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Town boss not focussing on 'strange' Baggies clash
Town boss Graeme Jone during this time as West Bromwich Albion assistant
Published: 11:54 Thursday 27 June 2019
Luton boss Graeme Jones isn’t putting any extra emphasis on facing his former club West Bromwich Albion during the opening month of the season.
After hosting Middlesbrough and travelling to Cardiff City, the Hatters then entertain the Baggies at Kenilworth Road on Saturday, August 17.
Jones spent seven months at the Hawthorns until he was sacked along with manager Darren Moore in March last year, despite the club sitting fourth in the table, paving the way for him to become Town chief.
On coming up against his one-time employers, Jones said: “Even in the first game there is a story with two new managers, and there is always football knows more than anybody doesn’t it?
“The West Brom game is a strange one really.
“It’s not that I’m looking forward to it more than any other fixture, I don’t really think like that.
“Obviously I know a lot of the boys there and have great respect for the players, but also I know them inside out.
“I know their strengths and their weaknesses, so it can only be an advantage.”
The Baggies are under ne management themselves as after Jimmy Shan took the job until the end of the season, former Croatia and West Ham boss Slaven Bilic was appointed recently.
Jones continued: “Slaven Bilic has gone in and I’m sure he’s going to change one or two things.
“I’ve got nothing but good memories of West Brom, apart from the last day that I left there with Darren Moore and Wayne Jacobs.
“I’m just looking forward to the game and hopefully we can give a good account of ourselves.”
Van Crombrugge has the qualities to be a hit in England if he makes Luton switch
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New chair selected for UCLA art department
By Scott Timberg
Russell Ferguson, deputy director of exhibitions and programs and chief curator at the UCLA Hammer Museum, has agreed to become chairman of the university’s art department.
The appointment, which requires approval by the university and chancellor, is likely to be confirmed near the beginning of 2007, allowing Ferguson to assume the new role in the spring term. He will retain the title adjunct curator at the Hammer.
“The department is widely considered to be one of the best in the world,” says Ferguson, a native of Glasgow, Scotland, “so I’m not coming in planning to make radical changes.”
Ferguson, who arrived from Los Angeles’ Museum of Contemporary Art in 2001, has organized one-man shows on such artists as musician / sculptor Christian Marclay and photographer Jeff Wall, as well as themed exhibitions such as 2004’s “The Undiscovered Country,” on the long-predicted death of painting. He co-curated the museum’s retrospective of photographer Wolfgang Tillmans, which continues through Jan. 7.
“For me it’s an opportunity to change the register, a little bit, of what I do,” Ferguson says. “My favorite thing about being a curator is working directly with artists. And the chance to work with young artists, through teaching, is something I very much look forward to. I see a continuity to my work at the museum and shifting to the art department.”
If ratified, Ferguson will replace acting chairman Jim Welling, who replaced Barbara Drucker, who served as chairwoman from 2000 until earlier this month. Drucker will remain on the faculty. At the Hammer, the plan is for senior curator Gary Garrels to succeed Ferguson as deputy director and chief curator, creating an opening for a curator.
“One of the things that’s great about Russell, beside the critical intelligence, is that the artists understand he’s not looking down their nose at them,” says Christopher Waterman, dean of the UCLA School of the Arts and Architecture. “He understands the practice and respects the practitioners.”
Waterman praised Ferguson’s “personal warmth and ability to talk to all kinds of people. Not every brilliant scholar is a brilliant communicator. He wants to bring people to the world of art. We’re a public institution and we’re into reaching people.”
Ferguson expects to continue to curate exhibitions at the Hammer.
scott.timberg@latimes.com
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Client Voices
Admin Managers
Life at Lavan
©2016 Lavan. All rights reserved.
Quadrant Advisory
Terms & Credits
The importance of land ownership to development applications
What exactly are the “R-Codes” in the post-Design WA landscape?
Challenges to Public Open Space Conditions in Subdivision applications – recent decisions
Conditions of subdivision approval requiring reserved land to be ceded free of cost – can they be challenged?
Structure plans and compensation for injurious affection – liability for local governments
View all Planning and Environment Updates
The recent decision of the Supreme Court in City of Fremantle v Imago Holdings Pty Ltd [2019] WASC 127 (Imago) provides a timely reminder of the importance of properly reviewing and understanding underlying land ownership before preparing and submitting a development application.
In most cases, the ownership of land will be straightforward and easy to ascertain, in which case, completing a development application for that land may be a simple process. There can however be instances where the underlying land ownership is more complicated than first anticipated, which is where difficulties can potentially arise.
In the Imago case, a company had acquired a site along High Street in Fremantle in 1994, upon which sat a commercial complex. Prior to acquiring the site, the company had inspected the title and observed that the legal boundaries of the site extended to an area beyond the building line and into the adjacent footpath and a loading bay.
In more recent times, the company submitted a development application to the City of Fremantle (City) to establish a “covered bicycle stand structure” in the adjacent footpath area, but this development application was deemed refused by the City. It would appear that the City was opposed to the development application, because it took the view that the relevant area of land was actually Crown land and not part of the land owned by the company.
The City adopted this position because of a by-law that was adopted in 1955, pursuant to statutory powers, which in basic terms imposed new “building lines” on particular streets and stated that when existing buildings were demolished, the land up to the location of the new building lines would vest in the Crown. The evidence showed that a building on this land was demolished in 1962, with the new building subsequently erected behind the new building line. The City accordingly argued that the relevant portion of land (with an area of 330 square feet) had been vested in the Crown as a consequence.
The question for the Court to determine was whether the relevant area of land was owned by the company or vested in the Crown.
Although it was held that the land had been vested in the Crown for the purposes of the by-law and the underlying statutory provisions, it transpired that notice of this position was never communicated by the City to the Registrar of Titles, and as a consequence, the title information was never updated.
Moving forward to 1994, when the company acquired the land, the title information said nothing about the new building lines or a vesting of land in the Crown and the company acquired the land on that basis. Applying the principle of registration of ownership being paramount, the Court determined that the company remained the legal owner of the whole of the land, including the portion for which the development application related. The Court accordingly declined to make the declaration sought by the City to the effect that this was now Crown land.
The particular land tenure scenario in this case is rather unusual and is unlikely to be a common occurrence. The case does however demonstrate that land ownership is not always a straightforward question and there can be underlying complexities that are not necessarily apparent at first glance. It is accordingly important to properly understand and confirm land ownership prior to completing and submitting any development application.
The procedure for submitting a development application under a local planning scheme is now set out in Schedule 2 of the Planning and Development (Local Planning Schemes) Regulations 2015 (WA) (Deemed Provisions). Clause 62(1)(a) of the Deemed Provisions says that a development application must be “signed by the owner of the land on which the proposed development is to be located”.
The term “owner” is defined in clause 1 of the Deemed Provisions to mean, in relation to freehold land:
A person whose name is registered as a proprietor of the land.
The State, if registered as a proprietor of the land;
A person who holds an interest as purchaser under a contract to purchase an estate in fee simple in the land; and
A person who is the holder of a freehold interest in land vested in an executor or administrator under the Administration Act 1903 section 8.
Particular care should be exercised in circumstances where land is owned by multiple different individuals or entities, where land is owned by some entity other than a natural person and where there is ownership of lesser interests in land.
Planning and Environment Updates
Paul McQueen
General Counsel Partner
Brian McMurdo
Alex McGlue
Planning, Environment and Land Compensation
Land Compensation
Level 20, 1 William Street, Perth Western Australia 6000 Telephone +61 8 9288 6000
©2016-2019 Lavan. All rights reserved.
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Stormont Deadlock Sees Backlog Of 199 Decisions In Northern Ireland
17 September 2018, 17:19 | Updated: 17 September 2018, 17:58
There has been no government in Stormont since January 2017. Picture: PA
At least 199 key decisions cannot be made in Northern Ireland because there is still no government in Stormont to approve them, an LBC investigation has found.
The Northern Ireland Assembly hasn’t sat since January last year after a power-sharing deal collapsed.
It’s because the two main parties, the DUP and Sinn Fein, have failed to agree on a number of issues.
In July a court ruled civil servants couldn’t take major decisions in the absences of ministers.
It had major repercussions across all of Stormont’s nine devolved departments.
Now, a Freedom of Information Request by LBC has found there are at least 199 outstanding decisions waiting to signed off.
They include; compensation for historical institutional child abuse, the publication of a Suicide Prevention Strategy and a decision over the minimum pricing of alcohol.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the UK Government said: "The Secretary of State is working closely with the political parties and the Irish government about establishing a formal political dialogue.
"The Northern Ireland Civil Service has played a key role in making sure public services continue but it is clear that reassurance and clarity is required in light of the recent decision in the Buick case.
"That is why the Secretary of State has said that she will bring forward primary legislation so that they can continue to make decisions in the best interests of the people of Northern Ireland.
"We are clear, however, that this is no substitute for the return of elected ministers taking decisions in the Executive accountable to the Assembly - restoring devolution remains the Secretary of State's top priority."
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New Mexico Boy Scout ranch recovering from 2018 wildfire
Estimates are that Philmont Scout Ranch will spend $1 million in the next year on conservation and fire mitigation projects.
New Mexico Boy Scout ranch recovering from 2018 wildfire Estimates are that Philmont Scout Ranch will spend $1 million in the next year on conservation and fire mitigation projects. Check out this story on lcsun-news.com: https://www.lcsun-news.com/story/news/local/new-mexico/2019/04/20/new-mexico-philmont-boy-scout-ranch-2018-cimarron-wildfire/3528612002/
Susan Montoya Bryan, Associated Press Published 2:31 p.m. MT April 20, 2019
This Oct. 15, 2018, photo, provided by Philmont Scout Ranch shows piles of slash being burned as part of an effort to clear out extra fuel. The historic ranch near Cimarron, New Mexico, is rebuilding following a devastating wildfire that burned nearly 44 square miles in 2018. Backcountry trails were wiped out along with trail camps. (Photo: Philmont Scout Ranch)
ALBUQUERQUE - Tucked away in the foothills of the southern Rockies, the Philmont Scout Ranch has become a holy grail, its stretches of untamed wilderness and challenging backcountry treks drawing more than 1 million Boy Scouts and other adventurers from across the United States over the past 80 years.
For many of those who have spent time at the mountain retreat, they can’t get enough. It gets in the blood, it’s infectious and it’s the reason there was so much heartbreak last year when a wildfire ripped through the heart of the ranch.
Dozens of miles of trails were wiped out along with campsites, leaving behind a scar that will take years and millions of dollars to restore.
The work is necessary, ranch managers and troop leaders say, pointing to Philmont as a crown jewel of the scouting experience.
“There’s just a real sense of loss, kind of a grieving process so to speak,” said Roger Hoyt, a longtime Scout leader and Philmont’s general manager. “But at the end of the day, nature does renew itself and I think from the tragedy and the heartache comes this sense of renewal and opportunity.”
More than a half-million dollars already has been raised and the rebuilding effort is well underway with the installation of 85 new campsites and work to shore up some of the ash-covered hillsides.
In this July 18, 2017, photo provided by the Philmont Scout Ranch, a crew hikes up Baldy Mountain, the tallest peak on the ranch near Cimarron, New Mexico. Philmont is rebuilding following a devastating wildfire that burned nearly 44 square miles in 2018. Backcountry trails were wiped out along with trail camps. (Photo: Hunter Long/Philmont Scout Ranch)
Crews were sidelined in January due to snow, but work has resumed in the lower elevations as the clock ticks down for the start of the summer season.
And it will be a banner season with a record number of Scouts — possibly as many as 24,000 — expected to pass through Philmont, Hoyt said. Some of them initially planned to make the trek in 2018 but were derailed due to the fire and the subsequent closure of the backcountry.
With nearly one-fifth of Philmont blackened, the ranch is not alone in its new mission to become more resilient as western land managers face larger and hotter wildfires fueled by overgrown forests and dry conditions.
In 2018, more than 8.7 million acres (13,594 square miles) burned across the U.S., with most of that being in the West, according to the National Interagency Fire Center . Records were broken in California, which marked its deadliest and most destructive blaze in November as the town of Paradise was destroyed and 85 people were killed.
Scientists have said the 2018 season was part of a longer trend of larger and more frequent fires in the western United States.
This undated photo provided by the Philmont Scout Ranch shows members of the Philmont Recovery Corps moving a log into place for a new contour along a charred slope. The historic ranch near Cimarron, New Mexico, is rebuilding following a devastating wildfire that burned nearly 44 square miles in 2018. Backcountry trails were wiped out along with trail camps. (Photo: Philmont Scout Ranch)
In New Mexico, more than 597 square miles burned in 2018 and the state has seen its largest and most destructive fires on record within the last decade.
Hoyt estimates Philmont Scout Ranch will spend $1 million in the next year on conservation and fire mitigation projects. That includes addressing silt that’s washing down from barren slopes to clearing fuel from the forest floor, thinning trees and creating fuel breaks to keep fires from racing across other parts of the ranch.
While the work is relatively low-cost, it’s labor intensive, Hoyt said.
In March alone, 140 volunteers spent over 6,000 hours on fire mitigation and restoration projects.
Within two years, he hopes pockets of the burned area can be used as an outdoor classroom for visiting Scouts.
On the other side of the country, members of Troop 715 are preparing for this summer’s journey to Philmont. The Richmond, Virginia-based group was gathering over the weekend for a 2-mile (3-kilometer) backpacking trip so they could learn about what gear to take and what to leave behind. They’ll eventually work up to covering 10 miles (16 kilometers) a day.
Then there’s the first aid training and other skills that will help when they’re far from civilization, said Scout Master Steve Tyler, who will be accompanied by his sons, including one who is an Eagle Scout and will have just graduated the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.
Aside from being immersed in what Tyler calls “big sky country,” he said another highlight is summiting Baldy Mountain – a 12,441-foot (3,793-meter) peak on Philmont’s northern boundary not far from the Colorado border.
“Around here, the horizon is about 100 yards away and you’re looking at a tall oak tree,” Tyler said of his Virginia surroundings. “So it’s very, very different out there. It is a special experience.”
Read More New Mexico Wildfire News:
New Mexico wildfire burns empty Boy Scouts buildings near Cimarron
Ute Park residents evacuate as New Mexico wildfire rages
Satellite imagery company launches wildfire twitter feed
Read or Share this story: https://www.lcsun-news.com/story/news/local/new-mexico/2019/04/20/new-mexico-philmont-boy-scout-ranch-2018-cimarron-wildfire/3528612002/
Make-A-Wish grants teen her dream vacation
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Richardson recalls visit to Epstein ranch
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Dr James McGrath
Part-time Lecturer
School of Film, Music & Performing Arts
???? J.McGrath@leedsbeckett.ac.uk
About Dr James McGrath
James lectures in English, History and Media. His specialist areas are popular music (particularly The Beatles / 1960s) and the crossing of Cultural Studies into disability theory / medical humanities (especially concerning autism). James is also a widely published poet.
James's work places great emphasis on interdiscplinarity. His AHRC-funded PhD (2010) compared representations of gender, nation, class and "race" in the lyrics and music of John Lennon and Paul McCartney. He is currently writing a book, Never Lose Affection: Lennon and McCartney's Working-Class Myths.
Since 2005, James has been publishing on an additional topic: interdisciplinary Cultural Studies approaches to understandings of autism and Asperger's Syndrome. This involves promoting greater interaction between the Humanities and the Sciences, as well as exploring autism representations in fiction and film since 1980.
James's poems have been published or are forthcoming in the literary magazines Smiths Knoll, The Interpreter's House, DreamCatcher, Shadowtrain, occursus, The Beast At Cards and PN Review. He has also published poems in The Guardian Higher Education and International Times (IT). He is also a credited editorial advisor on several books of poetry and fiction by others.
James is keen to hear from other researchers and writers with similar interests.
James has taught on the following modules:
Critical Reading
Bildungsroman: Narrative and Identity
History / English and History
Life Writing in 20th Century History
Race and Slavery in the Atlantic World
History and Culture in 20th Century Europe
Debating Cultural Theory
Media, Culture and Environment
Television Audiences
Mediating Politics
Popular Music and the Moving Image
Interpreting New Media
Media Audiences
James has supervised dissertations on topics including British Muslim Fictions; Emily Brontë and Ted Hughes; Roger McGough; John Lennon; Will and Grace; Countercultures of the 1960s; and Cystic Fibrosis and Online Communities.
He has also lectured on BA (Hons) modules in English and Cultural Studies at York St John University, and on the MA Programme History / The Beatles, Popular Music and Society at Liverpool Hope University.
James's publications on The Beatles emphasise influences of working-class and also black culture on the band. His PhD was cited in Liverpool City Council's 2010 bid for UNESCO City of Music Status.
He has been interviewed about his research by BBC Radio Merseyside, BBC Radio Leeds, and Radio Aire, Leeds. James has also contributed to Guardian podcasts on popular music, and has published writing on popular culture in The Independent and The Big Issue. He was a research consultant for two films about John Lennon, Nowhere Boy (2009) and Lennon Naked (2010), and for a forthcoming BBC One Show special on The Beatles.
James's 2007 article "Reading Autism" (Interdisciplinary Literary Studies) has been cited in numerous subsequent publications; he has also presented papers on autism both at Literary Studies and Health Sciences conferences. He is presently writing up a long-term project titled The Naming of Autism.
Mcgrath JP (2010), Liverpool's black community and the Beatles: Black Liverpudlian angles on the Beatles' history. Soundscapes, vol. 12
Mcgrath JP (2007), Reading Autism. Interdisciplinary Literary Studies, vol. 8 (2), p. 100-113.
Mcgrath JP (2003), Like a Second Needs an Hour: Time and the Work of Paul McCartney. Interdisciplinary Literary Studies, vol. 4 (2), p. 1-20.
Mcgrath JP (2011) John, Paul, George and Richard: The Beatles' Uses of Literacy. In: Mcgrath JP Richard Hoggart: Culture and Critique. : Critical, Cultural and Communications Press, pp. .
Mcgrath JP (2010) Cutting Up A Glass Onion: Re-Reading The Beatles' History and Legacy. In: Mcgrath JP Fifty Years with the Beatles. : University of Lodz Press, pp. 303-326.
Mcgrath JP (2008) Belonging and Isolation in John Lennon and Paul McCartney's Songs. In: Mcgrath JP Displacement and Belonging in the Contemporary World. : European Studies Research Institute (ESRI), pp. .
Mcgrath JP (2007) Reading Post-War Britain in Lennon and McCartney's Imagined Communities. In: Mcgrath JP New Perspectives in British Cultural History. : Cambridge Scholars Publishing, pp. .
Mcgrath JP (2001) What Are we Going to Do Now it's All Been Said? Christian Perspectives in the Songs of U2. In: Mcgrath JP Research for a New Millennium. : University College of Ripon & York St John, pp. .
McGrath JP (2015), 'Closer from a distance': Auras of Factory Records in Design, Place, Film, and Historiography. Manchester Region History Review
McGrath JP (2014), 'Where You Once Belonged' Class, Race and Liverpool Roots of Lennon and McCartney's Songs. Popular Music History, vol. 9 (1)
https://doi.org/10.1558/pomh.v9i1.27616
Mcgrath JP (2017) Naming Adult Autism: Culture, Science, Identity. . London and New York: Rowman and Littlefield International.
Mcgrath JP (2012) Phillips, Harold Adolphus [known as Lord Woodbine] (1929-2000), calypsonian and music promoter. In: Mcgrath JP The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. : Oxford University Press, pp. .
Mcgrath JP (2001) Biblical Allusions in the Songs of U2. In: Mcgrath JP Research for a New Millennium. : York St John, pp. .
Conference contributions (1)
Burnett L; Hussain N; McGrath J; McKnight L (2016) Practices of Writing: The Future of the Humanities The Tetley, Leeds 20160704. : .
Cultural Studies & Humanities Good News
Cultural Studies & Humanities May Good News
New book challenges assumptions about autism
Autism portrayals: then and now
Autism, Systemising and Empathy: Some Inside-out Comments
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Saturday, Aug. 17, 2019
Unitarian Universalist Church
More Obituaries for Joan Benziger
Joan E. Benziger
January 17, 1945-July 1, 2019
OMAHA, NE-Joan Elizabeth Benziger died in Omaha, Nebraska, on July 1, 2019, following a family reunion. She was born January 17, 1945, in Chicago, Illinois and lived most of her adult life in the Quad Cities. Joan was a mother, grandmother, teacher, and dog lover.
She taught for over 30 years. She was a resource, special education, and ESL teacher in Rock Island at Grant, Frances Willard and Horace Mann Elementary schools. In 1987, she was honored as "Teacher of the Year" in the Rock Island School District.
Joan grew up in Glenview and attended Glenbrook North High School in Northbrook, Illinois. She earned a degree from Southern Illinois in 1967 and an MA from Western Illinois in 1980.
She was an active community volunteer and was involved in political campaigns. She was a member of the PTA, National Organization for Women, ACLU, and many other groups. During her time in Davenport, Joan served as the Director of Religious Education at the Unitarian Universalist Society of the Quad Cities.
Joan loved to travel and toured Europe many times.
In 2003, she moved to Iowa City where she lived for almost ten years, becoming a member of the Iowa City Unitarian Universalist Society in 2005. She moved to Omaha to be near her daughter and grandchildren and attended Second Unitarian Church of Omaha.
She is survived by two children, Abigail Burke (Todd Petersen) and Adam Burke (Rachael Snyder); two grandchildren, Zoe and Hayden Petersen; brothers John (Carol) and Jayme (Stephanie), and sister, Jeanine (Mark) Corson.
She was preceded by both parents, John and Winifred Benziger, her brother, James, and her life partner, Michael Knight.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, August 17, at 2 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Davenport.
Published in Quad-City Times on July 12, 2019
"My condolences to the family of a woman who lived a full life and gave so much. Heaven is being blessed."
-Michael Morales
Joan in AZ with her youngest great-nephew, Traevin and her sweet dog, Pixie, always close by.
Joan trying on a friends hat
CONTACT USFAQ
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10 Legends & Myths of Lost City of Atlantis
Legends and myths surrounding the lost city of Atlantis – Atlantis, a legendary ‘lost’ continent or city, will often be mentioned in fantasy stories. It has inspired writers and philosophers throughout time. It is often associated with amazing stories of utopian civilizations and explorers setting out to land there.
1. Origin: The Mind of Greek Philosopher, Plato
Have you ever wondered as to the origin of Atlantis? Why do we talk about the lost island-continent of Atlantis, and from whose mind did it bud off? Legends are usually mysterious because we cannot fully trace their source. Thankfully, though, this is not the case for Atlantis. It began as a story told by Plato, in his dialogues named the “Timaeus” and the “Critias,” dating back to around 330 B.C.
2. Atlantis and its Evil Rulers
What’s interesting is that the Atlantis you’re familiar with is very different from the one conceived by Plato. We might think of Atlantis as a utopian city, with open-minded people and technologically-advanced tools, but that’s not how Plato initially narrated it. Rather, it was quite the contrary in terms of the morals of its people. We have the technology part right, though. So, originally, Atlantis was this continent gifted with sophisticated technology, but with an evil empire at its head, with one goal: conquering the world populations.
3. The Heroes of Atlantis: Ancient Athenians
However, the Earth was not left without guardian. A small group of individuals described as being spiritually pure came together to stop the evil plans from being executed. They declared war against the wickedly-ambitious empire, and defeated the latter with their super-spiritual powers. They were the Athenians.
So, Atlantis started off as a platform to elaborate on the heroism of the Athenians, and not as a sunken-lost-ancient-civilisation story.
4. Later Myths: Atlantis Has Its Place in History
The original concept of Atlantis has recently been distorted. Back in 1881, writer Ignatius Donnelly came up with the idea of describing Atlantis as a lost historical continent. According to him, Atlantis actually existed. His writings mention it being the source of great accomplishments like agriculture and language— subsequent civilizations later took on this knowledge from the people of Atlantis. Donnelly argued that it would have, otherwise, been impossible for them to have acquired the levels of sophistication documented in real history.
5. Who furthered the myths?
Donnelly’s works became an inspiration for others. More stories were concocted in the later 1880s and in the 1920s and 30s. These years witnessed plenty of myths added to the bulk.
6. Past lives in Atlantis
Edgar Cayce who became a notorious psychic back in the 1920s invented the idea that people of his time had lived their past lives in Atlantis.
7. Atlantis Discovered in 1969
Cayce had also predicted that Atlantis would be found in 1969— something which obviously did not ever happen.
8. Atlantis and the Bermuda Triangle
The author behind a 1969-book entitled “The Mystery of Atlantis”, Charles Berlitz, was also convinced of the existence of Atlantis. He ‘explained’ that the Bermuda Triangle myth was the result of occurrences attributed to Atlantis.
9. Locating the continent
The Atlantis legend must be one of the most famous ones worldwide. In spite of repeated explanations of it being just fiction, people from far and wide still believe that there must be some truth to the legend. Many are those who have claimed to have discovered the location thereof.
10. Atlantis located in the Carribean Sea
Some ‘discoverers’ of Atlantis have associated it with Antarctica. Yet others have mentioned the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. Surprisingly, countries like Germany, Turkey, Malta, and Bolivia are also said to be the location of the lost city. On the other hand, scientific data shows that Atlantis could not even have existed because continents have drifted apart over time, without signs of contraction, and quite the contrary, the seafloor has expanded. Atlantis could not have sunk anywhere. Nor does archaeological research ever hint at the existence of a civilization called Atlantis.
So, the lost city of Atlantis was never lost to begin with— simply because it never existed in reality. Only in the fables of Plato.
25 Myths & Facts About The Mayan Civilization
25 myths, legends and facts about the Mayan Civilisation – The Mayan civilisation has captured the attention of thousands over the globe. It was based in Mesoamerica, which is considered to be one of the 6 cradles...
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Tanya Tkacz
Brass Bangles - Tanya Tkacz
Felt Bangles - Rikki Blitt
Jeweller: Tanya Tkacz
Designer, Tanya Tkacz, is from Windsor ON. She studied Art at Wayne State University and graduated from Oakland College in Michigan with a degree in advertising and photography. After graduation, she worked as an Art Director in the advertising industry for six years, designing national ad campaigns in the Detroit Metropolitan area.
As Tanya’s passion for design matured, she was compelled to partner with her mother, Ulyana, they re-launched their company “ULYANA & TETIANA” in 2013. Together their work synthesizes Tanya’s lifelong passion for jewelry design and Ulyana’s flare for photography.
Tanya has been generously mentored and instructed by well- known jewelry designer Joseph Taksar, owner of JTS Design Jewelry Inc. in Oak Park, MI, where she is continuously striving to perfect her skills in metalsmithing. Tanya continues to build her design portfolio by working aside the direction of Dozer, a hip motorcycle designer and steel-sculptor at Dozer Studio in Clawson, MI.
Tanya’s inspiration comes from architecture, nature, art work and fashion. Her collections are comprised of hand-made designs, constructed with precious metals, incorporating silver, bronze and brass with semi-precious gemstones, African beads and fresh water pearls.
Tanya’s collection is constantly evolving as she is developing customized pieces for clients, and showcasing her designs in boutiques in Toronto, ON, Expanding into MI, New York, LA and London, England in the near future. One of Tanya’s cuffs will be viewed in the summer issue of Chloe magazine.
Ms. Jeanne Beker, Canadian television personality, author and newspaper columnist, who covers fashion and lifestyle news for CTV’s Fashion Television, Fashion Television Channel, and the Toronto Star, said:
“You can tell everyone I love your work” 2008
Visit our Queen Street West store to see this designer’s full collection in person. For our store location click here.
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HOUSTON APPELATE COURT EXONERATES INSURANCE AGENT IN BROKER LIABILITY SUIT
In what may be the final denouement of a ten-year litigation saga, Houston’s 14th Court of Appeals recently denied rehearing of its September 2012 opinion holding that an insurance agent was not liable to its client for procuring “bad insurance” after the client’s insurance carrier refused to pay a claim. Guidry v. Environmental Procedures, Inc., No. 14-11-00090-CV, 2012 WL 4017984 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] Sep. 13, 2012, supplemental opinion denying rehearing Jan. 31, 2013).
After the insured was forced to settle a $15 million patent infringement suit out of its own funds, the insured previously sued its carriers, including one liability carrier who had issued coverage with limits of $5 million. In this subsequent suit against the agent, the insured contended the agent had sold the insured “bad insurance” from this carrier and obtained a judgment against the agent in the trial court for the full $5 million policy limit which the insured contended the carrier should have paid. The insured alleged, and the jury agreed, that the agent sold the insured a surplus lines policy without being properly licensed either in Texas or as a surplus lines agent, failed to disclose to the insured that the policy was a surplus lines policy, and sold the insured a policy written by a financially unstable insurer.
The Court of Appeals reversed the trial court’s judgment on the jury verdict and rendered judgment that the insured take nothing. The court concluded that although the agent did commit all the acts alleged, there was no evidence that any of them caused the insured’s damages. There was no evidence that the insured could have obtained coverage from an admitted carrier, no evidence that its claim would have had a different outcome had its insurer been an admitted carrier, and no evidence that the decline in the insurer’s financial rating from A- to D resulted in any actual inability to pay a covered claim.
In response to the insured’s request for rehearing on an alternative theory that it should at least recover the premium it paid to the agent, the court continued to rebuff the insured’s claims. The court again held there was no evidence the insurer’s failure to pay the claim was the causal result of any of the proven acts or omissions of the agent. The court noted that in its prior bad faith suit against the insurer, the insured was able to secure a settlement of $500,000, which on its face showed that the policy was not “worthless,” as the insured contended.
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Home > Community-Based Indicators for HIV Programs > Summary List > Number of HIV-exposed infants receiving a virological test for HIV within two months of birth
Number of HIV-exposed infants receiving a virological test for HIV within two months of birth
Infants born to mothers that are HIV-positive should be tested within four to six months of birth, per World Health Organization (WHO) recommendation, to ensure that antiretroviral therapy (ART) can be provided—ART has been shown to reduce risks of death by AIDS-related illness by 75 percent. Earlier initiation of ART in infants is effective in preventing death and disease progression, but about half of those infected perinatally, and a quarter infected through breastfeeding, will die before their first birthday without treatment. Identification of infants that are exposed to HIV is a crucial element of early infant diagnosis, but identifying infants exposed postnatally, for testing and services, has been proven to be a challenge. HIV DNA polymerase chain reaction testing on dried blood spots has significantly improved early infant diagnosis (EID) services. The WHO has recommended that EID be provided during the six-week immunization visit postpartum for all infants, given the high rate of coverage for vaccination in resource-poor settings, but the WHO recommendation has yet to translate to high EID rates. Barriers to prevention of mother-to-child transmission services in developing countries have been linked to ineffective communication and continuity between antenatal, delivery, and postnatal facilities and poor information systems.
Community workers are essential to the effort to ensure newborns are linked to immunization visits and then also HIV testing, given the importance of motivating and counseling mothers at the household level. Using community workers for case finding and community-based HIV testing has been shown to reduce the burden on health clinics and to increase enrollment in care. This indicator measures the extent to which infants born to women living with HIV are tested within two months of birth to ascertain HIV status and eligibility for ART, and the extent to which community programs are progressing towards this aim. Early diagnosis is key to ensuring early treatment, given the intensity of disease progression among children.
Number of infants who received an HIV test within two months of birth during the reporting period
Sum results across reporting period
Method of measurement
This indicator counts the number of infants born to HIV-positive mothers in the community that were linked to testing services within two months of birth, at least once during the reporting period. Community workers should track HIV-positive pregnant women through their pregnancies and up until the point where risk of vertical transmission to their infants is eliminated. They can collect this information by coordinating with service delivery points and community programs, but also by discussing these questions with the mothers themselves, verifying the age of the infant, and determining whether testing services were received within eight weeks of birth. The community worker should be aware of the date of testing, the infant’s age at testing, and the results of the test.
This information is normally collected through reporting forms given to community workers to track HIV-positive pregnant women and their infants through the continuum of care.
Disaggregation
Infant age (3 months, 9 months, 18 months, within 2 months)
Test result (Negative: within 2 months, between 2–12 months; Positive: within 2 months, between 2–12 months)
Data quality considerations
Limiting the period to two months is said to eliminate the possibility of repeated tests for the same infant and prevent double counting. This indicator does not track whether infants have a definitive diagnosis of HIV or whether appropriate services were provided to the child based on the results of testing. It also does not look at the quality of the testing services provided. Disaggregation by test result should not be used as a proxy for mother-to-child transmission rates.
Reporting frequency
Community workers should collect this information regularly, but they should monitor progress monthly with support from their supervisors. The indicator should be reported on a quarterly basis.
Data element
Early infant diagnosis
Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission, Vulnerable Children, HIV Prevention
Woldesenbet, S. A., Jackson, D., Goga, A. E., Crowley, S., Doherty, T., Mogashoa, M. M., . . . Sherman, G. G. (2015). Missed opportunities for early infant HIV diagnosis: Results of a national study in South Africa. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4337585/
The United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. (2018). Monitoring, evaluation, and reporting (MER 2.0) indicator reference guide updated release (Version 2.2). Washington, D.C.: PEPFAR. Retrieved from https://www.pepfar.gov/documents/organization/263233.pdf
Ahmed, S., Kim, M. H., Sugandhi, N., Phelps, B. R., Sabelli, R., Diallo, M. O., . . . The Child Survival Working Group of the Interagency Task Team on the Prevention and Treatment of HIV infection in Pregnant Women, Mothers and Children. (2013). Beyond early infant diagnosis: Case finding strategies for identification of HIV-infected infants and children. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4122794/
Filed under: HIV PREV, PMTCT, VC
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Dead To The World: Destruction And Dysfunction We Just Won’t Miss
Message Magazine’s Online Devotional for Tuesday, May 31, 2016
Today’s Scripture Focus: Matthew 5:4; Romans 6:11
We are focusing on sin recovery principle number six of 12: “We are now ready for God to give us new characters that reflect that of His Son’s.”
Most of us hate death! If you scour a Facebook timeline at any given time, you are likely to see the hashtag #cancersucks. This is just one example of the hue and cry against the convicted murderer called cancer who has ripped so many families apart. People are fed up and exhausted by death and cancer is one of the chief culprits.
A friend of mine shared that she was sad due to a loss in her family. She talked about wanting to be “strong” for her loved ones by not crying around them, especially not at the funeral. I told her that sadness is natural at these times. God did not create us to be separated from each other through death. Death is an evil with which we must contend now, but will meet its own demise a thousand years after the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. At that time, there will be no more death, sorrow, or pain. Sin, the grave, and death will be cast into the lake of fire that will burn with brimstone. But until then, we will mourn when people die, and God will provide comfort in our times of need.
I don’t know if you realize this or not, but oftentimes we mourn the loss of things we should be happy are dead. For example, some of you have been locked up in dysfunctional or abusive relationships for years. When that abusive man or sexually unfaithful woman decided he or she just could not stomach being another day in a relationship with you and left, you cried real tears. Despite the fact that your lover demonstrated disrespect for the God who lives in you, and by whom you are called, you were chained in your mind to that relationship. When it died abruptly, you mourned. Dry your tears and rejoice! That sort of relationship does not lead you closer to eternity with God. Good riddance.
Some of you are mourning because you are not as desirable a companion to longtime friends after you received Christ into your life. When they go to the bar, they no longer call you to ask if you want to go. When they go on vacations to enjoy the most opulent casinos in the world, they don’t look for you. When they go out to be wined and dined for a night out on the town, you are no longer on speed dial. They go without you. Dry your tears! Do not mourn the death of that aspect of your relationships. Yes, you should want to have their companionship if you miss them. But your new focus is leading them to experience your newfound relationship with God so they, too, can be delivered from eternal death. Do you see where I am going with this?
There are times in our lives that we should welcome death! And before you misunderstand my point, I am not talking about being suicidal, reckless, or having a death wish. I am saying that we should welcome the fact that just as Jesus miraculously died the second death in our stead (that is, eternal separation from God—the penalty for sin), we can die to sin. By faith in Jesus, we can die to sinful desires, addictions, and soul-destroying habits and relationships. If we choose to surrender our lives to Him, to be empowered to do His will, we should rejoice that we can be dead indeed unto sin.
But wait; there’s more! We not only have the privilege to revel in our death to sin but also in our life unto righteousness. Just as Jesus miraculously took His life back from the tomb the Sunday immediately following His crucifixion (He said that He would lay down His life, and He would take it back again), He is miraculously giving people all over the world new lives of righteousness. He is releasing people overcome with pride, greed, drunkenness, rage, laziness, and violence from their tombs. They are, we are, dying to sin and being raised to live according to God’s plan.
So commemorate the day you chose to allow God to crucify your evil character and be thankful for the opportunity to be transformed into the image of Jesus Christ. This is a necessary, blessed step on your road to recovery from sin.
Conscience Cleared And Ready
Today’s Scripture Focus: “Thus he shewed me: and, behold, the Lord stood upon a wall made by a plumbline, with a plumbline in his hand. And the LORD said unto me, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A plumbline. Then said the Lord, Behold, I will set a plumbline in the midst of my people Israel: I will not again pass by them any more:” (Amos 7:7–8).
We are focusing on sin recovery principle number five of 12: “We confessed to God, and when necessary, to people we have offended, the exact nature of our offenses.”
Is your life plumb with the Word of God?
I admit that this is an unusual question. Unless you are a tradesperson, the odds are that you have not even used the word plumb lately, mush less, in this context. But it’s a valid question nonetheless.
As my wife and I prepared for sleep last night, she asked me whether I was sure I had confessed all my sins. It was clear to me that she was working through the process of confession in her mind and how we know whether our sin record is clear from day to day. I told her that I have developed a habit (more so recently) of talking to God all throughout the day about our relationship and my sins. There are times that God reveals when I have sinned, and I talk to Him about it immediately. There are other times that I am wondering if there is some nuance in what I said or did that may have crossed the line. I don’t leave that up to chance because I want to live in harmony with Him at all times. This should be the desire of all believers, but I am particularly sensitive because I am a servant leader who has been entrusted with the responsibility of helping others stay connected to God. There are emergencies and crises of faith that come about suddenly, and it would be a shame if my unrepentance got in the way of helping someone through their crisis. We need to live as ready at all times to be of service to those who want a connection with God but are struggling to have it.
Imagine making an emergency services call because your house is on fire; your father is having a heart attack, or armed assailants are staging a break-in at your home. What if the line were busy? What if the dispatcher did pick up an asked you to call back in 15 minutes so she could see if any paramedics, police officers, or fire fighters were awake and their vehicles are gassed up? How would that make you feel? What if one of those whose job it was to be ready in case of emergency said that they needed to read a 30-page manual and get back to you? What would be the outcome?
The truth is that so many of us are not prepared for emergencies. What if we died suddenly and had no time for deathbed confessions? What if a friend needs prayer because they are being oppressed by evil angels as in Mark chapter five and literally destroying them? What if a loved one is headed down the wrong path and they need someone to intercede for them every day until they come to their spiritual senses? If we choose to continue to sin without remorse and let time pass before we confess our sins to God and accept His power to live according to His holy principles, the consequences are dire.
You may wonder how we are to know when and how to confess our sins. By what measure do we determine our next move? What is the plumb line or tool to measure how straight our lives are? Here are a few verses for your consideration: “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.” (1 John 3:4). “All unrighteousness is sin…” (1 John 5:17a). Here’s one more: “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.” (1 John 1:8–2:4).
The principle standard of righteousness is God’s commandments. The Ten Commandments reveal right and wrong for those who are willing to see. In fact, the Bible says, “…I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.” (Romans 7:7b). We do not need to grope around in darkness wondering when we have done right or wrong. We have the blessed Holy Spirit who brings sin and righteousness awareness to our minds according to the Bible plumb line (John 16:1-13). He also provides the power we need to do God’s will.
I ask again: Is your life plumb with the Word of God? If not, now is the time to accept God’s invitation to live in harmony with Him. Do not let another moment pass before you do. There is far too much at stake.
When Confession Is Humiliating
Today’s Scripture Focus: Genesis 38
Talk about scandal! If you want to read riveting stories of the worst humanity has to offer, look no further than the Bible. You don’t need to burn time watching contrivances on television thought up for your entertainment and little in the way of redeeming value. At least in the Bible, we can learn through God’s inspiration, how to overcome our evil character traits.
The storyline from today’s Scripture reading is too sordid and has too many twists and turns for me to summarize for you here. Be sure to read it for yourself. Suffice it to say; things got complicated, really fast. The deception, sexual indiscretion, betrayal, and surprises all point to the fact that we need to submit ourselves to God before we self-destruct!
There are times we find ourselves in complicated situations that seem too embarrassing to rectify. This may have happened to you. You may have committed a crime, and the security camera footage was flashed on the news, and it’s time to turn yourself in. You thought you got away, but you didn’t. You may have birthed a child for a man who is not your husband and the resemblance to his best friend is uncanny. You should have been faithful to your husband, but you allowed a moment of passion to rule you and life just got more complicated. It’s time to come clean. You may have lied about your employment history, which netted you the job of a lifetime and one of your staffers congratulates you for out matching her. You got the job, and she didn’t even though she was the one qualified for the position. It’s time for you to confess and step down.
Confession of sin and wrongdoing is not fun. Confession can be a very humiliating experience to be sure. But the Bible says that if we confess our sins, God will faithfully forgive and cleanse us from all our evil. We should be specific and speak openly with no dodgy descriptions of our offenses and let God help us face the consequences. If we ever hope to recover from sin, we must let go of our guilt, shame, and secrets so God can deliver us. We can trust God through the process and no matter what happens, if we choose honesty over deception, He will see us through.
Keep The Horse In Front Of The Cart-How To Have Spiritual Success
Message Magazine’s Online Devotional for Friday, May 13, 2016
Today’s Scripture Focus: James 4:7
We are focusing on sin recovery principle number three of 12: “We have decided to submit our wills and lives wholeheartedly to God.”
Have you ever heard the phrase, “They’ve put the cart before the horse?” This is an instructive phrase. I am uncertain of its origin and first use. It is probably safe to say that it was not intended to be spiritual, although it does communicate an essential principle. Let us keep our priorities in order; first things first.
What good is a horse that is intended to draw a cart of passengers if, instead of it being in the front pulling the cart, it is in the rear? How likely is it that the cart would reach its destination? In our walk with God, it is important to keep Him first. He is the One, who has the power to draw us in the right direction.
Many conscientious people have made up in their minds that they will be successful spiritually, no matter the cost. Many of them strive unto blood to resist sin. One problem is that they appear haggard and more. A checklist of dos and don’ts is their focus. It is true, to keep our minds free from lust, we should not watch perverted movies. It is true that we should do our best to resist evil thoughts. It is true that we should help the poor and afflicted. Is it possible that all of these true things could still be displaced? Could it be that in conscientious service to God, we could be putting the cart before the horse?
The Lord intends for us to live pure and holy lives. The key to such an existence is not so much related to mere striving and behavior modification as it is being submissive to Him. The only way to prosper and be holy is to put God first, not good habits. It is when we are humble before God that we can please Him. “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Hebrews 11:6). The reward and victory comes in seeking God, not resisting the devil. “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing” (John 15:5).
When we are submitted fully to God we are cooperating with Him, and then He is able to effect lasting change in our lives.
Prince Part 2: Subtle Heart Indicators
The late rock star was spiritually conflicted about his legacy. That authenticity drew some unlikely fans.
Speculation about how Prince died has gotten so intense that even the DEA has joined the investigation into his death. Many will undoubtedly be skeptical of the tabloid accusations. So far though, no one is disputing the stories about Prince’s spiritual transformation from a profane sexual libertine to the man who once gave a four-hour Biblical lecture to singer Bilal, rapper Common and Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson of The Roots.
Thompson shared a story with NPR’s Terry Gross that captures the dynamic tension between who Prince had been and who he had become. “We’re at Paisley Park (Prince’s home/studio complex), and maybe I let the s-word slip,” Thompson said, referencing a commonly used expletive. “And he was like ‘yeah, that’ll be a dollar’.”
At that point, Prince grabbed one of those water jugs that some people use to save coins and bills. He was using it as a “cuss jar.”
“Actually, you’re rich,” Thompson said Prince said to him. “That’s $20. No cursing.”
“Cursing?” Thompson said he replied. “Wait. You’re the one that taught me how to curse.”
As Prince fans know, his earlier work contained enough profanity and explicit sexual references that it drew the ire of Tipper Gore, ex-wife of former U.S. Senator and Vice-President Al Gore. Ms. Gore, who had purchased Purple Rain for her then 11-year-old daughter, was outraged by some of its content and launched a crusade to mandate warning labels for albums with adult-oriented material. Thompson said that Prince seemed bothered by the idea that his music had influenced Thompson to use profanity.
“I saw the look on his face,” the hip-hop drummer recalled. In Thompson’s opinion, this discomfort – guilt, maybe? – motivated Prince to become the secret philanthropist that only a few knew him to be. “Saving schools,” Thompson said. “I mean, people to this day not knowing where this $3 million check came from. That was all him. I felt like maybe in the last 20 years of his life he felt the need to over-compensate or pay forward – that maybe he damaged some of us who grew up listening to his music.”
Political commentator Van Jones also knew about Prince’s quiet charity. He said the artist supported Green For All, an organization that creates environmentally sound jobs in poor communities. Prince also supported #YesWeCode, which teaches inner-city youth about technology. “The truth is that you’re either here to enlighten or discourage,” he told an MTV interviewer in 1999. By this time, Prince had begun Bible studies with legendary bassist Larry Graham, who is a Jehovah’s Witness.
Duality: How did fans–Christian ones–reconcile lyrics and lifestyle with an artist who was engaged in spiritual and natural struggle?
Graham’s initial fame came from his stint with Sly and the Family Stone and then his own band Graham Central Station. By 1999, Prince had recruited him to join his New Power Generation band. He and Prince grew so close that Graham began calling him “baby brother.” “Larry has been so kind as to help me with a lot of things that I didn’t have quite a firm grip on,” Prince told a Dutch television interviewer in 1999. “There’s a lot of temptation out in the world. And it can confuse you and get you wrapped up in something that keeps you from the truth, but with a loving brother like that by your side you usually do alright.”
“Kudos to Larry Graham for reaching out,” said David Thomas of Take 6, a long-time Prince fan. “And to other people who reached out when they sensed there was a struggle there, and actually became brothers in Christ that reached out to Prince.” Thomas told Message that Take 6 and Prince crossed paths several times through the years. One of their most memorable encounters for Thomas was when the group was in Los Angeles to perform with Stevie Wonder for the 2001 broadcast “America: A Tribute to Heroes.”
Prince, who has cited Wonder as a role model, invited Take 6 and Wonder to join him later at his club Glam Slam in L.A. “If Prince invites me to his club, I’m going,” Thomas said. When he and his wife Marla got there, they were ushered into the VIP area at the side of the stage. Prince was already on stage, playing guitar and jamming with his band.
“As soon as he sees that I walked in, he immediately switches over to start playing ‘Mary, Don’t You Weep’,” Thomas recalled. “It was a seamless transition. And he was playing it more in a blues style.” The whole band joined in as Prince played and sang the Take 6 staple. It was confirmation for Thomas that Prince was a fan. Anyone who has been to a Take 6 concert in recent years has seen the section where the group, widely known for its gospel repertoire, pays tribute to their secular musical influences. That’s when Thomas, who sings the fourth tenor part in the sextet, goes to the piano and sings a Prince song.
Thomas first heard Prince as a child, but he had to hide his interest in the artist. “My parents didn’t let me listen to that kind of music,” he said. So he would go out and buy Prince albums without their knowledge. At first, Thomas was drawn to the uniqueness of the rhythm of Prince’s arrangements, the melody of the songs and the raw passion of his performances.
As he got older, he and his friends began to discuss the challenge of reconciling Prince’s explicit lyrics with their Christian faith. “What I found in Prince’s music is sort of a duality,” Thomas said. “There are times when he is speaking profoundly Christian messages in some songs, and there’s some times when he’s not. That kind of resonated with me as well. There are times when I feel more connected in the Spirit, and there are times when I don’t, when I’m struggling.
“Kudos to Larry Graham for reaching out,” said David Thomas of Take 6, a long-time Prince fan. “And to other people who reached out when they sensed there was a struggle there.”
“And it’s very strange to me that when we see people struggling that we tend to judge, versus trying to figure out what they’re struggling with.”
While many are uncomfortable with or even offended by the raw nature of Prince’s older material, Thomas believes that Christian music should strive for that level of authenticity. He pointed to the imprecatory psalms, also known as the “cursing psalms”, as examples of harsh, real feelings being expressed in a spiritual context.
“Let death take my enemies by surprise; let them go down alive to the grave.”Psalm 55:15
“O God, break the teeth in their mouths.” Psalm 58:6
“I was raised in a Christian family,” Thomas said. “Everybody’s not always happy. Things are not always honkey-dorey just because you’re a Christian.”
During the Dutch television interview, Prince was asked what he considers his “destination” to be, since he once said that the more songs he writes, the closer he gets to it. His answer reflected an awareness of, and appreciation for, the dynamics of his own spiritual journey. “I would say complete oneness with the Spirit of God,” Prince said. “And a knowledge of the truth.”
Paisley Prince art by Michelle Paccione/Shutterstock
Call On God’s Authority To Break Free
Message Magazine’s Online Devotional for Monday, May 9, 2016
Today’s Scripture Focus: Psalms 61
I can attest to the fact that God’s ears are attentive to the prayers of those who love Him. He is ready, willing and available to answer us when we call. The problem is that too many of us neglect to call upon Him. Too many of us put God last on our to-do lists.
Let me tell you a story. I was at a meeting with church leaders this past Saturday night. After several minutes, there was a knock at the door. It was one of our elders (servant leaders who support pastors in facilitating relationship with God among the membership). He said that there were two people down in the sanctuary who were thought to have medical emergencies, but it was evident that they were being oppressed by evil angels (as in Mark 5). They were not sick. So, a group of us armored up, prayed and confessed our sins to God, so we could intervene under the power of the Holy Spirit, and in the authority of Jesus.
To make and incredibly long story short, it was true. These two people were under the direct oppression of evil angels. I will not say all that happened, but suffice it to say, as we all prayed, read Scripture, and sang holy songs in the Sanctuary with them, when it was my time to anoint and pray over one of them, I did so in the spirit of Psalm 61.
I asked the Lord to hear my cry to Him. My heart was overwhelmed as I called on His name for assistance. I spoke of the fact that we already knew that He loves them. Jesus gave His blood for them. I spoke of the fact that we were in His house, and in the memory of the future King David’s disdain for the evil Philistine giant taunting the people of God, I asked God why He was allowing such a thing in His house. I asked Him where we had gone wrong and like Daniel and Isaiah confessed whatever could have been our part. I asked Him to be jealous over His honor and to get glory in the situation by breaking the yoke and set that captive free. I knew (we all did) that there was safety under God’s wings of protection. We had full faith and assurance that God wanted to deliver those dear ones to be in control of themselves. I asked the Lord to forgive them for whatever they had done, which may have created a foothold in their lives for the enemy to take over. I asked Him to teach them to love Him and serve Him. In the spirit of verse seven, I asked Him to protect and reign over them. I could not hear what the other team of elders were saying with the other person, but I am sure it was very similar. We love and believe in the same God.
I am delighted to report to you that God came through. (What did you think would happen?) He delivered those two people whom He loves so dearly. He manifested His pleasure in giving people the opportunity to know Him and live eternally without the devil forcing them to do his evil bidding. The key to their deliverance was the authority of King Jesus who has repeatedly defeated the devil on many fronts, God’s people (in this case a few leaders) making certain that we were in full submission to Him ourselves before we even attempted to step on that battlefield, and simply asking God to do what we already knew He wanted to do.
If you want to have victory in your life, ask God to teach you whole life submission to Him.
Guess what else I asked God to do? In the spirit of verse eight, I asked Him to teach those folks to praise Him for His goodness to them and to serve Him. Whenever God is so gracious to condescend to help us, we must be certain to thank and praise Him. I don’t know how many of us realize this, but God is very busy. He has a universe to run. He is kind enough to attend to our needs and some of our wants too.
If you want to have victory in your life, ask God to teach you whole life submission to Him and make the following verses your life’s motto: “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.” (Philippians 4:8–9).
If God could deliver those dear children of His from this terrible ordeal, what in your life is too difficult for Him? Nothing.
Recovery Principle: Submitting Through Trials And Correction
Today’s Scripture Focus: Isaiah 54:4-8
I admit that some of us Christians behave as though we can do no wrong, which is evident in the way some of us find fault with people before we lend a helping hand. Don’t get me wrong, those who love God must help people who are consistently doing things God does not approve, but if we are to be effective, we must take our cues from Jesus. He always called sin by its name. He never sugar-coated it just to make people feel better. He knew that to shroud the facts would be detrimental to those living outside God’s will. The key, however, was to help people see the error of their ways as He empowered them to live holy lives.
When hypocritical leaders heartlessly dragged a woman caught in the act of adultery into the temple, Jesus did identify that she sinned, but He also empowered her to turn from it, rather than to condemn her to hell. She had a choice to either accept His love and power or reject it. The leaders chose to reject His grace and hold on to their hypocrisy to their detriment.
I know a prominent pastor whose story is the embodiment of our theme verses. At what may have been considered the apex of his career as a church leader, he found himself in a world of trouble. For some time, he engaged in sins that became public and devastated many who looked on. People were unable to reconcile the fact that he was such a powerful man of God and that he engaged in such activity. He had led so many people to right relationship with God. He had trained so many leaders for service. He was a great family man and a lover of all things holy, yet he fell prey to evil desires.
“For a small moment have I forsaken thee; But with great mercies will I gather thee. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; But with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, Saith the LORD thy Redeemer” (Isaiah 54:7-8).
He had a decision to make. Would he wallow in self-pity and turn his back on God forever or would he accept the consequences of his actions, invest time in righting his wrongs, and emerge from the experience a more refined believer than ever before? I am pleased to report that he chose the latter. I met him and spent lots of time with him over the years since then and his story of triumph in the Spirit is nothing short of remarkable. What I discovered was that his favorite text had become: “For a small moment have I forsaken thee; But with great mercies will I gather thee. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; But with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, Saith the LORD thy Redeemer” (Isaiah 54:7-8).
Like Israel of old to whom this referred, this man experienced the incredible love of God. He experienced the pain and shame of having deviated from God’s path for a time. Like Israel, He felt the loneliness of exile when some colleagues and so-called friends wrote him off as though his sins were more egregious than theirs and that he could scarcely be recovered from his fault. He experienced the pain of feeling forsaken by God, but in mercy, our heavenly Father gathered this gentleman under His banner of protection. God gave this man of God the gift of repentance and has made his ministry more fruitful than it had ever been before. And many people have learned how to submit their lives to God even through their roughest, most embarrassing trials.
His story is an encouragement to me. If I did not already know that God loved me and could deliver me from any problem or sin, I certainly found out as I experienced this man’s living testimony. God taught him submission. He can teach you too!
Message Magazine’s Online Devotional for Sabbath, May 7, 2016
Today’s Scripture Focus: Deuteronomy 30:15-20
While not all of us have been addicted to drugs or alcohol, all of us have been addicted, at some time or another, to sin. We each have exercised our free wills and made conscious decisions to serve ourselves, to serve sin. We may have harbored unforgiving feelings, had the love of money, doubted God’s love for us, or harbored some secret habit that seemed it would never loosen its grip.
The blessing is that as easily as we have become addicted to sin, God can give us new minds so we can become fixated on life. When we surrender our thought lives to God and allow Him to take complete control of us, we learn to choose life over death. We learn that there is no temptation God has neglected to give us the power to overcome. We learn that there is no infraction, big or small, that others can commit against us that we will not forgive. We learn that choosing life over death is not merely about overcoming bad habits, but finally being able to see or God for the loving, gentle Father He is. We finally learn the utter futility of pursuing fleeting earthly pleasures and embrace the blessing of eternal life with all the saints and our God, who gave all so we could choose life.
Recovery Principle: U-Turns Permitted
Message Magazine’s Online Devotional for Thursday, April 28, 2016
Today’s Scripture Focus: Acts 9:1-9
We are focusing on sin recovery principle number one of 12: “We admit that we are powerless against sin and thus we cannot manage our lives without God’s miraculous intervention.”
Do you see the light? Have you ever been on one path in life and suddenly something so pivotal happened that it changed your life forever?
Saul’s story of God accepting U-turns is amazing. He was on a mission with one clear outcome in view—havoc. He thought he was in control. He had very specific plans laid. He had an idea of how things should be. And he marched steadily toward his goal. But God arrested that situation. This is how good God is. There are many times we think we understand life and are marching steadily toward destruction, but God will intervene and arrest our attention. He might use sickness, our feelings towards the death of a loved one, loss of employment, or a marital breakup as a catalyst to get our attention. It is often when we are most vulnerable that we become the most receptive.
Saul has a direct encounter with God, gets blinded, knocked of his (high) horse, and startled. The one who was bullheaded and completely off-course was now humbled and receptive. God introduced Himself to Saul in a way that he could understand. A powerful man like Saul needed to experience the One who could nullify his bravado. The blessing is, that as Jesus spoke to Saul, and spoke directly to his issue, Saul’s heart instantly became pliable. God can work with even the roughest of us if we just press pause and become pliable. In his wounded state, Saul was transformed to become one of the most powerful soldiers for the kingdom of God the world has ever seen.
What’s your story? Are you living in opposition to God right now? Is there some area of your life you’ve not submitted to Him? Has He been arranging your circumstances to get your attention? Have you been listening or running the opposite direction? God welcomes U-turns.
Maybe you are already a friend of God, but you still try to live as a co-pilot in your life, rather than allowing God to fully take over the controls. Yes, God does want our cooperation, but we need to just let Him fly the plane. And when we do, we are guaranteed to arrive at our destination safely.
Whether we are God’s friends or not right now, I realize it’s extremely difficult to admit we are not as powerful as we once thought. However, if Saul, a well-educated and decorated enemy of God could surrender his heart, there is no reason we can’t. Jesus is on His way. He’s coming back to take people who love Him to heaven for a thousand year vacation while He prepares to recreate our home, the earth made new. It would be a shame if what stands between us and eternal life is a simple decision to surrender under the power of His Spirit. God allows U-turns. Turn to Him today and follow Him for the rest of your life.
Prince: Were There Signs Of A Struggle?
The Artist Formerly Known As Risque Rock Star Had Spiritual Questions
Editor’s Note: The story of Prince Rodgers Nelson is a baffling example of contradiction. When he died unexpectedly last week, the news resurrected old questions: how does someone who grew up in a conservative Christian denomination and later practice a surprisingly devout lifestyle turn out like him? Considering the continuum of religious experience, it should not be a surprise says writer David Person, who is working on the next article about Prince. He’s looking for first-hand anecdotes. Got any? Write us: editor@messagemagazine.com.
L.A. Reid, chairman and CEO of Epic Records, told what may be the most compelling story about Prince, the rock/funk legend who died on April 21. Reid was being interviewed the next day on CBS’s This Morning show when he referenced the artist’s 1984 hit “Let’s Go Crazy,” which has this line: “And if the elevator tries to bring you down/Go crazy, punch a higher floor.”
Reid then recounted what he said was a portion of a private conversation he and Prince had. “You know what the elevator is right?” Reid said Prince asked him. “The elevator is the devil.” Reid said he found it “haunting” that Prince was found dead in an elevator in his own home. And for many, that is the highlight of Reid’s story. But they may be missing a more interesting insight into the controversial artist who was born Prince Rodgers Nelson.
Here are the opening lines to “Let’s Go Crazy”: “Dearly beloved/We are gathered here today/To get through this thing called life/Electric word life/It means forever and that’s a mighty long time/But I’m here to tell you/There’s something else/The after world/A world of never ending happiness/You can always see the sun, day or night.”
Was Prince, in his own way, exploring existential, spiritual, perhaps even religious ideas, in the song? And if the elevator in the song symbolized the devil trying to bring a person down, could the advice to “go crazy, punch a higher floor” also been a spiritual suggestion? It seems more likely than not, especially in light of Prince’s more obvious explorations of political, spiritual and even overtly Christian themes over the course of his 39 studio albums. The rock star who made his name with such sexually-charged hits as 1979’s “I Wanna Be Your Lover” and 1980’s “Darling Nickki” later released the socially-conscious, electro-funk hit “Sign O’ The Times” and the overtly Christian rock anthem “The Cross,” both in 1987 – as well as 2004’s “Cinnamon Girl,” a politically-charged defense of Muslims, and 2015’s “Baltimore,” a tribute to Freddy Gray, the man who died in police custody.
“Prince’s music was informed by his spirituality, but most important, his religion,” said Dr. Darrell Ezell, director for Interfaith Action and the Center for Religion, Culture, and Foreign Affairs at Claremont Lincoln University. “A lot of people thought that Prince personified party, that Prince personified celebration. But Prince was transformation.”
Some have called him a “modern day Mozart,” a comparison that must rankle classical music purists. But for most, it was not just his prolific proficiency as a songwriter or virtuoso guitar solos that defined Prince. It also was his unabashed sexuality, unapologetic androgyny and occasional blasphemy that made him a star.
Prince grew up a religious child. He was raised Seventh-day Adventist and would attend the Glendale SDA Church with his grandmother. His dramatic, provocative transformation into a risqué sex symbol must have been a shock to many who knew him back then. His conversion to the Jehovah’s Witness faith must have been just as surprising to the legions of fans who had embraced his joyful flaunting of religious and societal traditions. The Associated Press was the first news outlet to report Prince’s newfound faith in 2001, which he had revealed in an interview with Gotham magazine.
“He often mentioned in his writings and even interviews that he struggled with comprehending and understanding the world, and the two worlds that exist, the sacred and the secular.”
“When I look at the violence, I wonder where the parents are, but also where is God in their lives?” Prince told Gotham. “A kid is an open computer ready for programming. Some weird relationships happen, smoking too early and sex.” But as early as 1987, it was clear that Prince had more on his artistic mind than sex.
“With that song ‘Sign O’ the Times’ in particular, the brother was calling out major issues taking place in the world in 1987,” Ezell told Message. “Sign O’ The Times,” first verse: “In France, a skinny man died of a big disease with a little name/By chance his girlfriend came across a needle and soon she did the same/At home there are seventeen-year-old boys and their idea of fun/Is being in a gang called ‘The Disciples’/High on crack and totin’ a machine gun.”
Ezell believes that Prince had been looking for spiritual answers for years and his art reflected this. “He often mentioned in his writings and even interviews that he struggled with comprehending and understanding the world,” Ezell said. “And the two worlds that exist, the sacred and the secular. So how do you co-exist in the middle, and make both audiences feel ok in doing so?
“I think that what Prince did was he incorporated his religious convictions into the secular, pop music world.” Longtime Prince guitarist Dez Dickerson suggested something similar to Touré, author of the 2013 book “I Would Die 4 U.”
“There’s maybe three Prince personas,” Dickerson told Touré. “One of them is a very calculated marketing mind. That’s where the ’embodying pure sex’ thing comes from. Another of them is ‘I’m gonna be the baddest musician there ever was.’ “And then there’s the guy who really is thoughtful and introspective and holds religious considerations close to his heart and ponders those questions sincerely and genuinely and deeply. And those are the three guys who, over the years, have vied for the microphone.”
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RISD Rising?
Site Staff,
Last December the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) announced that John Maeda, associate director of research at the MIT Media Lab, would succeed Roger Mandle as president in June. It was by all accounts a bold and curious choice. Maeda, a 41-year-old designer, computer scientist, professor, author, and artist, had never run an institution of higher learning—and here he was chosen to lead one of the premier art and design schools in the country. What exactly was RISD thinking?
Maeda is clearly a man of energy and passion, well suited to the public-cheerleader role of a college president. But his appointment is arguably a response to the successful 15-year reign of Mandle, who grew the school’s endowment from $67 million to $367 million, physically enlarged the campus, and for the first time forged a partnership with the city of Providence that mutually benefited both parties. Maeda is inheriting a substantially stronger school, and his appointment undoubtedly reflects an institution that is asking itself, What next? Recently, executive editor Martin C. Pedersen talked with Maeda—as he was waiting to board a plane to Japan—about his new job, the challenges ahead, and the “cult” of RISD.
We’re great fans of yours here at the magazine, but we were all slightly surprised. Everyone thought, Wow, interesting choice. So how did this happen?
It’s the kind of thing you dream about, and then you hit the lottery. I had always wondered what I would do with my life, how I could serve the art and design community. And, personally, I’d done all the work that I could do, wanted to do something different, and then I got a call from the presidential-search committee. I went to interview with them and discovered that everything I was looking for was right there.
Was leaving MIT something you’d been thinking about?
I’d been at MIT for quite a while, but I was a bit tired of technology. I think all of us are. We have so much of it, more of it every day, and we’re not sure why we’re buying so much of it. It’s kind of like a summer movie—except it lasts too long. But leaving MIT is a big step for anyone. It is one of the top schools in the world. So it had to be something spectacular—and crazy to dream of doing—and there it was.
Why do you think RISD picked you? To go from running a department to leading a university is a pretty big leap. What sold them?
It’s going from 300 to 3,300 people. What sold them was a simple idea: RISD already works very well as is. It’s well run; everything is balanced. It at-tracts great students and great faculty; the alums are spectacular. The system works fine. Roger Mandle has done a great job for the last fifteen years. I call it the RISD ship. The airplane is flying fine. And you could probably get any qualified individual to run RISD, and the plane could fly forever on autopilot because all the systems are in place. But the board was asking, What would you bring? And I responded, What if instead of flying in the air you lifted into outer space? Or went under the sea? Where do you find new challenges? And the neat thing about the search committee is that they were asking themselves the same questions. I think a faculty person on the search committee said basically that I’m still growing and he’d like to see how RISD can grow with someone who’s still growing.
Who was on the search committee?
It was a combination of faculty, staff, students, and trustees. And I was just humbled at each point along the way. It was like, Wow, do you really want me to come back? It was so inspiring to see how much hope there is for RISD’s future among the school’s constituents. I have an internal blog right now, and I’m speaking with RISD people on an almost hourly basis. This is alums, students, staff, and faculty, and they’re all asking, What can we be? I don’t know what the sixties was like, but maybe this is what it was like.
What were some of the ideas you introduced during the search process that got them jazzed about you?
One thing that put people at ease is that I’m a technologist but I don’t like technology. I’m a very conservative thinker in terms of art and design. I believe in the fundamentals, the classics. But at the same time, I’m pragmatic about the future and willing to ask, What’s going to happen twenty years from now? I can see it coming. So I’m asking the question, How do you connect quality, which is represented by the classics and tradition, with the question mark of the future? How do you ask that and avoid the common situation worldwide in all art and design schools, who say, “Hey, we need a computer lab. We need a hundred Macs, or they should all run Adobe, this/that.” The world is working in a very homogenous space of expression. So how do you get beyond that? You do it by not playing catch-up.
Much of what a college president does involves fund-raising, and you’re someone who has spent a lot of time being an artist and a creative person. How are you going to reconcile your artistic and design interests with that absolute obligation?
It’s all going to be a work in progress. If you look at the average stats for university presidents, fund-raising is anywhere from 75 to 85 percent of their time. So I look at that stat and know that I’m signed up for advancing RISD’s reputation and attracting new resources to it. It was my primary role at the Media Lab, and I actually enjoyed it because you’re doing something meaningful. I will continue to make things on the side once in a while just to stay creatively fit, but I’ve already had a really wonderful run.
How does someone who’s never run a college step in? What are the logistics of that?
I’m meeting a lot of university presidents. It’s so interesting how it happens: suddenly all of these presidents are willing to make time for a guy like me. They all want to approach me. They tell me that it’s one of the best jobs in the world, but it’s really about how you embrace the entire institution. How do you get your arms and heart and mind around it?
It’s funny, I had the same feeling when I came to MIT in 1996 and replaced the great Muriel Cooper. I was like, Holy cow, how do I follow in her footsteps? And now I’m in the same position twelve years later with Roger, who has made major progress in the past fifteen years. Although I have to say, I’m an MIT alum and it’s a great place, but the alums don’t talk about MIT in this weird, almost Apple-like frenzy that RISD people do.
That is true. You respect MIT, but you don’t necessarily love it.
It’s not like my iPod or my iPhone. But the alums speak about RISD with that same fervor, which fills my heart with excitement.
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Division of Professional Licensure
Policy Statement Massachusetts Board of Registration of Cosmetology Policy Bulletin Regarding Expiration of Incomplete Education
Referenced Sources:
Statutes and Regulations (Cosmetology and Barbering)
Massachusetts Board of Registration of Cosmetology Policy Bulletin Regarding Expiration of Incomplete Education
Re-Issued December 7, 1999
The Board of Registration of Cosmetology voted today to re-issue the following policy guidelines. These policy guidelines are intended as the Board’s guidelines for eligibility to obtain licensure in the cosmetology profession and reflect the Board’s longstanding policy that educational programs be structured in such a way that incomplete education, after a period of time, becomes stale and cannot be utilized for licensure purposes.
Policy No. 20
Purpose: To provide guidance to applicants and to Board approved schools regarding how to credit incomplete educational programs.
Policy: At its regularly scheduled Board meeting on December 7, 1999, the Board of Registration of Cosmetology voted to re-issue the following policy:
If a student fails to complete an educational program, those hours earned can be combined with hours from another educational program for a period of one year after the termination of the program. For educational programs discontinued between one and three years, half of the hours earned will be deemed expired. No incomplete education will be accepted for licensure which is more than three years old. Credit for any incomplete programs is subject to Board approval.
Discussion: Under G.L. c. 112, §87CC, the Board of Registration of Cosmetology is authorized to make “reasonable rules and regulations as are necessary for the proper conduct of its business.” Further, under G.L. c. 112, §87V, 87W, and 87X, students must completed courses in schools approved by the Board. On this basis, the Board notes that courses of study approved for licensure teach skills that build on one another, failing to complete said courses in a timely manner defeats the purpose of said courses and would lead to students ill prepared to work in the cosmetology profession. Therefore, the Board has developed the above policy to ensure that only students with a proper, timely, and complete education are able to get a license to practice in this profession.
Thanks, your message has been sent to Division of Professional Licensure!
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Celebrating 25 years of the European MH Group (A Report on the most recent meeting)
Whenever I can, I try to attend the meeting of the European MH Group. The group consists of many scientists and physicians who are actively investigating malignant hyperthermia and Central Core Disease and their relation to other muscle diseases. This year the meeting was held in the beautiful and charming University town of Lund, Sweden, just south of Malmo which is connected to Copenhagen by a new and extremely long bridge, called the Oresund Bridge.
The 50 or so participants came from many European countries, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, the US and Canada. Joining me from the US were Drs. Barbara Brandom our Director of the North American Registry and Dr. Mary Theroux (a hotline consultant) and her colleague Dr. Divya Dixit from DuPont Children’s Hospital in Delaware, MD.
In some years attendees also came from the former Soviet Republic and Asia, but not this year. The meeting was hosted by Dr. Gunilla Islander a founding member of the EMHG and Klaus Glans from Denmark. Matter of fact this meeting celebrated the 25th year of the founding of the EMHG and the founding members were present: Richard Ellis, from Leeds, Helle Ording formerly from Cophenhagen, Roger Fletcher from the UK, and Gunilla Islander from Lund. European hospitality was definitely in order and greatly appreciated.
It was nice to be among an international group of scientists and physicians committed to a better understanding of MH and related disorders in the interest of better and safer patient care. I was impressed with many of the presentations related to the molecular genetics of MH. One of the most interesting was presented by Dr. Natasha Kraeva from Toronto. With the collaboration of the testing centers in Toronto and Ottowa they found that screening of the full length RYR-1 gene (The gene most clearly associated with MH susceptibility) in 31 unrelated individuals who were MH susceptibles (25) or had Central Core Disease (6), mutations were found in 61% of the samples. Seven of the eighteen mutations were new and predicted to be related to causing either MH or Central Core Disease. This finding is similar to studies done in the MH investigative units in Leipzig, Germany, Lund, Sweden and in Leeds, UK. Does this mean that that there are parts of the gene that have not been explored and will have changes that predispose to MH (e.g. the so called non-coding section of the gene, the introns)? Or that there are other genes that can predispose to MH (we know of one other, the DHPR gene, but that can account for only a few percent of cases)? Or might there be other genes that influence the expression of the RYR-1 gene and be causal? Or is the biopsy test giving us false positives? Without answers to these questions it will be difficult to increase the sensitivity of the genetic test to make it a widespread screening test.
The MH group in Cologne, Germany, headed by Dr. Frank Wappler, has been studying the effect of the drug Ecstasy on MH susceptible swine. Ecstasy is an amphetamine like abuse drug that leads, in certain situations, such as “rave “parties, to high body temperature, acid base disturbance and muscle breakdown. Hence might MH susceptibles be at special risk if they take this medication? Although the MH susceptible pigs seem to develop greater physiologic abnormalities when given large quantities of the drug, the difference is more quantitative than qualitative. i.e., MH susceptibility does not seem to play a role in the response. However, what was interesting is that dantrolene (or more properly a new formulation of dantrolene called Ryanodex) reverses the MH-like signs. Therefore, there is a strong suggestion that patients who appear in the Emergency Department suffering from Ecstasy overdose should be treated with dantrolene. How dantrolene reverses the signs of Ecstasy overdose (which is really a form of Serotonin syndrome) is not clear.
Another interesting abstract from the MH group in Leeds, UK demonstrated that, at least under certain conditions, calcium located in the extracellular space can enter the cell and aggravate the ongoing elevation of intracellular calcium that is the hallmark of MH that results from the release of calcium from the sarcoplasmic reticulum.
The group also was unable to document new DNA variants in the dihidropyridine receptor gene.
A progress report was given on the development of an MH testing center in Czechoslovakia by Dr. Stepankova. Their center has biopsied 120 individuals and identified 14 families with RYR-1 mutations.
Dr. Kathryn Stowell’s group presented several presentations based on their biochemical and genetic studies of MH from Massey University, New Zealand.
Dr. Mariz Vainzof from the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil representing the group interested in MH and other myopathies described findings demonstrating a high frequency of RYR1 variants in Brazilian patients with Centronuclear myopathy (CNM). CNM is a diverse group of congenital, inherited muscle diseases that share a common pathologic appearance; enlarged centrally located myonuclei surrounded by a halo of disorganized cytoplasmic organelles.
The abstract I presented examined cases reported to the MHAUS hotline since January 2006 that were likely or definitely MH according to the consultants. Of the 27 such calls from hospitals there were two deaths, while of the 13 such calls from ambulatory centers or office surgery centers, there were three deaths, or a mortality that is about three times greater than in the hospital setting. A few caveats, the calls may not represent all cases that occurred in such settings and there were calls that could not be classified as to whether they derived from a hospital or ambulatory setting. Nevertheless, the findings raise concern that when MH occurs outside a hospital setting, there is a greater likelihood of a bad outcome. While some may argue with the findings, we at MHAUS are proceeding with developing protocols to manage the care of MH when it occurs in an outpatient setting.
This is a brief overview of the meeting. All the 50 or so participants were actively engaged in the discussions of the papers.
Finally, there were a few other interesting aspects to the program. For non-anesthesiologists, Dr. Islander had arranged a demonstration of an actual MH case in the University’s simulator laboratory.
Dr. A. Bom, a senior scientist at Organon laboratories, a part of Schering Plough, delivered a riveting presentation on his development of a new reversal agent for certain paralyzing drugs used by anesthesiologists and intensivists. The agent, Sugammadex, works by a novel mechanism, i.e., binding the paralyzing agent so that it becomes inactive. The speed with which it works implies that a relatively long-acting paralyzing agent can be turned into a short-acting agent by this compound. This can effectively replace succinylcholine, one of the known triggers of MH and eliminate other unpleasant complications of succinylcholine.
Next year’s meeting will be held in Australia and hosted by Robyn Gillies of Melbourne and other MH investigators in Australia and New Zealand.
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Congress Is Set to Give Millions of Dollars to States That Teach Abstinence-Only Education
By Gregory Krieg
Members of Congress have struck a tentative deal to keep the federal government funded and open for business through at least next September. The deal, cobbled together at the 11th hour, appears to have enough votes to pass the House and Senate before the Friday deadline.
But the bargain comes at a price to young people who so desperately need access to information about birth control and safe-sex practices.
Under a new provision in the comprehensive $1.1 trillion spending bill, states could rake in millions of dollars in federal funds if they pledge to teach high school students that "abstinence from sexual activity is the only certain way to avoid out-of-wedlock pregnancy."
Since 1996, individual states have had the option of receiving federal matching funds — up to $50 million annually, in total — for agreeing to embrace "abstinence education." But because so many governors either didn't want to spend their own cash or preferred "comprehensive" sex ed, most of them left the money on the table.
As part of today's agreement, an estimated $12 million to $15 million will become available, at no cost to the local taxpayers, to any state promising to follow these guidelines for abstinence education:
1. Have as its exclusive purpose, teaching the social, psychological and health gains to be realized by abstaining from sexual activity;
Beyond the rotten suggestion that teaching teens, many of them in states that do not allow gays to marry, that a "relationship in the context of marriage is the expected standard of human sexual activity," countless scientific studies have confirmed that abstinence-only education does nothing to change sexual behavior.
One from the American Journal of Public Health, first published in 2007, showed that the long decline in teen pregnancies — down 86% between 1995 and 2002 — was due, simply, to a "dramatic improvement in contraceptive use."
A quick scan of the states provides even more stark evidence suggesting the dangers that follow a commitment to abstinence-only teaching. New Hampshire, which teaches comprehensive sex ed, has the lowest teen pregnancy rate in the country at 2.8% (half the national average). Meanwhile in Mississippi, where it's abstinence or no sex education at all, the number is nearly tripled, at 7.6%.
Mississippi, it should be noted here, has only one legal and functioning abortion clinic. And that's only because two federal appeals courts have shot down efforts to have it closed.
In New Mexico, where a nation-high 8% of teens become pregnant, there is no state-mandated sexual education curriculum. Following that, the state reports that the use of condoms among those teens is just 60%. The national average is 75%.
"It's fiscally irresponsible for Congress to strengthen funding streams for abstinence-only programs that have been proven ineffective," Planned Parenthood president Cecile Richards said in a statement this morning. "Comprehensive sex education programs have been proven effective in helping young people delay the initiation of sex, as well as increasing the use of condoms and birth control when they do become sexually active."
While it is unclear how many states will take the newly available funds, the spending deal — signed off on by a Democratic Senate, but with Republicans, soon to be in the majority, holding all the cards — shows the apparently slight but dangerous effect that GOP control of both chambers of Congress could have on American teens.
h/t Huffington Post
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Fixture release date set for the Isthmian League
Matt Pole
It has been announced that the fixtures for the upcoming 2019/20 Isthmian League campaigns will be released on Thursday July 11.
No time has been set for the release, but key fixtures will be posted on the league's website - isthmian.co.uk - and shortly afterwards each Isthmian League club will release their own full programme.
The Isthmian Premier Division will begin on Saturday August 10 while. The North, South Central, and South East will begin a week later, but some of these clubs may be competing in the extra preliminary round of the FA Cup on August 10.
2019's Non-League Day will be held on Saturday October 12.
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A Is for Anthology: The Creators of Fault Lines Talk About Writing and Publishing Short Stories
The Sisters in Crime NorCal chapter is proud to announce its first anthology in its 25-year history.
With literally millions of books published every year, how can a reader find her/his next favorite novel? How can an author find appreciative readers? One popular route is the short story. From flash fiction to novellas, these appetizer-sized tales connect 21st-century book-lovers with exciting voices they haven't heard before.
Join us at 6 PM on Tuesday, May 21, for a behind-the-scenes look at how anthologies are created. Five panelists from Sisters in Crime will read brief samples and answer questions about Fault Lines, a new collection of 19 outstanding mystery, crime, and thriller stories by Northern California writers.
Fog shrouds the landscape. Redwood treetops disappear into the sky. Ocean waves crash against rocky cliffs. And sometimes a fault line cracks open, shaking our world. Fault Lines explores faults that exist not just in the earth but in people--the flaws and failings that lead us to commit grievous acts against someone else, and the guilt and culpability we bear. It also examines the lines that we draw to connect clues, expose secrets, establish bonds, and lead us to justice. Sisters in Crime/Northern California’s first short story anthology takes you on an exciting journey around our region and beyond. Edited by Margaret Lucke.
Ana Brazil is the author of the historical mystery Fanny Newcomb and the Irish Channel Ripper (Sand Hill Review Press) and the winner of the Independent Book Publishers Association 2018 Gold Medal for Historical Fiction. She earned her master’s degree in American history from Florida State University, has worked as an architectural historian, and now writes fiction full-time. Her heroines are the independent American women of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries who worked smart, fought hard, and persisted always. Ana’s ventures into short story writing include “Miss Evelyn Nesbit Presents,” which appears in Me Too: Crimes Against Women, Retribution, And Healing (Level Best Books, September 2019). www.anabrazil.com
After a mix of odd jobs--exercise demonstrator, go-go dancer, office temp, house painter--it was probably inevitable that Susan Kuchinskas became a writer. As a journalist, she’s covered a wide variety of technology and science topics, with a focus on automotive tech. She’s the author of The Chemistry of Connection: How the Oxytocin Response Can Help You Find Trust, Intimacy and Love and the science fiction/detective novel Chimera Catalyst. The sequel to the novel will be published in 2019. She lives in El Cerrito with her mate, their socially challenged dog and super-chill cat, and some 50,000 honeybees. www.kuchinskas.com
Margaret Lucke flings words around as a writer and editor in the San Francisco Bay Area. She is fascinated by the power of stories and the magic of creativity. Margaret writes tales of love, ghosts, and murder, sometimes all three in one book. Two of her novels (Snow Angel and A Relative Stranger) feature artist/private eye Jess Randolph, and two others (House of Whispers and House of Desire) star Claire Scanlan, a real estate agent who specializes in haunted houses. Margaret has published more than 60 short stories and feature articles, and is the editor of Fault Lines, a short story anthology published by the Northern California chapter of Sisters in Crime. She teaches fiction writing classes and has authored several how-to books on writing. www.margaretlucke.com
Robin C. Stuart is a veteran cyber crime investigator and author. Her nonfiction work includes contributing to Handbook for Information Security (John Wiley & Sons, 2006). She consults on all things cyber security for Fortune 100 companies, series television, and media outlets including BBC and NowThis News. Robin was a significant contributor to the Tech Museum of Innovation's acclaimed Cyber Detectives interactive installation, one of the museum's most popular permanent exhibits, which opened in 2015 and earned praise from the Obama Administration. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. www.robincstuart.com
CJ Verburg’s hopscotch career--academic editor, award-winning playwright, director, author, founding leader of the Mechanics' Institute's Indie Publishers' Working Group--is a passionate exploration of voices and places. Her Cory Goodwin mystery series (Silent Night Violent Night, Another Number for the Road) stars the international journalist daughter of New York detective Archie Goodwin. Her Edgar Rowdey Cape Cod mystery series (Croaked, Zapped, Disarmed), like her biography Edward Gorey on Stage: A Multimedia Memoir, honors the artist who was her long-time friend, theatrical collaborator, and fellow Agatha Christie fan. In 2019 look for a longer story from CJ in Sherlock Holmes Mystery Magazine #30, and (fingers crossed) a new novel. www.carolverburg.com
Members & Public Free
4th Floor Meeting Room
Taryn Edwards - 415-393-0103
Future Activities
Jul 18 - 11:00am
A member-led writing group
Jul 19 - 12:00pm
A mixer to fill and form writers' groups!
Stay Creative, Corporate Writer!
Last Tuesday of the Month
Aug 1 - 11:00am
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Morison keen to hit the ground running in a Millwall shirt once again
© Millwall FC
New signing Steve excited about Saturday's season opener at Shrewsbury
New signing Steve Morison says that he can't wait to pull on a Millwall shirt again and get back to doing what he does best - banging in the goals for The Lions.
Striker Steve completed a move to The Den on Tuesday afternoon - his third spell at the club - and is already champing at the bit for Saturday's League One opener at newly promoted Shrewsbury Town.
"I am absolutely delighted and back where I want to be," he said. "The season is a few days away so I can get myself sorted, get myself settled, have a couple of days with the boys and get ready to go and beat Shrewsbury.
"It will be fantastic on Saturday; no doubt it will be about 100 degrees, it will be stupidly hot and the game will be played at 100 miles an hour. But that is what I am most excited about; I'm excited about coming here and looking forward to playing games of football, because I have missed that."
Steve, who scored 48 goals in 120 starts for The Lions in his two previous spells with the club, is clearly driven to ensure that his third stint in SE16 is his most successful yet.
"When I came here first time around it was a bit of an unknown quantity and I didn't really have anything to prove, but it ended up going quite well," he said.
"I've been away a few years, come back on loan and we stayed up luckily, but it wasn't as good as the first time around. I have had another year away, I'm back again and this time it's a totally different kettle of fish. I'm fit, I'm just going to get my head down and prove a few people wrong.
"I know what this place is all about. I know what Neil is all about, I know what the fans are all about. I know what Andy (Ambler) and John (Berylson) expect and I am not coming here under any illusions that this is going to be an easy ride.
"I am playing for my future and the club needs to get back to where it should be and hopefully we have everything in place to get us there.
"To get this place buzzing we need to start with a bang and win some games. There is no better place to play on a Tuesday night or a Saturday when The Den is rocking."
A full interview with Steve is available on Lions Player HD
Tweets by @MillwallFC
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Phils get close look at potential target Machado
Star 3B avoids free-agent questions; 'I'm here to play baseball'
By Todd Zolecki
BALTIMORE -- Manny Machado set ground rules before he spoke to reporters Tuesday afternoon at Camden Yards.No questions about trades. No questions about free agency."I'm here to play baseball," Machado said. "That's all I can control."• At quarter mark, Klentak pleased with clubThe Phillies and their fans will be paying close
BALTIMORE -- Manny Machado set ground rules before he spoke to reporters Tuesday afternoon at Camden Yards.
No questions about trades. No questions about free agency.
"I'm here to play baseball," Machado said. "That's all I can control."
• At quarter mark, Klentak pleased with club
The Phillies and their fans will be paying close attention to Machado this week. Machado, 25, is having the best season of his career, just months before he becomes a free agent for the first time. He could be the focus of the Phillies' offseason plans.
It is unlikely the Phillies acquire him before the July 31 non-waiver Trade Deadline for the same reason they never pursued Machado in the offseason. It makes little sense to send several top prospects to Baltimore for a rental player, when they still need to learn more about Maikel Franco and J.P. Crawford and could sign Machado in the offseason without forfeiting any Minor League talent. Sure, Machado could change that if he agrees to sign a contract extension upon being traded, but that scenario is unlikely.
It is expected to cost hundreds of millions to sign Machado, but the Phillies have spent the past few seasons constructing their roster with a payroll flexible enough to land one of the prized players in the 2018-19 free-agent class.
"I think that's natural," Phillies manager Gabe Kapler said about the fan interest in Machado. "I don't blame them for thinking ahead and wondering what he'd look like in a Phillies uniform. But I'm focused on our players and focused on our roster construction. I respect Manny Machado, but right now he's an Oriole."
Machado is hitting .350 with 11 doubles, 13 home runs, 38 RBIs and a 1.100 OPS in 181 plate appearances. He leads the American League with 55 hits. Entering Tuesday, He was tied for most home runs and RBIs in the Majors. Machado hit into some bad luck last season, hitting .259 with a .789 OPS. He had a 23-point gap between his xOBA (.282) and his OBA (.259).
It was the 15th-widest gap out of 300 batters last season, according to Statcast™.
"I feel the same," Machado said. "I've just been working on what I need to do. Last year was just some bad luck. The season changed and that's the beauty about baseball. A lot of different things can happen through the year. This year, I changed some things but not drastically. Just trying to stay consistent with my routines every day."
"He's an animal," Kapler said. "He hits just about everything in the strike zone. When he's going well, he hits out of the strike zone as well. He drives the ball to all parts of the ballpark and right now, he's among the league's top five or 10 players. Right now, he stands out in the lineup as the guy you think about most. Not that the other guys on the Orioles' lineup aren't really good players, but he just stands out and shines fairly bright."
Machado expressed little familiarity with the Phillies, but that will change if the Phillies come calling after the World Series. He knows Jacob Arrieta and Tommy Hunter from their time in Baltimore. He knows Carlos Santana.
"They're in the National League so I haven't really paid attention much to it," he said. "I know that they're playing great baseball, and we have to play better than them this week. They're a good team over there."
Machado also has some familiarity with the Phillies' front office. Club president Andy MacPhail, general manager Matt Klentak, assistant general manager Ned Rice and player development director Joe Jordan were in Baltimore when the Orioles selected him in the first round of the 2010 Draft.
In fact, Jordan drafted him.
"I spoke to Joe Jordan a lot when I got drafted," Machado said. "He was the guy that was on me for a while. It's just a relationship we have because he's the guy that drafted me when he was here. We still talk every time we see each other. He says, 'Hello,' or goes out of his way to talk and we say, 'What's up?' and we communicate a bit. It's pretty awesome because that's the guy who drafted me out of high school, and those are things that you never forget."
Todd Zolecki has covered the Phillies since 2003, and for MLB.com since 2009. Follow him on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
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Move Over; It’s the Law
Ohio’s Move Over Law requires motorists to cautiously shift over one lane — or slow down if changing lanes is not possible — when passing any vehicle with flashing lights on the side of a road. Its purpose is to protect everyone who works on the roads and everyone who travels on them.
The City of Montgomery’s local ordinance mirrors the state law and is enforced. It is in place to keep officers, medics, firemen, and roadway workers safe.
What is the Move Over Law?
Ohio’s Move Over Law is designed to protect the lives of everyone who works on or uses our roadways. The law requires all drivers to move over one lane passing by any vehicle with flashing or rotating lights parked on the roadside.
The original law took effect in 1999 to reduce risk to law-enforcement officers and emergency responders. It was expanded in December 2013 to apply to every stationary vehicle with flashing lights, including road construction, maintenance, and utility crews.
What if I can’t move over?
The law recognizes that sometimes it is not safe or possible to move over because of traffic or weather conditions or because a second lane does not exist. In those situations, slow down and proceed with caution. Watch for people or objects that could enter your travel lane, and be prepared to stop.
How does the Move Over law differ from yielding the right of way to emergency vehicles?
Yielding the right of way to an emergency responder requires a driver to pull to the right-hand side of the road and stop when a law-enforcement officer, fire truck, ambulance or other emergency vehicle approaches using a siren, lights, or other warning devices. The driver must wait until the emergency responder(s) has passed by before resuming driving.
How serious is the problem?
Across the nation, hundreds of people are killed or injured every year when they are struck by a vehicle after pulling over to the side of the road or highway. On average, these “struck-by” crashes kill one tow-truck driver every six days; 23 highway workers and one law-enforcement officer every month; and five firefighters every year. Tragically, stranded motorists are also struck and killed.
Can I be cited for failing to comply with the Move Over law?
Yes, and the issue is so serious that fines are doubled. Violators are fined two x $150 for the first violation (a minor misdemeanor), two x $250 for the same violation within a year of the first, and two x $500 for more than two violations in a year.
What types of roadways does the law apply to?
Ohio’s Move Over law applies to all interstates and state highways. It can be enforced by any law-enforcement officer, including state highway patrol officers, local police, and county sheriff’s deputies.
Source: Ohio Department of Transportation
City of Montgomery
10101 Montgomery Road
Montgomery, Ohio 45242
© 2010 - 2019 City of Montgomery, Ohio
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— Deputies responded to the area of Ganders Flat Road at 12:23 a.m. Saturday for a domestic dispute. Tracey Blakely told deputies her son had come to the home and wanted to stay there, and they had an argument. He left the property before deputies arrived.
— Susan Rill, Buck Road, Butler Township, reported a suspicious person at 3:54 p.m. Friday. Deputies checked the area, but did not find anyone around.
— Children were reported knocking and running from doors on Butler Grange Road in Butler Township at 12:09 a.m. Saturday. Deputies checked the area, but did not find anyone around.
— Police received several complaints from the Best Western Plus regarding suspicious activity by some of the guests at 9:27 p.m. Friday. After police investigated the complaint, Cortni Rankin, 27, Columbiana, was cited with possession of marijuana and Steven Barr, 32, Columbiana, was cited with a possession of drug paraphernalia charge.
— A suspicious person was reported in the area of South Middle Street at 10:12 a.m. Friday. Ryan Bevington, 41, Columbiana, was taken into custody on warrants.
— Joshua Clifford Board, 28, Columbiana, was taken into custody on a warrant after police were called to a West Woodland Avenue address at 5:52 p.m. Friday for a domestic dispute.
— At 2:04 p.m. Friday, police responded to a Park Avenue address where a mother wanted her adult son removed from the house. He left without any problem.
— Police responded to a West Martin Street home after someone reported at 11:56 a.m., Friday, Bryon M. Scott had been walking his dog in an alley near West Street when he was bitten by another dog. An officer arrived at the residence where the dog lived and found it to be aggressive toward him as well as other animals in the area.
— Police saw Jeromy Echols driving on Saturday in the area of East Main and Church streets. Echols was cited with driving under suspension.
— A brown male pitbull-type dog was reported running loose in the area of Wick and Wood streets on Saturday. The dog was taken into custody and taken to the Columbiana County Dog Warden’s Office. The owner will be cited when they claim the dog.
— Someone reported an open door and dogs running loose at a Water Street home on Friday. The homeowner was not there, and the house was unsecure. Several dogs were returned to the house, and the house was secured.
— During a domestic violence incident on Aug. 23, Amanda Lynn Kackert, High Street, Salineville, reportedly lied to police investigating the situation between her and Daniel K. Duncan. She later admitted to lying to police, recanting her story during a Columbiana County Municipal Court hearing. Kackert now is being cited with making a false report and obstructing official business.
— Police conducted a traffic stop at 1:16 a.m. Saturday for an equipment violation in the 500 block of East State Street. A search was conducted and no contraband was found.
— A vehicle with a loud exhaust was stopped at 12:33 a.m. Saturday in the area of South Ellsworth Avenue and East Wilson Street. A consent to search was given and nothing illegal was found. A warning was issued for the loud exhaust.
— Police on patrol at 11:20 p.m. Friday saw a vehicle in Centennial Park after closing hours. The driver was advised of park hours.
— No contraband was located at 11:11 p.m. Friday during a traffic stop for an equipment violation on East Pershing Street and Park Drive after a consented search.
— A suspicious vehicle was reported at 10:53 p.m. Friday in the 100 block of North Lincoln Avenue. Police found the vehicle unoccupied with nobody around.
— Police were called at 10:42 p.m. Friday to the 1800 block of East State Street for a person to be removed, but the person had already left. No other problems were reported.
— Jeremy Hanson, 38, of 998 Jones Drive, was charged with obstructing official business, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct after police and fire departments from Salem and Perry Township all responded for a smoke investigation, with a large amount of smoke observed at 8:13 p.m. Friday. Police and firefighters came into contact with a hostile resident who approached in a disorderly and obstructing manner. Hanson was taken to the Columbiana County jail.
— K-9 Simon and his handler assisted Perry Township police at 8:06 p.m. Friday with a vehicle sniff in the 500 block of Prospect Street.
— Jay Troyer, 25, of East Third Street, was cited for driving under suspension and possession of marijuana drug paraphernalia and released to a valid driver after a traffic stop at 7:38 p.m. Friday on East State Street and South Broadway Avenue. Troyer, the driver, gave permission for police to do a search and advised them of a marijuana pipe in the vehicle.
— A black/white dog from an earlier dog bite incident was reported in the area of East Eighth Street at 7:19 p.m. Friday, but was not found.
— An officer on patrol at 6:58 p.m. Friday located a suspicious vehicle in the 100 block of West State Street with no registration that appeared abandoned. The registration was checked and did not come back as stolen, but the vehicle was tagged as junk/abandoned. The owner called police and advised the vehicle was a new purchase and he will be repairing it and getting it properly registered.
— A woman in the 500 block of East Fourth Street reported at 6:36 p.m. Friday that a medium-sized dog came onto her property and bit her dachshund dog. Officers saw a lump on the dachshund’s back where she said the dog was bitten and took photographs. The other dog could not be located.
— A clerk at Smith Oil on East State Street reported at 6:10 p.m. Friday that someone driving a grey Mercedes sedan left without paying for $13.53 worth of gasoline. The vehicle could not be found.
— Curtis Sanlo, 22, of Teegarden Road, Hanoverton, was cited for impeding the flow of traffic after an officer on patrol at 4:26 p.m. Friday stopped in the 100 block of South Union to investigate an illegally parked vehicle. The vehicle could not move due to the axle being on the ground. A tow company was contacted to respond, then the registered owner arrived and the tow personnel said towing the vehicle would cause more damage and that the car could be quickly fixed. The officer agreed to allow the owner to fix the vehicle, then issued the citation.
— Police responded at 3:15 p.m. Friday to the Walmart parking lot for a dispute over pictures being taken of a license plate in the parking lot by a private individual. Allegedly one vehicle had struck a cart causing some minor damage.
— Police were asked by the highway patrol to check on a possible car vs. deer crash near Home Depot at 3:02 p.m. Friday. The car was no longer on the scene but it was reported the deer was injured and still there. Officers did not find the scene after several passes, but several passing motorists flagged officers down and advised it was closer to the gravel pit, well outside the city limits. Goshen Township police were notified.
— Police were called at 12:58 p.m. Friday for a child custody dispute in the city, but both sides came to an agreement and custody laws were explained.
— Police were called at 12:49 p.m. Friday to a parking lot in the city where there was an alleged dispute between a man and child. Officers located the people who were all ok. The child became extremely upset when his phone was taken away by his father. All were calm upon departure.
— A suspicious person was reported at 12:10 p.m. Friday in the 2200 block of East State Street, but was not found.
— A woman in the 900 block of South Avenue reported at 10:43 a.m. Friday that some packages were stolen from her home while she was away.
County Sheriff — A woman living on U.S. 30, Center Township, reported at 10:48 a.m. Tuesday she and her ...
County Sheriff — A landlord of a Depot Street, Rogers, property reported at 7:35 a.m. Monday there was a man ...
County Sheriff — A suspicious vehicle was reported in the area of Teegarden and Gamble Roads at 10:09 p.m. ...
County Sheriff — A state Route 154, Middleton Township woman reported at 3:55 a.m. Sunday her brother was out ...
Salem — Police assisted the Leetonia police department with an OVI sat 12:02 a.m. Saturday on South ...
Salem — Police conducted a welfare check at 11:15 p.m. Thursday on a person in the 2500 block of Lexington, ...
Copyright © Morning Journal | https://www.morningjournalnews.com | 308 Maple Street, Lisbon, OH 44432 | 330-424-9541 | Ogden Newspapers | The Nutting Company
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Building a Home for a Veteran:
You can’t have the land of the free without a home for the Brave.
Thank you to everyone who helped make WDHA & WMTR’s Hammer for Heroes 2019 a success! Volunteers from businesses and the community converged on the Beyer Ford dealership in Morristown on May 2 and 3 to frame walls for the future home of veteran Daniel Pope, his wife and three daughters. They will reside at our Main Street project in Roxbury Township.
Radio stations WDHA and WMTR not only broadcast live from the Morristown build site each day, but their staff also picked up hammers and built wall panels themselves.
Daniel Pope was in the first ground unit to enter Iraq in the Iraq War in 2003. He was just 17 years old when he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps with permission of a parental waiver. Daniel’s first day of boot camp was 9/11, and he graduated on Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. The former Secretary of Defense, General James Mattis, led his unit’s charge into Iraq.
Volunteers hold one of the completed frame walls. View more photos of the event in the “Hammer for Heroes 2019” photo album on Facebook.
Video by WABC-TV New York plays for 2 minutes and 10 seconds.
THANK YOU TO MAIN STREET HOUSE SPONSORS
THANK YOU TO HAMMER FOR HEROES SPONSORS
Best Affordable Mt. Laurel Home of 2015
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ADB to raise $21 billion from capital markets this year
MANILA, Philippines - The Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Wednesday returned to the U.S. dollar bond market with the pricing of a $3.25 billion 3-year global benchmark bond issue, proceeds of which will be part of ADB's ordinary capital resources.
"The breadth and depth of investor sponsorship enjoyed by ADB was demonstrated by the achievement of a sizeable order book. This high level of support which enabled ADB to tighten the price guidance against a volatile market backdrop highlights the high regard for ADB's credit and development mandate," ADB Treasurer Pierre Van Peteghem said Wednesday.
The 3-year bond, with a coupon rate of 1.875% per annum payable semi-annually and a maturity date of 19 July 2022, was priced at 99.898% to yield 7.75 basis points over the 1.75% U.S. Treasury notes due June 2022.
The transaction was lead-managed by Bank of America Merrill Lynch, BNP Paribas, Citi, and TD Securities. A syndicate group was also formed consisting of Commerzbank, DBS, Deutsche Bank, DNB Bank, and Nordea Bank.
With more than 75 investors taking part, the issue achieved wide primary market distribution with 59% of the bonds placed in Asia; 24% in the Americas; and 17% in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. By investor type, 71% of the bonds went to central banks and official institutions, 21% to banks, and 8% to fund managers and other types of investors.
ADB says it plans to raise around $21 billion from the capital markets in 2019.
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Pathos of distance
Photo © National Gallery of IrelandCredit
2 December 2015 - 24 June 2016
Print Gallery | Admission free
In early 2015, the National Gallery of Ireland invited Sarah Pierce to engage with the ESB CSIA in the ongoing research project: Visualising the Irish Diaspora. The aim of this collaboration was the creation of a new artwork by Pierce exploring the concept, themes and subject of this art historical project.
Pathos of Distance was formed around 42 images relating to Irish migration and diaspora, created between 1813 and 1912. Sourced from countries around the world, they were photographed and reproduced to their original scale. Pierce presented them in a series of sculptures constructed from items of second-hand domestic furniture, culled from the stocks of suppliers in Dublin. In bringing these disparate images and objects together, these sculptures evoked the concept and rhetoric of diaspora, suggesting themes of displacement and hybridity.
Hybridity is further articulated through the exhibition itself, which was at once a display of the images uncovered by the research project, and an artwork. The sculptures were accompanied by research notes, inventories and references, which provided historical information, and insight into the thoughts and processes that guided the project.
Through a diverse and sometimes challenging range of imagery, relating to the lives of extraordinary people and disparate communities, Pathos of Distance revealed a distinct variety of approaches to the visualisation of the Irish diaspora. The visual relationships and sight-lines in the exhibition invited the viewer to consider and question the role and significance of images in the formation of a diasporic cultural identity.
Curator: Donal Maguire, National Gallery of Ireland
\ Back to view all past exhibitions
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Conservation and Research Projects
© National Gallery of IrelandCredit
The preservation and advancement of knowledge have been fundamental to the Gallery’s work since the founding gift of artworks that led to its opening in 1864. Equally important, the Gallery’s conservation staff are finding new ways to study the collection, yielding fresh insights about a wide range of objects and the artists that produced them.
You can explore some of our Conservation Department's recent projects below:
The Gallery has been awarded funding under the Bank of America Art Conservation Project 2018 to support the conservation of Lavinia Fontana's painting The Visit of the Queen of Sheba to King Solomon.
Monet Conservation Project
In June 2012 Monet’s Argenteuil Basin with a Single Sailboat was badly damaged following vandalism by a member of the public. Our conservators embarked on an 18-month conservation project
Find out more (PDF)
Perugino Restoration Project
Perugino's The Lamentation over the Dead Christ was recently the focus of an extensive restoration project.
Guercino Research and Conservation Project
The Paintings Conservation Department at the J. Paul Getty Museum embarked on a collaborative conservation treatment and research project centred on one of the National Gallery of Ireland’s masterpieces, Jacob Blessing the Sons of Joseph by Guercino.
Explore the completed project here
The Battle of the Boyne Conservation Project
A major project launched in collaboration with Malahide Castle in 2015.
Maclise Conservation Project
In 2010 the Conservation Department embarked on an enormous task - the restoration of one of the Gallery's most beloved (and largest!) paintings, The Marriage of Strongbow and Aoife.
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National Park Foundation Statement on the Government Shutdown
Saturday, December 22, 2018NPF News
WASHINGTON — Will Shafroth, president of the National Park Foundation (NPF) issued the following statement regarding the shutdown of the federal government due to a lapse in appropriations:
“We understand the uncertainty people are experiencing surrounding the government shutdown. The National Park Service has indicated that park roads, lookouts, trails, and open-air memorials will generally remain accessible to visitors, but there will be no NPS-provided visitor services. We want to make it very clear that the National Park Foundation remains hard at work, alongside hundreds of local philanthropic organizations and other park partners, on behalf of these national treasures we all share. We encourage restoration of full government funding so all people can continue to access these important places.”
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Right-leaning media urges conservatives not to fear cannabis legalization
Wednesday, January 29, 2014 by: Ethan A. Huff, staff writer
Tags: cannabis legalization, conservative media, myths
https://www.naturalnews.com/043683_cannabis_legalization_conservative_media_myths.html
(NaturalNews) The recent legalization of cannabis in both Washington state and Colorado -- and many other states are poised to follow suit in the coming months and years -- remains a major point of contention for many social conservatives who still view the plant as an illicit drug rather than the all-natural medicine and food that it actually is. But a growing number of right-leaning media outlets are coming forward to urge the conservative base to relax: there is nothing to fear from putting an end to cannabis prohibition.
In a recent column for The Daily Caller, Michael Anissimov, founder of More Right, sets the record straight on cannabis, rectifying everything from the entrenched misperception that cannabis is some kind of "gateway" drug to expounding upon the immense economic benefits associated with legalization. No matter how you look at it, ending cannabis prohibition just makes sense, he writes to his mostly conservative audience.
"More and more law enforcement officials are coming forward in favor of cannabis legalization, arguing that legalization would disempower gangs and bring the business into the sunlight, removing the criminal element," writes Anissimov.
This is just one positive element to legalization among many, of course, but it is an important one that many still opposed to legalization fail to consider. Cannabis, which the media for decades has disparagingly referred to as "marijuana," is always going to be around whether it is legal or not. So regardless of one's personal opinion on the merits of cannabis, the real question is whether or not we as a society want it to be peddled in dark alleys by criminal street gangs or grown and sold by law-abiding citizens.
Cannabis is nothing like heroin, cocaine
Because of its categorization at the federal level as a Schedule I drug, cannabis is also still perceived by many people to be on par with heroin and cocaine in terms of its alleged health risks and addictiveness. But science simply does not support this ideology. On the contrary, cannabis is increasingly being shown to be a type of "superfood," in that it feeds special cell membrane receptors throughout the body that appear to have been specifically designed for the cannabinoid compounds found naturally in cannabis.
"The critics of marijuana legalization have trouble getting their arguments straight, and oppose it based on a visceral cultural revulsion, rather than science or reason," adds Anissimov. "There is no scientific evidence that marijuana is 'similar to heroin and cocaine.' If anything, it is more similar to caffeine -- the effects rarely last longer than 2-3 hours, and are extremely mild."
Ending cannabis prohibition will kickstart economy
Then there is the issue of revenue potential for state and local governments. During the first week of January, when cannabis was legalized for recreational sale in Colorado, the Centennial State garnered more than $5 million in cannabis sales, roughly half-a-million of which will go directly to the state of Colorado to pay for things like new schools.
"[Colorado] projects $600 million in total sales annually, bringing in $70 million in tax revenue," opines Anissimov. "That means less fiscal pressure to introduce or maintain other forms of business-strangling taxation."
By continuing to prohibit the growth, sale and even use of cannabis in most states and at the federal level, American society is inadvertently sloughing off billions of dollars in revenue to the dregs of society, e.g., criminal growers and dealers, often from across the border; local street gangs; and other criminal elements.
Ending cannabis prohibition, in other words, offers law-abiding citizens the opportunity to take back control of one of the fastest growing elements of our national economy, and get the government out of the business of policing morality -- after all, isn't smaller government a pillar of the conservative platform?
Be sure to read Anissimov's full editorial on why the "right" needs to rethink its position on cannabis here:
http://dailycaller.com.
http://dailycaller.com
http://news.yahoo.com
Cannabis legalization at FETCH.news
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SoCal Sports 4 You
Follow the latest in professional sports across Southern California.
Rams Throwback: What Else Was Happening in 1980, When the LA Rams Last Played in a Super Bowl
By Jonathan Lloyd
Published Jan 24, 2019 at 7:39 AM | Updated at 7:44 AM PST on Jan 24, 2019
The Rams last Super Bowl appearance was in 2002, but they were playing in St. Louis then. Los Angeles was last represented by a Super Bowl team in 1984, but that was when the Raiders played in Southern California.
Go all the way back to 1980 and it all falls together in Super Bowl XIV when the Los Angeles Rams faced the Pittsburgh Steelers at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. "Charlie's Angels" actress Cheryl Ladd sang the National Anthem, the halftime show was an Up With People presentation and the Steelers defeated the Rams, 31-19, behind quarterback Terry Bradshaw.
Scroll down to get your head around how long it's been since the Los Angeles Rams played in a Super Bowl.
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Al Sayyid Wasfi Jamshid Al Said
Acting Chief Executive Officer
Nasser Mohammed Nasser Al Hajri
General Manager – Chief Operating Officer
Nasser Salim Said Al Rashdi
General Manager - Chief Commercial Banking Officer
Ananthraman Venkat
General Manager – Chief Financial Officer
Faizal Mohamed Eledath
General Manager – Chief Transformation Officer
Salma Salim Said Al Jaaidi
General Manager – Chief Risk Officer
John Chang
General Manager – Chief Retail Banking Officer
Hassan Abdul Amir Shaban
General Manager - Chief Government Banking Officer
Sayyidah Rawan Ahmed Al Said, Chairperson
Chairperson of the Executive, Nomination and Remuneration Committee (ENRC)
Sayyida Dr. Rawan Ahmed Al Said is the CEO of Takaful Oman SAOG, Prior to joining Takaful Oman, she was the Managing Director and CEO of ONIC Holding Corporation. Before moving to the Private Sector, Rawan was the Deputy CEO-Investment for the State General Reserve Fund of Oman, leading the execution of many mega investments internationally. She has almost 30 years of experience in the financial industry, 20 of which are in the Public sector. Sayyida Rawan remains to be the First and the only Female who holds a CEO position in a public listed company in Oman.
She has been a member on the Board of a number of reputed Companies and Financial Institutions in Public and private sector in Oman and the GCC region. Chairperson in National Bank of Oman, Deputy Chairperson in Oman Oil Marketing Company, Board Member of Oman National Investments Development Company ONIDCO (Tanmia) and Chairperson of its equity and GCC funds committee. In the public sector, she was on the board of Oman Oil Company SOAC and its audit committee. She was on the Board Member of International General Insurance (IGI) Jordan, and National Finance House (NFH), Bahrain. Deputy Chairperson of Orix Finance, National Life & General Insurance Company SAOC (NLIG) and Al Ahlia Insurance.
She is also a Member on the Investment Committee of the Public Authority for Social Insurance, Board Member in Public Authority for the SME Development (Riyada). Chairperson of Al Kawther Fund (Islamic Compliant Fund) and a Member of the Investment Committee of Orphans & Incapacitated Funds in the Ministry of Justice. She has been recently appointed as a Board member of the Sultan Qaboos University Council.
In 2011, She was bestowed the Business Professional (BizPro) Leader Award. In 2012, was ranked 14th in Forbes Middle East for the 'Most Powerful Arab Business Women in Listed Companies'. In 2014, Rawan was named among the Best Chief Executives in the region by Trend in collaboration with INSEAD (The Business School for the World). Also she was Awarded Hall of Fame by MARA Excellence Awards. In 2015, she was honored with two prestigious Awards; Asian Women Leadership of the Year from World Leadership Congress and in MENA and Business Leader of the year from the Middle East Accountancy and Finance Excellency Awards 2015. In 2016 she was honored with Honorary Doctorate Degree from Commonwealth University in UK and she was awarded as the Best Takaful CEO from Global Business Outlook, UK. Dr. Rawan ranked 3rd in Oman for Forbes the Top 100 most powerful Arab Businesswomen 2017. In 2017 and 2018 she won the best CEO-Oman award from International Finance UK and she won Oman Women of the year awards 2018 for the inspirational woman category.
Sayyida Dr. Rawan, has an MSc in Economics & Finance from Loughborough University UK. She also holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Investment Analysis from Stirling University UK, and BA in Economics & Political Science from the American University in Cairo (AUC).
H.E. Sheikh Abdulla bin Ali bin Jabor Al Thani
Member of the Executive, Nomination and Remuneration Committee (ENRC)
H.E. Sheikh Abdulla bin Ali bin Jabor Al Thani has been a Director of the Bank since July 2005 and serves as a member of the Board Executive, Nomination and Remuneration Committee (ENRC). His Excellency is the Chairman of The Commercial Bank (P.S.Q.C.) in Qatar, a member of the Board of Directors for United Arab Bank, P.J.S.C. in UAE and is the Owner of Vista Trading Company (Qatar), and a Partner in Integrated Intelligence Services Company (Qatar).
H.E. Sheikh Abdulla bin Ali bin Jabor Al Thani holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Social Science from Qatar University.
Mr. Mohammed Ismail Mandani Al Emadi
Member of the Credit Committee of the Board (CCB)
Mr. Mohammed Ismail Mandani Al Emadi has been a Director of the Bank since November 2014. He is also a member of the Board for The Commercial Bank (P.S.Q.C.) and a member of the Board of Alternatifbank A.S. (ABank), Turkey and has over 30 years of banking experience. Mr. Al Emadi has held a number of key roles at Commercial Bank until 2006, after which he served as Chief Executive Officer of Qatar Real Estate Investment Company Q.S.C. up to 2011, and also served as its Director from 2003 until 2005.
Mr. Al Emadi holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Business Administration and Economics from Holy Names University, California.
Mr. Hamad Mohammad Hamood Al Wahaibi
Chaiperson of the Credit Committee of the Board (CCB) and member of the Board Executive, Nomination and Remuneration Committee (ENRC)
Mr. Hamad Mohammad Al Wahaibi has been a Director of the Bank since March 2014. He has 20 years of experience in the GCC. He has been a director of investment with the Ministry of Defense Pension Fund for the past six years. Mr. Al Wahaibi is also a member of the boards of Voltamp Energy Company and ACWA Power Company.
Mr. Al Wahaibi holds a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) degree, specializing in Finance, and he is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) charter holder, Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) charter holder, as well as a Certificate in Investment Performance Measurement (CIPM) Certificate.
Ms. Amal Suhail Bahwan
Member of the Executive, Nomination and Remuneration Committee (ENRC) and the Board Risk Committee (BRC).
Ms. Amal Suhail Bahwan is the Vice Chairperson of Suhail Bahwan Group Holding LLC. She has extensive experience in managing companies across the Bahwan Group.
She is also the Chairperson and Executive Committee member of Al Jazeera Steel Products Co. SAOG. and Director and Board Remuneration Committee member of Oman Oil Marketing Co. SAOG.
Ms. Amal has a Bachelor's degree in Education and a Master's degree in Administration from the Sultan Qaboos University.
Mr. Rahul Kar
Chairperson of the Board Audit Committee (BAC)
Mr. Rahul Kar has been a Director of the Bank since April 2016. Mr. Kar is a Chartered Accountant and is currently working as the Financial Advisor to the Chairman of Suhail Bahwan Group Holding LLC.
Mr. Kar is also a Director and an Audit committee member of Al Jazeera Steel Products Co. SAOG. He is also a Director and Nomination & Remuneration committee member of Oman United Insurance Company SAOG.
Mr. Fahad Badar
Chairperson of the Board Risk Committee (BRC) and member of the Board Audit Committee
Mr. Fahad Badar has been a Director of the Bank since May 2016. He is also a member of the Board for United Arab Bank, P.J.S.C. in UAE since July 2016.
Mr. Badar's career at The Commercial Bank (P.S.Q.C.) in Qatar spans over 19 years. Prior to his current role as Executive General Manager, International Banking, he held a number of key roles in International Banking, the Government and Public Sector Relations and the Wholesale Banking Divisions.
Mr. Badar holds an MBA from Durham University, UK and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Banking & Finance from the University of Wales.
Mrs. Najat Ali Al Lawatia
Member of Credit Committee of the Board (CCB)
Ms. Najat Ali Al Lawatia was elected as a Director of the Bank at the AGM in March 2017. She holds a Commerce Bachelor Degree in accounting and has attended various courses in diverse fields of financial management, audit, investments etc. She is working as the Deputy Director General for Support Services with Civil Service Employees Pension Fund and has more than 20 years of relevant experience.
Ms. Najat is also a Director and Chairperson of Audit Committee of Oman Cement Company SAOG.
Mr Ghassan Khamis Al Hashar
Member of the Board Audit Committee (BAC) and the Board Risk Committee (BRC)
Mr. Al Hashar joined NBO Board as a representative of the Public Authority for Social Insurance (PASI) in March 2017. He is currently the Authority's Director of Investments. He has over 20 years of experience in finance and investment management, and represents PASI on the boards of numerous public and private companies. He is also a Board Director at National Life & General Insurance Company SAOG and Oman National Investments Development Company SAOC (TANMIA).
Mr. Al Hashar holds a Master's Degree in Finance and Investment Management.
Mr. Rashid Bin Saif Al-Saadi
Member of the Board Audit Committee (BAC) and a member of the Board Risk Committee (BRC)
Sheikh Rashid has been a member of the Board of Directors since August 2017, and is a renowned financial and investment banker, business executive, entrepreneur and philanthropist. Sheikh Rashid is also the CEO of TANMIA, a company that actively contributes to the Sultanate's economic development.
Sheikh Rashid holds a B.Sc. in Business Administration from Rollins College, USA. His career is marked by many significant achievements and milestones; including a twelve year stint with the Diwan of Royal Court.
In 2000, Sheikh Rashid was appointed CEO of TANMIA, which was setting up its Investment Fund with the Muscat Securities Market at the time. Following his appointment, the Board of Directors decided to transfer the responsibilities of managing the fund to the company directly, and two new Funds were set up subsequently; a Private Equity Fund, the GCC Investment Fund, and the Sharia Fund in 2013. In addition, Sheikh Rashid also drove direct investments into various industries, including and not limited to Real Estate Development; the company played an active role in the development of the Al Mouj Muscat Project, and in the Tourism sector, the company played a key role in setting up the Kempinski Hotel, Muscat. In the Industrial Sector the company contributed to the establishment of Octal Petrochemicals, also extending into the retail sector by partnering with Al Meera Group to set up its business in the Sultanate.
In addition to his executive responsibilities, Sheikh Rashid is the Chairman of Board of Directors of Takaful Oman SAOG and A'saffa Foods SAOG. He is also a Director on the Boards of Oman National Finance Co. SAOG, Minerals Development Company SAOC, Muscat National Development and Investment SAOC, Almouj Muscat & Oman Hospitality Company.
Mr. Joseph Abraham
Member of the Executive, Nomination and Remuneration Committee (ENRC) and Credit Committee of the Board (CCB)
Mr. Abraham was appointed as a Board Member of NBO in May 2018.
Mr. Abraham is the Group Chief Executive Officer of The Commercial Bank as well as Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors of Alternatif Bank and a Board Director of the United Arab Bank, UAE. He has extensive banking experience across both developed and emerging markets. Before joining The Commercial Bank in June 2016, he was CEO of ANZ Indonesia (Australia and New Zealand Banking Group) based in Jakarta, a position he served in from 2008 to 2016. Mr. Abraham has an MBA from the Graduate School of Business, Stanford University, California and has worked in Indonesia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Ghana, UK and India in various country and regional banking roles with a successful track record covering general management, corporate banking, strategy, product management as well as acquisitions and integrations. Mr. Abraham was appointed as a Board Member of Alternatif Bank in December 2016.
Sayyid Wasfi Al Said is the Acting Chief Executive Officer at National Bank of Oman NBO. Prior to his appointment, Sayyid Wasfi has held posts as CIO and Deputy Head of WB, he is also a member of all the Bank’s Management Committees. Sayyid Wasfi played an instrumental role in the architecture of the five-year growth strategy for the bank, which centered around a vision to make NBO the bank of choice in the Sultanate.
Prior to joining to NBO Sayyid Wasfi served as Deputy Director of Investments at the State General Reserve Fund. Additionally, he served as Deputy Chairman of the Investment Committee for domestic equities and as a member of the Investment Committee of the National Investment Funds Company (NIFCO) and National Equity Fund (NEF). He was also a founding member of the Investment Advisory team for the Investment Stabilization Fund.
Sayyid Wasfi served as Chairman of National Aluminum Products Company SAOG (NAPCO), Deputy Chairman of Gulf Energy LLC and as a member of the Investment Committee for Oman Integrated Tourism Projects Fund. He has held several board memberships across various industries including manufacturing, Oil and Gas, Investments and Tourism.
Sayyid Wasfi holds, Business and Finance degrees from the University of Portsmouth, UK and El Centro Europeo de GestiÓn de Empresas, Madrid, Spain.
Nasser possesses a diverse range of Leadership experiences of almost 3 decades. His experiences includes Strategic Management for projects, HR, legal affairs, Corporate Services, Business Planning, Operations Management, and Facility Management, Contracts, procurement and IT.
Nasser has started his career in the Military Sector as a Biomedical Engineer then in 1994, he had worked in Oil & Gas Sector – Oman Refinery Company/ORPIC as a Planning Engineer.
In year 2005, Nasser joined Sohar Industrial Port Company as a Technical Executive Manager.
Since 2009, Nasser has been working in National bank of Oman and currently working as a General Manager – Chief Operating Officer looking after banking Operation Group, Legal Affairs, Collection & Remedial, Projects Management, Procurement & Contracts and Facility Management. Nasser is a member of the bank's Executive Management Team; he chairs the Bank's Tender Board Committee and the HR Executive Committee. He is also the Deputy Chairman of the Bank's Operations Risk Committee, and a member of bank Management Risk Committee, Compliance Management Committee, Management of Business Technology Committee and Islamic Risk Committee.
Nasser sits on the Board of Directors of several organizations including Oman Tourism Development Company (OMRAN), Public Authority for Mining and Fund for Development of Youth Projects (Sharakah). He was a Board member - Project Management Institute (PMI) – Arabian Gulf Chapter and President - Project Management Institute (PMI) – Sultanate of Oman
Nasser completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard University, and holds a Master's degree in Business Administration from the University Hull, UK and an Electrical and Biomedical Engineering Degree from University of Toledo – OHIO state - USA.
General Manager- Chief Commercial Banking Officer
Nasser Al Rashdi joined National Bank of Oman in June 1993 as the first management trainee. Throughout his 20-year tenure, he has made significant contributions to the development of the bank in various areas including corporate banking, risk management (corporate, retail, operational risk, information security and business continuity), internal audit, asset-liability management, investment banking, strategic and business planning and remedial management.
Al Rashdi has been an integral member of National Bank of Oman’s senior management - prior to becoming the Chief Internal Auditor; he was Chief Risk Officer (July 2008 - October 2010) and a member of various management committees such as ALCO, Risk, Executive and Tender Committees.
Al Rashdi holds a Business and Management Engineering Degree with distinction from Université Catholique de Mons in Belgium. He also attended an intensive Advance Development Program at London Business School.
Ananth Venkat is responsible for all of National Bank of Oman’s financial affairs in Oman and abroad. As CFO, he plays a crucial role in delivering long-term sustainable growth and promoting a culture of high performance and excellence across the organisation.
Venkat was appointed CFO in 2013 following more than two decades of experience with leading financial institutions across the Middle East and Africa. He bring expertise to National Bank of Oman in asset and liability Management (ALCO), strategic planning, corporate governance, risk and compliance, and developing relationships with investors, analysts and rating agencies. He also has extensive experience working within regulatory frameworks such as Basel II & III, International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and Sarbanes-Oxley.
Before joining National Bank of Oman, Venkat served as CFO of RAKBANK in the United Arab Emirates, prior to which he was CFO of Saudi Hollandi Bank in Saudi Arabia. He has also held senior leadership positions at Barclays Africa, where he served as a board member of several Barclays subsidiaries in Sub Saharan Africa, and Ahli United Bank in Qatar. He began his career in India as a financial consultant with A.F. Ferguson & Co., before relocating to Africa to work as a senior auditor with KPMG Peat Marwick, and, later, PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Venkat holds a Bachelor of Commerce from Madurai University, India. He is an Associate Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India and has completed numerous specialist finance courses on topics such as anti-money laundering, market risk, IFRS, Basel II, Sarbanes-Oxley, Islamic banking, derivatives and options.
Faizal Eledath has been National Bank of Oman’s Chief Information Officer since October 2012. He leads the bank’s IT and Enterprise Project Management Office and is responsible for ensuring that new technologies and distribution channels are effectively leveraged to enhance customer experience along with the bank’s overall productivity, effectiveness and competitiveness.
With over 20 years of experience in the fields of banking strategy, technology, operations and management, he has a proven track record of successfully implementing strategic, business-critical technology and operational initiatives. International Data Group (IDG), the leading technology media, events and research company, has twice named Eledath among the region’s Top 20 CIOs.
He brings to National Bank of Oman a depth of technical knowledge in areas such as enterprise application systems, technology infrastructure, application development methodologies, banking operations, outsource management, quality management, enterprise architecture and innovation management.
Eledath has overseen the successful implementation of several major IT programmes during his time at the bank, primarily around customer centricity. This has included the launch of the Muzn Islamic banking window, the migration to chip and PIN, the implementation of a new treasury system and new corporate loan origination system, the reengineering of end-to-end processes to reduce the overall turnaround time of key enterprise processes, and the upgrade of IT and security infrastructure.
Before joining National Bank of Oman, Eledath served as CIO of Dubai Bank, an Islamic bank in the UAE that later became part of Emirates Islamic Bank. Prior to this, he was Vice President, Information Technology Solutions at Mashreq Bank, UAE, with responsibility for all channels, including branch systems, call centres, Internet banking, ATMs, credit card systems and CRM systems. He began his career in 1992 as a Senior Systems Analyst at Oman Computer Services (OCS).
Eledath holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Bharathiar University, India, and a Master’s degree in Computer Science from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He also has as an MBA from Southern New Hampshire University, USA, and has attended executive education programmes at Harvard Business School on subjects including launching new ventures and the small business life cycle.
Salma Al Jaaidi joined the bank in 2003 in the Risk Group. Prior to becoming Chief Risk Officer she was the Deputy Chief Risk Officer. She has a Master's in Business Administration. With a career spanning over 29 years with various leading financial institutions such as Standard Chartered and Majan International Bank.
John is a Malaysian National and a senior consumer banking professional with extensive experience in Singapore, Malaysia, South Asia, Africa, Qatar, Kuwait and the UAE.
In his career of around 3 decades, he has worked at senior Retail Banking positions with leading financial institutions such as Noor Bank UAE, Abu Dhabi Finance, Burgan Bank – Kuwait and Commercial Bank of Qatar in the GCC. His global experience includes Standard Chartered Bank whereby he worked at various senior level positions in Singapore, Malaysia, UAE, Ghana, Bangladesh from 1984 to 2004.
Mr. John has completed his MBA from the City University, London, UK and an Advanced Management Program from INSEAD, France.
Hassan joined the Bank in April 2004. He is a seasoned professional with more than 20 years of wide-ranging experience of Government Banking, Communication, Public Relations , Marketing and Branding , Wealth Management & Financial Services with organizations like Commerzbank – Zurich , Majan International Bank , National bank Of Oman .
Hassan worked in Diplomatic field as Omani Commercial attaché in South Africa – 1993-1995 , Oman Commercial attaché in Taiwan – 1995 – 1997. He is a Fellow of the Institute of AMBA Association – UK, holds an MBA in General Management from the University of Nottingham.
He has extensive relationships with local and regional key institutions
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Credit bureaux are regulated in terms of the Act and are required to register with the NCR. The Act sets standards for data quality and defines the type of information which credit bureaux may collect from consumers.
The Act and regulations define the information which may be collected and from whom. In addition, the Act stipulates the rights which consumers have with respect to accessing their own information, in addition playing a pivotal role in the dispute resolution process concerning the access to credit information.
For further information, refer to the relevant sections of the Act
For further information, refer to the relevant sections of the Regulations
Click here for the relevant forms
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Uncovering the Neuroscientific Basis of Human Behavior and Disease
Read digital edition
They are among the deepest and most challenging questions in science: how does the finite number of neurons in a human brain produce thoughts and feelings, generate desire and imagination, give rise to consciousness? More prosaically but just as challenging, how does autism arise? What can be done to treat Alzheimer's or Parkinson's diseases, depression, schizophrenia, or bipolar disorder?
Neuroscientists have made major strides in exploring the brain and its disorders, from discovering the molecular basis for memory to mapping the circuits involved in a wide range of behaviors. But with so much more to be learned, Columbia University in 2012 launched the Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, a transformational venture in neuroscience that will pursue cutting-edge research to gain deeper insights into human mental functions in both health and disease.
A key goal of the Zuckerman Institute, which will be one of the nation's largest private academic research institutes dedicated to research on the brain and mind, is understanding the inner workings of the brain and the interplay between mind, brain, and behavior. The functions of the healthy brain are just as mysterious as its malfunctions, and neuroscientists are eager to understand such enigmas as how humans make decisions and how a particular pattern of neural activity becomes the subjective sensory experience of "red" or "sour," of worry or fear or joy. The brain is the organ of behavior, so in theory every human behavior should be fair game for neuroscience, which means this field, perhaps more than any other in science, has the potential to interact with a broad range of intellectual endeavors.
"For the first time we have the technology to measure extensively the real effects of drugs and treatment on the brain that would dramatically increase our capacity to deal with that very complicated part of our anatomy."
With that in mind, the Zuckerman Institute will include an innovative mix of scientists and scholars from such fields as structural biology, chemistry, physics, psychology, psychiatry, engineering, law, business, political science, and economics. This interdisciplinary, collaborative approach, combined with the remarkable resources of Columbia University, make this a groundbreaking venture. The University has designed the Zuckerman Institute to link neuroscience with programs in other fields across Columbia, ranging from statistics and mathematics to business and the arts.
One of the Zuckerman Institute's co-directors, Eric Kandel, says it, "places Columbia in a position to produce a paradigm shift in how brain science is practiced by connecting to the many facets of the academic enterprise that are concerned with mind and behavior, including law, economic decision making, sociology, psychology, and art."
One has only to scratch the surface of those fields to see that many of the questions they pursue are, fundamentally, about behavior and thus about the organ of behavior.
Why is saving money so much less pleasurable for most people than spending it? Why do people see beauty in some works of art and nature, but not others? What is the brain basis for creativity, inspiration, confirmation bias, xenophobia, and the myriads of other products and quirks of the mind? How is it that young children are sponges for language, learning their mother tongue effortlessly? Despite revolutionary advances in our understanding of the brain and its component neurons and circuits, precisely how brain networks do all of this and more is still one of the most poorly understood areas of modern biology.
The Zuckerman Institute will gain a dedicated physical space in 2016; planning for the Jerome L. Greene Science Center, a 450,000 square-foot structure on the University's new Manhattanville campus in West Harlem is underway. However, the Institute's work has already begun; it has assembled scholars who possess a record of accomplishment in the brain sciences which is unsurpassed at any other research university.
Its three founding co-directors are Thomas Jessell, the Claire Tow Professor in the Department of Neuroscience and the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics; Richard Axel, University Professor of Biochemistry, Molecular Biophysics and Pathology, who shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2004 for his pioneering research on the olfactory system; and Kandel, University Professor, Kavli Professor of Brain Science, director of the Kavli Institute for Brain Science, and a 2000 Nobel laureate for his work on the cellular foundations of learning and memory. Over the next several years, through carefully planned recruitment, the Institute's core faculty—those based in the Greene Science Center—will grow to 65 members, plus a number of independent junior fellows, visiting scholars, and affiliate faculty who are based at the University's Morningside, Manhattanville, and Medical Center campuses.
At a forum last year, Zuckerman said, "Eric Kandel is the visionary who convinced me that we stand at the edge of a new era of understanding of the human mind. He explained that for the first time we have the technology to measure extensively the real effects of drugs and treatment on the brain that would dramatically increase our capacity to deal with that very complicated part of our anatomy... Who could not be motivated by the potential benefits to this field of scientific research?"
For more than 250 years, Columbia University has been attracting the best minds to New York in pursuit of the highest quality research, teaching, and public service. With the Zuckerman Institute, Columbia will draw global attention to New York as a center of great neuroscientific innovation, continuing its rich legacy of enriching both the city's culture and the economy.
Photo: Zuckerman Institute scientist Nathaniel Sawtell (far right) and colleagues investigate the inner workings of the brain. Credit: John Abbott Photograph
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Archives|The Silence of Bystanders
The Silence of Bystanders
By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF MARCH 19, 2006
ALONG THE CHAD-SUDAN BORDER - I saw a lot of heartbreak on my latest visit to the fringes of Darfur: two orphan boys living under a tree after their family was murdered, a 13-year-old girl shot in the chest and a 6-year-old boy trying desperately not to cry as doctors treated shrapnel wounds to his leg.
But the face of genocide I found most searing belonged to Idris Ismael, a 32-year-old Chadian. Mr. Idris said that a Sudan-sponsored janjaweed militia had attacked his village, Damri, that very morning. He had managed to run away. But his wife, Halima, eight months pregnant, could only hobble. And so she was still in the village, along with their four children, ages 3 to 12.
"The village is surrounded by janjaweed, with civilians inside," Mr. Idris said. "There's no way for people to escape. The janjaweed will kill all the men, women and children, take all our blankets and other property, and then burn our homes. They will kill every last person."
"The janjaweed will rape and kill my family," Mr. Idris added. "And there's nothing I can do."
Elie Wiesel once said, referring to victims of genocide: "Let us remember: what hurts the victim most is not the cruelty of the oppressor but the silence of the bystander." And it's our own silence that I find inexplicable.
In Darfur, we have even less excuse than in past genocides. We have known about this for more than two years, we have photos and eyewitnesses, our president has even described it as genocide, and yet we're still paralyzed. Part of the problem is that President Bush hasn't made it a top priority, but at least he is now showing signs of stirring -- and in fact he's done more than most other world leaders, and more than many Democrats. Our failure in Darfur is utterly bipartisan.
Mr. Bush met recently at the White House with Mudawi Ibrahim Adam, an authentic Sudanese hero, to get advice on Darfur, and he seems engaged -- though still not ready to leap into the issue publicly by making a major speech on Darfur, or by welcoming refugees for a photo op at the White House. Alas, Mr. Bush is far more timid than the American people.
A new poll by Zogby International that surveyed 1,000 Americans a few days ago asked about Darfur. Sixty-two percent said that "the United States has a responsibility to help stop the killings in the Darfur region of Sudan"; only 24 percent disagreed.
In response to another question, only 24 percent said that "the U.S. has done enough diplomatically to help end the crisis." In contrast, 59 percent said that more could be done.
One measure we could take would be to enforce a no-fly zone from the air base in Abéché, Chad. The president of Chad says he would be happy to have Americans do this, and it would be easy: instead of keeping airplanes in the air, we would simply wait until a Sudanese plane bombed a village, then strafe that plane on the ground afterward. (The first time, we would just damage the plane; we would destroy any after that.)
Asked about such a no-fly zone in the Zogby poll, 70 percent said they supported the idea, and only 13 percent opposed it.
So Americans are, I think, better than our national policy. How do we align our government with our hearts? The only way is to push our leaders, whether by calling the White House or members of Congress, or by attending the rally in Washington on April 30 planned by the Save Darfur Coalition (www.savedarfur.org).
Darfur is not hopeless. We need a new peace initiative, focused on the sheiks of the region. We need a well-equipped U.N. peacekeeping force and a no-fly zone. We need a public pledge by France to use its military forces in Chad to stop any invasion from Sudan. And we need Arab leaders to speak up for the Muslim victims of Darfur: where are you, Hosni Mubarak? With those measures, Darfur might again be a place where children play, rather than one in which they are thrown into bonfires.
Among the few heroes in this genocide are the ordinary Chadian villagers. They are desperately poor, but when 200,000 Darfuris escaped into Chad, these villagers shared water, forage and food with them.
Now these same Chadians are themselves becoming victims of an ever-expanding Sudanese genocide. In the town of Borota, I talked to Fatima Adam, 15, who described being gang-raped and beaten by six janjaweed a few days earlier. As often happens, the men had used racial slurs against blacks to justify the attack.
"The same things they were doing in Darfur," Fatima said, "now they are doing to us."
A version of this op-ed appears in print on March 19, 2006, on Page 4004013 of the National edition with the headline: The Silence Of Bystanders. Today's Paper|Subscribe
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Health Watch: Pet turtles can spread infection
Weekly health rail, with items on how turtles can carry Salmonella, research showing spousal spats may have health benefits, and regular features like Quote of Note and Number to Know.
Salmonella linked to small turtles
Pet turtles were to blame for 103 cases of Salmonella infection in the second half of last year, mostly in young children, U.S. health officials said, with the true number of infections undoubtedly much higher.
Even though the sale of small turtles has been banned in the United States since 1975, the number being purchased for children has been increasing, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. No deaths have been reported, but the infections led to the hospitalization of dozens of children, the CDC said.
CDC Epidemic Intelligence Service Officer Julie Harris said many people aren't aware of the risk of Salmonella infections from contact with pet turtles. "Only 20 percent of these cases [in the report] said they were aware there was a connection between Salmonella infection and reptile exposure," she said. -- WebMD
Spousal spats may have health benefits
New research on marriage and health shows that married couples who express anger may outlive those who suppress anger.
The key is for both spouses to be comfortable expressing anger, rather than one or both suppressing anger, University of Michigan researchers report.
The research team found a higher death rate among married couples in which both spouses suppress anger, compared with other married couples. The findings appear in the Journal of Family Communication. – WebMD
If you want to stop taking an antidepressant, it's important to speak with your doctor first, the American Academy of Family Physicians says. The doctor may recommend weaning your body off the medication gradually.
People who stop an antidepressant too quickly may trigger a host of symptoms that doctors call antidepressant discontinuation syndrome. Symptoms may include:
- Anxiety
- Feelings of depression or sadness
- Moodiness and irritability
- Tiredness
- Headaches and dizziness
- Nausea and vomiting
- Diarrhea
Quote of Note
"These (vaccine) coverage estimates suggest that we are at the infancy of developing the strong adult immunization system that we would like to have. We obviously have a lot more work to do, and it involves literally rolling up our sleeves."
U.S. Assistant Surgeon General Anne Schuchat, M.D., in response to data showing far too few adults in the United States are being vaccinated against serious and even deadly diseases such as the flu, pneumonia, shingles, and cervical cancer. -- WebMD
Number to Know: $174 billion
Diabetes-related medical and economic costs in the United States hit $174 billion in 2007, a 32 percent increase from 2002, a new study shows. About one out of every five health-care dollars in the United States is spent caring for someone with diagnosed diabetes. Last year, diabetes caused more than 284,000 deaths in the United States. -- HealthDay
For children who suffer repeated bouts of tonsillitis, surgery to remove the tonsils leads to substantial improvements in quality of life, according to results of recent studies.
In one study, researchers surveyed the parents of 92 children with recurrent tonsillitis before tonsillectomy as well as 6 months and 1 year after the surgery. The children, whose average age was 10.6 years, showed "significant improvements" in a validated disease-specific quality of life instrument.
For example, clear-cut improvements were seen in airway and breathing, eating and swallowing, behavior, rates of infection and use of health care resources. The children also showed significant improvements in their general health perceptions, and social and physical functioning. -- Reuters
In elderly women, adding vitamin D to regular calcium supplements produces long-term improvements in hip bone density, researchers report.
To evaluate the relative benefits of calcium with or without vitamin D on bone health, Dr. Richard Prince, at the University of Western Australia, Perth, assigned 120 women to take 1200 milligrams of calcium daily along with an inactive placebo pill or a vitamin D tablet, or two placebo tablets.
After 5 years, only the group that got calcium plus vitamin D group maintained hip bone density, the investigators report in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. -- Reuters
Medical Myths
WebMD recently debunked their top 10 medical myths. Over the next few weeks, we’ll highlight some of these untruths.
The flu vaccine causes the flu: Most flu vaccines (the injectable ones) are killed viral snippets -- not complete viruses capable of causing the illness it is designed to prevent. If you get sick a day or so after getting the flu vaccine, you would most likely have been sick anyway. However, you may have even been exposed to influenza while sitting in the waiting room or standing in line to get your vaccine. There is one live, attenuated (weakened) flu vaccine called FluMist that could theoretically cause a mild case of influenza.
GateHouse News Service
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Filters: Author is Gloersen, P. [Clear All Filters]
Johannessen, O.M., et al. Microwave study programs of air-ice-ocean interactive processes in the seasonal ice zone of the Greenland and Barents seas. Microwave Remote Sensing of Sea Ice, American Geophysical Union Geophysical Monograph 68, 261-289 (1992). Abstract
Gloersen, P., et al. Evaluation of Nimbus 7 SMMR Sensor with airborne radiometers and surface observations in the Norwgian Sea. In proceedings from the COSPAR/SCORIUCRM Symposium on Oceanography from Space, May 26-30, 1980, Venice, Italy. (1981).
Shuchman, R., et al. Multi-frequency SAR, SSM/I and AVHRR derived geophysical information of the Marginal Ice Zone. In proceedings of International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium- IGARSS'91 2, 781-784 (1991).
Shuchman, R.A., et al. The Greenland Sea Odden Sea Ice Feature: Intra- and Inter-Annual Variability. Journal of Geophysical Research Oceans 103, 12709-12724 (1998). Abstract
Svendsen, E., et al. Norwegian Remote Sensing Experiment: Evaluation of the Nimbus-7 Scanning Multichannel Microwave Radiometer for Sea Ice Research. Journal of Geophysical Research (Oceans) 88, 2781-2791 (1983).
Gloersen, P., et al. A summary of results from the first Nimbus-7 SMMR observations. Journal of Geophysical Research (Atmospheres) 89, (1984).
Campbell, W.J., et al. Variations of mesoscale and large-scale Ice Morphology in the 1984 Marginal Ice Zone experiment as Observed by Microwave Remote Sensing. Journal of Geophysical Research (Oceans) 92, (1987).
Ramseier, R.O., Campbell, W.J., Johannessen, O.M., Gloersen, P. & Zwally, J. Variation of the Sea Ice Pack in the Norwegian, Greenland and Barents Sea via Satellite passive Microwave observations. September 1973 - December 1974. (1980).
Kloster, K., et al. Evalution of Satellite for Sea Ice Concentration First Year/ Multy Year. (1987).
Johannessen, O.M., et al. Studies of Mesoscale Air-Ice-Ocean Processes and their Role in the Climatic System. Project Report to ESA/ISX, NERSC Technical Report no. 63 (1992).
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This article is from the source ' guardian ' and was first published or seen on December 06, 2018 14:18 (UTC) . The next check for changes will be August 28, 2019 12:40
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Undocumented workers at Trump golf club speak out – live updates
Incumbent Rep. Robert Pittenger warned the North Carolina Republican party about possible fraud after he lost his primary earlier this year, the Washington Post reports.
Speaking to supporters, Pittenger blamed the “ballot stuffers in Bladen” for his loss to Mark Harris.
Harris, had won 437 absentee mail-in votes in Bladen county, to just 17 for Pittenger.
Aides told the executive director and a regional political director of the state GOP that they suspected fraud but were brushed off, according to the Post.
Possible absentee ballot fraud in Bladen by an operative working for Harris has now thrown the Congressional race in the state’s 9th district into turmoil, leaving the possibility that a new election may be ordered.
Congresswoman-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is not pleased with the contents of Congressional orientation sessions.
Our “bipartisan” Congressional orientation is cohosted by a corporate lobbyist group. Other members have quietly expressed to me their concern that this wasn’t told to us in advance.Lobbyists are here. Goldman Sachs is here. Where‘s labor? Activists?Frontline community leaders?
Another incoming freshman, Rashida Tlaib, echoed that view. She said that former Trump economic adviser and Goldman Sachs CEO Gary Cohn had told the group, “You guys are way over your head, you don’t know how the game is played.”
Gary Cohen, former CEO Goldman Sachs addressing new members of Congress today: "You guys are way over your head, you don't know how the game is played." No Gary, YOU don't know what's coming - a revolutionary Congress that puts people over profits. https://t.co/ZLML2qzAW6
Senator Bob Corker called it “un-American” for the White House to refuse to condemn Saudi Arabia for the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, per CNN.
Corker just now sharply criticized the WH position and refusal to condemn Saudi Arabia for the murder, calling it “unAmerican.”He also criticized the Saudi ambassador, calling him an individual of “zero credibility” and said discussions about expelling him are ongoing.
Just one Republican, state senator Robert Cowles, voted against the Wisconsin legislature’s move to strip power away from the incoming Democratic governor and attorney general.
“I believe that these changes will have unforeseen impacts on businesses, property owners, outdoorsmen and women, and voters throughout Wisconsin,” Cowles said on Thursday in explaining his vote, according to the Huffington Post.
The Senate has confirmed Kathy Kraninger to lead the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in a 50-49 party line vote. The Senate has confirmed Kathy Kraninger to lead the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in a 50-49 party line vote.
Kraninger, who has worked at the White House Office of Management and Budget, was approved for a five-year term as director, NPR reported. Kraninger, who has worked at the White House Office of Management and Budget, was approved for a five-year term as director, NPR reported.
Democrats objected to the nomination on the grounds that she has no experience with regulation of the financial industry. They also accused her of playing a key role in the federal government’s neglect of Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria and the policy of separating immigrant children from their families. Democrats objected to the nomination on the grounds that she has no experience with regulation of the financial industry. They also accused her of playing a key role in the federal government’s neglect of Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria and the policy of separating immigrant children from their families.
Victorina Morales, the undocumented Guatemalan immigrant who works at Donald Trump’s New Jersey golf club, provides a host of details that suggest managers there knew she was not authorized to live in the country and employed her anyway. Victorina Morales, the undocumented Guatemalan immigrant who works at Donald Trump’s New Jersey golf club, provides a host of details that suggest managers there knew she was not authorized to live in the country and employed her anyway.
The housekeeper, who entered the country illegally almost 20 years ago, was hired at the club in 2013, she told the New York Times in an interview. She said an employee of the course drives her and a group of others to work every day because it is known they can’t get driver’s licenses because of their immigration status. The housekeeper, who entered the country illegally almost 20 years ago, was hired at the club in 2013, she told the New York Times in an interview. She said an employee of the course drives her and a group of others to work every day because it is known they can’t get driver’s licenses because of their immigration status.
When she was hired, Morales said she told a supervisor she didn’t have “good papers.” The manager said she should bring the documents she used at a previous job, and she brought a fake green card and social security card. When she was hired, Morales said she told a supervisor she didn’t have “good papers.” The manager said she should bring the documents she used at a previous job, and she brought a fake green card and social security card.
Last year, a supervisor told her she had to get a new social security and green card since there were problems with the one she had on file. According to Morales, she said she didn’t know where to get the documents, and the manager referred her to a maintenance worker who took her to get a new set of forged papers. Last year, a supervisor told her she had to get a new social security and green card since there were problems with the one she had on file. According to Morales, she said she didn’t know where to get the documents, and the manager referred her to a maintenance worker who took her to get a new set of forged papers.
Another worker, Sandra Diaz, told the Times she was undocumented while working at the club for several years. She has since left the job and gained legal status. Another worker, Sandra Diaz, told the Times she was undocumented while working at the club for several years. She has since left the job and gained legal status.
Diaz was assigned to clean Trump’s personal residence at the Bedminster club, where she washed Trump’s clothes. She recalled he had an outburst over orange stains on the collar of a white golf shirt, which she said were stains from his makeup that she was unable to get out. Diaz was assigned to clean Trump’s personal residence at the Bedminster club, where she washed Trump’s clothes. She recalled he had an outburst over orange stains on the collar of a white golf shirt, which she said were stains from his makeup that she was unable to get out.
Morales said she knew she could lose her job or get deported for speaking out, but chose to come forward because she was upset by Trump’s disparaging comments about immigrants and abusive treatment by a supervisor that she felt was encouraged by Trump’s rhetoric. Morales said she knew she could lose her job or get deported for speaking out, but chose to come forward because she was upset by Trump’s disparaging comments about immigrants and abusive treatment by a supervisor that she felt was encouraged by Trump’s rhetoric.
“I ask myself, is it possible that this señor thinks we have papers? He knows we don’t speak English,” she said. “Why wouldn’t he figure it out?” “I ask myself, is it possible that this señor thinks we have papers? He knows we don’t speak English,” she said. “Why wouldn’t he figure it out?”
An undocumented woman who has worked for more than five years as a housekeeper at Donald Trump’s Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, N.J. speaks out in an interview with the New York Times. An undocumented woman who has worked for more than five years as a housekeeper at Donald Trump’s Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey, speaks out in an interview with the New York Times.
NYT exclusive:Making President Trump’s Bed: A Housekeeper Without Papers• At the president’s NJ golf course, an undocumented immigrant has worked as a maid since 2013.https://t.co/rAtG8iz9Jf NYT exclusive:Making President Trump’s Bed: A Housekeeper Without Papers• At the president’s NJ golf course, an undocumented immigrant has worked as a maid since 2013.https://t.co/rAtG8iz9Jf
House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi said today she is not open to approving funding for a border wall in exchange for protections for young immigrants brought to the country illegally as children, per Bloomberg. House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi said today she is not open to approving funding for a border wall in exchange for protections for young immigrants brought to the country illegally as children, per Bloomberg.
REPORTER: Would you support full wall funding if you got a bonafide solution on DACA?PELOSI: No. REPORTER: Would you support full wall funding if you got a bonafide solution on DACA?PELOSI: No.
Nancy Pelosi keeps the door open to some sort of fencing/border money but says Democrats believe a border wall is "immoral, ineffective, expensive."President Trump "also promised Mexico would pay for it," she says. Nancy Pelosi keeps the door open to some sort of fencing/border money but says Democrats believe a border wall is "immoral, ineffective, expensive."President Trump "also promised Mexico would pay for it," she says.
William Barr is the leading candidate to become Donald Trump’s next attorney general, the Washington Post reports. William Barr is the leading candidate to become Donald Trump’s next attorney general, the Washington Post reports.
Barr served as attorney general under the George HW Bush administration. Barr served as attorney general under the George HW Bush administration.
The decision is not final. Trump has filled the job, temporarily and controversially, with Matthew Whitaker after pushing out Jeff Sessions. The decision is not final. Trump has filled the job, temporarily and controversially, with Matthew Whitaker after pushing out Jeff Sessions.
House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi said Thursday she is open to the idea of imposing term limits on committee chairs. House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi said Thursday she is open to the idea of imposing term limits on committee chairs.
“That is a matter before the caucus,” Pelosi said when asked about reports she was warming to the idea of term limits, according to the Washington Times. “I have always been sympathetic to the concerns expressed by our members on that subject.” “That is a matter before the caucus,” Pelosi said when asked about reports she was warming to the idea of term limits, according to the Washington Times. “I have always been sympathetic to the concerns expressed by our members on that subject.”
Many newly-elected Democrats have expressed support for term limits but they are opposed by members of the Congressional Black Caucus. Many newly-elected Democrats have expressed support for term limits but they are opposed by members of the Congressional Black Caucus.
The Senate has confirmed a controversial Donald Trump pick for an energy agency. The Senate has confirmed a controversial Donald Trump pick for an energy agency.
The Senate voted 50 to 49 to approve Bernard McNamee for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the Hill reported. The Senate voted 50 to 49 to approve Bernard McNamee for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the Hill reported.
Democrats opposed the pick because he has been a vocal defender of fossil fuels, opponent of renewable energy, and does not accept the science of climate change. Democrats opposed the pick because he has been a vocal defender of fossil fuels, opponent of renewable energy, and does not accept the science of climate change.
“He has lied about how the renewable energies impact the electric grid. He has called support for clean energy ‘organized propaganda,’ and pitched the debate between fossil fuels and renewables in his words as a clash between liberty and tyranny,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Thursday before the vote, according to the Hill. “He has lied about how the renewable energies impact the electric grid. He has called support for clean energy ‘organized propaganda,’ and pitched the debate between fossil fuels and renewables in his words as a clash between liberty and tyranny,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Thursday before the vote, according to the Hill.
George HW Bush’s casket is being carried out of a Houston church after funeral services concluded there, as “Hail to the Chief” is played.
He’ll be carried by train to College Station, Texas where he is set to be buried.
The executive director of the North Carolina Republican Party says he’s open to a new election if allegations of absentee ballot fraud in the state’s ninth Congressional district prove true.
“This has shaken us to the core,” executive director Dallas Woodhouse told CNN.
He said he was so upset after watching coverage of the controversy that he threw up.
“We are not ready to call for a new election yet,” Woodhouse said. “I think we have to let the board of elections come show their hand if they can show that this conceivably could have flipped the race in that neighborhood, we will absolutely support a new election.”
He said the Republican candidate in the race, Mark Harris, did not know about the activities of an operative working for him who appears to have been running an illegal operation collecting absentee ballots. There is “no way he knew about this stuff and sanctioned it,” Woodhouse said.
The House passed a two week extension of federal spending legislation to avert a government shutdown, the Wall Street Journal reports.
The Senate is expected to pass it later Thursday.
The move postpones by two weeks a deadline to agree on new spending bills, which could lead to a government shutdown because Donald Trump are demanding they include $5 billion for his proposed border wall and Democrats refuse.
A Maine court has ordered the state to roll out a Medicaid expansion by February.
Superior Court Justice Michaela Murphy said Thursday that the state has until Feb. 1 to adopt rules implementing Medicaid expansion for eligible Mainers who applied starting July 2, the Associated Press reports.
The expansion was approved by voters, but outgoing Gov. Paul LePage asked for a stay to delay the order, which was denied.
Grandson George P. Bush and former secretary of state James Baker paid tribute to George HW Bush in eulogies at Houston funeral services.
Baker, a close friend as well as cabinet member, called Bush a “charter member of the greatest generation” and said, “His incredible service to our nation and the world are already etched into the marble of time.”
He hailed Bush’s work bringing the cold war to an end, signing nuclear arms control deals, and beating back Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait in the first Gulf War.
“The world became a better place because George Bush occupied the White House,” he said. “He was not considered a skilled speaker, but his deeds were quite elegant.”
Baker said Bush, who was defeated for re-election by Bill Clinton, is “beyond any doubt our nation’s very best one term president.”
George P. Bush shared the more personal side of the man he knew as “Gampy,” remembering how he made time for his grandkids, organizing horse shoe matchups and fly fishing expeditions and sending them heart-felt letters at school. He would serve of spreads of barbecue, pork rinds with hot sauce, and the “healthy complement” of Blue Bell ice cream and Klondike bars.
“We all grew up in awe of my grandfather,” he said.
Bush hailed his grandfather’s legacy of service, and called him the “most gracious, most decent, most humble man that I will ever know.”
Senators from both parties are meeting Thursday to hash out a deal on legislation to punish Saudi Arabia for the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
The measures could curtail US involvement in the Saudi-led war in Yemen, suspend arm sales with Saudi Arabia, CNN reported. And a proposed resolution would officially blame Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman for the Washington Post columnist’s murder at a Saudi consulate in Istanbul.
Participating in the meeting were Republicans Bob Corker of Tennessee, Todd Young of Indiana and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Democrats Bob Menendez of New Jersey and Chris Murphy of Connecticut.
“There’s a lot of momentum,” Corker told CNN.
Hillary Clinton is condemning moves by lame duck GOP legislatures in Wisconsin and Michigan to limit the power of incoming Democratic governors.
Republicans in Michigan and Wisconsin lost elections on Nov. 6. Rather than respect the will of voters, they're using their last few weeks in office to pass laws limiting the power of new governors and put roadblocks on voting. It's not just anti-Democratic. It's anti-democratic.
This is not in line with American values, and it’s a dangerous path. It's a fundamental building block of democracy that elected representatives respect the outcome of elections. To ignore those outcomes is to silence voters and endanger the health of our democracy itself.
House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi says the election fraud allegations in a North Carolina Congressional race are “undermining the integrity of our elections,” per Talking Points Memo.
North Carolina election still undecided amid absentee ballot fraud inquiry
Funeral services are now beginning for former President George HW Bush at Houston’s St Martin’s Episcopal Church.
The service is kicking off with “America the Beautiful.” Watch live here.
Republican senators have introduced a bill to fully fund Donald Trump’s border wall with $25 billion.
The legislation would attempt to raise money toward the total by increasing fines for people caught crossing the border illegally, and tightening requirements to qualify for federal tax credits and welfare benefits, the Hill reports.
Sens. Ted Cruz, John Kennedy, James Inhofe and Mike Rounds are sponsoring the legislation.
Trump has said he’s willing to settle for $5 billion for the wall in the current round of budget negotiations, a demand Democrats are balking at.
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Reviewed: Belle et bête by Marcela Iacub
Loving Strauss-Kahn.
By Lucy Wadham
Dominique Strauss-Kahn. Photograph: Adriana Zehbrauskas/Polaris/Eyevine
Belle et bête
Stock, 128pp, €13.50
There are moments when I feel that as long as I live and as hard as I try, France will remain forever a mystery to me. Reading Marcela Iacub’s book Belle et bête, a fictionalised account of her six-month-long love affair with Dominique Strauss-Kahn, was one such moment. Hailed as it was by Le Nouvel Observateur for its “literary power of stupefying proportions” and described by Libération as a piece of “experimental literature as violent as that which she experiences, inspired by a spirit of risk”, I was prepared for something remarkable. This is how the book opens:
You were old, you were fat, you were short and you were ugly. You were macho, you were vulgar, you were insensitive and you were mean-spirited. You were egotistical, you were brutish and you had no culture. And I was mad about you.
That, more or less, is how it goes on, for 120 pages or so. It’s an unrepentantly verbose and embittered apostrophe to a man already disgraced, which leaves you feeling a mixture of distaste, exasperation and boredom – the kind of boredom, as I realised when I’d got about halfway through, that you might feel listening to a particularly long closing speech by an overweening barrister.
Iacub was indeed a barrister, back in her native Argentina, before she moved to France in her early twenties and became a brilliant jurist specialising in bioethics. More recently, she has made a name for herself as a clever, provocative columnist for Libération, where she writes mostly about sexual politics, often lamenting what she sees as the widespread erotic impoverishment of contemporary society.
When DSK was arrested in New York, she leapt to his defence, publishing a book entitled Une société des violeurs? (“A Society of Rapists?”), in which she offers a fierce criticism of the feminist witch-hunt that followed. He now rues the day that she ever became his champion.
As you can probably guess, Belle et Bête is not an apology for Strauss-Kahn – any doubts about this are swept away by the presence of an insert at the front of the book attesting to his libel suit against the author – nor is it, despite Iacub’s frequent assertions to the contrary, a love story. I, at least, could not detect any love in it. Perhaps that is because her approach is scientific and theoretical. “I wanted to create a theory of love from my situation,” she writes. “[A] nun who falls in love with a pig. A nun who turns away from the grandeur of divine love to wallow in filth.”
At this point, I should explain that there are two metaphors running through Iacub’s book – one of her lover as a pig and the other of herself as a saint or nun. And that they recur on every page. The other motif – that of Iacub’s saintliness – is built around the following assertion: “I was in love with the most despised being on the planet.”
From this point, we realise that, apart from his piggishness, we are not going to learn much about Strauss-Kahn. The book, rather, is about Iacub; her decision to defend an underdog and then submit to his (inevitable) advances. Above all, it is an ode to her writing life, which she likens to a form of auto-eroticism: “My writing. That operation, which consists in the transformation of my self into the object of my own passion.”
Although the text is littered with the most potent abstract nouns – truth, desire, happiness, love – the effect was to leave me cold. I could not believe – as I waded through all that unbridled narcissism (Iacub likens herself to Voltaire and Victor Hugo) – in her so-called passion. The account felt throughout not like a novel but like a very dry, very calculating exercise: “The only thing left to me in order to forget the pig and to have no further dealings with you was not to kill you but to write a book.”
In the penultimate chapter, the author describes a scene in which her lover tears off her left ear and eats it, then faints, in a spasm of ecstasy, into a pool of his own semen:
Thinking about it, I realised that my love for the pig had died at the very moment he had mutilated me. As if my left ear had been the repository of my feelings and that without it I could no longer feel anything for him.
This scene, like all the erotica in the book, is, of course, purely symbolic. The problem is that the material never rises above this emblematic register, nor does it stoop to anything resembling experience. By the time I had dragged myself through the final chapter, I was, just as Le Nouvel Observateur had predicted, utterly stupefied, both by the book and by the praise it had received.
Lucy Wadham is the author of “Heads and Straights: the Circle Line” (Particular Books, £4.99)
› Pigeons should not have to pay with their lives for our entertainment
This article appears in the 25 March 2013 issue of the New Statesman, After God
Modern poetry’s sentimentality problem
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85 per cent of Canadians now have publicly funded access to a potentially life-extending treatment for patients with rare lung disease
Pulmonary Hypertension Association of Canada
Pulmonary Hypertension Assocation of Canada (CNW Group/Pulmonary Hypertension Association of Canada)
Scleroderma Canada (CNW Group/Pulmonary Hypertension Association of Canada)
- Patients living in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and Newfoundland and Labrador are hopeful Uptravi will soon be accessible all across Canada -
VANCOUVER and HAMILTON, ON, June 12, 2018 /CNW/ - The Pulmonary Hypertension Association of Canada (PHA Canada) and Scleroderma Canada join together in praising the Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and Newfoundland and Labrador governments for following Quebec's lead by providing public funding for Uptravi (selexipag) for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). This action stems from the conclusion of pricing negotiations for Uptravi by the pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance (pCPA). The PAH and scleroderma communities are hopeful that the remaining provinces and territories across Canada will promptly follow suit to ensure that PAH specialists are able to provide optimal, individualized treatment to improve the outcomes for patients living with this potentially fatal disease.
"The voices of the PAH and scleroderma communities have been heard. We commend the provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and Newfoundland and Labrador, for joining Quebec and making Uptravi accessible through public funding," says Dr. Sanjay Mehta, MD, FRCPC, FCCP, Director of the Southwest Ontario Pulmonary Hypertension Clinic at the London Health Sciences Center in London, Ontario, and Board Chair of PHA Canada. "While these provinces have recognized the highly complex and serious nature of PAH, our work will not be done until the balance of patients in Canada have timely and equitable access to optimal treatment options."
In January 2016, Uptravi became the third new treatment for PAH to be approved by Health Canada in recent years. Later that year, the Common Drug Review (CDR) also recommended Uptravi be publicly funded in Canada.
"We are so pleased to now be able to tell our patients that Alberta has joined the expanding list of provinces providing public funding for Uptravi," says Dr. Dale Lien MD, Professor of Medicine, Director Pulmonary Hypertension Program, University of Alberta. "The severe and progressive nature of pulmonary arterial hypertension means that patients must have timely access to all Health Canada-approved treatments for PAH, in order to receive the individualized care they require to improve and extend their lives."
PAH is a rare but very complex and serious lung disease. It is defined by high blood pressure in the lungs, which leads to enlargement and weakness of the right side of the heart – a type of heart failure. PAH is a common complication of systemic scleroderma (SSc), a chronic hardening and thickening of the skin and internal organs, and can be very severe in patients affected by this progressive connective tissue disease.
"My world was turned upside down following my diagnosis with pulmonary arterial hypertension. On any given day, even with the treatments I am on, the most I can do is take my young children to and from school – I'm lucky if I have the energy to do anything else. My disease not only affects me but my whole family, as I am more dependent on them now," says Ladho S. Panesar-Chugger, PAH patient in Markham, Ontario. "My life depends on adding a third medication to my treatment regime, and my specialist has been recommending Uptravi for many months. As an Ontarian who relies on public funding, I will now finally have access to it. That's my wish for all Canadians like me."
There is currently no cure for PAH and while the prognosis for patients has improved somewhat in recent years, it remains poor despite treatments available in Canada. The average survival in adults following a PAH diagnosis is estimated at only five to seven years, and only three years for those affected by scleroderma-associated PAH (SSc-PAH). This means that patients do not have the time to wait for necessary, potentially life-extending treatment options to be made accessible through public funding.
"Those living with PAH or SSc-PAH do not have time to wait for necessary treatment. Take my mother's experience, for example; she lost her battle with SSc-PAH in November 2017 while waiting for publicly funded access to treatment," says Stephanie Keyes, daughter and SSc-PAH caregiver from Gananoque, Ontario. "As a family, we consider her journey to be her legacy. Our hope is that sharing her story will benefit others who are also pleading for treatments not accessible to them through their provincial drug plans. For many suffering with this condition, these treatments are a matter of life or death."
Today, approximately 85 per cent of Canadians now have publicly funded access to Uptravi. The PAH and scleroderma communities are optimistic that all patients living in Canada who rely on provincial or territorial drug plans will soon have access to Uptravi.
Please visit TakeActionPAH.ca for more information.
SOURCE Pulmonary Hypertension Association of Canada
For further information: Jamie Myrah, Executive Director, Pulmonary Hypertension Association of Canada, 604-682-1036 ext. 101, jmyrah@phacanada.ca; Anna McCusker, Executive Director, Scleroderma Canada, 289-396-3039, anna@scleroderma.ca
Related Organization(s)
Scleroderma Canada
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'Not A Catholic Problem': A Survivor Of Sex Abuse Speaks Out
By Cody LaGrow
Mike Hoffman was abused by a Catholic priest when he was a boy. His story is one of resilience — and using the Catholic Church to aid in his recovery.
Mike Hoffman was raised Catholic, raised his family Catholic and still is a vital part of his parish. He even credits the church for his path to recovery.
From the ages of 12 to 16, Hoffman was abused by a priest in his church. But Hoffman doesn't consider the abuse of children to be a Catholic problem. He views it as a societal issue.
Newsy's Cody LaGrow sat down with Hoffman to discuss why his story is not one of abuse; it's one of using his faith and family to recover.
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Ormond Beach Observer Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2018 7 months ago
Oceanfront house sells for $2.05 million
The house has 4,829 square feet of living space.
by: Wayne Grant Real Estate Editor
A house on the beach was the top transaction for Nov. 4-10 in Ormond Beach and Ormond-by-the-Sea. Victor Adamovich, of Ormond Beach, sold 777 Ocean Shore Blvd. to Kathleen Rotherham, of Ormond Beach, for $2.05 million. Built in 2013, the house has four bedrooms, four baths and 4,829 square feet. It sold in 2011 for $825,000. Following is a partial list of the week’s other sales.
Robert and Alesha Richmond sold 226 Treeline Lane to Scott and Lindsay Moore, of Ormond Beach, for $360,000. Built in 1983, the house has three bedrooms, two baths, a fireplace and 2,486 square feet. It sold in 2015 for $160,000.
Robert and Barbara Caslow, individually and as trustees, sold 127 Ormwood Drive to Kelly Skipper, and Richard and Janet Skipper, of Ormond Beach, for $270,000. Built in 1963, the house has three bedrooms, two baths, a swimming pool and 1,386 square feet. It sold in 2009 for $77,100.
Kurt Ainsworth and Kian Jacobs, of Ormond Beach, sold 108 Timberline Trail to Ryan Upchurch, of Ormond Beach, for $234,000. Built in 1977, the house has three bedrooms, two baths, a fireplace, swimming pool and 1,555 square feet. It sold in 2016 for $166,500.
Dolores Clausen and Karen Ward, of Ormond Beach, sold 1204 Northside Drive to Michael Kimpton, of Ormond Beach, for $218,000. Built in 1980, the house has three bedrooms, two baths, a fireplace, swimming pool and 1,356 square feet. It sold in 1997 for $108,000.
Chelsea Mount and Justin Barton, of Flagler Beach, sold 502 Cherrywood Drive to Kathleen Tripp, of Ormond Beach, for $192,000. Built in 1979, the house has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,339 square feet. It sold in 2017 for $175,000.
Catherine Taus, of Sevierville, Tennessee sold 1291 Royal Road to Joseph Tortora, of Daytona Beach, for $171,000. Built in 1966, the house has three bedrooms, two baths, a fireplace and 1,672 square feet. It sold in 1991 for $66,900.
Charles Holbein Jr. sold 760 Arroyo Parkway to Justin Babic, of Ormond Beach, for $170,000. Built in 1973, the house has three bedrooms, one bath and 1,344 square feet.
Thomas Masch and Janice Irwin, of Hickory, North Carolina, sold 640 N. Nova Road, Unit 3160, to Jennifer Blanchette, of Daytona Beach, for $85,000. Built in 1976, the condo has two bedrooms, two baths and 921 square feet. It sold in 2017 for $85,000.
Edward Campana, of Ormond Beach, sold 596 Bryant St. to Magdeline Colburn, as trustee, for $56,000. Built in 1965, the manufactured home has two bedrooms, one bath and 576 square feet. It sold in 2005 for $60,000.
Breakaway Trails
Freddy and Lestel Escorcia, of East Peoria, Illinois, sold 18 Little Tomoka Way to Toy and Deborah White, of Ormond Beach, for $567,450. Built in 2005, the house has four bedrooms, 2.5 baths, a fireplace, swimming pool and 3,641 square feet. It sold in 2010 for $475,000.
Halifax Plantation
Thomas and Nancy Trotta, of Ormond Beach, sold 3607 Mallow Drive to Sharon and Losch, of Ormond Beach, for $368,000. Built in 2000, the house has three bedrooms, two baths, a fireplace, swimming pool and 2,184 square feet. It sold in 2017 for $285,000.
Michael and Denise Kennedy sold 1236 Killarney Drive to R. Edgar and Ruth Johnson of Ormond Beach, for $320,000. Built in 1999, the house has three bedrooms, three baths, a swimming pool and 2,784 square feet. It sold in 2004 for $320,000.
Belva Milam sold 3230 Tralee Drive to Tye and Colleen Sager, of Ormond Beach, for $295,000. Built in 2014, the house has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,918 square feet.
Leigh and Kathleen Anderson, of Oakdale, New York, sold 3136 Bailey Ann Drive to Edward and Paula Rulka, of Ormond Beach, for $257,000. Built in 2017, the house has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,695 square feet. It sold in February for $239,500.
Gary Kerns and Veronica Moore, of Flagler Beach, sold 3125 Kailiani Court to Linda Hogue, of Ormond Beach, for $221,500. Built in 2002, the house has three bedrooms, two baths and 1,684 square feet. It sold in 2016 for $209,000.
The Three O’s LLC, of Park City, Utah, sold 1175 Athlone Way to Meaghan Boden, of Ormond Beach, for $164,900. Built in 1997, the townhouse has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,393 square feet. It sold in 2012 for $111,700.
Tomoka Meadows
Sarah Petrozzi, of Ormond Beach, sold 65 Tomoka Meadows Blvd. to Bethany Roesner, of Ormond Beach, for $142,000. Built in 1980, the townhouse has two bedrooms, 2.5 baths and 1,434 square feet. It sold in 2016 for $102,500.
Tomoka Oaks
Barbara Leblanc, of Ormond Beach, sold 57 S. St. Andrews Drive to Daniel Harper, of Ormond Beach, for $400,000. Built in 1968, the house has five bedrooms, four baths, a fireplace, swimming pool and 4,310 square feet. It sold in 2010 for $120,800.
Ormond-by-the-Sea
Patricia and Clifford Vaughan, individually and as trustees, sold 1575 Ocean Shore Blvd., Unit 606, to Rocco and Kathleen Liott, of Carmel, Indiana, for $325,000. Built in 1974, the condo has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,312 square feet. It sold in 1995 for $122,000.
Lawrence and Mary Rush sold 18 Nina St. to Sally Pillittieri and William Hopkins, of Ormond Beach, for $275,000. Built in 1956, the house has two bedrooms, 1.5 baths and 898 square feet. It sold in 1994 for $53,200.
Mary Looney, individually and as trustee, sold 3390 Ocean Shore Blvd., Unit 302, to 3390 LLC, of Ocala, for $190,000. Built in 1984, the condo has two bedrooms, two baths and 1,213 square feet. It sold in 2005 for $329,500.
John and Heather Page sold 645 Flamingo Drive, Unit B, to Simon and Robin Hay, of Grand Rapids, Michigan, for $135,000. Built in 1947, the villa has two bedrooms, one bath and 774 square feet. It sold in 2015 for $70,000.
John and Barbara Murray, of Ormond Beach, sold 3 Sunny Shore Drive to Eugene and Victoria Heggerty, of St. Augustine, for $135,000. Built in 1958, the house has two bedrooms, one bath and 784 square feet. It sold in 1974 for $26,000.
John Adams, of Adams, Cameron & Co. Realtors, contributed to this report.
Two houses sell for $425,000
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Don Nelson on weed, poker, mortality and the…
Don Nelson on weed, poker, mortality and the daughter he had out of wedlock
Former Warriors coach shares his thoughts on 'Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel'
By Chuck Barney |
PUBLISHED: June 24, 2019 at 6:07 pm | UPDATED: June 25, 2019 at 9:58 am
By now, most basketball fans who have bothered to pay attention know that former Warriors coach Don Nelson is no longer the intense, boisterous figure who stalked NBA sidelines for more than three decades.
Nope, at 79, he’s a laid-back dude living in Maui who wears his long silver hair in a pony tail, grows and smokes weed and plays a ton of poker with Willie Nelson and other celebrity pals.
On Tuesday’s (June 25) edition of “Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel” (10 p.m., HBO), the show’s host catches up with Nelson in paradise to get a feel for his oh-so-chill, post-NBA lifestyle.
The segment recalls his NBA playing and coaching days (he still roots for the Warriors) and covers much of the same ground that a 2018 New York Times profile did, including the fact that Nelson has reconnected with a daughter — Lee Anderson — he had out of wedlock during his playing days. Until she wrote Nelson a letter when he was coaching the Dallas Mavericks, he went nearly 30 years without knowing she existed.
Anderson was the result of a weekend fling Nelson had with a flight attendant. As Gumbel so acutely concludes, Nellie was “quite a player on and off the court.”
Here’s a sampling of what Nelson addresses during the “Real Sports” segment:
— On the care and nurturing that goes into cultivating a vast marijuana farm: “You gotta treat it like a baby. You gotta water ’em. You gotta have music for ’em. You gotta bless ’em when you go in. It’s a whole process, I’m telling you.”
— On the night a friend, Greg Booth, died while playing poker in Nelson’s man cave: “He died right there — right in front of us,” he says, pointing to the poker table. “And the guys said, ‘What should we do, Nellie?’ I said, ‘He would want you guys to play.”
And so they did — until the coroner arrived.
— On his own mortality: Nelson admits that he thinks more about death the older he gets. “Does it scare you?” Gumbel wonders. “No,” Nellie replies. “I’m ready to go right now.”
— On the surprise letter he received from Anderson: “… I almost s— myself. Can you imagine?”
— On his reaction upon meeting her at the airport: “I have the same emotions today as I had then,” Nelson says his voice cracking and eyes misting up. “I was excited. I knew she was mine. Absolutely.”
(Anderson, who now lives next door to Nelson and his wife, Joy, appears in the program and calls her birth father “the most gracious, kind, giving … warm and tender” man.)
Chuck Barney
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News type: AllNewsPress release
Language: AllAzerbaijaniBosnianGermanEnglishArmenianKazakhMacedonianRomanianRussianAlbanianSerbianUkrainian
OSCE Secretariat
Human trafficking challenges and responses in Armenia in focus of OSCE Special Representative country visit
Publishing date: 13 October 2016
What we do: Combating human trafficking
YEREVAN, 13 OCTOBER 2016 –OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings (OSR/CTHB) Madina Jarbussynova, conducted in co-ordination and with the assistance of the OSCE Office in Yerevan, a four-day official visit to Armenia to discuss the country’s implementation of OSCE anti-trafficking commitments.
Anti-trafficking responses trends and challenges at the core of OSCE Special Representative’s Romania visit
Publishing date: 14 September 2016
BUCHAREST, 14 SEPTEMBER 2016 –OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings (OSR/CTHB), Madina Jarbussynova, concluded on Tuesday a follow-up visit to Romania, aimed at discussing the country’s progress in implementing OSCE anti-trafficking commitments in relation to the previous 2013 OSR/CTHB report.
OSCE Special Representative calls on states to prevent human trafficking through ethical sourcing in supply chains
Publishing date: 7 September 2016
Where we are: OSCE Chairmanship, OSCE Secretariat
BERLIN, 7 September 2016- A two-day high-level conference focusing on the prevention of human trafficking for labour exploitation in supply chains, organized by the OSCE Office of the Special Representative for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings in co-operation with the German OSCE Chairmanship, opened today in Berlin...
Podgorica workshop focuses on strengthening cross-border co-operation to address irregular migration-related crimes in Western Balkans
Publishing date: 31 August 2016
Where we are: OSCE Secretariat, OSCE Mission to Montenegro
What we do: Combating human trafficking, Policing, Migration
PODGORICA, 31 August 2016 – A two-day workshop aimed at strengthening cross-border co-operation in addressing irregular migration-related crimes in the Western Balkans opened today in Podgorica bringing together policy-makers and law enforcement officials from relevant bodies in the region as well as representatives of international and regional organizations...
Raising awareness of human trafficking in crisis situations is objective of OSCE Special Representative’s Ukraine visit
Publishing date: 5 August 2016
KYIV, 5 AUGUST 2016 –OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, Madina Jarbussynova, on Friday concluded an official visit to Ukraine aimed at raising awareness of human trafficking and the risks encountered by the most vulnerable groups as a consequence of the current crisis...
On World Anti-Trafficking Day, OSCE calls for comprehensive, co-ordinated and victim-centred approach to combatting modern-day slavery
Where we are: OSCE Secretary General, OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights
VIENNA / WARSAW, 30 July 2016 – A comprehensive, co-ordinated and victim-centred approach to combat human trafficking that includes creating opportunities for regular and safe migration, as well as protecting the human rights of migrants, is urgently needed by all state actors, civil society and multilateral organizations, said senior OSCE officials today ahead of World Anti-Trafficking Day on 30 July.
Special Representative praises Bulgaria for efforts to eliminate modern-day slavery
Publishing date: 30 June 2016
SOFIA, 30 JUNE 2016 – OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, Madina Jarbussynova, concluded a three-day trip to Bulgaria on Wednesday with a visit to the Busmantzi Centre for irregular migrants, and commended the country’s ongoing action to fulfil the Organization’s anti-trafficking commitments.
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Home » Eco Blog » The Brutal Climate Change Logic
The Brutal Climate Change Logic
Here is an interesting article by Grist on the logic behind climate change logic and how people, especially in North America, view it. Also, we’ve included the full Leonardo Di Caprio’s documentary, Before the Flood.
Also have a look at our previous article “Communicating Climate Change – Where did Scientists go Wrong“.
The consensus in American politics today is that there’s nothing to gain from talking about climate change logic. It’s divisive and the electorate has more pressing concerns.
In response to this evolving consensus, lots of folks in the climate hawk coalition (broadly speaking) have counseled a new approach that backgrounds climate change logic and refocuses the discussion on innovation, energy security, and economic competitiveness.
This cannot work. At least it cannot work if we hope to avoid terrible consequences. Why not?
It’s simple: If there is to be any hope of avoiding civilization-threatening climate disruption, the U.S. and other nations must act immediately and aggressively on an unprecedented scale.
That means moving to emergency footing. War footing. “Hitler is on the march and our survival is at stake” footing. That simply won’t be possible unless a critical mass of people are on board. It’s not the kind of thing you can sneak in incrementally.
It is unpleasant to talk like this.
People don’t want to hear it. They don’t want to believe it. Climate change logic is off.
They bring to bear an enormous range of psychological and behavioral defense mechanisms to avoid it. It sounds “extreme” and our instinctive heuristics conflate “extreme” with “wrong.”
People display the same kind of avoidance when they find out that they or a loved one are seriously ill. But no doctor would counsel withholding a diagnosis from a patient because it might upset them. If we’re in this much trouble, surely we must begin by telling the truth about it.
So let’s have some real talk on climate change logic.
For today’s inconvenient truths, we turn to Kevin Anderson, a professor of energy and climate change who was, until recently, director of the U.K.’s leading climate research institution, the Tyndall Energy Program.
Anderson is a publishing researcher himself and, in his capacity as Tyndall director, was responsible for weaving together multiple lines of research and evidence into a coherent story. This year, with his colleague Alice Bows, he published a must-read paper called “Beyond ‘dangerous’ climate change: emission scenarios for a new world“.
If reading academic papers isn’t your thing, he also delivers a digestible presentation here.
Now, before you continue with the article, watch the full Leonardo Di Caprio’s award-winning documentary, Before the Flood.
Did Leo do a good job? What did you think about the documentary?
Let’s walk through Anderson’s climate change logic.
1. How much can global average temperature rise before we risk “dangerous” in terms of climate change logic?
The current consensus answer is: 2 degrees C [3.6 degrees F] above pre-industrial levels.
The 2 degrees C number has been around for over a decade and was reaffirmed by the Copenhagen Accord. Deciding on an “acceptable” level of temperature is a political and somewhat arbitrary judgment, of course, since it lets one number stand in for a wide range of heterogeneous considerations. But it’s an important marker. And when it was first developed, it was based on the science of the day.
Seems sensible enough. But there’s a hitch: Climate science has not stood still for the last decade. According to the latest research, the level of damages once expected at 2 degrees C is now expected at considerably lower temperatures.
As you can see, the 2 degrees C “guardrail” that separated acceptable from dangerous in 2001 is, in 2009, squarely inside several red zones. Today, the exact same social and political considerations that settled on 2 degrees C as the threshold of safety by all rights ought to settle on 1 degree C [1.8 degrees F]. After all, we now know 2 degrees C is extremely dangerous.
At this point, however, stopping at 1 degree C is physically impossible (we can thank our past inaction for that). Indeed, as we’ll see, stopping at 2 degrees C is getting close to impossible as well.
There is no longer any reasonable chance of avoiding “dangerous” climate change logic, so 1 degree C vs. 2 degrees C is a somewhat academic debate. Now we’re just shooting to avoid super-duper-dangerous. Regardless, the numbers that follow are based on 2 degrees C.
2. Limiting temperature rise to 2 degrees C, what matters is the total accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere — our “carbon budget.”
Anderson is adamant that the familiar targets almost all politicians and many scientists use in public – e.g., “80 percent reduction in the rate of emissions by 2050” – are deeply misleading.
As far as the climate is concerned, the rate of emissions in 2050 relative to the rate of emissions today is meaningless. CO2 stays in the atmosphere for over a century. The atmosphere doesn’t care what year it arrives. (Though targets in the distant future are comforting to politicians, for obvious reasons.)
The only thing that matters in limiting temperature rise is cumulative emissions, the total amount we dump into the atmosphere this century. When the total concentration of GHGs in the atmosphere rises, temperature rises. That is the correlation that matters.
If we want to limit temperature rise to 2 degrees C or less, then there’s only so much carbon we can dump in the atmosphere. That is our “carbon budget” for the century, the amount we have to “spend” before we’re in the danger zone.
As best we know, the global carbon budget for this century is between 1,320 and 2,200 gigatons (There are too many uncertainties in the science to be more precise than that.)
3. Climate change logic: With a carbon budget, it’s possible to develop a carbon reduction pathway.
Once the global carbon budget is clear (and split among countries — more on that in subsequent posts), it’s possible to conceptualize a way reduce carbon fast enough to stay under that budget.
Read more about carbon reduction pathway on Prof. Kevin Anderson’s blog, “Beyond ‘dangerous’ climate change”
A key fact to remember: For a given carbon reduction pathway, the later emissions peak, the faster they have to fall to stay under budget.
4. Any carbon reduction pathway that limits temperature rise to 2 degrees C shows global emissions peaking extremely soon.
Right now, global emissions are rising, faster and faster. Between 2000 and 2007, they rose at around 3.5 percent a year; by 2009 it was up to 5.6 percent.
In 2010, we hit 5.9 percent growth, a record. We aren’t just going in the wrong direction — we’re accelerating in the wrong direction.
(Most climate modeling scenarios, e.g. the Stern Report, underplay the current rate of emissions growth, leading to sunnier-than-justified results.)
The growth of emissions is making the task ahead more and more difficult. The longer we wait to start shrinking emissions, the faster we’ll have to shrink them to stay under budget.
What Happens Then?
As you can see, if we delay the global emissions peak until 2025, we pretty much have to drop off a cliff afterwards to avoid 2 degrees C. Short of a meteor strike that shuts down industrial civilization, that’s unlikely.
How about 2020? Of the available scenarios for peaking in 2020, says Anderson, 13 of 18 show hitting 2 degrees C to be technically impossible. The others involve on the order of 10 percent reductions a year after 2020, leading to total decarbonization by 2035-45.
Just to give you a sense of scale: The only thing that’s ever pushed emissions reductions above 1 percent a year is, in the words of the Stern Report, “recession or upheaval.”
The total collapse of the USSR knocked 5 percent off its emissions. So 10 percent a year is like … well, it’s not like anything in the history of human civilization.
This, then, is the brutal climate change logic: With immediate, concerted action at global scale, we have a slim chance to halt climate change at the extremely dangerous level of 2 degrees C.
If we delay even a decade — waiting for better technology or a more amenable political situation or whatever — we will have no chance.
6. Climate change logic: Jeez, 2 degrees C looks hard. Can we just do 4 degrees C [7.2 degrees F] instead?
It might seem that, given the extraordinary difficulty of hitting 2 degrees C, we ought to lower our sights a bit and accept that we’re going to hit 4 degrees C. It won’t be ideal, but hitting anything lower than that is just too difficult and expensive. It’s seductive logic.
After all, to hit 4 degrees C we would “only” have to peak global emissions in 2020 and decline thereafter at the relatively leisurely rate (ha ha) of around 3.5 percent per year. Sadly, even that cold comfort is not available to us. The thing is, if 2 degrees C is extremely dangerous, 4 degrees C is absolutely catastrophic.
In fact, according to the latest science, says Anderson, “a 4 degrees C future is incompatible with an organized global community, is likely to be beyond ‘adaptation’, is devastating to the majority of ecosystems, and has a high probability of not being stable.”
Yeeeah. You’ll want to read that sentence again.
Then you’ll probably want to pour yourself a stiff drink. Obviously, “incompatible with an organized global community” is what jumps out, but the last bit, “high probability of not being stable,” is equally if not more important.
One of the most uncertain areas of climate science today has to do with feedbacks — processes caused by climate change that in turn accelerate (or decelerate) climate change. For instance, heat can melt the Arctic permafrost, which releases methane, which accelerates climate change, which melts more permafrost, etc.
Based on current scientific understanding, positive climate feedback — the ones that accelerate the process — considerably outweigh negative feedback.
At some level of temperature rise, some of those positive feedback are likely to become self-reinforcing and effectively unstoppable, no matter how much emissions are cut. These are the “tipping points” you hear so much about.
But at what level? Will hitting 2 degrees C trigger runaway positive feedback? It’s difficult to know; this is one of the most uncertain areas of climate science. James Hansen thinks 2 degrees C will do it.
Do we All Agree?
Others disagree. But the situation becomes considerably clearer around 4 degrees C. At that level, there’s good reason to believe that some positive feedbacks will become self-reinforcing. In other words, 4 degrees C would very likely be a way station on the road to much higher temperatures. That makes the notion of “adapting” to 4 degrees C a bit of a farce.
Infrastructure decisions involve big money and long time horizons. By the time we’ve built (or rebuilt) infrastructure suited to 4 degrees C, it will be 5 degrees C [9 degrees F]. And so on.
A climate in which conditions are changing that fast just isn’t suitable for stable human civilization (or for the continued existence of a majority of the planet’s species). Oh, and by the way: According to the International Energy Agency, we’re currently on course for 6 degrees C [10.8 degrees F].
That is, beyond any reasonable doubt, game over. So this is where we’re at: stuck between temperatures we can’t possibly accommodate and carbon reduction pathways we can’t possibly achieve. A rock and a hard place. Scylla and Charybdis.
What does it mean for the way we think about climate policy? I’ll address that in my next post.
Check out our articles on I don’t Care About the Environment, Climate Change Denial, Communicating Climate Change – Where Did Scientists Go Wrong
Credit: Grist
Written by Zornitza · Categorized: Eco Blog · Tagged: Climate Change
Todd Sain Sr. says
As much as I wish this article was inaccurate, it is not. This is exactly the way this topic is viewed by a majority of Americans. If drastic changes are not put into effect soon, it will be too late.
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FCC chairman Ajit Pai cancels CES appearance over death threats
By Tuan Nguyen 2018-01-04T23:16:18.3Z
Pai has come under fire as one of the driving forces behind the end of net neutrality.
(Image credit: Getty Images / John Lamparski)
The organizers of CES announced this week that FCC chairman Ajit Pai will not be making his scheduled appearance at the show in Las Vegas next week. A report by Recode now reveals that Pai's cancellation was prompted by death threats arising from his role in undoing net neutrality protections that were put in place during the Obama administration.
Pai has been the target of anger over recent months not just because of his stance against net neutrality, but also due to his condescending and dismissive attitude toward those who claim that its loss will be harmful to consumers. A month ago, he came under fierce fire after a leaked video from an FCC's correspondence dinner showed him joking with a Verizon executive about being a brainwashed shill for Verizon. Pai also faced a nasty backlash after he made claims that keeping net neutrality would hurt the sick and disabled.
Specifics of the threats haven't been revealed, but federal law enforcement agencies have "intervened" in the matter, and other FCC offices are expected to be briefed on it. This isn't the first threat to be directed at Pai in recent weeks: The vote to eliminate net neutrality was interrupted by a bomb threat that was ultimately determined to be a hoax.
The debate over net neutrality has been raging on since Pai assumed his role as FCC chairman and took a stance opposite that of previous chairman Tom Wheeler, a champion of FCC protections under President Obama. Despite an overwhelming amount of protest leading up to the FCC's vote, the agency moved to kill net neutrality in December.
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How the author of the WoW cookbook turned rylak claws and spider kabobs into delicious meals
By Wes Fenlon 2017-05-10T19:10:39.129Z
Chelsea Monroe-Cassel has made a career of bringing fantasy foods into the kitchen.
From the cover. Photo provided by Insight Editions from World of Warcraft: The Official Cookbook. © 2016 Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. All rights reserved.
There are about 200 recipes and 1100 consumable items in World of Warcraft, for spider kabobs and roasted kodo meat and crocolisk steaks—everyday dishes in Azeroth, but not something you'll find at the local grocery store. Within WoW, though, they feel very real. After more than 10 years, millions of WoW players have fond memories of these foods, the quests they come from and the detail they add to the game world. Surely some of WoW's fans would want to take their love of the game into their real kitchens, and so Blizzard's book publisher came to writer and food blogger Chelsea Monroe-Cassel with a challenge: turn weird recipes like dirge's kickin' chimaerok chops into reality. Naturally, she started playing WoW.
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"I'm the weirdo in the tavern spinning in circles trying to get a good screenshot of a bowl of fruit," she joked. World of Warcraft: The Official Cookbook is 200 pages of recipes based on WoW's eclectic consumable items. The screenshots Monroe-Cassel took of those foods in-game were her reference photos, often the only inspiration she had for creating a real-life dish. In a way, the low-res food items in WoW were more than she had to go on when she wrote her first cookbook in 2012, featuring food from A Game of Thrones. There she just had descriptions. But WoW brought with it its own challenges.
"Game of Thrones is really heavily based in the history of medieval Europe. You can find similarities to different cultures, the War of the Roses, things like that," she said. "It's reasonably easy to pin down appropriate matches for food of the right region, the right time period, that kind of thing. Whereas Warcraft, arguably it draws from different cultures, historically, different aesthetics, but it's pretty much made up."
Monroe-Cassel takes her fantasy foods seriously. She's a fantasy buff, and she knows fans take accuracy seriously. This isn't food inspired by Warcraft. It's food from Warcraft. As she developed the WoW cookbook, she was set on following the recipes of any meal you could cook in-game as closely as possible.
Meet the author. Photo via Chelsea Monroe-Cassel
The WoW Cookbook
The World of Warcraft Cookbook is $23 on Amazon, though you can grab the digital Kindle version for $17.
"For some of them it was bizarrely specific," she said. "Like, the Delicious Chocolate Cake was especially challenging, because it has things like port and mageroyal, which looks like a big red flower. All of these oddly specific items. They had to go in [the recipe], for me, because if you've made it in the game you've made it with these ingredients. Objections would be made if they didn't go in, in the cookbook itself. Bizarrely, it doesn't actually include any chocolate. So I went with white chocolate, because the cake's in-game image looks white. So it might not technically be chocolate, but it was good enough."
Plenty of the recipes in the WoW cookbook take after the more ridiculous foods from World of Warcraft, but it's meant to be a practical tome for everyday chefs. There are dozens of recipes like Crispy Bat Wings and Lukewarm Yak Roast Broth and Rylak Claws that aren't as exotic as they sound (you may be disappoint to hear those recipes aren't made with real bat or real rylak). They're practical recipes with a twist, to make them feel authentic to the version in World of Warcraft. A lot of that comes down to the presentation—dialing in recipes until they were reproducible and would look close to how they appeared in the cookbook.
"Sometimes it'll work beautifully the first time, but I'll get an unusable photo," Monroe-Cassel said. "But that's the best case scenario, I think. You can always come back and make it again once you have the recipe, until you get a photo that works."
Many of the cookbook's recipes were influenced by the time Monroe-Cassel spent playing WoW. Despite a tight deadline, she wandered from zone to zone, picking up as much as she could about the culture of each region and its inhabitants. The quests she did also had a major impact on which recipes made it into the book.
Inspiration to final product, via Chelsea Monroe-Cassel.
"I never especially leveled in the game," she laughed. "I'd always switch to a different region, different race, to try to experience broadly rather than deeply. But it was really cool when the next quest in whatever region happened to be a food-related one, because I'd say 'oh my goodness, anyone who's played in this area has done this quest. They'll remember this. It'll be recognizable.' In some cases that was a plus, and in some cases that was a challenge.
"The recipe for Cactus Apple Surprise was based on a quest. And it's clearly made with prickly pear cactus fruit. I live in Vermont. You can't get prickly pear cactus fruit up here, really. I saw it in the store once, and they made it into the cookbook photo, because that was the one time I'd ever seen them. But because that was such an early-on quest and a recognizable recipe, I really wanted to include that one in the cookbook, even though it was tricky. So I compromised with prickly pear syrup, which you can get pretty easily online."
Making a recipe: Firecracker Salmon
Photo provided by Insight Editions from World of Warcraft: The Official Cookbook. © 2016 Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. All rights reserved.
I had Monroe-Cassel walk me through the process of creating one of her favorite recipes from the book. It's a simple one, but she liked it enough to keep making it regularly after finishing the cookbook.
The key to the recipe is her Northern spices, based on the icy continent of Northrend. Her point of reference, unsurprisingly, was Game of Thrones' Winterfell. Juniper gives it a piney flavor, while cardamom is frequently used in Scandinavian cooking. There's also smoked salt, ginger, pepper, and allspice or nutmeg. "It just makes this sort of interesting mix, where you have a lot of typically warm spices, but then you have the juniper, which is sort of a cool feeling on the tongue," she said. "It's like eating things in a pine forest, because you have that piney smell and flavor.
"The Firecracker Salmon is a recipe from that same northern region. So while the spice mix doesn't have anything sort of hot spicy in it, I wanted to use that spice mix for the regionally appropriate dish. Then I added some sriracha sauce for some extra little zing."
She developed the northern spices to complement the salmon and a few other recipes that would use the same spice mixture. At that point, the rest of the salmon recipe came quickly. It was easy to start with the fish as a base, and add to it here and there, where something felt like it was missing.
"You start sort of simple and say well, it doesn't really have enough umami, so you add some soy sauce and some balsamic vinegar. Then you get that nice little pucker, but it doesn't really have enough heat to it. So you add some sriracha sauce. I think that one only took a few tries to really get it."
Two WoW cocktails. Photo provided by Insight Editions from World of Warcraft: The Official Cookbook. © 2016 Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. All rights reserved.
Fantasy chef
Monroe-Cassel recently finished writing her third cookbook, this one about Blizzard's Hearthstone, which is due later this year. She's found a niche for herself as a fantasy chef. But surprisingly, she's not really in it for the cooking. She started her blog, The Inn at the Crossroads, as a diehard Game of Thrones fan. Her passion, she realized, was in exploring fictional worlds and bringing their foods to life.
"I have this great affection for all things treasure hunting," she said. "For me, I think building these recipes really weirdly ties into that. It's about researching the world. If the author or the game designers have done a great job with worldbuilding, it's much easier. It's about sort of figuring out what they used for sources or inspiration, and looking to those cultures or that history."
I have this great affection for all things treasure hunting. I think building these recipes really weirdly ties into that.
Chelsea Monroe-Cassel
We talked about other games that feature cooking, and how relatively few games there are devoted to the fun of the kitchen. But she came at that like a true fantasy fan. "If your main character's an aspiring cook, I think it would still be fun to have to run around the world and forage for herbs and find the little old lady who's the last surviving person who has the recipe for X item," she said.
"That's still what interests me in it, is the adventure and the exploring."
The Hearthstone cookbook, which will feature "more than 50 delicious bites and cocktails" and is due out in November, required even more creativity than the World of Warcraft cookbook. Because there are few actual food references in the card game, Monroe-Cassel had to imagine the foods and drinks that would be served in a tavern in Azeroth. She seems to be the official chef (and mixologist) of Warcraft, at this point, and was excited to mention there had been some talk of her appearing somewhere in WoW as an innkeeper. "That would be amazing," she said.
Monroe-Cassel doesn't have a new project yet, but I wouldn't be surprised to see her name pop up in connection with another game in the near future.
"I'm impossible when it comes to fictional food, at this point," she laughed. "Anything I read, I read with a stack of sticky notes, so that I can flag the pages. Nobody likes watching movies with me anymore because I'll yelp if there's a food that looks good in the movie or TV show, even. I'm really annoying."
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Gaming/
EA Adding Free Version of Star Wars: The Old Republic
Electronic Arts announced that it will offer a free version of its massively multiplayer online game, Star Wars: The Old Republic, starting this fall.
August 1, 2012 10:47AM EST
The force seems to be with Star Wars gaming fans this week. Electronic Arts (EA) on Tuesday announced that it will offer a free version of its massively multiplayer online game, Star Wars: The Old Republic, starting this fall.
The subscription-based version, with higher-level content and features, with still be available.
"Players want flexibility and choice. The subscription-only model presented a major barrier for a lot of people who wanted to become part of The Old Republic universe," Matthew Bromberg, general manager of BioWare Austin, said in a statement.
Going forward, players will have two options for playing Star Wars: The Old Republic.
The free version will provide access to the first 50 levels, with restrictions on new content and advanced player features, EA said. Some of that content can be "unlocked" with Cartel Coins, a new virtual currency also making its debut in the fall.
For those who want full access, a subscription will provide unrestricted access to all features. Subscribers will receive monthly Cartel Coins, which can be used to purchase in-game items like customizable gear and other game-enhancing features.
According to the game's website, Star Wars: The Old Republic has three subscription options: one month for $14.99; three months for $13.99 per month; or six months for $12.99 per month.
EA said yesterday that Star Wars: The Old Republic will go on sale in August for $14.99, which will include a one-month free subscription.
"We believe we are in a position to help improve the service even more," Jeff Hickman, executive producer of Star Wars: The Old Republic, said in a statement. "[We will] not only be continuing to add new content, but also by expanding the game to many more Star Wars fans, increasing the populations on worlds and the vibrancy of the community."
Current and former subscribers will get some added benefits, including more frequent content updates and access to special in-game items.
In January, Cryptic Studios and Perfect World Entertainment announced that Star Trek Online would buck its $15 price tag and allow free online game play. In March, Sony Online Entertainment transformed Everquest into a free-to-play model.
During July's San Diego Comic Con event, EA and BioWare announced a reimagined version of Ultima Forever: Quest for the Avatar coming to PCs and iPads for free.
For more from Stephanie, follow her on Twitter @smlotPCMag.
For the top stories in tech, follow us on Twitter at @PCMag.
E3 2010: 'Busy Scissors' Virtual Salon Coming to the Wii
Sony Player Studio Turns Gamers Into Developers
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When Shall their Glory Fade? (Hardback)
The Stories of the Thirty-Eight Battle Honours of the Army Commandos
WWII Frontline Books D-Day & Normandy Frontline: WWII
By James Dunning
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Written by a Commando veteran of the Second World War, this is a remarkable, vivid and honest account of the battles and actions behind the thirty eight Battle Honours that were awarded to the Army Commandos by Her Majesty the Queen in 1958. Only operations deemed to be ‘thoroughly outstanding feats of arms’ were mentioned in the battle honours list. It therefore represents only a fraction of the raids and battles fought by the Commandos in their five years of active service.
These Battle Honours are emblazoned on the Commando Flag that hangs in Westminster Abbey in London, almost opposite the tomb of the Unknown Warrior.The story of each honour is presented in the most direct way, using the first-hand experiences of the commandos, officers and men who actually took part in the fighting.
‘There have been many histories of the commandos in the past, but this one is special, in a way, because it\'s been written by a commando, and refers to the memories and reminiscences of the men themselves, those whose glorious history is encompassed on the Commando flag in the Abbey. These first-hand accounts of the thirty-eight commando operations are poignant and inspiring.’
Books Monthly
What cannot be doubted is Dunning's admiration fro the men of the commandos, their bravery and effectiveness.
The Anecdotes have skilfully been woven into the narrative.
Oxford & Cambridge Club Military History Group
The book is written in an effective and interesting way; it is a page turner that goes at a pace from battle to battle covering a huge subject clearly and concisely given this was five years of war across the world. The book does not exclude the Royal Marine and Middle East Commandos totalling with the army 25 Units therefore in parts the more specialist reader will find the level of information sketchy. But the book is not for the enthusiast as what is described in the main will be known. For the casual or interested reader this will be an
eye-opener of a book detailing what courage actually means.
Surrey Constabulary History Journal and Military History Group newsletters, September 2016
The Commandoes - first of our present day special forces, was formed in 1940: a crumb of an idea by Winston Churchill. In his youth, forty years earlier, he was in South Africa during the Boer War. At that time Dutch settlers formed an irregular mounted military force known as Commandos. Punching above their weight they attacked British regular troops causing heavy losses and damage. In the process taking Winston Churchill prisoner.
In 1940 ,Germany was on the verge of invading Britain and there was very little the country had to stop them, never-the-less Churchill decided to get-in the first blow. He formed a new special unit of volunteers to strike hard, fast and withdraw. He gave it the title Commandoes. Their exploits was a morale raiser at home, and were the tip of Churchill's sword in the fight back to defeat the country's enemies Germany,Italy and later Japan.
In his book 'When Shall their Glory Fade' James Dunning a Commando veteran, describes thirty eight battle honours: a catalogue of personal accounts by survivors. For many of a certain age the roll call of Honours will bring back many memories, the Lofoten raid in Norway, the suicidal raid at St Nazaire, Dieppe, the bloody stalemate on Anzio beach-head to just mention a few. The Commandoes were in the fore on each occasion.
The Commandoes were highly trained, lightly armed, averse to risk with fire in their bellies. Special trained for a specific role: but often senior officers not appreciating their value used them simply as infantrymen. The author brings out the gritty side of war: on D Day bodies of soldiers in the sea wallowing in the shallows, body parts, friends shot down alongside you, trekking miles in the pouring rain carrying one's personal weapon and a back pack of 100lbs then leading an assault on an enemy position. Both success and failure had its cost which could be almost 50% causalities, dead, wounded and missing. These vacancies were replaced by reinforcements from the Commando Training Centre at Achnacarry in Scotland.
An absorbing work supported with maps and photographs.
Richard Gough - Military Author and historian
This is a story about the British military force that inspired special forces around the world, written by a Commando. British Commandos served in every theatre of WWII. Between the Dunkirk evacuation and the large scale raid on Dieppe, the Commandos were the only direct action force attacking the Germans in Occupied Europe as a uniformed organization of the British Army. The author has told their story with authority and feeling. This is a must read history from WWII.
Read the full review here!
Firetrench
In 1851 half the population were in the countryside, so most people will have rural ancestors. Jonathan brown, honorary fellow of hthe Museum of English Rural Life, has compiled this readable and informative guide for family historians, in which he explains the structure of rural society nd its people – the migant workers, the farm labourers, the farmers, the village tradesman, the professional classes and the landowners – to discover who they were, how they lived, what records they might have left, and how to locate and decipher these historical resources.
Countryman, March 2012
The book focuses in the raids and battles that ked to battle honours. Its author served with No. 4 Commando, and was thus a participant ins ome fo the raids he describes, before becoming a commando instructor. This might lead one to expect that the book was written some time ago, but that isn’t the case- this is a very recent piece of work, first published in 2011. The author thus has two advantages – in the nearly seventy years that have passed many of his fellow commandos had published in 2011. The author has published accounts of their actuins, and most official documents have been declassified. There are thus plenty of eyewitness accounts and extracts from official documents, and in particular war diaries.
Written by Commando veteran of World War 11, this is a remarkable, vivid and honest account of the battles and actions behind the award of the thirty eight battle Honours that were awarded to the Army Commandos by Her Majesty the Queen in 1958.
Kent Family History Society Journal, Dec 2011
In his book WHEN SHALL THEIR GLORY FADE James Dunning has successfully combined a meticulously researched history development of Commando forces during World War II with absorbing eminently readable and human accounts of the courage, daring and military expertise that led to the award of so many battle honours.
Brigadier Jack Thomas, President, Commando Veterans Forum
The Army Commando was formed at the request of Winston Churchill.
His directive dated 18th june 1940 stated that he advocated limited
offensive actions against the enemys extended coastline.
The author himself a former wartime Commando who served in No 4
Commando after volunteering in 1940, also served as an instructor
at the Commando Basic Training Centre in Achnacarry, has put together
a superbly descriptive and first hand account of the Army Commando's
38 Battle Honour's. Included are their combat in Norway, Dieppe, Normandy,
And Flushing during WW2.
Their existence as a military formation was short, only 5 years, but in this short time they proved themselves to be a brave,determined and aggressive foe.
Well disciplined and superbly trained. and feared by their enemys.
WW2 Connection recommend this book as their book of the month.
The author has not only drawn on veterans experiences such as Stan Scott
of 3 Commando but experienced the events he writes about at first hand.
A very good read full of extraordinary exploits of the Army Commandos.
James Dunning stayed in the Army after WW2 and became a regular officer
seeing service in Palestine,Korea and served on the permanent staff of the
Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, He retired in 1958 and later became
president of the Commando Association in 1992-1993.
He is know aged 91 and lives in Romsey Hampshire.
WW2 Connection, Les Tanner
When the founded in 1940, Churchill said the Commandos' goal was to "butcher and bolt", so its appropriate that one of their founding members, James Dunning, should have come from the meat trade.
His family had a string of butcher's shops in Southampton, but James's career has been carved out with the sword and then the pen rather than the cleaver.
At the age of 91, he has just produced his latest book, When Shall Their Glory Fade?, which tells of the 38 battle honours awarded to the Commandos in World War 11 and which feature proudly on the military flag to hang in Westminster Abbey.
The new books completes a commando trilogy, which James began with They Had to be Tough, and continued with The Fighting Fourth: No. 4 Commando at War 1940-45. He said the book, which has a foreword by Countess Mountbatten, had taken two years to research and would probably be his last.
In his introduction, the author says "My main aim was not to provide an official record, nor a detailed history, but rather to tell the story with as many personal accounts as possible from the men who were actually there."
Romsey Advertiser, 13th May 2011
Written by a Commando veteran of World War II, this is a remarkable, vivid and honest account of the battles and actions behind the award of the thirty eight Battle Honours that were awarded to the Army Commandos by Her Majesty the Queen in 1958. These Battle Honours are emblazoned on the Commando Flag that hangs in Westminster Abbey in London, almost opposite the tomb of the Unknown Warrior. The story of each honour is presented in the most direct way, using the stories and experiences of the commandos, officers and men who actually took part in the fighting. It should be emphasised that the operations mentioned as Battle Honours recognised only those deemed to be thoroughly outstanding feats of arms and represent only a fraction of the raids and battles fought by the Commandos in their five years of active service. The formation of the Commandos was due to Winston Churchill, who proposed their formation in a directive dated 18 June 1940, which advocated limited offensive action against the enemy's extended and vulnerable coastline. This compilation includes photographs of training and combat in Norway, Dieppe, Normandy, Flushing and many more locations.
There have been many histories of the commandos in the past, but this one is special, in a way, because it's been written by a commando, and refers to the memories and reminiscences of the men themselves, those whose glorious history is encompassed on the Commando flag in the Abbey. These first-hand accounts of the thirty-eoght commando operations are poignant and inspiring, The author joined the regular Army in 1939 and in 1940 joined No 4 Commando as a founder memner with the rank of sergeant. 1st May is the 40th anniversary of the laying up of the flag in Westminster Abbey in the presence of HM Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, and the book is a timely reminder of the contribution this remarkable company has made in defending the freedom of this country.
Books Monthly - May 2011
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https://www.ourmidland.com/news/article/SVSU-board-approves-pact-with-support-staff-union-6957350.php
SVSU board approves pact with support staff union
Published 8:15 am EDT, Monday, May 7, 2012
The Saginaw Valley State University Board of Control approved a contract with the SVSU Support Staff Association during a meeting Saturday.
The three-year agreement covers the period from July 1, 2012 through June 30, 2015. Terms call for a wage increase of 1.5 percent for each of the three years covered by the contract.
Similar to the contract approved with the Faculty Association last year, the contract includes modest adjustments in the capped contributions the university makes to employees’ health care coverage.
The Support Staff Association represents 188 employees, including secretaries, clerks and campus facilities personnel. Union membership ratified the contract in March.
The board also approved spending up to $400,000 to increase wireless Internet access across campus for students, faculty, staff and visitors.
In addition, the board agreed to spend up to $875,000 for chillers and a cooling tower for Curtiss Hall. The current units date back to the opening of the building in 1996 and need to be replaced. Because of the increased efficiency of the new units SVSU is purchasing, the university expects to see an annual utility savings of $65,000 once the equipment is installed.
In other business, the board:
• Passed a resolution to grant undergraduate and graduate degrees.
• Elected officers of the board for 2012-13. David Abbs of Saginaw will remain chair; Jeffrey Martin of Saginaw will remain vice chair; Leola Wilson of Saginaw will remain secretary; and Cathy Ferguson will remain treasurer.
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Freeman, Classic a great fit
All American Game : : Story
Jeff Dahn
Published: Thursday, July 21, 2016
MESA, Ariz. – Theirs is a roster as deep and talented as any other at the 24-team 17u Perfect Game World Series that began its five day run at the Cubs Park Riverview spring training complex Thursday, but even among all the prized recruits that are wearing CBA Marucci uniforms this weekend, there are a couple names that jump out, begging for attention.
One is that of Jeremiah Estrada, a 2017 right-handed pitcher and UCLA recruit from Indio, Calif., who Perfect Game ranks the No. 39 overall prospect in the nation and who, in about three weeks, will be toeing the rubber at Petco Park in San Diego as a member of the West Team at the 14th annual Perfect Game All-American Classic.
The other is Tyler Freeman, a 6-foot, 175-pound shortstop and Texas Christian University commit from Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., who PG ranks as the No. 48 2017 prospect in all the land, and who will also be suiting up for the West Team at next month’s PG A-A Classic in San Diego.
Freeman has maybe – although not really – flown under the radar ever so slightly because there is another CBA Marucci standout shortstop and Southern California University commit from San Diego who PG ranks No. 20 nationally.
But Nick Allen, the third CBA West Team PG All-American, was not able to be at the 17u PG World Series this weekend which means Freeman will have free reign up the middle of the CBA infield. And Freeman’s fine with that, knowing that all three CBA players will be reunited in San Diego next month. He’s just sincerely overwhelmed to have been extended the PG A-A Classic invitation in the first place.
“It’s not a small accomplishment, and it’s just a blessing, really,” Freeman said Thursday morning before taking the field for CBA Marucci’s 17u PGWS opener. “Anyone would die to be in this position to be able to play in the Perfect Game All-American (Classic). It really is just a true blessing.”
Freeman said he grew up watching the game on television from his Southern California home, and his grandparents would always tell him, jokingly perhaps, that they expected to see him playing in the game when his time came. Now that that is a reality, his confidence is at an all-time high.
“It’s definitely a beginning,” he said when asked if being named to the PG All-American Classic West roster was vindication for all the hard work he’s put in to this point. “Not all of (the hard work) is showing through but it’s a beginning to where it really is going to start showing pretty soon.”
Interestingly enough, Freeman didn’t have to be here in the desert this weekend. He was invited to take part in the USA Baseball 17u National Team Development Program in Chicago, which kicked-off on Monday (July 18) and concludes on Friday (July 22), but chose to be at the 17u PG World Series instead. He said he simply felt being here with his CBA Marucci teammates was much more important than being at an individual event in Chicago. That sort of thinking does not surprise CBA founder/director/head coach Jon Paino at all.
“Tyler is probably the most selfless player we have in the organization, and what I mean by that is he’s the consummate teammate,” he said. “Tyler is the type of kid who will put his own success on the back-burner to help his team, to help his teammates personally, to do whatever is necessary.
“We’ve talked about it inside our organization for a long time that those personal traits that he has are going to allow him to play the game for a long time.”
Some other top CBA Marucci class of 2017 prospects joining Freeman and Estrada here this weekend include No. 123 third baseman Tyler Hardman (a U. of Oklahoma recruit), No. 124 outfielder Sean Ross (Arizona) and No. 211 right-hander Johnny Kuhn Jr. (Long Beach State). The team has 10 prospects on its roster that are ranked in the top-400 nationally and 14 who have committed to NCAA Division I schools, including three each to both San Diego State and Long Beach State.
“We feed off each other’s energy and there are a lot of guys with a lot of energy on this team; that passes down to everyone,” Freeman said.
The Maruccis had to rally for three runs in the sixth inning and a single run in the seventh to erase a 4-2 deficit and escape with a 6-4 victory over Baseball Northwest out of Aumsville, Ore. In their opener Thursday afternoon. Freeman doubled and tripled, drove in two runs and scored another one to lift CBA to the win.
CBA Marucci has four pool-play games remaining against traditionally successful programs like Norcal Baseball, 2015 17u PGWS champions Orlando Scorpions Prime, Southern California Bombers and Houston Banditos. It’s a tough lineup but that’s what keeps Paino coming back to the desert year after year.
“This event is one of the highlights of our summer,” he said. “You look around, standing right here in this quad, there are college and pro guys everywhere, and our goal for our guys is to play at the next level, be it in college or professional baseball. If you’re going to do that and truly help your kids, this is an event that you go to.”
The Maruccis won the 2015 17u PG WWBA National Championship in Atlanta and looked like they were on their way to a repeat of that title two weeks ago after starting out 7-0-0. But they dropped a 2-1 decision to the East Cobb Astros in the second round of the playoffs and returned to California with a little bit of a hitch in their giddy-up. This event offers CBA a chance to climb back on the national stage, one that is open to only 24 of the best 17u teams in the country.
“I think we’re going to compete; I think our pitching is pretty strong,” Paino said. “In Georgia, our bats kind of went silent a little bit but that didn’t mean our guys didn’t fight or didn’t give it their all any less. So, yes, I would say this a typical, hard-nosed, quiet CBA baseball team.”
Freeman said being a part of the CBA organization is like being a part of one big extended family – he calls it a “brotherhood” – and considers it an honor to pull on the CBA jersey; that’s why he’s here and not in Chicago.
He smiled and shook his head when asked to name the people or person who have had the biggest impact on his baseball-playing life, simply saying there have been too many to name. But after a moment he caught himself and acknowledged that his father, Greg, has motivated him more than any other. Greg Freeman is a detective with the Pomona (Calif.) Police Department, and the elder Freeman’s work ethic has had a big effect on his son.
“I’m never really pleased because you always have to strive to reach an even higher point,” Tyler Freeman said of his development as a baseball player. “It’s great how things are happening right now but I’m still going to keep working my tail-end off just to get higher than I’ve ever been before.”
When asked about Freeman, Paino described a very respectful young man who is very disciplined and very mentally tough, traits that become apparent when he’s playing the game and when he finds himself in tight situations. “With Tyler Freeman, I don’t think there is any situation that is too big,” he said.
“We’ve tried to pick him apart. We’ve tried to look at his flaws just to help him out a little bit,” Paino continued, wearing a grin on his face. “But his parents have done a phenomenal job of raising him and he’s truly an outstanding young man that we’re just so proud of.”
The Perfect Game All-American Classic will be the 15th PG event Freeman has attended, and that includes an appearance at the PG National Showcase in Fort Myers, Fla., in mid-June; he stood out at the National with a 6.77-second 60-yard dash and by throwing 91 mph across the infield. He really is a complete package.
He has been named to five PG all-tournament teams playing with CBA, including last year’s 17u PG World Series and PG WWBA World Championship, and at the 2016 17u PG WWBA National Championship. He earned the Most Valuable Player Award wearing a CBA Marucci uniform at the 2015 PG/EvoShield Underclass National Championship played here in the Valley of the Sun, over in Goodyear.
Freeman has committed to national college baseball power TCU in Fort Worth, noting that he has family in Texas and has always been enamored with the state. He travels to the Lone Star State with his parents every Christmas has long told them he wanted to go to attend a college somewhere in Texas. When TCU expressed interest in him, Freeman said, “This is the place; this is where I want to go.”
With his extensive experience, Freeman has already learned what it’s like to play with or against other young prospects from all across the country, Puerto Rico and Canada. He shouldn’t be surprised by anything he encounters at TCU or in the professional ranks or even during the next four days at the 17u PG World Series.
“It would be great to win this tournament, obviously, but I really just want to have fun,” he said. “If you can have fun playing the game you love you’re going to play to the best of your ability.”
And, he certainly shouldn’t be surprised by anything he sees at next month’s PG All-American Classic. “I bet Tyler Freeman winds up making some lifelong friends at that game,” Paino said. “That’s just the type of guys he is.”
Watch the 2018 PG All-American Classic 2018 Game Recap 2018 Box Score 2018 Event Blog The Classic: By the Numbers PGAAC supports Rady Children's Hospital Watch the 2018 Selection Show 4 introduced to '18 Classic PG All-Americans sign for $70M 4 PGAAs taken in Draft's top-8 MLB PG All-American alumni (171) MLB Draft First-Round PG All-Americans (215)
Copyright 1995- by Perfect Game. All rights reserved. No portion of this information may be reprinted or reproduced without the written consent of Perfect Game.
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Bethanie Mattek-Sands, Jamie Murray win U.S. Open mixed doubles title
Mattek-Sands has also won mixed doubles Grand Slam titles at the Australian Open and the French Open.
Bethanie Mattek-Sands, Jamie Murray win U.S. Open mixed doubles title Mattek-Sands has also won mixed doubles Grand Slam titles at the Australian Open and the French Open. Check out this story on postcrescent.com: https://post.cr/2oQcFbJ
Associated Press Published 3:35 p.m. CT Sept. 8, 2018
Sep 8, 2018; New York, NY, USA; Bethanie Mattek-Sands of the United States becomes emotional as she talks about her injury and recovery after winning the mixed doubles championship with teammate Jamie Murray of Great Britain, left, over Alicja Rosolska of Poland and Nikola Mektic of Croatia (both not pictured) on day thirteen of the 2018 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Danielle Parhizkaran-USA TODAY SPORTS ORG XMIT: USATSI-381658 ORIG FILE ID: 20180908_ajw_pa7_091.jpg(Photo: Danielle Parhizkaran-USA TODAY S)
Jamie Murray won his second straight U.S. Open mixed doubles title, teaming with Bethanie Mattek-Sands to beat Alicja Rosolska and Nikola Mektic 2-6, 6-3, 11-9.
Murray won last year with Martin Hingis and she was in the box Saturday to cheer the doubles team at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Murray became the first man to win consecutive U.S. Open mixed doubles titles since Bob Bryan in 2003 and 2004.
The 32-year-old Murray, brother of former Wimbledon and U.S. Open champion Andy Murray, played with Mattek-Sands for the first time in the tournament. Mattek-Sands has also won mixed doubles Grand Slam titles at the Australian Open and the French Open. Murray had three other Grand Slam mixed doubles titles.
Mattek-Sands is a former Neenah, Wisconsin resident.
Rosolska and Mektic also played together for the first time in what was the first all-unseeded doubles final at the U.S. Open since 2009.
Murray and Mattek-Sands received $155,000 for winning the championship.
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View Page Gallery
Sport is a vital part of life at The Prebendal and every pupil is encouraged to represent the School at fixtures throughout the academic year.
The Prebendal playing fields are in a stunning location in the centre of Chichester and are within easy reach of the School. In addition to the normal pitches, there are all-weather cricket nets, netball courts, tennis courts and an all-weather cricket pitch.
The major sports played are Football, Netball, Rugby, Hockey, Cricket, Rounders, Athletics, Tennis and Swimming. After school clubs also provide further opportunities for the children to get active and get involved.
Our younger children, in Pre-Prep, enjoy their sporting opportunities and they learn many sports including Football, Netball, Cricket and Rounders skills from a young age.
Sport is provided by specialist coaches and all our pupils are encouraged to take part in a wide variety of team building and co-operative games.
Ease into Summer with our Holiday Clubs
The Prebendal Young Writer of the Year Results
Book for Grandparents' Open Morning
Events in this year's Festival of Chichester
Where would you like to go next?
Our school is a rich blend of friendly family life set in a superb city location so do come & visit.
For Years 3 to 8, our Prep School is the perfect setting for pupils to grow, flourish & achieve.
A rich & varied curriculum and experts in all subjects to maximise the potential of every child.
The Prebendal prides itself on musical excellence & 95% of pupils play at least one instrument.
Our younger children in the School enjoy regularly trips to the seaside thanks to our official status as a Beach School and it is a pivotal element of our outdoor education philosophy.
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Phnom Penh Post - Oil dispute optimism
Oil dispute optimism
James O'Toole and Tom Brennan | Publication date 21 July 2011 | 08:01 ICT
James O'Toole and Tom Brennan
THE election of Puea Thai has made a solution to the disputed Overlapping Claims Area in the Gulf of Thailand more likely, experts say.
Petroleum companies say they are ready to explore the 27,000 square kilometre region, which is claimed by both Thailand and Cambodia and is thought to contain significant reserves of oil and gas.
The area still remains largely unexplored a decade after the two countries signed a Memorandun of Understanding stipulating joint management of its petroleum resources.
In 2001, Cambodia and Thailand agreed on joint development of the southern portion of the disputed area, with the northern portion to be divided by a defined maritime border.
Thailand, however, cancelled the agreement in 2009 after ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra was appointed an economic adviser to the Cambodian government.
But with prime minister-elect Yingluck Shinawatra’s victory in Thailand’s July 3 elections, Cambodian government officials have expressed optimism that a solution can be found.
Council of Ministers spokesman Phay Siphan said Phnom Penh looked forward to working with the incoming Thai administration to solve the dispute.
“We’d love to see [an agreement on] the overlapping area in the sea implemented so that we can figure out how to share it,” he said.
“We still consider that co-operation in the economy or trade sector is most important, and that both countries need it.”
The disputed area could contain 11 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, along with unknown quantities of oil, market intelligence firm CLC Asia says.
Firms granted exploration licences in the area yesterday expressed hope the dispute over petroleum management would soon be solved.
Total Exploration and Production Asia-Pacific vice-president for China, Vietnam and Cambodia Yves Le Bail said: “Total is ready to start exploration as soon as possible after the two countries solve their dispute.”
Le Bail, who called the area “potentially interesting”, said Total had paid a bonus for a promise of some explorat-ion rights in the area as long as the two countries reached an agreement on joint management of the OCA “within a limited period of time”.
He declined to define that period of time, citing confidentiality agreements.
Le Bail said Total had been in discuss-ions with Cambodia about the OCA, but a large part of the final solution would come from direct discussions between the two countries.
Nobody knew when that solution would come, he said.
In past years, Cambodia and Thailand have granted overlapping exploration rights in the area to oil companies including Total, Chevron, ConocoPhillips and Japanese giant Idemitsu Kosan.
Revenues from the area could “revolutionise” impoverished Cambodia, Chevron general manager for exploration Gerry Flaherty is quoted as saying in a February, 2008 diplomatic cable from the US embassy in Phnom Penh released by anti-secrecy organisation WikiLeaks.
Flaherty is also quoted as saying the OCA is “one of the best areas for exploration in the world”, according to the cable.
An agreement about the OCA was close to being reached just before former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s removal from power in 2006, according to a separate cable from the US embassy in Phnom Penh in 2007.
The cable sources the claim to Cambodian foreign ministry secret-ary of state Kao Kim Hourn, who reportedly said “an additional six months of negotiations would have settled the matter”.
Keo Kim Hourn last week told the Post that he “didn’t remember” those discussions.
But experts have said the election of Thaksin’s sister Yingluck Shinawatra is a good sign that talks between the two kingdoms would recommence.
“I believe their policy will follow in her brother’s footsteps,” Chheng Kimlong, business and economic lecturer at the University of Cambodia, said, adding that the impending exploration would benefit both countries.
He also pointed out that although Thailand claimed to have cancelled the 2001 memorandum of understanding, the contract might still be legally enforceable. If anything, it merely suspended the memorandum for a brief period, he said.
“An already-signed MoU is not easily cancelled. What’s important is that our country has not cancelled.” ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY BANGKOK POST AND MAY KUNMAKARA
Contact authors: James O'Toole and Tom Brennan
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Hear What a TV Reporter Told Cops About the Vandalized Confederate Memorial
Ray Stern
Ray Stern | August 30, 2017 | 10:03am
In a 911 call, TV news reporter Bryan West told police that he witnessed a man in the act of vandalizing a confederate memorial at the Arizona State Capitol, but he didn't tell that to TV viewers.
The call deepens the mystery of how the Channel 12 (KPNX-TV) got his scoop on August 17 about finding the memorial covered in white paint.
As an article in New Times last week revealed, the broadcast report on August 17 by West conflicts with surveillance videos of the Capitol grounds.
Channel 12 Changes Tale on Confederate Memorial Vandalism After New Times Story
Surveillance Videos Contradict Channel 12 News Report on Confederate Memorial Vandalism
Two of of Arizona's Confederate Monuments Have Been Defaced
His version of events on the 911 tape conflicts with both the videos and what he reported to the public.
Early that morning, West reported to Channel 12's audience that he arrived at the "Memorial to Arizona Confederate Troops," a stone structure in the shape of the state of Arizona in the Wesley Bolin Memorial Plaza, and discovered it had been vandalized.
As his footage displayed, the monument had been spray-painted white, with a white cross added at the bottom. It was the second Confederate memorial vandalized in Arizona on or about the same night, occurring days after the tumultuous events in Charlottesville, Virginia, on August 12.
In the 911 call, though, West claimed to have actually witnessed the vandalism:
West was apparently talking to his cameraman after the 911 dispatcher picked up, saying "I'm calling the newsroom really fast, um, just tell them we're out ..."
The operator interrupted him, asking how she could help. He gave his name and the reason they were at the memorial:
"We just got to the Confederate memorial cause we know it's controversial, um, and we pulled up and there was a gentleman on a bike with a hat that was spray-painting it, and he just left," West said. "You'll see the live truck."
This screen grab from a surveillance camera shows the vandal in plain view of the news van's headlights.
Arizona Department of Administration
His account of what he witnessed differs markedly from what he told TV viewers on the morning of August 17.
"Actually," he told the Channel 12 audience, "when we showed up, there was a man that was on a bicycle that took off from the scene."
Yet if West did see the vandal in action, new questions arise, like why he and the cameraman didn't photograph the crime or interview the offender, and how long West waited to call police about it.
Also unanswered: If West saw the man spray-painting the monument and not just a man leaving on a bicycle, why didn't he tell Channel 12 viewers the whole story?
West's Facebook site was taken down following New Times' article last week, but was put back up three days later. On the site, in a Facebook Live video taken by West the morning of August 17, West "we were just showing up" at the memorial "when we found out this was being vandalized."
Although that implies he might have seen the vandalism occuring, West first told Facebook viewers that, "As soon as we got here, we saw a person that was actually leaving the scene." He added that he could still smell paint fumes.
In reality, as the surveillance cameras show, the suspect arrived near the monument on his bicycle a few minutes before the Channel 12 (KPNX-TV) news crew arrived. But he didn't start painting the monument right away.
The van parked directly in front of the memorial at 4:41 a.m., and the vandal emerged less than a minute later from the parking lot area, walking casually toward the monument about 30 feet away.
The vandalism suspect left the scene on his bicycle by riding north on 16th Avenue.
The news van's headlights were trained on the monument before, during, and after the suspect spray-painted it white.
As the suspect worked, shadows in the headlights' glare can be seen on the memorial, possibly from West and his cameraman walking in front of the van.
The suspect seemed unconcerned about the presence of the new crew. When he was done painting, just after 4:46 a.m. according to one video, he walked back to the lot, where the van was. A few seconds later, he strolled directly in front of the headlights, as can be seen by shadows on the memorial.
About a minute later, he can be seen in a different surveillance video riding the bicycle on 16th Avenue, which at that location is a small road north of Washington Street between a parking garage and the Arizona State Board of Pharmacy building.
In the call to police, West described the suspect as an "older gentleman, maybe 40s, 50s, black hat, black shirt, cargo shorts, two cans of aerosol on the bicycle. Seen leaving north, from the eastbound — eastbound near Adams and Monroe, along 17th Avenue."
But West didn't quite get the streets right, judging from the video of the man biking away from the scene — 17th Avenue is one block west of 16th.
Less than a minute after a camera recorded the vandal on 16th Avenue, West's cameraman walked in front of the news van to the monument and set up a tripod.
The time of the 911 call was 4:49 a.m., according to the state Department of Public Safety. However, it's unknown whether the clock used by the 911 service matches exactly with the time stamps on the surveillance video.
If they do match, then West called 911 more than a minute after the suspect left the scene.
The news van was parked about 25 feet away, shining its headlights on the memorial before, during, and after the vandal spray-painted it white.
West didn't return a call on Friday from New Times. His boss, KPNX general manager and president Dean Ditmer, previously said that, "Our crew could not see the vandalism from their vantage point. As surveillance video shows, the vandalism took place on the other side of the monument and their view was obstructed. When our reporter realized what was happening, he immediately contacted the authorities and gave a description of the suspect."
After the New Times article about the videos was published, Channel 12 changed an online article about the scoop to read, "As our 12 News crew was preparing a live report from the State Capitol, a person vandalized a nearby Confederate monument."
Several media pundits and social-media users have speculated in recent days that Channel 12 somehow manufactured the entire incident.
"They must have been contacted and told to be there to get the story before anyone else," Eric Cashman of Scottsdale wrote on West's Facebook site on Tuesday morning. "Instead of calling the police and passing on the crime, they stood by until it was done and reported on it like no advanced warning was received."
"A camera crew who couldn't get a pic? Weird," Facebook user Jennifer Lillie wrote on West's site.
The Arizona DPS has yet to release its investigative report.
Ray Stern has worked as a newspaper reporter in Arizona for more than two decades. He's won many awards for his reporting, including the Arizona Press Club's Don Bolles Award for Investigative Journalism.
Facebook: Ray Stern
Twitter: @raystern
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Arizona Police Board Clears Cops to Use CBD Products
SB 1070 Fuels a Movement of New Voters
Monica Alonzo
Monica Alonzo | July 5, 2012 | 4:00am
On a hot evening in June, a petite young woman with long, black hair briskly walks a decade-old Avondale neighborhood lined with stucco homes, cradling a clipboard.
It's after dinnertime, but a stubborn summer sun stretches out the day, providing plenty of light as she approaches the doors. Some families are settling in for the night; the faint sounds of televisions emit from living rooms. Others are washing cars or doing yard work.
Adriana consults a map that pinpoints homes of targeted registered voters, then rings bell after bell, explaining she is a student volunteer sharing information about Democratic candidates running for election — Richard Carmona, who wants a seat in the U.S. Senate; Congressman Raul Grijalva, who is up for re-election; and Paul Penzone, who hopes to unseat Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio.
New Times feature
Most people are receptive to the Latina, who can deliver her message in fluent Spanish or English. One man asks how he can volunteer. One woman says she's busy but asks for Adriana's phone number so she can get more information the next day.
Others grumble disinterestedly and quickly shut their doors.
Adriana walks on through the streets of this working-class neighborhood, where political and racial demographics cross both party and color lines.
She is not alone. Adriana is a member of Team Awesome, a group with dozens of community organizers. She and other students, campaign volunteers, and political organizers working Arizona — street by street and door by door — have a goal beyond educating would-be voters about candidates. Or getting people to register to vote.
They desperately want to change Arizona's anti-Latino landscape — one radical politician at a time.
And they're doing it. Last year, they made history by bumping voter turnout nearly 400 percent in West and Central Phoenix and being part of the team that forced out Russell Pearce, the state Senate president behind Arizona's anti-immigrant laws.
Engaged Latinos are taking the movement state- and nationwide. Their numbers are growing, but it won't be easy.
"Immigration can get sticky," Adriana says, peering down the street for the next house number. "And it's such a complicated issue, you can't talk about it for just a couple minutes at the door. But everyone cares about their tax money."
She focuses on a candidate's leadership qualities, fiscal policies, and accountability. She plans to spend many hours in the summer heat and on the phone cultivating support for Carmona, Penzone, and Grijalva. The Obama campaign is capitalizing on the political energy among Latinos, and hoping to make typically Republican-leaning Arizona more competitive come November.
But on Election Day, Adriana will not be casting a vote for any of these candidates, Obama included. Or anyone else, for that matter.
Adriana, 20, is an undocumented immigrant. She isn't eligible to vote.
Or drive.
Or work.
Or get an affordable education.
None of that stops her from hustling to get others politically active. In fact, it motivates her even more.
Adriana (she asked that we use only her first name) and her parents came to Arizona from Mexico when she was 8. She graduated from high school with dreams of going to Arizona State University, majoring in international business and eventually earning an MBA from Thunderbird School of Global Management.
Adriana saw herself working for a Fortune 500 company.
"That was the plan," she says.
She couldn't afford classes at ASU, so she settled for Glendale Community College. Even there, a single math class set her family back nearly $1,300. Since she is undocumented, Arizona law forces her to pay out-of-state tuition even though she's lived in the state for 12 years.
Like many undocumented students, she now is attending a more affordable private university. However, the smaller college doesn't offer an international business degree, so she settled for a degree in marketing.
Students like Adriana — along with a huge cadre of other volunteers, other organizations — are fighting so that they never have to settle again, fighting to change a political atmosphere in Arizona created by more than a decade of anti-immigrant laws culminating two years ago with Arizona Senate Bill 1070, a law that essentially turns state and local police into immigration-enforcement agents.
Though many are undocumented — and afraid to drive or work or talk about their immigration status — there is collective courage building among them. During rallies or gatherings, some publicly share their stories, stirring others also to step out of the shadows.
They support Richard Carmona, a Democrat who is running for a U.S. Senate seat being vacated by retiring Republican Senator Jon Kyl, because he is a staunch supporter of the DREAM Act, a proposal that would create a path to citizenship for certain undocumented students brought into the country as children.
Carmona is considered a centerpiece of the Arizona ticket and has a résumé that impresses both Democrats and Republicans. The son of immigrants is a high school dropout who served in Vietnam, received numerous combat decorations (including two Purple Hearts), earned a medical degree in vascular surgery, was appointed U.S. Surgeon General by President George W. Bush, and served as a deputy in the Pima County Sheriff's Office.
Not bad. Carmona insists, however, that what's more impressive are the backstories of Team Awesome, the kids getting out the vote.
"Their stories are heartbreaking," Carmona says. "I tell them that I realize it's difficult for you now, but I will always stand up for you, work hard to figure out how . . . eventually you can become citizens."
The kids align themselves with the Democratic Party, which isn't a difficult choice because of its sharp opposition to the anti-immigrant rhetoric that tops the talking points for most Republicans on the far right of the political spectrum.
But they don't view their efforts as partisan.
"I don't walk for the party," Adriana says. "I am walking for my community, for my family, for myself. I'm walking for my future."
They're walking to change laws like SB 1070.
Students and political organizers know that registering people to vote, and insisting that they participate on Election Day, is one way they can directly influence those changes in Arizona laws.
While the U.S. Supreme Court declared on June 25 that Arizona overstepped its bounds with three of the law's four provisions under review, it allowed the most controversial of them to stand.
The decision gives a local cop the authority to detain someone and investigate his or her immigration status during a lawful stop if the cop has "reasonable suspicion" that the individual is an illegal immigrant.
After the ruling, community leaders and organizers gathered at the State Capitol, renewing their call for people to keep fighting, to register to vote, and to cast a ballot for lawmakers who will not adopt divisive laws that will spur racial profiling.
"We all agree that SB 1070 never should have happened," said Petra Falcon, director of Promise Arizona, a nonprofit that creates new leaders and engages new voters. "We need to take responsibility for that. And, now, we see more people coming together with a shared purpose, so we don't have any more bad laws."
She says the community has learned how to push back.
The Supreme Court's verdict has further fueled a fight that already was simmering against the anti-immigrant sentiment fostered by the state's Republican-controlled legislature and rubber-stamped by Governor Jan Brewer.
Jaime Regalado, emeritus professor of political science at California State University-Los Angeles, believes that if Arizona hadn't passed SB 1070 and set the stage for the adoption of similar measures in other states, the country's political landscape would be much different.
"I'm not sure that Alabama would have taken that step, I'm not sure that Utah would have . . . or Indiana or Georgia," he tells New Times. "Folks were waiting, on that side of the equation, for somebody to take the lead in a very tough — some would say draconian — immigration law. Arizona was that catalyst."
SB 1070 remains embroiled in other legal battles, including a class-action lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union and a coalition of civil rights groups charging, in part, that the law invites racial profiling.
Its impact is being felt in significant ways all over the country. But as the promise of the Latino vote becomes pivotal, and SB 1070 stirs in the community anger and a desire for change, proponents of Latino and immigrants' rights are trying to transform those emotions into action.
About 9.5 million Latinos in the United States reported voting in the 2008 presidential election, up 2 million from 2004. In 2010, Latinos set a record for turnout in a midterm election with 6.6 million casting ballots, up from 5.6 million in 2006, according to the Pew Hispanic Center.
But they still represent a small portion of the voting public.
In 2008, Latinos accounted for about 7.5 percent of all voters. In 2010, a non-presidential election year, they represented only 6.9 percent of voters.
The fields of voters are ripe for harvest.
In Arizona, there are more than 450,000 Latinos on the voting rolls, but another 400,000 Latinos in the state are eligible, but unregistered to vote.
For many years, political and labor-based nonprofit organizations like CASE (Central Arizonans for a Sustainable Economy), Promise Arizona, Mi Familia Vota, Unite Here, and the César Chávez Foundation have targeted those individuals by sponsoring voter-registration drives and get-out-the-vote initiatives.
These days, they are finding would-be voters more attuned to anti-immigrant laws and sentiment and, thus, more responsive.
Hispanics have been fighting for equality and civil rights for more than a century — from efforts in Arizona and across the country to end school segregation for Mexican-American students to the César Chávez-inspired fight for fair wages for migrant farmworkers and a broad Chicano Movement pushing for political change.
But the fiery fight had waned, and the community settled into a period of complacency driven by a lack of strong community leadership and splintered factions of political power.
A new wave of young people — many who, like Adriana, aren't even qualified to vote — is hoping to reignite the civic engagement of a once-spirited community. They are the ones poised to make a difference.
They already have proved their prowess in Phoenix, where they gained national attention for helping triple the citywide Latino voter turnout and increasing it nearly 500 percent in West Phoenix during the 2011 Phoenix City Council election.
President Barack Obama's major policy shift on June 15, announcing temporary immunity from deportations and access to renewable work permits for certain undocumented youths, illustrates their mounting political power.
"It's huge. There is an overwhelming joy," Viri Hernandez, one of the leaders of Team Awesome, told New Times the day Obama announced his new directive. "It's been a long time coming. It's the first time that we really feel safe."
But, she says, their fight is not over — as his measure stops short of granting a path to full citizenship.
"News like this is very energizing," she says. "For years, we've been talking about the power of the Latino voice and, now, we're actually getting results. But we still need to make sure our families are safe. We're going to continue fighting."
When Governor Jan Brewer signed SB 1070 into law on April 23, 2010, she punctuated more than a century of discriminatory policies in Arizona, as well as the state's decades-long assault on the minority community.
In the 1950s, Mexican-Americans, just like black families, were fighting to end segregation in schools in Arizona and cities across the nation.
Jeanne Powers, an associate professor at ASU's Division of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, described the racial discrimination that included separate "Mexican Schools" for Latinos in a 2008 article.
Arizona school districts approved separating brown students under the guise that they lacked proficiency in English. But the community also was segregated "in other public facilities, such as swimming pools, churches, and movie houses, and institutional discrimination in housing policy," Powers writes in Forgotten History: Mexican American School Segregation in Arizona from 1900-1951.
Community leaders stood up and challenged their treatment in courts, and in 1950, the U.S. District Court of Arizona declared the practice of segregation unconstitutional — three years before the U.S. Supreme Court rendered a similar opinion in Brown v. Board of Education, ending the sham of "separate but equal."
During the same time period, César Chávez and others fought for migrant farm workers' rights, pushing to end poor working conditions, low wages, and discrimination on farms across the country. By 1956, the activists had created what later would be known as the United Farm Workers.
The Chicano Movement, or El Movimiento, was well under way in the 1960s, with Mexican-American activists rallying for their civil rights, engaging in protests across the country. Organizations such as Chicanos por la Causa and MALDEF (Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund) were formed to address economic disparities, defend civil rights, and promote the training of new leaders.
But organized movements fizzled and a new wave of thinly veiled discrimination resurfaced.
In the mid-'90s, when Russell Pearce (who would go on to serve in the Arizona Legislature, including as president of the State Senate until his recall last year) was director of the Motor Vehicle Division, he set into motion a law that required proof of citizenship or legal status before obtaining a driver's license.
In 2000, California millionaire Ron Unz bankrolled Proposition 203, a successful ban on bilingual education in Arizona's public schools. In 2004, Proposition 200 required more "papers, please" — this time proof of citizenship before casting a ballot at a polling place.
About 2005, Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio created a task force of deputies to hunt illegal immigrants, conducting raids in mostly Latino neighborhoods. Two years later, he launched a hotline on which residents could report suspected illegal immigrants.
He and former County Attorney Andrew Thomas (since disbarred over ethical violations and abusing his power) twisted a law aimed at human smugglers and charged immigrants themselves as co-conspirators guilty of felony offenses.
Increasing the fervor, state Senator Pearce was able to float three more propositions in 2006 demonizing the immigrant community: Prop 300, denying in-state tuition to undocumented students, forcing them to pay higher out-of-state rates or drop out of school; Prop 100, denying bail to illegal immigrants charged with serious felonies; and Prop 102, denying an award of punitive damages in any civil court action to an undocumented plaintiff.
Frightened voters approved all three measures.
Although similar anti-immigrant measures had been passed by Arizona lawmakers years before, they always had been shot down by Governor Janet Napolitano, a Democrat. Brewer, on the other hand, was more than happy to sign SB 1070 into law in 2010, thus securing her seat in that year's governor's race and putting the state of Arizona on the map as the capital of anti-immigration sentiments.
A few months later, lawmakers adopted a broadly written law that plainly intended to shut down Mexican-American ethnic-studies courses in the Tucson Unified School District.
Intoxicated with power, Pearce drew up another slate of anti-immigrant bills last year, with the intent to: deny citizenship to U.S.-born children of illegal immigrants, ban undocumented immigrants from state universities, make it a crime for them to drive a vehicle in Arizona, and require school districts and hospitals to check the legal status of students and patients.
The cumulative result: protests and marches in the streets, civil disobedience, calls for national conventions, entertainers, and corporate America to boycott Arizona, and a renewed push to register more Latinos to vote.
"We need to stop reacting and start acting. If there is any truth to our numbers, it will only be seen at the voting booth," says Danny Ortega, chairman of the National Council of La Raza, longtime activist and Phoenix lawyer. "We've been lulled into believing that because we've had a significant increase in population, that gives us power. Maybe [it does] from a consumer standpoint, but not from a political standpoint."
Business leaders eventually stood up and objected to the direction Pearce and other lawmakers were taking the state, acknowledging the devastating impact to Arizona's economy. Those laws not only prompted boycotts and hurt Arizona tourism, but gave pause to potential new corporations and businesses who didn't want to open their doors in such a caustic political climate.
"When the chips were down and we needed them — those people who were making money off of us — to work with us on issues over at the legislature and with the Governor, they were nowhere to be seen," Ortega says. "Now they're starting to come forward. Why? Because it's affecting them."
And with backlash from the business community, Pearce's cohorts in the state Senate shied away from his 2011 round of anti-brown bills. They all died on the floor.
Later that same year, it was Pearce's political career that hit the skids when the disgraced lawmaker forcibly was tossed out of office in a recall election — again, driven by Latino leaders.
As for Arpaio, he has been stripped by Immigration and Customs Enforcement of federal authority to check the immigration status of individuals in his jails; the Department of Justice has declared he committed the worst acts of racial profiling in U.S. history; and is under federal investigation over abuse of power allegations and his office's failure to investigate hundreds of sex crimes in his jurisdiction.
Rosa Macias, CEO of Muebleria Del Sol, a Valley furniture business, says that Arizona's anti-Latino laws have cut her profit in half. But she and other Latino business leaders started Fuerza Local, a Latino version of Local First, to pool their political power against Arizona's anti-Latino climate.
"We want to build a coalition to keep the community strong and keep business here," Macias says of the three-month-old effort. "Politics is a very important part of this. People have to know where these changes are coming from, and who is really making these decisions? It determines our way of life in many ways, and in the end it all boils down to politics."
Many community organizers are savoring the November 2011 recall of Pearce, the architect of SB 1070. It was an unprecedented win orchestrated by Citizens for a Better Arizona, a coalition of activists led by community leader Randy Parraz and volunteers such as Adriana.
"Once you taste victory, well, it's a powerful thing," Ortega says.
It's been six months since Russell Pearce was thrown out of office, but the laws he sponsored continue to haunt Arizona families.
Many families, like Adriana's, are a blend of citizens and non-citizens. Her two younger sisters were born in Arizona, and enjoy benefits she can't access — like cheaper tuition at state schools, scholarships, their choice of universities.
"I'm empowered, but I'm still stuck," she says. "I mean, I'm doing something to change my situation, but I still face the reality of it as I walk and knock on these doors."
State Senator Steve Gallardo talks about introducing a bill that mimics the California DREAM Act, which allows children brought to the U.S. before they turned 16 — who meet certain educational criteria — to qualify for financial aid.
It is unclear how Obama's temporary immunity for DREAM Act-eligible students will interact with Arizona law increasing tuition costs for undocumented immigrants.
"It makes no sense that we have such bright kids and we're going to shut the door on them?" Gallardo says. "How can you look them in the eye and tell them you're not going to stand with them?"
While California lawmakers supported varying versions of the measure, Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed each one as they came across his desk in 2006, 2007, and 2008.
It wasn't until June 2011 that the bill was signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown, a Democrat.
Gallardo also is exploring a measure to repeal SB 1070.
"We need to talk about this," he says. "The immigration debate has turned Arizona upside down, and it's time for us to talk about the damage it's done. We need to start pushing positive measures to mobilize our community — let's pass a DREAM Act, let's put a repeal of SB 1070 out there."
Regalado says that Arizona's law served as a tipping point, as much a watershed moment for Latinos today as Proposition 187 was for California in the 1990s.
That Republican measure, a prequel to Arizona's SB 1070 and wholeheartedly supported at the time by the state's Republican governor Pete Wilson, banned illegal immigrants in that state from receiving any public services, including a public education and nonemergency medical care. The law was eventually deemed unconstitutional, but not before it sparked long-term fallout for Republicans in the West Coast state.
Massive political organization prodded California moderates and liberals to retaliate.
With the exception of former Governor Schwarzenegger, elected during a 2003 gubernatorial recall, Californians have picked Democrats in every gubernatorial, Senate, and presidential race following the infamous law, according to Center for American Progress, a think tank on immigration policy.
In Arizona, political leaders believe multiple Democratic wins in November are possible at the state and federal level.
Ken Chapman, director of the Maricopa County Democratic Party, says that "some of the races in Arizona are going to be close, and it's gonna come down to what we can do in the field."
Enter Team Awesome — among them many who defy their undocumented status and, without casting a single ballot, take civic engagement to new heights. They are stepping out of the shadows, and not allowing laws aimed at preventing them from driving, working, or getting an education to keep them from having a voice.
Arizona got a sneak peek last year of what that army is capable of, when student organizers — many of them undocumented immigrants who are all but lifelong U.S. residents — brought about the civic awakening of several thousands of Phoenix Latinos.
Just as they're doing this year, the students spent last summer knocking on doors previously untouched by political hands — in parts of town with such low voter turnout that they never drew the attention of candidates.
Their efforts paid off in Phoenix City Council District 5, which stretches roughly from Northern Avenue to Thomas Road between 15th and 107th avenues.
As they pushed for Daniel Valenzuela, a Glendale firefighter and longtime West Phoenix resident, to win a seat on the Phoenix City Council, the young activists also threw their support behind Greg Stanton, a mayoral candidate who made clear his opposition to rigid anti-immigration laws. His opponent, Wes Gullett, offered public support to SB 1070, backing the mandate for local cops to enforce federal immigration laws.
Gary Segura, a political science professor at Stanford University and a principal at the polling firm Latino Decisions, tells New Times that while it's unclear just how great a role SB 1070 played in revving political engagement within the Latino community, he believes it hastened the movement.
"Threat is a very effective motivator, and when people feel threatened, they act," he says.
Though there were obviously factors other than immigration in play during the Phoenix race — among them taxes, historic preservation, and public transportation — the students' efforts paid huge dividends as Valenzuela became the first Latino to represent that city district in decades, and Stanton was sworn in as mayor.
In that November 2011 election, Latino voter turnout in Valenzuela's district jumped by nearly 400 percent compared to four years earlier in that same part of town, according to an analysis of post-election data.
About 900 Latino voters showed up at the polls in District 5 in 2007, but more than 4,400 cast ballots in 2011.
The trend picked up momentum throughout Phoenix: Voter turnout in 2011 among Hispanics tripled with 22,744 voters, compared to only 7,760 Latinos in 2007.
They were sending a message to local politicians.
"If we can't change the laws, then we'll change the lawmakers," says Viri Hernandez, a DREAMer who is more motivated now than ever.
They understand that the dynamics of a local election are different from countywide races, like the Maricopa County Sheriff's race pitting Arpaio against the students' pick, former Phoenix cop Paul Penzone; or statewide races, like Richard Carmona's run for U.S. Senate.
While the traditional campaign machinery focuses on political messages in mailers, signs, and media ads, the volunteers on the ground are using their tried and true strategy — reach voters repeatedly and personally.
Post-election data by Arizona's Democratic Party reveals that 70 percent of first-time Latino voters in the 2011 election were contacted at least twice — some, many more times.
Change is possible, says Hernandez.
In Glendale, three Latinos are running for posts on the City Council, including Manny Cruz, who is making a bid for mayor. For a community whose population is nearly half Latino, that council has long lacked a voice.
It worked two years ago, when volunteers hit the streets for Norma Alvarez, and they helped elect that first representative voice for Latinos on the Glendale City Council. Last month in Tempe, Latino and Democratic groups supported Mark Mitchell for mayor; he won by a 139-vote margin.
In the four days before the Tempe election, Chapman says, groups knocked on more than 6,000 doors.
"Somewhere in there, there had to be 139 votes," he says, reinforcing the importance of having passionate student volunteers who are staking their futures on these candidates.
Arizona's left-of-center leaders also expect political change to come as a result of the state's newly redrawn legislative maps that carve out new minority-heavy districts and make others more competitive. The maps, approved by the U.S. Department of Justice, all but guarantee that the Republicans will lose their supermajority hold in the state Legislature.
The redistricting commission eliminated districts that previously were "safe" Republican districts and leveled the playing field by creating more politically competitive districts.
A June 2012 analysis by the Arizona Capitol Times suggests the possibility that Democrats will pick up enough seats in the Senate to split the chamber down the middle and "effectively give Democrats powers akin to a gubernatorial veto . . . [in which] voting as a bloc, they could stop Republican proposals dead in their tracks."
The Democrats now have the opportunity to boost their representation in the Arizona House, which boasts a mere five Latino lawmakers, and the Senate, which includes four Latinos.
"If [Latinos] show up to vote in numbers that reflect their growing population, they can most certainly be a force in this election, across the board," says Joseph Garcia, analyst of Latino Public Policy at ASU's Morrison Institute for Public Policy. "But we've been hearing for years that the Latino voters finally are going to flex their muscle, and that really has yet to materialize. But this year seems to have a different vibe to it."
Luis Heredia, director of the Arizona Democratic Party, tells New Times that although there was an increase of more than 60,000 Latino voters in 2010 compared to 2006, Latinos continue to represent a small percent of the overall electorate.
In Maricopa County, the party director says local Democrats, student volunteers, and political organizers knocked on nearly 63,000 doors and made nearly 80,000 phone calls reaching out to the community in the first five months of the year.
"Change, real change, is always pushed from the bottom up," Gallardo says.
The Obama campaign is putting boots on the ground in Arizona, capitalizing on the Republican presumptive nominee Mitt Romney's harsh anti-immigrant messages and pushing to win Latino vote in a state that historically votes Republican.
"We believe we can be competitive in Arizona," Mahen Gunaratna, communications director for Obama's Arizona campaign, tells New Times. "Latinos will be a deciding factor in this election — and the outcome will have a long-lasting impact on the community."
He says that victory "depends on people spreading the word about President Obama's vision for a strong middle class, and Mitt Romney's extreme agenda, which is on the wrong side of every issue important to the Latino community — jobs, education, healthcare, and immigration."
As Romney clumsily reaches out for the Latino vote, he steps back from positions he took earlier on the campaign trail — declaring that "self-deportation" is the solution to the immigration problem, that he would veto the DREAM Act, and that SB 1070 was a model for the nation.
By comparison, Obama once again endeared and energized Latinos by declaring temporary immunity from deportation for undocumented students, suing Arizona over SB 1070, and pulling from Arizona the federal 287g program promptly after the Supreme Court ruling on SB 1070 (287(g) allows police officers to cross-train as immigration-enforcement agents), as well as stating that ICE wasn't going to respond to calls from Arizona cops plucking undocumented immigrants off the streets. It all has enthused Latinos who may have been prepared to sit out this election.
Republican leaders concede their party needs to re-evaluate its stance on illegal immigration, specifically in dealing with the estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the country.
During a June 17 appearance on 12 News' Sunday Square Off, state Republican Party spokesman Shane Wikfors admitted that the Republicans need to deal with the immigration issue.
"This is a conversation that isn't going to go away anytime soon," he told host Brahm Resnik. "I think the Republican party needs to re-evaluate its position on how we deal with people that are part of us, and part of our community. This may go against the grain of the base, but look, we need to take a serious look at how we deal with people who are here in this country, and how to bring them into this melting pot we call America."
Wikfors' comments speak volumes about the importance of snatching the Latino vote.
On June 21, at a national conference of Latino officials in Florida, Romney pledged to find "common ground," reversing his earlier position and unveiling a proposal for permanent residency for highly skilled college graduates and members of the military, a better work visa system, and giving priority to legal permanent residents who are applying to bring family members to the U.S.
A poll conducted in April by longtime pollster Bruce Merrill and the Morrison Institute for Public Policy shows Arizona voters are evenly divided between President Obama and Romney.
It's an encouraging sign for moderates and liberals in a state that historically has been a deeper shade of red, especially considering that Arizona's own Senator John McCain won the state with only a nine-point lead over Obama in the 2008 presidential race.
The sun is setting as Adriana reaches the last of the homes on her clipboard. She's been walking for about two hours, hitting about 25 houses scattered throughout the Avondale community.
She approaches an older man trimming a bugambilia plant in his front yard and asks if she can leave some political literature with him. She hands him a "Carmona for Senate" door hanger; he seems skeptical. He asks whether she has met the candidate, and knows what kind of man he is.
"Oh, yeah. Me and a group of other students sat down with him," she tells him. "He's pretty amazing. He has a good story."
As she speaks to the man, Adriana tries to maintain eye contact while searching the bag over her shoulder for a pamphlet on Penzone. She comes up empty, but still tells him about the former cop's run against America's self-proclaimed toughest sheriff.
"We're hoping this is the year that Arpaio retires," she says.
"We're getting into that sheriff controversy?" the man asks, pausing from his work to look right at Adriana. "You think [Penzone] will do a better job than Sheriff Joe? Sheriff Joe is just doing his job."
Adriana politely fires back: "You think so? I don't think so. I think he's misusing our tax dollars, which is really bad. That money should be going into our schools. And I'm sure you've heard about the sexual abuse cases that were never investigated. I think that's a huge leadership problem. He can say he wasn't aware of it, but those are [his] people, and [he] should be looking over them and demonstrating a type of leadership that is helpful to Arizona."
The man pauses, resumes his yard work. "Yeah, I think you're right," he finally says. "It may very well be time for Sheriff Joe to retire and let someone else go in there and change things."
Adriana gives the man a thumbs-up as she walks away, a faint smile on her face.
Interview: Phoenix Migrant Activist Irineo Mujica on U.S. and...
Migrants Inside ICE's Only Transgender Unit Decry Conditions
ASU and Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin Refuse to Release Moon Lander...
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IFR And A Black Hole
The crash of a Cessna CJ4 in Cleveland highlights the high stakes of single-pilot IFR in a jet.
By Peter Katz
Two pilots who heard about a Cessna Citation CJ4 (Model 525C) crashing into Lake Erie after takeoff from Burke Lakefront Airport (KBKL) in Cleveland, Ohio, on Dec. 29, 2106, wrote to the National Transportation Safety Board about their experiences taking off from KBKL at night. One told about flying his Cessna 182 on a night VFR takeoff in which he was expecting a left turn out. “I was assigned a right turn out over the lake. When I made that turn, it was instantaneous IFR conditions. There was a black hole! No horizon at all. No stars, no lights anywhere. If I had not transitioned to the gauges until completing my turn towards the southeast, I would have had severe spatial disorientation.”
The other pilot wrote about his night takeoff from KBKL: “While I was able to handle the situation without undue difficulties, I believe that turning away from the lights of Cleveland into the absolute darkness over Lake Erie may result in pilot disorientation at too low an altitude to recover.”
But for the pilot of the Cessna CJ4 jet, the situation was more complex than just flying into a black hole that happened to be blanketed by marginal weather.
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By all accounts, the pilot was intensely serious about his plane, his training and his single-pilot operation of the jet. Yet the plane hit the water while descending at the screaming rate of about 6,000 feet per minute in a 15 degrees nose low attitude with the right wing 25 degrees down. The pilot and all five passengers were killed; the plane shattered into numerous pieces. The NTSB on July 16 of this year adopted a probable cause: spatial disorientation of the pilot, pilot fatigue, confusion as to the status of the autopilot, and what it called “negative learning transfer,” indicating the pilot didn't fully appreciate the differences between the flight guidance panels and attitude indicators on the Cessna Citation 510 Mustang he previously owned and the CJ4.
The pilot was a prominent person in Ohio: John Fleming, president and chief executive officer of the Superior Beverage Group in Columbus. The company services more than 12,000 retailers in 37 counties in northeast and central Ohio with more than 500 wine, beer and non-alcoholic beverage brands. Fleming's wife was on the plane, as were their two teenage sons, one of whom was vision impaired and accompanied by a service dog, and a neighbor and his daughter. They had been to a Cleveland Cavaliers basketball game, and this was the return flight to the Ohio State University Airport (KOSU) in Columbus.
The pilot held a private certificate for single-engine and multi-engine land with a Cessna 525 single pilot type rating, a helicopter rating and an instrument airplane rating. He had logged 1,205 hours with 56 in type. His third-class FAA medical was current. He began flying in July of 2003 and received his private certificate on May 3, 2006.
The accident took place at about 10:57 p.m. The airplane was operating on an IFR flight plan. Marginal visual meteorological conditions existed at KBKL. The observation recorded four minutes before the accident showed wind from 260 degrees at 25 knots with gusts to 31 knots, visibility 8 miles in light snow, scattered clouds at 1,200 feet AGL, broken clouds at 2,200 feet, and an overcast layer at 3,200 feet. The temperature was 1 degree C, the dew point was minus 2 degrees C, and the altimeter was 29.74. Is it possible the airplane picked up some ice before or during takeoff that affected its performance? The NTSB didn't think so.
Investigators talked to the pilot's colleagues and reviewed phone and text message activity to approximate his sleep opportunities for the three nights before the accident. They figured he had gotten about eight hours sleep three nights before the accident, 9-1/2 hours two nights before it happened and 7-1/2 hours on the night before the day of the accident. They said he awoke at 6 a.m. on the day of the accident and had been awake for about 17 hours at the time the plane went down.
The flight into KBKL departed from KOSU at about 5:30 p.m. and landed at about 6:00. The Safety Board did not report on precisely what the pilot and his passengers did after leaving the airport, such as where they had dinner, whether alcoholic beverages were consumed by anyone and how much energy the pilot may have expended rooting for a team or whether the pilot engaged in any business at the basketball arena. They returned to the airport at about 10:30 p.m., having left the game before its completion.
While the pilot was getting the airplane started, the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) picked up the pilot presumably asking about the basketball game. “We win?” he's heard saying, and the person sitting in the right front seat said, “They were up four with eight seconds left—eight and a half seconds when we walked out the door, so I think so.”
At 10:37:48, the pilot radioed the Burke clearance delivery controller asking for his IFR clearance. The controller issued the clearance, and the pilot read it back but said the assigned departure control frequency was 135.55. The controller advised, “Readback correct except it's, uh, departure control frequency one two five point three five, twenty five thirty five.” The pilot then read it back correctly as 125.35 and asked for the phonetic spelling to be repeated for the Waahu navigation fix, which is on a radial off of Cleveland's Dryer VOR. Could these communications have been a reflection of some pilot fatigue? The NTSB didn't specifically speculate.
At 10:50:48, the pilot radioed the ground controller and reported ready to taxi. The controller cleared him to Runway 24R via taxiways Golf and Hotel. While the airplane was taxiing out, the CVR picked up unintelligible background conversations along with the pilot apparently verbalizing parts of a checklist. “Two three trim. Let's see,” he said. “Hydraulic. Battery amps are less. Pitot heat's comin' on.”
As the airplane taxied out, the tower controller asked the Cleveland Hopkins Airport TRACON for approval to release the Citation. The tower controller was told to have the airplane fly a heading of 330 degrees. When the pilot radioed the tower controller to report ready for takeoff at 10:55:43, the controller replied, “Citation six one four sierra bravo, Lakefront tower, runway two four, turn right heading three three zero, maintain two thousand, cleared for takeoff.” The pilot radioed, “Right turn to three three zero, six one four sierra bravo.” Three seconds later, the CVR recorded the sounds of the engine power increasing. The pilot then said, “Clear,” followed by, “That's when it's nice to have more thrust than you need.” The CVR picked up more unintelligible background conversation and the investigators calculated the airplane was off the ground at 10:56:48. Just over a second later, the CVR picked up what sounded like the landing gear handle being moved. The airplane climbed at about 5 degrees nose up for about 8 seconds while accelerating to about 215 knots. The airplane entered a right turn. The attitude continued to rise to about 16 degrees nose up, and the rate of climb reached more than 6,000 feet per minute. At that rate, the airplane would be at its clearance limit of 2,000 feet in less than 20 seconds.
At 10:57:09, the CVR picked up an automated voice warning “altitude.” There was a second “altitude” warning 14 seconds later accompanied by what sounded like engine power decreasing. Two seconds after that, the airplane's enhanced ground proximity warning system (EGPWS) warned “bank angle, bank angle.” The NTSB's aircraft performance study indicated that the airplane's pitch attitude then was decreasing and continued to decrease for a dozen seconds. The tower controller then radioed, “Six one four sierra bravo contact departure. Safe flight.” The CVR picked up the pilot saying, “To departure, six one four sierra bravo,” but that did not go out on the radio. The pilot apparently had neglected to press the push-to-talk button, perhaps a sign of distraction or work overload.
ADS-B data showed that at about 10:57:28, the airplane was flying a magnetic course of 310 degrees and had reached an altitude of 2,925 feet. The tower controller at 10:57:31 transmitted, “Six one four sierra bravo, Lake...” The CVR picked up the EGPWS warning “Sink rate, sink rate.” ADS-B data at about 10:57:33 showed that the airplane was now beginning a descending right turn. By now, the pitch attitude was about 15 degrees nose down, the airplane was descending at a rate that would reach 6,000 feet per minute, and the right wing was down by about 62 degrees. Just before 10:57:40, the CVR recorded the pilot saying, “Six one four sierra bravo,” but again the pilot's voice did not go out over the radio. The airplane leveled somewhat, coming up to only 25 degrees right wing down.
At 10:57:41, the CVR recorded the sound of air noise increasing, followed by two “pull up, pull up” warnings. Then, the CVR picked up what sounded like an overspeed warning which lasted until the end of the recording. There also were five more “pull up” warnings recorded.
The final ADS-B data point recorded was when the airplane was about 205 feet above the water surface and 1.83 miles northwest of KBKL.
Because the pilot did not acknowledge the instruction to contact departure, the tower controller called Cleveland Departure on the interphone system. “That Citation four sierra bravo come on with you?” he asked. “No, I saw something come up, hit three (thousand feet), disappeared on me,” the approach controller replied. “Alright, let me try him again,” advised the tower controller. Over about four minutes, the two controllers discussed the possible whereabouts of the airplane and the tower controller made various attempts to raise the pilot on the radio. At 11:03:55, the tower controller raised the possibility that the pilot might be talking with Cleveland Center, and the Cleveland Departure controller suggested that they might have to “start search and rescue.”
Finally, at 11:08:48, the tower controller asked the departure controller, “Are you gonna initiate the, uh, search and rescue?” The departure controller's reply: “Huh?” The tower controller said, “Are you gonna initiate that?” The departure controller replied, “I'm, I'm try'n to, I hate to say, I'm, we’re so far behind because I'm, I'm trying to get to the calls, but I don't know who I need to call.” At 11:13:23, the Cleveland Departure controller called the tower controller to see what phone calls he had made to alert authorities to the apparently missing plane. “I'm calling the Coast Guard now, see if find, have 'em fly over,” he replied. “How 'bout the police department or anything like that,” the departure controller asked. “Nah, I haven't made that call yet. I, I'm try'n to get the Coast Guard first, and then we're going to do everything after that,” was the reply.
Weather conditions delayed Cleveland police and the Coast Guard from beginning search operations after they were notified.
It wasn't until January 5, 2017, that airplane debris was located. The recovery operations took two weeks. The water was about 40 feet deep. Recovered pieces of wreckage were laid out for examination, and the examination did not reveal anything consistent with preimpact failures or malfunctions. Remains of the victims were not fully recovered, so toxicology testing for drug and alcohol use by the pilot could not be performed.
The NTSB noted that there are differences in the controls for engaging the autopilot in the CJ4 and the Cessna 510. The autopilot engagement button is on the upper row of buttons near the right side of the CJ4's Flight Guidance Panel. Autopilot status is shown on the CJ4's Primary Flight Display (PFD). The autopilot engagement button on the 510 is in a slightly different location on the Automatic Flight Control System (AFCS). In addition to the 510's PFD indicating when the autopilot is engaged, an indicator light next to the button on the AFCS panel comes on when the autopilot is engaged.
There also are differences in the way the attitude is displayed on the PFDs on the CJ4 and 510. A pilot used to the 510's attitude indicator would have to remain aware that the CJ4's attitude indicator is different or it would be easy to make a mistake leading to an attitude upset.
An instructor who trained the pilot for his type rating in the CJ4 said he and the pilot flew a total of about 50 hours during some 30 flights. He also said that he understood the pilot had completed a recurrent training course about a week after getting the type rating. He described the pilot as a “very sharp guy,” and said he “came to the lessons prepared.” He said that during takeoff, the minimum height for autopilot use is 300 feet and that the autopilot is critical to flight safety. He said that “things happen fast” in the airplane. He said that twice during training the pilot had pressed the wrong button when attempting to activate the autopilot. The person who provided the practical test for the pilot's type rating said that the pilot “did very well” and had “no issues at all.” He said the pilot was “extremely professional.” However, what the NTSB determined in this accident shows that it's easy for pilots to fall behind a complicated airplane where things really do happen really fast. Come to think of it, that happens in not-so-complicated ones, too, just like many of us fly.
Peter Katz is editor and publisher of NTSB Reporter, an independent monthly update on aircraft accident investigations and other news concerning the National Transportation Safety Board. To subscribe, visit www.ntsbreporter.us or write to: NTSB Reporter, Subscription Dept., P.O. Box 831, White Plains, NY 10602-0831.
Want to read more proficiency analysis from Plane & Pilot? Visit our After The Accident archive.
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What’s the future for Kevin and Karen Clifton on Strictly Come Dancing?
The professional dancers might have called time on their marriage - but does this mean the end of their time on Strictly?
By Frances Taylor
Thursday, 15th March 2018 at 3:49 pm
Today the news that had been rumoured for many months was confirmed, as Kevin and Karen Clifton announced that they were separating after three years of marriage.
The pair will still be embarking on their tour this summer, but what remains to be seen is whether both of them will return to Strictly Come Dancing this autumn.
Karen Clifton says Brendan Cole is “definitely going to be missed” on Strictly Come Dancing
Speaking on BBC Radio 2, Kevin said that they both hadn’t yet found out about whether or not they would both be signed up for series 16 as professionals: “We sort of get told a bit later on in the year whether we are or not,” he said. “I hope so. We both love the show so much. If they were to ask us back we’d both be delighted to come back again. We love Strictly.”
It was a sentiment echoed by Karen back in January, when she told RadioTimes.com: “I love coming back every year so hopefully they do ask me back.
Karen Clifton (Getty)
“As long as they’ll have me, I’ll be there. We’re only contracted for a year so we wait around and clear out our schedules, but Strictly is the most important thing for us.
“Nothing else matters. Strictly matters for us and that’s our priority. We love the show because it’s a family show, it’s a great entertainment show and everybody absolutely adores it. So why wouldn’t you want to wait around for it?”
If they were to both remain as professionals on the show, they wouldn’t be the first ex-partners to do so.
Former couple Brendan Cole and Camilla Dallerup also both continued as Strictly pros on the show despite parting ways romantically, and despite their marriage breaking down, Flavia Cacace and Vincent Simone went on to both continue starring as pros on Strictly.
Although they both left the show in 2012, they continue touring together even though they have both moved on with new partners.
With both Kevin and Karen being firm fan favourites, it would be a huge shame for Stritly to lose either of them.
Karen Clifton
Kevin Clifton
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All about Strictly Come Dancing
Sport Relief 2018: everything you need to know
Exclusive | Karen Clifton says Brendan Cole is “definitely going to be missed” on Strictly Come Dancing
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Our veteran team of former senior officials and analysts has extensive, top-level experience spanning financial markets, energy policy and regulation, and foreign affairs and intelligence.
Robert McNally
Robert McNally is based in Washington, DC and has over 25 years of government and market experience as an international energy consultant, senior White House policy official, and hedge fund strategist. His expertise spans government, economic, security, and environmental sectors. He is the author of the award-winning and acclaimed book Crude Volatility: The History and the Future of Boom-Bust Oil Prices (Columbia University Press, 2017).
Robert has testified before Congress on energy markets and national security, published on energy in Foreign Affairs (co-authored with Michael Levi), and has been interviewed by CNN, The Economist, NPR, Financial Times, Washington Post, New York Times, PBS’ Great Decisions in Foreign Policy series, Bloomberg News, and other leading journals and programs. He is a Member of the National Petroleum Council and is a non-resident fellow at the Columbia University Center on Global Energy Policy. From 2001 to 2003, he served as the top international and domestic energy advisor on the White House staff, holding the posts of Special Assistant to the President on the National Economic Council and, in 2003, Senior Director for International Energy on the National Security Council. He started his professional career as an oil market analyst and for 12 years analyzed energy markets, macroeconomic policy, and geopolitics for portfolio managers at Tudor Investment Corporation. Robert earned his B.A./B.S. in Political Science and International Relations from American University and his M.A. in International Economics and Foreign Policy from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS).
Scott Modell
Managing Director and Head of Geopolitical Risk Service
Scott Modell is based in Washington, DC and is a highly decorated Central Intelligence Agency officer who served in the Middle East, Central Asia, and Latin America. He is a non-resident fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and senior advisor to U.S. Special Operations Command.
Scott is a leading expert on Iran and the broader Middle East. As a former Central Intelligence Agency officer, he served for 13 years in the Directorate of Operations, with five tours conducting operations in Latin America, Western Europe, and the Middle East. He participated in post 9-11 operations in Afghanistan, serving on the battlefields in the southern and southeastern regions of the country as a member of paramilitary counter terrorism teams composed of CIA officers and local Afghan forces. At the Center for Strategic and International Studies, he focuses on security issues related to Iran and the Middle East; he also served as an advisor to U.S. Special Operations Command on Counter Threat Finance operations. Scott earned his B.A. in International Relations from UCLA and his M.A. in National Security Studies from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service.
Leslie Hayward
Director of Business and Content Development
Leslie Hayward drives Rapidan’s business development and guides content development to ensure the team’s expertise delivers the maximum value to their client base. Prior to joining Rapidan, Leslie served as Vice President of Content and Communications Strategy at Securing America’s Future Energy (SAFE).
During her tenure, Leslie contributed to the organization’s policy analysis, donor relations, legislative efforts, and digital and earned media strategy. She launched and served as Managing Editor of SAFE’s independent news and analysis platform, The Fuse, and led the group’s communications team. In addition to knowledge of oil markets and energy geopolitics Leslie’s areas of expertise include electric and autonomous vehicle technology and transportation policy. Leslie received a BS from Tufts University with a double major in International Relations and Environmental Science. Her undergraduate work included a Senior Honors Thesis quantifying the impact of the oil industry and environmental interest lobbying on cap and trade policy, for which she received Tufts’ highest honors.
Glenn Schwartz
Director, Energy Policy Service
Glenn Schwartz is based in Washington, DC and oversees Rapidan Energy Group’s Energy Policy Service. He is a Clean Air Act attorney and an expert on the energy sector implications of environmental regulation, law and policy.
Prior to joining Rapidan Energy Group, Glenn spent 6 years at PIRA Energy Group, where he served as the chief legal, political and regulatory risk analyst in the emissions and clean energy group. In his capacity as the group’s Director of Legal Analysis, he was tasked with tracking and interpreting major regulations and legislation impacting emissions and energy markets on the state, federal and international levels. In addition, Glenn served as the firm’s hydraulic fracturing policy expert, tracking litigation, regulation, and legislation on the federal, state, and local levels and analyzing impacts on production volumes and costs. Previously, as a practicing attorney, Glenn advised clients and stakeholders on a wide variety of environmental and regulatory issues involving the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and relevant state statutes. Glenn holds a B.A. in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania and a J.D. from Temple University’s Beasley School of Law.
Campbell Palfrey
Director and Managing Editor
Campbell Palfrey is based in Washington, DC and oversees review and publication of all Rapidan Energy Group reports. He brings extensive experience monitoring and analyzing supply/demand fundamentals, geopolitical risks, and policy developments that impact oil prices and investment decisions in the energy sector.
Prior to joining Rapidan Energy Group in 2009, Campbell was the Project Director for an international market research firm, where his team focused on identifying and analyzing consumer trends in the technology and telecommunication sectors. He earned his B.A. in Comparative Literature from Haverford College and his M.A. in International Economics and Energy, Resources & Environment at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS).
GeFei Li
GeFei Li is the Senior China Advisor for Rapidan Energy Group. Mr. Li's clients include leading global energy market investors, producers, and traders. His 30-plus year professional career includes oil and gas technology, research, and business posts spanning operational management, strategic investing, and regulatory advisory work in China and the US.
Mr. Li began his professional career in 1985 as a Research Associate for China’s National Oil Ministry and a lecturer at China’s Petroleum University on geophysical prospecting and data communication. In 1991, upon the completion of his business education, Mr. Li joined Sonoco Corporation, where for twelve years he worked as Operations Manager, China Investment Negotiator and China Joint Ventures Operations Director, earning promotion to General Manager in 2001. From 2003 to 2018, Mr. Li served as the Managing Partner of Cynergy-Global, LLC, a China investment advisory firm that specializes in energy, environment and technology- related cross border transactions. Meanwhile, Mr. Li also served as a strategic advisor to various US and Chinese companies in the energy and technology industries. Mr. Li earned his B.E. in geophysics and electrical engineering from China’s Petroleum University and his MBA from Wake Forest University’s Babcock School of Management. He was a frequent speaker for the Economist Conferences during the early 2000s and has continuously provided global investment advice to a number of State-Owned Enterprises on clean energy and environmental technology investment in China over the past decade. Mr. Li travels frequently between China and the US and enjoys mentoring young professionals on both sides of the Pacific.
Leslie Palti-Guzman
Leslie Palti-Guzman is a Senior Advisor on global gas and LNG. She is a non-resident fellow at the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University.
Leslie has ten years’ experience as a global gas market research analyst, energy market journalist, and political risk advisor. Prior to joining Rapidan Energy Group, she was a senior analyst at Eurasia Group on the Global Energy & Natural Resources team. Earlier, she was the senior natural gas and LNG correspondent at Energy Intelligence Group in New York. Leslie is a frequently featured speaker at gas conferences and appears on television and in leading print media as an expert commentator. She earned her B.A. in Political Science from Sciences Po Paris and has two Master’s degrees in International Affairs from Sciences Po Paris and the Fletcher School at Tufts University.
Allyson Cutright
Allyson Cutright is based in Washington, DC and is Rapidan Energy Group’s lead barrel counter. She covers the Group’s near and medium-term global oil supply and demand balances, oil price forecasts, and Agency Balance Comparison reports.
Prior to joining Rapidan Energy Group, Allyson was a Legislative Aide covering banking and tax policy in the office of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and worked in government affairs as a liaison for a non-profit healthcare organization. Allyson earned her B.A. in Classics, with a minor in International Studies, from the University of Kentucky, where she also completed post-baccalaureate coursework in advanced Mathematics.
Fernando Ferreira is based in Washington, DC and covers global oil markets, with a focus on geopolitical supply risks. He oversees Rapidan Energy Group’s Barrels-at-Risk reporting, which analyzes and forecasts disrupted and threatened oil production on a country-level basis.
Fernando was instrumental in helping Rapidan Energy Group Founder Robert McNally research and write his 2017 book Crude Volatilty: The History and Future of Boom-Bust Oil Prices (Columbia University Press, 2017). Prior to joining the Rapidan Energy Group, Fernando worked as a research intern with the Energy and National Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, where he focused on oil markets and geopolitics. Originally from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Fernando earned his B.S. in Economics and his Masters in International Commerce & Policy from George Mason University.
Richard Sigman
Richard Sigman is based in Washington, DC and covers North American crude balances as well as near and medium term oil and product inventories.
Prior to joining Rapidan, Richard worked as a completions engineer for Range Resources in Oklahoma City, where he designed frac jobs and ran completion operations from the field. Richard has a petroleum engineering degree from Texas A&M, an MBA from the University of Oklahoma, and a Master's in Petroleum Economics and Management from IFP in Rueil-Malmaison, France.
Nick Hyland
Nick Hyland is based in Washington, DC and covers the downstream global oil sector. Prior to his current position, Nick interned at Rapidan Energy working on geopolitical issues and with the office of Congressman John Katko.
Nick earned his B.A. in International Studies from American University. He also studied abroad in Rabat, Morocco.
Christopher Meyerhoff
Christopher Meyerhoff is based in Washington, DC and has several decades’ experience strategizing, planning, and managing financial operations for top-tier energy consultancies. Prior to joining Rapidan Energy Group, Christopher served as CFO & Partner at Washington-based PFC Energy, where he managed the firm’s operations in 7 countries, including strategy and planning, financial reporting and compliance, client and legal matters, IT, IP, and human resources.
Previously, Chris was the Finance Director for Petroleum Intelligence Weekly, publisher of several leading industry publications, and an analyst providing short-term oil market forecasts and economic analysis. Chris also served as Research Economist in the U.S. Senate (Joint Economic Committee) and as an Economist for Wharton Econometric Forecasting Associates. He holds a B.A. in Economics from Georgetown University and an M.B.A. (Finance & Investments) from The George Washington University.
Sabine Leffler
Sabine Leffler is based in Washington, DC and brings extensive experience as an office manager for Tudor Investment Corporation - a leading global Hedge Fund - and as a program coordinator for the Friedrich Ebert Foundation.
Sabine managed Tudor Investment Corporation’s Washington office for ten years. Prior to that, she was a Program Coordinator for the Friedrich Ebert Foundation in Washington, DC, where she organized visitor programs for German officials with American think tanks and non-profit organizations. Sabine received her B.A. in Linguistics from the Université de Provence, Aix-en-Provence, France and her Masters in economic translation from the Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, Germersheim, Germany.
Kevin McNally
Kevin McNally is based in Connecticut and oversees Rapidan Energy Group’s client relations and business development efforts.
He has extensive experience managing client relationships gained in his previous position covering commercial and residential clients for Fidelity National Financial. Earlier, Kevin worked for Stewart Title Guaranty, a Houston-based provider of national real estate services. He earned his B.A. from Salve Regina University and J.D. from Quinnipiac University School of Law in Connecticut. He is a licensed attorney.
Yashna Anand
Yashna is based in Washington, DC and oversees clerical and administrative duties at Rapidan Energy Group.
Prior to her current position, Yashna helped coordinate various programs for Indian officials at the Embassy of India in Washington, DC. Yashna received her Bachelors of Sciences from Indhira Gandhi University in New Delhi, India.
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8 extraordinary facts about Leo Tolstoy's estate in Yasnaya Polyana (PHOTO)
Vadim Razumov
Vadim Razumov, Karl Bulla/Leo Tolstoy State Museum/russiainphoto.ru
Everything you need to know about the legendary country estate where Tolstoy wrote 'War and Peace.'
The Yasnaya Polyana Museum in the Tula Region is one of Russia's most popular tourist destinations and literary heritage sites. The number of people who want to see where the great writer Leo Tolstoy lived and worked grows every year. This popularity is fed by an interest in Russian culture, numerous screen and TV adaptations of Tolstoy's works, and the museum staff's work and dedication.
1. Tolstoy spent most of his life here
Most researchers of Tolstoy's life and work agree that the most significant events in the writer's life are associated with Yasnaya Polyana. Here, the writer spent over 50 years of his life. The brief periods when he was absent from the estate were caused largely by necessity. Tolstoy described the role of Yasnaya Polyana in his life as follows: "Without my Yasnaya Polyana, I can hardly imagine Russia and my attitude toward it."
2. He wrote his best-known works here
S. Baranov/Leo Tolstoy State Museum/russiainphoto.ru
Yasnaya Polyana was always a place of special creative inspiration for Tolstoy. He repeatedly stressed that its atmosphere helped him to work and stay focused. In addition to many other masterpieces, it was here that he wrote his legendary novels, War and Peace, and Anna Karenina.
3. Tolstoy's house is a wing of a prior manor house
Many visitors are surprised by how modest Tolstoy’s house is. The famous writer did not like luxury and his home was in complete agreement with his worldview.
However, it should be noted that “Tolstoy's house,” which has survived till the present day, is just one of the wings of a large manor house owned by the Volkonsky family, the family of the writer's mother. Incidentally, her father Nikolai Volkonsky became the inspiration for old Prince Bolkonsky in War and Peace.
4. Everything in the house dates from Tolstoy's days
In the Yasnaya Polyana Museum, one gets the feeling that Tolstoy has just gone out for a walk. Even his warm cardigan is left hanging on the chair. The atmosphere that existed in the house until the writer's death was preserved by Tolstoy's daughter, Alexandra Lvovna. The museum exhibits survived both the Bolshevik Revolution and the occupation in the Great Patriotic War - they were evacuated to Tomsk in time.
READ MORE: How did the Soviets use noble estates and palaces?
5. Tolstoy looked after his gardens himself
It is difficult to imagine that any tourist might be left indifferent by the magnificent park and gardens of Yasnaya Polyana. The vast estate boasts numerous shady alleys, flower gardens and orchards.
Tolstoy was always surrounded by trees and flowers; he was a passionate gardener. He planted thousands of apple trees in Yasnaya Polyana, and the apples were used to prepare dishes for the Tolstoy family and treats for their peasants. Part of the harvest was sold, generating income for the estate. Incidentally, the apple orchards still bring a large harvest.
Tolstoy took daily walks on his grounds and drew inspiration from this communion with nature. The long birch alley at the entrance to the estate, known as "the avenue", features in many of Tolstoy's works.
6. Here, Tolstoy opened a school for peasant children
Leo Tolstoy was one of the most prominent defenders of peasants' rights of his time. He was inspired by peasant life and culture, and found many more positive spiritual qualities in members of the peasant class than in representatives of the aristocracy. Take, for example, his loving description of peasants with whom Levin was cutting grass in Anna Karenina.
Tolstoy thought it very important to open schools for peasant children. Thus, in 1859, one such school was opened at Yasnaya Polyana - in the Kuzminsky wing (called after Tolstoy's wife's sister, who often stayed there). At the time, such schools were rare even for large cities, let alone villages and private estates. Despite public criticism and lack of experience, Tolstoy managed to incorporate all his pedagogical ideas into the school curriculum. The school showed excellent results and forever became part of Russian history.
7. Tolstoy is buried here
In his will, Leo Tolstoy asked to be buried in his beloved Yasnaya Polyana. He did not want any monuments, crosses and any other memorial signs to be placed on his grave. He chose the place for his grave, and requested to be buried in the place where, as children, he and his brother had been looking for the magical “green stick” that could make all people happy. The writer's will was fulfilled.
His grave is a small mound covered with green grass. A special silence reigns around this place - as a sign of respect for the writer, tourists and visitors to Yasnaya Polyana always remain silent at his grave.
8. The Yasnaya Polyana Museum is run by Tolstoy's descendants
After the Bolshevik Revolution, Tolstoy's children managed to defend their right to take care of his legacy. Today, Yasnaya Polyana is still run by the writer's descendants. They are its custodians and the main driving force behind all the projects carried out by the estate. For many years, the Yasnaya Polyana Museum was headed by the writer's great-grandson, Vladimir Ilyich Tolstoy. Now that he has become a presidential adviser for culture, the museum is run by his wife.
Every two years, Yasnaya Polyana gathers together all of Tolstoy’s descendants, whose total number now nears 400.
READ MORE about the Tolstoys today
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Why was Leo Tolstoy fond of America?
Quiz: How well do you know Leo Tolstoy?
We (sort of) sat down with Leo Tolstoy to talk about life
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U.S. settlement signals increased scrutiny of FCPA compliance within private equity and hedge fund industry
Tiffany Robertson
Freelance Legal Writer
Photographer: Max Rossi
In September 2016, a U.S. hedge fund entered into a settlement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to resolve multiple violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA).
The $39 billion firm is the first hedge fund U.S. officials have charged under the FCPA, as both the SEC and Department of Justice (DOJ) increase their scrutiny of the methods financial services firms are using to invest in natural resources and sovereign wealth funds overseas.
The FCPA prohibits U.S. companies or those doing business in the U.S. from making payments or giving gifts to foreign officials in exchange for business, whether directly, or through intermediaries.
Firms can avoid criminal and civil penalties under the Act by training employees to recognize, avoid and address potential violations with Thomson Reuters’ online FCPA training course.
Photographer: Aly Song
Globalization attracts investors to overseas investments
Until recently, only oil companies have been subject to bribery investigations related to natural resources.
Globalization, however, has led to more banks and hedge funds seeking investments from government-owned funds in oil-rich countries, as well as investment opportunities in nations with valuable natural resources, often in regions at a higher risk for corruption.
Recognizing this, in 2011, the SEC launched an inquiry into the transactions and business practices of the private equity and hedge fund industry.
Photographers: REUTERS/Emmanuel Braun
Hedge fund focus of first criminal FCPA case for natural resource investments
It was during the course of this inquiry that the SEC detected misconduct at the hedge fund in question, leading to the first criminal foreign-bribery case against a major financial firm for investments in natural resources and sovereign wealth funds.
According to the SEC, the firm used an intermediary with ties to high-level officials to make over $100 million in bribes to secure investment opportunities in the Congo.
Likewise, the firm utilized an agent to broker an agreement in which it paid a $3.75 million “finder’s fee” to Libyan officials through a shell company after Libya’s sovereign wealth fund, the Libyan Investment Authority, made a $300 million investment into the firm’s managed funds.
U.S. officials also arrested a firm intermediary who the SEC claims provided cash and gifts to officials in Chad, Niger and Guinea to help the firm secure mining rights and other investment opportunities.
The SEC alleged the firm’s lax attitude towards compliance led it to ignore red flags and corruption risks in its African ventures and employ intricate schemes to secure business and profits in the region.
In addition to violations of the anti-bribery provisions of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, regulators also charged the firm with violating the books and records provisions of the Act by falsely recording the bribes and inaccurately depicting the purpose of its managed investor funds.
Finally, the SEC claims the firm’s failure to maintain adequate policies and procedures to detect or prevent the bribes violated the Act’s internal controls requirements.
Fund agrees to record fine and regulatory oversight
The firm agreed to pay the SEC nearly $200 million in fines and disgorged profits, as well as a $213 million criminal penalty in a parallel Department of Justice (DOJ) proceeding, making the total of $413 million the fourth largest FCPA penalties ever assessed.
It also agreed to the appointment of an independent monitor and entered into a deferred prosecution agreement that will dismiss the criminal bribery charges if the firm follows the terms of the agreement for three years.
Reputational and financial consequences include the loss of approximately $5.5 billion in investor funds so far this year.
SEC may have more to come following 2011 inquiry
The SEC could have more enforcement actions in the works based on the 10 separate inquiry letters it issued in 2011.
As a result, the private equity and hedge fund industry — with its complex transactions involving multiple forms of ownership and third-party arrangements, — should ensure compliance is a top priority.
Due diligence is paramount for confirming the beneficial ownership of all parties and establishing the risks involved in each transaction.
Thereafter, firms must ensure the application of risk mitigation strategies to protect against corruption risks, including careful documentation of all expenditures and payments to and from all parties.
Fostering a culture of compliance in which all employees understand the importance of compliance and how to fulfill regulatory obligations is vital for mitigating bribery and corruption risks.
We have a variety of tools available to help employees recognize and respond appropriately to corrupt activities, including online Anti-Bribery and Anti-Corruption and FCPA training courses, as well as our Microlearning Suites for reinforcing key compliance concepts between annual trainings.
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Religious Freedom and Establishment in the Young American Republic
Join us as we begin a series of posts focusing on the prioritization of religious freedom in American law and culture. This week our discussion focuses on religious liberty in American during the nineteenth century and is was initiated by Richard Garnett's post "Religious Freedom in Early America: Complicating the Common Narrative."
By: Daniel Walker Howe
Professor Garnett’s post is absolutely right, as the very wording of the First Amendment testifies: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” Very clearly, the original amendment applied only to the federal government and not to the states. The amendment, along with others passed by the First Congress, was intended to reassure former Anti-federalists (those who had opposed ratification of the Constitution) that the new constitution would not trample on the people’s accustomed liberties. James Madison, the influential representative from Virginia who masterminded the drafting and adoption of all these amendments, made sure that none of them seriously weakened the federal government as described in the Constitution. Ten of the twelve amendments approved by Congress were soon ratified by the states, and we typically refer to those ten as the Bill of Rights.
This prohibition against a nationwide religious establishment was not controversial at the time of its adoption, because there was not the slightest possibility of such an establishment being enacted. As a practical matter, no single denomination enjoyed anything like enough widespread political influence to gain designation as the national established religion. At the national level, religious pluralism effectively prevented religious establishment. But individual states were left free to have establishments of religion if they so chose, and a number of them in fact did so.
The states where Anglicanism had been the established religion during colonial times abolished their establishments during the Revolutionary era. The biggest fight over disestablishing Anglicanism occurred in Virginia, where the religious establishment had enjoyed substantial support among the planter aristocracy. For the most part, however, disestablishing Anglicanism was easy, because it seemed a logical religious corollary to achieving political independence from England. On the other hand, there was no significant push during the Revolution to disestablish the Congregationalist establishments that had been created by the Puritans in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Vermont. The Congregationalist churches supported the Revolutionary cause with overwhelming enthusiasm. In those states, religious liberty was permitted in the limited sense that a citizen could file a statement with local authorities that he did not belong to his local Congregational congregation but belonged instead to one of the “dissenting” denominations (Baptist, Methodist, or Episcopalian—as the Anglicans are now called.) Such a citizen could then be excused from the tax levied for the support of the local Congregationalist congregation. Local authorities were typically reluctant to grant such exceptions and made the application process difficult.
New England Congregationalism was disestablished on a state-by-state basis: Vermont in 1807, New Hampshire in 1817, and Connecticut in 1818. This left Massachusetts as the only remaining religious establishment—not coincidentally the state with the strongest cultural heritage from Puritanism. Disestablishment only occurred in 1833, after the Congregationalists had been weakened by their division into two denominations: the Liberal wing became Unitarian, and the Calvinist wing retained the name Congregational. Between 1820 and 1833, Massachusetts had, in effect, two different denominations established, either of which a local town was free to adopt as the recipient of its tax money.
Establishment of religion meant something quite specific in the early Republic. What Americans then understood as an “establishment” of religion was the appropriation of tax revenues to the financial support of churches—tax money being applied to the upkeep of houses of worship or the salaries of clergy. The same First Congress that approved submitting the Bill of Rights to the states also approved the appointment of chaplains for the two houses of Congress—clearly, this was not considered at the time an “establishment” of religion. Bible-reading and prayer in public schools were practiced widely, well into the early twentieth century. In the nineteenth century, religious doctrines themselves might be taught in public schools. If the schools were completely under local control, the dominant Protestant sect of that place would be the religion taught. If the schools were under state control, then the doctrines would be those held in common by the prominent several Protestant denominations in the state. Practices such as these did not meet the definition of “establishment” as then understood. Religious liberty was basically understood as applying to different Protestant denominations. Religions outside this consensus—such as Mormonism and Catholicism—were not included and protected by prevailing opinion. The ideas applied by the courts today regarding the establishment of religion evolved gradually over the course of the twentieth century.
Daniel Walker Howe is Rhodes Professor of American History Emeritus at Oxford University and Professor of History Emeritus at the University of California at Los Angeles.
This piece was originally authored on May 29, 2014 for the Religious Freedom Project at Georgetown's Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs.
Tagged: religious freedom, 19th century, history, First Amendment, law
Permanent Link: https://www.religiousfreedominstitute.org/cornerstone/2016/6/16/religious-freedom-and-establishment-in-the-young-american-republic
Newer PostNineteenth-Century Corporate Law: A New Lens for Religious Freedom Scholars
Older PostA Religious Freedom Frontier Thesis
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Religious Freedom: Are We Making Progress?
By: Stephen Bailey
Real change for religious freedom is often hard to document. Some may wonder if all the conferences, seminars, and workshops on religious freedom are worth the money, time, and human resources spent on promoting this crucial human right. But the patience is worth it, as people like Malcolm Gladwell argue in his book The Tipping Point: complex systems can take a long time for change to surface.
This is hard for a professional world—in the throes of a torrid affair with evidence-based assessment—to accept; it demands the process of collecting observable and measurable evidence of desired change. Narrowly focused objectives measured this way create accountability and efficiency. They help us do what we said we would do.
But a weakness of evidence-based assessment is that it only gathers evidence for the changes we are looking for, leaving unexpected or hidden changes largely unnoticed. Another is that it rarely accounts for changes going on in the mind or the slow spread of an idea in a group. Change processes are often like a wide river where the strongest currents are beneath the surface. Furthermore, deep social change does not happen overnight, especially in areas connected to human identity, as in the case of religion.
But there is cause for optimism. Even the seemingly minor act of bringing opposing groups together for dialogue can move change beneath the surface, bringing us to "the tipping point" on religious freedom.
After thirteen years of working in Laos promoting religious freedom, it is possible to give some measurable evidence of positive, even if very slow, change toward increased religious freedom. For instance, a few years ago, there were almost always a few people in jail for religious reasons. but now this is a rare occurrence. This past Christmas, there were more officially approved Christmas celebrations around the country than at any time in Laos’ history. But this only begins to tell the story of the change that I believe is slowly building momentum in Laos. Gladwell argues that there are three rules to initiating far reaching change. The case of Laos illustrates his theory well.
First, Gladwell’s law of the few points to the nature of the messenger. This law says that a few key opinion leaders must adopt and promote the change for the change to become epidemic. While persecution of religious minorities still occurs too often in Laos, key religious and government leaders are increasingly in agreement that the religious freedom of minority groups is essential to the religious freedom of the majority, and more generally, to social harmony and peace. Most telling is the new interest and involvement of Lao Buddhist monks in government meetings where the constitutional right of Lao citizens to practice religion according to their conscience is studied. While there are many religious and government leaders that still need to adopt this view, many key leaders already have already taken this critical step.
Gladwell’s second rule is the stickiness factor. This refers to a simple, creative and captivating means of packaging a change in a way that makes it irresistible. In Laos, we have discovered that allowing young men and women (instead of older citizens) to lead peace building workshops increases the level of engagement dramatically. At first, the older leaders complained that these “kids” had nothing to teach them. Before long, however, the older leaders were laughing and enjoying the younger leaders’ more engaging style of guiding the process. The meetings were not only now enjoyable, but they created a space for people to share the pain of persecution, along with aspirations for their nation’s future.
Rather than tense confrontations between religious and government leaders while enduring a long monologue, the new workshops on peace building are enabling people to establish relationships of trust. What seemed like a small shift in method has given the change process traction.
Finally, reaching a tipping point for change has to do with the power of context. This speaks to the historical moment into which a change is introduced. In Laos, the change toward religious freedom is riding a wave of international engagement demonstrated by new agreements with organizations such as the UN, EU, World Trade Organization, Asia-Europe Meeting, and Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Many of these organizations are pushing Laos to adopt governance of rule by law and full implementation of human rights for its citizens. Laos has a long way to go to satisfy these organizations, but the conversation and the process have begun.
Has religious freedom in Laos, and in many other countries, achieved a tipping point? From the vantage point of assessment data, the answer is that there is still a long way to go. Yet, I believe that important changes are happening beneath the surface. The advocacy community is bringing the right people together, and many are convinced of the value of religious freedom. The message of religious freedom is increasingly communicated in creative and captivating ways, and the historical process of globalization is on the side of increased human freedoms.
The process can seem painfully slow, but I am convinced that we may yet see a tipping point toward real religious freedom that surprises us all.
Stephen Bailey is a professor of intercultural studies at Simpson University and the Laos Program Officer at the Institute for Global Engagement (IGE).
This piece was originally authored on July 21, 2015 for the Religious Freedom Project at Georgetown's Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs.
Tagged: religious freedom, international relations, Laos, Malcolm Gladwell
Permanent Link: https://www.religiousfreedominstitute.org/cornerstone/2016/7/14/religious-freedom-are-we-making-progress
Newer PostBurma: Religious Freedom and Rohingya Muslims in Peril
Older PostReligious Discrimination: A Common Denominator for Muslims in Western Europe
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Dushy Gnanapragasam
Dushy Gnanapragasam received his initiation into theatre at St. Henry’s College in Illavalai, Sri Lanka, and has been an integral part of the vibrant Tamil theatre scene in Toronto for over twenty years. He has directed several of his own translations for Manaveli Performing Arts Group, including Harold Pinter’s New World Order, Mario Fratti’s The Satraps, and Ivan Turgenev’s Broke. He has also directed plays for Asylum Theatre Group, including R. Cheran’s What if the Rain Fails and Not By Our Tears. Off stage, he writes and translates for Thaiveedu, a Tamil monthly with a heavy focus on the arts.
Books By Dushy Gnanapragasam
The Enchanted Loom
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Why does Maurice Eckstein care about social justice?
Posted by: Marcom Web Group Date: November 1, 2010 In: Diversity Center, Life on Campus
“I didn’t really know a lot about social justice before I got here,” said Maurice Eckstein. “When I came here I was forced to become aware of it.”
By Kari Plog ’11
Maurice Eckstein ’11 is a first-generation college student. The recent PLU graduate, from Trinidad and Tobago, learned about social justice indirectly after coming to PLU.
“I didn’t really know a lot about social justice before I got here,” he said. “When I came here I was forced to become aware of it.”
Eckstein said that he felt thrust into the realm of studying social justice when he realized he could identify with the African-American community because of his appearance. Back home, in his very culturally diverse Caribbean nation, his appearance didn’t cause him to stand out. Here, that wasn’t always the case. It allowed him to look at issues in ways he might have never considered before.
For instance, Eckstein has been wrestling with concept of privilege – the idea that some people have advantages in life that others do not. The most obvious example might be access to a university education.
“College was not an automatic thing for me,” he said.
It isn’t for a lot of people. And by simply looking at his – and other’s – opportunities through that lens has been important to how he sees the world.
“It’s absolutely necessary to pay attention to this aspect of understanding issues,” Eckstein said. “I’m trying to ensure [what students] bring to the world is genuine.”
At PLU, Eckstein helped students from around the world acclimate to the PLU community, and he was always thinking of new ways to advocate for them. He played a primary role in organizing multicultural night and “Global Get-Down,“ where students can showcase a piece of their culture and learn about other cultures.
To see why other PLU Diversity Advocates care about social justice, click here.
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Suspicious disappearance of Kathleen Harris
Police investigating the disappearance of a 15-year-old girl from her South Coast home 13 years ago have welcomed the announcement of a $100,000 reward by the NSW Government.
Kathleen Harris was last seen at her home by her friend Clinton Hanlon about 9pm in Huskisson on Sunday 31 May 1999, Mr Hanlon was a member of the Rebels outlaw motorcycle gang and Kathleen’s home adjoined the clubhouse.
She had planned to meet with friends the following day but never arrived. She was subsequently reported missing by her father and Mr Hanlon.
Police are treating her disappearance as suspicious and have not ruled out that Kathleen may have been murdered.
Detectives from the Shoalhaven Local Area Command continue to investigate Kathleen’s disappearance under Strike Force Jerrett and hope the reward may encourage someone to come forward.
“Kathleen’s disappearance was completely out of character,” Shoalhaven Local Area Commander, Superintendent Joe Cassar, said. “Her personal belongings, including her purse and keys, were located in her home, and family and friends have not heard from her since she went missing.
“Kathleen had been in Australia since 1995 since moving here with her father from her native Costa Rica, but she had always kept in close contact with her relatives and friends back home. “No-one has been able to shed any light on why she would disappear without a trace, and that’s why we believe she may have met with foul play.
“However, someone out there knows what happened to Kathleen and we do hope the incentive of a $100,000 reward may encourage them to come forward.
“By providing that information to police, they could help bring some closure to her family who just want to know the truth.”
Superintendent Cassar said a renewed appeal for information three years ago had led to the forensic examination of a vehicle.
“That certainly remains a line of inquiry, but what we really need to move forward in this case is further information from the public,” he said.
Kathleen was 160-170cm tall, with a slim build, brown to blonde collar-length hair and an olive complexion. She was last seen wearing brown corduroy jeans, a white long-sleeved top and a pair of brown strap-up boots.
Anyone with information about Kathleen’s disappearance is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. Information can be provided anonymously.
The reward of up to $100,000 is payable for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or people responsible for Kathleen’s suspected murder.
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Published on PR Watch (https://www.prwatch.org)
Home > Edelman TransCanada Leak: Aggressive PR for Keystone Alt
Edelman TransCanada Leak: Aggressive PR for Keystone Alt [1]
Submitted by Lisa Graves [2] on November 18, 2014 - 1:04am
Leaked documents expose a plan by Edelman for TransCanada to launch an "aggressive" American-style policy/politics PR campaign to persuade Canadians to support a Canada-based alternative to the stalled Keystone XL pipeline to get controversial tar sands oil to refineries in eastern Canada for export.
But, according to the documents, this Canada-centric campaign would actually be run out of an office in Washington, DC. And the digital campaign is being led by a rightwing American political operative employed by the world's largest public relations firm.
The documents were obtained by Greenpeace [3].
Ian Austen of The New York Times published [4] some excerpts from the planning documents on November 17 that show how a new PR operation is in the works to persuade skeptical Canadians the "Energy East Pipeline" from Alberta to Quebec and to New Brunswick is a good idea.
The proposed pipeline conversion from gas to oil and the expansion of the line would allow TransCanada’s corporate partners to sell more tar sands oil to foreign countries than it can under TransCanada's current shipping methods, with the completion of its proposed southern route through the U.S. to the Gulf of Mexico on hold.
TransCanada Admits It Dug for Dirt on Those Concerned about Pipeline Expansion
Austen's story not only revealed details of the war plan Edelman put together to try to distract opponents of TransCanada and waste their resources, it also secured confirmation that Canada's big energy company had conducted "opposition research" digging for dirt on those who dare to oppose its business plans.
According to the documents: the PR campaign includes a "pressure" campaign against actvists, which included “Detailed Background Research on Key Opposition Groups,” beginning with the Council of Canadians, but would likely extended to Equiterre, the David Suzuki Foundation, Avaaz, and Ecology Ottawa.”
One of the activists the Times interviewed objected to such corporate tactics as "all wrong" if deployed against grandmothers like her: "To me it's a sign of desperation," Maude Barlow, who leads the Council of Canadians/Le Conseil des Canadiens [5], told Austen.
The Edelman documents for TransCanada note that to achieve their goal of adding "layers of difficulty for opponents, we will work with third parties and arm them with the information they need to pressure opponents and distract them from their mission . . . . Third-party voices must be identified, recruited and heard to build an echo chamber of aligned voices."
One of the identified tactics of this "third party technique," pioneered by corrupt U.S. tobacco companies, was Edelman's recommendation that professors be identified and used as trusted speakers to advance the corporation's point of view (while not disclosing that the academics had been recruited to do so or "armed" with corporate talking points). Edelman previously represented big tobacco companies for which it deployed the third party technique repeatedly.
TransCanada Digital PR Effort Spearheaded by Michael Krempasky, a Koch-Connected Operative
The Council/Conseil noted that the TransCanada-Edelman digital PR operation is being led by a rightwing U.S. activist named Michael Krempasky.
On election day just a few weeks ago, Krempasky tweeted a photo of his Koch Industries coffee mug with an "I voted" sticker and the message: "6:11am; Falls Church, VA; I voted; And Harry Reid can suck it." And just last year, Krempasky posted a photo of his personalized copy of the strategic plans of David Koch [6]'s Americans for Prosperity (a binder detailing for Krempasky and select insiders AFP's "strategy initiatives, past performance, budget allocations, target markets").
A few years back, Jack O'Dwyer's PR Daily noted that Edelman hired the RedState.org blogger and co-founder "for his ability to connect with conservative audiences." At RedState, Krempasky helped promote the growth of the "Tea Party," an activist movement in the U.S. whose infrastructure is actually fueled in part through major expenditures by two rightwing operations spawned by David Koch's "Citizens for a Sound Economy," the predecessor of AFP and "FreedomWorks."
Before Krempasky's hire was officially announced a few years ago, Michael Barbero of the New York Times reported that Krempasky was working with Marshall Manson at Edelman [7] blogging Walmart's corporate talking points in support of Edelman's client, the largest retailer on the planet. Edelman's war room operation for Walmart came under fire at the time for how it was using bloggers and deploying an astroturf operation christened "Working Families for Walmart," back in 2006.
But Krempasky is notorious for more than what was dubbed "flogging" for Walmart.
His role in the coordinated rightwing effort to push CBS Evening News Anchor Dan Rather off the air apparently did not dissuade the Edelman firm from hiring him. The website "Rathergate.com [8]" was run by Krempasky, who was then working as the political director of the rightwing political direct mail operation, American Target Advertising, which is chaired by powerful rightwing fundraiser Richard Viguerie [9].
Dan Rather--whom some rightwingers claimed was "intensely liberal"--and his producers were provided with faked documents critical of George W. Bush's service in the National Guard records a few months before the 2004 presidential election against Vietnam veteran John Kerry. After Rather ran the story without sufficient authentication, Krempansky and numerous other rightwing bloggers moved quickly to oust the broadcaster from his long-standing role editing the news for CBS. Both Republican and Democratic party leaders denied being the source of the materials that were critical of Bush but that effectively took claims that Bush dodged his military duties off the table after the documents were discredited.
Krempasky is also an alum of the "Leadeship Institute," which has long been funded in part by the Koch family [10] fortune of oil conglomerate Koch Industries, which is led by billionaire brothers, Charles and David Koch [11]. (The Leadership Institute has served as the training ground for thousands of rightwing activists, including the infamous ex-con James O'Keefe [12], whom it distanced itself from after one of his early PR stunts.)
On Twitter, Krempasky describes himself as a "flacktivist," a play on the words activist and "flack," slang for publicist.
Krempasky's team for TransCanada includes former GOP spokesperson Nate Bailey, who has aided Edelman in corporate campaigns for corporate clients known for trying to delay efforts to address climate change. It also includes Brian McNeill, who directed opposition research during John McCain's presidential bid in 2008 and who was also outed subsequently for being paid by Edelman to anonymously blog about groups that were described by him as paid critics of Walmart.
Edelman-TransCanada PR Plan Includes Some Interesting Polling and PR Spin
The leaked material includes some recent polling that may be illuminating both for the underlying findings and by the Edelman approach to the polling:
Only 16% of Canadians surveyed had a favorable view of tar sands compared with 36% for methane gas (the potent greenhouse gas branded as "natural gas"). In the documents, Edelman asks "Can we change or mitigate the perception that oil sands is worse than natural gas?" That question was posed by Edelman without regard to the scientific reality underlying perceptions about the dangers of both.
"More than a third of Quebeckers believe in the higher toxicity and corrosiveness of oil extracted from the oil sands."
"There has been an increase in the number of people who are worried that a pipeline could become the target for sabotage. In the documents, Edelman notes "We should be careful where we stand in the pipeline vs. rail debate in terms of risk."
It is not clear how much TransCanada or Edelman's other clients may be relying on trains for transporting oil or other petroleum products from the tar sands, but public awareness of the dangers of rail transport has increased after the Lac-Megantic derailment and explosion killed 47 Canadians [13]. That disaster displaced hundreds of people in Quebec, where half the town was destroyed and severely contaminated with toxic Benzene. TransCanada was not involved in that disaster, although it has had numerous spills over the years, none as devastating.
Obama Acknowledges Keystone Is Mainly for Canadian Exports as Lame Duck Senate Preps for Vote
Just this past week, President Obama critiqued some of the U.S. PR about what the Keystone XL is and what it is not, saying: "It is providing the ability of Canada to pump their oil, send it through our land, down to the Gulf, where it will be sold everywhere else [14]." (CMD, the publisher of PRWatch, has debunked [15] claims of Keystone proponents in the US with their inflated jobs and "national security" claims.)
The Energy East Pipeline proposal, as a substitute for Keystone XL for access to export infrastructure, would put the risk of a major pipeline leak on Canada rather than on the U.S. and its Ogallala aquifer [16]that supplies fresh water for millions of Americans and American farms. According to Edelman's PR plan, Canada's federal and provincial governments would yield projected tax revenues, unlike in the U.S. which could not tax the production of the oil on Canadian soil, which does not tax the import of oil, and which has refineries for export located in free trade zones.
However, any pipeline expansion to allow increased burning of Alberta tar sands oil would increase the risks and increase the speed of climate and oceanic changes that are underway, with devastating consequences, according to leading scientists. As James Hansen wrote in an op-ed in the New York Times in 2012, "If Canada proceeds . . . it will be game over for the planet [17]." Environmental groups estimate [18] that getting more tar sands oil exported and burned would greatly aggravate the climate, adding 30 million tons per year of carbon and greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and also threatening water and air as well as habitat for wildlife.
Despite such concerns, the U.S. Senate is poised to allow a vote in favor of the Keystone pipeline in a risky move to try to boost Senator Mary Landrieu's chances in an upcoming run-off election in Louisiana, even though her seat would not change the incoming majority in the upper house of Congress and risks alienating environmental voters within the Democratic party.
Independent economic analysis [19] has shown that approving Keystone would directly create only a few [20]thousand temporary and primarily non-local jobs plus exceedingly few permanent jobs anywhere in the U.S.
Some of the proponents of expanding exports of tar sands oil are climate change deniers, who support a host of measures that enrich the oil industry.
According to a report by Lee Fang for The Investigative Fund, Edelman was paid more than $50 million [21] to run the PR campaign of the American Petroleum Institute (API), to push politicians to approve the Keystone XL pipeline, support tax deduction for the oil industry companies that fund API, and press for expanded drilling in America's national parks. As Greenpeace documented, API's PR campaign included the astroturf group called "Energy Citizens [22]," which includes corporate employees at corporate-bankrolled rallies to support corporate-friendly policies of their energy industries employer. TransCanada has funded ALEC [23], whose legislative agenda [24] echoes the API agenda. (CMD launched ALECexposed.org in 2011.)
However, the current leader of TransCanada's PR firm, Dan Edelman, has taken to the blogosphere in recent months to claim that his firm would no longer work on climate denial campaigns [25] and would no longer deploy astroturf. Whether those public positions altered the implementation of the firm's TransCanada plan remains to be seen.
Some Are Getting Richer while TransCanada Tries to Shape the Public Opinion of Its Pipeline Plans
Even with the difficulties getting tar sands to coastal ports in the U.S. or Canada, TransCanada's pipeline business has proven lucrative for some. TransCanada's CEO, the 51-year old Russ Girling, received $8.4 million in direct compensation last year, a whopping 19% raise over the prior year (see uploaded screenshot below). In all, Girling has received corporate stock currently valued at $8.9 million and he has a defined benefit pension plan valued at $10.9 million, according to a 2014 circular for shareholders [26]. His fellow TransCanada execs also have multimillion dollar compensation and pension plans.
It is unknown how much money Edelman or its principle staff have been paid or are poised to make from its efforts to promote TransCanada's eastward pipeline dreams to Canadians by deploying its DC PR team on a DC-style PR campaign to win over Canadians about what's best for Canada.
References to "Edelman" in this story refer to the PR firm, except for the single reference to Dan Edelman, which refers to the person.
This article has been updated.
Special [27]
Corporations [28]
Corporate Campaigns [29]
Democracy [30]
Economy [31]
Energy [32]
Environment [33]
Climate Change [34]
International [35]
Marketing [36]
Propaganda [38]
Public Relations [39]
Astroturf [40]
Crisis Management [41]
Front Groups [42]
Issue Management [43]
Third Party Technique [44]
Special Report [45]
russ_girling_compensation.png [46] 167.7 KB
krempasky_tweet_screenshot_koch_afp_strategy_book.png [47] 191.39 KB
krempasky_tweet_screenshot_koch_mug.png [48] 211.95 KB
Lisa Graves [2]
Lisa Graves is President of the Board of the Center for Media and Democracy (CMD) and co-founder of Documented Investigations. She served as CMD's executive director for eight years from July 2009 through October 2017.
CMD launched its award-winning ALEC Exposed investigation after a whistleblower gave Lisa all of the model bills secretly voted on by lobbyists and lawmakers. CMD also publishes PRWatch.org, SourceWatch.org, and ExposedbyCMD.org.
Read more here. [49]
Source URL: https://www.prwatch.org/news/2014/11/12676/edelman-transcanada-leak-american-style-pr-plan-prepped-keystone-xl-pipeline
[1] https://www.prwatch.org/news/2014/11/12676/edelman-transcanada-leak-american-style-pr-plan-prepped-keystone-xl-pipeline
[2] https://www.prwatch.org/users/35268/lisa-graves
[3] http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/en/
[4] http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/18/business/pr-firm-urges-transcanada-to-target-opponents-of-its-energy-east-pipeline.html
[5] http://www.canadians.org/media/transcanada-hired-pr-firm
[6] http://www.KochExposed.org
[7] http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/07/technology/07blog.html?pagewanted=2&_r=0
[8] http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A34153-2004Sep19.html
[9] http://www.nonprofitprosperity.com/richard
[10] https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Koch_Family_Foundations
[11] https://www.prwatch.org/news/2014/07/12527/his-dad-charles-koch-was-bircher-new-documents
[12] https://www.prwatch.org/news/2014/09/12593/james-okeefe-cronies-unveiled-attempted-sting-cmd
[13] http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/quebecexplosion.html
[14] http://www.cnn.com/2014/11/13/politics/white-house-dim-view-keystone-pipeline/
[15] http://www.KeystonePipeLIES.org
[16] http://www.boldnebraska.org
[17] http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/10/opinion/game-over-for-the-climate.html?_r=0
[18] http://www.pembina.org/media-release/2520
[19] http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/globallaborinstitute/research/upload/GLI_KeystoneXL_012312_FIN.pdf
[20] http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/sclefkowitz/Keystone_XL_Jobs_11-09-10.pdf
[21] http://www.theinvestigativefund.org/investigations/politicsandgovernment/1929/the_shadow_lobbying_complex
[22] http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/04/opinion/04fri2.html
[23] https://www.prwatch.org/news/2014/08/12578/toronto-star-details-alec-efforts-derail-climate-change-policy
[24] http://www.ALECexposed.org
[25] http://www.edelman.com/p/6-a-m/edelmans-position-climate-change/
[26] http://www.transcanada.com/docs/Investor_Centre/2014-TransCanada-Management-Information-Circular.pdf
[27] https://www.prwatch.org/topics/special
[28] https://www.prwatch.org/topics/corporations
[29] https://www.prwatch.org/topics/corporations/corporate-campaigns
[30] https://www.prwatch.org/topics/democracy
[31] https://www.prwatch.org/topics/economy
[32] https://www.prwatch.org/topics/energy
[33] https://www.prwatch.org/topics/environment
[34] https://www.prwatch.org/topics/environment/global-warming
[35] https://www.prwatch.org/topics/international
[36] https://www.prwatch.org/topics/marketing
[37] https://www.prwatch.org/topics/marketing/advertising
[38] https://www.prwatch.org/topics/propaganda
[39] https://www.prwatch.org/topics/public-relations
[40] https://www.prwatch.org/topics/public-relations/astroturf
[41] https://www.prwatch.org/topics/public-relations/crisis-management
[42] https://www.prwatch.org/topics/public-relations/front-groups
[43] https://www.prwatch.org/topics/public-relations/issue-management
[44] https://www.prwatch.org/topics/public-relations/third-party-technique
[45] https://www.prwatch.org/news-types/special-report
[46] https://www.prwatch.org/files/russ_girling_compensation.png
[47] https://www.prwatch.org/files/krempasky_tweet_screenshot_koch_afp_strategy_book.png
[48] https://www.prwatch.org/files/krempasky_tweet_screenshot_koch_mug.png
[49] http://www.prwatch.org/news/35268
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Home » Status Update » Qu Biologics Discovers Correlation Between Patient Genetics and Response to Immunotherapy in Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Vancouver, British Columbia – March 3, 2017 – Qu Biologics Inc., a biopharmaceutical company developing Site Specific Immunomodulators (SSIs) that aim to “reboot” the body’s innate immune system, reports positive genetic analyses of their recently completed Phase 2 clinical studies in Crohn’s Disease (CD) and Ulcerative Colitis (UC). These findings suggest that, for the first time in the field of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), personalized medicine and the application of genetic testing may identify patients highly likely to respond and go into remission with treatment. The analyses identified common IBD-related genotypes with a high likelihood of response to SSI, suggesting that genetic testing may identify a large subset of CD patients (representing approximately 60% of the CD population) with a greater than 80% likelihood of responding to QBECO treatment, the large majority of which achieved remission on SSI treatment.
Dr. Hal Gunn, CEO of Qu Biologics, stated, “We are very excited about the possibility of identifying CD and UC patients highly likely to respond to SSI treatment, which would substantially de-risk future trials and be an important advance for patients who currently face the uncertainty of knowing whether current immunosuppressive IBD treatments, which can be associated with significant side effects, will work for them or not.” Dr. Shirin Kalyan, Qu’s Director of Scientific Innovation, added, “Unlike current IBD treatments that suppress immune function, we believe that SSIs, which restore innate immune function, treat the underlying cause of IBD. Consequently, unlike other treatments, we were able to identify IBD-related genotypes highly responsive to SSI therapy. It is exciting that the genotypes correlated with SSI response are highly relevant to SSIs’ mechanism of action.”
Based on the promising results of Qu Biologics’ recently completed Phase 2 study in CD, a follow-on Phase 2 study in moderate to severe CD is planned to confirm these findings. Study initiation is anticipated in late 2017.
Dr. Dermot McGovern, Director of Translational Medicine and Director of Precision Health, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, a world expert in IBD genetics led the analysis and reported, “The most remarkable finding is that of the cumulative [genetic] associations with CD, UC, and all IBD for last documented response. … Furthermore, since the majority of these genetic variants are associated with other immune-mediated diseases, this suggests that this approach should be extended to other disease indications treated with SSI.”
If the genetic analysis results are confirmed in follow-on studies, Qu Biologics’ QBECO SSI has the potential to become first-line therapy for a majority of IBD patients and transformative for patients living with IBD, their families and healthcare providers.
For more information about Qu Biologics and the science behind SSIs, please visit www.qubiologics.com.
Qu Biologics is a Vancouver-based private clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing Site Specific Immunomodulators (SSI), a novel class of immunotherapies. SSIs are designed to stimulate an innate immune response in targeted organs or tissues to reverse the chronic inflammation underlying many conditions including cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, inflammatory lung disease and arthritis. SSIs are a broad platform technology being tested in multiple disease indications, including Health Canada approved clinical trials in lung cancer, Crohn’s disease and Ulcerative Colitis.
Backed by a prestigious group of scientific advisors and board members, Qu Biologics is led by a management team that includes co-founder and CEO Dr. Hal Gunn, a physician and expert on the body’s immune response to chronic disease; and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Simon Sutcliffe, former CEO of the BC Cancer Agency and a distinguished clinician, scientist and leader in cancer control in Canada and internationally.
Hal Gunn, MD
Qu Biologics Inc. cautions you that statements included in this press release that are not a description of historical facts may be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are only predictions based upon current expectations and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of release of the relevant information, unless explicitly stated otherwise. Actual results, performance or achievement could differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, Qu Biologics’ forward-looking statements due to the risks and uncertainties inherent in Qu Biologics’ business including, without limitation, statements about: the progress and timing of its clinical trials; difficulties or delays in development, testing, obtaining regulatory approval, producing and marketing its products; unexpected adverse side effects or inadequate therapeutic efficacy of its products that could delay or prevent product development or commercialization; the scope and validity of patent protection for its products; competition from other pharmaceutical or biotechnology companies; and its ability to obtain additional financing to support its operations. Qu Biologics does not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements except as required by law.
Posted on August 31, 2017 by Julie
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Boet Erasmus Stadium demolished to pave way for new development
By Liesl Silverman - Aug 17, 2018
Demolition of the iconic Boet Erasmus Stadium - also called the Telkom Park, started on Friday, with the aim of attracting investors to develop on the site.
The downfall of the Stadium began when the city started the construction of the new Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
In its heyday the stadium used to host all major local and international sporting events in the Eastern Cape, such as rugby tests, soccer tournaments, concerts, festivals and more.
However, over time the building was neglected and fell into dis-repair, with vagrants and homeless people inhabiting it.
After an extensive process of obtaining a demolition certificate, the Mandela Bay Municipal Agency (MBDA) was given the green light to proceed with clearing the building.
MBDA Chief Executive Officer, Ashraf Adam, said “The reason we are demolishing the building is because it has been derelict for a long time, homeless people are living in the building and it has become a health and safety issue as the building is decaying and falling apart.
“Secondly we put out a tender for developers to build something new on the site, but no-one tendered for it because of the demolition costs. We are hoping that the demolition will attract developers, who will build something beneficial for the community”.
Adams added; “We want the residents of the city to be involved and engaged with what we are doing here, there are so many ideas for what can be developed here, such as RDP housing or a convention centre."
Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality Councillor, Rayno Kayser, who led the municipal delegation said “the demolition of the Boet marked the end of an era but also the beginning of a new era. "
"The Municipality believes the cleaning of this site will pave the way for catalytic and transformative development to take place here. Socio Economic Transformation can only be achieved through innovative spatial development which we are determined to see happen right here on what was an historic rugby ground in this country."
Tamlynn Jackson, Project Leader at the MBDA says “The process to demolish a structure of this size is complex and drawn out due to the nature of approvals involved, each with a set of criteria to be met”.
Jackson added “One such approval is that of the Provincial Department of Environmental Affairs, necessary to safeguard sensitive environmental considerations, such as the protection of the flood line. A mandatory twenty-day period for possible public objections to the demolition was also required before the demolition process could be initiated”.
Adam also said, "the agency does not want to simply appoint professionals to advise us on what to do, we want the public to have a say”.
“Govan Mbeki Avenue, The Boet Erasmus site and Bayworld are all public assets, they're in the public imagination and the public psyche. The public has vested interests in these areas over the years and the MBDA wants them to have a say in the way forward. We want to use this opportunity as part of nation-building and what it means to live in Nelson Mandela Bay” Adam concluded.
Luvuyo Bangazi, MBDA Spokesperson, commented “The MBDA is calling all citizens to share their memories of the Boet Erasmus Stadium. They can share their stories, photos and memorabilia on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram using #Dankieboet”.
For citizens, who would like to get involved with the project or have their say, they can go to the MBDA Facebook page and leave a comment.
Quick facts and figures
The construction value is R10m which will improve the value of the site
We are proud to say a minimum of 30% of the contract value is being carried out by SMEs
20 – 25 Jobs created during demolition
The vision is to provide a safe and secure precinct which will provide a vacant site for future development that could accommodate a variety of uses including:
Office space,
Conferencing and
Tourism activities.
Water outage in St Francis Bay due to collapse of bridge carrying section of supply line
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A recent survey found that 17% of people were very confident about having enough money to live comfortably through their retirement years. At the same time, 36% were not confident.¹
Congress in 2001 passed a law that can help older workers make up for lost time. But few may understand how this generous offer can add up over time.²
The “catch-up” provision allows workers who are over age 50 to make contributions to their qualified retirement plans in excess of the limits imposed on younger workers.
Contributions to a traditional 401(k) plan are limited to $18,500 in 2018. Those who are over age 50—or who reach age 50 before the end of the year—may be eligible to set aside up to $24,500 in 2018.³
Setting aside an extra $6,000 each year into a tax-deferred retirement account has the potential to make a big difference in the eventual balance of the account. And, by extension, in the eventual income the account may generate. (See accompanying illustration.)
Catch-Up Contributions and the Bottom Line
This chart traces the hypothetical balances of two 401(k) plans. The blue line traces a 401(k) account into which the maximum regular annual contributions are made each year, but no catch-up contributions. The green line traces a 401(k) account into which the maximum regular and full catch-up contributions are made each year.
Upon reaching retirement at age 67, both accounts begin making payments of $4,000 a month.
The hypothetical account without catch-up contributions will be exhausted by the time its beneficiary reaches age 83.
This hypothetical example is used for comparison purposes and is not intended to represent the past or future performance of any investment. Fees and other expenses were not considered in the illustration. Actual returns will fluctuate.
Both accounts assume an annual rate of return of 5%. The rate of return on investments will vary over time, particularly for longer-term investments.Contributions to and withdrawals from both accounts have been increased 2% each year to account for potential 2% inflation.
Distributions from 401(k) plans and most other employer-sponsored retirement plans are taxed as ordinary income and, if taken before age 59½, may be subject to a 10% federal income tax penalty. Generally, once you reach age 70½, you must begin taking required minimum distributions.
EBRI, 2018 Retirement Confidence Survey
Economic Growth and Tax Relief Act of 2001
IRS, 2018. Catch-up contributions also are allowed for 403(b) and 457 plans. Distributions from 401(k) plans and most other employer-sponsored retirement plans are taxed as ordinary income and, if taken before age 59½, may be subject to a 10% federal income tax penalty. Generally, once you reach age 70½, you must begin taking required minimum distributions.
The Power of Tax-Deferred Growth
Why are 401(k) plans, annuities, and IRAs so popular?
To choose a plan, it’s important to ask yourself four key questions.
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Toy Story is about the 'secret life of toys' when people are not around. When Buzz Lightyear, a space-ranger, takes Woody's place as Andy's favorite toy, Woody doesn't like the situation and gets into a fight with Buzz. Buzz accidently falls out the window and Woody is accused by all the other toys...
Marty McFly helps out his friend Doctor Emmett Brown, who, after a dangerous deal to get hold of some plutonium, is killed by terrorists. Marty escapes and ends up being taken back in time by Doc's DeLorean time-machine. On arrival he alters the event of his mother and father meeting and instead bec...
Picture it, Cleveland Ohio in the 1940's. What does every young boy want? You can safely assume it's not a video game system. No, it's a Red Rider BB Gun, the prefered weapon of every wild west imaginary hero. And Ralphie is no different than any other boy. But while his head is in the clouds thinki...
The Breakfast Club (1985)
Five students: Allison, a basket case, Brian, a nerd, John, a criminal, Claire, a princess, and Andy, a jock, are forced to spend the day in Saturday detention. At first they are quiet, but later they start talking and learn that behind the exterior, they are all the same.
Pokemon: The First Movie (1999)
Based on the Pokémon craze in the late '90s (although millions of kids and adults still enjoy it well in to the new millennium.) this premiere movie to the Pokémon series was based on a video game. A genetic Pokémon by the name of Mewtwo was cloned from the legendary Mew, but everything seemed to go...
Aladdin is a street-urchin who lives in Agrabah, a large and busy town with his faithful monkey friend Abu. When Princess Jasmine gets tired of being forced to remain in the palace that overlooks the city, she sneaks out to the marketplace, where she accidentally meets Aladdin. Under the orders of t...
Deep-sea explorer Brock Lovett has reached the most famous shipwreck of all - the Titanic. Emerging with a safe believed to contain a diamond called 'The Heart of the Ocean', he discovers the safe does not hold the diamond but a drawing of a beautiful woman wearing it. When Brock is later interviewe...
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (1977)
A long time ago, in a galaxy far far away, an Empire controls the inhabitants of hundreds of worlds with an iron fist. Fighting for freedom from the Empire's suffocating hold on the galaxy, a rebellion aided by Princess Leia (Fisher) makes their way back to base when they are boarded by an Imperial...
Transformers: The Movie (1986)
Essentially a movie involving the battle between the heroic Autobots and the evil Decepticons, two warring factions of transforming robots from the planet Cybertron, the plot also involves the giant planet named Unicron, who's ready to consume anything that stands in its way. The only thing that can...
Fighters compete in an ancient tournament that decides the fate of the Earth in an attempt to save it from mass destruction. Based on one of the most popular fighting games which was made famous for its use of digitized actors. The movie saw characters from the popular arcade game fight it out, a...
Decade Filter
Kim Ohagi: 'So what does Ohagi mean? Young Black God?' 'It means Conquering Warrior.' 'Ooh, I surrender.'
-Kim Ohagi
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Russian press on Friday
Published time: 12 Sep, 2008 09:01 Edited time: 12 Sep, 2008 13:01
The meeting of the “Valdai Club” in Sochi is the center of attention for the Russian print press today. Apart from that, there is an interview with the former French Foreign Minister, now one of the best analysts of European and World politics
Here is a review of some of today’s articles:
VEDOMOSTI’s report from Sochi calls Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s remarks to foreign political scientists “Counterpropaganda in its highest form”. The report summarizes Putin’s speech as Western Europe doesn’t have a foreign policy of its own; the U.S. aid in the training of the Georgian military was a waste of effort and means; Russia’s mineral resources exports can be re-oriented from the West to the East.
KOMMERSANT reports from the same event saying that Vladimir Putin “demonstrated militant pacifism” in his speech. The paper writes the Prime Minister was tough in his wording when he was describing the options Russia had immediately after the Georgian attack on Tskhinval. The article continues to say that the meeting of Western political scientists with the Prime Minister went on for three hours and closer to the end of it the topic of the conversation shifted from South Ossetia and Abkhazia, and the situation around the recent conflict, with all of its political and diplomatic implications, to the probability of a new cold war or a new round of nuclear armaments reduction. The Prime Minister, says the paper, suggested it may be negotiable to not just reduce but get rid of nuclear weapons entirely. The only problem here, he said, is that not all the players would be ready to be the first to start.
The same paper writes, analyzing one of the latest opinion surveys by the Russian Institute for Public Opinion Research, that Russians seem to be warming to the idea of a new cold war. As paradoxical as it sounds, many agree that in the times of the only cold war we knew, the one between the West and the Soviet Union, the world was much safer than today.
ROSSIYSKAYA GAZETA also has a report from Sochi. It says, the meeting with Vladimir Putin will be long remembered by the participants, Western political scientists and journalists. The paper quotes German political scientist Alexander Rahr: "Those who wanted a cold-war type war of words were definitely disappointed. The Head of the Russian government didn’t close a single door, a single path open for dialogue today… He basically said that if the West tries to push Russia out of Europe, then Moscow can use its other options. For instance, turning to Asia and reassigning its energy exports in that direction.
The same newspaper has an interview with Roland Dumas, the former French Minister of Foreign Affairs and, as the paper says, one of the best political analysts in Europe. He says the crisis between the West and Russia is far from over yet, but there is hope that the agreements reached in Moscow by President Medvedev and President Sarkozy may play a certain pacifying role in the conflict.
We cannot completely exclude the possibility of a sharp decline in relations between Russia and the West, as a result of this conflict, says Dumas. He adds: the situation should be “frozen” pending a solution everyone can live with. It is a necessity, he says, or else a new cold war becomes one of the most probable options.
TRUD writes from Sochi: Vladimir Putin called on Europe and the U.S. to work on new international agreements fitting the new realities that were established after the South Ossetian war.
IZVESTIA reports from Tbilisi: the rumors of Russian tanks about to roll into the streets are already gone but still remembered. Another rumor, heard before the war and abandoned during the conflict, is back again – that Vladimir Putin was born and raised in Georgia not Russia, and his mother still lives in a village called Metekhi not far from the Georgian capital. This story is even on the Georgian TV. Then again, it’s on the channel called Rustavi-2, and some Georgians say, if Hitler had Rustavi-2 the Germans would still have thought Germany had won WW II. The paper says, the folks the correspondent talked to in Tbilisi admit that Russia had the right to hit at the Georgian troops attacking South Ossetia and Abkhazia. But they say Russia should not have pushed further, into the territory of Georgia proper. They say, their President acted like an idiot but Georgia is small and Russia is big, so Russia should have had some mercy and stopped right there on the border. Of President Saakashvili they say: he will definitely have to answer for this. When the paper’s correspondent asked, to whom he will have to answer, the response was: “Why! To Washington, of course! And they will also decide who’s going to replace him.” There seems to be no sense, writes the paper, in asking them where that Georgian pride has gone…
KOMSOMOLSKAYA PRAVDA writes about the flight of two Russian Tupolev 160 strategic bombers to Venezuela. The aircraft are going to take part in a Naval exercise together with several ships of the Venezuelan Navy. The paper says, to answer the question of why are Russian strategic bombers over there, one may choose: either to remind himself of the Prime Minister’s phrase about “an adequate answer” to the presence of U.S. Navy ships in the Black Sea, or simply remember that Venezuela is rapidly becoming the main instrument and representative of Russian national interest on the American continent. The paper also describes in minute detail the long flight of the two aircraft from Russia to South America, including a moment when the pilot from NATO’s “un-required escort” flying very close to the bombers, showed a bottle of Scotch to the Russian pilots and was in turn offered a five-litre canister of pure 70% alcohol.
Evgeny Belenkiy, RT
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Spin-a-war. Burma/Myanmar
Published time: 8 Apr, 2009 17:56 Edited time: 8 Apr, 2009 21:56
Vladimir Kremlev for RT
The longest civil war on the planet knew the widest variety of media spin.
Spin, war and Burma/Myanmar
The civil war in Burma was fought for so long it outlived even the official name of the country. To be fair, I have to say that the Burmese never noticed the change of the name because in their own language nothing actually changed: Myanmar has been Myanmar for them since the first days of independence. It’s the English name that was changed from ‘colonialist’ Burma to ‘nationalist’ Myanmar.
The new name of the nation represents government media spin aimed at the severing of any remaining ‘colonial British Burma’ roots and a near-total rewriting of big chunks of the nation’s history.
The Burmese or Myanmar armed forces (Tatmado in Burmese) made a huge impact on the national culture in the past twenty years, mainly due to thorough censorship of newspapers and electronic media, through the publications and programs created by government spin doctors at various Army research facilities, and through government oversight of textbook publishing for schools.
The pre-war history of spin
But the spin of the past 20 years is nothing compared to what had been done with the media and by the media in the four decades preceding these years. The civil war that started in 1948 and went on until late 1990s saw so many different propaganda and spin efforts that, after it, nothing new can probably be invented in that sphere of human knowledge.
The Burmese, especially the city dwellers are a literate nation and a reading nation, as well. Even the early pro-independence protests of the late 1920s were centered around a student magazine, ‘Owey!’ (a sound representing in the Burmese language the call of a peacock) edited, among others, by the then-leader of the student movement, later the founding father of the Burmese military and national leader, Aung San.
The British colonial administration, in its striving to build a controllable system of local governance, opened wide educational opportunities (in both English and Burmese) to the population, and if the first generation of the educated class in Burmese society was predominantly Indian by origin, later generations were Burmese, including significant numbers of students from ethnic minorities (Shan, Karen, Kachin and others).
AFP Photo / Inoong
Apart from that, the colonial rulers supported various publications in English and the Burmese language which, being the language of the majority ethnos (the Burmese proper), became a means of communication for all other major ethnic groups co-existing in the country. There were over 30 of these.
British patriotism and the ‘special status’ of Burma in the British colonial empire were the main propaganda themes of the newspapers and magazines published in Burma. By the late 1930s there were three more forces at work on the propaganda stage, all three using various forms of disguise and ‘underground’ circulation: pro-independence activist journalism, Japanese ‘Pan-Asian’ propaganda and Communist propaganda, prompted by the evident success of the Soviet Union as the first Socialist state on the planet. Communist dispatches came into Burma over the border with China.
The Thirty Comrades and the Thakins
This can explain why the independence movement was inclining partly towards the Japanese view of ‘Asia for Asians’ and the Soviet view of Colonialism as a form of exploitation. This can also explain why Aung San and his immediate collaborators first formed the Communist party of Burma and the Socialist party of Burma and then, failing to get in touch with Soviet intelligence agents in China, without a second thought, turned for help to Japanese intelligence agents easily available in Burma and around.
When WW II started, Aung San and his group, called later ‘The Thirty Comrades,’ went to Japanese-occupied territories for military training. They also intensively recruited at home and finally returned to Burma as the commanders of a newly created Burmese Army, allied to Japan.
From that time on Burmese political history has been dominated by these thirty men and their offspring and unrelated successors, plus the remaining figures of the older anti-colonial ‘Thakin’(Masters of the Land) movement, some of whom were also members of the Thirty Comrades group – and this is the case even today. The Thirty Comrades were not all ethnically Burmese, there were several traditional leaders (even princes) of ethnic minorities among them – those who had been sent by their parents to Rangoon University in the 1920s and 1930s.
Every major party and group that survived beyond WW II and independence (achieved in 1947), including both the Red Flag (Maoist) and White Flag (Leninist) Communist parties, the ethnic political organizations in the provinces, the group that supported U Nu’s Buddhist Socialism, even the ‘Burmese Way to Socialism Party’ of General Ne Win that ruled the country up to late 1980s, all were headed by a former Thakin or a Comrade, or both.
United in the idea of independence, most of these leaders had vague views of the future after their victory, while those who had clear-cut plans were usually in deep contradiction with others who had such plans. It seems that the only unifying figure of this complex human machinery was General Aung San who had understood, in due time, that Japanese ‘independence’ was another form of colonial rule, and sided with the Allies against the Japanese on the condition that Burma receives total independence after the war.
The birth of a civil war
Aung San’s plan worked perfectly well till July 1947. The Anti-Fascist League for People’s Freedom, a union of all pro-independence parties representing every social and ethnic group in the country, was actually running the country’s affairs. The temporary Cabinet headed by General Aung San was supposed to be the last government of Burma formed with official British approval. By then, Aung San’s views had evolved to a form of Socialist development based on the unity of the ethnic groups in a federation of highly autonomous states which, however, didn’t possess the right to secede from the federation. The name ‘The Union of Burma’ was already formed when a tragic incident changed the course of history.
On July 19, 1947, just a few months before the date set for complete independence, a group of gunmen from a local fascist party entered the government meeting room and, armed with automatic weapons, shot dead everyone who was there, including General Aung San. The only man to escape death on that day was Thakin Nu, who later became known to the world as President U Nu, because he had left the gathering early for health reasons.
It seems that the unity of the Burmese political and ethnic groups had been solely based on the figure of Aung San. Less then two years after his tragic death, his closest associates fell at each other’s throats, every one of them pursuing his own agenda separate from others. By then, the nation was already independent but the state apparatus was still weak and the army wasn’t yet ready to fight on its own.
The biggest problem was that every faction in parliament, plus the Communist party freshly expelled from parliament (which fact actually became the cause for the Civil war), had its own military force of at least a battalion or a regiment of combat veterans who, until several months before the events, had been regular troops in the Burmese national army under the command of Aung San.
The Anti-fascist League had fallen apart even before the Communist party was expelled. The ethnic militant groups followed the political wings of their organizations and started building strongholds in their ethnic areas. Simultaneously a parade of new publications emerged, altogether over one hundred newspapers and weeklies, all very political in nature, articles in them penned by the best journalists who had gained experience in the previous three to four years of pre-independence and early independence period.
Wide autonomy in a practically unitary state (being called a Union didn’t make it an actual federal Union at all) introduced by Aung San had given an impulse to the fast-track development of ethnic languages, their scripts and fonts, their vocabulary based mainly on Sanskrit and Pali – and many of the new newspapers and magazines were published in these languages making the ideology of the publishers available to the least educated people in every ethnicity (those who had no sufficient knowledge of the Burmese language), which helped the politicians and officers-turned-field commanders recruit and swell their rank and file.
The same thing happened with the radio, an even mightier propaganda and spin tool, and as a result, multi-lingual broadcasting became one more constant fixture in the political life in Burma. Since 1948 it has been permanently employed by the successive Rangoon governments as well as their ethnic minority enemies.
By 1949 the process had gone so far that the government of the survivor U Nu controlled less then a quarter of the country’s territory, and an alliance of the Communists and several larger ethnic armies was closing in on Rangoon. What remained of the Burmese army after all the ethnic forces had been formed was not much.
However, one of the better trained regiments under the command of Colonel (Comrade) Ne Win managed to stop the advancing Communist troops (commanded by his Thirty Comrades peers) for a period of time sufficient for the government’s political maneuvering and media spin to cause a deep crack in the mutual trust between the Communist and the ethnic forces. Mere weeks later, all ethnic and Communist units were back at their strongholds in the frontier areas, and on the defensive.
The decade of quiet war and the aftermath
The following decade, of considerably quiet development on the path of U Nu’s Buddhist Socialism, turned out to be a short break in the war. Hostilities never stopped, the conflict only moved to the mountainous frontiers where fighting is much harder than in the plains, and it burned as a slow flame there until both sides – or rather, every side of that war, were ready for another major clash. It came in 1958 and resulted in another semi-defeat of the armed opposition to the government – and brought about the change of government.
General Ne Win, AFP Photo
President U Nu explained in his multiple dispatches to the nation that for the time being it was better to have a military government, and appointed Ne Win, already a General, to head it. By that act U Nu, one of the best and brightest representatives of the Asian intelligentsia, by a unilateral decision created the first military government of Burma and gave the Burmese military the first taste of political power. In 1960 he took the power back, but not for long.
It turned out that U Nu’s policies and his blind personal trust in many of his subordinates had created a huge network of corruption centered on the government and parliament of the country. Among the population, the term ‘member of parliament’ became a synonym of a ‘crook, a totally corrupt person’ and pro-Communist sentiment began to rise. The ethnic militants were once again ready to form an alliance with the Communist party of Burma (now split in two wings: the Maoist and the Leninist).
That is why, when in 1962 General Ne Win organized a coup and took power from U Nu, the majority of the public supported his move. From the very first step, Ne Win and his group proclaimed the idea of ‘The Burmese Way to Socialism,’ on the one hand dismissing the Burmese Communists’ claim to the monopoly on the Socialist ideology and, on the other, placing a well-funded claim for the legitimacy of their ‘succession’ of ‘Buddhist Socialism.’
Nonetheless, persuading the outer world, including India, the Soviet Union, and the Non-Alignment Movement, took a lot of effort and spin. In the first years after the coup, government publications in English became much better in quality (Ne Win hired Western professionals to improve the nation’s English newspapers and magazines). But after a few years, that practice went out of fashion together with the English tong itself when even teaching of English at schools was cut back, leaving only one hour a week for secondary and two hours a week for high schools.
Time takes its toll
From 1962 till 1989 the Burmese civil war was again trapped in the frontiers, never ending, never escalating. But the spin and propaganda went on and on. In the Communist party, which had the largest fighting force in the 1950s, a ‘cultural revolution’ copied from the Chinese experience decimated the rank and file and eliminated the top leaders, such as Thakin Tan Tun. By the late 1970s, Beijing struck a deal with Washington and as a side effect stopped supplying the Burmese communists.
The Communist army by then consisted of 80% hill tribe soldiers (the Red Wa mainly) who were not even deeply indoctrinated, and 20% Burmese officers with some pre-civil war background and a bit of knowledge about Marxism. No surprise, given the fact that Communist troops operated in the Golden Triangle area, that the Communists decided to enter the only lucrative business around: production and trafficking in illicit drugs. The remnants of that force, minus the true Communist officers who have died out, are still involved in drug trafficking up there in the mountains today, only the opium and heroin have been replaced by amphetamines.
Another major group, the Shan (Thai Yay) Mong Tai Army, headed by the famous drug dealer and freedom fighter Khun Sa (he was actually both: a successful heroin dealer with a group of U.S. arrest warrants to his name, and an accomplished fighter for the freedom of the Shan people), was very active in the 1970s, fighting both government troops and the Communists. Later, the purely political struggle against the latter turned into a business conflict (when the Communist forces turned to drugs for income). Only in 1996, after so many changes in Rangoon, Khun Sa made peace with the government (he needed no peace with the Communists because by then the party and the military force had totally lost all the Communist ideas and became just another drug gang consisting of ethnic fighters).
Aung San Su Kyi as a catalyst and transponder
The new peak in the civil war and spin fell on the period between 1988 and 1991. By then, even the ethnic armies up in the frontier mountains were sick and tired of the war, and they also had lost too much of their strength to infighting and fighting each other to be ready to go to the Capital once again. But they were glad to be left alone by government troops, now preoccupied with the demonstrations and riots in the cities. So, the ethnic leaders watched attentively how the situation in the plains evolved, waiting for their chance to say their word in history.
Aung San Su Kyi
Such was the situation and balance of power in the Burmese civil war when the ailing Ne Win and his circle of friends were replaced by yet another, younger group of Generals, as eager for modernization and national prosperity as Ne Win himself had been in his day. They took power from their elders and started planning: a new constitution, a controlled general election, the old and effective Indonesian model.
They never knew what hit them. They still don’t understand how could it have happened. But the facts are the facts: the change of power in Burma exposed it for a very short time to the international community of which the generals had been so much afraid all along that under Ne Win they had managed to quit even the Non-alignment movement, to remain free from any outside pressure. There had always been enough pressure inside – from all the fighting groups and their media – on the government, and vice versa…
The exposure occurred accidentally. Fate brought Su Kyi, the daughter of General Aung San, a British citizen, to Rangoon to stay with her dying mother. Spin carried her to the street meetings organized by the more radical groups of the Burmese youth after the 1988 massacre and turned her into the main transponder through which the ideas of Western liberal democracy infiltrated and flooded the senses of the general public in Rangoon.
Su Kyi’s status as the daughter of the national hero, the father of independence who simultaneously was the father of the Burmese armed forces and all of the Burmese post-WW II political movements and parties, made her invincible for a while – long enough for the creation of the National League for Democracy and for forward-controlling all the new troubles that befell Burma in the form of international sanctions and the status of international pariah state.
What next, and what about that war?
There is no doubt that Aung San Su Kyi is a hero and a champion of democracy. But she is also a victim and central figure of a grand international media spin. There is no proof yet that the Western form of political systems, the liberal democracy, is instrumental for every country’s way to prosperity and well-being. There is actually living proof of the very opposite: China. And there are Vietnam and Laos next door, who follow a similar path and feel all right. There is also ASEAN for which the principle of non-interference in the internal problems of members has been paramount from the start.
And there is the larger ‘world community,’ i.e. the U.S., the EU and Britain, and there is that link of spin between that community and the NLD inside Burma which, like a pipe, is pumping the liberal democratic vision of the world into that far-away and undeveloped land on a daily basis. Pity that not too many Burmese beyond the NLD are educated enough to appreciate it. Instead, they appreciate the food on their plates and use appliances and household machinery imported from China.
Spin is strong. My opinion is that the whole deal with the international sanctions against Burma (Myanmar) is a product of international media spin. Spun by whom? Well, if we look at the economic results (political results are zilch), I would say the Chinese. Because China is the only nation involved that benefits or, in plain words, is making a top dollar out of these sanctions. By initiating the sanctions, the world community has simply given China a gift of an entire market of a 40-million-strong country.
The Burma spin sometimes went as far as to suggest forceful regime change – words to that effect were heard around Asia in the late 1990s. Not ever since, but the night is young: done with Iraq, Afghanistan-Pakistan and Iran, the world community, led by the U.S., may again turn its eyes on Burma: if there’s no Kosovo to liberate or Belgrade to bomb, there should be something else. Why not Burma?
Yeah, and what about that civil war? Well – it ended. On its spare time from keeping Su Kyi under house arrest the Rangoon government negotiated and signed peace agreements, one by one, with nearly all ethnic militant groups, ending the process by 1997. There are a few fighting units still in opposition to the government, but they are marginalized by their own brothers in those majority groups that signed the agreements and are now enjoying the fruits of peace.
Evgeny Belenkiy, RT.
Spin-a-Lord-of-War: the case of Viktor Bout
Laos, 1968 – 75: a war that never happened
The Boer War and the Russo-Japanese War
Spin-a-flu: a media panic with economic implications
WWII-related spin casts shadows on our V-Day
Spin-a-war. War on Terror as a spin of the imagination. Part 2: Illusions
The War on Terror as a Spin of Imagination. Part 3. Conspiracies.
Spin-a-battle: how Ukraine invented the “Konotop Massacre”
Russia signs deal to build Vietnam’s first nuclear power plant
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Harris County, Texas is the third largest, fastest-growing, and most diverse metropolitan area in the United States.
Despite boom and bust cycles, Harris County’s oil-based economy has driven tremendous growth and in-migration of people from other states and nations. Racial and ethnic groups have tended to cluster in certain areas, where they face different risks and challenges. For example, Hispanic residents in the southeastern part of the county are particularly vulnerable to childhood obesity and environmental exposures.
The county faces rapid growth and a number of political and structural constraints, including a state governing structure that prohibits counties from enacting local ordinances and zoning laws. These challenges make it difficult to to establish and enforce local health policies. Nevertheless, multiple sectors are collaborating to implement initiatives that address well-being like access to healthy foods and civic engagement. However, given the profound social, economic, and health inequities experienced by Hispanic and black residents, lasting solutions will require ongoing collaboration, stakeholder commitment, and long-term investment.
Population Living in Poverty by Race
U.S. Census Bureau; photography courtesy Flickr user RockinRita, CC BY-NC-ND-2.0.
Black residents face the highest unemployment rate in the county (10%), while Hispanic residents experience lower educational attainment and health care coverage.
Among Hispanics, 39% are uninsured, compared to 11% of white and 21% of black residents; this may be because many non-U.S. citizens cannot receive public insurance or subsidized coverage through the Affordable Care Act’s insurance marketplace.
In 2010, cost prohibited 32% of Hispanic residents and 30% of black residents from seeing a doctor, compared with only 11% of white residents.
Approximately 18% of residents don’t have consistent access to healthy food; 22% of children eat fast food at least three times a week, 77% lack sufficient physical activity, and one in three are overweight or obese.
Through progressive collaboration across sectors, organizations have addressed some systematic factors that bear on health and well-being.
Several major initiatives are in place to nurture partnerships across sectors, provide opportunities for civic engagement, and share information and resources for improving the health of all Harris County residents.
Engaging local youth
Healthy Living Matters
BUILD Health Challenge
Barriers to health care and coverage
Through a partnership with the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, a Clinton Foundation initiative, Healthy Living Matters (HLM) engaged more than 90 youth in the county through a series of social media activities, workshops, and a youth summit to inform them of challenges they face and to help them realize their critical role in policy change.
In 2011, the Houston Endowment provided $2.5 million to create the Healthy Living Matters (HLM) collaborative, a public-private partnership aimed at addressing the county’s extremely high rates of childhood obesity. Managed by Harris County Public Health and Environmental Services (HCPHES) and comprising organizations representing health care, education, policy making, business, and recreation, HLM seeks to increase children’s access to healthy food, improve the built environment, and encourage advocacy for decisions related to these issues.
The BUILD Health Challenge, which stands for Bold, Upstream, Integrated, Local, and Data-driven, aims to improve the social, physical, and economic environments to support healthy behaviors for all residents. To cultivate equitable access to healthy food and reduce food insecurity in northern Pasadena, the BUILD Health Challenge is working with businesses, schools, the local government, and additional sectors to address the three arms of the food system: production, distribution, and consumption.
Despite being home to the Texas Medical Center, the largest medical center in the world, many Harris County residents face challenges in getting the health care they need. The state’s decision to opt out of the ACA's Medicaid expansion also limited the ability of low-income adults to qualify for coverage and get assistance in paying for care.
Despite significant political and structural challenges, Harris County is making progress in “turning the ship” toward health equity through innovative initiatives led by multi-sector partnerships. Additional surveillance, data and information gathering, analysis, and reporting will examine the progress and impact of these initiatives on the health and well-being of Harris County residents, especially at-risk Hispanic and black residents.
The following questions could provide insights into the degree to which meaningful change is taking place and can be extended and sustained:
How are the various initiatives aligning their missions and collaborating with each other, and how are underserved groups involved in decision making?
How are local initiatives, particularly Healthy Living Matters, mobilizing support for their policy priorities among influential sectors, such as health care and education?
Who is benefiting from the initiatives, and who is not? How are the initiatives addressing inequities among Hispanic and black residents?
How is Harris County measuring and evaluating the impact of completed and ongoing initiatives to address systematic drivers of obesity and related chronic illnesses?
In what ways have grassroots accomplishments, such as the BUILD Challenge, improved the social and economic environment?
What evidence is there that the initiatives are improving the health and well-being of Harris County residents? For instance, what are the trends in access to healthy foods, physical inactivity, and obesity prevalence?
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Martin Moments
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Providing students of modest economic means with a college preparatory education aimed at helping young men and women develop the habits of mind and spirit that will enable them to be successful in college, in their careers, and in life.
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Providing meaningful opportunities for professionals to interact with and mentor students while making a difference in their lives. Over 100 Cleveland-area businesses, firms, and non-profits have partnered with Saint Martin.
Saint Martin invites students into our school community who are committed to academic, spiritual, social, emotional, and physical growth. During the admissions process, Saint Martin reviews academic, disciplinary, and attendance records, as well as teacher recommendations.
While we are serious about preparing students for college and career success, we also believe that school should be fun! Caring for the whole student, we believe that involvement in extracurriculars is essential to continuing to form talented, well-rounded, and interesting individuals.
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Saint Martin de Porres High School admits any students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.
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Younger Now
CD | Pop | 29 Sep 2017
Currently not in stock - Usually dispatched: 5-10 days
Under $10 Music
Miley Cyrus Younger Now CD
The video for ‘Younger Now’ directed by Diane Martel and co-directed by Cyrus features the singer paying homage to Elvis, perfectly timed with the 40-year anniversary of his death. Cyrus has long professed her love and admiration for Elvis, who she considers to be one of her biggest inspirations.
The Malibu music video has garnered almost 300 million views on VEVO and the song has generated 180 million streams and over 800K track sales worldwide. In celebration of Pride Month (June) Cyrus released her track ‘Inspired’ which will also be included on “Younger Now.” She performed ‘Inspired’ at the One Love Manchester Benefit Concert and recorded the song in her hometown of Nashville, TN. Miley made a donation to her foundation, the Happy Hippie Foundation in honor of ‘Inspired,’ a song for #hopefulhippies everywhere, with a vision of unity that overcomes division as well as a passionate call-to-action for young people to engage in their communities and help create social change.
Miley Cyrus is a singer-songwriter, actress, artist and philanthropist. With five #1 albums including her 2013 GRAMMY- nominated album “Bangerz,” which went Platinum in the U.S. and Australia, five sold out world tours and almost 30 million tracks sold, Cyrus is one of the most influential artists in pop culture. Most recently she showcased her artistic vision on her independent album “Miley Cyrus and Her Dead Petz.” She is one of the most searched artists in Internet history with over 160 million digital platform subscribers and over 3 billion video views. In addition to her success in music and television, Cyrus founded the nonprofit organization The Happy Hippie Foundation to rally young people to fight injustice. Since launching, the foundation has provided direct support to thousands of homeless and LGBTQ youth across the country. In 2015, amfAR honored Cyrus’ fight against HIV/AIDS with its Award of Inspiration and the Los Angeles LGBT Center honored her work on behalf of LGBT youth with its Vanguard Award. Most recently, Cyrus has been honored with Variety’s 2016 Power of Women award for all her philanthropic efforts.
Review by Thomas Bleach
Throughout her career Miley Cyrus has reinvented herself multiple times but the most drastic change came in 2013 during her “Bangerz” era where she did everything possible to shock and impress you. And it worked. But now for her sixth studio album she has gone back to her roots to rediscover herself. “Younger Now” hears Miley stripping it back with a country meets folk-pop delivery. The tracks hold onto her intimate and vulnerable lyrics that her last album perfected but instead there are no gimmicks added. It’s just her… raw, honest and 110% herself. Album opener and title track “Younger Now” is the biggest grower on the record. At first I found it a bit anti-climatic after the blissfully perfect “Malibu” but what this song perfects is that stare out of the window pop. And she continues that on the beautifully tragic love songs “Week Without You”, “I Would Die For You” and “Miss You So Much” which are some of the strongest tracks on the collection. “Thinkin” offers the most upset track which could’ve easily been a B-SIDE on “Bangerz” with it’s more contemporary production style. Sometimes this folk meets country sound can be a bit hit and miss and “She’s Not Him”, “Inspired” and “Rainbowland” are sadly victims of being forgettable. Her vocals have never sounded stronger or more fitting. This was truly the music she was meant to create and while it may not be potentially chart-topping that is okay because she’s created a pretty great record instead.
See more from Thomas on his website
Title: Younger Now
Artist: Miley Cyrus
Catalogue No: 88875146642
1. Younger Now
2. Malibu
3. Rainbowland feat. Dolly Parton
4. Week Without You
5. Miss You So Much
6. I Would Die For You
7. Thinkin’
8. Bad Mood
9. Love Someone
10. She’s Not Him
11. Inspired
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This website is an archive of the net neutrality fight in Europe from 2013 to 2016. If you are looking to engage in the ongoing political debate about upload filters in the EU Copyright Directive, you might want to check out pledge2019.eu. The fight against upload filters is as much about keeping the internet free and open as the battle for net neutrality.
SaveTheInternet.eu wants to thank everyone who participated in this outstanding effort to protect net neutrality in Europe and keep the Internet free and open! Internet wins, thank you!
How the battle
Internet wins
In this campaign hundreds of thousands of Internet users banded together from 2013 till 2016 to keep the Internet free and open. Together, we sent a loud, clear message to the European Institutions: protect net neutrality.
And it worked! The final rules, which were published on 30 August 2016, offer some of the strongest net neutrality protections we could wish for. So long as these new rules are properly enforced by national telecom regulators, they represent a resounding victory for net neutrality.
The public has made clear that will not leave the future of its digital public space to big telco lobbyists, but wants to decide for itself. To that end, civil society has to stay watchful and observe that telecom operators don’t violate the new principles.
The consultation came as the final step of a legislative process that was launched in September 2013. During the ensuing three years, the SaveTheInternet.eu coalition campaigned successfully for the Regulation on which the BEREC consultation was based.
SaveTheInternet.eu wants to thank everyone who participated in this outstanding effort to protect the free, open Internet! Thank you!
If you want to help keep the movement for a free and open internet strong, please consider a donation.
December 2013 - February 2014
This is the first verison of savetheinternet.eu which offered tools to contact Members of the European Parliament via fax, phone and e-mail to convince them to uphold net neutrality in the Telecom Single Market regulation. It was launched at the 30th Chaos Communication Congress on 27 December 2013. EDRi, Initiative für Netzfreiheit, Digitale Gesellschaft, Access Now, La Quadrature du Net, Bits of Freedom and Go Veto are the founding members of Save The Internet (EU).
March 2014 - October 2014
Savetheinernet.eu was redesigned for the first reading plenary vote in the European Parliament. The public could rely on the same contact tools to reach out to their representatives. Reporters Without Borders joined the coalition. Together with the energetic voice of the public, this strong coalition convinced the European Parliament to vote by a a big majority in favor of strong net neutrality safeguards that protect the free and open internet.
After the European Parliament adopted its position, it was the turn of the 28 EU Member States of the European Union (EU) to negotiate their position. It is always very hard for public interests groups to influence this stage of the legislative process. Usually unknown negotiators appointed by governments meet in secret without keeping track of official documentation. Yet, we tried to inform the public about what is happening and offered them the possibility to send e-mails to the permanent representation (which is basically like an embassy to the EU) of their country in Brussels. The text that was adopted by the 28 EU member states was better than the Commission's proposal but much worse than the position of the European Parliament. After this stage, the three institutions had to reach a common agreement within the so-called 'trilogues'
February 2015 - October 2015
Open Rights Group, Info House, It-Pol, Xnet and Start-ups for Net Neutrality joined the fight. Savetheinternet.eu had to adapt to the 'trilogues'. This period was even less transparent than the previous one.Still, SaveTheInternet.eu tried to put pressure on the representatives of the political parties in the European Parliament, the Council and the European Commission. We provided a timetable about all the meetings that we were informed about and offered users to send e-mails, call their representatives or write them on social media. We analysed all versions of the negotiated legal texts, held a protest in Barcelona in front of the headquarters of one of the largest telecom companies and debunked the main arguments of the telecom companies in an animation video(original). The trilogue agreement was ambiguous and contradictory in certain points. The campaign had to keep going.
October 2015 - November 2015
After the Council officially approved the trilogue agreement, the text had to be adopted by the European Parliament in second reading. Accordingly, SaveTheInternet.eu was updated to highlight the urgency of the final vote before the law was passed. We proposed amendments to improve four unclear points. All of our amendments were tabled. A broad coalition formed that included startups, academics, journalists, media associations and thought leaders like the inventor of the world wide web Sir Tim Berners-Lee, Barbara van Schewick and Lawrence Lessig. SavetheInternet was projected over Telefonica's building in the center of Barcelona before the vote. However, we did not reach an absolute majority for the amendments which would have brought clarity to the text. The EU Regulation was passed, leaving it up to the telecom regulators to fix the uncertainties of the text Some days after the final vote, several organizations from SavetheInternet.eu gathered in the Free Culture Forum 2015 where a new campaign strategy was planned to work closely with BEREC and the national regulators during the guidelines drafting process, and building means to facilitate citizens’ contribution in early stages of the process.
April 2016 - June 2016
The EU telecom regulators gathered within the Body of European Regulators of Electronic Communication (BEREC) was tasked to write Guidelines for the unified EU harmonising the implementation and enforcement of the net neutrality Regulation. For this step, the campaign citizens could write their opinion on net neutrality in the form of a questionnaire and send it to their regulator. This was acompanied by an in-depth analysis of the legislation that showed how to deliver real net neutrality within the letter of the law, meetings with many regulators, a professional explanatory video, a demonstration in Vienna and a mapping action in Barcelona around the plenary meeting where the draft guidelines text was decided.
June 2016 - September 2016
The BEREC draft Guidelines were open for to discussion in a public consultation that was held from 6 June to 18 July 2016. Users could participate in this consultation and almost 500,000 people from all parts of Europe spoke up in support of net neutrality. The first 100,000 comments were delivered by us personally to the BEREC office in Riga. More protests followed in Bonn, Brussels, and Barcelona. With this overwhelming support and constant advocacy from civil society, journalists, academics, librarians and startups we acheived this great success.
We are concerned citizens from NGOs around Europe that care about civil liberties in the digital realm.
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Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje on Pompeii
Pompeii star Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje on the joy of making an explosive swords’n’sandals epic
“Myself and Kit Harington were sent to Gladiator Bootcamp four weeks prior to shooting. We did two hours of sword fighting, an hour’s weight-lifting and an hour’s cardio every day, and we were put on a 1,800-calorie diet.
Our director, Paul WS Anderson, was intent on having the actors not only look the part, but also be able to perform our own stunts.
We were trained in what I call ‘the alphabet of swordsmanship’, which was a very dull, monotonous drill every single morning. But when you put those things together with another fighter, it’s poetic, it looks beautiful. I had to take my hat off to Kit, because yes, I was very handy and there were a few fancy twirls, but he had two swords, and that requires a lot of skill.
His character was about the speed and primal ferocity, whereas mine was about technique and power. To see those two fighting styles clash is really interesting. We shot most of the dialogue scenes first, so as characters we were able to bond and get a feel for who they were, as opposed to jumping around and beating
each other up.
The sets were enormous. There were days when we shot in the amphitheatre – that’s the arena where the fights took place – when there were up to 400 extras in there, which really conjures the atmosphere – when they’re cheering you, you get into it.
When the volcano erupted, it would throw these boulders that were about five-miles wide, and then land on you indiscriminately. We had explosives on set, so when you see the boulders being thrown and landing close to us, an explosive would go off next to you. The most effective CGI was when I was running from the tsunami. There were two massive tanks of water over my head and a very distinct marker I had to hit in a certain time, because otherwise I was going to drown. That was real water being released every time I crossed the line with a baby in my hands. Remarkably, I found I could sprint extremely fast when they told me to. Plus the baby I was holding was the stuntman’s daughter.
This is the reason I got into movies. I grew up watching the epics – Spartacus, Ben Hur, Ten Commandments – and this is a homage to that. To be able to do this while I’m young and fit enough is a delight.”
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I'm victim of my career: Elaine Paige
Los Angeles, Jan 14 (IANS) Singer Elaine Paige says she has been using hearing aids for two years, after five decades in the music industry damaged her ears.
The 70-year-old has spent 55 years in the business and claims that years of singing and using headphones have affected her ability to hear clearly, reports dailymail.co.uk.
Paige wears hearing aids every day, but is insistent that the condition isn't slowing her down or affecting her ability to work.
The star, who has been hiding the aids behind her blonde mane, told The Sun: "I'm a victim of my career, having worked in the music business for over 55 years.
"Using headphones, singing with musicians and orchestras in confined surroundings obviously damages the ear."
Paige, who was pictured wearing hearing aids during a game of tennis over the festive period, has starred in countless high profile productions including Evita, Cats and Chess.
The performer certainly isn't slowing down as she is slated to jet to Australia for a number of gigs as well as several projects on English soil.
She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1995 and received five years of treatment before she was given the all clear.
--IANS
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AI and How It’s Affecting, and Enhancing, Voice Search
July 11th, 2017 by Matthew Bains
If 2016 was the year of the Internet of Things, 2017 has become the year of AI, and, in particular, voice search. The way people search on their phone, tablet, or computer is changing thanks to devices like Amazon Echo, Siri, Cortana, and Google Home—as of May 2016, 20% of mobile queries are through voice. You can now search for a business, order pizza, turn on your home’s lights, ask for movie reviews, and more just by asking a question or stating an instruction. According to the 2016 Internet Trends Report, by 2020, at least 50% of searches are going to be through images or voice, whereas in 2015, only 1 in 10 search queries came through voice. Understanding how your content is optimized for voice search can help your business succeed in the near future.
AI, RankBrain, Machine Learning, Deep Learning…What’s the Difference?
With all of the talk about AI these days, it’s best to separate different terms that get tossed around, like RankBrain, Machine Learning, and Deep Learning. The easiest way to understand their relationship is to think of them as smaller parts of a larger whole. AI has been around since Alan Turing first started trying to decode the Nazi’s Enigma in WWII. In the 1980s, we started to see more advancement with machine learning, which provided computers with the ability to learn predictions and statistics without being explicitly programmed. In the current decade, we have begun to see large advancements in deep learning.
Also known as deep structured learning or hierarchical learning, deep learning uses neural networks with many hidden layers of processing and information. It mirrors the way the human brain works, learning from mistakes to come up with the best, new solution to an input, not one that it was given with code. For instance, Marie Dollé from SocialMediaToday explains how it recognizes your face in a Facebook photo.
“For a face, it will first correlate pixels on a photo, then group them and conceptualize its features (eyes, nose, mouth). Finally, it’ll group all these concepts to recognize the unique collection of features as a single face.”
It’s also how the world’s best Go player, Lee Sedol, got beat by Google’s DeepMind AI dubbed AlphaGo. Go is an ancient game of immense complexity—there are more possible positions on the game board than there are atoms in the universe. This is precisely why we never thought a machine could master a human in this game; it’s more about intuition and instinct. Wired Magazine said that the pivotal play in the game was also the moment that “machines and humanity finally began to evolve together. While the move that set up the machine to win was puzzling to humans, it opened Lee Sedol’s eyes to strategies he hadn’t considered before.” We’ve come a long way since the first game mastered by AI in 1952—Tic Tac Toe.
What About RankBrain?
It’s best to think of RankBrain as a facilitator for deep learning. Unveiled by Google in 2015, RankBrain converts words and phrases into mathematical vectors that can then be used by deep learning. One of the more interesting things about RankBrain is that it searches for phrases that have never been used before on Google and then attempts to find similar words or phrases that may relate, i.e. your rich content that may not match up perfectly with a user’s search but is close. To put it simply, Greg Corrado, a senior research scientist at Google involved with RankBrain states, “If RankBrain sees a word or phrase it isn’t familiar with, the machine can make a guess as to what words or phrases might have a similar meaning and filter the result accordingly, making it more effective at handling never-before-seen search queries.”
So, why are we getting these never-before-seen queries? Well, in some way or another, this will always happen. New products will be released, and people will want to find them. However, the introduction and evolution of voice search as a viable tool has transformed the way we talk to search engines.
The Importance of Semantic Content Marketing in the Age of Voice Search
Gone are the days of planning your content marketing strategy based on one or two keywords. Sherry Bonelli from SearchEngineLand posits, “Now keywords are no longer just keywords. Keywords in the voice search world are long-tail+. The ‘plus’ refers to the conversational phrases that you need to add when optimizing for conversational voice search.” Because people speak things differently than typing, we have to start adjusting marketing strategies accordingly. In comes long-tail+ keywords and semantic SEO.
Long-tail+ keywords should mimic the way people actually talk. Think about what types of questions people ask when they call your business, and then think about any follow-up Q&A you have with them. Also, in addition to thinking about what people might be asking or searching, it’s time to start thinking about all of the synonymous and relative topics to that search. The age of the “best digital camera” keyword could likely fall away. Instead, consider the question, “Google, where can I find a digital camera that is waterproof and can also sync w/ and stream Facebook Live?” Look at everything that’s in that question. It mentions streaming and Facebook Live capabilities, it specifies waterproof, and the whole thing is rooted in a local question: the “where.”
So, if you were to then take a hard look at your content, does it mention syncing devices with live streaming, have you written a blog about waterproof devices that you offer, are all of your physical location pages up to date, and have you claimed your Google My Business listing? Or, have you made the mistake of optimizing for “best digital camera” and called it a day? We’re starting to get to the point wherein Google’s AI technology is becoming as quick thinking, on-the-fly, and complex as us. So, we need to optimize accordingly.
Optimizing for Voice and Conversational Searches
Using long+tail keywords is a good first step to optimizing your content for voice search. Try to understand and predict the user’s next intent or action after finding the answer to their first query. For alternate words or keywords, instead of trying to go for the “be all end all” keyword, think, “tell me how to get to the store,” alongside, “directions to the store.” Experiment with different versions of the same idea.
Local is going to continue to be a big part of success for a business. Research what interests customers in a targeted area and optimize all of your physical location pages by making sure they’re marked up with schema. Structured data markup from schema.org is crucial because it makes it easier for search engines to parse your site and understand your content within context. Here’s a helpful list of additional best practices that can help with showing up in voice search:
Claim Your Google My Business Listing: A large part of voice search is based around local. By claiming your Google My Business Listing, you provide Google with more rich information about your business, giving its AI more tools to serve your potential customers with rich, accurate answers to their questions.
Use Conversational Keywords: This goes without saying, but if people are searching more naturally, then you should be writing more naturally in your content.
Make Sure Your Content Is Trustworthy: Just as AI can evolve to find us the best possible answers to our queries, it also has the ability to learn from and reject black hat SEO practices. Steer clear of link spamming, keyword stuffing, and untrue statements in your content.
Set Up a FAQ Page: This may seem like a minor addition to a website, but it’s a simple way to get a lot of good answers to questions, providing content for a vast amount of subjects about your business that could then make it easier for Google to find you.
Because RankBrain plays a big part of voice search, finding never-before-used phrases and pairing them with trustworthy, on-topic content, it’s worth remembering some advice from a former Influencer: “If your content is written in accord with Panda and Hummingbird, meaning it is rich text, educational, and really on topic, RankBrain should not be a problem for you.”
How Google’s Cloud Video Intelligence Is Changing Video Search
Ever wish you could search for a video online or in your cloud library just by asking certain words? Like, “Hey, Google, show me videos with fun cartoon animals,” and getting a result of Zootopia from your library. With Google’s Video Analysis, we’re getting to do just that. This can have a large impact on more than just personal queries. Pretend you’re a Realtor in your local area. By using this tool, you can make your videos more discoverable for potential clients. It’s just another way AI is changing the way we search.
The Future of Google AdWords
Google recently held their Google Marketing Next event. One of the features that they mentioned talks about Life Event Targeting. In the past, Google’s AI had been able to run basic “if, then” scenarios for target buyers. Now, they’re able to parse through multiple languages to predict a similar response for the same event. For instance, they gave the example of those recently engaged. They were able to recognize the different but similar terms and phrases that cultures use when people are in a wedding life stage and then provide them with solutions to queries.
Also, Google is learning to adjust ads and tailor them to each user’s preference. Instead of three people doing the same search getting the same ad display, there will be advertising that suits each person’s preferences for style, graphics, tone, or display. They may have alternate text that is highlighted, one focusing on price and another on the value of a product or service.
Where Have We Seen This Before?
Whenever I used to think about artificial intelligence, I would typically conjure images of a Terminator landscape, or a young Haley Joel Osment sentient robot in A.I., or the philosophical complexities that Harrison Ford faces as a replicant (or not?!) in Blade Runner. There have always been predictions about future technology that we can find in pop culture, from space invaders to complete AI domination. However, I think one that best represents where we’re currently exploring and where we may end up being is seen in Spike Jonze’s film, Her.
There’s no dominating technology that overtakes our lives, no artificial intelligence that turns evil. Instead, it’s a future in which technology is doing what we’re trying to teach it to do now. An operating system’s AI is learning from conversations and adapting and adjusting accordingly. The OS can also see people and judge their facial reactions, something we can already do with facial recognition. Mark Zuckerberg even implemented it in his home.
To quote the film’s production designer, K.K. Barrett, “This is not a future of harshness, but of bespoke details.”
What Does the Future Hold for Search and SEO in Its Relation to AI?
Voice should continue to rise in use; there’s nothing to suggest otherwise. And while this is a bit of a“Wild Wild West” time of development, there’s one nice thing that should placate marketers’ worries—the relationship between the marketer and the client isn’t going to change in some cosmic or complicated way. In fact, it’s the opposite. It gets more personal. Ideally, we’re headed for a future in which our old anxieties about technology are gone—a future in which we no longer worry about technology ruling or destroying us.
Instead, it may be like what we’ve seen in the movie Her. It’s getting more intuitive. More seamless. More subtle. More adaptive. More inseparable from who we are. It may not be too much longer before voice commands aren’t even necessary—Deep Learning may evolve to where simply walking into a room turns on the lights, and those lights then adjust to a brightness or dimness reflecting your facial features and mood…maybe.
Instead of a future of wild advancements of technology, of jetpacks and holograms (well, kind of not those), it’s more a future of subtlety. One where we’ll hopefully be able to teach a program to learn from us so well and so naturally that it doesn’t even feel like teaching. To quote a reaction from those watching Google’s AlphaGo win its matches of Go over Lee Sedol, “The machine did a very human thing even better than a human. But in the process, it made those humans better at what they do.” So, instead of tech moving to the forefront of our lives, in front of our faces on the ride home from work, disrupting family dinners with scrolls and feeds, it could dissolve to be part of the background, one that not only knows when to talk to us but also when we can be left alone to be better at what we do.
Ok, Google
Posted in seo
Tags: content strategy, Google, influencers, keywords, local search
One Response to “AI and How It’s Affecting, and Enhancing, Voice Search”
Will Scott says:
This is a great post, Matthew!
I especially like the tactical takeaways – in a world where people are asking their devices all kinds of questions, the FAQ finally has real search value.
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Nicole Rupersburg | Thursday, October 13, 2011
From Blue Collar To Rainbow Flags: How Ferndale Got Its Gay Groove
The Ferndale we know today is a picturesque community where diversity is encouraged and celebrated, independently-owned businesses are promoted and supported, the residential areas are clean and safe, and the downtown gets more walkable every day.
"Ferndale is a microcosm of the United States," says Charles Goedert, former mayor of Ferndale and current judge of the 43rd District Court in Hazel Park. "It’s because of the diversity of race, age, sexual orientation, class, everything – right here in Ferndale."
To point out that the city has a large LGBT community goes without saying; we wouldn’t exactly be shedding any new light on the subject by doing so. The real question is, how did Ferndale become the progressive inner-ring suburb that it is today, and why was the LGBT community drawn to this area en masse versus Royal Oak, Oak Park, or any other nearby suburb?
There is a big difference between being inclusive and being tolerant. Cities like Royal Oak and Ann Arbor are gay-friendly; there are gay bars and gay businesses and a strong show of LGBT neighbors within their respective communities. But the difference between Ferndale and other cities is the difference between "us" and "them:" in Ferndale the gay community is simply referred to as the community; it’s not about being gay-friendly or tolerant but being fully inclusive and integrated - to the point that "gay" isn’t even part of the discussion anymore.
According to the latest census information, in Michigan, Ferndale is second only to tiny but tawny neighbor Pleasant Ridge for percentage of households with same-sex couples. In fact, Pleasant Ridge ranks among the top ten nationally.
"There are a lot of things that go into it," says Cristina Sheppard-Decius, executive director of the Ferndale Downtown Development Authority. "It’s not about just being gay-friendly and open but being a hub; there’s a difference in terms of how a city embraces [diversity] and what else they do to encourage it. It’s one thing to say you’re gay-friendly and one thing to actually BE gay-friendly."
Sheppard-Decius attributes much of the growth of the LGBT community within Ferndale to the government officials who became proactive 20 years ago in making a positive impact on what was then a crumbling city, as well as the LGBT activists who worked tirelessly at promoting safety and integration. And the DDA continues to foster diversity by ensuring that their board members represent the community’s diverse population.
The LGBT community has had a history of following Woodward since World War II (when LGBT communities really began to cluster), a social migration pattern that has been happening for nearly 70 years. Prior to WWII the gay community was centered downtown, then moved up Woodward to settle in New Center and later Palmer Park. In Detroit, when the push for gay rights became part of the national debate, Palmer Park would have been our Castro or Montrose. But there was a series of vicious crimes and murders in the 1980s and people began to flee up to Ferndale.
"In the beginning of the '80s Ferndale was a blank slate," says Oakland County Commissioner and former mayor of Ferndale Craig Covey. "The downtown was empty. You could roll a bowling ball down the middle of 9 Mile and not hit anything." Home values were declining; the storefronts downtown were almost entirely empty except for a few adult bookstores, nail salons, wig shops and a strip club.
"We had to turn that around," Goedert says "Folks could see, 'Hey, this place is going somewhere, they’re working to revitalize themselves,’ and they wanted to be a part of that." Goedert served on the Ferndale city council from 1992-1995, then as mayor from 1996-2001. "I was a lone voice on council the first four years," he says. "I wanted to get some things done to revitalize the city."
One of his first crusades was the take-down of the old Reichhold Chemical plant, which had a terrible impact on the community because of pollution and its hulking decaying structure. Goedert forced Lansing’s hand and Reichhold was directed to clean up the site and contain contamination. A developer came in afterward and built the housing that's now there.
Goedert then advocated for re-developing the downtown into a walkable business district. He restored on-street parking, allowed for sidewalk cafes, forced businesses to use their front, street-facing doors (instead of the parking lot-facing back doors) as the main entrance, instated beautification efforts, then created the Byld Program, which allowed business owners and merchants to access grants and low-interest loans for building improvements from a pool of money designated to help revitalize the downtown.
"There was a lot of resistance to all these changes," Goedert notes. "We took the better approach and it worked … instead of bulldozing it for a strip mall as the old leadership wanted."
The "old leadership" was extremely conservative and extremely entitled. Once liberal Goedert became mayor, he shook up city hall by displacing long-term seat-holders on the Planning Commission and instead brought in qualified professionals willing to volunteer their time.
"A lot of these components together attracted an LGBT community that saw a revitalized neighborhood that cared," Goedert says. "It snowballed from there."
One of the draws to Ferndale was affordable housing. "Royal Oak was growing and starting to gentrify and wasn’t affordable at the time," Covey explains. "In the '80s and '90s there was more affordable housing in Ferndale, classic homes built 80 years ago that were kind of shabby. Gay people historically tend to move into classic neighborhoods that need gentrification - all of these things created a kind of perfect storm."
The city also had easy access to major highways and was the epicenter of metro Detroit. Ferndale became a great place to invest, and as the government worked hard to attract forward-thinking people in order to stimulate the economy and stop the housing downturn, the historically blue collar "old guard" began to see their city flourish. New people and new ideas were welcomed.
As it became evident that there was a steadily growing LGBT population settling in Ferndale a handful of community leaders and activists became politically proactive, forming organizations like the Friends and Neighbors (FANS) of Ferndale, the state’s first gay residence association. The group provided social opportunities for Ferndale’s LGBT community (one of which evolved into the long-running Ferndale Pub Crawl, the largest annual pub crawl event in Michigan, which raises $20,000 annually for charity), supported local charitable efforts, and created a political voice for the LGBT community with a focus on safety.
Community activist Ann Heler spearheaded the latter. She recalls an instance in which a fellow member of the LGBT community recounted walking down his own street and having pejorative terms yelled at him.
"For some reason at that time it sparked us," Heler says. "We thought, 'Wait just a minute here, we put our money and effort into this community just like everybody else did, we at least deserve community respect.’ You should be able to walk down your street and just walk down the street." She called up Police Chief Sullivan and requested a meeting with him to discuss hate crimes in the neighborhood; he agreed immediately, and the Police Positive subcommittee (targeting hate crimes) was formed, which she chaired.
"Chief Sullivan said, 'ALL citizens deserve the support of the law; ALL citizens deserve the respect of their communities.’ There were no lawsuits, no petitions, just that," she recalls. "We went to city council and they said all support will be available to all citizens and no quarter would be given to anyone who would do anything less than that. It was incredible!" The police took hate crimes and threats very seriously and were absolutely supportive of the LBGT community, and each succeeding police chief continued to propagate those values.
"I look at it as a microcosm of what more places need to do," says Equality of Michigan Executive Director Denise Brogan-Kator, "to hang out their 'Everyone is welcome here’ sign."
In the late '90s, Ferndale passed an anti-discrimination law, sending a clear message to the community: you are welcome here, and you are safe here. "Among the first new businesses to open in downtown Ferndale were A Woman’s Prerogative and Just 4 Us, two LGBT-owned bookstores that catered specifically (and openly) to the LGBT community. Cobalt opened as the first gay bar in Oakland County. Covey ran for city council as an openly gay person in 1995 and came in last; he ran again in 1999 and won.
"One of the reasons I won that election was because the general population began to appreciate us," he says. "We went from an unknown, perhaps frightening, new group moving into town to longtime residents greatly appreciating us because we were bringing their town back."
This was when Ferndalebegan to lead the county for several years in fastest-growing property values. Flash forward to the Fabulous Ferndale of today: festivals, clubs, bars, businesses, restaurants.
How's this for progress? Motor City Pride moves to Ferndale in 2003, then a second pride fest called Ferndale Pride launches in 2011 when Motor City Pride moves back to the Motor City. Every mayor beginning with Goedert officiates an annual gay union commitment ceremony. In 2006 the Human Rights Ordinance passes after two previous failed attempts. Covey runs for mayor in 2007 and wins; he runs again in 2009 without opposition. Following Covey’s resignation (in order to serve on the Oakland County Commission), Mayor Dave Coulter is elected and Ferndale becomes the first city in Michigan to elect two openly gay mayors consecutively.
In 2007, Affirmations moves into downtown, establishing a 17,000 sq. ft. facility that serves as an "LGBT and their allies" community center, with a particular focus on gay youth. That same year fringe theater troupe Who Wants Cake? opens the Ringwald Theatre and becomes one of the most acclaimed troupes in metro Detroit, praised for their quirky, sometimes touching, decidedly gay (in sensibility if not in content) performances. In 2010 Heler’s latest community activist endeavor, FernCare, opens, a totally free clinic offering general practitioner healthcare to anyone without insurance or medical aid. T
Eventually the gay bars disappeared and just became bars, fully integrated drinking establishments that are neither gay nor straight. Downtown storefronts filled up, young families moved in, everyone agrees that Ferndale is the bestest city in metro Detroit, but hardly anyone knows or remembers why.
This is why. Any other city could have been Ferndale and any other city can still be if the people behind it are willing to put forth that same effort. Ferndale may be a microcosm of America in terms of its diversity, but it is also a template for the rest of America on how to engage that diversity for the greater benefit of the community.
Diversity, Downtown Development, LGBT, Oakland County
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Man shot and killed outside San Bernardino theater
By The San Gabriel Valley Tribune | sgvtribune@dfmdev.com |
PUBLISHED: May 4, 2009 at 12:00 am | UPDATED: August 30, 2017 at 11:50 am
A 25-year-old man was shot and killed Saturday outside the Hudson Theater in San Bernardino in what was billed as a hip hop concert for teens.
“There were opposing gangs at this hip hop event and something stirred a disturbance outside,” said police Lt. Dan Kiel. “That spilled out into the parking lot and a lone gunman began firing into the crowd.”
A bullet struck Nathaniel Gerel Hogue, of Riverside, and two other men. Hogue died about an hour later at Loma Linda University Medical Center. The other victims are expected to live.
Terrence Darby, a 20-year-old San Bernardino man, was arrested near the theater on suspicion of murder and attempted murder.
Investigators said they are unsure whether Hogue was the intended victim.
The San Gabriel Valley Tribune
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A pup guards his masters pack while he (the master) shops in one of Florence's many markets.
A couple ignores the rain. The background is a row of buildings on the north side of the Arno.
Buildings lining the north shore of the Arno. Only a duck disturbs the calm of the still, late afternoon river.
The Uffizi Museum reflected in the Arno.
Boat tie down arrangement on the Arno.
The dome of the Duomo against the morning sky in Florence. Santa Maria del Fiore (also known simply as the Duomo) is the cathedral of Florence known for its distinctive Renaissance dome. Construction on the dome began in 1420 and was completed in 1436
The dome of the Duomo silhouette against the late afternoon sky in Florence. Santa Maria del Fiore (also known simply as the Duomo) is the cathedral of Florence known for its distinctive Renaissance dome. Construction on the dome began in 1420 and was completed in 1436
The vast interior of Santa Maria del Fiore (also known simply as the Duomo). It is the cathedral of Florence known for its distinctive Renaissance dome.
Adorning the interior walls of the dome, 295 feet into the air is Vasari's "Last Judgment" which was ordered and commissioned by Cosimo de Medici.Construction on the dome began in 1420 and was completed in 1436
The vast interior of Santa Maria del Fiore (also known simply as the Duomo). It is the cathedral of Florence known for its distinctive Renaissance dome. This photo was made from about 200 feet above the main floor.
The Campanile (bell tower) situated in front of the Duomo. It's 300 feet tall and considered one of the most beautiful buildings in Florence.
The Campanile (bell tower) situated in front of the Duomo. It's 300 feet tall and considered one of the most beautiful buildings in Florence. This photo was taken from of the windows in the serpentine stairway that climbs the dome between the inner and outer shells.
The striking Donatello's Mary Magdalene in the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo. The museum is directly west of the Duomo.
Michelangelo's La Pieta in Duomo Opera Museum.
A private courtyard somewhere in Florence.
Motorcycles in Florence.
The Basilica di San Miniato al Monte (Basilica of St Minias on the Mountain) stands atop one of the highest points in Florence, and has been described as the finest Romanesque structure in Tuscany and one of the most beautiful churches in Italy. From here you can see the entire city spread out across the Arno.
A beautiful, shaded street on the south side of the Arno below the Basilica of St. Minias on the Mountain.
A view of the Duomo from across the River Arno.
A hillside somewhere south of Florence.
View from a doorway in Barga.
Typical, clean and neat village street -- this in Barga.
Flower in a window. Possibly Barga, Italy.
Street scene in San Miniato, Italy.
Cathedral: San Miniato's looming Duomo, or Cathedral, is a pleasing mix of Romanesque, Gothic and Renaissance styles.
Porta Romana (one of the gateways into Siena).
Lady in the window looks down at the activity in Piazza del Campo -- the center of life in Siena.
Blue hat, red hair. Some of the activity going on in Piazza del Campo in Siena.
Wet street in the hill town of Pienza, Italy.
Since the 1992 vintage of the Brunello di Montalcino wine, the Consorzio del Vino Brunello di Montalcino has commissioned a "piastrella", a tile, to commemorate the harvest. This one is by the famous Senese illustrator Emilio Giannelli.
Side hallway in St. Antimo (St. Anthimus's Abbey, Abbazia di Sant'Antimo in Italian), a Benedictine monastery that dates back to the Middle Ages.
Arcidosso, a hill town in Tuscany.
Pretty flowers, sweet lady in Arcidosso market.
A street scene (pigeon watching lady) Arcidosso, a hill town in Tuscany.
Where once there was a rose window. Between Siena and Massa Marittima lies the spectacular remains of the Abbazia di San Galgano, which was once one of the most important monasteries in Tuscany. Today the ruins are spectacular.
A side hall in the Abbey of San Galgano. Between Siena and Massa Marittima lies the spectacular remains of the Abbazia di San Galgano, which was once one of the most important monasteries in Tuscany.
The ruins of the Abbey of San Galgano, roofless since the 14th century are, none-the-less, clean and well maintained.
A view across the grape vines to St. Antimo (St. Anthimus's Abbey, Abbazia di Sant'Antimo in Italian), a Benedictine monastery that dates back to the Middle Ages.
One of the ancient olive trees on the grounds of St. Antimo (St. Anthimus's Abbey, Abbazia di Sant'Antimo in Italian), a Benedictine monastery that dates back to the Middle Ages.
A capital within St. Antimo (St. Anthimus's Abbey, Abbazia di Sant'Antimo in Italian), a Benedictine monastery that dates back to the Middle Ages. The capital shows Roman influence.
The iconic tree line in Tuscany.
TuscanyItalytravel photographyFlorenceMichelangeloLa PIetaPietaDuomo Opera Museum.
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Girl group G.R.L. is a four-member outfit of singers/dancers who make dance-oriented pop and R&B. Originally formed in 2011 by dancer, choreographer, and entrepreneur Robin Antin as the next generation of her Pussycat Dolls ensemble, by 2013 the group had coalesced into its own pop entity. Featured in G.R.L. are the talents of Simone Battle, Lauren Bennett, Emmalyn Estrada, Natasha Slayton, and Paula van Oppen. G.R.L.'s debut single, "Vacation," was included on the Smurfs 2 soundtrack in 2013. In 2014, they released several more singles (including "Show Me What You Got" and the Dr. Luke production "Ugly Heart") plus, in July, their debut EP, G.R.L. Also in 2014, the quintet was featured on rapper Pitbull's single "Wild, Wild Love." ~ Matt Collar
Ugly Heart
Don't Talk About Love
Girls Are Always Right
Ariana Grande: DNA
Demi Lovato: DNA
Jason Derülo
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Results for Ohio
462 Lydia Loveless
Country and punk might seem like strange musical bedfellows, but don't tell that to Lydia Loveless. On her new record Indestructible Machine, the rising alt-country star sings country songs about small town life, drinking too much, and cheating partners with a punk rock snarl. She performs a few of those tracks live in the studio this week. Lydia's embrace of country and punk has a lot to do with her upbringing. She grew up in Coshocton, a small town in rural Ohio where her dad booked country bands. By the time she was thirteen she was playing new wave music in Columbus bars with her sisters. Lydia chafed at her parochial surroundings as a teen, and that angst continues to inform her songwriting. If nothing else, Coshocton provided Lydia with ample material. Just take a listen to her performance of "Steve Earle," a tune about her hometown stalker.
105 Desert Island Jukebox
Frequently at the end of Sound Opinions, Jim and Greg add songs to the Desert Island Jukebox. This jukebox is filled with tracks that Jim and Greg would take with them if stranded on a desert island. They‘ve posed this same age-old rock question to many of their guests. In this episode you’ll hear the music that these artists say they can't live without:
Saul Williams: James Brown, Live at the Olympia
Alex Kapranos of Franz Ferdinand: Leonard Cohen, The Songs of Leonard Cohen
Nick McCarthy of Franz Ferdinand: Neil Young, "Ohio"
Peaches: Prince, Purple Rain
Laurent Brancowitz of Phoenix: Serge Gainsbourg, Histoire de Melody Nelson
Thomas Mars of Phoenix: D'Angelo, Voodoo
Craig Finn of The Hold Steady: The Replacements, "I Will Dare"
Tad Kubler of The Hold Steady: Led Zeppelin, Physical Graffiti
Franz Nicolay of The Hold Steady: American Music Club, Mercury
Scott Hutchison of Frightened Rabbit: The Hold Steady, Stay Positive
Grant Hutchison of Frightened Rabbit: Bob Dylan, Planet Waves
Wayne Coyne and Steven Drozd of The Flaming Lips: John Lennon, "(Just Like) Starting Over"
dijs
3091 Greg
“Final Solution”Pere Ubu
The Breeders' home state of Ohio inspired Greg's Desert Island Jukebox song choice this week. One of his favorite bands to emerge from the“fly-over territory”is Pere Ubu. Greg describes their unique sound as avant garage — art rock combined with garage rock. But, the band created their own scene and didn't care what categories they did or did not belong to. In fact, even though they set a template for punk and post punk music, front man David Thomas denies the band has any relationship to punk. According to Greg, the best example of their sound is in the song "Final Solution," this week's DIJ addition. When the band was on Sound Opinions they also performed“Final Solution”live. You can listen to that performance and their entire interview here.
3087 Hooked On Sonics: Lydia Loveless
At age 14 Lydia Loveless was living in Columbus, Ohio, trying to find her way around a bass guitar as she played in bands with her sisters. The song "Put It On You" from the now defunct New York rockers The Fever changed all that. For our segment Hooked on Sonics, Lydia tells us how that song changed her approach to playing bass, inspired to her to start writing songs, and ultimately led to a career singing about“miserable, unrequited love.”
133 Music News
The first story in the news this week involves that age-old practice of“pay-for-play,”or payola, in the music industry. In recent years, New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer has been investigating major record labels like Sony and Warner who engaged in this practice. But now, the FCC has joined the battle against this unethical behavior by launching an investigation of the four major radio corporations: Clear Channel Communications, CBS Radio, Citadel Broadcasting and Entercom Communications. The FCC's enforcement unit is looking into accusations that broadcasters illegally accepted cash or other compensation in exchange for airplay of specific songs without telling listeners. As per usual, the federal government is late to the game — but this investigation is admittance of a problem. And as we all know, that's the first step.
Also making news recently are some major acts from the early 1990s. It seems that people are already nostalgic for the music of the alternative era, and many of the surviving bands are cashing in on it. Alice in Chains announced tour dates for this summer, despite the fact that their original lead singer, Layne Staley, died of a drug overdose in 2002. Like the members of Queen and The Doors, the surviving Alice in Chains bandmates don't seem fazed by this loss, and will continue with the addition of Guns 'N Roses bassist Duff McKagan and Comes With the Fall vocalist William DuVall. Former Jane's Addiction members Dave Navarro and Stephen Perkins will also tour this summer under the name Panic Channel, though their lead singer has not passed on. Rather, he's now the impresario of what may prove this summer's big moneymaker: Lollapalooza.
In the typical fashion, Neil Young is stirring up some controversy. The prolific rocker finished recording music for an upcoming album mere days ago and will have it in stores within a couple of weeks. Young is just coming off his last release, Prairie Wind (featured in Jonathan Demme's recent concert film), but on Living With War, he will shift gears completely. According to Greg, this release is a completely political, guerilla-style protest album. Young wrote and recorded songs like "Let's Impeach the President," in just one day in response to the current administration and its failed war in Iraq. Jim points out that Young works well in this situation. Less than two weeks after the Kent State shootings in 1970, Young was inspired to write "Ohio," and it was on the radio within a week. Almost 40 years later, the classic rock icon shows no sign of slowing down — neither his writing, nor his politics.
Nirvana and The Smashing Pumpkins are also in the headlines again. Nirvana widow Courtney Love sold 25% of her share of the band's publishing rights to Larry Mestel, a former executive at Virgin Music. She reportedly received over 50 million dollars for this settlement. That should help alleviate Love's financial woes, though not necessarily the woes of Nirvana fans who worry that Cobain's legacy will be boiled down to Teen Spirit ads. Smashing Pumpkins fans are also a bit curious about the fate of that band. Lead singer (and Love ex) Billy Corgan has stated that the Chicago group will reunite, but no one is quite sure in what incarnation. That really just leaves Pearl Jam, who you'll hear about later in the show.
Bob Casale, a founding member of New Wave group Devo, died of heart failure earlier this week at age 61. Although singer Mark Mothersbaugh and Bob's brother Jerry usually get credit for Devo's distinct sound, "Bob 2" was there from the start, contributing keys, guitar, and vocals on all nine of the band's albums. Strange and sarcastic as those albums may be, Jim notes, they came from a sincere place: the band started as a much-needed creative outlet after its Akron, Ohio-based members witnessed the Kent State shootings firsthand. Devo may not seem like a protest group, but their music was nevertheless a statement—one influenced heavily by Casale.
Pearl Jam, Got Some, Backspacer!, Monkeywrench, 2009
Joss Stone, Fell In Love With A Boy, The Soul Sessions, S-Curve, 2003
The Crystals, He's A Rebel, He's A Rebel, Phil Spector, 1962
Bee Gees, Stayin' Alive, Saturday Night Fever, RSO, 1977
Shirley & Lee, Let the Good Times Roll, Let the Good Times Roll, Aladdin, 1956
Shirley and Company, Shame, Shame, Shame, Shame, Shame, Shame, Vibration, 1975
Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, Don't Leave Me This Way, Wake Up Everybody, CBS Records International, 1975
Thelma Houston, Don't Leave Me This Way, Any Way You Like It, Tamla Motown, 1976
Heatwave, Boogie Nights, Too Hot to Handle, Epic, 1976
Patrice Rushen, Forget Me Nots, Anthology of Patrice Rushen, Elektra, 1977
Sylvester, You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real), Living Proof, Fantasy, 1979
Gloria Gaynor, I Will Survive, Love Tracks, Polydor, 1979
Love Unlimited Orchestra, Love's Theme, Rhapsody in White, 20th Century Fox, 1974
Donna Summer, I Feel Love, I Remember Yesterday, WEA Filipacchi Music, 1977
Chic, Good Times, Good Times/A Warm Summer Night, Atlantic, 1979
De La Soul Is Dead, A Roller Skating Jam Named ‘Saturdays’, De La Soul Is Dead, Tommy Boy Entertainment, 1991
Dave Matthews Band,“Funny the Way It Is,”Big Whiskey & the GrooGrux King, 2009
Dave Matthews Band,“Alligator Pie,”Big Whiskey & the GrooGrux King, 2009
Sonic Youth, Poison Arrow, The Eternal, Hostess Entertainment, 2009
Sonic Youth, Sacred Trickster, The Eternal, Hostess Entertainment, 2009
Prefuse 73, Overkill Choir, The Forest Of Oversensitivity, Warp, 2009
Aretha Franklin, Call Me, Spirit in the Dark, Atlantic, 1970
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Ohio, 4 Way Street, Atlantic, 1971
Eminem, D'ej`a Vu, Relapse, Aftermath Entertainment, 2009
Swizz Beatz, Sad News (feat. Scarface), Sad News, n/a, 2016
Miguel, How Many, How Many, n/a, 2016
Bruce Springsteen, Born in the U.S.A., Born in the U.S.A., Columbia, 1984
Fleetwood Mac, Don't Stop, Rumours, Warner Bros., 1976
Stevie Wonder, Signed, Sealed, Delivered, Signed, Sealed, Delivered, Tamla, 1970
Twisted Sister, We're Not Gonna Take It, Stay Hungry, Atlantic, 1984
Brooks & Dunn, Only in America, Steers & Stripes, Arista Nashville, 2001
The Temptations, Ain't Too Proud to Beg, Gettin' Ready, Motown/Universal, 1966
Frank Sinatra, High Hopes with Jack Kennedy, High Hopes with Jack Kennedy / Jack Kennedy All the Way, n/a, 1960
Lee Greenwood, God Bless the U.S.A., American Patriot, Capitol Records Nashville, 1992
Bob Marley and the Wailers, Get Up Stand Up, Burnin', Island, 1973
Ani DiFranco, Which Side Are You On, ¿Which Side Are You On?, Righteous Babe, 2012
Patti Smith, People Have the Power, Dream of Life, Arista, 1988
Johnny Nash, I Can See Clearly Now, I Can See Clearly Now, Epic, 1972
The Stooges, I Got A Right, I Got a Right / Gimme Some Skin, Siamese, 1977
The O'Jays, Love Train, Back Stabbers, Philadelphia International Records, 1972
Vic Caesar, Nixon's the One, Nixon's the One, Capitol, 1974
Tom Petty, I Won't Back Down, Full Moon Fever, MCA, 1989
Elton John, Philadelphia Freedom, Philadelphia Freedom, MCA, 1975
Primal Scream, Movin' On Up, Screamadelica, Creation, 1991
The Avalanches, Frankie Sinatra, Wildflower, XL, 2016
The Avalanches, The Noisy Eater, Wildflower, XL, 2016
The Avalanches, Colours, Wildflower, XL, 2016
Brenda Lee, Ring-A-My Phone, Ring-A-My Phone / Little Jonah (Rock On Your Steel Guitar), Decca, 1958
Savages, The Answer (Live on Sound Opinions), Adore Life, Matador, 2016
Sting, Wilt Thou Unkind Thus Leave Me, Songs from the Labrynth, Gramaphon, 2006
Radiohead, Burn the Witch, A Moon Shaped Pool, XL, 2016
Animal Collective, Floridada, Painting With, Domino, 2016
Biffy Clyro, Howl, Ellipses, 14th Floor, 2016
Leon Bridges, Beyond, Good Thing, Columbia, 2018
The Rolling Stones, 19th Nervous Breakdown, 19th Nervous Breakdown/As Tears Go By, Decca, 1966
The Feelies, The Boy With the Perpetual Nervousness, Crazy Rhythms, Stiff, 1980
Lupe Fiasco, Beautiful Lasers (2 Ways), Lasers, Atlantic, 2011
Ida Maria, Oh My God, Fortress Round My Heart, Nightliner, 2008
Eurythmics, Beethoven (I Love to Listen To), Savage, RCA, 1987
Men at Work, Who Can It Be Now?, Business as Usual, CBS International, 1981
Eddie Cochran, Nervous Breakdown, Cherished Memories, Liberty, 1962
The Beatles, I'm So Tired, The Beatles, Apple, 1968
The Boomtown Rats, Someone's Looking At You, The Fine Art of Surfacing, Mulligan, 1979
Toots and the Maytals, Pressue Drop, Sweet and Dandy, Beverly's, 1968
Pixies, Where Is My Mind?, Surfer Rosa, 4AD, 1988
Leon Bridges, River, Coming Home, Columbia, 2015
Leon Bridges, Lions, Good Thing, Columbia, 2018
Leon Bridges, Lisa Sawyer, Coming Home, Columbia, 2015
Bobby Womack, Jealous Love, I Don't Know What The World Is Coming To, United Artists, 1975
Usher, U Don't Have To Call, 8701, Arista, 2001
Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys, Ida Red, Ida Red (single), Vocalion, 1938
Leon Bridges, Bad Bad News, Good Thing, Columbia, 2018
Leon Bridges, Brown Skin Girl, Coming Home, Columbia, 2015
Leon Bridges, Shy, Good Thing, Columbia, 2018
Leon Bridges, Georgia To Texas, Good Thing, Columbia, 2018
Leon Bridges, Jon Baptiste and Gary Clark, Jr., Ohio, Ohio (single), Spotify Exclusive, 2017
Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, Ohio, Ohio (single), Atlantic, 1970
Heatwave, All You Do Is Dial, Too Hot To Handle, Epic, 1976
Blind Faith, Had To Cry Today, Blind Faith, Polydor, 1969
The Meters, Cissy Strut, The Meters, Josie, 1969
Genesis, Aisle of Plenty, Selling England by the Pound, Charisma, 1973
Genesis, You Might Recall, Three Sides Live (US Version), Atlantic, 1982
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Guardiola looks to St Mary's visit
By SFC Media Sat 12 May Saints v Man City
Photo by Getty Images
Pep Guardiola says his Manchester City side are still determined to finish the season on a high with victory at Southampton this weekend.
The champions could become the first Premier League side in history to reach 100 points, after already breaking numerous records throughout the campaign.
“We will try to win this game, there is no doubt about that. After there will be consequences whether we able to win and get on to 100 points or not,” Guardiola said.
“In the last weeks, the numbers have helped up to be focused and to win the games for something.
“On Sunday we want to finish by trying to win the game. With all respect to Swansea, it’s almost impossible that Southampton don’t stay in the Premier League where they deserve to be.
“There have been many special moments this season and it’s not easy to find one. In terms of the reason why we won the Premier League, it’s winning 18 games in a row.”
Late decisions on Lemina and Bednarek
Saints v Man City First team Premier League
McCarthy: Fans got us through Tadić: Our twelfth player
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Oct 12, 2017, 05:56AM
My Mattress Story
C.T. May
A key scene from the movie of my life.
My friend Marie-Eve gets up at 5:30 in the morning. She makes breakfast, and she and her husband put the kids on the bus. Then it’s the office, and then everyone is home again for dinner, which Marie-Eve makes. Yoga classes and visits with friends are fit in there, as are her weekly phone calls with me. I’ve known her a long time, since she was out of college. Back then we talked about her job search and boyfriend. The boyfriend is now her husband, and Marie-Eve has a career and family, so we talk about that. On my side, I tell Marie-Eve about loitering around my apartment, my odd sleep schedule, and U.S. politics. My topics haven’t developed much over the years. I think nobody who knew us would be surprised by this, that her topics developed and mine have remained stuck.
In our latest talk, I was telling Marie-Eve about a problem I’d solved. I just changed neighborhoods, and during this shift I put my foot wrong a couple of times. For instance, I was rude to a man working at a coffee shop near my new place. In fact, I behaved like a jackass. This matter weighed on me, but I didn’t have enough nerve to seek him out. Instead I told my story to one of his colleagues. A few more days passed as I bucked myself up, and then I made my walk to the coffee shop. There he was, smiling and ready to forgive. As I left, his colleague and I exchanged a deep nod. He’d told the man how I felt and my way had been cleared.
I underlined that point for Marie-Eve. For once I’d made the right move and managed to sort events properly. I described the nod and its meaning. “He prepared well for me, and I chose well in speaking to him,” I said. This was in my French, which is rough-hewn but ambitious.
I had to break off. Marie-Eve, a quiet woman, was laughing out loud. This happens sometimes when we’re talking. “It’s funny?” I asked. She told me it was, because I made it so important. “Huh,” I said. “All right, all right. I have another story, maybe that is funny too.” Actually I knew it was funny. Minutes after it happened, I knew I’d have to tell Marie-Eve because then I’d hear her laugh.
In my new place, I wanted a new mattress. The old one was all right but getting thin. Problem: I like a rare kind of mattress, a futon that rolls up. My first had been shipped from Japan. My second would be bought locally, and much more cheaply, because my city’s one dealer of rolled-up futons had begun making them. I’d bought sheets for the first mattress from this store, and the sheets fit my old mattress. They were marked double, so I ordered a double mattress from the store. But the two doubles were different sizes, with the old one half a foot wider than the new one. And the store wouldn’t do exchanges or returns.
Listening to my story, Marie-Eve said the package of sheets must’ve been mismarked, and that I should go to the store and show them. But my invoice for the sheets had disappeared; I couldn’t prove I’d bought them there. Anyway, I said, I’d sold the mattress.
Here I switched to English, because here was the good part. Just one person had answered the ad, I said. It had been up for just 12 hours, but still. The woman who showed up had a daughter coming back from living in Japan. The mattress was being paid for by her daughter, and the woman told me she’d rather pay $30 less than I was advertising for.
This was bargaining, which I can’t do with money. I’d thought that I’d just tell hard cases I could eat my loss and give the mattress to charity. In practice I didn’t want to say that or do it. The woman was nice, and I didn’t know if anybody else would answer my ad. I have money, so did $30 matter that much to me? What I wanted was to avoid feeling like a failure after my mattress screw-up. If I sold the mattress too low, I’d feel like a failure—all that money burnt, even if I could afford it. But if I said no to the woman, I’d be dangling until when and if somebody answered the ad. In the meantime, how would I feel? It bothered me that I hadn’t thought of this. I hadn’t seen that I’d feel like a failure.
“Perhaps $165,” the woman said, splitting the difference.
“Yes,” I said. “Yes, certainly.” If I buy a mattress, I thought, I wind up with buckets on my feet. “Well,” I said, “I’m not a businessman.”
I went out to the hallway and fiddled with the front door’s floor and ceiling bolts so it would stay open. When I came back, the lady had squared herself to speak with me. She wanted to know if I would accept another $15. It would be her gift to her daughter, she said. And I did accept. I thanked her, and I said, “It’s because I looked sad, isn’t it?” She said yes.
Marie-Eve laughed and laughed. “That is funnier than the first story,” she said, speaking English. I said that, yes, I’d figured it was.
—Follow C.T. May on Twitter: @CTMay3
Older Writing
Pictures of You (#111)
Guggenheim Animals and Weinstein Impulses
Newer Writing
What My Mother Taught Me About Teaching
Paleocon Diary (#88)
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Tennis, Ageing, Recovery, Transitions
How does he still do it?
On Saturday I was called by a researcher from BBC Radio 5 Live. He was interested in how Roger Federer is still able to perform at the top of tennis despite his age.
Since that conversation, Federer has become the second oldest Grand Slam winner in the open era (Ken Rosewall won titles at 35, 36 and 37). However, since 2000, only Sampras (31), Agassi (32), and Federer himself have won grand slams while being on the plus side of 30.
At 35, Federer’s latest win at the Australian Open is exceptional.
So how is he still able to compete in such a competitive professional sport?
The ageing process begins to induce a decline in male physical ability around the early 30’s. Borgest and a team of researchers in Australia highlighted the naturally occurring declines in metabolic, cardiovascular and hormonal systems as the precursors for performance decrements in their review study of 2015. These genetic factors cannot be escaped. And while, in well trained populations, the performance effects often do not become significant until their early 40’s, In the tiny margins of elite sport any decline can become evident very quickly.
What makes Federer’s achievement even more impressive is the nature of tennis as a sport. Whilst endurance capacity has been shown to stand up well via training in athletes in their 30’s, the ability to produce power due to the speed of muscle contraction can begin to significantly decrease in your 30’s (Kostka 2005). As tennis moves towards the power end of the sporting spectrum (we have previously talked about its shift), any drop in this key component would surely impact performance.
There is also a psychological element to ageing. For many, accepting you are no longer capable of the same levels of athleticism is difficult. Others are able to adjust their performances to rely on greater experience and knowledge of the various facets of the game. In this case adjustments, rather than relying on experience or knowledge, are probably the key. I would argue experience and knowledge can have an impact in team sport or against lesser players, but in the upper reaches of tennis, against players with similar levels of mastery, it is difficult to argue that Federer’s ‘experience’ would somehow plug a physical performance gap.
A more plausible explanation is that at 35, Federer is just below the cusp at which focused training, nutrition and other adjustments are no longer sufficient to maintain and manage the inevitable age-related declines. This would fit with Borgest et al (2015) who said “performance has been shown to be maintained until approximately the age of 35 years after which it declines slowly”.
Remember Federer’s well-publicised change of racket size in 2014? The new racket gave him a bigger sweet spot, allowing more room for error. Equipment changes are often a response to physical changes. Was this the first sign that his movement was slowing (which could have been linked to the power insight we spoke of earlier). Did other changes occur in his training and lifestyle to maintain his place inside the world elite?
In the 5 years prior to 2016, Federer had played an average of 76 matches across 19 tournaments. Due to injury and the need to recover properly, he played only 28 matches across 7 tournaments in 2016. The decision to recover and take the time to develop a fitness programme that could address the specific needs of an ageing body have to be key factors in his victory - that and the early departure of Andy Murray who he was due to play in the quarter-finals.
Federer is clearly exceptional. His Grand Slam win at the age of 35 helps cement his legendary status within the game. To maintain his performance levels takes dedication to a lifestyle many of us couldn’t cope with. To recognise the need to adapt his training and preparation displays a psychological maturity, often missing in others.
Add to this the luck of excellent genetics and you have a 35-year-old Grand Slam Champion.
Roger Federer………..The Greatest of all Time.
Tagged: Sport Science, Tennis, Roger Federer
Tennis, Strength & Conditioning
Andy Murray and the physicality of tennis
With Andy Murray now sitting on top of the world and the biggest change to the top ten in years, we at Sport Science Agency thought it would be a good time to take a look at the changing times in men’s tennis.
Tagged: Sport Science, Tennis, Andy Murray
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Home > June 2017 > Engler retires from Aerofil Technology
Engler retires from Aerofil Technology
“It is with utmost respect and admiration that I have been given the distinct privilege to announce the official retirement of Steve Engler, our Chief Technical Officer, Aerofil Technology Inc. (ATI) who has worked for Aerofil Technology Inc. for the past 12 years. Steve has been directly involved in the aerosol industry in multiple capacities for a total of more than 46 years overall,” said Pat Bergin, President of ATI.
Engler’s career and accomplishments spans several well-known companies where he made significant contributions to some of the things we take for granted today. Steve’s technical career started with the Dial Corporation back in 1971 where he contributed in the development and commercial scale up of its leading anti-bacterial liquid soap “Liquid Dial”. He was also employed through the years at some well-known company’s such as Dow Brands (Dow Chemical), Demert and Dougherty, Arizona Natural Resources, Claire Sprayway and lastly with Aerofil Technology, Inc.
During his employment at ATI, Engler was originally hired as a Technical Director and after a series of promotions was named Chief Technical Officer on May 29, 2015.
“His contributions to our organization are countless where he can often be seen sharing his knowledge with others making us a stronger technical organization each and every day. He was also instrumental in the technical development and physical layout of our new R&D / Technical Laboratory which was dedicated back in August 2014,” said Bergin.
Engler also worked endlessly in supporting the Aerosol Industry where he has served on the Board of Directors for the National Aerosol Association for the past 15 years and also served as Chair of the Standards and Test Committee for the CSPA, as well as a member to numerous technical committees.
Other professional highlights include US patent applications, USA issued patent for aerosol low VOC hair sprays. Development of a Non-destructive aerosol test method by use of radiography x-rays and photography techniques to evaluate aerosol packaging components and formula inside a pressurized aerosol package.
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back to News & Blog
Duke-NUS Commercializes Discovery to Deliver Therapeutics Across Blood Brain Barrier
Strategy & Innovation | Ventures
Intellectual property (IP) derived from discoveries made at Duke-NUS Medical School (Duke-NUS) have been licensed to a newly formed biotech start-up, Travecta Therapeutics Pte Ltd, a Singapore-based drug discovery company. Travecta plans to use the Duke-NUS technology to develop new therapeutic agents that can be selectively delivered across the blood brain barrier for treatment of diseases of the brain, eye and central nervous system.
The license agreement between Duke-NUS and Travecta was facilitated by the Duke-NUS’ Centre for Technology and Development (CTeD), which is part of an innovation and entrepreneurship initiative focused on commercializing research carried out at Duke-NUS.
In 2014, Duke-NUS’ Professor David Silver published research that, for the first time, established a path and transport system that specifically takes lipids such as docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an omega-3 fatty acids that are critical for brain development, to the brain. Professor Silver discovered that a transporter protein called Mfsd2a carries DHA in the chemical form of lyso-phosphatidly-choline (LPC) to the brain.
Read the Full News Article
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Our Catalog Biographies & Memoirs Ethnic & National Hispanic & Latino
It's Just Begun: The Epic Journey of DJ Disco Wiz, Hip Hop's First Latino DJ
It's Just Begun: The Epic Journey of DJ Disco Wiz, Hip Hop's First Latino DJ by Audible Studios at Spring Brook Audio. Hurry! Limited time offer. Offer valid only while supplies last. Half-Cuban, half-Puerto Rican, Luis ''DJ Disco Wiz'' Cedeño is 100 percent Boogie Down Bronx. Born in the 60s, Wiz struggled in a turbulent and violent relationship with his alcoholic father while trying to protect his mother, who was suffering from b
Half-Cuban, half-Puerto Rican, Luis "DJ Disco Wiz" Cedeño is 100 percent Boogie Down Bronx. Born in the 60s, Wiz struggled in a turbulent and violent relationship with his alcoholic father while trying to protect his mother, who was suffering from breast cancer. Raised in the 70s, Wiz learned the code of the streets while hustling with his crew, the East Side Boys.In 1975, Wiz discovered salvation when he hooked up with the legendary Grandmaster Caz to form the Mighty Force Crew, waging some of the biggest DJ battles in the Bronx during hip hop's earliest years.When Hip Hop first hit, the DJ was king. Rockin' the party on two turntables for the b-boys and fly girls on the dance floor, DJs like Kool Herc, Afrika Bambaataa, and Grandmaster Flash pioneered an art form that has come to define our times.The first Latino DJ in the game, Wiz, along with Caz, went on to make a "mixed plate" in 1977 which combined sound bites, special effects, and paused beats. An innovator, originator, and a battle-style DJ with no fear, Wiz swept through the Bronx like a tornado.But the streets wouldn't leave him in peace. After being convicted on an attempted murder charge, sentenced to nine years in prison, and forced to leave his baby daughter, Wiz was incarcerated upstate at the tender age of 17, where he learned the true meaning of desperation. But as time went on and he overcame his struggles with violence, drugs and alcohol, and women, Wiz eventually liberated himself from the path of self-destruction through love, self-respect, and self-determination.It's Just Begun: The Epic Journey of DJ Disco Wiz, Hip Hop's First Latino DJ is a gritty and gripping tale of one man's struggles to not only survive but triumph over adversity and abuse. It will make your blood run cold. By conquering unimaginable obstacles, Wiz offers inspiration to anyone who has ever wondered, "Why me?"
Manufacturer: Audible Studios
Publisher: Audible Studios
Studio: Audible Studios
Brand: Audible Studios
View More In Hispanic & Latino.
If you have any questions about this product by Audible Studios, contact us by completing and submitting the form below. If you are looking for a specif part number, please include it with your message.
Hunger of Memory: The Education of Richard Rodriguez
Hunger of Memory is the story of Mexican-American Richard Rodriguez, who begins his schooling in Sacramento, California, knowing just fifty words of English, and concludes his university studies in the stately quiet of the reading room of the British Museum.Here is the poignant journey of a ''minority student'' who pays the cost of his social assimilation and academic success with a painful alienation-from his past, his parents, his culture-and so describes the high price of ''making it'' in
My (Underground) American Dream: My True Story as an Undocumented Immigrant Who Became a Wall Street Executive
By Hachette Audio and Blackstone Audio
When she was eleven years old, Julissa Arce left Mexico and came to the United States on a tourist visa to be reunited with her parents. When her visa expired at the age of fifteen, she became an undocumented immigrant. Thus began her underground existence, a decades-long game of cat-and-mouse, tremendous family sacrifice, and fear of exposure. After the Texas Dream Act made a college degree possible, Julissa's top grades and leadership positions landed her an internship at Goldman Sachs, which
An Unlikely Journey: Waking Up from My American Dream
By Little, Brown & Company
The keynote speaker at the 2012 DNC, former San Antonio mayor and Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Julian Castro, tells his remarkable and inspiring life story. In the spirit of a young Barack Obama's Dreams from My Father, comes a candid and compelling memoir about race and poverty in America. In many ways, there was no reason Julian Castro would have been expected to be a success. Born to unmarried parents in a poverty-stricken neighborhood of a struggling city, his prospects of
In the Country We Love: My Family Divided
By Audible Studios
The star of Orange Is the New Black and Jane the Virgin presents her personal story of the real plight of undocumented immigrants in this country. Diane Guerrero, the television actress from the megahit Orange Is the New Black and Jane the Virgin, was just 14 years old on the day her parents were detained and deported while she was at school. Born in the US, Guerrero was able to remain in the country and continue her education, depending on the kindness of family friends who took her in and
A Dream Called Home
By Simon & Schuster Audio
From best-selling author Reyna Grande - whose remarkable memoir The Distance Between Us has become required reading in schools across the country - comes an inspiring account of one woman's quest to find her place in America as a first-generation Latina university student and aspiring writer determined to build a new life for her family one fearless word at a time. When Reyna Grande was nine-years-old, she walked across the US-Mexico border in search of a home, desperate to be reunited with the
Cheech Is Not My Real Name: .But Don't Call Me Chong
By Hachette Audio
The long-awaited memoir from a counterculture legend. Cheech Marin came of age at an interesting time in America and became a self-made counterculture legend with his other half, Tommy Chong. This insightful memoir delves into how Cheech dodged the draft, formed one of the most successful comedy duos of all time, became the face of the recreational drug movement with the film Up in Smoke, forged a successful solo career with roles in The Lion King and, more recently, Jane the Virgin, and
Days of Obligation: An Argument with My Mexican Father
By Blackstone Audiobooks, Inc.
In a series of ten essays spanning five centuries of history, Rodriguez explores the conflicts of race, religion, and cultural identity for Mexican-Americans across the landscape of his beloved California.
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Our Products >> The Bartered Body
The Bartered Body
Why would thieves steal the body of a dead woman?
That’s the most challenging question yet to be faced by Sylvester Tilghman, the third of his family to serve as sheriff of Arahpot, Jordan County, Pennsylvania, in the waning days of the 19th century.
And it’s not just any body but that of Mrs. Arbuckle, Nathan Zimmerman’s late mother-in-law. Zimmerman is burgess of Arahpot and Tilghman’s boss, which puts more than a little pressure on the sheriff to solve the crime in a hurry.
Syl’s investigation is complicated by the arrival in town of a former flame who threatens his relationship with his sweetheart Lydia Longlow, clashes with his old enemy former burgess McLean Ruppenthal, a string of armed robberies and a record snowstorm that shuts down train traffic, cuts off telegraph service and freezes cattle in the field.
It will take all of Syl’s skills and the help of his deputy and friends to untangle the various threads and bring the criminals to justice.
A native of Shamokin, Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, J. R. Lindermuth worked as a newspaper reporter and editor for nearly 40 years. Since retiring, he has served as librarian of the Northumberland County Historical Society where he assists patrons with genealogy and research.
He is the author of 13 novels and his short stories and articles have been published in a variety of magazines. He is a member of International Thriller Writers, EPIC and the Short Mystery Society.
He is the father of two grown children and has four grandsons. To learn more about the author, visit his website at http://www.jrlindermuth.net
by John R. Lindermuth
Trade Paperback - 6 x 9 x .5
FICTION / Mystery & Detective / Historical
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Systematic Review Meta Analysis Critical Appraisal
Written by:adminPosted on: June 2, 2019
Jun 10, 2015. Critical Appraisal of Systematic Review/Meta-analysis. Hyun Jung Kim and Hyeong Sik Ahn. Institute for Evidence-Based Medicine, Korea.
Critical Appraisal tools. Appraisal Critical appraisal is the systematic evaluation of clinical research papers in order to establish: Does this study address a clearly.
Critical Appraisal of a Meta-analysis or Systematic Review. Adapted from Crombie, The Pocket Guide to Critical Appraisal; the critical appraisal approach used.
A Systematic Approach Used In All Scientific Study Apr 23, 2019 · The systematic withdrawal approach, while extremely popular and an effective way to generate income in retirement, is not a one-size-fits-all strategy. It too needs to tailor to the individual. Studies included in systematic reviews may be of varying study designs, but should collectively be studying the same outcome. Is each study included in the review studying the same variables? Some reviews may group and analyze studies by variables such as age and
This set of eight critical appraisal tools are designed to be used when reading research, these include tools for Systematic Reviews, Randomised Controlled Trials, Cohort Studies, Case Control Studies, Economic Evaluations, Diagnostic Studies, Qualitative studies and Clinical Prediction Rule.
A systematic review with meta-analysis was completed to determine the capacity of risk assessment scales and nurses’ clinical judgment. was assessed according to the guidelines of the Critical.
Mar 15, 2019. Defining Systematic Review/Meta-Analysis Study Design. "A Systematic Review is a comprehensive survey of a topic that takes great care to.
Aug 18, 2009 · Systematic reviews and meta-analyses have become increasingly important in health care. Clinicians read them to keep up to date with their field , and they are often used as a starting point for developing clinical practice guidelines.Granting agencies may require a systematic review to ensure there is justification for further research , and some health care journals are moving in this.
Objectives This systematic review. quality and data extraction Two review authors independently assessed methodological quality using standardised critical appraisal instruments from the Joanna.
Meta-analysis is a statistical method used in systematic reviews to integrate the results of the included studies and increase the statistical power of the study.
Sep 28, 2010 · Objectives. We sought to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of the cardiovascular risk associated with the metabolic syndrome as defined by the 2001 National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) and 2004 revised National.
Objective To assess the methodology and quality of evidence of systematic reviews and meta-analyses of traditional Chinese medical nursing (TCMN).
Critical Appraisal tools. Critical appraisal is the systematic evaluation of clinical research papers in order to establish: Does this study address a clearly focused question?; Did the study use valid methods to address this question?
This systematic review aims to evaluate the critical elements aiding sideline recognition. of significant head impact events and the delayed onset concussion. A meta-analysis was not performed due.
. to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses. also be useful for critical appraisal of published systematic reviews, although it.
Carlos reminds Rebecca and Chen that Level I evidence—a systematic review of randomized controlled trials or a meta-analysis—is the most reliable and the best evidence to answer their clinical.
Systematic reviews and meta-analyses are being increasingly used to. methods to perform a comprehensive literature search and critical appraisal of the.
Adoption of low back pain guidelines is a well-documented problem. Information to guide the development of behaviour change interventions is needed. The review is the first to synthesise the evidence regarding physicians’ barriers to providing evidence-based care for LBP using the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF). Using the TDF allowed us to map specific physician-reported barriers to.
An initial search of the Cochrane Library, the Joanna Briggs Institute Database of Systematic Reviews. to inclusion in the review using standardized critical appraisal instruments from the Joanna.
Objectives: The objective of this systematic review was to. quality of studies using standardized critical appraisal instruments from the Joanna Briggs Institute Meta Analysis of Statistics.
History. The historical roots of meta-analysis can be traced back to 17th century studies of astronomy, while a paper published in 1904 by the statistician Karl Pearson in the British Medical Journal which collated data from several studies of typhoid inoculation is seen as the first time a meta-analytic approach was used to aggregate the outcomes of multiple clinical studies.
5 days ago. Level I: Evidence that is generated from systematic reviews or meta-analyses of all relevant RCTs or evidence-based clinical practice.
Critical appraisal was conducted by two independent reviewers. Data collection Data were extracted from papers included in the review using the standardized data extraction tools from the Joanna.
This review considered studies that evaluated the effectiveness of interventions in managing adherence to. using the standardized critical appraisal instruments from the Joanna Briggs Institute.
May 17, 2019 · Find information about critically appraising literature. Critical appraisal is the process of carefully and systematically examining research to judge its trustworthiness, its value and relevance in a particular context (Burls, 2009).
Review question/objective: The quantitative objective is to identify the effectiveness of technology use for self-care behavior. using standardized critical appraisal instruments from the Joanna.
Methodological quality Papers selected for retrieval were assessed by two independent reviewers for methodological validity prior to inclusion in the review using standardized critical appraisal.
Objectives The objective of this review was. Data synthesis Meta-analysis was performed by using a random effect model; data were pooled using Mantel-Haenszel methods. For subgroups analysis only.
Top Math Undergraduate Programs The top mathematics educators. for his contributions to mathematics education, especially the highly original and highly mathematical nature of these contributions to mathematics education and the. Top colleges and universities are racing to build big programs in science and technology. We looked for the most innovative and exciting, the unsung schools best preparing students for tomorrow. Madeleine Howell, Maeve Kennedy and Lily Whitler are among 496 winners nationwide of the Goldwater Scholarship, the most prestigious
What is a systematic review? Authors: Julie Glanville and Rachael McCool Systematic reviews have increasingly become the ‘gold standard’ in reviewing. They aim to adopt a scientific approach to identifying and consolidating all the available evidence pertaining to a.
6 Molecules Of Living Things Chapter 5: THE LIVING ENVIRONMENT. People have long been curious about living things—how many different species there are, what they are like, where they live, how they relate to each other, and how they behave. Glossary of Biological Terms ← BACK. H habitat [L. habitare, to live in] The place in which individuals of a particular species can usually be found. habituation [L. habitus, condition] A simple kind of learning involving a loss of sensitivity
Systematic reviews are a type of literature review that uses systematic methods to collect secondary data, critically appraise. conforming to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement (the.
2; Preferred Reporting Items for a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of. of preclinical studies: why perform them and how to appraise them critically
If you are considering doing a systematic review or meta-analysis, this step-by- step guide aims to. Step 6: Critical appraisal of studies (quality assessment).
Search strategy A systematic. quality Critical appraisal was undertaken by two independent reviewers using standardized critical appraisal instruments from the Joanna Briggs Institute Meta-Analysis.
Molecule Was A Man If you crossing the Oberbaumbruecke you have a beautiful view of the Molecule Men – in the middle of the river Spree. Temperature [T]: a measure of the tendency of an object or system to spontaneously give up energy [9]. Said another way, the property of a body (as in a human molecule) or region of space that determines whether or not there will be a net flow of heat [Q] into or out of
There have been more than 400 systematic reviews and meta-analyses published in the. How to Appraise Critically a Systematic Review and Meta- analysis.
We investigated a hypothesis that low vitamin D in this population may be associated with premature mortality via a systematic review and meta-analysis. Authors of the studies taken forward for.
The Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) develops evidence based clinical practice guidelines for the National Health Service (NHS) in Scotland. SIGN guidelines are derived from a systematic review of the scientific literature and are designed as a vehicle for accelerating the translation of new knowledge into action to meet our aim of reducing variations in practice, and.
Background. The health benefits of greenspaces have demanded the attention of policymakers since the 1800s. Although much evidence suggests greenspace exposure is beneficial for health, there exists no systematic review and meta-analysis to synthesise and quantify the impact of greenspace on a wide range of health outcomes.
A well-designed systematic review and meta-analysis can provide valuable information for researchers, policymakers, and clinicians. However, there are many critical caveats in performing and.
Jun 10, 2014. Critical Appraisal Worksheet: Systematic Review/Meta-analysis. 1. What question did the systematic review address? The main question.
Universities That Offer Mathematics Post-16 maths Reforms to GCSEs and A levels risk undermining the government’s goal of universal participation in post-16 mathematics education, particularly if new ‘Core Maths’ qualifications are not backed by universities. Some states, including Oregon, Illinois, California and Maryland (whose program I chair), are setting up IRA programs for. The area of study known as the history of mathematics is primarily an investigation into the origin of discoveries in mathematics and, to a lesser extent,
One of the most important steps in critically appraising a meta-analysis is. Garg AX, Hackam D, Marcello T. Systematic review and meta-analysis: when one.
A systematic review can only be as good as the clinical trials that it contains. The criteria used to critically appraise systematic reviews and meta-analyses are.
Feb 01, 2019 · Reproduced from: Grant MJ, Booth A. A typology of reviews: an analysis of 14 review types and associated methodologies. Health Info Libr J. 2009 Jun;26(2):91-108. doi.
May 25, 2019. Recent systematic reviews and meta-analyses on the efficacy of probiotics. children, critical appraisal, functional constipation, meta-analysis,
Evolutions Where To Buy Results 1 – 10 of 186. Charmander from XY – Evolutions for. Us Feedback · Help · TCGplayer.com. Charmander, Pokemon, XY – Evolutions. Buy With Us. Buy Weed Online with Buds2go. 100% guaranteed Mail Order Marijuana with tracking, a great assortment of Edibles, Concentrates, Sativa’s, Indica’s & Hybrids. May 20, 2019. Eevee is one of the most interesting Pokemon characters – and here's how to master evolutions. The (d)evolution from Jimmy McGill to Saul Goodman
Objectives To identify the effectiveness of peer support interventions on. validity using standardized critical appraisal instruments from the Joanna Briggs Institute Meta Analysis of Statistics.
June 1, 2011 — Frequently cited studies on biomarkers often report larger effect size estimates. critical appraisal of study design and close scrutiny of findings where indicated, and to be aware.
How do I know this? I am a systematic reviewer. Critical appraisal of included studies is a hallmark of systematic review, which is about a great deal more than just meta-analysis of randomized.
While I applaud the effort by Panagioti et al to take a rigorous scientific look at the association between self assessed burnout and patient safety, I am disturbed that the authors reiterate in their opening paragraph a misperception that is becoming more and more widespread, without justification, by both scientific and lay writers.
Systematic reviews are a type of literature review that uses systematic methods to collect secondary data, critically appraise research studies, and synthesize findings qualitatively or quantitatively. Systematic reviews formulate research questions that are broad or narrow in scope, and identify and synthesize studies that directly relate to the systematic review question.
Sep 28, 2016. PDF | On Sep 28, 2016, Leonardo Silva Roever Borges and others published Critical Appraisal of Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses.
Meta-analysis of individual study and pooled effects. Each line represents 1 study in the meta-analysis, plotted according to the standardized mean difference (SMD; roughly the difference between the mean score of participants in the intervention group and the mean score of participants in the control group).
If you are considering doing a systematic review or meta-analysis, this step-by-step guide aims to support you along the way. It explains the background to these methodologies, what is involved, and how to get started, keep going, and finish!
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Rodgers and Russell win golds at 2016 Europeans
Woking’s Hannah Russell and Beckenham’s Susie Rodgers claimed gold medals in the penultimate day’s finals at the IPC Swimming European Championships 2016 in Portugal.
S12 swimmer Russell was just 0.01 seconds shy of her own world record as she dominated the final to touch in 1:06.16 for gold, four seconds ahead of the rest of the field.
“I am very happy right now,” said Russell. “I came in there and I wanted to show everyone what I was made of and coming back and doing a 1:06, I am absolutely amazed and to get that title this year means a lot to me.
“I did have the World Championships result in the back of my mind and I wanted to go in there and do what I’ve been practicing. I feel like crying but I haven’t. I am keeping it all in.
“It’s been a tough couple of months with training towards our trials and I’m just so happy to be able to stand back up on the top of the podium.”
Rodgers’ gold was her third of the Championships as she added the S7 100m Freestyle crown to victories in the 400m Freestyle and 50m Butterfly.
It was a tight race, with pressure throughout from Germany’s Denise Grahl before the Brit clinched victory in 1:13.42 ahead of Grahl’s 1:15.01.
“I’ve taken a lot from this competition,” Rodgers said. “I have a great competitor in Denise [Grahl]. She pushes me all the way.
“I could see her on me all the way through that first 50 but I knew I could get her on the second 50m.
“There is still a lot of work to be done to improve my races. I have a tough programme here so time wise it was a bit slower than last week. I know it’s in there. I’ve just got to get the rest right.”
City of Manchester Aquatics’ Jonathan Fox won his second medal of the competition with silver in the S7 100m Freestyle, touching in 1:04.18.
Meanwhile Harriet Lee claimed SB9 100m Breaststroke silver in1:08.71 to claim her first medal at the Championships.
The other English medallists on the night were Northampton’s Ellie Robinson with bronze in the S6 400m Freestyle (5:43.77) and Claire Cashmore with bronze in the SB8 100m Breaststroke (1:21.53).
Click here to view full results from the IPC Swimming European Championships 2016.
Photo credit: Pedro Vasconcelos / IPC
IPC Euros 2016
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Who was Doris Day's son Terry Melcher, when did he die and how was he connected to Charles Manson?
Doris Day And Son Terry Melcher in 1974. Picture: Getty
By Tom Eames
Doris Day was married four times, but she only had the one child: music producer Terry Melcher.
The Hollywood icon - who passed away on Monday (May 13) at the age of 97 - was close to her son until his death over a decade ago.
Remembering Doris Day's final TV performance
But what was Terry Melcher famous for and when did he pass away? Here's all the fascinating facts:
Who was Terry Melcher?
Terry Melcher was an American musician and record producer, who was one of the chief artists that shaped the 1960s California Sound and folk rock movements.
He produced the Byrds' first two albums Mr. Tambourine Man and Turn! Turn! Turn!, as well as most of the recordings of Paul Revere & the Raiders and Gentle Soul.
In the 1960s, Melcher was close with the Beach Boys, and helped connect Brian Wilson to Smile lyricist Van Dyke Parks.
He also produced several singles for the Beach Boys in the 1980s and the 1990s, including 'Kokomo'.
Who were Terry Melcher's parents?
Doris Day and Martin Melcher. Picture: Getty
He was the only child of actress and singer Doris Day.
His father was Day's first husband Al Jorden, and he was later adopted by her third husband Martin Melcher.
He was named Terry (full name Terrence) by his mother, after the hero of her favourite comic strip, Terry and the Pirates.
Before his birth, Day was planning to divorce Al Jorden due to his alleged physical abuse. However, upon hearing of his wife's pregnancy, Jorden demanded that Day get an abortion.
Soon after giving birth, Day filed for divorce and left Terry with her mother in Ohio. After the divorce, Jorden visited his son sporadically and had little presence in his life.
When did Terry Melcher die?
On November 19, 2004, Terry Melcher passed away at his home, after being diagnosed with melanoma.
He was aged 62, and was survived by his wife Terese, and son Ryan.
Where is Doris Day's grandson Terry Melcher now?
Figured it was time to swap out my real estate shot from when I was twelve 🙄
A post shared by Ryan Melcher (@ryan_melcher_properties) on Aug 6, 2016 at 9:35am PDT
Ryan now works as a real estate agent in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, where his grandmother had also been living since the 1970s.
What was Ryan Melcher's connection with Charles Manson?
Terry Melcher During the Sharon Tate Murder Trial. Picture: Getty
In 1968, Beach Boys member Dennis Wilson introduced Melcher to ex-con and musician Charles Manson.
Manson and his "family" had been living in Wilson's house after Wilson had picked up hitchhiking Manson family members Patricia Krenwinkel and Ella Jo Bailey.
Wilson was interested in Manson's music, and recorded two of his songs with the Beach Boys. Melcher was also interested in doing so, as well as making a film about the family and their hippie commune.
Manson met Melcher at 10050 Cielo Drive, the home Melcher shared with his girlfriend, actress Candice Bergen, and with musician Mark Lindsay.
Charles Manson. Picture: Getty
Manson later auditioned for Melcher, but Melcher declined to sign him up. Melcher also abandoned the film project after witnessing Manson in a fight with a drunken stuntman.
Wilson and Melcher soon cut their ties with Manson, which is said to have enraged the criminal. Soon after, Melcher and Bergen moved out of the Cielo Drive home.
The house's owner, Rudi Altobelli, then leased it to film director Roman Polanski and his wife, actress Sharon Tate. Manson was said to have visited the house several times asking for Melcher.
On August 9, 1969, the house saw the murders of Tate (who was eight months pregnant), coffee heiress Abigail Folger, hairdresser Jay Sebring, writer Wojciech Frykowski and Steven Parent by members of Manson's "family".
Some have claimed that the house was targeted by Manson as revenge for Melcher's rejection, and that Manson was actually looking for him. However, family member Charles 'Tex' Watson has said that Manson did know that Melcher was no longer living there.
After hearing of the murders, Melcher went into hiding, and it was reported that Manson had sent his followers to kill Melcher and Bergen.
Melcher later require psychiatric treatment, and was said to be the most frightened of the witnesses at Manson's trial.
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Wrigley Field Centennial
By: Shannon Barnet April 11, 2014
Whether you bleed blue and red for the Cubs or are a White Sox fan all the way, there is no denying the fact that Wrigley Field has been iconic piece of Chicago history for the past 100 years. Built in 1914, Wrigley Field – originally named Weeghman Park – is the second oldest professional baseball field in the country following only Fenway Park in Boston.
The park was built to the tune of $250,000 and originally seated 14,000 fans who would visit to root for the park’s first team, the Chicago Federals (or Chicago Whales). In 1915, after the Federals dissolved as a team, Weeghman bought the Chicago Cubs, which he sold to William Wrigley Jr., along with the park itself, in 1920. According to Sports Traveler Chicago by Anbritt Stengele with Lydia Rypcinski.
Besides the giant, red scoreboard outside the stadium, which was installed in 1937, Wrigley is perhaps best known for its ivy-covered outfield walls. Planting the ivy, the work of former Major League Baseball franchise owner Bill Veeck Jr., was the idea of former Cubs owner P.K. Wrigley as part of a bleacher beautification project, also in 1937.
A number of memorable baseball moments have taken place in Chicago’s oldest ballpark, including these highlighted memories.
Babe Ruth’s “called shot”
As far as iconic moments in history go, Babe Ruth’s “called shot” is one of the most famous. The day was October 1 and Game 3 of the 1932 World Series and there was a considerable amount of heckling between the New York Yankees and the Chicago Cubs. In the fifth inning, Ruth got up to bat with one out, no men on base. Journalist Westbrook Pegler described the Babe’s infamous at bat in a column published in the Chicago Daily Tribune on October 2, the day following the game:
Guy Bush, the Cubs’ pitcher, was up on top of the dugout, jawing back at him [Ruth] as he took his turn at bat this time. Bush pushed back his big ears, funneled his hands to his mouth, and yelled raspingly at the great man to upset him. The Babe laughed derisively and gestured at him, “Wait, mugg; I’m going to hit one out of the yard.” Root threw a strike past him and he held up a finger to Bush, whose ears flapped excitedly as he renewed his insults. Another strike passed him and Bush crawled almost out of the hole to extend his remarks.
The Babe held up two fingers this time. Root wasted two balls and the Babe put up two fingers on his other hand. Then, with a warning gesture of his hand to Bush, he sent him the signal for the customers to see.
“Now,” it said, “this is the one. Look!” And that one went riding in the longest home run ever hit in the park.
He licked the Chicago ball club, but he left the people laughing when he said good-by, and it was a privilege to be present because it is not likely that the scene will ever be repeated in all its elements. Many a hitter may make two home runs, or possibly three in world series play in years to come, but not the way Babe Ruth hit these two. Nor will you ever see an artist call his shot before hitting one of the longest drives ever made on the grounds, in a world series game, laughing and mocking the enemy with two strikes gone.
Today, there is some controversy over whether Ruth’s gesture was actually him calling his shot – some say he was pointing at Charlie Root, the Cubs pitcher, while others argue it was a gesture made at the Cubs bench – and the pictures and footage that exist from the game can’t confirm that actual direction. Even still, the legend of the “called shot” remains alive and well.
Gabby Harnett’s “Homer at the Gloamin’”
On September 28, 1938, Cubs catcher Gabby Hartnett hit one of the most well-known walk-off homeruns in baseball history. The highlight of his career came in the second game of a three game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates, whom the Cubs had already defeated in the first game. The Cubs and Pirates were tied, 5–5, in the ninth inning and it was getting almost too dark outside to continue playing when Harnett got up to the plate. Edward Burns of the Chicago Daily Tribune described the chaos in an article published the day after the game:
…never, never was there a game like that one Gabby Hartnett won with a homer yesterday to put his team in first place as the Pirates went down, 6–5, seconds before the contest was to be called a tie, on account of darkness…
You have seen them rush out to greet a hero after he touched the plate to terminate a great contest. Well, you never saw nothin’. The mob started to gather around Gabby before he had reached first base. By the time he had rounded second he couldn’t have been recognized in the mass of Cub players, frenzied fans and excited ushers but for that red face, which shone out even in the gray shadows.
The Curse of the Billy Goat
As local legend has it, an outraged former owner of the Billy Goat Tavern, Billy Sianis, placed a curse on the Chicago Cubs on October 6, 1945 after being asked to leave Wrigley field because his pet goat’s offensive odor. Although the exact words that Sianis said are unclear, the sentiment was something along the lines of, “The Cubs ain’t gonna win no more. The Cubs will never win a World Series so long as the goat is not allowed in Wrigley Field.” Whether or not you believe in the curse, the Cubs haven’t won a World Series since 1908.
Sam Jones pitches a no-hitter
On May 12, 1955, Chicago Cub Sam “Toothpick” Jones became the first African American player to pitch a no-hitter in Major League Baseball. The no-hitter against the Pittsburgh Pirates culminated in the ninth inning after Jones walked the bases loaded and the Cubs won the game 4–0. Jones’ no-hitter was also the first no-hitter thrown at Wrigley field since 1917.
Ernie Banks’ 500th career homerun
Ernie Banks, also known as “Mr. Cub” hit his 500th career homerun at Wrigley on May 12, 1970. A Chicago Tribune article described the event:
It was just great in Wrigley field yesterday. Ernie Banks hit his 500th homerun, the ninth player to do so, and the Cubs beat the Braves 4 to 3, in 11 innings.
As for the Banks’ blow: Tribune Reporter Richard Dozer wrote: “Pat Jarvis went one-and-one on Ernie, then served a fast ball chest high and a little bit in. Banks swung, and when Rico Carty, the Braves’ left fielder, turned toward the seats, Banks knew he had the coveted home run.”
Pete Rose ties Ty Cobb for most hits in baseball history
On September 8, 1985, Cincinnati Red Pete Rose made history at Wrigley Field, getting his 4,191st hit to tie with (then leader) Ty Cobb for most career hits in baseball. Craig Neff set the scene in this September 16, 1985 article in Sports Illustrated:
The Tying hit came on a wacky day, off a substitute pitcher who threw—what else?—a screwball. Pete Rose lined it hard and clean Sunday afternoon in Chicago, and the ball dropped 30 feet in front of Cub rightfielder Keith Moreland, who scooped up the nugget of baseball history, tossed it in and immediately began to applaud. With his opponents, his Reds teammates and 28,269 Wrigley Field fans all on their feet clapping and cheering madly, Rose took his usual wide turn at first and flashed a grin. That’s 4,191 down, Mr. Cobb, and one to go.
First night game at Wrigley Field
After six years of arguing and push back from the neighborhood residents, Wrigley Field finally got lights in 1988. On April 8, 1988, the Cubs played their first-ever night game at Wrigley against the Phillies. The Cubs were winning 3–1 going into the bottom of the third inning when the game was cut short on account of rain. Their first completed night game came the following night against the New York Mets with the Cubs winning 6–4.
Ronald Reagan in the Wrigley press box
Baseball fans who bought tickets for a seemingly normal late September game in 1988 got a whole lot more than they bargained for when President Ronald Reagan made a surprise appearance. Alan Solomon documented the event, play-by-play style, in a Chicago Tribune article published October 2, 1988:
At about 10 a.m., the club was told President Reagan, indeed, was coming, and staffers went to work. By noon, old tarps and canvas windbreaks were rigged on ramps to screen the President on the route from the Cub dugout to Harry Caray’s booth on the press box level.
At 1:35 p.m., the world`s biggest dog was marched through the press box, sniffing for whatever those dogs sniff for. Not one sportswriter petted the dog.
At 1:42 p.m., as the organist played “Hail to the Chief,” the President emerged from the dugout to cheers. A very few voices made a noise that sounded a lot like “Goose.”
At 1:44 p.m., the President, wearing a shiny blue Cub jacket, was led to the mound by ballgirl Mary Ellen Kopp. Reagan, who in a former life played Hall of Fame pitcher Grover Cleveland Alexander in a film, probably could’ve found it himself.
At 1:45 p.m., the President of the United States threw a pitch to Cub catcher Damon Berryhill, who was squatting about 10 feet in front of home plate. It was a pretty decent fastball that, if there had been a right-handed batter, would’ve sent him sprawling to the dirt.
“I think it was a spitter,” said Berryhill. “I think he loaded it up.”
At 1:51 p.m., the first four rooftop fans of the day appeared beyond the right-field wall. They were in civilian clothes.
If they weren’t police, they will be thrilled to read that they probably had, at that moment, 20 SWAT-squad rifles aimed at their vital organs.
At 1:53, about a half-hour after the scheduled game time, the Cubs took the field.
Minutes later, the President was in the television booth with Harry. Within a couple of innings, he was gone.
Not long after, so was Rick Sutcliffe, the Cubs’ starting pitcher.
“He should’ve stuck around,” said Sutcliffe. “Some of the guys said he had better stuff than I did.”
October 1, 1988 wasn’t Reagan’s first foray into doing Cubs color commentary. Right out of college in the 1930s, he was actually a radio announcer in Davenport, IA for WOC and then WHO in De Moines. He would recreate Cubs games using telegraphed reports.
Sammy Sosa’s 61st and 62nd homeruns
During the 1988 season, Chicago Cub Sammy Sosa was given the nickname “Slammin’ Sammy,” and for good reason. On September 13, Sosa hit his 61st and 62nd homeruns at Wrigley Field. Jay Mariotti of the Chicago Sun-Times documented the monumental hits:
On a blessed Sunday at Wrigley Field, a day so perfect it almost made 90 years of Cubs suffering worthwhile, Sammy Peralta Sosa found his dream. It was wilder than he or anyone else ever imagined. With one swing, he tied Roger Maris. With another, he passed him.
While Sosa finished the season behind Mark McGwire in homeruns that season (Sosa: 66, McGwire: 70), he was the first Major League baseball player to hit 66 homeruns in a single season.
“Steve Bartman incident”
In 2003, the Chicago Cubs were having an unusually good season before a single incident allegedly ruined everything. The Cubs were leading 3 games to 2 in a best of seven National League Championship Series against the Florida Marlins. Things were looking promising for the Cubs into Game 6 – they were up 3–0 in the eighth inning – when Marlin Luis Castillo hit the ball towards the stands in foul territory. Cubs outfielder Moisés Alou was attempting to catch the ball for the second out of the inning when a Cubs fan in the stands by the name of Steve Bartman reached out to catch the foul and ended up deflecting it from Alou’s reach. The Cubs went on to give up eight runs, lose the game and, later, lose the National League pennant. While the amount of blame and vitriol aimed at Bartman is absolutely shameful, the incident at Wrigley remains memorable nonetheless.
Wrigley Field hosts a Minor League game
On July 29, 2008, Wrigley Field hosted a minor league baseball game for the first time ever. A crowd of over 32,000 people showed up for the game to see Single-A Peoria Chiefs (coached by beloved former Chicago Cub and Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg) play the Kane County Cougars. Due to threatening weather, the game had to be called in the 9th inning while the Chiefs and Cougars were tied at 6. The Chiefs won the following day, 9–8.
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Airline attendant’s ‘inexcusable’ act
A Spirit Airlines flight turned into a anti-Semitic nightmare for two passengers. Picture: Getty
by Yaron Steinbuch
11th Jan 2019 11:56 AM
A NEW York couple is accusing Spirit Airlines of turning a flight to Florida into an anti-Semitic "nightmare" from start to finish.
Chana and Yisroel Beck claim they were called "retarded" as the plane took off, were harassed throughout the flight, and were then escorted off the plane by police after landing.
Arriving at Newark Airport on Tuesday along with their 6-week-old, 2-year-old and 3-year-old daughters, the family was eager to embark on a weeklong holiday to Fort Lauderdale.
"It was our first family trip, a nice, beautiful vacation that turned into a traumatic experience - a nightmare from the way we were treated and how we were escorted off without being told what we did wrong," Chana, 25, told the New York Post on Thursday.
She said a gate agent allowed them to take their FAA-approved Doona baby carriage onto the aircraft, but that things took a wrong turn when two flight attendants at the plane entrance saw it.
"One of them said, 'There is no way this is coming on. I don't care who approved it at the gate. I'm the boss here and I'm going to decide if it comes on or not,'" Chana said about a flight attendant.
She said she and Yisroel, 28, complied and folded the carriage, which they initially were allowed to take to their seats because it can convert into a car seat.
A crew member then said, "'I'm not going to discuss this - this seat is going off the plane now,'" Chana said.
A fellow flyer who witnessed the tumult said he overheard a steward utter "those retarded Jews" in conversation with a female flight attendant before the plane took off.
"It was clearly anti-Semitism, a personal thing," said the 24-year-old passenger, who identified himself only as Binyamin, of Rockland County. He said he was so shocked by the comment that he came forward to tell the couple he was prepared to vouch for them.
Once the plane was airborne and the seatbelt sign was turned off, Yisroel moved to his wife's three-seat row and took their two-year-old on his lap.
A male flight attendant ordered him back to his seat, saying regulations did not allow five people to be seated in a single row - adding that there weren't enough oxygen masks in the event of an emergency.
"My husband didn't argue and returned to his seat," Chana said. "The steward, who is called Jose, told my husband 'shut up' when he asked him for his last name. He said, 'You're going to have law enforcement meeting you when the plane lands.'"
Once the plane landed, an announcement was made for all the passengers to remain seated as two police officers and two Spirit supervisors came aboard to escort the family off without explanation, she said.
Chana and Yisroel Beck racially targeted on their Spirit Airlines flight to Florida. Picture: Getty
"We had no idea what was happening and why they were escorting us off. We had no idea why they were making a big deal," Chana said. "The supervisors said the (attendants) had notes on us, that we weren't listening and that 'Just like you want us to believe your story, we have to believe what they wrote about you.'"
Adding insult to injury, Chana said, the airline supervisors said their return tickets for January 15 would not be honoured and that the family is no longer welcome on any Spirit flights.
Former Assemblyman Dov Hikind, who the family contacted about the incident, called the alleged anti-Semitic remark "inexcusable".
"This family was traumatised, and their family vacation ruined by the unprofessional behaviour of the airline staff," he said in a statement. "The comment about 'retarded Jews' qualifies the steward for dismissal. Spirit has much explaining to do."
Chana also called for the crew member to be fired, and wants Spirit to reimburse their ticket costs and compensate them for their traumatic experience.
"It was pure anti-Semitism for literally nothing," she said.
Spirit spokesman Derek Dombrowski said the couple have not yet contacted the airline, but that "records indicate that this guest ignored flight and ground crew instructions multiple times, beginning with the boarding process and continuing through landing".
He said the airline will "launch an investigation and take these matters very seriously".
"The safety of our guests and crew is our top priority," he said in a statement. "Spirit Airlines does not tolerate any form of discrimination. We are extremely proud of the diversity of our team and strive to provide exceptional service to all of our guests."
This article originally appeared on the New York Post and was reproduced with permission
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Many across the country are watching Cruz’s re-election bid that has turned into a fierce race against Democratic challenger U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke of El Paso..
This is one of the most expensive races across the country. But many wonder whether O’Rourke can win a statewide race in Texas, something no Democrat has done in more than two decades.
Stacey Robbins was among those in the Stockyards. Many had never attended a rally for the state’s junior senator.
“This is a turning point,” the 46-year-old woman from Eagle Mountain Lake said. “We need this — what Ted Cruz is doing, what he’s saying.
“He’s great, a down to earth guy and a Christian. That’s big for us.”
Cruz’s visit comes one week after O’Rourke held a rally several blocks away at Marine Park.
A Quinnipiac University poll last week showed that Cruz holds a 9 percentage point lead over O’Rourke. The next day, O’Rourke reported raising $38.1 million, triple the $12 million Cruz reported raising in the third quarter.
Trump’s support
Cruz’s Fort Worth rally comes just days before President Donald Trump will be in Houston campaigning for him Monday night at a Make America Great Again rally. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick are scheduled to speak at the event as well.
Cruz said the president’s visit has already generated “enormous excitement and enthusiasm” and he expects a crowded house.
“The people of Texas are excited about what we’ve accomplished over the past two years,” he said. “We’ve seen historic tax cuts, we’ve repealed job-killing regulations. The economy in Texas is booming.”
He acknowledged that Trump’s endorsement of him may turn some away.
“There are certainly some on the far left who are blinded by hatred, who are filled with rage and fury for the president,” he said. “But you know what? They are already angry.
“The good news is, in Texas, there are a whole lot more conservatives than liberals. What we are doing is working.”
Cruz and O’Rourke squared off earlier this week in their final debate, each attacking the other’s credibility and more. At one point, O’Rourke criticized Cruz, echoing a nickname President Donald Trump called him — “Lyin’ Ted” — during the 2016 GOP primary. He has since questioned whether he should have said that, adding “perhaps in the heat of the moment I took a step too far.”
“We need some civility in our politics,” said Joe Wilkinson, a 65-year-old Weatherford man who attended Friday’s rally. “It’s unfortunate we’ve gotten away from that.
“I hope going forward we can come together as a country.”
Fort Worth rally
The crowd of supporters greeted Cruz with a standing ovation and stayed on their feet for his nearly half-hour speech, in which he touched on the issues of taxes, health care, immigration and more.
The rowdy group frequently burst into chants of “Ted, Ted, Ted,” especially after a man who was eventually escorted out of the room booed through much of the beginning of the speech.
Cruz touched on the Second Amendment — “I’m for it, (O’Rourke’s) against it” — as well as Israel and how he “made the case directly to the president that we needed to move our embassy to Jerusalem. “
Cruz said the Senate race could be boiled down to one sentence: “He wants to abolish ICE. I want to abolish the IRS.”
“There are about 90,000 employees at the IRS,” he said. “I want to take all 90,000 and put them down at our southern border.
“Imagine you traveled thousands of miles in the blazing sun ... and the first thing you see is 90,000 IRS agents. You’d turn around and go home too.”
Early voting for the Nov. 6 mid-term election begins Monday.
And Cruz encouraged supporters to head to the polls and take their friends and neighbors too.
“We are three weeks out from this election. and we’ve got a fight on our hands,” Cruz said. “When we turn out conservatives, we are going to win races up and down the ballot.
“We are going to turn people out. And the reason I know is every time freedom is under assault, the people of Texas have one and only one response, which is ‘Come and take it.’ ”
Anna Tinsley: 817-390-7610, @annatinsley
At their final scheduled debate, Rep. Beto O'Rourke was the first to answer an early question on border control. Per debate rules, Sen. Ted Cruz was allowed a response, but appeared to seek the opportunity for a second rebuttal.
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Texas State Senator Ted Cruz speaks at a rally in the Fort Worth Stockyards Friday, Oct. 19, 2018. Cruz is running against Democratic challenger Beto O’Rourke. Bob Booth Special to the Star-Telegram
Excerpt from documentary “Rigged: The Voter Suppresion Playbook”
Crystal Mason, who was convicted for illegal voting, could go back to prison after appeal
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By Rick Childress
Incumbent Rep. Kenny Marchant will likely face a tough Democratic challenge in 2020, but he’s so far struggled to garner small donor support in his rapidly changing district.
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Judges OK political map in Fort Worth, saying new boundaries no longer discriminate
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Apple Watch 3 Release Date, Design, Latest Features And More
Afrasiab Khan
Apple’s upcoming wearable smartwatch device, the Apple Watch 3 has had many users online curious on the details of the device and so far it’s all been nothing but rumors circulating the internet. In fact, it is still unconfirmed whether or not the device will be dubbed the Apple Watch Series 3, instead of the Apple Watch 3. However, we hope that this article will help clear out any doubts and build up an image of what the Apple Watch 3 will be like upon release.
When is the Apple Watch 3 release date?
What will the Apple Watch 3 design look like?
What are the Apple Watch 3 latest features?
What is the Apple Watch 3 price?
The smartwatch device is a long way from release. However, it is rumored that the Apple Watch 3 will make a launch in the final quarter of 2017, or somewhere around the beginning of 2018. Normally it is obvious when a company will release their next flagship device; by looking at previous launches of previous generations, it is obvious to notice the pattern. However, in the case of Apple’s Watch series, it is a bit of a mystery. This is due to the fact that Apple launched the successor to its Apple Watch after 17 months, rather than the conventional 12 months.
The massive gap between releases could partly be due to the fact that Apple does not see its Apple Watch series as they would their smartphone flagship. Smartwatches, in general, come at limited functionalities. Therefore it is understandable for Apple to not release a new generation every year. Therefore, the Apple Watch 3 release date is far from what you might expect and might need a little bit more patience.
However, there is a possibility the Apple Watch 3 might launch alongside the iPhone 8 later this year. Rumors indicate that there will be more than one manufacturer of the smartwatch device.
Quanta Computer has been the main producer of the smartwatch device in the past. However, it is believed that the company will be competing with Compal in the manufacturing of the Apple Watch 3. This could mean good news for anticipated fans of the smartwatch as the 2 rivaling companies will want to manufacture the device the fastest.
According to leaks, the design of the Apple Watch 3 is going to include a smart band, a titanium and/or platinum casing, a standard looking watch design. The conceptual design as a whole, however, will most likely resemble the Apple Watch 2. Therefore, for a general feel of the device, the Apple Watch 3 is most likely to be a more enhanced looking version of the Apple Watch 2.
In addition, a leaked image of an Apple patent for a smartwatch design suggests that the Apple Watch 3 might include a fabric strap. The strap is set to include functionalities like display of information such as notifications, a pedometer or show the time.
Leaked image of Apple’s patent showing a smartwatch device
Newest features, apart from the display of time are rumored to include the latest watchOS 4 or watchOS 5, a micro-LED display screen, a camera allowing FaceTime use, enhanced wireless charger for ultra quick charging, much more optimized performance with a dual-core chip and enhanced battery life.
The most exciting feature is the supposed new magnetic wireless charging capability. Another Apple patent being leaked of the wireless charging stand suggests that the Apple Watch 3 might have something similar to what Samsung’s Gear S2 smartwatch had. A wireless charging magnetic stand that can be used to charge the smartwatch just by attaching the back end of the device onto the magnetic base, allowing the watch to be charging upright. This allows users to use the device as an alarm clock at night whenever the device is in charge.
Leaked image of Apple’s Patent on wireless charger
The price of the Apple Watch 3 as of yet is unconfirmed as well. However, it is rumored that the smartwatch device will launch at a price of around $400+. This is due to the fact that the first Apple Watch launched at a price of $350, and then with the Apple Watch 2, Apple increased its launch price to $370. Logically, Apple implementing new features as suggested above would mean they would enhance the price with each new feature they implement.
Therefore, the Apple Watch 3 might just be an enhanced version of the Apple Watch 2. However, enthusiasts can expect a much slimmer look, with additional functionalities and even clip-on enhancements released by Apple as bonus products to increase the longevity of the device.
A newbie writer at Tapscape. Completely in love with technology. Writing has always been a passion of mine and so is hacking. Combine them together and you get me. A bit of experience in the fields of cyber security and looking to expand on that in the times to come. As a student of Engineering, being an author at Tapscape helps me cope with the stress that comes with that.
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wow wtf 12-05-17TKappa
11 Kids In Film You Wouldn’t Want To Babysit
This is not the first time we are focusing on kids from the film industry; however, the kids of that list were angels compared to the kids we will meet in today's list. Why? Well, let's put it this way: The following eleven kids are anything but soft, sweet, or harmless and have definitely shocked most of us with their gruesome crimes and repulsive behavior.
Written by Theodoros II
THE MIDWICH CUCKOOS
In John Carpenter’s Village of the Damned you don’t only have to deal with extremely bizarre-looking children but children that are from another planet; yep, evil and alien too. These children look like albinos with white-blond hair and flashing eyes, have no emotion, and consider themselves to be superior to the human race, which they would like to exterminate. One could easily speculate that they are Hitler’s offspring with a female alien, couldn’t we now?
Esther from Orphan has a lot of issues to deal with: she suffers from a rare disorder that causes her to be a proportional dwarf. Because she is physically not quite a grown woman and not quite a child she can’t develop a normal relationship with a man. Add in the mix that her father sexually abused her as a child and that to exact revenge for this she killed him and his girlfriend and, well, you get the picture about this “girl.”
Way before The Prodigy came up with one of the most epic songs of the nineties there was Charlie, the original Firestarter. Her parents were injected with experimental hallucinogens that bestowed psychic powers on them and as a result of this, Charlie was born with pyrokinesis and now she’s on fire—literally. Especially when she’s hungry, pissed off, or frightened, she lights fires and burns whole houses without knowing she is doing it.
CAROL ANNE
Do you remember this sweet-looking girl in Poltergeist with the very scary habits? When girls her age play with barbies, she knows what is happening before anyone else around her does and she can predict the future, especially the macabre things that are going to happen. At the age of five, she began corresponding with a host of ghosts through the snowy static of the television set without even knowing it. Odds are I don’t think she’d be good company, especially during the night.
We must admit that after watching John Carpenter’s classic Halloween, we can never see kids the same way again. At the “innocent” age of six Myers murdered his older sister just for the fun of it and then almost fifteen years later he went back home to murder some more naïve tennagers. Michael Myers is for creepy young murderers what Mozart was for classical music—a true child prodigy.
HENRY EVANS
Here’s the case of a "Good Son" with an angelic face who is literally nuts and the personification of evil. And no he doesn't want to be Home Alone because he would have no one to torture or kill. Why would you ever babysit a kid who kills dogs for a hobby, drowned his brother, and attempted to kill his sister and his own mother? Imagine what he would do to a stranger like you.
SAMARA MORGAN
Samara’s spirit in The Ring is really shy and discreet so she will not knock on your door asking for any favors, but will just leave a cursed videotape she made just for you. Shortly after you watch the tape the phone will ring and, when you answer, in a ghostly voice Samara will say, “seven days.” True to her word, seven days after you have watched the tape you will suffer a terrible death if you weren’t wise enough to make a copy of it. What a lovely girl, huh?
REGAN MACNEIL
Do we really need to give any reasons why it’s a terrible idea to babysit Regan MacNeil from The Exorcist, especially on Halloween night? If you go for the “trick” you will most likely see her head do a 360, or maybe she’ll vomit pea soup all over you as she’s flying; if you go for the treat she will most likely kill you for being too nice to her. I guess your hands are tied here, no?
In Whisper, a not-too-bright man and an even dumpier woman are hired to kidnap eight-year-old David who looks like an angel but is actually a demon, literally. David “whispers” instructions to his weak-willed kidnappers to commit evil acts and kill each other. Keep in mind that even his mother can’t deal with her manipulative little boy and wants him dead too. I know it sounds cruel but once you watch the movie and see David in action, you’ll definitely understand.
ISAAC CHRONER
In Children of the Corn a young couple is trapped in a small town somewhere in Nebraska where a dangerous religious cult of children believes that everyone over the age of eighteen must be killed. The leader of the bunch, Isaac Chroner, killed both his parents when he was only seven and then moved to Gatlin, Nebraska, to the cornfields so as to not be disturbed while making plans on how to execute every adult in the world. By the age of eleven he started working on his plan but thankfully for humanity the adults won this war!
DAMIEN THORN
On Damien’s first birthday a woman committed suicide just to “celebrate” the occasion while a series of other evil events happened to people around the little boy as he grew up, but I won’t go into any more details here in case you haven't watched The Omen (and want to), but let’s just say that Damien’s the son of the devil, so why would any sane man or woman babysit such evil offspring?
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This is why Star Wars Battlefront didn't have a campaign
By Hugh Langley 2016-05-18T10:29:00.138Z Gaming
It was The Force Awakens' fault! Boo!
EA decided against putting a campaign in Star Wars Battlefront so it could ship the game in time for The Force Awakens, the company has revealed.
You'll recall that Battlefront was released close to the seventh Star Wars movie, but it was a tie-in that cost the game an all-out single player campaign mode.
The decision was revealed by EA Studios boss Patrick Soderlund in an investor broadcast.
"We made [the choice] due to time and being able to launch the game side-by-side with the movie that came out to get the strongest possible impact," he said, adding that cutting the campaign was a "conscious decision" by EA.
Battlefront was a beautiful game that captured a real sense of being in the Star Wars universe, but its lack of depth meant it was short-lived.
Soderlund addressed the game's criticisms in the broadcast saying that EA was unhappy with the game's Metacritic score of 75.
Game publishers still see Metacritic as having a large influence on buyers (easy to understand why - it's a quantifiable value. I've heard several stories about companies going to great lengths to maximise their potential scores before launch.
EA wants to improve things with Battlefront 2, which the game publisher recently revealed will arrive in 2017. Let's hope we'll get a campaign this time.
Everything we expect to see at E3 2016
Via Eurogamer
See more Gaming news
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were handing out an estimated $26 billion yesterday, business as usual for machines celebrating 40 years of doling out cash on street corners, inside fast food eateries, at convenience stores, airports and myriad other locations.
Although cash machines have a long pedigree � one version was set up in New York in 1939 � the first recognizably modern one was placed outside the Barclays PLC branch in Enfield, a north London suburb, on June 27, 1967.
Customers were supplied with special single-use vouchers that they would place into a drawer. After entering a personal identification number, a second drawer would spring open with a 10-pound note.
John Shepherd Barron, the machine�s inventor, said he came up with the idea after being locked out of his bank. Barron originally planned to make personal identification numbers six digits long, but cut the number to four after his wife Caroline complained that six was too many.
There are some 1.5 million ATMs across the globe � about 400,000 of them in the United States � according to the ATM Industry Association.
CANTON � Two bids have emerged for the assets of Tweeter Home Entertainment Group Inc. due to be auctioned off in the high-end electronics retailer�s Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization.
Schultze Asset Management made a $38 million bid to acquire �substantially all� of Tweeter�s assets and assume $8 million in costs related to the bankruptcy, Canton-based Tweeter said.
The bid from Purchase, N.Y.-based Schultze also includes a $10 million line of credit to help Tweeter buy merchandise and cover other expenses during bankruptcy.
Tweeter filed for bankruptcy on June 11 in Delaware.
Schultze, which invests in financially troubled companies, also is bidding for Tweeter�s 18.75 percent ownership stake in Tivoli Audio, a consumer electronics manufacturer.
The second of the two bids involves only Tweeter�s stake in Tivoli. Whippoorwill Associates Inc. and Bay Harbour Management teamed up in a $10 million bid for the Tivoli stake.
A bankruptcy judge on Tuesday approved the pair of so-called �stalking horse� bids in the first phase of a process under which other qualified bidders will have the chance to submit higher offers before a July 10 auction.
WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif. � Guitar Center Inc., the largest U.S. musical instrument retailer, said yesterday its board had accepted a $1.9 billion cash buyout offer from a private equity firm.
The deal with affiliates of Bain Capital Partners LLC came amid speculation that a buyout was in the works. Guitar Center had hired investment bank Goldman Sachs & Co. to auction the company.
Bain Capital offered to pay $63 per share, which represents a premium of 26 percent over Guitar Center�s closing price Tuesday of $50.06. The purchase price is based on the company�s 30.2 million shares outstanding at the end of March.
Under the agreement, the buyers will also assume about $200 million in debt, pushing the total transaction value to $2.1 billion.
The deal, which requires approval by Guitar Center shareholders, is expected to close in the fourth quarter.
Guitar Center shares climbed $9.84, or 19.7 percent, to $59.90 in premarket trading.
From wire service reports
© Copyright 2006-2019 GateHouse Media, LLC. All rights reserved • GateHouse Digests
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