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Gdzie kończy się literatura? Głos Pana i Golem XIV — Stanisława Lema „resztki (po) powieści”
Dariusz Brzostek ORCiD: 0000-0001-8094-5159
Where the literature ends? His Master’s Voice and Golem XIV — Stanisław Lem’s “relics of a novel”
The paper discusses the literary works of Polish science fiction writer — Stanisław Lem, particulary two of his late novels: His Master’s Voice (1968) and Golem XIV (1981). The essay focuses on the relics of a novel in these non-narrative works, including the lectures of an artificial intelligence (Golem XIV) and scientific essays on the first contact between humans and alien life form (His Master’s Voice). A subject of the paper is the psychoanalysis of the creative process and the reading of the relics of a novel such as a description (as a pattern of development) or a found-manuscript device in terms of Lacanian theory of the symptom and the theory of jouissance of the speaking subject (parlêtre).
Dariusz Brzostek
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Credit unions complain Noonan has only named outsiders to new agency
Credit unions have complained that a body set up to advice the Minister for Finance does not contain anyone from the sector.
Instead, it contains an accountant whose practice makes money out of credit unions, an academic and a teacher-trade union official.
Credit unions have also complained that the Credit Union Advisory Committee has been limited to just three people.
This body advises Finance Minister Michael Noonan on how credit unions are managed and how best to protect the interests of the three million members of the lenders.
Mr Noonan announced recently that he had appointed a partner in Grant Thornton, Denise O’Connell, to the advisory committee.
Donal McKillop of Queens University, Belfast, was also appointed. Professor McKillop chaired a commission into credit unions for the Government.
A former senator and one-time general secretary of the INTO teachers’ union, Joe O’Toole, is the third person on the advisory committee. He is a former president of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions.
Mr O’Toole was on the McKillop Credit Union Commission and has had a long-standing involvement with the movement.
But a body that represents those who monitor the activities of credit union boards has taken issue with the composition of the advisory committee.
The National Supervisors Forum for Credit Unions has written to Michael Noonan saying that previous members of the advisory committee had direct involvement in the credit union movement.
Chairman of the National Supervisors Forum Joe Mulvey said: “The Minister has appointed a committee of just three people and has neglected to appoint anyone from any of the various representative bodies.”
He said his forum, which held its annual meeting in Galway at the weekend, was the second largest body for credit unions in the State.
He said that in announcing the new committee of three Mr Noonan has effectively removed any representative of the credit union movement from what is a statutory committee set up to advise him.
“The previous committee, which had among its number people with experience in the credit union sector, both as volunteers and professional employees, has been discarded.
“It is rather strange, or is it, that the new committee of three, contains among its small number an academic who has studied and written about credit unions and a person who earns her daily bread from contracting to credit unions.”
A letter sent on behalf of Minister Noonan to Mr Mulvey defends the appointments to the advisory committee.
“The Minister has asked me to say that he is satisfied that each appointed member to the CUAC (Credit Union Advisory Committee) has vast experience and knowledge of credit union matters and will make a valuable contribution towards dealing with the challenges facing the sector at this important time for the Irish credit union movement,” the letter from the minister’s secretary states.
The letter points out that every member of the advisory committee is chosen by the Minister for Finance, who appointed them for three years.
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Back Results list
Research Methods for Complexity Theory in Applied Linguistics Author: Phil Hiver, Ali H. Al-Hoorie
Paperback - 272 pages
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This book provides practical guidance on research methods and designs that can be applied to Complex Dynamic Systems Theory (CDST) research. It discusses the contribution of CDST to the field of applied linguistics, examines what this perspective entails for research and introduces practical methods and templates, both qualitative and quantitative, for how applied linguistics researchers can design and conduct research using the CDST framework. Introduced in the book are methods ranging from those in widespread use in social complexity, to more familiar methods in use throughout applied linguistics. All are inherently suited to studying both dynamic change in context and interconnectedness. This accessible introduction to CDST research will equip readers with the knowledge to ensure compatibility between empirical research designs and the theoretical tenets of complexity. It will be of value to researchers working in the areas of applied linguistics, language pedagogy and educational linguistics and to scholars and professionals with an interest in second/foreign language acquisition and complexity theory.
A harmonious blend of theory and method, Hiver and Al-Hoorie provide researchers in applied linguistics not only with a rationale but the tools to fully (and finally!) embrace CDST. I expect this book will become a landmark publication for the field.
- Luke Plonsky, Northern Arizona University, USA
Phil Hiver is Assistant Professor at Florida State University, USA. His research interests include instructed language learning and the role of psycho-social factors in second language teaching and learning. He is the co-editor (with Sarah Mercer and Ali H. Al-Hoorie) of Engagement in the Second Language Classroom (Multilingual Matters, forthcoming).
Ali H. Al-Hoorie is an Assistant Professor at the English Language Institute, Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu, Saudi Arabia. He holds an MA in Social Science Data Analysis from the University of Essex, and a PhD in Applied Linguistics supervised by Professors Zoltán Dörnyei and Norbert Schmitt at the University of Nottingham. He is also the co-editor (with Peter D. MacIntyre) of Contemporary Language Motivation Theory (Multilingual Matters, 2020).
Readership Level:
Postgraduate, Research / Professional
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Amer (2009)
Written and Directed by: Hélène Cattet, Bruno Forzani
Starring: Cassandra Forêt, Charlotte Eugène Guibeaud and Marie Bos
Reviewed by: Brett Gallman
It doesn’t take long to figure out what the obvious inspiration for Amer is; the opening shot is an extreme close-up of an eyeball, and it’s accompanied by this frantic score that feels like a lost Goblin B-side. French directors Hélène Cattet and Bruno Forzani have clearly seen a lot of giallo films (plus Suspiria), and have crafted Amer as both a bizarre tribute and take off of their style, which has been co-opted into an alluring character study. This is a film that resists a typical narrative structure--it’s highly elliptical and experimental, and often feels like three short films presented as an anthology, with the overarching style and sexual repression uniting them.
We follow Ana through three phases of her life, beginning with her days as a young girl, where she lived with her mother. This particular episode finds her trampling around her big, spooky house that’s also home to some other mysterious tenants (one of which is an older man who likes to peep in on her). The second segment has her grown into a teenager and involves a day spent with her mother out on the town, where she encounters both a young boy and a leering motorcycle gang. Finally, as an adult, Ana returns to her childhood home, only to be stalked by a homicidal maniac--maybe.
One of the bigger calling cards of the films that inspired Amer (especially Suspiria) is their eschewing of traditional plotting--there’s always some weird reason that information gets withheld (such as when we can’t hear a conversation--Amer has an instance of this early), or the story takes on a dreamlike, fractured form that keeps things off-kilter. Amer is very much like that--after seeing it, I took to Twitter, where J. Hurtado of Twitchfilm called it an “impressionist horror film,” which is the perfect description. Like its predecessors,it embraces evocative lighting and camera work to create a distinct feeling of dread and tension; it’s almost impossibly stylish from the start, and, as an exercise in pure film grammar, it’s incredible. Some sequences are jaw-dropping not only in the way they perfectly evoke the films of Argento and Bava, but also in their intensity. The film is practically without dialogue, but the amount of atmospheric tension is remarkable; you can often hear a pin drop, and you’re almost always waiting for that to happen.
I suppose the biggest problem is that you do have to wait around for that dropping pin to reveal itself. The film’s structure doesn’t lend itself to instant gratification in the least, and it really draws itself out before you begin to pick up the threads of psychosexual trauma. You catch glimpses of in the early section, where we see that the little girl is being spied upon through a keyhole; she eventually begins to investigate the corpse of an old man resting in a coffin before seeing her mother being railed violently by some guy, an act that seemingly scars her for life, leaving her bitter (as the title suggests) towards men. As she grows older, she’s always wary of the wind lifting up her skirt, and she can feel the eyes of both the little boy and the lascivious motorcycle gang undressing her as a teenager; when she’s an adult, she even imagines that her cab driver has cruel intentions for her. So it’s not wonder that she might just imagine being stalked in her own home; I think the other obvious reference point here is Repulsion. The final act is pure Polanski--suffocating, claustrophobic, frantic, and terrifying; however, when combined with the first two sequences, it feels like a broader version of that story--imagine if we’d followed Catherine Deneuve’s character from childhood, and you’ve got a good idea.
Of course, it’s hardly a fleshed out portrait, given that we spend about 30 minutes with each iteration of Ana; the structure will probably throw many for a loop, and restlessness might especially settle in during the middle section. Unlike the two bookends, it’s a little flat and drops the horror aesthetic altogether, but the camerawork still manages to highlight the seemingly predatory nature of all the men in Ana’s life. There’s a lot of close-ups on mouths that will recall the sleazy perversity of a lot of those old gialli; it’s sort of interesting how the directors here invert the gaze a bit. Their lens sometimes leers at Ana, but it more often seems to indict the characters leering at her. Those 70s films always carried a sense of casual misogyny that’s still fuelling Amer in a sense--only, this time, it’s refracted back and channeled into a distinct distrust of men. On a meta-fictional level, Amer works as a nice commentary on the women that were always in this sort of thing--often sexpots, sometimes the victim, sometimes the hysterical aggressors; Ana is all three of these, driven mad by sexual repression.
Amer is a keen film; it’s certainly relying on viewers’ familiarity with gialli, and it’d be a perfect one itself it actually, you know, had murders. Just about everything else shows up, though: black gloves, switchblades, perverts, childhood trauma, etc. Just about the only thing missing are inexplicable transsexuals. Fortunately, it’s not just some empty nostalgia trip; the bookends especially are drenched in their style (each are basically updates of haunted house thrillers and Euro-slashers, respectively), but they’re skillful recreations. The opening segment is a particularly masterful combination of James Joyce and Argento, as one gathers that this is Ana’s first, impressionable brush with both death and sex; we see her have a Joyce-like epiphany among a nightmarish display of light and sound that’s haunting and beautiful.
So, no, Amer isn’t a modern giallo--but it might as well be. Few modern horror films have been able to effectively evoke old styles and move forward in the manner it does--there’s no denying its cannibalization, but there’s also no denying its ability to make a new stew. One of the more compelling slice of life horror films in recent memory, Amer goes straight to the core of what the genre can be at its best: striking, garish, intense, visceral, and purely atmospheric. It was a festival darling for over a year, but now it’s finally come home on DVD and Blu-ray thanks to Olive Films; I sampled the standard def offering, which was fine--the transfer was detailed, clear, and vibrant, but the soundtrack was remarkable, as it spit sounds all around the room for an immersive experience. I imagine the Blu-ray would be a thrilling audio-visual experience. That’s what this one is, in a nutshell--an experience that’ll dig into your brain and stay there for a few days. Honestly, it felt like a one and done experience immediately after watching it, but, after chewing it over, I see a revisit for this one in the future. Buy it!
Average members rating (out of 10) : Not yet rated
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Sketch Model: Creative Residency
Summer Fellowship
Summer Studio
SKETCH MODEL: Olin College Creative Residency
Call for Applications: 2019-20
Olin College of Engineering is seeking applicants for its creative residency program, an initiative that’s part of Sketch Model, supported by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to bring artists and other creative practitioners to Olin’s campus to awaken the political and cultural contexts for technology. We’re seeking individuals or collectives whose work is significantly housed in the arts and humanities and whose interests might intersect in provocative and convivial ways with a small undergraduate college where all students major in engineering. The residency is a one-year opportunity for creative practitioners to carry out independent projects, collaborative engagement with students and faculty, and campus-wide events. Practitioners can come from the fine arts, design and architecture, craft, music, theatrical or dance performance, film, writing, new media, and the many hybrid forms of socially engaged and durational practices in contemporary global culture. Women and historically underrepresented communities are especially encouraged to apply. We’re calling for applications for our 2019-20 academic year. Deadline for applications is December 1 at midnight.
Olin College was established to re-invent engineering education. We welcomed our first class of students in 2002. A small-scale “lab school” with a large impact, Olin is an innovative leader in transformative higher education, welcoming weekly visitors to its campus from all over the world—thus far, over 800 visits from 55 countries since the school was founded. Our curriculum emphasizes human-centered design, real-world collaborations, and co-constructed pedagogies that partner students with faculty for authentic learning. Our presence in the Boston area connects our work to likeminded leaders in higher education, including a formal and active partnership with Wellesley and Babson Colleges. Olin operates free of departments, tenure structure, and traditional disciplinary divisions, and our tiny scale allows for an unusual amount of freedom and genuine community for its 350 undergraduates.
While the majority of our faculty come from fields of engineering and the sciences, our faculty also include scholars with expertise in anthropology, history, psychology, the fine arts, musical performance, design, and more. All students at Olin major in engineering, and they all take a minimum of 28 credit hours in the Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences (AHS). Our AHS faculty create innovative, project-based, hands-on curricular experiences for our students that pose big questions; their courses are unlikely to be found in a course catalog anywhere else. But our community is hungry for additional and new engagements in the arts and humanities, and in summer 2017, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation awarded Olin with a grant to fund three initiatives: hosting creative residents on campus, sending our students as summer interns to arts organizations nation-wide, and inviting arts and humanities scholars to campus to workshop their own STEM-arts curricula for their home institutions.
We call our residency program an opportunity for “Creatives-in-Reference”—a variation on the traditional residency model, one in which we imagine a resident with a more community-facing role. Where traditional residencies often emphasize individually driven, private practice, we’re interested in practitioners who can propose a project(s) that would be inherently social and collaborative: a figure who would be more available “in reference” than a lone creative. (See more information on the role in the Q & A below.)
Funding and Provisions:
The stipend for the year is $75,000. The creative will also have a $10,000 budget for events on campus. If desired, creatives will have access to all fabrication facilities: wood and metal shops, CNC machines, 3D printers, materials science labs, biology wet labs, sewing machines, screen printing tools, and more. Our campus was built in 2001 and is fully and meaningfully ADA compliant. Reach out with other questions you might have about access needs.
Requirements for application:
Submit your application, including links to work, CV, three references (contact info only, no letters), and answers to three essay questions we’ve provided (and listed below).
Using no more than 2000 words, divided as you like:
How might you use a residency year at Olin? Show us the topics, themes, and possible artifacts or events or performances in a project you could pursue. We know these experiences would need to be crafted and emergent in real time! But give us an idea for a proposal that would look like a successful engagement. What might it look like, a prototype that’s being hatched? We know you have to squint a little to see the promise of an idea, but give us the contours, the questions, the energy of the possible in drawings, 3D models, narrative, video, or something else that makes sense for you.
How do you imagine the “in-reference” aspect of the work in your proposed project? This experience would simultaneously be for your independent work and for collaborations in the community. “In-reference” could mean lots of things, depending on the actors involved. How might you shape the definition of the role, when you consider both your own work in the future and the possible futures for engineering education?
What does the experience of your residency look like for a student? You might consider the experiences that you either did or did not have as a creative person in training: what worked and what didn’t? How might you sculpt conditions so that students have a point of entry to your work, and so that students have a way to ask themselves what might be a new path for their future in engineering?
Q and A:
Early, mid-, and late-career practitioners and/or scholars in the arts or humanities who have an interest in a significant collaborative project that will engage some aspect of engineering and/or engineering education. Collectives are also eligible to apply. International applicants are welcome. You do not have to be full time on this project, but the engagement on campus would need to be significant (see next question).
Do I have to move to Boston?
You don’t. We’re committed to making the residency accessible and attainable for people who have other life and work commitments. We imagine this to be a full-time position with some time on campus and some time off campus. The exact arrangement can be customized to a resident’s project and life situation. Please note that housing is not provided.
Would I have space to work?
Yes. We’ll work with you to create the kind of space(s) you need to get the work done. You would also have access to a desk and printer, etc., for office needs.
What’s the timeline for the process?
The Call for Applications closes at midnight on December 1. We’ll conduct phone interviews with finalists in December and January, and we’ll have a decision near the end of January, 2019. The official start date for the residency would be August 15, 2019—roughly two weeks before the first day of classes.
We’re looking for individuals or collectives who have a point of view about the work of technology in culture: where technology lives in the world, how its meanings are defined, who its goods are for, etc. We want to see ideas for lively engagement with engineering students in classrooms, whether those engagements intersect with hardware (mechanical or electrical engineering), software (computer science), bioengineering, other applied sciences, design at all scales, or related ideas. Olin has engineering specialties in robotics, sustainable systems, adaptive and assistive technologies, UI/UX design, and much more. And we’re interested in learning new paths for integrating technical education with artistic/humanistic practices. Even if you’re at the beginning stages of a new idea that would mix engineering and the arts or humanities, we’d love to hear from you! Women and underrepresented groups are especially encouraged to apply.
Is this just another arts-plus-sciences experience?
We want this residency to be different. We’ve seen plenty of interdisciplinary collaborations between artists and scientists that are complementary models for learning—experimental and aesthetic collaborations that produce beautiful artifacts but, in the end, perhaps little else. We’re hoping to see the residency engage engineers as whole people: as makers of technical and cultural objects or systems; as civic actors with many stakeholders in their work; as developing individuals who seek professional pathways they’ve not yet imagined. Bring us your ideas for projects that include events, encounters, immersive experiences, invited guests, and more.
Why not “Artist in Residence”? What would the experience look like as a “Creative- in-Reference”?
As a Creative-in-Reference, you would have two homes. Inside the curriculum, your home would be in course collaboration: one in the fall semester and one in the spring, one project within a class that will be taught by Olin faculty. (See our course catalog here, but also note that we offer many experimental “special topics” courses every semester!) Experienced practitioner-educators may also propose their own special-offering courses, if they wish to.
Inside the broader institution, your home would be in our unusual Library. The Olin Library is partly designed as a quiet space for contemplative work, but predominantly as an open space for fabrication and collaborative work. We house the weekly “Stay Late And Create” (SLAC) student organization that sponsors late-night creative activity. Our Library is a hub for our community, and we want you at the heart of it. Based in the Library, Creatives-in-Reference would maintain a porous practice, pursuing personal projects in a fashion that welcomes community engagement and exchange. The Library would be a place where faculty, staff, and students may seek you out, while others may serendipitously find you for the first time.
In the Library, we would create a studio for you: a space for you to work, solo if desired, but also to work with others. In your time at Olin, we hope the Library may become a space that reflects you as a whole person. Your willingness to share habits of mind, your side projects, your triumphs and doubts, and your perspectives will be as meaningful as the technicalities of your practice.
Do I have to “speak engineering”?
You don’t! The “in-Reference” nature of our residency is framed as a social role that assumes residents will be interested in actively learning from the community if they’re new to the disciplines. A beginner’s mindset is very welcome here. We learn by doing, together. Our community openly operates with these values.
Would I have a say in which courses I would participate in?
Mellon PI Sara Hendren, Co-PI Benjamin Linder, and Senior Personnel Debbie Chachra and Jonathan Adler will facilitate introductions among the future resident(s) and Olin faculty in spring 2019, to align interests and scope for the work. You’ll certainly have a say in your placement; we imagine this as an all-parties matchmaking process.
What if I have more questions?
We’re sure you have them! Please, don’t hesitate to write to us at sketchmodel@olin.edu. We’d be happy to help you determine if pursuing a full application makes sense based on your specific circumstances and aspirations.
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ICC-Cricinfo wrong with the record of Mosaddek!
May 18, 2010, 18:15 | Update: 18 May, 019, 18: 18 In the series of tri-series, Bangladesh's most successful hero, Mosaddek Hossain, scored a half-century of 23. The game is an image of the live broadcast time. Photo: Collected
Bangladesh has won the first ever title of any of the bilateral series. On 1 st May 1998, India came to Hyderabad to win the first one-dayer. 21 years later, on 17 May, Bangladesh got their first title. Young all-rounder Mosaddek Hossain Saikat has made a great contribution to the team's success. Bangladesh's cricket enthusiasts are delighted with his extraordinary success.
But Mosaddek has come to the discussion for another reason. He made a half-century in 23 balls. But important news media such as ESPNcricinfo and Cricbuzz have published a wrong report. Even the ICC website has published the news that this Bangladeshi all-rounder or half-century in the 20th
Although, in the video of the match, Mossadek shows that he did not score 20, he scored half century. He scored an unbeaten 52 off 24 balls with two fours and five sixes.
Mosaddek Hossain Saakt has scored half a century in the news of ESPN Cricinfo. Photo: Collected
But if the Half-Century was 20, Mossadek could have made a fast haul for Bangladesh in one-day internationals. The former captain Mohammad Ashraful and Abdur Razzak could also get out.
Ashraful scored a half century in 21 against England at Trent Bridge in Nottingham in 2005. In 2013, Razzak made a half century in Bulawayo, 21 against Zimbabwe. Mosaddek exited these two.
Bangladesh are unbeaten champions in the tri-series one-day series. Mashrafeera lost to West Indies by five wickets in the final of the tournament. Apart from Mosaddek, opener Soumya Sarkar also contributed to the team's victory. Soumya scored 66 runs from nine fours and three sixes in 41 balls.
ICC World Cup 2019: Rahul Dravid Praises Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni big match players | Dravid said: "Kohli learns something on every tour, Dhoni is a big match player
Copa América Brazilian team 'banned' Neymar!
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More June 26 articles & pheeds
June 26 is the 177th day of the year (178th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 188 days remaining.
684 - Benedict II becomes Pope.
1483 - Richard III becomes king of England.
1819 - The bicycle is patented.
1923 - First race of the 24 hours of Le Mans
1924 - American occupying forces leave the Dominican Republic.
1945 - The charter of the United Nations is signed.
1948 - The Western allies start an air lift to Berlin after the Soviet Union has blockaded West Berlin.
1963 - John F. Kennedy speaks the famous words "Ich bin ein Berliner".
1964 - The Beatles release the album A Hard Day's Night.
1977 - Last concert of Elvis Presley.
1979 - Muhammad Ali retires.
1997 - The U.S. Supreme Court rules that the Communications Decency Act violates the First Amendment.
This is the yearly activation day of the 1.3 variant of the CIH Virus.
1653 - Cardinal Andr�-Hercule de Fleury, Bishop of Fr�jus, chief minister of France under Louis XV
1824 - Lord Kelvin, physicist, inventor of the Kelvin scale (+ 1907)
1854 - Robert Laird Borden, eighth Prime Minister of Canada
1892 - Pearl S. Buck, writer, recipient of the Nobel Prize in literature 1938 (+ 1973)
1898 - Willy Messerschmidt, aircraft designer (+ 1978)
1899 - Maria Nikolaevna Romanova, daughter of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia (+ 1918)
1904 - Peter Lorre, actor (+ 1964)
1909 - Colonel Tom Parker, Elvis Presley's manager (+ 1997)
1912 - Jay Silverheels, actor (+ 1980)
1919 - Richard Neustadt, political historian
1925 - Pavel Belyayev, cosmonaut (+ 1970)
1933 - Claudio Abbado, conductor
1936 - Robert Maclennan, British politician
1943 - Klaus von Klitzing, physicist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in physics 1985
1948 - D. Russel Micnhimer, writer Bubblonia
1956 - Chris Isaak, popsinger
1961 - Greg Lemond, cyclist
1970 - Chris O'Donell, actor
363 - Julian, Roman Emperor (killed in battle)
1541 - Francisco Pizarro, conqueror of Peru (murder)
1922 - Albert I of Monaco
1947 - Richard Bedford Bennett, eleventh Prime Minister of Canada
1968 - Tony Hancock, comedian
1993 - William H. Riker, political scientist
1997 - Israel Kamakawiwo'ole, singer
2003 - Sir Denis Thatcher Bt, husband to Baroness Thatcher, former UK Prime Minister
2003 - Strom Thurmond, former US Senator
2003 - Marc-Vivien Foe, Cameroonian footballerer
The United Nations' Day in Support of Victims of Torture.
June 25 - June 27 - May 26 - July 26 -- listing of all days
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Pilots For 9/11 Truth Forum > General > Latest News
Pentagon Survivor April Gallop Suing Rummy/cheney
Group: Active Forum Pilot
[quote]A career Army officer who survived the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, claims that no evacuation was ordered inside the Pentagon, despite flight controllers calling in warnings of approaching hijacked aircraft nearly 20 minutes before the building was struck.
According to a timeline of the attacks, the Federal Aviation Administration notified NORAD that American Airlines Flight 77 had been hijacked at 9:24 a.m. The Pentagon was not struck until 9:43 a.m.
On behalf of retired Army officer April Gallop, California attorney William Veale has filed a civil suit against former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, Vice President Dick Cheney and former US Air Force General Richard Myers, who was acting chairman of the joint chiefs on 9/11. It alleges they engaged in conspiracy to facilitate the terrorist attacks by not warning those inside the Pentagon, contributing to injuries she and her two-month-old son incurred.
"The ex-G.I. plaintiff alleges she has been denied government support since then, because she raised 'painful questions' about the inexplicable failure of military defenses at the Pentagon that day, and especially the failure of officials to warn and evacuate the occupants of the building when they knew the attack was imminent" said Veale in a media advisory.
Gallop also says she heard two loud explosions, and does not believe that a Boeing 757 hit the building. Her son sustained a serious brain injury, and Gallop herself was knocked unconscious after the roof collapsed onto her office.
The suit also named additional, unknown persons who had foreknowledge of the attacks.
"What they don't want is for this to go into discovery," said Gallop's attorney, Mr. Veale, speaking to RAW STORY. "If we can make it past their initial motion to dismiss these claims, and we get the power of subpoena, then we've got a real shot at getting to the bottom of this. We've got the law on our side."
The lawsuit's full text follows.
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK ___
APRIL GALLOP, for Herself and as Mother and Next Friend of ELISHA GALLOP, a Minor, No. _____________
Plaintiff, Jury Trial Demanded
DICK CHENEY, Vice President of the U.S.A., DONALD RUMSFELD, former U.S. Secretary of Defense, General RICHARD MYERS, U.S.A.F. (Ret.), and John Does Nos. 1– X, all in their individual capacities, Defendants.
COMPLAINT FOR VIOLATION OF CIVIL RIGHTS, CONSPIRACY, AND OTHER WRONGS
1. This case arises from the infamous Attack on America of Sept 11, 2001, and especially on the Pentagon; and is premised on an allegation of broad complicity in the attack on the part of key U.S. Government officials, beginning with and led from the top by Vice President Dick Cheney, then-Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, and Richard Myers, then acting Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The plaintiffs allege that these and other government officials, whose identities will be ascertained from their proven or evident relevant roles and activities, and who are named herein as 'John Doe' defendants, together with other known and unknown operatives and functionaries, official and otherwise, engaged in an unlawful conspiracy, or a set of related, ongoing conspiracies, in which the concrete objective was to facilitate and enable the hijacking of the airliners, and their use as living bombs to attack buildings containing thousands of innocent victims; and then to cover up the truth about what they had done.
2. The defendants' purpose in aiding and facilitating the attack, and the overall object of the conspirac(ies), was to bring about an unprecedented, horrifying and frightening catastrophe of terrorism inside the United States, which would give rise to a powerful reaction of fear and anger in the public, and in Washington. This would generate a political atmosphere of acceptance in which the new Administration could enact and implement radical changes in the policy and practice of constitutional government in our country. Much of their intention was spelled out prior to their coming into office, in publications of the so-called Project for the New American Century, of which defendants Cheney and Rumsfeld were major sponsors. There they set forth specific objectives regarding the projection of U.S. military power abroad, particularly in Iraq, the Persian Gulf, and other oil-producing areas. They observed, however, that the American people would not likely support the actions the sponsors believed were necessary, without being shocked into a new outlook by something cataclysmic: “a new Pearl Harbor”. By helping the attack succeed, defendants and their cohorts created a basis for the seizure of extraordinary power, and a pretext for launching the so-called Global War on Terror, in the guise of which they were free to pursue plans for military conquest, “full spectrum dominance” and “American primacy” around the world; as they have done.
3. In pursuit of the goals of the conspiracy, the named and unnamed defendants knowingly and by agreement committed a series of acts and omissions which were aimed at and did generally accomplish the following objectives:
+ To permit the men they later identified as the hijackers and any immediate accomplices to enter and remain in the country, and carry out the activities, movements and communications needed in their preparations for the hijacking, free from interference by police or counter-terrorist authorities; and then allow the groups of these men to book passage, all on the same day, and board the flights;
+ To cause normal operation of the regular off-course airline flight interception practice of the US Air Force, in cooperation with civil flight control authorities, to be altered, suspended or disrupted in such a way as to remove its protections, at least on that day, and thus permit three of the four apparently hijacked planes to reach their targets and crash into them (or appear to do so...);1
+ To cause the normal operation of ground and air defenses which guard the Pentagon from external attack to be altered, suspended or disrupted in such a way as to remove or negate the building's normal protections, and thus permit an airliner, believed to be hijacked by possible suicide bombers, and following a forbidden, descending flight path, to reach the Pentagon undeterred;
+ To cause and arrange for high explosive charges to be detonated inside the Pentagon, and/or a missile of some sort to be fired at the building, at or about the time the wayward airliner supposedly arrived there, to give the false impression that hijackers had crashed the plane into the building, as had apparently happened in New York;
+ To arrange, thereafter, and fabricate, propound and defend, as part of the conspiracy, an elaborate, highly complex and sophisticated cover-up, centering around the Report of the 9/11 Commission, and continuing to this day. To this end, defendants misappropriated the highest authority of government to block, misdirect and otherwise evade any fair, independent investigation of the evidence, and officially if implausibly explain away the evident wholesale failure of America's defenses with misinformation, omissions and distortions, withheld and destroyed evidence, and outright lies.
4. In the attack on the Pentagon, in particular, plaintiff avers that the official story, that a hijacked plane crashed into the Pentagon and exploded (causing the plaintiff’s injuries), is false. In fact, the bombing was accomplished another way, so as to limit the damage, protect the defendants, and only make it appear that a plane had been crashed into the building. This claim is supported by data from the plane’s supposed “black box”, released by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which indicate the plane passed over the building at very low altitude, just as an explosion and fireball were engineered by other means, a planted bomb or bombs and/or a missile. This is supported by the lack of any photographic evidence of a wrecked airliner at the Pentagon, compounded by the record of reported refusal by the U.S. Department of Justice to release some 85 video tapes from surveillance cameras in locations at or near the Pentagon, which it has declared exempt from Freedom of Information Act disclosure.
5. Whatever way the bombing of the Pentagon was accomplished, however, and whatever else may or may not have been done by defendants to facilitate the hijackings that day, it is clear the defendant top commanders would have had and did have, at a profound minimum, enough foreknowledge, on that day and in the intelligence information they received beforehand, to have sounded a warning in time for plaintiff and others to evacuate the building, and thereby avoid much if not all the death and injury which occurred. In the end, more than half an hour passed after flight controllers first sounded the alert on Flight 77, while all concerned were fully aware of the suicide crashes in New York; plenty of time for the Pentagon to be evacuated. ‘Top gun’ jet fighter-interceptors under defendants’ command, available with time to spare, were not summoned; and the people in the building, including plaintiff and her infant, were not
warned. This was the result of unlawful conspiracy among these highest-level commanders, and others, who acted knowingly and intentionally to have the Pentagon attacked or to allow it to be attacked, without warning, with deliberate indifference to and in reckless and callous disregard for the fundamental constitutional and human rights of plaintiff and her child, and many other people, dead, injured and bereaved.
6. Plaintiff April Gallop brings this action for herself and as next friend of her son Elisha Gallop now aged 7, who was a two-month-old baby in her arms on that day, her first back from maternity leave. She was a career member of the US Army, a ranking specialist with top secret clearance, who had served six years, two-and-a-half of them in Germany, before being assigned to the Pentagon in 2000. Her desk was roughly 40 feet from the point where the plane allegedly hit the outside wall. As she sat down to work there was an explosion, then another; walls collapsed and the ceiling fell in. Hit in the head, she was able to grab the baby and make her way towards the daylight showing through a blasted opening in the outside wall. There was no airplane wreckage and no burning airplane fuel anywhere; only rubble and dust.
7. Plaintiff and her baby both suffered substantial head and brain injuries, which seriously affect them still today. Plaintiff charges that, because of the conspiracy alleged herein, she and her child and others were injured by acts of terrorism participated in by defendants. Further, as more fully described within at Pars 57-59, she and her child were and subsequently have been denied fundamental rights — including by acts of retaliation against her for raising painful questions about what occurred — as the cover-up continues.
JURISDICTION & VENUE
8. This Court has jurisdiction of this case, as follows:
a. Under the First, Fourth, Fifth and Ninth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution, as applied to federal officials under the rule of Bivens v Six Unknown Named Agents, 403 U.S. 388 (1971); and 28 USC 1331;
b. Under the federal Common Law — given that the most direct occurrences and mechanisms of plaintiffs’ injuries, no doubt including crucial agreements and other communications among various defendants, took place in the Pentagon, a federal enclave — giving plaintiff a right of action in this Court for conspiracy to commit and facilitate actions likely to cause wrongful death, great bodily injury, terror and other loss to plaintiff and others to whom defendants owed a special duty of care; where, instead, defendants acted with reckless and callous disregard for and deliberate indifference to the likelihood of great harm to plaintiff and others, and deprivation of their rights;
c. Under the Terrorism Acts, 18 U.S.Code 2333(a), for acts of terrorism brought about by actions wholly outside the scope of defendants’ duties, in perversion of their authority, and beyond the bounds or color of any law; and therefore not exempt or immune under the provisions of Sec. 2337, the application of which to exonerate these defendants would be unconstitutional.
9. Venue for the case is set by the special provisions of the Air Transportation Safety Act of September, 2001, 49 U.S.C. 40101, Subsection 408(B)(3), bringing all claims arising from events of 9/11 to this honorable Court .
10. Plaintiff APRIL GALLOP is an American citizen, resident of the State of Virginia, a member until this year of the U.S. Army, stationed at the Pentagon on 9/11, claiming for herself and for her minor child, ELISHA GALLOP, who was just two months old on 9/11/01, and was with her when the building was hit. Plaintiff respectfully petitions the Court to appoint her as guardian ad litem for the purposes of this action and related matters.
11. Defendants are DICK CHENEY, the Vice President of the United States; DONALD RUMSFELD, formerly and at relevant times Secretary of Defense of the U.S.; Gen. RICHARD MYERS, then acting chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; all sued in their individual capacities. Additional named, unknown defendants are other persons who were and are co-actors and co-conspirators in sundry phases of the (terrorist) undertaking complained of herein, whose identities, and some of whose precise places or functions in the plot(s) alleged herein are not yet known or fully known, but who certainly include high-ranking members of the Defense Department, the Military, the C.I.A., the F.B.I. and other agencies. Such persons are named and alleged as co-defendants, designated as John Does Nos.1-X and hereby notified of this action, pro tanto, to be identified for the record and impleaded by plaintiffs as the particulars of both culpable and innocent acts and omissions by everyone involved in these events become known.
12. Existence of a Class. Plaintiff notes that a number of other persons suffered injury and loss in the Pentagon on September 11 as she did, and are similarly situated to her, plainly within the provisions of Rule 23, F.R.Civ P., so that she represents a Class, the members of which evidently are also entitled to recover judgment as sought herein. She does not now assert the Class interest; but, where it appears there could be action by the Court affecting this question, and a class could emerge, she wishes to and does hereby reserve the right, subject to the Court’s approval, to act as lead plaintiff.
13. Limitations. There is no time bar to the claims in this action. The Statute does not run against plaintiff’s child, as a minor, under Virginia law (Va. Code Ann., §8.01-229). As to the plaintiff herself, defendants and their cohorts and agents, by means of elaborate planned and other ad hoc cover stories, public lying, alteration of records, misappropriation of official authority and other nefarious activities, have concealed and continue to conceal, fraudulently, the truth about the attacks and the way they occurred — and their own participation and complicity in the range of acts and omissions needed, in furtherance of conspiracy, to bring them about. Likewise, the original conspiracy to act secretly in furtherance of terrorism, and lie and dissemble afterwards, in order to foment war and vengeance against the supposed perpetrators, has stayed alive and continued to harm the plaintiff, as she will show.
STATEMENT OF FACTS
I. Background: Al Qaeda and the 9/11 Attack
14. As the world knows, four large commercial airliners filled with ordinary passengers were reported hijacked in the northeastern United States the morning of September 11, 2001. Two were evidently crashed into the World Trade Center towers in New York, which later collapsed; a third was said to have hit the Pentagon in Washington DC, and the fourth, supposedly aiming for the White House or the Capitol, was reported crashed in Pennsylvania by its passengers, fighting back against the hijackers.
15. The alleged hijackers were quickly identified by US authorities, supposedly from passenger lists, as 19 men of Middle Eastern descent, fifteen from Saudi Arabia, two from the United Arab Emirates, one Egyptian and one Lebanese. Their pictures, apparent police mug shots, were shown on TV around the world soon after the attack. It emerged that some if not all of these men were already known to police and intelligence authorities in the US and elsewhere as terrorist suspects. They were said to be associated with Al-Qaeda, a network of radical 'Islamic' militants, led by the renegade Saudi aristocrat Osama bin Laden, and pledged to unremitting ‘holy war’ against the United States and its people. Al Qaeda was blamed for several previous terrorist attacks, including suicide attacks in which hundreds died, in the Middle East and Africa, and against a U.S. Navy warship in the Persian Gulf. An earlier, precursor group of ‘Islamist’ terrorists, based in Brooklyn and New Jersey, carried out the first bombing of the World Trade Center, in 1993.
16. At the time the Clinton Administration was succeeded by that of George W. Bush and defendant Dick Cheney, in January, 2001, an extensive, complex U.S. counter-terrorism effort against Al Qaeda was in progress, involving personnel and resources from a number of government agencies, including the FBI, the CIA, the NSA, the U.S. Military, and others, requiring coordination between these agencies at the highest levels. The Chief of Counterterrorism under President Clinton, Richard Clarke, was retained by Bush, but later strongly criticized the Bush Administration for ignoring the Al Qaeda threat, allowing the effort begun under Clinton to lapse, to the point where he felt constrained to apologize to the families of those who died, for the failure he said led directly to the devastation of September 11th. At all events, it is clear from the accounts of Clarke and others that, once Mr. Bush and Defendant Cheney were in office, the effort to combat Al Qaeda was decisively blunted at the top, and at key points down the chain of command.
17. In particular, little or no attention was paid by defendants and others responsible to an increasingly explicit series of warnings, during 2001, that Al Qaeda was hoping and planning to strike inside the US; and that there were concrete plans — which cadres in U.S. agencies were aware of, and were in fact conducting exercises to prepare for, and defeat — which included attempting to crash planes into important buildings. U.S. investigators were well aware that the man they believed was the enemy network’s chief bomb-maker for the 1993 attack on the Trade Center, Ramzi Youssef, had hoped and attempted to bring a tower down in that attack; and that this remained a goal of the group.
18. Responsible intelligence officials were aware that Al Qaeda members were operating inside the U.S., and there were a number of critical investigative leads. Two of the hijackers-to-be lived with an FBI informant in San Diego. The CIA monitored a meeting in Malaysia in 1999, after which two of the participants came to the U.S., where authorities supposedly lost track of them. There were reports from FBI field offices in Arizona and elsewhere that figures on the suspect list were taking or seeking training as pilots — including one who reportedly said he only wanted to learn how to fly an airliner, not how to land or take off — but coordination and follow-up investigation on these and other leads was blocked by John Doe defendant CIA and FBI higher-ups and key players. Notwithstanding such malfeasance, the signs and portents of an imminent attack were very strong in the summer of 2001. As the then CIA chief George Tenet testified, “The system was blinking red.”
19. Despite the flow of ominous information to various sections of the US counterterrorism apparatus, however, and the danger to innocent people — and as a result of conspiracy among defendants Cheney and Rumsfeld, and other members of the Government in various positions — the many warnings of a coming attack by Al Qaeda forces (as many as forty messages in all, according to the Commission Report, from eleven different countries) were studiously ignored.
20. That is, defendants and others in the highest circles of the Government knew more than enough beforehand about the threat and gathering danger of an imminent possible attack by Al Qaeda in the U.S. to understand that they needed to take strong, thoroughgoing measures to increase the country's protections and alertness. Instead, led by defendants Cheney and Rumsfeld, and because defendants were callously indifferent to the rights and safety of innocents — including their own people in the Pentagon, plaintiff among them — the government did not respond. On information and belief, no special meetings of high officials and agency heads were called, to make sure protections systems were on high alert and functioning properly, and that all needed information was being shared. No special warnings were given to the Federal Aviation Administration, the Immigration Service, the Military and other affected agencies. No consultations were had about possible methods of attack, including specifics about possible hijackings, and the use of planes as missiles to hit buildings, despite operational planning and training which had already occurred at lower echelons. The FBI did not step up surveillance of suspected terrorist individuals or “cells”, or immigration checks, or let such people know they were being watched, in order to impede their activities; and it appears that no coordinated, high-level monitoring and analysis of the threats, and planning for counteraction, ever took place. Instead, the threat was dismissed, and ignored.
21. It should be noted that plaintiff cannot and does not know with certainty the outlines of the plot at its initiation. The attacks may have been conceived of as a false-flag operation from the beginning, with the defendants and their operatives as creators, planners, and executors, with the assistance of others as necessary. Or, defendants may have employed Muslim extremists to carry out suicide attacks; or they may have used Muslim extremists as dupes or patsies. The roles of the supposed “nineteen” could have been to hijack the airliners, or simply, unwittingly, to be on the planes when they were crashed into buildings by remote control. It is also possible that the defendants learned of a plot originated by Muslim extremists, and co-opted or overrode it with their own plan. Whatever lay in the minds of the defendant conspirators at the outset, it is clear that the nineteen men so quickly identified as the hijackers, some if not all of them known terrorist suspects, traveling under their own names, simply walked onto the four planes that morning, with their “box cutters”, without hindrance or incident.
II. Failure of the Air Defense System.
22. Accounts from the FAA and the National Military Command Center vary widely, suffer from internal contradictions, and are in conflict with each other; but credible reports show that FAA flight controllers were aware of a problem with the first plane as early as 8:14 or 8:15 a.m. the morning of September 11th, and evidently called the military for emergency assistance, pursuant to routine, by 8:21 a.m. or thereabouts. They learned the second plane was off course and not responding a short time later. According to reports, United Flight 11 hit the WTC North Tower at 8:46 a.m. and Flight 175 hit the South Tower at 9:03. The Pentagon was hit at or about 9:32 a.m. — although the official version says 9:38 — and the fourth plane crashed in Pennsylvania shortly after 10:00 a.m. High performance jet fighter planes stationed at various bases around the northeastern U.S. — tasked to intercept and deal with unidentified or straying aircraft entering or flying in U.S. airspace under NORAD district command, or otherwise at NORAD’s disposal — were available at a moment's notice. None were notified, however, or sent to the right place, until it was too late; at least for the first three planes.
23. No interceptor planes came to stop the supposed hijackers — shoot them down if necessary — even though the Air Force has for many years maintained a practice of immediate response in which the fighters have readily been “scrambled” when aircraft are seen to go too far off course, or lose radio contact with flight controllers. The interceptor program has been an elite assignment in the Air Force, even after the Cold War ended, in which pilots fly regularly, and wait in ‘ready rooms’ near the hangars, and planes are kept in top condition, with engines warm and ready for takeoff. The best jets are used, which can reach speeds of 1600-1800 miles per hour, and the personnel are so well trained and practiced that pilots routinely go from hearing the scramble order to 29,000 feet in less than three minutes. The scramble orders are normally made by local NORAD commanders in cooperation with the FAA. Both the FAA and the affected NORAD North East Air Defense Sector (NEADS) military command have radar tracking coverage of the entire airspace, and special telephone hotlines between them and with higher authority. Nor are these forays rare, reportedly occurring once or twice a week at various U.S. locales during the past several years. Published Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) records showed that, between September 1, 2000 and June 1, 2001, interceptor jets took to the air 67 times to check on “in-flight emergencies” involving wayward planes.
24. No interceptors came to defend the Pentagon, in particular, and plaintiff and the other occupants, because of actions and failures to act by defendant Rumsfeld, Defendant General Myers and John Doe others in concert with them, even though more than an hour passed between the time the first warning went out to the Military, at or about 8:21a.m., and the attack on the Pentagon at 9:32; even though the first tower was hit in a suicide crash in New York at least 46 minutes before the Pentagon was hit; and even though ‘combat air patrol’ jets from any of several bases in the region could have reached the Pentagon — or the path of Flight 77 — in a fraction of that time.
25. Having pre-arranged a coordinated failure of the Pentagon defenses, and its warning system, the defendants hid and distracted themselves, and otherwise failed to act, just at the time they were needed to ensure defense of the building; and they have dissembled ever since, as part of the conspiracy, in representing where they were and what they did during that time. As with the planes that hit the towers in New York, the Military and the 9/11 Commission, while failing to cast blame, explained away the failure to launch fighter interceptors at the Pentagon as the result of a failure by flight controllers — which FAA personnel deny — to notify the Air Force of the flight emergencies in a timely way. This was cover-up, in furtherance of the conspiracy.
26. Likewise, by the acts of one or more defendants in furtherance of the conspiracy, no defenses at the Pentagon responded either, no missile or anti-aircraft batteries opening from the ground around the building, or the roof; no sharpshooters deployed with hand-held missiles at stations close by; nothing. And, shockingly, when the towers in New York had already been hit, and Flight 77 (or a substitute, see below) was out of radio contact and headed back towards the capital; and even when the plane approached, and then doubled back and headed toward the building in a long dive, no alarm was sounded.
27. It is evident, particularly with respect to the attack on the Pentagon in which the plaintiff and her baby were injured, that, if the building was hit by a plane that morning, or if, as appears more likely, a plane flew low over the building at the time the bomb(s) went off inside and/or the missile hit, to give the (false) impression of a crash, some form of order or restriction was in force which suspended normal operation of the building's defenses. In particular, it is indisputable that the expected response of the fighter-interceptors failed completely; and plaintiff avers this resulted from orders or authorization from within the defendant circle of Rumsfeld and Myers and their helpers, restraining normal operation of the protections system and armaments at the Pentagon — including but not limited to jets available at various bases near the capital.
28. Plaintiff alleges further that such “standdown” orders, in whatever manner or form they had been prepared or issued, were maintained and affirmed by defendants up to and through that morning, and that defendant Cheney in particular, operating in the underground command bunker (Presidential Emergency Operations Center, or PEOC) beneath the White House, personally affirmed such an order. His word kept the order in force during the period between 9:20 a.m., when he was observed in the Bunker and the moment the Pentagon was hit.
29. In this connection, plaintiff refers the Court to the testimony of then-U.S. Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta to the 9/11 Commission. Mineta testified that when he arrived at the White House, he was sent to the PEOC, and arrived at around 9:20 a.m., to find Cheney there, and in charge. He said he sat at a table with Cheney for the next period of time, during which a young man came in the room, three times, and informed the Vice President that an “unidentified plane” was approaching Washington, D.C., first at 50, then 30, and then 10 “miles out”; and that, when he reported the distance as 10 miles, the young man asked the vice president, “Do the orders still stand?” Secretary Mineta testified that defendant Cheney responded sharply, “Of course the orders still stand. Have you heard anything to the contrary?” Whereupon the young man left the room; and a few minutes later, the hit on the Pentagon was announced. This testimony by the Secretary has never been contested, discredited or explained away by any U.S. official.
30. Plaintiff alleges that the “orders” were orders not to intercept or shoot down the approaching plane. If the orders had been to attack the approaching plane, it would have been shot down before it reached the Pentagon — or at least some attempt to stop it would have been made; and the world would know of it. Based on some two hundred years of American military history, the failure would have led to a Board of Inquiry or other public official investigation, to determine how and why the defense apparatus had failed. Individuals would have been called to account, and disciplinary procedures followed resulting in findings of responsibility and demotions or formal charges against those found to have failed the Country. All of these bureaucratic events would have become part of the official record, and known to the public; none of which has happened. There has been no publicly recorded disciplinary action against any military or civilian officer of the United States government as a result of the attacks of September 11th. Such proceedings would have created a great risk that the truth would be exposed.
31. The public record also shows that no meaningful follow-up questioning of Sec. Mineta occurred before the 9/11 Commission; that defendant Cheney has never testified under oath or been reasonably questioned about these events; and that he has given contradictory accounts, one of which---the account he gave to Tim Russert on “Meet the Press” five days after 9/11--- conflicts with The 9/11 Commission Report. The 9/11 Commission Report adopts an unsworn statement by Cheney that he never reached the bunker until about 10:00 a.m.; and contains no reference to Mineta’s testimony, ignoring completely this contradiction between the two high government officials. The Commission also ignores the fact that Richard Clarke’s book “Against All Enemies” supports Mineta’s testimony and hence contradicts the 9/11 Commission’s account.
32. Plaintiff charges that, in point of fact, the “orders” referred to were orders not to shoot the plane down, but to let it proceed, and that such orders were given and/or approved by defendants Cheney, Rumsfeld, and Myers, pursuant to the root conspiracy alleged herein, and transmitted down a chain of command. The normal expected operation of Pentagon defense that day was thus prevented, allowing the attack to succeed, or to “succeed” in creating a false and deceptive scenario of a plane crash.
III. The Attack on the Pentagon.
33. At the Pentagon, the plaintiff was at her desk, with her baby, in her office on the first floor, when large explosions occurred, walls crumbled and the ceiling fell in. Although her desk is just some forty feet from the supposed impact point, and she went out through the blown-open front of the building afterwards, she never saw any sign that an airliner crashed through. If Flight 77, or a substitute, did swoop low over the building, to create the false impression of a suicide attack, it was then flown away by its pilot, or remote control, and apparently crashed someplace else. At the building, inside or outside of the wall the plane supposedly hit, there was no wreckage, no airplane fragments, no engines, no seats, no luggage, no fuselage sections with rows of windows, and especially, no blazing quantities of burning jet fuel. The interior walls and ceilings and contents in that area were destroyed, but there was no sign of a crashed airplane. A number of those present inside the building and out have attested to this fact in published reports.
34. Instead, just when plaintiff turned on her computer — for an urgent document-clearing job she was directed by her supervisor to rush and begin, as soon as she arrived at work, without dropping her baby off at child care until she was finished — a huge explosion occurred, and at least one more that she heard and felt, and flames shot out of the computer. Walls crumbled, the ceiling fell in, and she was knocked unconscious. When she came to, terrified and in pain, she found the baby close by, picked him up, and, with other survivors caught in the area, made her way through rubble, smoke and dust towards daylight, which was showing through an open space that now gaped in the outside wall. When she reached the outside she collapsed on the grass; only to wake up in a hospital some time later.
35. Plaintiff’s injuries could have been avoided, had an alarm been sounded. However, despite the undoubted knowledge of the defendant commanders and operators in the system that an unknown aircraft was headed towards Washington, possibly as part of the apparent terrorist suicide attack begun earlier in New York — and in spite of well-established Pentagon emergency evacuation procedures and training — there was no alarm. On the contrary, plaintiff was directed to go straight to her desk when she arrived at work, and when she got there, and turned her computer on, the place blew up. If an unauthorized non-military plane was headed towards the building, on a day when two apparently hijacked planes had hit the Twin Towers, why wasn’t she evacuated, with her baby, instead of hurried inside? Why weren’t alarms going off, and all the people in the building rushing to safety? Due to the conspiracy, and defendants’ actions and flagrant failures to act, in furtherance of it, one hundred and twenty-five people, members of the Military and civilian employees, died in the bombing; and many more including plaintiff and her child were seriously hurt.
36. Plaintiff alleges further that, pursuant to the conspiracy, the attack on the Pentagon was contrived to “succeed” in only a very limited way. Destruction, death and injuries, in comparison to what would have occurred if the building had been attacked straight on with a large plane, by enemies bent on causing the greatest possible devastation and loss of life, were kept to a minimum; and the conspirators themselves not put at risk. Certainly the official account of what occurred is full of gross anomalies,
which contradict the physical evidence, the scientific and aeronautical evidence, and the laws of physics and aerodynamics. The 9/11 Commission Report is exposed as an artifact of the conspiracy, aimed at covering up the fact that no airliner crashed into the Pentagon, and that it was bombed a different way.
37. The official account established in the 9/11 Commission hearings is that American Airlines Flight 77, a Boeing 757-200 jetliner, took off from Dulles International Airport at or about 8:20 a.m., and apparently was hijacked at about 8:55 a.m. some two or three hundred miles west of Washington. Radio contact was lost and the plane’s “transponder” was turned off. At that point, Flight 77 was traversing an apparent radar “dead zone”, located over the southeast Ohio-West Virginia borderland, where another similar plane, fitted with radio control reception equipment, may have been substituted, so as to ensure that the precise maneuvers required by the conspirators’ plan could be carried out. Whichever plane it was soon established a flight path leading back towards Washington at high speed, on a downward trajectory, until it was close to the Pentagon. There it began a two-and-a-half-to-three-minute spiral dive, from an altitude of about 8000 feet and in a 330-degree loop, which supposedly carried it into the northwest wall of the building. Experts agree this dive was an aeronautically fantastic maneuver, nearly impossible for a plane of that size, which would require the most skillful and experienced pilot — or remote control.
38. The returning plane, according to the official version, struck the Pentagon just above ground level. There it disintegrated — even maybe vaporized, according to some accounts, at least in part — but, paradoxically, also plowed inside. Had it simply flown straight into the top of the building rather than making its improbable spiral dive, there would have been far greater damage and loss of life. Had it turned only 150-180 degrees, it could have smashed into the East side of the building, where the office of defendant Rumsfeld was publicly known to be located on the third floor, looking out at the river, with the Joint Chiefs and other high officials all nearby. In contrast, the ground floor area that was blown up held offices like the one plaintiff worked in, many of them empty for a remodeling project, which was said to have included reinforcement to protect against attack. Another part of the destroyed space held financial records.
39. Also in the official version, the nose of the plane supposedly penetrated the distance of the three outer “rings” of the building, leaving a large, nine- or ten-foot-high round hole — shown in official photographs, without any sign of a plane — in the inner wall of the third (“C”) ring. The hole was located some 300 feet from the alleged impact point, through a maze of structural pillars and interior walls. It was also said that the wings of the plane knocked over five lampposts along a nearby road, as it approached the building, which meant the wings were a maximum of 50 feet off the ground as the plane flew past, roughly 300-350 yards away from the near face of the building.
40. This account is at odds with known evidence, and raises substantial questions about the absence of evidence — and official withholding of evidence — including the following:
a. There are no photos of a wrecked airplane at the place where the building was hit and set on fire; or of airplane wreckage at the hole in the inner ring where the nose of the plane was originally said by Rumsfeld to have come to rest, or elsewhere inside the building. Moreover, the nose of such a plane contains radar equipment, and the outer shell is made of a porous, composite material that allows the radar to function. Therefore, the nose was not capable of surviving an impact with the outer wall without being crushed, let alone penetrating all the way inside to the C-Ring wall, 300 feet away.
Although this story was later dropped, defendant Rumsfeld has never been publicly questioned about his statement that this is what occurred.
b. As noted, there is no footage from numerous video surveillance cameras — reportedly 85 different tapes are being withheld by the U.S. Justice Department — which are known or reliably assumed to have been operating at various nearby locations where some or all of the plane and the crash could be expected to have been caught on tape.
c. The official account says the plane knocked over several lampposts with its wings — two on one side of a nearby road, three on the other — which meant the wings were less than fifty feet off the ground as the plane approached, over uneven terrain, and the undercarriage even closer. The earliest photographs, taken before the upper floors fell in, about 30 minutes after the explosion(s), show the front blown off an expanse of the ground floor, no marks on the lawn in front of the impact zone; and several large cable reels standing in front of the building, unscathed.
d. The “black box” flight data recorder identified by the Government as coming from Flight 77, and reportedly recovered from the wreckage at the scene, bears data, according to pilots who have examined printouts provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which contradict various aspects of the official account, — and indeed the very notion that a plane struck the Pentagon — in crucial ways, viz:
1. It is a fundamental premise of airliner manufacture and operation that the black box only stops recording data when a flight is terminated — by the pilot turning off the engines at the gate, or by a crash. According to the pilots who studied the printouts, however, the record showing the path of Flight 77, etched with codes which connect it to that plane that day, cuts off, unaccountably, some 4-500 yards short of the building — a point reached after the pitched, diving loop described above — at an altitude of 273 feet. The Pentagon is roughly 75 feet high. Just as they will confirm the improbability of that dive, expert pilots will attest that for a plane that size to descend from 273 feet, going approximately 500 miles an hour, and then level off inside of a quarter mile without hitting the ground — let alone get down to 50 feet in time to catch the lampposts, 300 yards closer — is an aerodynamic and gravitational impossibility.
2. The Safety Board has released a computer simulation of the flight path of Flight 77, allegedly based on the data from the flight recorder, which contradicts a simulation adopted by the 9/11 Commission. The Commission simulation shows the flight path of the official story, at an angle reflected by the damage inside the building, consistent with the downed light poles, and to the south of two nearby buildings housing the Navy Annex and a Citgo gas station. The NTSB simulation shows the plane headed towards the building on a path north of the two buildings and the line of lampposts.
3. Similarly, in the one fragment of a surveillance tape the Pentagon has released, two of the five frames disclosed appear to show an object, not recognizable as an airliner and apparently trailing a plume of white smoke, moving parallel to and just above the ground towards the Pentagon wall, followed by a bright explosion and a fireball mounting from the front of the building. The NTSB’s black box data shows Flight 77 was roughly 200 feet above the top of the Pentagon as it reached its last known position some 400 to 500 yards (2-3 seconds) away. Thus, it could not have hit the building except by diving into it, and so could not have flown parallel to the ground between there and the point of impact. So it appears that, contrary to the defendants’ false cover story of an airliner suicide crash, there was a different, additional, flying object, which hit the Pentagon, and was part of the terrorist bombing that caused the plaintiffs’ injuries.
e. Additionally, the FBI identified the hijacker pilot of Flight 77 as “Hani Hanjour”, supposedly a known terrorist suspect, who was reported to have received flight training in various places in the months before the attack. His flight instructors, however, reported that Hanjour was such a poor flight student that he was barely able to fly a small Cessna; and then he was so erratic that instructors refused to go up with him, and, just a few months before 9/11, recommended he be washed out and his license taken away. Thus it seems quite impossible that he could have flown the 757 really at all, let alone in its great uncanny dive. There have also been repeated reports since 9/11 that several of the other men named and pictured by the FBI as the hijackers were still alive after 9/11, and living in various locations in the world — including one, Waleed Al-Shehri, who was said to be a working pilot for Moroccan Air Lines, correctly shown in the FBI photo, whose identity and location have been verified by at least one major press outlet, the BBC. This information has not been pursued by U.S. investigators, or media.
f. Several trained and experienced military personnel at the scene noted the distinctive odor of cordite, a high explosive used in gunpowder, in the aftermath of the attack at the Pentagon. This suggests explosives as the cause for the destruction rather than the impact and fire resulting from burning jet fuel.
g. One investigator has documented the fact that numerous clocks in the damaged area of the building stopped at 9:32 a.m., as the plaintiff’s watch did also, supporting the idea that electrically timed or detonated explosives were used to bring about the intended damage to the building — and that the attack occurred at 9:32, not 9:38.
41. All the matters alleged in paragraph #40 are known and demonstrable, and most would have been immediately evident to the defendants at the time. As Secretary of Defense, defendant Rumsfeld in particular was in a unique position to determine the truth and fix responsibility. He did neither. That he did not is confirmation of his complicity in the attack--and his indifference to and callous disregard for the injuries and loss of rights suffered by plaintiff and others.
42. Further, it should be noted that on September 10, 2001, the day before the attack, Defendant Rumsfeld conducted a press conference at the Pentagon in which he publicly announced that auditors had determined that some 2.3 trillion dollars in Defense Department funds —$2.300,000,000,000 — could not be accounted for. To plaintiff’s knowledge and belief, part of the area of the ground floor of the Pentagon that was destroyed in the bombing is a location where records were kept that would be used to trace those funds, and where people worked who knew about them. On information and belief, there has been to this day no public report concerning the fate of those records, or that money.
43. In any event, the plainly visible pattern of damage on the outside and in other photographic views makes it clear the building was not hit by a plane. There may have been a missile strike, perhaps penetrating through to the back wall, which helped collapse the section that fell in, possibly augmented by explosives placed inside. Photos taken before the collapse suggest this, showing a single blown-out window section, above the ground floor; and witnesses have reported seeing a helicopter above the building, and disappearing behind it, followed by a big explosion and bright fireball. As noted, a large roundish hole was found in the C-ring wall, some 300 feet inside the building; and there were credible accounts, ignored in the Commission Report, of serious bomb damage in the B-ring, second from the center, and even some reports of dead bodies in the central A-ring, also ignored. As shown on CNN television, a large military aircraft, identified as an E-4B — the so-called “Doomsday Plane”, which carries the most complete and sophisticated military command and control apparatus — was circling above Washington at the time the Pentagon was hit. It was in perfect position to coordinate the detonation and/or missile shot with a fly-over; and guide the airliner in its dive by remote control. It was also in perfect position to spot the oncoming plane on its radar and sound an alarm. Significantly, the Department of Defense has denied any knowledge of this airplane flying in that area on that day.
44. Whatever the cause of the bombing, and the traumatic injuries to plaintiff and others which resulted, the Government, of which the two main defendants were and have been the highest, most powerful officers, pursuant to the conspiracy they led and still lead as alleged herein, has been altogether deceptive in investigating, reporting and explaining the attack and its cause; and defendants, rather than righteously investigate and determine the derelictions which occurred, have done nothing but lie and cover up.
45. Defendant Rumsfeld in particular has been deceptive from the start, as where, on September 13, he reported on Good Morning, America that the plane “...went in through three rings (of the Pentagon). I’m told the nose is — is still in there, very close to the inner courtyard, about one ring away”; a palpably false statement, contradicted by numerous witnesses, a total lack of photographic evidence, and evident impossibility. Rumsfeld has also contradicted himself several times in describing his whereabouts and movements during the first hour or more of the attack. He does not acknowledge his presence in a teleconference which Richard Clarke said he, Rumsfeld, and others were part of, beginning shortly after 9:00 a.m. — after the Flight 77 emergency was reported, at or about the time the second tower was hit in New York, and more than half an hour before the Pentagon was hit — and he contradicts himself about whether and when he went to the Executive Support Center and/or the National Military Command Center, both within the Pentagon, as events transpired that morning. General Myers also (falsely) denied he was at the Pentagon in the early stages of the teleconference, as reported by Clarke. Tellingly, the tape of the videoconference, which obviously would have been part of any good faith investigation, has been kept secret.
46. Defendant Rumsfeld also made a striking prediction of the attack, as if speaking compulsively about his secret knowledge, that very morning, and several days later, he publicly referred to the “missile” that hit the Pentagon. In testifying before the 9/11 Commission, the defendant stonewalled and double-talked egregiously, responding to direct questions (some of them personally submitted by plaintiff herself during a hearing open only to survivors), especially about the Air Force fighter-interceptors not showing up, with irrelevant and sometimes incomprehensible ramblings. Consistent with their part in the cover-up, Commissioners failed to question him closely or confront his non-responsiveness.
IV. The Other Planes.
47. In spite of what the record shows was a regular, timely alert and request to NEADS commanders by FAA flight controllers at Boston for in-flight emergency response regarding United Airlines Flights 11 and 175 out of Boston, as described above in Pars. 22-24, the jets were not scrambled, or properly “vectored”, in time to intercept the planes that hit the Towers in New York — even though there was plenty of time for the interception.
48. With respect to Flight 93, which was thought to be intended for an attack on the White House or the Capitol, but crashed in Pennsylvania, there remains a great deal of mystery. Much of what supposedly happened was a made-in-Hollywood saga, where the passengers, learning of the earlier suicide crashes, gathered themselves and counter-attacked the hijackers, succeeding in heroic, self-sacrificing measure by crashing the plane (or causing the hijacker pilot to crash it) in a remote field, before it could approach its target. This story was supposedly recounted to persons on the ground by passengers with cell phones; but the science is clear that, at least in 2001, cell phones couldn't operate at the high altitude where the struggle supposedly took place. Also, the FBI, in presenting evidence at the Moussaoui trial in 2006, denied that any of the high-altitude calls that had been reported actually took place. The only cell phone calls confirmed by the FBI were two that reportedly occurred when the plane had descended to 5,000 feet. Thus, the mythic account is suspicious, to say the least.
49. Moreover, it appears fairly well established that one or more fighters ultimately did go aloft, and reached Flight 93, although this was also comprehensively denied in the Commission Report. There is also good evidence that supposed presidential authority to “engage”, meaning shoot down the plane, was given by defendant Cheney at or about 9:50 a.m. that morning, wherewith Flight 93 was indeed shot down with an air-to-air missile from a U.S.A.F. fighter jet.
50. Finally, there are multiple reports that debris from the plane was found a mile or more from the crash site, an obvious impossibility if the plane simply fell or dove into the ground. Likewise, there is no debris visible in photographs of the crash site, despite a long photographic history of airliner crashes showing plane parts and debris spread around the point of impact. Instead there was a crater, and no sign of the plane. Implausibly, however, the official report said that a visa, in the name of the alleged hijacker identified as the pilot, was recovered near the crater, along with a red headband of the type the hijackers supposedly wore. Again, available evidence shows the official account promulgated under the defendants’ illicit influence is, and plaintiffs allege that it is, false and fraudulent, in furtherance of the conspirac(ies) alleged herein.
V. The Cover-up.
51. As with the other branches or phases of the conspiracy, wherein a number of John Doe defendants working on different aspects of the organized enablement of the hijacking led by defendants Cheney and Rumsfeld may not have been aware or fully aware of each other's involvement; so too with the cover-up, a complicated operation which those involved have maintained for these seven years, and must continue to see to, indefinitely, on any number of fronts. That is, the skein of misrepresentations, distortions, omissions, contradictions, withheld evidence and outright lies which comprise the fraudulent “official” version, must be and plaintiffs allege that it has been and is assiduously, and fraudulently, maintained by the original perpetrators and various cohorts, who have kept the original conspiracy alive to this day.
52. In particular, the cover-up — beyond the fact that the simulated plane crash at the Pentagon was itself a cover-up — has been concentrated around the purported investigation and analysis of the attack and its supposed background by the 9/11 Commission, formally known as The National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon The United States, and the Report it issued in 2004. There, as extensively shown by a number of critics and commentators, this official organ put forth a supposedly comprehensive account of the attacks, the alleged attackers and their history, and various surrounding events and circumstances, in a version so full of omissions, distortions and outright falsehoods, as to clinch its purpose as a mainstay of the cover-up, in furtherance of the underlying conspiracy alleged herein, and its ongoing success.
53. Thus the Report gives a careful account and description of some of the many warnings the Government received during 2001 about Al Qaeda's intention to attack — in the United States, possibly with hijacked planes. The Report goes on to describe an interview with President Bush, which occurred only after intense negotiations in which the Commissioners acquiesced to White House conditions requiring that defendant Cheney be permitted to accompany the President, and that no record would be kept and no notes taken. There the President earnestly insisted to his Commission interlocutors that no warning of the attack had come. All contradictions were left unexplored, and ignored in the Report.
54. Similarly, defendant Rumsfeld — like the President himself, then-National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, Defendant Gen. Richard Myers and others — testified and said in public, repeatedly, that no one in the Government security apparatus ever imagined terrorists suicidally crashing planes into buildings. This claim was also absolutely false. In point of fact, the CIA, the NSA, the FAA and NORAD had planned and trained for just such a possibility. Indeed, the record shows training exercises involving such a potential attack had in fact been carried on at the Pentagon in October, 2000 and May, 2001, and that NORAD had begun planning in July, 2001, for a training exercise in which the premise would be that a hijacked airliner was crashed into the World Trade Center. The 9/11 Commission, however — with the same studied indifference it showed towards the Mineta testimony — failed even to mention these contradictions in its Report, let alone explain them away.
55. In any event, it is in the nature of the acts alleged that the participants would endeavor from the outset to keep their actions — and the meeting of the minds that unleashed them — the deepest and darkest of secrets, forever. Thus the cover-up, even as it continues today, and will be manifest in the litigation of this complaint, was inherently part of the original unlawful agreement, and thereby part of the cause of the injuries and deprivations plaintiffs suffered on 9/11, and continuing injury since that time.
56. As to the overall plot, with its roots in the command positions and unhinged political fantasies and intentions of the two main defendants, Cheney and Rumsfeld, plaintiff alleges that, necessarily, there were multiple meetings of the minds among the various necessary parties in various implicated locations, positions and phases of the action. Indeed, the narrative reflects an evident form of rolling conspiracy, or multiple successive, interlocking, sub-conspiracies, by which defendants and their cohorts maintain and have maintained the original agreement to cover up the original crime(s) of terrorism, and their part in it, to this day.
VII. Plaintiffs’ Injuries.
57. The injuries, loss and deprivation of rights suffered by Plaintiff April Gallop, her child and others in the bombing of the Pentagon, however it was accomplished, were the result of terrorism, and terrorist acts, and conspiracy to commit terrorism, and to violate constitutional rights, and they include serious head and brain injuries she and her child both sustained when the ceiling caved in on them, as well as the loss and deliberate denial of their rights involved in their being made innocent victims of the attack. Plaintiff’s son, Elisha, has had ongoing problems as he has grown older, associated with injury to his brain, and has required continuing medical care and other special help. Both mother and child have had continuing difficulty, pain and suffering as a result, and sustained need for medical care, and financial and other loss; and they evidently will continue to suffer and to need medical and other assistance for the future.
58. Further, clearly as a result of and in retaliation for her public statement that no airplane wreckage was present in the building after the explosion(s), and for raising other questions, John Doe Department of Defense (DOD) defendants, pursuant to the conspiracy, have wrongfully caused plaintiff to be denied medical care and other benefits she should have received since the attack, and have acted to discourage others from helping her, all to her consequent, actionable loss. Most recently, on being discharged from the Army earlier this year, plaintiff’s financial account was closed out with a zero balance. A short time later, however, she was refused service at the VA medical center, on grounds that she supposedly owed the Defense Department more than $14,000; for which no documentation has been provided.
59. The plaintiff and her child also will experience more general loss, pain and suffering, forever, from what was done to them by high officials of their own government, who, attacking the Country and the Constitution, were willing to see her killed, and did see many others, thousands, killed, simply to further crass political designs. They were and are themselves terrorists, in truth, without whose crucial complicity the Al Qaeda attacks would never have occurred.
PLAINTIFFS' CAUSES OF ACTION
One. Violation of Constitutional Rights – Bivens.
a. Conspiracy. The defendants engaged in an unlawful conspiracy or series of interlocking conspiracies whereby they and various co-conspirators and others took various concrete steps, pursuant to a meeting of the minds around the objective of facilitating and enabling the terrorist attacks, specifically by de-activating and defaulting various normal defense systems and measures, as described and to be shown, so that the Al Qaeda hijackings and bombings of September 11 could succeed. They thereby helped cause the attacks and the resulting injuries to plaintiff, denial of her fundamental rights under the Fourth, Fifth and Ninth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution, and death and injury loss to so many others; entitling plaintiff to judgment against the defendants under the rule of the Bivens case, for compensatory damages in such amount as the Jury may determine; and Punitive Damages.
b. Deliberate Indifference. The concerted actions of defendants in their efforts to facilitate and enable the terrorist attacks of September 11 in various ways as described hereinabove and to be shown, and the defendants’ deliberate indifference to the likelihood of serious injury and deprivation of rights arising therefrom, resulted in plaintiff and her child being made unknowing, defenseless victims of the attack, and thereby seriously injured and denied fundamental rights under the Fourth, Fifth and Ninth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution, entitling her to judgment against the defendants, under the rule of the Bivens case, for compensatory damages in such amount as the Jury may determine; and Punitive Damages.
c. Retaliation. The actions taken against plaintiff in retaliation for her speaking out with questions about the official explanations of what happened violated her rights under the First Amendment, entitling her to a further judgment against those responsible for compensatory damages in such amount as the Jury may determine; and Punitive Damages.
Two. Common Law Conspiracy to Cause Death and Great Bodily Harm. The plaintiff is further entitled to judgment against the defendants, jointly and severally, for the injuries she and her child received which were caused by the acts and omissions of defendants and others pursuant to the conspiracy(ies) alleged herein, and by breach of defendants’ duty of care towards the plaintiff, for compensatory and punitive damages in such amounts as the Jury may deter
rob balsamo
Group: Admin
This claim is supported by data from the plane’s supposed “black box”, released by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which indicate the plane passed over the building at very low altitude, just as an explosion and fireball were engineered by other means, a planted bomb or bombs and/or a missile.
Way to go April!
Full article here...
http://rawstory.com/news/2008/911_survivor...ey_No_1217.html
Leslie Landry
Group: Respected Member
That is so exciting!
richard cranium
Group: Private Forum Pilot
From: california
Fantastic! Right on April! Let's see if MSM says anything, and just as important, what they think about it.
Dare we dream something will come of this? Not necessarily to the people who already know,but to all the "sheeple" out there that don't have a clue.
(please,please?......one of my Christmas wishes for sure)
Now posted front page...
http://pilotsfor911truth.org
...and sent to my media contact list of over 100 Mainstream and Alternative Media, including other pilot organizations.
Spread this everywhere folks!
Group: Administrator
From: New Zealand
QUOTE (richard cranium @ Dec 18 2008, 01:17 PM)
I'll bet you 5 New Zealand pesos that this story never sees the light of day via any mainstream media outlet.
ogrady
Joined: 1-October 07
This woman of courage is a true patriot!
Don't expect a word of this from the MSM. Reading the text of the suit might cause people to think and wonder about things. We can't have that, now can we?
Group: Global Mod
From: USA, a Federal corporation
Looks like April is front page center over at 911Blogger
http://www.911blogger.com/
Joined: 1-April 07
If it does go to court, and the accused, actually do go to trial,
wouldn't they have to be judged, under law,
by a jury of their own peers?
...and who might these be?
...maybe that's what all these knighthoods and lordships are about,
once risen by decree, royal ascent, above that of joe-six-pack,
their peers, are now lords and ladies, not the commoner.
If they are now considered, part of the "more-equal-others",
a charming minority of ruling elite,
they are no longer peers with "than-others".
imo, lunk
(edit) 2 many "the"
This post has been edited by lunk: Dec 18 2008, 02:06 PM
Rickysa
From: USA: N.C.
QUOTE (dMole @ Dec 18 2008, 11:27 AM)
Just curious who "john doraemi" might be and why he would post this comment there:
"Flyover" hoax, a "missile" and no plane theory -- this is going to be tossed out of court immediately. Special thanks to that psyop known as CIT/Pilots for 9/11 Truth (lies).
or maybe I'm misunderstanding his comment??
No, I'm sure that every excuse in the world, will be used to keep it out of court.
It's just that there is a failsafe built into law by the elites for the elites and anyone of their "little helpers", that they want to reward and protect.
How many Americans have gone off to "jolly old," to get knighted or royally pronouned?
Why, for self-esteem!?
All seems a little odd, to me.
QUOTE (Rickysa @ Dec 18 2008, 02:28 PM)
The guy also thinks we faked the NTSB data and that it didnt come from the NTSB (but i guess we also 'faked' the return address. intercepted the FOIA NTSB requests on their server, and sent it to numerous independent researchers around the world). He has been told time and time again where to get it (from the NTSB directly via FOIA) and has been given phone numbers and links to the NTSB, but for some reason refuses to verify the data with the NTSB and wants us to "prove" it came from the NTSB.
The guy is a total headcase and even his own have disassociated from him... (he was banned from truthaction for his tirades regarding "faked" NTSB data).
Thanks for the info Rob....I really don't visit other sites much, as you guys rule the roost wrt 911 truth, so I wasn't sure if this guy had been a thorn before or needed a good boot in the ass.
Many think he is an "agent provocateur" as mostly he just complains about others in the 'movement' trying to split it up, and of course he is anonymous, never putting his name to his claims/accusations. The old divide and conquer routine. Im surprised blogger hasnt banned him yet.
I just think the guy is a total jackass crying for attention.
georgie101
From: south london, uk
QUOTE (KP50 @ Dec 18 2008, 01:22 AM)
You are most probably right, I have a small bit of hope. Unfortunately, even if it did, people probably wont care, Christmas is coming and all.
Thankyou April, you are a courageous lady
There is a distinct possibility that we have been had. The story first appeared on Above Top Secret. Then picked up by everyone else.The attoney mentioned is William Veale of California. Yes he exists, he is a member of Lawyers for Truth. There is no mention of this on that site, as well as the September 11 section of the Southern District New York Court site either.
I don't think a Lawyer from California can pratice law in New York unless he/she is a member of the NY Bar.
William Wynne Veale
Firm: Contra Costa County Public Defender Alternate Defender Off.
Address: Suite E
Martinez, CA 94553-1818
This post has been edited by Ricochet: Dec 18 2008, 07:36 PM
AtticusOwl
Group: Student Forum Pilot
From: New York
QUOTE (Ricochet @ Dec 18 2008, 05:51 PM)
"There is a distinct possibility that we have been had."
Skepticism is always healthy.
In this case, it is unwarranted.
The case was filed by April Gallop on December 15, 2008 in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.
The case is entitled April Gallop, for Herself and as Mother and Next of Friend of Elisha Gallop, a Minor v. Dick Cheney, Vice President of the U.S.A., Donald Rumsfeld, former U.S. Secretary of Defense, General Richard Meyers, U.S.A.F. (Ret.), and John Does I-X, all in their individual capacities, Case No. 08-CV-10881-DC.
Magistrate Judge Debra Freeman has been assigned to the case.
United States District Court Judge Denny Chin has been assigned to the case.
The complaint was entered on the Court's docket today. The complaint is not available in electronic form on the Court's website (PACER), probably because it was filed in paper form.
The clerk of the Court has issued a summons for the defendants.
"The story first appeared on Above Top Secret. Then picked up by everyone else.The attoney mentioned is William Veale of California. Yes he exists, he is a member of Lawyers for Truth. There is no mention of this on that site, as well as the September 11 section of the Southern District New York Court site either."
April Gallop is shown as representing herself, PRO SE, in the case.
"I don't think a Lawyer from California can pratice law in New York unless he/she is a member of the NY Bar."
This is not true. Attorneys can practice in federal courts by being admitted, pro hac vice, in a particular case.
Pro hac vice means, for this turn, for this one particular occasion. (See Black's Law Dictionary 1091 (5th ed. 1979).)
It is evident that April Gallop did not prepare the complaint herself. It is unclear to me why Mr. Veale is not listed as counsel of record. Perhaps he has been told that he needs to submit an application to appear in the case, pro hac vice.
The complaint, unfortunately, is not complete. It is missing the very end. Does anyone have a complete PDF copy of the complaint in hand?
I emailed April a few times regarding this story, havent heard back yet.
Did anyone email the original author at Raw Story? The aricle states they spoke with the attorney....
Edit to add: I fixed the above quote tags on your post Atticus. Thanks for posting that and welcome to the forum!
amazed!
Group: Extreme Forum Pilot
From: Fort Pierce, FL
Thank you Atticus Owl, and welcome to the forum. I hope you stick around.
Elisha is April's middle name according to a CNN interview,
ZAHN: And right now I'm going to turn to the story of one survivor of the attack of the Pentagon where 184 people were killed. 9/11 was my next guest's first day back at work after maternity leave. April Gallop had to make a quick stop at her desk before dropping her two-month-old son Elijah off at day care. That may have ended up saving their lives. When the plane struck, mother and child were separated and amazingly a stranger somehow rescued the baby. Sadly none of the children of the Pentagon's daycare center other than Elijah survived. April Elisha Gallop join me now. Thank you so much for sharing your story with us tonight.
. Elijah is her son's name.
According to US Senate records for lobby groups her consulting firm is AEZ Consulting, it's April D.
GALLOP, APRIL D 9-11 FAMILIES/AEZ CONSULTING FIRM 289818-12
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Home | Wire | Government Police Fail to Make Arrests In Nearly Half of Murder Cases
Government Police Fail to Make Arrests In Nearly Half of Murder Cases
Tags Bureaucracy and Regulation
10/11/2018Tate Fegley
Police departments in a number of U.S. cities — Chicago, Detroit, New Orleans — are receiving increased attention for their failure to clear even half of the homicides that occur in their jurisdiction. And note that to “clear” a case doesn’t even necessarily require that someone be convicted of the crime, but only that either an arrest was made or that the case was “cleared by exceptional means,” meaning that the police identified a suspect, had sufficient evidence to arrest, and knew their location, but encountered a circumstance that prevented them from making the arrest.
Of all the crimes classified as Index I crimes by the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reports, murder and nonnegligent manslaughter typically have the highest clearance rate by far.
Source: FBI: UCR 2017 Clearance
What should be realized is just how much lower current homicide clearance rates are compared to the 1960s and 1970s, even though the number of killings in recent years is roughly on par with the early 70s. As can be seen in the following graph, the number of homicides have gone down since its peak in the 90s, but so has the clearance rate.
Source: Murder Accountability Project
An explanation offered for why this is the case is that a growing proportion of these unsolved homicides are gangland killings where witnesses refuse to talk to the police due to anti-snitching norms, low trust in the police, or fear of reprisal. Indeed, the city of Indianapolis has created a witness protection fund in an effort to get more witnesses to cooperate with police.
Police Aren't Your Friend — Even If You Want to Report a Crime
The hesitancy to cooperate with the police should not be surprising. For one thing, unless you have a personal relationship with police officers, you will always be a potential criminal suspect. At worst, calling the police for help can result in the arrest or death of you or a loved one. With the high potential costs of interacting with the police, individuals on the margin will seek substitutes for ensuring their safety.
[RELATED: "Too Many Laws: Why Police Encounters Escalate" by Ryan McMaken]
Furthermore, consider the incentives facing witnesses of crimes. It’s not like they can just leave an anonymous tip to the police and be done with it; rather, they will have to endure multiple interviews with police officers and prosecutors and will be expected to testify in court if the necessity arises. This will be a long, drawn-out process during which (and possibly after) one could be a target for reprisal. Government police have no duty to protect individuals (see Warren v. District of Columbia (1981)). The assassination of a witness may even be beneficial from the perspective of increasing clearance rates, as the police would already have a likely suspect.
Government Police Lack Accountability and Incentives
Yet for some reason this state of affairs is tolerated. We have become conditioned to expect such service from government bureaucracies and see it as routine. But imagine if murders happened so frequently on the premises of any private business. We would fully expect that that business would make it their top priority to prevent any further slayings and ensure the public that their place of business is a safe place to be. We wouldn’t even consider the possibility that they would be able to remain in business while being unable to identify the killer in less than half of the cases.
Thus, at issue is not only the ineffectiveness of government policing but the intertwined issue of “public” property. Unlike the common areas provided by the proprietors of private business (such as hotel lobbies, parking lots, and the common areas within shopping malls), there is no residual claimant to the value of common areas in the public domain. They cannot be sold and therefore have no market prices. A private owner seeks to maintain or increase the market value of their property, an aspect of which is the safety of its common areas, because they are the residual claimant of that value. However, this is not the case for areas that are in the public domain. Just like the other aspects of quality, such as the presence of graffiti, trash, atmosphere, and maintenance, tend to deteriorate in areas in the public domain, so does safety.
Entrepreneurs who might have better ideas than the Chicago police on how to increase the safety of public areas are unable to acquire the property, test their ideas, and determine whether those ideas work based on whether they result in profits or losses. Public officials have little incentive to invest in improving the safety of the common areas under their control, as they suffer no losses from letting them deteriorate and reap no profits from improving them. Since the homicides in question are of individuals who have little political influence, they are of little relevance to the immediate concerns of public officials.
In light of this, we should more deeply appreciate what is at stake in slogans like “Privatize Everything.” It is not simply about the nominal transfer of physical objects or land from government control to favored individuals, but transferring them from the realm of non-calculation and fiat to the realm of economic calculation and consumer sovereignty. As a practical matter, it could save many lives.
Tate Fegley is a 2018 Mises Institute Fellow, and winner of the 2018 Grant Aldrich Prize for Best Graduate Student paper at the Austrian Economics Research Confernce. He is currently a graduate student at George Mason University.
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Political Economy of Energy Transitions
POLET is an academic initiative to understand the change and continuity in energy systems. The website posts reviews of research and popular publications on energy transitions as well as original analyses. We strive to prepare our posts in academically rigorous yet generally accessible manner to facilitate a dialogue between energy system modellers, socio-technical transition scholars, political scientists and historians.
Towards a post-oil Alberta
Alberta has the third largest oil reserves in the world, after Saudi Arabia and Venezuela. In early 2015, profits from the oil sands made up about 5% of Canada’s GDP Canada’s highest incomes are found in the heart of oil-sand-country. However, Alberta’s real GDP contracted over 3.5% each in the years 2015 and 2016 due to the fall of oil prices. What does this experience tell us about contractions expected as a result of decarbonisation?
Early history of wind power in Germany and the UK
Before its fast expansion in the 2000s, wind power in the UK developed slower than in Germany. Why did this lag occur? While many early studies argued that it was due to a wrong selection of policy instruments, more careful look suggest that other factors may have played a role.
Norwegian-funded research focuses on the dark side of energy transitions
Energy transitions involve not only expanding wind, solar and other low-carbon technologies but also phasing out existing carbon-intensive sources such as coal. Introducing new energy sources is often easier to advocate as it involves no job or revenue losses. However, phasing out existing energy technologies is harder both economically and politically, though it is precisely what eventually reduces greenhouse gas emissions. In a new project, we focus at this unexplored dark side of energy transitions.
Integrating techno-economic, socio-technical and political perspectives on energy transitions
A newly published paper proposes a meta-theoretical framework integrating techno-economic, socio-technical and political perspectives on national energy transitions. The use of the framework is illustrated by a comparative analysis of energy transitions in Germany and Japan.
Does wind power grow faster in Germany or the UK?
In 2001-2014, wind power in the UK followed exactly the same trajectory as wind power in Germany in 1994-2007. Both paths are accurately predicted by the technology diffusion theory and do not show differences that would require additional socio-political explanations. What does require explanation is why the exponential growth of wind power was triggered in Germany and not in the UK in the early- or mid-1990s.
Comparing energy transitions in Germany and Japan
A new paper contributes to understanding national variations in using low-carbon electricity sources by comparing the evolution of nuclear, wind and solar power in Germany and Japan. We explain why in the 1970s–1980s, the energy paths of the two countries were remarkably similar, but since the 1990s Germany has become a leader in renewables while phasing out nuclear energy, whereas Japan has deployed less renewables while becoming a leader in nuclear power.
Fukushima's impact on energy in Japan should be viewed in a broader context
In response to our Comment in Nature (1), Cherp and Jewell write that Japan's ambition for renewables was not altered by the Fukushima disaster (2). Although the evidence they present is technically accurate and their point on the decreased role of nuclear is correct, we would like to bring a broader context to the readers’ attention.
Russian Nuclear Wind
According to an article in Kommersant, a Russian business daily, Rosatom, the Russian state-owned corporation specialising in manufacturing of nuclear equipment and construction of nuclear plants is on the way to dominate Russian wind power market.
Renewables targeted before Fukushima
In a recent letter to Nature we argue that Japan had become a world's leader in solar energy long before Fukushima. This is both good and bad news for low-carbon energy transitions. On the one hand, there is no need to wait for a nuclear disaster to develop renewable electricity. On the other hand, solar and wind energy will not magically emerge after an earthquake and a tsunami strike a nuclear power plant.
Realpolitik is not always a mess: more on coal, nuclear, and renewables in Germany
I am grateful to Craig Morris of energytransition.de for responding to my post on nuclear, coal and renewables in Germany and Japan. Morris calls for focusing on real-world politics of energy transitions, but paradoxically views this politics as a mess. Is Realpolitik really a mess or can it be untangled to highlight useful lessons for countries that want to learn from the Energiewende?
Commentary RSS
The engine or a hood ornament? National identity and nuclear power in France
On the deep state hypothesis
How 'dramatic' is the shift to 95% renewable electricity in Uruguay?
Proving the deep state requires deeper reasoning
renewables 15
nuclear 12
energy security 5
three perspectives 3
contractions 2
energy end-use and efficiency 2
Tweets by @poletnetwork
Supported by Research Council of Norway under the Climate change research program, CEU Intellectual Themes Initiative, the Transformations to Sustainability programme.
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Sixteen Structural Reforms Is the Cost of the Next IMF Tranche to Ukraine
Anders Aslund, a Swedish economist and a Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council, commented on the current and future cooperation between the IMF and Ukraine. He claims that Kiev will have to implement at least 16 structural reforms in order to get another tranche from the International Monetary Fund. He also explained why the IMF is still cooperating with Ukraine.
Publication date: 26 April 11:01 AM
Putin Underestimated Ukrainians When Invading Ukraine, Atlantic Council
American private institution Atlantic Council assumes that Vladimir Putin underestimated the Ukrainians when invading Ukraine.
They say that the hybrid war started by Russia in Ukraine has been going on for the 4th year. There were times when nobody believed that Ukraine would hold on even for 4 weeks. The thing is, the Crimea was annexed without any fight, which made international experts believe that Ukraine was weak and completely dependent on Russia. This stand point used to be popular in Moscow as well. Some Russian politicians expected a complete victory in a couple of months, but back than Ukraine was vulnerable after the revolution, which lead to the end of Yanukovich’s regime, while the temporary government was lacking legitimacy to seriously resist Russia. Back then, Russia got a chance to occupy the rest of Ukraine. Vladimir Putin seemed to be encouraged by the success in the Crimea.
Experts on Statements Made by Russian Officials about Russian Economic Recovery
International experts have commented on the recent statements made by several Russian officials about some economic recovery in Russia. They say that the weak economic growth isn’t backed by higher standards of living in the Russian Federation.
USA Today Names the Reasons Why the USA Is Concerned about the Situation in Ukraine
USA Today has named the reasons why the United states should be concerned about the armed conflict in the East of Ukraine.
Previously, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson asked his European colleagues why American taxpayers should be concerned about the situation in Ukraine. The answer came from his French colleague, who said that the United States should be interested in a strong Europe. On top of that, there are some other reasons why the USA shouldn’t stop thinking about Ukraine.
Publication date: 21 April 12:00 PM
Trump's Plan on Syria: Russia to Stay in Syria, Asad Has to Leave
At this point, several media sources, including Associated Press, report they know the details of the offer brought by Rex Tillerson to Moscow during his official visit. Now, everyone seems to be wondering what exactly Rex Tillerson and Sergey Lavrov discussed during their meeting in Moscow.
First of all, the sources claim that the USA is ready to unite forces with Russia to destroy the ISIS once and for all. Secondly, Bashar Asad has to quit anyway. He will be even allowed to go to Russia or Iran to avoid prosecution. Thirdly, a temporary government need to be established in Syria to back stabilization and holding a democratic election in Syria. Russia can stay in Syria to back security but they shouldn’t interfere with the local politics.
Today's Russia-US Relations Are Worse Than During Obama’s Administration
At this point, the bilateral relations between Moscow and Washington are even worse than they used to be during Obama’s administration. This is what President Putin thinks on the matter.
Even though the Russian president thinks so, he hasn’t commented on the details of this degradation in the bilateral relations between the 2 superpowers. He assumes that the level of trust between the United States and the Russian Federation has dropped, especially on the military level.
Will North Korea Become Another Syria for the USA?
The latest events in Syria made many international observers change their mind regarding President Trump. The current conditions also show that getting rid of North-Korean leader Kim Jong Un may also become a major goal for President Trump.
The news that U.S. aircraft carrier Carl Vinson suddenly reversed and moved to the Western part of the Pacific Ocean in the direction of the Korean Peninsula attracted the interest of the international community. Given the 59 missiles launched to hit a Syrian airbase a couple of weeks ago, this maneuver of the aircraft carrier does raise a lot of concerns.
OPEC's Average Oil Price Raises to $53,67
The average price of a barrel of the crude oil produced by the OPEC is reported to have gone all the way up to $53,67. This is confirmed by the cartel’s official website. This happened yesterday. At this point, the price has retraced a bit and is currently trading around $53,36/b, Market Leader reports.
Brexit Will Split UK. Scotland’s Getting Ready for Another Referendum
The Scottish government is reported to have initiated another referendum dedicated to quitting the United Kingdom.
The whole point is, Scotland wants to stay a part of the European Union. Given the fact that being also a part of the United Kingdom, Scotland will also have to quit the EU together with other UK fellow members.
Tillerson Brings Russia an Ultimatum on Syria
Rex Tillerson offered Vladimir Putin to betray Bashar Asad. The US Secretary of State came to Moscow with an ultimatum, experts report. At the same time, we are now witnessing an unprecedented situation. The thing is, this is the first time, a high-ranking politician representing a superpower comes to Moscow without knowing whether he is going to meet with the Russian President.
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Andrew McNiven Micro Bursary Report
My application to New Art West Midlands’s Engine Micro Bursary scheme was to support research within Northern Europe in which I visited a number of significant museums and galleries to make video and audio recordings and photographs, generating source material for a new project.
Provisionally entitled ‘Hum’, this new project uses video in which sound is the primary source, in this case the sonic environment of the museum. This work will be audio described in a new collaboration with Dr Louise Fryer of University College London, BBC Radio 3 and the National Theatre, in which we aim to experiment with and examine the potential of applied audio description in relation to visual culture, as both a way of increasing access, and to explore the experimental use of audio description forming part of the works’ content, as a creative contributory element itself. To Dr Fryer’s and my knowledge this has never been explored previously.
Andrew McNiven: Untitled (Belgian Autoroute Services), 2018. HD video, multi-channel audio (work-in-progress)
The Micro Bursary enabled me to extend an existing trip for pre-planned projects at Greylight Projects in Brussels and NP3 Artspace in Groningen and spend several days researching filming, photographing and sound recording in museums and galleries in Belgium, the Netherlands and France. These included the Mauritshuis, Museum Boijmans van Beuningen (Rotterdam), MHKA (Antwerp), Musee des Beaus Arts Lille, and others. Many of these were previously visited as part of my AHRC-funded practice-led PhD almost a decade ago, examining the conditions of display in the museum. I was able to generate a significant amount of research material with which to further develop my work.
In addition to the planned museum visits, there were also useful, and perhaps productive ‘collateral’ opportunities – filming and recording a Belgian motorway from the service area provided the source material for a potential work with a Ballardian sense of place; the seaway entry to Rotterdam’s Europoort offered a kind of ‘hum’ and scale hard to find anywhere else in the world.
Caravaggio: Boy Bitten by a Lizard, 1594-1596. Installation at MHKA (Antwerp) as part of exhibition Sanguine/Bloedred
Ed & Nancy Keinholz: Five Card Stud, 1969-1972. Installation at MHKA (Antwerp) as part of exhibition Sanguine/Bloedred (originally inc. in documenta 5 in 1972 before disappearing for nearly forty years).
I was also able to encounter previously unseen works: Ed & Nancy Keinholz’s rarely seen ‘Five Card Stud’ (1969-1972), originally part of documenta 5 in 1972 before disappearing for nearly forty years, and one of two versions of Caravaggio’s ‘Boy Bitten by a Lizard’ (1594-1596) from the Fondation Roberto Longhi in Florence – the other being in the National Gallery in London – both part of ‘Sanguine/Bloedred’, Luc Tuymans’ vivid exploration of the baroque at MHKA in Antwerp.
Being awarded the Engine Micro Bursary has also been useful in providing leverage for funding the wider ‘Hum’ project, and I have been successful in securing a significant award through the Kerr-Fry Bequest from the University of Edinburgh towards this.
That the bursary supported both the planned and the unplanned is significant. In allowing an artist time, opportunity, new experiences and encounters, the potential for new ideas is supported. The value of this is huge.
Engine Travel
Kaye Winwood Reports from Food Art Week (Berlin)
Last month Kaye Winwood attended Food Art Week (Berlin), this research opportunity was supported by an Engine Micro Bursary, from New Art West Midlands and The New Art Gallery Walsall. She reports back on her experiences.
Curatorial Research Group Autumn 2017
The autumn season of Curatorial Research Network events led by Lucy Lopez and Eastside Projects with New Art West Midlands is now live.
Engine Bursary: TRANSMISSION pilot for an online radio station
Trevor Pitt reports on TRANSMISSION, a pilot project funded through our Engine Micro Bursaries to support research and training with a view to set up an arts radio station in the West Midlands.
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After a relatively quiet week or two, we have more information about the second season of 13 Reasons Why. The Netflix series, which drew critics and fans for its depiction of suicide, would continue telling the same story of Hannah Baker and the. Continue reading
Take the Game of Thrones experience to the next level A Game of Thrones audiobook that you can get for listening is the bestselling series called "A Song of Ice and Fire”. In 2014, the bundle was released and Roy Dotrice is the narrator. People. Continue reading
Planning on watching Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them? Have you watched the latest trailer of the movie, Fantastic beasts and Where to Find Them? If you haven't, you need to watch it ASAP. This four-minute long trailer gives a better view of. Continue reading
It has been a while, what 2011, that the last instalment of the the super duper hit franchise Pirates of the Caribbean released their swashbuckling gimmicks, led by Captain Jack Sparrow. There been quite a lot of speculation over the years as to. Continue reading
Tim Burton Adapts Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children
If there ever was anybody who could take a bestselling novel, adapt it for the screen and turn it into a fantastical, colorful journey in our minds, then that person has to be Tim Burton. Though this year's Alice Through The Looking Glass didn't. Continue reading
Video games were created to entice players to experience a world beyond their own, one where they could have superpowers that were only imagined before. In this virtual world, even killers came to be heroes. One of the most realistic games that took. Continue reading
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Trailer (With Bonus Surprises!)
Thank you, Lucasfilms and Disney for this one! December 16, 2016 is going to be THE day in the year that movie buffs are waiting for: the premier of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Since last year's blockbuster, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, directed. Continue reading
Find Out What’s Happening In The Secret Life Of Pets
Ever wondered what your doe-eyed little ball of fluff or scaly pet was up to while you were away at work? Well, think no more! Illumination Entertainment presents their latest animated flick after the immense success of their Minions. The Secret. Continue reading
Sail Through The Deep Blue With ‘Finding Dory’
Since 2003, fans have been waiting to reunite with the "Tank Gang", Marlin and the little Nemo, along with their forgetful blue fish friend, Dory. Pixar Animation Studios finally produced the sequel to the much-loved prequel, released by Walt Disney. Continue reading
The Wild Comes Alive With Jungle Book
Those born in the previous generation can bring their childhood memories back to life with Disney's latest updated release of The Jungle Book. Rudyard Kipling's hit book about the exotic life of the wild and the entanglement of a young man with the. Continue reading
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Getty Villa Celebrates the Exhibition <i>The Last Days of Pompeii</i> with an All-Day Family Festival
Press Image Sheet
Exhibition Object List
Media Contact(s):
Desiree Zenowich
dzenowich@getty.edu
At the J. Paul Getty Museum, the Getty Villa
Mount Vesuvius, 1985. Andy Warhol (American, 1928–1987). Acrylic and silkscreen ink on linen.
The Andy Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh, Founding Collection.
© The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc. / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.
LOS ANGELES—Grab the kids and run! On Sunday, December 2, the Getty Villa will offer an all-day Family Festival celebrating the exhibition The Last Days of Pompeii: Decadence, Apocalypse, Resurrection. On view until January 7, 2013, the exhibition addresses the potent legacy of the ancient city of Pompeii in the modern imagination.
The daylong festival will explore the role of Pompeii in the popular cultural imagination through crafting, performances, and other family-friendly adventures. Activities include posing for a family portrait in front of Mount Vesuvius, designing set pieces and props, performing in an art-inspired theatrical spectacle, and creating a volcanic cone of flowing lava to wear as a hat.
The family festival will take place at the Getty Villa in Malibu on Sunday, December 2, 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Admission is free, but a ticket is required. Parking is $15 a car. To make a reservation please call (310) 440-7300 or visit www.getty.edu.
For additional information and a schedule of family festival activities visit:
www.getty.edu/education/kids_families/programs/villa_family_festival.html
Visiting the Getty Villa
The Getty Villa is open Wednesday through Monday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is closed Tuesday and major holidays. Admission to the Getty Villa is always free. A ticket is required for admission. Tickets can be ordered in advance, or on the day of your visit, at www.getty.edu/visit or at (310) 440-7300. Parking is $15 per car. Groups of 15 or more must make reservations by phone. For more information, call (310) 440-7300 (English or Spanish); (310) 440-7305 (TTY line for the deaf or hearing impaired). The Getty Villa is at 17985 Pacific Coast Highway, Pacific Palisades, California.
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NFHCA announces 2018 Longstreth/NFHCA Division II All-American teams
GILBERT, Ariz. — This year, 32 student-athletes have been recognized by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) as Longstreth/NFHCA Division II All-Americans — the selections are divided into first and second teams.
Find a full, printable listing of Longstreth/NFHCA Division II All-Americans here, and an archive of past award winners here.
The 2018 Longstreth/NFHCA Division II All-American teams are made up of 20 first-time honorees, eight second-time honorees, three third-time honorees and one student-athlete was recognized for the fourth time. The lone four-time honoree was Millersville University forward, Aliza Mizak, who finished her collegiate career with 34 goals and eight assists for 76 points. Named All-Americans for the third time in their careers were Mary Mcneil from Merrimack College, Emily Miller from LIU Post and Kacie Smith from Stonehill College.
West Chester University had the most award winners with five All-Americans. East Stroudsburg University, Merrimack College, Millersville University, Pace University and Shippensburg University were tied for the second-most All-Americans — each team had three players recognized this year.
The 2018 Longstreth/NFHCA Regional Player of the Year awards will be announced tomorrow, January 8. The 2018 Longstreth/NFHCA National Player of the Year award will be announced on January 9.
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References of "Dittrich, Klaus 50001705"
Europeans and Americans in Korea, 1882-1910: A Bourgeois and Translocal Community
Dittrich, Klaus
in Itinerario (in press), 39(3),
This article deals with the European and American community in Korea between the conclusion of Korea’s first international treaties in the early 1880s and the country’s annexation by the Japanese Empire ... [more ▼]
This article deals with the European and American community in Korea between the conclusion of Korea’s first international treaties in the early 1880s and the country’s annexation by the Japanese Empire in 1910. The article starts out by presenting an overview of the community. Concentrated in Seoul and Chemulp’o, the Anglo-Saxon element dominated a community made up of diplomats, foreign experts in the service of the Korean government, merchants and missionaries. Next, the article describes two key characteristics of the European and American residents in Korea. Firstly, they were individuals defining themselves as bourgeois, or middle-class; secondly, the term “translocality” serves to bring together the multiple layers of border-crossing these individuals were involved in – as long-distance migrants between Europe or Northern America and East Asia, as migrants within the East Asian context, and as representatives of different Euro-American nationalities living together in Korea. [less ▲]
in H-Soz-u-Kult (2014)
in Zeitschrift für Geschichtswissenschaft (2014), 62(10), 854-856
The Beginnings of Modern Education in Korea, 1883-1910
in Paedagogica Historica (2014), 50(3), 265-284
Korea opened up to foreign intercourse in 1876, when the country concluded its first international treaty with Japan. Similar treaties with European and American nations followed during the 1880s. The ... [more ▼]
Korea opened up to foreign intercourse in 1876, when the country concluded its first international treaty with Japan. Similar treaties with European and American nations followed during the 1880s. The period until 1910, when Korea was annexed to the Japanese Empire, saw manifold attempts to reform as well as resistance to these reforms. Against the background of research on the world institutionalisation of education, this contribution analyses the changes that the opening of Korea entailed in the field of education, especially focusing on newly established forms of education. First, modern education was characterised by newly created institutions and curricula. These institutions can be classified according to the actors engaged in their creation, private Korean citizens, foreign missionary actors and the Korean government. Second, new educational discourses and practices characterised modern education in Korea. These new discourses played a central role in negotiating Korean nationalism and in culturally positioning Korea between China and the “West”. Bodily practices were radically changed through uniforms, new hairstyles and military drills. A new system of classroom interaction was introduced to Korea. [less ▲]
in Comparativ (2014), 23(4/5), 219-224
Konkurrenz imperialer Gesellschaften: Die Darstellung nationaler Systeme von Primärschulbildung auf den Weltausstellungen der Jahrhundertwende
in Caruso, Marcelo; Koinzer, Thomas; Mayer, Christine (Eds.) et al Zirkulation und Transformation. Pädagogische Grenzüberschreitungen in historischer Perspektive (2014)
Izabela Bādo no Nihon, Chōsen, Chūgoku kikō
in Fukui, Norihiko; Itō, Mamiko; Muramatsu, Kōichi (Eds.) Sekai no shūshū - Ajia wo meguru hakubutsukan, hakurankai, kaigairyokō (2014)
Water and Dust: Recovering Washed-Out Pasts of Industry in Luxembourg
Thyssen, Geert ; Dittrich, Klaus
in Burke, Catherine; Grosvenor, Ian; Haenggeli-Jenni, Béatrice (Eds.) et al Education across Europe: A Visual Conversation (2014)
Korea’s Internal Civilizing Mission: Education in the English Edition of The Independent, 1896-1898
in Acta Koreana (2013), 16(2), 431-472
This article discusses the education-related contents of the English edition of the bilingual Korean newspaper The Independent which appeared from 1896 to 1898. The paper, edited by Seo Jae-pil and Yun ... [more ▼]
This article discusses the education-related contents of the English edition of the bilingual Korean newspaper The Independent which appeared from 1896 to 1898. The paper, edited by Seo Jae-pil and Yun Chi-ho, was the key organ of the enlightenment party. It is argued that education was a key component of an internal civilizing mission spearheaded by the newspaper’s editors. This mission involved two elements. Firstly, The Independent saw education as a major means to emancipate Korea from Confucian tradition (which was itself seen as backward) and forge a new sense of nationalism. Secondly, education was continuously linked to new (predominantly male) practices, such as sports and military drills, as well as public speech and debating contests. Furthermore, reporting in the newspaper provides insights into educational debates and practices in late nineteenth-century Korea. [less ▲]
Conference report: ‘Gyoyuk-gwa gwonnyeok: yeoksahakjeok sigak-deul’ – ISCHE 35, 2013 (Riga) chamgi bogo
Dittrich, Klaus ; Park, Youn-ho; Yu, Jinyoung et al
in Hanguk gyoyuksahak (2013), 35(3), 143-154
As Exposições universais como mídia para a circulação transnacional de saberes sobre o ensino primário na segunda metade do século 19
in História da educação (2013), 17(41), 213-234
The study examines the approach of cultural transfer thought to the educational field of universal exhibitions during the second half of the 19th century. The issue of knowledge circulation on education ... [more ▼]
The study examines the approach of cultural transfer thought to the educational field of universal exhibitions during the second half of the 19th century. The issue of knowledge circulation on education was adressed and, specially, the progress in primary education, made possible by the movement of some actors, as well as their specific goals around this subject. Focuses on analyzing four countries: Japan, France, Germany and the United States and discuss that cultural transfer on primary school was operated by the sections that, in the universal expositions, explored the progresses on pedagogical objects, written documents, designs of school buildings, as well as models adopted by the exchanges and learning experiences from abroad. Finally, verifies the different sociocultural influences that guided the search for models by those nations. [less ▲]
The British Lady Traveller Isabella Bird in East Asia: A Theorist of Globalization?
in Homo migrans (2013), 8
This paper sheds new light on the British lady traveller Isabella Bird’s (1831-1904) trips to East Asia. Bird visited Japan in 1878. Subsequently she came to Korea, China and far eastern Russia in the mid ... [more ▼]
This paper sheds new light on the British lady traveller Isabella Bird’s (1831-1904) trips to East Asia. Bird visited Japan in 1878. Subsequently she came to Korea, China and far eastern Russia in the mid-1890s. It is argued that her publications provide a unique perspective on globalization in the late nineteenth century. Bird observed how the East Asian societies were subject to major transformations as a consequence of their integration into the system of global capitalism. Contrary to other contemporary authors, however, Bird pointed out that imperialism was not the driving force of change. Instead, she saw the East Asian societies themselves engaged in efforts of transformation through the active importation of foreign knowledge. Bird’s approach of understanding global change is then compared to the German historian Karl Lamprecht (1856-1915) who argued that the capacity to learn from abroad would be decisive throughout the twentieth century. The article then introduces the concept of cultural transfers which has been developed in a Franco-German context since the 1980s and which provides a methodological tool to empirically analyse transnational learning processes. Bird, Lamprecht and the historian who study cultural transfers have in common that their explanatory models focus on the agency of the receiving context. [less ▲]
Deutsche Berichterstattung über die Bildungssektionen der Weltausstellungen des 19. Jahrhunderts. Ein Literaturüberblick
in Möller, Esther; Wischmeyer, Johannes (Eds.) Transnationale Bildungsräume. Wissenstransfers im Schnittfeld von Kultur, Politik und Religion (2013)
Appropriation, Representation and Cooperation as Transnational Practices: The Example of Ferdinand Buisson
in Löhr, Isabella; Wenzlhuemer, Roland (Eds.) The Nation State and Beyond: Governing Globalization Processes in the Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Century (2013)
This contribution focuses on the transnational activities of the French intellectual and education expert Ferdinand Buisson (1841–1932). The liberal Protestant Buisson played a crucial role in ... [more ▼]
This contribution focuses on the transnational activities of the French intellectual and education expert Ferdinand Buisson (1841–1932). The liberal Protestant Buisson played a crucial role in implementing republican educational reforms during the last decades of the nineteenth century. Investigating his motivations for crossing borders and contacting his peers in foreign countries, this contribution distinguishes three transnational practices. Firstly, Buisson “went transnational” in order to learn from abroad. Secondly, once his institutionalisation efforts showed a certain maturity, he proudly presented his achievements neatly packaged in a nationalist discourse. Thirdly, Buisson called for common international effort projects. It is suggested that these practices of appropriation, representation, and cooperation provide a general tool for analysing the activities of expert actors on the international scene in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. [less ▲]
Conference report: Je 34-hoe gukje gyoyuksa hakhoe chamgwangi: ’18-20-segi gyoyuk-ui gukjehwa’ (2012-nyeon 6-wol 27-30-il)
‘Germania facile princeps’? – Das deutsche Bildungswesen und die Weltausstellungen des 19. und frühen 20. Jahrhunderts
in Dogil yeongu - Korean Journal of German Studies (2012), 23
This contribution discusses German education at world exhibitions during the second half of the nineteenth century. All great international exhibitions of that period comprised sections that were ... [more ▼]
This contribution discusses German education at world exhibitions during the second half of the nineteenth century. All great international exhibitions of that period comprised sections that were specifically dedicated to education where the participating nations presented their educational institutions, from kindergartens and primary schools to universities and science. In this way, world exhibitions brought together education experts from all over the world. They were one of the foremost vehicles for the transnational circulation of educational knowledge. This contribution analyses with which motivations German education experts frequented world exhibitions. It is argued that education experts frequented these exhibitions for three reasons. Firstly, they wanted to show the alleged superiority of German education. This took place in a context of competition between imperial societies, as the French historian Christophe Charle has suggested. The German educational exhibits of the mid-nineteenth century stressed the high standing of primary schools in the German states. At the turn of the century, the emphasis shifted to higher education when organisers staged German universities as the original and therefore superior incarnation of universities. Secondly, German education experts participated in world exhibitions in order to initiate projects of international cooperation. Their goal was to establish Germany as a central node in international academic networks and, in this way, to strengthen the position of German academia in the world. Madeleine Herren’s concept of governmental internationalism allows to adequately analyse this option. Thirdly, German education experts frequented world exhibitions in order to learn from abroad. Foreign knowledge that educators got in contact with at the exhibitions contributed to institutionalisation processes in Germany. The concept of cultural transfers provides the best tool to describe these appropriations. German education experts who used the exhibitions in this way usually made claims for a stronger emphasis on technical and practical elements in education. It is suggested that these three transnational practices of representation, cooperation and appropriation offer a general pattern to analyse the activities of expert actors when crossing the boundaries of their own nation during the phase of globalisation that was the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. [less ▲]
in Sungkyun Journal of East Asian Studies (2012), 12(1), 93-95
in Zeitschrift für Geschichtswissenschaft (2012), 60(9), 757-759
in International Journal of Korean History (2011), 16(2), 215-218
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David C. Sienko
dsienko@rc.com
Insurance + Reinsurance
David Sienko focuses his practice on complex insurance coverage litigation and counseling. He is a member of the firm’s Insurance + Reinsurance Group.
Insurance Coverage Litigation and Counseling
David represents domestic and international insurers in a broad array of coverage disputes and in connection with high-exposure liability claims.
Prior to joining Robinson+Cole, he worked for a New York City-based law firm as coverage and monitoring counsel to the Lloyd’s of London market, Bermuda-based insurers and reinsurers, and domestic coverholders. In that role, David provided strategic guidance on complex coverage issues, professional liability litigation, and a wide range of health care issues. In addition, he counseled clients on contractual language and performed audits of captive insurers nationwide; he also has advised on supportive housing and commercial appellate matters. While in law school, David served as a judicial intern to the Honorable Martin Glenn, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge for the Southern District of New York.
J.D., Business Law
B.A., Economics and Leadership Studies
U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York
U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York
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News, updates & blog
Latest posts to Recruit!
Home/News, updates & blog/Bad practice•Case studies of employers
Ineligible DBS checks for film/television extras
/ In: Bad practice/ Case studies of employers
We were recently contacted by an individual who, on signing up for extras work with a film and television casting agency, had been told that as a result of ‘new ‘guidance introduced by the Disclosure and Barring Service’, it would be necessary for him to have an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.
The individual explained to us that as and when children were on set, they were always accompanied by an ‘appropriate adult’ and he didn’t believe that his role would warrant an enhanced DBS check. He wanted to know whether we were aware of this new DBS guidance.
The agency’s website stated that:
“As of 1st January 2016 new DBS and PACT (Producers Alliance for Cinema and Television) guidance would require an enhanced check to be carried out for anybody working in this sector.”
The website also displayed the DBS logo which, in our opinion, implied that there was some validity to this statement.
After some further research, we could find no reference to the introduction of any new guidance and from the job description provided by the individual, we could see no reason for the agency to do anything other than a basic criminal record check.
We contacted the casting agency setting out our concerns but received no response from them. Unable to deal directly with the agency, we raised our concerns with the Information Commissioners Officer (ICO).
From the information provided, the ICO reached a similar conclusion to us – they could find no evidence of new DBS guidance and also believed that a basic criminal record check would be sufficient for roles of this type. The DBS were immediately able to confirm that there had been no new guidance introduced.
The DBS immediately contacted the agency who explained that they had been provided with this update from the Producers Alliance for Cinema and Television (PACT) of which they were members. The DBS explained that an error seemed to have been made in the interpretation of the use of enhanced DBS checks. They instructed the agency to remove the DBS logo from their website and also ensure that any reference to ‘new DBS guidance’ was also taken down. The DBS confirmed that an enhanced check would be deemed an ineligible check for the majority of extra’s roles.
The DBS also wrote to the Producers Alliance for Cinema and Television (PACT) and requested that they contact all of their members to clarify the situation.
The agency reviewed and changed their recruitment process in light of the issues we had raised.
This case showed how organisations can make incorrect assumptions about the eligibility for enhanced checks, especially if they are part of a larger membership organisation who may have members who would be required to undertake enhanced checks.
For an enhanced check to have been undertaken, an individual would have need to have had unsupervised access to children and in this case, the individual was able to demonstrate that children attending a ‘set’ would always be accompanied by an appropriate adult.
We have detailed guidance on the different types of criminal record checks which employers can use.
Notes about this case study
This case study relates to the work we’re doing to support and challenge employers as part of our Fair Access to Employment project.
Names and details have been changed to protect the identity of those involved.
Tagged:Tags: dbseligibilityICOineligibleTelevision
Christopher Stacey
Christopher manages and develops this website. He is a co-director of Unlock and leads the charity's work to support employers in the fair treatment of people with criminal records. Find out more about Christopher.
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Porfolio Progress Report!
Today was another day... $52,416.25
Porfolio Progress Report:
Two good days in ROW! $52,873.13
« Last Edit: May 28, 2014, 01:54:43 am by AGelbert »
Re: Profiting From Renewable Energy: Your Personal Power Plant
Leia Guccione
Why Owning Your Own Power Plant Might Not Be Crazy
Could a “personal power plant” be your next major home appliance?
The (Personal) Power Plants of the Future
When many people think of power plants they think of large industrial facilities with heavy machinery—hot, loud, and dirty. While this is an accurate description of many existing power plants, including those that I once operated, the personal power plants of the future will be much different.
Quiet, clean, and contained, your solar-plus-battery home energy system will be nearly indistinguishable from the refrigerator, chest freezer, or furnace in your basement—an essentially silent “box” that does something for you and your home, except this one will be connected to solar panels on your roof. In fact, as property developers and energy service companies become more familiar with these systems, they will most likely become integrated with the other systems in your home, leveraging the waste heat produced by your battery to help heat your home and provide other services.
To wit, personal power plants might be ready for consumer primetime , just like a wave of other examples where consumers switched from a centralized and/or outsourced service to providing it for themselves with appliances:
•The switch from ice block delivery service to refrigerators and freezers
•The rise of the swanky home theater system while large movie theaters have seen flat or even slowly declining ticket sales
•The shift from delivery of firewood or district heating systems to the in-home furnace
•The similar shift later in the 20th century to common in-home air conditioning units
•The television’s “promotion” from a one-per-household appliance around which the whole family gathered to a point today where Americans on average have as many TVs as people per household, with a third of homes boasting four or more TVs.
http://blog.rmi.org/blog_2014_05_22_owning_your_own_power_plant
sPower Buys Bosch Solar Energy North America Entities — Now Owns More Than 130 Solar Energy Projects Across Countryhttp://cleantechnica.com/2014/05/27/spower-buys-bosch-solar-energy-north-america-entities-now-owns-130-solar-energy-projects-across-country/
WE ARE ON A ROLL! $54,284.33
Chinese Solar Manufacturer Wants To Become Solar Power Plant Developer, Too
Formerly known as Suntech, Shunfeng Photovoltaic International is looking to move into project development.
Iain Wilson and Ehren Goossens, Bloomberg
TOKYO -- Shunfeng Photovoltaic International Ltd., the new owner of what was once the world’s biggest solar manufacturer, is seeking to issue HK$6 billion ($774 million) of shares to buildsolar-power plants.
Shunfeng plans to sell as many as 600 million new shares at not less than HK$10 apiece, according to a statement to the Hong Kong stock exchange. The company is also planning to change its name to Sunfu International Ltd.
The new name and the share offering reflect the company’s expansion from a manufacturer to a power producer. It acquired Wuxi Suntech Power in April for 3 billion yuan ($480 million), the biggest panel maker in 2012, and this month agreed to buy an inverter company. A sister company owns a stake in the wafer supplier LDK Solar Co. Shunfeng Chairman Zhang Yi said in January that the company would install 3 gigawatts of solar systems this year.
“The expansion has successfully transformed the group from, previously, an upstream solar products manufacturer into a fully integrated solar company with downstream solar-power generation assets,” according to a filing yesterday. “The group has future plans to expand into the business of integration of solar energy storage and photovoltaics, and other forms of renewable or clean energy.”
‘Largest’ Supplier
The goal is to “become the world’s largest integrated clean-energy supplier,” Chief Executive Officer Eric Luo said in a video on Shunfeng’s website. The company is controlled by real estate tycoon Zheng Jianming, who took a 30 percent stake in 2012.
The proposed share offering represents 28 percent of the company’s existing share capital, and the HK$10 price is an 8.9 percent discount to the stock’s close yesterday. Shunfeng’s shares were down 4.9 percent at HK$10.44 as of 2:04 p.m. local time today.
Chairman Zhang said Shunfeng expects to install 10 gigawatts of solar power in the three years through 2016. That would require investing 25 billion yuan this year.
That strategy may be difficult to pull off, Stephen Simko, analyst for Morningstar Investment Services Inc. in Chicago said in an interview. “Their idea of throwing more money in their operations doesn’t seem particularly intelligent.”
LDK is “structurally uncompetitive compared with their best peers,” said Simko, who dropped coverage of the wafer producer because it “effectively bankrupted operations of the company.”
Shunfeng needs additional financing to expand, it said on May 7 after the China Business News reported that the company would seek to obtain 100 billion yuan in credit lines from China Development Bank Corp.
China had almost 20 gigawatts of installed solar capacity in 2013, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance.
The National Development and Reform Commission earlier this month said China plans to speed up solar power development, targeting a more than tripling of installed capacity to 70 gigawatts by 2017 to cut reliance on coal.
Copyright 2014 Bloomberg.
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2014/05/chinese-solar-manufacturer-wants-to-become-solar-power-plant-developer-too
I can get used to THIS!! $54,421.30
Ho hum... Another day, another 100 plus dollars. $54,561.79
Porfolio (Slight Pull Back ) Progress Report!
Slow Friday...but I'm glad I DIDN'T - see April 30, 2014 balance "Go Away in May!" $53,856.85
Offshore wind power to grow six-fold, boosting turbine makers, HSBC says
Offshore wind power is set to grow six-fold by 2020, benefiting turbine makers including Vestas Wind Systems (VWDRY, VWSYF) and Gamesa Tecnologica (GCTAF), HSBC says.
Total global installed capacity of wind turbines at sea is forecast to rise to 43 gw by 2020 from 6.5 gw at the end of 2013, with the U.K., China and Germany the biggest offshore wind markets, according to HSBC.
The opportunity for manufacturers justifies a strategic long-term focus on the offshore segment, the firm advises; after 2015, “the rapid growth in offshore installations becomes a key to driving growth in wind technology."
http://seekingalpha.com/news/1720763-offshore-wind-power-to-grow-six-fold-boosting-turbine-makers-hsbc-says
Agelbert NOTE: I've already made quite a bundle on THIS ONE:
Symbol Last price Shares Cost basis Mkt value Gain Gain
VWDRY 17.79 1,000.00 10,417.00 17,790.00 +7,373.00 +70.78%
Agelbert NOTE: GEVO has a VERY depressed, down in the basement, stock price. If you like to bottom feed for high risk, high potential Renewable Energy stocks, this one is for you!
Toray to Convert Gevo's Para-Xylene to Bio-Polyester (PET)
ENGLEWOOD, Colo., May 29, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Gevo, Inc. (Nasdaq:GEVO) announced that it is selling para-xylene (PX) derived from its renewable isobutanol to Toray, one of the world's leading producers of fibers, plastics, films, and chemicals. PX is a primary raw material for the manufacture of bio-polyester (PET). PET has the largest global market share of all synthetic fibers and is also used in plastic bottles, films, and as a polymer for many other applications. The ability to produce PX as a building block for PET creates large market opportunities for Gevo and partners who desire bio-based plastic bottles, bio-based polyester fiber for apparel and textiles, and for many other products.
The PX was sold under a previously announced offtake agreement with Toray. Toray also provided funding assistance for the construction of Gevo's PX demo plant at its biorefinery at South Hampton Resources, where Gevo also produces other hydrocarbon products such as renewable jet fuel and renewable iso-octane. Toray expects to produce fibers, yarns, and films from Gevo's PX, for scale-up evaluation and market development purposes.
As a result of the shipment, Gevo will recognize revenue associated with both the sale of the PX, as well as the initial funding assistance provided by Toray for the project.
Gevo has also received support from The Coca-Cola Company for the development of its renewable PX technology. Research and development support was provided by The Coca-Cola Company under a previously announced Joint Development Agreement.
"We greatly appreciate the support that Toray and The Coca-Cola Company have provided Gevo in developing bio-PX. This is a groundbreaking achievement that we are very proud to have accomplished. This demonstrates that bio-isobutanol is truly a building block for the renewable chemicals industry," said Patrick Gruber, Gevo's Chief Executive Officer.
About GEVO
Gevo is a leading renewable technology, chemical products, and next generation biofuels company. Gevo's underlying technology uses a combination of synthetic biology, metabolic engineering, chemistry and chemical engineering to focus primarily on the production and sale of isobutanol, as well as related products from renewable feedstocks. Gevo's strategy is to commercialize biobased alternatives to petroleum-based products to allow for the optimization of fermentation facilities' assets, with the ultimate goal of maximizing cash flows from the operation of those assets.
Gevo produces isobutanol, ethanol and high-value animal feed at its first fermentation plant in Luverne, MN.Gevo has also developed technology to produce hydrocarbon products from renewable alcohols. Gevo currently operates its first biorefinery in Silsbee, TX, in collaboration with South Hampton Resources Inc., to produce renewable jet fuel, octane, and ingredients for plastics like polyester. Gevo has a marquee list of partners including The Coca-Cola Company, Total SA, Sasol Chemical Industries, and LANXESS, Inc., an affiliate of LANXESS Corporation, among others. Gevo is committed to a sustainable bio-based economy that meets society's needs for plentiful food and clean air and water. For more information, visit www.gevo.com.
Certain statements in this press release may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements include statements that are not purely statements of historical fact, and can sometimes be identified by our use of terms such as "intend," "expect," "plan," "estimate," "future," "strive" and similar words. These forward-looking statements are made on the basis of the current beliefs, expectations and assumptions of the management of Gevo and are subject to significant risks and uncertainty. Investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements. All such forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and the company undertakes no obligation to update or revise these statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Although the company believes that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, these statements involve many risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from what may be expressed or implied in these forward-looking statements. For a further discussion of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from those expressed in these forward-looking statements, as well as risks relating to the business of Gevo in general, see the risk disclosures in the Annual Report on Form 10-K of Gevo for the year ended December 31, 2013, and in subsequent reports on Forms 10-Q and 8-K and other filings made with the SEC by Gevo.
CONTACT: Media Contact:
Robin PeakGevo, Inc.
rpeak@gevo.com
Mike WillisGevo, Inc.
mwillis@gevo.com
Source: Gevo, Inc.
Read more: http://www.nasdaq.com/press-release/gevo-ships-renewable-paraxylene-to-toray-20140529-00518#ixzz33n5XOZuM
What Are Yieldcos?
In case, you haven't been following our articles on Yieldco's, they are an exciting, popular new option on the stock market.
They provide liquid, easily accessible capital to build new renewable energy projects, while giving investors dividends.
They draw a line between the side of a company that develops projects and the Yield Co, which owns and operates them long-term. Investors benefit from long-term, stable dividends that come from selling electricity to utilities under 20-25-year power purchase agreements. For income investors, they offer one of the few ways to make reliable dividends from high quality, very low risk projects. Any cash that's not paid out in dividends is reinvested in new projects.
These are the other YieldCos:
•Hannon Armstrong (NYSE: HASI): unique in that it invests mostly in energy efficiency upgrades for big buildings, also renewable energy;
•Pattern Energy Group (NASDAQ:PEGI): wind farms
•TransAlta Renewables (TSE:RNW): wind and hydro
•Greencoat UK Wind (LON: UKW): UK wind farms
•Renewables Infrastructure Group (LON: TRIG): solar and wind projects in Europe
•Bluefield Solar Income Fund (LON: BSIF): buy or finance large-scale solar plants in the UK
Soon to go public:
•Abengoa Yield and SunEdison Yield: solar plants
Read our article, Clean Energy IPO Boom As Investors Seek Predictable Dividends.
I'm holding my own but the GEVO stock has been hammered. I expect it to pop next month. I won't dump it while it is in the basement. I hope I'm not caught in endowment bias.
GEVO is a good stock! Next month will prove me right! (famous last words.... ).
Symbol Last price Change Shares▲ Cost basis Mkt value Gain Gain % Day's gain
GEVO 0.869 +0.025 (2.93%) 12,000.00 15,675.20 10,428.00 -5,247.20 -33.47% +296.40
Overall return
Buffett To Plow an ADDITIONAL $15 billion into Renewable Energy Investments
Buffett To Double Down on Renewable Energy Investments
The billionaire plans to plow an additional $15 billion into wind and solar in the future.
Noah Buhayar and Jim Polson, Bloomberg
Warren Buffett briefly lost track of how many billions of dollars his Berkshire Hathaway Inc. is spending to build wind and solar power in the U.S. That didn’t stop him from vowing to double the outlay.
Describing the company’s increasing investment in renewable energy at the Edison Electric Institute’s annual convention in Las Vegas yesterday, Buffett had to rely on a deputy, Greg Abel, to remind him just how much they’d committed: $15 billion.
Without missing a beat, Buffett responded: “There’s another $15 billion ready to go, as far as I’m concerned.”
Such bold remarks are common for the Berkshire chairman and chief executive officer. He frequently talks about hunting for “elephant”-size acquisitions and making multibillion-dollar stock purchases.
Still, the comment speaks to the kinds of investments that are increasingly appealing to the billionaire now that his Omaha, Nebraska-based company is the fifth-largest in the world by market value. With dozens of units spinning off cash, Buffett has been allocating funds to regulated, capital-intensive businesses such as railroad BNSF and power companies.
“Buffett has always steered Berkshire toward the future,” said Lawrence Cunningham, a professor at George Washington University and author of the forthcoming book “Berkshire Beyond Buffett.” “Lately, that has meant intensifying the company’s focus on rudimentary, long-lasting businesses.”
‘Keep Moving’
While utilities don’t offer the sort of outsize returns of businesses that Buffett, 83, favored earlier in his career, he has said he likes the industry because it provides opportunities for reinvestment and further acquisitions. He bought control of an energy holding company in Iowa in 2000 and helped bankroll its expansion.
The unit, now called Berkshire Hathaway Energy, operates electric grids in the U.K., natural gas pipelines that stretch from the Great Lakes to Texas and electric utilities in states including Oregon and Nevada. Its renewable investments include wind farms in Iowa and Wyoming, as well as solar farms in California and Arizona.
Unlike other utility-holding companies, Berkshire Hathaway Energy retains all of its earnings. That probably will continue, Buffett said yesterday, estimating that the unit could reinvest about $30 billion into its business in the next decade.
“We’re going to keep doing that as far as the eye can see,” he said. “We’ll just keep moving.”
‘Strong Need’
Berkshire has been able to plow so much into renewable energy because it can use tax credits to offset profit at other businesses, Abel, the 52-year-old CEO of Berkshire Hathaway Energy, said yesterday. Units at Buffett’s company include auto insurer Geico, Dairy Queen, Shaw carpet and T-shirt maker Fruit of the Loom.
Investments in renewable energy will be needed as the U.S. seeks to reduce its reliance on fossil-fuel generation. Electric utilities face cuts of 30 percent in carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 compared with 2005, according to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates of a proposed rule issued June 2.
“It’s encouraging that he wants to invest because as an industry we have a strong need for capital,” Nick Akins, CEO of American Electric Power Co., said of Buffett’s remarks on renewables.
AEP is a partner with Berkshire in Electric Transmission Texas, a joint venture that’s building and operating power lines carrying electricity from the state’s windy plains to cities.
While spending $30 billion on renewable-energy projects would have been unheard of two decades ago at Berkshire, Buffett is signaling that the returns are attractive, said Jeff Matthews, a shareholder and author of books about the company. The comment may turn out to be more than an off-hand remark.
“If he says it, he means it,” said Matthews. “The whole complexion of the company has changed.”
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2014/06/buffet-to-double-down-on-renewable-energy-investments
GEVO is improving slowly but surely...
-33.47% -29.19%
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Home Opinions Columns Thirsty Thursday And Message In A Bottle
Thirsty Thursday And Message In A Bottle
Andrea Watson
Bruce Joseph, On the Beam, #287, and Robert Ebenau, En Passant, #244, are getting some competition from a third boat (unidentified).
Right after the start of Division IIL Paula Davis, Her C Gem, #279 and Joel Ziev, Sundance, #257,look like they are match racing.
The Thirsty Thursday Group
Each year about this time, the Cow Bay Cruising Association, aka Thirsty Thursday, holds it annual meeting. This is to plan for the upcoming season and award the teams from last year that had podium finishes. On Thursday, April 21, the group got together at Manhasset Bay YC (MBYC) for their annual meeting. Anthony Viola, MBYC member, chaired the evening. After a discussion about important issues for these “big boat” racers, it was time for awards.
According to Anthony Viola, the top boats for the 2015 season are: In Division I Spring Series: 1. Bob Schwartz, Nordlys, MBYC, 2. Al Albrecht, Avalanche, PWYC, and 3. Arthur H. Buhr III, Leverage, PWYC. Division II, Spring Series: 1. Chuck McCarthy, Speed D8, PWYC, 2. Marc Epstein, Vision, North Shore YC (NSYC), and 3. Charlie Cannam, EnGarde, NSYC. Division III, Spring Series: 1. Robert Ebenau, En Passant, NSYC, 2. Richard Raskin, Osprey, NSYC, 3. Bruce Joseph, On the Beam, MBYC.
The top boats in the Summer Series: Division I: 1. Leverage, 2. Nordlys, and 3. Avalanche. Division II: 1. Speed D8, 2. Vision, and 3. Eric Weintraub/David Deutsch, Scarlet. Division III: 1. EnPassant, 2. On the Beam, and 3. Her C Gem. There was no Fall Series.
The Thirsty Thursday group has been around for a long time and it is a great bunch of racers who like their competition out on the water but come back and enjoy each other’s company at their clubs. If you have just moved to the area and would like to explore skippering your own boat or help out as crew, or if you just want to get back into sailing after a hiatus, contact Anthony Viola at AJViola@mintz.com.
There is a really interesting story posted on the Guardian. It’s all about a message in a bottle that was sent 108 years ago, with the promise that whoever found it would receive a shilling. The communication, thrown into the sea by a Plymouth biologist in 1906, was found by a German woman. When the marine biologist threw his message in a bottle into the sea, asking whoever found it to contact him, he wasn’t expecting a speedy response. The woman who found it has been given the reward promised in 1908 by the scientific institution that has inherited the debt of honor—a shilling. The bottle was among more than 1,000 thrown into the North Sea by George Parker Bidder as part of his research into the patterns of currents. This one was part of a batch from Nov. 30, 1906, and was found 108 years, four months and 18 days later in 2015 by a retired postal worker Marianne Winkler, on holiday on Amrun, one of Germany’s North Frisian islands.
Inside she could see a message reading “break the bottle,” but she and her husband, Horst, tried and failed to get the message out without destroying its container. Eventually they extracted a postcard with a message in English, German and Dutch, asking for it to be returned to the Marine Biological Association in Plymouth, Devon, England. The Winklers could see it was old, but had no idea how old, as the card was undated. They posted it off. The association, founded in 1884, still exists and is a renowned marine research institution. Although there was astonishment when it arrived, Bidder’s name was familiar in Plymouth. He died in 1954 at the age of 91. His messages in bottles helped him prove that the deep sea current in the North Sea flowed from east to west. Guy Baker, the communications officer at the association, said they were determined Winkler would get the proper reward. “We found an old shilling, I think we got it on eBay,” said Baker. “We sent it to her with a letter saying thank you.” Winkler now has the honor of confirmation by Guinness World Records of her find—her bottle comfortably beat the last record holder, a bottle found in Shetland in 2013 that had been adrift for 99 years and 43 days (source: www.theguardian.com).
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Andrea Watson is a Port Washington-based maritime photographer and journalist. She writes Port Washington News' column On The Bay and is currently the Executive Secretary of the Yacht Racing Association of Long Island Sound (YRALIS).
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Pritzker Group Extends the Power of its Network with Dedicated Network Relationship Manager
Pritzker Group today announced that Kristi Dula has joined the firm as its first network relationship manager.
Based in Pritzker Group’s Chicago office, Dula is an accomplished sales and operations professional with extensive experience developing corporate partnerships and building community relationships. She will be responsible for facilitating relationships for Pritzker Group’s family of companies, connecting them with the firm’s wide network of experts, strategic partners and potential customers.
Dula served as a strategic account manager for Kapow, an online marketplace and corporate event provider, where she developed sales and solution processes to manage the company’s top ten tech accounts, including Adobe, Apple and Google. Prior to Kapow, Dula was vice president of events and content creation for 1871, the Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center’s flagship technology incubator. Dula operationalized 1871’s focus on connecting businesses, organizers and entrepreneurs during its early stages and oversaw all marketing, communications and logistics efforts for more than 1,500 events.
“Our family of companies, across Pritzker Group Private Capital and Pritzker Group Venture Capital, generate billions in revenue and count every Fortune 50 company as a customer. Kristi will help us harness our relationships to create even more value for our current and future partner companies,” said J.B. Pritzker, Managing Partner of Pritzker Group.
Dula holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Texas A&M University.
Pritzker Group, led by Tony and J.B. Pritzker, has three principal investment teams: Private Capital, which acquires and operates leading North America-based companies; Venture Capital, which provides multi-stage venture funding to technology companies throughout the United States; and Asset Management, which partners with top-performing investment managers across global public markets.
Pritzker Group Private Capital acquires North America-based middle-market companies with leading positions in the manufactured products, services and healthcare sectors. The firm’s permanent, proprietary capital base allows for efficient decision making, broad flexibility with transaction structure and investment horizon, and alignment with management teams focused on creating long-term value. Pritzker Group brings significant resources, expertise and credibility in building businesses and is an ideal partner for entrepreneur- and family-owned companies.
Pritzker Group Venture Capital helps entrepreneurs build market-leading technology companies at every stage of their growth. Since its founding in 1996, the firm has worked side-by-side with entrepreneurs at more than 100 companies, building partnerships based on trust and integrity. The firm’s proprietary capital structure allows for tremendous flexibility, and its experienced team of investment professionals and entrepreneurs offers companies a vast network of strategic relationships and guidance. Successful exits in recent years include Fleetmatics (NYSE: FLTX), SinglePlatform (acquired by Constant Contact), Zinch (acquired by Chegg), Playdom (acquired by Disney), LeftHand Networks (acquired by Hewlett-Packard), and TicketsNow (acquired by Ticketmaster).
For more information, visit pritzkergroup.com.
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ProAmpac Completes Acquisition of Clondalkin Flexible Packaging Orlando
ProAmpac, one of the nation’s largest flexible packaging manufacturers, today announced that is has acquired Clondalkin Flexible Packaging Orlando from Holland’s Clondalkin Group. Specializing in converting, printing, die-cutting and slitting packaging materials, Clondalkin Flexible Packaging Orlando is an established market leader in lidding foils and films. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
“For more than 20 years ProAmpac has partnered with Clondalkin Flexible Packaging Orlando to jointly supply lidding and films to the marketplace,” said ProAmpac CEO Greg Tucker.
“This acquisition enables us to offer customers an integrated and comprehensive capability as well as an ability to meet their increasing demands for daisy chain portion-pack lidding. We are pleased about the enhanced offerings this acquisition will bring to our customers,” Tucker added.
Cincinnati-based ProAmpac, one of the top 10 flexible packaging converters in the United States, is owned by Pritzker Group Private Capital along with management and co-investors. With the addition of Clondalkin Flexible Packaging Orlando, ProAmpac has 23 manufacturing sites in North America, Europe and Asia with 3,100 employees supplying more than 5,000 customers in 90 countries. ProAmpac serves food, pet care, healthcare, lawn care and retail markets as well as providing secure packaging for the transport of cash and valuables.
Founded in 1977, Clondalkin acquired Spiralkote in 2002, and in 2014 became known as Clondalkin Flexible Packaging Orlando. The business will become part of the ProAmpac brand and operate as a part of the Extrusion and Laminations Division. Bill Harris, former president of Clondalkin Flexible Packaging Orlando, will lead ProAmpac’s lidding solutions.
Michael Nelson, Pritzker Group Private Capital investment partner, said, “This is a sound strategic fit, giving ProAmpac a needed foothold in lidding and other printing, embossing and die-cutting capabilities. It further underscores Pritzker Group Private Capital’s commitment to investing in companies with proven leadership and market expertise.”
About ProAmpac
ProAmpac is a leading global flexible packaging company with a comprehensive product offering unparalleled in the industry. We provide creative packaging solutions, industry-leading customer service and award-winning innovation to a diverse global marketplace. We are guided in our work by four core values that are the basis for our success: Integrity, Intensity, Innovation and Involvement. For more information, visit proampac.com.
About Clondalkin Group
Clondalkin is a group of nine flexible packaging companies located across Europe and North America specializing in extrusion, printing, laminating and finishing. The companies have extensive experience in the development, manufacture and marketing of various packaging for different consumer goods and industrial applications. For more, visit clondalkingroup.com.
Pritzker Group, founded by Tony and J.B. Pritzker, has three principal investment teams: Private Capital, which acquires and operates leading North America-based companies; Venture Capital, which provides early-stage and growth venture funding to technology companies throughout the United States; and Asset Management, which partners with top-performing investment managers across global public markets.
Pritzker Group Private Capital acquires North America-based middle-market companies with leading positions in the manufactured products, services and healthcare sectors. The firm’s permanent, proprietary capital base allows for efficient decision making, broad flexibility with transaction structure and investment horizon, and alignment with management teams focused on creating long-term value. Pritzker Group brings significant resources, expertise and credibility in building businesses and is an ideal partner for entrepreneur- and family-owned companies. For more information, visit pritzkergroup.com.
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Snap Judgment On Random Encounters
by dither on September 7, 2012 at 10:43 am
Posted In: Create Expectations
I’ve thought off and on since my post, the I may have taken too hard a stance against random encounters. Maybe I’ve forgotten the original context of my writing, but there’s something I think I want to clarify about what purpose random encounters serve.
I stumbled across a tropes page, for something like “sliding scale of gameplay to cutscene length,” and there was an interesting comment that changed the way I looked at some of the earlier Final Fantasy games. Not setting aside the fact that the majority of the series features crap stories – there’s this competing viewpoint.
“I hit it with my axe.”
If you view the Final Fantasy games not as roleplaying games, but rather as large-scale fantasy-themed beat’em-ups. It’s definitely a different way of looking at them as games — as the characters being fairly non-descript heroes of questionable morals wandering from place to place thrashing monsters.
Many quests nowadays are really just excuses to go out and beat up monsters, and I think there may be a valid point to the argument that the combat system has to be fun to justify the justification. I think what may have happened along the way is the games’ purpose was made grander than it was ever intended.
Rather than the story of console roleplaying games being “the point,” it seems more they are the result of emergent gameplay. Players weave their own narrative into the gameplay, and that becomes the focus of their enjoyment. It certainly worked when many of the enemies were being seen for the first time.
Ten iterations later, fighting the same slimes and goblins just isn’t as appealing. I can see how it might be important to mix up character classes and attacks and whatnot between iterations of the game – and monsters too. Settings as well. Sort of the bread-and-butter of beat’em-ups, I imagine.
“I hit it with my fist.”
And the combat needs to be good.
So what I’m saying here is not totally backpedaling on what I said about random encounters, because there’s still a problem when they’re being used as filler – it’s important to tell a story through your combat when the game is about telling a story – but random encounters can also be part of the point.
In that case, I guess you have a difficult balance to strike between making the encounters fun, and making them challenging. When they’re too hard, the player may wind up backtracking a lot, and losing lots of time in the process. I know this appeals to some gamers, but I think it’s sort of an acquired taste in game styles.
There’s always more to talk about when it comes to designing and using encounters.
Random Encounter Epidemic
[Exchange of Realities] How Not to Make People Hate Random Encounters
On the Monster, Random, Wandering or Otherwise
└ Tags: Emergent Gameplay, Final Fantasy, games, problems, roleplaying
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Runyan Program Notes
Home»La mer, L. 109
La mer, L. 109
While others, notably Franz Liszt and Richard Wagner, were on the forefront of stylistic change during the nineteenth century, it is surely Claude Debussy who forever established entirely new approaches to thinking about the fundamental ways of defining and composing music in Western culture. More than anyone, he truly was the father of much of the philosophical basis for the complete turnover in musical art that defined the twentieth century. And, along the way, he composed some of the most original, creative, and dare we say, beautiful music in the repertoire. His name, of course, is indelibly linked with what is popularly called “musical impressionism,” but that doesn’t really specifically tell you much. What you may say is that he largely worked within a musical style that made little use of so many of the characteristics of a musical tradition that dominated the concert halls of the 18th and 19th centuries. Many of us are familiar with concepts such as sonata form; development; key relationships; major and minor tonalities, with their respective scales, counterpoint, fugues, and especially “developing” musical ideas in an ongoing linear fashion. As dominant as these procedures were, Debussy saw other ways of creating and working with musical ideas. His specifically French way of looking at things was quite a contrast to the ideas and methods of the German-speaking composers (all names we know so well!) that had dominated concert halls for a couple of centuries. There was opera, to be sure, and Italians had always held sway there, but in abstract music (no words or story) the Germans were generally king. Along comes Debussy with a refreshing alternative æsthetic.
In a nutshell Debussy was not much interested in systems of musical composition, wherein each part—large or small—had a rational, expected, and traditional relationship to every other part. Rather, he focused upon listening to musical sounds in new ways—considering them just for their intrinsic sound, and not how they might fit into a hierarchy as a mere building block. In much of his music one sound, note, or chord did not necessarily strongly suggest what should come next, as had centuries of European music. The sound simply existed in its own merits, its own beauty, and its own ability to evoke and conjure. Debussy opened up new ways of composing, listening, and thinking about music--and the musical world was changed forever.
Perhaps no composition better reflects this major change in how music is conceived than does La mer, for it eschews so many of the formal principles of Western music. By the time of its completion in 1905 Debussy had long been considered a major figure in the music world. His many compositions were performed worldwide, although not every critic was convinced of his artistic position. He had composed such important works as his ground breaking Prèlude à l’après-midi d’un faune (1895), the three orchestral Nocturnes (1899), and his opera, Pelléas et Mélisande (1902). While the debate rages eternally over the application of the term, “impressionism,” to Debussy’s style, it is clear that in a general, non-theoretical sense, La mer remains a tour-de-force of impressions of the sea. Debussy is on record as deprecating impressionism, and it is clear that his music is convincing and consciously rooted in the precepts of the “symbolist” movement in French poetry, rather than impressionism in the visual arts. Symbolism sought the mystical, explored the imagination and images from dreams; it favored free and unrestricted forms—perhaps little formal structure. Debussy admired and adapted themes from symbolist literature for most of his important works. But, specific painters were among those whose æsthetic resonated with him, especially the American artist, James McNeill Whistler, and the English painter, Turner. The extravagant washes of color that border on abstraction in the seascapes of the latter are an almost perfect analogy to Debussy’s sweeping sonic ambiguities in La mer. The lack of clear, formal boundaries of Debussy’s composition mirror the preference of the symbolists for diffuseness and avoidance of clarity. And so, in La mer, one will listen in vain for “main themes,” traditional forms such as “sonata” and “rondo,” home keys, and the like. Rather, the listener basks in a series of evocations of clouds, waves, sunlight, and reflections—all musically mirroring the rhapsodic, ephemeral, ever-changing imagery of the seashore.
Debussy’s mastery of orchestral color is the basis for all of this, scoring for multiple divisions of the strings, pure woodwind colors, and muted or sparing use of the brass. For all of the composer’s precedent shattering innovations described above, his sound is primarily beautifully consonant and ingratiating, complemented by an almost infinite mastery of subtle rhythms and non-traditional scales. Not without import was Debussy’s epochal encounter with the sounds of the Javanese gamelan orchestra at the Exposition Universelle in 1889 in Paris. Into all of this, one must remember that the composer was an expert on the music of Wagner, and at one time toured, playing and lecturing on the German’s operas. What he took from that was nothing that sounded exactly like Wagner, but was nevertheless strongly influenced by his command of orchestral color and textures, and his advanced harmonic language.
La mer is divided into three movements: “From dawn to noon on the sea,” “Play of the waves,” and “Dialogue of the wind and the sea.” While traditional formal structure is mostly absent, there is a basic familiar symmetry in the insertion of a more active, almost scherzo-like middle section, depicting the waves. In all three movements, just as sunlight quickly changes colors and shadows on a seascape, Debussy moves quickly and unpredictably in the music. There is a notable lack of the usual musical clichés used by composers from Mendelssohn to Richard Rogers to depict nautical scenes, but the effect is clear and unmistakable. Debussy’s depictive ideas now live on in countless imitations all around us by those who paint the sea in sound. His imagery is perfect, his technique and tools were totally original, and anyone who has truly looked at sun, clouds, and sea, and who has felt the wind on the shore, understands intuitively Debussy’s intent.
--Wm. E. Runyan
© 2015 William E. Runyan
Stephen Albert
Hugo Alfvén
Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach
Mason Bates
Alexander Borodin
Max Bruch
Chen Yi
Calvin Custer
Michael Daugherty
Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington
Harold Farberman
Allen Feinstein
César Franck
Michael Gilbertson
Alexander Glazunov
Phillip Glass
Mikhail Glinka
Percy A. Grainger
Ferde Grofé
Launy Grøndahl
Alan Hovhaness
Dmitri Kabalevsky
Aram Khatchaturian
Zoltán Kodály
Richard Meyer
Modest Mussorgsky-Ravel
Nkeiru Okoye
Russell Peck
Astor Piazzolla/arr. Desyatnikov
Kevin Puts
Antonio Salieri
Joseph Schwantner
Rodion Shchedrin
Bedřich Smetana
Johann Strauss II
William Grant Still
Christopher Theofanides
Various Opera Arias
Ellen Taaffe Zwilich
© 2019 Runyan Program Notes - Built by RDD Digital, Inc.
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Subject: 2009–10 in English football, FWA Footballer of the Year, Luton Town F.C., Arsenal F.C. Academy, Kenilworth Road
The season ended with success for both Manchester clubs, as City won the FA Cup and Manchester United won the First Division title by an 11-point margin.
League table 4
Football Writers' Association
Footballer of the Year – Bert Trautmann (Manchester City)
Top goalscorer
Nat Lofthouse (Bolton Wanderers), 33
First Division Manchester United (4) Blackpool
Second Division Sheffield Wednesday Leeds United
Third Division North Grimsby Town Derby County
Third Division South Leyton Orient Brighton & Hove Albion
FA Cup Manchester City (3) Birmingham City
Charity Shield Chelsea Newcastle United
Home Championship Shared by England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
Manchester United won the First Division title by 11 points, featuring a squad of players with an average of just 22, with manager Matt Busby's emphasis on youth paying dividends and answering the critics who felt that his policy would not be able to maintain United's place among the game's elite. Second place was occupied by Blackpool, with Stanley Matthews still a dominant presence in the team in his 41st year, while Wolves finished third, FA Cup winners Manchester City finished fourth, and Arsenal completed the top five. Birmingham City finished sixth to record their best ever final position.
Sheffield United and Huddersfield Town finished the season relegated.
1 Manchester United 42 25 10 7 83 51 1.627 60
2 Blackpool 42 20 9 13 86 62 1.387 49
3 Wolverhampton Wanderers 42 20 9 13 89 65 1.369 49
4 Manchester City 42 18 10 14 82 69 1.188 46
5 Arsenal 42 18 10 14 60 61 0.984 46
6 Birmingham City 42 18 9 15 75 57 1.316 45
7 Burnley 42 18 8 16 64 54 1.185 44
8 Bolton Wanderers 42 18 7 17 71 58 1.224 43
9 Sunderland 42 17 9 16 80 95 0.842 43
10 Luton Town 42 17 8 17 66 64 1.031 42
11 Newcastle United 42 17 7 18 85 70 1.214 41
12 Portsmouth 42 16 9 17 78 85 0.918 41
14 Charlton Athletic 42 17 6 19 75 81 0.926 40
17 Cardiff City 42 15 9 18 55 69 0.797 39
18 Tottenham Hotspur 42 15 7 20 61 71 0.859 37
19 Preston North End 42 14 8 20 73 72 1.014 36
20 Aston Villa 42 11 13 18 52 69 0.754 35
21 Huddersfield Town 42 14 7 21 54 83 0.651 35
22 Sheffield United 42 12 9 21 63 77 0.818 33
Sheffield Wednesday crossed paths with their cross city rivals to return to the First Division by winning the Second Division title, joined by runners-up Leeds United. Liverpool narrowly missed out on a First Division comeback by finishing third.
Plymouth Argyle and Hull City were relegated.
1 Sheffield Wednesday 42 21 13 8 101 62 1.629 55
2 Leeds United 42 23 6 13 80 60 1.333 52
3 Liverpool 42 21 6 15 85 63 1.349 48
5 Leicester City 42 21 6 15 94 78 1.205 48
6 Bristol Rovers 42 21 6 15 84 70 1.200 48
7 Nottingham Forest 42 19 9 14 68 63 1.079 47
8 Lincoln City 42 18 10 14 79 65 1.215 46
9 Fulham 42 20 6 16 89 79 1.127 46
10 Swansea Town 42 20 6 16 83 81 1.025 46
11 Bristol City 42 19 7 16 80 64 1.250 45
12 Port Vale 42 16 13 13 60 58 1.034 45
13 Stoke City 42 20 4 18 71 62 1.145 44
14 Middlesbrough 42 16 8 18 76 78 0.974 40
15 Bury 42 16 8 18 86 90 0.956 40
22 Hull City 42 10 6 26 53 97 0.546 26
Grimsby Town clinched the Third Division North title and secured promotion to the Second Division.
1 Grimsby Town 46 31 6 9 76 29 2.621 68
2 Derby County 46 28 7 11 110 55 2.000 63
3 Accrington Stanley 46 25 9 12 92 57 1.614 59
4 Hartlepools United 46 26 5 15 81 60 1.350 57
8 Bradford City 46 18 13 15 78 64 1.219 49
9 Scunthorpe & Lindsey United 46 20 8 18 75 63 1.190 48
10 Workington 46 19 9 18 75 63 1.190 47
16 Tranmere Rovers 46 16 9 21 59 84 0.702 41
17 Chester City 46 13 14 19 52 82 0.634 40
20 Oldham Athletic 46 10 18 18 76 86 0.884 38
21 Carlisle United 46 15 8 23 71 95 0.747 38
23 Bradford Park Avenue 46 13 7 26 61 122 0.500 33
24 Crewe Alexandra 46 9 10 27 50 105 0.476 28
Leyton Orient reached the Second Division by finished top of the Third Division South by a single point, one point ahead of Brighton and two points ahead of Ipswich Town.
1 Leyton Orient 46 29 8 9 106 49 2.163 66
2 Brighton & Hove Albion 46 29 7 10 112 50 2.240 65
3 Ipswich Town 46 25 14 7 106 60 1.767 64
4 Southend United 46 21 11 14 88 80 1.100 53
5 Torquay United 46 20 12 14 86 63 1.365 52
6 Brentford 46 19 14 13 69 66 1.045 52
7 Norwich City 46 19 13 14 86 82 1.049 51
9 Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic 46 19 10 17 63 51 1.235 48
10 Gillingham 46 19 10 17 69 71 0.972 48
17 Reading 46 15 9 22 70 79 0.886 39
18 Queens Park Rangers 46 14 11 21 64 86 0.744 39
19 Newport County 46 15 9 22 58 79 0.734 39
22 Millwall 46 15 6 25 83 100 0.830 36
23 Crystal Palace 46 12 10 24 54 83 0.651 34
24 Swindon Town 46 8 14 24 34 78 0.436 30
Articles lacking sources from December 2009
Articles to be expanded from July 2010
Articles with empty sections from July 2010
England, Spain, Italy, Real Madrid C.F., FC Barcelona
Arsenal F.C., Premier League, Manchester United F.C., Cardiff City F.C., Football League Cup
FWA Footballer of the Year
England, Liverpool F.C., Manchester United F.C., Arsenal F.C., Scotland
Luton Town F.C.
England, Scotland, Football League Two, Midfielder, Luton
Arsenal F.C. Academy
England, Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, Wales, Defender (association football)
Kenilworth Road
Luton, Luton Town F.C., Bedfordshire, The Football League, Southern Football League
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Subject: 1973–74 in English football, 1972–73 Football League, 1971–72 in English football, Howard Kendall, 1967–68 in English football
The 1972–73 season was the 93rd season of competitive football in England.
1.1 First Division
1.2 Second Division
1.3 Third Division
1.4 Fourth Division
1.5 FA Cup
1.6 League Cup
2 European Football
3 Star players
4 Star managers
5 Domestic Honours
6 League table
The Football League announced that a three-up, three-down system would operate between the top two divisions from the following season, rather than the traditional two-up, two-down system. The four-up, four-down system between the Third and Fourth Divisions would continue, as would the re-election system between the league's bottom four clubs.
Liverpool won the championship (their first in 7 years) in Bill Shankly's penultimate season as manager despite competition from Arsenal, Leeds United, Ipswich Town and Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Manchester United sacked manager Frank O'Farrell after 18 months in charge. He had been unable to mount a title challenge. Tommy Docherty, the 44-year-old Scottish national coach and former Aston Villa manager, was appointed as his successor.
Burnley and Queens Park Rangers won promotion to the First Division. Huddersfield Town's decline continued as they slid into the Third Division, where they were joined by Brighton & Hove Albion.
Third Division
Bolton Wanderers and Notts County occupied the two promotion places in the Third Division. Rotherham United, Brentford, Swansea City and Scunthorpe United were relegated to the Fourth Division.
Fourth Division
Hereford United were promoted from the Fourth Division in their first season as a Football League club. They had been elected to the Football League a year earlier after finishing as runners-up to Chelmsford City in the Southern League and achieving a shock win over Newcastle United in the FA Cup. They were joined in the promotion zone by champions Southport, Cambridge United and Aldershot. Newport County missed promotion only on goal average. There were no arrivals or departures in the league for 1973.
An Ian Porterfield goal saw Sunderland achieve a famous 1–0 win over Leeds United in the FA Cup final.[1] Sunderland, managed by Bob Stokoe, did not contain any full internationals, whereas Don Revie's Leeds side were all internationals. Sunderland goalkeeper Jim Montgomery also received plaudits after a good performance featuring a noted double-save from Peter Lorimer.
Wolverhampton Wanderers beat Arsenal 3-1 at Highbury in a third-place playoff, held three months after the final.
Tottenham Hotspur's Bill Nicholson guided his club to a League Cup triumph, beating Norwich City 1-0 in the final, and in the process added another trophy to the club's ever-growing list of honours.
Liverpool won the UEFA Cup beating Broussia Monchengladbach to add to their league championship win under Bill Shankly, the first time an English side had won such a double. Leeds United lost a controversial European Cup Winners Cup Final against AC Milan.
Tottenham goalkeeper Pat Jennings added the FWA Player of the Year award to his League Cup winners medal.
Star managers
Bill Shankly guided Liverpool to another league championship triumph.
Bob Stokoe helped Sunderland achieve a shock win against Leeds United in the FA Cup final.
Bill Nicholson added the League Cup to his list of trophies won as Tottenham manager.
Don Revie took Leeds to 3rd in the league and led them to the finals of the FA Cup and Cup Winners' Cup.
Brian Clough took his Derby County side to the semi-finals of European Cup, losing to Juventus
Domestic Honours
First Division Liverpool (8*) Arsenal
Second Division Burnley Queens Park Rangers
Third Division Bolton Wanderers Notts County
Fourth Division Southport Hereford United
FA Cup Sunderland (2) Leeds United
League Cup Tottenham Hotspur (2*) Norwich City
Charity Shield Manchester City Aston Villa
Home Championship England Northern Ireland
1 Liverpool 42 25 10 7 72 42 1.714 60
2 Arsenal 42 23 11 8 57 43 1.326 57
3 Leeds United 42 21 11 10 71 45 1.578 53
5 Wolverhampton Wanderers 42 18 11 13 66 54 1.222 47
6 West Ham United 42 17 12 13 67 53 1.264 46
8 Tottenham Hotspur 42 16 13 13 58 48 1.208 45
10 Birmingham City 42 15 12 15 53 54 0.981 42
11 Manchester City 42 15 11 16 57 60 0.950 41
13 Southampton 42 11 18 13 47 52 0.904 40
14 Sheffield United 42 15 10 17 51 59 0.864 40
15 Stoke City 42 14 10 18 61 56 1.089 38
16 Leicester City 42 10 17 15 40 46 0.870 37
19 Coventry City 42 13 9 20 40 55 0.727 35
20 Norwich City 42 11 10 21 36 63 0.571 32
21 Crystal Palace 42 9 12 21 41 58 0.707 30
22 West Bromwich Albion 42 9 10 23 38 62 0.613 28
1 Burnley 42 24 14 4 72 35 2.057 62
2 Queens Park Rangers 42 24 13 5 81 37 2.189 61
3 Aston Villa 42 18 14 10 51 47 1.085 50
4 Middlesbrough 42 17 13 12 46 43 1.070 47
6 Sunderland 42 17 12 13 59 49 1.204 46
7 Blackpool 42 18 10 14 56 51 1.098 46
8 Oxford United 42 19 7 16 52 43 1.209 45
9 Fulham 42 16 12 14 58 49 1.184 44
10 Sheffield Wednesday 42 17 10 15 59 55 1.073 44
12 Luton Town 42 15 11 16 44 53 0.830 41
13 Hull City 42 14 12 16 64 59 1.085 40
15 Orient 42 12 12 18 49 53 0.925 36
16 Swindon Town 42 10 16 16 46 60 0.767 36
18 Carlisle United 42 11 12 19 50 52 0.962 34
19 Preston North End 42 11 12 19 37 64 0.578 34
21 Huddersfield Town 42 8 17 17 36 56 0.643 33
22 Brighton & Hove Albion 42 8 13 21 46 83 0.554 29
2 Notts County 46 23 11 12 67 47 1.426 57
3 Blackburn Rovers 46 20 15 11 57 47 1.213 55
4 Oldham Athletic 46 19 16 11 72 54 1.333 54
5 Bristol Rovers 46 20 13 13 77 56 1.375 53
6 Port Vale 46 21 11 14 56 69 0.812 53
7 Bournemouth 46 17 16 13 66 44 1.500 50
8 Plymouth Argyle 46 20 10 16 74 66 1.121 50
9 Grimsby Town 46 20 8 18 67 61 1.098 48
10 Tranmere Rovers 46 15 16 15 56 52 1.077 46
11 Charlton Athletic 46 17 11 18 69 67 1.030 45
14 Southend United 46 17 10 19 61 54 1.130 44
16 Chesterfield 46 17 9 20 57 61 0.934 43
18 York City 46 13 15 18 42 46 0.913 41
23 Swansea City 46 14 9 23 51 73 0.699 37
24 Scunthorpe United 46 10 10 26 33 72 0.458 30
2 Hereford United 46 23 12 11 56 38 1.474 58
3 Cambridge United 46 20 17 9 67 57 1.175 57
4 Aldershot 46 22 12 12 60 38 1.579 56
5 Newport County 46 22 12 12 64 44 1.455 56
6 Mansfield Town 46 20 14 12 78 51 1.529 54
8 Exeter City 46 18 14 14 57 51 1.118 50
9 Gillingham 46 19 11 16 63 58 1.086 49
10 Lincoln City 46 16 16 14 64 57 1.123 48
11 Stockport County 46 18 12 16 53 53 1.000 48
13 Workington 46 17 12 17 59 61 0.967 46
15 Chester 46 14 15 17 61 52 1.173 43
16 Bradford City 46 16 11 19 61 65 0.938 43
18 Torquay United 46 12 17 17 44 47 0.936 41
19 Peterborough United 46 14 13 19 71 76 0.934 41
20 Hartlepool 46 12 17 17 34 49 0.694 41
21 Crewe Alexandra 46 9 18 19 38 61 0.623 36
23 Northampton Town 46 10 11 25 40 73 0.548 31
24 Darlington 46 7 15 24 42 85 0.494 29
^ The FA (2008). "Cup Final Statistics" (web). Find out the result of every each and every Cup Final, as well as venue records, most wins and most appearances... Past FA Cup Finals. The Football Association. Archived from the original on 18 May 2008. Retrieved 29 May 2008.
Articles needing additional references from May 2008
1972–73 FA Cup
1 cont.
1972–73 in English football leagues
English football clubs 1972–73 season
Pages in category "1972–73 in English football"
1972 FA Charity Shield
1972–73 British Home Championship
1972–73 FA Trophy
1972–73 Football League Cup
1973 Anglo-Italian Cup
1973 European Cup Winners' Cup Final
1973 FA Trophy Final
1973 Torneo di Viareggio
1973 UEFA Cup Final
1972–73 in European football by country
England, Spain, Premier League, Midfielder, Defender (association football)
Leeds United F.C.
England, Scotland, Italy, Wales, Republic of Ireland
Liverpool F.C., Manchester City F.C., Newcastle United F.C., Gillingham F.C., Burnley F.C.
1972–73 Football League
Liverpool F.C., Arsenal F.C., Queens Park Rangers F.C., Leeds United F.C., Ipswich Town F.C.
Everton F.C., Blackburn Rovers F.C., Manchester City F.C., Preston North End F.C., Athletic Bilbao
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President's Notes
Regulation of Fake Meat Creates Issues
2019 ASI Annual Convention
American Wool Called to Duty in Army Uniforms
Publication Sheds Light on Mycoplasma Ovipneumoniae
Sheep Dairies Turn to Processing for Profits
Culinary Experience Connects Chefs with American Lamb
Obituary: Dr. Gerald Kennedy
Jerry King Cartoon
Around the States
Idaho Sheep Dairyman Recognized for Mentoring the Next Generation
KYLE PARTAIN
Sheep Industry News Editor
Bee Tolman, president of the Dairy Sheep Association of North America, admitted to me during the group’s annual symposium that she “couldn’t sell a potato to a starving man.”
Kendall Russell – who was honored with the 2018 DSANA Mentorship Award – is the exact opposite. The Idaho dairyman and cheesemaker thrives on interacting with his customers. Nearly a decade ago, that comfort he felt in relating to people across the table at farmers markets in Idaho and Wyoming was a crucial component of his success. Today, he’s just as likely to be cooped up in his office working his magic on the phone. Either way, I get the feeling he could – as the old saying goes – sell ice to an Eskimo.
“I really enjoy that connection I get from watching someone try my cheese for the first time,” he said. “It’s like going to the dentist. You can say you’re not in any pain, but he knows. I can tell the minute someone tries my cheese if they like it or not. Most of the time, they do. That’s a really rewarding experience. But one of the painful realities of the future is that in another year or two, I’ll be too busy making the cheese and running the business to do that on a regular basis. I use to be able to wear all of the hats, but now I’m having to learn to turn some of those things over to other people.”
Kendall shared the story of the rise and fall of his family’s operation during a school of hard knocks style panel discussion on the first day of the two-day symposium in Kansas City, Mo., in November. It was obvious that he’s a people person, one who is comfortable sharing his own story with a sole customer or a room full of dairy producers.
I get the feeling Kendall is like my son, who can walk into any room full of strangers and have a new best friend in five minutes. Kendall earned the DSANA Mentorship Award based on the bond he’s developed with his interns through the years. He was nominated specifically by current intern Hannah Walker, who came from Pennsylvania to work at Lark’s Meadow Farms in Rexburg, Idaho.
“Sometimes you don’t know if you’re really having an influence on them,” Kendall said of his interns. “I invest a lot in the people who come to work on our farm, so it means a lot to me that I received a glowing recommendation from Hannah.”
The farm started with a five-gallon pot and is now making arrangements to accommodate a 300-gallon cheese vat in the converted pole barn that is home to office space, the milking parlor and the cheesemaking operation.
“We’re right at the 10-year mark now, so I think we’re almost good at it. The cheese is my passion, but it’s also been a good money maker. As a farmer, it’s nice to have a product that sells well,” said Kendall, who hopes to build an operation he can leave to his six children, who range in age from 24 to 2. “They all pitch in, even the youngest one.”
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(Concert Review) John Hiatt, Mahaiwe, 5.6.16
Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center
Great Barrington, Mass.
Review and photos by Seth Rogovoy
(GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass.) – From the first notes he plays and sings, John Hiatt makes you feel comfortable, because you know you are in the hands of a master and you can give it up to him for the next 90 minutes to two hours. Hiatt embodies the Platonic (or Rogovoy-ian) triad of singer-songwriter perfection: the well-crafted songs; the technical command of his instrument; and the unique voice, and by that I mean both distinctive vocals and an identifiable personality that runs through everything he does. He put it all on display like the master he is at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center on Friday night, May 6.
In conventional terms, you’d probably say that while Hiatt is a great songwriter – his songs are widely covered by other artists, and often they’ve become pop and country hits – he maybe isn’t a great singer or guitarist. But that’s only a judgment rendered by taking his singing and playing out of the greater context, and, comparing him to virtuosos of voice or instrument.
But with Hiatt, it’s the whole package that works together and makes the whole greater than the sum of the parts. Plus he has that extra special component, that element of personality, that makes him unique, and in his case, endearing or even adorable, such that there is hardly an evening to be spent in a concert hall with anyone else that is as enjoyable. Others who come to mind are fellow masters like Lyle Lovett or Shawn Colvin, who know just what to say, just what to play, how much to give, how much to hold back, how much to let the audience laugh with them or even at them, while dazzling the crowd in every song with an apt word or phrase or lick or vocal turn.
In Hiatt’s case, the voice is gluey and elastic at one point, and then smooth and soulful at another, like a fusion of Muddy Waters and Smokey Robinson. Indeed, one of his best loved tunes is called “Crossing Muddy Waters,” although those are an entirely different waters, and it’s more of an Anglo-Irish folk ballad.
Hiatt gently poked fun at rock star excess in his fan favorite, “Perfectly Good Guitar,” and pleased the crowd with his achy ballad, “Cry Love.” His hit “Memphis in the Meantime” included a veritable encyclopedia of licks and musical styles – he even threw in a riff from the Beatles. Hiatt draws on the entire range of music we sometimes now call Americana, but he’s been doing it for decades, and his is a unique fusion of country, folk, rock, blues, soul, pop and even a touch of jazz. Nothing escapes his palette; nothing comes out quite like you’ve heard it before; it all adds up to John Hiatt music, which is truly an American treasure. Put him on rock ‘n’ roll’s Mount Rushmore aside Bob Dylan, Neil Young, and Joni Mitchell – he can easily hold his own in that company.
← HudsonValleyWeekend Cultural Preview, May 5-8, 2016
Sam Baker Brings Intensely Personal Original Folk Songs to Helsinki Hudson →
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RonReads
Filipino Book Bloggers
Book review: Scott Westerfeld’s “Leviathan”
January 15, 2011 Ronald 1 Comment
Busy day today, paying bills and the like. Later tonight I will be meeting up with friends from the Philippine Tolkien Society, so I thought about putting up my review of “Leviathan” that got published about a year ago because I may not be able to write later on today.
I’m currently re-reading this YA steampunk novel by Scott Westerfeld to bone up for “Behemoth“, the review for which I hope to have up by Sunday afternoon or Monday morning.
Scott Westerfeld is best known as the man behind the popular “Uglies” young adult series — a science fiction trilogy set in a dystopian world where teenagers are turned “pretty” once they turn 16. That series was a runaway hit, named by the American Library Association as one of the Best Books for Young Adults in 2006 and has even been optioned to become a film set to be released next year.
Westerfeld is hoping that lightning strikes twice with “Leviathan”, a young adult novel set in Europe during the First World War. Rather than fight with guns and tanks, the nations engaged in combat battle it out using “fabricated” beasts and war machines that run on steam and oil.
The year is 1914, and the great powers of Europe are ready to go to war against each other over the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the throne of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The Austrians and their German allies are loading their Clanker machines with guns and ammunition, while the British and their allies are readying their “fabricated” beasts, mutant animals developed through the research of the scientist Charles Darwin.
In the midst of all these military and political maneuvering is Aleksandar Ferdinand and Deryn Sharp, two teenagers from different backgrounds who find themselves involved in the events of the Great War. Aleksandar — Alek, for short — is the only son of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, and is on the run to Switzerland to escape the German forces intent on killing him. Deryn, on the other hand, is a Scottish girl masquerading as a boy so she can serve in the British Royal Air Navy’s jewel, the whale airship Leviathan. The Leviathan is on an important mission — to bring a mysterious fabricated creature to the Ottoman Empire.
When the Leviathan is forced to make a landing in the Swiss Alps because of a German aerial attack, Deryn and Alek’s worlds collide, along with their prejudices about each other’s countries and beliefs. Will the pair manage to settle their differences and work together to survive the coming conflict? Or will their prejudices prove too difficult to overcome?
In “Leviathan”, Westerfeld dives into a subgenre of science fiction called “steampunk,” which involves real technological developments happening at an earlier date, mostly during the Victorian or Edwardian eras. It is quite different from the dystopian future of the “Uglies”, but Westerfeld makes the transition from the future to the past with flying colors.
With this book, Westerfeld succeeds in building a perfectly believable world where steam-driven robots and six-legged hydrogen-sniffing dogs are the norm. Readers are caught in the grip of his fascinating world from the very moment Alek and his loyal crew escape in the middle of the night aboard a Stormwalker, and the fast pace with which he moves the plot along makes sure that the readers attention never strays.
The action never lags throughout the book either, as there is almost always a chase or battle going on. The chapter where a group of German airplanes attack the Leviathan is an exhilarating read as the whale airship strikes back with an inventive arsenal of weapons, ranging from hawks armed with venomous nets to bats equipped with iron flechettes.
It also doesn’t hurt that Westerfeld is helped immensely by the illustrations of Keith Thompson, 50 of which are spread throughout the book. Visually arresting and incredibly detailed, the illustrations make it even easier for the readers to suspend their disbelief and lose themselves in this alternate version of the First World War.
Westerfeld also has to be commended for how he deftly balances historical fact with his fantasy world. History buffs will immediately notice how closely the book follows the actual course of events that lead to the start of the war, but it is not so faithful as to distract from the story Westerfeld is trying to tell.
But perhaps Westerfeld’s greatest accomplishment is with the characters that he populates this world with, especially its two teen protagonists who succeed in giving an extra oomph to what is already an engrossing story.
Alek undergoes a transformation as the novel progresses, from being a snobby aristocrat to a young man slowly realizing that the world is so much bigger than the walls of the palace he lives in. One scene in particular succeeds in portraying this without too much melodrama: When Alek is tasked to buy a newspaper in a street market, he realizes that he is able to speak a variety of languages fluently, but not the street slang of his own people.
But it is Deryn who emerges as the star of the show. Feisty, skilled, and resourceful, here is a teenage heroine bound to inspire young girls all over. Unafraid to plunge into battle and take risks for the people she cares for, Deryn is head and shoulders above some of the men she works with in the Leviathan.
With its smart blend of historical fact and science fiction, the amazing beasts and machines that populate it, as well as its charismatic protagonists, “Leviathan” is bound to enthrall readers looking for an exciting read.
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I’ve been hearing about this book from a friend, but I didn’t know that it was from the same author of the “Uglies” series. How excellent ^^
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I’m a twentysomething who loves reading books, whether they’re good or bad. I started out stealing books; now I review them.
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It's all so confusing, this chemical plant security stuff, trying to ensure that terrorists don't do us in with our own home-grown weapons of mass destruction at the chemical plant or refinery down the street
But then again, not. It's really the same old story.
In the right-wing corner, we have Secretary of Homeland (in)Security, Michael Chertoff, saying that we don't need no stinkin' enforceable standards or inspections when we can just trust industry to do the right thing, and you can throw this crazy, tree-hugging enviro "inherently safer technology" crapola in the river, along with the EPA/Greenpeace wackos it rode in on, and in case any of you states out there think you have a better idea, fuggedabout that too. Big government knows best. And big government says we're just going to trust big industry. End of story.
In the center corner is Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), with her "bi-partisan" bill (Joe Lieberman D?-CT and a few other Dems) that, at this point wants to set some standards, but doesn't like this green "inherently safer" stuff either (although her bill -- S.2145 -- will leave it to the discretion of Homeland Security whether there's any role for inherently safer technologies.), and maybe she'll let the states set up their own programs, if everyone is civil about it.
Finally, the cavalry has arrived in the persons of Senators Barack Obama (D-IL), Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) Robert Menendez (D-NJ), who have introduced a bill, The Chemical Security and Safety Act of 2006 (S 2486), that would require plants to develop a comprehensive security plan that is required to use inherently safer technologies (as well as plant security), when possible. It would have a role (although not the lead role) for EPA and provide for inspections to determine if the plants were actually doing what their security plan says they're supposed to do. It contains extensive language for employee (and union) participation in developing and implementing the plans, whistleblower protections and allows states to set up their own programs as well.
Lautenberg and Menendez held a press conference yesterday where they criticized the administration's approach:
"The president wants a weak, industry-favored approach that pre-empts our state's chemical safety and security laws. We say no way."
A little background for those of you who are just tuning in for the first time....
Around four and a half years ago, a bunch of terrorists flew airliners into the World Trade Center and Pentagon, killing thousands and leading some of our nation's politicians and security experts to wonder what would happen if terrorists attacked some of our country's chemical plant or refineries where a major release of some unpleasant substances could kill or injure tens of thousands of people. New Jersey Senator (now Governor) Jon Corzine quickly introduced a chemical plant security bill that called for chemical plants to do a hazard assessment and consider the introduction of inherently safer technologies.
Everyone thought this was a great idea, and it passed out of committee unanimously -- that means all of the Democrats and all of the Republicans voted for it. So far, so good -- until the American Chemistry Council woke up and invested several million dollars into reversing the vote, arguing that it would drive American companies out of business, but assuring us that chemical plants were already taking care of the problem, thank you very much, and we don't need to worry our pretty little heads, and we could just go on about our business, move along, nothing to see here.
This was all well and fine until journalists and television reporters across the country decided to verify the ACC's assurances by seeing if it would be possible to sneak into a chemical plant as if they were terrorists. Turns out, not only was it possible to sneak into every plant they tried, it was almost impossible to get caught and thrown out.
Oops. OK, the ACC said, we've decided that actually a chemical security law wouldn't be such a bad thing, and luckily for America, we already have a great program called "Responsible Care" which will take care of the problem. Just require everyone to adopt our guidelines, keep EPA away from the game, and none of this pinko inherently safer crap, and we're responsible enough to do the right thing, so we don't need any inspections either. Everyone happy?
Apparently not. In fact, the good citizens of he state of New Jersey were so unhappy that they passed their own law that required plants using the most hazardous chemicals to review their potential for adopting inherently safer technologies.
Hmm, time for "bipartisan" compromise. Enter Senator Collins with her bipartisan bill. But that wasn't quite good enough for the ACC because it didn't pre-empt rogue states like New Jersey. Which means we really, really need a good administration bill that will pre-empt the states, put an end to the enviro-socialist-inherently-safer-technology garbage, and get this thing over with once and for all.
OK, that's the story in a nutshell. Now, let's review the main issues one more time
Inherently Safer Technologies vs. Guns, Guards and Gates: This is not an either/or. It's a "both."
Although the ACC and the Wall St. Journal equate inherently safer technologies with costly, quasi-socialist environmental control of our precious chemical fluids by Greenpeace, the idea is actually much simpler: using safer chemicals, reducing inventories of highly hazardous chemicals where safer substitutes can't be found, reducing hazardous pressures and temperatures where possible, improving inventory control, and reducing or eliminating storage, transportation, handling, disposal and discharge of highly hazardous substances. It's not pie in the sky. Lots of plants have already done it.
What's the advantage? First, by making plants "inherently" safer, we not only contribute to ensuring our safety against terrorist attacks on our refineries and chemical plants, but these technologies would also protect us from ourselves. Because, as we saw at the Texas City BP Amoco plant last year, we don't need no stinkin' terrrorists to blow up our chemical plants. We're perfectly good at doing it ourselves. That explosion killed 15 workers and injured 170. Happily, there were no significant offsite consequences, although the refinery probably contains enough highly hazardous chemicals to wipe out half of Houston.
The second advantage of inherently safer technologies is that they reduce the target. If there's nothing there to blow up that will kill lots of people, why even bother trying to attack the plant. And if there's no significant target, there's no need for costly security measures.
Chertoff, as we've seen before, doesn't have a clue:
We have to be careful not to move from what is a security-based focus, as part of the type of regulation I'm describing, into one that tries to broaden into achieving environmental ends that are unrelated to security. There is an Environmental Protection Administration. They deal with environmental matters that are distinct from security.
Which is not to say that we don't need the guns, guards and gates. We do. But it's not enough and to the extent we reduce the target, we need fewer costly (and ultimately ineffective) guns, gates and guards. Think about it. How much sense does it make to only commit resources to guard a target (with questionable effectiveness) when in most cases it’s entirely possible to shrink or even remove the target completely?
EPA vs. Homeland Security: This seems like a no-brainer. With its Risk Management Program, EPA clearly knows more about reducing chemical plant hazards than Homeland Security, unless of course you think that chemical plant security is only about guns, guards and gates -- which Chertof and the Wall St Journal and the ACC clearly do. This is how the Wall St Journal characterized Corzine's bill in 2003 which would have given authority to the EPA:
Senator Corzines’ bill is about getting rid of chemicals, period. He’d give half of the responsibilities for coming up with new security regulations to the highly trained, highly motivated anti-al Queda special forces at ---the Environmental Protection Agency.
Judging from the fact that even the Lautenberg-Menendez-Obama bill gives primary authority to Homeland Security (in consultation with EPA), giving responsibility to EPA is probably out of the (political) question.
State Pre-emption: Pre-emption of state laws wasn't really a big issue until New Jersey spoiled the fun. Suddenly it's the main issue keeping chemical industry executives and lobbyists in a cold sweat all night.
I've explained this before. Republicans and the business community are always for federalism and states' rights, until a few states start doing things that they don't like. Then business, faced with rebellion in the states and the prospect of having to comply with 10 or 20 or 50 different state laws, suddenly becomes a big fan of federal regulation -- as long as it's weak and pre-empts stronger state laws. We've seen this process numerous times with workplace safety and environmental regulations.
OK, enough of the issues, what's the politics? Senator George Voinovich (R-OH), who is on Collins' committee, is pressuring her to include language that would pre-empt state laws like New Jersey's. And to get more Republican and administration support for her bill, she may roll over. On the other side, Lieberman, who is also co-sponsoring Collins' bill, is threatening to add language that would force chemical plants to implement safer technologies. Collins as I said, is opposed, as is the Administration.
But the ACC, which is suddenly in a big hurry to get a bill passed, is ready to jump on board with Collins (as long as she makes a few changes). According to ACC President Jack Gerard
“The train is about to leave the station, and we hope that the entire Senate jumps on board. Four and a half years after 9-11 is too long to wait for legislation to secure the chemical sector of our nation’s critical infrastructure.
Too long to wait? And whose fault is that?
And in response to yesterday's Lautenberg-Menendez press conference, Homeland Security spokesman Russ Knocke warned
"We have been waiting for Congress to pass chemical regulations for three years," Knocke said. "Where we may disagree with some of the issues around the edges, we are eager to work with the House and Senate to pass regulations this year."
Yeah, hurry, quick, before any other states start following New Jersey's wayward path.
Stay tuned. Collins' committee will soon consider the bills, probably next month.
Homeland Security To Turn Chemical Plant Security Over To Industry, March 23, 2006
Ho, Hum. Yet More Chem Plant Security Stuff, January 23, 2006
NY Times Says It's Time To Take Chem Plant Security Seriously, May 22, 2005
Itty Bitty Steps Forward On Chemical Plant Security?, December 27, 2005
NJ Issues Chem Plant Safety Regs; Including Safer Technologies, December 1, 2005
WMD Found! Look Over Your Shoulder, May 9, 2005
"We can't protect ourselves if we are not part of the plan", February 20, 2005
NY Chem Company Decides Terrorism Threat Is Over, February 6, 2005
Department of Homeland Security: Buddy Can You Spare a Dime?, September 27, 2004
Chris Cox & Tim Russert: Educate Yourselves!, July 17, 2004
If Safety Was Voluntary, Only Volunteers Would Be Safe, April 8, 2004
Chemical Industry Steps Up To the Plate...And Strikes Out, June 26, 2003
Weapons of Mass Destruction Found -- In Our Backyards, November 17, 2003
The War for Chemical Plant Safety, May 4, 2003
Labels: Chemical Plant Security
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Tag Archives: Bathurst
Two shops in William Street
Elie’s Cafe, July 26, 2015
Yesterday afternoon it was cold and wet and squally in Bathurst. A grey sky; raindrops on the car windows. We park in William Street and I get out to take photographs of two shops: Elie’s Cafe and two doors down, Bathurst Real Estate. It is Sunday afternoon, wet and quiet, but there are a few people on the footpath stopping, like me, to look at the heaped flowers and read the messages. Bathurst is a town that has had a piece blasted out of it; a bit of its ordinary daily life shot to pieces. There’s a function on at the town hall. You think you’ll just pop in to Elie’s beforehand and grab a – no you won’t. Not that cafe.
There’s still the sign on the front door. It’s the sign that went up on the day of the news of the murder-suicide, or probable murder-suicide. Officially, we don’t know exactly what happened. Officially, we won’t know until the coroner’s report. “Due to unforeseen circumstances…” says the handwritten sign, delicately.
Unofficially, it’s pretty clear what went on. Not just a senseless explosion of random forces that left a cafe proprietor and a real estate agent dead on a living room floor in Kelso, but the murder of a woman who wanted to leave by a man who did not want her to leave.In Australia this year we’re already up to more than 50 women dead at the hands of their partners.
Tribute to Nadia Cameron in the window of Bathurst Real Estate, July 26, 2015.
The police are apparently exploring a “separation theory” in this case. Like “unforeseen circumstance”, “separation theory” doesn’t sound particularly scary. It doesn’t convey the terror, the horror, of murderous rage. Nor, for that matter, do the words “family violence”. There’s something slippery about these words. There’s a sense of an all-in ruckus, as if all the members of a family were overturning tables and throwing punches. When what we’re usually talking about is one man – with a gun, or a knife, or a blunt instrument – and his terrified hostages.
I can’t help brooding over this. I’ve just read, almost in one sitting, Helen Garner’s book about the man who drove his three children into a dam on Father’s Day. All he wanted to do, as his children drowned behind him, was go to his ex-wife’s house to tell her what he’d done. To make her suffer.
I’ve been thinking about that phrase, “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned”. With more than fifty women dead already, with the year only halfway through, this is laughable. It’s clearly the other way around.
This entry was posted in Bathurst and tagged Bathurst, Elie Issa, Elie's Cafe, Helen Garner, Nadia Cameron, Rob Farquharson on July 27, 2015 by Tracy.
The snow job and the murder-suicide
Bertie in the snow-covered back yard, Bathurst, July 17, 2015.
Last Friday was strange. We were up at about one or two in the morning, standing in the pool of light just outside the back door, looking at the white dots gently, steadily, coming down out of a black sky. The black dog was being speckled with white stuff. We had white stuff on our shoulders. Snow. Snow, for most Australians, is an unusual thing. It’s something to get excited about. It’s transient. And then it was daylight. I’d hardly slept because I don’t sleep well these days and being awake for the snow had made it worse, so I was snuggled far down under the doona, but Steve was making me get up to have a look. Out of the bedroom window, everything was white. In the back yard, the little tree we’d planted over my dead cat ten years ago was half its height, branches touching the ground, weighed down by snow. Steve made snowballs in his bare hands and threw them at Bertie, who caught them in his teeth. Unlike a tennis ball, they had no resistance. His teeth snapped down over them as though they were made of nothing. He wagged his tail furiously.
Snowmen appeared all over town.
When Steve got home after work, he asked if I’d heard the news. This seemed odd – I’d been living the news of the day along with everyone else. It was Snow Day. What more news could there be? So you haven’t heard about Elie’s Cafe? No. What about it?
Elie’s Cafe is one of the town’s most popular cafes. It’s diagonally opposite the Council chambers, not far from the Western Advocate, in the main street, near the war memorial. It’s housed in the old Royal Hotel where town leaders once addressed the citizens from the balcony. That Cafe. Well, Elie Issa, the owner, was found dead in his living room today. Everyone knows Elie. He’s the jovial man in the corner opposite the counter, laughing with friends who join him at the table, poring over the day’s papers. To go into Elie’s Cafe is to also see and hear Elie, a permanent fixture. Oh. He is dead. Not only that, but his girlfriend is dead, too, and they were found in the living room with a gun nearby, and there are no other suspects, and they’re saying it was a murder-suicide.
And you go into cognitive dissonance. You hold the two ideas in your brain – this jovial, laughing man greeting his customers and friends, and the bloody aftermath of violence – and they don’t match up. This is what it is to be shocked: the world is not quite what you thought it was.
And then, in the hours and days afterwards, a narrative framework begin to emerge that might hold these ideas together. The next day, in the Sydney Morning Herald, there’s a story based on interviews with friends and family of Nadia Cameron, the beautiful woman found dead with Elie in the living room of the ordinary house on Rosemont Avenue, Kelso. They say she’d broken up with him, and he was trying to win her back. They say he’d been jealous and controlling and she wanted nothing more to do with him, but she felt sorry for him. And now the story begins to settle around a national conversation about domestic violence and women dying at the hands of men who would control them. A new Elie Issa emerges, a Jekyll and Hyde: jolly at work, murderously jealous at home. Laughter as snow job; as a thin veneer over the darkness.
There’s a story, and then a shock. But we can’t stay in shock, in the fact of our not-knowing. As quickly as possible, we want to build a new story so that we are not left hanging in that strange space between ideas that seem to have no connection.
The next day, the sun was shining. Snow Day had vanished. There were just tell-tale patches of white in the shade, and odd white piles that had been snowmen. And the day after that, just damp ground.
This entry was posted in Bathurst, Bertie, Steve and tagged Bathurst, Elie Issa, Elie's Cafe, Nadia Cameron, snow on July 20, 2015 by Tracy.
On saving things
Pic by Steve Woodhall.
It is in the nature of things to come and go. This is the theme in my friend Karen’s pom pom installation that will cover a plot of land in Kandos just after Easter. Her installation will be a part of Cementa, a week of arts and culture in the post-industrial landscape of a little town that was once fed by a giant cement factory. The factory is still mighty in the landscape, visible for miles around. The cement it produced is part of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Now all that work, all that movement, all that creation, has been stilled. But the mighty architecture is still there; a reminder of the very recent past. Karen started making pom poms as her partner Steve Kirby was dying of cancer. Making pom poms was something – something light and colourful – to do in the midst of grief and sadness. It provided a way for friends to sit in companionship before, during and after Steve’s death. These pom poms, made of see-through nylon and clear plastic on slightly bendy sticks, are small and light, their ephemeral nature a delicious counterpoint to the massive industrial machinery nearby. Even if people don’t realise it, a memory, a trace, of Steve Kirby will be kept alive in those pom poms. And then they’ll be pulled up out of the ground and they’ll go, just as all of us have to go. We arrive, we bloom like pom poms or sunflowers and then we go. An aura of memory stays in the air that we have left but eventually we are forgotten. That’s in the nature of things.
The Kandos cement factory is just one of the many reminders of our industrial past studded through the landscape in these parts. These are monuments not to individual lives but to collective memory, collective effort, whether endured or enjoyed. They tell us something of how we got here, how things used to be not so very long ago. They’re woven into the memories of thousands of people, each remembering – or misremembering – their own bits of story, whether that’s a couple of generations of family working there, or something seen out of a car window and an idle thought: “What’s that?” They are collective reference-points in a world that changes all the time.
What should we try to save? Not everything, clearly. Time moves on. Hoarding, as we’ve seen on the TV shows, is not healthy.
But some things are worth saving so that they continue to be part of the fabric of a changing community; part of its collective memory. The town I grew up in, Carnarvon, is slowly losing its iconic one-mile jetty to the waves. Busselton has saved its long jetty; the Carnarvon jetty – unbelievably for those who know and love that place – is rotting slowly into the glittering Indian Ocean. Here in Bathurst we have buildings galore of striking grandeur. Unlike Carnarvon, which has clung less certainly to a bit of windswept earth, we have a great big gaol complete with lion with key in its mouth; a great big courthouse for putting people there; an old railway station and nearby, tall cement wheat silos that make visitors do a double-take as they come down Havannah Street. Over the past two centuries these things have become part of what defines this town, this place (as well as ancient natural features like Wahluu/Mt Panorama and the Wambool/Macquarie River).
This week, before I really knew what I was doing, I got involved in an impassioned plea to save the mighty wheat silos and old flour mill buildings opposite the railway station.
My friend Helen and I went straight from the Hub cafe where we were talking about it to talk to Chris Frisby at Bedwell’s Feed Barn (one of the occupiers of the old site). I whipped out my trusty iPhone and started filming.
Depending on who you talk to, the silos and flour mill are under immediate threat or we’re worrying about nothing. The information we’ve heard is that there is developer interest, and the D word (demolition) has been mentioned. It’s early days, and there may be nothing to worry about. But we think it’s worth saving and we feel it can’t hurt to get in early. Some developers prefer demolition and starting from scratch; others like to work with the fabric of the past to create something new. That’s the sort of development we need.
This entry was posted in Bathurst, friends and tagged Bathurst, Cementa, Helen Bergen, Kandos, Karen Golland, save our silos, Steve Kirby, wheat silos on February 6, 2015 by Tracy.
A winning formula
Bathurst’s Mount Panorama on a non-racing day. Could this be the site of an enviro-friendly electric car race?
When I was a small child, Dad told me about the Bluebird, the fastest car in the world. In 1964, driver Donald Campbell broke the land speed record when his sleek bright blue car zipped across Lake Eyre at 403.10 miles per hour (or 648.73 kilometres per hour). Donald Campbell died in a spectacular crash in 1967, but his extended family, based in Surrey in the UK, has not dropped its love of speed.
The Bluebird has now gone electric, and will compete in the Formula E (as in, Formula Electric) races that will begin in ten major cities around the world in 2014.
For many people, the idea of an electric car race is associated with the creeping speeds of the solar-powered cars cobbled together by university departments. But Formula E is a game-changer: it’s about serious speed in serious battery-powered cars. The Formula E championship will be held under the rules of the official Formula 1 governing body, the FIA. Sponsors include Michelin and Renault.
Meanwhile, a new land speed record for electric cars has just been set by the UK’s Lord Drayson, CEO of Drayson Racing Technologies and a former Labour government minister. He was behind the wheel of his Lola B12 69/EV, when he achieved a top speed of 204.2 miles per hour (328.603 kilometres per hour) on a racetrack at RAF Elvington in Yorkshire, on June 25. Drayson’s car is a modified Le Mans vehicle weighing less than 1000kg to conform to FIA standards.
Electric cars are getting faster and more popular. The technology is evolving fast, making this an exciting time for this particular motorsport. So what are we waiting for? Bathurst is on the international map as a car racing destination. We could have a flagship race that symbolises both tradition and the future. It goes without saying that it could be a major international tourist attraction and welcome boost to the regional economy.
The field is moving fast, with locations being scouted and sponsors being wooed. It may be that Formula E is not suitable for Bathurst – some other category could be more suitable, or, like the early days at Mt Panorama, an all-in race could be fun – but there must be something we can be doing in this space. If we don’t, we could be left behind in this particular race into the future.
Tracy Sorensen is the Treasurer of Bathurst Community Climate Action Network. This is the text of a column piece submitted to the Western Advocate, Bathurst’s daily newspaper.
This entry was posted in Bathurst, Bathurst Community Climate Action Network, journalism, Mt Panorama and tagged Bathurst, Bluebird, Mt Panorama on July 3, 2013 by Tracy.
Towards a classification system for Mt Panorama ring pulls
This is my entry for the 2013 Waste to Art exhibition here in Bathurst. It’s silly and the artwork itself is ugly. Anyway, it’s good to participate!
Title: Left, right, straight and folded: towards a classification system for Mt Panorama ring pulls, 2013.
Artist: Tracy Sorensen
Media: Hobbytex and found ring pulls on old stained bed sheet, stapled to Peter Andren Independent foam core election poster in a damaged op-shop frame.
Measurements: 50cm x 40cm
Place of execution: Bathurst, NSW, Australia
My black Labrador, Bertie, loves to go for walks at McPhillamy Park on the top of Mount Panorama. I always keep my eye out for ring pulls to add to my collection. Like specks of gold in an alluvial landscape, Mt Panorama’s ring pulls shift and show themselves after a good rain. It’s always good pickings, then.
Detachable ring pulls for drink cans were a phenomenon of the 1960s and 70s; by the 1980s, they had been discontinued because of concerns about litter and the way their sharp edges could hurt bare feet. Now, partly hidden in the dirt, they are nostalgic, suggestive objects. Their individual shapes are determined by the hands that originally tore them from the can. The unconscious movements of people – men, mostly – on top of a mountain, watching cars, getting drunk, are all captured in these objects.
My grid pattern emphasizes how each ring pull “hangs”: the pivot-point sits at the apex of an orange and purple mountain; the tab swings to the left (purple) or to the right (orange) or follows the meeting-point of the two colours (straight). The retrieval and display of the ring pulls suggests the struggle to gather and contain past moments and give them meaning. The domestic impulse to tame and stitch down wild masculine moments is represented by the stained bed sheet. This domestic impulse has failed; the sheet is filthy and may need to be thrown out or used as a rag.
The vivid Hobbytex colours celebrate the overwhelming, exuberant designs popular in the 1960s and 70s; the domestic art of painting with Hobbytex was itself a fad of those times. The bright colours, hand-painted, are also a reminder of a time when the car race itself was more colourful, heterogeneous, hand made, less blandly unified by corporate interests. Hobbytex, like the internal combustion engine, gives off powerful fumes. There is nothing non-toxic about Hobbytex paint.
We no longer have dangerous detachable ring-pulls. Fume-ridden Hobbytex painting would never pass muster as a children’s hobby today. But the fossil-fuel burning internal combustion engine – a danger to the entire planet – is still celebrated every year at Mt Panorama.
This entry was posted in Bathurst, Bathurst Community Climate Action Network, Bertie, Hobbytex, Mt Panorama and tagged Bathurst, Bertie, Mt Panorama, Waste to Art on May 2, 2013 by Tracy.
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Craziness Concerning Coca-Cola
There's a lot of silly myths a rumors floating about the Internets and the world in general.
Some of the strangest are those dealing with Coca-Cola. So much so that Coke on its website has a whole section devoted to knocking down these myths. Of course, there's the standard drinking Diet Coke and Mentos will kill you myth along with many others.
The very interesting myths on the site are those spun in the Muslim world, where the credulous fellahin apparently will believe anything.
Such wonders as:
Rumor: Anti-Muslim messages appear in graphics (No Mohammed, No Mecca)
Some people have been lead to believe that the Coca-Cola trademark can be translated to "No Mohammed, No Mecca" in Arabic when it is reversed and read from left to right.
Our Response: This claim is not true. The Coca-Cola trademark was created in 1886 in Atlanta, Georgia, at a time and place where there was little knowledge of Arabic.
The allegation has been brought before a number of senior Muslim clerics in the Middle East who researched it in detail and refuted the rumor outright.
During the late 1990s, a special committee of authorities in Saudi Arabia, with representatives from the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Trade, was formed to review the rumors against the Coca-Cola logo. The committee determined that there is no basis to these false allegations and that the Coca-Cola trademark does not connote anything defamatory to Islam.
More recently, in May 2000, the Grand Mufti of Al-Azhar (the Islamic world's foremost institute) Sheikh Nasr Farid Wassel, said that "the trademark does not injure Islam or Muslims directly or indirectly." Moreover, he stated that Islam is against "the propagation of empty rumors and intended lies that affect either public or private interests."
Rumor: The Coca-Cola Company is a Jewish company. (Variations of this rumor suggest that the Company is affiliated with the Mormon religion.)
Our Response: No. The Coca-Cola Company is not affiliated with any specific religion or ethnic group. We also do not support or oppose governments, political or religious causes. The Coca-Cola Company is a publicly listed company, with shareowners of different religions and ethnic groups all over the world. Anyone can buy Coca-Cola shares through their financial institution.
We believe the origins of this rumor date back to 1967, when the Arab League pronounced a boycott against companies for conducting business in Israel, following the tensions in the Middle East. The Coca-Cola Company and its bottling partners were present in many Arab and Muslim countries before Coca-Cola was introduced in Israel, and came back to the Arab countries as soon as the boycott was lifted.
Spreading such allegations is an attempt to exploit a delicate situation in the Middle East, and to falsely suggest that the Coca-Cola business takes sides
Pretty funny stuff. It must be the great Judaeo-Mormon plot to corrupt Islam and replace their precious bodily fluids with cola-flavored carbonated water, but only if you stand on your head while reading the label backwards.
Unfortunately, the Muslim world tends to believe a great many false rumors - some of them far more harmful and disturbing than those concerning Coca Cola.
Too bad they don't get some rational sense of disbelief, chill, and drink a nice cold Coke.
Posted by Aaron at 12:03 PM
Labels: Coca Cola, I-SLAM, Weird
I grew up among folks who thought the Procter & Gamble logo was Satanic, and that rock musicians commanded their fans to kill themselves with secret backwards messages.
And we were well-to-do suburbanite Americans with computers and cable TV; we didn't have the excuse of being surly third world peasants. Checked the sales of the Left Behind series lately? We have plenty of our own fellahin.
Saturday, March 13, 2010 at 11:26:00 AM EST
Ah, was that the famous Amway vs Procter & Gamble Battle royal?
I agree we've got quite the number of domestic nuts and credulous countrymen, but ours typically don't riot or blow stuff up based on a logo or riddiculous rumor.
Monday, March 22, 2010 at 2:28:00 PM EDT
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Undeleted Scenes
Probably the biggest attraction of DVDs, at least for me, is the extras. I try (but don’t always succeed) in watching all the extras from any DVD I buy — “making of” documentaries, cast bios, trailers, insipid commentary tracks by the assistant producer — but the one thing I make a point of watching, including on rentals, is the deleted/extended scenes.
Often, you can clearly see why the scenes were deleted — because they don’t add anything, and may even contradict other parts of the film. In many cases, though, they truly illuminate. The second Lara Croft: Tomb Raider disk included an alternate ending. Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde had numerous bits deleted which expanded on and explained small plot bits, and so on.
The classic case, of course, is the Lord of the Rings trilogy, with each of the first two [1] [2] (and undoubtedly the third) having more than 30 minutes of additional footage available. But most notable in this case is that these extensions and restorations were completely finished and incorporated back into the film, so they aren’t extras, they are inclusions. One of the earliest DVDs I rented — damned if I remember what it was — had an option where the deleted scenes could be watched “inline”, but because they weren’t fully produced with sound and post-production filters and such, the result detracted from the film as much as it added.
Not so with Lord of the Rings, of course; here the DVDs are the real movie, what ideally should have been seen the first time, except for concerns of length and pacing. While some fans would dispute it, I generally agree with the choices to make some of those cuts. When you’re in the theatre, your bladder filling up from a 48-ounce Pepsi, an extra two minutes of the Fellowship floating down the river or wandering through Moria may not add to your experience, but at home, where you can pause or stop the film and come back later, the added lushness and dialogue bits have much greater value.
With Legally Blonde 2, there were enough extra scenes with real meat to them (or even just fun fluff, since it is a fun fluff film, after all) that I found myself really wishing they had been reincorporated into the DVD. I suppose the answer comes down to money in the end: will the DVD sell enough extra copies if they do the extra work to pay for it?
Obviously in the case of Lord of the Rings, the answer is yes. That’s why they are doing, what is it, four DVD releases of each film? (Initial DVD, initial plus extras, with reincorporated content, and collector’s volume with a statue — which will presumably be of an oliphaunt in the third box.) The extension of this is that “fans” are the ones who will desire (and pay for) the extra content and extra work. We can see that a trend is starting here, as they have announced two DVD releases for Hellboy, one with 20 minutes of extra footage incorporated. (Sign me up now!) I’m actually surprised that they didn’t do this with X2 (the second X-Men film) last winter, but I’ll bet Spider-Man 2 gets the treatment this Christmas. It should become de rigueur for high-grossing “fan” films.
Turns out that the statue in the third boxed set was Minas Tirith.
So far as I can tell, the Hellboy DVD did not get the deleted scenes incorporated into it, even on the Director’s Cut version.
Posted by Jim Drew at 12:50 PM
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About / Services / Sustainability / Customers / Results
Sustainable Research Group (SRG) was created as a Limited Liability Company (LLC) in January of 2001 and reorganized with its present members in 2002.
William A. Stough, Chief Executive Officer, has over 30 years experience in providing technical assistance in the fields of environmentally sustainable business initiatives, industrial ecology, pollution prevention and ISO 14001 environmental management systems. Mr. Stough is the founder and past president of the West Michigan Sustainable Business Forum, and has helped organize regional sustainable business networks in Michigan, North Carolina, Illinois, Indiana and Alabama. He has served as a business sustainability advisor to EPA’s Green Supplier Network, the Business and Institutional Furniture Makers Association, the Design Center for the Environment, and the City of Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Stough worked as an ANSI-RAB registered ISO 14001 Environmental Management System Auditor and was the technical Manager for the development of the ANSI/BIFMA e3 Sustainable Product Standard. Mr. Stough also served as president of the board of directors for the Center for Environmental Study, the West Michigan Environmental Action Council, the Land Conservancy of West Michigan, the Michigan Association of Environmental Professionals, and the Green Manufacturer Network. Bill is a recipient of the Michigan Sustainable Business Forum’s 2002 Individual Achievement Award and was nominated for Lawrence Technological University’s Business Innovator of the Year Award in 2009. Bill can be reached at: bstough@sustainableresearchgroup.com
Everything we do is designed to make your company or organization more sustainable economically, environmentally and in a socially equitable manner. Bill Stough
822 Cherry Street SE, Suite 203, PO Box 1684, Grand Rapids, MI 49501 / 616.301.1059 / bstough@sustainableresearchgroup.com
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Monday, June 2nd, 2014
Week of June 2, 2014
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• On May 22, 1843, a massive wagon train, made up of 1,000 settlers, sets off down the Oregon Trail from Independence, Missouri. Known as the “Great Emigration,” the expedition finally arrived in October, completing the 2,000-mile...
• On May 14, 1796, Edward Jenner, an English country doctor from Gloucestershire, administers the world’s first vaccination as a preventive treatment for smallpox by scratching the fluid from cowpox into the skin of an 8-year-old boy....
Monday, May 5th, 2014
Week of May 5, 2014
• On May 10, 1749, the 10th and final volume of Henry Fielding’s novel “Tom Jones” is printed. The serialized novel told the humorous story of the attempts of the illegitimate but charming Tom Jones to win...
Week of April 28, 2014
• On April 30, 1888, a hailstorm devastates the farming town of Moradabad, India, killing 230 people and thousands of farm animals. Most of the victims died instantly when hail the size of oranges rained down from...
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Week of March 31, 2014
• On March 31, 1776, future first lady Abigail Adams writes to her husband urging him to “remember the ladies” when drafting a new code of laws for the fledgling nation. Abigail pondered if and how the...
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Home sales fall for third straight month | The Honolulu Advertiser | Hawaii's Newspaper
Posted on: Thursday, January 26, 2006
Home sales fall for third straight month
By Noelle Knox
WASHINGTON — Sales of existing homes fell in December for the third consecutive month in a surprisingly sharp drop that signaled the housing market is cooling off faster than expected.
Home resales declined 5.7 percent from November to a seasonally adjusted annual pace of 6.6 million, the slowest since March 2004, the National Association of Realtors said yesterday. Western states, notably California, suffered the worst, with home sales in the region skidding 11.4 percent from November and from December 2004.
"We got to 6.6 sooner than I expected. I hadn't expected that for two or three months," said David Lereah, chief economist for the association, who conceded that his forecast for 2006 might now be too optimistic. He had predicted sales of existing homes would drop 5 percent this year, from a record 7.07 million in 2005. The rise in home prices, meanwhile, will slow to 6 percent this year from 12.7 percent in 2005, he projected.
Home buyers shelled out $211,000 for a median-priced home in December, an increase of 10.5 percent from the year before. But rising mortgage rates are pricing many would-be buyers out of the market, Lereah said.
The average rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage was 6.27 percent in December, up from last year's low of 5.53 percent in July. The Mortgage Bankers Association predicted Wednesday that the average 30-year fixed loan would hit a high of 6.4 percent in the second half of this year and stay there until the end of 2007.
That's bad news, in particular, for buyers in California, where prices have skyrocketed. The median price there for a single-family home was $548,430 last month, up 15.6 percent over a year earlier. Many people can afford to buy a home only with a riskier adjustable-rate or interest-only mortgage.
Leslie Appleton-Young, chief economist for the California Association of Realtors, had been projecting over the past 18 months that the market would slow. Now that it has, the drop is deeper than she expected.
In addition to higher mortgage rates, Appleton-Young blamed high oil prices and weak consumer confidence for the cooling of California's housing market.
But after the feeding frenzy in the California market for most of last year, the recent trend has restored sanity to the home-buying process, said Lisa Strong, an agent for Lyon Real Estate in Sacramento. "There are no fights anymore" among competing buyers and their agents, she said.
In the South, sales of existing homes dropped 7.2 percent, and sales slipped 2.6 percent in the Midwest, from November levels. Sales were flat in the Northeast.
"They were disappointing, clearly, but not a catastrophe," said Phillip Neuhart, an analyst for Wachovia. "You have to put this into perspective: 6.6 million is historically a high level. We're expecting a soft landing. We're not expecting a crash."
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BBC under fire for gender pay gap as top salaries revealed
Britain’s public broadcaster BBC came under fire on Wednesday for its gender pay imbalance after it was forced to reveal how much it pays its top-earning talent.
For the first time in its 94-year existence, the BBC was this year forced to release a list of its employees paid more than $195,000 between 2016/2017, after a change in its charter last year.
More than 200 names feature on the list — which includes executives, actors, presenters, writers and technicians — but only one-third are women.
Former Top Gear host Chris Evans was revealed to be the highest-paid person, earning over 2.2 million, while presenter Claudia Winkleman was named as the top female earner, pocketing more than 450,000. Winkleman hosts “Strictly Come Dancing”, Britain’s version of “Dancing With The Stars”.
In a statement, the BBC’s Director-General Lord Hall defended the organisation as “more diverse than the broadcasting industry and the civil service” but admitted that “there is more to do”.
“We’ve set a clear target for 2020: we want all our lead and presenting roles to be equally divided between men and women,” he added.
Culture Secretary Karen Bradley told Parliament last year that releasing the list would ensure the organisation “produces value for money” for licence fee payers and that more transparency could lead to savings.
Britain’s licence fee, which pays for the BBC, stands at 147 per year.
But Hall defended the organisation’s high salaries, telling BBC radio earlier in the day that it operates in a “very competitive market”.
He argued that the BBC had reduced talent salaries by 25 percent in the past four years and said publishing the list was a “bad idea” because it could tempt other companies to poach talent.
Questioned on Twitter over his pay, former footballer turned presenter Gary Lineker revealed that he had turned down higher salary offers from a privately owned broadcaster “because I love and value my job and BBC Sport”.
Lineker was the BBC’s second-highest earner last year, pocketing 1.7 million.
Among the other well-known names on the list are ex-tennis professional John McEnroe (more than 150,000) and Doctor Who actor Peter Capaldi (over 200,000).
Presenter Graham Norton also appeared on the list for his radio hosting duty for which he pocketed 850,000, but his overall income is believed to be much higher.
The sum did not include his salary for his famous chat show because it is produced by an independent company.
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Broadway » JAGGED LITTLE PILL
Inspired by the themes and emotions of Alanis Morissette’s Grammy Award-winning album, Jagged Little Pill is “a big-hearted musical that breaks the mold” (The New York Times), directed by Tony Award winner Diane Paulus (Waitress, Pippin), with an “urgent and wickedly funny” (The Boston Globe) book by Academy Award winner Diablo Cody (Juno, Tully).
The Healys are a picture-perfect family — but looks can be deceiving. When the cracks beneath the surface begin to show, they must choose between maintaining the status quo or facing harsh truths about themselves, their community, and the world around them. Featuring Morissette’s iconic songs including “Ironic,” “You Oughta Know,” and “Hand In My Pocket,” plus brand-new songs written for the show, Jagged Little Pill comes to the stage with music supervision, orchestrations, and arrangements by Tom Kitt (Next to Normal), and choreography by Olivier Award winner and frequent Beyonce collaborator Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui.
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Pursuing an Ethnic Studies degree will give you insight into the experiences, triumphs, and struggles of minority and ethnic groups in America. They are heavy on history, with a very specific historical focus, analyzing how a particular group got to where it is now, in modern day America. It incorporates a study of the culture's growth and development, and its shifting relationship with the majority population and government. It examines cultural artifacts, such as art, music, and literature, and utilizes philosophy and critical theories.
The techniques trained in combat sports, from boxing to Brazilian jiu jitsu, often aren't optimal for self defense. Of course there are some exceptions. But in boxing for example, punches are thrown with a closed fist. In self defense, without padded gloves, punches lead to broken hands more often than an unconscious opponent. The addition of eye strikes, groin kicks and slaps, hacks, and other techniques considered "dirty tactics" in sports, should be your primary techniques in real self defense.
“Thank you for your great school. Not only is the instruction great but the entire atmosphere is warm, professional and energizing. I am now living in Orange County (South of L.A) and I am preparing for law school entrance tests. I really miss the Warrior’s Cove! Although I had no prior instruction in martial arts, I felt that your school was first class. My belief was confirmed as I tried to find a school to train at here in California. There are many good schools in the area but I wish one of them was yours. I realize now how important it is to learn good positional control skills first, and I appreciate the fact that you hold off on submissions until a degree of skill & experience has been achieved. Those I have talked to here are unfamiliar with such restrictions, and I think It has definitely been to my advantage. We are planning on moving back to MN after a few years out here, and I hope you are still instructing. Sorry the letter is so long, but I wanted to thank you. Take care.”
The materials and information provided in this presentation, document and/or any other communication (“Communication”) from Onnit Labs, Inc. or any related entity or person (collectively “Onnit”) are strictly for informational purposes only and are not intended for use as diagnosis, prevention or treatment of a health problem or as a substitute for consulting a qualified medical professional. Some of the concepts presented herein may be theoretical.
Before moving forward, it's important to distinguish the difference between both conventional and extreme street fighting. So what is the different between the two? To answer this question all you need to do is look to the weapons in a military's arsenal which includes both conventional and nuclear weapons. The same applies to personal combat, you too must have an arsenal of both conventional and extreme or nuclear weapons at your disposal.
This program is put together and hosted by none other than mma nutrition guru and Roy Nelson’s worst nightmare Mike Dolce. If you can’t afford to have Dolce in your home making your smoothies every morning, this is the next best thing. A big part of any workout series is whether or not you like the host of it. If Dolce isn’t your cup of tea, there are a lot of similar workouts to chose from.
Regardless of the exercises you choose, you’ll need to perform 6-8 seconds of maximum intensity work – in other words, be as quick and explosive as you possibly can – followed by at least 90 seconds or more of complete rest. You should not feel fatigued when using this method as it’s vitally important to use as many of the fast-twitch fibers as possible during each and every rep and fatigue is a clear sign that they are no longer producing force. Along these lines, make sure to rest at least a full 5 minutes between different exercises when using this interval method for best results.
Unfortunately, many MMA gyms tend to be unreasonably dangerous. During our 40+ years of testing we have identified a wide range of methods for guarding your safety in training! Even if your goal is MMA Sport Fighting, you want to remain as healthy as possible so you can compete at your full potential! At the Warrior’s Cove, we correct this common mistake of MMA training!
When the UFC was created by Art Davie and Gracie, their intention was to pit fighters from different styles against each other in order to determine the best styles of fighting. It was also designed as a showcase for Gracie's family style of Brazilian jiu jitsu, which Gracie's brother, Royce, used to devastating effect as he submitted all his opponents to win the first UFC. Grappling became one of the key components of MMA training and modern fighters cross-train in striking, wrestling and grappling.
For MMA training, what you are doing looks lovely good. You must be equipped to perform difficult and explosively at height level for brief durations of time. If you are training for beginner MMA, you will have to be training for three minute rounds with a 1 minute relaxation in between, 5 minute rounds for professional. It usually is good to do some ordinary strolling, anything round three miles (half of hour) three days per week to get your baseline cardio up and maintain lung and heart operate healthful. As a comparison, i am 6'three" and 185, so the whole thing I do i've 35lbs much less to move round doing it. With the interval training you are already doing, if you are gassing out in coaching i'd look to dietary changes. Are you consuming heavy dairy earlier than figuring out? Are you consuming lots of simple sugars and white flour? Are you drinking power drinks as an alternative of good ol' water? I suspect getting interested by the fuel you take into your body often is the next discipline to focus on. You need an particularly LEAN (low fat), high-protein diety with lots of elaborate carbs, now not simple carbs. Vegetable fats are just right (nuts, avacados, coconut milk), animal fat are bad (fatty cuts of meet, dairy, eggs). Taking fish oil i shealthy for cardio-pulmanary, and likewise helps your physique metabolize fat effeciently. And lot of spring water. Do not drink distilled water, as it is going to actually leach vitamins and minerals out of your body. Highest admire
It's time for bi-annual reviews at Reddick, Boseman & Kolstad. Lucca gets good news while Maia has some mixed reviews. Diane gets a call that Kurt has been in an accident. A former client, Dylan Stack, returns. Henry meets with the Department of Justice but isn't offered the deal he was hoping for. He reaches out to a mysterious old friend for help. The firm finds out about a potential attack on the power grid and goes to the DOJ looking for an immunity deal. Things go awry when Lucca is arrested. Maia wants to be more assertive so she picks a partner to shadow for the day. Colin tries to resign but ends up being promoted. Marisa works with Jay to find the real person behind the cyber terrorism. Jay continues to be impressed by her investigative skills. Mr. Staples returns to cause more destruction. The city of Chicago has a blackout. Maia, Lenore and Henry enjoy a last meal together as a family, at least for a while. Diane and Kurt reconcile. Maia's dad flees after agreeing to a 35 year plea deal and Maia is arrested in connection with the ponzi scheme.
As a result of an increased number of competitors, organized training camps, information sharing, and modern kinesiology, the understanding of the effectiveness of various strategies has been greatly improved. UFC commentator Joe Rogan claimed that martial arts evolved more in the ten years following 1993 than in the preceding 700 years combined.[70]
If you live in Harford County, Cecil County, or Balitmore County ( Aberdeen, Havre de Grace, Edgewood, Joppatowne, C. Milton Wright, Fallston, Bel Air, North Harford, North East, Perryville, Rising Sun), then you don’t want to miss this chance to add to your over all Martial Arts skill set and even get the tools that will lead to a successful MMA career!
* Disclaimer: All testimonials mentioned on this website are real but not claimed to represent typical results. Individual results may vary due to differences in individual exercise history, genetics, and personal motivation/dedication. Our training is customized as per individual age and health conditions, however, if you (or your family) has a known history of high blood pressure or heart disease, or any other health problem then please consult with a doctor before starting training with us.
Without the power of legal change, the status of civil rights in America would not be nearly as far along as it is today. Lawyers have the power to use the law to protect victims of racism, as well as change the law in order to protect civil rights and ensure equality. Sometimes racism is fought in the streets, and sometimes it is fought in courtrooms.
Naqam Washington has done it all, from being the traveling trainer for the New York Knicks, the fitness coach of Puff Combs, and is currently the trainer for Netflix Marvel series, Daredevil. His passion outside of training his star clients (which also includes Penny Hardaway, Patrick Ewing, and Gary Sheffield) are Muay thai, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and nerding out on comic books.
Tip– An important component of deliberate practice is to continually receive performance feedback. So watch yourself in the mirror for immediate feedback, and film yourself shadow-boxing and working the bag. Spend some time with your coach reviewing video will allow you to make any necessary corrections based on the feedback from the coach. Accept the feedback and integrate it into the practice, then get back to shadow-boxing.
MMA, or mixed martial arts, is a relatively new combat sport that was brought to public attention with the advent of the Ultimate Fighting Championship in 1993. It brought the Brazilian concept of Vale Tudo fighting, or anything goes, no-holds barred fighting, to worldwide attention, throwing fighters from different styles against each other. While Brazilian submission specialist Royce Gracie won the first tournament with ease, today's fighters are much more well-rounded.
Elite MMA is the top mixed martial arts (MMA) training facility in the greater Houston area, with school locations in Houston, Baytown, Greenway Plaza and Kingwood. We are experts in the instruction of self-defense, muay thai, kickboxing, boxing, mixed martial arts (MMA) and Brazilian Ju Jitsu (BJJ), offering these essential classes across Houston. We pride ourselves on providing an environment for fun, happiness, and personal growth each day we come together. Thank you for coming to our web site.
Dom Tsui has been writing professionally since 2000. He wrote for the award-winning magazine, "Pi," and his articles about health and fitness, style and confidence appear on various websites. Tsui works as a lifestyle and confidence consultant and kickboxing instructor. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in English literature from University College in London.
In general, fighters who cannot win fights through lightning offense, or are more suited to win fights in the later rounds or via decision are commonly known as grinders. Grinders aim to shut down their opponent's game plan and chip away at them via clinching, smothering and ground-and-pound for most of the rounds. Prominent examples of grinders are Pat Healy,[143] and Chael Sonnen.[144]
Whilst training and assessing I look at the load, technique, the number of repetitions, and the speed at which the weight is moved, which is very important. All of the above are always logged for the future information. For example, let’s say that Richie deadlifts 80% of his 1RM x 5, but the bar moves slowly. He struggles with the last 2 reps but manages to complete them with correct technique. I have made a note in his training log, “1x 5 @ 80% 1RM DL.” A couple of sessions later, he repeats exactly the same drill, but this time the bar moves quickly. He doesn’t struggle and there is no decrease in the speed at which he moves the bar. Does it mean he got stronger? Yes, but if I only make a note “[email protected]% 1RM DL” it doesn't tell me that there has been an improvement. I must also note the speed of the bar.
"We are a storytelling platform. The future will see unscripted series, long-form documentary films, reality programming, sports journalism, event specials and more unique standout content from HBO Sports. We are constantly evaluating our programming to determine what resonates with our subscribers. Our audience research clearly shows the type of programming our subscribers embrace. For HBO Sports, it's programming that viewers can't find elsewhere."
To determine your overtraining status and your improving fitness, take your heart rate every morning. I strongly recommend a heart rate monitor, but if you do not have one, take your heart rate at your wrist, not your neck. Remember you need a clock or timer that measures seconds. Take the heart rate for a full minute every morning after you get up and go to the bathroom, but before you do anything else. Make sure you are sitting. Record the number every day, and if it is increases by more than five beats per minute you are probably overtraining or getting sick.
Corey Beasley has been a strength and conditioning coach for over 14 years. He owns Innovative Results, in Costa Mesa CA, which utilizes ‘out fo the box’ training methods to assist their clients look better, feel better and perform better. Corey works with elite level wreslters, jiu jitsu, and MMA athletes. He is also RTS1, NASM Master Instructor, OKC and IKSFA Kettlebell certified, and a Level 2 Battling Ropes Instructor.
This is just one example of how to lay out your week. There are many schools of thought and a lot of ways to mix up your schedule. The main thing to consider is how each session taxes your body. Wrestling, rolling live or sparring take their toll on your system and should be done sparingly throughout the week. Our bodies need time to recover between these intense sessions. That being said, we can spend that time learning new techniques, drilling and improving our skill between these sessions.
Educators are in a unique position to fight racism by giving others the skills to improve their own quality of life or employ their knowledge to confront racism in its many forms. This is not limited to the classroom. You can use your knowledge as an educator to help others through volunteer work, and tutoring, such as with refugees who need to learn English as a second language in order to get ahead, or with underprivileged kids who need assistance that their own schools do not offer.
Kickboxing classes at Team Quest MMA in Portland are a mixture of several techniques employed in the rest of the forms of martial arts. Referred to as the “science of 8 limbs” simply because almost all parts of the body are employed during the fight. The forehead, the fists, elbows, knees, and feet are often used as the weapons. It has been around for more than 2000 years and is basically regarded as the oldest variant of martial arts.
The Systems Training Center gyms were created to offer high quality classes in boxing, kickboxing/Muay Thai, BJJ (Brazilian Jiu Jitsu), Krav Maga, CrossFit, HIIT Fit (High Intensive Interval Training), Combat conditioning, yoga for adults and kids martial arts classes, including kids BJJ and kids Krav Maga. Our vision when we opened was to create a safe, fun and empowering home away from home for people of all ages, backgrounds, and ethnicities. Systems Training Center has a well-known MMA team with fighters competing in some of the top MMA organizations, such as the UFC, Bellator, and LFA. This makes for high-quality classes, taught by some of the best coaches in the world!
My first day was a real eye opener. I didn’t want to be like most beginners. I wanted to get right into free-sparring. This is where you wrestle other students to gain superior positions as they are taught in class. My first opponent was a towering gentleman by the name of Jan. (pronounced Yan) Being much taller than me, Jan had a considerable advantage not to mention he was also a gold belt. We started ‘rolling’ and he put me into his guard. To be in some ones guard means that you are trapped between their legs as they lay on their back. I had no choice but to give up. He then followed up by showing me ways to escape. This is what I love about this school. The other students aren’t there to ‘beat’ you. They are there to learn and to teach others as well. Mr. Arnebeck goes out of his way to do the same. He is never hesitant to demonstrate the move with you in order to answer your questions. The teaching is great, the students and staff are very helpful and receptive, and the atmosphere is that of a dedicated practice.
From The Ground Up™ uses the best of wrestling and Brazilian jiu-jitsu, with an emphasis on the “goals” for groundfighting, as opposed to the goals for protracted grappling. Essentially, From The Ground Up™ is the absent modality for self-defense practitioners that do not want a sport based grappling program, while recognizing “the need to get wet, in order to not drown.”
Small, open-fingered gloves were introduced to protect fists, reduce the occurrence of cuts (and stoppages due to cuts) and encourage fighters to use their hands for striking to allow more captivating matches. Gloves were first made mandatory in Japan's Shooto promotion and were later adopted by the UFC as it developed into a regulated sport. Most professional fights have the fighters wear 4 oz gloves, whereas some jurisdictions require amateurs to wear a slightly heavier 6 oz glove for more protection for the hands and wrists.
The ALACTIC system (aka the phosphagen or phosphocreatine system) is the energy system capable of producing the most energy within the shortest amount of time. A fight-ending flurry or combination uses this energy system. The alactic system is different to the aerobic and anaerobic system in that it produces energy by directly breaking down the ATP molecule, bypassing the conversion of fats, carbohydrates or protein into ATP. However, our body has limited stores of ATP, therefore the alactic system is the quickest to fatigue and can only produce large bursts of energy for up to 10 seconds. Fully restoring phosphocreatine and ATP stores takes around 5-8 minutes; this restoration time can be influenced by strength & conditioning training, as well as the level of development of the aerobic and anaerobic system.
Of course, no home-based MMA workout will completely mimic the adrenaline rush of getting in the cage with another fighter. If you're serious about training in mixed martial arts, you'll want to find a facility in your area with coaches who can help you acquire the specific skills needed to actually fight your way through three tough rounds. It's not just about punching hard or throwing a solid kick, you have to learn to grapple and wrestle, how to break out of holds, and how to take a punch without faltering. Home-based workouts can only take you so far.
As a veteran fighter, the 6-1, 265-pound Jackson has a painful admission to make. “I suck at jumping rope for some reason,” he claimed. Perhaps it’s the volume that challenges him, as his coach will have him doing anywhere from three five-minute rounds to 10 five-minute rounds, “depending on how pissed he is at me.” To put the latter into perspective, a Bellator title match lasts for five five-minute rounds (normal matches are three rounds), so 10 five-minute rounds of jumping rope is double the time of a fight. Obviously, jumping rope helps fighters with their conditioning, but Jackson credits the age-old training method for improving his agility and footwork as well.
Drop the white knight routine and face facts. Women on average a weaker/smaller than men. If a woman is going to be traveling down the street, it’s in her best interest to carry some form of protection in case some punk wants to mug/rape/kidnap her. Nothing sexist about it. It’s the facts of life. Hell, I’ve been studying martial arts for 15 years and I still carry something, be it a tactical flashlight/knife/keys between the fingers, to give me an edge over a thug who wants to start trouble.
Your shadow boxing should be set up in rounds with non-stop shadow boxing so that you can establish a good pace, similar to one you would have in a real life fighting situation. You could do two rounds of five minutes each, or if it’s a quick workout one round will be enough to get your body warm and loose. Some fighters find it beneficial to do more rounds and a shorter duration such as 30 seconds – one minute, with a 30 second break in between. Find the style that works best for you and execute. Another great way to warm up before stretching is jumping rope, many professional fighters/boxers swear up and down that jump roping helps establish a good fight flow.
I can say with confidence that 99 percent of us don't have the same schedule as a professional athlete. Instead of a 10 a.m. marketing meeting, professional fighters start their morning with the first of two daily training sessions. Their afternoon may consist of interviews, an appointment with the physical therapist, lunch, a nap, and then they're back in the gym for their second training session.
Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact combat sport that allows striking and grappling, both standing and on the ground, using techniques from various combat sports and martial arts. The first documented use of the term mixed martial arts was in a review of UFC 1 by television critic Howard Rosenberg in 1993.[1] The term gained popularity when newfullcontact.com, then one of the largest websites covering the sport, hosted and republished the article.[2] The question of who actually coined the term is subject to debate.[3]
IMHO Judo is legit for self defence. Hell, I know what’s coming and still it’s disconcerting to see your world spin and end up on your back. Yeah, no striking. Yeah it’s sport orientated (BJJ is at risk of going that way as well). Still, throwing dumb motherfuckers hard on solid ground is a fight stopper. Judoka like to say “nobody hits as hard as the Earth”
Time limits were established to avoid long fights with little action where competitors conserved their strength. Matches without time limits also complicated the airing of live events. The time limits in most professional fights are three 5 minute rounds, and championship fights are normally five 5 minute rounds. Similar motivations produced the "stand up" rule, where the referee can stand fighters up if it is perceived that both are resting on the ground or not advancing toward a dominant position.[80]
Sure, the hype machine was in full effect leading up to this August rematch, but when put on the sport’s biggest stagefor a second time, both Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz stepped up once more. Filled with drama from start to finish, McGregor started fast and Diaz finished strong, but it was “The Notorious” one who emerged victorious via decision, evening the score with Stockton’s finest and setting the stage for what fans hope will be a rubber match.
What is the makeup of a great MMA fighter? I will not be going into the technical mastery of various martial arts, but looking at it more from the strength and conditioning coach point of view. An MMA fighter has to be strong enough to dominate the opponent, throw powerful punches and kicks, absorb impact, and be able to resist a constant application of force. He or she has to be powerful and fast, and have enough endurance to be able to perform at high level for five 5-minute rounds. The training program has to address all of the above qualities without compromising one another. This is the beauty of strength and conditioning training for combat sports - as an S&C coach you are a part of a team that creates such a well-rounded athlete.
Work out at least four days a week, but no more than five. To get into optimal shape, and stay there, you should work out at least four days a week, alternating so you work out for two or three days and rest one. I don’t think you should ever work out for four and rest for three days. Your body needs a day of rest after a couple of hard days training. However resting two or three days routinely will derail the momentum of your training. If you workout too many days in a row without a break, you will do more harm than good, because the hard training you are doing is breaking down your body, and it needs adequate time to rest.
Loughnane agrees that this is vital: "Yoga should be a massive part of training. With how hard we train and how beaten up our bodies get over the years, in later life especially you need to work on flexibility," he says. "Your muscles get really tight from wrestling and boxing, and it can get quite hard sometimes just getting out of bed in the mornings."
John Lewis – Lewis is an iconic name in Civil Rights in America. Lewis was a key participant in the Civil Rights movement; he is one of the original Freedom Riders, was one of the “Big Six” Civil Rights leaders, helped organize the March on Washington with Martin Luther King Jr., and was integral to ending segregation in America. Currently, he is the U.S. Representative for Georgia's 5th Congressional District.
Ethnic Studies programs, essentially, involve the study of the position, representation, experiences and history of non-white groups, many of whom are ethnic minorities in America. This is not to lump each type into a single category, but to only focus on one for the sake of this entry would be overlooking the fact that racism impacts many different groups.
Mixed Martial Arts is a regulated full contact combat sport between two fighters trained in various martial arts forms. Mixed Martial Arts or MMA involves both stand up and ground fighting so it employs both striking and grappling techniques from a variety of different martial arts styles such as boxing, submission fighting, catch wrestling, jiu jitsu, judo, thai boxing, karate as well as others.
MMA is a raw sport that is evolving into an incredible chess match of mind, body, and will. It is sport and competition in its purest form. It is exciting to watch the sport evolve and is rewarding to help young athletes chase and achieve their dreams. I truly hope that this information helps you get more out of your training and enables you to perform at a higher level.
A well-documented fight between Golden Gloves boxing champion Joey Hadley and Arkansas Karate Champion David Valovich happened on June 22, 1976 at Memphis Blues Baseball Park. The bout had mixed rules: the karateka was allowed to use his fists, feet and knees, while the boxer could only use his fists. Hadley won the fight via knockout on the first round.[35]
Telegraphing is another thing to keep in mind when using your street fighting techniques. Essentially, telegraphing means unintentionally making your intentions known to your assailant during the fight. There are many subtle forms of telegraphing which must be avoided in when street fighting. Here are just a few: (1) Cocking your arm back prior to punching or striking; (2) Tensing your neck, shoulders or arms prior to striking; (3) Widening your eyes or raising your eyebrows; (4) Shifting your shoulders; (5) Grinning or opening your mouth; (6) Taking a sudden and deep breath. You can find more information about Telegraphing in many of my Instructional Street Fighting DVDS.
Diane Lockhart, motivated by the inauguration of Donald Trump, plans for her retirement. Her goddaughter, Maia Rindell, secures an associate position at Diane's firm, having passed the bar examination. Maia accompanies Diane in the latter's final case regarding police brutality, where they meet head-to-head with Adrian Boseman, a name partner of an African-American-owned firm, and Lucca Quinn, Diane's former employee. While the case is still proceeding, Maia's father, Henry Rindell, is arrested for orchestrating an elaborate Ponzi scheme, and due to this, Diane, who is among his investors, finds herself broke and unable to follow through with her retirement, and is also unable to secure or re-secure her job at any firm, with her having already signed an exit agreement with her old firm, and the fact that she invited her colleagues and clients to invest in Henry's fund. To prevent her assets, and consequently, her husband Kurt McVeigh's, from being seized as evidence, she is advised to divorce him, given their separation after the discovery of his affair, but he refuses to file for divorce, still hoping for a reconciliation. Hearing Diane's trouble, Adrian offers her a junior partner position at his firm, which she accepts, and when Maia is fired, in part due to her father's financial scandal, Diane brings her along.
You’ll also get a taste of their main expertise, MMA and kickboxing, in the MATRX class—a cutting edge routine that incorporates TRX suspension. TRX increases your movement capacity and engages your muscle fibers in a way free weights and machines can’t because it utilizes your own bodyweight from various angles. Your stability, flexibility and endurance are strengthened—and most of all, your mind is engaged.
The Fit to Fight® Force Options Group training, for law enforcement and military personnel, ascribes to the notion that, irrespective of the context, fundamental combat skills are a must for physical altercations. While some special sensibilities and tactics are dealt with in the overarching structure of our force training progressions, much of training is rooted in learning to read, appreciate and respond to actual energies that are manifest in any and all situations that entail interpersonal human aggression. Fit to Fight® Force Options Group also delves heavily into the stressors that accompany said situations, their emotional and physical byproducts and methods for dealing most effectively with them.
If you find you are overtraining, then cut back on your workouts, starting first with the sprint portions of the cardio, and then with some of the strength training if need be, or take the day off altogether. Once you have recovered begin adding back exercises slowly to find your limit. You may find that your resting heart rate drops over the twelve weeks. This is good, and it’s a sign that your cardio is improving.
“In my opinion, real self-defense is more of a mental match up then a physical size match up. Mr. Arnebeck is a unique teacher. I have found him to be very open minded to new ideas and he realizes the only constant is change. I see him as student as well as a teacher and he is constantly adding to his resume and skills by continuing his education. He has been a student of Rickson Gracie (7th degree black belt BJJ) since 1996, and brings in Rodrigo Vaghi (3rd degree black belt BJJ) and Tom Crone (highest ranking Judo Master In MN) to the Warriors Cove for seminars. Its important to me that he continue to provide me with up to date information.”
How to: Sit on the floor with your legs bent in front of you and feet on the floor. Place your palms on the floor by your sides. Brace your core and bring your butt a few inches off the floor and lift your chest up. Crawl forward, keeping your core tight, and build speed as you become more comfortable with the movement. Give your body a chance to adjust to this exercise — you’ll get the hang of it with some patience and practice!
Bruce is learning mixed martial arts, the fast-growing combat sport popularized by the Ultimate Fighting Championship. In the UFC, two fighters square off inside a cage, attempting to harm each other with a mix of Brazilian jiu-jitsu, wrestling, boxing and other fighting styles. Victory is often decided by a brutal knockout or a suffocating chokehold.
Strange comments in elevators make Maia suspicious. She and Marissa discover someone has made a fake Twitter profile for her. Diane is handling a fertility case with a clinic that has closed and donated 11 of 12 eggs for research. The 12th egg has been fertilized and is being prepped for implantation. Diane brings suit before that can happen. Mike Kresteva, the head of a task force hoping to curb police brutality, stops by to meet with Adrian. Diane warns Adrian that Kresteva is not always straightforward. Maia and Marissa track down an old boyfriend of Maia's, who they think is responsible for the Twitter impersonation. Adrian, Diane and Lucca are served with subpoenas to testify before a grand jury being prosecuted by Kresteva. At Lucca's request, Colin speaks with his boss about Kresteva. With Marissa's help, Maia finds a way to retaliate against her old boyfriend. The fertility case has Diane and Barbara thinking back on what could have been. The two women bond for the first time while Diane considers reaching out to Kurt. Kresteva is undeterred and pushes forward with his intentions. The judge rules on the owner of the embryo.
Using their knowledge of ne-waza/ground grappling and tachi-waza/standing grappling, several judo practitioners have also competed in mixed martial arts matches.[102] Fighters who hold a black belt in judo include Fedor Emelianenko, Anderson Silva, Dong Hyun Kim, Cub Swanson, and Olympians Ronda Rousey,[103] Hector Lombard and Rick Hawn[104] and Hidehiko Yoshida. Former WEC middleweight champion Paulo Filho has credited judo for his success in an interview.[105]
One misconception about energy systems is that each energy system completely turns on or off during various intensities and durations of exercise. Instead, all three energy systems contribute to energy production during all modalities and intensities of exercise. The relative contributions of each will depend on the velocity and force demands of the exercise bout or sport.
The idea might sound insane to some people: You’re going to pay money so you can go to a place every couple of days and get beat up. But, joining up to study a martial art can be extremely rewarding for your fitness and your overall well being. Picking the right system to study is crucial if you’re going to enjoy yourself and, ultimately, stick with it. Here’s a quick guide to help you figure out which one is right for you. And this list is just a start. There are plenty of other areas of study out there to explore, but these seven are likely the easiest to find.
Along with peanut butter and jelly, mixed martial arts (MMA for short) is proof positive awesome things happen when worlds collide. MMA takes different fighting disciplines — boxing, Jiu-Jitsu, wrestling, you name it — and combines them into an unpredictable combat system. Contenders can mix and match elements from literally any martial art on Earth, and the result is a tough, intense sport and a kick-ass workout.
While we may be known for training professional athletes and our Neurological Reengineering programs, BARWIS truly is a place for everyone to enjoy. Check out the list of core services we offer for the general public and please feel free to contact us with any questions you may have. Drop by the center anytime during business hours for a workout and who knows... you might even catch a glimpse of what a professional athlete's workout is like while working up a sweat!
It’s the old rabbit and the hare analogy that everyone has heard, but very few actually apply. As MMA evolves, the “rabbits” will be exposed. Being talented or tough will only last so long and developing a consistent work ethic will separate the winners from the losers. Skill and strength are not built in a few weeks; it takes years to develop a foundation of strength and skill and constant tuning to develop that power into a refined champion.
If you prefer to work with adults, there are many options. For example, there is much work to be done in the area of reintegrating ex-convicts into society, by helping them get career training and employment, maintain their parole terms, remain sober, and avoid recidivism. Racism in housing is still a major issue, and you can fight racism by helping people secure affordable housing.
How to: Start off on all fours. Lift your knees off the floor and raise your hips slightly, bracing your core as you do so. That’s the “bear” position! Keeping your shoulders and hips at the same height, step forward with your right foot while reaching forward with your right hand. Repeat on the left side and continue moving forward, building speed as you go. Roaring is optional.
I attended the Alan Belcher MMA club in Dlbverville while I was in tech training at Keesler AFB this year. I wanted to find something that kept me engaged and active through all that studying. Never boxed before, these lady and gentleman were patient with me and I grew a love for boxing. I saw results regardless of if I was eating right (If I ate right would have been a lot more) the owner taught many of the classes! Now that I've graduated and went back home I just wanted to give a review to say If you're thinking about trying it you should!
Also, if it happens that you pushed too hard (which most likely will happen or has already happened to all of us at some point), make a note in the training log and adjust the intensity. The more you know your athlete, the more you can fine-tune the training. This is why I do not believe in six of eight week training camps. To know your athlete well, you need to work with them on a regular basis.
This is due to a combination of factors, including discriminatory laws, lack of funding for public health initiatives, lack of business investment, and negative, prejudiced attitudes from more privileged populations. The recent case of lead contamination in the water of Flint, Michigan—a majority African American city—is a prime example of this, but the issues are certainly not limited to the U.S.
Parents Charged in Death of Missing Culver City Baby Put His Body in Suitcase and Threw it Away: LADA House Approves Bill to Expand Background Checks for Gun Sales and TransfersChain-Reaction Crash Involving 131 Vehicles Leaves 1 Dead, 71 Others Injured in WisconsinLAPD Seek Robbery Suspects, Man Impersonating Officer in 3 Separate Incidents at Chinatown Jewelry Stores
Jose Octavio Rivas, Jr. – Rivas is a high school teacher in the Lennox School District of California, teaching STEM classes to a primarily minority student population with a high poverty rate. In his efforts, Rivas has secured over $150,000 in funding, and is focused on helping his students succeed by preparing to become engineers. Rivas was a runner-up for our 2016 Escalante-Gradillas Prize for Best in Education.
Muay Thai is the kickboxing style most commonly used in professional Mixed Martial Arts (UFC) style competitions. It is known as the “Art of 8 Limbs” because it allows use of punches, kicks, elbows, and knees—making it the most versatile and effective striking system on the planet. Even better, it is a great workout and not boring—this motivates people who normally hate going to the gym and gets them working out!
While most fighters use ground-and-pound statically, by way of holding their opponents down and mauling them with short strikes from the top position, a few fighters manage to utilize it dynamically by striking their opponents while changing positions, thus not allowing their opponents to settle once they take them down. Cain Velasquez is one of the most devastating ground strikers in MMA and is known for continuing to strike his opponents on the ground while transitioning between positions.[127] Fedor Emelianenko, considered among the greatest masters of ground-and-pound in MMA history, was the first to demonstrate this dynamic style of striking in transition. He was striking his opponents on the ground while passing guard, or while his opponents were attempting to recover guard.[128][129]
This program will help you maintain or improve the range of motion about your joints and surrounding muscles; reducing the risk of injury and promoting performance. Many times our common hamstring, back and knee pain can be caused from inflexibility and tight structures. Following an organized strteching program can usually eliminate these. Are you an athlete? Being able to move through a full range of motion can increase power output by optimizing biomechanical leverage position.
Cornel West – West is a contemporary political philosopher who pays specific focus to racial issues in America. At various points in his career, he has been a professor of African-American studies at Princeton and Harvard. He is currently a professor of philosophy at Union Theological Seminary. West is featured in our article "The 50 Most Influential Philosophers."
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Craig Johnson’s Dry Bones
Ok, let’s start off by noting that the characters here are not the same in their characterisation as the one submarine their names on the excellent Longmire series currently running on Netflix after its previous network canceled. Even the depiction of such places as Walt Longmire’s house are radically different (instead of being clean and orderly, it’s pretty much a mess) as his personality’s quite different here. This is certainly not the first time that I’ve seen this as the Midsomer Murders series also took less than pleasant characters and gave them a rewrite that made them much more likeable.
Reading this novel after watching the first three seasons of the show was truly interesting. The largest difference is that the characters here and their relationships to each other are markedly different. And some are yet even present. Walt Longmire: the long-time sheriff of Absaroka County, is fucking Victoria “Vic” Moretti:, his Under Sheriff; Henry Standing Bear, a Cheyenne who is Walt’s best friend is a very large individual, not at all like the character as played by Lou Diamond Phillips in the series; and Branch Connally, the nephew of Lucian Connally, the previous Sheriff, simply doesn’t exist as far as I can tell.
Dry Bones is the thirteenth novel in this series and the first I’ve read. This is unusual for me as I usually only read series from the very beginning but thirteen previous novels is too much even for me to do in order to catch up quickly. So I’m judging this novel solely on its own merits. Well and having watched the series of course.
The book itself is narrated by Walt with a sardonic edge and more than a touch of humor. It’s a wonderful voice bringing the story which involves the bones of the largest dinosaur ever found in Montana to life with a death that may or may not be a murder and conflicting claims of ownership given Walt a headache. The story here shows how damned complex land rights are in Wyoming with tribal claims intersecting with landowner rights all wrapped up in both state and federal laws about what happens to Jen, the dinosaur here.
Along the way this, the eleventh in the series and not an impossible place to start reading the series I discovered, I’ll introduce you to some memorable characters and give you an introduction to a fascinating state and its people. The solving of the mystery isn’t as important as the way that Walt with the able as assistance of Vic, Henry and others ambles through the landscape asking questions (gently and not so gently), drinking Rainier beer and occasionally getting in and out of trouble.
Is it worth reading? Oh very much so though I suggest that starting at the beginning of the series make more sense. Judging solely from this novel, it’s a superb series and would definitely make for quite a few evening of reading. If you prefer listening to your mysteries as often do, George Guidall who voices these works makes a perfect Walt Longmire.
Viking, 2015
About Cat Eldridge
I’m the publisher of Green Man Review and Sleeping Hedgehog.
My current reading is the Wylding Hall novella by Elizabeth Hand, Simon R. Green’s Night Fall, and listening to Rita Mae Brown’s Crazy As A Fox.
I’m listening to a whole bunch of new Celtic and Nordic new releases but I’ll dip in my music collection for such artists as Blowzabella, Jay Ungar and Molly Mason, and Frifot as the weather goes warmer.
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Gabriel Yacoub’s The Simple Things We Said
Gabriel Yacoub began his career singing and playing guitar in Alan Stivell’s band, before going on to form the legendary French Renaissance rock band Malicorne. Malicorne’s compilation CD Légende: Deuxieme Epoque exceeds the quality of any of the similar compilations from their English contemporaries Steeleye Span, and is on a comparable level with the best output from Fairport Convention. Malicorne split up twenty years ago, and I hadn’t heard any of Yacoub’s subsequent solo material until I recently got the chance to listen to 2002’s The Simple Things We Said. This album combines new songs with reworked versions of some older songs, with the specific intent of cracking the American world music market.
A couple of things have changed in Yacoub’s music since his Malicorne days. For one thing, while most of the songs on The Simple Things We Said are sung in French, Yacoub also sings in English on a couple of songs. The title song is an anglicized version of an older song of his called “Les Choses Les Plus Simple.” He wrote a short English song “Letter From America” for the album, and does a chilling cover of the song “You Stay Here” from one of his favorite English-speaking songwriters, Richard Shindell. Most of the music on this CD falls into the category of straightforward acoustic folk, as opposed to the Medieval and rock ends of Malicorne’s musical spectrum. A greater focus is placed on Yacoub’s guitar playing, which has improved significantly over the years. A couple of songs do echo Yacoub’s past though, most notably the a capella “Ami: Âme: Amen (Friend: Spirit: Amen),” a song reflecting on a nightmarish summer when three close friends of Yacoub’s passed away, and “Désir,” which features a dueling guitar from Nicolaïvan Mignot and backing vocals from Kate and Anna McGarrigle.
Yacoub has also successfully made the transition from performing mostly traditional material to writing most of the songs on this disc. Most of Yacoub’s songs, including the title song, are love songs, usually tinged with a hint of melancholy and some indication that the romance has not survived. The lyrical themes diversify in the second half of the disc, though. “Ces Dieux-Là (These Gods)” reads a lot like John Lennon’s song “God,” except that Yacoub’s list of things he does believe in is substantially longer and the chorus is very catchy and singable even to non-native speakers like me. On “Beauté/12th Song of the Thunder,” Yacoub very successfully adapts two pieces of poetry from a Navajo ritual.
A couple of facets of Yacoub’s music have remained constant over time, though. For one thing, the passing years since Malicorne have been mercifully kind to Yacoub’s voice. It remains very distinct and recognizable, and if anything, has matured and gained in character. Most importantly, The Simple Things We Said shows that Gabriel Yacoub remains an intriguing and compelling performer, full of creative musical ideas and still perfectly capable of turning the ideas into first-rate music.
(Simple, 2002)
About Scott Gianelli
Scott Gianelli is a college professor on Long Island. When not teaching physics or climate, he can be seen carting his guitar and bouzouki around to Swedish folk dances or amusing himself playing games of all sorts. He has a blog on energy and climate called The Measure (http://themeasuregw.blogspot.com), and can be reached at scottgianelli@yahoo.com.
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George W Bush brings his awesomeness on AIDS day
Harold Pollack
The former president has an important Wall Street Journal op-ed today, “No Retreat in the fight against AIDS.” I hope I’m not revealing classified information to comment that I’m not exactly a huge Bush fans. But he deserves much credit for PEPFAR. He isn’t the only person who deserves credit, of course. Many Democrats and Republicans do, as well, across the political spectrum. Zeke Emanuel notes in today’s Times several important ways that President Obama has worked to improve global health, too, Medical treatment innovations and declining drug prices have greatly helped, too. Global health aid–not just on AIDS, TB, and malaria, but help in the fight against many diseases you’ve never heard of–saves millions of lives every year.
Postscript: Alanna Shaikh at UN Dispatches provides a powerful column on this (see below the fold).
This enterprise is under fiscal threat. The New York Times reports: “America’s budget crisis at home is forcing the first significant cuts in overseas aid in nearly two decades.” House Republicans propose deep cuts in the State Department and in foreign aid. Many of these cuts fall on evidence-based health and development assistance. As the Washington Post’s Michael Gerson described these cuts earlier this year: “If the goal of House Republicans is to squander the Republican legacy on global health, they are succeeding.” Senate Democrats have supported less extreme but ill-advised cuts, as well. Some in Congress speak of foreign aid as a fiscal burden that our weakened economy can no longer support. The New York Times describes such cuts as “a retrenchment that officials and advocates say reflects the country’s diminishing ability to influence the world.” What a sad commentary on our nation’s sense of itself and our national interests.
A million news stories report two numbers that continually pass undetected through the minds of many voters. Foreign development assistance amounts to 1% of the federal budget, less than 0.25% of our gross domestic product. Cutting foreign aid is effectively meaningless as an overall budget-balancing measure. Of course, the voting public don’t believe that. The majority of Americans apparently believe foreign aid consumes 25 percent of the federal budget. Given such widespread, rather stupefying public ignorance, it’s all too easy to demagogue these modest expenditures. Following Senator Moynihan, one might call the resulting rhetoric “boob bait for the bubbas,” except that one shouldn’t insult the many bubbas such as GW Bush who appreciate the importance of foreign aid efforts.
Global development assistance is more effective than it has ever been. It is also more evidence-based. Government and private funders have supported impressive randomized trials, such as those conducted by MIT’s Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab. HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment, measures against polio and river blindness, and the provision of mosquito nets to prevent malaria are just a few of the highly-effective programs our nation helps to fund. In large part due to vaccinations and basic public health efforts, global child mortality has declined by about forty percent since 1990. Such public health efforts raise moral issues, such as those surrounding abortion and syringe exchange. Over the decades, liberals and conservatives have found ways to negotiate these issues in good faith.
In addition to expressing American values, foreign aid helps build our connections with communities and nations around the world. People tend to notice when you are there to help in their hour of need. When American relief workers are there in the wake of famine, earthquake, or tsunami, people take note. Groups such as Hezbollah understand that, as well, which is why they seek to win hearts and minds through grassroots social services in the wake of natural disasters and war.
Some in Congress grumbled after the United States spent $250 million to help Pakistan address devastating floods. I suspect that such relief efforts do more to win the hearts and minds of ordinary people than have billions of dollars we have provided that country in military and intelligence aid.
Cutting global assistance is an understandable, but selfishly short-sighted response to hard economic times. Literally billions of people around the world look to us for continued leadership and for our good example. What kind of message will we send them, or ourselves, if we choose to let them down? Something to ponder on AIDS day this year.
Postscript: As noted, Alanna Shaikh at UN Dispatches provides a powerful column on funding cuts. She writes:
In the face of [great scientific and clinical opportunities], the global community responded in one voice, “Forget it. We don’t care.” Things are hard all around, you know, and foreigners with HIV don’t vote in domestic elections. The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB, and Malaria just canceled its next round of grants. The WHO is laying off staff. Bilateral donors are cutting aid to global health. Instead of breaking the cycle of HIV transmission, developing nations will be lucky if they can protect the people they already have on treatment.
That may sound dramatic, but look at the numbers. The Global Fund asked donors for $20 billion. It received $11.5. Everyone from Germany to the USA reneged on their pledges of support.
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History | July 10, 2019, 6:00 AM
July 10th in History
July 10 is the 191st day of the year (192nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 174 days remaining until the end of the year.
Armed Forces Day (Mauritania)
National Day of Commemoration (Ireland)
Christian Feast Day:
Amalberga of Maubeuge
Rufina and Secunda
July 10 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
Independence Day, celebrates the independence of the Bahamas from the United Kingdom in 1973
Silence Day (Followers of Meher Baba)
Statehood Day (Wyoming)
Nikola Tesla Day
Beatles Day (Liverpool and Hamburg)
In 48 BC, Battle of Dyrrhachium: Julius Caesar barely avoids a catastrophic defeat to Pompey in Macedonia.
In 138, Emperor Hadrian dies after a heart failure at Baiae; he is buried at Rome in the Tomb of Hadrian beside his late wife, Vibia Sabina.
In 645, Isshi Incident: Prince Naka-no-Ōe and Fujiwara no Kamatari assassinate Soga no Iruka during a coup d’état at the imperial palace.
In 988, The Norse King Glun Iarainn recognises Máel Sechnaill II, High King of Ireland, and agrees to pay taxes and accept Brehon Law; the event is considered to be the founding of the city of Dublin.
In 1212, The most severe of several early fires of London burns most of the city to the ground.
In 1460, Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick, defeats the king’s Lancastrian forces and takes King Henry VI prisoner in the Battle of Northampton.
In 1499, The Portuguese explorer Nicolau Coelho returns to Lisbon, after discovering the sea route to India as a companion of Vasco da Gama.
In red, the lands of Navarre occupied by Ferdinand. In pink, the remaining Kingdom of Navarre which survived until Henry IV of France.
In 1512, The Spanish conquest of Iberian Navarre commences with the capture of Goizueta.
In 1519, Zhu Chenhao declares the Ming Dynasty emperor Zhengde a usurper, beginning the Prince of Ning rebellion, and leads his army north in an attempt to capture Nanjing.
In 1553, Lady Jane Grey takes the throne of England.
In 1584, William I of Orange is assassinated in his home in Delft, Holland, by Balthasar Gérard.
In 1645, English Civil War: The Battle of Langport takes place.
In 1776, Richard Peters, English clergyman (b. 1704) dies. He born in Liverpool, became an attorney, Anglican minister, and civil servant. In 1735 he emigrated to Pennsylvania, where he served in numerous posts for the Penn family, including on the Governor’s Council from 1749 to 1775, and eventually became rector of Christ Church in Philadelphia. He was educated at Westminster School and continued at the Dutch University of Leyden for additional studies. He read law at the Middle Temple and became ordained in the Church of England. He later undertook further studies at Wadham College, Oxford.
In 1778, American Revolution: Louis XVI of France declares war on the Kingdom of Great Britain.
In 1789, Alexander Mackenzie reaches the Mackenzie River delta.
In 1806, The Vellore Mutiny is the first instance of a mutiny by Indian sepoys against the British East India Company.
In 1863, Clement Clarke Moore, American author and educator (b. 1779) passes. He was an American Professor of Oriental and Greek Literature, as well as Divinity and Biblical Learning, at the General Theological Seminary of the Protestant Episcopal Church, in New York City. Located on land donated by the “Bard of Chelsea” himself, the seminary still stands today on Ninth Avenue between 20th and 21st Streets, in an area known as Chelsea Square. Moore’s connection with that institution continued for over twenty-five years. He is the author of the yuletide poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas“, which later became famous as “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas”. Clement Clarke Moore penned his famous poem on a visit from Santa while visiting his cousin, Mary McVicker at Constable Hall in what is now Constableville, NY.
In 1882, War of the Pacific: Chile suffers its last military defeat in the Battle of La Concepción when a garrison of 77 men is annihilated by a 1,300-strong Peruvian force, many of them armed with spears.
In 1821, The United States takes possession of its newly bought territory of Florida from Spain.
In 1832, The U.S. President Andrew Jackson vetoes a bill that would re-charter the Second Bank of the United States.
In 1850, Millard Fillmore is inaugurated as the 13th President of the United States upon the death of President Zachary Taylor, 16 months into his term.
In 1877, The then-villa of Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, formally receives its city charter from the Royal Crown of Spain.
In 1890, Wyoming is admitted as the 44th U.S. state.
In 1913, Death Valley, California, hits 134 °F (~56.7 °C), the highest temperature recorded in the United States.
In 1921, Belfast’s Bloody Sunday: 16 people are killed and 161 houses destroyed during rioting and gun battles in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
In 1925, Scopes Trial: In Dayton, Tennessee, the so-called “Monkey Trial” begins with John T. Scopes, a young high school science teacher accused of teaching evolution in violation of the Butler Act.
In 1925, Meher Baba begins his silence of 44 years. His followers observe Silence Day on this date in commemoration.
In 1938, Howard Hughes sets a new record by completing a 91-hour airplane flight around the world.
In 1940, World War II: the Vichy government is established in France.
In 1940, World War II: Battle of Britain – The German Luftwaffe begins attacking British convoys in the English Channel thus starting the battle (this start date is contested, though).
In 1941, Jedwabne Pogrom: the massacre of Jewish people living in and near the village of Jedwabne in Poland.
In 1942, World War II: An American pilot spots a downed, intact Mitsubishi A6M Zero on Akutan Island (the “Akutan Zero“) that the US Navy uses to learn the aircraft’s flight characteristics.
In 1942, Diplomatic relations between the Netherlands and the Soviet Union are established.
In 1946, Hungarian hyperinflation sets a record with inflation of 348.46 percent per day, or prices doubling every eleven hours.
In 1947, Muhammad Ali Jinnah is recommended as the first Governor-General of Pakistan by the British Prime Minister, Clement Attlee.
In 1951, Korean War: Armistice negotiations begin at Kaesong.
In 1962, Telstar, the world’s first communications satellite, is launched into orbit.
In 1967, Uruguay becomes a member of the Berne Convention copyright treaty.
In 1966, The Chicago Freedom Movement, led by Martin Luther King, Jr., holds a rally at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois. As many as 60,000 people come to hear Dr. King as well as Mahalia Jackson, Stevie Wonder, and Peter Paul and Mary.
In 1967, New Zealand adopts decimal currency
In 1971, Hassan II of Morocco survives an attempted coup d’état, which lasts until June 11.
In 1973, John Paul Getty III, a grandson of the oil magnate J. Paul Getty, is kidnapped in Rome, Italy.
In 1973, The Bahamas gain full independence within the Commonwealth of Nations.
In 1973, National Assembly of Pakistan passes a resolution on the recognition of Bangladesh.
In 1976, The Seveso disaster occurs in Italy.
In 1976, One American and three British mercenaries are executed in Angola following the Luanda Trial.
In 1977, Alexandr Zagirnyak and Gennadi Sheludko hijack a Tupolev Tu-134 en route from Petrozavodsk to Leningrad and try to force the pilot to fly to Sweden. The plane lands in Helsinki instead. The hijackers surrender the next day and are returned to the Soviet Union.
In 1978, World News Tonight premieres on ABC.
In 1978, John D. Rockefeller III, American businessman and philanthropist, founded the Asia Society (b. 1906) dies. He was a philanthropist and third-generation member of the prominent Rockefeller family. He was the eldest son of philanthropists John D. Rockefeller, Jr. and Abby Aldrich Rockefeller. His siblings were Abby, Nelson, Laurance, Winthrop, and David. Like his sister Abby, John III eventually settled on philanthropy as his major interest. His brothers Nelson and Winthrop devoted themselves to politics while Laurance went into conservation and David went into banking. He was a major force behind the establishment of the Council on Foundations, the Foundation Center, and Independent Sector. He took a leading role in organizing the Commission on Foundations and Private Philanthropy (better known as the Peterson Commission) and the Commission on Private Philanthropy and Public Needs (better known as the Filer Commission). He also made the initial donation to support Yale University‘s Program on Non-Profit Organizations, the first academic research center to focus on nonprofits. In addition to his interest in philanthropy, Rockefeller made major commitments to supporting organizations related to East Asian affairs, including the Institute of Pacific Relations, the Asia Society, and the Japan Society. He was also a major supporter of the Population Council.
In 1978, President Moktar Ould Daddah of Mauritania is ousted in a bloodless coup d’état.
In 1979, Arthur Fiedler, American conductor (b. 1894) dies from heart failure. He was a long-time conductor of the Boston Pops Orchestra, a symphony orchestra that specializes in popular and light classical music. With a combination of musicianship and showmanship, he made the Boston Pops one of the best-known orchestras in the country. Some people criticized him for over-popularizing music, particularly when adapting popular songs or edited portions of the classical repertoire, but Fiedler kept performances informal and sometimes self-mocking to attract a bigger audience.
In 1980, Alexandra Palace burns down for a second time.
In 1985, The Greenpeace vessel Rainbow Warrior is bombed and sunk in Auckland harbour by French DGSE agents, killing Fernando Pereira.
In 1991, The South African cricket team is readmitted into the International Cricket Council following the end of Apartheid.
In 1992, In Miami, Florida, the former Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega is sentenced to 40 years in prison for drug and racketeering violations.
In 1997, Miguel Ángel Blanco, a member of Partido Popular (Spain), is kidnapped in the Basque city of Ermua by ETA members, sparking widespread protests.
In 1997, In London scientists report the findings of the DNA analysis of a Neanderthal skeleton which supports the “out of Africa theory” of human evolution placing an “African Eve” at 100,000 to 200,000 years ago.
In 1998, Roman Catholic sex abuse cases: The Diocese of Dallas agrees to pay $23.4 million to nine former altar boys who claimed they were sexually abused by Rudolph Kos, a former priest.
In 2000, A leaking southern Nigerian petroleum pipeline explodes, killing about 250 villagers scavenging gasoline.
In 2000, EADS, the world’s second-largest aerospace group is formed by the merger of Aérospatiale-Matra, DASA, and CASA.
In 2002, At a Sotheby’s auction, Peter Paul Rubens‘ painting The Massacre of the Innocents is sold for £49.5million (US$76.2 million) to Lord Thomson.
In 2003, A Neoplan bus, owned by Kowloon Motor Bus, collides with a truck, falls off a bridge on Tuen Mun Road, Hong Kong, and plunges into the underlying valley, killing 21 people. This is the deadliest traffic accident to date in Hong Kong.
In 2005, Hurricane Dennis slams into the Florida Panhandle, causing billions of dollars in damage.
In 2007, Erden Eruç begins the first solo human-powered circumnavigation of the world.
In 2008, Former Macedonian Interior Minister Ljube Boškoski is acquitted of all charges by a United Nations Tribunal accusing him of war crimes.
In 2011, Russian cruise ship Bulgaria sunk in Volga near Syukeyevo, Tatarstan, leading to 122 deaths.
In 2017, Iraqi Civil War: Mosul is declared fully liberated from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.
Author: Staff
Jackson Weather Forecast, TN (38301)
Eleanor’s Call to Duty0
Tolerance + Tolerance = TOLERANCE!0
The Activist Elephant In The Room | Not to be denied… they live here too…. Starts with Mandatory Spay and Neuter0
Things Haven’t Always Been This Way0
The Race Card0
Are You Free Yet? Part II 3
MADISON COUNTY TENNESSEE SECOND AMENDMENT PRESERVATION RESOLUTION 2
Mysterious Group Funds Ads Supporting Senator Lamar Alexander’s Environmental Spending Plan 2
Say You Got That Feelin' We Need Racial Healin' 2
Are You Free Yet? Part I 2
Are You Free Yet? Part 3 2
Follow @fneudecker@fneudecker
"Freedom" like life is fragile and delicate and can be ended without warning or fanfare or gradually like the sands of time. Frank Neudecker
Kitty’s Place Very Comfortable 4 Blocks from Beach, 2 Blocks from Bay
Kitty's Place Would you like to visit someplace nice... maybe just the two of you. Kitty's home is 5 years old, beautifully furnished, very family oriented. To Kitty your stay is important in that they strive to provide you with everything you need for your vacation or time away to relax. Furnished with amenities for you to enjoy your vacation and fun in the sun. Very hospitable atmosphere, great beach, amusement parks only miles away, and shopping at a great Outlet Mall only minutes away. Newly installed above ground pool. Minutes to the famous Ft. Morgan. Great sunsets, beautiful waters, white sandy beaches. Very relaxing, very enjoyable. Kitty's home is dog friendly and has it's own pool. Email her at kittystuart65@gmail.com You will love it.
Ilhan Omar’s Father and Other Somalian War Crimes Perpetrators Now Living Illegally in the US
10-year-old boy poses in drag with nude man: How is this not child porn?
5 Principles of Patrolling explained, with select quotes from Patton
Soaring inventory in Southern California: Homes available for sale soar by 37 percent on a year-over-year basis. The plastic nature of SoCal’s housing market.
New York: Man Indicted On 17,725 Counts Of Child Porn, Including Babies & Engaged In Bestiality
A cliff and a flock of Sheep
WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN POISON OAK AND POISON IVY?
One Child’s Tragic “Transgender” Case Is Not What You Think
TEACHER FAILS ENTIRE CLASS: WISE MOVE
Earth has a pedophilia problem: Mike Cernovich "Jeff Epstein got 1 year in jail for raping 40 children. It's not "conspiracy theory" to wonder if he had black mail info on powerful people."
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Eleanor’s Call to Duty
Tolerance + Tolerance = TOLERANCE!
The Activist Elephant In The Room | Not to be denied… they live here too…. Starts with Mandatory Spay and Neuter
Things Haven’t Always Been This Way
Prosecutors drop sexual assault charge against actor Kevin Spacey
House votes to hold Barr and Ross in contempt
The Limits of Free Speech
There is one constant pledge that we live by and it is that our American Government is founded on the concept of the individuality and the dignity of the human being. Underlying this concept is the belief that the human person is important because he was created by God and endowed by Him with certain unalienable rights which no civil authority may usurp. The inclusion of God in our pledge or our money or in our courts and buildings further acknowledge the dependence of our people and our Government upon the moral directions of the Creator, our Father, the Lord God Almighty. This is the principal of government and reporting that we stand by....
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The Nominees Are...
A Tale of Two Cities (1935)
Director: Jack Conway, Robert Z. Leonard (fill-in)
Production Company: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
Distributor: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
Top Billed Actors: Ronald Colman, Elizabeth Allan, Edna May Oliver
Won 0 Oscars
Nominated for 2 more:
Best Film Editing - Conrad A. Nervig
Plot: An alcoholic lawyer gets friend-zoned so hard. He deserves this as he keeps helping the husband of the woman he loves, despite his wish to be with her.
And we're off! The first entry for the 9th Academy Awards batch, which honors films from 1936, was actually released in 1935. It was released around Christmas 1935, so my guess is that it was released a week later in the Los Angeles area, which is part of the criteria for the Academy Awards. On the heels of MGM's David Copperfield (1935), A Tale of Two Cities (1935) indicates David O. Selznick perhaps had an obsession with Charles Dickens. There is even some shared actors between the two movies, which includes Edna May Oliver, Elizabeth Allan, and Basil Rathbone. The star here, howeverm is Ronald Colman, who shaved off his trademark mustache to play Sydney Carton (the same was true for Clark Gable in Mutiny on the Bounty (1935)). Another note (pun intended) is that the trailer above and the credits features the piece Le Régiment de Sambre et Meuse, which is the march that The Ohio State University Marching Band plays when performing 'Script Ohio.' This piece has a special place in my heart as I performed with that band for four years.
As you could tell, the trivia to the movie isn't all that exciting. The movie itself is pretty good, however. Colman is a fantastic Carton. He could be sober and romantic or drunk and brash, but he is always endearing. He totally dominates the scenes opposite Allan (and pretty much any other actor). I recall being so enthralled by Colman during Arrowsmith (1931) and he is officially on my list for movies to be excited for when his name appears as a top billed actor. Although Colman may overshadow everyone else in the movie, there are still some great moments overall. The final shot that pans to the sky is cinematically sound and the music, which contains a lot of classical pieces of music, is also fitting. The narrative is also crisp and very engaging, especially for someone who has never read the book (like me). The characters and scenarios in London and Paris are introduced throughout the first half of the movie, and when the plot really gets going, its easy to care about the fate of France and, ultimately, the fate of Carton.
As I allude to above, Colman outshines everyone else on screen. The acting from nearly everyone not named Colman is below average, even when comparing the performances to others during this time period. This was Blanche Yurka's first movie since the silent film era and it really shows. She is very demonstrative with her gestures in the courtroom scene and it plays very hammy. Her sidekick has the most annoying laugh in the history of cinema. I recognized the voice right away and when I confirmed my hunch of who she was, I felt kind of proud. I am of course talking about the Queen in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937). Her name was Lucille La Verne and she does the laugh of the Queen (after she transforms into the old witch) in every scene she is in. It makes absolutely no sense. There is also a lack of chemistry between Allan and her husband, Donald Woods. As I mentioned above, I have never read the book, but I would think there should be some conundrum for Allan to choose between both her suitors. As a viewer of this movie, I was just perplexed as to why Allan's character wanted to be with Woods' character when Colman was always there for her.
Overall, I'm glad to at least be acquainted with this classic narrative. Colman turns in an excellent performance amidst mostly poor ones, but there is enough momentum in the story to keep this going.
My Score: 7/10
1st Academy Awards (1927-1928)
2nd Academy Awards (1928-1929)
3rd Academy Awards (1929-1930)
4th Academy Awards (1930-1931)
7th Academy Awards (1934)
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There is Only One Phoenix, The Bird of Fire
October 10, 2015 By Steven Loveridge
Only one Phoenix bird, the bird of fire, ever exists. Resembling both an eagle and a peacock, he lives for hundreds or thousands of years. At the end of his life, he sets fire to his nest and is consumed by flames. A young Phoenix is reborn from those same flames. The first Phoenix was present in the Garden of Eden and the Phoenix will exist for eternity, but he will be lonely, the only one of his kind.
The Phoenix has been celebrated in magic and mythology and literature for all time. He may have been heard of first in Arabia or that may be where he first lived and then he appears in Egyptian mythology, closely associated with the worship of the sun.
In ancient Greece, he was a symbol of immortality and of resurrection and closely associated with Phoebus, the sun god. The Phoenix bird was believed to live in a cool well and sing so beautifully at dawn that the Sun god would stop his chariot to listen.
In Rome, they knew the story of the phoenix bird and the Roman poet, Claudian wrote about him
“The willing bird; to burn is his desire.
That he may live again; he’s proud in death,
And goes in haste to gain a better breath.”
By the ninth century, the Phoenix was known in England and features in a famous anglo-saxon poem in the Exeter Book of Leofric, which still lies in Exeter Cathedral Library. By then the Phoenix, the death and resurrection of the bird was a representation of Christianity.
One of Shakespeare’s most difficult love poems was called The Phoenix and The Turtle, but the most moving poem about the bird is in the poem The Phoenix Bird by Hans Christian Andersen, read charmingly here:
The Phoenix will live forever with us as a special and magical bird, which is why he also features quite so much in children’s books, including the forthcoming Guardians of The Scroll, sequel to The Palace Library.
Filed Under: Mythical Creatures, The Palace Library
Eight Reasons Not to Keep a Dragon as a Pet
May 15, 2015 By Steven Loveridge
1. Your house is likely to burn down.
Much of your house is made of wood. The floors, the roof timbers, maybe the walls. If you live in a thatched house, the roof is made of straw. As soon as a ‘pet’ dragon breathes out, it will, of course, be breathing fire. The curtains will burn, then the walls and soon you won’t have a home any more.
2. They steal anything shiny.
You will have heard about magpies collecting shiny things and keeping them in their nests. Dragons are much, much worse. Dragons like to steal anything shiny and especially anything made of gold, like a ring on your finger. They might bite your finger off to get at the ring too. Then you’ll never get it back (the ring nor the finger). Dragons are worse hoarders than misers.
3. Even baby dragons are not cute or cuddly.
Everyone loves puppies or kittens. They are so cuddly and can be forgiven anything, as you can pick them up and stroke them. The problem with a dragon, even a baby dragon, is their skin is all tough and scaly. You can’t stroke them at all – even if you can near them. Of course, if you will not accept my advice and do keep a dragon as a pet, don’t get a puppy. It will eat it.
4. Dragons eat babies.
If you think dragons might like puppies or kittens as a tasty snack, there’s still more to worry about. Dragons eat babies the moment someone looks away. They’re not sensitive about whose baby it is, or whether he or she lives in the house with them. They’re cruel like that.
5. Dragons are huge – even little ones.
Another problem with dragons is that they are huge. If you are very lucky and live in a huge house and think that’s OK, then think again. I mean really huge. Longer than a long car. Fatter than a fat cow. That means they are heavy and as soon as they start stomping around inside (and I mean stomp as they really want to be outside), they’ll start breaking things.
6. Dragons are warriors, not domestic pets.
Dragons are fighters and warriors and are not friendly. That’s why great Kings put dragons on their flags and shields, like Uther Pendragon, father of King Arthur. In fact generally, they are downright evil, which is why King Arthur had to kill one. If you want a dragon, it’s better to have a picture of a dragon on a wall.
7. Dragons need a lot to eat – especially if they have several heads.
Dragons eat a lot and want a lot of meat (quite apart from all the puppies and babies). In fact, even if you run a butcher’s shop, it’s unlikely you will be able to give them enough food. Remember, a dragon needs at least six meals a days, plus snacks. Some dragons have three or more heads. That makes them even hungrier.
8. Dragons live a long time.
Dragons can live for hundreds or thousands of years. Even if you are one of those one-in-ten-million people who can actually befriend a dragon, it will live far longer than you. And even an evil dragon can be lonely, so it’s no fair on the poor thing.
So, in short, “DON’T KEEP A DRAGON AS A PET!”
Do you have any suggestions why you shouldn’t keep a dragon?
Where is The Palace Library?
November 27, 2014 By Steven Loveridge
We know The Palace Library has a dome with a lantern, perhaps something like this, but this photograph
of a famous library is not The Palace Library. Do you know where this is?
It will probably be the keen ones at the front of the class who answer this question quickest.
They’ll be the ones to say: “It’s at Great Uncle Jasper’s house.”
They will be wrong. The naughty boys and girls in the back row will be sniggering at this, before the teacher thumps the desk and says: “Well, where is it then?”
That will silence them, but one will put his hand in the air with a smug grin and say: “It’s at Clarendon Palace, where the Great West Door is.”
“No!” the teacher will roar and then it will be the turn of the rest of the class to snigger.
Then the boy who sits at the side in the second row from the back will answer. He sits there as he knows it’s out of the teacher’s sight lines when he’s looking at trouble-makers in the back row; and he can see what’s going on in the class. He’s quiet, but bright.
“We don’t know, Sir. It’s hidden.”
Absolutely right.
“The secret of The Palace Library is that no one knows where it is. In fact, very few people know it even exists. Of the very few people who know it exists, very few know how to find it.”
Filed Under: The Palace Library Tagged With: History
The Saint George – The King’s Flagship
The children in The Palace Library journey to Hell’s Bay in the King’s flagship, The Saint George. This picture is one of the inspirations for the ship. The ship in The Palace Library has just 25 oars each side and a poop deck at the stern of the ship with castellations.
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b. 22/01/1891 Bramley, Leeds, Yorkshire. d. 04/05/1956 Boscombe, Dorset.
Frederick McNess (1892-1956) was born Frederick MackNess at Wilson’s Place, Bramley, near Leeds, Yorkshire on 22nd January 1891. His surname was misspelt as McNess when he enlisted. His father, John Francis MackNessm was born in Scotland, and served in the Royal Engineers, then after leaving the Army, he became a tanner, and later a caretaker at Bramley National School. He married Mary Webster at St Peter’s, Leeds on 2nd August 1873. Fred had four siblings – Francis Joseph, James William, Sarah and Isabella.
Fred was educated at Bramley National School before being employed as a carter’s assistant by Mr Joseph Henry “Harry” Boan. He enlisted in 3rd Reserve Battalion, Scots Guards, on 30th January 1915. On 7th February 1916 he was appointed unpaid Corporal and went to France on 6th April to join th 1st Battalion. He was promoted to Corporal and acting Lance Sergeant on 25th August 1916.
On 15th September 1916 near Ginchy, France, during a period of severe fighting, Lance-Sergeant McNess led his men with great dash in the face of heavy shell and machine-gun fire. When the first line of the enemy trenches was reached, it was found that the left flank was exposed and that the enemy were bombing down the trench. Sergeant McNess thereupon organised and led a counter-attack and although he was very severely wounded in the neck and jaw, did not give up. Finally he established a "block" and continued encouraging his men and throwing bombs until exhausted by loss of blood.
After the VC action, he was treated by Captain Noel Chavasse VC before being evacuated to 9th General Hospital at Rouen. He was moved to Welbeck Abbey and later to King George’s Hospital in London, where part of a rib was used to reconstruct his jaw.
On 9th December 1916 he was summoned from hospital and driven to Buckingham Palace, accompanied by a RAMC Sergeant, to be presented with his VC. At the Palace he was escorted to the King by Colonel Fludyer, Scots Guards. The King spent 20 minutes with Fred and expressing concern about his wounds.
Fred was later promoted to Sergeant. In July 1917 he received official welcomes at Leeds and Bramley. He was presented with a bronze clock and sidepieces by Colonel JW Smith-Neill, Scots Guards at Wellington Barracks, London, in October 1917. He remained in hospital until being discharged unfit for further service on 14th June 1918 and was awarded the Silver War Badge on 8th June.
When he returned to Leeds and Bramley in January 1920, he was presented with an illuminated address and £400, which he used to start a shoe repair business at 95 Woodhouse Lane. He received specialist help with the business, but sadly it had to close when staff were called up for World War II. He then worked for Leeds City Engineers Department as a filing clerk. Fred tried to re-enlist in the Second World War, but was turned down due to his injuries and his age.
Fred married Dorothy Smith on 4th October 1919 at Dover, Kent. She was a nurse who had helped care for him. They had a daughter, Winifred Barbara Mollie McNess, born in 1920. They lived for most of their lives in Leeds, before retiring to Boscombe, Dorset in January 1956. Sadly, Fred suffered from depression and headaches. On 4th May 1956, while his wife was out, Fred committed suicide by cutting his throat. He was cremated at Bournemouth Crematorium and his ashes were scattered there.
The Ministry of Pensions and National Insurance ceased paying his Army pension to his widow due to the fact he had committed suicide. She was left living on £2 a week, but the Scots Guards intervened and awarded her £10 a month from Regimental funds. She appealed against the Ministry’s decision and the Regiment also wrote to the Minister responsible. On 18th June 1957, the appeal was successful and the pension was backdated to his death. Dorothy attended the 1956 VC Centenary Celebrations at Hyde Park six weeks after her husband’s death. She would later re-marry in 1963 in Bournemouth.
In addition to his VC, Fred was awarded the British War Medal 1914-20, Victory Medal 1914-19, George VI Coronation Medal 1937 and Elizabeth II Coronation Medal 1953. The medals were presented to the Regiment after Dorothy’s death. The VC is held by the Regimental HQ of the Scots Guards at the Guards Museum, Wellington Barracks, London.
LOCATION OF MEDAL: SCOTS GUARDS RHQ, WELLINGTON BARRACKS, LONDON.
BURIAL PLACE: BOURNEMOUTH CREMATORIUM, BOURNEMOUTH, DORSET.
Frederick McNess VC
Frederick McNess' medals at Scots Guards RHQ, London (Thomas Stewart).
Leeds VC Memorial
Guards Chapel
David Rowlands painting of Fred McNess VC
War Illustrated, 11th November 1916
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A CHAMPION AT REST
[Posted February 11, 2011] The news spread rapidly through Richmond on Wednesday; former Chief Justice Leroy R. Hassell had died overnight. The news was sad but hardly unforeseeable to those who had seen him in recent months, a once robust figure reduced to comparative frailty by the ravages of the disease that would eventually claim him this week.
Others have written about Justice Hassell’s legacy as a pioneering legal figure. He made news, and waves, with his mental-health proposals a few years ago. He was the Supreme Court’s second minority jurist, plucked straight from the private practice of law to sit on Virginia’s highest bench. On these matters, I will leave the words of others to inform you.
I choose instead to focus on two aspects of the former chief’s life and his character. Taking them chronologically, the first is his involuntary position as one of the first African-American students to integrate formerly all-white Norview High School, here in Tidewater, back in September 1970. (Brown v. Board of Education famously took its time in reaching the classrooms of Virginia.) I remember this time well, because on what was likely the very same day, I was part of the first crop of white students to walk into the halls of formerly all-black Crestwood Junior High School in Chesapeake, just ten miles due south of Norview.
Justice Hassell spoke little of that occasion, but I suspect that his experience was a bit different from mine. While my junior high school was fully integrated immediately, Norview, as I understand it, wasn’t; I have read that the first group of minority students there was very small, and constituted a tiny segment of the school’s population. That, I perceive, is a very different dynamic.
My daughter’s generation, from what I’ve seen, regards racial prejudice as a sort of anachronistic curiosity; from what I’ve seen of her social choices, and those of her friends, race is essentially irrelevant to them. It wasn’t, forty years ago. What I infer that Leroy Hassell learned from that time was, I suspect, the same two lessons that I learned: First, there were certain people who decided what they thought about you by looking only at the color of your skin. And second, the rest of us were going to prevail, as long as we persevered.
Justice Hassell persevered. Four years after leaving Norview, he entered Harvard Law School, and from there he embarked on a career that would raise him rapidly to the pinnacle of his profession – a Supreme Court justice in his mid-30s. It was less important to him that he was a black justice than that he was a good justice.
The second aspect of this man I’ll mention here is his commitment to pro bono service. For the last eight years, every time I had a merits argument before the Supreme Court, I watched at the beginning of the day’s docket as newly-licensed lawyers were sworn in and admitted to the bar of the court. On each of those occasions, the Chief Justice gave a short welcoming speech to the new lawyers, fully half of which was an exhortation to provide pro bono services to indigent clients. It never varied; he always impressed upon each lawyer the need to provide this public service.
I have no idea how to measure how effective these urgings were, but I know that he was fully committed to improving the availability of pro bono services. In this light, I invite each of my readers who are attorneys to reflect on how much pro bono work you have provided over the last year, or the last ten. Keep in mind what pro bono work is not: It does not include work for one of your good corporate clients for which you simply decline to submit a bill, in the interest of generating goodwill and future business. It does not include representing your best corporate client’s CEO’s teenage son who got a speeding ticket, again for no fee. That kind of work is called marketing, and it doesn’t count against the 2% of your time per year that the Rules of Professional Conduct call for you to perform pro bono publico, “for the public good.”
Here’s how the RPCs define pro bono services: poverty law, civil rights law, public interest law, and volunteer activities designed to increase availability of pro bono legal services. That is the yardstick by which each of us must measure our contribution to the betterment of society, not merely to the expansion of our own wealth. RPC 6.1(c) provides one alternate method of satisfying your duties, in case (for example) you’re a corporate or tax lawyer and you don’t feel capable of handling a civil-rights lawsuit: You can provide “direct financial support of programs that provide direct delivery of legal services to meet the needs” of the above areas. If you’re in that situation, I encourage you to click on this link and make a donation. Jay Speer, Executive Director of the Virginia Poverty Law Center, will be very happy to have your help.
For the rest of us, please feel free to use the conventional method, and take on a case or three for clients who could never afford your services at the rack rate. If you have a law license, you’re expected to do this. And given how important was to the late Leroy Rountree Hassell, Sr., you will be honoring the legacy of a champion of this cause, now at rest.
Today I had the honor of visiting the rotunda of the State Capitol, where Justice Hassell’s remains lay in state, to pay my final respects. Since the General Assembly is in session, I suspect that he had a great deal of visitors who were much more exalted than I am. I hope you had an opportunity to see this highly moving scene – the coffin, draped with the flag of Virginia, attended solemnly by two Capitol Police officers at all times, lying immediately at the feet of the Houdon statute of George Washington. Justice Hassell’s memorial services will be held tomorrow morning in Richmond, and interment will be private.
← Supreme Court Lightens Up on Assignments of Error Analysis of March 22, 2011 CAV Opinions →
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District 55 — California State Assembly
State assembly members introduce and vote on new laws, hold hearings, and draft the state budget. They are elected to two-year terms.
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Total money raised: $749,243
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Website: phillipchen.org
Email - phillip@phillipchen.org
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Creating a dedicated freight truck roadway parallel to the 60 Freeway by linking existing underused four-lane service roads, thereby reducing 60 freeway traffic and streamlining freight truck traffic flow
Supporting a sustainable healthy economy by shifting financial support and tax relief away from the wealthy and corporations, and toward the middle class and small businesses
Shifting away from finite energy sources (coal, oil) and toward renewable energy (solar, wind)
Profession:Social Worker
Children's Social Worker, County of Los Angeles (1990–current)
California State University, Los Angeles — Master of Science, Psychology (1985)
University of Southern California — Bachelor of Arts, Psychology (1981)
Worksite Steward, Service Employees International Union, Local 535/721 (1991–current)
Delegate, Los Angeles County Democratic Party (2002–current)
Delegate, California Democratic Party (2003–current)
Ex-Officio Delegate, San Bernardino County Democratic Party, Democratic Party of Orange County (2010–current)
Executive Board Delegate, Service Employees International Union, Local 535 (1994–2007)
I'm a social worker for the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services, where I have worked with children and families in their own communities for nearly 30 years, seeing firsthand those communities' needs.
I've been an active voice for working Californians over the past quarter century, serving in several capacities with SEIU Local 721 and one of its predecessor unions, SEIU Local 535. I've been a worksite steward for the past 27 years. I served on the Local 535 statewide Executive Board from 1994 until the reorganization into Local 721 in 2007. As a bargaining team member in contract negotiations six times since 1995, including serving as bargaining team chair in 2007, I've fought for manageable workloads for child welfare social workers. As a member political activist, I've visited the State Capitol on nearly an annual basis since 1992 to fight to protect funding for child welfare services, which are annually threatened with cuts despite State analyses that show that social worker caseloads are over twice the numbers necessary to ensure that at-risk children and families are adequately supervised. I've also fought to protect funding for home care services for the disabled, to protect Medi-Cal funding through State matching funds, and to keep local tax revenues local in order to protect local community services.
I was born in Covina and have lived most of my life in the San Gabriel/Pomona Valley area, attending public schools in West Covina and Covina. I currently live in Walnut, where I became an active voice in City affairs immediately, twice running for City Council, and continuing to advocate for protection of the last remaining open space in the city.
I enrolled in the University of Southern California at the age of 16, earning a bachelor's degree in psychology. I subsequently earned a master's degree in psychology from California State University, Los Angeles.
Service Employees International Union, California State Council
Stonewall Democratic Club
Walnut Valley Young Democrats
International Longshore and Warehouse Union, Southern California District Council
Animal PAC
Elected Officials (1)
Anthony Rendon, Speaker of the Assembly
Questions from The League of Women Voters of California Education Fund and the League of Women Voters Orange Coast (4)
What do you think the State should do to encourage affordable housing for all Californians?
Answer from Gregg D. Fritchle:
There is no single solution to homelessness. It’s a multifaceted problem involving issues of employment, housing affordability, mental health, and substance abuse among others. As such, there are several things we should be doing:
1) Rezoning of retail (not industrial) areas to accommodate mixed-use construction (ground-floor retail with residences on upper floors, etc)
2) Living-wage jobs
3) Move-in assistance programs for those who can afford monthly payments but are cash-poor and thus unable to afford move-in costs (eg, low- or no-interest loans to finance move-in costs so that they can be spread over the first 6-12 months of tenancy)
4) Official State classification, standards, and certification and regulation of sober living homes as a treatment modality for substance abuse
5) Additional assistance through CalWORKs for victims of domestic violence to help victims and their children escape their abusers and obtain safe housing and job training as needed
6) Expansion of high-speed transit to connect high job density areas with more affordable existing housing in outlying areas
7) Realignment of revenues from incorporated cities with very low population and very high tax revenue (such as the City of Industry) to cover regional affordable housing construction, assistance programs such as those above, and regional infrastructure improvements to streamline both passenger and freight transit
8) Multiple innovative small-scale temporary housing ideas designed by private citizens (such as dome housing and small-footprint single-room houses)
9) "Sweat equity" programs like Habitat for Humanity
According to a "Civility In America” survey, 75% of Americans believe that the U.S. has a major civility problem. If you are elected what will do to address this?
Whether or not I'm elected, I'm going to continue to stand for focusing on issues rather than on personalities. I've been doing this as a candidate, and being an elected official will simply mean that message will reach more ears. I refuse to engage in personal attacks as a candidate. In my prior runs for the Assembly, there have been a few supporters who wanted to put out negative information about at least one opponent. I made clear to those supporters that they were on their own in those efforts and I wanted no part of them.
Climate changes, and the shifting between very wet weather and drought, worry Californians. What strategies would allow that your district to both satisfy its water needs and protect the environment? Please be specific.
Because water is essential for everyone's survival, we have to look at water access as a right of every Californian.
In addition to ongoing conservation education and local conservation measures, we need to protect the water we have by preventing contamination with toxic chemicals. Our current water shortage only underscores the need for existing regulations on businesses over drainage, as well as prohibitions on releasing contaminated water or toxic chemicals into the ground where it may commingle with previously uncontaminated groundwater.
Technological interventions like cloud seeding or saltwater desalination cannot bring us out of this water shortage. Cloud seeding can only be expected to bring small increases in precipitation, and desalination remains very expensive.
I've looked at measures currently taken by the State, and one element that appears to be missing is the application of the State's eminent domain over its water supply to claim water held within communities in high-precipitation areas, such as along our mountain ranges. Historically, heavily-populated but less water-rich areas have had to negotiate with more water-rich ones in counties like Mono and Inyo to obtain an adequate water supply for the residents of those heavily-populated areas. But exporting water to distant counties provides a benefit for those less-populated but water-rich areas beyond the monetary compensation, by reducing the need for more people to move near those areas, preserving open space and a quiet, rural atmosphere that makes those areas desirable places to live for those who already reside there. Rather than negotiate, it's not at all clear to me that the State can't claim a portion of the water in these areas for public use as provided under the Fifth Amendment to the US Constitution to ensure that no Californian goes thirsty and no family farm runs dry. The State can then determine just compensation to the water source municipalities based on local water supply rates.
What programs or strategies would you suggest to meet the educational needs of the youngest and most poverty stricken Californians?
In recent years, community mental health service providers have begun providing services on school campuses. As a social worker, I've witnessed firsthand this partnership in action, and have seen its effectiveness in improving school performance by at-risk youth. As a legislator, I would fight to increase our investment in partnership programs like this that would draw funding from General Fund as well as Proposition 98 education fund revenues, so that no student is left behind.
Working in partnership with other public agencies (mental health, juvenile probation, etc) is an essential component of such an effort. In addition to mental health counselors as I have mentioned above, every campus should have community workers who can reach out to families of at-risk youth, including those in foster care and/or on probation.
Community Crossroads 3 October 2016 — April 15, 2018 KCAA-AM 1050 San Bernardino/Redlands
Radio interview of me on 10/3/16 on KCAA-AM 1050, San Bernardino/Redlands
Brea City Council meeting 20 February 2018 — April 28, 2018 City of Brea
Email - gregg55ad@verizon.net
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Ruth Dureghello
Faith doesn’t generate hate.
Ruth Dureghello is president of Rome’s Jewish community.
Last Sunday, before Pope Francis, Chief Rabbi Disegni, and the entire Roman Jewish community which had gathered at the Great Synagogue to welcome the pontiff, you said, “With this visit, Jews and Catholics are sending a new message with regards to all of the tragedies that have filled the news recently. Faith doesn’t generate hate. It doesn’t shed blood. It calls for dialogue.”
Yes. This was an important passage from the talk I gave last Sunday at the synagogue of Rome. Religions must spread that message, that God’s name can’t be invoked in order to kill or to overpower, as happens today all too frequently. Instead it needs to inspire a journey of awareness, dialogue, and common respect.
You were dressed very elegantly and wore a hat, and you are the first woman in history to be president of the Jewish community in Rome and to get up on the “tevà” (podium) to speak to the community. How did that make you feel?
It was very moving, but I was also proud to represent my community. When one is to represent a community such as ours, it needs to be done to the best of one’s abilities. Wearing my outfit I wanted to represent a moment of pride for my community, also in my role as president. It was important to emphasise certain qualities that characterise this two-thousand-year-old community.
How many Jews are there in the community in Rome?
A little bit more than thirteen thousand people. About half of all Italian Jews. It was important to me to emphasise in my speech that the Roman community is not only active and lively but also has strong ties to Israel and all of the other communities in the world. It is aware of the importance of peace and security in Israel at this terrible time. At the exact moment that the pope was visiting the synagogue in Rome and we were waiting for the ceremony to begin, a woman in Israel was stabbed in her home in front of her son, another horrible piece of news in what has become an endless stream.
The exterior of the Great Synagogue, Rome.
You and the pope both said that being anti-Zionist is the most modern form of anti-Semitism.
That’s true, and there is a lot of anti-Semitism. This is a growing phenomenon throughout Europe. There are terrible indications of this in Italy, especially on the Web. Thank heavens that the Italian authorities know how to protect the Jewish community very well and are always diligent in prosecuting these terrible and unjustified displays of hatred.
As a woman surrounded by so many important people, rabbis, and priests, how did that make you feel during the pope’s visit?
It was obviously an important moment, and I felt appreciated. The most wonderful thing was having men around me who shared and supported my sentiments. Being a woman is something of an added bonus. I say that a bit as a joke, but they called me a tomboy from the time I was a little girl because I was always surrounded by men.
Interior of the Great Synagogue of Rome.
What was it like to stand there next to the pope?
He is an imposing figure, but he’s still a man, and I wanted to imagine that I was standing next to a person with the same emotions I have. We spoke calmly, we told him the story of the deportation of 16 October here in the Roman ghetto, and he met with some of those left wounded by the act of Palestinian terrorism on 9 October 1982. The pope was curious and really wanted to greet and get to know people. Our meeting was something that went beyond protocol and formalities.
Did you also talk about common worries?
The general worry about the world, but then our speeches spoke for us.
Does the Jewish community in Rome have a privileged position in the Catholic world?
It’s a relationship that is the result of a long history of living side by side, but it is also made up of difficult, terrible moments. This community has suffered many times, but today we can say that we share close ties. For centuries there was a gap that seemed impossible to bridge, but today it brings us together.
Pope Francis is the third pope to visit the synagogue in Rome. Pope John Paul II and Benedict XVI came before him. Would you say that this is becoming a tradition?
Rabbi Disegni said it well in his speech. In Jewish tradition, when an act is repeated more than three times, it becomes a “chazaqa” (a fixed tradition).
Pope Francis is welcomed to the Great Synagogue of Rome, January 17, 2016.
So there’s great commitment there?
What is your life like as the newly elected president of the Jewish community in Rome, having been elected six months ago?
My life has changed. It is such a great commitment that it’s taken up a very large amount of my time. Obviously, there’s a family to keep alive and take care of, and my most important role is still that of being a wife and a mother to my two children. The work for the Roman community is demanding because we do many activities for education with the schools, working with the Israeli hospital, helping the needy, and then many cultural activities. I am convinced that the best way to overcome prejudice is to tell people about Judaism, and especially what Roman Jews have meant and mean in the history of this city.
On one hand you are very Roman and Italian and on the other hand there are strong ties to Israel?
We are the most Roman of Romans. I hope that when Roman Jews decide to make “aliyah” (establish themselves in Israel), they do it not because they feel threatened but to respond to a calling of the Torah. I would like to point out that multiculturalism is a value that is often forgotten.
What are Jewish women in Rome like?
[The president smiles] They are gorgeous! There are all kinds – women managers, women who are really attached to their families and tradition, whether they are of Libyan descent or were born in Rome. Our community is made up of two types of people – the Roman Jews and the Libyan Jews who came after they were sent away from Tripoli in 1967. Libyan Jews are an integral, integrated, and fundamental part of our community, and a great example of acceptance and integration. Roman Jewish women are “Jewish mothers” just like all the others around the world, focused on their children’s education, on passing down traditions, and always very affectionate (like my mother).
Is food important in the lives of those in the Roman community?
It is fundamental. Eating together is the most symbolic and representative moment. We do it on Friday nights and we come together with our traditional dishes.
What are some of these dishes, for example?
Jewish-style artichokes, beef stew, and anchovies with endive.
Fried artichokes, one of the many gems of Roman-Jewish cuisine. Photograph: Vicky Wasik
Is there fear in the Roman community?
No, but there’s caution. That means that we are aware that there’s danger around us, and not just for Jews but also for everyone. This danger can’t stop us from living freely, taking our children to school, going to temple, and working each and every day to show that we want to live.
Are relations with Israel good?
They are united, solid, and there is great respect and consideration for the work we are doing in Rome. We are in constant contact and we share thoughts and ideas. Knowing that Israel is ultimately with us gives us a great sense of security.
What about your relationship with Italian authorities?
We are very grateful that it’s one of the most serious, aware, and vigilant countries in Europe in fighting anti-Semitism and terrorism and protecting its citizens.
Do you think Italian Judaism should have more recognition around the world?
Absolutely. Not just because of our history but also because of the value of what we do in Italy despite the very few resources we have and thanks to the great volunteer work of many people working on the front lines.
Are you satisfied with your work?
An appreciative congregation applauds during the visit of Pope Francis to the Great Synagogue of Rome on January 17, 2016.
Is the community quite religious?
It’s an orthodox community and there are many observant Jews. The number of synagogues in Rome has increased and today there are nineteen.
Do you try to visit them all?
I try to go to as many synagogues as possible, but on Saturdays, because I’m an observant Jew and I must go around on foot, I try my best but I can’t be everywhere or go to, for example, Ostia because it’s too far away.
Are you always dressed elegantly when you go to synagogue?
I try. However, sometimes I am tired and other times I’m rested, but I’m always passionate.
Have you been involved in the community’s activities for many years?
Yes. For seven years, I was on the Board, and I worked with schools and education. Now I am the president.
Pope Francis during his visit to the Great Synagogue of Rome on January 17, 2016.
Do you think you will meet with the pope again?
I hope that our dialogue will continue and be continually renewed, and I also hope that we can promote the fact that Judaism is alive and continues to exist by the grace of God.
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Watch a video of the pope’s visit here
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Jews are the Canaries in the Coal Mine for European Islamic Terror
by Lawrence Grossman
The site of the Hyper Cacher hostage-taking and murders. Photo: Wikipedia.
The French people — along with everyone else around the world who values human life — are still reeling from the mass killings in Paris on November 13. The ISIS murderers were indiscriminate: their victims were of every ethnicity and religion, and came from all walks of life.
While the number of dead and injured almost boggle the mind, the scope of the horrific crime must not cause us to lose sight of previous Islamist attacks in France that surely led up to this one.
Curiously, Molenbeek, a heavily Muslim neighborhood in Brussels, Belgium, played a role in all of them. At least three of the most recent ISIS-inspired killers lived there. Another resident was Amedy Coulibaly, the Frenchman of Malian descent, also an ISIS adherent, who took hostages in a Paris kosher store last January while brandishing weapons obtained in Molenbeek. He killed four people before police shot him dead. Coulibaly coordinated his crime with the Kouachi brothers, who attacked the editorial offices of Charlie Hebdo and murdered 11 staff members, and then killed a police officer.
The history of Molenbeek and terrorism goes back even further. On May 4, 2014, Mehdi Nemouche, who rented a room in the neighborhood, walked calmly (as recorded on an installed video camera) into the Jewish Museum of Belgium in Brussels, and killed four people. Nemouche, a French national of Algerian descent, had the distinction of being the first European to carry out an attack after returning home from fighting for ISIS in Syria. This made him the prototype for several of November’s Paris killers.
The pattern is sickeningly powerful. In chronological order, an attack on a Jewish institution that kills four, followed by virtually simultaneous attacks on a bastion of free speech and a Jewish store that kill a total of 16, and then an orgy of indiscriminate bloodshed in the French capital that kills, at last count, 129.
Antisemitism never just stops with the Jews, and failure to deal with it effectively endangers all of society.
Threats and attacks on French Jews have been on the rise for more than a decade. This year, the number accelerated at an alarming rate: during the first quarter of 2015 there were 508 antisemitic incidents, an 84% increase from the 276 incidents in the equivalent period last year.
In July, the head of CRIF, the central body of the French Jewish community, said, “Nothing seems to stop the drastic increase of anti-Semitism in France.” So far this year some 6,000 French Jews have moved to Israel, and the rate of immigration will likely increase in the wake of recent events.
While public-opinion surveys indicate that worrisome levels of antisemitism exist on the right and left political extremes in France, crimes against Jews have almost invariably been committed by young, French-born Muslims imbued with radical Islamist ideology. That was certainly the case in the most shocking and brutal attacks — the January 2006 kidnapping, torture and murder of Ilan Halimi; the March 2012 killing of a rabbi and three children at a Jewish school in Toulouse; and the hostage-taking and murder at the Parisian kosher store in January 2015.
Jews are not the sole people endangered by a theology that asserts a fundamentalist expression of Islam as the only legitimate faith and calls for the establishment of an amorphous theocratic caliphate. By its very nature — as we saw on November 13 — radical Islam rejects democracy, freedom of speech and religion, and the rights of women and minorities that form the cornerstone of the way of life shared by Europe, the United States, and Israel.
Antisemitism — sometimes cloaked as anti-Zionism — is increasing in other European countries as well, in large part because of the large recent wave of Muslim refugees that can only reinforce the Islamic extremism already firmly planted in certain Brussels neighborhoods and Paris suburbs. And as the series of terror attacks in Paris showed so tragically, attacks on Jews, when left unchecked, ultimately endanger everyone.
Lawrence Grossman is the American Jewish Committee’s director of publications (www.ajc.org).
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SNP MP encouraged by increased breastfeeding rates
Alison Thewliss, MP for Glasgow Central, and chair of the APPG on Infant Feeding and Inequalities, has commended the results of a recent Scottish Government survey into breastfeeding rates and infant nutrition.
The Scottish Maternal and Infant Nutrition Survey was conducted in the first half of 2017 and invited responses from hundreds of women, including expectant mothers, those whose babies were between 8-12 weeks old, and those whose babies were 8-12 months old. The questionnaire focussed on maternal nutrition, breastfeeding, infant feeding and related health behaviours.
The survey pointed to progress being made in many areas, with 43% of mothers now continuing to breastfeed up to six months after birth, compared with 32% in 2010. In addition, it spoke to an increase in the overall duration of breastfeeding.
“It is greatly encouraging to see an uplift in the number of mothers who are breastfeeding for longer, and I am delighted that this increase is a significant one. It’s important to recognise the work going on in hospitals and local areas by both health professionals and volunteer peer supporters, as this couldn’t be achieved without their incredible efforts.
“The Unicef UK Baby Friendly Initiative standards recommend that, in order to maximise health outcomes for children, breastfeeding should be promoted exclusively for the first six months. In that sense, it’s terrific to see so many women in Scotland maximising breastmilk and introducing solid foods later.
“I know there is still a lot of work to be done in this area. Whilst help and information is given to mothers to promote and assist with breastfeeding, the survey results show the main reasons for breastfeeding ceasing early is due to concerns around feeding problems, and also finding feeding too difficult. It’s therefore crucial that health professionals continue to provide and develop ongoing support.
“Studies such as this are fundamental, as they provide an evidence base on which more informed policy decisions can be made, in this case to help design and implement better advice and support for families. It’s crucial that the UK Government do the same, in order to improve health outcomes across the country”.
Categories Breastfeeding, Campaigns Post navigation
Parliamentary event invites politicians to ‘Come On In’ to Fairtrade
Alison Thewliss MP and Fay Ripley help launch Marie Curie’s Great Daffodil Appeal
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Royal Role Models
Christa Talarowski June 20, 2015
Looking back at our history can sometimes be a bit...well, depressing. Certainly advances have been made, socially and otherwise. Yet, some historical figures still stand out as incredible innovators and role models, stunning specimens even by today's standards. As tomorrow is Father's Day, it's only appropriate that we find inspiration in the royal daddies of the past.
Alfred the Great (849-899)
This father of five earned not only the respect of his countrymen, but that of historians everywhere. Some even consider him "the most perfect man in history". While not fighting off a viking invasions, Alfred found time to translate ancient books that he considered "most necessary for all men to know" (yes ladies, brains AND brawn). With his wisdom and fortitude, he greatly improved the lives of his people, and lay down the structure for what would one day become England.
"I desired to live worthily as long as I lived, and to leave after my life, to the men who should come after me, the memory of me in good works." - Alfred
HENRY II (1133-1189)
Though he's not the best known King Henry, he's certainly the one that made best impact. This father of ten is said to be the "most effective monarch" to ever sit an English throne. He used his incredible energy and razor-sharp smarts to revolutionize British laws and institutions.
Fun fact: he was also the first Brit to use a heraldic design - his was a signet ring, decorated by either a leopard or a lion. Over the years, this design evolved into what is now the royal English coat of arms.
Edward III (1312-1377)
During the reign of Edward III, England was ravaged by the Black Death. You might think the type of king shaped by this stress would be cruel and sinister, especially if he were crowned at the age of fourteen. Instead, Edward became famed for his mercy and unusually chivalrous nature. He fought to restore his kingdom to greatness, and made impressive improvements in legislation and the legal system. Despite his clemency, he also made tremendous military victories, restoring the relationship between the English people and their rulers.
King George VI (1895-1952)
George VI is known as the "reluctant king". His charismatic older brother gave up his kingship to pursue a scandalous love, forcing the shy and modest George into the spotlight.
Another man might have wilted under that pressure, but not our George. He famously overcame his stutter to rise as a pillar of leadership and strength, providing morale to his nation during WW2. He suffered the same dangers as his citizens during the war, remaining in London despite the food restrictions and bombing raids.
There's a lot you can learn from a lion, but even more you can learn from a mouse.
We hope you found these royal role models inspiring- and remember, it's not a bad time to tell your own dad how he inspires you.
Illustrations copyright Anista Designs 2015 - not to be used elsewhere without permission.
Tags royalty, england, history, educational, father's day
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WEST PENNINE LOCAL MEDICAL COMMITTEE CONSTITUTION
The Committee shall be known as West Pennine Local Medical Committee and cover the two areas of Oldham and Tameside & Glossop Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs). The committee is dedicated to representing and actively supporting the interests of all general medical practitioners in its constituent area whether operating under GMS, PMS or APMS contracts, and whether employed or freelance sessional doctors. It may also represent the specific interests of individual general medical practitioners in its constituent area who have active subscriptions.
2. Functions
As a local Committee its views need not reflect the National position of the BMA/GPC and at all times we should keep the wellbeing and interests of our Patients at the heart of our decisions as we strive to improve local healthcare.
The Committee is the key local body working with and supporting GPs as providers of primary medical services. It represents GP interests with the full range of bodies which commission services from GPs and practices: NHS England (both Primary Care and Public Health England), the Local Authorities and the CCGs.
3. Membership of Committee
Persons eligible for Membership
All members of the Committee must be:
Registered with the General Medical Council and (unless by special category) and
On the Performers List of NHS England and working primarily in the areas covered by either Oldham or Tameside & Glossop CCG and
Contributing in person or by practice/ employer to the LMC’s levy.
Membership of the Committee
There shall be equal representation in terms of overall numbers of members with one-half from Oldham and one-half from Tameside and Glossop.
The Full Committee shall consist of:
Up to twenty-two direct members, eleven from Oldham and eleven from Tameside & Glossop
Localities shall be assigned as appropriate within each area. For Oldham, there shall be eight localities co-terminous with the localities of Oldham CCG; for Tameside & Glossop the previous 5 localities shall be retained. There shall therefore be different numbers of localities in each area and consequently in the numbers of members elected on a locality basis, being eight in Oldham and six in Tameside and Glossop. The balance of members in each area shall be appointed on a generalist basis. The total number of members per area shall remain as one –half of the overall membership of the Committee (see Appendix A for details of localities and balance of members per area)
Further (electable) places should be offered to one GP Registrar from within Tameside & Glossop and one from within Oldham.
The constitution of the Committee will be automatically revisited following re-election at both Generalist and Locality elections.
Other attendees may be co-opted by the Committee at the Committee’s discretion, without regard to the restrictions stipulated for membership. Both CCGs will be offered co-opted membership from within their Board. Any 1 locally elected GPC member and any 1 locally elected RCGP member may also be offered a co-opted place.
Co-opted membership has full speaking but not voting privileges .Co-opted members may be asked to leave if a 2nd part Meeting is required and it was considered that their presence could be seen to place them or the LMC in a compromising position.
Each general meeting of the Committee shall be open to attendance by anyone on the Performers List of NHS England for the areas covered by either Oldham or Tameside & Glossop CCG. Those so named have the right to attend. There will be a standing invitation to practice manager representatives, one from each Practice Manager Learning Forum. By special arrangement other guests will made welcome e.g. medical students, nurse prescribers, patients, at the decision of the Officers. Attendees will be informed whether they have speaking rights at the meeting, prior to the start of the meeting, but will have not have voting rights.
4. Election and terms of office
Method of election
Both Locality and Generalist members will be appointed for a period of four years on a rotating basis. Elections for around one-half of the membership will be held two years apart, with locality members on one election cycle and then generalist and the balance of some locality members on the other election cycle.
All GPs (whether Sessional, Salaried, Portfolio, Locum or those with Responsibility to a Registered List) are entitled to stand when there is a vacancy for Generalist or Locality positions.
Anyone agreeing to stand for the Committee must be proposed by someone on the performers list respective to the application (i.e. on a Generalist or Locality footprint) and seconded by a further doctor on the performers list, again respective to their application, while not working at the same practice as the Candidate. Reply is by, close of deadline, by post received, using the approved Nomination form, correctly completed (Appendixes B1&2)
Electors, including nominators, must be registered medical practitioners on the appropriate performers list. If the number of nominated candidates qualified for election does not exceed the number of vacancies these candidates will deem to have been elected without ballot.
Applicants wishing to stand for election but who have not previously contributed to the LMC’s levy will be entitled to stand given their pledge to subscribe from then on and pay any arrears that may be outstanding from the beginning of the current financial year.
Registrars on the performers list will be approached via their course organisers in August of each year and appointed for the duration of their Registrar period. Should only one or no Registrar be appointed then the offer would be extended, for one place, to be filled by any ST1 or ST2 doctor to take up for the whole duration of their vocational training.
All elections will be held in the month of February by “first past the post system” with the LMC’s Administrator undertaking the count. The result of the ballot will not be published but will be available on request from the Administrator.
Newly elected members are considered to be members as of the 1st of April.
5. Roles of officers and members
Officers of the Committee
The Committee will appoint, in turn, as appropriate to fulfil the roles of: a Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary (with provision to job share) and a Treasurer.
Although not a requirement of the Committee it is preferable for the Officers to come from within both Tameside & Glossop and Oldham so that the Chair and Secretary have more ready access to local knowledge covering, between them, the whole patch. This would similarly be of merit between the Vice-Chair and Treasurer. Where possible, the principle of balance between the two areas will be maintained.
The Committee may at its discretion also appoint a Liaison Officer who is not a member of the Committee to undertake management functions and represent the Committee at external meetings. This would be a non-voting role.
The GP Officers and any non-GP appointees are expected to fulfil their respective roles and will meet on a monthly basis, usually on the first Tuesday of the month, although they need not meet if there is no business to discuss, e.g. when there is no following LMC meeting. The Treasurer may not be required to attend every meeting.
Members are expected to:
Contribute items to the Agenda
Prepare adequately for each meeting and be familiar with the paperwork distributed by post or e-mail before the meeting
Consider agenda items, past minutes and correspondence received to debate them informedly at the regular meetings of the full Committee.
In addition, on appointment members will identify and advise of areas of special interest and expertise, in order to supplement the effectiveness of the Committee. During their term of office, members will undertake specific additional duties on behalf of the Committee, which may include leading on particular issues and projects and regular representation of the Committee at external meetings. Roles will where possible reflect declared special interests and areas of expertise.
It is recognised that a small number of members may have limitations on the scope of the specific additional duties they undertake, particularly regarding representation of the Committee and attendance at meetings with external bodies. Such members may include those also serving as CCG Chair/Vice-Chair, and non-principal GPs whose contractual hours preclude attendance at meetings during their work period. These members may therefore undertake other duties, including document reviews and reports to the Committee and mentoring, briefing and supporting in their areas of special interest or expertise those other members who are representing the Committee with external bodies.
The Administrator will maintain an up-to-date list of members and logs of areas of special interest and expertise and of the additional duties assigned to each member.
6. Vacancies, retirements and absences
Unfilled vacancies
Where membership vacancies exist, elections specific to the nature of that membership can be held, at the discretion of the Committee, between the normal elections for Generalist or Locality members.
Cessation of membership
Membership of the committee shall cease (thereby creating a vacancy) if he or she
Ceases to be on the GMC’s Register
Ceases to be on the Performers List of NHS England and working primarily in the areas covered by either Oldham or Tameside & Glossop CCG and
Ceases to be a practitioner contributing either in person or by practice to the LMC’s levy
Resigns their membership
Has been absent for four consecutive meetings of the committee, having been approached after three consecutive meetings and failing to give satisfactory explanation to the committee
Leaves Vocational Training.
Any member suspended by the General Medical Committee or NHS England will be duly suspended from their role within the LMC, until re-instated or otherwise.
7. Meetings
One third of the standing number of voting members of the committee must be present, including members from both within Tameside & Glossop and Oldham. At least one Officer must also be present.
The committee will meet ten times a year usually on the second Monday of each month between 7.15pm to 9.30pm. Formal meetings will not normally be held in August or December although a special meeting may be held in December/ January and opened to constituents and other LMCs. The meetings date and venue can be changed if members are in agreement, e.g. for an annual open meeting.
Agenda of Meetings
The Agenda for the monthly meeting will follow the format defined as Appendix C. Two weeks prior to the meeting all LMC Members will be asked for items which will be discussed at the Officers meeting the week before. All members have the right to table an item, in advance of the meeting, for discussion.
Matters for discussion
All LMC members are entitled to submit matters for discussion to the Officers group who will prioritise and schedule the agenda for monthly meetings. All members submitting a request for an item to be heard will have that item heard; however if it is submitted after the formation of the agenda (e.g. raised as any other business) it may be deferred until the next regular meeting at the discretion of the Chair and/or other Officers present.
Each monthly general meeting will have minutes taken by the Administrator (or appointed note taker). These will be inspected and confirmed/changed by the officers and will be presented as a draft for formal ratification at the next full membership meeting.
8. Disclosure of interest
Disclosure of interest
It is the individual responsibility of all Committee and co-opted members to declare any direct or indirect interests in any of the items discussed at LMC meetings, where they could be seen to bear on the decisions made at any LMC meetings- noting that it may not only be of personal pecuniary interest that the Committee consider its relevance to the matter in discussion. Such interests will need declared whenever and wherever they may arise whenever someone is acting on behalf of or in the name of the LMC. After such a declaration such a member may be asked, by the Committee (or, if alone, decide themselves) not to take part in voting, remain silent, or remove themselves from the discussion entirely.
Being involved through any personal or family, political, medico-political, DH, Hospital or CCG posts does not automatically constitute a conflict of interest with being an ordinary Member or Officer of West Pennine LMC although on occasion the Committee may have to determine whether a necessary and inescapable conflict has arisen and which course/s of action are open to the Member. In such a circumstance the Officers or Members will propose the conflict for it to then be discussed by the Members or Officers in the first instance (i.e. the Members if the individual is an Officer) for that determination, in turn, to be accepted or rejected by the other group. All members of the LMC have a personal responsibility to ensure that all such interests are declared and kept up to date in the LMC’s Register of Interests which will, in any case, be reviewed with each new membership.
Inappropriate Behaviour
On occasions when a conflict of interest is seen to have arisen, that has not been declared in the normal manner, such a breach should be discussed by the whole Committee to decide if it brings their continuing membership of the LMC into question. The Committee can also consider the circumstances if a member becomes culpable of unreasonable or immoral behaviour or a criminal offence in respect of which their continued participation in the LMC would damage the reputation of the Committee and/or diminish its ability to effectively discharge its duty. If such a step were taken the decision would stand for the planned duration of that member’s election to LMC whereupon, should they so wish and petition, it could be reconsidered
9. Funding and financial issues
Expenses of the Committee and income for the Committee are, preferentially, generated exclusively by a voluntary levy, on a capitation basis. If this proves insufficient to meet the needs of the Committee or is otherwise deemed as inappropriate the Committee may be asked by the Treasurer or Officers to consider moving to a statutory levy or combination of both. The formal mechanism of collection of the voluntary levy will be as determined by the GPC and enacted through the appropriate NHS payment agency. The amount of the levy will be set to provide fiscal balance for the LMC and prior to any adjustments being enacted a recommendation will be made by the Treasurer/Officers for the membership to consider. The accounts should, at all times, include a reserve or “fighting fund” to enable a period of extraordinary activity by membership or engage and pay for legal help and advice etc. As long as it is financially able (as decided by the Treasurer/Officers) payments will be made to the GPC defence fund.
Remuneration of Committee members will be based upon average local rates and payable for any meeting attended on behalf of the LMC, where not otherwise paid for (e.g. by the CCG requesting membership). Such a payment will be reflective of time spent in preparation, travel, attendance and reporting back to LMC and nominally be designated as a piece meal payment. The level of this payment will be reviewed in accordance with changes in local rates of payment and the income and reserves available to the LMC. Members remain independent contractors responsible for their own tax, national insurance and pension, although they may opt to be paid by bankroll, directly, should they so wish.
All work undertaken by members and submitted for payment must be documented to the LMC and normally a report submitted as correspondence to be discussed at the LMC monthly meeting. For meetings exempt from producing a report the exemption must be notified to the Administrator.
All Officers and the Administrator will be paid under PAYE. Payments to Officers will be made on a monthly/ meeting basis. The Officers of the Committee will be paid an allowance permitting them to undertake their roles effectively and the levels of payment will be reviewed annually at the Treasurers report if these sums are proposed to be varied. The majority of members must be in agreement. Any Officer who becomes ill or is otherwise unable to fulfil their LMC duties will continue to be remunerated in line with BMA recommendation to CCGs for GPs (currently 6 months full pay followed by 6 months half pay).
Current fees will be published alongside the standing Constitution as Appendix B.
The financial year for the LMC runs from the 1st April to the 31st of March.
A treasurer’s report, including a written summary of the independently finalised and verified accounts, will be discussed with the committee on an annual basis. The full accounts for the committee will be available for inspection, by request, to the LMC administrator.
10. Amendments to the Constitution
Any member may submit a proposal for amendment to the Officers for debate at the next, or next but one, full meeting; given that the proposal must be circulated with the paperwork for that meeting. Changes to the constitution require two thirds majority of members at a quorate meeting.
11. Cessation of the Committee
If the Committee is amalgamated or reorganised and there remain any residual funds or liabilities these shall be distributed between the new Committee/s involved so as to equitably reflect the proportions in which Members are transferred to other Committee/s.
12. Definitions
(CCG)
The body corporate known as a Clinical Commissioning Group established in accordance with chapter 142 of Part 2 of the Health and Social Care Act 2012
Commissioning body/bodies
The bodies which commission services from practices and GPs at 1 April 2013:
NHS England: core contract for primary medical services and also various Directed Enhanced Services
Public Health England (PHE): various Directed Enhanced Services particularly relating to vaccinations and immunisations (note: PHE currently embedded within local Area Team of NHS England)
CCG: various GP and practice-based services
Local Authority: various GP and practice-based services
West Pennine Local Medical Committee recognised by NHS England (or any successor organisation) as formed within the area and representative of all GPs, as defined by section 91 of the National Health Service Act 2006, performing primary medical services in the area for which the Committee was formed
Health and Well-being Board
Forum where key leaders from the health and care system work together to improve the health and well-being of their local population and reduce health inequalities, encouraging commissioners to work in a more joined-up way.
The commissioning organisation, recognised by the Health and Social Care Act 2012 on behalf of the NHS, and responsible for commissioning primary care services from, and holding contracts with, GP practices or organisations providing primary medical services (including single handed GPs) or any successor organisation
Performers lists
The lists maintained by NHS England of medical practitioners providing primary medical services (as defined in section 91(3) of the National Health Service Act 2006)
The Committee may allow membership to particular GPs registered with the GMC who are not covered by the definitions within the main constitution document to undertake a specific function e.g. retired GPs
Version 2 as amended at LMC meeting Dec 2014
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Henderson Island
(United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland)
Absence of a Management Plan
Total amount approved : 8,000 USD
1990 Contribution to the University of Oxford's expedition ... (Approved) 8,000 USD
The State Party provided on 16 July 2004 an updated Management Plan (2004 – 2009), which IUCN reviewed. The plan aims to ensure that the conservation and management of the property is undertaken in a sensitive and appropriate manner. It highlights the key issues affecting the property both now and in the future, and outlines how these should be addressed.
The plan sets guidelines to ensure that human activities do not adversely impact the conservation of the island’s indigenous biota and natural environment. It further identifies six principal management objectives: protection of the geology, ecology and biota; ensure that the stocks of the timber species are adequate in meeting the needs of the Pitcairners on a sustainable basis; minimize interference with natural processes and the destruction or degradation of natural and archaeological features through human actions; ensure the island’s archaeological features remain available for visitors and scientific study; ensure tourist visits to the island cause no long term damage to the island and are beneficial to the Pitcairn Islanders and to promote an awareness through education and research.
The objectives as reported do not affect any current use of Henderson Island by Pitcairn Islanders. The plan intends that well managed access to the island continues to be allowed for Pitcairners and responsible tourism. The plan comprehensively deals with the description and resource inventory, management policies and guidelines. The authorities have prepared a comprehensive Management Plan which provides a sound basis for the future management of the World Heritage property, and serve as the foundation for a more effective and cohesive approach through involving and respecting the individual roles and responsibilities of the various stakeholders.
Henderson Island (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland)
2. Recalling its Decision 27 COM 7B.22 adopted at its 27th session (UNESCO, 2003),
3. Commends the State Party of the United Kingdom for its continued commitment to address the conservation concerns of the property and for providing an updated management plan for the property;
4. Requests that the State Party continue to keep the World Heritage Centre and IUCN informed on the progress made in the implementation of the plan; and
5. Further requests the State Party to provide a detailed report on the state of conservation of the property by 1 February 2007, for examination by the Committee at its 31st session (2007).
2. Recalling its Decision 27 COM 7B.22adopted at its 27th session (UNESCO, 2003),
3. Commends the State Party for its continued commitment to address the conservation concerns of the property and for providing an updated Management Plan for the property;
5. Further requests the State Party to provide a detailed report on the state of conservation of the property by 1 February 2007, for examination by the Committee at its 31st session in 2007.
Category: Natural
Criteria: (vii)(x)
WHC-05/29.COM/7B.Rev
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A partnership can be a simple and inexpensive business structure.
However we often see disputes between partners due to disagreement surrounding the roles of each partners, the direction of the business and how money is distributed.
For 25 years we have helped clients resolve their partnership disputes.
Sometimes the dispute cannot be resolved without court action and we have regularly represented partners in court proceedings in all courts in litigating all partnership disputes over capital and the running of their businesses.
We can assist you in avoiding a dispute or assist you in resolving a dispute that has already occurred.
In Western Australia, the operation of a partnership is governed by common law principles and the Partnerships Act 1895 (WA) ('Act'). Section 7(1) of the Act defines a partnership as 'the relation which subsists between persons carrying on a business in common with a view of profit'. Section 7(2) of the Act also states that 'In deciding whether a partnership does or does not exist in any particular case, the court shall have regard to the true contract and intention of the partners as appearing from the whole facts of the case'.
The key characteristics of partnerships include the following:
* the partnership does not have a separate legal identity like a corporation and is represented by its individual partners;
* the relationship between the partners is governed by a partnership agreement between the partners, such as their voting rights and rights to a distribution of profits;
* the partners have unlimited joint and several liability for all of the liabilities of the partnership but may seek contribution from each other; and
* subject to applicable law in certain circumstances, the partnership may distribute profits as it sees fit but each partner is taxed at his or her personal taxation rates.
Before establishing a partnership it is important to work out the following:
The role and authority each partner will have;
The financial contribution each partner will make;
A clear procedure to be followed if a dispute arises;
A clear procedure for how to end the partnership.
We prepare partnership agreements that clearly define how the partnership will operate to avoid disagreement and to reduce the risk of disputes arising between the partners.
We can also advise you on how the resolve a partnership dispute in a cost effective and quick manner.
For information on how partnerships can be wound up click here - http://www.ahernslawyers.com.au/latest-news/dissolution-of-partnerships/.
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Exhibition | The Vienna Model
(c) David Plakke
When: October 1 - October 17, 2013
Where: D Center Baltimore | 16 W North Avenue | Baltimore, MD 21201
Tickets: Admission is free. To request a tour please visit www.dcenterbaltimore.com
From October 1-17, the traveling exhibition “The Vienna Model” can be seen at the D Center in Baltimore. The exhibition, which had its debut at the Austrian Cultural Forum in New York, is curated by Wolfgang Förster and William Menking and features 36 case studies of Viennese public housing design. A series of images of artworks, curated by Sabine Bittner and Helmut Weber, accompanies the exhibition.
In Vienna, which for the past four years has topped the Mercer “Quality of Living” survey, about 60% of the population lives in municipally built, owned or managed housing and the city plays an important part in the housing market.
This successful model can be traced back to the early 20th century, when the progressive government took an active interest in providing and designing housing for its citizens. That interest has since evolved into a housing policy that has produced works by a host of prolific architects and studios over the years, such as those of Josef Hoffmann, Adolf Loos, Richard Neutra, and Margarete Schütte Lihotzky.
The projects featured in The Vienna Model are characteristic for contemporary Viennese public housing trends, some little-known outside the city: The Kabelwerk Estate, which involved turning the grounds of an old electrical cable & wiring factory into an entirely new urban area (completed in 2007, Hermann & Valentiny & Partners, Mascha & Seethaler, Schwalm-Theiss-Gressenbauer, Martin Wurnig, pool Architektur, Werkstatt Wien Spiegelfeld, Holnsteiner & Co.). Other examples include an Inter-ethnic housing complex (Peter Scheinfinger and Partners, 1998-2000), Bike City (königlarch architects, 2005 - 2008), and the Sargfabrik (BKK-2, Johnny Winter, 1996 - 2001), a former coffin manufacturing plant turned into a housing complex: this project was planned by a residents’ group in Vienna’s densely built-up fourteenth district, and has since received international acclaim for its outstanding architecture as well as its social concept of introducing a new communal infrastructure into a low-profile urban area.
The exhibition in Baltimore is shown as part of the project "Getting to know Europe: Transit - Creative Placemaking in Baltimore," organized by the European Union National Institutes for Culture (short EUNIC). EUNIC is a network of international cultural relations institutes of the EU member states. Formed in 2006, it is made up of 32 members from 26 countries including Austria. For more information, please visit: http://www.eunic-online.eu
BEDNAR PARK / WOHNEN AM PARK, 2009. Architect: ppag architects Photo by: Stadt Wien – MA 18 / Rupert Christanell
BIKE CITY, 2008. Architects: königlarch architects Photo by: Wohnfonds Wien / Stephan Huger
Film|Neu: DC's Festival of New German-Language Cinema
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Bioremediation by Single Culture of Pseudomonas Putida in Petroleum Contaminated Soil
Land contamination by petroleum exploration, production and discharge of waste causing serious damage to the ecosystem of the environment, human and animal. Biodegradation (bioremediation) processes have difficulty focused due to the complexity of the hydrocarbons that was adsorbed by the soil. The objective of this research was to determine the efficiency of bioremediation as a function of bacterial concentration. A method that was developed in bioremediation of petroleum-contaminated soil in addition to in-situ bioremediation was the ex-situ bioremediation with slurry phase bioreactor. The mixture of soil and water were fed in the bioreactor. The aerobic bacteria used in biodegradation of benzene, toluene, and xylene (BTX) process were Pseudomonas putida. The variables that would be measured were BTX concentration; bacterial population and operating conditions (temperature, pH and dissolved oxygen). Residues of petroleum hydrocarbon (BTX) were measured by gas chromatography method. Process was identified during 56 days in 3 bioreactors in parallel. Reactor was added by 12,5% (v/v) (A), 15% (v/v) (B)and 17,5% (v/v) (C) Pseudomonas putida bacteria. The bioreactors were agitated and aerated during bioremediation process. After 56 days, this research resulted in total degradation of BTX in reactor A reached 91,0400%; reactor B 91,1489%; and reactor C 97.6726%. Keywords- Pseudomonas putida; bioremediation; Benzene; Toluene; Xylene; slurry bioreactor
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Reading List – 7:26 AM 7/13/2017: Investigators want to know: Did the Kushner-led digital team point out vulnerable voting districts for Russian cyber operatives? | Trump, Putin and organized crime – Google News: Trump’s Russian Laundromat – New Republic Eurasia Review: Black Is The New Red: Containing Jihad Analysis National security figures launch project to counter Russian mischief | Wire Commentary We Now Have Proof of Donald Trumps Russian Collusion trump russia treason – Google News: This isn’t Watergate. This isn’t treason. And there’s still no smoking gun. – The Week Magazine
Reading List – 7:26 AM 7/13/2017
Investigators want to know: Did the Kushner-led digital team point out vulnerable voting districts for Russian cyber operatives?
Trump, Putin and organized crime – Google News: Trump’s Russian Laundromat – New Republic
Mueller probe could draw focus to Russian crime operations
Eurasia Review: Black Is The New Red: Containing Jihad Analysis
National security figures launch project to counter Russian mischief | Wire Commentary
We Now Have Proof of Donald Trumps Russian Collusion
trump russia treason – Google News: This isn’t Watergate. This isn’t treason. And there’s still no smoking gun. – The Week Magazine
1. News in Photos from mikenova (4 sites)
WSJ.com: World News: Chuck Blazer, Who Touched Off Soccer Scandal, Dead at 72
The FIFA whistleblower accused Concacaf President Jack Warner and fellow executive committee member Mohamed bin Hammam of offering bribes to voters in the organizations 2011 presidential election. WSJ.com: World News
Saved Stories – None
Eurasia Review: Medicaid: Obamacare Pushed More Americans Into Low-Quality Care System Analysis
Eurasia Review: Russians Seldom Know Much About Their Ancestors Before Their Grandparents Generation OpEd
Eurasia Review: Georgia After Montenegros NATO Accession Analysis
Defense One – All Content: The US Must Rethink How It Uses Special Operators, Says Incoming SOLIC Secretary
msnbc.com Latest Headlines: Despite Russia scandals, Trump’s GOP base…
Trump – Google News: Trump’s lawyers try to control unruly White House – Politico
Trump – Google News: Trump: I’ve ‘done more in five months than practically any president in history’ – CNBC
Reuters: World News: Russia hands 20-year jail term to killer of Putin critic Nemtsov
Is Mr. Trump mad? Does it matter?
The Truth, the only Truth, and only the Truth is my God. Donald: accept and embrace this thesis fully, and we will start to see the light.
Mueller probe could draw focus to Russian crime operations Tuesday July 4th, 2017 at 5:54 PM
The Big Questions In The Age Of Chutzpah: The Foreign Interference In The Elections Of 2016 By Michael Novakhov
Who stole the 2016 US Presidential Elections? The Big Questions In The Age Of Chutzpah
Russia-born dealmaker linked to Trump assists laundering probe Financial Times Who is Felix Sater? Trumps Russian ex-Real Estate Partner Set to Help in Laundering Probe Newsweek FT Investigation: Trump and the Russian-born fixer Financial Times Broker, mobster, fraudster and Trump associate Felix Sater agrees to cooperate with investigation Daily Kos
» Who is Felix Sater? Trumps Russian ex-Real Estate Partner Set to Help in Laundering Probe 07/07/17 21:38 from Mike Novas Shared NewsLinks mikenova shared this story from Newsweek. Whether at home or abroad, President Donald Trumps alleged links to Russia dog the U.S. executive at every turn.
From Nixon to Trump, the FBI has always had a duty to keep the President in check Saturday July 8th, 2017 at 9:05 PM IrishExaminer.Com World
Russian Intelligence services Google News: Tillerson: Trump confronts Putin over Russian election meddling KTOO Donald Trump | The Guardian: Trump-Russia: new meeting revealed involving Donald Jr, Kushner and Manafort US elections and russia Google News: Everybody knows Russia meddled in US elections, says Haley Business Standard
» Who stole the 2016 US Presidential Elections? Google Search 09/07/17 16:18 from Mike Novas Shared NewsLinks mikenova shared this story . » No youre the puppet
Miosotis Familias murder is Russian Mafias response to Muellers investigation: Here are my mouth and my ears for you. The Family-Bratva https://t.co/g4XSiNoIVI
» Kremlin Believes U.S. Wants Regime Change In Russia M.N.: Whats the big news?! Kremlin believes this for about the last 100 years 10/07/17 17:13 from Saved Stories
Leflore Mississippi military plane crash might be a follow-up on police officer Miosotis Familias assassination: le flores for the dead, Missi, i ssi, i ppi, these are just the flowers, the berries will come M.N.
FBI is incompetent and inefficient, even on the home soil, (not) dealing with terrorism, subversion, attacks on police and military. If you want to save America, reform FBI, and urgently! M.N.
Feed Integration by RSS Dog.
Trump’s Russian Laundromat
They saved his bacon, says Kenneth McCallion, a former assistant U.S. attorney in the Reagan administration who investigated ties between organized crime and Trump’s developments in the 1980s. It’s entirely possible that Trump … After Vladimir …
Trump, Putin and organized crime – Google News
By John O’Shea and Robert Moffit*Attempts to change the Medicaid program have been widely and inaccurately characterized as a way for conservatives to deny care to people. However, the reality is that Medicaid fails to provide timely access to care and in many cases provides lower quality care. Yet, Obamacares architects claimed success for having expanded Medicaids sub-par services to more people, further exacerbating these problems.The current Senate health reform bill1 takes steps in the right direction by recognizing that health care coverage is not the same as health care and that simply pouring more taxpayer money into a failing, open-ended system is not the best way to help those in need. The bill rightly creates a pathway to transition to a more focused program that centers on the needs of the most vulnerable recipientsthe disabled, elderly, children, and pregnant women in povertyand gives people additional private optionIncreased Medicaid enrollment will not achieve increased access to high-quality health care for the following reasons. Medicaid:
Fails to ensure health care access,
Provides inadequate physician reimbursement rates,
Hinders continuity of care,
Fosters of a culture of bureaucracy,
Furthers reliance on emergency departments, and
Provides inferior quality care.
Medicaid Coverage Fails to Ensure Health Care Access
Medicaids low physician reimbursement rates and administrative hassles make it difficult, if not impossible, for many physicians to incorporate Medicaid patients into their practices. Moreover, the Medicaid population disproportionately resides in medically underserved communities with serious shortages of primary care providers. These factors result in low participation rates, which in turn lead to reduced access to care for Medicaid beneficiaries.
Proponents of Medicaid expansion and even recent survey data2 suggest that most doctors participate in the program, but objective data challenge that claim.
The Centers for Disease Control and Preventions National Center for Health Statistics show that the percentage of physicians accepting new Medicaid patients was 68.9 percent and the percentage for only primary care physicians dipped to 66.8 percent. Meanwhile, 84.7 percent accepted new privately insured patients and 83.7 percent accepted new Medicare patients.3
Self-reported data from a voluntary survey of California physicians show physician participation in Medi-Cal (the states Medicaid program) declined from 69 percent in 2013 to 63 percent in 2015.4
Medicaids Low Physician Reimbursement Rates Undermine Access to Quality Care
Quality care means getting the right treatment for the right condition at the right time, which depends on access to a doctor. Physicians are less likely to accept Medicaid patients in their practice because Medicaid payment rates for medical services are set at artificially low levelsin some cases even below the cost of providing the services. As a general rule, Medicaid reimbursement rates are substantially lower than the fixed Medicare payments and substantially lower than the rates paid by privately insured patients.
Reimbursement rates vary across states and, not surprisingly, state reimbursement rates are directly correlated to physician participation rates. New Jersey, which reimburses physicians for services under Medicaid at only 45 percent of what it reimburses for Medicare, is also at the bottom in terms of access to care.5
This trend also holds true in specialty care. A 2016 study in The Journal of the American College of Surgeons found wide variations in payment across states, with many state Medicaid programs paying far less than Medicare and private insurance for common, essential surgical procedures, raising concern that this may act as a disincentive for surgeons to care for Medicaid patients, especially in states with very low reimbursement rates.6
A 2017 analysis in Health Affairs found that, even when Medicaid patients get appointments, they experience significantly longer wait times in the doctors office before being seen.7
The wait times were longer in states that had lower reimbursement rates.
Obamacares anemic attempt to address the low physician reimbursement rates in Medicaid was a failure. The Medicaid primary care payment increase expired on December 31, 2014.8
The provision required that all state Medicaid programs increase payment for certain primary care services to Medicare payment levels during calendar years 2013 and 2014.
The payment increase was intended to address the need to maintain provider networks for those currently enrolled in Medicaid in light of the Obamacare-mandated expansion of Medicaid eligibility (later made optional by the U.S. Supreme Court), which was expected to cover millions of additional enrollees. This increase in payment rates was fully federally funded. Despite $7.1 billion in taxpayer money spent on increased payments for services, nothing indicates that the payment increase had any effect on recruiting Medicaid primary care providers.9
Medicaid and Discontinuity of Care
Churning in Medicaidpeople cycling on and off the programalso hinders access. Churning makes it difficult to maintain continuity of care and contributes to the total number of uninsured.
From 1998 to 2003, 30 percent of Medicaid enrollees had at least one uninsured spell, compared to only 12 percent of individuals with private coverage.10
Medicaid enrollees, many of whom have lower educational levels and face language barriers, are required to complete complicated paperwork to enter or remain in the program.11
Furthermore, under Obamacare, changes in income and family circumstances are likely to produce frequent transitions in eligibility for Medicaid and health insurance Marketplace coverage for low-income and middle-income adults.
A 2014 Health Affairs study estimated that more than 40 percent of adults likely to enroll in Medicaid or subsidized Marketplace coverage would experience a change in eligibility within twelve months, exacerbating gaps in coverage and disruptions in the continuity of care.12
Medicaid and a Culture of Bureaucracy
Substantial administrative burdens are another reason that provider participation rates are so low in Medicaid. These burdens include reimbursement delays; rejection of claims for seemingly capricious reasons; pre-authorization requirements for many services; and complex rules and regulations for claim filing procedure.
Of these, reimbursement delays within the program are especially problematic. Like reimbursement rates, reimbursement wait times vary widely across states: Kansas has an average of 37 days, while Pennsylvanias is 115 days. In every state, however, the average wait time for Medicaid reimbursement is appreciably longer than the average wait time for payment from private insurers.13
As expected, in the states where providers face low reimbursement and long wait times, the number of physicians who accept Medicaid patients was particularly low. However, in states with high reimbursement rates but long wait times, physician participation was not significantly higher, suggesting that raising reimbursement rates without addressing wait times will not improve access.
Other studies of various physician groups, such as pediatricians, have corroborated the findings that the factors of reimbursement rates and wait times contribute to low physician participation in Medicaid and that fixing one without addressing the other is unlikely to close the access gap.14
Medicaid and Emergency Department Reliance
A clear example that Medicaid coverage does not equal access to health care is the continued reliance on the emergency department (ED) by Medicaid enrollees.
A 2014 examination of the Oregon Health Insurance Experiment, which expanded Medicaid through random-lottery selection of potential enrollees beginning in 2008, found that expanded Medicaid coverage produced no detectable changes in physical health, employment rates, or earnings, and also increased emergency department (ED) visits by 40 percent in the first 15 months, including increases in visits for conditions that may be most readily treatable in primary care settings.15
A follow-up study in 2016 found that the increased use of the ED in Medicaid persisted for at least two years and therefore was not due simply to pent-up demand that would dissipate over time. Medicaid enrollees ED use in California surged by an even more dramatic 75 percent in the two years following the massive eligibility expansion authorized by Obamacare, according to data from the California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development.16
Nationwide statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also show no reduction in the traditionally high rates of ED use for non-urgent reasons among adults with Medicaid during and immediately following the Affordable Care Act implementation, suggesting that increasing coverage by adding more people to the Medicaid roles may not be the best solution in terms of improving access to primary care.17
Medicaids Poor Quality Care Problem
If Medicaid patients overcome these other barriers to access, evidence suggests that the care they receive in the doctors office may be inferior to the care received by privately insured patients.
Discussions of the Medicaid program routinely overlook these persistent quality deficiencies. For example, a 2015 study in Health Affairs found that after patient and provider characteristics were controlled for, Medicaid-insured visits were less likely than privately insured visits to include several preventive services, including clinical breast exams and Pap tests.18
Previous studies regarding cardiac and cancer patients have revealed extensive shortcomings in the quality of care delivered through Medicaid. For example, a study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology examined outcomes from coronary artery bypass surgery and found that Medicaid status was independently associated with a worse 12-year mortality than for patients with other types of insurance. In fact, Medicaid enrollees had a 54 percent greater 12-year risk-adjusted mortality than patients enrolled in other types of insurance plans.19
Controlled studies of cancer patients have also found differences in quality of care and clinical outcomes between Medicaid patients and patients with private coverage. According to a study in the journal Cancer, researchers found that Medicaid patients who were diagnosed with breast, colorectal, or lung cancer had a two-to-three times greater risk of dying from their disease than patients with other types of insurance, even after controlling for other factors, such as site and stage of the cancer and the gender of the patients.20
More recently, a report in the Journal of Pediatric Health Care also found that privately insured patients had higher rates of medication adherence than Medicaid patients. Moreover, patients with Medicaid plans also had 20 percent more inpatient hospitalizations, 48 percent increased odds of emergency department visits and 42 percent fewer outpatient visits compared with those who had a private plan.21
Expand Access to Quality Care: Medicaid Premium Support
The Medicaid payment policies in the Senate and House bills both offer the states federal payment alternatives: a per-capita payment system for different Medicaid populations or a state block grant with enhanced managerial flexibility for state officials. Both bills put Medicaid on a more predictable budgetary path, and replace automatic federal spending for Medicaid as an open-ended entitlementan approach long recommended by many health policy analysts.22
These steps could encourage the highest and best use of federal Medicaid funds for the affected Medicaid populations.
To secure better access to care, Congress should consider the creation of a Medicaid premium support program for the able-bodied Medicaid population. Congress should fund assistance to Medicaid patients through a direct defined contribution payment system (a premium support program) for these beneficiaries to enroll in private health plans. The Senate bill takes a step in this direction by providing lower-income individuals access to tax credits to purchase private insurance, rather than put them into Medicaid.
Such a policy would mainstream Medicaid beneficiaries into the same competitive private health insurance coverage that is available to their fellow citizens. This would mean that they would have access to the same doctors and networks of medical professionals that most Americans enjoy through the private sector. Unlike at present, then, when many Medicaid beneficiaries cannot find a doctor to care for them, these individuals could secure superior medical care, especially primary care.23
The Medicaid status quo is not effectively serving the health care needs of the disabled, elderly, children, and pregnant women in poverty. Policymakers should ignore hyperbolic political rhetoric claiming that conscientious reforms to secure and improve the safety net for Medicaids core populations and to provide better options for coverage and care to others will result in a situation in which thousands will die.24
Obamacare expanded the poorly performing Medicaid and claimed success for doing so. These new recipients can fare better under a new system that broadens their access to quality care. A Medicaid premium support program can accomplish that worthy end.
*About the authors:
John OShea, MD, is Senior Fellow in Health Policy in the Center for Health Policy Studies, of the Institute for Family, Community, and Opportunity, at The Heritage Foundation, and Robert E. Moffit, PhD, is a Senior Fellow in the Center for Health Policy Studies.
This article was published by The Heritage Foundation
[1] Better Care Reconciliation Act of 2017, H.R. 1628, 115th Cong., 1st Sess., https://www.budget.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/BetterCareReconcilistionAct.6.26.17.pdf (accessed July 10, 2017).
[2] Michael L. Barnett and Benjamin D. Sommers, A National Survey of Medicaid Beneficiaries Expenses and Satisfaction with Health Care, JAMA Internal Medicine, July 10, 2017, http://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2643347 (accessed July 10, 2017).
[3] Most recent figures are from 2013. Esther Hing, Sandra L. Decker, and Eric Jamoom, Acceptance of New Patients with Public and Private Insurance by Office-based Physicians: United States, 2013, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics, Data Brief No. 195, March 2015, https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db195.pdf (accessed July 10, 2017).
[4] California Health Care Foundation, Physicians Participating in Public Insurance Programs, 2015, http://www.chcf.org/aca-411/explore-the-data#chart%2Caccesstocare%2Csystemlevelaccess%2Cpubprogpart%2CPunchcard%20(Physiciantype%7CPayer)%2C2015 (accessed July 10, 2017).
[5] Kaiser Family Foundation, Medicaid-to-Medicare Fee Index, 2014, http://www.kff.org/medicaid/state-indicator/medicaid-to-medicare-fee-index/?currentTimeframe=0&selectedDistributions=all-services–primary-care&sortModel=%7B%22colId%22:%22Location%22,%22sort%22:%22asc%22%7D (accessed July 10, 2017), and Hing, Decker, and Jamoom, Acceptance of New Patients With Public and Private Insurance by Office-based Physicians.
[6] Charles Mabry, Lori A. Gurien, Samuel Smith, and Steven Mehl, Are Surgeons Being Paid Fairly by Medicaid? A National Comparison of Typical Payments for General Surgeons, Journal of the American College of Surgeons, Vol. 222, No. 4 (April 2016), http://www.journalacs.org/article/S1072-7515(16)00028-4/pdf (accessed July 10, 2017).
[7] Tamar Oostrom, Liran Einav, and Amy Finkelstein, Outpatient Office Wait Times and Quality of Care for Medicaid Patients, Health Affairs, Vo. 36, No. 5, (2017), https://healthaffairs.espstores.com/Articles/HA/May_2017/2016.1478.pdf (accessed July 10, 2017).
[8] Affordable Care Act, Public Law 111148, as amended.
[9] Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission, Report to Congress on Medicaid and CHIP, March 2015, https://www.macpac.gov/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/March-2015-Report-to-Congress-on-Medicaid-and-CHIP.pdf (accessed July 10, 2017).
[10] Kathryn Klein, Sherry Glied, and Danielle Ferry, Entrances and Exits: Health Insurance Churning, 19982000, The Commonwealth Fund, Issue Brief, September 2005; http://www.commonwealthfund.org/~/media/files/publications/issue-brief/2005/sep/entrances-and-exits–health-insurance-churning–1998-2000/klein_855_entrancesexits_ib-pdf.pdf (accessed July 10, 2017).
[11] Scott Gottlieb, What Medicaid Tells Us About Government Health Care, The Wall Street Journal, January 8, 2009, http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123137487987962873.html#printMode (accessed July 10, 2017).
[12] Benjamin Sommers, John Graves, Katherine Swartz, and Sara Rosenbaum, Medicaid and Marketplace Eligibility Changes Will Occur Often in All States; Policy Options Can Ease Impact, Health Affairs, Vol. 33, No. 4 (2014), http://content.healthaffairs.org/content/33/4/700.full.pdf (accessed July 10, 2017).
[13] Peter J. Cunningham and Ann S. OMalley, Do Reimbursement Delays Discourage Medicaid Participation by Physicians? Health Affairs, Vol. 28, No. 1 (November 18, 2008), http://content.healthaffairs.org/content/28/1/w17.abstract (accessed July 10, 2017).
[14] See the following: Steve Berman, Judith Dolins, Suk-fong Tang, and Beth Yudkowsky, Factors That Influence the Willingness of Private Primary Care Pediatricians to Accept More Medicaid Patients, Pediatrics Journal, Vol. 110, No. 2 (August 2002), http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/110/2/239(accessed July 10, 2017); Joel Cohen and Peter Cunningham, Medicaid Physician Fee Levels and Childrens Access to Care, Health Affairs, Vol. 14, No. 1 (Spring 1995), http://content.healthaffairs.org/content/14/1/255.abstract (accessed July 10, 2017); Peter Cunningham and Jack Hadley, Effects of Changes in Income and Practice Circumstances on Physicians Decisions to Treat Charity and Medicaid Patients, The Milbank Quarterly, Vol. 86, No. 1 (March 2008), https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18307478 (accessed July 10, 2017); and Janet Perloff, Phillip Kletke, and James Fossett, Which Physicians Limit Their Medicaid Participation, and Why, Health Services Research, Vol. 30, No. 1 (April 1995), https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7721586 (accessed July 10, 2017).
[15] Sarah Taubman, Heidi Allen, Bill Wright, Katherine Baicker, and Amy Finkelstein, Medicaid Increases Emergency-Department Use: Evidence from Oregons Health Insurance Experiment, Science, Vol. 343, No. 6168 (January 2014), https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3955206/ (accessed July 10, 2017).
[16] Rich Daly, ED Use Surges Among California Medicaid Enrollees, Healthcare Business News, May 5, 2016, https://www.hfma.org/Content.aspx?id=48018 (accessed July 10, 2017).
[17] Renee M. Gindi, Lindsey I. Black, and Robin A. Cohen, Reasons for Emergency Room Use Among U.S. Adults Aged 1864: National Health Interview Survey, 2013 and 2014, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Health Statistics Reports No. 90, February 18, 2016, https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhsr/nhsr090.pdf (accessed July 10, 2017).
[18] Stacey McMorrow, Sharon Long, and Ariel Fogel, Primary Care Providers Ordered Fewer Preventive Services for Women with Medicaid than for Women with Private Coverage, Health Affairs, Vol. 34, No. 6 (June 2015), http://content.healthaffairs.org/content/34/6/1001.full.pdf+html (accessed July 10, 2017).
[19] Anoar Zacharias, Thomas Schwann, Christopher Riordan, Samuel Durham, Aamir Shah, and Robert Habib, Operative and Late Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting Outcomes in Matched African-American Versus Caucasian Patients Evidence of a Late Survival-Medicaid Association, Journal of the American College of Cardiology, Vol. 46, No. 8 (October 2005), http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0735109705017717?via%3Dihub (accessed July 10, 2017).
[20] Cathy Bradley, Joseph Gardiner, Charles Given, and Carlee Roberts, Cancer, Medicaid Enrollment, and Survival Disparities, Cancer, Vol. 103, No. 8 (March 2005), http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/cncr.20954/abstract;jsessionid=3EE1BC250E81650DF5363A6B60E55BFB.f03t03 (accessed July 10, 2017).
[21] Jongwha Chang, Gary Freed, Lisa Prosser, Isha Patel, Steven Erikson, Richard Bagozzi, and Rajesh Balkrishnan, Comparisons of Health Utilization Outcomes in Children with Asthma Enrolled in Private Insurance Plans Versus Medicaid, Journal of Pediatric Health Care, Vol. 28, No. 1 (February 2014), http://www.jpedhc.org/article/S0891-5245(12)00260-X/fulltext (accessed July 10, 2017).
[22] The Medicaid program is growing significantly in both enrollment and cost. Congress should separate Medicaid enrollees into three distinct categoriesable-bodied, disabled and elderlyand should finance each category independently but within an aggregate federal spending cap. This change would put Medicaid spending on a more predictable fiscal path and allow for different policy and financing arrangements for these different sets of enrollees to better meet their different needs. The Heritage Foundation, Blueprint for Reform: A Comprehensive Policy Agenda for a New Administration in 2017, Mandate for Leadership Series (2016), p. 55, http://thf_media.s3.amazonaws.com/2016/BlueprintforReform.pdf.
[23] Federal Medicaid assistance to able-bodied individuals should be converted to a direct contribution to facilitate participation in the private marketplace, and federal assistance to the states for the disabled and elderly should be limited to ensure fiscal control. The Heritage Foundation, Blueprint for Balance: A Federal Budget for 2017, The Mandate for Leadership Series (2016), pp. 89.
[24] Josh Delk, Sanders: Thousands Will Die Under GOP Health Bill, The Hill, June 23, 2017, http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/339234-sanders-thousands-will-die-under-gop-health-bill (accessed July 10, 2017).
Two new studies, one by the Moscow Institute of Sociology and a second by the Romir Organization, show that Russians know very little about their ancestors beyond two generations back, a reflection of the traumas of the 20th century but a phenomenon that makes it vastly more difficult for them to integrate into a common nation.The Romir survey, conducted in June found that few Russians can name all their relatives three generations back, that two-thirds of Russian households do not have family archives, and that despite a recent uptick in interest in the past the share of Russians focusing on the history of their families remains small.As Mariya Nedyuk of Izvestiya notes, sociologists link such a short family memory to the fact that the country experienced such a large number of shocks, as well as the fear of talking about the past in Soviet times and the illiteracy of most of the Russian population before the 20th century (iz.ru/616331/mariia-nediuk/korotkaia-pamiat-na-predkov).Andrey Milekhin, the head of Romir, says it is possible that the role of inertia of Soviet times when studying history outside of official frameworks wasnt permitted and that going into the history of ones own family (and especially telling this to ones children) was at times simply dangerous (nazaccent.ru/content/24666-opros-rossiyane-ne-pomnyat-svoih-predkov.html).The Institute of Sociology study found that 60 percent of those surveyed did not know whether there were among their ancestors those who during the revolution and civil war supported the Whites or suffered from the terror at that time. Equally large fractions didnt know about what happened to their ancestors under Stalin (kommersant.ru/doc/3330116).
This absence of knowledge represents a kind of family trauma, experts say. Dmitry Travel of St. Petersburg University says that his research has found that most Russians have large gaps in their knowledge about their families, gaps that increase as one goes back earlier in time.
Vasily Zharkov, a political psychologist at the Moscow Higher School of Social and Economic Sciences, says that fear in Soviet times played a major role in this: his own grandmother did not acknowledge until July 1991 that she had had relatives who fought for Admiral Kolchak.
The absence of memories about ones own family has serious consequences for society as a whole. People find it difficult to fit themselves into a national narrative or even to identify as members of the nation if they do not know where their ancestors came from. Being part of an imagined community is easier if one knows something about where one comes from.
Vladimir Petukhov of the Institute of Sociology says that the situation in Russia is especially dire: Even in Germany with its Nazi past, memories about ancestors have not broken off. But because the Soviets created a situation where it was dangerous to talk about the past, Russians have learned not to. Overcoming that will be extremely difficult.
By Eduard Abrahamyan*(FPRI) — Montenegros recent accession to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) sent an important political message to Russias post-Soviet neighbors: NATOs door remains open to new members no matter the security environment. This signal will likely propel many post-Soviet countries to revitalize their relationships with the Alliance. In particular, it will likely trigger the resumption of discussions over Georgias almost two decades-long bid for NATO membership.Since 2002, close strategic cooperation with the United States and a determined pursuit of NATO membership have comprised the key pillars of Georgias security policy. With Alliance membership constituting a top priority objective, Tbilisis NATO aspirations have become a critical instrument in its foreign policy decision making. Notably, these aspirations serve as a framework for Tbilisis regional relationships: Georgia has cultivated good, neighborly relations with Alliance member Turkey and NATO partners, Armenia and Azerbaijan. Conversely, Russias vocal antagonism toward NATO enlargement has contributed to Georgias hostile relations with its large neighbor to the north.Georgias threat perception is laid out clearly in two strategic documents: the National Security Concept and the Strategic Defense Review (2017-2020). These documents articulate that Russias destructive posture vis-à-vis Georgias breakaway regions, Abkhazia and South Ossetia, and the prospect of a Russian military incursion constitute the countrys chief security threats. While the Georgian government invests in its deterrence and defense capabilities to protect the countrys sovereignty and territorial integrity, the size of Tbilisis defense budget ($310 million in 2017, including a $32.5 million loan for arms procurement), does not allow for substantial acquisition of new equipment and advanced weapon systems. The need to restructure personnel also will likely slow the modernization and professionalization of Georgian land forces.
Georgias Evolving Role in NATOs Black Sea Security Architecture
Sharing key interests and core values with its Western counterparts, Georgia spares no effort in becoming a full-fledged member of the Wests political and security institutions. Not only has Georgia made remarkable advancements in its integration with the European Union, but Tbilisi also enjoys sustained support from and comprehensive integration with NATO. At the NATO Wales Summit in 2014, Georgia was one of five countries chosen for Enhanced Opportunities Partnership (EOP) status under NATOs newly launched Partnership Interoperability Initiative (PII). This effort, intended to deepen NATOs connections with its valued partners, outlines tailor-made enhanced cooperation opportunities for each selected country. For Georgia, the agreement stipulates the extended presence of NATO military specialists on its soil along with regular political consultations and information sharing with the Alliance. It allows Georgia to host Alliance-sponsored military training facilities and to participate in multi-purpose combat missions by contributing to the NATO Response Force (NRF).
The EOP effectively provides all of the privileges that Alliance members receive except for the collective security umbrella enshrined in Article 5 of the 1949 Washington Treaty. Thus, while Georgia has yet to become a full-fledged member of the Alliance, it is nonetheless exceedingly considered an important element of NATOs strategic planning and security concept for its south-eastern European flank. Accordingly, at the NATO Parliamentary Assembly Spring Session held in Tbilisi on May 26-29, 2017, Alliance officials clearly articulated that since security in the South Caucasus is crucial for the Euro-Atlantic community, political and practical support to Georgia must be expanded.
Prior to this session, Georgia similarly hosted the NATO Military Committee in early March 2017 to discuss the implementation of the Substantial NATO-Georgia Package (SNGP). An initiative endorsed at the 2014 Wales Summit, the SNGP entails a set of measures designed to bolster Georgias defense capabilities by developing closer security cooperation with members of the Alliance. It comprises support at the strategic, tactical, and operational levels and endeavours to hone Georgian armed forces defensive skills via joint training missions, such as the annual Agile Spirit military drills. Much of this cooperation takes place under the guise of the Joint Training and Evaluation Center (JTEC) in Krtsanisi, Georgia, an element of the SNGP established in 2015. Tbilisi is further set to build additional infrastructure to be utilized as assets for the Alliance in line with training sites in Vaziani and Senaki. In particular, the establishment of the Joint Multinational Readiness Center (JMRC) akin to the same-purpose center operating at the U.S. base in Hohenfels, Germany, was announced in early April. The U.S.-Georgia JMRC will be located at the Vaziani facilities and will be up and running by mid-2018.
The sustained involvement of NATO countries in assisting the reform of Georgias armed forces has culminated in the More NATO in Georgia and more Georgia in NATO concept, articulated by NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg at the JTEC inauguration. This concept represents somewhat of an alternative to a Membership Action Plan (MAP) discussion of which was notably absent during Stoltenbergs visit to Georgiainsomuch as it provides all of the necessary instruments that the MAP recommends, but avoids a clear strain between NATO members and Russia that the extension of the MAP would entail.
Circumventing concerns about Russian backlash, the implementation of NATO reform programs through the More NATO in Georgia concept has received robust support within the Alliance. To date, this approach seems the most foolproof option for underpinning Georgias institutional resilience by implementing all the required reforms to conform to NATO criteria. The measures derived from the More NATO in Georgia approach have boosted Georgias defense and deterrence capabilities; however, it has not mitigated the security challenge presented by Russias assertiveness.
With regard to the NATO Response Force initiative, since joining in September 2015, Georgia has carried out the Operational Capability Concept Evaluation and Feedback Programme (OCC E&F) that enables troops to be trained and fielded under NRF command. By successfully completing intensive exercises simulated on a mock battlefield, the Alpha Company of the 12th Light Infantry Battalion, the 4th Mechanized Brigade, and the Charlie Company of the 12th Infantry Battalion, 1st Infantry Brigade received 2nd-level qualification to be used in NATO rapid operations for three years. As such, these units, comprised of Georgian personnel, are now at NATOs disposal and can be deployed to reinforce vulnerable Alliance flanks when needed.
However, above all, Georgias progress is exemplified in the evolution of the NATO-Georgia bilateral relationship into a new multilateral format. The NATO-Georgia structure has transformed into an important stage for providing other Alliance partners with sustained access to NATO facilities and training opportunities located within Georgia. By becoming a hub for NATOs deepening practical collaboration with partners, Georgia has developed into an important platform for the Alliance in the Black Sea region.
During its visit to Georgia in late March 2017, the NATO Military Committee highly praised Georgias progress in security sector reforms via the 15 current SNGP projects. The committees comments clearly illustrated NATOs perception of the SNGP as an essential investment in Georgias security. After all, Georgias enhanced security in recent years can largely be attributed to the almost regular presence of Allied troops in the country for bilateral or multilateral drills.
Just days prior to the NATO meeting, the Georgian Defense Ministry announced plans for the Noble Partner-2017 multinational drills, scheduled to occur on July 30, 2017. These NATO-backed drills will combine troops from eleven different countries, including Georgias neighbors, Armenia and Azerbaijan. Thus, pleased with Georgias progress to date and aware that the development of Georgias infrastructure is inextricably linked to NATOs Black Sea power projection, the NATO Military Committee announced its intent to increase the number of SNGP projects to 20 by the end of 2018.
At the same time, Tbilisi is progressively adapting to the evolving security environment in the wider region, seeking to be drawn into NATOs Black Sea maritime initiatives. Since the 2014 Wales Summit, Georgia has emerged as a key participant in NATOs dialogue about increasing its presence in the Black Sea. Specifically, Georgia is working with the Alliance to discuss strategies for reinforcing NATOs maritime capabilities in line with the 2016 Tailored Forward Presence initiative in Romania and Bulgaria.
In February 2017, negotiations between Georgian Defense Minister Levan Izoria and Brussels paved the way for Georgias concrete participation in NATOs Black Sea initiatives. These negotiations further granted Romania a supervisor role in overseeing Georgias involvement. Possibly as a result of Georgian-Romanian consultations, the Alliance has accepted Georgias proposal to renovate its Poti seaport to make it accessible to NATO vessels. Georgian Chief of General Staff Major General Vladimir Chachibaia discussed this issue specifically in a news conference on March 2. Speaking of NATOs potential support for strengthening Georgias and Ukraines naval capabilities, the Brigadier General emphasized the strategic importance of establishing infrastructure capable of serving NATO vessels given the restrictions outlined in the Montreux Convention of 1936. This initiative, in conjunction with Ukraines plan to purchase warships from NATO states, will enhance the strategic value of the Alliances partners in the Black Sea. Commending Georgia as one of the Alliances most valued partners, during a visit to Tbilisi in May 2017, NATOs Deputy Secretary-General Rose Gottemoeller underscored Georgias critical role in helping the Alliance form a deep understanding of the security situation in the Black Sea region.
In regard to Georgias military cooperation with the United States, on April 11, Minister Izoria reportedthat a new round of the U.S.-sponsored Georgia Train and Equip Program will be launched in March 2018 with the goal of establishing at least nine NATO-standard rifle battalions. In addition to increased military-to-military cooperation, the political-economic relationship between the United States and Georgia is also deepening.
Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvilis visit to Washington, D.C. this past May resulted in President Donald Trump signing a legislative act that recognizes Georgias breakaway regions as occupied by Russia. However, considering President Trumps uncertain stance on NATO, it remains unclear as to whether the United States will vocalize support for Georgias NATO bid during Defense Secretary James Mattis expected reciprocal visit to Tbilisi. The visit of Vice President Mike Pence to Tbilisi is now scheduled for late July, suggesting that the Trump administration is paying more attention to Georgias role in the region. Though the U.S. president approved NATOs recent expansion in the Balkans, his unpredictable relationship with the Alliance might present an obstacle to Georgias pro-Western path.
For this reason, Tbilisi seeks to demonstrate to the Trump administration that Georgia is not the troublemaker country that it was perceived to be in the aftermath of the 2008 Russo-Georgian war. Rather, as the U.S. recalibrates its foreign policy priorities, Georgia has supported U.S. interests in the Black Sea region through its partnership with NATO. While membership in the Alliance remains a distant prospect for Georgia, the More NATO in Georgia approach integrates the aspirant country into NATOs orbit without granting official status.
Rhetoric versus Tangible Support
Considering mounting tensions between Russia and the West, Washingtons historically vocal support for Georgias NATO bid has only exacerbated Georgias security environment. As Russia asserts itself more aggressively in its Near Abroad, any improper or untimely voice backing Georgias NATO accession appears risky and, in some sense, provocative. Given that NATO has expanded exercises in Georgia in response to Russias increased presence in the Black Sea, such rhetoric makes Russia uncomfortable about Georgias NATO prospects.
Nevertheless, this dynamic does not mean that NATO should retract its political support for Georgia nor abandon Georgias membership prospects. On the contrary, the United States should stand firm in its commitment to Georgias sovereignty and use its weight in international forums to protect the countrys territorial integrity from Russian aggression. Losing Georgia as an Eastern European democracy and the Wests sole strategic pillar in the South Caucasus would severely impair the United States standing in the region and buttress Russias strategic advantage. Additionally, authoritarian backsliding in Georgia would advance Moscows goal of discrediting liberal Euro-Atlantic values and causing discord within the transatlantic community.
Despite various programs to train Georgian troops and reform the countrys armed forces, no significant measures have been taken to assist in the modernization of Georgias military inventory. As NATOs mission has evolved in the post-Cold War era to focus primarily on peacekeeping and counterterrorism operations, the Alliances military needs have similarly adapted. Rather than requiring partners to participate in full-scale combat operations, today, the Alliance increasingly needs partners capable of urgently contributing troops to smaller-scale crisis management missions. As a result, less attention has been paid to modernizing Georgian military equipment.
Ultimately, the United States must redefine its approach vis-à-vis Georgia. Specifically, it should adopt the approach that Russia uses to reward its allies in the region, namely supplying technical assistance and state-of-the-art military equipment at non-market prices. Unlike Russias allies, Belarus, Armenia and Kazakhstan, who receive low-cost, up-to-date arms from Moscow, Georgia cannot afford to replace its obsolete Soviet equipment, so key NATO members should consider selling discounted defense equipment to Georgia.
Georgia is currently in the process of applying for a costly military loan from France to purchase a Vertical Launch MICA short-range, ground-based air defense system. This loan will place a substantial burden on the countrys relatively humble defense budget. Deals of this sort should be supported by the comprehensive implementation of the U.S.-Georgia 2016 framework agreement on security cooperation. Moreover, the Memorandum on Deepening the Defense and Security Partnership signed by then-Secretary Kerry and Prime Minister Kvirikashvili in July 2016 creates a legal basis for providing substantial aid, including a wide-range of advanced arms, to boost Georgias security. Material and technical support under these preferential terms will enable NATO to aid Georgian security in the event of conflict reescalation with Russia and will further instill the Georgian population with pride in being a valued U.S. and NATO partner in the South Caucasus region.
At this critical juncture in Black Sea security dynamics, the United States and NATO must bear in mind that rhetoric alone is futile. Rather, it provokes adversaries and further endangers the Wests valued partners in the region. Instead, NATO should continue to build up its strategic partners, enhancing both troop operability and aiding the acquisition of modern military equipment. By adopting tactics similar to those of Russia in order to shape special relationships with Georgia, and even Ukraine, NATO can diminish the nervousness of its partners. Unlike empty words, these meaningful forms of reassurance will demonstrate to NATOs Black Sea partners the tangible benefit of standing with the Alliance.
*Eduard Abrahamyan is a defense and security policy analyst and doctoral research fellow at the University of Leicester, UK
This article was published by FPRI.
By Scott Englund*A diverse battlefront runs from nightclubs in Florida and Paris, along the Mediterranean coast of France, through the Bosphorus Strait and among the shadowy discourses of online propagandists. It continues in the sieges of Iraqi and Syrian towns, through the ruins of Afghanistan, and deep in the jungles of the Philippines. While this varied topography presents a challenge, similar threats have been confronted before. Pundits, politicians, academics, and journalists frequently remind whoever may be listening that the United States and its allies face an enemy that is rigidly committed to a radical ideology in which the old political orders of liberalism, democracy, and a system of sovereign states will be torn down and replaced.1 This description, however, could apply equally to the Soviet Union at the beginning of the Cold War 70 years ago and to the present global phenomenon of Salafi jihadism, the ideology that motivates terrorist organizations such as the so-called Islamic State, al Qaeda, and associated groups. Examining the Wests understanding and response to the ideology of communism and the Soviet Union and comparing them to the threat posed by Salafi Jihadism provides a lens that can help shape a practical and credible response to current threats. This article applies the strategy of containment at the beginning of the Cold War to the current threat of Salafi jihadism.Just as containment was successfully deployed against the threat of Soviet-style communism in the Cold War, it may serve as an effective strategy against the present ideological struggle against jihadist terror organizations. Published anonymously as X in a 1947 Foreign Affairs article, George Kennan described a strategy for the ideological battle of his day that later came to be known as containment.2 Applying Kennans prescription to Salafi jihadism means persistent, patient pressure and unified resolve to counter perceived Salafist expansionism. In containing an idea, what Kennan called superfluous gestures and outward histrionics are counterproductive. Such political restraint, however, proved difficult to come by in a super-charged U.S. Presidential campaign. Promises by some candidates to quickly eradicate groups like the Islamic State through large-scale military action may make headlines, but these promises are disingenuous, misleading, and perhaps reveal a misunderstanding of the threat posed by groups like the Islamic State. Even after their inevitable military defeat, jihadi terror groups will still pose a threat to security in the Middle East and elsewhere. This article first reviews Kennans containment strategy, then turns to compare Salafi jihadism to the Soviet system that inspired Kennans 1947 analysis, noting some critical differences, and then applies containment to the jihadist threat.
Kennans Containment
Though jihadi groups represent a challenge to the peace and security of the Middle East and threaten terrorist violence abroad, one cannot conclude that this is either wholly unique and unprecedented or that the challenge they present is insurmountable. Their absolutist ideology and unwavering hostility to liberal political institutions is also nothing new. In 1947, George Kennan wrote of the Soviet Union:
subjectively these men [Soviet leaders] probably did not seek absolutism for its own sake. They doubtlessly believedand found it easy to believethat they alone knew what was good for society and that they would accomplish that good once their power was secure and unchallengeable.3
Kennan drew parallels between the Kremlin under Joseph Stalin and a religious order, operating in a world where the forces of good (the Soviets) would, through the inevitable progress of history, overcome the forces of evil (the global capitalist order):
The leadership of the Communist Party is therefore always right. . . . On the principle of infallibility there rests the iron discipline of the Communist Party. . . . Like the Church, it is dealing in ideological concepts which are of long-term validity, and it can afford to be patient.4
In confronting an uncompromising ideological opponent, one should expect that challenges to their motivating ideology would be either disregarded or subsumed into the narrative of a decaying, corrupt governing political order. Kennan observed:
Now it lies in the nature of the mental world of the Soviet leaders, as well as in the character of their ideology, that no opposition to them can be officially recognized as having any merit or justification whatsoever. Such opposition can flow, in theory, only from the hostile and incorrigible forces of dying capitalism.5
According to Kennan, Soviet leaders believed themselves to be absolutely powerful at home and infallible in their interpretation and application of their ideology; they could rest assured of their inevitable victory, and could not be criticized from without. The Soviets were a formidable ideological opponent; the political-ideological dimension of the challenge the Soviet Union posed immediately after World War II was greater than the threat they posed to the physical security of people beyond its immediate influence.
Kennans prescription for foreign policy under such circumstances is now well known: a long-term, patient but firm and vigilant containment of Russian expansive tendencies. He cautioned that such a policy has nothing to do with outward histrionics: with threats or blustering or superfluous gestures of outward toughness.6 He suggested that the United States create in the world an image of consistency, harmony, and peaceful prosperity:
It is rather a question of the degree to which the United States can create among the peoples of the world generally the impression of a country which knows what it wants, which is coping successfully with the problems of its internal life and with the responsibilities of a World Power, and which has a spiritual vitality capable of holding its own among the major ideological currents of the time.7
He cautioned that disunity is a balm to ones opponents in an ideological battle: by the same token, exhibition of indecision, disunity and internal disintegration within this country have an exhilarating effect.8
Kennans prescription for patiently squeezing the Soviets was sometimes criticized as being not aggressive enough. It was, after all, a strategy for containing and eventually strangling the Soviet Union, not abruptly destroying it. Applying containment to the present struggle against jihadism may be similarly criticized as not doing enough, but of critical importance are persistence, patience, and consistency along multiple vectors of action (some of which are clandestine), and coordinated efforts with allied states. In a political contest, opponents attempt to create differing visions of a political reality and then try to convince people that the vision they create is preferable. The United States and its allies were arguably better than their Soviet opponents at this kind of competition during the Cold War. In its present conflict with jihadist terror organizations, the United States has been notably less successful.
Since 1947, Kennans blueprint for containment has evolved as successive administrations were confronted by the Soviet challenge. For example, Fareed Zakaria argued in 1990 that Ronald Reagans administration thought of itself as implementing containment, but one quite different from any previous version of containment. He concluded that in spite of its high-risk tendencies, Reagans version of containment was successful.9 In a Cold War postmortem, Daniel Deudney and John Ikenberry argued that over 50 years, with small changes occasionally, the basic thrust of Western policy toward the [Soviet Union] remained remarkably consistent.10 They concluded that though containment must have played an important role in the ultimate demise of the Soviet system, it cannot be the sole cause. Writing in 1989, Paul Kreisberg laid out how changes in Soviet economic and military behavior in the late 1980s meant that containment was on its last gasp and innovation in U.S. foreign policy was overdue.11 The sudden and unpredicted collapse of the Soviet Union cannot be attributed to a single cause. However, as a pillar of U.S. foreign policy for six successive administrations, containment served to provide a stabilizing force that contributed to the implosion of the Soviet system.
Kennan later regretted the extent to which his prescription for containing the Soviet threat became dominated by military means at the expense of other avenues. Writing in Foreign Affairs in 1987, Kennan sought to contextualize his containment prescription and apply it to the political realities of the late 1980s. When the article was first written as a memo for the new Secretary of Defense in December of 1946, Kennan admitted, there was no way that Russia could appear to me as a military threat. What he did see was an ideological-political threat.12 The populations of Europe and Asia had been traumatized by World War II and the infrastructure of their societies had been devastated; this made them vulnerable to the political vision of Soviet propagandists. Military conquest was not necessary where people willingly accepted communist promises of a near-to-hand utopia, as was almost the case in Greece and Turkey in 1946.
Kennans views on what motivated Soviet aggression changed some over the years. In the final decade of the Soviet system, Kennan was suggesting that an essential element in confronting the Soviets was to seek to understand their perspective and the environment in which they operate.13 Writing in the last years of the 1980s, Kennan suggested, what most needs to be contained, as I see it, is not so much the Soviet Union as the weapons race itself.14 Furthermore, the first thing we Americans need to learn to contain is, in some ways, ourselves; our own environmental destructiveness, our tendency to live beyond our means and to borrow ourselves into disaster.15 Of course, war is sometimes necessaryKennan was no pacifist. What Thomas Schelling called the diplomacy of violence is a legitimate means of achieving a political outcome in some cases.16 Properly accomplished, containment keeps the widest array of policy options open to ultimately defeat jihadism.
Black Is the New Red
No analogy is perfect, but this does not limit the utility of comparison. In this section, Salafi jihadism is compared to the Soviet ideology Kennan confronted in 1946. First, and perhaps most obviously, communism is a distinct political ideology borne of an economic theory, while Salafi jihadism is a religious interpretation of sacred texts. This important distinction does not render comparison useless, however. In both cases, a core belief system drives and constrains behavior. Importantly, both the communists of the past and the jihadists of the present wage a battle they believe will shape the future of the world. Both belief systems assure their adherents of inevitable success. For the communists, their victory would be a result of the forces of history, and for Salafi jihadists, their victory is divine destiny.
In both cases, local political considerations shaped the manner in which their beliefs were adopted and adapted. Vladimir Lenins Russia was different from Mao Zedongs China, which was different from Abimael Guzmáns Shining Path in Peru; each had distinct features that differed across place and time, each had unique political and social forces that drove different applications of Marxism-Leninism-Maoism. Similarly, local sociopolitical conditions shape how the dominant Salafi ideology is manifested through the constellation of terrorist organizations that assert its religious superiority. In spite of some differences in application, a core belief system that inalterably divides the world into two oppositional camps remains.
Other important differences should be noted: no jihadist terror organization possesses the massive industrial complex and economy the Soviets did; though the Islamic State has successfully seized modern military equipment, nothing they have compares to the massive Soviet Red Army. Secondly, though eventually the Soviet nuclear force actually posed an existential threat to the United States and its allies, presently no terror group poses such a threatin spite of claims made by some political leaders. Thirdly, the Soviets had a rigid, centralized structure for interpreting Marxism-Leninism and possessed the power to demand loyalty to that interpretationnot that schisms did not exist, notably the break between Soviet and Maoist systems. Presently, no single jihadist group can legitimately claim to dictate its interpretation of orthodoxy to others, though many rivals have attempted to do so. In fact, the declaration of a caliphate by the Islamic State was denounced by al Qaeda leadership and organizations affiliated with al Qaeda.17
However, similarities between Salafi jihadist organizations and the Soviets deserve some attention and can help policymaking. Just as Marxism-Leninism sought the establishment of global socialism and the ascendance of the proletariat through revolution, Salafi jihadism expects to spread its authority through violence in order to replace a corrupt, decadent order.18 Like the Soviets 70 years ago, jihadist terrorist organizations capitalize on upended political orders, the chaos that accompanies and follows open warfare, and public anxiety: [Whole nations] had just been seriously destabilized, socially, spiritually and politically, by the experiences of the recent war. Their populations were dazed, shell-shocked, uncertain of themselves, fearful of the future, highly vulnerable.19 Written by Kennan to describe Europe and Asia after World War II, it could just as easily describe much of the Middle East and North Africa now, as well as Afghanistan, the Horn of Africa, and the southern reaches of the Arabian Peninsula.
As was argued by Robert Hutchings in Foreign Policy 12 years ago, the phenomena of al Qaeda and Soviet communism were born of political circumstance and sustained by a commitment to a particular ideology.20 For Salafi jihadists and the communists in the Kremlin, the correct application of ideology is key to correcting political imbalance and restoring political Islam and Russia, respectively, to their rightful place of leadership in the global order. The ideological dimension of jihadi groups is often discussed, but too often considered separately from the more tangible dimensions of the threat of violence they pose, the mayhem they cause in the territories where they operate, or funding and supply-chain logistical issues. Properly understood, ideology is central to the existence of any of the jihadist terror groups, justifying and explaining both means and end. It has been argued that al Qaeda is more than an organization, but is representative of a myth and an ideology, which is being immortalized as Nazism and Marxism-Leninism was in the 20th century.21
Salafi jihadism claims to represent an ideological purification and correction, and repentance from prior errors; ultimate victory over the present decadent and decaying order is only a matter of time and piety. Salafism is a relatively modern interpretation, being traced to the 19th-century Iranian scholar Jamal al din al Afghani. It is revivalist, seeking to interpret contemporary events through original Islamic principles. Afghani sought to understand how Islam, which had been dominant for so long and produced so much wealth, could have fallen behind and was now subject to Western imperial projects.22 Both the Islamic State and al Qaeda embrace Wahhabi-Salafism, which focuses on the elimination of idolatry (shirk) and affirming the oneness (tawhid) of God. Its adherents view themselves to be the only true Muslims and they engage in the practice of takfir, or declaring other Muslims to be unbelievers.23
A schism has developed between al Qaeda and the Islamic State, although they both agree on the central principles of Salafi jihadism; their differences center on long-term strategy and local tactics. Al Qaeda takes a long view of restoring the caliphate; the Islamic State is committed to its tactics of hyper-violence, even against fellow Muslims, and sees benefits to its high-risk, incendiary style. Al Qaeda sought to attack and disrupt what it viewed as the far enemy, the West, and to chase it from Muslim lands. The Islamic State chose to attack the near enemy in order to quickly establish its caliphate.24
Political, temporal victory is integral to spiritual revival and ascendancy. An Islamic State spokesperson made its political objectives clear:
We inform the Muslims that, with the announcement of the caliphate, it has become obligatory for all Muslims to give baya and support to Caliph Ibrahim. Void is the legitimacy of all emirates, groups, administrations, and organizations to which his [Abu Bakr al-Baghdadis] authority extends and his army comes.25
Violence is inherent to their ideology, as interpreted by al-Baghdadi who, in May of 2015, declared:
O Muslims, Islam was never for a day the religion of peace. Islam is the religion of war. Your Prophet (peace be upon him) was dispatched with the sword as a mercy to the creation. . . . He fought both the Arabs and non-Arabs in all their various colors. He himself left to fight and took part in dozens of battles. He never for a day grew tired of war.26
Salafi jihadism, therefore, combines the puritanical strains of the Wahhabi tradition with a commitment to violence in pursuit of political ascendency. Violence is necessary to create utopia; in some cases, as with the leaders of the Islamic State, religious warfare provides the opening notes of the apocalypse.27
Applying Containment
Kennans 70-year-old advice can be fruitfully applied to the present ideological conflict. The intervening years have suggested that Kennans read of Soviet conduct exaggerated their expansionist strategy, but given the Kremlins inscrutability and open hostility at the time he wrote, his urgency may be forgiven. It may not be possible to deter an organization like the jihadi terror groups the same way that the Soviet Union and Stalina realist with an instinct for institutional survivalwere deterred. However, Kennans principal stricture was patient resolve in containing and squeezing the perceived threat from international communism. Swagger, grand gestures, fruitless engagements were contraindicated. Kennan understood that in open warfare the Soviet Union could not be defeated without great cost, and skirmishes would likewise harden their resolve. Instead, persistent containment through positive example, negative consequences for bad behavior, and above all, unified action and harmony, were advised. Political competition is natural in liberal democratic societies, but the current level of discord in the United States and Europe must comfort jihadi ideologues in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere.
Just as it took 44 years from when Kennans X article was published before the Soviet Union ceased to exist, the Islamic State, al Qaeda, and their ilk will likely present challenges for many years. The important question is how well the threat they pose can be managed and reduced in the interim. Its fight against radical terrorist groups has forced U.S. military planners to rethink what winning looks like as it confronts the challenges posed by terror groups spread across the globe, and notably active in Syria and Iraq.28
To differing degrees, the Islamic State and al Qaeda play a three-level game: first, a clandestine transnational effort to infiltrate Western states and commit terrorist acts; second, a propaganda program designed to win support in areas where they assert some level of influence; and finally, a military campaign to take and hold territory. During the Cold War, the Soviets (and arguably, the United States) followed a similar multilevel effort to undermine opposition governments with acceptable levels of deniability, win hearts and minds openly where it could, and engage in military action only where necessary, through proxies if available. Containing Salafi jihadism requires a similar strategy: first, intelligence-driven efforts to detect, disrupt, and destroy jihadi terror operations; second, laying bare jihadi groups own hypocrisy, contradictions, and immorality both to undermine their ideological authority and to drive a wedge between it and potential supporters; and finally, fighting it in the open only where absolutely necessary, killing jihadi leaders and destroying terrorist financial and material infrastructure.
First, detect and disrupt clandestine plots to carry out terrorist attacks outside hot battlefields through an intelligence-driven effort, relying on well-placed human intelligence assets, appropriately tasked technical assets, and disciplined, rigorous analysis. Todays Intelligence Community was designed and built to contain the Soviet threat. During the Cold War, intelligence activities flourished in a classic head-to-head contest with the Soviet Union. Assets were recruited over cocktails, microfilm was left in dead-drops, spy planes flew overhead, covert operations changed the political map abroad, while back home there was little oversight, and the American people knew almost nothing of what was happening. An instructor with the Office of Strategic Services, the World War II predecessor to todays Central Intelligence Agency, is famously supposed to have said that their ideal candidate was a Ph.D. who can win a bar fight, and the same is true today. In todays fight, recruits will likely need to have spent considerable time living and working abroad in dangerous places; they might not have a spotless record or have the smoothest path to security clearance adjudication. The difficult, disciplined, and quiet work of intelligence is just as important now as it was in the Cold War, and requires patient investment and cultivation.
Presently, intelligence is a very public topic, and the people (and Congress) want results. Much of intelligence still needs to be done quietly, however, and serving in silence remains the ideal. In todays fight against jihadism, the same principles will apply, though the settings may look different. Clandestine service officers need to be recruited and trained, human assets need months of development, analysts with rigorous methodological skills must be employed. Gone are the days of Embassy parties; todays intelligence needs to be done in tents, on horseback, with dangerous people. Analysts, formerly confined to cubicles in a headquarters building, need to be deployed to the field. Intelligence collection at home is perhaps just as important as collecting abroad, as recent homegrown jihadist attacks have proved. Surveillance in aid of detecting the potential radicalization of individuals will push the legal limits of a liberal democratic society.
Secondly, deploy an effective counter-propaganda operation and lay bare jihadi contradictions, exaggerations, and hypocrisy. The varied sociopolitical geography of Salafi jihadism will require a finely tuned approach. Any message originating in the United States will be immediately discredited. Therefore, overt U.S. Government projects should not be considered. Covert counter-information operations will need to be given priority.29 This effort will lean heavily on intelligence gathered in the field. The people who produce such messages need to know the local language, the local idioms and slang, the jokes, the history, and the taboos. The right message, delivered in the right way, to the right people requires much effortand mistakes will be made. Attention needs to be turned home, as well as abroad. The most cost-effective means of carrying out a terror attack in the United States is to convince a disaffected young person to use his own resources to wreak havoc at home. Even if defeated militarily, the online presence of jihadist groups may persist; eliminating or neutralizing the radicalizing effects of these groups may prove to be the most challenging.
Part of this effort will be to avoid giving too much credit to jihadist groups that will inspire attacks against civilian targets in the United States and allied countries. Because terrorism at its core relies on an emotional response on the part of the witnesses to violence, the best counterterrorism policies necessarily require two distinguishable, but related tasks: first, actually reducing the risk of an attack, and secondly, making people feel more secure. Underlining and reinforcing radical linkages between an individual who acts in the name of a Salafi jihadist organization does little but unrealistically amplify that organizations operational effectiveness. An act of violence that both inflicts harm and raises the profile of the group that inspired the violence is a double-win for the terrorist organization. An effective domestic communication plan, therefore, includes elements directed toward preventing people from choosing to commit acts of violence while resisting the urge to over-hype the combat effectiveness of an organization that may inspire violence.
Finally, fight openly only when absolutely necessary, limiting exposure, and relying on proxies wherever possible. Using drones to kill jihadi leadership and technical experts (especially those responsible for media operations) are important tactical victories, but they do not, on their own, constitute a counterterrorism strategy. In containing the Soviets, only twice (on the Korean Peninsula and in Vietnam) was a corps-size force deployed to combat, and never in direct contact with the Red Army. Much smaller, detached units of advisors or special operations forces units were sparingly deployed. Routine naval and air patrols were far more likely to make contact with their Soviet counterparts, but were never required to engage. Nuclear deterrence, and an approach to open warfare that was inculcated by the destruction wrought by World War II, meant military engagement was restrained, indirect, and respectfully cautious.
In the 15 years since the attacks of September 11, 2001, the United States has deployed two force-size armies to two different theaters of operation and has maintained deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan up to the present day. According to a RAND study, as of 2011, to support Operations Iraqi Freedom (and follow-on operations) and Enduring Freedom, the U.S. Army alone supplied over 1.5 million Soldier-years (that is, one Soldier deployed for 1 year, or 2 Soldiers deployed for 6 months, each). The total Soldier-years of all Services exceed 2.3 million. The same RAND report assessed that only 4 percent (or 20,000) of the Active component of the U.S. Army has not deployed and are available to do so.30 As of September 2016, in support of Operation Inherent Resolve, over 6,000 U.S. military personnel are deployed to Iraq, and according to the Defense Department, it spends on average $12.3 million every day on the combined joint task force.31 This is unsustainable. Smaller is better in the present fight. The complexity of the battlefield in Syria is a prime example of how U.S. forces can be dragged into settling scores among long-feuding local factions. Success against Salafi jihadism requires policymakers to lean on intelligence, deploy conventional forces only when absolutely necessary, and respect the long-term commitment of military action when it is employed.
Important, though admittedly less exciting, debates will need to happen about precisely when and where the United States absolutely must fight, or what is and is not legal or ethical in collecting the intelligence it needs. The real work of counterterrorism is often quiet, behind-the-scenes, and away from the publics eye. Open warfare in Iraq and Syria may achieve one goal: the disintegration of the Islamic States leadership and its ability to wage an insurgency, but it will not contain the transnational threat remnant jihadi groups may pose. Clear-eyed and unafraid, the work of defeating jihadi terror will mean careful analysis of threats, assessments of countermeasure effectiveness, then the application of the appropriate tools to a well-defined threat.
Like Stalins Kremlin in 1947, the leaders of Salafist jihadist groups around the globe believe themselves to be locked in a world-altering battle in which they will inevitably be victorious. As Kennan advised, the longer the rest of the world can deny them any semblance of victory and lay bare their own hypocrisy and contradictions, then the end of this particular challenge is achievable through patient, thoughtful opposition and defense. Surely, there was never a fairer test of national quality than this, concluded Kennan.32
About the authors:
*Dr. Scott Englund is a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at the Orfalea Center for Global International Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
This article was published in the Joint Force Quarterly 86, which is published by the National Defense University.
1 Daniel Byman, Al Qaeda, The Islamic State, and the Global Jihadist Movement (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2015).
2 George Kennan [as X], The Sources of Soviet Conduct, Foreign Affairs 25, no. 4 (1947), 566582.
3 Ibid., 569.
4 Ibid., 572573.
9 Fareed Zakaria, The Reagan Strategy of Containment, Political Science Quarterly 105 (Autumn 1990), 374.
10 Daniel Deudney and G. John Ikenberry, Who Won the Cold War? Foreign Policy 87 (Summer 1992), 131.
11 Paul H. Kreisberg, Containments Last Gasp, Foreign Policy 75 (Summer 1989), 146163.
12 George Kennan, Containment Then and Now, Foreign Affairs 65, no. 4 (1987), 885890.
13 Paul Hollander, The Two Faces of George Kennan: From Containment to Understanding, Policy Review (Summer 1985), 2834.
14 Kennan, Containment Then and Now, 889.
16 Thomas Schelling, Arms and Influence (New Haven: Yale University Press 1966), chapter 1.
17 Thomas F. Lynch III, The Impact of ISIS on Global Salafism and South Asian Jihad (Washington, DC: Hudson Institute, August 2015), available at <https://hudson.org/research/11608-the-impact-of-isis-on-global-salafism-and-south-asian-jihad>.
18 Cole Bunzel, From Paper State to Caliphate: The Ideology of the Islamic State (Washington, DC: The Brookings Institution, March 2015), available at <www.brookings.edu/research/papers/2015/03/ideology-of-islamic-state>.
20 Robert L. Hutchings, X + 9/11, Foreign Policy 143 (2004), 7072.
21 John Turner, From Cottage Industry to International Organization: The Evolution of Salafi-Jihadism and the Emergency of the Al Qaeda Ideology, Terrorism and Political Violence 22, no. 4 (September 2010), 541558.
22 Ibid., 543.
23 Bunzel.
24 Lynch.
26 Islamic State Releases al-Baghdadi Message, BBC Online, May 14, 2015, available at <www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-32744070>.
27 William McCants, The ISIS Apocalypse: The History, Strategy, and Doomsday Vision of the Islamic State (New York: St. Martins Press, 2015).
28 Anna Mulrine, In Syria, a Test of Obamas Good Enough Military Doctrine, Christian Science Monitor Online, May 13, 2016, available at <www.csmonitor.com/USA/Military/2016/0513/In-Syria-a-test-of-Obama-s-good-enough-military-doctrine>.
29 Scott Englund, Killing Anwar: Targeting Jihadi Propagandists Only Part of the Solution, War on the Rocks, January 14, 2016, available at <http://warontherocks.com/2016/01/killing-anwar-targeting-jihadi-propagandists-is-only-part-of-the-solution/>.
30 Dave Baiocchi, Measuring Army Deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan (Santa Monica, CA: RAND, 2013), available at <www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR145.html>.
31 Operation Inherent Resolve: Targeted Operations Against ISIL Terrorists, Department of Defense, available at <www.defense.gov/News/Special-Reports/0814_Inherent-Resolve>; Helene Cooper, U.S. to Send 600 More Troops to Iraq to Help Retake Mosul from ISIS, New York Times, September 28, 2016, available at <www.nytimes.com/2016/09/29/world/middleeast/obama-troops-iraq.html?_r=0>.
32 Kennan, The Sources of Soviet Conduct, 582.
Strained by war, the militarys elite units cant grow any faster nor deploy slower. Something in their mission set must give. Defense One – All Content
Despite scandals and a lack of progress on his agenda, a new poll shows Pres. Trump still has really strong support among Republican voters. Connie Schultz, Jon Meacham, & Eugene Robinson react.Read more msnbc.com Latest Headlines
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Trump is not “crazy”, “sick”, or insane. These primitive labels simply do not apply and matter; use them for psychiatry textbooks and chats. Mike Nova (@mikenov) July 1, 2017 Donald: Do not waste time, emotions and Twitter space on the little nothings. Deal with the big issues and problems, the rest is immaterial. … Continue reading“Is Mr. Trump mad? Does it matter?”
The Truth, the only Truth, and only the Truth is my God. Donald: accept and embrace this thesis fully, and we will start to see the light. Mike Nova (@mikenov) July 4, 2017
Source: Mueller probe could draw focus to Russian crime operations
Mueller probe could draw focus to Russian crime operations Tuesday July 4th, 2017 at 5:54 PM 1 Share By ERIC TUCKER Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) – The U.S. government has long warned that Russian organized crime posed a threat to democratic institutions, including “criminally linked oligarchs” who might collude with the Russian government to undermine business competition. … Continue reading“Mueller probe could draw focus to Russian crime operations Tuesday July 4th, 2017 at 5:54 PM”
By Michael Novakhov Summary: The big picture of the foreign interference in the Elections of 2016 still is not complete. What foreign entities besides Russia, attempted to interfere and influence the US Elections, how, and what was the impact of these attempts? The long-term assessments, prognosis, plans, and work are needed in this direction. The Continue reading“The Big Questions In The Age Of Chutzpah: The Foreign Interference In The Elections Of 2016 By Michael Novakhov” 2016″
The Twenty-First Century is emerging as “the age of chutzpah“. The 9/11 events, still waiting for their definitive investigation and understanding, and their “political equivalent” – the US Presidential Elections of 2016 serve as the illustrations. The other terms are: fascism, totalitarianism, and authoritarianism. Every age must have and name its “chutzpahs”. Is Mr. Trump mad? Does it matter? There are many safeguards in the system to prevent the short circuiting due to individual … Continue reading“Who stole the 2016 US Presidential Elections? The Big Questions In The Age Of Chutzpah”
1. News in Photos from mikenova (4 sites) WSJ.com: World News: U.S., Russia Reach Deal on Cease-Fire in Southwest Syria The U.S. and Russia have agreed on a cease-fire in southwest Syria, a U.S. official said Friday, as Russias President Vladimir Putin and President Donald Trump meet for the first time in Germany. WSJ.com: World … Continue reading“Russia-born dealmaker linked to Trump assists laundering probe – Financial Times Who is Felix Sater? Trump’s Russian ex-Real Estate Partner Set to Help in Laundering Probe – Newsweek FT Investigation: Trump and the Russian-born fixer – Financial Times Broker, mobster, fraudster and Trump associate Felix Sater agrees to cooperate with investigation – Daily Kos”
» Who is Felix Sater? Trump’s Russian ex-Real Estate Partner Set to Help in Laundering Probe 07/07/17 21:38 from Mike Nova’s Shared NewsLinks mikenova shared this story from Newsweek. Whether at home or abroad, President Donald Trumps alleged links to Russia dog the U.S. executive at every turn. Especially when it comes to his financial real estate … Continue reading“» Who is Felix Sater? Trump’s Russian ex-Real Estate Partner Set to Help in Laundering Probe 07/07/17 21:38 from Mike Nova’s Shared NewsLinks mikenova shared this story from Newsweek. Whether at home or abroad, President Donald Trumps alleged links to Russia dog the U.S. executive at every turn.”
From Nixon to Trump, the FBI has always had a duty to keep the President in check Saturday July 8th, 2017 at 9:05 PM IrishExaminer.Com – World 1 Share JOHN Mindermann is part of an unusual fraternity. A former agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), now 80 and retired in his hometown, San Francisco, he … Continue reading“From Nixon to Trump, the FBI has always had a duty to keep the President in check Saturday July 8th, 2017 at 9:05 PM IrishExaminer.Com – World”
Trump – Mike Nova’s Playlist – 1/37 videos 1. Trump from mikenova (186 sites) Russian Intelligence services – Google News: Tillerson: Trump confronts Putin over Russian election meddling – KTOO Donald Trump | The Guardian: Trump-Russia: new meeting revealed involving Donald Jr, Kushner and Manafort US elections and russia – Google News: Everybody knows Russia meddled in US … Continue reading“Russian Intelligence services – Google News: Tillerson: Trump confronts Putin over Russian election meddling – KTOO Donald Trump | The Guardian: Trump-Russia: new meeting revealed involving Donald Jr, Kushner and Manafort US elections and russia – Google News: Everybody knows Russia meddled in US elections, says Haley – Business Standard”
» Who stole the 2016 US Presidential Elections? – Google Search 09/07/17 16:18 from Mike Nova’s Shared NewsLinks mikenova shared this story . » No youre the puppet 09/07/17 15:41 from Saved Stories – None Heres the part I cant seem to figure out: why is anyone on either side acting shocked about how yesterday played out? Donald Trump … Continue reading“» Who stole the 2016 US Presidential Elections? – Google Search 09/07/17 16:18 from Mike Nova’s Shared NewsLinks mikenova shared this story . » No youre the puppet”
Miosotis Familia’s murder is Russian Mafia’s response to Mueller’s investigation: “Here are my mouth and my ears for you. The Family-Bratva” https://t.co/g4XSiNoIVI Mike Nova (@mikenov) posted a photo on Twitter The Big Questions In The Age Of Chutzpah: The Foreign Interference In The Electi… The Big Questions In The Age Of Chutzpah: The Foreign Interference … Continue reading“Miosotis Familia’s murder is Russian Mafia’s response to Mueller’s investigation: “Here are my mouth and my ears for you. The Family-Bratva” https://t.co/g4XSiNoIVI”
» Video – 150 Minutes The best of Opera ( Carmen, Traviata, Così fan Tutte, … https://t.co/XiuOTfiRMP via @YouTube 10/07/17 17:13 from Saved Stories – None 150 Minutes The best of Opera ( Carmen, Traviata, Così fan Tutte, … https://t.co/XiuOTfiRMP via @YouTube » “Kremlin Believes U.S. Wants Regime Change In Russia” – M.N.: What’s … Continue reading“» “Kremlin Believes U.S. Wants Regime Change In Russia” – M.N.: What’s the big news?! Kremlin believes this for about the last 100 years… 10/07/17 17:13 from Saved Stories”
Leflore Mississippi military plane crash might be a follow-up on police officer Miosotis Familia’s assassination: “le flores” for the dead, “Missi, i ssi, i ppi”, “these are just the flowers, the berries will come“. The recent Mosul operation might also be a factor. The maximum of reasonable precautions should be exercised in these uncertain times … Continue reading“Leflore Mississippi military plane crash might be a follow-up on police officer Miosotis Familia’s assassination: “le flores” for the dead, “Missi, i ssi, i ppi”, “these are just the flowers, the berries will come” – M.N.”
FBI is incompetent and inefficient, even on the home soil, (not) dealing with terrorism, subversion, attacks on police and military. If you want to save America, reform FBI, and urgently! FBI is incompetent and inefficient, unable to deal with terrorism, subversion, attacks on police and military. Save America, Reform FBI now! Mike Nova (@mikenov) … Continue reading“FBI is incompetent and inefficient, even on the home soil, (not) dealing with terrorism, subversion, attacks on police and military. If you want to save America, reform FBI, and urgently! – M.N.”
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A sea of police officers stood outside the church in the Bronx where the funeral for Officer Miosotis Familia was held on Tuesday (7.11.17).
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mikenova shared this story from New Republic.
Over the years, Trump and his sons would try and fail five times to build a new Trump Tower in Moscow. But for Trump, what mattered most were the lucrative connections he had begun to make with the Kremlin—and with the wealthy Russians who would buy so many of his properties in the years to come. “Russians make up a pretty disproportionate cross section of a lot of our assets,” Donald Trump Jr. boasted at a real estate conference in 2008. “We see a lot of money pouring in from Russia.”
The money, illicit and otherwise, began to rain in earnest after the Soviet Union fell in 1991. President Boris Yeltsin’s shift to a market economy was so abrupt that cash-rich gangsters and corrupt government officials were able to privatize and loot state-held assets in oil, coal, minerals, and banking. Yeltsin himself, in fact, would later describe Russia as “the biggest mafia state in the world.” After Vladimir Putin succeeded Yeltsin as president, Russian intelligence effectively joined forces with the country’s mobsters and oligarchs, allowing them to operate freely as long as they strengthen Putin’s power and serve his personal financial interests. According to James Henry, a former chief economist at McKinsey & Company who consulted on the Panama Papers, some $1.3 trillion in illicit capital has poured out of Russia since the 1990s.
At the top of the sprawling criminal enterprise was Semion Mogilevich. Beginning in the early 1980s, according to the FBI, the short, squat Ukrainian was the key money-laundering contact for the Solntsevskaya Bratva, or Brotherhood, one of the richest criminal syndicates in the world. Before long, he was running a multibillion-dollar worldwide racket of his own. Mogilevich wasn’t feared because he was the most violent gangster, but because he was reputedly the smartest. The FBI has credited the “brainy don,” who holds a degree in economics from Lviv University, with a staggering range of crimes. He ran drug trafficking and prostitution rings on an international scale; in one characteristic deal, he bought a bankrupt airline to ship heroin from Southeast Asia into Europe. He used a jewelry business in Moscow and Budapest as a front for art that Russian gangsters stole from museums, churches, and synagogues all over Europe. He has also been accused of selling some $20 million in stolen weapons, including ground-to-air missiles and armored troop carriers, to Iran. “He uses this wealth and power to not only further his criminal enterprises,” the FBI says, “but to influence governments and their economies.”
In Russia, Mogilevich’s influence reportedly reaches all the way to the top. In 2005, Alexander Litvinenko, a Russian intelligence agent who defected to London, recorded an interview with investigators detailing his inside knowledge of the Kremlin’s ties to organized crime. “Mogilevich,” he said in broken English, “have good relationship with Putin since 1994 or 1993.” A year later Litvinenko was dead, apparently poisoned by agents of the Kremlin.
Mogilevich’s greatest talent, the one that places him at the top of the Russian mob, is finding creative ways to cleanse dirty cash. According to the FBI, he has laundered money through more than 100 front companies around the world, and held bank accounts in at least 27 countries. And in 1991, he made a move that led directly to Trump Tower. That year, the FBI says, Mogilevich paid a Russian judge to spring a fellow mob boss, Vyachelsav Kirillovich Ivankov, from a Siberian gulag. If Mogilevich was the brains, Ivankov was the enforcer—a vor v zakone, or “made man,” infamous for torturing his victims and boasting about the murders he had arranged. Sprung by Mogilevich, Ivankov made the most of his freedom. In 1992, a year after he was released from prison, he headed to New York on an illegal business visa and proceeded to set up shop in Brighton Beach.
In Red Mafiya, his book about the rise of the Russian mob in America, investigative reporter Robert I. Friedman documented how Ivankov organized a lurid and violent underworld of tattooed gangsters. When Ivankov touched down at JFK, Friedman reported, he was met by a fellow vor, who handed him a suitcase with $1.5 million in cash. Over the next three years, Ivankov oversaw the mob’s growth from a local extortion racket to a multibillion-dollar criminal enterprise. According to the FBI, he recruited two “combat brigades” of Special Forces veterans from the Soviet war in Afghanistan to run the mafia’s protection racket and kill his enemies.
Like Mogilevich, Ivankov had a lot of dirty money he needed to clean up. He bought a Rolls-Royce dealership that was used, according to The New York Times, “as a front to launder criminal proceeds.” The FBI concluded that one of Ivankov’s partners in the operation was Felix Komarov, an upscale art dealer who lived in Trump Plaza on Third Avenue. Komarov, who was not charged in the case, called the allegations baseless. He acknowledged that he had frequent phone conversations with Ivankov, but insisted the exchanges were innocent. “I had no reason not to call him,” Komarov told a reporter.
Trump Taj Mahal paid the largest fine ever levied against a casino for having “willfully violated” anti-money-laundering rules.
The feds wanted to arrest Ivankov, but he kept vanishing. “He was like a ghost to the FBI,” one agent recalls. Agents spotted him meeting with other Russian crime figures in Miami, Los Angeles, Boston, and Toronto. They also found he made frequent visits to Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, which mobsters routinely used to launder huge sums of money. In 2015, the Taj Mahal was fined $10 million—the highest penalty ever levied by the feds against a casino—and admitted to having “willfully violated” anti-money-laundering regulations for years.
The FBI also struggled to figure out where Ivankov lived. “We were looking around, looking around, looking around,” James Moody, chief of the bureau’s organized crime section, told Friedman. “We had to go out and really beat the bushes. And then we found out that he was living in a luxury condo in Trump Tower.”
There is no evidence that Trump knew Ivankov personally, even if they were neighbors. But the fact that a top Russian mafia boss lived and worked in Trump’s own building indicates just how much high-level Russian mobsters came to view the future president’s properties as a home away from home. In 2009, after being extradited to Russia to face murder charges, Ivankov was gunned down in a sniper attack on the streets of Moscow. According to The Moscow Times, his funeral was a media spectacle in Russia, attracting “1,000 people wearing black leather jackets, sunglasses, and gold chains,” along with dozens of giant wreaths from the various brotherhoods.
Throughout the 1990s, untold millions from the former Soviet Union flowed into Trump’s luxury developments and Atlantic City casinos. But all the money wasn’t enough to save Trump from his own failings as a businessman. He owed $4 billion to more than 70 banks, with a mind-boggling $800 million of it personally guaranteed. He spent much of the decade mired in litigation, filing for multiple bankruptcies and scrambling to survive. For most developers, the situation would have spelled financial ruin. But fortunately for Trump, his own economic crisis coincided with one in Russia.
In 1998, Russia defaulted on $40 billion in debt, causing the ruble to plummet and Russian banks to close. The ensuing financial panic sent the country’s oligarchs and mobsters scrambling to find a safe place to put their money. That October, just two months after the Russian economy went into a tailspin, Trump broke ground on his biggest project yet. Rising to 72 stories in midtown Manhattan, Trump World Tower would be the tallest residential building on the planet. Construction got underway in 1999—just as Trump was preparing his first run for the presidency on the Reform Party ticket— and concluded in 2001. As Bloomberg Businessweek reported earlier this year, it wasn’t long before one-third of the units on the tower’s priciest floors had been snatched up—either by individual buyers from the former Soviet Union, or by limited liability companies connected to Russia. “We had big buyers from Russia and Ukraine and Kazakhstan,” sales agent Debra Stotts told Bloomberg.
Among the new tenants was Eduard Nektalov, a diamond dealer from Uzbekistan. Nektalov, who was being investigated by a Treasury Department task force for mob-connected money laundering, bought a condo on the seventy-ninth floor, directly below Trump’s future campaign manager, Kellyanne Conway. A month later he sold his unit for a $500,000 profit. The following year, after rumors circulated that Nektalov was cooperating with federal investigators, he was shot down on Sixth Avenue.
Trump had found his market. After Trump World Tower opened, Sotheby’s International Realty teamed up with a Russian real estate company to make a big sales push for the property in Russia. The “tower full of oligarchs,” as Bloomberg called it, became a model for Trump’s projects going forward. All he needed to do, it seemed, was slap the Trump name on a big building, and high-dollar customers from Russia and the former Soviet republics were guaranteed to come rushing in. Dolly Lenz, a New York real estate broker, told USA Today that she sold some 65 units in Trump World Tower to Russians. “I had contacts in Moscow looking to invest in the United States,” Lenz said. “They all wanted to meet Donald.”
To capitalize on his new business model, Trump struck a deal with a Florida developer to attach his name to six high-rises in Sunny Isles, just outside Miami. Without having to put up a dime of his own money, Trump would receive a cut of the profits. “Russians love the Trump brand,” Gil Dezer, the Sunny Isles developer, told Bloomberg. A local broker told The Washington Post that one-third of the 500 apartments he’d sold went to “Russian-speakers.” So many bought the Trump-branded apartments, in fact, that the area became known as “Little Moscow.”
Many of the units were sold by a native of Uzbekistan who had immigrated from the Soviet Union in the 1980s; her business was so brisk that she soon began bringing Russian tour groups to Sunny Isles to view the properties. According to a Reuters investigation in March, at least 63 buyers with Russian addresses or passports spent $98 million on Trump’s properties in south Florida. What’s more, another one-third of the units—more than 700 in all—were bought by shadowy shell companies that concealed the true owners.
Trump promoted and celebrated the properties. His organization continues to advertise the units; in 2011, when they first turned a profit, he attended a ceremonial mortgage-burning in Sunny Isles to toast their success. Last October, an investigation by the Miami Herald found that at least 13 buyers in the Florida complex have been the target of government investigations, either personally or through their companies, including “members of a Russian-American organized crime group.” Two buyers in Sunny Isles, Anatoly Golubchik and Michael Sall, were convicted for taking part in a massive international gambling and money-laundering syndicate that was run out of Trump Tower in New York. The ring, according to the FBI, was operating under the protection of the Russian mafia.
The influx of Russian money did more than save Trump’s business from ruin—it set the stage for the next phase of his career. By 2004, to the outside world, it appeared that Trump was back on top after his failures in Atlantic City. That January, flush with the appearance of success, Trump launched his newly burnished brand into another medium.
“My name’s Donald Trump,” he declared in his opening narration for The Apprentice, “the largest real estate developer in New York. I own buildings all over the place. Model agencies. The Miss Universe pageant. Jetliners, golf courses, casinos, and private resorts like Mar-a-Lago, one of the most spectacular estates anywhere in the world.”
But it wouldn’t be Trump without a better story than that. “It wasn’t always so easy,” he confessed, over images of him cruising around New York in a stretch limo. “About 13 years ago, I was seriously in trouble. I was billions of dollars in debt. But I fought back, and I won. Big league. I used my brain. I used my negotiating skills. And I worked it all out. Now my company’s bigger than it ever was and stronger than it ever was.… I’ve mastered the art of the deal.”
The show, which reportedly paid Trump up to $3 million per episode, instantly revived his career. “The Apprentice turned Trump from a blowhard Richie Rich who had just gone through his most difficult decade into an unlikely symbol of straight talk, an evangelist for the American gospel of success, a decider who insisted on standards in a country that had somehow slipped into handing out trophies for just showing up,” journalists Michael Kranish and Marc Fisher observe in their book Trump Revealed. “Above all, Apprentice sold an image of the host-boss as supremely competent and confident, dispensing his authority and getting immediate results. The analogy to politics was palpable.”
Russians spent at least $98 million on Trump’s properties in Florida—and another third of the units were bought by shadowy shell companies.
But the story of Donald Trump, self-made business genius, left out any mention of the shady Russian investors who had done so much to make his comeback narrative possible. And Trump’s business, despite the hype, was hardly “stronger than it ever was”—his credit was still lousy, and two more of his prized properties in Atlantic City would soon fall into bankruptcy, even as his ratings soared.
To further enhance his brand, Trump used his prime-time perch to unveil another big project. On the 2006 season finale of The Apprentice, as 11 million viewers waited to learn which of the two finalists was going to be fired, Trump prolonged the suspense by cutting to a promotional video for his latest venture. “Located in the center of Manhattan’s chic artist enclave, the Trump International Hotel and Tower in SoHo is the site of my latest development,” he narrated over swooping helicopter footage of lower Manhattan. The new building, he added, would be nothing less than a “$370 million work of art … an awe-inspiring masterpiece.”
Trump SoHo was the brainchild of two development companies—Bayrock Group LLC and the Sapir Organization—run by a pair of wealthy émigrés from the former Soviet Union who had done business with some of Russia’s richest and most notorious oligarchs. Together, their firms made Trump an offer he couldn’t refuse: The developers would finance and build Trump SoHo themselves. In return for lending his name to the project, Trump would get 18 percent of the profits—without putting up any of his own money.
One of the developers, Tamir Sapir, had followed an unlikely path to riches. After emigrating from the Soviet Union in the 1970s, he had started out driving a cab in New York City and ended up a billionaire living in Trump Tower. His big break came when he co-founded a company that sold high-tech electronics. According to the FBI, Sapir’s partner in the firm was a “member or associate” of Ivankov’s mob in Brighton Beach. No charges were ever filed, and Sapir denied having any mob ties. “It didn’t happen,” he told The New York Times. “Everything was done in the most legitimate way.”
Trump, who described Sapir as a “great friend,” bought 200 televisions from his electronics company. In 2007, he hosted the wedding of Sapir’s daughter at Mar-a-Lago, and later attended her infant son’s bris.
Sapir also introduced Trump to Tevfik Arif, his partner in the Trump SoHo deal. On paper, at least, Arif was another heartwarming immigrant success story. He had graduated from the Moscow Institute of Trade and Economics and worked as a Soviet trade and commerce official for 17 years before moving to New York and founding Bayrock. Practically overnight, Arif became a wildly successful developer in Brooklyn. In 2002, after meeting Trump, he moved Bayrock’s offices to Trump Tower, where he and his staff of Russian émigrés set up shop on the twenty-fourth floor.
Trump worked closely with Bayrock on real estate ventures in Russia, Ukraine, and Poland. “Bayrock knew the investors,” he later testified. Arif “brought the people up from Moscow to meet with me.” He boasted about the deal he was getting: Arif was offering him a 20 to 25 percent cut on his overseas projects, he said, not to mention management fees. “It was almost like mass production of a car,” Trump testified.
But Bayrock and its deals quickly became mired in controversy. Forbes and other publications reportedthat the company was financed by a notoriously corrupt group of oligarchs known as The Trio. In 2010, Arif was arrested by Turkish prosecutors and charged with setting up a prostitution ring after he was found aboard a boat—chartered by one of The Trio—with nine young women, two of whom were 16 years old. The women reportedly refused to talk, and Arif was acquitted. According to a lawsuit filed that same year by two former Bayrock executives, Arif started the firm “backed by oligarchs and money they stole from the Russian people.” In addition, the suit alleges, Bayrock “was substantially and covertly mob-owned and operated.” The company’s real purpose, the executives claim, was to develop hugely expensive properties bearing the Trump brand—and then use the projects to launder money and evade taxes.
The lawsuit, which is ongoing, does not claim that Trump was complicit in the alleged scam. Bayrock dismissed the allegations as “legal conclusions to which no response is required.” But last year, after examining title deeds, bank records, and court documents, the Financial Times concluded that Trump SoHo had “multiple ties to an alleged international money-laundering network.” In one case, the paper reported, a former Kazakh energy minister is being sued in federal court for conspiring to “systematically loot hundreds of millions of dollars of public assets” and then purchasing three condos in Trump SoHo to launder his “ill-gotten funds.”
During his collaboration with Bayrock, Trump also became close to the man who ran the firm’s daily operations—a twice-convicted felon with family ties to Semion Mogilevich. In 1974, when he was eight years old, Felix Sater and his family emigrated from Moscow to Brighton Beach. According to the FBI, his father—who was convicted for extorting local restaurants, grocery stores, and a medical clinic—was a Mogilevich boss. Sater tried making it as a stockbroker, but his career came to an abrupt end in 1991, after he stabbed a Wall Street foe in the face with a broken margarita glass during a bar fight, opening wounds that required 110 stitches. (Years later, in a deposition, Trump downplayed the incident, insisting that Sater “got into a barroom fight, which a lot of people do.”) Sater lost his trading license over the attack, and served a year in prison.
In 1998, Sater pleaded guilty to racketeering—operating a “pump and dump” stock fraud in partnership with alleged Russian mobsters that bilked investors of at least $40 million. To avoid prison time, Sater turned informer. But according to the lawsuit against Bayrock, he also resumed “his old tricks.” By 2003, the suit alleges, Sater controlled the majority of Bayrock’s shares—and proceeded to use the firm to launder hundreds of millions of dollars, while skimming and extorting millions more. The suit also claims that Sater committed fraud by concealing his racketeering conviction from banks that invested hundreds of millions in Bayrock, and that he threatened “to kill anyone at the firm he thought knew of the crimes committed there and might report it.” In court, Bayrock has denied the allegations, which Sater’s attorney characterizes as “false, fabricated, and pure garbage.”
By Sater’s account, in sworn testimony, he was very tight with Trump. He flew to Colorado with him, accompanied Donald Jr. and Ivanka on a trip to Moscow at Trump’s invitation, and met with Trump’s inner circle “constantly.” In Trump Tower, he often dropped by Trump’s office to pitch business ideas—“just me and him.”
Trump seems unable to recall any of this. “Felix Sater, boy, I have to even think about it,” he told the Associated Press in 2015. Two years earlier, testifying in a video deposition, Trump took the same line. If Sater “were sitting in the room right now,” he swore under oath, “I really wouldn’t know what he looked like.” He added: “I don’t know him very well, but I don’t think he was connected to the mafia.”
Trump and his lawyers say that he was unaware of Sater’s criminal past when he signed on to do business with Bayrock. That’s plausible, since Sater’s plea deal in the stock fraud was kept secret because of his role as an informant. But even after The New York Times revealed Sater’s criminal record in 2007, he continued to use office space provided by the Trump Organization. In 2010, he was even given an official Trump Organization business card that read: FELIX H. SATER, SENIOR ADVISOR TO DONALD TRUMP.
In 2013, police burst into Unit 63A of Trump Tower and rounded up 29 suspects in a $100 million money-laundering scheme.
Sater apparently remains close to Trump’s inner circle. Earlier this year, one week before National Security Advisor Michael Flynn was fired for failing to report meetings with Russian officials, Trump’s personal attorney reportedly hand-delivered to Flynn’s office a “back-channel plan” for lifting sanctions on Russia. The co-author of the plan, according to the Times: Felix Sater.
In the end, Trump’s deals with Bayrock, like so much of his business empire, proved to be more glitter than gold. The international projects in Russia and Poland never materialized. A Trump tower being built in Fort Lauderdale ran out of money before it was completed, leaving behind a massive concrete shell. Trump SoHo ultimately had to be foreclosed and resold. But his Russian investors had left Trump with a high-profile property he could leverage. The new owners contracted with Trump to run the tower; as of April, the president and his daughter Ivanka were still listed as managers of the property. In 2015, according to the federal financial disclosure reports, Trump made $3 million from Trump SoHo.
In April 2013, a little more than two years before Trump rode the escalator to the ground floor of Trump Tower to kick off his presidential campaign, police burst into Unit 63A of the high-rise and rounded up 29 suspects in two gambling rings. The operation, which prosecutors called “the world’s largest sports book,” was run out of condos in Trump Tower—including the entire fifty-first floor of the building. In addition, unit 63A—a condo directly below one owned by Trump—served as the headquarters for a “sophisticated money-laundering scheme” that moved an estimated $100 million out of the former Soviet Union, through shell companies in Cyprus, and into investments in the United States. The entire operation, prosecutors say, was working under the protection of Alimzhan Tokhtakhounov, whom the FBI identified as a top Russian vor closely allied with Semion Mogilevich. In a single two-month stretch, according to the federal indictment, the money launderers paid Tokhtakhounov $10 million.
Tokhtakhounov, who had been indicted a decade earlier for conspiring to fix the ice-skating competition at the 2002 Winter Olympics, was the only suspect to elude arrest. For the next seven months, the Russian crime boss fell off the radar of Interpol, which had issued a red alert. Then, in November 2013, he suddenly appeared live on international television—sitting in the audience at the Miss Universe pageant in Moscow. Tokhtakhounov was in the VIP section, just a few seats away from the pageant owner, Donald Trump.
After the pageant, Trump bragged about all the powerful Russians who had turned out that night, just to see him. “Almost all of the oligarchs were in the room,” he told Real Estate Weekly. Contacted by Mother Jones, Tokhtakhounov insisted that he had bought his own ticket and was not a VIP. He also denied being a mobster, telling The New York Times that he had been indicted in the gambling ring because FBI agents “misinterpreted his Russian slang” on their Trump Tower wiretaps, when he was merely placing $20,000 bets on soccer games.
Both the White House and the Trump Organization declined to respond to questions for this story. On the few occasions he has been questioned about his business entanglements with Russians, however, Trump has offered broad denials. “I tweeted out that I have no dealings with Russia,” he said at a press conference in January, when asked if Russia has any “leverage” over him, financial or otherwise. “I have no deals that could happen in Russia, because we’ve stayed away. And I have no loans with Russia. I have no loans with Russia at all.” In May, when he was interviewed by NBC’s Lester Holt, Trump seemed hard-pressed to think of a single connection he had with Russia. “I have had dealings over the years where I sold a house to a very wealthy Russian many years ago,” he said. “I had the Miss Universe pageant—which I owned for quite a while—I had it in Moscow a long time ago. But other than that, I have nothing to do with Russia.”
But even if Trump has no memory of the many deals that he and his business made with Russian investors, he certainly did not “stay away” from Russia. For decades, he and his organization have aggressively promoted his business there, seeking to entice investors and buyers for some of his most high-profile developments. Whether Trump knew it or not, Russian mobsters and corrupt oligarchs used his properties not only to launder vast sums of money from extortion, drugs, gambling, and racketeering, but even as a base of operations for their criminal activities. In the process, they propped up Trump’s business and enabled him to reinvent his image. Without the Russian mafia, it is fair to say, Donald Trump would not be president of the United States.
Semion Mogilevich, the Russian mob’s “boss of bosses,” also declined to respond to questions from the New Republic. “My ideas are not important to anybody,” Mogilevich said in a statement provided by his attorney. “Whatever I know, I am a private person.” Mogilevich, the attorney added, “has nothing to do with President Trump. He doesn’t believe that anybody associated with him lives in Trump Tower. He has no ties to America or American citizens.”
Back in 1999, the year before Trump staged his first run for president, Mogilevich gave a rare interview to the BBC. Living up to his reputation for cleverness, the mafia boss mostly joked and double-spoke his way around his criminal activities. (Q: “Why did you set up companies in the Channel Islands?” A: “The problem was that I didn’t know any other islands. When they taught us geography at school, I was sick that day.”) But when the exasperated interviewer asked, “Do you believe there is any Russian organized crime?” the “brainy don” turned half-serious.
“How can you say that there is a Russian mafia in America?” he demanded. “The word mafia, as far as I understand the word, means a criminal group that is connected with the political organs, the police and the administration. I don’t know of a single Russian in the U.S. Senate, a single Russian in the U.S. Congress, a single Russian in the U.S. government. Where are the connections with the Russians? How can there be a Russian mafia in America? Where are their connections?”
Two decades later, we finally have an answer to Mogilevich’s question.
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Amid all the controversy over Russian hacking, interference and propaganda efforts in the United States and Europe, there’s a growing concern among national security leaders that not enough is being done to stop the efforts. That’s why a large group of senior figures from both parties is launching a new effort to track and ultimately counter Russian political meddling, cyber-mischief and fake news.
The roster of figures who have signed onto the new project, called the Alliance for Securing Democracy, is a who’s who of former senior national security officials from both parties. The advisory council includes former Homeland Security secretary Michael Chertoff; former acting CIA director Michael Morell; former House Intelligence Committee chairman Mike Rogers; Adm. James Stavridis, former NATO supreme Allied commander, Europe; John Podesta, former chairman of Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign; Jake Sullivan, former national security adviser to Joe Biden; and former Estonian president Toomas Hendrik Ilves.
The project will be housed at the German Marshall Fund (GMF) and will be run day to day by a staff led by Laura Rosenberger, a former senior State Department official in the Obama administration, and Jamie Fly, former national security counselor to Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla.
“This threat to our democracy is a national security issue. Russia is waging a war on us. They are using different kinds of weapons than we are used to in a war,” Rosenberger said. “We need to do a much better job understanding the tools the Russians are using and that others could use in the future to undermine democratic institutions and we need to work closer with our European allies who also are subjected to this threat.”
The idea is to create a platform and repository of information about Russian political influence activities in the United States and Europe that can be the basis for cooperation and a resource for analysts on both sides of the Atlantic to push back against Russian meddling.
The project aims to be able to eventually map out Russian disinformation on social networks, cyber-efforts, financial flows, broader state-level cooperation and even Russian government support for far-left or far-right parties in other countries.
“In a perfect world, we would have a national commission that would be looking into exactly what happened, exactly what did the Russians do and what can we do as a nation to defend ourselves going forward and deter Putin from ever doing this again,” Morell told me. “We all know this is not going to happen, so things like the GMF effort are hugely important to fill the gap.”
One of the first outputs, coming soon, is going to be an online digital dashboard that will allow for tracking of Russian disinformation through fake news stories as well as narratives being pushed by Russian-sponsored social media figures. The project will attempt to map how Russian government-promoted information is spread though the American and European media landscapes.
“The Russians are playing in a broader scope of issues here than just the election,” Morell said. “I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that the Russians are trying to divide us on issues from gay rights to race.”
The goal of the project is not to re-litigate the 2016 presidential election or to investigate the issue of whether the Trump campaign either colluded or was used by Russia as part of its interference campaign. The premise is that the Russian interference is ongoing and that not enough is being done to understand and ultimately counter it.
“It’s time for people who care about this issue to drop the partisanship and come together on this,” said Chertoff. “The closer we get to 2018 and we don’t see a huge amount of activity to get prepared, the more dire this is.”
The project also doesn’t want to overlap with the various investigations ongoing by the FBI and several congressional committees. But the premise is that more research can actually spur more U.S. government and congressional action to increase awareness, deterrence and resilience in the face of ongoing Russian efforts.
“Part of the problem is the administration hasn’t been presented yet with a set of recommendations about how to confront this problem,” said Fly. “The jury is still out on whether this administration will be willing to do the things necessary to secure our democracy.”
Josh Rogin is a columnist for the Global Opinions section of The Washington Post. He writes about foreign policy and national security.
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After months of speculation about the relationship between President Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign and Vladimir Putin’s Kremlin, hard evidence has at last emerged which is deeply damaging to the White House. This represents a turning point in the ever-more-complex saga of what I’ve termed KremlinGate, and how the Trump White House handles the revelation will determine its future—if it even has one.
This comes on the heels of the president’s sidebar one-on-one meeting with his Russian counterpart last weekend at the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany. Despite the fact that—as I recently noted—a meeting with the Kremlin leader (when the U.S. Intelligence Community says his spy services helped elect Trump last year) would seem to be the very last thing any sensible administration would want, Trump went ahead with it.
The meeting itself was awkwardly long, and afterwards neither side could agree on what was said. At a minimum, Trump allowed Putin to appear as his equal (and perhaps more, to examine the body language on display) and proceeded to go along with the Kremlin line that Russian intelligence played no nefarious role in keeping Hillary Clinton from the White House. That is dismissed as blatant deception by our spy agencies, yet appears to be accepted by Trump and his minions, extensive intelligence evidence to the contrary.
To make matters worse, once he was home, Trump fired off numerous combative tweets about his relationship with Putin, including the stunning idea that he and the Kremlin boss had discussed setting up a joint cybersecurity unit with Moscow to ensure the integrity of future elections. This, simply put, was the most shocking policy suggestion uttered by any American president in my lifetime—and quite possibly ever.
To get this straight: Trump wanted to share American cyber-secrets with the country whose spy services illegally and clandestinely helped put him in the White House, and which continue to cyber-pillage our government and economy right now, in real time.
Needless to add, this suggestion—which was quickly compared to establishing a joint counterterrorism unit with the Islamic State—was met with outrage and ridicule, including from prominent Republicans. As a result, the president backed off on Twitter once it became evident he had mishandled the matter. Nevertheless, the proposed joint cybersecurity initiative with Moscow stands as a telling example of the fact that Trump either has no idea that Russia represents a serious threat to our national security—or he simply doesn’t care.
Subsequent Twitter admissions from the president add to such questions. Trump admitted that he had discussed the ongoing (highly classified) counterintelligence investigation of Russia’s 2016 hacking of the Democrats with Putin and his entourage—who are the very subjects of that investigation. At this point, Trump is either broadcasting his once-secret relationship with the Kremlin or he may not be in his right mind. It’s difficult to find a third possibility to explain such unprecedentedly bizarre behavior by America’s commander-in-chief.
As if all this weren’t enough, The New York Times then broke the story that, on June 9, 2016, shortly after the president had clinched the Republican nomination for the presidency, Donald Trump, Jr. and other key members of Trump’s inner circle met in New York City with a prominent Kremlin-connected Russian lawyer, ostensibly to discuss adoptions!
This flies in the face of repeated denials from the president and his inner circle—to include Don Jr.—that they had contact with Russians during last year’s campaign. It’s difficult to imagine that, at the height of said campaign, key members of Team Trump had time to chat about adoptions. It’s even more difficult to imagine that’s what they really discussed.
The lawyer in question, Nataliya Veselnitskaya, has an unsavory reputation for her links to Putin, particularly regarding efforts to get Western sanctions lifted off the ailing Russian economy. Her ties to Moscow’s spy services are hardly a secret either, per the observation of Bill Browder, one of the top Western whistleblowers about the official crime and corruption which underpin Putinism: “There’s no mystery about her background,” he stated about Veselnitskaya, adding, “I’d be surprised that anyone who had done due diligence would have agreed to meet her, considering her sketchy CV.”
Now, Veselnitskaya has ritually denied her Kremlin connections, as is de rigueur among Putin’s friends and associates. “Never believe anything until the Kremlin denies it” is a venerable old wag among Russia-watchers with good reason. However, what’s far more important is the revelation that Don Jr. and company wanted to meet with her precisely because they knew of her official ties in Moscow.
A follow-on report by the Times, which can be fairly termed a bombshell, makes clear that Team Trump sought to parley with Veselnitskaya because they believed she had incriminating information about Hillary’s Clinton’s ties to the Kremlin. They wanted what the Russian call kompromat on the Democrats—precisely what Russian hackers were in the process of stealing. It’s not difficult to imagine why Team Trump, which was grappling with its own allegations of unsavory ties to Putin, would want to counter those with information showing that Team Hillary, too, was in bed with the Kremlin.
However, Veselnitskaya reportedly brought no such gifts to the meeting, and the president’s firstborn was disappointed about the lack of kompromat after he had expressed his “love” for potentially damaging information about Hillary, according to the Times.
Now, in a truly shocking turn of events, Don Jr. has released several emails via Twitter about the background of that June 9, 2016 meeting. He did so after the Times, which had them already, asked for his comments. In the email chain, Don Jr. makes his position indelibly clear on the meeting proposed by Rob Goldstone, a shady publicist with Kremlin clients, who said the get-together was part of “Russia and its government’s support for Mr. Trump.”
Goldstone promised that the “Russian government attorney”—that’s Veselnitskaya—would deliver “very high level and sensitive information” from Russian prosecutors, including “some official documents and information that would incriminate Hillary and her dealings with Russia.” To anybody sentient, that’s a promise of intelligence information about Hillary from Russian spy agencies, to be delivered through a trusted Kremlin intermediary.
There have been no denials from the Trump camp of the veracity of this account—after all, Don Jr. is the source of these emails. However, White House spokespeople are already explaining that “everybody does it” and, really, it’s no big deal to talk to Russians anyway. Besides, they note, no secret information changed hands: Veselnitskaya didn’t deliver the promised goods.
But the meeting—which was knowingly arranged with a representative of Putin’s government—may have violated a raft of Federal laws, which makes Don Jr.’s public admission of his culpability so stunning. Moreover, that no kompromat was traded makes little difference here. You don’t have to commit the crime to get arrested for it; planning and attempting to do so can be enough to get arrested—as any viewer of NBC’s popular reality show To Catch a Predator knows.
What happens next is anybody’s guess. Congress is already making noise about getting Don Jr. to testify about his now-infamous meeting. It’s telling that the president, who loves to taunt enemies with his tweets, so far has been silent on Twitter about his son’s growing legal problem. Trump’s silence here appears highly revealing, and is perhaps an indication of the panic which has descended on the White House in recent days.
A siege mentality has set in on the West Wing, according to press reports, and nobody is eager to take the fall for Don Jr., who is disliked by most White House staffers, who view him as a dangerous buffoon. It’s difficult to spin the debacle he created here as anything but utterly disastrous for the Trump administration.
The key question lingering, of course, is: What did the president know and when did he know it?—to cite the legendary Watergate line. If Trump was aware of the June 9, 2016 meeting, he too may be in grave legal jeopardy.
Regardless, months of lies from Team Trump, their repeated, flat-out denials of any links to Moscow, have been exploded by Don Jr.’s public admission. In the middle of last year’s campaign, members of the president’s inner circle wanted Moscow’s kompromat on Hillary Clinton, a fact which amounts to witting collusion with hostile foreign intelligence.
This is a game-changer for the KremlinGate inquiry and, while it’s not the beginning of the end by any means—this is such a complex case that it will likely take Special Counsel Bob Mueller and his platoons of seasoned investigators years to unravel it all—it appears to be, as Winston Churchill famously said of British victory at El Alamein in the fall of 1942, the end of the beginning.
John Schindler is a security expert and former National Security Agency analyst and counterintelligence officer. A specialist in espionage and terrorism, he’s also been a Navy officer and a War College professor. He’s published four books and is on Twitter at @20committee.
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Americans once had a shared commitment to the traditional liberal democratic values: individual liberties, human rights, tolerance of dissent, free and fair elections, a free press, due process and separation of powers.
Or more concisely: liberty and justice for all.
Slowly but surely, we have been abandoning these shared values and drifting toward authoritarianism and mob rule.
Who’s leading the charge (left or right) depends on where you sit. Both sides claim to be the true champions of liberal democracy, yet neither seems particularly intent on safeguarding it when doing so hurts their team.
Last week, for example, an NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll found striking levels of hostility toward political and civil freedoms among Republicans:
A quarter of Republicans believe the country has gone too far in expanding the right to vote.
Worse, 4 in 10 believe the United States has too greatly expanded freedom of the press.
The same share also says that the “right to protest or criticize the government” has gotten out of hand.
This is astonishing coming from a party whose entire raison d’être for eight years was to protest and criticize the White House.
The shares of Democrats agreeing that these rights (to vote, to a free press, to criticize the government) are too expansive were relatively tiny (5, 11 and 7 percent, respectively).
This partisan gulf is not some one-off result.
In February, a Pew Research Center survey found large gaps between Democrats and Republicans on civil and political liberties. Three-quarters of Democrats said that the freedom of news organizations to criticize political leaders is important for maintaining a strong democracy. Slightly less than half of Republicans agreed. Is anyone on the right actually reading those pocket Constitutions they’ve made into such a trendy fashion accessory?
In other surveys over recent years, conservatives have been more supportive of book-banning and other forms of censorship. At the state level, conservatives have used government power to gag speech and ideas they consider offensive, and even to mandate speech they deem politically pleasing (by requiring doctors to spout junk science about abortions, for instance).
Conservatives who’ve read this far will surely point out that plenty of lefties flaunt their own illiberal tendencies. As I’ve written before, long-term surveys of college freshmen indicate rising intolerance of controversial speech. More anecdotally, the past few years have provided lots of vivid examples of pitchfork-wielding lefty students and cowardly administrators shutting down speech with which they disagree. This has led to demands for resignations and, sometimes, threats of violence.
Now of course there are also equally vivid examples of pitchfork-wielding right-wing mobs, inflamed by Fox News and other conservative news organizations, attempting to shut down speech by left-leaning academics. With little sense of irony, these mobs descend on liberals with demands for resignations and, sometimes, threats of violence — often in the name of protecting free debate.
So the question is, what’s changed? What or whom should we blame for this deteriorating commitment to dissent and other liberal values, whether on campuses or in statehouses?
To some extent, Americans — like citizens of other Western democracies experiencing similar backlashes — are actively rejecting democratic institutions and norms they believe failed them. The financial crisis and, before that, stagnating living standards left Americans angry, disillusioned and ready to burn it all down — with the “it” in this case including some of our shared values.
There’s another obvious villain in this story, though: our increasingly corrosive and tribalist partisanship.
“This just shows the degree to which partisan identity and loyalty to a political leader go deeper than a commitment to any particular values,” Yascha Mounk, a lecturer at Harvard University, argued last week by phone when I asked him about the Marist findings.
He notes that confidence in Russia’s authoritarian president, Vladimir Putin, has doubled among Republicans since 2015, while declining slightly among Democrats. This is probably not so much due to any actual familiarity with Putin’s murderous quashing of dissent as a perception that he’s on the (Republican) president’s team. The same perception may motivate Republicans’ rising antipathy toward a free press.
Maybe Americans are not exactly hostile toward liberal democratic ideals, so much as indifferent. In today’s partisan climate, that’s just as dangerous.
Catherine Rampell: Polls reveal party matters more than civil rights
He notes that confidence in Russia’s authoritarian president, Vladimir Putin, has doubled among Republicans since 2015, while declining slightly among Democrats. This is probably not so much due to any actual familiarity with Putin’s murderous quashing …
Putin and the Mob – Google News
This isn’t Watergate. This isn’t treason. And there’s still no smoking gun.
Please remember that a year ago we were expected to believe that Donald Trump had committed treason by begging theRussian government to hack Hillary Clinton’s emails live on cable television, before an audience of millions. We all know that this is …and more »
trump russia treason – Google News
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NYT > Home Page: Donald Trump Jr., Christopher Wray, Major League Baseball: Your Wednesday Briefingby CHRIS STANFORD
Wednesday July 12th, 2017 at 7:36 AM
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A sea of police officers stood outside the church in the Bronx where the funeral for Officer Miosotis Familia was held on Tuesday.
Donald Trump: U.S. Set To Reach Trump’s Desired Refugee Cap As Revised Travel Ban Goes Into Effect
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About 50,000 refugees have been resettled. Not many more are likely to make it in.
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Trump-Russia investigators probe Jared Kushner-run digital operation
Federal investigators looking for evidence of collusion between Donald Trumps presidential campaign and Russia are highly skeptical that Kremlin cyber operatives could have independently known which election jurisdictions to bombard with fake news damaging to Democrat Hillary Clinton. One focus of
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Investigators at the House and Senate Intelligence committees and the Justice Department are examining whether the Trump campaign’s digital operation – overseen by Jared Kushner – helped guide Russia’s sophisticated voter targeting and fake news attacks on Hillary Clinton in 2016.
Congressional and Justice Department investigators are focusing on whether Trump’s campaign pointed Russian cyber operatives to certain voting jurisdictions in key states – areas where Trump’s digital team and Republican operatives were spotting unexpected weakness in voter support for Hillary Clinton, according to several people familiar with the parallel inquiries.
Also under scrutiny is the question of whether Trump associates or campaign aides had any role in assisting the Russians in publicly releasing thousands of emails, hacked from the accounts of top Democrats, at turning points in the presidential race, mainly through the London-based transparency web site WikiLeaks.
Rep. Adam Schiff of California, ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, told McClatchy he wants to know whether Russia’s “fake or damaging news stories” were “coordinated in any way in terms of targeting or in terms of timing or in terms of any other measure … with the (Trump) campaign.”
By Election Day, an automated Kremlin cyberattack of unprecedented scale and sophistication had delivered critical and phony news about the Democratic presidential nominee to the Twitter and Facebook accounts of millions of voters. Some investigators suspect the Russians targeted voters in swing states, even in key precincts.
Russia’s operation used computer commands knowns as “bots” to collect and dramatically heighten the reach of negative or fabricated news about Clinton, including a story in the final days of the campaign accusing her of running a pedophile ring at a Washington pizzeria.
One source familiar with Justice’s criminal probe said investigators doubt Russian operatives controlling the so-called robotic cyber commands that fetched and distributed fake news stories could have independently “known where to specifically target … to which high-impact states and districts in those states.”
All of the sources spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation, led by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, is confidential.
Top Democrats on the committees investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election have signaled the same.
Schiff said he wants the House panel to determine whether Trump aides helped Russia time its cyberattacks or target certain voters and whether there was “any exchange of information, any financial support funneled to organizations that were doing this kind of work.”
Trump son-in-law Kushner, now a senior adviser to the president and the only current White House aide known to be deemed a “person of interest” in the Justice Department investigation, appears to be under the microscope in several respects. His real estate finances and December meetings with Russia’s ambassador and the head of a sanctioned, state-controlled bank are also being examined.
Kushner’s “role as a possible cut-out or conduit for Moscow’s influence operations in the elections,” including his niche overseeing the digital operations, will be closely looked at, said the source knowledgeable about the Justice Department inquiry.
Kushner joined Donald Trump Jr. and Trump campaign Chairman Paul Manafort at a newly disclosed June 2016 meeting with a Russian lawyer at Trump Tower in New York.. The meeting, revealed by The New York Times, followed emails in which Trump Jr. was told the lawyer for the Russian government would provide him with incriminating information on Clinton and he replied “If it’s what you say I love it.”
That disclosure could only serve to heighten interest in whether there was digital collaboration.
Mike Carpenter, who in January left a senior Pentagon post where he worked on Russia matters, also has suspicions about collaboration between the campaign and Russia’s cyber operatives.
“There appears to have been significant cooperation between Russia’s online propaganda machine and individuals in the United States who were knowledgeable about where to target the disinformation,” he said, without naming any American suspects.
Trump has repeatedly repudiated or equivocated about the finding of four key intelligence agencies – the FBI, CIA, National Security Agency and the Directorate of National Intelligence – that Russian cyber operatives meddled with the U.S. election.
Last Friday, during their first face-to-face meeting, Trump questioned Putin about Russia’s role in the election meddling and Putin denied culpability, said Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who was present. Trump then said the two countries should find ways to move forward in their relationship, Tillerson said.
A Russian official who was at the meeting said the two sides agreed to form a working group to address cybersecurity, including interference in other countries’ internal affairs. However, Trump backtracked Sunday night, saying in a tweet that he doesn’t believe such an effort can happen.
There appears to have been significant cooperation between Russia’s online propaganda machine and individuals in the United States who were knowledgeable about where to target the disinformation.
Mike Carpenter, former senior Pentagon official who specialized on Russia matters
As more has been learned about the breadth of the Russian cyber onslaught, congressional Democrats have shown growing resolve to demand that the Republican-controlled intelligence committees fully investigate ways in which Trump associates may have conspired with the Russians.
Among other things, congressional investigators are looking into whether Russian operatives, who successfully penetrated voting registration systems in Illinois, Arizona and possibly other states, shared any of that data with the Trump campaign, according to a report in Time.
“I get the fact that the Russian intel services could figure out how to manipulate and use the bots,” Virginia Sen. Mark Warner told Pod Save America recently. “Whether they could know how to target states and levels of voters that the Democrats weren’t even aware (of) really raises some questions … How did they know to go to that level of detail in those kinds of jurisdictions?”
The Russians appear to have targeted women and African-Americans in two of the three decisive states, Wisconsin and Michigan, “where the Democrats were too brain dead to realize those states were even in play,” Warner said.
Twitter’s and Facebook’s search engines in those states were overwhelmed, he said, meaning they couldn’t discern fake news from real news.
“On your news feed, you suddenly got … ‘Hillary Clinton’s sick’ or ‘Hillary Clinton’s stealing money from the State Department,’” said Warner.
It started even before Trump locked up the nomination. Throughout the Republican primary elections in early 2016, Russia sent armies of bots carrying pro-Trump messages and deployed human “trolls” to comment in his favor on Internet stories and in social media, former FBI special agent Clint Watts told Congress weeks ago.
Watts, now a cybersecurity specialist with the Foreign Policy Research Institute, said the targets included former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham.
As Donald Trump was locking up the Republican presidential nomination in May 2016, a U.S. intelligence intercept picked up Russians discussing ways to spread news damaging to Clinton, two people familiar with the matter said.
No one has proved that Russia’s attack influenced the vote count in the Nov. 8 general election., but it wouldn’t have taken much to tip the results and change the course of history.
Clinton lost the decisive states of Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania by a combined 77,744 votes out of 13.9 million ballots cast. She could have won Michigan if 5,353 Trump voters had gone for her instead, Wisconsin if 11,375 votes had flipped to her and Pennsylvania if 22,147 Trump voters had instead picked her.
Kushner’s pivotal role in the Trump cyber effort was underscored by his hiring in 2015 of Brad Parscale, a Texas-based digital guru who previously had done work for the Trump Organization, said two GOP operatives familiar with the campaign.
Parscale’s company raked in about $90 million for work targeting many states with paid advertisements, social media messages and other cyber tools.
As the Trump campaign’s top digital director, Parscale ran much of the operation from his San Antonio offices. He is expected to appear before at least one of several congressional committees investigating aspects of Russia’s interference in the election.
Parscale could not be reached for comment.
CNN quoted him last month as dismissing suggestions that Russian-directed online bots would have been effective in swinging votes to Trump. He said the campaign did not find Twitter — where those bots mainly functioned – to be an effective tool.
Washington attorney Abbe Lowell, who was recently hired to be Kushner’s chief defense counsel and has “a reputation as a guy you hire if you’re going to do battle with the government,” according to one former federal prosecutor, declined to comment on the Russia inquiries facing Kushner.
Shortly after his name arose in the inquiry, Kushner publicly volunteered to tell Congress about his Russia contacts and to answer questions about all issues for which he’s being scrutinized. Another of Kushner’s lawyers, Jamie Gorelick, says he will cooperate with both congressional and Justice Department investigations.
However, no interview date has been set, and Kushner’s attorneys decline to say whether he has produced records sought by the Senate Intelligence Committee.
Update: This story has been updated to clarify that some investigators suspect Russia targeted voters in swing states and even key precincts.
Peter Stone is a McClatchy special correspondent.
The web connecting the Trump administration to Russia 5:18
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Natalie Fertig and Patrick GleasonMcClatchy
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Also under scrutiny is the question of whether Trump associates or campaign aides had any role in assisting the Russians in publicly releasing thousands of emails, hacked from the accounts of top Democrats, at turning points in the presidential race, mainly through the London-based transparency web site WikiLeaks, .
The Russians targeted women and African-Americans in two of the three decisive states, Wisconsin and Michigan, “where the Democrats were too brain dead to realize those states were even in play,” Warner said.
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U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents received a slithery surprise when they checked a mail container at Kennedy International Airport. The agency said Tuesday that officials seized five live king cobras and three geckos during an inspection at the airport mail facility on June 29. Agents first discovered the dangerous contents of the package in an X-ray scan. The reptiles were sent in a container from Hong Kong. The agency’s New York Field Operations Office said the seizure shows the wide-ranging responsibility of the agency. The reptiles have been sent to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. King cobras are the world’s largest venomous snakes, growing up to nearly 19 feet. (5.8 meters)
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, and their rage subsides, but not earlier, methinks. Not until his mission is accomplished. Such is this strange and weird political cycle.
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Leflore Mississippi military plane crash might be a follow-up on police officer Miosotis Familias assassination: https://t.co/Lj3VAimh2H…
My Opinion By Michael Novakhov Trump And The Obamas Legacy By Michael Novakhov Trump is the Obamas biggest and the most important legacy. The American people will be ready to fire Trump after he completes his mission of de-Obamafication, and their rage subsides, but not earlier, methinks. Not un…
Leflore Mississippi military plane crash might be a follow-up on police officer Miosotis Familias assassination: webworldtimes.com…
Posted by mikenov on Tuesday, July 11th, 2017 3:48pm
FBI is incompetent and inefficient, unable to deal with terrorism, subversion, attacks on police and military. Save America, Reform FBI now!
The Associated Press: 16 killed in fiery Marine plane crash in rural Mississippi.
16 killed in fiery Marine plane crash in rural Mississippi
Associated Press historical news archive articles dating back to 1985
The Associated Press: 16 killed in fiery Marine plane crash in rural Mississippi. google.com/newsstand/s/CB
Rebels claim to have shot down Assad warplane near ceasefire zone
The Ahmad al-Abdo Force operating in Syrias southeast said it shot down the plane in regime controlled territory.
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Potential Adjustment of Status Options After the Termination of TPS
By: Cyrus D. Mehta, ABIL Lawyer
As President Trump restricts immigration, it is incumbent upon immigration lawyers to assist their clients with creative solutions available under law. The most recent example of Trump’s attack on immigration is the cancellation of Temporary Protected Status for more than 200,000 Salvadorans. David Isaacson’s What Comes Next: Potential Relief Options After the Termination of TPS comprehensively provides tips on how to represent TPS recipients whose authorization will soon expire with respect to asylum, cancellation or removal and adjustment of status.
I focus specifically on how TPS recipients can potentially adjust their status within the United States through either a family-based I-130 petition or an I-140 employment-based petition for permanent residency. A September 2017 practice advisory from the American Immigration Council points to two decisions from the Ninth and Sixth Circuit, Ramirez v. Brown, 852 F.3d 954 (9th Cir. 2017) and Flores v. USCIS, 718 F.3d 548 (6th Cir. 2013), holding that TPS constitutes an admission for purpose of establishing eligibility for adjustment of status under INA 245(a).
In both these cases, the plaintiffs previously entered the United States without inspection, and then became recipients of TPS grants and subsequently married US citizens. At issue in both those cases was whether they were eligible for adjustment of status under INA 245(a) as beneficiaries of immediate relative I-130 petitions filed by their US citizen spouses. Both the decisions answered this question in the affirmative.
A foreign national who enters the United States without inspection does not qualify for adjustment of status even if married to a US citizen since s/he does not meet the key requirement of INA 245(a), which is to “have been inspected and admitted or paroled into the United States.” However, both Ramirez and Flores held that as a matter of statutory interpretation, Congress intended TPS recipients to be considered “admitted” for purposes of INA 245(a). Thus, even if the foreign national entered without inspection, the grant of TPS constituted an admission thus rendering the TPS recipient eligible for adjustment of status. Of course, the other conditions of INA 245(a) must also be met, which is to be eligible to receive a visa and not be inadmissible as well as have a visa that is immediately available. The disqualifications to adjustment of status in INA 245(c)(2) such as working without authorization, being in unlawful status or failing to maintain lawful status since entry are not applicable to immediate relatives of US citizens, who are spouses, minor children and parents.
The courts in Ramirez and Flores relied on INA 244 (f)(4), which provides:
(f) Benefits and Status During Period of Protected Status – During a period in which an alien is granted temporary protected status under this section-
(4) for purposes of adjustment of status under section 245 and change of status under section 248, the alien shall be considered as being in, and maintaining, lawful status as a nonimmigrant
Both courts read the above phrase, especially “for purposes of adjustment of status under section 245 and change of status under section 248” to be in harmony with being “admitted” for purposes of adjustment of status. As INA 244(f)(4) bestows nonimmigrant status on a TPS recipient, an alien who has obtained nonimmigrant status is deemed to be “admitted.” Thus, at least in places that fall under the jurisdiction of the Sixth and Ninth Circuits, TPS recipients who have been granted nonimmigrant status under INA 244(f)(4) could potentially adjust status to permanent residence as immediate relatives of US citizens.
The next question is whether a TPS recipient can also adjust status to permanent residence if s/he is the beneficiary of an approved I-140 petition under the employment-based first, second, third and fourth preferences. The answer arguably is “yes” provided the applicant resides in a place that falls under the jurisdiction of the Sixth and Ninth Circuits. INA 245(k) will come to their rescue, which applies to the employment-based first to fourth preferences.
A TPS recipient from El Salvador who is concerned that her TPS designation will terminate on September 9, 2019 may wish to request her employ to file a labor certification on her behalf. If the labor certification is approved, after an unsuccessful test of the US labor market for her experience and skills, the employer may file an I-140 petition and potentially a concurrent I-485 adjustment of status application. The EB-2 and EB-3 priority dates for a person born in El Salvador are current in the February 2018 visa bulletin, and likely to remain current over the foreseeable future.
INA 245(k) exempts applicants for adjustment who are otherwise subject to the INA 245(c)(2) bar based on unauthorized employment or for not maintaining lawful status provided they are present in the United States pursuant to a lawful admission and subsequent to such admission have not failed to maintain lawful status or engaged in unauthorized unemployment for more than 180 days. Thus, even if the TPS recipient may have not been in lawful status prior to the grant of TPS, the grant of TPS resulted in the individual being admitted into the US. If this person files within the TPS validity period, 245(k) should allow this person to adjust to permanent residence.
I would posit that this person would be eligible under 245(k) to apply for adjustment of status within 180 days from the expiration of the TPS status. This may well be the case if there is a delay in the processing of the labor certification or if there is a retrogression in the priority date. Although INA 244(f)(4) bestows lawful nonimmigrant status to a current TPS recipient, that grant of nonimmigrant status also previously admitted her into the United States. The fact that she was once admitted through the TPS grant cannot vanish just because she is no longer a TPS recipient, and she ought to be eligible to adjust status under 245(k) so long as she has not stayed in the US greater than 180 days from the termination of TPS designation. Once a person has been admitted, the person is still considered to have been admitted for 245(a) purposes even if the period of stay under TPS expires. I would argue that this should apply to a INA 244(f)(4) implied admission as much as it does to any other kind of admission. If you are necessarily admitted because you have gone from having entered without inspection to being in nonimmigrant status, that does not cease to have been the case because your nonimmigrant status later goes away.
A person who was previously admitted in a nonimmigrant status, but who then fell out of status prior to the grant of TPS, may also arguably be considered admitted once again under 245(k) upon receiving a grant of TPS. One could argue that the TPS is the last admission for 245(k). However, the argument is probably stronger for one who entered without inspection, since traditionally only the granting of status to someone previously not admitted is a new “admission”—going out of status and back in doesn’t have the same tradition of being characterized that way.
Note that 245(k) is only applicable to I-485 applications filed under the employment-based first, second, third and fourth preferences. With respect to family-based preference petitions, USCIS has taken the position that anyone who has ever failed to maintain continuously a lawful status will not be eligible for adjustment of status. Hence, the beneficiary of an I-130 filed by a permanent resident on behalf of his spouse will not be able to adjust status if he was not in status prior to the grant of TPS. The AIC practice advisory cites Figueroa v. Rodriguez, No. CV-16-8218 -PA, 2017 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 128120 (C.D. Cal. Aug. 10, 2017), which held to the contrary that TPS cures the prior lack of status for a family preference beneficiary, but since this is a decision from a district court it has no precedential value and should not be relied upon. Of course, if his spouse becomes a US citizen, then he qualifies as an immediate relative and also eligible to adjust status if admissible despite having not maintained status prior to the TPS grant, or even if the TPS terminates, as immediate relatives are exempt from the 245(c)(2) bar.
Those who do not reside in the Sixth and Ninth Circuit can also adjust by availing of Matter of Arrabelly and Yerrabelly, 25 I&N Dec. 771 (BIA 2012). Under this decision, a departure under advance parole does not trigger the 3 and 10-year unlawful presence bars pursuant to INA 212(a)(9)(B). Thus, a TPS recipient may apply for advance parole, leave the United States and be paroled back into the United States (although beware that under the Trump administration, CBP could deny entry to one with advance parole). The departure would not trigger the unlawful presence bars and the parole would be recognized for purposes of adjusting under INA 245(a) as having been “inspected and admitted or paroled.” Note, though, that the entry into the United States under parole would only render one eligible for adjustment of status as an immediate relative, and not under an approved I-140 preference petition since INA 245(k) only applies to one who has been admitted rather than paroled into the United States. The parole entry would also not help a preference beneficiary under an approved I-130. Although parole could be considered a lawful status (as the INA 245(c)(7) bar only applies to employment-based I-140s that are not subject to the 245(k) exception) for purposes of adjustment of status based on a family preference I-130, the applicant must demonstrate that s/he never previously violated lawful status. Proceeding overseas for consular processing, where filing an adjustment of status application may not be possible, may trigger the 3 and 10-year bars if the TPS recipient previously accrued unlawful presence prior to the grant of TPS. Even if the TPS recipient departs the United States pursuant to a grant of advance parole, it is not clear whether the US Consulate will recognize Matter of Arrabelly and Yerrabelly in situations where the person departs under advance parole but intends to return on an immigrant visa. Thus, those who plan to proceed for consular processing who have accrued the requisite unlawful presence to trigger the 3 and 10-year bars should only proceed if they can obtain a provisional waiver of the bars based on extreme hardship to a qualifying relative.
What is quite certain presently is the ability to adjust status as an immediate relative if the TPS recipient resides within the jurisdiction of the Sixth Circuit (Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and Tennessee) or the Ninth Circuit (California, Arizona, Nevada, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Alaska, Hawaii, Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands). It is also important to note that the Eleventh Circuit in Serrano v. Unites States Attorney General, 655 F.3d 1260 (11th Cir. 2011) held that TPS was not an admission for purposes of adjustment under INA 245(a). As David pointed out in his blog, those who reside outside those two Circuits, except in the Eleventh Circuit, might still be able to pursue adjustment of status on the same theory if they are willing to litigate in federal court following any denials. An applicant can litigate by bringing an action under the Administrative Procedure Act, 5 U.S.C. 701 in federal district court. Alternatively, if the applicant is placed in removal proceedings, s/he can argue these theories before an Immigration Judge, and if unsuccessful to the Board of Immigration Appeals and subsequently in a Court of Appeals. Further details on various litigation strategies may be provided in a subsequent blog. Even if a TPS recipient resides within the jurisdiction of the Sixth or Ninth Circuit, it is not clear whether the USCIS will accept an argument for adjustment of status through an I-140 employment-based petition under INA 245(k). This uncertainty gets exacerbated where the TPS grant has already expired and the I-485 is being filed within 180 days of its final expiration date. Hence, the TPS recipient planning to deploy an adjustment of status strategy under 245(k) must also be prepared to litigate even if residing within the jurisdiction of the Sixth or Ninth Circuit. Under the Trump administration, when immigration benefits have suddenly been curtailed for long time TPS recipients, it may be worth adopting creating adjustment of status strategies, and if USCIS does not accept them, to consider litigating until there is success as was the case in the Ramirez and Flores decisions.
(This blog is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as a substitute for independent legal advice supplied by a lawyer familiar with a client’s case.)
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Immigration D-Day for DACA: Get Protection!
Angelo Paparelli, ABIL Immediate Past President
Nation of Immigrators
[Blogger's note: Tomorrow, August 15, 2012, is perhaps as momentous to DREAMers as D-Day, June 6, 1944, was to The Greatest Generation. The invasion of Normandy marked the end of World War II in Europe and the fall of a tyrannical Nazi regime that made mincemeat of the rule of law. Though the comparison may seem hyperbolic to some, I remember well my first visit to the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington. As a lawyer, I was stunned by Hitler's atrocious perversion of the legal system, the issuance within a half-year after the Nazis' 1933 ascendancy to power of what would become roughly 400 decrees and regulations that "restricted all aspects of the public and private lives" of Jewish citizens.
Conversely, doors that have been legally shut to persons solely by virtue of their status are now to be opened a tad, as Julia Preston of The New York Times notes in today's edition. She reports on the Obama Administration's temporary clemency program, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), which may lead to the grant of employment authorization for youthful entrants to America found worthy of discretionary de-escalation of enforcement by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS):
The work permit young immigrants can receive with the deferral opens many doors that have been firmly shut. They can obtain valid Social Security numbers and apply for driver’s licenses, professional certificates and financial aid for college.
Thus, just like those for whom the Allied invasion of Normandy launched a new life, one transformed from the status of a nonperson to that of a free member of society, DACA stands as a tiny step in the direction of reversing the application of perverse laws. In this case the perversion of laws are found in America's Immigration and Nationality Act, a statute chockablock with befuddling provisions that punish innocent children for the mistakes of their parents.
USCIS has today issued DACA instructions and forms: Form I-821D, Consideration of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, with nine pages of instructions, a Form I-765WS, a worksheet to establish one's economic need for employment, and a Form G-1145, E-Notification of Application/Petition Acceptance, and has published a DACA web page with FAQ along with a warning about "Avoiding Scams and Preventing Fraud." The agency also dove deep into the minutiae of the process in today's telephonic Public Engagement which answered many but by far not all questions. The engagement followed an earlier internal tussle within DHS over the contours and devilish details of the program reflected in a 92-page draft as reported recently by FoxNews.com ("DHS document shows Obama administration wrestling with 'DREAM Act' policy").
When it takes the government almost 100 pages to tussle internally over the fine points of a discretionary policy, the question arises whether a DACA applicant should be represented by legal counsel. Recently, in a YouTube video, two federal lawmakers, Senator Dick Durbin and Representative Luis Gutierrez, usually immigration-reform stalwarts, said a lawyer's help was unnecessary. Curiously, the link now reflects that "[this] video has been removed by the user."
Perhaps the takedown occurred because of a flood of postings that challenged the legislators' suggestion: See, Do DREAMers really need a lawyer? and Dreamers Do Need Lawyers and Obama's immigration changes cause confusion and Do You Need an Attorney to Apply for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)?
My guest columnist, Karin Wolman, agrees that a lawyer's counsel and representation is necessary in DACA cases (as do I). I recall the mess created by the legacy immigration bureaucracy, Immigration and Naturalization Service, when it tried to interpret and implement a comparable change in policy, the 1986 legalization program, a misguided agency effort that spawned decades of litigation. So, DREAMers, don't take a chance. Even if you think your case is straightforward, get good referrals, and talk to a competent lawyer who regularly practices immigration law. Your life as a nonperson will end and your civil rights will be recognized only if you do DACA right.]
Durbin & Gutierrez Put DREAMers at Risk
By Karin Wolman
Senator Dick Durbin and Representative Luis Gutierrez released a video message to the DREAMers on August 6 that is one of the most irresponsible and dangerous public messages from a voice of authority in living memory. It is a deep disgrace that supposed champions and co-sponsors of the DREAM Act would advise young people who are eligible for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, "Do Not Hire a Lawyer." Yet Sen. Durbin said those words, doing a huge disservice to the very vulnerable class of people they are ostensibly trying to help.
These elected representatives perpetuate a dangerous source of confusion between unscrupulous "notarios" who engage in the unauthorized practice of law, and licensed, trained attorneys who are subject to ethical rules and have the ability to advise DREAMers properly on the process and potential consequences of applying for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals.
An experienced immigration lawyer who has carefully reviewed the applicant's background and documents can ensure that DREAMers file applications which will have the best possible chance of success. This is why Senator Durbin's patently false claim that "Virtually everyone will be able to go through this process without a lawyer," is so disturbing. Perhaps he has already forgotten that the Deferred Action application process includes no right of appeal, and permits no motions to reopen. This is a one-shot opportunity. Applicants must get it right on the first try, or else they face a discretionary denial that is final and cannot be reviewed.
Perhaps Sen. Durbin and Rep. Gutierrez have also forgotten that both USCIS and ICE have extremely poor track records with respect to granting any forms of discretionary relief to applicants who are unrepresented by counsel. The memos of June 2011 from ICE Director John Morton authorized broad use of prosecutorial discretion for those already in proceedings who have no criminal convictions, but the rate at which such relief has been granted in immigration courts is less than 2%. Self-represented applicants who misunderstand any of the Deferred Action criteria and thus fail to interpret their own eligibility correctly, or who get the standard right but provide documentation that USCIS regards as insufficient, or who believe that the information they provide will remain confidential, may be placing themselves and their families at risk of deportation. These are some of the key reasons why it is so very important for DREAMers seeking Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals to consult with a knowledgeable immigration attorney or legal service organization, and why the message from Messrs. Durbin & Gutierrez will do real harm.
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The H-1B Process Gets Even Harder: DOL Proposes Dramatic Changes to the LCA Form
by Cora-Ann Pestaina, Associate with ABIL member, Cyrus D. Mehta
I still think longingly of the days when certification of a Labor Condition Application (“LCA”) could be obtained within seconds. Three years ago, the Department of Labor (DOL) mandated that all LCA filings must be filed through its iCERT portal (http://icert.doleta.gov/) and that each application form, also changed to request additional, new information, would be manually reviewed prior to certification. This change increased the official LCA processing time from a few seconds to 7 business days. Human error and other systemic problems at the onset of the change resulted in filings taking three weeks or longer to process which led to late filings on H-1B petitions, a public outcry and US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) temporarily allowing employers to file H-1B petitions without certified LCAs! The new iCERT system forced H-1B employers to change their approach to filing H-1B petitions. The LCA process is about to change again.
As a background, an employer seeking to employ a temporary foreign worker in H-1B, H-1B1 or E-3 nonimmigrant status must, as the first step in the petition process, file an LCA with the DOL and receive certification. The LCA is completed on electronic Form 9035 through the DOL’s iCERT system. The LCA collects information about the occupation and there are special attestation requirements for employers who previously committed willful violations of the law or for employers who are deemed to be H-1B dependent. An employer is permitted to file the LCA no more than six months before the initial date of intended employment.
The DOL now seeks to once again revise the scope of the information collected on the LCA citing, in its LCA supporting statement, a desire to improve its integrity review and ensure the accuracy and completeness of the information. On July 9, 2012, the DOL published a Notice in the Federal Register announcing a 60-day comment period (to end on September 7, 2012) on its proposed changes to the form ETA-9035. In a process that is likely to take several months, the changes must be approved by the federal Office of Management and Budget before they can be implemented.
Changes include requiring more detailed information about the prevailing wage; requiring more detailed information regarding how the employer determined whether it is H-1B dependent and whether the nonimmigrant worker is an exempt employee or if not exempt, specifying the employer’s recruitment efforts to recruit US workers; and requiring the employer to list the address where the employee’s public access file is kept.
Some of the changes are even more significant.
Identification of Intended Beneficiaries
The current LCA does not require any information identifying the intended beneficiaries. The new form will collect information on the nonimmigrant(s) including name, date of birth, country of birth, country of citizenship and current visa status. If a PERM labor certification application was filed on behalf of the intended beneficiary, the PERM application number must be listed.
n its LCA supporting statement, the DOL states that this new information will allow its Wage Hour Division (WHD), which was created with the enactment of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and is responsible for the administration and enforcement of a wide range of laws which collectively cover virtually all private, State and local government employment, to more efficiently gather information during its enforcement activities and to find beneficiaries who may be entitled to back wages after an investigation. The DOL claims that this change will cause little extra burden because employers “generally know who the beneficiaries are before filing the LCA except possibly for the 2.6 percent of employers who file LCA’s for more than 10 employees.” Because iCERT saves much of the information on an LCA which can later be used to fill out other LCAs, the DOL states that it will not be overly burdensome for an employer to complete more than one LCA. The DOL also refers to its “relatively quick turnaround on LCA approval” as another reason why employers do not need to complete one LCA for large numbers of beneficiaries.
The DOL makes some valid points. The majority of employers do not need to complete an LCA for more than 10 workers at a time. iCERT indeed saves most of the information and it may not be overly burdensome to complete multiple LCAs. However, since employers are required to make LCAs available for public inspection, privacy and identity theft concerns are easily justifiable. The DOL ought to address this.
In addition, what the DOL has not addressed is the flexibility that will be lost because employers will no longer be able to use an existing, certified LCA to file a nonimmigrant petition for a new hire. The new identification requirement may be hard on large employers who file numerous H-1B petitions. The current annual cap on the H-1B category is 65,000. Each year, on April 1, USCIS begins accepting cap-subject H-1B petitions for employment to commence in the new fiscal year, on October 1. Employers typically scramble to prepare and file cap-subject H-1B petitions before the cap closes. For large employers, especially those with branches abroad, it is may be difficult to come up with a list, in March or April, as to who will be transferred to the US to work in October. These hiring decisions are ongoing and employers rely on the flexibility of the LCA which allows them to quickly file an H-1B petition using an existing, certified LCA provided it lists the correct information such as visa category, job classification, etc. This way, employers are not always forced to spend 7 business days waiting for the LCA to be certified and watching existing H-1B visa numbers dwindle.
What about that H-1B worker who just received notice from his current employer and has luckily found a new employer willing to file an H-1B on their behalf? How significant would it be if the new employer is able to use an existing, certified LCA and file an H-1B transfer petition before that worker falls out of status? What the DOL describes as a “relatively quick turnaround on LCA approval” can seem interminable in the case of an emergency. The DOL must bear in mind that no matter the emergency, it provides no expedite procedures for the LCA. Flexibility is therefore very important.
Interestingly, the new LCA would require listing the beneficiaries’ PERM application numbers. At this time, the possible acceptable responses to this question are not clear. But, since the PERM application is filed by the employer, a new employer of an H-1B transfer might not have this information. But this requirement suggests that the DOL may begin to cross reference the job opportunities in the nonimmigrant and immigrant cases as well as match the wages in both the cases.
Limiting the LCA to only 10 workers
Currently, a single LCA may be filed for up to hundreds of workers. An employer may use a single LCA to request multiple positions where they are in the same visa category and job classification and are either all part-time or all full-time positions.
The DOL now seeks to limit the number of workers to 10 per LCA explaining that it has found enforcement of LCA obligations difficult when an LCA is for 50 or 100 job opportunities and it would be a significant expenditure to build an electronic form to accept more than 10 names.
The issue, as discussed above, may not be with the limit of 10 names, but with naming requirement itself and the limitations that come from that.
Worksite Identification
The current LCA form requires the employer to identify the place(s) of intended employment. This entails listing the complete address and county where the beneficiary will work. The proposed new LCA will require significant additional detail.
The employer will have to indicate whether the intended worksite is the employer’s business premises; the employer’s private household; the worker’s private residence; or other business premises which type must then be inserted on the form. The employer must state whether the employee placement is at an end client location. If yes, the form then requires the name of the end client.
In its LCA supporting statement, the DOL stated simply that the additional information is needed for “clarification on actual worksite to enable employer to demonstrate regulatory compliance regarding changes in worksite.” This requirement could cause serious problems.
Again, the employer’s flexibility may be taken away. Currently, the employer has the flexibility to send employees to new worksite locations without filing a new LCA provided the new location is in the same area of intended employment listed on the certified LCA. See 20 C.F.R. §655.731(a)(2) which states that the wage on an LCA is valid for the area of intended employment. If each LCA has to list the end client information, will the employer be required to complete a new LCA each time it moves an employee even if it is within the intended area of employment?
Also, in cases where the employer is filing a change of status petition on behalf of the beneficiary or the beneficiary is abroad and will obtain an H-1B visa to enter the US, until the beneficiary is lawfully present in the United States in valid H-1B status and is thereby authorized to accept employment in the United States, the employer cannot hold him out as an employee. See 8 C.F.R § 274a.1(c) and (f). Therefore, the employer may not be able to obtain that end client agreement prior to preparing the LCA.
Business immigration practitioners may already know that cases involving telecommuting and roving employees are currently being given increased scrutiny by the DOL. In light of that, the proposed changes to the LCA form are not surprising and seem to stem from some concern on the part of the DOL, with regard to LCA compliance and the bona fides of the offer of employment. Following the request for end client information on the proposed form is the irrelevant and possibly offending question, “Is this a bona fide job opportunity?” The DOL’s makes no effort to hide its blatant mistrust of the employer who places its employee at an end client site.
In recent times, the US government has taken small steps to attract foreign workers and to show that they are an asset rather than a liability. The changes to the LCA will again add more burdens on the employer by eliminating flexibility. On March 12, 2012, the USCIS issued revised guidance indicating that the failure to obtain an end client letter would not be fatal to an H-1B petition. The DOL is now insisting on exactly that by requiring that the precise worksite be listed on the LCA. We need less regulation rather than more in order for US companies to attract global talent. In addition to the proposed changes to the LCA, there is proposed legislation in the form of HR 3012 (following the compromise between Senators Grassley and Schumer) that will grant the DOL draconian powers in denying LCAs based on undefined indicators of suspected fraud and thus hold up the processing of H-1B petitions. Are the proposed changes to the LCA form taking two steps back?
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Abreu Report Editor Confesses to Fake Birth Certificate Before Agent of Dominican Government Inside Consulate in the Netherlands
A man twice alive © Abreu Report
Our editor Jose Abreu is as of today a guilt-free man who can no longer be blackmailed by the men who helped him get into Yale after he confessed to having a fake birth certificate before an agent of the Dominican government in the Netherlands.
According to Dominican government records, Mr. Abreu was born in Santo Domingo in 1986, but has been living as a man born in 1987 in Villa Altagracia, the city where his grandfather was appointed mayor by former strongman Joaquin Balaguer.
Villa Altagracia is a satellite city of the capital of Santo Domingo, where electricians can make magic happen, as was the case when President Balaguer needed his helicopter to explode in order to justify him winning the elections back in 1974.
Mr. Abreu has been unwell for a week, ridden by fear that the Dominican government could soon begin to crackdown on the hundreds of thousands of fake birth certificates used by dual citizens to obscure their identities on the island.
According to Dominican authorities, Mr. Abreu now has to travel to the Republic in order to invalidate his original birth certificate, as probably everyone who has not already done will have to.
As of today, Mr. Abreu is a man who is twice alive to the Dominican government, and who will have to kill one of his identities.
By Abreu Report on Friday, February 24, 2017
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ON PROTECTING CHILDREN, RENEWED COMMITMENT
Last week I was in Baltimore to take part in the annual spring assembly of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
It was an important meeting, and our four days together were dedicated almost entirely to the issue of how we as bishops should carry out our responsibilities in handling allegations of clergy sexual abuse against minors.
The scourge of abuse in the Church continues to be the bishops’ most urgent priority.
Here in Los Angeles and across the country, the Church has made enormous progress in these areas, perhaps far more than any other organization or institution in America.
In the last year alone, the Church nationwide trained nearly 4 million children and 2.6 million adults, in addition to conducting background checks on Church workers.
The nation’s dioceses have offices to receive claims of abuse and ensure that victim-survivors are treated with dignity and compassion and given the assistance and resources they need to find healing.
The Church’s abuse prevention work, while led by the bishops, is carried out largely by teams of laypeople at every level. Thanks to their competence and dedication, new cases of abuse of minors by priests are extremely rare today.
The most recent independent annual audit, which covers 2017–2018, found that there were three substantiated allegations of abuse by priests of current minors in the entire country. Every allegation, whether eventually substantiated or not, was reported to law enforcement.
Here in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, as I have reported to you, there have been two substantiated cases of misconduct by priests of the archdiocese in the last 10 years.
These numbers are important to keep in mind because the issue of abuse by priests is in the news almost daily.
Much of what is being reported involves abuses that were committed many years ago. For instance, in the most recent national audit, most of the 1,455 allegations of abuse against clergy reported in 2017–2018 arebetween 10 and 14 years old.
The age of a claim does not make it any less serious, or the wounds that it inflicts any less severe. But we need to keep this in perspective as we continue to learn the lessons of the past and work to prevent abuse in the future.
Personally, I take my responsibility to protect children seriously. I consider every incident to be one too many.
We continue to work diligently to protect children and report allegations and remove perpetrators from ministry. Since 2002, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles has trained more than 329,000 adults, and each year more than 165,000 children are trained in abuse prevention and reporting. Also, more than 168,000 adults have been fingerprinted and undergone background checks.
I encourage you to review all of our abuse prevention protocols and programs at our website: protect.la-archdiocese.org. And always, if you or anyone you know has been a victim of abuse by anyone in the Church in Los Angeles, I urge you to report this immediately to law enforcement and contact our Victims’ Assistanceoffice at 800-355-2545.
Pope Francis has given us new universal norms for the Church in our work to combat abuse. This follows a summit of bishops from every diocese that the Holy Father called in February.
Our work in Baltimore was in part to adapt and enact these new universal norms for the United States and continue work we had already begun toward increasing our accountability and the effectiveness of our abuse prevention efforts.
We adopted a short, sincere statement, expressing our contrition for past abuses and renewing our commitments to our moral responsibilities as bishops.
In addition, we voted on three important initiatives that we intend to carry out with the necessary assistance of lay leaders at the national and local levels:
establishing a nationwide third-party reporting system to receive complaints of abuse or misconduct against bishops;
establishing protocols for imposing limitations on former bishops removed from office for grave reasons; and
establishing a protocol for implementing Pope Francis’ new norms for how metropolitan archbishops are to investigate allegations against bishops.
These are good and important measures and I pray that they will move us toward healing of all those who have been hurt and restoring the trust that has been lost.
Pray for me this week, and I will pray for you. And let us continue to pray for the victim-survivors of abuse and for all those in the Church who are working to prevent future abuses.
May our Blessed Mother Mary move all of us to continue the conversion of our hearts that we might grow in holiness and in our service of the Gospel.
JUNTOS EN LA MISIóN Y LA CIUDAD DEL AMOR Y LA VERDAD
OUR PLACE OF HOLINESS
ORDINATION TO THE DIACONATE 2014
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(Redirected from Warner Brothers)
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc. (or Warner Bros., Warner Bros. Pictures) is one of the world's largest producers of film and television entertainment.
It is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank, California. Warner Bros. has several subsidiary companies, including Warner Bros. Studios, Warner Bros. Pictures, Warner Bros. Television, Warner Bros. Animation, Warner Home Video, DC Comics, and New Line Cinema. Warner owns half of The CW Television Network.
Founded in 1918 by Polish immigrants, Warner Bros. is the third-oldest American movie studio in continuous operation, after Paramount Pictures, founded in 1912 as Famous Players, and Universal Studios, also founded in 1912.
Unless indicated otherwise, the text in this article is either based on Wikipedia article "Warner Bros." or another language Wikipedia page thereof used under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License; or on original research by Jahsonic and friends. See Art and Popular Culture's copyright notice.
Retrieved from "http://www.artandpopularculture.com/Warner_Bros."
This page was last modified 20:26, 5 May 2008.
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NBA FINALS: LAKERS v CELTICS
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS: Practice Day
Q. What do you take out of this, especially of Conference Finals when Detroit won that second game, if the Lakers were to do that, it's different knowing that the next three you're there?
RAJON RONDO: Definitely. We don't want to go back. Like I said, we don't want to go to LA and having to play them three games at home. We definitely don't want to go back to LA 1-1.
Q. Is there a certain luxury to playing with the Big Three? You know the focus is on them.
RAJON RONDO: Yeah, I'd have to say the pressure is not on me. Those are our big three All-Stars, and I'm just out there playing defense basically. If I score, it's a bonus, and if I do anything it's a bonus. I go out there and play defense and try to bring energy to the game, and I'll be pretty good.
Q. How many different ways have you heard your name pronounced by media?
RAJON RONDO: All different type of ways. It doesn't really bother me. They've been mispronouncing my name my entire career, so it's not a big deal.
Q. Is the anonymity a good thing, a big thing? Are you looking forward to the idea that you're sort of making a bigger name for yourself?
RAJON RONDO: Not really. People are still probably going to mispronounce my name. It's kind of difficult to say, but like I say, it doesn't matter.
Q. You guys didn't necessarily play your best game. You lead the series 1-0. More confident going into Game 2?
RAJON RONDO: Yeah, we're more confident. Like you said, we didn't play our best basketball. We shot only 41 percent. We got to the free-throw line, that was the good thing. We stayed aggressive and got to the line. KG continued to do a good job. Like you said, you never can control when the ball is going to go in the hole, but what we did control is our defense on the court in the second half.
Q. Do you believe in momentum?
RAJON RONDO: Yeah, I believe in momentum, definitely. For example, when Paul came back in the game and hit two two threes I think the momentum swung. I think Coach Jackson did a great job calling a time-out trying to get the crowd out of it each time we made runs, but we still had the momentum in that situation.
Q. You got to the foul line more than any other Celtic, which is unusual. What did you do to get to the foul line?
RAJON RONDO: I just stay aggressive. They ran and jumped a lot, and I just kept moving with the ball. I tried to attack the rim. I mean, we got a bonus in the third quarter at seven minutes, so that was my goal when Paul went down was to attack and try to stay aggressive.
End of FastScripts
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RUNNING WILD's ROLF KASPAREK Talks To 'United Rock Nations' About 'Resilient' Album (Audio)
On September 23, Carmziofa of the "United Rock Nations" show, which airs on France's Radio Rock'n'Roll, conducted an interview with Rolf "Rock'n'Rolf" Kasparek of German power metallers RUNNING WILD. You can now listen to the chat in the YouTube clip below.
RUNNING WILD released its new album, "Resilient", on October 4 in Germany and October 7 in the rest of Europe via Steamhammer/SPV.
Kasparek came up with twelve storm-proof numbers, ten of which were released on the regular CD. Two bonus tracks and a poster are included on the limited version of the album.
Kasparek was working full throttle on this new album since February 2013. Due to his intense involvement with GIANT X, his band with guitarist Peter Jordan, Rolf had consciously taken a break from RUNNING WILD and has now resumed work with the band with zest and lots of new ideas.
"The break was important and extremely refreshing for me," he explains. "I felt that renewed vigor as soon as I started writing the material for 'Resilient', tracks such as 'Fireheart' and 'Soldiers Of Fortune' just came pouring out of me. The dynamic pace of 'Soldiers Of Fortune' in particular kicked off a whole avalanche of creativity in me."
Rolf explains that "Resilient" is audibly tougher and more compact than its predecessor, "Shadowmaker", clearly enjoying his revived zest. "'Shadowmaker' happened to come about slightly unexpectedly and spontaneously, even for me," he says. "The album has brought back the fun I used to have with RUNNING WILD, and my fans will get to feel this fun when 'Resilient' comes out in October!"
The album's opener, "Soldiers Of Fortune", and the title track, "The Drift" and "Run Riot" will be three typical RUNNING WILD numbers. The most outstanding song on the album, however, is called "Bloody Island", with almost ten minutes playing time one of the longest tracks in RUNNING WILD's career to date. Rolf says: "As a composer, it's, of course, difficult for me to pigeonhole the new material stylistically, but friends who have heard the demo version of 'Bloody Island' claim that it would have fitted in on 'Pile Of Skulls'."
In terms of lyrics, there are the familiar fusillades that we've come to expect from RUNNING WILD: "Bloody Island" and the bonus track "Payola & Shenanigans" see Rock'n'Rolf criticize the curse of greed that we've seen specifically in the European banking crisis of recent years. "Crystal Gold" is about the obviously politically motivated privatization of drinking water, and "Fireheart" and "Run Riot" are warnings to RUNNING WILD's fans to be confident of themselves and vigilant towards authorities. Rolf says: "For me, that's the attitude which stands for that true rock'n'roll feeling."
"Resilient" was produced by Rock'n'Rolf himself, supported by Niki Nowy during the mixing and mastering process, as well as Katharina Nowy and Peter Jordan, who contributed a number of guitar solos. For the first time, Rolf worked with precise vocal lines during the demo recordings.
"The targeted use of lyrics and vocal melodies during the demo stage was new for me, but it worked out really well and I've never gone to the studio as well prepared as I did this time around," he says. "I didn't have to try and test things but only had to put a few finishing touches to my singing at the studio. A definite advantage!"
As to whether RUNNING WILD will present this brilliant album live on stage. Rolf says: "We've had a lot of festival offers for summer 2014, which we will look at carefully. We'll know more in a few months' time and will inform our fans as soon as we've made up our minds."
"Resilient" digipak track listing:
11. Payola & Shenanigans (bonus track)
12. Premonition (bonus track)
"Resilient" jewel case track listing:
"Resilient" LP track listing:
LP 1
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CAMELOT RADIO.ES
The Sound of Your Life
We are a music radio station that broadcasts over the Internet in 24/7 format. For 11 years we have been offering a careful selection of Anglo-Saxon, French, Italian, Brazilian and Spanish hits as well as those other songs that are not usually very well radiated but which we consider to be of interest.
We make our own production programs that you can download from iVoox. Our programs cover styles as diverse as Rock, Oldies, Pop, Soul, Jazz, Classical. . . We organize special events of 24 hours dedicated to a soloist like Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley or groups like The Beatles. We also produce other non-musical programs, such as Logos, dedicated to the history of philosophy, our Literary Corner dedicated to current affairs in editorial publications, and the fantastic narratives in Terror Tales. The downloads of our programs now exceed 700,000 which makes us grateful for your confidence and is an incentive to continue developing programs every week.
Camelot Radio. es offers musical programs of all styles. From Monday to Friday at 9:00 p.m. we broadcast programs dedicated to Soundtracks, Soul, Progressive Rock, Italian and FrenchPop and Oldies. At 10:00 p.m. we broadcast a classic: The Wolfman Jack Show. From 11:00 p.m. you can choose: Rock and Roll, Classical, Spanish Pop, Jazz and Disco Sound. The weekends are dedicated to the biographies and specials of Pop and Rock. From 7:00 p.m. Specials offers the history of a band or soloist listening to all the most important topics and without time limit. Three hours before a review of the hits decadeby decade, soloist by soloist and group by group in El Guateque at 4:00 p.m. On Saturday evenings at 11:00 p.m. we broadcast a live concert by a soloist or Pop or Rock group within CamelotRadio Concerts. Finally on Sundays, also at 11:00 p.pm., we enter the Hard-Rock from 24 Kilates.
OUR RADIO IN DATA
A U D I E N C E
Our broadcasts are currently listened to in 119 countries with more than 60,000 monthly minutes of listening and more than 5.000 visits to our website.
Countries with more listening minutes (total minutes March 2019):
1. FRANCE: 64,215
2. GERMANY: 52,396
3. SPAIN: 36,571
4. RUSSIA: 7.534
5. UNITED STATES: 4,852
MUSIC SELECTION
We elaborate a meticulous musical selection month by month updating our contents and offering sound in high audio quality.
Miguel Ángel Cordones
Marcelo Romero
Carlos San José
CamelotRadio.es
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Home | Business in Action | Energy & Resources | Northern Promises
Northern Promises
By John M. Medeiros, Research Director, CBJ
There is something about the air in the Western Arctic; rarefied, atavistic – as if breathing it for any length of time unburdens one of self importance and distils in you a visceral, elemental sense of the place. The smell; raw, pure and like nowhere else I’ve been. Like the stark beauty of the land itself, rubbed raw of the human condition, the scent of the place is forever trapped in the meniscus of my memory.
Similarly, the people that call this place home have left an indelible mark on my psyche too.
The Mackenzie Delta Region of NWT, part of Canada’s largest river system and second largest arctic delta in the world, is a vast and primal labyrinth of channels, lakes, and low lying alluvial islands, covered by stunted black spruce, becoming sparse and thinning as the river mingles with the Arctic Ocean near Tuktoyaktuk. It holds an enormous energy reserve—a resource estimated at more 15.4 Tcf (trillion cubic feet) of natural gas in the onshore and shallow water areas of the Delta—a tract of 2.2 million hectares (5.5 million acres) about the size of the state of New Hampshire. The already developed and proven finds include more than 250 million barrels of oil and 11 trillion Tcf of natural gas and condensate. To give these numbers some perspective, the average Canadian home consumes less than 100,000 cubic feet of natural gas annually. It’s a staggering number. And an equally incredible number is the expected infrastructure costs to fully capitalize and bring to market one of the largest and undeveloped resources of its kind on the planet – $16.2 billion CAN.
When Justice Thomas Berger first tabled his infamous report back on June 9th 1977 examining the impact of the proposed Mackenzie Valley Pipeline Project (MVPP), it was billed then as “the biggest project in the history of free enterprise.”1 During the 30 plus years of negotiations, Canada has made historic strides forward in the settlement of native land claims; first with the Inuvialuit Land Settlement Act of (ILS) 1984, followed by the Gwich’in Comprehensive Land Claim Agreement (GCLCA) in 1992. And again in 1994 with the Sahtu Dene and Metis Comprehensive Land Claim Agreement. To date, only the Dehcho First Nations has yet to sign, and their 34 per cent interest “will be held for them if and when they choose to participate.”
In March 2011, the Harper government gave the federal green light to begin the construction of the project. But in July, Shell Canada pulled up stakes and is looking to sell its 100 per cent ownership of the Niglintgak field, which alone holds and estimated 800 bcf (billion cubic feet). Hot on the heels of Shell’s decision, KOSGAS—Korea Gas Corp., the state owned and the globe’s largest importer of LNG (liquefied natural gas) has expressed interest and is rumored to have made an offer on Niglintgak, and an outright purchase of Shell’s 11 per cent interest in the overall project.
For now, the train is still on the track. Harper is at the throttle and in early 2012 we should hopefully see the start-up dates announced for the 1220 km (758 mile) mega-pipeline.
But this piece is not about numbers. Rather; it’s about the people, kinship, and community. It’s really about a promise of the future—a future that will forever reshape the North. And it’s a personal reflection on character—stalwart, bold, of resolute and unyielding tenacity—of those who I still call my friends today.
People like O.D. Hansen, a principle with the Aboriginal Pipeline Group (APG) and with whom I shared some office space back in the day. Together we helped developed the management protocols for Ikhil discovery and the ensuing Inuvik Gas Project.
And O.D.’s brother Frank; a Professional Engineer and President of Kavik-AXYS Inc. A successful entrepreneur in his own right and equally know around the Delta for his business acumen as for the retrofit 512 (16’x32’ cabin – typical of the first houses built during the ‘50’s when the notion for the town of Inuvik was know as “East-3”) strapped to his river barge, in which he plies the waters around town. If you’re lucky, his wife Sandy can serve up an onboard and mean Caribou stew.
Like Kurt Wainman owner of Northwind Industries and general contractor—a flinty, unvarnished aficionado of anything with fuel injection. He travels in the same circles with the likes of Jesse James, host of TLC’s ‘Monster Garage’—former husband of actress Sandra Bullock. Father, family man and of late, Kurt was part of the History Channel’s out-of the-park success story—‘Ice Road Truckers.’
And for Fred Carmichael, who I meet briefly during my tenure in the North, but have since garnered an even greater respect, as the planning of this issue gathered a head of steam and our piece on APG, the Company he chairs gained purchase. He is a true icon of the North.
The real story of the MVPP is one of fealty; of community and respect for the land and of those who came before. Of a People who understand, without question, that the needs of the individual are ephemeral at best. The truth of the story will be told by the children, who will remember best, not just achievements that can be counted, but of the shaping of their path forward.
So, this is for the Hansen brothers and their extended clan; two from a family of thirteen, born on the land in a blink of a generation not far past. This is a word too, for Kurt and his young family, for the Wainman girls. And finally for Fred, who offered his thanks to me for what The Canadian Business Journal is doing for “our people”.
In turn, we here at George Media thank the people of the North for their resolve, their commitment, and for putting the needs of the People before the needs of the few.
John Medeiros spent a year in the Mackenzie Delta and directs the Energy – Oil & Gas Market for the IRJ / CBJ.
1. CBC News—Business “Mackenzie Valley Pipeline- 37 years of negotiations”
WesternZagros
Aboriginal Pipeline Group
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2005 World Road Cycling Championships
72nd edition: September 21 - 25, Madrid, Spain
World Road Cycling Championships podium history | 2006 edition | 2004 edition |
Elite men's road race | U23 men's road race | Elite women's road race | Elite men's time trial | U23 men's time trial | Elite women's time trial |
Sunday, September 25: Elite Men's Road Race, 273 kilometers.
What an athlete! What a season! Boonen caps his spring Paris-Roubaix and Tour of Flanders wins with the Rainbow Jersey.
Complete results: 188 starters, 123 classified finishers
Tom Boonen (Belgium) 6hr 26min 10sec. 42.416 km/hr
Alejandro Valverde (Spain) s.t.
Anthony Geslin (France) s.t.
Marcus Ljungqvist (Sweden) s.t.
Murilo Fischer (Brazil) s.t.
Jakob Piil (Denmark) s.t.
Alexandre Kolobnev (Russia) s.t.
Andreas Kleir (Germany) s.t.
Julian Dean (New Zealand) s.t.
Martin Elmiger (Switzerland) s.t.
Janez Brajkovic (Slovenia) s.t.
Steffen Wesemann (Switzerland) s.t.
Paolo Bettini (Italy) s.t.
Grégory Rast (Switzerland) s.t.
Thomas Dekker (Netherlands) s.t.
Constantino Zaballa (Spain) s.t.
Koos Moorenhout (Netherlands) s.t.
Michael Boogerd (Netherlands) s.t.
Laurent Brochard (France) s.t.
Gorazd Stangelj (Slovenia) s.t.
Alexandre Vinokourov (Kazakhstan) s.t.
Marco Antonio Serrano (Spain) s.t.
Guido Trenti (USA) s.t.
Denis Menchov (Russia) @ 10sec
Mario Aerts (Belgium) @ 11sec
Nick Nuyens (Belgium) @ 21sec
Björn Leukemans (Belgium) @ 23sec
Alexandre Usov (Belarus) @ 25sec
Erik Zabel (Germany) s.t.
Robbie McEwen (Australia) s.t.
Uros Murn (Slovenia) s.t.
René Haselbacher (Austria) s.t.
Aurélien Clerc (Switzerland) s.t.
Peter van Petegem (Belgium) s.t.
Alessandro Petacchi (Italy) s.t.
Alejandro Albrto Borrajo (Argentina) s.t.
Matija Kvasina (Coratia) s.t.
Sergey Lagutin (Uzbekistan) s.t.
Lars Ytting Bak (Denmark) s.t.
Jan Hruska (Czech Republic) s.t.
Roger Hammond (Great Britain) s.t.
Mykhailo Khalilov (Ukraine) s.t.
Jan Valach (Slovakia) s.t.
Piotr Wadecki (Poland) s.t.
Marek Rutkiewicz (Poland) s.t.
Vladimir Gusev (Russia) s.t.
Christophe Le Mevel (France) s.t.
Miguel Angel Martin Perdeguero (Spain) s.t.
Bram Tankink (Netherlands) s.t.
Oscar Peiro (Spain) s.t.
Jean-Patrick Nazon (France) s.t.
Karsten Kroon (Netherlands) s.t.
Denys Kostyuk (Ukraine) s.t.
Filippo Pozzato (Italy) s.t.
George David (South Africa) s.t.
Juan Antonio Flecha (Spain) s.t.
Stijn Devolder (Belgium) s.t.
Andrey Kashechkin (Kazakhstan) s.t.
Fred Rodriguez (USA) s.t.
Joost Posthuma (Netherlands) s.t.
Serguei Ivanov (Russia) s.t.
Igor Astarloa (Spain) s.t.
Marco Velo (Italy) s.t.
Rolf Aldag (Germany) s.t.
Pieter Weening (Netherlands) s.t.
Matteo Tosatto (Italy) s.t.
Sylvain Chavanel (France) s.t.
Francisco Mancebo (Spain) @ 36sec
David Blanco (Spain) s.t.
Peter Wrolich (Austria) @ 43sec
Leon van Bon (Netherlands) @ 47sec
Allan Davis (Australia) @ 1min 12sec
Luca Paolini (Italy) @ 1min 16sec
Vladimir Efimkin (Russia) @ 1min 46sec
Mark Scanlon (Ireland) @ 2min 37sec
Thomas Lövkvist (Sweden) @ 2min 45sec
Philippe Gilbert (Belgium) s.t.
Ryder Hesjedal (Canada) @ 4min 18sec
Pedro Soeiro (Portugal) @ 4min 50sec
James Lewis perry (South Africa) @ 4min 57sec
Marc Wauters (Belgium) s.t.
Patrick Calcagni (Switzerland) @ 5min 4sec
Michael Rogers (Australia) @ 5min 6sec
Giovanni Lombardi (Italy) s.t.
Martin Prazdnovsky (Slovakia) @ 5min 19sec
John Lieswyn (USA) s.t.
Simon Gerrans (Australia) @ 5min 25sec
Baden Cooke (Australia) s.t.
Maxim Gourov (Kazakhstan) s.t.
Rafael Nuritdinov (Uzbekistan) s.t.
Jörg Jaksche (Germany) s.t.
Cédric Vasseur (France) s.t.
Leonardo Fabio Duque (Colombia) @ 6min 1sec
Henk Vogels (Australia) s.t.
Jaroslaw Zarebski (Poland) s.t.
Bartosz Huzarski (Poland) s.t.
Fabian Wegmann (Germany) s.t.
Markus Zberg (Switzerland) s.t.
Jan Svorada (Czech Republic) s.t.
Petr Bencik (Czech Republic) s.t.
Mathew Hayman (Australia) s.t.
Andrey Mizourov (Kazakhstan) s.t.
Ryan Cox (South Africa) s.t.
Ian McLeod (south Africa) s.t.
Daniele Benneti (Italy) s.t.
Roger Beuchat (Switzerland) s.t.
Matej Mugerli (Slovenia) s.t.
Guillermo Ruben Bongiorno (Argentina0 s.t.
Lorenzo Bernucci (Italy) s.t.
Bernhard Eisel (Austria) s.t.
Magnus Bäckstedt (Sweden) s.t.
Bradley Wiggins (Great Britain) s.t.
Carlos Da Cruz (France) s.t.
Jimmy Casper (France) s.t.
Thor Hushovd (Norway) s.t.
Markus Fothen (Germany) @ 7min 3sec
Matthias Kessler (Germany) s.t.
Sergey Yakovlev (Kazakhstan) s.t.
Christophe Kern (France) @ 7min 5sec
Raivis Belovosciks (Latvia) @ 9min 50sec
Luis Filipe Laverde (Colombia) @ 9min 51sec
Kim kirchen (Luxembourg) @ 10min 43sec
Fabian Cancellara (Switzerland) @ 10min 45sec
Robert Radosz (Poland) @ 12min 51sec
Shinichi Fukushima (Japan) @ 12min 56sec
Martin Riska (Slovakia) s.t.
Hugo Sabido (Portugal) @ 14min 47sec
Bruno Neves (Portugal) s.t.
Martin Garrido (Argentina) @ 14min 51sec
Peter Mazur (Poland) @ 14min 55sec
Mitja Mahoric (Slovenia) @ 17min 27sec
Marcio May (Brazil) @ 19min 19sec
Aleksejs Saramotins (Latvia) @ 25min 40sec
Rodney Green (South Africa) @ 27min 10sec
Makato Iijima (Japan) @ 27min 12sec
Mahdi Sohrabi (Iran) @ 27min 13sec
Saturday, September 24: Men's Under-23 road Race, 168 km.
A well-deserved Rainbow Jersey for Grabovskyy.
1. Dmytro Grabovskyy (Ukraine) 3hr 56min 23sec
2. William Walker (Australia) @ 26sec
3. Evgeny Popov (Russia) s.t.
4. Carlo Westphal (Germnay) @ 33sec
5. Chris Sutton (Australia) @ 34sec
Best placed American was John Murphy, 119th @ 11min. Tyler Farrar crashed with a few kilometers to go.
Saturday, September 24: Elite Women's Road Race, 126 km.
The German team was sure Schleicher could deliver in a sprint. She didn't let them down.
1. Regina Schleicher (Germany) 3hr 8min 52sec
2. Nicole Cooke (Great Britain) s.t.
3. Oenone Wood (Australia) s.t.
4. Dorte Rasmussen (Denmark) s.t.
5. Chantal Beltman (Netherlands) s.t.
17. Kristin Armstrong (USA) s.t.
Thursday, September 22: Elite Men's 44.1 Kilometer Individual Time Trial.
The electric board tells the story. Michael Rogers gets his 3rd Elite ITT Championsip.
1. Michael Rogers (Australia) 53min 34sec
2. Jose Ivan Gutierrez (Spain) @ 23sec
3. Fabian Cancellara (Switzerland) @ 23sec
4. Ruben Plaza (Spain) @ 44sec
5. Alexandre Vinokourov (Kazakhstan) @ 1min 20sec
6. Andrey Kaschechkin (Kazakhstan) @ 1min 29sec
7. Bradley Wiggins (Great Britain) @ 1min 31sec
8. Sebastian Lang (Germany) @ 1min 35sec
9. Matias Medici (Argentina) @ 1min 37sec
10. Victor Hugo Pena (Colombia) @ 1min 41sec
11. Bobby Julich (USA) @ 1min 45sec
Wednesday, September 21: Women's 22-kilometer Individual Time Trial.
Thurig powers to a Gold Medal
1. Karen Thurig (Switzerland) 28min 51sec
2. Joane Somarriba (Spain) @ 5sec
3. Kristin Armstrong (USA) @ 39sec
4. Judith Arndt (Germany) @ 56sec
5. Amber Neven (USA) @ 57sec
Wednesday, September 21: Men's Under-23 37.9-kilometer Individual Time Trial.
1. Mikhail Ignatiev (Russia) 47min 24sec
2. Dmytro Grabovsky (Ukraine) @ 34sec
3. Peter Latham (New Zealand) @ 37sec
4. Martin Mortensen (Denmark) @ 50sec
5. Simon Spilak (Slovenia) @ 1min 12sec
10. Tyler Farrar (USA) @ 1min 44sec
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YOUR CNY WELLNESS RESOURCE!
• Our Providers •
Courtney Wagner:
Health & Wellness Coach
Courtney is a graduate of St. John’s University with a B.S. in Biology. She is also a Nationally Accredited Certified Personal Trainer-NCSF, a Certified Group Fitness Instructor, AFAA, as well as certified in 4 fitness formats. She personal trains and instructs group fitness in Fayetteville, NY. Courtney is also on the staff at Cazenovia College in the Athletic Department where she trains faculty, staff, and students in fitness.
Courtney resides with her family in East Syracuse, NY. She has helped many people achieve a healthier lifestyle through nutrition and exercise changes. She is excited to be the Case Manager & Health and Wellness Coach for Total Health and Wellness Coach.
Jennifer Clarke, FNP-C:
Nurse Practitioner for Regenerative Medicine
Jennifer was born and raised in upstate NY. When asked, she said the choice of where to practice was an easy one. "I love this region and love the people within it." Jennifer graduated from SUNY Binghamton University Decker School of Nursing with a masters of science in family nursing. She is a member of Sigma Theta Tau Nursing Honors Society. She is also affiliated with the American Association of Nurse Practitioners and the New York State Nurse Practitioner Association.
Why are you a proponent for Regenerative Medicine?
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Emöke BARÁTH - Soprano
Hungarian soprano Emőke Baráth began her musical education studying the piano and the harp. She began singing at the age of 18 following the teaching of Professor Julia Paszthy at the Franz Liszt academy in Budapest. During the 2011/2012 school year, she also studied at the Luigi Cherubini Conservatory in Florence.
In 2009, she received the third prize at the 44th Anton Dvorak International Competition (Czech republic). In 2011, she won the First Prize and the award of the Public at the Second International Singing Competition for Baroque Opera in Innsbruck (Austria). The same year, she won the Grand Prix of Verbier Festival Academy (Switzerland).
She took part in several master classes with Barbara Bonney, Kiri Te Kanawa, Sylvia Sass, Laszlo Polgar, Nancy Argenta, Deborah York and Masaaki Suzuki.
Early on, she was invited to performas soloist in many festivals and venues as famous as the Palace of arts and the Budapest State Opera in Hungary, the Theater an der Wien, the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, the Opéra royal de Versailles in France and the Verbier festival in Switzerland ; the Nikolaisaal in Potsdam, the Braunschweig Staatstheater, and the Brandeburger Theater in Germany ; the Concert Hall of the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow, Russia.
The late Alan Curtis was one of the first conductors to discover her talent and he gave her the opportunities to sing in prestigious productions with works by Händel – for example, Giulio Cesare (role of Sesto, alongside karina Gauvin and Marie-Nicole Lemieux, with a recording by Naïve), Admeto (role of antigona), Amadigi di Gaula (role of Oriana), Arianna in Creta (role of alceste), in prestigious venues such as theater an der Wien, auditorio nacional in madrid or Théâtre des Champs-Élysées). Händel takes a major role in her repertoire : she sang The Messiah (Detroit Symphony Orchestra and National Symphony Orchestra Washington, Nathalie Stutzmann conducting), Almirena in Rinaldo (Il Pomo d’Oro and riccardo minasi), Armindo in Partenope (Il Pomo d’Oro and Maxym Emelyanychev, with a recording by Erato-Warner Classics), Morgana in Alcina (Accademia Bizantina and Ottavio Dantone, with Inga kalna and Philippe Jaroussky) and Asteria in Tamerlano (Les ambassadeurs and Alexis Kossenko). In april 2014, she sang the soprano part in Duello Amoroso, a pasticcio after Händel, with Nathalie Stutzmann conducting the ensemble Orfeo 55 at the Bordeaux Opera (with Jean-Louis Grinda as stage director).
Emőke Baráth regularly sings Bach’s masterpieces : Mass in B minor (Les musiciens du Louvre and marc minkowski), Saint Matthew Passion (Liverpool royal Philharmonic with Nathalie Stutzmann), Christmas Oratorio (successively with the Freiburger Barockorchester, the Göteborg Symphony Orchestra and the French ensemble accentus). She also sang cantatas with accademia Bizantina conducted by Andreas Scholl (Festival de Beaune). In December 2016, she is invited to sing the Christmas Oratorio under the batton of Laurence Equilbey and in December 2017, it will be a tour with the Magnificat with Emmanuelle Haïm and Le Concert d’Astrée.
She is also particularly in demand for the composers of the Seicento : she was the title-role in Elena by Cavalli (Cappella Mediterranea conducted by Leonardo García Alarcón, with Jean-Yves Ruf as stage director – Festival d’aix-en-Provence), romilda in Xerse by the same composer (Le Concert d’astrée, Emmanuelle Haïm, with a staging by Guy Cassiers – Lille Opera, théâtre de Caen, theater an der Wien). regarding monteverdi, she sang the title-role of L’Incoronazione di Poppea at the Innsbruck Festival and the Budapest Opera, and Euridice in L’Orfeo (Les talens Lyriques and Christophe rousset, Claus Guth as stage director). She sang monteverdi’s Selva morale e spirituale with Concentus musicus Wien conducted by Pablo Heras Casado.
EmőkE BarátH is more and more in demand in mozart’s works : she was a successful Susanna in Le Nozze di Figaro (Les musiciens du Louvre and marc minkowski, with Director Felix Breisach), Tamiri in Il Re Pastore (Verbier Festival Chamber Orchestra and Gábor takács-Nagy – Verbier Festival), Zerlina in Don Giovanni and Despina in Così fan tutte (Budapest Opera). In 2016, she sang the Great Mass in C minor on 3 occasions : with the Bergen Philharmonic, the Verbier Festival Chamber Orchestra and the São Paulo Symphony Orchestra.
Emőke Baráth’s repertoire is particularly wide : she sang Mahler’s Symphony N°2 with the Orquesta de Valencia and Yaron Traub, Scylla et Glaucus by Leclair (role of Scylla, with Les Nouveaux Caractères and Sébastien d’Hérin, with a recording by alpha), Rameau’s Fêtes de Polymnie (with the Orfeo Orchestra Budapest and György Vasheggyi, with the support of the Centre de musique Baroque de Versailles) or Falstaff by Verdi (role of Nanetta, at the Budapest Opera).
Among her recents projects, we can mention the release of a recording with Philippe Jaroussky, I Barocchisti and Diego Fasolis by Warner Classics, La storia di Orfeo with works by Monteverdi, Sartorio, Rossi... (Warner Classics) ; the title-role of Ipermestra by Cavalli at the Glyndebourne Festival, with William Christie conducting and Graham Vick as stage director, or Monteverdi’s Vespro della Beata Vergine with Jordi Savall and La Capella Reial de Catalunya at the Salzburg Festival or an extensive tour in the USA with the Boston Early music Festival.
In 2017/2018, she will sing the role of L’Ange in Messiaen’s Saint François d’Assise with Sylvain Cambreling and the Yomiuri Symphony Orchestra Japan, Bach’s Magnificat and Händel’s Dixit Dominus with Emmanuelle Haïm and Le Concert d’astrée and Bach’s Mass in B minor with Concentus Musicus Wien. She will also sing amore in Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, alongside Philippe Jaroussky and Patricia Petibon, under the baton of Diego Fasolis and with a staging by Robert Carsen
Biographie Biography
Contact Calendrier Discographie
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Baystreet Staff - Thursday, April 18, 2019
Housing Figures Featured Next Week
Economic lookahead
Existing Home Sales (Mar.)
Featured Earnings
Brown & Brown Inc. (NYSE:BRO) (Q1) EPS estimates of 36 cents, compared to 33 cents in the prior-year quarter. Monday, April 15, brought word that Brown & Brown had acquired substantially all of the assets of ALMEA Insurance’s Vancouver, Washington location.
Halliburton Company (NYSE:HAL) (Q1) EPS estimates of 36 cents, compared to 33 cents in the prior-year quarter
Kimberly-Clark Corporation (NYSE:KMB) (Q1) EPS estimates of $1.55, compared to $1.71 in the prior-year quarter
People Corporation (T.PEO) (Q2) EPS estimates of three cents, compared to eight cents in the prior-year quarter.
PrairieSky Royalty Ltd. (T.PSK) (Q1) EPS estimates of nine cents, compared to eight cents in the prior-year quarter.
Housing Price Index (Feb.)
New Home Sales (Mar.)
Markit Manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index (April)
Markit Composite PMI (April)
Redbook Index (Apr.13-19)
eBay Inc. (NASDAQ:EBAY) (Q1) EPS estimates of 51 cents, compared to 41 cents in the prior-year quarter.
Harley-Davidson Inc. (NYSE: HOG) (Q1) EPS estimates of 86 cents, compared to $1.24 in the prior-year quarter. The company announced in mid-April it had reached a five-year labour deal with unionized workers in Milwaukee and Tomahawk, Wisconsin.
Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE:LMT) (Q1) EPS estimates of $4.29, compared to $4.02 in the prior-year quarter.
Wholesale Trade (Feb.) Wholesale sales rose 0.6% to $63.5 billion in January, a second consecutive monthly gain. In volume terms, wholesale sales increased 0.7%.
Restaurant Brands International Inc. (T.QSR) (Q1) EPS estimates of 59 cents, compared to 66 cents in the prior-year quarter.
Canadian Pacific Railway Limited (T.CP) (Q1) EPS estimates of $3.07, compared to $2.70 in the prior-year quarter.
Constellation Software Inc. (T.CSU) (Q1) EPS estimates of $7.39, compared to $6.73 in the prior-year quarter.
Teck Resources Limited (T.TECK.B) (Q1) EPS estimates of 96 cents, compared to $1.31 in the prior-year quarter.
Markit Services PMI (April)
EIA Crude Stocks Change (April 10-16)
Bank Rate Announcement (10 a.m. ET)
Goldcorp Inc. (T.G) (Q1) EPS estimates of five cents, compared to eight cents in the prior-year quarter.
Lundin Mining Corporation (T.LUN) (Q1) EPS estimates of six cents, compared to 11 cents in the prior-year quarter. On Monday of last week, Lundin entered into a definitive purchase agreement with Yamana Gold to purchase its 100% ownership stake in Mineração Maracá Indústria e Comércio S/A, which owns the Chapada copper-gold mine located in Brazil
Non-Defense Capital Goods Orders (March)
Durable Goods Orders (March)
Weekly Jobless Figures (April 15-19)
3M Inc. (NYSE:MMM) (Q1) EPS estimates of $2.50, identical to the prior-year quarter.
Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) (Q1) EPS estimates of $4.61, compared to $3.27 in the prior-year quarter.
Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE:BMY) (Q1) EPS estimates of $1.06, compared to 94 cents in the prior-year quarter. In mid-April, the company announced that its shareholders voted to approve the issuance of shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb common stock in connection with the Company’s pending merger with Celgene Corporation (NASDAQ:CELG) at the Special Meeting of Stockholders.
Average Weekly Earnings (Feb.) Average weekly earnings of non-farm payroll employees were $1,012 in January, little changed from the previous month. Compared with 12 months earlier, earnings grew by 2.0%.
Mullen Group Ltd. (T.MTL) (Q1) EPS estimates of 12 cents, compared to one cent in the prior-year quarter.
Waste Connections Inc. (T.WCN) (Q1) EPS estimates of 60 cents, compared to 56 cents in the prior-year quarter.
Methanex Corporation (T.MX) (Q1) EPS estimates of 88 cents, compared to $2.03 in the prior-year quarter.
Agnico Eagle Mines Limited (T.AEM) (Q1) EPS estimates of eight cents, compared to 15 cents in the prior-year quarter.
Cenovus Energy Inc. (T.CVE) (Q1) EPS estimates for gain of 19 cents, compared to a loss of 61 cents in the prior-year quarter.
Canadian Utilities Limited (T.CU) (Q1) EPS estimates of 71 cents, compared to 67 cents in the prior-year quarter.
Gross Domestic Product (Q1)
Personal Consumption Expenditure Prices (Q1)
Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index (April)
Imperial Oil Limited (T.IMO) (Q1) EPS estimates of 48 cents, compared to 62 cents in the prior-year quarter.
Husky Energy Inc. (T.HSE) (Q1) EPS estimates of 16 cents, compared to 24 cents in the prior-year quarter.
Fed Beige Book, U.S. Retail Sales Due Next Week
Housing Starts Featured Next Week
Markets Make Way into Summer
Manufacturing News on Next Week’s Slate in Canada
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The Regents of the Kloveniersdoelen Eating a Meal of Oysters
1655 Amsterdam History Museum
1613-1670 Dutch Bartholomeus Van Der Helst Galleries Dutch painter. He was the son of a Haarlem inn-keeper and presumably undertook part or all of his training in Amsterdam. His earliest works suggest that the painter Nicolaes Eliasz. Pickenoy was his master. Although van der Helst had probably already established himself as an independent master by the time he married Anna du Pire in Amsterdam in 1636, his earliest known work, a portrait of The Regents of the Walloon Orphanage, Amsterdam (Amsterdam, Maison Descartes), dates from 1637. Stylistically it is close to the work of Pickenoy. His portrait of a Protestant Minister of 1638 (Rotterdam, Boymans-van Beuningen) reveals the influence of Rembrandt. The young artist must have risen rapidly to fame in Amsterdam, for as early as 1639 he received the prestigious commission for a large painting for the Kloveniersdoelen (Arquebusiers or Musketeers Hall): The Civic Guard Company of Capt. Roelof Bicker and Lt Jan Michielsz. Blaeuw (Amsterdam, Rijksmus.), which formed part of the same series as Rembrandt Night Watch (Amsterdam, Rijksmus.). Van der Helst may not have completed this commission until 1642 or 1643. The ingenious arrangement of the figures in a broad composition shows the artist special talent for composing large groups. Pickenoy influence is less noticeable here than in the portrait of 1637; the self-assured poses of the individual figures were to become a characteristic feature of van der Helst work. The successful execution of this portrait established van der Helst reputation: from 1642, when he began to receive an increasing number of commissions for individual portraits, until 1670 he was the leading portrait painter of the ruling class in Amsterdam. From 1642 his technique in portrait painting gradually became more fluent and the rendering of costume materials more detailed. Some typical portraits of his earlier period are those of Andries Bicker (Amsterdam, Rijksmus.), his wife Catharina Gansneb Tengnagel (Dresden, Gemeldegal. Alte Meister) and their son Gerard Bicker (Amsterdam, Rijksmus.), all of 1642, and the Portrait of a Young Girl (1645; London, N.G.). In 1648 van der Helst painted a second civic guard portrait, The Celebration of the Peace of M?nster at the Crossbowmen Headquarters, Amsterdam (Amsterdam, Rijksmus.), a superbly composed and well painted portrait that, until the late 19th century, was considered one of the masterpieces of the Golden Age but later lost popularity because of its smooth and modish execution. It can nevertheless still be regarded as one of the most important group portraits of the 17th century. Its technical perfection, characterized by a well-modelled rendering of the figures and a smooth handling of the brush, dominated the rest of van der Helst oeuvre.
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By Stephen Farrand September 24, 2014 3:18pm
Updated: September 24, 2014 11:48pm Race: UCI Road World Championships
Wiggins wins time trial world championship
British rider unseats Tony Martin in Ponferrada
Women's Team Time Trial
36.15km Ponferrada - Ponferrada
Men's Team Time Trial
57.1km Ponferrada - Ponferrada
Women's Junior Individual Time Trial
Men's Under 23 Individual Time Trial
Men's Junior Individual Time Trial
Women's Elite Individual Time Trial
Men's Elite Individual Time Trial
Women's Junior Road Race
Men's Under 23 Road Race
182km Ponferrada - Ponferrada
Men's Junior Road Race
127.4km Ponferrada - Ponferrada
Women's Elite Road Race
Men's Elite Road Race
Race report / results
2014 world time trial champion Bradley Wiggins
Bradley Wiggins (Great Britain) concentrates on his gold medal winning ride
Vasil Kiryienka (Belarus) full concentrated on his TT performance
Rohan Dennis (Asutralia)
Adriano Malori (Italy)
Bradley Wiggins with Dave Brailsford and the Great Britain staff after claiming the gold medal
Andrew Talanksy (United States)
Jonathan Castroviejo Nicolás (Spain)
Vasil Kiryienka (Belarus)
Jan Barta (Czech Republic)
Tony Martin (Germany) was disappointed to finish in second place
Bradley Wiggins (Great Britain) descending
Tony Martin (Germany)
Tom Dumoulin (Netherlands) on his way to third
Bradley Wiggins (Great Britain) riding to the gold medal
Tom Dumoulin (Netherlands) showed his promise against the clock with third place
A rainbow jersey completes the set for Bradley Wiggins who already has a national title and Olympic gold to his name
Bradley Wiggins (Great Britain) in the rainbow jersey with the gold medal
Svein Tuft (Canada)
Rasmus Quaade (Denmark)
Segundo Navarrete (Ecuador)
Daniil Fominykh (Kazakhstan)
Markel Irizar (Spain)
Reider Bohlin Borgersen (Norway)
Silvan Dillier (Switzerland)
Ramūnas Navardauskas (Lithuania)
Kanstantsin Sivstov (Belarus)
Rohan Dennis (Australia)
Nico Roche (Ireland)
Jérôme Coppel (France)
Winner Anacona (Colombia)
Sylvain Chavanel (France)
Alex Dowsett (Great Britain)
Jesse Sergent (New Zealand)
Tejay van Garderen (United States)
Aleksejs Saramotins (Latvia)
Vegard Breen (Norway)
Nikias Arnd (Germany)
The 2014 Worlds logo
Bradley Wiggins (Great Britain)
Ignatas Konovalovas (Lithuania)
A thumbs up from Bradley Wiggins (Great Britain) after winning the gold medal
Silver medallist Tony Martin (Germany) and rainbow jersey winner Bradley Wiggins (Great Britain)
Bradley Wiggins (Great Britain) kisses his gold medal
Bradley Wiggins (Great Britain) shakes Tony Martin's (Germany) hand on the podium
Tom Dumoulin (Netherlands) shakes Bradley Wiggins' hand on the podium
Tom Dumoulin (Netherlands) conering
Bradley Wiggins (Great Britain) won the 2014 Worlds ITT
The elite men's podium: Tony Martin, Brad Wiggins and Tom Dumoulin
Tom Dumoulin (Netherlands)
Pieter Serry (Belgium)
Kristoff Vandewalle (Belgium)
(Sirotti)
Bradley Wiggins (Great Britain) at the Worlds in 2014
Bradley Wiggins (Great Britain) on his way to gold at the 2014 Worlds
Tony Martin (Germany) rides to silver in the world time trial championships in 2014
Tom Dumoulin (Netherlands) rode to third in the Worlds
Bradley Wiggins (Great Britain) awaits his gold medal at the 2014 Worlds
Tom Dumoulin (Netherlands) rides to bronze in the 2014 worlds
Bradley Wiggins (Great Britain) with the gold medal
Bradley Wiggins (Great Britain) put a halt to Tony Martin's reign as world time trial champion and took his first ever world title in the elite men's event with a perfect ride on the Ponferrada course.
Dennis: I rode a perfect time trial for my ability at the moment
Ellingworth: "It all fell into place" for Wiggins' Worlds
Worlds: Ferrand-Prevot secures the gold medal
Gallery: Best of the Worlds 2014
Wiggins set to unveil his new development team
Wiggins was slower than Martin at the first time split but had the speed and power to gradually carve out a significant lead over the 57.1km course. He set the fastest time at the second time split and then gained more time on the climbs in the final part of the course as he stayed tucked in his aero position and pushed huge power down on the pedals on his Pinarello time trial bike.
He stopped the clock in a time of 56:25.52 to take the rainbow jersey. Martin tried to fight back, pushing his huge 58-tooth chain ring but lost further time on the climb and finished 26 seconds slower. Tom Dumoulin (Netherlands) took the bronze medal, confirming his time trialing talent by finishing 40 seconds slower than Wiggins.
Vasil Kiryienka (Belarus) finished fourth at 47 seconds, with Rohan Dennis (Australia) fifth at 57 seconds. Dennis started fast but faded on the late climbs, which proved decisive in shaping the final result. Andrew Talansky (USA) finished 15th in a time of 58:46, with Tejay van Garderen (USA) was 37th, 3:44 slower than Wiggins. Alex Dowsett (Great Britain) was 20th at 2:35, with Svein Tuft (Canada) 28th at 3:18.
Wiggins said this would be his final time trial world championships before he focuses on the track in the final two years of his career. The 34-year-old Londoner has now has won six world track titles, four Olympic golds medals, a world time trial title and a Tour de France.
He collapsed on the floor after his ride, struggling to understand that he was the new world time trial champion.
“I knew coming into it that I had the legs. I realised once I saw the course that if I was ever going to beat Tony then it would be on a course like this,” Wiggins explained.
“I just went through my routine. I’ve been in this situation so many times in the past and when I know that the condition is there I’m quite relaxed, I know what I have to do on the bike. I knew the difference would be made in the final, on that final loop. I paced it perfectly and still had gas in the final, even on that last descent, I heard that I was 10 seconds up and I was just pushing all the way. I didn’t want to take any risks.”
Wiggins smiled and waved on the podium as he pulled on the rainbow jersey and ended his season on a high. He impressed in the Spring Classics and won the Tour of California but then was overlooked by Team Sky for the Tour de France that started in Britain.
“It’s been an up and down year, I didn’t ride the Tour, so I want to dedicate this to my family because they’ve been there for me all summer and they had to put up with me when I was at home during July. It’s my last world time trial championship and I’ve finished with a gold medal,” he said.
“To add the world title to the British title and the Olympic title means I’ve got the set. Along with the pursuit world titles, it’s fantastic.”
Wiggins confirmed that his next major goal will be the 2015 spring Classics before attacking the Hour Record in the summer.
Rider Name (Country)
1 Bradley Wiggins (Great Britain) 0:56:25.52
2 Tony Martin (Germany) 0:00:26.23
3 Tom Dumoulin (Netherlands) 0:00:40.64
4 Vasil Kiryienka (Belarus) 0:00:47.92
5 Rohan Dennis (Australia) 0:00:57.74
6 Adriano Malori (Italy) 0:01:11.62
7 Nelson Filipe Santos Simoes Oliveira (Portugal) 0:01:21.63
8 Anton Vorobyev (Russian Federation) 0:01:29.66
9 Jan Barta (Czech Republic) 0:01:43.41
10 Jonathan Castroviejo Nicolas (Spain) 0:01:44.20
11 Tiago Machado (Portugal) 0:01:52.37
12 Jesse Sergent (New Zealand) 0:01:57.02
13 Rasmus Christian Quaade (Denmark) 0:02:16.28
14 Artem Ovechkin (Russian Federation) 0:02:18.27
15 Andrew Talansky (United States Of America) 0:02:20.88
16 Maciej Bodnar (Poland) 0:02:22.28
17 Sylvain Chavanel (France) 0:02:28.39
18 Silvan Dillier (Switzerland) 0:02:30.77
19 Tanel Kangert (Estonia) 0:02:32.62
20 Alex Dowsett (Great Britain) 0:02:35.10
21 Alexandr Pliuschin (Republic of Moldova) 0:02:47.90
22 Nikias Arndt (Germany) 0:02:48.60
23 Carlos Ivan Oyarzun Guinez (Chile) 0:02:52.80
24 Kristof Vandewalle (Belgium) 0:03:06.67
25 Jerome Coppel (France) 0:03:08.64
26 Alexsandr Dyachenko (Kazakhstan) 0:03:11.21
27 Riccardo Zoidl (Austria) 0:03:15.71
28 Svein Tuft (Canada) 0:03:18.18
29 Petr Vakoc (Czech Republic) 0:03:18.47
30 Dario Cataldo (Italy) 0:03:25.26
31 Pieter Serry (Belgium) 0:03:30.13
32 Mateusz Taciak (Poland) 0:03:31.78
33 Tobias Ludvigsson (Sweden) 0:03:33.30
34 Markel Irizar Aranburu (Spain) 0:03:39.23
35 Matthias Brandle (Austria) 0:03:39.69
36 Rein Taaramae (Estonia) 0:03:40.36
37 Tejay Van Garderen (United States Of America) 0:03:44.16
38 Daniil Fominykh (Kazakhstan) 0:03:48.05
39 Ignatas Konovalovas (Lithuania) 0:03:49.51
40 Kristijan Koren (Slovenia) 0:03:50.32
41 Nicolas Roche (Ireland) 0:03:50.39
42 Kanstantsin Siutsou (Belarus) 0:03:52.16
43 Andriy Vasylyuk (Ukraine) 0:03:54.96
44 Serghei Tvetcov (Romania) 0:03:56.62
45 Vegard Breen (Norway) 0:04:00.51
46 Winner Anacona Gomez (Colombia) 0:04:01.56
47 Gatis Smukulis (Latvia) 0:04:10.83
48 Lars Teutenberg (Germany) 0:04:12.81
49 Ramunas Navardauskas (Lithuania) 0:04:32.05
50 Aleksejs Saramotins (Latvia) 0:04:33.65
51 Eduardo Sepulveda (Argentina) 0:05:11.23
52 Andrei Nechita (Romania) 0:05:33.44
53 Lasse Norman Hansen (Denmark) 0:05:50.45
54 Reidar Bohlin Borgersen (Norway) 0:05:58.32
55 Zsolt Der (Hungary) 0:06:27.65
56 Matej Mohoric (Slovenia) 0:06:46.48
57 Gabor Fejes (Hungary) 0:06:49.32
58 Oleksandr Golovash (Ukraine) 0:08:05.49
59 Elchin Asadov (Azerbaijan) 0:09:03.77
60 Gustavo Mino (Paraguay) 0:09:46.54
61 Segundo Navarrete (Ecuador) 0:10:48.63
62 Veli Sadiki (Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia) 0:13:37.86
63 Gorgi Popstefanov (Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia) 0:14:33.34
DNF Alexander Gingsjo (Sweden)
Australian impresses en route to fifth in Worlds TT
British road coach analyses Wiggins success and impact on team
Announcement on new track team expected soon
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BIO / CONCEPT
STRETCH MUSIC APPS
CHRISTIANSCOTT.TV
kiel adrian scott
Boasting complimentary gifts has afforded Christian and his twin brother, award-winning writer-director Kiel Adrian Scott, to work on numerous projects together. With the exception of Live at Newport, Kiel has photographed and designed all of Christian’s album art. Christian has also scored all of Kiel’s film projects, which have won several major film festivals, aired on HBO, PBS, CineMAX, BET, Shorts TV, Creative Control and Centric, and was featured at the Cannes Film Festival in its Court Métrage. Of Kiel’s film, The Roe Effect, Academy Award-winning director Jonathan Demme remarked “…exquisitely made, fantastic in every single aspect, the themes are profound, Kiel is an incredibly exciting new American filmmaker. Bravo!”
Kiel returned to the director's chair with Samaria, an award winning short film adaptation of his upcoming feature, Epilogue. Samaria earned Kiel a Directors Guild of America Student Film Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement, the Audience Award for Best Short Film at the Urbanworld Film Festival, and was a finalist in the 2015 Student Academy Awards.
Kiel directed the BET miniseries, The Bobby Brown Story, which will air in 2018.
The Scott brothers’ next collaboration will be Kiel’s feature length film, Epilogue.
www.omniamericanpictures.com
www.kieladrianscott.com
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“We need to reimagine banking”, says BBVA on climate change
One of Spain’s largest banks has called on financial institutions to do more to tackle climate change.
“Banks need to help customers drive sustainable development and transition towards a low-carbon economy”, said Francisco González, BBVA’s Executive Chairman.
“The burden of responsibility that rests on humanity’s shoulders is unprecedented.”
He was speaking at the opening of a forum on sustainable finance, hosted by the bank in Madrid, which was also attended by Spain’s Deputy Prime Minister.
“We need to reimagine banking”, he said, “banks need to redefine their purpose”, seeking to be transformational and making a difference in people’s lives.
BBVA sees the social landscape for financial institutions changing rapidly, precipitated by shifts in what banks are expected to do by investors, governments and the public alike.
These include the landmark Paris climate agreement and the need to support the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals; the latter is estimated to require €6 trillion of investment each year out to 2030.
In response, BBVA has been quick to see an opportunity to corner the growing market in green finance. In March, the bank unveiled its ‘Pledge 2025’, designed to transform its operations to focus more on sustainable finance and the need to combat climate change. The bank, Spain’s second largest, has committed to invest €100 billion in climate projects by 2025 and cut its own carbon emissions by 68 percent.
Speaking at a separate event on sustainable investment earlier this year, BBVA also drew attention to the pressures on the sector to reveal its exposure to the risks posed by climate change.
This work is being led by the new Task Force on climate-related Financial Disclosures, which contains the Governor of the Bank of England and Michael Bloomberg.
Implementing the Taskforce’s recommendations on transparency is “the future of climate disclosure, including for banks, but it is complex”, remarked Antoni Ballabriga, the bank’s global head of responsible business.
Photo: Francisco González speaking in Madrid, 9 May.
Posted In: Finance, Policy
Legal and General Investment bosses warn about climate catastrophe
Worldwide, Finance
9 Sustainable Investing Themes for 2019
Global sustainable investment assets worth $30 trillion in 2018
NN Investment Partners team up with Yale for sustainable finance initiative
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Dr. Garber's Natural Solutions Lends a Hand to Help Victims of Typhoon Haiyan
>PRWEB.COM Newswire
Santa Monica, CA (PRWEB) November 21, 2013
Dr. Garber's Natural Solutions®, a leading provider of effective, condition-specific remedies is committed to helping the Filipinos who were affected by the worlds strongest typhoon ever recorded - Typhoon Haiyan. The Typhoon displaced over 4 million people with over 3,000 confirmed deaths, and thousands still missing.
With assistance only just beginning to arrive in the storm-ravaged Philippines, the country still badly needs our help. On request and with help from our Filipino friend, Christopher Miclat, Dr. Garber's Natural Solutions® launched an Indiegogo crowd funding campaign to help provide emergency shelters in the affected region of the Philippines. The crowd funding campaign is titled Typhoon Haiyan & Dr. Garber's Natural Solutions®. Most of the aid that is coming in is focusing on emergency relief such as food, medicine & water. Unfortunately not a lot seems to focus in providing emergency shelters for the typhoon victims. All monies from this campaign will go to purchase emergency shelters, 10' x 10' tents with side panels
All of these calamities that the Philippines have suffered are a test of how strong and resilient the nation is. Less than a month ago, the same region was also hit by a 7.2 magnitude Earthquake that left the region with major casualties and major damages to the infrastructure and natural wonders.
Funds raised through the Indiegogo campaign will be used to inspire life and strengthen humanity through this initiative. "Join us," Dr. Garber says. "Help fund our Indiegogo campaign and be part of the emerging new wave of growth and transformation that is encouraging each and every individual to join in spreading the word to help our fellow humans.”
Dr. Stuart H. Garber, D.C., was the first person in the United States to receive a Ph.D. degree in homeopathy and has been practicing holistic medicine since 1981. Dr. Garber currently writes a blog on the Huffington Post offering advice on health issues. He has been a trusted ally in this emerging and ever-changing field of alternative holistic medicine. He continues to see patients and conducts research in natural supplements and homeopathic medicine at his Santa Monica offices.
Dr. Garber's Natural Solutions is a unique line of biotherapy formulas that safely and effectively address many of the most common conditions while producing no harmful side effects. The product line includes remedies for anxiety, environmental and seasonal issues, bone strength, constipation, depression, female hormonal balance, joint issues, lung, skin and sleep disorders. These pleasant tasting and easy to use formulas are the first and only to exclusively combine the three biotherapies—gemmotherapy, lithotherapy and organotherapy—in such a way that each unique formula or blend of biotherapies act in synergy to target and relieve a specific condition in a previously unattainable way.
To find out more about "Typhoon Haiyan & Dr. Garber's Natural Solutions®," please visit our website or call us at 1-877-DRGARBERS (1-877-374-2723).
Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2013/11/prweb11358862.htm
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Year: 2000; Race/Ethnicity: All; Income: All; Ordered: alphabetically; Region: 100 Largest MSAs
Non-Hispanic White
Middle-Income
Alphabetical by Metro Area Non-Hispanic White by Poor Non-Hispanic White by Middle-Income Non-Hispanic White by Affluent Hispanic by Poor Hispanic by Middle-Income Hispanic by Affluent Black by Poor Black by Middle-Income Black by Affluent Asian by Poor Asian by Middle-Income Asian by Affluent
Scale Range: 2.0% – 22.2%
1: Akron, OH
Non-Hispanic White Poor 5.8%
Middle-Income 5.4%
Affluent 4.8%
Hispanic Poor 7.3%
Black Poor 8.7%
Asian Poor 7.4%
2: Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY
Hispanic Poor 12.8%
Black Poor 15.1%
Middle-Income 12.2%
3: Albuquerque, NM
4: Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ
5: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA
6: Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC
7: Austin-Round Rock, TX
8: Bakersfield, CA
Non-Hispanic White Poor 11.3%
9: Baltimore-Towson, MD
10: Baton Rouge, LA
11: Birmingham-Hoover, AL
Asian Poor 12.0%
12: Boise City-Nampa, ID
Black Poor –
Middle-Income –
Affluent –
13: Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH
14: Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT
15: Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Tonawanda, NY
Affluent 11.0%
16: Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL
Asian Poor –
17: Charleston-North Charleston, SC
18: Charlotte-Gastonia-Concord, NC-SC
19: Chattanooga, TN-GA
20: Chicago-Naperville-Joliet, IL-IN-WI
21: Cincinnati-Middletown, OH-KY-IN
22: Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor, OH
23: Colorado Springs, CO
24: Columbia, SC
25: Columbus, OH
26: Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
27: Dayton, OH
28: Denver-Aurora, CO
29: Des Moines, IA
30: Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI
31: El Paso, TX
32: Fresno, CA
33: Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI
34: Greensboro-High Point, NC
35: Greenville, SC
36: Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA
37: Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT
38: Honolulu, HI
39: Houston-Baytown-Sugar Land, TX
40: Indianapolis, IN
41: Jackson, MS
Hispanic Poor –
42: Jacksonville, FL
43: Kansas City, MO-KS
44: Knoxville, TN
45: Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL
46: Lancaster, PA
47: Las Vegas-Paradise, NV
48: Little Rock-North Little Rock, AR
49: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, CA
50: Louisville, KY-IN
51: Madison, WI
52: McAllen-Edinburg-Pharr, TX
53: Memphis, TN-MS-AR
54: Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Miami Beach, FL
55: Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI
56: Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI
57: Modesto, CA
58: Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro, TN
59: New Haven-Milford, CT
60: New Orleans-Metairie-Kenner, LA
61: New York-Newark-Edison, NY-NJ-PA
62: Ogden-Clearfield, UT
63: Oklahoma City, OK
64: Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA
65: Orlando, FL
66: Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA
67: Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL
68: Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD
69: Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ
70: Pittsburgh, PA
71: Portland-Vancouver-Beaverton, OR-WA
72: Poughkeepsie-Newburgh-Middletown, NY
73: Providence-New Bedford-Fall River, RI-MA
74: Provo-Orem, UT
75: Raleigh-Cary, NC
76: Richmond, VA
77: Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA
78: Rochester, NY
79: Sacramento-Arden-Arcade-Roseville, CA
80: Salt Lake City, UT
81: San Antonio, TX
82: San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos, CA
83: San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
84: San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
85: Sarasota-Bradenton-Venice, FL
86: Scranton-Wilkes-Barre, PA
87: Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
88: Springfield, MA
89: St. Louis, MO-IL
90: Stockton, CA
91: Syracuse, NY
92: Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
93: Toledo, OH
94: Tucson, AZ
95: Tulsa, OK
96: Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC
97: Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
98: Wichita, KS
99: Worcester, MA
100: Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, OH-PA
Definition: This indicator provides the housing vacancy rate for the average neighborhood in which each racial group lives, for households of different income groups. For instance, if the value is 10% for affluent blacks, this statistic is interpreted as "The average affluent black household in this metro area lives in a neighborhood where the housing vacancy rate is 10%."
Notes: Household income categories are defined as "poor" (income below $30,000 in 1999), "affluent" (income more than $60,000 in 1999), and "middle income" (those falling in between). Excludes metro areas with less than 5,000 population of the specified racial/ethnic group.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2000 Census, Summary File 3 accessed through the Neighborhood Change Database.
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South Americans marvel at total solar eclipse
The diamond ring effect is seen during the total solar eclipse from El Molle, Chile, on July 2, 2019. – Tens of thousands of tourists braced Tuesday for a rare total solar eclipse that was expected to turn day into night along a large swath of Latin America’s southern cone, including much of Chile and Argentina. (Photo by Stan HONDA / AFP)
by Paulina ABRAMOVICH
LA HIGUERA, Chile (AFP) — A rare total solar eclipse plunged a vast swath of Latin America’s southern cone into darkness Tuesday, briefly turning day into night and enthralling huge crowds in much of Chile and Argentina.
Hundreds of thousands of people — including large crowds congregated in La Higuera in Chile, a country that hosts some of the world’s most powerful astronomical telescopes — looked to the skies captivated by the breathtaking spectacle.
Thousands of people on beaches near the Chilean city of La Serena cheered and clapped at the moment when the disc of the Moon closed over the Sun and blocked it out completely for more than two and a half minutes.
“Oh my God, it’s incredible,” shouted some, while others chanted “more, more, more.”
Many remained silent, enchanted and moved by one of nature’s spectacles.
“The truth is that even if one knows what’s going on, it is shocking the minute that the shadow of darkness begins to come and that silence begins,” said astronomer Sonia Duffau.
Total solar eclipses are rare, but what is even rarer about Tuesday’s event is that it occurred directly over an area of the Earth most prepared to witness and study the heavenly bodies.
Chile’s Coquimbo region near the Atacama desert — festooned with some of the planet’s most powerful telescopes — was situated directly on the eclipse’s 100-mile-wide “path of totality.”
“Very seldom has it happened that the whole of an eclipse is seen over an observatory, the last time this happened was in ’91,” said Matias Jones, an astronomer at the landmark La Silla Observatory operated by the European Southern Observatory.
“I don’t believe there’s a better place in the world to see an eclipse than La Silla, because it is very dry, so it is almost certain that the sun will be visible,” said Australian tourist Betsy Clark.
Clark and her family were among thousands who flocked to the craggy peaks around the observatory on Tuesday.
“It was an experience to last several lifetimes,” said Chilean tourist Rene Serey.
An estimated 300,000 tourists had flocked to the region where dryness, crystal-clear air and little light pollution have created a stargazers’ paradise.
Solar eclipses happen when the Sun, the Moon and Earth line up, allowing the Moon to cast its shadow on Earth.
Both Chile and Argentina were situated under the narrow, 6,000-mile long band of Earth that experienced the eclipse.
The eclipse began at 13:01 (17:01 GMT) in the Pacific Ocean, and a 95 mile (150 kilometer)-wide band of total darkness reached Chile’s coast at 4:38 pm (20:38 GMT), before crossing into southeastern Argentina and into the wastes of the South Atlantic.
‘Eyes of humanity’
Chile’s President Sebastian Pinera joined the crowds at La Higuera to witness the eclipse.
“Today is a very important day and one we have waited for so long,” said Pinera.
Pinera said Chile was “the capital of the world in terms of astronomy, we are the eyes and the senses of humanity, being able to look, observe and study the stars and the Universe.”
The observatory and its fleet of powerful telescopes live streamed the event and opened the site to the public, hosting school tours along with talks and workshops.
In the capital Santiago, crowds flocked to downtown parks and squares to witness the event.
Over the border in Argentina, people massed to look into the sky in parks and on tourist trails in the western Cuyo wine-producing region, which had the country’s longest exposure to the eclipse.
However little could be seen in the Argentine capital Buenos Aires, where overcast weather blocked the view.
La Silla was one of the first international observatories to be installed in northern Chile. Today the region has today almost half the world’s astronomical observation capacity.
Scientists and astronomers will use data collected from studying the eclipse to verify some theories and carry out a series of experiments.
“Eclipses are a chance to study the outer part of the atmosphere, which is the corona, since the moon is covering the entire central part of the Sun,” said Jones.
Authorities near Chile’s remote observatories, who had installed a one-way traffic system to cope with the huge crowds, were left with a headache as they prepared to depart.
“The most difficult thing is the return, everything flows to the same place and in that case the infrastructure cannot cope,” Chile’s Public Works Minister Alfredo Moreno told local media.
The next total eclipse will be visible in southern Chile on December 14, 2020.
Six die after plane hits house in Chile
Saudi prince in Argentina as G20 summit tensions brew
Trump says prepared for G20 meeting with China’s Xi
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Veins of the City
Drawn Assignment
Danny R. Lewis
Multimedia Journalist and Illustrator
Horseless Carriage vs. Electric Car
Ideas Abound to Remove Horses From City Streets
Mayor de Blasio wants to ban the use of horse-drawn carriages in Central Park by the end of the year. (Natalie Fertig/WNYC)
This story originally appeared on WNYC Radio.
With Natalie Fertig.
After a campaign in which he promised to ban horse-drawn carriages as one of his first official acts, Mayor Bill de Blasio is now promising to ban them by the end of the year.
The delay hasn’t stopped owners and animal-rights advocates from looking for alternatives.
The largest anti-horse-carriage group, New Yorkers for Clean, Livable and Safe Streets (NYCLASS), has proposed replacing the carriages with antique electric cars. A prototype is scheduled to debut at the New York International Auto Show at the Javits Center this week.
But other groups say the cost of the cars is too high — about $150,000 each, or $11 million to replace all 68 licensed carriages in Manhattan.
Alex and Anita Gerami have developed their own solution: a hybrid carriage. The Geramis are the owners of Chateau Stables on West 48th Street and they believe their carriage idea makes more financial sense — it uses a motor from a golf cart and costs about $10,000.
Anita Gerami believes their horseless carriage could be the compromise the city is waiting for. To see it in action, check out the video below.
Copyright Daniel Lewis, 2014. danny.r.lewis[at]gmail.com
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By: Florida A&M Sports Information
Release:07/12/2019
Sign Up For Free Email Updates
With the assistance of aggressive fundraising efforts and donations from Florida A&M University (FAMU) Direct Support Organizations, alumni and friends of FAMU Athletics, the department has narrowed the gap in a projected budget shortfall for the 2018-2019 fiscal year.
The last internal audit resulted in the reporting of a deficiency of about $300,000. With a concerted effort, Director of Athletics John Eason, Ph.D., announced those expenses have been covered.
“We cannot thank enough the FAMU National Alumni Association, The Rattler Boosters, The 220 Quarterback Club, the National Rattler “F” Club, the FAMU Foundation, Vice President of University Advancement Shawnta Friday-Stroud, Ph.D., and all those who gave in support of this effort,” said Eason.
He added, “FAMU Athletics cannot survive without generous supporters who believe in our student-athletes, and we thank each and every individual who donated to this unified effort to support the Department of Athletics.”
MORE FROM MEN'S GOLF
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Gabrielle Fitzpatrick to Christopher Fulford
Anthony Franciosa Biography (1928-)
Original name, Anthony Papaleo; born October 25, 1928, in New York, NY; son of Anthony (a construction worker) and Jean (a seamstress; maiden name, Franciosa) Papaleo; married Beatrice Bakalyar, 1952 (divorced, 1957); married Shelley Winters, May 5, 1957 (an actress; divorced, 1960); married Judy Balaban, January 1, 1962 (divorced, 1967); married Rita Thiel, 1970; children: (third marriage) Nina; (fourth marriage) Christopher, Marco. Addresses: Contact--567 Tigertail Rd., Los Angeles, CA 90049.
Birth Details
Credits; Film Appearances
Joey Kiely, A Face in the Crowd, Warner Bros., 1957.
This Could Be the Night, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1957.
Polo Pope, A Hatful of Rain, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1957.
Wild in the Wind, Paramount, 1957.
Jody Varner, The Long Hot Summer, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1958.
Goya, Naked Maja, United Artists, 1959.
Sam Lawson, Career Story on Page One (also known as Career), Paramount, 1960.
Nick Stratton, Go Naked in the World, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1960.
Senilita, 1961.
Ralph Baltz, Period of Adjustment, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1962.
Rodriguez, Rio Conchos, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1964.
Vic Rossiter, Assault on a Queen, Paramount, 1966.
A Man Could Get Killed, Universal, 1966.
The Swinger, Paramount, 1966.
Peter Merriweather, A Girl Called Fathom (also known as Fathom), Twentieth Century-Fox, 1967.
Gannon, A Man Called Gannon, Universal, 1968.
Collie, The Sweet Ride, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1968.
Charles, In Enemy Country, Universal, 1968.
Alan Foster, Nella Stretta Morsa del Ragno (also known as Web of the Spider and And Comes the Dawn ... but Colored Red), [Italy], 1970.
Nick D'Salvio, Across 110th Street, United Artists, 1972.
Pierre, Ghost in the Noonday Sun, [Great Britain], 1973.
Detective Broussard, The Drowning Pool, Warner Bros., 1975.
Dr. Felix/Carl Stegner, Firepower, Associated Film Distributors, 1979.
David Cooper, The World Is Full of Married Men, New Line Cinema, 1979.
Ray, Aiutami a Sognare (also known as Help Me Dream), [Italy], 1981.
L.A. police commissioner, Death Wish II, Filmways, 1982.
Peter Neal, Sotto gli Occhi dell'Assassino (also known as Tenebrae, Unsane, and Shadow), 1982.
Harold Wilding, Julie Darling (also known as Daughter of Death and Bad Blood), TAT/Cinequity, 1982.
La Cicala (also known as The Cricket), 1982.
Summer Heat, 1983.
Vic Moretti, Death House, American International Pictures Home Video, 1988.
La Morte e di Moda, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1990.
Angelo Carnevale, Backstreet Dreams, Vidmark, 1990.
Crocker Scott, Double Threat, American International Pictures, 1992.
(As Tony Franciosa) Paul Zapatti, City Hall, Columbia, 1996.
Credits; Television Appearances; Series
(As Tony Franciosa) Valentine Farrow, Valentine's Day, ABC, 1964-65.
Jeff Dillon, The Name of the Game, NBC, 1968-72.
(As Tony Franciosa) Nick Bianco, Search, NBC, 1972-73.
Title role, Matt Helm, ABC, 1975-76.
Host, That's Hollywood, syndicated, 1976.
Cary Maxwell, Finder of Lost Loves, ABC, 1984-85.
Credits; Television Appearances; Miniseries
Alex Budde, The Innocent and the Damned (also known as Aspen), NBC, 1979.
Smokey Stephenson, Wheels, NBC, 1979.
Credits; Television Appearances; Movies
Jeff Dillon, Fame Is the Name of the Game, NBC, 1966.
The Deadly Hunt, CBS, 1971.
Frank Karger, Earth II, ABC, 1971.
The Catcher, NBC, 1972.
Nick Bianco, Probe, 1972.
Title role, Matt Helm, ABC, 1975.
Hide and Go Seek, 1975.
The Catcher, 1976.
Curse of the Black Widow, ABC, 1977.
This Is the Week That Was, 1977.
Side Show, NBC, 1981.
Till Death Do Us Part, 1983.
(As Tony Franciosa) Gatewood, Stagecoach, CBS, 1986.
Lou Di Luca, Blood Vows: The Story of a Mafia Wife, NBC, 1987.
Vincent Carbone, Ghost Writer, syndicated, 1990.
Credits; Television Appearances; Episodic
"The Arena," Goodyear Playhouse, NBC, 1954.
"It Might Happen Tomorrow," Studio One, CBS, 1955.
"Country Fair Time," Goodyear Playhouse, NBC, 1956.
"Heaven Can Wait," The Du Pont Show of the Month, CBS, 1960.
"Charlie's Dust," The Dick Powell Show, NBC, 1963.
"The Shark," The Du Pont Show of the Month, NBC, 1963.
"One, Two, Three Rita Rakahowski," Naked City, ABC, 1963.
"Call It a Lifetime," Arrest and Trial, ABC, 1963.
"Last Summer We Didn't Get Away," Breaking Point, ABC, 1963.
"An Echo of Faded Velvet," Greatest Show on Earth, ABC, 1963.
"A Case of Armed Robbery," Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theater, NBC, 1964.
"The Shiloh Years," The Virginian, NBC, 1970.
"Follow the Leader," The Men from Shiloh, NBC, 1970.
"The French Connection," Masquerade, ABC, 1984.
"Pressure Points," Hotel, ABC, 1986.
"I Guess I'll Have to Change My Plans," Jake and the Fatman, CBS, 1988.
Morris Conrad, "The 13th Floor," Alfred Hitchcock Presents, USA Network,1988.
Sergio Alfano, Dellaventura, CBS, 1997.
Credits; Television Appearances; Specials
"The Cradle Song," Hallmark Hall of Fame, NBC, 1956.
This Was the West That Was, NBC, 1974.
The Love Boat Fall Preview Party, ABC, 1984.
Night of 100 Stars II (also known as Night of One Hundred Stars), ABC, 1985.
Anthony Quinn, Cinemax, 1990.
Credits; Stage Appearances
End As a Man, Broadway production, 1953.
Wedding Breakfast, Broadway production, 1954-55.
A Hatful of Rain, Broadway production, 1955-56.
Night of 100 Stars II (also known as Night of One Hundred Stars), Broadway production, 1985.
Credits; Major Tours
Doctor Otternschlag, Grand Hotel, U.S. cities, 1990-91.
Further Reference
Periodicals:
People Weekly, March 18, 1996, p. 73.
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When your partner misses the birth
Feb 8 2016 at 2:27 PM
There are ways for new dads to make up for missing out on the big moment. Photo: Cultura RM/Jade Brookbank
Every year, Hayley's husband Rob takes their daughter Lily on a camping trip.
But when Hayley was pregnant with their second child, Rob hesitated about leaving his wife alone while he headed to the bush.
Hayley, on the other hand, was insistent they go.
"I was so looking forward to a quiet weekend before the baby arrived," she says.
Although Hayley was 36 weeks pregnant at the time, she wasn't concerned. She had a C-section booked for three weeks' time and no indication the baby would come early.
Rob and Lily waved goodbye to Hayley on a Friday morning, and Hayley settled in for some much needed relaxation.
On Friday evening, Hayley had some back pain. "At first I didn't really think too much of it," she says.
As the pain intensified, she grew more worried.
Once she realised she was actually in labour, Hayley rang her parents. Her parents called her an ambulance and also phoned Rob.
When Rob found out what was happening, he woke Lily and started driving home.
Meanwhile, as the ambulance arrived at Hayley's house, the officers whisked her away so quickly she didn't even have time to grab her hospital bag. It wasn't until later that she realised she didn't even have her shoes, or camera, with her either.
Once in hospital, Hayley was taken straight to theatre for an emergency caesarean, necessary due to a pre-existing medical condition.
While Hayley wanted to wait for Rob to return before starting the operation, the doctors insisted she needed the C-section immediately.
Hayley was delighted that her baby boy, Jack, arrived safely, but was also upset that Rob wasn't there.
"It's such a sad thing that my husband was not at the birth of his son," she says.
Rob's not the only father who's missed his baby's birth. Just last week, an American army captain was unable to attend the birth of his quadruplets.
Captain Anthony Burch from Illinois was away on deployment in South Korea when his wife, Mary Pat, gave birth to the couple's four babies.
While Captain Burch wasn't there in person, technology allowed him to see his babies' arrival via a video call on FaceTime.
He told ABC News: "Once we figured out I wasn't going to be back in time I was just grateful to be able to witness firsthand that they were healthy and safe and that my wife was healthy and safe."
He described the video call as "perfect timing" as he watched in awe as his three sons, Henry, Nathaniel and Samuel, and his daughter, Molly, made their grand entrance.
In fact, his wife Mary Pat noted, "[He] got to see the babies before I did, even though I was right there in the room."
Midwife Amanda Bude says it's not that common for partners to miss their baby's birth, but still recommends having a 'contingency plan'.
She advises having a second and third 'back-up' person in case you go into labour while your partner's away. The back-up person can be a close friend, family member, doula or midwife.
That person should know what to bring to hospital if the time comes, and what you would like them to do during the birth (either be there and take videos or photos, or wait outside). Your support person should also know your birth plans.
If you go into labour while your partner's away, Bude says, "The best thing you can do is to try and stay calm, call your back-up person, call 000, focus and breathe."
While Bude admits attending the birth is important, she reassures there are lots of ways dads can be involved in newborn care if they missed out on the big moment.
Once they're with their bub, this can include having lots of skin-to-skin contact, singing and reading to them, and learning baby massage.
Naturally, Rob would have loved to have been at Jack's birth. However, he has since put a positive spin on the story.
As Hayley explains, "He jokes that his son is so clever, he didn't even need his dad to arrive at his birth!"
You can follow Evelyn on Twitter.
I said I was doing fine after I gave birth - I was lying
The case for inducing at 37 weeks
Twin born first is officially younger than twin born second
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A pivotal “aha” moment put Sally Ride on a path that would send her into space
Thirty years ago this summer, Sally Ride became the first American woman to travel into space. As she prepared for the flight, she fielded some bizarre questions from reporters. Would she wear make up while on the mission? Would she wear a bra under her NASA uniform? Did she ever cry at work? Whew, I’m grateful that the view of women at work has changed, and that Sally took steps to break down the barriers for us!
Sally was still a student when a comment by her father sparked a pivotal “aha” moment that put her on a path to space, even though it would be years before the thought of becoming an astronaut even crossed her mind. She described her AHA! and its impact on her life in a 2002 book of transformational stories collected by Marlo Thomas titled The Right Words at the Right Time.
Teenaged Sally had come home from high school one day feeling blue. It wasn’t because kids were picking on her. They weren’t. The problem was her friends. Sally saw how smart they were and was convinced she’d never measure up.
Sally didn’t say anything to her father about her insecure feelings, but somehow he knew. “You’ve got to reach for the stars,” he told her that evening. He had always cheered her on and encouraged her to have big aspirations. But for some reason those words that night sparked a profound realization for Sally. Suddenly she saw how important it was to believe in herself, to set her goals high, and to work relentlessly to achieve them.
After her insight, Sally focused on becoming a professional tennis player. She loved the sport and was already playing on the U.S. junior circuit. She gave tennis everything she had but eventually saw that it wasn’t her path to the top.
Sally went back to college. She was close to earning a Ph.D. in astrophysics and was beginning to think about life after school when she noticed a NASA ad in the student newspaper. The agency had just opened the door for women to become astronauts. The rest, as they say, is history.
AHA! Tip: Hear what the VIPs (Very Important People) in your life are saying. Their words might spark a moment of clarity that will stay with you and change the course of your life.
Would you like to learn what you can do — the steps you can take — to prime yourself for life-changing insights like the one that Sally and so many others have experienced? The AHA! Handbook: How to spark the insights that will transform your life and career draws from more than a decade of research and describes the steps you can take now to generate powerful and life-altering realizations in your life and career.
A Little Boy’s Fears Sparked a Pivotal AHA! for Bridgette Laird, CEO of Wings for Kids
Bridgette Laird was working as an after-school counselor at Wings for Kids, a program that teaches kids the social and emotional skills they will need to be successful in life. When wupoint.fr she got engaged, she couldn’t wait to share the new with the kids. They were all very excited for her, except one little boy. Instead of being excited,he was afraid for her. His reaction to the news sparked an “aha” moment that defined Bridgette’s career path.
AHA! trigger for Bridgette: Understand the perspective of others
An AHA! Can Point You Toward the Perfect Career — The Story of Steve Call
“What do I want to be when I grow up?” That sure can be a difficult question to answer. Steve Call was a senior in college when an “aha” moment answered the question for him. You can read Steve’s story at this link. And as a total tangent, check out this fun video of Steve and the members of his jazz band playing an impromptu concert for a herd of cows.
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Is NATO taken in by Washington?
by Su Huimin
On the surface it appears the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has been penetrating Central Asia in recent years. However, the real "penetrator" is not NATO but rather the United States.
A geographic corridor linking Asia and Europe, Central Asia and Caucasia is the region's main thoroughfare. This demonstrates clearly the strategic importance of the area. More importantly, Central Asia and Caucasia occupy the "soft underbelly" of the former Soviet Union, the main Cold War rival of the US, and they border the Middle East, Washington's key strategic target, and neighbouring the emerging China and India.
Strategically, Washington's all-out penetration into this region conforms to its four goals.
First, pushing forward into the area under the "NATO" banner the US can lead Europe by the nose and force its European allies to go beyond Europe and expand their service to US global interests.
Second, the US can extend its political influence and military presence into the territory of the former Soviet Union and establish military bases at the frontier of Russia so as to further reduce Russia's strategic space.
Third, it can contain Russia from the west and southwest to prevent Russia from staging a comeback some day to challenge the hegemonic status of the US.
Fourth, it can gain a toehold in the hinterland of Asia, which can both ensure US domination of the area and expand its influence to the Middle East, South Asia and the western border of China.
It is apparent that penetration into Central Asia and Caucasia is part of the US global strategy. In fact, regardless of dismembering the former Yugoslavia on the excuse of "ethnic problems," occupying Afghanistan in the name of hunting down terrorist Osama bin Laden, and waging war against Iraq on the groundless pretext that Saddam was stockpiling "weapons of mass destruction," the real purpose behind the US actions is to seize the key belt from the Balkans to the Middle East, Central Asia and Caucasia.
By taking advantage of its status as the world's only superpower, America is plotting to lay the foundation for absolute hegemonic status in the 21st century. Grabbing strategic resources, in particular oil and gas resources, is another reason for the US to covet this area. According to a German publication, 70 % of the world's oil and gas resources is concentrated at the belt from West Siberia to the Middle East via the Caspian Sea.
The most vigorous economies in the world, namely, the US, Europe Union, East Asia and Southeast Asia have differing degrees of dependency on the Gulf resources. In 2001, the US imported 2.78 mm bpd of crude oil from the Gulf region, which was 23.9 % of its daily import. Europe imported 3.35 mm bpd, which was 30.7 % of its daily import. East Asia and Southeast Asia imported 11.31 mm barrels of crude oil from that region every day, which was 72.6 % of its daily import.
Hence, if the US controls the oil and gas resources of this region, it controls the "energy gate" of Europe and in particular East Asia and Southeast Asia, which means that the US controls the "nervous centralis" of the world economy.
History has proved that many bloody wars have broken out in the Middle East for seizing the oil resources. There also exists such a danger that the oil and gas resources of Central Asia could become a factor igniting conflicts or triggering struggle between superpowers.
NATO's activities in Central Asia and its neighbouring area are being carried out to help push the US agenda. So far, with the name of "peaceful partnership" initiated by the US, NATO has established contacts with Central Asian nations.
According to the interpretation of the NATO, the purpose of promoting "peaceful partnership" is to strengthen the political relations between member nations and provide them a platform for participating in the NATO's political and military activities, which, in fact, is the attempt by the US to win over periphery alliances and expand its sphere of influence.
The US,through the eastward expansion of NATO, has gradually pushed its military front from the Baltic Sea to Central and Eastern Europe and then to the region near the heart of Russia. In the region of the Balkans and Southern Europe, Russia's ex-allies have already come under the banner of the US. Recently, even Finland, which claims neutralism as its principle, indicated its intention to join NATO.
In this way, from the north to the south, the US has already tightly contained Russia. Caucasia and the eight Central Asian nations used to be a part of the former Soviet Union and is now the "backyard" of Russia, into which the US had no chance to penetrate before. However, in the recent years, under the banner of "combating terrorism," the US has greatly enhanced its political, economic and, in particular, military presence in that area, which is obviously a war of competition against Russia. Georgia can be viewed as a reflection of the competition between the US and Russia in that area.
Prior to the 1990s, Georgia was in fact a part of Russia. Nevertheless, the Americans have exerted increasing influence in this country. According to the US-Georgia Military Agreement reached in March 2003, the Americans can enter Georgia even without a visa or any travel documents and the US army can use Georgia's military facilities according to their own needs.
There are two different opinions in Russia with regard to the US presence in Georgia. One of them regards that the US has no intention of remaining in Georgia for long and that Central Asia will join NATO as the traditional sphere of influence of Russia so that it will play a role as a "petite partner" in Central Asia as Russia plays in the new world structure.
The other opinion considers that Russia should be wary of the US. They realize that by attempting to transform former Soviet republics into "unsinkable aircraft carriers," the US presence in Central Asia could have great impact upon Russia.
The author is a researcher with the Chinese Institute of International Studies.
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Today's Cannon: Community, Unions, & Recidivism
The Gilmer Mirror
Sep 11, 2018 | 426 views | 0 | 1 | |
Connecting today’s news with the research and opinion you need from TPPF experts.
What to Know: Today is the anniversary of the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. In the aftermath of the disaster, Americans came together.
“In one way, the disaster of 9/11 did something magnificent: It united the states. We weren’t Democrats or Republicans,” reads a moving editorial in the Coeur d’Alene Press. “We weren’t white or black or Hispanic. We weren’t old or young, rich or poor, North or South, brilliant or stupid. We were Americans, and for a time, we pulled together. We leaned on one another, propped each other up, dispensed hugs and accepted them gratefully. That’s something the terrorists, who had no idea their attack would be so crippling, never counted on.”
The TPPF Take: As the editorial notes, Americans should work to rebuild our fractured civil life -- even without such a tragedy to bring us together.
“Americans have always disagreed, but the current polarization feels extreme – and troubling – to many of us,” says TPPF’s Kevin Roberts. “As we remember everything and everyone we lost in the 9/11 attacks, let’s also remember the sense of community we felt in the aftermath. We can and must regain that.”
For more on the role of community in American public life, listen to The Foundation Podcast.
What to Know: Alongside calls for higher minimum wages, there are increasing calls for more unions, even in right-to-work states such as Texas.
“In most occupations, union membership translates into higher pay,” writes business columnist Mitchell Schmurman in the Dallas Morning News. “Union workers are more likely to be offered medical coverage, retirement plans, life insurance and paid sick days. They often have more job security, thanks to seniority rules and outsourcing restrictions. The rub is that union jobs are relatively rare, especially in Texas. Fewer than 5 percent of workers in the state are union members, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Nationwide, the union rate is twice as high. And it’s higher still in many states, including New York, California, Illinois and Ohio. Union opponents are quick to note that those states often lag in job growth while low-union states are big job creators.”
The TPPF Take: Texas’ status as the job creation engine of the U.S. is in part due to it being a right-to-work state.
“Union dominance of a labor market comes at a cost, and that cost is fewer jobs and fewer opportunities for Americans,” says TPPF’s Bill Peacock. “Texas lawmakers should take the next step, which is ending government collection of union dues for public sector employees.”
For more on unions, click here.
What to Know: In Michigan, former inmates don’t have to check a box on occupational licensing forms stating they’ve been convicted of a felony. This should boost their chances of finding jobs.
“The state of Michigan is no longer asking for job applicants seeking certain occupational licenses to check a box saying they have been convicted of a felony,” reports 9 & 10 News of Cadillac, Michigan. “Gov. Rick Snyder announced Friday that the Dept. of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs has removed the box from occupational and construction code licensing applications.”
The TPPF Take: Michigan is making it easier for ex-offenders to stay out of prison.
“By making it easier for otherwise qualified people to obtain an occupational license even if they made a mistake in their past, Michigan will not only be more prosperous but also safer since we know that employment is one factor in reducing recidivism,” says TPPF’s Marc Levin.
For more on occupational licensing and recidivism, click here.
Copyright © 2018 Texas Public Policy Foundation - Press, All rights reserved.
Copyright 2019 The Gilmer Mirror. All rights reserved.
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Date: Fri, 31 Jul 98 23:40:25 CDT
From: rich@pencil.math.missouri.edu (Rich Winkel)
Organization: PACH
Subject: CHILE: Courts Biased Against Women, NGOs Say
Message-ID: <bulk.29965.19980802001606@chumbly.math.missouri.edu>
/** ips.english: 452.0 **/
** Topic: RIGHTS-CHILE: Courts Biased Against Women, NGOs Say **
** Written 4:12 PM Jul 26, 1998 by newsdesk in cdp:ips.english **
Copyright 1998 InterPress Service, all rights reserved.
Worldwide distribution via the APC networks.
Courts Biased Against Women, NGOs Say
By Lilian Flores, IPS,
SANTIAGO, Jul 23 (IPS) - When Juana Candia was raped as a teenager by the man she was later forced to marry, that set of a chain of events culminating in her being sentenced to 15 years in jail for killing her abusive husband in self-defence.
Her case is among those dealt with in the recently published report of the first Tribunal on the Rights of Women, organized by non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and which highlights the discrimination women face at the hands of Chile's justice system.
The report is a collection of the presentations, arguments and court rulings made in the four cases analysed in the Tribunal, which took place in December 1997 and whose main theme was the overt discrimination that the defendants suffered during the proceedings.
Candia's case captured the most attention. She became pregnant after being raped at the age of 15, so her family forced her to marry the man who raped her in order to "cleanse the honour of the family". Under Chilean law, a rapist who marries his victim is exempt from standing trial for the crime.
After that, the 31-year-old peasant woman endured several years of continuous abuse, which claimed the life of their child, but her family, the health care providers who treated her after the beatings, and the police all remained indifferent to her plight.
Candia killed her husband when he subjected her and their remaining children to yet another bout of violence. Without taking into account the abuse she had suffered, a court sentenced her to 15 years in jail, later reduced to 10 years, in addition to the payment of damages to her late husband's family.
The discrimination Candia suffered drew widespread public attention. Women's organisations launched a campaign against it and, at the end of last year, the Tribunal on the Rights of Chilean Women analysed her case, following which she was pardoned by presidential decree in January 1998.
The director of the non-governmental Women's Institute, Nuria Nunez, said that interest in holding the tribunal emerged after the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995, during which countless cases of discrimination were aired.
The Institute looked for cases in which women of different ages and social backgrounds had been subjected to discriminatory court rulings without the possibility of appeal. Besides the case of Juana Candia, which had to do with domestic and sexual violence, the women looked for others related to social security, reproductive health and rights, and education.
In one case, a woman was not allowed to renew her private health insurance policy because she was pregnant. This is something very common among working women who, although they belong to the social security system, do not receive benefits if they are pregnant.
Another case was that of a married, low-income, woman who, after undergoing a colostomy, had her contraceptive IUD removed. She was advised not to become pregnant because that would put her life at risk, but was not offered any other method of contraception. As a result, after eight months of sexual abstinence, the woman became pregnant.
Since her doctors had warned her against pregnancy, she underwent an illegal abortion, as a result of which her reproductive system suffered irreparable damage and she received a three-year jail sentence.
Chile is one of fourteen countries where therapeutic abortions are illegal. The others include Burkina Faso, Egypt, Haiti, the Philippines, Iran, the Democratic Republic of Congo (former Zaire) and Somalia.
The fourth case was that of a teenager who, upon becoming pregnant, was expelled from her denominational school on the grounds that she was a "bad example". Despite a protection order filed by her parents, the girl was not readmitted to the school.
Lidia Casas, one of the Tribunal's organisers, argued that a significant point about the cases presented at the Tribunal was that they all had to do with the concept of motherhood. "These are four situations in which women were exposed to discrimination solely because they are women," she said.
Nuria Nunez pointed out that there was a discrepancy between public discourse, which claims to value maternity, and social practice, which turns pregancy into a factor for discrimination and violence.
"In our opinion, there is an official discourse in Chile that talks about motherhood and encourages that traditional role for women," she said. "In reality, however, pregnant women face a series of problems that have nothing to do with the fictitious image which is being sold."
Despite its symbolic character, the Tribunal highlighted the fact that Chile has discriminatory laws, and lacks norms that reflect the principle of non-discrimination. The public interest it generated showed that there is increasing space for ensuring respect for the rights of women, including freedom from discrimination.
Paulina Marfull, a journalist who writes for the 'Woman to Woman' supplement of the newspaper La Tercera, said that one of the main challenges for the media was to take on sexual violence and discrimination without any embarrassment. "In Chile, it is fashionable to be conservative, both in morals and in religion," she said. "We have to be able to address those problems properly, without losing our objectivity."
According to Marfull, the importance of publicising the cases presented at the Tribunal lies in the fact that it demonstrates not only to women, but to everyone who suffers discrimination, that they are not alone, and that their situation does not depend on some unchanging destiny.
In order to consolidate the space opened up by the tribunal, the Women's Institute has launched an awareness campaign called 'Zero Tolerance of Sexual Violence against Women'.
The Women's Institute emphasizes that sexual violence against women should be seen in the context of cultural practices that place men in situations of power over the lives and dignity of women, girls and boys.
As part of its campaign, the Institute is promoting a series of legislative reforms, including the formulation of a clear description of the types of conduct that constitute sexual violence, a definition of marital rape as a crime, and the elimination of terms like "maiden" and "woman of ill repute" from Chile's legislation.
(END/IPS/lfg/mj/hd/ea/kb/98)
Origin: ROMAWAS/RIGHTS-CHILE/
[c] 1998, InterPress Third World News Agency (IPS)
May not be reproduced, reprinted or posted to any system or service outside of the APC networks, without specific permission from IPS. This limitation includes distribution via Usenet News, bulletin board systems, mailing lists, print media and broadcast. For information about cross- posting, send a message to <online@ips.org>. For information about print or broadcast reproduction please contact the IPS coordinator at <online@ips.org>.
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FROM THE MAGAZINE: Road rules drive cargoes on to rail - Europe
FROM THE MAGAZINE: Road rules drive cargoes on to rail
Germany is seeing more project cargoes switching to rail as road regulations are more strictly enforced, while in Russia the sheer distances involved ensure the economic advantages of rail, writes Yvonne Mulder.
Using rail for the transport of heavy and outsize cargo is gaining more support in Germany, both from customers and from the authorities, according to Thomas Hoffman, coordinator worldwide transport and projects at Kübler Spedition.
“DB Net Infrastructure (the state railway) is willing to keep certain networks open for transformer transport,” he explained. “If the lights go out, we really need to get there.
“There are seven or eight rail routes crossing Germany, north-south and east-west, which are kept open for heavy transport. And, if we need to go beyond that network we can, for instance, use a 32-axle railcar to get over the bridge.”
More stringent regulations
He said that regulations are becoming more stringent and obtaining a permit for road transport is harder than before. “If a movement is over 250 km, you have to tick a box to say it is not possible to do it by rail or water. In the past, the box was ticked, but it was not really checked. More authorities are stricter about awarding permits now.”
The company finds that its trimodal (rail, road, water) hub at Mannheim is proving a good investment as it offers flexibility. The company has worked with the railways to improve the movement of commercial engines built buy MAN from Augsburg to Mannheim.
“At first, we were looking at having to timetable one shipment over three or four weekends. We told them there was a possibility to do it every week and now we are able to leave on Friday and arrive on the Monday. So every week we carry engines for ships or power stations to Mannheim and then transfer it on to barges for shipment to Rotterdam and around the world,” said Hoffman.
For St Petersburg-based Modul, using railways for heavy lift and project cargo transport over long distances (more than 2,000 km) is much more “economically favourable” than using road, said Max Smirnov, head of project cargo group. “Plus, some regions of the Russian North and Far East – which are the main destinations in the gas and oil sector – can only be reached by rail due to weather conditions and poor road quality.”
Some regions of the Russian North and Far East – which are the main destinations in the gas and oil sector – can only be reached by rail due to weather conditions and poor road quality.
- Max Smirnov, head of project cargo at Modul.
Wind power growth
He explained that although the majority of large projects in the European part of the country have been suspended, business is growing in other areas, including the delivery of wind power generating equipment to the south and Volga regions of Russia. Other cargoes include parts for the modernisation of refineries, oil and chemical plants.
Modul’s most recent projects include the transportation of gas turbines for Rosneft’s VNKhK project; delivery of passenger bridges to Moscow, Sa mara and the Russian South airports (including a project cargo shipment over the Northern Sea Route); as well as the supply of rail wagons and equipment to Cuba.
Vladimir Rodygin, Modul’s chief technologist, said: “There has been a huge step up in Russian heat and power plants, with hydroelectric generation and nuclear power station modernisation on its way as well.” Most of the businesses is domestic due to the economic sanctions imposed on Russia by the USA. Nonetheless, he said that volumes of project cargo shipments, mainly to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, are on the rise.
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History Annex
The History of The Oil Well Pumpjack
The Pumpjack
The overground drive for a countering piston in an oil rig, a pumpjack is used to automatically lift oil out of the well if insufficient bottom-hole pressure exists for the liquid to course all the way to the surface. Pumpjacks have been pumping oil for decades, and although some differences of opinion prevail as to the history of the oil well pumpjack, its construction can be approximated to the 1850’s. However, the pumpjack didn’t enter the fray until almost seventy years later.
Article Sponsored By Investing In Oil Wells…
The History Of The Lawn Mower
Lawn Mowing History
A lawn mower is a simple machine that utilizes revolving blades to cut grass surfaces to even heights. The machine blades are powered by manual force, battery or plug-in an electric motor. Lawn mowers come in several types depending on the purpose or particular scale.
This article is sponsored by Lawn Care Grapevine TX
The History of the Calculator
Calculator History
Calculators are electronic devices used to do various mathematical computations. Their computing power differs with their internal makeup and design. Some can handle more complex calculations than others despite the fact that all trace a common origin. This makes a foundation of their evolution.
Article Sponsored by CPA Frisco, TX…
The History of Pressure Washing
Pressure Washing History
Pressure washing is one of the best ways of refreshing and renewing a property’s appearance.
Article Sponsored by Commercial Power Washing San Antonio
Pressure washing is the process of removing dirt and dirt from your home’s roof and edges and many other surfaces. Whether it is the exterior walls, the shed, the patio, the corridor, or a similar surface, when the dirt and dirt in your house or have accumulated, the aesthetic value of your home diminishes. So understanding this process and the history of pressure washing is very vital because it will help you appreciate the importance of pressure washing.…
The History Of Fence Stain
Staining History
Staining is one of the most popular ways of renewing and embellishing wooden fences, but that’s not all – this process can be the best thing you will do for your fence in the long run, for it has many benefits over the standard painting. The most obvious ones are that it won’t chip, it lasts longer, takes less time and will be protected better when it comes to bad weather. Without going into too many details, let’s take a look at the brief history of fence staining.
Aticle Sponsored by: Fence Staining Frisco…
The History of the Electrical Breaker
Humanity’s most popular and reliable source of power over the last 100 years is electricity. During this period, worldwide demand has tripled and quadrupled with electricity availability and access cited as a major determinant of Gross Domestic Product across countries. With rising demand, reliable infrastructure for the production and distribution of electricity within and beyond countries has been a great challenge. As the saying goes, the necessity or challenge of what is technically known as short circuits or power overload inspired, as early as 1879, the invention of the Electrical Breaker, popularly known as the circuit breaker.
Sponsored by Electrician Fort Worth and Electrician Denton…
Way back in the early 1960s, a talented team of programmers led by Steve Russell developed the world’s first video game known as Spacewar. Much has changed, however, the fundamental of what makes a good video game is still the same now as it were back then.
Of course, as it ran on a DEC PDP-1 computer, not many people got to play Spacewar. For most people, their first introduction to the world of video games was Space Invaders, which was introduced in 1978.
Space invaders were designed and developed by Toshihiro Nishikado, while he was working for the Japanese company Taito Corporation. Although Space Invaders was a simple game …
The History of The Backstroke
Swimming The Backstroke
We all know what the backstroke is, but let’s learn a little more about this swimming style. The English dictionary will give you two distinct meanings but today we will be diving into the swimming-related definition. The backstroke is a swimming style swum using the back when the swimmer is lying flat on the back while the arms are stretched above your head and the legs stretched backward. One of its key advantages as a swimming style is that a swimmer can breathe easily while facing upwards away from the water and a key disadvantage is that one can not be able to see where he or …
The History of Shaving
Razor Sharp History
Shaving is one of those customs that is taken for granted despite having a very rich and varied history. Since the earliest days of human existence, humans have always strived to reduce the amount of body hair that they had. This guide will chart the important periods in the history of shaving from the caveman era to modern day shaving apparatus.…
The History of Landscaping
The Art Of Landscaping
The landscape design has always been regarded as a sign of modern elegance, becoming more and more prestigious and popular. Undoubtedly, human love of nature remained unchanged for centuries. Nature has always remained an inexhaustible source of the vital forces of the inspiration.…
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SAFETY MANAGEMENT OVERSEAS
Safety Management Overseas is a shipping entity associated with the Vassos P. Hajioannou family, the founder of Alassia Steamship Co. Ltd.
Vassos P. Hajioannou was born in 1933 in Pedoulas, a village on Mount Troodos in Cyprus and was one of the twelve children of Pelopidas and Maritsa Hajioannou. The family’s financial means were extremely limited, therefore Vassos in 1953, at the early age of 20, immigrated to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in order to assist his older brother Lucas, who had already settled there, working as a shipping agent and dealer.
After many efforts and despite adversities, the business of the Hajioannou brothers grew considerably, gaining the respect of the local maritime community. Due to the nature of their work and the constant contact with the masters of vessels under their agency – mostly of Greek interests – the Hajioannou brothers accumulated knowledge and experience about the operation of shipping enterprises. This proved highly valuable when they decided to become shipowners some years later.
Vassos Hajioannou remained in Saudi Arabia until 1962, when one of the younger Hajioannou brothers took over the family business. Lucas Hajioannou had moved to London in 1959, after getting married a year earlier. Upon moving to London, Lucas acquired the first family vessel, a 1942-built cargo steamship that was named NEDI after his wife, while its management was undertaken by the Tharros office of the Aristides Xylas family. Vassos Hajioannou, who was by then mainly dealing with the chartering of ships, acquired a minority stake on the NEDI, as well as in all other vessels that were subsequently bought by his brother. In 1961, Lucas established in London Troodos Shipping. The partnership between the two brothers continued until 1969, when Lucas and Vassos decided to part on amicable terms, as their families had grown considerably – Vassos had also got married in 1963 his compatriot Stalo, who had given birth to three of the couple’s five children.
Alassia Steamship Co. Ltd., the company established by Vassos Hajioannou, began operations in May 1969 from its office in the City of London. Initially it managed two cargo sister ships acquired in 1968, the 1936-built PELOPIDAS 2 and the 1937-built MARITSA 2. Later that year, the 1939-built ELENI and KANARIS joined the fleet. All vessels were placed under the Cyprus flag and were registered in Famagusta. During that period, the Cyprus registry was growing rapidly thanks to the support of several Greek shipowners, having a significant impact in the country’s economy.
Hajioannou continued expanding the Alassia fleet, acquiring in 1970 two more dry cargo ships, which were also placed under the flag of Cyprus, the STALO and the STELIOS, built in 1953 and 1955 respectively. A milestone in the company’s development was the acquisition in 1972 of four dry cargo ships from the British company King Line, two built in 1952, one in 1953 and one in 1957. These vessels joined the fleet as the ELLI 2, the KANARIS, the TOULLA and the ELENI 2, respectively, all under the Cyprus flag. The timing proved ideal, as it coincided with a surge in freight rates. As a result, Alassia’s balance sheet improved dramatically within a short period of time.
A year earlier, Vassos Hajioannou had relocated to Greece, establishing offices in Piraeus, which was rapidly becoming an important maritime hub. As part of his relocation he commissioned the construction of an office building to house Alassia’s operations, as well as other companies.
The Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974 shook Hajioannou, who decided to offer land plots that he owned in Nicosia, for the setting up of refugee camps. He also donated a significant amount – disproportionately large for his financial status – to support his fellow countrymen. At the same time, all Alassia vessels were maintained under the Cyprus flag, at a time when the growth momentum of the Cyprus registry was reversed, due to the developments in the country.
Unlike his brother Lucas, who was mainly active in the tanker sector, Vassos was relatively restrained as far as his shipping investments were concerned, acquiring exclusively dry cargo ships. In 1973, he bought his first bulk carrier, a 5-year-old 40,000-dwt vessel. The STALO 2, as the ship was named, was acquired for $11 million, an unusually high price for the time’s standards, which nevertheless reflected the booming freight market. The vessel was fixed for two years to a Chinese charterer, but at the time of redelivery the market had plummeted. Vassos Hajioannou faced an extremely difficult situation, having to repay a substantial loan, which was not in line with prevailing market conditions.
Nonetheless, thanks to his ingenuity, he managed to overcome this hardship. At the time, Saudi Arabia was experiencing a construction boom. Hajioannou turned to old acquaintances from his Jeddah years and managed to close a deal for the supply of about 3 million tons of cement. Combining transport and trading, he was buying cement and was supplying it to the Saudis with his own ships, thus overcoming the crisis at a profit. He often said that this deal was the result of the reputation and contacts he had built while working in Saudi Arabia and that he always made sure to maintain his reputation at any cost.
Hajioannou followed that principle when he was forced to cancel four newbuilding orders, placed in 1976 at British and Japanese shipyards. In order to avoid exchange rate risk, he had bought in advance pound sterling and Japanese yen, as the four orders were placed in local currencies. Even though he lost the deposits he had paid for the four vessels – as per the terms of the contracts – the gain from not getting delivery of overvalued assets, as well as the significant overvaluation of the yen he was holding, outweighed the loss of the deposits. Vassos Hajioannou had managed to overcome yet another obstacle, without damaging his reputation.
Taking advantage of the improved freight market in the late 1970s, Alassia completed its shift towards the bulk carrier sector, selling at a high price its general cargo fleet, while buying in 1979 two bulkers, the 1968-built PELOPIDAS and MARITSA. Two years later, Hajioannou sold the PELOPIDAS at a significant profit. His fleet now consisted of just two bulkers, something that proved a blessing during the deep crisis of the 1980s. He avoided expanding his fleet during that challenging time, with the exception of a bulk carrier acquired in 1983, which was subsequently sold in 1988 to Chinese interests at a considerable profit. In 1986, just as the market started to recover, he acquired two 9-year-old bulkers, 40,000 dwt each, at rock-bottom prices.
Prudent management during the crisis laid the foundations on which Alassia’s contemporary philosophy was built, that is the provision of a first-class service through a modern fleet of newly-built bulk carriers. The new generation of the family, Vassos’ eldest son Polys, a naval architect, and his younger brother Nikos, had by then joined the company.
A new chapter opened in 1995 with the delivery of Alassia’s first two newly-built panamax bulk carriers from Samsung Heavy Industries Co. Ltd. in South Korea. A short while before their delivery, Vassos Hajioannou announced to his son Polys that from then on, the family’s younger generation was then one to grow the company and that he would only remain as an advisor to his sons, sticking to his word even though he was only 62.
Even though he had voluntarily retired from Alassia’s day-to-day operations, Hajioannou made his mark once again by deciding the company’s new name. As at the time the ISM Code was about to be implemented, requiring the presence of a full management company in Greece, he suggested to name it “Safety Management” and simply add the word “Overseas”.
Vassos Hajioannou passed away in 2002 leaving behind some important entrepreneurial and public benefit initiatives. However, according to his closed ones, his greatest success was the preparation of his son Polys to take over and expand the family business.
Polys Hajioannou took the helm of the company at the age of 36. Within 14 years its fleet reached 38 ships, most of them newly built. In 2008 it entered in the New York Stock Exchange, with the majority holding remaining with the Hajioannou family. Meanwhile, Polys’ younger brother, Nikos Hajioannou, followed in his father's footsteps by reviving Alassia through Alassia Newships Management.
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Home GRINNELL New biography chronicles Joe Rosenfield’s life, unwavering love for Grinnell College
New biography chronicles Joe Rosenfield’s life, unwavering love for Grinnell College
Joe Rosenfield was a classic out-of-the-box thinker. From his days as a Grinnell student in the early 1920s to serving as the chairman at Younkers to becoming an instrumental figure in Grinnell College history, Rosenfield’s thinking and warm personality made a positive impact on almost everyone he met.
The new biography “Mentor: Life and Legacy of Joe Rosenfield,” released in May, chronicles Rosenfield’s life, wit and steadfast love for Grinnell College.
The biography is separated into four parts, each one dedicated to taking a deep look at the different aspects of what drove Rosenfield. It ends with Rosenfield’s original obituary published in the Des Moines Register following his death in 2000 and an epilogue speaking to Rosenfield’s legacy.
“This is then a story about a college, which inspired love in a man, who inspired affection and respect in others,” said John Price, a retired trustee of Grinnell College and former assistant to President Richard Nixon, in the book’s description. “It is not a universal tale. Rather, it is very much about one Midwestern man and his college and his co-conspirators to make that college able to carry on into the indefinite future, giving the gift to others which he knew had been his to treasure.”
Rosenfield grew up in a Jewish family and attended Grinnell College in the 1920s during some of its golden years. He was there when Grinnell produced a gold-winning Olympic athlete, operated an internationally celebrated men’s glee club and was the center for the Social Gospel Movement. After graduation, Rosenfield went on to become a highly-regarded lawyer, businessman and philanthropist.
But Rosenfield never forgot about his years at Grinnell College, and his impact on the college is still felt today. He served on the college’s Board of Trustees from 1941 until his death in 2000. His favorite sport, even counting his 5 percent stake in the Chicago Cubs, was making money for Grinnell. His own smarts and close friendship with famous investor Warren Buffett helped grow Grinnell College’s endowment from $78,000 at the beginning of Rosenfield’s board service to just over $1 billion more than a half-century later.
The author of “Mentor” is George Drake, who graduated from Grinnell College in 1956 and had a close relationship with Rosenfield. After receiving his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago, Drake worked as a historian and dean at Colorado College. He also served on Grinnell’s Board of Trustees from 1970 until 1979, when he became president of the college, serving in that capacity until 1991.
“Mentor,” which is more than 330 pages, is available on Amazon in hardcover for $30 and paperback for $20.
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New CEO Appointed at UnityPoint Health® – Grinnell Regional Medical Center
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CKS Financial, LLC
CKS ELECTRICALS Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India $0.83M See Details Buy Report
Cks Financial, LLC Chesapeake, VA, United States $0.29M See Details Buy Report
CKS Holding GmbH Holzgerlingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany $0.34M See Details Buy Report
CKS Systeme GmbH Meppen, Niedersachsen, Germany $5.81M See Details Buy Report
Industry Business Services Sector (1) Financial Planners & Investment Advisers (3) NAICS Codes 523930 Investment Advice (3) 561110 Office Administrative Services (1) SIC Codes 62820000 Investment advice (3) 87410102 Financial management for business (1)
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Sales Revenue < $1 million (3) $1 - $5 million (0) $5 - $10 million (1) $10 - $50 million (0) $50 - $500 million (0) $500 - $1000 million (0) $1000 - $10000 million (0) > $10000 million (0)
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What the rest of the world doesn’t know about Chinese AI
in: AI,Artificial Intelligence,China,Science & Technology News
ChinAI Jeff Ding’s weekly newsletter reporting on the Chinese AI scene; on the occasion of the newsletter’s first anniversary, Ding has posted a roundup of things about the Chinese AI scene that the rest of the world doesn’t know about, or harbors incorrect beliefs about.
It’s an excellent list, but three points leapt out at me:
1. Most Chinese AI researchers read English and are very up to date on the progress AI researchers are making around the world; few westerners read Chinese and thus practitioners rely on fragmentary evidence from the odd article that appears in translation.
2. Chinese AI’s reputation has been overinflated: part of the problem with fragmentary reporting outside of the Chinese language press is that it gives an unduly rosy picture of the state of Chinese AI. In particular, the story of Chinese AI being supercharged by the massive quantities of data that the Chinese state and Chinese companies have amassed is exaggerated, because these companies are riven by internal divisions that prevent data-sharing among different programs, as different executives seek to maximize their own division’s performance.
3. China has a massive, ongoing AI ethics and human rights debate: this debate includes regulators, whistleblowers, academics, and philosophers.
There are other interesting points (such as the central role that Microsoft has played in incubating the Chinese AI scene, and the active complicity of China’s biggest AI vendors in human rights abuses), but those three points alone were worth the price of admission.
5. Chinese people — including regular netizens, data protection officers, philosophy professors — care about AI-related ethics issues, including privacy. Let’s dispel once and for all with this fiction that there are no discussions of AI ethics happening in China. It is perfectly reasonable to highlight differences in Chinese notions of AI ethics or the degree to which privacy is important to Chinese consumers, but it is absolutely dehumanizing to say Chinese people don’t care about privacy.
Chinese tech giants clash fight over user privacy violations, as evidenced by Tencent asking the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology to intervene in a dispute between Tencent and Huawei on alleged user privacy infringements of the Honor Magic phone. After a yearlong investigation, China’s Shandong Province brought a major case in July of 2018 on infringements of personal information against 57 individuals and 11 big data companies, which revealed a debate over how to interpret a new national personal information protection specification. The Nandu Personal Information Protection Research Center has assessed 1550 websites and apps for the transparency of their privacy policies.
Finally, Chinese thinkers are engaged on broader issues of AI ethics, including the risks of human-level machine intelligence and beyond. Zhao Tingyang, an influential philosopher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, has written a long essay on near-term and long-term AI safety issues, including the prospect of superintelligence. Professor Zhihua Zhou, who leads an impressive lab at Nanjing University, argued in an article for the China Computer Federation that even if strong AI is possible, it is something that AI researchers should stay away from.
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This article is about the part of speech. For the physical activity program, see VERB (program). For English usage of verbs, see English verbs.
I washed the car yesterday.
The dog ate my homework.
John studies English and French.
Lucy enjoys listening to music.
A verb, from the Latin verbum meaning word, is a word (part of speech) that in syntax conveys an action (bring, read, walk, run, learn), an occurrence (happen, become), or a state of being (be, exist, stand). In the usual description of English, the basic form, with or without the particle to, is the infinitive. In many languages, verbs are inflected (modified in form) to encode tense, aspect, mood, and voice. A verb may also agree with the person, gender, and/or number of some of its arguments, such as its subject, or object. Verbs have tenses: present, to indicate that an action is being carried out; past, to indicate that an action has been done; future, to indicate that an action will be done.
1 Agreement
2 Verb types
2.1 Intransitive verbs
2.2 Transitive verbs
2.3 Ditransitive verbs
2.4 Double transitive verbs
2.5 Copular verbs
3 Valency
4 Tense, aspect, and modality
6.1 Verbs in various languages
6.2 Grammar
Main article: Grammatical conjugation
In languages where the verb is inflected, it often agrees with its primary argument (the subject) in person, number, and/or gender. With the exception of the verb to be, English shows distinctive agreements only in the third person singular, present tense form of verbs, which are marked by adding "-s" ( walks) or "-es" (fishes). The rest of the persons are not distinguished in the verb (I walk, you walk, they walk, etc.).
Latin and the Romance languages inflect verbs for tense–aspect–mood (abbreviated 'TAM'), and they agree in person and number (but not in gender, as for example in Polish) with the subject. Japanese, like many languages with SOV word order, inflects verbs for tense-aspect-mood, as well as other categories such as negation, but shows absolutely no agreement with the subject - it is a strictly dependent-marking language. On the other hand, Basque, Georgian, and some other languages, have polypersonal agreement: the verb agrees with the subject, the direct object, and even the secondary object if present, a greater degree of head-marking than is found in most European languages.
Verb types
Verbs vary by type, and each type is determined by the kinds of words that accompany it and the relationship those words have with the verb itself. Classified by the number of their valency arguments, usually three basic types are distinguished: intransitives, transitives, ditransitives and double transitive verbs. Some verbs have special grammatical uses and hence complements, such as copular verbs (i.e., be); the verb "do" used for do-support in questioning and negation, and tense or aspect auxiliaries, e.g., "be", "have" or "can". In addition, verbs can be nonfinite, namely, not inflected for tense, and have various special forms such as infinitives, participles or gerunds.[1]
Intransitive verbs
An intransitive verb is one that does not have a direct object. Intransitive verbs may be followed by an adverb (a word that addresses how, where, when, and how often) or end a sentence. For example: "The woman spoke softly." "The athlete ran faster than the official." "The boy wept."
A transitive verb is followed by a noun or noun phrase. These noun phrases are not called predicate nouns, but are instead called direct objects because they refer to the object that is being acted upon. For example: "My friend read the newspaper." "The teenager earned a speeding ticket."
A way to identify a transitive verb is to invert the sentence, making it passive. For example: "The newspaper was read by my friend." "A speeding ticket was earned by the teenager."
Ditransitive verbs
Ditransitive verbs (sometimes called Vg verbs after the verb give) precede either two noun phrases or a noun phrase and then a prepositional phrase often led by to or for. For example: "The players gave their teammates high fives." "The players gave high fives to their teammates."
When two noun phrases follow a transitive verb, the first is an indirect object, that which is receiving something, and the second is a direct object, that being acted upon. Indirect objects can be noun phrases or prepositional phrases.[2]
Double transitive verbs
Double transitive verbs (sometimes called Vc verbs after the verb consider) are followed by a noun phrase that serves as a direct object and then a second noun phrase, adjective, or infinitive phrase. The second element (noun phrase, adjective, or infinitive) is called a complement, which completes a clause that would not otherwise have the same meaning. For example: "The young couple considers the neighbors wealthy people." "Some students perceive adults quite inaccurately." "Sarah deemed her project to be the hardest she has ever completed."
Copular verbs
Copular verbs (aka linking verbs) can't be followed by an adverb or end a sentence, but instead must be followed by a noun or adjective, whether in a single word or phrase. Common copulae include be, seem, become, appear, look, and remain. For example: "His mother looked worried." "Josh remained a reliable friend." Copulae are thought to 'link' the adjective or noun to the subject.
The verb be is manifested in eight forms: be, is, am, are, was, were, been, and being. These verbs precede nouns or adjectives in a sentence, which become predicate nouns and predicate adjectives similar to those that function with a linking verb. They can also be followed by an adverb of place, which is sometimes referred to as a predicate adverb. For example: "Her daughter was a writing tutor." "The singers were very nervous." "My house is down the street."
Adjectives that come after copular verbs are predicate adjectives, and nouns that come after linking verbs are predicate nouns.[3]
Main article: Valency (linguistics)
The number of arguments that a verb takes is called its valency or valence. Verbs can be classified according to their valency:
Avalent (valency = 0): the verb has neither a subject nor an object. Zero valency does not occur in English; in some languages such as Mandarin Chinese, weather verbs like snow(s) take no subject or object.
Intransitive (valency = 1, monovalent): the verb only has a subject. For example: "he runs", "it falls".
Transitive (valency = 2, divalent): the verb has a subject and a direct object. For example: "she eats fish", "we hunt nothing".
Ditransitive (valency = 3, trivalent): the verb has a subject, a direct object, and an indirect object. For example: "He gives her a flower" or "She gave the watch to John".
A few English verbs, particularly those concerned with financial transactions, take four arguments, as in "Pat1 sold Chris2 a lawnmower3 for $204" or "Chris1 paid Pat2 $203 for a lawnmower4".[4]
Weather verbs often appear to be impersonal (subjectless, or avalent) in null-subject languages like Spanish, where the verb llueve means "It rains". In English, French and German, they require a dummy pronoun, and therefore formally have a valency of 1. However, as verbs in Spanish incorporate the subject as a TAM suffix, Spanish is not actually a null-subject language, unlike Mandarin (see above). Such verbs in Spanish also have a valency of 1.
Intransitive and transitive verbs are the most common, but the impersonal and objective verbs are somewhat different from the norm. In the objective the verb takes an object but no subject; the nonreferent subject in some uses may be marked in the verb by an incorporated dummy pronoun similar to that used with the English weather verbs. Impersonal verbs in null subject languages take neither subject nor object, as is true of other verbs, but again the verb may show incorporated dummy pronouns despite the lack of subject and object phrases.
Verbs are often flexible with regard to valency. In non-valency marking languages such as English, a transitive verb can often drop its object and become intransitive; or an intransitive verb can take an object and become transitive. For example, in English the verb move has no grammatical object in he moves (though in this case, the subject itself may be an implied object, also expressible explicitly as in he moves himself); but in he moves the car, the subject and object are distinct and the verb has a different valency. Some verbs in English, however, have historically derived forms that show change of valency in some causative verbs, such as fall-fell-fallen:fell-felled-felled; rise-rose-risen:raise-raised-raised; cost-cost-cost:cost-costed-costed.
In valency marking languages, valency change is shown by inflecting the verb in order to change the valency. In Kalaw Lagaw Ya of Australia, for example, verbs distinguish valency by argument agreement suffixes and TAM endings:
Nui mangema "He arrived earlier today" (mangema today past singular subject active intransitive perfective)
Palai mangemanu "They [dual] arrived earlier today"
Thana mangemainu "They [plural] arrived earlier today"
verb structure : manga-i-[number]-TAM "arrive+active+singular/dual/plural+TAM"
Nuidh wapi manganu "He took the fish [to that place] earlier today" (manganu today past singular object attainative transitive perfective)
Nuidh wapi mangamanu "He took the two fish [to that place] earlier today"
Nuidh wapil mangamainu "He took the [three or more] fish [to that place] earlier today"
verb structure : manga-Ø-[number]-TAM "arrive+attainative+singular/dual/plural+TAM"
The verb stem manga- take/come/arrive at the destination takes the active suffix -i (> mangai-) in the intransitive form, and as a transitive verb the stem is not suffixed. The TAM ending -nu is the general today past attainative perfective, found with all numbers in the perfective except the singular active, where -ma is found.
Tense, aspect, and modality
File:Conjugación de correr.png
A single-word verb in Spanish contains information about time (past, present, future), person and number. The process of grammatically modifying a verb to express this information is called conjugation.
Main articles: Grammatical tense, Aspect (linguistics), Linguistic modality and Tense–aspect–mood
Depending on the language, verbs may express grammatical tense, aspect, or modality. Grammatical tense[5][6][7] is the use of auxiliary verbs or inflections to convey whether the action or state is before, simultaneous with, or after some reference point. The reference point could be the time of utterance, in which case the verb expresses absolute tense, or it could be a past, present, or future time of reference previously established in the sentence, in which case the verb expresses relative tense.
Aspect[6][8] expresses how the action or state occurs through time. Important examples include:
perfective aspect, in which the action is viewed in its entirety through completion (as in "I saw the car")
imperfective aspect, in which the action is viewed as ongoing; in some languages a verb could express imperfective aspect more narrowly as:
habitual aspect, in which the action occurs repeatedly (as in "I used to go there every day"), or
continuous aspect, in which the action occurs without pause; continuous aspect can be further subdivided into
stative aspect, in which the situation is a fixed, unevolving state (as in "I know French"), and
progressive aspect, in which the situation continuously evolves (as in "I am running")
perfect, which combines elements of both aspect and tense and in which both a prior event and the state resulting from it are expressed (as in "he has gone there", i.e. "he went there and he is still there")
discontinuous past, which combines elements of a past event and the implication that the state resulting from it was later reversed (as in "he did go there" or "he has been there", i.e. "he went there but has now come back")[9]
Aspect can either be lexical, in which case the aspect is embedded in the verb's meaning (as in "the sun shines," where "shines" is lexically stative), or it can be grammatically expressed, as in "I am running."
Modality[10] expresses the speaker's attitude toward the action or state given by the verb, especially with regard to degree of necessity, obligation, or permission ("You must go", "You should go", "You may go"), determination or willingness ("I will do this no matter what"), degree of probability ("It must be raining by now", "It may be raining", "It might be raining"), or ability ("I can speak French"). All languages can express modality with adverbs, but some also use verbal forms as in the given examples. If the verbal expression of modality involves the use of an auxiliary verb, that auxiliary is called a modal verb. If the verbal expression of modality involves inflection, we have the special case of mood; moods include the indicative (as in "I am there"), the subjunctive (as in "I wish I were there"), and the imperative ("Be there!").
The voice[11] of a verb expresses whether the subject of the verb is performing the action of the verb or whether the action is being performed on the subject. The two most common voices are the active voice (as in "I saw the car") and the passive voice (as in "The car was seen by me" or simply "The car was seen").
Main article: Non-finite verb
Most languages have a number of verbal nouns that describe the action of the verb.
In the Indo-European languages, verbal adjectives are generally called participles. English has an active participle, also called a present participle; and a passive participle, also called a past participle. The active participle of break is breaking, and the passive participle is broken. Other languages have attributive verb forms with tense and aspect. This is especially common among verb-final languages, where attributive verb phrases act as relative clauses.
Verbs in various languages
Arabic verbs
Ancient Greek verbs
Basque verbs
Bulgarian verbs
English verbs
Finnish verb conjugation
French verbs
German verbs
Germanic verbs
Hebrew verb conjugation
Hungarian verbs
Ilokano verbs
Irish verbs
Japanese consonant and vowel verbs
Japanese verb conjugations
Korean verbs
Latin verbs
Persian verbs
Portuguese verb conjugation
Proto-Indo-European verb
Romance verbs
Romanian verbs
Sanskrit verbs
Sesotho verbs
Slovene verbs
Spanish verbs
Tigrinya verbs
Auxiliary verb
Grammatical aspect
Grammatical mood
Grammatical tense
Grammatical voice
Performative utterance
Phrase structure rules
Sentence (linguistics)
Tense–aspect–mood
Transitivity (grammatical category)
Verb argument
Verb framing
Verbification
Le Train de Nulle Part: A 233-page book without a single verb.
Oh, with the verbing!
Lexical categories and their features
Abstract / Concrete
Adjectival
Animate / Inanimate
Attributive
Common / Proper
Countable / Mass / Collective
Initial-stress-derived
Strong / Weak
Verbal / Deverbal
Non-finite — Attributive
Converb
Gerundive
Participle (adjectival · adverbial)
Verbal noun
Ambitransitive
Andative/Venitive
Anticausative
Autocausative
Captative
Catenative
Copular
Denominal
Deponent
Ditransitive
Ergative
Frequentative
Impersonal
Inchoative
Lexical
Monotransitive
Performative
Phrasal
Predicative
Preterite-present
Reflexive
Transitive
Unaccusative
Unergative
Demonstrative
Nominalized
Possessive
Postpositive
Conjunctive
Prepositional
Pronominal
Disjunctive
Distributive
Formal/Informal
Gender-neutral
Gender-specific
Inclusive/Exclusive
Resumptive
Preposition/postposition
Inflected
Casally modulated
Quantifier
Classifier
Measure word
Complementizer
Copula
Coverb
Expletive
Interjection (verbal)
Preverb
Pro-sentence
Pro-verb
Procedure word
Prop-word
↑ Morenberg, M. Doing Grammar, Oxford University Press, 1997, pp. 6-14.
↑ Morenberg, M. Doing Grammar, Oxford University Press, 1997, p. 7.
↑ Jackendoff, R. Foundations of Language, Oxford University Press, 2002, p. 135.
↑ Comrie, Bernard, Tense, Cambridge Univ. Press, 1985.
↑ 6.0 6.1 Östen Dahl, Tense and Aspect Systems, Blackwell, 1985.
↑ Fleischman, Suzanne, The Future in Thought and Action, Cambridge Univ. Press, 1982.
↑ Comrie, Bernard, Aspect, Cambridge Univ. Press, 1976.
↑ Plungian, Vladimir A. & Johan van der Auwera (2006), "Towards a typology of discontinuous past marking". Sprachtypol. Univ. Forsch. (STUF), Berlin 59, 4, 317–349.
↑ Palmer, F. R., Mood and Modality, Cambridge Univ. Press, 2001.
↑ Klaiman, M. H., Grammatical Voice (Cambridge Studies in Linguistics), Cambridge Univ. Press, 1991.
Gideon Goldenberg, "On Verbal Structure and the Hebrew Verb", in: idem, Studies in Semitic Linguistics, Jerusalem: Magnes Press 1998, pp. 148–196 [English translation; originally published in Hebrew in 1985].
Look up verb in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
www.verbix.com Verbs and verb conjugation in many languages.
conjugation.com English Verb Conjugation.
Italian Verbs Coniugator and Analyzer Conjugation and Analysis of Regular and Irregular Verbs, and also of Neologisms, like googlare for to google.
El verbo en español Downloadable handbook to learn the Spanish verb paradigm in an easy ruled-based method. It also supplies the guidelines to know whenever a Spanish verb is regular or irregular
Retrieved from "https://infogalactic.com/w/index.php?title=Verb&oldid=24725"
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Home Small Business Dell Picks AT&T for Android Smartphone
Dell Picks AT&T for Android Smartphone
By Andy Patrizio | January 07, 2010
Dell today announced it has chosen AT&T as its exclusive U.S. carrier for its upcoming lineup of Android-based smartphones, known as the Mini 3. Dell has already chosen China Mobile, Vodafone and Claro Brazil as partners outside the U.S.
But Dell (NASDAQ: DELL) still has not given out much information on the Mini 3, other than saying that it is an Android phone designed around power efficiency and platform customization. A spokesperson for the company said that with carriers falling into place, it would eventually start to disclose more information on the hardware.
"Smart phones are an extension of Dell's strategy to develop intelligent and more mobile products that meet the needs of operators and customers," said Ron Garriques, president of Dell Communication Solutions in a statement. "The Mini 3 is a result of listening to customers and creating products that allow people to do the things they want, whenever and wherever they want to do them."
Details about Dell's Mini 3 line will be announced closer to device availability, expected during the first half of 2010. Currently, it has one phone on the market in China, the Mini 3i. It's a slim phone, similar in design to many smartphones, with a 3.5-inch, 640x360 display, Bluetooth, GPS, a 3-megapixel camera and a MicroSD memory card slot.
Dell has been quietly building up a worldwide network of carriers. So far it has Vodafone in Europe, Australia and New Zealand; AT&T (NYSE: T) in the United States; M1 and Starhub in Singapore; Maxis in Malaysia; China Mobile in China; and Claro in Brazil.
Choosing AT&T as an exclusive partner may raise eyebrows; Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) did it with the iPhone, and three years later most iPhone aficionados wish it hadn't due to poor network performance and many are openly wishing for Apple to move to Verizon Wireless, which is having a field day poking fun at AT&T's 3G coverage problems in TV advertisements.
But Will Stofega, program manager for mobile device technology and trends at IDC, said AT&T may be a better company for the iPhone experience, headaches and all.
"No matter what happens, if Apple goes to Verizon, it is a learning experience to manage these data-intensive devices. To [AT&T CEO] Ralph de la Vega's point, they have had that experience. I don't think Verizon has had that experience. These devices, especially the iPhone, are different from a voice network device," he told InternetNews.com.
At the end of the day, more devices on your network goes to the bottom line, Stofega noted, so it certainly helps AT&T, and smart phones are preferable now. "It's important that data revenue grows because at the same time you have problems with voice. Voice doesn't generate revenue like it used to," he said.
"This is all about getting devices that will push their revenue and help them create a better user experience to help them keep their customers coming back for more," Stofega added.
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MainAll NewsForeign AffairsHonduras to move embassy to Jerusalem
Honduras to move embassy to Jerusalem
President Juan Orlando Hernandez says during AIPAC conference that his country will 'immediately' open embassy in Israeli capital.
David Rosenberg, 24/03/19 15:47
Honduras President Juan Orlando Hernandez
Honduras announced plans to move its diplomatic mission in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, opening a new embassy in the Israeli capital city.
President Juan Orlando Hernandez made the announcement Sunday, during the 2019 American Israel Public Affairs Committee conference in Washington DC.
Speaking at the opening meeting of the conference, Hernandez said his country would “immediately” open an “official diplomatic mission” in the Israeli capital city.
"Honduras will immediately open our official diplomatic mission and this will extend our embassy to the capital of Israel, Jerusalem."
The Hernandez government had previously floated the possibility of moving the Honduran embassy to Jerusalem in exchange for the upgrading of Israel’s diplomatic mission to Honduras from a consular level to a full embassy.
The cost of maintaining a full-fledged embassy has been estimated at one million dollars a year.
Once Honduras’ embassy move is completed, it will join the US and Guatemala as the only three countries with full-fledged embassies located in the Israeli capital.
Paraguay, which had initially followed the US and Guatemala and moved its embassy to Jerusalem in 2018, later moved its diplomatic mission back to Tel Aviv.
Other countries, including Brazil, Australia, and the Czech Republic, have suggested they may also relocate their embassies to Jerusalem.
Tags:AIPAC, AIPAC 2019
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Publications in conference pro…
Seeking parsimony in hydrolog…
Seeking parsimony in hydrology and water resources technology (solicited)
D. Koutsoyiannis, Seeking parsimony in hydrology and water resources technology (solicited), European Geosciences Union General Assembly 2009, Geophysical Research Abstracts, Vol. 11, Vienna, 11469, doi:10.13140/RG.2.2.20511.97443, European Geosciences Union, 2009.
[doc_id=906]
The principle of parsimony, also known as the principle of simplicity, the principle of economy and Ockham’s razor, advises scientists to prefer the simplest theory among those that fit the data equally well. In this, it is an epistemic principle but reflects an ontological characterization that the universe is ultimately parsimonious. Is this principle useful and can it really be reconciled with, and implemented to, our modelling approaches of complex hydrological systems, whose elements and events are extraordinarily numerous, different and unique? The answer underlying the mainstream hydrological research of the last two decades seems to be negative. Hopes were invested to the power of computers that would enable faithful and detailed representation of the diverse system elements and the hydrological processes, based on merely “first principles” and resulting in “physically-based” models that tend to approach in complexity the real world systems. Today the account of such research endeavour seems not positive, as it did not improve model predictive capacity and processes comprehension. A return to parsimonious modelling seems to be again the promising route. The experience from recent research and from comparisons of parsimonious and complicated models indicates that the former can facilitate insight and comprehension, improve accuracy and predictive capacity, and increase efficiency. In addition – and despite aspiration that “physically based” models will have lower data requirements and, even, they ultimately become “data-free” – parsimonious models require fewer data to achieve the same accuracy with more complicated models.
Naturally, the concepts that reconcile the simplicity of parsimonious models with the complexity of hydrological systems are probability theory and statistics. Probability theory provides the theoretical basis for moving from a microscopic to a macroscopic view of phenomena, by mapping sets of diverse elements and events of hydrological systems to single numbers (a probability or an expected value), and statistics provides the empirical basis of summarizing data, making inference from them, and supporting decision making in water resource management. Unfortunately, the current state of the art in probability, statistics and their union, often called stochastics, is not fully satisfactory for the needs of modelling of hydrological and water resource systems. A first problem is that stochastic modelling has traditionally relied on classical statistics, which is based on the independent “coin-tossing” prototype, rather than on the study of real-world systems whose behaviour is very different from the classical prototype. A second problem is that the stochastic models (particularly the multivariate ones) are often not parsimonious themselves. Therefore, substantial advancement of stochastics is necessary in a new paradigm of parsimonious hydrological modelling.
These ideas are illustrated using several examples, namely: (a) hydrological modelling of a karst system in Bosnia and Herzegovina using three different approaches ranging from parsimonious to detailed “physicallybased”; (b) parsimonious modelling of a peculiar modified catchment in Greece; (c) a stochastic approach that can replace parameter-excessive ARMA-type models with a generalized algorithm that produces any shape of autocorrelation function (consistent with the accuracy provided by the data) using a couple of parameters; (d) a multivariate stochastic approach which replaces a huge number of parameters estimated from data with coefficients estimated by the principle of maximum entropy; and (e) a parsimonious approach for decision making in multi-reservoir systems using a handful of parameters instead of thousands of decision variables.
Abstract (112 KB)
Presentation (3298 KB)
Presentation, for print (3474 KB)
See also: http://dx.doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.20511.97443
Our works that reference this work:
1. A. Tegos, A. Efstratiadis, and D. Koutsoyiannis, A parametric model for potential evapotranspiration estimation based on a simplified formulation of the Penman-Monteith equation, Evapotranspiration - An Overview, edited by S. Alexandris, 143–165, doi:10.5772/52927, InTech, 2013.
2. A. Tegos, N. Malamos, and D. Koutsoyiannis, A parsimonious regional parametric evapotranspiration model based on a simplification of the Penman-Monteith formula, Journal of Hydrology, 524, 708–717, doi:10.1016/j.jhydrol.2015.03.024, 2015.
National Technical University of Athens
Department of Water Resources and Environmental Engineering
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A Colonial WikiLeaks? The Migrated Archives and the Caribbean Pt.3
Originally Posted on NACLA.org
As mentioned in prior articles, April 18th marked the public release of the first batch of the secret colonial documents known as the "migrated archives." Robert Hill, Professor of Afro-American and Caribbean History at UCLA, who has been deeply involved in the "migrated archives" since their discovery, shares his insights into the release of the archives and what it entails for the Caribbean history.
Professor Hill is editor of The Marcus Garvey and Universal Negro Improvement Association Papers Project, and is also internationally recognized as a leading authority on the life of Garvey and the history of the Garvey movement. He is also the Literary Executor of C.L.R. James, the Marxist historian and Pan-African political activist.
Interestingly, Professor Hill’s work with the migrated archives is not the first time that he has come across secret or forgotten documents. In 1970, he learned from a New York Times story that a community organization in Harlem had been given a derelict building to start a drug rehabilitation center. In this building, the staff found cabinets, safes, and boxes that turned out to contain the entire documentary record of the central division of Marcus Garvey’s Universal Negro Improvement Association.
"They were going to throw them away!" Hill exclaimed. The community organization that discovered the Garvey papers eventually fell apart, but a struggle over the papers began in earnest. The struggle became so serious that the organization's director was even held up at gunpoint, with the papers being sold by the addicts to the highest bidder. Eventually a group led by the historian John Henrik Clarke arranged for the purchase of the entire batch of papers, and brought them to the New York Public Library. Professor Hill has been archiving Garvey papers at UCLA's James S. Coleman African Studies Center since 1977. He has published those papers in 11 books so far, with the latest volume being The Marcus Garvey and Universal Negro Improvement Association Papers: The Caribbean Diaspora, 1910-1920.
You have had a very interesting experience in regards to your presence in the discovery of classified or forgotten documents. It’s amazing that the discovery of the migrated archives is not the first time you have encountered this kind of thing. Can you please elaborate how the discovery of the migrated archives fits into your previous areas of research?
Well, in a way, within Caribbean historiography, it comes as a big shock to stumble upon these police, or confidential and secret, documents. In the historiography of popular movements in Europe its standard, it’s not at all a big surprise because European historians have always understood the huge significance of police records for studying the poor, clandestine political repression carried out from the 18th century in European society.
Now we, as a former colonial people, we throw up movements of resistance, call them what you will, popular movements, resistance movements, anti colonial movements – and then in the case of Marcus Garvey, we discover, because the Garvey movement operated here in the United States in a major way – the institutions and the agencies of government monitored these movements very carefully, and there is a tremendous paper trail within the archives of the United States government, the Canadian government; and also European governments. This is a paper trail that enables us to write the history of the Garvey movement, which without those archives we could never have really undertaken.
You might say it was the preservation of these records which really places some kind of order, some kind of intellectual order on the material. On the one hand we have to be careful of course, not to get trapped into some kind of interpretative paradigm, but nonetheless, the records of the U.S. state department, the FBI, the Department of Justice, the Office of Naval Intelligence, even the Post Office, those records are what allowed us to construct a history of the Garvey movement. So I’ve spent probably 35 years systematically going through the records as they became declassified, of the U.S. government dealing with Garvey, and the European governments dealing with Garvey in Africa and the Caribbean. So when the word of these migrated archives came up, I instantly recognized their value – in a very concrete way if you let me explain.
When I was working on Garvey, I asked the archivist of the Jamaica archives, where the colonial secretariats files related to Garvey were located. He said, "they’re not open, they’re not accessible to you." I asked what I would have to do to appeal that? He said I would have to write a letter to the Chief Justice of Jamaica, which I did. And I made an argument (this is now in the early 1970’s) explaining why these files were important and why they should be made accessible. Now, follow me, he informed me that the Chief Justice had approved my request, but he himself did not have the secret and confidential files on Garvey. To get them, he had to go to Spanish town in Kingston to the building where these confidential files were housed.
Now here is what Professor Anthony Badger (the man in charge of the migrated archives) wrote to me when I asked him about the time span of the migrated archives for Jamaica. He said that they begin in the late 1920’s—you see the convergence? They had already removed the files on Garvey out of Jamaica when I had asked for them.
What I am hoping is that I will now find the missing files of the 1930’s and will then be able to link them back to the ones from the 1920’s that we have. In other words, it’s the same work we’re doing—only now we have to go to England to get these files, they’re not in Jamaica in the way that the files of the 1920’s were. Now why did they choose to take away those starting in the late 1920’s? Now I can’t tell you, I don’t know. They had to have some kind of cut-off point, they must have just said that let’s just take 1929 as our base year and anything going forward. So we will see in September, when I go to England. I will know very quickly whether these are the files connecting back to the ones from the 1920’s that I saw.
So, the point I’m making is that, whether it is the FBI, the state department or the colonial secretariat’s records of the 1920’s in Jamaica, it’s all just one continuing story, one continuing saga. I had been extremely frustrated for years at not being able to find the colonial secretary’s files for the 30’s, but now since that time—I’ve gone on to do work on the back to Africa movement of the 1950’s which led to a tremendous political explosion in Jamaica in 1959 and 1960—what I’m now hoping is that these files, which go up to August 1962, will have files that I have tried my very hardest to find, and couldn’t find in Jamaica, I’m hoping to find them amongst these migrated archives.
This is the final segment of my interview with Professor Robert Hill. Read Part 1 & 2.
Labels: colonialism, covert action, foreign control, jamaica, marcus garvey, migrated archives, robert hill
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Tony Griffiths
P +44.(0)20.7360.8195
Investment Management, Hedge Funds and Alternative Investments
Banking & Asset Finance
Financial Services Policy
Financial Institutions and Services Litigation
K&L Gates Bolsters Investment Management Practice with London Partner Addition
London - The London office of global law firm K&L Gates LLP has added Jacob Ghanty as a partner in the investment management practice. Ghanty joins the firm from Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP, where he was also a partner.
Recognized in the industry as a leading practitioner for financial services regulatory and payment services law, Ghanty advises asset managers, insurers, banks, senior managers, payment institutions, and intermediaries in matters involving financial regulation, investment funds, insurance/reinsurance, and structured debt & capital markets, among others. A member of the Financial Services Lawyers Association, he has advised clients on a number of significant regulatory developments, including the Retail Distribution Review and Markets in Financial Instruments, Insurance Mediation, Payment Services, and Alternative Investment Fund Managers directives.
“Jacob joins a growing UK investment management team,” said Tony Griffiths, administrative partner of K&L Gates’ London office. “His arrival further strengthens the advisory side of our practice, where we have seen significant client demand from alternative capital providers for guidance on the myriad of existing and new financial services regulations. This includes the Payment Services Directive, which is a special area of focus for Jacob.”
Ghanty stated: “I am excited to be a part of one of the largest and fastest-growing global investment management teams with lawyers across Europe, the U.S., the Middle East, Asia, and Australia. This offers huge opportunities to develop further my practice within a genuinely global team.”
Ghanty is the second new partner addition to K&L Gates in London this year, following the March arrival of intellectual property partner Arthur Artinian from Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer.
K&L Gates comprises more than 2,000 lawyers globally who practice in fully integrated offices located on five continents. The firm represents leading multinational corporations, growth and middle-market companies, capital markets participants and entrepreneurs in every major industry group as well as public sector entities, educational institutions, philanthropic organizations and individuals.
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Review: Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline
Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline
Publisher: William Morrow
Goodreads: Nearly eighteen, Molly Ayer knows she has one last chance. Just months from "aging out" of the child welfare system, and close to being kicked out of her foster home, a community service position helping an elderly woman clean out her home is the only thing keeping her out of juvie and worse.
Vivian Daly has lived a quiet life on the coast of Maine. But in her attic, hidden in trunks, are vestiges of a turbulent past. As she helps Vivian sort through her possessions and memories, Molly discovers that she and Vivian aren't as different as they seem to be. A young Irish immigrant orphaned in New York City, Vivian was put on a train to the Midwest with hundreds of other children whose destinies would be determined by luck and chance.
The closer Molly grows to Vivian, the more she discovers parallels to her own life. A Penobscot Indian, she, too, is an outsider being raised by strangers, and she, too, has unanswered questions about the past. As her emotional barriers begin to crumble, Molly discovers that she has the power to help Vivian find answers to mysteries that have haunted her for her entire life - answers that will ultimately free them both.
Kritters Thoughts: Two stories parallel in this amazing book that focuses on foster care and the ways it has and has not changed in our country. A young girl who is close to aging out of the system has yet to find a place to call home and just wants to feel at peace in one place. The other story centers around an elderly woman who had to leave New York on an orphan train headed west in hopes of finding a family that would take her in and care for her. They both were abused by families and the system and it was sad to see that we haven't figured out how to fix the situation; if there is a solution.
I absolutely adored how the author used the past and the present to show the foster care world and how no matter the time in history, a child without a home still feels the same feelings. The way the author brought Molly into Vivian's home and then unfolded both of their stories was just magical. I was worried that I would confuse their experiences, but not for a moment, these two people were so distinct but still had so many similarities.
A piece of historical fiction, but easily wrapped in a current story, so I would recommend this book to readers who may not always enjoy the historical fiction genre, but are in need of a great book to read.
Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel
Ebook 2013 Challenge: 18 out of 50
The tour schedule:
Tuesday, April 2nd: Broken Teepee
Wednesday, April 3rd: A Bookish Affair
Thursday, April 4th: Bloggin’ ‘Bout Books
Monday, April 8th: Cerebral Girl in a Redneck World
Wednesday, April 10th: Peppermint PhD
Thursday, April 11th: Melody & Words
Monday, April 15th: Excellent Library
Tuesday, April 16th: The House of the Seven Tails
Wednesday, April 17th: missris
Thursday, April 18th: Kritters Ramblings
Monday, April 22nd: Tiffany’s Bookshelf
Tuesday, April 23rd: Book Chatter
I love the combination of past and present stories, especially when it is done well. Sounds like this is a great read!
Thanks for being a part of the tour.
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