pred_label
stringclasses 2
values | pred_label_prob
float64 0.5
1
| wiki_prob
float64 0.25
1
| text
stringlengths 41
1.04M
| source
stringlengths 37
43
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
__label__cc
| 0.519071
| 0.480929
|
Apple becomes most valuable U.S. company in history
As shares of Apple (AAPL) stock continued to soar on Monday, Apple achieved what is perhaps one of its most impressive feats to date. The company’s market capitalization sailed past $620 billion Monday morning, making Apple the most valuable company in history. The title was previously held by Microsoft (MSFT), which saw its market cap hit nearly $619 billion in late 1999. As noted by MacRumors, however, Microsoft’s record value in late 1999 balloons to $842.5 billion when accounting for inflation. Apple’s stock continues to climb to new heights as anticipation grows ahead of what every Apple analyst on the planet sees as Apple’s biggest-ever product launch, the upcoming sixth-generation iPhone. Rumors that Apple’s “iPad mini” and its upcoming own-brand HDTV are already being built in Chinese factories also helped send Apple investors into a frenzy on Friday, pushing the company’s share price to an all-time high that has since been topped during Monday’s trading session.
Tags: Apple
Hurry Before It's Gone!
By Andy Meek 17 hours ago
‘Pokemon Go’ adds Team Rocket, better battles, and more in massive update
By Jacob Siegal 2 days ago
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line591
|
__label__cc
| 0.680721
| 0.319279
|
In Their Words: Nate and Vanessa Quigley
#LiveHappy
_April 9, 2019
Interview with Nate and Vanessa Quigley, co-founders of Chatbooks
This article is part of a series featuring business executives who choose to live and work in Utah. If you know of an executive we should interview, please contact us.
Opposites do attract.
Nate Quigley graduated from Brigham Young University with a BS in accounting and worked as a consultant for McKinsey & Company in their Los Angeles and Paris offices, before earning his MBA from the Harvard Business School.
Vanessa Quigley earned her BA in Vocal Performance and Pedagogy from Brigham Young University and enjoys performing in opera and musical theater productions.
Several years later, and seven children later, they are happily married and co-founders of Chatbooks, an easy photo book app. They started Chatbooks in 2014 as a small family affair. Today, more than 85 people work at Chatbooks, and they are aligned around the company mission: to help people hold on to what matters and live happy.
How did you get started in the industry?
Family photos and stories have always been important to us. Vanessa was an avid scrapbooker as a young mom and worked for one of the first “digital scrapbooking” companies. But, over the years life got busier with the kids she found it difficult to find time for scrapbooking. When our youngest child was just five, Vanessa found him in bed clinging to a photo book his preschool teacher made for him. He only had this little album to show because she had never made a photo book for him, much less had a printed a photo of him.
This was Vanessa’s aha moment. She knew she needed to get her photos out of her phone and the cloud and into the hands of her family. Nate immediately got to work with a small development team and in a few weeks had a prototype of an app that automatically printed their Instagram photos into a series of photo books.
What top two most recent professional accomplishments you are most proud of?
In June 2017 we won the Ernst and Young regional Entrepreneur of the Year award— just three years after starting our business. That was an amazing moment as we celebrated the rapid progress our team made together.
Secondly, we are very proud that our company has a family-friendly environment and work culture, specifically, being a great place for women to work. Chatbooks was just recognized on the Women Tech Council’s Shatter List (which features companies who implement impactful measures that help break the glass ceiling for women in tech) for our diversity and inclusion practices for women in technology. We are committed to raising the bar in this area.
What drew you to Utah?
We moved our family from Florida to Utah because we believed it would be a great place to start a high-growth business and raise our seven kids. And we weren’t wrong!
What do you like most about living in Utah?
You can’t talk about Utah without mentioning the incredible lifestyle here. In Utah, we’ve found affordable housing and world-class skiing, hiking and biking in the most beautiful mountains. Enjoying family time in the great outdoors has been key to balancing the stress and demands of running a startup.
What do you like most about doing business in Utah?
With three major universities within an hour of our office, we enjoy incredible access to talent. We also enjoy access to capital and have raised $23 million right here in Utah. Additionally, being involved with Silicon Slopes has provided access to numerous networking and educational events in this booming entrepreneurial and tech community.
What advice do you have for individuals considering starting a business, or relocating their business to Utah?
The people you want to work with are often spread out over a 50-plus mile stretch of I-15 (and in Park City and Heber too) so choosing where to locate your business can be tricky. We started in the Provo area but eventually added a Salt Lake City office. If you can be flexible about how often your team is together in one place, you have a better chance of building your dream team.
What is your primary challenge of doing business in Utah?
We’re glad to see lots of improvement coming on I-15, and continued investment in public transportation options. Traffic congestion is a problem we all want to solve.
Tell me a fun fact about yourself.
So far, four of our seven children have decided to go to BYU; and we aren’t sad about that. We love living close to our adult children.
Is there anything else you would like the reader to know about you?
Family is the most important thing to us, and we are grateful to be building a company that helps strengthen families one photo book at a time.
Nate and Vanessa Quigley, co-founders of Chatbooks, have a mission to help people hold on to what matters and live happy.
Connect with them on LinkedIn.
Ancestry to Expand Company’s Utah Operations »
« Podcast: Patrick Mullen on Opportunity Zones in Utah
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line594
|
__label__cc
| 0.548515
| 0.451485
|
Tag Archives: Potiche
New Releases for the Week of May 6, 2011
Posted on May 5, 2011 by carlosdev
Thor gets ready to lay the hammer down on a bad guy.
(Paramount/Marvel) Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Hopkins, Rene Russo, Colm Feore, Stellan Skarsgard, Kat Dennings, Idris Elba, Samuel L. Jackson, Ray Stevenson, Jaimie Alexander, Clark Gregg. Directed by Kenneth Branagh
Thor, the God of Thunder and son of Odin is a mighty warrior but an arrogant one. His arrogance unwittingly triggers hostilities between the Gods and the Giants who have been in an uneasy peace for centuries. For his actions, Odin banishes his son to live on Earth and to learn a little humility, which isn’t easy for a God living on Earth but there you go.
See the trailer, clips, a featurette, promos and an interview here.
Release formats: Standard. 3D, IMAX 3D
Rating: PG-13 (for sequences of intense sci-fi action and violence)
(Paladin) Tom Shadyac, Desmond Tutu, Noam Chomsky, Howard Zinn. After a devastating cycling accident left him incapacitated, possibly permanently, director Shadyac (auteur of the Ace Ventura movies among others) re-examines himself and his place in the universe, deciding to make a movie about it which might just make up for Ace Ventura, karma-wise.
See the trailer and a clip here.
(Sony Classics) Mikael Persbrandt, William Johnk Nielsen, Trine Dyrholm, Markus Rygaard. An idealistic doctor who splits time between his home in Denmark and an African refugee camp must choose between revenge and forgiveness. At home his son is undergoing the same choice, albeit in a far different situation. This was the Oscar winner for Best Foreign Language Film earlier this year.
Rating: R (for violent and disturbing content some involving preteens, and for language)
Jumping the Broom
(TriStar) Angela Bassett, Paula Patton, Mike Epps, Loretta Devine. It seems like it would be a simple thing; two young people coming together in matrimony, in beautiful Martha’s Vineyard no less. However their families – one well-to-do, the other blue collar – are at each other’s throats. Not exactly the seeds for a happy nuptial, right?
See the trailer, clips, interviews and promos here.
Genre: Urban Romantic Comedy
Rating: PG-13 (for some sexual content)
POM Wonderful Presents the Greatest Movie Ever Sold
(Sony Classics) Morgan Spurlock, Ben Silverman, Noam Chomsky, Ralph Nader. Gadfly Spurlock (he of Super Size Me) takes on his own industry this time – and product placement therein as he documents his attempts to have his film entirely financed by product placement. Along the way he gives us a glimpse of how the movie industry works – and how pervasive advertising is in our lives.
Rating: PG-13 (for some language and sexual material)
(Music Box) Catherine Deneuve, Gerard Depardieu, Fabrice Luchini, Karin Viard. Set in the 1970s, the trophy wife of a wealthy French industrialist proves to be better at running his company than he is when he is convalescing from a heart attack, setting the stage for this French war between the sexes. I saw this previously at the Florida Film Festival and reviewed it here.
Rating: R (for some sexuality)
(Warner Brothers) Ginnifer Goodwin, Kate Hudson, Colin Egglesfield, John Krasinski. Rachel and Darcy are best friends; Rachel is the maid of honor for Darcy, who is about to marry the man that Rachel has had a crush on since law school. When Rachel sleeps with Darcy’s husband-to-be after a night of too much drinking, their little circle of friends are in for a game of “change partners!”
See the trailer, clips, featurettes and interviews here.
Rating: PG-13 (for sexual content including dialogue, and some drug material)
Posted in Weekly Preview | Tagged 2011, Angela Bassett, Anthony Hopkins, Catherine Deneuve, Chris Hemsworth, cinema, Colm Feore, Desmond Tutu, Films, Florida Film Festival, Gerard Depardieu, Ginnifer Goodwin, Howard Zinn, I Am, Idris Elba, In a Better World, John Krasinski, Jumping the Broom, Karin Viard, Kat Dennings, Kate Hudson, Kenneth Branagh, Loretta Devine, May 6, Mike Epps, Morgan Spurlock, movies, Natalie Portman, Noam Chomsky, Paula Patton, POM Wonderful Presents the Greatest Movie Ever Sold, Potiche, Previews, Ralph Nader, Ray Stevenson, Rene Russo, Samuel L. Jackson, Something Borrowed, Stellan Skarsgard, The Greatest Movie Ever Sold, Thor, Tom Hiddleston, Tom Shadyac | Leave a reply
Judith Godreche is miffed that Catherine Deneuve and Karin Viard are so amused at her mannequin imitation.
(2010) Comedy (Music Box) Catherine Deneuve, Gerard Depardieu, Fabrice Luchini, Karin Viard, Judith Godreche, Jeremie Renier, Evelyne Dandry, Bruno Lochet, Elodie Freget, Gautier About, Jean-Baptiste Shelmerdine, Noam Charlier. Directed by Francois Ozon
Through the ages and across the continents women have had to put up with a second class status in nearly every culture. How far have we come in righting that wrong?
Suzanne Pujol (Deneuve) is the heiress to a successful umbrella factory in France. Her husband Robert (Luchini) is in charge of the factory and his autocratic tendencies have led his workers to a strike, egged on by the communist mayor and MP Maurice Babin (Depardieu) with whom Suzanne had a brief and torrid affair shortly after she was married.
She calls in a favor with Babin when angry workers take Robert hostage. He is not grateful in the least when he is released to the bosom of his family – the artistic son Laurent (Renier) who resembles a young Michael York and has been dismissed by his father as a non-entity, and Joelle (Godreche) who beneath her Farrah haircut hides a fear that she and her husband will divorce – and an all-consuming need to win her father’s approval, although again she is dismissed as just a girl.
When Robert suffers a heart attack, Suzanne is forced to take over the factory and resume negotiations with the workers. Not only does she give in to the demands which are remarkably fair, but she actually builds the business, expanding into new markets and updating the look of the umbrellas to add artistic flair and color. However, when Robert returns from his convalescence, he means to have control of his factory back (which is only his because he married the boss’s daughter) and doesn’t care what he does to get it back.
This is a light and frothy comedy, set in 1977 with all the camp and kitsch that it implies. Ozon has had a career that has spanned all sorts of movies, from comedies to suspense movies and dramas. Here, he affects a light, deft touch, basing this on a stage play that was written in that era. While he maintains the ‘70s setting, he has also updated the play somewhat to reference the social and political sensibilities of modern France.
It also doesn’t hurt that he has two of the giants of French cinema in his cast. Deneuve, in her late 60s, is still ridiculously beautiful and elegant. She plays the long-suffering Suzanne as a bit on the timid side to begin, doting on her children, supporting her husband and making a home. As she becomes more confident in herself, it is fun to watch her blossom and come into herself, a lovely butterfly.
Depardieu is an amazing actor who while no longer the lean leading man he was 20 years ago, still impresses. He wears his emotions on his sleeve and while he is somewhat cowed by Suzanne, he nonetheless stands up to her when she breaks his heart.
Viard, one of France’s most popular actresses, takes on a lesser role than she is usually used to but considering whom she’s supporting I imagine it wasn’t hard to convince her to do so – if she didn’t volunteer to begin with. She plays Robert’s put upon secretary who has also been the object of his philandering attention. She’s efficient and competent but like most of the women in the movie, disregarded.
The setting is note-perfect, from the scene where Depardieu and Deneuve do the Hustle at a nightclub to the bright colors and fonts of the graphics in the titles. The comedy is light and light-hearted and while there’s an underlying message of gender equality, it never gets in the way of a good time. Potiche isn’t the kind of movie that is going to be a game-changer; it has opened several film festivals here in the United States which is a bit mystifying, but it is still satisfying entertaining and way more funny than most of the comedies Hollywood will release this year.
REASONS TO GO: Any chance at seeing Deneuve and Depardieu (here in their 8th pairing) is worth taking. Reasonably funny and note-perfect recreation of the 70s.
REASONS TO STAY: Fluffy and disposable at best.
FAMILY VALUES: There is a bit of sexuality but nothing overt. Lots of smoking though.
TRIVIAL PURSUIT: In French, “potiche” is a decorative vase but it is also a slang term for a trophy wife.
HOME OR THEATER: While this will probably get a decent-sized release, chances are you have a better shot at seeing it at home which is just fine.
TOMORROW: Holy Wars
Posted in New Releases | Tagged 1970s, board of directors, Catherine Deneuve, cinema, comedy, communist party, disco, extramarital affair, Farrah haircut, Films, Francois Ozon, French cinema, Gerard Depardieu, jogging suit, Karin Viard, marital infidelity, marital issues, movies, Music Box, nightclub, philandering, politician, Potiche, reviews, romance rekindled, strike, trophy wife, umbrella factory, workers | Leave a reply
Florida Film Festival 2011
As many of you know, I’m a huge supporter of the Florida Film Festival which takes place every year here in Orlando. Presented by the Enzian Theater (a non-profit group dedicated to bringing independent and foreign cinema to the people of Central Florida), it is an event like no other. It is not about deal making and studios finding the next hot indie property; it is about ordinary filmgoers rubbing elbows with filmmakers and fellow filmgoers. In other words, it’s as friendly and interactive a film festival as there is in the United States.
I was fortunate enough to receive press credentials for the Festival and can share with you some of the wonderful and amazing films that will be presented at this year’s event, the 20th anniversary film festival. The theme this year is Florida, a tribute to the state that the Festival is being held in and noted critic Scott Foundas of Variety will be curating a series of films inspired by, made in or created by Florida and Florida-based filmmakers. Included in the series is River of Grass, Ruby in Paradise and A Beautiful Belly. The festival kicks of on April 8 with the screening of Project Nim, the latest documentary from filmmaker James Marsh, the Oscar-winning filmmaker of Man on Wire.
Da Queen and I will be attending screenings of Incendies (a 2011 Oscar nominee for Best Foreign Language Film), Potiche (a French comedy starring Catherine Deneuve and Gerard Depardieu) and Troll Hunter, a Norwegian film that looks absolutely breathtaking. We will also be attending a variety of other films and events to be announced as time goes by. We will also be reviewing a variety of other films as well, including Fannie, Annie and Danny (whose filmmaker Chris Brown and lead actress Jill Pixley we’re hoping to interview at the Festival).
For those attending, there are some really awesome films not mentioned above that are going to be at the Festival and that we hope we’ll get a chance to see, including Meek’s Cutoff (a new kind of Western), Holy War (a contraversial documentary), Hesher (a slacker comedy), Hamill (the true story of a deaf MMA fighter), Kinyarwanda (set in the Rwandan genocide), Super (A DIY superhero film), Terri (a coming of age film about an overweight teen desperately trying to fit in) and Bobby Fischer Against the World, a look at the late chess prodigy.
Expect surprise guests and more news in the weeks to come. If you live in the Orlando area or are planning to visit, the Festival runs April 8 through April 17 and will screen over 160 films and shorts during the duration of the Festival. Tickets are onsale now, both in packages (starting as low as $40) and for individual films (usually $10 for most films, although there are several free events throughout the Festival).
If you’ve never attended a Film Festival, this is the one to go to. It’s laid back, friendly and full of really impressive movies ro see. For more information or to purchase tickets, go here. Look for a full slate of reviews, sometimes more than one a day (heavens! a change in site policy – can anarchy be far behind?) when the mood is right. Hope to see you all there!
Posted in Special Feature | Tagged Fanny Annie and Danny, Florida Film Festival, Florida Film Festival 2011, Incendies, Potiche, Troll Hunter | 1 Reply
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line599
|
__label__cc
| 0.500415
| 0.499585
|
I Sing Because…, Old Opera House
Saturday, March 30, 2019, 2 pm
Brooklyn Youth Chorus Men’s Ensemble tours West Virginia this spring and joins forces with Charles Town Middle School Boys’ Choir to present “I sing because…”, featuring the stories and songs of young people from both Brooklyn, New York and students from Jefferson County, West Virginia.
Ranging from classical to jazz to pop, and some of the song selections include Purcell’s “Sound the Trumpet,” Barber’s, “Sure on this Shining Night,” and original works by Daniel Bernard Roumain, Samuel Cho, and Wally Gunn, the concert is FREE and open to the public.
The Old Opera House, 204 N. George Street, Charles Town, WV 25414
Share this post: Twitter Facebook Google+
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line600
|
__label__wiki
| 0.785896
| 0.785896
|
Editorial: Decision backing Martzloff should put years of turmoil to rest
Williamsville Superintendent Scott G. Martzloff’s attempt to fire an assistant superintendent was upheld by a hearing officer. (Photo by Derek Gee/Buffalo News)
By News Editorial Board|Published Fri, Jun 16, 2017 |Updated Fri, Jun 16, 2017
Williamsville Superintendent Scott G. Martzloff, who might be the epitome of the word “embattled,” has found relief in a decision by a hearing officer that should end the district’s bizarre yearslong internal struggle.
Trouble began after Martzloff took over as superintendent in 2011. He started shaking things up the district, something well within his rights to do. As he found out, accepting change can be difficult, especially for those determined to keep things the same.
Kim A. Kirsch, one of the assistant superintendents, was upset by the changes and orchestrated a campaign against Martzloff involving the teachers union beginning in 2014, according to hearing officer John T. Trela. He found her guilty of insubordination, misconduct and other charges. Trela backed Martzloff’s attempt to fire Kirsch and, as News staff reporter Joseph Popiolkowski wrote, the decision was accepted by the Williamsville Board of Education.
Kirsch spent nearly three years on paid administrative leave collecting her $170,000-a-year salary.
The ordeal cost the district an estimated $500,000 in legal bills, plus the pay for an interim assistant superintendent for human resources while Kirsch was on leave.
Beyond the expense is the turmoil that has rocked the district for years, pitting the superintendent against the teachers union. Such infighting seemed especially out of place in the area’s largest suburban school district with its strong academic reputation.
Trela’s 140-page decision cited plenty of reasons for the firing, including that she worked with the teachers union to get rid of Martzloff. The hearing officer quoted from a June 2014 email from Kirsch to the Williamsville Teachers Association president in which she wrote, “Evidently it is possible that our discussions could be viewed as insubordination – so we should probably not share them with others as much as possible.”
There was much more. In fact, the hearing officer declared that Kirsch was a “gatekeeper” of the movement against the superintendent, and when it came to a list of complaints compiled against Martzloff, she was “ ‘the glue’ in the fabric in keeping this movement going forward.”
Kirsch had portrayed herself as a “whistleblower” bringing problems to light, but Trela said she was just “an insubordinate employee.”
Kirsch’s attorney said she will pursue an appeal in court, so the district’s ordeal may not be over. And all nine members of the new School Board taking over July 1 were elected with the support of the teachers union. But for now what Martzloff called “a dark cloud” has been lifted, and the district should be able to better focus on the business of educating students.
On another matter, Martzloff deserves credit for trying to turn down the honor of having the new athletic complex at Williamsville North High School named for him.
It was a curious choice by the School Board. Sports facilities are usually named after long-serving and retired coaches or athletic directors.
The decision, sprung on the public without notice at Tuesday’s meeting, should be rescinded. After all, the complex was paid for by taxpayers. They should get a chance to weigh in with their selections and opinions.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line601
|
__label__cc
| 0.651604
| 0.348396
|
Approach «Constructivism»
Publications Found: 798 · Show All Abstracts
Accame F. (2007) Ernst von Glasersfeld and the Italian Operative School. Constructivist Foundations 2(2-3): 18–24. Fulltext at https://cepa.info/23
Purpose: Appreciating the relationship between Sylvio Ceccato and Ernst von Glasersfeld, both as people and in their work. Approach: historical and personal accounts, archeological approach to written evidence. Findings: Ceccato’s work is introduced to an English speaking audience, and the roots of Glasersfeld’s work in Ceccato’s is explored. Flaws in Ceccato’s approach are indicated, together with how Glasersfeld’s work overcomes these, specially in language and automatic translation, and what became Radical Constructivism. Conclusion: Glasersfeld willingly acknowledges Ceccato, who he still refers to as the Master. But Ceccato’s work is little known, specially in the English speaking world. The introduction, critique and delineation of extension and resolution of Ceccato’s ideas in Glasersfeld’s work is the intended value of the paper.
Key words: philosophy, language, correlational grammar, Italian Operational School, attention/mind, mental operation, Ernst von Glasersfeld, Silvio Ceccato
Alhadeff-Jones M. (2013) Complexity, methodology and method: Crafting a critical process of research. Complicity: An International Journal of Complexity and Education 10(1/2): 19–44. Fulltext at https://cepa.info/920
This paper defines a theoretical framework aiming to support the actions and reflections of researchers looking for a “method” in order to critically conceive the complexity of a scientific process of research. First, it starts with a brief overview of the core assumptions framing Morin’s “paradigm of complexity” and Le Moigne’s “general system theory.” Distinguishing “methodology” and “method,” the framework is conceived based on three moments, which represent recurring stages of the spiraling development of research. The first moment focuses on the definition of the research process and its sub-systems (author, system of ideas, object of study and method) understood as a complex form of organization finalized in a specific environment. The second moment introduces a matrix aiming to model the research process and nine core methodological issues, according to a programmatic and critical approach. Using the matrix previously modeled, the third moment suggests conceiving of the research process following a strategic mindset that focuses on contingencies, in order to locate, share and communicate the path followed throughout the inquiry. Relevance: This paper provides the readers with a constructivist methodology of research inspired by Morin’s paradigm of complexity and Le Moigne’s general system theory.
Allen J. W. P. & Bickhard M. H. (2011) Emergent constructivism. Child Development Perspectives 5(3): 164–165. Fulltext at https://cepa.info/4473
Alrøe H. F. & Noe E. (2012) Observing Environments. Constructivist Foundations 8(1): 39–52. Fulltext at https://cepa.info/803
Context: Society is faced with “wicked” problems of environmental sustainability, which are inherently multiperspectival, and there is a need for explicitly constructivist and perspectivist theories to address them. Problem: However, different constructivist theories construe the environment in different ways. The aim of this paper is to clarify the conceptions of environment in constructivist approaches, and thereby to assist the sciences of complex systems and complex environmental problems. Method: We describe the terms used for “the environment” in von Uexküll, Maturana & Varela, and Luhmann, and analyse how their conceptions of environment are connected to differences of perspective and observation. Results: We show the need to distinguish between inside and outside perspectives on the environment, and identify two very different and complementary logics of observation, the logic of distinction and the logic of representation, in the three constructivist theories. Implications: Luhmann’s theory of social systems can be a helpful perspective on the wicked environmental problems of society if we consider carefully the theory’s own blind spots: that it confines itself to systems of communication, and that it is based fully on the conception of observation as indication by means of distinction.
Key words: Umwelt, phenomenology, biosemiotics, autopoiesis, perspectivism, Peirce, environment, observing, Luhmann, Uexküll, Maturana , Varela, observer
Alrøe H. F. & Noe E. (2014) Second-Order Science of Interdisciplinary Research: A Polyocular Framework for Wicked Problems. Constructivist Foundations 10(1): 65–76. Fulltext at https://cepa.info/1166
Context: The problems that are most in need of interdisciplinary collaboration are “wicked problems,” such as food crises, climate change mitigation, and sustainable development, with many relevant aspects, disagreement on what the problem is, and contradicting solutions. Such complex problems both require and challenge interdisciplinarity. Problem: The conventional methods of interdisciplinary research fall short in the case of wicked problems because they remain first-order science. Our aim is to present workable methods and research designs for doing second-order science in domains where there are many different scientific knowledges on any complex problem. Method: We synthesize and elaborate a framework for second-order science in interdisciplinary research based on a number of earlier publications, experiences from large interdisciplinary research projects, and a perspectivist theory of science. Results: The second-order polyocular framework for interdisciplinary research is characterized by five principles. Second-order science of interdisciplinary research must: 1. draw on the observations of first-order perspectives, 2. address a shared dynamical object, 3. establish a shared problem, 4. rely on first-order perspectives to see themselves as perspectives, and 5. be based on other rules than first-order research. Implications: The perspectivist insights of second-order science provide a new way of understanding interdisciplinary research that leads to new polyocular methods and research designs. It also points to more reflexive ways of dealing with scientific expertise in democratic processes. The main challenge is that this is a paradigmatic shift, which demands that the involved disciplines, at least to some degree, subscribe to a perspectivist view. Constructivist content: Our perspectivist approach to science is based on the second-order cybernetics and systems theories of von Foerster, Maruyama, Maturana & Varela, and Luhmann, coupled with embodied theories of cognition and semiotics as a general theory of meaning from von Uexküll and Peirce.
Key words: Perspectivism, semiotics, complex phenomena, social systems theory, differentiation of science, perspectival knowledge asymmetries.
Anderson J. R., Reder L. M. & Simon H. A. (1998) Radical constructivism and cognitive psychology. Brookings Papers on Education Policy 1: 227–278. Fulltext at https://cepa.info/4127
Excerpt: Education has failed to show steady progress because it has shifted back and forth among simplistic positions such as the associationist and rationalist philosophies. Modern cognitive psychology provides a basis for genuine progress by careful scientific analysis that identifies those aspects of theoretical positions that contribute to student learning and those that do not. Radical constructivism serves as the current exemplar of simplistic extremism, and certain of its devotees exhibit an antiscience bias that, should it prevail, would destroy any hope for progress in education.
Aufenvenne P., Egner H. & Elverfeldt K. (2014) On Climate Change Research, the Crisis of Science and Second-order Science. Constructivist Foundations 10(1): 120–129. Fulltext at https://cepa.info/1179
Context: This conceptual paper tries to tackle the advantages and the limitations that might arise from including second-order science into global climate change sciences, a research area that traditionally focuses on first-order approaches and that is currently attracting a lot of media and public attention. Problem: The high profile of climate change research seems to provoke a certain dilemma for scientists: despite the slowly increasing realization within the sciences that our knowledge is temporary, tentative, uncertain, and far from stable, the public expectations towards science and scientific knowledge are still the opposite: that scientific results should prove to be objective, reliable, and authoritative. As a way to handle the uncertainty, scientists tend to produce “varieties of scenarios” instead of clear statements, as well as reports that articulate different scientific opinions about the causes and dynamics of change (e.g., the IPCC. This might leave the impression of vague and indecisive results. As a result, esteem for the sciences seems to be decreasing within public perception. Method: This paper applies second-order observation to climate change research in particular and the sciences in general. Results: Within most sciences, it is still quite unusual to disclose and discuss the epistemological foundations of the respective research questions, methods and ways to interpret data, as research proceeds mainly from some version of realistic epistemological positions. A shift towards self-reflexive second-order science might offer possibilities for a return to a “less polarized” scientific and public debate on climate change because it points to knowledge that is in principle tentative, uncertain and fragmented as well as to the theory- and observation-dependence of scientific work. Implications: The paper addresses the differences between first-order and second-order science as well as some challenges of science in general, which second-order science might address and disclose. Constructivist content: Second-order science used as observation praxis (second-order observation) for this specific field of research.
Key words: Second-order science, climate change research, observation theory, theory-dependency, causality, production of knowledge.
Avenier M. J. & Parmentier Cajaiba A. (2012) The dialogical model: Developing academic knowledge for and from practice. European Management Review 9(4): 199–212.
We propose a methodological framework for developing and communicating academic knowledge relevant for practice: the dialogical model. This model of engaged scholarship comprises five activities: specifying a research question, elaborating local knowledge, developing conceptual knowledge, communicating knowledge, and activating knowledge. The current article focuses on the early stage of research question design and presents the epistemological framework in which the model was initially developed. It also offers guidance on how to maintain academic value and practical relevance in tension throughout the research process. Examples illustrate how to construct research questions relevant both for academia and practice, and how to justify validity in pragmatic constructivism. This model can likewise be mobilized in other epistemological frameworks, particularly for knowledge generation purposes. It enriches the researchers’ methodological toolbox by adding a new procedural tool that provides valuable guidelines from the very start of research projects. Relevance: The first part of this article is dedicated to presenting and discussing what internal validity, external validity, and reliability mean specifically in pragmatic constructivism, which is another name for radical constructivism. This naming is consistent with the radical constructivist view of the relationship between knowledge and action, and has the advantage of being free from all the misinterpretations associated with the term “radical.”
Bächtold M. (2013) What do students “construct” according to constructivism in science education? Research in Science Education 43(6): 2477–2496. Fulltext at https://cepa.info/4653
This paper aims at shedding light on what students can “construct” when they learn science and how this construction process may be supported. Constructivism is a pluralist theory of science education. As a consequence, I support, there are several points of view concerning this construction process. Firstly, I stress that constructivism is rooted in two fields, psychology of cognitive development and epistemology, which leads to two ways of describing the construction process: either as a process of enrichment and/or reorganization of the cognitive structures at the mental level, or as a process of building or development of models or theories at the symbolic level. Secondly, I argue that the usual distinction between “personal constructivism” (PC) and “social constructivism” (SC) originates in a difference of model of reference: the one of PC is Piaget’s description of “spontaneous” concepts, assumed to be constructed by students on their own when interacting with their material environment, the one of SC is Vygotsky’s description of scientific concepts, assumed to be introduced by the teacher by means of verbal communication. Thirdly, I support the idea that, within SC, there are in fact two trends: one, in line with Piaget’s work, demonstrates how cooperation among students affects the development of each individual’s cognitive structures; the other, in line with Vygotsky’s work, claims that students can understand and master new models only if they are introduced to the scientific culture by their teacher. Fourthly, I draw attention to the process of “problem construction” identified by some French authors. Finally, I advocate for an integrated approach in science education, taking into account all the facets of science learning and teaching mentioned above and emphasizing their differences as well as their interrelations. Some suggestions intended to improve the efficiency of science teaching are made.
Key words: science learning science teaching, personal constructivism, social constructivism, cooperation, enculturation, problem construction.
Baecker D. (1999) Gypsy reason: Niklas Luhmann’s sociological enlightenment. Cybernetics & Human Knowing 6(3): 5–19. Fulltext at https://cepa.info/3131
Niklas Luhmann died in November 1998. He had been elaborating his theory of the society for more than thirty years which has been well received in many quarters of society in the modern world. Yet somehow we are only now beginning to read him when he is no longer there to be asked. And we are beginning to discuss his work although we cannot invite him to lecture us anymore. The following article takes up Luhmann’s very recent small and comprehensive book on Husserl and places him, as he did himself, in a tradition of “enlightenment” which aims for a self-critical constitution of reason.
Page 1 2 ... 79 80
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line606
|
__label__wiki
| 0.63428
| 0.63428
|
Subtotal: €0,00 Go to Shop
HomeTeachings of Srila PrabhupadaBooks by & about Srila PrabhupadaBy Srila PrabhupadaBhagavad-gita As It Is (Hindi)
Bhagavad-gita As It Is (Hindi)
The Hindi version of Srila Prabhupada’s Bhagavad-gita As It Is.
The conversation between Arjuna and Lord Krishna, before engaging in the battle of Kurukshetra
SKU: HB-BG. Categories: Hindi Books, By Srila Prabhupada.
His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
2015 reprint
Hardbound, 21 colour paintings, ribbon marker, size 14 x 21 x 3 cm.
Books, Books By Srila Prabhupada, Bhagavad-gita As It Is, Special Offers, Super Gifts, Teachings of Srila Prabhupada, Books by & about Srila Prabhupada, By Srila Prabhupada
Bhagavad-Gita As It Is (Hardbound Mini)
Books, Practical Krishna Consciousness, Super Gifts
Bhagavad-gita at a glance
Postcards from the Bhagavad-gita
Books By Srila Prabhupada, Bhagavad-gita As It Is, Books by & about Srila Prabhupada, By Srila Prabhupada
Bhagavad-gita As It Is with a Zipper
Calendars, Meditation
Bhagavad-gita, as it is, calendar
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Vinyl
Foreign language 2 euro, Hindi Books
Prabhupada Rasamrta (Hindi)
Books By Srila Prabhupada, Special Offers, Super Gifts, Books by & about Srila Prabhupada, By Srila Prabhupada, Books of Srila Prabhupada
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Pocket Edition
Bhakti – An Affair of the Heart (Hindi)
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line608
|
__label__cc
| 0.600137
| 0.399863
|
← Evita’s Exquisite Corpse
I’m Speechless RE: Synetic’s Midsummer Night’s Dream →
Press and Release – The Beatles: Rock Band
I’ve never been much of a gamer. Well, not never, but not since I was about thirteen. Yes, I know that video games are the healthiest segment of the media business nowadays, and that some bands — Aerosmith is an oft-cited example — make more licensing their old hits and their likenesses to the makers of Rock Band than they do on their new music. (I also know that Little Steven loves it, or has at least said that he does in public.)
I’ve played Rock Band a handful of times, and I expected to dig it, but mostly it just makes me feel silly. Sillier than singing karaoke in a crowded bar does.
It doesn’t make sense to me, either. Having a few drinks and singing a few songs with friends ought to be a great time. But at least for me, the fact that you know everyone in the room also detracts from whatever meager sense of accomplishment you might feel at having stared down embarrassment and won. The idea of a group of players trying to perform together as a band is cool, if not nearly as cool as a group of people trying to play music together for real. Of course, compared to a first-person “shooter” game, Rock Band is a divine revelation.
But I might change my tune on September 9th, when The Beatles: Rock Band comes out. The band’s entire catalogue is finally getting a sonic upgrade and rerelease on CD the same day, but the pre-release hype is treating the actual music as kind of an afterthought to the game. I’ll certainly be sampling these long-overdue cleanups of the albums, but I’m increasingly intrigued by this thing. From the press release:
. . . the game represents the first time fans will be able to experience The Beatles’ musical career for themselves. From the early touring days in 1963 Liverpool to the immortal, final performance on the Apple Corps rooftop, fans can follow in the band’s footsteps as they traverse the globe during the height of Beatlemania. Adding to the experience is the introduction of three-part vocal harmonies to game play, allowing gamers to revel in the unparalleled vocal stylings of the Fab Four. Beatles fans will also be thrilled to hear previously unreleased authentic voice recordings from John, Paul, George and Ringo chatting between takes during studio sessions recorded at Abbey Road more than four decades ago.
Unreleased studio chatter? Shades of “Free as a Bird”! But as cynical as I might pretend to be, this trailer might have sold me.
Fortunately, it won’t be out for three months. Plenty of time for me to come to my senses. Or at least to learn how to play “You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away” on a guitar with actual strings.
This entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged music, press releases, Rock Band, The Beatles, video games. Bookmark the permalink.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line612
|
__label__wiki
| 0.617598
| 0.617598
|
Vermont Humanities
Tag Archives: Joseph E. Johnston
by jeffvhc | March 27, 2015 · 9:37 am
Jefferson Davis’s Wife and Children Flee Richmond
March 27, 1865/2015
Volume 6, Issue 13 (233 Issues Since 15 October 2010)
March 30, 1865. “In March 1865, the day she dreaded but expected arrived and Varina [Davis] said her goodbye to her husband. Though ailing and feeble, Jeff was going to the field; Varina and the children were going to seek refuge in Carolina. ‘I have every confidence in your capacity to take care of our babies,’ Varina recalled her husband saying, ‘and understand your
Jefferson and Varina Howell Davis
desire to assist and comfort me, but you can do this in but one way, and that is by going yourself and taking our children to a place of safety.’ . . . ‘If I live,’ he said, ‘you can come to me when the struggle is ended, but I do not expect to survive the destruction of constitutional liberty.’ “Varina had made her own preparations for flight . . . She had purchased four barrels of flour to exchange for food or lodging along the way south. . . . but . . . Jeff would not allow [it]. The families remaining in Richmond needed these supplies more than his, he insisted. Yet he did give Varina a small amount of gold—and, on the day before she left, a pistol. He showed her how to load it, aim, and fire. It was a desperate measure that reflected the chaos that was spreading in the hours of defeat. There were roving bands of troops, both Yankee and Confederate, in the countryside. Should she be attacked, Jeff told Varina, ‘you can at least, if reduced to the last extremity, force your assailants to kill you.'”
Carol Berkin, Civil War Wives: The Lives and Times of Angelina Grimke Weld, Varina Howell Davis, and Julia Dent Grant, (2009), p. 172.
Davis, Confederate Congress Abandon Richmond
On Sunday, April 2, 1865, Confederate president Jefferson Davis was at church in Richmond when an orderly brought him a dispatch from General Robert E. Lee. “‘I think it is absolutely necessary that we should abandon our position tonight,” Lee wrote from Petersburg.
Davis then knew that it was all over. Richmond would soon be taken, and he must flee. That evening he headed to Danville, where his wife had gone several days earlier. The Confederate Congress and the Virginia Legislature also fled the city.
Federal troops entered Richmond the next day.
Lee led his forces west in the hope of joining forces with General Joseph E. Johnston in North Carolina and continuing their fight. But that was not to be; before their forces could link up, Lee surrendered a week later, on April 9, at Appomattox Court House, Virginia.
Richmond Slave-Dealer Out of Business, Marries a Black Woman He Had Purchased Ten Years Earlier; She Leases Former Slave Market Prison as School for Black Ministers
“On the night of April 2, 1865, Confederate troops abandoned Richmond. The sudden decision caught Robert Lumpkin, the well-known dealer in slaves, with a recently acquired shipment which he had not yet managed to sell. Desperately, he tried to remove them by the same train that would carry Jefferson Davis out of the Confederate capital. When Lumpkin reached the railway station, however, he found a panic-stricken crowd held back by a line of Confederate soldiers with drawn bayonets. Upon learning that he could not remove his blacks, the dealer marched them back to Lumpkin’s Jail, a two-story brick house with barred windows, located in the heart of Richmond’s famous slave market — an area known to local blacks as ‘the Devil’s Half Acre.’ After their return, the slaves settled down in their cells for still another night, apparently unaware that this would be their last night of bondage. For Lumpkin, the night would mark the loss of a considerable investment and the end of a profession. Not long after the collapse of the Confederacy, however, he took as his legal wife the black woman he had purchased a decade before and who had already borne him two children. . . .
“. . . Less than two years after the fall of Richmond, a Massachusetts clergyman arrived in the city with the intention of establishing a school to train black ministers. But when he sought a building for his school, he encountered considerable resistance, until he met Mary Ann Lumpkin, the black wife of the former slave dealer. She offered to lease him Lumpkin’s Jail. With unconcealed enthusiasm, black workers knocked down the cells, removed the iron bars from the windows, and refashioned the old jail as a school for ministers and freedmen alike. Before long, children and adults entered the doors of the new school, some of them recalling that this was not their first visit to the familiar brick building.”
America’s War, Talking About the Civil War and Emancipation on their 150th Anniversaries, Edward L. Ayers, ed., pp. 262, 269-69.
INTERESTING LINK
“Digging up the Past at a Richmond Jail,” Smithsonian Magazine
– All entries were submitted by Vermont Humanities Council Executive Director Peter A. Gilbert
Filed under Civil War Book of Days: 1865
Tagged as Jefferson Davis, Joseph E. Johnston, Mary Ann Lumpkin, Richmond, Robert E. Lee, Robert Lumpkin, slavery, Varina Davis
Click on image to learn more.
Civil War Book of Days: 1860
Posts by Month Select Month April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010
Nation Grief-Stricken; Lee: Don’t Turn to Guerrilla Warfare April 17, 2015
Lee’s Farewell to Troops; “Bells Toll in Woe that Rang in Joy” April 10, 2015
The Long-Awaited End April 3, 2015
Jefferson Davis’s Wife and Children Flee Richmond March 27, 2015
Henry James’s First Story: Returning Home Harder than Imagined March 20, 2015
“If slaves will make good soldiers, our whole theory of slavery is wrong.” March 13, 2015
Barred from Lincoln’s Reception, Frederick Douglass Greeted By President March 6, 2015
Sun Bursts through Clouds As Lincoln Delivers Second Inaugural February 27, 2015
Desperate for Soldiers, Confederacy Frees & Arms Slaves, Too Little, Too Late February 20, 2015
African American Troops Lead Union Army into Charleston, Where War Started February 13, 2015
Vermont Humanities · Civil War Book of Days
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line614
|
__label__cc
| 0.723623
| 0.276377
|
April 3, 2016 April 6, 2016 Puzzle Doctor
The Best Miss Marple Novel – Round Two
So the group stage of the Miss Marple voting is over, and we’re on to the quarter-finals now. It’s now a straight knock-out. Scroll down to the bottom of the post for the “matches”. On the off-chance of a tie, the winner will be the one that received the most votes in the group round will go through. But let’s take a look at the results so far – I’ll be honest, there are some surprises…
No massive surprise here with A Murder Is Announced running away with it. I do wonder whether A Pocket Full Of Rye would have fared better in other groups – I’m rather fond of it, it’s one of her cleverer Marple plots, and I personally prefer it to The Body In The Library. But all three of these are strong books – definitely the Group of Death. But it’s farewell to A Pocketful Of Rye…
I’ll admit – I’m surprised. I always thought 4:50 From Paddington was a weak Marple, much preferring The Moving Finger. But with over 50% of the vote, it seems I’m in the minority. So it’s farewell to A Caribbean Mystery…
No real surprise here – They Do It With Mirrors is fairly dreadful – and the other two have their charms. Not entirely sure which of the other two I prefer, as The Mirror Crack’d has that nasty taste from the use of the source material, whereas The Murder At The Vicarage… well, see my review.
Big surprises here – while none of these are the strongest Marple books, I’m astonished about two things. One, Nemesis was leading for a long time until Sleeping Murder had a late surge and Two, FIFTEEN people preferred At Bertram’s Hotel – review coming soon, generally regarded as being one of the weakest of the books.
Anyway, here’s the draw from now on – vote for each match-up below. You’ve got until 6pm UK time on Wednesday…
Previous The Murder At The Vicarage by Agatha Christie
Next Murder On Sea by Julie Wassmer
The choices are getting tougher…
Especially the one where, in my opinion, they’re both rubbish… I thought seeding the first round would avoid that problem but it would seem that Goodreads ratings aren’t the most reliable things. Who’d have thought? 🙂
I think the choices are getting easier! But I was surprised at some of the first round votes, much along your lines, Doc! I’m a fan of Moving Finger, and I’m not sure I could take tea at Bertram’s Hotel with anyone who voted for that book, no matter how scrumptious the cakes and scones are.
Great minds think alike…
Bev Hankins says:
I also thought the choices were easier this time. Group B gave me the most trouble in the first round–deciding between 4:50 and Moving Finger….depending on how the voting goes, I’ll probably have to ponder that match up all over again.
Only (potentially) in the final – and there’s one other book that I’d be astonished if it wasn’t there…
armchairreviewer says:
I agree with Brad. Deciding on my votes this time was very easy and I am glad all of my three favourites made it into this round. Although I am surprised The Moving Finger has made it considering Miss Marple only comes into the story 20-30 pages from the end.
It’s exactly 74% of the way through in fact… but you could say the same about how much she’s in a few others, such as 4:50 From Paddington.
wow that is very precise, but I wouldn’t expect anything less from someone so mathematical.
I checked on my Kindle when I reviewed it – but presuming a 200 page count, that does mean she’s there for 50+ pages… just.
I’m one og those that voted for BERTRAM’S because I always liked how it used fake nostalgia as a plot point, which i thought was a clever comment by Christie on the appeal of her books at that stage. But I agree that SLEEPING is probably the better book … glad to see that the consensus on MURDER IS ANNOUNCED is near universal 🙂
I’d be astonished – and I’d have said this before the voting started – if Murder Is Announced didn’t win easily. But it’s the second, third and fourth places that I’m more curious about… And, of course, the first place if my assumption is wrong…
From the previous results, it seems that AMIA, 4.50FP, MATV and SM will make it to the final 4. However, we know one person who will vote for the remaining four due to his sympathy for the underdog ! 🙂
Unless two popular books were in the same group in round one…
Yes, I’d say Bertram’s has a lot more going for it than, say, Nemesis, which feels completely devoid of any originality or interest (and yet is also weirdly popular). Bertram’s is nuts and flabby and can’t decide what genre it wants to be and doesn’t make any sense, but at least it’s trying something. As Sergio says, the use of fake nostalgia is a clever trick and commentary, one which you won’t find anywhere else in her books.
cmikolj says:
I agree – Bertram’s may be weak on plot but at least it’s fun, unlike Nemesis which is dark, joyless and too wordy. I too like The Moving Finger although 4.50 From Paddington has more going for it in terms of characterization and, again, is a fun read.
moira @ClothesInBooks says:
Yes, some interesting results there. There could still be some shocks to come I guess.
Christian Henriksson says:
Someone is obviously relying on people checking in on the blog more often than once a week! 😉
At least I managed to get in a vote for round 2 here.
Sorry about that…
It is suggested that you enter your email at Follow Blog via Email above on right side. Then you will receive alert on every new post.
JFW says:
I’m glad to see that my all-time favourite Miss Marple novel is doing well so far, and yes, I agree it’s a pity that ‘Pocket Full of Rye’ didn’t manage to survive. It’s certainly stronger than some of the other titles that have sneaked into the semi-finals…
I have to say that when I first read Bertram’s (over 30 years ago…), I thought it the worst thing ever. In fact, if my first taste of Christie had not been Orient Express, I might have been put off permanently. And it definitely made me less eager to pick up the next Marple book (which was Vicarage and a rousing success–so good for that!). But when the Tuesday Night Bloggers (made up of Golden Age Detection readers) put the spotlight on Christie last fall, I decided to give Bertram’s another try. I had a better appreciation of the differences between appearances and reality and, as has already been mentioned, the use of nostalgia as a cover.
The Best Miss Marple Novel – The Results – In Search of the Classic Mystery Novel says:
[…] the results of the earlier rounds – Round One, Quarter-Finals, […]
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line618
|
__label__wiki
| 0.718781
| 0.718781
|
Trustees and Advisors
Our trustees and advisors serve as volunteers and contribute their valuable experience to Cockpit Arts.
The Board of Trustees is the governing body of Cockpit Arts. Our trustees serve as volunteers and have ultimate responsibility for the charity.
Cornelius Medvei, Chair of Trustees
Cornelius joined the Board as Chair in 2012 and had been closely involved in supporting Vanessa Swann (CEO 2002 – 2017). Now he supports current CEO, Annie Warburton and the team as they continue to develop the leading role Cockpit Arts plays as a self-sustaining social enterprise. A passionate supporter of the arts, Cornelius is a consultant for global law firm, DLA Piper, a Governor of Southbank Centre and was, until recently, a member of the Board of the Whitechapel Gallery. Previously he was a real estate partner at King & Wood Mallesons LLP and Eversheds LLP where he held a number of roles including Head of Real Estate, London Managing Partner and Senior Partner. Cornelius is married to Jean Scott-Moncrieff, a leading contemporary jeweller, and is therefore steeped in the contemporary craft world and has been a collector for many years.
“Cockpit Arts is leading the way in self sustaining social enterprise in the arts and I’m proud to be part of that. I believe passionately in the crucial contribution the creative industries make to our society, culture and economy.”
Bill Amberg is one of the most respected names in contemporary British leathercraft. Over the last 30 years, Bill’s work in architecture and interiors has grown in parallel with his bag design. Today, the Bill Amberg Studio is the UK’s foremost authority on leather’s architectural and sculptural applications. Bill’s studio has introduced leather into the interiors of iconic buildings such as Claridge’s, Selfridges, the Shard and the Savoy, and frequently collaborates with architects on interiors – including the Leathersellers’ Hall, where Bill and his team were instrumental in the interiors restorations completed in 2016. From his studio in London and workshops in Somerset, Bill continues to design the hand-made bags and accessories that first made his name as a craftsman, and is actively involved in promoting and supporting the UK leather industry.
Samuel Fry
Samuel Fry is an Agile Project Manager at IBM, working in their Interactive Experience team, where he works with teams of designers and developers to create digital experiences. He is also currently the Director of Create Hub, a website which shares stories about the use of technology in the arts, creative and cultural industries. Samuel previously worked for Cockpit Arts as Development and Events Manager and he has a history of working with other creative, innovative and entrepreneurial companies such as in the Creative Economy team at Nesta, with entrepreneur network Virgin Media Pioneers and as the Enterprise Consultant at University of Bristol.
“Having previously been an employee of Cockpit Arts, I have first-hand experience of its fantastic work. The organisation has a very important role to play in the craft industry and the creative economy as a whole. I very much look forward to working closely with the team again.”
Patricia Godfrey
An experienced board advisor with over 25 years as a partner in an international law firm Patricia decided to retire from the law in May 2019. She has detailed experience in people leadership, achieving good corporate governance, change management and working with a range of stakeholders to achieve business priorities and strategic goals. Patricia is now focusing on extending her portfolio of non-executive and advisory roles whilst at the same time developing her nascent skills as an aspiring jeweller
“I am delighted to become a trustee at Cockpit having got to know many makers over the years at this unique talent hub within London. As an award-winning incubator Cockpit fosters design and artistic talent within a highly diverse and vibrant environment. What differentiates it for me coming from a commercial background is the remarkable business support available which provides makers with the skills necessary to grow and sustain a successful business. I look forward to playing my part in helping Cockpit achieve its future ambitions. “
Clarissa Hulse
Clarissa has collaborated with a wide array of businesses and has an extensive knowledge of bringing textile craft and design to market. She has worked as a visiting lecturer at Brighton University and also consults on design licensing. A Cockpit Alumna, Clarissa has built her textile brand into one the most respected in the UK. Designing homewares from her studio in North London, from a small collection of silk cushions, her ranges now includes bed linen, lampshades, towels, ceramics, an array of gift items, and two multiple award-winning fabric and wallpaper collections which are distributed in the UK and worldwide.
“I am thrilled to join the board at Cockpit Arts. As an Alumna I know what a tremendous start it can give to independent makers as it certainly kick started my career many years ago. Cockpit has grown into a really impressive organisation and combined with the immense talent it houses its future looks incredibly exciting”
Jill Humphrey
A graduate of Nottingham University and a Chartered Accountant, Jill has international experience in the financial services sector. Following a 5 year stint in New York, Jill has worked as a Programme Manager for Deutsche Bank in London for the last 7 years.
“I am excited to be part of an organisation which provides a fantastic support model to new and growing businesses in the creative arts; as a hobby jeweller, I appreciate the tremendous skill and talent of the Cockpit makers.”
Jane Kuria-Ronaldson
Jane Kuria-Ronaldson is a marketing and business development professional who has worked in a number of industry sectors, including financial and professional services, retail, media and the arts. Jane is currently a Marketing Manager within the International Banking division of the RBS Group. Previously, she worked in a number of in-house management roles and within marketing communications agencies, for clients and organisations such as Arts and Business, Prudential, BP, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, American Express, TalkTalk, Help A Capital Child, WPP plc and ITN. Jane has a personal interest in silversmithing and jewellery making in her spare time.
“I am delighted to be a Trustee of Cockpit Arts – a unique and innovative social enterprise, which has made such a significant and sustained contribution to the UK’s creative industries and overall economy.”
David Moore is founding Director and the longstanding creative force behind Michelin starred restaurant Pied à Terre. He is a consultant for several other restaurants and acts as a mentor for the young chefs who’ve passed through his kitchens. David’s career spans numerous illustrious locations such as The Box Tree in Ilkley and Le Manoir Aux Quat’ Saisons in Oxfordshire as well as Louis XV in Monaco and La Belle Otero in France. He has made several TV appearances including BBC MasterChef: The Professionals, Out of the Frying Pan and The Restaurant, alongside his former mentor Raymond Blanc.
“I am delighted to become a Cockpit Arts Trustee. I have been a patron of the crafts for many years, regularly attending Cockpit Open Studios and commissioning and purchasing works, in particular furniture for our restaurants.”
Sarah Myerscough
Based in Mayfair London since 1999, Sarah Myerscough’s Gallery – now renamed Phos Art & Design – promotes formal and aesthetic innovations within contemporary visual arts by breaking down boundaries between fine art, craft, design and architecture. As a multidisciplinary platform, the gallery promotes quality of process and practice across disciplines, with a particular focus on museum-quality craft artists specialising in wood and most recently, unique or limited edition pieces in wood furniture by renowned international designers who investigate the relationship between function and form using traditional techniques as well as new technologies to create sculptural pieces.
Sarah Myerscough comments on the importance of sustaining craftsmanship within a digitised contemporary world: “In our high tech commercial world we need to protect the visual arts as they reflect societal achievement but also highlight our deficiencies. Contemporary craft honours traditional ways of making but also creates powerful and innovative visual dialogues through aesthetic and conceptual ideologies. The time taken to produce such astonishing tactile and visually absorbing objects, from fashion to fine art, runs contrary to our fast moving lives. Unless we take time to appreciate contemporary craft, we miss an opportunity to be creatively enriched. We still undervalue this creative enterprise and in doing so undervalue ourselves.”
Ben O’Neill
Ben O’Neill is Commercial Director at OPDC (Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation) and previously Asset Manager at Hammerson.
Ben is a Chartered Surveyor and has advised on a number of arts and cultural projects including the Ashmolean Museum, Royal Opera House, Geffrye Museum, Royal Academy, ICA and other architecturally led schemes like Maggie’s Cancer Care Centres. Ben sits on the UK Executive Committee of the Urban Land Institute.
“Being involved in Cockpit Arts is a real privilege. The organisation is a pioneering innovator and champion of a crucial sector of our creative economy. As people increasingly want a real connection with the provenance of their consumption, Cockpit Arts’ mission to celebrate the maker, as much as the designer, is an increasingly contemporary one that I look forward to learning from, as much as supporting.”
EXTERNAL SELECTION PANEL
Applications to join Cockpit Arts are shortlisted with the assistance of our experienced external selection panel.
Felicity Aylieff
Felicity Aylieff is an artist and Senior Tutor in Ceramics and Glass at the Royal College of Art.
Sandy Black is Professor of Fashion and Textile Design and Technology at the London College of Fashion’s Centre for Sustainable Fashion.
Daniel Carpenter
Daniel Carpenter is a Trustee of the Heritage Crafts Association.
Emma Crichton-Miller
Emma Crichton-Miller is a writer and journalist specialising in art, craft and design. A columnist on Apollo Magazine, she writes regularly for the Financial Times and Crafts Magazine and Prospect. She is the author of a monographic essay on Edmund de Waal, published by Phaidon in 2014.
Brooke Litchfield
Brooke Litchfield is the Product Developer at Daylesford Organic.
Grant McCaig
Grant McCaig is a designer silversmith and lecturer. Trained at both Glasgow School of Art and the Royal College of Art, he has exhibited nationally and internationally. His work is held in several major public collections including Birmingham Museums & Art Galleries, National Museums of Scotland and The Goldsmiths’ Company Modern Collection, London.
Established in 1998, Sarah Myerscough Gallery promotes formal and aesthetic innovations within the contemporary visual arts by breaking down boundaries between fine art, craft, design and architecture. As a multidisciplinary platform, the gallery supports and promotes quality of process and practice across disciplines, with a particular focus on woodwork.
Mary Restieaux
Mary Restieaux is an ikat weaver and an Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Art. She has been awarded a Silver Medal by The Worshipful Company of Weavers.
Freddie Robins
Freddie Robins is a knit artist whose practice crosses the boundaries of art, design and craft. She is also a Senior Tutor in Knitted Textiles at the Royal College of Art.
INGENIOUS GROWTH LOAN PANEL
Studio holders needing an injection of cash to take their business to the next level can apply for small, low interest loans through this scheme.
Jill Humphrey – Chair
A graduate of Nottingham University, where she read Industrial Economics, Jill is a Chartered Accountant and a Project Manager. She has worked in Financial Services Sector for over 20 years and is currently the Head of Policy & Process Governance in Workforce Capability at Deutsche Bank. Jill has been a trustee at cockpit arts since 2012 (please can you check this date?), sits on the Audit and Risk Committee as well as chairing the Loans Panel. Jill is also a regular loan panel member for the Princes Trust.
Stuart Newey
Stuart Newey is a Chartered Banker with over 30 years’ experience of banking covering many roles including personal / commercial lending, Private Banking and Wealth Management. Stuart is currently the MD, Head of Banking for Coutts & Co. Stuart has previously been a trustee of Cockpit Arts and has a personal interest and hobby of working in wood and metal.
Anton Theodorou
Anton Theodorou is a qualified Barrister, with a track record of founding, acquiring, building and turning around companies. He has worked across a range of industry sectors, including Life Sciences, Manufacturing, Publishing, Engineering, Mining, Energy and Electronics.
Anton is currently Chairman of Rhopoint Holdings Ltd and Rhopoint Metrology Ltd., privately owned companies operating in the distribution of electronic components, the manufacture of testing equipment in the paper and coatings industry and calibration services. Anton is also currently MD of The Christian Orthodox Cemetery Ltd and a Trustee of the Bounceback Foundation.
Duncan Reid
Duncan is Ingenious’ Commercial Director and has held various senior roles within the organisation since its formation in 1998. His career in the entertainment business began as a touring and recording musician, before he qualified as an accountant with Deloitte (then Touche and Ross). He latterly joined Patrick McKenna at the Really Useful Group as its Business Development Manager and subsequently took on the role of Finance Director for the Really Useful Theatre Company Ltd. Before joining Ingenious in 1998, Duncan served as the Financial Director for (then) Premier League football club Nottingham Forest.
Cockpit was founded in 1986 and began as five 'starter' units in Cockpit Yard - today we house 170 makers in our studios.
We aim to be an equitable employer. We recognise and encourage the potential of a diverse workforce and appoint on merit.
Makers’ Stories
Find out how we support craftspeople at different stages with our selection of makers' stories.
Our approach at Cockpit Arts is friendly and professional with a talented, dedicated team - find out more.
Other things you might be interested in
Cockpit Arts is the UK’s only creative business incubator for craftspeople and an award winning social enterprise.
Your support enables the best in British craft and design to succeed and thrive.
We closely monitor our impact as a Social Enterprise and regularly report on the the wider impact of our services.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line621
|
__label__wiki
| 0.67667
| 0.67667
|
Home > About
What is The College of Physicians of Philadelphia?
We're not a college, but a non-profit institution, promoting the heritage and future of health and medicine.
The College of Physicians of Philadelphia, founded in 1787, is one of the oldest professional medical organizations in the country.
Twenty-four physicians of 18th-century Philadelphia gathered "to advance the science of medicine and to thereby lessen human misery." Today, nearly 1,500 Fellows (elected members) continue to convene at the College and work toward better serving the public.
Throughout its 229-year history, the College has provided a place for medical professionals and the general public to learn about medicine as both a science and as an art.
This historic spirit continues in our current mission: advancing the cause of health while upholding the ideals and heritage of medicine. The College strives to:
Enable individuals, families, and communities to take greater responsibility for their health.
Improve the health of the public through service to health professionals.
Enhance appreciation of the heritage of medicine.
Provide information for the development of health policy.
The College is home to the Mütter Museum and the Historical Medical Library. Our outreach programs include our History of Vaccines website and the Karabots Junior Fellows program. The public is invited to attend the many lectures, workshops, and conferences the College offers. Our programs reflect our reverence for the past, our commitment to the present, and our vision for the future of medicine and health.
Preserve History, Inspire Futures
Discover how you can help
We're Inspiring the Future of Healthcare with our Center for Education and Public Initiatives
Thursday August 01, 2019 | 10:00 am
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line622
|
__label__wiki
| 0.793691
| 0.793691
|
Article 35-A: Remnant of State-autonomy Rankling in the Heart of ultra-Hindu Nationalists
in Kashmir — by M J Aslam — February 24, 2018
Any argument against Article 35-A of the Constitution of India in isolation from the political and social conditions in which partition of India, accession of JK with India took place and in which Orders and Notifications of 1927 and 1932 were issued by the then Ruler of JK Maharaja Hari Singh is patently bound to lead to wrong conclusions about it.
Pre-partition history:
That said; let us briefly revisit the history and promulgation of the Order and Notifications of 1927 and 1932 issued by Maharaja Hari Singh. The main objective behind those Orders and Notifications was to address certain concerns that were raised and brought to the notice of the then Sovereign Ruler. The people from erstwhile Punjab had started getting jobs in the Government Departments and purchasing land from the locals of the State of JK at an ever increasing scale. Feeling alarmed and threatened by the foreign intrusion into their homeland and likely trampling over their rights of employment and property, the residents of the State, predominantly non Muslim (Dogras of Jammu and Kashmiri Pandits), were the main opponents and “objectioners” to the “foreigners” likely going to change demography and officialdom of the State.
“The alienation of the Kashmiris from Hari Singh was heightened by the continuing presence of ‘outsiders’ in government service, which led to a movement known as ‘Kashmir for the Kashmiris’, sponsored by the more educated Kashmiri Pandits. …”. (“Kashmir in Conflict” by Victoria Schofield, [2013] page 17, emphasis mine). Hearing the voices of concern and addressing the same, the Sovereign King got a “statutory” order defining “Hereditary State Subject” and recognized the “Hereditary State Subject’s” exclusive rights of appointment in the government departments and the purchase and sale of land. The Order was passed to forbid the employment of non-State Subjects in the public services besides disallowing them to purchase land in the State of J & K (Ibid). In simple words, such rights were not available to non-state subjects.
The said Order was, by implication, replaced by the Notification 1-L/84 dated 20-04-1927 whereby the term “State Subject” was substituted for the term “hereditary state subject” and the State Subjects were divided into several categories, the discussion about whom is beyond the scope of this article. The Notification 1-L/84 dated 20-04-1927 was followed by the Notification No. 13/L dated 27-06-1932 under the Command of the Sovereign with a view to determine the status of the State Subjects in a foreign country and to inform the Governments of the foreign countries about the position of their (foreign) nations in the State of J & K.
So, to adumbrate the facts, the Notifications of 1927 & 1932 granted to the State Subjects exclusive rights of (1) scholarships, (2) land ownership and (3) recruitment to State Services (State of J & K vs. Dr. Susheela Sawhney, AIR 2003 JK 83 = (1) JKJ 35). The Notifications of 1927 & 1932 were protected under the earlier J & K Constitution of 1939 which were further protected and preserved under the J & K Constitution of 1956 (Sections 5-A to 5-F).
If we move further backward towards the end of 19th Century Kashmir, we will notice that a deep concern was also expressed by the Principal Settlement Officer of the State of J & K in 1887 against possible exploitation of land rights of Kashmiris by others if statutory protection was not granted to those rights of the Kashmiris by the Monarchs of that day (The Valley of Kashmir, (2014), Sir W P Lawrence, pp. 430-432).
The discussion so far brings us to conclude that afore-mentioned special rights and privileges of the people of JK with respect to their (1) immovable properties, (2) government jobs and (3) scholarships are firmly grounded in the political history of JK.
Partition, Accession, Constitution & Delhi Agreement:
India got freedom on the 15th August, 1947 immediately on cessation of British paramountcy under the Independence Act, 1947 wherein 600 odd States of un-partitioned-India were left free to choose between either of the two Dominions of India or Pakistan created there under. Almost all States [of the Indian Union] decided to accede to Dominion of India except the State of J& K. The Ruler of J & K, MHS, took time to decide either way till “special circumstances” that had already started showing signs of coming, ultimately came when on 26-10-1947 the MHS entered into an Instrument of Accession/IOA with India. The IOA provided for “conditional accession” of J & K with India on three subjects only, namely, Defense, Foreign Affairs and Communication. The Dominion of Pakistan did not accept the said “conditional accession” and ultimately the matter was taken to the UN by India itself in January 1948 for a final verdict. The UNGA passed several resolutions upholding right of self-determination of JK people, as a concomitant of democracy, under UN auspices in JK.
In the meantime, during a period of almost three years, from 9th December 1946 to 26th November 1949, the Constituent Assembly of India was busy in drafting, deliberating and discussing about the provisions of the future Constitution of Republic of India. It was finally adopted on the 26th November 1949 and came into effect from 26th January 1950. The Constitution under Article 394 extended to whole of India. It is manifestly clear that it did not by its own force apply to J & K in the same way as it applied to the rest of India. It was extended to J & K by virtue of two provisions only viz Article 370 and Article 1. Article 370 incorporated three items of IOA empowering Parliament to legislate on them only as far as J & K was concerned. Regarding t other matters and provisions of the Constitution, under Article 370 (1) (d), it was /is laid down that only the President could extend them (other provisions of the Constitution and Parliamentary Laws on such matters in Union and Concurrent lists on which Parliament has power to make laws), with such exceptions and modifications as he may specify by order, to the State of J & K. However, this special process of applying Constitution to the State of JK is required under Article 370 to be completed only by an order passed/to be by the President in concurrence or consultation with the State Government.
As noticed above, to confront challenges in UN GA questioning legality of India’s claim on JK, the Constitution (Application to J & K) Order of 1950, which was concomitant with the Constitution itself, tried to formalise and legalise the relationship between the State & UOI. But, it was not found enough for a “constitutional democracy” like India to justify its claim on JK on Articles 370, 1 & Constitution (Application to J & K) Order, 1950. So, discussion for further strengthening bonds of relationship, bringing JK constitutionally closer to India continued between Leaderships of India and J & K which culminated in what is popularly called Delhi Agreement of 1952 signed between Sheikh Abdullah and JL Nehru. In other words, one can say that Delhi Agreement, (http://jklaw.nic.in/delhi1952agreemnet.pdf), despite criticism it bore from the Hindu RSS hardliners of JK & India, provided the much needed remedy to India to assuage its immediate trouble at the international level by crawling along the constitutional path to reach closer and closer to J & K. Point Two of the Delhi Agreement is pertinent in the context of the discussion and it is writ large from this point that citizens of J & K were not regarded as citizens of India and so, it was agreed that Article 5 of the Constitution of India would be extended to J & K to include the people who have a domicile in J &K to regard them as citizens of India. Point Two of the Agreement further empowered the State Legislature to make laws of its choice defining “State Subjects” and confer on them the privileges and rights which they have had been enjoying already by virtue of Orders & Notifications of 1927 & 1932 cited above.
The Delhi Agreement was a solemn pledge made between J & K and India and any backtracking on it by Sheikh Abdullah was to be treated not in India’s “national interests” (refer letter dated 10-06-1953 of KN Katjoo addressed to Nehru) and India through its Leadership had equally bound itself to incorporate its terms in its Constitution and wanted J & K to do the same through its future Constituent Assembly. (Refer reply of Nehru to Dr. Karan Singh’s two letters dated 03 & 07 August 1952). The question arises if backtracking by J & K, Sheikh Abdullah, from the points of the Delhi Agreement was unacceptable to India, then, by the same logic reneging by India after 70 years on any of those terms including Point Two is equally unacceptable to people and all leaders of JK except few Hindu RSS ideologues who are a fringe minority.
Translating Delhi Agreement into action:
In the backdrop of the Delhi Agreement of 1952 followed by the recommendations dated 6th February 1954 of the J & K Constituent Assembly‘s Advisory Committee on Fundamental Rights and Citizenship and Nehru’s Statement to the Lok Sabha about Delhi Agreement(https://thelogicalindian.com/awareness/article-35a-jammu-kashmir/ ), the President of India, in exercise of his powers conferred upon him by Article 370 (1) with concurrence of the Government of J & K, passed the Constitution (Application to Jammu & Kashmir) Order, 1954. The said Presidential Order of 1954, thus, implemented the Delhi Agreement whereby, among many other things, Indian citizenship was extended to the residents of JK and simultaneously Article 35-A was inserted into the Indian Constitution that gives carte blanche to the State Legislature to define who are the “State Subjects” & confer on the “State Subjects” special rights and privileges in public sector/government jobs, acquisition of immovable property in J&K, settlements, scholarships and other public aid and welfare. Article 35-A is reproduced below:
“Saving of laws with respect to permanent residents and their rights: Notwithstanding anything contained in this Constitution, no existing law in force in the State of Jammu and Kashmir, and no law hereafter enacted by the Legislature of the State:
defining the classes of persons who are, or shall be, permanent residents of the State of Jammu and Kashmir; or conferring on such permanent residents any special rights and privileges or imposing upon other persons any restrictions as respects—employment under the State Government; acquisition of immovable property in the State;
settlement in the State; or right to scholarships and such other forms of aid as the State Government may provide, shall be void on the ground that it is inconsistent with or takes away or abridges any rights conferred on the other citizens of India by any provision of this part”.
Note: Most of the books of Indian authors on Constitution of India aren’t showing Article 35-A as a part thereof. Why? They know better?
It may be mentioned that the Constituent Assembly of the State of JK subsequently following the Delhi Agreement & Article 35-A made provisions relating to “permanent resident” by inserting sections 5-A to 5-F in the JK Constitution of 1956.
Word of caution:
To iterate, the geo-political conditions of J & K were very much in the knowledge of the lawgivers. Taking due notice of the same, the lawgivers did not apply the Constitution to J & K simultaneously with other States. To circumvent or surmount those hard geo-political facts, a mechanism was devised in the shape of Article 370 to link JK “constitutionally” with India. This provision was based on a pact between the Indian State and J &K, the governors and the governed, whereby the governed (general masses of JK) had agreed to be governed by the governors but strictly on the condition that the age old natural rights of the governed shall be protected and preserved at all costs, which the people of J & K shall never be deprived of. This was and is a solemn pledge made by Indian State with the people of JK. This is the universally accepted political theory. “The Presidential Order of 1954”, which is an offshoot of Article 370 “implies both further strengthening of India’s hold on Kashmir and recognition of a privileged position of Kashmir within the Indian Republic”.( Josef Korbel: Danger in Kashmir (1954) , pp. 246-247,). If India de-recognises or snatches the “privileged position of Kashmir”, at least in its remnant of Article 35-A, its hold on Kashmir will get loosened further as Mehbooba Mufti has publically declared that if Article 35-A is abrogated, there will be nobody to hold tricolor in Kashmir. Ram Jethmalani, noted Supreme Court lawyer, has indirectly conveyed a similar word of caution to BJP-RSS think tank about mis-adventure of supporting “indirectly” the people (their proxy petitioners before the SC) who are hell bent on abrogation of Article 35-A to change demography of JK from majority-Muslim-State to its minority State.
Threat to Article 35-A:
For 70 years, Article 370 has served the interests of India beyond its expectations, internally as well as externally , keeping in view geo-political challenges it faces and faced relating to its holding and annexing the State of J &K with it. It was this Article that rescued India by facilitating a “legal” relationship with State of J & K. It is this Article that enabled extension of Union Laws and provisions of the Indian Constitution to the State, either fully or partially, with such modifications and exceptions as permitted by the Presidential Orders passed under it. The Presidential Order of 1954 is that Mega PO that extended a number of Central Laws and provisions of the Indian Constitution to the State besides adding Article 35-A to it. Article 35-A has not been incorporated to the Constitution in isolation. It is a part of plethora of items and laws mentioned in the PO of 1954 that has provided a constitutional link to India to have and hold J &K. There is no questioning about the other items brought by PO of 1954 and a number of other Presidential Orders that extended and applied almost entire Constitution of India to J &K. The only festering sore with communal-minded people is Article 35-A. The fascist intention concealed behind a façade of a legal right to challenge this original Constitutional Provision in “national interest” is manifest. RSS backed groups like “We the Citizens”, “the Jammu & Kashmir Study Centre” and others have challenged the constitutionality of Article 35-A in the Supreme Court where it is pending argumentation and adjudication.
Main ideas of challenge:
Firstly, it is argued that the special status, certain rights and privileges, enjoyed only by the residents of the State under these Constitutional provisions has given rise to alienation and separatist tendency to the people of Jammu and Kashmir. This argument is absurd for several reasons: (1) If these provisions were not inserted into the Constitution, India would have lost J&K long back. These provisions India enabled it to procrastinate and ultimately deny promised right of self determination to the people of JK. (2) These provisions furnished a constitutional link between India and J &K. These provisions are aboriginal in the Constitution. (3) Does it mean that by incorporating these provisions, the law givers and founding fathers of Indian nation afforded alienation and separatist identity to the people of J &K? Are the petitioners wiser than them? These provisions helped Indian in assimilating and integrating J &K with it. Without these provisions, what was the relation between J &K and India, except military control? (4) If the petitioners refer to the separatist organizations in J &K, then, they forget for 23 years Sheikh Abdullah too had cherished such inclinations. And, separatist parties have been there in J & K right from 1947. It is nothing new keeping in mind political history of J & K. (5) Since treachery, betrayals, backtracking by local and Indian leaders on their promises and Indian State’s harsh treatment meted out to J &K people, predominantly Muslims, have already alienated them from Indian mainstream politics and any more attempt on abrogation of Article 35-A would only strengthen roots of alienation and separation from India in J &K political scenario. It is historically and factually correct that huge chunk of population of J &K already feel backstabbed and alienated which is writ large from innumerable gatherings and rallies of J &K people protesting against Indian atrocities.
Secondly, it is argued that this provision does not allow people from outside J &K to work, settle or own property in the State, and that right of employment in government departments and scholarships, different forms of aid and welfare are confined to State Subjects. This argument is again missing the point that the special rights and privileges conferred on J &K State Subjects by Article 35-A are nothing new. These rights and privileges were recognized since earliest times of 1900 in J &K and this provision based on Delhi Agreement of 1952 simply recognizes an already existing position of law. Without recognizing and affording these certain rights and privileges to JK, no democratic and constitutional relationship between the State and India would have ever come into being and operated till now.
Legal points, counter points and rules of interpretation:
Without referring to some “subsidiary issues” raised in these writ petitions since they could be properly handled by State Legislature by making changes, if possible, in the State Subject Laws to address to the concerns of women ( if State Subjects) marrying non-State Subjects and the property rights of their descendants, our main focus is on the salvo launched by the petitioners against Article 35-A mainly on the ground of Article 368. It contends that the President did not follow procedure established under Article 368 by presenting Article 35-A for approval before Parliament. It argues that Presidential Order of 1954 ‘added’ a new “Article 35-A” to the Constitution while addition or deletion of an Article amounted to an amendment to the Constitution which could be done only by Parliament and Article 35-A was brought about by the “executive order” when actually the right of amendment of the Constitution lies with the legislative organ of the State. Therefore, Article is ultra vires the basic structure of the Constitution since it violates the Constitutional procedures established by law.
First & foremost, this argument, at its face, ignores basic facts. It is true that amendment to the Constitution of India could be done only by Parliament under Article 368. But, it is equally true that Proviso added to Article 368 (2) by the Constitution (Application to J & K), Order, 1954, makes operation of Article 368 subject to Article 370 (1) and that Article 370 begins with non obstante clause “notwithstanding anything in this Constitution………..” which means that Article 370 would operate and has operated despite that there being no such provision anywhere in the Constitution allowing the President, inter alia, under sub article (1) clause (d) to apply constitutional provisions to the State with “such exceptions and modifications as the President may by order specify…..”. The object behind enacting Article 370 was to recognize the special position of the State of J&K and to provide for that special position by giving power to the President to apply the provisions of the Constitution to J &K with such exceptions and modifications as the President might by order specify. While interpreting the word “modification” used in article 370, the Seven Judges Constitution Bench of the SC held that “……., it means that he (President) may vary (i.e., amend) the provisions the Constitution in its application to the State of Jammu and Kashmir. We are, therefore, of opinion that in the context of the Constitution, we must give the widest effect to the meaning of the word “modification” used in Article 370 (1) and in that sense it includes an amendment. There is no reason to limit the word “modifications” as used in Article 370(1) only to such modifications as do not make any “radical transformation…. If, therefore, the power is given to the President to efface in effect any provision of the Constitution altogether in its application to the State of Jammu and Kashmir, it seems that when he is also given the power to make modifications that power should be considered in its widest possible amplitude. …..” (Puranlal Lakhanpal v. President of India, AIR 1961 SC 1519 (1962) 1 SCR 688 (07 judges) wherein challenge to PO of 1954 was made on certain other grounds; followed in Sampat Prakash v. State of J&K, AIR 1970 SC 1118; Ashok Kumar v. State of J&K, 2015, emphasis supplied ).
In the light of the said ruling of the SC, there is hardly any doubt left to disagree that the President has had the widest powers under Article 370, of course, with concurrence of the State Government, to pass PO of 1954 that , inter alia, has incorporated Article 35-A in the Constitution.
It has to be noted that Article 370, under which Presidential Orders have been passed, is an original provision of the Constitution, as such it cannot be repugnant to other provisions of the Constitution of India in view of cardinal rule of interpretation of the statutes, that is, “In Civile Est Nisi Tota Lege Perspecta Una Aliqua Particula Ejus Proposita Judicare Vel Respondere’ (construction is to be made of all parts [of a statute] together, and not of one part only by itself). Even if it is presumed to be an exception, there are exceptions to every rule. Under the Constitution, only States and not Union Territories have Legislature, as yet, UT of Pondicherry has a Legislature. This is an exception to the general rule.
On the basis of expediency and political history, there are special provisions contained under Article 371 (A) to 371 (I) with respect to the states mentioned therein. Likewise, Article 370 is also a special provision with respect to JK.
Furthermore, the rule “In Civile Est Nisi Tota Lege Perspecta Una Aliqua Particula Ejus Proposita Judicare Vel Respondere’ cannot be partly applied to PO of 1954 to scrap down Article 35-A [only] that it added to the Constitution while allowing all other amends , modifications and exceptions, it made to it by extending many other Constitutional provisions to the State. If the PO of 1954 is selectively targeted to achieve the “hidden agenda” of the petitioners, then, it must throw all other POs open to challenge because they emanate from the same source of Article 370?
Secondly, it may be mentioned that in India, it is the Constitution that is supreme and not the Parliament. Parliamentary sovereignty is subordinate to the Constitution and aboriginal provisions like Article 370 of which Article 35-A is an offshoot cannot be abrogated. Moreover, their genesis lies in the solemn pledges of Indian Leaders with Ruler and Leaders of J & K.
Thirdly, the Constitution of India is supreme law of India. As it is a creation of the Constituent Assembly of India and not that of Parliament, it cannot be overridden by Parliament in any manner whatever except that it can be amended from time to time to keep pace with changing circumstances. Nevertheless, what constitutes pith and substance or basic structure of the constitution that cannot be changed by any amendment to it? Initially, the basic structure doctrine was confined to fundamental rights only but at present this doctrine encompasses within its grip many other ideas and principles that lay deep in the Constitutional provisions. Article 35-A is a part of that basic structure of the Constitution, acknowledging the trust that people of J & K reposed in Indian State at the time of its accession under extreme conditions & so, it cannot be abrogated. It is grounded in the commitment and pledge made by India to J & K People under the Delhi Agreement of 1952 signed between SMA and Nehru. The claim of any particular feature of the Constitution to be a “basic” feature would be determined by the Court in each case that comes before it. (Indira Nehru Gandhi v. Raj Naraian ; the Minerva Mills case).
Fourthly, the doctrine of textualism cannot be invoked to judge the validity of this provision by showing mere adherence to its text without considering (1) the “special circumstances” that led to its incorporation in the Constitution and (2) the objective that it achieved for [Dominion of] India would not be a valid method of interpretation as the theory of textualism is no more treated good rule of interpretation.
Fifthly, the US Supreme Court has evolved and accepted the rule of Originalism while interpreting any provision of the Constitution which, inter alia, mandates the Court to interpret the challenged provision consistent with its original purpose. The Interpreting Court cannot, therefore, lose sight of the purpose behind incorporation of a provision in the Constitution.
Sixthly, the Parliament has no power to legislate, inter alia, about the subjects of the land and other immovable properties of the State which has its own piece of legislation, the Transfer of Property Act, 1882, that deals with these subjects. No Presidential Order passed under Article 370 has till date extended and applied the Parliament’s power to legislate on “land and immovable properties” under Entries 6 & 11-A of the Concurrent List to the State of J & K. The power to legislate on these subjects is vested in the State Legislature itself. (Bhupinder Singh Sodhi v. Union of India, [2015] 1 SLJ 105). Although the J & K High Court decision in Bhupinder Singh Sodhi case stands overruled by the SC in State Bank of India v. Santosh Kumar Gupta, decided on 16-12-2016, making the SARFAESI Act applicable to the State, as yet, the SC has upheld the property rights of the State Subjects in these words: “The State List continues to be omitted
altogether, and from 1963 onwards, the Concurrent List applies to the State of Jammu & Kashmir with a number of Entries being omitted. What is of importance for the decision of this case is that Entry 6 dealing with the transfer of property and Entry 11A of the Concurrent List do not apply to the State of Jammu & Kashmir? Entry 6 does not apply because it has not been extended to the State, and Entry 11A does not apply because the 42nd Amendment to the Constitution of India, which introduced Entry 11A into the
Concurrent List, is itself not applicable. (Emphasis added). The SC continued to hold that Rule 8(5) proviso of the Security Interest (Enforcement) Rules, 2002 makes it amply clear that section 140 of the Transfer of Property Act of Jammu & Kashmir will be respected in auction sales that take place within the State. (Ibid).
Moreover, the Central TP Act does not apply to the State. Now, assuming, Article 35-A is removed from the Constitution, then, it means that the State’s TP Act, 1882 has also to go and be replaced by the Central TP Act, 1882. But, is it possible to apply the Central TP Law directly to the State by bypassing the procedure under Article 370? Had it been so, then, the present ruling party of India did not need consent of the State Government to extend the Central GST Law to the State by passing on the same day of enactment (8th July, 2017) yet another Presidential Order under Article 370 (1). The stand of the State Government & all parties of J & K except BJP on Article 35-A is public and clear that no change in this field of “special position” of J &K shall be accepted.
More Case laws: State subjects victims of violence being paid more compensation than non-State subjects is not violative of article 14 of the Constitution. It is allowed under the state Constitution & Article 35-A of Indian constitution. (Sudesh Dogra v. Union of India, (2014) 6 SCC 486).
A perusal of the Article would show that such laws which, defined the classes of persons who are, or shall be, permanent residents of the State of Jammu & Kashmir, and the laws conferring upon such residents the benefits and restrictions as specified therein are saved from being challenged and cannot be declared void. (Kartar Goods Carriers v. State. (1990) Supreme (J&K) 61).
Under Article 35-A, which begins with a non obstante clause all the existing law, which are in force in this state are protected and any enactment made by the state legislature relating to permanent residents, their status, rights and privileges or relating to their employment, acquisition of immovable property, settlement in the state or grant of scholarships, are also protected. That being the position under the constitution itself, the submissions challenging their validity have to be rejected. This conclusion is further re-enforced by Article 367 of the constitution of India in its application to this State. (State of J&K v. Susheela Sawhney, AIR 2003 J & K 83).
Each and every kind of discrimination is not in violation of the constitutional concept of equality and does not necessarily undermine the unity of India. The validity of any discrimination has to be tested on the touchstone of Article 14 of the Constitution. Appropriate classification may in very many cases from the very core of equality and promote unity in the true sense amidst diversity. (Dr. Pradeep Jain v. Union of India, AIR 1984 SC 1420).
M J Aslam is an academician & columnist.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line626
|
__label__wiki
| 0.857122
| 0.857122
|
Voice of America Mandarin Service correspondent Yibing Feng. Feng and his assistant, Allen Ai, were detained for about six hours on August 13, 2018, by security personnel after they tried to conduct an interview in Jinan, Shandong Province, China. (Voice of America)
Voice of America staff briefly detained in China
Voice of America Mandarin Service correspondent Yibing Feng and his Chinese assistant, Allen Ai, were detained for about six hours on August 13, 2018, by security personnel after they tried to conduct an interview in Jinan, Shandong Province.
Feng had been attempting to interview retired professor Sun Wenguang through an opening in the door of his apartment, while security personnel in the hallway repeatedly interrupted in an attempt to halt the interview, according to a video of the incident posted on VOA's Twitter account. A second video posted to VOA's Twitter account--which is mostly dark--captures audio as the two VOA employees were forced into a car, with Feng repeatedly saying: "Don't pull me," and "Don't grab me." VOA, which is funded by the U.S. government, said in an August 13 statement that the men were released after security officials scanned their electronic devices and rendered them inoperable.
Feng is a U.S. citizen and an accredited foreign correspondent in China, while Ai is a Chinese citizen and contractor of VOA.
"It is outrageous that two journalists have been detained for nothing more than doing their jobs," VOA Director Amanda Bennett--who is also a member of CPJ's board of directors--said in an August 13, 2018, statement. "It's the job of journalist to find out what's going on, to talk to people in the news, and that is all that they were doing."
CPJ's call on August 14, 2018, to the Jinan City Public Security Bureau went unanswered. CPJ also called Shandong Province's Public Security Department to request comment on August 14 but the officer who answered the phone immediately hung up at the mention of CPJ's name.
Sun, a critic of the Chinese government, was detained on August 2, 2018, after being interrupted during a live interview with VOA, during which he criticized China's signature policy of investing in infrastructure projects in Africa, according to news reports.
During the August 13 interview, Sun can be heard saying that he was kept away from home for 10 days, staying in four different hotels, and that he was now confined to his home, with security posted there. He remarked that Chinese reporters were allowed to go to the United States to report, but that it was very difficult for American journalists to report from China.
In an August 14, 2018, statement, the Foreign Correspondent's Club of China condemned the detention. "The FCCC calls on China to adhere to its own rules and regulations in the treatment of journalists," the statement said. "Detaining an accredited journalist who is lawfully reporting is a grave infringement of their rights under Chinese law."
Conditions for foreign correspondents working in China have become gradually more difficult over the years, according to the most recent report of the Beijing-based FCCC.
Allen Ai
Foreign Correspondent's Club of China
Sun Wenguang
Yibing Feng
Short URL: https://cpj.org/x/73da
Taiwan accuses Beijing-sponsored Hong Kong newspapers of disseminating misinformation, opens immigration investigation into journalists
January 30, 2019 8:48 AM ET
On January 17, 2019, Taiwan's presidential office issued a statement on Facebook accusing Ta Kung Pao, a Hong Kong newspaper funded by Beijing, of fabricating a story alleging that Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen secretly sent an envoy to advise three Hong Kong independence activists. The Taiwan government is currently...
Two Chinese journalists attacked in Henan Province
May 18, 2018 2:39 PM ET
Assailants on May 13, 2018, attacked Hu Xiaoli and Yu Tao, the host and cameraperson, respectively, of a local television show, "Xiaoli's Here to Help," as they were filming for a story about a real estate dispute in Henan province's Kaifeng City, according to the state-owned news website China...
Chinese journalist released from prison
April 3, 2018 11:25 AM ET
Chinese authorities released freelance journalist Qi Chonghuai from prison in Shandong province on February 13, 2018, after he served over 10 years, according to Radio Free Asia....
Chinese authorities briefly detain RFI correspondent in Beijing
Police in Beijing detained French journalist Heike Schmidt, the China correspondent for the French Foreign Ministry-funded outlet, Radio France Internationale, for about an hour on March 9, 2018, and confiscated her tape recorder, according to the journalist's outlet....
Reporters beaten, robbed while investigating allegations of pollution
A group of men on January 25, 2018, assaulted and robbed two television journalists while they were reporting on allegations of industrial pollution in Hebei province's Quzhou county, approximately 260 miles southwest of Beijing, according to news reports....
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line629
|
__label__wiki
| 0.939794
| 0.939794
|
Altavista: The Rise & Fall of The Biggest Pre-Google Search Engine
Learn how one of the web’s biggest accidental success stories evolved.
Claire Broadley
Claire is the founder and CEO of Red Robot Media, a UK-based content agency. Her areas of expertise include online privacy, the internet, and consumer technology.
Google is currently the leading search engine by a large margin, but it owes a lot to AltaVista. In the early days of the web, AltaVista broke ground in search technology. It pioneered many techniques that search engines still use today, and was the first tool to index the full text content of web pages.
Peter Morville/ Flickr. CC BY 2.0
When AltaVista was in its prime, Google didn’t exist. But Google didn’t take long to dispose of its rival and force it into the arms of Yahoo. The demise of AltaVista is a cautionary tale for any successful online business. Despite being a pioneer, and far more advanced than its competitors, it proved fallible when its users deserted it.
The Web Before AltaVista
When Tim Berners-Lee first created the web, he compiled a Virtual Library. It was a manual record of all of the websites that users had published. (An archived copy is still available online.)
Various search engines offered lists of the content available online, compiled using user submissions and manual indexing.
Naturally, manually created directories had a limited lifespan. Once the web began to explode in popularity, there was no way they could cover every site.
All search engines or directories had a shared problem; they all showed different results. And they couldn’t automatically find new websites, either. W3Catalog was the first search engine to automatically harvest website data and format it in a searchable database, but it relied upon other directories for its listings.
There was a clear opportunity for a new competitor to offer a complete search database, compiled through automated scanning. Ironically, the search engine that eventually filled this position did so almost by accident.
Enter AltaVista.Digital.Com
AltaVista was officially launched in 1995 by Digital Equipment Corporation, which was known simply as ‘Digital.’ Digital was the original owner of the domain that you’re reading now; www.digital.com. That’s why AltaVista’s original URL used a subdomain of it: altavista.digital.com. ThisDayInTechHistory has a screenshot of its original homepage design.
AltaVista was not created to take the internet by storm, or tap into a booming commercial opportunity that its developers had spotted. In fact, AltaVista was essentially a test case for one of Digital’s supercomputers, the AlphaServer 8400 TurboLaser. With its 64-bit processor, it could search very large databases very quickly. A search engine was an obvious demonstration of its might.
Tony Johnson, Stanford University
AltaVista’s name came from the scenic views in Palo Alto, where Digital was based. Louis Monier created the web crawler tool, Scooter. He was a computer scientist at Digital’s Western Research Lab. Scooter completed its first complete web crawl in August 1995, returning around 10 million pages to the primitive AltaVista index. Paul Flaherty is credited with coming up with the idea for AltaVista, while Michael Burrows is credited for writing the indexer itself.
After being tested with Digital’s 10,000 employees, the AltaVista search engine was rolled out to the general public on December 15th of the same year.
The Rise of AltaVista
AltaVista quickly became a hit with web users. It indexed around ten times the number of pages that competing search engines could handle.
Visitors could suddenly access more content than ever before, simply because AltaVista was better at indexing the furthest reaches of the web. And it gave them more control over results, too.
The launch of AltaVista was a noted event in the media in 1995, largely due to the power of Digital’s AlphaServer hardware. The New York Times noted that AltaVista enabled users to carry out “highly targeted searches”, and referred to AltaVista’s tech as a “super spider.”
At first, there was some uncertainty around whether AltaVista would continue to be provided free to the general public, or whether users would be asked to pay. But Digital saw AltaVista as a useful demo of its computer hardware capabilities; a marketing tool. AltaVista’s popularity as a search engine was secondary to Digital’s goal of showing what its server could do.
Brent Payne/ Flickr. CC BY 2.0
However, Digital underestimated just how much users would love AltaVista. On its launch day in 1995, the new search engine saw around 300,000 visitors. One year later in 1996, it was serving 19 million visitors each day. And by 1997, it was attracting 80 million visitors daily. By 1998, it required 20 multi-processor servers to carry out all of the search queries it received.
AltaVista Firsts
AltaVista’s rocketing popularity was not just because of the quality of its results. It was a groundbreaker in the search engine sector, and it introduced many advanced features that other search engines had not even thought of when they launched:
AltaVista was the first search engine to allow users to search for things using natural language. This meant that typing, for example, “What is a server”, would return search results about servers, not the words “what”, “is”, and “a”.
It was the first search engine to attempt to create a complete index of the web using its own data, rather than a curated directory of listings or partial results compiled from different sources.
Its crawler, Scooter, was capable of indexing full text pages, making AltaVista the first searchable full text database of the web.
It broadened the use of boolean operators in search. Like some competing search engines, it supported AND, OR, and NOT. But it also supported two additional operators: NEAR and ( ) (parentheses).
It allowed searchers to limit the amount of results that were returned from one domain. That cut back in noise and duplicate pages in results, which was important in an age where duplicate content on the web was commonplace.
It was the first to allow multi-lingual search. It launched mirror sites in Malaysia and Spain in 1997.
It was the first to allow people to search for images, video, and audio alongside text content.
It was the first tool that could translate entire websites to (and from) English, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, Italian, and Russian. It did this using its Babel Fish translator, which would later become part of Yahoo.
AltaVista’s Demise
AltaVista’s relationship with Yahoo started in 1996, when it began to provide supplementary results for Yahoo’s search portal queries. From this point, AltaVista entered a turbulent phase that eventually resulted in it being acquired by its key rival.
The first big shift was Digital’s sale to Compaq in 1998. All of Digital’s hardware was rebranded with the Compaq name. Around this time, Compaq also paid somewhere between $2.3 million and $3.3 million for the domain altavista.com, depending on the source you believe. (The actual figure was a closely guarded secret.)
Christiaan Colen/ Flickr. CC BY 2.0
Compaq’s Internet Services division decided that it would try beat Yahoo at its own game by diversifying its features. It turned AltaVista into a more complex web portal, doing away with the simple search form that users had enjoyed before, and replacing it with an increasingly cluttered homepage.
This move away from AltaVista’s streamlined search experience made AltaVista more similar to its competitors. Users gradually began to switch to a newcomer, Google, for the simple search they missed.
In 1999, 83% of AltaVista was purchased by CMGI, owners of the Lycos search engine. It was valued at around $2.3 billion, and an IPO was on the cards. But by 2001, its IPO was canceled and staff were laid off as CMGI reportedly struggled to make AltaVista profitable.
Around this time, Google surpassed AltaVista’s popularity with users, processing more search queries than its rival for the first time. AltaVista began to backtrack on its portal layout experiment and return to a simple search form, but the damage was already done.
The ailing AltaVista brand was acquired again in February 2003 for just $140 million by Overture. Then, Yahoo acquired Overture four months later, which marked the beginning of the end for the AltaVista name. All of the search technology that had been built up under the AltaVista brand was absorbed into Yahoo search in 2011, just as its search results had been co-opted by Yahoo 15 years earlier.
Yahoo closed AltaVista quietly in 2013.
The Legacy of Altavista
AltaVista arguably never had a fair shot at reaching its full potential. It was an accidental success story for Digital, which saw it as a marketing tool rather than a useful service in its own right. With hindsight, it’s easy to see how popular web search would become. But AltaVista was the victim of poor strategic direction at the height of its success.
By the time AltaVista was considered a serious search tool, its focus was changed to a portal, and users didn’t like it. And while acquisitions and financial struggles had been playing out for AltaVista, Google started to gain ground.
Additionally, Google foresaw a problem with spam and low quality search results. Its 1996 search engine BackRub was based on a primitive version of PageRank. This approach gave it an important advantage as spam on the web increased.
Many experts believe that Yahoo was rather hasty in its decision to close AltaVista without fanfare. It was criticized for having a similar attitude towards GeoCities, too. But by the time AltaVista was closed in 2013, the internet community had moved on; the people that mourned its demise almost certainly didn’t use it for search any longer.
AltaVista was considered a dinosaur of the web by the time Yahoo closed it down. But it was hugely important in changing users’ expectations of search. And while lacked the right strategic direction to give it an edge over Google, it paved the way for modern search engines and proved that it was possible for one single website to index (almost) the entire web.
You are here: Home > Digital.com About Us: Check Out Our Behind The Scenes Story > Altavista: The Rise & Fall of The Biggest Pre-Google Search Engine
Previous: Remote Jobs at Digital.com
Next: Babel Fish: The Original Instant Translator For Languages
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line638
|
__label__cc
| 0.72134
| 0.27866
|
Homepage / News and Events / Australia says "Yes"
Australia says "Yes"
Results of the Same Sex Marriage Plebiscite
As many of you will already have heard, the recent survey has endorsed Same Sex Marriage.
In a 79.5% national participation rate, which is unprecedented for a voluntary survey, 61.6% voted ‘Yes’. We believe that this is a significant step forward to achieving LGBTIQ equality and one that we have been vocal in supporting.
We keenly await the political process that will see this majority desire enshrined in legislation.
At Connect Health & Community, we are proud supporters of equality; however, we do recognise that a proportion of the population were not in favour and we accept their right to hold that view. One of our core Values is Respect; this means we’re committed to treating all our clients, staff and community with care, dignity and understanding. This includes showing respect for those that have alternate views.
As we have stated previously, we acknowledge that this may be a difficult time for many people, either because it affects them personally or because family, friends or work-mates are impacted.
If you are adversely affected, we encourage you to reach out for help or support.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line642
|
__label__cc
| 0.707469
| 0.292531
|
Kit Miyamoto visited ancient, indigenous tribes in the Omo Valley in Ethiopia. Miyamoto said the new Gibe III dam is endangering the tribes and is asking for donations to fund water systems to preserve their crops, which support the tribes’ cultural traditions. Photo: Kit Miyamoto
Advancements in Engineering Can Bring Prosperity, But There Are Also Human Costs
H. Kit Miyamoto, Ph.D., S.E.
Slicing through a wide red river, our small boat approaches the muddy clay shore. A green crocodile startles and deep dives. At the sun-drenched landing spot, girls clad in royal blue blankets wave at us. As our party lands on the shore, they run toward us and stare with intense, magical gazes. Their eyes are pure deep black, and all their eyelashes have been removed. As we step onto the grass, they poke our skin and reach out to touch us and pull on our hair. They are as curious about us as we are about them. I notice the girls all have elongated earlobes, in which large plates are implanted. Women have large clay plates, as round and large as six inches, placed below their bottom lips. An incision is cut below their bottom lip when girls are young and ever-larger-sized plates are inserted as ornamentation – a sign of beauty for this remote African tribe.
I am in Ethiopia, close to the South Sudanese border. Here in the Omo Valley, eight different indigenous tribes have lived for millennia, totaling about 200,000 people. This is where humankind originated. A two-million-year-old fossil of a humanoid was found here. We are visiting a tribe known as the Mursi. There are about 5,000 of them living in the jungle, grouped into small family bands. Their lifestyle is nomadic, but they rely on the Omo River to flood annually to irrigate their riverside crops – mostly sorghum, a type of grain. They have very little contact with the outside world. Our boat is the only motor-powered boat on the entire Omo tributary. Their language and customs are unique, and they are the only Mursi people in the world.
Our chief guide is Lale, who hails from a nearby tribe called Kara, an indigenous tribe of the Omo Valley. He is a 40-something, tall, muscular man with a determined face. His quick smile keeps things cheerful. He is one of very few in the region with a college education. Highly articulate and strategic, he has a warm personality and speaks several languages, including fluent English. Being a guide, he is conversant on current world affairs and he even cracks a few Trump jokes.
Lale translates as the Mursi chief, Weletula, talks.
“The annual flooding of the Oma River has been stopped for three years now,” he said. “Some old are starved and dead, and young families are scattered to the forest for food. I don’t know where they are now. I am losing our people and tradition. A large dam built upstream stopped all the annual flood water.”
He is talking about a massive hydro-electric dam, Gibe III, a $1.6 billion, 1,870 megawatt, 240-meter-high concrete structure that doubled Ethiopia’s power output for its expanding agricultural business. This is the third largest dam in Africa. This great engineering achievement will help the country progress. But at the same time, marginalized indigenous communities are starving. And their culture and traditions, dating back thousands of years, are being lost.
The next day, Lale takes us to his Kara homeland downstream. It is a tribe of 3,000 people with a distinct language. Only one in the world. It is famous for its colorful body painting, elaborate clay-formed hairstyles, and trading skills. Kara is a farming tribe that also relies solely on the annual Oma River flooding. He leads us to their ceremony house, a one-story wooden construction about half the size of a football field. It is indeed a magnificent structure with a heavy timber roof and columns, and has a sacred feel.
Lale asks us to leave our Land Cruiser because it is forbidden to drive on the grounds here. As we approach the sacred structure, I see five ancient men sitting on small carved wooden chairs. They look very formidable with paint and tattoos covering their bodies, which are skinny but muscular. Lale explains that they are the Elders who lead his tribe. Elders are chosen, not by their blood, but by their abilities and wisdom. All ideas from anyone are considered and debated. Their political system is very democratic and advanced.
“Our people and traditions are dying,” Lale says. “For three years, Gibe Dam is built, no more flood. This means no more harvest. Without it, our tradition forbids a ceremony for young boys becoming men, the Bull Jumping Ceremony. This is the ancient custom – brave boys run and jump over several bulls and are recognized as men. Then they can be married. We haven’t got any marriages for three years now. It is tradition. It must happen.”
One of the ancient elders adds, “We are starving as our ancestral land is. Our young people are leaving for jobs in the sugarcane plantations to feed their families and get married. Our 1,000-year tradition is disappearing from us in front of our eyes.”
Lale signals us to come down to the river. An array of new solar panels sits on the bank connected to a floating pumping system on the river.
“We worked on politics for a while to release water for just two weeks during flood season in vain,” he said. “Politics takes time. Technology is the only way out to save our people now. One solar-powered pump system can feed 25 acres of land, which can yield crops to feed 200 people. For our village of 800 people, we need three more like this.
“It cost $100,000 per a pump, reservoir and irrigation system. I even made a trip to London to raise money. We raised $60,000 so far and now you see the result of it. I am working to raise the rest before this summer’s flood season to complete this for the first 25 acres. But I need to work on the next three irrigation systems to save our people.”
I respect that he has come up with such an ingenious but simple engineering solution rather than hitting the wall on politics or blaming circumstances. He is already acting on the solution. It is the best practice of leadership at work. Now the Elders and his people are following his lead.
The Great Gibe dams, a cascade dam system that empowers cultivation of large, modern plantations, may help Ethiopian prosperity. But there are forgotten victims created by this great engineering achievement. A simple engineering solution can save a millennium of tradition, language and culture. This is not about Kara, Mursi or Lale. This is about us. This is about how we as humans can keep our diversity and culture.
We can do this one village at a time. The first one will need four solar-powered pumps at $400,000. You can save the Omo Valley civilization and its last indigenous tribes. Please contribute any amount to Miyamoto Global Disaster Relief at www.miyamotorelief.org/donate. It is a U.S. nonprofit organization. We will make sure that donations go to constructing solar pumps and water systems for Lale and his tribe. You may affect a small chapter of human history.
H. Kit Miyamoto, Ph.D., S.E., is the CEO and a structural engineer for Miyamoto International (http://miyamotointernational.com), a California seismic safety commissioner, and president of the technical nonprofit Miyamoto Global Disaster Relief. He specializes in high-performance earthquake engineering and disaster mitigation, response, and reconstruction.
engineering front line
H. Kit Miyamoto
Miyamoto Global Disaster Relief
Miyamoto International
The Great Gibe dams
Channel Sponsor
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line645
|
__label__wiki
| 0.883919
| 0.883919
|
Collegiate Sports Nation
CSNbbs
CSN on Facebook
CSN on Google+
CSN on Twitter
CSN on Steam NEW
CSN on Last.FM
Info/Support
Ad-Free Premium
CSNbbs Everywhere
Skunkworks
Server Cams
Jersey Retired
The Buckley-Vidal No Spin Room
College Sports and
Conference Realignment
Active Board Finder
----- Active -----
ASun
Independents (FBS)
----- Proving Grounds -----
----- Inactive -----
Big XII
Ad-Free Premium Status
(Unread {1}, Total {2})
CSNbbs / Active Boards / Lounge / College Sports and Conference Realignment
1 2 3 4 5 ... 224 Next »
/ Realignment Timeline
Realignment Timeline
orangefan
I Root For: Syracuse
12/15/09 The Big Ten announces its intent to explore expansion http://www.bigten.org/genrel/121509aaa.html
12/27/09 Frank the Tank posts The Big Ten Expansion Index blog http://frankthetank.me/2009/12/27/the-bi...of-orange/
2/9/10 The Pac-10 announces that it is looking "very seriously" at expansion
6/3/10 Chip Brown reports that the Pac-10 is prepared to invite Texas, Texas A&M, OU, OSU, TTU and Colorado to join
6/10/10 Colorado joins the Pac-10
6/11/10 Boise St. joins the MWC
6/12/10 Nebraska joins the Big Ten
6/14/10 Texas announces it will remain in the Big 12 http://www.texassports.com/news/2010/6/1...a_233.aspx
6/17/10 Utah joins the Pac-12
8/18/10 Fresno St. and Nevada join the MWC
8/31/10 BYU withdraws from the MWC
11/30/10 TCU joins the Big East
12/10/10 Hawaii joins the MWC (football only)
7/1/11 Nebraska to the Big Ten, Utah and Colorado to the Pac 12, BYU going Independent, and Boise St. to the MWC all become effective
Summer 2011 Rumors circulate that Texas A&M will join the SEC http://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com...d-for-now/
8/27/11 Pete Thamel reports that Texas A&M is close to joining the SEC, with BYU or Pitt listed as possible replacements for the Big 12 http://thequad.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/08...ng-big-12/
8/31/11 Texas A&M officially notifies the Big 12 that it will be leaving the conference http://www.statesman.com/news/sports/col...-12/nRd4T/
9/2/11 OU President Boren announces that Oklahoma is exploring all options, including a possible move to the Pac-12 http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/20...ealignment
9/18/11 Syracuse and Pitt join the ACC
9/20/11 The Pac-12 announces its decision to stay at 12 schools http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/21/sports...ig-12.html
9/26/11 Texas A&M joins the SEC
10/10/11 TCU joins the Big 12
10/28/11 WVU joins the Big 12
11/6/11 Missouri joins the SEC
12/6/11 Boise St. (football only), San Diego St. (football only), Houston, UCF and SMU join the Big East
1/24/12 Navy joins the Big East (football only)
2/8/12 Memphis joins the Big East
2/14/12 WVU reaches a settlement with the Big East to join the Big 12 in July, 2012
3/7/12 Temple joins the Big East
5/4/12 Utah St. and San Jose St. join the MWC
7/1/12 TAMU and Mizzou to the SEC, TCU and WVU to the Big 12, Temple to the Big East (football only for 2012-13), and Nevada, Fresno St. and Hawaii to the MWC all become effective.
9/7/12 The Big 12 announces a Grant of Rights agreement as part of its new TV deal with ESPN
9/12/12 Notre Dame joins the ACC
11/20/12 Maryland joins the Big Ten
11/21/12 Rutgers joins the Big Ten
11/27/12 ECU (initially football only) and Tulane join the Big East
11/28/12 Louisville joins the ACC
12/15/12 Georgetown, St. John's, Villanova, Providence, Seton Hall, Marquette and DePaul (the "Catholic 7") announce their intent to leave the Big East
12/31/12 Boise St. rejoins the MWC
1/16/13 San Diego St. rejoins the MWC
3/8/13 The Catholic 7 reach agreement to leave the Big East and to keep the Big East name
3/20/13 Butler, Xavier and Creighton join the Big East
4/3/13 The conference formerly known as the Big East announces its new name as the American Athletic Conference ("AAC")
4/4/13 Tulsa joins the AAC
4/22/13 The ACC approves a Grant of Rights agreement, arguably ending the current round of realignment
7/1/13 Syracuse, Pitt and Notre Dame to the ACC, the Big East/AAC Split, UCF, Memphis, Houston and SMU to the AAC, Temple to the AAC for all sports, Xavier, Butler and Creighton to the Big East, and USU and SJSU to the MWC all become effective
7/1/14 Rutgers and Maryland to Big Ten, Louisville to the ACC, and ECU, Tulane and Tulsa to the AAC all become effective
7/1/15 Navy to the AAC becomes effective
7/18/16 Brett McMurphy reports that the ACC and ESPN will launch the ACC Network in 2019 and that the ACC's television rights deal with ESPN and its Grant of Rights agreement will be extended through the 2035-36 season
7/19/16 The Big 12 announces that it will actively explore expansion
7/21/16 The ACC and ESPN officially announce the launch of the ACC Network
10/17/16 The Big 12 announces its decision to stay at 10 members
4/7/17 Wichita St. joins the AAC (non-football)
7/1/17 Wichita St. to the AAC becomes effective
6/26/19 UConn joins the Big East
(This post was last modified: 06-27-2019 07:30 AM by orangefan.)
Hokie Mark
I Root For: VT, ACC teams
RE: Realignment Timeline
Good stuff. Reminds us the order of events.
bigblueblindness
1st String
I Root For: UK, Lipscomb
Nice summary, orangefan. That reminds me of why it feels like forever that we have heard any solid realignment news... we were used to getting something significant almost every quarter for a several years in a row.
IHAVETRIED
2nd String
I Root For: Louisville
(02-28-2014 02:50 PM)bigblueblindness Wrote: Nice summary, orangefan. That reminds me of why it feels like forever that we have heard any solid realignment news... we were used to getting something significant almost every quarter for a several years in a row.
Eight Months without something happening is unusual in this new world of ours.
G-O-R.
I Root For: Texas, UK, UGA
Impressive work.
Now if someone could do the CUSA/SB/MAC additions the FBS timeline would be complete.
jdgaucho
I Root For: UCSB
Location: Big West Land
small thing but Hawaii's, SDSU's and Boise's moves were football-onlies to the MW and former BE.
ken d
I Root For: college sports
Location: Raleigh
Somehow in my memory I thought Mizzou's decision to go to the SEC came before the invitation to West Virginia by the Big 12.
Native Georgian
I Root For: TULANE+GA.STATE
Location: Decatur GA
(02-28-2014 02:37 PM)orangefan Wrote: 11/27/12 ECU and Tulane join the Big East
The November 2012 announcement was football-only for ECU. The all-sports angle happened in spring 2013 -- IIRC, the same time as the Tulsa announcement.
I wish someone would come up with a timeline going back to 2003 and including all the drama with Miami, BC, VT, not to mention the collapse of C-USA 1.0
(This post was last modified: 02-28-2014 04:58 PM by Native Georgian.)
BewareThePhog
I Root For: KU
(02-28-2014 04:47 PM)ken d Wrote: Somehow in my memory I thought Mizzou's decision to go to the SEC came before the invitation to West Virginia by the Big 12.
If memory serves, there was a lot of smoke about the Missouri move before it became official. Who knows for sure when backdoor conversations began, but after the leak of the OU consideration of the PAC 12, Missouri ran with that threat as their primary motivating force for considering SEC membership. That may well have been the case - after all, many scenarios floating around at that time which had the Big 12 imploding had Missouri in a raft along with KU, KSU, ISU and others.
Even if their final primary motivation wasn't fear of being left behind in a severely diminished conference and the surprise opportunity to join the SEC was simply too good to pass up, there was some genuine conflict in views in the MU community as to the right move. Since they could fit well in the SEC (or Big 12, or even the B1G), all political and public relations considerations aside, it probably took some time for a critical mass of consensus to coalesce for the SEC move. In the meantime, talks were proceeding with West Virginia and Louisville, and the official invitation was tendered to WVU.
(This post was last modified: 02-28-2014 05:13 PM by BewareThePhog.)
TexanMark
Location: Gulfport, FL
Nice thread...admin this ought to be thumb-tacked above for reference.
westwolf
I Root For: CFB
A very nice recap of the third and final wave of expansion/realignment. I consider the first to have been 1992-1994, encompassing the moves of:
Arkansas & S. Carolina to the SEC
Penn State to the Big 10
Baylor, Texas, A&M and Tech to the Big 12
The second included the 2004-2005 moves of:
Miami, Va Tech and BC to the ACC
The resulting additions of Connecticut, Louisville, USF to the Big East
Temple too ? (in and out)
The P5 is now set for years to come.
The Little 2 (AAC, MWC) await only Navy in 2015
The Worst 3 (CUSA, MAC, SB) will likely have changes as wannabes move up from FCS, but for most CFB fans it's settled.
NJ2MDTerp
I Root For: Maryland
6/11/2010 - Teddy Greenstein, the Chicago Tribune's Big Ten beat reporter, discloses the Big Ten's interest in the University of Maryland.
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2010-...ka-big-ten
lumberpack4
I Root For: ACC
(02-28-2014 07:20 PM)westwolf Wrote: A very nice recap of the third and final wave of expansion/realignment. I consider the first to have been 1992-1994, encompassing the moves of:
Actually the ACC time line on 2003 is this:
June 1998 John Swofford and Mike Tranghese meet in Atlanta to discuss Big East football teams to the ACC and establish an all basketball Big East http://jacksonville.com/tu-online/storie...4915.shtml
May 2003, Virginia Governor finds out that UNC and Duke will vote against ACC expansion putting UVa under the gun regarding VT and Va Governor puts the screws to UVa.
June 25, 2003 ACC votes 7-2 to add Miami and VT
June 25, 2003 ACC votes 9-0 to establish feelers toward Notre Dame
October 13, 2003 ACC votes 9-0 to add BC
July 1, 2004 Miami and VT enter ACC
July 1, 205 BC enters ACC
(This post was last modified: 02-28-2014 07:49 PM by lumberpack4.)
I Root For: California
Location: Bear Territory
Penn State was invited to join the Big Ten in December 1989. Their first Big Ten football season was 1993. http://www.nytimes.com/1989/12/16/sports...rence.html
Florida State was invited to join the ACC in September 1990. Their first ACC football season was 1992. http://articles.latimes.com/1990-09-14/s...rida-state
(02-28-2014 05:12 PM)BewareThePhog Wrote:
There was some public discussion in September about Auburn's willingness to move into the SEC East to accommodate putting A&M and Mizzou in the west. At that point, a formal offer had been extended. There was also an inadvertent leak of a press release to be dated 11/6 that got into the press on 10/28, the same day WVU's admittance to the Big 12 was announced. I expect the Big 12 already knew Missouri's intentions at that point.
(02-28-2014 07:42 PM)lumberpack4 Wrote: June 1998 John Swofford and Mike Tranghese meet in Atlanta to discuss Big East football teams to the ACC and establish an all basketball Big East http://jacksonville.com/tu-online/storie...4915.shtml
Quote from that article:
Quote: ...a meeting was held in Atlanta in 1998, in which Tranghese talked with ACC commissioner John Swofford -- among others -- about the possibility of forming an all-basketball Big East Conference.
In order to do that, the Big East would have allowed Miami, Syracuse and Boston College to join the nine-member ACC.
"From those talks, we considered the three [schools]," Robinson said. "But the ACC ain't getting that large. It's too big and too large....
This was the big mistake made by the ACC - not to go to 12 as soon as the SEC and Big 12 did it. If the ACC ever collapses it can all be traced to this one mistake, IMHO.
(02-28-2014 07:49 PM)Wedge Wrote: Penn State was invited to join the Big Ten in December 1989. Their first Big Ten football season was 1993. http://www.nytimes.com/1989/12/16/sports...rence.html
Choice passage from that NYT article:
Quote: There is considerable doubt, however, about whether Paterno will ever coach a full Big Ten schedule. He has said that he plans to retire when he turns 65, after the 1991 season, and Penn State's integration into the conference is expected to take much longer. Although competition in some other sports could begin next season, football schedules have already been completed through the 1992 season and some games have been set for as far ahead as 1996.
Chappy
Resident Goonie
I Root For: ECU
Location: Raleigh, NC
(02-28-2014 07:23 PM)NJ2MDTerp Wrote: 6/11/2010 - Teddy Greenstein, the Chicago Tribune's Big Ten beat reporter, discloses the Big Ten's interest in the University of Maryland.
A lot of people around here (heart of old-school ACC country) act like the Maryland move came out of the blue, but I remember vividly Maryland fans talking about a move to the B10 while sitting in the stands at the Military Bowl in December of 2010.
Former ESPNer still in recovery mode
I Root For: John0 out!!!!
Location: The Worst P5 Program
this reminds me of a post on a different message board by a poster named Aum-Ni. He didn't do proposed moves, near moves or rumors, but it was still an incredible amount of work and goes all the way back to 36'
*the list is not 100% perfect and has errors here & there, but the vast majority of it checks out
Conferences looked like this in 1936:
Big 6 Conference (6 teams)
Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma
Border Conference (7 teams)
Arizona, Arizona State, Northern Arizona, New Mexico, New Mexico State, Texas-El Paso, Texas Tech
Independents (43 teams)
Army, Brown, Bucknell, Carnegie Tech, Centenary, Colgate, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Detroit Mercy, Duquesne, Erskine, Fordham, George Washington, Georgetown, Gonzaga, Harvard, Holy Cross, Loyola Marymount, Loyola-New Orleans, Manhattan, Marquette, Mercer, Miami (FL), Michigan State, Navy, New York University, Notre Dame, Pennsylvania, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Presbyterian, Princeton, San Francisco, Santa Clara, St. Louis, St. Mary's, Syracuse, Temple, Villanova, West Virginia, Wofford, Yale
Missouri Valley Conference (7 teams)
Creighton, Drake, Grinnell, Oklahoma State, Tulsa, Washburn, Washington (MO)
Pacific Coast Conference (10 teams)
California, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Oregon State, Stanford, UCLA, USC, Washington, Washington State
Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (12 teams)
Brigham Young, Colorado, Colorado College, Colorado School of Mines, Colorado State, Denver, Montana State, Northern Colorado, Utah, Utah State, Western State, Wyoming
Southeastern Conference (13 teams)
Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, LSU, Mississippi, Mississippi State, Sewanee, Tennessee, Tulane, Vanderbilt
Southern Conference (16 teams)
Citadel, Clemson, Davidson, Duke, Furman, Maryland, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Richmond, South Carolina, Virginia, Virginia Military Institute, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, Washington & Lee, William & Mary
Southwest Conference (7 teams)
Arkansas, Baylor, Rice, Southern Methodist, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Christian
Western Conference (10 teams)
Chicago, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Northwestern, Ohio State, Purdue, Wisconsin
- There are 131 members of Division I football at this time.
- Erskine, Loyola-New Orleans, Mercer, Presbyterian, St. Louis, and Wofford leaves Independents. Outside of St. Louis the remaining schools quit playing a heavy schedule of Division I football.
- Boston College joins Independents and begins playing a schedule featuring mostly Division I opponents, there are now 38 Independents
- Grinnell leaves the Missouri Valley Conference and is replaced by St. Louis, keeping membership at seven teams. Grinnell drops down to a lower level of competition.
- There are now a total of 126 members of Division I football at this time
- Virginia leaves the Southern Conference to play as an independent. Also Hampden-Sydney joins up as an independent giving that group 40 members. The Southern Conference is left with 15 members.
- The seven major schools in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference withdrew to form their own league. Brigham Young, Colorado, Colorado State, Denver, Utah, Utah State and Wyoming formed the Mountain States Conference. The Mountain States Conference was often referred to as the Big Seven Conference for the next eight years. Colorado College, Colorado School of Mines, Montana State, Northern Colorado and Western State remained in the RMAC and now played at a lower level of college football.
- At this time there are 121 members of major Division I football.
- Two more schools join the Independents: Southwestern (Texas) and Hardin-Simmons, giving that group 42 members.
- Division I membership is now at 123 members.
- Sewanee leaves the SEC to become an Independent, dropping membership there to 12 teams.
- The University of Chicago leaves the Western Conference, dropping their membership to nine teams.
- There are now 41 Independent teams. Besides the addition of Sewanee, Bucknell and Southwestern (TX) drop out of Division I.
- This leaves a total of 120 teams in Division I.
- Hardin-Simmons joins the Border Conference, from the Independents, while West Texas A&M joins the league, moving up to Division I. The Border Conference now has nine members.
- George Washington leaves the Independents to join the Southern Conference giving that league 16 members.
- Hampden-Sydney and Carnegie Tech drops out of Division I football and leaves the Independents. New York University joins as an Independent. There are now 38 Independents.
- Washburn drops out of Division I football by leaving the Missouri Valley Conference, the MVC now has six members.
- There are now 119 Division I football members.
- The following teams join the Independent ranks: Georgia Pre-Flight, North Carolina Pre-Flight, Jacksonville NAS, Great Lakes Navy, Iowa Pre-Flight, St. Mary's Pre-Flight. Independents Gonzaga, Centenary, New York University and Sewanee drop out of Division I football. There are now 38 Independents.
- Washington University of Missouri of the Missouri Valley Conference drops out of Division I.
- Due to World War II, the following schools did not field football teams this year. A school with a year in parentheses shows the year the school brought football back, no year means the school resumed in 1944: Alabama, Auburn, Baylor (1945), Boston College, Citadel (1946), Davidson (1946), Detroit Mercy (1945), Drake (played a non-Division I schedule in 1943), Duquesne (1947), Florida, Fordham (1946), Furman (1946), Georgetown (1946), George Washington (1946), Harvard (1945), Idaho (1945), Kentucky, Loyola Marymount (1949), Miami (FL), Michigan State, Mississippi, Mississippi State, Montana (1946), Oregon (1945), Oregon State (1945), Santa Clara (1946), St. Louis (1945), Stanford (1946), Syracuse, Tennessee, Vanderbilt (1945), Virginia Tech (1945), Washington (played non-Division I schedule in 1944), Washington State (1945), Washington & Lee (1946) and William & Mary did not field teams this year due to World War II.
- The entire Border Conference and Mountain States Conference did not compete due to World War II.
- Creighton University and Manhattan College discontinued football entirely.
- Colorado College, March Field, Del Monte Pre-Flight, Pacific, Fort Riley, Alameda Coast Guard, Texas Tech, Camp Grant join the Independents. Jacksonville NAS quits football. There are 34 Independents for this year.
- Due to World War II, only 73 schools fielded teams in 1943
- There are 39 Independents this year. Joining as new Independents are Amarillo Field, Norman NAS, Randolph Field, Bucknell (rejoins Division I), Second Air Force (CO), Coast Guard, Lubbock Field, Fort Warren, Idaho State, New York University and Presbyterian. Dropping out were Del Monte Flight, Georgia Pre-Flight, Pacific (dropped until 1950), Fort Riley, North Carolina Pre-Flight, Camp Grant, St. Mary's (rejoined in 1945), Princeton (rejoined in 1945), and San Francisco (rejoined in 1946)
- Texas Tech leaves the Independents and rejoins the Border Conference which has three members at this time: Texas Tech, West Texas A&M and New Mexico.
- The Missouri Valley Conference suspends play in 1944 due to World War II.
- The Mountain States Conference resumes play with four teams: Colorado, Denver, Utah and Utah State
- There are 91 schools competing in Division I football this year
- There are 35 Independents playing this season. Nearly all of the military teams (Pre-Flight schools, forts, etc.) quit playing football this season. Lafayette and Tennessee-Chattanooga are new Independents.
- Most of the members of the Pacific Coast Conference resume playing football: USC, Washington, Washington State, Oregon, Oregon State, UCLA, California, and Idaho.
- The Missouri Valley Conference resumes football with five members: Drake, Oklahoma State, St. Louis, Tulsa and Wichita State
- Colorado State resumes football and rejoins the Mountain States Conference as the fifth member
- Vanderbilt resumes football and brings the SEC back to 12 teams
- There are 101 Division I football teams this year.
- Stanford and Montana resume football and bring the Pacific Coast Conference back to 10 teams
- Arizona, Arizona State, Northern Arizona, Hardin-Simmons, New Mexico State and UTEP rejoin the Border Conference after resuming football, bringing membership back up to nine
- Brigham Young and Wyoming resume football and become the sixth and seventh members of the Mountain States Conference
- The following teams rejoin the Southern Conference after resuming football after WWII: George Washington, Washington & Lee, Furman, Davidson, and The Citadel. The Southern Conference now is back to 16 teams
- There are 39 Independents this season. New Independents are Nevada, Rutgers, Montana State, San Francisco (resumes football), Santa Clara (resumes football), Portland and Fordham (resumes football). Great Lakes Navy and Coast Guard stops playing football while Colorado College and Presbyterian drop out of Division I
- With most schools now having resumed football after World War II, Division I membership is back up to 120 teams.
- Boston University joins the Independents and Duquesne resumes football while Bucknell and Lafayette drop out of the group and Division I football. The number of Independents remain at 39 and the total number of Division I football teams remains at 120.
- The Mountain States Conference renames itself the Skyline Conference. Colorado drops out of the league leaving the conference with six members: BYU, Colorado State, Denver, Utah, Utah State and Wyoming.
- Colorado leaves the Mountain States to join the Big 6 as its seventh member, making the league now known as the Big 7 with membership of Colorado, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Missouri, Nebraska and Oklahoma.
There are 36 Independents in 1948. Merchant Marine, Montana State, and Portland all dropped out of Division I. There are now 117 football teams in Division I.
- Detroit Mercy leaves the Independents and joins the Missouri Valley Conference as its sixth member. Bradley University also moves up to Division I football and joins the MVC as its seventh member.
- There are still 36 Independents. Detroit Mercy left for the MVC. Tennessee-Chattanooga leaves Division I. The two are replaced by Loyola Marymount (resumes football) and Houston who moved up. There are now 119 football schools in Division I.
- Montana leaves the Pacific Coast Conference and becomes Independent.
- St. Louis drops out of Division I football and leaves the Missouri Valley Conference with six members.
- West Virginia leaves the Independents and joins the Southern Conference as their 17th member.
- Despite the one losses, the Independents gained three new schools to boost its number to 38: Pacific, San Jose State, Montana,
As of 1950 here are the rosters of the Division I conferences:
Colorado, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma
Arizona, Arizona State, Hardin-Simmons, New Mexico, New Mexico State, Northern Arizona, Texas-El Paso, Texas Tech, West Texas A&M
Army, Boston College, Boston University, Brown, Colgate, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Duquesne, Fordham, Georgetown, Harvard, Holy Cross, Houston, Loyola Marymount, Marquette, Miami (FL), Michigan State, Montana, Navy, Nevada, New York University, Notre Dame, Pacific, Pennsylvania, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Princeton, Rutgers, San Francisco, San Jose State, Santa Clara, St. Mary's, Syracuse, Temple, Villanova, Virginia, Yale
Bradley, Detroit Mercy, Drake, Oklahoma State, Tulsa, Wichita State
Pacific Coast Conference (9 teams)
California, Idaho, Oregon, Oregon State, Stanford, UCLA, USC, Washington, Washington State
Skyline Conference (6 teams)
Brigham Young, Colorado State, Denver, Utah, Utah State, Wyoming
Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, LSU, Mississippi, Mississippi State, Tennessee, Tulane, Vanderbilt
Citadel, Clemson, Davidson, Duke, Furman, George Washington, Maryland, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Richmond, South Carolina, Virginia Military Institute, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, Washington & Lee, West Virginia, William & Mary
Western Conference (9 teams)
Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Northwestern, Ohio State, Purdue, Wisconsin
- There are 120 teams in Division I at this time.
- Houston leaves the Independents to join the Missouri Valley Conference as their seventh member.
- Montana leaves the Independents to join the Skyline Conference. New Mexico joins the Skyline Conference giving that league eight members now. New Mexico continues a membership with the Border Conference as well for 1951.
- The Independents have 32 members. Besides the losses of Montana and Houston the group also lost Duquesne (drops football), St. Mary's (drops out of Division I), Georgetown (dropped football) and Nevada (dropped out of Division I)
- That leaves 114 teams in Division I.
- New Mexico leaves the Border Conference to become a full time member of the Skyline Conference, the Border Conference is left with eight members
- Drake leaves the Missouri Valley Conference and becomes an Independent. Bradley drops out of Division I and also leaves the Missouri Valley leaving that league with five members.
- Clemson and Maryland leave the Southern Conference to become Independent. The Southern Conference is left with 15 members.
- There are now 33 Independents. Drake, Clemson and Maryland join the group. Leaving the group are San Francisco and Loyola Marymount who both drop football.
- There are now 111 teams in Division I.
- Clemson and Maryland leave the Independents and Duke, North Carolina, North Carolina State, South Carolina and Wake Forest leave the Southern Conference to form the Atlantic Coast Conference with seven charter members. The Southern Conference is left with 10 members.
- Michigan State leaves the Independents and joins the Western Conference as its 10th member. The league now is referred to as the Big Ten Conference.
- Northern Arizona leaves the Border Conference and drops out of Division I, leaving that league with seven members.
- There are 28 Independents. Besides the loss of Clemson, Maryland and Michigan State the group also lost New York University (dropped football), Santa Clara and Temple (both dropped out of Division I). North Texas moved up to Division I and became an Independent.
- Virginia leaves the Independents and joins the ACC as its eighth member
- Washington & Lee leaves the Southern Conference as they drop out of Division I, leaving that league with nine members
- There are now 29 Independents. Virginia left for the ACC. New additions to the group included Cincinnati and Florida State, both of which moved up into Division I.
- There are now 110 members in Division I.
- For the first time since 1936 there are no conference changes.
- Membership in Division I remains at 110.
- Texas Tech leaves the Border Conference and becomes an Independent, leaving that league with six teams.
- Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Pennsylvania, Princeton and Yale leave the Independents and form the Ivy League with eight charter members.
- There are 22 Independents at this point. Besides the eight schools that left for the Ivy League the group gained Dayton who moved up to Division I status.
- There are now 111 Division I teams.
- Oklahoma State and Detroit Mercy leave the Missouri Valley Conference to become Independent. Independent schools Cincinnati and North Texas move in to the Missouri Valley and that league remains at five members.
- There are 23 Independents. Oklahoma State and Detroit Mercy join the group while Cincinnati and North Texas leave and take their place in the MVC. Air Force starts football and joins the Independents.
- There are no changes in conferences in 1958. Membership remains at 112.
- Idaho, Oregon, Oregon State and Washington State leave the Pacific Coast Conference and become Independent, leaving the PCC with five members.
- There are now 27 Independent teams. Along with the addition of the four PCC schools, Xavier moves up to Division I and joins the Independents. Drake leaves the group, dropping out of Division I.
- Total membership remains at 112.
- Oklahoma State leaves the Independents and joins the Big 7 as its eighth member. The conference renames itself as the Big 8 Conference.
- The Pacific Coast Conference was disbanded. The five members from that conference (California, Stanford, UCLA, USC and Washington) formed the Athletic Association of Western Universities (AAWU).
- Houston leaves the Missouri Valley Conference and becomes Independent. The MVC is left with four members.
- Texas Tech leaves the Independents and joins the Southwest Conference as its eighth member.
- There are 27 Independents in 1960. Oklahoma State and Texas Tech leave to join their respective leagues while Houston comes in from the MVC. Memphis moves up to Division I and joins the Independents.
The conference rosters as of 1960:
AAWU (5 teams)
California, Stanford, UCLA, USC, Washington
ACC (8 teams)
Clemson, Duke, Maryland, North Carolina, North Carolina State, South Carolina, Virginia, Wake Forest
Big 8 (8 teams)
Colorado, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State
Big Ten (10 teams)
Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Ohio State, Purdue, Wisconsin
Arizona, Arizona State, Hardin-Simmons, New Mexico State, Texas-El Paso, West Texas A&M
Air Force, Army, Boston College, Boston University, Colgate, Dayton, Detroit Mercy, Florida State, Holy Cross, Houston, Idaho, Marquette, Memphis, Miami (FL), Navy, Notre Dame, Oregon, Oregon State, Pacific, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, San Jose State, Syracuse, Villanova, Washington State, Xavier
Ivy League (8 teams)
Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Pennsylvania, Princeton, Yale
Cincinnati, North Texas, Tulsa, Wichita State
Brigham Young, Colorado State, Denver, Montana, New Mexico, Utah, Utah State, Wyoming
Southern Conference (9 teams)
Citadel, Davidson, Furman, George Washington, Richmond, Virginia Military Institute, Virginia Tech, West Virginia, William & Mary
Arkansas, Baylor, Rice, Southern Methodist, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Christian, Texas Tech
- Arizona leaves the Border Conference and becomes Independent, leaving the Border Conference with five members
- Denver drops football and leaves the Skyline Conference with seven members
- There are 27 Independents. Arizona joined the group from the Border Conference while Marquette drops football and leaves the Independents.
- The Mid-American Conference (MAC) moves up to Division I for football and with it are seven new Division I teams: Bowling Green, Kent State, Marshall, Miami (OH), Ohio, Toledo, and Western Michigan
- Washington State leaves the Independents and joins the AAWU as its sixth member
- The Border Conference and Skyline Conference both dissolve. The Western Athletic Conference (WAC) is formed with charter members: Arizona, Arizona State, Brigham Young, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming
- There are new 34 Independents. Washington State left for the AAWU and Arizona left for the WAC. Colorado State, Hardin-Simmons, Montana, New Mexico State, Texas-El Paso, Utah State, and West Texas A&M join the group from the Border and Skyline Conferences. Louisville and Buffalo move up to Division I and join the group.
- Louisville and Dayton leave the Independents and join the Missouri Valley Conference giving that league six teams.
- There are 32 Independents. Dayton and Louisville left for the MVC. Lehigh and Southern Mississippi moved up to Division I and joined the group while Montana and Hardin-Simmons dropped out of Division I.
- Total membership remains at 121 teams.
- Oregon and Oregon State leave the Independents and join the AAWU, giving them eight members.
- Georgia Tech leaves the SEC and becomes Independent. The SEC now has 11 members.
- There are 31 Independents in 1968. Oregon and Oregon State leave for the AAWU. Georgia Tech joins the group from the SEC.
- Virginia Tech leaves the Southern Conference and becomes Independent. They are replaced by East Carolina who moves up to Division I and takes their spot in the Southern Conference to keep membership in that league at nine.
- There are 31 Independents in 1965. Virginia Tech joined the group from the Southern Conference. Quantico Marines joined the group for one year. Detroit Mercy (dropped football) and Boston University (dropped out of Division I) left the group.
- Membership in Division I stays at 120.
- Tulane leaves the SEC and becomes Independent, leaving the SEC with 10 members
- Dayton leaves the Missouri Valley Conference and becomes Independent. The MVC is left with five members
- There are 32 Independents. Tulane and Dayton join the group from their respective leagues. Also joining is Tampa who moved up to Division I. Leaving the group are Quantico Marines and and Lehigh, who dropped down to a lower division.
- Division I membership is at 119.
- George Washington drops out of Division I and leaves the Southern Conference, taking their membership level down to eight
- No other changes occur in 1967 and membership remains at 118.
- The American Association of Western Universities (AAWU) changes its name to the Pacific-8 Conference, more commonly referred to as the Pac-8
- Colorado State and Texas-El Paso leave the Independents and join the WAC, giving that conference eight members
- Memphis leaves the Independents and joins the Missouri Valley Conference as its sixth member
- There are now 30 Independents. Colorado State, UTEP and Memphis all left to join their respective leagues while Northern Illinois moved up to Division I and became an Independent.
- There are now 119 Division I football programs.
- West Virginia leaves the Southern Conference and becomes Independent, leaving the Southern Conference with seven members
- The Pacific Coast Athletic Association (PCAA) is formed with seven charter members. Pacific and San Jose State joined from the Independents while Fresno State, Long Beach State, Los Angeles State, San Diego State and Santa Barbara moved up to Division I
- There are now 27 Independents. West Virginia joined the group while Pacific and San Jose State left to form the new PCAA. Holy Cross and Tampa dropped back out of Division I and left the group.
- Marshall is kicked out of the MAC and becomes Independent, leaving the MAC with six members
- Cincinnati leaves the Missouri Valley and becomes Independent. The MVC is left with five members
- There are now 30 Independents with the addition of Cincinnati, Marshall and Holy Cross (rejoins Division I).
- There are now 123 Division I football teams.
The conference rosters as of 1970 are:
Air Force, Army, Boston College, Buffalo, Cincinnati, Colgate, Dayton, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Holy Cross, Houston, Idaho, Marshall, Miami (FL), Navy, New Mexico State, Northern Illinois, Notre Dame, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Southern Mississippi, Syracuse, Tulane, Utah State, Villanova, Virginia Tech, West Texas A&M, West Virginia, Xavier
MAC (6 teams)
Bowling Green, Kent State, Miami (OH), Ohio, Toledo, Western Michigan
Missouri Valley (5 teams)
Louisville, Memphis, North Texas, Tulsa, Wichita State
Pac-8 (8 teams)
California, Oregon, Oregon State, Stanford, UCLA, USC, Washington, Washington State
PCAA (7 teams)
Fresno State, Long Beach State, Los Angeles State, Pacific, San Diego State, San Jose State, Santa Barbara
SEC (10 teams)
Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, LSU, Mississippi, Mississippi State, Tennessee, Vanderbilt
Citadel, Davidson, East Carolina, Furman, Richmond, Virginia Military Institute, William & Mary
WAC (8 teams)
Arizona, Arizona State, Brigham Young, Colorado State, New Mexico, Texas-El Paso, Utah, Wyoming
- Drake moves back up to Division I and joins the Missouri Valley Conference, also West Texas A&M leaves the Independents to join the MVC, giving that conference seven members
- There are 33 Independent teams now with Hawaii, Tampa, Temple, Tennessee-Chattanooga and Texas-Arlington all moving up to Division I and joining this group. West Texas A&M left to join the MVC and Buffalo dropped down out of Division I.
- This pushes Division I membership to 128 teams.
- South Carolina leaves the ACC and becomes Independent, leaving the ACC with seven teams
- New Mexico State leaves the Independents and joins the Missouri Valley as its eighth member
- Los Angeles State and Santa Barbara leave the PCAA as they drop out of Division I leaving the PCAA with five members
- Appalachian State moves up to Division I and joins the Southern Conference as its eighth member
- There are still 33 Independents. South Carolina joins from the ACC, New Mexico State left to join the Missouri Valley. Southern Illinois joins as a new Division I member while Hawaii drops back out as they drop out of Division I.
- Total membership falls to 127 schools
- This is the year the NCAA split into Divisions I, II and III. Prior to this year, the NCAA members competed in either the "University Division" or the "College Division"
- Memphis leaves the Missouri Valley and rejoins the Independents, leaving the MVC with seven members
- There are now 36 Independent teams. Memphis joined from the MVC. Lamar and Louisiana-Lafayette also join after moving up to Division I status.
- There are now 129 Division I football schools
- Davidson drops out of Division I and leaves the Southern Conference, leaving that league with seven teams
- There are now 37 Independent teams. Arkansas State and Hawaii moves up to Division I to join this group. Xavier drops football and leaves.
- Total membership remains at 129 schools.
- The MAC added two new teams that moved up into Division I: Ball State and Central Michigan. The league also added Northern Illinois from the Independents to give them a total of nine members.
- Louisville and North Texas leave the Missouri Valley to become Independent, leaving the MVC with five members
- The PCAA adds a sixth member in Division I newcomer Cal State-Fullerton
- The Southland Conference is formed with six charter members. Arkansas State, Lamar, Louisiana-Lafayette, and Texas-Arlington come over from the Independents while Louisiana Tech and McNeese State move up to Division I and join the league.
- There are now 37 Independent teams. Northern Illinois, Arkansas State, Lamar, Louisiana-Lafayette and Texas-Arlington all left to join conferences. Louisville and North Texas left conferences to join this group while new Division I teams Akron, Eastern Michigan, Illinois State, Indiana State, and Louisiana-Monroe join. Tampa drops football and leaves and Idaho drops down out of Division I.
- There was a huge increase this year to 137 Division I teams.
- Eastern Michigan leaves the Independents and joins the MAC as their 10th member
- San Diego State leaves the PCAA and becomes Independent. The PCAA is left with five members
- Houston leaves the Independents and joins the Southwest Conference as their ninth member
- There are 36 Independents in 1976. Eastern Michigan and Houston leave to join leagues while San Diego State comes in from the PCAA. Northwestern State joins as a new Division I member while Akron drops back out dropping out of Division I.
- Membership remains at 137
- Southern Illinois leaves the Independents and joins the Missouri Valley as their sixth member
- The Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) is moved up to Division I as a conference with seven members: Alcorn State, Grambling State, Jackson State, Mississippi Valley State, Prairie View A&M, Southern, and Texas Southern
- East Carolina, Richmond, and William & Mary leave the Southern Conference and become Independent. Marshall and Tennessee-Chattanooga join the conference from the Independents and Western Carolina moves up to Division I and joins the league to keep membership at seven teams
- There are 36 Independents. Southern Illinois, Marshall and Tennessee-Chattanooga leave to join conferences. East Carolina, Richmond and William & Mary join this group from the Southern Conference. Tennessee State joins as a new Division I member while Dayton drops out of Division I and leaves the group.
- 1978 was the year that the NCAA split Division I into two separate groups: I-A (FBS) and I-AA (FCS). Schools had until the 1982 season to decide which subdivision they wanted to play in.
- Arizona and Arizona State leave the WAC and join the Pac-8 giving that league 10 members. The conference changes its name to the Pacific-10 Conference (Pac-10)
- San Diego State joins the WAC from the Independents giving the WAC seven members
- Indiana State joins the Missouri Valley from the Independents giving the MVC seven members
- Utah State joins the PCAA from the Independents giving the PCAA six members
- The SWAC leaves Division I-A and competes in Division I-AA
- There are 34 Independent teams. San Diego State, Indiana State and Utah State all left to join leagues. UNLV moves up to Division I and joins the Independents.
- There are now 139 Division I-A members
- Hawaii joins the WAC from the Independents giving that league eight members
- East Tennessee State moves up to Division I-A and joins the Southern Conference as its eighth member
- There are 34 Independent teams. Hawaii left to join the WAC while Connecticut joins as a new I-A member.
- There are now 141 Division I-A teams
- Air Force leaves the Independents and joins the WAC as its ninth member
- There are now 31 Independent teams. Hawaii left to join the WAC. Connecticut and Northwestern State dropped back down to I-AA
- This leaves 139 teams in Division I-A
The Division I-A conference rosters as of 1980 are:
Clemson, Duke, Maryland, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Virginia, Wake Forest
Army, Boston College, Cincinnati, Colgate, East Carolina, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Holy Cross, Illinois State, Louisiana-Monroe, Louisville, Memphis, Miami (FL), Navy, North Texas, Notre Dame, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Richmond, Rutgers, South Carolina, Southern Mississippi, Syracuse, Temple, Tennessee State, Tulane, UNLV, Villanova, Virginia Tech, West Virginia, William & Mary
MAC (10 teams)
Ball State, Bowling Green, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Kent State, Miami (OH), Northern Illinois, Ohio, Toledo, Western Michigan
Drake, Indiana State, New Mexico State, Southern Illinois, Tulsa, West Texas A&M, Wichita State
Pac-10 (10 teams)
Arizona, Arizona State, California, Oregon, Oregon State, Stanford, UCLA, USC, Washington, Washington State
Cal State-Fullerton, Fresno State, Long Beach State, Pacific, San Jose State, Utah State
Appalachian State, Citadel, East Tennessee State, Furman, Marshall, Tennessee-Chattanooga, Virginia Military Institute, Western Carolina
Southland Conference (6 teams)
Arkansas State, Lamar, Louisiana-Lafayette, Louisiana Tech, McNeese State, Texas-Arlington
Arkansas, Baylor, Houston, Rice, Southern Methodist, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Christian, Texas Tech
Air Force, Brigham Young, Colorado State, Hawaii, New Mexico, San Diego State, Texas-El Paso, Utah, Wyoming
- Illinois State joins the Missouri Valley from the Independents. Drake and West Texas A&M drop down to I-AA leaving the MVC with six I-A members.
- There are 28 Independents in 1981. Besides Illinois State leaving for the MVC, Villanova dropped football and left the group and Tennessee State dropped down to I-AA.
- There are now 135 teams in Division I-A
- The Ivy League, MAC, Southern Conference and Southland Conference (among other schools) all dropped down to Division I-AA either by choice or NCAA decree. The schools that left included: Appalachian State, Arkansas State, Ball State, Bowling Green, Brown, Central Michigan, Citadel, Colgate, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, East Tennessee State, Eastern Michigan, Furman, Harvard, Holy Cross, Illinois State, Indiana State, Kent State, Lamar, Louisiana-Monroe, Louisiana Tech, Marshall, McNeese State, Miami (OH), North Texas, Northern Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Princeton, Richmond, Southern Illinois, Tennessee-Chattanooga, Texas-Arlington, Toledo, Virginia Military Institute, Western Carolina, Western Michigan, William & Mary, and Yale
- Half of the remaining Missouri Valley schools dropped to I-AA (Illinois State, Indiana State and Southern Illinois). New Mexico State, Tulsa, and Wichita State remained in I-A and the MVC remained a "major conference" with a mix of I-A and I-AA schools in its membership.
- UNLV left the Independents and joined the PCAA as its seventh member
- There are now 22 Independents. Louisiana-Lafayette left the Southland Conference when it dropped to I-AA and joined the Independents. UNLV left and joined the PCAA. Colgate, Holy Cross, Louisiana-Monroe, North Texas, Richmond and William & Mary dropped to I-AA.
- Division I-A membership is now at 95 schools.
- Georgia Tech leaves the Independents and joins the ACC as their eighth member
- The MAC resumes membership as a I-A conference with all ten schools returning
- There are 21 Independents. Georgia Tech left to join the ACC
- There are now 105 Division I-A football teams
- New Mexico State leaves the Missouri Valley to join the PCAA as its eighth member, leaving the MVC with two members in I-A (Tulsa and Wichita State)
- There are still 21 Independents
- There are still 105 members of Division I-A
- For just the third time since 1936, there are no conference changes for a football season
- Membership remains at 105 in Division I-A.
- Northern Illinois leaves the MAC and becomes an Independent. The MAC now has nine members.
- The Missouri Valley Conference stopped sponsoring football. Members Tulsa and Wichita State remained in Division I-A by becoming Independents.
- There are now 24 Independents.
- There are now 105 Division I-A football teams.
- Southern Methodist is given the death penalty. As a result the Southwest Conference competes with just eight members for the next two years
- There are 24 Independents. Wichita State leaves the group as the school drops football entirely. Akron moves up to Division I-A and joins the Independents.
- Membership remains at 104 schools.
- The Pacific Coast Athletic Association changes its name to the Big West Conference. Membership remains the same with eight schools: Cal State-Fullerton, Fresno State, Long Beach State, New Mexico State, Pacific, San Jose State, UNLV, and Utah State
- There are 25 Independents in 1988 as Louisiana Tech moves back up to Division I-A and joins the group.
- Division I-A membership is at 105 schools.
- Southern Methodist rejoins the Southwest Conference as its ninth member after coming off the death penalty
- There are no other conference changes and membership is now at 106 schools
- There are 26 Independents in 1990 as Arkansas State moves up to Division I-A and joins the group
- There are a total of 107 Division I-A schools in 1990
Clemson, Duke, Georgia Tech, Maryland, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Virginia, and Wake Forest
Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Ohio State, Purdue, and Wisconsin
Colorado, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State
Big West (8 teams)
Cal State-Fullerton, Fresno State, Long Beach State, New Mexico State, Pacific, San Jose State, UNLV, and Utah State
Ball State, Bowling Green, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Kent State, Miami (OH), Ohio, Toledo, and Western Michigan
Arizona, Arizona State, California, Oregon, Oregon State, Stanford, UCLA, USC, Washington and Washington State
Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, LSU, Mississippi, Mississippi State, Tennessee and Vanderbilt
Arkansas, Baylor, Houston, Rice, Southern Methodist, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Christian and Texas Tech
Air Force, Brigham Young, Colorado State, Hawaii, New Mexico, San Diego State, Texas-El Paso, Utah, and Wyoming
Akron, Arkansas State, Army, Boston College, Cincinnati, East Carolina, Florida State, Louisiana Tech, Louisville, Memphis, Miami (FL), Navy, Northern Illinois, Notre Dame, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, South Carolina, Southern Mississippi, Southwestern Louisiana (Louisiana-Lafayette), Syracuse, Temple, Tulane, Tulsa, Virginia Tech, West Virginia
- Independents Boston College, Miami (FL), Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Syracuse, Temple, Virginia Tech, and West Virginia establish the football playing portion of the Big East Conference with eight members.
- The Independents are left with 18 schools
- Division I-A membership remains at 107
- The SEC expands to 12 by adding Arkansas from the Southwest Conference and Independent South Carolina. With 12 members, the SEC is the first Division I-A conference to split into two divisions and hold a conference championship game.
- The Southwest Conference stands at eight members following the loss of Arkansas
- Independent Florida State joins the ACC, giving that league nine members
- Independent Akron joins the MAC, giving that league 10 members
- Big West member Fresno State leaves to join the WAC as its 10th member.
- Big West member Long Beach State stops playing football entirely. Nevada moves up from Division I-AA and joins the Big West as its seventh member, replacing Fresno State.
- There are now 15 Independent schools
- Independent Penn State joins the Big Ten, giving that league 11 members
- Independents Arkansas State, Louisiana Tech, Northern Illinois and Southwestern Louisiana (Louisiana-Lafayette) join the Big West as football-only members, while fellow Big West member Cal State-Fullerton announced it was dropping football. This left membership in the Big West at 10 schools.
- There are now just 10 independent schools
- Division I-A membership drops to 106
- Northeast Louisiana University (Louisiana-Monroe) moved up from Division I-AA and played as an independent, bringing the number of independents up to 11 and bringing Division I-A membership back up to 107
- The University of North Texas moved up from Division I-AA and played as an independent. The number of Independents now stands at 12, and the total Division I-A membership his at 108 schools.
- The Southwest Conference dissolves
- Former Southwest Conference members Baylor, Texas, Texas A&M and Texas Tech merge with the Big 8 Conference to form the Big 12 Conference. With 12 members the Big 12 splits into two divisions and stages a conference championship game, becoming the second conference to do so.
- Former Southwest Conference member Houston joins with Independents Cincinnati, Louisville, Memphis, Southern Mississippi and Tulane to form Conference USA with six members
- The WAC expands to a 16-member conference by adding Rice, Southern Methodist, and Texas Christian from the Southwest Conference; UNLV and San Jose State from the Big West Conference and Independent member Tulsa. The WAC would hold a conference championship game for the next three seasons.
- Arkansas State, Louisiana Tech, Northern Illinois and Southwestern Louisiana leave the Big West to become Independents. Pacific also leaves the Big West as it announces it is dropping football. North Texas joins the Big West from the Independent ranks and Boise State University and the University of Idaho move up from Division I-AA and join the Big West. Big West membership now stands at six schools.
- Along with Boise State and Idaho, the University of Alabama at Birmingham and the University of Central Florida also move up from Division I-AA and play as Independents. There are now 11 Independent schools.
- Total Division I-A membership now stands at 111
- Independent East Carolina joins Conference USA as its seventh member
- Independent Northern Illinois joins the MAC. Marshall University moves up from Division I-AA and also joins the MAC, giving that league 12 members. The MAC then splits into two divisions and holds a conference championship game.
- There are now nine Independents at the Division I-A level
- Division I-A membership stands at 112 schools
- Army breaks away from nearly 100 years of tradition as an Independent to join Conference USA as its eighth member
- The Independents are left with eight schools
- Membership in Division I-A remains at 112
- Air Force, Brigham Young, Colorado State, New Mexico, San Diego State, UNLV, Utah and Wyoming leave the 16-team WAC and form a new eight-team league, the Mountain West Conference.
- The WAC is left with eight remaining members
- Arkansas State leaves the Independents and joins the Big West, giving them seven members
- Independent Alabama-Birmingham joins Conference USA as its ninth member
- Buffalo moves up from Division I-AA and joins the MAC as that league's 13th member.
- Middle Tennessee State moves up from Division I-AA and plays as an Independent, giving that group a total of seven members
- Northeast Louisiana and Southwestern Louisiana change their names to Louisiana-Monroe and Louisiana-Lafayette, respectively
- Division I-A membership now stands at 114
- Nevada leaves the Big West to join the WAC as its ninth member
- The Big West drops back down to six members
- Two more schools make the move up from Division I-AA: the University of Connecticut and the University of South Florida, who both play as Independents. There are now nine Independent football members of Division I-A
- The total membership of Division I-A now sits at 116
Division I-A conference rosters as of 2000:
Clemson, Duke, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Maryland, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Virginia, Wake Forest
Big 12 (12 teams)
Baylor, Colorado, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech
Big East (8 teams)
Boston College, Miami (FL), Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Syracuse, Temple, Virginia Tech, West Virginia
Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, Wisconsin
Arkansas State, Boise State, Idaho, New Mexico State, North Texas, Utah State
C-USA (9 teams)
Alabama-Birmingham, Army, Cincinnati, East Carolina, Houston, Louisville, Memphis, Southern Mississippi, Tulane
Independents (9 teams)
Central Florida, Connecticut, Louisiana-Lafayette, Louisiana-Monroe, Louisiana Tech, Middle Tennessee State, Navy, Notre Dame, South Florida
Akron, Ball State, Bowling Green, Buffalo, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Kent State, Marshall, Miami (OH), Northern Illinois, Ohio, Toledo, Western Michigan
Mountain West (8 teams)
Air Force, Brigham Young, Colorado State, New Mexico, San Diego State, UNLV, Utah, Wyoming
Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, LSU, Mississippi, Mississippi State, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vanderbilt
Fresno State, Hawaii, Nevada, Rice, San Jose State, Southern Methodist, Texas Christian, Texas-El Paso, Tulsa
- Arkansas State, Idaho, New Mexico State and North Texas from the Big West join with Independents Louisiana-Lafayette, Louisiana-Monroe and Middle Tennessee State to form the seven-member Sun Belt Conference
- Texas Christian leaves the WAC to join Conference USA as its 10th member
- Big West member Boise State and Independent Louisiana Tech join the WAC. The WAC now stands at 10 member schools.
- With Utah State the only remaining football-playing member of the Big West, the Big West Conference stops sponsoring football. The Aggies become an Independent in football.
- Troy State moves up from Division I-AA and plays as an Independent. There are now seven Independent football schools.
- There are now 117 members of Division I-A
- Independent Central Florida joins the MAC as its 14th member. The number of Independents drops to six.
- Membership in Division I-A remains at 117.
- Independent South Florida joins Conference USA as its 11th member
- Independent Utah State joins the Sun Belt Conference as its 8th member
- The number of Independents now stands at four
- Miami (FL) and Virginia Tech leave the Big East to join the ACC, giving the ACC 11 members
- Independent Connecticut moves to the Big East, leaving the Big East with seven members
- Independent Troy State joins the Sun Belt Conference as that league's 9th member
- Florida Atlantic University moves up to Division I-A, bringing the total membership to 118. They play as an Independent, bringing that grouping to three members
- The ACC completes its "raid" of the Big East when Boston College leaves the Big East to become the ACC's 12th member. The ACC then splits into two divisions and stages their own conference championship game.
- Cincinnati, Louisville and South Florida leave Conference USA and join the Big East
- Army leaves Conference USA to become an Independent once again. Temple also becomes an Independent after being voted out of the Big East.
- The Big East now sits at eight members
- Texas Christian leaves Conference USA to join the Mountain West Conference as its ninth member
- Conference USA adds Central Florida and Marshall from the MAC and Rice, Southern Methodist, UTEP and Tulsa from the WAC to get up to 12 members. C-USA then splits into two divisions and stages a conference championship game
- The MAC is left with 12 members
- The WAC adds Idaho, New Mexico State and Utah State from the Sun Belt Conference to get back to nine members
- Florida Atlantic leaves the Independent ranks and Florida International moves up from Division I-AA as both schools join the Sun Belt Conference to give that school eight members
- There are now four Independent teams
- Troy State University changes its name to Troy University
- Division I-A membership sits at 119 schools
- A rarity....there are no conference changes in 2006.
- Division I-A membership remains at 119 schools
- Temple leaves the Independent ranks and joins the Mid-American Conference. The MAC now has 13 members. Independents' membership shrinks to three
- Western Kentucky University transitions from Division I-AA and moves up to I-A and plays as the fourth Independent.
- Division I-A membership now stands at 120 schools
- Western Kentucky University leaves its Independent status and joins the Sun Belt Conference as that league's ninth member
- There are now only three Independents playing football
- There were no conference changes in 2010
The conference rosters in 2010 are:
ACC (12 teams)
Boston College, Clemson, Duke, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Maryland, Miami (FL), North Carolina, North Carolina State, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest
Cincinnati, Connecticut, Louisville, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, South Florida, Syracuse, West Virginia
C-USA (12 teams)
Alabama-Birmingham, Central Florida, East Carolina, Houston, Marshall, Memphis, Rice, Southern Methodist, Southern Mississippi, Texas-El Paso, Tulane, Tulsa
Army, Navy, Notre Dame
Akron, Ball State, Bowling Green, Buffalo, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Kent State, Miami (OH), Northern Illinois, Ohio, Temple, Toledo, Western Michigan
Air Force, Brigham Young, Colorado State, New Mexico, San Diego State, Texas Christian, UNLV, Utah, Wyoming
Sun Belt (9 teams)
Arkansas State, Florida Atlantic, Florida International, Louisiana-Lafayette, Louisiana-Monroe, Middle Tennessee State, North Texas, Troy, Western Kentucky
Boise State, Fresno State, Hawaii, Idaho, Louisiana Tech, Nevada, New Mexico State, San Jose State, Utah State
- Nebraska left the Big 12 Conference to join the Big Ten Conference. This gave the Big Ten 12 members and they then split into two divisions and staged a conference championship game for the first time
- Colorado left the Big 12 to join the Pac-10 and Utah left the Mountain West Conference to join the Pac-10 to give that league 12 members. The Pac-10 renames itself the Pac-12 and splits into two divisions and holds a conference championship game for the first time
- The Big 12 is left with 10 members
- Brigham Young University leaves the Mountain West to become an Independent. There are now four Independent football schools
- Boise State leaves the WAC to join the Mountain West, bringing membership in the Mountain West back up to eight
- The WAC is now left with eight members
- Texas A&M and Missouri announce plans to leave the Big 12 to join the SEC. This gives the SEC 14 members
- TCU originally was set to leave the Mountain West for the Big East, but backed out of that move and instead joined the Big 12.
- West Virginia left the Big East Conference to become a member of the Big 12. This gives the Big 12 10 members.
- Massachusetts is moving up from Division I-AA to Division I-A to become the 13th member of the MAC, replacing Temple who is leaving to rejoin the Big East, moving their membership back to eight
- The University of South Alabama is moving up from Division I-AA to I-A and will become the 10th member of the Sun Belt Conference
- Fresno State, Nevada and Hawaii left the WAC to join the Mountain West Conference, to give that league 10 members.
- Texas-San Antonio and Texas State joined the WAC from Division I-AA to give that league seven football playing members
- There are now I-A 124 football members in Division I-A
- The non-football playing members of the Big East left to form their own conference and took the "Big East" name with them. The teams left over that are playing football in the old Big East have renamed their conference the American Athletic Conference.
- Pittsburgh and Syracuse are leaving the American Athletic Conference to join the ACC, giving the ACC 14 members.
- Houston, Southern Methodist, Central Florida and Memphis will leave C-USA to also join the American Athletic Conference. This will give the AAC 10 football members for 2013.
- Florida Atlantic, Florida International, Middle Tennessee State and North Texas are leaving the Sun Belt Conference, and Louisiana Tech and Texas-San Antonio are leaving the WAC to join Conference USA to bump that league up to 14 football members.
- Georgia State will join the Sun Belt from the FCS ranks and Texas State will join from the WAC to keep the Sun Belt at eight teams.
- Boise State and San Diego State were scheduled to leave the Mountain West for the AAC but backed out of those plans and decided to stay in the Mountain West. San Jose State and Utah State will leave the WAC to join the Mountain West bumping membership up to 12 schools. The league will split into two six-team divisions and stage a conference championship game.
- With only two members left in the WAC, the WAC stops sponsoring football and Idaho and New Mexico State become Independents.
- There will now be six independents with the addition of Idaho and New Mexico State to the group. Total FBS membership will now be 125.
- Maryland leaves the ACC and Rutgers leaves the American Athletic Conference to join the Big Ten, giving the Big Ten 14 members. Louisville leaves the American Athletic Conference for the ACC, to keep ACC membership at 14 schools.
- The American Athletic Conference adds East Carolina, Tulsa and Tulane from the Conference USA to bump their membership up to 11 schools.
- Conference USA, after losing those three members, is adding Old Dominion from FCS ranks and Charlotte, who is starting a football program along with Western Kentucky who is leaving the Sun Belt, to bring their membership to 14 schools.
- Appalachian State and Georgia Southern are moving up from FCS to join the Sun Belt Conference and independents Idaho and New Mexico State are also joining the Sun Belt to give that conference 11 football members following the loss of Western Kentucky
- Independents drop to four with Army, BYU, Navy, and Notre Dame
- There are now 129 FBS football schools *(Although by my calculations the number is 128)
- Navy will leave the Independent ranks and join the "Big East" as the 12th football playing member. This will leave three independent teams.
- FBS membership will remain at 129.
- By 2015, conferences will look as follows:
Boston College, Clemson, Duke, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Miami (FL), North Carolina, North Carolina State, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest
American Athletic Conference (12 teams)
Central Florida, Cincinnati, Connecticut, East Carolina, Houston, Memphis, Navy, South Florida, Southern Methodist, Temple, Tulane, Tulsa
Baylor, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas, Texas Christian, Texas Tech, West Virginia
Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, Rutgers, Wisconsin
Conference USA (14 teams)
Alabama-Birmingham, Charlotte, Florida Atlantic, Florida International, Louisiana Tech, Marshall, Middle Tennessee State, North Texas, Old Dominion, Rice, Southern Mississippi, Texas-El Paso, Texas-San Antonio, Western Kentucky
Army, Brigham Young, Notre Dame
Akron, Ball State, Bowling Green, Buffalo, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Kent State, Massachusetts, Miami (OH), Northern Illinois, Ohio, Toledo, Western Michigan
Mountain West (12 members)
Air Force, Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, Hawaii, Nevada, New Mexico, San Diego State, San Jose State, UNLV, Utah State, Wyoming
Pac-12 (12 members)
Arizona, Arizona State, California, Colorado, Oregon, Oregon State, Stanford, UCLA, USC, Utah, Washington, Washington State
SEC (14 members)
Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, LSU, Mississippi, Mississippi State, Missouri, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt
Sun Belt (11 teams)
Appalachian State, Arkansas State, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Idaho, Louisiana-Lafayette, Louisiana-Monroe, New Mexico State, South Alabama, Texas State, Troy
(This post was last modified: 12-21-2015 03:37 AM by john01992.)
Copyright © 2002-2019 Collegiate Sports Nation Bulletin Board System (CSNbbs), All Rights Reserved.
CSNbbs is an independent fan site and is in no way affiliated to the NCAA or any of the schools and conferences it represents.
This site monetizes links. FTC Disclosure.
We allow third-party companies to serve ads and/or collect certain anonymous information when you visit our web site. These companies may use non-personally identifiable information (e.g., click stream information, browser type, time and date, subject of advertisements clicked or scrolled over) during your visits to this and other Web sites in order to provide advertisements about goods and services likely to be of greater interest to you. These companies typically use a cookie or third party web beacon to collect this information. To learn more about this behavioral advertising practice or to opt-out of this type of advertising, you can visit http://www.networkadvertising.org.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line646
|
__label__wiki
| 0.895171
| 0.895171
|
Europe To Use 3D Printing To Build Permanent Moon Base By 2030 [VIDEO]
(Screenshot ESA/Youtube)
Andrew Follett Energy and Science Reporter
Europe wants to colonize the moon within the next few decades by using 3D printing to build a moon village.
Johann-Dietrich Woerner, the director general of the European Space Agency (ESA), announced the agency plans to build a permanent base on the Moon by 2030. European space bureaucrats intend to use huge 3D printers to build the base using natural resources on the moon. Construction of the manned lunar base could begin within five years, Woerner said in a YouTube video.
Woerner claims the base would encourage international cooperation and could even be used to refuel spacecraft headed to Mars. NexGen Space, a consultant company for NASA, estimated last December a lunar refueling station would “reduce the cost to NASA of sending humans to Mars by as much as $US10 billion per year.”
“The ESA space-exploration strategy sets the Moon as a priority destination for humans on the way to Mars, and the recent talk of a ‘Moon Village’ certainly has generated a lot of positive energy in Europe … [of] Europe playing a role in a global human exploration scenario,” Kathy Laurini, the manager of NASA’s office in the Netherlands, told Space.com.
Europeans aren’t the only ones planning to build a lunar base. Russia’s space agency also plans to land a person on the Moon and start construction of a permanent base by 2030, according to reports published last November by TASS, the official state news agency.
A Russian official has even been quoted saying “[w]e are coming to the moon forever.”
Russia however, won’t be using 3D printing. It plans to assemble a 20-tonne base complex in orbit around Earth, then assemble a spacecraft to move the base into lunar orbit. Russia claims construction of some components has already started. The launch of the first robotic probe which will collect scientific data and scout possible base locations is scheduled for 2024.
Studies show the United States could return to the Moon within five to seven years and build a permanent base 10 to 12 years after that. Currently, NASA has no plans to return to the Moon.
The Obama administration has already stymied two separate projects initiated during the Bush administration designed to return Americans to the Moon by leaking information to the press and threatening to veto the projects. Large portions NASA’s funding for lunar launches have already been diverted into environmental science and global warming research, the budget of which increased by 63 percent.
Follow Andrew on Twitter
Send tips to andrew@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.
Tags : energy europe european space agency mars moon national aeronautics and space administration russia youtube
Andrew Follett
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line648
|
__label__cc
| 0.525176
| 0.474824
|
Back to Local Elections
SD-4: Challenger wants to consider sales tax on tourists
October 05, 2018 at 5:00 am |
Diane Taylor-Mahnke
Political party: Democrat
Family: Widow of Dr. James Mahnke
Education: BA in education from the University of Montana
Occupation: Business office representative and supervisor at Mountain Bell and Helena Flats School librarian and math teacher.
Background: Currently: Board Member of 350 Glacier (an affiliate of 350.org, an international organization dedicated to reversing climate change); first vice president of Flathead County Democratic Women; Previously: president of Northwest Montana Reading Council; board member of Citizens For a Better Flathead; co-moderator of Community Congregational United Church of Christ; Deer Park School Board
Q: A slate of budget cuts were made in 2017 to address a $227 million shortfall caused by less than anticipated revenue and an expensive fire season. What should the priorities be in the state budget in the next legislative session?
A: The priorities of the voters I have spoken with are: 1. health care, 2. water quality of our lakes and rivers, 3. quality public education, 4. keeping public lands public, and 5. support for veterans.
Q: Do you support a sales tax or other tax increases as a way to shore up the budget and increase revenue?
A: A 2 percent sales tax on the $3.3 billion spent by the 12.5 million visitors to our state in 2017 would have added $66 million to the state coffers. It is hard not to support a plan that asks visitors to pay something for the public services they use while here. But the tax would have to be developed in such a way that Montana citizens would not incur any additional burden. In fact, the goal would be to lower taxes for Montanans.
Q: Montana’s Medicaid expansion program is set to expire in 2019. Should the state renew this program?
A: Yes, the state should renew Medicaid. “Medicaid expansion in Montana now insures about 93,950 people, generates more than $500 million a year in health care spending, has provided $902 million in health-care services and saved about $40 million in Medicaid benefits,” according to a report by the Bureau of Business and Economic Research at the University of Montana. According to the same report it has also led to 5,000 jobs and $280 million in personal income. “This has been such a good thing for Montana” said John Goodrow, chief executive officer of Benefis Health System in Great Falls. I agree with John Goodrow. (Great Falls Tribune, March 8, 2018)
Q: Which other issues would you like to see addressed by the Legislature?
A: Affordable Housing. Housing cost burdens are considerably higher in Flathead County compared to averages across the state according to a study released August 21 by the non-profit Montana Budget and Policy Center. A legislative interim committee has 3 draft bills to address this issue. It will be a priority for me.
Q: Why are you the right choice to represent your district?
A: As your voice in Helena I will uphold the Constitution of the State of Montana, paying particular attention to the following articles.
1. “Government is instituted solely for the good of the whole.” (Art.II, Sec. 1)
2. “All persons have the right to a clean and healthful environment” (Art.II, Sec. 3)
3. “All persons have the right to pursue life’s basic necessities, including health and happiness” (Art.II, Sec. 3)
I will work with Senators from all parties so that government can work for everyone.
I am not taking donations or endorsements from special interests. The interests of the voters will be my only priority.
I will treat all my fellow legislators with respect and make restoring civility to political discourse a priority.
Read More Local Elections
Final Montana election results
November 07, 2018 at 5:58 pm | Daily Inter Lake Election results Election results with 562 precincts fully reported. Voter turnout: 66.7 percent Statewide U.S. Senate MATT ROSENDALE (R) 47% 222,468 JON TESTER (D) 50% 233,932 RICK BRECKENRIDG...
Montanans’ split views on Trump evident in results
November 07, 2018 at 5:58 pm | Voters casting midterm election ballots in Montana were divided over President Donald Trump’s performance, and it showed in the results: Republican Rep. Greg Gianforte embraced the president’s agenda...
Republicans retain control of Montana Legislature in election
November 07, 2018 at 5:44 pm | HELENA (AP) — Republican majorities appear to be safe in the Montana House and Senate with many races still to be decided. GOP leaders sought to protect their 32-18 majority over Democrats in the Se...
Tobacco tax hike for Medicaid expansion rejected
November 07, 2018 at 5:44 pm | HELENA (AP) — Montana voters have rejected a ballot measure that sought to extend the state’s Medicaid program and pay for it in part by raising the tobacco tax. The result from Tuesday’s election m...
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line649
|
__label__wiki
| 0.57229
| 0.57229
|
← Is Overwriting a Thing?
Authors From One Country Who Set Books in Another Country →
Literature’s LGBTQ Characters: an Update
In honor of June 2019’s Pride Month, I’m going to revisit LGBTQ characters in fiction — LGBTQ of course standing for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer.
I previously wrote about this topic in 2013 (a year before starting this blog) and mentioned a number of novels with openly, closeted, or maybe-they-are/maybe-they-aren’t LGBTQ characters in lead or supporting roles. Among those books were Rita Mae Brown’s Rubyfruit Jungle, James Baldwin’s Giovanni’s Room, Alice Walker’s The Color Purple, Colette’s Claudine at School, Barbara Kingsolver’s The Lacuna, Margaret Atwood’s The Robber Bride, Margaret Drabble’s The Sea Lady, Fannie Flagg’s Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, Wilkie Collins’ The Woman in White, Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick, and Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House.
This blog post will mention some of the novels I’ve read since 2013 with LGBTQ characters.
Despite the cruel right-wing intolerance in the U.S. and elsewhere that’s setting back various kinds of human rights these days, LGBTQ people are generally more accepted in many places than decades ago. This is reflected in recent literature — where there are more LGBTQ characters (from both LGBTQ and non-LGBTQ authors), where these characters are usually treated more positively or at least more three-dimensionally than in the past, and where in many cases a big deal isn’t made of these characters; they’re one of the many parts of the human mosaic. That’s a good thing.
The five-person Lambert family that Jonathan Franzen focuses on in The Corrections (a great novel I also mentioned last week) includes daughter Denise, who’s had a bisexual life but is almost certainly lesbian. Her portrayal is satisfying and convincing partly because her sexual life is depicted as just one of many aspects of her — she’s also a conflicted daughter/sibling, a strong personality, very smart, a star professional chef, a hard worker, generous at times, unkind at other times, etc.
In Stieg Larsson’s Millennium Trilogy — which begins with The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo — the brilliant, abused, troubled, brave, vengeance-seeking Lisbeth Salander is bisexual. The most memorable character in those three riveting novels.
Among the many memorable characters J.K. Rowling has expertly created, from her Harry Potter series to her crime fiction, have been LGBTQ ones. For instance, in The Cuckoo’s Calling novel written under Rowling’s Robert Galbraith pen name, Guy Somé (pictured on the right in the above photo) is stereotypical in certain ways (he’s a fashion designer) but is depicted as a fairly complex person devoid of several other gay stereotypes.
The Secret History‘s Francis Abernathy is gay but that’s not overemphasized in Donna Tartt’s compelling debut novel. Her emphasis is more on the insularity and strangeness of the small group (including Francis) that protagonist Richard falls in with when he goes to college.
It’s not secret history that there’ve been LGBTQ people throughout time, and one example of this is in Philippa Gregory’s excellent novel Earthly Joys. Set in the 17th century, it features a master royal gardener (John Tradescant) who’s married to a woman but ends up having a same-gender sexual dalliance with a charismatic “bad boy” duke.
A novel that sort of/sort of not fits this blog post is Abigail Tarttelin’s excellent Golden Boy, which — like Jeffrey Eugenides’ Pulitzer Prize-winning Middlesex — features an intersex character. The hermaphroditic gender confusion embodied in protagonist Max Walker has echoes of what transgender people face.
Your favorite novels featuring LGBTQ characters in lead or supporting roles?
In addition to this weekly blog, I write the award-winning “Montclairvoyant” topical-humor column for Baristanet.com. The latest weekly piece — which comedically compares my town in 2019 vs. 1796 — is here.
Tagged authors, books, fiction, LGBTQ, LGBTQ characters, LGBTQ characters in literature, literature, novels
65 thoughts on “Literature’s LGBTQ Characters: an Update”
Dave ” In One Person”, by great John Irving , what an amazing book, covers everything from homosexuality, AIDS epidemic and what not !
Irving was writing as Billy Dean , the book covers when Billy was 13,and follows Him when in mid 60`s and a well known Novelist.
Young Billy had a crush on the librarian Miss Foster. She was actually Big Al, undefeated wrestling champion, 6-foot-2 in her socks, Billy loses his virginity to her knowing she was a woman.
Billy had a lost Father, grew up with his mother in Grandpa`s house.who was a female impersonator all his life.
Billy grew up to be a bisexual, then came AIDS epidemic in 80`s.One of his friend cheated on his wife and gave her the disease..and so on…
Tolerance, in a John Irving novel, is not about anything goes. It’s what happens when we face our own desires honestly, whether we act on them or not.
Thank you for mentioning that novel, bebe! A John Irving book I’d like to read; I really enjoyed his “The Cider House Rules” and “A Prayer for Owen Meany.” You described “In One Person” very well! Sounds quirky, intriguing, and (as you said) tolerant — three qualities for which Irving is widely known!
Dave worth reading, an excellent and Quirky book, so descriptive, I highly recommend. They say Irving`s Son is gay or He himself had inclination at young age, who knows.
It is also a compassionate book as he always roots for the underdog.
Great observation, bebe — an author’s own experience or an author’s own family experience can have a big impact on a novel — even if the novel is not semi-autobiographical per se.
This is LBGT pride month as you know Dave.
Library displayed literature, so I asked if I could display the book and I did 🙂
I didn’t want someone to remove it without knowing
Great idea by you to display that John Irving novel, bebe!
The Juncture Magazine
Giovanni’s Room is a personal favorite. Great post!
Thank you, The Juncture Magazine! James Baldwin was a terrific writer.
For those like myself, who count among his guilty pleasures detective fiction, I recommend, in keeping with the week’s theme, Joseph Hansen, author of a series of novels featuring Dave Brandstetter, a gay insurance investigator.
And, in keeping with that theme, I mention Dashiell Hammet’s character, Joel Cairo, gay, swindler and thief among those vying for possession of “The Maltese Falcon.”
Thank you, jhNY! I remember those Joseph Hansen novels being mentioned here at one point. An online search tells me the first book in the Dave Brandstetter series was “Fadeout”; I’m going to look for it at the library next week.
And a great mention of Joel Cairo! I read “The Maltese Falcon” about five (?) years ago, and totally forgot about that character when writing this week’s column.
I’ve read two in the Brandstetter series, and they are solid genre offerings, plus, for their time, a unique and uncloseted point of view.
Good to know, jhNY. And Wikipedia tells me that the first Dave Brandstetter mystery was published in 1970 — definitely putting that series in the early part of the modern boomlet of novels with LGBTQ characters.
Jean Genet provided the world a demi-monde of gay characters and settings, often carceral in nature. He was, as a man and as an author, transfixed by beautiful criminals, though he was himself small and unremarkable in appearance. His doings, before he found he could write, put him in proximity with such types, and often behind bars. Genet’s prose style is poetic, idiosyncratic, and his themes are dependably perverse. He makes for somewhat uncomfortable reading, as by the power of his artistry you feel drawn in to places and circumstances images and insights you would not have otherwise chosen to dwell in, or even visit. And yet, by the power of his artistry, there you are. His first novel, and most famous work, is “Our Lady of the Flowers” (1944), published, thanks in part, to the efforts of Jean Cocteau, who, if I remember things correctly, was himself desperately busy that year on a film starring his own lover, candybox-handsome Jean Marais– the immortal “Beauty and the Beast”.
Arthur Rimbaud, author of “A Season in Hell” ,”The Illuminations” and “The Drunken Boat” left the surly bonds of the Parisian literary scene and poetry itself at a tender age, but not before becoming infamous for his farcically disastrous and, for the times, outrageous affair with a fellow poet, the older and married Paul Verlaine. Rimbaud spent the remainder of his short life in deliberately remote places in North Africa, attempting several cynical careers in mostly elicit trade in items such as smuggled rifles, all of which earned him little but wounds, from which he died after returning prodigally and sunburnt to his family home. As the first-person dominates his poetry, he is himself a gay character in literature, and the most impactful poet of his age.
Last, I would like to mention Walt Whitman, another homosexual poet, not so much for he wrote, but for the man he was when at his best. I happened to be watching Antiques Roadshow one night, and a person bearing a letter from a relative who died during the Civil War appeared on the program. In the corner of the letter was a note that said, more or less, that the letter itself was taken down by a Walt Whitman, who had offered his service as scribe to the dying man– a kindness rendered by the poet during the period he volunteered himself as nurse, first to his own wounded brother, and after, to those in need.
Thank you, jhNY! Informative/descriptive mentions of Jean Genet, Arthur Rimbaud, Walt Whitman, and their work!
I read a biography of Whitman a number of years ago, and he did indeed acquit himself impressively well during America’s Civil War. And when one reads his “Leaves of Grass” with the knowledge that he was gay, certain elements of that opus clearly have at least a subtle gay subtext.
Two other classic novels treating homosexuality, if a bit obliquely:
Andre Gide’s The Immoralist”(1902), and “The Well of Loneliness”(1928) by Radcliffe Hall– perhaps the first example of a novel whose major character is a lesbian. (I’ve got a first edition here, though there seem to be a few editions claiming themselves to be first.)
Just for the fun of it, I’ve hoped, without looking into it, that someplace somebody has named a residential property Radcliffe Hall. But then again, I’m the guy who very nearly bought a fan whose Chinese manufacturer had dubbed the Lady Windermere…
Thank you, jhNY! “The Well of Loneliness” might possibly have been the first novel whose major character was lesbian, but one wonders if there were other such novels before that that were less known. Clearly, there were earlier books with supporting characters who were lesbian or possibly lesbian — including Wilkie Collins’ “The Woman in White” (1859) and Colette’s “Claudine at School” (1900).
Ha! One would think Radcliffe College would have a Radcliffe Hall, but I came up empty in a Google search.
Many years ago I used to have a cleaning lady. One day I came home from work to find about 15 books on my dining table with a note from her saying she didn’t want them anymore. One of the books was part of the “Isles of Glory” trilogy. The protagonist is a half-breed woman who is shunned from society due to her bastard and half-breed status. She doesn’t have a nice childhood, but grows up to become a very powerful bounty hunter. At one point she’s trying to rescue the princess who she falls in love with. There are two other books in the series which I didn’t enjoy quite as much as the first novel “The Aware” but I have very fond memories of discovering a fun fantasy tale, and am grateful to the cleaning lady for introducing me to the works of Glenda Larke.
Not so much fun was the death of the gay soldier in “Captain Corelli’s Mandolin”. If I remember correctly, he never got to ‘come out’ as gay so that his secret shame died with him.
Oh, I think I just thought of a really obvious LGBTQ story that maybe isn’t really LGBTQ. When “Brokeback Mountain” first came out as a movie, I was discussing it with a gay friend of mine. Neither of us had seen the movie, but were both pretty dismissive of some girly, sappy, gay romance. My friend said all his gay friends were talking about it, and it was often described as just a romance. It has nothing to do with being gay. And we both thought Please! It’s about two guys doing each other away in the mountains. Of course it’s about being gay. But of course, I shouldn’t have had an opinion until I actually saw the movie, which is a beautiful and romantic and tragic love story that just happens to be about two men, but has very little to do with being gay. I think about this mostly as a movie, but I’ve also read the Annie Proulx novella so that means I’m allowed to gush about the movie, right?
Thank you, Sue! Loved the memory of you getting those 15 or so books. 🙂 Glad you liked “The Aware,” which is now on my (long) to-read list.
I think “Captain Corelli’s Mandolin” — which you recommended to me — is a terrific novel! And, yes, it includes a very closeted gay character. Understandable closeting given the place (southern Europe) and time (World War II era).
And, yes, “Brokeback Mountain” — which I should read. Great description of it!
Just wanted to jump in and mention a book I’m reading right now and enjoying the heck out of. “The Priory of the Orange Tree” is what I’d call high-brow epic fantasy, and features a number of same sex relationships. “The Gardener’s Hand” series does too, and is also very much worth a read if you enjoy that kind of more literary fantasy.
Thank you, Elena! I just put “The Priory of the Orange Tree” on my to-read list. Fantasy (and sci-fi) novels have the potential to contain very compelling LGBTQ content.
The one downside to this blog is it makes it even more impossible to shorten the length of my TBR. “The Priory of Orange Tree” is also on my list 🙂
Ha! I hear you, Sue. My “TBR” list is also “Too Big — Really”!
I’ve seen a lot more LGBTQ in my recent reads – which I think is an excellent step towards where we need to be. I do feel that literature is often a reflection of the times, and it can often pave the way for change for the better. “American Pop,” a book which I mentioned on this page awhile back, has a very sad story line with a gay character who struggles with his identity. A book I’m about half-way through at present, “the Librarian of Auschwitz,” also has a surprise and heartbreaking LGBTQ side story in it, and the nightmare that it was to be any form of “different” during the Nazi years. Also, on the movie front, I just saw the movie “Rocketman,” which broke all kinds of barriers in that regard, and is EXCELLENT, I might add.
Thank you, M.B.!
“I’ve seen a lot more LGBTQ in my recent reads” — glad to hear that, even though a couple of those books were very sad.
I’d love to see “Rocketman” eventually; I was a big Elton John fan years ago. Changing times certainly helped make him at least somewhat comfortable about eventually coming out. Great that it’s such a good movie!
Dave what a timely and appropriate column of today in the eve of another Presidential election.
Who would imagine the Mayor of South Bend Indiana Pete Buttigieg , 37 year old Harvard graduate , Rhodes Scholar , a war veteran of Afghanistan would be a serious contender for 2020 Presidency..
A polyglot who speaks seven languages, the Mayor is so fascinating that every news channel wanted to feature him. Mayor Pete is gay and perhaps will not win but his cool countenance is so comforting as he is never out of words to say the right thing at the right moment.
In Stieg Larsson’s Millennium Trilogy — which begins with The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, Lisbeth Salander is a bisexual woman, abused and neglected was left for dead , came out intact and fought for human rights. Always risked her life to save another in trouble and never forgot anyone ever showed their kindness toward her.
The author and creator Stieg Larsson died suddenly after the trilogy so we never knew if Ms. Salander ever united with the one man she saved and loved Mikael Blomkvist .
Thank you, bebe! It’s good to do a timely post once in a while. 🙂
Yes, Pete Buttigieg is a serious presidential contender — which would have been unimaginable not that long ago. I’m sure there are still plenty of Americans out there who sadly and narrow-mindedly would not vote for an openly LGBTQ person, but I guess a lot of them would never vote for ANY Democrat. As you know I have some mixed feelings about Buttigieg’s politics (not liberal enough for me), but he is certainly an impressive person.
Lisbeth Salander is indeed such a fascinating character. I would have loved to see what happened to her after the third novel, but I refuse to read the books by the late Stieg Larsson’s “successor.” They can’t be as good as Larsson’s trilogy, and I’ve heard Larsson’s longtime partner did not approve.
Yes Dave we did discuss about that, at this moment democrats have so many ( too many) candidates. We want trump be gone therefore whoever wins the nomination will get my vote.
Yes, bebe, way too many candidates, and it will be a while before many of them get weeded out.
I agree that Trump has GOT to go. I’m hoping he’ll be defeated by a large enough margin where he and other vile Republicans (and a meddling other country or two) can’t easily steal the election or ignore the results.
Yes, bebe and Dave, I watched this morning last night’s The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and was interested to see what Samuel L. Jackson had to say. He doesn’t have a favorite yet, but basically anyone but Trump!
Samuel L. Jackson is a wise man!
Whatever one wants to say about Hollywood, most people in the movie biz despise Trump — with VERY good reason, of course.
I’m feeling a bit subdued this morning, because one of my BF’s dearest friends died last night from lung cancer. It’s never easy to lose those people we care deeply about, and having done this myself for dear friends of mine, it really is the worst.
So sorry, Kat Lit. 😦 My condolences to all.
Oh Kat Lit do watch the 60 mins piece on Samuel L. Jackson , I had no idea about him to be such a brilliant actor, yes I wave seen some of his movies.
Hi Dave and Kat Lit…this interview was great !
Thank you, bebe! I like that interview snippet you posted. Samuel L. Jackson made an honest statement — I’m sure most movie actors and actresses like to see themselves on screen.
Hi bebe and Dave. I’ve been watching a lot of Jeopardy lately, and the final jeopardy question the other night had to do with the poet Tagore. I said to Bill, I know who Tagore is from my friend bebe, however I didn’t get the answer right which was the Taj Mahal. All the contestants got it, which I thought was impressive.
Wonderful that Tagore was part of “Jeopardy”! Thank you for letting us know that, Kat Lit. And, yes, contestants on that show are incredibly smart.
I am so curious what was the question that was asked and impressive all were correct 😉
I’m curious, too, Kat Lit. Do you remember the Tagore question? (I realize it’s hard for anyone to remember everything from “Jeopardy” — SO many questions.)
Yes, I found it — it was “Poet Rabindranath Tagore compared this landmark to a teardrop glistening on the cheek of time.” What a lovely image!
Thank you, Kat Lit! That IS lovely.
Oh my goodness…a famous poetry
Poet Rabindranath Tagore compared this landmark to a teardrop glistening on the cheek of time
Kat Lit and Dave..there is a show starting from this Sunday evening from 8 PM for two hours called “Good Fight”. About a Black Law firm It was in CBS all access and now on popular demand CBS bringing it to TV.
Totally anti trump , excellent cast , we love it, I know Dave you are not a TV
The music I simply love.
Thank you, bebe! It does sound like a great show. And I agree that the music is excellent. Interesting exploding images, too. 🙂
Actually third season is going and i did borrowed from Library after the DVD came out. Started the night when world thought Hillary to be the President but all changed. That`s why such images with all dreams were shattered and you saw who are the two they showed, Putin and trump.
Diane the main character was going to retire comfortably in Italy with all her money to find out she lost all in Ponzi schemes.
Now the show is keeping up with DT`s shenanigans and even my husband liked it way to get him away from 24/7 news in the evenings.:)
Ah, thanks for the explanation, bebe. And SO much material, unfortunately, when it comes to keeping up with Trump’s despicable behavior.
Thanks for mentioning some great books there, Dave! The Color Purple is a particular favorite of mine.
I have to bring in some Russian works that deal with this topic. Probably the best in my opinion is the “Girlfriend” cycle of poems by Marina Tsvetaeva. Unpublished during her lifetime, it describes her passionate affair with sister poet Sophia Parnok. Tsvetaeva was deeply conflicted about her bisexuality, as she was about many things, and also wrote in “Letter to an Amazon” about the conflict between love for a woman and the intense desire for children.
From about the same time (early 20th century), Mikhail Kuz’min wrote the novella “Wings,” about a teenage boy who has an affair with an older man, and the poetic cycle “The Trout Breaks the Ice,” about the pain of “the love that dare not speak its name.”
More recently, Vladimir Makanin’s “Caucasian Captive,” which was adapted to film under the name “Captive,” is a reimagining of Pushkin’s “Prisoner of the Caucasus,” set during the recent Chechen wars and featuring a budding romance between a Russian soldier and his Chechen POW.
If you’re interested in Russian LGBTQ writing, these are all excellent places to start, although with the caveat that Russian works on the topic tend to be a lot less, um, wholesome than contemporary US works. The sex itself tends to be so understated that it might pass a lot of readers by completely, but the relationships themselves often feature large age gaps, unequal power dynamics, and tragedy.
Thank you, Elena, for that VERY informative comment. I had no idea there was a good deal of Russian LGBTQ fiction, recent and less recent. All of what you describe sounds like interesting reading, even with plenty of self-censorship and/or depiction of repression. Actually, those kinds of restrictions can help lead to fascinating fiction if the writer is skilled enough.
Yes, as fiction it’s often brilliant, although it has social/political aspects that might make some western readers uncomfortable. It’s often used as a way to explore what is taboo or Other, rather than feel-good celebration.
As an interesting aside. since most Russians are not on the lookout for “gay” behavior the way a lot of Westerners are, apparently it’s possibly to be comparatively open about it there while still flying under the radar. Certainly a number of my friends had no trouble there. It’s normally only a problem if you engage in overt political activism, at which point things can get very ugly, very fast.
Interesting, Elena. Well said! A shame that LGBTQ content by Russian writers is often not “feel good,” but, as you say, it still seems very much worth reading.
I’ve definitely had the impression that Russia is among the European countries less tolerant of LGBTQ rights than a number of other European countries. Glad under-the-radar LGBTQ people don’t have too many problems there. Under Putin, overt political activism of any kind — LGBTQ-related or otherwise — is pretty much taboo. But of course, the consequences in many societies are often worse for LGBTQ than non-LGBTQ people.
The fact that lgbtq activism is seen as the result of western influence has significantly complicated things for people in Russia and particularly Chechnya, where there have been some horrifying purges in recent years as the country struggles to recover from centuries of repression.
Ah, the “western influence” bugaboo. Great point. There are certainly some legitimate reasons why the negative aspects of “western influence” are disdained by Russia and a number of other countries, but that disdain is of course often feigned as a cover for cracking down on human rights.
Unfortunately so.
I suppose the good thing, Dave, is that I can’t really remember LGBTQ characters in books I’ve read, because sexual orientation isn’t that important any longer. I’m not saying it’s trivial, just more accepted, which is good. Who would have thought we’d have a presidential candidate who is openly gay and married to his husband. even appearing together on the cover of Time magazine not long ago? I didn’t even remember that Lisbeth Salander was bisexual. I know there are still many people across the world who still think this is a sin against whatever God they believe in, and as Bill Tammeus says below, there is still a ways to go.
Thank you, Kat Lit! You make an important point — one I also briefly made in my post — that fiction writers depicting LGBTQ sexual orientation in a what’s-the-big-deal way is one positive indication of how far (some of) society has advanced in accepting LGBTQ people.
And, yes, the candidacy of Pete Buttigieg — and the somewhat successful nature of it so far — would have been inconceivable not that long ago.
The only book I really remember was “Brideshead Revisited,” by Evelyn Waugh. His main character was involved with two of the Flytes’ family, Sebastian and Julia. There was also homosexuality on the campus of Oxford when Ryder attended there. As usual, I remember more from the DVD of the miniseries than the actual book.
I spend most of my time now watching the MSNBC News, because it is both informative and funny. They had yesterday a senator from North Dakota who said that his constituents were most concerned about immigration status. I laughed out loud when he said that — who are they concerned about,– the Canadians! Ha!
I meant to change my name back to Kat Lit, but I suppose everyone knows me by now.
“Brideshead Revisited” is a great example, Kat Lit! Thank you!
Hilarious/sad about that North Dakota politician. Most of the far right is hardly concerned about immigration of white people (though of course Canada is not all white). It’s almost all about racism for those sorry officials. Maybe that ridiculous pol feels some immigrants from south of the border will eventually settle in ND? As some have.
In my late career with a major healthcare professional company, I worked with many folks who lived in ND and in that area. I never had a problem with any of them, and especially their language. I do admit that I’ve got a problem with understanding people from India or other countries, but I don’t hold that against them. I’m sure they have problems with understanding me!
True — U.S. residents can seem as “foreign” to people from other countries as people from other countries seem to U.S. residents!
Bill Tammeus
Thanks for this one, Dave. I’ve been astonished at the rapidity of change for good in the world for LGBTQ people, though we’re clearly a long way from where we need to be. The root of the bigotry is found in an ancient and profound misreading of the Bible, both testaments, as I try to make clear in this essay posted on my “Faith Matters” blog: https://billtammeus.typepad.com/my_weblog/the-bible-and-homosexuality.html
You’re welcome, Bill — and thank you very much for that link! A long essay, but “must reading” that outlines your tolerant, highly informed religious (and secular) thoughts about LGBTQ matters in 1993 and more recently.
This statement of yours sums it up: “I’ve been astonished at the rapidity of change for good in the world for LGBTQ people, though we’re clearly a long way from where we need to be.”
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line651
|
__label__cc
| 0.638513
| 0.361487
|
JBrute
By JBrute Software | November 21, 2010
JBrute is a stand-alone English - Japanese and Japanese - English dictionary lookup program. It uses publicly available data for the dictionary and examples (see acknowledgements below). The current distribution contains in excess of 170,000 dictionary entries and a similar number of example-of-use sentences. Think of it as full-featured, PC-version of dedicated electronic dictionary device: a fast and easy way to look up both English and Japanese words and phrases. Features include: Key-by-key lookup in both English and Japanese. As you type, entries that start with your query immediately appear in the left search pane. Power searches. Every word of the dictionary and examples can be searched (including Wildcard and quoted phrase searches). Vocabulary List for electronic text. Given a section of Japanese text (say in a PDF file or a web page), you can automatically create a list of words/phrases found in the text. Examples and Kanji meanings. Each dictionary entry includes both examples (where available, and they usually are) and information about each Kanji character used. It supports the OS's native IME. Thus you can enter search terms in both English and Japanese. If you enter it in Japanese, you can even "paint" the Kanji. If you don't know about the OS's IME, see the Help file. Acknowledgements. This product uses the EDICT and KANJIDIC files as the source of the dictionary content. These files are the property of the Electronic Dictionary Research and Development Group at Monash University, and are used in conformance with the Group's licence.
USD10
Windows 2000 Windows XP Windows NT Windows Vista Windows 2003 Windows 7 Windows Windows Server 2008
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line655
|
__label__cc
| 0.571158
| 0.428842
|
Neurofeedback in Treatment of Substance Abuse
Editor’s Note: This article is the first in a two-part series on Neurofeedback in the Treatment of Substance Abuse. This article presents evidence of the neurological basis, specifically EEG dysfunction, underlying addiction that makes it such a complicated condition to treat, and explains how neurofeedback addresses cognitive, emotional and physical symptoms. The second part of this article will include a discussion of the efficacy models of neurofeedback and a review of the research applying neurofeedback to substance abuse treatment, as well as address the possible mechanisms of its effectiveness in addiction.
Over the last two decades a new research and clinical approach—neurofeedback—has shown promise in the treatment of substance abuse. This article addresses how it works, what makes it so effective, why it is a potentially important tool in addiction, the neurophysiological issues it might address, the existing promising research and, most importantly, that neurofeedback can be a significant adjunct to the therapeutic and counseling process with addicts.
The category of disorders associated with substance abuse is the most common psychiatric set of conditions affecting an estimated 22 million people in this country (SAMHSA, 2004). Furthermore, the disorder is accompanied by serious impairments of cognitive, emotional and behavioral functioning. These conditions and symptoms so significantly alter a person’s brain and its functioning, that we often refer to the drug as hijacking the brain, making it very difficult to think logically and appropriately weigh the consequences of the drug related behavior.
Detoxified addicts have been shown to have significant alterations in brain electroencephalographic (EEG) patterns and children of addicts also exhibit EEG patterns that are significantly different than normal (Sokhadze et al., 2008, for review). This indicates that, not only are we dealing with the neurological consequences of drug-related behavior, but there appears to be a genetic pattern as well, that places certain people at greater risk for addictive behaviors. The complexity of these factors makes the treatment of addiction one of the most difficult areas of mental, emotional and physical rehabilitation.
Multiple factors in addiction
Treating addiction is compounded by the many factors contributing to its onset and maintenance. Furthermore, the addiction itself masks many other clinical conditions that become more evident once the drug user becomes abstinent. In fact, it is frequently other psychiatric problems that lead to drug abuse as the addict attempts self-medication. It has also been shown that people with cognitive disabilities are more vulnerable, and more likely to have a substance abuse disorder (Moore, 1998). These impairments appear to include attentional issues as well as the hypo-functioning of the frontal cortex, sometimes referred to as the executive brain, where decision making takes place (Fowler, et al., 2007).
As a result, we are learning that no one approach has all the answers. Multiple mechanisms require multiple considerations and approaches. In addition, addicts are a diverse group, resulting in the need for many tools and approaches. It appears that programs offering the most diversified array of treatment modalities are the most effective (Vaccaro & Sideroff, 2008). That is also why, for example, most programs urge the inclusion of a 12-step program for ongoing support.
But how do you address the biological and genetic aspects while also addressing the traumatic and emotional factors, the social cognitive and attentional factors? How do you deal with the apparent “procedural memory” and conditioned factors that cause an abstinent addict, on his or her way home from work, to all of a sudden take an inappropriate turn and end up at the drug dealer? Neurofeedback appears to be a tool, a training that has the facility to address many of these factors associated with addiction.
History of promising treatmentsOver the years, there have been a number of developments that have been promising in the treatment of addiction. Each time a new approach is identified, it is immediately seen as being the long sought after “silver bullet” that will solve the addiction problem. This occurred with the development of methadone, and later Levo-Alpha Acetyl Methadol (LAAM). When I entered the field in 1976, as a post-doctoral fellow of the National Institute of Drug Abuse, Naltrexone was gaining popularity. Naltrexone is a long-acting opiate antagonist that blocks the effects of opiates, such as morphine, heroin and codeine.
It was around this time that the importance of addiction-related stimuli was becoming widely recognized (Wikler, 1984). In research examining the conditioned aspects of addiction, it was found that stimuli associated with the drug using behavior could serve as conditioned stimuli that would trigger an unconditioned psychophysiological response that had similarities to withdrawal and included anxiety, fear and physiological arousal (e.g. Sideroff & Jarvik, 1980). This conditioned patterning of response lead to the proposal that relapse liability might be determined by exposing addicts to these conditioned stimuli and monitoring their responses (Sideroff, 1980).
Following this conditioning model, one potential mechanism of Naltrexone treatment would be the behavioral extinction of some of the conditioned associations of addiction. In other words, if the addict attempted to get high while on Naltrexone, the lack of reinforcing effect might lessen the conditioned effects of drug related stimuli. This, in turn, might reduce readdiction liability. All that needed to happen was for the addict to use, without experiencing any effect; a perfectly reasonable theoretical assumption. So, not only was Naltrexone expected to be successful in keeping addicts from using, but it also could address conditioned aspects of addiction.
When I arrived at UCLA and the Veterans Administration at Brentwood in 1976, I was surprised to discover that the treatment program to which I had been awarded a fellowship, was already eliminated—almost before it began. With the help of the director of the methadone clinic, I started a new experimental Naltrexone treatment program, drawing recruits from the VA’s metha¬done maintenance population.
Unfortunately, Naltrexone did not meet its high expectations. While many methadone patients expressed interest in using Naltrexone, the long process of withdrawing from methadone—necessary in order to begin taking the opiate antagonist—eliminated more than 80 percent of volunteers. Also, as we enrolled volunteers, we found that 90 percent of the addicts who began using Naltrexone never used opiates while on the antagonist; and the 10 percent who did use, only used once. It was as if the addict immediately experienced this “no reward” condition and thus didn’t bother to waste his money. This, in itself, was an interesting finding, as it showed this population to be able to demonstrate impulse control under certain circumstances (Sideroff et al., 1978). As a result, we never had the opportunity to test our theory of extinction.
The use of Naltrexone for opiate addiction has subsequently been viewed as an unworkable model. Yet, for the small fraction of individuals who were able to detox and begin taking Naltrexone, it did change their lives.
Typically, the “Silver Bullet” has been thought of in terms of a drug; something that could either eliminate craving or eliminate the high of the drug of abuse. What have become most useful, have been drugs of substitution, such as buprenorphine, (Johnson, et al., 2000), as we continue to search for an effective treatment combination that includes psychotherapy.
EEG and addiction
The EEG is one objective representation of how the brain is functioning. The EEG is recorded from scalp electrodes, and is a representation of electrical activity produced by the collective firing of populations of neurons in the brain, in the vicinity of the electrode. Figure 1 presents a chart of brain wave frequencies and the primary functions associated with their production. It should be pointed out that this is a gross representation and that more precise differences—beyong the scope of this article – can be found when you look at specific single frequencies within each range. While all frequencies and frequency ranges are important and necessary, problems arise when there is too much or too little of a particular type of brain wave; there is difficulty shifting in response to changing needs; or the EEG is to reactive.
For example, in a healthy functioning brain, if we look at the amount of theta being produced and we compared it (using 4-8 Hz) with beta frequencies between 13 and 21 Hz (cycles per second), there is approximately a 2 to 1 ratio. When we assess the EEGs of people with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), we see ratios that are 3 to 1 and much higher (Lubar, 2003).
These higher ratios indicate that the brain is producing too much of the slow waves relative to the beta waves, where the beta waves represent a more focused and engaged brain. In other words, these brains are under-activated. On the other hand, if we look at the EEG patterns of people with anxiety, worry and tension, there is typically too much activity occurring in the higher frequencies, usually between 24 and 35 Hz. The EEGs of people with substance abuse problems can show both of these patterns.
It has been demonstrated that the EEGs of addicts show specific abnormalities when compared to normative data. Studies of detoxified alcoholics indicate an increase in absolute and relative power in the higher beta range, along with a decrease in alpha and delta/theta power (Saletu, et al., 2002). Low voltage fast desynchronized patterns (high beta) may be interpreted as demonstrating a hyper arousal of the central nervous system (Saletu-Z et al., 2004); and Bauer, showed a worse prognosis for the patient group with a more pronounced frontal hyper-arousal (Bauer, 2001).
The fact that these EEG patterns as well as alcohol dependence itself are highly inheritable further supports the biological nature of this disease (Gabrielli et al., 1982; Schuckit & Smith, 1996; Van Beijsterveldt & Van Baal, 2002).
These specific abnormalities show both a worse prognosis and a predisposition to development of alcoholism. Indivi¬duals with a family history of alcoholism were found to have reduced relative and absolute alpha power in occipital and frontal regions and increased relative beta in both regions compared with those with a negative family history of alcoholism. In another study, these abnormalities also were associated with risk for alcoholism (Finn & Justus, 1999).
It is a common belief that at least part of the cause of addiction is an attempt at feeling better—self-medicating. When someone with reduced or an absence of synchronous alpha rhythm takes a drink of alcohol, it results in the generation of an alpha rhythm or what is referred to as alpha synchrony, which a normal functioning brain has much greater capacity to produce (Pollock et al., 1983). Thus, it appears that the alcohol is helping the addicted person compensate for their brain’s inability to produce an alpha rhythm which is associated with a state of calmness. This mechanism helps to explain the use of alcohol by this group of addicts.
In related research on abstinent heroin-dependent subjects, it is interesting to note similar abnormalities of deficits in alpha frequencies, along with excessive high beta EEG activity (Franken et al. 2004; Polunina & Davydov, 2004). Although it appears that in some studies, these changes found in early abstinence normalize after several months of abstinence (Shufman et al., 1966; Polunina & Davydov, 2004). Cocaine-dependent subjects may show similar increases in beta activity, but in addition show increases in frontal alpha (Herning, et al., 1994). These changes, specifically the elevation of fast beta activity, appear to be correlated with relapse in cocaine abuse (Bauer, 2001). In contrast, meth¬amphetamine abusers have been shown to have significant increases in delta and theta frequency bands (Newton et al, 2003).
There are many questions that this research does not answer with regard to the relationship between abnormal EEG patterns and addiction. For example, it is not known if these dysfunctional elements are coincidental or causal. In addition, these EEG patterns are found in many mental disorders, some that are typically coincident with substance abuse. These questions do not minimize the probable conclusions that the EEG dysfunction creates specific vulnerabilities of these subjects. For example, frontal alpha, which is also found with some types of ADD, results in impairment of executive functions, such as decision making; and excessive fast beta activity can result in excess emotional and physical tension as well, as obsessive qualities.
Other substances of abuse have also been shown to correlate with abnormal EEG patterns. For example, studies have demonstrated that subjects with a chronic history of marijuana use demonstrate EEG patterns of frontal elevations of alpha frequencies. (Struve, Manno, Kemp, Patrick, & Manno 2003). This is referred to as “alpha hyper-frontality.” Another common feature of the EEG of chronic users is a reduction of alpha mean frequency, which may indicate some deficits in intellectual functioning.
Neurofeedback, as a subset of biofeedback, monitors a subject’s brain waves and feeds back selective information about these brain waves, in order to gain control over these patterns. Neurofeedback programs typically allow for the setting of thresholds within specific frequency bands or ranges so that when the EEG either rises above the threshold or drops below the threshold, some form of signal or reinforcement is presented to the subject. This feedback lets the brain know when it has been successful, thus, in an operant conditioning model, encourages this rewarded brain wave response. When the goal is to have the signal go above a threshold, we refer to this as “up training” or rewarding. When the goal is to reinforce signals that drop below a threshold, we refer to this as “down training,” or inhibiting this component of the EEG.
Joe Kamiya, a researcher at the University of Chicago, was the first researcher to discover that when a subject was informed that he was producing alpha brain wave frequencies, he would then be able to learn to detect, on his own, when he was in alpha (Kamiya, 1968). As a result of this finding, he designed a study in which he similarly gave feedback to the subjects as to their production of alpha, with the instruction to produce alpha. He found that when given this feedback, subjects were able to increase their production of synchronous alpha waves (Nowlis & Kamiya, 1970). Interestingly, his success led to the popularity of alpha training in mass culture, which coincided with its loss of credibility in the academic ¬community.
Neurofeedback research and its acceptance took on a new impetus when Sterman, working with cats, was able to train these animals using a similar operant conditioning model, to increase the amount of synchronous spindle activity in the 14 Hz frequency range (Sterman, 2000). Since these spindles occurred over the sensorimotor cortex, he labeled them sensorimotor rhythm (SMR). These studies confirmed that the production of these brain waves—associated with motoric stillness—resulted in animals that were more resistant to the triggering of seizures. Sterman, then adapted this EEG biofeedback procedure with epileptic patients and demonstrated its effectiveness in reducing the frequency and intensity of seizures.
When a subject produces SMR activity, he is mentally alert with relaxed muscles (lower muscle tone). Lubar, working in Sterman’s laboratory, recognized the potential of this discovery, and in a series of research studies, he and his colleagues were able to train children with hyperactive disorder to increase their production of SMR activity with feedback, resulting in reduced hyperactivity (Lubar, 1985).
The training procedures have evolved so that in addition to reinforcing SMR frequencies, the training of ADD also typically reinforces slightly higher frequencies of either 15 to 18, or 15 to 20 Hz activity, and at the same time, down trains the slower (theta) frequencies. The protocols address the ratio be¬tween the slower (theta) brain waves, with the faster brain waves, with a goal of training greater activation of the brain, which translates into improved attention. In one follow up study, Lubar and associates were able to demonstrate that gains made in variables of attention were maintained in subjects 10 years following training (Lubar, 1995; 2003).
At the same time that neurofeedback was being used to address attentional and cognitive deficits, primarily by training the activation of the brain, it also was being used to help people relax and establish autonomic and neuromuscular balance. With populations demonstrating aspects of anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder and tension, the procedure has been to train increases in alpha frequencies (8-12 Hz) or a combination of alpha and theta (Moore, 2000). In these cases, the process is one of training a lowering of activation of the brain. A wide range of neurofeedback protocols have now been applied to cognitive, emotional and physical symptoms and conditions with a growing range of positive results. A bibliography covering these studies is available (Hammond 2008).
Acknowledgement: The author wishes to express his appreciation to Eleanor Criswell, Jay Gunkelman, David Kaiser and Hugh Baras for their helpful comments.
Dr. Stephen Sideroff, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist, consultant and Assistant Professor in the Psychiatry Department at UCLA and one of the Clinical Directors at Moonview Sanctuary. Dr. Sideroff is an internationally recognized expert in behavioral medicine, biofeedback and peak performance, and wa the founder and former clinical director of Santa Monica Hospital’s Stress Strategies, which presented programsfor individuals and corporations to better cope with stress.
Bauer, L. O. (2001). Predicting relapse to alcohol and drug abuse via quantitative electroencephalography. Neuropsychopharmacology. 25, 332–333.
Finn, P.R., and Justus, A. (1999). Reduced EEG alpha power in the male and female offspring of alcoholics. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 23, 256–262.
Fowler, J.S., Volkow N.D., Kassed, C.A. & Chang, L. (2007). Imaging the addicted human brain. Sci Pract Perspect 3(2):4–16, 2007.
Franken, I.H.A., Stam, C.J., Hendriks, V.M., & van den brink, W. (2004). Electroencephalographic power and coherence analysis suggest altered brain function in abstinent male heroin-dependent patients. Neuropsychobiology. 49, 105–110.
Gabrielli, W.F., Mednick, S.A., Vlovka, J., Pollack, V.E., Schulsinger, F. & Itil, T.M. (1982). Electro¬encephalograms n children of alcoholic fathers. Psychophysiology. 19, 404–407.
Hammond, C. (2008). Comprehensive neurofeedback bibliography: 2007. update. Journal of Neurotherapy, 11(3).45–60.
Herning, R. I., Glover, B. J., Koeppl, B., Phillips, R. L., and London, E.D. (1994). Cocaine induced increases in EEG alpha and beta activity: Evidence for reduced cortical processing. Neuropsychopharmacology. 11, 1–9.
Johnson, R.E., Chutuape, M., Strain, E.C., Walsh, S.L., Stitzer, M.L. & Bigelow,G.E. (2000). A Comparison of Levomethadyl Acetate, Buprenorphine, and Methadone for Opioid Dependence. New England Journal of Medicine. 343(18):1290–1297.
Kamiya, J. (1968). Conscious control of brain waves. Psychology Today, 1, 56–60.
Lubar, J. F. (1985). EEG biofeedback and learning disabilities. Theory into Practice, 26, 106–111.
Lubar, J. F. (1995). Neurofeedback for the management of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorders. Chapter in M. S. Schwartz (Ed.), Biofeedback: A Practitioner’s Guide. New York, Guilford, 493–522.
Lubar, J. F. (2003). Neurofeedback for the management of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorders. Chapter in M. S. Schwartz & F. Andrasik (Eds.), Biofeedback: A Practitioner’s Guide (Third Edition)
pp. 409–437, Guilford, New York.
Lubar, J. O. and Lubar, J. F. (1984) Electro¬encephalo¬graphic biofeedback of SMR and beta for treatment of attention deficit disorders in a clinical setting. Biofeedback & Self-Regulation 9, pp. 1–23.
Monastra, V. J., Lynn, S., Linden, M., Lubar, J. F., Gruzelier, J., & LaVaque, T. J. (2005). Electro¬encephalograpic biofeedback in the treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Applied Psychophysiology & Biofeedback, 30(1), 53–82.
Moore D. (1998). Substance use disorder treatment for people with physical and cognitive disabilities: treatment improvement protocol (TIP) Series. DHHS Publication No. (SMA) 98–3249.
Moore N.C.,(2000). A review of EEG biofeedback treatment of anxiety disorders. Clinical Electro¬encephalography. 31(1), 1–6.
Newton, T.F., Cook, I.A., Kalechstein, A. D., Duran, S., Monroy, F., Ling, W. et al (2003). Quantitative EEG abnormalities in recently abstinent methamphetamine-dependent individuals. Clinical Neuro¬physiology, 114, 410–415.
Nowlis, D.P., & Kamiya, J. (1970). The control of electroencephalographic alpha rhythms through auditory feedback and the associated mental activity. Psychophysiology, 6, 476-484.
Pollock, V.E., Volavka, J., Goodwin, D.W., Mednick, S.A., Gabrielli, W.F., Knop, J., and Schulsinger, F. (1983). The EEG after alcohol in men at risk for alcoholism. Archives of General Psychiatry, 40,857–864.
Polunina, A. G. & Davydov, D. M. (2004). EEG spectral power and mean frequencies in early heroin abstinence. Progress in Neuropsychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry, 28, 73–82.
SAMHSA (2004). Results from the 2003 national survey on drug use and health. Office of Applied Studies, NSDUH Series H–25. Rockville, MD.
Saletu, B., Anderer, P., Saletu-Zyhlarz, G.M., Arnold, O. & Pascual-Marqui, R.D. (2002). Classification and evaluation of the pharmacodynamics of psychotropic drugs by single-lead pharmaco-EEG, EEG mapping and tomography (LORETA). Methods and findings in experimental and clinical pharmacology, 24 (Suppl. C). 97–120.
Saletu-Zyhlarz, G.M., Arnold, O., Anderer, P., Oberndorfer, S., Walter, H., Lesch, O.M., (2004). Differences in brain function between relapsing and abstaining alcohol-dependent patients, evaluated by EEG mapping. Alcohol & Alcoholism, 39, 233–240.
Schuckit, M.A. & Smith, T.L. (1996). An 8-year follow-up of 450 sons of alcoholic and control subjects. Archives of General Psychiatry, 53, 202–210.
Shufman, E., Perl, E., Cohen, M., Dickman, M., Gandaku, D., Adler, D., et al. (1996). Electro¬encephalography spectral analysis of heroin addicts compared with abstainers and normal controls. Israel Journal of Psychiatry Related Science, 33, 196–206.
Sideroff, S. (1980). Readdiction liability testing: a proposal. Br. J. Addiction. 75:405–412.
Sideroff, S., Charuvastra, V.C., Jarvik, M.E. & Ouren, J. (1978). Craving in heroin addicts maintained on the opiate antagonist Naltrexone. Am J Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 5(4):415–423.
Sideroff, S. and Jarvik, M.E., (1980). Conditioned responses to a videotape showing heroin-related stimuli. Int. J. Addict. 15(4):529-536.
Sokhadze, T. M., Cannon, R. L., Trudeau, D. L. (2008). EEG biofeedback as a treatment for substance use disorders: Review, rating of efficacy and recommendations for further research. Journal of Neurotherapy. 12(1) 5–44.
Sterman, M.B. (2000) Basic concepts and clinical findings in the treatment of seizure disorders with EEG operant conditioning, Clinical Electro¬encephalo¬graphy, 31(1), 45–55.
Struve, F.A., Manno, B.R., Kemp, P., Patrick, G. & Manno, J. (2003). Acute marihuana (THC) exposure produces a “transient” topographic quantitative EEG profile identical to the “persistent” profile seen in chronic heavy users. Clinical Electroencephalography, 34, 75–83.
Vacarro, G. & Sideroff, S. (2009).The Moonview Model. Counselor, 10(1): 42–49.
Van Beijsterveldt, C.E.M. & Van Baal, G.C.M. (2002). Twin and family studies of the human electroencephalogram: a review and a meta-analysis. Biological Psychology, 61,111–138.
Wikler, A. (1984). Conditioning factors in opiate addiction and relapse. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment. 1(4), 279–285.
Source:www.counselormagazine.com Nov 2009
Filed under: Prevention (Papers) :
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line658
|
__label__wiki
| 0.886288
| 0.886288
|
DestinationsFood & DrinkPlayStayVideo
Out for a cruise on Sunset Boulevard? Here's where to stop
Jordi Lippe-McGraw, CNN • Updated 14th June 2019
Los Angeles, California (CNN) — Envision a classic Hollywood scene and it's almost certain that sunshine and cruising along in a convertible are involved. And there's no spot more legendary to cruise than Sunset Boulevard.
The 22-mile-long road stretches from glittery Hollywood to beachy Malibu, connecting two of the highlights of Los Angeles while winding past Beverly Hills, Bel Air, UCLA and Brentwood. It's the perfect travel snapshot of Southern California life.
The road itself has changed since 1877, when real estate owner Horace H. Wilcox subdivided his 20+ acres of land along the old cattle trail route known as Sunset Boulevard. It grew bigger and got smaller as developers and property owners sold and purchased plots, and the most recent change came in 1994 when the eastern end of the street near Union Station was renamed Cesar Chavez Avenue.
And while the whole span is a local highlight, certain sections have cemented themselves a bit more in Hollywood history. The portion between Havenhurst Drive and Doheny Drive known as Sunset Strip is where protests took place in the 1960s and rock stars got in trouble in the '70s and '80s.
One of the famous hotels perched along the prominent pavement, Chateau Marmont, is where John Belushi spend his final night, James Dean jumped through a window, and where stars such as Scarlett Johansson are still known to grab a drink.
Here are the best things to do along Sunset Boulevard:
The Whisky A Go Go is a Sunset Strip standard.
There's no time restriction on when you can explore the famous road, but like everyone else in L.A., you'll want to get a car. There are certainly portions of the boulevard you can walk, but if you intend to do the entire stretch or want to bounce from Hollywood to Malibu, a vehicle will definitely be needed (if you really want to forgo the car, the city's No. 2/302 bus travels along much of the thoroughfare).
Once you have a car, you'll want to find the Boulevard, right? To find it using a GPS, enter 8200 W. Sunset Boulevard to start from the Sunset Strip. The 1.7-mile stretch between North Crescent Heights Boulevard and Doheny Drive could easily take up an afternoon or evening with a visit to the shops at Sunset Plaza, a drink at Skybar and checking out famous haunts like The Viper Room and The Comedy Store.
There are also plenty of hotels on the Strip like Andaz West Hollywood, Sunset Tower Hotel or The Standard Hollywood, so you could make this bustling area your home base to explore.
From there, you can go a couple of miles east and make a burger stop at In-N-Out and pass by Hollywood High School which Cher and Sarah Jessica Parker both attended. Or, you can head west towards the stunning California coastline.
While you can certainly pop into stores and the casual bistros during normal business hours, a number of the attractions along the Boulevard require reservations or tickets. You can catch a concert at spots like The Whisky A Go Go, but will likely need to buy tickets ahead of time. The same is true at any of the notorious comedy clubs such as The Laugh Factory. And if you want a dinner at a hot spot like BOA Steakhouse, definitely book a table in advance.
It's important to note that while driving along the boulevard at sunset is what Hollywood films are made of, the road can get very congested once rush hour hits, so plan accordingly.
Skybar, 8440 Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069, +1 323 848 6025
BOA Steakhouse, 9200 Sunset Blvd #650, West Hollywood, CA 90069, +1 310 271 6000
In-N-Out Burger, 7009 Sunset Blvd, Hollywood, CA 90028, +1 800 786 1000
Andaz West Hollywood, 8401 Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069, +1 323 656 1234
Sunset Tower Hotel, 8358 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90069, +1 323 654 7100
The Standard Hollywood, 8300 Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069, +1 323 650 9090
Whisky A Go Go, 8901 Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069, +1 310 652 4202
The Laugh Factory, 8001 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90046, +1 323 656 1336
The Self-Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine is the spiritual opposite of the Sunset Strip.
Before it became a hot spot for swanky hotels and juice bars, Sunset Boulevard was the epicenter for all things music. While advertisements for clothing technology companies dominate the billboards, they used to have musicians like the Beatles, Led Zeppelin and Bruce Springsteen plastered on them.
This, of course, often led to a rowdy crowd, but because Sunset Strip in particular fell outside of LAPD's jurisdiction, there was a lack of law enforcement making the area a hot spot for debauchery. It's since been cleaned up, but aspiring musicians and entertainers still come here for a chance at their big break.
On the other end of the spectrum, many people don't know about the Self-Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine hidden off the Boulevard. It's used as a temple, shrine and meditation garden for people to relax and reflect. Elvis Presley reportedly loved to walk around here and George Harrison's funeral was held at the Lake Shrine.
Oh, and if you're looking for the address "77 Sunset Strip," from the '60s TV show with the same title, it doesn't exist. It was actually filmed in front of Dino's Lodge, located at 8524 Sunset Boulevard. There was once a plaque on the sidewalk to mark it.
Self Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine, 17190 Sunset Blvd, Pacific Palisades, CA 90272, +1 310 454 4114
Where to stop along the way
The Chateau Marmont has been a longtime favorite of Hollywood stars.
If you want to increase your chances of seeing a celebrity, head to where they've been coming for years: Chateau Marmont. The castle-like hotel is one of the most infamous in Los Angeles, with everyone from Howard Hughes and F. Scott Fitzgerald to Johnny Depp and Lindsay Lohan staying there. Even if you don't spend the night, you can still have lunch or dinner at the on-site restaurant that oozes old Hollywood glamour.
In the mood for some music? The Roxy Theater is the place to go for some instrumental delight. Legendary musicians like Frank Zappa and Bob Marley have recorded live albums here and it was the spot where "Rocky Horror Picture Show" first premiered in 1974.
Today, you can still catch performances by some of the top indie rock bands and feel close to the action due to its small size.
You could swap a concert for comedy by getting tickets for a show at The Comedy Store. Jerry Seinfeld, Rodney Dangerfield and more have all performed here and the venue still draws some of the biggest names in comedy today. It's often used as a spot for comedians to test out new material, so you could be the decision maker if a joke makes it or not.
And let's not forget about the coastal end of Sunset Boulevard. As you're driving to the beach, make a stop at the UCLA campus Westwood, where there's a make-your-own ice cream sandwich shop called Diddy Riese, take a tour of Will Rogers' famous ranch house in Will Rogers State Historic Park, or check out the surf at Sunset Beach.
Chateau Marmont, 8221 Sunset Blvd, Hollywood, CA 90046, +1 323 656 1010
The Viper Room, 8852 Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069, +1 310 358 1881
The Comedy Store, 8433 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90069, +1 877 4FLY TIX
The Roxy Theater, 9009 Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069, +1 310 278-9457
Diddy Riese, 926 Broxton Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90024, +1 310 208 0448
Will Rogers State Historic Park, 1501 Will Rogers State Park Rd, Pacific Palisades, CA 90272, +1 310 454 8212
Where (else) to eat
It's practically a law to visit an In-N-Out location in California.
In the heart of the Sunset Strip, there are enough restaurants to feed you for months. But, with only a few days to explore, you'd do well to check out Pearl's Rooftop, where you'll find a menu filled with creative cocktails and tasty dishes like truffle mushroom flatbread and fried chicken, all with a bird's eye view of L.A.
Just a couple of minutes away are casual spots Sushi Park -- a hidden Japanese restaurant on the second floor of strip that specializes in omakase -- and Mel's Drive-In -- a 1950s diner that's open 24 hours.
For a more upscale option, you can reserve a table at the art-deco inspired Polo Lounge at The Beverly Hills Hotel where a possible celebrity sighting comes with your steak tartare and McCarthy Salad.
Pearl's Rooftop, 8909 Sunset Boulevard, West Hollywood, CA 90069, +1 310 360 6800
Sushi Park, 8539 Sunset Blvd., #20, West Hollywood, +1 310 652-0523
Mel's Drive-In, 8585 Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069, +1 310 854 7201
The Polo Lounge, 9641 Sunset Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA 90210, +1 310 887-2777
Jordi Lippe-McGraw is a freelance writer covering travel, food and wellness, and is also an avid truffle lover. Follow her on Instagram at @welltraveler.
A year of the world'sBest BeachesThere's a perfect beach for every week of the year. Join us on a 12-month journey to see them all
Go to the best beaches
© 2019 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved. CNN Sans ™ & © 2016 Cable News Network.
Terms of UsePrivacy PolicyAdChoicesAdvertise with usAbout usNewslettersWork for usHelpTranscriptsLicense FootageCNN Newsource
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line659
|
__label__cc
| 0.707689
| 0.292311
|
E-cigs shouldn’t be banned in public
Published On July 4, 2016 | By Nicole | Press
Medical experts say that E-cigs shouldn’t be banned in public
Not long ago, the British Medical Association held its annual meeting in Belfast. During the meeting, a medic called for E-cigs to be restricted in public places – but representatives of PHE (Public Health England) actually spoke openly to the contrary.
Rosanna O’Connor, who is the director of drugs, alcohol, and tobacco at PHE, was even quoted saying the following…
“Vaping is not the same as smoking, second-hand smoke is harmful to health but there is no evidence that e-cigarette vapour carries the same harms… In fact a ban on using e-cigarettes in public places could be damaging, as it may put off smokers from using e-cigarettes to help them quit.”
You can find this quote, along with a few others, in this article, which was published on Independent.co.uk.
Of course, those in favor of alleged bans in public places cited concerns about second-hand vapour. They maintained that this is still cutting-edge research, and that no long terms studies have yet been published. There are, of course, also fears that e-cigs are not completely safe. No one seems to be denying that they’re safer than cigarettes – but are they 100% safe?
Or, perhaps more importantly, are they safe enough that there’s really no measurable amount of risk involved for those exposed to second-hand vapour?
Some doctors are saying that we should restrict the use of E-cigs in public until more long-term studies have proven that they’re not posing a danger to the public.
But PHE, on the other hand, seems to be on the opposite side of this conversation.
In fact, they go as far as to say that it could be ‘damaging’ to ban e-cigs in public places, because this could cause some to choose not to take up using them over their analog counterparts.
Yes, E-cigs are safer than cigarettes – but if you can’t use them anywhere, what’s the point in even having them? For a lot of people, being able to use them out and about is a big advantage. It’s also a selling point that makes them a lot more appealing than cigarettes.
Read Also: Rejection of a Public Health Bill In Wales
Information! But if E-cigs are banned in public places, they will simply lose a significant advantage that they have over cigarettes. Such a ban may even cause some not to bother with switching over.
What do we think of this story?
There are a few parts to this story that really stick out to us. First of all, once again, people are concerned about E-cigs because they haven’t been the subject of any long term studies. This is understandable to a point – but banning them in public is a pretty big step when you don’t have any real evidence of danger to back it up.
In a way, that almost sounds like E-cigs are being viewed as ‘guilty until proven innocent’.
But there’s also another side to this conversation that seems to resonate more with the crowd who favors E-cigs. Some medical experts are saying that we need to embrace E-cigs, because at the end of the day, they do provide us with a less harmful alternative to traditional tobacco cigarettes.
They might not be a magic bullet, and they might not be a cure-all – but nobody can deny that E-cigs seem to be getting more attention than any other tobacco-product alternative to-date. The gum and the patches can deliver nicotine, but none of these can also emulate the smoking habit – and E-cigs manage to do this in a way that’s new, fresh, and unique.
Vaping is really a thing of its own – and despite the fact that they haven’t been around for a long time, E-cigs are only so difficult to understand. They’re actually pretty simple. E-liquids don’t even contain that many different ingredients.
But people are still a bit nervous – so hopefully, in the future, more studies will help to dispel some of the fears surrounding E-cigs, and allow people to see them for what everything points toward them being – a safer, better alternative to tobacco products that should be embraced, not shunned and banned.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line665
|
__label__cc
| 0.678591
| 0.321409
|
Political science essay
Political parties can have both independent and dependent variables in the political system. Parties influence the public policy and nature and are also shaped by socio-political variables in the political environment.
1. Four different sets of variables important in shaping the political party strength and organization include;
Interaction of the party with the people
The party’s ideology. This implies on the conservative or liberal positions taken a political party.
The competitiveness of the party; this is how a party publicizes itself by getting down to the people and maintaining closeness among the party leaders.
The period of time, a party has been in existence; most people trust a party that has been in existence for a long time. Old parties also tend to have a large following compared to new upcoming parties whose policies and manifestoes are yet to be clearly understood. However, this is not always true as new political parties have been seen to remove from power historically strong parties.
In the United States of America, there are two political parties, the republicans, and the democrats. This voting system is candidate centered not party centered. In the split-voter phenomena, voters have to decide between the presidential candidate of one party and the senator or representative of another party. In addition, some districts register more votes for one party’s candidate but simultaneously give their support to another party’s candidate for senate or house. Region specific realignment, popular incumbent, a less competitive challenger contribute to the overall split outcome (Bardes, Shelley & Schmidt 2011).
c) The 2008 elections had the two political parties make a concerted effort to appeal to religious voters, the African American voters and women. These factors were a major predictor of the 2008 vote results. The Obama led democrats made concerted efforts to reach out to millions of voters in hope of narrowing the wide gap with the Republicans. In the previous elections, more church goers voted republican. However, because of the new face of hope that was displayed by Obama, they voted for the Democratic Party by a huge margin. The African American voted democratic unlike in previous elections where a majority of them were republicans. This is because of the strong racial connection they had with the democrat candidate. These elections saw to it that even the old republican dominated states went democratic. The women votes increased because in the recent elections a majority of women were not voting. The tight competition between McCain and Obama led to the involvement of more female voters in the elections.
2. According to James Madison, in a free society, clashes are certain to occur when people pursue selfish goals among competing interests. These will in turn result in policies, which serve the common good.
a) Many scholars and politicians argue that free competition on competing interests is the ultimate solution to promote the common good for all. However, this may not always be true as it may lead to neglecting of minority groups interests or create highly advantaged people relegating others into access to the basic goods, services, and rights.
b) Politically, free competition is available in the United States today. It is evident whereby only a financialy strong candidate has the potential to get endorsement at the political party level. The legal electoral process as designed by law has its own challenges, which promote fair candidacy; which is not always fair to all.
c) I would seek for scientific evidence by collecting data randomly from interest groups and assessing their views regarding the system not the candidates. The data collected will ten be analyzed to draw conclusions regarding the nature of competition in the US. I would also project the outcome if a different method was to be applied.
I rated as a hard pressed democrat along with thirteen percent of the public. According to the results, I compared with the rest of the nation on a few aspects such as the belief that the government is often wasteful and inefficient; corporate make too much net profits; the country should help black people more and the government should help the needy. According to the assessors, democrats are cynical about the government, criticize businesses, and strongly support the increase on social safety nets. They are also pessimists with regards to their future finances. In my opinion, the chosen answers are the best approaches to realize an equitable system of governance whereby everyone concerns are in the least addressed. I do not agree on the pessimistic views they use to classify a democrat from a republican. I regard myself as an independent voter. My responses are on a humanitarian basis considering that a majority of the people living in America are not satisfied with the governments’ activity or their day to day socio political lives. If that is the case, half of the population must be democrats.
b) The democratic vision is to give all people living In America a chance to live out their dreams and achieve their potential. It is bent towards renewing America’s most basic bargain of affording an opportunity to every American.
Of interest is the now infamous health care plan. The government pushed for the health care bill, which was to realize affordable health care for all; true to the democrat’s spirit. Anyone can now buy government subsidized coverage and employers are levied fines if they fail to cover their employees. However, the new health care plan ensured that many people who wished to maintain their old health care plans would not do it.
Republicans advocate for free market, individual achievement, and economic prosperity. They favor the conservative and laissez faire economic system. They also stand for personal responsibility and effort over welfare programs. They were the pioneers of environmental conservation in American politics. Of surprising interest is the favoring of the supply side economics (reaganomics theory). This implies the reduction of income taxes to increase overall GDP growth and hence generate more revenue for the government. Most republicans also agree on the need for safety nets. They advocate for its regulation to a few cases to ensure that it is not abused.
c) A current policy issue that I would wish to see addressed across the typology groups is security. This should include an analysis on the allocation of state resources to address internal security.
B) To increase the number of votes, political parties should adopt the cumulative voting system. This will help to increase voter turn out and representation of minority communities. Proportional representation may require constitutional change, this wiill enhance fair representation and address the unfairness of the winner takes it all method which discourages voters from minor parties from voting.
Both republican and democrats have near similar aims and forms. There are however different in some very important ways such as policy ideals, mode of internal politics and generally the nations political culture and beliefs. The sets of beliefs, sentiments, and attitudes give order to political process and govern behavior in the political system. There are fundamental differences between democrats and republicans one of which is structural. In the Republican Party power flows downward while in the Democratic Party power flows upward. The other difference is attitudinal whereby republicans regard themselves as insiders even if they are out of power while democrats regard themselves as outsiders even when it is they in power (Kollman 2011).
Republicans feel that socio-economic problems of the poor people and minority communities’ can be addressed by improving the economy. The democrats also believe in improving the economy but also availing welfare and capacity development to needy people and minority communities.
If both the democrats and the republicans are trying to attract a majority support it is, obvious that one party would get some overlap in the coalitions. There are many similarities and differences between the two parties; these differences might not allow an overlap to occur unless the similarities are the main points of focus, which is unlikely in a political environment.
C. The health policy issue is of great concern to different stakeholders. It is designed to afford all Americans affordable health care. In this act all medi-care expenses will be automatically be paid for by the government. I find it to be of importance because it will help narrow down the rich-poor gap existing when addressing health issues. I have seen people close to me surfer from terminal illnesses and lose a lot of property to cure long term illnesses.
1. Policy advocacy are described in terms of addressing problems. Medicare and Medicaid is still a challenge in the US. Most people can not afford quality health care because of their economic disposal, racial discrimination, and inequitable distribution of resources by the government to address health care demands. The new health policy will help address some of these challenges by giving health insurance to all citizens.
The health care bill was signed into law by president Obama. The republicans opposed the move saying that it was unconstitutional. More than ten state attorneys allied to the Republican Party filed suits to block the bill. The bill has many issues of concern clear to both the democrats and the republicans. However, democrats needed to achieve a political goal rather than getting something done.
According to the Pew Research center report, the likelihood of getting support from an issue is certain to fall on the political sentiments. The democrats are likely to support me although I feel that the republicans are genuine in their outcries. The health care bill might address the health needs but it will be very expensive.
Free Essay Sample «Political Parties»
Political Science Journals
Obama?s New War
Civil Disobedience, and Other Essays
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line669
|
__label__cc
| 0.572117
| 0.427883
|
Tag Archives: Algeria
Classic Film Review: Z (spoiler warning)
I have recently viewed Z, directed by Costa Gavras. Z is a political thriller about the assassination of a Greek presidential hopeful named Grigoris Lambrakis who was running on an antinuclear and Nonaligned platform. Lambrakis was a real Greek politician though the story told in Z is highly fictionalized; interestingly it begins with a disclaimer saying that “any resemblance to real persons or events is intentional.”
The opening dialogue discusses methods used to prevent mildew in French vineyards, and it is revealed to be a lecture given by a general to several other uniformed officers; the general goes on to explicitly link this with preventing the spread of Communism in Greece. I knew what he was getting at from the first mention of mildew. This sets the stage for the rest of the film. Before Lambrakis even appears, several of his campaigners are shown preparing for a rally and are inform that someone is out for him.
Much of the suspense of the film is whether he will be killed, and when he is killed then the focus on just who was responsible. Was it the Communists? Nationalists? Army? Police? Random act of mob violence? Unfortunately even before seeing the film I knew that it was the military responsible. A group of street thugs are followed and shown instigating riots, and it is later revealed that they were planted by the military, which reminded me of all the other examples of astroturfed resistance against democratic leaders like Arbenz and Mossadegh. Interestingly absent from Z is the USA and USSR. Both are mentioned on numerous occasions and Lambrakis made it clear he opposed either side having the bomb and that he would make Greece neutral, but no Americans or Soviets are anywhere to be seen. I really liked this because it helped to focus in on Greece, which is portrayed as being heavily partisan.
Not only does this movie give an excellent look at pre junta Greece, it is also an excellent film on an artistic level. The cinematography is naturalistic, not obviously staged like most Hollywood films. Because it depicts contemporary events, the clothes seen are totally authentic and not costumes. One thing that interested me is that many of Lambrakis’ young supporters are shown wearing clothes very similar to those worn by the mods, teddy boys, and beats of Britain. Filming was done in Algeria, though I couldn’t tell it wasn’t Greece. One thing that annoyed me was that all of the dialogue is in French and not Greek, and signs and documents shown are written in French and English. Not using Greek really distracted me from the fact it was supposed to be Greece and somewhat took away from the realism. Other than that the film is excellent storytelling.
The impression I got from Z was a cynical portrait of Greece as a heavily troubled place where people got killed for not being extreme enough. The sympathy of the film is definitely given to the Left, but it hardly glamorized them. Admittedly I know little about Greece during this period, but I feel that after seeing Z I understand the situation much better. All of the significant factions that vied for power are present, and their interactions are entertainingly shown. Overall I would say that Z is an excellent work that succeeds on all counts.
Tagged as Algeria, France, Greece, History, Movies, Review, Russia, United States
Review of The Battle of Algiers
Today my political science class viewed the film The Battle of Algiers. The movie is fact based account of the Algerian War, where the National Liberation Front rebelled against French colonial rule and resulted in Algeria’s indpendance. We watched the movie because we are currently discussing terrorism and what causes people to resort to terrorism in the first place. Despite wholeheartedly siding the the FLN, it is made clear that there activities fall neatly within the confines of terrorism. Numerous bombings, murder of police officers, and various other acts pf terror are shown. That is balanced with by depicting the human rights abuses carried out by the French as well. The FLN is clearly made to be heroic, but the French are hardly villinized even after it was established they resorted to torture. So rather than reduce the Algerian to a simplistic black and white tale, The Battle of Algiers makes it clear how complex the conflict was; meanwhile it is still an easy to follow film.
Another thing that makes this film expeptional are the artistic merits. Almost no proffesional actors were cast. Instead the FLN members were all played by real life members, and many of the French soldiers were played by actual French veterans. Such an approuch gives so much authenticity, and it took advantage of an opportunity not always present. The cinematography is stunning, it was filmed on location in Algiers and the decision to film in black and white was executed beautifully.
The Battle of Algiers is a film I recommend to everyone. It is ranked fairly high in “all time greatest film” lists, so that is a concensus. It is especially relevant to modern American viewers as many see parallels between France’s struggle and America’s involvement in the Middle East. With Syria’s future in the balance watching it now is esspecially timely.
Tagged as Africa, Algeria, Colonialism, France, History, Movies, Review, Syria, Terrorism
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line670
|
__label__cc
| 0.597473
| 0.402527
|
Opposition (astronomy)
(Redirected from Astronomical opposition)
Diagram of positional astronomy
In positional astronomy, two astronomical objects are said to be in opposition when they are on opposite sides of the celestial sphere, as observed from a given body (usually Earth).
A planet (or asteroid or comet) is said to be "in opposition" when it is in opposition to the Sun. Because most orbits in the Solar System are nearly coplanar to the ecliptic, this occurs when the Sun, Earth, and the body are configured in an approximately straight line, or syzygy; that is, Earth and the body are in the same direction as seen from the Sun. Opposition occurs only for superior planets (see the diagram).
The instant of opposition is defined as that when the apparent geocentric celestial longitude of the body differs by 180° from the apparent geocentric longitude of the Sun.[1] At that time, a body is:
in apparent retrograde motion[2]
visible almost all night – rising around sunset, culminating around midnight, and setting around sunrise[3]
at the point in its orbit where it is roughly closest to Earth, making it appear larger and brighter[4]
nearly completely sunlit; the planet shows a full phase, analogous to a full moon[5]
at the place where the opposition effect increases the reflected light from bodies with unobscured rough surfaces[6]
The Moon, which orbits Earth rather than the Sun, is in approximate opposition to the Sun at full moon.[7] A more exact opposition occasionally occurs with mathematical regularity if the moon is at its usual sun and earth-aligning point so that it appears full and happens to be aligning with the ecliptic (earth's orital plane) during the descending or ascending phase of its 5° inclined (tilted) orbit, which is more concisely termed at a node of its orbit, in which case, a lunar eclipse occurs. A more exact, shaded form is when a central area of the earth aligns more precisely: a central lunar eclipse, of which there were 14 in the 50 years to 2000, others being penumbral.
The astronomical symbol for opposition is ☍ (U+260D). Handwritten:
Seen from a superior planet, an inferior planet on the opposite side of the Sun is in superior conjunction with the Sun. An inferior conjunction occurs when the two planets align on the same side of the Sun. At inferior conjunction, the superior planet is "in opposition" to the Sun as seen from the inferior planet (see the diagram).
Mars in opposition 2016.[8]
Phase angle
Spherical astronomy
^ U.S. Naval Observatory Nautical Almanac Office (1992). P. Kenneth Seidelmann (ed.). Explanatory Supplement to the Astronomical Almanac. University Science Books, Mill Valley, CA. p. 733. ISBN 0-935702-68-7.
^ Newcomb and Holden (1890), p. 115
^ Newcomb, Simon; Holden, Edward S. (1890). Astronomy. pp. 115, 273.
^ Moulton, Forest Ray (1918). An Introduction to Astronomy. pp. 255, 256.
^ see references at opposition surge.
^ Moulton (1918), p. 191
^ "Close-up of the Red Planet". Retrieved 20 May 2016.
Asteroids around opposition – British Astronomical Association – Computing Section.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Opposition_(astronomy)&oldid=901108557"
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line673
|
__label__wiki
| 0.550227
| 0.550227
|
Daylighting (streams)
For the use of natural light in indoor illumination, see Daylighting. For a similar operation with transportation tunnels, see Daylighting (tunnels).
The examples and perspective in this article may not represent a worldwide view of the subject. You may improve this article, discuss the issue on the talk page, or create a new article, as appropriate. (December 2010) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)
The newly daylighted Saw Mill River in Getty Square, Yonkers, New York, had been covered by a parking lot
A short stretch of Lower Marin Creek in UC Village in Albany, California has been daylighted
Daylighting is the term for restoration of an originally open-air watercourse which had at some point been diverted below ground back into an above-ground channel. Typically, the rationale behind returning the riparian environment of a stream, wash, or river to a more natural state is to reduce runoff, create habitat for species in need of it, or improve an area's aesthetics. In the UK, the practice is also known as deculverting.[1]
In addition to its use in urban design and planning the term also refers to the public process of advancing such projects. According to the Planning and Development Department of the City of Berkeley, "A general consensus has developed that protecting and restoring natural creeks' functions is achievable over time in an urban environment while recognizing the importance of property rights."[2]
SystemsEdit
Natural drainage systemsEdit
Natural drainage systems help manage stormwater by infiltrating and slowing the flow of stormwater, filtering and bioremediating pollutants by soils and plants, reducing impervious surfaces, using porous paving, increasing vegetation, and improving related pedestrian amenities. Natural features — open, vegetated swales, stormwater cascades, and small wetland ponds — mimic the functions of nature lost to urbanization. At the heart are plants, trees, and the deep, healthy soils that support them. All three combine to form a "living infrastructure" that, unlike pipes and vaults, increase in functional value over time.
Some efforts to blend urban development with natural systems use innovative drainage design and landscaping instead of traditional curbs and gutters, pipes and vaults. One such demonstration project in the Pipers Creek watershed reduced imperviousness by more than 18 percent. The project built bioswales, landscape elements intended to remove silt and pollution from surface runoff water and planted 100 evergreen trees and 1,100 shrubs.[3] From 2001 to 2003, the project reduced the volume of stormwater leaving the street in a 2-year storm event by 98%.[4] Such a reduction can reduce storm damage to water quality and habitats for species such as the iconic salmon. Unfortunately, the engineering alternatives have a relatively expensive initial price, since they are usually replacing existing structures, albeit life-limited ones. Further, conventional systems generally do not consider full cost accounting. The NDS alternatives can also provide returns on investment by improving urban environments.
The Street Edge Alternatives Street breaks most of the conventions of 150 years of standard American street design. Narrow, curved streets, open drainage swales, and an abundance of diverse plants and trees welcome pedestrians as well as diverse species. Adjacent residents maintain city infrastructure in the form of street "gardens" in front of their homes, visually integrating the neighborhood along the street. The Natural Drainage System united the community visually, environmentally, and socially. The 110th Cascades SEA (2002–2003) are a creek-like cascade of stair-stepped natural, seasonal pools that intercept, infiltrate, slow and filter over 21 acres (85,000 m2) of stormwater draining through the project.[5]
Example projectsEdit
Viable, daylighted streams can exist only in intimate connection with restoration and stewardship by the neighbourhoods of their watersheds in a long run, since the good health of an urban stream could not long survive carelessness or neglect.[6] With impervious surfaces having replaced most of the natural ground cover in urban environments, habitat for wildlife is dramatically reduced compared to historic baselines. Hydrologic changes have resulted, and impervious waterways directly carry non-point pollution through urban creeks. One effective solution is to restore streams and riparian habitat. This improves the entire urban watershed, far beyond the riparian channel itself. [7]
CanadaEdit
Vancouver, British ColumbiaEdit
The historic stream network in Vancouver, B.C.
In the 1880s there were over 50 wild salmon streams in Vancouver alone.[8] However, as Vancouver grew, these streams were lost to urbanization. They were covered by roads, homes, and businesses. They were also lost when they were buried beneath sewers or culverts.
The City of Vancouver and its residents are now making an effort to uncover these lost streams and restore them back to their natural state.
Hastings CreekEdit
Hastings Creek Restored at Creekway Park. Vancouver, B.C.
The Hastings Creek Stream Daylighting Project was originally proposed in 1994 as a way to manage storm water and for aesthetic purposes. The idea was to bring the stream back to its once natural formation which would improve the surrounding habitat for wildlife as well as the originally proposed purposes.[9] This project's plan was finalized in 1997, and work began the same year.[10]
The stream had existed in Hastings Park until 1935 when the Park became focused on entertainment rather than its original purpose when it was given to the city in 1889, which was to be a retreat for those with a passion for the outdoors. As the Pacific Nation Exhibition (PNE) grounds continued to expand there was a continued loss of natural woodlands, greenery and waterways. It was not until the 1980s when the surrounding community began to look at continuing to uphold its original purpose.[9]
The daylighting project made major progress in 2013 in the area located in the Creekway Park, which was originally a parking lot.[11] The daylighted stream will one day connect the Sanctuary in Hastings Park to the Burrard Inlet. The progress made in Creekway Park is a major step towards this goal. This daylighting project also improved pedestrian and bikeway transit.[12] This stream is now able to obtain the stormwater from the surrounding area, which reduces the load that is felt by the municipality's storm sewers. It is the storms in early autumn which provide the water flow for the creek, meaning that there is variable flow throughout the year. During the late summer months the moist soil is relied upon to maintain the vegetation of the area. This variation in flow does not allow for salmon migration through the creek; however it does house trout as well as vegetation which aid in the filtration of the storm water entering the creek.[13]
Spanish BanksEdit
Daylighted Stream at Spanish Banks, Vancouver, B.C.
Located upstream from Spanish Banks waterfront, one of the highest profile creeks in Vancouver Metro became open to salmon in 2000. In a collaborative project between Spanish Banks Streamkeepers Association and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, barriers to fish passage were removed and habitat structure was added. Spanish Banks Creek was previously diverted through a culvert underneath a parking lot, but the lower reaches of this creek have been revitalized.[14] The banks were stabilized with riprap, large woody debris was added for habitat cover, and spawning gravels were added in appropriate areas. Rigorous effectiveness monitoring has not been performed, but a few dozen coho and chum salmon are known to spawn there annually in a sustaining population.[15] Maintenance to the creek is provided by Spanish Banks Streamkeepers Association, a local volunteer stewardship group.
St. George RainwayEdit
The East Vancouver neighborhood of Mount Pleasant has officially incorporated into its community plan a project to restore St. George Creek, a tributary to the False Creek watershed. St. George street is the site of this former stream, which now flows through the sewers and a culvert. This paved street will be converted into a shared-use path, riparian habitat, and urban greenspace.[16]
St. George Creek once spawned salmon and trout, and hosted a diverse riparian ecosystem. The restoration of this habitat using the rainway proposal would allow for salmon spawning, recreational and educational opportunities, and improve the community's access to nature and transportation alternatives.[17] The proposal would pass the following community centres: Great Northern Way Campus, St. Francis Xavier School, Mt. Pleasant Elementary, Florence N. Elementary, Kivan Boys and Girls Club, Robson Park Family Centre.[18]
Detailed landscape designs have been produced, and incorporated into the community plan of Mount Pleasant neighborhood.[19] Project leaders from the False Creek watershed Society and Vancouver Society of Storytelling have collaborated with Mount Pleasant Elementary students to create a street mural drawing attention to the belowground stream.,[20] To date, the mural is the only physical progress on the project.
Tatlow CreekEdit
This is a future project aiming to ultimately connect the gap in the Seaside Greenway in order to link it to the Burrard Bridge. The beginning of this project has been started by the City of Vancouver in 2013, after its approval on July 29 of the same year. Volunteer Park is located in Kitsilano at the corner of Point Grey Road and Macdonald Street. This is where the main daylighting project for this area is planned to occur.[21]
Phase one is currently in progress. Point Grey Road is currently closed to through motor traffic in order to turn the street into a greenway for cycling and walking. This part of the project is expected to be complete by summer 2014.[21]
Phase two of this project is looking to include the daylighting of Tatlow Creek which is located in Volunteer Park. This phase must go through the City Council and the Park Board capital planning process for the 2015-2017 Capital Plan before any plans can be finalized.[21]
Tatlow Creek had been scheduled to be daylighted in 1996, and the project to start in 1997. The project was deemed feasible and the storm water was to be diverted back into the natural creek bed and tunneled under Point Grey Road. When it was not done, the project was proposed again by a UBC masters' student as the Tatlow Creek Revitalization Project. If this project is completed as phase 2 of the new Park Board Project it would allow for salmon and trout spawning.[22]
CaliforniaEdit
Codornices Creek and Strawberry Creek, Berkeley
Islais Creek, San Francisco[23][24]
MarylandEdit
Since the 1990s there have been several plans to daylight the Jones Falls along much of its route through downtown Baltimore.[25][26]
New York (State)Edit
Yonkers, New York, the fourth largest city in the state, broke ground on December 15, 2010 on a project to daylight of the Saw Mill River as it runs through its downtown, called Getty Square. The daylighting project is the cornerstone of a large redevelopment effort in the downtown.[27] An additional 2 other sections of the Saw Mill River are planned to be daylighted as well.
The first phase of the Yonkers daylighting was portrayed in the documentary Lost Rivers. The second phase, where the river runs under the Mill Street Courtyard, broke ground on March 19, 2014.
Seattle, WashingtonEdit
Pipers CreekEdit
Pipers Creek in the central to north Greenwood area is joined by Venema and Mohlendorph Creeks in Carkeek Park on Puget Sound. Pipers is one of the four largest streams in urban Seattle, together with Longfellow, Taylor, and Thornton creeks. Pipers Creek drains a 1,835-acre (7 km2) watershed into Puget Sound, from a residential upper plateau that is most of the watershed, through the steep ravines of the 216 acres (0.9 km2) of Carkeek Park. The headwaters begin in the north Greenwood neighborhood.[28] Outside the park, the creek can be seen at N 90th Street between Greenwood and Palatine avenues N.
Years of hard work by neighbors and volunteers have brought salmon back to Pipers Creek, Venema, and Mohlendorph creeks in the mid-2000s after there were none for 50 years. The latter is named for the late Ted Mohlendorph, a biologist who spearheaded efforts to restore the watershed as salmon habitat.
Though still plagued by problems endemic to urban streams, Piper's Creek today is a scintillating example of the possible. Though augmented by hatchery fish, anywhere from 200 to 600 chum salmon return each November, along with a few coho in the fall and fewer occasional winter steelhead. Inspirationally, several hundred small resident coastal cutthroat trout live in the watershed, believed to be native fish that survived decades of urban assault. An environmental learning center and programs are part of comprehensive restoration. More than four miles (6 km) of trail are maintained by neighborhood volunteers who put in 4,000 hours of work in 2003, for example. The creek waters are pretty in their impressively restored settings, but the watershed is the surrounding neighborhoods and streets, laced with petrochemicals, pesticides, fertilizers, wandering pets, and such. Along with steeply high volume during storm runoff and resulting turbidity, water quality is the remaining big issue in restoring salmon.[29]
The north fork of Pipers Creek is the site for the 110th Cascades, an S.E.A. (Street Edge Alternatives) street demonstration project (see above). The 110th Cascades are a creek-like cascade of stair-stepped natural, seasonal pools that intercept, infiltrate, slow and filter over 21 acres (85,000 m2) of stormwater draining through the project. The cascades are a part of an NDS (Natural Drainage Systems) project; together these united the community visually, environmentally, and socially, toward integrating the neighborhood as a community.[4][30]
Pipers Creek was renamed Piper's Creek by 19th century settlers A. W. Piper and his large family;[31] the apostrophe is becoming less common today.
Taylor CreekEdit
Taylor Creek flows from Deadhorse Canyon (west of Rainier Avenue S at 68th Avenue S and northwest of Skyway Park), through Lakeridge Park to Lake Washington. With volunteer effort and some city matching grants, restoration has been underway since 1971. Volunteers have planted thousands of indigenous trees and plants, removed tons of garbage, removed invasive plants, and had city help removing fish-blocking culverts and improving trails. A deer has been spotted and sightings of raccoons, opossum and birds are common. By about 2050, the area will be looking like a young version of what it looked like before being disrupted. Taylor is one of the four largest streams in urban Seattle.[32]
Skyway and Bryn Mawr in unincorporated King County
Rainier View-Lakeridge
Thornton Creek, Seattle and Shoreline
Matthews Beach, where the creek flows into Lake Washington
Adjacent, formerly suburban city of Shoreline; southeastern neighborhoods.
Other areasEdit
Neighborhoods of the Pipers Creek watershed
South Broadview
Northeast Blue Ridge
Fauntleroy Creek in the Fauntleroy neighborhood of West Seattle flows about a mile (1.6 km) from as far east as 38th Avenue SW in the modest 33 acre (130,000 m2) Fauntleroy Park at SW Barton Street, through a fish ladder at its outlet near the Fauntleroy ferry terminal (the creek drops a moderately steep 300 ft (91 m) in that one mile). Coho salmon and cutthroat trout returned as soon as barriers were removed, after concerted effort and pressure by citizen groups of activist neighbors (1989–1998). A further culvert blocks fish passage to Kilbourne Park and so on up to the headwaters in Fauntleroy Park.[33] The 98 acre (400,000 m2) watershed is about two-thirds residential development, from 1900s summer colony to post-World War II urban, with the rest natural space, primarily Fauntleroy Park.[34]
Longfellow Creek is one of the four largest in urban Seattle. It flows north from Roxhill Park for several miles along the valley of the Delridge neighborhood of West Seattle, turning east to reach the Duwamish Waterway via a 3,300 ft (1000 m) pipe beneath the Bethlehem Steel plant (now Nucor). Salmon returned without intervention as soon as toxic input was ended and barriers were removed, after having been extinguished for 60 years. Construction of a fish ladder at the north end of the West Seattle Golf Course will allow spawning salmon up along the fairways. Farther upstream the city has been enlarging and building more storm-detention ponds, recreation areas, and an outdoor-education center at Camp Long.[32] An area of 3 acres (12,000 m2) of open upland, wetland and wooded space just east of Chief Sealth High School in Westwood is the first daylight of Longfellow Creek. It has been the location of some plant and tree restoration since 1997.[35] After more than a decade of preparation by hundreds of neighborhood volunteers, a restoration and 4.2 mile (6.7 km) legacy trail was completed in 2004. Further improvement by removal of invasive vegetation is ongoing as native species retake hold. Blue heron and coyote can be seen. The creek first emerges at the 10,000-year-old Roxhill Bog, south of the Westwood Village shopping center.[36]
Madrona Creek, Seattle
Madrona
Citizens of neighborhoods initiated a daylighting project in 2001, encompassing from above 38th Avenue into Lake Washington. Daylighting will return the creek to a new bed and replace the sloping lawn between Lake Washington Boulevard and Lake Washington with native plantings, and with the mouth of the creek at a restored 48,000 sq ft (4,500 m2) wetland cove on the lake. New culverts under 38th, the boulevard, and under a permeable pedestrian path will allow fish passage. Native plantings will restore about 1.5 acres (6,100 m2), with plantings three to four feet in height at three key view corridors. Planning continued through 2004, followed by design (2205) and construction (2006). The completion celebration is scheduled for spring, 2007. The $450,000 cost is funded by community-initiated grants and private donations.[37]
Citizen stewards of the creek and woods are represented by the Friends of Madrona Woods (1996). The urban forest encompasses about 9 acres (36,000 m2), largely in a couple ravines. The park area was built 1891-1893, officially no longer maintained since the 1930s with the demise of streetcars and pedestrian lifestyles.[38] Persistent efforts began (1995) with informal removal of ivy smothering trees, then invasive species like holly, laurel and blackberries, and realization that effective restoration would require comprehensive stewardship.
With a "Small and Simple" Department of Neighborhoods grant, the neighborhood started a formal effort. Neighborhood groups, planning with naturalists and landscape architects brought an effective early step rebuilding trails, promoting access and building constituency. Further priorities were protection for habitat, restoration of stream beds, rehabilitation as a natural area using native plants, and using the Madrona Woods as a setting for environmental education programs at local schools. A hired landscape architect became a team member, experimental plots were set up to test different methods for revegetating with native plants. (Plants adapt to microclimates; experimentation is required to jumpstart the otherwise very long natural processes.)
Friends of Madrona Woods earned a much larger Department of Neighborhoods matching grant in 2000, funding the creation of a Master Action Plan, and major trail restoration work. The community match for the grant was nearly 2500 hours of volunteer labor by community members and school children from St. Therese and Epiphany schools. After many decades of urban use without formal maintenance, substantial trail engineering was required. EarthCorps was contracted to do the actual construction, which included 86 steps, two landings and a bridge.
EarthCorps is a local program to foster environmental responsibility and global cooperation among young people around the world. Two thirds the Corps members come from King County and the U.S., one third are recruited from partner organizations around the world. They combine the best elements of the 1930s Civilian Conservation Corps with those of the Peace Corps. Participants learn resource management skills by completing restoration projects throughout King County. This work has included restoring stream banks and salmon habitat, reclaiming logging roads, and building trails. They completed 30,000 hours of work in 1999 alone.
In the process of clearing, volunteers found substantial erosion in the wetland hillside, leading to a grant from a Parks Department fund to stabilize it with a water cascade of natural materials. Neighbors did a little trail-building of their own with Volunteers for Outdoor Washington and an all-day trail building workshop (February 2000). Local school children learn about restoration by working with Madrona Woods volunteers throughout the year. Work parties continue monthly through much of the year.[39]
Mapes Creek, accessible at Kubota Garden, flows from a ridge to Lake Washington.
Puget Creek flows into the Duwamish River from Puget Park on SW Dawson Street near 19th Avenue SW, near the Delridge neighborhood of West Seattle.
East Delridge
Industrial District
Ravenna Creek, Seattle
Ravenna and Ravenna-Bryant
The remaining watershed includes Roosevelt and parts of the University District.
The creek flows past the Union Bay Natural Area into Lake Washington.[40]
Schmitz Creek in the Alki neighborhood of West Seattle flows to the sound from Schmitz Park, SW 55th Avenue at SW Admiral Way. Apart from the paved entrance and a parking lot at the northwest corner, the park has remained essentially unchanged since its 53 acres (210,000 m2) were protected 1908-1912 from complete logging. Fragmentary old growth forest remains. Daylighting and drainage rebuilding to handle seasonal and storm flow was done 2001-2003.
Alki[41] Friends of Schmittz Park are neighborhood citizen stewards of the park (and creek).[42]
Porter Brook, Sheffield, YorkshireEdit
The Porter Brook flows from the west of Sheffield on the edge of the Peak District and flows into the River Sheaf at Sheaf Street near Sheffield Railway Station. The Porter Brook is one of Sheffield's five well known rivers, along with the Don, Sheaf, Loxley and Rivelin. The Porter has been deculverted at Matilda Street near the BBC Radio Sheffield studios. A feasibility study for the scheme was undertaken for South Yorkshire Forest Partnership by Sheffield City Council in 2013 [43] with funding from the Environment Agency and the EU via the Interreg North Sea Region Programme. The project was completed by Sheffield City Council with funding from the Environment Agency in 2016. Before and after pictures, taken from 2011 through to 2016, at www.deculverting.com show the scheme at the same location prior to commencement, during construction and completion. The site has been maintained since 2016 with the help of the Wild Trout Trust.
The Porter Brook daylighting scheme featured in a 2016 BBC Radio 4 documentary entitled A River of Steel, produced by sound recordist Chris Watson, ex-member of Caberet Voltaire.[44] It was also discussed in an article in The Guardian in 2017.[45]
River Roch, Rochdale, Greater ManchesterEdit
In the United Kingdom, the River Roch that runs through the town of Rochdale has recently been uncovered, revealing the medieval bridge in place. It was covered in 1904 to accommodate a tram network that has since closed.[46]
South KoreaEdit
In Seoul, which buried the Cheonggyecheon creek during the city's 1960s boom, an artificial waterway and adjoining parks have been built atop it. Mayor Lee Myung Bak, formerly a construction magnate with the Hyundai chaebol that helped bury the river, ran for office promising to daylight it, and achieved in 2005 a 5.8 kilometres (3.6 mi) greenspace in a city without very many parks or playgrounds.[citation needed] The new park is hugely popular, alleviating fears that opening the river would cause nearby businesses to lose customers.[47]
Subterranean river
Notes and referencesEdit
^ into a culvert, pipe, or a drainage system Wild, Thomas C. (2011). "Deculverting: reviewing the evidence on the 'daylighting' and restoration of culverted rivers". Water and Environment Journal. 25 (3): 412–421. doi:10.1111/j.1747-6593.2010.00236.x.
^ "Joint Creeks Task Force Planning Commission Public Hearing: March 22, 2006" (PDF). Creeks Task Force. Planning and Development, City of Berkeley. 2006-03-22. Retrieved 2006-06-06. External link in |work= (help)[dead link]
^ http://www.fema.gov/mitigationbp/brief.do?mitssId=5246
^ a b (1) "Natural Drainage Systems Overview". About SPU > Drainage & Sewer System > Natural Drainage Systems. Seattle Public Utilities. 2003-12-03. Archived from the original on September 29, 2007. Retrieved 2006-06-06.
(2) "Street Edge Alternatives (SEA Streets) Project Index". About SPU > Drainage & Sewer System > Natural Drainage Systems. Seattle Public Utilities. n.d. Archived from the original on 2006-05-12. Retrieved 2006-06-06.
^ Jone, Scott (2017-01-10). "Streams in the Urban Landscape". Retrieved 10 January 2017.
^ (1) "Thornton Creek Watershed". The Homewaters Project. n.d., 2006. Archived from the original on 2006-06-20. Retrieved 2006-04-21. Check date values in: |date= (help)
(2) Dietrich
^ Paul, Michael J.; Judy L. Meyer (August 2001). "Streams in the Urban Landscape". Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics. 32: 333–365. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.333.5857. doi:10.1146/annurev.ecolsys.32.081501.114040.
^ "Lost Streams of Vancouver". Retrieved 3 April 2014.
^ a b Jone, Scott. "Planning for Wildlife: Evaluating Creek Daylighting as a means of Urban Conservation" (PDF). Retrieved 10 February 2014.
^ "Hastings Park PNE Master Plan". Retrieved 2 April 2014.
^ "parking lot transformed into lush new urban park and restored creek". 2013-09-27.
^ "Transforming Hastings Park and the PNE". 2015-07-23.
^ "open house board on pne june 16" (PDF).
^ "Spanish Banks Creek in Vancouver, British Columbia (B.C.)".
^ "The stream that spawned a comeback".
^ "St. George Rainway Street". Archived from the original on 2014-04-13.
^ "St. George Rainway".
^ http://www.falsecreekwatershed.org/uploads/2/0/5/0/20500086/st_george.pdf
^ "East Side group aims to recreate lost stream with rainwater runoff".
^ a b c "City of Vancouver Park Board Report" (PDF).
^ "circle UBC".
^ Jencks, Rosey and Leonardson, Rebecca (2004). "Daylighting Islais Creek: A Feasibility Study," Water Resources Collections and Archives (University of California). Online version retrieved May 23, 2007.
^ Jason Dearen (24 April 2010). "Plans percolate to revive some SF native creeks". Associated Press. Retrieved 19 March 2019.
^ "Urban Design design group downtown development". The Baltimore Sun. 10 September 1990.
^ "Elevated expressway: Jones Falls expressway east side". The Baltimore Sun. 17 May 2009.
^ "Daylighting Rivers in Search of Hidden Treasure". 2013-11-13.
^ "Pipers Creek". About SPU > Drainage & Sewer System. Seattle Public Utilities. 2003-12-03. Archived from the original on 2006-06-14. Retrieved 2006-06-06.
^ Johnston
^ (1) "Natural Drainage Systems Overview". About SPU > Drainage & Sewer System > Natural Drainage Systems. Seattle Public Utilities. 2003-12-03. Archived from the original on September 29, 2007. Retrieved 2006-06-06.
(2) "110th Cascade". About SPU > Drainage & Sewer System > Natural Drainage Systems. Seattle Public Utilities. 2003-12-03. Archived from the original on September 29, 2007. Retrieved 2006-06-06.
^ Fiset
^ a b Dietrich
^ "fauntleroy creek facts". Fauntleroy Watershed Council, Fauntleroy Community Association. Archived from the original on 2006-05-22. Retrieved 2006-06-06.
^ (1) "Fauntleroy Watershed". Fauntleroy Watershed Council, Fauntleroy Community Association. Archived from the original on 2006-06-17. Retrieved 2006-06-06.
(2) "History, Fauntleroy Park". Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation. Retrieved 2006-06-06.
(3) Phelps, pp. 216-224
^ "Native Plant Stewardship Program". 2000 and 2001 Native Plant Steward Projects, P-Z. Washington Native Plant Society. 2004-10-12. Archived from the original on 2005-11-08. Retrieved 2006-04-21.
Thistle St. Longfellow Creek Greenspace
^ True, Kathryn (2005-08-18). "The poetry of Longfellow Creek". TRAVEL / OUTDOORS. The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on 2006-05-12. Retrieved 2006-04-21.
^ "Madrona Park Creek Daylighting and Restoration". 2006-01-11. Retrieved 2006-06-06.
^ The park area was built having a streetcar from Seattle, 1891, park 1891-1893, hotel 1892, part of the Olmsted Brothers grand plan for boulevards and parks, 1903, "Mosquito Fleet" steamboat, 1909, 15 minutes to the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition (1909) on the University of Washington campus. Seattle street car lines were torn up later 1930s-1941 in parallel with Los Angeles a few years later, and other cities in the U.S. "History". Friends of Madrona Woods. 2005. Archived from the original on 2007-09-28. Retrieved 2006-06-06.
Referenced The Electric Trolley by Junius Rochester;
Seattle 1900-1920 by Richard C. Berner;
Seattle Now & Then by Paul Dorpat;
The Lake Washington Story by Lucille McDonald;
The Don Sherwood Files, Seattle Parks Department.
^ (1) Scott
(2) "About EarthCorps". Retrieved 2006-06-06.
^ Dolan & True, p. 223.
^ "Schmitz Preserve Park Improvements". Pro Parks Project Information. Seattle Parks and Recreation. 2003-06-13. Retrieved 2006-06-06.
^ "About Us". Friends of Schmittz Park. 2002. Retrieved 2006-06-06.
^ "Deculverting Sheffield's Porter Brook – City Centre (Article)". 2016-04-29.
^ "A River of Steel (Radio Programme)".
^ Cox, David (2017-08-29). "A river runs through it (Article)". The Guardian.
^ "Hidden medieval bridge reopens". BBC News. 2016-06-14. Retrieved 2017-11-09.
^ Kirk (13 October 2005)
"110th Cascade". About SPU > Drainage & Sewer System > Natural Drainage Systems. Seattle Public Utilities. 2003-12-03. Archived from the original on September 29, 2007. Retrieved 2006-06-06.
"About EarthCorps". Retrieved 2006-06-06.
"About Us". Friends of Schmittz Park. 2002. Retrieved 2006-06-06.
"Carkeek Park Improvements". Pro Parks Project Information. Seattle Parks and Recreation. 2005-07-20. Retrieved 2006-04-21.
"Creek initiative's sponsor asks court to dismiss lawsuit". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. 2003-06-25. Retrieved 2006-04-21.
Kirk, Donald (2005-10-13). "Seoul peels back concrete to let a river run freely once again". World>Asia Pacific. The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 2006-08-21.
File: Jae-Won, Lee. "A CITY RUNS THROUGH IT: Residents waded into the newly restored Chonggyechon River earlier this month in downtown Seoul, South Korea."
"Joint Creeks Task Force Planning Commission Public Hearing: March 22, 2006" (PDF). Creeks Task Force. Planning and Development, City of Berkeley. 2006-03-22. Retrieved 2006-06-06. External link in |work= (help)[dead link]
Dietrich, William (2000-04-16). "Stream Salvation". "Living: Our Northwest", Pacific Northwest magazine. The Seattle Times. Retrieved 2006-04-21.
Dolan, Maria; True, Kathryn (2003). Nature in the city: Seattle. Seattle: Mountaineers Books. ISBN 978-0-89886-879-1.
"with additions by Sunny Walter and local Audubon chapters." See "Northeast Seattle" section, bullet points "Meadowbrook", "Paramount Park Open Space", "North Seattle Community College Wetlands", and "Sunny Walter -- Twin Ponds".
Particularly useful.
"fauntleroy creek facts". Fauntleroy Watershed Council, Fauntleroy Community Association. Archived from the original on 2006-05-22. Retrieved 2006-06-06.
"Fauntleroy Watershed". Fauntleroy Watershed Council, Fauntleroy Community Association. Archived from the original on 2006-06-17. Retrieved 2006-06-06.
Fiset, Louis (2001-05-19, corrected 2005-12-19). "Seattle Neighborhoods: Broadview & Bitter Lake -- Thumbnail History". HistoryLink.org Essay 3287. Retrieved 2006-06-06. Check date values in: |date= (help)
Fiset referenced Warren W. Wing, To Seattle by Trolley (Edmonds, WA: Pacific Fast Mail), 1988;
[No author, title], Portage, Winter/Spring 1984;
Gail Lee Dubrow et al., Broadview/Bitter Lake Community History, (Seattle Department of Parks & Recreation), 1995;
[No author, title], Today, August 4, 1976;
[No author, title], The Seattle Times, May 22, 1930;
[No author, title], Seattle Post-Intelligencer, August 19, 1953.
George, Kathy (2003-11-27). "Creek initiative sponsors allege bad faith". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved 2006-04-21.
"Getting Involved: Northgate plan angers residents". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. 2003-05-26. Retrieved 2006-04-21. [permanent dead link]
"History". Friends of Madrona Woods. 2005. Archived from the original on 2007-09-28. Retrieved 2006-06-06.
"History [Carkeek Park]". Seattle Parks and Recreation. 2004-09-10. Retrieved 2006-06-06.
from the files of Don Sherwood, 1916–1981, Park Historian, Don Sherwood History Files).
"History, Fauntleroy Park". Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation. Retrieved 2006-04-21.
Hodson, Jeff (2000-02-16). "Restoration urged for Thornton Creek : Local News". The Seattle Times. Retrieved 2006-04-21.
Was [1], NF.
"INITIATIVE 80 -- SAVE SEATTLE CREEKS". Office of the Seattle City Clerk. 2003. Archived from the original on 2006-02-05. Retrieved 2006-04-21.
Jencks, Rosey; Leonardson, Rebecca (2004-11-29). "paper jencks". Daylighting Islais Creek : A Feasibility Study. Retrieved 2006-04-21.
Overview and links to full document in PDF.
Johnston, Greg (2004-02-19). "Carkeek Park: A quiet urban refuge". Getaways: Outside. Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved 2006-06-06. [permanent dead link]
Lehner, Peter; Aponte Clark, George P.; Cameron, Diane M.; Frank, Andrew G. (May 1999). "Strategies in the Pacific Northwest". Stormwater Strategies. Natural Resources Defense Council. Retrieved 2006-06-06.
Clean Water & Oceans: Water Pollution: In Depth: Report > Stormwater Strategies Community Responses to Runoff Pollution
Date per "Stormwater Strategies Community Responses to Runoff Pollution ", additional chapter 12, October 2001.
"Madrona Park Creek Daylighting and Restoration: Project Information". Seattle Parks and Recreation. Retrieved 2006-04-21.
Planning 2001-2004, construction 2006.
Mulady, Kathy (2003-07-31). "Restoration issue struck from ballot". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved 2006-04-21.
Mulady, Kathy (2003-03-18). "Critics rip Northgate plan". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved 2006-04-21.
Mulady, Kathy; McClure, Robert (2003-06-20). "Creek initiative finds foes in developers, Realtors, city". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved 2006-04-21.
Mulady, Kathy (2004-06-08). "Thornton Creek may see daylight again". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved 2006-04-21. [permanent dead link]
"Native Plant Stewardship Program". 2000 and 2001 Native Plant Steward Projects, P-Z. Washington Native Plant Society. 2004-10-12. Archived from the original on 2005-11-08. Retrieved 2006-04-21.
"Natural Drainage Systems Overview". About SPU > Drainage & Sewer System > Natural Drainage Systems. Seattle Public Utilities. 2003-12-03. Archived from the original on September 29, 2007. Retrieved 2006-06-06.
Phelps, Myra L. (1978). Public works in Seattle. Seattle: Seattle Engineering Department. ISBN 978-0-9601928-1-6.
"Pipers Creek". About SPU > Drainage & Sewer System. Seattle Public Utilities. 2003-12-03. Archived from the original on 2006-06-14. Retrieved 2006-06-06.
"Publications". Ravenna Creek Alliance. n.d., latest addition 2006-05-11. Retrieved 2006-06-06. Check date values in: |date= (help)
Good list of news articles; also newsletters and official correspondence.
Scott, Joan (2005). "Restoration History". Friends of Madrona Woods. Archived from the original on 2006-07-13. Retrieved 2006-06-06.
"Save Seattle Creeks measure goes on ballot". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. 2003-02-25. Retrieved 2006-04-21.
"Schmitz Preserve Park Improvements". Pro Parks Project Information. Seattle Parks and Recreation. 2003-06-13. Retrieved 2006-04-21.
"Street Edge Alternatives (SEA Streets) Project Index". About SPU > Drainage & Sewer System > Natural Drainage Systems. Seattle Public Utilities. n.d., c. 2003 by subsidiary files. Archived from the original on 2006-05-12. Retrieved 2006-06-06. Check date values in: |date= (help)
True, Kathryn (2005-08-18). "The poetry of Longfellow Creek". TRAVEL / OUTDOORS. The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on 2006-05-12. Retrieved 2006-04-21.
Walter, Sunny; local Audubon chapters (2006-02-10). "Sunny Walter's Washington Nature Weekends: Wildlife Viewing Locations - Greater Seattle Area". Archived from the original on 2005-03-22. Retrieved 2006-04-21.
Viewing locations only; the book has walks, hikes, wildlife, and natural wonders.
Walter excerpted from
Dolan, Maria; True, Kathryn (2003). Nature in the city: Seattle. Seattle: Mountaineers Books. ISBN 0-89886-879-3.
Young, Bob (2003-06-20). "City files lawsuit to remove creeks issue from ballot". The Seattle Times. Retrieved 2006-04-21.
Young, Bob (2003-07-31). "Initiative up a creek after ruling by judge". The Seattle Times. Retrieved 2006-04-21.
Includes summary title of Initiative 80.
Overview of the geography of metro Seattle watersheds, "Seattle History: Maps". 150 Years: Seattle By and By. The Seattle Times. n.d., 2001 per sesquecentenial. Archived from the original on 2006-04-07. Retrieved 2006-04-21. Check date values in: |year= (help)
Map of the landscape carved by the Vashon Glacier some 14,000 years ago.
Homewaters Project, Thornton Creek Watershed
Longfellow Creek Home Page
City of Seattle Urban Creeks Legacy
What is in urban stormwater runoff
https://web.archive.org/web/20071008041448/http://groundworkhudsonvalley.org/
http://www.SawMillRiverCoalition.org
https://web.archive.org/web/20121109013431/http://riverwiki.restorerivers.eu/
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Daylighting_(streams)&oldid=904698446"
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line674
|
__label__wiki
| 0.887399
| 0.887399
|
Guangzhou Military Region
The Guangzhou Military Region was from 1955 to 2016 one of the People's Liberation Army PLA Military Regions, located in the south of the People's Republic of China. In May 1949, the Central China (Hua Zhong) Military Region (MR) was formed.[1] In March 1955, it was divided into two, the Guangzhou MR and the Wuhan Military Region. When the Wuhan MR was disbanded in August 1985, its troops stationed around the Hubei province were assigned to the Guangzhou MR.
Guangzhou Military Region (highlighted)
广州军区
廣州軍區
Guǎngzhōu Jūnqū
Gwóngjāu Gwānkēui
Gwong2zau1 Gwan1keoi1
The region was disestablished in 2016 and reorganised as the Southern Theater Command.
Just before being disbanded, the Guangzhou MR controlled the Guangdong Province, Guangxi Autonomous Region, Hunan Province, Hubei Province, and the Hainan Province Military Districts. The Hong Kong and Macau garrisons were within the Guangzhou MR area but reported directly to the Central Military Commission.
There were two Group Armies within the Region, the 41st Group Army and 42nd Group Army, and in 2006 the International Institute for Strategic Studies said the region had some 180,000 personnel, one mechanised division, three motorised infantry divisions, one artillery division, two armoured brigades, one artillery brigade, and two anti-aircraft brigades.[2] The 123rd (Amphibious) Infantry Division (53023) at Guigang/Guangxi and 124th Infantry Divisions at Boluo, Guangdong had been identified as Rapid Reaction Units.[3] The Hong Kong garrison includes a brigade with a helicopter unit.
The PLA's 15th Airborne Corps was also located in this MR though not under its command.
List of commandersEdit
Huang Yongsheng
Xu Shiyou
Huang Yongsheng, 1955−68
Li Tianyou
Ding Sheng
Xu Shiyou, 1973−80
Wu Kehua, 1980−82
You Taizhong, 1982−87
Zhang Wannian
Liu Cunzhi
Zhu Dunfa
Li Xilin
Tao Bojun
Liu Zhenwu
Zhang Qinsheng, 2007−09
Xu Fenlin, 2009−present
Ground ForcesEdit
The Main Guangzhou Hospital in the Guangzhou Military Region
The Main Wuhan Hospital in the Guangzhou Military Region
A Sergeant in Guangzhou MR, in canteen in Chaozhou Vocational Technical School
41st Group Army (Command Center:Liuzhou) consists of 2 divisions and 3 brigades
121st Mechanized Infantry Division(Liuzhou)
123rd Mechanized Infantry Division(Guigang)
Armored Brigade(Guilin)
Anti-Aircraft Brigade (Hengyang)
Artillery Brigade(Liuzhou)
42nd Group Army (Command Center:Huizhou) consists of 2 divisions and 4 brigades
124th Amphibious Mechanized Infantry Division (Boluo)
163rd Mechanized Infantry Division(Chaozhou)
Anti-Aircraft Brigade (Jieyang)
Special Operation Battalion(Guangzhou)
Electronic Warfare Regiment(Huadu)
6th Regiment of the Army Aviation(Sanshui)
Engineering Regiment(Huizhou)
Anti-Chemical Warfare Regiment(Shenzhen)
Driver and Medic Training Battalion(Dongguan)
Training Regiment(Huizhou)
Air ForceEdit
Commander:Lt. Gen. Han Ruijie Political Officer: Lt. Gen. Wang Jilian Deputy Commander:Maj. Gen. Zhang Shutian
In June 1962, the second Shantou Command Post became the 7th Air Corps. After a move to Xingning in Guangdong Province, it moved to Nanning, Guangxi Autonomous Region, in August 1964.[4]
7th Air Corps
2nd Fighter Division: Suixi, Liuzhou Su-27, J-7
9th (Fighter) Division : Foshan, Shaoguan, Guangzhou，Xingning J-8D, J-7B, J-10
42nd (Fighter) Division : Nanning, Ningming, Guilin J-10
Air Force in Wuhan Base
13th (Transport) Division : Wangjiadun AirportHankou, Dangyang, Kaifeng Y-7, Y-8, IL-76
18 (Fighter) Division : Changsha, Hengyang J-8D, J-7, Su-30
8th (Bomber) Division : Leiyang, Qidong H-6, H-6U
15th Airborne Corps
43rd Airborne Division:Kaifeng, Henan
44th Airborne Division Guangshui, Hubei
45th Airborne Division Huangpi, Hubei
NicknameEdit
Organizations affiliated with the Guangzhou Military Region often use the nickname "warrior" (Chinese: 战士; pinyin: zhànshì; literally: 'battle person'), including the Warrior Performance Troupe (Chinese: 战士文工团) and the Warrior Newspaper (Chinese: 战士报).
^ Xinhui, Guangzhou Military Region, China Defence, accessed November 2008
^ International Institute for Strategic Studies, The Military Balance 2006
^ http://www.sinodefence.com/armedforces/army/rru.asp
^ Appendix G, "Origins of PLAAF MRAFs, Air Corps, Command Posts, Bases, Air Divisions, and Independent Regiments," Ken Allen, Chapter 9, "PLA Air Force Organization", The PLA as Organization, ed. James C. Mulvenon and Andrew N.D. Yang (Santa Monica, CA: RAND, 2002), 445.
Chapter 8, PLA Ground Forces, by Dennis J Blasko, in The People's Liberation Army as Organisation, RAND, CF182
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Guangzhou_Military_Region&oldid=899942906"
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line675
|
__label__wiki
| 0.948515
| 0.948515
|
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
This article is about the film. For the novel on which it is based, see Eclipse (Meyer novel).
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (commonly referred to as Eclipse) is a 2010 American romantic fantasy film based on Stephenie Meyer's 2007 novel Eclipse. It is the third installment of The Twilight Saga film series, following 2008's Twilight and 2009's New Moon. Summit Entertainment greenlit the film in February 2009.[4] Directed by David Slade, the film stars Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, and Taylor Lautner, reprising their roles as Bella Swan, Edward Cullen, and Jacob Black, respectively.[5] Melissa Rosenberg, who penned the scripts for both Twilight and New Moon, returned as screenwriter.[6] Filming began on August 17, 2009, at Vancouver Film Studios,[7] and finished in late October, with post-production began early the following month.[8] Bryce Dallas Howard was cast as Victoria, replacing Rachelle Lefevre who previously played her.
Wyck Godfrey
Karen Rosenfelt
by Stephenie Meyer
Javier Aguirresarobe
Nancy Richardson[1]
Art Jones
Temple Hill Entertainment
Maverick Films
Sunswept Entertainment
June 24, 2010 (2010-06-24) (Los Angeles premiere)
June 30, 2010 (2010-06-30) (United States)
129 minutes (Extended cut)
$68 million[3]
$698.5 million[3]
The film was released worldwide on June 30, 2010 in theatres, and became the first Twilight film to be released in IMAX.[4][9] The film has received mixed reception from critics. It held the record for biggest midnight opening in the United States and Canada in box office history, grossing an estimated $30 million,[10] until it was surpassed by Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 in 2011.[10][11] The film then scored the biggest Wednesday opening in the United States and Canada history with $68,533,840 beating Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen's $62 million.[12] Eclipse has also become the film with the widest independent release, playing in over 4,416 theaters, surpassing its predecessor, The Twilight Saga: New Moon, which held the record since November 2009.[13]
PlotEdit
In Seattle, not far from Forks, Victoria still seeks vengeance on Bella for James’s death. Learning that Laurent is killed by wolves and to replace him and James, she attacks and bites Riley Biers in order to begin creating an army of newborns, who are many times stronger during their first few months than older vampires. Back in Forks, Edward Cullen and Bella Swan resume their relationship, and discuss the complications of becoming a vampire. At eighteen years old, one year older than Edward was when he became a vampire, Bella dislikes the idea of marrying so young, though Edward refuses to turn her into a vampire until they are married, his argument being that she should have a normal, human life. While Bella's father, Charlie Swan, investigates the disappearance of Riley Biers, Edward suspects his disappearance was caused by Victoria and her newborn's army, furthering his suspicions of Riley Biers' intrusion into Bella's bedroom to steal her red blouse.
Bella insists that Jacob Black and the rest of the wolf pack would never harm her. Bella wants to go to Jacob's home, even though Edward expresses his dislike of Jacob and concern for her safety, but she returns unharmed. During one of her visits, Jacob confesses that he is in love with Bella, and forcefully kisses her. Furious, she punches him and sprains her hand, and Edward later threatens Jacob and tells him to only kiss her if she asks him to. Bella even revokes the invitations of Jacob and his pack members to her graduation party at the Cullen house, but when Jacob apologizes for his behavior, she forgives him and lets him and the wolf pack attend the party.
Meanwhile, Alice sees a vision that the newborn army will attack Forks within the week, led by Riley Biers. Jacob, accompanied by Quil and Embry, overhear this, which leads to an alliance between the Cullens and wolf pack. Later, the Cullens and the wolves agree to a meeting place and time to train and discuss strategy against the powerful newborns. During their training Jasper explains to Bella that he was a Major in the Confederate Army during the Civil War, and he was created by a vampire named Maria to control a newborn army. He eventually realized that Maria used him to fulfill her own ambitions. He didn't know there was another way until he met Alice and joined the Cullens. Bella sees the true bond between a mated vampire pair and begins to understand Jasper better. Despite her reluctance to marry young, Bella realizes that spending eternity with Edward is more important to her than anything else and accepts his marriage proposal, along with his late mother's engagement ring. Edward and Bella camp in the mountains to hide Bella from the bloodthirsty newborns. During the night, Bella overhears a conversation between Edward and Jacob, in which they temporarily put aside their hatred towards each other. In the morning, Jacob overhears Edward and Bella discussing their engagement and is furious. Bella desperately asks Jacob to kiss her, and she realizes that she loves him. Edward learns about the kiss but is not upset, because Bella says she loves him more than Jacob.
When Victoria appears, Edward kills her while Seth kills Riley. The Cullens and the wolves, meanwhile, destroy her "army", though Jacob is injured saving Leah from a newborn. Several members of the vampire overlords, the Volturi, arrive to deal with the newborn army, and are surprised the Cullens weren't killed. They also see that the Cullens are guarding the newborn, Bree Tanner, who had refused to fight and surrendered to Carlisle. Jane briefly tortures Bree to get information, then has Felix kill her, despite the Cullens' efforts to spare her. Carlisle treats Jacob at his home, and Bella visits him to tell him that even though she loves him, she has chosen Edward. Devastated by her choice, Jacob reluctantly agrees not to come between her and Edward.
Bella and Edward go to the meadow, where she tells him she has decided to do things his way: Get married, have a normal honeymoon, then be transformed into a vampire. She also explains that she never has been normal and never will be, that she's felt out of place her entire life, but when she is in Edward's world she feels stronger and complete. At the end of the story, they know they need to tell Charlie about their engagement, for which Bella is happy Edward is "bulletproof."
See also: List of Twilight films cast members
Kristen Stewart as Bella Swan, who finds herself surrounded by danger and targeted by the vengeful vampire Victoria. In the meantime, she must choose between her love for vampire Edward Cullen and her friendship with werewolf Jacob Black.[14]
Robert Pattinson as Edward Cullen, Bella's vampire boyfriend who is capable of reading minds, except for Bella's. In New Moon, Edward left Bella, and now he has returned to try to stay a part of her life.[15]
Taylor Lautner as Jacob Black,[5] a werewolf in whom Bella found solace during Edward's absence in New Moon. Now, Edward has returned to Bella's life permanently, and Jacob is looking for ways to prove that he is a better choice for her.
Peter Facinelli as Carlisle Cullen, a compassionate doctor who acts as a father figure to the Cullen coven. He is the one that created the Cullen family except for Alice and Jasper.[16]
Elizabeth Reaser as Esme Cullen, a loving mother figure of the Cullen coven.[17][18]
Ashley Greene as Alice Cullen, a member of the Cullen family who can see "subjective" visions of the future and who is close friends with Bella.[19]
Kellan Lutz as Emmett Cullen, the strongest member of the Cullen family, and provides comic relief.[20]
Nikki Reed as Rosalie Hale, who was raped by her fiancé and left to die before she became a vampire. She also feels that Bella is making a mistake for choosing to live the life of a vampire before she could live a full human life.[21]
Jackson Rathbone as Jasper Hale, a civil war fighter who was turned into a vampire to train newborns. He's also a member of the Cullen coven who trains his family to fight newborn vampires and can feel/control/manipulate emotions.[22]
Billy Burke as Charlie Swan, Bella's father and Forks' Chief of Police. Burke admits he has not read the Twilight books, saying, "We can't make the book, we're making the movie", and that he works from the scripts.[23]
Bryce Dallas Howard as Victoria Sutherland, a vampire who wants to kill Bella to avenge her mate, James, whom she supposes to be killed by Edward in the first Twilight film. Howard replaces Rachelle Lefevre who played Victoria in the first two Twilight films.
Dakota Fanning as Jane, loyal servant to the Volturi.
Cameron Bright as Alec, Jane's Twin, loyal servant to the Volturi.
Daniel Cudmore as Felix, who has a super strength ability, loyal servant to the Volturi.
Ty Olsson as Phil
Alex Meraz as Paul
Julia Jones as Leah Clearwater
Kiowa Gordon as Embry Call
Chaske Spencer as Sam Uley
Bronson Pelletier as Jared
Booboo Stewart as Seth Clearwater
Charlie Bewley as Demetri, loyal servant to the Volturi.
Tyson Houseman as Quil Ateara
Gil Birmingham as Billy Black
Xavier Samuel as Riley Biers, a young man Victoria changed to help her form an army of newborn vampires as revenge against Bella for the death of her mate James (killed by Edward's family while rescuing Bella) and her friend Laurent (who was later killed by werewolves protecting Bella).
Jodelle Ferland as Bree Tanner a newborn vampire created to fight the Cullens, in the newborn army.
Sarah Clarke as Renée Dwyer, Bella's mother who lives in Jacksonville, Florida with her husband Phil.
Anna Kendrick as Jessica Stanley, one of Bella's friends in Forks.
Michael Welch as Mike Newton, one of Bella's friend's in Forks. Mike has a crush on Bella, and does not like Edward.
Catalina Sandino Moreno as Maria, the vampire that turned Confederate Major Jasper into a vampire during the American Civil War.
ProductionEdit
David Slade at the London premiere of The Twilight Saga: Eclipse.
In early November 2008, Summit announced that they had obtained the rights to the remaining books in Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series: New Moon, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn.[24] In February 2009, Summit confirmed that they would begin working on The Twilight Saga: Eclipse. On the same day, it was announced that since New Moon director Chris Weitz would be in post-production for New Moon when Eclipse began shooting, he would not be directing the third film.[25][26] Instead, the film would be helmed by director David Slade, with Melissa Rosenberg returning as screenwriter. David Slade dove right into the project, interviewing cast members individually between two and three times to discuss characters and the plot.[27]
CastingEdit
Summit Entertainment revealed that they would replace Rachelle Lefevre, who played an evil vampire named Victoria, with Bryce Dallas Howard in late July 2009. They attributed the change to scheduling conflicts, and Lefevre responded by saying she was "stunned" and "greatly saddened" by the decision.[28] Howard had previously rejected the role of Victoria as "too small of a part" when she was approached to play her in Twilight.[29]
Silent Hill's Jodelle Ferland was cast as the newly turned vampire, Bree Tanner.[30] Other new cast members include Xavier Samuel as Riley,[31] Jack Huston as Royce King II,[32] Catalina Sandino Moreno as Maria, Julia Jones as Leah Clearwater, and Boo Boo Stewart as Seth Clearwater.[30]
Actors who auditioned for the various roles were not given a script to work from. Instead, actress Kirsten Prout mentioned, "they made the scenes exact transcripts from the book… They didn't give the screenplay out. So, the audition side was just reading a page of Twilight and reading the lines that were interspersed between the descriptions."[33]
Filming and post-productionEdit
Principal photography for Eclipse began on August 17, 2009, at Vancouver Film Studios.[7][34] On August 29, photos captured Kristen Stewart, Billy Burke, and other principal actors, filming a scene with graduation caps and gowns.[35] September 2 brought Xavier Samuel together with Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson filming at a soundstage for scenes at Bella's house.[36] Director David Slade stated that they filmed a scene with a tent on September 13.[37] He also said that they filmed a kiss between Jacob and Bella on September 17.[38] Filming wrapped up on October 29, 2009, while post-production began in late November.[8] Slade published multiple updates on his Twitter account proclaiming that editing was going well.[39] He said the "story and the way [they] approached the film calls for a more realistic approach."[40] In April 2010, it was revealed that reshoots to the film were needed. Both Slade and Stephenie Meyer were present at the shoot along with the three main stars.[41]
In January 2010, an early draft of the film's script was leaked on the Internet.[42] The script presumably belonged to star Jackson Rathbone, as his name was watermarked across each page.[42]
Main article: The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (soundtrack)
The score for The Twilight Saga: Eclipse was composed by Howard Shore, who composed the scores for such films as The Lord of the Rings trilogy and The Aviator.[43] The film's soundtrack was released on June 8, 2010, by Atlantic Records in conjunction with music supervisor Alexandra Patsavas' Chop Shop label.[44] The lead single from the soundtrack is "Neutron Star Collision (Love Is Forever)", performed by the British band Muse.[45]
On May 11, 2010, MySpace announced that the full Eclipse soundtrack listing would be unveiled starting at 8 a.m. the following morning every half-hour, totaling six hours.[46] The album debuted at #2 on Billboard 200.[47]
DistributionEdit
MarketingEdit
On November 5, 2009, the American Film Market revealed the first poster for Eclipse.[48] In late February 2010, Summit Entertainment announced that the first trailer would be attached to the studio's own film, Remember Me, which also stars Robert Pattinson. On March 10, 2010, a 10-second preview of the trailer was released online,[49] followed by the release of the full trailer the next day.[50] The trailer's release coincided with the launching of the film's official website. On March 19, 2010, The Twilight Saga: New Moon was released on DVD and Blu-ray; the Walmart Ultimate Fan Edition includes a 7-minute first look at Eclipse.[51] On March 23, the second poster for the film was released.[52] The final Eclipse trailer debuted on The Oprah Winfrey Show, and in promotion for the movie, Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, Taylor Lautner, and Dakota Fanning made a guest appearance on the show May 13; the audience also viewed a version of the film.[53] On June 6, 2010, a sneak peek of the film was shown at the 2010 MTV Movie Awards; that same week, more clips and TV spots were released also.[54]
In order to tie in the lunar eclipse on June 26, 2010, Summit Entertainment hosted screenings of the first two films in The Twilight Saga film series in twelve cities throughout the United States. The event was streamed live from Philadelphia and San Diego, and included cast member appearances and special previews of Eclipse.[55]
Nordstrom and Summit Entertainment joined together to sell a fashion collection inspired by the film, as was done for the previous installment. Created by Awake Inc., the collection is based on Ashley Greene's character, Alice, and Kristen Stewart's character, Bella. The Eclipse collection became available on June 4, 2010.[56] In a similar style to its New Moon marketing, Burger King started promoting the film on Monday, June 21, 2010. Their promotion heavily focuses on the "Team Jacob vs. Team Edward" aspect of the film.[57]
ReleaseEdit
Tickets for Eclipse went on sale on various online movie ticket sellers on Friday, May 14, 2010.[58] The official red carpet premiere for the film was held on June 24, 2010, at the Los Angeles Nokia Theatre.[59][60] Fans had the option of lining up starting on June 21, 2010, at the Nokia Plaza in Los Angeles before changing location on June 23.[61] An official United Kingdom premiere was held in Leicester Square, London on July 1, 2010. However, Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, and Taylor Lautner were not present.[62]
Eclipse on the marquee of the Northrup Theater (Syracuse, Kansas) in August 2010.
Eclipse opened in 4,416 theaters and 193 IMAX screens. With that, early predictions forecasted the film will gross anywhere from $150 million to $180 million within its first six days of release, putting the record set by The Twilight Saga: New Moon in danger of being broken.[63][64] Eclipse accounted for 82 percent of Fandango's online ticket sales, reaching the top five on May 14, 2010.[citation needed] MovieTickets.com stated that Eclipse was the top advance ticket seller on its site, with more than 50 percent of daily ticket sales.[65] The film was the top advance ticket seller as of June 2010.[66] Early ticket sales for the film also have broken records for Gold Class Cinemas, where more than 8,500 Twilight fans have reserved tickets; the Fairview, Texas location sold out their showings of Eclipse for June 30.[67]
The film was re-released into theaters on September 13, 2010 in recognition of lead character Bella Swan's birthday.[68]
Home mediaEdit
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse was released on DVD in the United States on December 4, 2010. The two-disc special-edition DVD and Blu-ray discs include special features such as: eight deleted and extended scenes, music videos by Muse and Metric from The Twilight Saga: Eclipse: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack and commentaries by Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson, Stephenie Meyer and Wyck Geoffery.[69] It was released on December 1, 2010 in New Zealand and Australia. There is also a "gift set" two-disc collector's edition which features a unique packaging and six collectible photo cards.[70] In North American DVD sales, the film has currently grossed $164,676,695 and has sold more than 9,424,505 units.[71]
ReceptionEdit
Box officeEdit
Eclipse set a new record for the biggest midnight opening in the United States and Canada in box office history, grossing an estimated $30.1 million in over 4,000 theaters.[10] The record was formerly held by the previous film New Moon with $26.3 million in 3,514 theaters.[10] It held the record until summer 2011, when it was broken by Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2, which made $43.5 million.[72] Eclipse also had the highest midnight gross of the franchise until it was topped in November 2011 by its successor Breaking Dawn – Part 1 ($30.3 million).[73] The movie also surpassed Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen in total grosses for a midnight screening in IMAX. Eclipse garnered more than $1 million at 192 theaters, while Revenge of the Fallen earned $959,000,[74] until it was beaten five months later by Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 with $1.4 million.[75] The film grossed $68.5 million on its opening day in the United States and Canada, becoming the biggest single-day Wednesday opening over Revenge of the Fallen's $62 million,[76] and the third-biggest single-day opening ever at the time.[12] As of 2011, the film has the third-highest opening-day gross of the series behind New Moon ($72.7 million) and Breaking Dawn – Part 1 ($72.0 million).[77] Furthermore, the film earned $9 million at various IMAX locations during its first week.[78]
After six days of release in the U.S. and Canada, the film ended Independence Day with a total of $176.4 million, including $64.8 million during its first weekend.[79] In its second weekend, the film fell 51%, a better standing than its predecessors, grossing an estimated $31.7 million.[80]
The film opened overseas with $16.2 million, beating records set by the film's predecessor in Russia with an estimated $3.9 million (since surpassed by Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, which earned $5 million), in Italy with an estimated $3.1 million, in the Philippines grossing $1.2 million, and in Belgium, where it grossed an estimated $1.1 million. It is the third-best opening day ever in Italy; in the Philippines, Eclipse topped Spider-Man 3 for the best opening day ever, and was the highest opening day ever in Belgium.[81] In three days, Eclipse topped the box office with $121.3 million[82] and during its first weekend, it earned $71.3 million.
Overseas in its second weekend, the film grossed $70.6 million from 9,440 screens in 63 markets, a 1% drop from its first weekend. The film opened in the United Kingdom at #1, grossing $20.7 million from 523 locations (including previews), the market's biggest opening of 2010 (until Toy Story 3 surpassed it) and about $1.7 million more than New Moon grossed in its opening weekend in November 2009. The film also debuted at #1 in France, grossing $13.3 million, marking the third-largest opening in the country for a 2010 film (behind Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1's $20.7 million and Alice in Wonderland's $15.4 million). The film opened at number one in South Korea with $4.9 million.[83]
The film ended its box-office run in the U.S. and Canada on October 21, 2010 having grossed $300,531,751, surpassing its predecessor New Moon, which grossed $296,623,634 a few months prior, to become the highest-grossing film of the franchise and the highest-grossing romantic fantasy, werewolf, and vampire movie of all time at the American and Canadian box office.[84] It is the fourth movie of 2010 to reach $300 million and ranks 46th on the all-time chart in the United States and Canada. Compared to its predecessor overseas, it has grossed $393,047,815 against New Moon's $413,203,156. Therefore, internationally, Eclipse remains the second-highest-grossing film in the franchise with $693,579,566 against New Moon's $709,826,790.[85] Eclipse's highest-grossing markets outside North America are the UK, Ireland, and Malta ($45,709,785), Germany ($33,087,955), France and the Maghreb region ($32,987,421), Italy ($19,984,000), Brazil ($30,499,010), and Australia ($28,566,737).[86]
Critical responseEdit
Reviews for the film were mixed, but more favorable than New Moon. Review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a score of 48% based on 241 reviews, with an average rating of 5.44/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Stuffed with characters and overly reliant on uninspired dialogue, Eclipse won't win The Twilight Saga many new converts, despite an improved blend of romance and action fantasy."[87] Review aggregation website Metacritic, which assigns a weighted mean rating out of 100 reviews from film critics, the film holds a rating score of 58/100 based on 38 reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[88]
The Hollywood Reporter posted a positive review of Eclipse, saying the film "nails it".[89] Peter Debruge of Variety reports that the film "finally feels more like the blockbuster this top-earning franchise deserves".[90] Rick Bentley of McClatchy Newspapers stated the film was the best in The Twilight Saga so far, suggesting that, "The person who should be worried is Bill Condon, the director tapped for the two-part finale, Breaking Dawn. He's got a real challenge to make movies as good as Eclipse."[91] The New York Times' A. O. Scott praised David Slade's ability to make an entertaining film, calling it funny and better than its predecessors, but wrote that the acting has not improved much.[92] Giving the film 4.5 out of 5 stars, Betsey Sharkey from the Los Angeles Times praised David Slade's method of blending his previous works to form a funny movie. She stated, "Eclipse eclipse[s] its predecessors."[93] The film was also listed in 49th place by Moviefone on its list of the 50 best movies of 2010.[94]
Roger Moore of the Orlando Sentinel gave the film 2.5 out of 4 stars, stating, "The dullness of the performances really stands out when somebody like Bryce Dallas Howard, or Anna Kendrick turn up and liven up their scenes." While calling the film "too chatty and too long", he did compliment David Slade's directing and noted that the movie will please the fans.[95] Michael Phillips of the Chicago Tribune gave the film 2 out of 5 stars, stating that David Slade's pacing is "everything like molasses running uphill". He also criticized the characters, the actors portraying them, the big close-ups of hand-held devices, and called Howard Shore's score "gunk".[96] Wesley Morris from The Boston Globe stated, "If the first two movies were "get a room," part three is "get a therapist". He said the second and third film "repeat that discovery [in Twilight] without truly deepening it…the movies are interesting without ever being good."[97]
A mixed review said that while "Eclipse restores some of the energy New Moon zapped out of the franchise and has enough quality performances to keep it involving", the film "isn't quite the adrenaline-charged game-changer for love story haters that its marketing might lead you to believe. The majority of the 'action' remains protracted and not especially scintillating should-we-or-shouldn't-we conversations between the central triangle."[98] Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film a more positive review than for the first two films in the saga, but still felt the movie was a constant, unclever conversation between the three main characters. He criticized the "gazes" both Edward and Jacob give Bella throughout the movie, and noted that the mountain range that appears in the film looks "like landscapes painted by that guy on TV who shows you how to paint stuff like that." He also predicted that a lack of understanding for the film series in general would not bode well with the audience, stating, "I doubt anyone not intimately familiar with the earlier installments could make head or tails of the opening scenes." He gave the film 2 stars out of 4.[99] Steve Persall of the St. Peterburg Times called the movie "just monstrously bad", and said, "Eclipse leaves the sputtering story arc in idle, with only an uneasy truce between the vampire and werewolf clans amounting to anything new" and rating it grade C-.[100] The Guardian's columnist Peter Bradshaw gave the film a one-star rating in a review that lampooned Bella's continued abstinence, among other plot elements. Bradshaw, dubbing the series "The epic of the unbroken duck", wrote that "Bella Swan is starting to make Doris Day look like the nympho from hell", and concluded that "it could be time to sharpen the wooden stake."[101]
AccoladesEdit
2010 National Movie Awards Most Anticipated Movie Of The Summer Won
Teen Choice Awards Choice Summer Movie
Choice Summer Movie Star: Female (Kristen Stewart)
Choice Summer Movie Star: Male (Robert Pattinson)
Choice Summer Movie Star: Male (Taylor Lautner) Nominated
Choice Music: Love Song (Neutron Star Collision (Love Is Forever))
Scream Awards The Ultimate Scream
Best Fantasy Movie Won
Best Fantasy Actress: Kristen Stewart
Best Fantasy Actor: Robert Pattinson
Best Fantasy Actor: Taylor Lautner Nominated
Best Breakthrough Performance - Male: Xavier Samuel
Nickelodeon Australian Kids' Choice Awards 2010 Favourite Movie Won
Favorite Movie Star: Kristen Stewart Nominated
Favorite Movie Star: Robert Pattinson
Favorite Movie Star: Xavier Samuel
Hottest Hottie: Taylor Lautner
Fave Kiss: Kristen Stewart & Robert Pattinson
Fave Kiss: Kristen Stewart & Taylor Lautner
Brazilian Kids' Choice Awards 2010 Couple of the Year : Kristen Stewart & Robert Pattinson Won
American Music Awards Favorite Soundtrack Nominated
Satellite Awards Best Original Song: Eclipse (All Yours)
Best Original Song: What Part of Forever
2011 People's Choice Awards Favorite Movie Won
Favorite Drama Movie
Favorite Movie Actress: Kristen Stewart
Favorite Movie Actor: Robert Pattinson Nominated
Favorite Movie Actor: Taylor Lautner
Favorite On-Screen Team: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner Won
Grammy Awards Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television, or Other Visual Media Nominated
Golden Raspberry Awards Worst Picture
Worst Director: David Slade
Worst Actor: Taylor Lautner
Worst Actor: Robert Pattinson
Worst Actress: Kristen Stewart
Worst Screenplay: Melissa Rosenberg
Worst Prequel, Remake, Rip-Off or Sequel
Worst Screen Ensemble
Worst Supporting Actor: Jackson Rathbone Won
Kids' Choice Awards Favorite Movie Actress: Kristen Stewart Nominated
MTV Movie Awards Best Movie Won
Best Female Performance: Kristen Stewart
Best Male Performance: Robert Pattinson
Best Male Performance: Taylor Lautner Nominated
Best Breakout Star: Xavier Samuel
Best Fight: Robert Pattinson, Bryce Dallas Howard and Xavier Samuel Won
Best Kiss: Kristen Stewart & Robert Pattinson
Best Kiss: Kristen Stewart & Taylor Lautner Nominated
37th Saturn Awards Best Fantasy Film
Teen Choice Awards Choice Movie: Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Choice Movie Actress: Sci-Fi/Fantasy (Kristen Stewart)
Choice Movie Actor: Sci-Fi/Fantasy (Robert Pattinson)
Choice Movie Actor: Sci-Fi/Fantasy (Taylor Lautner) Won
Choice Movie: Villain (Bryce Dallas Howard) Nominated
Choice Movie: Male Scene Stealer (Kellan Lutz) Won
Choice Movie: Female Scene Stealer (Ashley Greene)
Choice Movie: Liplock (Kristen Stewart & Robert Pattinson) Nominated
Choice Movie: Liplock (Kristen Stewart & Taylor Lautner)
Choice Movie: Male Breakout Star (Xavier Samuel)
Choice Vampire: Robert Pattinson Won
Choice Vampire: Nikki Reed Nominated
Choice Male Hottie: Robert Pattinson
Choice Male Hottie: Taylor Lautner
SequelsEdit
Main articles: The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 and The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2
Summit Entertainment announced in November 2008 that they had obtained the rights to the fourth book in the Twilight series, Breaking Dawn[102] and greenlit a two film adaptation in April 2010. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 was released on November 18, 2011 and Part 2 on November 16, 2012[103][104] with Bill Condon directing, and author Stephenie Meyer co-producing.[105]
Vampire film
^ Nicole Sperling (2010-03-02). "Summit replaces editor on 'The Twilight Saga: Eclipse'". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 2010-03-03. Retrieved 2010-03-02.
^ "ECLIPSE - British Board of Film Classification". Bbfc.co.uk. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
^ a b "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (2010)". Box Office Mojo. Amazon.com. Retrieved 2010-07-12.
^ a b Joshua Rich (2009-02-20). "'Twilight': Third film in series, 'Eclipse,' set for June 2010". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2009-02-20.
^ a b "Summit Entertainment Starts Production on The Twilight Saga: Eclipse" (Press release). Summit Entertainment. 2009-08-18. Retrieved 2009-08-18.
^ Dave McNary (2009-03-11). "Third 'Twilight' film finds director". Variety. Retrieved 2009-03-12.
^ a b Adam Rosenberg (2009-06-30). "'The Twilight Saga: Eclipse' Shoot Dates Revealed!". MTV. Viacom. Retrieved 2009-07-05.
^ a b Debi Moore (2009-10-29). "Eclipse Wrapped, a Trio of New Moon Stills & Wallpaper, Twilight Returning to Theatres". Dread Central. Dread Central Media, LLC. Retrieved 2009-10-29.
^ Dave McNary (2009-12-09). "'Eclipse' sets IMAX release". Variety. Retrieved 2009-12-31.
^ a b c d "'The Twilight Saga: Eclipse' breaks box office records with midnight grosses". Entertainment Weekly. 2010-06-30. Retrieved 2011-11-18.
^ Dergarabedian, Paul (15 July 2011). "Record Breaking Midnight Screenings of 'Harry Potter 7 Pt. 2'!". Hollywood.com. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
^ a b "Twilight Eclipse $68.5 Million Opening Day is Second Best All-Time".
^ "Widest Independent Releases at the Box Office". Box Office Mojo. Amazon.com. Retrieved 2010-06-15.
^ "The Secret World Now Available For PC - Dread Central". Dreadcentral.com. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
^ "A Super-Lame Romantic Look at 'The Twilight: Saga Eclipse' - Bloody Disgusting". Bloody-disgusting.com. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
^ Carroll, Larry (2008-11-26). "Peter Facinelli Excited To Play Carlisle Cullen Again In 'New Moon'". MTV. Viacom. Retrieved 2009-03-26.
^ "Meet The Cast Of "New Moon"". MTV. Viacom. 2009-03-25. Retrieved 2009-03-28.
^ Carroll, Larry (2008-02-19). "'Twilight' Film's First Family Revealed: Peter Facinelli, Elizabeth Reaser Lead Cullen Clan". MTV. Viacom. Retrieved 2009-03-26.
^ Trevorrow, Jennifer (2009-03-30). "Exclusive: Ashley Greene Dishes On Twilight Sequel New Moon". Entertainment Wise. GiENT. Retrieved 2009-03-30.
^ Carroll, Larry (2008-12-09). "'Twilight' Star Kellan Lutz Looks Forward To Emmett's 'New Moon' One-Liners". MTV. Viacom. Retrieved 2009-03-30.
^ Carroll, Larry (2009-03-26). "Nikki Reed Has To Pretend To Hate BFF Kristen Stewart In 'New Moon'". MTV. Viacom. Retrieved 2009-03-30.
^ Carroll, Larry (2009-09-01). "Jackson Rathbone Dives Into 'Jasper's Backstory' For 'Eclipse'". MTV. MTV Networks. Retrieved 2009-09-01.
^ Brogen Hayes. "Twilight Eclipse - Interview with Billy Burke (Charlie Swan)". Movies.ie.
^ Zeitchik, Steven (2008-11-14). "'Twilight' film franchise looks ahead". The Hollywood Reporter. Nielsen Business Media. Archived from the original on December 17, 2008. Retrieved 2009-03-28.
^ Joshua Rich (2009-02-20). "'Twilight' exclusive: Chris Weitz will not direct third film, 'Eclipse'". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 2009-02-23. Retrieved 2009-02-20.
^ Brandon Gray (2009-02-20). "Third 'Twilight' Dawns Summer 2010". Box Office Mojo. Amazon.com. Retrieved 2009-02-20.
^ Director David Slade discusses "Eclipse". MakingOf.com. Event occurs at 3:39 minutes.
^ "Rachelle Lefevre 'Stunned' Over 'Eclipse' Recasting". Access Hollywood. NBC Universal, Inc. 2009-07-29. Retrieved 2009-08-18.
^ "Dish Rag: Catherine Hardwicke on Bryce Dallas Howard". YouTube. Google.com. Retrieved 2010-06-15.
^ a b Nicole Sperling (2009-08-18). "'Twilight Saga: Eclipse' beings production today". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2009-08-18.
^ Tanner Stransky (2009-07-17). "'Twilight' third pic 'Eclipse' begins casting with Australian unknown Xavier Samuel". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 2009-07-18. Retrieved 2009-07-18.
^ Wendy Mitchell (2009-08-11). "Jack Huston to play Royce King II in 'Eclipse'". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2009-08-12.
^ Christina Radish (2010-01-03). "Exclusive Interview: Kirsten Prout is Lucy in The Twilight Saga: Eclipse". IESB. Retrieved 2010-01-04.
^ "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse Starts Shooting". ReelzChannel. 2009-08-18. Archived from the original on 2009-08-26. Retrieved 2009-08-20.
^ "Filming Eclipse Graduation Scenes". Twilight Guide. 2009-08-29. Retrieved 2010-06-15.
^ LMCullen (2009-09-03). "Eclipse Filming Details: Riley Shows His Creepy Side, Plus New Pics of Bryce Dallas Howard". Eclipse Movie. Archived from the original on 2010-06-18. Retrieved 2010-06-15.
^ LMCullen (2009-09-12). "Eclipse Filming Details: The Tent Scene". Eclipse Movie. Archived from the original on 2010-05-25. Retrieved 2010-06-15.
^ "More 'Eclipse' Filming Updates". Clevvertv.com. 2009-09-17. Retrieved 2010-06-15.
^ "Eclipse is Doing Well in Post-Production". Clevvertv.com. 2009-11-15. Retrieved 2010-06-15.
^ "Updates on 'Eclipse' post-production from David Slade Team-Twilight | Movie News, Pics & Fan Site". Team-twilight.com. 2009-12-11. Retrieved 2010-06-15.
^ "'Twilight: Eclipse' reshoots with Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner were 'fantastic' – The Dish Rag – Zap2it". Zap2it. 2010-05-03. Archived from the original on 2010-05-06. Retrieved 2010-06-15.
^ a b Jocelyn Vena (2010-01-06). "Leaked 'Eclipse' Script Is Reportedly An Early Version". MTV. Viacom. Retrieved 2010-01-08.
^ "Howard Shore to score 'Twilight: Eclipse'". MovieScore. 2010-01-22. Archived from the original on 2010-01-25. Retrieved 2010-01-22.
^ James Montgomery (2010-04-19). "'Eclipse' Soundtrack Due June 8". MTV. Viacom. Retrieved 2010-04-21.
^ "Neutron Star Collision (Love Is Forever) – Coming May 17th". muse.mu. 2010-05-07. Retrieved 2010-05-07.
^ "Function Disabled". Myspace.com. Retrieved 2010-06-15.
^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on January 19, 2012. Retrieved March 12, 2012. CS1 maint: Archived copy as title (link)
^ "First Teaser Poster for 'The Twilight Saga's Eclipse'". cinemablend.com. 2009-11-07. Retrieved 2010-03-10.
^ "Teaser for the Twilight: Eclipse Trailer". AceShowBz.com. 2010-03-10. Retrieved 2010-03-10.
^ Mandi Bierly (2010-03-11). "'Eclipse' trailer is here: So is the new Victoria". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2010-03-11.
^ Larry Carroll (2010-02-12). "'New Moon' Special-Edition DVD To Feature 'Eclipse' Footage". MTV. Viacom. Retrieved 2010-04-29.
^ "Niet compatibele browser". Facebook. Retrieved 2010-06-15.
^ "NA". Harpo, Inc. 2010-04-22. Archived from the original on 2012-07-20. Retrieved 2010-04-23.
^ "MTV Movie Awards Released New Twilight 'Eclipse' Preview Clip". OnTheFlix. 2010-05-24. Archived from the original on 2010-06-09. Retrieved 2010-06-15.
^ "'Twilight Night' event will tie in 'The Twilight Saga: Eclipse' with the lunar eclipse | Twilight Reality". Twilightreality.wordpress.com. Archived from the original on 2010-07-30. Retrieved 2010-06-19.
^ Carroll, Larry (2010-05-10). "Exclusive: 'Twilight' Fashion Week Highlights 'Eclipse' Merch – News Story". MTV News. Viacom. Retrieved 2010-06-15.
^ Rosen, Christopher (2010-06-05). "Teams Edward and Jacob Crowned at Burger King". Movieline. Archived from the original on 2010-06-29. Retrieved 2010-06-19.
^ Floydian Trip (2010-05-11). "Twilight Saga: Eclipse Final Runtime, New Still & Ticket Info". Dreadcentral.com. Retrieved 2010-06-15.
^ "Eclipse premiere | Eclipse Grauman's | Eclipse June 24". Gossipcop.com. 2010-04-05. Retrieved 2010-06-15.
^ Rosenfield, Tracy (2010-05-16). "Summit Entertainment Announces Camp-Out Dates for "Eclipse" Premier". HollywoodNews.com. Retrieved 2010-06-15.
^ "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse Premiere – Fan Line and Camping Rules & Regulations". Facebook. Retrieved 2010-06-19.
^ "Noooo! R-Pattz WON'T be at the Eclipse UK premiere". Heatworld.com. Archived from the original on 2010-06-05. Retrieved 2010-06-15.
^ Frankel, Daniel. "Box Office: 'Eclipse' Looks to Scare Up at Least $150M". TheWrap.com. Retrieved 2010-06-29.
^ Finke, Nikki (2010-06-24). "'Eclipse' Top Advance Ticket Seller Of Year –". Deadline.com. Retrieved 2010-06-29.
^ "Twilight's 'Eclipse' tops advance ticket sales for 2010 – Films, Arts & Entertainment". London: The Independent. 2010-06-29. Retrieved 2010-06-29.
^ Bierly, Mandi (2010-06-25). "'Eclipse' now 2010's top advance ticket-seller | EW.com". Popwatch.ew.com. Retrieved 2010-06-29.
^ "'Twilight Saga: Eclipse' Draws Record Advance Ticket Sales for Gold Class Cinemas – LOS ANGELES". PRNewswire. California. June 28, 2010. Retrieved 2010-06-29.
^ Finke, Nikki; Finke, Nikki (2010-09-09). "Summit Getting Every Dollar From 'Eclipse'". Deadline. Retrieved 2019-01-22.
^ "'Eclipse' DVD Gets Official Release Date! » Hollywood Crush". Hollywoodcrush.mtv.com. 2010-09-13. Retrieved 2011-10-07.
^ "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse". Amazon.com. 1 December 2010. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
^ "The Twilight Sage: Eclipse (2010)". The Numbers. Nash Information Services, LLC. Retrieved 2012-07-15.
^ Box Office Report: Final 'Harry Potter' Grosses a Record-Breaking $43.5 Million in Midnight Runs. The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 15 July 2011.
^ "'The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1' earns $30.3 million at midnight showings". Insidemovies.ew.com. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
^ "Weekend Briefing: 'Eclipse' Rises with Record Release, Midnight Launch". Box Office Mojo. Amazon.com. Retrieved 2010-07-01.
^ Harry Potter Posts Big Opening Night Numbers Archived 2010-11-20 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 19 November 2010.
^ "'Eclipse' opening breaks record for biggest single-day Wednesday opening". Archived from the original on 2010-07-02.
^ "Box office update: 'Twilight: Breaking Dawn' bites into the third-best opening day ever with $72 mil". Insidemovies.ew.com. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
^ Paul Bond (July 6, 2010). "Imax posts $9 million for 'Eclipse' opening". The Hollywood Reporter. "Eclipse" showed on 193 Imax screens domestically from Wednesday through Monday and earned $9 million, about $47,000 per screen.
^ Box office: 'Twilight Saga: Eclipse' is huge but just short of 'New Moon'; 'Airbender' has solid start. Retrieved July 5, 2010.
^ "Weekend Report: 'Despicable Me' Dominates, 'Predators' Solid But Unspectacular". Box Office Mojo. Amazon.com. Retrieved 2010-07-12.
^ "Around-the-World Brief: 'Eclipse' Opening Day Overshadows 'New Moon'". Box Office Mojo. Amazon.com. 2010-02-07. Retrieved 2010-07-02.
^ "Friday Report: 'Eclipse' Doesn't Jump But Easily Leads". Box Office Mojo. Amazon.com. 2010-03-07. Retrieved 2010-07-04.
^ Segers, Frank. "'Eclipse' still has bite at No. 1 overseas". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on July 17, 2010. Retrieved 2010-07-12.
^ "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse". Box Office Mojo. Amazon.com. Retrieved 2010-09-08.
^ "'Twilight' Tiff". Box Office Mojo. Amazon.com. Retrieved 2010-09-08.
^ "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (2010)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 2018-03-19.
^ "Twilight Saga: Eclipse (2010): Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 2010-07-14.
^ Honeycutt, Kirk (2010-06-22). "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse – Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on June 29, 2010. Retrieved 2010-06-28.
^ Debruge, Peter (2010-06-27). "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse Movie Review – Read Variety's Analysis Of The Film The Twilight Saga: Eclipse". Variety. Penske Business Media. Retrieved 2010-06-28.
^ Bentley, Rick (2010-07-01). "Romance, action in 'Eclipse' outshine past Twilight films". The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier. McClatchy News Service. Archived from the original on July 6, 2010. Retrieved 2010-09-24.
^ Scott, A. O. (2010-06-29). "Movie Review - The Twilight Saga: Eclipse - Global Warming Among the Undead". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-07-14.
^ Sharkey, Betsy (2010-06-30). "Movie review: 'The Twilight Saga: Eclipse'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2010-06-30.
^ "50 Best Movies of 2010". Moviefone. Retrieved 2011-12-21.
^ Moore, Roger. "Movie Review: The Twilight Saga: Eclipse – Frankly My Dear". Orlando Sentinel. Archived from the original on 2011-03-19. Retrieved 2010-06-29.
[permanent dead link]
^ Phillips, Michael (2009-10-09). "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse review". The Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2010-06-30.
^ Morris, Wesley (2010-06-26). "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse". The Boston Globe. Boston Globe Media Partners. Retrieved 2010-06-30.
^ Berkshire, Geoff. "'The Twilight Saga: Eclipse' review". New York Metromix. Archived from the original on 2010-07-02. Retrieved 2010-06-29.
^ Ebert, Roger (2004-10-13). "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse". RogerEbert.com. Ebert Digital LLC. Retrieved 2018-03-19.
^ Persall, Steve (2010-06-30). "Review: Sorry, Twihards, but 'Eclipse' is just monstrously bad". St. Peterburg Times. Tampa Bay Times. Archived from the original on 2010-08-08. Retrieved 2010-07-17. Grade C-
^ Bradshaw, Peter (2010-07-08). "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse". The Guardian. Guardian News and Media. Retrieved 2018-03-19.
^ Steven Zeitchik (2008-11-14). "'Twilight' film franchise looks ahead". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on December 4, 2008. Retrieved 2008-12-13.
^ "THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN Release Date November 18, 2011". Collider.com. 2010-05-04. Retrieved 2010-06-15.
^ "Salary dispute holding up 'Twilight 5' announcement". Thresq.hollywoodreporter.com. Archived from the original on 2010-05-14. Retrieved 2010-06-15.
^ Nicole Sperling (2010-04-28). "It's official: Bill Condon will direct Breaking Dawn". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 2010-04-29. Retrieved 2010-04-28.
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse on IMDb
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse at AllMovie
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse at Box Office Mojo
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse at Rotten Tomatoes
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Twilight_Saga:_Eclipse&oldid=903562359"
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line676
|
__label__wiki
| 0.975121
| 0.975121
|
Vincent Gardenia
Vincent Gardenia (born Vincenzo Scognamiglio; January 7, 1920 – December 9, 1992)[1] was an Italian-American stage, film, and television actor. He was nominated twice for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, first for Bang the Drum Slowly (1973) and again for Moonstruck (1987). He also portrayed Det. Frank Ochoa in Death Wish (1974) and its 1982 sequel, as well as Mr. Mushnik in the musical film adaptation of Little Shop of Horrors (1986).
Gardenia at the 1988 Academy Awards
Vincenzo Scognamiglio
(1920-01-07)January 7, 1920[1]
December 9, 1992(1992-12-09) (aged 72)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Gardenia's other notable feature films include Murder Inc. (1960), The Hustler (1961), The Front Page (1974), Greased Lightning (1977) and Heaven Can Wait (1978).
Early lifeEdit
Gardenia was born Vincenzo Scognamiglio in Naples, Italy,[2] the son of Elisa (Ausiello) and Gennaro Gardenia Scognamiglio.[3] When he was two years old, the family immigrated to the United States and settled in Brooklyn, New York City, New York.[2]
His father established an acting troupe that presented Italian-language melodramas. As a child, he performed in the troupe in Italian-American neighborhoods in and around New York City,[2] having later said, "the titles changed, but they were usually about a son or daughter who gets in trouble, runs away, then begs forgiveness". He debuted in the company at age five, portraying a shoeshine boy. He graduated to character roles while still a teenager. He remained a member of the company until 1960, five years after his first English-speaking role on Broadway.[4]
Gardenia played a small role in the film The House on 92nd Street and bit parts in other films, including Cop Hater and A View From the Bridge. His first English-speaking role was in 1955, as a pirate in the Broadway play In April Once. The following year, at age 36, he appeared as Piggy in his Off-Broadway debut in The Man with the Golden Arm.[2] He described his role in the film Little Murders as a "turning point".[2] He won Obie Awards in 1960 and 1969.[2]
A life member of The Actors Studio,[5] Gardenia won a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play in 1972 for his performance in The Prisoner of Second Avenue, opposite Peter Falk. In 1979, he was nominated for Best Actor in a Musical for his performance in Ballroom.
In film, he was twice nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performances in Bang the Drum Slowly and Moonstruck.
In television, Gardenia won the 1990 Emmy Award for his performance in Age-Old Friends, with Hume Cronyn.[6] Among his best remembered TV roles is his portrayal of Archie Bunker's neighbor Frank Lorenzo on All in the Family (1973–74) and as J. Edgar Hoover in the miniseries Kennedy (1983). He also played in an episode of Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea titled "Escape From Venice."
In December 1992, Gardenia was in Philadelphia to perform in the stage production of the Tom Dulack comedy Breaking Legs. He was beginning a three-week run as restaurant owner Lou Garziano in the off-Broadway hit at the Forrest Theatre. It was a role he had performed since the show's New York City opening in May 1991.
Around 1 a.m. on December 9, 1992, hours after the final preview performance, Gardenia had returned to his hotel room at Philadelphia's Benjamin Franklin Hotel, after dining with stage director John Tillinger, producer Elliot Martin, and cast members. According to Martin, Gardenia showed no signs of illness, adding, "It was just a jolly evening." According to authorities, when Gardenia failed to appear the next morning for a radio interview to promote the play's run, press representative Irene Gandy and cast member Vince Viverito became alarmed. When they arrived at Gardenia's hotel room, there was no answer. The hotel sent an engineer who opened the door and Gardenia was discovered dead of a heart attack, dressed and clutching the telephone. He was 72.
That evening, in the theatrical tradition of "the show must go on" and just hours after Gardenia's death, the play's official opening took place. The company dedicated its opening performance to Gardenia's memory.[7] Harry Guardino assumed Gardenia's role as the restaurant owner.[8]
Gardenia is interred in Saint Charles Cemetery in Farmingdale, Long Island, New York, along with his parents Elisa (1901–1967) and Gennaro Gardenia Scognamiglio (1896–1965). Gardenia never married and was survived by his brother, Ralph.[4][9] A section of 16th Avenue in the Bensonhurst neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, where he resided until his death, bears the secondary name of Vincent Gardenia Boulevard in his honor.
1945 The House on 92nd Street German spy trainee Uncredited
1958 Cop Hater Danny Gimp
1960 Murder, Inc. Lawyer Laslo
1961 Parrish Bit part Uncredited
Mad Dog Coll Dutch Schultz
The Hustler Bartender
1962 A View From the Bridge Liperi
1965 The Third Day Preston
1970 Jenny Mr. Marsh
Where's Poppa? Coach Williams
1971 Little Murders Mr. Newquist
Cold Turkey Mayor Quincey L. Wappler
1972 Hickey & Boggs Papadakis
1973 Bang the Drum Slowly Dutch Schnell Nominated—Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor
Lucky Luciano Colonel Charles Poletti
1974 Death Wish Det. Frank Ochoa
The Front Page Sheriff Pete Hartmann
1975 The Manchu Eagle Murder Caper Mystery Big Daddy Jessup
La banca di Monate Santino Paleari
1976 House of Pleasure for Women Mr. Chips
The Big Racket Pepe
Luna di miele in tre Frankie, the journalist
1977 Fire Sale Benny Fikus
Greased Lightning Sheriff Cotton
1978 Heaven Can Wait Det. Lt. Krim
1979 Firepower Frank Hull
Home Movies Doctor Byrd
Sensitività Old painter
Goldie and the Boxer Diamond
1980 The Dream Merchants Peter Kessler
The Last Flight of Noah's Ark Stoney
1982 Death Wish II Det. Frank Ochoa
1983 Odd Squad General Brigg
1985 Movers & Shakers Saul Gritz
1986 Little Shop of Horrors Mr. Mushnik
1987 Moonstruck Cosmo Castorini Nominated—Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor
1988 Cheeeese Bonjour
Cavalli si nasce Il Principe
1989 Skin Deep Barny the Barkeeper
1991 The Super Big Lou Kritski (final film role)
TelevisionEdit
Before becoming a regular cast member on All in the Family, Gardenia and Rue McClanahan played "wife-swappers" who meet the unsuspecting Bunkers in a 1972 episode. L-R: McClanahan, Carroll O'Connor, Jean Stapleton, and Gardenia.[10]
1954 Twelve Angry Men (Westinghouse Studio One) Bailiff Uncredited. Season 7, Episode 1.
1957 The Night America Trembled (Westinghouse Studio One) Dick Season 10, Episode 1.
1958 Decoy Bull Season1, Episode 19 The Challenger
1961 The Untouchables (TV series) Jake Petrie
1965 The Big Valley John Sample Season 1, Episode 1 ("Palms of Glory")
1967 The Rat Patrol Colonel Centis
Gunsmoke Season 12, episode 24 (Noose of Gold)
Mission Impossible Vito Lugana Season 2, episodes 11 & 12 (The Council)
1968 Mission Impossible Lou Palmer Season 3, episodes 5 (The Execution)
1972 The Rookies Saul Season 1, episode 8 (Dirge for Sunday)
1973–74 All in the Family Frank Lorenzo Before being cast regularly as Frank Lorenzo in season 4, Gardenia had played neighbor Jim Bowman in a single episode of season 1 and swinger Curtis Rempley in a single episode of season 3.
1977 The Mary Tyler Moore Show Frank Coleman Season 7, episode 24 (The Last Show)
1990 L.A. Law Murray Melman 7 episodes
^ a b "Vincent Gardenia". All Movie Guide. Retrieved June 22, 2009.
^ a b c d e f Murphy, Mary (January 16, 1974). "Vince Gardenia and the Actor as Coach". Los Angeles Times. LATimes.com. p. E1.
^ "Contemporary Theatre, Film and Television". google.ca. Retrieved June 29, 2015.
^ a b Grimes, William (December 10, 1992). "Vincent Gardenia, Character Actor, Is Dead at 71". The New York Times. NYTimes.com. Retrieved December 28, 2012.
^ Garfield, David (April 1984). "Appendix: Life Members of The Actors Studio as of January 1980". A Player's Place: The Story of The Actors Studio. New York: MacMillan Publishing Co., Inc. p. 278. ISBN 978-0020123101.
^ Folkart, Burt A. (December 10, 1992). "Vincent Gardenia; Actor Won Tony, Emmy Awards". Los Angeles Times. LATimes.com. Retrieved December 28, 2012.
^ Bykofsky, Stu; Nelson, Nels; Daughen, Joseph R. "'Breaking Legs' Cast Pays Tribute To Star Dedicates Opener To Vince Gardenia Who Died In Hotel". Philadelphia Daily News. Philly.com. Retrieved December 28, 2012.
^ "Guardino replaces Gardenia in play". The Baltimore Sun. BaltimoreSun.com. January 20, 1993. Retrieved December 28, 2012.
^ Rousuck, J. Wynn (December 10, 1992). "Vincent Gardenia's final role indulged actor's twin passions APPRECIATION". The Baltimore Sun. BaltimoreSun.com. Retrieved December 28, 2012.
^ All in the Family, episode "The Bunkers and the Swingers" (1972) on IMDb
Vincent Gardenia at Find a Grave
Vincent Gardenia at the Internet Broadway Database
Vincent Gardenia at the Internet Off-Broadway Database
Vincent Gardenia on IMDb
Vincent Gardenia at the TCM Movie Database
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Vincent_Gardenia&oldid=901993399"
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line677
|
__label__wiki
| 0.835538
| 0.835538
|
EUR-Lex - JOL_2003_236_R_0033_01 - EN
Document JOL_2003_236_R_0033_01
Act concerning the conditions of accession of the Czech Republic, the Republic of Estonia, the Republic of Cyprus, the Republic of Latvia, the Republic of Lithuania, the Republic of Hungary, the Republic of Malta, the Republic of Poland, the Republic of Slovenia and the Slovak Republic and the adjustments to the Treaties on which the European Union is founded
OJ L 236, 23.9.2003, p. 33–988 (ES, DA, DE, EL, EN, FR, IT, NL, PT, FI, SV)
Language 1 Spanish (es) Danish (da) German (de) Greek (el) English (en) French (fr) Italian (it) Dutch (nl) Portuguese (pt) Finnish (fi) Swedish (sv)
Language 2 Please choose Spanish (es) Danish (da) German (de) Greek (el) English (en) French (fr) Italian (it) Dutch (nl) Portuguese (pt) Finnish (fi) Swedish (sv)
Official Journal of the European Union
L 236/33
concerning the conditions of accession of the Czech Republic, the Republic of Estonia, the Republic of Cyprus, the Republic of Latvia, the Republic of Lithuania, the Republic of Hungary, the Republic of Malta, the Republic of Poland, the Republic of Slovenia and the Slovak Republic and the adjustments to the Treaties on which the European Union is founded
For the purposes of this Act:
the expression ‘original Treaties’ means:
the Treaty establishing the European Community (‘EC Treaty’) and the Treaty establishing the European Atomic Energy Community (‘Euratom Treaty’), as supplemented or amended by treaties or other acts which entered into force before this accession,
the Treaty on European Union (‘EU Treaty’), as supplemented or amended by treaties or other acts which entered into force before this accession;
the expression ‘present Member States’ means the Kingdom of Belgium, the Kingdom of Denmark, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Hellenic Republic, the Kingdom of Spain, the French Republic, Ireland, the Italian Republic, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Republic of Austria, the Portuguese Republic, the Republic of Finland, the Kingdom of Sweden and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland;
the expression ‘the Union’ means the European Union as established by the EU Treaty;
the expression ‘the Community’ means one or both of the Communities referred to in the first indent, as the case may be;
the expression ‘new Member States’ means the Czech Republic, the Republic of Estonia, the Republic of Cyprus, the Republic of Latvia, the Republic of Lithuania, the Republic of Hungary, the Republic of Malta, the Republic of Poland, the Republic of Slovenia and the Slovak Republic;
the expression ‘the institutions’ means the institutions established by the original Treaties.
From the date of accession, the provisions of the original Treaties and the acts adopted by the institutions and the European Central Bank before accession shall be binding on the new Member States and shall apply in those States under the conditions laid down in those Treaties and in this Act.
1. The provisions of the Schengen acquis as integrated into the framework of the European Union by the Protocol annexed to the Treaty on European Union and to the Treaty establishing the European Community (hereinafter referred to as the ‘Schengen Protocol’), and the acts building upon it or otherwise related to it, listed in Annex I to this Act, as well as any further such acts which may be adopted before the date of accession, shall be binding on and applicable in the new Member States from the date of accession.
2. Those provisions of the Schengen acquis as integrated into the framework of the European Union and the acts building upon it or otherwise related to it not referred to in paragraph 1, while binding on the new Member States from the date of accession, shall only apply in a new Member State pursuant to a Council decision to that effect after verification in accordance with the applicable Schengen evaluation procedures that the necessary conditions for the application of all parts of the acquis concerned have been met in that new Member State and after consulting the European Parliament.
The Council shall take its decision acting with the unanimity of its members representing the Governments of the Member States in respect of which the provisions referred to in the present paragraph have already been put into effect and of the representative of the Government of the Member State in respect of which those provisions are to be put into effect. The members of the Council representing the Governments of Ireland and of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland shall take part in such a decision insofar as it relates to the provisions of the Schengen acquis and the acts building upon it or otherwise related to it in which these Member States participate.
3. The Agreements concluded by the Council under Article 6 of the Schengen Protocol shall be binding on the new Member States from the date of accession.
4. The new Member States undertake in respect of those conventions or instruments in the field of justice and home affairs which are inseparable from the attainment of the objectives of the EU Treaty:
to accede to those which, by the date of accession, have been opened for signature by the present Member States, and to those which have been drawn up by the Council in accordance with Title VI of the EU Treaty and recommended to the Member States for adoption;
to introduce administrative and other arrangements, such as those adopted by the date of accession by the present Member States or by the Council, to facilitate practical cooperation between the Member States' institutions and organisations working in the field of justice and home affairs.
Each of the new Member States shall participate in Economic and Monetary Union from the date of accession as a Member State with a derogation within the meaning of Article 122 of the EC Treaty.
1. The new Member States accede by this Act to the decisions and agreements adopted by the Representatives of the Governments of the Member States meeting within the Council. They undertake to accede from the date of accession to all other agreements concluded by the present Member States relating to the functioning of the Union or connected with the activities thereof.
2. The new Member States undertake to accede to the conventions provided for in Article 293 of the EC Treaty and to those that are inseparable from the attainment of the objectives of the EC Treaty, and also to the protocols on the interpretation of those conventions by the Court of Justice, signed by the present Member States and to this end they undertake to enter into negotiations with the present Member States in order to make the necessary adjustments thereto.
3. The new Member States are in the same situation as the present Member States in respect of declarations or resolutions of, or other positions taken up by, the European Council or the Council and in respect of those concerning the Community or the Union adopted by common agreement of the Member States; they will accordingly observe the principles and guidelines deriving from those declarations, resolutions or other positions and will take such measures as may be necessary to ensure their implementation.
1. The agreements or conventions concluded or provisionally applied by the Community or in accordance with Article 24 or Article 38 of the EU Treaty, with one or more third States, with an international organisation or with a national of a third State, shall, under the conditions laid down in the original Treaties and in this Act, be binding on the new Member States.
2. The new Member States undertake to accede, under the conditions laid down in this Act, to the agreements or conventions concluded or provisionally applied by the present Member States and the Community, acting jointly, and to the agreements concluded by those States which are related to those agreements or conventions.
The accession of the new Member States to the agreements or conventions mentioned in paragraph 6 below, as well as the agreements with Belarus, China, Chile, Mercosur and Switzerland which have been concluded or signed by the Community and its Member States jointly shall be agreed by the conclusion of a protocol to such agreements or conventions between the Council, acting unanimously on behalf of the Member States, and the third country or countries or international organisation concerned. This procedure is without prejudice to the Community's own competences and does not affect the allocation of powers between the Community and the Member States as regards the conclusion of such agreements in the future or any other amendments not related to accession. The Commission shall negotiate these protocols on behalf of the Member States on the basis of negotiating directives approved by the Council, acting by unanimity, and in consultation with a committee comprised of the representatives of the Member States. It shall submit a draft of the protocols for conclusion to the Council.
3. Upon acceding to the agreements and conventions referred to in paragraph 2 the new Member States shall acquire the same rights and obligations under those agreements and conventions as the present Member States.
4. The new Member States accede by this Act to the Partnership Agreement between the members of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States of the one part, and the European Community and its Member States, of the other part (1), signed in Cotonou on 23 June 2000.
5. The new Member States undertake to accede, under the conditions laid down in this Act, to the Agreement on the European Economic Area (2), in accordance with Article 128 of that Agreement.
6. As from the date of accession, and pending the conclusion of the necessary protocols referred to in paragraph 2, the new Member States shall apply the provisions of the Agreements concluded by the present Member States and, jointly, the Community with Algeria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Croatia, Egypt, FYROM, Georgia, Israel, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Mexico, Moldova, Morocco, Romania, the Russian Federation, San Marino, South Africa, South Korea, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan as well as the provisions of other agreements concluded jointly by the present Member States and the Community before accession.
Any adjustments to these Agreements shall be the subject of protocols concluded with the co-contracting countries in conformity with the provisions of the second subparagraph of paragraph 2. Should the protocols not have been concluded by the date of accession, the Community and the Member States shall take, in the framework of their respective competences, the necessary measures to deal with that situation upon accession.
7. As from the date of accession, the new Member States shall apply the bilateral textile agreements and arrangements concluded by the Community with third countries.
The quantitative restrictions applied by the Community on imports of textile and clothing products shall be adjusted to take account of the accession of the new Member States to the Community. To that effect, amendments to the bilateral agreements and arrangements referred to above may be negotiated by the Community with the third countries concerned prior to the date of accession.
Should the amendments to the bilateral textile agreements and arrangements not have entered into force by the date of accession, the Community shall make the necessary adjustments to its rules for the import of textile and clothing products from third countries to take into account the accession of the new Member States to the Community.
8. The quantitative restrictions applied by the Community on imports of steel and steel products shall be adjusted on the basis of imports of new Member States over recent years of steel products originating in the supplier countries concerned.
To that effect, the necessary amendments to the bilateral steel agreements and arrangements concluded by the Community with third countries shall be negotiated prior to the date of accession.
Should the amendments to the bilateral agreements and arrangements not have entered into force by the date of accession, the provisions of the first subparagraph shall apply.
9. As from the date of accession, fisheries agreements concluded by the new Member States with third countries shall be managed by the Community.
The rights and obligations resulting for the new Member States from those agreements shall not be affected during the period in which the provisions of those agreements are provisionally maintained.
As soon as possible, and in any event before the expiry of the agreements referred to in the first subparagraph, appropriate decisions for the continuation of fishing activities resulting from those agreements shall be adopted in each case by the Council acting by qualified majority on a proposal from the Commission, including the possibility of extending certain agreements for periods not exceeding one year.
10. With effect from the date of accession, the new Member States shall withdraw from any free trade agreements with third countries, including the Central European Free Trade Agreement.
To the extent that agreements between one or more of the new Member States on the one hand, and one or more third countries on the other, are not compatible with the obligations arising from this Act, the new Member State shall take all appropriate steps to eliminate the incompatibilities established. If a new Member State encounters difficulties in adjusting an agreement concluded with one or more third countries before accession, it shall, according to the terms of the agreement, withdraw from that agreement.
11. The new Member States accede by this Act and under the conditions laid down therein to the internal agreements concluded by the present Member States for the purpose of implementing the agreements or conventions referred to in paragraphs 2 and 4 to 6.
12. The new Member States shall take appropriate measures, where necessary, to adjust their position in relation to international organisations, and to those international agreements to which the Community or to which other Member States are also parties, to the rights and obligations arising from their accession to the Union.
They shall in particular withdraw at the date of accession or the earliest possible date thereafter from international fisheries agreements and organisations to which the Community is also a party, unless their membership relates to matters other than fisheries.
The provisions of this Act may not, unless otherwise provided herein, be suspended, amended or repealed other than by means of the procedure laid down in the original Treaties enabling those Treaties to be revised.
Acts adopted by the institutions to which the transitional provisions laid down in this Act relate shall retain their status in law; in particular, the procedures for amending those acts shall continue to apply.
Provisions of this Act the purpose or effect of which is to repeal or amend acts adopted by the institutions, otherwise than as a transitional measure, shall have the same status in law as the provisions which they repeal or amend and shall be subject to the same rules as those provisions.
The application of the original Treaties and acts adopted by the institutions shall, as a transitional measure, be subject to the derogations provided for in this Act.
ADJUSTMENTS TO THE TREATIES
INSTITUTIONAL PROVISIONS
The European Parliament
With effect from the start of the 2004-2009 term, in Article 190(2) of the EC Treaty and in Article 108(2) of the Euratom Treaty, the first subparagraph shall be replaced by the following:
‘The number of representatives elected in each Member State shall be as follows:
1. With effect from 1 November 2004:
In Article 205 of the EC Treaty and Article 118 of the Euratom Treaty
paragraph 2 shall be replaced by the following:
1.‘2. Where the Council is required to act by a qualified majority, the votes of its members shall be weighted as follows:
Acts of the Council shall require for their adoption at least 232 votes in favour cast by a majority of the members where this Treaty requires them to be adopted on a proposal from the Commission.
In other cases, for their adoption acts of the Council shall require at least 232 votes in favour, cast by at least two-thirds of the members.’
the following paragraph shall be added:
‘4. When a decision is to be adopted by the Council by a qualified majority, a member of the Council may request verification that the Member States constituting the qualified majority represent at least 62 % of the total population of the Union. If that condition is shown not to have been met, the decision in question shall not be adopted.’
In Article 23(2) of the EU Treaty, the third subparagraph shall be replaced by the following:
‘The votes of the members of the Council shall be weighted in accordance with Article 205(2) of the Treaty establishing the European Community. For their adoption, decisions shall require at least 232 votes in favour cast by at least two-thirds of the members. When a decision is to be adopted by the Council by a qualified majority, a member of the Council may request verification that the Member States constituting the qualified majority represent at least 62 % of the total population of the Union. If that condition is shown not to have been met, the decision in question shall not be adopted.’
In Article 34 of the EU Treaty, paragraph 3 shall be replaced by the following:
‘3. Where the Council is required to act by a qualified majority, the votes of its members shall be weighted as laid down in Article 205(2) of the Treaty establishing the European Community, and for their adoption acts of the Council shall require at least 232 votes in favour, cast by at least two-thirds of the members. When a decision is to be adopted by the Council by a qualified majority, a member of the Council may request verification that the Member States constituting the qualified majority represent at least 62 % of the total population of the Union. If that condition is shown not to have been met, the decision in question shall not be adopted.’
2. Article 3(1) of the Protocol annexed to the EU Treaty and to the EC Treaty on the enlargement of the European Union is repealed.
3. In the event of fewer than ten new Member States acceding to the European Union, the threshold for the qualified majority shall be fixed by Council decision by applying a strictly linear, arithmetical interpolation, rounded up or down to the nearest vote, between 71 % for a Council with 300 votes and the level of 72,27 % for an EU of 25 Member States.
The Court of Justice
1. Article 9, first paragraph, of the Protocol annexed to the EU Treaty, the EC Treaty and the Euratom Treaty on the Statute of the Court of Justice shall be replaced by the following:
‘When, every three years, the Judges are partially replaced, thirteen and twelve Judges shall be replaced alternately.’
2. Article 48 of the Protocol annexed to the EU Treaty, the EC Treaty and the Euratom Treaty on the Statute of the Court of Justice shall be replaced by the following:
‘Article 48
The Court of First Instance shall consist of twenty-five Judges.’
The Economic and Social Committee
The second paragraphs of Article 258 of the EC Treaty and Article 166 of the Euratom Treaty are replaced by the following:
‘The number of members of the Committee shall be as follows:
The Committee of the Regions
The third paragraph of Article 263 of the EC Treaty is replaced by the following:
The Scientific and Technical Committee
The following is substituted for the first subparagraph of Article 134(2) of the Euratom Treaty:
‘2. The Committee shall consist of thirty-nine members, appointed by the Council after consultation with the Commission.’
The European Central Bank
In Protocol No 18 on the Statute of the European System of Central Banks and of the European Central Bank annexed to the Treaty establishing the European Community, the following paragraph shall be added to Article 49:
‘49.3 Upon one or more countries becoming Member States and their respective national central banks becoming part of the ESCB, the subscribed capital of the ECB and the limit on the amount of foreign reserve assets that may be transferred to the ECB shall be automatically increased. The increase shall be determined by multiplying the respective amounts then prevailing by the ratio, within the expanded capital key, between the weighting of the entering national central banks concerned and the weighting of the national central banks already members of the ESCB. Each national central bank's weighting in the capital key shall be calculated by analogy with Article 29.1 and in compliance with Article 29.2. The reference periods to be used for the statistical data shall be identical to those applied for the latest quinquennial adjustment of the weightings under Article 29.3.’
OTHER ADJUSTMENTS
In Article 57(1) of the EC Treaty the following shall be added:
‘In respect of restrictions existing under national law in Estonia and Hungary, the relevant date shall be 31 December 1999’
Article 299(1) of the EC Treaty shall be replaced by the following:
‘1. This Treaty shall apply to the Kingdom of Belgium, the Czech Republic, the Kingdom of Denmark, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Republic of Estonia, the Hellenic Republic, the Kingdom of Spain, the French Republic, Ireland, the Italian Republic, the Republic of Cyprus, the Republic of Latvia, the Republic of Lithuania, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, the Republic of Hungary, the Republic of Malta, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Republic of Austria, the Republic of Poland, the Portuguese Republic, the Republic of Slovenia, the Slovak Republic, the Republic of Finland, the Kingdom of Sweden and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.’
PERMANENT PROVISIONS
ADAPTATIONS TO ACTS ADOPTED BY THE INSTITUTIONS
The acts listed in Annex II to this Act shall be adapted as specified in that Annex.
The adaptations to the acts listed in Annex III to this Act made necessary by accession shall be drawn up in conformity with the guidelines set out in that Annex and in accordance with the procedure and under the conditions laid down in Article 57.
The measures listed in Annex IV to this Act shall be applied under the conditions laid down in that Annex.
The Council, acting unanimously on a proposal from the Commission and after consulting the European Parliament, may make the adaptations to the provisions of this Act relating to the common agricultural policy which may prove necessary as a result of a modification in Community rules. Such adaptations may be made before the date of accession.
TEMPORARY PROVISIONS
TRANSITIONAL MEASURES
The measures listed in Annexes V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, XI, XII, XIII and XIV to this Act shall apply in respect of the new Member States under the conditions laid down in those Annexes.
1. By way of derogation from the second paragraph of Article 189 of the EC Treaty and from the second paragraph of Article 107 of the Euratom Treaty and with regard to Article 190(2) of the EC Treaty and Article 108(2) of the Euratom Treaty, the number of seats in the European Parliament for the new Member States for the period running from the date of accession until the beginning of the 2004-2009 term of the European Parliament shall be as follows:
2. By way of derogation from Article 190(1) EC Treaty and Article 108(2) Euratom Treaty, the representatives in the European Parliament of the peoples of the new Member States for the period running from the date of accession until the beginning of the 2004-2009 term of the European Parliament shall be appointed by the Parliaments of those States within themselves in accordance with the procedure laid down by each of those States.
1. For the period until 31 October 2004 the following provisions shall apply:
with regard to Article 205(2) of the EC Treaty and Article 118(2) of the Euratom Treaty:
Where the Council is required to act by a qualified majority the votes of its members shall be weighted as follows:
with regard to the second and third subparagraphs of Article 205(2) of the EC Treaty and of Article 118(2) of the Euratom Treaty:
For their adoption, acts of the Council shall require at least:
88 votes in favour where this Treaty requires them to be adopted on a proposal from the Commission,
88 votes in favour, cast by at least two-thirds of the members, in other cases.
with regard to the second sentence of the third subparagraph of Article 23(2) of the EU Treaty:
For their adoption, decisions shall require at least 88 votes in favour cast by at least two-thirds of the members.
with regard to Article 34(3) of the EU Treaty:
Where the Council is required to act by a qualified majority, the votes of its members shall be weighted as laid down in Article 205(2) of the Treaty establishing the European Community, and for their adoption acts of the Council shall require at least 88 votes in favour, cast by at least two-thirds of the members.
2. In the event that fewer than ten new Member States accede to the Union, the threshold for the qualified majority for the period until 31 October 2004 shall be fixed by Council decision so as to correspond as closely as possible to 71,26 % of the total number of votes.
1. The revenue designated as ‘Common Customs Tariff duties and other duties’ referred to in Article 2(1)(b) of Council Decision 2000/597/EC, Euratom on the system of the European Communities' own resources (3), or the corresponding provision in any Decision replacing it, shall include the customs duties calculated on the basis of the rates resulting from the Common Customs Tariff and any tariff concession relating thereto applied by the Community in the new Member States' trade with third countries.
2. For the year 2004, the harmonised VAT assessment base and the GNI (gross national income) base of each new Member State, referred to in Article 2(1)(c) and (d) of Council Decision 2000/597/EC, Euratom shall be equal to two-thirds of the annual base. The GNI base of each new Member State to be taken into account for the calculation of the financing of the correction in respect of budgetary imbalances granted to the United Kingdom, referred to in Article 5(1) of Council Decision 2000/597/EC, shall likewise be equal to two-thirds of the annual base.
3. For the purposes of determining the frozen rate for 2004 according to Article 2(4)(b) of Council Decision 2000/597/EC, Euratom the capped VAT bases of the new Member States shall be calculated on the basis of two-thirds of their uncapped VAT base and two-thirds of their GNI.
1. The general budget of the European Communities for the financial year 2004 shall be adapted to take into account the accession of the new Member States through an amending budget that shall enter into effect on 1 May 2004.
2. The twelve monthly twelfths of VAT and GNI-based resources to be paid by the new Member States under this amending budget, as well as the retroactive adjustment of the monthly twelfths for the period January-April 2004 that only apply to the present Member States, shall be converted into eighths to be called during the period May-December 2004. The retroactive adjustments that result from any subsequent amending budget adopted in 2004 shall likewise be converted into equal parts to be called during the remainder of the year.
On the first working day of each month the Community shall pay the Czech Republic, Cyprus, Malta and Slovenia, as an item of expenditure under the general budget of the European Communities, one eighth in 2004, as of the date of accession, and one twelfth in 2005 and 2006 of the following amounts of temporary budgetary compensation:
(EUR million, 1999 prices)
On the first working day of each month the Community shall pay the Czech Republic, Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovenia and Slovakia, as an item of expenditure under the general budget of the European Communities, one eighth in 2004, as of the date of accession, and one twelfth in 2005 and 2006 of the following amounts of a special lump-sum cash-flow facility:
EUR 1 billion for Poland and EUR 100 million for the Czech Republic included in the special lump-sum cash-flow facility shall be taken into account for any calculations on the distribution of structural funds for the years 2004-2006.
1. The new Member States listed below shall pay the following amounts to the Research Fund for Coal and Steel referred to in Decision 2002/234/ECSC of the Representatives of the Governments of the Member States, meeting within the Council, of 27 February 2002 on the financial consequences of the expiry of the ECSC Treaty and on the Research Fund for Coal and Steel (4):
(EUR million, current prices)
2. The contributions to the Research Fund for Coal and Steel shall be made in four instalments starting in 2006 and paid as follows, in each case on the first working day of the first month of each year:
2006: 15 %
2009: 35 %.
1. Save as otherwise provided for in this Treaty, no financial commitments shall be made under the Phare programme (5), the Phare Cross-Border Cooperation programme (6), pre-accession funds for Cyprus and Malta (7), the ISPA programme (8) and the SAPARD programme (9) in favour of the new Member States after 31 December 2003. The new Member States shall receive the same treatment as the present Member States as regards expenditure under the first three Headings of the financial perspective, as defined in the Interinstitutional Agreement of 6 May 1999 (10), as from 1 January 2004, subject to the individual specifications and exceptions below or as otherwise provided for in this Treaty. The maximum additional appropriations for headings 1, 2, 3 and 5 of the Financial Perspective related to enlargement are set out in Annex XV. However, no financial commitment under the 2004 budget for any programme or agency concerned may be made before the accession of the relevant new Member State has taken place.
2. Paragraph 1 shall not apply to expenditure under the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund, Guarantee Section, according to Articles 2(1), 2(2), and 3(3) of Council Regulation (EC) No 1258/1999 on the financing of the common agricultural policy (11), which will become eligible for Community funding only from the date of accession, in accordance with Article 2 of this Act.
However, paragraph 1 of this Article shall apply to expenditure for rural development under the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund, Guarantee Section, according to Article 47a of Council Regulation (EC) No 1257/1999 on support for rural development from the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF) and amending and repealing certain regulations (12), subject to the conditions set out in the amendment of that Regulation in Annex II to this Act.
3. Subject to the last sentence of paragraph 1, as of 1 January 2004, the new Member States will participate in Community programmes and agencies according to the same terms and conditions as the present Member States with funding from the general budget of the European Communities. The terms and conditions laid down in Association Council Decisions, Agreements and Memoranda of Understanding between the European Communities and the new Member States regarding their participation in Community programmes and agencies shall be superseded by the provisions governing the relevant programmes and agencies with effect from 1 January 2004.
4. Should any of the States referred to in Article 1(1) of the Treaty of Accession not accede to the Community during 2004, any application made by or from the State concerned for funding by expenditure under the first three Headings of the Financial Perspective for 2004 shall be null and void. In that case the relevant Association Council Decision, Agreement or Memorandum of Understanding shall continue to apply in respect of that State throughout the entire year 2004.
5. If any measures are necessary to facilitate the transition from the pre-accession regime to that resulting from the application of this Article, the Commission shall adopt the required measures.
1. Tendering, contracting, implementation and payments for pre-accession assistance under the Phare programme (13), the Phare CBC programme (14) and pre-accession funds for Cyprus and Malta (15) shall be managed by implementing agencies in the new Member States as of the date of accession.
The ex-ante control by the Commission over tendering and contracting shall be waived by a Commission decision to that effect, following a positively assessed Extended Decentralised Implementation System (EDIS) in accordance with the criteria and conditions laid down in the Annex to Council Regulation (EC) No 1266/1999 on coordinating aid to the applicant countries in the framework of the pre-accession strategy and amending Regulation (EEC) No 3906/89 (16).
If this Commission decision to waive ex-ante control has not been taken before the date of accession, any contracts signed between the date of accession and the date on which the Commission decision is taken shall not be eligible for pre-accession assistance.
However, exceptionally, if the Commission decision to waive ex-ante control is delayed beyond the date of accession for reasons not attributable to the authorities of a new Member State, the Commission may accept, in duly justified cases, eligibility for pre-accession assistance of contracts signed between accession and the date of the Commission decision, and the continued implementation of pre-accession assistance for a limited period, subject to ex-ante control by the Commission over tendering and contracting.
2. Global budget commitments made before accession under the pre-accession financial instruments referred to in paragraph 1, including the conclusion and registration of subsequent individual legal commitments and payments made after accession shall continue to be governed by the rules and regulations of the pre-accession financing instruments and be charged to the corresponding budget chapters until closure of the programmes and projects concerned. Notwithstanding this, public procurement procedures initiated after accession shall be carried out in accordance with the relevant Community Directives.
3. The last programming exercise for the pre-accession assistance referred to in paragraph 1 shall take place in the last full calendar year preceding accession. Actions under these programmes will have to be contracted within the following two years and disbursements made as provided for in the Financing Memorandum (17), usually by the end of the third year after the commitment. No extensions shall be granted for the contracting period. Exceptionally and in duly justified cases, limited extensions in terms of duration may be granted for disbursement.
4. In order to ensure the necessary phasing out of the pre-accession financial instruments referred to in paragraph 1 as well as the ISPA programme (18), and a smooth transition from the rules applicable before and after accession, the Commission may take all appropriate measures to ensure that the necessary statutory staff is maintained in the new Member States for a maximum of fifteen months following accession. During this period, officials assigned to posts in the new Member States before accession and who are required to remain in service in those States after the date of accession shall benefit, as an exception, from the same financial and material conditions as were applied by the Commission before accession in accordance with Annex X to the Staff Regulations of Officials and the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Communities laid down in Regulation (EEC, Euratom, ECSC) No 259/68 (19). The administrative expenditure, including salaries for other staff, necessary for the management of the pre-accession assistance shall be covered, for all of 2004 and until the end of July 2005, under the heading ‘support expenditure for operations’ (former part B of the budget) or equivalent headings for the financial instruments referred to in paragraph 1 as well as the ISPA programme, of the relevant pre-accession budgets.
5. Where projects approved under Regulation (EC) No 1268/1999 can no longer be funded under that instrument, they may be integrated into rural development programming and financed under the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund. Should specific transitional measures be necessary in this regard, these shall be adopted by the Commission in accordance with the procedures laid down in Article 50(2) of Council Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999 laying down general provisions on the Structural Funds (20).
1. Between the date of accession and the end of 2006, the Union shall provide temporary financial assistance, hereinafter referred to as the ‘Transition Facility’, to the new Member States to develop and strengthen their administrative capacity to implement and enforce Community legislation and to foster exchange of best practice among peers.
2. Assistance shall address the continued need for strengthening institutional capacity in certain areas through action which cannot be financed by the Structural Funds, in particular in the following areas:
justice and home affairs (strengthening of the judicial system, external border controls, anti-corruption strategy, strengthening of law enforcement capacities),
financial control,
protection of the Communities' financial interests and the fight against fraud,
internal market, including customs union,
veterinary services and administrative capacity-building relating to food safety,
administrative and control structures for agriculture and rural development, including the Integrated Administration and Control System (IACS),
nuclear safety (strengthening the effectiveness and competence of nuclear safety authorities and their technical support organisations as well as public radioactive waste management agencies),
strengthening public administration according to needs identified in the Commission's comprehensive monitoring report which are not covered by the Structural Funds.
3. Assistance under the Transition Facility shall be decided in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 8 of Council Regulation (EEC) No 3906/89 on economic aid to certain countries of Central and Eastern Europe (21).
4. The programme shall be implemented in accordance with Article 53(1)(a) and (b) of the Financial Regulation applicable to the general budget of the European Communities (22). For twinning projects between public administrations for the purpose of institution building, the procedure for call for proposals through the network of contact points in the Member States shall continue to apply, as established in the Framework Agreements with the present Member States for the purpose of pre-accession assistance.
The commitment appropriations for the Transition Facility, at 1999 prices, shall be EUR 200 million in 2004, EUR 120 million in 2005 and EUR 60 million in 2006. The annual appropriations shall be authorised by the budgetary authority within the limits of the financial perspective.
1. A Schengen Facility is hereby created as a temporary instrument to help beneficiary Member States between the date of accession and the end of 2006 to finance actions at the new external borders of the Union for the implementation of the Schengen acquis and external border control.
In order to address the shortcomings identified in the preparation for participation in Schengen, the following types of action shall be eligible for financing under the Schengen Facility:
investment in construction, renovation or upgrading of border crossing infrastructure and related buildings,
investments in any kind of operating equipment (e.g. laboratory equipment, detection tools, Schengen Information System-SIS 2 hardware and software, means of transport),
training of border guards,
support to costs for logistics and operations.
2. The following amounts shall be made available under the Schengen Facility in the form of lump-sum grant payments as of the date of accession to the beneficiary Member States listed below:
3. The beneficiary Member States shall be responsible for selecting and implementing individual operations in compliance with this Article. They shall also be responsible for coordinating use of the facility with assistance from other Community instruments, ensuring compatibility with Community policies and measures and compliance with the Financial Regulation applicable to the general budget of the European Communities.
The lump-sum grant payments shall be used within three years from the first payment and any unused or unjustifiably spent funds shall be recovered by the Commission. The beneficiary Member States shall submit, no later than six months after expiry of the three-year deadline, a comprehensive report on the financial execution of the lump-sum grant payments with a statement justifying the expenditure.
The beneficiary State shall exercise this responsibility without prejudice to the Commission's responsibility for the implementation of the general budget of the European Communities and in accordance with the provisions of the Financial Regulation applicable to decentralised management.
4. The Commission retains the right of verification, through the Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF). The Commission and the Court of Auditors may also carry out on-the-spot checks in accordance with the appropriate procedures.
5. The Commission may adopt any technical provisions necessary for the operation of this Facility.
The amounts referred to in Articles 29, 30, 34 and 35 shall be adjusted each year, as part of the technical adjustment provided for in paragraph 15 of the Interinstitutional Agreement of 6 May 1999.
1. If, until the end of a period of up to three years after accession, difficulties arise which are serious and liable to persist in any sector of the economy or which could bring about serious deterioration in the economic situation of a given area, a new Member State may apply for authorisation to take protective measures in order to rectify the situation and adjust the sector concerned to the economy of the common market.
In the same circumstances, any present Member State may apply for authorisation to take protective measures with regard to one or more of the new Member States.
2. Upon request by the State concerned, the Commission shall, by emergency procedure, determine the protective measures which it considers necessary, specifying the conditions and modalities in which they are to be put into effect.
In the event of serious economic difficulties and at the express request of the Member State concerned, the Commission shall act within five working days of the receipt of the request accompanied by the relevant background information. The measures thus decided on shall be applicable forthwith, shall take account of the interests of all parties concerned and shall not entail frontier controls.
3. The measures authorised under paragraph 2 may involve derogations from the rules of the EC Treaty and from this Act to such an extent and for such periods as are strictly necessary in order to attain the objectives referred to in paragraph 1. Priority shall be given to such measures as will least disturb the functioning of the common market.
If a new Member State has failed to implement commitments undertaken in the context of the accession negotiations, causing a serious breach of the functioning of the internal market, including any commitments in all sectoral policies which concern economic activities with cross-border effect, or an imminent risk of such breach the Commission may, until the end of a period of up to three years after the date of entry into force of this Act, upon motivated request of a Member State or on its own initiative, take appropriate measures.
Measures shall be proportional and priority shall be given to measures, which disturb least the functioning of the internal market and, where appropriate, to the application of the existing sectoral safeguard mechanisms. Such safeguard measures shall not be invoked as a means of arbitrary discrimination or a disguised restriction on trade between Member States. The safeguard clause may be invoked even before accession on the basis of the monitoring findings and enter into force as of the date of accession. The measures shall be maintained no longer than strictly necessary, and, in any case, will be lifted when the relevant commitment is implemented. They may however be applied beyond the period specified in the first paragraph as long as the relevant commitments have not been fulfilled. In response to progress made by the new Member State concerned in fulfilling its commitments, the Commission may adapt the measures as appropriate. The Commission will inform the Council in good time before revoking safeguard measures, and it will take duly into account any observations of the Council in this respect.
If there are serious shortcomings or any imminent risks of such shortcomings in the transposition, state of implementation, or the application of the framework decisions or any other relevant commitments, instruments of cooperation and decisions relating to mutual recognition in the area of criminal law under Title VI of the EU Treaty and Directives and Regulations relating to mutual recognition in civil matters under Title IV of the EC Treaty in a new Member State, the Commission may, until the end of a period of up to three years after the date of entry into force of this Act, upon motivated request of a Member State or on its own initiative and after consulting the Member States, take appropriate measures and specify the conditions and modalities under which these measures are put into effect.
These measures may take the form of temporary suspension of the application of relevant provisions and decisions in the relations between a new Member State and any other Member State or Member States, without prejudice to the continuation of close judicial cooperation. The safeguard clause may be invoked even before accession on the basis of the monitoring findings and enter into force as of the date of accession. The measures shall be maintained no longer than strictly necessary, and, in any case, will be lifted when the shortcomings are remedied. They may however be applied beyond the period specified in the first paragraph as long as these shortcomings persist. In response to progress made by the new Member State concerned in rectifying the identified shortcomings, the Commission may adapt the measures as appropriate after consulting the Member States. The Commission will inform the Council in good time before revoking safeguard measures, and it will take duly into account any observations of the Council in this respect.
In order not to hamper the proper functioning of the internal market, the enforcement of the new Member States' national rules during the transitional periods referred to in Annexes V to XIV shall not lead to border controls between Member States.
If transitional measures are necessary to facilitate the transition from the existing regime in the new Member States to that resulting from the application of the common agricultural policy under the conditions set out in this Act, such measures shall be adopted by the Commission in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 42(2) of Council Regulation (EC) No 1260/2001 on the common organisation of the markets in the sugar sector (23), or as appropriate, in the corresponding Articles of the other Regulations on the common organisation of agricultural markets or the relevant committee procedure as determined in the applicable legislation. The transitional measures referred to in this Article may be taken during a period of three years following the date of accession and their application shall be limited to that period. The Council, acting unanimously on a proposal from the Commission and after consulting the European Parliament, may extend this period.
The transitional measures relating to implementation of the instruments concerning the common agricultural policy not specified in this Act which are required as a result of accession shall be adopted prior to the date of accession by the Council acting by a qualified majority on a proposal from the Commission or, where they affect instruments initially adopted by the Commission, they shall be adopted by the Commission in accordance with the procedure required for adopting the instruments in question.
If transitional measures are necessary to facilitate the transition from the existing regime in the new Member States to that resulting from the application of the Community veterinary and phytosanitary rules, such measures shall be adopted by the Commission in accordance with the relevant committee procedure as determined in the applicable legislation. These measures shall be taken during a period of three years following the date of accession and their application shall be limited to that period.
PART FIVE
PROVISIONS RELATING TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS ACT
SETTING UP OF THE INSTITUTIONS AND BODIES
The European Parliament shall make such adaptations to its Rules of Procedure as are rendered necessary by accession.
The Council shall make such adaptations to its Rules of Procedure as are rendered necessary by accession.
1. Any State which accedes to the Union shall be entitled to have one of its nationals as a member of the Commission.
2. Notwithstanding the second subparagraph of Article 213(1), the first subparagraph of Article 214(1), Article 214(2) of the EC Treaty and the first subparagraph of Article 126 of the Euratom Treaty:
a national of each new Member State shall be appointed to the Commission as from the date of its accession. The new Members of the Commission shall be appointed by the Council, acting by qualified majority and by common accord with the President of the Commission,
the term of office of the Members of the Commission appointed pursuant to (a) as well as of those who were appointed as from 23 January 2000 shall expire on 31 October 2004,
a new Commission composed of one national of each Member State shall take up its duties on 1 November 2004; the term of office of the Members of this new Commission shall expire on 31 October 2009,
the date of 1 November 2004 is substituted for the date of 1 January 2005 in Article 4(1) of the Protocol on the enlargement of the European Union annexed to the EU Treaty and to the Treaties establishing the European Communities.
3. The Commission shall make such changes to its Rules of Procedure as are rendered necessary by accession.
1. Ten judges shall be appointed to the Court of Justice and ten judges shall be appointed to the Court of First Instance.
The term of office of five of the judges of the Court of Justice appointed in accordance with paragraph 1 shall expire on 6 October 2006. Those judges shall be chosen by lot. The term of office of the other judges shall expire on 6 October 2009.
The term of office of five of the judges of the Court of First Instance appointed in accordance with paragraph 1 shall expire on 31 August 2004. Those judges shall be chosen by lot. The term of office of the other judges shall expire on 31 August 2007.
The Court of Justice shall make such adaptations to its Rules of Procedure as are rendered necessary by accession.
The Court of First Instance, in agreement with the Court of Justice, shall make such adaptations to its Rules of Procedure as are rendered necessary by accession.
The Rules of Procedure as adapted shall require the approval of the Council, acting by a qualified majority.
4. For the purpose of judging cases pending before the Courts on the date of accession in respect of which oral proceedings have started before that date, the full Courts or the Chambers shall be composed as before accession and shall apply the Rules of Procedure in force on the day preceding the date of accession.
The Court of Auditors shall be enlarged by the appointment of ten additional members for a term of office of six years.
The Economic and Social Committee shall be enlarged by the appointment of 95 members representing the various economic and social components of organised civil society in the new Member States. The terms of office of the members thus appointed shall expire at the same time as those of the members in office at the time of accession.
The Committee of the Regions shall be enlarged by the appointment of 95 members representing regional and local bodies in the new Member States, who either hold a regional or local authority electoral mandate or are politically accountable to an elected assembly. The terms of office of the members thus appointed shall expire at the same time as those of the members in office at the time of accession.
1. The terms of office of the present members of the Scientific and Technical Committee under Article 134(2) of the Euratom Treaty shall expire on the date of entry into force of this Act.
2. Upon accession the Council shall appoint the new Members of the Scientific and Technical Committee in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 134(2) of the Euratom Treaty.
Adaptations to the rules of the Committees established by the original Treaties and to their rules of procedure, necessitated by the accession, shall be made as soon as possible after accession.
1. The terms of office of the new members of the Committees, groups and other bodies created by the Treaties and the legislator listed in Annex XVI shall expire at the same time as those of the members in office at the time of accession.
2. The terms of office of the new members of the Committees and groups created by the Commission listed in Annex XVII shall expire at the same time as those of the members in office at the time of accession.
3. Upon accession, the membership of the Committees listed in Annex XVIII shall be completely renewed.
APPLICABILITY OF THE ACTS OF THE INSTITUTIONS
Upon accession, the new Member States shall be considered as being addressees of directives and decisions within the meaning of Article 249 of the EC Treaty and of Article 161 of the Euratom Treaty, provided that those directives and decisions have been addressed to all the present Member States. Except with regard to directives and decisions which enter into force pursuant to Article 254(1) and 254(2) of the EC Treaty, the new Member States shall be considered as having received notification of such directives and decisions upon accession.
The new Member States shall put into effect the measures necessary for them to comply, from the date of accession, with the provisions of directives and decisions within the meaning of Article 249 of the EC Treaty and of Article 161 of the Euratom Treaty, unless another time-limit is provided for in the Annexes referred to in Article 24 or in any other provisions of this Act or its Annexes.
At the duly substantiated request of one of the new Member States, the Council, acting unanimously on a proposal from the Commission, may, before 1 May 2004, take measures consisting of temporary derogations from acts of the institutions adopted between 1 November 2002 and the date of signature of the Treaty of Accession.
Unless otherwise stipulated, the Council, acting by a qualified majority on a proposal from the Commission, shall adopt the necessary measures to implement the provisions contained in Annexes II, III and IV referred to in Articles 20, 21 and 22 of this Act.
1. Where acts of the institutions prior to accession require adaptation by reason of accession, and the necessary adaptations have not been provided for in this Act or its Annexes, those adaptations shall be made in accordance with the procedure laid down by paragraph 2. Those adaptations shall enter into force as from accession.
2. The Council, acting by a qualified majority on a proposal from the Commission, or the Commission, according to which of these two institutions adopted the original acts, shall to this end draw up the necessary texts.
The texts of the acts of the institutions, and of the European Central Bank, adopted before accession and drawn up by the Council, the Commission or the European Central Bank in the Czech, Estonian, Hungarian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Polish, Slovak and Slovenian languages shall, from the date of accession, be authentic under the same conditions as the texts drawn up in the present eleven languages. They shall be published in the Official Journal of the European Union if the texts in the present languages were so published.
Provisions laid down by law, regulation or administrative action designed to ensure the protection of the health of workers and the general public in the territory of the new Member States against the dangers arising from ionising radiations shall, in accordance with Article 33 of the Euratom Treaty, be communicated by those States to the Commission within three months of accession.
Annexes I to XVIII, the Appendices thereto and Protocols Nos 1 to 10 attached to this Act shall form an integral part thereof.
The Government of the Italian Republic shall remit to the Governments of the new Member States a certified copy of the Treaty on European Union, the Treaty establishing the European Community and of the Treaty establishing the European Atomic Energy Community, and the Treaties amending or supplementing them, including the Treaty concerning the accession of the Kingdom of Denmark, Ireland and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to the European Economic Community and to the European Atomic Energy Community, the Treaty concerning the accession of the Hellenic Republic to the European Economic Community and the European Atomic Energy Community, the Treaty concerning the accession of the Kingdom of Spain and the Portuguese Republic to the European Economic Community and the European Atomic Energy Community, and the Treaty concerning the accession of the Republic of Austria, the Republic of Finland and the Kingdom of Sweden to the European Union in the Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Irish, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish and Swedish languages.
The texts of those Treaties, drawn up in the Czech, Estonian, Hungarian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Polish, Slovak and Slovenian languages, shall be annexed to this Act. Those texts shall be authentic under the same conditions as the texts of the Treaties referred to in the first paragraph, drawn up in the present languages.
A certified copy of the international agreements deposited in the archives of the General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union shall be remitted to the Governments of the new Member States by the Secretary-General.
(1) OJ L 317, 15.12.2000, p. 3.
(2) OJ L 1, 3.1.1994, p. 3.
(3) OJ L 253, 7.10.2000, p. 42.
(4) OJ L 79, 22.3.2002, p. 42.
(5) Regulation (EEC) No 3906/89 (OJ L 375, 23.12.1989, p. 11), as amended.
(6) Regulation (EC) No 2760/98 (OJ L 345, 19.12.1998, p. 49), as amended.
(7) Regulation (EC) No 555/2000 (OJ L 68, 16.3.2000, p. 3), as amended.
(8) Regulation (EC) No 1267/1999 (OJ L 161, 26.6.1999, p. 73), as amended.
(9) Regulation (EC) No 1268/1999 (OJ L 161, 26.6.1999, p. 87).
(10) Interinstitutional Agreement of 6 May 1999, between the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission on budgetary discipline and improvement of the budgetary procedure (OJ C 172, 18.6.1999, p. 1).
(11) OJ L 160, 26.6.1999, p. 103.
(12) OJ L 160, 26.6.1999, p. 80.
(13) Regulation (EEC) No 3906/89 (OJ L 375 23.12.1989, p. 11), as amended.
(14) Regulation (EC) No 2760/98 (OJ L 345, 19.12.1998, p. 49), as amended.
(15) Regulation (EC) No 555/2000 (OJ L 68, 16.3.2000, p. 3), as amended.
(16) OJ L 232, 2.9.1999, p. 34.
(17) As set out in the Phare Guidelines (SEC (1999) 1596, updated on 6.9.2002 by C 3303/2).
(18) Regulation (EC) No 1267/99 (OJ L 161, 26.6.1999, p. 73), as amended.
(19) OJ L 56, 4.3.1968, p. 1. Regulation as last amended by Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 2265/02 (OJ L 347, 20.12.2002, p. 1).
(20) OJ L 161, 26.6.1999, p. 1. Regulation as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 1447/2001 (OJ L 198, 21.7.2001, p. 1).
(21) OJ L 375, 23.12.1989, p. 11. Regulation as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 2500/2001 (OJ L 342, 27.12.2001, p. 1).
(22) Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002 (OJ L 248, 16.9.2002, p. 1).
(23) OJ L 178, 30.6.2001, p. 1.
List of provisions of the Schengen acquis as integrated into the framework of the European Union and the acts building upon it or otherwise related to it, to be binding on and applicable in the new Member States as from accession (referred to in Article 3 of the Act of Accession)
The Agreement between the Governments of the States of the Benelux Economic Union, the Federal Republic of Germany and the French Republic on the gradual abolition of checks at their common borders dated 14 June 1985 (1).
The following provisions of the Convention signed in Schengen on 19 June 1990 (2) implementing the Schengen Agreement of 14 June 1985 on the gradual abolition of checks at their common borders, its related Final Act and Joint Declarations, as amended by certain of the acts listed in paragraph 7 below:
Article 1 to the extent that it relates to the provisions of this paragraph; Articles 3 to 7, excluding Article 5(1)(d); Article 13; Articles 26 and 27; Article 39; Articles 44 to 59; Articles 61 to 63; Articles 65 to 69; Articles 71 to 73; Articles 75 and 76; Article 82; Article 91; Articles 126 to 130 to the extent that they relate to the provisions of this paragraph; and Article 136; Joint Declarations 1 and 3 of the Final Act.
The following provisions of the Agreements on Accession to the Convention signed in Schengen on 19 June 1990 implementing the Schengen Agreement of 14 June 1985 on the gradual abolition of checks at their common borders, their Final Acts and the related Declarations, as amended by certain of the acts listed in paragraph 7 below:
the Agreement signed on 27 November 1990 on the Accession of the Italian Republic:
Article 4,
Joint Declaration 1 in Part II of the Final Act;
the Agreement signed on 25 June 1991 on the Accession of the Kingdom of Spain:
Joint Declaration 1 in Part II of the Final Act,
Declaration 2 in Part III of the Final Act;
the Agreement signed on 25 June 1991 on the Accession of the Portuguese Republic:
Articles 4, 5 and 6,
the Agreement signed on 6 November 1992 on the Accession of the Hellenic Republic:
the Agreement signed on 28 April 1995 on the Accession of the Republic of Austria:
the Agreement signed on 19 December 1996 on the Accession of the Kingdom of Denmark:
Articles 4, 5(2) and 6,
Joint Declarations 1 and 3 in Part II of the Final Act;
the Agreement signed on 19 December 1996 on the Accession of the Republic of Finland:
Articles 4 and 5,
Joint Declarations 1 and 3 in Part II of the Final Act,
Declaration by the Government of the Republic of Finland on the Åland islands in Part III of the Final Act;
the Agreement signed on 19 December 1996 on the Accession of the Kingdom of Sweden:
Joint Declarations 1 and 3 in Part II of the Final Act.
The provisions of the following Decisions of the Executive Committee established by the Convention signed in Schengen on 19 June 1990 implementing the Schengen Agreement of 14 June 1985 on the gradual abolition of checks at their common borders, as amended by certain of the acts listed in paragraph 7 below:
SCH/Com-ex (93) 10 Decision of the Executive Committee of 14 December 1993 concerning the declarations by the Ministers and State Secretaries
SCH/Com-ex (93) 14 Decision of the Executive Committee of 14 December 1993 on improving practical judicial cooperation for combating drug trafficking
SCH/Com-ex (93) 22 rev Decision of the Executive Committee of 14 December 1993 concerning the confidential nature of certain documents
SCH/Com-ex (94) 16 rev Decision of the Executive Committee of 21 November 1994 on the acquisition of common entry and exit stamps
SCH/Com-ex (94) 28 rev Decision of the Executive Committee of 22 December 1994 on the certificate provided for in Article 75 to carry narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances
SCH/Com-ex (94) 29 rev 2 Decision of the Executive Committee of 22 December 1994 on bringing into force the Convention implementing the Schengen Agreement of 19 June 1990
SCH/Com-ex (95) 21 Decision of the Executive Committee of 20 December 1995 on the swift exchange between the Schengen States of statistical and specific data on possible malfunctions at the external borders
SCH/Com-ex (98) 1 rev 2 Decision of the Executive Committee of 21 April 1998 on the activities of the Task Force, insofar as it relates to the provisions in paragraph 2 above
SCH/Com-ex (98) 17 Decision of the Executive Committee of 23 June 1998 concerning the confidential nature of certain documents
SCH/ Com-ex (98) 26 def Decision of the Executive Committee of 16 September 1998 setting up a Standing Committee on the evaluation and implementation of Schengen
SCH/Com-ex (98) 35 rev 2 Decision of the Executive Committee of 16 September 1998 on forwarding the Common Manual to EU applicant States
SCH/Com-ex (98) 37 def 2 Decision of the Executive Committee of 27 October 1998 on the adoption of measures to fight illegal immigration, insofar as it relates to the provisions in paragraph 2 above
SCH/Com-ex (98) 51 rev 3 Decision of the Executive Committee of 16 December 1998 on cross border police cooperation in the area of crime prevention and detection
SCH/Com-ex (98) 52 Decision of the Executive Committee of 16 December 1998 on the Handbook on cross-border police-cooperation, insofar as it relates to the provisions in paragraph 2 above
SCH/Com-ex (98) 57 Decision of the Executive Committee of 16 December 1998 on the introduction of a harmonised form providing proof of invitation, sponsorship and accommodation
SCH/Com-ex (98) 59 rev Decision of the Executive Committee of 16 December 1998 on coordinated deployment of document advisers
SCH/Com-ex (99) 1 rev 2 Decision of the Executive Committee of 28 April 1999 on the drugs situation
SCH/Com-ex (99) 6 Decision of the Executive Committee of 28 April 1999 on the Schengen acquis relating to telecommunications
SCH/Com-ex (99) 7 rev 2 Decision of the Executive Committee of 28 April 1999 on liaison officers
SCH/Com-ex (99) 8 rev 2 Decision of the Executive Committee of 28 April 1999 on general principles governing the payment of informers
SCH/Com-ex (99) 10 Decision of the Executive Committee of 28 April 1999 on the illegal trade in firearms
SCH/Com-ex (99) 13 Decision of the Executive Committee of 28 April 1999 on the definitive versions of the Common Manual and the Common Consular Instructions:
Annexes 1-3, 7, 8 and 15 of the Common Consular Instructions
The Common Manual, insofar as it relates to the provisions in paragraph 2 above, including Annexes 1, 5, 5A, 6, 10, 13
SCH/Com-ex (99) 18 Decision of the Executive Committee of 28 April 1999 on the improvement of police cooperation in preventing and detecting criminal offences.
The following Declarations of the Executive Committee established by the Convention signed in Schengen on 19 June 1990 implementing the Schengen Agreement of 14 June 1985 on the gradual abolition of checks at their common borders, to the extent that they relate to the provisions in paragraph 2 above:
SCH/Com-ex (96) decl 6 rev 2 Declaration of the Executive Committee of 26 June 1996 on extradition
SCH/Com-ex (97) decl 13 rev 2 Declaration of the Executive Committee of 9 February 1998 on the abduction of minors.
The following Decisions of the Central Group established by the Convention signed in Schengen on 19 June 1990 implementing the Schengen Agreement of 14 June 1985 on the gradual abolition of checks at their common borders, to the extent that they relate to the provisions in paragraph 2 above:
SCH/C (98) 117 Decision of the Central Group of 27 October 1998 on the adoption of measures to fight illegal immigration
SCH/C (99) 25 Decision of the Central Group of 22 March 1999 on general principles governing the payment of informers.
The following acts which build upon the Schengen acquis or otherwise relate to it:
Council Regulation (EC) No 1683/95 of 29 May 1995 laying down a uniform format for visas (OJ L 164, 14.7.1995, p. 1)
Council Decision 1999/307/EC of 1 May 1999 laying down the detailed arrangements for the integration of the Schengen Secretariat into the General Secretariat of the Council (OJ L 119, 7.5.1999, p. 49)
Council Decision 1999/435/EC of 20 May 1999 concerning the definition of the Schengen acquis for the purpose of determining, in conformity with the relevant provisions of the Treaty establishing the European Community and the Treaty on European Union, the legal basis for each of the provisions or decisions which constitute the Schengen acquis (OJ L 176, 10.7.1999, p. 1)
Council Decision 1999/436/EC of 20 May 1999 determining, in conformity with the relevant provisions of the Treaty establishing the European Community and the Treaty on European Union, the legal basis for each of the provisions or decisions which constitute the Schengen acquis (OJ L 176, 10.7.1999, p. 17)
Council Decision 1999/437/EC of 17 May 1999 on certain arrangements for the application of the Agreement concluded by the Council of the European Union and the Republic of Iceland and the Kingdom of Norway concerning the association of those two states with the implementation, application and development of the Schengen acquis (OJ L 176, 10.7.1999, p. 31)
Council Decision 1999/848/EC of 13 December 1999 on the full application of the Schengen acquis in Greece (OJ L 327, 21.12.1999, p. 58)
Council Decision 2000/365/EC of 29 May 2000 concerning the request of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to take part in some of the provisions of the Schengen acquis (OJ L 131, 1.6.2000, p. 43)
Council Decision 2000/586/JHA of 28 September 2000 establishing a procedure for amending Articles 40(4) and (5), 41(7) and 65(2) of the Convention implementing the Schengen Agreement of 14 June 1985 on the gradual abolition of checks at common borders (OJ L 248, 3.10.2000, p. 1)
Council Decision 2000/751/EC of 30 November 2000 on declassifying certain parts of the Common Manual adopted by the Executive Committee established by the Convention implementing the Schengen Agreement of 14 June 1985 (OJ L 303, 2.12.2000, p. 29)
Council Decision 2000/777/EC of 1 December 2000 on the application of the Schengen acquis in Denmark, Finland and Sweden, and in Iceland and Norway (OJ L 309, 9.10.2000, p. 24)
Council Regulation (EC) No 539/2001 of 15 March 2001 listing the third countries whose nationals must be in possession of visas when crossing the external borders and those whose nationals are exempt from that requirement (OJ L 81, 21.03.2001, p. 1)
Council Regulation No 789/2001/EC of 24 April 2001 reserving to the Council implementing powers with regard to certain detailed provisions and practical procedures for examining visa applications (OJ L 116, 26.4.2001, p. 2)
Council Regulation No 790/2001/EC of 24 April 2001 reserving to the Council implementing powers with regard to certain detailed provisions and practical procedures for carrying out border checks and surveillance (OJ L 116, 26.4.2001, p. 5)
Council Decision 2001/329/EC of 24 April 2001 updating part VI and Annexes 3, 6 and 13 of the Common Consular Instructions and Annexes 5(a), 6(a) and 8 to the Common Manual (OJ L 116, 26.4.2001, p. 32), insofar as it relates to Annex 3 to the Common Consular Instructions and Annex 5(a) to the Common Manual
Council Directive 2001/51/EC of 28 June 2001 supplementing the provisions of Article 26 of the Convention implementing the Schengen Agreement of 14 June 1985 (OJ L 187, 10.7.2001, p. 45)
Council Decision 2001/886/JHA of 6 December 2001 on the development of the second generation Schengen Information System (SIS II) (OJ L 328, 13.12.2001, p. 1)
Council Regulation (EC) No 2414/2001 of 7 December 2001 amending Regulation (EC) No 539/2001 listing the third countries whose nationals must be in possession of visas when crossing the external borders of Member States and those whose nationals are exempt from that requirement (OJ L 327, 12.12.2001, p. 1)
Council Regulation (EC) No 2424/2001 of 6 December 2001 on the development of the second generation Schengen Information System (SIS II) (OJ L 328, 13.12.2001, p. 4)
Council Regulation (EC) No 333/2002 of 18 February 2002 on a uniform format for forms for affixing the visa issued by Member States to persons holding travel documents not recognised by the Member State drawing up the form (OJ L 53, 23.2.2002, p. 4)
Council Regulation (EC) No 334/2002 of 18 February 2002 amending Regulation (EC) No 1683/95 laying down a uniform format for visas (OJ L 53, 23.2.2002, p. 7)
Council Decision 2002/192/EC of 28 February 2002 concerning Ireland's request to take part in some of the provisions of the Schengen acquis (OJ L 64, 7.3.2002, p. 20)
Council Decision 2002/352/EC of 25 April 2002 on the revision of the Common Manual (OJ L 123, 9.5.2002, p. 47)
Council Decision 2002/353/EC of 25 April 2002 on declassifying Part II of the Common Manual adopted by the Executive Committee established by the Convention implementing the Schengen Agreement of 14 June 1985 (OJ L 123, 9.5.2002, p. 49)
Council Regulation (EC) No 1030/2002 of 13 June 2002 laying down a uniform format for residence permits for third-country nationals (OJ L 157, 15.6.2002, p. 1)
Council Decision 2002/587/EC of 12 July 2002 on the revision of the Common Manual (OJ L 187, 16.7.2002, p. 50)
Council Framework Decision 2002/946/JHA of 28 November 2002 on the strengthening of the penal framework to prevent the facilitation of unauthorised entry, transit and residence (OJ L 328, 5.12.2002, p. 1)
Council Directive 2002/90/EC of 28 November 2002 defining the facilitation of unauthorised entry, transit and residence (OJ L 328, 5.12.2002, p. 17).
ANNEX II
List referred to in Article 20 of the Act of Accession
1. FREE MOVEMENT OF GOODS
A. MOTOR VEHICLES
1. 31970 L 0156: Council Directive 70/156/EEC of 6 February 1970 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the type-approval of motor vehicles and their trailers (OJ L 42, 23.2.1970, p. 1), amended by:
11972 B: Act concerning the conditions of accession and the adjustments to the Treaties - Accession of the Kingdom of Denmark, Ireland and the United Kingdom (OJ L 73, 27.3.1972, p. 14),
31978 L 0315: Council Directive 78/315/EEC of 21.12.1977 (OJ L 81, 28.3.1978, p. 1),
31978 L 0547: Council Directive 78/547/EEC of 12.6.1978 (OJ L 168, 26.6.1978, p. 39),
11979 H: Act concerning the conditions of accession and the adjustments to the Treaties - Accession of the Hellenic Republic (OJ L 291, 19.11.1979, p. 17),
31980 L 1267: Council Directive 80/1267/EEC of 16.12.1980 (OJ L 375, 31.12.1980, p. 34),
11985 I: Act concerning the conditions of accession and the adjustments to the Treaties - Accession of the Kingdom of Spain and the Portuguese Republic (OJ L 302, 15.11.1985, p. 23),
31987 L 0403: Council Directive 87/403/EEC of 25.6.1987 (OJ L 220, 8.8.1987, p. 44),
31992 L 0053: Council Directive 92/53/EEC of 18.6.1992 (OJ L 225, 10.8.1992, p. 1),
31993 L 0081: Commission Directive 93/81/EEC of 29.9.1993 (OJ L 264, 23.10.1993, p. 49),
11994 N: Act concerning the conditions of accession and the adjustments to the Treaties - Accession of the Republic of Austria, the Republic of Finland and the Kingdom of Sweden (OJ C 241, 29.8.1994, p. 21),
31995 L 0054: Commission Directive 95/54/EC of 31.10.1995 (OJ L 266, 8.11.1995, p. 1),
31996 L 0027: Directive 96/27/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20.5.1996 (OJ L 169, 8.7.1996, p. 1),
31996 L 0079: Directive 96/79/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16.12.1996 (OJ L 18, 21.1.1997, p. 7),
31997 L 0027: Directive 97/27/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22.7.1997 (OJ L 233, 25.8.1997, p. 1),
31998 L 0014: Commission Directive 98/14/EC of 6.2.1998 (OJ L 91, 25.3.1998, p. 1),
31998 L 0091: Directive 98/91/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14.12.1998 (OJ L 11, 16.1.1999, p. 25),
32000 L 0040: Directive 2000/40/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26.6.2000 (OJ L 203, 10.8.2000, p. 9),
32001 L 0056: Directive 2001/56/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27.9.2001 (OJ L 292, 9.11.2001, p. 21),
32001 L 0085: Directive 2001/85/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20.11.2001 (OJ L 42, 13.2.2002, p. 1),
32001 L 0092: Commission Directive 2001/92/EC of 30.10.2001 (OJ L 291, 8.11.2001, p. 24),
32001 L 0116: Commission Directive 2001/116/EC of 20.12.2001 (OJ L 18, 21.1.2002, p. 1).
In Annex VII, the list in Section 1 is replaced by the following:
‘1 for Germany;
2 for France;
3 for Italy;
4 for the Netherlands;
5 for Sweden;
6 for Belgium;
7 for Hungary;
8 for the Czech Republic;
9 for Spain;
11 for the United Kingdom;
12 for Austria;
13 for Luxembourg;
17 for Finland;
18 for Denmark;
20 for Poland;
21 for Portugal;
23 for Greece;
24 for Ireland;
26 for Slovenia;
27 for Slovakia;
29 for Estonia;
32 for Latvia;
36 for Lithuania;
CY for Cyprus;
MT for Malta.’
in Annex IX, point 47 of each of Part I, side 2, and Part II, side 2 is replaced by the following:
‘ ’
2. 31970 L 0157: Council Directive 70/157/EEC of 6 February 1970 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the permissible sound level and the exhaust system of motor vehicles (OJ L 42, 23.2.1970, p. 16), as amended by:
31973 L 0350: Commission Directive 73/350/EEC of 7.11.1973 (OJ L 321, 22.11.1973, p. 33),
31977 L 0212: Council Directive 77/212/EEC of 8.3.1977 (OJ L 66, 12.3.1977, p. 33),
31981 L 0334: Commission Directive 81/334/EEC of 13.4.1981 (OJ L 131, 18.5.1981, p. 6),
31984 L 0372: Commission Directive 84/372/EEC of 3.7.1984 (OJ L 196, 26.7.1984, p. 47),
31984 L 0424: Council Directive 84/424/EEC of 3.9.1984 (OJ L 238, 6.9.1984, p. 31),
31992 L 0097: Council Directive 92/97/EEC of 10.11.1992 (OJ L 371, 19.12.1992, p. 1),
31996 L 0020: Commission Directive 96/20/EC of 27.3.1996 (OJ L 92, 13.4.1996, p. 23),
31999 L 0101: Commission Directive 1999/101/EC of 15.12.1999 (OJ L 334, 28.12.1999, p. 41).
In Annex II, the following is added to point 4.2:
‘8 for the Czech Republic, 29 for Estonia, CY for Cyprus, 32 for Latvia, 36 for Lithuania, 7 for Hungary, MT for Malta, 20 for Poland, 26 for Slovenia, 27 for Slovakia.’
3. 31970 L 0220: Council Directive 70/220/EEC of 20 March 1970 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to measures to be taken against air pollution by emissions from motor vehicles (OJ L 76, 6.4.1970, p. 1), as amended by:
31977 L 0102: Commission Directive 77/102/EEC of 30.11.1976 (OJ L 32, 3.2.1977, p. 32),
31978 L 0665: Commission Directive 78/665/EEC of 14.7.1978 (OJ L 223, 14.8.1978, p. 48),
31983 L 0351: Council Directive 83/351/EEC of 16.6.1983 (OJ L 197, 20.7.1983, p. 1),
31988 L 0076: Council Directive 88/76/EEC of 3.12.1987 (OJ L 36, 9.2.1988, p. 1),
31988 L 0436: Council Directive 88/436/EEC of 16.6.1988 (OJ L 214, 6.8.1988, p. 1),
31993 L 0059: Council Directive 93/59/EEC of 28.6.1993 (OJ L 186, 28.7.1993, p. 21),
31994 L 0012: Directive 94/12/EC of the European Parliament and the Council of 23.3.1994 (OJ L 100, 19.4.1994, p. 42),
31996 L 0044: Commission Directive 96/44/EC of 1.7.1996 (OJ L 210, 20.8.1996, p. 25),
31996 L 0069: Directive 96/69/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 8.10.1996 (OJ L 282, 1.11.1996, p. 64),
31998 L 0069: Directive 98/69/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13.10.1998 (OJ L 350, 28.12.1998, p. 1),
31998 L 0077: Commission Directive 98/77/EC of 2.10.19988 (OJ L 286, 23.10.1998, p. 34),
31999 L 0102: Commission Directive 1999/102/EC of 15.12.1999 (OJ L 334, 28.12.1999, p. 43),
32001 L 0001: Directive 2001/1/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22.1.2001 (OJ L 35, 6.2.2001, p. 34),
32001 L 0100: Directive 2001/100/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 7.12.2001 (OJ L 16, 18.1.2002, p. 32),
32002 L 0080: Commission Directive 2002/80/EC of 3.10.2002 (OJ L 291, 28.10.2002, p. 20).
In Annex XIII, the following are inserted in the column under point 5.2:
4. 31970 L 0221: Council Directive 70/221/EEC of 20 March 1970 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to liquid fuel tanks and rear protective devices for motor vehicles and their trailers (OJ L 76, 6.4.1970, p. 23), as amended by:
31997 L 0019: Commission Directive 97/19/EC of 18.4.1997 (OJ L 125, 16.5.1997, p. 1),
32000 L 0008: Directive 2000/8/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20.3.2000 (OJ L 106, 3.5.2000, p. 7).
In Annex II, the following are inserted in the column under point 6.2:
5. 31970 L 0388: Council Directive 70/388/EEC of 27 July 1970 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to audible warning devices for motor vehicles (OJ L 176, 10.8.1970, p. 12), as amended by:
11994 N: Act concerning the conditions of accession and the adjustments to the Treaties - Accession of the Republic of Austria, the Republic of Finland and the Kingdom of Sweden (OJ C 241, 29.8.1994, p. 21).
In Annex I, the following is added to the text in brackets in point 1.4.1:
‘8 for the Czech Republic, 29 for Estonia, CY for Cyprus, 32 for Latvia, 36 for Lithuania, 7 for Hungary, 20 for Poland, 26 for Slovenia, 27 for Slovakia.’
6. 31971 L 0127: Council Directive 71/127/EEC of 1 March 1971 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the rear-view mirrors of motor vehicles (OJ L 68, 22.3.1971, p. 1), as amended by:
31985 L 0205: Commission Directive 85/205/EEC of 18.2.1985 (OJ L 90, 29.3.1985, p. 1),
In Appendix 2 to Annex II, the following is added to the enumeration of distinguishing numbers/letters in point 4.2:
7. 31971 L 0320: Council Directive 71/320/EEC of 26 July 1971 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the braking devices of certain categories of motor vehicles and of their trailers (OJ L 202, 6.9.1971, p. 37), as amended by:
31975 L 0524: Commission Directive 75/524/EEC of 25.7.1975 (OJ L 236, 8.9.1975, p. 3),
31985 L 0647: Commission Directive 85/647/EEC of 23.12.1985 (OJ L 380, 31.12.1985, p. 1),
31988 L 0194: Commission Directive 88/194/EEC of 24.3.1988 (OJ L 92, 9.4.1988, p. 47),
31998 L 0012: Commission Directive 98/12/EC of 27.1.1998 (OJ L 81, 18.3.1998, p. 1).
In Annex XV, the following are inserted in the column under point 4.4.2:
8. 31972 L 0245: Council Directive 72/245/EEC of 20 June 1972 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the suppression of radio interference produced by spark-ignition engines fitted to motor vehicles (OJ L 152, 6.7.1972, p. 15), as amended by:
31995 L 0054: Commission Directive 95/54/EC of 31.10.1995 (OJ L 266, 8.11.1995, p. 1).
In Annex I, the following are inserted in the column under point 5.2:
9. 31974 L 0061: Council Directive 74/61/EEC of 17 December 1973 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to devices to prevent the unauthorised use of motor vehicles (OJ L 38, 11.2.1974, p. 22), as amended by:
31995 L 0056: Commission Directive 95/56/EC, Euratom of 8.11.1995 (OJ L 286, 29.11.1995, p. 1).
In Annex I, the following are inserted in the column under point 5.1.1:
10. 31974 L 0150: Council Directive 74/150/EEC of 4 March 1974 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the type-approval of wheeled agricultural or forestry tractors (OJ L 84, 28.3.1974, p. 10), as amended by:
31982 L 0890: Council Directive 82/890/EEC of 17.12.1982 (OJ L 378, 31.12.1982, p. 45),
11985 I: Act concerning the conditions of accession and the adjustments to the Treaties - Accession of the Kingdom of Spain and the Portuguese Republic(OJ L 302, 15.11.1985, p. 23),
31988 L 0297: Council Directive 88/297/EEC of 3.5.1988 (OJ L 126, 20.5.1988, p. 52),
31997 L 0054: Directive 97/54/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23.9.1997 (OJ L 277, 10.10.1997, p. 24),
32000 L 0002: Commission Directive 2000/2/EC of 14.1.2000 (OJ L 21, 26.1.2000, p. 23),
32001 L 0003: Commission Directive 2001/3/EC of 8.1.2001(OJ L 28, 30.1.2001, p. 1).
In Article 2(a), the following indents are added:
“vnitrostátní schválení typu” in Czech law,
“riiklik tüübikinnitus” in Estonian law,
“Εγκριση Τύπου” in Cypriot law,
“Tipa apstiprināšana” in Latvian law,
“tipo patvirtinimas” in Lithuanian law,
“típusjóváhagyás” in Hungarian law,
“tip approvat” in Maltese law,
“homologacja typu pojazdu” in Polish law,
“homologacija” in Slovenian law,
“typové schválenie” in Slovak law.’
In Annex II, the following is added to the list in Chapter C, Part II, Appendix 1, Section 1:
In Annex III, Part 1, point 16 is replaced by the following:
11. 31974 L 0408: Council Directive 74/408/EEC of 22 July 1974 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the interior fittings of motor vehicles (strength of seats and of their anchorages) (OJ L 221, 12.8.1974, p. 1), as amended by:
31996 L 0037: Commission Directive 96/37/EC of 17.6.1996 (OJ L 186, 25.7.1996, p. 28).
12. 31974 L 0483: Council Directive 74/483/EEC of 17 September 1974 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the external projections of motor vehicles (OJ L 266, 2.10.1974, p. 4), as amended by:
In Annex I, the following is added to the footnote relating to point 3.2.2.2:
‘8 for the Czech Republic, 29 for Estonia, CY for Cyprus, 32 for Latvia, 36 for Lithuania, 7 for Hungary, MT for Malta, 20 for Poland, 26 for Slovenia, 27 for Slovakia’
13. 31975 L 0322: Council Directive 75/322/EEC of 20 May 1975 on the suppression of radio interference produced by agricultural or forestry tractors (electromagnetic compatibility) (OJ L 147, 9.6.1975, p. 28), as amended by:
32001 L 0003: Commission Directive 2001/3/EC of 8.1.2001 (OJ L 28, 30.1.2001, p. 1).
In Annex I, the following are inserted in point 5.2:
14. 31976 L 0114: Council Directive 76/114/EEC of 18 December 1975 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to statutory plates and inscriptions for motor vehicles and their trailers, and their location and method of attachment (OJ L 24, 30.1.1976, p. 1), as amended by:
In the Annex, the following is added to the text in brackets in point 2.1.2.:
15. 31976 L 0757: Council Directive 76/757/EEC of 27 July 1976 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to reflex reflectors for motor vehicles and their trailers (OJ L 262, 27.9.1976, p. 32), as amended by:
In Annex I, the following is added to the text in point 4.2.1:
16. 31976 L 0758: Council Directive 76/758/EEC of 27 July 1976 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to end-outline marker lamps, front position (side) lamps, rear position (side) lamps, stop lamps, daytime running lamps and side marker lamps for motor vehicles and their trailers (OJ L 262, 27.9.1976, p. 54), as amended by:
31989 L 0516: Commission Directive 89/516/EEC of 1.8.1989 (OJ L 265, 12.9.1989, p. 1),
In Annex I, the following is added to point 5.2.1:
17. 31976 L 0759: Council Directive 76/759/EEC of 27 July 1976 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to direction indicator lamps for motor vehicles and their trailers (OJ L 262, 27.9.1976, p. 71), as amended by:
31999 L 0015: Commission Directive 1999/15/EC of 16.3.1999 (OJ L 97, 12.4.1999, p. 14).
18. 31976 L 0760: Council Directive 76/760/EEC of 27 July 1976 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the rear registration plate lamps for motor vehicles and their trailers (OJ L 262, 27.9.1976, p. 85), as amended by:
19. 31976 L 0761: Council Directive 76/761/EEC of 27 July 1976 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to motor-vehicle headlamps which function as main-beam and/or dipped-beam headlamps and to light sources (filament lamps and others) for use in approved lamp units of motor vehicles and of their trailers (OJ L 262, 27.9.1976, p. 96), as amended by:
11994 N: Act concerning the conditions of accession and the adjustment to the Treaties - Accession of the Republic of Austria, the Republic of Finland and the Kingdom of Sweden (OJ C 241, 29.8.1994, p. 21),
In Annex I, the list in each of point 5.2.1 and point 6.2.1 is replaced by the following:
‘1 for Germany
2 for France
3 for Italy
4 for the Netherlands
5 for Sweden
6 for Belgium
7 for Hungary
8 for the Czech Republic
9 for Spain
11 for the United Kingdom
12 for Austria
13 for Luxembourg
17 for Finland
18 for Denmark
20 for Poland
21 for Portugal
23 for Greece
24 for Ireland
26 for Slovenia
27 for Slovakia
29 for Estonia
32 for Latvia
36 for Lithuania
CY for Cyprus
MT for Malta’
20. 31976 L 0762: Council Directive 76/762/EEC of 27 July 1976 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to front fog lamps for motor vehicles and filament lamps for such lamps (OJ L 262, 27.9.1976, p. 122), as amended by:
11994 N: Act concerning the conditions of accession and the adjustments to the Treaties - Accession of the Republic of Austria, the Republic of Finland and the Kingdom of Sweden (OJ C 241, 29.8.1994, p. 21)
21. 31977 L 0536: Council Directive 77/536/EEC of 28 June 1977 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the roll-over protection structures of wheeled agricultural or forestry tractors (OJ L 220, 29.8.1977, p. 1), as amended by:
31999 L 0055: Commission Directive 1999/55/EC of 1.6.1999 (OJ L 146, 11.6.1999, p. 28).
In Annex VI, the following is added:
22. 31977 L 0538: Council Directive 77/538/EEC of 28 June 1977 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to rear fog lamps for motor vehicles and their trailers (OJ L 220, 29.8.1977, p. 60), as amended by:
31999 L 0014: Commission Directive 1999/14/EC of 16.3.1999 (OJ L 97, 12.4.1999, p. 1).
23. 31977 L 0539: Council Directive 77/539/EEC of 28 June 1977 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to reversing lamps for motor vehicles and their trailers (OJ L 220, 29.8.1977, p. 72), as amended by:
24. 31977 L 0540: Council Directive 77/540/EEC of 28 June 1977 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to parking lamps for motor vehicles (OJ L 220, 29.8.1977, p. 83), as amended by:
25. 31977 L 0541: Council Directive 77/541/EEC of 28 June 1977 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to safety belts and restraint systems of motor vehicles (OJ L 220, 29.8.1977, p. 95), as amended by:
31990 L 0628: Commission Directive 90/628/EEC of 30.10.1990 (OJ L 341, 6.12.1990, p. 1),
31996 L 0036: Commission Directive 96/36/EC of 17.6.1996 (OJ L 178, 17.7.1996, p. 15),
32000 L 0003: Commission Directive 2000/3/EC of 22.2.2000 (OJ L 53, 25.2.2000, p. 1).
In Annex III, the following is added to point 1.1.1:
26. 31978 L 0318: Council Directive 78/318/EEC of 21 December 1977 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the wiper and washer systems of motor vehicles (OJ L 81, 28.3.1978, p. 49), as amended by:
31994 L 0068: Commission Directive 94/68/EC of 16.12.1994 (OJ L 354, 31.12.1994, p. 1).
27. 31978 L 0764: Council Directive 78/764/EEC of 25 July 1978 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the driver's seat on wheeled agricultural or forestry tractors (OJ L 255, 18.9.1978, p. 1), as amended by:
31997 L 0054: Directive 97/54/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23.9.1997 (OJ L 277, 10.10.1997, p. 24)
In Annex II, the following is added to point 3.5.2.1:
28. 31978 L 0932: Council Directive 78/932/EEC of 16 October 1978 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to head restraints of seats of motor vehicles (OJ L 325, 20.11.1978, p. 1), as amended by:
In Annex VI, the following is added to point 1.1.1:
29. 31979 L 0622: Council Directive 79/622/EEC of 25 June 1979 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the roll-over protection structures of wheeled agricultural or forestry tractors (static testing) (OJ L 179, 17.7.1979, p. 1), as amended by:
31982 L 0953: Commission Directive 82/953/EEC of 15.12.1982 (OJ L 386, 31.12.1982, p. 31),
30. 31986 L 0298: Council Directive 86/298/EEC of 26 May 1986 on rear-mounted roll-over protection structures of narrow-track wheeled agricultural and forestry tractors (OJ L 186, 8.7.1986, p. 26), as amended by:
31. 31987 L 0402: Council Directive 87/402/EEC of 25 June 1987 on roll-over protection structures mounted in front of the driver's seat on narrow-track wheeled agricultural and forestry tractors (OJ L 220, 8.8.1987, p. 1), as amended by:
11994 N: Act concerning the conditions of accession and the adjustments to the Treaties - Accession of the Republic of Austria, the Republic of Finland and the Kingdom of Swedenn (OJ C 241, 29.8.1994, p. 21),
32000 L 0022: Commission Directive 2000/22/EC of 28.4.2000 (OJ L 107, 4.5.2000, p. 26).
In Annex VII, the following is added:
32. 31988 L 0077: Council Directive 88/77/EEC of 3 December 1987 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the measures to be taken against the emission of gaseous pollutants from diesel engines for use in vehicles (OJ L 36, 9.2.1988, p. 33), as amended by:
31991 L 0542: Council Directive 91/542/EEC of 1.10.1991 (OJ L 295, 25.10.1991, p. 1),
31996 L 0001: Directive 96/1/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22.1.1996 (OJ L 40, 17.2.1996, p. 1),
32001 L 0027: Commission Directive 2001/27/EC of 10.4.2001 (OJ L 107, 18.4.2001, p. 10).
In Annex I, the following is added to the footnote to point 5.1.3:
33. 31989 L 0173: Council Directive 89/173/EEC of 21 December 1988 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to certain components and characteristics of wheeled agricultural or forestry tractors (OJ L 67, 10.3.1989, p. 1), as amended by:
11994 N: Act concerning the conditions of accession and the adjustments to the Treaties - Accession of Republic of Austria, the Republic of Finland and the Kingdom of Sweden (OJ C 241, 29.8.1994, p. 21),
32000 L 0001: Commission Directive 2000/1/EC of 14.1.2000 (OJ L 21, 26.1.2000, p. 16).
In Annex III A, the following is added to footnote 1 of point 5.4.1:
In Annex IV, the following is added to the first indent of Appendix 4:
In Annex V, the following is added to the third paragraph of point 2.1.3:
34. 31991 L 0226: Council Directive 91/226/EEC of 27 March 1991 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to spray-suppression systems of certain categories of motor vehicles and their trailers (OJ L 103, 23.4.1991, p. 5), as amended by:
11994 N: Act concerning the conditions of accession and the adjustments to the Treaties - Accession of the Republic of Austria, the Republic of Finland and the Kingdom of Sweden(OJ C 241, 29.8.1994, p. 21).
In Annex II, the following is added to point 3.4.1:
35. 31994 L 0020: Directive 94/20/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 1994 relating to the mechanical coupling devices of motor vehicles and their trailers and their attachment to those vehicles (OJ L 195, 29.7.1994, p. 1).
36. 31995 L 0028: Directive 95/28/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 October 1995 relating to the burning behaviour of materials used in the interior construction of certain categories of motor vehicle (OJ L 281, 23.11.1995, p. 1).
In Annex I, the following are inserted in point 6.1.1:
37. 32000 L 0025: Directive 2000/25/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 May 2000 on action to be taken against the emission of gaseous and particulate pollutants by engines intended to power agricultural or forestry tractors and amending Council Directive 74/150/EEC (OJ L 173, 12.7.2000, p. 1).
In Annex I, the following are inserted in Appendix 4, point 1, Section 1:
“‘8 for the Czech Republic”, “29 for Estonia”, “CY for Cyprus”, “32 for Latvia”, “36 for Lithuania”, “7 for Hungary”, “MT for Malta”, “20 for Poland”, “26 for Slovenia”, “27 for Slovakia.”.’
38. 32000 L 0040: Directive 2000/40/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 June 2000 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the front underrun protection of motor vehicles and amending Council Directive 70/156/EEC (OJ L 203, 10.8.2000, p. 9).
39. 32001 L 0056: Directive 2001/56/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 September 2001 relating to heating systems for motor vehicles and their trailers, amending Council Directive 70/156/EEC and repealing Council Directive 78/548/EEC (OJ L 292, 9.11.2001, p. 21).
In Annex I, the following are inserted in Appendix 5, point 1.1.1:
40. 32002 L 0024: Directive 2002/24/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 March 2002 relating to the type-approval of two or three-wheel motor vehicles and repealing Council Directive 92/61/EEC (OJ L 124, 9.5.2002, p. 1).
in Annex IV, point 47 of Side 2 of the model in part A is replaced by the following:
in Annex V, A, point 1, the description following the words ‘Section 1:’ is replaced by the following:
‘the lower case letter “e” followed by the distinguishing code (number) of the Member State issuing the type-approval:
1 for Germany;
In Annex V, B, the following are inserted in the list in point 1.1:
B. FERTILISERS
31976 L 0116: Council Directive 76/116/EEC of 18 December 1975 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to fertilisers (OJ L 24, 30.1.1976, p. 21), as amended by:
31988 L 0183: Council Directive 88/183/EEC of 22.3.1988 (OJ L 83, 29.3.1988, p. 33),
31989 L 0530: Council Directive 89/530/EEC of 18.9.1989 (OJ L 281, 30.9.1989, p. 116),
31993 L 0069: Commission Directive 93/69/EEC of 23.7.1993 (OJ L 185, 28.7.1993, p. 30),
31997 L 0063: Directive 97/63/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24.11.1997 (OJ L 335, 6.12.1997, p. 15),
31998 L 0003: Commission Directive 98/3/EC of 15.1.1998 (OJ L 18, 23.1.1998, p. 25),
31998 L 0097: Directive 98/97/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22.12.1998 (OJ L 18, 23.1.1999, p. 60).
In Annex I, A II, the following is added in column 6, first paragraph, to the text in brackets, after ‘Italy’:
‘Czech Republic, Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovenia, Slovakia’
In Annex I, B 1, 2 and 4, the following is added to column 9, point 3, to the text in brackets after ‘Italy’:
C. COSMETICS
31995 L 0017: Commission Directive 95/17/EC of 19 June 1995 laying down detailed rules for the application of Council Directive 76/768/EEC as regards the non-inclusion of one or more ingredients on the list used for the labelling of cosmetic products (OJ L 140, 23.6.1995, p. 26).
In the Annex, the following is added in point 2 after ‘15 Sweden’:
‘16 Czech Republic
17 Estonia
18 Cyprus
19 Latvia
20 Lithuania
21 Hungary
23 Poland
24 Slovenia
25 Slovakia.’
D. LEGAL METROLOGY AND PRE-PACKAGING
1. 31971 L 0316: Council Directive 71/316/EEC of 26 July 1971 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to common provisions for both measuring instruments and methods of metrological control (OJ L 202, 6.9.1971, p. 1), as amended by:
31972 L 0427: Council Directive 72/427/EEC of 19.12.1972 (OJ L 291, 28.12.1972, p. 156),
In the first indent of point 3.1 of Annex I and in the first indent of point 3.1.1.1.(a) of Annex II, the following is added to the text in brackets:
‘CZ for the Czech Republic, EST for Estonia, CY for Cyprus, LV for Latvia, LT for Lithuania, H for Hungary, M for Malta, PL for Poland, SI for Slovenia, SK for Slovakia’
The drawings to which Annex II, point 3.2.1, refers are supplemented by the letters necessary for the signs CZ, EST, CY, LV, LT, H, M, PL, SI, SK.
2. 31971 L 0347: Council Directive 71/347/EEC of 12 October 1971 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the measuring of the standard mass per storage volume of grain (OJ L 239, 25.10.1971, p. 1), as amended by:
11994 N: Act concerning the conditions of accession and the adjustments to the Treaties - Accession of Republic of Austria, the Republic of Finland and the Kingdom of Sweden (OJ C 241, 29.8.1994, p. 21).
In Article 1(a), the following is added between the brackets:
‘EHS objemová hmotnost obilí’
‘EMÜ puistemass’
‘EEK tilpummasa’
‘EEB hektolitro masė’
‘EGK-hektolitertömeg’
‘Il-massa standard tal-KEE għall-volum tal-preservar’
‘gęstość zboża w stanie zsypnym EWG’
‘EGS hektolitrska masa’
‘EHS násypná hustota obilia’
3. 31971 L 0348: Council Directive 71/348/EEC of 12 October 1971 on the approximation of laws of the Member States relating to ancillary equipment for meters for liquids other than water (OJ L 239, 25.10.1971, p. 9), as amended by:
In Chapter IV of the Annex the following is added at the end of Section 4.8.1:
‘10 haléřů
1 Estonian sent
1 σεντ Κύπρου
1 santīms
1 Lithuanian centas
1 Hungarian forint
1 Maltese ċenteżmu
1 grosz
1 stotin
10 halierov’
E. PRESSURE VESSELS
31976 L 0767: Council Directive 76/767/EEC of 27 July 1976 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to common provisions for pressure vessels and methods of inspecting them (OJ L 262, 27.9.1976, p. 153), as amended by:
The following is added to the text in brackets in the first indent of point 3.1 of Annex I and in the first indent of point 3.1.1.1.1 of Annex II:
F. TEXTILES AND FOOTWEAR
1. 31994 L 0011: Directive 94/11/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 March 1994 on the approximation of the laws, regulations and administrative provisions of the Member States relating to labelling of the materials used in the main components of footwear for sale to the consumer (OJ L 100, 19.4.1994, p. 37).
In point 1(a) of Annex I the following is added after ‘P Parte superior’:
‘CZ
Pealne
Felsőrész
Wiċċ
Wierzch
Zgornji del
Vrch;’
In point 1(b) of Annex I the following is added after ‘P Forro e Palmilha’:
Podšívka a stélka
Vooder ja sisetald
Odere un ieliekamā saistzole
Pamušalas ir įklotė
Bélés és fedőtalpbélés
Inforra u suletta
Podszewka z wyściółką
Podloga in vložek (steljka)
Podšívka a stielka;’
In point 1(c) of Annex I the following is added after ‘P Sola’:
Podešev
Välistald
Ārējā zole
Padas
Járótalp
Pett ta' barra
Spód
Podplat
Podošva;’
In point 2(a)(i) of Annex I the following is added after ‘P Couros e peles curtidas’:
Ġilda
Usnje
Useň;’
In point 2(a)(ii) of Annex I the following is added after ‘P Couro revestido’:
Povrstvená useň
Kaetud nahk
Pārklāta āda
Padengta oda
Bevonatos bőr
Ġilda miksija
Skóra pokryta
Krito usnje
Povrstvená useň;’
In point 2(b) of Annex I the following is added after ‘P Téxteis’:
Tekstilmateriāls
Tessut
Textil;’
In point 2(c) of Annex I the following is added after ‘P Outros materiais’:
Teised materjalid
Citi materiāli
Egyéb anyag
Materjal ieħor
Inny materiał
Drugi materiali
Iný materiál.’
2. 31996 L 0074: Directive 96/74/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 1996 on textile names (OJ L 32, 3.2.1997, p. 38), as amended by:
In Article 5(1), the following are inserted:
“střižní vlna”,
“uus vill”,
“pirmlietojuma vilna” or “cirptā vilna”,
“natūralioji vilna”,
“élőgyapjú”,
“suf verġni”,
“żywa wełna”,
“runska volna”,
“strižná vlna”.’
G. GLASS
31969 L 0493: Council Directive 69/493/EEC of 15 December 1969 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to crystal glass (OJ L 326, 29.12.1969, p. 36), as amended by:
11985 I: Act concerning the conditions of accession and the adjustments to the Treaties - Accession of the Kingdom of Spain and the Portuguese Republic (OJ L 302, 15.11.1985, p. 23).
In Annex I, column b, point 1, the following are inserted:
‘“VYSOCE OLOVNATÉ KŘIŠŤÁLOVÉ SKLO 30 %”
“KÕRGKVALITEETNE KRISTALL 30 %”
“AUGSTĀKĀ LABUMA KRISTĀLS 30 %”
“DAUGIAŠVINIS KRIŠTOLAS 30 %”
“NEHÉZ ÓLOMKRISTÁLY 30 %”
“KRISTALL SUPERJURI 30 %”
“SZKŁO KRYSZTAŁOWE WYSOKOOŁOWIOWE 30 %”
“KRISTAL Z VISOKO VSEBNOSTJO SVINCA 30 %”
“VYSOKOOLOVNATÉ KRIŠTÁĽOVÉ SKLO 30 % PbO”’
‘“OLOVNATÉ KŘIŠŤÁLOVÉ SKLO 24 %”
“KVALITEETKRISTALL 24 %”
“SVINA KRISTĀLS 24 %”
“ŠVINO KRIŠTOLAS 24 %”
“ÓLOMKRISTÁLY 24 %”
“KRISTALL BIC-ĊOMB 24 %”
“SZKŁO KRYSZTAŁOWE OŁOWIOWE 24 %”
“SVINČEV KRISTAL 24 %”
“OLOVNATÉ KRIŠTÁĽOVÉ SKLO 24 % PbO”’
‘“KŘIŠŤÁLOVÉ SKLO KRYSTALIN”
“KRISTALLIINKLAAS”
“KRISTĀLSTIKLS”
“KRIŠTOLAS”
“KRISZTALLIN ÜVEG”
“KRISTALLIN”
“SZKŁO KRYSZTAŁOWE “S””
“KRISTALNO STEKLO (KRISTALIN)”
“KRIŠTALÍN”’
‘“KŘIŠŤÁLOVÉ SKLO”
“KRISTALLKLAAS”
“KRIŠTOLO STIKLAS”
“KRISZTALIN ÜVEG”
“KRISTALNO STEKLO”
“KRIŠTÁĽOVÉ SKLO”’
H. HORIZONTAL AND PROCEDURAL MEASURES
1. 31993 R 0339: Council Regulation (EEC) No 339/93 of 8 February 1993 on checks for conformity with the rules on product safety in the case of products imported from third countries (OJ L 40, 17.2.1993, p. 1), as amended by:
The following is added to Article 6(1):
“Nebezpečný výrobek - propuštění do volného oběhu není povoleno - Nařízení (EHS) č. 339/93”
“Ohtlik toode - vabasse ringlusse mitte lubatud - nõukogu määrus (EMÜ) nr 339/93”
“Bīstama prece - izlaišana brīvā apgrozībā nav atļauta. EEK Regula Nr. 339/93”,
“Pavojingas produktas - išleisti laisvai cirkuliuoti draudžiama - reglamentas (EEB) Nr. 339/93”,
“Veszélyes áru - szabad forgalomba nem bocsátható - 339/93/EGK rendelet”,
“Prodott perikoluż - mhux awtoriżżat għal ċirkolazzjoni ħielsa - Regolament (KEE) Nr. 339/93”,
“Produkt niebezpieczny - niedopuszczony do obrotu - Rozporządzenie (EWG) Nr 339/93”,
“Nevaren izdelek - sprostitev v prosti promet ni dovoljena - Uredba (EGS) št. 339/93”,
“Nebezpečný výrobok - uvoľnenie do voľného obehu nie je povolené - nariadenie (EHS) č. 339/93”;’
“Výrobek není ve shodě - propuštění do volného oběhu není povoleno - Nařízení (EHS) č. 339/93”,
“Nõuetele mittevastav toode - vabasse ringlusse mitte lubatud - nõukogu määrus (EMÜ) nr 339/93”,
“Neatbilstoša prece - izlaišana brīvā apgrozībā nav atļauta. EEK Regula Nr. 339/93”,
“Produktas neatitinka reikalavimų - išleisti laisvai cirkuliuoti draudžiama - Reglamentas (EEB) Nr. 339/93”,
“Nem megfelelő áru - szabad forgalomba nem bocsátható - 339/93/EGK rendelet”,
“Prodott mhux konformi - mhux awtoriżżat għal ċirkolazzjoni ħielsa - Regolament (KEE) Nr. 339/93”,
“Produkt niezgodny - niedopuszczony do obrotu - Rozporządzenie (EWG) Nr 339/93”,
“Neskladen izdelek - sprostitev v prosti promet ni dovoljena - Uredba (EGS) št. 339/93”,
“Výrobok nie je v zhode - uvoľnenie do voľného obehu nie je povolené - nariadenie (EHS) č.339/93”.’
2. 31998 L 0034: Directive 98/34/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 June 1998 laying down a procedure for the provision of information in the field of technical standards and regulations (OJ L 204, 21.7.1998, p. 37), as amended by:
31998 L 0048: Directive 98/48/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20.7.1998 (OJ L 217, 5.8.1998, p. 18).
Annex II is replaced by the following:
‘ANNEX II
NATIONAL STANDARDISATION BODIES
IBN/BIN
Institut belge de normalisation
Belgisch Instituut voor Normalisatie
CEB/BEC
Comité électrotechnique belge
Belgisch Elektrotechnisch Comité
ČSNI
Český normalizační institut
Telestyrelsen, National Telecom Agency
Deutsches Institut für Normung e.V.
DKE
Deutsche Elektrotechnische Kommission im DIN und VDE
Eesti Standardikeskus
Sideamet
ΕΛΟΤ
Ελληνικός Οργανισμός Τυποποίησης
Asociación Española de Normalización y Certificación
Association française de normalisation
Union technique de l'électricité - Bureau de normalisation auprès de l'AFNOR
NSAI
National Standards Authority of Ireland
ETCI
Electrotechnical Council of Ireland
CEI (1)
Comitato elettrotecnico italiano
ΚΟΠΠ
Κυπριακός Οργανισμός Προώθησης Ποιότητας (The Cyprus Organisation for Quality Promotion)
Latvijas Standarts
Lietuvos standartizacijos departamentas
Inspection du travail et des mines
Service de l'énergie de l'État
MSZT
Magyar Szabványügyi Testület
L-Awtorita' ta' Malta dwar l-Istandards (Malta Standards Authority)
Nederlands Normalisatie Instituut
Nederlands Elektrotechnisch Comité
Österreichisches Normungsinstitut
ÖVE
Österreichischer Verband für Elektrotechnik
Polski Komitet Normalizacyjny
Instituto Português da Qualidade
SIST
Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo
SÚTN
Slovenský ústav technickej normalizácie
Suomen Standardisoimisliitto SFS ry
Finlands Standardiseringsförbund SFS rf
THK/TFC
Telehallintokeskus
Teleförvaltningscentralen
SESKO
Suomen Sähköteknillinen Standardisoimisyhdistys SESKO ry
Finlands Elektrotekniska Standardiseringsförening SESKO rf
Standardiseringen i Sverige
Svenska elektriska kommissionen
Informationstekniska standardiseringen
British Standards Institution
British Electrotechnical Committee.
I. PUBLIC PROCUREMENT
1. 31992 L 0013: Council Directive 92/13/EEC of 25 February 1992 coordinating the laws, regulations and administrative provisions relating to the application of Community rules on the procurement procedures of entities operating in the water, energy, transport and telecommunications sectors (OJ L 76, 23.3.1992, p. 14), as amended by:
In the Annex, the following is added:
‘CZECH REPUBLIC
Úřad pro ochranu hospodářské soutěže
Riigihangete Amet (Public Procurement Office)
Γενικό Λογιστήριο της Δημοκρατίας (Treasury of the Republic)
Iepirkumu uzraudzības birojs (Procurement Monitoring Bureau)
Viešųjų pirkimų tarnyba prie Lietuvos Respublikos Vyriausybės (Public Procurement Office under the Government of the Republic of Lithuania)
Közbeszerzések Tanácsa (Public Procurement Council)
Dipartiment tal-Kuntratti fil-Ministeru tal-Finanzi
Urząd Zamówień Publicznych (Office of Public Procurement)
Državna revizijska komisija
Úrad pre verejné obstarávanie (Office for Public Procurement)’
2. 31992 L 0050: Council Directive 92/50/EEC of 18 June 1992 relating to the coordination of procedures for the award of public service contracts (OJ L 209, 24.7.1992, p. 1), as amended by:
31993 L 0036: Council Directive 93/36/EEC of 14.6.1993 (OJ L 199, 9.8.1993, p. 1),
32001 L 0078: Commission Directive 2001/78/EC of 13.9.2001 (OJ L 285, 29.10.2001, p. 1).
In Article 30(3), the following is added:
in the Czech Republic, the “obchodní rejstřík”,
in Estonia, the “Keskäriregister”,
in Cyprus, the service provider may be requested to provide a certificate from the Registrar of Companies and Official Receiver (Έφορος Εταιρειών και Επίσημος Παραλήπτης), that he is certified as incorporated or registered or, if he is not so certified, a certificate stating that the person concerned has declared on oath that he is engaged in the profession in question in the country in which he is established, in a specific place and under a given business name.
in Latvia, the “Uzņēmumu reģistrs” (“Enterprise Register”),
in Lithuania, the “Juridinių asmenų registras”,
in Hungary, the “Cégnyilvántartás”, the “egyéni vállalkozók jegyzői nyilvántartása”, certain “szakmai kamarák nyilvántartása” or in the case of certain activities, a certificate stating that the person concerned is entitled to be engaged in the business activity or profession in question,
in Malta, a tenderer (or supplier) shall quote his “numru ta' reġistrazzjoni tat- Taxxa tal- Valur Miżjud (VAT) u n- numru tal-liċenzja ta' kummerċ”, and, if in a partnership or company, the relevant registration number as issued by the Malta Financial Services Authority,
in Poland, “Krajowy Rejestr Sądowy” (National Court Registry),
in Slovenia, the “Sodni register” and the “obrtni register”,
in Slovakia, the “Obchodný register”.’
3. 31993 L 0036: Council Directive 93/36/EEC of 14 June 1993 coordinating procedures for the award of public supply contracts (OJ L 199, 9.8.1993, p. 1), as amended by:
The following is added to Article 21(2):
‘in the Czech Republic: “obchodní rejstřík”,
in Estonia: “Keskäriregister”,
in Cyprus: the supplier may be requested to provide a certificate from the Registrar of Companies and Official Receiver (Έφορος Εταιρειών και Επίσημος Παραλήπτης), that he is certified as incorporated or registered or, if he is not so certified, a certificate stating that the person concerned has declared on oath that he is engaged in the profession in question in the country in which he is established in a specific place under a given business name and under a specific trading name,
in Latvia: “Uzņēmumu reģistrs” (“Enterprise Register”),
in Lithuania: “Juridinių asmenų registras”,
in Hungary: “Cégnyilvántartás”, “egyéni vállalkozók jegyzői nyilvántartása”,
in Malta: a tenderer (or supplier) shall quote his “numru ta' reġistrazzjoni tat-Taxxa tal-Valur Miżjud (VAT) u n- numru tal-liċenzja ta' kummerċ”, and, if a partnership or company, the relevant registration number as issued by the Malta Financial Services Authority,
in Poland: “Krajowy Rejestr Sądowy”,
in Slovenia: “Sodni register” and “obrtni register”,
in Slovakia: “Obchodný register”;’
In Annex I, the title is replaced by the following:
‘A.
LIST OF CONTRACTING AUTHORITIES SUBJECT TO THE WTO AGREEMENT ON GOVERNMENT PROCUREMENT’
The following is added to Annex I:
‘B.
LIST OF OTHER CENTRAL GOVERNMENT AUTHORITIES
Contracting authorities are the following (non-exhaustive list):
Ministries and other administrative bodies:
Ministerstvo dopravy (Ministry of Transport)
Ministerstvo informatiky (Ministry of Informatics)
Ministerstvo financí (Ministry of Finance)
Ministerstvo kultury (Ministry of Culture)
Ministerstvo obrany (Ministry of Defence)
Ministerstvo pro místní rozvoj (Ministry for Regional Development)
Ministerstvo práce a sociálních věcí (Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs)
Ministerstvo průmyslu a obchodu (Ministry of Industry and Trade)
Ministerstvo spravedlnosti (Ministry of Justice)
Ministerstvo školství, mládeže a tělovýchovy (Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports)
Ministerstvo vnitra (Ministry of the Interior)
Ministerstvo zahraničních věcí (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
Ministerstvo zdravotnictví (Ministry of Health)
Ministerstvo zemědělství (Ministry of Agriculture)
Ministerstvo životního prostředí (Ministry of the Environment)
Poslanecká sněmovna PČR (Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic)
Senát PČR (Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic)
Kancelář prezidenta (The Office of the President)
Český statistický úřad (Czech Statistical Office)
Český úřad zeměměřičský a katastrální (Czech Office for Surveying Mapping and Cadastre)
Úřad průmyslového vlastnictví (Industrial Property Office)
Úřad pro ochranu osobních údajů (The Office for Personal Data Protection)
Bezpečnostní informační služba - BIS (Security Information Services)
Národní bezpečnostní úřad (National Security Authority)
Česká akademie věd (The Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic)
Vězeňská služba (Prison Service)
Vabariigi Presidendi Kantselei (Office of the President of the Republic of Estonia)
Eesti Vabariigi Riigikogu (Parliament of the Republic of Estonia)
Eesti Vabariigi Riigikohus (Supreme Court of the Republic of Estonia)
Riigikontroll (The State Audit Office of the Republic of Estonia)
Õiguskantsler (Legal Chancellor)
Riigikantselei (The State Chancellery)
Rahvusarhiiv (The National Archives of Estonia)
Haridus- ja Teadusministeerium (Ministry of Education and Research)
Justiitsministeerium (Ministry of Justice)
Kaitseministeerium (Ministry of Defence)
Keskkonnaministeerium (Ministry of Environment)
Kultuuriministeerium (Ministry of Culture)
Majandus- ja Kommunikatsiooniministeerium (Ministry for Economy and Communication)
Põllumajandusministeerium (Ministry of Agriculture)
Rahandusministeerium (Ministry of Finance)
Siseministeerium (Ministry of Internal Affairs)
Sotsiaalministeerium (Ministry of Social Affairs)
Välisministeerium (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
Keeleinspektsioon (The Language Inspectorate)
Riigiprokuratuur (Prosecutor's Office)
Teabeamet (The Information Board)
Maa-amet (Land Board)
Keskkonnainspektsioon (Environmental Inspectorate)
Metsakaitse- ja Metsauuenduskeskus (Centre of Forest Protection and Silviculture)
Muinsuskaitseamet (The Heritage Conservation Inspectorate)
Patendiamet (Patent Office)
Tehnilise Järelevalve Inspektsioon (The Technical Inspectorate)
Energiaturu Inspektsioon (The Energy Market Inspectorate)
Tarbijakaitseamet (The Consumer Protection Board)
Eesti Patendiraamatukogu (Estonian Patent Library)
Taimetoodangu Inspektsioon (The Plant Production Inspectorate)
Tõuaretusinspektsioon (Animal Breeding Inspectorate)
Põllumajanduse Registrite ja Informatsiooni Amet (Agricultural Registers and Information Board)
Veterinaar- ja Toiduamet (The Veterinary and Food Board)
Konkurentsiamet (The Competition Board)
Maksuamet (Tax Board)
Statistikaamet (Statistical Office)
Tolliamet (Customs Board)
Proovikoda (Assay Office)
Kodakondsus- ja Migratsiooniamet (Citizenship and Migration Board
Piirivalveamet (The Border Guard Administration)
Politseiamet (The Police Board)
Kohtuekspertiisi ja Kriminalistika Keskus (Centre of Forensic and Criminalistic Science)
Keskkriminaalpolitsei (Central Criminal Police)
Päästeamet (The Rescue Board)
Andmekaitse Inspektsioon (The Data Protection Inspectorate)
Ravimiamet (Agency of Medicines)
Sotsiaalkindlustusamet (Social Insurance Board)
Tööturuamet (Labour Market Board)
Tervishoiuamet (Health Care Board)
Tervisekaitseinspektsioon (Health Protection Inspectorate)
Tööinspektsioon (Labour Inspectorate)
Lennuamet (Civil Aviation Administration)
Maanteeamet (Road Administration)
Sideamet (Communications Board)
Veeteede Amet (Maritime Administration)
Raudteeamet (Estonian Railway Administration)
Bodies governed by Public Law (non-exhaustive list)
Προεδρία και Προεδρικό Μέγαρο (Presidency and Presidential Palace)
Υπουργικό Συμβούλιο (Council of Ministers)
Βουλή των Αντιπροσώπων (House of Representatives)
Δικαστική Υπηρεσία (Judicial Service)
Νομική Υπηρεσία της Δημοκρατίας (Law Office of the Republic)
Ελεγκτική Υπηρεσία της Δημοκρατίας (Audit Office of the Republic)
Επιτροπή Δημόσιας Υπηρεσίας (Public Service Commission)
Επιτροπή Εκπαιδευτικής Υπηρεσίας (Educational Service Commission)
Γραφείο Επιτρόπου Διοικήσεως (Office of the Commissioner for Administration (Ombudsman))
Επιτροπή Προστασίας Ανταγωνισμού (Commission for the Protection of Competition)
Υπουργείο Άμυνας (Ministry of Defence)
Υπουργείο Γεωργίας, Φυσικών Πόρων και Περιβάλλοντος (Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment)
Τμήμα Γεωργίας (Department of Agriculture)
Κτηνιατρικές Υπηρεσίες (Veterinary Services)
Τμήμα Δασών (Forest Department)
Τμήμα Αναπτύξεως Υδάτων (Water Development Department)
Τμήμα Γεωλογικής Επισκόπησης (Geological Survey Department)
Μετεωρολογική Υπηρεσία (Meteorological Service)
Τμήμα Αναδασμού (Land Consolidation Department)
Υπηρεσία Μεταλλείων (Mines Service)
Ινστιτούτο Γεωργικών Ερευνών (Agricultural Research Institute)
Τμήμα Αλιείας και Θαλάσσιων Ερευνών (Department of Fisheries and Marine Research)
Υπουργείο Δικαιοσύνης και Δημοσίας Τάξεως (Ministry of Justice and Public Order)
Αστυνομία (Police)
Πυροσβεστική Υπηρεσία Κύπρου (Cyprus Fire Service)
Υπουργείο Εμπορίου, Βιομηχανίας και Τουρισμού (Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism)
Τμήμα Συνεργατικής Ανάπτυξης (Cooperative Development Department)
Τμήμα Εφόρου Εταιρειών και Επίσημου Παραλήπτη (Department of Registrar of Companies and Official Receiver)
Υπουργείο Εργασίας και Κοινωνικών Ασφαλίσεων (Ministry of Labour and Social Insurance)
Τμήμα Εργασίας (Department of Labour)
Τμήμα Κοινωνικών Ασφαλίσεων (Department of Social Insurance)
Τμήμα Υπηρεσιών Κοινωνικής Ευημερίας (Department of Social Welfare Services)
Κέντρο Παραγωγικότητας Κύπρου (Productivity Centre Cyprus)
Ανώτερο Ξενοδοχειακό Ινστιτούτο Κύπρου (Higher Hotel Institute Cyprus)
Ανώτερο Τεχνολογικό Ινστιτούτο (Higher Technical Institute)
Τμήμα Επιθεώρησης Εργασίας (Department of Labour Inspection)
Υπουργείο Εσωτερικών (Ministry of the Interior)
Επαρχιακές Διοικήσεις (District Administrations)
Τμήμα Πολεοδομίας και Οικήσεως (Town Planning and Housing Department)
Τμήμα Αρχείου Πληθυσμού και Μεταναστεύσεως (Civil Registry and Migration Department)
Τμήμα Κτηματολογίου και Χωρομετρίας (Department of Lands and Surveys)
Γραφείο Τύπου και Πληροφοριών (Press and Information Office)
Πολιτική Άμυνα (Civil Defence)
Υπουργείο Εξωτερικών (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
Υπουργείο Οικονομικών (Ministry of Finance)
Τμήμα Τελωνείου (Department of Customs and Excise)
Τμήμα Εσωτερικών Προσόδων (Department of Inland Revenue)
Στατιστική Υπηρεσία (Statistical Service)
Τμήμα Κρατικών Αγορών και Προμηθειών (Department of Government Purchasing and Supply)
Υπηρεσία Δημόσιας Διοίκησης και Προσωπικού (Public Administration and Personnel Service)
Κυβερνητικό Τυπογραφείο (Government Printing Office)
Τμήμα Υπηρεσιών Πληροφορικής (Department of Information Technology Services)
Γραφείο Προγραμματισμού (Planning Bureau)
Υπουργείο Παιδείας και Πολιτισμού (Ministry of Education and Culture)
Υπουργείο Συγκοινωνιών και Έργων (Ministry of Communications and Works)
Τμήμα Ηλεκτρονικών Επικοινωνιών (Department of Electronic Communications)
Τμήμα Δημοσίων Έργων (Department of Public Works)
Τμήμα Αρχαιοτήτων (Department of Antiquities)
Τμήμα Πολιτικής Αεροπορίας (Department of Civil Aviation)
Τμήμα Εμπορικής Ναυτιλίας (Department of Merchant Shipping)
Τμήμα Ταχυδρομικών Υπηρεσιών (Department of Postal Services)
Τμήμα Οδικών Μεταφορών (Department of Road Transport)
Τμήμα Ηλεκτρομηχανολογικών Υπηρεσιών (Department of Electrical and Mechanical Services)
Υπουργείο Υγείας (Ministry of Health)
Φαρμακευτικές Υπηρεσίες (Pharmaceutical Services)
Γενικό Χημείο (General Laboratory)
Ιατρικές Υπηρεσίες και Υπηρεσίες Δημόσιας Υγείας (Medical and Public Health Services)
Οδοντιατρικές Υπηρεσίες (Dental Services)
Υπηρεσίες Ψυχικής Υγείας (Mental Health Services)
Valsts prezidenta kanceleja (Chancellery of the State President)
Saeimas kanceleja (Chancellery of the Parliament)
Aizsardzības ministrija un tās pakļautībā un pārraudzībā esošās iestādes (Ministry of Defence and institutions subordinate to it and under its supervision)
Ārlietu ministrija un tās pakļautībā un pārraudzībā esošās iestādes (Ministry of Foreign Affairs and institutions subordinate to it and under its supervision)
Ekonomikas ministrija un tās pakļautībā un pārraudzībā esošās iestādes (Ministry of Economics and institutions subordinate to it and under its supervision)
Finanšu ministrija un tās pakļautībā un pārraudzībā esošās iestādes (Ministry of Finance and institutions subordinate to it and under its supervision)
Iekšlietu ministrija un tās pakļautībā un pārraudzībā esošās iestādes (Ministry of the Interior and institutions subordinate to it and under its supervision)
Izglītības un zinātnes ministrija un tās pakļautībā un pārraudzībā esošās iestādes (Ministry of Education and Science and institutions subordinate to it and under its supervision)
Kultūras ministrija un tās pakļautībā un pārraudzībā esošās iestādes (Ministry of Culture and institutions subordinate to it and under its supervision)
Labklājības ministrija un tās pakļautībā un pārraudzībā esošās iestādes (Ministry of Welfare and institutions subordinate to it and under its supervision)
Reģionālās attīstības un pašvaldību lietu ministrija un tās pakļautībā un pārraudzībā esošās iestādes (Ministry of Regional Development and local governments and institutions subordinate to it and under its supervision)
Satiksmes ministrija un tās pakļautībā un pārraudzībā esošās iestādes (Ministry of Transport and institutions subordinate to it and under its supervision)
Tieslietu ministrija un tās pakļautībā un pārraudzībā esošās iestādes (Ministry of Justice and institutions subordinate to it and under its supervision)
Veselības ministrija un tās pakļautībā un pārraudzībā esošās iestādes (Ministry of Health and institutions subordinate to it and under its supervision)
Vides ministrija un tās pakļautībā un pārraudzībā esošās iestādes (Ministry of Environment and institutions subordinate to it and under its supervision)
Zemkopības ministrija un tās pārraudzībā esošās iestādes (Ministry of Agriculture and institutions under its supervision)
Īpašu uzdevumu ministrs bērnu un ģimenes lietās un tā pakļautībā un pārraudzībā esošās iestādes (Minister for Special Assignments for Children and Family Affairs and institutions subordinate to it and under its supervision)
Īpašu uzdevumu ministrs sabiedrības integrācijas lietās un tā pakļautībā un pārraudzībā esošās iestādes (Minister for Special Assignments for Integration Affairs and institutions subordinate to it and under its supervision)
Augstākās izglītības padome (Council of Higher Education)
Eiropas integrācijas birojs (European Integration Bureau)
Valsts kanceleja un tās pakļautībā un pārraudzībā esošās iestādes (State Chancellery and institutions subordinate to it and under its supervision)
Centrālā vēlēšanu komisija (Central Election Commission)
Finansu un kapitāla tirgus komisija (Financial and Capital Market Commission)
Latvijas Banka (Bank of Latvia)
Nacionālie bruņotie spēki (National Armed Forces)
Nacionālā radio un televīzijas padome (National Broadcasting Council)
Sabiedrisko pakalpojumu regulēšanas komisija (Public Utilities Commission)
Satversmes aizsardzības birojs (Constitution Defence Bureau)
Valsts cilvēktiesību birojs (State Human Rights Bureau)
Valsts kontrole (State Audit Office)
Satversmes tiesa (Constitutional Court)
Augstākā tiesa (Supreme Court)
Prokuratūra un tās pārraudzībā esošās iestādes (Prosecutor's Office and institutions under its supervision)
Pašvaldību domes (padomes) un to pakļautībā un pārraudzībā esošās iestādes (Councils (boards) of local governments and institutions subordinate to them and under their supervision)
Prezidento kanceliarija (Chancellery of the Office of the President)
Seimo kanceliarija (Chancellery of the Seimas (Parliament))
Konstitucinis Teismas (The Constitutional Court)
Vyriausybės kanceliarija (Chancellery of the Government)
Aplinkos ministerija ir įstaigos prie ministerijos (Ministry of Environment and institutions under the Ministry)
Finansų ministerija ir įstaigos prie ministerijos (Ministry of Finance and institutions under the Ministry)
Krašto apsaugos ministerija ir įstaigos prie ministerijos (Ministry of National Defence and institutions under the Ministry)
Kultūros ministerija ir įstaigos prie ministerijos (Ministry of Culture and institutions under the Ministry)
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line679
|
__label__wiki
| 0.950675
| 0.950675
|
Chowan County, North Carolina
Pick a county North Carolina State Total Alamance County, North Carolina Alexander County, North Carolina Alleghany County, North Carolina Anson County, North Carolina Ashe County, North Carolina Avery County, North Carolina Beaufort County, North Carolina Bertie County, North Carolina Bladen County, North Carolina Brunswick County, North Carolina Buncombe County, North Carolina Burke County, North Carolina Cabarrus County, North Carolina Caldwell County, North Carolina Camden County, North Carolina Carteret County, North Carolina Caswell County, North Carolina Catawba County, North Carolina Chatham County, North Carolina Cherokee County, North Carolina Chowan County, North Carolina Clay County, North Carolina Cleveland County, North Carolina Columbus County, North Carolina Craven County, North Carolina Cumberland County, North Carolina Currituck County, North Carolina Dare County, North Carolina Davidson County, North Carolina Davie County, North Carolina Duplin County, North Carolina Durham County, North Carolina Edgecombe County, North Carolina Forsyth County, North Carolina Franklin County, North Carolina Gaston County, North Carolina Gates County, North Carolina Graham County, North Carolina Granville County, North Carolina Greene County, North Carolina Guilford County, North Carolina Halifax County, North Carolina Harnett County, North Carolina Haywood County, North Carolina Henderson County, North Carolina Hertford County, North Carolina Hoke County, North Carolina Hyde County, North Carolina Iredell County, North Carolina Jackson County, North Carolina Johnston County, North Carolina Jones County, North Carolina Lee County, North Carolina Lenoir County, North Carolina Lincoln County, North Carolina McDowell County, North Carolina Macon County, North Carolina Madison County, North Carolina Martin County, North Carolina Mecklenburg County, North Carolina Mitchell County, North Carolina Montgomery County, North Carolina Moore County, North Carolina Nash County, North Carolina New Hanover County, North Carolina Northampton County, North Carolina Onslow County, North Carolina Orange County, North Carolina Pamlico County, North Carolina Pasquotank County, North Carolina Pender County, North Carolina Perquimans County, North Carolina Person County, North Carolina Pitt County, North Carolina Polk County, North Carolina Randolph County, North Carolina Richmond County, North Carolina Robeson County, North Carolina Rockingham County, North Carolina Rowan County, North Carolina Rutherford County, North Carolina Sampson County, North Carolina Scotland County, North Carolina Stanly County, North Carolina Stokes County, North Carolina Surry County, North Carolina Swain County, North Carolina Transylvania County, North Carolina Tyrrell County, North Carolina Union County, North Carolina Vance County, North Carolina Wake County, North Carolina Warren County, North Carolina Washington County, North Carolina Watauga County, North Carolina Wayne County, North Carolina Wilkes County, North Carolina Wilson County, North Carolina Yadkin County, North Carolina Yancey County, North Carolina North Carolina NRCS
Pick a district 1st District of North Carolina (Rep. G.K. Butterfield) 2nd District of North Carolina (Rep. George Holding) 3rd District of North Carolina (Rep. Walter Jones) 4th District of North Carolina (Rep. David Price) 5th District of North Carolina (Rep. Virginia Foxx) 6th District of North Carolina (Rep. Mark Walker) 7th District of North Carolina (Rep. David Rouzer) 8th District of North Carolina (Rep. Richard Hudson) 9th District of North Carolina (Rep. Robert Pittenger) 10th District of North Carolina (Rep. Patrick McHenry) 11th District of North Carolina (Rep. Mark Meadows) 12th District of North Carolina (Rep. Alma Adams) 13th District of North Carolina (Rep. Ted Budd)
in Chowan County, North Carolina totaled $0 from 1995-2017.
Programs included in
Total USDA - Subsidies $84,144,573
Subtotal, Farming Subsidies $71,340,818
Cotton Subsidies $44,361,100
Peanut Subsidies $22,366,910
Crop Insurance Premium Subsidy $8,766,222
Corn Subsidies $6,458,149
Soybean Subsidies $3,467,527
Subtotal, Disaster Payments $2,970,744
Crop Disaster - Program $1,823,772
Wheat Subsidies $1,784,867
Subtotal, Conservation Programs $1,066,789
Tobacco Subsidies $940,914
Non-insured Assistance $692,104
CRP - Annual Land Rental $676,503
SURE - Program Payments $346,082
Emergency Conservation - Hurricane $269,505
Sorghum Subsidies $264,285
EQIP - Regular $50,375
Emergency Conservation - Other $49,931
CRP - Cost Share $37,137
Natural Disaster - 1995 $17,317
Oat Subsidies $15,431
Interest Penalty Payments $14,364
Honey Subsidies $12,369
CRP - Signing Incentive $10,188
ACP - Regular $9,619
CRP - Practice Incentive $7,706
EQIP - Acp $4,587
Quality Losses Program $1,435
Sheep Meat Subsidies $1,172
Tree Subsidies $870
Sunflower Subsidies $560
Barley Subsidies $364
CRP - Incentives $300
Wool Subsidies $289
Market Loss Assistance - Fresh Asparagus $146
Direct Payment - Late Fees $-500
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line680
|
__label__wiki
| 0.928533
| 0.928533
|
Margot Robbie & Saoirse Ronan Want to Meet Meghan Markle
Margot Robbie and Saoirse Ronan are playing two queens in the new movie, “Mary Queen of Scots.”
“Extra’s” Renee Bargh sat down with them both to discuss the film, which centers on the royal rivalry between Queen Elizabeth I and Mary Stuart.
Both Margot and Saoirse have met some of the royals, sharing with many a fascination with the newest addition, Meghan Markle. Margot said, “I have met a couple.” Saoirse chimed in, “I met Charlie… I think that’s it. I just want to meet Harry and Meghan, really.” Margot added, “I want to meet Meghan.”
Meghan is pregnant with her first royal baby. Margot noted, “I do wonder if there's pressure on them to have a male heir the way there's enormous pressure on Mary and Elizabeth and everyone at that time to produce a male heir.”
Margot opened up about her transformation into Queen Elizabeth I, saying, “I was in the hands of very talented people, which was comforting. And not just talented people but brave people.”
Robbie expressed her interest in special effects, commenting, “If I wasn't doing acting, there's a couple jobs I would do on set. Special effects makeup would be one of them.”
The 28-year-old spent hours getting prepped each day for the shoot, emphasizing, “I think three to four [hours], but that's with a couple people working at once.”
#CelebrityNews#MargotRobbie#SaoirseRonan
Margot Robbie & Allison Janney on Those Tonya Harding Oscar Rumors
Why Margot Robbie Doesn’t Wear Her Wedding Ring Every Day, Plus: How She…
Margot Robbie Talks Married Life, Plus: Why She Delayed Her Honeymoon
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line689
|
__label__wiki
| 0.701087
| 0.701087
|
Off the table
The failure of the Trump-Kim summit represents a missed opportunity for the world, writes Fabian Hamilton MP.
This originally appeared in Spring 2019
By Fabian Hamilton
Date 18 April 2019
Topics Defence Foreign policy International relations Labour party
President Trump’s summit with Kim Jong Un at the end of February was an abject failure.
Throughout his presidency, Trump’s lack of diplomatic skill has consistently shone through – whether it be in his dealings with North Korea, Iran, or China.
The fact is that the nature of Trump’s erratic presidency and Kim Jong Un’s authoritarianism – and the bravado and playing to the gallery that lie at the heart of both – have made any substantial agreement unlikely, with little authority delegated to officials. So, although Donald Trump proclaimed a breakthrough after the first US-North Korea summit last summer, there is still absolutely no evidence that any meaningful and much needed progress on denuclearisation has been made.
The recent talks in Vietnam broke down due to President Trump entering into them without any concrete plan for peace. His dialogue with Kim Jong Un was only that – a series of conversations lacking the political will to ensure success.
The president believes that he is one of the world’s top negotiators, but meeting the North Koreans without any meaningful offer resulted in the ending we could all have predicted. As much as he would like it to be, this isn’t The Apprentice and President Trump’s ‘my way or the highway’ approach won’t work to resolve the world’s most testing diplomatic issues.
In fact, since the summit in Hanoi, there have been reports that North Korea has restarted developing its rocket launch facility – which had initially been partially dismantled following the first summit.
These worrying signals of rearmament from Pyongyang mean it is becoming clear that President Trump’s approach to North Korea has achieved very little. The hostile rhetoric has been dialled down since the President pledged to annihilate North Korea, childishly and undiplomatically referring to Kim Jong Un as ‘little rocket man’.
But the name-calling has been replaced by a disturbing positivity toward the North Korean leader. The president has since referred to Kim Jong Un as his ‘friend’ and has praised him as ‘intelligent’ on several occasions. Acting with such blatant warmth towards a dictator who has no respect for human rights might suggest that Donald Trump has no respect for human rights himself.
North Korea’s human rights record should also be particularly worrying for President Trump given the death of American citizen Otto Warmbier, who died in 2017 after his detention in North Korea for allegedly stealing a propaganda poster. It is sickening that this appalling breach of human rights seems to have been swept under the carpet in order to progress the president’s unilateral dialogue with North Korea.
President Trump must not sell out on the United States’ longstanding commitments to human rights and international law in exchange for the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula. Rather, these should be tied together into negotiations as a price North Korea must pay for the lifting of sanctions.
Sadly, the prospect of full denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula now looks increasingly distant. And with both sides blaming one another for the breakdown of the talks, it is difficult to see how either Trump or Kim could turn this around to achieve the permanent dismantling of North Korea’s nuclear programme.
In abandoning talks, Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un have missed an unprecedented opportunity for disarmament as well as taking steps towards establishing a new nuclear weapons-free zone.
Under the auspices of the UN, a successful denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula could result in a normalisation of relations between North and South, and also in the expansion of the UN treaty on the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapons Free Zone.
Binding treaties like this incorporate states into an anti-nuclear weapons umbrella, stabilising their region and encouraging movement away from a potentially catastrophic conflict. Multilateral agreements to disarm and move away from nuclear weapons really can be the difference between peace and nuclear wars.
Donald Trump’s presidency has been defined by foreign policy decisions that have created greater global instability.
For example, the decision to withdraw from the joint comprehensive plan of action with Iran has only made it more likely that Tehran will one day resume its efforts to develop nuclear weapons. All this was done so that Trump could fulfil an Obama-bashing campaign pledge. Playing politics in this way is wholly unacceptable when peace is on the line and millions of lives are at risk. The Kim-Trump summit was abandoned as the table was being set for the pair’s working lunch in Hanoi. And it’s since become clear that Donald Trump’s mistake is that while he managed to get Kim Jong Un to the table he hasn’t managed to get him to eat.
Photo credit: DonkeyHotey
Fabian Hamilton
Fabian Hamilton is the Labour MP for Leeds North East and the shadow minister for peace and disarmament.
@FabianLeedsNE
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line690
|
__label__cc
| 0.683519
| 0.316481
|
What you need to know about the right to education
rte-campaign-what_you_need_to_know-c-thanh_ghuong-shutterstock.jpg
Van Thanh Ghuong/Shutterstock.com
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights affirms that education is a fundamental human right for everyone. What exactly does that mean?
Why is education a fundamental human right?
The right to education is a human right and indispensable for the exercise of other human rights.
Quality education aims to ensure the development of a fully-rounded human being.
It is one of the most powerful tools in lifting socially excluded children and adults out of poverty and into society. UNESCO data shows that if all adults completed secondary education, globally the number of poor people could be reduced by more than half.
It narrows the gender gap for girls and women. A UN study showed that each year of schooling reduces the probability of infant mortality by 5 to 10 per cent.
For this human right to work there must be equality of opportunity, universal access, and enforceable and monitored quality standards.
What does the right to education entail?
Primary education that is free, compulsory and universal
Secondary education, including technical and vocational, that is generally available, accessible to all and progressively free
Higher education, accessible to all on the basis of individual capacity and progressively free
Fundamental education for individuals who have not completed education
Professional training opportunities
Equal quality of education through minimum standards
Quality teaching and supplies for teachers
Adequate fellowship system and material condition for teaching staff
What is the current situation?
262 million primary and secondary age children and youth are out of school
Less than 1 in 5 countries legally guarantee 12 years of free and compulsory education
1 child out of 11 does not go to primary school
1 adolescents out of 5 is left out of a secondary education
More and 1 in 2 children of primary school age did not reach the minimum proficiency level in reading quality standards
How is the right to education ensured?
The right to education is established by two means - normative international instruments and political commitments by governments. A solid international framework of conventions and treaties exist to protect the right to education and States that sign up to them agree to respect, protect and fulfil this right.
How does UNESCO work to ensure the right to education?
UNESCO develops, monitors and promotes education norms and standards to guarantee the right to education at country level and advance the aims of the Education 2030 Agenda. It works to ensure States' legal obligations are reflected in national legal frameworks and translated into concrete policies. It does this by:
Monitoring the implementation of the right to education at country level
Supporting States to establish solid national frameworks creating the legal foundation and conditions for sustainable quality education for all
Advocating on the right to education principles and legal obligations through research and studies on key issues
Maintaining a global Observatory on the right to education
Enhancing capacities, reporting mechanisms and awareness on key challenges
Developing partnerships and networks around key issues
How is the right to education monitored and enforced by UNESCO?
UNESCO's Constitution requires Member States to regularly report on measures to implement standard-setting instruments at country level through regular consultations.
Through collaboration with UN human rights bodies, UNESCO addresses recommendations to countries to improve the situation of the right to education at national level.
Through the dedicated online Observatory, UNESCO takes stock of the implementation of the right to education in 195 Member States.
Based on its monitoring work, UNESCO provides technical assistance and policy advice to Member States that seek to review, develop, improve and reform their legal and policy frameworks.
What happens if States do not fulfil obligations?
International human rights instruments have established a solid normative framework for the right to education. This is not an empty declaration of intent as its provisions are legally binding. All countries in the world have ratified at least one treaty covering certain aspects of the right to education. This means that all States are held to account, through legal mechanisms.
Enforcement of the right to education: At international level, human rights' mechanisms are competent to receive individual complaints and have settled right to education breaches this way.
Justiciability of the right to education: Where their right to education has been violated, citizens must be able to have legal recourse before the law courts or administrative tribunals.
What are the major challenges to ensure the right to education?
Providing free and compulsory education to all
Less than 1 in 5 countries legally guarantee 12 years of free and compulsory education.
Eliminating inequalities and disparities in education
In sub-Saharan African, for example, only 65 of the poorest children for every 100 of the richest go to school.
Migration and displacement
In 2016, 3.5 million school age refugees had 0 days of school.
Privatization and its impact on the right to education
States need to strike a balance between educational freedom and ensuring everyone receives a quality education.
Financing of education
The Education 2030 Agenda requires States to allocate at least 4-6 per cent of GDP and/or at least 15-20 per cent of public expenditure to education.
Quality imperatives and valuing the teaching profession
200 million young people leave school without the skills they need to thrive.
From 15 October to 18 December 2018, UNESCO is running a digital campaign on the #RightToEducation to mark the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Find out more here.
The #RightToEducation campaign
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line693
|
__label__cc
| 0.683768
| 0.316232
|
Grade I listed buildings in Conwy County Borough
Conwy County Borough shown within Wales
Map all coordinates using: OpenStreetMap
Download coordinates as: KML · GPX
In the United Kingdom, the term listed building refers to a building or other structure officially designated as being of special architectural, historical, or cultural significance; Grade I structures are those considered to be "buildings of exceptional interest".[1] Listing was begun by a provision in the Town and Country Planning Act 1947. Once listed, strict limitations are imposed on the modifications allowed to a building's structure or fittings. In Wales,[2] the authority for listing under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990[3] rests with Cadw.
Buildings[edit]
Grid Ref.[note 1]
Geo-coordinates
Waterloo Bridge Bro Garmon 23 June 1967 SH7986255733
53°05′07″N 3°47′43″W / 53.085271846947°N 3.7951765769129°W / 53.085271846947; -3.7951765769129 (Waterloo Bridge) Bridge Spanning the Afon Conwy and carrying the A5 from Betws-y-Coed to Pentrefoelas.[4][5] 121
Upload another image
Church of St Nefydd and St Mary Llannefydd 30 January 1968 SH9821070599
53°13′22″N 3°31′34″W / 53.222674374495°N 3.5260785573515°W / 53.222674374495; -3.5260785573515 (Church of St Nefydd and St Mary) Church Prominently located in the centre of the village within a raised and walled churchyard.[6][7] 199
Kinmel Hall Abergele 10 June 1970 SH9810174922
53°15′41″N 3°31′45″W / 53.261498109897°N 3.5290949968566°W / 53.261498109897; -3.5290949968566 (Kinmel Hall) Mill Located on an elevated platform site, within extensive parkland, approximately 3 miles SE of Abergele. Access now by driveway off Primrose Hill, St George Village.[8][9] 229
Gwrych Castle including attached walls and towers and Stable Block Llanddulas and Rhyd-y-Foel 27 October 1950 SH9285777465
53°17′00″N 3°36′31″W / 53.28331245143°N 3.6085357414179°W / 53.28331245143; -3.6085357414179 (Gwrych Castle including attached walls and towers and Stable Block) Castle About 2km W of centre of Abergele, set dramatically against a wooded hill slope; set back from and above B 4553.[10][11] 231
Llwyni Lodge, also known as the Golden Lodge and Gate Lodge Abergele 4 October 1973 SH9804876187
53°16′22″N 3°31′49″W / 53.272854612376°N 3.5302951840043°W / 53.272854612376; -3.5302951840043 (Llwyni Lodge, also known as the Golden Lodge and Gate Lodge) Lodge The Lodge stands at the S end of the avenue leading to Kinmel Hall from the N margin of the main A55 Holyhead Road.[12][13] Sign on gatepost says Golden Lodge. 242
Hafodunos Hall Llangernyw 2 April 1970 SH8675367035
53°11′18″N 3°41′47″W / 53.188329386691°N 3.6963382691496°W / 53.188329386691; -3.6963382691496 (Hafodunos Hall) House About 1km WSW of Llangernyw.[14][15] 262
Gwydir Castle (including gatehouse) Trefriw 17 March 1953 SH7959561037
53°07′58″N 3°48′04″W / 53.132865591752°N 3.8011517450959°W / 53.132865591752; -3.8011517450959 (Gwydir Castle (including gatehouse)) House Located approximately 1km S of Llanrwst at right-angles with the B5106 (Gwydir Road).[16][17] 3161
Maenan Hall Llanddoged and Maenan 17 March 1953 SH7942365037
53°10′08″N 3°48′19″W / 53.168764459098°N 3.8052285317698°W / 53.168764459098; -3.8052285317698 (Maenan Hall) Hall Located on a rise approximately 200m E of the A 470, 1.2km NW of Llandogged village; accessed via a long metalled drive leading W off the main road.[18][19] 3163
Parish Church of St Mary, Caerhun Caerhun 13 October 1966 SH7768370397
53°12′59″N 3°50′00″W / 53.216522304662°N 3.833297538599°W / 53.216522304662; -3.833297538599 (Parish Church of St Mary, Caerhun) Church Situated on a rise overlooking the river Conwy on the W bank, and occupying the NE corner of the former Roman fort of Canovium; accessed via a metalled lane running E from the B5106 Bettws-y-Coed to Conwy road.[20][21] 3167
Church of St Gwyddelan, Dolwyddelan Dolwyddelan 13 October 1966 SH7359252294
53°03′11″N 3°53′15″W / 53.052924866203°N 3.8873846555313°W / 53.052924866203; -3.8873846555313 (Church of St Gwyddelan, Dolwyddelan) Church In the centre of the village, set back slightly within a low rubble-walled churchyard and surrounded by mature trees.[22][23] 3184
St Celynin's Old Church Henryd 13 October 1966 SH7511873726
53°14′45″N 3°52′23″W / 53.245832227546°N 3.8729944866837°W / 53.245832227546; -3.8729944866837 (St Celynin's Old Church) Church Located on a high plateau in the rocky uplands at the W extremity of the community, near the Cerrig-y-Ddinas hillfort and some 3km W of Henryd village.[24][25] 3193
Llanrhychwyn Church Trefriw 13 October 1966 SH7747861610
53°08′15″N 3°49′59″W / 53.137530242636°N 3.832996157464°W / 53.137530242636; -3.832996157464 (Llanrhychwyn Church) Church Situated on an upland plateau approximately 1.2km S of Trefriw and 0.3km E of Lake Geirionydd; set back slightly to the SE of the road between the two.[26][27] 3211
Conwy town walls Conwy 23 September 1950 SH7806177694
53°16′56″N 3°49′50″W / 53.282166942359°N 3.8304368218286°W / 53.282166942359; -3.8304368218286 (Conwy town walls) Town wall Enclosing the old town on the W side of the castle.[28][29] 3233
Conwy Suspension Bridge Conwy 23 September 1950 SH7849777494
53°16′50″N 3°49′26″W / 53.280470415217°N 3.8238243283118°W / 53.280470415217; -3.8238243283118 (Conwy Suspension Bridge) Bridge Spanning Afon Conwy E of the castle and S of the modern road bridge (A547).[30][31] 3234
Conwy Railway Bridge Conwy 23 September 1950 SH7849977467
53°16′49″N 3°49′26″W / 53.280228302059°N 3.8237840163964°W / 53.280228302059; -3.8237840163964 (Conwy Railway Bridge) Bridge Spanning Afon Conwy on the E side of the castle and S of the modern road and suspension bridges.[32][33] 3236
Conwy Castle Conwy 23 September 1950 SH7837677455
53°16′48″N 3°49′32″W / 53.280092234044°N 3.8256231957321°W / 53.280092234044; -3.8256231957321 (Conwy Castle) Castle On the E side of the town overlooking the Conwy estuary.[34][35] 3250
Aberconwy House Conwy 23 September 1950 SH781776
53°16′54″N 3°49′43″W / 53.2816°N 3.8285°W / 53.2816; -3.8285 (Aberconwy House) House On the corner of Castle Street and High Street.[36] 3262
Church of St Benedict, Gyffin Conwy 23 September 1950 SH7764076941
53°16′31″N 3°50′11″W / 53.275304718427°N 3.8364577372839°W / 53.275304718427; -3.8364577372839 (Church of St Benedict, Gyffin) Church In a walled churchyard near the main road junction in the village, and immediately S of Afon Gyffin.[37][38] 3291
Bodysgallen Hall Conwy 23 September 1950 SH7995379275
53°17′48″N 3°48′10″W / 53.296803716445°N 3.8026721610401°W / 53.296803716445; -3.8026721610401 (Bodysgallen Hall) Hall A large 3-storey house with attic, converted to a hotel.[39][40] 3334
St Mary's Church, Conwy Conwy 8 October 1981 SH7816377526
53°16′50″N 3°49′44″W / 53.280681105542°N 3.828843303738°W / 53.280681105542; -3.828843303738 (St Mary's Church, Conwy) Church In a large churchyard enclosed by buildings to Castle Street, High Street, Church Street and Rose Hill Street.[41][42] 3353
Gloddaeth Hall Llandudno 10 January 1951 SH8024680688
53°18′34″N 3°47′56″W / 53.309564900737°N 3.7988119651514°W / 53.309564900737; -3.7988119651514 (Gloddaeth Hall) College In extensive grounds between A470 (Wormhout Way) and Gloddaeth Lane. Now part of St David's College.[43][44] 3411
Pont Fawr, Llanrwst Llanrwst 25 January 1951 SH7984061485
53°08′13″N 3°47′52″W / 53.136946051138°N 3.797659781323°W / 53.136946051138; -3.797659781323 (Pont Fawr, Llanrwst) Bridge Spans Afon Conwy opposite Victoria Hotel.[45][46] 3612
St Grwst's Church, Llanrwst Llanrwst 25 January 1951 SH7974361616
53°08′17″N 3°47′57″W / 53.138101098713°N 3.7991581889483°W / 53.138101098713; -3.7991581889483 (St Grwst's Church, Llanrwst) Church Beyond W end of Tan yr Eglwys, in churchyard overlooking Afon Conwy.[47][48] 3622
Plas Mawr Conwy 23 September 1950 SH7808277600
53°16′53″N 3°49′48″W / 53.281327273614°N 3.8300859217661°W / 53.281327273614; -3.8300859217661 (Plas Mawr) House On the corner of High Street and Crown Lane.[49][50] 3634
Terrace arch and associated garden walls at Gwydir Castle Trefriw 30 May 1996 SH7958861065
53°07′59″N 3°48′05″W / 53.133115573309°N 3.8012668429554°W / 53.133115573309; -3.8012668429554 (Terrace arch and associated garden walls at Gwydir Castle) Wall Located at the NW end of the raised terrace at Gwydir Castle and giving access to the Dutch Garden.[51][52] 16936
Gwydir Uchaf Chapel Trefriw 30 May 1996 SH7948460933
53°07′55″N 3°48′10″W / 53.1319060692°N 3.8027708359304°W / 53.1319060692; -3.8027708359304 (Gwydir Uchaf Chapel) Chapel Strikingly located on an elevated plateau immediately above Gwydir Castle and NW of the Carreg-y-Gwalch; adjacent to Gwydir Uchaf.[53][54] 16944
Waterloo Bridge Betws y Coed 30 May 1996 SH7984555727
53°05′07″N 3°47′44″W / 53.085214106441°N 3.7954280146954°W / 53.085214106441; -3.7954280146954 (Waterloo Bridge) Bridge Carrying the A5 at the SE approach to Betws-y-Coed, spanning the Afon Conwy.[55][56] 17827
Dolwyddelan Castle Dolwyddelan 17 February 1997 SH7219452329
53°03′10″N 3°54′30″W / 53.052906214292°N 3.9082432642033°W / 53.052906214292; -3.9082432642033 (Dolwyddelan Castle) Castle Strikingly located overlooking the modern road on a dramatic eminence 1.5km W of Dolwyddelan village.[57][58] 18253
Wales portal
Grade II* listed buildings in Conwy County Borough
Listed buildings in Wales
^ Sometimes known as OSGB36, the grid reference is based on the British national grid reference system used by the Ordnance Survey.
^ "Buildings & Conservation Areas". Cadw. Retrieved 18 June 2013.
^ "Coflein". online database of RCAHMW. Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales. Retrieved 28 November 2016.
^ "Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990". The National Archives. Retrieved 18 June 2013.
^ Cadw. "Waterloo Bridge (121)". National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
^ "Waterloo Bridge". British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
^ Cadw. "Church of St Nefydd and St Mary (199)". National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
^ "Church of St Nefydd and St Mary". British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
^ Cadw. "Kinmel (229)". National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
^ "Kinmel". British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
^ Cadw. "Gwrych Castle including attached walls and towers and Stable Block (231)". National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
^ "Gwrych Castle including attached walls and towers and Stable Block". British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
^ Cadw. "Llwyni Lodge, also known as the Golden Lodge and Gate Lodge (242)". National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
^ "Llwyni Lodge, also known as the Golden Lodge and Gate Lodge". British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
^ Cadw. "Hafodunos Hall (262)". National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
^ "Hafodunos Hall". British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
^ Cadw. "Gwydir Castle (including gatehouse) (3161)". National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
^ "Gwydir Castle (including gatehouse)". British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
^ Cadw. "Maenan Hall (3163)". National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
^ "Maenan Hall". British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
^ Cadw. "Parish Church of St Mary (3167)". National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
^ "Parish Church of St Mary". British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
^ Cadw. "Church of St. Gwyddelan (3184)". National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
^ "Church of St. Gwyddelan". British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
^ Cadw. "St Celynin's Old Church (3193)". National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
^ "St Celynin's Old Church". British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
^ Cadw. "Llanrhychwyn Church (3211)". National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
^ "Llanrhychwyn Church". British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
^ Cadw. "Conwy town wall (3233)". National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
^ "Conwy town wall". British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
^ Cadw. "Conwy Suspension Bridge (3234)". National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
^ "Conwy Suspension Bridge". British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
^ Cadw. "Tubular Railway Bridge (3236)". National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
^ "Tubular Railway Bridge". British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
^ Cadw. "Conwy Castle (3250)". National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
^ "Conwy Castle". British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
^ Cadw. "Aberconwy House (3262)". National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
^ Cadw. "Church of St Benedict (3291)". National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
^ "Church of St Benedict". British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
^ Cadw. "Bodysgallen Hall (3334)". National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
^ "Bodysgallen Hall". British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
^ Cadw. "Church of St Mary (3353)". National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
^ "Church of St Mary". British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
^ Cadw. "Gloddaeth Hall (3411)". National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
^ "Gloddaeth Hall". British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
^ Cadw. "Pont Fawr (Llanrwst Bridge) (Partly in the Community of Trefriw) (3612)". National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
^ "Pont Fawr (Llanrwst Bridge) (Partly in the Community of Trefriw)". British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
^ Cadw. "Parish Church of St Grwst (3622)". National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
^ "Parish Church of St Grwst". British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
^ Cadw. "Plas Mawr (3634)". National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
^ "Plas Mawr". British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
^ Cadw. "Terrace arch and associated garden walls at Gwydir Castle (16936)". National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
^ "Terrace arch and associated garden walls at Gwydir Castle". British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
^ Cadw. "Gwydir Uchaf Chapel (16944)". National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
^ "Gwydir Uchaf Chapel". British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
^ Cadw. "Waterloo Bridge (17827)". National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
^ Cadw. "Dolwyddelan Castle (18253)". National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
^ "Dolwyddelan Castle". British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
Media related to Grade I listed buildings in Conwy County Borough at Wikimedia Commons
Grade I listed buildings in Wales
Conwy County Borough
Principal settlements
Deganwy
Llandudno Junction
Penrhyn Bay
Other towns and villages
Betws yn Rhos
Bylchau
Caerhun
Capel Curig
Capel Garmon
Cerrigydrudion
Craig-y-Don
Dinmael
Dolgarrog
Dolwyddelan
Eglwysbach
Glan Conwy
Henryd
Llanbedr-y-Cennin
Llanddoged
Llanddulas
Llanfair Talhaiarn
Llanfihangel Glyn Myfyr
Llangernyw
Llangwm
Llannefydd
Llanrhychwyn
Llansannan
Llysfaen
Maenan
Melin-y-Coed
Mochdre
Pandy Tudur
Penmachno
Pentrefoelas
Tal-y-bont
Tal-y-Cafn
Trefriw
Towyn
Ysbyty Ifan
Bro Garmon
Bro Machno
Kinmel Bay and Towyn
Llanddoged and Maenan
Llanddulas and Rhyd-y-foel
Llansanffraid Glan Conwy
Rhos on Sea
River Conwy
River Crafnant
River Geirionydd
River Lledr
River Llugwy
River Machno
Afon Ddu
Afon Ddu (Drum)
Afon Dulyn
Afon Eigiau
Afon Lloer
Afon Melynllyn
Afon Porth-llwyd
Afon Roe
Afon Tafolog
Canovium
Conwy Castle
Deganwy Castle
Dolwyddelan Castle
Gwrych Castle
Gwydir Castle
Pen y Gaer
Great Orme
Little Orme
Parliamentary constituencies
SSSIs
Grade I listed buildings
Grade II* listed buildings
Lord Lieutenants
High Sheriffs
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Grade_I_listed_buildings_in_Conwy_County_Borough&oldid=890943550"
Lists of listed buildings in Wales
Lists of coordinates
Geographic coordinate lists
Articles with Geo
Articles with OS grid coordinates
Use dmy dates from April 2017
This page was last edited on 4 April 2019, at 15:56 (UTC).
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line694
|
__label__wiki
| 0.882018
| 0.882018
|
Thomas Fingar
Chair of the National Intelligence Council
June 13, 2005 – December 1, 2008
Robert Hutchings
Peter Lavoy
Assistant Secretary of State for Intelligence and Research
July 22, 2004 – June 13, 2005
Carl Ford
Randall M. Fort
Cornell University (BA)
Stanford University (MA, PhD)
Charles Thomas Fingar, born January 11, 1946, is a professor at Stanford University. In 1986 Fingar left Stanford to join the State Department. In 2005, he moved to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence as the Deputy Director of National Intelligence for Analysis and concurrently served as the Chairman of the National Intelligence Council until December 2008.[1] In January 2009, he rejoined Stanford University as a Payne Distinguished Lecturer in the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies.[2]
1.3 Honors and awards
3.1 english
Education[edit]
Fingar received his B.A. in Government and History from Cornell University (1968), and his M.A.(1969) and Ph.D.(1977) in Political Science from Stanford University. His principal languages are Chinese and German.
Honors and awards[edit]
The US Office of Personnel Management (OPM) awarded Fingar the 2005 Presidential Rank Award for Distinguished Senior Professional. The commendation reads "Dr. Thomas Fingar is recognized for his outstanding service and leadership in the State Department's Bureau of Intelligence and Research (INR), most recently serving as INR's Assistant Secretary. Dr. Fingar guided INR through more than a decade of continuous change, reinvention, and rejuvenation in response to shifting foreign policy challenges. Major INR initiatives under Tom Fingar's leadership included the creation of the Humanitarian Information Unit to cope with such humanitarian emergencies as HIV/AIDS, reconstruction in Afghanistan and Iraq, and tsunami relief; the transformation of INR's TIPOFF terrorism database into a major resource for national watch listing organizations after 9/11; and shifting INR's focus from "current intelligence" toward an optimal balance between briefing policy makers on fast moving issues and providing new insight through more in depth analytical products. Tom Fingar's accessible management style and willingness to adopt inventive technologies and a "team" approach greatly enhanced the output of the Bureau and elevated the morale of its staff. Imbued with what former Secretary of State Colin Powell once termed Tom Fingar's "moral courage and sense of purpose," INR has become an "outstanding intelligence outfit," with a reputation that continues to represent integrity, experience, and respected analytic judgments." [3]
Dr. Fingar was award the 2012 Samuel Adams Award for integrity in Intelligence.
"Dr. Fingar oversaw preparation of the landmark 2007 National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) on Iran, in which all 16 U.S. intelligence agencies concluded with "high confidence" that Iran had halted its nuclear weapon design and weaponization work in 2003. The Estimate's key judgments were declassified and made public, and have been revalidated every year since.
Those pressing for an attack on Iran in 2008 found themselves fighting uphill. This time, thanks largely to Dr. Fingar and the professional intelligence analysts he led in 2007, intelligence analysis on Iran was fearlessly honest. A consummate intelligence professional, Fingar would not allow the NIE to be "fixed around the policy," the damning phrase used in the famous "Downing St. Memo" of July 23, 2002 to describe the unconscionable process that served up fraudulent intelligence to "justify" war with Iraq."[4]
Family[edit]
Fingar's academic career has been primarily at Stanford University, where several research appointments included Senior Research Associate in the Center for International Security and Arms Control (CISAC), and Director of the Stanford U.S.-China Relations Program.
He served as Assistant Secretary and head of the Bureau of Intelligence and Research (INR) for the United States Department of State from 23 July 2004 until May 2005. He is a career member of the Senior Executive Service. His principal foreign languages are Chinese and German. Dr. Fingar has published dozens of books and articles, mostly on aspects of Chinese politics and policymaking.
As Assistant Secretary in charge of INR, as well as Acting Assistant Secretary (2000–2001 and 2003–2004), he served as principal adviser to the Secretary on intelligence-related issues, supervised analytical work on every country and region as well as transnational challenges such as terrorism and proliferation, ensured that activities undertaken by the Intelligence Community supported the President's foreign policy, and contributed to coordinated intelligence judgments as a member of the National Foreign Intelligence Board (NFIB).
Previous assignments in the Department include serving as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary (2001–2003), Deputy Assistant Secretary for Analysis (1994–2000), Director of the Office of Analysis for East Asia and the Pacific (1989–1994), and Chief of the China Division (1986–1989). Dr. Fingar was a member of the Senior Seminar during 1992-1993.
In 1975, Fingar began work at Stanford University as a research associate in the Stanford Arms Control Program, the predecessor of the Center for International Security and Cooperation (CISAC). He was director of the university's U.S.-China Relations Program when he left for the State Department in 1986. Other previous positions include assignment to the United States National Academy of Sciences as co-director of the US-China Education Clearinghouse, adviser to the Congressional Office of Technology Assessment, and consultant to numerous U.S. government agencies and private sector organizations. He served as the senior German linguist in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence, USAREUR and 7th Army in Heidelberg, Germany.
In December 2007, Fingar was one of the authors of a National Intelligence Estimate on Iran's nuclear programs. The NIE asserted with "high confidence" that Tehran had "halted its nuclear weapons program" in the fall of 2003.[5] This contradicted an earlier 2005 NIE report that ballistic delivery systems and uranium enrichment was continuing[6] The 2007 NIE was a political sensation, seized on by Democrats and Iraq war critics as another case in which the Bush Administration had supposedly politicized intelligence.[7] A recent announcement by Iran on the existence of the Qom uranium enrichment site—too small for civilian purposes but ideal for producing weapons-grade uranium—was confirmed by the White House, as the U.S. has been "carefully observing and analyzing this facility for several years" although they did not know what the site was being used for until the announcement.[7] The White House statement goes against the report Fingar helped write; namely that Iran had stopped its program when at the same time the US knew of a second, secret site for enrichment. In addition, Britain, Germany and Israel disagreed with the 2007 NIE assessment. The Bundesnachrichtendienst (BND), Germany's foreign intelligence agency, has amassed evidence of a sophisticated Iranian nuclear weapons program that continued beyond 2003.[8]
He currently serves on the board of directors of the National Committee on United States-China Relations.
Views[edit]
Fingar's political views are primarily discernible from his published works on China, where he promoted a policy of strategic cooperation.
Speech at The DNI's Information Sharing Conference and Technology Exposition
Before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence February 7, 2001
^ Solomon, Jay (2008-01-14). "In Iran Reversal, Bureaucrats Triumphed Over Cheney Team - WSJ.com". Online.wsj.com. Retrieved 2012-04-12.
^ "Thomas Fingar - FSI Stanford". Fsi.stanford.edu. Retrieved 2012-04-12.
^ OPM SES 2005 Presidential Rank Award for Distinguished Senior Professional
^ "NIE Report: Iran Halted Nuclear Weapons Program Years Ago - ABC News". Blogs.abcnews.com. 2007-12-03. Retrieved 2012-04-12.
^ Ewen MacAskill in Washington (2007-12-07). "Intelligence expert who rewrote book on Iran | World news". London: The Guardian. Retrieved 2012-04-12.
^ a b "National Intelligence Estimate Was Wrong - WSJ.com". Online.wsj.com. 2009-10-08. Retrieved 2012-04-12.
^ Schirra, Bruno (2009-07-20). "Germany's Spies Refuted the 2007 NIE Report - WSJ.com". Online.wsj.com. Retrieved 2012-04-12.
Official ODNI Biography of Dr. Thomas Fingar
State Department Biography
Intelligence Analysis: Continuity and Change (Council on Foreign Relations) on YouTube
Carl Ford Assistant Secretary of State for Intelligence and Research
Robert Hutchings Chair of the National Intelligence Council
Laureates of the Sam Adams Award
2002: Coleen Rowley
2003: Katharine Gun
2004: Sibel Edmonds
2005: Craig Murray
2006: Samuel Provance
2007: Andrew Wilkie
2008: Frank Grevil
2009: Larry Wilkerson
2010: Julian Assange
2011: Thomas A. Drake and Jesselyn Radack
2012: Thomas Fingar
2013: Edward Snowden
2014: Chelsea Manning
2015: William Binney
2016: John Kiriakou
2017: Seymour Hersh
2018: Karen Kwiatkowski
SNAC: w61h31cs
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Thomas_Fingar&oldid=898934971"
Assistant Secretaries of State for Intelligence and Research
Cornell University alumni
George W. Bush administration personnel
Stanford University faculty
United States Assistant Secretaries of State
United States Deputy Directors of National Intelligence
This page was last edited on 26 May 2019, at 21:21 (UTC).
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line695
|
__label__wiki
| 0.689777
| 0.689777
|
4 don’t-miss titles top Horizon Theatre’s 2019 lineup
Dec. 17, 2018 Dec. 17, 2018 - by Kathy Janich
ATLANTA’S HORIZON THEATRE begins its 35th season in January with Sarah DeLappe’s soccer-themed The Wolves, kicking off an exceptionally strong five-show lineup.
Horizon, led by producing director Lisa Adler and co-artistic director Jeff Adler in the Inman Park/Little Five Points neighborhood, schedules its seasons in concert with the calendar year, not the school year as most other metro companies do.
The 2019 season includes a Tony Award winner, a Pulitzer Prize finalist and some of the most-talked-about contemporary scripts in America. (If only Horizon’s seats were more comfortable.) Here’s a closer look at four of the five. A regional premiere involving writer-director Thomas W. Jones II (Blackberry Daze, Da Kink in My Hair, How Black Mothers Say I Love You) is scheduled for July-August.
THE WOLVES. Jan. 25-March 3. Sarah DeLappe’s dramatic comedy, a finalist for the 2017 Pulitzer Prize, is a portrait of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for nine American girls who just want to score some goals. Left quad. Right quad. Lunge. A girl’s indoor soccer team warms up. From the safety of their suburban stretch circle, the team navigates big questions and wages tiny battles with all the vim and vigor of a pack of adolescent warriors. Horizon artistic associate Heidi Cline McKerley (a Suzi Bass Award winner for Avenue Q) directs. Recommended for age 13 and up (strong language, adult situations).
PIPELINE. March 22-April 21. Dominique Morisseau’s award-winning 2017 drama looks hard at the school-to-prison pipeline that ensnares people of color, especially young men. Its main characters are a dedicated, inner-city public high school teacher and her only son, who attends a private boarding school. “Pipeline confirms Dominique Morisseau’s reputation as a playwright of piercing eloquence,” critic Ben Brantley said in The New York Times. Morisseau, a Detroit native, is a 2018 MacArthur Foundation “genius award” grantee. True Colors Theatre Company staged her Detroit ’67 in 2016 and will produce her Skeleton Crew beginning Feb. 12. Pipeline was nominated for five of off-Broadway’s 2018 Lucille Lortel awards, including outstanding play.
THE CAKE. May 17-June 23. Bekah Brunstetter’s 2017 dramatic comedy is the tale of a sweet-natured Christian baker surprised by a cake order for a lesbian wedding (one of the brides-to-be is her best friend’s daughter). The baker, named Della, struggles to reconcile her deeply held belief in “traditional marriage” and the love she has for the woman she helped raise. The Cake premiered in Los Angeles, where Brunstetter lives, and will receive its New York premiere in March in a limited run at off-Broadway’s Manhattan Theatre Club. Brunstetter, an Emmy-nominated writer-producer for NBC’s “This Is Us,” was an Alliance/Kendeda National Graduate Playwriting Competition finalist in 2006/07.
THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME. Sept. 20-Oct. 27. A co-production with Lawrenceville’s Aurora Theatre. Simon Stephens’ 2012 piece premiered in London (winning seven Olivier awards) and ran nearly two years on Broadway (where it won five Tony awards including best play). It’s based on the Mark Haddon novel of the same name and centers around 15-year-old Christopher, who has an extraordinary brain but difficulty with everyday life. At 12:07 a.m. one night, he finds his neighbor’s dead dog and becomes determined to find out who did it. His detective work, forbidden by his father, takes him on a journey that turns his world on end.
Season tickets ($95-$150) are on sale now HERE or at 404.584.7450. Single tickets will go on sale at a later date.
Tagged" horizon theatre2019 seasonatlantaBekah Brunstettercontemporary theaterdominique morisseaugeorgiapipelineprofessional theatersarah delappesimon stephensthe cakethe curious incident of the dog in the night-timethe wolvesthomas w. jones II
BEST BETS | July 11 – July 17, 2019
Jul. 10, 2019 Jul. 11, 2019
BEST BETS | July 4 – July 10, 2019
Jul. 3, 2019 Jul. 3, 2019
BEST BETS | June 27 – July 3, 2019
Previous Article Gift yourself with Aurora Theatre’s riff on ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’
Next Article 5 VERY MERRY DESTINATIONS
About Kathy Janich
Kathy Janich is a longtime arts journalist who has been seeing, working in or writing about the performing arts for most of her life. She's a member of the Theatre Communications Group, the Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of the Americas, Americans for the Arts and the National Arts Marketing Project. Full disclosure: She’s also an artistic associate at Synchronicity Theatre.
View all posts by Kathy Janich →
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line698
|
__label__cc
| 0.623422
| 0.376578
|
Nine-year basic education
Basic education in Latvia is compulsory. Children attend school from the year in which they turn seven. Basic education lasts nine years, consisting of four years at elementary school and five years at primary school. During the nine years of basic education, children are taught Latvian language, mathematics, music, visual art, sports, social sciences and domestic science. From the first till sixth year the natural sciences are also given. Pupils can choose ethics or christian education from first to third grade. First foreign language is taught from the third grade, and after three years of teaching the second foreign language begins. Literature starts at grade 4; informatics is tought from grade 5 till 7. History is tought from the sixth grade, while biology and geography lessons begin in grade 7, physics and chemistry in grade 8. A certificate is issued on completion of the basic education curriculum.
After finishing their basic education, most young people continue their education at secondary school, while about a third attends a vocational school.
Education in the USA (2) Education in the United States of America is compulsory for children from the age of 6 till 16 (or 18). It involves 12 years of...
The British Education System: State Education in Britain, Private Education Топики по Английскому языку State Education in Britain. All state schools in Britain are free, and schools provide their pupils with books and equipment for their studies. Nine million...
Education in the USA – Образование в США The American system of school education differs from the systems in other countries. There are state public schools, private elementary schools and private secondary schools....
Education in the USA The American system of school education differs from the systems in other countries. There are state public schools, private elementary schools and private secondary schools....
Education in Russia – Образование в России 1 In Russia children begin going to school at the age of seven. First they study at the elementary school. It lasts three or four years....
Education in Russia 1 Citizens of Russia have the right for education which is guaranteed by the Constitution. The public educational system in our country incorporates pre-school, general school,...
Education’s Russia – Российское образование Citizens of Russia have the right to education which is guaranteed by the Constitution. The public educational system in our country incorporates pre-school, general school,...
Education in Canada The school system of Canada is very much like the one in the USA, but there are certain differences. Education in Canada is general and...
Education system in GB, the USA and Russia – Образовательные системы в Великобритании, США и России If all good people were clever and all clever people were good, the world would be nicer than ever. I think that education is a...
The British Education System. State Education in Britain – Система образования в Великобритании. Государственное образование All state schools in Britain are free, and schools provide their pupils with books and equipment for their studies. Nine million children attend 35.000 schools...
Previous Post: Clifford simak – way station
Next Post: BUY YUGO WAR BONDS
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line700
|
__label__wiki
| 0.517201
| 0.517201
|
Project acronym ABDESIGN
Project Computational design of novel protein function in antibodies
Researcher (PI) Sarel-Jacob Fleishman
Host Institution (HI) WEIZMANN INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE
Summary We propose to elucidate the structural design principles of naturally occurring antibody complementarity-determining regions (CDRs) and to computationally design novel antibody functions. Antibodies represent the most versatile known system for molecular recognition. Research has yielded many insights into antibody design principles and promising biotechnological and pharmaceutical applications. Still, our understanding of how CDRs encode specific loop conformations lags far behind our understanding of structure-function relationships in non-immunological scaffolds. Thus, design of antibodies from first principles has not been demonstrated. We propose a computational-experimental strategy to address this challenge. We will: (a) characterize the design principles and sequence elements that rigidify antibody CDRs. Natural antibody loops will be subjected to computational modeling, crystallography, and a combined in vitro evolution and deep-sequencing approach to isolate sequence features that rigidify loop backbones; (b) develop a novel computational-design strategy, which uses the >1000 solved structures of antibodies deposited in structure databases to realistically model CDRs and design them to recognize proteins that have not been co-crystallized with antibodies. For example, we will design novel antibodies targeting insulin, for which clinically useful diagnostics are needed. By accessing much larger sequence/structure spaces than are available to natural immune-system repertoires and experimental methods, computational antibody design could produce higher-specificity and higher-affinity binders, even to challenging targets; and (c) develop new strategies to program conformational change in CDRs, generating, e.g., the first allosteric antibodies. These will allow targeting, in principle, of any molecule, potentially revolutionizing how antibodies are generated for research and medicine, providing new insights on the design principles of protein functional sites.
We propose to elucidate the structural design principles of naturally occurring antibody complementarity-determining regions (CDRs) and to computationally design novel antibody functions. Antibodies represent the most versatile known system for molecular recognition. Research has yielded many insights into antibody design principles and promising biotechnological and pharmaceutical applications. Still, our understanding of how CDRs encode specific loop conformations lags far behind our understanding of structure-function relationships in non-immunological scaffolds. Thus, design of antibodies from first principles has not been demonstrated. We propose a computational-experimental strategy to address this challenge. We will: (a) characterize the design principles and sequence elements that rigidify antibody CDRs. Natural antibody loops will be subjected to computational modeling, crystallography, and a combined in vitro evolution and deep-sequencing approach to isolate sequence features that rigidify loop backbones; (b) develop a novel computational-design strategy, which uses the >1000 solved structures of antibodies deposited in structure databases to realistically model CDRs and design them to recognize proteins that have not been co-crystallized with antibodies. For example, we will design novel antibodies targeting insulin, for which clinically useful diagnostics are needed. By accessing much larger sequence/structure spaces than are available to natural immune-system repertoires and experimental methods, computational antibody design could produce higher-specificity and higher-affinity binders, even to challenging targets; and (c) develop new strategies to program conformational change in CDRs, generating, e.g., the first allosteric antibodies. These will allow targeting, in principle, of any molecule, potentially revolutionizing how antibodies are generated for research and medicine, providing new insights on the design principles of protein functional sites.
Project acronym ANOBEST
Project Structure function and pharmacology of calcium-activated chloride channels: Anoctamins and Bestrophins
Researcher (PI) Raimund Dutzler
Summary Calcium-activated chloride channels (CaCCs) play key roles in a range of physiological processes such as the control of membrane excitability, photoreception and epithelial secretion. Although the importance of these channels has been recognized for more than 30 years their molecular identity remained obscure. The recent discovery of two protein families encoding for CaCCs, Anoctamins and Bestrophins, was a scientific breakthrough that has provided first insight into two novel ion channel architectures. Within this proposal we aim to determine the first high resolution structures of members of both families and study their functional behavior by an interdisciplinary approach combining biochemistry, X-ray crystallography and electrophysiology. The structural investigation of eukaryotic membrane proteins is extremely challenging and will require us to investigate large numbers of candidates to single out family members with superior biochemical properties. During the last year we have made large progress in this direction. By screening numerous eukaryotic Anoctamins and prokaryotic Bestrophins we have identified well-behaved proteins for both families, which were successfully scaled-up and purified. Additional family members will be identified within the course of the project. For these stable proteins we plan to grow crystals diffracting to high resolution and to proceed with structure determination. With first structural information in hand we will perform detailed functional studies using electrophysiology and complementary biophysical techniques to gain mechanistic insight into ion permeation and gating. As the pharmacology of both families is still in its infancy we will in later stages also engage in the identification and characterization of inhibitors and activators of Anoctamins and Bestrophins to open up a field that may ultimately lead to the discovery of novel therapeutic strategies targeting calcium-activated chloride channels.
Calcium-activated chloride channels (CaCCs) play key roles in a range of physiological processes such as the control of membrane excitability, photoreception and epithelial secretion. Although the importance of these channels has been recognized for more than 30 years their molecular identity remained obscure. The recent discovery of two protein families encoding for CaCCs, Anoctamins and Bestrophins, was a scientific breakthrough that has provided first insight into two novel ion channel architectures. Within this proposal we aim to determine the first high resolution structures of members of both families and study their functional behavior by an interdisciplinary approach combining biochemistry, X-ray crystallography and electrophysiology. The structural investigation of eukaryotic membrane proteins is extremely challenging and will require us to investigate large numbers of candidates to single out family members with superior biochemical properties. During the last year we have made large progress in this direction. By screening numerous eukaryotic Anoctamins and prokaryotic Bestrophins we have identified well-behaved proteins for both families, which were successfully scaled-up and purified. Additional family members will be identified within the course of the project. For these stable proteins we plan to grow crystals diffracting to high resolution and to proceed with structure determination. With first structural information in hand we will perform detailed functional studies using electrophysiology and complementary biophysical techniques to gain mechanistic insight into ion permeation and gating. As the pharmacology of both families is still in its infancy we will in later stages also engage in the identification and characterization of inhibitors and activators of Anoctamins and Bestrophins to open up a field that may ultimately lead to the discovery of novel therapeutic strategies targeting calcium-activated chloride channels.
Project acronym ANTIVIRNA
Project Structural and mechanistic studies of RNA-guided and RNA-targeting antiviral defense pathways
Researcher (PI) Martin Jinek
Summary The evolutionary pressures exerted by viruses on their host cells constitute a major force that drives the evolution of cellular antiviral mechanisms. The proposed research is motivated by our interest in the roles of protein-RNA interactions in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic antiviral pathways and will proceed in two directions. The first project stems from our current work on the CRISPR pathway, a recently discovered RNA-guided adaptive defense mechanism in bacteria and archaea that silences mobile genetic elements such as viruses (bacteriophages) and plasmids. CRISPR systems rely on short RNAs (crRNAs) that associate with CRISPR-associated (Cas) proteins and function as sequence-specific guides in the detection and destruction of invading nucleic acids. To obtain molecular insights into the mechanisms of crRNA-guided interference, we will pursue structural and functional studies of DNA-targeting ribonuceoprotein complexes from type II and III CRISPR systems. Our work will shed light on the function of these systems in microbial pathogenesis and provide a framework for the informed engineering of RNA-guided gene targeting technologies. The second proposed research direction centres on RNA-targeting antiviral strategies employed by the human innate immune system. Here, our work will focus on structural studies of major interferon-induced effector proteins, initially examining the allosteric activation mechanism of RNase L and subsequently focusing on other antiviral nucleases and RNA helicases, as well as mechanisms by which RNA viruses evade the innate immune response of the host. In our investigations, we plan to approach these questions using an integrated strategy combining structural biology, biochemistry and biophysics with cell-based functional studies. Together, our studies will provide fundamental molecular insights into RNA-centred antiviral mechanisms and their impact on human health and disease.
The evolutionary pressures exerted by viruses on their host cells constitute a major force that drives the evolution of cellular antiviral mechanisms. The proposed research is motivated by our interest in the roles of protein-RNA interactions in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic antiviral pathways and will proceed in two directions. The first project stems from our current work on the CRISPR pathway, a recently discovered RNA-guided adaptive defense mechanism in bacteria and archaea that silences mobile genetic elements such as viruses (bacteriophages) and plasmids. CRISPR systems rely on short RNAs (crRNAs) that associate with CRISPR-associated (Cas) proteins and function as sequence-specific guides in the detection and destruction of invading nucleic acids. To obtain molecular insights into the mechanisms of crRNA-guided interference, we will pursue structural and functional studies of DNA-targeting ribonuceoprotein complexes from type II and III CRISPR systems. Our work will shed light on the function of these systems in microbial pathogenesis and provide a framework for the informed engineering of RNA-guided gene targeting technologies. The second proposed research direction centres on RNA-targeting antiviral strategies employed by the human innate immune system. Here, our work will focus on structural studies of major interferon-induced effector proteins, initially examining the allosteric activation mechanism of RNase L and subsequently focusing on other antiviral nucleases and RNA helicases, as well as mechanisms by which RNA viruses evade the innate immune response of the host. In our investigations, we plan to approach these questions using an integrated strategy combining structural biology, biochemistry and biophysics with cell-based functional studies. Together, our studies will provide fundamental molecular insights into RNA-centred antiviral mechanisms and their impact on human health and disease.
Project acronym assemblyNMR
Project 3D structures of bacterial supramolecular assemblies by solid-state NMR
Researcher (PI) Adam Lange
Host Institution (HI) FORSCHUNGSVERBUND BERLIN EV
Summary Supramolecular assemblies – formed by the self-assembly of hundreds of protein subunits – are part of bacterial nanomachines involved in key cellular processes. Important examples in pathogenic bacteria are pili and type 3 secretion systems (T3SS) that mediate adhesion to host cells and injection of virulence proteins. Structure determination at atomic resolution of such assemblies by standard techniques such as X-ray crystallography or solution NMR is severely limited: Intact T3SSs or pili cannot be crystallized and are also inherently insoluble. Cryo-electron microscopy techniques have recently made it possible to obtain low- and medium-resolution models, but atomic details have not been accessible at the resolution obtained in these studies, leading sometimes to inaccurate models. I propose to use solid-state NMR (ssNMR) to fill this knowledge-gap. I could recently show that ssNMR on in vitro preparations of Salmonella T3SS needles constitutes a powerful approach to study the structure of this virulence factor. Our integrated approach also included results from electron microscopy and modeling as well as in vivo assays (Loquet et al., Nature 2012). This is the foundation of this application. I propose to extend ssNMR methodology to tackle the structures of even larger or more complex homo-oligomeric assemblies with up to 200 residues per monomeric subunit. We will apply such techniques to address the currently unknown 3D structures of type I pili and cytoskeletal bactofilin filaments. Furthermore, I want to develop strategies to directly study assemblies in a native-like setting. As a first application, I will study the 3D structure of T3SS needles when they are complemented with intact T3SSs purified from Salmonella or Shigella. The ultimate goal of this proposal is to establish ssNMR as a generally applicable method that allows solving the currently unknown structures of bacterial supramolecular assemblies at atomic resolution.
Supramolecular assemblies – formed by the self-assembly of hundreds of protein subunits – are part of bacterial nanomachines involved in key cellular processes. Important examples in pathogenic bacteria are pili and type 3 secretion systems (T3SS) that mediate adhesion to host cells and injection of virulence proteins. Structure determination at atomic resolution of such assemblies by standard techniques such as X-ray crystallography or solution NMR is severely limited: Intact T3SSs or pili cannot be crystallized and are also inherently insoluble. Cryo-electron microscopy techniques have recently made it possible to obtain low- and medium-resolution models, but atomic details have not been accessible at the resolution obtained in these studies, leading sometimes to inaccurate models. I propose to use solid-state NMR (ssNMR) to fill this knowledge-gap. I could recently show that ssNMR on in vitro preparations of Salmonella T3SS needles constitutes a powerful approach to study the structure of this virulence factor. Our integrated approach also included results from electron microscopy and modeling as well as in vivo assays (Loquet et al., Nature 2012). This is the foundation of this application. I propose to extend ssNMR methodology to tackle the structures of even larger or more complex homo-oligomeric assemblies with up to 200 residues per monomeric subunit. We will apply such techniques to address the currently unknown 3D structures of type I pili and cytoskeletal bactofilin filaments. Furthermore, I want to develop strategies to directly study assemblies in a native-like setting. As a first application, I will study the 3D structure of T3SS needles when they are complemented with intact T3SSs purified from Salmonella or Shigella. The ultimate goal of this proposal is to establish ssNMR as a generally applicable method that allows solving the currently unknown structures of bacterial supramolecular assemblies at atomic resolution.
Project acronym BACTERIAL SYRINGES
Project Protein Translocation Through Bacterial Syringes
Researcher (PI) Stefan Raunser
Summary "The main objective of this application is to study the molecular basis of cellular infection by bacterial ABC-type toxins (Tc). Tc complexes are important virulence factors of a range of bacteria, including Photorhabdus luminescens and Yersinia pseudotuberculosis that infect insects and humans. Belonging to the class of pore-forming toxins, tripartite Tc complexes perforate the host membrane by forming channels that translocate toxic enzymes into the host. In our previous cryo-EM work on the P. luminescens Tc complex we discovered that Tcs use a special syringe-like device for cell entry. Building on these results, we now intend to unravel the molecular mechanism through which this unusual and complicated injection system allows membrane permeation and protein translocation. We will use a hybrid approach, including biochemical reconstitution, structural analysis by cryo-EM and X-ray crystallography, fluorescence-based assays and site-directed mutagenesis to provide a comprehensive description of the molecular mechanism of infection at an unprecedented level of molecular detail. Our results will be paradigmatic for understanding the mechanism of action of ABC-type toxins and will shed new light on the interactions of bacterial pathogens with their hosts."
"The main objective of this application is to study the molecular basis of cellular infection by bacterial ABC-type toxins (Tc). Tc complexes are important virulence factors of a range of bacteria, including Photorhabdus luminescens and Yersinia pseudotuberculosis that infect insects and humans. Belonging to the class of pore-forming toxins, tripartite Tc complexes perforate the host membrane by forming channels that translocate toxic enzymes into the host. In our previous cryo-EM work on the P. luminescens Tc complex we discovered that Tcs use a special syringe-like device for cell entry. Building on these results, we now intend to unravel the molecular mechanism through which this unusual and complicated injection system allows membrane permeation and protein translocation. We will use a hybrid approach, including biochemical reconstitution, structural analysis by cryo-EM and X-ray crystallography, fluorescence-based assays and site-directed mutagenesis to provide a comprehensive description of the molecular mechanism of infection at an unprecedented level of molecular detail. Our results will be paradigmatic for understanding the mechanism of action of ABC-type toxins and will shed new light on the interactions of bacterial pathogens with their hosts."
Project acronym BIRTOACTION
Project From birth to action: regulation of gene expression through transcription complex biogenesis
Researcher (PI) Laszlo Tora
Host Institution (HI) CENTRE EUROPEEN DE RECHERCHE EN BIOLOGIE ET MEDECINE
Summary "Transcriptional regulation of protein coding genes in eukaryotic cells requires a complex interplay of sequence-specific DNA-binding factors, co-activators, general transcription factors (GTFs), RNA polymerase II and the epigenetic status of target sequences. Nuclear transcription complexes function as large multiprotein assemblies and are often composed of functional modules. The regulated decision-making that exists in cells governing the assembly and the allocation of factors to different transcription complexes to regulate distinct gene expression pathways is not yet understood. To tackle this fundamental question, we will systematically analyse the regulated biogenesis of transcription complexes from their sites of translation in the cytoplasm, through their assembly intermediates and nuclear import, to their site of action in the nucleus. The project will have four main Aims to decipher the biogenesis of transcription complexes: I) Investigate their co-translation-driven assembly II) Determine their cytoplasmic intermediates and factors required for their assembly pathways III) Uncover their nuclear import IV) Understand at the single molecule level their nuclear assembly, dynamics and action at target genes To carry out these aims we propose a combination of multidisciplinary and cutting edge approaches, out of which some of them will be high-risk taking, while others will utilize methods routinely run by the group. The project builds on several complementary expertise and knowledge either already existing in the group or that will be implemented during the project. At the end of the proposed project we will obtain novel results extensively describing the different steps of the regulatory mechanisms that control the assembly and the consequent gene regulatory function of transcription complexes. Thus, we anticipate that the results of our research will have a major impact on the field and will lead to a new paradigm for contemporary metazoan transcription."
"Transcriptional regulation of protein coding genes in eukaryotic cells requires a complex interplay of sequence-specific DNA-binding factors, co-activators, general transcription factors (GTFs), RNA polymerase II and the epigenetic status of target sequences. Nuclear transcription complexes function as large multiprotein assemblies and are often composed of functional modules. The regulated decision-making that exists in cells governing the assembly and the allocation of factors to different transcription complexes to regulate distinct gene expression pathways is not yet understood. To tackle this fundamental question, we will systematically analyse the regulated biogenesis of transcription complexes from their sites of translation in the cytoplasm, through their assembly intermediates and nuclear import, to their site of action in the nucleus. The project will have four main Aims to decipher the biogenesis of transcription complexes: I) Investigate their co-translation-driven assembly II) Determine their cytoplasmic intermediates and factors required for their assembly pathways III) Uncover their nuclear import IV) Understand at the single molecule level their nuclear assembly, dynamics and action at target genes To carry out these aims we propose a combination of multidisciplinary and cutting edge approaches, out of which some of them will be high-risk taking, while others will utilize methods routinely run by the group. The project builds on several complementary expertise and knowledge either already existing in the group or that will be implemented during the project. At the end of the proposed project we will obtain novel results extensively describing the different steps of the regulatory mechanisms that control the assembly and the consequent gene regulatory function of transcription complexes. Thus, we anticipate that the results of our research will have a major impact on the field and will lead to a new paradigm for contemporary metazoan transcription."
Project acronym Celcelfus
Project Cell-Cell fusion in fertilization and developmental biology: a structural biology approach
Researcher (PI) Félix A. Rey
Summary My group has made seminal contributions in the past toward understanding the mechanism of membrane fusion used by enveloped viruses to infect a cell. This aim of this ERC grant proposal is to achieve similar breakthroughs in understanding fusion between cells, both during fertilization and organogenesis. This proposal is based in recent important results not yet published. We have determined the crystal structure of the C. elegans protein EFF-1, a member of the “fusion family” (FF). EFF-1 is responsible for a cell-cell fusion event during skin formation in the nematode. Strikingly, the crystal structure shows that EFF-1 is homologous to the “Class II” viral protein fusogens, thus indicating that they have diverged from a common ancestor. The observed homology could not be identified by other means because the proteins have diverged to the point where no remnants of sequence similarity are left, yet the tertiary and quaternary organization is the same. However, the homotypic fusion mechanism of EFF-1 is clearly different to that of viral fusion proteins. This proposal intends to build on the momentum generated by this exciting discovery, in an attempt to cast light into the fusion mechanism of FF proteins. We will reconstitute them in artificial liposomes and will also follow them within cells with the use of light microscopy. We will also focus in determining the crystal structure of the monomeric pre-fusion form of EFF-1,and of the intact trans-membrane post fusion trimer. In parallel, we want to make use the experience accumulated over the years in crystallizing viral glycoproteins, to apply it to the conserved family of HAP2/GSC1 proteins involved in fusion of gametes during fertilization. These proteins exhibit a similar pattern of secondary structure elements in the ectodomain as class II proteins, but only a crystallographic analysis can identify a possible structural homology and provide the basis to understand the molecular mechanisms of cell-cell fusion.
My group has made seminal contributions in the past toward understanding the mechanism of membrane fusion used by enveloped viruses to infect a cell. This aim of this ERC grant proposal is to achieve similar breakthroughs in understanding fusion between cells, both during fertilization and organogenesis. This proposal is based in recent important results not yet published. We have determined the crystal structure of the C. elegans protein EFF-1, a member of the “fusion family” (FF). EFF-1 is responsible for a cell-cell fusion event during skin formation in the nematode. Strikingly, the crystal structure shows that EFF-1 is homologous to the “Class II” viral protein fusogens, thus indicating that they have diverged from a common ancestor. The observed homology could not be identified by other means because the proteins have diverged to the point where no remnants of sequence similarity are left, yet the tertiary and quaternary organization is the same. However, the homotypic fusion mechanism of EFF-1 is clearly different to that of viral fusion proteins. This proposal intends to build on the momentum generated by this exciting discovery, in an attempt to cast light into the fusion mechanism of FF proteins. We will reconstitute them in artificial liposomes and will also follow them within cells with the use of light microscopy. We will also focus in determining the crystal structure of the monomeric pre-fusion form of EFF-1,and of the intact trans-membrane post fusion trimer. In parallel, we want to make use the experience accumulated over the years in crystallizing viral glycoproteins, to apply it to the conserved family of HAP2/GSC1 proteins involved in fusion of gametes during fertilization. These proteins exhibit a similar pattern of secondary structure elements in the ectodomain as class II proteins, but only a crystallographic analysis can identify a possible structural homology and provide the basis to understand the molecular mechanisms of cell-cell fusion.
Project acronym CYRE
Project Cytokine Receptor Signaling Revisited: Implementing novel concepts for cytokine-based therapies
Researcher (PI) Jan Tavernier
Host Institution (HI) VIB
Summary "Cytokine receptor signaling is an essential part of the intercellular communication networks that govern key physiological processes in the body. Cytokine dysfunction is associated with numerous pathologies including autoimmune disorders and cancer, and both cytokines and cytokine antagonists have found their way into the clinic. Yet, there are still many unfulfilled promises and opportunities. In this project we will reinvestigate key aspects of cytokine receptor activation and signaling using novel insights and techniques recently developed in our laboratory. This will include the AcTakine concept for cell-specific targeting of cytokine activity, and applications of our MAPPIT, KISS and Virotrap toolboxes to systematically map protein interactions involved in cytokine signaling. We expect to obtain important new insights, both in fundamental and in applied medical sciences."
"Cytokine receptor signaling is an essential part of the intercellular communication networks that govern key physiological processes in the body. Cytokine dysfunction is associated with numerous pathologies including autoimmune disorders and cancer, and both cytokines and cytokine antagonists have found their way into the clinic. Yet, there are still many unfulfilled promises and opportunities. In this project we will reinvestigate key aspects of cytokine receptor activation and signaling using novel insights and techniques recently developed in our laboratory. This will include the AcTakine concept for cell-specific targeting of cytokine activity, and applications of our MAPPIT, KISS and Virotrap toolboxes to systematically map protein interactions involved in cytokine signaling. We expect to obtain important new insights, both in fundamental and in applied medical sciences."
Project acronym DDRegulation
Project Regulation of DNA damage responses at the replication fork
Researcher (PI) Niels Mailand
Summary This project aims at delineating the regulatory signaling processes that enable cells to overcome DNA damage during DNA replication, a major challenge to the integrity of the genome as the normal replication machinery is unable to replicate past DNA lesions. This may result in collapse of the replication fork, potentially giving rise to gross genomic alterations. To mitigate this threat, all cells have evolved DNA damage bypass strategies such as translesion DNA synthesis (TLS), involving low fidelity DNA polymerases that can replicate damaged DNA, albeit in an error-prone manner, offering a trade-off between limited mutagenesis and gross chromosomal instability. How DNA damage bypass pathways are regulated and integrated with DNA replication and repair remain poorly resolved questions fundamental to understanding genome stability maintenance and disease onset. Regulatory signaling mediated by the small modifier protein ubiquitin has a prominent role in orchestrating the reorganization of the replication fork necessary for overcoming DNA lesions, but this involvement has not been systematically explored. To remedy these gaps in our knowledge, I propose to implement a series of innovative complementary strategies to isolate and identify the regulatory factors and ubiquitin-dependent processes that promote DNA damage responses at the replication fork, allowing for subsequent in-depth characterization of their roles in protecting genome integrity by targeted functional studies. This project will enable an advanced level of mechanistic insight into key regulatory processes underlying replication-associated DNA damage responses that has not been feasible to achieve with exisiting methodologies, providing a realistic outlook for groundbreaking discoveries that will open up many new avenues for further research into mechanisms and biological functions of regulatory signaling processes in the DNA damage response and beyond.
This project aims at delineating the regulatory signaling processes that enable cells to overcome DNA damage during DNA replication, a major challenge to the integrity of the genome as the normal replication machinery is unable to replicate past DNA lesions. This may result in collapse of the replication fork, potentially giving rise to gross genomic alterations. To mitigate this threat, all cells have evolved DNA damage bypass strategies such as translesion DNA synthesis (TLS), involving low fidelity DNA polymerases that can replicate damaged DNA, albeit in an error-prone manner, offering a trade-off between limited mutagenesis and gross chromosomal instability. How DNA damage bypass pathways are regulated and integrated with DNA replication and repair remain poorly resolved questions fundamental to understanding genome stability maintenance and disease onset. Regulatory signaling mediated by the small modifier protein ubiquitin has a prominent role in orchestrating the reorganization of the replication fork necessary for overcoming DNA lesions, but this involvement has not been systematically explored. To remedy these gaps in our knowledge, I propose to implement a series of innovative complementary strategies to isolate and identify the regulatory factors and ubiquitin-dependent processes that promote DNA damage responses at the replication fork, allowing for subsequent in-depth characterization of their roles in protecting genome integrity by targeted functional studies. This project will enable an advanced level of mechanistic insight into key regulatory processes underlying replication-associated DNA damage responses that has not been feasible to achieve with exisiting methodologies, providing a realistic outlook for groundbreaking discoveries that will open up many new avenues for further research into mechanisms and biological functions of regulatory signaling processes in the DNA damage response and beyond.
Project acronym DissectIFT
Project In vitro reconstitution and mechanistic dissection of Intraflagellar Transport in C.elegans sensory cilia
Researcher (PI) Zeynep Ökten
Summary Cilia are microtubule-based protrusions of the plasma membrane found on many eukaryotic cells, including most cell types of the human body. Whereas the functions of motile cilia were immediately obvious, the role of the immotile or so-called primary cilia remained largely unrecognized for many decades. Once referred to as aberrant solitary cilia with no obvious function, these ancient structures now hold the promise of revealing no less than the secrets of multicellularity and development. Even though the importance of primary cilia is now evident, molecular mechanisms underlying their assembly and function are far from being understood. The construction and maintenance of cilia relies on an ancient, universally conserved machinery termed IntraFlagellar Transport (IFT). IFT requires a multi-subunit, non-membranous protein complex assembled from more than 20 distinct subunits. At the heart of IFT are the microtubule-associated motors, -kinesin and dynein-, that continuously ferry cargo in a bi-directional fashion needed for ciliary assembly and function. To pave the way towards a molecular understanding of this fascinating organelle, we propose to employ a bottom-up approach in which we stepwise reconstitute the IFT complex from recombinantly expressed subunits of the so far best understood primary cilium from C.elegans. The structural integrity and stability of the IFT complex will be characterized using multifaceted approaches such as chemical crosslinking or thermophoresis. To mechanistically dissect the kinesin-dependent transport in vitro, we will make use of enzymatic bulk and single-molecule assays. Collectively, these results will provide a quantitative understanding of the assembly and kinesin-dependent motility of the IFT machinery. Given that cells mobilize ~600 components to build their cilia, this experimental platform will significantly streamline future efforts to identify novel cargoes and the effects of putative regulators of the IFT machinery.
Cilia are microtubule-based protrusions of the plasma membrane found on many eukaryotic cells, including most cell types of the human body. Whereas the functions of motile cilia were immediately obvious, the role of the immotile or so-called primary cilia remained largely unrecognized for many decades. Once referred to as aberrant solitary cilia with no obvious function, these ancient structures now hold the promise of revealing no less than the secrets of multicellularity and development. Even though the importance of primary cilia is now evident, molecular mechanisms underlying their assembly and function are far from being understood. The construction and maintenance of cilia relies on an ancient, universally conserved machinery termed IntraFlagellar Transport (IFT). IFT requires a multi-subunit, non-membranous protein complex assembled from more than 20 distinct subunits. At the heart of IFT are the microtubule-associated motors, -kinesin and dynein-, that continuously ferry cargo in a bi-directional fashion needed for ciliary assembly and function. To pave the way towards a molecular understanding of this fascinating organelle, we propose to employ a bottom-up approach in which we stepwise reconstitute the IFT complex from recombinantly expressed subunits of the so far best understood primary cilium from C.elegans. The structural integrity and stability of the IFT complex will be characterized using multifaceted approaches such as chemical crosslinking or thermophoresis. To mechanistically dissect the kinesin-dependent transport in vitro, we will make use of enzymatic bulk and single-molecule assays. Collectively, these results will provide a quantitative understanding of the assembly and kinesin-dependent motility of the IFT machinery. Given that cells mobilize ~600 components to build their cilia, this experimental platform will significantly streamline future efforts to identify novel cargoes and the effects of putative regulators of the IFT machinery.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line703
|
__label__cc
| 0.56612
| 0.43388
|
All posts by Jeff Knox
July 11, 2019 Jeff Knox Leave a comment
The first round of Democratic Presidential Debates is over, and the first casualty has been listed. Gun control zealot, Rep. Eric “Nuke’em if they won’t turn them in” Swalwell, dropped out shortly after the first debate.
The second round is on the way, as the large – and growing – field of candidates continues to jockey for position. During the first debates, the candidates made it pretty clear that even the most “moderate” of their number, are seeking support from the far-left, socialist/communist, anti-rights element of the Democratic base.
This makes sense because this is the most vocal and vindictive segment of the party, credited, in large degree, with abandoning Hillary Clinton, resulting in Donald Trump’s victory. It’s not all just political gamesmanship though. A couple of these candidates may be just pandering to the hard-left, while actually holding positions that are more moderate, but it appears that the majority has committed to “progressive” policy positions like free healthcare for illegal immigrants, decriminalization of “undocumented border crossing,” and taxpayer funding of student loan payoffs and healthcare costs.
And while these positions might be unpopular among the majority of GunVoters, they are, of course, not the issues that are most important to us.
What really matters to Second Amendment advocates is their positions on the right to arms, and the lengths to which they are willing to go to advance those positions.
While not all of the candidates in the debates got a chance to express themselves on Second Amendment matters, those that did, were frankly frightening, and the others took no opportunity to offer any push-back on the radical ideas that were put forward. All of the candidates have publicly embraced the basic gun control planks of the Democratic Party platform: banning “assault weapons,” criminalizing private firearm transfers, and confiscating guns based on unsubstantiated claims of a family member, angry ex, or feuding neighbor. Most have called for even more extreme measures, and it’s pretty clear that, if elected, any would immediately sign any gun control bill that might make its way through Congress.
Several, like Sen. Kamala Harris, have declared their intention to use executive orders, if Congress fails to give them the gun control they want.
In the debates, Joe Biden, the current Democratic Party’s version of a “moderate,” was representative of the entire field when he declared that the “enemy” is the firearms industry. Biden, who has in the past pointed to his expensive Italian, over-and-under shotgun as proof that he supports the Second Amendment, sponsored a ban on “assault weapons” during his time in the U.S. Senate, and as Barack Obama’s VP, was the administration’s point-man on gun control. During the debates Biden agreed with others that there should be a mandatory government “buy back” of scary semi-auto rifles, then suggested that it should be illegal to sell any gun in the United States that isn’t equipped with mythical “smart gun” technology, to prevent it being used by anyone not authorized to do so.
In classic Biden style, “Uncle Joe” said; “No gun should be able to be sold unless your biometric measure could pull that trigger.” (Can your biometric measure pull a trigger Joe?)
While Biden might be an expert of sorts on “biometrics,” he’s got no clue about guns or economics. But ignorance of the basics never stopped a gun control zealot before, so why should we expect logic and fact-based rationality to guide them now? Even a conservative estimate for “buying back” the 16 million or more “assault-style rifles” currently in circulation places the cost at around 10 billion dollars, and that’s just paying for the guns, not the cost of administering or executing the plan, not to mention the cost in human lives lost or destroyed in the process as formerly law-abiding gun owners are turned into outlaws at the stroke of a pin. If you think it can’t happen, consider that fewer than a thousand semi-automatic rifles have been turned in by somewhat compliant Kiwis in New Zealand.
Don’t Nuke Me, Bro, Get Your Tee
As to “smart guns,” you first, Joe. Order your Secret Service security detail to only carry “smart guns.” After they have proven their efficacy, move on to mandating “smart guns” for all police and licensed security personnel, Hollywood bodyguards, and such. Maybe after that, we’ll consider a thoughtful discussion about bringing them into the public market as a serious option.
The other candidates who got a chance to talk about gun control, seemed to be competing for the title of “Most Anti-Rights,” though none could top Swalwell’s past threat to nuke non-compliant gun owners. Now that he’s out of the race though, the others will no doubt continue pushing his idiotic ideas.
In the entire field of 25 “credible” candidates, only three have ever said anything supportive of the right to arms, all while they were running for, or holding offices in heavily pro-gun jurisdictions. All three of those candidates have publicly repudiated those statements, now that they are seeking higher office. I don’t know which is worse, a politician with a long record of opposition to the right to arms, or one who “used to believe” in the right to arms, but abandoned that position when their political ambitions dictated.
At this point, it is pretty clear that GunVoters will have a choice in 2020 between a Republican who has betrayed us while claiming to support the Second Amendment and might do so again, and a Democrat who has promised to work to criminalize our rights actively. Given the importance of court appointments and the good that has been done in that regard over the past three years, I think GunVoters must choose the “maybe” over the “definitely,” but much more important will be making sure that whoever is in the White House, doesn’t have an anti-rights-dominated, Democrat-controlled House and Senate to work with. That would be a very bad thing for individual rights.
DemocratelectionRepublicanTrump
June 27, 2019 Jeff Knox
The NRA is in trouble. Continuing to elect the same people who keep making the same mistakes, is not going to solve the problems. We need new ideas, new perspectives, and new approaches. That means we need new people on the NRA Board of Directors.
Do you know individuals who are qualified?
The NRA Board of Directors only meets four times a year. They are tasked with setting policy for the organization and overseeing the proper execution of those policies on behalf of the members, including ensuring that money is raised and spent responsibly. This responsibility is officially reported as requiring about one hour per week from each director, but actually fulfilling the role will probably take much more time than that.
The Bylaws list a minimal set of qualifications, but the real qualifications go well beyond the minimums listed in the Bylaws.
First and foremost, an NRA Director must have an understanding of – and dedication to – the principles of liberty, as described in the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights. An NRA Director must be a Second Amendment absolutist who recognizes that rights cannot be compromised or bartered. Political pragmatism has a place as a short-term tactic, but the NRA must never put political considerations above the core principles our nation and our organization were founded upon. Every NRA Director must be well-versed in that history and those principles, which must be the foundation for every decision made as a director.
Second, a Director must bring to the Board some professional-level expertise about business, finance, fundraising, membership organizations, politics, or some other topic that may affects the Association and might require a Board policy directive. No one can be an expert in every topic, but every Board member should be an expert in his or her particular field and be able to assist the other Directors in developing a well-grounded policy on that topic.
Finally, an NRA Director must be widely recognized as honorable and respected members of the firearms community. That doesn’t necessarily mean having a wall of trophies, but guns and shooting should be an important part of any Director’s life, whether it be focused on hunting, target shooting, or collecting.
The best candidates are people who have had leadership roles in state or local organizations, while also building or working for successful businesses, or other complementary careers. The ability to effectively speak in public, or experience lobbying politicians, can be useful, but it’s not critical, and that ability or experience doesn’t trump the qualifications listed above.
Good candidates are typically going to be older individuals with significant amounts of experience under their belts, but that does not mean that there isn’t a place for younger candidates who have earned the respect of the community by demonstrating their commitment and abilities. To the contrary, it is critical that the organization have representation from a wide variety of individuals with diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skill-sets to offer.
Candidates must be nominated either by the Nominating Committee [tightly controlled by insider board members] or by petition of fellow members. It takes signatures from the equivalent of 0.5% of the number of ballots cast in the preceding BoD election, this year that’s about 730 valid signatures from NRA members who are eligible to vote. That might not seem like all that many, after all, there are hundreds of people at gun shows every weekend, but the catch is the “eligible to vote” clause. There are around 100 million gun owners in the U.S., but only about 5.5 million NRA members, and only about half of those members are eligible to vote in NRA elections. That means that among any 100 random gun owners, only about 5 will be NRA members, and only 2 or 3 will be eligible to sign a nominating petition. So, even at a gun show or a busy range, you’ll have to ask about 2,000 people, in order to find 100 eligible voters – and then you have to get their NRA Member Number. Do you carry your NRA membership card or a mailing label from your NRA magazine around with you? Most people don’t. That means that the signature gatherer will have to do some followup to try and collect that information. In the end, it will typically require talking to at least 16,000 people, in order to find 730 NRA members eligible to sign the petition, but many of those won’t sign, because they don’t know enough about the candidate, and aren’t willing to take the time to learn.
There’s no question, getting the valid signatures needed to qualify a petition, is a whole lot of work to go through just to get your name on a ballot to run for a thankless job that pays nothing. Still, last year, past-President Marion Hammer had the temerity to suggest that someone nominated by petition of the members is somehow suspect, and unworthy of the members’ trust.
Of course, getting the petition signatures is only the first hurdle, then comes the matter of being elected. The elections are held by mail among all 2.5 million NRA Voting Members, but only a small segment (historically less than 7%) of those members actually cast a ballot, and the vast majority of those who do vote, get all of their information about the candidates exclusively from NRA magazines – which of course, are controlled by the NRA establishment. This gives incumbents a huge advantage that is very difficult to overcome.
But the current members of the Board of Directors is never going to make the changes needed to make the NRA the principled, effective, organization that the members deserve, so changing the Board has to be the first step in restoring the NRA, and that’s going to take at least 3 or 4 years, even if we’re wildly successful.
Do you know people with the principle, integrity, and experience willing to take on this challenge? Are you ready to go to work to help get them elected? It might be too late for the next election, but there’s one every year, and we need to be ready. Reach out to me or the folks at Savethe2A.org, and let’s get started.
NRASecond Amendment
June 11, 2019 Jeff Knox 2 Comments
With all of the hubbub over the mess at the NRA, now seems like a good time to remind everyone that YOU are the Gun Lobby.
This is a theme I have come back to again and again in the 13+ years that I have been writing about Second Amendment issues and leading The Firearms Coalition, and even before that. In a speech on the Arizona Capitol grounds earlier this year, I said that the gun lobby “is not a bunch of overpaid suits in Washington D.C. … if the NRA disappeared tomorrow, the Gun Lobby would still be just as powerful, because it’s not the NRA, it’s NRA members and tens of millions of other dedicated patriots just like you.”
In retrospect, those comments, which were very similar to comments I made at a rally in the Capitol Rotunda in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania over a decade ago, seem somewhat prophetic, especially considering Wayne LaPierre’s $276k clothing bills, but the point has always been true. All of the NRA’s power, prestige, money, and influence flow directly from you and me and people like us. While the NRA is a useful tool, it is not the source of power or influence. You are.
It is particularly important for everyone to understand that the ugly mess facing the NRA today has the organization crippled, and it will remain crippled for some time into the foreseeable future.
But the gun lobby must continue to be strong.
Even if the NRA “leadership” allows the last of our dollars to bleed out into the pockets of lawyers and charlatans, even if the organization allows itself to be torn down by politicians and bureaucrats, the gun lobby must continue to be strong.
With the NRA distracted and in disarray, it’s critical for you, the Gun Lobby, to take personal responsibility for protecting your rights. You can’t rely on the NRA, or any other group, to do the heavy lifting for you. You must roll up your sleeves and stand shoulder-to-shoulder with your neighbors to ensure that the radical rights opponents don’t flush your children’s and grandchildren’s birthright down the toilet.
After decades of a slow erosion of our rights, and occasionally regaining small bits of ground, we stand on the brink. The slippery slope is only inches wide, with nothing but a sheer cliff beyond it. The Democrats have given their party fully over to a “progressive” philosophy of total government control and citizen subservience, with a government monopoly on arms being one of their primary goals. Until saner heads regain control of that party, it is critical that they are defeated.
We, as defenders of freedom and lovers of liberty, can no longer afford to hang back and lend our support only to the cream of the solid, pro-rights candidates. At this point, the Democratic Party has taken that luxury away from us. Now our only option is to work for their defeat, regardless of the individual stands of their candidates or their opponents. Right now, it’s all about majorities – in Congress, in state legislatures, and on county boards and city councils. Even in states with low crime, and strong traditions of firearm freedom, like Maine and Vermont, Democrat majorities are pushing agendas of draconian gun control, simply because they can, and because Bloomberg and the Giffords’ group keep dumping millions into local elections, in support of radical Democrat, rights restrictors.
These assaults on our rights must be answered with votes. Gun owners can’t rely on the NRA to do it for us. We never could, but it’s more true and urgent now than ever before.
Too many times our guys got mad at Republicans for failing to deliver on promises, or for foolishly making concessions to the rights opponents, and stomped off in a huff, refusing to vote, or voting for third-party candidates with zero chance of winning. That’s how we got eight years of Barack Obama, and most recently, it’s how we lost the House of Representatives in 2018.
That absence from the field provided proof to Bloomberg and Democrat strategists that the power of the gun lobby and GunVoters was just a myth. They successfully painted GunVoter frustration with broken promises, as apathy and impotence, because we allowed vocal, gun control advocates to be elected with little opposition from our disgruntled troops.
They think we’re powerless, and they think that without big bucks and coordination from the NRA, we can’t be serious players in the political arena. It’s up to you to prove them wrong.
Political power lies in the ability to impact politicians’ most precious asset: the ability to be elected. Conventional wisdom says that can only be done with huge amounts of money spent on advertising, but conventional wisdom is wrong. We don’t need advertising, because we have the numbers we need already. All we need is for our fellow gun owners and rights advocates to stand up and get involved. Every one of us must engage in the battle, working for the candidates who are going up against the radical gun control zealots — defeating the party of gun control, by working for the party that isn’t dedicated to taking away our guns.
We must do this, even if the Republican candidate isn’t great on our issue, because right now, Democrats have declared war on our rights. The only way to change their position, and to wake up the squishy Republicans, is for GunVoters to turn out in droves, putting up signs, making phone calls, walking neighborhoods, and making sure that everyone in their family, their friends, their entire sphere of influence, is informed and activated to defeat those who oppose the Bill of Rights.
We didn’t make this a partisan fight, Democrats did. We’ll never make them change their minds by sitting on the sidelines or punishing weak-kneed Republicans by going hunting on Election Day. We must get busy, get involved, and demonstrate in November that the gun lobby is indeed alive and well, and we won’t tolerate open assault on our rights.
electionsGun LobbygunvoterNRAPartisan
May 31, 2019 Jeff Knox
The news and drama flowing out of the NRA keep running at a pace that makes it difficult to keep up with, much less write about them. As I write this, I have three other almost completed articles that have been abandoned as new revelations have made them largely obsolete. Here’s hoping that this one will make it all the way to the publisher before some new revelation bursts onto the scene.
So what’s really going on? I don’t think anyone actually knows – not even the primary players. That’s because there are just too many moving parts, and too many different agendas and potentially hidden motives, all intertwined.
Keeping track of what’s going on is not helped by the obfuscation and disinformation being deployed as a tactic by some players. Also not helping are the various partisan keyboard warriors who either have reading comprehension problems, or are purposefully distorting and misrepresenting information for the purpose of either propping up, or tearing down Wayne LaPierre.
If this story were fiction being written by John Grisham, we would all discover in the end that the main characters of the drama – LaPierre, Ackerman McQueen, and William Brewer, the lawyer brought in to manage the whole mess by LaPierre (who happens to be Angus McQueen’s son-in-law) – were all in league, with their only purpose being to suck every last dollar out of the NRA before it sinks into obscurity.
While I don’t actually think that’s the case, that scenario seems less far-fetched every day.
As of today, Ackerman McQueen has declared that they are formally withdrawing from all NRA-related activities, claiming that the NRA has made it impossible for them to fulfill their contractual obligations [primarily because of budget cuts made by the NRA board at their last meeting]. This would include shutting down NRA TV, and America’s First Freedom magazine, both of which are controlled and produced by Ack-Mac. This announcement will undoubtedly be followed by additional lawsuits from both parties, with each claiming that the other is in breach of contract.
Of course there are already three separate suits between NRA and Ack-Mac. The first was filed by NRA against Ack-Mac just days prior to the NRA Annual Meetings in Indianapolis last April. That suit demanded that Ack-Mac produce detailed billing invoices for charges they had billed to NRA, and also demanded more information about the employment contract entered into last year between Ack-Mac and then NRA President Ollie North.
Shortly after the close of the meetings, a second suit was filed by NRA against Ack-Mac, accusing the PR company of intentionally leaking confidential documents for the purpose of harming the NRA and its leaders. That suit demands $40 million in compensation, and was quickly answered with a suit from Ack-Mac against the NRA, demanding $50 million for sullying Ack-Mac’s good name. The “confidential documents” that were “leaked,” primarily consisted of a pair of letters and supporting documentation, snarkily responding to NRA’s initial suit by asking for details and receipts for expenses that NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre charged to Ack-Mac. LaPierre’s expenses included over $276,000 charged to a high-end clothing store in Beverley Hills over a span of fifteen years, and another $270k on a number of very expensive plane tickets, limo service, and meals in exotic locales. LaPierre also billed to Ack-Mac several months worth of rent for a high-end luxury apartment near NRA headquarters, apparently on behalf of an attractive summer intern.
Official NRA has made no denials of the accuracy of the charges, saying only that “most” of the travel was related to official business, and suggesting that LaPierre’s frequent personal and TV appearances warrant some attention to his wardrobe.
Many LaPierre defenders have opined that since the charges occurred over about a 15-year period, the average of $33,300 dollars per year doesn’t seem extravagant for a person in LaPierre’s position. What these apologists fail to note is that Mr. LaPierre was paid between $800,000 and $1.4 million each year during that period, and also had a generous expense account on top of that. For him to then spend $20,000 to $30,000 or more per year on clothes alone, and charge those expenses to the PR company, rather than his direct NRA expense account, is not only excessive, but suggests he was intentionally hiding the charges. There is no indication that these personal benefits were included in any of the NRA’s tax statements, and it is pretty doubtful that they were included on LaPierre’s personal income taxes either.
The new NRA President and Vice Presidents [including AmmoLand New’s endorsed Board Member Wiles Lees as 2nd VP], have put out a couple of letters claiming that the NRA Board of Directors was fully aware of all of the reported charges, and had an opportunity to fully discuss them, but numerous directors have disputed those claims, saying that they only saw some of the material after it was leaked to the press, and that the only opportunity they’d had to discuss the issues that were brought up to them, was cut short by the leadership. None would go into specifics, so this was obviously during the marathon, closed-door board meeting in April. It is considered a serious ethics violation for any director to discuss events that occur in a closed meeting, so they are extremely cautious to avoid such disclosures. None of the directors I spoke with reported receiving any new information from leadership on the various issues since that meeting adjourned.
Meanwhile, NRA members have been paying the Brewer law firm between $1.5 million and $2+ million per month for over a year now, and board members who have requested an audit of those charges have been stymied.
LTC Allen West
Lieutenant Colonel Allen West, a former congressman who was elected to the board several years ago, after being nominated by petition of the members, was widely suggested as an alternative to LaPierre prior to the April board meeting, but for some reason his name was apparently never offered into nomination during the meeting. (We have still not received any explanation as to why those elections were not held during the open portion of that meeting.) West is one of the only directors to publicly denounce official claims that the board is unified in support of LaPierre, and call for LaPierre’s resignation. Colorado activist Tim Knight, another director originally nominated by petition of the members, has also publicly expressed his lack of confidence in LaPierre. Numerous other directors have made off-the-record statements of dissatisfaction with the status quo, but are being cautious in their public statements for the time being.
LTC West would certainly be a reasonable choice for an immediate replacement for LaPierre. Having an African American, combat veteran with a sterling reputation, as CEO of the NRA right now, would not hurt the organization’s image, and I suspect that LTC. West would not be very tolerant of excuses and financial chicanery, nor would he be cavalier with the members’ money. He has expressed his willingness to hold the position for no more than a year or so, as an interim manager to help get the organization’s issues corrected and get it back on track, before passing the baton to someone else of the board’s choosing.
The unfortunate reality of the situation is that a small contingent of directors unified behind LaPierre, can probably hold off any alternative options offered, because they are unified in their objective, while the rest of the board has doubts and questions. With the waters muddied as they are, it is very difficult to get the directors to agree on any particular course of action, so the opposition to LaPierre might constitute a strong majority of the board, like herding cats, if they can’t all get on the same page behind West or some other candidate, they won’t be able to overcome the inertia of the status quo.
The long-standing problem of how the members can let the board know their opinions is still a problem. NRA management has a vested interest in keeping members of the board shielded from the opinions of the unwashed membership. There are ways to get a message through, some more effective than others. NRA members can send emails to the board of directors by writing to NRABoD@NRAHQ.org
Unfortunately, rather than going to the individual directors, those emails are posted on a “Directors Only” section of the NRA website, and it has been reported that many directors never visit the page. Snail-mail to directors can be sent care of NRA Headquarters, 11250 Waples Mill Road, Fairfax, VA 22030. Letters addressed to individual directors will probably be forwarded to them, but open letters to the entire board are more likely to be scanned and posted on the website like emails are. To learn the best way to communicate with directors, members can call NRA HQ at 703-267-1000 and ask for the Secretary’s Office. Members wishing to get face-to-face with their elected directors will have the opportunity to do so at the fall board meeting in September in Anchorage, Alaska.
[AmmoLand News will also publish all open letters from members to the NRA board as Letters to the AmmoLand Editor.]
May 15, 2019 Jeff Knox 1 Comment
The National Rifle Association gathered for 2019 Annual Meeting of Members last month amid a firestorm of rumors, accusations, and threats. It promised to be the most contentious Members’ Meeting in decades, and it didn’t disappoint on that score. But the gathering, which was preceded by rumbling thunder, leading into lightning cracks and howling winds, concluded with a hollow, unsatisfying whimper.
For months, news had been rumbling through various media outlets, of financial strife and disorder within the nations most powerful rights organization. Then, just days before the Members’ Meeting, the NRA filed suit against Ackerman McQueen, their PR partners of almost 40 years, with accusations of undue influence and expropriation of funds via murky invoices and hazy billing practices. Lightning struck again a few days later when The New Yorker published a blistering exposé of NRA’s finances and cozy deals enjoyed by some executives, contractors, and consultants.
All of this triggered a flood of speculation and uproar on blogs and social media among NRA members and the large contingent of pro-gun/anti-NRA advocates in the rights community. Even some members of the NRA Board of Directors made public comments suggesting that changes were needed.
On Friday, the day before the Members’ Meeting, as associated events were in full swing, President Trump and Vice President Pence both attended an NRA-sponsored, Leadership Forum and gave rousing speeches pledging their support for the NRA and America’s 100 million gun owners. They shared the stage with NRA Executive Vice President Wayne Lapierre and NRA President Ollie North. Everything was looking rosy. But later that day, a letter from LaPierre to the Board of Directors exploded in the media. The letter was remarkably similar to a letter LaPierre sent to the board in 1997, expressing “shock” that a member of the board would try to bribe or extort him into abandoning his post at the NRA. Specifically, the Friday letter claimed that Oliver North had called Wayne to threaten him with a damaging and embarrassing letter that Ack-Mack was preparing to send to the board.
The letter scandal blew up so widely in the media, that it eclipsed, for a time, an even more significant bombshell that dropped that same day. That came from the office of New York Attorney General Laticia James, announcing that they had served the NRA with instructions to preserve their financial and related records, and had begun issuing subpoenas in an investigation of the NRA’s tax exempt status and other matters. To many concerned observers, that announcement represented the triggering of a massive, slow-motion guillotine blade, falling inexorably toward the extended neck of the NRA.
In the Members’ Meeting on Saturday, Oliver North was a no-show. First Vice President Richard Childress read a letter from North expressing his frustration with current affairs at the NRA and stating that he did not intend to seek a second term as president. Childress was pressed into service to chair the meeting – a position for which he was ill-prepared, and in which he was clearly uncomfortable – and the meeting proceeded. Adam Kraut attempted to gain the floor early, trying to add an item to the meeting agenda, to assure the members had an opportunity to discuss the various accusations and other problems they’d heard about, but the Chair would not recognize him. Other attempts to raise questions during the meeting were ignored or silenced until the meeting reached the Resolutions portion of the agenda.
The first resolution wanted to thank President Trump for “un-signing” the UN Arms Trade Treaty. It passed handily, and then someone – presumably a member of the board – moved that the meeting be adjourned. This generated an immediate uproar from a good part of the crowd and protests from the microphones. The chair could have – and in my opinion, should have – refused to entertain the motion, as the business wasn’t finished, but it went to a vote and was defeated. That’s when the fireworks started. The next resolution, the one they’d hoped to avoid hitting the floor, was a call for a vote of “No Confidence” in Wayne LaPierre and the members of the Finance, Audit, and Executive committees, who are primarily responsible for overseeing his activities, and a call for their resignations.
Board members rushed to the microphones, insisting that these were not matters that should be discussed in an open meeting with media present, and called for the resolution to be referred to the Board of Directors. Supporters of the resolution, and others who wanted to find out what was going on in their association balked at that idea, and Adam Kraut suggested that the Chair order the media to leave the room. This was construed as a motion to go into Executive Session, and that matter was debated for quite some time, with several directors – most of them members of the Executive and Finance committees – rising to argue against going into Executive Session, and adding arguments against any discussion of the widely reported allegations of financial abuses. Eventually, the members voted not to go into Executive Session, and the motion to refer the resolution to the board, passed, effectively shutting down any further discussion.
Another back-patting resolution, this one from an ardent fan of Dana Loesch, calling for some sort of special recognition for her, was read and was also referred to the board for consideration. At that point, Directors again began rushing the microphones to move for adjournment. Realizing that the mood of the crowd had turned and that the majority of the members were ready to go look at the guns and gear in the exhibit hall, Adam Kraut beat them to the punch and made the motion. The members voted to close this time, and the meeting ended.
Then the grumbling and speculation turned to the Board of Directors meeting, scheduled for Monday morning.
When it finally came, it didn’t take the directors long to take their meeting into Executive Session, interrupting Mr. Childress’ report to close the meeting to everyone except directors and a handful of staff.
After several hours in closed session, with no news coming out of the meeting, then AmmoLand News reported that Wayne LaPierre had been reelected by a unanimous vote of the board. That report was soon corroborated by a post on the website for the American Rifleman, NRA’s flagship magazine. Which included more details, including the fact that First Vice President Richard Childress had declined to run for an officer position, Second Vice President Carolyn Meadows was elected President, Charles Cotton was elected First Vice President, Willes Lee was elected Second Vice President, and Chris Cox was retained as Executive Director of NRA-ILA. The official report focused on the word “unanimous,” as did all of the media reports.
The reaction on social media was angry and incredulous. After all of the damning evidence and tough talk from some on the board, how could they have possibly unanimously reelected Wayne LaPierre?
The reality is almost certain that the entire slate of candidates was offered up at once with a motion to confirm them by acclamation. This is a fairly common process under Roberts Rules of Order. The chair hears the motion and second, and declares; “Without objection,” and bangs the gavel. Done. It was probably several minutes before many in the room realized what had just happened. Too late for them to offer objections or change the vote. But that doesn’t explain why none of the directors are publicly challenging LaPierre’s subsequent assertions that the board is united in their support for him and his plans for the association moving forward.
In fact very little has been heard from anyone on the board since the meeting finally adjourned, some nine and a half hours after it started. Just the duration of the meeting indicates that there were some serious questions and debate. These meetings normally only last an hour or two at the most. So, between the length of the meeting, and the silence of the directors, it can be pretty safely assumed that some significant matters were raised, and that some of those matters were of such delicacy that any discussion of them outside of the closed board meeting, would do harm to the association, and potentially cost the seat of any director who strayed from the confidentiality agreement.
For the time being, I think it would be prudent for disgruntled NRA members and critics like me, to back off a little and see what happens. There’s nothing that a minority of the board could do to change the course of events that are on their way, and continuing to press them on the matter, doesn’t help the cause. It is to be hoped that we will at least see the tentacles of Ackerman McQueen steadily untangled from all NRA business, and some significant reforms imposed on how the association deals with contractors and consultants.
Lawyers will be tasked with keeping Attorney General James from doing any serious damage to NRA’s political apparatus until at least some time after the 2020 elections. Going through this debacle is bad enough. Trying to do it with an anti-rights Democrat in the White House and anti-rights majorities in both houses of Congress, would undoubtedly speed up that falling guillotine from New York.
We want to cut out the cancer without killing the patient, and while we didn’t get the dramatic changes we wanted, for now, that means stepping back to see whether any progress is evident and plan for the next round of treatments.
Only Two Options, Can the BOD Save Us?
April 25, 2019 Jeff Knox 1 Comment
(April 22, 2019) The National Rifle Association is in serious trouble, and the NRA Board of Directors has only two options to save America’s biggest civil rights organization.
Option 1. A majority of the Board circles the wagons in defense of Wayne LaPierre and his pals and tries to weather the storm. (They’ll fail, and the whole ship will sink.)
Option 2. A majority of the Board fires LaPierre and other executives (or accepts their resignations) and nullifies their contracts, suspends all vendor contracts pending thorough review and renegotiation, and purges culpable members of their own body – demonstrating a commitment to safeguarding NRA assets on behalf of the membership. (Plugging the holes and possibly saving the ship.)
For those who might be playing catch-up on this story, you can read my previous article and the links contained in it, but here’s the short version of the situation:
Wayne LaPierre, the CEO of the NRA, along with fellow executives and outside contractors, (in particular Advertising agency Ackerman McQueen) has been recklessly shoveling money out of NRA coffers for decades – to the tune of possibly hundreds of millions of dollars. This has been done with the complicity of some of the NRA’s elected directors, the willful ignorance of others, and the active resistance of a few more.
The chicanery, mostly in the form of inflated executive salaries, sweetheart deals to friends and family, and routine payments to vendors for unspecified services, raised objections among loyal NRA staff members, but their questions and concerns were met with hostility and retribution. My father raised these exact concerns over 20 years ago when he was on the NRA Board of Directors, only to be pushed out of the leadership. As the problems got worse in recent years, NRA fell under increased scrutiny from reporters and regulators, leading some staff members to redouble efforts to raise alarms to the appropriate board committees. But these board members continued to sweep the improprieties under the rug, even after strong warnings from outside counsel that the organization was at risk of severe damage, particularly from New York regulators.
As a nonprofit chartered in New York, the NRA falls under New York law and the purview of the NRA-hating NY Attorney General. She has frequently expressed her desire to tear down the organization, and has been signaling a pending investigation into NRA finances.
In an effort to save the organization, some staff and former employees reluctantly shared some of their evidence with reporters, and a bombshell expose’ was published in The New Yorker in mid-April, just days after the NRA had filed a lawsuit against their long-time PR firm, Ackerman McQueen, suggesting that Ack-Mack had been taking advantage of some lax billing and conflict of interest policies at NRA. This was an obvious attempt to deflect blame for NRA’s financial woes – over $30 million in the red – and financial improprieties away from LaPierre and his executive team. All of this was followed by a formal request from Mike Bloomberg’s anti-gun conglomerate, calling on the IRS to launch a formal audit of the NRA’s tax exempt status.
There can be little doubt that the New York AG and others in positions of power will try to dismantle the NRA, regardless of what the board does. Our enemies see that we are wounded, and the vultures are circling. By cleaning their own house before any formal investigation, the board would demonstrate that they are living up to their fiduciary responsibilities, and that would go a long way toward mitigating the long-term damage from regulators.
The current NRA Board of Directors have a slim chance of saving the NRA from total ruin, but they must act swiftly and decisively.
They must expunge everyone involved in even the appearance of corruption. Including board members who failed in their oversight obligations and individuals like Josh Powell the genius behind many of the NRA’s recent disasters like Carry Guard and a known manipulator of Wayne LaPierre’s decision making. They must halt all outside contracts until they can be thoroughly reviewed and either canceled or renegotiated. As much as possible needs to be brought in-house and run under the direct oversight of the board. This action may mean the end of things like Ackerman McQueen run NRA-TV, so do not be surprised if they pack up shop one day soon.
All of the significant, life-threatening issues facing NRA revolve around just three operational areas: PR, fundraising, and political spending. Suspending operations in those three areas, and bringing them under tight, in-house control for the immediate future, would put the association back on stable ground and allow it to continue operating effectively.
There will undoubtedly be repercussions from all of this, including fines, sanctions, lawsuits, and possibly criminal indictments, but all of those repercussions are on their way, regardless of what the board does now. The difference is whether those consequences will be levied against an organization that still has the people who created those problems at the helm – people who will be using NRA resources to cover their tails – or an organization that has policed itself and taken corrective action to address its problems.
As I stated at the outset, the NRA Board of Directors has only two choices. They can cry “unity, unity” or call it another “Knox take over attempt” all the while rallying around the culprits who caused the problems, and let the ship sink to leave membership and our bill of rights stranded.
Or they can throw the known miscreants overboard, plug the holes, and get busy bailing because only then will membership will jump in and help right the ship.
Contact the NRA Board of Directors
The next board of Board of Directors meeting is this coming Monday April 29th 2019. Make your voices heard. You can have an impact on that decision by contacting your NRA directors (BoD@NRAHQ.org) and the leaders of your NRA affiliated state association, to let them know what you want to see happen.
(Name of Board Member or Attn NRA Board of Directors)
NRA Office of the Secretary
11250 Waples Mill Road
or nrabod@nrahq.org
NRA’s Dirty Laundry Exposed as Pro-Gun Group Cleans House
April 19, 2019 Jeff Knox 2 Comments
(April 19, 2019) On April 12, the National Rifle Association filed suit in a Virginia court, accusing their long-time PR company, Ackerman McQueen, of failing to provide detailed billing, and failure to disclose contracts with NRA staff and officers that might demonstrate a conflict of interest, including an Ack-Mac contract with NRA President Ollie North.
As the news of the shocking lawsuit made the rounds of mainstream media and was just sinking in – especially to most of the members of the NRA Board of Directors, who had no advance warning about the suit – a new exposé on the shady dealings of NRA insiders was published by The New Yorker (www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/secrecy-self-dealing-and-greed-at-the-nra/). That article, shedding new light on lousy business, showed that this isn’t just NRA leaders in a nasty mess of their own making, but a deeply embedded cancer that has metastasized, putting the NRA itself in serious jeopardy.
During WWII, people held up two fingers and declared “V for Victory!” I have to admit that when I heard the news about the suit against Ack-Mac, I smiled. The thought of NRA brass and Ack-Mac executives going at each other in a cage match really tickled me. In celebration, I figuratively raised the familiar one-finger salute that has long represented our seemingly futile struggle with the NRA leadership, and transitioned it into the two-finger sign of the “V,” not for Victory, but for Vindication.
Over 20 years ago, my father, Neal Knox, as First Vice President of the NRA and just one year away from taking the reins as President, threw a red flag on the practices of Ack-Mac and Wayne LaPierre. He questioned the expensive, intrusive, and heavy-handed fundraising tactics, such as constant, over-hyped letters, phone calls, and fundraising letters sent by registered mail, and the exorbitant sums being paid to the PR company. He demanded reforms in the association’s fundraising methods and specifics on contracts and billing details involving Ack-Mac and other vendors. Both he and Second Vice President Albert Ross refused to sign the hefty, monthly checks being cut to Ack-Mac, and a major battle for control of the NRA ensued. It wasn’t like the 1977 Cincinnati fight for the soul and destiny of the organization. The new dust-up was between the Board and the staff for control of the organization’s checkbook.
The upshot of that battle was that Wayne won, Dad lost, and the fast-and-loose money games continued and just got worse. Charlton Heston was brought in to bump Dad from the leadership, and Wayne’s compensation rose rapidly from about $250,000 a year to almost $1,000,000.00. In the latest available IRS report from 2017, LaPierre’s total compensation was reported at $1.4 million, or about $117,000 per month, and a couple of years before that, he also got a distribution from his retirement fund of about $4 million, for a total compensation of more than $5 million that year. It’s worth noting that he’s receiving this at a time when the NRA is over $30 million in the red, and the retirement fund is in negative numbers to the tune of almost $60 million. Ack-Mack’s take from the NRA in 2017 was over $40 million.
For nearly a quarter of a century, we – Dad, my brother Chris, and I – have returned to this topic again and again.
Our goal has never been vengeance or retribution, but to alert NRA members and rouse the members of the NRA Board of Directors to fulfill their moral and legal obligations to the members, and put a stop to the chicanery.
Those efforts have, to a great extent, fallen on deaf ears. We have been vilified, belittled, and ignored by the majority of the board, and we’ve been publicly attacked by NRA leaders accusing us of trying to tear down the organization that we have been working so hard to save.
That’s why the lawsuit against Ackerman McQueen gave me a smile of vindication. It confirms many of the things that we have been saying for so long. But the celebration was tinged with concern about the harm the whole debacle would cause our historic organization. Then all of that turned to anger and a sense of doom as I read the exposé in The New Yorker.
Reporter Mike Spies works for Bloomberg’s anti-rights propaganda outlet The Trace and has collaborated with reporters and editors from a variety of mostly anti-rights newspapers and magazines like Mother Jones and the New York Times. Those connections and affiliations will cause many to dismiss this latest article as just more anti-gun propaganda. That would be a mistake. Spies did a thorough job of digging up sources [he clearly has a someone leaking him info at NRA or maybe Ackerman] and documentation to back up the critical points in his article, and he presents them with little spin or distortion. Calling on NRA members to ignore the message and focus on the messenger, won’t work this time. The article and its sources are too well documented and credible for that, and enemies of the NRA will undoubtedly pursue these leads with bulldog tenacity.
NRA members should be furious, and the Board of Directors should be terrified.
Even with my 40-year history in the NRA, I never imagined the abuses and neglect were so outrageous and rampant. The most significant revelation is that NRA employees and attorneys brought many of these issues to the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors, and the members of that committee did nothing to correct the problems. They didn’t alert fellow directors about the issues. They didn’t call executives and contractors out on the carpet for the abuses. They didn’t call for contract reviews, investigations, or disciplinary actions. Instead, they retroactively approved past actions that should only have been taken with their prior approval and did their best to contain the damaging information, helping to drive away dedicated NRA employees who did nothing other than try to inform them of problems.
“The emperor has no clothes!” – “Someone slap that kid!”
To get an idea of the depth and breadth of the theft, corruption, and abuse that has been going on at the NRA for the past 25-plus years, you need to read the entire article in The New Yorker, but here are some highlights:
Remember that 1.4 million dollars being paid to Wayne LaPierre? At some point, a clause was added to his employment contract guaranteeing him payment as a speaker and consultant after he retires from NRA, at the full base salary he is being paid as Executive Vice President.
Multiple NRA executives have left the organization and walked into $600,000 and $700,000 dollars a year consulting contracts for NRA.
Wives, children, and other relatives of NRA executives and NRA contractors have routinely crisscrossed between the NRA and various vendors, drawing exorbitant salaries.
Key vendors – like Ackerman McQueen – have been routinely paid on invoices that were incomplete or unspecific, and NRA employees questioning such payments were retaliated against.
The dollar figures involved are in the hundreds of millions, but the most critical paragraph in the article is this one:
“The memos urged the audit committee to ‘step up + fulfill its duties!,’ but it’s not clear what the board has done to root out malfeasance. James Fishman, a co-author of ‘New York Nonprofit Law and Practice: With Tax Analysis,’ a leading text on nonprofit law, told me, ‘There is no such thing as a director who doesn’t direct. You’re responsible to make yourself aware of what’s going on. If the board doesn’t know, they’ve breached their duty of care, which is against the law in New York,’ where the N.R.A. is chartered. According to Owens, the former I.R.S. official, New York State ‘could sanction board members, remove board members, disband the board, or close down the organization entirely.’”
(Emphasis added – JK)
The memos mentioned were prepared by NRA’s director of tax and risk management, Emily Cummins, for an NRA Audit Committee emergency meeting last July. I’ve known Emily for years, and know that she was very loyal and committed to the NRA. I say “was” because Emily no longer works for NRA. I don’t know the circumstances of her departure but could venture a pretty good guess.
This is a collection of specific concerns raised to a committee of the NRA Board of Directors by a loyal NRA employee. It was acquired by the reporter and analyzed by an expert on New York nonprofit law and an expert on nonprofit tax regulations. Their assessment is that the Board of Directors’ failure to have weeded out these issues and addressed them, is – potentially criminal – dereliction of duty that could result in personal sanctions and the dissolution of the organization.
Are you listening now, NRA Directors?
Personal sanctions. Removal from the Board. Dissolution of the NRA. All because you have refused to step up and fulfill your duties.
Ignoring warnings, blaming critics, covering for friends, and going along to get along, could bring the world’s most powerful organization for defending the right to arms, crashing to the ground. Continuing to deny and circling the wagons to protect against outside assaults, will not save the NRA, because the destroyer is inside the circle. Only decisive action to root out the corruption and return to the core values and principles of the organization can save it.
There’s no way to fix the problems without sustaining some pretty severe damage. I don’t know what kind of legal issues would be involved in dissolving existing contracts with vendors and employees, but drastic measures must be taken immediately. Those directors carrying the greatest culpability – members of the Audit Committee, the Finance Committee, and the Executive Committee – should resign. Had the Board not recently made recalls of directors and officers virtually impossible, I would start a recall drive against many of them.
What makes this whole situation even worse, is the fact that the NRA is chartered in New York. That means that New York law applies, and that means that the rabidly anti-NRA and anti-gun NY Attorney General Letitia James, working under the rabidly anti-NRA and anti-gun Governor Andrew Cuomo, will be in charge of the investigation and any “corrective” action. Does anyone think the benefit of the doubt for “good intentions” will play a significant role?
This is a case of greed, hubris, and blind loyalty leading to calamity. I honestly don’t know if the NRA will be able to survive.
There are some very good people on the NRA Board of Directors, and they need to step up now and get to the bottom of all of this. It’s going to be a mess, no matter how it’s handled, but taking aggressive action to cut out the cancer is the only way to save the organization.
Presidents or past-presidents of state associations might need to step up to help out. LaPierre needs to walk away without the golden parachute, and much of the executive staff needs to go with him. Virtually all outside NRA contracts beyond electric service and internet access, need to be canceled in the most cost-effective way possible.
I don’t expect to be in Indianapolis for the Members’ Meeting; I just can’t afford it, so I urge those who are going to be there, to demand answers from your board and staff in that open, formal setting. A motion should be made right at the outset to set a time certain on the official order of business for discussion of the corruption and mismanagement allegations. They will point to the press and try to say that discussing those matters shouldn’t be done in public, then they’ll dodge questions by saying that they can’t talk about ongoing litigation, or they’ll try to use parliamentary tricks to shut down the motion, but it’s your Association, and you have the right to be heard and get answers.
I don’t relish this situation. Yes, I’m glad to see Dad get his vindication, but not at such a high cost. I have been a Life Member of the NRA for 40 years. I paid full price for that membership, beginning with my first check from the Army after graduating from Basic Training, and I’ve dedicated countless hours over the years, trying to make the organization better and more effective. This is not a victory for Dad or me. Like the Notre Dame cathedral, I just hope we can save what’s left and rebuild.
But take heart. As I said in February during a speech at a rights rally in Phoenix, “the gun lobby is not a bunch of overpaid suits in Washington DC. If the NRA disappeared tomorrow, the gun lobby would still be just as powerful, because the gun lobby isn’t the NRA, it’s the NRA members and tens of millions of dedicated patriots just like you, scattered throughout this wide land.”
While the NRA is a powerful communication tool between rights supporters and their elected servants and losing that central conduit would be a significant blow, it would only be a temporary setback. With that fact in mind, I encourage readers to take steps now to be sure that you and your fellow rights supporters are in the loop for important rights-related news by subscribing to AmmoLand News email list. If you are already subscribed, get five more people to sign up. Be sure that you’re a member of a competent, state grassroots organization, and join and subscribe to email alerts from groups like The Firearms Coalition and GOA. Then take action when we ask you to make a call or send an email to your elected servants.
Let’s hope we can save the NRA. Contact the Directors and demand that they take responsibility and correct the problems. (They are listed in your magazine.) But more than anything else, be sure to keep contacting your politicians and letting them know that with or without the NRA, you are the gun lobby, and the gun lobby isn’t going away.
Gun Control: A Sworn Dogma of Democrat’s War on Guns
April 12, 2019 Jeff Knox
(April 12, 2019) While many states were rolling back onerous gun control laws over the past few decades, a few states like California, New York, New Jersey, and Maryland, have doubled down on their gun control schemes, competing with each other to see which can most severely restrict their citizens’ fundamental rights.
The politicians in these states are never satisfied, and every “good first step in the right direction” is always followed by an almost immediate next “good first step” in the same direction. But we expect this sort of two-faced chicanery from the urban centers of the gun control movement. What we didn’t expect (though we should have) was the sudden onslaught of attacks on gun owner rights in states with extremely low rates of firearm-related crime, and relatively lax gun laws.
Vermont, Washington, Oregon, New Hampshire, Nevada, and New Mexico have long histories of relatively low crime, relatively lax gun laws, and little apparent need for gun owners to actively organize and get involved in politics. Yet these states have been targeted by gun control extremists, and draconian laws have been shoved through Democrat-controlled legislatures, with false claims of “public safety” and “saving lives,” in spite of their already low crime rates and a complete lack of any evidence that the new laws will do anything to enhance public safety or save lives.
The facts no longer matter though, because it’s all about leftist orthodoxy and billionaires’ campaign contributions now. To be a “good little Democrat,” one must completely embrace gun control.
So we see these weak-minded “good Democrat” politicians in low-crime states, receiving thousands of dollars from gun control groups like the Giffords’ and Bloomberg’s, and pushing radical gun control measures. The fact that their states’ citizens have long records of peaceful, responsible gun ownership, is irrelevant to the radical, rights-restricting zealots. They fear guns, hate gun owners, and strictly adhere to their statist dogma, which insists that they pass gun control to “solve” problems that these states have never had.
Washington State gun owners have provided decades of proof that complexity, expense, and mandatory training prior to issuing a concealed carry license, does nothing to enhance public safety.
Washingtonians have enjoyed very liberal, inexpensive, shall-issue concealed carry standards, with no training requirement, since 1961, and that has never been a problem. NONE! But in spite of licensees’ stellar record, their radical Democrat politicians are insisting that the licensing process be more complicated, more expensive, and require extensive training. Not solving a problem, just adhering to dogma.
Similarly, the citizens of Vermont have always been free to carry a gun whenever they were so inclined, with no training or licensing requirements at all. Once again, this has never been a problem, as responsible gun owners have consistently acted responsibly. Vermont’s crime rates remain among the lowest in the nation, as are their rates of firearm-related accidents.
But living up to the responsibility that comes with the right to arms, means nothing to the current crop of Democratic politicians.
It irks them and their financial backers to have such a liberal state with such liberal gun laws, so they have decided that over 200 years of responsibly exercised liberty should be flushed down the drain and new restrictions must be instituted. It has nothing to do with public safety, saving lives, or protecting children, and everything to do with advancing the new Democrat orthodoxy that guns are bad and must be tightly controlled by government nannies.
New Mexico and Nevada have had higher crime rates than Washington and Vermont, but their crime problems are readily attributable to specific socioeconomic & illegal immigration factors, unrelated to the availability, possession, or carry of firearms. But these states were targeted by the Bloomies and Giffords several years ago, and they poured hundreds of thousands of dollars into them to elect Democrat majorities in their state legislatures and governors’ offices. That investment is now being repaid by dutiful Democrat politicians passing and signing restrictions on private firearm transfers, and deadly so-called “red-flag” laws to deprive people who have committed no crime of their right to arms. All based solely on hearsay, without any semblance of due process. Again, not because these laws will save lives or make people safer, but because they comport with the new, “progressive,” Democrat anti-freedom orthodoxy.
Second Amendemnt Sanctuary Cities/Counties
In response to these heavy-handed tactics, citizens have turned to their local politicians to stand up to these draconian measures. City councils, county boards, and sheriffs have responded with resolutions, proclamations, and statements opposing the new laws, and declaring that these unconstitutional assaults on liberty will not be enforced within their jurisdictions.
This growing trend around the country has provoked authoritarian responses from state attorneys general, including almost identical letters from the Washington and New Mexico AG’s, as exposed in this Tweet from the New Mexico Shooting Sports Association. The similarity of the letters strongly suggests that these folks are getting guidance from the same source, probably based in New York City.
The word Liberal used to mean “loose” or “freely,” and be associated with liberty, but it has been hijacked by statist, government control freaks. It is outrageous that “liberal” politicians would steal liberty in places that have long records proving that liberty works, and call it “progressive.”
As we have said for decades, gun control is not about guns, it’s about control. Time to step up our game and fight back harder.
Washington: Voter’s Rights Under Fire
March 15, 2019 Jeff Knox
(March 15, 2019) For almost 60 years, the state of Washington has been the gold standard for straight-forward concealed carry licensing.
Washington has had shall-issue concealed carry with no training requirement since 1961, and there has never been any sort of problem reported as a result of their simple law which requires a small application fee, a basic criminal background check, and fingerprints.
No mandatory training. No local law enforcement discretion. No need to be pals with a judge or a politician like in NJ. Just a simple application and a small fee. It’s worked beautifully. No blood in the streets. No running gun battles over fender-benders. No string of untrained license holders shooting themselves or others in foolish accidents or angry confrontations. In fact, licensed concealed carriers in Washington State have been exemplary in their prudent exercise of their right to carry. Not only have they historically been on par with licensees in other states, but they have also statistically come in on the low side of accidents, misuse, and other firearms-related mishaps. Even when compared to states with rigorous training requirements. What’s even more significant about this is the fact that concealed carry licensees, on the whole, have a well-established record of extremely low crime and firearm misuse – lower even than sworn police officers – and the licensees of Washington State have historically been on the low side of that already impressive statistic.
The record of Washington concealed carry licensees has been so exemplary that I, and others, have often used that record as proof that mandatory training requirements are spurious and serve no purpose other than to make legally carrying a concealed firearm more expensive and complicated, and therefore less affordable and less attractive.
But in spite of the stellar record of Washington State gun owners in general, and the state’s licensed carriers, in particular, Washington voters have passed two major rights-restricting initiatives,. Now Democrat politicians in the State Legislature want to penalize Washington gun owners further by “improving” the concealed carry licensing system that has proven so effective for the past 59 years. They want to mandate expensive training and additional delays, along with further restrictions on magazine capacity and so-called “assault weapons,” and additional ways to “temporarily” revoke people’s Second Amendment rights and confiscate their guns on word-of-mouth accusations. The new restrictions are coming, not because politicians want to fix current or potential future problems, and not because any of these proposals will save lives – they know they won’t.
The actual reasons politicians are pushing this radical agenda are two-fold: Fear and hatred of guns and gun owners and love of Mike Bloomberg’s money.
Washington has long been controlled by West Coast Democrats and “moderate” Republicans. It is one of the top producers of agricultural products in the country, growing much of the nation’s potatoes, wheat, cherries, apples, and other food crops, along with things like grass seed. The state is also home to Boeing, with its massive ranks of unionized workers, Microsoft, and dozens of smaller, but very profitable tech companies. Washington doesn’t have state income taxes, so it is a magnet for Silicon Valley billionaires wanting to cash-in their bonuses and stock options with the smallest tax bite possible. All these circumstances have pushed the state farther and farther to the left. As the Seattle area has grown, populations in the rest of the state – the farming and, until recently, logging regions that comprise the bulk of the state’s land area – have grown more slowly, bolstered mostly by retirees, and becoming much more dependent upon tourism. Much of that growth is also coming from California and other “liberal” wastelands. The result has been a fairly rapid transition from a center-left legislature with strong representation from rural areas, to a hard-left, urban-dominated legislature able to ride rough-shod over the “ignorant hicks from the hinterlands.”
Many of the Seattle elites have long been bothered by the state’s relatively lax gun laws, but they didn’t have the political power to change them. The rural areas have been able to hold the line, blocking attempts to enact stricter state gun laws, but unable to pass improvements like expanded concealed carry reciprocity agreements with neighboring states. The anti-rights forces always seemed to come up short – until Bloomberg brought his billions to bear in the state.
Even though Initiative 1639 passed in Washington State last fall, several county sheriffs are refusing to enforce it because they believe it to be unconstitutional. (Dave Workman photo)
Bloomberg’s minions did extensive analysis and polling across the country, and they decided that Washington gun rights were ripe for the picking. They rolled in with a cadre of media and marketing professionals, fundraisers and organizers, along with an almost unlimited budget. Bloomberg convinced local billionaires like Bill Gates and Paul Allen, along with a large collection of Microsoft and other dot-com millionaires, to bankroll an initiative effort to criminalize private firearm transfers. They spent some $15 million to convince people to vote for the initiative, which the media insisted had support from “over 90% of Americans”. They are outspending opponents 8 to 1 or more and managed to pass the initiative with about a 60% to 40% split.
Not quite the 90+% the media had promised. But the private transfer ban was just a “good first step,” and Bloomberg remained active in the state, dumping additional millions into election campaigns of anti-rights extremists. Their next target was an initiative to disarm people suspected of being a danger to themselves or others, a so-called “red flag” law. Again they outspent opponents by millions, and again they were successful, but again, this law was characterized as just a “good first step.” The pressure continued. Bloomberg and the Gifford gang continued to fund legislative candidates who promised to march to their gun control drum, and they succeeded in electing enough of them to change the balance of power in the legislature and advance their radical agenda.
Five years ago, Washington was one of the most “gun-friendly” states in the nation. Today they are vying for the title of most gun-restrictive. And the transformation happened without any significant shift in crime or other firearm misuses in the state but was instead motivated solely by political ideology, irrational fears, and money. This is an example of the insatiable appetite of anti-rights zealots. They are never satisfied with their “good first steps” and always, always want to take another and another.
Now gun owners in Washington are being crushed under the heel of the nanny state. If GunVoters fail to effectively rally their fellow gun owners and lovers of liberty to their cause in the next election cycle, Washington will almost certainly become just a northern suburb of San Francisco and a west-coast cousin of NY. NJ and CT.
Individual liberty in the Evergreen State is gasping at what could be its last breaths.
Note: Jeff lived in Washington for a number of years, mounting an unsuccessful bid for the State Legislature in 2002, challenging a 6-term Democrat incumbent in, what was at that time, Eastern Washington’s only Democrat-held district.
Second Amendment Sanctuary Zones, Taking Back Ground?
March 7, 2019 Jeff Knox
(March 7, 2019) Over the past year or so, extremist gun control laws have exploded in several states, primarily as a result of urban majorities riding roughshod over their rural neighbors.
Nowhere is this more evident than in Washington and Oregon, two states with historically liberal gun laws and low crime rates, that have been overwhelmed by a combination of growing urban populations and a sudden influx of cash from anti-rights billionaires.
Mike Bloomberg, with the help of Bill Gates and other ultra-wealthy Washingtonians, has funded a string of modest-sounding (but in reality extreme) gun control measures through Washington’s voter initiative process. The result: a once gun-friendly state suddenly in the running for the title of most firearm-restricted state in the country.
Oregon has gone a similar direction, but instead of initiatives, the assault on individual rights originated in that state’s Democrat-controlled legislature, again with the help of millions of dollars from Bloomberg and his pals. But the Northwest isn’t the only place the anti-gun ratchet has been turning. Illinois, where Chicago and its massive crime problem has long driven anti-gun efforts, is looking at statewide burdensome regulations on licensed dealers. New Mexico, and Nevada have also jumped on the gun control bandwagon with increasingly restrictive laws and legislative proposals.
Second Amendment Sanctuary Zones
In response, sheriffs, county commissioners, and city councils around the country have started passing “Second Amendment Sanctuary” resolutions, and declaring their intent to ignore and not enforce laws that violate the right to arms.
Unlike the “Sanctuary” designation adopted by cities, counties, and even states in opposition to enforcement of federal immigration laws, the Second Amendment Sanctuary movement isn’t pushing a local agenda over federal enforcement, but rather they are standing up for the supreme law of the land – the U.S. Constitution – over state laws that infringe on enumerated rights.
One of my favorite political commentators, Bill Whittle, recently voiced concern about the 2A Sanctuary movement on one of his Bill Whittle Now programs on YouTube.
His objection was that by using the “sanctuary” model, he feels that activists are falling into a trap by failing to take the fight to its source – the state legislature – to fix the problem, rather than be isolated and slowly walled off in smaller and smaller “rights enclaves.”
I would agree with him, if establishing small “freedom zones” were the final objective of the movement, but it’s not.
The 2A Sanctuary movement is not a final objective, but rather a tactic in the larger fight. The cities, towns, and counties take these positions, not as barricades to hide behind, but rather as declarations of war against their over-reaching legislators. They are rally points for lovers of freedom, where they can make plans for taking back their state legislatures and restoring the rule of the Constitution.
When an individual citizen stands up and declares “I will not comply” with laws they consider unconstitutional, that one small voice can be easily silenced. When many citizens band together and make the same declaration, they are a much louder voice that is much harder to silence. But when elected officials within a jurisdiction stand together with their fellow citizens and make the declaration on behalf of their constituents – and presumably with the support and approval of those constituents – it is a revolutionary statement that cannot be squelched or silenced. If these local politicians are indeed supported by their constituents, they will be reelected or elected to higher office, and the politicians who have pushed the unconstitutional laws will be turned out for their traitorous actions.
There’s no question that accepting unconstitutional laws as valid within the state, but not in some narrow jurisdiction, would be a serious mistake. Accepting evil for others, as long as rights are protected for me, is never acceptable. Drawing a line in the sand and declaring that creeping criminality shall not be tolerated beyond that line, and then pushing the line outward to encompass the entire state and nation, is exactly the right thing to do and is a noble effort. These local politicians – county board members, sheriffs, mayors and city council members, – are putting their careers, and in some cases their personal liberty, on the line in defense of what’s right, and they are leading the charge to rectify the wrong.
Nanny-state elitists and the sheeple who follow them in their high-rise apartment buildings and gated communities in Chicago, Seattle, Portland, and Las Vegas, must be turned out of office and their radical, anti-rights ideas rejected. That will only happen when large numbers of voters from across the states and nation stand up and take action – calling, writing, marching, and most importantly VOTING.
This is a war for liberty, and there is no neutral ground nor room for complacency. There is also no room for hiding behind “sanctuary” walls. The wrong must be thrown out and the right must prevail, and that is going to require active engagement on the part of all right-thinking Americans. We all must be willing to work toward better solutions, even when our options are limited and imperfect.
If you’re not familiar with Bill Whittle’s Firewall and Afterburner series, and his more recent Right Angel and Bill Whittle Now programs on YouTube, I highly recommend you check them out at BillWhittle.com
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line704
|
__label__cc
| 0.561278
| 0.438722
|
House Panel Approves Engel “Jobs Through Exports” Bill
Washington, DC— Congressman Eliot Engel (D-NY-16) had legislation approved today by a bipartisan voice vote by the House Foreign Affairs Committee Subcommittee on Trade. Rep. Engel is the top Democrat on the Foreign Affairs Committee. The “Export Promotion Reform Act,” authored by Engel, will create jobs for American workers by increasing export sales of U.S. goods and services in world markets. It requires coordination of the 20 separate federal programs to help U.S. firms.
The bill will now be sent to the full committee, which will clear it for action by the House of Representatives, expected in July.
“This bill will create jobs for New Yorkers and workers across the country. Every $1 billion in exports supports an average of 5800 jobs,” Engel commented after the subcommittee action.
“The goal is to make more effective use of existing government resources, not by adding new spending. Under the bill, federal agencies will work together to help our exporting firms. It’s in the U.S. national interest to help exporters and their workers deal with the fierce competition in world markets,” Engel said.
A summary of the bill follows:
SUMMARY OF “THE EXPORT PROMOTION REFORM ACT”
Sponsored by Rep. Eliot Engel (D-NY)
To carry out a workable export strategy, require a global plan to:
--Assess global markets to identify the best opportunities for increasing U.S. exports.
--Seek the recommendations of U.S. exporters, particularly small- and medium-sized firms and representatives of American workers.
--Deploy U.S. Commercial Service personnel and budgets to help U.S. firms win sales in the markets with the best opportunities.
To make the most effective use of U.S. export promotion resources, require the Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee (TPCC) to:
--Assess and make improvements in current export promotion programs, using feedback from U.S. exporters and workers.
--Review and approve annual export promotion budgets to cut waste.
--Coordinate export promotion activities across the government to fill gaps and end duplication.
--Clearly outline the role of each agency in each part of the export process. It will also describe the goals/objectives of each agency member and the rationale for measuring them.
--Provide a detailed listing of current and future Federal and State-led trade missions, trade fairs, and related activities. It will be published on Export.gov or a successor website.
--Include the Millennium Challenge Corporation as a TPCC member to better coordinate international grant opportunities with US companies.
--Review the electronic databases used by participating agencies for the purpose of improving coordination, cost-sharing, and efficiency
--Include recommendations from GAO as they relate to the coordination of the TPCC and member agencies.
--Authorize TPCC member agencies to assign staff to the TPCC.
To better use U.S. diplomatic power to help exporters, require the Secretary of State to:
--Direct ambassadors to develop country-by-country commercial diplomacy plans aimed at increasing U.S. exports.
--Require performance assessments of the effectiveness of our embassies in carrying out commercial diplomacy and helping U.S. exporters.
--Require the State Department Inspector General to assess commercial diplomacy effectiveness in the regular audits of U.S. missions.
Permalink: https://foreignaffairs.house.gov/2013/6/house-panel-approves-engel-jobs-through-exports-bill
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line709
|
__label__cc
| 0.747376
| 0.252624
|
Profile of chudnovsky
chudnovsky
(Chudnovsky Law)
chudnovsky's Forum Info
Time Spent Online: 54 Minutes, 1 Second
chudnovsky's Contact Details
Homepage: https://toplawyer.law/criminal-dui-defense/
Email: Send chudnovsky an email.
Additional Info About chudnovsky
Location: Orange County, California
Bio: Chudnovsky Law is a premier Orange County law firm practicing Criminal & DUI Defense, Personal Injury, Professional License Defense Law. Our firm offers a rare team of experienced former prosecutors and top personal injury attorneys. Our experienced attorneys have had great success in the courtroom with a strong record of acquittals, reductions in charges, and dismissals. We have successfully handled 1000’s of cases. ____________________________________________ Practice Areas: Orange County Criminal Defense Attorneys, Orange County DUI Lawyer, Orange County Personal Injury Attorney, Auto Accident Lawyer, Abogados de DUI, Abogado Criminal, Professional License Defense Attorney, Medical License Defense Attorney, Nursing License Defense Attorney, Avocat Immigration USA. ____________________________________________ CONTACT: Chudnovsky Law, 23 Corporate Plaza Dr, Suite 150 Newport Beach, CA 92660, Phone 949-750-2500.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line712
|
__label__wiki
| 0.817671
| 0.817671
|
What TV shows are you watching?
Lukasz 2019-07-12 01:51:07 UTC #7653
So tried to watch Netflix leila with a friend and unfortunately after strong first episode the episode 2 and 3 were bad.
To put it short.
It’s very slow and world building is not adequate to what we expected.
Might have been lack of budget but that seems to be minor problem at worst. Just lack of proper vision of the world and artistic creativity.
Seems like we are going to drop it and just read wiki for plot
Det.Bullock 2019-07-12 03:11:19 UTC #7654
DeekyFun:
Just wake me up when they release a G1-based TV show gritty reboot in the style of The Wire or Homicide - Life on the Street.
Not gritty, but I find Transformers Cyberverse is rather good, it takes cues from Prime and IDW comics but uses G1-ish designs by and large and the first season can be seen on youtube on the Hasbro channel.
And I read Netflix is planning something based on the War on Cybertron era.
Also what you describe is vaguely similar (at least for the little I know about the shows) to the latest IDW comic book series reboot, at the moment it’s basically a murder mistery and a political thriller set before the Autobot-Decepticon war.
BillButNotBen 2019-07-12 11:14:36 UTC #7655
Since we’re just talking about Transformers, I want to throw in my favorite movie review:
io9.gizmodo.com
Michael Bay Finally Made An Art Movie
Critical consensus on Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen is overwhelmingly negative. But the critics are wrong. Michael Bay used a squillion dollars and a hundred supercomputers' worth of CG for a brilliant art movie about the illusory nature of...
I have been told by people that Bumblebee is actually watchable, good even. But post Revenge of the Fallen any attempt to watch a Transformers movie results in flashbacks / ptsd.
Also, am I wrong in thinking that The Rock was actually a really good action movie that was also smarter than a lot of its competition? I’m not sure how Bay went from that to… wherever he went.
LexW 2019-07-12 12:13:03 UTC #7656
BillButNotBen:
Also, am I wrong in thinking that The Rock was actually a really good action movie that was also smarter than a lot of its competition?
I dunno, I mean, even if we just look at mid-1990s (say 1993 to 1998) action movies things aren’t looking that great for The Rock (and I promise I’m helping The Rock out by not going earlier/later!). We’ve got:
1993 Demolition Man
1993 The Fugitive
1994 Speed
1994 True Lies
1994 Leon/The Professional
1995 Bad Boys (also Bay, and literally an hour longer than it has any need to be)
1995 Desperado
1995 Die Hard III (aka the last decent Die Hard)
1996 The Rock
1996 Broken Arrow
1996 The Long Kiss Goodnight (now a cult classic)
1996 Mission Impossible
1996 Eraser
1997 Face/Off
1997 Con Air (I was sure this was Bay but it isn’t)
1997 Air Force One
1998 Ronin
I feel like in terms of “smarter”, The Rock is certainly in the upper half of these movies, but it’s not, in say, the top few. When True Lies is smarter than your movie, you’re not that smart.
A really good action movie though? Yes. I think we can say The Rock was that. It had some weird unnecessary stuff in it (including possibly the world’s least-wanted sex-scene feature Nick Cage’s o-face very early in the movie!) and its entitled attitude re: Sean Connery’s character’s “rights” was a bit strange, but overall it was a very good action movie with a lot of good scenes. Better than the vast majority of movies on this list.
Bad Boys by Bay was somewhat similar. It was a better-than-average action movie with a shit-ton of unnecessary baggage and scenes that reeked of male entitlement. But it had a lot more baggage than The Rock.
How did he get to Transformers from there?
Via Armageddon (1998) and Pearl Harbour (2001), movies which featured increasingly ludicrous and over-the-top scenes and scenarios, decreasingly believable or meaningful characters, and so on.
Rath 2019-07-12 14:53:26 UTC #7657
Elementary - Season 7
With the way season 6 ended, the first episode of 7 led me to believe there was going to be a new trans-Atlantic dynamic to the show, with Sherlock and Kitty in the UK and Joan and Marcus in NY, with occasional overlaps, what with Joan not being happy about getting grief from her off Black Books, and I was hopeful for the return of Sean Pertwee’s version of LeStrade, but this has not happened, and the return to the status quo was a little rushed.
Still enjoying the show though, James Frain as a potentially overarching villain is an interesting choice. Todays’ episode, 7x08, brought back Con-Artist Cassie, which was a good choice as some of Sherlocks’ best interactions have been with genuine socio/psychopaths.
iZombie - Season 5
Honestly, I’m getting bored with the show at this point. I genuinely don’t care much for the Zombies exposed, Seattle walled off plot. It was a far better show when it was more Case-Of-The-Week. I just do not care about the Filmore Graves soldiers, at all.
Some Farscape vibes going on now, with Seg-El and Brainiac doing the Crichton/Harvey thing. Serious case of Riker’s Beard in evidence here, in the sense that as soon as Cameron Cuffe gets a shave, his acting chops apparently go down the sink with it.
Emmet Scanlan absolutely killing it as Lobo, although I think the way they’ve partnered up Adam Strange with Khem now is evidence of the fact that they don’t really have a clear idea of what do with either character for the moment.
2x05 spoiler: I don’t think Lyta is dead though. Pretty sure her throat being slit by Jax-Ur is a pantomime they’ve worked out between them in some sort of deal, a shallow cut to fake her death.
The writing has been a little up and down so far, but the space setting is pretty fun, and by fuck some of the animation in the space scenes has been astonishingly good. Highlight so far; Matt Berry as a sentient doomsday device.
The title for the last episode is supposedly “Awakenings”, so I’m hopeful that Archer finally comes out of the coma.
Agents Of SHIELD - Season 6
The “Mr Fitz Goes To Space” saga has not impressed me all that much, with the convoluted manner of the space plot and the Earth plot coming together now begging to have a sticker slapped on it that reads “Hang Lampshade Here”. Enoch’s reading of “I have taken bold action” was classic though.
I’ve got a feeling I know where the “Why does Sarge look like Coulson and have the same DNA even if he’s supposedly much older” plot is going, and I’ll be disappointed if I’m right.
Brooke Williams getting to play adorably mental is always fun, as it was when she was the goddess Hel on The Almighty Johnsons.
https://io9.gizmodo.com/michael-bay-finally-made-an-art-movie-5301898
It seems that while not watching the old movie while I was a kid spared me a childhood trauma, not watching Revenge of The Fallen might have spared me from an even worse one in adulthood if that’s the effect it has on people.
somini 2019-07-12 16:14:48 UTC #7659
Michael Bay also “directed” The Island, and by “directed” I mean landed the job halfway and added more explosions to a cerebral film.
His career can be summed up with that old saying: The good things are not original, the original things are not good.
Skalpadda 2019-07-14 03:38:40 UTC #7661
I watched Chernobyl on HBO. Heard people speaking warmly about it and I had forgotten to end my sub after GoT ended, so why not? It’s very good. Not a documentary, it plays plenty of things up for drama, but it’s a very solid, well put together series that tells the story of both events and people well.
What criticisms I have aren’t major. I think I would’ve preferred Russian/Ukranian actors, or at least a mainly slavic cast. There are a bunch of posh English accents and very variable pronunciation of Russian names and places. The cast is mostly very good, so it may just be luxury-whinging, but I found it a little out of place at times. Stellan Skarsgård also has a major role in it and I just don’t like him. He’s not a terrible actor or anything, but he always plays essentially the same character with the same delivery and I can’t stand his silly American-with-a-hint-of-Swedish accent, it’s terribly distracting.
Oh, and it does that thing all western movies and TV shows do, where everything happening in the USSR is relentlessly bleak and everyone acts tense and uncomfortable all the time. I get it, the tone fits the show and the subject matter, and the Soviet Union really was shit, but the people in the Soviet Union weren’t utterly dour and tense at all times. Wouldn’t have bothered me here if it wasn’t for every single show and movie doing it.
The subject matter of the Chernobyl accident has a little extra weight for me because it’s one of the two first big news events I can remember (the other one being the (still unsolved) murder of our prime minister, also in 1986). I turned 5 that year and while Scandinavia wasn’t hit nearly as badly as northern Ukraine and Belarus we were directly in the path of the contamination that was carried north-west immediately after the explosion. All through growing up, well into the 90s, there were regular news reports of measurements of Cesium-137 (reported as if it was the weather) and there were standing recommendations not to eat more than small amounts of wild berries and venison.The measuring station at Forsmark NPP was the first radiation monitoring station in the west to pick up that an accident must have happened. Even though it was obvious it had to have come from a power plant and the Soviet Union was the only likely origin Soviet authorities refused to confirm or give any information whatsoever until it was clear they couldn’t hide the accident, so I remember some very worried and speculative news broadcasts that first day.
Anyway, it’s a good mini series. I also chuckled when I saw the credits and that the director is Johan Renck, or as anyone who grew up in Sweden in the 90s knows him, Stakka Bo.
So, I’ve now finished Season 3 of Stranger Things and I’m not sure I have much more to add from half way through. It’s more of the same. Again.
I’m now going to say stuff about it anyway
Apparently ST3 is now the most streamed show on netflix. I’m a little confused by how popular this show is. I mean, I kinda get it as it has some good elements, but it’s also very lightweight and I don’t really feel like it deserves to be as popular as it is.
Everything on the surface is great. I looks great. It has great music. It has the whole (rather overdone) 80s nostalgia thing. It has all the references to 80s shows. It has the great mix of Spielberg + Horror.
The actors are mostly good. It’s a fun comforting ride I guess.
But underneath it doesn’t really have much going on. It doesn’t really have many new ideas or do anything very original. It under-uses a lot of the characters/actors and it doesn’t really have anything to say.
IMHO it worked best in season 1, when the formula was fresh and you didn’t really notice that it didn’t have much depth.
Seasons 2 and 3 have had their highlights, and not been bad by any stretch, but they have felt a bit like retreads of season 1.
Again IMHO, they have too many characters and don’t really have much for them to do. They can’t really kill off any of the kids, so they’re a bit stuck with them. They try to fix this by introducing more characters, who are fine/good, but then they exacerbate the problem. (They also seem to need to bring back every character from previous seasons).
So you end up with a season that’s both too short and too long.
Each season is kind of like a new horror/sci-fi movie. But that means the intro lasts for 3-4 episodes and is kinda reset and similar each season. Then you get 3-4 episodes of action, which are good, but which are relatively similar to last season, just with a different monster. If each season was a movie it’s be much pacier and maybe work better.
But 8 episodes with 11+ main characters just isn’t enough, and it means they have to split the characters off into groups and send them off on separate missions, many of which feel a bit sidelined, only to bring them all back together at the end (making the endings feel a bit similar).
For example, I really like Nancy, and mostly like Jonathon, but they’ve been largely sidelined for 2 seasons, only to join in at the end.
Joyce was a key character in S1 due to Will’s disappearance, but since then it kinda feels like they’ve kept her around because she’s a name actress, not because she had anything to do.
As I said before, the number of characters and the grouping meant that you didn’t really get any sense of families in S3, as they didn’t spend any time together for most of the season.
I think the other fundamental flaw is that the protagonists are basically El + some kids. As such, the kids have almost no offensive capability, and El basically has her 1 or 2 powers that make her kinda OP. Making it very hard to avoid the trope of ‘kids get into trouble, El saves the day’.
Which they obviously tried to avoid for the ending, but which was dramatically overused for most of the season.
So yeah, it’s like comfort food and I can see it continuing in the same way, but I rather wish it had a bit more variety and depth.
Similar 2019-07-14 10:53:53 UTC #7663
Could people with Prime Video tell me if episodes 9-16 of season 3 of Into the Badlands are also marked unavailable for them? It’s been that way for months and it seems rather odd. No reason stated nor any date for when they’ll be available.
In the UK here, they’re not marked as unavailable and indeed trying to play s3 ep11 works fine.
If you’re not in the UK it is possible some TV station local to your country has the rights to the back half of the season for now.
LexW:
yeah, that’s probably the most likely explanation. I don’t really keep up with local TV (don’t even have a TV), so I don’t know, but I wouldn’t have thought the stations got stuff here that quickly. Maybe things have changed, though.
Pretty odd Prime Video doesn’t just state the reason, considering they’re not providing what you’re paying for, and are even showing what they’re not allowing you to watch.
Edit: ah, wow. Looks like quite a few online services are showing it, so that’s probably the reason. That’s some BS.
The issue of course is that they are providing what you’re paying for - you’re paying from the Prime Video service which offers certain shows at certain times and shows come and go and there’s no guarantee of all seasons being on there and so on.
That’s not to minimize your criticism, but it’s an inherent issue with Netflix/Prime/etc., that being you can never really complain about one specific show being removed, or not added, or only having part, or whatever, because you pay for the service as a whole, even if you’re only interested in specific elements.
I’ve seen this most with Netflix myself. They had S1-4 of Person of Interest pretty much since S4 was shown on UK TV, and never got S5, even many years after the show ended (and no UK channel had the right any more). When Prime got Person of Interest instead last year, they had all 5 seasons so I finally got to see S5. Another one that was fantastically annoying was Portlandia, which no UK channel was showing. Netflix got S1 and S2 shortly after they came out, never got any of the later seasons. Right now there’s an incredibly irritating situation where Netflix commissioned a new series of Tales of City (YAY!) but Netflix UK, for whatever fucked-up reason, doesn’t have any of the original series of Tales of City, though literally as I was typing this I thought to check All 4 (a UK channel), and they DO have Tales of the City, because they made it, but that’s got fucking adverts. Given Netflix carries numerous other All 4 offerings, I can only think they cheaped out on this (presumably Netflix carries it in the US).
Jerkzilla 2019-07-14 21:45:52 UTC #7667
MiniMatt:
Season 3’s shadowy government subplot is Comedy Russian Baddies being Comically Russian Baddies For Reasons We Won’t Ever Explore Even Though We’ve 8 Hours Of Filler.
Absolutely agree. Season 1 might have had the endless government agent mooks that keep getting killed, yet somehow everything gets cleaned up and nobody knows anything, but these Soviets man… I’m only at ep. 6 now, but it feels like they’re copying the 80’s tropes altogether, no interpretation, no subversion.
I thought copying 80s tropes was their thing?
I think the ruskies are there because they’re an 80s trope, and because they couldn’t use the US government a 3rd time in a row.
Yeah, I don’t know. The first season didn’t actually feel like an 80’s show. The plot kinda was, but then the Byers family suffering through it was sold just so amazingly well, IMO it really grounded the show, eclipsing all the absurd shenanigans.
It’s not so much that there are Russians, so much that they didn’t really have to be such caricatures. AFAIK the threat of Soviet special forces assaulting sensitive sites in the US was real, there’s some good sources of inspiration that could have been drawn from. The government agency in the first season still had an ominous air to them, the Soviets are cartoonish by comparison.
EDIT: It’s kinda damning how even Tom Clancy had a much more nuanced view of Soviets than this show.
I think the portrayal of the Soviets (which, yes, is more extreme than Tom Clancy) is a symptom, not a cause of the problem here. I’m only two episodes in though note.
The problem is that for whatever reason, S3 is written wildly more cartoonishly than S1 and somewhat more than S2. Normally we see the reverse of this in shows. Often the first season of a show is basically a bit crude and cartoonish as the writers find their feet, find the characters, get some nuance and complexity going, and so on.
Here we’ve see absolutely the opposite. All the characters seem to have experienced either a reset, or a simplification, and much of the dialogue has become sort of in-joke-y in a way that isn’t in-jokes with the kids, as much as in-jokes with the audience. A lot of the scenes are ridiculous and overwrought in a way that makes the show seem artificial where S1 had a considerable degree of natural-ness to it. You’re spot on re: the Byers family. They felt real, they felt at risk in many ways. There’s nothing quite like that here. Everything in S3 is over-the-top. If you’d shown it to me without the context of knowing about S1 and S2, I would have been absolutely certain this was the TV show of a Mark Millar comic book or something, and relatively true to the source material. Characters have actually lost nuance, and that’s both unusual and bad.
The writing feels different because it’s sort of chummy with the audience, expects you to know what’s going on, rather than being extremely mysterious and creepy which is what made the early seasons work. Two episode in and the sense of peril is non-existent, too. There’s also a lot of crude attempts at being shocking, which were not really present in earlier seasons. They seemed to be there to make up for the inability to create real tension or peril.
About the only believable/human character on the show so far has been the old lady who caught the rat in her basement. And the Russians are the worst, because you’ve said, they’re just Bond-villain grade stereotype characters. Oh a big Russian dude who strangles people whilst looking nuts? Oh people executed on the spot for failures, in 1984? Could we have any lamer cliches? This isn’t Stalin’s era, and even then “on the spot” was an overstatement in most case. You couldn’t away with just murdering people in public in the Soviet Union in 1984. If they’d sent him to a gulag or something it would be perhaps plausible, but no, we got the full Bond villain ridiculousness.
Another bit that was pretty ridiculous was the toys being moved by El, which was very '80s movie-ish, I admit, but she’s got a nosebleed from it and no-one notices or case and it seems like it’s just there to show who is doing it, not to be sinister? Jesus. Wtf show? Nosebleeds from psychic powers aren’t generally a good thing.
And yet another example of cartoonishness has been the use of music, which has been strange and clumsy in certain ways. Like with the Soviets they’re playing the Soviet anthem over the baddies walking away and panning over the facility, but it just seemed inappropriate and clumsy, like we didn’t know these were Russians (?!?!!? maybe some of the audience doesn’t recognise Russian accent, Russian text, or Russian uniforms - but are they going to recognise the Soviet anthem?). Then with the mayor being an idiot they’re playing what, was it My Country 'Tis of Thee? one of those American ones, I forget which, and they’re playing ridiculous tension music when the kids are sneaking up Dustin. I get the joke, but it’s an entirely meta one that doesn’t really work. That whole scene could have been done vastly more effectively.
It’s kind of unfortunate that S4 has been so successful, in my eyes, because it means they have no motivation to change/improve S4. Indeed, just rationally they might consider doubling down, on the broad, comic-book sensibilities of S3. I hope they don’t. I hope they go back to creepiness and mystery, and keep the Soviets out of it.
It’s particularly difficult to watch, I note, after watching Halt and Catch Fire (most of the way through S2, still really great), which has a largely realist approach to the 1980s, indulging in a bit of nostalgia (“Remember those sticky octopuses that people threw at things?” “Remember how fucking huge Terminator was with younger people?” etc.), but remaining grounded and being true to the actual issues actual people had in the 1980s, how they talked, and so on. Then you go over to Stranger Things, and it’s like a ridiculous lavish cartoon of the 1980s, which feels like it’s constructed of '80s tropes more than an actual love/understanding of the '80s.
yeh, I know. Still tempted to ask them why exactly I should choose Prime, just to see what they’d say, but I’d just be bothering some poor support person, so it’s not really worth it.
ouch. yeah, it’s one reason I’m wary of Netflix here in Denmark. I assume I’d run into a lot of that, especially seeing as they’re clearly competing with several other services for time-limited exclusivity.
It’s really not a very impressive system they’ve cooked up, though I guess it probably does make some people subscribe to several services at the same time.
Shadoko 2019-07-15 16:07:26 UTC #7672
which feels like it’s constructed of '80s tropes more than an actual love/understanding of the '80s.
So erm, basically a bad synthwave album ?
Remember those sticky octopuses that people threw at things?
I want to know more about this! I loved the first season of Halt and Catch Fire, looking forward to season 2 when I get the time.
EDIT: This looks like it:
Wacky WallWalker
The Wacky WallWalker was a toy molded out of a sticky elastomer. It was shaped similar to an octopus, and when thrown against a wall would "walk" its way down. It was a hugely popular toy in the early 1980s. Before its introduction in the United States, Ken Hakuta received in the mail several sticky octopus-like toys from his mother, who lived in Japan. They were intended for his children, but Hakuta found himself fascinated with the toy, which was called Tako in Japan. He realized their marketi...
http://www.retroland.com/wacky-wall-walkers/
I bought over 5 thousand of these buggers with my newspaper route earnings and made a 300% mark up selling to peers in the fifth grade in 1983 and still have about 20 left in the attic.
I used to turn them inside-out. They would look more squid-like and you could throw them at the ceiling and they would hang by the ‘nose’ for a good few minutes before dropping. I liked the way they smelled…
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line714
|
__label__cc
| 0.741306
| 0.258694
|
Our Mission: Great Stories, Big Heart.
Our Vision: To be the best little arts organization in the region, committed to sharing profits with local human services organizations, as we shine a refreshed spotlight on truly great stories.
Giving Tree's programming is driven by classic stories that you've heard of, know about, or will be glad you did after you've been to a show. We are committed to reintroducing titles and stories that will be as comfortable as the comfiest couch in the theater. We're also committed to doing it all in a small (but not too small) space with great views of the stage no matter where you are seated. ...Modest sized audiences with GIANT sized stories that evoke that knee-jerk feeling of "I am so glad we came here to see a show!" because everything is juuuuust right. :)
Why Giving Tree
You are probably wondering "what gives with the Giving?" in our title. Great question. We want to do things differently. For each Giving Tree Theater production we will partner with a different local human services non-profit. Giving Tree wishes to combine great stories and local talent as a vehicle to make our community a better place. The ultimate goal is for art to give to the community as much as it gives to the audience. Giving Tree Theater is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization, but maintains a for-profit model, allowing it to autonomously donate funds back to the community.
We want to offer a "one of a kind" intimate and immersive live theater experience. We aim to evoke a sense of nostalgia and history while offering some of the most comfortable seating available in any theater in the region. Every interaction is an experience, and Giving Tree is committed to making each one unique.
-Jamie and Andrea Henley
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line722
|
__label__cc
| 0.568075
| 0.431925
|
') var c = $('iframe#nafiframe'); // alert(c); console.log(c); }, 10000) });
GHA en Español Login Contact us +1 561 228 4014
GHA Brochure
Surveyors/Consultants
Training & Advisory Services
Certification for Individuals
Accredited Organizations
Needs Assessment and Certification Form
Call: +1 561 228 4014
Accredited Organization City Country Type
Bumrungrad International Hospital Bangkok Thailand Hospital Accreditation
As one of the largest private hospitals in Southeast Asia, Bumrungrad International Hospital provides patients from over 190 countries with a full range of tertiary healthcare services and over 30 specialty centers. It has been featured by CBS's 60 Minutes, NBC’s Today Show, Time, Newsweek, and other international press as a leader in medical tourism. In 2002, BIH made a strategic decision to target international patients and currently over 50% of its patients are medical travelers.
Prioritized treatments for medical travelers: : Cardiac, Cancer, Joint surgeries Full List
Languages: Arabic, Burmese, Chinese, English, Japanese, Indonesian, Thai
: +66 2066 8888
: https://www.bumrungrad.com/en
: Bumrungrad Hospital Public Company Limited 33 Sukhumvit 3, Bangkok 10110, Thailand
Accreditation status: Accreditation with Excellence since: September 20, 2017
Clínica Santa Clarita SC Tijuana México Ambulatory Accreditation
Clínica Santa Clarita SC is a technologically-advanced medical center that specializes in cutting-edge treatments for spinal disorders. Founded in the year 2000, the medical center has become an attractive destination for medical travelers from the United States and Canada as well as other regions in Mexico.
Prioritized treatments for medical travelers: : Spinal procedures and stem cell treatments. Full List
Languages: English, French, Spanish
: 619 863 1368
: http://www.clinicasantaclarita.com/
: Calle 10 #8452 Zona Centro Tijuana, México
Accreditation status: Accredited since: September 18, 2017
Cleveland Clinic, Ohio Cleveland USA Hospital Accreditation
Founded nearly a century ago, Cleveland Clinic has always lived at the leading edge of innovation, and has been serving medical travel patients since its first day of operation. It has pioneered many medical breakthroughs, including coronary artery bypass surgery and the first face transplant in the United States. No less important, Cleveland Clinic has also led the way in putting patients first to improve patient satisfaction. Cleveland Clinic was the first major academic medical center to make patient experience a strategic goal, appoint a Chief Experience Officer, and one of the first to establish an Office of Patient Experience.
Prioritized treatments for medical travelers: : Heart and Vascular (medical/surgical), Digestive Diseases (medical/surgical), Neurology and Neurosurgery, Pediatrics, Cancer, Urology/Nephrology and OB/GYN. Full List
Languages: Arabic, Chinese, English, Spanish, Turkish
: +1.844.330.0842
: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/
: 9500 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
European Interbalkan Medical Center Thessaloniki Greece Hospital Accreditation
Medical Tourism is a strategic priority for Athens Medical Group (AMG). The European Interbalkan Medical Center (EIMC), member of Athens Medical Group, treats a significant number of International Patients per year, from 54 countries so far, while the International Patient Center (IPC) is one of the most efficient and organized departments of its kind in Greece. It is staffed by trained, multi-lingual personnel, offering 24/7 VIP support to patients and their families.
Prioritized treatments for medical travelers: : Robotic Surgery (General Surgery, Gynecology, Urology, Minimal invasive procedures (Interventional Radiology- Oncology, Surgical Oncology, Interventional Cardiology, Interventional Neuroradiology, Orthopaedics & Spine Surgery), Oncology, Orthopaedics Microsurgery, Diagnostics, and Genomics.
Languages: English, Greek, Russian
: + 30. 2310. 400944
: http://www.iatrikodiavalkaniko.gr/en
: 10 Asclepiou Str., Pylaia Thessaloniki Greece, 57001
Accreditation status: Accredited since: May 14, 2018
Mercy Hospital Springfield Springfield USA Hospital Accreditation
Mercy Springfield Communities is comprised of Mercy Hospital Springfield, an 866-bed referral center; an orthopedic hospital; a rehab hospital; a children’s hospital; five regional hospitals in Lebanon, Aurora, Cassville, Mountain View, Missouri and Berryville, Arkansas; and Mercy Clinic, a physician clinic with nearly 700 doctors and locations throughout the region. Over the past 6 years, Mercy Health System continued to expand its Medical Destination program that historically focused on large self-insured employers in the United States, including Walmart, Lowes, JetBlue and McKesson.
Prioritized treatments for medical travelers: : Heart, orthopedics, bariatric, Surgical oncology. Full List
Languages: English, Chinese, Spanish
: https://www.mercy.net/
: 1229 East Seminole, Suite 320, Springfield, MO 65804, USA
Prince Sultan Cardiac Center Al Hassa Hofuf Saudi Arabia Hospital Accreditation
Prince Sultan Cardiac Center Al Hassa is a tertiary referral center for patients from all over the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and increasingly the GCC region, seeking complex cardiac care. Among its many achievements, PSCC Al Hassa is the first government hospital in KSA to succeed nine times in the implantation of the smallest left ventricular assistive device in the world and has achieved Joint Commission International Clinical Care Program Certification (CCPC) in acute myocardial infarction treatment and heart failure treatment.
Prioritized treatments for medical travelers: : Adult Cardiac surgery services, Pediatric Cardiac surgery and cardiology services. Full List
Languages: Arabic, Bengali, English, Hindi, Tagalog
: +966540849183
: https://www.pscch.med.sa/
: Hofuf city, Eastern Region Saudi Arabia PO Box 5588, ZIP Code: 31982
Accreditation status: Accreditation with Excellence since: May 14, 2018
St. Catherine’s Specialty Hospital Zagreb Croatia Hospital Accreditation
Located in Zagreb, Croatia, St. Catherine Specialty Hospital is a renowned internationally for advanced diagnostics, orthopedic procedures, spine surgery, pain management, and sport medicine, applying the concept of integral healthcare and innovative diagnostics methods and, most recently, personalized treatment strategies. The hospital has pioneered a number of innovative medical treatments and is a teaching base for several of Croatia’s leading universities as well as a center of research for bio-medicine.
Prioritized treatments for medical travelers: : sports medicine, orthopedic surgery, radiology, internal medicine, neurosurgery, neurology and physical medicine and rehabilitations. Full List
Languages: English, German, Russian, Slovenian
: +385 1 2867 400
: www.svkatarina.hr
: Trpinjska 7, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Accreditation status: Accredited since September 29th, 2017
Vejthani Hospital Bangkok Thailand Hospital Accreditation
Established in 1994, Vejthani Hospital is one of the leading private international hospitals in Thailand, providing cutting-edge medical technologies, internationally trained specialists, world-class health care standards and authentic Thai hospitality. Serving over 300,000 patients from over 100 countries annually with over 200 inpatient beds, the hospital provides a team of knowledgeable translators able to communicate effectively in over 20 languages to ensure that there are no issues with regards to communication when it comes to healthcare.
Prioritized treatments for medical travelers: : Orthopedics, Cardiology, Neurology. Full List
Languages: Arabic, Bengali, Burmese, Chinese, English, Ethiopian, Khmer, Thai, Vietnamese
: +662 734 0000
: https://www.vejthani.com/
: 1 Ladprao Road 111, Klong-Chan Bangkapi, Bangkok, Thailand 10240
Accreditation status: Accreditation with Excellence since: April 11, 2018
The Global Healthcare Accreditation (GHA) Program is an independent accrediting body that seeks to improve the patient experience and excellence of care received by patients who travel for their medical care and treatment, whether within their own country or internationally.
Leer en Español. Palm Beach Gardens, FL, June 10, 2019 –(PR.com)— The International So...
This past January, Ms. Karen Timmons and Mr. Bill Cook, GHA’s Chief Executive Officer and D...
Needs Assessment Form
© Copyright 2019 | Powered by Global Healthcare Resources.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line723
|
__label__wiki
| 0.731478
| 0.731478
|
NHS Trust fined after two employees stabbed
NHS Oxleas Foundation Trust has today been fined £300,000 after two members of staff suffered life-changing injuries when they were repeatedly stabbed by a service user. The Trust pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) and 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act and was also ordered to pay costs of £28,000.
The Old Bailey heard how, on July 17, 2016 a healthcare assistant, Francis Barrett was preparing toasted sandwiches for the staff and some of the patients in the kitchen on the Burgess Ward of the Bracton Centre, which is a medium secure forensic unit in Kent. He went to leave the kitchen to speak to a service user, leaving the knives on the work surface.
As he opened the door, which had been locked from the inside, one of the service users who had been seen nearby pushed him back into the kitchen, forcing him onto the floor. The service user then grabbed a kitchen knife from the side and stabbed Francis Barrett multiple times in the chest and stomach. In his victim impact statement Francis described feeling like a piece of meat being prepared for cooking.
Julius Falomo, a psychiatric nurse, also working on the ward, saw what was happening and shouted for the attack to stop. The service user attacked him as well in the corridor, allowing Francis Barrett to lock the kitchen door. Julius Falomo was then stabbed multiple times.
Armed police arrested the service user. Both employees were treated for multiple stab wounds and were air lifted to Kings Hospital, where they received blood transfusions and surgery to repair the damage caused by the attack.
Both nurses still suffer pain, medical problems and psychological damage from the attacks. Two other members of staff who, for their own safety, had to hide on the ward and witness the attacks on their colleagues have suffered both emotional and psychological damage. Both described in their victim impact statements feeling helpless and that they feared they would be next to be attacked. Both took time off work and have received counselling from the Trust.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that although the Bracton Centre routinely received high-risk patients, at the time of this incident there was no patient specific risk assessment identifying the risks posed by a patient and the measures required to control those risks prior to admission to the ward.
The investigation also found that the use of knives on an acute ward was fundamentally unsafe. Staff were entering and exiting the kitchen area several times whilst knives were in use and there were no instructions or control measures in place regarding kitchen knives. Following the incident all knives were removed from the acute wards.
Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Joanne Williams said: “This incident has had a profound impact not only on the two nurses who nearly died because of their injuries, but also their colleagues who witnessed the attacks. These NHS workers dedicated themselves to a public duty that came with daily challenges and the Trust had a responsibility to keep them safe.
“The treatment of patients in medium secure psychiatric units involves an inherent risk of violence and aggression. The needs of patients can be complex. However, the Trust nevertheless had a duty to ensure the safety of its staff and its patients so far as was reasonably practicable.
“In this case there were relatively straightforward steps that could have been taken prior to the incident to prevent it happening. These included carrying out a patient specific risk assessment prior to admission to the ward; the removal of knives from acute admission wards, including Burgess Ward where patients do not routinely require occupational therapy; and proper training in search techniques.
“The risk of violence posed by patients was entirely foreseeable. Had these steps been taken Francis Barrett and Julius Falomo would not have suffered the serious injuries that they did.”
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line728
|
__label__wiki
| 0.636757
| 0.636757
|
English (en) Français (fr)
Themes ›
Hate crime ›
Bridging the gap between policies and reality: FRA’s Fundamental Rights Report 2017
Over the last decade, new fundamental rights laws and policies have been adopted and specialist institutions created. But fundamental rights challenges still remain and rights are under attack, underlining the lack of a fundamental rights culture across institutions and societies, as the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) reveals in its 2017 Fundamental Rights Report.
Education to promote inclusion and mutual respect is essential to counter hate speech
Promoting inclusion and mutual respect through education and strong positive narratives are essential to prevent incitement to hatred and counter hate speech in the digital age, the heads of three European human rights institutions said in a joint statement on today’s International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
Migration turmoil tests EU fundamental rights resolve, finds FRA’s Fundamental Rights Report 2016
Over one million people sought refuge in the EU in 2015, a fivefold increase from the year before. In its Fundamental Rights Report 2016, the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) examines the scale and nature of the challenge and proposes measures to ensure fundamental rights are respected across the EU.
Attacks against refugees, asylum seekers and migrants are unacceptable, say heads of European human rights institutions
On the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, the heads of Europe’s main intergovernmental human rights institutions call for a strong response to xenophobic attacks against migrants, asylum seekers and refugees, and call on governments and state authorities to uphold their international obligations in this regard.
Hate and intolerance must be combated more strongly as social climate worsens
Research by FRA shows that racism and xenophobia are a widespread problem in Europe today. As support for xenophobic and anti-migrant agendas grows, FRA calls in a special contribution to the European Commission’s first annual colloquium on fundamental rights for targeted awareness-raising measures, better data collection, and more effective access to justice for victims. The persistent lack of data is central to the Agency’s annual overview of data on antisemitism in the EU, which is also published today.
Migrant tragedies, one of many fundamental rights challenges that need tackling, finds FRA
Record numbers of migrants died as they tried to cross the Mediterranean to reach Europe in 2014. Member States should therefore consider offering more legal possibilities for people in need of international protection to enter the EU, as viable alternatives to risky irregular entry. This is one of the conclusions from this year’s Annual report which looks at developments across the EU in many areas over 2014.
Values threatened by hate speech must be reinforced
The most effective way to counter hate speech is to reinforce the values of democracy and human rights that it threatens, the heads of three intergovernmental human rights institutions said today in a joint statement on the eve of the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
How to strengthen Europe’s fundamental rights protection: FRA suggests ways forward
As EU ministers meet to discuss the future of the EU’s policies on freedom, security and justice, the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) outlines practical suggestions in its Annual report about how to ensure people in the EU can have their rights better protected. It also maps out the fundamental rights challenges and achievements that took place over the course of 2013.
Combating hate crime - Encouraging reporting and improving recording
Hate crime does not just harm individual victims, but entire communities, affecting our societies in all their diversity. Research by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) has consistently found that members of ethnic and religious groups, national minorities, migrants, LGBT people or those with disabilities are faced with prejudice on an everyday basis.
Political leaders have central role to play in countering racism and hate crime
Political leaders have central role to play in countering racism and hate crime, say heads of European human rights institutions on International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
Giving victims a voice
Compendium of Practices
Technical assistance at national level
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line736
|
__label__cc
| 0.656837
| 0.343163
|
Declines and Disappearances of Australian Frogs
In terms of post-winter developmental rate, the late-release tadpoles showed a faster rate than the early release and field tadpoles. A substantial difference in tadpole size was observed among the three experimental sites for the captive-reared tadpoles. Samples from Site C have the largest size while tadpoles from Site B.
Environmental Studies, Formal science & Physical science, Geography
Describe the three major causes of soil erosion
In addition, overcultivation partly occurs due to introduction and use of mechanized machinery such as tractors and discs ploughs and the introduction of irrigation schemes (Park, 2001, p.Overcultivation is one of the major causes of soil erosion. The constant use of land for crop production removes the protective soil covering and crops do not have the capacity to strongly hold the soil, which increase the risks of soil erosion. Likewise, the use of tractors and disc ploughs destroy native
Discuss the role agriculture plays in modern society with its implications on the environment
This means enhancing modern agriculture is a must in order to meet the prevailing needs and demands of the society. After all, healthy diets are remarkably in line with agriculture as far as food production is concerned. Society at the top end are rich enough with food supplies due to their ability to produce them and avail their distribution, but the impoverish groups continue to experience malnutrition and even starve to death (Gillis 1). The answer may be certain that appropriate food
Discuss the relative merits of workplace parking charges and congestion charging as a basis for reducing car dependency in British cities
Taking London for example employed the London Congestion Charging Scheme (LCCS). From the table below gives the changes in the number of different types of vehicles entering and leaving the charging zones.The large improvement of London bus network has seen people switching to the use of the bus, they have increased the number of the buses with combination of more frequency and good network, this has seen car user avoiding to pay the congestion charges switch to public transport. Taking for
Do Cypriot workers and their employers comply with the safety regulations in regards to the wearing and use of Personal Protective Equipment (P.P.E.)
This research will analyse what exactly the P. definition is and with the research results it will show how important is for the workers life. It also looks at how people face safety in their workplace and if they are using P. on the worksites. The research problem is “Do Cypriot workers and their employers comply with the safety regulations in regards to the wearing and use of Personal Protective Equipment (P.The main aim of this kind of research is to analyze the data (qualitative and
Discuss the proposition that global shortages of essential raw materials and energy supplies will displace 'environmental risk' as a driver of government policy
This is mainly because of the interrelationship between energy scarcity and raw materials depletion. Majority of raw materials require huge amounts of energy for extraction and transportation. However, since oil has been available, the energy required to extract raw materials has made the production cheaper, making it harder to visualize the depletion of these resources. Nevertheless, as the cost of oil increases, the cost of obtaining raw materials will become more expensive. The cost of
Describe the palaeogeography and depositional environments which prevailed during formation of the Wensleydale Group (Yoredale Group) of the northern UK
Mother Earth is estimated to be nearly 4.6 billion years old. Out of that length of time, the available rock analysis technology can compute the estimated time when events took place based on the findings on rocks. Only 440 million years can be traced in the rocks themselves. Up in the north of England, one can find the “junction between two ancient continents that were once separated by a vast ocean” (Hyslop et. It is known as the Lapetus Suture. And the ocean existed 500 million years
Demographic Transitions
If the high fertility rate would be controlled, the population would have faced a decline. This high fertility rate and not immigration is the big cause of population. According to a rough calculation the birth rate lied between 36 to 45 births per 1000 population and the rate of deaths lied decreased to 18 deaths from 21 deaths per 1000 people during the last 40 years of the 19th Century (Maddison, 2001).During age of Baby Boom in 1940s and 1950s the average annual growth rate of Canada’s
Discuss the extent to which energy security and reducing carbon emissions can be compatible aims for countries. Illustrate your answer with reference to China and one other country
It is an effective strategy too because it would help countries to venture into newer energies, since the coal, oil, and gas resources are highly depleting. It does not come as a shock, because most developing countries may lack the power to acquire nuclear energy, but at least have and are aware of other alternative energy sources. According to Gallagher, China’s concern on environmental problems has pushed it to pursue renewable energy; it has so far acted towards ethanol production, and
Developing Common Leys: Sustainability in Action
Water is a renewable resource and sustaining it should not be that difficult. However, even with the abundance in water, there are challenges regarding delivery of clean and safe water as well as the re use and treatment of waste water. These processes are very useful in conservation of the environment but are rather costly (Heinberg & Lerch, 2010, p. Population growth and pressure means that this resource is changing. Pollution from industrial wastes as well as human wastes threatens the
Development of a Corporate Social Responsibility Strategy for Supermarket
It includes a global supply chain as its product lines are numerous such as clothes, electrical equipments, food items and many others.Corporate social responsibility is described as the commitment that any organization, operating in any segment. The prime intention of CSR is to enhance the economic development of the country or nation. By doing so, the economic condition of the society, community, employees, customers, suppliers etc might get improved that may enhance their lives. Moreover,
Discuss the use of the New Zealands RMA as a tool to promote the sustainable management of New Zealands natural and physical resources (the objective of the RMA)
Further, Section 6 of the RMA also seeks to protect the Maori culture and their ancestral lands and also seeks to protect the natural sceneries and landscapes within New Zealand from environmental degradation. The RMA requires investors to seek resource consent from relevant authorities before the commencement of an economic project that is likely to have environmental impact (Anker, Olsen Rønne & , 2009). Further, RMA seeks to influence the effective use of energy and serves as a steward to
Discuss the particular difficulties of supplying general housing, and affordable housing, in rural areas. Analyze the consequences of housing undersupply for rural communities and possible future remedies
Jones & Coombes (2013) indicate that this hardship is one that has placed undue pressure on the UK real estate market and one that threatens to reduce the equity of real estate and decrease the upward mobility and life choices that individuals seeking to promote their own interests might otherwise expect to achieve within their lifetime.As shown in the figure 1, the net migration is positive for rural areas and mixed areas and it is negative for the urban areas. And according to the ONS
Define and discuss sustainable development by focusing on a global issue
“Water is life” no living thing in the world can survive without water. Water from rivers is used in irrigation and in other domestic uses by human beings. Water bodies are a source of habitat for creatures that benefit society in one way or the other (Ghosh & Goswami, 2014, pg. Fish is a good source of healthy food for humans. Other than being used for home purpose, most societies living around fresh water bodies have built their economy through the sale of fish, both locally and to other
Discuss the relevance of actor network theory and systems thinking for design and implementation of infrastructure systems
Actor network theory is relevant in the design and implementation of an infrastructure system because it is grounded on simple observations. This theory is concerned with the ways in which design and implementation are done, rather than the ways in which these processes are normatively supposed to be approached. Actor network theory explains how technological artifacts are designed. In addition, the theory explains the processes that are performed during the design of a system and the
Discuss the Potential of Urban Green Spaces to Improve Quality of Life in Cities
As a direct result of the fact that interaction between peoples takes place within these spaces, they further are able to encourage culture, sport, and other interactions that would not take place within another setting. In addition, as indicated previously within the analysis, even though certain sporting event can encourage a level of interaction between peoples, green spaces and parks are able to maximize this level of interaction; all the while encouraging other positive elements that
Discuss the approach to implementing a Environmental Management System (EMS) and how it would be applied to a UK univeristy
The system allows for the development of policies and procedures that help in managing resources and waste products more effectively, thus reducing the production costs (Sullivan & Wyndham, 2007, p. Running an EMS helps in proving the credentials of your business as an environmentally aware operation. Through the use of the system, an organization makes a commitment to the continual improvement of the environment. You may also find it easier to raise some investment from renowned banks and
Development of OHS intervention strategy: Occupational stress in the UK
According to Cox & Griffiths 2010). The health and safety executive has indentified six causes of occupational stress. The six factors identified by the health and safety executives that can lead to work related stress includes control, demands, support, relationships, change and role(Cherry, 2009). Stress occur when employees fail to understand their responsibilities and roles, when organization engage them more frequently, when they are subjected to unacceptable behaviors, when they are
According to Cox & Griffiths 2010). The health and safety executive has indentified six causes of occupational stress. The six factors identified by the health and safety executives that can lead to work related stress includes control, demands, support, relationships, change and role (Cherry, 2009). Stress occur when employees fail to understand their responsibilities and roles, when organization engage them more frequently, when they are subjected to unacceptable behaviors, when they are
Discuss the development and the future of offshore wind turbines around EU and the UK
Accommodating and has allowed the country to continue this journey as it looks for different ways of dealing with its unique position that places it on the greatest advantage against other rival countries (Tillessen, 2010:170). This also shows that the politicians understand the government can save so much in this project and are willing to try it and reduce the cost of operation for companies within the country (Thomsen 2011: 297). This willing nature has also made the UK possess the largest
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line740
|
__label__wiki
| 0.740743
| 0.740743
|
← Legion of Frontiersmen to PPCLI and 31st Bn CEF (Canada)
Legion of Frontiersmen in Canada Timeline (Part 4) →
A Murder Mystery – Death of a Frontiersman
Posted on July 6, 2015 by Roger Pocock
Lord Erroll, 1930, reproduced by kind permission of the 24th Earl of Erroll ©
It would be safe to say that quite a sizeable percentage of those who read this page would agree that there is some unsolved mystery in their own family; perhaps about a grandfather, a great uncle or even further back in the family history. It could be there is even an unexplained death or disappearance, or even a murder. What few families will have suffered is the unending publicity and speculation that has followed the murder on 24th January 1941 of Captain the Hon. Josslyn Victor Hay, 22nd Earl of Erroll, Hereditary High Constable of Scotland. The Earl of Erroll was originally commissioned to command Nairobi Troop of East Africa Command of the Legion of Frontiersmen. By October 1939 the Earl was listed as the officer commanding “A” Squadron with the rank of Legion Captain. The current Earl of Erroll has always wanted to solve the mystery of who did shoot his grandfather, but we have to have great sympathy for him as he has had to suffer countless theories, from the wild to the logical, being published in magazines, newspapers and books as to who was indeed the murderer. There was also a popular, if highly imaginative, 1987 film White Mischief starring an impressive cast, including Charles Dance, Greta Scacchi and Joss Acland. (More about that film at the end of this topic page). It is highly unlikely that this mystery will ever be solved satisfactorily, so we will only mention some of the more logical theories and concentrate on Lord Erroll as a Frontiersman.
The current and 24th Earl of Erroll cooperated with noted Kenyan author Errol Trzebinski on her 2000 book about the murder The Life and Death of Lord Erroll, which is a fascinating read. An official request from the current Earl of Erroll for information regarding the life and career of his grandfather may have been likely to have caused concern and got the official shredders working to capacity. The British Civil Service has traditionally made public only what it feels is good for the citizen to know. Possibly even politicians tend to encounter this problem. Sadly, when files are then opened, the suspicion can be that they have been “weeded” first.
Lord Erroll was never going to be a monogamous type; in this he was very similar in this to numerous other Frontiersmen we have studied and who travelled and lived in what were then the frontiers of the world.
…there is not a shred of evidence that he drank heavily; or that he indulged in orgies…Joss’s affairs were not as numerous as the public have been led to believe since his death…he had the realism not to marry anybody whose feelings would be hurt by infidelity…He did not smoke or take drugs; in fact, as far as these habits were concerned, he was abstemious in the extreme. 1
Joss Erroll had been a fascist. It may not be comfortable in the light of today’s opinions for anyone to know that a relative supported the fascists in the 1930s, but for many years they were an accepted movement by a reasonable percentage of the British public. The greater concern for the majority of the British people between the wars was communism and the threat of Bolshevism, and that was what the fascists claimed to fight against. The Rothermere newspapers such as the Daily Mail and Sunday Dispatch were for many years in full support of the fascists. The appointment of the then Lord Erroll as the British Union of Fascists’ representative in Kenya was reported in The Blackshirt issues of 15, 22 and 29 June 1934 and there was further mention in the issue of 7 Sept 1934. The question has to be raised as to why, when he Legion claims to be strictly non-political, the Earl of Erroll was accepted as a member and given officer rank. This ruling has been not always one of black and white and the Earl of Erroll’s views were not uncommon among the British ruling and middle classes and would have caused very little disquiet. In 1924 Frontiersman (Commander) H Collingwood Hughes was elected as Conservative M.P. for Peckham. An advertisement for him as a candidate had appeared in The Frontiersman magazine and he had been mentioned in an editorial. This seems to have passed without comment. Oliver Locker-Lampson M.P., who was on the Executive Council of the Legion, organised a series of ‘Clear out the Reds’ rallies aimed at what were then known as “bolshevists”. However, in 1934 Sir Hugh Trenchard, Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, unsuccessfully recommended introducing a legal ban on fascist uniforms being worn. The police supported the Frontiersmen, who formed the official City of London Mounted Police Reserve, usually in Frontiersmen uniform, The Territorial Army saw no problem in accepting men who were members of the BUF, but their senior officers disapproved of the Frontiersmen.
By 1938 Lord Erroll had apparently considerably moderated his views and was a member of the Kenya Legislative Council. Like many others, he would have probably been appalled by the violence of the Blackshirts and found the extreme anti-semitism and attacks on Jews by the Nazis in Germany unacceptable. However, the President of the Legion, Major-General Lord Loch, is known to have held right-wing views. The officer commanding Southern Command of the Legion was Major Hugh B.C. Pollard who also held right-wing views. He was one of the men closely involved in bringing Franco back from exile. It therefore seems that the Legion tended to ignore right-wing views of some of its officers as long as the Legion and the Legion uniform were not used in promoting those political views. In fact the Legion had to stop wearing their working dress of loose navy blue shirt (khaki in warm climates) and wear the restricting patrol jacket at all times. This was to stop being mistaken for (in the Founder’s words) “politicians in uniform”.
It is generally accepted that the views of British fascists were influenced more by Mussolini than Hitler. The British Government had been rather luke-warm in enforcing international sanctions against Italy for its invasion of Kenya’s neighbour Abyssinia and there were regular cross-border social meetings within the military. There was a view held by a number of people that it would be better to have white Italians running that country than coloured native Abyssinians who would be unstable and still engage in tribal warfare. On the other hand, the first war against Germany was within easy memory and any deal that involved handing the old German East Africa territories back to Germany in exchange for peace would not have received general approval. Trzebinski covered this in her book.2 Opinions regarding the Italians had to change when they invaded northern Kenya in June 1940.
John Boyes
Trzebinski claimed to have relied on the East African Standard for her claims that Lord Erroll was responsible for the re-vitalisation of the Legion.3 It is certain that the recruitment of such a public figure would have brought publicity, but the Legion enjoyed a constant presence in Kenya for many years thanks to Legion Major John Boyes who, as can be seen in the illustration, was happy to appear on the streets dressed in full Legion uniform. Boyes left us two books about his early adventures,4 but nothing about his later life. In any case it is generally believed that some of his accounts in his books of events owed something to imagination and exaggeration. The EAS could also probably be counted on to place the occasional journalistic slant on any story as Lord Erroll was an important local character. Legion uniform was strictly set down by HQ in London. Lord Erroll may have made suggestions as to the fabrics that would be suitable for the climate and may very likely have also made alterations to the mess kit, as there were no specific regulations for tropical mess kit. We cannot agree with Trzebinski’s claim that Erroll would have been so egotistical as to attempt to redesign the dress uniform.5 Boyes was the one in command of East Africa Command and Lord Erroll only originally commanded Nairobi Troop, one of several around Kenya. By October 1939 the o.c. “A” Squadron was listed in the East Africa Frontiersman magazine as Capt. The Hon.The Earl of Erroll. East African Command produced its own magazine “The Frontiersman”, which it claimed had the largest circulation of any monthly publication in Kenya, Uganda, Tanganyika, Northern Rhodesia and Zanzibar. The editor was Capt. J. Neale P.O. Box 1323, Nairobi.
We now come to his elusive posthumous Mention in Despatches. It is interesting that, although London Gazette citation of his Mention in Despatches refers to “Second-Lieutenant (Acting Captain) the Earl of Erroll, The Kenya Regiment”, in Campbell’s The Charging Buffalo 6 no mention is made of Lord Erroll’s temporary commission in the Kenya Regiment. The British National Archives seem to have no record of his commission in the Kenya Regiment other than just once in the Army Diary in WO169/726 “East Africa Command Nairobi Lines of Communication” where on 11th June 1940 under Staff Appointments there is listed as Staff Captain A. (2) 2nd Lieut. The Earl of Erroll. The Italians declared war on that date and began skirmishing across the border with Kenya in that month. It appears that Erroll’s commission only dated officially from June 1940. Copies of The East Africa Force Gazette are lodged in this file, but only up to 27th April issue. The Earl of Erroll is not listed in any issue that has been discovered in any NA file. No later copies can be traced in any other files of East Africa Command. Strange.
Life and Death of Lord Erroll
Trzebinski on p184 states that Lord Erroll’s movements between approximately 6 and 14 August 1940 cannot be traced. According to the Army Diary, at about that time a Brigadier set out from Nairobi on a tour of inspection to the dangerous area bordering Ethiopia. Perhaps he took Captain the Earl of Erroll with him because of Erroll’s extensive knowledge of the whole of Kenya? This could be the reason for the MID. Researches are ongoing, but this remains another mystery to add to “who killed Lord Erroll?”
The story of what became to be known as the “Happy Valley murder” is well covered in Trzebinski’s book The Life and Death of Lord Erroll, as is the trial and acquittal of the cuckolded husband. Juanita Carberry’s version of events is to be found in her Child of the Happy Valley. Trzebinski claims to have evidence that Lord Erroll was killed on the instructions of British Secret Service due to his right-wing opinions and knowledge of the Duke of Windsor’s alleged links with Germany. Carberry wrote that the acquitted Delves Broughton admitted to her privately that he was in fact guilty of the murder. It is well worth reading both books, especially the Trzebinski. You can then see what evidence has been discovered. As far as the Legion historians are concerned, we never claim anything without clear proof. Suffice to say that when the film White Mischief came out the writer spoke to a local man Edward Lacey-Hulbert OBE, who as a young man had lived in Kenya and knew all the members of the “Happy Valley set”, although he was not of their group. At the time we spoke he was well into his eighties, but was a well-known character speeding round local country roads in a little Fiat sports car. I asked Lacey-Hulbert whether he had seen the film. His reply was that it was an utter load of rubbish. He claimed that he in fact knew the true story of who murdered Lord Erroll, as did several people still alive. He told me that he would never tell anyone and would go to his grave with the secret, as would the others who knew. There, as far as we know, the story must end. Read the books, and see what you think yourself, but have sympathy for the family of the murdered 22nd Earl of Erroll, Captain in the Legion of Frontiersmen.
1 Trzebinski, Errol, The Life and Death of Lord Erroll; the truth behind the Happy Valley Murder. [Fourth Estate, 2000] p.xvi-xvii.
2 Trzebinski, Lord Erroll, many references, but particularly p.145-50
3 Trzebinski, Lord Erroll, p.142
4 Boyes, John, King of the Wa-Kikuyu and The Company of Adventurers. [2001 reprints of original 1911 and 1927 books by Resnick’s Library of African Adventure]
5 Trzebinski, Lord Erroll, p. 142-3
6 Campbell, Guy, The Charging Buffalo, a History of the Kenya Regiment 1937-1963, [Leo Cooper/Secker & Warburg, 1986]
The article above was originally published on http://www.frontiersmenhistorian.info in December 2011 but has been edited/updated.
This entry was posted in Archive Topics, East Africa Frontiersmen, Frontiersmen, History, Legion of Frontiersmen and tagged Blackshirts, Earl of Erroll, Happy Valley Kenya, John Boyes, Murder of Lord Erroll. Bookmark the permalink.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line742
|
__label__wiki
| 0.934156
| 0.934156
|
SSC Men's Golf
13 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
10INDIVIDUAL NCAA CHAMPIONS
16SUNSHINE STATE CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS
What a Finish: Mocs Shoot -11 in Final Round to Take the Lead Before Carson-Newman Wins Cougar Invitational at the End
COLUMBUS, GA – Halfway through the first two rounds of the Cougar Invitational, the Florida Southern men's golf team was in 11th place, though an eight-shot deficit at that point was far from insurmountable. As long as the Moccasins played well in the final two rounds, new head coach Lee White knew they would still be among the contenders at the end. The Moccasins did indeed play well, putting together a final-round score of -11 to climb all the way into first before No. 16 Carson-Newman (TN) went four-under on the final two holes to finish three shots ahead of Florida Southern.
White saw three of his players shoot in the 60s Tuesday on the par-71 course at the Country Club of Columbus, with senior Christian Anderson and junior Chase Ibbotson each carding a four-under par 67, and senior Michael VanDerLaan just behind them with a 68. Fourth counter Max Coutsolioutsos had an even-par 71, and Jacob Penny had his best round of the tournament with a 72. Collectively, they were eight-under on the back nine when they caught Carson-Newman at the top of the standings.
The Moccasins began the day tied for fourth with No. 8 Limestone (SC) but pulled away from the Saints early, as did the three teams still ahead of them, Valdosta State, Carson-Newman, and No. 5 Florida Tech. That left only four teams in contention for most of the final round, and by the end of the day, it was down to Florida Southern and Carson-Newman. The Mocs moved ahead of the other two roughly halfway through their own round and went to the clubhouse with a share of the lead at -6. An eagle by VanDerLaan, the Mocs' final golfer, did the trick with the senior doing that for the second time in the tournament, with both coming on 17.
Unfortunately for Florida Southern, Carson-Newman responded with its own eagle on 17, coming from its second golfer, Jackson Tyler. When Tyler followed with a birdie on 18, the Moccasins were down by three shots with three Eagles still on the course. Those three played their final holes at even-par to give Carson-Newman its three-shot victory.
While finishing three shots behind Carson-Newman, Florida Southern was three ahead of third-place Valdosta State and five ahead of Florida Tech. Fifth-place Lee (TN), which is ranked No. 24, was 19 shots off the pace, and defending national champion Lynn, ranked No. 2 coming into play, finished sixth.
Anderson and Ibbotson set the tone early for the Moccasins as their third and fourth golfers to tee off. With birdies on four and seven, Anderson made the turn at two-under, and Ibbotson wasn't far behind at one-under. Neither golfer had a bogey on the front nine and that streak continued on the back. Ibbotson started the second half of his round with a birdie on 10 and added two more on 14 and 17 to finish the day with a four-under par 67. Anderson had consecutive birdies on the par-4 No. 15 and the par-3 No. 16 to also shoot a 67 and give the Mocs another bogey-free round.
The 67 for Anderson was the third of his career, though his previous two at the McDonough Cup his freshman year, and the Saint Leo Fall Invitational as a sophomore, carried with them a -5 in relation to par. Ibbotson's 67 and his -4 relative to par were both career-bests.
VanDerLaan's 68 gave him a career-best three-round total of 208 (-5) as the Mocs' best golfer in the tournament, and he was the only golfer in the entire field with two eagles. He tied for fourth to equal the best finish of his career, something he also did at last year's Copperhead Championship. VanDerLaan was just two strokes behind Lincoln Memorial's Sam Broadhurst and Montevallo's Brady Carman who tied for first at -7. Broadhurst defeated Carman in a one-hole playoff for the individual title.
Ibbotson also had the best tournament of his college career, tying for sixth with a 209 (-4), and just as VanDerLaan did, scored in the 60s for the final two rounds. His 13 birdies in the tournament were one shy of the tournament leader. Anderson tied for 16th with a 212 (-1), making Florida Southern the only team in the field with three golfers under par.
Coutsolioutsos tied for 34th with a 217 (+4), and Penny tied for 59th with a 224 (+11).
Florida Southern's next tournament is the Copperhead Championship, October 15-16, in Palm Harbor, Florida.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line743
|
__label__wiki
| 0.609744
| 0.609744
|
Kidnap & Ransom
Crisis protection
Deviation risks
Instant contact
Time for you
Venezuela: A country in abeyance
Blog | 06 2019 | by C. Lohoff
The downward spiral of political dissatisfaction, hyperinflation, malnutrition and violence has been gripping the South American country for years and is turning ever faster. The power struggle between Nicolás Maduro, whose presidency is questioned from a constitutional point of view, and the president of the National Assembly, Juan Guaidó, who has declared himself interim president, continues to escalate and seems unresolvable for the foreseeable future. How the situation will develop in the coming weeks and months is hardly foreseeable.
The background of the conflict
Venezuela is the most oil-rich country in the world. This wealth long provided the country with a comfortable economic situation and made Venezuela one of the most stable countries in South America. Despite the enormous profits in the 1970s, Venezuela has never managed to diversify its economy and become less dependent on oil. The combination of high foreign debt and falling oil prices from 1983 onwards has led to an economic and currency crisis. As recently as 2014, oil revenues accounted for 96% of Venezuela's national budget.
The strong dependence on the oil price thus also led indirectly to the collapse of imports and social programs, the framework established to distribute the profits from the oil business. This in turn led to a now extreme plight of the population, as a result of which more than three million Venezuelans have left the country in recent years. This figure is expected to rise to five million until the end of the year.
The economic situation, for which many blame the socialist government of Nicolás Maduro and his predecessor and mentor Hugo Chavéz, has been further weakened since January because of the open conflict between the opposition and the government. Juan Guaidó, opposition leader and president of the Venezuelan National Assembly, declared himself interim president on 23 January, just two weeks after Maduro's re-swearing-in. The National Assembly had previously declared Maduro's re-election illegitimate.
Last year's presidential election was neither democratic nor legal, according to the opposition, many observers and states. The election had been brought forward to take advantage of the unrest in the opposition. In addition, some of the most promising opponents were either excluded from the candidacy, imprisoned or fled the country. For these reasons, large parts of the opposition had boycotted the election.
In his declaration of 23 January, Guaidó refers to Articles 233 and 333 of the Venezuelan constitution; because Maduro's election was invalid, the office of president was also vacant and the president of the National Assembly took over the office on a transitional basis.
While the USA, several Latin American and EU states recognize Juan Guaidó as interim president, Russia, China, Turkey and Iran, among others, support Nicolás Maduro's presidency. The Venezuelan military also continues to support Maduro.
In the days that followed, the situation in the country deteriorated further. While the USA imposed sanctions against the state-owned oil company, Maduro imposed an exit ban on Guaidó and had his bank accounts frozen. At the same time, Maduro blocked aid deliveries at the borders.
Despite the travel ban, Guaidó travelled to Colombia, Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Ecuador. There he met with US Vice President Mike Pence and other heads of state to promote support and humanitarian aid. Despite the threat of arrest, Guaidó returned to Venezuela on 4 March, escorted by foreign ambassadors, to lead the protests against Nicolás Maduro's regime. Since then Guaidó has tried to find supporters within Venezuela. According to many, the decisive factors for the further course of the state crisis are the pressure coming from the citizens on the streets and the position of the military.
To increase public pressure, Guaidó has called for a general strike, but fewer people have joined than hoped. Officials, in particular, remain on Maduro's side, whether out of conviction or economic pressure.
This also applies to the majority of the military. Guaidó has indeed succeeded in attracting some military forces to his side, and with the help of these soldiers it has been possible to free the opposition Leopoldo Lopez, who has been under arrest for years. However, according to experts of the Venezuelan armed forces, the Maduro regime has systematically restructured the military, which was already characterized by corruption. The classical hierarchical structure has been transformed into a network structure based on the self-administration of the local authorities. This makes a coup against Maduro extremely difficult.
It has recently become known that the government and opposition have met for talks in Cuba and Norway. These talks, however, were not successful.
Meanwhile, the humanitarian situation remains tense. For a long time Maduro refused to let aid into the country. Only since mid-April the International Red Cross has been able to distribute relief supplies to the population. According to the United Nations, almost a quarter of the 30 million Venezuelans depend on urgent aid. In addition, 3.7 million people and at least 22 percent of children under the age of five are malnourished. According to Colombian sources, several hundred Venezuelans and several dozen Colombians were injured during the border blockades during conflicts on the Venezuelan-Colombian border.
According to Amnesty International, there are also arbitrary arrests and extrajudicial executions against opponents of the Maduro regime. At the end of January, hundreds of children and young people were arbitrarily arrested and partly tortured in several federal states, including the capital Caracas. At least six opponents of the regime had been executed by the special unit FAES.
Already in September 2018, several American states had appealed to the International Criminal Court and asked the prosecutor to investigate the situation in Venezuela since 2014. The accusations against the Venezuelan government are crimes against humanity committed on the territory of Venezuela.
Traveling to Venezuela
It is strongly recommended not to travel to the country, the German Federal Foreign Office shares this view. If travel is unavoidable, there are many things to consider. The Federal Foreign Office in particular advises to avoid public space. We are of course available to answer any questions you may have on the subject and on preventive protective measures.
Sources: BBC, Süddeutsche Zeitung, Tagesschau, Deutschlandfunk, Amnesty International, International Criminal Court, German Federal Foreign Office
Picture:DSC_0036 von Riccardo Vásquez (CC BY 2.0) (Picture was cropped)
Blog | 06 2019
Significant increase in extortions in Germany
According to police crime statistics, the number of blackmail cases recorded by ...
Egypt: Travel destination with risks
Egyptian tourism is booming again, reason enough to take a closer look at the cu...
Carina Lohoff
Student Underwriting Assistant
You have further questions on this subject?
Don't fill this field Don't fill this field Don't fill this field
Zeit für Sie
Subscribe to our newsletter for information on recent issues. Subscribe.
Copyright © 2019 Hansekuranz Kontor GmbH
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line744
|
__label__wiki
| 0.823192
| 0.823192
|
Deceased actors (real-world), Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 actors, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone actors
This article is not part of the Harry Potter universe.
This article covers a subject that is part of the real world, and thus should not be taken as a part of the Harry Potter universe.
John Vincent Hurt
Shirebrook, Derbyshire, England, UK
In Harry Potter
Best Supporting Actor nomination: Midnight Express, 1978
Best Actor nomination: The Elephant Man, 1980)
John Hurt, born John Vincent Hurt, (22 January, 1940- 25 January, 2017) was a British character actor and Academy Award-nominee who portrayed Mr Ollivander in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and returned to the same role in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. He was originally set to appear in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire[1] but the character was ultimately cut from that film.
At the age of 9, he decided to become an actor. After a stint in art school, Hurt returned his focus to acting as a member of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. He transitioned from stage to television—a well-received performance in The Naked Civil Servant landed him the memorable role of Caligula in I, Claudius and began his trend of playing unusual or morally ambiguous characters.
For fans of science fiction/fantasy films, Hurt is best known as the unfortunate first victim of the titular monster in Alien and as Winston Smith in the 1984 adaptation of George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four. He had been heard on television as the voice of the dragon on the BBC Wales TV series Merlin. In the 2005 film, V for Vendetta, he portrayed High Chancellor Adam Sutler, the film’s central antagonist. In 2013, he appeared as the hidden incarnation of The Doctor, called The War Doctor, most notably in the fiftieth anniversary episode along with David Tennant and Matt Smith.
In addition to his Sci-Fi/Fantasy work, Hurt has also taken part in projects aimed at children and families. He starred as Hazel in the 1978 movie, Watership Down, voiced General Woundwort in the 1999-2001 TV series of the same name, and starred as Snitter in the 1982 movie, The Plague Dogs; all three of which are adapted from two novels of the same names by Richard Adams. Hurt also narrated the 2000 Disney movie, The Tigger Movie, based on A.A. Milne’s Winnie-the-Pooh stories. In 2015, he voiced the character of Sailor John in the Thomas & Friends special, Sodor’s Legend Of the Lost Treasure, as part of the franchise’s 70th anniversary celebrations.
The Naked Civil Servant (1975) (TV)
I, Claudius (1977) (miniseries)
Watership Down (1978) (voice)
Midnight Express (1978)
The Lord of the Rings (1978) (voice)
The Elephant Man (1980)
Heaven's Gate (1980)
History of the World: Part I (1981)
Night Crossing (1981)
The Plague Dogs (1982) (voice)
Partners (1982)
The Osterman Weekend (1983)
King Lear (1984) (TV)
Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984)
Champions (1984)
The Black Cauldron (1985) (voice)
Aria (1986)
White Mischief (1987)
The Jim Henson Hour (1989) (TV series)
Frankenstein Unbound (1990)
The Field (1990)
King Ralph (1991)
Six Characters in Search of an Author (1992) (TV)
Even Cowgirls Get the Blues (1993)
Thumbelina (1994)
Felidae (1994) (English dub)
Second Best (1994)
Rob Roy (1995)
Love and Death on Long Island (1997)
All the Little Animals (1998)
The Climb (1998)
Watership Down (1999-2000) (TV, voice)
The Tigger Movie (2000) (voice)
Captain Corelli's Mandolin (2001)
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001)
Crime and Punishment (2002)
Owning Mahowny (2003)
Dogville (2003) (voice)
The Alan Clark Diaries (2004)
Pride (2004) (TV) (voice)
Valiant (2005) (voice)
Manderlay (2005) (TV)
The Proposition (2005)
The Skeleton Key (2005)
Shooting Dogs (2005)
BBC Merlin (2005-2012) (voice) (TV) as Kilgharrah aka. The Great Dragon
V for Vendetta (2006)
The Oxford Murders (2007)
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)
Ultramarines (2010)
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (2010 - 2011)
Melancholia (2011)
Doctor Who (2013) (TV)
Thomas & Friends: Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure (2015)
Hurt, Jamie Campbell Bower, Rob Rackstraw and Eddie Redmayne have appeared in the same Thomas and Friends special.
Hurt, David Tennant and David Bradley have appeared as the Doctor on Doctor Who. Roger Lloyd-Pack, Timothy Bateson and Michael Gambon have also made appearances on the show.
John Hurt at the Internet Movie Database
John Hurt on Wikipedia
↑ Snitchseeker.com: Hurt to return as Ollivander in Goblet of Fire
Retrieved from "https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/John_Hurt?oldid=1218931"
Out of universe
Deceased actors (real-world)
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 actors
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone actors
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line747
|
__label__wiki
| 0.790692
| 0.790692
|
| | Hits: 1381
Genève Golf Club. (1889 - 1973)
The first golf course in Genève was opened in 1889 at Charmilles under the presidency of a certain Mr. Colgate from the well-known industrial dynasty of consumer goods. The course existed approximately for 15 years.
Advert for the early course.
In 1922 the Golf Club de Genève was founded and an 18-hole golf course constructed at Onex. During the Second World War the course was ploughed up with the former fairways serving as agricultural land according to the “Plan Wahlen”.
Course layout in 1931.
The course in the 1920s/30s.
Following WW2 the secretary at Onex was E Beresini. The professionals were G Barras and E Costaz, the green-keeper was M Jacquemond. The club had a membership of 200. Course records were; amateur, Capt. F Francis and N Berruti, 63; professional, Alex Ross 62. The 18-hole course, altitude 1,250ft, had a SSS of 71.
By the mid 1950s the membership had risen to 250. It was now listed as an eighteen-hole course measuring 6,000 yards. Course records were now; amateur, N Berruti and O Dillier 67; professional, A Miloda 69. The secretary was E Beresini. The professionals were G Barras and J Bonvin, the green-keeper was M Jacquemond. Visitors’ fees were 10 francs a day.
During the 1960s the secretary was A Girard. The course now measured 6,800 yards with a SSS of 73 (other information as before).
Prior to the clubs move in the early 1970s membership was 550. The professionals were G Barras and J M Barras. The eighteen holes measured 6,100 metres with a par of 72.
Around 1960 plans were made public stating that there were plans to construct a road through the Onex golf course. After years of searching land for a new golf course was found at the “Domaine de Bessinge” at Cologny. It was here that Robert Trent Jones Senior designed a golf course which opened in 1973.
In 1969 the State of Geneva bought the land of the former golf course. The original intention was to build University III and a campus on this land.
When in 1973 the University III project had not materialised , the communes of Bernex , Confignon , Geneva, Lancy and Onex signed an agreement with the State of Geneva to jointly operate the park and to create a sports area . The park was then renamed "Centre intercommunal de détente, de loisirs et de sports des Evaux".
Today the restaurant Auberged’Onex is located in the first clubhouse of Geneva GC. The second clubhouse at l’Evaux, Onex, which opened in 1965, is today used as part of the intercommunal sports, relaxation and nature centre. Nowadays the 55 hectares (136 acres) of land and forest are covered with football fields, an athletic stadium, a skate park, a children’s playground, an adventure park, a running track, tennis courts and an 18-holes Disc golf course which hosted the 2014 European Disc Golf Championship.
On the Google Map below the soccer pitch, to the far left, is where the second club house (from 1965) was situated, the original clubhouse still stands at the point furthest to the right of the former golf course area.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line749
|
__label__wiki
| 0.801628
| 0.801628
|
A&E El Blog Music
By Sandra Trevino
“I feel like at the base of it all I’m just a fuckin’ rock singer…”
While on tour through Europe, musician LP spoke with us from Germany about their most recent album, Heart to Mouth, as well as those elusive moments away from it all, then in the thick of it all and what’s next. Plus, what better timing than pride month to release an official video animated by a fan for the song, Shaken. The song echoes some of the agonizing emotions surrounding lost love.
Before delving into the candid interview I had with LP below, take a look at their new video, Shaken…
I often wonder about an artist’s surroundings as they go through interviews and random conversations with strangers on the phone. For example, I haven’t been to Europe yet so I’m imagining all kinds of cool (but cliche, I’m sure) scenarios in my head of where LP is hanging out between shows and what the weather’s like in Germany.
Of course I ask because it just seems that everything they do is so powerful. Whether writing for other artists like, oh, you know Cher and Rihanna and Christina Aguilera, to then focusing on their own words and presenting them in such a powerful way, I honestly just want to understand how it all happens. Even if it’s just having a few minutes of conversation over a wireless network. As a music journalist, for me, this is a whole other dimension of rock and roll.
As quickly as I’m connected over the phone with LP I ask about location and weather and they tell me that in the area they’re connecting from it’s rainy and in the 50s, a little cooler than they expected. It’s the same in Chicago at the time. And boom. Were best friends (in my head).
ST: You’re on tour with this new album, Heart to Mouth, but I’ve read in some interviews that you’ve already been working on new songs. You have almost half a dozen songs! I would like to know the process you go through after such a hectic tour. Do you rest after your tour? Do you go straight into the studio? What’s that like?
LP: I like to continue working and you know I have to stay in Europe now because at the end of the tour I have a private gig in Cypress and it’s after, like four days after this tour stops. But there’s not enough time to go home or go on vacation somewhere and just chill. So I thought, ‘Hey, I’m gonna go to a nice place and start recording.’
Being on tour and playing shows and everything is just very inspiring, sometimes. And I feel inspired and I haven’t in a long time, you know? You know, I think being a writer, only, is, to me, a much harder thing. Because there’s no… there’s not a lot of glory, really, except when you get the cut, or whatever, and you know that that’s how the song starts spreading. Beyond that you’re like constantly, constantly writing. Really there’s no reward in a way, as far as I experienced. But when you’re writing and then performing, the performance is the reward. And admittedly you get to see the fruits of your labor so it’s an inspiring time.
I haven’t really had to write that much so I feel kind of ready. And that’s a really nice feeling, you know. And I try to honor that because I know, I really know the feeling of being pushed to write when you’re just like, ugh, I don’t have a thought in my fucking head.
Do you ever, with not having a thought in your head, well, do you deal with writer’s block at all or do you have bouts of “I can’t, I just can’t?”
I don’t really believe in writer’s block, I have to say. I refuse to believe in it, I mean, I know it’s something but I kinda feel like, again, it’s from being a writer only. There is no time for writer’s block. The people who hire you for a big session don’t wanna hear that from a writer.
LP goes on to explain that in that situation it’s okay for an artist to walk into a studio and be nonchalant about their time and not wanting to work or even having the desire to work. For writers, they explain, you get a “fuck you, come up with something.” So I kinda have that drilled into my head.
Have you ever gone back to edit something based on the audience’s reaction or the reaction of those around you?
Hmm. No, not really. I mean I will think to myself while I’m writing, ‘Oh the audience will like that,’ sometimes. I think with this album, and with the set from the last tour to this, and doing big shows, I felt like I wanted big, lively songs. You know, it’s difficult to do a shit ton of ballad-y or chill, mid-tempo songs when you’re playing for thousands of people. It feels a little bit slow. So, I think I let it rip to more rockers.
Despite the style that’s attributed to you, maybe it’s correct, pop and rock, I don’t know but I feel that you’re so rock and roll in your pop.
Me too! Thank you for saying that. I appreciate that. I feel like at the base of it all I’m just a fuckin’ rock singer, you know what I mean? For real.
For the song Girls Go Wild, LP, from the East Coast, went to the desert with a producer and band mates. Once they were out there, in Joshua Tree, LP began to reminisce about the women they’d met in their life. They thought about having traveled to California after a woman and all the repercussions that came from that decision. LP later learned about another woman who’d done the same, and perhaps so many others, and how all of them shared the experience of heading to California wanting to change their lives.
LP thought about the ups and downs of that experience and that’s how the song began. They said, “I was having those long, dark nights wondering WTF happened. But, I never regret coming out to California because California in itself is a muse for me.”
In 2001, their first album Heart-Shaped Scar, marked a great debut for the singer as soon thereafter they were signed to a record label where a single off their sophomore album, Suburban Sprawl & Alcohol, was featured on a television series. They later began to write songs for other artists, eventually relocating to the west coast.
The EP Into the Wild: Live at EastWest Studios (2012) was LP’s first major label release and that was followed up with several EP and album releases in between.
Off LP’s latest creation titled Heart to Mouth (2018), there was an almost instantaneous draw to LP’s song, When I’m Over You. The intro is a tease. It’s a funky and provocative start to the way it ultimately precipitates with passion and fury into a rally cry if ever I heard one. Before they explode into the powerful chorus, they reflect, “Cuz I can see the shape shift / And I feel the weight lift.” And then the power of that heartfelt chorus explodes in your soul and begs you to repeat, your fist pounding over your heart… “Someday someday / Some way some way, When I’m over you,” they bellow magnificently.
In its entirety, Heart to Mouth, is a gutsy whirlwind of angst and joy, of suffering and relief, of crumbling like sand in the wind to then rise again like Drogon over King’s Landing.
It’s also when you realize you’re healing despite the pain.
LP has been confirmed to play Auditorio Blackberry in Mexico City in October, this after Mexican fans petitioned for a performance. Both shows sold out in just a few minutes.
For more information about everything LP: LP Website – Instagram – Twitter
Tags: empowering, heart to mouth, lp, powerful, shaken, touring musician
Movie Review: Late Night
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line750
|
__label__wiki
| 0.596258
| 0.596258
|
MAFS
MAFS Recaps
Talking Married
Money Smarts
Why we may not see much of George and Charlotte at the Royal Wedding
By Abigail Malbon| 1 year ago
'It’s a lot for them to take in’
As the royal wedding approaches and the missing pieces start to fit together, we have just one question left: are we going to be seeing sassy Prince George and Princess Charlotte in all their glory?
The young Prince and Princess make headlines with every one of their rare public appearances. Last year, at Pippa Middleton’s wedding, George had a minor breakdown… cue trending stories around the world.
(Getty)
Just last month, Charlotte wowed the crowds outside St. Mary’s hospital when she turned to give a wave before meeting baby brother Prince Louis for the first time. Mild hysteria ensued.
Most have taken it as a given that George and Charlotte will be page boy and flower girl at their uncle’s wedding, but this hasn’t been confirmed by Kensington Palace yet. However, 9Honey’s royal commentator Victoria Arbiter is confident that the siblings will take a starring role.
“I think George and Charlotte will be involved in the wedding, but of course if they are it is on such an epic scale, and they’re still quite diddy -- it’s a lot for them to take in,” she told us.
“In terms of the family portrait, yes I expect to see them in the big family, post-wedding picture.”
But while we’re certainly likely to see them, chances are the three and four-year-old will blend into the background somewhat.
“The beauty of Windsor Castle means that so much of the wedding is actually going to take place behind closed walls,” Victoria explained. “So, in that respect I think it will be quite a tame experience for George and Charlotte.
“Where it could start to get a little crazy is that St George’s Chapel is seating 800 people… I don’t know how many people were at Pippa’s, it was probably 250-300 max. You’ve also got television cameras that are going to be everywhere.”
St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle (Getty)
Victoria thinks that the toddlers will be well-prepped for the big day. “They’ve witnessed Trooping the Colour, they were on the balcony at Buckingham Palace last year, and I think William and Kate have had plenty of time to prep them for it… but of course, with children, you never know.
“George did have a bit of a post-wedding meltdown at Pippa’s wedding, and of course you don’t want that broadcast to the world at Harry and Meghan’s wedding, but I think he’ll be able to handle it.”
It goes without saying that the rest of the royal family know exactly what to expect following the 2011 wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, but will soon-to-be royal Meghan Markle feel overwhelmed?
Victoria thinks not. In fact, she believes that Meghan’s confidence might even see her changing the rules for the other part of the wedding we know nothing about: the wedding dress.
RELATED: Meghan Markle's wedding dress must be approved by the Queen
“Meghan has shown already that she’s not remotely interested in conforming to the way things have been done before,” she explained. “She’s definitely keen to make a good impression, but she’s showing up wearing trousers. Royals don’t wear trousers to royal engagements."
(PA/AAP)
“I think Meghan’s wedding dress is going to be an interesting shift from what we’ve seen with previous royals.
The Duchess of Cambridge chose a demure sleeved dress on her wedding day (Getty)
“Meghan has been in this celebrity world, she loves fashion, she blogged about fashion [for now-defunct website The Tig], but I think she’s still going to want to make sure that she’s wearing something that appropriate to St George’s Chapel, appropriate in front of the Queen, but still very much her own style.”
We can’t wait to see what she chooses.
Princess Charlotte
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line753
|
__label__wiki
| 0.606093
| 0.606093
|
Return to IVN's Frontpage
California Democracy Act may pose risks to state budget
by Mytheos Holt, published Feb 18, 2010
Having faced some of the most agonizing budget decisions a State can make since the fairly mundane 2008 election, this November is the first time that Californians will have the opportunity to confront the wide array of proposed remedies and decide for themselves which of those remedies bears merit. This is a highly interesting moment, but also a highly dangerous one, for with it, as always, comes the potential for radical figures to overhaul key components of the Californian economy in arguably overambitious plans which throw out the baby with the bathwater.
Exhibit A: The California Democracy Act. Though this piece of proposed legislation carries an innocuous, or even mellifluous, sounding name, Californians should not be lulled into security – if passed, the bill would drastically alter California budget politics. According to the California Secretary of State’s website, the bill “changes the legislative vote requirement necessary to pass the state budget, and to raise taxes, from two-thirds to a simple majority.” In other words, the bill is intended as a direct challenge to one of the key provisions of the infamous Proposition 13, and certainly also as an indirect means of weakening said Proposition to the point of nullification.
This ambition should surprise no one, given the bill’s sponsors. A quick perusal of its listed endorsements paints a picture which should alarm every nonpartisan or, for that matter, moderate voter. Among the politicians listed, there is not a single Republican, and those Democrats who are listed can best be described as the bluest of the blue – some of the more notable names include Tom Hayden, the controversial former activist and founder of SDS, as well as Mike Davis, a Southern California academic and regular contributor to the British magazine Socialist Review. The list of political organizations who have endorsed the measure is almost nothing but a list of local chapters of the Democratic party, with the occasional “progressive” activist group thrown in for color. Finally, the bill’s author and main pusher, George Lakoff, is a well-known left-liberal academic whose work has been described by the Harvard linguist Stephen Pinker as “a train wreck.” Perhaps most relevant to the bill in question, Pinker writes, “Lakoff's advice doesn't pass the giggle test. One can imagine the howls of ridicule if a politician took Lakoff's Orwellian advice to rebrand taxes as ‘membership fees.’ Surely no one has to hear the metaphor ‘tax relief’ to think of taxes as an affliction; that sentiment has been around as long as taxes have been around.” The takeaway: From Lakoff’s perspective, tax increases are a good thing!
However, the mere fact that radicals support the bill is not a conclusive measure of its potential malevolence, so let us consider what the policy implications of the bill actually are. Whatever else one thinks of the bill, for instance, it is surely the case that its “majority vote” standard could promote a certain type of Democracy in the sense that it would force people on both sides of potential budget issues to try and mobilize as many of their forces as possible, rather than trying to court each other so as to amass a 2/3 supermajority. Moreover, since the California Constitution can be amended by a simple majority, as Lakoff’s supporters argue, the fact that a simple taxation decision takes 2/3s of the voters to pass is surely inconsistent.
Before dealing with these claims, it should be noted that one key element of the argument for the bill is missing – its fiscal relevance. Indeed, for a bill which purports to be about the budget, its proponents say shockingly little about its economic effects. This same enigmatic absence of information exists on the Secretary of State’s website, which notes that there would be “Unknown state fiscal impacts from lowering the legislative vote requirement for spending and tax increases. In some cases, the content of the annual state budget could change and/or state tax revenues could increase. Fiscal impact would depend on the composition and actions of future Legislatures.” In short, despite being about the budget, the bill does not really offer a concrete solution to our budget woes, but rather defers to the arguments listed above about the extension of democracy to suggest that, because the bill will permit for wiser decision-making in the aggregate, those wiser decisions will fix the budget problems spontaneously.
But is it true that allowing a simple majority of Californians to get their fingers on the budget without the necessity for a supermajority will produce wiser results? That is, can California’s people be trusted with both Constitutional amendments and budget decisions, unhampered by procedural obstacles? Assuming present trends persist, the answer to both questions is a thunderous “no.”
Let us deal with the question of budget priorities first. As already documented, Californians are notoriously underinformed about the most basic elements of the State’s budget. Moreover, it is arguable that the ballot initiative system itself, which lends itself to the passage of well-heeled, heartstring-tugging spending bills such as Proposition 98, is largely responsible for the current fiscal predicament of the state. At this point, allowing people to possess even more access to the state’s purse strings is rather like giving foxes complimentary meat grinders as a thank-you gift for running the hen house. Moreover, if the bill is intended to apply solely to to the legislature, then far from encouraging democracy, it will only contribute to the systematic disenfranchisement of those areas of California which vote with the minority.
And what about the Constitutional amendment comparison? While it is true that allowing a majority of voters to amend the Constitution, but not raise taxes, is a bit backwards in terms of priorities, that is not an argument for making it consistent by allowing them to do both – it is simply an argument that the current system is illogical. Moreover, on the terms of the bill’s supporters, California’s people do not do a good job of passing Constitutional amendments by a simple majority – Proposition 13 and Proposition 8 are prominent examples of bills which progressive activists and Democratic politicians see as perennial targets of obloquy. The imaginative reader can surely think of a way out of these dilemmas, but one only hopes that California’s people will not stretch their imaginations so much, for if they do, their pocketbooks will be stretched beyond the breaking point.
Mytheos Holt
Frequent contributor at the blaze.com
Copyright 2011-2019 FIVE
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line759
|
__label__cc
| 0.531481
| 0.468519
|
History's Project Blue Book - The Lubbock Lights
Well, I’m in a bit of a pickle here. I confess that I do like History’s Project Blue Book. When I look at it as entertainment with a bit of history thrown in, I find the show to be intriguing. However, when I look at it as a historical document, I see the many flaws in it… not in the story telling, but in the history that it is so loosely based on.
I can, of course, point out the flaws in the Lubbock Lights tale from the beginning when we see a lone man in an airport control tower, to the end where we see Little Finger… I mean Hynek… along with Captain Michael Quinn, told the big secret that would solve the Lubbock Lights as some sort of top secret project. There are hints in the show of real history such as the discussion of the recently installed mercury vapor street lights in downtown Lubbock that were brighter and therefore might be, somehow, responsible for the sudden appearance of the UFOs.
Carl Hart's photographs of the Lubbock Lights.
And, although the electromagnetic effects displayed when the UFOs knock out the lights of Lubbock and later affect Hynek’s and Quinn’s car never happened, six years later in Levelland, Texas, such things did happen. Levelland is just a few minutes from the western side of Lubbock, so we have a combination of these two events that involved multiple witnesses.
I do wonder if some of the criticism from my UFO colleagues might be a tad bit overblown. I mean, they seem to want precision and accuracy here but in other dramas based on history, sometimes get a pass, though they have their own trouble with the truth. I don’t remember such discussions about the lack of reality in the many versions of the Grassy Grass… that is the Little Big Horn. I can’t think of one of them, from They Died with Their Boots On to the ludicrous Custer of the West, that got the history right. (Well, maybe Son of the Morning Star, which I mention here so that I don’t get emails about it.) I do wonder if the historians were as annoyed with those movies as the UFO community is with this. (Which is not to say that my UFO colleagues would worry about such things in those movies, only that others, who have a deep interest in history might.)
The point here is that Project Blue Book is not a documentary. It is a drama, based, very loosely, on the history of Project Blue Book. I mean we could point to the time line that jumped from the Gorman Dogfight of 1948 to the Flatwoods Monster of 1952 back to the Lubbock Lights of 1951.
Quinn, I don’t think, is Captain Edward Ruppelt who was the chief of Blue Book from late 1951 to 1953. Quinn mentioned to Hynek in this episode, that he had flown escort missions in Europe during the war. That suggests Quinn was a fighter pilot. Ruppelt served in the Pacific Theater as a bombardier/radar operator, just to point out one difference between the two. Any criticism of Quinn and his actions in the series shouldn’t be seen as a slight to Ruppelt or a criticism of him.
Taking this sort of trouble with timelines and invention, the appearance of Don Keyhoe in Episode Three sort of proves the point. Keyhoe mentions Roswell, but Keyhoe never talked about crash retrievals. He didn’t think much of alien abduction reports and it seemed he was happier arguing with the Air Force about secrecy. The scene in which he was threatened by the MIB with a pistol to his head was over the top. While they certainly could present Keyhoe’s “war” with the Air Force, this suggestion, to me, was a step or two too far. If I have been directing this episode, I would have not filmed that scene.
So, we all sort of agree that some of these things could be handled better, but I do know that they’re making a TV series and not a documentary.
The problem is that my Ufological colleagues seem to hate the show for not being a documentary and are unable to watch it was just a drama. They fear that it will harm the UFO field by the way it is presented, but I think that ship sailed a long time ago… headlines in newspapers in 1947 said that flying saucers had been seen in many states except Kansas. Kansas, at the time was dry. No drunks to see flying saucers.
At the opposite end of the spectrum, a few have suggested that the series might inspire some to look deeper into the UFO phenomenon, to see beyond the superficial. Anything that generates an interest and leads to the truth can’t be all bad. No, I don’t really think this is going to hurt the UFO field. We do that ourselves… MJ-12 anyone? How about the alien autopsy?
So, they got a few things right in this episode. They went off on tangents in some places. But the production values are astounding. They do a good job of recreating the world of the early 1950s… down to all the people smoking.
As for the Lubbock case… they hint at some college professor who has seen the lights and had a picture of them that is reminiscent of the photographs taken by Carl Hart, Jr. in 1951. The professor, draws on the black board (as opposed to a white board) an illustration showing how the Plover, a small, west Texas bird, might have been responsible for the sightings. Except, the Plover do not fly in a V formation and rarely in groups larger than six or seven. Plover do not answer the question of what was seen over Lubbock.
Although the Air Force did write the sightings off as birds, they didn’t really explain the photographs taken by Hart. I had the opportunity to talk to Hart about the Lubbock Lights and the photographs he took. Although I have already posted the following to the blog, given the renewed interest in it thanks to Project Blue Book, I reprint it here:
On February 1, 1993, I had the opportunity to interview Carl Hart about the photographs. What follows is that interview. (For those interested in more about the Lubbock Lights, I suggest a look at my 1997 book, Conspiracy of Silence.) I offer the notes of the interview without commentary (well, not much).
After learning that the man I was talking with had taken the famous pictures, I asked, "Were you looking for the lights when you saw them?"
He said, "Oh, no. Of course, this was summer time and very hot. We didn’t have anything like central air conditioning. I slept with the windows open and I liked to sleep with my head stuck out the window and there they were."
Carl Hart, Jr. in 1951.
"You saw them fly over one time?"
"Oh, I think if I remember there were like three formations... of course they had been in the news here for a week or two before I happened to see them and they usually showed up in several flights when they would so... when I saw them, I went on outside with my camera..."
"Did you get a feel for the size of the objects or how high above you they were?"
"Not really... the only thing I saw was lights. Wasn’t any other objects associated with them. Wasn’t any noise..."
"Now you were questioned quite closely by the Air Force..."
"The Air Force and everybody else."
"Did the Air Force give you a final conclusion of what they thought you had photographed?"
"No, no they didn’t. I never did hear an official version. I heard some unofficial things that came out later... about how they thought I had faked them somehow or another." (Attempts to duplicate the pictures by a professional photographer failed... and because of that, this part of the mystery remains unsolved.)
"Of course, you hadn’t faked them..."
"You have no idea what they were?"
"I really don’t. I’m not even sure who it was. There was someone tried to duplicate the light in a laboratory by reflecting light off a pan of water where they could cause a ripple run down the water and they could cause them to move and his theory was that it was a cold air inversion and that it had waves in it like the ocean and the sensation of them moving across the sky so I don’t know if that’s what happened or not." (This was Dr. Donald Menzel whose results were published in 1952. Later Menzel decided, without evidence, that Hart had faked the pictures. Menzel, it seems, could not admit that some aspects of the UFO phenomenon were inexplicable.)
"You really have no clue about what you saw..."
"I really don’t. Nothing’s ever come forward to explain those and there wasn’t anything for me to judge them by other than just the lights on the bottom of just one object or group of individual lights... They were lights either on something or individually."
Did you know the professors who had seen the things the first night?"
"Later on, I did. I didn’t know them at the time."
"Were they aware you had taken the pictures?"
"Oh, yeah. I think there were some of the ones felt like I had stolen their glory... They weren’t too receptive of what I had done as best I could recall."
"Have you made any money off this thing?"
"I might have made three or four hundred dollars total over the years."
"The pictures appear in books and magazines all the time."
"I wasn’t aware enough of what was going on to copyright them. If anyone paid my anything it was to save themselves from possible legal problems later on... for several years people would ask before they would use them... My advice from a friend and professional journalist at the time was that if you copyright them somebody’s going to think you faked them and are trying to make money out of them"
Hart did tell me that he doesn’t particularly disbelieve in flying saucers. He said, "I’m kind of open minded on that. If one would show up some place else here, I think I’d accept."
I asked him one last time if he knew what he had photographed.
"I really don’t."
This covers just that one, small aspect of a much larger case. However, you can’t call the case solved if an important portion of it has not been explained. True, some of the sightings were of birds and others might be explained as natural phenomena, but the photographs have not been identified, there is no evidence that Hart faked them, and no reason to reject them.
Oh, and for those interested in such things. Ed Ruppelt, in his 1956 book, mentioned that he knew the solution to the Lubbock Lights but that he couldn’t reveal it. No, not because it was some top secret project but because to do so would identify his source on the matter. He had promised the scientist who came up with the solution not to name him. But in the world today, we know all sorts of things and I know what that solution was… FIRE FLIES…
No. I don’t believe it…
Labels: Carl Hart Jr, Donald Keyhoe, Ed Ruppelt, Lubbock Lights
In the revised edition of his book, Ruppelt says the Lubbock Lights were finally identified by one of the four scientists from Texas Technological College, Prof W.L.Ducker. He did numerous experiments and came up with the answer that they were "night flying moths reflecting the bluish-green light of a nearby row of mercury vapor street lights".
Prof Ducker was not mentioned by name as the lights identifier, but was described as head of the Petroleum Engineering Dept. He was one of the original four who saw the strange lights.
I do not know if this answer was universally accepted, but it would not surprise me if it wasn't.
RRRGroup said...
CDA, moths flying in formation, and in droves yet? Your Ducker guy was Menzelian in his flippant diagnosis.
The plover explanation is also goofy.
The problem, for me, is how the History's Project Blue Book expanded (portrayed) the sighting(s) to a degree that was farcical, even intellectually criminal.
starman said...
Sorry, off-topic, but is there any news on Marcel's putative journal?
Brian B said...
I watched the Lubbock episode and didn’t think it was so bad. Aside from the historical inaccuracies and “altered for viewing pleasure” case histories, it’s basically entertaining science fiction. It’s only remotely based on reality, so I’m not expecting too much anyway.
I also watched “Project UFO” way back when. I think it aired on Friday nights. It was also entertaining and unlike Kevin I didn’t feel the debunking was as extreme as he recalls. After all, these were USAF men out to basically explain away real sightings, which is what everyone believed at the time anyway. I do recall a few episodes that concluded that a real alien craft had been observed.
But in regards to the REAL Lubbock case, I found this website read interesting.
http://spaceport666.tripod.com/newslub.html
It claims The Learning Channel carried an episode in its first season (2000) where the Texas Tech professors who saw the object in 1951 also observed the same craft in 1999 (I assume they were obviously retired by then but still living in Lubbock).
It even has photos from a video they recorded in 1999, and the documentary shows a V shaped craft that supposedly the USAF said it was actually testing an early prototype of way back in 1951.
True or not true I don’t know. But it’s something that could be researched further to clarify where these images came from and if the claims are really true.
If you check the NUFORC reports, Texas is noted for having these V wing sightings on a regular basis. Even now. Some are reported as “five white orbs flying in a V formation”, but clearly it’s more likely that it’s the V wing craft obscured from visibility.
I’ve seen one myself fly over at very low altitude and quite silently. They aren’t swift but they do move much faster than a dirigible.
Five large lights with a static blue charge fitted to a V wing about the size of two football fields end to end.
The one I saw was using “active camouflage” to hide it’s fuselage which was easy to see since it was flying so low. The active camouflage creates a warped “antique glass” look as it projects the night sky above to the underside of the fuselage.
The question is where are we parking these things when not flying? Yes the wings must fold, but even so it would be immense. Underground I presume.
Ducker was also annoyed that Hart had stolen their thunder when he took the pictures. He claimed that what Hart had photographed was not what they had seen. Night flying moths make as much sense as fire flies, though Ducker and his pals' attempts to identify the lights suggested that they were lower, smaller ad slower than they originally thought. And, if moths were the answer, how is it that there were additional sightings in other years until those mercury vapor lights were changed.
I do wonder if the 'moths' explanation was invented by Ruppelt to help keep Ducker's name out of it. Ruppelt stated that the scientist who had solved the mystery wanted complete anonymity, so it is possible that Ruppelt, who felt he had to supply an answer in his revised book, simply invented the moths. I know it is almost incredible that a team of four scientists/technologists could be fooled again and again by a flight of moths, but that is what was claimed, in effect.
I favour the birds solution, be it plover or some other local species. And of course what Carl Hart photographed may well be something quite different from what the scientists saw.
Can't remember now where I got Ducker's name as the Lubbock Lights' solver.
zoamchomsky said...
August to September is the peak period of the Perseid meteor showers. The fact that the professors dismissed this explanation only illustrates how "small group scares" of the "UFO" kind based in initial misidentifications begin, and then what is in actuality not a mystery at all escalates into a panic because of the external social context. None of the professors were astronomers, much less meteor experts.
In most of Texas, the horizon and clear seeing is about 50 miles in all directions. The Hart photos are obvious fakes.
A supporting example is the "Green fireballs" of adjacent high-altitude New Mexico which were never anything but selective observation of normal greenish meteors observed during the same and similar excitable social context of "flying saucer" hysteria.
The peak period of the Perseids is around August 10. Late August and September are well past their peak, if any can still be seen at all. I've seen Perseids and they don't suddenly flash by in a swarm, in one direction. They occur one at a time, at intervals, and require patience to see. And they're not very conspicuous either.
@ CDA
What I find somewhat humorous is that not only do ET believing non-witnesses want to insert themselves into these stories, but also skeptics (as in academic professors) competing to solve the mystery with a prosaic explanation! I guess it works both ways!
@ starman
I have to agree that the Perseids meteor shower, or any meteor shower for that matter, couldn’t possibly explain the witness descriptions of a V formation of lights.
I do think less aware people may have seen a meteor that evening and described themselves as “witnesses” even though what they saw in the sky wasn’t what others were seeing.
But yes watching these showers myself I’m always amazed at how few can actually be seen over the course of an hour which amounts to maybe 3-4 at most and perhaps only one being bright enough to be considered “spectacular”.
Well, I disagree on all points, starmam, which should surprise no one. The Perseids can last well past August 10, peaking two weeks later on August 25--the very day of the professors' sighting--and continuing at random into September. The stream is millions of miles long and contains all manner of meteoroids.
And then there's the issue of the professors' perceptions, interpretations and reporting versus yours about Perseids generally, and what they might have witnessed at that particular time. Meteor displays can be extremely variable. So there's no way for your to reasonably claim that they could not have seen streams of meteors on that particular night under excellent viewing conditions in Texas in 1951.
Meteors are the most likely real-world identification for what they described.
If you've been enjoying the PBB series, which has been a mashup of all things "UFO" since the first show, then you're really going to enjoy episode four which contains just about every "UFO" conspiracy myth narrative device. >> Stop! No Spoilers! <<
As observed, this show doesn't pretend to be anything other than utter fiction and pure entertainment. The creators, producers, cast and crew are having a great deal of fun playing with all the well known "UFO" tropes in the catalogue of a modern myth and in fictional characterizations. And they're making a lot of money doing it!
"Give Von Braun a Walt Disney program!" LOL! (Yes, they did.)
The Perseids invariably peak August 10-13. Some may occur as late as the 24th but they certainly don't peak then.
Do any astronomical records indicate the shower of August '51 was exceptional? I never heard such a claim. Assuming a typical Perseid event, it shouldn't have fooled anyone, least of all professors. If it did, there probably would've been a Lubbock type report every August or every other August for the past 67 years.
X-Zone Broadcast Network - Paul Hynek
History's Project Blue Book - Chiles-Whitted
Moon Dust, Robert Hippler and Project Blue Book BG...
History's Project Blue Book - The Flatwoods Monste...
The Roswell Deception - A Review
Project Blue Book - Paul Hynek's Words
X-Zone Broadcast Network - James Carrion
History's Project Blue Book
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line760
|
__label__wiki
| 0.538564
| 0.538564
|
Essentials Of Corporate Taxation, HR Management, And Payroll Processing In The Philippines
Home Events Essentials Of Corporate Taxation, HR Management, And Payroll Processing In The Philippines
By Trisha Alexis Events April 25, 2019
Essentials of Doing Business in the Philippines
Kittelson & Carpo Consulting together with Carpo Law & Associates and AHC Certified Public Accountants, organized a seminar titled, “Essentials of Corporate Taxation, HR Management and Payroll Processing in the Philippines” on April 25 at the Kittelson & Carpo Community Area in 8F Marajo Tower, BGC, Taguig City.
Mr. Paul Joshua Alay, HR Consulting and Payroll Manager of Kittelson & Carpo Consulting, discussed the trends and benefits of outsourcing HR and payroll functions.
Atty. Rhondee Dumlao, CPA, Tax Lawyer, and Senior Associate at Carpo Law & Associates, revisited the salient features of the TRAIN law a year after its implementation in 2018.
Mr. Mark Pizaña, Associate Director of AHC Certified Public Accountants, explained in detail the types of Corporate Taxes in the Philippines for payments and remittances to non-resident foreign corporations.
AHC Certified Public AccountantsCarpo Law & AssociatesCorporate TaxationDoing Business in the PhilippinesEssentials of Doing Business in the PhilippinesHR ManagementKittelson & Carpo ConsultingPayroll Processing
Trisha Alexis / About Author
Trisha Alexis Maingat is a Digital Marketing Specialist of Kittelson & Carpo Consulting. She focuses on Search Engine Optimization and Google Analytics. She handles social media platforms, and events management for internal and external communication, and affiliate Chambers of Commerce.
More posts by Trisha Alexis
Philippine Energy Companies Seize Investment Opportunities
Renewable energy is a growing industry in the Philippines, thanks in part to increased investor optimism in renewable energy investments. Both foreign and local investors alike, including two of the Philippines’ top trading partners, are confident in the country’s potential as a major renewable energy investment destination.
InCorp Group Acquires Kittelson & Carpo Consulting
In.Corp Group announced today the acquisition of Kittelson & Carpo Consulting, a business consulting firm headquartered in Taguig City, Philippines, with additional offices in Makati City and Cebu City.
Doing Business in the Philippines: Business Registration Process Made Simple
Business Breakfast: Doing Business in the Philippines
Kittelson & Carpo Consulting and Carpo Law & Associates, in partnership with the British Chamber of Commerce Philippines, brings you “Doing Business in the Philippines”. This covers discussions on how new updates and issuances from the SEC, PhilHealth, and BIR will affect current business operations, as well as projections on how the newly implemented TRAIN Law will channel favorable changes in the current Philippine business climate.
iADVISORY SEMINAR: The Philippines’ Consumer Economy
Atty. Amanda Carpo, Country Head of InCorp Group’s subsidiary company in the Philippines, Kittelson & Carpo Consulting, will participate as speaker in a seminar entitled “The Philippines’ Consumer Economy: An Overview of the Philippine Market, its Consumer Landscape and Opportunities Available for Singaporean Companies”.
Foreign Investors Tap Mining Industry in the Philippines
According to data from the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB), the government recently issued 20 new exploration permits in the first three months of 2010 alone. An exploration permit enables mining companies to tap the mineral resources of a particular area, and open them up to mining activities.
Doing Business in the Philippines
Understanding the business environment of a country is one of the first steps an investor, an entrepreneur, or a legal entity has to take in order to assess the viability of setting up or expanding a business outside its headquarters’ territory. It is crucial to identify if the opportunities present in the market are supported by entities, systems, and mechanisms which make doing business in the country easier compared to other locations in the region.
EASE OF DOING BUSINESS: The Revised Corporation Code
Atty. Diana Lyn Bello-Castillo, Partner of Carpo Law & Associates took part in the Business Breakfast by sharing her invaluable knowledge on the topic, “The Revised Corporation Code and its Impact on Private Foreign Corporations”, hosted by the British Chamber of Commerce Philippines in partnership with Kittelson & Carpo Consulting and Carpo Law & Associates last March 29, 2019 at Kittelson & Carpo Community Area, 8/F Marajo Tower, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.
Business Opportunities in the Pharmaceutical Industry in the Philippines
The Philippine pharmaceutical market is similar to China and Iran. But according to investphilippines.gov.ph the overall market is comparable to Pakistan, Thailand, Taiwan and Indonesia in per capita, and is “consistently ranked as the 11th most attractive pharmaceutical market in the Asia-Pacific region, and the third largest market in ASEAN, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, after Indonesia and Thailand.”
Tourism Enterprise Zones Take Global Competitiveness to New Heights
Republic Act (RA) 9593, or the Tourism Act of 2009 passed by the Arroyo administration, cements a national policy bolstering investments and improving employment in the Philippines’ tourism industry. Fast forward to 2011, less than two (2) years since the law’s inception, and the country is seeing a rise in international visitor arrivals, which spiked to 7.89% in the first quarter of 2010.
Booming Business in the Metro
Commerce Flows into Subic, Philippines
Subic Bay, Philippines is bordered on the east by Zambales mountains and the South China Sea on the west. A former US Naval base, Subic is now a freeport zone and a gateway for the transportation of goods. And, while it’s topography is more of a jungle paradise, technology, infrastructure, and industry have changed the landscape and the standard of living in the community.
Makati versus BGC
The term ‘location, location, location,’ applies to where you decide to put your office. Metro Manila, the capital of the Philippines is home to several business districts: Makati, Bonifacio Global City, and Ortigas being the main hubs. Choosing a location is the most important factor when starting your business in the Philippines. Determining the best area for your organization is key for your employees alleviating them from the congestion of the entire city.
WORKING EXPATS IN THE PHILIPPINES: What You Need to Know About Corporate Visas
Atty. Diana Jean M. Tuazon-Cruz, Associate Lawyer of Carpo Law & Associates took part in the Business Breakfast by dispensing her invaluable knowledge on the topic, “Corporate Visas”, hosted by the British Chamber of Commerce Philippines in partnership with Kittelson & Carpo Consulting and Carpo Law & Associates last February 15, 2019 at BCCP Boardroom, W Fifth Building, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.
Going to the Philippines to set up a business
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line764
|
__label__wiki
| 0.912813
| 0.912813
|
Home Musicians Jewel Kilcher – Bio, Mother, Father, Husband, Brother, Age, Measurements
Jewel Kilcher – Bio, Mother, Father, Husband, Brother, Age, Measurements
Jewel Kilcher is an American singer who is renowned around the world for having a velvety smooth voice with a resonating glint to it. Armed with loads of hit songs over the years, she is respected in the US as a singer of great repute and now has as many as four Grammy nominations to her name. She has sold millions of albums all around the world and has garnered a huge fan-base in many countries.
A very talented woman, Jewel is not just a singer but also a poet and author who continuously stuns her many fans around the world with her versatility and incredible expertise. Apart from being famous in her own rights, she is also known to be from a famous American home.
Jewel Kilcher: Bio & Age
Jewel Kilcher was born on the 23rd of May, 1974 in Payson, Utah, US. Although she was born in Utah, she grew up in Alaska because her family relocated to the city shortly after she was born.
Jewel Kilcher began her career at a very young age, having seen her parents sing and perform their own songs while growing up in Alaska. When her parents parted ways, she remained with her father and began singing as a duo with the man. In fact, Jewel and her father often went to taverns and roadhouses to perform as a duo and earned some money that way.
Jewel began gaining some recognition as a singer because of her enormous talent as a child and in 1989, when she was 15 years old, she won a partial scholarship to study operatic voice at the Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan.
When the singer graduated from the Interlochen Arts Academy, she started off displaying her brilliance in music by writing her own songs. She also started to perform coffeehouses and clubs in the city of California. By this time, Jewel was already gaining quite some attention because of her uniqueness and smooth performances. Finally, she landed a recording contract with Atlantic Records. After landing the contract, Jewel released her debut album in 1995 and titled it Pieces of You. The album which contained hit songs like Who Will Save Your Soul, was so good that it went 12-times platinum and became one of the best-selling debut albums of all time.
Jewel banked on the success of her debut album and released her second album, Spirit in 1998. The album did very well, establishing her as one of the most interesting musicians to watch in America. When she released her third album This Way, in 2001, fans observed that she had departed from the folk-oriented songs she had always been known for. In 2008, she put out her first country album called Perfectly Clear, which did so well that it debuted at the top of Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart. In 2009, Jewel put out her very first independent album which she titled Lullaby.
Jewel’s immense success as a singer has cemented her status as one of the fieriest artistes ever. She also wrote poems that caught the attention of fans. In fact, as far back as 1998, she had already published a collection of poetry which thrilled fans with its originality.
Jewel is also an actress. In 1999, she ventured into acting when she featured in Ride with the Devil, a Western movie by Ang Lee.
Jewel Kilcher: Mother, Father
Jewel and her mother, Lenedra Carroll
Jewel Kilcher was born to popular parents; her father, identified as Atz Kilcher, was a local musician and reality TV star and her mother, identified as Lenedra Carroll, is also a respected American musician and author. Having been born to singing parents, it was not long before she began to sing herself.
Jewel’s father used to be a Mormon and the family members were all attending The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. However, they stopped attending the church after her parents divorced when she was just eight years old. After the divorce, she stayed with her father and improved her singing skills.
Jewel Kilcher is the only female child her parents had together. She has two brothers identified as Shane Kilcher and Atz Lee Kilcher. Shane, the first child, was born in Utah on the 5th of May, 1971 when their parents were living there. Three years later in 1974, Jewel was born and the family moved from Utah to Alaska. It was in Alaska that her younger brother identified as Atz Lee Kilcher was born on August 26, 1977.
Her brothers are now both reality TV stars who feature on the popular Alaska: The Last Frontier TV series, which features the daily lives of the Kilcher family as they live from day to day on the family’s 770-acre (310 ha) homestead. Her father and a host of other extended family members also feature on the reality TV series.
Jewel Kilcher was a married woman; the American musician is married to Ty Murray, a pro rodeo cowboy who she dated for 10 long years. The couple tied the knot on the 7th of August, 2008 and had a son together. Their son, Kase Townes, Murray was born on the 11th of July, 2011.
However, their marriage did not last forever as they got divorced in 2014 after spending six years together as husband and wife.
Read Also: Who Is Emily Riedel? Bio, Net Worth, Other Facts About The Opera Singer
Fans admire Jewel’s beauty, as well her enviable physique. The musician now stands at 5 ft 6 inches in height and weighs about 58 kg or 128 lbs. The musician maintains her figure by running and incorporating cardio and yoga into her work out.
Chris Motionless (Chris Cerulli) – Bio, Wife, Height, Girlfriend and Family of The Musician
Josh Latin – Bio, Net Worth, Family, Facts About Rose McGowan’s Ex
Rap Monster of BTS – Biography, Facts About The South Korean Singer
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line769
|
__label__wiki
| 0.661692
| 0.661692
|
Jeff Carr
Mr. Jeffrey W. Carr, Esq., has been Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary at Univar Inc. since May 11, 2017. Mr. Carr has more than 30 years of experience in corporate law, including more than 10 years as the General Counsel and Secretary of FMC Technologies, Inc. As General Counsel, he was responsible for oversight of governance, regulatory, compliance, commercial, litigation, securities and other corporate matters. He also developed unique legal delivery concepts that drove process excellence and efficiency for the legal function. Mr. Carr served as General Counsel and Secretary of FMC Technologies Inc., since 2001 and its Senior Vice President since 2010. Mr. Carr served as an Associate General Counsel of FMC Corporation since 1997. He served as a Vice President at FMC Technologies Inc. He served as President of ValoremNext LLC, part of the ValoremGroup. He practiced international trade law in Washington, D.C., and clerked for The Honorable Murray M. Schwartz, United States District Court judge for the District of Delaware. He served as a Director of John Bean Technologies Corporation. He holds a bachelor’s degree in government and foreign affairs from the University of Virginia and a juris doctor from Georgetown University Law Center. He also completed post-graduate studies in international business and affairs.
Jeff Carr continues his fight against billable hours
Jeff Carr talks about why he came out of retirement, and how his principle of the Three Es calculated the value of legal services to clients.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line771
|
__label__wiki
| 0.934118
| 0.934118
|
The Devil's Workshop
Cannell, Stephen J.
Stacy Richardson is a feisty microbiology graduate student at the University of Southern California. In the middle of her final exams, she receives tragic news that her husband, who is also head of the microbiology department, has committed suicide while on sabbatical at a super-secret bio-weapons program in Fort Detrick, Maryland. Known by insiders as "The Devil's Workshop," the program is run by the fierce Admiral James G. Zoll.
Meanwhile, hobos Lucky Cunningham and Hollywood Mike are passing through Vanishing Lake, Texas, where, unbeknownst to them, Admiral Zoll is using the nearby prison as a testing ground for the latest bio-weapons capable of targeting specific ethnic groups from the inside--through the victim's DNA.
As a bio-accident turns Vanishing Lake into a living hell and threatens to land the bio-weapons into the hands of a band of white supremacists, The Devil's Workshop unfolds via a uniquely entertaining narrative triumvirate: Stacy, Lucky, and Hollywood Mike's tinseltown mogul father, Buddy Brazil.
Combining classic elements of science gone awry with a cast of characters that firmly fuses America's dust bowl past with its sensational present, The Devil's Workshop is a thrilling race against a racially charged doomsday.
Publisher: New York : Morrow, 1999.
Characteristics: viii, 421 p. ;,24 cm.
Read more reviews of The Devil's Workshop at iDreamBooks.com
Microbiologists — Fiction.
Chemical Weapons — United States — Testing — Fiction.
Tramps — Fiction.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line772
|
__label__wiki
| 0.597739
| 0.597739
|
Tag Archives: coming attractions
China Boy
The Leavers: A Novel by Lisa Ko (Algonquin Books, $25.95, 352 pages)
“There’s no heavier burden than a great potential.” Charles Schulz
Sometimes a writer can outthink herself. I found this to be the case with The Leavers: A Novel. The central character is a boy from China who is adopted by American parents. Deming Gou’s mother, who is an undocumented immigrant in New York City, one day leaves home to go to work at a nail salon but never returns. Subsequently Deming – who becomes Daniel Wilkinson, is adopted by white parents, both professors at a small private college in upstate New York.
Daniel suddenly becomes a stranger in a strange land. Used to the hustle and bustle and diversity of the big city, he must learn to survive in a quiet community where he is The Other; being Chinese, he is known to his Anglo classmates as Special No. 2 (a selection from a Chinese menu).
For so long, he had thought that music was the one thing he could believe in: harmony and angular submelody and rolling drums, a world neither present nor past, a space inhabited by the length of a song. For a song had a heart of its own, a song could jumpstart or provide solace; only music could numb him more thoroughly than weed or alcohol.
Daniel is a screw-up but a fascinating character. He plays electric guitar in a rock band, but keeps dropping out of the group even though success is on the horizon. He has a problem with gambling (stereotypically) and loses thousands of dollars borrowed from friends. He drops out of college and ruins multiple chances to go to school at the university where his adopted parents teach. His story is interesting and linear, and it builds momentum, until…
One third of the way through the book, author Ko suddenly turns her attention to Polly Gou, Deming/Daniel’s birth mother, and transports us to China. The telling now comes to a halt and the air seems to go out of the story. Polly was deported from the U.S. and winds up with virtually nothing in her homeland, but somehow goes from rags to riches. It seems improbable, and Ko spends too much time painting a melodramatic – over-the-top – account of Polly’s pre-deportation period spent in a detention camp in Texas. The details are highly unpleasant. Although it’s an attempt to get the reader to identify with, and side with, Gou, for me it had the reverse effect — making me want to put the book down.
The primary issue is that the straight ahead story of Daniel Wilkinson becomes lost and diluted by the long and winding, twisty, road that’s Polly Gou’s story. It’s as if Ko attempted to meld two different half-novels together. It didn’t work. The initial story – the fascinating tale of an adoptee attempting to find himself – was dumped for an adjunct creation. (Basically, Gou’s story subsumes Wilkinson’s.)
Of course, once the final third of the book arrives, Ko has found a means of bringing Daniel Wilkinson and Polly Gou together again after many years. It’s too clever, and by then I didn’t care.
The Leavers had great potential which sadly goes unfulfilled.
A review copy was provided by the publisher.
The Leavers, a debut novel, will be released on May 2, 2017.
Tagged as a book review by Joseph Arellano: The Leavers, A book review site, a novel, adoption story, Algonquin Books, Barbara Kingsolver, book preview, book review, book review site wordpress, book reviews, Charles Schultz, Charles Schultz quote, Charles Schultz quotes, China Boy, coming attractions, Daniel Wilkinson, debut novel, Deming Gou, hardbound book release, immigrant novel, immigrants, Joseph Arellano, Joseph's Reviews, Lisa Ko, May book releases, music novel, The Leavers, The Leavers book preview, The Leavers book review, unfulfilled potential, Wordpress book review site
A Book I Want to Read
Mercury: An Intimate Biography of Freddie Mercury by Lesley-Ann Jones will be released by Touchstone Books (Simon and Schuster) on Tuesday, July 3, 2012. Jones is an award-winning rock journalist and author who has crafted a 350-page portrait of Mercury: the complex man and the myth. She has toured widely with Queen and has had full access to the band members. In Mercury she makes use of more than 100 interviews conducted with those closest to the late Freddie Mercury, many of whom are just now speaking, twenty full years after his tragic death. Mercury was the first major rock star to die from AIDS.
Meticulously researched, sympathetic and yet not sensational, Mercury offers an unvarnished, revealing look at the extreme highs and lows of life in the musical fast lane. Jones details it all from Queen’s slow yet steady rise to fame, to the creation of ground breaking songs like ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, to the decadent, raucous after parties Queen became quite infamous for, to the band’s creative process and their ongoing quest to challenge themselves musically.
To gain a better understanding of Mercury’s early life and his somewhat difficult relationship with his troubled, conservative past Jones traveled to Zanzibar, his birthplace, and India, where he attended boarding school. She also provides new insights into the great loves of Mercury’s life — long-time girlfriend Mary Austin, chef Joe Fanelli, German soft-porn star Barbara Valentin, and live-in lover Jim Hutton — and what these relationships meant to him. Mercury provides a compelling, full-screen portrait of this enigmatic performer-entertainer-artist whose magnetic performances once thrilled audiences around the world.
Adapted from information provided by the publisher. Adam Lambert, a lifelong fan of Mercury’s, will reportedly join Queen in concert at the Sonisphere Festival next month. Lesley-Ann Jones’s expertise has been incorporated into a screenplay for an upcoming film version of Mercury, which will star Sacha Baron Cohen.
Tagged as A Book I Want to Read, Adam Lambert, AIDS, An Intimate Biography of Freddie Mercury, Barbara Valentin, best rock performers, biography, Bohemian Rhapsody, book preview, classically influenced rock music, coming attractions, death of Freddie Mercury, Freddie Mercury, ground breaking songs, hardbound release, India, innovative music, Jim Hutton, Joe Fanelli, Joseph Arellano, Joseph's Reviews, July book releases, Lesley-Ann Jones, life of Freddie Mercury, Mary Austin, Mercury, new books, rock anthems, rock music, rock stars, Sacha Baron Cohen, Simon and Schuster, Sonisphere Festival, Touchstone Books, upcoming films, We Are The Champions, Wordpress book review site, Zanzibar
This is a quick look at recently released books, and soon-to-be-released books that I’m looking forward to reading.
Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson (Simon and Schuster; 10/24/11)
This is already the best-selling book in the country, based on pre-release orders at Amazon. Isaacson earlier wrote the mega-selling Benjamin Franklin: An American Life and the recent, tragic death of Steve Jobs will only heighten the interest in this almost 700 page biography. This is an authorized bio, as (according to Reuters) Jobs knew that his death was imminent and wanted his kids to know him through this expected-to-be definitive work. Jobs had made clear to his friends and co-workers that nothing in his personal or professional life was off-limits.
Steve Jobs will also be available as an audiobook; unfortunately, an abridged one.
Freedom: A Novel by Jonathan Franzen (Picador; 09/27/11)
If you’re like me, one of the two dozen or so individuals who did not read this book when it was originally released, you now have a chance to pick it up as a Picador trade paperback for just $16.00. USA Today called Franzen’s novel about a troubled marriage, “Smart, witty and ultimately moving.”
Blueprints for Building Better Girls: Fiction by Elissa Schappell (Simon and Schuster; 09/06/11)
This is a hybrid between a short story collection and a novel, as Schappell has penned eight interlinked tales (“Spanning the late 1970s to the current day…”) about the experiences that turn girls into women. Tom Perrota, author of The Leftovers and Little Children, says of Blueprints for Building Better Girls: “Elizabeth Schappell’s characters live in that zone where toughness and vulnerability overlap. In this remarkable, deeply engaging collection of stories, Schappell introduces us to a wide variety of female characters, from reckless teenagers to rueful middle-aged moms, and asks us to ponder how those girls became these women.”
The Marriage Plot: A Novel by Jeffrey Eugenides (Farrar, Straus and Giroux; 10/11/11)
The Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Middlesex and The Virgin Suicides returns with a story about a not-so-calm year in the lives of three college seniors (one female and two males) attending Brown University in the early 1980s. It’s about love lost and found, and the mental preparations that young people must make before entering the stolid world of adults.
The Drop: A Harry Bosch Novel by Michael Connelly (Little, Brown and Company; 11/28/11)
From the author of The Lincoln Lawyer and The Reversal, comes the latest thriller involving LAPD Detective Harry Bosch. A bored Bosch is getting ready for retirement when two huge criminal cases with political and other implications land on his desk. Both cases need to be solved immediately and, as usual, Bosch must break some major investigative rules in order to do so.
“Connelly may be our most versatile crime writer.” Booklist
Tagged as 1970s, 1980's, A Harry Bosch Novel, a novel, An American Life, audiobooks, Benjamin Franklin, biographies, Blueprints for Building Better Girls, book previews, book re-release, Booklist, Brown University, California, college seniors, college students, coming attractions, current book releases, divorce, Elissa Schappell, female characters, fiction, freedom, Freedom: A Novel, FSG, Jeffrey Eugenides, Jonathan Franzen, Joseph's Reviews, LAPD, Little Brown and Company, Little Children, Los Angeles, Los Angeles Police Department, love found, love lost, marriage, Michael Connelly, Middlesex, new book releases, October book releases, Picador, popular fiction, Pulitzer Prize winner, Simon and Schuster, Steve Jobs, The Drop, The Leftovers, The Lincoln Lawyer, The Reversal, The Virgin Suicides, Tom Perrota, trade paperback, unabridged audiobook, Walter Isaacson, women's literature
A review of The Cruelest Month: A Novel by Louise Penny.
Tagged as Armand Gamache, book review, Canadian writers, coming attractions, fiction, Joseph's Reviews, Louise Penny, Minotaur Books, mystery
The Foremost Good Fortune: A Memoir by Susan Conley (Knopf, $25.95, 304 pages; Vintage, $15.00, 368 pages)
Susan Conley’s true life tales of the time that she, her husband and her two young sons spent in China begins as a light and somewhat unstructured account. In fact, it starts off as simultaneously flat and herky-jerky and occasionally puzzling. Why, for example, does she tell us about three separate trips made to the Great Wall? Is there some hidden meaning in these events? And why does she become frustrated to find that the most common question asked her by Americans is, Are the Chinese people nice? It seems quite relevant but Conley throws out a harsh-seeming response, “I never know how to answer this question; it seems to be beside the point.”
Fortunately, Conley’s free-flowing narrative gains a very solid footing about a third of the way through. This is when she begins writing of her bouts with breast cancer. It’s serious business – literally life and death – and Conley’s voice turns both authoritative and adult in tone.
“This is the sneaky thing cancer does – it displaces me. I believe it’s ten in the morning on a Tuesday in Boston, but then I’m cast adrift on some roiling swell of mortality.”
Yes, the sneaky and deadly disease known as cancer strikes Conley at the age of 40, and she rushes to secure the necessary medical care in both Beijing and Boston. Conley discovered suspicious lumps in one of her breasts while in China, was assured by a Chinese physician that it was nothing serious; but when her tissue samples were examined she was informed that it was life threatening. Surgery was scheduled within 48 hours. Conley also underwent extensive radiation treatments during her recovery period. All of this turned her into a different person…
“I’m struggling. (My friends) are sincere. It’s good to have them here… (But) I don’t try to laugh with them. If the cancer has already changed me in any way, it’s that I’m more honest. This is a good thing.”
Conley begins to view cancer as an enormous lake in which only those who are cancer-stricken can swim. There are many people in this lake, but it cannot be entered by those who are cancer free. “The thin line between having and not having (cancer) seems malleable sometimes, but for me that line is everything. It separates.”
Like most cancer survivors who write their memoirs, Conley is a fighter. Even medical personnel in China who interact with her comment on her apparent inner strength. And she wants her story to be about more than survival: “I would like my story to be about hope. It will also have the word disease in it, but that won’t be my whole story.”
It is not the entire story, as The Foremost Good Fortune shows us a woman who survives a major battle (perhaps like the Chinese who defended the Great Wall against Genghis Khan’s Mongol hordes), gains further strength from her victory and dedicates herself to being a great wife to husband Tony, and a fabulous mother to Aidan and Thorne.
Conley may have struggled with the question of how she contracted her cancer – what was it back there in her past? But her memoir substantiates for us all the point made by Jackson Browne, that sometimes it is easier to change the future than the past.
Note: This review is dedicated to the memory of Hector G. Holguin of Stockton, California. My friend for life.
Tagged as a book review by Joseph Arellano: The Foremost Good Fortune, A book review site, A Memoir, advance review copy, Alfred A. Knopf Publishers, an American family, ARC, Beijing, book preview, book review, Boston, breast cancer, Buddha, California, cancer, China, Chinese countryside, coming attractions, dedication, disease, February 2011 release, fighting cancer, free flowing account, Genghis Khan, Hector G. Holguin, Hector Holguin, honesty, hope, husband and wife, Jackson Browne, Joseph Arellano, Joseph's Reviews, Kindle Edition, Knopf, life and death, life lessons, Mandarin, medicine, Mongol hordes, recommended books, serious business, Stockton, survivors, Susan Conley, The Foremost Good Fortune, the future, the Great Wall of China, the past, These Days, trade paperback release, Vintage trade paperback, wife and mother
A preview-review of The Foremost Good Fortune: A Memoir by Susan Conley.
Tagged as Alfred A. Knopf Publishers, book preview, book review, coming attractions, February 2011 release, hardbound, Knopf, memoirs, new releases, Susan Conley, The Foremost Good Fortune
A review of Left Neglected: A Novel by Lisa Genova, which was just released today.
Tagged as a novel, book review, brain trauma, coming attractions, family novel, fiction, Gallery Books, Left Neglected, Lisa Genova, new releases, New York Times bestselling author, popular fiction, Still Alice, women's literature
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line781
|
__label__cc
| 0.67252
| 0.32748
|
Filed under News, Op-Ed, Showcase
Another devastating shooting has the country wondering how it can prevent further atrocities
Ethan Quick, Journalist|May 13, 2019
University Of North Carolina Charlotte On shut down after school shooting
On May 1, 2019 Tristyn Andrew Terrell a 22-year-old student at the University of North Carolina took 2 students’ lives and injured 4 others. He had little presence on social media, held no ideologies and appears to have no known motive .
As a child, Terrell was known for being distant, stubborn and withdrawn from his peers, typically known as“that quiet kid” the one no one talks to or wants to hang out with. After his mother passed away, he moved to North Carolina with his father, enrolling at his local high school. After finishing up there, he moved onto Central Piedmont Community College in Mecklenburg County, attending a total of 2 years. He then transferred to UNC Charlotte and began taking classes like anthropology and philosophy of science. Students with relations to Terrell said that he tended to wear dark clothes and supposedly hadn’t spoke much to them even when put into small groups to complete important projects. Terrell’s professor, Mr. Johnson, portrayed him in a different light, stating that Terrell seemed engaged in class, he would ask questions and answer problems, it really seemed like he enjoyed the class. He withdrew from the class in January without any explanation, leaving his professor assuming he probably was just prioritizing his other classes.
A couple of months later, Mr. Terrell came into class on exam day and opened fire following through with his horrible plans to hurt and destroy people’s lives and scar them forever. Both Ellis R. Parlier, 19, and Riley C.
Pictured above is a Glock 17, a pocket sized firearm that can be more deadly than any rifle
Howell’s, 21, life unexpectedly came to an end after bravely attempting to prevent him from inflicting harm on his peers.
Once apprehended by police, Terrell offered no insight into his motives.
There appears to be more and more mass shootings in the most recent years than have ever been seen in the United States. Schools, Churches, Day-cares, hospitals, no place seems to be safe anymore. The nation as a whole needs to address what’s causing so many people to want to commit these acts.
Guns are inanimate objects, meaning they cannot inflict harm on their own. Disregarding this fact, the United Kingdom have still banned the usage and ownership of guns in their country, but people have found alternatives. Acid attacks have become common, along with people running each other over with vans, and knife attacks. If someone wants to commit harm to a large group of people, they will find a way to do so, the answer isn’t banning these objects.
The answer is to provide people the mental help they need so they don’t feel as if the only solution they have is to take another persons’ life. Banning a device someone uses only provokes people to find a new way to kill, and history tells us time and time again people will always find a way. In ancient times the Romans would use daggers, clubs, swords and their bare hands to kill people. It isn’t a gun problem, nor a knife or society problem, we have a mental health crisis on our hands. These people constantly give all the signs that they are craving out help, attempting to seek a friend, and as a collective, it appears that they don’t receive enough pay attention. If this problem is address, and society reaches out to those quiet kids, make friends with them, make people feel wanted and loved than we this problems will practically resolve. Lafayette High school junior Drew Ramos, when asked how he thinks colleges can prevent these events, states “For college universities they need to make stricter
Firearms such as pistols are just as deadly making up over 60% of gun deaths a year as a rifle used for war such as this
gun laws and improve their security.”
It’s sad that students have to fear for their life when they go to college campuses. Contrary to popular belief, more gun laws don’t actually make a place safer, studies show that 98.4% of mass shootings happen in gun free zones.
Does this mean we need more guns on campus with trained people protecting our students? It’s up to the people and states to decide matters such as this, hopefully the country as a whole can solve this problem. Lafayette High School senior Matt Zayas, when asked if he is worried about a mass shooting at his college (Virginia Tech) states, “Yeah the college I’m going to has already been shot up, it’s not a strong fear it could happen anywhere, it’s like driving a car, it’s safe for the most part but there’s always the small chance you can die.”
Students at Penn State make a memorial for the lost lives during the Virginia Tech massacre
What can push a person to this point? What can make a person go so far off the deep end as to take a precious life away? It’s said that Terrell purchased the handgun he used to commit this shooting legally. While most mass shooters are over the age of 21 and can purchase the firearms, most purchase them illegally on the black market.
Students drop to the floor in a similar fashion as they hear gun shots ring off in their own classrooms
If someone wants to do harm they will, therefore, it’s our job as a collective to make that person who may appear odd and different feel welcomed, as if they have a friend to turn to. Terrell is facing two counts of murder and four counts of attempted murder, none of which carry a light sentence. This young man essentially just signed his life away for committing an evil crime that could have been avoided if he had just sought out help.
Terrell was also diagnosed with autism at the age of 4 like many of the other mass shooters we have seen in recent years such as Eric Harris, Dylan Klebold (the two columbine shooters) and Cho Seung-Hu (the Virginia Tech shooter) just to name a few. There is no link between autism and violence, in fact the majority of people diagnosed with autism are highly intelligent people, but there is evidently a trend that more and more shooters have been diagnosed with the disorder long before they committed these sinister acts.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line784
|
__label__wiki
| 0.656081
| 0.656081
|
What’s in it for me? Discover how copyright laws are reducing our creativity and culture.
We’ve all heard about downloading, file-sharing and other practices that are considered an infringement on the copyright of the person who made the movie, book or music that's being shared. Daily, there are stories about young people being sued, sites for sharing being taken down by law enforcement and artists trying to protect their copyright. Mostly, copyright infringement is portrayed as the problem, but what if the real problem is the damage copyrights do to creativity and innovation?
Copyright isn't something that has always existed. And it was originally created to limit the powers of the publishers at the time. So why has it changed into what we know today? In Free Culture we learn about the history of today's laws and regulations, why they’ve changed and what impact this change is having on our culture.
In this article, you’ll discover
how Hollywood was born out of copyright piracy;
why student Jesse Jordan lost his life savings; and
how current copyright laws in the United States are not in line with the US Constitution.
Eighteenth-century English copyright laws were intended to prevent publishers from monopolizing the spread of knowledge.
In the age of the internet, stories of pirated movies and music are commonplace. Maybe you’ve even infringed on someone’s copyright by downloading copyrighted material! But while this might seem like a modern phenomenon, the issue has deeper historical roots.
In late eighteenth-century England the right to reproduce books, or copy-right, belonged to small but powerful groups of publishers.
For example, a group called The Conger had owned exclusive rights to Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet since its first publication in 1597. Their exclusive claim to books acquired from authors gave them complete control over the market for books in England, meaning they could keep prices high.
All that changed in 1710, when the British Parliament adopted the Statute of Anne, the world’s first copyright act. The statute set limits on how long a work could be copyrighted: newly published works had a copyright term of 14 years that was renewable as long as the author lived. All works published prior to the statute had a term of 21 years.
The idea was to foster competition in publishing by limiting the rights of existing publishers. Once a copyright expired, the book would then become free for other publishers to publish, thereby breaking the big publishers’ monopoly and helping spread valuable knowledge.
So how did the publishers react to these new limitations?
Once the 21 year term expired, publishers began to protest. At first, they simply ignored the statue, and acted as if their copyright was never-ending.
In 1774 they brought a legal case to the House of Lords to ask for extensions on expired copyrights. The Lords, however, refused, rejecting perpetual copyrights and deciding instead that works would be released into what they called the public domain after the copyright expired. Once works were in the public domain, they could be printed by anyone.
The United States would later adopt this system. So what happened when these laws made their way across the Atlantic?
The United States’ version of English copyright law pits the powers of Congress against constitutional law.
A few decades after the Statute of Anne, the United States followed suit. In 1790 the US Congress enacted the first copyright law to protect intellectual property. The origins of the American understanding of property, however, go back even further.
The US Constitution protects everyone’s right to property, and the Fifth Amendment specifically entitles you to just compensation when your property is taken. For example, if the government expropriates a piece of your farmland, it’s required to pay you for it.
The Constitution also gives Congress the power to grant rights to creative property. However, after a period of time, Congress must also revoke these rights and introduce your creative property to the public domain – without compensation.
Much like the English copyright law, this clause was designed to prevent monopolies from standing in the way of healthy competition and creativity. However, the Constitution’s wording on this issue is peculiar, stating that Congress has the power to “promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts.”
In essence, these rights are meant to protect creative property owners without impeding progress.
But over the course of time Congress has repeatedly extended the length of copyright terms.
Originally, the federal Copyright Act of 1790 covered only maps, charts and books, and had a 14-year term that could be renewed so long as the author was still alive. Once the copyright expired, the work also passed to the public domain.
As media evolved and expanded, property rights terms became longer. Since 1831, for instance, Congress has extended the term 13 times, making these rights essentially never-ending. In fact, today’s works might never enter public domain!
And while the perpetual rights granted by Congress are effectively unconstitutional, they remain uncontested.
Clearly, the unchecked powers of Congress over copyright law are at odds with the ideals of progress described in the Constitution.
The internet has changed the way we create and access creative property. The law should reflect this change.
Anyone who was around before the widespread adoption of the internet knows that it has fundamentally changed the way that we consume information. But how has it changed our views on copyrights?
Digital content complicates the definitions of “copy” and “taking” because there is no physical product to be copied or taken. 200 years ago, printing books was expensive and time-consuming, whereas today anyone can digitally reproduce a book without any effort.
But accessing this digital content is not the same as taking, or stealing, a copy. For example, when you download mp3 files of your favorite album, you don’t get a physical CD, complete with a case and a booklet with images and lyrics inside. Moreover, downloading digital content doesn’t result in a loss of content, the way it would if you took a CD from a store.
But the law doesn’t reflect this difference. In the eyes of the law, digital files (like mp3s) are copies of their physical counterparts (like CDs). Thus, downloading a copyrighted album is a form of copyright infringement.
The law’s rigidness on this issue places limits on the possibilities offered by the internet.
Take Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute student Jesse Jordan, who designed a search engine that indexed all files within his university’s network.
In 2003, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) sued him for willful violation of copyrights, despite his not having downloaded or purposefully shared music illegally. According to the law, though, the RIAA was entitled to at least $15 million.
While Jordan could have fought the lawsuit, the legal fees would have amounted to $250,000 or more. In the end, Jordan settled with the RIAA, which ultimately took $12,000, his complete life savings.
Jordan isn’t the only one: in September of 2003 alone, the RIAA sued 261 individuals for alleged copyright violation.
So now that you know how copyrights work, let’s look at the role that circumventing copyrights has had on media.
All of today’s major media industries were born out of a kind of copyright violation.
Piracy is nothing new. In fact, all of today’s big media industries began by illegally using creative property.
Take the movie industry, for example, which was born from the copying of camera and film technology.
In the early twentieth century, the inventor of filmmaking technology, Thomas Edison, formed the Motion Pictures Patents Company, MPPC, to monopolize the use of cameras and film.
Companies who refused to comply formed independent groups that used illegal equipment and imported film that the MPPC would later confiscate. These independents were subjected to ominous and threatening actions, like mysterious “accidents”: props went missing; buildings mysteriously caught fire.
So, the independents took Edison’s inventions and fled to California. When copyright law finally caught up with them in the Golden State, Edison’s patents had expired. So Hollywood would not have existed without piracy.
Things were a bit different in the record industry, where copyright centered around composers and performers.
When Edison and Henri Fourneaux invented the phonograph, composers had control over copies and public performances of their music. Back then, if a singer performed “Happy Birthday,” they had to actually pay the composer for the sheet music and permission.
Once people could record and reproduce music, it wasn’t clear if the composer was owed anything. The question became: if a performer recorded themselves singing “Happy Birthday” at their home and made ten copies, were they still obligated to pay the composer? If so, how much?
In 1909 Congress changed the law, requiring recording artists to get permission from composers as well as pay them a set price.
The trade-off is this: what recording artists lose in terms of their rights over the music they’ve created, they regain in publicity. Furthermore, the public gets to enjoy a wider variety of music.
The beginnings of the radio and cable television industries have similar stories. Each of these sectors is a product and beneficiary of some kind of piracy.
It’s not always bad to take copyrighted material that you didn’t pay for.
Is it ever good to take something that isn’t yours? Well, sometimes it actually is! In fact, certain types of taking can actually be beneficial to society as a whole.
For example, uncopyrighted material is given away freely by the owner and is thus accessible to anyone. Incidentally, this is the only form of file sharing that is totally legal.
Content creators often do this to generate interest in their work. Who knows: if they like it, the people using the freebies may decide to buy the actual product.
That was the strategy science fiction author Cory Doctorow used when he released his first book, Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom. Before publishing in print, he released the book online as a free download to entice readers to sample the book and then buy it. Thanks to this strategy, Doctorow’s book was a success.
This form of taking is clearly legal, as the thing that’s being taken has been given away for free. But what if you were to take something that could theoretically be bought?
For instance, imagine you’re looking for a record that you loved while growing up, and it’s seemingly impossible to find; it hasn’t been printed in years, and no online or retail store carries it. If you can download the album, why shouldn’t you?
This would be, in fact, illegal, as in many cases the work is still under copyright protection despite the fact that it can’t be purchased anywhere. So, should you abide by the law?
Perhaps not. This type of sharing benefits society, as it spreads cultural goods that would otherwise be difficult to obtain. It’s also essentially harmless to the artist; they’re not profiting from this particular work anymore anyway.
There are two types of piracy, but only one is clearly harmful.
Up to this point, we’ve seen instances where downloading otherwise unattainable copyright material is justifiable. But what about downloading Rihanna’s newest single, or an episode of Game of Thrones? Is that wrong? Well, it depends on why it’s being done.
Even though this kind of piracy is illegal, it can actually be beneficial, both for the creators and, in some cases, for society.
Consider, for example, that some people use file-sharing to sample music and other copyrighted material before purchasing it.
The most common way that people do this is via peer-to-peer (p2p) sharing. In essence, p2p is when you and your peers share files among yourselves through an open network. So if you download a file, you’d also make that file available for other people.
This type of piracy is illegal, but beneficial, since it works as a kind of advertising. If you send your friend an mp3 of your favorite song, it’s possible that they’ll end up purchasing the album.
But some people download content instead of purchasing it. According to the author, this type of sharing is clearly harmful, since it robs the artist of their potential profit. Indeed, most people who download music will not buy the CD.
But while the recording industry has long cited technology as the cause of drops in sales, there’s no way of knowing whether this is true.
For example, the RIAA reported in 2002 that sales had fallen from 882 to 803 million units by year’s end. Revenues had fallen by 6.7 percent, while about 2.1 billion CDs were downloaded for free that year.
So although CD downloads increased by 2.6 times, sales only fell by a small percentage. Clearly, the correlation between downloads and sales is not that strong. Exactly what caused this decline isn’t clear.
So far we’ve seen how piracy has helped to spread culture in spite of existing copyright laws. Our following articles will look at the new legal roadblocks to cultural dissemination.
Large, powerful corporations use the law to control culture and eliminate competition.
What happens when a few players dominate an entire market? Exactly what the constitution sought to prevent: concentrated power.
In 2003, five companies controlled about 85 percent of each media sector. Take music, for example: Universal Music Group, BMG, Sony Music Entertainment, Warner Music Group and EMI control 84.8 percent of the American music market.
Why should we care?
Well, this kind of oligopoly stifles the creation of new technologies, and today’s big players have the law on their side.
Take the story of Michael Robertson: in 1997 he launched the company MP3.com, on which users could add music from bought CDs to their accounts and thereby freely access their CD collection – which they ostensibly purchased – from any computer. However, users could only access their own files.
In 2000, the company created a recommendation system based on data about what other users liked. Still, you couldn’t access anyone else's files.
Nine days after launching, the five major record labels sued MP3.com for copyright infringement. MP3.com lost the suit, and was required to pay out $118 million in damages.
Only one of the five labels, Vivendi Universal, brought the suit to court. Like the others, however, they ultimately settled, in this case for $54 million. A year later, Vivendi purchased MP3.com and filed a malpractice lawsuit against the lawyers who had advised MP3.com that their actions did not infringe on any copyright.
These five big media companies also use their power to quash technology that could create competition for them.
One way is by using their resources to take out smaller entrepreneurs.
For example, in the late ‘90s an online music distributor called eMusic actively advocated new industry models that could be employed to make music available to consumers on the internet. But after being purchased by Vivendi Universal, in 2001, the company immediately changed its position against new models of distribution.
By buying the competition, these giants can more easily keep their power.
The current copyrighting process is inefficient and a burden for everyone but the rich and powerful.
Greed isn’t the only reason big corporations derail competing technologies and maintain their monopoly on culture. The uncertainty of the law favors these powerful few as well.
This became especially clear in 1992, when renewal, registration and marking requirements were removed from copyright law.
Before 1992, if you wanted to use anything marked with a copyright Ⓒ, you simply checked the government’s registry of copyright owners, checked whether their copyrights were still in effect and then asked for permission.
After 1992, however, copyright was extended automatically, meaning that copies no longer had to be deposited with the government and creative property no longer had to be registered.
Consequently, there’s no sure way of finding the owner or knowing whether the content is copyrighted at all.
This makes permission complicated. And even if you go to the trouble, it’s possible that you’ll overlook something and risk a million dollar lawsuit.
This is one reason why car manufacturers don’t make cars with built-in MP3 players. The legal consequences are simply unknown.
As a result of these uncertainties, only the rich can afford to use someone else’s work.
To illustrate this, imagine that you’ve made a documentary with four seconds of footage made by someone else. To do this, you need to get the content creator’s permission, then pay them and every single person involved in the production.
This legal process is complex, so you’d need a good lawyer, or maybe even a team of lawyers. Who has the money for all that, besides the super rich?
In the end, the big corporations win, with their wealth and legal protections, and society loses creative opportunities.
But is that a reason to despair? Read on: our final article will offer you some hope!
We need copyright laws that can both protect the owner’s rights and encourage creativity.
So should we just make piracy completely illegal? Or make taking without permission legal? The author suggests something in between.
Clearly, the copyrighting process needs to be reformed, starting with the restoration of the registration, renewal and marking formalities for copyrighted works that was removed in 1992. This will make asking for permission much easier.
Second, the services of the Copyright Office need to be more efficient. Obtaining a copyright should be easy to understand and hassle-free, not unnecessarily drawn-out by an underfunded agency.
In fact, the Office doesn’t need to be run by the government, just approved by them. Think of it this way: How efficient would this kind of bureaucracy be if it offered the same quality of customer service as, say, Amazon?
Aside from copyright laws, we need to understand that free culture doesn’t have to compete with commercial interest. We’ve seen enough examples of businesses benefiting from freely giving access to knowledge to know this is true.
Take law journals, for example, some of which offer students access to their databases at no cost. Their strategy is to get young customers hooked on their services so that they’ll pay for a subscription once they become paid professionals.
In addition, open source software allows you the opportunity to further develop someone else’s work without harming the owner. IBM, for example, increasingly relies on Linux OS, a famous free operating-system software that is open for users to continue to build on.
Finally, the Creative Commons project makes copyrights both effective and easy to understand.
Co-founded by the author, this non-profit corporation aims to provide reasonable copyrights on top of the ones that already exist. This way, the owners protect themselves while others can continue to build on other people’s work in a creative way.
Society must understand that free culture doesn’t mean zero profit. The fact that big media sees it that way impedes our creativity.
While the internet has changed how we create and access culture, copyright laws in the United States have not. Far from fostering the new creative possibilities technology brings, the law is used by powerful media corporations with deep pockets to protect their interests.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line792
|
__label__wiki
| 0.711936
| 0.711936
|
Главная База знаний "Allbest" Политология To what extent Rousseau’s Social Contract Theory is valid nowadays? Modern Political Theory
To what extent Rousseau’s Social Contract Theory is valid nowadays? Modern Political Theory
Analysis of Rousseau's social contract theory and examples of its connection with the real world. Structure of society. Principles of having an efficient governmental system. Theory of separation of powers. The importance of censorship and religion.
Рубрика Политология
Вид статья
To what extent Rousseau's Social Contract Theory is valid nowadays?
Modern Political Theory
Azamat Kabdrash
Jean-Jacques Rousseau was one of the thinkers who considered human nature along with state structures to solve social and political problems. In his work “The Social Contract” the main issue that he raises can be formulated as follows: Is it possible to find a way of governing a principality so that it suited both the state of nature and civil laws? In fact, this question still has not found its answer. Nevertheless, I think that many issues that Rousseau wrote about have found places in the way how modern states are governed nowadays. In this paper I will support my opinion by analyzing Rousseau's Social Contract theory, and giving examples how his statements are related to the real world. In order to investigate his theories, I classified his work into two categories: 1) concerning the ways a society is formed, and 2) the ways a state is formed. Firstly, I will analyze the first and second one separately giving examples of its applications in modern countries. Then, I will try to answer the question to what extent Rousseau's social contract theory can be justified and applied.
1. Rousseau's Social Contract Theory. Structure of society
How primitive societies existed before confessing a social pact? Hobbes defined the state of nature of people as “war of all against all” (Hobbes, ch: XIII). To the contrast, Rousseau made his own concept that state of nature of individuals is not a war, but a natural disunity. He explains that war is already a product of an intercourse, and that it does not exist in the state of nature (Rousseau, 46). Then Rousseau talks about might and right. Concerning might or strength, he says that there is no concept of “strength of the stronger”, because it disappears along with the source of that strength, or if there is someone who is stronger. When it comes to right or freedom of right, Rousseau says that, it is common for everyone. So, every individual by nature has a freedom (Rousseau, 43-46). But, Rousseau's first postulating which opens his book, and which is the main problem he wanted to solve is the following: “man is born free, but everywhere he is in chains” (Rousseau, 41). So, he refers to the problems of inequality, injustice and slavery. He argues that “Force made the first slaves, and their cowardice perpetuated the condition” (Rousseau, ch: 4). Nevertheless, he says that people always had a necessity to unite. Because, when the necessity to self-preserving overweighs the striving for natural freedom, they voluntarily alienate their freedom and power in order to be in the society, and in that way to be safe. That means that every individual give all their rights to the society. But how they benefit then? So, this is the main purpose of the social contract - to make such form of organization, in which every individual give his natural liberty and take it (liberty) from the society. His liberty and power return to him within the community. In addition, everyone takes back not only what he gives, but more power to preserve it as well. So, making a social contract, every individual moves from the state of nature to the civil state, creating a society, a government. What does it mean? Rousseau asserts that, first of all, people themselves change: instinct is replaced with the sense of justice and with equality principle (Rousseau, 53). I think, Rousseau found the right reason why people unite, which is self-preserving, but his conclusion that social contract would make people again equal, as it was in primitive societies is wrong. So, for Rousseau, it was enough to put people to the same conditions, giving the same education and that it would equalize everyone. Famous French thinker, Voltaire, said an opposite argument: “In our unhappy world it is impossible for men living in society not to be divided into two classes: The rich who command, and the poor who serve…human race is as it is - different”( chnm.gmu.edu). I agree with Voltaire, not because there necessarily should be poor and rich, but because of unequal human nature: you cannot teach everyone to play music, to write poems, or to make surgeries. People have different preferences; they are born different, think and act differently.
Rousseau asserts that along with movement to civil state property acquisition appears. He also says that in the state of nature there is no such thing. Because if one captured something, it is not guaranteed that another one cannot do the same (Rousseau, ch:9). It is very similar to the right of the strongest. While entering the social pact, individual give everything to the society: power, freedom, property. At the same time society gives it back with securing the rights to that property to the extent that it is enough to survival, and also setting a rejection to other properties as well. So, it indicates that the right to own a property also means that you cannot own other's properties. These statements can be found in communist ideology, where equality was the main proposition. In fact, if to look into communist ideology, it can be concluded that it has nothing in common with development and social welfare (e.g. Vietnam, Laos, Cuba). De Tocqueville (1835) argues that freedom and private property can only co-exist along with democratic regime, while intervention of government to economy and to freedom of citizens creates serious danger to that. Whereas, communist ideology mainly has a command economy which obliges a government to directly intervene to economy and citizens' life. That could destroy social inequality and make all people equal, but it would make them equally poor, having law rate of wellbeing or social-economic development. So, from this I conclude that as Rousseau's theory of property and equality is mainly reflected in communist ideology, it is not efficient and cannot be applied in the world where social welfare requires high prosperity level.
There is also another quite similar analogy to Rousseau's offer in modern world that are used to equalize the distribution of wealth among its citizens. For example, progressive taxation, the system that takes a greater percentage of income from those who are relatively wealthy. It is used in many developed countries such as UK, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, etc. However, even in this case Shively (2011) claims that “tax policies overall have not changed the distribution of incomes very much”. Therefore, considering these examples, I would say that Rousseau's theory of making people equal is not really accurate. I think it was just a utopia or may be an issue that needs completely different ways of solving.
Rousseau talks about another fundamental concept in the social contract - general will. It is not the sum of private wills, but movement to one single will that is run by the general aim of everybody, which is common welfare (“equally upright”) (Rousseau, 59). As a result, the decisions made according to the general will are always right, because no private interests are concerned. But how the decisions should be made if there are different opinions about that? Rousseau solves this by explaining that the general will is the one which got the majority of votes, even if there is only one vote overweighing (Rousseau, 59-60). What do non-contents do then? If a one's private opinion contradicts the general will, that just means that he was wrong, and he is happy that he now knows the truth. I associate this theory with French Revolution. Despite the fact that it was initially started for the sake of common welfare and happiness, it brought a lot of death and anxiety. The main reason was that people were not ready to unite for the sake of so called “general will”. The revolutionists thought that people would act naturally creating common good reserves. But as it turned out that people's nature was not commonality but selfishness, the revolution took different character which was similar to dictatorship. To sum up the points mentioned above, I claim that general will cannot be an assurance of real governmental system. Again I refer to people's natural inequality, that people want different things. Therefore, they need a system with rules and orders.
General will is closely related to sovereignty. It is the power over its members which run by general will and which perform the general will. Rousseau says that sovereignty has two main properties: it is inalienable (a will cannot be passed on, Sovereign represents itself) and indivisible (Rousseau, 57-58). How the sovereignty is realized? In others words, how is the society governed? The answer is by laws. A law in its turn is a result of collective decision, which never considers private interests. Purpose of any law is a social welfare which is expressed in terms of liberty and equality. One of the most difficult questions then is - who can issue these laws? Rousseau says that a lawgiver should be supremely intelligent, impassive and willing to work selflessly for the sake of people (Rousseau, 68-70). In other words he should resemble a divine creature. He must not have a power, but his position is the highest. What is necessary to maintain the effectiveness of laws? Rousseau says that laws should regularly be updated in regular meetings. Uppermost, none of the authorities has a power during such meetings. Secondly, all people should gather by themselves without any representatives (Rousseau, book 2, ch: 8). Mostly these theories happen in Switzerland. In the 136th article of Swiss Constitution the following laws are written: “All Swiss citizens over the age of eighteen, unless they lack legal capacity due to mental illness or mental incapacity, have political rights in federal matters. All citizens have the same political rights and duties. They may participate in elections to the National Council and in federal popular votes, and launch or sign popular initiatives and requests for referendums in federal matters (Swiss Constitution, 1999)”. It reflects Rousseau's theories more than any other of states' constitutions. As a result Switzerland reaps what it sows. It has one of the highest social welfare and equality indexes worldwide (oecdbetterlifeindex.org).
2. Establishment of Government
Now, we've come to issues considering the structure of government. The Sovereign make laws and represents the general will, but who has the power to carry them out? The sovereign “hires” government representatives in orders to have an executive power. Rousseau says that it is compulsory to have separate legislative and executive powers to maintain the equality (Rousseau, book 3). Then he talks about the forms of government that sovereign can choose. It depends on several factors. Uppermost, it depends on climate. It is more difficult to the government and the sovereign to maintain regular communications at large distances, thus it needs more power. This, in its turn, leads to monarchy. Conversely, a small territory with better climate is a good prerequisite for democracy. Forms of government differ from each other by capacity of its power and by the degree of liberty. Other than mentioned features, it is necessary to democracy to have meetings with all of its members who are equal socially and have equal powers. Aristocracy - is one of the forms where there are several people on the head of the government. Rousseau says that is the most effective when these people are elected, not when it is hereditary. The next and the most dangerous form of a government is monarchy. It differs from others by quick decision making and limitless power of the governor. Also, there is a highest probability there that it moves to dictatorship or despotism. Rousseau admits that it is not possible to have pure forms of any of these governments. So, it creates conditions for formation of mixed government (Rousseau, 89-100). British Parliament is a good example of mixed governments, with reduced power of monarchy and with other organs like, House of Common, House of Lords, and a prime minister (thebritishparliament.blogspot.com). Rousseau talks about another body in the government which is called tribunate. Its function is to maintain the power between the sovereign and the government, itself being completely independent. It is like a judge who preserves the balance, having no legislative or executive powers (Rousseau 136-137). Switzerland is a good example of non-presidential separated power system. Swiss constitution says “The judicial authorities are independent in the exercise of their judicial powers and are bound only by the law” (Art. 191c).
So, it clearly reflects Rousseau's concept about tribunate. This is the only non-presidential country with separated powers, thus the most suited to Rousseau's theory of sovereignty. However there are a lot of other developed countries with separated executive and legislative powers with judicial authorities such as UK, US, Belgium, Italy, Germany, Austria, Ghana, Chile, etc. The World Bank Indicator shows that in such countries the government effectiveness index is high. Therefore, I very much agree that Rousseau's theory of separation of powers is effective and should be the basis of the way government is controlled.
Finally Rousseau emphasizes the importance of censorship and religion. He asserts that people should believe in god, in afterlife and in justice. Censorship, Rousseau claims, is needed to create a morality among people by changing public opinions (Rousseau 141-146). It is clear that, for Rousseau, the prosperity of any government directly depends on its citizens and on their morality and on their general will. As religion and censorship affects these human qualities, it should be an essential part of government.
These were Rousseau's main principles of having an efficient governmental system. As we can see, not all of his theories are justified and can be implemented in practice. However the principle of equality and consolidation is the main part of any developed democratic country. In fact, Pugachev (2001) argues that the presence of social contract is one of the main characteristics in developing countries with high rate of development. He gives examples of countries which moved to democracy such as Chile after Pinochet and Spain after Franco's dictatorship, which have significantly increased the level of social welfare since that time.
social powers rousseau
The modern understanding of social contract theory does not involve signing a document, because it would have such an infinite content that is difficult to compose, and even more difficult to exercise. However, there are different models of social contract theory traced in world politics. But their main purpose is the same - to achieve an agreement and compromise regarding law and order within society. Such attempts to realize social contract occur in countries mainly with social democracy and liberal democracy. Because, Shively (2011) said “democracy is government of the people, therefore, there is also a sense that the full population of citizens will be actively engaged between election in debate over alternative policies and in the work of setting the policies” (p. 151). By this point, I think, I have answered the question whether social contract theory is valid nowadays.
To sum up, Rousseau emphasizes the positive qualities and moral values of human beings, and that if to put all people to conditions where only natural feelings can rule, the society would flourish. But what is substantial is that history shows us opposite, it proves that this theory cannot be justified
De Toqueville, Alexis, 1835. “Democracy in America”, trans. Henry Reeve. Pennsylvania State University, p. 76-77, © 2013.
Hobbes, Thomas. “Leviathan”, ed. Edwin Curley. United Kingdom, Cambridge: Hackett Publishing Company, 2012
Rousseau, Jean Jacques. “The Social Contract and other later political writings”, Ed. Victor Gourevitch. United Kingdom, Cambridge University Press, 2012.
Shively, W.Phillips. 2011. “Power and Choice”. International Edition. Singapore. p. 112
Swiss Constitution, “Federal Constitution of the Swiss Confederation”, 1999
Размещено на Allbest.ru
статья "To what extent Rousseau’s Social Contract Theory is valid nowadays? Modern Political Theory" скачать
The political system of society
The term "political system". The theory of social system. Classification of social system. Organizational and institutional subsystem. Sociology of political systems. The creators of the theory of political systems. Cultural and ideological subsystem.
Functions of democracy as forms of political organization. Its differences from dictatorship and stages of historical development. Signs and methods of stabilizing of civil society. Essence of social order and duty, examples of public establishments.
контрольная работа [24,4 K], добавлен 11.08.2011
Democracy as a form of government
The definition of democracy as an ideal model of social structure. Definition of common features of modern democracy as a constitutional order and political regime of the system. Characterization of direct, plebiscite and representative democracy species.
Electorate influence on political and social environment: referendums
Referendum - a popular vote in any country of the world, which resolved important matters of public life. Usually in a referendum submitted questions, the answers to which are the words "yes" or "no". Especially, forms, procedure of referendums.
The "new class"
Women predominate among graduates in the fields of health, education and society and culture. The K. Betts-Robert Birrell bunch's anti-migration version of the "new class" theory. Racism is not innate in "human nature". Why Betts and company can't win.
эссе [78,5 K], добавлен 24.06.2010
Political party system
Study of legal nature of the two-party system of Great Britain. Description of political activity of conservative party of England. Setting of social and economic policies of political parties. Value of party constitution and activity of labour party.
курсовая работа [136,8 K], добавлен 01.06.2014
Of the Polish political parties and organizations in Vilnius (1919 - 1922 gg.)
Leading role Society Gard Kresevo (USC) in organizing social and political life of the Poland. The Polish People's Movement of Vilna Earth. The influence of the Polish Central Electoral Committee. The merger of the TNG "Emancipation" and PNC "Revival".
The political System of the United States
Basis of government and law in the United States of America. The Bill of Rights. The American system of Government. Legislative branch, executive branch, judicial branch. Political Parties and Elections. Freedom of speech, of religion, and of the press.
Do women rights suffer more in violent conflict than men’s
The situation of women affected by armed conflict and political violence. The complexity of the human rights in them. Influence of gender element in the destruction of the family and society as a result of hostilities. Analysis of the Rwandan Genocide.
Concepts of democracy
The classical definition of democracy. Typical theoretical models of democracy. The political content of democracy. Doctrine of liberal and pluralistic democracy. Concept of corporate political science and other varieties of proletarian democracy.
Другие документы, подобные "To what extent Rousseau’s Social Contract Theory is valid nowadays? Modern Political Theory"
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line794
|
__label__wiki
| 0.6042
| 0.6042
|
You are here: Home › Bromma › Reading Torkil Lauesen’s “The Global Perspective” (Bromma, 8/18)
Reading Torkil Lauesen’s “The Global Perspective” (Bromma, 8/18)
Filed under: Bromma, Reviews and tagged with: anti-imperialism, imperialism, Torkil Lauesen August 25, 2018
Rocinha Favela in Brazil.
The transformation to a neo-colonial world has only begun, but it promises to be as drastic, as disorienting a change as was the original european colonial conquest of the human race. Capitalism is again ripping apart and restructuring the world, and nothing will be the same. Not race, not nation, not gender, and certainly not whatever culture you used to have.
In this wrenching transformation, national empires, national borders and national economic rivalries are becoming less important to the international ruling class. To them, nations are less like the fortified bases of monopoly they used to be, but more like mere provinces, commercial suburbs, places of convenience for their multi-national corporations. Nations are being subdivided, built and torn down at an increasing tempo by capitalist evolution itself.
—Butch Lee, Red Rover, 1993[1]
I think every radical should read The Global Perspective. It can help you make up your mind about the way forward for anti-imperialism.
The Global Perspective, over 500 pages long, is a deep dive into the past, present and future of imperialism, from the point of view of die-hard militant Torkil Lauesen. Lauesen has thought a lot about almost every aspect of imperialism. His ideas are drawn from theory, anti-imperialist practice around the world, and his own direct experience, which is extensive. The Global Perspective presents his conclusions, and the evidence behind them, not as academic exercises but as weapons of struggle.
The Global Perspective is so big and covers so much ground that it might seem intimidating at first glance. But fortunately Lauesen’s style is engaging. His writing is clean and direct, making it a pleasure to read. (Credit must also be given to Gabriel Kuhn’s translation, which is seamless and convincing.) Almost every paragraph sets out a clear idea–a lesson from the past, an observation about strategy, an illuminating example. This means that the reader can put the book down, pick it up later, and get quickly pulled back into the discussion.
The Global Perspective certainly doesn’t have all the answers. I disagree quite strongly with some of its politics. But that’s not surprising given how comprehensive it is. Despite my reservations and criticisms, I consider The Global Perpective to be a great resource, and an excellent launch pad for discussing imperialism today. My experience with the book is that, even on matters where I differ, Lauesen has provided worthwhile insights and information that advance my thinking.
Global inequality, global anti-imperialism
Lauesen’s grand survey is motivated by his righteous outrage about the economic inequalities created by imperialism. His focus on this injustice provides the logical and moral foundation for the various parts of the book: his review of anti-imperialist theory, his descriptions of revolutionary struggles, his analysis of the current world order, and his predictions and prescriptions for the future.
Lauesen never loses sight of the difference between life in the privileged Global North and the oppressed Global South. He reviews the convincing evidence that populations in Europe, Japan and North America, including large swaths of the working class, profit from, and have become complicit with, imperialism.
The Global Perspective recaptures the heady revolutionary optimism of the 1960’s and 70’s. It’s interesting, for me, to view the events of that era through the eyes of a European militant. (He and I are about the same age.) There’s a lot of overlap with my own experience in the US, but everything looks slightly different. That may be partly because Lauesen’s political environment wasn’t as directly influenced by the internal anti-imperialist struggles that broke out inside the US, including the Black Liberation Movement, the Chicano movement, the Puerto Rican independence movement, and Native American freedom movements.
New landscape of imperialism
The Global Perspective recognizes that there have been changes in the organization of imperialism in recent decades. Lauesen writes intelligently and at some length about the decline of national liberation struggles, the failure of socialist revolutions, neo-colonialism and globalization.
But from my point of view, this is where the book falls short. Like much of the anti-imperialist Left, Lauesen evades the full implications of the changes in world capitalism that have happened in the last several decades. He relies on a somewhat mechanical model of imperialism:
It can be summed up like this: The world is divided into rich and poor countries; this division has economic causes and is reflected in class relations and politics. (p.23)[2]
Within the general framework of rich vs. poor countries, Lauesen considers the sole headquarters of imperialism to be “the Triad.” This term, popularized by Samir Amin and other theorists, denotes a transnational alliance of powerful countries–the US, Europe and Japan–that has played a hegemonic role in the global economy and geopolitics for decades.
This way of describing imperialism has the virtue of simplicity. The Triad countries attack; the Global South countries defend, either alone or together. It can be plotted like moves on a chessboard. But imperialism is more complicated than that.
Imperialism is a world system under the domination of parasitic monopoly capitalism. As it evolved out of European capitalism, imperialism definitely caused some countries to become much richer than others. But no countries, no matter how rich they are, own imperialism–it would be more accurate to say that imperialism owns them.
Monopoly capital doesn’t dominate the world only by directing the actions of rich countries, either. It (also) promotes, and profits from, the oppression of genders, the exploitation of the proletariat, the subjugation of nationalities and races, and the commodification of the natural world. These expressions of imperialism frequently transcend country vs. country dynamics. In fact, today, as we live through the most recent wave of globalization, it’s clear that monopoly capital depends less and less on countries all the time.
It’s still true that a core coalition of monopoly capitalists based in the Triad countries makes up the richest and most powerful imperialist center in the world. But that configuration of imperialism has been eroding for some time.
First of all, Triad capitalism is in decline, while new partners and competitors are emerging. The US’s infrastructure, educational systems and social services are falling apart; its bloated military is unable to prevail in many situations. The EU is being weakened by centrifugal internal conflict and economic imbalances. Japan’s economy is mired in debt. Meanwhile, monopoly capitalist classes have appeared in many countries we once thought of as solidly part of the Global South: China, Brazil, Hong Kong, South Africa, South Korea, India, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Singapore and others. Some of these rising monopoly capitalist classes are closely integrated with Triad capitalists (meaning it isn’t really just a “triad” any more). Others are rivals, working to split the Triad or supplant it at the top of the imperialist heap.
But what’s even more important is that the overall class and spatial organization of imperialism (including Triad-based imperialism) is being transformed by neocolonialism and globalization. Today, imperialism is relying less and less on Triad armies or Triad colonial regimes. Increasingly monopoly capitalism dominates world society through privatization and financial loan-sharking, implemented through transnational institutions like the World Bank, IMF and WTO. And monopoly capitalists from all over the world, including former colonies, are getting in on that action.
Neocolonialism is spreading imperialism out geographically, distributing it across, through and inside countries in a way never seen before. It’s loosening the bonds that connect pools of monopoly capital to their “home” countries. It’s dramatically changing the class structure of the imperialist system from top to bottom. It’s transforming the nature of women’s oppression. It’s tearing up the natural world at an accelerated pace.
If we restrict ourselves to a “Triad vs. poor countries” framework, we’ll lose sight of these radical changes, and their far-reaching political implications. This in turn can lead to errors in identifying who are our friends and who are our enemies.
BRICS leaders, 2016. At the meeting of BRICS leaders, from left: President of Brazil Michel Temer, Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi, President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping, President of Russia Vladimir Putin, and President of the Republic of South Africa Jacob Zuma. Photo: RIA Novosti.
Globalization of classes
At the top of the global class pyramid, the monopoly capitalist classes are increasingly adopting transnational investments, institutions, and strategies. The flip side of the coin is that Triad-based monopoly capitalists are gradually disinvesting from their “home” societies, a trend which hollows out the national economies of those countries, and degrades their once-holy “social contracts.” Imperialists no longer rely as much on their “home” country labor forces, governments, or domestic consumers. Pools of monopoly capital have started to float free of their countries of origin, and to dissolve into even larger, truly transnational pools of capital. This change has caused a huge political backlash among outraged privileged Triad populations, who feel abandoned and disrespected. This nationalistic sentiment may slow globalization, but it isn’t going to stop it in the long run.
Radical class transformation isn’t just happening at the top of the class pyramid, of course. Neocolonial globalization is causing significant changes at all levels of the world class structure. Perhaps the most important change, from the point of view of the Left, is that massive migration out of rural areas, combining with the rise of global transnational labor forces, is forging a new, cosmopolitan incarnation of the global proletariat, centered around women.[3] A volatile and diverse lumpen/proletariat also exerts a growing influence on nations and world society.[4]
Another important change in the imperialist system’s class structure is that new middle classes are emerging rapidly in the countries once assumed to be monolithically part of the Global South. The Global Perspective is dismissive of this change, treating it as a minor phenomenon. In accordance with his overall model of imperialism, Lauesen associates consumerist society and middle-class privilege almost exclusively with Europe, the US and Japan.
In a recent interview with Gabriel Kuhn, Lauesen says, “In most countries of the Global South, the so-called new middle class makes up less than ten percent of the population.”[5] Perhaps. But the population of the countries Lauesen calls the Global South is some 4-6 billion people, depending on how we calculate it. At the low end, ten percent of that number would be 400 million people–more than the entire population of the US. At the high end, it would amount to 600 million–similar to the number of middle class people in the whole EU. (It turns out that both figures are probably low.) As capitalist investors know, the fast-expanding new middle classes inside the former colonial countries aren’t “so-called” classes; they are real.[6] The formation of large populations of middle class people inside these countries is one more indication that radical change is happening within world capitalism.
All over the world, what used to be essentially “national” classes have now been plugged directly into the global economy. Capitalists eagerly embrace transnational mobility and global elite culture. Middle classes are becoming distributed around the world. They pursue multinational careers and interact globally online; they share music, tech, clothes, consumer preferences, habits. Tens of millions of proletarians, technicians and professionals cross borders to work in transnational industries. Hundreds of millions more work within global supply chains, and know full well how that affects their lives and futures.
Hong Kong skyline.
A new geography of economic stratification
Over the past several decades, as classes have globalized, the spatial organization of imperialism has also changed noticeably. There are still tremendous differences in average income between rich countries and poor countries. At the same time, the borderline between global wealth and poverty has become much more convoluted. Today, in many countries, the Global North is inside the Global South, and the Global South is inside the Global North.
This reconfiguration of wealth and poverty within the imperialist system is a process, not a sudden event. Old and new forms of imperialism exist side by side. The older model of country vs. country inequality still exists, as does colonialism. But the previous geographic line between privilege and oppression is fracturing and gradually re-forming in a new, class-inflected pattern.
One aspect of this transformation is that income inequality has skyrocketed within the former colonial world. Today, countries which used to be solidly part of the Global South–including China, India, Brazil, South Korea, Saudi Arabia and many other places–now have fantastically rich monopoly capitalist classes and significant consumerist middle classes living side by side with impoverished proletarians, poor peasants and lumpen. These classes may reside in the same country, but they live in different economic worlds. In our emerging social reality, the line between the world’s exploited and the world’s privileged now runs right through the middle of these countries.[7] Meanwhile, the differences in wealth among former colonial countries have also grown, becoming dramatic in some cases. This is not the distribution of wealth and poverty we that were familiar with during colonialism.
Shantytown, Hong Kong.
Not just countries, not just the Triad
Treating imperialism as a plague which particular countries inflict on other countries is a tempting shortcut, especially since that’s still one of the forms imperialism does take. But I think that if we stop there, we’ll end up with a superficial and outdated view of world society. I would argue that imperialism is a world system ruled by shifting coalitions of monopoly capitalists. Because of its inner contradictions, monopoly capitalism requires constant expansion in order to survive. Like a metastatic cancer, it constantly overflows borders of all kinds, aggressively seeking profit. I don’t mean it just overflows the borders of countries, either.
For instance, the oppression and exploitation of women–which is actually far more important to monopoly capital than any particular country–isn’t just carried out by the Triad. It isn’t just a country vs. country issue. The oppression of women is (also) carried out on global, regional and local levels, with the complicity of men on each of those levels. This oppression is a systemic manifestation of imperialism, fundamental to its continued existence. Particular empires rise and fall, but the oppression of women continues seamlessly.
There is change happening for women, though. Today, the imperialist system is overflowing the borders of families.
Domestic labor by poor women has existed in one form or another for centuries, as we know. (About 67 million domestic workers around the world are laboring in private homes.)[8] In the last several decades, a new kind of large-scale, globalized, migrant domestic worker industry has arisen, which includes about 11.5 million workers, mostly women.[9] It’s highly organized, usually involving formal agreements between the governments of the sending and receiving countries. This industry is concentrated, so far, in two regions of the world: Latin America, and the south Asia/Pacific region. The workforce in the latter region is made up mainly of Indonesian, Filipina, Sri Lankan and Thai women, who have been pulled out of their own families to serve as live-in maids, nannies, housekeepers and caregivers for families in foreign countries.
What’s happening to these proletarian women reveals a lot about how the imperialist system is changing. But this is not something dictated by the countries of the Triad. It’s mainly sponsored by the ruling classes of former colonies. Most of the migrant Asian women don’t end up in Triad countries either (although about 22% go to Europe). In fact, the biggest destinations for these millions of proletarian women are Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong, where they labor mostly for middle class families. The use of overseas domestic workers in these countries is much more pervasive than it is in the US, Europe or Japan.
To give some idea of what this looks like as a social phenomenon: A third of all Hong Kong families now employ a domestic worker from this transnational labor pool.[10] The internet is full of slick websites for “domestic helper agencies” where people from the receiving countries shop for “employment packages,” including placement fees, paperwork, “free replacements,” medical checkups, transportation, and “lodging of transfer domestic worker during your vacation.”[11]
Not to be left behind, mainland China’s government recently started looking into legalizing the hiring of Filipina migrant domestic workers.[12] While that idea wends its way through the government bureaucracy, there’s already an active black market for maids in the People’s Republic. This involves about 200,000 undocumented Filipinas who live the insecure lives of “illegal immigrants.”[13]
I should also note that Arab-majority countries are also major destinations for transnational domestic workers; they receive about 19% of the world’s migrant domestic workers. Most of those workers are from the same four Asian countries.[14]
The transnational domestic worker industry is encouraged and facilitated by the women’s home ruling classes and professional classes, who profit from this expanding industry as well as the remittances that it generates. The industry is also heartily embraced by ruling classes and middle classes in the receiving countries. After all, it allows professional women to have modern careers without “burdening” their husbands with any shared housework, elder care or childcare.
The growing global domestic worker industry is a significant change in the world imperialist system, impacting the lives of tens of millions of women while transforming the nature of families. It’s exactly the kind of development that anti-imperialists should be studying. But trying to understand it mainly through the lens of “the Triad vs. the Global South” would be, in my opinion, a waste of time.
Systemic contradictions
This isn’t just true for the oppression of women. Imperialist national oppression isn’t defined solely by the struggle between countries, either. It couldn’t be: many oppressed nations exist as internal colonies; others (like the Kurds) are spread across multiple countries. Something similar can be said about the exploitation of the world proletariat: as an increasingly transnational and migratory class, it is no longer fully “owned” by individual countries. Imperialism’s drive to privatize and commodify the natural world and information obviously transcends countries, as well.
In other words, while country borders are important to how imperialism is organized, imperialism has always been about much more than those borders. And in the neocolonial era especially, country borders are one among many factors that capitalists manipulate in their drive for growth and profit.
I do think the “Triad vs. poor countries” model can still be useful. But it only describes one layer of imperialist reality. I don’t think it’s helpful at all–either theoretically or politically–to treat Chinese monopoly capitalists as part of the Global South, while categorizing oppressed people in the US as part of the imperialist Triad. Nor is it useful to act as if consumerist middle classes only play a significant role in the Triad countries.
I think we need to dig deeper with our theory, working towards a class analysis of the modern, evolving imperialist system. We can never ignore the enormous privileges that most people in the Triad countries hold, or the widespread poverty that those privileges are linked to in the Global South. We should support national liberation struggles, and oppose Triad parasitism. But we should also be aware of how patterns of privilege, poverty and oppression are changing as neocolonialism and globalization remake the world economy and the class structure connected to it. Instead of locking all our attention on countries, we should be studying all the multiple ways that pools of monopoly capital operate in the world, and the specific ways they parasitically exploit various populations of the oppressed–inside, across, and sometimes without regard for, country borders.
We are now experiencing the integration of former national capitalisms, colonies and monopolies into one borderless world economy (although to workers there are many borders) and one class structure. A formally de-colonized but unfree world.[15]
The poor and “their” ruling classes
There’s a particularly compelling reason why imperialism shouldn’t be reduced to “the Triad versus the poor countries”: the rulers of almost all the countries with large poor populations are reactionaries. In fact, as Lauesen recognizes, the ruling classes of the ex-colonies are now fully integrated into the world imperialist system.
The former colonies have not been able to escape imperialism, despite independence. The ruling elites of the newly-independent countries constitute–more or less willingly–a class of compradors. (p. 219)[16]
The ruling classes in the former colonies hardly ever actually represent their impoverished citizens–they represent themselves and monopoly capital. Almost all of the “Global South” ruling classes enable and facilitate the imprisonment of oppressed people–especially women–within world imperialism. They are connected to monopoly capitalist groups and institutions. A number of these ruling classes have become imperialists in their own right.
Yet Lauesen, along with many other anti-imperialists, still counts on these very same capitalist men to forge a “South-South” anti-imperialist front. This seems to confuse enemies with friends. Taking reactionary elites’ hypocritical rhetoric largely at face value, The Global Perspective evades the fact that the oppressed people of the Global South will have to fight to overthrow these ruling classes as part of their struggle against world imperialism.
Chinese imperialism
What this means for anti-imperialist strategy comes into better focus if we look at how The Global Perspective discusses China.
Lauesen says that China “is no longer at the periphery of the global economy.” (p. 443) In an interview, however, he calls it a “peripheral state.”[17] He says that China
is emerging as a leader of the Global South and the main rival to the US for global dominance. While the US is trying to maintain global hegemony by imperialist means, China aims to shed its economic and political dependence on the Global North. (p. 307)
I find this passage baffling. It’s not clear what Lauesen thinks China’s “global dominance” would actually look like. One thing is very clear, though: he thinks that it’s impossible for China to be an imperialist power, because “it does not have a periphery it can exploit.” (p. 315). He doubles down on this assertion:
We must not confuse the current situation in China with that of Europe in the late nineteenth century. Even if the Chinese government’s long-term goal is less dependency on exports and a stronger domestic market, and while working-class demands appear compatible with capitalism and the imperialist system, China cannot copy European social democracy. It has no external proletariat to exploit. (p. 344)
The Global Perspective is critical even of those who call China “sub-imperialist.” Lauesen admits that China’s policies in Africa and elsewhere have an “exploitative character.” But he absolves China’s capitalists (and middle classes) of responsibility for this. Rather, he argues that Chinese exploitation is being carried out for the eventual benefit of the “Triad” countries. This, Lauesen alleges, marks a “fundamental difference between China and the imperialist powers.” (p. 372)
At one point, Lauesen calls the Chinese economy “a dynamic form of state capitalism.” Yet he also says that China is “led by the largest communist party in the world.” (p.356) In his interview with Gabriel Kuhn, Lauesen calls for anti-imperialists to support “left factions of the Communist Party,” along with “left wing intellectuals, and the workers’ movement.”[18] The Global Perspective urges the Chinese working class into “open conflict with the pro-capitalist wing of the Communist Party.” (p.378)
I have a very different analysis. I think that there’s overwhelming evidence that China is a rising imperialist power. And that its “Communist” Party is a party of monopoly capital.
Capitalist restoration and the Chinese periphery
For many generations, China’s huge population made up a significant proportion of the world imperialist periphery. The Chinese proletariat and peasantry were heavily exploited by a variety of imperialist powers. One of the great achievements of the Chinese Revolution was that it essentially tore this huge chunk of the periphery–many hundreds of millions of oppressed people–out of the grasp of Western and Japanese capital. But then, disastrously, socialism was defeated, and capitalism was restored in China. The new ruling class rushed to exploit its own people–it’s own captive periphery. In fact, this great opportunity for exploitation was the motive and main objective of capitalist restoration.
In the years since capitalists gained full control of the country, the Chinese Party and state have cynically pimped the Chinese proletariat to Western and Japanese capital. In return, predatory foreign investors agreed to allow the Chinese oligarchy to skim a large stream of profits off the top. Chinese capitalists, concentrated in the Party’s top ranks, also invested heavily in the stocks and bonds of the same Western monopoly capitalists who were exploiting their own people. China’s state capitalist oligarchs became fabulously rich, and fabulously corrupt.[19]
Transitioning out of socialism, the Chinese Party was centralized, organized, and capable of strategic planning. It understood the need to control foreign investments on its turf in order to claim a share of the profits and avoid being marginalized by outsiders. Most foreign corporations were therefore required by law to give the Chinese state a majority stake in their investments, and foreign banks were excluded almost totally. As full partners with foreign industrial and finance capital, Chinese oligarchs were able to gradually accumulate not just obscene profits from the exploitation of their own proletariat, but also the latest technologies and production methods used by their foreign mentors and rivals. This accumulation process eventually allowed Chinese capitalists to start creating their own cutting edge enterprises. (Xiaomi, the massive Chinese smartphone company, is one example. Chinese auto firms are another.)
China’s ruling class has now decided that it’s time to transition away from reliance on domestic low-wage labor and exports to the West. It wants all the profits from exploitation, not just some of them. It wants to ramp up its internal consumer markets, as well as its export of capital. And it wants to move up to the top of the capitalist food chain.
Chinese middle classes
As part of this process, the Party is encouraging the growth of Chinese consumerist middle classes. According to McKinsey, there will be almost 400 million middle class people–making the equivalent of $9,037 to $34,495 a year in PPP US dollars–in China’s urban centers by 2020. (Most of them will be in the upper half of that income range.) In Shanghai, the median wage in 2017 was $13,620 a year. That’s higher than the median wage of EU members Croatia, Lithuania and Latvia. Average manufacturing wages in China are higher than in every major Latin American economy except Chile; 40% higher than in Mexico.[20] The average factory worker made PPP $3.60/hour in 2016, up 64% from 2011. That figure, low as it was compared to the US that year, was more than five times average manufacturing wages in India, and similar to wages in Portugal.[21]
Increased wages aren’t simply the result of strikes and other worker struggles. As during the US’s New Deal, the Chinese government is openly calling for higher wages. In line with this objective, particular parts of the workforce are being groomed to become labor elites, with pay and conditions far above regular proletarians. For instance, assembly line autoworkers in the biggest cities make about $10 PPP an hour. This is almost three times China’s manufacturing average wage, and several times what non-manufacturing workers are paid.[22] But our comparisons shouldn’t stop there. That wage is roughly ten times what the Chinese women who sewed garments for Ivanka Trump got paid.[23] It’s more than 50 times the income of the country’s rural poor.
The growth of middle classes is very useful to the monopoly capitalists, just as it was in the US and Europe. Not just because it creates a large domestic consumer market for Chinese capital. But also because middle class privilege creates a social base for China’s regional and global drive for dominance, and helps the state ramp up mass patriotism and jingoism. Pro-imperialist and militaristic propaganda appears to be reaching a receptive audience among middle classes in China, just as it does in the West.[24] Many millions of people are hoping to benefit if Chinese imperialism continues to expand.
Overall, China, which has almost 20% of the world’s population, is now one of the most unequal places on earth. Lauesen reports that “in 2006, 0.4 percent of the richest famililies controlled 70 percent of the national wealth.” (p. 369)[25] It’s not too surprising that there are big disparities between monopoly capitalists and proletarians. But huge discrepancies also exist, as I have already indicated, among workers, between men and women and between urban and rural areas. While tens of millions of rich and middle class people are profiting from a raging real estate bubble and shopping in fancy malls in the coastal cities, there are also tens of millions of other Chinese living below the government’s official poverty line of $334 a year–less than a dollar a day. 40% of China’s population survives on $5.50 a day or less.[26] This is Global North and Global South in the same country.
Exporting exploitation
While Chinese monopoly capital still relies considerably on sending consumer goods to the West, it has given that trade a neoliberal twist: it uses the proletariats of other countries for cheaper outsourced labor. In other words, Chinese monopoly capital participates actively in international wage arbitrage. Chinese capitalists are buying hundreds of millions of dollars worth of clothing from sweatshops in Bangladesh, then reselling it for export. Some Chinese entrepreneurs subcontract their labor from Bangladeshi firms; others are opening their own factories there.[27]
Chinese textile firms are also sending fabric across the border to North Korea, where it is turned into garments with “Made in China” tags.
“Manufacturers can save up to 75 percent by making their clothes in North Korea,” says a Chinese trader who has lived in Pyongyang…. In North Korea, factory workers can’t go to the toilet whenever they feel like, otherwise they think it slows down the whole assembly line.”…North Korean workers at the now shuttered Kaesong industrial zone… received wages ranging from a minimum of around $75 a month to an average of around $160.[28]
This year, hundreds of Vietnamese protesters have been arrested, and many more tear-gassed, beaten and blasted with fire hoses, during big demonstrations against three “special economic zones” that their government plans to lease to foreigners for 99 years. The zones are expected to be dominated by Chinese capitalists, with a Vietnamese work force.
China exports more goods to Vietnam than any other country in Southeast Asia, sending textiles to be made into shirts and sneakers, and electronic components for mobile phones and large flat-panel displays. Those completed products are exported around the world, as well as back to China. Vietnam also makes electronic components for factories in China, and exports computers for Chinese consumers. Manufacturers see Vietnam as an attractive base, with wages as little as a third of those in coastal regions of China, according to employment consultants…. Exports [from Vietnam] to China jumped nearly 43 percent to $13 billion in the first half of 2017 from a year earlier, according to customs data.[29]
Chinese capitalists have opened massive textile factories in Ethiopia, spending tens of billions of dollars to build new industrial parks from scratch. Chinese banks give hefty loans to the Ethiopian government, which then turns around and gives major tax breaks to Chinese textile investors. Ethiopian women, earning a base salary of about $25 a month, labor in enormous metal sheds; the clothes they make are sold by Chinese capitalists to global companies like Guess, Levi’s and H&M.[30]
Exporting capital
China’s investment banks, as Lauesen mentions, are among the largest in the world. In fact, in 2017, of the top ten world banks, ranked by assets, Chinese banks–not Triad banks–ranked as #1, #2, #3 and #4.[31] These banks export waves of capital around the world. China’s outbound direct foreign investment is huge–it rose to 17 percent of the global total in 2016. Chinese companies hold almost 11 percent of foreign direct investment assets in the world–second only to the US, and twice what is held by British, Japanese or German firms. In 2017, Chinese companies made up 109 of the Forbes Global 500 list, an increase from 30 companies in 2007.[32] Chinese capitalists have made some ten thousand business investments in Africa alone.[33]
China’s monopoly capitalists, we should note, are an integral part of the WTO, World Bank, IMF and other institutions of rapacious neoliberalism. China’s stakes in the World Bank and IMF are now roughly the same as Japan’s.[34] In addition, China runs the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, a new multinational lender similar to the IMF. Plus, along with other BRICS nations, it is a founding member of the New Development Bank. The latter has recently come under criticism in South Africa for catering to Chinese capital at the expense of the local population.[35]
In fact, like other imperialists, China’s ruling class is becoming well-known for unequal trade deals and financial loan sharking. One of their characteristic scams is to make backroom deals with corrupt politicians and dictators overseas that lock poor countries deep into debt. This gives the Chinese capitalists significant geopolitical and economic leverage.
One recent example is the Hambantota Port in Sri Lanka. China gave the country’s corrupt president, Mahinda Rajapaksa, a series of loans to finance this vanity project, which by all reasonable business metrics was destined to fail. (There was already a port nearby, with room to expand.) The original financing agreement mandated that a Chinese company would be hired to build the port. As part of the deal, Sri Lankan officials were reportedly expected to provide the Chinese government with information about the movements of foreign shipping in the harbor. By the time the initial loans had rolled over, with constant new requirements and higher interest rates, Sri Lanka owed Chinese capitalists over 10 billion dollars. When Rajapaksa was up for re-election in 2015, Chinese corporations funneled tens of millions of dollars directly and openly into his (losing) campaign.
Sri Lankan officials tried to get their country’s out-of-control debt written down in 2016. But in talks with Chinese officials, they were informed that, in order to get meaningful debt reduction, they would have to give a Chinese company full control of the port, plus 15,000 acres of surrounding land (to build an industrial zone), for 99 years. Today, Sri Lankans, having lost control of a chunk of their territory, are wondering whether China will start to base submarines in Hambantota Port, something that would realistically be very hard to prevent. Despite the draconian “relief” terms negotiated with China, Sri Lanka continues to sink further into debt as a result of the Hambantota Port project. They are locked into Chinese financial terms much worse than they could have gotten from other international lenders.[36] This is pure neo-colonialist loan-sharking.
We should bear in mind that, besides its neocolonial activity, China is also a direct colonial power. Its violent occupation of Tibet rises to the standard of genocide. It has made Xinjiang, the home of the Uighurs, into one of the worst police states in the world, complete with enormous gulags, omnipresent electronic and physical surveillance, and racist cultural suppression.[37] The regime is even monitoring Uighurs who are living abroad. These emigrants–some of whom are already citizens of other countries–are forced to hold Chinese ID cards and to carefully document their activities; otherwise their families in China will be punished.[38]
There’s no guarantee that Chinese monopoly capital will succeed in achieving global dominance. For one thing, high levels of leveraged debt make the Chinese economy extremely vulnerable in the event of a global economic depression. Imperial ambitions may have to be put on hold if the debt bubble pops.
The Chinese proletariat has shown signs of combativeness. In the long run, this is a huge threat to the Party–one they are well aware of. Also, many middle class Chinese have a cosmopolitan view of the world and understand their class interests in global terms. They don’t necessarily like being censored, restricted from full participation in world culture, or forced into rigid compliance with Chinese monopoly capital. They are worried about pollution, corruption, war, and the long-term consequences of inequality. If the Chinese economy falters, middle class loyalty could falter as well. Alternatively, an economic downturn in China could lead to an embrace of militaristism and jingoism as an aggressive way out of crisis.
We can’t predict the future. But looking at the current reality, China’s expansionist ambitions are obvious. It claims huge swaths of the territorial waters belonging to its neighbors, which it is trying to seize through force, bribery, and threats. Xi Jinping has told the military to “get ready to fight and win wars.”[39] China spent $150 billion on its modernizing military last year, second only to the US. China is a nuclear power, with ultra-long-range ballistic missles, cutting edge fighter jets, submarines, drones and aircraft carriers. Its army is 2.3 million strong, roughly a million people larger than the US’s. It’s armed forces are skilled at cyberwarfare, and are about to complete an independent global satellite network that will allow it to guide Chinese military assets with high precision.[40]
The Chinese military is still no match for the US in an all-out war. But it’s already a powerful enough force for potential regional domination, and certainly for extensive low-level and proxy warfare. Its hundreds of nuclear weapons can threaten any army or city. Its ability to project force completely overshadows that of Japan, a Triad member with a token military.
The expansionist Belt and Road Initiative has major military and geostrategic components. For instance the People’s Republic is investing billions of dollars in 15 port projects around the Indo-Pacific region, officially with economic motives. But among themselves, “Chinese analysts unofficially discussing port investments routinely prioritize China’s national security interest over the objective of mutually beneficial economic development.” Eight of the port projects are completely unprofitable, useful mainly for their strategic value.[41] This is a time-honored pattern of expansion employed by rising imperialist powers: paying for penetration, geostrategic influence and long-term profitability for their monopoly capitalist class.
No room for new empire?
But what about the idea that the imperialist world order is essentially closed: that only the Triad can exploit the periphery or create significant consumerist classes; that there’s no room for China or another imperialist center to muscle in and supplant today’s apex predators? In my opinion, this doesn’t make sense theoretically, nor is it supported by history or current events.
Instability, crisis and change is built into the very nature of monopoly capitalism. Imperial centers rise and fall; the periphery gets divided and re-divided by rival monopoly capitalist groups as their economic, military and political fortunes go up and down. England once ruled most of the world, now it’s a second-rate power. Spain and Portugal had to cede most of their empires. The US was subordinate to continental Europe for generations; now it’s Europe’s “big brother.” Russia was a backward semi-feudal country, then the core of an imperialist superpower, which then imploded. Today, Russia is trying to claw its way back up to the top again. Japanese capital became all-powerful in Asia, then was devastated by WWII. It charged back into imperial prominence again. Now Japanese capitalism has entered a prolonged period of stagnation.
What we see in the case of China is another bid, by rising imperialists, to re-divide the globe in their favor, financially and geographically. That drive isn’t going to be held back by any lack of a periphery, or lack of proletarians. Chinese monopoly capital starts out with its own internal Global South to exploit, complete with the world’s largest proletariat. And Chinese-based capital is moving steadily into parts of the Asian, African and Latin American periphery that the US, Japan and Europe once firmly controlled.
Often, Chinese capitalists are content to gradually replace Western or Japanese capital–something that the financialization of imperialism makes quite practical. After all, Chinese capitalists are heavily intertwined with capitalists from other imperialist countries–sharing investments, owning each other’s stocks, sitting on each other’s boards of directors, funding the same transnational groups. Other times, like rising imperial powers before it, Chinese imperialism is quite nationalistic and aggressive: undertaking risky initiatives in unstable or unsavory situations in order to get a foothold for its capitalists. But one way or another, Chinese imperialism is on the move all over the world. It has little choice, actually; expansion is part of the DNA of monopoly capital.
I find it revealing that China has been able to profit even from Triad military actions. For instance, in the aftermath of the bungled US-led invasion and occupation of Iraq, it is Chinese capitalists who have taken control of much of Iraq’s oil–without firing a shot.[42] China is waiting patiently in the wings for the US to get out of Afghanistan so they can “reconstruct” the country, and plug it into the Belt and Road Initiative.[43] This is yet another reminder of how much imperialism has changed since the days of direct colonialism.
We shouldn’t have any illusions that a new, rising imperialist power like China will act with any less brutality than a stronger, established power. We should recall that some of the US’s worst crimes were commited while it was fighting its way to the top, before it became the biggest imperial center.
For instance, at the end of the nineteenth century, the US gave material and political aid to the rebels who were struggling to throw off the yoke of the Spanish empire in Latin America and the Pacific. Some of the insurgents were grateful; they took the US’s professed “anti-imperialism” at its word. But as soon as Spain folded, the US violently crushed the real anti-imperialists and began more than a century of massacres, invasions and colonialism in the Philippines, Guam, Cuba, Puerto Rico, and throughout the rest of Latin America and the Pacific. This was a key turning point for US imperialism in its rise to global prominence.
It makes a big difference whether we analyze the Chinese regime as an imperialist power or a progressive leader of the Global South. Should we be cheering it on, or recognizing it as an enemy of the proletariat?
I come down squarely on the latter side. The Chinese regime represents some of the largest pools of monopoly capital on earth. And all monopoly capital is exploitative and oppressive.
It’s almost inconceivable to me that oppressed people around the world would look to China’s ruling class for “anti-imperialist” leadership. The Chinese Party isn’t a communist party–it’s a deeply corrupt, solidly capitalist party. I’ve never seen any indication that there’s such a thing as an anti-capitalist left wing in the Party that wants to “throw a monkey wrench in the global chains of production.”[44] I’m pretty sure that anybody who proposed such a program, and backed it up by mobilizing internationalist proletarians, would end up in a prison camp.
I agree with Lauesen in one important respect: it will certainly be a major advance for anti-imperialism if the Chinese proletariat rises up and takes control of China. We should support any movement in that direction, as always. But that will require another revolution. The idea that the Chinese Party can be reformed out of capitalism with the help of “left wing factions” is, in my opinion, pure wishful thinking.
China is not the main danger to the world’s people today. It’s simply a strong, rising imperialist power, doing what rising imperialists do. It isn’t nearly as rich or powerful as the US today. The US is a vast criminal enterprise. Its resident monopoly capitalists and their illegitimate state have no right to oppress and bully the people of the world.[45] So I’m not going to shed a tear if China-based monopoly capitalism ends up someday supplanting US-based monopoly capitalism as the top global parasite. And as a US citizen, I take it as my personal responsibility to fight first of all against my own country’s imperialists, something I have done my whole adult life.
In addition, I’m in favor of the oppressed taking tactical advantage of contradictions among monopoly capitalists when possible. But as anti-imperialists, we have to be crystal clear that our enemy’s enemy isn’t necessarily our friend. (Haven’t revolutionaries learned this enough times, the hard way?)[46] China’s ruling class is utterly reactionary. Recommending that the oppressed and impoverished people of the world should rely on monopoly capitalists in China as their best hope would be asking them to commit political suicide.
Right-wing “anti-imperialism”
To build a new global anti-imperialist movement, we have to confront the growing problem of right-wing “anti-imperialism.” This ugly trend constitutes a major crisis for the Left. Lauesen has it on his radar screen. He makes brief mention of the “populist right-wing movements” that profit from the current crisis of capitalism. (p.430) He specifically identifies one of the main forms of right-wing “anti-imperialism”–Islamist fundamentalism. (p. 218) I certainly agree that this is a big danger. But right-wing “anti-imperialism” exerts a strong attraction on Left activists in the US and Europe, too.
For instance, today we see the rise of a Left-Right alliance centered around the imperialist Russian regime. Former left-wing anti-imperialists are uniting with the forces around Vladimir Putin and his favored fascist ideologue, Alexandr Dugin. Critics call this a “Red-Brown” alliance.[47]
Leftists, unmoored from their principles, attend conferences, go on tours, give speeches, write articles and books, and appear on Russian state TV, sharing platforms with holocaust deniers, white nationalists and anti-immigrant thugs, pledging to “fight Western imperialism” side by side. They are united in the view that it’s a good thing to strengthen Russia–and China–in order to weaken the Triad. The euphemistic buzzword for this opportunist strategy is “multipolarity.” Its advocates allege that having more imperialist powers contending for power will open up (unexplained and unspecified) “opportunities” for anti-imperialist movements. This perspective has been endorsed not just by fringe elements like LaRouchites, crypto-Stalinists and the Workers World Party, but a host of well-known mainstream leftists from the US and Europe.[48]
It goes without saying that members of this Left-Right alliance absolve Russia of any bad behavior in the Crimea, Ukraine, or Central Asia. The most prominent focus of this opportunist united front right now is Syria, where supposed “anti-imperialists” from the Left and Right join together in supporting the brutal Russian-backed Assad regime–barrel bombs, poison gas and all. The Left-Right alliance falsely defines all opposition to Assad’s dictatorship as fundamentalists. This convenient lie apparently eases their consciences about deserting the secular resistance–they simply pretend it doesn’t exist. This same lie allows them to politely avert their eyes while Assad’s torture chambers work overtime, and while Russian bombers massacre civilians in support of the dictatorship.
The Left-Right line on Syria has been adopted by, among others, Glenn Greenwald, Julian Assange, John Pilger, Patrick Cockburn, writers for CounterPunch, Black Agenda Report, and The Nation, Slavoj Zizik, Ben Norton, and, notoriously, by Max Blumenthal, who completely switched his position on the Syrian regime after a paid trip to Moscow in 2015.[49]
I think that the Left-Right alliance currently gathering around Russia clearly demonstrates the dangers of embracing one imperialist power in order to oppose another. Is anybody asking the hundreds of millions oppressed by Russian and Chinese imperialism how “multipolarity” would work out for them? Are the people of Chechnya or Tibet supposed to endorse their tormentors as advocates for the Global South?
I want to be clear. There are times when progressive forces must try to take tactical advantage of contradictions between imperialists. This is what Kurdish activists in Rojava are trying to do now, for instance.[50] But the global Left isn’t strong enough to “play” one imperialist center against another as a strategy for anti-imperialism. And even if we were, it would be an opportunist strategy: sacrificing large parts of the Global South–especially its women–to oppression, while destroying the legitimacy of the Left, all in the name of a manipulative capitalist geopolitics.
Anti-imperialists have to build mass internationalist struggle against all monopoly capital–Chinese and Russian imperialists included. There aren’t any shortcuts.
A gateway drug
This isn’t the place to try to explain why so much Right-Left convergence is happening all over the world today. One specific thing needs to be said, though: Left-Right alliances are enabled by male opportunism.
What might be called a gateway drug, for those who become addicted to right-wing “anti-imperialism,” is a tendency to accept almost any form of oppression of women and macho authoritarianism, as long as it presents itself with an anti-US or anti-Triad face. The Global Perspective doesn’t endorse this false “anti-imperialism,” but it doesn’t confront it head-on either. I’ve already mentioned the Assad regime. But really, the list of false “anti-imperialist” populist strongmen supported by leftists is long and growing. Ruhollah Khomeini, Robert Mugabe, Slobodan Milosevic, Saddam Hussein, Victor Yanukovych, Daniel Ortega, Muammar Gaddafi, Manuel Noriega, Nícolas Maduro, Vladimir Putin, Bashir al-Assad, Kim il Sung, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad… on and on. Some of these men started as revolutionaries, but became renegades as they gave in to the lure of male capitalist power. Others were thugs from the start.
All it takes is a few “anti-imperialist,” anti-Triad or anti-US slogans, and there are leftists ready and eager to overlook all forms of oppression, whether it’s gender apartheid, homophobia and transphobia, denial of women’s reproductive rights, repression of proletarian struggles, attacks on Native peoples, torture and murder of progressive activists, use of chemical and biological weapons against civilians, or genocide.[51]
To the extent that The Global Perspective looks at the world like a chessboard, with the Triad countries and poor countries acting as the chess pieces, it tends to normalize the “leadership” of male authoritarians–including imperialist collaborators and even imperialists–as champions of the Global South.
In fact, The Global Perspective doesn’t recognize women’s pivotal role within imperialism at all. It ignores the global war on women, which, in my opinion, is central to how imperialism is organized.
The most important commodity in the neo-colonial system is neither the computer chip nor petroleum, but Third World women. This one fact alone stamps the entire face of the neo-colonial age.[52]
All over the world, reactionary men are fighting among themselves over who gets to own women’s bodies and exploit women’s labor within a rapidly-changing neo-colonial environment.
A political vacuum has been left by the world-historic defeat of socialist-led revolutions and the neocolonial corruption of many former national liberation struggles. Reactionary men are now freely adopting a populist discourse of “anti-imperialism” as they stake their own claim to women’s bodies and labor. I’m referring here not just to Islamist fundamentalists or rebellious neofascists but also to fake “leftist” dictators and rising imperialists.
We have to expose the lies these authoritarian men tell. We have to drop all pretense that giving our support to certain capitalistic men–as they struggle against other capitalistic men for women, power and profit–will somehow advance the cause of anti-imperialism. Instead, we need to base our politics on loyalty to the expanding, transforming proletariat, and the women at its heart.
We have to strike at our enemy–monopoly capital–wherever it is found. Not by using stale maneuvers from an expired anti-imperialist playbook. Not by pretending that the Triad’s hungry imperial rivals are our friends. Not indirectly, through the supposed “representation” of men who have their own reactionary agendas. But directly, by building a global force for justice, women’s freedom, national self-determination and proletarian power, from the bottom up.
As part of that struggle, we will need to keep learning about how neo-colonialism has transformed the world’s class structure, and about how monopoly capital is configured today.
A timely intervention
Despite my differences, I recommend The Global Perspective. It embodies the best of the old anti-imperialism, while also opening a window to anti-imperialism’s current confusion and crisis.
I respect Lauesen’s palpable hatred of inequality. I appreciate his emphasis on long-term strategy, even though I have issues with his particular strategy. I agree with Lauesen’s insistence on the need for proletarian struggle, and his attack on worker elites and their politics. I unite with his revolutionary optimism, even though my own is founded on a somewhat different basis.[53]
The internal contradictions evident in The Global Perspective provide numerous openings for productive debate. Lauesen has some undogmatic views about the global order that seem to signal an open-minded attitude and respect for complexity. At times, he seems to be struggling towards a less country-based theory of modern imperialism. He is attracted to a future anti-imperialism in which, as he puts it, “class identity is more important than citizenship.” (p.451)
The Global Perspective includes valuable observations about the Zapatistas, the labor theory of value, South African trade unionism, the Arab Spring uprisings and dozens of other subjects. And even where a reader might disagree with him, Lauesen usually gives us something specific to respond to, unlike the slogans or vague generalities common in anti-imperialist literature. So overall, The Global Perspective rewards critical reading and thinking.
I strongly believe we need a serious discussion about imperialism today. The Global Perspective is a timely and thoughtful intervention. I think–I hope–that it might be the book to kick off the discussion we need.
This text is also available as a PDF here.
Torkil Lauesen’s reply to Bromma can be found on the Kersplebedeb website here.
[1] Butch Lee and Red Rover, Night-Vision: Illuminating War and Class on the Neo-colonial Terrain, Kersplebedeb, Second Edition, 2017, p. 246. This is a good book to read alongside Lauesen’s.
[2] Lauesen uses the familiar terms “Global North/Global South,” “First World/Third World” and “core/periphery” to describe rich and poor countries. I sometimes use them, too. But they seem inadequate today: they imply a particular configuration of imperialism that has undergone significant changes.
[3] For more on this, see Bromma, Exodus and Reconstruction: Working-Class Women at the Heart of Globalization, Kersplebedeb, 2014.
[4] For an in-depth analysis of the lumpen/proletariat, see J. Sakai, The “Dangerous Class” and Revolutionary Theory: Thoughts on the Making of the Lumpen/Proletariat, Kersplebedeb, 2018.
[5] http://kersplebedeb.com/posts/anti-imperialist-combeack-an-interview-with-torkil-lauesen/
[6] China is by far the world’s largest car market–about 30% of the total. https://mmta.co.uk/2017/06/22/chinese-automotive-market-much-just-large Western “prestige” brands like Apple and Starbucks make about 20% of their revenue in China. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/07/magazine/when-it-comes-to-a-trade-war-china-takes-the-long-view
[7] For different reasons, having to do with slavery and settler colonialism, this is also true in the US, South Africa and other past or present settler states
[8] https://www.ilo.org/global/topics/domestic-workers/who/lang–en/index.htm
[9] http://www.idwfed.org/en/resources/regulating-international-labour-recruitment-in-the-domestic-work-sector/@@display-file/attachment_1
[10] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5791470
[11] Examples: https://www.thebestsingapore.com/services/the-best-maid-agencies-in-singapore
[12] https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2105001/philippine-official-moves-quash-reports-mainland-china-will
[13] https://www.sixthtone.com/news/1002446/chinas-undocumented-filipino-housekeepers-eke-out-risky-living
[14] http://www.wiego.org/informal-economy/occupational-groups/domestic-workers
[15] Op. cit. Night-Vision, p. 251.
[16] “Comprador” is a term from the colonial era; it could be misleading today. Within neocolonialism, imperial functionaries don’t necessarily work on behalf of a particular country, as they did in the colonial past. More typically, they collaborate with neoliberalism and its global institutions (like the IMF and World Bank), and serve the interests of diverse monopoly capitalist groups.
[17] Interview, op. cit. This contradiction is revealing, as I will discuss below.
[19] For a close look at the almost unbelievable pervasiveness of corruption in the Chinese state and Party, see Minxin Pei, China’s Crony Capitalism: The Dynamics of Regime Decay, Harvard University Press, 2016.
[20] http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2017-10/02/content_32752727.htm
[21] https://www.cnbc.com/2017/02/27/chinese-wages-rise-made-in-china-isnt-so-cheap-anymore.html The US had similar wages as a rising power. In 1915, full time male income in the US averaged about $16,000 a year calculated in 2015 dollars; women made about half of that. Manufacturing wages were presumably lower. https://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2016/article/the-life-of-american-workers-in-1915.htm
[22] https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-05-24/gm-is-building-cheap-cars-for-china-s-masses
[23] https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/workers-endured-long-hours-low-pay-at-chinese-factory-used-by-ivanka-trumps-clothing-maker/2017/04/25/b6fe6608-2924-11e7-b605-33413c691853_story.html?utm_term=.45483fad5fe4
[24] For instance, a recent surge of Hollywood-style jingoistic movies has been setting box office records in China. The tag line of “Wolf Warrior 2” is: “anyone who offends China will be killed no matter how far the target is.” https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/sep/23/china-finds-its-own-top-gun-and-rambo-in-wave-of-patriotic-movies
[25] All observers agree that inequality has risen sharply since 2006.
[26] https://borgenproject.org/top-10-facts-about-poverty-in-china
[27] https://www.bbc.com/news/business-19394405
[28] https://www.reuters.com/article/us-northkorea-labour-china-insight-idUSKBN1AT00Q
[29] https://www.reuters.com/article/us-vietnam-china/despite-strains-vietnam-and-china-forge-closer-economic-ties-idUSKCN1BC3S2
[30] https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2018-03-02/china-is-turning-ethiopia-into-a-giant-fast-fashion-factory
[31] https://www.investopedia.com/articles/investing/122315/worlds-top-10-banks-jpm-wfc.asp
[32] https://thediplomat.com/2017/12/how-chinese-fdi-will-transform-the-global-economy
[33] https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/middle-east-and-africa/the-closest-look-yet-at-chinese-economic-engagement-in-africa
[34] http://www.imf.org/external/np/sec/memdir/members.aspx; https://www.yicaiglobal.com/news/world-bank-capital-injection-gives-china-more-voting-power
[35] https://mg.co.za/article/2018-06-22-00-brics-bank-fails-to-live-up-to-hype
[36] https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/business/behind-on-payments-to-china-sri-lanka-coughed-up-territory-instead/articleshow/64746755.cms
[37] https://www.economist.com/briefing/2018/05/31/china-has-turned-xinjiang-into-a-police-state-like-no-other
[38] https://www.thedailybeast.com/chinese-police-are-spying-on-uighurson-american-soil
[39] https://www.yahoo.com/news/special-report-satellite-tech-race-china-hitched-ride-195616719.html
[40] Ibid. Some analysts claim these satellites can be used as offensive weapons.
[41]https://static1.squarespace.com/static/566ef8b4d8af107232d5358a/t/5ad5e20ef950b777a94b55c3/1523966489456/Harbored+Ambitions.pdf
[42] https://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/03/world/middleeast/china-reaps-biggest-benefits-of-iraq-oil-boom.html
[43] https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2098585/how-much-danger-can-china-tolerate-war-torn-afghanistan
[44] Interview with Gabriel Kuhn, op. cit.
[45] For my views on this, see “Divisible: Breaking Up the US,” 2017. http://kersplebedeb.com/posts/divisible-breaking-up-the-us
[46] The Global Perspective doesn’t actually discuss this principle, unfortunately. But Lauesen brings it up in an interview recorded after publication of the book. He mentions Iran (not China) as an example; he calls it “anti-US but not anti-imperialist.” He advises radicals to be careful: “It is a dangerous, difficult game…. Will my friend turn against me?” https://soundcloud.com/hospitalprisonuniversityradio/conversation-with-torkil-lauesen-on-anti-imperialism-with-maria-berrios-jakob-jakobsen-june-18
[47] See, for instance, Bill Weinberg: https://countervortex.org/node/16036
[48] The most thorough documentation of this unholy alliance can be found at: https://ravingsofaradicalvagabond.noblogs.org/post/2018/01/15/an-investigation-into-red-brown-alliances
[49] https://medium.com/@_alhamra/documenting-max-blumenthals-regime-change-from-assad-opponent-to-assad-apologist-8715eb9d941b
[50] Kurdish relations with the US and Russia constitute a perilous tightrope-walk, with no guarantees about its success. See Bill Weinberg, “Syria’s Kurdish Contradiction,” Countervortex: https://countervortex.org/node/15715 Also https://jamestown.org/program/imperial-strategies-russias-exploitation-ethnic-issues-policy-middle-east/
[51] I have written more about this in “False Front: The Left and the “Anti-Imperialist” Right”: http://kersplebedeb.com/posts/false-front-the-left-and-the-anti-imperialist-right
[52] Butch Lee and Red Rover, op. cit., p. 144.
[53] For my views on this, see, for instance, Exodus and Reconstruction: Working-Class Women at the Heart of Globalization, 2012. In print through Kersplebedeb, or online: http://kersplebedeb.com/posts/exodus/
One Response to "Reading Torkil Lauesen’s “The Global Perspective” (Bromma, 8/18)"
JMP says:
Great review! Echoed a lot of my own thoughts about the book.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line801
|
__label__cc
| 0.513691
| 0.486309
|
So Much Television!
When I first started watching TV there were only the Big Three: CBS, NBC, and ABC. We had just a handful of shows we loved and followed, maybe a few others we watched with family members or friends. Often we just played outside.
There were various local channels, but they offered mostly re-runs, news, or sports — not much original content. It wasn’t until the Second Era, of cable TV, that original content offerings exploded into so many choices. We had to pick what we watched among all that new content.
Now the Third Era, streaming TV, with even more original content to choose among. On the other hand, also the chance to catch up on content we missed along the way!
For me, that may be the best part of this era! I have the chance to make new friends, see shows I never watched (but wished I had) when they were on.
And also the chance to re-watch some old friends, shows I did watch and loved a lot (but which never made my DVD buy list)!
One new friend is Burn Notice, which originally aired on the USA network from 2007 to 2013. It was available on Netflix when I joined back in November, but they stopped carrying it in mid-February.
(Which forced me to binge-watch the last few seasons before I lost the chance. The show wraps things up in the final episodes, so I really needed to get to the end!)
The show follows seven years in the life of Michael Weston, former CIA spy, after he receives a “burn notice” — a complete disavowal by his agency because of supposed bad acts he committed.
The series arc follows Michael’s efforts to find out who burned him and why (he is innocent of the supposed bad acts). Basically, he wants his old job back.
The seasonal arcs typically involve a specific enemy (or provisional boss as Michael begins to work his way back into the good graces of the agency). Working his way through the seasonal arc brings Michael a step closer to finally solving the series arc.
Each episode divides itself between the overall story and an episodic story involving Michael and his friends helping someone in need.
Part of the fun for me is the cast. Jeffrey Donovan (Michael) — who is new to me — is well cast as a spy, but it was the cast known to me that made it fun: Bruce Campbell (Michael’s friend, Sam Axe) and Sharon Gless (Michael’s mom).
Campbell is well-known to horror fans as Ash Williams from Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead franchise. The latter starred as Cagney in Cagney & Lacey with Tyne Daly. (Watch for Daly’s guest appearance in season three of Burn Notice!)
One key aspect of the show made me chuckle derisively: Michael and his pals use McGyver-like skills to construct a variety of devices. The thing is, most of it is complete bullshit. As they are usually constructing implements of destruction, that’s probably just as well.
I saw Burn Notice as something of a spiritual cousin to Leverage, a personal favorite. Burn Notice is a lot harsher and grimmer, though: there’s a lot more gunfire, and many explosions (Fiona loves her C4), and people kill or get killed.[1]
And despite a great deal of underlying love for, and faith in, each other, the characters don’t always treat each other very nicely. There are some dark under-threads in the show (Michael and his mother were abused by his father, for instance).
I rate it a fairly high Ah! I would recommend it to any fan of action shows.
One old friend is Person of Interest, which originally aired on CBS from 2011 to 2016. It is available (still, as far as I know) on Netflix.
I did see the show in its entirety when it aired, although I didn’t start following the show until late in the second season. (I often wait to see what the buzz on a show is before latching onto it.)
There turn out to be some striking similarities between this show and Burn Notice. Both:
Involve a small group of people helping those in dire need.
Groups operate on their own without help from authorities.
Feature episodes with an ‘A’ storyline about providing that help.
Feature season-long arcs.
Feature a series-long arc.
They are unalike in that the group in Person of Interest are not just covert, but desperately trying to remain that way. The help they provide comes unasked for and almost always involves preventing a murder.
The show features an Artificial Super-Intelligence (ASI) designed and built by one of the main characters (Harold). The ASI was built at government request to prevent terrorism and has access to any networked system, including video cameras. The system watches over us and can spot terrorists before they strike.
It also detects ordinary crimes, murders, which the government ignores. Harold’s small team takes on the task of acting to prevent those murders.
For a show in which computing is central, they sure get a lot of it (badly) wrong. Some of it is laughably wrong even within the science fiction-y context of the show. Yet, I’m not sure getting it right would have made the show materially better — just less derisive laughter from certain fans.
I give this one an Ah! In fact, in the re-watching I decided it was a better show than I gave it credit for originally. It was created by Jonathan Nolan, who did the recent HBO Westworld (which was amazing).
Short Takes:
Community. (Hulu) A bright shiny gem of a half-hour sitcom, easily in my top five best sitcoms ever for its self-awareness and fourth wall breaking. Delightful sheer genius from Dan Harmon (who, with Justin Roiland, brought us the incredible SF cartoon Rick and Morty[2]).
Filled with intelligent nuance and pop culture references. A geek’s delight. Definitely and absolutely rated Wow!
30 Rock. (Hulu) Another bright shiny half-hour sitcom gem in my top five. This one is from (and stars) Tina Fey (who I just adore). It also has Alex Alec Baldwin, who is truly a hoot in it — wonderful comic actor (pity he’s not prez)!
Filled with… etc (see above)… absolutely rated Wow!
Cougar Town. (Hulu) Did you just love Scrubs? Well this one also comes from Bill Lawrence and features the same wonderfully off-kilter funny bone. It also features Christa Miller, who was so much fun in Scrubs. It stars Courtney Cox.
Rated Ah! for the great writing and general sexiness.
Rizzoli & Isles. (Hulu) I’ve mentioned this one several times here as a guilty pleasure (got a thing for Angie Harmon). The show is what it is. I’m doing the opposite of bingeing on this one — re-watching episodes once in a while just for fun.
Properly should be rated Eh! but as a guilty pleasure I give it an Ah!
The Good Wife. (Hulu) I do love a good lawyer show (ever since Perry Mason), and the writing of this one was generally outstanding. As with R & I above, I’m re-watching these once in a while just for fun.
Rated a solid middle Ah!
The IT Crowd. (Netflix) A British sitcom I’d never heard of but which I found quite engaging. And they get the computer stuff right, which is refreshing.
For being an office comedy quite unlike anything I’ve seen before (and for getting the computer stuff right), I award it an Ah!
Once Upon a Time. (Netflix) I’m, in season two, still trying to decide what I think about this show. One problem for me is its star, Jennifer Morrison, who seems to be an underwhelming actor (I found her insipid in House, M.D. — she seems no better here).
The other issue is the weird mashup of story characters from Snow White to Mulan to Captain Hook to Victor Frankenstein. I liked it better when Alan Moore, twelve years earlier, brought story characters into the world in his League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (the comic; avoid the movie, it’s awful).
This show seems ABC’s response to NBC’s Grimm. Both shows involve fairy tale magical realism, and both started in the 2011 fall season. I watched, and mostly enjoyed, Grimm (I did have some issues with it), and so far found it better than Once.
Which, so far, is getting an Eh! but I’m not ready to stop watching.
Fresh Off the Boat. (Hulu) I’ve been trying to figure out why I like this show so much. In many ways, it’s a standard half-hour sitcom, and those don’t usually grab me. It centers on family life, which also doesn’t usually grab me.
Is it nothing more than a mild Asian fetish for co-star Constance Wu? Honestly, I think that’s why I tried it originally, but it turns out to be a pretty good, rather engaging show. It’s getting props for its all-Asian cast, which is apparently a first.
I think the key is that, halfway through season two, nothing about the show has pissed me off. I give it a lowish-Ah!
New friends and old friends. And commercial-free to boot!
It turns out that Hulu provides all the shows I follow on Fox and two of the three I follow on NBC. I’m still stuck with CBS, though, but it’s interesting how close to “cutting the cable” I am with just Netflix and Hulu.
And, oh, I am so looking forward to telling Comcast we’re done! I do love my TV shows, but man, oh, man, have I hated Comcast.
[1] Leverage, at its heart, was kind of a goofy, fun family show. No gun play to speak of, and no deaths due to character actions. The heroes obtain their goals via con jobs on the villains.
I always saw it as a modern day, non-governmental Mission: Impossible, which was all about conning the villain. Others have compared it to The A-Team, but I never watched that show, so I can’t say how apt is the comparison.
[2] If you are a science fiction fan, and haven’t discovered Rick and Morty yet, you’re missing out on something truly great! In many ways it’s better then Futurama (which is pretty great, so you can just imagine).
Really, they’re both awesome must-see SF.
This entry was posted on Sunday, March 4th, 2018 at 3:48 pm and tagged with 30 Rock, Bruce Campbell, Burn Notice (TV series), Community (TV series), Constance Wu, Cougar Town, Dan Harmon, Fresh Off the Boat, Jeffrey Donovan, Jonathan Nolan, Once Upon a Time, Person of Interest, Rizzoli & Isles, Sharon Gless, The Good Wife, The IT Crowd and posted in Opinion, TV. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
« FTW: Netflix
Fresh Off the Boat »
Deflection and Projection
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line803
|
__label__wiki
| 0.544609
| 0.544609
|
Castillo de Las Coloradas or Torre del Águila
I had seen this castle in Playa Blanca in the distance on several occasions when I have visited the resort so I decided to get up close and personal.
t’s called Castillo de Las Coloradas (Las Coloradas’ Castle) or Torre del Águila (The Eagle’s Tower), although tower and castle seem to be interchangeable depending on different sources: I’ve also heard it being called Castillo del Águila and Torre de Las Coloradas, if you get my drift.
It’s located on the promenade not far passed Marina Rubicón in direction to Papagayo. It can be easily accessed by car too, if you take the Avenida de Papagayo, turn into Calle Velázquez towards the sea, turn first left into Calle Calera and then first right into the very called Calle Castillo del Águila, which is a cul-de-sac. You basically will find yourself parking at the back of the Hotel THe Volcán.
Inscription above the door
Tower plans
Steps up to the Castle / tower
Information board
Detailed plans
Torre del Águila
Castle / Tower entrance
There is a sign giving some information about the castle in Spanish, English and German illustrated with reproductions of some of the Castle plans.
Here is the transcript of the English text:
“This is the only defensive construction in the South of the island of Lanzarote, next to El Berrugo salt pans and Las Coloradas Beach.
It was built near the primitive Rubicón Tower (constructed by Jean de Bethencourt during the first settlement of Europeans in Canarias in 1402. It is nowadays historically conceived one of the most outstanding archeological structures in Lanzarote. It was proposed by the engineer Claudio L’Isle in 1741 to defend the area from the pirate attacks that were devastating the Southern coasts. The castle had a drawbridge and lodgings for the troops. The sentries came from the village of Yaiza. It also had two chambers.
During the 18th century the Castle was guarded by the Castillians: D. José Feo, D. Juan García del Castillo, D. Pedro Martín Barbosa y D. Marcial Jové Medina and Condestables, D. José martín Barbosa and D. Marcial Trujillo. This castle plan, arisen by militar engineers in 1742, has been preserved by the Militar Geographical Institue. In its whole it is similar to the Tower plans of Caleta de Fuste y El Tostón in Fuerteventura and Gando Tower in Gran Canaria. It should have been the stereotyped design by the militar engineers of the time.
However, it was not finished accordingly as the castle plan shows. The two chambers for keeping the gunpowder, as in the legend of the castle plan, still exists today whereas the central principal pilar does not.”
In the plan, there is a frontal, a vertical and a horizontal section; it has been pointed two spaces: A: Repto. de Pólvora y B: Argive. In 1749, the tower was fired by Algerian Berbers.
In 1767, all fortresses were inspected and the engineer Alejandro de los Ángeles took out the Águilas Tower plan. The renovation and reforms of the castle were undertaken untl 1769, when it was finished. This year was carved on top of the tower’s door and it has preserved today. It says:
“During the Kingdom of D. Carlos III and under the command of Sir Miguel López Fernández de Heredia Marsical de Campo, this tower was rebuilt in San Marcial, Pto. de Las Coloradas, Punta del Águila in the year 1769″.
In 1846, the Militar Engineers Section gave detailed information of the tower and the tower’s state. It was certified that the materials used in this constrution were: stone blocks as can be seen outside, in the stairs, some parts of the interior lime from the local area, on of the most appreciated from the Archipelago and the Tea wood. The building rooms were one dormitory for the troops, three chambers, one of them a storage room for the gunpowder, a dungeon and two ponds for water supplies. In 1936, the tower was not useful for Military and it was given to the Treasure Department.
In 1978, the General Captaincy offer the tower to Yaiza Townhall, which arose the tower plans so the author of this book that we are consulting for this text, D. Jose Félix Álvarez Prieto and who was in charge of the restauration.”
You can climb the steps up to the door of the castle but the tower itself it’s not open to visitors.
Even though the day that I visited it was quite hazy, the views towards Papagayo on one side and across the ocean towards Isla de Lobos and Fuerteventura were spectacular. A nice little stop if you happen to be walking along the Playa Blanca Promenade.
Finally, the castle is featured on Yaiza’s coat of arms.
Casa Isla, Puerto del Carmen
Casa Isla is a luxury villa in one of the most sought after areas of Puerto del Carmen - quiet, private yet very close to the strip.
From £840 per week
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line806
|
__label__cc
| 0.682556
| 0.317444
|
Table Talk Archive
Table Talk Summer 2002
Celebrity sightings include actors, musicians, athletes, and even the King of Opera.
Table Talk Spring 2002
Beck, Buccaneers, Bob Barker, and many more stopped by Lawry’s restaurants earlier this year.
Table Talk Winter 2001
Cowboys, Cubs, and (Frances) Conroy all enjoyed at meals at Lawry’s restaurant.
Lawry’s The Prime Rib in Beverly Hills, Chicago, and Dallas, as well as the Tam O’Shanter Inn welcomed athletes, sportscasters, actors, musicians, and even legendary UCLA Coach John Wooden.
Recent celebrity spottings include professional athletes and coaches, actors, rappers, models, and even an Academy Award® winner.
Hockey teams, basketball players, news anchors, musicians, actors and even an Olympic gold medalist were spotted at Lawry’s restaurants.
Athletes, actors, politicians, musicians, and even a Saudi Prince are among those dining at Lawry’s The Prime Rib in Beverly Hills, Chicago, and Las Vegas.
Want to Receive This in Your Inbox?
Get highlights and announcements from Lawry’s, with unique takes on our restaurants and some behind-the-scenes surprises, delivered right to your inbox each season.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line807
|
__label__wiki
| 0.692695
| 0.692695
|
Where 05/23/2017
Take a Bite Out of These 10 Great Steaks in Las Vegas
Enjoy the world’s finest prime rib, aged 21 days and hand-carved to order tableside on rolling silver carts in an over-the-top presentation at Lawry’s The Prime Rib.
Los Angeles Magazine 05/17/2017
The 100 Most Iconic Dishes in Los Angeles
Lawry’s The Prime Rib — Beverly Hills is recognized as being one of Los Angeles’ essential eateries.
WeLikeLA 05/02/2017
Tasty Tuesday Bites: Best Thing We Ate All Week
Lawry’s The Prime Rib is as classic as it gets. From the service, the famous spinning salad bowl to the meat being carved right in front of your table. It’s something you have to experience at least once.
KSVN-TV 04/28/2017
Enjoy the “Ultimate Prime Rib Experience” at Lawry’s
On this Foodie Friday, John Curtas brings us the lavish dining experience found at Lawry’s The Prime Rib.
The Dinner Party Download 04/28/2017
Main Course: Lawry’s Prime Rib
Rico visits Lawry’s Prime Rib in Beverly Hills to learn all about the classic dish and how prime rib got its juicy, horseradish-topped groove back.
Tasty Tuesday Bites: National Prime Rib Day
Prime rib specialist Lawry’s will celebrate National Prime Rib Day on April 27 by offering a tasty one-time-only dinner special.
LAist 03/30/2017
The Inside History Of The Tam O’Shanter, One Of L.A.’s Oldest Restaurants
Every Los Angeles eatery with linen tablecloths and an overpriced prix-fixe menu likes to bill itself as “a touch of old Hollywood glamour in an ever-changing town,” but compared to the Tam O’Shanter, the rest are mere pretenders to the throne.
The Hollywood Reporter 03/16/2017
Where to Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in L.A.
Grab a pint and go green with this guide to Hollywood-loved pubs.
Eater 03/02/2017
15 Fantastic Irish Pubs in LA for St. Patrick’s Day Festivities
Despite more technically being a Scottish-themed restaurant and bar, the iconic Tam O’Shanter keeps up with plenty of Irish traditions.
Zagat 01/30/2017
10 OG Servers You Need to Know in Los Angeles
This Beverly Hills institution has been serving salads and big hunks of meat since 1938, and Lauren Dorsey has been a part of it all since 1986.
It’s Always in Season!
Lawry’s Seasoned Salt & Pepper
Created by Lawrence L. Frank in 1938, Lawry’s Seasoned Salt is the most popular blended salt in the world. Shakers of both salt and pepper can be personalized and come with a tasteful art deco-style caddy. The whole set for just $12!
Please allow two days for personalization.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line808
|
__label__cc
| 0.526741
| 0.473259
|
(place) by StopTheViolins Fri Aug 04 2000 at 8:22:11
A city...a really lame city founded in 1810 in Southern California. It's population is roughly 180,000. Part of the San Bernardino County, the largest county in the world!! Yay...
It's claims to fame are these:
It's starting place of historic Route 66.
It's the site of the Arrowhead Springs (Arrowhead Springwater).
It's the home of very first McDonald's.
It was a place in the 1920's for Hollywoodland stars to "relax" (dry out).
It's the home of the world famous Patton Mental Hospital for the Criminally Insane.
You know that whole "Indian Bingo" thing? Yeah, I think we started that...
That's pretty much all you'll need to know, if you plan on visiting here. Oh, except for this: Don't visit here.
San Bernardino County, California San Andreas fault Fontana, California US395
Southern California Delhi sands flower-loving fly Neeli Cherkovski Lisa Marie Varon
Control city Mountain Don't Route 66 porn
Frank Zappa Indian Bingo Troop Beverly Hills California Speedway
Transverse Ranges Metrolink Touring Band 2000 Arrowhead Landmark
California Highway 18 Churches in Nazi Germany Arrowhead Mountain Spring Water
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line810
|
__label__cc
| 0.635952
| 0.364048
|
« Memorial-izing Day
No Longer the Tall American »
June 3, 2010 by csf
Violent crime went down in America again last year [2009 — and through 2011; see update below]. According to preliminary statistics from the FBI, the number of violent crimes dropped by about 5 percent from 2008. Given population growth, that means that the rate of violent crime dropped even more. (So did property crime.)
This is a puzzle because (a) violent crime is more common among the poor; (b) the percentage of Americans who are poor has been trending up since about 2000; and (c) the economy tanked last year. One would have expected a rise, not a fall, in violent crime.
But this head-scratcher is just part of a larger puzzle – understanding long-term trends in America’s criminal violence.
Murder History
The most reliable measure of violent crime is the homicide rate. Americans kill one another at a much higher rate – double, quadruple, or more – than do residents of comparable western European nations. This gap persists despite a roughly 40 percent drop in our homicide rate in the last 15 years or so. Americans have been notably more violent than western Europeans since about the mid- or late 19th century.
This graph shows the American homicide rate over the last century-plus. (An updated graph through 2010 appears near the end of this post.)
The puzzle compounds. We see a cyclical pattern, a high plateau in the 1920s and early ‘30s; a rapid drop of more than half to a low point in the late 1950s; then, a sharp rise, more than doubling, by 1980 and 1990; and then what will probably be a drop of nearly half by 2009. These are huge swings. (Technical note: The early numbers are based on Eckberg’s corrections.)
We can put this story into yet greater perspective with the graph below. The line in that graph represents my rough estimate of fluctuations in the U.S. rate of homicide over many more generations, drawing on the historical literature (see some references at the end of this post). While the details are informed guesses, the general trend is well-established.
The overall story is that homicide rates declined substantially (as did rates of interpersonal violence of all sorts). The drop in violent crime in the U.S. after about 1850 was not as fast or as consistent as it was in western Europe and that is when the striking violence gap opened up. The graph also shows that progress was hardly uniform, as there were many upswings of violence. Spurts often coincide with wars and the aftermaths of war – notably having many demobilized soldiers, trained and armed fighters, roaming the land. (See this paper for one analysis of the war effect.) Another short-term influence is bloody competition among armed criminals – for example, over alcohol distribution during Prohibition and over crack cocaine during the 1980s.
Scholars have offered several explanations for the centuries’-long decline of violence in the West. Here are three common ones:
* Government: Political authorities gained greater policing power and legitimacy. This allowed them to suppress criminal attacks, intergroup battles, and personal feuds. Also, court systems provided a peaceful way to resolve conflicts. And mandatory schooling swept dangerous boys off the streets.
* Economics: Greater and more broadly-distributed wealth reduced people’s motivation for crime and raised the costs of getting into trouble. (Barroom brawling seems less attractive if it will cost you a steady and well-paying job.)
* Culture: Over the centuries, westerners increasingly came to feel that violence was uncouth and distasteful. Historians refer to the “civilizing process,” a phrase German sociologist Norbert Elias used to describe how the royal courts of Europe suppressed bloody feuds among lords. The repression of violence spread to the bourgeois who, in turn, taught it to the working classes – or forced it on them through, for example, schooling. Over time, hitting, knifing, and shooting came to seem (to most people) as vulgar as smelling from body odor or defecating in the castle hallway.
Back to the Present
How might any of this explain the latest – the post-1990 – downswing in homicide and in criminal violence more generally? The rates are now approaching the level of the least violent era in American history, the late 1950s.
Researchers point to some similar factors, although they disagree about their relative importance. Some stress government authority, namely that longer criminal sentences and the prison-building boom kept many more “bad actors” off the streets longer. Others point to the economic boom of the 1990s, when unemployment, even in poor communities, sunk to low levels. And others argue – although it is difficult to confirm with “hard data” – that a cultural shift occurred, that increasing revulsion toward violence eventually spread into even the most violent communities and corners of the United States.
Recently, scholars have added yet another explanation: Immigration. Cities and neighborhoods that have received the largest influx of immigrants (including Mexican immigrants) have had — despite popular stereotypes to the contrary — the largest drops in criminal violence. (See, e.g., here and here.) Thus, increased immigration may explain part of the crime drop since 1990.
In a wider view, perhaps the more puzzling part of the story is the rapid upswing in violence from around 1960 to 1990 (see first graph above). Two generations of scholars have yet (it appears to me) to satisfactorily explain why that happened. Some of the upswing in crime can be attributed to the baby boom: Put a lot more 15-to-25-year-old males into a society and you will get an upsurge of violence. Some of it has to do with what happened in the black ghettos of the North: The population grew rapidly just when the well-paying blue-collar jobs for men were disappearing. Some of it involved the growing drug trade. And perhaps some of the upswing reflected a short-term cultural shift – maybe the baby boom generation’s rejection of authority – that encouraged violence.
Whatever the reason, the latest news – that violent crime in the U.S., although still high by first-world standards, is trending downward – seems consistent with our longer history. It is the upsurge of violent crime starting in the early 1960s and now ending that remains the larger puzzle.
(Note: This post also appeared on the Berkeley Blog on June 16, 2010 and on The Public Intellectual on May 2, 2011)
Update (Jan. 7, 2011)
Violent crime went down in America again last year [2010]. According to preliminary statistics from the FBI covering the first half of 2010, the number of violent crimes dropped by about 6 percent from the same period a year before.
An updated (and more finely “smoothed”) version of the first chart shows the continuing drop in homicides:
Update (May 23, 2011)
The final statistics for 2010 were released and they showed a further drop in homicides of over 4%, of violent crimes overall of over 5%, and of robberies of over 9% — all during a high unemployment, long-lasting recession. The experts are flummoxed. As the New York Times reported,
Nationally, the drop in violent crime not only calls into question the theory that crime rates are closely correlated with economic hardship, but another argument as well, said Frank E. Zimring, a law professor at the University of California, Berkeley.
As the percentage of people behind bars has decreased in the past few years, violent crime rates have fallen as well. For those who believed that higher incarceration rates inevitably led to less crime, “this would also be the last time to expect a crime decline,” he said.
Note on Figure:
The basic sources are listed on the chart. Eckberg (1995) corrected the raw federal data for missing states in the early part of the century. I excluded the victims of 9/11. The 2010 point is a rough estimate from the first half of the year.
More (and More) Updates:
(June 16, 2012) — And number of violent crimes kept dropping from 2010 into 2011, the number of murders down about 2% (source) — with property crimes dropping, too, although cutbacks in police forces may artificially account for some of the drop in recorded property crimes. It remains a puzzle.
(January 3, 2013) — As violent crime rates continued to edge down nationwide (although spiking in some cities) in 2011 and 2012, Mother Jones writer Kevin Drum wrote a story arguing, with references to several studies, that he had the answer: the decline in lead in gasoline. Lead affects young brains and undermines the development of “executive function” and self-control. Leaded gasoline increased rapidly in the 1940s through 1960s. The result, 20 years later, was more violent crime from males and more teen pregnancies for females. Then, lead was removed from gasoline and exposure dropped from the ’70s through the ’80s. The result, Drm argues: the drop we saw in violent crime.
As of now, I am agnostic on this theory. It’s certainly not mainstream among criminologists and we’ll have to see the response. My own contribution was an article showing that the rates of violent crime spread from the urban centers to smaller communities in a urban-to-rural diffusion pattern (in Rural Sociology, Fall 1980). I don’t know if lead exposure followed the same path.
(July 24, 2013) — A recent issue of The Economist reports that the crime drop discovered here occurred in roughly the same form and period across much of the developed western world. The story lays out about a dozen different explanations, placing most emphasis on improved security (policing, locks, surveillance, etc.). I’m skeptical, but the puzzle persists.
(June 4, 2015) — Vox presents “16 Theories for Why Crime Plummeted” (including the lead theory) and concludes… shrug.
Some Readings:
<> Adler, J. S. 2001. “`Halting the Slaughter of the Innocents’,” Social Science History.
<> Blumstein, A. and J. Wallman (eds.). 2000. The Crime Drop in America.
<> Eckberg, D. L. 1995. “Estimates of Early 20th-Century U.S. Homicide Rates,” Demography.
<> Fischer, C. S. 1980. “The Spread of Crime from City to Countryside,” Rural Sociology.
<> Gurr, T. R. (ed.). 1989. Violence in America, Vol. 1: The History of Crime.
<> Johnson, E., and E. Monkkonen (eds.). 1996. The Civilization of Crime.
<> Lane, R. 1997. Murder in America: A History.
<> Monkkonen, E. H. 2001. Murder in New York City.
<> Rosenfeld, R.. 2002. “The Crime Decline in Context.” Contexts.
<> Zimring, F. E. 2007. The Great American Crime Decline.
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged crime, violence |
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line812
|
__label__cc
| 0.63574
| 0.36426
|
Home MIL NZ OSI 1. Home Page article Cultural approaches to activity the key to tackling obesity for women
1. Home Page article
AM-NC
College of Health
Explore - HEALTH
Explore - Sport and exercise
FifthEstate1
Graduation (Auckland)
School of Sport, Exercise and Nutrition
Cultural approaches to activity the key to tackling obesity for women
Source: Massey University
Dr Wendy O’Brien, from the School of Sport, Exercise and Nutrition, graduated with her PhD in April, in Auckland. Her research explored the physical activity profiles of Māori, Pacific and European women to understand ethnic differences in physical activity, and the implications of ethnic differences on body composition and metabolic health.
The health benefits of a physically active lifestyle are widely known and have been extensively examined. However, no such investigations have focused on New Zealand women from different ethnicities, nor on their physical activity in relation to health.
Now, new research from Massey University, with collaboration from researchers from Victoria University and Seattle University, suggests obesity rates among New Zealand women might be reduced by promoting activities that are tailored to the cultural backgrounds and preferences of specific ethnic groups.
Dr Wendy O’Brien from Massey’s School of Sport, Exercise and Nutrition, led the research, which has today been published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health.
Dr O’Brien, who graduated with her PhD in Auckland in April, examined the physical activity profiles of Māori, Pacific and European women to understand ethnic differences in physical activity, and the implications of ethnic differences on body composition and metabolic health.
“Ethnicity was a major factor in the types and amounts of physical activity performed and in the implications of physical activity on metabolic health markers. Tailoring physical activity recommendations for specific ethnic groups could have major positive health consequences for New Zealand women. We need to look at the likes of whanau-oriented, community-linked and outdoor-based activities, and how we can better promote these types of activities to groups who are most interested and can best identify with them,” she says.
“Encouraging participation in personally or culturally interesting and relevant activities might increase participation in all forms of physical activity, and alleviate some of the health burden caused by inactivity.”
Currently, only 48 per cent of New Zealand adults are sufficiently active to meet the national guidelines. “Time constraints and financial burden are common barriers to participation in physical activity, however childcare responsibilities and social support pose particular barriers for women,” Dr O’Brien says.
“If we can identify and promote activity in settings that will largely overcome these barriers, such as with whanau or community groups, then the chances of exercise participation are almost immediately increased”.
The study, which was part of a larger project (the EXPLORE study – Examining the Predictors Linking Obesity-Related Elements) involved 331 healthy pre-menopausal women, aged 16-45 years of Māori (57), Pacific (65) and European (209) descent. Participants completed online questionnaires about their levels of physical activity in four domains – home, work, recreational and transport. Unlike many other studies that simply record time spent being physically active, participants in this study also recorded which of the 35 groups of activities they had performed. This data gave much greater insight into the types of activities women actually do and therefore, where best to focus physical activity promotion.
Dr O’Brien says many activities were common across the three different ethnicities, while others reflected specific community and cultural connections. “For example, walking was by far the most popular activity across the total population. Team sports, such as touch football and netball, and cultural activities, like kapa haka, rated highly among Māori women, while performing music and dance was popular among Pacific women, and gym-type activities were favoured by European women in our study.”
“We were able to develop suggestions for the activities most preferred and already familiar to each ethnic group to promote physical activity as a normal part of everyday life.”
Dr O’Brien says ultimately, the findings could help improve the health of New Zealand women through participation in physical activity that is interesting and appropriate to the different groups. “Understanding social differences between people of different ethnicities, and how these relate to exercise participation, will enable better understanding of the specific exercise regimes and contexts that may be appropriate and acceptable to women from different ethnicities.”
She was surprised to find out how little some people moved during their day. “Looking at the data, I was really shocked to see that some, thankfully only a few, women seemed to hardly move all day. I’m not talking about not going for a run, or to the gym, I mean hardly moving faster than a slow walk over an entire 24-hour period. I know most of us spend far too much time sitting, but this was something I was quite shocked to see.
“On a positive note though, it motivated me to find simple ways to get, especially inactive, women more active by promoting physical activity as part of normal life, potentially improving the long-term health of a large portion of the population”.
Dr O’Brien also holds a Master of Science, with Distinction from Massey University, and a Bachelor of Sport and Exercise Science from Wintec. Originally from Whakatane, she now resides in West Harbour in Auckland. Dr O’Brien has been employed at Massey University for the past two years, working as a sports laboratory manager and teaching sport science courses.
Ethnic-specific suggestions for physical activity based on existing recreational physical activity preferences of New Zealand women was today published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health.
The paper was co-authored by Dr Wendy O’Brien, School of Sport, Exercise and Nutrition, Massey University, Dr Sarah Shultz, Department of Kinesiology, Seattle University, United States, Dr Riz Firestone, Centre for Public Health Research, Massey University, Dr Lily George, School of Social and Cultural Studies, Victoria University, and Associate Professor Rozanne Kruger, School of Sport, Exercise and Nutrition, Massey University.
The EXPLORE study was funded by Nutricia Research Foundation, Lotteries Health Research and the Massey University Research Fund.
Created: 16/05/2019 | Last updated: 16/05/2019
Previous articleNew Zealand Transport Sector – Wellington commuters paying twice for transport upgrades – Business Central
Next articlePublic calls for changes to ensure a sustainable whitebait fishery
Auditor-General to investigate KiwiBuild
Police seek witnesses to Mokotua crash, Southland
Massey University commits to net zero carbon emissions by 2030
Auckland train gets a new look
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line813
|
__label__wiki
| 0.825622
| 0.825622
|
George von Hoyningen-Huene
(Russia, France, United States of America 1900 – 1968)
Lillian Fischer fashion editor Vogue
‘I would plan backgrounds and introduce various props; then in the middle of a sitting I would discover that they hindered me, and I would instantly discard them, no matter how much I had planned the overall effect; and once I had freed myself of all sentimental contraptions, I would return to the simplicity and calm of unencumbered pose and concentrate on the mood and attitude of the model.’ George Von Hoyningen-Huene nd 1
Taken at the beginning of his influential career, George Von Hoyningen-Huene’s portrait of Lillian Fischer epitomises the sophisticated elegance of 1930s fashion photography. The quiet observation of the pearly texture of skin, the lustre of satin, and the gloss of hair against a halo of subtle backlighting creates a vision of classic beauty. Born into an aristocratic Russian family, Hoyningen-Huene fled to London after the revolution. He studied with the cubist painter André Lhote in Paris in the early 1920s, and was hired as a fashion illustrator by French ‘Vogue’ in 1925. After stints in New York for ‘Vogue’ and ‘Harper’s Bazaar’, he established himself in Hollywood in 1946, where his publicity shots of film-star glamour were highly sought after.
Hoyningen-Huene’s style, in which the line of a dress or the pose of the model is rendered with exquisite refinement and simplicity, has been called ‘the quintessence of early Thirties functional elegance’.2 Although he was an admirer of Baron de Meyer’s atmospheric lighting, it was Edward Steichen’s modernism that had the greatest influence on Hoyningen-Huene. The sharpness and clarity of Fischer’s portrait are indebted to Steichen, as is its strong lighting and use of shadows. Fischer’s pose and averted gaze is characteristic of Hoyningen-Huene’s work, in which poised, haughty women coolly present their beauty for the contemplation of others. Fischer is transformed by light – radiating an almost divine perfection in an effect that was unequalled by any other photographer at the time.
1.Ewing W A 1986, ‘The photographic art of Hoyningen-Huene’, Thames & Hudson, London p 102
2. ibid p 99
gelatin silver photograph, vintage
24.4 x 17.9 cm image
Not signed. Dated upper verso, pencil "...1928".
© Estate of George von Hoyningen-Huene
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line818
|
__label__cc
| 0.717245
| 0.282755
|
5 Types of Prostitution Offences
If you have been charged with any crime, you should contact a criminal defence lawyer immediately to assist with your case.
In 2013 there was a landmark decision by the Supreme Court that decriminalized activities associated with prostitution, that decision was, Canada (Attorney General) v. Bedford, referred to colloquially as the Bedford decision. Prior to Bedford it was not illegal to sell sex in Canada but there were a number of related acts that were illegal, including keeping a bawdy house (running a brothel), living off the avails of prostitution (it was illegal to receive any money obtainedvia prostitution, which while criminalizing pimps also forbade sex workers from hiring their own personal security and/or drivers), and communicating for the purposes of prostitution. These provisions of the Criminal Code were struck down on the basis that they violated sex worker’s Charter rights to Security of the Person, as they could not engage in a legal activity safely with these strict provisions intact. The Supreme Court gave the government 12 months to come up with a new legislative regime surrounding sex work, the new laws came into effect under the Conservative government on December 6, 2014.
Many sex work activists hoped that the new legislative regime would keep all aspects of the voluntary sex trade legal, while only criminalizing abuse and human trafficking. However, the government passed legislation based on the Nordic country’s laws, called the “Nordic Model” which made the selling of sexual services legal while criminalizing the buying of sex, along with a few more select activities. See below for a discussion of all non-human trafficking prostitution related offences.
Obtaining Sexual Services for Consideration
It is a crime under the current legislative regime to purchase sex. It is a hybrid offence if the sex worker was an adult, punishable by a maximum of 5 months if charged by indictment and a maximum of 18 months if convicted on summary conviction. If the purchased sex was with a child it is an indictable offence, punishable by a maximum of 10 years imprisonment and a minimum of 6 months. It is not a crime to be paid for your own sex work.
Advertising Sexual Services
It is illegal to advertise another person’s sexual services for sale, but you are allowed to advertise your own. It is irrelevant if the advertisement is online or in print. It is a hybrid offence punishable by a maximum of 5 years imprisonment on indictment or 18 months on summary conviction.
Material Benefit Offence
This is essentially the anti-pimping crime re-imagined. Sex workers are permitted to enter into legitimate business relationships meaning they are now entitled to hire security, rent apartments with their earnings, etc. Under the current regime, it remains a crime to directly earn money from someone if they are providing sexual services (i.e.: it would still be a crime to own an erotic massage parlour).
Procuring
This section of the Criminal Code makes it illegal to procure someone to sell sexual services. In otherwords, by hiring the erotic masseuse or recruiting and hiring escorts you could be found guilty of both procuring and materially benefitting from prostitution.
In an effort to stop street prostitution it is a crime to communicate for the purpose of selling sexual services next to playgrounds, daycare centres and schools. It is also a crime to stop a motor vehicle for the purpose of selling sexual services. It is a summary conviction offence punishable by a maximum of 6 months imprisonment.
While the Bedford decision may have softened Canada’s prostitution laws for ordinary sex workers there remain many crimes in place for purchasers and others in the sex industry. Some sex worker advocates contend that the continued criminal enforcement of their industry leads to the most vulnerable sex workers still working in unsafe conditions. On the other hand, some anti-trafficking advocates contend that the Nordic Model is the best way to keep sex workers safe because they are free to contact police, but they insist that those profiting from their work should still be criminalized. Whatever your opinion on the matter there are still many crimes associated with prostitution. If you have been charged with a crime, contact a criminal lawyer to work on your case. Mehdi Au LLP has criminal lawyers on staff to work on your matter. We accept Legal Aid Certificates.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line826
|
__label__cc
| 0.70366
| 0.29634
|
Home Ask Vance Fortner Furniture: The Giant Clock Came Later
Fortner Furniture: The Giant Clock Came Later
by Vance Lauderdale
Photo courtesy Special Collections, University of Memphis Libraries
I know you think I spend most of my days rooting through the old Press-Scimitar files at the University of Memphis, but you'd only be half-right. I just spend my waking hours there.
But I did turn up a newspaper article about Fortner Furniture Company, at National and Summer, and judging from the artist's rendering, it's obvious that the giant clock was added later.
If you've been paying attention, the "Giant Clock Mystery" was discussed here a few days ago. And apparently the photo that I ran at that time was not retouched after all.
If you're having trouble reading the article, let me give you a hand (or an eye, or whatever). Dated April 29, 1960, it says: "An artist's sketch of Fortner Furniture Co. at National and Summer shows the building after a 2,000-square-foot expansion has been completed. Remodeling of the original building at 3404 Summer has been finished. Four buildings to the west of the present location are being razed to allow room for the expansion, which will be ready by September 1. P.W. Jamison is general contractor. Fortner Furniture Co. was founded by Mr. and Mrs W.V. Fortner 25 years ago. General manager is a brother of Mr. Fortner, Frank K. Fortner."
So there you go. Now I'd like to know: Whose idea was it to add the wonderful clock, and why?
Ask-Vance Ask Vance September 2012 September-2012
Vance Lauderdale
Vance Lauderdale is the history columnist for Memphis magazine and Inside Memphis Business. His dramatic life story (summarized at right) is so well-known that schoolchildren are taught to recite it for extra credit.
Read more by Vance Lauderdale
"Ask Vance" is the blog of Vance Lauderdale, the award-winning columnist of Memphis magazine and Inside Memphis Business. Vance is the author of four books: Ask Vance: The Best Questions and Answers from Memphis Magazine’s History and Trivia Expert (2003), as well as Ask Vance: More Questions and Answers from Memphis Magazine’s History Expert (2011), Vance Lauderdale’s Lost Memphis (2013), and Vance Lauderdale’s More Lost Memphis (2014). He is also the recipient of quite a few nice awards (including “Best Blog - 2017” from the Society of Professional Journalists' Green Eyeshade Awards), the creator of several eye-catching wall calendars, and the only person we know with a vintage shock-treatment machine in his den.
Questions for Vance? Email him here.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line827
|
__label__wiki
| 0.703354
| 0.703354
|
Posts Tagged ‘Hamilton Fish and Tragic Deception’
FDR and Pearl Harbor: The Primer for the Zionist Assault on the American Republic and the Nation of Iran
[Presented in modified/edited form as FDR and Pearl Harbor: The Primer for the Zionist Assault on the American Republic and the Nation of Iran for the American Free Press conference in Austin, Texas on November 9th, 2013. Mark Dankof was interviewed by Dave Gahary before the conference began.]
Mark Dankof’s speech at the American Free Press conference in Austin, Texas on Nov 9th, 2013 is entitled, “FDR and Pearl Harbor: The Primer for the Zionist Assault on the American Republic and the Nation of Iran.”
[Originally issued with the title below]
Preemptive War, State Sponsored Terrorism, Cultural Subversion, and the Criminalization of Dissent as a Total Package of Zionist/Jewish Methodology
by Mark Dankof
Scheduled to have been delivered in Tehran, Iran/August/September 2013 at the Freethinkers/New Horizon Conference which was subsequently cancelled. The presentation was presented with an award in Tehran in 2013 by the National Congress of 17000 Iranian Terror Victims.
Mark Dankof in Washington, D. C. in November of 2011
“Eternally Dedicated to the Old American Right, the Old American Republic which hated Empire, and the Nation and People of Iran”
Let me begin by saying that I have my own reasons for being in Iran today. As one who is an orthodox Lutheran Christian, and who loves the Constitutional heritage of an America that is long gone, I am reminded at this moment that back in early July, at the pro-Zionist national conclave of the so-called Christians United for Israel (CUFI) founded by John Hagee of Cornerstone Church in San Antonio, Malcolm Hoenlein, the Executive Vice-President of the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations, made the statement when receiving the Defender of Israel award from Hagee’s organization, that American Christian support of Israel and its bellicose policies toward Iran, was Israel’s “nuclear weapon.” At this same gathering, the Israeli press quoted Hoenlein as saying “. . . the Jewish lobby is a myth. Our job is to make it a legend.“
The Samson Option: The Zionist State’s Endgame for the Middle East and the World?
Make no mistake about it. The Talmudic Racial Supremacist doctrine of Zionism has nothing to do with Christianity and the teachings of Jesus Christ. And the fraudulent 19th century interpretation of the Bible known as Dispensational Premillennialism, popularized by the Scofield Reference Bible, is both bad theology and bad foreign policy for the United States (see my paper on Dispensationalism entitled “A Historical Critique of Dispensationalism, Zionism, and Daniel’s Prophecy of 70 Weeks” at MarkDankof.com). As an American and a Christian, I am called to expose Hagee and Hoenlein and their Fellow Travelers as the clones of the Prince of Darkness. They are evil. Their ideology is evil. Those who blindly follow them are on the road to perdition, even as they take the United States and the world down a pathway to global tragedy. All of this is why I am here today.
Christian Zionist John Hagee of Cornerstone Church in San Antonio and Christians United for Israel (CUFI): Netanyahu’s point man in enlisting American evangelicals in World War III for the Zionist Enterprise and the New World Order.
There is yet another reason. I love Iran, and always have since I first visited it as a young person of only 18 years of age. It is almost impossible to believe I am back here again after so many years of absence from this great country and interaction with its wonderful people. I was here a lifetime ago, in terms of everything that has happened since the late 1970s in the world, to American-Iranian relations, and to me personally.
I owe a debt of gratitude for both invitations to visit Iran once more after a 37 year absence, both to the 2nd International Conference of Independent Thinkers (New Horizon) sponsored by the Iranian Ministry of Culture, and the Habilian Association of Iran, which has done more to chronicle the hideous history of the Mujahedeen-e-Khalq (MEK) in the murder of some 17,000 Iranian citizens, than any other organization of which I am personally aware.
When I think of Iran just now, my mind goes back to the early summer of 1973. I had just graduated from high school in Dayton, Ohio. My late father had returned in April of that year from Vietnam, to subsequently retire from the United States Air Force after 32 years of active duty service. I had been accepted for the fall of 1973 for collegiate study at Valparaiso University in Indiana, America’s largest Lutheran institution of higher education.
Valparaiso University’s Chapel of the Resurrection. Largest University Chapel in the United States.
My father’s intention was to settle down, preferably in the American Midwest, after decades of traveling around the world and moving his family on a constant basis. His two leading possibilities for civilian employment involved teaching at either Kearney State Teachers College in Nebraska, or his alma mater, the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO). As it turned out, the open doors in these places quietly closed during his last several years in Southeast Asia. Other inquiries in the spring and early summer of 1973 turned up empty.
But when he sent a resume to an American aerospace company, Lockheed, there was immediate interest. The phone rang in my parents’ apartment in Dayton. It was Lockheed in Marietta, Georgia outside of Atlanta. My father’s presence was requested in Atlanta immediately for a job interview. The company wanted to fly my mother down there also for conversation.
Upon return from Atlanta, my parents announced in Dayton they were leaving the United States again for a new assignment: My father was to become an employee of the Lockheed Company, serving as a logistics advisor and consultant to the Imperial Iranian Air Force.
Mark Dankof’s father’s headstone in section 54, Arlington National Cemetery, Washington, D. C.
I remember being incredulous, first that after retirement from the American Air Force, my father’s first job in civilian life since 1941 would involve leaving the United States for the umpteenth time. Second, I had only the vaguest of ideas as to where Iran was, and of what interest it was to my own country. That is how ignorant I was, how little I really knew. This is especially revealing when one considers that I was far more well traveled and politically astute than the vast percentage of American youth my age at that time. TV News, newspapers, and conversations on matters political were standard fare in my home growing up. My travels with my father to Southeast Asia in the summer of 1972 after finishing a year at Iolani School in Honolulu had begun to open up horizons beyond American borders. But it was only a beginning.
In my case, first coming to this country for a visit in May of 1974, two months short of my 19th birthday, changed the course of my life. I would return here in the summer of 1975 and 1976, as well as the Christmas seasons of those two years. I would celebrate my 21st birthday in this country, the month and summer of the American Bicentennial (1976).
Mark Dankof turns 21 in North Tehran during the American Bicentennial.
In those brief visits, I made the most I could of the experience. I began finding English language books on the history of Iran. I began traveling outside Tehran, including Iranian Azerbaijan, the Caspian region, Lar Valley, Isfahan, Shiraz, Pasargadae, and Persepolis. Since I was on summer vacation from college in Indiana, I did not have the time to spend trying to learn Farsi. This is a deficiency I have felt personally in all the years since leaving this country. Someday I would like to remedy this, even at a far more advanced age now. If my profile as an American political dissident in the last two decades results in my eventual exile from the country of my birth, perhaps I would come full circle and reside here for the duration. Learning the language would no longer be a luxury, but a necessity.
I do not say this lightly. To put into perspective how vulnerable I and several others could prove to be, as critics of the Zionist-inspired American Empire and our Israel First policies, Dr. Philip Giraldi, the ex-CIA analyst and outstanding critic of Israel and Zionism found at the Council for the National Interest, Antiwar.com, and The American Conservative, directly warned Mark Glenn and me on his own initiative, that leaving the United States before the next Presidential “election” in 2016, might prove to be an auspicious move for all three of us, and others. He suggested several places in Latin America. This is how late the hour might be for people in our present business and struggle. But then again, none of us got into this for money, or career advancement, or ease, but to prevent the consummation of the most evil plan, on the part of the most evil forces, that presently exist in world history. Let there be no mistake. The Zionist ideology, and the international banking system and technocracy which are attempting to establish the New World Order, are not simply evil, but the greatest evil to threaten humanity in history. In this regard, The Apocalpyse of John written on the island of Patmos during the reign of Emperor Domitian (A. D. 81-96), coincides with the eschatological analysis of Islam in terms of the identity of the Beast and the forces aligned with him that threaten us all today who are here.
John on Patmos: Exiled Because of Resistance to the Emperor Worship Cultus of Domitian
(A. D. 81-96).
But reading books of all kinds was a critical factor in moving me over many years to a better and more critical understanding of American history, the American political scene, and the increasingly evil character of my own government as that evolved over the course of my lifetime. You must all understand that I did this almost entirely on my own. The American educational system as I experienced it in both public and private institutions largely failed me, and many others, by failing to facilitate the examination of all the responsible sources and engaging in honest self-examination of our country’s real history, and the meaning of that history. This is not by accident, but design. Critical analysis of facts was replaced with Mythology, for reasons we shall understand more fully in a few minutes.
As a thesis statement for my portion of this program, let me state that Mythological Interpretation of History is the key to facilitating the acceptance of the unthinkable: being ruled by a government committed to the ideology of Preemptive War, State Sponsored Terrorism, Cultural Subversion, and the Criminalization of Dissent by those who stridently disagree with these policies and their acceptability in a civilized society. The other side of the Coin of Mythological Interpretation is Demonization, the Demonization of the victims of these policies. A corollary of Demonization is the denial of the humanity of the victims, and their status as God’s children. A corollary of both Mythological Interpretation and Demonization is the spinning of deliberate falsehoods, especially through Controlled Mass Media in a technological age. A related corollary is the Erasure of Historical Memory, when it comes to individual and collective recall of the factual and the accurate, which cannot be tolerated by any government committed to Preemptive War, State Sponsored Terrorism, Cultural Subversion, and the Criminalization of Dissent.
In terms of our Conference participants understanding how my personal Odyssey to a better place began, and how all of this relates to the present situation with Iran vis a vis the United States and the Zionist State of Israel, I will simply mention a few events.
The first is the Kennedy Assassination. I was in the 3rd grade at Floyd Elementary School in Montgomery, Alabama in November of 1963. My father was stationed at the Air War College there. I was terrified that afternoon, and all through the weekend. I would later witness Jack Ruby’s televised murder of Lee Harvey Oswald that Sunday. When the Warren Commission in 1964 told the American public that Oswald acted alone, my father indicated his support for this verdict.
Mark Dankof in November of 1963: Age 8, Montgomery, Alabama.
But my own youthful reading led me in 1966 at the age of 11 to Mark Lane’s expose, Rush to Judgment and to Josiah Thompson’s Six Seconds in Dallas. These in turn led me to many other books on the subject over many years. A real turning point was at Valparaiso University in 1975 where African American comedian Dick Gregory showed me and a few others the infamous Zapruder film, complete with Frame 313. This film had been suppressed from public view for a dozen years after the killing. I could see why, after viewing the film. Kennedy was clearly the victim of a crossfire, involving multiple assassins. The American public was lied to by its own government. The Warren Commission’s foundation, the Single Bullet theory contrived by Israeli Lobby asset, Arlen Specter, was a scientific and ballistical absurdity. What was going on here? This began not only my search for the truth about Kennedy’s death, but a search for the larger philosophical questions about the character of my own government, and the search for the implications of the answers, which would haunt me for half a century thereafter.
The Linear Progression from Dealey Plaza to 9-11 and War with Iran: Mark Dankof photo of Elm Street from the Grassy Knoll in Dallas, September 1st, 2010.
After thousands of pages of reading over many years, and talking to people who actually knew something personally about Kennedy’s violent end, I finally discovered Michael Collins Piper and his book, Final Judgment, after September 11th, 2001. The contents of that book tied so many loose ends together, even as I was delving into the 9-11 event with questions that led to many of the same forces and suspects that had ended Kennedy’s life in the early 1960s. What I now believe about Kennedy and 9-11 is not my focus today, but Conference Participants may reference my public interviews with Press TV and Kourosh Ziabari in these areas. Especially helpful may be Kourosh Ziabari and Fars News Agency: A Conversation with Mark Dankof on Israel and 9-11, along with Mark Dankof’s Final Word on Michael Collins Piper’s Final Judgment on Israel and the Assassination of JFK, and Mordechai Vanunu and Michael Collins Piper Converge: The Israeli Mossad Assassinated JFK.
Mark Dankof and Michael Collins Piper of the American Free Press in the Nation’s Capitol: November 2011
What is noteworthy for our purposes now, is not simply to see a connection between JFK and 9-11, but between these tragedies and how and why the United States ended up in World War II. And the connection between these 3 events, and the current threat of war today in 2013 between the United States and its Zionist ally on the one hand, and Iran on the other. I cannot overemphasize this in today’s conversation with everyone gathered here in Tehran at this very moment in time.
The second event which tells you more about who I am now, involved one Franklin Delano Roosevelt and the infamous Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. I was not born until 1955, of course, but in the 1960s and 1970s, two different Air Force tours on Oahu with my father enabled me to develop an extreme interest in the subject. The event that involved my life with Roosevelt’s legacy, and the tragedy of December 7th, 1941, occurred in late 1971 or early 1972, during my sojourn in high school at Iolani School in downtown Honolulu, near the Ala Wai Canal, Diamond Head, and Waikiki Beach.
Investigating FDR’s Duplicity on Pearl Harbor: Mark Dankof at Iolani School in Honolulu in 1972.
There was a fantastic American history teacher at Iolani in those days, the late, salty retired American Navy Captain R. C. Sleight. He had been a destroyer skipper in World War II. His politics were Right of Center, but he had plenty of room in the class for anyone who disagreed with his views with their own academic and political perspective, if it was credible. His sardonic humor, Sea Captain’s expressions, and wit would be ruled out-of-bounds in American education today. His brute frankness which cut through canards, shoddy thinking, and superficial analysis, would be intolerable to the Minions of Political Correctness [Jewish Political Correctness] that control what passes for education in the United States now. It was my privilege to have one last conversation with him by telephone, when visiting Honolulu for my parents’ 50th wedding anniversary in 1991, 20 years after I left Iolani School as a student. I shall never forget him. I have thought of him many times in all the years since.
Iolani School in Honolulu: Diamond Head, Ala Wai Canal, and Waikiki are prominent.
When we got to the subject of Franklin Delano Roosevelt and World War II one morning at Iolani School, Sleight became especially serious. He made it clear that he did not agree with the Establishment Consensus on FDR, or the events that led up to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. His reasons for this statement were not entirely elaborated upon with the class, but I noticed that the bibliography he distributed on these subjects included a section entitled Revisionist History Books on Roosevelt and Pearl Harbor. When I returned to my home at Hickam AFB in Honolulu on the Pearl Harbor Channel Entrance on Julian Avenue that evening, I began looking at this particular section of the bibliography. The titles told me something about the contents of the books. (I have recently gone back into this fine but dated bibliography, at the suggestion of Dr. Paul Sheldon Foote of Cal State-Fullerton, to add the Hamilton Fish volume entitled “Tragic Deception: FDR and America’s Involvement in World War II.”
Hamilton Fish joins Herbert Hoover, John Toland, Robert Stinnett, and John Koster, in laying the foundation for the damning case against Roosevelt and his Red Agent advisors like Harry Dexter White, who set up the Pearl Harbor tragedy and everything that followed.
1972: Mark Dankof’s Home at Hickam AFB was on Julian Ave on the Pearl Harbor Channel Entrance.
Did President Franklin Delano Roosevelt really know in advance that the American Pacific Fleet was going to be attacked at Pearl Harbor on the morning of December 7th, 1941? Was that information deliberately withheld from the American Commanders at Pearl Harbor, Admiral Husband Kimmel and General Walter Short? If so, why? The mere thought of something like this alternated in my mind between the preposterous and the monstrous. Could anyone really seriously entertain this idea who was sane?
I could not sleep in my bedroom at Hickam AFB that night. My night thoughts would not allow my mind a nocturnal peace, despite the Pacific Ocean breeze and the sound of rustling palm trees outside my window. The American Air Force planes that constantly overflew my home on Julian Avenue, headed toward a landing strip at Hickam’s Military Airlift Command (MAC) terminal, also punctuated a sleepless night.
October 1940: Hickam AFB, Pearl Harbor, Ford Island, and Battleship Row in Peace, while FDR and Harry Dexter White plot World War II.
I made a private appointment to see Captain Sleight in his academic office at Iolani School. When I arrived, he pointed to a chair in front of his desk. He had the same demeanor as other military men I had grown up around in the Air Force, when serious conversation was imminent. He told me to sit down.
Sleight asked me why I had come in, what the nature of my concern was. I was just as much to the point. Basically, I indicated I’d like to know what Revisionist History was. And whether or not he thought there was any truth to what I was picking up on in the bibliography he had passed out to the class, regarding President Roosevelt having advance knowledge of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and the American Pacific Fleet.
FDR and the USS Arizona: The Winners are the Jews, the British, the Bankers, and Stalin.
He lit his infamous pipe and looked at me with a seriously piercing examination I had never quite seen before. His question to me, before proceeding, was one I have heard a thousand times, as the son of a military man, a Lutheran pastor, an activist, and a journalist:
“Are we speaking totally off-the-record here?“
I indicated that we were.
Sleight then proceeded. I will never forget what he said, and how clearly and powerfully he said it, while continuing to pierce me with the penetrating focus he always had when zeroing in on something that was pivotal.
What he said was simply this: “Roosevelt not only knew about the attack in advance, he deliberately provoked it, from October of 1940 onward. And the United States not only had the capability to intercept Japanese diplomatic communications, as the Tora! Tora! Tora! movie (1971) depicts, but had the network and the active Naval Intelligence operation going on throughout the Pacific, to intercept Japanese military communications. We were listening in constantly on [Admiral] Yamamoto’s radio communications with [Admiral] Nagumo, after Nagumo departed from Hitokappu Bay in Japan in late November of 1941 with the six (6) aircraft carriers which comprised the task force which ended up 200 miles north of here, launching the attack on Pearl, Wheeler, Schofield, Hickam, Shafter, and Kaneohe on December 7th. If you want to know why, you have to find out about the [Arthur] McCollum memorandum to Roosevelt in October of 1940. That’s the Rosetta Stone.“
How, I asked, do I find this stuff. Answer: “Presently, you won’t. I know about it from classified Naval Intelligence materials I’ve seen, and my conversations with a couple of the guys doing the cryptology and the intercepting in the project which was intercepting Japanese military communications. That stuff, and the very existence of the program, is still top secret. Maybe in your lifetime, you’ll be able to see the evidence on paper.”
My last remark was that I had just seen a documentary film on Roosevelt’s speech to the 1940 Democratic National Convention, assuring Americans he would keep their kids out of any European, or foreign war, period.
Hickam AFB Under Japanese Attack: December 7th, 1941.
Captain Sleight cut to the chase: “Roosevelt was a duplicitous, lying son of a b—-. He lied this country into a war that was totally avoidable. If he’s the model of the American Presidency in the world we live in now, God help us. The Mythology that surrounds this guy is enough to make you puke. And don’t ever forget it.“
I never did forget it. And yes, thanks to Robert Stinnett, author of Day of Deceit: The Truth About FDR and Pearl Harbor, and his Freedom of Information Act law suit against the Federal Government of the United States, the evidence is now in for all to see. Stinnett was one of those secret cryptographers in the network that was intercepting Japanese military communications in the Pacific, and the specific conversations between Yamamoto and Nagumo that Captain R. C. Sleight had told me about in Honolulu decades before. His book includes the infamous McCollum Memorandum of October 1940 and its so-called Eight (8) Point Action Memo “designed to provoke Japan into an overt act of war.”
The complete text of the McCollum Memorandum is presented in Appendix A of the Stinnett book, which provides a photographic copy of what Stinnett discovered personally in Box 6 of a special U. S. Navy collection in RG 38 in the Military Reference Branch of Archives II, January 24, 1995.
Lieutenant Commander Arthur H. McCollum, fluent in Japanese as one who grew up in Japan as the son of American Baptist missionaries there, was the head of the Far East desk of the Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI). His office was an element of Station US, a secret American cryptographic center located at the main naval headquarters at 18th Street and Constitution Avenue N. W., about four blocks from the White House. As Stinnett freely admits it in Day of Deceit, the Eight (8) Point Action Memo called for “virtually inciting a Japanese attack on American ground, air and naval forces in Hawaii, as well as on British and Dutch colonial outposts in the Pacific region.”
The Eight (8) Points are as follows:
1. Make an arrangement with Britain for the use of British bases in the Pacific, particularly Singapore.
2. Make an arrangement with Holland for the use of base facilities and acquisition of supplies in the Dutch East Indies [now Indonesia].
3. Give all possible aid to the Chinese government of Chiang Kai-shek.
4. Send a division of long-range heavy cruisers to the Orient, Philippines, or Singapore.
5. Send two divisions of submarines to the Orient.
6. Keep the main strength of the U. S. Fleet, now in the Pacific, in the vicinity of the Hawaiian Islands.
7. Insist that the Dutch refuse to grant Japanese demands for undue economic concessions, particularly oil.
8. Completely embargo all trade with Japan, in collaboration with a similar embargo imposed by the British Empire.
It is critical that we understand the exact timing of this Eight (8) Point Action Memo of Lieutenant Commander Arthur McCollum, as Stinnett explains it to us:
“[Admiral] Richardson’s removal [as CINCPAC, or Commander in Chief Pacific] on February 1st, 1941, strengthened the position of McCollum. Only five months earlier, in mid-September 1940, Germany and her Axis partner, Italy, had signed a mutual-assistance alliance with Japan. The Tripartite Pact committed the three partners to assist each other in the event of an attack on any one of them. McCollum saw the alliance as a golden opportunity. If Japan could be provoked into committing an overt act of war against the United States, then the Pact’s mutual assistance provisions would kick in. It was a back-door approach: Germany and Italy would come to Japan’s aid and thus directly involve the United States in the European war.”
Thus, the roadmap for what Stinnett terms “FDR’s Back Door to War” was set. Perhaps the greatest indication of the mindset of both Arthur McCollum and Franklin Delano Roosevelt was the former’s “Action D,” which involved the deliberate deployment of American warships within or adjacent to the territorial waters of Japan. We now know that FDR personally took charge of secret White House meetings where Action D was discussed and implemented. The President termed these illegal and reckless provocations “pop-up” cruises. These cruises were opposed by Admiral Husband Kimmel (CINCPAC commander) who objected to Action D as “. . . ill-advised and will result in war if we make this move.” Stinnett notes that:
“From March through July 1941, White House records show that FDR ignored international law and dispatched naval task groups into Japanese waters on three such pop-up cruises. One of the most provocative was a sortie into the Bungo Strait southeast of Honshu, the principal access to Japan’s Inland Sea. The strait separates the home islands of Kyushu and Shikoku, and was a favored operational area for the warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy in 1941.”
Footnote 11 for chapter 2 of Day of Deceit clinches how deeply involved Franklin Roosevelt was in these reckless, illegal, provocative, and un-Constitutional actions embodied in Action D. Stinnett’s footnote states:
“Documentation that directly links FDR with McCollum’s Action D–sending US Navy cruisers in provocative moves against Japan includes the following: the first discussion in the White House February 10, 1941. Present were President Roosevelt; Secretary of State, Cordell Hull; Secretary of War, Henry L. Stimson; Secretary of the Navy, Frank Knox; General George Marshall, Army Chief of Staff; and Admiral Harold R. Stark, Chief of Naval Operations. Stark warned FDR that the cruises “will precipitate hostilities.” PHPT 16-2150 and PHPT 33, p. 1203. FDR advocated the cruises, says Stark in PHPT 33, p. 1203.”
There is another critical Rosetta Stone and smoking gun in the Pearl Harbor conspiracy involving Franklin Roosevelt and the subsequent set-up of Admiral Husband Kimmel (CINCPAC), and the later publication of the fraudulent Roberts Commission report on the Pearl Harbor attack. I will simply mention it for those subsequently interested in further research of this horrifying episode in American history: The Prokofiev Seamount (Stinnett 146, 148, 150, 233) and the Vacant Sea Order (Stinnett 144-46, 149, 160, 187, 188, 193). These gems are accompanied by the White House Route Logs and Station US files, RG 38, MMRB, Archives H Document, which lists the Thirty Six Americans Cleared to Read the Japanese Diplomatic and Military Intercepts in 1941. What is incredible about this document is that it proves (“access restricted”) that the intelligence from this electronic surveillance and decryption was withheld from Admiral Husband E. Kimmel, CINCPAC in Hawaii, and Lieutenant General Walter Short, the Commanding General of the Hawaiian Department, U. S. Army, Fort Shafter, Oahu. Why???
I hope that at this point in the narrative, everyone here is already connecting the dots. The Mythology that surrounds Franklin Delano Roosevelt to this day could not be sustained without the absolute cooperation of the American government, the corporations, the news media, Hollywood, the sycophants in the American National Security apparatus, and the educational system. This Mythology conceals the illegal, un-Constitutional, and yes, criminal mind of America’s 32nd President. Even more so, for those who are analyzing Roosevelt by comparison now to George W. Bush and Barack Obama, and their respective actions vis a vis Iran and the Middle East in the 21st century, the references we have already made to secrecy, duplicity, economic sanctions, and illegal covert military operations conducted by Franklin Roosevelt, should serve as an ominously suggestive prototype and precursor to what has been happening with American Presidential Administrations of recent years and their equally criminal operations against Iran. Even more ominously, as demonstrated by Mark Weber in his essay, “President Roosevelt’s Campaign to Incite War in Europe: The Secret Polish Documents,” the political forces operating behind and through Franklin Roosevelt, are identical to those in play in the American political power elite now: International Central Bankers and the disproportionate role of Jews in that milieu; Zionists and the Jewish and Israeli Lobby organizations; and in the case of the Roosevelt Administration, the pro-Soviet foreign policy agenda of key Jewish agents in their midst, the 20th century counterpart to the Israel First Fifth Column operating in the Bush and Obama Administrations in the 21st, as demonstrated by the publicly revealed names in the United States involved in the successful Public Relations campaign to have the American State Department remove the Mujahedeen-e-Khalq (MEK/MKO) from the official American governmental list of known terrorist organizations around the globe.
What is going on with this campaign?
The what and why are crystal clear. The Mujahedeen-e-Khalq (MEK) has been enlisted by the Israeli Mossad and the American Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) for covert acts of terror and criminality against the present government of Iran. The message?: Terror is legitimate when pursued by those we Mythologize, against those we Demonize and Dehumanize, so much so that the word “Terrorism” is removed in most Orwellian fashion from the MEK and its activities, to be replaced with words and terms like “Freedom Fighting” and “Human Rights.” Historical memory of the track record of the MEK throughout its blood-stained history must be removed and erased also, as a part of a very familiar and evil process of self-justification.
The Mossad and the Mujahedeen-e-Khalq (MEK/PMOI): Will Israel employ them in a False Flag Operation against the United States falsely pinned on Tehran? Is World War III the Endgame?
The Israeli-linked campaign in the United States and Europe to legitimize the Mujahedeen-e-Khalq (MEK) is only the tip of the iceberg. We now know, courtesy of Seymour M. Hersh’s article, “Our Men in Iran?” in the April 6, 2012 New Yorker, and Glenn Greenwald’s “U. S. Trained Terror Group” in the April 6, 2012 Salon, that the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) began training members of the Mujahedeen-e-Khalq (MEK) in the United States at a secret facility in Nevada in 2005. According to one of Hersh’s informants, JSOC provided MEK personnel with “the standard training, including communications, cryptography, small-unit tactics, and weaponry” over a period of at least 6 months. Few doubt the MEK link to the assassinations of Iranian scientists and other acts of criminality in this country in recent years, as the pro-Zionist Newsweek has virtually confirmed publicly. But will the MEK be a convenient tool for a false flag attack in the domestic United States designed by Israel for false linkage to Iran and the provision of a subsequent causus belli (“cause for war“) for overt hostilities with Iran to commence? Keep your ears close to the tracks. . . . If Christopher Bollyn and Robert Sungenis are correct about the real architects of September 11, 2001, we had better anticipate the worst. . . .
For the previously uninitiated, I will recommend several brief articles. One is David Martin’s “Stalin’s Secret Agents: The Subversion of Roosevelt’s Government.” Please consult Elizabeth Rubin’s op-ed in the New York Times of August 13th, 2011 entitled, “An Iranian Cult and Its American Friends,” along with her earlier July 13, 2003 piece entitled, “The Cult of Rajavi.” My own past interview with your Habilian Association on the MEK may prove instructive as well. See “Iran’s Habilian Association Talks to Mark Dankof: The MEK Delisting and the Zionist War Agenda.” And lastly, the annual documentation of Israeli PAC money funding American elections put together by the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs (WRMEA) will document the magnitude of the problem we mutually face.
But let us return, momentarily to Franklin Roosevelt and the run-up to Pearl Harbor. In this instance, our focus shall now be upon the diplomatic games being played by the United States Government with Japan leading to December 7th, 1941. Here, Mythology matches what it accomplishes with the McCollum Memorandum and its Eight (8) Point Action Memo.
What we now know, eternally grateful to the uncovering and publishing of the real story, is that no amount of good will, no amount of concession on the part of the Japanese government in 1941, would deter Franklin Roosevelt and his Jewish power brokers from the drive to war with Japan. Why? This is easily understood. 1) Central Bankers always profit by war. In the case of the United States, this is fueled by the creation of the Federal Reserve Board in 1913, as a precursor to the absolute global militarization of American foreign policy ever since. 2) An American-Japanese war in the Pacific would not simply be a back-door way of involving the United States in Churchill’s war against Hitler in Europe, also a Jewish objective, but would terminate the threat of an alliance between Imperial Japan and Adolf Hitler in a two way invasion of the Soviet Union. This was an essential objective of the Jewish power nexus. David Martin’s aforementioned essay gingerly admits this.
The key for understanding this last point is Operation Snow, the Rosetta Stone. Take it to the bank. The information about Operation Snow continues to unfold. The recent release of John Koster’s “Operation Snow: How a Soviet Mole in FDR’s White House Triggered Pearl Harbor,” has begun this new unraveling of Establishment American History About Roosevelt and World War II in earnest. The Soviet Mole is Harry Dexter White. White was the son of Lithuanian Jewish immigrants to the United States. When the evidence becomes too voluminous to deny, regarding pro-Stalin agents and Franklin Roosevelt, you can at least be sure the American Establishment will detach White, and so many others, from the obvious implications of their Jewish identification. In the same way, the modern Jewish character of the American Neo-Conservative political movement, which drives the American war machine globally and in the Middle East, which is proven by a blizzard of responsible academic research and writing, will be buried by a compliant American media and educational establishment beholden to Zionist interests. How much longer can this continue? And how much more obvious must it be, that every single American military operation in the Middle East and Central Asia today, is driven by the Israeli/Jewish agenda compiled by the Project for the New American Century in 1996 and its document of that time entitled, “A Clean Break: A Strategy for Securing the Realm”?
Harry Dexter White: The Lithuanian Jew Whose Operation Snow for FDR and Joseph Stalin Killed Americans at Pearl Harbor. Can You Spell Treason?
In the case of the tragic events of 1941, the latest revelations occur with the publication of President Herbert Hoover’s diary and the 50 pages they contain about Roosevelt and Pearl Harbor. Edited by George Nash, the volume is entitled, “Freedom Betrayed: Herbert Hoover’s History of the Second World War and Its Aftermath.” Everyone here in Tehran should one day avail himself or herself of the contents, not simply to understand what happened then, but what is happening now, in the runup to a war between the United States/Israel and Iran, that I believe only Divine Intervention can stop. The forces that desire it are those who had their way with Americans in the 1930s and 1940s. We have been living with the aftermath ever since.
The basic facts are these. Japan in 1941 was bogged down in a 4 year war with China she could neither win nor end. Japan’s move into French Indochina had created a sense that the Japanese Empire was at the end of the line in its war configuration.
Inside the Japanese government was a powerful faction led by Prime Minister Fumimaro Konoye that desperately wanted to avoid war with the United States. The pro-Anglo-Saxon camp included the Japanese Navy. The War Party within the Japanese government included the Army, General Hideki Tojo, and Foreign Minister Yosuke Matsuoka, whose virulent anti-American views were especially pronounced in the anti-Anglo-Saxon camp in the struggle for control of the direction of the Japanese government.
On July 18, 1941, a critically important opportunity emerged for the United States. Prime Minister Fumimaro Konoye ousted Foreign Minister Yosuke Matsuoka. Konoye’s replacement proved to be a pro-Anglo-Saxon, Admiral Teijiro Toyoda.
The American response was equally pivotal. It proved what I believe to be just as true today of a Zionist Occupied American Government in the latter’s desire to see a war with Iran transpire, at any cost, because of the Talmudic bloodlust of the Netanyahu regime in Israel and its backers in the United States. Franklin Roosevelt wanted war with Japan, at any cost, because the Bankers wanted that conflict to transpire as a prelude to a back-door entry into the British war with Adolf Hitler, and because it guaranteed Japan’s diversion from any threat of participation with Hitler in a two-pronged invasion of Bolshevik Russia, a Bolshevik Russia dear to the hearts of organized World Jewry and the Harry Dexter Whites of the Roosevelt administration.
Harry Dexter White: Working for FDR, Joseph Stalin, and The Bankers.
On July 25, 1941, one week after the apparent victory of Konoye over Matsuoka, the United States froze all Japanese assets in the United States, ending all imports and exports, and denying Japan the oil upon which the Japanese Empire depended. Does this sound familiar to Iranians today dealing with Mr. Roosevelt’s descendant, Barack Obama? Is it a portent of things to come?
One thing is clear. Prime Minister Fumimaro Konoye, although stunned, still believed in the desire of the United States for peace with his country, and won secret support from both the Japanese Navy and Army for a meeting with Franklin Roosevelt, on the U. S. side of the Pacific, to continue good faith dialogue with the American Chief Executive.
It is especially noteworthy that U. S. Ambassador to Japan, Joseph Grew, implored his Administration not to ignore the overture from Konoye or the opportunity for peaceful resolution of the crisis offered. Konoye had convinced Grew an agreement on Japanese withdrawal from Indochina, and from South and Central China, could be reached. Fear of Mao’s armies and Stalin’s Russia understandably prompted Japan to hold a buffer in North China.
On August 28, 1941, the Japanese Ambassador to the United States presented Franklin Roosevelt a letter, containing Konoye’s offer to the President to meet face-to-face. There was but one condition: Tokyo begged Roosevelt to keep the letter, and the offer, secret. The reason was entirely legitimate: a public revelation of the Japanese Prime Minister’s offer to cross the Pacific to speak to an American President could imperil the survivability of his government.
Yes, you guessed it. On September 3, 1941, the letter and its contents were conveniently leaked to the Herald-Tribune newspaper.
On September 6, 1941, Prime Minister Fumimaro Konoye met again with American Ambassador Joseph Grew over a 3 hour dinner, telling Grew the Japanese now agreed with the 4 principles advanced by the United States Government for peace.
The response from Roosevelt: No response.
On September 29, 1941, Grew sent what Herbert Hoover described as a “prayer” to Roosevelt, begging the latter not to let a chance for peace elude the United States.
On September 30, 1941, Grew wrote to Washington, “Konoye’s warship is ready and waiting to take him to Honolulu, Alaska, or anywhere else designated by the President [Roosevelt].”
No response. On October 16, 1941, Konoye’s cabinet fell.
In November, the United States intercepted 2 new offers from Tokyo: a Plan A for an end to the China war and occupation of Indochina. If that were rejected, Plan B called for a modus vivendi where neither side would make any new moves.
The response from Roosevelt: Rejection out of hand.
This then brought about the infamous meeting of Franklin Roosevelt’s War Council, on November 25, 1941. In this gathering, Secretary of War Henry Stimson [privy as we have already seen to Roosevelt’s illegal incursions into Japanese territorial waters courtesy of Arthur McCollum’s Action D recommendations], makes written notes of the conversations of the War Council. The prevailing consensus, according to Stimson, is as follows:
“The question was how we should maneuver them (the Japanese) into. . . firing the first shot without allowing too much danger to ourselves.”
What was the result of Mr. Roosevelt’s version of diplomacy?
Here is the result for all to see: Thousands of lives ended or ruined, the burnt ashes of a radiated Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the fall of China to Mao, American involvement in Korea and Vietnam, the rise of Communist China, and the expansion of the Soviet Empire in Eastern Europe and elsewhere after the end of World War II. The establishment of the Zionist State of Israel in 1948 would pin the fortunes of the United States to this entity, resulting in the present overextension of the American Empire in the Middle East and Central Asia, with yet more war to unfold. This is why Tyler Kent, the American linguist and cryptologist operating out of the American Embassy in London, revealed to key figures in the American Congress and elsewhere, what Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill were cooking up in the runup to Pearl Harbor. Kent was the Edward Snowden of his time. In the aftermath of his arrest in May of 1940, his life would never be quite the same again. The shadow of Roosevelt and his duplicity in destroying what Kent knew of the United States prior to that time, would follow the latter all the way to the end of his life in Kerrville, Texas in 1988.
Even more ominously, it proved to be the expansion of the insidious doctrine of American Exceptionalism, the Rooseveltian belief in the Imperial Presidency as understood by Mr. Roosevelt’s successors, the explosion of growth in an American National Security State which threatens the Bill of Rights and the survivability of the American Dollar, and the ongoing expansion of Jewish power in all the basic institutions in American life since the end of the Roosevelt era and the Second World War that many argue marked the beginning of the end of the Western World.
These are the fruits of American “victory,” a most Pyrrhic triumph. Among these poisonous fruits has been the introduction of the demonic into the American-Iranian relationship, courtesy of the 1953 Operation Ajax of the American CIA and the British MI6, and the backing of the Rockefeller Empire, the oil consortiums, and the Zionist entity. When we speak of Mythology, Demonization, and the Erasure of Historical Memory, let me share with you that when I visited Iran as a young person for the first time at age 18, I had no idea of what the United States had done in this country in 1953, or why. The names of Kermit Roosevelt and Donald Wilber meant nothing to me. The name of Prime Minister Mohammed Mossadegh meant nothing to me. The increasing tension I sensed in a handful of summers in Iran in Pahlavi Iran in the 1970s was one I could not possibly understand as a young American college student. The information, and the context, of this brewing cauldron was one that had been at first denied to me. Later I would receive a false spin and explanation for what had happened years before, couched primarily in the notion advanced by defenders of the American Governmental Establishment that Dr. Mossadegh was a “Communist” working in tandem with the Soviet KGB in Iran against both American and the Free World.
Thanks to the American Free Press, we now know the truth. That fine newspaper in 2007 republished the Clandestine Service Historical Paper No. 208, authored by Dr. Donald N. Wilber in March of 1954 and entitled, “Overthrow of Prime Minister Mossadegh of Iran: November 1952-August 1953.” That document includes various Appendices, including the “Initial Operation Plan for Project Ajax, as Cabled from Nicosia to Headquarters on 1 June 1953 [Preliminary Plan Prepared by SIS and CIA representatives on Cyprus]”; and the “London Draft of the Ajax Operational Plan.“
What does Dr. Wilber’s published document reveal, complete with the original CIA and MI6 documents from that time, now declassified?
It reveals that the organized duplicity and criminality of Franklin Roosevelt would become the foundational methodology of every American Administration of the post-World War II period, conducted by the power elite we have already identified specifically, as the driving force behind it all. Understood comprehensively, the Mythology of Franklin Roosevelt and Pearl Harbor becomes the Prototype and Concrete Foundation for all of the official public lies that would follow, including the false official version as to why Harry Truman approved the use of atomic weapons against Hiroshima (a lie contradicted by the honesty of General Curtis E. LeMay, among others); the false official story about what happened to JFK in Dallas on November 22nd, 1963; and the false official story about who and what was behind September 11, 2001 in New York.
The methodologies of Mythology and Demonization especially characterize the entire history of the modern Zionist State of Israel, ranging from the role of the Meyer Lansky Jewish crime syndicate in the United States in providing funding for Menachem Begin and the Irgun in their bombing of the King David Hotel in Jerusalem, to official American silence on Deir Yassin and the Sabra and Shatila massacres years later in southern Lebanon. The silence is deafening in regard to the truth about the Lansky-Ben Gurion connection to the death of John Kennedy in Dallas and why, not to mention Israel’s deliberate attack on the USS Liberty in 1967; the PROMIS affair and Robert Maxwell; the Pollard and AIPAC spy cases; the Israeli link to the crimes of the MEK in Iran in recent years; and the obvious Israeli link to the tragedy of American interventionism in the Middle East for decades, especially since the false flag incident of September 11, 2001.
What will be the next move of the Masters of the False Flag Operation? “By Way of Deception, Thou Shalt do War.”
The most obvious Mythological Falsehood is this: That the Zionist State of Israel and the Zionist Occupied Government (ZOG) of the United States want peace and mutual trust and coexistence in the Middle East, compounded by the Demonization of Iran as the alleged source of every evil in the region. It is no different in any sense from the lies of 1940 and 1941 that Franklin Roosevelt and his backers wanted peace with Japan in the Pacific, and that the failure to achieve it was the result of Japanese intransigence, recklessness, and absence of goodwill.
If the Endgame of Pearl Harbor is the world we presently live in, it pales in comparison to the monstrous ramifications in history just ahead, if Netanyahu, the Lobby, and their allies in the governments of America and Europe get their way, with what they desire to do both to Iran, and to American dissidents like me who use our meager resources and lack of power to speak the truth to demonically exercised powers and principalities.
The ultimate truths are these. As General Robert E. Lee put it in the 19th Century, “The consolidation of the States into one vast Empire, sure to be aggressive abroad and despotic at home, will be the certain precursor to ruin which has overwhelmed all that preceded it.”
The aggressors against Iran are the same despots who have destroyed the economy, the culture, and the Constitutional Bill of Rights of my own country, especially since the advent of Franklin Roosevelt and World War II. Just as they have destroyed any vestige of the older Christian cultural and moral climate of my homeland, polluting the land with the the Sexual and Drug Revolutions of the 1960s and the ideology of Sigmund Freud and the Frankfurt School, they have destroyed the American currency and banking system since 1913 with the Federal Reserve Board’s fiat money, usury, and the drive to Globalization, War, and Rumor of War. The American Domestic Police State since 2001 has had the full involvement and support of the Israeli telecommunications industry and Israeli security companies who are assisting the government of the United States in the implementation of the USA Patriot Acts, the Military Commissions Act of 2006, the various versions of the National Defense Authorizations Act (NDAA), and the wholesale warrantless electronic surveillance of the National Security Agency (NSA). Surely the Beast (Revelation 13) is soon to be fully unveiled, desirous of devouring all those who will not take his name, or his mark on the forehead or the right hand. . . .
The Frankfurt School’s Institute for Social Research: Jewish financed subversion and destruction of Western Civilization and Christianity via Sexual Perversion, Abortion, the Destruction of the Family, and the Deification of the State.
And as they target Iran with economic sanctions; MEK-linked terror attacks; societal subversion with Western (Jewish) supported pornography, abortion, and every brand of sexual perversion; and a technologically empowered Mass Media Demonization, so the European and American dissidents who refuse to countenance the physical, economic, and moral assault on Iran can, are, and will be increasingly targeted.
As it was provably the Jewish Lobby and the Anti-Defamation League of B’nai Brith (ADL) who stirred Franklin Roosevelt’s Justice Department to begin politically motivated and un-Constitutional persecution of American dissidents from Roosevelt’s World War II policies, culminating in the famous Great Sedition Trial of 1944, so it is that the ADL is now working hand-in-glove with American intelligence and police agencies to create secret dossiers and profiles of their opponents, for most obvious purposes. It has already started for many of our speakers here today from the States or Europe. In my case, I was targeted for anonymous Internet vilification from obviously Jewish sites that were later provably traced to the offices of Rabbi Aryeh Tuchman, Director of the Library and Research Center and the Assistant Director of the Civil Rights Division of the New York headquarters of the Anti-Defamation League of B’nai Brith (ADL). My open public letter to him is available on the Internet. You can judge the meaning and intent of his activities directed at me, and others gathered here, for yourself.
Add to this the revelations in 2008 and 2009 about the Missouri Information Analysis Center (MIAC) report for Missouri State Law Enforcement prepared for Federal and State Law Enforcement in conjunction with the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) of B’nai Brith and the American Federal Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Kurt Nimmo’s essay on March 11, 2009 for Infowars is but one of the places where you will find the information on what this MIAC report is, and what it means.
3 American Patriots that Abe Foxman Detests: Michael Collins Piper, Mark Dankof, and Mark Glenn in Washington, D. C.
In a nutshell, the MIAC report expose tells us that the Zionist-driven police state in America has targeted three (3) groups for profiling and targeting with harassment and worse. These three (3) groups, according to the MIAC report, constitute the recruitment base for “domestic terrorism” in America. It is important that we understand, in truth, that anyone who opposes use of the money and Armed Forces of America for Israel’s purposes in the Middle East, Iran, and Palestine, is automatically to be libeled and Demonized as a “terrorist,” “subversive,” “racist,” “extremist,” or “violence-prone criminal.” The first group targeted will not surprise you. It is Islamic people living in the continental United States. The second targeted should not be a real surprise either. It is the Antiwar Movement in America. But the third group is most revealing: according to the MIAC report prepared in conjunction with the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) of B’nai Brith, anti-Zionist Libertarians and Constitutionalists identified with political candidates like Congressman Ron Paul, Chuck Baldwin of the Constitution Party [the party I represented in the United States Senate race in Delaware in 2000], and Pat Buchanan, are to be profiled and watched as a potential future danger to the “national security of the United States.”
Pat Buchanan and Mark Dankof in San Antonio, Texas. 1995.
Translation: In the Zionist inspired lexicon of the American Domestic Police State that has emerged since September 11th, 2001, anyone who believes that the President of the United States has no moral or Constitutional authority to order the targeted killings of Americans without trial and legal representation is a “terrorist.” Anyone who believes that the President and the Federal Government of the United States cannot Constitutionally detain anyone indefinitely without specific charges, legal representation, and conviction in a civilian American court of law, is a “terrorist.” Anyone who believes that the Armed Forces of the United States can only be Constitutionally committed to a foreign war by the specific Declaration of War issued by the House and Senate of the United States (Article 1, Section 8 of the American Constitution) is a “terrorist.” Anyone who believes that the Government of the United States has no right to order the targeted physical and electronic surveillance of any Citizen of the United States without the demonstration of Probable Cause and a Court Ordered Warrant (the 4th Amendment of the Constitution of the United States) is a “terrorist.”
And finally, anyone who believes the Zionist State of Israel was founded in terrorism and the ethnic cleansing and defrauding of Palestinians is a “terrorist,” along with anyone who believes that Palestinians, Iranians, and other indigenous peoples of the Middle East and Central Asia have what the Founding Fathers of America would have termed “inalienable rights,” not to be taken from them because the Talmudic Racial Supremacist Doctrine of modern Zionism defines them as subhuman and inferior to “God’s Chosen People.”
You now get the idea. The Iranians gathered here today are my brothers and sisters, my friends and allies, in the mutual fight against the tyranny, horror and oppression of The New World Order.
And in closing, with God’s help, we shall win, for our families, our friends, our communities, our churches and mosques, our respective cultures and histories. At the end of history, Christian and Islamic eschatology agree: The godly shall win, and evil shall be comprehensive defeated and destroyed at a divinely appointed hour. Be sure of this.
And as I think, wistfully, of my beloved America of bygone days, I am reminded of several writings from your own history which explain to me as a foreigner, the powerful and mysterious allure of your marvelous land, and why I shall always love Iran and the Iranian people.
One takes me back to my days fishing in Lar Valley in the sunlight of my youth of decades ago, and watching the stunning Persian Night Skies with my late father after the setting of the sun in the West. At night, I would listen endlessly to the rushing sound of the river that runs through the Valley like the River of Life that has neither a beginning nor an end.
A River Runs Through Iran’s Lar Valley.
The words of Hafez in the 14th century come to the forefront of my consciousness at this moment now in Tehran in time and space in history, as they did one night by a campfire in Lar Valley so long ago, when I read the following for the very first time:
“Lie down beside the flowing stream
And see Life passing by and know
That of the World’s transient nature
This One Sign is enough for us.”
A second thought in my journey into the distant past now makes its entrance into the forefront of consciousness at this moment in Tehran I presently share with all of you in time and space at this point in linear history. We retreat from Hafez in the 14th century to the Persian poet, Ferdowsi in the 10th century, and the inscription on his tomb near Tus:
“Let not this body live, if there is no Iran.”
One last time here today, I offer my profound and humble thanks to the 2nd International Conference of Independent Thinkers (New Horizon), the Iranian Ministry of Culture, and the Habilian Association of Iran for this blessed invitation to be with each of you, and to share our hearts and innermost thoughts and dreams with each other while that is yet possible.
And may God bless all of you, on this special day we shall never lose or forget, either in time, or in the eternity we possess that is yet to be. We are reminded, as I was reminded in an experience last December on a United Arab Emirates flight from Dubai to Houston that I later reflected upon in an essay, that the evidence of God’s existence and His faithful fulfillment of His promises in the past, is a down payment on promises and blessings yet future. You and I have a future. It is bathed in brilliant and overwhelming Light. Our mutual struggle for freedom and liberation from the demonic forces of darkness presently on the ascendancy, will be a successful one. We can and must and shall persevere and endure to the end of the race, and the end of linear time.
The final victory is ours. Be sure of this. You and I are on the winning team. And each one of us has a unique contribution to make, as the God of history empowers us and emboldens us to speak the truth in love, with the Blessed Endgame now in sight, and within our grasp.
I bid each and everyone of you a heartfelt “Good Day.”
Mark Dankof at KABB-FOX 29 in San Antonio for an appearance on Press TV/Iran’s “The Debate.”
Tagged with American Free Press, Captain R. C. Sleight (USN-ret.), Frankfurt School and the Institute for Social Research, Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Pearl Harbor, Freethinkers Conference in Tehran, Hamilton Fish and Tragic Deception, Harry Dexter White, Hickam AFB, Iolani School of Honolulu, John Hagee and Christians United for Israel (CUFI), Kermit Roosevelt and Donald Wilber, Mark Dankof, McCollum Memorandum of October 1940, Michael Collins Piper, Mujahedin-e-Khalq (MEK/MKO/PMOI), National Congress of 17000 Iranian Terror Victims, New Horizon Conference in Tehran, Operation Ajax, Operation Snow, Prime Minister Mohammed Mossadegh, Tyler Kent
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line830
|
__label__wiki
| 0.688756
| 0.688756
|
Overview of Languages
Languages: Persian
Persian, which is called Farsi or Parsi by Persian speakers, belongs to the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan (officially known as "Dari”), Tajikistan (officially known as "Tajik" since the Soviet era), and other countries which historically came under Persian influence.
Farsi is spoken by 110 million as their primary language in the world. But more importantly, Persian or Farsi is a language carrying more than four millennia of civilized history.
Farsi (Persian) has been listed as a critical language by the U.S. Department of State since 2001 because of American strategic, business, and security interests in the Middle East.
These premises have prompted more than 40 major American university and colleges to integrate Farsi programs into their curriculum. In the fall of 2011, a pilot program of Farsi was initiated at Georgia Tech at the request of the Iranian Student Association of Georgia Tech and some twenty Iranian faculty members. The Persian Community Center (PCC) of Atlanta provided the necessary initial funds, and the first class of Farsi was offered in the fall 2011.
The School of Modern Languages currently offers first and second-year courses in Persian and Persian courses are available as part of the minor in Middle Eastern and North African Studies.
Persian Main Contact
Roya Mesbah
Persian Academics
Persian Faculty
Persian Courses
Persian Resources
Conversation Partners
Persian Society Atlanta
Persian Study Abroad
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line836
|
__label__cc
| 0.592363
| 0.407637
|
St. Louis’ Sewer System
January 31, 2019 Reducing Water Pollution, Stormwater, Water
The St. Louis Metropolitan Sewer System transports waste water and storm water for approximately 1.4 million people in a 535-square-mile service area covering St. Louis city and about 80% of St. Louis County. It includes over 9,600 miles of pipe, making it the fourth largest in the United States, with 7 treatment facilities processing 330 million gallons of sewage daily.
The system has Combined Sewers and Sanitary Sewers
Combined sewers dominate in St. Louis City and older inner suburbs. These sewers combine household and industrial sewage with rainwater runoff and route it all to treatment plants where it is treated before being discharged into our large rivers. Our combined sewers are some of the oldest in the country – giant brick subterranean tunnels that underlay our historic neighborhoods and downtown. During wet weather – especially during heavy rains – the volume of sewage and rainwater can overwhelm the capacity of the combined sewers. Under these circumstances, the mixture of sewage and rainwater often bypass the treatment facility entirely and are discharged directly to our area rivers. These events are known as Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs) and they increase the level of pollutants and disease-causing pathogens (viruses, bacteria, and parasites) in our rivers. Wet weather events can also overwhelm sewers in a neighborhood and cause the mixture of sewage and rainwater to back up into basements. These basement backups cause distress, damage and expense.
Sanitary sewers are common in the St. Louis suburbs. These systems, many of them formerly local systems built for neighborhoods or small municipalities, are now under the jurisdiction of MSD. In a sanitary sewer system, the household and industrial sewage is handled in separate pipes than rainwater runoff and routed to a treatment plant. Theoretically, a sanitary sewer system needs to have enough capacity only for the sewage of its service area – not for the hundreds of millions of gallons of runoff from a rain event. Rain water is instead routed through a separate stormwater drainage system and bypasses the sewage treatment plant. However, sanitary systems can overwhelm their capacity when more households or businesses are added to the system without expanding the capacity of the pipes, if the pipes are not routinely cleaned and maintained or if the pipes have leaks from cracks that allow rainwater to infiltrate. Sanitary sewers that are overwhelmed with rain infiltration and excess sewage can also cause basement backups. In some circumstances where sanitary sewer capacity is exceeded, pipes discharge excess sewage into local streams. From Mehville to Ladue, Webster Groves to Chesterfield, these sanitary sewer overflows have been discharging untreated sewage into our local creeks, adding pollutants and pathogens that can make waters unhealthy for fish, aquatic life, and for people. Combined Sewer Overflow discharges into streams are regulated through National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permitting and should be heavily monitored so that the health of the stream and local residents can be protected. EPA requires communities to minimize impacts of CSOs to water resources. Although common, Sanitary Sewer Overflows are unpermitted and illegal under the federal Clean Water Act.
Fortunately, MSD is conducting an expansive overhaul of the city’s sewer infrastructure in compliance with the Consent Decree that became effective in 2012. Sewer system updates will make overflows much less common, reducing pollutants in local waterways and threats to public health in our community. (see further information on the specifics of the Consent Decree available here). Grounds for filing the suit, the Environmental Protection Agency found that:
–Combined Sewer Overflows discharge 26 billion gallons of untreated waste and storm water into St. Louis area streams yearly
–Sanitary Sewer Overflows discharge 226 million gallons of untreated sewage into St. Louis area streams yearly
The Clean Water Act aims to maintain the physical, chemical and biological health of America’s waters. In 2007, The Missouri Coalition for the Environment filed a Notice of Intent to Sue MSD because of its sewer overflows. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency stepped in and filed its own suit that alleged:
1. Violations of section 301 of the Clean Water Act
•Discharge of pollutants from SSOs violating the CWA
•Discharge of pollutants from CSOs violating the CWA
•537 Overflow Locations
2. Violation of section 308 of the Clean Water Act
•MSD failed to report pollutant discharges that endanger human health or the environment
The Missouri Coalition for the Environment joined as an intervenor in the EPA’s Clean Water Act enforcement lawsuit and became full participating members in the litigation because we shared a close and common interest in the enforcement of federal and state laws against MSD to protect our region’s water quality.
After more than two years of mediation, the EPA, MSD, and the Missouri Coalition for the Environment negotiated a Consent Decree. The Consent Decree requires the elimination of illegal sanitary sewer overflows and limits the number of combined sewer overflows. It requires a 23-year timeline to achieve these goals, as well as periodic reporting requirements, sewer improvement and maintenance plans, and expansion of sewer capacity. All of this work will help prevent basement backups and some areas of localized flooding. It also requires a $100 million investment in “green” stormwater technologies in order to reduce rainwater volume in the combined sewer system.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line837
|
__label__cc
| 0.613852
| 0.386148
|
The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: “Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will let you hear my words.” So I went down to the potter's house, and there he was working at his wheel. And the vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter's hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to do. Then the word of the Lord came to me: ... Share Your Faith Products
In the four hundred and eightieth year after the people of Israel came out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month of Ziv, which is the second month, he began to build the house of the Lord. The house that King Solomon built for the Lord was sixty cubits long, twenty cubits wide, and thirty cubits high. The vestibule in front of the nave of the house was twenty cubits long, equal to the width of the house, and ten cubits deep in front of the house. And he made for the house windows with recessed frames. He also built a structure against the wall of the house, running around the walls of the house, both the nave and the inner sanctuary. And he made side chambers all around. ... Share Your Faith Products
“Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David. Behold, I made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander for the peoples. Behold, you shall call a nation that you do not know, and a nation that did not know you shall run to you, because of the Lord your God, and of the Holy One of Israel, for he has glorified you. ... Share Your Faith Products
Solomon the son of David established himself in his kingdom, and the Lord his God was with him and made him exceedingly great. Solomon spoke to all Israel, to the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, to the judges, and to all the leaders in all Israel, the heads of fathers' houses. And Solomon, and all the assembly with him, went to the high place that was at Gibeon, for the tent of meeting of God, which Moses the servant of the Lord had made in the wilderness, was there. (But David had brought up the ark of God from Kiriath-jearim to the place that David had prepared for it, for he had pitched a tent for it in Jerusalem.) Moreover, the bronze altar that Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, had made, was there before the tabernacle of the Lord. And Solomon and the assembly sought it out. ... Bible Verse Wall Art
He made 300 shields of beaten gold, using three hundred shekels of gold on each shield, and the king put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon. Moreover, the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold. There were six steps to the throne and a footstool in gold attached to the throne, and arms on each side of the seat, and two lions standing beside the arms. Twelve lions were standing there on the six steps on the one side and on the other; nothing like it was made for any other kingdom. All King Solomon's drinking vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold; silver was not considered valuable in the days of Solomon. Christian Gifts
Please note: Although the exquisite framed and unframed Christian art prints, posters, and canvases displayed in our online Christian art gallery portray strong traditional family values, biblical themes, and God's wonderful creations; not all of the artwork is Christian. Since we have partnered with art.com and allposters.com who carry a vast inventory of secular artwork, please use discretion when searching for art. Christian Gifts
and in the cutting of stones for settings, and in the carving of wood, that he may work in all kinds of craftsmanship. "And behold, I Myself have appointed with him Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan; and in the hearts of all who are skillful I have put skill, that they may make all that I have commanded you: the tent of meeting, and the ark of testimony, and the mercy seat upon it, and all the furniture of the tent, the table also and its utensils, and the pure gold lampstand with all its utensils, and the altar of incense, the altar of burnt offering also with all its utensils, and the laver and its stand, Share Your Faith Products
He also made two capitals of molten bronze to set on the tops of the pillars; the height of the one capital was five cubits and the height of the other capital was five cubits. There were nets of network and twisted threads of chainwork for the capitals which were on the top of the pillars; seven for the one capital and seven for the other capital. So he made the pillars, and two rows around on the one network to cover the capitals which were on the top of the pomegranates; and so he did for the other capital. The capitals which were on the top of the pillars in the porch were of lily design, four cubits. There were capitals on the two pillars, even above and close to the rounded projection which was beside the network; and the pomegranates numbered two hundred in rows around both capitals. Thus he set up the pillars at the porch of the nave; and he set up the right pillar and named it Jachin, and he set up the left pillar and named it Boaz. On the top of the pillars was lily design. So the work of the pillars was finished. Christian Canvas Art
In the four hundred and eightieth year after the people of Israel came out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month of Ziv, which is the second month, he began to build the house of the Lord. The house that King Solomon built for the Lord was sixty cubits long, twenty cubits wide, and thirty cubits high. The vestibule in front of the nave of the house was twenty cubits long, equal to the width of the house, and ten cubits deep in front of the house. And he made for the house windows with recessed frames. He also built a structure against the wall of the house, running around the walls of the house, both the nave and the inner sanctuary. And he made side chambers all around. ... Christian Gifts
For the entrance of the inner sanctuary he made doors of olive wood, the lintel and five-sided doorposts. So he made two doors of olive wood, and he carved on them carvings of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers, and overlaid them with gold; and he spread the gold on the cherubim and on the palm trees. So also he made for the entrance of the nave four-sided doorposts of olive woodread more. Share Your Faith Products
This is the book of the generations of Adam. When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God. Male and female he created them, and he blessed them and named them Man when they were created. When Adam had lived 130 years, he fathered a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth. The days of Adam after he fathered Seth were 800 years; and he had other sons and daughters. Thus all the days that Adam lived were 930 years, and he died. ...
Being Cleansed From SinSittingLikenessExpiationGod Made Visible In ChristGod's Glory RevealedPerfection, DivineGospel, Historical Foundation OfAdoration, Of ChristGod Is TranscendentLight, SpiritualExaltation Of ChristChrist's NatureAccuracyRevelation, In NtHoliness, Believers' Growth InGlory, Revelation OfGlory Of GodDivinity Of ChristEarth, God SustainingSelf ImageImage Of God
Now King Solomon sent and brought Hiram from Tyre. He was a widow's son from the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a worker in bronze; and he was filled with wisdom and understanding and skill for doing any work in bronze So he came to King Solomon and performed all his work. He fashioned the two pillars of bronze; eighteen cubits was the height of one pillar, and a line of twelve cubits measured the circumference of both. read more. Christian Canvas Art
“Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David. Behold, I made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander for the peoples. Behold, you shall call a nation that you do not know, and a nation that did not know you shall run to you, because of the Lord your God, and of the Holy One of Israel, for he has glorified you. ...
See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure. Share Your Faith Products
and in the cutting of stones for settings, and in the carving of wood, that he may work in all kinds of craftsmanship. "And behold, I Myself have appointed with him Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan; and in the hearts of all who are skillful I have put skill, that they may make all that I have commanded you: the tent of meeting, and the ark of testimony, and the mercy seat upon it, and all the furniture of the tent, the table also and its utensils, and the pure gold lampstand with all its utensils, and the altar of incense, the altar of burnt offering also with all its utensils, and the laver and its stand, Bible Verse Wall Art
He made two cherubim of gold; he made them of hammered work at the two ends of the mercy seat; one cherub at the one end and one cherub at the other end; he made the cherubim of one piece with the mercy seat at the two ends. The cherubim had their wings spread upward, covering the mercy seat with their wings, with their faces toward each other; the faces of the cherubim were toward the mercy seat. Christian Canvas Art
If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. ...
"Now I am sending Huram-abi, a skilled man, endowed with understanding, the son of a Danite woman and a Tyrian father, who knows how to work in gold, silver, bronze, iron, stone and wood, and in purple, violet, linen and crimson fabrics, and who knows how to make all kinds of engravings and to execute any design which may be assigned to him, to work with your skilled men and with those of my lord David your father. Share Your Faith Products
Jacob lived in the land of his father's sojournings, in the land of Canaan. These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was pasturing the flock with his brothers. He was a boy with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father's wives. And Joseph brought a bad report of them to their father. Now Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his sons, because he was the son of his old age. And he made him a robe of many colors. But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peacefully to him. Now Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers they hated him even more. ... Christian Gifts
For the last 5 years, the in-house design team at the Faithlife Corporation has illustrated one Bible verse every day. This art has found its way onto t-shirts, magnets, and postcards—and now, a beautiful picture book. In print for the first time, art from Faithlife's Verse of the Day series paired with uplifting devotionals will encourage and inspire you. Bible Verse Wall Art
A Psalm for giving thanks. Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations. ... Christian Gifts
Huram also made the pails, the shovels and the bowls. So Huram finished doing the work which he performed for King Solomon in the house of God: the two pillars, the bowls and the two capitals on top of the pillars, and the two networks to cover the two bowls of the capitals which were on top of the pillars, and the four hundred pomegranates for the two networks, two rows of pomegranates for each network to cover the two bowls of the capitals which were on the pillars.read more.
Then Moses said to the people of Israel, “See, the Lord has called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah; and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, with intelligence, with knowledge, and with all craftsmanship, to devise artistic designs, to work in gold and silver and bronze, in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, for work in every skilled craft. And he has inspired him to teach, both him and Oholiab the son of Ahisamach of the tribe of Dan. ...
The house that I am to build will be great, for our God is greater than all gods. But who is able to build him a house, since heaven, even highest heaven, cannot contain him? Who am I to build a house for him, except as a place to make offerings before him? So now send me a man skilled to work in gold, silver, bronze, and iron, and in purple, crimson, and blue fabrics, trained also in engraving, to be with the skilled workers who are with me in Judah and Jerusalem, whom David my father provided. Bible Verse Wall Art
Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. Bible Verse Wall Art
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line840
|
__label__wiki
| 0.617432
| 0.617432
|
449. Martha & the Vandellas: “Dancing In The Street”
Posted by The Nixon Administration in Martha Reeves & The Vandellas, Writing credit: Ivy Jo Hunter, Writing credit: Marvin Gaye, Writing credit: Mickey Stevenson
Gordy G 7033 (A), July 1964
b/w There He Is (At My Door)
(Written by Mickey Stevenson, Marvin Gaye and Ivy Jo Hunter)
Stateside SS 345 (A), September 1964
(Released in the UK under license through Stateside Records)
Right. Well. Okay then.
Eagle-eyed regular readers may have noticed that for a long time now, I’ve been talking about an upcoming review that I felt was bound to cause some controversy. (It’s this one, obviously.) For many months, I’ve been dreading the approach of Dancing In The Street – not “Streets”, incidentally, though we’ll get to that later on – because I knew I’d have more to say about this than any other Motown record, and because it’s perhaps the most sacred of Motown sacred cows.
The fact was, while I liked this record and everything, I’d never even put it in my personal top five Vandellas favourites, and its status as a perennial beloved treasure always left me a bit bemused.
Compound it further: Martha and the Vandellas are my favourite of all Motown’s female groups, perhaps my favourite Motown group overall. If my son had been a daughter, he’d have been named Martha in Reeves’ honour. That this has somehow become their monument – “the Vandellas’ premier signature song” as the very first line of its Wikipedia article puts it – always felt unrepresentative and, frankly, a little unworthy. There are three more Vandellas records that are getting ten out of ten here on Motown Junkies, and this ain’t one of ’em.
So, a couple of weeks ago, I started to bring Dancing In The Street into my playlist, listening to it more and more as I put this review together (as I do with every record featured here), all prepared to say exactly how I felt about it and why, and then to lose lots of subscribers and be forced to turn in my Motown fan club membership card. To admit that a song which has been called Motown’s national anthem, the most socially important song Motown ever released, etc etc etc, wasn’t my favourite? The shame of it all.
But as it turns out, after a fortnight of Dancing In The Street at full volume, I’ve taken what I wrote, and I’ve thrown most of it away. Lo and behold, thanks to the joys of loud and repeated listening, this will instead be the story of how a record won me right back over.
The title of the blog is Motown Junkies, and to begin with, I hadn’t thought it through at all.
[A throwaway Manic Street Preachers joke, a wry smile at James Dean Bradfield’s expense, it turned out a tribute band in Illinois had the exact same idea at the exact same time, and we’re stuck with the same name. Luckily, they’re really nice people, as I mention on every single page here. Still, it’s doubly annoying, because only the flip of a coin stopped the site being called Everybody Say Yeah! (after the hook line in Stevie Wonder’s Fingertips) instead.]
But it’s a strangely appropriate title, the more I think of it. I wasn’t always a Motown junkie. In fact, I wasn’t always interested in pop music at all. Thirteen-year-old me was into Kraftwerk, T.Rex, the Electric Light Orchestra, and knew nothing of Motown beyond a handful of overplayed oldies on the radio. (I also knew nothing of the Beatles, Stones, Commodores, Coltrane, Cole, Beethoven or Bix Beiderbecke, for that matter. I knew nothing full stop, really.) I was unprotected and unprepared, and I made easy prey for pop music’s most insidious pushers of hooks and tunes. I spent my teens listening to all sorts of random stuff, in search of the ultimate hit (in every sense), eventually rummaging around in the equivalent of the music industry’s scrap bins – samplers from Finnish indie labels, unsigned Louisiana hip hop collectives, anything – to try and get another taste of something that ran through the veins of all my favourite records, something I couldn’t quite grasp or understand but always recognised as soon as I felt it. I didn’t know, of course, that what I was looking for was staring me right in the face the entire time. So when – thanks to a bunch of compilation CDs at a local shop’s closing-down sale – I eventually fell for Motown, I fell hard and I fell deep.
But that left the handful of overplayed oldies on the radio in a weird sort of place. Because those songs – including, of course, this song – had become part of the musical furniture long before I’d had a chance to appreciate them, it was difficult to appreciate them anew.
For a while, I’d feel a tinge of embarrassment when listening to a big hit single; at the time, I thought it was because I was enjoying something as a guilty pleasure, that I’d somehow be embarrassed if a college housemate walked in on me playing Smokey Robinson. Now, I realise I was embarrassed because I’d been such an idiot, somehow not seeing – and intentionally not seeing, I think – how good these things, these ubiquitous things I’d rejected out of hand before I was twelve, had always been.
Nowadays, of course, I don’t care who knows what I’m listening to. Mostly because I’ve developed a rather contrary mindset, I suppose: I know what’s good, I know I’m absolutely right, and I know that exact same thing is true for every single person on the planet. I’m proud that I never feel the urge, not even subconsciously as far as I can tell, to wish someone would turn their music down. The world needs more music in it, and passion for music, any music, is alright by me. Even if it’s Justin Bieber.
You’d think, then, that a song containing these lines:
All we need is music
There’ll be music everywhere
would be right up my, er, street. But it’s never been that way with me and Dancing In The Street. Quite aside from the fact that my age meant I (along with about five million others) was first introduced to, and thoroughly put off, this song thanks to this abomination:
…even once we get past that, Dancing… always presented me with two fundamental problems, neither of which went away after I’d had my road to Damascus moment.
So, er, I suppose this is where I write the sort of thing I was planning to write up until a couple of weeks ago. Just remember, outraged Vandellas fans, they’re my favourite group too.
So. Firstly, there’s always the nagging feeling that the song isn’t actually as great as you first think it is. Or, more accurately, parts of it are so great that the rest can’t keep up.
That intro, for instance. Lord, that intro. Motown’s best-ever intro? It’s got to be right up there, for sure. After a tumultuous quasi-tribal drum roll, we’re snagged right away by that killer horn hook, so catchy it’s almost a jingle – instantly whistleable, an earworm to end all earworms. But it’s beaten out a split-second earlier by another horn part, a growling, rumbling one-note bed of brass, an urgent, demented Morse Code message buzzed out right at the bottom of the register, as if to immediately anchor the whole thing, make sure we know this is going to have some balls.
While we’re still assimilating all this stuff (and cut us some slack, will you, it’s only been eight seconds), enter Martha Reeves, but a subtly different Martha Reeves to the one we’ve heard on stuff like Come And Get These Memories or Heat Wave. I don’t mean because she’s so clearly got louder and stronger since we last met her, or gone up a couple of octaves – she did that intentionally, incidentally, because she felt Marvin Gaye’s original demo vocal was too soft and plaintive – I mean because there’s the hint of a majestically pissy sneer in her vocal throughout this song, a hint of impatience that’s clear from the very first CALLING out… that opens the record. When she asks us “Are you ready for a brand new beat?”, it’s part request and part challenge.
(It’s since transpired that no acting was involved here – Martha was reportedly fuming because her first take had seen her singing her heart out onto a tape reel that turned out not to be recording anything. The second and final take, the one used here, was done right after that incident, and Martha’s irritation at having to do it all over again when she felt she’d already nailed it comes across at several points. This, as I’ll discuss soon, would have knock-on effects. But I digress – this is me waxing spasmodic about the intro.)
It would already be one of the great Motown openings, but then comes the coup de grace, a heavy set of snow chains that co-writer Ivy Jo Hunter beat so hard against a stack of wood it made his hands bleed. Sacrifice in the service of art – thank goodness the end result was worth the suffering! Many thanks, Ivy Jo.
It’s one of the best starts to any Motown record in history, and it’s magnificent. (And yes, I was going to write all this before.) But the problem I have, the problem I’ve always had, is that the rest of the song just can’t live up to that start. The whole thing seems to coast along on the momentum it’s built up, and that pseudo-chorus – the All we need is music bit – always felt like it was actually sapping some of the energy from the record. Marvin Gaye’s demo, which I’ve never heard (I don’t know if it’s out there?), apparently envisioned Dancing In The Street as a more low-key affair, a straightforward love song wishing everyone else in the world to join in with a couple’s happiness.
I’m no musicologist, but to me, the chorus feels like it’s been drafted in from another song – that early loved-up version, perhaps – as a late replacement for something else, something a bit tougher, a bit more in keeping with that blockbuster introduction. Going back to my teenage self, sifting through endless cutout bins and the munged-keyword backwaters of EIL, I may not be able to define the magic I’m seeking, but I know when I’m in its presence, and it’s never been present here.
That kind of leads me to the other thing which has always stopped me truly loving this. A love of Motown, the things to me that make Motown great – be it in the tunes, the words, the sound, the personalities – hasn’t always seemed wholly compatible with a love of Dancing In The Street. For a start, it’s a very atypical song for Motown, both musically – which we’ve looked at briefly already – and lyrically. I’ll get on to the social commentary stuff in a moment, but what I’m getting at here is that Dancing… is addressed to the entire world, an open invitation (and reflexively described as such) when almost every other big-ticket Motown single so far has been on a microcosmic scale. Up until now, most Motown lyrics have settled for making big general points on the basis of one relationship, two people, maybe a narrator making sweeping generalisations based on his or her own experience. This, on the other hand, is immediately all-inclusive, immediately trying to make a big statement. Maybe that’s why it feels different, feels out of place when it inevitably appears on “Classic Motown” compilations and playlists; I don’t know. But it does.
It’s not just what’s actually on the page, though. It’s more to do with the way this record has been received throughout its almost fifty-year lifespan. Some serious heavyweight thinkers and cultural commentators, black and white, have throughout that time seen Dancing In The Street as a rallying post, a call to action for an unspecified but supposedly clear cause (named candidates ranging from general happiness and harmony, racial equality, civil rights, through Black Power and right the way up to violent civil disobedience and rioting). Certainly it was born at a time when such a song was badly needed and largely justified, and certainly the instrumentation and production and that grab-you-by-the-throat intro and Martha’s highly annoyed vocal performance all add up to make it sound angry enough. But it isn’t an angry protest song.
It isn’t an angry protest song.
Angry protest songs are strong, born of strong convictions, made for strong purpose, and above all they’re meant to be angry protest songs. How successful they are is tied to whether they achieve their aims, which in turn is tied to whether they gain popular acceptance. Dancing In The Street certainly gained popular acceptance, but no matter what socioeconomic-historical gloss any one of a thousand commentators has seen fit to put on it – the most intriguing one I’ve seen saw the rhythm of the drumbeat and the use of chains explicitly cited as a direct reference to the slave trade – it’s just not in that class.
It’s a song about solving all the world’s problems by getting together and dancing – perhaps in the absence of government and police interference, but there’s not an explicitly negative word in the text. (Interesting that it’s so often misremembered (including by me) as being angrier than it actually is, and that it’s so often (including by me) mistitled with an extra “S”, as though its inclusionary nature expands the subject matter to cover all streets everywhere ever.) All of the violence, all of the supposed encouragement to get out there and smash things up, is subtext. A lot of it is self-referencing subtext, too – there’s little doubt that when this was banned from the airwaves three years later during the Detroit riots, some of the mystique became reality, and this became a protest anthem; not for nothing did the Stones directly riff on these lyrics in Street Fighting Man – but it’s still subtext, and no more than that.
I mean, anything can serve as a protest anthem in a pinch, especially if the general drift of the lyrics seems to fit – I’m thinking specifically of that Nineties revolution in Sierra Leone which supposedly used McFadden & Whitehead’s Ain’t No Stopping Us Now for the purpose. But to me, and I’m someone who feels he owes his life to music, in a number of senses, this is a song about the unifying power of music, the universal power of music, and it’s as deliberately open and non-exclusionary as it could possibly be.
I’ve always subtly and subconsciously reacted against this record, then, on two levels, apparently without noticing the inherent contradiction: firstly, I don’t like seeing a song I believe to be about something I believe in get co-opted as if it were obviously about something else (especially if the end result is for it to be used as some sort of moronic looters’ charter, with dancing a synonym for rioting – and Martha has made comments herself making it very clear she wasn’t exhorting anyone to riot.) Secondly, if it were an angry protest song, it would be a terrible angry protest song, veering perilously close to John Lennon hippy bullshit territory. Things need to change? Then change them. Do what you have to do. But if you don’t believe that everyone coming together and dancing and fucking and having an amazing time together is the solution, then choose a different song. Otherwise, you’re marching towards the rifles with petrol bombs, while simultaneously singing about trying to put flowers in the barrels. It just doesn’t work.
So, yeah, I’d been holding all of that stuff against this song, and it was going to get a middling mark as a result; can’t hold too much of a grudge against that intro, of course.
But then I realised I was being stupid too.
It took something like fifteen goes around with this to scrape off fifty years’ worth of cultural commentary, assumed motives, insistence upon the record’s inherent greatness (something I’ve always mistrusted!), plus my own worries – about whether this was the sort of thing I should be in favour of, about whether the reaction was something I should be in favour of, about whether I was being pointlessly iconoclastic, about whether I was trivialising the entire civil rights movement.
For some reason, putting this on repeat while I went about my daily business, having it playing back to back, over and over and over again, turned out to be something like one of those 90s detergent informercials where a salesman gets a shill to put an old penny in a bucket of their all-new cleaning product and all the grime and detritus just sort of fizzles off and floats away, and what you’re left with is a newly bright thing, gleaming like treasure. Something like that.
At the end of the day, I guess everyone takes away from this what they want, or need, to take away from it. But what I take away from it is that while I still don’t think it lives up to its full potential, it’s nonetheless a surprisingly happy, joyful record, something I’d not really picked up on before, not until I forced myself to hear it with fresh eyes. I don’t see it as the joy in wanton destruction, or a valedictory kiss as the oppressive structures of power come crashing down – rather, it’s a simpler kind of joy, I guess harking right back to whatever sentiments Marvin Gaye seems to have picked out of it when it was first being carved out.
Love is great and powerful, and music is great and powerful, and music is so great and powerful that it can convey the greatness and power of love – get up and dance, together, it doesn’t matter who you are, it doesn’t matter what you wear, just as long as you are there, and we can all feel the same way. And we can do it right now, right this second, even fifty years later, but only if we all do it at once. We can do anything, but only if we all do it at once. Of course, we won’t all do it at once – but the thing, the brilliant thing about this is the record’s so full of energy and crackle and wild-eyed, wide-eyed hope for a brighter future that, so long as it’s playing, there always feels like there’s a chance you might turn on the news or look out of the window and see people have indeed spontaneously started dancing in the street. That’s what I was missing all these years. That’s what makes it great.
I can finally accept this as being brilliant, then (if not in the way that’s generally accepted) rather than merely “good”; but it still isn’t the record Martha and the Vandellas deserve to be remembered for. That doesn’t stop it from being a classic, of course. Or a “Classic”. But that’s a whole new can of worms for another day.
(Or maybe you’re only interested in Martha Reeves & The Vandellas? Click for more.)
Eddie Holland
“If You Don’t Want My Love” Martha & The Vandellas
“There He Is (At My Door)”
82 thoughts on “449. Martha & the Vandellas: “Dancing In The Street””
…And that’s the longest thing I’ll ever write here. (I promise!)
I always thought the loud clink on “Dancing in the Street” was a crowbar being hit with a wrench, and “Nowhere to Run” was the one with the chains. At least I know they were both done by Ivy Jo Hunter. Thanks again to Mr. Hunter, a musical genius!
“The record is simply an etched-in-stone masterpiece. It is deathless. It will outlive Motown’s first babyboomer fans, and even all the Vandellas and Martha herself, and still remain a spirited and open-hearted imploring to dancing, and loving, and celebrating life itself. Martha takes a piece of your heart with this performance and you’re glad to let her take it. Magic exists, and it’s right here.”
That’s what I wrote at YouTube over a year where one is confined to 500 characters, not easy for a gasbag like me. Oh, I meant it and still do. If “Heat Wave” alone did not seal the immortality of the Vandellas and Reeves, “Dancing” removes any question. And yet…
With Vandellas b-sides like “Old Love Let’s Try It Again,” littler A’s like “In My Lonely Room” or album tracks like “No More Tearstained Makeup,” I can delude myself into a proprietary approach toward them, as if they’re ‘mine’ and I don’t have to share them if I don’t want to.
But “Dancing,” by no later than four months old, belonged to the Whole Wide World. It is known by the laziest of popsters, and every self-proclaimed R&B ‘expert,’ even if the individual never picked up any book on their professed passion. Put it on, and they’ll leap to their feet exclaiming “That’s my song! That’s my group,” while they sing the lyrics wrong, can’t name you three other Vandellas hits, and may indeed, insist the ‘Vandellas’ are Mary Wilson and Florence Ballard! I sometime wonder if the group themselves –especially after hearing some new, dreadful cover of the song- consider “Dancing” something like the ‘kid’ they could never keep ‘at home.’ I don’t know about M&V, but I’m not appreciative myself to have my reverence for the song marred by the memory of Jagger and Bowie’s middle-aged asses shaken in my face.
All that aside, “Dancing In The Street,” in 1964 or any(!) year, is as perfect a 45RPM record as “The Wizard of Oz” is perfect a movie. It deserves exactly the same quality of reverence; it is not be trashed, not to be roasted, lampooned or used in commercial jingles. Oh, and Whoopi, Martha Reeves and Diana Ross are not stand-up comics, and you’re not a singer.
ExGuyParis said:
Marie said:
Even when Dancing in the Street raced up the charts in Toronto when it first came out, it didn’t make a huge impression on me. I had a totally different reaction when Nowhere to Run was released, and it’s still my all-time favourite Martha & the Vandellas single.
Relax, Nixon, an ‘8’ is just fine, and I’m glad there are three more 10’s coming to M&V, and now each of them’ll be more of a surprise and less likely ‘the obvious.’ Good for you! 🙂
And what is fostering this sense for you that any review of yours is “too long?!” Good God, I gobbled down every word of this like a guy handed a cheesecake after 20 years deprivation. Keep. On. Talking. 🙂
Bob Harlow said:
While I would call “Dancing In The Street” a landmark record of the Motown Golden Era, I don’t think it’s Martha & The Vandellas best. “Come & Get These Momories”
“Heat Wave” “Nowhere to Run” “Jimmy Mack”and even “Honey Child” rate higher with me now . “Dancing In The Streets” sounded hot blasting out of a car radio speaker in 1964, but I don’t think it has stood the test of time.
An “8”?
Eight?
VIII?
Whoa. I’m going to have to let that spin around my brain for a while…
John Lester said:
How about “huit”?
It’s not even remotely one of my favourite songs by Martha and The Vandellas. It was nice to dance to, but is missing several elements that make a great song to my taste. I like “In My lonely Room. “Come and Get These Memories”, “Jimmy Mack”, “Heatwave”. “Live Wire”, and even “There He is At My Door (Vells), better. I’d give it a “7”.
Okay to bring in Nelson George at this point, from Where Did Our Love Go?
>>”Dancing” was not only Reeves’s best vocal performance; it would also prove to be Mickey Stevenson’s most important on-record contribution to Motown. With Marvin Gaye, for whom he’d already penned, “Hitch Hike,” “Stubborn Kind of Fellow,” and “Pride and Joy,” Stevenson had conceived a driving dance record that would be perfect for the summer. Moreover, he took the musical elements H-D-H had used on “Heat Wave” and tightened them up. The tambourines are right on the beat now, the horns, the backing voices of the Vandellas -Stevenson, Ivy Hunter, and Gaye- are arranged more elaborately, and James Jamerson’s bass line is much higher in the mix. All the rhythmic elements, including Gaye’s piano figure, bolster a rigid beat perfect for doing the jerk or Philly dog. Stevenson, a student of Berry’s work and H-D-H’s boss, had refined the formula and gotten a better vocal performance from Martha than anyone had before or would again.
>>By the summer of 1964, Martha and the Vandellas’ period as Motown’s most important female vocal group was about to end. Vandellas began to come and go. Martha’s relationship with Berry and his sisters deteriorated as she complained about this and that, often with a seeming irreverence that enraged Berry. Martha’s previous show-business experience made her more demanding, and less accepting of Motown’s paternalistic attitude toward its artists. While others went along with the program, Reeves was constantly challenging it. Despite her hits and obvious commercial appeal, Martha had already reached the peak of her career, at least in terms of Motown’s efforts to develop her as a show-business commodity. To Motown, she would remain a record seller, and nothing more.<< (1985, St. Martin's Press.)
I'm sure the first time I read that my head must have been nodding like a dashboard toy. It's not the only area of the book that confirmed suspicions set before the 60s ended. In his superb Forward to the book, Quincy Jones notes, "In the grandest and most arrogant tradition of early Hollywood, Motown has always fed the press pap and expected unmitigated subservience in return." That didn't end even long after Gordy sold the company: in the booklet accompanying the Supremes 4-disc boxed set in 2000, the gamey details of Florence's expulsion were still being glossed over. Bitterly laughable if one had already read the books by George, Mary Wilson and J. Randy Taraborelli.
In the early autumn of 1964, as I was about to enter 5th grade, my family moved to a new tree-lined street of row houses in yet another area of Philadelphia. As the leaves fell, I'd like to meet the then-10 year old kid more anxious for the next Vandellas record as I was. It arrives November 13th, handicapped both by the anthem status of its predecessor, and timing: "Baby Love" is in the middle of a 4 week run atop Billboard, and "Come See About Me" is in stores ahead of it too. Maybe I'm more curious -when we get to it, Nixon- where "Wild One" sits in your affection than this one.
Correction: that quote about Motown and the press belongs to Robert Christgau. The book has a Forward (Jones), and an Introduction (Christgau).
Martha & the Vandellas were my favourite group; “Heat Wave” was the best record ever made. When I saw “Dancing In the Street” zooming up the Billboard charts, because it had such a great title, I built it up so much in my mind that it was inevitable that I would be disappointed when I eventually heard it.
8/10 is fine with me.
Nick in Pasadena said:
While I’m still amazed (although I shouldn’t be after all this time) that your assessments of these classic records pretty much match my own (and we’re many years apart in the age department!), I’m equally amazed that this warranted “only” an 8.
I, too, wasn’t swept off the planet when “Dancing” first came out. I didn’t even buy the 45, as I did with “Heat Wave” and subsequent M&V singles. Yet, over the years, successive listenings have elevated it in my estimation. Yes, there’s that killer intro (one of Motown’s best ever), but the overall, joyous spirit of the whole thing becomes downright inspirational.
A few years ago, on a trip to Scotland, I was feeling homesick and listening to my iPod at Inverewe Gardens in the Highlands, when “Dancing” came up on the shuffle. Suddenly, everything–including the already-gorgeous surroundings–seemed more alive and sharply focused. Indeed, each time I hear it, anything I’m doing or experiencing is placed in a new context. That’s saying quite a lot for a three-minute pop song.
So, a definite “10” from me–but, as you indicate, there are other M&V records (coming up) I consider even more brilliant.
ThinPaperWings said:
I believe this went to #2 on the charts. Does anyone know what kept it from the #1 spot?
Like Mr. Nixon, I had little familiarity with Motown beyond a casual acquaintance with overplayed songs like Stop!, My Girl, and I Can’t Help Myself before I started buying compilations for myself. I was always a bit partial to ‘Wild One,’ which feels almost identical musically, but feels melodically just a bit sweeter. And while it’s near the top, it’s definitely not heads and shoulders over the rest of their best singles.
I think an 8 out of 10 is fair. Yes, the intro is fantastic. It’s too bad there’s no instrumental counterpoint elsewhere in the song–a sax solo, a drum break where everything else drops out.
Manfred Mann’s “Do Wah Ditty Ditty” kept “Dancing” from the very top on Billboard in America.
This one makes me count my blessings – born in 1945, and ready for this song when it emerged… it didn’t have to live up to anything, except perhaps for the expectation established by ‘Heat Wave’ – my own Damascus song, as I’ve indicated earlier. I agree with Dave, and can love this song with no reservations: musical, political, sociological. But I’m grateful to you, Nixon, for insisting that it isn’t an angry protest song. You’ve nailed everything about this song – except its immortality. Dave, I didn’t realize that the song arrived in Philadelphia on my 20th birthday! .. Well, I couldn’t have asked for a better present. It’s a ten plus for me, and one of my top ten Motown songs – along with Heat Wave, Ooo Baby Baby, the Temptations’ Get Ready, Reach Out I’ll be There – I think, just for fun, I’ll do some arithmetic and figure out how many 10s are left – and do some guessing. If I had only three more 10s for Martha I’d probably give them to ‘Nowhere to Run’ ‘Love Makes Me Do Foolish Things’ … and perhaps ‘Never Leave Your Baby’s Side….’ Anyway, something told me I was in for a shock – but this one was considerably less painful than ‘What’s the Matter With You Baby!’ Onward and upward! Your blog has only gained in lustre.. but I am infinitely grateful not to have heard Mick and David first!! One of the few perks of being a senior!
The game of Motown Junkies 10/10 Bingo is an officially approved pastime. 🙂
The 10s, i.e. my fifty favourites, are the only scores that are decided in advance, which is really all a bit unfair but there we are. There have been eleven awarded so far, which means there are 39 left to be handed out, including – spoiler alert! three more for 1964, and three more in total for the Vandellas.
Byron said:
Wow a lot of comments about ” Dancin” and a lot admitting that the song just did not move them. Well… I too am a M&V fan , but sadly.. Dancin did nothing for me , it was a good dance song at parties of course but after the party was over the record was shelved until the next party. As for my personal taste there were several M&V songs that were better and far more enjoyable than “Dancin”. “Come and get these memories “, Now where to run” , and Heat Wave to mention a few. I for one feel that M&V’s signature song should be ” Come and get these memories” but that’s just me. Rating.. 7 in my book!
I give this a 10 out of 10 and there’s nothing that would ever make me think any different. To me this performance is perfection personified and has been so since 1964 when I first heard it. It’s still the most played track of all time in my collection.
Velvelette Cal Street accompanied Betty to the session to give moral support on her first recording session as a “Vandella” albeit Betty was still a working “Velvelette”.
Fair enough! To be honest, I was expecting many more comments like this one (especially from those who first heard it when it was new and fresh), and I didn’t anticipate so much broad agreement with my assertion that whilst it’s good, it’s not their best.
Some day, there’ll be a plugin which will let readers give their own marks, and we’ll be able to compare my idiosyncratic individual ratings with a visitors’ consensus. I know that when I get to finally handing out the last of my fifty 10s, I’ll be seeking and publishing readers’ own Top 50s as part of a special feature – but that’s a long, long, long way in the future yet…
The Record that held “Dancing In The Street” at Number 2 for the weeks ending Oct 17 and 24 on Billboard’s Hot 100 was “Do Wah Diddy Diddy” by Manfred Mann.
“Do Wah Diddy Diddy” was then knocked of by “Baby Love” which went from #6 to #1 and stayed there for 4 weeks.
Ron Leonard said:
“Dancing In The Street” finally took Martha and the Vandellas away from the H-D-H
“Charelston Beat” of the “Heatwave” sound..However, my favorites from that era is still “Quicksand” especially that reverbarating drum solo and “In My Lonely Room”
I finally got tired of “Dancing” because it was and is over played.
I have to agree with Bob Harlow, “Nowhere To Run” and “Honey Chile” are still right up there with me. Also, the mono version of “I’m Ready For Love” great intro, and then there’s “My Baby Loves Me”..”Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah..Yeah!!
Graham Betts said:
I’m guessing that there is probably a ten year age gap (at least) between us, yet for all of the records you are reviewing here, I have much the same problem as you have; I wasn’t old enough to be buying them when they first came out. That means I have to base my feelings on them on catching up several years after the event.
It is a pity the TCMS train is scheduled to stop at 1972 – it would have been interesting if at least another year or two could have been covered, because then we would be right in the middle of the era when I was really getting into Motown. As a dance record, for example, I think ‘Keep On Truckin’ is one of the greatest of all time, infinitely better in my opinion than ‘Dancing In The Street’. Protest song? I think ‘Law Of The Land’ (either version, Temptations or Undisputed Truth) hits home harder.
But, and this is a but on the scale of Shantel Baker, the very fact that we can discuss the importance of a record nearly fifty years after the event is a sure sign of its importance, relevance and popularity. And ‘Dancing In The Street’ is still great to dance to, even if my movements aren’t quite as frantic as they were nearly forty years ago when I first danced to this at the Top Rank, Watford.
Well, if it’s any consolation, I’ll be carrying on to 1988, even if it’ll be rather more difficult without a TCMS 17A or something. (Not that 12A looks like appearing any time soon, of course.)
Tom K said:
I can’t wait to find out what you make of Sam Harris 🙂
Blank Frank said:
I am a frequent reader (and lurker) here. So today I come out of hiding to add my 2 cents- and maybe a bit more. First, thanks to Nixon for taking the time to make sure that his judgement was sound for “Dancing”. It seems that we are always too rushed nowadays to reconsider our set opinions. No need to apologize for the length of the post. I’m glad that you took the time that you needed to take to make your opinions are clear.
As for my opinion, I agree that it justifies an “8”. I see most Motown records as the work of the writers and producers first and then the Funk Brothers and lastly the actual singers. A quick aside, I met Duke of The Four Tops once at The Motown Cafe in Las Vegas. In our conversation, he told me that they were always so busy touring that they always (except for the first few sessions) come in and record vocals to what had already been cut. I don’t mean to take anything away from the magic that any of the Motown singers added. IMHO, “Dancing In The Street” doesn’t have the spark in the groove of the song. I know others disagree, but I think this is one of the few times that The Funk Brothers dragged a record down. I hear the joy of the record battling with a leaden track. Also, I’m haven’t heard much discussion about the backing vocals on here. What a joy to hear. Without it, the record would have lost much of what magic it had.
Thanks Frank – hope you’re enjoying! I didn’t talk about the backing vocals too much (I agree they’re excellent), mainly because I don’t know who exactly is doing them and didn’t want to needlessly ruffle any more feathers.
Mary Plant said:
I agree with the 8. I loved it then and I love it now, but it’s not my absolute favorite M & the Vs. I must say that I also loved Do Wah Diddy when it first came out. This was a great time to be alive for a 16 year old who loved to dance!
Gah! I meant 14 year old – flummoxed by my brother’s weird math!
And perhaps flummoxed by your brother’s inexplicable failure to include ‘Girl, You’ve Been In Love Too Long…’ among the candidates for a 10, n’est-ce pas??
You nominate an outstanding one there, John. The record’s no-bullshit, almost menacing intro grabs you by the throat in the first seconds and doesn’t let you go. From Martha’s exasperated delivery, I’ve always imagined she’s talking to a daughter or beloved but less-experienced sister she doesn’t want to watch travel the same troubled path Martha herself regrettably did. What a great actress.
Motown didn’t seem to want to corner the market on girl-to-girl ‘advice’ songs, but when they now and then did one, they sure did it right.
And Mary, thank you 🙂
I’m trying to keep my powder dry for when we get there, so as always I won’ t be talking much about upcoming singles, but I’ve often thought that musically You’ve Been In Love Too Long belongs to a sort of “suite” of arse-kicking pop stompers (mostly with long titles) from roughly the same time – Danger Heartbreak Dead Ahead, Lonely Lonely Girl Am I, Take Me In Your Arms, I’ll Keep Holding On, He Was Really Sayin’ Somethin’, of course Nowhere To Run, even stuff like First I Look At The Purse… it’s fascinating to see how Motown recordings work in clustered cycles like this throughout the Detroit era, obviously as a result of whatever new work the Funk Brothers were doing at any given time.
Abbott Cooper said:
Mary, if you’re truly into R&B, you’d have loved Jamaica, New York’s Exciters’ original version of “Do Wah Diddy” even more.
This record generates maximum good will and it’s undeniably strong in the production and singing departments (I agree, the background vocals are one of its brightest spots). Maybe this is a case of a record that releases its magic too soon and too easily. I can still listen to You’ve Been in Love Too Long, In My Lonely Room, Come and Get These Memories–even Love Bug (Leave My Heart Alone)–and get an extra kick I don’t get from Dancing in the Street. It could be it’s just too “on the nose” for me.
Wonderful post, though.
Mark, “Love Bug (Leave my Heart Alone)”..a 2 minute and 10 second gem!! The album it came from “Ridin’ High”, I still have a copy on vinyl I haven’t opened up yet.
Our local radio station in Salem Oregon must have had “Love Bug” in heavy rotation in the spring of 1967..You’re right, I prefer this song over “Dancing”..It’s just wore better over time for me
I don’t know if you’ve heard “Ridin’ High,” but if you haven’t you might want to throw it on a turntable. The fourth cut on side one is a great “could have been” Vandellas single, “Leave It in the Hands of Love.”
One of a stack of great “lost” HDH tracks that never made it out as singles by any artist. And Ron, I agree with Mark – do have a listen to Ridin’ High if you haven’t already, it’s certainly a worthwhile endeavour (though maybe get another second-hand copy rather than opening that pristine LP!).
As always, I’m not going to make any specific comments on future singles until the reviews appear. Got to save some surprises 🙂
DudeKembro said:
This DITS backlash is disconcerting. Certainly, the song is overplayed. It’s not fresh anymore. But it’s overplayed for a reason: it really is that good. No, I don’t think its the Vandellas’s best song: ‘I Tried’, ‘Quicksand’, ‘Bless You’, ‘Jimmy Mack’, or ‘Never Leave Your Baby’s Side’ would get my vote, although, really, it’s too difficult to single out even a top 5-10 among the group’s embarrassment of riches in terms of (truly) great songs.
However, DITS is — along with ‘Nowhere to Run’ — one of the handful of Motown songs that gives me INSTANT chills the moment it comes on. Maybe that’s a testament to the amazing intro. But it sustains my interest the way through. The ending break to the outro where Reeves modulates on “it doesn’t matter what you *wear* just as loonng as you are the-e-re, so come on every guy grab a girl / evv-ery where aroooound they wo-o-o-rld they’re dancing….” One of the great line deliveries in Motown history.
Its reputation suffers from being overplayed. No one seeks it out because you don’t have it: it’s always there, multiple times a year. So it’s impossible at this point to hear it freshly. Maybe take ten years off from this record, then play it one day after listening to some tripe on contemporary radio. Maybe only then can this record be appreciated as the 10/10 it is.
Interesting – for me, it was quite the opposite, it was only forcing myself to listen to it over and over that helped me appreciate it better! I do think it’s good, as I always did.
DudeKembro,
to give a record a rating as high as 8 doesn’t constitute a backlash in my opinion. Moreover, there is such a gulf between my enjoyment of “Nowhere to Run” and “Heat Wave” as compared to DITS that I have to rate it that much lower.
Nixon, it looks like your head is safe on it’s shoulders, and you’re not going to see the shock that your grades for “Try It Baby” and “Guarantee For A Lifetime” drew.
“Dancing In The Street” is a fantastic and strong Martha & the Vandellas’ side. But it also the most overexposed one, played to death and back on radio since 1964. That’s bound to foster a little backlash, and make one wonder where all the other great M&V sides went to. I myself have not heard “In My Lonely Room” on a radio since WIBG Philadelphia had its ‘going out of business’ week in 1977. They called back all their star DJs from the 60s, and I also heard played again, maybe for the last time, items like “Put Yourself In My Place,” “Everything Is Good About You,” Third Finger Left Hand” and “Tune Up.”
But the narrow of focus of subsequent oldies programming could make a lot of younger people suppose the Martha & the Vandellas Story starts and ends with “Dancing” and “Heat Wave,” and great as they are, they’re only two wonderful chapters in a fantastic ‘book.’
Dave L, I must say, I enjoy reading your comments almost as much as Nixon’s posts – and you make me very nostalgic for Philly and for wonderful WIBG!
Ditto to all. Fond memories of WIBG and WFIL and growing up in Philly (well, Cherry Hill) in the 60’s. “Third Finger Left Hand” is probably my favorite Martha & the Vandellas . And I love “Jimmy Mack.” “Come & Get These Memories” is lovely – kind of old-school girl group. I remember when the early M & the V songs came out, listening to the 45s with my cousin on Staten Island.
But “Dancing in the Streets”? A 10. This sond conjures up the most powerful memories for me. If an alien showed up and I had to define “Motown music” that’s the song I’d play.
For 26 years, Nixon I’ve tried to forget that execrable 1985 video, even while I understand why you needed to acknowledge it. Nevertheless, I felt moved just now to defend our damsels at You Tube:
“Somebody deserves to be incarcerated for this violent crime committed against a founding Motown goddess.
As far as I know, Martha & the Vandellas never seriously harmed anyone, yet this atrocity amounts to visiting a Mommie Dearest-treatment on the poor women. Very luckily for Bowie and Jagger, Martha Reeves is too classy a lady to seek revenge demolishing “Fame” or “Satisfaction” in the same manner.
See you in the locked wing of the geriatric ward, boys.
Once upon a time I really did have that picture sleeve to go along with “Dancing.” I wonder where it got to and don’t have a ready $100(!) or more to fetch another one on eBay. 😦 The oldest picture sleeve to any 45 still in my collection is the Stones’ for “She’s A Rainbow,” from 1967. The very oldest intact 45 disc, The Supremes’ “Childrens Christmas Song,” bought the very day after the holiday in 1965. I was 11.
It wasn’t until about the latter half of 1966, where the idea really took root with me to start preserving my collection. Maybe, I thought, a new copy of any favorite might not remain just a bus ride away to half a dozen different favorite stores. The copies I bought of Meet The Supremes (the stool cover too!), Where Did Our Love Go, and More Hits in 1966 -since supplanted with added copies- still will spin fine on any turntable and not with so much noise to deter enjoyment. Same with my first “Vandellas Greatest Hits” from the same time.
As I type this, my eyes look up from the flatscreen in my garage-office at a huge, long table of 20+ boxes -from Hammermill, Xerox and Staples- that once held heavy packages of computer paper but now keep 45s safe and covered. Over 5,000 in all but the exact count was lost in a pc meltdown of 2003, and I’m never typing them all again. They’re alphabetical by artist, so at least I can still find one I know I have easily enough.
The stars themselves apparently don’t always have vast collections of their own stuff. Florence Ballard told Peter Benjaminson in The Lost Supreme, “I can’t keep a record,” either giving them away, or them growing feet or loaning them out and never seeing them again. If Martha Reeves herself had none of her own 45s and LPs, and had to troll eBay like the rest of us, I’m not sure even she could find a vinyl copy today of everything she sang.
BillyGTexas said:
I give it a 8 also. Way too much oldies radio airplay and re-issues from muddy 200th master tape sources (thank you John Matousek) almost did this song in for me.
It wasn’t until DITS appeared on the Girl Group compilation CD “Dick Bartley Presents Collector’s Essentials: The All-Time Greatest Girl Groups” from an amazing sounding master tape (in stereo – but that mix really emphasizes how great the arrangement is) that I finally appreciated this record.
I also think it should have had a faster tempo. I knew a couple of club DJ’s who always “pitched up” DITS about 1-2% faster and it sounded much better.
Mark V,
I just read your post about “Leave It In The Hands Of Love” from the “Ridin” High” LP..I agree, that was my favorite non hit cut on the LP..If I recall, it seems that it was a Holland Dozier contribution to that Album..Motown pulled a quite a few cuts from Ridin High..
“Love Bug”
“Honey Chile”
“(We’ve Got) Honey Love”
More than one critic, you’ll find, refers to Ridin’ High as the Vandellas’ “last commercial gasp,” and it’s true even if there were some artistic achievements yet ahead. I love Ridin’ High; I have two vinyl copies of it in good shape and the 45s from it too.
The Holland-Dozier-Holland walk-out effected the chart consistency of every act they worked with. But the Supremes and the Four Tops would eventually recover; the Vandellas never would. Then too, by the end of the decade Motown’s foremost concerns were pulling Ross successfully out the Supremes and launching the Jackson 5. If acts like the Vandellas, the Marvelettes and Jr. Walker still sold records it was only thanks to fan loyalty, not company promotion.
But first, you had to know they existed. I myself, didn’t discover I still had Vandellas 45s to hunt like “I Gotta Let You Go” and “In And Out of My Live” until they showed up on the Anthology set of the mid-70s.
“Leave It In the Hands of Love” [mentioned above] was definitely strong enough to be a single. Does anyone know if Martha ever performed it live?
I don’t know about live, but I certainly agree about the quality of the song. “Leave It In The Hands Of Love,” “No More Tearstained Makeup” and even “Keep It Up” were superb LP tracks, and I wouldn’t have hesitated to buy any or all of them in 45 form as well. I feel the same way about the Marvelettes euphoric “This Night Was Made For Love” on their near-perfect, self-titled ‘pink album.’
But by 1968, any girl singer at Motown not named Ross was pretty much left standing in line like folks waiting to renew their license plates at motor vehicle. Then too, during this time, the HDH walkout and subsequent lawsuits had to be far more pressing a concern than whether two already-neglected girl groups had hit records out or not.
The unfairness of this still stings, but at least aggressive fans like you and I and many others never ceased hunting -and trumpeting the greatness of- these lost treasures by these talented ladies. 🙂
Hi. There are definitely some great B sides/album tracks by Martha & the Vandellas. I really enoy the Ridin High & Sugar and Spice albums. One of my favorite songs form S&S is “Hope You Have Better Luck Than I Did”. Also really like “I’m In Love & I Know It” & “Show Me The Way”.
Greg Kipp said:
Absolutely love” “i’m In Love and I Know It” !!!! Just my little ole opinion but “I’m In Love and “Honey Chile” are hands down and by far the best records that Martha and The Vandellas made after H-D-H basically stopped working with them. As far as the rest of the Vandellas post 1967 recordings go, I basically take them or leave them. Hell, I think that both “I Gotta Let You Go” and “I Can’t Dance To That Music You’re Playing” never should have been released as either a single or an album song!!!!!
nafalmat said:
I would have to agree with the previous comments about ‘Leave it in the hands of love’, I’ve loved this track for decades and never seen it mentioned by anyone till now on this blog. An Incredibly attractive melody with a fantastic arrangement that adds a sense of urgency to it that makes it really exciting to my ears. Also there’s a lovely slightly subtle held back string arrangement that adds tremendous feeling to the finished product. I love it and recommend anyone not familiar with it to give it a couple of spins.
Do anyone like the Mamas/Papas remake of this song? I love the original but also like the M/Ps version. I think Cass Elliott had a very soulful voice. I actually heard their version before the original. I didn’t really start listening to rock/soul music until 1967.
With both “Dancing In The Street” and “My Girl,” the group approached the songs in rearrangements that made them sound akin to John Phillips’ own material, and thus their remakes don’t court comparison with the Motown originals. I think it speaks of great respect (and affection) of the part of the M&P’s to go for the method they did, rather than try note-for-note copying of what was already out there. In the finished results Cass and Denny, respecitvely, remind you no more of Martha and David, than Diana Ross reminds you of Marvin and Tammi once Ashford and Simpson got done rearranging “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” just for her.
Kenneth Coates said:
The Ms&Ps version is very different, with a much slower tempo
for one thing. In my opinion it’s merely a curiosity.
While I have the floor. May I vent for a minute? I get so frustrated when I see people (NOT YOU GUYS!) get Ivy Jo Hunter & Ivory Joe Hunter mixed up. I have seen people in books get them confused. Of course, old bonehead here thought Ivy Hunter was a woman when I first saw the name listed as songwriter. So I guess I’m one to talk right? Though in my defense I was only 10! Anyway, I feel much better now.
PS. Isn’t there another Joe Hunter who played guitar for Motown sessions?
Yes. Joe Hunter was an early member of the Funk Brothers and was, in fact, the first band leader until he left in 1964 (that’s when Earl Van Dyke took over). Mr. Hunter played piano/keyboards.
michael landes said:
Hi buddy,
I haven’t checked in for some time, but this is the perfect record on which
to chime in again. My usual response has been “Damn I agree with every thing you say, yet come to a different conclusion/assessment in the end.” I won’t even bother with that this time. I’ll only say that Motown records have a unique sound and that sound has in general not been captured by the cd masterings. The new excellent beatles restorations (NOT remasterings) that replace the earlier cd remasterings we’ve been saddled with for 25 years, show just how badly these old records can be represented by idiotic remastering policies. I’ve got a bunch of the original 45’s (not as many as I’d like) and I assure you they don’t sound like the cd’s (there is an exception – but I don’t recall the name, I’ll chime in again after looking it up). So you will be reassessing this stuff when and if you get an opportunity to hear it for real.
And it just may be that when you hear this record, uncompressed, with the original mono mix, unremastered, you may find it is indeed the record of legend, along with some of the others that have disappointed you. I love this sight and your analyses.
This is just a small reality check. I know that I personally can’t listen to a lot of my very favorites because the only versions that are available I find unlistenable. The fabulous Hip-0 complete singles collection is stellar in many ways, but it doesn’t sound right! The typical over compression (the originals are compressed to a 10 db range. On most of cd versions, including Hip-0 collection, they are compressed to a 1 db range, zero dynamics! I’ll find the name of that one compilation that doesn’t overcompress and you can judge for yourself, certainly this track is on it.
The collection that sounds decent is called HITSVILLE, USA.
Note: vol. one covers 59-71 releases. vol. two covers the later stuff.
Only the first vol. has the good sound, which is ok since who cares about
motown in 1980? Vol one was mastered by Bill Inglot and Dan Hersch, and
all you have to do is listen. It’s a shame that similar, hands off policies weren’t used on the Hip-0 complete collection, as Hitsville vol. one is only 100 tracks and only
about fifty of these are on my personal “good” list., which runs to about 350 tracks.
Only about 25 appear on my personal “great” list, which runs to about 150.
Nonetheless it gives some basis for comparison (and it DOES include this single).
This is very available so let me know what you think of the difference.
I agree about the quality of the first round. Hitsville USA, in fact was the first CD(s) I ever owned. In the US, it was issued in the autumn of 1992. What I found most telling is that first round confined itself to 1959-1971, and still left off a heartbreaking amount of goodies in order to keep itself to four discs. The later round, also four discs, had to allow itself twenty years, and still strains the definition of ‘essentials.’
Of the three repackagings (so far) of the Supremes Anthology (1986, 1995, and 2001) it is the 1995 version I prefer because it was entirely entrusted to Inglot and Hersch. It’s the one that uses the most mono too.
Pingback: Top 5 Motown Singles: 1964 — The Curvature
Since someone responded to my blather about the “sound,” I’d like to amend a bit:
I’ve gone back and a/b-d a bunch of THE COMPLETE SINGLES with HITSVILLE, VOL. I and while I stand by my claim that HITSVILLE is definitely better, nonetheless COMPLETE SINGLES is very good indeed, and definitely worthy. I think I over exagerrated the flaws in the mastering oF COMPLETE, because this is the one that should have been the very best sounding. The fact that it doesn’t sound as good as the HITSVILLE smattering of hits, is just too frustrating to process. But as I say, COMPLETE does the job.
Why bring this up now? on this record? Well, because Motown was never audiophile by any stretch. Just listen to that first Brenda Holloway single Every Little bit Hurts, recorded in L.A. The classic Detroit stuff sounds lame by comparison. I’m not talking about the music, I’m talking about the sound of the recordings. And for me this record is a good example. Even though I’m a big fan of the record, and love the intro almost as much as our host, I grimace a little everyime it starts, because the sound of the band sounds so filtered, so de-natured, so thin, so …..ugh! Remember I’m not talking about the playing, I’m talking about the recording. I winced when it first came out and I still do. I can understand how they might have felt they needed to mute the band sound in order to showcase Martha’s vocal. but to my ears, the way they did it really ruins the sound of the band, and thus the impact of that neat intro in particular.
I love love love motown, but these geniuses, had their weaknesses, individually and collectively. Thus, this record, one of my favorites, is simultaneously, for me, a missed opportunity. I’ve heard some of the raw tapes, pre-mastering, of some motown recordings and they sound great. This strange kind of processing resulting in the sound of Motown, was apparently done in the original mastering of the records, not in the original recording. So I fantasize that there might be a way to UNDO the mastering and hear the actual sound of the recording sessions some day, as opposed the somewhat wonky sound we now think of as the sound of motown recordings. I am a true fan of Motown. But I’ve never been a fan of how they ………..sound.
This is not a dissent of any sort, it’s simply a side to Motown that as far as I can tell hasn’t been brought up on this forum. Let me offer a place where this “wonkiness” is particularly noticeable. Ok lots of the strings added to many of the recordings are redundant or indifferently arranged, but let’s take a case where the strings are appropriate and arranged intelligently, say, DREAM COME TRUE (The Temptations). Take the first few seconds of the record. The strings sound terrible. I’m talking about the sound. Do they sound remotely like violins? Yuck! Now when those strings were recorded they sounded just fine. But in mastering (for the original record) the producers/ingineers opted to do this to the sound. Why? Who knows, but it drives me up the wall…………………..and I’m a fan.
But even after all that frustration I STILL give this a 10 in the Motown universe.
The stabbing ‘violins’ at the start of “Dream Come True” sound odd because they weren’t violins at all, but rather Miss Ray playing those chords on an Ondioline alongside the Funk Brothers. The main selling point of the Ondioline at the time was its supposed ability to mimic various string instruments – I think you just made some keyboard salesman’s day, 50 years late.
Thanks for the correction, boss. 🙂 But that was just an example (a bad one as it turns out), that I threw out as I was typing, without going back to the record to check.
So this begs the real question, which is the matter of of THIS record, Dancing In the Street. Is there anybody else out there, among the endless fans of this record ( which includes me), that feels, as I do, that the sound of the backing track is a bit, er, frustrating or perhaps puzzling?
Yes. It could have had a lot “cleaner” mix.
At first i was shocked that this wasnt a 10/10—then i read some comments and thought a bit and heres what i came up with:
Back in 1964 radio was still in the business of ‘breaking records’ so as soon as a record hit the streets some enterprising personality jock would snap it up and broadcasting it for all of his loyal followers,
Today, radio is in the business of profit-making. The street dictate the hits and this is how program directors call their shots. The have to guarantee their sponsors that they can help move product. The way they do that is to make us (baby boomers) their demographic. They tell their sponsors that their core audience is in the age range that grew up “Dancing In The Street” so they will relate to whatever product is being pushed. Other oldies radio stations pick up the gauntlet so 50 years later “Come And Get These Memories” and “Live Wire” fall by the wayside while DITS gets its umpteenth spin this year. Taking a break from that song (and stations with stilted playlist) would help kick this up to a 9/10.
Sorry for the long post.
Roy M. said:
No, you’ve misjudged the importance of this tune. Dancin in the Street was declared the unofficial anthem of Motown. It is worth more than an “8″. It is the mega hit that deserves a “10″.
Dick B said:
I can’t say I’ve ever had any of those notions about the song when I listened to it, so the fact that people cited it as a protest song, and an angry one at that, never really bothered me (I always heard it as a very joyous and upbeat song). Also the fact that it doesn’t have the typical Motown formula makes it all the better. A lot of the time when Motown broke from their usually formulas they ended up with greatness – see later projects like Stevie Wonder’s Signed, Sealed, Delivered album and Marvin’s What’s Going On.
Anyway, the song is a 10 in my book. I appreciate the insight and breakdown you gave this song though. I hadn’t really thought about it or dissected it that much before.
David Wilson said:
WOW 8/10 really? Not only is this one of THE greatest MOTOWN records ever- It is one of THE GREATEST RECORDS EVER. A masterpiece. It is the perfect example of the definitive Motown sound
Patrick English said:
Everybody has the right to his/her own opinion, and every opinion is valid.
As for mine, I’d have to say that “Dancing in the Street” is my all-time favorite Motown song. I was a kid when it was first released, and the song’s impact was massive; everyone seemed to love it. I grew up in Los Angeles, and when you were on the beach and “Dancing in the Street” came on the radio, no one changed the station – in fact, people turned the volume UP. Hey, Martha even sent a shout-out to us on the West Coast: “Way down in LA, every day, they’re dancing in the street.”
I love Martha’s powerful vocals, which are both polished and full of soul. Love how the Vandellas and the Funk Brothers back her up. Simply put, this song is one of the greatest expressions of pure joy and celebration, and I give it a 10 (out of 10).
And if I could rate it higher, I would.
The relationship to Street Fighting Man that you’ve identified was a revelation to me.
I don’t hear any subtext or double meaning in Dancing in the Street – I think it’s meant to be an ecstatic celebration of the heady surges in music and culture that were occurring at the time – and not only at Motown. While the song has a powerful and forward-looking groove, I hear the phrase “brand new beat” in a broader sense – with “beat” being a metaphor for a “musical creativity a new sense of cultural identity”.
The Stones song – (now that you’ve brilliantly pointed out the connection) – now sounds to me like a conscious and wickedly sardonic twisting and negating of the original sentiment – changing “dancing” to “fighting” – as the ecstasy and hope of the mid-60s was crushed and turned militant by the war, the ’68 convention, the King and RFK assassinations, Altamont et al.
So I hear this song as exactly what it appears to be – an optimistic and truly iconic anthem with great hooks and fully deserving of its high profile in the “soundtrack of the 60s”. All that said, while it’s also a great composition and a great vocal performance, it’s not nearly as great in either category as Baby I Need Your Lovin’, or Heat Wave for that matter (or a whole slew of classics that I imagine we’ll be getting to very soon). Your comment on the chorus confuses me as I’m not sure which part IS the chorus! I assume it’s “it doesn’t matter what you wear” with the Sittin’ by the Dock of the BAY chord (III). I think it’s that chord, and the throbbing pedal and horns at the beginning that give the song legs to hold up against relentless replayings in spite of lacking any truly shocking strokes of genius like Baby I Need Your Lovin’.
In summary, I could easily understand giving Dancing in the Street 10/10 for being such a powerful and iconic anthem of its time, or giving it 8/10 for not being as transcendent on a purely musical level as some of the other 10/10s of the 1963/1964 period.
Love this site!
Ross Malloy II said:
I know some have tried to tie this song into various political movements over the years, but it’d only work for the most peaceful of movements (“This is an invitation across the nation” is a pretty benign lyric after all).
Steve, I agree, for the most part, with everything you wrote in this post especially the part about this being possibly the most you ever wrote about any particular record on this blog!!!!LOL!!!! Seriously though, I think that your rating of “Dancing In The Street” as an “8” is pretty fair. Personally, I would rate the record as a “7”.
Personally. I loathe the intro on this record. The horns on the intro are too loud and seem to be out of sync with the rest of the musical arrangement because they seen to be playing at a faster tempo than the musical instruments at the beginning of the record. Martha’s lead vocal doesn’t sound bad but, for my ears, it’s the vocals by background singers that usually capture my attention when I hear it played nowadays. Still, what “Dancing In The Street” has going for it is that it has a solid set of lyrics although, for the life of me. I will never to be able to figure out how the hell the song ever got it’s reputation as a freakin’ protest song!!!!
I totally agree with Greg, I certainly feel there are better recordings that should be contributed to Martha and the Vandellas. I personally would give this song a 7 maybe even a 6 for content and overplay. Like I said there are better songs that they should be remembered for , for instance…, Come and get these memories which was their very first recording to chart, “Heatwave” a song that had a driving beat, great dance tune and still has the same makes me wanna dance feeling today when I hear it. Also.. Nowhere to run and of course Jimmy Mack. All of these are superior recordings compared to “dancing in the streets” and does not give me that “oh no, not again” feeling each time its played.
Bryon, I personally would like to thank you for both your compliments and your response because I was beginning to wonder if anyone was going to respond and/or read my posts on this blog. After all, I am not a former record company employee and/or a musician like some of the poster on this website. My only connections to the music business are that I was once the music director of the student run college radio station, WFIB-AM, at the University Of Cincinnati in the United States. I also spent part of my college years working “on call” at most of the used record stores on the west side of Cincinnati.
I agree with that “Nowhere To Run” , “Come And Get These Memories” and “Jimmy Mack” are way more memorable than “Dancing In The Street” However, I am not so sure about I feel about “Heatwave” these days!!! Like “Dancing In The Street”, I also feel that “Heatwave” also suffers from a bad case of radio overplay plus I have always felt that the intro on that record was just a tad bit too long,. I realize I am in the minority on this but I have always liked “Quicksand” more than I do “Heatwave”. As far as I’m concerned, I would rate “Quicksand” as a “10” whereas I would rate “Heatwave” as being an “8”. Enough Said.
Two indications of the importance of this song: the number of covers (40-ish) and the fact that a book was written about it (Ready for a Brand New Beat: How ‘Dancing in the Street’ Became the Anthem for a Changing America” by Mark Kurlansky). If you haven’t read it, I highly recommend it!
This one’s a little troubling. Here’s the story: When this recording first hit the radio stations and record shops in 1964 I thought it was a smash, and I couldn’t stop listening to it. And the stations couldn’t stop playing it over and over and over, day after day, week after week, year after year, decade af…….you get the picture. And over this time I became somewhat bored with it (as I did with “Shop Around,” “My Guy,” “My Girl,” “The Tracks of My Tears”, and a few others) until my feelings for it resembled those for a beige wall, and when I heard it on the radio, I would do what Ms. Warwick told that guy to do…… walk on by, and move on to another station. So how do I rate this song? It’s not the song’s fault that it’s been overplayed. That’s an asset and a tribute to its greatness. Also it should NEVER be compared to other songs in determining its value, especially those that came around later. That makes no sense to me. A SONG MUST BE JUDGED ON ITS OWN MERITS. Therefore in consideration for my feelings when I first heard it. I award it a well-deserved “9.”
Now for the message in the music. I recall reading several articles about this song regarding its significance, but I never heard of its being referred to as a protest song. From what I remember its status took on the appearance of an anti-protest song that would serve as a calming influence amid the civil disobedience and rioting that was still being experienced in some urban areas at the time of its release. We needed that “sweet music…everywhere” and “records playing” and “dancing in the street” to get back on an even keel. If this song helped, then good for Motown.
jerome said:
First Motown song I heard when I was a teen and for me this song IS Motown, and will always be. For me it’s 10/10, or even more, if possible.
I cant believe I’m still commenting on this song :). Well Greg the only place we seem to differ is Heat Wave and Quicksand, lol I’ll give it to you Quicksand was and still is a great song, but my favorite still remains Heat Wave. As far as a “protest song” I think not. I know in Brooklyn at that time we did a lot of dancing in the streets. In front of the record shop, in the park with our little radios and portable battery operated record players and at Coney Island in front a ride called ” The Himalayas” lol that was real fun. I don’t think any one of us thought of dancing in the streets as a protest , just a way of Motown telling us to keep on dancing!
Leave a Reply to Dave L Cancel reply
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line844
|
__label__wiki
| 0.862998
| 0.862998
|
Unraveling the Monetary Policy Transmission Mechanism in Sri Lanka
Ghazanchyan, Manuk (2014): Unraveling the Monetary Policy Transmission Mechanism in Sri Lanka. Published in:
In this paper we examine the channels through which innovations to policy variables— policy rates or monetary aggregates—affect such macroeconomic variables as output and inflation in Sri Lanka. The effectiveness of monetary policy instruments is judged through the prism of conventional policy channels (money/interest rate, bank lending, exchange rate and asset price channels) in VAR models. The timing and magnitude of these effects are assessed using impulse response functions, and through the pass-through coefficients from policy to money market and lending rates. Our results show that (i) the interest rate channel (money view) has the strongest Granger effect (helps predict) on output with a 0.6 percent decrease in output after the second quarter and a cumulative 0.5 percent decline within a three-year period in response to innovations in the policy rate; (ii) the contribution from the bank lending channel is statistically significant (adding 0.2 percentage point to the baseline effect of policy rates) in affecting both output and prices but with a lag of about five quarters for output and longer for prices; and (iii) the exchange rate and asset price channels are ineffective and do not have Granger effects on either output or prices.
Keywords: Monetary Policy, Central Bank Policies, Financial Markets, Sri Lanka
D - Microeconomics > D5 - General Equilibrium and Disequilibrium > D53 - Financial Markets
F - International Economics > F4 - Macroeconomic Aspects of International Trade and Finance > F41 - Open Economy Macroeconomics
Manuk Ghazanchyan
Adrian, Tobias, and Hyun Song Shin, 2009, “Prices and Quantities in the Monetary Policy Transmission Mechanism,” Staff Report No. 396 (New York: Federal Reserve Bank of New York).
Agha, A.I., Noor Ahmed, Yasir Ali Mubarik, and Hastam Shah, 2005, “Transmission Mechanism of Monetary Policy in Pakistan,” SBP Research Bulletin, Vol. 1, No. 1 (Karachi: State Bank of Pakistan), pp. 1-23.
Ahmad, S., 2008, “Monetary Transmission in Fiji and PNG,” International Research Journal of Finance and Economics, Issue 15, pp. 284-90.
Airaudo, Marco, Salvatore Nisticò and Luis-Felipe Zanna, 2012, “Learning, Monetary Policy and Asset Prices,” School of Economics Working Paper Series 2012-12, LeBow College of Business (Philadelphia: Drexel University).
Alam, Tasneem, and Muhammad Waheed, 2006, “The Monetary Transmission Mechanism in Pakistan: A Sectoral Analysis,” The Pakistan Development Review, Vol. 45, No. 4, pp. 1103–15.
Bank of Thailand, Monetary Policy Department, “Changes in the Monetary Transmission Mechanism in Thailand,” BIS Papers, No. 35 (Bank for International Settlements), pp. 451-74.
Bernanke, Ben, 1993a, “Credit in the Macroeconomy,” Federal Reserve Bank of New York Quarterly Review (Spring 1992-93), pp. 50-70.
----------, 1993b, “How Important is the Credit Channel in the Transmission of Monetary Policy? A Comment,” Carnegie-Rochester Conference Series on Public Policy 39 (December 1993) pp. 47-52.
----------, 1995, “A Conference Panel Discussion: What Do We Know About How Monetary Policy Affects the Economy,” Review, Vol. 77, No. 3 (Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis), pp. 127-30.
----------, and Mark Gertler, 1995, "Inside the Black Box: The Credit Channel of Monetary Policy Transmission," NBER Working Papers 5146 (Cambridge, Massachusetts: National Bureau of Economic Research).
----------, Mark Gertler, and Simon Gilchrist, 1994, “The Financial Accelerator and the Flight to Quality,” NBER Working Papers 4789 (Cambridge, Massachusetts: National Bureau of Economic Research).
----------, and A. S. Blinder, 1988, “Credit, Money, and Aggregate Demand,” American Economic Review, Vol. 78, No. 2, pp. 435-39.
----------, and ----------, 1992, “The Federal Funds Rate and the Channels of Monetary Transmission,” American Economic Review, Vol. 82, Issue 4, pp. 901-21.
Boschen, John F., and Leonard O. Mills, 1992, “The Effects of Countercyclical Monetary Policy on Money and Interest Rates: An Evaluation of Evidence from FOMC Documents,” working paper (Williamsburg: College of William and Mary).
Carlstrom, Charles T. and Timothy S. Fuerst, 1997, “Agency Costs, Net Worth, and Business Fluctuations: A Computable General Equilibrium Analysis,” American Economic Review, Vol. 87, No. 5, pp. 893-910.
Cecchetti, Stephen G., 1995, “Inflation Indicators and Inflation Policy,” NBER Working Paper Series No. 5161 (Cambridge, Massachusetts: National Bureau of Economic Research).
----------, “Distinguishing Theories of the Monetary Policy Transmission,” Review, Vol. 77, No. 3 (Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis), pp. 83-97.
Christiano, L.J., and L. Ljungqvist, 1988, “Money Does Granger-Cause Output in the Bivariate Money-Output Relation,” Journal of Monetary Economics, Vol. 22, pp. 217-35.
----------, Martin Eichenbaum, and Charles Evans, 1999, “ Monetary Policy Shocks: What Have We Learned and to What End?” The Handbook of Macroeconomics, ed. by John Taylor and Michael Woodford, Vol. I (Amsterdam: North Holland Publishing Co.), pp. 65–148.
Ciccarelli, Matteo, Angela Maddaloni, and José-Luis Peydró, 2013, “Heterogeneous Transmission Mechanism: Monetary Policy and Financial Fragility in the Eurozone,” Economic Policy, Vol. 28, No. 75, pp. 459-512.
Cushman, David O., and Tao Zha, 1995, “Identifying Monetary Policy in a Small Open Economy Under Flexible Exchange Rates,” Working Paper 95-7, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta.
Dejong, David N., John C. Hankervis, N.E. Savin, and Charles H. Whiteman, 1992, “Integration Versus Trend Stationarity in Time Series,” Econometrica, Vol. 60, No. 2 (March 1992), pp. 423-33.
Disyatat, Piti, and Pinnarat Vongsinsirikul, 2003, “Monetary Policy and the Transmission Mechanism in Thailand,” Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, Vol. 14, No. 3, pp. 389-418.
European Central Bank, 2010, “Monetary Policy Transmission in the Euro Area, A Decade After the Introduction of the Euro,” ECB Monthly Bulletin (May), pp.85-98.
Fernandez, Enric, Andrea Richter, Natalia Koliadina, Ravi Balakrishnan, and Ana Corbacho, 2004, “Sri Lanka—Selected Issues and Statistical Appendix,” IMF Staff Country Report No.04/69 (Washington: International Monetary Fund). Available via the Internet: http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/cat/longres.aspx?sk=17259.0
Franses, P. H., 1991, “Seasonality, Non-stationarity and the Forecasting of Monthly Time Series,” International Journal of Forecasting, Vol.7, Issue 2, pp.199-208.
Gertler, Mark and Simon Gilchrist, 1993, “The Role of Credit Market Imperfections in the Monetary Transmission Mechanism: Arguments and Evidence,” The Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Vol. 95, No. 1, pp. 43-64.
----------, and Simon Gilchrist, 1994, “Monetary Policy, Business Cycles, and the Behavior of Small Manufacturing Firms,” Quarterly Journal of Economics, pp. 309-40.
Gilchrist, Simon, and Masashi Saito, 2006, “Expectations, Asset Prices, and Monetary Policy: The Role of Learning,” NBER Working Paper No. 12442 (Cambridge, Massachusetts: National Bureau of Economic Research).
Grilli, Vittorio and Nouriel Roubini, 1995, “Liquidity Models in Open Economies: Theory and Empirical Evidence,” Working Papers 95-16, New York University, Leonard N. Stern School of Business, Department of Economics.
Hafer, R.W., and Ali M. Kutan, 1997, “More Evidence on the Money-Output Relationship,” Economic Inquiry, Vol. 35, No. 1, pp. 48–58.
Hostland, Doug, and Philippe Karam, 2005, “Assessing Debt Sustainability in Emerging Market Economies Using Stochastic Simulation Methods,” IMF Working Paper No. 05/224 (Washington: International Monetary Fund).
Hubbard, R. Glenn, 1995, “Is there a ‘Credit Channel’ for Monetary Policy?” Review, Vol. 77, No. 3 (Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis), pp. 63-77.
Ireland, Peter N., 2006, “The Monetary Transmission Mechanism,” Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, Working Paper 06-1.
Kashyap, Anil K., and Jeremy C. Stein, 1994, “Monetary Policy and Bank Lending,” Monetary Policy, ed. by N. Gregory Mankiw, University of Chicago Press for the National Bureau of Economic Research, pp. 221-61.
Kuttner, Kenneth N., and Patricia C. Mosser, 2002, “The Monetary Transmission Mechanism: Some Answers and Further Questions,” Economic Policy Review (May), pp. 15-26. (Federal Reserve Bank of New York).
MacKinnon, J. G., 1996, “Numerical Distribution Functions for Unit Root and Co-Integration Tests,” Journal of Applied Econometrics, Vol. 11, pp. 601–18.
Mallick, Sushanta, 2009, “Macroeconomic Shocks, Monetary Policy, and Implicit Exchange Rate Targeting in India,” Mimeo, Queen Mary, University of London, London.
Mishkin, Frederic, 1996, “The Channels of Monetary Transmission: Lessons for Monetary Policy,” NBER Working Paper Series No. 5464 (Cambridge, Massachusetts: National Bureau of Economic Research).
Mishra, Prachi, and Peter Montiel, 2012, “How Effective Is Monetary Transmission in Low-Income Countries? A Survey of the Empirical Evidence,” IMF Working Paper 12/143 (Washington: International Monetary Fund).
----------, Peter J. Montiel, and Antonio Spilimbergo, 2010, “Monetary Transmission in Low Income Countries,” IMF Working Paper 10/223 (Washington: International Monetary Fund).
Mohan, Rakesh, “Monetary Policy Transmission in India,” BIS Papers, No 35 (Bank for International Settlements), pp. 259-307.
Nelson, Charles R., and Heejoon Kang, 1981, “Spurious Periodicity in Inappropriately Detrended Time Series,” Econometrica, Vol. 49, Issue 3, pp.741-51.
Peersman, Gert, and Frank Smets, 2001, “The Monetary Transmission Mechanism in the Euro Area: More Evidence from VAR Analysis,” European Central Bank, Working Paper No. 91 (Frankfurt: European Central Bank).
Perera, Anil, and J. Wickramanayake, 2013, “Monetary Transmission in the Emerging Country Context: The Case of Sri Lanka,” Central Bank of Sri Lanka International Research Conference.
----------, Deborah Ralston, and J. Wickramanayake, 2014, “Impact of Off-Balance Sheet Banking on the Bank Lending Channel of Monetary Transmission: Evidence from South Asia,” Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Vol. 29 (March), pp. 195- 216.
Perron, Pierre, 1989, “The Great Crash, the Oil Price Shock, and the Unit Root Hypothesis,” Econometrica, Vol. 57, No. 6, pp. 1361-1401.
----------, and E. Ghysels, 1994, “The Effect of Linear Filters on Dynamic Time Series with Structual Change,” Cahiers de Recherche No. 9425, Centre interuniversitaire de recherche en économie quantitative, CIREQ (Université de Montréal).
Pfajfar, Damjan, and Emiliano Santoro, 207, “Heterogeneity, Asymmetries and Learning in Inflation Expectation Formation: An Empirical Assessment,” Money Macro and Finance (MMF) Research Group Conference 2006, Money Macro and Finance Research Group.
Ramey, Valerie A., 1993, “How Important is the Credit Channel in the Transmission of Monetary Policy?” NBER Working Paper 4285 (Cambridge, Massachusetts: National Bureau of Economic Research).
Ratnasiri, H.P.G.S., 2009, “The Main Determinants of Inflation in Sri Lanka: A VAR based Analysis,” Staff Studies, Vol. 39, No. 1 and 2 (Colombo: Central Bank of Sri Lanka).
Sims, Christopher, 1972, “Money, Income, and Causality,” American Economic Review, Vol.62, No. 4, pp. 540-52. ----------, 1980, “Macroeconomics and Reality,” Econometrica, Vol. 48, No. 1, pp.1-48.
Smal, M., and S de Jager, 2001, “The Monetary Transmission Mechanism in South Africa,”Occasional Paper No. 16 (Pretoria: South African Reserve Bank).
Starr, Martha, 2005, “Does Money Matter in the CIS? Effects of Monetary Policy on Output and Prices,” Journal of Comparative Economics, Vol. 33, No. 3, pp. 441–61.
Toda, Hiro Y., and Taku Yamamoto, 1995, “Statistical Inference in Vector Autoregressions with Possibly Integrated Processes,” Journal of Econometrics, Vol. 66 (1-2), pp. 225-50.
Vinayagathasan, Thanabalasingam, 2013, “Monetary Policy and the Real Economy: A Structural VAR Approach for Sri Lanka,” GRIPS Discussion Paper 13-13 (Tokyo: National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies).
Yang, Yongzheng, Matt Davies, Shengzu Wang, Jonathan Dunn, and Yiqun Wu, 2011,"Monetary Policy Transmission Mechanisms in Pacific Island Countries,” IMF Working Paper 11/96 (Washington: International Monetary Fund).
Yi, Gang, “The Monetary Policy Transmission Mechanism in China,” BIS Papers, No 35 (Bank of International Settlements), pp. 179–81.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line848
|
__label__cc
| 0.597445
| 0.402555
|
Metals in Music
September 10, 2018 /in Materials Talk /by The Iron Giant
Some of the best. From left – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791), Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827), Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893), Gustav Mahler (1860-1911), Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990)
September is classical music month! In honor of this excellent music and the often outlandish composers who created some of the most iconic pieces in history, we wanted to look and see what metals are used for musical instruments.
Materials in Musical Instruments?
Nowadays, the most common materials used are woods and metals. Historically, wood, bone, animal hides, and reeds have been popular choices for musical instruments.
The oldest device ever found that historians agree is a musical instrument is a flute that’s about 67,000 years old. However, it’s worth keeping in mind that we probably were making music for longer than that. Most likely the instruments just didn’t survive because of what they were made from.
After the Industrial Revolution, metals became increasingly popular in musical instruments. Now, we’re also seeing a rise in plastics and other synthetic composites. But despite this, wood and metal are still the most popular, especially in the types of musical instruments used in classical music.
Broadly speaking, most instruments used in classical music can be broken into four groups, Brasses, Woodwinds, Percussion, and Strings.
Interestingly, brass instruments aren’t necessarily always made from brass. They certainly are named for brass because they were and are usually made from that. However, what really makes a brass instrument is how they work. Musical instruments that fall under the brass category are tubas, trumpets, trombones, and horns.
Most brass instruments are made with yellow brass, gold brass, or red brass. Yellow brass is the most common, with a mix of 70% copper and 30% zinc. For the gold brasses, 85% copper, 15% zinc is preferred. Red brasses are the least common, with 90% copper and 10% zinc.
Why brass?
There are multiple reasons brass is the most popular material. Firstly, there’s just something about brass that produces a good timbre. Those rich sounds that you hear are made possible by brass. Interestingly, the sound of the instrument is impacted by how much zinc is in the brass. The sound is produced by vibrations in the metal, and the chemical makeup changes how the metal vibrates. This in turn, changes how it sounds. Yellow brasses are known for having a bright and tighter timbre. Whereas gold brass has broader, richer and deeper timbre. Red brasses have softer sounds, but they don’t resist corrosion as well so they are less common.
Secondly, brass is malleable and easy to work with. Given all of the round, complex, and curving surfaces in brass instruments, this matters. Third, brass is durable, and holds up well to friction contact. Most brass instruments utilize sliding parts, so this is important.
Fourth, brass, especially when polished and maintained, is beautiful. Looking at an orchestra full of gleaming brass instruments is visually striking. Lastly, musical instruments made from brass are easier to clean. Brass is corrosion resistant, and copper has inherent antimicrobial properties. Instruments made from brass will look nicer for longer, and have lower risks of mold, fungus, or other bacteria growing inside them.
Nickel-Silver is a less common material, but also common enough to mention. As a reminder, nickel-silver is neither nickel nor silver, it’s another copper alloy related to brass. Typically the alloy used is 60% copper, 40% nickel/zinc blend. It is more corrosion resistant than brass. Also, it produces an especially deep and sonorous sound.
Lacquer/plate
These instruments can also be lacquered or plated, and this slightly impacts their sound. Typically, musical instruments are lacquered or plated to provide even more corrosion resistance. Clear lacquers, gold lacquers, gold plating, and silver plating are the most common.
Much like brasses, woodwinds are not necessarily made from wood. Again, it’s how the instrument works that determines the name. Instruments that fall under this category include oboes, clarinets, saxophones (yes, those are technically woodwinds), bassoons, flutes, and recorders.
For example, specific clarinets are often made from metal. People started making metal clarinets in the early 1900s. Originally, this popularity was due to the more dramatic high and low notes. However, this wound up being a bit of a flash in the pan. Modern metal clarinets are mostly appreciated because they are easier to work than wooden ones. However, the contrabass clarinet carries on the tradition from a century ago with flamboyant high and sonorous low notes.
Of the metals used in woodwinds, brasses are the most popular. The aforementioned metal clarinets and also saxophones use brass. They use them for the same reasons as brass instruments. The timbre, corrosion resistance, and antimicrobial properties all are useful.
Ooh, shiny
Woodwinds are also interesting in that they make use of precious metals in a way that other instruments don’t. In particular, flutes are often plated in silver, gold, or nickel. Some flutes are even made from solid gold or solid silver! These metals give the flute a visually stunning aesthetic, but also provide bright, clear, and sharp notes.
Whether cymbals, drums, bells, or marimbas, these musical instruments all make sound from banging something into another. This type of instrument heavily relies on metals. In particular, cymbals and bells are all metal. Drums often use metal for the bodies or fasteners, but the drum skin itself is usually animal hide or plastic.
Cymbals and bells use another copper alloy, bronze. Bronze, like brass, is a mixture of copper and other metals. Unlike brass, which is a mixture of copper and zinc, bronze is a mix of copper and tin. The bronzes used in cymbals and bells range from 80% copper, 20% tin, to about 92% copper and 8% tin. Generally speaking, the more tin there is, the richer, fuller, and more sustaining the sound of the musical instrument is.
Brass is also used in bells and cymbals, but is generally considered of inferior quality. For percussive music, brass just doesn’t work as well and tends to sound more muffled. But, it is cheaper, often significantly so. Consequently, many entry-level cymbals and bells are made from brass.
Strings use the least metal by far. Violins, violas, cellos, harps, and guitars are all examples of string instruments. Overwhelmingly, they are still made from wood, including the screws and pegs. Modern guitars, especially electric guitars, are an exception to this. They typically use stainless steel or aluminum plates and screws for adjustment.
While not really used in classical music, this was too interesting not to mention. There is a company called the Electrical Guitar Company that specializes in guitars made entirely from aluminum.
Two other instruments that are less common in classical music but are worth mentioning are the pipe organ and harmonica. Given that both of these instruments generate sound in manners similar to brasses or woodwinds, it’s not surprising both use brass as the main metal. The pipes in pipe organs are typically made from brass. Similarly, with harmonicas, the body can be plastic, tin, aluminum, wood, or other things, the guts are consistently brass.
While not common in classical music, DIY instruments are worth mentioning. These instruments tend to be made from steel and aluminum because of their price and availability. They are also much more often used for percussive instruments. Even though the metal gives off less impressive sound than bronze or brass, you can still shape the material to create interesting, unique, and striking sounds.
Check out this cool video about DIY metal musical instruments and the science behind how that works.
https://metalpress.onlinemetals.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Metal-in-Music810x275.png 275 810 The Iron Giant https://metalpress.onlinemetals.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/2019-headerlogo-3.png The Iron Giant2018-09-10 09:34:092018-10-17 11:40:56Metals in Music
Skyscraper Day Further Your Machining Education
Request URL: https://metalpress.onlinemetals.com/metals-music/
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line850
|
__label__wiki
| 0.582554
| 0.582554
|
Review - Things Tom Likes
A Book about Sexuality for Boys and Young Men with Autism and Related Conditions
by Kate E. Reynolds
Jessica Kingsley, 2014
Review by Kristin Nelson
Oct 7th 2014 (Volume 18, Issue 41)
Written by health educator Kate E. Reynolds, this book is part of a series on sexuality and sexual safety for boys and young men on the autism spectrum. The UK author recommends this book for use with people who have a severe form of autism. By US conventions, the book is squarely targeted at those with moderate symptoms of autism. This may be a reflection of the difference in the way autism spectrum disorders are viewed in the UK and the US. With support, the text is accessible to people who fall within a wide range of language comprehension abilities and social development. It is intended to be read with an adult though the inviting illustrations and friendly text will likely draw readers back to review on their own.
Reynolds’ easy going, positive narrative belies the careful attention paid to both the structure and substance of the content. Sentences and terms are relatively simple, key concepts are repeated for emphasis and the parallel structure of the writing underscores the idea that masturbation is a normal and enjoyable thing to do just like the many other things that the main character likes to do (such as singing and playing on his computer.) Situating masturbation as an activity to always be done in private is the main point of the story. Along the way to making this point, the author uses concrete examples to help the reader understand which things (activities, behavior, body parts) are private and which are public. For instance, the reader learns that private body parts are those that are typically covered by underwear and that one reason for wearing clothes in public is to hide these private zones. Imparting the reasoning behind social expectations – we are expected to wear clothing in public in order to keep others from seeing our private zones - is a critical element of social cognition. While many books on puberty tell the reader not to touch his penis in public, this one takes the crucial next step which is to tell the reader what to do instead – in this case, wait until he gets home to touch himself. This may be an insignificant matter to many neurotypical readers but it’s a fundamental need for people on the spectrum who are at a loss for what *to do* when they are told to refrain from doing something. This book scores high for its accessibility and use of strategies to address social learning differences.
Jonathon Powell’s illustrations match the friendly tone of the text. The topic calls for accurate, believable drawings that are relatable and engaging to adolescents who may have already encountered negative messages about touching their own bodies. His images convey anatomical detail in a non-sexualized and body-positive fashion.
While there are many reasons to recommend this work there are some perplexing problems too. Proper use of terminology is a big deal for people on the autism spectrum who may experience inflexible or literal thinking. Inexplicably, Reynolds completely avoids using the words “masturbation” and “erection” in the body of the text. The term “masturbation” appears in the book’s subtitle and nowhere else. Erections are not mentioned by name anywhere though they are featured prominently in the story and illustrations. Another questionable word choice appears regarding the private zones on girls’ and women’s bodies which are identified as their “breasts”, “vaginas” and “buttocks.” In this case, I think the term “vagina” is at least misleading. As any well-informed adolescent on the autism spectrum will be the first to point out, female genitalia are not collectively known as vaginas. Somewhat less of a quibble, but still inaccurate, is the use of the word “sperm” as a substitute for “semen.” Using loose, imprecise language with a population of people who benefit from clear and consistent terminology could easily result in misunderstanding or socially inappropriate behavior. Adults intending to read this book with a boy or young man on the autism spectrum are advised to review the vocabulary first and edit as needed.
© 2014 Kristin Nelson
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line851
|
__label__wiki
| 0.656491
| 0.656491
|
The Invisible – Nottingham Bodega Social Club, Wednesday March 10.
Posted in Bodega, gigs, Nottingham Post by Mike A on March 11, 2010
Imagine the thrill of having your debut album nominated for the prestigious Mercury Music Prize. Now imagine the disappointment of playing to fewer than thirty people, on the second date of your UK tour, six months after losing out to Speech Debelle (hardly a roaring success in her own right, it has to be said).
To The Invisible’s great credit, the three players – singer/guitarist and jazz-fusion veteran Dave Okumu, bassist/keyboardist Tom Herbert and occasional Hot Chip drummer Leo Taylor – didn’t let the lack of punters stand in the way of putting in a powerful, authoritative performance. Instead, they absorbed the situation with relaxed good humour (“We’re not going to start playing until you all leave the room”), and proceeded to focus on the task in hand, displaying an impressive musical range which spanned from angsty, tense, doom-laden indie-rock to lithe, taut, choppy funk.
So engrossed were the band in the complex, rhythmically overlapping textures of their final number Jacob and the Angel – the sort of music that has you swaying blissfully from side to side, eyes closed, head tilted back – that they remained unfazed by the collapse of a young man at the front of the room. Thankfully he returned for the encore, smiling and seemingly unscathed.
The Invisible are exactly the sort of band that you would expect to be championed on BBC 6Music. If the corporation’s bean-counting bosses make good on their threats and the station is axed, it will become even tougher to find an audience large enough to sustain their career. So if you have stumbled across this review online, and if you are wondering whether to take a punt on one of the other shows on the tour, do both yourself and The Invisible a favour, and lend your support to this admirable and unfairly overlooked band.
Unicorn Kid – Nottingham Rescue Rooms, Thursday March 4.
Posted in gigs, Nottingham Post, Rescue Rooms by Mike A on March 5, 2010
It’s not often that the third act on the bill, on stage within twenty minutes of the doors opening, can whip a crowd up into such a seething, euphoric frenzy. But for Unicorn Kid, the alter ego of 18 year old Oli Sabin from Edinburgh, such scenes are becoming commonplace.
Unicorn Kid made his first breakthrough in the middle of last year, when he was asked to remix Did You See Me Coming for the Pet Shop Boys. Since then, he has supported Owl City across the USA, Calvin Harris in Edinburgh and Messrs Tennant and Lowe at a major arena show in Glasgow. With over 30,000 friends on MySpace and a newly signed deal with the Ministry Of Sound label, 2010 is his for the taking. His debut album is set for an autumn release, and a couple of collaborations with big name vocalists are also looking more than likely.
The Unicorn Kid house style is based around an almost ridiculously exuberant reworking of super-fast hardcore techno, sweetened with tumbling, intricate melody lines that are constantly twisting and evolving. The music never descends into mindless repetition, and the overall effect is optimistic, energising and life-affirming.
Old favourites such as Lion Hat and Wee Monsters were accompanied by new material which stretched the template, taking the music into new areas. A slower, dubstep-influenced track, whose title has yet to be confirmed, should be coming out as a free download within the next few weeks.
Fifteen years ago, music of this rhythmic intensity would have formed the soundtrack for long nights of chemical excess. These days, its natural constituency is a teenage audience who aren’t even old enough to drink – for although the gig was a sell-out, the bar was clear for service all night.
Headlining the show, the dance-punk band Hadouken! took the night to even further extremes of wild abandon – but for future success and impact (could a Nineties dance revival be just around the corner?), the smart money has to be on Unicorn Kid.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line854
|
__label__cc
| 0.549227
| 0.450773
|
Tag Archives: My first visit to watch Star Wars
Geek, Leeds, Lyric, Movies, Star Wars
Star Wars & Me 1978
January 16, 2012 Carl Milner 8 Comments
A Long Time Ago in a Cinema Not to Far Away
It’s hard to believe 2012 heralds the 35th year of Star Wars …’how time flies’.
For me, there’s so much I could say about my ‘favourite’ film, but instead I thought I’d reminisce about the day I went to see Star Wars for the very first time. I first heard about the film when a young 10-year-old Neil Stringer told me about this amazing picture he’d seen on our way home from School, but this wasn’t May 1977 (25th) when it was first released in the United States, but more like early 78, as the UK premier wasn’t actually until Boxing Day 1977, a full 7 months later in two West End cinemas, the Leicester Square Theatre and the Dominion, Tottenham Court Road, where it took a record-breaking £117,690 in its first week.
Star Wars continued to play exclusively at these two cinemas for over the next four weeks, were it instantly became the hottest ticket in town, ticket-touts where reportedly selling £2.20 tickets for £30 quid. But on the 29th January it finally opened in Leeds. For me I can’t remember the precise date I went to see it, although it was a Saturday in February at the Odeon Cinema on The Headrow in Leeds. It wasn’t a family outing, but instead a trip out with my good friend Mark Adams and his Granddad.
So we set off on the No:5 bus to a sunny Leeds City Centre to eagerly wait in turn queuing down the side of the Headrow (This seems to be a long forgotten experience within Leeds to queue around buildings to see a new movie) but once we finally got into the foyer and purchased out tickets, there was a plethora of memorabilia available to buy behind the confectionary counter. For me it had to be the Official Movie Souvenir Programme and the giant fold-out poster to take home and adorn my bedroom wall, both of which I still have today. (below)
The Odeon was a three screen cinema in those early days, before it was later split into a 5 screens, this meant the main screen 1 auditorium was ‘HUGE’…well, it felt huge to a small 11-year-old lad like me. So I sat down proudly holding my first swag of Star Wars keepsakes while watching Pearl & Dean as I awaited the film to start. It was at this point the curtains would close while you could hear the tiny motors widening the screen size from its 1/3rd size to full 70mm capacity.
Image used courtesy of Ian Grundy ©Stagedoor 2012
One of the amazing qualities of this amphitheatre of film was the sound and its sheer volume (something the Health & Safety sphincter police must have curtailed in later years) It was this sound that had a physical impact on me, because you could feel the noise of the opening Star Destroyer approaching, vibrating through your body before it appeared on-screen, and when it did appear…HOLY WOW!! It just went on and on and on, that thing was HUGE. Even at the very end of the film your spacial senses were tested as well, when Luke’s X-Wing swooped into the Death Star trench you wobbled from left to right in the same you do at an IMAX screening today. From the moment the credit finally rolled up I was hooked…FOR LIFE…and subsequently went to see it more time than I can remember (25 Geekish times I think) even to this day I love to watch it and still don’t get bored. The new Blu-Ray gave me another excuse to have a family Star Wars viewing night, one which we have each year.
I’m quite sure you’ll hear more about ‘Me & Star Wars’ over the coming years on this blog, but for now it just leaves me to say…
Happy 35th Birthday Star Wars
forgotten experienceleeds city centreLeeds Odeonleicester squareMy first visit to watch Star Warsodeon cinemascreen cinemaStar WarsStar Wars February 1978The Headrow Odeontottenham court roadWhen did Star Wars open In Leeds
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line855
|
__label__wiki
| 0.57567
| 0.57567
|
You know, when people want to get any information, research information, it will all exist on these Web sites.
Brian De Palma's quotes
Yeah, I had an idea to make a very scary movie, based on a kind of serial murderer that preys on tourists.
Well, like any time you're shooting documentary stuff, you've got to be in the moment, and you've got to be able to be in control enough to capture what's happening.
You really are as hot as your last movie. And it goes away really quickly.
Well, I just think through your career you go through different phases, and I just got sort of uninspired by the whole studio process of making and releasing films.
So I like to try to go back and develop pure visual storytelling. Because to me, it's one of the most exciting aspects of making movies and almost a lost art at this point.
But, number one, I think traditional noir doesn't work in contemporary storytelling because we don't live in that world anymore.
You know, I listen to contemporary music all the time.
You know it's always amazed me - I think the most startling thing that's happened in the last couple of decades is that there is no sort of objective reporting anymore.
I guess what's most surprised me in most of the reviews is that they don't seem to get the noir story in the dream sequence, so they analyze it like a straight noir movie.
And I always had this idea for making a movie about a femme fatale, because I like these characters. They're a lot of fun, they're sexy, they're manipulative, they're dangerous.
I've been obsessed with this kind of visual storytelling for quite a while, and I try to create material that allows me to explore it.
I've been sort of traveling around the country for ten years talking about independent features.
I'm always looking for a kind of new musical entity to sort of move into a motion picture venue.
I've dropped myself into straightforward character pieces in order to explore that form and reap its values. But you are sort of restricted visually when your first requirement is to tell a fairly straightforward story.
However, I spent most of my time in a Quaker school.
I don't see scarey films. I certainly wouldn't go see my films.
Godard is incredibly brilliant, the things he says. Apparently here in France, the most interesting thing when a new film of his is going to come out are his press conferences, because he's so brilliant.
That's what noir feels like to me. It feels like some kind of recurring dream, with very strong archetypes operating. You know, the guilty girl being pursued, falling, all kinds of stuff that we see in our dreams all the time.
I mean, I don't mind promoting a movie, or talking to the press if it's going to be used in some way.
I hadn't done just a straight-out comedy in a long time, just letting an ensemble do really good character acting, having them carry the movie as in my earlier pictures.
I do like directing other people's material.
When you make a movie outside the system and it's successful critically or a moderate financial success, you usually have to go back into the system and make a big hit.
It's always great to discover a new star of tomorrow.
And we've become very doubtful of our information sources, because they're all controlled by these huge multilateral corporations.
However, ironically, I was baptized Presbyterian, and went to a Quaker school for twelve years.
The biggest mistake in student films is that they are usually cast so badly, with friends and people the directors know. Actually you can cover a lot of bad direction with good acting.
The real trouble with film school is that the people teaching are so far out of the industry that they don't give the students an idea of what's happening.
It's always great when you discover someone.
Young people discovering their sexuality must know they walk with a strong tradition and that they are not alone. They have a right to information without being pressured.
But in the first Gulf war the United Kingdom was not under any threat from Iraq, and is still less so in the second one. Then there is no justification for obstructing freedom of information, particularly as nations have a right to know what their soldiers are being used for.
Kate Adie
And they talk about their bona fide doctors. They have a list of doctors that signed affidavits from looking at a picture of Terry. That's where they get their information from, by looking at a picture.
Michael Schiavo
Since I'm allergic to various things, the army wouldn't accept me during the war, and I got into the Office of War Information, which sent music to Europe.
Elliott Carter
Actually the copies of characters is something I don't particularly like to talk about in articles but just for your information, most characters there's only one.
But the Congress has made the determination that certain kinds of information can be protected even though the American people may want to have access to information.
Although Customs and Border Protection analyzes cargo and other information to target specific shipments for closer inspection, it still physically inspects only a small fraction of the containers under its purview.
I have a tendency to be lucky and make the right choices based on limited information.
Paul D. Boyer
I would never jeopardize classified information to be brought out to the public. This information is all open source. There is no reason to worry about classification. It is simply an attempt by bureaucrats to cover their rear ends.
Curt Weldon
For me, having a child is a really great responsibility because you've got something there that is depending on you for information and love until a certain age when it goes to school.
People have really gotten comfortable not only sharing more information and different kinds, but more openly and with more people - and that social norm is just something that has evolved over time.
First, the security and privacy of sensitive taxpayer information is absolutely essential.
Jim Ramstad
Information, usually seen as the precondition of debate, is better understood as its by-product.
Christopher Lasch
Because of Watergate in part, I am kind of a magnet for calls and information and suggestions.
With respect to the FBI, they had problems communicating in a vertical way, within the FBI itself, so that information of importance could get pushed up to those who were decision-makers.
Richard Ben Veniste
It is evident that one cannot say anything demonstrable about the problem before having resolved these preliminary questions, and yet we hardly possess the necessary information to solve some of them.
Georges Cuvier
We finally found out the technique of separating and getting information about where every train would be at any moment. Of course, I went over budget many times, because - as you go along - some things improved, and you get better ideas.
John Hench
Knowledge is of two kinds. We know a subject ourselves, or we know where we can find information upon it.
The Bush administration also was not straightforward about the intelligence it had, releasing tenuous information that fit its goal of attacking Iraq. I feel deceived.
Ken Lucas
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line856
|
__label__cc
| 0.612001
| 0.387999
|
Driver was high when he killed Rutgers student, police say
Adam Hochron
Facebook/Cory Aufiero
NEW BRUNSWICK — A driver who fatally struck a Rutgers University student who stumbled into the road was high at the time of the incident, according to police.
Cory Aufiero, 19, of Colts Neck was killed on Sept. 28, when police believe he accidentally fell into the road and was struck by a Nissan Sentra driven David Stewart, 36, of Somerset. Aufiero was declared dead at the scene, while Stewart was issued a summons for driving with a suspended license at the time.
The Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office announced on Monday that Stewart has now been charged with third-degree strict liability vehicular homicide for driving while being under the influence of marijuana, and driving with a suspended license while involved in a motor vehicle accident resulting in the death of another.
Stewart's next court appearance is scheduled for Nov. 15, according to the prosecutor's office.
Police are asking anyone with information about the incident to call Officer Cahill at 732-745-5200 or Det. Abromaitis at 732-745-4436.
More From New Jersey 101.5
Filed Under: Colts Neck, Crime, Momouth County, New Brunswick, Newsletter
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line859
|
__label__wiki
| 0.947609
| 0.947609
|
State Aviation Hall of Fame and State Aviation Museums
By Kelly Agan, Government & Heritage Library, 2014
See also: State Symbols and Official Adoptions; North Carolina History Timeline: State Symbols and Other Official Adoptions
In 2003, the North Carolina General Assembly designated the State Aviation Hall of Fame and Aviation Museums. (Session Laws, 2003, H.B. 694.)
The Asheboro Municipal Airport was designated as the State Aviation Hall of Fame and North Carolina Aviation Museum and the Wilmington International Airport as the North Carolina Museum of Aviation.
About the Asheboro Municipal Airport
The North Carolina Aviation Museum began as the Foundation for Aircraft Preservation. Launched by Jim Peddycord and Craig Branson in 1996, it made its home in an unused hanger at the Asheboro Regional Airport. The original collection was donated by Pettycord to the city of Asheboro for establishment of the museum and included several historic aircraft and items from aviation history from World War II to the Vietnam Conflict. Branson died in 2005 and Peddycord died in a plane accident in 1997. In 2003 the state leglistature designated the museum as the Hall of Fame. The museum has hosted veterans events, fly-ins, and educational programs for local schools. The effort to designate an aviation Hall of Fame began in 2000.
About the North Carolina Aviation Museum of Wilmington
The aviation museum at the Wilmington International Airport was established sometime in the early 2000s. Aircraft on display include a Martin 404 and a full size replica of a Wright Flyer. The museum was designated as the official location of the North Carolina Aviation Museum by the General Assembly in 2003.
"NC Aviation Museum & Hall of Fame." NC Weekend. January 31, 2013. UNC-TV. http://video.unctv.org/video/2331197235/ (accessed December 16, 2014).
North Carolina General Assembly. Sessions Laws, 2003, H.B.694. https://www.ncleg.net/EnactedLegislation/SessionLaws/HTML/2003-2004/SL2003-363.html (accessed December 16, 2014).
"N.C. Aviation Museum and Hall of Fame's annual Fly-in June 9." The Courier-Tribune (Asheboro, N.C.), May 31, 2012. http://courier-tribune.com/sections/get/do/nc-aviation-museum-and-hall-fame%E2%80%99s-annual-fly-june-9.html (accessed December 16, 2014).
North Carolina Aviation Museum Hall of Fame. http://www.ncaviationmuseumhalloffame.com/ (accessed December 16, 2014).
"North Carolina Aviation Museum and Hall of Fame, Asheboro, Randolph County." NC ECHO. http://digital.ncdcr.gov/cdm/ref/collection/p16062coll8/id/8227 (accessed December 16, 2014).
Womick, Chip. "Plans underway for N.C. Aviation of Hall of Fame." The Courier-Tribune (Asheboro, N.C.), September 23, 2007. http://www.blueridgenow.com/article/20070923/NEWS/70923005 (accessed December 16, 2014).
Associated Press. "Aviation Hall of FAme could land in Asheboro." GoUpstate.com. http://www.goupstate.com/article/20030414/NEWS/304140325 (accessed December 16, 2014).
"Wright Flyer Replica at Wilmington International Airport Museum - North Carolina 2013." Airways News. (accessed December 16, 2014).
"Martin 404 Simulator at North Carolina Museum of Aviation at Wilmington International Report - 2013." Airways News. (accessed December 16, 2014).
"North Carolina Aviation Museum and Hall of Fame." Photograph. April 20, 2005. NC ECHO. http://digital.ncdcr.gov/cdm/ref/collection/p16062coll8/id/8227 (accessed December 16, 2014).
Agan, Kelly
16 December 2014 | Agan, Kelly
you could do better on state
Permalink Submitted by Olivia Braxton (not verified) on Tue, 04/12/2016 - 13:08
you could do better on state symbols
WhatAreYouReadingWednesday? Share with us what you're reading this week. 📷Brittney from the @NCArchives is read… https://t.co/aynaSpHeLa — 21 hours 2 min ago
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line862
|
__label__wiki
| 0.942214
| 0.942214
|
Late to the Game, Mitchell, 37, Keeps Ousting Youngsters August 20, 2015 | Olympia Fields, Ill. By Stuart Hall
Despite seeing some success as a minor league baseball player, Todd Mitchell decided to focus on honing his skills as a competitive golfer. (USGA/Chris Keane)
U.S. Amateur Home
Todd Mitchell is not quite sure what has led to his inspired run in this U.S. Amateur Championship, but he is certainly relishing the moment.
Mitchell, 37, of Bloomington, Ill., built an early 4-up lead through six holes against 19-year-old Australian Ryan Ruffels and then rode the lead out for a 3-and-2 victory in Thursday morning’s Round of 32 on Olympia Fields Country Club’s North Course.
“These kids are so good, I’m not sure how I’m doing it right now,” said Mitchell, who knocked off 21-year-old Chase Koepka, No. 82 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking™ in the first round on Wednesday. Ruffels is No. 10.
"I feel like I am able to compete with them. Maybe not on a week-in and week-out basis, but at least this week I’m able to compete with them."
In six previous U.S. Amateur appearances, Mitchell, who is ranked No. 2,528 in the world, had never advanced past match play’s opening round. His two losses were to Welshman Rhys Davies, who played on two Great Britain and Ireland Walker Cup squads, and 2012 U.S. Open winner Webb Simpson.
USGA championship success, though, is not unfamiliar to Mitchell.
Among his varied accomplishments in 20 previous championships, Mitchell was the runner-up in the 2008 U.S. Mid-Amateur, helped lead Illinois to a third-place tie in the 2010 USGA Men’s State Team Championship, and teamed with 2014 U.S. Mid-Amateur champion Scott Harvey to reach the semifinals of the inaugural U.S. Amateur Four-Ball at The Olympic Club in San Francisco, Calif., in early May.
“It’s not one of those things I ever think about how many of these I have played in,” said Mitchell, dismissing the notion that he is drawing upon that success and experience. “I’m just trying to focus on what I need to do at that time and try to stop thinking about everything else going on, like being 2 up with three holes to go."
Unlike the majority of the field, Mitchell did not start focusing on golf until after his first career was complete.
In 1999, Mitchell, an All-Missouri Valley Conference shortstop at Illinois State University, was selected by the New York Yankees in the 14th round of the Major League Baseball Draft. Though he hit .270 for the Staten Island Yankees of the Class A New York-Penn League in 2000, a career in baseball was unappealing.
“I didn’t see the writing on the wall, a life in baseball just wasn’t for me,” Mitchell said. “I thought I had a future in the game, but I would have had to go through the process and I just didn’t. I did not enjoy it all."
So Mitchell turned his attention to a more conventional lifestyle, becoming an insurance salesman and starting a family. Golf filled the competitive void.
“I always knew I was going to play golf after baseball, but I was just so new to everything that I didn’t know what to play,” he said. “I played in some city events, then some state events and it just spiraled to things bigger and bigger.”
In 2002 and 2003, Mitchell won the Illinois State Amateur Championship. In 2003 he also played in his first U.S. Amateur, at Oakmont Country Club in Oakmont, Pa.
In Thursday afternoon’s Round of 16, Mitchell faces another college-age foe, Matthew Perrine, a sophomore at Baylor University. How the rest of this championship will unfold for Mitchell, he is unsure, but he “didn’t come in here with anything,” he said, so perhaps the pressure-free week can continue straight to Sunday’s 36-hole championship.
Stuart Hall is a North Carolina-based freelance writer whose work frequently appears on USGA websites.
More from the U.S. Amateur
Championships Late Brother’s Encouragement Buoys Local Competitor Cooke
Championships Photos: Round of 32 at the U.S. Amateur
Championships Long Day Ends with 32 Still Left Vying for Title at Olympia Fields
Championships McNealy Drained After Rough-and-Tumble Win
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line865
|
__label__wiki
| 0.857498
| 0.857498
|
Home / News / Buyers worry they’ll lose tax credit while waiting on Tesla
Buyers worry they’ll lose tax credit while waiting on Tesla
By: The Associated Press July 18, 2018 0
In March of 2016, Keith Reynolds flew from California to Atlanta so he could claim his spot in line at 4 a.m., and get a three-hour head start on his West Coast competitors.
Tesla was taking $1,000 deposits for its new electric car, the Model 3, priced starting at $35,000. And Reynolds had to have one. He managed to land near the top of the waiting list.
Flash forward more than two years, through much-publicized production delays. Reynolds is still waiting.
And now, like others in the U.S. on a waiting list of about 420,000 worldwide, he worries that the looming phaseout of a $7,500 federal tax credit will put the cost of the car out of his reach.
“The tax credit was going to be huge,” says Reynolds, 45, who works in digital advertising, lives in Laguna Hills, California, and drives a 9-year-old Audi A3 compact car.
Last week, Tesla sales hit 200,000 since the start of 2010 — the point at which federal law requires the credit for rechargeable electric vehicles to be phased out. Tesla buyers will continue to get the full credit through the end of the year. Then it drops to $3,750 for six months and $1,875 for another six months before ending entirely on Dec. 31, 2019.
That means buyers need to be behind the wheel of a new Tesla by the end of the year to get the full $7,500 tax break — essentially a 21 percent discount off the base model’s sticker price.
Many Model 3 customers will tire of waiting and drop out, predicted Dave Sullivan, manager of product analysis at AutoPacific Inc., an auto research and consulting firm. “By then they will have been waiting for three years possibly,” he said.
Tesla wouldn’t comment on the possibility of losing buyers from the waiting list.
But if buyers bail, it could put the company’s future in peril, costing sales and desperately needed cash flow for Tesla at a critical time in its 15-year history. Tesla is using the Model 3 to move from a niche maker of expensive electric cars for the wealthy to an automaker for the masses.
CEO Elon Musk has promised to turn a profit in the second half of this year, but Tesla has lost money in all but two quarters in its eight years as a public company. In the first three months of this year it burned $1 billion as it ramped up Model 3 production at a Fremont, California, factory. The company had $2.7 billion in cash at the end of March.
In March, Moody’s Investor Service sounded an alarm, downgrading Tesla’s debt into junk territory and warning that it won’t have cash to cover $3.7 billion for normal operations, capital expenses and debt that comes due early next year. Tesla has said Model 3 sales will generate cash and drive profits.
Musk began sleeping at the factory in an effort to fix automation and other problems that much of the year held output to around half of the goal he set last summer of 5,000 Model 3s per week. The company built a heavy-duty tent to add space to make more Model 3s and said it reached 5,000 per week at the end of June.
Like many of those still on the waiting list, Reynolds wants to order a Model 3 priced closer to the $35,000 base. The cheapest version only comes in black, with other colors costing at least $1,000 more.
At present, Tesla is selling only pricier versions with longer-range battery packs. The last time Reynolds configured one on Tesla’s website, the lowest price was $49,000, beyond what he can afford.
He wants the car badly enough that he’ll spend over $40,000, as long as California and federal credits still cut the price to around $35,000. He’ll hang on until the end of this year. Beyond that, he said he’ll likely drop out if there’s no federal credit and “if no configuration options are made for the frugal, penny-pinchers like myself.”
Others on the waiting list interviewed by The Associated Press said they were worried about losing the tax credit. Several recent buyers and customers on Tesla internet forums expressed similar concerns.
Most Tesla buyers who already got the tax credit — about 120,000 — are wealthier people who didn’t need it to buy Tesla’s more expensive Model S and Model X, which can cost over $100,000, said Navigant Research analyst Sam Abuelsamid. He said the tax law should have had an income limit for eligibility. “If you can afford to buy a $140,000 Tesla, you don’t really need the incentive,” he said.
The only other automaker that’s close to losing the tax credit is General Motors, which has sold about 185,000 electric cars and should hit 200,000 early next year, according to the Edmunds.com auto pricing site. (Edmunds regularly provides content, including automotive tips and reviews, for distribution by The Associated Press.)
Kelley Blue Book analyst Rebecca Lindland put down a refundable $1,000 deposit on a Model 3 in April of 2016 because she believes in Musk’s crusade to cut auto emissions to zero. Three months ago, she canceled her order, partly because of the delays, partly because she now wants a hatchback.
Lindland also wondered if she’d ever get the car. “I’ve already been on the list for two years,” she said. “I need all-wheel-drive, and I would have to wait another year.”
She doesn’t think Tesla will be able to keep making 5,000 cars per week, and she is skeptical of the cars’ quality and worried that Tesla could run out of money, unable to service vehicles.
Christian Kingery, a Seattle-area web developer, was among the first to order a Model 3 in 2016. He wanted a loaded version with all-wheel-drive for rainy weather, but was troubled by the prospect of losing federal and Washington state tax credits.
He compromised and ordered a rear-drive version in April. But his delivery date was delayed, costing him the Washington credit, which he says was worth $3,000 before it expired in May.
When all-wheel-drive became available, he switched his order, pushing delivery to September.
Although Kingery is frustrated, he still wants the car. “Tesla is doing something that no other carmaker is doing, in a way that no other carmaker is doing,” he said.
Like Reynolds and Lindland, he knows about the Model 3’s impressive handling, 310-mile battery range and futuristic interior with all the controls on a touch screen.
He will just have to wait a little longer to drive one.
Tesla 10:56 am Wed, July 18, 2018 New Orleans CityBusiness
Tagged with: Tesla
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line867
|
__label__wiki
| 0.774789
| 0.774789
|
Butler Newsroom > Butler Home Page > Home Feature News > Stephen Standifird Named New College of Business Dean
CEPA 2014 Daily Fire Log 2014
Stephen Standifird Named New College of Business Dean
Stephen Standifird, Dean of the Schroeder School of Business at the University of Evansville, will become the Dean of Butler University’s College of Business beginning June 1.
At Butler, he will take over the University’s third-largest college, with approximately 900 undergraduate and 200 graduate students. Butler’s College of Business was ranked 47th in the 2013 Bloomberg BusinessWeek ranking of 124 U.S. undergraduate business programs, and U.S. News and World Report ranked the College 141 out of 342 schools in 2013. Butler University’s part-time MBA program is currently ranked 57th by Bloomberg BusinessWeek and 72nd by U.S. News and World Report’s Best Graduate Schools.
“I am impressed by what the Butler College of Business has been able to accomplish in recent years,” said Standifird. “Butler University and the College of Business specifically are leaders in higher education innovation. I am thrilled with the opportunity to lead the ongoing advancements of the College.”
At Evansville, Standifird was responsible for all aspects of the Schroeder School of Business, including leading the school’s faculty, assuring continued accreditation, and providing oversight of the school’s Institute for Global Enterprise and Institute for Banking and Finance. Standifird also led the revamping of the school’s assurance of learning program and the introduction of a variety of new international offerings including the “Global Virtual Classroom.”
He created a $1.2 million endowment for career services, with commitments to bring the endowment to $2 million. Under his watch, student placement and their starting salaries increased by 24 percent and 14 percent, respectively. Standifird also led the creation of a $100,000 microfinance fund for minority- and women-owned businesses, which is operated by students and in partnership with Old National Bank.
Prior to his time at the University of Evansville, Standifird held positions at the University of San Diego’s School of Business. As Associate Dean from 2009–2011, he helped increase enrollment of the school’s six master of science programs by roughly 34 percent over a two-year period. During his time as Director of Undergraduate Programs from 2006–2009, he created a comprehensive assurance of learning program and positioned the program for its first-ever ranking by Bloomberg BusinessWeek in 2009.
Standifird earned his bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Purdue University, his MBA from Northwestern University, and his doctorate in organizational studies from the University of Oregon.
“Steve has the precise combination of experience and expertise to become the next leader of the Butler College of Business,” Provost Kathryn Morris said. “I am very pleased that he will be joining the leadership team at Butler.”
Tagged with → Butler University College of Business • Kathryn Morris • Stephen Standifird
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line869
|
__label__wiki
| 0.884516
| 0.884516
|
London-based U.S. bankers eye a post-Brexit move home, but this could be premature
by Dan Butcher 28 June 2016
Brexit was the last catastrophe that financial services professionals wanted to have to deal with.
As the UK deals with the fallout from Brexit, U.S. financial services professionals in the City are looking to orchestrate a move home. But with Wall Street banks dealing with their own problems, how feasible is this currently?
“For those American bankers who transferred to London for a ‘European adventure,’ this might be coming to an abrupt end,” said Anthony Keizner, partner at Odyssey Search Partners. “Unfortunately, given the weak hiring market in the U.S., it’s also not certain that there will be spots in New York to absorb those looking to return.”
The problem for U.S. bankers looking for a return home right now is that many companies are currently holding fire on hiring decisions until the uncertainty over Brexit starts to subside.
“We don't think there's going to be any rush to judgment to immediately pull back staff from London or curtail any hiring plans here in the U.S," says Anne Crowley, managing director at Jay Gaines & Co. “What Brexit does produce is a period of uncertainty, which may prompt firms to pause new initiatives in a wait-and-see mode, but don't think there will be drastic cuts or changes near term.”
“When banks are unsure of what happens, a hiring freeze is the most common response,” said Peter Laughter, the CEO of Wall Street Services. “Until there is some semblance of clarity on what happens next, we can expect banks to be very cautious about hiring as a first step."
Longer term, recruiters are optimistic that the impact of Brexit on financial services recruitment in the U.S. will be minimal and are likely to opportunistically target expat talent in the UK.
“This could, in a messed up way, be a positive for the U.S., as the number of candidates looking to come back here will increase, and hiring needs here may also increase due to relocations," Mia D’Angelo, a recruiter at Infinity Consulting Solutions.
But it's not simply a case of London's banking recruitment market sliding and Wall Street taking up the slack. For a start, headhunters tell us that the ongoing slump in M&A and equity markets, together with the need to cut back trading teams globally, has meant that the situation is no better state-side than in the UK. Brexit may have exacerbated relocation of jobs to other, often cheaper, European financial centres but these cuts would have happened anyway.
"Financial services firms are cutting on an ongoing basis, and some firms may be using Brexit as a 'reason' to take steps they were already planning, regardless of Thursday's vote," says Crowley.
“Whenever there is uncertainty in the marketplace, whether it is from Brexit or whatever issue du jour spooks the markets and the economy, it’s easier for companies to sit on their hands, especially because we’re in the summer when things slow down somewhat,” said Jack Kelly, managing director of Compliance Search Group. “The season coupled with Brexit means that it’s easier for firms and candidates to sit on the sidelines."
It's tempting for American bankers to flee London during a crisis hitting the UK, but it may be a bad move.
"With or without Brexit, London is still the financial capital of Europe and that is unlikely to change. I don't expect that to change unless the UK enacts absurdly difficult work visa requirements," said Peter Laughter, the CEO of Wall Street Services. "For Americans working in the UK, I don't expect an immediate and drastic change in employment.
"It is possible, however, that Brexit would increase the number of opportunities for Americans working in the UK should it become too difficult for other Europeans to get work authorization," he said.
Follow @danbutchrwrites
Photo credit: PeskyMonkey/GettyImages
10 questions about your London banking job post-Brexit
London bankers to be paid in dollars?
“I’ve spent the last four years trying to get a banking job in London – now this”
Emerging Market Fixed Income Sales, New York
High Yield/Distressed Credit Sales, New York
Regulatory Relations (Japanese-English), AVP
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line870
|
__label__wiki
| 0.889253
| 0.889253
|
In Ukraine's Donetsk, The 'Death Clutch' Of A Forgotten War
DONETSK, Ukraine -- Frozen and forgotten — it's a tempting way to describe the bitter, low-grade war in eastern Ukraine.
A Ukrainian family in Donetsk camps out in their basement, which they are using as a bomb shelter and which they have tried to adorn with festive decorations.
It started in the spring, it drags on.
Almost 5,000 people have been killed while the world yawns.
ISIS, Ebola — these are more terrifying crises.
But for Liuba from Snizhnye, a mining town near Donetsk, the memory of conflict sears.
"I turned around right when the missile landed. The building began to collapse, windows were raining down on us. My legs were injured by the shrapnel, and a shock wave hit my eyes. "One eye immediately went blind," she says.
"My husband and I crawled to the basement. But my mother had stayed on the sixth floor under the missiles and bullets. We went up and brought her down."
I met Liuba this fall in the city of Kharkiv, just outside the war zone.
She had escaped the shelling with her husband and mother.
She wasn't sure where the missile came from but she blamed the Ukrainian army.
In trying to dislodge pro-Moscow separatists, they had destroyed her family's life.
Liuba and her husband spent almost all their meagre savings to hire a car and then buy train tickets to get them and her mother to Kharkiv, about 40 kilometres from the Russian border.
She's one of more than 550,000 internally displaced Ukrainians because of the fighting.
But Liuba's ordeal had only begun.
She spent days begging authorities for an operation to save her eye.
Finally an operation was arranged — in Odessa, on the other side of the country.
She paid her way but the operation didn't save her eye.
And now she must still pay the state for her hospital stay.
The husk that is Donetsk
Liuba is one of the luckier ones.
Tens of thousands more Ukrainians are still trapped in a lower circle of hell.
They remain in Donetsk and nearby towns where, despite a ceasefire decreed on Sept. 5, hundreds have been killed in shelling since.
The battle is between the Ukrainian armed forces and pro-Moscow separatists who proclaim that the government in Kiev is run by fascists and who wish to create Novorossiya — New Russia — the Czarist name for the Russian-speaking region.
It is also the name resuscitated by Russian President Vladimir Putin this spring when he offered open support to the separatists.
That support has extended to Russian arms and Russian troops, although Moscow continues to deny that it is doing anything officially.
In the post-ceasefire fighting, the prize is the airport, currently held by Ukrainian government troops and under attack by separatists.
As recently as Dec. 29 three soldiers and 14 separatist fighters were killed in a bloody, failed attack by the rebels.
As for Donetsk itself, it barely breathes.
Shops have closed, banks have no money, most of the young have fled.
The city of 900,000 has seen an estimated 200,000 people flee.
Many of those who remain are old or care for older relatives.
Until the fighting started the old managed, just about, on their pensions.
But it is the Ukrainian government that pays the pension money and it is the Donetsk People's Republic, the separatist pro-Moscow paramilitary that controls Donetsk.
So pensions are not paid, and people must depend on charity.
Even Alexander Zakharchenko, the self-declared prime minister of the Donetsk People's Republic, admits that some pensioners have starved to death as winter deepens.
Frozen in more ways than one
Away from Donetsk, the noises from Kiev and Moscow are confusing and angry.
In a year-end news conference, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said he would meet Putin as well as Germany's Angela Merkel and France's François Hollande in Kazakhstan on Jan. 15 to try to negotiate a durable peace.
In the next breath, he threatened to invoke martial law if Russian forces moved openly into eastern Ukraine.
The day before Ukraine had revoked its non-aligned status and signalled its intent to join NATO one day.
In return, Putin signed a new Russian military doctrine specifying NATO expansion as the greatest threat to his country.
What this all likely means is that the conflict in eastern Ukraine won't be ending soon, even assuming that the Kremlin has some control over the separatist leaders there.
The standoff is frozen in more ways than one.
The ruined towns and villages of the region appear trapped in Soviet time, where coal was king and bronze Lenins bestrode the landscape.
But, thanks to the war, coal is no longer king.
Seventy per cent of the mines in the Donbass region have closed.
What remain are kopankas, unofficial, indeed illegal small mines, run by out-of-work miners to supply themselves and their towns with coal for winter heat, and to sell the surplus for a little cash.
The reasons for the conflict also lie frozen in the past. Putin is on record as describing the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, which created 15 new countries including Ukraine, as "the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the 20th century."
The war in eastern Ukraine is part of his strategy to regain what he sees as Russia's rightful place and rightful size in the world.
Yet the result of the war, along with the annexation of Crimea, which triggered Western sanctions, has been to wreak economic havoc on both Ukraine and Russia.
Ukraine's central bank chief has called 2014 the worst year for Ukraine since 1945, with the economy forecast to shrink by an astounding 7.5 per cent.
Thanks to war, sanctions and the end of the oil bonanza, Russia will do scarcely better, with forecasts suggesting a five per cent contraction next year.
Bitter times.
And particularly bitter for those trapped in the war zone and for the internally displaced scattered about Ukraine.
The help most receive from their embattled government is tiny or non-existent.
Liuba, her husband and her mother spent the fall camping in a room their daughter found near Kharkiv.
"We don’t know where to live anymore," she said.
"We can't go home because the trains don't go there now, there’s no gas, the windows are smashed, there’s no heat."
She had two more eye operations; they were unsuccessful.
The bills mounted, the Ukrainian government offered no help.
In the end, just before the new year, they did go back to Snizhnye.
Her husband covered the windows with plastic sheeting.
There’s only intermittent heat, but the Donetsk People’s Republic gave them a little money.
They chose home, and Putin’s men.
Putin sees Russia and Ukraine as inextricably entwined by language, history, culture and religion.
And now the two countries clutch each other in an economic death spiral.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line872
|
__label__wiki
| 0.890635
| 0.890635
|
Nigeria surpasses Hollywood as world's second largest film producer – UN
The Nigerian film industry has overtaken Hollywood and closed the gap on India, the global leader in the number of movies produced each year, according to a new United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) report released today.
According to the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) survey, Bollywood – as the Mumbai-based film industry is known – produced 1,091 feature-length films in 2006. In comparison, Nigeria’s moviemakers, commonly known as Nollywood, came out with 872 productions – all in video format – while the United States produced 485 major films.
“Film and video production are shining examples of how cultural industries, as vehicles of identity, values and meanings, can open the door to dialogue and understanding between peoples, but also to economic growth and development,” said UNESCO Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura.
“This new data on film and video production provides yet more proof of the need to rethink the place of culture on the international political agenda,” he added.
The three cinema heavyweights were followed by eight countries that produced more than 100 films: Japan (417), China (330), France (203), Germany (174), Spain (150), Italy (116), South Korea (110) and the United Kingdom (104).
Key to Nollywood’s explosive success is Nigerian filmmakers’ reliance on video instead of film, reducing production costs, and, as the survey points out, the West African country has virtually no formal cinemas, with about 99 per cent of screenings in informal settings, such as home theatres.
The survey also revealed that about 56 per cent of Nollywood films are made in local languages, while English remains a prominent language, accounting for 44 per cent, which may contribute to Nigeria’s success in exporting its films.
According to the study, US movies continue to dominate cinema admissions around the world, and all of the top ten films seen in Australia, Bulgaria Canada, Costa Rica, Namibia, Romania, and Slovenia were US made.
Nigeria: Awareness-raising radio show on perils and opportunities of migration, launched by UN agency
In Nigeria, UN habitat agency launches campaign to promote good governance
UN administers $10.5 million project to support Nigerian electoral process
Nigeria, Niger hardest hit by 2009 meningitis epidemic – UN health agency
A vast majority of the nearly 25,000 suspected meningitis cases and more than 15,000 deaths worldwide in the first three months of 2009 have occurred in the so-called “African meningitis belt,” hitting Nigeria and Niger the hardest, the United Nations health agency has reported.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line873
|
__label__wiki
| 0.75724
| 0.75724
|
Home / World / The US will not ignore China's behavior in the South China Sea, warns Shanahan
The US will not ignore China's behavior in the South China Sea, warns Shanahan
June 1, 2019 World 2 Views
When Shanahan spoke to hundreds of delegates to the Shangri-La Dialogue, he avoided calling China by name, but criticized "some in our region" for calling a "toolkit of coercion" in the Indo-Pacific. which included the controversial South China Sea.
This toolkit included the construction of islands, the use of advanced weapons systems in disputed areas, the operation of predatory industries, and the alleged state-sponsored theft of military and civilian technology – all activities that the US had previously blamed China for.
Beijing claims almost the entire 1.3 million square kilometer area of the South China Sea as its territory and aggressively claims its share. President Xi Jinping said that it would never give up "every inch of territory." Meanwhile, US military officials have vowed to continue enforcing a free and open Indo-Pacific.
Shanahan said that the Indo-Pacific region is the most important US theater from a security point of view.
"We can not … continue to look away as countries use friendly rhetoric to distract from unfriendly acts." He added that Washginton has a "deeper and wider" network of Indo-Pacific allies and partners than China.
Peter Layton, former Australian military officer and analyst at the Griffith Asia Institute, described Shanahan's speech as "somewhat disappointing."
"It continues to criticize China, but it does not propose a strategy to address the concerns expressed or to operationalize the current Indo-Pacific strategy as expected."
Later, Shanahan referred directly to Beijing, saying that it had once been a US partner to secure the prosperity of the region, but would have to change the way it works to get back this positive partner to be.
"Conduct that undermines the sovereignty of other nations and sows distrust of China's intentions must come to an end," Shanahan said. When he received questions from the room after his speech, he added, "We will not ignore Chinese behavior, people have pointed that out in the past."
US Secretary of Defense said Washington and Beijing There were a number of confidence issues that needed to be addressed, including more than 5G communications networks – a problem that conflicted with China's industry leader Huawei.
"I see no trade war"
At least on one front, Shanahan played tensions in China.
"I do not see a trade war, I see trade negotiations going on," he said.
Shanahan also said that the level of US-China confidence could be improved by working on issues where land should be good, such as sanctions on North Korea. On Friday evening, the US Secretary of Defense met with his Chinese counterpart, General Wei Fenghe, and gave him a "nice book" on "Ship-to-Ship Oil Transfers", stating that the US and China could work together on shipbuilding. Ship-to-ship smuggling in North Korea that circumvented UN Security Council resolutions.
Shanahan also said he had discussed 5G technology with Wei. He said, "Huawei is too close to the government, the integration of civilian companies with the military is too tight, too risky for the (defense) department, we can not trust that these networks are secure." ] To conclude his appearance on Saturday at the Defense Conference, Shanahan asked a question from a Major General of the Chinese People's Liberation Army.
The Chinese general asked how Shanahan's previous leadership experience at Boeing could help improve relations between the US and China.
"My experience with Boeing is transferring," said Shanahan. "China was our biggest customer and biggest competitor, you have to understand how to live in this duality, competition means playing by the rules."
Tags Behavior China China39s Ignore Sea Shanahan South warns
Japanese animation fire: 13 fatalities suspected of alleged arson attack
Asia's meth trade is now estimated to be worth $ 61 billion … with no end in sight
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line875
|
__label__wiki
| 0.600102
| 0.600102
|
Macron Believes Trump will Drop Iran Nuclear Deal
Posted by StaffWriter | Apr 26, 2018 | Cover, Foreign News, Politics | 0 |
French President Emmanuel Macron has said he may have failed in efforts to persuade Donald Trump to stick to an international nuclear deal with Iran.
“My view is… that he will get rid of this deal on his own, for domestic reasons,” Mr Macron said at the end of a three-day state visit to the US.
Mr Trump has until 12 May to decide on the deal, which aimed to prevent Iran acquiring nuclear weapons.
He has been a strong critic of the accord, calling it “insane”.
On Wednesday, Mr Macron used similar language to describe frequent shifts in the US position on global issues, including climate change and the Iran agreement.
“It can work in the short term, but it’s very insane in the medium to long term,” he is quoted as telling reporters following a question-and-answer session with students at George Washington University.
Mr Macron made changing the US president’s mind on Iran a top priority for his visit but ended up admitting there was a “big risk” Mr Trump would abandon the deal.
He agreed with Mr Trump that any deal should include a wider agreement on Iran’s influence in the Middle East and should cover the country’s nuclear activities longer term, as well as its ballistic missile programme.
He said he would work with Mr Trump to build a “new framework” in the Middle East – and especially in Syria.
His comments came at the end of a state visit in which the two leaders discussed differences on global trade and the environment, including the possibility of the US rejoining the Paris climate accord.
Earlier on Wednesday, Mr Macron used a speech to the joint houses of the US Congress to denounce nationalism and isolationism, in what was seen as a thinly veiled attack on Mr Trump’s America First agenda.
Related Stories Trump and Europe Don't Mix, and that will Have Lasting Consequences
PreviousTelecoms Sector’s Contribution to GDP Hits 10%
NextDbanj Launches Script Writing Platform for Actors
2018 Budget and the Paltry Allocation for Education By Uwa Eghomeka
Nigerian Ports Authority confirms the receipt of 17 oil ships
The Retake of Mosul- The Real Battle Begins
FG Allegedly Abandons 19 Nigerian Postgraduate Students in Russia
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0045.json.gz/line876
|
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.