicalism' which involved abuse of the South, hatred for the slaveholder, thirst for vengeance, partisan plotting, and ungenerous demands that Southern institutions be transformed overnight by outsiders."[332]
By the late 1960s, liberals, such as historian Lerone Bennett, were having second thoughts, especially regarding Lincoln's views on racial issues.[333][334] Bennett won wide attention when he called Lincoln a white supremacist in 1968.[335] He noted that Lincoln used ethnic slurs, told jokes that ridiculed blacks, insisted he opposed social equality, and proposed sending freed slaves to another country. Defenders, such as authors Dirck and Cashin, retorted that he was not as bad as most politicians of his day;[336] and that he was a "moral visionary" who deftly advanced the abolitionist cause, as fast as politically possible.[337] The emphasis shifted away from Lincoln-the-emancipator to an argument that blacks had freed themselves from slavery, or at least were responsible for pressuring the government on emancipation.[338][339] Historian Barry Schwartz wrote in 2009 that Lincoln's image suffered "erosion, fading prestige, benign ridicule" in the late 20th century.[340] On the other hand, Donald opined in his 1996 biography that Lincoln was distinctly endowed with the personality trait of negative capability, defined by the poet John Keats and attributed to extraordinary leaders who were "content in the midst of uncertainties and doubts, and not compelled toward fact or reason".[341]
Today's U.S. President, however, seems to be promoting a sympathetic resurgence for his predecessor, Lincoln. Indeed, President Obama, has insisted on using Lincoln's Bible for his swearing in of office at both his inaugurations.[342]
Lincoln has often been portrayed by Hollywood, almost always in a flattering light.[343][344]
Memory and memorials
Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.
Lincoln's portrait appears on two denominations of United States currency, the penny and the $5 bill. His likeness also appears on many postage stamps and he has been memorialized in many town, city, and county names,[345] including the capital of Nebraska.[346]
The most famous and most visited memorials are the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.; Lincoln's sculpture on Mount Rushmore;[347] Ford's Theatre and Petersen House (where he died) in Washington and the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, located in Springfield, Illinois, not far from Lincoln's home and his tomb.[348][349]
There was also the Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln exhibit in Disneyland, and the Hall of Presidents at Walt Disney World, which had to do with Walt Disney admiring Lincoln ever since he was a little boy.
Barry Schwartz, a sociologist who has examined America's cultural memory, argues that in the 1930s and 1940s, the memory of Abraham Lincoln was practically sacred and provided the nation with "a moral symbol inspiring and guiding American life". During the Great Depression, he argues, Lincoln served "as a means for seeing the world's disappointments, for making its sufferings not so much explicable as meaningful". Franklin D. Roosevelt, preparing America for war, used the words of the Civil War president to clarify the threat posed by Germany and Japan. Americans asked, "What would Lincoln do?"[350] However, Schwartz also finds that since World War II, Lincoln's symbolic power has lost relevance, and this "fading hero is symptomatic of fading confidence in national greatness". He suggested that postmodernism and multiculturalism have diluted greatness as a concept.[351]
Blab school
Lincoln Tower
List of photographs of Abraham Lincoln
List of civil rights leaders
^ Randall (1947), pp. 65–87.
^ a b "Ranking Our Presidents". James Lindgren. November 16, 2000. International World History Project.
^ a b "Americans Say Reagan Is the Greatest President". Gallup Inc. February 28, 2011.
^ Donald (1996), pp. 20–22.
^ Donald (1996), p. 20.
^ Warren, p. 4.
^ White, pp. 12–13.
^ Warren, p. 6 and 8.
^ Warren, p. 9–10.
^ Bartelt, p. 14.
^ a b Warren, p. 12.
^ a b Sandburg (1926), p. 20.
^ Warren, p. 13.
^ Warren, p. 16 and 43.
^ Bartelt, p. 3, 5, and 16.
^ Donald (1996), p. 23–24.
^ Bartelt, p. 34 and 156.
^ Bartelt, p. 25 and 71.
^ Bartelt, p. 22–23, and 77.
^ Donald (1996), p. 20, 30–33.
^ White, pp. 25, 31, and 47.
^ Donald (1996), pp. 29–31, 38–43
^ Bartelt, p. 118, 143, and 148.
^ Warren, p. xix, 30, 46, and 48.
^ Warren, p. 134–35.
^ Bartelt, p. 38–40.
^ Donald (1996), p. 28 and 152.
^ Thomas (2008), pp. 23–53
^ Sandburg (1926), pp. 22–23.
^ a b Donald (1996), pp. 67–69; Thomas (2008), pp. 56–57, 69–70.
^ Lamb, p. 43.
^ a b Sandburg (1926), pp. 46–48.
^ Baker, p. 142.
^ White, p. 126.
^ White, pp. 179–181, 476.
^ Steers, p. 341.
^ Foner (1995), pp. 440–447.
^ s:Life and Works of Abraham Lincoln/Volume 3/The Improvement of Sangamon River
^ Winkle, pp. 86–95.
^ Sandburg (2002), p. 14
^ Winkle, pp. 114–116.
^ White, p. 59.
^ White, pp. 71, 79, 108.
^ Simon, p. 283.
^ http://abrahamlincolnsclassroom.org/abraham-lincoln-in-depth/abraham-lincoln-and-internal-improvements/#imc
^ Donald (1996), p. 134.
^ Foner (2010), pp. 17–19, 67.
^ Boritt (1994), pp. 137–153.
^ Oates, p. 79.
^ Harris, p. 54; Foner (2010), p. 57.
^ Heidler (2006), pp. 181–183.
^ Holzer, p. 63.
^ Oates, pp. 79–80.
^ a b Basler (1946), pp. 199–202.
^ McGovern, p. 33.
^ Basler (1946), p. 202.
^ Donald (1996), pp. 124–126.
^ Harris, pp. 55–57.
^ Donald (1996), pp. 105–106, 158.
^ Bridging the Mississippi. Archives.gov (October 19, 2011). Retrieved on 2013-08-17.
^ * Brian McGinty, Lincoln's Greatest Case: The River, the Bridge, and the Making of America (2015)
^ a b Donald (1996), p. 155.
^ Dirck (2007), p. 92.
^ Handy, p. 440.
^ Donald (1996), pp. 155–156, 196–197.
^ a b c Donald (1996), pp. 150–151.
^ Harrison (1935), p. 270.
^ McGovern, pp. 36–37.
^ Foner (2010), pp. 84–88.
^ Thomas (2008), pp. 148–152.
^ Oates, p. 119.
^ White, pp. 205–208.
^ Oates, pp. 138–139.
^ Zarefsky, pp. 69–110.
^ Jaffa, pp. 299–300.
^ Harris, p. 98.
^ McPherson (1993), p. 182.
^ Carwardine (2003), pp. 89–90.
^ Donald (1996), pp. 242, 412.
^ Jaffa, p. 473.
^ Holzer, pp. 108–111.
^ Carwardine (2003), p. 97.
^ Holzer, p. 157.
^ Luthin, pp. 609–629.
^ Hofstadter, pp. 50–55.
^ Boritt (1994), pp. 10, 13, 18.
^ Mansch, p. 61.
^ Harris, p. 243.
^ Nevins, Ordeal of the Union vol 4. p. 312.
^ Edgar, p. 350.
^ Potter, p. 498.
^ Potter, pp. 520, 569–570.
^ Vorenberg, p. 22.
^ Vile (2003), Encyclopedia of Constitutional Amendments: Proposed Amendments, and Amending Issues 1789–2002 pp. 280–281
^ Lupton (2006), Abraham Lincoln and the Corwin Amendment, Retrieved January 13, 2013
^ Vile (2003), Encyclopedia of Constitutional Amendments: Proposed Amendments, and Amending Issues 1789–2002 p. 281
^ Sandburg (2002), p. 212.
^ March 4, 1865, Lincoln's second inaugural address.
^ Allan Nevins, Ordeal of the Union (1959) vol 5 p 29
^ Sherman, pp. 185–186.
^ Allan Nevins, The War for the Union: The Improvised War 1861-1862 (1959) pp. 74-75
^ Russell McClintock, Lincoln and the Decision for War: The Northern Response to Secession (2008) pp. 254-74 provides details of support across the North
^ Heidler (2000), p. 174.
^ William C. Harris, Lincoln and the Border States: Preserving the Union (University Press of Kansas, 2011) pp. 59-71
^ Donald (1996), pp. 303–304; Carwardine (2003), pp. 163–164.
^ Donald (1996), pp. 315, 331–333, 338–339, 417.
^ Donald (1996), p. 314; Carwardine (2003), p. 178.
^ Carwardine (2003), p. 181.
^ Adams, pp. 540–562.
^ Prokopowicz, p. 127.
^ Benjamin P. Thomas and Harold M. Hyman, Stanton, the Life and Times of Lincoln's Secretary of War (Knopf, 1962) pp. 71, 87, 229–30, 385 (quote)
^ Ambrose, pp. 7, 66, 159.
^ a b Nevins (1960), pp. 2:159–162.
^ Goodwin, pp. 478–479.
^ Goodwin, p. 481.
^ Nevins 6:433–44
^ a b Nevins vol 6 pp. 318–322, quote on p. 322.
^ Nevins 6:432–450.
^ Guelzo (1999), pp. 290–291.
^ Basler (1953), p. 388
^ Louis P. Masur, Lincoln's Hundred Days: The Emancipation Proclamation and the War for the Union (Harvard University Press; 2012)
^ Nevins (1960), pp. 2:239–240.
^ Douglass, pp. 259–260.
^ Bulla (2010), p. 222.
^ Wills, pp. 20, 27, 105, 146.
^ Thomas (2008), p. 315.
^ Nevins, Ordeal of the Union (Vol. IV), pp. 6–17.
^ Neely (2004), pp. 434–458.
^ Fish, pp. 53–69.
^ Tegeder, pp. 77–90.
^ a b Grimsley, p. 80.
^ Randall & Current (1955), p. 307.
^ Paludan, pp. 274–293.
^ Noll, p. 426.
^ Abraham Lincoln, Abraham Lincoln: Selected Speeches and Writings (Library of America edition, 2009) p 450
^ Nevins, Ordeal of the Union, Vol IV., p. 206.
^ Carwardine (2003), pp. 242–243.
^ Diggins, p. 307.
^ Foner (2010), p. 215.
^ Orville Vernon Burton, The Age of Lincoln (2008) p 243
^ Belz (1998), p. 86.
^ Paludan, p. 116.
^ McPherson (1993), pp. 450–452.
^ Cox, p. 182.
^ Nichols, pp. 210–232.
^ a b c Donald (1996), p. 471.
^ Blue, p. 245.
^ Harrison (2000), pp. 3–4.
^ Donald (1996), pp. 598–599, 686. Witnesses have provided other versions of the quote, i.e. "He now belongs to the ages." and "He is a man for the ages."
^ Trostel, pp. 31–58.
^ Goodrich, pp. 231–238.
^ Carwardine (2003), p. 4.
^ On claims that Lincoln was baptized by an associate of Alexander Campbell, see
^ Donald (1996), pp. 48–49, 514–515.
^ Grant R. Brodrecht, "Our country": Northern evangelicals and the Union during the Civil War and Reconstruction (2008) p. 40
^ Parrillo, pp. 227–253.
^ Wilson, pp. 251–254.
^ Wilson, p. 254.
^ Guelzo (1999), p. 434
^ Taranto, p. 264.
^ Densen, John V., Editor, Reassessing The Presidency, The Rise of the Executive State and the Decline of Freedom (Ludwig von Mises Institute, 2001), pgs. 1–32; Ridings, William H., & Stuard B. McIver, Rating The Presidents, A Ranking of U.S. Leaders, From the Great and Honorable to the Dishonest and Incompetent (Citadel Press, Kensington Publishing Corp., 2000).
^ Chesebrough, pp. 76, 79, 106, 110.
^ Schwartz (2000), p. 109.
^ Schwartz (2009), pp. 23, 91–98.
^ Havers, p. 96. Apart from neo-Confederates such as Mel Bradford who denounced his treatment of the white South.
^ Belz (2006), pp. 514–518.
^ Graebner, pp. 67–94.
^ Smith, pp. 43–45.
^ Boritt (1994), pp. 196, 198, 228, 301.
^ Harris, p. 2.
^ Randall (1947), p. 175.
^ Zilversmit, pp. 22–24.
^ Smith, p. 42.
^ Bennett, pp. 35–42.
^ Striner, pp. 2–4.
^ Cashin, p. 61.
^ Kelley & Lewis, p. 228.
^ https://en.m.WorldHeritage.org/articles/Lincoln_Bible
^ Steven Spielberg, Doris Kearns Goodwin, and Tony Kushner, "Mr. Lincoln Goes to Hollywood", Smithsonian (2012) 43#7 pp. 46–53.
^ Melvyn Stokes, "Abraham Lincoln and the Movies", American Nineteenth Century History 12 (June 2011), 203–31.
^ Dennis, p. 194.
^ http://www.nebraska.gov/poi/general-info.html
^ Barry Schwartz, Abraham Lincoln in the Post-Heroic Era: History and Memory in Late Twentieth-Century America (2009) pp. xi, 9, 24
^ Barry Schwartz, Abraham Lincoln in the Post-Heroic Era: History and Memory in Late Twentieth-Century America (2009) p. xi, 9
Cited in footnotes
McClintock, Russell. Lincoln and the Decision for War: The Northern Response to Secession (2008) online
, also published as vol 3–4 of Ordeal of the Union
; also published as vol 5–8 of Ordeal of the Union
Holzer, Harold and Craig L. Symonds, eds. Exploring Lincoln: Great Historians Reappraise Our Greatest President (2015), essays by 16 scholars
Manning, Chandra, "The Shifting Terrain of Attitudes toward Abraham Lincoln and Emancipation", Journal of the Abraham Lincoln Association, 34 (Winter 2013), 18–39.
Smith, Adam I.P. "The 'Cult' of Abraham Lincoln and the Strange Survival of Liberal England in the Era of the World Wars", Twentieth Century British History, (Dec 2010) 21#4 pp. 486–509
Spielberg, Steven; Goodwin, Doris Kearns; Kushner, Tony. "Mr. Lincoln Goes to Hollywood", Smithsonian (2012) 43#7 pp. 46–53.
Green, Michael S. Lincoln and the Election of 1860 (Concise Lincoln Library) excerpt and text search
, vol 3. of detailed biography
White House biography
Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Foundation
Abraham Lincoln collected news and commentary at The New York Times
Abraham Lincoln: A Resource Guide from the Library of Congress
Abraham Lincoln at C-SPAN's American Presidents: Life Portraits
Abraham Lincoln: Original Letters and Manuscripts - Shapell Manuscript Foundation
Lincoln/Net: Abraham Lincoln Historical Digitization Project - Northern Illinois University Libraries
Teaching Abraham Lincoln - National Endowment for the Humanities
Works by or about Abraham Lincoln at Internet Archive
Works by Abraham Lincoln at LibriVox (public domain audiobooks)
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Title: Henry Wilson
Subject: United States presidential election, 1872, Schuyler Colfax, George S. Boutwell, Presidency of Ulysses S. Grant, William A. Wheeler
Collection: 1812 Births, 1875 Deaths, 19Th-Century American Journalists, 19Th-Century American Newspaper Editors, 19Th-Century Journalists, American Congregationalists, American Historians, American Male Journalists, American Militia Generals, American Militia Officers, Burials in Massachusetts, Grant Administration Personnel, Historians of the American Civil War, Massachusetts Free Soilers, Massachusetts Know Nothings, Massachusetts Republicans, Massachusetts State Senators, Massachusetts Whigs, Members of the Massachusetts House of Representatives, People of Massachusetts in the American Civil War, Presidents of the Massachusetts Senate, Republican Party (United States) Vice Presidential Nominees, Republican Party United States Senators, Republican Party Vice Presidents of the United States, Union Army Colonels, Union Political Leaders, United States Senators from Massachusetts, United States Vice-Presidential Candidates, 1872, Vice Presidents of the United States, Writers from Massachusetts
18th Vice President of the United States
March 4, 1873 – November 22, 1875
Schuyler Colfax
William A. Wheeler
from Massachusetts
January 31, 1855 – March 3, 1873
Julius Rockwell
George S. Boutwell
Chairman of the
Senate Committee on Military Affairs
John A. Logan
Jeremiah Jones Colbath
Farmington, New Hampshire
Free Soil
Know Nothing
Harriet Malvina Howe
United States of America (Union)
Massachusetts Militia
1843-1852 (Massachusetts Militia)
1861 (Union Army)
Brigadier General (Massachusetts Militia)
Colonel (Union Army)
1st Artillery Regiment (Massachusetts Militia)
3rd Brigade (Massachusetts Militia)
22nd Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry (Union Army)
Henry Wilson (born Jeremiah Jones Colbath; February 16, 1812 – November 22, 1875) was the 18th Vice President of the United States (1873–1875) and a Senator from Massachusetts (1855–1873). Before and during the American Civil War, he was a leading Republican, and a strong opponent of slavery. He devoted his energies to the destruction of the "Slave Power" - the faction of slave owners and their political allies which anti-slavery Americans saw as dominating the country.
Wilson was a founder of the Free Soil Party in 1848, and served as the party chairman during the 1852 presidential election. When the Free Soil party dissolved Wilson joined the Republican Party, of which he was also a founder. While Senator during the Civil War Wilson was considered a "Radical". After the Civil War, he supported the Radical program for Reconstruction. In 1872, he was elected Vice President as the running mate of President Ulysses S. Grant, and he served from March 4, 1873 until his death on November 22, 1875.
Throughout his career, Wilson was known for championing unpopular causes including the abolition of slavery and workers' rights for both blacks and whites. Fellow Massachusetts Senator Crédit Mobilier scandal while serving in the Senate.
Early life, indentured farm laborer, education 1
Natick cobbler, abolitionism, attended academies 2
Marriage and family 3
State legislator, editor, and militia officer 4
Free Soil chairman, unsuccessful office bids, delegate 5
U.S. Senator (1855-1873) 6
Abolitionist alignment (1855) 6.1
Threatened by Preston Brooks (1856) 6.2
Civil War (1861-1865) 6.3
Senate military committee chairmanships and Union military service 6.3.1
Greenhow controversy 6.3.2
Abolition of slavery in Washington D.C. 6.3.3
Emancipation and enlistment of African Americans 6.3.4
African American education in Washington D.C. 6.3.5
African American soldiers' freedom authorized by federal government 6.3.6
Equality for African American soldiers 6.3.7
African American soldiers' families freed 6.3.8
Reconstruction (1865-1873) 6.4
Introduced Civil Rights bill 6.4.1
Voted to impeach Johnson 6.4.2
Vice Presidential bid (1868) 6.5
Nominated for Vice President (1872) 6.6
Crédit Mobilier scandal, Congressional investigation and testimony (1872-1873) 6.7
Vice President (1873-1875) 7
Declining health and death 7.1
Historical reputation 8
Author and books published 9
See also 10
Sources 12
Books 12.1
New York Times 12.2
Early life, indentured farm laborer, education
Henry Wilson was born in Farmington, New Hampshire on February 16, 1812, one of several children born to Winthrop and Abigail (Witham) Colbath.[1] His father named him Jeremiah Jones Colbath[1] after a wealthy neighbor who was a childless bachelor in the vain hope of receiving an inheritance. The Wilson family was impoverished and Winthrop worked as a laborer in a saw mill.[1]
At the age of 10 Wilson was indentured to a neighboring farmer, and he worked hard farm labor for the next 10 years.[2] During this time two neighbors gave him books and Wilson enhanced his meager education by reading extensively on English and American history and biography.[3] At the end of his service he was given "six sheep and a yoke [two] of oxen." Wilson immediately sold his animals for $85, which was the first money he had earned in the 10 years he was indentured.[3]
Wilson apparently did not like his birth name, though the reasons given vary. Some sources indicate that he disliked his birth name because of his father's intemperance and modest financial circumstances.[4] Others indicate that he was called "Jed" and "Jerry", and disliked the nicknames so much that he resolved to change his name.[5][6] Whatever the reason, when he turned 21 he had it legally changed to Henry Wilson, inspired either by a biography of a Philadelphia teacher named Henry Wilson[7] or a portrait of a minister named Henry Wilson from a book on English clergymen.[7]
Natick cobbler, abolitionism, attended academies
Henry Wilson's shoeshop in Natick, Massachusetts
After trying and failing to find work in New Hampshire, in 1833 Wilson walked more than one hundred miles to Natick, Massachusetts seeking employment or a trade.[3] Having met William P. Legro, a shoemaker who was willing to train him, Wilson hired himself out for five months to learn to make leather shoes called brogans.[8] Wilson learned the trade in a few weeks, bought out his employment contract for $15, and opened his own shop, intending to save enough money to study law.[3] Wilson had success as a shoemaker, and was able to save several hundred dollars in a relatively short time. This success gave rise to legends about Wilson's skill; according to one story that grew with retelling, he once attempted to make one hundred pairs of shoes without sleeping, and fell asleep with the one hundredth pair in his hand.[9] Wilson's shoe making experience led to the creation of a political nickname his supporters later used to highlight his working class roots—the "Natick Cobbler".[10]
During this time Wilson read extensively and joined the Natick Debating Society, where he developed into an accomplished speaker.[3] Wilson's health suffered as the result of the long hours he worked making shoes, and he traveled to Virginia to recuperate.[3] During a stop in Washington, D.C. he heard Congressional debates on slavery and abolitionism, and observed African American families being separated as they were bought and sold in the Washington slave trade.[3] Wilson resolved to dedicate himself "to the cause of emancipation in America",[3] and after regaining his health returned to New England, where he furthered his education by attending several New Hampshire academies including schools in Strafford, Wolfeboro, and Concord.[3]
Having spent part of his savings on his traveling and schooling, and having lost some as the result of a loan that was not repaid, Wilson worked as a schoolteacher to get out of debt and begin saving money again, intending to use it to start a business.[3] Beginning with an investment of only twelve dollars,[11] Wilson started a shoe manufacturing company. This venture proved successful, and Wilson eventually employed over 100 workers.[3]
On October 28, 1840 Wilson married Harriet Malvina Howe (1824-1870).[3][12] They were the parents of one child, son Henry Hamilton Wilson (1846-1866), who attended the Highland Military Academy in Worcester, Massachusetts. During the Civil War, the younger Wilson attended the United States Naval Academy, but left before graduating in order to accept a commission in the Union Army. He attained success in the 31st and 104th Regiments of United States Colored Troops, and was promoted to lieutenant colonel and second-in-command of the 104th in July 1865.[3] After the war he accepted a commission as a second lieutenant in the regular Army's 6th Cavalry Regiment, and served until his death in 1866.[3][13][14][15]
State legislator, editor, and militia officer
Wilson became active politically as a Whig, and campaigned for William Henry Harrison in 1840.[16] He had joined the Whigs out of disappointment with the fiscal policies of Andrew Jackson and Martin Van Buren, and like most Whigs blamed Democrats Jackson and Van Buren for the Panic of 1837. [3] In 1840 he was also elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives, and served from 1841 to 1842.[3]
Wilson was a member of the Massachusetts State Senate from 1844 to 1846 and 1850 to 1852.[17] From 1851 to 1852 he was the Senate's President Pro Tempore.[18]
As early as 1845, Wilson had started to become disenchanted with the Whigs as the party attempted to compromise on the slavery issue, and as a Concord opposed to the annexation of Texas because it would expand slavery.[19] As a result of this effort, in late 1845 Wilson and abolitionist John Greenleaf Whittier were chosen to submit a petition to Congress containing the signatures of 65,000 Massachusetts residents opposed to Texas annexation.[3]
Wilson was a delegate to the 1848 Whig National Convention, but left the party after it nominated slave owner Zachary Taylor for president and took no position on the Wilmot Proviso, which would have prohibited slavery in territory acquired from Mexico in the Mexican-American War.[20] Wilson and Charles Allen, another Massachusetts delegate, withdrew from the convention, and called for a new meeting of anti-slavery advocates in Buffalo, which launched the Free Soil Party.[3]
Having left the Whig Party, Wilson worked to build coalitions with others opposed to slavery, including Free Soilers, anti-slavery Democrats, Barnburners, the Liberty Party, and the anti-slavery remnants of the Whig Party.[21] Although Wilson's new political coalition was castigated by "straight party" adherents of the Democratic and Whig parties, in April 1851 it elected Free Soil candidate Charles Sumner to the U.S. Senate.[3]
Abolitionist and Free Soil Party leaders Charles Sumner, Henry Ward Beecher, Wendell Phillips, William Lloyd Garrison, Gerrit Smith, Horace Greeley, and Henry Wilson.
From 1848 to 1851 Wilson was the owner and editor of the Boston Republican, which from 1841 to 1848 was a Whig outlet, and from 1848 to 1851 was the main Free Soil Party newspaper.[22]
During his service in the Massachusetts legislature, Wilson took note that participation in the state militia had declined, and that it was not in a state of readiness. In addition to undertaking legislative efforts to provide uniforms and other equipment, in 1843 Wilson joined the militia himself, becoming a Major in the 1st Artillery Regiment, which he later commanded with the rank of Colonel. In 1846 Wilson was promoted to Brigadier General as commander of the Massachusetts Militia's 3rd Brigade, a position he held until 1852.[23][24]
Free Soil chairman, unsuccessful office bids, delegate
In 1852, Wilson was chairman of the Free Soil Party's national convention in
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Julius Rockwell U.S. Senator (Class 2) from Massachusetts
Served alongside: Charles Sumner Succeeded by
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November 25–26, 1875 Succeeded by
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Henry Wilson at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress Retrieved on 2008-02-15
"Henry Wilson".
History of the antislavery measures of the Thirty-seventh and Thirty-eighth United-States Congresses, 1861-64 by Henry Wilson at archive.org
History of the reconstruction measures of the Thirty-ninth and Fortieth Congresses, 1865-68 by Henry Wilson at archive.org
History of the rise and fall of the slave power in America, Vol 1, Vol 2 and Vol 3 by Henry Wilson at archive.org
"Wilson, Henry". The New Student's Reference Work. 1914.
22nd Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, Inc.
Memorial Addresses on the Life and Character of Henry Wilson, (Vice President of the United States). 1876. U.S. Government Printing Office.
The Life and Public Services of Henry Wilson, Late Vice President of the United States. 1876. Elias Nason and Thomas Russell.
Tribute to the Memory of Henry Wilson, Late Vice President of the United States. 1876. Union League Club of New York.
Henry Wilson Memorial Park
Henry Wilson's Regiment: History of the Twenty-second Massachusetts Infantry, the Second Company Sharpshooters, and the Third Light Battery in the War of the Rebellion. 1887. John L. Parker and Robert G. Carter, authors. Rand Avery Company (Boston, MA), publisher.
"Brooks and Senator Wilson". New York Times. June 7, 1856.
"Credit Mobilier Senator Wilson". New York Times. February 14, 1873.
Abbott, Richard H. (1965). Cobbler in Congress: Life of Henry Wilson, 1812-1875 1. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin--Madison. p. 8.
Abbott, Richard H. (1972). Cobbler in Congress: The Life of Henry Wilson, 1812-1875. Lexington, KY: University Press of Kentucky. p. 6.
Giddings, Edward J. (1889). American Christian Rulers: Or, Religion and Men of Government. New York, NY: Bromfield & Co. p. 551.
Hatfield, Mark O.; Senate Historical Office (1997). Vice Presidents of the United States, 1789-1993 Henry Wilson (1873-1875) (PDF).
Haynes, George H. (1936). Dumas Malone, ed. Dictionary of American Biography Henry Wilson.
"The Natick Cobbler". Hide & Leather: The International Weekly; Shoe Factories -- Tanneries -- Allied Industries (Chicago, IL: Hide and Leather Publishing Co.): 36. June 21, 1919.
McKay, Ernest A. (1971). Henry Wilson: Practical Radical; A Portrait of a Politician. Port Washington, NY: Kennikat Press. pp. 11, 16. 233.
McFeely, William S. (1974). Woodward, C. Vann, ed. Responses of the Presidents to Charges of Misconduct. New York, New York: Delacorte Press. pp. 133–162.
Myers, John L. (2005). Henry Wilson and the Coming of the Civil War. Lanham, MD: University Press of America. p. 8.
Myers, John L. "The Writing of History of the Rise and Fall of the Slave Power in America," Civil War History, June 1985, Vol. 31 Issue 2, pp 144–162
Nason, Elias; Russell, Thomas (1876). The Life and Public Services of Henry Wilson.
Henry Wilson, History of the Rise and Fall of the Slave Power in America, 2 vols. (Boston: J. R. Osgood and Co., 1873–77)
^ a b c Haynes 1936, p. 322.
^ Haynes 1936, pp. 322-323.
^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s Haynes 1936, p. 323.
^ McKay 1971, p. 11.
^ Myers 2005, p. 8.
^ Abbott 1965, p. 8.
^ a b Abbott 1972, p. 6.
^ Giddings 1889, p. 551.
^ Hide and Leather 1919, p. 36.
^ Winks, William Edward (1883). Lives of Illustrious Shoemakers. London, England: Sampson Lowe, Marston, Searle & Rivington. p. 362.
^ Harriet Malvina Howe Wilson at Find A Grave
^ Henry Hamilton Wilson at Find A Grave
^ Heitman, Francis Bernard (1903). Historical Register and Dictionary of the United States Army 1. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 1046.
^ Myers, John L. (2009). Henry Wilson and the Era of Reconstruction. Lanham, MD: University Press of America. p. 55.
^ The National Cyclopedia of American Biography IV. New York, NY: James T. White & Company. 1895. p. 14.
^ United States Congressional Serial Set. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. 1913. p. 1125.
^ Garrison, William Lloyd; Merrill, Walter M. (1979). The Letters of William Lloyd Garrison: Let the Oppressed go Free; 1861-1867. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. p. 141.
^ Thayer, William M. (1895). Turning Points in Successful Careers. New York, NY: Thomas Y. Crowell & Company. p. 253.
^ Myers, John L. (2009). Henry Wilson and the Era of Reconstruction. Lanham, MD: University Press of America, Inc. p. viii.
^ Foner, Eric (1995). Free Soil, Free Labor, Free Men: The Ideology of the Republican Party before the Civil War. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. p. 113.
^ Nelson, Michael (1996). Guide to the Presidency. New York, NY: Routledge: Taylor & Francis Groups. p. 1545.
^ Bolino, August C. (2012). Men of Massachusetts: Bay State Contributors to American Society. iUniverse. pp. 77–78.
^ Nason, Elias; Russell, Thomas (1876). The Life and Public Services of Henry Wilson: Late Vice-President of the United States. B. B. Russell. p. 52.
^ Spooner, Walter W.; Smith, Ray B. (1922). National Political Parties with their Platforms. Syracuse, NY: The Syracuse Press. p. 139.
^ Hurd, Duane Hamilton (1890). History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts 1. Philadelphia, PA: J. W. Lewis & Co. p. lxxiv.
^ Barnes, William Horatio (1871). History of Congress: The Fortieth Congress of the United States, 1867-1869 1. New York, NY: W. H. Barnes & Co. pp. 134–135.
^ Anbinder, Tyler (1992). Nativism and Slavery: The Northern Know Nothings and the Politics of the 1850s. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. pp. 146–147.
^ McPherson, James M. (1988). Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. p. 139.
^ Smalley, Eugene Virgil (1896). A History of the Republican Party from its Organization to the Present Time. St. Paul, MN: E. V. Smalley. pp. 94, 97.
^ Gienapp, William E. (1987). The Origins of the Republican Party, 1852-1856. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. pp. 135–139.
^ LeMay, Michael C. (2013). Transforming America: Perspectives on U.S. Immigration 1. Santa Barbara, CA: Praeger. p. 230.
^ Byrd, Robert C.; Wolff, Wendy (1993). Senate, 1789-1989: Historical Statistics, 1789-1992 4. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 262.
^ a b c Haynes 1936, pp. 323-324.
^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t Haynes 1936, p. 324.
^ Phelps, Charles A. (1872). Life and Public Services of Ulysses S. Grant. New York, NY: Lee and Shepard. p. 362.
^ New York Times (06-07-1856).
^ Willard, Emma (1866). History of the United States: or, Republic of America. New York, NY: A. S. Barnes & Co. p. 487.
^ The Contrarians (August 8, 2013). "The July Crisis Part 3: "Excuses" for Treason". In the Corner.
^ 371. Herndon, William H. and Jesse Weik. Douglas L. Wilson and Rodney O. Davis (Editors) Herndon’s Informants: Letters, Interviews, and Statements About Abraham Lincoln (1998), § 444, p. 561.
^ Miller, Richard F. (2013). States at War: A Reference Guide for Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont in the Civil War 1. Hanover, NH: University Press of New England. pp. 264, 267.
^ Nicholson, John P. (1887). Register of the Commandery of the State of Pennsylvania from April 15, 1865 to May 5, 1887. Philadelphia, PA: Pennsylvania Commandery, Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States. p. 6.
^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x Hatfield SHO 1997.
^ "Visitors from Congress: Henry Wilson (1812-1875)". Mr. Lincoln's White House. The Lehrman Institute. Retrieved October 7, 2015.
^ a b McKay 1971, p. 233.
^ a b c d Nason Russell 1876, pp. 316-317.
^ a b Nason Russell 1876, p. 315.
^ p. 1805-6, United States. Congress. The Congressional Globe: Containing the Debate and Proceedings of the First Session of the Thirty-eight Congress. Edited by John C. Rives. Washington, DC: Congressional Globe Printing Office, 1864.
^ The Burlington Free Press. "Our Colored Soldiers." April 29, 1864: 2.
^ a b c Nason Russell 1876, p. 335.
^ a b c d e Nason Russell 1876, pp. 353-354.
^ a b Nason Russell 1876, pp. 354-355.
^ Coffey, Walter (2014). The Reconstruction Years: The Tragic Aftermath of the War Between the States. Bloomington, IN: AuthorHouse, LLC. p. 101.
^ Ball, W. S. (February 1, 1872). "Grant and Colfax". The New North State (Greensboro, NC). p. 2. (subscription required (help)). It is now stated by authorities that Mr. Colfax, while not desiring renomination, would not decline were it tendered.
^ Tulloch, Hugh (2006). The Routledge Companion to the American Civil War Era. New York, NY: Routledge. p. 45.
^ Zuczek, Richard (2006). Encyclopedia of the Reconstruction Era 1. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press. p. 719.
^ Kionka, T. K. (2006). Key Command: Ulysses S. Grant's District of Cairo. Columbia, MO: University of Missouri Press. p. 30.
^ Etheredge, Robert C. (2011). The American Challenge: Preserving the Greatness of America in the 21st Century. Orinda, CA: Miravista Press. p. 42.
^ Crawford, Jay Boyd (1880). The Credit Mobilier of America: Its Origin and History, Its Work of. Boston, MA: C. W. Calkins & Co. p. 126.
^ Dickerson, Donna Lee (2003). The Reconstruction Era: Primary Documents on Events from 1865 to 1877. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press. p. 339.
^ Purcell, L. Edward (2010). Vice Presidents: A Biographical Dictionary. York, PA: Maple Press. p. 171.
^ a b New York Times (02-14-1873).
^ a b McFeely 1974, p. 146.
^ Indiana Historical Collections 33. Indianapolis, IN: Indiana Historical Commission. 1952. p. 405.
^ Crawford, Jay Boyd (1880). The Credit Mobilier of America: Its Origin and History. Boston, MA: C. W. Calkins & Co. p. 126.
^ (Memorial Addresses; Life and Character of Henry Wilson, January 21, 1875. Washington Government Printing Office 1876)
^ The Encyclopedia Britannica 4 (11 ed.). New York, NY: The Encyclopedia Britannica Company. 1910. p. 483.
^ Memorial Addresses on the Life and Character of Andrew Johnson. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. 1876. p. 5.
^ HNN Staff (2002). "How Many Vice Presidents Died in Office?". Historical News Network.
^ Myers, John L. "The Writing of History of the Rise and Fall of the Slave Power in America," Civil War History, June 1985, Vol. 31 Issue 2, pp 144-162
Henry Wilson Shoe Shop
Among Wilson's authored and published works include: History of the Anti-Slavery Measures of the Thirty-seventh and Thirty-eighth Congresses, 1861-64 (1864); History of the Reconstruction Measures of the Thirty-ninth and Fortieth Congresses, 1865-68 (1868); and History of the Rise and Fall of the Slave Power in America, (three volumes, 1872–77).[74]
Author and books published
Massachusetts U.S. Senator [35]
Wilson supported free public schools and libraries.[35] In Massachusetts he supported tax exemptions for worker's tools and furniture and the removal of property qualifications for voting rights.[35]
Wilson was not hesitant to sever ties with old guard politicians and form new coalitions, even though this gave him the reputation among some observers of being a "shifty" politician.[35] On the other hand, he was admired by abolitionists for his dedication to the cause, and workingmen found inspiration in his career, since he had himself risen from a manual laborer's background.[35]
According to historian George H. Haynes, during his nearly thirty years of public service Wilson practiced principled politics by championing unpopular causes including abolition, sometimes at the expense of his personal ambition.[35] The causes Wilson supported included abolition of slavery, and the rights of workers, both black and white.[35]
Henry Wilson's Grave - photograph by Jeff Newcum
Wilson was the fourth Vice President to die in office, following: Thomas Jefferson and James Madison; Elbridge Gerry, who served under James Madison; and William R. King who served under Franklin Pierce.[73]
Two other former Vice Presidents died in the same year as Wilson -- John C. Breckinridge[71] and Andrew Johnson.[72]
Wilson suffered a serious stroke in 1873. Although partially paralyzed, he fought to actively perform his duties as the Senate's presiding officer, though his attendance was irregular due to his ill health.[35] He suffered what was believed to be a minor attack on November 10, 1875, and was taken to the Vice President's Room to recover.[35] Over the next several days, his health appeared to improve and his friends thought he was nearly recovered. However, on November 22 at 7:20 am, Wilson died from a second stroke while working in the United States Capitol Building. He was interred in Old Dell Park Cemetery, Natick, Massachusetts.[70]
Declining health and death
Wilson served as Vice President from March 4, 1873 until his death. As Vice President, Wilson's years of Senate experience enabled him to perform as a "highly efficient and acceptable" presiding officer.[35]
In September 1872, during the campaign for president, Wilson's reputation for honesty was marred by a New York Sun article which indicated that he was involved in the Crédit Mobilier scandal.[63][43] Wilson was one of several Representatives and Senators (mostly Republicans), including Vice President Colfax, who were offered (and possibly took) bribes of cash and discounted shares in Crédit Mobilier from Congressman Oakes Ames in exchange for votes favorable to the Union Pacific Railroad during the building of the First Transcontinental Railroad.[64][65] After denying to a reporter just a month before the election that he had a Crédit Mobilier connection, Wilson admitted involvement when he gave testimony before a Senate committee on February 13, 1873.[66] Wilson told members of the investigating committee that in December 1867 he had agreed to purchase $2,000 in Crédit Mobilier stock (20 shares) using Mrs. Wilson's money and in her name.[66] According to Wilson, his wife and he later had concerns about the propriety of the transaction and had never taken possession of the actual stock certificates, so Wilson asked Ames to cancel the transaction and Ames refunded the $2,000 purchase price to Wilson. Wilson said he then returned $814 to Ames -- $748 in dividends and $66 in interest that Mrs. Wilson had supposedly earned as profits, even though she had not taken physical possession of her shares. Wilson further claimed that because Mrs. Wilson had refused to take these proceeds from Ames,[67] Wilson took it upon himself to pay her $814 from his own funds to compensate her for the profit she would have made if she had kept the stock, which he said he felt obligated to do because his wife had originally agreed to purchase the stock on his recommendation, and had lost money by canceling the transaction.[68][69][67] Mrs. Wilson had died in 1870, so Senators had to rely on Wilson's word. The Senate accepted his explanation, and took no action against him, but his reputation for integrity was somewhat damaged because of his initial denial and later admission, though not sufficiently enough to prevent him from becoming Vice President the following month.[45]
Crédit Mobilier scandal, Congressional investigation and testimony (1872-1873)
At the Republican Convention in held Philadelphia in June 1872, Wilson won enough votes to defeat Colfax, who by then had informed his supporters that he would accept renomination if it was offered.[43] The Republicans believed Wilson's nomination, as a politician of integrity coming from the anti-slavery movement, would outflank the anti-corruption argument of the Liberal Republicans, who counted Sumner among their members.[60] Both the renominated Grant and his new running mate Wilson were idealized by Republican posters, which depicted Grant "the Galena Tanner" and Wilson "the Natick Shoemaker" carrying tools and wearing workmen's aprons.[43] (Before the war Grant had clerked in his father's Galena, Illinois leather goods store.)[61] Wilson's nomination for Vice President had been intended to strengthen the 1872 Republican ticket,[35] and was seen as a success, with Grant and Wilson easily defeating Liberal Republican candidates Horace Greeley and B. Gratz Brown, who were also endorsed by the Democrats.[62]
In 1872 Wilson had a strong reputation among Republicans as a practical reformer supporting African American civil rights. voting rights for women, federal education aid, regulation of businesses, and prohibition of liquor.[43] Colfax, the incumbent Vice President, who was later tied to the Crédit Mobilier scandal, declined to formally announce that he would be a candidate, creating the possibility of a contested nomination.[58] In addition, some Republicans, including Grant, believed Colfax had presidential aspirations and might bolt to the Liberal Republican party,[43] which had formed because of opposition to corruption in the Grant administration and Grant's attempted Santo Domingo annexation.[59]
Grant/Wilson campaign poster
Nominated for Vice President (1872)
Wilson desired to be Vice President.[43] During his speech making tour, Wilson advocated a biracial society in the South, urging African Americans and their white supporters to take a conciliatory and peaceful approach with Southern whites who had favored the Confederacy.[43] Radicals, including Benjamin Wade, were stunned by Wilson's remarks, believing blacks should not be subject to their former white owners.[43] At the Republican Convention, Wilson, Wade and others competed for the Vice Presidential nomination, and Wilson had support among Southern delegates, but he failed to win after five ballots. Wade was also unable to win the convention vote, and Wilson's delegates eventually switched their votes to Speaker of the House Schuyler Colfax, who won the nomination and went on to win the general election with Grant at the head of the ticket.[43] After Grant and Colfax won the 1868 election Wilson declined to serve in Grant's cabinet due to his desire to spend more time with Mrs. Wilson during her lengthy final illness. [43]
The working-man's banner. For President, Ulysses S. Grant, "The Galena Tanner." For Vice-President, Henry Wilson, "The Natick Shoemaker."
Prior to the presidential election of 1868, Wilson toured the South giving political speeches.[43] Many in the press believed Wilson was promoting himself to be the Republican presidential candidate.[43] Wilson, however, supported the Civil War hero General Ulysses S. Grant.[43] During Reconstruction Grant supported Republican Congressional initiatives rather than President Johnson's, and during the dispute over the Tenure of Office Act which led to Johnson's impeachment, Grant served as temporary Secretary of War, but then returned the Department to Radical ally Edwin M. Stanton's control over Johnson's strong objection, making Grant a favorite to many Radicals.[57]
Vice Presidential bid (1868)
The rift between the Radicals, including Wilson, and President Johnson grew as Johnson attempted to implement his more lenient Reconstruction policies.[43] Johnson vetoed the bill to establish the Freedmen's Bureau, as well as other Radical measures to protect African American civil rights that Wilson supported.[43] Wilson supported the Senate effort to impeach Johnson, saying that Johnson was "unworthy, if not criminal" in resisting Congressional Reconstruction measures, many of which were passed over Johnson's vetos.[43] At the 1868 Senate trial Wilson voted for Johnson's impeachment, but Republicans fell one vote short of the two thirds majority needed to remove Johnson from office. (With 36 "guilty" votes needed for removal, the Senate results were 35 to 19 on all three post-trial ballots.) [43]
Voted to impeach Johnson
On December 21, 1865, two days after the announcement that the States had ratified the Thirteenth Amendment abolishing slavery, Wilson introduced a civil rights bill to protect the rights of African Americans.[56] Although Wilson's bill failed to pass Congress it was was effectively the same bill as the Civil Rights Act of 1866 that passed Congress over Johnson's veto on April 9, 1866.[56]
Introduced Civil Rights bill
When Andrew Johnson assumed the presidency after President Lincoln's assassination in April 1865, Senators Sumner and Wilson both hoped Johnson would support the policies of the Republican Party.[54] After the Civil War ended in May 1865 in Union victory, the defeated former Confederacy was ruined having been devastated economically, politically, and much of its infrastructure had been destroyed by the war.[54] The opportunity was ripe for Congress and Johnson to work together on terms for Southern restoration and reconstruction.[54] Instead, Johnson launched his own reconstruction policy, and demanded admission of Southern Senators and Representatives, including many former Confederates, when Congress opened in December 1865. Congress however refused to allow the Southern Senators and Representatives to take their seats.[54] This course of action began a rift between Republicans in Congress and the President.[54] Wilson favored allowing only persons who had been loyal to the United States to serve in positions of political power in the former Confederacy,[55] and believed that Congress, not the President, had the power to reconstruct the southern states.[55] As a result, Wilson joined forces with Congressmen and Senators known as Radical Republicans, those most strongly opposed to Johnson.[35]
Wilson voted to impeach President Johnson
Reconstruction (1865-1873)
Wilson introduced a bill in Congress which would free families of African American soldiers in the Union Army.[53] In advocating for passage, Wilson argued that allowing the family members of soldiers to remain in slavery was a "burning shame to this country...Let us hasten the enactment...that, on the forehead of the soldier's wife and the soldier's child, no man can write "Slave".[53] President Lincoln signed the measure into law on March 3, 1865, and an estimated 75,000 African American women and children were freed in Kentucky alone. [53]
African American soldiers' families freed
On June 15, 1864, Wilson succeeded in adding a provision to an appropriations bill authorizing equal pay for African American soldiers.[52] This provision stated that "all persons of color who had been or might be mustered into the military service should receive the same uniform, clothing, rations, medical and hospital attendance, and pay" as white soldiers, to date from January 1864.[52]
Wilson supported the right of black men to join the uniformed services. Once African Americans were permitted to serve in the military, Wilson advocated in the Senate for them to receive equal pay and other benefits.[50] A Vermont newspaper portrayed Wilson's position and enhanced his nationwide reputation as an abolitionist by editorializing "Henry Wilson of Massachusetts, in a speech in the U.S. Senate on Friday, said he thought our treatment of the negro soldiers almost as bad as that of the rebels at Fort Pillow. This is hardly an exaggeration."[51]
African American Union Troops at Lincoln's second Inauguration Washington D.C. March 4, 1865 Wilson successfully authored legislation granting them equal pay in June 1864
Equality for African American soldiers
Wilson added an amendment to an 1864 bill which provided that former slaves serving in the Union Army would be considered permanently free by action of the federal government, rather than through individual emancipation by their owners.[49] President Lincoln signed this measure into law on February 24, 1864, freeing more than 20,000 slaves in Kentucky alone.[49]
African American soldiers' freedom authorized by federal government
On February 17, 1863 Wilson introduced a bill that would federally fund elementary education for African American youth in Washington D.C.[48] President Lincoln signed the bill into law on March 3, 1863.[48]
African American education in Washington D.C.
On July 8, 1862 Wilson drafted a measure that authorized the President to enlist African Americans who had been held in slavery and were deemed competent for military service, and employ them to construct fortifications and carry out other military-related manual labor, the first step towards allowing African Americans to serve as soldiers.[47] President Lincoln signed the amendment into law on July 17.[47]
Emancipation and enlistment of African Americans
On December 16, 1861 Wilson introduced a bill to abolish slavery in Washington D.C. something he had desired to do since his visit to the nation's capital 25 years earlier.[46] At this time fugitive slaves from the war were being held in prisons of Washington D.C. and faced the possibility of return to their owners. Wilson said of his bill that it would "blot out slavery forever from the nation's capital".[46] The measure met bitter opposition from the Democrats who remained in the Senate after those from the southern states vacated their seats to join the Confederacy, but it passed.[46] After passage in the House, President Lincoln signed Wilson's bill into law on April 16, 1862.[46]
Abolition of slavery in Washington D.C.
In seeking to place blame for the Union defeat, some in Washington spread rumors that Wilson had revealed plans for the Union invasion of Virginia to Washington society figure and southern spy Rose O'Neal Greenhow.[43] According to the story, although he was married, Wilson had seen a great deal of Mrs. Greenhow, and may have told her about the plans of Major General Irvin McDowell, which Mrs. Greenhow then conveyed to Confederate forces under Major General Pierre Beauregard. One Wilson biography suggests someone else—Wilson's Senate clerk Horace White—was also friendly with Mrs. Greenhow and could have leaked the invasion plan, although it is also possible that neither Wilson nor White did so.[44][45]
In July 1861 Wilson was present at the Civil War's first major battle at Bull Run Creek in Manassas, Virginia, an event which many senators, representatives, newspaper reporters, and Washington society elite traveled from the city to observe in anticipation of a quick Union victory.[43] Riding out in a carriage in the early morning, Wilson brought a picnic hamper of sandwiches to feed Union troops.[43] However, the battle turned into a Confederate rout, forcing Union troops to make a panicky retreat.[43] Caught up in the chaos, Wilson was almost captured by the Confederates, while his carriage was crushed,[43] and he had to make an embarrassing return to Washington on foot.[43] The result of this battle has a sobering effect on many in the North, causing widespread realization that Union victory would not be won without a prolonged struggle.[43]
Rose O'Neal Greenhow and her daughter
Greenhow controversy
Winfield Scott, the Commanding General of the United States Army since 1841, said that during the short session of Congress in 1861 Wilson had done more work "then all the chairmen of the military committees had done for the last 20 years."[35] On January 27, 1862 Simon Cameron, the recently resigned Secretary of War echoed Scott's sentiments when he said that "no man, in my opinion, in the whole country, has done more to aid the war department in preparing the mighty [Union] army now under arms than yourself [Wilson]. "[35]
Wilson's experience in the militia, service with the 22nd Massachusetts, and chairmanship of the Military Affairs Committee provided him with more practical military knowledge and training than any other Senator.[35] He made use of this experience throughout the war to frame, explain, defend and advocate for legislation on military matters, including enlistment of soldiers and sailors, and organizing and supplying the rapidly expanding Union Army and Union Navy.[35]
In 1861, after the short congressional session ended, Wilson returned to Massachusetts and recruited and equipped nearly 2,300 men in forty days. They were mustered in as the 22nd Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, which he commanded from September 27 to October 29, an honor sometimes accorded to the individual responsible for raising and equipping a regiment.[41][35] After the war he became an early member of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States.[42]
Wilson as Colonel and commander, 22nd Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry.
During the American Civil War, Wilson was Chairman of the Committee on Military Affairs and the Militia, and later the Committee on Military Affairs. In that capacity, he oversaw action on over 15,000 War and Navy Department nominations that Abraham Lincoln submitted during the course of the war, and worked closely with him on legislation affecting the Army and Navy.[40]
Secretary of War Simon Cameron after his retirement praised Wilson's work aiding the War Department.
Senate military committee chairmanships and Union military service
Civil War (1861-1865)
The attack on Sumner took place just one day after pro-slavery Missourians killed one person in the burning and sacking of Lawrence, Kansas.[38] The attack on Sumner and the sacking of Lawrence were later viewed as two of the incidents which symbolized the "breakdown of reasoned discourse" that moved past the debate of anti-slavery speeches and non-violent actions including petitions from abolitionists like Sumner and Wilson, versus pro-slavery speeches and legislation from proponents of slavery such as Preston Brooks, and into the realm of physical violence, which in part hastened the onset of the American Civil War.[39]
On May 22, 1856 Preston Brooks brutally assaulted Senator Charles Sumner on the Senate floor, leaving Sumner bloody and unconscious. Brooks had been upset over Sumner's Crimes Against Kansas speech that denounced the Kansas-Nebraska Act.[35] After the beating, Sumner received medical treatment at the Capitol, following which Wilson and Nathaniel P. Banks, the Speaker of the House, aided Sumner to travel by carriage to his lodgings, where he received further medical attention.[36] Wilson called the beating by Brooks "brutal, murderous, and cowardly".[35] Brooks immediately challenged Wilson to a duel. Wilson declined, saying that he could not legally or by personal conviction participate.[35] In reference to a rumor that Brooks might attack Wilson in the Senate, Wilson told the press "I have sought no controversy, and I seek none, but I shall go where duty requires, uninfluenced by threats of any kind."[37]
Preston Brooks challenged Wilson to a duel.
Threatened by Preston Brooks (1856)
In his first Senate speech in 1855, Wilson continued to align himself with the abolitionists, who wanted to immediately end slavery in the United States and its territories.[34] In his speech, Wilson said he wanted to abolish slavery "wherever we are morally and legally responsible for its existence" including Washington D.C.[34] Wilson also demanded repeal of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, believing the federal government should have no responsibility for enforcing slavery, and that once it was repealed those Southerners who opposed slavery would be able to help end it in their own time.[34]
Abolitionist alignment (1855)
In 1855 Wilson was elected to the United States Senate by a coalition of Free-Soilers, Know Nothings, and anti-slavery Democrats, filling the vacancy caused by the resignation of Edward Everett.[28] He had briefly joined the Know-Nothings,[29] but aligned himself with the Republican Party at its creation, formed largely along the lines of the anti-slavery coalition Wilson had helped develop and nurture.[30][31] Wilson was reelected as a Republican in 1859, 1865 and 1871,[32] and served from January 31, 1855 to March 3, 1873, when he resigned in order to begin his vice presidential term on March 4.[33]
U.S. Senator Henry Wilson, photograph by Mathew Brady
U.S. Senator (1855-1873)
[27] as a Free Soil candidate in 1853 and 1854, but declined to be a candidate again in 1855.Governor of Massachusetts in 1853, which proposed a series of reforms that were defeated by voters in a post-convention popular referendum. He ran unsuccessfully for state constitutional convention He was a delegate to the [26].Tappan Wentworth, and lost to Whig U.S. Representative Later that year he was an unsuccessful Free Soil candidate for [25]
New York, Horace Greeley, Democratic Party (United States), Illinois, Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant, Andrew Johnson, Abraham Lincoln, Richard Nixon, Indiana
Massachusetts, Ulysses S. Grant, American Civil War, United States Senate, John Quincy Adams
Presidency of Ulysses S. Grant
American Civil War, African American, Ulysses S. Grant, Horace Greeley, Rutherford B. Hayes
New York, Republican Party (United States), Richard Nixon, Chester A. Arthur, Theodore Roosevelt
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WSU Law professor honored for article
By Sue
Macomb Legal News
The International Arbitration Club of New York recently announced that Professor Charles H. “Chip” Brower II is the recipient of the 2013 Smit-Lowenfeld Prize for best article in the field of international arbitration published in 2011.
Brower, a professor at Wayne State University Law School, will receive the prize for his article “Arbitration and Antitrust: Navigating the Contours of Mandatory Law,” which appeared in the December 2011 issue of the Buffalo Law Review.
The article examines how mandatory laws of a state may affect the law applied in international arbitration proceedings.
The International Arbitration Club of New York Names Professor Charles H. “Chip” Brower II as Recipient of the Smit-Lowenfeld Prize
The prize will be presented to Professor Brower on Jan. 14 at a dinner and program to be held in his honor at The University Club in New York City.
The prize was awarded by a selection committee chaired by Rory O. Millson, a partner of Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP.
“We are delighted to recognize Professor Brower for his outstanding work and dedication to the practice of international arbitration,” said Millson.
Members of the selection committee included Philip A. Lacovara of Mayer Brown LLP, Laurence Shore of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP and Steven H. Reisberg of Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP.
The prize honors the late professor Hans Smit of Columbia Law School and Andreas Lowenfeld, the Rubin Professor Emeritus at the New York University School of Law, for their distinguished careers in the field of international arbitration, both as scholars and as arbitrators.
The criteria for the prize include originality, quality, significance and scholarship.
The International Arbitration Club of New York awards this honor annually. It carries with it an honorarium of $2,500.
The prize will be presented at the January program by Lawrence W. Newman, presiding member of the International Arbitration Club of New York and Of Counsel at Baker & McKenzie LLP.
“This year, our selection committee reviewed 44 submissions that fell under our strict criteria. We look forward to honoring Professor Brower here in New York City, which has a long, proud history as a major center for international arbitration,” said Newman.
An elected member of the American Law Institute, Brower has taught and written about human rights, international business transactions, international commercial arbitration, the law of armed conflict and public international law for the past 15 years.
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Leonora Golden Gift Patron, Kiara Reddingius a hometown hero
Kiara Reddingius is the hometown hero of the Leonora Golden Gift. Six times she has run down the main street to win the 120m race. Despite battling an injury that sidelined her from the recent Australian titles, this year she is aiming to taste victory once more.
However, after moving to the other side of the country to pursue her athletic dreams, the gift has grown to symbolise something more than winning. For Reddingius, Leonora has never felt more like home. When she returns in June to defend her title the entire town will be on her side.
“It is home. It will always be home,” she says. “Every time I come home the whole community supports me. The people have known me since I was little. I think the Golden Gift reminds everybody that we are a community and that we need to stick together.”
After years of toiling in the big smokes of Perth and Melbourne – far away from home – Reddingius is now a force to be reckoned with on the track. Three national heptathlon medals and four Australian university titles make her one of the best all-round athletes in the country.
This is exemplified further by her success on the lucrative pro-running circuit. A famous win in the historic Adelaide Bay Sheffield kickstarted a spree of victories, most notably in Bunbury and Ballarat.
“Pro-running has probably been my favourite part of my athletic career because [the] reward is in improvement,” she says. “If you can improve on where you once were then theoretically you should be in a good place to win… I love that.”
This thirst for progress has been evident ever since she parted ways with Leonora to attend high school in Kalgoorlie. As the years passed by, she secured all kinds of jobs, including as a geologist’s assistant in the mines, and riding horse for early morning trackwork. It was clear that she was tougher than most.
However, at the age of 22, she found her passion for athletics. After meeting coach Matt Barber, she was inspired to commence training. Within weeks she quit riding horses – and the 4:30am alarm – to focus on her new sport.
“My aim was just to do it for a year, do a few competitions, and see if I liked it – mainly to keep fit,” she says. “He (Matt Barber) kind of just looked at me and said ‘you should be a heptathlete’. I didn’t really know what a heptathlete was until later on when I remembered that Kylie Wheeler was a heptathlete.”
As an 11-year-old, Reddingius had watched Wheeler – one of the Leonora Golden Gifts first patrons – compete in the town. She even remembers listening to her at the school, something which would turn out to be a powerful moment. She believes that this program of interaction between athletes and school kids is the most powerful part of the weekend’s festivities.
“When I was a kid, I definitely enjoyed watching the athletes compete. When I was little, I always used to look at athletes and how good they were and what they were doing, and I always thought they were a different type of people. They weren’t just people, they were athletes,” Reddingius says. “But when they come back and they compete. When they visit the school, and you can ask them questions, you start to realise that they are just people too. They’re just people that work really hard and are really passionate. They deal with all these normal people stuff, but they’re following something that they really love and are passionate about. There’s nothing more important than that.”
After narrowly missing selection for the Commonwealth Games, her focus has now shifted to a drive for constant improvement.
“I’ve never been one to be like ‘I want to make the Olympics’. I mean you always want that, but when I started, I never realised I might be capable of doing that,” she says. “My goal is to improve, and I’m happy enough with that. I just want to keep getting better.”
Now working as a teacher, she knows how influential the Golden Gift can be. Returning every year, it is clear that it is one of the highlights of her season.
“It is very special to me. It has a very special atmosphere, and I think it’s just a good time to catch up with everyone.”
Having now cemented herself as one the all-time greats of the Leonora Golden Gift, there is one important question: what would you say to a kid growing up in Leonora today? Her reply is simple but symbolic of her own journey.
“Work hard at what you’re passionate about. Nothing’s every easy, but you’ll continue to surprise yourself if you work really hard for the things you want.”
Article by Jaryd Clifford (c)
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Oceanside's South Nassau has an award-heavy 2017
Posted Tuesday, January 16, 2018 3:05 pm
South Nassau Communities Hospital was named a leading center for orthopedic surgery by Healthgrades, one of the many accolades the hospital received in 2017.
Christina Daly/Herald
Touting a successful year, South Nassau Communities Hospital earned top national awards and certifications from multiple independent organizations and outlets in a wide range of patient care specialties according to an end-of-the-year news release.
“The awards demonstrate that we are delivering on our promise that South Nassau is a hospital ‘where quality matters,’” said Richard J. Murphy, president and chief executive officer at South Nassau. “I commend our staff of more than 3,500 healthcare professionals for their teamwork and commitment to our mission of providing quality care to our patients.”
Top scores for South Nassau in 2017 include:
· Healthgrades America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Orthopedic Surgery, Orthopedic Surgery Excellence Award, and five-star ratings for total knee replacement, total hip replacement and hip fracture treatment.
· Healthgrades Patient Safety Award, Healthgrades Top Five Percent of Hospitals for Patient Safety, Healthgrades Top Ten Percent of Hospitals for Patient Safety.
· Healthgrades Top Ten Percent of Hospitals Evaluated for Gynecologic Procedures, Gynecologic Procedures Excellence Award, Superior Performance in Gynecologic Procedures Award and a five-star rating for hysterectomy procedures.
· Becker’s Hospital Review list of 100 Hospitals with Great Women’s Health Programs.
· Ranked 17th overall in U.S. News & World Report Best (New York) Metro Area Hospitals Rankings.
· Re-accreditation designation by the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers.
· Get With The Guidelines – Heart Failure Gold-Plus Quality Achievement Award by the American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology Foundation.
· American Heart Association/American Stroke Association Get With The Guidelines Stroke Gold Plus Achievement Award with Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite Plus.
· IPRO, or Improving Healthcare for the Common Good, End-Stage Renal Disease Network Quality Award for Highest ICH CAHPS Score in New York.
· IPRO End Stage Renal Network Five Diamond Safety Award (for both the Inpatient Dialysis Unit and the Outpatient Dialysis Center).
· TCU, Transitional Care Unit, CMS Nursing Home Compare five-star rating.
· TCU U.S. News & World Report Top Nursing Homes in America.
Lynbrook Mayor's Golf Outing was a hole-in-one
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Sport enables sustainable development by promoting health, education and social inclusion objectives: UN Follow @merinews
International Day of Sport for Development and Peace is being observed across the globe on April 6 to promote the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development with focus on sport's role for social progress.
According to the UN, "Sport is also an important enabler of sustainable development. We recognize the growing contribution of sport to the realization of development and peace in its promotion of tolerance and respect and the contributions it makes to the empowerment of women and of young people, individuals and communities as well as to health, education and social inclusion objectives."
Linking sport and Sustainable Development, UN deems that the sport has proven to be a cost-effective and flexible tool in promoting peace and development objectives. Since the inception of the MDGs in 2000; and it has played a vital role in enhancing each of the eight goals. Also, in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, sport's role for social progress has been further acknowledged.
Sport has historically played an important role in all societies, be it in the form of competitive sport, physical activity or play. But one may wonder: what does sport have to do with the United Nations? In fact, sport presents a natural partnership for the United Nations (UN) system.
One may recall that earlier UNESCO had described sport and physical education as a "fundamental right for all", however, it has often been ignored or disrespected. Its 'intrinsic values such as teamwork, fairness, discipline, respect for the opponent and the rules of the game are understood all over the world and can be harnessed in the advancement of solidarity, social cohesion and peaceful coexistence.'
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South Africa : Man Caught Masturbating Next to a Woman in Gym 2 months ago
RM From BTS Announes Plans for New Mixtape “RM2”
By Nate - March 22, 2018
Fans of BTS lit up Twitter on Monday following the pioneer of the Korean boy group shared a small yet-to-be-released tune on the social networking website and confirmed he had been working on his next mixtape.
“Will be in RM 2 someday..,” BTS’ RM wrote on the official twitter account, confirming that he is working on a sequel to his 2015 mixtape, RM. The short video clip of RM’s song revealed an ambient hip-hop track laden with his mellow tone and echoing sound effects.
Born Kim Namjoon and formerly known as Rap Monster, back in 2015, the rapper released what was the first of three mixtapes put out so far by members of BTS. It preceded Suga’s Agust D, as Agust D, and J-Hope’s Hope World, the latter of which peaked at No. 38 on the Billboard 200 earlier this month. Each of the mixtapes has been released for free downloads and, either upon their release or at a later date, through digital music platforms.
RM gained prominence in the U.S. over the past year as the only English-fluent member of BTS, as well as through several collaborations, with the likes of Wale and Fall Out Boy. His Fall Out Boy collab “Champion” landed him his first solo charting at the very end of last year, when the track hit No. 18 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart for the chart dated Jan. 6, 2018.
Upon sharing a hint for RM 2, BTS’ fans, known collectively as ARMY, trended the artist’s upcoming mixtape; the tweet itself has been liked over 680,000 times, and been retweeted nearly 300,000 times. Since tweeting, neither RM nor his label, Big Hit Entertainment, have offered up a timeline for the release of his next mixtape.
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One Punch Man Season 2 : Garou Voice Actor Revealed
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bizoon_n / stock.adobe.com
Checkmate! Chess has Local Popularity
By Cheryl Dennison on March 1, 2019 My Hobby
The game of chess is all about strategy. Its popularity is gaining momentum around the state and there are some chess clubs right here in Genesee County. Jeff Aldrich of Davison, an engineer at General Motors, is the president of the Genesee County Chess Club. He is also vice president of the Michigan Chess Association (MCA), a nonprofit organization dedicated to the statewide advancement of the game. MCA sponsors and runs all state championship chess tournaments for both scholastic players and adults. According to its website, the association publishes the bi-monthly magazine, Michigan Chess, and provides scholarships to scholastic players, as well as stipends for those who are invited to represent Michigan in invitational tournaments.
Aldrich started playing chess for fun at a young age. He got involved with a club while attending Armstrong Middle School in the Kearsley District. “I stuck around and played the game after school,” he remembers, “and I had fun!” He continued to hone his skills while in high school, thanks to a coach who was a really good player. “When I was a junior, I won a State High School Championship,” he boasts. Aldrich continued to play while attending University of Michigan-Ann Arbor and traveled to other towns to play in tournaments.
Now, he runs school chess competitions and is busy preparing for a high school tournament at Oakland University. “It’s my hobby,” Aldrich says. “There is a beauty in chess – in making all of the pieces work together. It’s a mental war not limited by physical ability.” He said he gets more tired playing chess in a tournament than he would by doing something physical. “It’s very much a mental game. The brain uses a lot of energy at that level. You have to outthink the predator.”
Chess is a two-player strategy game played on a checkered gameboard with 64 squares. Each player begins with 16 pieces: one king, one queen, two rooks, two knights, two bishops and eight pawns. Each of the six piece-types moves differently, the most powerful being the queen and the least being the pawn. The objective is to checkmate the opponent’s king by placing it under an inescapable threat of capture.
“There is a beauty in chess – in making all of the pieces work
together. It’s a mental war not limited by physical ability.”
Jeff Aldrich
According to Aldrich. The game has multiple phases, each with its own unique aspects. He also explained that pawn structure is very important to the game. Pawns can be the deciding factor in the game because they can go to the end of the board to capture the most valuable queen. “It’s all about how the pieces work together and how you can use them to your advantage,” he notes, adding that the king is the most important piece. The king’s value in attack can be important and it’s not just about protecting him, he further explains. “As pieces trade off, the king’s value becomes greater and greater. In the end, it’s all about capturing the king. Checkmate ends the game.”
The Genesee County Chess Club meets on Tuesday evenings at the Eastside Senior Center in the community room. According to Aldrich, there are about 12 to 14 people who regularly come to play and compete in tournaments. For Aldrich, the club has become a family affair. His 17-year-old son, Michael, and 12-year-old daughter, Brenda, both play chess and go to the club with him. “My brother plays, as well,” he says.
The Flint Chess Academy meets at the Flint Public Library on the first and third Saturdays of each month. There is also a senior club that meets in Grand Blanc. “There is definitely enthusiasm in this area,” Aldrich states.
Playing chess can teach valuable life lessons. “In my own personal experience, chess is all about slowing down and thinking things through – strategizing and analyzing a situation,” Aldrich shares. “I use the thinking and analyzing skills of chess for my day job as an engineer.” Chess also teaches patience, which he believes is very important.
According to Aldrich, interest in the game of chess is growing. “The number of players fluctuates year by year, but we are drawing more players than before – it’s not dying at all,” he reports. “New kids are coming in. It’s all about getting connected with anyone who wants to play.”
Photography by Kayce McClure
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Home / Budget / Surrey gains another £12m, Nottingham gets £0 from ‘flawed’ Government fund
Surrey gains another £12m, Nottingham gets £0 from ‘flawed’ Government fund
Posted on 20th February 2017 by Media Team in Budget, Featured, Other stories, Press Releases
A special Government fund which has seen Surrey County Council benefit the most and Nottingham get nothing has disturbing flaws, a National Audit Office (NAO) investigation has revealed.
The Government’s justifications for the way it allocated the Transition Funding Grant scheme – introduced last year to provide £300million of additional grant funding for councils over two years – are ‘wafer thin,’ according to Nottingham City Council Deputy Leader Graham Chapman.
With the Government set to announce the next round of Transition Funding, Councillor Chapman is raising questions about the probity and fairness of the initiative, which has mainly benefited councils serving well-off areas in the south – including Surrey which earlier this month became the subject of allegations around a ‘sweetheart’ funding deal with the Government. Surrey gained £12m through the scheme last year and is expected to gain a further £12m this year.
Under the Transitional Grant scheme, additional money was handed out, particularly to more affluent councils in the south of the country which over the austerity years have been subject to some of the lowest cuts. At the same time, those councils suffering severe cuts in more northerly places like Nottingham, Birmingham and Derby received no additional money. Outer London councils also benefited while those in Inner London did not.
The NAO investigation found that “…. the overall reductions in spending power experienced by authorities either in this or previous settlements were not involved in the design of the grant. The level of need or demand for local services was also not considered.”
The NAO was also unable to identify where the funding has come from saying “In the course of our investigation the Department has not given us further details on the source of the funds.”
Councillor Chapman has submitted a number of Freedom of Information requests to the DCLG over the past year about the underlying detail of Transition Funding but the Government has repeatedly refused to provide the requested information, saying it was not in the wider public interest. The issue has also been raised in Parliament through Parliamentary questions, again without success in receiving a satisfactory response from the Minister.
It is expected that the Government will announce the amount of Transition Fund money for each council for the forthcoming year as part of the Local Government Final Settlement on Wednesday 22 February.
Councillor Chapman said: “The findings of the National Audit Office investigation are worrying. The vast majority of the grant went to southern councils under Conservative control, with Surrey set to gain £24m on top of their sweetheart deal, while councils like Nottingham, Birmingham and Derby get nothing. Now it seems, as we believed from the start, that this was not done on a fair and equitable basis and failed to take important factors like need into account. The NAO investigation reveals that the justification for the way the cash was distributed is wafer thin.
“As if that’s not bad enough, it seems the Government is about to repeat the process, meaning a double blow for places that have already borne the brunt of Government cuts in their grant funding over the last six years. That’s why I’m calling on the Government to provide all councils in need with a similar funding package and not just those who happen to be of the same political persuasion as the Minister for Communities and Local Government.”
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Basic Skills Quality Mark
The Quality Mark is awarded to schools who meet key criteria around the area of ‘basic skills’ – reading, writing, spelling and maths. Achieving the award involves a rigorous process, including demonstrating how committed we are to:
further improving the skills of staff in the school to teach and extend basic skills;
using a range of teaching styles and materials;
involving parents in developing their children’s basic skills.
The Alliance for Lifelong Learning is committed to working with local authorities, schools, local communities and other organisations in using the Basic Skills Quality Mark process to develop, support and celebrate good practice in literacy, language and numeracy for children and young people.
The Basic Skills Quality Mark is an award that celebrates and supports continuous improvement in literacy and numeracy.
It is awarded to a setting or school to recognise their provision, practice and performance in literacy and numeracy, and is valid for three years.
A school or setting must demonstrate a whole school approach to improving standards in literacy and numeracy, with evidence of the impact of its approaches.
It provides a framework for self-evaluation and continuous improvement of the basic skills of all pupils in a school, including those who underachieve and those who under attain.
Basic skills around the school
Writing in Year 3
Mathematics in Year 1
Nursery learning about shapes in the school
Sounding out words in Reception
Numeracy in Year 5
Assessor report
BSQM Report Nov 2016.pdf
Basic Quality Mark Award-2013.doc
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Book type:
By: Joseph Bates (1792-1872)
A Vindication of the Seventh-Day Sabbath and the Commandments of God With a Further History of God's Peculiar People from 1847-1848
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A Source Book for Ancient Church History
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A History of the Moravian Church
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An Atheist Manifesto
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Grace, Actual and Habitual A Dogmatic Treatise
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The Wentworth Letter
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The Book of Mormon is a volume of holy scripture comparable to the Bible, used by Latter Day Saints. It is a record of God’s dealings with the ancient inhabitants of the Americas.The book was written by ancient prophets through the spirit of prophecy and revelation. It gives an account of two great civilizations. One came from Jerusalem in 600 B.C., and afterward separated into two nations, known as the Nephites and the Lamanites. The other came much earlier when the Lord confounded the tongues at the Tower of Babel...
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Problems of Immanence: studies critical and constructive
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By: Kaiten Nukariya
The Religion of the Samurai A Study of Zen Philosophy and Discipline in China and Japan
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The Old Peabody Pew: A Christmas Romance of a Country Church
A sweet, old fashioned Christmas romance set in an old New England meeting house.
By: Kirsopp Lake (1872-1946)
Landmarks in the History of Early Christianity
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Religious Perplexities
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Sue, A Little Heroine
A World of Girls The Story of a School
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A Book of Quaker Saints
By: L. W. (Louis William) Rogers (1859-1953)
Self-Development and the Way to Power
By: L. W. Rogers (1859-1953)
Elementary Theosophy
This book provides the basics of Theosophy and perhaps the beginning of a life long journey. Theosophy comes from the ancient wisdom that man and nature are as inseparable from the universe as the universe is inseparable from man and nature. It is a science and a philosophy, not a religion which depends on (dogma) faith. Knowledge gained through the study of Theosophy comes from the understanding of natural laws and harmony of the universe. Rogers shows us why we cannot separate ourselves from God (universe); the evolution of the soul; rebirth after physical death; why we don’t remember past lives and much more...
By: Lafcadio Hearn (1850-1904)
Japan: An Attempt at Interpretation
Greece-born Lafcadio Hearn (1850 - 1904) spent decades of his life in Japan, even marrying a Japanese woman, thus becoming a Japanese citizen by the name of Koizumi Yakumo (小泉 八雲). He wrote many books on Japan, especially about its folklore. In this posthumously published book, he takes a closer look at Japan's religious history: How it developed from ancient beliefs into Shintoism, resisted suppression attempts by both Buddhism and Christianity and how – despite efforts to westernise Japan during the era known as Meiji Restoration – it remained the basis for Japanese society...
By: Laozi
The Tao Teh King, or the Tao and its Characteristics
Written in classical Chinese some time during the sixth century BC, The Tao Teh King or The Tao and its Characteristics is a classical Chinese text that is one of the important keystones in understanding the thought systems of Asia. Though no clear records exist, it is traditionally thought to have been the work of the sage Lao Tzu, the founder of classical Taoism. He is reputed to have been a contemporary of Confucius, though this is also shrouded in mystery. However, many succeeding emperors and dynasties have claimed that he lived in their eras...
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The New Testament Translated From the Original Greek, With Chronological Arrangement of the Sacred Books, and Improved Divisions of Chapters and Verses.
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The Books of the New Testament
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The Kingdom of God is within you
The title of the book comes from Luke 17:21. It is a non-fiction work of the famous Russian author Leo Tolstoy. He wrote it after many years of reflexion on Christianity and Jesus. Many subjects are present such as wars, non-violence, misunderstanding by believers of the faith, etc.
What Men Live By and Other Tales
Although Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910) was a wealthy landowner, in his later life he had what was considered a “religious awakening.” This experience went on to inform his writing and his lifestyle in profound ways. His views transcended the specifics of religion, as known in his day – so much so he came to be a helpful guide both to Mohandas Gandhi and to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The four stories in this collection ask profound questions and gently supply helpful, non-dogmatic hints to their...
Bethink Yourselves!
As Russia goes to war against Japan, Tolstoy urges those at all levels of society, from the Tsar down to the common soldier, to consider their actions in the light of Christ's teaching. "However strange this may appear, the most effective and certain deliverance of men from all the calamities which they inflict upon themselves and from the most dreadful of all—war—is attainable, not by any external general measures, but merely by that simple appeal to the consciousness of each separate man which, nineteen hundred years ago, was proposed by Jesus—that every man bethink himself, and ask himself, who is he, why he lives, and what he should and should not do...
By: Leonard W. King (1869-1919)
Legends of Babylon and Egypt in relation to Hebrew tradition
By: Lew Wallace (1827-1905)
Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ
Ben-Hur is a story of two very different heroes. Judah Ben-Hur, a prince of Jerusalem, is involved in an accident to the Roman procurator which is taken to be intentional. He is seized and sent to the fleet as a galley-slave, while his family is imprisoned and the family goods confiscated. When Ben-Hur saves the fleet captain from drowning after his ship is sunk in a fight with pirates, that officer adopts him as son and heir. With Roman training, Ben-Hur distinguishes himself in the arena and the palistrae and appears to be on the way to high military command...
By: Lewis Hodus (1872-1949)
Buddhism and Buddhists in China
Buddhism and Buddhists in China is an anthropological text describing Buddhism as practiced in China at the beginning of the 20th Century. Interestingly, it also compares and contrasts Buddhism with Christianity with respect to or in response to missionary work.
By: Lilian Staveley (1878?-1928)
The Golden Fountain or, The Soul's Love for God. Being some Thoughts and Confessions of One of His Lovers
The Romance of the Soul
By: Lillian Nicholson Shearon
The Little Mixer
By: Lionel D. (Lionel David) Barnett (1871-1960)
Hindu Gods And Heroes Studies in the History of the Religion of India
By: Logan Marshall
Myths and Legends of All Nations
This excellent book contains many great stories from the various mythologies of man throughout the ages.
Wonder Book of Bible Stories
It is with the desire of aiding parents and teachers in telling these stories, and aiding children to understand them, also in the hope that they may be read in many schools, that a few among the many interesting stories in the Bible have been chosen, brought together and as far as necessary simplified to meet the minds of the young. - Introduction by Jesse Lyman Hurlbut inside the book itself.
By: London Missionary Society [Editor]
Fruits of Toil in the London Missionary Society
By: Lord Alfred Tennyson (1809-1892)
Beauties of Tennyson
A collection of Tennyson's poetry : 1 The Brook - 00:16 2 Song from "Maud" - 1:20 3 A Farewell - 2:34 4 Song from “Maud” - 3:26 5 Break, Break, Break - 4:53 6 From “Locksley Hall”- 5:43 7 Song from “Maud” - 6:43 8 Song from “The Princess” - 7:43 9 Lillian - 8:37 10 Ring out, Wild Bells - 9:52 11 From “The Princess” - 11:27 12 Song From “The Princess” - 12:43 13 From “Enoch Arden” - 13:58 14 From “Enoch Arden” - 15:36 15 The Charge of the Light Brigade- 16:56 16 From “The May Queen” - 18:51 17 Song from “The Princess” - 19:36 18 From “Harold” - 20:14 19 From “The Revenge” - 21:28 (From Sam Stinsson)
By: Louis Bertrand (1866-1941)
Saint Augustin
By: Louis Ginzberg (1873-1953)
Legends of the Jews
Rabbi Louis Ginzberg was one of the outstanding Talmudists of the twentieth century. He was born on November 28, 1873, in Kovno, Lithuania; he died on November 11, 1953, in New York City. Ginzberg taught at the Jewish Theological seminary from 1903 to 1953. For 50 years, he trained two generations of Conservative Rabbis.The Legends of the Jews is an epic 7-volume compilation of traditional Jewish stories loosely related to the Bible. Volumes 1-4 contain the stories, while volumes 5-7 contain Ginzberg’s notes and commentary...
By: M. (Meletios) Golden
Conversion of a High Priest into a Christian Worker
By: M. B. Manwell
The Captain's Bunk A Story for Boys
By: M. F. (Michael Ferrebee) Sadler (1819-1895)
The Lost Gospel and Its Contents Or, The Author of "Supernatural Religion" Refuted by Himself
By: M. H. (Mary Hall) Adams (1816-1860)
Small Means and Great Ends
By: M. M. Mangasarian (1859-1943)
The Truth About Jesus. Is He a Myth?
The following work offers in book form the series of studies on the question of the historicity of Jesus, presented from time to time before the Independent Religious Society in Orchestra Hall, Chicago, 1909. No effort has been made to change the manner of the spoken, into the more regular form of the written, word.
By: Mabel Collins (1851-1927)
Light On The Path and Through the Gates of Gold
By: Mabel Williamson
Have We No Rights? A frank discussion of the "rights" of missionaries
By: Madeline Leslie (1815-1893)
The Lost Kitty
By: Marcus Dods (1834-1909)
How to become like Christ
By: Margaret Elizabeth Munson Sangster (1838-1912)
Five Happy Weeks
By: Margaret M. (Margaret Murray) Robertson (1821-1897)
Janet's Love and Service
Christie Redfern's Troubles
The Orphans of Glen Elder
By: Margaret Wade Campbell Deland (1857-1945)
By: Maria Louise Greene
The Development of Religious Liberty in Connecticut
By: Marie Corelli (1855-1924)
A Romance of Two Worlds
A Romance of Two Worlds starts with a young heroine telling her story of a debilitating illness that includes depression and thoughts of suicide. Her doctor is unable to help her and sends her off on a holiday where she meets a mystical character by the name of Raffello Cellini, a famous Italian artist. Cellini offers her a strange potion which immediately puts her into a tranquil slumber, in which she experiences divine visions.
By: Marietta Holley (1836-1926)
Sweet Cicely — or Josiah Allen as a Politician
By: Mark Twain (1835-1910)
Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc, Volumes 1 & 2
Mark Twain’s work on Joan of Arc is titled in full “Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc, by the Sieur Louis de Conte.” De Conte is identified as Joan’s page and secretary. For those who’ve always wanted to “get behind” the Joan of Arc story and to better understand just what happened, Twain’s narrative makes the story personal and very accessible. The work is fictionally presented as a translation from the manuscript by Jean Francois Alden, or, in the words of the published book, “Freely Translated out of the Ancient French into Modern English from the Original Unpublished Manuscript in the National Archives of France...
By: Martha Finley (1828-1909)
Elsie Dinsmore
Elsie, young and motherless, has never met her father and is being raised by her father’s family. As a strong Christian, she has many trials within the unbelieving family. Her greatest comforts are her faith and her mammy, Chloe. Finally, her father returns home. Will her father love her? Will her father learn to love Jesus?
Holidays at Roselands
This is the second book of the much loved Elsie Dinsmore series and starts where the first book left off. Elsie is still recuperating from her weakness, with her kind and indulgent father by her side.The story revolves around how a strong bond of love and understanding takes root between the father and daughter, as they holiday at Roselands, and visit exciting places, with some of our favorite friends from the first book, Mr. Travilla, Adelaide, Chloe, Lora and the others.
Elsie's Girlhood
In the third book of Martha Finley's much-loved Elsie Dinsmore series, Elsie's life is traced from the tender age of 12 or 13 to the mature age of 21. Her life is not all sunshine and roses, but she is secure in the love of the Lord and her family.
Elsie's Womanhood
The fourth book in the Elsie Dinsmore series, Elsie grows into a young woman. She marries her father's old friend, Edward Travilla, and together start a family. The latter half of the book occurs during the Civil War.
Christmas with Grandma Elsie
Elsie's Motherhood
After the Civil War, Elsie and her family return to their home in the South, dealing with the upheaval that the Reconstruction Era brought during the years after the war.
Elsie's Children
This book continues the delightful "Elsie Dinsmore" series. Elsie's children, introduced in the previous volume, live life, grow up, and encounter various problems of their own. Additional Proof Listeners: AlaynaMay & Rachel.
Elsie at Home
Grandmother Elsie
Elsie at the World's Fair
Elsie's Vacation and After Events
Elsie's Kith and Kin
Elsie at Nantucket
Elsie's New Relations What They Did and How They Fared at Ion; A Sequel to Grandmother Elsie
Elsie at Viamede
Elsie in the South
Elsie on the Hudson
The Two Elsies A Sequel to Elsie at Nantucket
By: Martha Lewis Beckwith Ewell (1841-1902)
The Harvest of Years
By: Martin Luther (1483-1546)
Commentary on St. Paul's Epistle to the Galatians
Martin Luther strove to give a verse by verse exegesis of the Epistle to the Galatians in the work. The original work, written in Latin in around 1516, was much longer. This translation by Theodore Graebner (1876-1950) strove to produce a copy of the work in a format and with wording much more applicable to the general English-speaking American public.
The Smalcald Articles
MANUAL OF SURGERY, OXFORD MEDICAL PUBLICATIONSBY ALEXIS THOMSON, F.R.C.S.Ed.PREFACE TO SIXTH EDITION Much has happened since this Manual was last revised, and many surgical lessons have been learned in the hard school of war. Some may yet have to be unlearned, and others have but little bearing on the problems presented to the civilian surgeon. Save in its broadest principles, the surgery of warfare is a thing apart from the general surgery of civil life, and the exhaustive literature now available on every aspect of it makes it unnecessary that it should receive detailed consideration in a manual for students...
Martin Luther's 95 Theses
Concerning Christian Liberty
Early in the course of the Reformation (1520) Martin Luther penned a trilogy of foundational documents addressing the Church, the Nobility and the Christian life. This document concerning the Christian life expounds the famous paradox: "A Christian man is the most free lord of all, and subject to none; a Christian man is the most dutiful servant of all, and subject to every one."
A Treatise on Good Works
Martin Luther's Large Catechism, translated by Bente and Dau
Martin Luther's Small Catechism, translated by R. Smith
The Hymns of Martin Luther Set to their original melodies
Commentary on Genesis, Vol. II Luther on Sin and the Flood
An Open Letter on Translating
Epistle Sermons, Vol. II Epiphany, Easter and Pentecost
The Epistles of St. Peter and St. Jude Preached and Explained
Epistle Sermons, Vol. III Trinity Sunday to Advent
By: Marvin Richardson Vincent (1834-1922)
Amusement: A Force in Christian Training
By: Mary A. (Mary Artemisia) Lathbury (1841-1913)
Child's Story of the Bible
By: Mary Baker Eddy (1821-1910)
Science and Health, with Key to the Scriptures
No and Yes
Unity of Good
Retrospection and Introspection
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Nargess Moballeghi
The Story So Far.
Damon "Not A Terrorist" Smith
Read this BBC article and come back to me.
No really, go on, I'll wait.
The BBC article on Damon Smith conviction
You might not think it, but this article and story reflects so much of what is wrong with our society, our media, our politics and our world today. I am just listing the things that come to mind as I read it.
1. First line says "A student". Since he was not a Muslim, not a British-born Muslim. Since he was not Black. And they couldn't say White man, or English, they say student. It's not clear if this is meant to soften up his image, or demonise students. Perhaps both, dependent on audience. It works. The main thing is, he shouldn't be classified as White, English, or Christian. And everything that follows should make him an anomaly to any of these "safe" tag-words and smear him with "unsafe" tag-words that will make the general reader still think of the "other" (in this case Muslims and Islamic terrorism)
2. Paragraph reads; "The Old Bailey was told Smith had an autistic spectrum disorder and a keen interest in guns, bombs and other weapons, which may have been a function of the condition."
Again, giving a reason/excuse for why this man is an anomaly to his group. Non-muslims get this treatment by the police, the press and politicians. Muslims do not.
But beyond that, I have to say, that, in most cases of so-called "terrorism" and in cases such as this, the perpetuator has a mental, psychological or developmental condition. These services at local council and NHS level have been severely cut. We seem to constantly want to either find a connection with Islam, or make an anomaly that is swept under the rug out of these cases. We don't want to make the connection to mental health and austerity cuts. Personally, I don't believe people with mental, psychological or developmental conditions should be in jail.
3. Paragraph says "His lawyer told the trial he was no "hate-filled jihadi" and never meant to harm anyone."
Read; if he was a Muslim, with the exact same circumstances or conditions, he would be a hate-filled jihadi. but since he is not, his actions never meant to hurt anyone. Also read; threshold for muslims and minorities to be terrorists much lower.
4. "The Met said he was not charged under the Terrorism Act because there was not enough evidence that his crime was politically motivated."
Then there's a sub-heading 'Halloween prank'
Then it says "Former altar boy Smith built the device with a £2 clock from Tesco after Googling an al-Qaeda article on how to make a bomb."
Language is so important for the press to get their message across. It's mostly about what stereotypes certain terms "contain". If this guy was a Muslim, googling an al-Qaeda article would that be enough for it to be terrorism? Yet here, we have to create an anomaly. So he is a former "altar boy" - it was a "halloween prank" - and then they tell us about Al Qaeda.
5. "Jurors were told he had professed an interest in Islam as he felt it was "more true" than Christianity."
So basically, he's anomaly because of his Christian bit, and anything he's done wrong is because of his Islam bit.
6. His lawyer, Richard Carey-Hughes QC, said there was "no evidence that he changed from clinging to his mother's apron strings to a soldier of Islam and a would-be soldier".
Such emotive language. Again little Muslim "soldiers" (not even terrorists, actually just anyone Muslim, who may one day, want to fight for their religion in any way shape or form) never clung on to their mother's apron strings. When Muslim "terrorists" are actually just criminals, or mentally unstable, or just a lone wolf nutter with a bread-knife, it is terrorism straight away. When it is a non-Muslim, then he just a vulnerable little boy clinging on to his mummy's apron in the kitchen, and even if he has done anything wrong, it is that evil Islam that may have influenced him.
I really recommend that every so often, you guys do this too. Take a step back and look at a simple article and highlight all these markers to remind yourself, and others, how very, very twisted and dark our "status quo" has become.
← America needs to take 12 steps Meet Julian →
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Stories from Friday, July 8, 2016
Jeanie Jarvis (Obituary ~ 07/08/16)
Jeanie Marie (Craker) Jarvis, 73 of Stockton, formerly of Monett, died Wednesday, June 8, while staying at Lake Stockton Healthcare. Memorial services are being held at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, July 10, at Stockton Methodist Church in Stockton. Arrangements are under the direction of Bennett-Wormington Funeral Home in Monett...
Henry Thomas (Obituary ~ 07/08/16)
Henry Carl Thomas, 78, of Cape Fair, died Wednesday, July 6. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, July 11, at Fohn Funeral Home in Cassville. Burial will be at the IOOF Cemetery, Monett. Visitation will be held from 9 to 11 a.m. Monday at Fohn Funeral Home in Cassville...
Monett Middle School to host football camp (Other Sports ~ 07/08/16)
Burl Fowler Stadium will host a Monett Middle School football camp from July 18-22. The camp runs from 6-8 p.m. each evening.
Cubs gridders open summer camp on Monday (High School Sports ~ 07/08/16)
The Monett High School football camp will be held July 11-15 and July 18-22 from 7-10 a.m. at Burl Fowler Stadium. The camp is open to all students entering grades 9-12.
GOP gubernatorial candidate Eric Greitens will make his second campaign stop in Monett for a community meet and greet at 4 p.m. on Sunday, July 10 at the Monett Area YMCA community room. Dietician Karen Gohr will present a program on fitness and fun for teens at 3:30 p.m. today at the Monett Branch Library, Sixth and Bond...
Yummy comes in any cold flavor on a hot day (Local News ~ 07/08/16)
Emma Voskamp, age 4 months, held by mom Angelica Morris, at left, could not resist the taste of a blue raspberry sno-cone provided by her aunt, Charity Morris, great refreshment for a warm night while waiting for her first fireworks show at Monett's South Park...
Chapter sisters celebrate member's 104th birthday (Local News ~ 07/08/16)
Members of PEO Chapter CN gathered for a very special occasion Friday, June 29, to celebrate the 104th birthday of chapter sister Helen Dixon. Chapter members compiled an interview with Dixon, presenting the information in a "This is Your Life" format...
MoDOT begins resurfacing work on Highway 97 (Local News ~ 07/08/16)
Beginning this week, construction crews for Blevins Asphalt started work on a $2.3 million contract resurfacing and widening Highway 97 from Interstate 44 south to Highway 86, west of Purdy. According to David Mitchell, engineer with the Missouri Department of Transportation, the project is similar to work done last summer on Highway 37 between Monett and Wentworth. ...
Pierce City bond issue up to voters (Local News ~ 07/08/16)
Pierce City Mayor Allen Stockton and the city's aldermen are seeking voter approval on a $4.7 million bond to replace the city's aging water distribution system in hopes of qualifying for a Missouri Department of Natural Resources loan and grant request...
Cool way to beat the summer heat (Local News ~ 07/08/16)
What better way to cool off on a warm summer evening than to hit the waves on a homemade slip-n-slide?
Monett school board approves budget for 2016-2017 (Local News ~ 07/08/16)
Starting a new fiscal year, the Monett school board adopted a preliminary budget and approved raises for the coming school year. The board adopted a budget calling for revenues of $26,194,650 and expenditures of $28,628.213. "The deficit of approximately $1.5 million is pretty much 100 percent in the capital projects fund," said Superintendent Brad Hanson. ...
The 2016 Monett Youth Baseball Minor League team, sponsored by Check Cashers, is coached by Neal Messer.
Monett Glass (Community Sports ~ 07/08/16)
The 2016 Monett Youth Softball 8-and under team, sponsored by Monett Glass, is coached by Phil Tilley.
Lady Cubs hoops on the rise (High School Sports ~ 07/08/16)
It has been a busy summer for Alyssa Kennedy, Monett girls basketball coach. Over the last four weeks, Kennedy has taken the Lady Cubs to summer league play in Willard and shootouts in Nixa and Purdy. Plus, she has held open gyms to allow any player to come and work on skills...
Weekend, July 9-11, 2016
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Carrie Marie Underwood (born March 10, 1983) is an American country musicsinger, songwriter, and actress who rose to fame as the winner of the fourth season of American Idol, in 2005. Underwood has since become a multi-platinum selling recording artist, a winner of several Grammy Awards, Billboard Music Awards and American Music Awards, a Golden Globe Award nominee, a three-time Academy of Country Music and Country Music Association Female Vocalist winner, and a two-time ACM Entertainer of the Year. She is the first female artist to win back-to-back Academy of Country Music (ACM) Awards for Entertainer of the Year (2009/10). Underwood was inducted into and became a member of theGrand Ole Opry in 2008. She was also inducted into the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame in 2009. Billboard has described Underwood as Country Music's reigning Queen.
Mar 10, 1983 In Muskogee - Oklahoma - USA
In the series Saturday Night Live 1975-10-11
Movie Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping 2016-06-03
Movie Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping Herself 2016-06-03
Movie The Concert for Valor Herself - Performer 2014-11-11
Movie Lennon or McCartney Herself (archive footage) 2014-12-12
Movie The Blown Away Tour: Live Herself 2013-08-13
Movie The Sound of Music Live! Maria Rainer 2013-12-05
Movie Girls' Night Out: Superstar Women of Country Herself 2011-04-22
Movie Soul Surfer Sarah Hill 2011-04-08
Series Talking Dead Herself 2011-10-16
Movie Carrie Underwood: An Allstar Holiday Special Herself 2009-12-22
Series How I Met Your Mother Unknown 2005-09-19
Series American Idol Unknown 2002-06-11
Series The Tonight Show with Jay Leno Unknown 1992-05-25
Series Christmas in Washington Unknown 1982-12-15
Series Saturday Night Live Unknown 1975-10-11
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Pennsylvania Refining Co.
The Pennsylvania Refining Co. was organized in Butler, Pa. in 1878 by John and George Beck. The Beck brothers purchased that year an existing one still refinery, the Producers Refining Co. plant, located in Karns City. The Karns City refinery remains in operation today. For a good part of the twentieth century, the company produced gasoline and lubricants under the “Penn Drake” brand.
The Penn Drake trade name came to the Pennsylvania Refining Co. by way of the American Oil Works of Titusville. The American Oil Works was built in Titusville on South Brown St. about 1885. Wilhelm Teege, Theodore Westgate and William E. Teege were prominent leaders of this Titusville enterprise in the nineteenth century. The firm prospered. However, after a disastrous fire in October 1923 and subsequent financial management problems, the American Oil Works went into bankruptcy in 1924. The assets of the American Oil Works were sold to Pennsylvania Refining on December 15, 1925. Pennsylvania Refining absorbed the American Oil Works in a merger of operations on January 1, 1930. Pennsylvania Refining improved the Titusville plant substantially in the 1930’s. However, due to the crude oil shortage in the Pennsylvania Oil Field just after World War II, Pennsylvania Refining was compelled to close its Titusville plant in 1948.
In the ensuing years, Pennsylvania Refining improved the Karns City plant and maintained bulk distribution plants in Cleveland, Ohio and Edgewater, New Jersey. Pennsylvania Refining was acquired by Pennzoil in 1973. The firm’s name was changed to the shorter, modern sounding one, Penreco. The Penreco operation at Karns City focused on producing specialty items like ink solvents, white oil, petrolatum and food grade wax. Very recently, the Penreco refinery was purchased from Shell – Pennzoil by Calumet.
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Finding the source of a quotation on
a sign in an old archway in Lichfield
Bless us O Lord, in our coming in and in our going out (Photograph: Patrick Comerford)
Some years ago, I wrote about a curious sign in the archway leading from Saint John Street into Saint John’s Hospital in Lichfield. This wise old sign reminds those coming in and going out:
It is admirable
to consider, how many millions
of people, come into & go out of
the world, ignorant of themselves
& of the world they have lived in.
At the time, I pointed out with humour that wise sign writer never considered telling the many passing people who had said this. And I mused at the time: “Perhaps he thought we were not so ignorant of the world we live in after all.”
I was looking at the sign again when I visited Saint John’s last week, and was later reminded that these words were written by William Penn (1644-1718), the Quaker founder of Pennsylvania, in Some Fruits of Solitude In Reflections And Maxims (1682).
Robert Spence (1871-1964), “Woe to the Bloody City of Lichfield,” depicts George Fox preaching barefooted in the Market Square in Lichfield 1651 (Lichfield Heritage Centre)
as far as I know, William Penn never visited Lichfield, unlike the founding Quaker, George Fox, who trudged barefoot through the snow-covered Market Square in 1651, crying out: “Woe to the Bloody City of Lichfield.”
Penn, the son of Sir William Penn, a distinguished Admiral, was born in 1644. He was expelled from Oxford for nonconformity, and later travelled through Continental Europe, spent some time in the navy and studied law.
His father’s first estate in Ireland was Macroom Castle and Manor, Co Cork. However, this was returned to the MacCarthy family of Muskerry at the restoration of Charles II, and Penn was compensated with the castle and lands of Shanagarry, near Cloyne, also in Co Cork.
While Penn was visiting his father in Cork in 1667, he became a Quaker. He was imprisoned in the Tower of London a year later for attacking the orthodoxy of the day, and while he was a prisoner he wrote his well-known treatise on self-sacrifice, No Cross, No Crown.
But Penn prospered, and planned a colony in America that would be a safe refuge for persecuted Quakers and others suffering for their religious beliefs. In 1682, the same year he penned those lines quoted on the sign in Saint John’s archway and a generation after George Fox’s bare-footed visit to Lichfield, Penn was granted a charter making him the proprietor and governor of East New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
He drew up a constitution for the colony on the basis of religious toleration, and sailed for his new province. He died in England till his death in 1718.
Penn’s voluminous writings are largely polemical and controversial, and often deal with issues we longer consider no longer vital. His book Some Fruits of Solitude, from which this plaque in Saint John’s derives its words, is a mine of pithy comments on human life.
Penn’s Some Fruits of Solitude opens:
1. It is admirable to consider how many millions of people come into, and go out of the world, ignorant of themselves, and of the world they have lived in.
2. If one went to see Windsor Castle, or Hampton Court, it would be strange not to observe and remember the situation, the building, the gardens, fountains, &c. that make up the beauty and pleasure of such a seat? And yet few people know themselves; no, not their own bodies, the houses of their minds, the most curious structure of the world; a living walking tabernacle: nor the world of which it was made, and out of which it is fed; which would be so much our benefit, as well as our pleasure, to know. We cannot doubt of this when we are told that the invisible things of God are brought to light by the things that are seen; and consequently we read our duty in them as often as we look upon them, to him that is the Great and Wise Author of them, if we look as we should do.
So, Penn’s words are not merely a witty aphorism, but a reminder to attend to the way we encounter God’s leadings in the world around us.
But then, in my going in and in my coming out of Lichfield – and of Saint John’s Hospital and its chapel – I have always been blessed.
Going in and out of Saint John’s Hospital and its chapel in Lichfield, I have always been blessed (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2013)
Labels: Humour, Lichfield, Local History, Quakers
Luke 21: 5-19: ‘By your endurance
you will gain your souls’
Luke 21: 5-19
5 Καί τινων λεγόντων περὶ τοῦ ἱεροῦ, ὅτι λίθοις καλοῖς καὶ ἀναθήμασιν κεκόσμηται, εἶπεν, 6 Ταῦτα ἃ θεωρεῖτε, ἐλεύσονται ἡμέραι ἐν αἷς οὐκ ἀφεθήσεται λίθος ἐπὶ λίθῳ ὃς οὐ καταλυθήσεται.
7 Ἐπηρώτησαν δὲ αὐτὸν λέγοντες, Διδάσκαλε, πότε οὖν ταῦτα ἔσται, καὶ τί τὸ σημεῖον ὅταν μέλλῃ ταῦτα γίνεσθαι; 8 ὁ δὲ εἶπεν, Βλέπετε μὴ πλανηθῆτε: πολλοὶ γὰρ ἐλεύσονται ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματί μου λέγοντες, Ἐγώ εἰμι: καί, Ὁ καιρὸς ἤγγικεν: μὴ πορευθῆτε ὀπίσω αὐτῶν.
9 ὅταν δὲ ἀκούσητε πολέμους καὶ ἀκαταστασίας, μὴ πτοηθῆτε: δεῖ γὰρ ταῦτα γενέσθαι πρῶτον, ἀλλ' οὐκ εὐθέως τὸ τέλος. 10 Τότε ἔλεγεν αὐτοῖς, Ἐγερθήσεται ἔθνος ἐπ' ἔθνος καὶ βασιλεία ἐπὶ βασιλείαν, 11 σεισμοί τε μεγάλοι καὶ κατὰ τόπους λιμοὶ καὶ λοιμοὶ ἔσονται, φόβητρά τε καὶ ἀπ' οὐρανοῦ σημεῖα μεγάλα ἔσται.
12 πρὸ δὲ τούτων πάντων ἐπιβαλοῦσιν ἐφ' ὑμᾶς τὰς χεῖρας αὐτῶν καὶ διώξουσιν, παραδιδόντες εἰς τὰς συναγωγὰς καὶ φυλακάς, ἀπαγομένους ἐπὶ βασιλεῖς καὶ ἡγεμόνας ἕνεκεν τοῦ ὀνόματός μου: 13 ἀποβήσεται ὑμῖν εἰς μαρτύριον. 14 θέτε οὖν ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ὑμῶν μὴ προμελετᾶν ἀπολογηθῆναι, 15 ἐγὼ γὰρ δώσω ὑμῖν στόμα καὶ σοφίαν ἧ οὐ δυνήσονται ἀντιστῆναι ἢ ἀντειπεῖν ἅπαντες οἱ ἀντικείμενοι ὑμῖν. 16 παραδοθήσεσθε δὲ καὶ ὑπὸ γονέων καὶ ἀδελφῶν καὶ συγγενῶν καὶ φίλων, καὶ θανατώσουσιν ἐξ ὑμῶν, 17 καὶ ἔσεσθε μισούμενοι ὑπὸ πάντων διὰ τὸ ὄνομά μου. 18 καὶ θρὶξ ἐκ τῆς κεφαλῆς ὑμῶν οὐ μὴ ἀπόληται. 19 ἐν τῇ ὑπομονῇ ὑμῶν κτήσασθε τὰς ψυχὰς ὑμῶν.
5 When some were speaking about the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and gifts dedicated to God, he [Christ] said, 6 ‘As for these things that you see, the days will come when not one stone will be left upon another; all will be thrown down.’
7 They asked him, ‘Teacher, when will this be, and what will be the sign that this is about to take place?’ 8 And he said, ‘Beware that you are not led astray; for many will come in my name and say, “I am he!” and, “The time is near!” Do not go after them.
9 ‘When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified; for these things must take place first, but the end will not follow immediately.’ 10 Then he said to them, ‘Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; 11 there will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and plagues; and there will be dreadful portents and great signs from heaven.
12 ‘But before all this occurs, they will arrest you and persecute you; they will hand you over to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors because of my name. 13 This will give you an opportunity to testify. 14 So make up your minds not to prepare your defence in advance; 15 for I will give you words and a wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to withstand or contradict. 16 You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, by relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death. 17 You will be hated by all because of my name. 18 But not a hair of your head will perish. 19 By your endurance you will gain your souls.’
This morning’s reading (Luke 21: 5-19) for our Bible study is the Gospel reading in the Revised Common Lectionary (RCL) for Sunday week, the Second Sunday before Advent (17 November 2013).
These Gospel readings in the RCL for Sundays at the end of the season of Pentecost read like readings for Lent and preparation for Holy Week rather than readings for the weeks leading up to Advent. But Advent is a season of preparation for Christ coming among us as God incarnate, as our king.
In the Lectionary readings over the last few Sundays, we will have seen in the past few weeks how Christ, like Isaiah (50: 7) and Ezekiel (21: 1-2) in the Old Testament, has “set his face to go to Jerusalem” (Luke 9: 51), while his disciples, first in awe, then in shock, follow him on that road to Jerusalem and the Temple. This reading is from the last story about Christ teaching in the Temple.
In between our Gospel readings for the Fourth Sunday before Advent (3 November, Luke 19: 1-10) and for the Third Sunday before Advent (tomorrow, 10 November, Luke 20: 27-38), the Lectionary readings skip over Christ’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem, when the “whole multitude ... began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the deeds of power they had seen, saying ‘Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!’” (Luke 19: 38).
On his arrival in Jerusalem, Christ weeps, invokes sayings from Jeremiah against a city that “did not recognise the time of your visitation from God” (Luke 19: 41-44), and then faces up to three attempts by the authorities to entrap him, each concluding with Christ silencing his opponents (Luke 20: 1-19; 20: 20-26; and 20: 27-40), the third of which we looked at last week.
The scene has been set in the verses in this chapter that immediately precede this Sunday reading. Christ is sitting by the Temple Treasury, where he watches the poor widow offer the smallest of coins (verses 1-4).
The scene does not change as he goes on to speak about the Temple, the Nation, and the looming future. But, instead of questioning him about what he has just said about this widow, which might have offered a focus for how the politics of God work, those around him, probably a wider group than just his own disciples, cannot get past the physical presence and appearance of Herod’s Temple in Jerusalem, then revered as a sign of God’s presence, even as the dwelling place of God’s sheltering protection for Israel (see Luke 13:34-35).
The coming of God’s reign
Christ is no longer facing attacks from others. Instead, he alerts his followers to the hardships they face ahead, beyond the time of his journey. But as he approached Jerusalem, Christ had declared that God’s “visitation” had come with his reign, that the very stones of the Temple would testify against those who rejected him (19: 41-44).
Now he again predicts that all the stones will be thrown down (21: 6), as one scene in the divine drama.
A web of prophetic citations is woven through these verses. These include words and phrases from Jeremiah 4, 7, 14, and 21; Isaiah 19; and Ezekiel 14 and 38. Maybe we could say that Christ, like the prophets before him, was not very original in what he said. But there is still the question: how faithfully did these prophetic words and warnings of destruction speak to the people of the time, to the people who heard Christ speak?
But Christ also differentiates his teaching from the teaching of the false prophets, who also quoted the ancient words of God. While announcing the coming judgment, Christ cautions against following prophets who claim to know God’s timetable, even invoking Christ’s own name.
The account in this chapter of Christ’s words could be compared with Mark 13, and its intensity of the coming “tribulation.” Or we might go back to Luke 17: 22-37 which also reminds us that Christ’s death is an integral part of God’s timetable: “But first he must endure much suffering and be rejected by this generation” (17: 25). Luke’s longer account of Christ’s discourse (21: 5-36) assures his readers they are experiencing not “the end” … but the period of “tribulations” or “persecutions” through which believers will enter the kingdom (see Acts 14: 22).
And so, Saint Luke’s account of Christ’s speech does not provide yet another programme or timetable to predict the working out of God’s plan, down to the last second. The prophets and Christ teach us that the struggles in history and in disturbances in nature are more than accidental. They remind us that God triumphed over chaos in creating the natural world, and yet both human and supra-historical forces are still contending for the earth. Christ’s followers are aware, therefore, that his death and resurrection is God’s ultimate act in a struggle of cosmic proportions. Only the final outcome is sure.
The gift and strength of endurance
As the Apostle Paul testifies: “We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labour pains until now; and not only the creation, be we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies” (Romans 8: 22-23).
The hope to which Christ testifies in this passage, therefore, is no trivial denial of the struggles, the pain and agony of human life, or the catastrophic forces of nature. These are real, and the prophets of old have interpreted such devastations as the context of God’s saving work. Christ joins this chorus, bringing it close to the concrete realities of early Christians. But he says: “This will give you an opportunity to testify” (verse 13) and “By your endurance you will gain your souls” (verse 19).
The “opportunity to testify” does not require Christ’s followers to know every answer to the question: “Why do bad things happen to good people.”
Christ is promising that he will give us “words and a wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to withstand or contradict.” His earlier promise of the Holy Spirit’s wisdom in times of testimony (see Luke 12: 11-12) now becomes his own promise. When he commissions them as “my witnesses” (Acts 1: 8), he assures them of the power and the presence of his Holy Spirit, and the stories in Acts will display the fulfilment of this promise of God’s "mouth and wisdom" (see Acts 4: 13-14; 16: 6-7). And so, even these harsh prophecies in Luke 21 are filled with the confidence of Christ’s enduring presence.
And the “endurance” that “will gain your souls” (verse 19) is also not mere heroic persistence.
The early Christians knew all about endurance, and that endurance was often tested. Paul echoes that theme in Romans 5: 3-5, then transformed this endurance from reliance on human strength to trusting in God’s love: “… we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.”
Saving endurance is a gift of the presence of the Holy Spirit.
Christ foretells the destruction of the Temple (“all will be thrown down”). This event took place some 40 years in the future. At that time, Roman legions (“armies,” see verse 20) surrounded the city.
In Christ’s time, people were concerned about when the world would end, and what signs would indicate “this is about to take place.”
Verses 7-11:
Christ begins to answer, in terms drawn from the prophets, including Micah, Jeremiah, Hosea and Joel) and from contemporary books, such as II Esdras. “The time” (verse 8) is the time chosen by God for the end of the era. He then adds “the end will not follow immediately” (verse 9).
Verses 12-19:
Christ then diverts to issues that matter now: the treatment his followers will receive, and how they should react to it
They will be treated as he has been: they will be accused of heresy in “synagogues,” brought before civil courts (“kings and governors”) and sent to prison.
Verse 13:
On these occasions, they should take it as “an opportunity to testify,” for testimony (verse 13, μαρτύριον), to tell the good news, we might even read into it to be martyrs.
They should be themselves, and not act out a role. The Greek word translated “prepare ... in advance” (προμελετάω, verse 14) literally means to practise as in to practise a gesture or rehearse a dance.
To follow Christ entails suffering and betrayal and being “hated.”
Perseverance under duress will gain you eternal life.
How would you relate this Gospel reading to the Old Testament reading for that Sunday (Isaiah 65: 17-25), which has a very different vision for the future of Jerusalem?
A problem that continues to dominate parish priorities is the emphasis on buildings rather than people. Are there “building blocks” we need to knock down so we can start again and care for little people like the poor widow who is passed over in this reading?
Is it time to rebuild, to become the kind of temples God really wants?
Should we change church politics and priorities for God’s politics and priorities?
In pursuing God’s vision for the future of the church and the Kingdom, are we relying on our own knowledge and strengths?
What risks are we willing to take for our core values?
How would you be prophetic and offer hope in the face of the current economic “earthquake” we are facing in Ireland?
How do you read the signs of the times when it comes to global events?
Have you a vision for a new heaven and a new earth (see Isaiah 65: 17-25)?
How do you balance concerns for the wider world with those for the widow and her small coin in your parish?
How would you relate the Gospel reading to the Epistle reading (II Thessalonians 3: 6-13) and keeping away from believers who do not remain true to the essentials of faith?
Canon Patrick Comerford is Lecturer in Anglicanism, Liturgy and Church History, the Church of Ireland Theological Institute, and an Adjunct Assistant Professor, Trinity College Dublin. This essay is based on notes for a Bible study in a tutorial group with part-time MTh students on 9 November 2013.
Labels: Bible Studies, Saint Luke's Gospel
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Army stands down on Christian bashing
Posted by SGT William A. Geresy (ret) on October 25, 2013 at 11:44pm
Chief calls for corrected training on 'extremists'
The chief of the U.S. Army has ordered that training for the military on “extremists” be halted until the program can be corrected and standardized to eliminate reported Christian-bashing
It was earlier this month that one such “training” course was reported to have labeled the pro-family American Family Association as a hate group – a designation that earlier was applied to the group by the domestic terror case-linked Southern Poverty Law Center.
According to Fox News Radio’s Todd Starnes, Army Secretary John McHugh has given military leaders a memo with the orders.
“On several occasions over the past few months, media accounts have highlighted instances of Army instructors supplementing programs of instruction and including information or material that is inaccurate, objectionable and otherwise inconsistent with current Army policy,” the memo said.
Starnes reported an Army spokesman, David Patterson Jr., said McHugh “directed that Army leaders cease all briefings, command presentations or training on the subject of extremist organizations or activities until that program of instruction and training has been created and disseminated.”
It was a soldier at a Camp Shelby in Mississippi who presented evi... that an Army presenter at a briefing identified AFA as a “hate group” because of its stance on homosexuality and marriage.
Army spokesman George Wright later confessed the characterization of AFA was “acquired from an Internet search” and “did not come from official Army sources, nor was it approved by senior Army leaders, senior equal opportunity counselors or judge-advocate personnel.”
Tim Wildmon, president of AFA, one of the country’s largest Christian ministries, said: “We are probably going to be taking legal action. The Army has smeared us. They’ve defamed the American Family Association.”
Brian Fischer, AFA’s director of issues analysis, said the Internet source likely was the Southern Poverty Law Center, which routinely labels Christians who adhere to biblical teaching on homosexuality as “hate groups.”
At the time, he said: “The blatantly false ‘hate’ allegation is coming from the Southern Poverty Law Center, which is now a thoroughly discredited source on any subject, especially hate. In fact, for spreading malicious lies about pro-family groups, SPLC belongs on its own hate group list. They’ve made a despicable career out of using lies, distortions and innuendo to whip up reckless and dangerous animosity against groups which defend the values of the Founders.”
Fischer said the “real hate group here is the SPLC.”
That isn’t news to anyone familiar with the terror attack on the Washington headquarters of the Family Research Council, an organization with standards and beliefs like those of AFA.
See Chuck Missler’s teaching on what Christians will endure, in “C...
The convicted assailant, Floyd Lee Corkins, said he chose to attack FRC because the organization was listed as an “anti-gay” hate group by SPLC on its website.
FRC promotes traditional Judeo-Christian beliefs about the family and homosexuality, but SPLC claims the organization’s “real specialty is defaming gays and lesbians.”
Corkins, a former volunteer at an LGBT community center, pleaded guilty to domestic terrorism. It was on Aug. 15, 2012, when the heavily armed Corkins walked into FRC headquarters and began shooting with the intent of killing “as many people as I could.” He managed to shoot and injure just one person, facilities manager Leo Johnson, who is credited with heroically stopping the attack.
In a speech at recent the Values Voter Summit 2013, Alveda King, a niece of Martin Luther King Jr., condemned the practice of labeling Christian organizations “hate” groups.
She said Corkins “came to FRC as a gunman, fueled by hate mongering from the Southern Poverty Law Center.”
“The shooter admitted he was directed to FRC’s location by the Southern Poverty Law Center’s website. While SPLC claims to fight against hate, they have been saying hateful things about the Family Research Council and perhaps other groups who are represented her today,” she said.
“Today the shooter is behind bars as the result of being convicted for domestic terrorism. But the SPLC and many others, who couch hate and anger in false claims of civil rights activism, still roam free to confuse the masses with their deceptions,” said King.
See King’s speech:
Sandy Rios, another vocal advocate on behalf of Christian organizations, also spoke at the summit.
“We have 2.5 million constituents, we have 190 radio stations, we have a journal. And just, not that long ago, the SPLC has decided that we are in fact a hate group,” she said.
It was the SPLC’s own letter asking members of Congress to boycott the summit that gave supporting evidence, she said.
She quoted from the SPLC letter: “Given the demonizing lies about the LGBT community spread by the host, the Family Research Council and another major sponsor of the event, the American Family Association, we urge you not to lend the prestige of your office to the summit.”
Rios continued: “We all know that a little more than a year ago, Floyd Corkins came into the offices of the Family Research Council because he had looked on the Southern Poverty Law Center’s website, checked their list of ‘hate’ groups, found FRC and a couple of others, gone into the building with the idea that he would commit mass murder. With a bag full of Chick-fil-A sandwiches that he was going to stuff in their mouths after he murdered them.”
She noted SPLC has refused to apologize and remove FRC and AFA from their list of hate groups.
“But let me tell you something about why this is important,” she said. “The Southern Poverty Law Center sounds great, doesn’t it? You know it’s always had a reputation, sort of a history of helping people in the civil rights movement. And they had a good reputation. That’s what people think they do. But that’s not really what they do.”
Rios said SPLC “now has millions of dollars in funding, endowments in excess of $223 million, and lots of off shore accounts.”
“Let me just say that the American Institute of Philanthropy has given an F grade to the SPLC for their excessive reserves,” she said.
Rios charged SPLC’s “main business is attacking and suing conservative organizations.”
“They are out to destroy people like the Family Research Council, the American Family Association, and people like you,” she said.
“Hate is a cottage industry for the SPLC,” charged Rios.
“And let me give you just an idea of some of the things that they do. They have a hate map and they list on their hate map, at least at this writing, they listed 1,018 groups,” she said.
“So, the interesting thing about it is the statistics on crime, the hate crimes, between 1996 and 2011 decreased by 29 percent while the number of hate groups the SPLC identified rose 69 percent. A little strange. So when law enforcement and others looked into this list they found that many of these groups don’t even exist. So the SPLC I have to say is not to be trusted. And yet, the reason I am spending so much time telling you about them is that, in fact, they are used as a resource by the Department of Homeland Security, the Justice Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pentagon, and thousands of local law enforcement agencies. They conduct trainings all around this country, informing these groups of who the haters are and we are on that list. We are on that list.”
See Rios’ speech:
Starnes’ latest report noted that Ron Crews of the Chaplain Alliance for Religious Liberty welcomed the orders from McHugh.
“Men and women of faith – who have served the Army faithfully for centuries – have been likened to those who regularly threaten the peace and security of the United States. It is dishonorable for any U.S. military entity to allow this type of improper characterization,” he told Starnes.
The Camp Shelby episode also drew the attention of Congress, where Reps. Doug Lamborn, Steve Scalise, John Fleming, Joseph Pitts and Tim Huelskamp joined in a letter to the Pentagon stating: “This most recent mislabeling of a Christian organization reflects what appears to be a troubling trend of religious intolerance in the military.”
Starnes noted that Fort Hood soldiers also were warned that contribution to evangelical Christian groups could result in military punishment, and earlier this year a training brief listed Catholics and evangelical Christians as extremists.
WND reported that the U.S. military already had been caught teaching that the Founding Fathers, whose beliefs and political positions c...
Also, a study at the West Point Military Academy asserted people who are part of the ideological right wing of American society constitutes a danger to the nation.
Then it was revealed that SPLC was caught providing information to a terrorist later convicted of a domestic attack who was “advising” the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
‘Hostile to Christian faith’
AFA’s Fischer suggested that if the “military wasn’t headed by a commander in chief who is hostile to C..., these allegations would be laughed off every military base in the world.”
“The truth is that AFA doesn’t hate anyone,” he said. “We love everybody. We love homosexuals enough to tell them the truth about the moral, spiritual and physical dangers of homosexual conduct.”
Listen to AFA’s Brian Fischer:
The Obama administration’s attacks on conservatives date back to just weeks after he took office.
At that time a newly unclassified Department of Homeland Security report warned against the possibility of violence by unnamed “right-wing extremists,” including opponents of abortion.
The report was followed days later by a report from the Missouri Information Analysis Center that warned law enforcement officials to watch out for individuals with “radical” ideologies based on Christian views.
DHS officials later told WND they would refuse to identify the authors of the report or comment on any actions taken in response to the controversy.
But the steady drumbeat of statements from the administration even prompted members of both parties in Congress to blast the reports.
The Department of Defense later was caught teaching that those who oppose abortion are “low-level terrorists.”
Weeks later, SPLC confirmed to WND it published a report and delivered it to law enforcement officers across the nation that lumped adherents of constitutional principles with crazed killers.
It further was revealed SPLC was advising DHS formally on how to “... The DHS also was caught monitoring a blog posted by a Christian who was forced to flee Brazil because of the conflict between that nation’s pro-homosexual “hate crimes” agenda and his advocacy for traditional marriage.
The Obama administration declined comment on its decision to monitor Julio Severo’s unabashedly Christian Last Days Watchman blog.
Early this year a West Point study from the U.S. Military Academy’s Combating Terrorism Center linked opposition to abortion and other “fundamental” positions to terrorism.
The study, “Challenges from the Sidelines: Understanding America’s Violent Fa... cites “anti-abortionists” as an active threat for terrorist activity.
“The anti-abortionists have been extremely productive during the last two decades, amassing 227 attacks, many of them perpetrated without the responsible perpetrators identified or caught,” author Arie Perliger wrote. “And while, in both cases, the 1990s were more violent than the last decade, in the case of anti-abortion, the trend is much more extreme, as 90 percent of attacks were perpetrated before 2001.”
American Life League President Judie Brown called it a smear tactic.
“I can see exactly what is going on with reference to the pro-life movement. The use of two words expose the bias and hatred for what we stand for as a movement. Those words are ‘attacks’ and ‘violence’,” Brown said.
Herb Titus, a constitutional law professor, former dean of the Regent University School of Law and distinguished fellow with the Inter-American Institute for Philosophy, Government, and Social Tho..., says it’s an attempt to link conservative thought with violence.
“Professor Perliger has adopted the strategy of many left-wing members of the professoriate, concentrating on the behavior of a few in order to discredit many who hold similar views but who do not engage in any form of violence,” Titus said.
“His theory is that of the iceberg, that which as seen may be small, but it hides what is a much larger threat just below the surface. Obviously, the professor disagrees with those who favor small government, cutting back of federal government encroachments upon the powers of the state and to discredit this movement focuses on a few gun-toting militia,” Titus said.
Titus turns his attention to whom he believes is the source of the study.
“Like so many in the Obama administration, Perliger does not want to engage in any dialogue on the issues, but just discredit an entire political movement by ad hominem charged words,” Titus said. “Perliger is not a serious scholar, but a propagandist for the existing regime.”
The military teaching that the colonists were “extremists” was traced back to SPLC.
Judicial Watch, a government corruption monitor, said it obtained records regarding the “preparation and presentation of training materials on hate groups or hate crimes distributed or used by the Air Force.”
The teaching claimed: “In U.S. history, there are many examples of extremist ideologies and movements. The colonists who sought to free themselves from British rule and the Confederate states who sought to secede from the Northern states are just two examples.”
The 9/11 attacks by Muslims who killed nearly 3,000 people are called a “historical event.”
Read more at http://www.wnd.com/2013/10/army-stands-down-on-christian-bashing/#g...
Comment by SGT William A. Geresy (ret) on October 28, 2013 at 11:55pm
I have contacted a very senior Command Sergeant Major in the Army Reserve asking about the TEA Party Comment. So far I have heard nothing back. If I hear back, I will post the reply.
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Simon Lilly’s quartet of birdies on the back nine proved decisive in his battle with Matt Cort to claim the £1,000 on offer to the winner of the annual Northants County Golf Club Charity Pro-Am.
Both were one-under-par at the turn and, with Cort dropping a shot at the par-four 10th and Lilly following suit at the short 12th, they were level approaching the final six holes.
Lilly, who represents De Vere Staverton Estate, responded by breaking the deadlock with back-to-back birdies at 13 and 14, another at 16 and signing off with a fourth at the 18th.
It all added up to a four-under-par round of 66 and a one-shot victory over his rival from Beedles Lake Golf Club, Leicestershire.
Cort, who earned £800, finished a shot clear of the trio level on two-under in third place: Whittington Heath Golf Club’s Daniel Whitby-Smith, James Whatley of Morley Hayes Golf and St Kew Golf Club’s Richard O’Hanlon.
They each collected £616 but the biggest cash winner of the day turned out to be Paul Jewell, a member at Ladbrook Park Golf Club, Warwickshire – the venue for the region’s next Order of Merit event.
Jewell, who was one of the three amateurs playing in the team led by O’Hanlon, had a hole-in-one at the par-three 15th and won the £5,000 on offer for an ace at any of the quartet of short holes.
It was not enough to secure victory in the 38-strong team competition, however. That resulted in a tie involving the line-ups led by Cort and Ladbrook Park’s Chris Freeman, thanks to two-ball better-ball scores of 14-under.
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Dolphins hire Bill Sheridan to coach inside linebackers
After about a week of speculation, the Miami Dolphin have finally filled their first coaching vacancy of the offseason, hiring Bill Sheridan as inside linebackers coach.
Sheridan replaces George Edwards, who coached the Dolphins' linebackers in some capacity since 2005 before becoming the University of Florida's defensive coordinator earlier this month.
Most recently the New York Giants' defensive coordinator in 2009, Sheridan was fired after just one season on the job after his unit finished the season ranked 30th in the NFL. The Giants lost eight of their last 11 games and missed the postseason, and allowed 40 or more points in five games.
Sheridan was the Giants' linebackers coach from 2005 to 2008 before replacing defensive coordinator Steve Spaguolo, who became the St. Louis Rams' head coach in 2009.
A Detroit native, Sheridan began his coaching career at the high school level, coaching wide receivers, offensive linemen, linebackers and defensive backs at Shrine Catholic.
Sheridan joined the University of Michigan's staff in 1985, and followed two years with the Wolverines with stints at Maine, Cincinnati, Army, Michigan State, Notre Dame, and a second stint at Michigan.
In Miami, Sheridan will coach in the 3-4 scheme for the first time as a pro coach, which is why he will focus on the team's inside linebackers, rather than the entire unit. In the scheme, inside linebackers play more as traditional 4-3 linebackers, focusing on run-stopping and coverage of running backs and tight ends.
The Dolphins lack an elite starter among their inside linebackers, as starters Channing Crowder and Akin Ayodele are serviceable but average at best. Backup Reggie Torbor is an extremely overpriced special teams player and not a suitable starter.
With Ayodele and Torbor likely roster casualties in the offseason, the Dolphins will presumably target an inside linebacker in the offseason. Alabama's Rolando McClain and Florida's Brandon Spikes are viewed as the top inside linebackers in the 2010 NFL Draft, while the Arizona Cardinals' Karlos Dansby headlines the free agent market.
Discuss Sheridan's hiring on the forum here!
Labels: Akin Ayodele, Bill Sheridan, Brandon Spikes, Channing Crowder, George Edwards, Karlos Dansby, Miami Dolphins, New York Giants, Reggie Torbor, Rolando McClain, Steve Spaguolo
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It's a social thing...
I wanted to share this with others as I think it's an insight into why we love this sport...
This past winter was pretty long, and the spring was wet, which meant that field target in the northeast was shut down from the middle of November through the middle of May. Eric and I had been busy with 4-H and both of us just felt drained and had even talked of leaving field target. Neither of us really knew why we were feeling this way. So on the way down to Binghamton we talked about what our plans were and how we were both unsure of continuing with field target, which brought conflicting emotions from us both.
However, after the shoot we were suddenly talking about how excited we were about this season and all of the things that we had planned. Strange. So I mention the change in view from the car ride down vs the car ride back home and Eric confirms the change in view.
The only thing that I can think of is that we have gotten to the point where we look forward to the social aspect of field target maybe more so than the actual competition. And it's not just seeing people you know. There's teasing, telling jokes, normal everyday trials and tribulations, stories of good times and bad, and the joys and frustrations of everyday life. All are shared as we shoot next to each other with our nearly silent rifles and pistols.
It's a sport unlike any other that I've been involved with or heard about.
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Welcome to the “All-or-Nothing” Era in Enforcing Non-compete Agreements
April 5, 2017 by office
By Joshua H. Reisman, Esq. and Glenn M. Machado, Esq.
In Golden Road Motor Inn, Inc. v. Islam, 132 Nev. Adv. Op. 49, 376 P.3d 151 (2016), the Supreme Court of Nevada directly addressed the issue of whether Nevada courts can judicially modify an unreasonable non-compete agreement in order to render the agreement enforceable. The majority of the Court, in a four to three en banc decision, concluded where a non-compete provision is unreasonable, “the agreement is wholly unenforceable, as [the Court] do[es] not modify or ‘blue pencil’ contracts.” Id. at 153. The dissent lamented this “draconian all-or-nothing rule [which] invalidates the entire contract if any part of the non-compete agreement is overly broad.” Id. at 164. Golden Road’s holding impacts not only the drafting of future non-compete agreements, but it also raises serious concerns regarding the viability of existing non-compete agreements governing both current and former employees.
While non-compete agreements by their very nature restrain trade, they are permitted to “protect the business and good will of the employer.” Hansen v. Edwards, 83 Nev. 189, 191, 426 P.2d 792, 793 (1967). However, a “restraint of trade is unreasonable, in the absence of statutory authorization or dominant social or economic justification, if it is greater than is required for the protection of the person for whose benefit the restraint is imposed or imposes undue hardship upon the person restricted.” Id. at 191–92, 426 P.2d at 793. In analyzing the reasonableness of non-compete agreements, the Supreme Court of Nevada has focused on three types of restrictions: (1) time; (2) geographic; and (3) future work. See, e.g., Ellis v. McDaniel, 95 Nev. 455, 596 P.2d 222 (1979).
Golden Road involved, in part, the Atlantis Casino Resort Spa’s attempt to enforce a non-compete agreement against a former casino host. The non-compete agreement prohibited the former host from working, in any capacity, for any gaming business within 150 miles of the Atlantis for a period of one year.
The district court found the non-compete agreement to be unreasonable as the 150-mile restriction was deemed unnecessary to protect the Atlantis’ interests and the employment restriction was so broad that the employee could not even work as a custodian in any casino within the restricted area.
The Court, in affirming the district court, rejected Atlantis’ argument that, instead of outright voiding the non-compete agreement, the overbroad provisions should be judicially modified. The Court noted that Nevada law holds that an “unreasonable provision renders the non-compete agreement wholly unenforceable[,]” and explained that the Court has “long refrained from reforming or ‘blue penciling’ private parties’ contracts.” Golden Road, 376 P.3d at 156. The majority gave three policy reasons against modifying or blue penciling non-compete agreements: (1) to avoid trampling the parties’ contractual intent; (2) to preserve judicial resources (by not turning the court into attorneys after the fact); and (3) to disincentivize employers from intentionally drafting unreasonable agreements. See id. at 157-59.
Despite these policy justifications, Golden Road leaves current employers in a precarious position. As to new employees, going forward their non-compete agreements better be perfect. As to current and former employees, the employer may be stuck dealing with an unenforceable agreement.
For purposes of drafting new employee non-compete agreements, while there is “no inflexible formula for deciding the ubiquitous question of reasonableness[,]” (Ellis, 95 Nev. at 458-59, 596 P.2d at 224), Nevada precedent does provide some guidance. For example, the longest time restriction allowed by the Court appears to be two years. See id. at 459-60, 596 P.2d at 225. As to geographic restrictions, they should be limited to the territory in which the business has established customer contacts and good will. See Camco, Inc. v. Baker, 113 Nev. 512, 520, 936 P.2d 829, 834 (1997).
Further, the restriction on future employment must be necessary to protect the employer’s interests. For example, in Ellis, the Court narrowed a total prohibition on practicing medicine as the doctor’s subsequent employment was as an orthopedic specialist, while his former employer solely practiced general medicine. Accordingly, the two practices were not in competition with one another. See Ellis, 95 Nev. at 459, 596 P.2d at 224-25.
It also seems advisable for the non-compete agreement to include a severability clause reflecting the parties’ intent that, should any language be deemed unreasonable, the offensive language should be stricken. Golden Road did not address the issue of whether a severability clause could save an otherwise unenforceable non-compete agreement. Notably, such a clause does assuage the Court’s expressed concern regarding trampling the parties’ contractual intent. Further, at least one other jurisdiction has applied a severability clause to excise offending language from a non-compete agreement. See, e.g., SWAT 24 Shreveport Bossier, Inc. v. Bond, 808 So. 2d 294, 309 (La. 2001). There appears to be no downside to including such a provision, and it has the potential to salvage a non-compete agreement should a court have concerns with any of its terms.
As to current employees presently operating under likely unenforceable non-compete agreements, the agreements should, if possible, be “updated.” Continued at-will employment is sufficient consideration to uphold a non-compete agreement. See Camco, 113 Nev. at 517, 936 P.2d at 832. Thus, the employer can simply insist that the at-will employee’s non-compete agreement be modified to ensure its enforceability. If the employment is for a set term, however, the employer should offer additional monetary consideration to amend the non-compete agreement. Obtaining cooperation from current employees may actually not be very difficult because the amended agreement will likely be less restrictive than the original agreement.
Golden Road’s all-or-nothing rule is especially problematic where an employer needs to enforce a pre-existing, unreasonable non-compete agreement against a competing former employee. Golden Road leaves the employer little in the way of argument in favor of enforcement, including: (1) if applicable, a severability clause that might allow the agreement to be edited; (2) if the offending term is ambiguous, it might be open to reformation (with the caveat that ambiguous terms are usually construed against the drafter); and, arguably, (3) Golden Road should not be applied retroactively to preclude the blue penciling of non-compete agreements that predated the decision.
The last option is admittedly a “Hail Mary” argument, but support for the argument is found within the Golden Road opinion. A judicial decision potentially applies prospectively if it establishes a new principle in law—either by overruling clear past precedent on which litigants may have relied or by deciding an issue of first impression whose resolution was not clearly foreshadowed. In this regard, the dissent in Golden Road noted that the Court had previously engaged in judicially modifying preliminary injunctions (enforcing non-compete agreements) to make restrictions on the employee reasonable. See 376 P.3d at 165. And, even the majority approvingly cited a treatise that suggested that courts in Nevada had the discretion to modify or blue pencil the terms in a non-compete agreement. See id. at 159 n. 10. Accordingly, it can be argued that Golden Road decided an issue of first impression whose resolution was not clearly foreshadowed. This argument presents an uphill battle, however, as the majority emphasized that it has “long refrained from reforming or ‘blue penciling’ private parties’ contracts”—indicating that the Court was not establishing any new principle in law. Id. at 156.
Joshua H. Reisman, Esq. is a member and founder of Reisman Sorokac. He concentrates his practice in state and federal courts, administrative agencies, and private mediations and arbitrations, focusing on complex commercial litigation. He manages the firm’s litigation efforts from inception through trial, post-judgment, and appeal.
Glenn M. Machado, Esq. concentrates his practice in the areas of commercial litigation and professional responsibility. For over ten years, Mr. Machado was an Assistant Bar Counsel for the State Bar of Nevada, where he handled all aspects of the attorney-discipline process and wrote numerous articles for Nevada Lawyer.
This article was originally published in the in Communiqué, the official publication of the Clark County Bar Association. (March 2017).” Please include a hyperlink back to your article to the issue page at https://www.clarkcountybar.org/communique/march-2017/.
Filed Under: Publications
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Talented photographer Morgan Roberts receives offer from University of Leeds
A talented photographer at Rydal Penrhos has received recognition for his hard work with a university offer.
Morgan Roberts, an Upper Sixth Form pupil at the school, has secured a place at the University of Leeds after a successful application process.
The 18-year-old, who began life at Rydal Penrhos as a Year 5 pupil in 2009, will be studying a Bachelor of Arts in Fashion Photography.
He has been one of the leading figures in the pupil-led campaign to renovate the Sixth Form Ferguson Centre, which has raised more than £36,000 of their £50,000 target so far.
The Prefect played a significant role in editing a special video relating to the project, while also taking charge of the photography associated with the campaign promotion.
Morgan also presented the ambitious plans to Rydal Penrhos’ Governing Body, something that received glowing praise from Head of Sixth Form Peter Lavery.
Mr Lavery, said: “This is another well-deserved offer for one of our most talented pupils, and congratulations go to Morgan on receiving this offer.
“He has demonstrated a tremendous maturity throughout the final two years of his school life, and he has shown an impressive motivation to not only pursue a career path, but also take the necessary steps to ensure he maximises his chances of succeeding in his chosen field.
“This is something he can be enormously proud of and everyone at Rydal Penrhos is absolutely thrilled for him.”
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