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Great Wolf Resorts names Murray Hennessy CEO
by Elliott Mest |
Mar 9, 2018 10:28am
Great Wolf Resorts' portfolio includes the Great Wolf Lodge in Fitchburg, Mass. Photo credit: Great Wolf Lodge
Great Wolf Resorts announced that Murray Hennessy will serve as the company’s next CEO. Hennessy has familiarity with the family-friendly collection of indoor water park resorts, having served as advisor to Great Wolf Resorts’ senior management team during his tenure on the company’s board of directors. Hennessy was serving as interim CEO following the departure of Rubén Rodriguez in December, and now officially assumes the permanent role.
Murray Hennessy. Photo credit: Great Wolf Resorts
Hennessy brings to Great Wolf Resorts a broad array of leadership and expansion experience from a number of hospitality and leisure-focused companies. Previous roles include CEO for Avis Europe and, more recently, CEO of the United Kingdom’s largest online train ticket retailer, Trainline. In addition to his role on Great Wolf Resorts’ board, he has served as chairman of the board for a number of companies including the United Kingdom’s division of the restaurant chain TGIF, and the out-of-home specialty advertising firm Talon Outdoor.
Hennessy takes the helm at Great Wolf Resorts during a period of growth. Already North America’s largest family of indoor water park resorts with 15 properties, the company has three additional resorts currently in construction. The new resorts include Great Wolf Lodge Georgia and Great Wolf Lodge Illinois, which are scheduled to open by summer 2018, and Great Wolf Lodge Arizona which is slated to open in late 2019.
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“Great Wolf Lodge is well known for its indoor water parks and this is certainly reason enough to visit, but the brand’s ability to deliver a distinct and immersive family experience in all aspects of the resort is what truly makes Great Wolf unique, and why families have developed such a strong affinity for the brand.” Hennessy said in a statement. "This commitment to excellence makes me extremely excited to be part of the Great Wolf pack, and I’m honored to have the opportunity to lead one of the industry’s best management teams as we continue to expand the brand within North American and internationally.”
“Murray is an exceptional leader. His diverse experiences, collaborative approach, personable attitude and ability to develop high performing teams to drive growth, together with his proven experience and relationships leading Great Wolf, make him such a compelling choice to lead Great Wolf Resorts through this powerful growth phase,” William D. Rahm, chairman of the board of directors of Great Wolf Resorts, said in a statement. Rahm is also a senior managing director with Centerbridge Partners, an investment firm which holds a majority ownership stake in Great Wolf Resorts.
Hennessy holds an MBA from Harvard Business School, a BA from Williams College in Massachusetts and a diploma from L'Institut d’études politiques de Paris. His earlier career roles include CEO of buy.com UK, managing director of johnlewis.com and commercial director of John Lewis department stores, along with executive appointments at Tricon Global restaurants (now Yum) and Bain and Company.
Hennessy currently resides in Philadelphia, and will will commute to Great Wolf Resorts' Chicago headquarters and various resorts.
Operations Appointments Human Resources Great Wolf Lodge Great Wolf Resorts
Elliott Mest
https://twitter.com/celmest
https://www.linkedin.com/in/elliott-mest-a16a746a
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Home>News> N.O.R.E. Announces Release Date For New Capone-N-Noreaga Album
N.O.R.E. Announces Release Date For New Capone-N-Noreaga Album
By Patrick Lyons
Patrick Lyons
@P_Lyons_
A new Capone-N-Noreage album is coming this summer.
All the way back in March 2013, N.O.R.E.called in to Sway In The Morning to announce that he and his old partner in crime, Capone, were about to start working on a new album. Today, over two years later, we've learned that the album is "done and handed in," courtesy of another N.O.R.E. appearance on Sway's show.
In the interview, which you can watch below, the Queens rapper announces that his and Capone's follow-up to 2010's The War Report 2: Report the War will be out on June 16th. He admits that he most likely wasn't allowed to reveal this-- "everybody probably gonna kill me"-- but we're glad he gave us yet another album to look forward to this summer.
News N.O.R.E. Capone-N-Noreaga Capone queens release date
140 Bars Or Less: Tweets Of The Week (April 4 - April 10)
DMX On Robbery Claims: "If I Did It, You'd Have Known About it"
NEWS N.O.R.E. Announces Release Date For New Capone-N-Noreaga Album
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All of our staff adhere to the highest standard of ethical practices and are committed to ensuring that all of your needs are attended to. Their commitment to the community and genuine compassion toward families are but a few of the characteristics that make them outstanding in their field. Our restoration artists are unsurpassed in their talent and skill in their desire to present the family with a lasting peaceful memory picture of their loved one. We are proud to have them on our staff.
Field Houghlin Owner/Funeral Director
Rayfield "Field" Houghlin was born in Bloomfield, Kentucky and was a 1969 graduate of Bloomfield High School. He was a 1973 graduate of Western Kentucky University and a graduate of the Kentucky School of Mortuary Science. He has been a licensed funeral director and embalmer since 1977 and has been affiliated with the Nelson County Coroner's Office since 1977. He began as a Deputy, then a Chief Deputy, and became the Nelson County Coroner in 2006. He was awarded 'Master Coroner' by the Kentucky State Coroner's Association (which is the highest award one can receive from the Kentucky Justice System.)
Field was the owner of Greenwell-Houghlin-Northside Funeral Home in Bardstown, and currently owns Houghlin Funeral Home in Bloomfield, and Greenwell-Houghlin-Jenkins Funeral Home in Taylorsville. He has over 33 years of experience in the funeral industry and follows in his father's footstep, who was the founder of Houghlin Funeral Home in Bloomfield.
Field is the father of three daughters and is a member of the Kentucky Coroner's Association, the Funeral Directors Association of Kentucky, the Bloomfield Lion's Club, the Bloomfield Masonic Lodge #57 F&AM (32 degree Mason,) the Bardstown Quarterback Club, the Bardstown-Nelson County Chamber of Commerce and the Bloomfield Baptist Church. He is also a Kentucky Colonel and a Director of King Southern Bank. He resides in Bloomfield with his family.
Rebecca Houghlin Funeral Director / Embalmer
Rebecca Margaret Houghlin is a 2010 graduate of Nelson County High School. She is a member of the Bloomfield Baptist Church and in her spare time enjoys doing anything outdoors and watching sports. She is the daughter of Field Houghlin and Kathy Houghlin, both of Bloomfield.
Rebecca graduated March 21, 2014 from Mid America College of Funeral Service. The commencement exercises were held at Walnut Street Baptist Church in Louisville, Kentucky.
While attending Mid America College she was selected to join Pi Sigma Eta Fraternity for her academic achievements and upon her graduation, she received an academic achievement award in recognition of her outstanding grades during her course of study.
Rebecca successfully completed training administered by the International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association and is a certified Crematory Operator and Cremation Arranger.
In June of 2014 she successfully passed her state board licensing examinations and became a licensed funeral director and embalmer in the state of Kentucky.
Rebecca is a third generation of Houghlin Funeral Home. Ray and Margaret Houghlin founded Houghlin Funeral Home in Bloomfield in 1951. Rebecca is currently working for the Houghlin Funeral Home in Bloomfield, the Houghlin-Greenwell Funeral Home in Bardstown, and the Greenwell-Houghlin Funeral Home in Taylorsville.
Sheila Spalding Funeral Director
Sheila Spalding is a graduate of Eastern Kentucky University with a degree in Communications. She began her career in television and then radio after moving to Nelson County in 1988.
She worked in radio until 1994 and began her association with Greenwell-Houghlin-Northside Funeral Home in 1995. Sheila received her Funeral Director's license in 1998 and is also a licensed Life Insurance agent.
She is a member of the Bardstown Baptist Church where she is involved with many programs and committees. She and her husband, Glenn, have one son, Logan and one grandson, Skyler and they reside in Nelson County.
Brian Papenfuss Funeral Director/Embalmer
Brian Papenfuss was born in San Diego, California but moved to Lincoln, Nebraska as a child where he grew up graduating from St. Johns' Academy, St. Johns' Jr. College, and Southwestern College with degrees in Business Administration and Accounting. In 1987, he graduated from the Dallas Institute of Funeral Service. He began his career in the funeral industry with a business in New Mexico from 1987 to 1995, moved to Jones Funeral Home in LaCenter, Kentucky from 1995 to 2002 and began his employment at Greenwell-Houghlin-Northside Funeral Home after that. He is also a Nelson County Deputy Coroner. Brian has three grown daughters and six grandchildren. He resides in Bardstown and a member of Bardstown United Methodist Church.
Douglas H. Simpson Aftercare Counselor hgfh@bardstowncable.net
Doug was born in Anderson County to James H. and Frankie Robinson Simpson. He was raised as a preachers son and followed in his fathers footsteps and is now a retired minister. Doug graduated high school from Franklin County High School, received his Bachelor of Art degree from Kentucky Christian University in 1974 then received his Master's degree from Hope Internation University in Fullerton, CA., in 1985.
Doug Married Vickie Goff of Bloomfield in 1974, She is daughter of Ed & Ethel Goff. They have raised 3 sons, Adrian, Aaron and Adam and now have 5 grandchildren. He has spent his ministry serving churches in Kentucky, Ohio, Missouri and Arizona. He is currently serving as a fill in/interim basis when needed. Doug is serving as our Aftercare Counselor to help families through the loss of a loved one if they so request his assistance. He and his wife Vickie currently reside in Bardstown.
Field Houghlin
Owner/Funeral Director
Rebecca Houghlin
Funeral Director / Embalmer
Sheila Spalding
Brian Papenfuss
Funeral Director/Embalmer
Douglas H. Simpson
Aftercare Counselor
© Houghlin-Greenwell Funeral Home | Bardstown, KY - Funeral Home Website Design By Frazer Consultants, LLC
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HouseOfNames > Craige
Craige History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Craige
The Craige family name was first used by descendants of the Pictish people of ancient Scotland. It is a name for someone who lived in Aberdeen (part of the modern Grampian region), and other shires across Scotland. The Craige surname is derived Scottish Gaelic word creag, meaning "a rock" which became the Scottish word "craig." Craig is parish in Forfarshire which was "formerly called Inchbrayock, the 'island of trout,' by which name an island of thirty-four Scotch acres within the parish is still known. Craig was at that time only the designation of one of the chief estates, and it is supposed that, when the place of worship was transferred from the island to the property of Craig on the continental part of the district, the name of Craig, which is naturally derived from the rocky nature of the shore, was extended to the whole of the parish." [1]CITATION[CLOSE]
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of Scotland. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Early Origins of the Craige family
The surname Craige was first found in Aberdeenshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Obar Dheathain), a historic county, and present day Council Area of Aberdeen, located in the Grampian region of northeastern Scotland. This northern Clan was frequently associated with the Gordons, but their first records appeared in Ayrshire and Lanarkshire to the south about 1180. One of the first records of the name was Johannes del Crag who was witness to a charter by William the Lion. Later, Robertus de Crag witnessed a charter by Alexander II. [2]CITATION[CLOSE]
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
Early History of the Craige family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Craige research.
Another 130 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1180, 1296, 1300, 1335, 1440, 1538, 1608, 1620, 1663, 1731 and are included under the topic Early Craige History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Craige Spelling Variations
Scribes in the Middle Ages did not have access to a set of spelling rules. They spelled according to sound, the result was a great number of spelling variations. In various documents, Craige has been spelled Craig, Craigh, Creag, Creagh and others.
Early Notables of the Craige family (pre 1700)
Notable amongst the Clan at this time was Sir Thomas Craig (c. 1538-1608), a Scottish jurist and poet; John Craig M.D. (died 1620), a Scottish physician and astronomer, physician to James VI...
Another 31 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Craige Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Craige family to Ireland
Some of the Craige family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 80 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Craige family to the New World and Oceana
The cruelties suffered under the new government forced many to leave their ancient homeland for the freedom of the North American colonies. Those who arrived safely found land, freedom, and opportunity for the taking. These hardy settlers gave their strength and perseverance to the young nations that would become the United States and Canada. Immigration and passenger lists have shown many early immigrants bearing the name Craige:
Craige Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
Robert Craige, who landed in New England in 1736 [3]CITATION[CLOSE]
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Craige Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
Mrs. Elizabeth Craige, (b. 1850), aged 24, Cornish settler departing on 16th November 1874 aboard the ship "Rakaia" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 7th February 1875 [4]CITATION[CLOSE]
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, April 30). Emigrants to Lyttelton 1858-84 [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/new_zealand_assisted.pdf
Miss Lovica Craige, (b. 1873), aged 1 year 8 months, Cornish settler departing on 16th November 1874 aboard the ship "Rakaia" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 7th February 1875 [4]CITATION[CLOSE]
Mr. Samuel F. Craige, (b. 1850), aged 24, Cornish wheelwright departing on 16th November 1874 aboard the ship "Rakaia" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 7th February 1875 [4]CITATION[CLOSE]
Contemporary Notables of the name Craige (post 1700)
John E. Craige, American Democrat politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from California, 1956
Francis Burton Craige (1811-1875), American Democrat politician, Member of North Carolina House of Commons, 1832-34; U.S. Representative from North Carolina 7th District, 1853-61; Delegate to North Carolina secession convention, 1861; Delegate from North Carolina to the Confederate Provisional Congress, 1861-62
The Craige Motto
Motto: Vive ut vivas
Motto Translation: Live that you may live for ever
Craige Family Crest Products
Craige Armorial History With Coat of Arms
Craige Coat of Arms & Surname History Package
Craige Family Crest Image (jpg) Heritage Series
Craige Coat of Arms/Family Crest Key-chain
Craige Coat of Arms/Family Crest Coffee Mug
Craige Armorial History with Frame
Craige Framed Surname History and Coat of Arms
(c.
^ Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of Scotland. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
^ Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
^ Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
^ Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, April 30). Emigrants to Lyttelton 1858-84 [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/new_zealand_assisted.pdf
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Living By Drew Mackie | Tue Apr 21, 2009 | 6:00am
$26 Million Pot Grow Discovered in Los Padres
Campers Allegedly Chased by Gun-Toting Weed Farmers
Following the raid of a marijuana growing operation in Los Padres National Forest on Friday, two men are being held in Santa Maria jail and two campers are likely breathing sighs of relief following a run-in with allegedly armed pot farmers. In the end, the Santa Barbara Sheriff and the U.S. Forest Service confiscated around 13,300 marijuana plants, the collective street value of which was estimated around $26 million.
The incident began when two campers, who had been staying at the Aliso Park area west of New Cuyama, stumbled upon the illegal plants. According to a report by Sheriff’s spokesperson Andrew Sugars, the campers were then approached by two Hispanic men who requested that the campers not leave until the arrival of their boss, who spoke English. Becoming suspicious of the situation, the campers packed up their gear and attempted to leave. On the way out, they passed a truck headed in the opposite direction. The truck stopped and a man waved to the fleeing campers. When the campers did not stop, the driver returned to his vehicle and began pursuing, at times coming “dangerously close to the campers’ vehicle,” Sugars noted.
The campers nonetheless made it to safety and contacted law enforcement. Shortly thereafter, an officer from the Taft Police Department spotted a truck matching the description of the one the campers described, stopped the vehicle, and took the two occupants into custody. The campers positively identified the two as the men who chased them. Officers consequently arrested Javier Barragan, 40, of Maywood, California, and Jose Lopez, 38, of Paramount, California. A search of their car revealed five high-powered rifles equipped with rifle scopes as well as ammunition. Barragan and Lopez were booked into jail on charges of marijuana cultivation with such charges as false imprisonment and possession of weapons pending further investigation.
The U.S. Forest Service and the Santa Barbara County Sheriff eradicated the marijuana plants. They also warn those recreating in Los Padres National Park and other wooded areas to be wary of such marijuana growing operations. Sugars said they are typically tended by Mexican nationals who are often armed. Thus, they should be avoided. Suspicious activity should be reported to the U.S. Forest Service.
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Sheryl Bunton
Sheryl Bunton joined Gulfstream as VP, chief information officer (CIO) in September 2015. Her background includes leadership roles in industrial finance, SAP consultancy and information technology for global organizations. At Gulfstream, she is responsible for all aspects of information technology and cyber security with a staff of more than 700 personnel.
Previously, Sheryl was vice president and CIO of AGCO (NYSE: AGCO), an $8B global leader in agricultural machinery. There, she was responsible for leading more than 500 global employees involved in strategic project execution and the management of technology services for more than 400 major systems globally with over 10,000 desktop users. AGCO is unique in that 80 percent of the business is generated and fulfilled outside of the U.S.
Prior to AGCO she was senior vice president and CIO for Southwire, a privately owned $6.5B cable manufacturer. There, she led a total IT transformation effort in less than three years. Bunton has expertise in SAP for global manufacturers and managing diverse environments from a portfolio and cyber perspective.
Early career highlights include:
• 15 years at AT&T Capital with the last six years as senior vice president for industrial finance
• General management experience running a global SAP consultancy in the industrial cable market.
• Bachelor of Arts degree in business and psychology from Calvin College
• Executive MBA in finance from Wharton through the AT&T School of Business
A full bio is available on LinkedIn.
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QuickServe
Globe and Mail investigation finds Ontario and Alberta securities regulators being gamed
By HUB SmartCoverage Team on December 27th, 2017
It has not been a happy holidays for the securities regulators in Ontario and Alberta. A sweeping investigation by national newspaper The Globe and Mailhas revealed that those government-affiliated professionals are having their system grossly taken advantage of by stock market reoffenders and other securities rule breakers.
These white-collar offenders have racked up $1,101,583,984.44 in unpaid fines nationwide, with 75 per cent of it being concentrated in the Ontario (52 per cent) and Alberta (23 per cent) capital markets.
Upon hearing of the revelations, government leaders in both aforementioned provinces voiced their displeasure and vowed to crack down on these practices.
"Do I think that people should be held to account? Yes," said Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne. "I'll work with my Finance Minister to determine what we can do."
"The department is concerned," said Alberta Finance Department spokesman Mike Berezowsky, expressing that his government wants to "make sure regulators have the tools they need to improve collections and get results, so that investors can be confident in our capital markets."
Many of these offenders are not one-off rule breakers. According to the investigation's findings, one in every nine people who break securities rules in Canada go on to reoffend. In Ontario, more than $139-million of the province's unpaid fines were levied against just 209 individuals.
The Canadian Securities Administrators responded to the investigation by issuing a public call for more support from law enforcement in tackling these securities violations. It is now very much incumbent upon them to do so—especially in Ontario and Alberta—since the cat has been let out of the bag.
HUB SmartCoverage
P.O. Box 489, Station A
Windsor, ON N9A 6M6
contact@hubsmartcoverage.ca
Broker Affiliation & Compensation
Hey. We want to know what you think of our new website. Are there any blogs you’d like to see that would help you make personal auto and home insurance choices? We’re on it. Just tell us.
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© Canadian Insurance Alliance (2018) Inc o/a HUB SmartCoverage. All rights reserved.
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Interpreter mix-up at Mansfield police station
Court latest
A Polish man told Mansfield police he couldn’t understand a telephone interpreter when he was arrested on suspicion of being drunk in charge of a car, a court heard.
Mariusz Tomolowski was found asleep in his car, with the keys in the ignition, by police officers acting on a tip-off from a member of the public, on October 7.
No breath test was conducted at the roadside because the machine was faulty, said Ann Barrett, prosecuting, but at the police station Tomolowski claimed he couldn’t understand, or properly hear, an interpreter who was contacted by telephone.
“Ultimately he was charged with this offence as police didn’t feel this was a reasonable excuse for failing to provide,” said Miss Barrett.
Tomolowski, 41, of Newgate Lane, Mansfield, admitted failing to provide a specimen for analysis when he appeared before magistrates in Mansfield, on Monday.
Rebecca Williams, mitigating, said he hadn’t driven prior to his arrest, and went to sit in the car to calm down after arguing with his partner.
She said he spraypaints doors for a living and needs a driving license to keep his job because he transports his own tools.
Tomolowksi, who suffers from diabetes and high blood pressure, believed he would be unable to provide a specimen as he felt dizzy, but he made no attempts to do so, added Ms Williams.
He was fined £200 fine, and ordered to pay a £30 government tax and £85 costs. Ten points were added to his driving licence.
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Portraits April 28 - July 1, 2017
Ruud Van Empel: Portraits
ATLANTA. April 5, 2017. Jackson Fine Art is proud to present new exhibitions from Matthew Brandt and Ruud van Empel, two contemporary artists whose works challenge preconceptions of traditional photography. Brandt is known for employing early processes that celebrate the material essence of analog photography, while van Empel’s digital composites result from the meticulous assemblage of hundreds of the artist’s own source photographs into one photorealistic image. On the evening of Friday, April 28th, from 6-8pm, we will host an opening reception with both artists in attendance. On Saturday, April 29th at 3:30pm, Ruud van Empel will give an artist’s talk at the gallery, followed by questions and a book signing. At 2pm, Matthew Brandt will speak at the Hill Auditorium for a program presented in cooperation with the High Museum.
Ruud van Empel’s striking large-format photomontages apply painterly precision and detail to a medium often derided in contemporary fine art photography — the digital composite. His youthful subjects and lush settings do not exist outside of van Empel’s Photoshop workspace, where the artist utilizes his own photographs of models in different settings and a large collection of images he has collected over time to create complex portraits of startling realism, marked by a tinge of the uncanny. In World, van Empel depicted innocent subjects adrift in elaborate natural settings, evoking magical realism and the pastoral children’s portraits of the German painter Otto Dix. Portraits, van Empel’s third exhibition at Jackson Fine Art, draws on two new series for which van Empel shifts away from the straightforward fantasy of earlier bodies of work in favor of a psychological contemplation of his subjects. Mood and Analogy recall van Empel’s Dutch artistic heritage through clasically posed portraits reminiscent of painted miniatures and distinguished by dark, earthy tones and dramatic chiarrascuro. Van Empel’s young inventions appear not lost in the world, but living in it, with all of the complexity and depth that entails.
Analogy #2, 2016
Mood #11, 2016
Mood #9, 2016
Voyage Pittoresque#2, 2016
Ruud van Empel Biography
Dutch photographer Ruud van Empel (1958-present) is celebrated for his intricate collage process, often merging a number of images through photo editing software and other digital approaches. Themes blend Surrealism with classic Western portraiture, resulting in pictures that are both dreamlike and familiar. An early career in graphic design as well as designing for theater productions and television informed his approach to photography, greatly focused on technology’s influence on the modern world.
Born in Breda, Netherlands, Ruud van Empel grew up to study at the St. Joost Academy of Art and graduated in 1981.
... View artist page
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AFCON Tables
Djokovic off to winning start with Ivanisevic at his side
Wimbledon / 1 July 2019, 4:58pm / Dave JAMES
Novak Djokovic got his Wimbledon title defence off to a winning start. Photo: Tony O'Brien/Reuters
LONDON – Defending champion Novak Djokovic got his campaign for a fifth Wimbledon title off to a winning start on Monday with newly-hired coaching team recruit, and 2001 winner, Goran Ivanisevic helping steer the ship.
Djokovic, chasing a fifth title at the All England Club, saw off 35-year-old Philipp Kohlschreiber of Germany 6-3, 7-5, 6-3.
But he had to recover from early breaks in both of the first two sets against a player who beat him at Indian Wells this year, as well as a nasty fall on the Centre Court grass.
Djokovic, chasing a 16th career major, will face Denis Kudla of the United States for a place in the last 32.
If his victory was routine, there was nothing predictable about the Serb's surprise decision to bring Ivanisevic into his inner sanctum over the weekend.
Djokovic said that he and Ivanisevic have been long-time friends.
"I have always looked up to Goran. When he won here in 2001, I feel I was part of that as he had trained in Germany at the same base as me when I was 13-14," said Djokovic.
"I feel as if I contributed to his victory," he joked.
Fourth seed Kevin Anderson, runner-up to Djokovic in 2018, eased into the second round beating Pierre-Hugues Herbert of France 6-3, 6-4, 6-2.
Anderson will now play Serbia's Janko Tipsarevic who registered his first win at the tournament in seven years when he defeated Japan's Yoshihito Nishioka 6-4, 6-7 (2/7), 6-2, 5-7, 6-2.
In the women's event, third seed Karolina Pliskova made it through, beating China's Zhu Lin 6-2, 7-6 (7/4).
Czech former world number one Pliskova, fresh from winning the Eastbourne title, has never got past the fourth round at Wimbledon.
She will next face Olympic champion Monica Puig.
Slovakia's Magdalena Rybarikova, a semi-finalist in 2017, caused the first big upset of the tournament when she put out 10th seeded Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus 6-2, 6-4 in just 70 minutes.
It was Sabalenka's second successive loss in the first round
Former French Open champion Simona Halep overcame an injury scare to make the second round with a 6-4, 7-5 win over Aliaksandra Sasnovich.
Halep, seeded seven and a semi-finalist in 2014, needed to have her left ankle strapped after a worrying fall on Court One.
She then slipped at 2-5 down in the second set before recovering to beat her Belarus opponent who knocked out two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova at the same stage in 2018.
Later Monday, Japanese second seed Naomi Osaka, the US and Australian Open winner, starts her campaign against Yulia Putintseva who has a 2-0 career hold over the Japanese.
One of those wins came on grass in Birmingham less than two weeks ago.
Osaka has yet to get past the third round at Wimbledon although her two previous visits saw defeats to 2018 champion Angelique Kerber and five-time champion Venus Williams.
Venus, now 39, first played at the All England Club in 1997.
Her opponent on Court One on Monday, 15-year-old compatriot Cori Gauff was still seven years away from being born.
Gauff is the youngest player ever to have qualified for Wimbledon and comes into the tournament ranked at 313 in the world.
She needed a wild card to play in qualifying while juggling her high school tests in the evening.
"She's an exciting young player, and she's so cool," said Venus's sister Serena of Gauff.
"She's a great girl. It's a great moment for her and for Venus."
'NextGen' stars Alexander Zverev, seeded six, and seventh-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas face Jiri Vesely of the Czech Republic and Italy's Thomas Fabbiano respectively.
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Ghana’s Asutifi North District wants to set example with WASH masterplan
Strengthening citizen’s oversight of water, sanitation and hygiene, and integrated water resources management in rural communities of Ghana
IRC supports local government training of area mechanics in Ghana
Asutifi North district in Ghana launches united effort to achieve WASH for all by 2030
Vera van der Grift
Head of Global Communications
RT @OFIDnews: Ms Vida Duti from #Ghana wins the 2019 #OFID Annual Award for #Development for her exemplary dedication in delivering safe, r…
IRC Ghana is partner in a new pilot called the 'District Based 100% Full WASH Coverage Initiative'.
Asutifi North District in Ghana is working on a Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) masterplan that ensures everyone will have access to sustainable safe water, sanitation and hygiene services by the end of 2030.
Water expert Jeremiah Atengdem contributes to providing more than fifty thousand people in Ghana’s Asutifi North District of the Brong-Ahafo Region with clean water, sanitation and hygiene services. An ambitious challenge in an area that struggles with environmental problems, urbanisation, and dispersed rural poor. “If not mitigated, it can affect sustainable WASH delivery”.
Atengdem works here as a water expert for IRC Ghana. With support from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation (CNHF), IRC started a new pilot together with CNHF partners Safe Water Network and World Vision International: the ‘District Based 100% Full WASH Coverage Initiative’.
By working in one district, the organisations want to demonstrate that it is possible to reach full coverage for sustainable water and sanitation services in rural areas. If it is successful, they want to replicate the process in other parts of the country.
Why Asutifi North?
Atengdem and his colleagues picked Asutifi North for the pilot after a ‘rigorous’ selection process. It has a mix of rural areas, small towns, and peri-urban settlements with a population of 2000 and more. They used data on existing water facilities, how they were functioning, whether service providers were doing their jobs, and their performance in national assessments of the District Assemblies. “Asutifi North had the most conducive policy environment for promoting WASH”, says Atengdem. “It has the requisite capacity at the District Assembly and also from the private sector and NGOs to deliver WASH services.”
On paper, it might look relatively easy to an outsider to achieve this. However, Asutifi North District has some major environmental issues, like the use of chemicals in agriculture along riverbanks. The district is known for its cocoa production, but also for gold mining. Legal and illegal mining have affected the environment. In some parts of the district, there are serious problems with surface- and groundwater
The mining company is making an effort to minimize its impact. It is working with IRC and other organisations in the district on providing water services. They have set up a development foundation to support communities within their concession area, and they want to work with us to improve the WASH situation in the district, Atengdem says.
The challenges ahead
Atengdem is pleased with the response he gets in towns and villages of Asutifi North District. “People are genuinely excited that they will get sustainable WASH services and that they are involved in the planning, right from the start.” In the past, they have seen organisations install water and/or sanitation facilities and then leave.
One challenge is to convince local people that they have to pay for water. Particularly in rural areas, people assume that water is free. However, installing systems, maintaining them and keeping a service running costs money. “What people pay for water now barely covers the operational costs”, Atengdem says. “People who work in the mines are willing to pay, but farmers in the villages - who form the majority in the district - are too poor to contribute”, he says.
Despite the hard work that is still needed in the district to bring water, sanitation and hygiene to every household, Atengdem is hopeful. This is mainly because local government is buying into the vision of getting water services up and running and reaching everyone. The district’s new Chief Executive, appointed after the last elections of 2016, made clean water a top priority. “This is a welcome partnership for us”, Atengdem says.
Atengdem’s team just completed the collection of data on the current water and sanitation situation in the district. This year they will develop a masterplan that provides the blueprint and strategic direction for the district. When the masterplan is in place, a four-year plan will be derived from it and incorporated into the District Medium Term plan (2017-2021) by the district’s authorities, and the work will begin.
IRC will support the staff of the District Assembly, for example with making business cases for those parts of the plan which are not funded yet. IRC will also play a major role in keeping everyone on board. “It means facilitating all partners’ respective roles, reducing conflicts and keeping harmony between all parties.” Atengdem is positive about his work in Asutifi North District. He hopes that this initiative will bring WASH to everyone, and that it will be replicated in other districts in the country.
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New Poll: Bangladeshis Optimistic for the Future; Support More Inclusive Government
Home > New Poll: Bangladeshis Optimistic for the Future; Support More Inclusive Government
Washington, D.C.—A nationwide poll of Bangladeshis released today by the International Republican Institute’s (IRI) Center for Insights in Survey Research reveals that a majority think the country is headed in the right direction, but wish to see a more inclusive government.
“The optimism reflected in this survey presents the government with a great opportunity to deliver on the issues of concern to Bangladeshi citizens,” said Derek Luyten, IRI Regional Director for Asia. “By taking steps to create a more inclusive decision-making process and demonstrate its commitment to democracy, the government can harness this goodwill to make enduring improvements for the Bangladeshi people.”
A clear majority (75 percent) of respondents feel that the country is headed in the right direction. This development may be linked to improvements in the country’s economic situation: 63 percent report that their personal economic situation has improved over the past year, and 68 percent expect their situation to improve over the next year. However, 20 percent also cite the economy as the country’s top concern, in a near-tie with security (19 percent).
Respondents voiced strong support for democracy, with more than half (55 percent) affirming that a democratic system of government is “definitely more important” to them than a prosperous economy. Additionally, a combined 66 percent “strongly support” (45 percent) or “somewhat support” (21 percent) the ruling Awami League seeking input from other political parties.
This survey was conducted on behalf of the Center for Insights in Survey Research by Creative Research and Development under the supervision of Global Strategic Partners. Data was collected between March 6 and April 19, 2017 through in-person, in-home interviews with 5,000 respondents aged 18 and older. The margin of error does not exceed plus or minus 1.4 percent at the mid-range with a confidence level of 95 percent. The response rate was 42 percent. Figures in charts and tables may not add up to 100 percent due to rounding.
Center for Insights in Survey Research
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Life Before Work Travel
Fundraising for The Juniper Trust
raised of $5,000 target
Support the Nepal Earthquake Relief Fund with Life Before Work Travel and The Juniper Trust
Seeking support for for The Juniper Trust because the victims of Nepal's Earthquake need our help.
The Juniper Trust
We support small sustainable projects to to help the poorest communities.
"This is not the time to rest and lament... this is the time to go out and save lives." - Nepal army Lt. Col. A. J. Thapa
On Saturday April 25, 2015 Nepal was hit by the biggest Earthquake the country has encountered in over 80 years; reaching a magnitude of 7.8, this Earthquake is said to have had 22 times the power of Haiti's Earthquake in 2010.
The Earthquake and its resulting aftershocks (including an avalanche on Mount Everest) has devastated the entire country of Nepal, as well as surrounding areas of China, India and Bangladesh. Many of Nepal's historical buildings were destroyed, including some at the Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur Durbar Squares; being a country that heavily relies on tourism, the fall of these century-old buildings is a truly heartbreaking event for the people of this wonderful country.
Over 4,800 people have been reported deceased, 9,200 injured, and 8 million affected across Nepal. The country's hospitals are vastly overwhelmed, and their resources are limited.
We would like to gain as much support as we can to aid in the relief of the catastrophe that has struck Nepal - 100% of the proceeds received will go towards the relief fund created by the Juniper Trust towards helping the victims.
Life Before Work Travel was built to introduce like-minded people to our world through adventure experiences. Although we currently travel to Nepal, we are doing our part to support this country in their time of need. We recognize that devastating things can happen anywhere in the world, and we are thankful that our travellers are safe.
We have chosen to donate to the Juniper Trust as they support sustainable projects to hep the poorest communities in Nepal. Unfortunately, the poorest areas often have the weakest infrastrucure and, because of this, usually suffer the most damage and tragedy. Juniper Trust is already releasing funds through their local operators for immediate relief aid (hanging out shelter, blankets and food.) Our donations will help people in more remote areas who are not receiving any of the aid that those in the city are. We encourage you to join us in supporting the cause in this time of need.
No donation is too small, every little bit helps in the restructuring of the lives of all those affected.
UPDATE: May 12, 2015.
A second earthquake, with a magnitude of 7.3, has devastated the people of Nepal. At least 30 have been reported deceased from this earthquake, and over a 1000 injured at this point in time.
Just days ago, the Juniper Trust sent off 5 tons of support, in the form of 300 tents, 20 mess tents, 600 sleeping bags and tarpaulins to shelter 3000 people of Nepal.
Nepal needs us now, more than ever. Please help us in supporting the Juniper Trust, and their continued aid for the people of Nepal.
Thank you to all of those who have donated thus far, and to the Juniper Trust for your incredible dedication to helping Nepal during this time.
The Juniper Trust began by supporting small sustainable projects in Nepal 20 years ago to help the poorest communities and particularly children. It has now expanded to support similar projects around the globe. The charity is run by volunteers, 100% of donations go to projects, no overheads!
$2,389.02 + $28.61 Gift Aid
Online donations $2,389.02
Offline donations $0.00
Text donations $0.00
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AP-NORC poll: Asteroid watch more urgent than Mars trip
By: MARCIA DUNN and EMILY SWANSON, Associated Press
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) - Americans prefer a space program that focuses on potential asteroid impacts, scientific research and using robots to explore the cosmos over sending humans back to the moon or on to Mars, a poll shows.
The poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research , released Thursday, one month before the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, lists asteroid and comet monitoring as the No. 1 desired objective for the U.S. space program. About two-thirds of Americans call that very or extremely important, and about a combined 9 in 10 say it's at least moderately important.
The poll comes as the White House pushes to get astronauts back on the moon, but only about a quarter of Americans said moon or Mars exploration by astronauts should be among the space program's highest priorities. About another third called each of those moderately important.
Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on July 20, 1969, became the first humans to walk on another celestial body. In all, 12 NASA astronauts stepped on the moon.
Jan Dizard, 78, a retired environmental studies professor living in Chico, California, acknowledges there's more to learn on the moon and it would be "miraculous" to send astronauts to Mars. But now's not the time, he stressed.
"There are all kinds of other things, not the least of which is climate change, that deserve our attention," Dizard told the AP. "This other stuff can wait."
After asteroid and comet monitoring, scientific research to expand knowledge of Earth and the rest of the solar system and universe came next on the list of Americans' space priorities - about 6 in 10 said that was very or extremely important. Close to half said the same about sending robotic probes, rather than astronauts, to explore space, and about 4 in 10 said the same about continued funding of the International Space Station.
In a dead heat for last place among the nine listed goals: setting up permanent human residences on other planets, with 21% ranking it as a very high priority, and establishing a U.S. military presence in space with 19%. While other goals were considered at least moderately important by majorities of Americans, about half called a military presence and space colonies unimportant.
President Donald Trump, who wants to create a Space Force as a new military service, said at a rally formally kicking off his reelection campaign this week that, if he wins a second term, the country will "lay the foundation" for landing astronauts on Mars.
That came after a confusing tweet from Trump in which he said that NASA "should NOT be talking about going to the Moon" and instead focus on "much bigger things" including "Mars (of which the Moon is a part)." NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine later explained that the moon can be used as a "waypoint" for Mars access.
"It would cost a lot of money to send somebody to Mars," she said, "and we have roads and bridges that need repaired here."
As for the moon, Dewey noted, "We've been there."
But Alan Curtis, 47, of Pocatello, Idaho, considers moon and Mars trips a top priority, especially if the U.S. is to remain a world leader in space. Compared with its feats of the 1960s and 1970s, the U.S. space program is now a second thought, he said.
"It's pretty bad that we have to rent a spot on a Russian spacecraft to get to the space station," said Curtis, a store cashier who says he's an occasional bounty hunter. He pointed to the first-ever landing by a spacecraft on the far side of the moon, by China in January.
Abdul Lotiff, 28, a retail security company manager in Mason City, Iowa, also favors a return to the moon. He sees economic benefits there, with the resulting new tech spilling into areas outside the space business. In addition, he said, if and when Earth becomes overpopulated, the moon could serve as a springboard for humanity's expansion into space.
The survey asked Americans to directly choose between the moon and Mars for exploration by U.S. astronaut. The red planet was the winner by about double: 37% compared with 18%. However, 43% said neither destination was a priority.
For Americans under 45 - born after NASA's Apollo moonshots - Mars came out on top by an even larger margin: 50% prefer a Mars trip, versus 17% for the moon. A third said neither should be a priority.
As for the White House's deadline of returning astronauts to the moon within five years - NASA is aiming for the water ice-rich lunar south pole by 2024 - about 4 in 10 Americans favored the plan, versus 2 in 10 against. The remainder had no strong opinion either way.
The good news, at least for NASA and its contractors, is that 60% of Americans believe the benefits of the space program have justified the cost.
In 1979 - on the 10th anniversary of the first manned moon landing - 41% of Americans said the benefits were worth the cost, according to an AP-NBC News poll.
If given an opportunity to experience space travel themselves, about half of Americans said they would orbit the Earth, while about 4 in 10 would fly to the moon and about 3 in 10 would go to Mars. Among those willing to travel to the red planet, about half - or 15% of all Americans - said they would move to a Mars colony, even if it meant never returning to Earth.
Curtis contends the U.S. might have a colony on the moon by now "if we had put our money in the right places."
"We haven't been there in so long," he said. "Is the flag even still there?"
U.S. flags were planted on the moon during each of the Apollo landings through 1972. The first was knocked over by engine exhaust when Apollo 11's Armstrong and Aldrin blasted off the moon.
Swanson reported from Washington. Associated Press writer Jeremy Rehm in New York contributed to this report.
The AP-NORC poll of 1,137 adults was conducted May 17-20 using a sample drawn from NORC's probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for all respondents is plus or minus 4.1 percentage points.
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Storms bring tornadoes, floods, power outages across the US
By: JEFF MARTIN and JAY REEVES, Associated Press
ATLANTA (AP) - Storms were blamed for two deaths and left hundreds of thousands of people without power across the southern United States, forecasters said.
Fallen trees ripped down power lines and crashed into buildings along a line from Texas to Alabama overnight and into Thursday morning, the national Storm Prediction Center reported. Similar damage continued later in the day in parts of Georgia, the Carolinas and southeast Virginia.
Straight-line winds of up to 85 mph (137 kph) damaged roofs Wednesday in the northeast Texas city of Greenville, the National Weather Service reported Thursday. Local officials had initially suspected a tornado. In Mississippi, Jackson Salter, 19, died when a tree fell on his home Wednesday night, Washington County Coroner Methel Johnson told The Delta Democrat-Times .
A fallen tree was also blamed for the Thursday afternoon death of a person in Columbia, South Carolina, the Richland County Coroner's Office said. A wind gust of 79 mph (127 kph) was recorded in the city that afternoon. Across the Carolinas, there were dozens of reports of trees down, some landing on houses in North Carolina and others landing in the middle of Interstate 20 in South Carolina.
Utilities reported more than 200,000 customers without power Thursday evening across Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. More than 50,000 remained without power in Arkansas on Thursday evening, long after storms exited.
Downburst winds - strong winds that descend from a thunderstorms and spread out when they hit the ground - appeared to be the greatest threat, said Dan Miller, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Columbia, South Carolina.
Such winds hold the potential for serious damage, such as bringing trees and powerlines down and tearing into the shingles and siding on homes, he said.
Tornados and hail had been listed as possibilities for flood-weary residents of the Missouri River Valley in the Midwest, but were slow to materialize Thursday.
In Ohio, heavy rains led to landslides and flooded highways. The Riverbend Music Center along the Ohio River east of Cincinnati postponed a Thursday evening show that was to feature country star Brantley Gilbert. The venue cited heavy rainfall and the rising river.
Flooding caused travel problems, flooding commuter train stations and forcing service to be suspended between Philadelphia and New Jersey. The Delaware River was overflowing its banks in places, and people were rescued from high water.
A supermarket roof collapsed in suburban Philadelphia, causing sprinkler system pipes to break and send water gushing down.
Reeves reported from Birmingham, Alabama.
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Recent Data Breach Roundup: April 2018
Posted on April 30, 2018 by Steven Bearak in Data Breach & Technology, Identity & Privacy, Personal
Regardless of size or industry, hackers and cybercriminals have continued to prove that no business is safe from a data breach. Organizations ranging from major name brands to regional healthcare companies and banks were compromised by breaches in April. Tweet This!
Here are the recent data breaches that made headlines in April 2018:
Saks Fifth Avenue, Lord & Taylor
On April 1, Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC) announced the breach of two of its department store chains. New York-based cybersecurity firm Gemini Advisory LLC discovered an announcement that the information of 5 million stolen credit and debit cards was being sold on the Dark Web. These cards were stolen after a major hacking syndicate compromised the payment systems of Saks Fifth Avenue, Saks Off Fifth, and Lord & Taylor.
After 8 months of warnings, Panera Bread finally took steps to address a data leak impacting up to 37 million of its customers. These customer records sat available in plain text on the company website, and included anyone who signed up for an account to order food online. It also appears that Panera’s catering application was impacted. The information exposed included names, email and physical addresses, birthdays, and the last four digits of credit card numbers.
Inogen
Oxygen device manufacturer, Inogen, notified its customers of a data breach that lasted from January 2 – March 14 of this year. This breach originated from a hacker gaining unauthorized access to an employee’s email account. It exposed the personal information of 30,000 customers, including names, contact details, Medicare identification numbers, and insurance policy information.
This Midwestern network of hospitals, clinics, and home care services said that about 16,000 people could be affected by a recent security incident. The UnityPoint Health breach occurred after employee email accounts were compromised in a phishing attack. Patients’ Social Security numbers and financial information are among the data exposed.
SunTrust Banks
Atlanta-based SunTrust Banks announced that a former employee may have stolen data on 1.5 million clients. According to company officials, compromised information could include names, addresses, phone numbers, and account balances. The bank is offering identity protection for all consumer clients.
Be sure to check back next month for the latest major data breaches in 2018.
Steven Bearak
In 2006, siblings Steven Bearak and Judy (Bearak) Leary co-founded IdentityForce, Inc. Since then, the company and its products and services, have delivered award-winning and best-in-class identity theft protection to millions of people. The U.S. government awarded IdentityForce, now a Sontiq brand, with elite Tier-One status as an approved provider of identity protection services for data breaches affecting over 21.5 million people.
See All of Steven Bearak's Posts
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Beatles: Rock Band
By ThunderPeel2001, June 13, 2009 in Video Gaming
Doorselfin
Thumb Resident
I can beat everything on expert guitar and drums, have far too much DLC and have the Platinum trophy, including Bladder of Steel. Rock Band 2 has been the game I've played for about ninety percent of the past year (or two). I love Harmonix and I love this game. I can't wait for Beatles Rock Band.
Rock Band 2 has two non-linear single player modes: World Tour, which is similar to the one in the first game only you can do it on your own, and 'Challenges', which present bunches of categorised song groups which get harder in difficulty, if that makes sense.
I like music and game.
UncleSpaggles
You are all my new heroes.
ThunderPeel2001
It's for that reason that I gave up on Guitar Hero completely. No fun, just challenge. For all I care, the score junkies can have that franchise.
It is fun to see yourself improve, though, and comparing yourself to others can be useful in that respect. Still, I haven't really done that since Guitar Hero II. (It seems a lot less applicable in Rock Band -- which I guess is your point )
If only I could 5-star "
" on medium. I periodically go back and 4-star it, over and over. It's my nemesis
This is being pimped out all over the Twitterverse, but if you haven't read it, here's a very long but insightful look at Beatles Rock Band.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/16/magazine/16beatles-t.html
My favourite part is where Harmonix codenamed the Rock Band Network "Rock Band: Nickelback" to deflect any curiosity.
Love that photo at the top, but couldn't they have hidden the original photographer?
Edited August 14, 2009 by ThunderPeel2001
blackboxme
I'm planning on using Rock Band to learn basic drumming, and Beatles rock band to learn singing harmonies.
Think it will work music-types?
Remo Action News
It'll give you a start. When it comes to drums, if possible, try and understand what your limbs are independently doing rather than just internalizing the complete patterns or taking it moment-by-moment. I think maybe some of the training stuff in the game stresses this?
Fjord Lord
I think you're right. Not being a drummer or anything, I think the biggest reward, drum training-wise, you'll get is being able to repeat seemingly unrelated patterns with arms and feet. At first you'll resist it, but suddenly something clicks, and it's magical.
Also, if you're serious about learning to drum, I would probably take some basic lessons from a drummer to get things like pose and grip right. Sitting in the right position and adjusting the set is key to not cramp up. Adjusting the chair a couple of inches was like night and day for me.
...and here's 44 of the 45 songs thanks to Game Informer. Last song is a surprise, apparently (Revolution #9)
Please Please Me (1963)
Do You Want To Know A Secret
With the Beatles (1963)
I Wanna Be Your Man
A Hard Day's Night (1964)
Beatles For Sale (1964)
Help! (1965)
Rubber Soul (1965)
Drive My Car
I'm Looking Through You
If I Needed Someone
Revolver (1966)
And Your Bird Can Sing
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band/With a Little Help From My Friends
Good Morning Good Morning
Magical Mystery Tour (1967)
The Beatles (White Album) (1968)
Hey Bulldog
Abbey Road (1969)
Octopus's Garden
I Want You (She's So Heavy)
Let It Be (1970)
Dig a Pony
I Me Mine
I Got a Feeling
Within You Without You/ Tomorrow Never Knows
They also say that if you're playing on Expert that you ARE playing drums. I think the big difference would is in terms of feedback from what you're hitting. Getting an ION kit with a real-drum pedal that's been modified would probably help.
TommyGun would be the best person to answer this, I think?
That's a big of an exaggeration--it's one I've used, but in the context of somebody talking about actually learning how to play the drums, it's not entirely accurate. That is to say, it's possible to succeed on expert drums without actually knowing what you're doing as a drummer, simply by treating it like a video game where you just have to hit all (or enough of) the buttons at the right time. I don't think feedback is really what makes the difference either, at least rock rock drumming (which even at its most subtle is not particularly subtle). The much more important part is understanding limb independence.
That's a bit of an exaggeration--it's one I've used, but in the context of somebody talking about actually learning how to play the drums, it's not entirely accurate. That is to say, it's possible to succeed on expert drums without actually knowing what you're doing as a drummer, simply by treating it like a video game where you just have to hit all (or enough of) the buttons at the right time. I don't think feedback is really what makes the difference either, at least rock rock drumming (which even at its most subtle is not particularly subtle). The much more important part is understanding limb independence.
Yeah, but I'd also say there is some truth to rockband-as-realife drumming though. The continued coordination of your body in set tempos is a big part of drumming along with independent limb rhythms and the beat trainer gives you a fairly nice starting point to different meters and time signatures (although it doesn't explicitly label them or teach you how to play them per se).
I'm a newcomer to rhythm games (bought Rock Band 2 about 4 months ago) and one of the reasons why I was hesitant to jump in was because I kind of agreed with Prince in that kids could just as easily learn to play real guitar and start awful bands that get them laid in the same time that they obsess over learning fake guitar to get 100% on expert. So when I finally broke down and bought the game (largely because I knew Beatles Rock Band was coming out but also knew I couldn't afford the Beatles instruments), I was surprised by how non-random the drum programming actually was. Yes, the blue pad is covers a range of different sounds but for the most part, red is snare, yellow is hat, and green is crash. It makes a little bit of sense that, if you just move the location of where you're hitting, you could just as well be playing drums. Being an untrained amateur drummer and knowing absolutely nothing about playing guitar, it seems to me that Rock Band drumming is closer to real life than Rock Band guitar.
I think the much harder part of being a "real" drummer is following your own sense of rhythm and time and understand a song's structure rather than just miming what's on the highway. The newly-release Janis Joplin DLC actually does a pretty great job of the breaks and fills with that song but I'm not 100% sure the game actually teaches you why the patterns change and why they change at that moment.
I actually originally wanted to comment on Beatles Rock Band for my first post (btw, hi! long time listener first time poster <barf>) because I'm really hoping that everything I've read about the fine-tuning of the game and the attention to detail translates to a much smoother game experience. I think Rock Band 2's actual gameplay is great but a lot of the interface design and functionality is clunky and unintuitive. I hope they throw some of Guitar Hero 5's features in there like being able to play a song without the bassist without having to back up out of the entire game just to disable one instrument or maybe even change difficulty mid-song at least in practice mode. All these little things added up to a feeling of Rock Band 2 being rushed for me and I hope the game in between songs for the Beatles game is much smoother and less frustrating.
Oh yeah, I also REALLY hope that you can play the full albums or any setlist without a pause between songs. I guess in the context of a live show or whatever it kind of makes sense but for the studio albums it's going to be terrible to keep stopping. Or maybe not; who knows. I'm excited.
Well from the drummers I've spoken to (I'm no drummer), the biggest barrier is the lack of bounce you get from a real kit... It just doesn't FEEL like drumming, which makes the transition going the other way have a barrier, too.
I have no doubt that limb independence is a huge part of learning to drum, but as that's taken care of by the game I didn't see any reason to mention it.
I am also a drummer, and I guess to me that wouldn't be the biggest barrier. I'll agree to disagree on that though, everyone has a different experience.
My point is that it's not necessarily taken care of by the game, as I've mentioned in a few posts.
Thanks for feedback, it's been interesting. I will play Rock Band (2) for the first time today when I get off work. I'll try looking for the drum training mode mentioned here...
Fair enough, that's just something I've heard from my drummer friends.
I think to be successful in Rock Band, though, you've kind of got to be aware of the rhythm of what you're doing... otherwise it's tortuous hell. (Maybe I'm just lucky and "got" it?)
I looked up "limb independence" on youtube today, so I started trying to practice with an eye toward that. I put it on training mode->expert->beastie boys song->%50 speed
Hand plays constant quarter notes, foot plays a bunch of out of time eighth notes. I try to get my hand going 1-2-3-4 and get it to ignore my foot.
That beastie boys song is 1 star of difficulty and man, it's tough!
Thunderpeel, what difficulty did you play on?
T-Matt
Beatles rock band is going to be the first one of these I actually own myself.
I decided the beatles kit is just too much moolah.
Do the Guitar Hero guitars work ok with Rockband? I kinda like those better
Horticulture Tycoon
Do me so far, do me?
I'm strictly a Rock Band guy, but my understanding is that you can count on Guitar Hero peripherals to work with Rock Band games, but not necessarily the other way around. I might have that mixed up though.
I think days everything pretty much works with everything, thankfully.
Here's a useful chart
http://www.joystiq.com/Instrument-Compatibility-Matrix/
You are a gentleman and a scholar!
miffy495
Rhythm game star/loser
I still feel like one of the best guitars of any game is the Guitar Hero II Xplorer that shipped with the 360 version. I play Rock Band 2 with that, and it works great. I would be using the wireless RB2 strat as it looks really nice, but I don't have one so there we are.
I still love my Xplorer, but my friend's GHWT controller felt extremely similar, too (made by the same peeps, so it makes sense). I'd LOVE one of those "made from wood" Rock Band controllers. That would be particularly awesome
I'd LOVE one of those "made from wood" Rock Band controllers.
I had a chance to play with the Logitech Guitar Hero version of one of these for about a week, and I thought it was pretty balls. The fret buttons were tiny compared to the size of the neck, didn't really bounce back at all, and the strum bar was stubby and slippery, hard to get a grip on. These issues probably wouldn't be a big deal for a casual medium player, but when you're paying a couple of hundred dollars, you'd expect it to be the best thing ever.
I did a stupid thing and got another Rock Band bundle when the sequel came out, but I have to say that the Rock Band 2 guitar is the best plastic guitar controller I've ever touched. I've always loved the inlayed frets, the strum feels fantastic, and the guard around the Start button and the auto-calibration features are nice touches. Also, I can't live without solo buttons. If the Beatles guitars are just reskinned RB2 guitars, then everybody's going to be very happy.
Any advice on how to not bother the neighbors while playing drums?
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Infovore » tag » gravitation
The Brainy Gamer: Impotent narrative
"One succeeds because it leverages the player's motivated, explorative, self-driven experience; the other fails because it relies on a hackneyed, disjointed "epic" plotting (told in 3 separate plot-lines via cutscenes) with incongruous settings and 2-dimensional characters. One succeeds because its formal systems directly feed the player's connection to the world and characters; the other fails because its formal systems bear no discernible relationship to the stories the game wants to tell." This is strong stuff from Michael; I am increasingly fed up of the focus on (poorly-told) stories in games.
(tags: games narrative emergence story michaelabbott rpg )
Gravitation: a video game by Jason Rohrer
"Know that there are no "accidents" in this game design. Everything you notice about the game, and every subtle interaction that you experience, is intentionally packed with meaning." (Gravitation, still, being my favourite of Rohrer's games, I think).
(tags: games gravitation jasonrohrer metaphor design deliberance )
Gamasutra – Features – Persuasive Games: Free Speech is Not a Marketing Plan
"Crucially, Goodrich entreats the public to note the following: "this change should not directly affect gamers, as it does not fundamentally alter the gameplay." This one statement should cause considerable distress, as it suggests a troubling conclusion about Medal of Honor as a work of public speech.<br />
To wit: it suggests that the Taliban never had any meaningful representation in the game anyway. If a historically, culturally, and geographically specific enemy can simply be recast in the generic cloth of "opposition," then why was it was called "Taliban" in the first place?<br />
And if the Afghan war in which the new Medal of Honor is set was one explicitly meant to drive the Taliban from their strongholds in Afghanistan, why should it matter that the game is set in that nation in the present day at all? In short, how was this Medal of Honor title meant to be a game about this war in particular?" This is a marvellous, critical piece of writing from Bogost.
(tags: games medalofhonor freespeech meaning ianbogost )
Gregable.: Why you should know just a little Awk
Nice post on Awk basics – most of which I knew, but the examples are still great, especially those involving variables. The links out to the Hacker News and Reddit threads are also full of good stuff.
(tags: unix awk tools text guide )
Favourite Games of 2008
It’s the end of the year, and that means time for lists. My books and albums lists are forthcoming – hopefully tonight or tomorrow – but in the meantime, I thought I’d kick off with ten of my favourite games of the past year.
There’s lots missing here, mainly owing to the fact I haven’t finished a lot of recent titles or given them the time they’ve deserved. What this is, though, is a good summary of what the gaming year felt like to me; ten games I enjoyed a great deal, and that I would recommend in a heartbeat to anyone not sure where to begin with 2008.
And so, in no particular order:
(Xbox 360, PS3, PC)
I have written enough about this already, but suffice to say: it sunk its teeth into me, after the initial hump I couldn’t play anything else, and at the end, it left me unable to play anything else for a while. Spectacularly beautiful, too.
Trism
Trism began as an app for the jailbroken iPhone; it quickly made the transition to the official App Store platform when that opened up, and it has sold hundreds of thousands of dollars of copies since then, giving Demiforce a fantastic start to their company. And with good reason: it’s a great piece of game design, easy to learn, and hard to master. It also makes brilliant use of not only the iPhone’s capacitive touch screen, but also its tilt sensor. It’s a very pure puzzling experience, and I’ve already sunk many hours into it; it suits the pick-up/put-down rhythm of travel and play on-the-move idaelly. If you have an iPhone or iPod touch, this really is a no-brainer.
Geometry Wars Retro Evolved 2
It’s still one of the best games on Live Arcade. It’s also still one of the best asynchronous multiplayer games you can play. Making your friends high scores the default high score table gives it a great competitive streak and really contextualises your performance: nothing’s more frustrating than having emailed a friend to say “hah, beat your high score” only to receive an response five minutes later informing you that the ball is firmly back in your court.
Adding variety to the original formula are the six game modes, slowly unlocked over time. They may all be variants on a theme, but they all still demand unique skills and become games in their own right: turning the Pacifism achievement from the first game into a mode in its own right was a great move.
Beautiful in high-def, easily explained to anyone who’s played a videogame in their life, it’s by turns accessible and challenging, and an essential purchase for new 360 players. Also, its social scoreboards give it great longevity, and prove what I already know: I’m nearly, but not quite, at the bottom of the pack when it comes to motor control. As long as I’m not last…
If there’s a measures of Braid’s success, it’s not to be found in its sales or metacritic scores, but in the sheer volume of verbiage devoted to it in the blogs, forums, and magazines of the gaming world. Thousands of words, all expended on the game, on the hype, and on what the hell it all means.
It wouldn’t have got that discussion if it wasn’t in some way good, and it really is: beautiful, challenging, and proof of the things that only games can do. It embraces game-native storytelling, wrapping its meaning tightly around its mechanics, and tells its tale through challenging, timeless puzzles and David Hellman‘s incredible artwork.
Perhaps it is a little pretentious; perhaps the writing is weak. Regardless of those facts, it’s exciting to see a game like this getting such a major launch on a mainstream, living-room platform, and as an artefact to push forward the casual – as well as professional – criticism of games, it’s a great starting point.
I always forget how much I like racing games. GRID is a very, very fine take on the racer. It’s beautiful, it’s fast, and it’s totally stripped down. GRID demonstrated that Codemasters really understood what making a game “cinematic” might look like: you condense it down into tight, exciting drama. So races take place over two-to-five laps, and in that time the AI will give you as good a catfight as any “realistic” simulator might over an hour. The rewind-time mechanic, as well as being wonderful to watch, removes the traditional racing-game reliance on the “restart” option; giving the game a pre-credits race, not to mention an ongoing narrative of running a team only helps with the Days of Thunder feel. Mapping Le Mans to a twenty-four minute endurance race makes it both exciting and endurable.
And, of course, it’s very pretty and fast as hell. The open-wheel racing is some of the most exciting driving games have to offer, in particular. The drift tournaments are weak, but stick to the touring cars, touge and open-wheel and you’ve got a hell of a game. The icing on the cake is the beautiful, free-floating typography. Solid, and surprisingly good.
It’s on everybody else’s list, and I can’t really deny it: it’s a wonderful environment, and a staggering achievement. It’s not as smart as it likes, and it occasionally misfires but it delivers moments by the dozen. Shame the pacing of the islands feels wrong – after the majesty of Three Leaf Clover, being dumped in the New Jersey analogue is a bit underwhelming.
Also: multiplayer, with the right gang of people, is a total hoot. Whilst not the runaway online success that might have been hoped for, if you can get eight to sixteen friends online together, Cops and Crooks or Turf War will bring the fun pretty fast.
God of War: Chains of Olympus
(PSP)
Well, it came out this year in the UK. I played this sitting by a roaring log fire, having spent my days clambering around the Lake District. It is not the greatest game of the year by a long stretch. It is, however, a wonderfully crafted experience: short it may be, but it’s put together almost perfectly: fantastic environments that barely repeat, thrilling combat that’s not too difficult, and one of the most striking in-game sequences I’ve played this year. It helps that the lack of direct camera control translates perfectly to the single-stick PSP. On top of all that, it looks almost as good as the PS2 versions – it’s a remarkable feat of engineering. I had a lot of fun with this, and if you own Sony’s much-unloved portable, you owe yourself to play this.
(Xbox 360, PC)
Gerard Way asked if it was any good, and the answer is yes, Gerard, it is. It’s bloody brilliant, although with the obvious caveat that it gets better with friends. Co-op gaming has slowly seen a slew of support and innovation in the past two to three years, and Left 4 Dead represents one particular pinnacle of that: an experience designed ground-up to be played not only co-operatively, but with real friends.
It’s not about team-mates, it’s about mates; how far would you go to save your friends from a Smoker? Quite far, as it turns out; I’ve noticed that in various pick-up groups, if I have to pick between someone I know in real life and someone I don’t, I’ll go with my friends first. To see such an unashamedly co-op experience – and one that could be described as reasonably hardcore if you hadn’t tried it – achieve such a level of mainstream success is very heartening. I put it down to the fact that Valve are such a talented gang of people, and so fastidious in their process. If you’ve not played through the director’s commentary, you owe it to yourself to do so, if only to understand that nothing in the final product is the result of chance.
Also: it’s great to see a game that puts the mechanic, indeed, the core technology, that really makes it – the AI – so far front-and-center. Personifying it as the AI Director was the stroke of genius that not only made players aware of it, but gave them someone to blame when they all died. Again.
(Mac, PC, Wii)
There are two reasons, I think, that World of Goo has captured a lot of people’s hearts this year. One is the game itself: the wonderful art; the delightful soundtrack; the just-one-more-go gameplay that carefully teaches you everything to know whilst keeping the challenge just high enough. But the other is the game’s mythology: 2D Boy, two guys working out of coffee shops for a year, giving up on the traditional industry to make the game they really wanted to. It’s the story we all wanted to believe in. The fact that both elements are so great is the real magic of World of Goo: risking it all, living the indie dream, really did lead to a wonderful game.
(Mac, PC, Linux)
I like this more than Rohrer’s previous Passage. It’s a small, simple game, available for most home desktop platforms (Windows/OSX/Linux), about “mania, melancholia, and the creative process”. To say any more is to rob it of its impact. Once I worked out what you have to do to progress, I played on with a huge lump in my throat. To be heartbroken by a game this slight, this simple, in its 100 square pixel area, is quite something, and Rohrer makes games like no-one else.
games 2008, braid, endofyear, farcry2, games, geometrywars2, godofwar, gravitation, grid, gtaiv, jasonrohrer, left4dead, lists, trism, worldofgoo
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Redundancies to silence critics, says QBE
Australian insurer QBE is losing four staff and reorganising its treaty division after rejigging the parts of the group that write retrocession and property.
But general manager of QBE's European company operations, Paul Glen, said the changes were part of a positive message that would shut up the company's critics.
Treaty division general manager Andrew Lothian resigned as a result of the changes.
The company had previously written retrocession business through both its own operations and its Lloyd's syndicates. It is now cutting the amount of retro written in its treaty division and will also lose Mark Bain, retro underwriter for the European company operation. The group will continue to write retro business through its Lloyd's syndicates.
Glen said: "We didn't want to write retro in more than one place and Peter Grove at Lloyd's is the person to do that. That's no reflection on Mark Bain."
Bain was the only European company member engaged in writing retro business.
The company also announced its US property business will be written only from its New York office and the group's Lloyd's syndicates.
Glen said Lothian resigned on 24 October before the changes were announced. His place has been taken by Des Fogarty, who previously ran the company's Dublin operation. Paul Moss becomes claims director for European company operations.
There will be two further redundancies within the firm's property team. "We are downsizing in the sense that we won't be writing US property business from this part of the operation, so effectively their jobs have gone," Glen said.
He said the changes were not a cost-cutting exercise, but were aimed to control the accumulation of property exposures across the group's operations.
The firm expected to write between £650m and £700m in gross written premiums next year, with the treaty division planning to write up to £250m in classes including agriculture, marine treaty and personal accident.
The European company operation will receive a £100m injection from its parent group, Glen said. The group has recently raised AUS$663m (£231m), which he said would put it in a good position to profit from hardening market conditions.
Referring to collapsed Australian insurer HIH, Glen said: "We always get tarnished with the Australian brush because of HIH. The capital-raising has gone a long way to shut a few people up, but the problem will be making the most of next year."
He said the rationalisation was not a defensive move being made by a company in trouble. "There are always people out there who want to see the negative in QBE. What this is about is making best use of the capital we've raised.
"After the World Trade Centre attacks, a lot of businesses are looking at where they were exposed and we're seeing what we can learn from this. This is about improving control and monitoring framework, so we have a better handle on where our accumulations build up. The way to do that is to stop writing the same sort of business from a number of different points within the group.
"We will be making profits next year, there's no doubt about that."
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Production Internship at the Public Theater in NYC (Part 2)
Read more about Ryan's fascinating internship at the Public Theater. If you missed Part 1, you can find it here.
Alongside Troilus and Cressida, I had an amazing opportunity to work on a second show which was also showing at the Public during my internship. This show was called Privacy and one of the most interesting aspects of this show was that it had originally been developed in London and then transferred to New York, so the creative team were British and we were all adapting to the American system together. Privacy was also a brand new play so the writer and director were changing the plot every day, offering an exclusive look into the vast changes productions make before they finally open to the public.
On Privacy, I was able to work with and learn from the technical departments. Fortunately, Privacy was a technology-heavy show so there was a lot to experience. With lighting, sound and video all working together throughout the process, it was incredible to see how advances in technology had been embraced and incorporated into the production. The play itself also offered a unique learning opportunity as it’s concept was quite revolutionary in that the audience were able to influence the plot at every performance, meaning that no two shows were the same.
As a member of staff, I was invited to the opening night of Privacy which gave me a great opportunity to network with a range of people from the industry, both UK and US based, and I believe that one of the greatest things you can take from any internship is the contacts which you make. Working on any production allows you to create a second family and I hope my Public Theater family will stay with me throughout my career.
Interns learn from speakers
Photo Courtesy of Ryan Van Delden
Aside from working on productions, the internship also included opportunities to meet with and interview various industry professionals. This gave us a chance to find out about their stories and how they got where they are today. It also gave them the chance to meet us so that they had a knowledge of who we were and what our background was.
I had the opportunity to talk to LaTanya Richardson, wife of Samuel L. Jackson, as she was one of the actresses at the Central Park theatre. She talked openly with us about her journey, her life and her career. She offered us advice about how to succeed and how to deal with difficulties associated with our industry. It was great to get a performer’s perspective of the industry because in my training, I had mostly come into contact with production crews.
I also met with Rick Sordelet who was the fight director on Troilus and Cressida and has worked on many Broadway shows including all of the Disney Theatrical productions. It was an incredible opportunity to meet Rick and to see him work on a daily basis. He showed a strong interest in each of the interns and what they wanted to achieve in their careers, and provided each intern with guidance regarding how they could succeed and steps which they could take to further their careers. Rick has a wealth of experience in the industry and has also worked as a writer and director, so it was amazing to speak with him alongside learning.
Culture - Theater and Venues
Interns on stage
One of the great things about interning at a theatre in New York City is that you’re close to so many other great theatres and a wide variety of shows. Through my internship I had the opportunity to tour some of these theatres and talk to the production staff working on their shows. I had an amazing opportunity to tour Hamilton: An American Musical at the Richard Rogers Theatre as this show started life at The Public Theater and we were able to meet the Assistant Stage Manager who had been with the show from the very beginning. I also had the opportunity to tour Wicked at the Gershwin Theatre and was able to meet one of the Stage Managers on this show who told us about her responsibilities and how the show is run.
While in New York I wanted to experience as much theatre as possible and during my time in the city I had the chance to see a wide range of shows. This really allowed me experience the theatre culture of both Broadway and Off-Broadway shows and I tried to see a range of shows including straight plays, musicals and variety performances to get a better sense of the styles of performance which are popular in New York.
Culture - Museums and Sport
When I wasn’t interning at the theatre, I wanted to absorb as much American culture as I could, while also trying to learn more about their history. New York was an ideal location for this as there are an endless supply of fascinating museums and exhibitions. I visited The American Museum of Natural History, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Guggenheim Museum, The Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum and Central Park Zoo. All of these attractions gave me a wealth of knowledge about American culture and also cultures from across the world. These museums are constantly updated with amazing pieces and I found that I was learning a lot without even trying.
In homage to my theatrical interests I also took the opportunity to attend the final match of the Broadway Softball League which sees cast and crew members from Broadway shows competing against each other in softball games which anyone can watch. It was great to see performers and production teams playing together and bonding with the teams from other shows.
Friends and Memories
Doing this internship with The Public Theater has been a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity which I will never forget. I have been able to transfer what I was taught at university into a professional environment and I was able to do this alongside other students and industry professionals. I also had a unique opportunity to work behind-the-scenes on two full-scale New York productions. I was able to make contacts in the industry and get a hands-on experience working on a professional production, in the city where theatre lives.
But the best part of this internship has to be the great people I got to meet. Going to New York for the first time was a daunting prospect, but I was immediately welcomed into the group and met friends who I hope I will have forever. Working alongside American students meant that we could all learn together, and could share what we already knew in order to teach each other. Everyone from The Public Theater was extremely helpful throughout my time in the USA and I will keep the memories of this trip forever!
Check out our website to see how you can have an experience like Ryan's!
Ryan Van Delden
Ryan Van Delden is a participant on InterExchange's Intern USA program doing an internship with The Public Theater in New York City.
Career Training USA Internships NYC Participant Stories Reviews
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Charminar information in english
Rajendra Reddy Travel February 7, 2019
Charminar “The Four Minarets”, it is constructed in 1591 by Sultan Mohammed Quli Qutb Shah in the honor of his wife Bhagmati. Charminar is a monument and mosque located in Hyderabad, Telangana state, India. The landmark has become a global icon of Hyderabad city, listed among the most recognized structures of our country. The fifth ruler of the Qutb Shahi dynasty, Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, built this Charminar in 1591 after shifting his capital from Golkonda to the newly formed city of Hyderabad.
Charminar was built at the center of the Hyderabad city, to commemorate the eradication of Cholera”, a deadly disease which was widely spreaded at that time. Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah had prayed for the end of the plague that was destroying the whole city so the king vowed to build a Mosque at the very place where he prayed.
Qutb Shah was also among the early poets of Dakhani Urdu. While building the foundation of Charminar, Qutb Shah did the prayers in Dakhini couplets, which are recorded as follows:
Dakhini Urdu
میرا شہر لوگوں سے مامور کر
راكهيو جوتو دريا میں مچھلی جيسے
Translation into English
Fill this city of mine with people as,
You filled the river with fishes O Lord.
The Charminar masjid is built in a square structure with each side 20 meters long (it is approximately 66 feet), and with four grand arches each facing a fundamental point that open into four streets. At each corner stands an exquisitely shaped minaret, 56 meters high (it is approximately 184 feet), with a double balcony. Each minaret is crowned by a bulbous dome with dainty petal-like designs at the every base. There are 149 curled steps to reach the upper floor of Charminar. The Charminar masjid is also known for its profusion of stucco decorations and the arrangement of its balustrades and balconies.
The Charminar structure is made of granite, limestone, mortar & pulverized marble and it weighs approximately 14000 tones. There is also some underground tunnel that connects the Golconda fort to Charminar, possibly intended as an escape route for the Qutb Shahi rulers in case of an emergency.
Charminar is one of the best Place To Visit In Hyderabad
Charminar Timings:
Monday to Sunday : 9:30 am – 5:30 pm
Charminar Entry Fee:
Entry Fee: Rs.5/- per Person for Indians
Entry Fee: Rs.100/- per Person for Foreign Nationals
Places around the Charminar :
Makkah Masjid
Char Kaman and Gulzar Houz
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Singer Julius La Rosa dies at 86
John Lindsay
<p>FILE - In this Oct. 26, 1953, file photo, Julius La Rosa, who was fired from the Arthur Godfrey shows, listens to a question during a news conference in Ed Sullivan's apartment in New York. La Rosa, a pop singer known for hits including "Eh, Cumpari," has died at age 86. (AP Photo/John Lindsay, File)</p>
Julius La Rosa, a pop singer known for hits including "Eh, Cumpari," whose firing live on the air by Arthur Godfrey in 1953 overshadowed his successes that followed, has died at age 86.
His death was confirmed Saturday by his daughter, Maria La Rosa Smith, of Ridgefield, Connecticut, and Joe Charapata of the Rhodes-Charapata Funeral Home in Crivitz, Wisconsin. Smith said her father died in his sleep of natural causes Thursday at his home in Crivitz. Services will be private, she said.
La Rosa, a native of Brooklyn, New York, was in the Navy when Godfrey heard him sing and invited him to appear on his CBS TV show. Godfrey also urged him to come back after his discharge. La Rosa became a star of Godfrey's show from 1951 to 1953, recording several hits including "Eh, Cumpari."
But his growing popularity annoyed Godfrey. On Oct. 19, 1953, La Rosa was due to begin the TV portion of Godfrey's show but was kept waiting backstage until the final minutes of the radio-only part of the program. As he finished singing "Manhattan," La Rosa and the audience heard Godfrey precede his sign-off by saying, "That was Julie's swan song with us."
Godfrey said he fired him because he lacked "humility" and because he had hired an agent
"I was 23 years old then and filled with myself," La Rosa said in a 1991 interview with The New York Times. "Who isn't at 23, especially if you're a celebrity?"
The public firing actually boosted La Rosa's career for a while. He served as the summer replacement on Perry Como's TV show in 1955. That's when he met Como's secretary, Rosemary Meyer, and married her. He went on to get his own TV show in 1955. He also appeared on numerous other variety shows in the 1950s and '60s, including Ed Sullivan's. He was also nominated for a Daytime Emmy in 1980 for best supporting actor for his role on "Another World."
La Rosa lived for 42 years in Irvington, in New York's Westchester County, his daughter said, and continued to tour, perform and act for decades. He was also a longtime disc jockey on WNEW-AM in New York.
He and his wife moved to Crivitz, a small town in northeastern Wisconsin, only last November, said Smith, who added that her mother was originally from Wisconsin. She said the La Rosa family vacationed in Wisconsin every summer and spent every other Christmas with her mother's family. Smith also said her brother, Christopher, lives in Crivitz.
"It's a different way of life but he was ready for that," she said. "He didn't need the hustle and the bustle at 86 years old. He loved Wisconsin."
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Kaiser Daily Global Health Policy Report
Congressional Negotiations Continue Over Zika Funding As CDC Reports 6 U.S. Cases Of Birth Defects Linked To Virus
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The Atlantic: Will Congress Reach an Agreement on Zika?
“In the nearly four months since the Obama administration issued its $1.9 billion Zika funding request, congressional lawmakers have publicly bickered over each chamber’s response to the virus. This week, select members met formally for the very first time to begin reconciling their dueling ideas. But after a brief session on Wednesday, the end of the debate is not yet in sight — and lawmakers are running out of time…” (Kelly, 6/16).
POLITICO: Zika messaging campaigns stalled by funding flux
“It’s hard to communicate about a potential Zika outbreak as public health experts struggle to learn about the virus and must beg for money from Congress, which is ‘not yet acting as though this is a serious problem,’ said Georges C. Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association…” (Holloman, 6/16).
Roll Call: Zika Deal in the Works as CDC Reports Virus-Linked Birth Defects
“House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy said Thursday the chamber may vote on a conference report addressing a response to the Zika virus outbreak next week if Senate and House negotiators produce a final package. … The comments came as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported three babies had been born in the U.S. with birth defects linked to Zika, and that three more had been lost to miscarriages or aborted because of the defects. All of the cases were connected to travel to regions with outbreaks of the mosquito-borne virus…” (6/16).
Wall Street Journal: Zika Virus Tied to Birth Defects in 6 Babies, Fetuses in U.S.
“…Overall, 234 pregnant women had tested positive for Zika infection in the U.S. as of June 9, according to the registry. More than half of the pregnancies are still under way, Denise Jamieson, co-lead of a pregnancy and birth-defects task force for the CDC’s Zika response, said in an interview…” (McKay, 6/16).
Washington Post: CDC: 6 pregnancies in Zika-infected women resulted in birth defects
“…The information released Thursday is the first time the agency has provided a total number of Zika-related birth defects since the start of the U.S. response earlier this year…” (Sun, 6/16).
Maternal, Newborn and Child Health
Programs, Funding & Financing
Treatment and Prevention Strategies
Search News Summaries For:
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Showing posts with label Canadian Provinces. Show all posts
We just learned about the Canadian territory of Nunavut.
Another Canadian territory is Yukon.
This territory has the smallest number of people of any province or territory, with only about 36,000 people in the whole territory.
It is up in the north west part of Canada, and borders with Alaska.
(from: wikipedia - yukon)
The Yukon flag is green for the forests, white for snow and blue for the lakes and rivers.
In the middle is the coat of arms, above a wreath of fireweed which is the flower of Yukon.
(from: wikipedia - flag of yukon)
The coat of arms has red mountains with gold discs, for the mountains in the area and the rich gold minerals in the area.
Above that is the red and white cross for England, with a disc in the middle showing a "vair" which is squirrel fur.
Above the shield is an Alaskan Malamute dog standing on snow.
(from: wikipedia - coat of arms of yukon)
The most popular job in Yukon is mining.
In 1897 there was a big rush of people called the Klondike Gold Rush, where people went into northern Canada looking for gold or other precious materials like silver or copper.
(from: wikipedia - klondike gold rush)
The highest mountain in Canada is Mount Logan, in Yukon.
(from: wikipedia - mount logan)
The lowest temperature ever in North America was at a town called Snag, where it got down to -81 F.
Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Karakoram
Labels: Canadian Provinces, Maps, North America
We just learned about the Canadian Territory of the Northwest Territories.
Another Canadian Territory is Nunavut.
This is the newest territory in Canada, and was separated from the Northwest Territories in 1999.
It is the largest territory, and the northernmost.
(from: wikipedia - nunavut map)
The flag of Nunavut has gold on the left and white on the right, with a red inuksk in the middle, and a blue star in the upper right hand corner.
The blue and gold are for the riches of land, sea and sky, and the red is for Canada.
The inuksuk is a stone monument that was used by the First Nation Canadian people long ago to guide travelers.
The blue star is for the north star.
(from: wikipedia - flag of nunavut)
The coat of arms of Nunavut has a blue and gold round shield in the middle and pictures of the sun, the north star, a stone lamp, and an inuksuk.
Above that is an igloo for the old life of the native people.
There is a caribou on the left, and a narwhal on the right for the natural life and survival.
Below them are plants, arctic poppies, dwarf fireweed, arctic heather, and an iceberg.
The words at the bottom are say "Our Land, Our Strength" in the Nunavut Sannginivut language.
(from: wikipedia - coat of arms of nunavut)
The first English travelers to ever meet an Inuit person were in 1576 in Nunavut.
(from: wikipedia - nunavut)
The northernmost city in Canada is called Alert. It is about 500 miles from the North Pole.
There are only 62 people living there!
(from: wikipedia - alert, nunavut)
The place in Canada with the lowest average temperature is called Eureka.
(from: wikipedia - eureka, nunavut)
Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Himalayas
We just learned about the Prince Edward Island.
Canada has provinces and territories, which are a lot like the provinces.
One of the provinces is Northwest Territories which is in the northern part of Canada.
The name for this territory in the native Inuktitut means "beautiful land."
This is a very cold territory, with temperatures getting as low as -40 F.
The territory used to be almost all of Canada, but then it was divided up more and more into the other provinces.
(from: wikipedia - northwest territories)
The flag is blue with a white stripe in the middle.
The white is for snow and ice, and the blue is for water.
In the middle is the coat of arms of the Northwest Territories.
(from: wikipedia - flag of northwest territories)
The crest has two golden narwhals on top with a compass rose in the middle.
Below them is a white strip with a wavy blue line in the middle that is for the Northwest Passage.
Below that on the left is a green background for the forest and gold rectangles for the gold mines.
On the right is red for the tundra, and a white fox for the fur hunting.
(from: wikipedia - coat of arms of the northwest territories)
The Great Slave Lake is in Northwest Territories, and it is the deepest lake in North America.
(from: wikipedia - great slave lake)
There is an ice road on the Great Slave Lake that is used when the lake freezes over.
There are many mines in the Northwest Territories, like the Diavik Diamond mine in Lac de Gras.
(from: wikipedia - diavik diamond mine)
Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Shisapangma
We just learned about the Canadian Province of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Another Canadian province is Prince Edward Island, also called PEI.
The province is known mostly for it's farming, and makes about 25% of the country's potatoes.
It is made up of one big island and 231 smaller islands.
(from: wikipedia - prince edward island)
The flag of PEI has the English lion on it for Prince Edward, and an island with three small oak saplings for the three counties of PEI, and a big oak tree for Great Britain.
(from: wikipedia - flag of prince edward island)
The coat of arms of PEI has a shield with lion for England, over the oak saplings for the island counties and the large oak for Great Britain.
Above the shield is a blue jay holding a sprig of red oak.
On either side are silver foxes, which were farmed for their fur in PEI, and they are also thought to be very wise.
One fox is wearing a fishing net, and the other one is wearing potato blossoms.
Below the shield is a blue Mi'kmag star for the sun, with roses for England, lilies for France, thistles for Scotland, shamrocks for Ireland and Lady's Slippers for PEI.
The motto is Parva sub ingenti which means "the small under the protection of the great".
(from: wikipedia - coat of arms of prince edward island)
The land of PEI is known for its natural beauty, red dirt and red rock.
There is an 8 mile long bridge connecting PEI to New Brunswick.
It is the longest bridge over icy waters.
(from: wikipedia - confederation bridge)
Charlottetown is the largest city in PEI, known for it's harbor and fishing.
(from: wikipedia - charlottetown)
Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Gasherbrum II
We just learned about the Canadian province is New Brunswick.
Another Canadian province is Newfoundland and Labrador.
This is the province in the most north and east part of the province.
The Newfoundland part of the province gets its name from the Portuguese explorers, and the Labrador gets its name from the Portuguese explorer João Fernandes Lavrador.
(from: wikipedia - newfoundland and labrador)
The flag of this province is blue, white, red and yellow, and is shaped like the union jack flag of Great Britain.
On the left side, the blue is for the sea, and the white is for the snow and ice.
On the right side, the red white is for the struggle of the people, and the gold is for their confidence in the future.
(from: wikipedia - flag of newfoundland and labrador)
The coat of arms of this province has a caribou at the top, above a shield with the lion and unicorn for England and Scotland.
On the left and right of the shield are Beothuk people, who are the indigenous people of Newfoundland.
At the bottom is the motto Quaerite prime Regnum Dei, which is from the Bible Matthew 6:33, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God."
(from: wikipedia - coat of arms of newfoundland and labrador)
St. John's is a big city in Newfoundland, where they have the oldest annual regatta in North America.
It also has Cabot Tower, where the first wireless message was sent across the Atlantic Ocean.
And there is a row of colorful houses that is nicknamed Jelly Bean Row.
(from: wikipedia - st. john's, newfoundland and labrador)
Long ago when the Norse people came into Newfoundland, they lived in what are called Sod Houses, meaning that they lived underneath dirt houses covered in grass.
(from: wikipedia - l'anse aux meadows)
Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Broad Peak
We just learned about the Nova Scotia.
Another Canadian Province is New Brunswick.
It is on the east coast of Canada, right by Nova Scotia.
(from: wikipedia - new brunswick)
The flag of New Brunswick has a gold lion on a red background, above a picture of a viking ship with a yellow background, sailing on blue and white striped water.
(from: wikipedia - flag of new brunswick)
The coat of arms of New Brunswick has a leaping fish called a salmon, sitting on a golden helmet with maple leaves and St. Edward's crown. These are all pictures meaning royalty.
Below that is a shield with the flag of New Brunswick on it.
Under the shield are purple violets, and a fern called the fiddlehead.
Next to the shield are white tailed deer wearing collars made of beads from the Maliseet native people, and they have badges for both the United Kingdom and France.
The motto at the bottom is "Spem reduxit" which means "It has restored hope".
(from: wikipedia - coat of arms of new brunswick)
There is a small island in New Brunswick called Miscou Island that has a three story light house, built in 1856.
(from: wikipedia - miscou island lighthouse)
One group of French settlers in Canada are known as the Acadians.
Many Acadiants were forced to leave Canada and go live in the southern part of the United States, but some Acadians still live in New Brunswick.
They have holidays to remember the Acadian people, and they wave around noisemakers called tintamarre during parades.
(from: wikipedia - tintamarre)
Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Gasherbrum I
We just learned about the Canadian province of Saskatchewan.
Another Canadian province is Nova Scotia which means "New Scotland".
This is an island province on the east coast of Canada, right on the ocean.
(from: wikipedia - nova scotia)
The flag of Nova Scotia is a white flag with a blue cross on it.
This is supposed to look like the flag of Scotland, which is a blue flag with a white cross on it.
In the middle of the Nova Scotia flag is a gold shield with a red lion, which is the royal arms of Scotland.
(from: wikipedia - flag of nova scotia)
The coat of arms of Nova Scotia has two hands on it that are shaking hands, one of the hands has a metal gauntlet.
Part of Nova Scotia's history was making peace with the Native Mi'Kmaq people that lived there.
By the hands are leaves from a thistle and a laurel, meaning strong defense but also peace.
The coat of arms also has the province flag, a unicorn for Scotland, and a Mi'kmaq First Nation native.
The motto is "Munit haec et altera vincit" which means "One hand defends and the other conquers"
(from: wikipedia - coat of arms of nova scotia)
Because it is an island province, fishing is one of the most important jobs there, and they are one of the largest catcher of lobsters in the world.
(from: wikipedia - halifax, nova scotia)
Cape Breton is a small island that is part of Nova Scotia.
(from: wikipedia - cape breton island)
Sable Island is nother very small island in Nova Scotia, and it is only 150 miles long!
On this island are about 500 wild horses, that just run free on the island where nobody lives.
(from: wikipedia - sable island)
Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Annapurna Massif
We just learned about the Canadian province of Manitoba.
The next most populated Canadian province is Saskatchewan.
Saskatchewan is in the southern middle part of Canada, just west of Manitoba.
The name comes from an old cree name for the river, meaning "swift flowing river".
This province gets more sunshine than any other province, and has the record for the hottest temperature in all of Canada, at 113 degrees F.
(from: wikipedia - saskatchewan)
The flag of Saskatchewan has the coat of arms in the upper left, and the province flower of the western red lily in the bottom right.
The upper green half is for the forests, and the bottom gold half is for the prairie wheat fields.
(from: wikipedia - flag of saskatchewan)
The coat of arms for Saskatchewan has a lion for England, some wheat for the farms, Canada's national animal the beaver, a western red lily for the province, a white tailed deer, and a maple leaf.
The province motto is "Multis e gentibus vires" which means "from many peoples, strength"
(from: wikipedia - coat of arms of saskatchewan)
A famous Native American named Sitting Bull moved to Saskatchewan after the famous Battle of Little Bighorn, and had a family there for a while.
(from: wikipedia - sitting bull)
Hockey is the most popular sport in Saskatchewan, and many famous hockey players came from there, including Gordie Howe.
(from: wikipedia - gordie howe)
Moose Jaw is one of the largest cities in Saskatchewan, where they have a giant statue of Mac the Moose.
(from: wikipedia - mac the moose)
Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Nanga Parbat
We just learned about the province of Alberta.
The next biggest province in Canada is Manitoba.
It is in the southern part, right in the middle, above North Dakota and Minnesota.
(from: wikipedia - manitoba)
The flag for the province is the flag called the red ensign, with the coat of arms also on it.
The red ensign is a flag used by the United Kingdom, and has the flag of Great Britain in the corner on top of a red background.
Long ago the flag for all of Canada looked like the Red Ensign, but then in 1965 Canada changed their national flag to be the maple leaf.
The people of Manitoba wanted to keep the red ensign as a flag to show that they still liked the United Kingdom, so they made it the flag of their province.
(from: wikipedia - flag of manitoba)
The seal of the province shows that many people came from Britain, and also some things from local Canada.
At the top is the cross of St. George for England, and the bottom has the bison on a rock with a green background for the nature of Canada.
(from: wikipedia - coat of arms of manitoba)
The arctic temperatures in Manitoba are perfect for many polar bears to live there.
(from: wikipedia - polar bear)
Winnipeg the capital of Manitoba, has a museum called the Canadian Museum for Human Rights.
(from: wikipedia - canadian museum for human rights)
There is an old fort in Churchill called the Prince of Wales Fort
(from: wikipedia - prince of wales fort)
Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Manaslu
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Goldman Sachs - Global Macroeconomic Outlook 2016: Jan Hatzius
Jan Hatzius, chief economist at Goldman Sachs, expects a small uptick in global growth in 2016 and further improvements in developed labor markets. Emerging markets will remain a mixed bag, with more deceleration ahead for China.
Company: Goldman SaCHS Date added: 21-12-2015
Categories: Economic Outlook
Goldman Sachs Jan Hatzius
Jan is the firm's chief economist. He joined Goldman Sachs in the Frankfurt office in 1997 and transferred to New York in 1999. Jan was named managing director in 2004 and partner in 2008.
Prior to joining Goldman Sachs, Jan was a research officer at the London School of Economics. He has won numerous forecasting prizes and is a two-time winner (2009 and 2011) of the Lawrence R. Klein Award by Blue Chip Economic Indicators, Inc. for the most accurate US economic forecast over the prior four years, a period including the global financial crisis. Jan is a member of the economic advisory panels of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and the Congressional Budget Office.
Jan earned a doctorate in Economics from Oxford University. He also earned degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Kiel Institute for the World Economy.
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Blake Griffin will miss two months as the injury bug continues to hit Clippers
Clippers forward Blake Griffin battles Lakers forward Larry Nance Jr. for position at Staples Center on Nov. 27.
(Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)
By Broderick TurnerStaff Writer
Blake Griffin and the Clippers got a bit of good news amid the bad they received Tuesday when they found out that their power forward had sustained a sprained medial collateral ligament injury to his left knee.
Of course that was the bad news, because Griffin could be out up to two months with his latest injury that occurred in Monday night’s game against the Lakers at Staples Center.
But if there was a bright side, it was that the MRI Griffin got Tuesday revealed no structural damage to his knee.
Still, if the eight weeks timetable holds true for Griffin’s recovery, he could miss up to 29 games and possibly not return until the last week in January.
That now essentially means that the Clippers are without four starters, putting them in an obviously tough predicament.
Starting guard Patrick Beverley had season-ending surgery last week for a meniscus injury to his right knee and he also had a microfracture procedure to the knee.
Starting guard Milos Teodosic has been out since the second game of the season with an injury to the plantar fascia in his left foot and is not expected back until after Christmas.
Starting small forward Danilo Gallinari has missed the last 10 games with a strained left glute and his return remains uncertain.
“Listen, you don’t want injuries,” Clippers coach Doc Rivers said after his team defeated the Lakers. “And when you have them, you just got to pull within and see if you can steal each game. That’s where we’re at right now. Every game is a game that we have to try to get and that’s where we’re at.”
Griffin was injured in the fourth quarter of the Clippers’ victory over the Lakers on a freak play involving Lonzo Ball and Austin Rivers with 4:53 left in the game in which all three were chasing a loose ball.
Ball had dribbled around Rivers and into the lane. He lost control of the basketball, tried to retrieve it and unintentionally lowered his shoulder into Griffin, knocking him over.
As Rivers was converging on the play, he fell into Griffin’s left knee, twisting his leg to the floor.
Griffin fell onto his back in pain, making Rivers say to his coaches immediately on the sideline that, “It didn’t look good.”
But Griffin, who finished e with 26 points, 11 rebounds and six assists, played for a minute longer, limping up and down the court.
Finally, with 3:53 left, Doc Rivers pulled his power forward out of the game and he headed to the locker room.
“I saw his leg go in,” Doc Rivers said. “Then when he switched, it was back-to-back plays. He just couldn’t move, so we had to get him out of the game.”
Griffin was starting to take his play to a higher level in the last three games.
He had a triple-double in a win over the Atlanta Hawks, made the game-winning shot in the victory over the Sacramento Kings and was a force in the win over the Lakers before the injury.
Griffin leads the Clippers in scoring (23.6 points per game) and assists (5.1), and is second in rebounds (7.9).
But Griffin, who had played in the first 19 games, will not reach his goal of playing in all 82 regular-season games.
He missed 18 games last season after having right knee surgery and he missed the final four first-round playoff games against the Utah Jazz because of an injury to the plantar plate of his right big toe.
Despite those medical issues, the Clippers stuck with Griffin, making him their franchise player, signing him to a five-year, $173-million extension last summer.
But again, the Clippers, who’ll probably start Sam Dekker in place of Griffin, will be without their best player for an extended period of time.
“We all know it’s going to be an uphill battle,” center DeAndre Jordan said Monday night. “We have injuries and nine new guys, but that still can’t be an excuse. We still have to come out here and compete and try to win games.”
broderick.turner@latimes.com
Twitter: @BA_Turner
Broderick Turner
Broderick Turner is the Los Angeles Times’ beat reporter for the Los Angeles Clippers.
Natalie Nakase continues to climb in the Clippers organization
The Clippers trailed the Sacramento Kings by 10 at halftime of their fourth Las Vegas Summer League game, a chance to advance to the eight-team playoffs potentially on the line.
The Sports Report: Kawhi Leonard may not be a Clipper as long as we first thought
Howdy, my name is Houston Mitchell and it’s strange having no baseball on to watch in the middle of July.
Cliff Alexander is hoping for another NBA shot, maybe with the Clippers
Cliff Alexander thought he was on the path to NBA stardom in 2014.
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The Featherstone Millions
Posted on 1:22 AMby Lee Drew with No comments
Cuthbert Featherstone served as the Gentleman Usher to Queen Elizabeth I, and as such was her trusted friend. Cuthbert and his wife Katherine lived in London but the housing conditions in the city were poor and they eventually left their home in Chancery Lane. They purchased “Hassingbrook Hall”, an ancient manor near the banks of Hassinbrook at Stanford-le-Hope, twenty-five miles down stream from London. Their ability to purchase this estate indicates they had some measure of financial success.
Cuthbert died on 10 Dec. 1615 at the age of 78 and was buried at the old St. Dunstan-in-the-West. Katherine died in Nov. 1622 and was buried by him.
Cuthbert and Katherine had five known children. One of them, Henry, married (1) Mary Newman and (2) Katherine Heneage who was a descendant of one of Queen Elizabeth’s financial advisors and ministers, Sir Henry Henage. Their son, Heneage, began amassing the Featherstone fortune.
In February 1665, the plague began to claim thousands of lives in London. By September of that year, over almost one third of the 350,000 residents had died as a result of this dire illness. On the night of 12 September 1666, a fire started in one of the homes in the London wall. After burning for several days, it destroyed 395 acres of London and consumed over 13,000 homes. More than half of the population was left homeless.
The city was decimated by the plague and then by the horrendous fire. One person had a vision of the future that detailed a brighter future. Sir Heneage Featherstone, was a bright man, who had inherited his ancestors ability to handle money as well as his name. At the time of the fire and plague, he was 38 years of age and decided to start investing in the rebuilding of the city. His investments in reconstruction that leveraged his governmental contacts and skills started in the Old Fish Street and Finsbury Circus areas of the city.
The reconstruction breathed new life into the city and his wealth began to grow rapidly. When looking for the lost fortune, one must look at the land titles involved in this redevelopment effort. Land was not owned in what we now call fee simple, or out-and-out ownership. Rather, the land was owned by a party (often the crown) who leased it out for a stipulated period. These lease periods ranged from a few years or might extend to 999 years! Possibly some of the valuable lands may still legally be in the name of Sir Heneage Featherstone.
Sir Heneage and his wife Mary had ten children, the oldest of whom was Henry, born in 1654. Sir Henry grew in London witnessing the plague and fire and the rebuilding and growth instigated by his father, Sir Heneage. After his post-graduate studies he worked in investments and tenant properties and became fairly wealthy in his own right. Sadly, his wife, Anna Maria Williamson died with her unborn child in 1692. Sir Henry had inherited the wealth and properties of his father and added to them but did not have an heir for his vast estate. Many of his siblings were dead and he was childless. Looking about for another Featherstone willing to apprentice to him and become his heir, his eyes landed on Thomas Featherstone of Heatherye Cleugh from whence his great grandfather Cuthbert had migrated 150 years earlier.
Thomas came to live with Sir Henry, but his love for a local lass, Sarah Caine, overcame his loyalty to Sir Henry and he returned home. You can imagine the old man’s grief. He was 66 and had nor heir for the fortune who would protect the funds and continue to expand the influence of the family.
He looked back to Heatherye Cleugh again and this time found another possible heir in Matthew Featherstone who lived in the Featherstone Castle. Matthew was once High Sheriff of the North Country city of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and later served as the city’s Lord Mayor. Matthew was wealthy in his own right and had bought the castle back from the Earl of Carlisle.
Matthew descended from the same Heatherye Cleugh branch of the family that had produced Cuthbert the Elder and, almost too good to be true, had a son named Matthew who was of the right age to be an apprentice and heir for Sir Henry.
Young Matthew was born in 1711 and was in his early thirties at the time he moved to live with Sir Henry. In Sir Henry’s will, dated 22 Feb. 1745, with two codicils attached, Sir Henry disposed of some £20,000 in smaller legacies to relatives and various charities but left the majority of his accumulated wealth to his “ … esteemed friend Matthew Featherstone…of Crooked Lane, London.”
There are varying accounts of the total value of Sir Henry’s estate. May stories list it as £400,000. Yet there are persistent stories about immense properties in Essex and London that paled the initial assessment. Among the most believed is that the total estate came close to £16,000,000!
How much was the British Pound Sterling worth in the year 1746? If we take the word of American historians Will and Ariel Durant that British Pounds Sterling in those days roughly equaled fifty U. S. dollars, the sum total came to something like $800,000,000! And that was in 1746, many years before there were any U. S. dollars!
Matthew decided to live in the south of England and bought himself a title. On 24 December 1746, Matthew married Sarah Letheuiller. Sarah and Matthew purchased Uppark, which lies on the South Downs of Sussex in 1747. Sarah oversaw the expensive repairs to the old mansion and their son, Sir Harry was born there on 22 December 1754. Sir Matthew died on 24 March 1744 and Sarah died in December 1788.
Sir Harry was one of the wealthiest young men in England and was highly sought after by the young ladies and their mothers across the country. He continued adding to Uppark’s furnishings and grounds over the years. Sir Henry remained a bachelor until 12 September 1825 when he married Mary Ann Bullock, the daughter of of Uppark’s poulterer and park keeper. He was 71 and Mary was 20 at the time.
Sir Harry sent Mary to Paris to be educated and took Mary’s little sister, Frances, into Uppark as one of the family. It was thought that she might have been his illegitimate daughter. They lived a harmonious and happy life until Sir Harry’s death at the age of 92 on 24 October 1846.
Lady Mary Featherstone(haugh) continued to live at Uppark until her death in January 1874. The estate passed smoothly to her sister Frances who adopted the name Feathersonhaugh and lived on in the house. She arranged for her heir to be Colonel the Hon Keith Turnour. His son passed away before the Colonel and arrangements were made that Uppark should pass to the second surviving son of another friend and neighbor, Admiral of the Fleet the Earl of Clanwilliam. This was the hon. Herbert Meade, a young navy man of 20 who ultimately reached flag rank after a career of high distinction. Col. Turnour assumed the additional name of Fetherstonhaugh and lived at Uppark for thirty five years.
Admiral Sir Herbert Meade-Fetherstonhaugh and his family came to Uppark in 1931, lived there until 1968, and put it in the hands of Richard Meade-Fetherstonhaugh’s widow.
In 1954, the National Trust took over guardianship of Uppark as it has so many of England’s stately hold homes. In the late 1980’s, workmen under contract to repair the roof left a small fire burning while they downed tools for tea on the lawn. A blaze quickly spread and soon there was damage estimated to cost £20 million to repair. Uppark was not destroyed but it had taken body blows from which it would be difficult to recover.
The National Trust has performed heroic measures in restoring Uppark. It reflects a valued time in history and a remarkable recreation of the impeccable tastes and insights of that equally remarkable family of Featherstones.
Source: “The Featherstones of England”. by Elizabeth and Hans W. Meier
Technorati Tags: Featherstone,Genealogy
Posted in Featherstone, Genealogy
Blindly Following a Ghost Trail
Posted on 10:19 PMby Lee Drew with 3 comments
In 1991, I received a large wall pedigree chart from a man who asked for help in his ancestral quest. He hoped I’d be able to help him topple a brick wall in his ancestry because of the extent of my research into my surname.
In subsequent visits to the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, I poured through vital and town records hoping to find ‘the’ source that would extend his lineage back in time. Unfortunately, there wasn’t anything in any of the records that helped.
Flash forward nineteen years. I opened the chart in the semi-annual ritual established in the first year I’d had it in my possession. As usual, no new information has surfaced other than a photo of his tombstone that has been posted on Find-a-grave and on a family tree in Ancestry.com
There was never any doubt of his existence. The problem was the claims of his lineage.
The review of the current 113 family trees posted for him on Ancestry run true to form. All but a couple of them are wrong. Half boldly claim that his parents were one couple and the other half claim that they were another couple. The six that are correct are in that category because they don’t list his parents.
The trail of ants who have posted the wrong information need to be stopped in their tracks. None have sources. Apparently, none have done any original research. If they had, they would know that their claims were wrong. The town vital records prove that their claims are garbage. The four generations of Mayflower passenger books would puncture the rafts of baloney that they have cast on the waters. Even family history and less documented books would tell them to stop, backup and get their head in the correct orientation.
But alas, the team from Bug’s Life continues to pack their ‘nuggets’ while blindly following the south end of the ant in front of them. Because the nugget makes it an easy load to bear, others following them embrace it with gusto, spreading its false scent in ever widening circles.
A research note with today’s date is entered in my records (yet again), stating that regardless of the ‘new’ family trees being posted about this man, his lineage is still unknown. It will say where to find the photos of his headstone and where to find the records of his Revolutionary War service, but as much as I’d like it to, it won’t say who his parents were, where they lived or paint a lineage tree back to Adam and Eve.
Maybe the information will surface in six months during the next review of this record. I think I want to find his lineage as much as his descendants. I’ve been in the hunt for almost a score of years. Opening or closing the door in this quest would be a welcome event. Maybe, just maybe luck will be with us next time.
Technorati Tags: genealogy,false ancestry
Posted in False Ancestry, Genealogy
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Trump's Budget a First Step Toward De-Politicizing Science
By Tho Bishop
The Trump administration has released its proposed 2018 budget, and within it are some things worth cheering. Trump’s “America First budget” includes needed cuts to the regulatory state, defunds efforts to purchase more Federal land, eliminates funding for 19 minor government agencies, and makes significant cuts to a number of more significant ones — including the State Department, HUD, and Commerce. Unfortunately, the proposal also reflects the myth that America’s military is underfunded, calling for a $52 billion increase for the Pentagon and another $2.8 billion increase for Homeland Security. The budget also ignores America’s web of entitlement programs, the larger driver of the nation’s fiscal woes.
While the Trump budget, should it pass, would do little to change government spending as a whole, the targeted cuts would have a positive impact beyond the US debt clock. For example, the proposed cuts to the Energy Department, the EPA, and the National Institute of Health represent a significant step toward separating state and science.
Myths, Misunderstandings and Outright lies about owning Gold. Are you at risk?
It should go without saying that scientific research is a vital part of civilized society, allowing for technological breakthroughs that dramatically increase the quality of life for mankind as a whole. It is precisely because of its great importance that it should not be politicized by being influenced by politicians and government bureaucrats. The inherent problems of government’s inability to efficiently allocate scarce resources doesn’t change when the subject is science, so government research can suffer from the same issues of waste, fraud, and abuse that regularly haunt other programs.
The National Institute of Health, one of the areas most impacted by the Trump budget, provides a number of examples of such questionable research. As Senator Jeff Flake documented last year, the National Institute of Health dedicated millions to such pressing research as the impact of cocaine on bees, testing sex steroids on goldfish, and studying the appearance of Jesus on toast. In its own version of Washington Monument Syndrome, the NIH then came back to Congress asking for more funds to dedicate to actual public health concerns.
Waste at the NIH isn’t just a concern for economists and attention-seeking politicians, Dr. Michael Braken, at Yale University School of Public Health, has argued that 87.5 percent of the organization’s research is a waste.
For every 100 research projects, only half lead to published findings. Of those 50, half have significant design flaws, making their results unreliable. And of those 25, half are redundant or unnecessary because of previous work. That’s how you get to 12.5 percent.
Not only are the priorities of public research questionable, it can impact the science itself. We have seen this particularly in the case of climate science, one area which is targeted extensively in Trump’s budget.1
Earlier this year Dr. John Bates, a former NOAA scientist, documented how climate data was improperly handled. The purpose, as Bates states, was:
[to put a] thumb on the scales — in the documentation, scientific choices, and release of datasets — in an effort to discredit the notion of a global warming hiatus and rush to time the publication of the paper to influence national and international deliberations on climate policy.
Government-funded science was manipulated to push a government agenda.
Past administrations’ concerns with warming have also led to programs incentivizing “alternative energy” sources, which can lead to all sorts of bad investments by private companies seeking public subsidy. One of the most prominent examples was the failure of Solyndra, the solar panel company that went bankrupt after receiving billions from taxpayers. These programs also take a hit in Trump’s budget.
Cuts to government research programs, however, should only be the first step toward making American science great again. The second part should come in the form of cutting taxes to the wealthiest Americans and eliminating taxes on scientific investment. This is precisely what Murray Rothbard advocated in Science, Technology, and Government, and it would build upon a long-standing American tradition of wealthy Americans playing a pivotal role in scientific innovation.
While it’s fair to debate whether Elon Musk is closer to Howard Roark or James Taggart based on his use of government subsidies, his SpaceX program has demonstrated the potential of privatizing space exploration — and the efficiencies that come with it. For those concerned about private interest in research without explicitly profitable ends, last year private non-profits provided $2.3 billion to basic research.
While his proposed budget is a solid first step toward depoliticizing science, unfortunately, the increase in Pentagon spending means that military-related research will continue to enjoy the perks of government privilege. Resources that could have been dedicated to serving the wants and needs of the public will instead be allocated to building ever more expensive weapons for the world’s most powerful military (regardless of its actual performance).
As long as Trump continues to view the military-industrial complex as a sacred cow, he won’t make real progress in draining the swamp.
1.Whether Trump will tackle funding to ethanol producers is left unanswered in today’s proposal, though Trump supported the subsidies as a candidate. The program is great for Iowa corn farmers, but terrible for American cars.
The Best of Tho Bishop
Tho Bishop is the Media Coordinator at the Mises Institute.
Previous article by Tho Bishop: The Internal War in the Trump Administration
JFK and Trump
Trump Thinks Your Car’s Gas Mileage Is Your Business
Media Support of Antifa
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Addressing Ad Fraud
October 15, 2017 by Eric Berry
As a company that represents both advertisers and publishers, fraud is never in TripleLift’s interests. Unfortunately, ad fraud does not come from a single sort of entity, nor is it easy to detect, and has become pervasive enough in the industry that it is casting a pall over the entire digital advertising industry. That said there are several efforts underway in the industry that aim to mitigate many of the primary economic motivations for fraud.
The purpose of ad fraud is to make money for the fraudulent actor. One form of fraud has been to make money as though the seller is selling a legitimate publisher’s traffic when, in fact, it is not. This generally means finding a way to get paid for traffic from an intermediary that it can send fraudulent traffic to, and then faking the traffic. To get paid, fraudulent actors would find counterparties to pay them, such as ad exchanges, ad networks, or the like. In an ad exchange, for example, the malicious party could register a seat and start selling traffic for any domains – historically ad exchanges didn’t control who could sell what. A simple ad exchange might not validate any information about the party that registered the seat, so it could be organized crime, and might also not validate that they rightfully have access to the domains and apps that they’re selling. A DSP or ad network might assume that all parties on the exchange have been verified and buy any impression that says it is nytimes.com. The requests might have components changed – like fake location data could be added to add value given that buyers will pay more for impressions in certain areas, the app or domain could be changed to pretend to be more valuable, or the entire request could be forged. This ultimately steals money that the advertiser would have spent on valuable impressions, and steals money that would have gone to the publisher.
To combat the above forms of fraud, there are several concurrent efforts in the industry. The most discussed at the moment is ads.txt. It directly addresses the form of fraud where a malicious party attempts to sell another party’s inventory by enabling the publisher to explicitly denotes which exchanges – and which sellers on which exchanges – have the right to sell their inventory. While it was originally unclear that ads.txt would be successful, the prevalence of fraud and the incentives for both supply and demand have spurred rapid adoption. Google’s DBM, by far the largest DSP in the industry, has indicated that it will only buy from authorized sellers according to ads.txt, for all sellers that have ads.txt, in the not-too-distant future (important caveat – if a seller doesn’t have ads.txt, as most on AdSense won’t, the won’t be impacted). This will immediately remove economic incentives for sellers that pretend to have authorization to sell publisher’s inventory. Ads.txt is simple and efficient, though there is concern that it will cement the positions of strength of larger players by creating an extra layer of work for new partners.
Another tactic is the supply keys proposed in OpenRTB 3.0. This approach has a per-seller, per-impression encryption that uniquely ties metadata to that impression, along with the authorized seller. This is sent with the impression request to the exchange, and then passes through the OpenRTB request and response protocol. Implementation requires additional complexity generating encrypted values on a per-impression basis. The technology has the theoretical ability to ensure that the complete set of information is accurate with each impression, to the extent that the client that generated the information is also accurate, such as users, geo, and sellers. That said, when a publisher has limited the scope of eligible sellers based on ads.txt, the additional verification afforded by the OpenRTB 3.0 encryption would be against fraud by an approved reseller. Thus this method may not address a large percentage of the fraud that might remain. This does effectively protect against repeated calls just to the ad tag, which do not originate from a client.
Another form of fraud is publishers themselves that may seek to inflate their impression counts through illicit means. An example might be a publisher that creates a website, steals third party content, then creates AdSense tags (or any other self-service exchange) to their page. These publishers get paid when visitors view their sites, so they try to create fake visitors using bots or similar tactics. Neither ads.txt nor the OpenRTB 3.0 encryption are effective in combatting bots. Ads.txt isn’t effective because the publisher would be incentivized to include any reseller in its ads.txt – especially if it’s selling the traffic it worked to fraudulently generate, or simply not use ads.txt. The encryption fails to address this form of fraud because the impressions are likely generated at the publisher level, meaning if the publisher employs this encryption with the request – the encrypted values will be included as the request is likely originating from a client. But the publisher is unlikely to employ this technology.
Bots that create fraudulent traffic are either hosted on servers at data centers, or are part of toolbars or other client-side software that can generate fake requests. In the case of data-center-based requests, part of the TAG fraud requirements are that vendors block all data center IPs – this is also standard for most exchanges in any event. Detecting client-side software, or non-data-center-hosted bots can be more challenging. The easiest way to avoid these, in general, is for buyers to simply use a whitelist of sites that they know aren’t bad actors. Beyond that, vendors like WhiteOps and DoubleVerify have developed software to analyze and detect bots. This includes analysis like detecting whether the IP browses the web 24 hours a day, whether their usage patterns follow expected patterns, whether the browser updates based on expected patterns, etc. There are other vendors like SafeGraph that monitor global location patterns, such as whether users tend to jump around at impossible rates, to detect likely fraudulent location behavior.
October 15, 2017 /Eric Berry
Ad Fraud, OpenRTB, Ads.txt
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ID Consortium Consolidation
June 24, 2018 by Eric Berry
The identity consortia are consolidating. Why? What does this mean? What impact will it have? We discuss this in much more detail.
June 24, 2018 /Eric Berry
IAB, Cookies, AppNexus, The Trade Desk, DigiTrust, Identity
Ad Tech Layoffs
November 06, 2016 by Eric Berry
Rubicon Project recently laid off roughly 20% of its workforce. This comes on the heels of AppNexus laying off 13% and Pubmatic a similar amount. Each of these companies makes most of their money on the supply side. What's the take home here?
First, each company has a public-facing rationale. These are enhanced with PR spin, but they're interesting to explore nonetheless.
- Rubicon stated that it missed the header bidding wave, and that header bidding in turn will cause certain headwinds for the organization. Further, the buyer and seller clouds will be unified. Also, noteworthy, it is expecting a negative year-over-year growth for Q4.
- Pubmatic saw a small number of clients driving most of their revenue, allowing them to lay off the people that serviced the less profitable client - and thus be more profitable by focusing on their areas of profitability
- AppNexus cited the company merging its buy- and sell-side businesses into a single organization.
Themes include re-consolidating a supply / demand dichotomy that had previously existed in the organization, increasing profitability, and - implicitly - increasing profits per employee. Of the three, Rubicon is the only public company. Its revenue and profitability have been relatively stagnant and its share price has gone from 19 at its IPO, to under 6.5. AppNexus is likely planning to IPO next year, and Pubmatic's future is unknown.
The public markets have not been terribly kind to ad tech companies, but The Trade Desk and Criteo have been notable exceptions. Criteo has a unique value proposition and should be considered separately. The Trade Desk has incredibly high profits per employee, a pattern of regular growth, and consistent profitability. It appears that each of the above three moves - at least to some degree - is focused on increasing the profitability of the company in question.
Public market companies trade based on a number of factors, but one of the most important is the P/E ratio. This is price / earnings. The higher the P/E, loosely speaking, the more investors believe in the future growth of the company. Different industry sectors, to some degree, will have different ranges of eligible P/E ratios applied to them based on investor sentiments about that industry. Companies within that industry will be found variously across that range based on their profitability and the characteristics of that company. For example, mining companies may be between 3 and 5 P/E, with those having the best management, the best mines, etc, trading closer to 5.
Real-time bidding was brand new a decade ago and represented the future of the digital ad ecosystem. Indeed, that's where spend went. Companies grew aggressively and spent heavily on marketing and personnel - largely to grab marketshare. But the second derivative of the growth in RTB generally is negative. This means companies are starting to pull back from the drive for market share at all costs - to a drive for for profitability. Each of the moves above, their publicly stated reasons notwithstanding, are a direct move to enhance their profitability and thus improve their market cap.
This can also be seen as an admission that we are at a new point in the lifecycle of RTB. It is no longer brand new. Simply being a standard-bearer for RTB alone does not bring sufficient growth to be considered "high growth" and thus justify irresponsible spending. Companies must either be breaking new ground and actually growing very quickly (e.g. native!) or focusing on steady, predictable growth with respectable profit margins.
November 06, 2016 /Eric Berry
Rubicon, AppNexus, Pubmatic
AppNexus and The Trade Desk S-1s
July 03, 2016 by Eric Berry
Recently, there were reports that AppNexus and The Trade Desk were on the verge of filing their S1s (https://adexchanger.com/ad-exchange-news/s1s-expected-soon-appnexus-trade-desk/). What is the significance of this news? What does it mean for us and the industry?
We've previously discussed what it means to IPO (What Does It Mean to IPO). This included conversations around public v private company regulations, as well as the process. That discussion was largely phrased from TripleLift's perspective. Filing an S1 is the initial securities registration with the SEC (the securities regulation agency in the US). When you file your S1, you submit for comment from the SEC information about your business, disclosures, risk factors - all the things a reasonable public investor might want to know, all of which is then publicly available. Here's a copy of Google's: http://bit.ly/29cdeaq, Rocketfuel: http://bit.ly/29nSpJF, Tremor Video: http://bit.ly/29fCrCb. They're pretty interesting and revealing.
The efficient market hypothesis states that public securities are priced to perfectly incorporate all publicly available information, and effectively that pricing is devoid of emotion. This is, entertainingly, both a presumption in the federal courts (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basic_Inc._v._Levinson) and largely incorrect - even the weakest form (http://www.investopedia.com/terms/w/weakform.asp). This derives from two different perspectives: 1) the US courts want to ensure that all material information can reach the public markets so that investors could use that information to make a decision, which is a noble goal, and 2) the markets are gonna do what the markets are gonna do, which often means not being "efficient," but instead of having moods.
In the current environment, IPOs for tech companies have not been received well. There was no "efficient" answer for this, it was just a cyclical thing that the investors were spooked by a few ideas, including a lot of unicorn bubble talk, fears about China's declining economic growth, oil prices, etc. Because every company IPOs precisely once (unless blah blah blah), no one would want to do it in a market that wasn't receptive. Recently, however, a brave soul (Twilio Inc.) decided to go public. Twilio is a telephony-based tech company, and its IPO was a smash success. People look at the first day's results, its first several months, and how it performs relative to projected earnings for the first few quarters. For Twilio - so far so good (initially priced at $15, currently at $34).
Ad tech is also in a bit of a slump. A lot of the companies that have IPO'd did not do well in the public markets, including RocketFuel, Tremor, Yume, Millenal (now AOL/Verizon) and several more. A couple others did well enough, including Criteo and Rubicon (to a much lesser degree) - but there was more bad than good for ad tech. These mediocre IPOs were often after raising a ton of VC money, in many cases less than the market value. This trickled down into the VC world, meaning VCs thought the IPO market wouldn't necessarily welcome ad tech, which meant it would be hard for them to turn a profit, which meant they would be less likely to invest.
All this gets to the point that AppNexus and The Trade Desk just filed their S1s. These are two good companies. The Trade Desk is probably the largest independent (meaning not Google) buy-side platform, and AppNexus may have the most money flowing through its platform of any independent (also meaning not Google) ad tech company. The fact that both of these companies are on the verge of filing their S1s means that they are seriously considering going public. It is quite expensive to prepare, revise, and repeat to the level that the SEC needs, and almost always means the company will - when they're ready and have the prospectus and buyers lined up - actually go public. So one can imagine that two strong ad tech companies will IPO at some point in the next several months (timeframe TBD).
This will have a positive cascading effect through the industry. It will show that the public markets are ready for tech IPOs again. It will show (hopefully) that ad tech companies can be legitimate, successful, public companies. It will show to other ad tech companies that the market is increasingly receptive, which may lead to more solid ad tech companies filing IPOs. And it will show to VCs that ad tech should be considered ripe for investment.
July 03, 2016 /Eric Berry
IPO, AppNexus, The Trade Desk, SEC
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The Glory of Plodding
by Kevin DeYoung
It’s sexy among young people—my generation—to talk about ditching institutional religion and starting a revolution of real Christ-followers living in real community without the confines of church. Besides being unbiblical, such notions of churchless Christianity are unrealistic. It’s immaturity actually, like the newly engaged couple who think romance preserves the marriage, when the couple celebrating their golden anniversary know it’s the institution of marriage that preserves the romance. Without the God-given habit of corporate worship and the God-given mandate of corporate accountability, we will not prove faithful over the long haul.
What we need are fewer revolutionaries and a few more plodding visionaries. That’s my dream for the church—a multitude of faithful, risktaking plodders. The best churches are full of gospel-saturated people holding tenaciously to a vision of godly obedience and God’s glory, and pursuing that godliness and glory with relentless, often unnoticed, plodding consistency.
My generation in particular is prone to radicalism without followthrough. We have dreams of changing the world, and the world should take notice accordingly. But we’ve not proved faithful in much of anything yet. We haven’t held a steady job or raised godly kids or done our time in VBS or, in some cases, even moved off the parental dole. We want global change and expect a few more dollars to the ONE campaign or Habitat for Humanity chapter to just about wrap things up. What the church and the world needs, we imagine, is for us to be another Bono—Christian, but more spiritual than religious and more into social justice than the church. As great as it is that Bono is using his fame for some noble purpose, I just don’t believe that the happy future of the church, or the world for that matter, rests on our ability to raise up a million more Bonos (as at least one author suggests). With all due respect, what’s harder: to be an idolized rock star who travels around the world touting good causes and chiding governments for their lack of foreign aid, or to be a line worker at GM with four kids and a mortgage, who tithes to his church, sings in the choir every week, serves on the school board, and supports a Christian relief agency and a few missionaries from his disposable income?
Until we are content with being one of the million nameless, faceless church members and not the next globe-trotting rock star, we aren’t ready to be a part of the church. In the grand scheme of things, most of us are going to be more of an Ampliatus (Rom. 16:8) or Phlegon (v. 14) than an apostle Paul. And maybe that’s why so many Christians are getting tired of the church. We haven’t learned how to be part of the crowd. We haven’t learned to be ordinary. Our jobs are often mundane. Our devotional times often seem like a waste. Church services are often forgettable. That’s life. We drive to the same places, go through the same routines with the kids, buy the same groceries at the store, and share a bed with the same person every night. Church is often the same too—same doctrines, same basic order of worship, same preacher, same people. But in all the smallness and sameness, God works—like the smallest seed in the garden growing to unbelievable heights, like beloved Tychicus, that faithful minister, delivering the mail and apostolic greetings (Eph. 6:21). Life is usually pretty ordinary, just like following Jesus most days. Daily discipleship is not a new revolution each morning or an agent of global transformation every evening; it’s a long obedience in the same direction.
It’s possible the church needs to change. Certainly in some areas it does. But it’s also possible we’ve changed—and not for the better. It’s possible we no longer find joy in so great a salvation. It’s possible that our boredom has less to do with the church, its doctrines, or its poor leadership and more to do with our unwillingness to tolerate imperfection in others and our own coldness to the same old message about Christ’s death and resurrection. It’s possible we talk a lot about authentic community but we aren’t willing to live in it.
The church is not an incidental part of God’s plan. Jesus didn’t invite people to join an anti-religion, anti-doctrine, anti-institutional bandwagon of love, harmony, and re-integration. He showed people how to live, to be sure. But He also called them to repent, called them to faith, called them out of the world, and called them into the church. The Lord “didn’t add them to the church without saving them, and he didn’t save them without adding them to the church” (John Stott).
“Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things” (1 Cor. 13:7). If we truly love the church, we will bear with her in her failings, endure her struggles, believe her to be the beloved bride of Christ, and hope for her final glorification. The church is the hope of the world—not because she gets it all right, but because she is a body with Christ for her Head.
Don’t give up on the church. The New Testament knows nothing of churchless Christianity. The invisible church is for invisible Christians. The visible church is for you and me. Put away the Che Guevara t-shirts, stop the revolution, and join the rest of the plodders. Fifty years from now you’ll be glad you did.
The Church, Practical Theology, Christianity and Culture
Rev. Kevin DeYoung is senior pastor of Christ Covenant Church in Matthews, N.C., and associate professor of systematic theology at Reformed Theological Seminary in Charlotte, N.C. He is author of many books, including Just Do Something.
More from Kevin DeYoung
Love for the Big and the Small
Blame It on Babylon
Heresy of the Free Spirit
Apostolic Anxiety
All Resources by Kevin DeYoung
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Home > Nintendo DS
6 Lukie Points will be rewarded to you when you buy this.
On Sale:$5.97
In Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes, calamity strikes as the Joker forms as alliance with Lex Luther. The result is a uniting of the world's greatest villains from across the DC Comics universe, hell bent on tearing down Gotham City, brick by brick. Thankfully Batman and Robin are able to form their own unit for good with members of the Justice League. Additional heroes available in the game include Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, and many more. The game features a wealth of heroes and villains, an engrossing storyline, in-game dialog, classic LEGO video game play that includes a co-op support, family-friendly action and in-game gadgets, vehicles and super hero abilities.
DS_LEGO_BATMAN_2
Couldn't have asked for a better price, service and fun game for the great grandson. He loves Lukie Games for his choices and he is 7 and has been playing the PlayStation2, DSL, and GameBoy since he was 3 and all his games have come from Lukie Games.
Reviewed by: Dovie Morris from Ingram, Texas on 6/19/2015
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LYNN O'BRIEN
Music for Events >
Custom Songs
Lynn is an amazing improviser whose canon of music is gigantic;
her influences range from folk to jazz, blues to hip hop, musical theatre to classical.
To say the very least she is a musical world unto herself."
-The Whole Time Improv Group
music for events
Lynn O’Brien is an award-winning vocalist, keynote performer, songwriter and improviser with a clear mission: to empower the soul. Her music blends genres like folk, blues, jazz and R&B. With a powerful, dynamic voice and an authentic, interactive performance style, Lynn possesses an uncanny ability to connect with audiences of all kinds. Her work is influenced by many years of performing, recording and work as a board-certified music therapist in hospital settings. She has performed internationally and collaborated with artists across various mediums, from belly dancers to book authors to Bobby McFerrin himself. Lynn's latest album RISING features original songs about claiming personal power while navigating change.
Wondering about upcoming performances or recordings?
Join me online.
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New congregation to reopen Fritchley church with First World War event
Ed Dingwall
After a residents’ campaign saved Fritchley’s historic church from a potential sale, the building will reopen later this month with a special First World War centenary event.
The Grade II listed congregationalist church closed just over a year ago after services became sporadic and attendances dwindled.
The Congregational Federation, which owns the building, was thought to be exploring options to sell it, much to the dismay of residents who used the attached hall as a community space.
After a number of residents expressed interest in forming a new congregation, the federation agreed to reopen the church as of May 19.
Ian Chinn, 53, who moved to the village 18 months ago and is now the community-church liaison, said: “Everyone is very pleased. We’ve had so much interest in joining the congregation, and the hall is almost fully booked again for when it opens.
“It has taken about a year to first convince the federation that the church had a future, and then to raise money for all the necessary maintenance works and safety checks.”
The church will initially host one service a month, led by a member of the clergy travelling from Nottingham, and that could increase if the church proves sustainable.
Ian said: “I’m particularly pleased, as my family has been part of the Congregational Church since the 1800s.
“Several people moved to a recent housing development nearby because they thought there was an established church here too.”
Many residents have been busy cleaning the hall and getting things ready, and the project has also been backed with a grant from Ripley Town Council for new furniture.
The reopening will be celebrated with an event which marks 100 years since the village’s soldiers returned from the First World War.
Ian said: “There is a plaque just inside the door of the church which lists the 24 soldiers from Fritchley who went to fight, and the 20 who returned. The date of their return was May 19, 1919.
“We did some research and discovered that the church held a similar service on that day, so we are effectively recreating it. It should be a fantastic draw to bring people back into the building.”
Dangerous drink-driver jailed for five years after causing the death of north Derbyshire dad
The church hall will host an exhibition of First World War history starting at 1pm, while Crich Brass perform on the village green.
At 4pm, the Rev Stella Wallace-Tween and Fritchley Choir will lead the service, followed by an afternoon tea.
Motorcyclist who died in Derbyshire crash named
This is where mobile speed cameras will be located in Derbyshire from Wednesday, July 17 - in pictures.
Appeal to trace red Range Rover involved in Via Gellia collision
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Tech Museum Awards honor low-tech solutions to…
Tech Museum Awards honor low-tech solutions to big problems
(HD Video) Randy Wang prepares to show off his idea, Digital StudyHall (cq) at the Tech Awards. The Tech Museum of Innovation kicks off its annual awards ceremony at the McEnery Convention Center in San Jose on Nov. 12, 2008. The Tech Awards recognizes individuals and organizations that are using technology in innovative ways to help solve global challenges. Gary Reyes/Mercury News)
(HD Video) Andy Schroeter of Sunlabob Renewable Energy makes a pitch for his solar light at the Tech Awards. The Tech Museum of Innovation kicks off its annual awards ceremony at the McEnery Convention Center in San Jose on Nov. 12, 2008. The Tech Awards recognizes individuals and organizations that are using technology in innovative ways to help solve global challenges. Gary Reyes/Mercury News)
(HD Video) Elizabeth Hausler (l) of Build Change explains her project to Bill Behrman (r) during the Tech Awards. The Tech Museum of Innovation kicks off its annual awards ceremony at the McEnery Convention Center in San Jose on Nov. 12, 2008. The Tech Awards recognizes individuals and organizations that are using technology in innovative ways to help solve global challenges. Gary Reyes/Mercury News)
(HD Video) Coralie Kenton listens to a pitch by Robin Bullock (r) showing a medical syringe that cannot be reused, thus saves lives. Bullock is the Director for Star Syringe and one of the companies being recognized by the Tech Awards. The Tech Museum of Innovation kicks off its annual awards ceremony at the McEnery Convention Center in San Jose on Nov. 12, 2008. The Tech Awards recognizes individuals and organizations that are using technology in innovative ways to help solve global challenges. (Gary Reyes/Mercury News)
By Mercury News | themerc@bayareanewsgroup.com and John Boudreau |
PUBLISHED: November 12, 2008 at 11:23 am | UPDATED: August 14, 2016 at 2:36 am
Change-the-world technology — the flashy and expensive kind — is the lifeblood of Silicon Valley.
But every year, many of the region’s leaders pause to spotlight a different type of innovation — the low-tech kind. This year those include technologies that help build earthquake-resistant homes in rural China, improve education in the slums of Mumbai and guarantee clean needles at hospitals in Ho Chi Minh City.
The eighth annual Tech Museum Awards, held Wednesday night at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center, honored 25 “tech laureates” out of more than 650 nominees from nearly 70 nations. Five won cash prizes of $50,000. But all 25 of the nonprofit and for-profit social entrepreneurs were given four packed days of workshops and networking with potential partners and funders.
A special recognition went to Nobel winner Muhammad Yunus, a pioneer of “microcredit.” The founder of the Grameen Bank received the James C. Morgan Global Humanitarian Award.
“Standing here this evening in the Silicon Valley is important because Silicon Valley symbolizes something in the world,” Yunus said in his acceptance speech before ABOUT 1,500 people at the black-tie event. “It’s a great honor to receive an award coming from all of you who are changing the world.”
The evening featured a state-of-the-art, multiple-screen video teleconference with two former laureates, Helen Lee, a 2007 recipient based in London, and 2002 winner David Irvine-Halliday, based in Toronto.
Mark Walker, managing director of global community affairs for Applied Materials, the chief sponsor of the event, said there is a natural bond between Silicon Valley and the far-flung innovators honored at the annual awards.
“Why are we interested in this stuff? There is always someone who can build another mousetrap. That’s the culture of Silicon Valley. And these people are doing the same thing,” he said.
Still, there are differences. the Tech Museum Award winners aren’t looking to win over the wallets of Best Buy buyers or Fortune 500 companies. These organizations aim to provide a decent life to those lacking the most basic opportunities.
Hari Sharan employs 19th-century biomass gasification technology to bring electricity to rural Indian villages. His company, DESI Power, converts vegetation — such as rice hulls and corn husks — into energy. Not only does that provide power to poor communities, it also creates opportunities for micro-enterprises that keep residents from migrating to the slums of big cities.
“Essentially, what we are doing is increasing the GDP of the village,” said Sharan, whose headquarters is in Bangalore, India’s technology capital. With access to power, new businesses are created, such as rice mills.
“We are changing societies,” Sharan said.
Randolph Wang, who studied computer science at the University of California-Berkeley, abandoned teaching at Princeton University to launch Digital StudyHall in India.
“It’s a very simple idea. You can call it Netflix for poor children,” said Wang, who already had his elevator pitch down.
His nonprofit, which is associated with the University of Washington, provides video classroom lessons from top-notch teachers to poor schools, which usually are no more than dirt-floor rooms supervised by young teachers with little training.
“We have seen dramatic student performance improvements, from 100 percent to 300 percent,” he said.
The Full Belly Project, a North Carolina-based organization, has created a nut-shelling device that can elevate subsistence farming into profitable businesses for poor farmers.
Star Syringe, a U.K.-based company, makes non reusable syringe technology for the developing world, where diseases are often spread through multiple uses of needles in hospitals.
According to the World Health Organization, half of the 16 billion injections given each year around the world are unsafe. “This results in 22 million new cases of hepatitis B, 9 million cases of hepatitis C and a quarter-million cases of HIV every year,” said Robin Bullock, director of Star Syringe.
The genesis of the awards ceremony was the 1990s United Nations study, “The State of the Future at the Millennium,” which focused on the importance of assisting the developing world and 15 challenges facing the planet. The Tech Museum has since highlighted the work of 200 global entrepreneurs, academics and nonprofit workers using technology and innovative business plans to improve the lives of millions.
In addition to Applied Materials, the project draws support from Intel, Microsoft and Accenture, as well as the Fogarty Institute for Innovation Health and the Swanson Foundation, founded by Genentech co-founder Robert Swanson.
The Tech Awards are designed to be more than a congratulatory slap on the back.
“It’s the whole networking — learning from each other, exchanging ideas about micro-technology, and finance,” Sharan said. “We hope to get financing.”
And though the work of these social entrepreneurs is a world away from that of the valley, they nonetheless feel they are among kindred spirits.
Bullock said he has been struck by “the warmth that has been bestowed upon us. And everyone here is interested in what we are doing.”
Staff writer Mike Cassidy contributed to this report. Contact John Boudreau at jboudreau@mercurynews.com or 408 278 3496.
Infobox1
Winners of the 2008 Tech Awards
Intel Environmental Award:
Biomass Energy Project, created by the Namibia-based Cheetah Conservation Fund”s Bush Project, is a biomass processing plant. It converts brush into a clean and economical alternative to firewood, coal and charcoal for cooking. www.cheetah.org
Accenture Economic Development Award:
DESI Power, based in Bangalore, India, uses biomass gasification of agricultural waste to expand the supply of electric power in more than 100 Indian villages. www.desipower.com
Microsoft Education Award:
Digital StudyHall, based in Lucknow, India, records classroom lessons given by high-quality teachers and distributes the videos to disadvantaged schools in rural areas and urban slums. http://dsh.cs.washington.edu
Katherine M. Swanson Equality Award:
Build Change, headquartered in Chengdu, China, designs and trains builders and homeowners to build earthquake-resistant houses in developing countries using locally available skills and materials. www.buildchange.org
Fogarty Institute for Innovation Health Award:
Marc Koska”s Star Syringe, based in the United Kingdom, has created the K1 “auto-disable” syringe. It has a locking ring in the syringe barrel so that once the plunger is fully depressed, it locks in place and can”t be used again. The single-use syringes reduce of cases of hepatitis B and C and HIV. www.starsyringe.com
John Boudreau
Attorney: Royal family protected Andrew in Epstein scandal
Miss Manners: How not to overstay your welcome
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Thursday chided his supporters who chanted "send her back" when he questioned the loyalty of a Somali-born congresswoman, joining widespread criticism of the campaign crowd's cry and his Republican allies worried about political blowback from the angry scene.
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Here's What We Know About Stephen Colbert's 'Late Show' So Far
By Kevin O'Keeffe
Now that Jon Stewart has moved on from The Daily Show, the vacuum in late night television feels all the more pronounced. Trevor Noah doesn't start until Sept. 28. John Oliver only airs on Sundays. Larry Wilmore, holding down Colbert's former 11:30 p.m. slot on Comedy Central, isn't pulling a significant audience. The network late night hosts, Jimmys Fallon and Kimmel and James Corden, consistently churn out viral videos but remain averse to greater gravitas. The last of them, Seth Meyers, is still figuring out what his show should be.
Right about now, we need a late night hero. Thank goodness Stephen Colbert is almost back.
The former Colbert Report host has been biding his time before taking over David Letterman's old desk at The Late Show with bizarre appearances all summer. The man is stir-crazy, eager to get back to entertaining. In fact, at Monday's CBS presentation on the Television Critics Association press tour, Colbert called his waiting process "dry-Trumping."
Colbert remains tight-lipped about the exact format of his Late Show, but he did divulge a few details to press. Here's what we know about the show so far, plus some other tidbits Colbert shared.
1. The "Stephen Colbert" character is gone.
Source: Mic/Getty Images
On The Colbert Report, the host played a Bill O'Reilly-esque character, a caricature of a Republican talk personality. The Late Show isn't satire, so he'll be able to discard the persona.
"I wore the character as lightly as a cap. I could dial it up and down as need be," he told members of the press at the TCA panel. "I'm looking forward to being sincerely interested in what they have to say without having to translate it through an idiot's mouth."
2. He hopes Donald Trump stays in the race until The Late Show premieres.
Source: MANDEL NGAN/Getty Images
Colbert practically begged Trump to stay in the hunt for the Republican presidential nomination long enough for the new host to get his licks in.
"Please stay healthy until I get on the air," he said during the panel. "Every night before I go to bed, I light a candle and pray that he stays in the race, and I also pray that no one puts that candle anywhere near his hair." Does Colbert think Trump actually has a shot? "Honestly, he could," he said.
3. His first guests will be George Clooney and Kendrick Lamar.
Lamar was Colbert's last musical guest on The Colbert Report, so it's fitting that he would return. As for Clooney, Colbert said he'll be choosing guests based on if they have something unique to say. "He's a brilliant actor and a great director, and he cares about the world," Colbert said of the Oscar winner.
4. Colbert got plenty of advice from Letterman.
Source: CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images
Before Letterman retired, Colbert shadowed the former Late Show host for a day to get a sense of what the job is really like. He pelted questions at the late night legend all day. "I asked him, 'Do you mind me asking you these questions?' He said, 'No. Nobody ever asked me these questions before,'" Colbert said. "It was a very gracious way for him to say that only the person sitting in that chair would care about the answers." One of Letterman's suggestions has already had an impact: Colbert has moved the Late Show desk to the other side of the stage.
5. His band leader will be New Orleans' Jon Batiste.
Batiste, a jazz musician whose family inspired the HBO series Treme, got the gig because of his New Orleans roots. Colbert indicated his eagerness to play off Batiste's energy onstage. He's the latest high-profile bandleader in a late-night field that features Fred Armisen on Meyers' Late Night and the Roots on Fallon's Tonight Show.
6. His tribute to Jon Stewart on the last Daily Show was the highlight of his time there.
Colbert said his tribute to Stewart on the latter's final episode "might be my favorite thing I did on the show." The goal, he said, was to make Stewart as uncomfortable as possible. "I told producers, 'He's going flop around like a fish on the dock,'" he said, referring to Stewart's feints left and right as if to escape the praise. "I felt like a rodeo clown trying to keep him on the stage."
It won't be long: Fans eager to see what Colbert's put together won't have to wait much. The Late Show with Stephen Colbert debuts Sept. 8 on CBS.
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ATHLETICS: £5,000 prizefund on offer at Omagh half marathon
Haley Ballard, Gary O'Hanlon Current Irish Marathon Champion and Marir-Claire Caldwell Pictured during the Launch of the Spar 2018 Omagh Half Marathon at Omagh Leisure Centre
The 29th SPAR Omagh Half Marathon and 5k Fun Run was officially launched this week with organisers noting a high level of early sign ups for the race that is now well established on the Irish athletics scene.
Last year’s event saw over 3,500 participants come from near and far to compete, the furthest hailing all the way from from Dallas, United States. The 2018 race, which will be held on Saturday 7th April will start out from Omagh Leisure Complex. SPAR has once again been named as the title sponsor of the race, which is organised by local athletics club Omagh Harriers.
Commenting on the event launch, Omagh Harriers chairman Michael Ward said, “We’re delighted to be preparing for the 29th SPAR Omagh Half Marathon. This is an event that just keeps getting bigger and better every year. There are so many different people involved in making an event of this size a success and we’re confident that the 2018 race will not disappoint. There’s something for everyone with the highly-regarded half marathon for runners who have a very good fitness base while the 5k fun run is perfect for those who may have set themselves a fitness goal for the New Year or just want to get involved in a local organised event. Whether you’re running, walking or cheering on your loved ones it’s a great event for the whole family and we’d encourage as many people as possible to sign up and come along.”
A prize fund of over £5,000 is up for grabs this year. There are also two £250 bonuses for the first male and female to break the record times, which respectively stand at 64minutes 46 seconds and 74 minutes 51 seconds. All Half Marathon entrants receive a branded race t-shirt and competitors across both races will receive a newly designed medal. AWARE and SUPPORT2GETHER, two charities that seek to alleviate mental health illness and depression in Northern Ireland have been chosen as this year’s joint charity partners.
Marie-Claire Caldwell, Marketing & Communications Executive for the Henderson Group, owners of the SPAR franchise in Northern Ireland spoke on the sponsorship saying, “I’m thrilled to be involved in launching this fantastic event. Along with encouraging a fit and healthy lifestyle, SPAR offer a wide range of quality products which can help to support a nutritional, balanced diet. By sponsoring events such as the Omagh Half Marathon & 5k fun run across the country, we get the opportunity to demonstrate our belief in supporting active lifestyles and at the same time the chance to create new partnerships within our communities.”
A limited number of early bird entry feed are available and can be accessed by visiting:
www.sientries.co.uk. Alternatively, entry forms can be collected from Omagh Leisure Complex, Old Moutfield Road, Omagh. Entrants can also keep up to date with the latest news and access training plans and tips that will be posted on the SPAR Omagh Half Marathon Facebook page.
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Cookstown man Harry is given William Keown award
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Ryne Sandberg
Phillies extend contract of manager Pete Mackanin through 2016
Philadelphia Phillies manager Pete Mackanin had the interim tag removed from his title and had his contract extended through the 2016 season. (David Goldman / AP)
MIAMI — The Philadelphia Phillies have announced Pete Mackanin will be their manager in 2016.
Mackanin replaced Ryne Sandberg on an interim basis on June 26. His contract was extended Tuesday through next season with a club option for 2017.
"They asked me if I would accept the contract and I said, `Well let me think about it, yes,"' Mackanin said. "It's an honor and I'm so grateful for Ruben Amaro to put me in the spot that enabled this, for the players for playing hard for me, and for Andy MacPhail to have confidence in me."
The 64-year-old Mackanin is 30-46 since Sandberg abruptly resigned in the middle of his second full season. The Phillies are 27-32 since the All-Star break.
"I think they responded very well and I think that's the biggest reason why I got the job," Mackanin said. "Our record isn't the best obviously. We've been scuffling to score runs and the pitching hasn't done as well as we would like, but I'm happy. There's only 30 of these jobs in baseball and I've got one of them so I'm looking forward to the future."
Mackanin has worked for the Phillies for six of the past seven seasons. He served as bench coach for four seasons (2009-12) before returning as third-base coach in 2014. He's the eighth Phillies manager to have also played and coached for the team.
"Scott (Proefrock) and I thought it was important to offer Pete Mackanin an extension for the 2016 season," said MacPhail, who will be the team's next president shortly after the season ends. "We're very impressed with the level of energy and effort that has increased since he's taken over. We know the record isn't exactly where we would want it, particularly the last week or so, but I think it's our job to be realistic in assessing where our talent level is after the trades and some of the injuries that we endured.
"I think we have to be fair on how we evaluate the manager. We certainly enjoyed a nice spark when he came on board over a course of about a two-month period and we're very confident that he can help this club in 2016 and go forward."
Mackanin, with a career record of 83-99, previously was interim manager for the Pirates (2005) and Reds (2007).
"That's the one thing I've never had, to start from scratch in spring training," Mackanin said. "I think I can put my stamp on the way we do things, what is most important to me, what I think is very important to win games, whether it's baserunning or defense or offense or pitching—all of these combined."
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Home / Orders, Medals & Decorations / Single Medals to 1913 / South Africa Medal 1878-9 Clasp 80th Foot Corporal
South Africa Medal 1878-9 Clasp 80th Foot Corporal
1878-9 Clasp
ZULU MEDAL
South Africa Medal 1878-9 Clasp 80th Foot Corporal quantity
Categories: Latest Additions & Entire Catalogue, Single Medals to 1913 Tags: 1878-9 clasp, 80th foot, battle of ulundi, sekukuni, South Staffs Regt, zulu medal, zulu wars, Zulu Wars Medal
Commonly called the Zulu Wars Medal, this South Africa 1879 Medal has the 1878-9 Clasp and is correctly named to: 889 CORPL. T HORTON. 80TH FOOT
889 Corporal Thomas Horton was born in Liverpool. He enlisted at Jhansi (India) on 14th March 1863 aged 12 years 11 months, with the 4th Battalion South Staffs Regt.
His medal is confirmed on the medal roll, see attached. The attached rolls confirm that he served in the campaign against Sekukuni in 1878 and the Zulus in 1879.
In 1876 the 80th were ordered to South Africa, arriving in Natal in 1877. Members of the regiment built Fort Amiel, named after Major Charles Frederick Amiel. They subsequently took part in the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879-80, initially suffering heavy casualties before playing a major part in the Battle of Ulundi under the command of Major (later General) Charles Tucker. Tucker went on to be colonel of the South Staffordshire Regiment. The regiment left South Africa in 1880, sailing to Ireland where they were stationed in Tralee.
As part of the Cardwell Reforms of the 1870s, where single-battalion regiments were linked together to share a single depot and recruiting district in the United Kingdom, the 80th was linked with the 38th (1st Staffordshire) Regiment of Foot, and assigned to district no. 19 at Whittington Barracks in Lichfield. On 1 July 1881 the Childers Reforms came into effect and the regiment amalgamated with the 38th (1st Staffordshire) Regiment of Foot to form the South Staffordshire Regiment.
Free postage to Mainland UK. Overseas buyers are requested to contact us prior to ordering to agree shipping terms – failure to do so may result in order cancellation.
Offers invited.
Egypt Medal Kirkeban and The Nile Clasps
India General Service Medal 1854 Punjab Infantry
India General Service Medal 1854 NORTHWEST FRONTIER
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Miller Barondess and County Counsel Instrumental in Securing $119.5 Million Settlement for LA County – LA Times Coverage
view original story
By Brian Melley, LA Times Reporter, Contributions by Christopher Weber, Associated Press – Thursday, August 9, 2018 – A Southern California utility reached a nearly $120 million settlement over a massive blowout at a natural gas storage field that became the nation’s largest known release of climate-changing methane and forced thousands to flee their Los Angeles homes almost three years ago, officials announced Wednesday.
The settlement between Southern California Gas Co. and state and local governments aims to mitigate the greenhouse gases that spewed uncontrollably for nearly four months. The October 2015 blowout at an Aliso Canyon well sickened residents of the San Fernando Valley and led to evacuations of 8,000 homes.
Under the settlement, the utility agreed to pay up to $25 million for a study of long-term health consequences; reimburse city, county and state governments for responding to the blowout; monitor chemicals in the air along the boundary of the facility for eight years; and not pass costs of the settlement along to ratepayers.
“This settlement says that they have to eat all the costs,” said City Councilman Mitchell Englander, who lives in the area. “During the blowout, their stock price actually went up. That was insane, and it was insulting, and I know the people that were living there were very upset about that, and they wanted it to come out of their pocket.”
Attorney General Xavier Becerra said the tentative deal, which will be open to public comment and requires court approval, addressed violations of health and safety codes, the illegal discharge of air contaminants and failure to report the release of hazardous materials.
“There is no excuse for what happened,” Becerra said in a statement. “For over four months, this leak exposed our communities to natural gas emissions that resulted in adverse health impacts and disrupted the lives of tens of thousands of Californians.”
In a previous settlement of criminal charges, the utility agreed to a $4 million settlement with Los Angeles prosecutors after pleading no contest to a single misdemeanor of failing to notify state authorities about the blowout soon enough.
The company, which is a subsidiary of Sempra Energy, has spent over $1 billion because of the blowout, according to a quarterly report released Monday. The majority was spent relocating families for months and reimbursing them for meals and other costs and cleaning homes. The remaining costs include legal expenses, paying for a study of the blowout’s cause, efforts to cap the well, and the cost of lost gas.
The company has insurance for $1.4 billion but faces lawsuits from 30,000 people, said attorney R. Rex Parris, who represents about a third of them. He said they all are seeking $2.5 billion in damages for injuries and harm caused by the massive disruption to their lives.
Residents were not initially notified when gas began seeping out of the ground in the mountain-top storage field that looms above the community of Porter Ranch.
Aliso Canyon is the largest natural gas storage facility in the U.S. West. Gas was piped into an empty oil field more than a mile underground through repurposed aging oil wells — some more than 50 years old.
Within days, the slow leak turned into a high-pressure gusher that special crews couldn’t contain. Residents began complaining of headaches, nosebleeds and nausea.
People began moving out of the neighborhood of neat subdivisions where the film “E.T.” was shot. Developments of single-family homes began to resemble ghost towns.
After the leak was capped, Southern California Gas had to meet much stricter regulations to store gas in the field, which required overhauling wells, incorporating new equipment to monitor for leaks and capping wells that didn’t pass regulations. The incident led to stricter rules for other facilities statewide.
More limited operations resumed in July 2017. SoCal Gas said it had met and sometimes exceeded state safety requirements.
The company said in a statement that it was pleased to reach the settlement and would also hire an independent ombudsman to monitor and report on safety at the facility.
Officials noted that the settlement was only aimed at claims that state and local governments could bring and did not address the personal costs by those directly affected.
Still, those who live near the facility and want it shut down were upset the agreement didn’t address their concerns.
“It does little or nothing for the victims who are still sitting on that ticking time bomb,” said Matt Pakucko, who organized the group Save Porter Ranch.
Others were critical that some settlement funds would pay for projects that would not help the area affected by the blowout and could further enrich the utility. For example, $26.5 million is supposed to pay for a project to capture methane from Central Valley dairies, which would help mitigate greenhouse gases and also be used to produce energy.
“SoCalGas is unfairly benefiting from this agreement by getting over $26 million in subsidies to import gas from polluting factory farms, which it wants to use to refill Aliso Canyon, which still leaks regularly,” said Alex Nagy of Food & Water Watch, an environmental group that wants the facility closed.
Attorneys & Staff
© 2019 Miller Barondess, LLP.
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Pollen is a community comprised of civic-minded connectors who share ideas, career and civic engagement opportunities and peer-to-peer recognition to create positive impact and personal and professional growth for its members.
Facing failure: R.T. Rybak and the risks in government innovation
By Matt Hunt | 07/07/2014
In business, failure might cost you your bonus, that promotion, or even your job. But in the world of public politics, a failure can quickly cost you your career. Executives and politicians alike prefer to distance themselves from failures. When they do recognize a shortcoming, they cite the myriad of external factors that led to the failure as they brush it aside and head in the other direction. Not until an executive or politician has left the arena will they usually disclose their political imperfections.
In discussions with insiders from the Minnesota political arena, I often hear former Minneapolis mayor R.T. Rybak described as “a different breed.” Maybe it has something to do with the fact that he has been known to stage dive into concert crowds. Maybe it’s because he led the city forward in a true partnership between the community and local businesses. Or just maybe it’s because he changed the conversation with the electorate by frequently being out with constituents in the community, being more transparent with his policies, and in asking for voters to trust him in innovating government.
In a previous Pollen article (Mistakes vs. Failures), I shared my preferred distinction between a mistake and a failure in driving innovation. A mistake is an incorrect, unwise, or unfortunate decision caused by bad judgment, lack of information, or a lack of attention. A failure is simply lack of success—when something you were trying to accomplish fell short of what was required or projected. The important part is that mistakes don’t always have to end in failure and failures aren’t always caused by mistakes. The following is from a recent interview with former Minneapolis mayor R.T. Rybak on the importance of innovation in government, the risks involved, and the role of failure in the process.
MATT HUNT: In your 12 years as Minneapolis mayor, you’ve had some pretty good successes. You cite the city’s STEP-UP Summer Jobs Program, the Midtown Exchange, the Midtown Global Market, and the improved bond rating as a few of accomplishments that you’re most proud of. Of all your successes as mayor, which do you feel were the most innovative initiatives?
R.T. Rybak: There were a few that come to mind.
One initiative that took an active role in changing our community was the STEP-UP Summer Job Program. With that program, we were able to raise a lot of private money and get businesses to participate. We turned a deficit as an asset. I am proud of what we accomplished with the program and that it was a great sales pitch—we have had over 18,000 thousand participants so far and it will be over 20,000 by the end of the summer.
We very rarely get credit for infrastructure projects but when I became mayor, I had inherited a big problem. At the time, during heavy storms, raw sewage drained into the Mississippi. I was told that solving the problem would involve many millions in infrastructure. We took a comprehensive approach by disconnecting the storm sewers from the sanitation sewers and by purposefully creating a lot more water-permeable land. We added green rooftops onto the downtown Minneapolis Central Library and Target Center which I took plenty of political flack for. But the green roof on Target Center can now absorb more than 1 million gallons of water per year.
An incredibly well intentioned mistake that we made for many years was trying to get very few recycling leaders to recycle lots of waste. After very limited success, we finally decided to go to “one sort” recycling and the numbers skyrocketed. By asking less of people, we got a far greater response from everyone.
Finally, I would have to say that our Minneapolis 311 system was one of our most innovative initiatives. The system addressed the single biggest issue—residents wanted to be able to figure out who was in charge and how to get something fixed. One example of how it worked well was with public graffiti. The single biggest complaint to our office was reporting public graffiti. When the 311 team worked on the script for reporting this problem, they recognized that seven different parties were involved. So instead of taking the call and passing it on to those parties, the team eventually rewrote the process with just one person in charge. The initiative forced us to reinvent the systems behind it—we didn’t just want a phone system.
MH: There seems to be a growing consensus that we need to innovate more in the public sector if we are going to move our city, state, or country forward. But unlike the private sector where the risk of failure is understood as part of the innovation process, there seems to be little tolerance for “failure” in public sector. Do you agree? If so, how did you find balance in this paradox as mayor?
R.T.R: Yes, I agree. The reality is that it is pretty tough to run re-election if you made a mistake. I had the luxury of coming into the job of mayor in the middle of financial crisis for the city. Not changing wasn’t an option. The status quo wasn’t an option. I had a lot of support to take action. I do think that one of my biggest regrets was that we weren’t able to do more to eliminate more layers of government. There are many important roles of government but we have much more than we can afford. I would have liked to see more collaboration between metro cities, counties, and other layers.
Another thing that I learned during my time is as mayor was that there were times when spending more in year one can save you more in year two and beyond. But that is a very difficult balance in tough times because the more you spend would have equaled less police or firefighters. We need more politicians willing to have that difficult discussion.
MH: In the private sector, there is a distinction between incremental innovation (i.e. General Mills introducing a new flavor of Cheerios) and disruptive innovation (i.e. Dayton Hudson launching a new discount concept called Target). Do you think there is a role for both kinds of innovation in the public sector? If so, where do you most see the need for disruptive innovation today?
R.T.R: Yes, we absolutely need both. I feel that the public does have more of an appetite for being a partner insolving these big problems. I saw more acceptance from voters for big sweeping changes that caused some inconvenience than for more subtle changes with less inconvenience that did not resolve the issue. My recycling story was an example of this.
As for where we need disruptive innovation—the single biggest thing is businesses getting ready for the coming worker shortage. From our last budget, we identified money for a work transition plan that was envisioned as an adult version of the STEP-UP Program [called] Urban Scholars. We need a solution that can get more able bodies into the workforce. I was able to help lay out the strategy but wasn’t able see it through as mayor.
MH: Last year we saw a major innovation in the way average Americans get healthcare coverage with the Affordable Care Act. The introduction of healthcare exchanges was publically criticized for a tragically poor implementation. This issue eventually became a political lightning rod at both the state and national level. In the zero-sum game of politics, few politicians seem to have the political will to take on these large complex problems. Are we then bound to mostly incremental solutions? Is there a better way?
R.T.R: I believe that we get the politics that we deserve. If we are going to continue to see cartoons instead of looking at the facts, then we are not going to solve these problems. The truth is that 7 million more Americans have healthcare. I think that the tide is turning on this issue. There is a huge problem and politicians need to have the guts to stand up for what they know is right. It is imperfect but it is better than the status quo.
MH: Few voters remember that in 2001, Minneapolis was in serious financial trouble and its bonds had been devalued. Under your leadership, the city paid off millions in debt and worked to reform pensions. In 2013, we witnessed the first failure of a major American city when Detroit filed for Chapter 9 bankruptcy protection. Did your team study Detroit’s failure to learn from their mistakes? Were there any lessons learned?
R.T.R: We knew early on that we needed to get our financial house in order and we made hard decisions to pay down more than $100 million dollars of debt. I have known the last two mayors of Detroit and what has happened to that city is tragic. To be honest though, I think we have learned more from other cities like ours that didn’t respond as fast to the financial crisis. We were able to come together and respond quickly. There are times to cut spending, there are times to invest, and there are times to reform—and sometimes you need all three. The good news is that we took action to ensure that what happened to Detroit won’t happen to us.
MH: In a 2013 interview, you mentioned that “a lot of people in public roles […] seem to put on a public façade.” How much of this façade do you think is to protect a candidate from his or her own shortcomings? Do you think the Minnesota electorate will stand behind a candidate who is humble enough to admit his or her failures?
R.T.R: I suppose some politicians see the need to obscure the truth. I was the opposite. I give the electorate more credit. I tried to give them more information and more transparency; letting the chips fall where they may. I believe that authenticity is the best political weapon.
MH: Were there any initiatives that you undertook as mayor that you would consider a failure? Looking back are there things that you would have done differently?
R.T.R: Not everything worked like I wanted it to but the one issue I felt had the most work left to do was with our schools. That is the reason why I wanted to take the job at Generation Next.
MH: You’ve mentioned that you’re interested in potentially running for governor in 2018 and you’ve stated that you didn’t think that you were going to win your first election as mayor. If you do decide to run, what odds would you give yourself for success?
R.T.R: Honestly, I haven’t thought that much about it and probably won’t for a few years.
While we might not all agree on whether we need less government or more government, it’s easier to agree that we need effective government. Many cities and states have recognized the need to build repeatable innovation processes in order to deliver more effective government services. A few years ago, Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government published their list of “Top 25 Innovations in Government” from more than 500 applications. Most of the innovations would be considered incremental but a few of them were disruptive.
Just as in the for-profit business sector, we need our government to seek both incremental innovation projects and disruptive innovation initiatives. To do this, we need an electorate that recognizes that “innovation perfection” doesn’t exist. The truth is that mistakes will be made along the way and sometimes we will need to start over. We also need a breed of politician who have the courage to lead these pilot programs and the conviction to be transparent with the results. If we cannot build in a tolerance for potential “innovation failure” into our political process, then we are indeed bound to get the government that we deserve.
I’d like to thank former Mayor Rybak for his time, his courage, and his conviction—he truly is a different breed.
Matt Hunt is the CEO and founder of strategy and innovation consulting firm Stanford & Griggs. With over 20 years of business and technology experience he has a demonstrated excellence in business strategy, innovation, and leadership development with large companies, small companies and non-profit organizations. You can follow Matt on his blog MattHunt.co and Twitter@huntm.
This article was originally published at BePollen.com.
Facing failure: Stories of two candidates who wanted to make a difference
This is the story of two candidates, who in 2012 both ran for their respective city councils. One ended in success and their other ended in failure.
Facing failure: Shutting down the nonprofit you founded
Kari Kehr on starting, then shuttering, a nonprofit to help single people who were fighting cancer by assisting them with the payment of distracting medical bills.
R.T. Rybak
Submitted by Connie Sullivan on 07/07/2014 - 04:34 pm.
How disappointing, to see that this article is really a puff piece on Rybak instead of an authentic accounting of mistakes and failures in his mayoral years. So many huge issues were left out here, and so much was left at face value (e.g., Rybak was not a transparent, fully-commnicating politician, and thus not “authentic”).
So much for the value of titles/headlines.
Submitted by Steve Titterud on 07/08/2014 - 08:57 am.
I agree with Ms. Sullivan, but this is not just a puff piece,..
..it is pure sycophancy – it gives me an upset stomach.
Never mind Rybak’s deviousness in his actions in the corrupt stadium politics ?? This seriously harmed our body politic. He did a great deal of damage here.
Rybak is a legend in his own mind, a fantasy he enjoys along with people like the author of this column. But there are some of us who won’t forget his unparalleled hypocrisy..
Submitted by Paul Udstrand on 07/08/2014 - 09:45 am.
Pseudo intellectual business bunk
Mumbo jumbo mumbo jumbo. And they get grants to produce this stuff. Uggg.
These guys can’t even write a title that makes sense, what “Failure” is Rybak facing down? This kind of executive celebration masquerading as cutting edge business wisdom is EXACTLY what’s wrong with the contemporary American business culture. They invent jargon that displaces clear thinking and communication and think they’re being clever and innovative.
I shudder to think what kinds of business and community policies and decisions emerge from such a ridiculous exercise in self congratulatory mediocrity. We know they think dumping hundreds of millions of public dollars into a project for an out of state billionaire is cutting edge innovation. Whatever.
Community Sketchbook
New podcast spotlights Native American stories
A tale of two school districts: How open enrollment is playing out in Greater Minnesota
How much would recreational marijuana be worth to Minnesota?
What’s behind Fargo-Moorhead’s boom?
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Blair's DVD Watch: Two Great Jazz Docs Have European Slant
We think of jazz as America’s greatest indigenous art form, which it is, but it’s fair to say that Europeans have had a big hand in its development and, yes, its very survival through the years.
By Blair Jackson
Play Your Own Thing: A Story of Jazz in Europe (EuroArts Entertainment)
We think of jazz as America’s greatest indigenous art form, which it is, but it’s fair to say that Europeans have had a big hand in its development and, yes, its very survival through the years. Beyond the fact that most early jazz instruments were European-made (or crafted by European immigrants in America), and some of the music’s early masters were European or immigrants—Django Reinhardt, Joe Venuti and Eddie Lang (nee Salvatore Massaro) are three that jump to mind—beginning in the 1930s, but particularly after World War II, Europe proved to be an extremely supportive environment for American jazz musicians. The racism that dogged African-American players in the U.S. was largely absent in Europe, there were plenty of venues to play across The Continent, and an enthusiastic—even fanatical—fan base. A number of great American players moved to Europe for both short and long stints in places like London, Paris, Copenhagen and Berlin, so it’s no surprise that hundreds of mostly young European musicians were influenced to start playing jazz themselves. They started out being mostly imitative of their American idols, but over time brought their own distinctive styles and unique cultural influences to jazz, a cross-pollination that continues to this day.
These two fine documentaries, which were released this past winter, offer a European perspective on jazz. Both are the work of German director/screenwriter Julian Benedikt, who clearly has a deep understanding of the music, and the filmmaking chops to tell his stories in interesting visual ways. The Blue Note documentary was originally released in 1997, but is only now getting its American DVD release; Jazz in Europe came out in 2006.
For my money, Play Your Own Thing: A Story of Jazz in Europe is the better of the two 90-minute films. Using a wide range of historical material, live performances, contemporary interviews, and more abstract and impressionistic footage, Benedikt weaves a fascinating tale. Although the Nazis scorned and even banned jazz, we see young Germans secretly listening to Glenn Miller on the radio during World War II. For Germans and others throughout Europe, jazz—particularly after the war—became a symbol of freedom and individual expression: It “accompanied the liberation of Europe,” the film says, and many GIs stationed in Europe after the war were musicians themselves and freely shared their skills.
There’s wonderful footage of Charlie Parker and Johnny Hodges in action—Parker, in particular, became revered throughout Europe, his music a soundtrack to post-war urban life. There are numerous poignant (subtitled) interviews with European jazzers who explain their attraction to jazz: For instance, guitarist Coco Schumann talks about how hearing Ella Fitzgerald’s “A-Tisket, A-Tasket” for the first time was like being struck by lightning (he later got to back the great singer). Juliette Greco talks about meeting Miles Davis in Paris—she walked into his hotel room and he was lying in a bathtub playing Bach on his horn; a great image. (They became lovers, she his muse for a period.) Ben Webster and Bud Powell found great acceptance in Europe, as did Dizzy Gillespie and Dexter Gordon. And many American greats played in bands in Europe dominated by local players—we’ve seen a number of them previously on the Jazz Icons DVD series reviewed here.
“The secret language of bebop” helped create Europe’s “first cool generation” and proved to be extremely influential on young musicians. And then, when the Free Jazz of Ornette Coleman, Don Cherry and others came into vogue, that really opened the floodgates and gave European players the license to follow their own hearts and whims musically. Still, trumpeter Till Bronner expresses the nearly universal sentiment of many Europeans: “Must I be black and American to be allowed to play jazz? Or is jazz by now a language, a whole vocabulary, that is accessible to everyone?” The answer is clearly the latter, and the documentary shows a slew of great European players in action, concluding with the highly influential ECM Records scene around producer Manfred Eicher in Oslo—ECM saxophonist Jan Garbarek is one of the film’s most articulate spokespersons, and also is shown performing a wonderful piece. All in all, a fascinating DVD. And I’m gonna go out and buy a CD by trumpeter Tomasz Stanko next chance I get!
Blue Note: A Story of Modern Jazz (EuroArts Entertainment)
Blue Note: A Story of Modern Jazz has a strong European angle, too. The founders of the legendary American jazz label—Alfred Lion and Francis (Frank) Wolff—were both German immigrants who moved to New York to escape the oppressive rising tide of fascism. They started Blue Note in 1939 with a release by pianists Albert Ammons and Pete Johnson, and quickly established their label as a place where musicians could truly and freely express themselves. In their early days, producer Bob Belden remarks, Lion and Wolff favored artists who were perhaps a bit past their prime, but still really good—a 1940 disc of “Summertime” by veteran Sydney Bechet became a bona fide hit for the label. Later, of course, Lion became known for signing up-and-coming greats, including Clifford Brown, Thelonious Monk, Art Blakey, Horace Silver, Jimmy Smith…the list is endless. Jazz producer Michael Cuscuna notes that, “There was no financial consideration in what [Lion] did. He recorded what he felt and what he loved. Some of it sold a lot, and a lot of it sold nothing, but we owe him a great debt for the music he documented”—more than a thousand albums before he sold the company in 1986.
The documentary jumps around a bit for my taste—it lacks a steady, coherent historical narrative, though the whole story is eventually told in chunks throughout the film. Various musicians and producers (and engineer Rudy Van Gelder) help tell the story, and there are also a few unexpected “outsiders” who offer their wise insights, including Carlos Santana (who notes that “Miles and Charlie Parker and Ellington are our Beethovens”), French director Bertrand Tavernier and basketball star (and jazz aficionado) Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The performances are, predictably, wonderful: Besides vintage performance footage (again, mostly from Europe), there is also quite a bit from a 1985 celebration of Blue Note featuring Freddie Hubbard and others—good stuff. I would have liked to have seen more musicians ID’d on screen and perhaps a bit less of the post-Lion Blue Note, but there’s still plenty to love in this interesting take on American jazz history.
You can find me listening to Blue Trane (Blue Note’s lone Coltrane release…nice!) at blair@blairjackson.com.
Blair's DVD Watch: Great Historic Jazz for the Holidays
By By Blair Jackson
Blair's DVD Watch: More Fantastic “Jazz Icons”
BLAIR'S DVD WATCH: More Great Jazz Icons DVDs
Blair's DVD Watch: Ernest Ranglin: The Jazz at the Roots of Ska and Reggae
BLAIR'S DVD WATCH: Zawinul, Metheny: More Than Jazz
BLAIR'S DVD WATCH: Three for the Holidays: Petty, Stax and Mahavishnu
Blair's DVD Watch: Edgy Rock and Folk 'From the Basement'
BLAIR'S DVD WATCH: Bob Dylan—Younger Than Yesterday
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If Bing Wants to Attract Power Users, It Needs an Advanced Search Page
Matt Yglesias embarks on a short tour d’horizon of Microsoft’s future today and ends with Redmond’s white whale of a search engine:
And then there’s Bing. I am obsessed with Bing. Not because I use Bing or because Bing is a commercially important product but because Bing is a socially important product. Steve Ballmer’s heroic determination to compete with Google on search has helped us resolve a lot of very thorny issues that would arise if Google Web Search became a monopoly product. But while we all (in some ways even including Google) owe Ballmer a
debt of thanks for doing this, it’s far from clear that it’s been a smart business decision for Microsoft. All the “Scroogled” ads in the world aren’t going to turn this into a market-leading product, and Google at this point seems to be benefiting from both superior engineering and strong network effects. But what will we do if Bing goes away?
I’ve used Bing. It works fine. In some ways it’s better than Google. In others it’s not. But there’s a very specific reason I’ve never switched: Bing has no advanced search page. Oh, you can do an advanced search if you care to remember the syntax for all the operators, but like millions of other people, I don’t care to do that. Google, conversely, makes it easy for me to do an advanced search. They also allow me to restrict a search to a date range, which is very, very handy.
Now, it’s true that most people don’t ever do an advanced search of any kind. They just type a few words into the search box and press Enter, which is one of the reasons that 99 percent of the world is hopelessly incompetent at searching the internet. But serious users use it, and it’s serious users who can end up being evangelists for your products. So why not add an advanced search page? The cost is basically zero, so it’s not like there’s really any downside. What’s the holdup?
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Showdown in Blackwater’s Backyard
Why the controversial private security company wants to run congressional candidate Marshall Adame “out of Dodge.”
Bruce Falconer
Marshall Adame is a Democrat running for Congress in North Carolina’s 3rd District, a jurisdiction along the Tar Heel state’s low-lying eastern coast that is home to the U.S. Marine Corps’ Camp Lejeune, Air Station Cherry Point, and Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, as well as Blackwater Worldwide’s 7,000-acre corporate headquarters and training facility. Adame is an underdog in the congressional race, where he will likely face seven-term Republican incumbent Walter B. Jones—who brought the term “freedom fries” to Congress—in the general election. Jones has since become an opponent of the Iraq war, atoning for his vote to authorize the war by writing letters of condolence to the families of dead soldiers—a “mea culpa to my Lord,” he says. But the incumbent and his Republican party are not the only obstacles Adame will have to overcome if he hopes to take over the 3rd District’s congressional seat. He also faces tough opposition from Blackwater.
Despite running as a Democrat in a strongly Republican district, Adame has the sort of military past that is appreciated in these parts. “I am a retired United States Marine,” he tells me. “I’m a Vietnam veteran. I spent nine months in Kuwait right after we kicked Saddam out, helping to rebuild the Kuwaiti air force. I spent four years in Egypt with Kaman Aerospace”—a military contractor—”as their logistics leader in that country.” More recently, he spent three years in Iraq working on reconstruction projects, ultimately rising to a senior position with the State Department’s National Coordination Team in Baghdad, where he oversaw the work of roughly ten Provincial Reconstruction Teams. Two of his sons have served in the U.S. Army in Iraq—one was seriously wounded in an IED attack and is still undergoing reconstructive surgeries; the other is currently on his second 15-month tour, stationed in Tikrit. Now back in North Carolina, Adame has even opened his home to a family of Iraqi refugees.
Yet Adame’s recent public criticism of the private security industry’s role in Iraq has caused him to become the target of a political attack from Blackwater. It all began in mid-January when Adame participated in a live question-and-answer forum on a North Carolina progressive blog called BlueNC. “People were writing in, and I was answering the questions,” he says. “It just so happened that the first one was about Blackwater.” He didn’t mince words. “There is no place in the American force structure, or in American culture for mercenaries,” he wrote on the blog. “They are guns for hire; No more, no less… Private Armies represent the very things we despise as a people. Servants to the highest bidder with true allegiance to no-one.”
Numerous Democratic candidates, including presidential contenders Barack Obama and North Carolina’s own John Edwards, have assailed Blackwater, an easy target this election cycle. But Adame claims to speak from personal experience. As a State Department official in Iraq, he was protected by Blackwater, which, he says, used excessive force on at least two occasions while he was in their care. “I saw them shoot people,” he says. “I saw them crash into cars while I was their passenger…. There was absolutely no reason, no provocation whatsoever.” Once, while en route to the Iraqi Ministry of Interior, Adame says he heard gunfire coming from the turret gunner in his own vehicle. He looked out the window of the humvee and “saw people ducking and falling…. The vehicle in front of us rammed into a car that was trying to get out of the way, and they just spun that guy around. He was out cold in that car, maybe even dead. I don’t know, but we just kept on going.”
Adame’s comments about the company have enraged Blackwater employees, including executive vice president Bill Mathews. In an internal corporate email, Mathews encouraged his colleagues to barrage Adame with mail (“he was too cowardly to put a phone number on the web,” Mathews noted in the message). “[H]e wants this company and all of us to cease to exist,” Mathews wrote in the email, which was obtained by the Raleigh News & Observer and posted to the newspaper’s web site. “Do you like your jobs? Are you sick and tired of the slanderous bullshit going on in DC? If so, would you all mind joining me in reminding Mr. Adame that he is running for office in our backyard…. Let’s run this goof out of Dodge…!”
Since then, Adame has been on the receiving end of “some pretty rough stuff,” he says. “I received all kinds of hate mail from Blackwater people. They use a lot of vulgarity. They tell me how Blackwater is defending America’s rights, and that we’re free because Blackwater is fighting for us. Give me a break! That is so erroneous and misleading. It’s just totally dishonest, but those people really believe it. Blackwater is a large organization, and they have a great way of propagandizing their product.”
For its part, Blackwater is unrepentant for the harsh words Adame has received from its employees. “Mr. Mathews regrets that he wrote an inappropriate email in haste,” says Blackwater spokeswoman Anne Tyrrell in a statement. “He does not regret for one moment his desire to defend the brave people who risk their lives every day working for Blackwater.” Tyrrell says Adame “used inaccuracies to unfairly criticize the company” and notes that “one thing that should be taken away from Mr. Matthew’s email is that our people are incredibly proud of and passionate about the work we do in support of the U.S. government.”
Adame, who plans to hold a campaign event near Blackwater’s Moyock headquarters next month, is quick to point out that he has received no threats of physical harm from Blackwater, and despite some obscene emails, has engaged in constructive conversations with some of its employees. “These people don’t want to lose their jobs, and I understand that,” he says. Indeed, looming larger than the issue of military contracting in his district is concern over domestic priorities like health care and jobs. Still, Adame’s recent confrontation with Blackwater seems to have focused his attention on the company. “I feel very strongly about how extensively organized Blackwater has become,” he explains. “And I will do everything I can as a congressman to look into that, to find out whether or not the things they’re doing are even legal.”
It’s an open question what this particular campaign promise might do to Adame’s chances.
The White House Is Taking Credit for Reducing Opioid Deaths. Here’s the Catch.
Julia Lurie
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Abandoned Florida: Jax's Federal Reserve Bank
Jul 12, 2019 • Bullet of Abandoned Florida
Abandoned Florida takes a look inside Downtown Jacksonville's long vacant Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, Jacksonville Branch.
Now known as the Physician and Surgeon Building, the old Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta located on Hogan Street was opened in 1924. The building was designed by Henrietta Cuttino Dozier, considered the first female architect in the state of Georgia and was the first woman in the Southern United States to receive formal architectural training from a national school of architecture.
Born in Fernandina Beach in 1872, Henrietta C. Dozier was the third and last child of Henry Cuttino Dozier, who died a few months before she was born, and Cornelia Ann Scriven Dozier, both originally from South Carolina. She had a brother, Scriven, and a sister, Louise.
From an early age, Henrietta knew she wanted to become an architect and after high school, she apprenticed in an architect’s office before spending two years at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York. She then went to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, from which she graduated with an architectural degree in 1899. She was just one of three women in a class of 176, and the only one to graduate. In 1905, she would become the first Southern woman to be accepted by the American Institute of Architects
Henrietta Dozier worked in Atlanta for thirteen years before moving her practice to Jacksonville in 1914 where she became the city’s first and foremost woman architect. In 1903, she designed the All Saints Episcopal Chapel in Atlanta. Considered her favorite commission, this small chapel was later damaged by fire and incorporated into a larger structure. While still in Atlanta, Henrietta C. Dozier was responsible for the design of the Saint Philips Episcopal Church in Jacksonville which was constructed in 1903.
She worked for the Jacksonville Engineering Department during World War I and then went out on her own, opening an architectural practice in 1918. During this time, she used various gender-neutral or male-sounding variants on her name throughout her career, including ‘H.C. Dozier’ and ‘Harry’ Dozier. Some of the more noted buildings designed by Henrietta C. Dozier in Jacksonville include the Lampru Court Apartments which were demolished in 2007, residences at 1819 Goodwin Street, 2215 River Boulevard and 1814 Powell Place, and of course the old Federal Reserve Bank which was designed in association with Atlanta architect, A. Ten Eyck Brown. She died in 1947.
The Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta is the sixth district of the 12 Federal Reserve Banks of the United States. Referred to as the Atlanta Fed, it covers U.S. states of Alabama, Florida, and Georgia, the eastern two-thirds of Tennessee, the southern portion of Louisiana, and southern Mississippi as part of the Federal Reserve System. Along with its Atlanta headquarters, the Banks operates five branches with the sixth district, which are located in Birmingham, Jacksonville, Miami, Nashville, and New Orleans.
The Jacksonville Branch was located here on Hogan Street until 1952 when a newer building was constructed. That building is currently occupied by the Jacksonville Fire & Rescue Department. An insurance company, United States Fidelity and Guaranty Company, occupied the building in the 1960s. Dr. Paek Naykoon purchased the building in 1982 as his primary care clinic, which is where it got its current name.
The building was designed in the neo-classical style and the exterior has remained unchanged throughout all these years. However, the interior has undergone vast renovations which have destroyed much of the original work. The building is currently for sale.
Next Page: Interior Photographs of the Federal Reserve Bank
Continue →
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Arthur I. Cyr: Placing a call has transformed our economy, society and us
Arthur I. Cyr More Content Now
Jul 24, 2018 at 3:50 PM Jul 25, 2018 at 6:14 AM
The telecom hills are alive with the sound of mergers. Last month, a judge ruled the $85 billion offer by AT&T to acquire Time Warner is legal. Last year, the United States Department of Justice sued to block the deal, and the government will appeal this decision.
Time Warner (AT&T would change the name to Warner Media) owns HBO, CNN and Warner Brothers. Fees for the various banks and other advisers could total hundreds of millions of dollars.
Separately, on July 19 Comcast dropped efforts to purchase 21st Century Fox, clearing the way for Disney to acquire this unit of the Fox Empire. Disney will be much stronger in competition with media giant Netflix.
In early 2014, Comcast agreed to purchase Time Warner for $45 billion. However, the Federal Government vetoed the deal, arguing Comcast would acquire a dangerous too dominant role in the Internet. During that time, AT&T successfully purchased DirecTV.
Similar consolidation characterizes cell phone markets. Microsoft purchased struggling Nokia, the Finnish company that helped launch mobile phones. The deal temporarily countered criticism Microsoft was too cautious, but failed and Foxconn bought the assets.
Apple and Google largely define the global mobile operating system market. The former pioneered the user-friendly desktop computer. Co-founder Steve Jobs eventually left in a power struggle, only to return and engineer a brilliant turnaround centered on the iPod, iPhone and iPad. Devices have grown smaller even as the universe of information expands.
As in the past, telephones, computers and good old TVs are helping to democratize information. Two continuous characteristics are complex interplay between technology and society, and government oversight.
Information transmission now involves vast rapid change, but at the start, telephone and computer companies enjoyed much more solid, structured commercial environments. Dominant corporations effectively controlled largely stable, predictable markets, in contrast to today.
Historically, concentrated corporate power clearly threatened the public interest. John D. Rockefeller brilliantly built the Standard Oil Corporation into a powerful foundation of the American industrial economy, but monopoly of oil and kerosene production was also dangerous. Standard Oil could literally dominate the U.S. economy and shutdown the government, including the military.
Antitrust prosecution broke up Standard Oil in 1911. Investigative journalist Ida M. Tarbell was instrumental in this result, thanks to her book “The History of the Standard Oil Company.”
Computer and communications companies likewise face prosecution, though none has the power of Standard Oil. In 1969, the U.S. Justice Department went after IBM but dropped the suit in 1982. Entrepreneurs led by Apple were significantly weakening IBM’s hold. The market outmaneuvered the regulators.
The Feds had more success pursuing AT&T with an antitrust suit begun in 1974. In 1984, the corporation was broken up. Southwestern Bell eventually purchased surviving long-distance carrier AT&T, re-adopted the name, and became a principal player over time.
In 1894, Tarbell moved back to the U.S. after several years in Paris. Rather than rejoin family in Titusville, Pennsylvania, she settled in New York City, a courageous move then for a single woman.
However, as Steve Weinberg points out in “Taking on the Trust,” his book about her career, electricity was already radically transforming life in the great metropolis. Electric trains and lights permitted relatively safe, comfortable travel. Over time, technology made life easier. Consumers benefited from growing freedom of movement.
Investigator Tarbell made excellent use of the new telephone.
Today, we have myriad information sources — but less privacy.
— Arthur I. Cyr is Clausen Distinguished Professor at Carthage College and author of “After the Cold War.” Contact acyr@carthage.edu.
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Gus Malzahn to appear as in-studio analyst on CBS
Gus Malzahn to appear as in-studio analyst on CBS Gus Malzahn to appear as in-studio analyst on CBS Check out this story on montgomeryadvertiser.com: http://on.mgmadv.com/1tDNCTk
Montgomery Advertiser Published 5:40 p.m. CT Sept. 11, 2014 | Updated 5:41 p.m. CT Sept. 11, 2014
Auburn coach Gus Malzahn will appear as a guest analyst during CBS Sports' coverage of the Georgia-South Carolina game. (Photo: Butch Dill/AP)
AUBURN -- Tigers coach Gus Malzahn will appear as a guest analyst on CBS Sports' college football studio coverage during Saturday's game between Georgia and South Carolina.
Adam Zucker hosts along with analysts Brian Jones and Spencer Tillman.
"Inside College Football" kicks off at 1:30 p.m. CT, followed by "College Football Today" at 2:00 p.m.
No. 5 Auburn is off Saturday and plays at No. 19 Kansas State on Sept. 18.
Read or Share this story: http://on.mgmadv.com/1tDNCTk
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https://www.mysanantonio.com/news/article/House-votes-to-keep-Bush-tax-cuts-3755484.php
House votes to keep Bush tax cuts
Published 7:53 pm CDT, Wednesday, August 1, 2012
WASHINGTON — House Republicans voted to keep tax rates at their current level through next year, using one of their last votes before recessing for most of August to approve politically symbolic legislation that President Barack Obama has vowed to veto.
The vote Wednesday was intended to showcase the contrast between the GOP view on taxes and the one pushed by Obama and congressional Democrats.
The Senate, with its Democratic majority, already has approved a measure that would allow income tax rates to rise on earnings above $200,000 for individuals and $250,000 for couples, a move that would affect the top 2 percent of earners.
With no compromise in sight, the divide between the parties on taxes is expected to fuel the fall campaigns.
The current tax rates, first approved under the George W. Bush administration, expire at the end of the year. Taxes will rise automatically if Congress fails to find agreement by Dec. 31.
“We stand for no tax increases,” said freshman Rep. Tom Reed, R-N.Y. The Republican plan would, however, raise taxes for millions of low-income households by ending tax breaks for families with children that were passed in 2009 as part of the economic stimulus legislation.
Democrats, emboldened by polls showing most Americans favor their side of the argument, argued that Republicans should not hold tax breaks for most Americans hostage for a “bonus” break for upper-income earners.
“We all admire financial success, but when we give away trillions in tax cuts we cannot afford to those who need them the least, it's the middle class who has to make up the difference,” said Rep. Xavier Becerra of California, a top Democrat in the House.
The House voted 256-171, with 19 Democrats from mostly conservative districts or tough election battles crossing party lines to join Republicans. One Republican voted no.
Under the proposal approved last week by the Senate, top income tax rates would rise, from 33 percent and 35 percent now to 35 percent and 39.6 percent. Rates for capital gains and dividends would also go up, to 20 percent, and the estate tax would revert to its 2001 level of 55 percent, up from 35 percent today. Democrats also would continue the 2009 tax breaks, which include credits for child care and college costs, for another year.
The House bill would keep the 33 percent and 35 percent rates in place, keep the capital gains and dividend rates at 15 percent and eliminate the additional tax credits approved in the 2009 Obama bill.
The White House estimates that the Republican plan would cost $1 trillion more over the decade than the Democratic plan, prompting the president's veto threat over the GOP approach.
Republicans said they were fighting to protect the nation's small business owners, most of whom file their profits as personal income under the tax code. Analysts have said less than 3 percent of those filers make enough to be snared by the tax boost.
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Climate Change: Rising Sea Levels Threaten Buried Internet Infrastructure, Study Finds
By Abbey Interrante On 7/16/18 at 5:00 PM EDT
Fiber optic cables carrying the internet running into a server room in Manhattan. There are 4,000 miles of cable at risk of being damaged by the rising sea level, according to a new study. MIKE SEGAR/REUTERS
Tech & Science Climate Change Internet
The fiber optic cables that carry internet and are buried along the coastal United States may be threatened by rising sea levels, a new study has found.
The study from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, was presented Monday to a group of industry and academic researchers at the Applied Networking Research Workshop in Montreal, Canada. Researchers found that that large portions of the network may be covered by water in the next 15 years.
Fiber optic cables are long cables that allow for telecommunication across long distances or high-speed connections. They allow someone to access the internet, but also allow different devices to connect with each other, such as medical devices to connect with hospital systems or data to travel from one place to another.
The cables were buried 20 to 25 years ago, often without serious consideration to climate change. As a result, the thousands of miles of cables are water resistant, not waterproof like cables that are buried under water, such as those that carry data from continent to continent.
"Most of the damage that's going to be done in the next 100 years will be done sooner than later," Paul Barford, a senior author on the paper and computer science professor at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, said in a statement.
According to the report, the 4,000 miles of cable at risk of being damaged by the rising sea level would affect New York, Miami, and Seattle the most. In addition to those miles of cable, 1,100 traffic hubs could be underwater by the year 2033. Even though those three cities would likely be most affected initially, the disruptions could ripple across the world as data from those cities try to reach others, or others try to reach them.
Since the cables were often buried right next to coastlines, it only takes the sea to rise anywhere from a few inches to a foot, such as from melting polar ice, to cover the cables with water. Something like a hurricane or other major natural disaster could also cause the sea levels to rise and affect the underground internet, as seen in Hurricanes Katrina and Irma.
The scientists believe a plan needs to be made soon before people are severely affected by the loss of the internet. The cables could be moved inland or moved higher, or companies could find ways to redirect information from the covered cables to ones that are not underwater. Whichever solution is picked, it needs to happen quickly, the researchers said.
"The expectation was that we'd have 50 years to plan for it," Barford said. "We don't have 50 years."
Climate Change: Rising Sea Levels Threaten Buried Internet Infrastructure, Study Finds | Tech & Science
The Human Cost of Climate Change
Why Are Sea Levels Rising? Falling Rocks, Lawmaker Says
Pacific Coast's Wetlands Threatened by Sea Level Rise
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5 Gold Companies to Watch in 2019
FN Media Group Presents OilPrice.com Market Commentary
Apr 09, 2019, 08:00 ET
LONDON, April 9, 2019 /CNW/ -- After a rough 2018, gold stocks are set for a rebound. Prices began to bounce back in late 2018, as uncertainty in the market brought investors around to gold as a useful hedge. Mentioned in today's commentary includes: Barrick Gold Corp. (NYSE:GOLD), Newmont Mining (NYSE: NEM), Kirkland Lake Gold (NYSE:KL), Rio Tinto (NYSE:RIO), Wheaton Precious Metals Corp. (NYSE:WPM).
Gold stocks were depressed for years. But now, worries about dwindling gold supplies—"peak gold"—and the low prices of gold stocks have investors interested again, sending prices up above $1300 per ounce.
Goldman Sachs predicts only twenty years of gold left: "We found it all!" cries one gold miner. And with market uncertainty lingering, on the back of Brexit, the US-China trade war and signs of an economic slowdown, it's likely that gold will continue to gain.
With that in mind, here are 5 gold stocks to add to your ledger
#1 Barrick Gold Corp. (NYSE:GOLD)
The world's most valuable, and profitable, gold miner made a big move this year, attempting a take-over of rival Newmont Mining The announcement came out of nowhere, and if it had gone through would have seen some $17.8 billion change hands.
The deal fell through, but there was a silver lining: the two companies agreed to partner up to exploit a potential find in Nevada, with a two-thirds share for Barrick. The joint venture is expected to unlock nearly $5 billion over the next twenty years. That's good news for Barrick, which is already the biggest name in gold mining.
Last year Barrick reported 4.5 million ounces in gold. Nevada could yield 76 million ounces, providing for both Newmont and Barrick and all, as Barrick's CEO Mark Bristow put it, "without issuing a single stock."
Buoyed by the news of a potential takeover, Barrick's stock has been soaring, gaining 9.4% in the thirty days before March 26. Analysts put the company's short-term value at $14.34, representing gains of more than 50% since September. So even without Newmont in its ledger, Barrick should enjoy a strong year, particularly as calls of "peak gold" echo around the market.
#2 Euro Sun (ESM, CPNFF)
A tiny company has made a big acquisition…and it's right out of the history books. An ancient Roman gold mine deep in the forests of Romania. And Euro Sun Mining Inc. has the means to get it kick-started.
The scale of this resource is immense: the Rovina Mine, once it's up and running, will be the 2nd biggest gold mine in all of Europe: 400 million tons of ore, yielding 10.1 million ounces of gold equivalent. Profits from this find are estimated at $550 per ounce…for a total haul of $5.5 billion over the mine's lifetime.
What makes Euro Sun so special? Well, there are actually HUNDREDS of mines scattered across Europe. Many of them were left over from Roman times, but still contain hundreds of millions of tons of accessible ore. The problem is with licensing: inside the European Union, it can be insanely difficult to get the necessary licenses.
Rovina was built up over time; at one point, Barrick sank $20 million into the project. But the mine's owners couldn't get the necessary licenses and had to abandon the find. That's when Euro Sun swooped in for the kill. The company took its time to get the necessary permits, and the mining license from the Romanian government was obtained in November 2018 (The First Romanian Mining Permit Since 2003).
It's no wonder that GMP noted Rovina has "robust economics and upside…If another ounce is never found, Euro Sun already owns a potentially extremely robust project."
GMP's estimate has been upheld by Cantor Fitzgerald, which completed its own estimate in early 2019. The deposit at Rovina "carries strong economics on a standalone basis." The only thing holding Euro Sun back is the dismal state of small mining stocks.
Cantor Fitzgerald puts Euro Sun's short-term target at $2.10. That's a 218% increase from its current price. And GMP goes even further: they reckon Euro Sun is worth $3.00, an increase of 355%.
The company's stock leapt up by 20% after one small announcement. And more goods news, or activity on the gold market, could send it up even higher.
The Chinese have already put some serious money into mining, laying down $1.4 billion to acquire a nearby asset with none of the qualities Rovina can boast. It could be no time 'till Euro Sun (ESM, CPNFF) gets snapped up.
#3 Newmont Mining (NYSE: NEM)
Newmont is making big moves: it's about to take over rival Goldcorp, forming a new firm that could rival Barrick in size. Newmont made the announcement in January, part of a slew of M&A deals among the gold miners, taking advantage of depressed valuations. And while the Newmont-Barrick merger seems dead, the purchase of Goldcorp looks like a sure thing.
The news comes on the heels of Barrick's attempted acquisition of Newmont, a deal that fell through. But Newmont seems better off. It's earned a one-third share in the joint venture launched with Barrick in Nevada, a deal that could yield $5 billion over twenty years.
In 2018 Newmont announced that "first gold" had been produced at its Merian mine in Suriname, South America. The mine contains reserves of 1.5 million ounces and annual production is expected to average between 400,000 and 500,000 ounces during the first five years. And news of the Goldcorp deal is sending the stock higher.
Amidst a positive M&A atmosphere in the gold world, this purchase could be the biggest of all.
#4 Kirkland Lake Gold (NYSE:KL)
This major gold miner is valued at more than twice Barrick or Newmont…and with good reason. Kirkland posted some big numbers for last year, reporting 724,000 ounces of gold produced and exceeding its quarterly production record by 28%.
Unlike other major miners, which have assets scattered around the world, Kirkland is focused on Canada and Australia. Its portfolio makes it a low-risk, high-value stock, one that looks even more attractive after the good news from 2018.
Kirkland currently boasts a Zacks ranking of #1. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings in 2019 has risen 52%, and project four-year growth of 47%. And Kirkland doesn't intend to slow down any time soon.
It has plans to expand operations in Canada and is sinking more than $100 million into exploration, confident that "peak gold" predictions won't come to pass. The company's Canadian workforce is set to grow by the thousands, once a new shaft is sunk at the Macassa mine.
#5 Rio Tinto (NYSE:RIO)
One of the world's biggest miners is also in the gold business…though you might not know it. Rio Tinto, the mining giant, made a huge discovery in February, uncovering what could be its next big copper-gold mine in Western Australia. The mine is part of Rio's $250 million exploration program. Analysts predict the company will be able to scale up its operation quickly, thanks to the company's ample resources.
Rio recently delayed production on a mine in Mongolia, pushing back the planned expansion from early 2020 to third quarter 2021, so the Western Australia discovery comes at a good time. Like other gold stocks, Rio Tinto has been ticking up this year, buoyed by concerns over market volatility and helped along by the depressed state of the gold market coming in from 2018.
Rio has already been named the most innovative company according to Boston Consulting Group, thanks in part to its high-tech min in Pilbara, Western Australia.
Another company to consider as gold inches higher…
Wheaton Precious Metals Corp. (NYSE:WPM)
Wheaton is a company with its hands in operations all around the world. As one of the largest 'streaming' companies on the planet, Wheaton has agreements with 19 operating mines and 9 projects still in development. Its unique business model allows it to leverage price increases in the precious metals sector, as well as provide a quality dividend yield for its investors.
Recently, Wheaton sealed a deal with Hudbay Minerals Inc. relating to its Rosemont project. For an initial payment of $230 million, Wheaton is entited to 100 percent of payable gold and silver at a price of $450 per ounce and $3.90 per ounce respectively.
Randy Smallwood, Wheaton's President and Chief Executive Officer explained, "With their most recent successful construction of the Constancia mine in Peru, the Hudbay team has proven themselves to be strong and responsible mine developers, and we are excited about the same team moving this project into production. Rosemont is an ideal fit for Wheaton's portfolio of high-quality assets, and when it is in production, should add well over fifty thousand gold equivalent ounces to our already growing production profile."
By. Meredith Taylor
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Reaction to the NYT Coverage of the Death of Lorena Escalera
We are cross-posting a story from Bilerico Project by Dr. Jillian T. Weiss on the New York Times coverage of the death of Lorena Escalera in a fire. Concerns over the coverage has prompted a response from the paper.
NY Times to LGBT Community: ‘That Will Be All There Is From Us’
Imagine for a moment, that tragedy has struck your family or friends. A suspicious late night fire broke out, and although many people were saved, your family member, your friend, died in the fire. You read this in the newspaper as the first sentence in the story:
She was 25 and curvaceous, and she often drew admiring glances in the gritty Brooklyn neighborhood where she was known to invite men for visits to her apartment, her neighbors and the authorities said.
Curvaceous? Gritty neighborhood? Inviting men for visits? She is dead, for God’s sake, a young woman burned to death in a suspicious fire. Ah, but this is a transgender young woman of color, and the headline screams “Woman In Group Of Transgender Performers Dies On Brooklyn Fire.”
At least they acknowledged that her gender identity was that of “woman.” So then why these quotes?
“Called Lorena, she brought two men to her apartment…”
“According to neighbors, she was born male…”
“For a man, he was gorgeous…”
“Ms. Escalera had worked as an escort and that he regularly saw her advertising her service on an adult Web site…”
“Still, she was a nice person.”
“A debris pile outside the apartment, which is above a funeral home, contained many colorful items. Among them were wigs, women’s shoes, coins from around the world, makeup, hair spray, handbags, a shopping bag from Spandex House, a red feather boa and a pamphlet on how to quit smoking.”
“Human interest,” you say? A journalist merely reporting what was said, you say?
I think not. This story is shot through with transphobia. The issue has been raised with the New York Times by a number of journalists and GLAAD. The Times acknowledged a deficit in their “choice of words, but refused to make any corrections to the article, or indicate that their journalists will be given any information or training on how to report such stories, and their further response is in the title to this article: “That will be all there is from us.”
But that is not all there will be from us. There is a petition to sign at the end of this post.
New York Times Metro Editor Carolyn Ryan defended the Times article as follows:
“We typically try to capture the personal stories of those whose lives are lost in a fire, and we sought to do so in this case. We certainly did not mean any disrespect to the victim or those who knew her. But, in retrospect, we should have shown more care in our choice of words.”
Personal stories? Do you know what the Times has said about victims in its previous stories about deadly fires? Nothing like this, I assure you. In fact, after looking at a dozen Times stories about local fires, I noted that there’s often no “personal interest” included. But let’s take a look, shall we, at the “personal stories” included in the Times‘ previous coverage of deadly fires.
Here’s an example from May 1, 2012, which tragically killed four people.
The deaths sent waves of grief through two communities.
The Sullivan family had lived in the house for more than 10 years. They had been involved in local sports and the schools; Meaghan and Mairead attended Carmel High School.
Mayor Anne McAndrews of Larchmont, in Westchester County, said Captain Sullivan had been “the face of the department for the whole community.” She said he had been essential in organizing the annual Memorial Day parade, a 5K run coming up and just about any event that required community and police interaction.
Ms. McAndrews said she would often see his smiling face in the three-story building that houses the village government offices as well as the Police Department. “He brought his own sunshine,” she said.
“He was just part of Larchmont,” said Elizabeth Alfieri, who owns a floral shop on Chatsworth Avenue in Larchmont.
Ms. Alfieri, the florist, said Captain Sullivan would sometimes honk and wave from his patrol car or come in and buy flowers for his wife or daughters.
Ms. Alfieri said she would talk with him about their dogs. The Sullivans had just adopted a fourth Yorkshire terrier, which Donna Sullivan adored, Ms. Alfieri said. It was not immediately known if any of the family’s dogs had survived the fire.
From a February 24, 2011 story about a fire that tragically killed five people:
On Friday, mourners stood in the drizzle and gawked at the charred shell of the former farmhouse. Some left balloons decorated with Spider-Man, Barney the Dinosaur and teacups, along with stuffed puppies and yellow, white and pink flowers.
“These were wonderful people,” Andrea Thompson, 43, said as she tied heart-shaped balloons around a telephone pole and hung a teddy bear on police tape.”I was devastated.”
These are the types of “personal interest” that appear in Times articles, when it does appear. There’s nothing about the victim’s shapely figure, sexuality or gendering. It’s quotes from neighbors who reminisce about how wonderful the victims were. And that is as it should be. Such stories are panegyric obituaries to people who died in tragic circumstances. It’s not an occasion to showcase them as a zoo specimen or circus sideshow. The “personal interest” defense is not credible. It is a cover-up. Saying that the Times could have shown “more care in our choice of words” speaks very loudly about theTimes‘ failure to understand what it means to be sensitive to a fire victim who is transgender.
As GLAAD wrote in its blog post on the issue, the problem with the Times‘ article is bigger than their “choice of words” or with their attempt to “capture” her story. It’s their failure to recognize trans women as women.
Janet Mock had it right in the GLAAD post, where she was quoted as follows:
“As my city’s and our nation’s paper of record, I would expect the New York Times to treat any subject, regardless of their path in life, with dignity,” said trans advocate and journalist Janet Mock. “In Lorena Escalera’s life she was so much more than the demeaning, sexist portrait they painted of girls like us. It goes beyond a ‘choice of words.’ According to the Times‘ limiting, harmful portrait of Lorena, she was nothing more than a ‘curvaceous’ bombshell for men to gawk at. That is not the ‘personal’ story of any woman, and until we treat trans women like human beings – in life and death – with dignity, families and struggles, our society will never see us beyond pariahs in our communities.
Laverne Cox well described my feelings upon reading the description of the debris pile that included personal articles of the victim in her Huffington Post article:
Reporting on trash in articles about the deaths of transgender women enrages me in ways I can’t even explain. When I wanted to kill myself, I felt so utterly dehumanized and demoralized by living in a world that was not having me. I have struggled and continue to struggle to not only have dignity and to carve out a place in the world for myself but to treat myself as if my life matters. My life matters. Transgender lives matter. Lorena Escalera’s life mattered. Rest in peace, Lorena.
Rest in peace, Lorena.
Here’s a petition you can sign targeted towards Carolyn Ryan, the Times Metro Editor, who said their only problem was “a better choice of words”
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New Flaming Lips album ‘sounds like John Lennon meets Miles Davis’
Wayne Coyne describes his band's forthcoming new effort
The Flaming Lips‘ Wayne Coyne has talked about his band’s forthcoming new album, which they recently began recording.
The album will be the band’s first since 2006’s ‘At War With The Mystics’. A release date and title are yet to be decided on.
“Some of it sounds like John Lennon,” Coyne told BBC 6music. “But if he got together with Miles Davis and they went back in time, but there was a supercomputer that they could figure out how to work!
“We’ve done a couple of songs, but we have a handful of other songs that I know have a good vibe to them.”
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Final Curtain Falls on Fairfax Theater
Published Mar 25, 2010 at 10:04 AM | Updated at 10:16 AM PDT on Mar 25, 2010
It's curtains for the Fairfax Theater, which opened its doors in 1930 and sustained major damage during the recent rainstorms.
Regency Theaters, which operates the theater at Beverly Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue, says it has asked the property owner to terminate its lease, the Los Angeles times reported.
The Fairfax Theatre opened in 1932 with 1504 seats and only 1 auditorium. It was later converted into triplex with about 800 seats.
The rain damage was so extensive that it would not be economically feasible to reopen the landmark theater at Beverly Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue, according to a Regency quoted by The Times.
Copyright City News Service / NBC Southern California
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Multiple DWI: Prior Convictions
Acclaimed DWI Defense Lawyer in Dallas
If you have been charged with DWI and have a prior DWI conviction on your criminal record, your legal situation is dangerous. It is critical that you retain a powerful Dallas DWI attorney to defend you at once. At the Knight Law Office, we have an established record of positive outcomes in DWI cases, and we are ready to go to work for you. With more than 20 years of experience in criminal defense, and having formerly served as an Assistant District Attorney, we have the trial experience and insight into the criminal justice system that could assist you to avoid the consequences of a conviction.
Penalties for Multiple DWI Convictions in Texas
DWIs, like most other crimes, yield more and more extreme penalties as they are repeated. Lawmakers establish these as a way of hoping to deter offenders from committing the same crimes. However, it is important to remember that under the constitution, every new case is treated individually and the outcome of these may not be swayed by previous offenses.
Under state law, the penalties imposed for DWI are radically increased for those who are considered to be habitual offenders:
2 nd DWI conviction: up to 1 year in jail, up to $4,000 in fines, and license suspension up to 2 years
3 rd conviction: up to 2 years in prison, fines up to $10,000, as well as a 2-year license suspension
For any person convicted more than once for DWI, once fines are paid and time is served, it is required that an ignition interlock device is installed in any vehicle you drive, and you pay for the installation of this unit.
The hidden costs for a 2 nd, 3 rd or more DWI will be extensive, including greatly increased insurance rates, and it may be impossible to obtain coverage at all. You also will be required to pay an annual fee of $2,000 to retain your license. You have a decision to make. Are you ready to call upon a seasoned Dallas criminal defense lawyer to assist you to defend against the charges?
It may be that your case has serious flaws, and our early involvement could lead to a dismissal of charges, with no further legal repercussions. You owe it to yourself to find out before you make a decision about your plea.
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House approves sweeping bill to expand gay rights
WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats in the House approved sweeping anti-discrimination legislation Friday that would extend civil rights protections to LGBT people by prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. The protections would extend to employment, housing, loan applications, education, public accommodations and other areas.
Called the Equality Act, the bill is a top priority of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who said it will bring the nation "closer to equal liberty and justice for all."
Sexual orientation and gender identity "deserve full civil rights protections - in the workplace and in every place, education, housing, credit, jury service, public accommodations," Pelosi said.
The vote was 236-173, with every Democrat voting in favor, along with eight Republicans. Cheers and applause broke out on the House floor as the bill crossed the threshold for passage.
The legislation's chief sponsor, Rep. David Cicilline, D-R.I., said it affirms fairness and equality as core American values "and ensures members of the LGBTQ community can live their lives free from the fear of legal discrimination of any kind."
Cicilline, who is gay, called equal treatment under the law a founding principle of the United States, adding "It's absurd that, in 2019, members of the LGBTQ community can be fired from their jobs, denied service in a restaurant or get thrown out of their apartment because of their sexual orientation or gender identify."
Most Republicans oppose the bill and call it another example of government overreach. Several GOP lawmakers spoke against it Friday on the House floor. President Donald Trump is widely expected to veto the legislation if it reaches his desk.
At a news conference Thursday, the Republicans said the bill would jeopardize religious freedom by requiring acceptance of a particular ideology about sexuality and sexual identity.
Rep. Vicky Hartzler, R-Mo., called the legislation "grossly misnamed" and said it is "anything but equalizing."
The bill "hijacks" the 1964 Civil Rights Act to create "a brave new world of 'discrimination' based on undefined terms of sexual orientation and gender identity," Hartzler said. The legislation threatens women's sports, shelters and schools, and could silence female athletes, domestic abuse survivors and other women, she said.
A similar bill in the Senate has been co-sponsored by all but one Senate Democrat, but faces long odds in the Republican-controlled chamber.
A Trump administration official who asked not be identified, because he was not authorized to speak publicly about the president's intentions, said the White House "opposes discrimination of any kind and supports the equal treatment of all. However, this bill in its current form is filled with poison pills that threaten to undermine parental and conscience rights."
Some critics also said the bill could jeopardize Title IX, the law prohibiting sex discrimination in federally funded education programs. Former tennis star Martina Navratilova co-wrote an opinion piece in The Washington Post urging lawmakers not to "make the unnecessary and ironic mistake of sacrificing the enormously valuable social good that is female sports in their effort to secure the rights of transgender women and girls."
Ahead of the vote, Rep. Jody Hice, R-Ga., called the House bill "horrifying" and said it could cause Catholic schools to lose federal grants for school lunches or require faith-based adoption agencies to place children with same-sex couples.
Neena Chaudhry, a lawyer for the National Women's Law Center, said the bill does not undermine Title IX, because courts have already found that Title IX protects against gender-identity discrimination.
"It is way past time to fully open the doors of opportunity for every American," said Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., one of the Senate bill's lead sponsors. "Let's pass the Equality Act, and let us rejoice in the bells of freedom ringing for every American."
In the Senate, Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine also supports the bill, while Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia is the sole Democrat who is not a co-sponsor.
The eight House Republicans who voted for the bill Friday were Reps. Susan Brooks of Indiana, Mario Diaz-Balart of Florida, Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, Will Hurd of Texas, Greg Walden of Oregon and New York lawmakers John Katko, Tom Reed and Elise Stefanik.
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Participation Now
Democratizing inequalities
Participation has become a necessary basis for institutional authority in an era of declining social mobility and government retrenchment. It has become a tool for sustaining hierarchies as much as a tool for transcending them.
Michael McQuarrie
Participation is a form of political wizardry. Any number of contemporary problems - from inequality, to hierarchy, to bureaucratic arrogance, and sclerotic institutions - are, it is often asserted, solvable using a bit of participation. Participation can create more sophisticated and other-directed citizens, it can facilitate the formation of identities, it can underpin political mobilization, and it can prefigure better societies. In contrast, formal institutions are undemocratic and alienating. Expanding participation will make society less polarized, more democratic, and more equitable. Politically, we know we need more of this good mojo, so movements, philanthropies, and politicians all look to give greater scope to citizen voices.
It is important to remember that the current optimism about participation is a product of the 1960s. After World War II it was widely assumed that technocratic governance was a far more secure basis for democracy than the participation of emotional and easily-manipulated citizens. However, by the 1960s two things had become clear. First, technocratic governance could be as dysfunctional and inhumane as the ideological mass movements of the 1920s and 30s. Second, firms, unions, political parties, and government agencies were all extremely vulnerable to the criticism that they were unresponsive and undemocratic hierarchies that did not act in the interests of the public. In the wake of the civil rights, anti-nuclear, anti-war, and women’s movements it was easier for people to appreciate the democratizing potential of citizens working together. Participation was extremely useful as a practice and a demand.
My collaborators and I working on the Democratizing Inequalities Project attempt to break with the prevalent faith in the virtues of participation.[i] This is not because we don’t recognize its potentially democratizing effects; it is because we see that participation is being put to a variety of other uses as well. Our break takes two forms. First, we shift the question. Is it actually true that the sixties movements failed in their efforts to democratize society and bring greater social justice? In the most obvious terms, yes; however, in seeing participation as the key to democratization these movements were far more successful than they are usually given credit for.
Participatory institutions and practices are not in decline, especially in the United States. In fact, they have metastasized across the institutional landscape. By 1980 management schools regularly emphasized the importance of meaning, dialogue, and mutual accountability in the workplace. Japanese and German auto manufacturers transformed the culture of American manufacturing to make it more consultative, collaborative, and less hierarchical. Government agencies were legally constrained from passing laws without a period of open public consultation. Governance was devolved to communities through a growing reliance on community-based organizations to formulate land-use plans and development agendas. Corporations like Wal-Mart mobilize their own supporters in opposition to unionization efforts and community attempts to block the opening of new stores. Pharmaceutical companies have made their research accountable to patient advocacy groups. New industries have emerged that provide turnkey “participation services” to the military, philanthropies, corporations, and government agencies.
This raises the second point. We are not so much concerned with participatory practices or deliberative outcomes. We are interested in participatory contexts and trajectories. We ask: who is interested in participation? Who funds it? What do they get out of it? Participation is still an important practice for prefigurative and democratizing social movements and activists. What is new is that it is also a practice utilized by corporate, philanthropic, and government elites. Given that, it should not be surprising that the expansion of participatory practices has corresponded with the largest expansion of socio-economic inequality in the postwar era. Participation has become a necessary basis for institutional authority in an era of declining social mobility and government retrenchment. It has become a tool for sustaining hierarchies as much as a tool for transcending them.
This account is a US-centric one, but similar dynamics have played out around the world. Take the “Porto Alegre Experiment” in Brazil. Initially undertaken in the wake of social movement mobilizations and the reemergence of the Workers’ Party, the Porto Alegre Experiment opened the allocation of municipal resources to participatory decision-making. As much as it has been an example for social movements around the world, it has also been celebrated as a success story by the World Bank, which now encourages similar experiments elsewhere.[ii] Participatory budgeting certainly democratizes government in Porto Alegre, but what does it do for the World Bank? In a technocratic mode, does the World Bank simply see participatory budgeting as a governing success story?
My own view is that the simultaneous rise in inequality and participatory practices is not coincidental. Indeed, in a context of declining mobility and declining wages, economic citizenship can no longer provide a basis for elite authority as it did in the welfare state era. At the same time, the post-sixties experience of participation has taught elites that there is no reason to fear participation. Interests and identities are surprisingly flexible. There is nothing to say that participation necessarily produces an adversarial relationship between citizens and elites, especially not after decades of experimentation with participatory practices in workplaces, government agencies, and NGOs.
How should we think about and conceptualize this? We should understand participation as a practice with highly flexible meanings and effects. These depend in part on the discrete practices in play, but even more on the institutional and political context in which they are undertaken. Today, elites, firms, and bureaucracies are utilizing participation to augment their own authority. They ‘extract’ resources from citizen participation, to borrow from Christopher Kelty’s discussion in an earlier post on this blog, but they don’t just extract material resources as he suggests. They extract symbolic and cultural resources as well. Today, elite authority leans upon participation to sustain itself.
Of course not all participation can be characterized this way, but that isn’t really what is significant. Once, participation and democracy were reflexively invoked to criticize bureaucratic, hierarchical, and corporate organizations. Today, that criticism is blunted by rival participatory settings, mobilized supporters, and greater institutional openness. The true victory for elites is not that they have captured all forms of participation; it is that they have relativized its critical bite. Every organization has its own type of participation that it can use as a shield against critics.
Elites have learned to stop worrying and love citizen participation, while advocates of greater democracy and inclusion are now required to mobilize countless adjectives to distinguish their practices from the forms of inclusion that are already being institutionalized. To understand participation today requires a confrontation with this fact.
[i] Caroline Lee, Michael McQuarrie, and Edward Walker, eds. Democratizing Inequalities: The Promise and Pitfalls of the New Public Participation (New York University Press, forthcoming 2015). In addition to the editors, the contributors include: Gianpaolo Baiocchi, Emily Cummins, Nina Eliasoph, Ernesto Ganuza, Matthew Judge, Daniel Kreiss, Isaac Martin, Kelly McNulty, David Meyer, Aaron Panofsky, Francesca Polletta, Amanda Pullam, Sarah Shaffer, David Schleifer, Steve Vallas.
[ii] Gianpaolo Baiocchi has a nuanced understanding of all of these developments. His book Militants and Citizens: The Politics of Participatory Democracy in Porto Alegre (Stanford University Press, 2005) is a sociological account of participatory budgeting. In other work since the book’s publication, he has continued to follow developments there.
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Home / Events / Film Scholars Lecture - Charles Burnett: A Cinema of Symbolic Knowledge
Film Scholars Lecture - Charles Burnett: A Cinema of Symbolic Knowledge
Sep 07 7:30pm PT
Linwood Dunn Theater
Hollywood, CA, 90028
James Naremore is Chancellor’s Professor Emeritus in communication and culture, English and comparative literature at Indiana University. His Academy Film Scholars Lecture will be based on his forthcoming book, Charles Burnett: A Cinema of Symbolic Knowledge, which is the first full-length commentary on a key figure in the “L.A. Rebellion” and an artist whom many critics regard as the most significant African-American filmmaker.
Although Burnett’s career has developed against the odds and sometimes at the margins of the industry, it shows remarkable integrity and consistency, resulting in important features such as Killer of Sheep (1978), To Sleep with Anger (1990), The Glass Shield (1995) and the 1996 television movie Nightjohn; absorbing mixtures of documentary and fiction such as Nat Turner: A Troublesome Property (2003) and Warming by the Devil’s Fire (2003); and brilliant short films such as The Horse (1973) and When It Rains (1995).
Naremore’s talk provided an overview of the films, emphasizing their social criticism, themes, humor, musical influences and, above all, their commitment to the moral and educational value of what Burnett once described as “symbolic knowledge.” He gave special attention to one of Burnett’s major achievements, To Sleep with Anger, which tells a story of class tensions within a black family and skillfully blends Southern gothic folklore with gentle comedy. To Sleep with Anger screened following the talk.
This was the 15th in a series of lectures spotlighting recipients of the Academy Film Scholars grant. Established in 1999, the Academy Film Scholars program is designed to stimulate and support the creation of new and significant works of film scholarship about aesthetic, cultural, educational, historical, theoretical or scientific aspects of theatrical motion pictures.
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Middle East|With Fixtures of War as Their Canvas, Muralists Add Beauty to Baghdad
With Fixtures of War as Their Canvas, Muralists Add Beauty to Baghdad
By STEPHEN FARRELL AUG. 11, 2007
An artist painting a blast wall on Abu Nawas Street in Baghdad, part of a city program to come to terms with the slabs of concrete that have sprouted across the city. Credit Johan Spanner for The New York Times
BAGHDAD, Aug. 10 — Dead blocks, they call them, the most visible legacy of the latest war in a city with a long history of wars.
For four years these vast concrete slabs have slowly crept through Baghdad, snaking along road, river and sidewalk as they shut out light and encircled ministries, palaces and districts.
Now, confronted by the inescapable presence and likely longevity of these blast walls, the city has hired two dozen Iraqi artists to soften their harsh gray solidity by using the city’s past to hide its present.
Jamaat al-Jidaar, they call themselves: “the Wall Group.” Paid modest stipends that start at about $15 a day, they have spent the past month squatting on scaffolds painting images of warriors, kings and myths from past millennia onto 52 slabs of 12-foot-high concrete beside the Tigris River.
All face the ever-present fear of Islamist fanatics — on both sides of the Shiite-Sunni divide — who have killed, intimidated or driven away thousands of Iraqi artists whose vision is inconsistent with their own intolerant interpretation of Islam.
With few opportunities for work, they are delighted with the money, but are also uncomfortably aware that all they can do is paint the symptoms of a conflict that has mired their city in death squads, sectarian violence and crumbling infrastructure, and lost billions of dollars to corruption, waste and mismanagement.
A two-minute drive away, a suicide bomber killed 20 people last week. Just behind the artists’ scaffolding, hundreds of Iraqis line up all day trying to buy gasoline, in a land that sits atop some of the world’s largest oil fields.
“This is a farce, a parody, that you need so much and you spend money on other things,” said Hassan Ibrahim, 45, one of the artists.
“This neighborhood is close to the Tigris River, and yet we suffer from a shortage of water and power,” he added. “Money is spent on unnecessary things and there is so much embezzlement on other projects. Yet this is like a drop in the sea, and it has cultural, artistic and aesthetic meaning.”
He pointed to newly painted scenes that, he said, depicted an Assyrian king wrestling with a lion, and Mesopotamia’s ancient system of cuneiform writing.
“Amid the wreckage and devastation in Iraq this is something good, something hopeful, that we can paint a brighter spot on a wall to make people feel better and more optimistic,” he said.
The artists’ first project, a few months ago, turned a soulless stretch of barriers near the capital’s landmark Paradise Square into a neck-craning blur of fishermen’s boats, Arabian stallions, mountains and rural landscapes.
The idea grew out of a few informal daubings that appeared on barricades on the east bank of the river. It was picked up by American soldiers working with Iraqi neighborhood councils, and the program gained momentum.
The new murals are part of wider beautification works financed by the American military, the Iraqi government and aid organizations as part of an often-foiled effort to renovate Baghdad, as well as to improve its security. More art projects will be planned for other sites if the program wins popular support — and if the artists stay alive.
Many murals have focused on the glories of Iraqs pre-Islamic civilizations in hopes of avoiding the ire, and bullets, of Islamist militants, who have killed or driven out thousands of Iraqi artists. Credit Johan Spanner for The New York Times
They have no illusions about the dangers.
Their hope, though, is that they will avoid objections to the subject matter by choosing themes like the pre-Islamic Sumerian, Babylonian and Assyrian civilizations in whose scientific, legal and artistic achievements all Iraqis take pride.
“This is something beautiful to do such work, bringing to life these dead blocks,” said Tahar, 30, a graduate of the Institute of Fine Arts in Baghdad who is among those hired by the Ministry of Works and Social Affairs. “This is seen by all.”
Maj. Anthony Judge, the executive officer for the First Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, which has been overseeing revitalization works in the neighborhood, said the intention of all such local projects was to stimulate economic recovery by providing Iraqis with jobs.
“We decided that they needed to be painted so that the area didn’t look like a military base with all that concrete,” he said. “We wanted it to be something that people felt comfortable with, and proud of.”
These murals are apolitical. They show Babylon’s Ishtar Gate, King Sargon of Akkad, a winged bull with a human head from the palace at Dur Sharrukin, archers, priests and bejeweled queens.
However, politics intrude elsewhere. In the Green Zone, outside Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki’s canalside compound, one 15-foot-high barrier bears a far more contemporary message.
Here, against a background of a Saddam Hussein-era mound of human skulls, a multicolored mural portrays the triumph of the new era over the old, depicting people breaking free of manacles, casting votes and holding up the purple-ink-stained fingers that were a sign of participation in the country’s first, landmark democratic elections.
Mr. Hussein himself was not averse to public art, and some of it remains. Although the thousands of roadside portraits bearing his image are gone, a giant relief of the ruler ordering the construction of a bridge across the Tigris is intact, complete with his uniformed, commanding figure.
Among the Iraqis lining up to buy gasoline in central Baghdad, opinion was divided on the colorful additions to the city center, although art was not among the highest priorities.
“It is 12:30 p.m.,” said Muhammad Hassan, 59. “I have been here since 8:45 a.m. waiting for my turn to fill the car, and thank God only six cars remain and I will be near the pump soon.”
“The paintings are like decoration to beautify ugly concrete barriers,” he added. “They are beautiful and I have no objection if all buildings and shops are to be beautified with similar paintings. We are deprived of beautiful colors. This is simple, and the cost will not affect very much.”
However Taha Khames, a 40-year-old laborer, was less supportive.
“There is no need for paintings, or barriers, either,” he said. “All this money that has already been spent on barriers could be turned into useful services that make the people happy. We wish the government would remove all barriers as soon as possible, and instead plant trees, asphalt the roads and light street lamps on the main roads.”
Confronted with such concerns, one of the artists, Haider Abu Karrar, defended the program on the grounds of pragmatism and inspiration.
“If we were to calculate only like this, that we spend money only on projects for people deprived of water and electricity, then life is not going to go on,” he said. “This is putting people to work and making people feel life is going on.”
Perhaps uniquely for artists, usually intent on creating an enduring legacy, the Wall Group’s members look forward to the day their work is destroyed.
“If the security situation stabilizes enough that they throw my work of art away, that will be for the sake of my city,” Tahar said. “The most important thing is for Baghdad to be secure, that children are not being killed. Even if it is at the expense of my art.”
A version of this article appears in print on , on Page A6 of the New York edition with the headline: With Fixtures of War as Their Canvas, Muralists Add Beauty to Baghdad. Order Reprints| Today's Paper|Subscribe
Baghdad's Blast Wall Murals AUG. 10, 2007
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Europe|Ireland Bill Aims to Crack Down on Excessive Drinking With Health Warning Labels
Ireland Bill Aims to Crack Down on Excessive Drinking With Health Warning Labels
A pub in Carrick-on-Shannon, Ireland. Ireland is second only to Austria in rates of binge drinking, according to a World Health Organization survey.CreditCreditPaulo Nunes dos Santos for The New York Times
By Ed O’Loughlin
DUBLIN — Ireland will impose tobacco-style health warning labels on alcohol as part of a sweeping package of restrictions intended to tackle what a World Health Organization survey ranks as one of the world’s worst rates of binge drinking.
A bill that passed the Irish Parliament’s lower house on Wednesday limits alcohol advertising and requires that alcoholic products be separated from retail areas inside shops. It also demands health warnings, including about links to cancer, both on bottles and at the point of sale — even in shops and visitor centers attached to breweries and distilleries, which are major tourist attractions in a country famed for its exports of stout, cider and whiskey.
The measure is the first in Ireland to treat excessive alcohol consumption as a health problem rather than as an issue of licensing or of law and order. It includes a minimum sales price per unit of alcohol and bans the advertising of alcohol in publicly owned parks and at sports events catering mainly to children.
This year, Scotland became the first nation to introduce minimum alcohol unit prices, and many other countries restrict alcohol advertising and sponsorship to varying degrees. But Ireland’s bill will be the first national law — unless successfully challenged in court — to require alcohol manufacturers to display warning labels about specific health risks.
The labels must also specify for the first time the number of calories in a beverage, and the total alcohol content in grams as opposed to merely the percentage of alcohol.
Patricia Callan, director of Alcohol Beverage Federation of Ireland, an industry lobby group, said that it supported the objectives of the legislation but believed it was not evidence-based and would harm an important Irish industry.
“No other country in the world requires mandatory cancer warning labels,” she said. “And imposing such a label will cause substantial reputational damage to our quality products by applying a stigma to products made in Ireland.”
Canada’s Yukon Territory introduced a similar rule experimentally last year, but soon abandoned it under pressure from the drinks industry.
The flip side of the alcohol industry’s commercial and marketing success in Ireland, analysts say, is a culture that has traditionally tolerated, and sometimes even encouraged, heavy drinking.
Ireland is second only to Austria in rates of binge drinking, with 39 percent of Irish people over 15 reporting heavy drinking in a one-month period, according to a 2014 survey by the World Health Organization.
The country’s Health Research Board estimated that in 2015 Irish people above the age of 15 consumed on average the equivalent of 41 liters of standard whiskey or vodka, or more than 116 bottles of wine, per head each year.
The World Health Organization survey also found that Ireland ranked 12th in the world in terms of average alcohol consumption, while in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, a group of developed economies, it ranked fourth, behind Estonia, Austria and France.
Alcohol Action Ireland, a group of activists and health professionals that lobbied for the new law, says that alcohol causes, on average, three deaths every day in Ireland and is a factor in half of all suicides and a third of cases of deliberate self-harm. Excessive drinking disrupts families and communities, it says, and is also a factor in many assaults, rapes and murders, and in two-fifths of all traffic accidents in the country.
While many Irish people are already aware of the social and health costs of alcohol consumption, the strong link between excessive alcohol use and several types of cancer has caught some by surprise.
In the course of the debate, the opposition’s health spokesman, Stephen Donnelly, reversed his party’s earlier objection to the cancer labels, admitting that he had been shocked by research that showed 500 Irish people died of alcohol-related cancers each year, “about three times the number of people who die on the roads,” he said.
The bill was fiercely resisted by a number of groups representing alcohol manufacturers, distributors and retailers. Parliamentary opposition and delays meant that almost three years have passed between the bill’s initial introduction and its passage, which was greeted by applause in the Dail, the lower house of the Irish Parliament.
Simon Harris, the health minister, joined his predecessors in championing the bill and said that he would like to examine further restrictions on alcohol advertising and sports sponsorship in the future.
Ireland, despite being a small island nation of fewer than five million people, has experience in introducing groundbreaking health legislation. In 2004, Michael Martin, then the minister for health, stunned critics and tobacco industry lobbyists by passing the world’s first law to ban smoking in the workplace — including in bars, restaurants and offices. In the years since the law’s passage, much of the rest of the developed world has followed suit.
Now that it has passed through the Dail, the bill on alcohol will go the Seanad, or senate, for further debate. The Seanad has limited powers to delay or amend the bill. The Irish government says, however, that the constitutionality of the law could yet be contested by the drinks lobby in court, or by other member states of the European Union.
It could still be several years before warning labels appear on alcoholic beverages in Ireland, and even then there will be an exemption for alcohol bottled for export or for sale in duty-free shops.
A version of this article appears in print on , Section A, Page 11 of the New York edition with the headline: Ireland Bill Targets Binge Drinking With Health Warning Labels. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe
Yukon Government Gives In to Liquor Industry on Warning Label Experiment
How Much Alcohol Is Safe to Drink? None, Say These Researchers
Barrage of New Rules Targets Italy's Drinkers
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Politics|Why Don’t Unpaid Federal Workers Walk Off the Job?
Why Don’t Unpaid Federal Workers Walk Off the Job?
Federal law prohibits strikes, public servants care about their work and other reasons airports and prisons aren’t in chaos, despite a protracted federal shutdown.
By Jim Tankersley and Thomas Kaplan
Transportation Security Administration officers at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago. A walkout by T.S.A. employees would cripple air travel in the United States.CreditNam Y. Huh/Associated Press
Several hundred thousand federal workers keep showing up at their jobs every day — screening luggage for explosives, policing prisons, preparing to open tax filing season — even though they aren’t getting paid. You wouldn’t expect that at a private company or, say, in almost any European country. But they keep reporting for work, in the midst of what is now the longest federal shutdown in United States history.
Which raises the question: Why do they keep showing up?
Lawmakers are beginning to float the idea that perhaps they shouldn’t and that some sort of coordinated absence by federal workers might be the quickest way to persuade President Trump and congressional Democrats to find a deal to end the shutdown:
Couple senior Republican lawmakers tell me the only way this breaks open is if TSA employees stay home and Americans get furious about their flights. That’s the only out, they say. And they’re close to the WH.
— Robert Costa (@costareports) January 15, 2019
Workers understand the power they have; a walkout of Transportation Security Administration employees would effectively cripple air travel in the United States, for example.
But they do not appear close to wielding that leverage. On Wednesday, T.S.A. reported its national rate of unscheduled absences was 6.1 percent, up from 3.7 percent a year ago, but not high enough to significantly worsen wait times in most major airports.
Here are the reasons more federal workers are still showing up for work despite not getting paid.
The law prohibits them from striking
The National Labor Relations Act extends a right to strike to American workers — but it specifically does not give that right to government workers. A law passed during President Jimmy Carter’s administration bars federal workers from striking. When air traffic controllers walked off the job in 1981, demanding better pay and working conditions, President Ronald Reagan ordered them to return to work. When they did not, he fired them.
For an employee deemed “excepted” from furlough during a shutdown — which is to say, forced to work without pay — walking off the job could carry a similar penalty. Guidance from the federal Office of Personnel Management prohibits excepted employees from taking any sort of leave, including vacation or sick days, during a shutdown.
“If an excepted employee refuses to report for work after being ordered to do so,” the guidance says, “he or she will be considered to be absent without leave (AWOL) and will be subject to any consequences that may follow from being AWOL.”
Employees believe in their mission
Union leaders and federal workers frequently stress that furloughed employees want to be allowed to return to their jobs — and that employees working without pay are doing so largely because they care about their work, be it protecting public lands, inspecting food for safety or catching drug smugglers at the border.
“It sounds corny, I know,” said Jacqueline Simon, the director of public policy for the American Federation of Government Employees, the largest federal workers’ union. But “federal employees are extremely devoted to the mission of their agencies,” she said. “They don’t just fall into these jobs. They believe in public service; they believe in what they do. They’re not just going to walk away. There may come a point when some of them have to, to feed their families, but no one wants to do that.”
The National Air Traffic Controllers Association has seen “no unusual increase” in controllers missing work, the union’s executive vice president, Trish Gilbert, said on Friday. Asked if the controllers’ association would consider organizing a strike, a walkout or another job action if the shutdown continued in the long run, Ms. Gilbert said the union “would not condone or endorse any kind of activity like that.”
“We have taken an oath,” she said. “We know we’re important to the United States economy, and we are going to work. We’re just not getting paid. So even if this drags on, people will come to work.”
Demonstrators organized by the National Air Traffic Controllers Association last week in Washington.CreditErin Schaff for The New York Times
Groups representing workers think legal action could force the government’s hand
At least five lawsuits have been filed against the federal government by groups including the American Federation of Government Employees, the National Treasury Employees Union and the air traffic controllers’ association.
A United States District Court judge ruled on Tuesday against issuing any temporary restraining order that would allow workers to stop coming to work or order them to be paid. But those cases will continue to work their way through the judiciary, with another court date set at the end of the month.
The average federal worker has lost about $5,000 since the shutdown took hold in late December. On Wednesday, the president was expected to sign a bill promising that those workers would receive retroactive pay.
The longer the shutdown goes, the more likely it is workers will seek another job
Loyalty does not make workers immune to economic reality; they still need to make mortgage and car payments. In the high-cost Washington area, Ms. Simon said, a T.S.A. employee’s salary starts at $28,000 a year, which “doesn’t give you any cushion for absorbing any interruption in your pay.”
Reporting the agency’s elevated rate of unscheduled leave on Wednesday, T.S.A. officials said that “many employees are reporting that they are not able to report to work due to financial limitations.”
Furloughed employees can work other jobs to make ends meet: A staff member with the White House Council of Economic Advisers has begun driving for Uber to pay the bills, the council’s director said this week. But moonlighting is a lot harder for excepted employees, who still must show up at their regular job every day.
With a strong labor market and an unemployment rate hovering around 4 percent, many of those employees might eventually quit to take a job that brings an immediate paycheck.
An analysis from the online jobs site Indeed suggests that might already be brewing. It looked at job search behavior from mid-December through mid-January for workers at some affected federal agencies, including the I.R.S. and the T.S.A.
Indeed researchers found that clicks on job listings rose at least 17 percent for each of those worker groups over that period, a sign that employees affected by the shutdown “are searching for jobs more right now than they usually do at this time of year,” said Martha Gimbel, Indeed’s director of economic research.
Ms. Simon said that some workers might eventually be forced to take other jobs if the shutdown stretches on. For now, she said, there is no talk about a coordinated “sickout” or other walkout from work. Federal employees, she said, are “sharing their heartache” with one another — and their indignation.
“They don’t like being treated as hostages,” she said.
Katie Rogers contributed reporting.
Jim Tankersley covers economic and tax policy. Over more than a decade covering politics and economics in Washington, he has written extensively about the stagnation of the American middle class and the decline of economic opportunity. @jimtankersley
Thomas Kaplan is an investigative reporter in the Washington bureau. He previously covered Congress, the 2016 presidential campaign and New York state government. @thomaskaplan
A version of this article appears in print on , Section A, Page 14 of the New York edition with the headline: Why Don’t They Just Stop Coming Into Work?. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe
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Martin Collection: digital image of War Medals; 2002-1026-08564
Waimate Museum & Archives
Martin Collection: digital image of War Medals
War Medals belonging to Mr Andrew Martin
Andrew Martin was born 14 August 1892 and attended Otaio School before joining his father on the family farm, “The Grange” in Woolshed Valley Road, Otaio.
As part of compulsory military training Andrew was a territorial soldier with the 8th South Canterbury Mounted Rifles from his 18th birthday. Although Andrew’s training finished in June 1914, he was quick to volunteer for overseas service shortly after the outbreak of the Great War on August 13th, and he left New Zealand for Egypt on 16 October 1914.
He landed on Gallipoli in the first week of May 1915, and fought in the campaign until August when he was wounded in the ‘big push for Hill 971’. He was still able to walk and after a time of convalescence in England he returned to Egypt and the Mounted Rifles – just in time to help in the evacuation.
On 21st November 1917, during the Palestine campaign, Andrew was shot by a Turk. The bullet entered his left thigh, and lodged near the bottom of his spine. He was paralysed, and lay out in the open for two nights. When he was found, he was carried on the back of a camel to the rail head at Jaffa and then to hospital in Cairo. Army medics would not remove the bullet for fear of damage to the nervous system and that he may never walk again.
In early 1918 Andrew was commissioned to the rank of 2nd Lieutenant. He had learned to walk again and was sent back to New Zealand on furlough. He was posted to Featherston in charge of the 44th Mounted Reinforcement. The war ended just before embarking for overseas again.
[Disclaimer: This information was created from historic documentation, and may not necessarily reflect the best available knowledge about the item. Some collection images are created for identification purposes only and may not be of reproduction quality. Some images are not available due to copyright restrictions. If you have information or questions about objects in the collection, please contact via wtemus@xtra.co.nz.
2002-1026-01156, URL: http://www.nzmuseums.co.nz/account/3188/object/535433, updated 15 June 2015]
Subject and Association Keywords
Attribution - Non-commercial - Share Alike (cc)
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Gaston County Fish Camps
What makes these fish camps different from regular seafood restaurants. We’ll tell you, and share 13 fish camps you shouldn’t miss.
written by Our State Staff
The county has played host to numerous fish camps and seafood restaurants over the years. So what separates a makes a fish camp from a regular seafood restaurant?
A camp is usually family-owned, often more modest in appearance, and almost always serves up larger dishes than a seafood restaurant, explains Walter Israel, director of Gaston County Travel & Tourism.
But there is one test that a restaurant has to pass above all others: “A fish camp’s old standby has been fried, fried, and fried,” he says.
For fresh fried fish and hushpuppies, checkout these Gaston County fish camps:
AmberJack Seafood & Steaks
amberjackseafood.com
Hours: Monday, closed; Tuesday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; Friday 11 a.m.- 10 p.m.; Saturday, 3-10 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.
Black’s Bluewater Seafood & Grill
Mount Holly, NC 28120
Hours: Monday-Tuesday, closed; Wednesday-Thursday and Saturday, 7 a.m.-11 a.m., 4-9 p.m.; Friday, 7 a.m.-2 p.m., 4-9 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
The Captain’s Cap (3 locations)
670 Park St
thecaptainscap.com
Opened in 1994
Hours: Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; Friday, 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m.; Saturday, 3:30-9:30 p.m.; Sunday, Closed
1218 N. Highway 16
Hours: Sunday-Monday, closed; Tuesday-Thursday, 3:30-9 p.m.; Friday-Saturday, 3:30-9:30 p.m.
3140 Linwood Rd
Hours: Monday, Closed; Tuesday-Thursday and Sunday, 4-9 p.m.; Friday, 4-9:30 p.m.; Saturday, 3:30-9:30 p.m.
Catfish Cove
1401 Armstrong Ford Road
catfishcove.net
Hours: Monday-Thursday, 4-9 p.m.; Friday, 4-10 p.m.; Saturday 3-10 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
Firehouse Fish-N-Fixins
firehousefishnfixins.com
Hours: Monday-Saturday 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m.; Sunday, Closed
Lineberger’s Fish Camp
1101 Union Road
Open 1948-1998, re-opened in 2012
Hours: Monday-Tuesday, 4-9 p.m.; Wednesday, Closed; Thursday-Friday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; Saturday, 4-9 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
Long Creek Fish Fry
1425 Lower Dallas Highway
Dallas, NC 28034
Hours: Monday-Tuesday, Closed; Wednesday, 1:30-9 p.m.; Thursday, noon-9 p.m.; Friday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sunday 11 a.m.-9 p.m.
North Star Seafood
3150 Dallas High Shoals Rd.
northstarseafoodrestaurant.com
Hours: Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; Friday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m.; Sunday, Closed
Sharkey’s Place
141 W. Main Avenue
sharkeysplace.com
Hours (including music after 10 p.m. and bar): Sunday-Monday, 10 p.m.-2 a.m.; Tuesday-Friday, 4 p.m.-2 a.m.; Saturday, 3 p.m.-2 a.m.; Opens early for lunch: Tuesday-Friday, 11 a.m.; Saturday 12 p.m.
Surf & Turf Lodge
Bessemer City, NC 28016
surfandturflodge.com
Opened 2006
Hours: Monday-Tuesday, Closed; Wednesday-Thursday, 4 p.m.-9 p.m.; Friday-Saturday, 3 p.m.-9:30 p.m.; Sunday 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
Twin Top Fish Camp
4574 South New Hope Road
twintopsfishcamp.com
Hours: Sunday-Monday, Closed; Tuesday-Wednesday, 4-9 p.m.; Thursday, 4-9:30 p.m.; Friday 4-10 p.m.; Saturday, 3-10 p.m.
Hours are subject to change. It’s always a good idea to call ahead to confirm a restaurant is open.
This list was compiled by Jonathan Black, and editorial intern at Our State during the summer of 2013.
This story was published on August 12, 2013
Our State Staff
Since 1933, Our State has shared stories about North Carolina with readers both in state and around the world. We celebrate the people and places that make this state great. From the mountains to the coast, we feature North Carolina travel, history, food, and beautiful scenic photography.
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Roots & Grooves
For three decades, the tobacco town of Kinston was known as a hothouse for musical talent. Teachers and their students dazzled audiences with their jazz, swing, and R&B jams, giving rise to a new American sound: funk.
written by David A. Graham
photograph by Eric Waters
“Kinston used to jump, man,” cackles saxophonist Sonny Bannerman. “Oh man, look here, Kinston was full of clubs. Full of clubs! Yes, sir.” On Saturday nights, Queen Street hummed with live blues and big-band swing. Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Ray Charles, and Ella Fitzgerald brought crowds of thousands to tobacco warehouses, where heavy ropes stretched down the middle of the room segregating black and white patrons — though by the end of the night, many were dancing shoulder to shoulder. The next day, when the golden leaf took center stage again, the warehouse would fill with a different rhythm: the improvisational style of an auctioneer.
Music was a cash crop of its own, and Kinston was a seller’s market from the 1930s through the ’60s. The middle class that took root at mid-century put a premium on education, and that meant parents expected their children to take music lessons seriously, too. The best of these musicians — teachers and students — wrote radio hits that spread nationwide and filled the bandstands of marquee artists like James Brown. One local saxophonist, Maceo Parker, would become a legend himself.
Local bands played every night of the week downtown. Kinstonians were joined by airmen from Seymour Johnson and Marines from Camp Lejeune and Cherry Point looking to blow off steam while off base. When the licensed clubs closed down around midnight, the musicians would go to after-hours joints and keep blowing.
To 83-year-old Bannerman, those were his salad days. He and his band, the Nite Owls, got a gig as the house band at the white American Legion hall, playing three nights a week. On weekend nights, they’d wrap up at 11:30, then take their instruments across town to the black American Legion hall. “We played till about daybreak,” he says — and the white patrons, eager for more music, would follow them. “The cops, sheriffs would come around and try to make them leave. They thought it would be trouble, this, that, and the other.”
There were bigger towns with more clubs, but Kinston could match them in music. “If music had continued like it was in the ’40s, ’50s, and ’60s,” says Edwin Jones, a longtime local educator, “we would be like New Orleans.”
It’s tempting to look for something in the Neuse River water or the region’s sandy soil to explain Kinston’s past musical prowess, but the town’s immortals all point to the same thing: exceptional music teachers. Jazz education is at the heart of today’s musical revival, too. Charles Richberg, the retired band director for Kinston High School (formerly Adkins High School), leads an ensemble of local students of all ages — middle schoolers to retirees — inspired by the legacy of homegrown musicians.
Charles Richberg (left) teaches a new generation of students the tunes that saxophonist Sonny Bannerman used to play in Kinston clubs. “That old wind’s not there anymore,” Bannerman chuckles. photograph by Eric Waters
Without a club scene to season talent, Richberg’s band plays at social functions, galas, and sometimes at the Kinston Music Park in the heart of the old nightlife district. A mosaic, created by students, honors local legends, and other displays on the grounds chronicle the town’s music history. Occupying a place of honor at the park is the teacher who, some say, inspired it all: Geneva Perry.
“Miss Perry was just an ordinary woman,” says Bannerman, who was one of her students. But she was an extraordinary alto saxophonist: “Oh man, she was beautiful, man! Yes sir, buddy, she was good.” Perry had toured with the International Sweethearts of Rhythm, a pioneering all-female big band that once blew Dizzy Gillespie off a stage. After the band folded in 1949, Perry took over Adkin High School’s band in the lively little town of Kinston.
Her standards were high — she made sure her students could both sight-read and improvise — and although she soon left town for a career teaching in New York City and Washington, D.C., she launched a tradition of rigorous music education at Adkin. Her most famous pupil was Edwin Jones’s brother Nat, a saxophonist and composer who helped transform James Brown from a mid-list R&B singer into the Godfather of Soul. Merging elements of jazz, gospel, and R&B, Jones and Brown forged a new sound: funk.
“We were playing soul, funk, and stuff before we even left Kinston,” says Dick Knight, a trumpeter whose path first crossed with Jones in 1964, when Knight was a 19-year-old high school band director in nearby Grifton. “Nat had a whole lot of stuff that he wanted to do before he got with James. You know James’s name was put on the top of it, but he was doing all that stuff before we went with James.”
Music Park in downtown Kinston pays tribute to the city’s most influential musicians, including Dick Knight, who played first trumpet for the James Brown Band. photograph by Eric Waters
Perry’s successor at Adkin High School was James Banks, who “blew into Kinston like a cool breeze,” Maceo Parker recalled in his memoir. Maceo was just a teenager then, but the musical genius that would earn him international fame was already evident. Banks, like his star pupil, was a saxophonist, who spent summers playing professional gigs with Basie and R&B singer Lloyd Price. Banks took Maceo under his wing, but the mentorship was cut short when Banks died. His widow gave Parker his beloved Selmer horn.
Banks’s replacement was Nat Jones, back from North Carolina College (now NC Central University) with his chops strong and his head full of fresh ideas. By then, the community of musicians in Kinston was bursting with talent. Amateurs and professionals filled the bandstands, shadowed by younger combos eager for a chance to play. Like Perry, Jones wouldn’t stay long at Adkin. When James Brown called from New York to ask him to become his bandleader, Jones took the gig.
But he brought Kinston along with him.
Knight was first. He remembers the call from Jones: “He asked me if I wanted to be the first trumpet player for the James Brown Band, and I told him, ‘Yeah, man.’ He said, ‘Well, meet me at the Apollo Theater Friday evening at 4 o’clock.’” Knight begged his school principal for a release from his contract so that he could go. Jones sent him a plane ticket.
When Jones needed a copyist to prepare his increasingly precise musical charts, he enlisted his former Adkin High School student Levi Rasbury, a brass player and math whiz. The 17-year-old persuaded his wary parents to let him give up an academic scholarship to the prestigious Hampton Institute, but his math skills didn’t go to waste. When Brown’s road manager was caught taking from the till, Rasbury took over the band’s finances.
Melvin Parker, Adkin class of 1962, joined the band, too. Brown had tried to hire the drummer two years earlier, but his father, Maceo Sr., said his son had to finish college first. When Melvin finally took the job, he convinced Brown to hire his brother Maceo to play baritone sax.
It was a thrilling time to be with Brown, musically and monetarily, thanks in part to a hit the band recorded in Charlotte in 1965. Some critics consider “Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag” to be the first real funk record. Whatever it was, audiences loved it. “James started out in Atlanta making $1,750 a night,” recalled Rasbury, who died in June. “He released ‘Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag,’ and three months later, he was booking for $5,000 a night.”
Brown, however, was a mercurial boss. When Jones decided to strike out on his own, Brown blackballed him, hobbling his career. Rasbury went back to school and spent three decades running information systems — his “real dream,” he said — for Pitt County government. Maceo Parker stuck with Brown the longest, becoming an international star, but he still keeps a home in Kinston.
Knight came back to Kinston and the classroom, grateful for his time with Brown, and grateful that it was over. “It’s one of the greatest things to ever happen to me, to get that out of my system,” he says. He still plays as “The Captain,” a one-man band, and gigs with The Monitors, a regional supergroup. The band was cofounded by retired teacher Bill Myers and includes Sam Lathan, an 89-year-old drummer who left the Brown band just before the Kinston invasion. The Monitors are featured on the displays at the Kinston Music Park, and when they play the bandstand there, they can draw a crowd just like in the old days.
Bill Myers (left), a retired Wilson County teacher, cofounded The Monitors in 1957. Kinston drummer Sam Lathan, 89, is one of his bandmates. photograph by Eric Waters
These days, Kinston is more famous for its basketball recruits, restaurateurs, and brewers than its horn players. When disco arrived and musical tastes changed, gigs dried up. The clubs closed, and funding for music education in public schools began a steady decline, nationwide and locally. Charles Richberg, who spent decades teaching music at Kinston High, and others in the Kinston music community have taken matters into their own hands to give kids the music education that Maceo, Melvin, and Nat once had.
At the Community Council for the Arts, a stately old brick building on Queen Street, musicians of all ages are working their way through jazz standards. Most of the band are students, from sixth grade to high school, but a few adults show up, too, to keep their chops in shape. Funded by grants from Traditional Arts Programs for Students (TAPS), Richberg’s program focuses on Kinston’s native musical traditions — gospel, jazz, and funk.
Stephen and Philip Minor, brothers from Goldsboro, are taking turns at the drumset. Like most of the younger students, both are new to jazz. “We had just played after-church jam sessions, so this was our first time really playing jazz, structured things,” Stephen says. Richberg hands out new sheet music. It’s a challenging arrangement, and the band is reading the chart for the first time. After a few false starts, though, the kids are swinging through Earth, Wind & Fire’s “Let’s Groove” and “Boogie Wonderland.” It’s not the old Kinston scene, but it’s one that would make Miss Perry proud.
David A. Graham
David A. Graham is a staff writer at The Atlantic, and lives in Durham.
Downtown: Kinston
Going to the Coast: Neuse Sport Shop in Kinston
Pine Knot Farms in Hurdle Mills
Toad & Wee: Thanksgiving Shake-Up
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The Situation of Trans and Intersex Children in Chile
Submitted to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child on the Occasion of Its Pre-sessional Working Group Meeting to Consider Chile’s joint Fourth and Fifth Periodic Report
Download the full report here »
The Convention on the Rights of the Child (the Convention) protects the rights of all children under the age of 18, “without discrimination of any kind.” It is well-established international human rights law that a general prohibition of discrimination, such as the one contained in the Convention, includes a prohibition against discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation, as well as, increasingly, for gender identity.
For this reason, courts and other adjudicating bodies have been particularly careful in examining the motives for distinctions based on sexual orientation. The Human Rights Committee, for example, has been adamant that distinctions made between those in different-sex and those in same-sex couples must be “reasonable and objective.”
The same logic has increasingly been applied to transgender persons and other whose gender identity does not match that which they were assigned at birth. In early cases involving gender identity, for example, the European Court on Human Rights recognized some discretion for states to decide on regulations related to gender identity, though it also indicated “its consciousness of the serious problems facing transsexuals.”
By 2002, the European Court noted that the state no longer had any “margin of appreciation” to decide whether or not it should “enable individuals to live in dignity and worth in accordance with the sexual identity chosen by them at great personal cost.”
In the context of children and their sexual orientation or gender identity, state parties to the Convention on the Rights of the Child (the Convention) must, in all matters related to the child, consider the best interests of the child, the right of the child to be heard, and the right of the child to preserve his or her identity. In its commentary on the implementation of the Convention, this Committee has made it clear that a determination of a child’s best interests must be individually assessed and that it cannot be based on discrimination, including discriminatory stereotyping.
Moreover, the Convention affords children, without discrimination of any kind, “the right to express [their] views in all matters affecting [themselves]” and to have their views given “due weight in accordance with the age and maturity of the child.” Finally, this Committee has noted that the identity of the child “is guaranteed by the Convention” and that it “includes characteristics such as sex, sexual orientation, … [and] personality.”
Lack of Protection for Trans Children
In Chile, children and adolescents whose sexual orientation or gender identity does not match that which is expected of them by their families and society at large often find their rights flouted, and certainly can expect little protection from the state.
Currently, there are no state programs, or legal rights or protections, to guarantee the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and intersex (LGBTI) children and youth in Chile. This legal invisibility makes of them a vulnerable group in general.
The family and the school are the key institutions for child and youth development and social interaction. But the absence of comprehensive public policies to protect the human rights of LGBTI youth and children, as well as the lack of a specific legal or policy obligation for the education system to address this vacuum contribute to a situation where uninformed teachers, parents, and other family or community members routinely violate the rights of LGBTI children to their identity, and to substantive equal enjoyment of their human rights.
A study by the United Nations Education Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) placed Chile as the Latin American country with the highest rate of reported homophobic bullying among LGBTI students (68 percent of LGBTI students report to have suffered some kind of bullying). Another study, by the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development (OCED) marks Chile as the second country, after South Korea, with the fastest growing rate of suicides among children, generally.
A case that illustrates the lack of institutional protection and its consequences for children is that of Diego, a 13-year-old trans boy in Santiago interviewed by OutRight Action International. Diego’s teacher mocked him in front of his classmates, saying: “What you see here is not a boy but a girl who thinks she is a boy.” After this incident, Diego was bullied every day at school. His classmates repeatedly forced him into the trashcan, and shouted “You are a maricón [derogatory term for homosexual male] with breasts!” After two weeks of this treatment, Diego cut his own arms with a sharp object in a case of self-mutilation.
A second example is Antonia, a 5-year-old trans girl. Antonia was not allowed to express her female identity at school, and was compelled to wear the uniform reserved for boys and to carry out boys-only educational activities. One day she came home, picked up a pair of scissors and said to her mother: “If I cut off my penis, will I be allowed to be a girl?”
Antonia has since received expert psychological attention thanks to the support of her mother and of trans activists. Since Antonia’s parents are separated, she is in the legal custody of her mother. The mother has told OutRight Action International that the personnel at the Family Court dealing with the visitation rights of the father do not appear to have any knowledge of trans issues. This situation demonstrates the urgent need for Chile to comply with its obligation to train judges and state officials in issues related to sexual diversity and gender identity. This was already highlighted in a case decided by the Inter-American Court on Human Rights in 2012, Karen Atala and daughters v. Chile, in which the Court ordered the state to ensure adequate training of its justice officials in this regard.
Lack of Protection for Intersex Infants
Intersex infants (infants who are born with both stereotypical “male” and “female” anatomic characteristics or whose external genitalia are considered “ambiguous” by medial professionals) have no legal protections in Chile. Medical professionals operate with discretion as to whether or not intersex infants will be subjected to unnecesary and irreversible surgery to visually resemble “normal” male or female bodies.
Recent State Actions
In 2014, the Chilean government created the National Children’s Council by Supreme Decree No. 21, with a view to advancing towards a more comprehensive fulfilment of state obligations on children’s human rights at the national level. On December 30, 2014, this Council circulated an invitation to civil society organizations working on sexual diversity, for them to participate in a January 2015 meeting on this topic, considering that the National Policy on Childhood and Adolescence is due to be launched in March 2015. It is paramount that this new policy appropriately reflect the needs and rights of LGBTI children in Chile.
It is still considered unusual to talk about gender identity for children, but it is imperative that we do. As the Committee itself has recognized, a child has a defined self-identity, which includes his or her sex as well as sexual orientation. States must ensure that gender identity laws and policies address the needs and rights of children and adolescents.
Chile has an international obligation to ensure proper protection of and respect for children’s right to identity—including gender identity—at school and in educational centers. Public policies on violence and bullying must address the special situation of trans and intersex children. Educational, justice, and health officials must receive proper training and support to enable them to adequately implement state obligations regarding LGBTI children’s human rights.
Chile’s Fourth and Fifth Periodic Reports to the Committe on the Rights of the Child
Chile’s submissions to the Committee do not contemplate trans and intersex children, even though it mentions other subgroups of childen in need of special protection. The situation of trans and intersex children—as well as of lesbian, gay, and bisexual children—should be addressed as a cross-cutting issue relevant to substantive rights protection. LGBTI children and youth should also be recognized as a group particularly vulnerable to abuse and thus in specific need of protection
Questions for the Chilean State
What protection do trans children benefit from at school, and what training and tools are offered to educational professionals for them to fully discharge their obligation towards the trans children in their care?
What policies exist to counter school bullying, and what remedies are offered to parents, teachers, and trans children to prevent and combat bullying and abuse?
Does that state gather information about the situation of trans children in schools?
Is the Ministry of Health considering the development of a protocol for respectful attention for intersex infants? If so, what are the guidelines contemplated?
Is the Ministry creating an appropriate form for registering intersex babies?
Is the Ministry including the categories “trans” and “intersex” in their compulsory forms for providing adequate health services to children and youth?
Is the Ministry creating and implementing programs to attend the needs of trans children and youth, in particular, programs for hormonal treatment, psychological support and follow-up?
Is the Ministry training health professionals to recognize and respond to the needs of trans and intersex childen and youth?
What are the statistics for intersex births and medical responses in the least 5 years?
What are the statistics for services rendered to trans children and youth in the last 5 years?
From this ministry depends the Tribunal de Familia and the SENAME (Servicio Nacional de Menores)
Is the Ministry of Justice training judges and other professionals in inclusive practices and interpretations of sexual diversity and gender identity as ordered by the Inter-American Court on Human Rights in 2012?
Is the National Service for Minors (SENAME) designing and implementing protocols for assisting LGBTI children in all its guidelines and programs: with regard to adoption, street children, and children in conflict with the law, for example?
Is SENAME offering training on sexual orientation and gender identity to its employees and related programs officials?
Support to Families
Does the government offer support to a diversity of families and to LGBTI children who are in conflict with their families?
Published on January 9, 2015 | OutRight Action International an LGBT human rights organization
Download "The Situation of Trans and Intersex Children in Chile"
Trans, Intersex, Nonbinary Rights
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Former NFL defensive lineman says he needs kidney transplant
Posted: Jul 10, 2019 / 09:36 PM EDT / Updated: Jul 10, 2019 / 10:38 PM EDT
FILE – In this Sunday, Nov. 27, 2011 file photo, Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth (95) talks with former teammate Tennessee Titans kicker Rob Bironas (2) after an NFL football game in Nashville, Tenn. Former Tennessee Titans All-Pro defenseman Albert Haynesworth says on social media that he needs a kidney transplant. He shared a photo of himself in a hospital bed and wrote that his kidney failed him on Sunday, July 7, 2019 and he’s looking for a donor.(AP Photo/Joe Howell, File)
Former Tennessee Titans All-Pro defensive lineman Albert Haynesworth says on social media that he needs a kidney transplant.
The 38-year-old Haynesworth posted on Instagram that he’s been battling kidney disease for a few years. He shared a photo of himself in a hospital bed and wrote that his kidneys failed him Sunday and he’s looking for a donor.
“It’s hard to believe from being a professional athlete to only 8 (seasons into) retirement that my body has taken another major blow,” Haynesworth said in the post.
Haynesworth added that he’s “in dire need of a kidney.”
Haynesworth played 10 seasons in the NFL. He spent his first seven seasons with the Titans, who selected him No. 15 overall in the 2002 draft out of the University of Tennessee. Haynesworth also played for Washington (2009-10), New England (2011) and Tampa Bay (2011).
He was selected as an All-Pro after the 2007 and 2008 seasons and had 30½ sacks in 123 games.
Haynesworth had his greatest season in 2008, when he had 8½ sacks while leading the Titans to a 13-3 record and the No. 1 overall seed in the AFC before they lost to the Baltimore Ravens in the divisional playoffs.
This isn’t the first health problem Haynesworth has faced since leaving the NFL.
Haynesworth told a Nashville radio station in 2016 that he dealt with a brain aneurysm in November 2014 that caused him to spend time in intensive care. Haynesworth referenced that issue in his Instagram post.
Boone dubs Yanks ‘savages’ during rant in 6-2 win over Rays
by RONALD BLUM, Associated Press / Jul 18, 2019
NEW YORK (AP) — The Savages of The Stadium. That's what the New York Yankees are in the mind of manager of Aaron Boone.
Boone got fired up at rookie umpire Brennan Miller in a profane second-inning rant , and New York awoke from a sleepy start to rally past the Tampa Bay Rays 6-2 in a doubleheader opener Thursday that reopened a seven-game AL East lead.
MIDLAND, Mich. (AP) — Morgan Pressel and Paula Creamer shot a best-ball 6-under 64 on Thursday for a share of the second-round lead in the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational, the LPGA Tour's first-year team event.
Stephanie Meadowand Giulia Molinaro had a 61, and Frenchwomen Celine Boutier and Karine Icher shot 62 to match Pressel and Creamer at 10-under 130 at Midland Country Club. The teams will play alternate shot Friday and close Saturday with a best-ball round.
NEW YORK (AP) — Yankees manager Aaron Boone went on a profane rant Thursday after rookie umpire Brennan Miller called Brett Gardner out on strikes in the second inning of a doubleheader opener against Tampa Bay.
Miller, umpiring behind the plate for the fifth time in a major league game, called Aaron Judge out on strikes following DJ LeMahieu's leadoff double in the first.
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Director of Advocacy
The Partnership for the Advancement of New Americans (PANA) seeks applicants for a Director of Advocacy. The Director of Advocacy will advance both local and statewide policies focused on protecting California’s growing refugee and Arab, Middle Eastern, Muslim, and South Asian (AMEMSA) communities. This position requires the ability to work both independently and as part of a team, exercise sound independent judgment, take initiative, and prioritize and complete assignments in a timely manner.
PANA is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to advancing the full economic, social, and civic inclusion of refugees in San Diego. PANA uses an integrated voter engagement approach to its community organizing, public policy, and research in order to build and leverage deep community networks, develop community leaders, and establish a civic engagement infrastructure to amplify their voice, visibility and impact.
Since 2015, the Partnership for the Advancement of New Americans - PANA, has led the fight to lift up refugee voices as equal participants in the civic, social, and economic life of San Diego County. PANA’s unique role works at the intersections of African, Middle Eastern, Muslim, & South Asian (AMEMSA) refugee communities impacted by racial/ethnic profiling, religious bias, heightened scrutiny, proposed increased government surveillance, and poverty among the many issues affecting our refugee communities.
The Director of Advocacy will utilize a variety of strategies and hold multiple responsibilities including coalition building, coordination of the organizing work, communications, and the analysis and development of local and statewide advocacy and campaign strategies to advance issues that promote the full inclusion of our refugee and AMEMSA communities. The Advocacy Director will also be required to foster a collaborative working relationship with the State Attorney General’s office and other key lawmakers at the local, state and national level.
In 2017 - 2018, the Director of Advocacy will work in collaboration with the Director of Community Partnerships and Civic Engagement to advance an affordable housing agenda in San Diego.
This position will report directly to the Executive Director and will be responsible for supervising the community organizing team.
Foster relationships with coalitions and organizations locally and across the state working on advancing immigrants rights and refugee issues.
Produce advocacy tools and materials including development and facilitation of leadership development workshops for coalition partners and organizers on skills related to community organizing, grassroots advocacy, power-analysis, and other relevant topics.
Train and support the development of new staff and supervise the organizing team.
Build and strengthen relationships with local, state, and federal lawmakers and stakeholders.
Support the Advocacy Academy and the leadership development of community members.
Participate in national coalitions and calls to support, protect and advance refugee rights.
Speak publicly at conferences, meetings, and engage with the press
Oversee the ongoing facilitation and strategic planning updates of campaign plans.
Support execution of campaign plans and strategies with coalition partners in order to affect institutional and social change.
Participate and lead reflection and evaluation of actions and campaign activities with staff and coalition partners.
Provide organizational support and expertise to coalition partners.
Work with membership and staff in developing and implementing public relations strategies.
Qualifications and Skills Required:
Bachelor's degree in Community Development, Community Organizing, Social Work, Political Science, Public Policy, Urban Planning, Women’s Studies, Ethnic Studies, Sociology, Community Psychology, or related field required.
J.D./graduate degree preferred.
And /or a minimum of five years of experience in community organizing working with and managing coalitions in a collaborative context with formal training in either conflict organizing or consensus organizing theories.
Minimum of five years of experience supervising staff.
Experience with policy advocacy, including campaign planning, research, analysis and report writing.
Demonstrated experience organizing or engaging with refugee and/or immigrant communities.
Experience leading issue campaigns including ballot measures.
Demonstrated commitment to refugee and immigrant communities.
Excellent research, oral and written skills.
Extremely organized with close attention to detail and accuracy.
Ability to juggle multiple priorities effectively in a rapidly changing environment.
Ability to speak Arabic, Karen, Urdu, Farsi, Kurdish, Vietnamese, Somali, Amharic, Tigrinya, or Swahili strongly preferred.
Knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel and Outlook, and sophisticated use of technology.
Competitive salary commensurate with experience and excellent benefits.
Applicants should email a resume, writing sample, and cover letter to admin@panasd.org.
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Oneida Nation land issue remains in limbo
Jennifer Fusco
Dec 26, 2007 at 12:01 AM Dec 26, 2007 at 9:36 AM
More than three months have passed since the federal government was expected to make a decision about the Oneida Indian Nation's request to put more than 17,000 acres into federal Indian trust.
VERONA - More than three months have passed since the federal government was expected to make a decision about the Oneida Indian Nation's request to put more than 17,000 acres into federal Indian trust.
Now, as 2008 approaches, the issue is still in limbo. Its resolution could have implications for Indian land elsewhere in New York state and the United States.
Local officials and experts said reasons could include:
-- The U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs having a backlog of land-into-trust applications.
-- The complexity of the issue, and the federal government needing more time to sort out details.
-- The trust application is one of the largest in history.
Rocco DiVeronica, chairman of the Madison County Board of Supervisors, said he believes it's a combination of the three.
“This is the biggest, I believe, in the Northeast or even in the country,” he said. “It's not a simple trust application.”
The Nation would not comment for this story, spokesman Mark Emery said.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs does have a large backlog of land-into-trust applications, and it's not something unique to the Oneidas, said Robert Batson, government lawyer in residence at Albany Law School.
“I think they're caught up in a nationwide problem. It used to be land-into-trust was fairly straight forward,” Batson said.
“I don't know if that's what's driving the delay, but I'm certain their application is more complex than most that are coming in,” he added, referencing the Oneidas.
Still, not having an answer leaves the county with many questions, Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente said.
“It's just delay, delay, delay, and we're not sure what the real reason is,” Picente said. “It just presents itself with so many unknowns.”
James E. Cason, associate deputy secretary of the Department of the Interior, was supposed to visit Madison and Oneida counties in January to likely discuss with officials the trust application, DiVeronica said.
The Interior Department oversees the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
However, due to a medical issue, that visit has been postponed and a new date has not been set, DiVeronica said.
Neither the Interior Department nor the Bureau of Indian Affairs returned phone calls.
After the 2005 U.S. Supreme Court decision ruling saying Nation-owned properties in the city of Sherrill were subject to local taxes and regulations, the Nation applied to place thousands of acres into trust.
If the application is granted, the land and the businesses on it would be exempt from state and local taxes and regulations.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs is considering several options, from placing 35,000 acres into trust to none at all. A decision was expected this past summer, then extended to fall and now a new time frame is unclear, officials said.
The decision is one that local officials and residents await with anticipation because Madison and Oneida counties could reap tax benefits if any land is denied trust, officials said.
Oneida Nation supporters have said in the past the 5,000 jobs the Nation provides could be in jeopardy if the land is not granted trust.
Last winter, hundreds of resort employees attended hearings about the issue to stress the importance of getting the land into trust.
Those in support and those against donned shirts and buttons and carried signs stating their point of view.
David Vickers, president of Upstate Citizens for Equality, said the issue is complicated, and needs to be studied as such.
“There are still very serious legal questions and consequences for any decision that is made,” he said.
Regardless, it needs to be resolved, and until then, the entire county is affected, Vickers said.
“It settles all the questions of jurisdictions,” he said, citing smoking, alcohol and tax issues the Nation has long dealt with.
DiVeronica said he expects some land will be put into trust, but the details are what matter.
“How much and where is a big thing,” he said.
If the federal government rules the land will go into trust, Vickers said his group will sue the governor and the Department of the Interior.
For Picente, it's more a question of regulation.
Whatever the ruling is - he questioned who enforces it - local, state or federal?
“That's the frustration in terms of the bigger decision,” he said. “It's a bigger picture than just knowing a number of acres.”
Observer-Dispatch
The federal government has still not announced a decision about the Oneida Indian Nation's request to put more than 17,000 acres into federal Indian trust.
What's next? An official from the U.S. Department of the Interior may meet with officials from Oneida and Madison counties in January to discuss the issue, officials said.
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IPad, IPhone Shipments Drive up Apple's Q4 Profits
By Agam Shah
Apple on Monday reported a rise in revenue and profits for its fourth fiscal quarter of 2010 behind strong iPad and iPhone sales.
Shipments of the iPad totaled 4.19 million units during the fourth quarter, topping the 3.27 million units that shipped by the third quarter. The company started selling the iPad tablet in April, and its success has led to the birth of a new computing segment that competing device makers are now scrambling to enter.
Apple reported revenue of US$20.34 billion for the quarter that ended on Sept. 25, up from the $12.21 billion in revenue during the fourth quarter last year. The consensus expectation from analysts polled by Thomson Reuters was of $18.9 billion.
[ Further reading: Our picks for best PC laptops ]
The company expects revenue of about $23 billion during the first fiscal quarter of 2011.
The company reported net profit of $4.31 billion for the fourth quarter, rising from the net profit of $2.53 billion reported in the year-ago quarter. The company reported earnings per share of $4.64 during the quarter, while analysts expected earnings per share of $4.08.
The iPad could turn into a big cash cow for Apple. In a study released on Friday, research firm Gartner projected worldwide media tablet sales to reach 19.5 million units this year, growing to 54.8 million next year. Analysts last week also said that growing demand for tablets like the iPad would continue to eat into the sales of computing devices like netbooks.
That company also seems to have put behind it any nagging issues surrounding the iPhone 4's signal reception after the device started shipping in June. Shipments of the iPhone totaled 14.1 million units in the quarter, a 91 percent year-over-year growth.
"IPhone sales ... handily [beat] the 12.1 million phones [Research In Motion] sold in their most recent quarter. We still have a few surprises left for the remainder of this calendar year," Apple CEO Steve Jobs said in a statement.
Apple also saw gains in Mac shipments, which grew by 27 percent to reach 3.89 million units during the quarter. IPod shipments declined by 11 percent to reach 9.05 million. The company this quarter introduced new iPods, including Touch and Nano models.
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This Privacy Policy illustrates the purpose and processing methods used by the Data Controller to process personal data. It applies every time a user browses the pages of the www.pellinicaffe.com website (the “Site”), regardless of whether the same decides to take advantage of the services proposed by the same and/or purchase any of the displayed products. This document shall be regarded as an integrated part of the General Conditions of Use of the Site.
The processing of Personal Data of Site users will be performed in Italy and conducted in accordance with applicable European legislation and Legislative Decree 30 June 2003, No. 196 providing the Personal Data Protection Code, (the "Code").
This document is drawn up in accordance with the provisions of Art. 13 of Legislative Decree no. 196 of 30 June 2003 Personal Data Protection Code (hereafter, the “Code”), Pellini Caffè S.p.A., with registered office in Bussolengo (VR), via 1° Maggio, 8, tax code and VAT number 00668920325 (hereafter, “Pellini Caffè”) and Triboo Digitale S.r.l., with registered office in Milan (Italy), viale Sarca 336, edificio 16, Post Code 336, tax code, VAT number and Milan Business Register number 02912880966 (“Triboo Digitale”), who act as joint Data Controllers (hereafter, jointly, the“Joint Data Controllers”), and, via the same, intend to supply all useful information pursuant to the processing of the personal data of those visiting the www.pellinicaffe.com website (hereafter, the “Site”).
1. THE POLICY
All Data subjects are entitled to the protection of their Personal Data. Triboo Digitale and Pellini Caffè respect the rights of users to be informed on the collection and subsequent processing operations concerning their Personal Data. The Joint Data Controllers undertake to respect a strictly necessary principle when processing data that can identify the user, even indirectly. For this reason, the Site has been configured so that the use of personal data is kept to the minimum necessary and exclude the processing of personal data when the purpose of the specific activity can be achieved using anonymous data or other means, identifying the person only when needed or at the request of the authorities and police forces. This Privacy Policy will provide all useful information to understand how we collect and use the information that identifies users on the Site .
2. WHO PROCESSES YOUR PERSONAL DATA, HOW AND FOR WHAT PURPOSES
Triboo Digitale is an autonomous joint Data Controller in charge of processing the personal data of Site users, exclusively as regards the managing, completion and executing of the commercial transactions involving the purchase of products via the same Site. TD decides the scope and processing methods to be implemented and the tools to be used as far as security measures are concerned. For purely organisational and functional requirements,Triboo Digitale, with due consent of Pellini Caffè, has appointed some Chief Data Processors to manage user Personal Data, for purposes strictly linked and related to the provision of services on the Site, including the sale of products. Such Chief Data Processors have been selected on account of their experience, capabilities and reliability, thorough compliance with the provisions in force applying to the processing of personal data, as also related to security matters. Chief Data Processors process the Personal Data of Site users following the instructions provided by Triboo Digitale.
To receive a complete list of the Chief Data Processors assigned to processing the personal data of Site users, or send an e-mail to: privacy@triboo.it.
In particular, to achieve the aforementioned purposes, and as part of the process when purchasing products on the Site, Triboo Digitale collects Personal Data (e.g. name and surname, e-mail address, mailing address, credit card and bank details, telephone number) via the product order form available on the Site.
Personal Data are mainly processed in electronic format and in certain cases also in paper format, such as for instance, when the processing of personal data is necessary to prevent fraud on the Site.
Personal Data shall be retained in the form that allows users to be identified for the time strictly necessary for the purpose for which the data were collected and subsequently processed and, in any case within the limits foreseen by the laws in force. To ensure that Personal Data is always accurate and updated, pertinent and complete, Users are asked to kindly notify us of any changes to the same sending us an e-mail to: privacy@triboo.it.
Further to what already provided for above, the personal data of Users shall not be disclosed to third parties without their express consent, except for those cases established by the laws in force.
Personal data may be made available to third parties, for ancillary purposes related to the provision of services required by the user (for example, for purchase related transactions). For further details on this aspect, please consult paragraph 4 below.
User personal data can be disclosed to Police forces or Judicial authorities, for instance pursuant to Site anti-fraud services, in accordance with the laws in force and whenever requested. Personal data will not be transferred abroad to Countries other than those belonging to the European Union, which do not guarantee a sufficient level of privacy protection. If the above should be necessary to achieve the purposes posed regarding management, conclusion and processing of trade transactions, we will ensure that the transfer of Personal Data to Countries which do not belong to the European Union and do not guarantee adequate levels of protection, will only be implemented after such parties and Triboo Digitale have all signed specific contracts containing clauses for the protection of Personal Data, in accordance with applicable law and regulations.
The purposes for which Personal Data are requests and processed shall be specifically disclosed each time in the Information Note text provided on the page where the same are requested to confer their Personal Data.
There may be cases where Triboo Digitale processes third-party personal data communicated directly by Triboo Digitale users, e.g. when the user intends to tell a friend about a service or product on sale at the Site, or when the user purchases a product to be sent to a friend or when the subject paying for the purchase is different to the subject to whom it will be delivered.
In the above cases, Triboo Digitale, to the extent required by law, shall fulfil its disclosure obligations to the indicated user and, where necessary, request relative consent, upon registration of the relevant data in its Personal Data archives, or the next useful contact.
Pellini Caffè processes personal data exclusively for marketing activities (such as, for instance, mailing of commercial communications) and only if the user has granted explicit consent to such forms of processing. In its capacity as joint Data Controller, although Pellini Caffè has agreed on other types of processing with Triboo Digitale, it does not intervene directly in such activities.
3. DENYING CONFERRAL OF PERSONAL DATA AND RELATIVE CONSEQUENCES
Conferral of Personal Data to Triboo Digitale and, in particular, personal data, email address, mailing address, credit card/debit card and bank details and phone number, is required in order to fulfil the aforementioned contractual purposes.
Some of the aforementioned data may be indispensable so as to fulfil the obligations imposed by the law or other regulations, or to provide other services you may have requested as provided on the Site.
Refusal to disclose certain essential Personal Data, identified on the Site by an asterisk (*), may make it impossible to complete all purchase contract phases, and/or fulfil all obligations required by the laws and regulations in force. Failure to disclose certain Data can therefore, according to individual circumstances, constitute a legitimate and justified reason preventing the execution of the purchase contract on the Site or the supply of services via the same.
On the other hand, conferral of additional Personal Data, other than those which are compulsory, is optional and has no impact on the use of the services provided by the Site.
4. TO WHOM PERSONAL DATA IS DISCLOSED
Personal Data may be disclosed and made available to third party companies that provide specific services, as Chief Data Processors or disclosed to other recipients of the data collected by the Data Controller, who process data independently for the sole purpose of executing the purchase contract for products on the Site (such as, for instance, for the execution of remote electronic payment services, via credit card/debit card) and only when such a purpose is not inconsistent with the purposes for which the Personal Data was collected and subsequently processed and, in any case, in full compliance with the laws in force.
No Personal Data shall be disclosed, assigned or otherwise transferred to third parties without informing users and obtaining their consent in advance, when required by law.
5. HOW WE COLLECT PERSONAL DATA ON THE SITE
Personal Data are collected during the online Site registration process, when completing forms on the Site or when sending order forms to purchase products on the Site so as to execute e-commerce transactions. These data are processed within the limits and purposes illustrated in the Information Note presented to users in the relative data collection section.
Triboo Digitale has taken all suitable security measures to minimise the risk of destruction or loss, even accidental, of such Data, further to unauthorised access or processing that is not authorised or does not comply with the scope and purpose of collection indicated in this Privacy Policy.
However, as it is impossible to guarantee that such measures for the security of the Site and the transmission of data and information on the same Site exclude any risk of unauthorised access or dissemination of data, we recommend users check that they have an updated antivirus protection system installed on their computer, which protect incoming and outgoing data, and that their Internet provider uses firewalls and anti-spamming filters where suitable for the security of data transmission on the web.
7. RIGHTS TO ACCESS PERSONAL DATA AND OTHER RIGHTS
Users are entitled to obtain confirmation as to whether or not personal data concerning them exists, regardless of their being already recorded, and communication of such data in an intelligible form.
They are also entitled to receive information concerning the origin of the Personal Data; the purpose and processing methods; the logic used in the case where the data is processed using electronic equipment; the personal data of the Data Controllers, information on the subjects or categories of subjects to whom the personal data may be disclosed or who may become aware of such data in their capacity, for instance, as Chief Processors or Designated Officers. Part of this information is contained in our Privacy Policy; if users wish to receive further details, simply send an e-mail to privacy@triboo.it.
Users are always entitled to obtain from Triboo Digitale:
- updating, rectification or integration of personal data;
- erasure, anonymisation or blocking of data that have been processed unlawfully, including data whose retention is unnecessary for the purposes for which they have been collected or subsequently processed;
- certification to the effect that the operations indicated above have been notified, as also related to their contents, to the entities to whom or which the data were communicated or disseminated, unless this requirement proves impossible or involves a manifestly disproportionate effort compared to the right that is to be protected.
Users are also entitled to oppose, totally or partially:
- on legitimate grounds, to the processing of personal data concerning them, even though they are relevant to the purpose of the collection;
- to the processing of Personal Data concerning them, where it is carried out for the purpose of sending advertising materials or direct selling or else for the performance of market or commercial communication surveys.
- Users are entitled to exercise their rights at any moment in time sending such requests by e-mail to Triboo Digitale at privacy@triboo.it, which will processed accordingly.
This Site may contain links to other independent websites. Triboo Digitale does not control or monitor the operations of such websites or their content. Triboo Digitale shall not be held liable for the web content of such sites or the rules adopted by the same regarding the processing of Personal Data whilst browsing their website. This Privacy Policy does not apply to third party websites and Triboo Digitale is under no circumstances liable for the privacy policy applied by those websites.
The Site provides links to these websites exclusively to assist users in their search and browsing activities and to facilitate links to other websites on the Internet, and to allow, where necessary, the execution of contract aspects (e.g. payment management) or provide other services related to those available on the Site. Posting of such links does not infer that Triboo Digitale recommends the use or browsing of these websites, nor any guarantee of their content, services or merchandise supplied and sold to Internet users.
For further information on the use of cookies, users are invited to view the Cookie Policy made available by the Data Controller using the following link: www.pellinicaffe.com/cookies.
Users wishing to receive further information on how Triboo Digitale processes Personal Data should send an e-mail to the following email address: privacy@triboo.it. To receive further information and be updated on the rights and the regulations concerning the protection of persons in relation to the processing of Personal Data, please visit the website of the Authority for the Protection of Personal Data at http://www.garanteprivacy.it.
This Privacy Policy is governed by Italian law and in particular by the Data Protection Code which regulates the processing of personal data - including those retained overseas - carried out by anyone who is resident or located in Italy or using instruments located in Italy.
The Code ensures that Personal Data are processed by respecting data subjects’ rights, fundamental freedoms and dignity, particularly with regard to confidentiality, personal identity and the right to Personal Data protection.
12. CHANGES AND UPDATES TO THE PRIVACY POLICY
The joint Data Controllers may amend or simply update all or part of this Privacy Policy also when amendments are made to laws or regulations that govern protection of personal data and user rights. We therefore recommend users access this section regularly in order to check the most recent and updated version of the Privacy Policy.
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Nachrichten & Pressemitteilungen
Produktdemo anfordern
Are You Pigeonholing Your AI?
Going from buzzword to sophisticated marketing machine
Using AI in marketing isn’t news. It’s been used on everything from automation to copy for years. Though the technology is still in its infancy for some brands, others from Fortune 500 to emerging, forward-thinking businesses are re-assessing how they are using it as they continue to fine-tune their marketing machine. They are discovering it cannot be siloed to individual touchpoints — that leads to inconsistent customer experiences — and some platforms and methodologies are more sophisticated than others. Persado SVP of Customer Success Ryan Deutsch speaks with CMOs of some of the world’s biggest brands daily about their success with and needs from AI. He shared his thoughts on the present and future of the technology, as well as the questions marketing executives should really be asking as they evaluate AI.
What are the key signs it’s time to upgrade your AI?
Ryan Deutsch: It’s an interesting question because I don’t think in general, business leaders are thinking about upgrading AI. They’re asking, “Am I using AI? How am I using AI? Is the AI working?” To answer the question and get away from the buzzword, the real questions are, “Is it time for me to have a more sophisticated test-and-learn culture within my organization?”
What do you mean by that?
RD: Marketing leaders know they can do A/B or multivariate testing. They need to know that AI offers two specific enhancements. First, AI has a memory, the machine uses new data to build upon the insights and understanding of previous experiments. Second, AI can test more variants much more rapidly. The Persado message machine can test in one experiment the equivalent of hundreds of A/B or multivariant tests. The combination of memory and speed removes subjectivity from creative decision making. Marketers not only understand what content works best, they know why and can apply that insight broadly within a business.
And Machine Learning and AI help with that…
RD: Right. Marketers can see whether a product description, emotional phrase or call to action had the most impact on customers response. At the end of the day, it’s really about how committed leaders are to be data-driven in their decision making. Every CMO, Chief Digital Officer and CEO should be saying it’s time to upgrade. Otherwise, you won’t keep up with competitors. It’s just time.
There’s been talk about AI becoming a part of measuring digital marketing creative. Some may be skeptical though. Is this is a new capability?
RD: This one’s easy. Let’s just say as a digital marketing team we invest a ton of analytical thought in segmentation and pricing. In many large organizations, hundreds of people are working on those problems. With creative, there really isn’t a systematic tool or platform that reduces subjectivity and makes creative people better at their jobs. There are ways where creatives can get input, we have had focus groups for years but creative teams have never had support from an AI or machine learning perspective, so it’s massively disruptive. It’s very uncomfortable when Persado is first deployed in an organization because you hear things like the machine versus the creative team. “Who won?”
RD: As in, “Did the creative team win or did the machine … ”
That just drives me crazy because you don’t hear the CRM team saying, “Who won? The CRM platform or the marketing team?” No one would ever say that. So if you go to Adobe Test and Target or Optimizely, which are running site experiments in eCommerce, people aren’t like, “Oh, look, Optimizely beat us, or Adobe Test and Target beat us.” Those are the platforms that the eCommerce teams are using to identify what’s the next best piece of content to put in front of a customer. So why is it so strange to say that, “Hey, there’s now a platform that can help us understand how content resonates with an audience and drive it forward?” It’s really an education problem because creative is not used to having technological or data-driven tools at their disposal. And by the way, it’s our fault as AI disruptors for letting the idea of “robots taking over the world” get out of hand. We’re not at the automated Tesla driving phase, right? That’s not where we are. We are simply at the, “Hey look, we can put cruise control on the car.” That should be much easier to digest and understand.
And how do these advances make marketers heroes within their organization and increase the department’s visibility?
RD: What we usually see is what I like to refer to as the “slaughtering of sacred cows.” Inside an organization, everybody’s an expert, especially when it comes to creative. Pre-AI, customers would hear in meetings, “This is not speaking to our brand or representing our brand. This isn’t how we talk to our customers. This doesn’t resonate with our audience.” Usually, these are incredibly subjective statements, and many of them come from senior leaders within organizations.
Tools like Persado that apply machine learning to marketing creative make marketers heroes because they can respond to that feedback with data. “I appreciate your feedback, but we’ve just run these multivariate experiments based on experimental design to understand how our concept resonates with our audience, and we are mathematically certain that this is the best way to engage customers. For example, we have learned that the simple decision to include a sale name like “Friends & Family” in a piece of content, negatively affects the performance of our program.” Now, that’s a sacred cow. Generally speaking, if you’re running a Friends & Family event for a retailer, and you don’t say Friends & Family everywhere, someone’s getting in trouble. My strong belief is that CMOs and CEOs are looking for people to tell them what they need to do better. They’re looking for people to bring data-based points of view to how they can improve business. Once you get through the initial shock of what the data tells you, you end up being a rockstar.
How can this help with career advancement?
RD: We see it all the time with our clients. People who are working with the tools that Persado provides are being promoted, or next thing you know, they’ve left and are now CMOs and Chief Digital Officers of other companies. And I’m sure part of their story is, “I disrupted the way content was created inside of my business, and these are the results.”
That’s awesome. Say, you’re a company with a CEO, CFO that doesn’t like to spend money. How do you get them on board with AI?
RD: My feeling is that most senior leaders are investors. They want to invest dollars that have a strong return and can scale. They aren’t looking for point solutions. They like to invest time and energy on things that, if they work in one; they can be applied broadly across the organization.
When machine learning or AI is being brought into a company, it can’t be pigeonholed. It should be tested across multiple parts of the customer experience with the purposeful intent that if it works, it will scale. One of the mistakes that we see people making is they implement these new technologies in a very small area, and they don’t share or create a vision around what to do next if AI works in that small area.
Such as email subject lines?
RD: Correct. Then, things die. They just test machine learning in email subject lines.
All of a sudden, you have this point of view it’s a machine learning tool for email subject lines. Except it isn’t. Not if you use Persado. You have a machine learning tool for language. Language is certainly more pervasive than a subject line. You have to build experiments and build a strategy that says, “I’m going to test this in a variety of places, and if it works, I’m going to scale it,” because that then drives the return that the C-suite needs in order to invest. If you don’t do that, you end up talking about immaterial experiments or immaterial technology deployments, which nobody cares about.
Can you speak to a brand that is using AI really well?
RD: Air Canada generated tens of millions of marketing messages for different marketing channels with Persado and used machine learning to understand what does and does not work with consumers at scale. Emotional language was the most powerful trigger of action (60%), and Persado was also able to show them how other elements, such as the call-to-action, formatting (stylistic elements such as bold font or symbols and emojis) and descriptions (such as a product offer) work. Because Air Canada has a data-driven understanding of how different words, phrases, images or even colors might resonate with consumers, they have this powerful teammate that is helping them provide relevant content to consumers and achieve brand and revenue growth.
Arbeiten bei Persado
DSGVO-Informationen
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Mileage from megawatts
Study finds enough electric capacity to "fill up" plug-in vehicles across much of the nation
PNNL News & Media Relations, (509) 375-3776
Researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory evaluated the impact of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, or PHEVs, on foreign oil imports, the environment, electric utilities and the consumer. A new study finds that "off-peak" electricity production and transmission capacity could fuel 70% percent of the U.S. light-duty vehicle fleet, if they were plug-in hybrid electrics.
RICHLAND, Wash. — If all the cars and light trucks in the nation switched from oil to electrons, idle capacity in the existing electric power system could generate most of the electricity consumed by plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. A new study (Part 1, Part 2) for the Department of Energy finds that "off-peak" electricity production and transmission capacity could fuel 70% percent of the U.S. light-duty vehicle (LDV) fleet, if they were plug-in hybrid electrics. (Note: an earlier version of this release referenced 84% capacity based on LDV fleet classification that excluded vans).
Researchers at DOE’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory also evaluated the impact of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, or PHEVs, on foreign oil imports, the environment, electric utilities and the consumer.
“This is the first review of what the impacts would be of very high market penetrations of PHEVs, said Eric Lightner, of DOE’s Office of Electric Delivery and Energy Reliability. “It’s important to have this baseline knowledge as consumers are looking for more efficient vehicles, automakers are evaluating the market for PHEVs and battery manufacturers are working to improve battery life and performance.”
Current batteries for these cars can easily store the energy for driving the national average commute – about 33 miles round trip a day, so the study presumes that drivers would charge up overnight when demand for electricity is much lower.
Researchers found, in the Midwest and East, there is sufficient off-peak generation, transmission and distribution capacity to provide for all of today’s vehicles if they ran on batteries. However, in the West, and specifically the Pacific Northwest, there is limited extra electricity because of the large amount of hydroelectric generation that is already heavily utilized. Since more rain and snow can’t be ordered, it’s difficult to increase electricity production from the hydroelectric plants.
“We were very conservative in looking at the idle capacity of power generation assets,” said PNNL scientist Michael Kintner-Meyer. “The estimates didn’t include hydro, renewables or nuclear plants. It also didn’t include plants designed to meet peak demand because they don’t operate continuously. We still found that across the country 84 percent of the additional electricity demand created by PHEVs could be met by idle generation capacity."
“Since gasoline consumption accounts for 73 percent of imported oil, it is intriguing to think of the trade and national security benefits if our vehicles switched from oil to electrons,” added PNNL energy researcher Rob Pratt. “Plus, since the utilities would be selling more electricity without having to build more plants or power lines, electricity prices could go down for everyone.”
Lightner noted that “the study suggests the idle capacity of the electric power grid is an underutilized national asset that could be tapped to vastly reduce our dependence on foreign oil.”
The study also looked at the impact on the environment of an all-out move to PHEVs. The added electricity would come from a combination of coal-fired and natural gas-fired plants. Even with today’s power plants emitting greenhouse gases, the overall levels would be reduced because the entire process of moving a car one mile is more efficient using electricity than producing gasoline and burning it in a car’s engine.
Total sulfur dioxide emissions would increase in the near term due to sulfur content in coal. However, urban air quality would actually improve since the pollutants are emitted from power plants that are generally located outside cities. In the long run, according to the report, the steady demand for electricity is likely to result in investments in much cleaner power plants, even if coal remains the dominant fuel for our electricity production.
“With cars charging overnight, the utilities would get a new market for their product. PHEVs would increase residential consumption of electricity by about 30 - 40 percent. The increased generation could lead to replacing aging coal-fired plants sooner with newer, more environmentally friendly versions,” said Kintner-Meyer.
“The potential for lowering greenhouse gases further is quite substantial because it is far less expensive to capture emissions at the smokestack than the tailpipe. Vehicles are one of the most intractable problems facing policymakers seeking to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” said Pratt.
Finally, the study looked at the economic impact on consumers. Since, PHEVs are expected to cost about $6,000 to $10,000 more than existing vehicles — mostly due to the cost of batteries — researchers evaluated how long it might take owners to break even on fuel costs. Depending on the price of gas and the cost of electricity, estimates range from five to eight years — about the current lifespan of a battery. Pratt notes that utilities could offer a lower price per kilowatt hour on off-peak power, making PHEVs even more attractive to consumers.
Adding “smart grid” communications technology to ensure the vehicles only charge during off-peak periods and to provide immediate, remote disconnect of chargers in event of problems in the power grid would make them attractive to utilities.
Tags: Energy, Environment, Emissions, EVs, Batteries
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Congress Promotes Foreign Jobs
January 22, 2014 by Phyllis Schlafly
Congress is about to consider a massive attack on the U.S. Constitution, on the constitutional powers of Congress and the 50 states, and on U.S. sovereignty. This attack is marketed to the public as “free trade,” but it is really a devious plan to make us kowtow to international tribunals under the pretense of “harmonizing” our laws with global trade.
This plan was hatched and worked out in secret, and even members of Congress were denied access to the negotiations and documents. Barack Obama was obviously lying when he boasted that his is “the most transparent administration in history.”
The formal titles of this upcoming travesty are the two trade treaties called the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). They are cozily wrapped in a Richard Nixon-era procedure known as Fast Track, which authorizes the U.S. President to make foreign deals in secret, and then demand that Congress take a quick vote approving many thousands of pages without debate or amendment.
This peculiar procedure is not only undemocratic, it is un-American. Ask your Member of Congress, why would you give Barack Obama any more dictatorial power than he already has manifested by his illegal changes to our welfare, immigration and Obamacare laws?
The trade negotiations were developed under military-style secrecy. If Congressmen want to see TPP’s 30,000-word intellectual-property chapter called Article QQ, they can do so only by entering the inner sanctum without pen, pencil or paper, according to Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-NY).
Understanding what the treaties do is made difficult by their lengthy and immensely complicated wording. The text is crammed with figures and details that make no sense to anyone who lacks specialized knowledge.
Most Americans believe that the poor job market, especially for young people, is our biggest current problem, and congressional action to promote faster economic growth should be Congress’s number-one priority. But all evidence and past experience conclusively prove that free trade treaties create jobs in foreign countries, not in the United States.
In the words of the old saying, Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice shame on me. It is shame on every Congressman who votes for another phony free trade treaty, and it’s bordering on insanity to give Barack Obama any more executive power after he has so flagrantly misused what he has.
While Obama has publicly urged corporations to do “insourcing,” his Administration sent taxpayers’ money to the Philippines to train foreign workers to speak English so they can take jobs in U.S. call centers. The U.S. Agency for International Development financed a program called the Job Enabling English Proficiency (JEEP) to train 23,000 people in the Philippines to fill U.S. jobs, and 500,000 call-center jobs have been outsourced to foreigners since 2007.
One of the most devious parts of these trade pacts is that they will force the U.S. and other participating countries to “harmonize” food safety standards. That means we and others will be required to use the lowest common denominator standards of all the dozen participating governments.
This could require us to import seafood, beef and chicken products that don’t meet basic U.S. food-safety standards. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) would be powerless to shut down imports of unsafe feed or food ingredients and, if it tries, multinational corporations can sue the U.S. government for loss of profits.
Vietnam government officials are excited about the recent visit of Walmart’s vice president, Ignacio Lopez, who was looking to buy low-priced goods including processed farm produce. With a minimum wage of an estimated 28 cents an hour, Vietnam is in a position to sell food and apparel rather cheaply.
The trade agreements specify that the Federal Government is required to use all possible means, such as preempting legislation, lawsuits, and cutting off federal funds, in order to force the states to comply with TPP rules made by non-Americans. Ambassador John Bolton has warned us to beware of the danger of losing our sovereignty in a web of international agreements and organizations.
Bill Clinton promised that NAFTA would produce “more exports and more jobs for the United States,” but instead we now suffer a $60 to $70 billion annual trade deficit with Mexico. Similar phony sales talks about free trade with China resulted in a 2013 trade deficit of $316 billion, and our goods deficit with South Korea has risen to over $17 billion.
Free trade continues to mean foreigners get jobs, investment and prosperity, while we are the losers. One can only hope that the conservative Republicans who fell for those false promises have learned their lesson.
Filed Under: Congress, Constitution, Immigration, Jobs, Liberalism and Conservatism, National Sovereignty, Phyllis Schlafly Report Column
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Veteran Democratic operative Jess O’Connell will work closely with new Chairman Tom Perez. | POLITICO Screen grab
DNC names new CEO
By GABRIEL DEBENEDETTI
Veteran Democratic operative Jess O’Connell will take the reins as the CEO of the Democratic National Committee, the DNC announced Friday morning, putting her in charge of its day-to-day operations as she oversees its rebuilding project.
O’Connell, who recently left her position as executive director of EMILY’s List, will work closely with new Chairman Tom Perez.
“The DNC has incredible potential and, under the leadership of Chair Perez, I’m ready to jump in and help make this organization more inclusive, effective, and influential. We are poised to build a foundation for a new Democratic Party in every state to jump-start a wave of Democratic wins from school board to Senate nationwide,” O’Connell said in a statement.
A campaign veteran who has also worked at the liberal Center for American Progress think tank, O’Connell’s task is a large one. The committee is largely devoid of senior staff aside from on the communications and research sides, and it has been working in overdrive to restore public trust.
The Friday Cover
The Secret Weapon Democrats Don’t Know How to Use
But Perez’s nationwide tour with Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders last month proved rockier than expected when Democrats found themselves mired in a debate about supporting candidates who oppose abortion, and a series of delicate “Unity Commission” meetings designed to reform the presidential nominating process also loom.
The DNC as an institution was largely hollowed out last year after a Russian hack and subsequent email leak forced the ouster of then-Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz in July over accusations that she had favored Hillary Clinton over Sanders during the primary. The committee's value to the party had diminished during Barack Obama’s presidency, as he put little emphasis on using the DNC as the party’s central political mechanism.
Perez, however, has pledged to invest more in state party committees and to help Democrats invest in down-ballot races — in addition to top-line contests — at a time when they are increasingly on the attack against President Donald Trump.
O'Connell will be charged with helping hire and structure the staff needed to carry out those goals.
“Jess’ experience as a grassroots organizer and as a leader who has helped hundreds of Democratic candidates win up and down the ballot will be particularly valuable as we gear up for critical elections in 2017, 2018, and beyond,” added Perez in a statement.
EMILYs List
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Home Print Editions March 2015 Issue Opportunities in CEE: Looking East in the hunt for yield
Opportunities in CEE: Looking East in the hunt for yield
Anna Devine
Financing for businesses exposed to Russia and Ukraine has become riskier, says Claudio Viezzoli, managing director for SME Finance from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). “There is a big, big impact both in terms of financing availability and willingness of SMEs to invest or engage,” he tells PDI.
Investors have pulled capital out of the regions, following the fighting in Ukraine and sanctions against Russia. The EBRD has increased investment in the Ukraine however, due to its mandate to venture where others won’t.
The tensions haven’t helped financing for SMEs in CEE, which has been in a dire state for a number of years. The prognosis is for more of the same.
The lending landscape in Eastern Europe including Central Europe, Southern Eastern Europe and the Baltics, changed completely during the depths of the economic crisis, Viezzoli says, from a bullish market to a complete retreat.
The SME sector was hit hardest because of its higher risk status with a larger ratio of non-performing loans, he says. New private equity investment in Eastern Europe has virtually stopped, Viezzoli observes. Only a few have ventured into the territory, such as the EBRD, which increased investment dramatically.
Viezzoli has witnessed little change by way of private investment but has seen some countries like Poland and Romania successfully attempt to use the crisis to boost the competitiveness of their own domestic companies.
“This has been helped tremendously by institutions like the EU, which have provided a lot of funding to support the competitiveness of SMEs in all new member states and pre-accession countries including Turkey. This helped tremendously as the moment you have less competition in the market is the moment when you have to expand.”
In the commercial real estate markets, Poland and Romania, along with Czech Republic, have also exhibited increased activity over the last couple of years. And where commercial real estate leads, other investment often follows.
Petr Svoboda, recently appointed by real estate advisor CBRE to head up a new debt and structured finance team for CEE, tells PDI that in Czech Republic and Poland: “It’s more active and more competitive at the moment and we see that continuing.” Romania shows even greater promise. There has been a “huge change in the investment market”, he says.
According to data from CBRE, property investment in Romania increased by 202 percent in 2014 year-on-year. In Czech Republic, it rose by almost 52 percent. Poland was slightly down on the previous year, at nine percent. But in Hungary, investment climbed 69 percent. The Slovak Republic also exhibited robust growth up 72 percent on the previous year.
These five countries are where the vast majority of property investment is taking place, Svoboda highlights. But in due course, as the search for yield continues, he opines that investors could end up looking south for “higher margins”.
THE HUNT FOR YIELD
Cautious optimism on the back of a wave of liquidity has expanded into parts of CEE. The West is looking to deploy capital at a good level of return with acceptable risk, Prague-based Svoboda believes.
Like many, he is not sure how long it will last, particularly in light of increased volatility economically and geo-politically, but “the markets are changing”, he emphasises, abroad and at home.
First of all, the banks are back. “There are a few German banks who were previously not interested in lending outside of Germany but have now come back in to Poland and the Czech Republic,” says Svoboda.
Reflecting on trends throughout Europe, international insurance companies are stepping in and providing standard debt financing.
“In the last three years they have learnt how to do these transactions and are slowly focusing on other markets as well. We believe we will see some initial players change their strategies [to search outside of home markets] as they look for higher returns as yields become more compressed in all markets,” he adds.
Domestic insurance companies could, in time, step into the equity or lending gap too, he thinks. “It’s something that is definitely changing and something that will develop further over the longer term.”
There is room for debt funds too, he believes. “Once there is [interest abroad] looking for financing in CEE, it’s not just about senior debt but definitely also the debt funds and less senior positions like junior mezzanine. We will probably see more of that [financing] in the future.”
There is evidence of deal making by global investment firms in the region.
TPG and real estate specialist Ivanhoe Cambridge acquired Prague-headquartered PointPark Properties (P3) in 2013 and has been busy in Poland, Romania and Czech Republic. Private equity funds HIG affiliate Bayside Capital, AnaCap Financial Partners and Deutsche Bank purchased €495 million of non-performing and sub-performing loan books backed by a mix of primarily residential and commercial real estate in July last year.
“Some of the private funds are getting braver. It means there this is an optimistic mood in the market and it proves that when the big players are here, there is a good opportunity,” Svoboda says.
For SMEs there is still a wide gap in matching up businesses with investment.
Viezzoli has noticed the emergence of a few alternative players “but not to the extent that it is systemic”, he says. Although, “there are potentially big opportunities out there given the right risk appetite,” he says.
One area is factoring of state-receivables to the corporate sector, he explains. State receivables could be used as collateral to support business lending. “Over the last five to six years there has been an enormous amount of receivables not paid by the state to local companies [which] could be transformed into a product.”
More private investment firms could step into the NPL space, he says. However, he does think that the market is perceived as opaque.
Very often banks don’t really know what’s on their books and “that is a big limit for a third party to come and step in,” Viezzoli says.
New deal flow at least looks positive, he says. And the Russian sanctions have had one positive outcome for Eastern European countries.
Of the €9 billion invested by EBRD in 2014, roughly €2 billion of the €2.5 billion that was due to go to Russia in 2014 went to countries in CEE and SEMED instead. In total, EBRD allocated €1.6 billion to SMEs in Europe during 2014.
In CEE: “More regional players are willing to expand and integrate regionally. For us the business is flourishing. Even though we had to suspend operations in Russia in June, we haven’t seen any reduction in overall business volume. Activity [from the EBRD] in other regions has significantly increased,” Viezzoli says.
EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS: BPM HITS HARD CAP
In January, BPM Capital held the first and final close on its debut mezzanine fund, reaching a €70 million hard cap.
Baltics and Poland-focused BPM Mezzanine Fund will invest in mezzanine transactions in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland.
Fundraising for the fund, first announced in February 2013, surpassed the original target size of €50 million. Limited partners include the European Investment Fund, through the Baltic Innovation Fund and the Mezzanine Facility for Growth, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Ambient Sound Investments investment group, LHV Pension Funds and Swedbank Investment Funds.
Investment from the new fund will be focused on high growth small and medium-sized enterprises and lower mid-cap companies, “as they are the main driver of the economic expansion, market share gains and earnings growth in the region and constitute the most attractive investment space”, according to the firm.
The fund will invest between €2 million and €10.5 million per transaction and BPM will mainly look to sponsorless expansion and acquisition projects to fill the deal pipeline.
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Subscribe to Sean McDonough's Posts
Sean McDonough is a deputy managing partner in the Orlando office. Most of his twenty-year legal career has been devoted to trial practice. Among the areas in which Sean focuses are hospitality, professional liability, product liability, premises liability, trucking and transportation litigation, and insurance defense.
Follow: Read more about Sean McDonough
By Sean McDonough & Angela M. Duerden on June 5, 2019
Posted in Civil Litigation, General Litigation, Product Liability, Trial Practice, Uncategorized
In a sudden reversal and after more than more than five years of uncertainty, on May 23, 2019, the Supreme Court of Florida ruled that Daubert – not Frye – now governs the admissibility of expert testimony in Florida. See In re Amendments to the Florida Evidence Code, No. SC19-107, May 23, 2019.
By Sean McDonough & Jacqueline Bertelsen on October 25, 2018
Posted in Civil Litigation, discovery, General Litigation, Trial Practice
After more than five years of uncertainty, the Florida Supreme Court’s opinion in DeLisle v. Crane finally settled the debate over the standard for determining the admissibility of expert witness testimony in Florida state courts. Case No. SC16-2182 (Fla. Oct. 15, 2018). In a narrow 4-3 decision, the court rejected Daubert and adopted Frye. The outcome should come as no surprise. In 2017, in a rarely exercised move, the Florida Supreme Court declined to adopt the legislature’s 2013 revisions to the Florida Evidence Code codifying Daubert.
Third District Applies Daubert Retroactively
By Sean McDonough on June 2, 2014
Posted in General Litigation
Florida’s first appellate review under Daubert occurred in Perez v. Bell South Telecommunications, Inc., 39 Fla. L. Weekly D 685b (April 24, 2014). The Third District Court of Appeals became the first Florida appellate court to apply the Daubert standard to uphold a decision by a trial court, excluding an expert from testifying at trial. The trial court had reviewed the expert’s opinion under the Frye standard that was applicable at the time it was deciding the issue. However, the appellate court correctly stated in its opinion that the law governing the admissibility of an expert’s opinion in Florida was the Daubert standard, not the Frye standard since the legislature recently changed the law. As a result, the Third District Court of Appeals decided in Perez to apply the Daubert standard in lieu of the Frye standard, retroactively. Nonetheless, the appellate court affirmed the trial court’s exclusion of the plaintiff’s expert.…
Florida Court Says, “No Phishing Expeditions Allowed on a Plaintiff’s Facebook Page”
By Sean McDonough on April 15, 2014
While it is true that social media has become one of the main sources for discovery in personal injury litigation, the basic tenets of discovery that apply to the standard document requests, also apply to this new technological source of information. The question of whether a demand for any and all information on the Facebook page of a grieving mother in a wrongful death lawsuit could lead to the discovery of admissible evidence relevant to her loss of consortium claim was recently addressed by the Appellate Court in Florida. In short, the Court’s latest decision on this issue was a message to defense attorneys that, although information posted on social media has limited privacy rights, the Courts will still not allow a defense attorney to engage in a fishing expedition of a plaintiff’s Facebook page.…
Why Do Florida Plaintiff’s Attorneys Dread the Application of Daubert?
By Sean McDonough on February 4, 2014
Part 2 of Series on Florida’s Adoption of the Daubert Standard for Admissibility of Expert Testimony
The Florida legislature’s adoption of the Daubert Standard for admissibility of expert testimony took several sessions to pass as a well-organized Plaintiff’s Bar fought hard against it. However, the legislature’s affinity for laws that promote the growth of business within the state eventually won the day. Why did the Plaintiffs’ Bar resist?
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Roche Singapore Menu Search : About Roche Roche Singapore
About Roche
Roche was founded in 1896, headquartered in Basel, Switzerland. Roche is a leader in research-focused healthcare with combined strengths in pharmaceuticals and diagnostics.
Roche is the world’s largest biotech company with truly differentiated medicines in oncology, virology, inflammation, metabolism and CNS. Roche is also the world leader in in-vitro diagnostics, tissue-based cancer diagnostics and a pioneer in diabetes management.
Roche’s personalised healthcare strategy aims at providing medicines and diagnostic tools that enable tangible improvements in the health, quality of life and survival of patients. In 2009, Roche had over 80,000 employees in more than 150 countries worldwide and invested almost 10 billion Swiss francs in R&D. The Group posted sales of 49.1 billion Swiss francs. Genentech, United States, is a wholly owned member of the Roche Group. Roche has a majority stake in Chugai Pharmaceutical, Japan.
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Rohinton Mistry
Such A Long Journey (2000) — Based On The Novel by
The golden age of movie critics
by Roger Ebert | May 1, 2010 |
This is a golden age for film criticism. Never before have more critics written more or better words for more readers about more films. But already you are ahead of me, and know this is because of the internet.
Twenty years ago a good-sized city might have contained a dozen people making a living from writing about films, and for half of them the salary might have been adequate to raise a family. Today that city might contain hundreds, although (the Catch-22) not more than one or two are making a living.
Film criticism is still a profession, but it's no longer an occupation. You can't make any money at it. This provides an opportunity for those who care about movies and enjoy expressing themselves. Anyone with access to a computer need only to use free blogware and set up in business.
The Best 10 Movies of 2000
by Roger Ebert | December 31, 2000 |
Ebert's Best Film Lists1967 - present
Shooting Gallery series
by Roger Ebert | January 1, 1994 |
This is a good idea. For six weeks in 19 cities, including Chicago and Evanston, new independent and foreign films will be showcased in two-week runs. You can buy single tickets, or join a club that allows you to attend a preview followed by a discussion with local film critics. And there is a web site for additional discussion. http://movies.yahoo.com/sgfilmseries/index.html
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CYBERSECURITY COMPANY MOVES ITS HEADQUARTERS TO COLORADO SPRINGS
Root9B LLC is sinking deeper roots in Colorado Springs as part of a corporate strategy of its parent company to narrow the company’s focus to cybersecurity by selling off subsidiaries in other industries.
The Springs-based company employs 40 locally and 40 more at three other offices to provide cybersecurity services that include advanced vulnerability analysis, network penetration testing, digital forensics, incident response, industrial control system security and adversary pursuit on computer networks to government and commercial clients worldwide. Root9B also operates its Adversary Pursuit Center, a $2 million operations center it opened in Colorado Springs in 2015 to provide clients remote computer network defense, training and other services.
The company is a unit of root9B Holdings, which moved its headquarters to Colorado Springs from Charlotte, N.C., in early December as part of an “evolution into a pure-play cybersecurity company, and a reflection of our commitment to this endeavor,” according to a Dec. 20 letter to shareholders from CEO Joseph Grano Jr. The move also included a consolidation of the parent company’s corporate support operations to improve efficiency and cut costs as it tries to raise money to fund growth of root9B LLC and its cybersecurity operations, he said.
No company personnel were relocated as part of the headquarters move, said Eric Hipkins, founder and CEO of root9B LLC. Hipkins expects the company to double the size of its local workforce this year to serve a growing list of clients in the financial, retail and “critical infrastructure” industries and is doubling its space in the Wells Fargo Tower downtown to accommodate the additional staff. The company also plans to expand its operations in Maryland and Texas and open offices this year in Canada and England.
Anti-hacking strategy
The company sells subscription and fee-based cybersecurity services that include a software suite called ORKOS and a hardware and software platform called ORION, both of which it plans to update this year to add capabilities and enhance the “user experience,” Hipkins said. Customers include Fortune 500 corporations and companies that are “highly visible in their sectors,” but he said root9B keeps their identities confidential so “we don’t provide a playbook to (potential) adversaries,” the term he uses for computer hackers.
“We are focused on the human aspect of the adversary’s tactics, techniques and procedures, especially the stand operating procedures used to bypass traditional automated defensive measures,” Hipkins said. “We bring a unique approach to manned information security combined with remote HUNT (automated) operations.”
As part of its restructuring, root9B Holdings plans to sell off two subsidiaries of its predecessor company, Premier Alliance Group Inc., which focus on helping customers assess, design and install processes and automation to reduce energy usage and cost, and to provide anti-money laundering advisory and consulting services and investigative and advisory services on risk, data and other areas. The company agreed Dec. 20 to sell the energy unit, called Control Engineering Inc., to one of its managers for $60,000. Grano also said he will step down May 14 as CEO when his contract expires.
The parent company also completed a 15-for-1 reverse stock split in December to boost the price of the company’s publicly traded stock and qualify it for listing on the Nasdaq Stock Market, making root9B Holdings the fifth local company with stock that is listed on a major national exchange. The others are defense contractor Vectrus Inc., medical device manufacturer Spectranetics Corp., gold mine operator Gold Resource Corp. and casino and horse track operator Century Casinos Inc., which all have a total market value that is many times the $59.1 million value of root9B Holdings.
“Many of the leading cybersecurity companies trade on Nasdaq, so the Nasdaq listing is an important milestone for the company,” Hipkins said. “As the organization grows on a global scale, our trajectory and this (listing) will help elevate our profile and attract a broader range of institutional investors to the company.”
Low on cash as it ramped up its cybersecurity operations and its other operations were losing money, root9B Holdings launched a convertible promissory note offering to private investors in September to raise $10 million. The company raised $6.76 million through Dec. 22. The notes carry a 10 percent annual interest rate and can be converted into the company’s stock within three years at 15 percent discount to the market price. The company is reviewing raising additional funding from “a large strategic investor,” Hipkins said.
During the first nine months of last year, root9B Holdings lost $13.2 million, or 16 cents a share, more than double its loss during the same period in 2015, on revenue of $25.9 million. Nearly two-thirds of the loss comes from root9B cybersecurity operations, which generated less than 12 percent of the company’s revenue but was growing the fastest at more than 60 percent from a year earlier. While the company cut its losses for its energy and anti-money laundering operations by nearly $700,000, revenue grew just 2.4 percent in those businesses.
Grano told stockholders in August that root9B Holdings’ financial results for the first half of the year were “disappointing despite new client engagements, which while resulting in increased revenues did not scale to levels sufficient to offset the ramp up of our new cybersecurity footings.” He remained optimistic, however, that “cybersecurity and risk mitigation services remain high areas of demand for companies, government entities and regulators worldwide.”
As a result of the disappointing first-half results, the company cut its revenue forecast for all of 2016 to $34.7 million from $48 million and boosted its projected losses to $11.9 million from $7 million. Much of the cut came from its cybersecurity operations, from more than $14 million to $7.9 million. In mid-October, root9B Holdings said it had won $12 million in contracts so far in 2016 with government and commercial customers, which Hipkins said had grown to $18 million by year’s end.
The company also formed a partnership with Science Applications International Corp. to offer advanced cybersecurity simulation and training to U.S. government agencies. A partnership was also formed with Head Italia to provide Italian government and defense customers with cybersecurity solutions to protect critical data and infrastructure.
The cybersecurity unit, root9B LLC, continues to top industry rankings of the top 500 cybersecurity providers from New York-based online publication Cybersecurity Ventures, securing the top spot in all four of the quarterly lists published last year.
Hipkins founded root9B in 2011 with four other employees, all with military or intelligence backgrounds and who are still with the company, with a small-business loan from Chase Bank and initially focused on cybersecurity training. He said the fledgling company quickly built a reputation as a top provider of training services, which generated enough revenue to build its cybersecurity software tools and operational capabilities. The company’s rapid growth attracted the attention of Premier Global, which acquired root9B for $1.75 million in cash and stock and later adopted the root9B name.
Hipkins selected the root9B name to reflect root access, which gives users control of a computer operating system, and 9B as programming shorthand for 9/11 because “as an organization, we believe that cyber represents the No. 1 threat to the U.S. and global industry abroad.”
Contact Wayne Heilman: 636-0234
Twitter @wayneheilman
Facebook Wayne Heilman
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Canadian National Railway (CN) reached Rosetown in 1910 and a few years later the Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) ran a track just north of town. Both CP and CN still have rail lines crossing through Rosetown. The CP Kerrobert+Rosetown spur, running east to west, is on a three-year plan of abandonment by the CP Railway. The section of the spur to be abandoned is an 82.9 kilometres stretch of railroad from Herschel to Conquest. CN Rosetown Subdivision runs north to south through Rosetown stopping at two grain elevators in Rosetown. The Cargill Elevator holds a capacity of 13,500 tonnes and 41 car spots while the Saskatchewan Wheat Pool has a capacity of 6,570 tons and 12 car spots.
The Rosetown Airport owned by Provincial Airways, has a variety of services for a small rural airport. The airport includes an asphalt runway 2,500 ft long and 75 ft wide, runway lights to guide incoming aircrafts and a tarmac to accommodate approximately 5 to 6 planes at one time. The Municipal Airport can accommodate small aircrafts such as aerial sprayer planes, small business planes and applicator planes. Facilities include a recently established airport terminal with a public waiting area, an aircraft personnel/staff lounge, washrooms and telephone access. There are 7 hangers and a refueling station at the airport. West Central Air and Maintenance has two certified aircraft maintenance engineers with the ability to work on any commercial plane. West Central Air has also expanded the business to include aerial photography. West Central Air and the Town of Rosetown are working on further airport developments including flights from Rosetown to Fort McMurray and an extended airport runway. For more information on the airport contact West Central Air at 306-882-3830.
Being at the crossroads of two major highways provides an advantage for courier services. Services is offered by Purolator, DHL and several others.
Highway Conditions
Rentals: Festival Tent, Tables, Chairs
Telephone, Internet & Cable
Youth Building
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Brad buzzing to get back to Ewood
The Rovers star is looking forward to playing in front of a home crowd after two tough trips
After two tough away games, Bradley Dack says he can't wait to play at Ewood again tomorrow, as Rovers prepare to take on Peterborough.
The Blues travelled over 800 miles last week for matches against Gillingham and Bristol Rovers, drawing on both occasions.
With just four games to go, Rovers are five points above third-placed Shrewsbury and can take a big step towards promotion with victory on home soil on Thursday.
“We’re all really looking forward to it," Dack told iFollow.
"We’ve got two big home games left against Peterborough tomorrow and Oxford on the final day.
"The last two away games have been tough, the pitch wasn’t great at Gillingham and they put a lot of men behind the ball but took a point.
"At Bristol Rovers, the late goal was a tough one to take, but that’s football.
"We’ve just got to make sure we pick ourselves up; coming back to Ewood is nice, we haven’t lost at home since October so we’re excited for the game."
Rovers made a slow start to the season but have now lost just once in 31 games, with Ewood becoming something of a fortress for Mowbray's men.
Asked if it's become easier to play at home as the season has gone on, Dack added: “Yeah, I think so.
"I’ve said before that I don’t think we adapted to the league as quickly as we expected to, we had some mixed results at the start but now it’s really enjoyable.
“We’re five points ahead of Shrewsbury with four games to go and that’s quite a big gap.
"We have to make sure we capitalise on that and put them to bed now.”
Read the full interview with Brad in tomorrow's matchday programme.
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Three militants killed in Russia’s south
Published time: 18 Nov, 2010 11:48 Edited time: 18 Nov, 2010 15:13
Three militants have been killed in a gunfight with police in Russia's southern Republic of Ingushetia.
Officers tried to stop a car in a village near the republic’s capital, but those inside opened fire on them.
The suspects fled to a house where they tried to hide, and were killed in the gunfight that followed.
There have been no reports of casualties among police or civilians.
Earlier, also in Ingushetia, Russia’s law enforcement officers detained the suspected organizer of a terror attack in the neighboring republic of North Ossetia.
Bomb rocks Russia’s south
Militants launch attack on the parliament of Chechen Republic
Cashflow to Caucasus terror cells killed
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Dubai Personalised Number Reg Plates Auction Details
Reg Plates Article
Home | Articles | Dubai Personalised Number Reg Plates Auction Details
The code T will be offered up for auction for the first time this month by the Roads and Transport Authority.
The auction is scheduled for July 23 and registration of bidders begins at 8am on Sunday and will continue for five days.
About 250 license plates are up on offer at the RTA’s 49th online auction.
The plates comprise of three, four and five digits under the codes A, B, H, I, J, K, L up to T.
To participate users can obtain a username and password through the RTA’s website. Users are required to have a vehicle registered in Dubai or a license issued from Dubai, said Ahmed Bahrozyan, chief executive of the RTA’s Licensing Agency
A bidder must deposit a security cheque of Dh5,000 to an RTA customer service centre in Umm Al Romool, Bur Dubai, Deira or the Al Tawar Municipal Centre.
In the case of payment by credit card, the client must also deposit Dh5,000 as security. Clients need to pay Dh120 in participation fees through the RTA website.
“The successful bidder has to pay the due amount within 10 working days from the auction closing date by cash or credit card through service provider centers or RTA’s customer centres,” Mr Bahrozyan said.
“Failure to clear due payments will result in entering the bidder in the black list.”
Cash payments will be accepted for amounts up to Dh50,000 and payments can be made by certified cheque or credit card for larger amounts.
Residents can approach the RTA’s call centre on 8009090 for more information on participation and payment procedures.
The auctions are popular with number plates such as R13 and H33 fetching more than Dh2 million in May.
Yet another special number plate series is now available for Malaysian vehicles – ‘US’ is the latest to join ‘SMS‘, ‘RIMAU‘, ‘PERFECT’, ‘NAAM’, ‘VIP’ as well as ‘GT’ from 2016 and the ‘PATRIOT’ plate from 2015 on the unique plates list.
The alphabets in the plate series isn’t the shortened form of United States, but Untuk Seniman, and is brought about by the Malaysian Artistes Association (Seniman). Unlike the normal number plate series, which is available from 1 to 9999, the US plate will only run from US 1 to US 1000. As usual, the plates will be issued by the Road Transport Department (JPJ).
Seniman president Zed Zaidi said that the proceeds gained from the project will raise funds to help artists under the association. He added that bidding is open to the public from this coming Saturday, and the tender will close on August 20, with successful bidders being able to register their number as early as October 1, pending approval from JPJ.
Apparently, reserve prices have been listed for the series – US 1 is the priciest, at RM500,000, followed by the other single digits (two to nine) at RM250,000. Double numbers (12 to 98) start from RM25,000, with the exception of US 10, which is priced at RM100,000. Gold double numbers (for example, 22, 55, 77 etc) are priced at RM50,000.
Regular triple numbers to 999 start from RM3,000, except for gold triples (111, 333, 666 etc), which like the double doubles go for RM50,000. Some special triple numbers (101, 515, 767, 808 etc) are priced at RM5,000, and the last number in the series, US 1000 has a reserve price of RM10,000. Reserve prices being a suggestion, one wonders how much the US 4 plate will eventually go for.
In the past couple of weeks Pine Rivers Police have received a number of reports relating to number plates being stolen off vehicles.
Reports show this type of offence is occurring in Warner, Kallangur, Lawnton and Bray Park areas during both the day and night.
Stolen plates are often fitted to other vehicles, which are then used to commit offences in an attempt to avoid detection.
It takes just a few seconds for offenders to unscrew your number plates which are held on with conventional screws so police are encouraging the public to replace standard number plate screws with “one way” security screws making them more difficult to remove.
The one way screws can’t be removed with conventional tools, which deters potential thieves.
The community is asked to participate in this crime prevention program so please pass this message on to your neighbours and friends.
If your registration plates are stolen, report it to police as soon as possible and contact the Department of Transport and Main Roads to cancel them.
Those who had been wishing for a fancy number plate for their two-wheelers will soon have an opportunity to make their dream come true as the Delhi government is planning to e-auction special registration numbers for motorcycles and scooters.
The minimum price for the golden number ‘0001’ has been proposed at Rs 50,000, while bidding for numbers from 0002 to 0009 will begin from Rs 30,000.
Last month, the department had sold the hottest number ‘0001’ for a whopping Rs 16 lakh. Auctions like these bring a windfall to the government’s exchequer and gratifies people’s desire for special digits on number plates — from date of birth to astrological and numerological numbers that are believed to bring prosperity.
How close a series of letters or numbers are to a real name of word: if the match quality is high (and the numbers and letters are very convincing in making a popular word), the value of the registration plate will be higher. This means that a match like 5IMON, for the name Simon, will be worth a lot more than a more obscure set of letters and numbers that are not as convincing a match, such as S17 MMM for the name Sam.
The style of the plate: this means establishing if it is a new-style plate, an older-style format or if it is dateless or Irish, for instance. Other options are that it is a prefix-style plate or a suffix-style plate. New-style number plates, which have been produced since 2001, tend to be the least valuable because they are a bit less appealing to some collectors, plus the rule about not having plates that are newer than your car can also come into play, putting people off from buying a newer-style plate for their older car. Prefix-style number plates, which were in production between 1983 and 2001 can be more popular as more vehicles are entitled to have those licence numbers, and they may have fewer characters in total. Suffix-style plates, issued from 1963 to 1983 are relatively rare, which means they can attract higher prices than prefix-style plates and newer designs. Dateless number plates, also known as cherished number plates, were produced between 1903 and 1963 and are nearly always the most valuable number plate configurations; they have fewer digits and their dateless nature means that people can hide the age of their car. Irish number plates are similar to dateless number plates, especially because they don’t have a year identifier. They also tend to be cheaper than other types of vehicle registration plates.
number plates reg transfers
FAZ 58
N2 EMA
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June 17, 2019 / 12:04 PM / a month ago
Collective Health secures $205 million in funding led by SoftBank Vision Fund
(Reuters) - Collective Health, which makes software for companies to pay workers’ health costs directly, said on Monday it had raised $205 million in new funding led by SoftBank Group Corp’s Vision Fund.
The San Francisco, California-based company said it would use the funding to drive adoption of its enterprise healthcare platform among employers across the United States.
The company’s clients include Pinterest Inc, Red Bull, Restoration Hardware and Zendesk, among others.
“The company has continued to scale its business across U.S. employers, and we are excited to help them drive further innovation and adoption in the approximately $1.2 trillion employer health insurance industry,” said Deep Nishar, senior managing partner at SoftBank Investment Advisers.
Among other investors in the latest funding round were DFJ Growth, PSP Investments, and G Squared, as well as returning investors Founders Fund, Alphabet Inc’s GV and Maverick Ventures.
The total amount raised by Collective Health has now reached $435 million, the company said.
Reporting by Manas Mishra in Bengaluru; Editing by Shinjini Ganguli
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Georgia-Pacific unit seeks bankruptcy in wake of asbestos cases
Tom Hals
WILMINGTON, Del (Reuters) - An affiliate of Georgia-Pacific LLC, which makes Brawny paper towels, has filed for U.S. Chapter 11 bankruptcy amid soaring costs of defending against claims its products caused asbestos-related diseases, according to a company statement on Thursday.
The affiliate, Bestwall LLC, joins scores of U.S. manufacturers that have filed for bankruptcy due to asbestos litigation, and comes as the U.S. Congress mulls a bill that plaintiffs’ lawyers say would discourage asbestos claims.
Georgia-Pacific is unaffected by the filing and Bestwall will continue operating normally, the statement said.
Bestwall’s legal costs from asbestos have risen to an average of $160 million a year, up from $6 million a year prior to 2000, according to company filings.
Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral once prized for its resistance to heat but its fibers can cause deadly cancers, including mesothelioma, and leads to thousands of U.S. deaths annually, according to government statistics.
A bill known as the FACT Act has been introduced in the U.S. House that proponents argue would shed light on possible fraudulent asbestos claims, although critics say it will make it harder for people sickened by asbestos to get compensation.
In 1965, Georgia-Pacific acquired a maker of joint compound that contained asbestos. Georgia-Pacific, which is owned by Koch Industries Inc, ceased making the compound with asbestos in 1977.
Since then, the company has spent $2.9 billion in legal costs on asbestos cases and is currently defending about 62,000 such cases.
According to Bestwall, its products account for a tiny overall percentage of asbestos exposure, but it has been named in up to 80 percent of mesothelioma cases filed each year. Asbestos lawsuits often name multiple manufacturers as defendants.
Asbestos litigation has cost more than $50 billion in compensation and legal fees and has forced about 100 U.S. companies into bankruptcy, including chemical company W.R. Grace and building products company Owens Corning Corp.
Bankrupt companies and asbestos plaintiffs generally agree to establish and finance a trust for future claims. The company exits bankruptcy shielded from future asbestos lawsuits.
However, many trusts are running low on cash and have reduced payouts, and business groups allege that has prompted plaintiffs to focus on suing non-bankrupt companies, even if plaintiffs only had a limited exposure to a company’s product.
Allegations of fraudulent asbestos claims were a central part of the bankruptcy of Garlock Sealing Technologies LLC, which filed in 2010 the same court in Charlotte as Bestwall.
Editing by Noeleen Walder and Bernadette Baum
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October 21, 2016 / 6:02 AM / 3 years ago
Pentagon chief to stress Iraq sovereignty in Turkey talks
Phil Stewart
ANKARA (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said he would stress the need to respect Iraq’s sovereignty during a visit on Friday to Turkey, which has been locked in a dispute with Baghdad over who should participate in the campaign to retake Mosul from Islamic State.
Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan (R) shakes hands with U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter at the Presidential Palace in Ankara, Turkey, October 21, 2016. Kayhan Ozer/Presidential Palace/Handout via REUTERS
Carter, acknowledging it was a delicate issue, declined to explicitly say whether he thought Turkey should be allowed toparticipate in the operations in Iraq. Washington in the past has deferred that matter to Baghdad.
“Of course we’ll talk about that. And yes, of course there are sensitivities there. We conduct ourselves, and the coalition does, respecting Iraqi sovereignty. That’s an important principle of ours,” Carter said.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has been frustrated that NATO member Turkey has not been more involved in the U.S.-backed assault on Mosul and angered by Washington’s support for Kurdish militia fighters battling Islamic State in Syria.
Asked about Turkish air strikes that pounded a group of Kurdish fighters allied to a U.S.-backed militia in northernSyria, Carter said he was not certain about what precisely transpired.
“I can’t clarify that now,” he said.
A U.S. defense official said on Thursday the specific groups struck by Turkish jets were not themselves U.S.-backed, but were “close to and friendly with” the fighters Washington is working with.
Ankara has been in a row with Iraq over the presence of Turkish troops at the Bashiqa camp near Mosul, as well as over who should take part in the offensive in the largely Sunni Muslim city of Mosul, once part of the Ottoman empire and still seen by Turkey as firmly within its sphere of influence.
Erdogan has warned of sectarian bloodshed if the Iraqi army relies on Shi’ite militia fighters.
A U.S. defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity, acknowledged Turkey had legitimate security concerns in Iraq but added that Washington had been clear that “no military should be operating in areas (of Iraq) where they aren’t invited expressly.”
“We have been working behind the scenes to get the Iraqis and the Turks to come to an understanding about how we’re going to move forward on Mosul,” the official said.
Carter steered clear of directly commenting on the matter ahead of his talks in Turkey. He acknowledged the United States was partnering with both Iraq and Turkey in the fight against Islamic State.
“These are two close friends of ours. In the case of Turkey, it’s a NATO ally. And we want to keep everybody focused on the objective here, which is to defeat ISIL, because that is a threat to all three of us,” Carter said.
Editing by Nick Macfie
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July 9, 2012 / 6:57 PM / 7 years ago
Bankrupt Alabama county asks for second look at lawyer fees
(Reuters) - Alabama’s Jefferson County wants a federal judge to take a second look at a June 29 ruling favoring Wall Street creditors in order to clarify how the cash-strapped local government can pay $1 million a month in fees to its bankruptcy lawyers.
The county, which last November initiated the biggest U.S. municipal bankruptcy, said Judge Thomas Bennett’s ruling clearly barred setting aside county revenues in reserve funds for estimated professional fees but did not forbid using the revenues for paying lawyers for completed work.
The county’s bankruptcy lawyers said in a written filing on Friday that they may eventually appeal the judge’s 43-page ruling and requested immediate guidance so accurate payments can be made to JPMorgan Chase and other creditors holding $3.2 billion of debt tied to Jefferson County’s sewer system.
“Absent guidance as to whether legal fees actually incurred (as opposed to ‘an estimate for professional fees and expenses’) are operating expenses that may be properly deducted, the county will not be able to make the required calculations,” the county’s bankruptcy lawyers said.
The judge set a July 25 hearing on the county’s request.
In last month’s ruling, closely watched by America’s $3.7 trillion tax-free debt market, Bennett sharply curbed set-asides by the county from money owed creditors for depreciation, amortization and estimated legal fees. The ruling aggravates a cash crunch for Jefferson County, which may exhaust its general fund within three months.
The county had been very aggressive in holding back payments to the sewer system’s warrant holders and rattled assumptions of investors that interest payments on revenue bonds continue in municipal bankruptcies.
Bank of New York Mellon and other creditors had argued that the county had been illegally using money for purposes beyond ensuring efficient operation of the system that serves 130,000 customers.
Jefferson County, the home of Birmingham, Alabama’s business hub, filed a $4.23 billion bankruptcy claim on November 9. Its massive sewer debt, aggravated by political corruption and loss of local tax in a court case, fueled the financial crisis.
Reporting by Michael Connor in Miami; Editing by Dan Grebler
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41 Children Have died of Heatstroke This Year After Being Left in the Back Seat of a Parked Vehicle
Home Blog In The News 41 Children Have died of Heatstroke This Year After Being Left in the Back Seat of a Parked Vehicle
Angel Reyes III October 26, 2017 Dangerous Behavior, In The News
Since 1990, when the annual number of vehicular heatstroke victims was first recorded, more than 800 children have died in hot parked cars.
Many of these deaths occurred because parents forgot that the children were in the car. And while automakers offer technology that steers a vehicle or alerts drivers to a car in the next lane, they have not released technology to tell drivers when they are forgetting a child in the back seat.
But congressional lawmakers are now weighing whether to require new cars to include a device for detecting children in the back seat and warning the driver of their presence after the car has been turned off. The requirements were attached to a House bill, passed last month, that is meant to speed the development of self-driving vehicles. The Senate version of the bill, which cleared a committee vote this month, includes an amendment with the warning requirement.
While some automakers, like Hyundai, General Motors and Nissan, have voluntarily developed some types of warning systems, the auto industry has been reluctant to add the technology required by the bills. The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, the leading auto industry trade group, has said it opposes the proposed rules.
After the proposed rules were released in July, the group said: “In particular, we are concerned about proposals where it takes many years before results are seen, because 18 lives have already been lost this year in hot cars. And the proposed mandate for notification technology in cars misses the targeted population, because so few parents of young children buy new cars.”
This is not the first time that the Auto Alliance has dismissed the need for regulation. In 2011, for example, Robert Strassburger, vice president for vehicle safety at the organization, made a similar argument. “We shouldn’t overemphasize the effectiveness of technology,” he said, adding that a government requirement for warning devices would initially have minimal impact, because the vast majority of cars on the road are years old.
dude The Auto Alliance, like some other industry groups, calls for education rather than technology. For 10 years, it has pushed messages, both online and in print, that describe why cars overheat when parked in the sun and that advise parents never to leave children in a car.
But advocates for stronger rules say the years of educational efforts have not slowed the number of deaths. And in almost all cases, they say, the action is a matter of distraction and simple forgetfulness.
“You can’t teach people not to forget,” said Janette Fennell, president of KidsandCars.org, an organization dedicated to protecting children in and around motor vehicles. “There is a scientific reason why this is happening. It’s not that people don’t love their kids.”
David Diamond, a neuroscientist at the University of South Florida who has studied the issue, said a child in the back seat could easily be forgotten. Habit memory can take over during the drive home from work, causing a person to forget to stop on the way for an important prescription. Police officers, he said, have forgotten their guns after laying them down on the toilet paper roll in public bathrooms, so it should not be surprising that parents forget their child in the back seat.
“The brain process is the same,” Dr. Diamond said. “All involve an interaction between our habit and conscious memory systems.”
General Motors and Nissan have introduced technologies that remind the driver that a child is in the back seat by analyzing door sequencing. If the rear door is opened before the car is started but not after it is turned off, a warning sounds. The GM reminder is standard or available on numerous 2017 models and will be offered on others for the 2018 model year. The Nissan system is standard on the 2018 Pathfinder and will be on other models in the future.
This technology does not meet the standard of the legislation, however, because it does not detect the presence of a child. Hyundai’s technology, which is scheduled for release on some 2019 models, can detect someone in the back seat.
Some companies that sell equipment to the auto industry have developed warning devices. One such system, the VitaSense, uses low-power radio to sense movement and breathing. The technology, developed in Luxembourg by IEE, a manufacturer of automotive sensors, can reportedly detect even a sleeping infant in a rear-facing child seat. If a child is detected after the vehicle has been turned off, it alerts the driver by several means, including flashing lights, beeps, and messages sent to cellphones and computers.
Ms. Fennell applauded independent efforts to produce a warning device but argued that the only real solution was legislation that required the technology in all new vehicles.
When she got an alert from her car that she had left her gas tank open, Ms. Fennell said, “I realized that while my car can tell me that, it can’t tell me if a child has been left in the back seat.”
“We get buzzers and warnings for everything,” she said. “How in the world do you not develop a reminder for what is indisputably the most important thing?”
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Intrinsically Safe Air Movers are available for sale at Professional Safety Services (UK) Ltd through our sales department. Because of this we are becoming the number one choice for hire. Because of this customers can fill their equipment gap needs.
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Areas classified into zones (0, 1, 2 for gas-vapor-mist and 20, 21, 22 for dust) must be protected from effective sources of ignition. Hence equipment and protective systems intended to be used in zoned areas must meet the requirements of the directive.
Zone 0 and 20 require Category 1 marked equipment. In addition, Zone 1 and 21 require Category 2 marked equipment. Zone 2 and 22 require Category 3 marked equipment. Zone 0 and 20 are the zones with the highest risk of an explosive atmosphere being present. Hence these are the standard now required to be met.
Intrinsically Safe
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Areas with dangerous concentrations of flammable gases or dust are found in applications such as petrochemical refineries and mines. As a discipline, it is an application of inherent safety in instrumentation. High-power circuits such as electric motors or lighting cannot use intrinsic safety methods for protection. Because of this ATEX ratings are required.
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Fonthill
Harper Press
Filtered to: bicdescription Military life bicdescription
Victoria's Cross
The Untold Story of Britain's Highest Award for Bravery
Gary Mead
National Service
From Aldershot to Aden: Tales from the Conscripts, 1946–62
Colin Shindler
Retaining conscription after the Second World War, Britain required all young men to serve for 18 months (and after 1950, two years) unless employed in an exempt trade. Through interviews with 27 men across all the services and throughout the period of National Service, this book characterizes the experiences that shaped a generation, from fighting in Korea, Malaya, Kenya and Egypt to whitewashing coal in the local barracks.
Warfare in New Kingdom Egypt
Paul Elliott
Paul Elliott’s study describes warfare and the technology of weaponry in the aggressive, innovative and outward-looking military system of the New Kingdom under its warrior pharaohs, notably Seti I, Amenhotep III, Tuthmosis III and IV and Rameses II.
From Crimea to Afghanistan: the Real Lives of Women Behind the Men of Uniform
Midge Gillies
Through the centuries, army wives have had to contend with anxiety, separation, injury, bereavement, post-traumatic stress, and the struggle to maintain a normal home life in abnormal circumstances. Using interviews, letters and diaries, this remarkable history gives them a voice, sometimes for the first time. It traces their experiences from the Crimean War – the last in which wives followed their husbands to the front – to the new breed of independent women supporting their men through the war in Afghanistan.
Music, Remembrance and the Great War
Alwyn W Turner
Ever since the annual two-minute silence was first observed in 1919, the Last Post has been a powerful symbol of remembrance. In his exploration of this simple bugle call’s history, Turner tracks down its earliest known use (as ‘Setting the Watch’) in the 18th century, examines the role of buglers during the First World War and shows how the Last Post has kept its significance despite early controversy over the nature of the Cenotaph ceremony and the changing meaning of Remembrance today.
The Distant Drum
A Memoir of a Guardsman in the Great War
FE Noakes
After having been rejected on medical grounds several times as a volunteer, Fen Noakes was conscripted in June 1917 and sent to France in October to join the 4th Battalion east of Arras. The memoir that he wrote in 1934, ‘while the memory is still comparatively undimmed’, together with the letters written from the Front to his mother, provide an articulate and very detailed account of living and fighting through the final year of the war.
Those Who Dared
Awards to the British SAS Regiments and Attached SBS Units 1941–1946
Philip Eyre
The first incarnation of the Special Air Service (and affiliated Special Boat Service) undertook daring missions in North Africa and Europe during the Second World War and was disbanded immediately afterwards. Aimed at the medal collector and military historian, this book records the awards given to men of the units between 1941 and 1946, and gives brief summaries of the units' operations.
From Boiled Beef to Chicken Tikka
500 Years of Feeding the British Army
Janet Macdonald
‘An army’, Napoleon famously remarked, ‘marches on its stomach’. But who ensured that its stomach was filled – and what was it filled with? This compelling, meticulously researched book charts the history of British Army catering from Cromwell to the Iraq war, turns up such fascinating details as how to improvise a kebab skewer with a bayonet, and includes 20 recipes to try at home, from Gurkha Chicken Pilau to Game Pie.
Something About a Soldier
The Wartime Memoirs of Christopher Bulteel
Christopher Bulteel
The Call Up
A Study of National Service in Peacetime Britain
Phil Carradice
From 1947 until 1963 all healthy British men between 18 and 21 were expected to do 18 months' military service. With over 60 contemporary images and many first-hand accounts, this book provides insight into this formative experience. For some, it was a time of friendship and camaraderie, others experienced hardship and brutality; and although it often meant square-bashing at Catterick; there was also active service in Suez, Aden or Cyprus with around 600 killed in action or accidents.
The In and Out
A History of the Naval and Military Club
Tim Newark
Originally conceived as a 'civilized place of association' for officers on leave from the Peninsular War, the then 'Military Club' was founded, not without controversy, in 1815. Lavishly illustrated with reproductions of Club portraits and photographs, this volume traces the eventful history of the Club, through two world wars and an IRA bomb, and through several London locations before landing in St James's Square – but still sporting the 'In' and 'Out' of its Piccadilly home. Foreword by Prince Philip, the Club's President.
Britain's Great War Experience
Life at Home and Abroad 1914–1918
Peter Liddle
Beyond the horrors of the Western Front, the First World War sent Britons to the far corners of the globe and affected all aspects of life on the home front. This portfolio of contemporary photographs, documents, letters and ephemera (first published as The Worst Ordeal in 1994) takes the broadest view of the conflict – from the experiences of soldiers, sailors and airmen and their families to dealing with strikes, volunteer work, rationing, conscientious objectors and the Irish rebellion at home.
Tommy's Ark
Soldiers and Their Animals in the Great War
Richard van Emden
As well as the mascots, carrier pigeons and horses used by the army during the First World War, all manner of animals provided solace and interest for servicemen. Quoting letters, diaries and memoirs, van Emden follows the course of the war year by year, describing soldiers' experiences with animals, from entraining heavy horses in Birmingham to birdwatching at the front; and he also surveys the state of wildlife on the ‘murdered earth’ of the Western Front.
The Lost Tommies
Ross Coulthart
Throughout the First World War, in the village of Vignacourt near the Somme battlefields, a French couple dedicated themselves to photographing soldiers on leave from the front. But their collection languished forgotten in boxes in an attic until it was recently discovered by researchers, Coulthart among them. This handsome volume presents the most interesting of the 4,000 high-quality glass negatives and identifies the British and Commonwealth troops depicted, many of whom were gathering for the Battle of the Somme.
Germany In Uniform
Paul Gaujac
Once Hitler had taken control of Germany in 1933, he set about a rapid expansion of the armed forces, founding new units and paramilitary organizations. This review of German uniforms draws on the illustrations in the contemporary handbook Uniformfibel 1933 demonstrating the liveries in use at that date for the various branches of the army, navy and air force, as well as those of the police and other state organizations such as the SS and the Hitler Youth.
Fighting Fit 1939
Adam Culling
Adam Culling, Curator of the Royal Army Physical Training Corps Museum, presents a number of the Army's training and equipment manuals, books and photographs. Ranging from Physical Training (1937) to Shoot to Kill (1944), the publications reproduced here show how the British soldier was kept fighting fit before and during the Second World War.
Ed. Adam Culling
The mustard-coloured cover and challenging contents of the British Army Manual of Physical Training of 1908 earned it the nickname the 'Yellow Peril'. Excerpts of this as well as other Army training publications such as Methods of Unarmed Attack and Defence (1917) and Bayonet Training (1916) are reproduced in this book, giving an insight into how soldiers of the First World War were prepared for action.
Redcoats
The British Soldiers of the Napoleonic Wars
Philip J Haythornthwaite
If Wellington valued the rank and file of his army (despite calling them 'the scum of the earth') much of the civilian population had a low opinion of their qualities. This detailed survey of the ordinary soldiers in the British Army of the Napoleonic era draws on contemporary testimony and records to describe the men and their backgrounds, explain the military organization and harsh code of discipline that governed them, and explore their living conditions and place in society.
Letters and News from the Trenches and the Home Front
Robert Hamilton
During the First World War the Daily Mail published letters from soldiers and civilians as well as reports from the front line and comment by literary figures such as John Galsworthy, Arthur Conan Doyle and Thomas Hardy. This volume mixes these elements from the paper's archive with private diaries, correspondence and photographs from the battle and home fronts to give a valuable contemporary perspective on the war.
Greasepaint and Cordite
The Story of ENSA and Concert Party Entertainment During the Second World War
Andy Merriman
During the course of the Second World War, the Entertainments National Services Association put on countless productions for the troops across the world, offering everything from music hall turns to Laurence Olivier. The enormous number of shows meant that the talent was spread thinly and performances were often delivered in difficult circumstances and inhospitable climes. Drawing on interviews with surviving ENSA performers, this book tells the colourful story of this most unusual and complex theatrical enterprise.
Army Lives and Loyalties from Redcoats to Dusty Warriors
Richard Holmes
The late Richard Holmes explores the British soldier in all guises, from the organization of the first regiments that would become the British Army in the 1660s to the forces in Afghanistan today.
Under Siege HB
Portraits of Civilian Life in France during World War One
Robert J Young
Sailors in the Dock
Naval Courts Martial Down the Centuries
Peter C Smith
Some embarrassing cowardice displayed by the captains of several British ships at the Battle of Dungeness in 1652 led to the formulation of the 'Articles of War', establishing a strict code of conduct for the Navy and empowering officers to apply it. This collection of significant legal cases in the history of the Royal Navy ranges from a mutiny at the Battle of Cadiz in 1587 to a captain's decision to scuttle HMS Manchester in the Mediterranean in 1942.
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Breaking Pangaea
Breaking Pangaea is a movement based on energy, dynamics and the transfer of emotion and ideas through music. Formed in January of 2000, the Philadelphia trio, lead by singer/guitarist Fred Mascherino and drummer Will Noon, immediately composed and recorded an EP entitled, Take Apart The Words. The EPâs unique sound and texture was met with wide acceptance and after constant touring, was later picked up by Florida based Undecided Records. Breaking Pangaea took to the road with a passion and work ethic rarely seen in todayâs fledgling bands and by spring of the following year, had completed three self–booked tours and established an enthusiastic regional following.
Fall 2001 brought the release of the bandâs debut album, Cannon To A Whisper. Engineered and produced by Mike Fanuele (production manager for Dashboard Confessional), Cannon To A Whisper showcases a band coming into their own with influences ranging from Jeff Buckley and Sunny Day Real Estate to Van Halen and Led Zeppelin. Among the bandâs most striking characteristics is the songwriting of singer/guitarist Fred Mascherino. Mascherino, who earned a degree in jazz guitar from Temple University, effortlessly constructs an elaborate interplay of passionate vocals and layers of unique, jazz–infused rock–based guitar. The debut album was heralded for its display of intense dynamics, dramatic crescendos and skilled harmonies. Keeping true to form, the band spent the remainder of 2001 and the majority of 2002 on the road with national touring acts Coheed & Cambria, Further Seems Forever, Hey Mercedes and Recover.
On May 6, 2003, Breaking Pangaea released their last effort, an EP entitled Phoenix, through Equal Vision Records. Recorded by the production team at Big Blue Meenie Studios (Thursday, Taking Back Sunday, This Day Forward), Breaking Pangaeaâs final offering illustrates a band at the pinnacle of its maturation.
Guitarist Fred Mascherino went on to play guitar in Taking Back Sunday. Drummer Will Noon now plays drums in Straylight Run.
Straylight Run
Terrible Things
The Color Fred
Terrible Things (Taking Back Sunday) regroup with new lineup
The Color Fred (Taking Back Sunday) detail upcoming full-length
Equal Vision signs The Color Fred (Taking Back Sunday, Breaking Pangaea)
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‘Every child has the right to education’ – young peacebuilders tackle education in Kyrgyzstan
In Osh, Kyrgyzstan’s second largest city, a group of young peacebuilders were trained in filmmaking as part of a Saferworld and Foundation for Tolerance International (FTI) project to support young people to take on issues they perceive are important for their security. They chose to raise awareness of the challenges around getting an education by making a short film stressing the importance of education for all – regardless of ethnicity, religion, age or gender.
“I’ve heard many times from older generations that if they could go back in time, they would get a better education”, said Islam Torezhanov, a 19-year-old from Osh. He is one of several young peacebuilders who filmed a short video with the message: ‘Every child has the right to education.’
“I want to motivate young people not to drop out of school”, he said. “I believe the future of our country depends on it.”
After independence in 1991, people in Kyrgyzstan went through a turbulent period. The transition from the Soviet system to a free market economy was not easy, and many families struggled financially. Children and young people were pulled out of school to work or support their families, and girls were often married at younger ages. Children of labour migrants and those living in rural areas increasingly missed out on schooling, while the revival of more conservative religious values meant that education for girls was not prioritised as it was for boys.
“Many students still face pressure from family members, friends and others who prioritise earning money over personal development”, said Nigora Sherkulova, another co-creator of the film from Kara-Suu town. “Parents play a major role in the development of young people, but often they do not see the importance or the need for education of children. Through this video, we wanted to show parents the desire of children and young people in this country to develop. And we also wanted to show the benefits of schooling – for example, that children will not be as likely to work on the black market or be influenced by recruiters for violent groups. They will know and assert their rights, and will pass along their knowledge to the next generation.”
Nurtilek Hashimov, 13, from Navoi School was one of the students interviewed for the film.
Under the project, the filmmakers were trained as ‘youth delegates’. They decided that this issue was one that was related to so many other security and safety challenges in Kyrgyzstan and was something they wanted to address. Together, they came up with filming locations and storyboards, and identified students they wanted to interview on camera.
Preparations took around a month. The delegates set up several meetings to settle on a topic and come up with a script. They then met with representatives of the district education department and the school administration to explain the purpose of the video and to get permission for filming. With the help of a professional camera person and a journalist from the channel ‘Yntymak TV’ – who helped them develop a brief, write the script, create a storyboard and conduct interviews – they filmed in two schools.
“I liked the goal of the video,” said 13-year-old Nurtilek Hashimov, who featured in the film. “The most interesting questions for me were ‘why do you come to school?’ and ‘should girls get the same education as boys?’. These questions made me rethink some of my ideas and beliefs.”
Gullola Umaralieva, 16, emphasised the collaborative feeling of filming. “I liked the atmosphere when shooting the video. Everyone supported each other, despite differences in age, ethnic or religious background.”
Gullola Umaralieva, 16, is a student at Navoi School in Aravan town.
Others, like 10-year-old Aliya Asilbekova, had to overcome initial nerves: “During filming, I was nervous in front of the camera. It was the first time I’ve been on film, so I felt a great responsibility and tried to convey my thoughts in a way that was understandable to others.”
Aliya Asilbekova, 10, is a student at Navoi School in Aravan town.
The young delegates in charge of filming are taking on the issue of education in other ways, too. “We collected signatures of parents and local government officials and sent a letter of appeal to the Ministry of Education about opening a vocational school”, said Nigora Sherkulova, 22. “We also opened a street library in the city park near our community crime prevention centre[1], to increase interest in reading.” These efforts have also brought together students from different backgrounds to pursue a common goal.
“Before filming, we did not know each other,” said Lailo Shermatova, a 16-year-old interviewee in the film. “Now we are friends. Maybe we will set an example for others, so that they can talk to each other and to their parents about their hopes and dreams about how a good education can help them achieve their goals.”
[1] Local Crime Prevention Centres are usually made up of one or two representatives of the aksakals (elders’) court, the youth council, the women’s council, and community leaders (known as domkoms or kvartalnyi) who work closely with local neighbourhood inspectors. Membership of LCPCs varies from region to region, however they are usually made up of no more than ten people.
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Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego counties rank…
Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego counties rank among top 50 regions nationwide for greatest measles risk
A new study ranks Los Angeles County No. 2 in the country for risk of contracting measles. (AP photo by Gillian Flaccus)
By Deepa Bharath | dbharath@scng.com | Orange County Register
Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego counties landed on a list of top 50 counties in the U.S. presenting the highest measles risk.
The list, released by researchers at the University of Texas at Austin and Johns Hopkins University, ranks Los Angeles County at number two, San Diego County at number 25 and Orange County 46th.
In a paper published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases, researchers warn the measles outbreak will worsen, identifying the counties that are most at risk of an outbreak.
The analysis looked at a region’s volume of international travel to and from foreign countries with large measles outbreaks and the prevalence of non-medical exemptions from childhood vaccinations.
Since January, there have been more than 700 confirmed measles cases in 22 states — nearly double the number of cases from last year and the highest number reported since the virus was considered eradicated in the United States in 2000.
For the first time since the 1980s, infants could die in the United States as a result of measles, said Sahotra Sarkar, the study’s lead author and integrative biology professor at the University of Texas, Austin.
“We have long known that vaccine avoidance is a critical public health issue in the U.S. and Europe,” he said in a released statement. “Our results show how travel from regions elsewhere compounds this risk.”
According to the California Department of Public Health, as of May 8, 44 measles cases have been reported statewide, 11 involving children. Los Angeles has 10 confirmed cases and Orange County has two cases.
San Diego County has yet to report a measles cases in 2019. Still, the county ranks higher than Orange County on the risk list due to prevalence of non-medical exemptions from childhood immunizations and a higher volume of international travel.
Measles is a highly contagious disease. It can be contracted just by being in a room with someone who has measles. The measles virus can remain in a room for several hours after the infected person has left.
Data shows flood of opioids across U.S., many of them generics
Lack of insurance adds to transgender community’s unique health care challenges
San Bernardino County reports 15 cases of Hepatitis A, up from two this time last year
American Red Cross blood supplies dwindle across U.S., adding to Inland blood crisis
Business briefly: California individual health insurance rates to increase slightly
Health officials advise those who have symptoms such as fever, runny nose, and a rash that starts at the hairline and progresses down the body, to alert a doctor before going in for a visit so measures can be taken not to expose other patients.
Countries such as India, South Korea and Ukraine are seeing extremely high cases of measles this year. Public health officials have warned people to get vaccinated before they travel.
Infants cannot receive the measles vaccine, but immunizations may be available to babies age six months and older who are about to travel internationally.
Man convicted in 2003 murder of Redlands student Kelly Bullwinkle up for parole
Parole hearing moved up 18 months for man who killed Redlands teen Kelly Bullwinkle
Inside the Dodgers: Is Gavin Lux the Dodgers’ most tradable prospect?
David Strausberger presents The Museum of Small Findings’
Umbrella installation in downtown Redlands alley about complete
Deepa Bharath
Deepa Bharath covers religion for The Orange County Register and the Southern California Newspaper Group. Her work is focused on how religion, race and ethnicity shape our understanding of what it is to be American and how religion in particular helps influence public policies, laws and a region's culture. Deepa also writes about race, cultures and social justice issues. She has covered a number of other beats ranging from city government to breaking news for the Register since May 2006. She has received fellowships from the International Women's Media Foundation and the International Center for Journalists to report stories about reconciliation, counter-extremism and peace-building efforts around the world. When she is not working, she loves listening to Indian classical music and traveling with her husband and son.
Follow Deepa Bharath @reporterdeepa
Southern California was starfleet central in moon landing
Riverside offers $10,000 reward to help solve slaying
Apollo 11 moon landing anniversary: 50 years later, Southern Californians look back on big roles they played
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Rancho Cucamonga Quakes clinch 5th straight Cal…
Rancho Cucamonga Quakes clinch 5th straight Cal League playoff berth
By Pete Marshall | pmarshall@scng.com | Daily Bulletin
SAN BERNARDINO — The success of the Dodgers is not just limited to the big league level.
There’s plenty of success on the minor league level too.
The Dodgers’ high Class-A affiliate in the California League, the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes, wrapped up a playoff berth for the fifth consecutive season Tuesday night with a 7-5 victory over the Inland Empire 66ers at San Manuel Stadium.
The Quakes (39-24), winners of five straight games, are the first-half South Division champions, securing a spot in the September playoffs. It is the team’s third straight half-season division title after winning both halves last year. The Quakes won the Cal League title in 2015 and 2018 as a Dodgers affiliate.
“This means a lot, after what we did last year,” said Quakes outfielder Jeren Kendall, who also played for the Quakes last year.
Kendall had the big hit Tuesday.
After the Quakes blew a 5-0 lead, Kendall’s home run leading off the ninth inning snapped a 5-5 tie and sent the Quakes to victory. Max Gamboa (3-1) got the win with 1⅔ innings of scoreless relief.
“I was just looking for something in my zone,” said Kendall, who has four home runs this season. “They weren’t pitching me as aggressively as they had in the past. It felt good.”
Added Quakes manager Mark Kertenian: “He’s been swinging the bat well lately, going at-bat to at-bat.”
Kendall said as the season progressed, there wasn’t a lot of discussion about the team’s success, but it was stressed by the Dodgers during spring training.
“These guys have done a lot to get to this point in the year,” Kertenian said. “Those guys (Inland Empire) were tough tonight. GIve them credit.”
Even before the 7-5 victory that took 3 hours, 47 minutes, the Quakes had clinched the first-half title thanks to Lake Elsinore’s 2-1 loss to Lancaster.
“These guys wanted to celebrate success,” Kertenian said. “Not after a loss.”
The Quakes started the game in style, with Devin Mann hitting the game’s first pitch for a home run to left field. An RBI single by Jeter Downs, a solo home run by Connor Wong (his 12th) and a two-run homer by Donovan Casey (his eighth) gave the Quakes a 5-0 lead through five innings.
The 66ers (24-40) battled back, eventually tying the score on Orlando Martinez’s fourth hit of the game, an RBI double in the seventh.
But it was the Quakes who had the upper hand at the end. Kendall, Downs and Wong finished with two hits apiece.
Downs was one of the big offseason additions to the Dodgers’ farm system as he was acquired in a trade with the Cincinnati Reds.
“We’re excited about the progress of this team and players,” Kertenian said before the game. “But as anyone would admit, there’s more meat on the bone.
“There are things we will continue to challenge each other to get better.”
QUAKES ARE GOING TO THE PLAYOFFS FOR A FIFTH STRAIGHT YEAR!
READ THE RECAP; https://t.co/eGNQhMpTmC
— Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (@RCQuakes) June 12, 2019
Inland Empire 66ers
Rancho Cucamonga Quakes
Pete Marshall
Pete Marshall started his career as a freelancer for The Sun in 1991, then later was hired full time by the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin in 1995. Since then he has covered a variety of sports for the Daily Bulletin and The Sun, primarily high school sports and minor league baseball. He's been doing it long enough that he's now covering the children of student-athletes he covered when he first started.
Follow Pete Marshall @PeteMarshallLaw
More in Minor League
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OpenSSL to patch mystery "high severity" flaw
News by Doug Drinkwater
The OpenSSL project team has announced the forthcoming release of versions 1.0.2a, 1.0.1m, 1.0.0r and 0.9.8zf which will be made available on Thursday 19 March.
In an advisory note published last night, the project says that these will fix several security defects, including one classified as “high” severity. More details on this mystery vulnerability are unavailable at this time, although some industry experts have speculated that this could be another Poodle or Heartbleed vulnerability, TLS/SSL flaws that are still said to be affecting IT security teams today.
The OpenSSL Project is a collaborative effort to develop a robust, commercial-grade, full-featured, and Open Source toolkit implementing the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL v2/v3) and Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocols as well as a full-strength general purpose cryptography library. The group fixed eight security issues in January, including problems with certificates and denial of service (DoS).
MORE FROM SC MEDIA UK
Jetty web servers vulnerable to Heartbleed-style attacks
One fourth of global organisations faced breaches because of unpatched vulnerabilities
Cyber-crime thrives on legal inefficiency & business leaders turning a blind eye
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Understanding Marginal Income Tax Brackets
Tip: High Bracket. In 1944, the highest federal income tax bracket was 94%. It applied to all income above $200,000 a year and applied to all taxpayers, regardless of filing status.
Source: Tax Policy Center, 2017
By any measure, the tax code is huge. According to Commerce Clearing House's Standard Federal Tax Reporter it's up to 74,608 pages in length.¹
And each Monday, the Internal Revenue Service publishes a 20- to 50- page bulletin about various aspects of the tax code.²
Fortunately, it’s not necessary to wade through these massive libraries to understand how income taxes work. Understanding a few key concepts may provide a solid foundation.
One of the key concepts is marginal income tax brackets.
Taxpayers pay the tax rate in a given bracket only for that portion of their overall income that falls within that bracket’s range.
Tax Works
Fast Fact: First Brackets. In 1913 — immediately after the 16th Amendment gave Congress the power to levy taxes on income — the government set up a system of seven federal income tax brackets with rates ranging between 1% and 7%. Less than one in 100 people had to pay even the lowest rate.
Source: OurDocuments.gov, 2017; IRS, August 6, 2017
Seeing how marginal income tax brackets work is helpful because it shows the progressive nature of income taxes. It also helps you visualize how your total tax rate can be calculated. But remember, this material is not intended as tax or legal advice. Please consult a tax professional for specific information regarding your individual situation.
How Federal Income Tax Brackets Work
Say a married couple, filing jointly, in 2018, had a taxable income of $200,000. Each dollar over $165,000—or $35,000—would fall into the 24% federal income tax bracket. However, the couple's total federal tax would have been $36,579—just under 20%, of their adjusted gross income.
This is a hypothetical example used for illustrative purposes only. It assumes no tax credits apply.
2018 Federal Income Tax Brackets
Your federal income tax bracket is determined by two factors: your total income and your tax-filing classification.
For the 2018 tax year, there are seven tax brackets for ordinary income — ranging from 10% to 37% — and four classifications: single, married filing jointly, married filing separately, and head of household.
Washington Examiner, April 15, 2016. (Lastest data available.)
Internal Revenue Service, 2018
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What Is ShootBird?
Zed is a documentarian who has worked with software companies to produce end-user and developer documentation, as well as helped keep their developers sane by writing stuff down for them. He also writes here about design, software, and ethics.
While not formally trained as a software developer, he’s been thrown (by well-meaning colleagues and himself mostly) into enough development-heavy projects that has made him fluent in dev-speak, and holds his own when writing about technical subjects in a human-friendly manner.
Ping him at zed@shootbird.work for business enquiries, or if you want to talk about anything he’s written about.
打鳥 (.v, Hokkien; pak jiao), literally translates as “shoot bird” and is used to refer to the act of landing a wide shot i.e. missing the target. It’s also used to describe a person who is literally a bad shot, or just generally imperceptive.
This metaphor interests me because it’s meant to evoke an image of a person aiming and attempting to shoot (with an imaginary weapon of choice) a target but their shot landing so wide that it seems like they’re trying to shoot birds out of the sky. This, of course, assumes that the target of value is the set one, and not the bird that is seemingly a casualty of collateral damage.
But in a world where precision tends to mean “algorithmic” and “machine-like”, if not “machinic”, perhaps it’s worth exploring things that are off-centre, off-target, at the edge of vision (in the periphery), and sometimes, out of sight.
“Shooting birds” — and what we’re trying to do here at ShootBird — is therefore an exercise in exploring the periphery in hope that sometimes, what can seem like bad aim in the service of finding a meatier target than if you were on target.
Contact zed@shootbird.work for work/questions.
main · 打鳥 (shoot bird?) · hire us · blog
©2018 zed.
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TIMISOARA, ROMANIA - OCTOBER 15: Time - lapse view on people as they pass by at the historical building of the Romanian National Opera at night on October 15, 2017 in Timisoara, Romania.
By Spectral-Design
4k00:11TIMISOARA, ROMANIA - OCTOBER 15: Time-lapse view on people as they pass by at the historical building of the Romanian National Opera at night on October 15, 2017 in Timisoara, Romania.
hd00:08TIMISOARA, ROMANIA - OCTOBER 15: Time-lapse view on people as they pass by at the historical building of the Romanian National Opera at night on October 15, 2017 in Timisoara, Romania.
4k00:08TIMISOARA, ROMANIA - OCTOBER 15: Time - lapse view on people as they pass by at the historical building of the Romanian National Opera at night on October 15, 2017 in Timisoara, Romania.
hd00:14KOLKATA , INDIA - SEPTEMBER 26, 2017 : Night footage of decorated Durga Puja pandal, resembling Khajuraho temple - shot at colored light. Durga Puja is biggest religious festival of Hinduism.
4k00:24Soyembika Tower also called the Khans Mosque
4k00:06Old Building Hyper Lapse Bangkok 30p 4k
4k00:15PALERMO, ITALY - CIRCA JUNE 2018: Night time-lapse view on the historic building of The Politeama Theatre as people pass by the front of the illuminated building in the centre of the city circa June 2
hd00:14City billboard. St Petersburg. Russia. timelapse
hd00:12Timelapse view of Bucharest, Romania from over the Basarab Bridge
hd00:10Aerial view of Bucharest, Romania, shot from a drone
4k00:16Aerial view over Bucharest City center skyline at dusk
4k00:23Aerial view of Bran Castle, Mystic place, Medieval castle, also known as Dracula castle, in Brasov, Transylvania
4k00:22Aerial footage of a waterfront with a castle at sunset.
4k00:17Aerial view of Unirii Square, Bucharest Romania on a sunny day.
hd00:11Aerial view of cars driving in Bucharest, Romania towards the Roman Square
hd00:43Trav shot of buildings in the Old City in Bucharest with skyscraper and opera.
situated
touristic
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Author: SLI
U.S. Department of Homeland Security Re-awards DOMino Cybersecurity Contract to Raytheon
July 11, 2017 SLI
Company to begin protecting government networks against advanced cyber threats The U.S. Department of Homeland Security re-awarded the development, operations and maintenance contract, known as DOMino, to Raytheon. The IDIQ contract has a value of up to $1 billion over five years. Raytheon will be the prime contractor and systems integrator to help safeguard the .gov domain by providing design, development, operations and maintenance services in support of DHS’s National Protection and Programs Directorate. “Raytheon stands ready to help protect the networks of more than 100 federal government departments and…
Case StudyLeave a comment
Software Integrity Platform Securing Internet of Things (IoT) Devices
Dahua deploys Synopsys solutions to build security and quality into its software development lifecycle and supply chain Dahua Technology Co., Ltd. has recently announced its selection of Synopsys to enhance the security of its Internet of Things (IoT) devices and solutions. By implementing Synopsys’ comprehensive portfolio of solutions and services, Dahua strengthens its offerings, building security and quality into their software development lifecycle (SDLC) and supply chain. “We are committed to delivering our global customer base – from residential to enterprise – the highest quality and most secure Internet-connected devices,”…
Highways England to Deploy Open Standards-based CCTV System
ONVIF®, the leading global standardisation initiative for IP-based physical security products, announced that Highways England has adopted an ONVIF-centric open standards approach to video technology for the continued expansion and management of its national highway CCTV and traffic system. The use of an open, standards-based CCTV system allows the national transport organisation to support existing CCTV cameras while providing a pathway for adding new, ONVIF Profile S conformant cameras from a variety of different vendors to the system. Highways England sought a standards-based approach for its CCTV and traffic system,…
Bolstering Efficiency, Service and Next Generation 9-1-1 Readiness Boston Police Selects NICE Solutions
The first police department in the U.S. is now redefining what it means to be a technology leader NICE has recently announced that the Boston Police Department (PD) will be deploying the full suite of NICE Inform solutions for quality assurance, multimedia incident reconstruction, and IP telephony and radio recording. The solutions will be deployed at three sites including its primary and backup 9-1-1 centers. The new technology will also support Boston’s EMS dispatch operations, which is co-located with the Police 9-1-1 center. The NICE solutions anchor on other technology…
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NBA Coaches Are Idiots
by Lang Whitaker February 02, 2007
by Lang Whitaker
Really, that’s the only way I can figure to explain it. Did you see some of the guys who made the All-Star teams? Did you see some of the guys who didn’t make the All-Star teams?
I’ve got a ton of questions about all this…
What are the qualifications needed to be an All-Star? Are we going by your team’s record? Is that why Rip Hamilton made the team?
If record is paramount, how does the team with the best record in the NBA get 1 player on the team, while the team behind them in the standings get 3 players?
How does the leading NBA’s leading scorer not make the team? Do all those Western coaches really want to get Melo fired up?
As TNT’s David Aldridge said: “I don’t know what Carmelo Anthony has to do to make an All-Star team, I think it’s a travesty. He should have made the team ahead of Allen Iverson because both of them missed significant periods of time this season. Iverson scored a lot of points for his team in Philadelphia and they lost, Carmelo scored a lot of points for his team in Denver and for the most part they won. They haven’t really played together all that much, so if you’re going to judge them individually, and I love AI, I think you have to say Carmelo’s season has been more successful than Allen’s.”
My biggest question: How the hell did Joe Johnson not make the All-Star team? Seriously, how the hell did Vince Carter make the team over Joe Johnson? If anyone can explain that to me using logic and facts, I’m listening.
I read the other day that Lawrence Frank was going to call the other coaches around the East to stump for his Nets. Well, I don’t know what he promised them — maybe he swore he wouldn’t defend last second inbounds plays? — but it worked.
The coaches know the Nets are 22-24, right? So they get two guys on the team? Kidd deserves it, if only for the off chance that Joumana shows up in Vegas. But Vince? Vince?
“I think a guy like Joe Johnson, he’s an all-star,” Chauncey Billups told reporters in Detroit. “I think he’s one of the best guards in the conference, and he didn’t get in. But I think he’s an All-Star.”
Chauncey’s right.
Jermaine O’Neal? Averaging the fewest points per game since 2002.
Rip Hamilton? Statistically he’s having his best season ever and the Pistons are the best team in their Division, so it’s hard to find fault there.
Marc Stein is all testy about Michael Redd not making it, and Redd should have made it, but I’m assuming the coaches didn’t vote for him because they know he couldn’t play in the game anyway.
No Bulls players?
No Josh Howard? No Emeka Okafor? What’s going on?
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Follow @slashfilm
Posted on Thursday, July 18th, 2019 by Hoai-Tran Bui
Don’t blink. Don’t even blink. Blink, and you’re dead. At least, you’ll be dead in the video game Doctor Who: The Edge of Time, the upcoming virtual-reality game based on the long-running BBC sci-fi series. And okay, you can probably blink (there isn’t a VR technology quite advanced enough to detect blinking yet), but you will still have to follow the Doctor’s other instructions: Don’t turn your back and don’t look away. Because if you do, you could actually lose this game.
As opposed to the other Doctor Who VR adventure that we covered earlier this year, Doctor Who: The Runaway, Doctor Who: The Edge of Time is a proper VR video game that will be coming to various VR-capable consoles this fall. /Film got to play a demo of The Edge of Time at San Diego Comic-Con, and we almost got exterminated in the process.
‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ Tests Audiences’ Patience with “Heroic,” A Hospital-Set Bottle Episode
Posted on Thursday, July 18th, 2019 by Caroline Cao
After The Handmaid’s Tale‘s arguably most scattered and exasperating episode in last week’s “Unfit,” “Heroic” is straightforward with tracing its narrative goals while also testing its audience’s patience. “Heroic” opens on boredom and the tune of “Heaven is a Place on Earth.” After the shopping incident, June (Elisabeth Moss) is forced to keep vigil for a comatose Ofmatthew/Natalie (Ashleigh LaThrop) for weeks, maybe a few months on end – “until there’s a baby,” according to Aunt Lydia (Ann Dowd).
Lydia has essentially condemned June to a dull clinical whitescaped purgatory to cleanse June of her sin. Time lapses reveal more bodies coming and going to occupy the white space around the stiffly poised June and Natalie’s body, whether it’s the Wives praying over Natalie’s womb or the Handmaids forced to pray for the baby inside it. As Gilead souls pass in or out of the hospital room, June’s mental state deteriorates under the stagnancy of events and the coma patient’s repetitious heart monitor. Read More »
‘Terminator: Dark Fate’ Featurette: James Cameron Says It’s Grim, Gritty, Fast and Intense
Posted on Thursday, July 18th, 2019 by Ethan Anderton
Terminator 2: Judgment Day seemed like it had a happy ending. Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) and John Connor (Edward Furlong) destroyed the materials that would have led to Cyberdyne creating a Terminator and eventually the artificial intelligence military system known as Skynet. But apparently changing the future will have drastic consequences, and a new Terminator: Dark Fate featurette shows Deadpool director Tim Miller is trying to bring the spirit of the first two Terminator movies to this sequel. But can he do it? Read More »
Netflix Lost a Huge Number of Customers, But It Won’t Resort to Putting Ads on the Streaming Service
Posted on Thursday, July 18th, 2019 by Chris Evangelista
Netflix isn’t exactly known for their frugality, but they might want to consider squirreling away some cash going forward. According to a new report, the streaming service is losing customers – which means they’re losing money, too. Netflix blamed the drop on both their current content slate (ouch) and their recent price hike, but they’re also committed to remaining ad free. So that’s good, I guess.
‘Conan’ Gets a ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’ Makeover for This Week’s ConanCon Episodes
Conan O’Brien is back at Comic-Con this week with a whole line-up of new episodes featuring special guests who are over at the big pop culture convention in San Diego. And to mark the occasion, Conan got a whole new animated opening last night created in the style of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. You might be surprised where Conan O’Brien got his super powers. Read More »
‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’ Clip: Kurt Russell Does Not Dig Brad Pitt
The first Once Upon a Time in Hollywood clip just popped up online, featuring a stuttering Leonardo DiCaprio, a too cool for school Brad Pitt, and a flustered Kurt Russell. The striking thing here is how relatively low-key this clip is compared to the energetic trailers we’ve seen so far. Perhaps Sony wants to save all the wild stuff for the movie itself. Watch the clip from Quentin Tarantino‘s latest below.
Get a Peek at ‘Rick and Morty’ Season 4, Which Has Taika Waititi, Sam Neill, and More As Guest Stars
Rick and Morty is coming back in a big way this fall. Not only are we finally getting the highly anticipated fourth season of Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon‘s Adult Swim series, but this is the first season that’s part of the massive deal that the duo struck with Adult Swim to produce 70 more episodes of Rick and Morty, giving them security and confidence to push through each season and move right on to the next without worrying if they are going to get renewed or not.
Leading up to their forthcoming Comic-Con panel this week, Roiland and Harmon sat down to tease the upcoming forth season. While they’re keeping details pretty close to the vest, they did mention a few guest stars who will be popping up, and they also teased the return of a fan favorite character, though they lamented that just by teasing it they may already be creating anticipating that ends up disappointing fans. Man, these guys are always worried about something. Read More »
‘Cats’ Trailer: Stop What You’re Doing and Watch These Digitally Enhanced Cat People
Jennifer Hudson, Taylor Swift, James Corden, Rebel Wilson, Jason Derulo, Idris Elba, Ray Winstone, Ian McKellen, and Judi Dench are all playing cats in Cats, the movie adaptation of the Broadway sensation Cats, which is about cats. While the stage production employs furry costumes for its feline characters, this new film from Tom Hooper uses digital enhancements to turn its actors into kitties. You can decide for yourself if this is a good or bad idea by watching the first Cats trailer below.
‘Batman Beyond’ is Finally Getting a Remastered Blu-ray Release This October [Comic-Con 2019]
When Batman Beyond debuted on Kids’ WB in 1999, it shattered expectations for what a sequel series to the classic, critically acclaimed Batman: The Animated Series would be like. A dark, weird cyberpunk continuation to the landmark animated noir series, Batman Beyond became a beloved classic in its own right that was both a radical departure from the storied history of the Caped Crusader while feeling like a loving homage.
“While we wanted to keep the familiar elements…we wanted [Batman Beyond] to feel fresh,” co-creator Bruce Timm said at the show’s San Diego Comic-Con panel on Thursday. But it’s been 20 years since Batman Beyond first premiered, and the series doesn’t feel quite as fresh as it used to. However, that will soon be remedied with the release of a long-anticipated remastered Blu-ray complete series set arriving this October. How…schway.
Listen: Official ‘Stranger Things’ Podcast Goes Behind the Scenes of Starcourt Mall
You’ve binge-watched all of the third season of Stranger Things and you don’t know what to do next. Well, Netflix can at least keep you occupied for a little while longer with a new podcast that dives into the making of the hit show’s latest season, and the first episode is already available.
The Stranger Things podcast kicks off with an episode dedicated to the creation of Starcourt Mall. Speaking with Matt & Ross Duffer, as well as many of the show’s key crew members, you’ll learn how the mall wasn’t just used as another way to tap into the nostalgia of the 1980s. In fact, Starcourt Mall allowed them to skirt around some potential logistical issues as the scope of the series (and the monsters attacking Hawkins) grew even bigger. Listen to the Stranger Things podcast below. Read More »
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