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Ralph Vaughan Williams: The Bonnie Banks o' Loch Lomond
"It all started at the Temple of Apollo In Delphi. One of his friends approached the oracle with the question: "Is anyone wiser than Socrates?" The answer was "No." Socrates was profoundly puzzled by this episode. He claimed to know nothing of any importance, so Socrates set off in search of someone wiser than himself. He interrogated the politicians, the poets, and the craftsmen. The first group turned out to know nothing of any account but believed themselves the wisest of men; the second could move men with powerful words but were unable to explain their meaning; the third group displayed expertise in their specialities but erred in claiming a more general wisdom. These conversations led Socrates to conclude that the oracle may have been correct in its riddling way: Socrates was wise in that he knew that he knew nothing, whereas others were unaware of their own ignorance."
Dr. Morris B. Kaplan
Foreword to the Socratic Dialogues by Plato
A favorite time of mine in music history is during the turn of the 20th century when there was a massive interest in the preservation of European folk songs. This is of course well before the advent of any sort of reasonably portable or even remotely useful recording technology such as we have today. Today, most of us have a relatively reliable recording device in our pockets at all times. Just 100 years ago, recording technology was limited to mechanical means with equipment such as the phonograph. 100 years prior to that, musical notation was it. Humans have been perfecting the system for the transcription of music since prehistory, but the ability to record in reasonable fidelity and reproduce a close facsimile has only been available to the average person for less than a century.
So as we've talked about before, you've got a few composers in the late Romantic/early Modern era who began capturing these folksongs and using them as centerpieces for their arranging work. Now this is music that has been transferred down through the lineage of particularly families and communities though the aural tradition- one generation singing it to the next, over and over again. So here comes Grainger, and Holst and Ralph Vaughan Williams.
With a jawline that made men weep and women pregnant.
An interesting side-note on Vaughan Williams is that he hated being called "Ralph" as you probably just read that. He insisted on the pronunciation "Rayf" which I can only determine was a preferred means of pronunciation among the upper crust of English society.
Despite this propensity for the finer things, Vaughan Williams was not a stranger to hard work and grave danger. He enlisted in the Royal Army during World War I as a private in the Medical Corps, ending up becoming a stretcher carrier and eventually working his way up to higher levels of command. He would eventually come to be reassigned as director of music and would transition back into civilian life as a conductor and composer.
He has been described frequently as quintessentially British in his composing, capturing the spirit, nostalgia and essence of the British people in musical form, and Loch Lomond, despite having origins set in Scotland, espouses much of this "Britishness".
So Loch Lomond, like so many other folk tunes of it's type, has a muddy history that has long since been eroded and intertwined with various, believable possibilities. A lot of them have to do with a group known as the Jacobites and an uprising they held in 1745. The Jacobite Uprisings span a portion of history 1688 to 1746 and involves England, Ireland, and Scotland and Protestants, Anglicans, and Catholics. Essentially, you have a King named James (the Latin of which is Jacobus, hence the Jacobite bit) who is Catholic and trying to keep the Anglicans and other Protestants from going nuts.
He ends up getting deposed from the throne of the UK by his daughter, Mary, who was pissed that she had been bumped out of succession to the throne by her new baby brother who James had fathered with his second wife, Mary's stepmother. So she gets hitched with a guy named William of Orange who then is coerced by some of the Anglicans to use her birthright and new husband to stake claim to the throne of England, Scotland, and Ireland. As you might imagine, this did not sit well.
So the Jacobites sought to restore James to the throne to secure their interests in the Catholic church overseeing the rule of the thrones and it pretty much didn't work out, again and again. Now, here comes the part where I explain our reference to Socrates up there- I've spent about 3 weeks on this entry. I vacillated on which angle to really take. "Should I go full bore on Vaughan Williams?" "Should I try and tackle the history of Loch Lomond the tune?" Both were daunting.
As I began researching both angles I discovered a rabbit hole of side stories and parallels that consumed my thoughts and flooded any rational train of thought I could summon for this entry. Imagine- a simple folk tune could have such depth! It was frustrating to the point where I almost scrapped the entry altogether and as a result this entry went unwritten, blowing well past St. Patrick's Day (where I had originally intended it to be the start of a three-part series on Irish/Scottish/Celtic music).
So two things come to mind today. First and foremost, I failed. I had a goal, I set out to do it, and fell short of what my intentions were. The other being that there is no possible way to be sure anything we say is the absolute truth. It's proven that our brains soften our memories over time, massaging away the little bits that suck and salving on some sweet, sweet lies of nostalgic bliss. History has often be attributed to the winners. And here we don't even know who wrote this song we're talking about today. So, for Socrates to go around and determine that everyone is pretty much shooting from the hip and the only sensible thing to do is say hang it all gave me the impetus necessary to plug forward and polish this turd up shiny.
The truth of the matter, kids, is this- everyone fails. Our world needs failure as contrast for the stars in the sky to shine a little bit brighter. Without the constant and perpetual motion of failure, success wouldn't hold nearly as much meaning.
Today marks two full years of that Listening Friday has been in existence online. I just paid my $10 to secure the domain name for another full year, putting me $28.97 in the hole on this little venture (minus the few months I tried out Google Ads- which sucked). I started writing this blog at a point in time where I was coming to grips with the fact that I would be leaving something behind that I had dedicated a great deal of my life to and that meant I had to acknowledge defeat.
I had to come to terms with being a failure on a relatively massive scale.
It is, surprisingly, not something I come by easily. To quote John McClane, "I don't like to lose." It's just not in my nature, but walking away from teaching was necessary for me to survive and to get to that understanding took a lot of time and a lot of grief.
So all of that is a roundabout way of getting back to the core message of this blog. This is not a space to find well-researched, exhaustive studies of history and musicology. I don't have that kind of time on my hands. This is a place where I take music that has had an impact on my life and means something to me and I find something that I can write about it. As well as put up stupid pictures.
So, the text of Loch Lomond is thought to have been inspired by a Jacobite rebel having come to the realization that he will never return to see Loch Lomond (which incidentally is a lake in case you were wondering) where he said farewell to his love. He then tells his friend who is not dying that he'll take the low road back to Scotland, implying that his soul will be returned to his homeland following his death. There are a handful of interpretations as to which road (high or low) might actually be the path most preferred by the recently deceased, but the nevertheless the impression is given.
By yon bonnie banks and by yon bonnie braes Where the sun shines bright on Loch Lomond Where me and my true love were ever wont to gae On the bonnie, bonnie banks of Loch Lomond.
Chorus: O ye'll take the high road, and I'll take the low road And I'll be in Scotland before ye but me and my true love will never meet again On the bonnie, bonnie banks of Loch Lomond.
'Twas there that we perted in yon shady glen On the steep, steep sides of Ben Lomond Where in purple hue, the highland hills we view And the moon coming out in the gloaming.
"Chorus"
The wee birdies sing and the wild flowers spring And in sunshine waters lie sleeping But the broken heart it kens, nae second spring again, Though the waeful may cease frae their greeting.
So, in the acknowledgement of knowing nothing and embrace of failure, today we celebrate the 2nd birthday of this project.
Here's to many happy returns of the day.
Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_know_that_I_know_nothing
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bonnie_Banks_o%27_Loch_Lomond
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ralph_Vaughan_Williams
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacobite_risings
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_III_of_England
http://books.google.com/books?id=SSous9E-3CwC&pg=PR9
▼ Mar ( 2 )
Josh Ritter, trans. Chris Thile: Another New World...
Ralph Vaughan Williams: The Bonnie Banks o' Loch L...
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Verdi, Berlioz, Daugherty, & Friends: Dies Irae
'A big hand please, ladies and gentlemen,' he hollered, 'for the Great Prophet Zarquon! He has come! Zarquon has come again!'
Thunderous applause broke out as Max strode across the stage and handed his microphone to the Prophet. Zarquon coughed. He peered round at the assembled gathering. The stars in his eyes twinkled uneasily. He handled the microphone with confusion.
'Er...' he said, 'hello. Er, look, I'm sorry I'm a bit late. I've had the most ghastly time, all sorts of things cropping up at the last moment.'
He seemed nervous of the expectant awed hush. He cleared his throat.
'Er, how are we for time?' he said, 'have I just got a min--'
And so the Universe ended.
~Douglas Adams, The Restaurant at the End of the Universe
Our piece today is not necessarily of a specific example, but more of a usage of the text and melody which has been placed into the human psyche as a rather forbidding explanation of the days to come. Dies Irae is a poem, though its composer and the time frame in which it was composed is subject to a bit of debate. We know it was written between 500-1300 AD and historians have attributed at one time or another to the following individuals:
Thomas of Celano of the Franciscan Order (1200 – c. 1265)
Latino Malabranca Orsini (~1294)
St. Gregory the Great (d. 604)
St. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153)
St. Bonaventure (1221-1274)
The text of the Dies Irae centers around the biblical judgement day, heralding the end of the world with a descriptive story-telling of the day as so described in biblical text. The account of the prophet Zephaniah provides us with the title:
That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness, a day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities, and against the high towers.
Dies Irae itself translates from Latin to mean "day of wrath". Wikipedia does a good job of showing examples of the text in Latin and two translations, so I don't intend to waste time reproducing that here. There are other portions of the bible that also dictate to the poem, the Revelation being the most prominent.
This piece was originally purposed for use in the Roman Catholic Requiem mass, which is a time where the church turns its attention toward the departed and reflects upon the dead, most times in the context of a funeral. The music itself is ancient, brought about from a tradition of plainchant, which might be more recognizable to the layperson as "Gregorian Chant".
Plainchant is a single, monophonic melody that is unaccompanied by other instruments. They are often responsorial, meaning that a leader or choir would sing one stanza and the congregation would respond with a sort of "chorus" to put it into today's terms. Alternatively, they could be in antiphonal format where the choir/leader would alternate verses with the congregation instead.
Plainchant evolved in the Christian church out of combined traditions of Jewish and Greek music, replacing the lost art of notation developed originally by the ancient Greeks. Plainchant used "nuemes" instead of notes, each symbol implying a certain sound, but for the most part it remained unstandardized from region to region until the 12th century. You also begin to see the development of the music staff at this point in history, as seen below:
Now the thing about Dies Irae is that it just sounds so...dark
Now imagine for a moment the Roman church in the 13th century. Nobody's got their iPhone out. It's probably dark. It's probably pretty musty too since there's no central air and showering wasn't really a thing until after the Black Death some 100-150 years later. Lighting is either natural light filtering dimly through stained glass or candle light.
If you've attended a Catholic mass today, it's not all that different in terms of format and style. Then these guys stand up and start singing Dies Irae. You're just a potato farmer in the middle of Europe and these guys in robes are telling you in Latin that God is going to come back and wreck stuff with flaming swords and angels that look like John Cena on steroids.
And while your medieval mind is trying to wrap around the fact that you have no idea who John Cena is (the saddest part of which being your total inability to appreciate perhaps the most unexpected John Cena in all history) the only other thing you can think of is how cool this sounds. And that's what has captivated composers ever since.
The first of which we'll look at is Joe Green.
So, Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901) is essentially the king of Italian opera in the Romantic era. He was a big fan of Italian culture and a champion of his fellow Italian composers. So one of his personal heroes, Gioachino Rossini, dies and he and a few other composers decided they needed to create a fitting, Italian tribute to the master. Verdi's vision was that they would construct an Italian Requiem, written by twelve Italian composers. It would then be sealed it in the Italian archives and performed annually in honor of Verdi's death as a public service and without financial gain toward any of the authors. Verdi wasn't interested in money or fame (he was already doing alright in both). Verdi was interested in nationally honoring a fellow whom he held in the highest esteem. Sadly, the project tanked near the finish line and the work was not performed as intended, though it did receive a revival performance in 1988, some 100+ years after Rossini died.
Verdi was a bit of a firebrand throughout his life and was quite passionate about things he felt were important. As a result of the failed Rossini Requiem, he refused to allow his portion of the work to be performed and five years later rededicated his efforts to write the mass in honor of an Italian author by the name of Alessandro Manzoni, a man who had inspired Verdi in his youth. Verdi reworked the finale portion of the original mass and wrote the rest of the music himself, premiering the work in 1874.
Critics look at Verdi, a cynic of religion, openly agnostic and with a significant flair for the dramatic, and question why would a man who had such mastery of the dramatic arts compose something so sacred as a requiem mass? It was denounced by some in the church as "cheapening religion with theatrics" and German conductor Hans von Bülow went as far to say it was "opera in ecclesiastical dress".
In any event, it's a hell of a thing to listen to and I'm willing to bet you've actually heard this work before. It's very common in movies where you need a scene of comically overt dramatics where all hell is breaking loose. The whole Requiem is about 70-80 minutes long, so I'll start the video right at the Dies Irae.
The next work we'll look at is something we have explored a bit already. Hector Berlioz (1803-1869) was a French composer in the early portion of the Romantic era. He struggled greatly to attain recognition for his work, and would spend a great deal of time fighting his critics in the Parisian newspapers some of which seem to take sadistic glee in denouncing his music.
One piece that managed to break above this negativity was his Symphonie Fantastique which premiered to almost universal acclaim at the Paris Conservatory in 1830. The whole work is programatic in that it is a tone poem that describes a young man's distress at failing to win the affectations of a young lady and in a depressed and dejected state attempts to kill himself by overdosing on opium. Instead he has a really bad drug trip. As Leonard Bernstein puts it, 'Berlioz tells it like it is. You take a trip, you wind up screaming at your own funeral.'
So our hapless friend eventually dreams that he has been executed (that's in movement four), and now in movement five, "Songe d'une nuit du sabbat" or Dream of the Night of the Sabbath he finds that he's descended into hell and finds himself at a witch party. Berlioz's program notes:
He sees himself at a witches’ sabbath, in the midst of a hideous gathering of shades, sorcerers and monsters of every kind who have come together for his funeral. Strange sounds, groans, outbursts of laughter; distant shouts which seem to be answered by more shouts. The beloved melody appears once more, but has now lost its noble and shy character; it is now no more than a vulgar dance tune, trivial and grotesque: it is she who is coming to the sabbath ... Roar of delight at her arrival ... She joins the diabolical orgy ... The funeral knell tolls, burlesque parody of the Dies irae, the dance of the witches. The dance of the witches combined with the Dies irae.
Here you go, kids:
Our last Dies Irae moment for today comes from a time a bit closer to home. Michael Daugherty (b.1954) is an American composer who happens to be a big fan of the comic book hero, Superman. He was commissioned and composed a work entitled The Metropolis Symphony which explores the Superman canon through five movements: Lex, Krypton, MXYZPTLK, Oh Lois!, and...
...the Red Cape Tango.
The fifth movement chronicles a pivotal issue in the Superman comic world where the caped crusader fights a seemingly unstoppable villain known as Doomsday. The two trade blows through Metropolis and ultimately kill each other, Superman sacrificing his life to save the world from what would have been an unstoppable trail of destruction. The immortal hero, died in 1992.
Daugherty uses the Dies Irae as a recurring theme throughout the piece, transforming it into a sultry tango that is punctuated by cymbal and gong hits emphasizing the massive attacks the two titans deliver upon each other. The work, originally composed for orchestra, has been transcribed for concert band and I had the privilege to be a part of a performance of this work in front of the composer in my time at FSU. An interesting side note that we learned in hearing from Professor Dougherty: this is allegedly the first time the original melody of the Dies Irae has been used in a tango form.
So I normally have some sort of undercutting metaphor and witty commentary on life to supplement the knowledge I haphazardly impart on you, but today I've got nothing. I've been mired in a bit of writer's block trying to get one of these off the ground (I've got 3 or 4 half-written ones at the moment), but I can't quite hit my stride.
In thinking about the Dies Irae, I guess I just find it impressive that we still find meaning and value in a piece of music that is potentially 1400+ years old. That in our search for the newest and brightest things, we should always remember to look introspectively and remember where we came from as they still exist within us, whether we recognize that or not.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dies_Irae
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eschatology
http://www.classicalnotes.net/classics2/verdirequiem.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Daugherty
▼ Oct ( 1 )
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Our primary care providers are able to care for your entire family.
Vasuki Nagaraj, MD, MPH, FAAFP – Chief Medical Officer, Family Physician
Dr. Nagaraj joined Lamprey Health Care in 2008, and currently serves as the Medical Director for the Nashua Center. He received his MD from J.J.M. Medical College in Davangere in 2001 and completed his M.P.H. degree from Texas A&M University in College Station, TX in 2003. He completed his residency at Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston, ME. Dr. Nagaraj’s areas of clinical interest include chronic disease management and pediatrics. “I enjoy providing the best care possible to my patients and their families, keeping their cultural sensitivities and beliefs at the center of their care.” Dr. Nagaraj speaks Hindi and Kannada.
IN MY FREE TIME: “I have made my home with my family in Nashua, since 2008. I am an avid tennis player and love playing cricket, an Indian sport much like baseball.”
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Dr. Deifik joined Lamprey Health Care as a part time OB/GYN Physician in 2015. He graduated from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX in 1976 and completed specialty training in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Brown University affiliated hospitals in 1980. Dr. Deifik’s areas of interest are normal obstetrics and well woman care. “I enjoy helping guide moms in having the happiest and healthiest pregnancy possible.”
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Ms. Langa joined Lamprey Health Care as a Family Nurse Practitioner in 2012. She received her Master of Science degree in Nursing from the University of Massachusetts in Lowell and completed her undergraduate degrees at Rivier University in Nashua, NH. She began working in the health care field over 20 years ago. Ms. Langa enjoys seeing patients of all ages and multiple generations within each family. Her areas of interest include asthma management, pediatrics, women’s health, and prenatal care.
IN MY FREE TIME: “I enjoy reading, walks on the beach, and time with family.”
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Melissa joined Lamprey Health Care in March 2019. She completed a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition at the University of New Hampshire in Durham and a Master of Physician Assistant Studies at the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences in Manchester, NH. She enjoys seeing patients across the lifespan, from pediatrics to geriatrics, including whole families. “I consider myself a patient advocate, and believe in a biopsychosocial approach to best serve my patient’s varied needs and health goals.”
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Ms. McA’Nulty joined Lamprey Health Care as a Physician Assistant in 2015. She received her Master of Physician Assistant Studies degree from the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences in Manchester, NH. Her areas of interest include chronic disease management, behavioral health, and women’s health. “I enjoy getting to know my patients and their families. As a primary care provider, I feel that my job is done if my patients see me as both an ally and a resource in their journey to better health.”
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Dr. Neupaney joined Lamprey Health Care in 2014. She is a graduate of Manipal College of Medical Sciences in Nepal and completed her Residency in Pediatrics at Western Michigan University School of Medicine in Kalamazoo, MI. Dr. Neupaney is a Board Certified Pediatrician with her clinical area of interest in the well-being of children within the community. She also speaks Hindi and Nepali.
Rajae Raji, APRN
Mrs. Raji joined Lamprey Health Care as a Registered Nurse in 2012. While working at our Nashua Center she earned her Master’s in Nursing from Rivier University and is a member of our second Nurse Practitioner Fellowship Class in the Fall of 2018. Mrs. Raji’s areas of interest include health promotion, disease prevention and management of chronic care conditions. “I enjoy spending time educating patients about disease process, to increase their awareness of their body and improve compliance with their treatment plans.”
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Dr. Ramas joined Lamprey Health Care in 2016. She completed her undergraduate degree at Washington University in St. Louis, MO and received her Doctor of Medicine degree from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, OH. She completed her residency at Lonestar Family Medicine in Conroe, TX. Dr. Ramas enjoys providing a full scope of care from cradle to adult. “I enjoy being an advocate for the families I serve.” Dr. Ramas speaks Spanish, French and Haitian Creole.
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Madhavan v. Sucher case brief
Madhavan v. Sucher case brief summary
306 N.W. 2d 481 (1981)
Defendant sellers sought review of a decision of the Oakland County Circuit Court (Michigan), which affirmed the decision of the trial court that granted summary judgment in favor of plaintiff purchasers and required the sellers to return a purchase money deposit made by the purchasers. The matter was before the court on remand for reconsideration.
The sellers argued that the summary judgment was erroneous and that to uphold it would mean that no title subject to any incumbrance, including utility easements would be marketable, even if the purchasers agreed to purchase subject to certain easements.
The court rejected this argument and affirmed the decision of the circuit court and the trial court.
The court pointed out that the trial court had not held that marketable title could not exist with respect to any parcel of property subject to any easement.
The court noted that the trial court had held that where the easement was an incumbrance that nullified marketable title, the obligation of the sellers to provide marketable title superseded the contractual provision in the purchase agreement regarding the purchase of the property subject to easements.
The court concluded that the purchasers were not required to accept land burdened by easements that affected marketable title.
The court also noted that the provisions concerning marketable title and the purchase subject to the easement were conflicting and, in such a case, were properly construed against the sellers whose agent drew up the agreement.
The court affirmed the judgment of the circuit court that affirmed the trial court's grant of summary judgment in favor of the purchasers that required the sellers to return a purchase deposit.
Suggested law school study materials
Shop Amazon for the best prices on Law School Course Materials .
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Paris Climate Conference – Another Failure
The December climate change conference in Paris, or Conference of the Parties (COP21) as it is called, was the 21st such conference since the United Nations Framework on Climate Change (UNFCC) was set up in 1992. All previous conferences have completely failed to prevent the acceleration, let alone reduction, of global emissions of Greenhouse Gases (GHGs) and the accompanying global warming. Consequently, despite all the pre-conference hype, there was little reason to expect this conference to be any different. In the event the agreement reached is almost worthless. The only thing which could be said for the final agreement was that it recognised that all countries have a responsibility for curbing GHG emissions, not only the developed countries1. However, having agreed this, which in itself is blindingly obvious, the conference made no commitments whatsoever to actually reduce emissions.
The form of the agreement was determined by the US and China in a separate deal in November 2014. This was a bilateral deal in which the US agreed to reduce emissions from their 2005 levels by a quarter by 2025, and China agreed to ensure its emissions peaked in 2030. This means that China’s emissions, which today amount to 27% of global emissions, will continue to rise to 2030. Both countries wanted this agreement to be voluntary, particularly the US, where the Congress and Senate are controlled by oil and coal interests and would veto any binding treaty, just as they vetoed the Kyoto protocol2. The result is we have an agreement, written in the most slippery language, in which any reductions in GHG emissions which any country might make are entirely voluntary!
The consequences of global warming, which are becoming more and more difficult to deny even for the oil companies themselves, may, in the longer term, make the planet uninhabitable for the majority of humanity. Already the effects are being felt in changing weather patterns and exhaustion of food and water supplies and unprecedented weather events such as flooding3 and droughts. These effects lead to social problems such as movements of people and war. It is not often admitted but the wars in the Sahel region of Africa, such as the Darfur war in western Sudan, have their origin in climate change. In Darfur pastoral people have been driving out settled agriculturalists as pastures are reduced through drought and grazing lands disappear. A life and death struggle for the remaining lands ensues. The Syrian civil war is another case in point. Between 2007 and 2010, according to a paper published by National Academy of Sciences of the US, drought pushed 1.5 million Syrians4 to abandon their farms and move to cities. Grim conditions in dysfunctional cities, together with the economic crisis which broke in 2008, helped provoke the uprising of 2011. This led to the civil war, which in turn has precipitated today’s flood of refugees into Europe. Yet disasters such as these are only a vicarage tea party compared with what is to come if climate change is unchecked.
It should also be noted that this conference only addressed global warming. Yet global warming, which is essentially human interference in nature’s carbon cycle, is only one of a host of degradations which capitalism is inflicting on the planet. Even if the conference had agreed to reduce carbon emissions, which it did not, the other threats to at least 15 processes in the biosphere, processes on which human life depends, were not even considered. According to Living Planet Survey by the World Wildlife Fund in 2014 we are annually using up 50% more of the Earth’s sustainable resources than can be restored in a year. As the director general states in the forward to the report:
“We are using nature’s gifts as if we had more than just one Earth at our disposal. By taking more from our ecosystems and natural processes than can be replenished, we are jeopardizing our very future.” 5
When natural cycles cannot regenerate the resources it uses, capitalism simply uses up the planet’s reserves thereby making the collapse, when these reserves are exhausted, absolutely catastrophic – an Easter Island scenario but on a global scale.
What was actually agreed in Paris
The only actually binding agreement is that the countries which ratify the treaty must publish a climate plan listing proposed emissions, which are now called Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs), and the plans and emissions must be monitored. This must happen every 5 years starting from 2020. There is, however, no stipulation that the plans must actually be carried out; the emissions are “intended” and remain voluntary. As usual, all the emission targets exclude emissions from aircraft and shipping6. These emissions are not considered national responsibilities and therefore are ignored by all countries. The conference expressed the “aspiration” to keep the increase in global temperature rise this century “well below” 2oC. 188 countries submitted climate plans to the conference, including emissions targets, the famous INDCs. When these INDCs are added up climate scientists conclude that they will produce to an increase in global temperature of 2.7oC. So even with the present voluntary emissions targets the aspiration of restricting the temperature rise to 2oC cannot be achieved. The conference was quite aware of this but expressed the hope that greater reductions in emissions could be proposed in future climate plans. These again would be voluntary.
One of the key issues which the developing countries were demanding was for the rich countries to provide funds to assist poor countries reduce carbon emissions. The rich countries, however, were reluctant to agree in principle to anything which might commit them to provide finance to combat the effects of climate change. It is, of course, well known that combating these effects will amount to astronomical sums measured in tens of trillions of dollars. The sum of $100bn in finance provided annually to poor countries was actually agreed before the conference, but by the end it had become a goal to be achieved by 2025! It is not clear where this finance is to come from and there is no clear definition of what it should be spent on. The World Bank has offered a definition which could actually include sums spent on developing fossil fuels! This too appears to be a fudge with the provision of funds also voluntary.
The agreement will come into force when 55 countries representing 55% of global emissions have ratified it, a process which is to start next April and which could take several years.
What is essentially a toothless agreement which will have little effect, was hailed by our leaders as a giant step towards saving the planet. They congratulated themselves on a magnificent achievement before jetting off, in their private jets, to their respective countries to continue polluting as before.
The conclusions of climate science
According to the International Panel for Climate Change (IPCC), emitting 1000 billion tonnes of GHGs (measured as carbon) will create a temperature rise of 2oC from pre-industrial times – that is approximately mid-18th century. In the past 250 years we have emitted 515bn tonnes and the acceleration of emission rates is so large that we are on course to emit the remaining 485bn tonnes in the next 30 years. At present emissions are 9.81bn tonnes annually, (36bn tonnes measured as CO2). If the rate of emissions follows the IPCC’s Representative Concentration Pathway leading to 8.5W/m2 radiative forcing7 by 2100 (RPC8.5), emissions are expected to rise to 14.55bn tonnes by 2030 and 19.11bn tonnes by 2045. By 2045 the entire carbon budget will be blown and the temperature will have exceeded 2oC. This is the conclusion of the world’s scientists. How does this fit in with the climate plans submitted by the 188 countries in Paris?
If all the emissions proposed in the Paris climate plans are actually met, the global emissions in 2030 will be 15.46bn tonnes. They will have exceeded the emissions envisaged by the IPCC’s RCP8.5, which is 14.55bn tonnes by 2030, and we are heading for a temperature rise of above 2oC before the middle of this century8.
If the rise of 2oC is to be achieved emissions must start falling by 2020 and must reach zero by 2060. This is not even proposed. As noted above China, for example, which accounts for 27% of global emissions, is planning to let its emissions rise until 2030! What is actually happening is likely to produce a temperature rise of 4oC by 2060.
The goals of the Paris agreement, even in the most optimistic assessment, are in flagrant contradiction with climate science and the recommendations of the IPCC, the very body which was set up to advise governments on what actions to take. That governments can ignore their advisors and the conclusions of science is, of course, because any real attempt to combat global warming would directly conflict with the demands of the capitalist system.
Capitalist response to the Agreement
At present 90% of the world’s energy is provided by fossil fuels and if the Paris agreement was serious about reducing CO2 emissions there would have been some serious moves to reduce this figure and leave the fossil fuels in the ground. This would have directly threatened the large coal and oil corporations. However, they are completely unconcerned by the agreement. A senior representative of a European utility with coal interests summed up their reaction:
“We are not too worried to be honest, it does not change much right now.” 9
In fact the real concern of these corporations is certainly not reduction in CO2 emissions, but rather the low prices for coal and oil, which reduce profits and cause mines, and marginal oil producers to close. The closure of Kellingley Colliery in Yorkshire10, for example, is the consequence of the low price of coal not any concern over global warming. Overall the response of the bourgeoisie to low prices for oil and coal is simply to burn more and increase pollution.
Fossil fuels provide about 68% of the global electricity supply. The World Resources Institute estimated that in 2012, 1199 new coal fired power stations with a capacity of 1,401 Giga Watts (GW) were planned! India, for example, has 554 proposed coal fired power stations which have received approval. This represents commissioning one station every week for the next 10 years. These new stations are set to discharge an extra 1bn tonnes of carbon into the atmosphere annually. Coal is, of course, the most polluting fuel available to capital. The most efficient modern coal power plants produce 750 grams of CO2 per kilowatt hour (g/kwh) whereas wind generation produces between 10 and 20g/kWh11. Between 1997 and 2014 global coal production increased from 4.5bn tonnes to 8bn tonnes. The International Energy Agency’s (IEA) report on the medium term coal market predicts a further expansion of the use of coal. Although the investment in renewable energy has been rising12 and is expected to account for a third of electricity generated by 2040, the use of coal and investment in coal is set to rise absolutely. The IEA estimates that the global demand for electricity in 2040 will be 80% greater than it was in 2012. Renewables are not replacing coal, they are taking up only a part of the increase in demand. The IEA estimates that the CO2 from the power sector will rise from 13.2Gt in 2012 to 15.4Gt in 2040, an increase of 16.6%.
A statement by leading climate scientists in a paper entitled “Unabated coal is not compatible with keeping global warming below 2oC” warns that the current trend in coal burning is leading to a temperature rise of 6oC by 2100. They state:
“The current global trend of coal use is consistent with an emissions pathway above the IEA’s 6oC scenario. That risks an outcome which is catastrophic beyond anything mankind has experienced during its entire existence on earth.”13
The outlook for reducing oil consumption is similarly bleak. Oil production increased from 75bn barrels per day in 1997 to 93mb/d in 2014. BP in its Energy Outlook Report published in March 2015 predicts global energy consumption will grow by 37% and CO2 emissions by 25% and the IEA’s aim of keeping atmospheric CO2 concentration below 450 parts per million will be exceeded by 203514.
At the same time, carbon sinks are being reduced thereby ensuring the increased carbon emissions are not reduced by the natural process of carbon absorption. In pre-industrial times there were 5.9 billion hectares of forest worldwide while today this has been reduced to 4bn hectares. The UN Food and Agricultural Organisation reports that 13 million hectares of forest are being cut down each year. This means that in a decade we lose a further 3.25% of the planet’s forests.
All this is of little concern to capitalism. Instead of limiting carbon emissions it provides direct subsidies for fossil fuels at a rate of almost 6 times those provided for renewables. In 2014 fossil fuels were directly subsidised to the tune of $550bn whereas renewables received $101bn. This subsidy for renewables is approximately 8% of global military spending. The capitalist class is prepared to spend over 12 times more on killing people in order to protect capital values and imperialist interests than it is prepared to spend on halting its destruction of the planet.
The UK government’s feeble commitment to the reduction of greenhouse gases is shown by its reduction of subsidies for renewables, notably on solar and on-shore wind power and the scrapping of its £1bn grant for Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) which it committed to only 6 months ago. Although it plans to phase out coal fired power stations by 2025, it plans to replace them, not with renewable energy sources, but with gas fired stations and introduce fracking to produce more gas. While it is true that the gas stations produce less carbon than coal, 440 grams per kilowatt hour (g/kWh) as against 960g/kWh, this is still massively more than solar or wind which produce in the range of 10 to 50 g/kWh.
The global accountancy firm PwC has been monitoring the carbon intensity of the global economy for the last 7 years. To achieve the 2oC rise in temperature this century they estimate carbon intensity must fall by 6.3% annually. In none of the last 7 years has that goal been achieved and they conclude we are on track to blow our carbon budget, mentioned above, before 2035, which is worse than the IPCC estimate. Leo Johnson, a PwC partner, summed up the present situation as follows:
“If you were to lie in bed thinking how do I maximise carbon emissions it would be something like the economic model of fossil fuels, mass production, transportation, consumption and built-in obsolescence that we have got.”15
Why is it that humanity is acting in a way which is leading to its destruction?
The capitalism system demands profit and growth
The truth, which our rulers try to hide, is that capitalism only engages in production if it can make a profit and it only satisfies human needs if it is profitable to do so. It operates to produce short term profits and any catastrophe which is 30 or 40 years away is simply irrelevant. It has no concern for future generations. The capitalist class will continue polluting the air, poisoning the seas and cutting down the world’s forests until it is no longer profitable to do these things. Once this point has been reached, of course, it will be too late to do anything about it.
As mentioned above India is proposing to commission 554 new coal fired power stations, approximately one every week for the next 10 years. Arvind Subramanian, chief economic advisor to the Indian Government, writing in the Financial Times points out that the real issue is profitability:
“Prices of renewables are not competitive with coal today. It is wishful thinking to imagine that renewables can replace coal in the foreseeable future.”16
This is a clear statement of the logic of capitalism by someone who is actually controlling what happens. In plain language this means that combating global warming is wishful thinking because it is not profitable.
A further issue is capitalism’s demand for continual growth. As we have explained in other texts17, because of the internal workings of capitalism there is a tendency for the rate of profit to fall. This is a consequence of the increasing productivity of labour which, in turn, results in the exclusion of labour from the production process and its replacement by machinery. Since exploitation of living labour is the only source of capital’s profit excluding labour reduces the amount of profit produced relative to the capital employed18. The capitalist class tries to compensate for the decline in the rate of profit by increasing the mass of profit. It does this by increasing the scale of production and extending the market by any means possible. In the language of capitalism this equates to growth. Capitalism must grow or die. Martin Wolf, the chief economic commentator for the Financial Times, writing about the Paris Climate Conference states:
“But growth of the world economy has overwhelmed the fall in emissions per unit of output. If growth is not to be sacrificed (which humanity will not tolerate) this rate of decline must accelerate hugely.”19
In other words he sees the solution in increasing productivity which allows for growth without increase in carbon emissions. He cannot even contemplate a reduction in growth. He is forced to admit, however, that there has not been a fall in global emissions per capita. In fact, global emissions per capita have risen from about 4 tonnes of CO2 in 2003 to 5 tonnes in 2014. The significant point which Martin Wolf emphasises is that growth cannot be sacrificed, come what may. The capitalist class, whose spokesman he is, cannot envisage any system of production other than capitalism and therefore sees the interests of capitalism as being the same as those of humanity. They conclude that since capitalism will not tolerate any reduction in growth nor will humanity. In fact the complete opposite is the case. Capitalism is leading humanity to catastrophe precisely through its demand for growth. If the world economy grows at 3% annually it will double in size every 25 years and this means CO2 emissions will double and instead of needing 1.5 planet earths to be sustainable, capitalism will require 3. Infinite growth, which capitalism demands, is simply not feasible with a finite planet and a finite limit to atmospheric CO2 pollution. In reality the truth is that humanity cannot tolerate growth under capitalist relations of production. It is a recipe for mass extinction.
The perilous situation in which humanity finds itself is a direct outcome of the capitalist system of production. It is not because our rulers are corrupt or stupid, which they often are, that they act against the long term interests of humanity, it is because the imperatives of capitalism are dictating their actions. The imperative of profit will always take precedence over everything else. Green capitalism will only be achieved if it is more profitable than carbon capitalism. Zero growth under capitalism, even green capitalism, is a total myth. It is clear that the environmental problem cannot be solved under capitalism since capitalism is its primary cause. How can this be solved?
A communist planet
Saving the planet is, even now, technically feasible it’s not happening because it’s just not profitable and the system demands infinite growth. Humanity could, for example, generate all its electrical energy from renewables. The potential of solar electricity, to give just one example, is illustrated by the statistic that the entire amount of electrical energy consumed globally in one year is less than the energy received by the world’s deserts in only 6 hours20.
The human interchange with nature needs to be determined by sustainability rather than capitalist profit and growth. Capitalist production because of its class divisions and class contradictions also undermines any common will to address the problems of global warming and ecological destruction.
Capitalist production is based on the system of wage labour, which in turn depends on the separation of workers from the means of production. The fact that workers have no property forces them to sell their labour power as a commodity to those owning or controlling the means of production. This results in a system in which labour takes the form of value and the aim of production is simply that of increasing value. The capitalist engages in production to generate profit or surplus value. The worker sells his/her labour power to the capitalist to survive, to get what he or she needs to keep the family alive and, of course, to get the strength to carry on working. There is an immediate conflict of interest between these two main classes in society. This makes cooperation in a common project such as saving the planet difficult if not impossible. On the one hand the capitalist sees ending pollution as reducing his profits which he cannot tolerate, on the other hand the worker sees cuts in his consumption of energy or commodities as the capitalist’s method of reducing the value of his labour power and his living standards.
As has been mentioned above capitalism requires continual growth. Technical innovations to increase productivity exclude labour from the production process. The process results in the expulsion of workers from production and the formation of a reserve army of labour while the active army of labour is subjected to increased productivity, speed-ups and longer working hours. The increased productivity of labour, which should benefit humanity, actually makes conditions worse. For workers it results in either unemployment or worse working conditions, while for the system as a whole it results in decreased rates of profit and crises. This illustrates the stupidity of capitalist production. As Marx wrote;
“Capital itself is the moving contradiction, in that it presses to reduce labour time to a minimum, while it posits labour time, on the other side, as sole measure and source of wealth.”21
To achieve a sustainable interchange with nature the capitalist production system needs to be replaced. Instead of production for profit we need to create a system of production for the needs of humanity and balance these needs with sustainability. Ending capitalist relations of production will also end the need for continual growth. The system of wage labour needs to be abolished together with capitalist private property. The factories, mines, farms, in short the productive forces of the planet need to be converted to social property, controlled by the vast majority of humanity and used to satisfy human needs. Once capitalist conflicts and contradictions are eliminated a serious attempt can be made at rolling back the dreadful damage which 250 years of capitalism have inflicted on the planet. This can succeed since the conflicts of interest which are inherent in capitalism will have been eliminated. Humanity will have a common purpose. The old communist slogan:
“From each according to their ability, to each according to their needs”22
will become a reality, and the world will become a communist planet23. That is a planet where the state, national frontiers and money have been abolished and power is exercised by the overwhelming majority of humanity in worldwide organisations such as workers councils.
Apart from being riven with contradictions and class conflict capitalism is an inherently wasteful system. Massive amounts of the work carried out under capitalism are completely useless. We mention only that carried out in commerce, in finance and in speculation. These things would no longer be necessary in a world where products are distributed freely according to need, and money is abolished. Some work carried out under capitalism is not just wasteful it is harmful in that it destroys products of labour, for example, military work and arms production. Once capitalism is abolished the unproductive and destructive labour which the system now demands can be channelled into useful work on a massive scale. While we do not claim to be expert on what precisely needs to be done to save the planet, programmes such as, renewable energy production on a global scale, energy storage, electrifying transport, organic farming, local food production, water efficiency and recycling, reestablishment of fisheries and coral reefs, reforestation, etc. would appear to be a priority. Energy could also be devoted to developing new techniques and inventions which permit industrial production to use less energy or, for example, the capture and storage of the carbon already in the atmosphere.
The key point is that only with the establishment of communist production relations will there be the common will and the energy to devise such programmes and to undertake them.
All the above leads to the question of how a communist world can be achieved. This, of course, cannot be answered in a discussion on climate change. All we will say here is that a communist world can only be achieved if the majority of the world’s working class see it as necessary and are prepared to fight to bring it into being. To create a communist planet requires a political assault on capitalism which is the fountainhead of all that is wrong in the world. Capitalism needs to be fought now and a fighting organisation, a global party of the working class, needs to be created to assist that fight.
1 The Kyoto Protocol, which was adopted in 1997 and is the only binding treaty to have come out of the COP meetings, obliged only the developed countries to curb emissions. China, which was not obliged to decrease emissions, is now the largest emitter of GHGs emitting 27% of the global total.
2 The US Republican Party is already manoeuvring to block the agreement. They have threatened to block $3bn of climate finance the US administration offered ahead of the Paris agreement if the administration passes the accord by executive agreement. See FT 14/12/15
3 Increase in temperature allows the air to hold more water vapour. In Britain temperatures in December 2015 were 5oC above normal. For each 1oC rise the air can hold 7% more water vapour. This led to devastating floods as one storm after another swept into northern England and Scotland from the Atlantic.
4 See Financial Times 25/11/15
5 See report wwf.org.uk
6 According to the IPCC these amounted to 4% of the total GHG emissions in 2012.
7 This is the process whereby GHGs reflect radiation from the earth back to earth. This radiation, which should normally leave the earth, and is the mechanism for cooling the planet, is unable to escape and results in heating. Radiative forcing has increased from approximately 0.65W/m2 in 1950 to 1.4 in 1980 to 2.4w/m2 in 2010. IPCC considers 8.5W/m2 in 2100 is likely. See IPCC report AR5.
8 See wri.org
10 Kellingley was the last deep coal mine in Britain
11 Average figure for coal plants is 940g/kWh. The figure for wind generation is a whole life figure including manufacturing and construction carbon generation. See www.europeanclimate.org/documents/no_coal_2c.pdf
12 $270bn was invested in renewables in 2015.Biggest investor was China $83.3bn, followed by US $38.3bn and Japan $35.7bn.
13 See www.europeanclimate.org/documents/no_coal_2c.pdf
14 See Financial Times 4/03/15
15 Quoted in Financial Times 28/11/15
17 See leftcom.org
18 This illustrates the absurdity of the capitalist system. Increased productivity of labour which should benefit humanity actually threatens it. At the same time as enormous social wealth is produced at one pole, enormous social deprivation, unemployment, a reserve army of labour struggling to survive on the fringes of society is produced at the other pole.
19 See Financial Times 19/12/15
20 Quoted in Jonathon Porritt The World We Made.
21 K Marx Grundrisse p.706
22 Karl Marx Critique of the Gotha Programme.
23 This has no relation to the state capitalist societies which were created in Russia, China and elsewhere. Communism has never been established on earth.
Permalink Submitted by Charlie on Tue, 2016-02-09 10:04
I sent the following mind-blowing paragraph from the above excellent article to a friend. from leftcom "Saving the planet is, even now, technically feasible it’s not happening because it’s just not profitable and the system demands infinite growth. Humanity could, for example, generate all its electrical energy from renewables. The potential of solar electricity, to give just one example, is illustrated by the statistic that the entire amount of electrical energy consumed globally in one year is less than the energy received by the world’s deserts in only 6 hours20." He replied with this. "As for energy, you may be interested to look into anaerobic digestion of sewage sludge which is catching on in the US and the UK. Producing bio-gas from waste has had some advances. Now it is possible to generate electricity achieving 130% net gain meaning the energy inputs into obtaining and processing sludge are negated by the output. The Asian Francisco Bay Area has eleven 2.3 million gallon digesters in operation. They get a shit load of power for their poo." I supose poo is renewable. But if the bourgeois is into it in a big way - like using it to feed fish - then their must be a catch somewhere and I smell a rat - or is it poo? Any comments?
Permalink Submitted by azdak on Wed, 2016-02-10 16:30
Anaerobic sewage sludge digestion captures energy which would otherwise go to waste. Sugars and fatty acids in sewage are digested by bacteria (in the absence of oxygen) producing methane and carbon dioxide, so-called biogas. To generate electricity this biogas is compressed and burned in a turbine or an engine which drives an alternator. Although the process produces carbon dioxide it is carbon neutral since the carbon was in the food we ate in the first place. Hence it is an environmentally clean process but there is only a limited amount of energy available. No sewage plant is self sufficient in energy as far as I am aware. This is because of the energy required for other processes such as aeration, pumping, heating etc. is large. It is not going to save the planet!
The digestion of sewage sludge has become more widespread because of the increase in energy prices and the ability to sell electricity to the grid at peak demand times for a higher price while importing it at other times for a lower price. It is therefore determined by profit, not any desire to save the planet. If energy prices remain low, as at preset, biodigesters won't be built. As the article makes clear capitalist production relations determine what happens. However, it is one of a number of technologies which could be used more widely in communist society.
Permalink Submitted by Charlie on Thu, 2016-02-11 03:33
Thank you azdak for your helpful and most informative post above. I will pass it on to my friend. I also take on board your comment about capitalist relations of production dictating all that happens - - - till we get rid of them that is.
I had suspected that "the digestion of sewage sludge" (evocative expression!) wouldn't be the answer on its own, but also that there must currently be something "in it" for the bourgeois (profits and money lovely money) else they wouldn't be interested at all.
It seems there are various technologies around only waiting their liberation from capitalism (aren't we all?) to help usher in the society of abundance, peace and prosperity for everyone and the planet too.
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PUBLIC OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES, AND RECORDS Chapter 119
PUBLIC RECORDS View Entire Chapter
119.11 Accelerated hearing; immediate compliance.—
(1) Whenever an action is filed to enforce the provisions of this chapter, the court shall set an immediate hearing, giving the case priority over other pending cases.
(2) Whenever a court orders an agency to open its records for inspection in accordance with this chapter, the agency shall comply with such order within 48 hours, unless otherwise provided by the court issuing such order, or unless the appellate court issues a stay order within such 48-hour period.
(3) A stay order shall not be issued unless the court determines that there is a substantial probability that opening the records for inspection will result in significant damage.
(4) Upon service of a complaint, counterclaim, or cross-claim in a civil action brought to enforce the provisions of this chapter, the custodian of the public record that is the subject matter of such civil action shall not transfer custody, alter, destroy, or otherwise dispose of the public record sought to be inspected and examined, notwithstanding the applicability of an exemption or the assertion that the requested record is not a public record subject to inspection and examination under s. 119.07(1), until the court directs otherwise. The person who has custody of such public record may, however, at any time permit inspection of the requested record as provided in s. 119.07(1) and other provisions of law.
History.—s. 5, ch. 75-225; s. 2, ch. 83-214; s. 6, ch. 84-298.
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The European Primary and Specialist Dental Qualifications Regulations 1998
The competent authority
Previous: Provision
Next: Provision
5.—(1) Subject to the following paragraphs, the GDC may charge such reasonable fees as it determines to cover the cost of providing services in the course of the performance of any of its functions under or by virtue of Part II of these Regulations.
(2) The GDC may set those fees at levels such that (taken together) the fees also cover the cost of such of its overheads as are reasonably attributable to the performance of all of its functions under or by virtue of Part II of these Regulations; but the fees must not include any element of profit.
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Books by MG Edwards
World Adventurers for Kids
Alexander the Salamander
Ellie the Elephant
Zoe the Zebra
Real Dreams
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Brilliance Equity
My family and I started our journey through New Zealand in its largest city, Auckland. We wondered if we should pass it by after landing at the airport to save time for other attractions on the North and South Island until I reminded myself, “You’re not going to stop in New Zealand’s biggest city? Why in the world wouldn’t you?”
That was enough for me. We added another day to our itinerary with an overnight stop in Auckland and made due with a few hours of touring after our plane touched down at noon. The more I learned about the Northland Region from Auckland to the North Cape on New Zealand’s northwestern peninsula, the more I wanted to stay longer and explore the area. But it wasn’t meant to be. Our almost three-week driving itinerary was already crowded with daily stops from Auckland to Christchurch and everywhere in between. The Northland would have to wait for another trip, and Auckland, unfortunately, was relegated to a brief stop. The city merited more than half a day to take in the sights, but we were hard pressed to expand our schedule or steal time from another location.
With an estimated population of 1.5 million residents living in the Auckland metropolitan area in a country of just 4.5 million, the city boasted roughly one third of New Zealand’s inhabitants. Its capital, Wellington, and the South Island’s largest city, Christchurch, promised more opportunities to acquaint ourselves with the urban side of this largely rural island nation. Still, with all due respect to other Kiwi cities, Auckland seemed to be the most “happening” place in Middle Earth. Little wonder considering that it placed a close third to Vienna, Austria and Zurich, Switzerland in the Mercer 2014 Quality of Living rankings. Day or night, Auckland is a lovely city.
Auckland, or Tāmaki Makaurau or Ākarana as it’s known in the Māori language, packed more geographic and cultural diversity into a mid-sized city than its international peers. A stop at a Down Under grocery store chain for some staples introduced us to the melding of cultures in Auckland, from tourists on holiday to Chinese exchange students enrolled in Kiwi colleges to families hailing from the far-flung islands of Polynesia. Embracing the Pacific Ocean on an isthmus between the Tasman Sea and the Waitemata Harbour, Auckland is one of the few cities with two ports. It’s as if its front and back doors are open to visitors.
The bevy of attractions and entertainment options in Auckland made us choose our destinations with care. With our truncated schedule, out went popular but far-flung sites such as Rangitoto Island, a volcanic island in the Hauraki Gulf offering excellent hiking and great views of the city (pictured below).
Nixed were favorite tourist places outside Auckland proper such as Devonport (above, in the foreground), a beautiful seaside neighborhood across Waitemata Harbour from downtown (and hometown of the singer Lorde). Gone were the Bridge Climb and Bungy on Auckland Harbour Bridge (below).
Out went visits to the popular hilltop parks atop old volcanoes like Mt. Eden (second photo below) and One Tree Hill (third photo below).
Instead, we headed to the Auckland Sky Tower in the center for great views of the city. If we couldn’t see it all on the ground, we were determined to take it in from the air – sans bungee jumping from the tower.
Our afternoon spent at the Sky Tower turned to nightfall with two visits before and after dinner at a nearby café. The sunset over Auckland was brilliant as the last rays painted the hills golden and shimmered on Waitemata Harbour. As darkness descended, the teeming lights of humanity came to life in a mesmerizing glow.
Many New Zealand visitors stop in Auckland on their way to connecting flights, recreational vehicles, or car rentals that will whisk them away to their dream destinations. If only they stayed a while. The city is a gem worth exploring in its own right – if only long enough to enjoy a stunning sunset over the Tasman Sea.
More About New Zealand
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MG Edwards is a writer of books and stories in the thriller and science fiction-fantasy genres. He also writes travel adventures and children’s books. A former U.S. diplomat, he served in South Korea, Paraguay, and Zambia before leaving the Foreign Service to write full time.
Edwards is author of six books. His memoir, Kilimanjaro: One Man’s Quest to Go Over the Hill, was finalist for the Book of the Year Award and the Global eBook Award. He has published four children’s picture books in the World Adventurers for Kids Series: Alexander the Salamander; Ellie the Elephant; Zoe the Zebra; and a collection featuring all three stories. His book Real Dreams: Thirty Years of Short Stories is an anthology of 15 short stories.
Edwards lives in Taipei, Taiwan with his family. He has also lived in Austria, Singapore and Thailand. For more books or stories by M.G. Edwards, visit his web site at www.mgedwards.com or contact him by e-mail at me@mgedwards.com or on Twitter @m_g_edwards.
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New Zealand, Oceania
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The Mennonites of Paraguay (with Photos)
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Manila Daily / Survive Manila »
Health & Emergency »
The Reproductive Health Law
Metro Manila · The Reproductive Health Law
"/var/ezdemo_site/storage/images/media/manila/images-manila/unnamed-and-untagged/crowd/790323-1-eng-GB/Crowd_zoom_image.jpg" 2000 1015 Crowd
The Supreme Court of the Philippines declared the Reproductive Health Law constitutional in April 2014, putting an end to the debate regarding birth control, sex education, and maternal care. By 2016, during his first State of the Nation Address, President Rodrigo Duterte mentioned that the RH Law will be in full force.
It took a while before the so-called RH Bill was passed and became the "Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act of 2012" (RH Law). Over the years, supporters and opponents of the bill argued about its provisions all over the country: in parliament, in the media, in street protests, in online forums, and at dinner tables.
Most people could agree on the law's provisions regarding better health care for children and mothers. What sparked the controversy was the widespread distribution of contraceptives such as condoms and birth control pills - along with sexual education and counseling - funded by the government and the private sector.
Abortion remains strictly prohibited under Philippine law, but the bill includes a provision to ensure that women with post-abortion complications are taken care of.
Supporters of the RH Law argued that family planning reduces poverty and health risks, and that it lowers abortion rates. They also point out that a high percentage among poorer women express a desire to avoid pregnancies, but that they lack information and access to contraceptive methods.
Opponents of the law argued, for one, that the Philippines is not a welfare state and taxpayers should not be obliged to finance contraception. More importantly, however, was the opposition by the Catholic church and other groups and individuals on religious grounds.
The Supreme Court struck down several provisions of the RH Law (click here for an overview), but upheld all major provisions, such as the free distribution of condoms and birth control pills by government health centers, and mandatory sex education in schools.
++Update August 12, 2016+++
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte talked about the full implementation of the Reproductive Health law during his first State of the Nation Adddress.
Duterte said, "The implementation of the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Law must be put into full force and effect so that couples, especially the poor, will have freedom of informed choice in the number and spacing of children they can adequately care and provide for, eventually making them more productive members of the labor force."
Interested? Read more:
Laws, Rules & Regulations
What 'Manila' stands for
Infectious Tropical Diseases and Vaccinations
16 Ways To Beat The Heat In Manila This Summer
Staying Healthy in a New Environment: Coping with Stress and Anxiety in the Megacity
Drinking Water at Home – Lux Purification Systems
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Home/Uncategorized/Bands love Faith No More
Lots of love for Faith No More in recent days and weeks from other bands ahead of their reunion Second Coming tour.
First up, David Draiman from Disturbed, who spoke to Fangoria Online about their almost infamous Midlife Crisis cover (see below). He says: “Our approach [to the song] was to respect it – to respect the integrity of it, and not deviate that much from the original. The original was genius. I have a huge amount of respect for Mike Patton, and we obviously love the song and the darkness within it. Originally we recorded that when we were approached at one point in time to do a FAITH NO MORE tribute album that was being spearheaded by THE DEFTONES. Mike Patton ended up putting the kibosh on that because he didn’t want there to be any tributes to FAITH NO MORE. So we had that version sitting around for quite awhile and when this album came up (WARNER BROS’ COVERED: A REVOLUTION IN SOUND) we figured we loved that song so much that it was time to do a kind of modernized version of it. We changed a couple of things musically, but as far as his vocal approach, in no way do I think that I could ever out-do Mike, so I tried to just keep it true.”
And there’s more. The delectable Cristina Scabbia from Lacuna Coil, who play on the same Download and Rock in Idro bills as Faith No More, told Italian site Panorama: “Mike Patton is one of my favorite singers ever” and when asked five sogs she always has one her MP3 player chose Faith No More’s Kindergarten: “”one of my favorite songs of all time: wonderful melody changes”.
Obligatory gratuitous Cristina Scabbia pic
Meanwhile, this from Slipknot frontman Corey Taylor in Rocksound: “He also told Rock Sound what he is looking forward to at the festival. ”Three words my friend; Faith No More motherfucker!” Technically Corey that’s four, but hey, who’s keeping count.”
The Editor2009-05-22T13:45:01+02:00May 22nd, 2009|Uncategorized|0 Comments
disturbed is terrible, and so is their cover…
nineinchyann May 22, 2009 at 8:49 pm
well, yeah, there are some more interesting matters out there for sure, but if you ‘ re covering a song , at least try not being too close or not making it recognizable, something like that… but this is just cringing and awful. Good bands, like fnm or the deftones, do good covers, and listening to this is just a waste of time, a bit like my comment.
Fantomas No More May 22, 2009 at 6:05 pm
I agree with your notes on the cover. I thought the idea of a cover was to put your own take on it!
Just went through disturbed cover, plain horrible….no Spanish dates ?That ‘s very bad too…
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Bielinski, S., 2001. Captain Samuel Schuyler. Dutch Settlers Society of Albany - Yearbook, 1998-2001 53, 23-25.
Bielinski, S., 2010. The People of Colonial Albany Live Online. Legacy: The Magazine of the New York State Museum 6, 10-12.
Bielinski, S., 1996. The Jacksons, Lattimores and Schuylers: First African-American Families of Early Albany. New York History 77, 372-394.
Birch, J., Hart, J.P., 2018. Social Networks and Northern Iroquoian Confederacy Dynamics. American Antiquity 83, 13-33. doi:10.1017/aaq.2017.59
Bird, B., Kozlowski, A.L., 2016. Surficial Geology of the Moravia Quadrangle, Cayuga County, New York. Map & Chart Series 89.
Bird, B., Kozlowski, A.L., 2014. Surficial Geology of the Lyons Quadrangle, Wayne County, New York. Map & Chart Series 79.
Bird, B., Kozlowski, A.L., Pair, D.L., 2017. Surficial Geology of the Owasco Quadrangle, Cayuga and Onondaga Counties, New York. Map and Chart Series.
Bird, B., Kozlowski, A.L., 2015. Surficial Geology of the Weedsport Quadrangle, Cayuga County, New York. Map & Chart Series 84.
Bird, B., Kozlowski, A.L., 2016. Surficial Geology of the Sempronius Quadrangle, Cayuga County, New York. Map & Chart Series 90.
Bird, B., Kozlowski, A.L., 2016. Late Quaternary Reconstruction of Lake Iroquois in the Ontario Basin of New York. Map & Chart Series 80.
Bird, B., Kehew, A.E., Kozlowski, A.L., 2018. Glaciotectonic deformation along the Valparaiso Upland in southwest Michigan, in: Quaternary Glaciation Of The Great Lakes Region: Process, Landforms, Sediments, And Chronology. Geological Society of America, Boulder, Colorado.
Bird, B., Kozlowski, A.L., 2015. Surficial Geology of the Auburn Quadrangle, Cayuga County, New York. Map & Chart Series 82.
Bird, B., Kozlowski, A.L., 2011. Surficial Geology of the Victory Quadrangle, New York. Map & Chart Series.
Bird, B., Kozlowski, A.L., 2015. Surficial Geology of the Fair Haven Quadrangle, Cayuga and Wayne County, New York. Map & Chart Series 83.
Bird, B., Kozlowski, A.L., 2010. Surficial Geology of the Seneca Falls Quadrangle, New York. Map & Chart Series.
Bishop, S.C., 1927. Records of Some Salamanders from South Carolina. Copeia 161, 187-188.
Bishop, S.C., 1925. Records of Some Salamanders from No. Carolina and Pennsylvania. Copeia 139, 9-12.
Bishop, S.C., 1923. Notes on the Herpetology of Albany County, New York. Copeia 118, 64-68.
Bishop, S.C., 1928. Notes on Some Amphibians and Reptiles from the Southeastern States, with a Description of a New Salamander from North Carolina. Journal of the Elisha Mitchell Science Society 43, 153-170.
Bishop, S.C., 1926. Notes on the Habits and Development of the Mudpuppy: Necturus maculosus (Rafinesque), New York State Museum Bulletin. The University of the State of New York, Albany, New York.
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Bioline International
A trailblazing bioscience platform sharing bioscience research, globally
http://www.bioline.org.br
Bioline International is a trailblazer in the field of access to bioscience. It’s a platform for quality peer reviewed journals published in developing countries, from Bangladesh to Venezuela. It acts as an aggregator, offering a free platform to promote open access journals for publishers who may not otherwise have sufficient resources on their own. It also improves the visibility of developing world publications, enabling them to enter into mainstream research and knowledge activities, and acts as an OAI data provider, allowing journal articles to be easily harvested and discovered by other indexing services. And it’s been doing it for a long time.
“We were one of the earliest initiatives to promote free access to publications and so Bioline was invited to attend the strategic open access meeting in Budapest about 10 years ago to talk about the future of open access – the term open access was coined at that meeting – and so we are very proud of the fact that we were there from the beginning,” says Bioline’s director, Leslie Chan.
In fact, Bioline was around even before the ‘beginning’. It launched in 1993 as a partnership between the Tropical Database, now Centro de Referência em Informação Ambiental,in Brazil and the Electronic Publishing Trust for Development (EPT) in the UK, initially simply emailing journals and bioscience reports. It grew as the technology developed, migrating to the world wide web in 1996/7. In 2000, the University of Toronto took over the role of the EPT and the project has grown steadily over the last decade, now featuring over 50 journals.
One of the frequently cited benefits of open access is that it makes research that would otherwise be inaccessible – through cost or lack of availability -accessible to researchers in developing countries. While that is undoubtedly true, less is heard about the flipside – the benefits to western researchers, and the wider world, of access to the research and knowledge coming out of the developing world.
Yet this is precisely one of the ways in which Bioline International comes into its own. It was an aim from the start, explains Bioline’s founder, Barbara Kirsop.
“There was a gap in knowledge here in the developed world of absolutely essential research information that was critical to the development of international research programmes. We were working on the basis of western knowledge and often leaving out the local knowledge, or indigenous knowledge, that people had that was crucial for developing new drugs, for example, or agricultural developments. We were missing a whole lot of really critical information and this is where the availability of research carried out in developing countries was important for the progress of science.”
This kind of research has been particularly important in the development of drugs for illnesses that affect both developing and developed countries. For example, tuberculosis in India and in China is different from tuberculosis in the west and while the current vaccine, BCG, provides 80% protection in the west, it offers virtually no protection to adult sufferers in India [1]. Similarly, with diabetes, “what works in the UK may not work in India and vice versa, as environmental or genetic factors can make a world of difference” [2]. Without knowledge of the research into these diseases that is taking place in these countries, researchers in the west will flounder.
Barbara Kirsop, founder of Bioline International
“It has been a bit of a wake-up call to realise that although some of the research done in the developing world may not be highly sophisticated or terribly expensive to do, there are certain elements that are critical to the real understanding of what needs to be done to resolve the world’s problems. So, if you are trying to resolve agricultural difficulties, such as crop losses, or infectious diseases,, then you need to know what’s happening on the ground. You need to know the consequences of various developments on local populations or the farmers and so on,” says Barbara Kirsop.
Bioline’s success in sharing knowledge between north and south, east and west is clear from site traffic statistics showing the spread of visitors. During a one month period between July and August 2011, 1,032,844 visits came from 224 countries or territories. The United States was the top visitor, closely followed by India, then Brazil, the UK, Mexico, Nigeria, China, Canada, Colombia, and Malaysia. (Bioline traffic report July-August 2011)
These figures clearly demonstrate how Bioline is playing its part in creating a level playing field for access to research information. As well as making research visible to the world through the website, Bioline also acts as a training service, helping the poorest developing countries to understand that they do not need to be isolated, that they can develop their own journals much more cheaply electronically than through print-and-postage, and there are real examples of how to get started. In turn, this increased visibility and accessibility can have an impact on not just publishing but also how the research itself is conducted.
“Science has always been global but increasingly we are seeing more network enabled collaboration between researchers in different parts of the world,” says Dr Chan. “Submissions have changed – Indian journals used to have mostly Indian authors in them. Now we are seeing submissions from really very diverse places – from the UK, from the US, from Canada – so the percentage of authors from outside of India submitting to some of these Indian journals has gone up. This indicates that these authors don’t mind so much about the origins of the journal as the dissemination of it, the accessibility of it.”
For Barbara Kirsop, the success of Bioline lies in a fundamental shift in perspective for the developed world. “It’s about bringing the knowledge that we didn’t know about into the public domain. We know a lot, but to ignore what the developing countries themselves know is never going to help solve the world’s problems. And by extending the global knowledge base, we are also supporting research in the developing world.”
Leslie Chan and Barbara Kirsop of Bioline International
[1] Tuberculosis research in India and China: From bibliometrics to research policy by Subbiah Arunachalam and Subbiah Gunasekaran, in CURRENT SCIENCE, VOL. 82, NO. 8, 25 APRIL 2002, pp. 933-947 (link to PDF of paper)
[2] Diabetes research in India and China today: From literature-based mapping to health-care policy by Subbiah Arunachalam and Subbiah Gunasekaran in Current Science, VOL. 82, NO. 9, 10 MAY 2002, pp. 1086-1097 (link to PDF of paper)
Author, Brazil, Canada, Collaboration, Developing world, International, Journals, Nation, Platform, Region, UK, Users, Visibility
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About the Global Forum
Global Forum members & observers
Global Forum meetings
Interviews of jurisdictions
Progress reports to the G20
Global Forum in pictures
Automatic Exchange of Information Portal
Exchange of Information on Request
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Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes
The Global Forum conducts peer reviews of its member jurisdictions' ability to co-operate with other tax administrations in accordance with the internationally agreed standard. The standard provides for exchange of information on request where it is foreseeably relevant to the administration and enforcement of the domestic tax laws of the requesting jurisdiction. Effective exchange of information requires that jurisdictions ensure information is available, that it can be obtained by the tax authorities and that there are mechanisms in place allowing for the exchange of that information.
The Global Forum started a first round of reviews in 2010, which ended in 2016. A second round of review was launched in 2016, with the first reports published in 2017, according to revised Terms of reference and Methodology.
In Round 1, in accordance with the peer review Methodology, reviews took place in two phases: Phase 1 reviews examined the legal and regulatory framework; Phase 2 reviews looked into the implementation of this framework in practice. Certain jurisdictions underwent combined reviews, which evaluated together the Phase 1 and Phase 2 aspects. After completion of both Phases of the review process, each jurisdiction receives an overall rating. Jurisdictions who had not made sufficient progress on Phase 1 received a supplementary review before moving to Phase 2 and be rated. Some jurisdictions also received a supplementary review after their Phase 2 review, to have their progress acknowledged into revised ratings. Jurisdictions that joined the Global Forum from 2014 will be reviewed according to revised Terms of reference and Methodology during the second Round.
Following calls in April 2016 by the G20 Finance leaders to establish objective criteria and a list of jurisdictions which have not made satisfactory progress in implementing the international tax transparency standards, a special Fast-Track review procedure was approved at the 2016 Georgia plenary meeting. This procedure was implemented during April-June 2017. Several jurisdictions were able to demonstrate progress in implementing the EOIR standard through this procedure which resulted in a provisional upgrade to their ratings. More information on the Fast Track procedure and its outcomes can be found here: Fast-Track procedure.
In the second round, all reviews are carried out in a combined manner in accordance with the revised peer review Methodology. The Terms of Reference have also been strengthened to take into account new developments in relations to beneficial ownership, cover received and sent requests for information, and to clarify a few points. All members of the Global Forum, as well as jurisdictions identified by the Global Forum as relevant to its work, are reviewed in the order established by the Schedule of Reviews.
=> Click for information about the ratings
Tracking progress
The Exchange of Information Portal tracks the development of these peer reviews, including changes that jurisdictions make in response to the Global Forum's recommendations.
=> Visit the Exchange of Information Portal
All review reports are published once approved by the Global Forum and they thus represent agreed Global Forum reports.
=> Read the reports
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David Cup Final 2013 Tennis Tournament
David Cup Final 2013
Belgrade Arena, Belgrade, Serbia
08:00 am - Fri Nov 15, 2013
(* Leave non-played sets with default (6-6) score)
Dusan Lajovic 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Tomas Berdych 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Dusan Lajovic - Tomas Berdych | David Cup Final 2013 Tennis Tournament
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Bet on this Match Bet with Friend
David Cup Finals - Czech Republic's Tomas Berdych evens Davis Cup final with win
Open Tennis World posted to match Dusan Lajovic - Tomas Berdych : over 5 years ago
BELGRADE, Serbia -- Novak Djokovic of Serbia and Tomas Berdych of defending champion Czech Republic did what was expected of them Friday, winning their matches and leaving the Davis Cup final at 1-1 after the opening day.
Djokovic beat Radek Stepanek 7-5, 6-1, 6-4 in the first singles. Berdych then defeated rookie Dusan Lajovic 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 on the indoor hard court at Belgrade Arena.
With their 13-1 record in Davis Cup doubles, Berdych and Stepanek have a chance to give the Czechs the lead in the best-of-five series Saturday. It was still unclear whether Djokovic would play doubles or rest for Sunday's reverse singles.
The Czechs are in the final for the third time in five years. Serbia won its only Davis Cup title in Belgrade in 2010, beating France.
Djokovic won for the 23rd straight time since losing to Rafael Nadal in the US Open final in September.
In the first set, he broke Stepanek to go up 4-2. Then he had to save two break points in the next game and failed to serve out the set at 5-3, when he committed a series of errors. He broke again, however, in the 12th game to take the lead.
"I was a bit nervous in the first set," Djokovic said. "It was very important to win that one against high-quality player like Radek."
The second-ranked Serb held serve the rest of the match. He saved seven break points in all, while converting five of six he created.
"Whenever I would face (break points) I would come up with some big serves," Djokovic said. "I think that is what helped me stay confident in those moments."
Stepanek said Djokovic was serving "tremendously consistently," which prevented him from getting another break.
"The first set was really high quality, and so was the third," the Czech veteran said. "His defense is the best in the world -- he proved that with his movement that he showed around the court. He always makes you play an extra shot."
Berdych broke once in each of the first two sets, and twice in the third against Lajovic. The 23-year-old Serb has a 5-12 record on the ATP tour. He replaced Janko Tipsarevic, who missed the final with a heel injury.
"It was a tough one, playing the guy I actually saw for the first time on court," Berdych said. "He had nothing to lose. These situations are not easy. I am glad I was able to make it happen in straight sets."
The Czechs hope for a win in the doubles, as Berdych then faces Djokovic in the reverse singles on Sunday.
"When you look at Novak and how he is playing, it's like Playstation," he said. "So the best way is to unplug electricity."
Tomas Berdych vs Dusan Lajovic Davis cup final-Serbia vs Czech...
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Highlights: Dusan Lajovic (SRB) v Tomas Berdych (CZE)
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Novak Djokovic - Tomas Berdych -6y
Dusan Lajovic - Radek Stepanek -6y
N. Zimonjic/L. Bozoljac - T. Berdych/R. Stepanek -6y
Novak Djokovic - Radek Stepanek -6y
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Our Empire Stories
a product of Hispanic Lifestyle Inc.
New Chapter Begins for Legendary Band Leader, Retiring Etiwanda Principal
Story submitted by Steve Lambert
Don Jaramillo hasn’t missed a first day of school in 56 years, as a student, teacher, legendary band director and, for the past seven years, principal at Etiwanda High School.
“Ever since Kindergarten,” said Jaramillo, who will retire at the end of the current school year. “When that first day of school rolls around next year, it will feel very strange. I think about that much more than I do my last day.”
Not that he won’t have plenty to do when teachers and students return to the classroom after the summer break. Between fishing, traveling and giving voice acting a try, Jaramillo will always have his music.
That journey began at age 10 when as a fourth-grader in San Bernardino, he got his first trumpet – an immediately fell in love. Mentored early on by his father – a former Big Band musician – and later by music instructors who quickly recognized his gift, Jaramillo was playing in nightclubs and for sought-after jazz ensembles by the time he was in high school. It eventually landed him at UCLA, though the culture shock proved to be too much and he would later transfer to Cal State Fullerton.
Along the way, Jaramillo fell in love with teaching, as well – inspired by band directors who showed him that inspiring young minds wasn’t limited to reading, writing and arithmetic.
“They were able to get us to think very organically about music, and that unknowingly turned me in the direction of teaching,” Jaramillo said. “Up until then, education wasn’t nearly as important as playing my horn.”
Don Jaramillo Retired principal at Etiwanda High School.
Jaramillo would spend five years as a band director in Baldwin Park, then moved to Etiwanda, where he served 21 years as band director. There, he built one of the most prestigious marching bands in California, with appearances at the Montreux Jazz Festival, the Rose Parade and the Grand National Championships, making the finals in 1992 and finishing fifth in the nation in 1999. But it was the opportunity to play on separate occasions for two presidents (Reagan and Clinton) that stands out for Jaramillo.
“The word of mouth was that we were the best high school band in the region,” he said, proudly pointing to a picture of his band performing in front of a clearly impressed President Clinton.
In 2008, Jaramillo became assistant principal at Alta Loma High – also part of the Chaffey Joint Union High School District, returning to Etiwanda four years later to take over as principal. The leader of the band had become the leader of the school.
“The amazing thing about Mr. Jaramillo is that he was a legend in the band world, then started a whole new career track as an administrator, and had tremendous success with that as well,” said Dr. Mathew Holton, Superintendent of the Chaffey District.
As different as the two jobs could be, Jaramillo saw similarities – most notably, building the right team. His proudest accomplishment as principal is the staff he has put in place.
“It’s about creating a culture of trust and family, and letting them do their jobs,” said Jaramillo, who will be succeeded by his Assistant Principal, Mac Wolfe. “This school will be very good for many years to come, because of the staff we have.”
Handing off his calling card – the “Eagle Pride!” cheer for which he has become so well known throughout the community – might not be as easy. When Wolfe was introduced as the new principal, he and Jaramillo did the cheer together.
“Someone joked that only Mr. Jaramillo can use that line,” the former band leader said with a smile. “I’m sure they’ll figure it out.”
CategoriesSpotlight TagsCal State Fullerton, Community, Education, Fontana, Inland Empire, Music, Principle
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Introducing OurEmpireStories.com
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“The free market might not always lead to everyone's definition of the sweet spot, but experience has shown that it is a better allocator and regulator than bureaucrats and politicians. We should heed the admonition of Adam Smith that demand begets supply: Allow the free market...”-- former U.S. Senator J. Bennett Johnston (D-La.), former chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
“The increase in U.S. gas supplies is already having foreign policy impacts. Although the United States for the moment is still a net importer of natural gas, the United States also exports natural gas by pipeline and has exported liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Alaska. The de...”-- John F. Kerry, U.S. Secretary of State
“The United States has a rare opportunity to simultaneously help its allies, strengthen its foreign policy hand and create much-needed jobs at home — all by exporting plentiful American natural gas.”-- U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-WY) , Member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and Senate Foreign Relations Committee
“The opportunity to increase U.S. energy exports reflects one of the important economic upsides of our nation’s newfound energy abundance. Provided appropriate regulatory protections and policy frameworks are in place to govern domestic energy production, expanded exports will ...”-- former U.S. Senator Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.), former member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
“A strategic and aggressive LNG export policy is good not only for our domestic economy, but also our homeland security. Now is the time for the U.S. to assert itself as a leading energy exporter, providing the global marketplace with a trusted energy partner.”-- The Honorable Tom Ridge, First Secretary, U.S. Department of Homeland Security and 43rd Governor of Pennsylvania
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THE BIRTH STORY {part 2}
SO I texted Brad who had just finished at the barber shop and told him I was supposed to go get checked out at the hospital. At this point I wasn't really thinking, "I'm going to be a mom in 12 hours!" I was more so thinking, "I wish we didn't have to stop at the hospital before going to IKEA... traffic on the 20 is going to be horrible..." Yeah. Delusional.
We had been instructed to go to the third floor of St. Marys when my water broke, my contractions were at the 1-5-1 point, or if anything was wrong, so that's where we headed. We were in the waiting room of the labour and delivery area for about 20 minutes. Brad kept us occupied by pretending to make phone calls on the phone in the waiting room to imaginary friends. Yes. The future father of my children right there :)
When they asked me for my blue hospital card and Carte Sante, I handed it to them, not realizing I was in the process of being ADMITTED to the hospital. The paper work and thus the epiphany would come later. So I waited in a triage little room where the walls are made of curtains and was hooked up to a fetal monitor. We saw the contractions on the monitor but they were really irregular and not "labour" contractions. We knew this already, so again, we totally thought we'd be home in a matter of hours.
It wasn't until the internal exam that the doctors at the hospital verified that it was indeed amniotic fluid. Clarification: my water didn't break. It was leaking though, which means they need to break it because there's a risk of infection and they didn't know how long it had been leaking. So after a slightly painful exam (it was my second in an hour) we were informed, rather ungracefully by a brisk nurse, that the baby needed to come out within 24 hours. WHAT? My water didn't even break! I don't even have contractions! WHAT!?!?!?!
Yes. 24 hours. That's when it hit us. We weren't leaving this hospital without a baby. Correction: I wasn't. After that, I was admitted to the hospital and went to the delivery room where I'd be until the baby was delivered, and Brad bolted home to get my bags and a sub. Yes, I was hungry, and I didn't know I wouldn't be allowed to eat... (sidenote: not a good idea. No matter how hungry you are, do NOT eat a sub hours before labour pains. You will barf from the pain.)
So I was lead into the delivery room, a spacious room with lots of windows overlooking the back of St. Joseph's oratory (not too shabby!). This is when I started texting like mad. My friends, my mom, everyone I had the cell numbers to. Partly because it didn't feel real until I shared it with others, partly because I was so dang excited, and partly because I felt alone. Brad was gone and I was in a big room about to deliver a baby.
So as I was texting all of you, nurses and doctors came in and out, asking if I needed anything, introducing themselves, and making me feel very comfortable. The doctor who would delivery Lily 7 hours later came in to introduce herself. She was lovely. Not Dr. Hall, who I was hoping would delivery Lily since she had been with me the 8 months leading up to this, but I was fine with that as soon as I met her. She and other nurses kept reminding me to "just say when" in regards to getting an epidural. But I told them, a little too proudly, "I don't think I'll be taking one".
Oh how naive I was...
Anonymous 18.11.10
Enjoy reading this so much. So many memories flood back from Nehemiah's birth. What an amazing/crazy time.
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Long story of Kurz
by Ovi Magazine Guest
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By Max Hess
“There is a claim constantly circulating the EU: ‘multiculturalism is dead in Europe’. Dead or maybe d(r)ead?... That much comes from a cluster of European nation-states that love to romanticize – in a grand metanarrative of dogmatic universalism – their appearance as of the coherent Union, as if they themselves lived a long, cordial and credible history of multiculturalism. Hence, this claim and its resonating debate is of course false. It is also cynical because it is purposely deceiving. No wonder, as the conglomerate of nation-states/EU has silently handed over one of its most important debates – that of European anti-fascistic identity, or otherness – to the wing-parties. This was repeatedly followed by the selective and contra-productive foreign policy actions of the Union in the MENA, Balkans and Ukraine.” – wrote prof. Anis H. Bajrektarevic in his luminary and farsighted essay Denazification – urgently needed in Europe .
Last two parliamentary elections in Central Europe are indicative enough: Europe inevitably loses its grip over the grand narrative, fatherly eroding its place in history. Hereby a few lines about the latest of them.
Long story of Kurz: ‘Austria You will be Macronised’
Sebastian Kurz, 31, is likely to become Austria’s new Chancellor following the 15 October election. He would be the youngest-ever head of government in the European Union and to many of his supporters will be seen as a bold new face ready to lead Europe through and past the ongoing crises over migration, integration, fiscal authority, and identity that have dominated European politics, within and without the EU, in recent years. A new leader of Europe’s populist right is likely on the horizon, yet he has received little international attention compared with candidates such as Marine Le Pen or Nigel Farage who were always long shots.
Kurz’s Rise – Aus Iuridicum
Rapidly rising through the youth wing of the Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP), Kurz was elected its head in 2009 and then promoted directly into the party’s upper echelon in 2011 when he was named to the newly-created post of state secretary for integration at age 24.
From the earliest days, Kurz embraced a populist right-wing worldview although he initially steadfastly avoided divisive rhetoric that could have derailed his rise. Kurz used his post as state secretary to publicize these ideas, while also astutely employing the leeway afforded by his youth to take positions deviating from the ÖVP platform.
In 2013 Kurz was elected to the national legislature, also winning the most direct ‘preference votes’ of any candidate and a third more than the ÖVP’s then-head Michael Spindelegger. The ÖVP received less overall votes than the Social Democrats (SPÖ) and again went into government as the junior coalition partner. Kurz was rewarded with the second-highest post of any ÖVP leader when he was named foreign minister.
Austrians see themselves both as core members of the ‘West’ but also as traditionalists and the inheritors of a unique culture. The historic heft of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire, a separateness from Germans and Germany that was cemented by the divides caused by the Enlightenment and birth of Protestantism, and steady decades-long growth in income and living standards all have served to shape an image of Austria and Austrians as reasoned yet traditional, sober yet dandy, and reserved yet welcoming. It is precisely in this image that Kurz has tried to cast himself.
Even Kurz’s critics are quick to acknowledge that from the beginning of his career he had a remarkable ability to gauge the prevailing zeitgeist, all the while grounding himself in the core Austrian conservatism that the ÖVP represents. In contrast to populist politicians who have at best half-convicningly attempted to portray themselves as outsiders, Kurz embraces the fact he has had his sights set on a political career since his youth. Kurz recognized the quickest route to ‘authenticity’ was to never speak the word.
Kurz, the Foreign Minister
As Foreign Minister, Kurz was able to play host and diplomat to Austria’s wide variety of partners. He also judiciously avoided controversy in mainstream international media. On issues where Kurz would perhaps have been more vocal, he accepted his role as a government minister and did not speak out overly loudly when he disagreed with his party’s leaders, while tweaking those of the SPÖ, the senior coalition partner, in a way that did not offend Austrian sensibilities.
Kurz’s four years in the foreign ministry saw a series of regional and political crises, attesting to his political skill. Three months after taking office, Ukrainian oligarch Dmytro Firtash was arrested on a visit to Vienna on the request of US authorities. The arrest came two day’s before Moscow’s controversial referendum in Crimea and struck at the core of domestic politics in Ukraine, where Firtash long played an outsize role. Yet Kurz did not shy from being thrust in the spotlight, in fact he appeared to be hungering for it, with the then-27-year old even offering to mediate Russia and Ukraine’s disputes over Crimea.
Kurz ultimately backed sanctions, sensing the prevailing winds in Europe. However, he was vocal in calling for European business’ interests to be considered even before Italian, Hungarian and Cypriot politicians subsequently took up such positions. The move played well domestically in Austria, where many criticize great power games, perhaps with a slight, albeit unstated view towards the rearview mirror given their fatal role in Austria’s own history. Austria’s Raiffeisen bank also derives most of its profits from Eastern Europe and is the largest foreign player in Russia’s banking market. Russian President Vladimir Putin also travelled to Vienna in June 2014, his first post-Crimea visit to a Western country, with Kurz vocally defending the invite and signing of a controversial pipeline deal at the same time EU and US officials were deliberating sanctions on Russia’s energy sector.
Kurz’s time as foreign minister also coincided with Europe’s migration crisis, which was nearly simultaneous with his push towards the spotlight when he backed the stance of Austria’s eastern and southeastern neighbors even while then-Chancellor Werner Faymann waffled on the issue. By February 2016, Kurz was publicly embracing not only the positions of Warsaw, Budapest, and Ljubljana, but their rhetoric as well. In March 2016, Austria had closed its borders to most asylum seekers. By the end of May of that year, Faymann resigned. He was subsequently replaced by Christian Kern, the current head of the SPÖ.
Kurz took advantage of the weakness of the senior leadership within the SPÖ and his own ÖVP to push his personal agenda and reputation to the fore. Kurz has even sought to use the largely-symbolic rotating chairmanship of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), which Vienna holds for 2017, to promote his political agenda. Kurz was bold enough to broadcast this intention, declaring in an interview with Der Spiegel that he would use the post to push for the lifting of sanctions against Russia. He has also used the platform to again propose he mediate a solution to the conflict in Donbas, even writing an English-language op-ed for Politico on the subject this September. Demonstrating Kurz’s eye for the future, however, a number of senior staff members have left Kurz’s Foreign Ministry since the start of the year, promoted as Austria’s new ambassadors to some of its leading partners. A further major reshuffle is expected after the election, a possible indication that Kurz will continue to cut a prominent figure on the international stage.
Kurz, the Candidate: Dressed to Impress
A year after Faymann’s resignation, the Kern government collapsed, prompting the elections that will be held on 15 October. The interim period saw the contested and contentious 2016 presidential run-off election, in which the initial result was annulled and the far right Freedom Party’s (FPÖ) Norbert Hofer was narrowly defeated by independent candidate Alexander Van der Bellen. Kurz had refused to endorse either candidate. Yet it was the fact that the run-off featured neither a candidate of the SPÖ nor the ÖVP for the first time that appears to have most shaped Kurz’s current candidacy.
Van der Bellen, an alumnus of Austria’s relatively minor Green Party, was seen by many on the Austrian right as nearly as radical as Hofer. The Austrian presidency is also largely symbolic – although Hofer’s platform included steps that would have been unprecedented by the Austrian executive. As a result, there was little domestic political cost to Kurz remaining neutral.
The lack of an SPÖ or ÖVP candidate in the final round highlighted the shifts underway at the heart of Austrian politics, and the weakness of then-ÖVP leader Reinhold Mitterlehrner, who stepped back in May, enabling Kurz’s ascent.
Kurz, however, attached a number of conditions to the proposal that he lead the ÖVP. The decades-old party fell in line behind Kurz quickly, even agreeing to campaign under the joint branding of ÖVP and ‘Kurz List – the New People’s Party’. Kurz’s image, rhetoric, and bold proclamations on the campaign trail have put the party comfortably in the lead in the polls.
The lead Kurz maintains in the polls has come primarily at the expense of the far-right FPÖ, although incumbent Chancellor Christian Kern has done his party no favors following a series of scandals. Kern’s SPÖ is polling behind the FPÖ in most polls and he has declared that he would prefer to lead the opposition than re-form a coalition with the ÖVP.
Kurz and Kern’s relationship was already poor but the latest scandal around the SPÖ alleges a controversial former election advisor set up social media pages aimed at besmirching Kurz, only dampening the possibility for a renewed coalition. Yet Kurz also knows the difficulties inherent to forming a government with the FPÖ, despite having adopted much of its rhetoric in his own campaign. Such a government could come under some degree of EU censure, as it did the last time the ÖVP and FPÖ formed a government in 2000. The FPÖ then was the larger of the two parties but would undergo a series of splits while in government.
Although the FPÖ of today has long since coalesced under the leadership of Heinz-Christian Strache, it too will be wary of a coalition with the ÖVP, albeit less over concerns of an EU rebuttal than over Kurz continuing to encroach on its political space.
Get Shorty - the Chancellor? the future EU Commission President?
Kurz is likely to become Austria’s most prominent Chancellor on the international stage in decades. His willingness to be outspoken and take on issues far afield from Austria steadily grew during his tenure in the foreign ministry. Beginning with his early proposal to mediate between Moscow and Kyiv towards the end of his term, he was sufficiently confident to publicly endorse incumbent Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski ahead of that country’s December 2016 election.
Kurz’s alliances in the Balkans and Eastern Europe are extensive and he was one of the few leading EU politicians outside the region to defend Hungary’s crackdown on migrants and refugees. Kurz’s economic policies are more traditionally liberal than those of the Visegrad Group but are also tinged by his populist bent. Nevertheless, he sees himself as a leading exponent of the same cultural conservatism embraced by leaders such as Viktor Orban or Nigel Farage. He is telegenic and well-spoken and has shown a knack for youth politics, of particularly importance in Austria where the voting age is 16.
On 8 May, France elected Emmanuel Macron as president in a vote that many hailed as a landmark victory for Europe’s centrist establishment. On 15 October, Austria is likely to elect Kurz as its next chancellor, in a vote that the populist right will hail as its own landmark victory.
Max Hess is a senior political risk analyst with the London-based AEK international, specializing in Europe and Eurasia.
Ovi+Refugees Ovi+EU Ovi+Europe Ovi_magazine Ovi
Get it off your chest
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At event honoring Marwan Barghouti, Fatah official honors terrorist Abu Jihad: “[He] was and will remain our example and a role model,” opposes US demands regarding prisoners' salaries
Official PA daily, Al-Hayat Al-Jadida - Apr. 16, 2018
Headline: “Marking the 16th anniversary of Fatah Central Committee member Marwan Barghouti’s arrest in Ramallah”
“The popular campaign to release leader Marwan Barghouti (i.e., terrorist who orchestrated three shooting attacks in which 5 were murdered) and the rest of the prisoners sitting in the occupation’s prison marked the 16th anniversary of Fatah Central Committee member Marwan Barghouti’s arrest yesterday [April 15, 2018] at a rally held at the Palace of Culture in Ramallah, with the participation of hundreds of members of our people.
Fatah Movement Deputy General Leader (i.e., Deputy Chairman) and [Fatah] Central Committee member Mahmoud Al-Aloul blessed prisoner Marwan Barghouti. He noted: ‘On the anniversary of Fatah Central Committee member Marwan Barghouti’s kidnapping, (i.e., terrorist who was arrested and imprisoned for orchestrating attacks in which 5 were murdered) we salute him and all the prisoners of freedom for their day – Prisoner’s Day that will take place in two days – since they are a symbol of our pride, and they are in the hearts of all our people.’ …
He added: ‘The anniversary of Marwan Barghouti’s kidnapping takes place at the same time as the anniversary of the death as a Martyr (Shahid) of leader Khalil Al-Wazir ‘Abu Jihad’ (i.e., terrorist, responsible for murder of 125)… Khalil Al-Wazir was and will remain our example and a role model. The anniversary of leader Barghouti’s kidnapping takes place at the same time as Palestinian Prisoner’s Day, and they are the group that has sacrificed that which is more precious than life – freedom.’ …
He emphasized that the leadership opposes all of the external pressures concerning the prisoners, which [PA] President Mahmoud Abbas emphasized: ‘If we will only be left with a few Dirhams (i.e., a currency in some Arab states), we will allocate them to the families of the prisoners as a sign of appreciation for their sacrifice.’ Al-Aloul said: ‘President Abbas will continue to adhere to our people’s principles, and when talking about Jerusalem and the state, there is no room for flexibility as this is Jerusalem for which no one can make a concession… and therefore we see that there is a firm stance facing this American attack on Jerusalem and the members of our people.’
He emphasized: ‘Our main enemy is the Israeli occupation and the American policy that supports it, and therefore we must be careful and unified in order to deal with these great challenges, and this is by arranging our internal matters in a precise manner, as leader Barghouti noted in his message to us today.’”
Marwan Barghouti – Palestinian terrorist who is serving 5 life sentences for orchestrating three shooting attacks that murdered 5 people: one attack in Jerusalem (June 12, 2001) in which Greek monk Tsibouktsakis Germanus was murdered by terrorist Ismail Radaida and another unidentified terrorist, another attack at a gas station in Givat Zeev near Jerusalem (Jan. 15, 2002) in which Yoela Hen, 45, was murdered by terrorists led by Mohammed Matla, and one shooting and stabbing attack at the Seafood Market restaurant in Tel Aviv (March 5, 2002) in which Eli Dahan, 53, Yosef Habi, 52, and Police Officer Sergeant-Major Salim Barakat, 33, were murdered by terrorist Ibrahim Hasouna. When arrested by Israel in 2002, Barghouti headed the Tanzim (Fatah terror faction). After he was convicted and imprisoned, he was re-elected member of the Palestinian Authority parliament. On Dec. 4, 2016, he was elected to Fatah's Central Committee.
Abu Jihad (Khalil Al-Wazir) - was a founder of Fatah and deputy to Yasser Arafat. He headed the PLO terror organization's military wing and also planned many deadly Fatah terror attacks in the 1960’s - 1980’s. These attacks, which murdered a total of 125 Israelis, included the most lethal in Israeli history - the hijacking of a bus and murder of 37 civilians, 12 of them children.
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News > Capital Markets
Travis Kalanick Officially Takes Leave From Uber as Results of Sexual Harassment Probe Are Delivered
2 years ago Capital Markets
Uber CEO Travis Kalanick announced on Tuesday that he will be taking an indefinite leave of absence from the ride-sharing company he founded in 2009, while his responsibilities at the company are also likely to be reduced, as TechCrunch reports.
Kalanick’s announcement came on the same day that former attorney general Eric Holder delivered the results of an investigation into allegations of widespread sexual harassment at the San Francisco-based company. Kalanick’s leave from Uber had been expected, after the company’s board voted unanimously on Sunday to accept all of Holder’s recommendations.
Holder was joined in the investigation by Tammy Albarrán, his partner at law firm Covington & Burling. Their full 13-page report can be read here.
The recommendations of the investigation include making changes to Uber’s senior leadership (such as turning over some of Kalanick’s responsibilities to an as-yet-to-be-named COO; enhancing board oversight by increasing its independence; enhancing internal controls to better ensure compliance with policies; mandatory training for senior leadership through “a consultant who is respected in the field of inclusive leadership”; improvements to human resources and the complaint process; and enhancements to diversity and inclusion, including the establishment of an employee diversity advisory board.
Here is Kalanick’s memo to employees announcing his temporary leave:
For the last eight years my life has always been about Uber. Recent events have brought home for me that people are more important than work, and that I need to take some time off of the day-to-day to grieve my mother, whom I buried on Friday, to reflect, to work on myself, and to focus on building out a world-class leadership team.
The ultimate responsibility, for where we’ve gotten and how we’ve gotten here rests on my shoulders. There is of course much to be proud of but there is much to improve. For Uber 2.0 to succeed there is nothing more important than dedicating my time to building out the leadership team. But if we are going to work on Uber 2.0, I also need to work on Travis 2.0 to become the leader that this company needs and that you deserve.
During this interim period, the leadership team, my directs, will be running the company. I will be available as needed for the most strategic decisions, but I will be empowering them to be bold and decisive in order to move the company forward swiftly.
It’s hard to put a timeline on this – it may be shorter or longer than we might expect. Tragically losing a loved one has been difficult for me and I need to properly say my goodbyes. The incredible outpouring of heartfelt notes and condolences from all of you have kept me strong but almost universally they have ended with ‘How can I help?’. My answer is simple. Do your life’s work in service to our mission. That gives me time with family. Put people first, that is my mom’s legacy. And make Uber 2.0 real so that the world can see the inspired work all of you do, and the inspiring people that make Uber great.
Although Kalanick vows to work on “Travis 2.0,” former Uber engineer Susan Fowler, who’s blog post detailing the reckless corporate culture set off a firestorm, accused Uber on Twitter of “aggressive hostility.”
Ha! Yeah, they'll never apologize. I've gotten nothing but aggressive hostility from them. It's all optics.
— Susan J. Fowler (@susanthesquark) June 13, 2017
Perhaps Travis 2.0 will finally deliver that apology.
Photo: JD Lasica
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News > Lifestyle, 4:01
Bankers in Hong Kong run from sunset to sunrise at Barclays MoonTrekker 2015
By FinBuzz
3 years ago Lifestyle, 4:01
Barclays Moontrekker, now in its seventh year, is Hong Kong’s leading annual night hiking and running fundraising event. Participants either completed the Moonlit 30km or the Sunrise 43km, reports FinBuzz.
The race was held in Mui Wo (on Lantau Island) and finished at Pui O Beach. Runners in the 43km race began at the race after the sun had set and ran through the hills of Hong Kong, including Lantau Peak, which has a peak of 934 meters, with the goal to cross the finish-line before sunrise. The Sunrise 43km began at 8:45 pm and the Moonlit 30km started at 11:20 pm. Results are available here.
Participants entered as a solo, pair, team of four or corporate team of four and are required to raise a minimum sponsorship amount of HK$650.
Employees from Barclays dominated the event with 300 out of the total 1500 participants hailing from the bank. The number of participants is limited to 1500 for safety reasons.
William Sargent, Founder and Event Director of Moontrekker, saw a growing demand for competitive events back in 2009, “but rarely did those events focus on the experience. I wanted to create something slightly different, fun and challenging,” he explained.
Sargent, a long-time night hiker, launched Moontrekker as a side project. It was completely booked within six weeks and seven years later that demand has only increased.
About 90 percent of participants work for multinational companies and more than two-thirds work in finance or professional services, Sargent says. “There are very competitive types in the finance field, anything related to health and the outdoors they do well. You would think that if they did it one year, then that’s enough, but it gets even more competitive within departments, year to year,” he added.
“The experience of hiking in the night is far more exhilarating and intense than during the day, as it’s mostly pitch black, quiet, and you only have a stream of light to follow. The party at the finish line is epic, and it’s always fun to see what crazy outfit wins best dressed,” said a trekker, who wished to remain anonymous. “Even though it’s competitive between certain banks, in particular, there’s still a great vibe. The training is very harsh, though, if you aren’t that fit and not for the faint of heart.”
Over the past six years, Moontrekker has raised HK$7,500,000 for charities including Room to Read, which supports literacy.
The Nature Conservancy (a global conservation organisation working to protect ecologically important lands, waters for nature and people) was nominated this year, as participants wanted a charity based in Hong Kong (rather than seeing donations go elsewhere) that was inline with the event’s ethos.
This story (with pictures) first appeared in FinBuzz.
Photo: Edwin Lee
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No Blogging for Old Men
"There are no rules in filmmaking. Only sins. And the cardinal sin is dullness." - Frank Capra
My Passion for Film
Random Thoughts and Best of Lists
The Small Screen
The Purge: Anarchy Review
Despite finding the first Purge film from a year ago to be terrible, I still had some hope that a sequel could find its footing and deliver everything that the first was so painfully lacking. The problem with the first film is that its own concept raised my expectations, an idea that on paper sounded like it could be fascinating if done correctly. Right off the bat my mind was racing with thoughts regarding why the society I occupy would want or need such a day, as the human psyche and its confounding thirst for bloodshed are things that I cannot understand. I gave the vision of the unknown James DeMonaco far too much credit, expecting him to take a detailed approach to studying the troubling nature of an annual purge and why as a society we cannot strive for a crime free, peaceful world. I mean, its great that crime is down the rest of the year and the economy is thriving, but is it ever a good time to allow atrocities like rape and murder happen to innocent people?
I sat down last year, expecting a film full of chaos and murder on the surface, sure, but I had hoped for some rich subtext, some meaning to the message of the film. Instead I got 90 minutes of Ethan Hawke walking around in the dark bumping into things while a Patrick Bateman impersonator attempted to break through their oddly ineffective security system. A brilliant and unique concept wasted on one home, one family, with zero substance to absorb from the experience.
A year later and it is time again for the annual purge, and with it comes the possibility that DeMonaco caught wind of the negative feedback that plagued his first effort regarding its limited scope and poor execution. Perhaps the fact that the trailers and advertisements I saw in advance of this viewing showed the devastation of the lawless night taking place out on the streets, following various characters literally navigating the dangers simply trying to survive each minute as it ticks away before order is restored, meant that the minds behind this film had heard and understood these complains and thus expanded the scope and narrative to their full potential. Unfortunately, this sequel proved to be just as big of a failure as the first film. It just took a different path to get there.
What amazed me the most about The Purge: Anarchy is the fact that it is a 90 minute film about people in masks wandering the streets with deadly weapons trying to kill everything that moves, and yet it is so excruciatingly boring. I wasn't tired as I screened this last night so the fact that my eyes continued to leave the screen over and over again cannot be blamed on my lack of focus. I was craving an interesting film experience last night, I was so in the mood to be entertained and yet I was left daydreaming about things I could have been doing in that moment that would be more fun, and that list would be plenty long if I were to actually put it together. A lively, fantastically fresh concept yet again dies with bland cardboard characters and meaningless set pieces that feel like an exercise in merely moving from point A to point B rather than achieving anything memorable to grab onto.
"Uh oh, it's those guys! Let's go over here!"
"Now we are over here and those guys look pretty mean too! Let's go down this alley!"
"Uh oh, it's those first guys again, and boy are their masks creepy! Watch out!"
^ This is essentially the entire film until my brain nearly died and I had to take a step away for a moment to regroup.
Also, they present these "bad guys" as if they are creepy and disturbing, but they really aren't. They are just as bland as the gaggle of protagonists that we follow throughout, the film is screaming for some sort of charisma which, to be fair, Frank Grillo comes close to providing as at least he delivers some lines with conviction and manages one or two moments that are capable of putting a smile on your face amongst the otherwise dour and pointless events. Otherwise though, zero percent of the remaining cast do anything to captivate or keep someone invested in the "story".
Eventually the film attempts an on the nose commentary about rich people and their treatment of those they deem lesser, which would be interesting except it is essentially exactly the same as the first film when they trust fund killers follow the homeless man and feel it is necessary that they kill him. We get it, the 99 percent are being slaughtered by the 1 percent because money equals power. Whatever, just finish this shit up so I can eat a fruit roll up in bed while watching a sitcom rerun.
Until now, I had hope that this unique concept could bring an excellent film to the screen. Unless it gets rebooted by someone down the road with actual talent, the entire Purge franchise is a shameful waste of something that could have been special. I'm already bored just thinking about a third installment.
Posted by Scott H Anderson at 11:29 AM No comments:
A Man Escaped
A Man Escaped is my first ever Robert Bresson film, and what an incredible way to start. I had no idea how literal the title would be here, as this truly is a story about a man trying to escape from start to finish, a work that thrives because of its minimalism rather than in spite of it.
I have no idea what the typical Bresson style is and whether or not this film represents it, but I really appreciated the fact that throughout the entire work the focus stayed nearly primarily on the lead Fontaine besides a brief conversation or two amongst other inmates, but even then he was the basis of their words. Much of the film not only follows this one man on his quest to escape from prison, it takes place in the claustrophobic setting of his cell and you can really feel the confinement as you watch these sequences.
After Fontaine discovers his less than ideal fate at his sentencing, the film introduces a new character that as a plot device is a stroke of genius, a cellmate for our protagonist which is a far bigger obstacle than simply being an intrusion into cramped quarters. How does one continue with their solo plan for escape when an unknown presence enters the situation, able to see their every move?
I am guilty of being a film optimist and I am aware of this. I can't help it, while some are able to delve far deeper into a narrative and pick up the smallest of flaws, I will often times forgive these minor errors. After all, no film is truly perfect, right?
A Man Escaped might be. I'm not sure of this, how could I be sure of this? It certainly feels perfect though. Looking back at every second of the film, I can't think of a single moment that didn't feel exceptional and inspired. The final act in which the escape attempt finally takes place is a sublime example of building tension, and how it is achieved makes it even more impressive. As I slid forward to the literal edge of my seat, I realized this wasn't due to a musical score that was striking a chord with my nerves or frenetic editing to keep us updated on the movements of every guard on duty that could stand in the way of freedom. No, Bresson keeps the camera glued to the movements of Fontaine for most of the escape and we follow the potential threats by simply hearing their footsteps or the squeaking of a bicycle moving past. A truly brilliant example of the potential of cinema.
I consider many, many films to be great, but A Man Escaped is something special.
Posted by Scott H Anderson at 8:15 PM No comments:
12 Monkeys Review
I find really strange coincidences to be fascinating, which is why I can't seem to get over the one I experienced the other day when I was picking out films to watch at the library. I don't believe I ever knew that La Jetee was the inspiration behind the production of the film 12 Monkeys, I honestly don't recall ever hearing such a thing. Perhaps I did, at some point in time years ago and it subconsciously stuck with me, but I doubt it. So I grabbed La Jetee from the DVD section because it had been recommended to me recently, but again, with that recommendation there was no mention of 12 Monkeys, which I just so happen to walk over to the Blu-ray options and spot only moments later, adding it to the glorious pile of completely free film residing in my arms.
It wasn't until after I finished La Jetee and fell head over heels in love with it that I did some reading up on the history of that work, only to see 12 Monkeys get brought up in relation to it time and time again. While this wasn't technically my first ever viewing of Monkeys, it has been so many years between them that I could barely remember the plot of the film, let alone whether or not I enjoyed it. The fact that I was able to see the masterful short film first was a huge benefit for me entering this long awaited revisit because with the inspiration still fresh in my mind, I was able to truly appreciate that this wasn't some attempt by Terry Gilliam to remake a classic or try to improve upon a film that may have desperately needed an expansion or upgrade of the narrative. 12 Monkeys is a fantastic science fiction work that shows the utmost respect to what inspired it to be, using the incredible concept and conclusion of the flawless short film and building onto and around it with a surprising confidence and ease. Typically I dread the idea of a filmmaker finding a way to even remotely connect their own work to a true cinematic classic because the results can only fail when forced to shine in such a bright, massive spotlight. What Gilliam achieved here was brilliant, because he both tipped his cap to a science fiction masterpiece that was released 33 years before it while somehow also crafting a work that felt remarkably fresh and original.
The way the usage of time travel allows the plot to unfold is extraordinary, allowing us to encounter a unique blend of characters and set pieces that constantly keep the film feeling exciting and alive. The performances across the board fit the tone of the work beautifully, but this is not just an example of familiar faces giving us their best. This is a testament to how important the aspects of creating a film that occur behind the scenes are, the incredible importance of the words on the pages that are being delivered, the inspired casting choices that brought the best possible vision to the screen, and the art direction and cinematography that delivered such appealing, bizarre visuals throughout.
I could get used to a La Jetee/12 Monkeys double feature every so often, revisit the original work of art that proved to be so influential it literally is the reason why the latter even exists in the first place. Gilliam deserves to be commended because not only did he avoid a potential train wreck by connecting his work to such a beauty, he actually created a film that is almost just as good.
Posted by Scott H Anderson at 2:08 AM No comments:
La Jetee Review
I have never understood the fascination with the nostalgic power of photographs. I encounter so many people who have an obsession with documenting every banal moment of their lives with pictures, stopping in their tracks to pose outside a frozen yogurt shop or while they are eating a slice of pizza. The worst part is that they think I care, but I don't. Don't show me 150 still images of the same seven people smiling at a camera from different angles. Don't even show me one of those images. Being totally honest, zero percent of me cares to see the picture and zero percent of me cares to be in such a picture. All I need is my memories, whether they be of the most mundane, seemingly insignificant segments of my life or of a monumental moment that changed everything.
I had absolutely no idea what style of storytelling would be portrayed during the much lauded 1962 science fiction masterpiece La Jetee, and I was surprised to find that essentially it is my worst social nightmare presented cinematically. For a brief 28 minutes, an entire narrative is presented almost exclusively through a series of still images and a voice-over, and my goodness is it incredible. Telling the story of an attempt to time travel after the ramifications of nuclear war left Paris devastated, I was completely captivated by the format of the film and floored by the results.
The most fascinating and important slide show of photographs I have ever witnessed. If only my family and friends could present their weekend getaway in such an inspired fashion.
Labels: 12 monkeys, cinema, classic, criterion, film, la jetee, masterpiece, movie, short, twelve monkeys
Inland Empire Review
David fucking Lynch. Seriously.
I was considering waiting a bit to figure out what in the hell to say about his surreal 2006 masterpiece Inland Empire, but I can't just walk away from the opportunity to put some words down while the work is still fresh in my mind. This freshness is also the downfall of my ability to form coherent thoughts though, because honestly, I have no damn clue what I just watched. I don't. Why lie about it? Why pretend like I was able to peel off the many, many bizarre layers of this film, like I have any earthly idea what was going through Lynch's mind during the creative process that spawned this picture?
I have had intense, confounding nightmares that have haunted me less than the imagery presented throughout this film. I absolutely will not go search for meaning from whatever it is I just witnessed. I wouldn't possibly risk ruining this feeling, like I just observed both a cinematic miracle and an abomination to the medium during the same three hour film. I'm sure some out there would absolutely consider a work like this to be the latter, a pretentious (a word I friggin' loathe) clusterfuck of meaningless images without a comprehensible narrative to follow. I tend to lean more in the other direction.
The irony of surrealist cinema is that while it takes a genius to craft something as spectacular and baffling as Inland Empire, it is mandatory for me to use as little of my brain as possible while I watch it. I want to soak up all the aspects that are made apparent, the incredible imagery, the vivid cinematography, the downright scary performances, and the musical score that suits the haunting tone of the entire work, but as for trying to piece together any sort of message of the narrative, the deeper meaning of every single scene, putting too much effort into understanding does more harm than good. If I am able to have a visceral reaction to the film, if I am fascinated by what I am seeing to the point that looking away feels like a crime, than I know I love what I am seeing.
I was endlessly fascinated by Inland Empire, and I couldn't look away.
Posted by Scott H Anderson at 11:58 PM No comments:
Peeping Tom Review
Frankly, I love watching perverts in action.
Let me clarify what I mean by love. While I am watching a film like Peeping Tom, an excellent work from 1960 by director Michael Powell, I'm not in my living room cheering on the troubled subject in the film, nor am I finding some sort of unsettling sexual satisfaction due to their actions. No, when I say love in this regard I simply mean that I am completely fascinated by character studies of this manner and the tone of such films typically works wonders for me.
Despite my preconception to embrace such a film, absolutely nothing is guaranteed once the first frame appears on screen. Plenty of films have dabbled in the world of perversion and deviant sexual behavior, so it isn't some new subject matter that will automatically keep me invested. When it all comes together though, when cinema is willing to dive head first into the darkness and swim around with depraved, disturbed characters, those are the types of films that I mark on the calendar and count down the days until I have the opportunity to lay eyes on such a work.
Peeping Tom is a wonderful example of how good it feels to explore the depths of evil.
Right off the bat I knew I was going to admire the film when it kicks off from the perspective of looking through someones personal camera as it approaches an unsuspecting woman on the street. It is amazing how effective this technique is compared to simply filming a man approaching a woman in an ominous way, because the first thing I thought of was how delightfully wrong it all felt. Only a few minutes into a film and this voyeuristic approach had me feeling uncomfortable thanks to the enhanced realism, as if a work of fiction had been transformed into a documentary I shouldn't be watching.
An even bigger credit to this aspect of the film is that it isn't any less jarring as the narrative progresses and the technique is used repeatedly. In fact, it becomes even more unsettling once we witness the initial murder first hand because after that moment, even if we seem to be watching something fun and innocent, through this lens it is dripping with danger.
The casting of Karlheinz Bohm as the lead was an inspired choice. In fact it is downright perfect because his look alone fits the bill of exactly what scares me the most about the concept of a peeping tom. Bohm as Mark Lewis is just normal enough for him to blend in and even earn the trust of his peers, yet he also emits the absolute right amount of creepy to make you wonder about him in the back of your mind, even if for just a split second. We learn as the film progresses that while we technically can never be 100 percent sure of whether he was born with a level of evil lurking inside his soul, it is clear that the very unhealthy and downright off-putting relationship with his father is what brought his perversions to the surface. Through various psychological experiments conducted to study fear and the nervous system, along with the observation that his old man embraced his desire to film moments worthy of privacy, Mark Lewis became the man he is today, a man that I hope to never encounter, a character realistic enough for me to realize I unfortunately just might.
Peeping Tom was released 55 years ago, and it seems to be a work that was ahead of its time. Released during an era where such topics were controversial, the film was initially trashed by critics and the career of director Michael Powell went off the rails as a result. Seeing it now, I admire the fact that what was crafted so long ago isn't even remotely dated, playing even more relevant today as we are still attempting to understand the intricacies and terrifying realities of mental illness and sexually charged crimes.
A great film that deserves the credit it finally earned over time.
Robocop Review
When I was a teenager, I wasn't exactly what one would call a "ladies man". I didn't have the confidence, missing opportunities for adolescent romance because the fear of being rejected far outweighed the potential benefits of success in my mind. On some random night during high school I recall watching RoboCop and while I didn't pay close enough attention to the film to truly appreciate the brilliance of the satire (I was likely drunk, high or both), I do recall being captivated by the theme music in the film. I started imagining what it would be like to have it start playing just before I entered a room. I could have been forty pounds overweight wearing a stained t-shirt and pajama pants, doesn't matter, the RoboCop theme would have transformed me into a sexual icon.
It took me being an adult to finally "get" Paul Verhoeven. While I never took this film too seriously, I used to deem that as a flaw of some sort, as if the silly over-the-top performances, advertisements and news segments were unintentionally comical. In my younger, naive mind, I believed that Verhoeven was attempting to craft a super serious action film and got lost along the way. Now that I have had the opportunity to sit down and experience this film with a clear, semi-intelligent mind, I am ashamed of the limited scope of my past film appreciation potential. I can't help but wonder how many films I "watched" during that era had unfortunately soared over my head.
What I once deemed as merely silly, I now admire for being so friggin' smart. RoboCop is everything you could ask for from a science fiction/action film. It has laugh out loud worthy wit, thrilling action sequences, and yet still plenty of warmth and emotional resonance to establish a true connection with the audience. Mastering one aspect only would have still been enough to entertain and earn my recommendation. Had RoboCop been only successful as a brilliantly on the nose social commentary, I would have enjoyed it. Had it been merely an exciting action film with some inspired set pieces, I likely would be able to shut my brain off for 90 plus minutes and reveled in the violence. The fact that Paul Verhoeven managed to balance every possible direction the film could go with seemingly flawless confidence, that is why RoboCop stands today as a 1980's genre masterpiece rather than just another film lumped in the massive group of entertaining but forgettable films that were released around the same time.
Today I live life as a loyal married man, but my desire to claim the theme music as my own remains unchanged. Sure, my days of being an overly horny and lonely teenage male are long over, but the song is simply too fucking epic to ignore regardless. In the near future I will drive to work one morning with it blasting from the speakers in my car, and anyone of importance in the office will take notice. It may not guarantee a raise and a promotion, but it certainly can't hurt, right?
Posted by Scott H Anderson at 1:21 AM 2 comments:
Labels: action, cinema, film, movie, robocop, satire
Alien 3 Review
Alien 3 is a film loathed by a majority of those who have seen it, or at least it feels like a majority. Anytime I mention that I am a fan of it, the looks and strongly worded comments I receive as a result seem to indicate that I am very much in the minority, but I truly do believe it is a remarkably interesting, courageous work that is not worthy of such derision.
I should clarify quickly before I continue that this review is based on the extended version of the film that was released in 2003, also referred to as the "assembly cut". While I have never hated the film in any format, I do feel that this longer cut is more richly explored thematically and as a result it is the superior version. If you have only seen the theatrical version and dislike it, I do suggest you at least attempt the extended cut with an open mind.
Alien 3 was the first feature film by the now beloved auteur David Fincher, and rather than try to determine who was at fault for it being a step back from the incredible first two films of the series, I choose to admire it for going in a bold, different direction even if it does fall a bit short. The tonal shifts from film to film is an aspect of the series I have always enjoyed, going from the haunting horrors of the claustrophobic Nostromo in Alien, a single creature lurking in the darkness killing off crew members one by one in a terrifying fashion, to the chaotic action packed assault of Aliens, a team of Marines facing off against countless xenomorphs, the bullets and the death coming in bunches. Alien 3 reverts back to tone of the original, ditching the ammo and action for the slow burn effect of one monster stalking numerous men with nowhere to hide. It would have been easy to attempt to build something even bigger and more bad ass than Aliens given its success, hiring a filmmaker who would up the ante with double the weapons and quadruple the body count, but such a path was not taken.
Right off the bat the film makes it clear that it is willing to be bold in very unexpected and unpopular ways, killing off two fan favorite characters from the previous film before the audience has even had a chance to get comfortable in their seats. I can understand the distaste for such a choice given all the emotion poured into their survival in Aliens, but I admire anyone willing to try something so risky even if it doesn't always work. Also, given the way the rest of Alien 3 plays out, these deaths proved to be necessary to make the story and its themes resonate.
The setting of the film is one of my favorite aspects, a gritty and dour prison filled with convicted felons guilty of heinous crimes. It is far more challenging to attempt to garner sympathy for such people, and honestly the lack of secondary characters that an audience could possibly connect with likely did the film a disservice. That being said, I am unsure of what changes I would have made in this regard. It couldn't possibly have worked to keep Newt or Hicks alive, having them tag along with Ripley the entire time because it would have flied in the face of the deeper themes of the work. Alien 3 is a film about death, both the literal and emotional loss that accompanies it. It is a film about a search for God, for hope, in a place that seems so cold and hopeless.
The weight of grief continues to pile on Ripley as she yet again finds herself in a foreign situation, an absence of ties to her life before this moment, but the fact that she continues to fight despite such deep, dark scars further portrays her as a powerful, heroic female character. Even the way she is filmed throughout is important to take note of, as the camera is often times positioned in a fashion that makes her stand tall above our perspective, as if she is always the most powerful person in the room especially when she has her guard up. Pay attention to a scene in which she enters the dining hall, every man in the room sitting as she stands above them all. Most (including myself) would cower to an isolated area of the room and hope to be left alone, but Ripley not only takes the seat she wants, she also takes control of the situation. The only significant time on camera she appears vulnerable is when she is alone with Clemens, a man she quickly learns to trust and care for, a man she doesn't have to fear in a place full of scary, dangerous men.
On a performance level, I believe Sigourney Weaver shows us her strongest work of the franchise in this film. The depth of pain she portrays during a autopsy scene alone is on a whole new level for the character. The only actors that are given a chance to shine in this film are Weaver and Charles Dutton as Dillon, and I do believe both took full advantage of the opportunity, performances sorely needed in order to make the film work.
Don't get me wrong here, not everything about Alien 3 soars and it certainly isn't on the same level as its two predecessors. While I admire the courage to write a sequel to Aliens that includes literally zero weapons, I do question the plausibility in a maximum security prison not concerning itself with owning even just one single firearm. Worse yet is the explanation given during the film, that they are not needed because the inmates have no place to go and live in fear, as if this guarantees that no individual violent outbursts or organized riots could ever occur. As a result, the no weapon plot device felt lazy, an attempt to raise the tension and the already overwhelming helpless feeling without a convincing reason why this would be the case.
Still though, Alien 3 is a hated film and I simply cannot wrap my head around why. The exploration of the importance of religion in the prison is enough on its own to allow me to recommend the extended cut to anyone willing to give it a spin. I was reminded of the aphorism "There are no atheists in foxholes" used to illustrate that at times of intense stress, when life is at its darkest and the end is something approaching that should be feared, absolutely anyone can find a connection with God in hopes of salvation. Those that occupy the prison in the film are the lowest examples of humanity, rapists and murderers, and yet they regularly join together in prayer. When all hope is seemingly lost, even the most logical and level-headed individual may be searching for a miracle.
Alien 3 is far from a cinematic miracle, but a pretty great work nonetheless.
All is Lost Review
A man is sleeping on his boat in the midst of a solo journey through the Indian Ocean when he wakes to find it taking on water thanks to a collision with a loose floating shipping container. We don't know the name of this man, we don't know what his life is like, yet I cared for him and was heavily invested in his fate. Who he was before, who he is today, who is going to be years from now, none of this matters as I was watching the life drain from his body while lost at sea facing rough weather conditions with no salvation in sight. Writer/Director J.C. Chandor crafted something special here, asking an audience to connect with a man in a nearly dialogue free film and I did instantly, and a large part of this bond I developed with the work (despite no actual attempts to develop the character) was the brilliant performance of Robert Redford.
The lack of emotional stakes that typically stem from external relationships in films such as this may have resulted in a slightly colder experience than, say, the depth of heartbreak and life-affirming joy that a film like Gravity brings to me, or the overwhelmingly beautiful connection to a God I rarely recognize in everyday life that was established thanks to Life of Pi, but I am appreciative of the bold filmmaking choices of Chandor. All is Lost is painful to watch because of the extraordinary realism and anguish portrayed by Redford, and it was done without hardly ever saying a word. The pain in his eyes as he recognizes the slim odds of his survival and the crushing disappointment he portrays when the potential to be saved passes him by, at moments like these I was able to recognize just how challenging of a role this was and how perfect of a choice Redford was to fill it.
It's hard to sell someone on a film like All is Lost. Prior to seeing it I had encountered multiple people complaining about how boring it was, but I cannot imagine being bored when the work of such talented people is on display.
Cloud Atlas Review
In the world of film criticism, the word perfect is tossed around a lot, but honestly, what defines a perfect film? How can one truly gauge something like perfection?
To be clear, I am just as guilty of invoking the word as anyone else, mostly to illustrate that an aspect or an entire work felt perfect to me personally. Even then though, how can I be so sure? The Tree of Life is a cinematic experience that is so sublime, so richly rewarding for my soul that I could never actually find a flaw, but does that mean one doesn't exist? Isn't it always possible something technically could be improved upon, even if we aren't able to spot the imperfection no matter how close we look?
Cloud Atlas isn't a perfect film, not even for me on a personal level. I find the flaws to be minor, but they expose themselves nonetheless. Six stories that take place at vastly different times are weaved together to form a cohesive narrative, and some of these characters and their personal journeys are more interesting and impressive than others, yet as a whole work this is a film that resides inside my top 30 of all time and climbs slowly higher and higher with each revisit. I tend to believe the reason I formed this deep, important connection to Cloud Atlas boils down to a matter of personal preference more than anything else.
Some may admire a more minimalist feature that expertly knows its limitations and embraces them, and that is totally fine and understandable. For me though, if you really want to get my film loving juices flowing, sit me down in front of a work that is willing to make a few mistakes in pursuit of grand, massive ambitions. The scope of Cloud Atlas is on a level I have never witnessed before in cinema, a film that aspires for true greatness and for some I am sure it falls short. Not me though. I passionately connected to not only the concept and thematic messages of the film, but also the fact that it soars to seemingly unreachable heights on a technical level.
When I read the novel of the same name that this film is adapted from, I understood why it was considered by many to be a work that simply could not be translated to the screen. I found the novel by author David Mitchell to be a literary masterpiece, a challenging read that will reward the persistence of those who are willing to commit to its innovative format in the end, but I sensed that an attempt by the Wachowskis and Tom Tykwer would end up being a rather unfortunate failure. I was wrong, so very very wrong, and I discovered this in an IMAX theater on opening weekend when the fastest cinematic three hours of my life floored me and left me wanting to go back and do it again and again.
This being my fourth viewing overall of the film, I still can't wrap my mind around what an achievement the editing of Cloud Atlas is. The novel separated the six different stories which allowed me to mentally focus on only the one in front of me, only the words I was currently reading, and then I would put the book down to take a minute and piece together the thematic and literal connections that linked one story to the next. The reason it felt nearly impossible for the source material to be coherently adapted was essentially, how do you present such material to those that are not familiar with the stories in advance? If you keep the format the same and focus on one set of characters at a time, you risk losing the audience during the segments that are deemed less compelling, but to attempt to weave through the past, the present and the future all at once seemed destined to befuddle an audience that entered the cinema with no prior knowledge, unprepared for what awaits them. I am in awe of how seamlessly the film is pieced together, as I find from beginning to end it takes on an almost lyrical flow that overwhelms me with joy.
If someone were to ask me for a definition of pacing that I find ideal, I would turn to Cloud Atlas and point to the intimidating running time on paper and challenge them to actually feel any sluggish moments, any fat they would trim due to boredom. I have seen films that are literally half the length of this that bore me to tears, forcing me to check the clock on the wall and beg for the hands to move a bit faster. When I watch Cloud Atlas, clocks don't exist. Time is rendered meaningless. All that matters is what is in front of me, a work that defines epic, a work that even at its silliest lows, it is still utterly fascinating.
Cloud Atlas certainly isn't perfect, but I'm not sure any film really is. Considering its ambitions and the fact that practically every single second of this wonder had me glued to the screen, I don't search for nor need perfection. I am thankful of anything bold, exciting, and unique that will resonate in my mind and heart for the rest of my life, and without a doubt this is a work that has cemented its spot forever.
Labels: cinema, cloud atlas, film, masterpiece, movie, the tree of life, tom hanks
Life Itself Review
Full disclosure: I grew up on the film criticism of Roger Ebert. Living just outside Chicago my entire life, when I wanted to read a print review of a new release I would turn to the Chicago Sun-Times and soak in the words of Ebert. Every chance I had to watch At the Movies, I would find myself in front of the television to hear the wonderful banter and debate between Siskel and Ebert. In a world before I could rely on various websites that would simplify the process, grouping hundreds of reviews in one location to form a consensus, I only knew of those two gentleman and their opinions. Whether or not their thumbs went up or down was a major influence on my young mind.
I felt the need to clear this up right off the bat because I will admit, this bias entering the experience of the film Life Itself may have enhanced my overall opinion of it. However, please understand that just because I loved and looked up to Ebert doesn't mean I held his word to be gospel. Often times I would disagree with him and wonder what in the hell he could have been seeing or not seeing in a film, but even when I felt like he and I were a million miles apart with our opinions, I never stopped appreciating his passion for film. Ebert wasn't cynical, he never acted like he was above anyone and he never came off as snobby. He broke down a film in a way that I could understand even at a young age, he loved what he did for a living and you could feel it in every word he wrote.
Life Itself is a documentary made by Steve James, the man behind incredible works like Hoop Dreams and The Interrupters, and I found so much joy within these two hours I am taking my time coming up with the proper words to do the feelings justice. Even at its most heartbreaking given the fate of the beloved subject, at its core this is a film that celebrates a life rather than mourns the loss of it. We are allowed into not only the life of Roger Ebert but also the various relationships that shaped him throughout his existence, and the emotional words from the people he was closest to resonated deeply with me.
The aspect of this film that I was most impressed by was the fact that James knew he couldn't merely throw together a giant love fest for Ebert, he couldn't just paint a picture of perfection that may have been what people wanted to hear but it wouldn't be real. The film is mostly positive, and it should be considering what an example of warmth and optimism the man was, but it isn't afraid to delve into topics such as his battle with alcoholism, his taste in women (and even the occasional prostitute) prior to meeting the love of his life, and the ugly moments between himself and his on screen partner Gene Siskel. It's important to understand that just because someone appears on television and seems to have their shit together doesn't mean they are perfect. Nobody is perfect, and even the most famous people on the planet fight their flaws and their inner demons. When you honor a life, you must honor everything, the good and the bad. It was his life, and even when things weren't perfect, Roger Ebert truly lived.
Everything I had hoped for when I first learned of this documentary came true. I got to experience nostalgic warmth but also learn something new about a man I admired deeply. I laughed repeatedly but I cried only once, but trust me, it was a good cry. As I said in the beginning, it is important to note my strong feelings for the man and what he has meant to be and my love of cinema, but I don't think it would have changed a whole lot even if I barely knew him or his story. The real reason Life Itself works is because of its storytelling, its honesty and ability to shower love onto the life of a man without pandering. This is a marvelous testament to the powerful potential of the genre.
Whenever I see a new film, whether I love it or hate it, I always wonder what Ebert would think if he were still alive today. It makes me sad to know that he never got to see some of the films either currently released or the ones that will be soon. I can't help but wish I could read his review of Boyhood prior to my entering the cinema, for example, and as morbid as it sounds for a relatively young man like myself to even entertain these thoughts, I couldn't help but consider the fact that someday I, too, would pass away and leave behind people I love and the opportunity to experience wonderful films going forward. I could dwell on this, sure, but that would suck all of the fun out of living, seeing, experiencing, and loving. Instead I choose to make sure I don't take for granted what an incredible gift it is to wake up each day and cherish life itself.
If I can live half as good as Roger did, I will consider myself lucky.
Labels: documentary, hoop dreams, interrupters, life itself, roger ebert, steve james
Beauty and the Beast Review
I know people who believe it is weird that an adult would enjoy a "kids movie", which is a label applied to essentially any child friendly animation. I couldn't help but smirk thinking about this when I revisited Beauty and the Beast, the absolutely splendid Disney classic from 1991, but not because they are wrong (although I think their resistance to such films is a shame), they are entitled to their opinion. No, I was amused by the idea that animation is only suited for children because despite multiple previous viewings of Beauty and the Beast before last night, I finally completely connected to the work and fell in love at the age of 30.
Don't misunderstand, I never once disliked this film, in fact I have always enjoyed it, but for whatever reason I carried with me some sort of mental block that didn't allow me to really understand why it was so highly regarded. It was that same mentality that made the fact that Beauty and the Beast remains the only animated film to be nominated by the Academy for Best Picture under the five nominee format completely baffling, but everything just felt different this time around.
First, when my daughter asked if we could watch a movie together, for the first time ever I requested this film and she actually said no to me. I couldn't believe it but I persisted, and finally her kind 6 year old heart persuaded her to reach up and grab it off the shelf. "Sure daddy, we can watch it." she said, and I was filled with a weird feeling of joy despite my reservations towards the film. What a sight that would have been for adults enjoying animated films naysayers. A grown man celebrating because a small girl allowed him to watch Beauty and the Beast.
The point of that is, the fact that I so eagerly wanted to revisit it means I was in the perfect mindset for it, and the magic of the work washed over me. The songs were immensely more enjoyable, and for the first time I really noticed how wonderful the dialogue was and the perfect way it was balanced to allow every supporting character to showcase some humor.
Also, I couldn't help but compare a feeling I had during this viewing to a similar one I experienced the last time I watched the Empire Strikes Back, which is a strange title to invoke in this review I understand but bare with me. It occurred to me on probably my 200th viewing (possibly not an exaggeration) of Empire that not only is the pacing of the film sublime, but the sheer amount of story that was included in the relatively short two hour running time was mind boggling. I have seen films significantly longer than it achieve so much less, and realizing this actually made me appreciate one of my all time favorites a bit more. Beauty and the Beast is less than 90 minutes long but you wouldn't know it without checking. The film flows with ease, but it feels as if there is far too much meat on the bones of this wonderful story to pull it off in such a short running time. It is a remarkable achievement by co-directors Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise.
I knew exactly what was coming as I watched Beauty and the Beast this time around, only in a way I didn't. Everything felt new and exciting, and a romantic attraction to the entire experience swept me off my feet. While I still hold some animated films in slightly higher regard, without question this is one of the finest ever created.
Ain't Them Bodies Saints Review
David Lowery's 2013 drama Ain't Them Bodies Saints brings to mind the concept of all style and no substance, but I have felt that it is a far too extreme phrase in regards to many of the works it ends up being applied to and thus I typically try to avoid it. How often is it fair to actually label something as ALL style and NO substance?
Ain't Them Bodies Saints is often times captivating, but that has very little to do with the oddly cold and mostly lifeless narrative involving a man named Bob (Casey Affleck) on the run from the law after he escapes from prison, hoping to reunite with the love of his life (Rooney Mara) and the child he fathered yet has never met in person. The actors all show up and deliver fine work here, which is especially complimentary to say given the rather bland story that does little to invoke an emotional connection, but the real star of the show is the gorgeous cinematography, the sweeping landscapes and the brilliant framing and lighting of characters seen throughout. On a technical level, Lowery's film is a triumph, enough so that I can honestly say I was both bored and yet somehow engaged throughout. My mind was shutting down as I developed no connection to the people or their relationships, yet my eyes wouldn't allow me to look away.
The fatal flaw of the film for me is found in the opening few minutes when only a handful of brief scenes are utilized to develop an intense love between a man and a woman through a few smiles and a quick promise to wait for their passion to be possible again. It simply wasn't enough to get me to buy in to an entire plot focused on the difficulties of them reconnecting again due to Bob being on the run from the law. Any attempt at a literal romance failed to resonate, yet Lowery managed to craft a romantic film thanks to the rural setting and the warm glow of the sun filtering through the darkness. I could have watched this on mute and my heart would have been aflutter over the striking attempt at following in the footsteps of what Terrence Malick achieved with his masterful debut film Badlands, but on every other level Lowery falls short of such a lofty comparison.
The main thing to take away from Ain't Them Bodies Saints is a positive though, and that is the obvious potential for Lowery to take the next step and unleash a true wondrous work in the near future. The man has a gift for how to make a film look and feel like something spectacular, and if he can put it all together and present a narrative dripping with as much beauty as the aesthetic, the possibilities are mind boggling.
Full Metal Jacket Review
I constantly debate myself over what war film I consider to be the greatest of all time. Despite witnessing many fantastic depictions over the years, in my world there are two options for such an honor: The Thin Red Line by Terrence Malick and Full Metal Jacket by Kubrick. Honestly, I am pretty sure that I award the prize to whichever I have seen more recently. As I sit here right now, it doesn't get any better than the amazing anti-war statement released by the greatest cinematic genius of all time, Stanley Kubrick.
I had to revisit this film tonight as I finished reading the novel it was adapted from earlier today, "The Short-Timers" by Gustav Hasford, and the book was nothing short of a literary masterpiece. Despite already knowing the film well and thus knowing what to expect, I had to put the book down at times because the lack of humanity on display was hard to swallow, but what made it resonate even deeper for me is that I always knew in my mind how realistic the awfulness being portrayed was. As a result of finally reading the source material, I now have a more intense love for this film as well because it is immensely difficult to adapt something so brilliant yet Kubrick seemingly did it with ease. The two together might be the greatest novel-film combination I have ever personally encountered.
I know many have a slight issue with Full Metal Jacket due to an imbalance in the quality of the two acts, but I actually completely disagree with this. The haunting depiction of boot camp and the mental breakdown of a marine in training is utterly spellbinding, but I don't consider it to actually be a stronger portion of the film than following Private Joker and the rest of the gang as they put their lives on the line in Vietnam. The two acts are completely different, yet they are also remarkably similar in that while one took place in a "safe" location and the other a war zone, the central theme of life in the military and war being senseless and moronic was evident throughout. For me, the entire experience of witnessing this film is perfect, beginning to end.
Blue Ruin Review
A homeless man receives the haunting news that the man who murdered both of his parents will shortly be released from prison thanks to a plea deal, and he knows what he must do: return home and seek vengeance. With this plot in full swing I expected a very predictable revenge film that would culminate in the expected showdown, but I couldn't have been more wrong. Not that this showdown doesn't happen, it does. I will tell you that flat out and not be concerned about revealing spoilers, and you know why? Because this all happens in the first act of the film, with surprises in store for the remainder that build the tension beautifully and invested me heavily in the journey of a man with a violent yet understandable goal.
I say understandable, but I don't know how I would react if I were to be presented with this unfortunate scenario. I hope to God I never have to know what it would be like to face someone who destroyed the entire makeup of my family, but if I was forced to guess what direction I would go if I were put in the exact circumstances of the Dwight (Macon Blair), the lead of the film Blue Ruin, I believe I would want any and every person who participated in the original senseless tragedy to suffer in the same way my loved ones did. The fact that I believe this about myself could explain why I connected with Dwight's mission immediately and was rooting for his success.
Blue Ruin is the second film from writer/director Jeremy Saulnier, the first being a 2007 release titled Murder Party that I must be honest, I know absolutely nothing about. The fact that this film is so immaculately crafted is an incredible testament to the talent of Saulnier, and what really took me by surprise was just how smart the screenplay for the film is. At times Blue Ruin is a brutally violent work, but it never seemed like it was done without reason, never overkill. Those brief moments of horrific bloodshed were jarring and upsetting to see, but in a way that felt realistic considering the circumstances. Everything about this film seems to have been well thought out and delivered with intelligence, which is unexpected for a filmmaker with such a limited track record.
As the film came closer and closer to finishing, for some reason I had a thought go through my head that I wasn't going to enjoy the way it would end. I had no evidence to assist in this thought, perhaps it was just a product of a permanent pessimism that resides in my mind. I was completely, totally wrong, as the final ten or so minutes of Blue Ruin knocked my socks off. The film had me on the edge of my seat during the first 95 percent of its running time, and with that finale sequence I couldn't stop myself from falling off. A special film that I will surely remember and revisit.
Labels: 2014, blue ruin, film, movie, revenge
Hellion Review
Well shit, Hellion. You had me for a while there. I was buying into the vision of unknown to me writer/director Kat Candler, even if that coming of age troubled family dynamic in a rural southern setting vision isn't exactly screaming of originality. While the entire picture had a sort of redundant feeling to it, at the very least it was executed very well and featured some really solid performances, and even now I did like the film and would recommend it to others. Unfortunately, that recommendation comes with a feeling of frustrating disappointment weighing it down.
Hellion tells the story of a father named Hollis (Aaron Paul) struggling to keep his two sons in line, 13 year old Jacob (Josh Wiggins) and 10 year old Wes (Deke Garner). Young Wes isn't so much the problem, but the progression of wanting to follow in his older brothers footsteps is concerning as Jacob is the definition of a problem child, constantly getting caught up on the wrong side of the law. After one particular night of mischief leads to the removal of Wes from their home, Hollis and Jacob must balance their deep emotional scars and explosively poor relationship to find a way to bring him back home.
I had no issues with anything on a performance level, with Aaron Paul restoring my faith that his brilliant turn as Jesse Pinkman on Breaking Bad was not a fluke. It may seem quick of me to already be thinking negative thoughts of a multiple award winner only one year removed from the end of his career-making series, but to be fair, I sat through Need for Speed. The fact that his talents were so poorly utilized in such a limited, one note role is a shame, as I believe I could have stepped in during his many sequences of driving cars and trying to look cool and the film would have been just as effective, and lord knows I probably can't act and I certainly am not cool.
I noticed one of the "people who enjoyed Hellion also enjoyed..." films listed on IMDB was Jeff Nichol's Mud from last year, and I couldn't help but think of that film often while screening Hellion. They are very similar with setting and unstable family settings and the fact that adolescent actors were the focal point of the works despite a familar face excelling in a supporting role (McConaughey, Paul). The main difference is a major one, and that is the fact that Mud is a masterful example of storytelling and a dramatic film filled with warmth while Hellion feels limited in its exploration of deep rooted emotions and is essentially 93 minutes of cold, dire circumstances with very little to root for.
Despite any of these negative criticisms, the film still had me because it had a very real and raw quality to it thanks to the actors and a majority of the material written for them. The behavioral issues of the kids as a result of their situations at home are handled very maturely and believably, as I am well aware of the commonality of teenagers acting out when faced with such adversity. Where it lost me was in the third act when an amateurish storytelling device was utilized, a moment I didn't see coming despite being introduced to a gun in the hands of a minor earlier in the picture. Despite this being a debut work by Candler, I had hoped the maturity demonstrated throughout much of the film meant that she would avoid the totally predictable climactic scene in which a gun would come into play again. In the end, eye rolling predictability reared its ugly head and diminished the overall achievement for me.
In the end, Candler absolutely shows promise as a filmmaker and I will gladly look forward to future works that could be tightened up, because the skill on display here is impressive. A pretty good film that could have been great.
Aliens Review
When I was a kid and I saw Aliens for the first time, during roughly the first half hour of the film I wanted to be a marine so badly. It just seemed so cool to be such a bad ass, and boy did it look like they were having fun. Of course I had no concept of what it truly meant to be a marine or in the military in general, I was seven years old and thought perhaps killing xenomorphs with giant guns was a solid career path to take. Other kids aspired to be police officers or fire fighters or astronauts, and when they expressed these dream futures I smirked in the back of class and shook my head at their simplistic goals. Way to be cowards with your run of the mill jobs, classmates. Not everyone can be destined for LV-426.
You know what I love most about this James Cameron helmed sequel? The fact that it didn't take bloodshed and chaos for me to change my mind and start my realistic journey towards the middling accounting position I hold today. The moment the team lands on the ominous landscapes of the planet to begin their rescue operation I knew something real bad was going to happen, and the patience of building up the tension before any actual threat even presents itself is a wise storytelling choice. Aliens is an action film, for sure, but I look at it more as an action/horror, and its during this period of time that it is clear something awful occurred on this planet yet the creatures are seemingly long gone that Cameron wisely reminds the audience that this is a sequel to Alien. I experienced some pretty intense nightmares after seeing both Alien and Aliens, and it is the moments of quiet build up that earn such disruptive slumber rather than the predictable arrival of death.
"Game over, man! Game over!"
You're god damn right Hudson. I officially revoke my erroneously filed job application. It's probably best I leave the xeno-slaying to someone far braver than I.
Locke Review
Locke is a very enjoyable example of a film being minimalist, literally an entire picture taking place in one location following only one person throughout. That one person is a man named Ivan Locke, and Tom Hardy plays the role brilliantly with a totally measured and mature performance and the only way the film could work is if he nailed the role. Sure, it took some real ass talent to craft such a small film in a way that would result in anything compelling, and for that credit is certainly due to writer and director Steven Knight, but really this is Hardy's film and even Knight must know that. For just over 80 minutes we watch Ivan Locke talk on the phone while driving, and it was a surprisingly riveting experience.
These phone conversations aren't merely random chats between old friends, they are incoming calls that represent chaos and the destruction of what was clearly a very blessed life. That is an area that this film was a massive success for me, its ability to develop a character on the fly without technically telling us any specifics about his past. We are able to gather the information ourselves that Ivan Locke is at risk of losing a wonderful wife and family dynamic and a career that carries massive importance in his life, and out of place flashbacks are not necessarily to make us care about his unfortunate circumstances. Knight wants us to follow the character here in this moment in his life, and he does so with confidence in his vision that ultimately makes it successful.
It is fascinating to watch a man deal with the consequences of his actions not just through dialogue with those he hurt but also with the turmoil churning through his own mind. Locke is a hard film to sell on someone who has never heard of it before, as the premise of a guy driving and talking doesn't exactly get a rise out of people, but hopefully both the Hardy performance and the fact that such a small character study among a sea of bloated blockbusters can demonstrate restraint and perfect pacing will get some people curious.
Before Midnight Review
I feel weird referring to Before Midnight as the final film of the amazing love story because no one has actually ruled out the possibility of returning to do it again in 2022, when the characters will be 50 years old. If this does indeed conclude the wonderful romance of Jesse and Celine, at least they went out on top. All three films are beautiful, inspired works, but Before Midnight is just a step ahead of the others, the perfect conclusion to a trilogy of masterpieces.
The film falls into a bit darker territory than the first two, but that is to be expected. Before Sunrise and Before Sunset were about falling head over heels in love at a young age, and then reconnecting after years apart, both of which are scenarios that are typically associated with happy thoughts. Before Midnight is our first glimpse at these characters experiencing a true relationship, now nine years actually together and raising twin daughters while Jesse deals with the pain that comes from being away from his son from his previous marriage. These are real problems people face and the love shared between our two leads has never felt more believable because let's be honest, life isn't perfect. Sure, it may be easier to watch two people smile and kiss and say absolutely the greatest thing at the greatest time, but I prefer the realism of how raw and painful love can be.
The entire film has the similar sublime flow of the first two, except something about the setting of the outdoor sequences makes them feel even more vibrant and alive this time around. The real shining moment of Before Midnight is ironically when it is at its darkest and most heartbreaking, the sequence that takes place in their hotel room. There is an energy and a passion during that scene that is so believable that it literally makes me uncomfortable, like I am watching something I shouldn't. The dialogue is so on point and the emotion seeps out of every single second we sit there and continue to watch something that was once so beautiful slowly unravel.
The amazing thing Linklater achieves though is that from this ugly feeling of sadness that felt like a punch to the gut, he manages to charm us all over again with a final scene that is impossible not to extract a smile. While some of the film may be hard to watch, when the camera drifts back and we live that final frame, I know I am left wanting more. As long as this level of quality and care went into making these films, I never want to completely say goodbye.
Labels: before midnight, before sunrise, before sunset, cinema, film, love, movie, richard linklater, romance, story
Before Sunset Review
Watching the Linklater trilogy in any fashion is incredible, but as a person who showed up late to the party and only screened these films for the first time last year, I couldn't help but wonder what it would have been like to actually follow Jesse and Celine through the years. Comparing it to other films with large gaps in time between releases doesn't quite work because rarely do the actual characters age on screen at the same rate as you do, and rarely do they feel as authentic and human. I would imagine if you started this journey with them in 1995, waiting nine years to see where their story would go next, these beautiful films would feel almost like documentaries about love and life. What was probably even more exciting is the fact that I doubt anyone knew for certain the story would even continue. I can't imagine waiting nearly a decade wondering if Jesse and Celine ever did meet up again six months in the future, and not having the answers sounds like agony.
I am jealous of this agony though. I am jealous of anyone who felt the euphoria of learning that a sequel would be made and the quintessential love story would continue. I am jealous of walking into the cinema with eager excitement, waiting for the passionate chemistry between Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy to reignite before their eyes. I saw the trailer for Before Midnight before I ever even got to witness the way their love blossomed in Vienna over the course of one night, so I entered this wondrous cinematic trip already knowing that 18 years later they would be together in some regard. Regardless these are magical works, one of my all time favorite trilogies, but I have to wonder how much deeper my love for them could have been.
Perhaps that isn't the correct way to think about it though. Perhaps I saw these films at exactly the right time in my life, a time when I was married but still remember what it was like to first fall in love. A time when I still recall what it was like to fight for that relationship through the tougher times because I knew for a fact it was exactly what I wanted. A time when I already have a beautiful daughter and have had a chance to both accept and embrace the fact that everything changes after you experience the gift of bringing life into the world. A perfect balance of every possible emotion portrayed throughout these films, and their connection easily found a way to penetrate my soul.
Before Sunset has a flow to it that is intoxicating, as if I am soaking up every word they way seem to bask in the glow of the setting sun. The pacing is perfect to deliver absolutely everything you could ask for to understand the progression of these characters and their relationship. The dialogue is fresh and vibrant with a realistic tone to it, like they have actually be separated for so long and yet share a special bond that allows them to seemingly pick up right where they left off. Such intelligent, warm filmmaking, and Linklater knows exactly the right note to end the film, a moment that is sure to put a smile on your face yet also answer nothing about where Jesse and Celine will be in their lives if and when we were to ever see them again.
Pure magic.
Posted by Scott H Anderson at 9:18 PM 2 comments:
Labels: before midnight, before sunrise, before sunset, cinema, ethan hawke, film, julie delpy, movie, richard linklater, trilogy
Ten Best Films of 2014 Thus Far
I already covered the not so good side of the 2014 film scene as we reach the midway point of the year. Now it is time for the best I have encountered thus far, films I strongly suggest you try to see and experience for yourself if you have not already done so.
Starting with the 10th best film of the year and descending up into cinematic heaven.
#10 - Godzilla
Directed by: Gareth Edwards
Starring: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, Bryan Cranston, Ken Watanabe
Godzilla features some flat performances and clunky dialogue. Frankly, I couldn't really give a shit about any human being on the screen and their fate was meaningless to me. So why is it on my best of list? Everything else.
Gareth Edwards previously created a very low budget film called Monsters, one that I love even more than Godzilla, and I can say having seen two of his works now that the man has an incredible amount of talent. The slow burn style was executed perfectly here, as we keep waiting and waiting for Godzilla to really show up in a grand way but that is a compliment, not a complaint. I bought in and was giddy with anticipation, and everything was paid off wonderfully.
Another star of the show who will not receive nearly enough credit for his masterful work on Godzilla is the composer, Alexandre Desplat. His score is truly haunting and powerful stuff that sets a spine tingling tone throughout.
#9 - X-Men: Days of Future Past
Directed by: Bryan Singer
Starring: Michael Fassbender, James McAvoy, Jennifer Lawrence, Hugh Jackman, and many others
I will admit I was extremely pessimistic about the prospects of X-Men: Days of Future Past when I first heard it was announced the massive cast of characters it would include. The film screamed of being bloated for the sake of trying to feel epic and I felt there was no way they could make such a thing without it feeling messy. I was wrong.
Bryan Singer's return to the mutant world is a triumph and in the most unexpected ways. Despite the ambitious project Singer clearly shows his appreciation for patient storytelling, allowing rich and well conceived dialogue to carry the pacing of the film rather than just assaulting the audience with action. Plus, while many familiar faces are seen throughout, the right people are showcased and allowed to shine.
Now I can't wait for X-Men: Apocalypse in two years.
#8 - The Fault in Our Stars
Directed by: Josh Boone
Starring: Shailene Woodley, Ansel Elgort
Am I, a 30 year old man, the expected target audience for a film like The Fault in Our Stars? Absolutely not. Am I, a 30 year old man, ashamed that I wept like a child who was told they couldn't get their favorite toy during a decent portion of the film? Absolutely not.
I enjoyed the book, but I had my doubts it would translate well to the screen without being overly sappy and I was also concerned how the dialogue would avoid sounding phony when actually coming from peoples mouths in motion. It's one thing to read cleverly written wit supposedly uttered by a 16 year old, it is a whole other thing to believe it when it is actually heard. Much to my surprise, everything worked about the film. The chemistry felt real, the heartbreak made me hurt, and the relationships throughout the film felt genuine, as I especially connected to the horrible concept of a parent having to face losing their child.
The real game changer here is Shailene Woodley, giving an absolutely incredible performance. I knew she had talent from The Descendants and The Spectacular Now, but what she achieved her was so special it was eye opening to the type of career she should have going forward. Woodley broke my heart in the theater that day, but in a way that felt right as strange as that sounds. I look forward to letting her break it again and again.
#7 - Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Directed by: Anthony and Joe Russo
Starring: Chris Evans, Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan
I went to see Captain America: The Winter Soldier twice in theaters over the course of about 15 hours. Now, to be fair, this was planned in advance before I even saw it, so it is necessarily an indication of my enjoyment level, but holy shit after the first time was I excited to come back the next day. When Marvel announced that Anthony and Joe Russo, the minds behind the remarkably forgettable comedy You, Me and Dupree, would be at the helm of the Captain America sequel, I was floored with disappointment. The first Captain America was my favorite of the Phase One films (not including The Avengers), and I couldn't believe they would hand over the reigns to such unproven filmmakers. Plus, here comes that wacky comedy that nearly derailed Iron Man 3 and Thor 2, right?
Holy shit was I proven wrong. Whatever lead to the hiring of the Russo brothers proves that the minds at Marvel know exactly what they are doing and I should think twice before second guessing them again. The Winter Soldier proved to be a serious, kick ass spy thriller that just so happened to have a superhero in it rather than a superhero film, and I loved every second of it. In fact, I will take it a step farther: I believe this is the finest film Marvel Studios has ever produced, including The Avengers.
#6 - Enemy
Directed by: Denis Villeneuve
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal
Prior to last year, I had no idea who Denis Villeneuve was but the buzz around his 2013 film Prisoners was rather intense, and from the small clips I had seen it seemed to have the dark atmosphere I would want to bathe in. That film proved to be a creepy, intense, ominous thriller that I immediately fell in love with, so an infatuation with the director was born and I knew I had to see everything he has done.
Some quick research of his filmography lead me to the film Enemy, one that wouldn't be released until early 2014 despite actually being filmed prior to Prisoners. One look at the trailer combined with the buzz from some festival reactions, specifically regarding the ending, and I knew this was a work to get excited about. Enemy absolutely lived up to the hype.
Challenging, confounding, perplexing, bizarre, surreal. Pick a word to describe some of the imagery found during the film, they all apply and I soaked it all up. The concept alone should be enough to put this on your radar, the idea of a man watching a film and seeing his exact double in the background of one of the frames, and the results of this idea are haunting. Oh, and that ending? What an amazing ending. It happens so fast and I literally said "What the fuck?!?!" aloud when the frame quickly disappeared. I still can't stop thinking about it.
#5 - The LEGO Movie
Directed by: Phil Lord and Chris Miller
Starring: Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Banks, Morgan Freeman, Will Ferrell, Will Arnett, Liam Neeson
I am not going to say "Everything is awesome!" in my little write up here. Every single damn person in the world quotes it in their reviews, and I won't do it. Although I guess I technically already did by bringing it up in the first place. Fuck.
The balls to the walls surprise of 2014 thus far, The LEGO Movie can easily be disregarded and labeled as "silly" or a "kids movie" simply because it features toys, and that would be a shame. Did we not learn a lesson from the Toy Story films, one of the greatest trilogies of all time? Lord and Miller created very enjoyable and entertaining films with Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs and 21 Jump Street, but when I saw The LEGO Movie I recognized for the first time that they were totally brilliant. That isn't hyperbole, brilliant is the appropriate word choice.
It is so difficult to make a film that appeals to absolutely ANYONE who is willing to let it into their hearts, but that is exactly what The LEGO Movie is. The humor is on a whole new level of clever and it results in a constant stream of laughter throughout, and then just when you think you have the whole thing figured out it hits you with a third act surprise that will bring tears to your eyes, a wonderful message about letting kids explore their imaginations and bringing their creativity to life. A genius film, yet amazingly not the top work of animation on the list.
#4 - The Grand Budapest Hotel
Directed by: Wes Anderson
Starring: Ralph Fiennes, F. Murray Abraham, Adrien Brody, Willen Dafoe, Jeff Goldblum, Mathieu Amalric
I have been a huge fan of Wes Anderson for a long, long time, but I always felt his films were just a note short of being perfect. Even my favorite of his works, Rushmore, just couldn't quite get to that level in my mind, and I wondered if Anderson would be an auteur with a constant stream of great films but never reaching the level of a masterpiece. The Grand Budapest Hotel is the film I was looking for.
A perfect combination of all the best features of his other films, this has the aesthetic, the charm, the humor, the performances, and the pacing, all of which won me over and brought the biggest smile to my face. While watching it at the cinema I kept wishing I could somehow pause the film without others getting upset so I could really study the level of care and detail that went into every frame. The Grand Budapest Hotel is a joyous work and without a doubt the finest of the amazing career of Wes Anderson.
#3 - The Raid 2
Directed by: Gareth Evans
Starring: Iko Uwais
Typically I am not really into action films. If it takes place within a well told story and it is filmed well, absolutely count me in, but when something is labeled as essentially just being straight up action and little else, more often than not I will find myself bored halfway through and counting the minutes until it would be over. This would explain why I initially avoided the film The Raid from a few years ago, as I caught wind of the fact that it was almost literally entirely action with hardly any story at all to go along with it.
I kept reading reactions to it and noticed it was actually well received by critics, so I considered the possibility that the first film had to feature something special that went above and beyond people merely kicking and punching and shooting each other, so I decided to take a look. Once I did, I couldn't look away. Sure, it was action, but unlike anything I had ever seen before and it was intoxicating and hypnotic. When it was over, I couldn't imagine how any character in the film would still be standing if the events were to have been fact instead of fiction, because I was exhausted just from watching it.
Thus we now have The Raid 2 in 2014, and it is a magnificent sequel that takes the first film and elevates it to incredible new heights. A completely different tone and feel to this film when compared to the original, The Raid 2 is an hour longer and is far more story based, as if it was the love child of The Raid and The Godfather. The final hour or so is when the action really kicks into gear and at that point I was craving it, and my goodness did it deliver.
The opening shot of the film is of this wide open, calm field of grass blowing in the wind, a massive overhead shot that feels so serene, yet it is jarring when compared closely to the first Raid film. I became so used to the claustrophobic confines of rooms and hallways that I have to believe Evans wanted to start the sequel this way intentionally to send a message, almost like he was saying this would be a bigger film and he had more room to play with. Just don't expect the quiet to stick around for long.
#2 - How to Train Your Dragon 2
Directed by: Dean DeBlois
Starring: Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, Cate Blanchett, Craig Ferguson
The first How to Train Your Dragon absolutely stunned me, mainly because I consider Dreamworks Animation to be on a much lower level than Disney or Pixar when it comes to producing quality films. It was a work of incredible warmth, amazing character and relationship development, jaw-dropping animation and an impressive understanding of the importance of storytelling, and after multiple viewings it was elevated to one of my all time favorite animated films. I didn't believe they could ever release a sequel that would be even close to that level of excellence again, but they actually managed to surpass it in my eyes.
DeBlois admits being inspired by the Empire Strikes Back when coming up with the concept of a sequel and you can tell immediately, as he recognizes that the world was already built and the characters were already fleshed out the first time around. Now he can expand on it and send it to new, impressive heights, and the choice to move the story forward five years made it feel like the fans of the first film aged right there at a similar pace as the characters, allowing the tone to get a bit darker as well which reminded me of the progression of the Harry Potter franchise.
Exciting, bold, and emotionally resonant, How to Train Your Dragon 2 was a top notch sequel and proof that Dreamworks has at least a couple people on their team that know how to make a real, beautiful film rather than simply a series of pop culture gags and colorful characters that kids will eat up while the adults roll their eyes. This was sitting comfortably at the top of my 2014 list and I thought it would be there for a while, but then I saw...
#1 - Under the Skin
Directed by: Jonathan Glazer
Starring: Scarlett Johansson
The one thing I love most with cinema is when I feel truly challenged, when I have to work at piecing together a puzzle rather than just have the pieces assembled for me. A film like Under the Skin practically defines this, and I didn't even realize how much I loved it until it was over and I gave myself 24 hours to let it soak in. It is a science fiction film, but is it really? Behind all the surreal imagery and bizarre encounters, I believe there is a layered and nuanced reason for all of it that delves into gender issues, female insecurities and the way our society view women and inappropriately hold them to some sort of body image standard.
Completely eerie and spellbinding, and even as my mind is still racing trying to process everything that happens during Under the Skin, I still know for a fact that I have so much more I can absorb from it when I revisit it time and time again. For some this film might come off as nonsense, pretentious garbage with no real cohesive narrative or message, but I couldn't disagree more. Under the Skin is the finest and most important cinema I have seen so far in 2014.
So there it is, my ten favorite films I have seen thus far this year. It will be very interesting to see where these stack up when the end of the calendar rolls around, as we are still months away from Oscar season when the big hitters are finally released. I would imagine a few of these titles will be bumped off for things like Boyhood, Gone Girl and Interstellar, but you never know. Perhaps Under the Skin will hold onto the top spot permanently, but in a year with both Fincher and Nolan releases I can't help but expect big things ahead.
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Magic Mike Review
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Ten Worst Films of 2014 Thus Far
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Home/Golf Updates, News/Brooks’ Brilliance Betters the Field
After another dazzling and dominant display last weekend from Koepka, Major title number 4 was added to his, already, stellar resume. Finishing off Day 2 with a commanding lead, there seemed to be no doubt in anyone’s mind that Koepka was going back to back as PGA Champion. It was only for a flurry of bogeys on the final back 9 that made the finish remotely interesting. It was, however, incredibly short-lived. A bogey for Johnson left Koepka walking up the 18th hole with a two shot lead. One which was never surrendered. Koepka became the first ever golfer to retain his title at the US Open and the PGA Championship in the same year. And adds his name to a prestigious list of golfers with 4 or more Majors before their 30th birthday.
The question now, just how good can Koepka possibly be?
In his first 8 major starts, he has won 4 of them. Going back to back, twice. Now World No.1 and showing only signs of improvement. Koepka, physically, is the embodiment of the modern day athlete. His gym workouts and how he prepares his body physically have become the talk of the tour. This has undoubtedly helped with his rise to the top, leaving him as one of the biggest hitters on tour. But there appears to be another attribute, one which can make Koepka truly rival the greats of the game. His Mentality. Constantly turning any slight negative or perceived negative into another chip on his shoulder. It allows Koepka to get to a place mentally, one which we haven’t seen since Tiger Woods. He seems to thrive off the hostile atmosphere, similar to Bethpage last weekend, along with doubters comments which brings his game to another level. Many golfers on tour have commented on his mentality and its one attribute that just cannot be thought. Koepka has made it known he wants to reach double figures in Majors and with the way he is playing, its hard to doubt him.
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Episode 19: Masrasector—Egypt’s Ancient Slicer!
http://www.pasttime.org/podcast-player/1269/episode-19-masrasector-egypts-ancient-slicer.mp3
A few weeks ago Past Time co-host Matt Borths published a study that identified a new species of now-extinct carnivorous mammal from Egypt. The animal was near the top of the African food chain when Africa was cut off from the other continents. It lived in the same swampy ecosystem that was home to our earliest monkey-like relatives!
Here’s a link to the original paper in the open access journal PLOS ONE <http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0173527> if you want to take a look at the original fossils. You can even see them in 3D at www.morphosource.org
Masrasector means “The Egyptian slicer” because the meat-eater was found in the deserts of Egypt, near the Fayum Oasis southwest of Cairo. The species name, nananubis, means “tiny Anubis,” because the small, fox-sized carnivore resembles the jackal-headed Ancient Egyptian god of embalming and guide through the afterlife. “Tiny Anubis” likely scrambled on the ground, chasing large rodents and small hyraxes through the Fayum wetland. It probably didn’t spend a lot of time weighing the hearts of the dead, but such behaviors don’t fossilize very well.
Masrasector nananubis was part of an extinct group of carnivorous mammals called hyaenodonts. If you think of a meat-eating mammal today, like a wolf, tiger, or hyena, you’re thinking of a species from the mammalian order Carnivora. Carnivorans are united by having one pair of specialized meat-slicing teeth on each side of their face. Next time you see a dog or cat yawn, look in the back of their mouth for the scissor-like blades. Hyaenodonts had three pairs of these meat-slicers on each side of their mouths instead of just one, making it easy to recognize them in the fossil record. Hyaenodonts were the only meat-eating mammals in Africa for over forty million years between the extinction of the dinosaurs and the arrival of the first African carnivorans.
Carnivorous mammals are rare in modern ecosystems, and this was also true in the past. Fossilization itself is a rare event, which means the chances of a rare carnivore becoming a rare fossil are very low. This means African hyaenodonts are a rare find, and most are only known from a few isolated teeth and jaws. But, Masrasector is known from several nearly complete skulls, dozens of jaws, and pieces of arm bone.
A photograph and three-dimensional model of the skull of Masrasector nananubis.
With all this material it’s possible to really dig into what Masrasector ate, and how it moved through its environment. African carnivores like lions and hyenas are fascinating, endangered creatures. Hyaenodonts were a separate experiment in how to be a carnivorous African mammal, and they did it successfully for millions of years.Masrasector offers a detailed view of how African hyaenodonts pursued their prey and what their diet was like.
The specimens were discovered in a quarry called Locality-41, one of the most fossil-rich places from the beginning of the Age of Mammals in Africa. The first specimens of Masrasector were found at L-41 nearly 30 years ago. For decades, the specimens accumulated as Egyptian and American paleontologists delicately removed the fossils from the salty, clay-like rock they were embedded in. Hundreds of people moved the sediment, prepared the specimens, and protect these delicate fossils, which need to be kept in a humidity-controlled room because the salt and clay they were fossilized in can expand and break the bones. Salt was an important ingredient in the mummification process, which is another reason naming Masrasector nananubis after the god of embalming made sense.
Matt and Erik investigate new fossils during fieldwork in the Fayum Depression of Egypt.
“The Fayum deposits give us our most detailed insights into the early evolution of Africa’s native mammals, when that continent was still largely isolated from other landmasses,” says Eric Seiffert, co-author on the study and Professor in Integrative Anatomical Sciences at the University of Southern California. “The small carnivorous mammals from the Fayum sites were previously only known from a few jaw fragments and isolated teeth, so the discovery of complete crania and arm bones of Masrasector provides lots of new information that allows us to better understand what these animals looked like, what their adaptations were, and how they might have fit into these ancient ecosystems.
Because the specimens are so delicate, many were micro-CT scanned at Duke University to create digital models of the specimens. Now the digital models can be shared widely and studied by researchers around the world, without needing to handle the delicate specimens.
With all the anatomical detail provided by the specimens, it was possible to run an analysis using new analytical methods to understand where Masrasector fits in the hyaenodont family tree. The results reveal Masrasector is part of a group of hyaenodonts that were part of African ecosystems for millions of years: Teratodontinae. The oldest species in Teratodontinae is nearly 50 million years old and the youngest shared the landscape with the early relatives of dogs, cats, and mongooses that crossed into Africa when the Arabian Peninsula connected Africa to Eurasia.
Teratodontines, were an integral part of African landscape, shaping the same ecosystems where we find our ape and monkey relatives. Then hyaenodonts passed the ecological baton to modern carnivores. All of this Masrasector material helps to sort out their anatomy and relationships, so researchers can piece together what ecological role modern African carnivores inherited from these ancient beasts.
To reconstruct the ecology of Masrasector, the researchers took measurements of the arm bones of Masrasector, other hyaenodonts, and modern carnivorans. Because the locomotion of modern carnivorans is known from actually watching them move, the researchers used a classification analysis to predict Masrasector was a ground-based carnivore, like a modern fox or hyena.
An illustration of Hyaenodon, a large North American relative of Masrasector by paleoartist Nobu Tamura. This illustration captures the large rectangular skull of hyaenodonts.
The discovery of Masrasector nananubis allowed Matt and Dr. Seiffert to delve into the ancient lives of a mysterious group of African carnivorous mammals. With the scans of the specimens and the measurements accessible online, “tiny Anubis” can continue to guide researchers through the evolution and extinction of Africa’s first meat-eating mammals.
This study was funded by grants from the National Science Foundation Division of Biological Infrastructure, Division of Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences, and Division of Environmental Biology, The Leakey Foundation, The Explorers Club, Gordon and Ann Getty, and the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology.
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The New Republic - The Cure For Fear 5-15min
The root cause of fear, and how to treat it, has been one of modern psychology’s central questions. In the early twentieth century, Sigmund Freud argued phobias were “protective structures” springing from a patient’s “repressed longing” for his mother. In 1920, however, the American psychologist John B. Watson put forward a simpler theory: People develop fears through negative experiences. To test his hypothesis, he sought to condition an infant, whom he called “Little Albert,” to fear a white rat by presenting the rat to the child and simultaneously striking a steel bar. ... Different types of memories consolidate in different parts of the brain. Explicit memories of life events, for instance, consolidate in the hippocampus, the long, podlike structures near the center of the brain. Emotional memories, including fear, consolidate nearby in the amygdala, which activates the fight-or-flight response when it senses danger. The subjective experience of fear often involves both of these memory systems—a person will consciously remember past experiences while also undergoing several automatic physiological responses, such as increased heart rate—but they operate independently of each other.
Tags: Trauma, Fear, Phobias, Neuroscience, Science, Research, Brain, Ben Crair
Forbes - Cure Baldness? Heal Arthritis? Erase Wrinkles? An Unknown Billionaire's Quest To Reverse Aging 5-15min
Samumed is finding it easy to raise huge amounts of cash because it believes it has invented medicines that can reverse aging. Its first drugs are targeted at specific organ systems. One aims to regrow hair in bald men. The same drug may also turn gray hair back to its original color, and a cosmetic version could erase wrinkles. A second drug seeks to regenerate cartilage in arthritic knees. Additional medicines in early human studies aim to repair degenerated discs in the spine, remove scarring in the lungs and treat cancer. After that Samumed will attempt to cure a leading cause of blindness and go after Alzheimer’s. The firm’s focus, disease by disease, symptom by symptom, is to make the cells of aging people regenerate as powerfully as those of a developing fetus. ... Hood, 49, had invented a cancer drug that got his previous company, Targegen, bought by Sanofi for $635 million. He has a distinct take on drug development: He thinks everybody takes too many shortcuts and insists on doing work himself that other companies outsource, including formulating drug chemistry, testing drugs in laboratory animals and running clinical trials. ... The target Hood and Kibar went after was obvious: a gene called Wnt, which stands for “wingless integration site,” because when you knock it out in fruit flies, they never grow wings. It’s a linchpin in a group of genes that control the growth of a developing fetus–whether you’re a fly or a person. Together these genes are known as the Wnt pathway. Trigger the right ones and you might revive old flesh. Some cancers do their dirty work by hijacking Wnt, and blocking it might stop tumors.
Tags: Health, Pharma, Science, Aging, Research, Medicine, Osman Kibar, John Hood, Cancer, Wnt pathway, Genetics, DNA, Samumed, Matthew Herper
Minnesota Law Review - Financial Weapons of War > 15min
Finance may be the most powerful weapon of war. It moves armadas, armies, and squadrons. It funds troops and artillery. It endows suicide bombs and improvised explosive devices. It pays for special forces and mercenaries. It underwrites cease-fires and purchases surrenders. Finance is the weapon that makes all other weapons of war possible. ... This Article is about the financial weapons of war, their growing importance in national affairs, and their wide-ranging effects on law, finance, and society. This Article offers an early, broad examination of the realities of modern financial warfare. This Article descriptively and normatively explores the new financial theater of war, analyzes the modern arsenal of financial weapons, highlights emerging legal and policy concerns, and proposes key recommendations for current and future financial warfare. ... While policymakers, analysts, and scholars have long been studying the respective, evolving fields of modern finance and modern warfare, there has been surprisingly little meaningful legal scholarship on the crosscutting realities of modern financial warfare. Drawing on a rich legal literature that spans the laws of war, finance, and cyberspace, this Article seeks to fill this understudied, underappreciated—yet critically important—legal intersection of war and finance. ... Part I provides a general layout of the modern financial theater of war. It describes the modern financial infrastructure as a globalized, high-tech, American-centric system. ... Part II highlights particular armaments of financial warfare. Rather than provide an exhaustive catalog of financial weapons, it offers a broad inventory of the financial weapons of war. It classifies the financial weapons of war as analog weapons and cyber weapons. ... Part III contends with new concerns. It asserts that the financial weapons of war present critical challenges for traditional laws and norms relating to financial hostilities, cyberattacks, and non-state actors. ... Part IV offers new pathways. It proposes three pragmatic policy recommendations that should be undertaken in the near term response to modern financial warfare while larger issues remain unresolved by global policymakers.
Repeat: Eurasia Group - Top Risks 2016 > 15min
Tags: Finance, Weapons, War, Research, Financial Warfare, Society, Geopolitics, Law, Policy, Tom C.W. Lin
Quanta - The Oracle of Arithmetic < 5min
Scholze’s key innovation — a class of fractal structures he calls perfectoid spaces — is only a few years old, but it already has far-reaching ramifications in the field of arithmetic geometry, where number theory and geometry come together. ... his unnerving ability to see deep into the nature of mathematical phenomena. Unlike many mathematicians, he often starts not with a particular problem he wants to solve, but with some elusive concept that he wants to understand for its own sake. ... “I understood nothing, but it was really fascinating,” ... Scholze worked backward, figuring out what he needed to learn to make sense of the proof. ... Despite the complexity of perfectoid spaces, Scholze is known for the clarity of his talks and papers. ... Scholze makes a point of trying to explain his ideas at a level that even beginning graduate students can follow
Repeat: Popular Science - How to Build an Automobile Smaller Than This Dot (1960) 5-15min
Tags: Mathematics, Peter Scholze, Arithmetic, Geometry, Number Theory, Learning, Research, Erica Klarreich
Quanta - A Bird’s-Eye View of Nature’s Hidden Order 8min
Avian vision works spectacularly well (enabling eagles, for instance, to spot mice from a mile high), and his lab studies the evolutionary adaptations that make this so. Many of these attributes are believed to have been passed down to birds from a lizardlike creature that, 300 million years ago, gave rise to both dinosaurs and proto-mammals. While birds’ ancestors, the dinos, ruled the planetary roost, our mammalian kin scurried around in the dark, fearfully nocturnal and gradually losing color discrimination. Mammals’ cone types dropped to two — a nadir from which we are still clambering back. About 30 million years ago, one of our primate ancestors’ cones split into two — red- and green-detecting — which, together with the existing blue-detecting cone, give us trichromatic vision. But our cones, particularly the newer red and green ones, have a clumpy, scattershot distribution and sample light unevenly. ... Bird eyes have had eons longer to optimize. Along with their higher cone count, they achieve a far more regular spacing of the cells. But why, Corbo and colleagues wondered, had evolution not opted for the perfect regularity of a grid or “lattice” distribution of cones? The strange, uncategorizable pattern they observed in the retinas was, in all likelihood, optimizing some unknown set of constraints. What these were, what the pattern was, and how the avian visual system achieved it remained unclear. ... Determining whether a system is hyperuniform requires algorithms that work rather like a game of ring toss. ... Hyperuniformity is clearly a state to which diverse systems converge, but the explanation for its universality is a work in progress.
Tags: Nature, Patterns, Chicken, Poultry, Biology, Science, Research, Eye, Hyperuniformity, Natalie Wolchover
Bloomberg - This Guy Trains Computers to Find Future Criminals 10min
Risk scores, generated by algorithms, are an increasingly common factor in sentencing. Computers crunch data—arrests, type of crime committed, and demographic information—and a risk rating is generated. The idea is to create a guide that’s less likely to be subject to unconscious biases, the mood of a judge, or other human shortcomings. Similar tools are used to decide which blocks police officers should patrol, where to put inmates in prison, and who to let out on parole. Supporters of these tools claim they’ll help solve historical inequities, but their critics say they have the potential to aggravate them, by hiding old prejudices under the veneer of computerized precision. ... Computer scientists have a maxim, “Garbage in, garbage out.” In this case, the garbage would be decades of racial and socioeconomic disparities in the criminal justice system. Predictions about future crimes based on data about historical crime statistics have the potential to equate past patterns of policing with the predisposition of people in certain groups—mostly poor and nonwhite—to commit crimes.
Tags: Crime, Police, Algorithms, Technology, Risk, Risk Scores, Machine Learning, Bias, Research, Poverty, Joshua Brustein
Nautilus - The Last of the Earthquake Predictors 10min
In 1978, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) allocated over half its research budget ($15.76 million) to earthquake prediction, a level of spending that continued for much of the next decade. Scientists deployed hundreds of seismometers and other sensors, hoping to observe telltale signals heralding the arrival of the next big one. They looked for these signs in subterranean fluids, crustal deformations, radon gas emissions, electric currents, even animal behavior. But every avenue they explored led to a dead end. ... Since the early 20th century, scientists have known that large quakes often cluster in time and space: 99 percent of them occur along well-mapped boundaries between plates in Earth’s crust and, in geological time, repeat almost like clockwork. But after decades of failed experiments, most seismologists came to believe that forecasting earthquakes in human time—on the scale of dropping the kids off at school or planning a vacation—was about as scientific as astrology. By the early 1990s, prediction research had disappeared as a line item in the USGS’s budget. ... Defying the skeptics, however, a small cadre of researchers have held onto the faith that, with the right detectors and computational tools, it will be possible to predict earthquakes with the same precision and confidence we do just about any other extreme natural event, including floods, hurricanes, and tornadoes. The USGS may have simply given up too soon. After all, the believers point out, advances in sensor design and data analysis could allow for the detection of subtle precursors that seismologists working a few decades ago might have missed. ... At a time when American companies and institutions are bankrolling “moonshot” projects like self-driving cars, space tourism, and genomics, few problems may be as important—and as neglected—as earthquake prediction.
Tags: Earthquakes, Science, Forecasting, Research, USGS, Geophysics, Predictions, Ambient Waves, Physics, Insurance, Natural Disasters, Mark Harris
Nature - Welcome to the Cyborg Olympics 8min
Around the world, nearly 80 research groups in 25 countries are honing their technologies for the €5-million (US$5.5-million) event. They range from small, ad hoc teams to the world's largest manufacturers of advanced prostheses, and comprise about 300 scientists, engineers, support staff and competitors: disabled people who will each compete in one of six events that will challenge their ability to tackle the chores of daily life. A race for prosthetic-arm users will be won by the first cyborg to complete tasks including preparing a meal and hanging clothes on a line. A powered-wheelchair race will test how well participants can navigate everyday obstacles such as bumps and stairs. ... The venue — Zurich's 7,600-spectator ice-hockey stadium — should combine with the presence of television cameras and team jerseys to give the Cybathlon a sporting vibe similar to that of the Paralympics, in which disabled athletes compete using wheelchairs, running blades and other assistive technologies. The difference is that the Paralympics celebrates exclusively human performance: athletes must use commercially available devices that run on muscle power alone. But the Cybathlon honours technology and innovation. Its champions will use powered prostheses, often straight out of the lab, and are called pilots rather than athletes. The hope is that devices trialled in the games will accelerate technology development and eventually be used by people around the world.
Also: Wall Street Journal - The Science Behind Sprinter Usain Bolt’s Speed < 5min
Tags: Research, Sports, Science, Prosthetics, Engineering, Bioengineering, Biomechanics, Cybathlon, Olympics, Cyborg, Sara Reardon
Quanta - A Unified Theory of Randomness 12min
Consider the most familiar random shape, the random walk, which shows up everywhere from the movement of financial asset prices to the path of particles in quantum physics. These walks are described as random because no knowledge of the path up to a given point can allow you to predict where it will go next. ... Beyond the one-dimensional random walk, there are many other kinds of random shapes. There are varieties of random paths, random two-dimensional surfaces, random growth models that approximate, for example, the way a lichen spreads on a rock. All of these shapes emerge naturally in the physical world, yet until recently they’ve existed beyond the boundaries of rigorous mathematical thought. Given a large collection of random paths or random two-dimensional shapes, mathematicians would have been at a loss to say much about what these random objects shared in common. ... have shown that these random shapes can be categorized into various classes, that these classes have distinct properties of their own, and that some kinds of random objects have surprisingly clear connections with other kinds of random objects. Their work forms the beginning of a unified theory of geometric randomness. ... “You take the most natural objects — trees, paths, surfaces — and you show they’re all related to each other,” Sheffield said. “And once you have these relationships, you can prove all sorts of new theorems you couldn’t prove before.” ... incoherent is not the same as incomprehensible. ... In practical terms, the results by Sheffield and Miller can be used to describe the random growth of real phenomena like snowflakes, mineral deposits, and dendrites in caves, but only when that growth takes place in the imagined world of random surfaces.
Tags: Geometry, Mathematics, Randomness, Nature, Scott Sheffield, Jason Miller, Patterns, Theories, Geometric Randomness, Probability, Research, Kevin Hartnett
California Sunday Magazine - The Superhero Genes 10min
It starts with a single gene, out of some 20 to 25,000, coding for the more than 30 trillion cells in a human body. Take the length of the DNA in those cells, unravel it, and you have a distance of more than 400 lengths from the sun to the Earth. The human genome has 6 billion data points of information. Six billion ways for something to go incredibly right — or incredibly wrong. ... Sorting through these possibilities is the job of Stanford University scientist Euan Ashley. The 45-year-old Scotsman is a cardiologist, a systems biologist, and one of the leaders of a new, integrated approach to the science of genetics. He led the first team to clinically interpret a full human genome; he’s involved in attempts to sequence cancer genomes for personalized treatment and to analyze the genomes of individuals who have rare and unknown diseases. But for the last several years, his work has focused on a specific mystery. He is looking for superhero genes ... “We’re interested in truly the fittest people on the planet,” he explained. Though there are many factors that may make someone elite, his team made the decision to select athletes on the basis of a single, objective physiological variable: the maximum amount of oxygen a body can use, or VO2max. VO2max is considered one of the most important markers not only for athletic success, but for overall health: It’s such a crucial indicator of cardiovascular function that it is used to determine whether someone requires a heart transplant. VO2max has also been measured in the same way for half a century, which means it can be a useful comparative point. ... To be a part of the study, men need to test at a VO2max that exceeds 75 milliliters of oxygen per minute; for women, the cutoff is 63. Fewer than .00172 percent of the population qualify.
Also: Nautilus - Can Science Breed the Next Secretariat? < 5min
Tags: DNA, Genetics, Euan Ashley, Sports, Science, Research, Mutation, Maria Konnikova
VoxEU - Good booms, bad booms: Why only some credit booms end in a crisis 4min
Financial crises pose challenges for macroeconomists. Schularick and Taylor (2012) show that credit booms precede crises. Mendoza and Terrones (2008) claim that not all credit booms end in crises. Herrera et al. (2014) argue that crises are not necessarily the result of large negative shocks, but also of political considerations. There is a need for models displaying financial crises that are preceded by credit booms and that are not necessarily the result of large negative shocks. ... In a recent paper (Gorton and Ordonez 2016), we show that credit booms are indeed not rare, that some end in crises (bad booms) but others do not (good booms). Are these two types of booms intrinsically different in their evolution, or do they just differ in how they end? We show that all credit booms start with a positive shock to productivity on average ten years before the end of the boom, but that in bad booms this increase dies off rather quickly while this is not the case for good booms. This suggests that a crisis is the result of an exhausted credit boom. We then develop a simple framework that rationalises these empirical findings and highlight several shortcomings of standard macroeconomic models that tend to neglect the interplay between macroeconomic and financial variables.
Also: FRBSF - Leveraged Bubbles (Paper) > 15min
Also: Project Syndicate - Managing Debt in an Overleveraged World < 5min
Tags: Economics, History, Research, Bubbles, Productivity, Credit, Labor, Gary Gorton, Guillermo Ordoñez
Nature - Busting the billion-dollar myth: how to slash the cost of drug development 8min
The DNDi is an unlikely success story in the expensive, challenging field of drug development. In just over a decade, the group has earned approval for six treatments, tackling sleeping sickness, malaria, Chagas' disease and a form of leishmaniasis called kala-azar. And it has put another 26 drugs into development. It has done this with US$290 million — about one-quarter of what a typical pharmaceutical company would spend to develop just one drug. The model for its success is the product development partnership (PDP), a style of non-profit organization that became popular in the early 2000s. PDPs keep costs down through collaboration — with universities, governments and the pharmaceutical industry. And because the diseases they target typically affect the world's poorest people, and so are neglected by for-profit companies, the DNDi and groups like it face little competitive pressure. They also have lower hurdles to prove that their drugs vastly improve lives. ... Now, policymakers are beginning to wonder whether their methods might work more broadly. ... If successful, the work could challenge standard assumptions about drug development, and potentially rein in the runaway price of medications.
Also: Forbes - How Focusing On Obscure Diseases Made BioMarin A $15 Billion Company 5-15min
Also: Fortune - Have we reached a turning point in the fight against Alzheimer's? 5-15min
Tags: Healthcare, Drugs, Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative, DNDi, Drug Development, Public Policy, Research, Science, Amy Maxmen
Wired - A Swarm of Controversy 14min
Under a microscope, a varroa mite is a monster: armored and hairy, with eight legs and one piercing, sucking mouthpart, primordial in its horror. Since the parasite arrived in the United States from Asia in 1987, the practice of tending bees has grown immeasurably harder. Beekeepers must use harsh chemicals in their hives to kill the mites or risk losing most of their bees within two to three years. About a third of the nation’s honeybees have died each winter over the past decade, and Hayes, an apiary scientist, believes the varroa mite is a major factor in this catastrophe. ... the Internet was abuzz with theories about CCD. It offered a litany of dystopian ecological conspiracies: cell phones interfering with bee navigation, or genetically modified corn syrup, or neonicotinoid pesticides. But no one really knew. ... Traditional pesticides act like chemical backhoes, killing their targets (beetles, weeds, viruses) but harming good things along the way (beneficial insects, birds, fish, humans). RNAi, in theory, works instead like a set of tweezers, plucking its victims with exquisite specificity by clicking into sequences of genetic code unique to that organism.
Tags: Honeybee, Beekeepers, Varroa Mite, Parasite, Agriculture, Jerry Hayes, Honey, Beeswax, Apiary, Monsanto, Pollen, Pesticides, Neonicotinoids, Colony Collapse Disorder, Crestview Genetics, RNAi, Science, Research, Hannah Nordhaus
Nature - The power of prediction markets 8min
Scientists are beginning to understand why these ‘mini Wall Streets’ work so well at forecasting election results — and how they sometimes fail. ... Experiments such as this are a testament to the power of prediction markets to turn individuals’ guesses into forecasts of sometimes startling accuracy. That uncanny ability ensures that during every US presidential election, voters avidly follow the standings for their favoured candidates on exchanges such as Betfair and the Iowa Electronic Markets (IEM). But prediction markets are increasingly being used to make forecasts of all kinds, on everything from the outcomes of sporting events to the results of business decisions. Advocates maintain that they allow people to aggregate information without the biases that plague traditional forecasting methods, such as polls or expert analysis. ... sceptics point out that prediction markets are far from infallible. ... prediction-market supporters argue that even imperfect forecasts can be helpful. ... People have been betting on future events for as long as they have played sports and raced horses. But in the latter half of the nineteenth century, US efforts to set betting odds through marketplace supply and demand became centralized on Wall Street, where wealthy New York City businessmen and entertainers were using informal markets to bet on US elections as far back as 1868. ... Friedrich Hayek. He argued that markets in general could be viewed as mechanisms for collecting vast amounts of information held by individuals and synthesizing it into a useful data point — namely the price that people are willing to pay for goods or services.
Tags: Economics, Markets, Politics, Forecasting, Prediction Markets, Behavioral Economics, Experimental Economics, Bias, Gambling, Iowa Electronic Markets, Austrian Economics, Research, Metaculus, Adam Mann
Bloomberg - Can Science Make People Save Money? 10min
Americans are bad at saving. In an annual survey by the Fed, almost half said they couldn’t come up with $400 in an emergency. The savings rate of the bottom 90 percent of American households hovers just above 1 percent. ... There are many theories for why Americans don’t save, from poverty to debt to conspicuous consumption. But the most enticing comes from behavioral economics: It’s easier not to. Inertia is strong, and putting money away requires overcoming what economists call present bias. ... The good news, according to behavioral economists, is that we can just as easily be tricked into overcoming that psychology with “nudges” that reframe incentives. Just post calorie counts next to unhealthy food, and people won’t order cheeseburgers. Or, make 401(k) plans opt-out, and more people will save money for retirement. Suddenly, with one oh-so-simple tweak, making bad decisions becomes the harder option. ... At every step of the way, the study ran into a web of competing incentives and pesky human flaws that hurt its goal of getting poor people to save money. ... The problem goes beyond a sheer lack of funds. The psychology of poverty is hard to overcome with a dainty nudge. ... the study’s preliminary results were muddy. They suggested that the nudge method did get some people to save more: Deposits increased when people got some kind of reminder. But they didn’t show whether one type of nudge worked better than any other (possibly because of teller error), and they provided no evidence that the savings accounts helped people build up money over time.
Tags: Savings, Bias, Human Nature, Poverty, Research, Cash, Check Cashing, Behavioral Economics, Behavior Design, Interest Rates, Psychology, Rebecca Greenfield
Texas Monthly - The Iconoclast 35min
The rise of immunotherapy hasn’t shifted that reality overnight, but it has sent a new jolt of energy into an age-old dream: that maybe, just maybe, medical science can turn terminal cancers into survivable conditions. ... In the past two years alone, the FDA has approved three second-generation checkpoint inhibitors, and two other arms of immunotherapy—cancer vaccines and a therapeutic approach known as adoptive T cell transfer, in which a patient’s own T cells are engineered outside the body and reinjected into the bloodstream—are showing ever-more-promising results. ... If immunotherapy leads the way to cancer cures in the coming decade, it’ll be tempting to look back on its development as inevitable, a breakthrough that was merely waiting for technology and biological research to make it possible. This would be true to some extent—scientists have hypothesized for over a century about the potential for the immune system to beat back tumors—but such a view would overlook the human choices and biases that shape the course of science. It would also overlook the power of small groups of individuals to spark major advances by bucking conventional wisdom and seeking out new frontiers. In other words, it would ignore the life of Jim Allison—a shaggy-haired, patchily bearded son of small-town South Texas whose creativity, diligence, and zest for pursuing a seemingly quixotic path far from the front lines of cancer research have added up to a revolution.
Also: The New York Times - The Improvisational Oncologist 5-15min
Also: The New York Times - Learning From The Lazarus Effect 5-15min
Also: The New York Times - An Old Idea, Revived: Starve Cancer to Death 5-15min
Also: The New York Times - The Sisters Who Treat The Untreatable 5-15min
Also: Fortune - Can Sean Parker Hack Cancer? 5-15min
Tags: Oncology, Cancer, Science, Health, Jim Allison, Research, Checkpoint Inhibitors, Immunotherapy, Ipilimumab, CTLA-4, CD28, Eric Benson
Popular Mechanics - Inside The Jet Propulsion Laboratory: NASA’s Crazy, Kooky, Legendary Research Facility 16min
JPL, home to three thousand engineers and five hundred scientists, is very old—2016 is its eightieth anniversary—but it's only in the last few years that the close of the space shuttle program has left enough of an excitement gap for the center's singular brilliance to shine through. In contrast to NASA's other outposts, where you'll find a lot of unflappable pilot types with high-and tight haircuts, JPL is full of strange, excitable, idea people. Climate scientists who work side gigs as comedians and engineers who shave star shapes into their Mohawks before landings. ... Just off California Interstate 210, there are two signs on the side of the road. The bottom one shows an outline of the California mule deer that tend to meander out of the sagebrush and into passing traffic. The top one just says "Space," with an arrow pointing forward. The second sign is not an official JPL sign. No one really knows where it came from. People around here presume it was put there as a joke and no one ever bothered to take it down. ... Even though JPL is currently beholden to its parent organization's budgets and approvals, it is actually the reason NASA exists. ... The best way to understand what JPL does is to consider the center's "directorates," which is space-agency-speak for departments. Among these are four organized by planet. Taken together, they sound like a particularly difficult round of Jeopardy: Earth Science, Astrophysics, Mars, and Planets That Are Not Mars.
Also: Longreads - Well-Aimed and Powerful 5-15min
Also: Washington Post - Why Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen is building the world’s largest airplane < 5min
Tags: Research, Aerospace, Space, Science, Engineering, NASA, JPL, Jacqueline Detwiler
Vanity Fair - How Two Trailblazing Psychologists Turned The World Of Decision Science Upside Down 26min
I’m sure some of the criticism of people who claim to be using data to find knowledge, and to exploit inefficiencies in their industries, has some truth to it. But whatever it is in the human psyche that the Oakland A’s exploited for profit—this hunger for an expert who knows things with certainty, even when certainty is not possible—has a talent for hanging around. ... How did this pair of Israeli psychologists come to have so much to say about these matters of the human mind that they more or less anticipated a book about American baseball written decades in the future? What possessed two guys in the Middle East to sit down and figure out what the mind was doing when it tried to judge a baseball player, or an investment, or a presidential candidate? And how on earth does a psychologist win a Nobel Prize in economics? ... Amos was now what people referred to, a bit confusingly, as a “mathematical psychologist.” Non-mathematical psychologists, like Danny, quietly viewed much of mathematical psychology as a series of pointless exercises conducted by people who were using their ability to do math as camouflage for how little of psychological interest they had to say. ... students who once wondered why the two brightest stars of Hebrew University kept their distance from each other now wondered how two so radically different personalities could find common ground, much less become soulmates. ... Danny was always sure he was wrong. Amos was always sure he was right. Amos was the life of every party; Danny didn’t go to the parties. ... Both were grandsons of Eastern European rabbis, for a start. Both were explicitly interested in how people functioned when they were in a “normal” unemotional state. Both wanted to do science. Both wanted to search for simple, powerful truths.
Book: Michael Lewis - The Undoing Project: A Friendship That Changed Our Minds
Tags: Decision Making, Research, Psychology, Behavioral Economics, Daniel Kahneman, Amos Tversky, Nobel Prize in Economics, Economics, Israel, Bias, Heuristics, Human Nature, Michael Lewis
The Atlantic - The Life of a Professional Guinea Pig 10min
Intrigued by the promise of an easier way to make money, he enrolled as a guinea pig in a four-week study testing the effects of alcohol on a painkiller drug. ... For studies looking for healthy subjects, the screening process generally comes in two steps. The first is over the phone, when guinea pigs call to express their interest. ... The second step is in person, where clinic staff will check blood, urine, and vital signs to determine whether subjects’ claims are true. Some studies, the well-paying ones, are competitive, and clinics will often admit more people than they need from the phone screen, expecting to cull the herd after the round of physicals. Pros know to avoid alcohol and drugs in the days leading up to the screening. Some of the more cautious ones will also abstain from exercise, out of worry that an increased creatinine level will make it appear as though they’ve been drinking. ... In chronological order, the phases of drug testing work like this: Phase 1 studies, which test for safety, typically use between 20 and 80 healthy subjects to determine a drug’s side effects and how it’s metabolized in the body. Assuming the drug proves safe, it then advances into Phase 2, which measures its effectiveness against another treatment or a placebo; this time, the study participants are patients with whatever condition the drug was developed to treat, usually somewhere between a few dozen and a few hundred. Phase 3, the last phase before the drug is submitted to the FDA for approval, can include hundreds or thousands of patients and measures both safety and efficacy, as well as how the drug behaves in different types of patients or in conjunction with another therapy.
Tags: Healthcare, Clinical Trials, Guinea Pigs, Research, Science, Cari Romm
The New York Times - The Woman Who Might Find Us Another Earth 17min
Like many astrophysicists, Sara Seager sometimes has a problem with her perception of scale. Knowing that there are hundreds of billions of galaxies, and that each might contain hundreds of billions of stars, can make the lives of astrophysicists and even those closest to them seem insignificant. Their work can also, paradoxically, bolster their sense of themselves. Believing that you alone might answer the question “Are we alone?” requires considerable ego. Astrophysicists are forever toggling between feelings of bigness and smallness, of hubris and humility, depending on whether they’re looking out or within. ... Her area of expertise is the relatively new field of exoplanets: planets that orbit stars other than our sun. More particular, she wants to find an Earthlike exoplanet — a rocky planet of reasonable mass that orbits its star within a temperate “Goldilocks zone” that is not too hot or too cold, which would allow water to remain liquid — and determine that there is life on it. That is as simple as her math gets. ... The vastness of space almost defies conventional measures of distance. Driving the speed limit to Alpha Centauri, the nearest star grouping to the sun, would take 50 million years or so; our fastest current spacecraft would make the trip in a relatively brisk 73,000 years. The next-nearest star is six light-years away. To rocket across our galaxy would take about 23,000 times as long as a trip to Alpha Centauri, or 1.7 billion years, and the Milky Way is just one of hundreds of billions of galaxies. ... Light or its absence is also the root of something called the transit technique, a newer, more efficient way than radial velocity of finding exoplanets by looking at their stars.
Also: Bloomberg - The Man Who Stands Between Earth and Asteroid Armageddon < 5min
Tags: Astrophysics, Space, Sara Seager, Research, Physics, Planets, Exoplanets, Stars, Astronomy, Light, Gravity, Atmosphere, Radial Velocity, Starshade, Chris Jones
Aeon - The addiction habit 14min
When I returned to addiction, it was as a scientist studying the addicted brain. The data were indisputable: brains change with addiction. I wanted to understand how – and why. I wanted to understand addiction with fastidious objectivity, but I didn’t want to lose touch with its subjectivity – how it feels, how hard it is – in the process. ... One explanation is that addiction is a brain disease. The United States National Institute on Drug Abuse, the American Society of Addiction Medicine, and the American Medical Association ubiquitously define addiction as a ‘chronic disease of brain reward, motivation, memory and related circuitry’ ... If only the disease model worked. Yet, more and more, we find that it doesn’t. First of all, brain change alone isn’t evidence for brain disease. Brains are designed to change. ... we now know that drugs don’t cause addiction. ... One idea is that addicts voluntarily choose to remain addicted: if they don’t quit, it’s because they don’t want to. ... The view that addiction arises through learning, in the context of environmental forces, appears to be gathering momentum.
Book: Marc Lewis - The Biology of Desire
Tags: Neuroscience, Addiction, Psychology, Science, Research, Brain, Habits, Learning, Behavior, Feedback Loops, Mental Models, Complex Systems, Marc Lewis
1843 Magazine - High Hopes in the Andes 18min
Bringing people back from death’s door is Catena’s moonlight gig – she is on shift from 6pm to 2am six to eight times a month. By day, she is the managing director of Catena Zapata, the flagship brand of a family-owned company that sells bottles worth over $140m a year, making it Argentina’s second-biggest wine exporter. The firm was founded in 1902 by her great-grandfather Nicola Catena, and she assumed the reins from her father Nicolás in 2009. She spends four months a year in Argentina overseeing the winery’s operations, and two more as the olive-skinned, pony-tailed “face of Argentine wine”, promoting her products at tastings and dinners across the globe. She manages her staff of 120 via Skype and WhatsApp. ... Catena insists she sees her role as that of a detective, not an inventor. And she has modelled the CIW not after the development arm of a pharmaceutical firm, synthesising precious new compounds from scratch, but rather the upstream division of an oil company, searching for natural treasures the Earth has hidden away. ... how can destroying wine help Catena Zapata make its tipples taste better rather than worse? The answer is that the CIW is using baking as a kind of stress test: all wines subjected to this treatment will suffer, but some will suffer more and others less.
Tags: Argentina, Wine, Winemaking, Laura Catena, Catena Zapata, Latin America, Mendoza, Bordeaux, Catena Institute of Wine, Biochemistry, Geology, Biology, Climatology, Terroir, Science, Research, Taste, Food & Beverage, Dan Rosenheck
The Atlantic - The Four-Letter Code to Selling Just About Anything 9min
Why do people like what they like? It is one of the oldest questions of philosophy and aesthetics. Ancient thinkers inclined to mysticism proposed that a “golden ratio”—about 1.62 to 1, as in, for instance, the dimensions of a rectangle—could explain the visual perfection of objects like sunflowers and Greek temples. Other thinkers were deeply skeptical: David Hume, the 18th-century philosopher, considered the search for formulas to be absurd, because the perception of beauty was purely subjective, residing in individuals, not in the fabric of the universe. “To seek the real beauty, or real deformity,” he said, “is as fruitless an enquiry, as to pretend to ascertain the real sweet or real bitter.” ... Over time, science took up the mystery. In the 1960s, the psychologist Robert Zajonc conducted a series of experiments where he showed subjects nonsense words, random shapes, and Chinese-like characters and asked them which they preferred. In study after study, people reliably gravitated toward the words and shapes they’d seen the most. Their preference was for familiarity. ... This discovery was known as the “mere-exposure effect,” and it is one of the sturdiest findings in modern psychology. ... People get tired of even their favorite songs and movies. They develop deep skepticism about overfamiliar buzzwords. ... A surprise seems to work best when it contains some element of familiarity. ... On the one hand, Hekkert told me, humans seek familiarity, because it makes them feel safe. On the other hand, people are charged by the thrill of a challenge, powered by a pioneer lust. This battle between familiarity and discovery affects us “on every level,” Hekkert says—not just our preferences for pictures and songs, but also our preferences for ideas and even people. ... The power of these eureka moments isn’t bound to arts and culture. It’s a force in the academic world as well. Scientists and philosophers are exquisitely sensitive to the advantage of ideas that already enjoy broad familiarity.
Tags: Marketing, Brands, Advertising, Design, Psychology, Raymond Loewy, Innovation, Media, Entertainment, Research, Academia, Derek Thompson
Men's Journal - The Man Taking Down Big Sugar 10min
Now, with The Case Against Sugar, Taubes launches his toughest crusade yet: to prove that we've been bamboozled into thinking that cookies and soda are simply "empty" calories and not uniquely toxic ones. That's the result, he argues, of a long history of deception from the sugar industry and its support of shoddy science. ... With his new book, Taubes will likely have his largest platform, and an audience poised to listen. By now, nearly everyone believes that Americans eat too much sugar. Most experts agree that it's a major contributor to our nation's grim health: More than a third of adults are obese, and one in 11 has diabetes. This understanding has spurred campaigns for soda taxes nationwide — five measures were approved by voters in November — and moves by big companies to ban sugary drinks from workplace cafeterias. ... Even these new anti-sugar crusaders, he says, are motivated by a naive, and ultimately dangerous, "less is better" view of sugar. To Taubes, the answer to our obesity crisis isn't more expensive soda and less sweetened cereals. It's to stop poisoning ourselves altogether. ... By rooting through archives and obscure textbooks, he has uncovered, he says, evidence that sugar is not just the harmless, empty calories we indulge in, but that it may well be toxic, dangerous even in small amounts.
Also: The New York Times - A Month Without Sugar < 5min
Also: Aeon - The case against sugar 5-15min
Also: Quartz - Researchers have finally discovered the key to naturally stripping sugar from all our foods < 5min
Tags: Sugar, Food & Beverage, Nutrition, Gary Taubes, Science, Public Health, FDA, John Arnold, Research, Nutrition Science Institute, Daniel Kunitz
Outside Magazine - Is Your GPS Scrambling Your Brain? 13min
But after stopping on a desolate gravel road next to a sign for a gas station, Santillan got the feeling that the voice might be steering him wrong. He’d already been driving for nearly an hour, yet the ETA on the GPS put his arrival time at around 5:20 P.M., eight hours later. He reentered his destination and got the same result. Though he sensed that something was off, he made a conscious choice to trust the machine. He had come here for an adventure, after all, and maybe it knew where he was really supposed to go. ... It’s comforting to know where you are, to see yourself distilled into a steady blue icon gliding smoothly along a screen. With a finger tap or a short request to Siri or Google Now—which, like other smartphone tools, rely heavily on data from cell towers and Wi-Fi hot spots as well as satellites—a wonderful little trail appears on your device, beckoning you to follow. ... The convenience comes at a price, however. There’s the creepy Orwellian fact of Them always knowing where We are (or We always knowing where They are). More concerning are the navigation-fail horror stories that have become legend. ... Enough people have been led astray by their GPS in Death Valley that the area’s former wilderness coordinator called the phenomenon “death by GPS.” ... By turning on a GPS every time we head somewhere new, we’re also cutting something fundamental out of the experience of traveling: the adventures and surprises that come with finding—and losing—our way. ... Individuals who frequently navigate complex environments the old-fashioned way, by identifying landmarks, literally grow their brains.
Repeat: The New Yorker - What Would Happen If G.P.S. Failed? < 5min
Book: John Edward Huth - The Lost Art of Finding Our Way
Tags: GPS, Brain, Navigation, Cognition, Neuroscience, Psychology, Spatial Navigation, Memory, Research, Learning, Automation, Iceland, David Kushner
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INTRODUCTION: Why I Write Such Good Books (2010)
Double Cross: The Hollywood Films of Douglas Gordon (2003)
Spirit Hunter: The Haunting of American Culture by Myths of Violence (2005)
Stan Douglas: DIscordant Absences (2006)
Disassembling the Archive: Fiona Tan (2007)
and while I have been lying here perfectly still: The Saskia Olde Wolbers Files (2009)
Project for a new american century (2009)
Glamour is Theft: A User's Guide to General Idea (2012)
Is Toronto Burning? (2016)
MIgrating the Margins (2019)
Struggles with the Image (1988)
Robin Collyer - Idioms of Resistance (1993)
Around Wavelength: Michael Snow (1994)
American Playhouse: The Theatre of Self Presentation (1998)
Catalogues 1
Language and Representation (1982)
Subjects in Pictures (1984)
Bernie Miller (1986)
Liz Magor (1986)
Shirley Wiitasalo (1987)
Paterson Ewen (1987)
Ian Carr-Harris (1988)
Steele-Tomczak (1989)
Robin Collyer (1989)
Photographic Inscriptions (1990)
Collyer-Fones Carambolage (1992)
Robin Collyer Venice Biennale (1993)
Beauty #2 (1995)
The American Trip (1996)
John Marriott: Pay to Play (1996)
Hypermnesiac Fabulations (1997)
Steve Reinke (1997)
Rococo Tattoo (1998)
Georganne Deen (1998)
Arnaud Maggs (1999)
Tim Hawkinson (2000)
Mike Kelley-Paul McCarthy (2000)
Substitute City (2001)
Bounce (2002)
Aernout Mik (2002)
Guy Maddin (2003)
What It Feels Like for a Girl (2004)
Sinbad in the Rented World (2004)
Matthew Brannon (2008)
Raqs Media Collective (2013)
Will Munro - Rotate This, Stitch That, Paste This, Poster That (2013)
Early Criticism
Theoretical Fiction
Violence and Crowds
Curating Questions
Picturing the Toronto Art Community
Essays in the Popular Genre
Toronto Histories
Miscellaneous Texts
"Greatest Hits"
Greatest Hits 1997 - 2014
The American Trip - video (1996)
Picturing the Toronto Art Community - video (1998)
A Way of Curating - video (2005)
Reception French Theory: Toronto - video (2013)
Governor General's Awards - film (2017)
Fishing with Rodney Graham (2018)
Homage to Oneself: Julian Schnabel Interprets the Musée d’Orsay
Hudinilson Jr (2018)
Rodrigo Matheus in Conversation with Philip Monk (2016/2018)
Intrapsychic Secrets (2017)
Is Toronto Burning (2016)
Crash 'n' Burn (2017)
Donation: The Archive (on Joseph Beuys) (2005)
That’s the Way to Do It!: The Fairy Tale Life of Ydessa Hendeles (2017)
Nonsense! She Said (2017)
Toronto the Good, in Two Histories (2016)
Paradigmatic Selves / Paradigmatic Scenes (2016)
Sa soeur secret (2016)
Was Toronto Burning? (2016)
READING PHILIP MONK
Beauty #2, Toronto: The Power Plant, 1995.
This was my first exhibition at the Power Plant. After being associated while at the Art Gallery of Ontario with artists of my own generation, I decided to look at a younger generation of Toronto artists. The catalogue text was posited on the generational gap of an older curator looking at a younger generation of artists. The exhibition was the first of a series of oblique portrayals of the history of Toronto art.
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Design: GreenStreet Design
Beauty #2
The artists in this exhibition belong to a generation that has been analyzed to death, and it is not my intention to speculate further on Generation X. I presume they share the sensibility of the moment, whether for or against, and are plugged in to what is happening around them. This includes a familiarity with the concerns of their peers elsewhere, a fluency begotten of art magazines but also, for some, of education abroad. Whether this is good or bad seems beyond the point, but a problem of Toronto's has always been to be both too aware of and not hip enough to what is happening elsewhere. I leave it to the viewer to judge whether this is the case for these artists, measured against those in last year's exhibition of young Toronto artists, Naked State.
Collectives are the prominent tendency within the young Toronto art community, and although I began my research from their networks of friends, I was interested in going beyond their inherent peer consensus. In addition, I was curious to discover work that operated outside the hierarchies of contemporary art, work that might not consider itself art—but here I was less successful, perhaps from my own lack of diligence. Admittedly, I set about looking for a certain type of work, not knowing if I would actually find it in Toronto, an art differing from that shown in the first exhibition, without necessarily being a critique of it. What I wanted to find was a rejoinder, perhaps, to art that takes itself, its politics, and identity too seriously—in short, an art that was fun, funky, and shit-kicking. I know—it’s Toronto, but one can always hope. Although not pretending to be representative of Toronto art in general, this exhibition considers some directions within it.
Perhaps this attitude of mine and the work itself is in part a reaction to the crises of the body and body politic, the “let’s party” as opposed to the “party positions” of our period. Maybe some of this art is just too smart-ass—maybe at times it is more derivative than derisive. But I knew I did not want to apply the judgements of a generation past (my own) to the energy I wanted to recognize and think I found, or demand coherency in a body of work, or even question their longevity as artists.
Four themes are prevalent in the exhibition. I set out hoping to find the first two; the third shouldn't have surprised me; and the fourth was a surprise. First is work that reflects the encompassing commercial world that surrounds us all, an art that mimics the market and its products. In other words, an art of publicity. Second—and related in a society where all aspects of youth culture are quickly turned into commodities—an art that plays with the images and emblems of subcultures. (Through the first two, I wanted to appeal to the pop sensibility that the revivals of the mid-1990s—neo-Beat and hippie, retro-funk, the designs of rave culture—ground themselves in.) Third, an art that makes fun of art. Fourth, an art faking death. Naturally, there is an overlap between these categories.
In an age of diminishing expectations, in a time of little professional reward and minimal public and private support in Canada, artists in Toronto have had to find new ways of proceeding, both in the making and presenting of their work. This situation has led to what could be called a “de-professionalization” of art that their immediate predecessors were not exposed to (and that is shared by young artists in other communities internationally). This means no studio, or a small combined studio and living space, usually shared with others, in a “loft,” house, or apartment. Work is made on demand, usually for group exhibitions because there is little in the way of commercial gallery representation forthcoming (only three of the artists here now have a commercial dealer). By economic necessity, the activity is more part-time than we have recently seen. This move from the studio to the conditions of an office, so to speak, has consequences for the nature and quality of the work made. It is an art of ideas more than of materials. It is an art more dependent on the world around it for its images and materials than engaged in continuing a separate tradition of artmaking, a tradition relying upon the luxury of independent and ongoing visual research manifested in production—a working with materials carried on daily in the studio. (These days it seems that there is a more casual interchange between art and life, where work is more makeshift and less dependent on the studio than on the social site of the kitchen, living room, bar, etc.)
If these artists are necessarily more engaged with the world, perhaps this is because the world, which is increasingly becoming an integrated image-world, is also more engaged with them in the demands that capital puts on them to be consumers--not only of products, but of images and styles. The artists represented in this exhibition could be called post-traditional in that they have broken (unintentionally rather than necessarily consciously) with the modernist and humanist traditions of artmaking. They are not postmodernist, however, as this was defined in the eighties, owing to the seeming absence of critique in their work. But they have extended the range of materials and situations that the eighties opened up for use, even though their understanding of that earlier art may be less a fact of its original context than of its use as a design element in a new configuration whose primary resource of reference is irony. Some of the artists’ work would fit happily in music or fashion magazines, or on CD or cassette packages, where capital has already integrated the look of culture. (We could call it design or package art.) In fact, their art participates in a convergence between magazines and television that has already taken place. It is here that design, typography, and photography combine to produce the same look in images, no matter how casual, or hand-made in appearance, and no matter what the context. (Unpredictably, design, not technology, is the guiding force.) So there is very little in this exhibition that is not image oriented (even if text based) or, rather, iconic, in that the icon is what image and product share in the commercial world.
If these works thus illustrate the continuing integration of culture and publicity, they seem to facilitate the commercial convergence under the lie of “communication” that much of the advertising addressed to this generation promotes. These artists have no intention of continuing appropriation art’s critique of the commodity, even as they take advantage of those advertising images brought into the gallery for the use of art. (Who needs critique when we have Beavis and Butt-head?) They disdain such moral seriousness altogether, and their irony lacks a political edge, perhaps in the realization of the posturing and ineffectiveness of most so-called political art. (We must acknowledge, however, through a less earnest reading of eighties art, that some of that decade's artists cued this generation to degraded images of popular culture and sensibilities of “white trash” subcultures.) If these artists are thus more engaged with the world around them, it is, nonetheless, an alienated embrace.
Now, for a curator who sought out the energy of the moment in work that aspired to be fun and funky, this description, surprisingly, sounds overly judgemental. It is not. I would maintain that it merely attempts to articulate a moment that coincides with a new generation working in the altered cultural conditions of the nineties with the materials and images this culture disposes. This society is both rapidly advancing technologically and becoming rapidly historical technologically at the same time; the options of the present and the images and materials of the recent past are both available for use by these artists. Much of the art in this exhibition is prefabricated in appearance, either through the use of particular materials with their references or through the use of particular images and their contexts. It is objective rather than subjective in appearance, and cynical rather than romantic in attitude. With its origins in the images of popular culture and mass media, this art acknowledges it cannot compete, because advertising or entertainment are now the world. Yet much of this art is more playful than this scenario of constricted possibilities would suggest.
The work of Shannon Wadsworth is motivated by the same sense of celebration of the commercial vernacular as was Pop art during the sixties. Her works reveal a regression to adolescent and childhood imagery that is allied to wish-fulfillment. Rather than duplicate the commercial images of popular culture in painting (pace Warhol), she effects transformations that heighten the utopian characteristics of such attractions. In her fabricated plastic lollipops, for example, we are overwhelmed by excess: instead of one piece of candy, we are given a luscious four hundred in Suck It & See, where the numbers of poly-resin lollipops are arranged here across a wall seven by thirteen metres. The lollipops are signs and sensuous matter that both offer some delight. In some cases they are vehicles for product logos, those that promise the explosion of immediacy through their names, such as Fab or Twister, and in other cases they are repositories of actual candies embodied in their plastic substance. Some of these names ensconced in their shiny materials suggest absurd desires--the same absurd desires we find named in those product images transformed into carpets and hung as signage, such as Rocket Charms (fifties candies packaging) and pervert (clothing label).
Marc Streifling, similarly, takes boys’ toys, blowing them out of proportion through photographic enlargement, in the process transforming not just their scale but their meaning as well. Enlarging toy trucks that can be held in a hand to the near scale of a real truck--or at least a billboard image of one--mimics that path from child to adult whereby one graduates from childhood toy to adult product. (Then again, what difference is there when recreational vehicles today are basically sold as toys?) Enlargement transposes an object from one realm to another. So tiny toy plastic figurines of World Wrestling Federation wrestlers, now more than life-size in their photo blow-ups, have the mythic presence of gods, a process paralleling the media transformation of personalities into celebrities. (As entertainers, these wrestlers are already cartoons.) Perhaps this refers to the mythologizing capacity of North American culture in general. When society no longer has a shared belief system, and no means to sustain a reflection on its own history, it creates sustaining myths from familiar cultural referents. (One only need listen to the repertoire of any stand-up comedian to be informed of the limits of that reference.) The grounds for belief today turn out to be composed of cartoon characters, the lexicon of TV shows, and the lyrics of popular music, the world that coalesces in youth, forcefully extended into a perpetual adolescence that seems to typify American mass culture. (Here are the shared referents of much of this art as well, rather than, as I indicated above, a received tradition of art.)
G. B. Jones shares in this view of an extended adolescence embodying its own world from which one does not have to depart, a subculture complete with its own codes. These codes proliferate in what has been for years the most fertile ground for the “new” to appear and for “deviancies” to culture (as they should). The punk d.i.y. attitude--Jones isa member of the “grrrl” group Fifth Column and co-founder of the gay punk ’zine J.D.s--extends to the visual arts. Drawing is a quick and simple device to picture one’s own desires and interests to oneself and others, especially if it can be based on the ready-made and available style of someone else, as Jones does in turning the gay machismo of the drawings of the legendary Tom of Finland to her own ends. Her various series of drawings, such as Prison Breakout, Cruising Series, and Tattoo Girls, all play out the various scenarios familiar from B films and pulp fiction that immortalized juvenile delinquency and “bad girls.” But now the girls have the upper hand in scenarios that do not respect moral, punishing conclusions. If drawing can be turned to one’s own devices, why not film as well? Thus inevitably arose The Yo-Yo Gang, Jones’s 1992 film depicting rival girl gangs of yo-yoers and skateboarders, reminiscent of the transgressive early films of Baltimore’s John Waters.
Steve Reinke’s perhaps ironic aim is to produce, before the year 2001, The Hundred Videos, which would constitute his oeuvre as a young artist by the age of thirty-six. Well ahead of schedule, he has made seventy-two as of this writing. These videotapes are short, witty subversions of lore passed on to us--the “knowledge” available as social history in the memory bank of our culture, preserved in the found footage of old films and television. As such, these resources are available genres that still hold popular appeal despite our awareness of their outdatedness. They also serve as the documentary proof of the fictional discourses Reinke juxtaposes in his own ad-libbed voice-overs, micro-narratives pertaining to the truth value of (auto)biography or science. The ensuing deadpan reversal of forms inverts the naturalness of any of these discourses, whether they touch on scientific laws, social interaction, gender function, or sexual identity. His discreet send-ups have the effect of creating new objects of knowledge, given our conditioning by these genres to accept their narratives as true. These tapes remind me of short versions of Orson Welles’s War of the Worlds, minus the dramatics or hysterics but still infused with an edge of uncertainty as to intent or veracity.
Such is Reinke’s wry humour that we can expect to find a few art jokes among the many videotapes he has produced. In fact, aside from the general playfulness of much of the work in this exhibition, little of which is really rude or subversive, there is as much joke art as there are art jokes. John Veenema has even changed his name on the occasion of this exhibition, taking to heart in his sobriquet, Slim Pickings, the difficult working conditions for artists I mentioned above, and in so doing making himself into a joke. Some of his works here, I must not be an artist, for one, are commands to himself: “I must not give candy to children”; “I must not hit myself”; “I must not follow stray dogs”; “Imust not try to be funny”—as if his recalcitrant intelligence must always doggedly be monitored and reminded not to follow his natural inclination to get into trouble. Pickings flirts with the idea of the bad joke in joke art, for instance, when he titles his other contribution to the exhibition Bad Idea, Bad Joke, Bad Man (since retitled Lovers, Buggers, and Thieves). Are these three vinyl crosses, made like inflatable beach toys, a bad idea? A bad joke? Do they indicate that the artist is a bad man for thinking up such a work? Since my text is written before the work has been made and installed, we have to wait to see whether it will be as self-prophesying as the original title makes it out to be. But I can’t help feeling that there is something in the self-aggrandizement of this artist that reveals his desire to be up there, Krazy Glued to his own crosses.
Sometimes John Marriott’s works are jokes that cut both ways, and sometimes they are jokes out of control, like the movie ventriloquist’s dummy that has an evil life of its own. His work seems to be a critique aimed at his own generation, “gen x-cuse” as one of his banners puts it, plundering the retro designs so prevalent in magazines, on T-shirts, and on the posters and handouts for raves. If it is a cynical critique, it is leavened by his equal-opportunity, multidirectional humour. His work criticizes the art system for one and pokes fun at this place, Toronto, in its belief to be, as Marriott’s title partly has it, the “New York of the North.” He gently proceeds to ridicule artists, moreover, when one of the computer-printed vinyl banners of that work, with its nasty-face (rather than happy-face) artists in berets, spells out “Nice art, too bad about the artist.” Marriott’s works are computer-generated appropriation in that he uses a Mac to subtly alter designs, as when he modifies the label of mineral water “evian” to “deviant” or charge card “VISA” to “VICE,” keeping the alteration within the impact of their recognizable images. As we should expect, other artworks are not exempt from this deviant hacking, such as when then prime minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau’s sixties phrase “reason over passion,” memorialized on Joyce Wieland’s quilt of that name, receives its nineties rebuttal in “treason over compassion” on Marriott’s battered and dirty sleeping bag.
Many of these artists appropriate strategies from past art and current advertising, or infiltrate other forms in the desire to reverse or supplant meanings with a new content. An analogous interest in systems, their infiltration, and modification could be seen to be a fifth theme of this exhibition. So Jill Henderson’s List Paintings may be seen within the context of a type of popular art that raises a degraded vernacular into high art through the practice of painting and placement in an art gallery. The “images” of these paintings are adapted from lists found in the street or elsewhere where they have been discarded, absent-mindedly left behind, or lost. These jottings that people make for themselves, whether a grocery shopping list or a restaurant order, are not intended as public communication and thus reveal a vernacular unconscious. The colours of the paintings redirect their content in a more personalized relation to packaging. Henderson’s combined work Useless Money and IOUs takes a found standard symbol, the dollar sign, and shows people’s hasty variations or personalizations. Interspersed among these signs are IOUs, private transactions again made public, the scripted image a reminder both of debt and of the “performance” residue that produces the final work, a performance strategy similar to that of other artists in Glasgow, from where Henderson originally hails.
Michael Buckland’s Random Numbers, composed of a series of plastic signs engraved with telephone numbers, is a work spread throughout The Power Plant in spaces not traditionally used for hanging, spaces that people are meant to accidentally stumble upon. The different numbers actually correspond to FBI regional offices. To enter into the work without this knowledge by dialling one of these numbers would involve the caller in a performance in which the unknown is accompanied by a potential threat realized only by the artist. Spank Me, Hurt Me, Like Me, a petulant command under which at least half the artists in the exhibition solicit the viewer, is a collection of spanking paddles (made, not bought), printed with the names of people Buckland has not met. (What destiny awaits those named in the work that Buckland might meet in the future--as the paddle is taken down from the wall...? Some of the meetings are impossible, given that certain persons are dead or fictional.) Whereas the first work combines an open system (telephone network) and a closed organization (FBI) with a performance threat, this work unites the system of proper names (disseminated through various channels whereby the people they name are now available to us as celebrities) with the imagined performance situation of sadomasochism, all contained within the low-brow lure of these kitsch paddles.
The artists in this exhibition show two modes of working: one where ideas take precedence over unified production; the other, more traditional, where a thematically related body of work is allowed organic development. Each mode of work and its products will manifest a different attitude towards content, materials, and situation. And one is not necessarily superior to the other.
Janieta Eyre and Toni Hafkenscheid appear to represent this second direction. Their subject would seem to demand a more serious approach, given that both are involved in the representation of death. Theirs, however, is an art that stages death. This is more apparent in Eyre, who uses herself as a model, than in Hafkenscheid, who nonetheless still orchestrates the event. Not only are Eyre’s stagings seemingly more artificial (perhaps a result of technique: she does not have access to the professional apparatus of lighting and props, the panoply necessary for sustaining the realism of commercial photography and advertising; her pieces also result from her training: her background is writing and journalism, not art), but they are also “rehearsals” of her own death. These rehearsals, which she allows others access to, are ways of psychologically short-circuiting the violence of men towards women by getting there first and controlling the fear. But they also appeal to the self-destructive instinct in everyone: the images are deaths by both unknown means and suicides. (Letting people in happens as well within the frame, as in Rehearsals #7 and #18, which include people oblivious or indifferent to the death, symbolic perhaps of the waning phase of our fascination with such images that saturate our environment.)
That Janieta Eyre is on one side of the lens and Toni Hafkenscheid is on the other, one in front and the other behind, probably says volumes about representation and, particularly here, about the spectacle of death, the purported pornography of the nineties. (Admittedly, Eyre is behind as well as in front of the camera, both subject and object.) Toni Hafkenschied depicts the “suicides” of others, and his images differ from Eyre’s in showing two moments—that wavering moment of decision in “before” and irrevocable “after” shots. (We come across each of the two images separately in the exhibition, and are maintained in suspense about the answer and outcome of the first images we see.) The two moments he represents, one intensely private and the other unfortunately public, seem real—at least all the codes of realism are in place—but they are highly dramatized in a way that fictionalizes the mundanity of suicide. That theatricalization evident in the technique of the two images--one spatially large, amply detailed and in colour, the other close-cropped and in black-and-white--and the dramatization of our involvement point to the meshing of fact and fiction in our attraction. This says as much about our fascination as does the construction of these images themselves. Our fascination with images of acts hidden away from public scrutiny makes them the unconscious “other” of the spectacle of death in our culture.
I don’t want to isolate Hafkenscheid’s and Eyre’s images of death from the rest of the exhibition by maintaining a comparison to each other alone. They have been chosen because of their integral communication with the work of the other artists. The exhibition, in which all the artists are mixed and matched, will tell whether they hang together in attitude.
Although it was not my intention that the title Beauty #2 be descriptive of a content, perhaps it is expressive of what comes under the purview of that name for young artists today. Beauty #2, however, is a lifting from Warhol, being the title of one of his Edie Sedgwick films from 1965. An homage, it is also a label for the show, much as Joy or Fab name a product.
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Our volunteer Board of Directors is responsible for governing and setting The Planetary Society's policies and future directions. They are all leaders, chosen for their passion about and knowledge of space exploration.
The Society presently has 12 board members (more or fewer are permitted by charter) elected yearly by their peers. The Board normally meets twice per year. It has a Chairman, President, and Vice President and an Executive Committee.
The Executive Committee consists of the four officers, Jim Bell, Heidi Hammel, Lon Levin, and Wally Hooser as well as Board Chair, Dan Geraci, and CEO, Bill Nye.
Nominations are sought and considered periodically from a variety of sources, including from members of the Board and Advisory Council, Society Members, staff, and experts in the space community.
Jim Bell
President, Board of Directors of The Planetary Society; Mastcam-Z Principal Investigator; Professor, School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University
Jim Bell joined The Planetary Society's Board of Directors in 2005 and is a planetary scientist, educator, author, and public speaker.
Bethany Ehlmann
Board of Directors of The Planetary Society; Professor of Planetary Science, California Institute of Technology; Jet Propulsion Laboratory Research Scientist; Associate Director, Keck Institute for Space Studies at Caltech
Bethany Ehlmann joined The Planetary Society’s Board of Directors in 2018. She is a professor of planetary science at Caltech and research scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Daniel T. Geraci
Chairman, Board of Directors of The Planetary Society; Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Cygnus Investment Partners
Dan Geraci joined the Planetary Society's Board of Directors in 2003 and has over 35 years experience as a senior executive in the investment and asset management industries.
Heidi Hammel
Vice President, Board of Directors of The Planetary Society; AURA Executive Vice President
Heidi B. Hammel joined The Planetary Society's Board of Directors in 2005 and is an award-winning astronomer who studies the outer planets and their satellites.
Wally Hooser
Secretary, Board of Directors of The Planetary Society; Associate Professor of Radiology, University of Texas
Wally Hooser joined the Board of Directors in 2012. In addition to being associate professor of radiology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, he is a lifelong space science and exploration enthusiast and an investment strategist.
Lon C. Levin
Treasurer, Board of Directors of The Planetary Society; President and CEO, GEOshare
Lon Levin is an executive and entrepreneur with over 30 years of experience in new media, telecommunications, and aerospace industries.
John M. Logsdon
Board of Directors of The Planetary Society; Professor Emeritus and founder, Space Policy Institute, The George Washington University
John Logsdon was the founder and long-time Director of George Washington University’s Space Policy Institute. His research interests focus on the policy and historical aspects of U.S. and international space activities.
Board of Directors of The Planetary Society; Actor
Robert Picardo was a member of the Advisory Council since 1999 and joined the Board of Directors in 2015. He is an actor and known for his roles in movies and television, including the Doctor on Star Trek: Voyager.
Britney Schmidt
Board of Directors of The Planetary Society; Assistant Professor, School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology
Britney Schmidt joined The Planetary Society’s Board of Directors in 2016. Her areas of expertise in planetary research include planetary ices and the early solar system.
Bijal (Bee) Thakore
Board of Directors of The Planetary Society; Regional Coordinator for Asia Pacific, Space Generation Advisory Council
Bijal Thakore is an award-winning engineer and Regional Coordinator for youth space activities in the Asia Pacific region for the Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC) in support of the United Nations Programme on space applications.
Fillmore Wood
Board of Directors of The Planetary Society; Vice President and Regional Counsel, BP, retired
Fill Wood joined the Board of Directors in 2013 to gain a more active role and more input regarding NASA's space programs.
Home > About Us > Board of Directors
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« Season 7 of ‘MasterChef Junior’ Premieres February…
‘So You Think You Can Dance’ Returns For Season 16 On FOX
Posted on 01/14/2019 by RealityWanted in So You Think You Can Dance and General News
FOX announced the renewal of the Emmy Award-winning series, "So You Think You Can Dance," for season 16. The hit dance competition will premiere this summer on FOX.
In the FOX press release, executive producer Nigel Lythgoe said, "I am thrilled that we have been picked up by FOX for Season 16 of SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE," he added, "This allows us to shine the spotlight once again on the incredible choreographic and dance talent across the United States as we search for America's favorite dancer."
The judges' panel and host have yet to be confirmed, which included Lythgoe, Mary Murphy and Cat Deeley last season. The new season will feature the nation's best dancers 18-30 years old and auditions will be held in New York City, Los Angeles, and Dallas. Auditions for season 16 of "So You Think You Can Dance" kick off next month. Audition online and register here.
Photo credit: FOX
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Home > South
Eyjafjallajoku...
Thorsmork
Þingvellir
Landmannalauga...
Dyrholaey
In the South there are many historically important places. From the Icelandic Sagas we know the so-called Oddaverjar, who are named after Oddi chieftain farm in the Rangarvellir area but in ancient times Oddi was a major seat of culture and power. There stood the School of Oddi, which Saemundur the Learned Sigfusson (1056-1133) made famous and the chief dwelling-place of his grandson, Jon Loftsson (1124-1197), the most famous chieftain of the country in his time. Here Snorri Sturluson (1179-1241) grew up. He later wrote the Heimskringla and Snorri’s Edda.
Then we have the setting of Njal’s Saga, and there the ancient manor-houses of Hlidarendi and Bergthorshvoll come into play. Thingvellir where the Althing (Parliament) was originally held is considered by the people of Iceland a holy place. At Skalholt there was a bishopric for centuries where several important churches have been built.
At Stong in Thjorsardalur valley ruins of a Saga Age farm which were covered with pumice in the Hekla eruption of 1104 are visible. In 1974 the farm of Stong was reconstructed as the Saga Age Farm which stands in a beautiful hollow under Samsstadamuli in Thjorsardalur valley.
In the South there are most of the largest hydro-electrical power plants in the country. They are usually open to visitors during the summer.
In the Westman Islands, the largest fishing station in the South, the ruins caused by the Heimaey eruption in 1973 are still visible in the town. The landscape is varied and very beautiful. There a Norwegian-style stave church has been erected. In the middle of the seventeenth century the islands were the scene of the so-called Turkishplundering when the “Moors” attacked the coastline, abducted people and brought with them into slavery in Algeria.
The only farmers’ village in the country is Thykkvibaer where there is a lot of potato farming and industry. In the spring and autumn it is the resting-place of migratory birds on their way to and from the country and it is not uncommon to see hundreds of swans there at the same time.
www.south.is
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Dr. Charles Liggett Jr.
Dr. Charles Liggett grew up in Fort Smith, attending Kimmons Junior High and Northside High School. He then went on to The University of Central Arkansas, in Conway, where he played shortstop for the baseball team and had a double major in General Science and Criminology. After his baseball career was over, he attended the Louisiana State University School of Dentistry, in New Orleans, where he earned his Doctorate of Dental Surgery. While at LSU, Dr. Liggett was lucky enough to have the opportunity to work directly under some of the most well-respected dentists and specialists in the world. Upon graduation, he moved back to Fort Smith and met the love of his life, his wife Heather Anderson Liggett, who is a pediatric dental hygienist. They have two beautiful daughters together, Emery, who is now 10, and Piper, who is now 8.
For Dr. Liggett, dentistry runs in the family. In the past, he enjoyed working with his uncle and cousin at Parklane Family Dental. Dr. Liggett then went on to open River Valley Smile Center with Dr. Becker to provide comprehensive high-quality dentistry for the Fort Smith community. When Dr. Becker moved to South Carolina to specialize in Endodontics, Dr Liggett started a partnership with Dr. Cole Johnson. They soon built the beautiful, state of the art facility that they practice out of at the current time.
This community is very important to Dr. Liggett. He founded the Weekend Dental Clinic and the Free Extraction Day to provide those in need with free or affordable dental care. The Free Extraction day has been featured on Fox News, in the Chicago Tribune, the LA Times, among other publications. The idea for these projects stemmed from his many dental mission trips to Jamaica (16 to date). Over the course of nearly a decade, Dr. Liggett has extracted thousands upon thousands of teeth and his team has made thousands of dentures and performed a countless number of cleanings. He holds a special place in his heart for the Jamaican community as well. Another issue Dr. Liggett takes very serious is Child Abuse. He has organized and moderated discussions for the local dental community, with experts on the subject, to better recognize and prevent child abuse and neglect.
Dr. Liggett is proud to have been an adjunct faculty member of the University of Arkansas Fort Smith’s Dental Hygiene School, where he taught senior students in the clinical environment. He sits on the University of Arkansas Fort Smith Athletic Advisory Board, is past-president of the Fort Smith Dental Association, a member of the Fort Smith Dental Association Executive Committee, President of the Northwest Arkansas Dental Society, a member of the American Dental Association, elected member of the Executive Council for the Arkansas State Dental Association, American Orthodontic Society, Academy of General Dentistry, Jamaican Ecumenical Mutual Mission, St Augustine Mutual Mission, the Independent Physicians Alliance, the Academy of General Dentistry, and the Academy for Sports Dentistry. Additionally, he is a member of the Fort Smith Boys and Girls Club Alumni Association, official team dentist to the UAFS, Northside, and Kimmons.
In April of 2013, Dr. Liggett was inducted as a fellow into the prestigious Pierre Fauchard Academy. PFA is an organization that focuses on professionalism, integrity, and ethics worldwide. Less than 1% of dentists in the United States have been elected into this elite group.
In March of 2014, Dr. Liggett was elected to sit on Delta Dental’s Dental Advisory Committee. This gives Dr. Liggett a chance to communicate, directly to those in charge of the state’s largest insurance carrier, ways to improve the current status quo.
In October of 2014, Dr. Liggett was inducted as a fellow into the International College of Dentists. The ICD is the oldest and largest international honor society for dentists in the world. There are over 12,000 members in 122 countries.
In April of 2015, Dr. Liggett was presented with a Community Service Award from radio station KISR. The same month he was given the New Dentist Award for exemplifying outstanding leadership in varied levels of organized dentistry and for his commitment to represent dentistry in an ethical manner.
In November of 2015, Dr. Liggett was inducted into the American College of Dentists. The American College of Dentists (ACD) is the oldest major honorary organization for dentists.
Dr. Liggett is elated to be back in Fort Smith where he focuses his free time on playing the drums in a local band, attending concerts and music festivals, CrossFit, playing golf, talking politics, and enjoying life in the natural state.
Dr. Cole J. Johnson
Dr. Cole J. Johnson was born and raised in Fort Smith, Arkansas and was a Southside rebel. Dr. Johnson received a Bachelors in Chemical Engineering, graduating Cum Laude from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. While at the U of A, Dr. Johnson met his best friend and wife Jo Tynon Johnson, who is now, a labor and delivery nurse at Mercy Hospital. After graduating, he pursued his first passion working as a Research Process Engineer for E and J Gallo Winery in central California where he worked for a year and a half.
Very quickly Dr. Johnson realized that he wanted to go back to school to be a Dentist. Dr. Johnson comes from a “Dental Family.” His father, George J. Johnson Jr, has practiced in General Dentistry in Fort Smith for 30+ years at Willow Creek Dental Clinic. His brother, Chad Johnson is an Orthodontist in North Carolina, and his Brother-in-Law is a General Dentist in Bethel, Alaska.
Dr. Johnson attended LSU Dental School in New Orleans, Louisiana for his Doctorate in Dental Surgery. He was the President of his class and graduated ranked fourth in his class. During his time at LSU Dr. Johnson was very active in dental research and was awarded two trips; one to Memphis and the other to Washington D. C. to present his dental research. He graduated with honors from LSU and was awarded with many accolades at the graduation ceremony including; Southern Academy of Prosthodontics award, American Academy of Esthetics award, and a special scholarship awarded by LSU’s Dean, Henry Gremillion DDS, to attend the Dawson Academy, for demonstrating his superior clinical performance at the LSU Dental School Clinic. The Dawson Academy is world renowned academy for advanced dental education.
After graduating Dental School, Dr. Johnson furthered his dental education in Birmingham, Alabama, completing a 1 year Advanced Education in General Dentistry residency. While in Birmingham, Dr. Johnson worked exclusively at the VA Hospital Dental Clinic, providing care for America’s War Veterans. Dr. Johnson focused his efforts on achieving an IV sedation license and Implantology.
As a proud American Dr. Johnson has a passion for the armed services and is a Captain in the Arkansas Army National Guard. He serves as a Dentist at Camp Robinson Medical Command in North Little Rock one weekend every month. He is also Secretary of the Fort Smith Dental Association, an active member of the Academy of General Dentistry, Arkansas Dental Association, and American Dental Association.
Dr. Johnson joined the River Valley Smile Center team when he moved back to Fort Smith in 2013. He also works in his father’s dental office part-time. He is the proud Father of two boys; River and Atlas. Through all his travels, Dr. Johnson has remained a dedicated Razorback fan. In his free time, he enjoys flying his para-glider, vegetable gardening, paddling, fishing, and camping with his family.
Dr. George J. Johnson, Jr.
Dr. George Johnson is a native of western Arkansas; born in the small town of Norman just outside of Mt. Ida. He was reared in Dallas and southern California. He returned to Arkansas in his teenage years, where he went on to pursue his higher education. He received degrees from colleges and universities in Arkansas, Louisiana, Michigan and finally his Doctorate of Dental Studies from the University of Texas, Houston. He settled back in Arkansas after graduating from dental school and has found great contentment from providing dental services to the Fort Smith community for over 40 years. Dr. Johnson and his wife, Mary Jane, have been married for 47 years and have 5 children – 4 are involved in the dental field. Dr. Johnson is very proud of his children; Chad, Heather, Brett, Ty, and Cole, and finds delight in all 11 of his grandchildren. Dr. Johnson feels he has been blessed with a beautiful family and a wonderful community. He thanks all of his dental clients from the last 40 years and looks forward to the future as he joins with his son, Cole to continue helping serve the community at River Valley Smiles.
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New York terminal center into hotel can watch planes in the endless pool
New York's Kennedy international airport terminal five TWA terminal center began in 2016 into a boutique hotel, in addition to the guest room, conference center and restaurant, and a top floor without pool, guests can swim, overlooking the runway, the hotel will be opened on May 15th.
According to the TWA hotel, 19.5 meters long pool is located in the top floor of about 3048 square meters of observation deck, open all the year round.Because of the warm water equipment, don't have to worry about can't water in the cold winter in New York.Swimming pool choose transparent glass wall, tourists can travel to the utmost edge pool, panoramic view, get a good view of the busy 4 l - 22 r aircraft take-off and landing on the runway.It is said that no marginal pool inspiration, from France's Eden cape Howe Hotel (Hotel du Cap Eden Roc).
TWA said that the hotel can free use the swimming pool during the housing, as for the hotel guests as long as the reservation in advance, also can use free of charge.You can hold about 300 people, have a catering service.
TWA hotel is located in two low-rise buildings, with the classic Hollywood style interiors and perfect sound insulation window, although quite close to the runway, don't worry about the plane engine sound loud, travelers can still sleep.
It is reported that the TWA terminal center was built in 1962, closed in 2001.New York's governor, announced in 2016 that will be converted into a terminal center has 512 rooms, 6 restaurants and bars of upscale hotels.The massive project developed by MCR company cooperate with jetblue, two companies hold shares in the TWA terminal center were 95% and 5% respectively project with a total investment of about $265 million.
MCR company executive moss (Tyler Morse) said "we provided by the rooftop pool of runway vision, comparable to air traffic controllers" and "no place in the world, than here I may better appreciate the plane and enjoy cocktails".
Prev:High-end custom growth more than three digits ctrip launch services aimed at 'rich'
Next:Finally here?The day of the home stay facility to the hotel sleep
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Tales from the Bathtub
Sara Whitestone
Abbey Hunter
Taylor Baldauf
Tiara Chambers
Anahita Sharma
About sara
Abbey Hunter earned her Bachelors of Science in Interior Design at the University of Cincinnati in 2017.
She now works as an Interior Designer full time in Cincinnati. She spends her time outside of work with her spouse and her dog, Oscar! Her new passion is learning new recipes and cooking healthy, vibrant meals.
Abbey became sick in 2009, and after countless doctor visits, she was diagnosed with Autonomic Dysfunction in the spring of her senior year of high-school in 2012.
As a results, she was mostly dependent on her clunky manual wheelchair and was nervous about navigating the hilly campus.
In August of 2012, days before school started at the University of Cincinnati, she saw Sara on campus testing out her new wheels. It was then that Sara Spins grew from a one-time fundraising effort to an organization dedicated to helping other students. Abbey has been involved with the fundraising and advocacy efforts since.
In December of 2012, Sara Spins was able to provide Abbey with a customized wheelchair and Smart Drive technology. These devices helped reduce her fatigue and led to a successful first year of college.
As Abbey’s conditioned worsened she sought out the POTS Treatment Center. May 2018 marked the five years post-treatment and her health has immensely improved. She is now able to manage her symptoms through diet, exercise, and creating a healthy work/life/social balance. She no longer uses the wheelchair and ran her first 1/2 marathon in 2017.
She has a passion for helping others and is a member of several support groups both online and in-person for those suffering with chronic illness or disabilities.
Abbey hopes to use her experience and tell her story to be a resource to others, helping them find solutions like mobility devices, self-advocacy, and connect them to supportive friends and organizations like Sara Spins.
She sends her gratitude to all the donors and volunteers saying, "Thank you for all each of you do. You are changing lives."
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Home » Breaking News » feature » Maithripala Sirisena » Sri Lanka: Sirisena in Tirupati
Sri Lanka: Sirisena in Tirupati
By: Sri Lanka Guardian
In: Breaking News feature Maithripala Sirisena
Sri Lanka: Sirisena in Tirupati Sri Lanka Guardian 1:21 PM
Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena attended the special pooja at the hill shrine of Lord Venkateswara near in Tirupati, India, a temple official said. Accompanied by his wife Jayanthi Pushpa Kumari and other family members and Lankan officials, Sirisena landed at Renigunta airport, 20 km from here, at noon on Tuesday. Amid tight security, he reached the hills by road, the official told the news agencies.
The president has taken a part in the 'Suprabhatha' ritual (recitation of Sanskrit hymns by priests to wake the Lord) and offer prayers to the presiding deity of Lord Venkateswara in the early hours Wednesday, the official added.
Tags: Breaking News feature Maithripala Sirisena
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In the village are located some historical and cultural monuments like for example: The gothic church - of 1400, later restored in renaissance style; the baroque church - with the former Franciscan convent from the end of the 17th century; the museum with a permanent exposition of the history of Beckov and the Beckov castle. The Beckov castle was built in the 12th century like the royal defencive castle. More late it was restored like noble residence in renaissance style. After the fire in the 1729 the castle it was abandoned. The ruins of the castle in the 1996 were during the restoration consolidated and were rendered the public accessible.
Cachtice
In the small town the visitors can visit the baroque church - of the end of the 14th century; the the gothic chapel - of the 14th century; the renaissance mansion - of 1668, inside the mansion is situated the Cachtice Museum. The ruins of the Cachtice castle dominate the country. It was one of the first defensive castles, already in the 13th century it protected the western frontier of the country. Between 1560 and 1614 the castle was the residence and more late the prison of the Lady of Cachtice - Elisabeth Báthory, well-known for its cruelty. During more of a quarter of century she tortured and murdered over 600 young women from the nearby villages. Between the 15th and the 17th sentury the castle was more time restored and extended. In 1708 it was conquered by the army of Francis Rakoczi II and from the that moment it remained desert. In this period is not open to the public.
Spa Trencianske Teplice
The spa city of Trencianske Teplice is located 14 km from Trencin. They are one of the oldest the spas in Slovakia and are very visited. The first written news record dates to 1398, but according to the legend, already in the 2th century was searched by the Roman legionaries of the field Laugaricio (Trencin) that it was situated near
The spa includes the houses of treatments in classical and modern style, they are situated in a park, full of paths and panoramic places. The most famous and characteristic building of the spa complex and the city itself is a spa house called Sina including the Hammam bath built in 1888 in oriental style. Other interesting objects are the sanatorium and the music pavilion of 1932.
Indications: Thanks to the springs of mineral water with temperature of 37-40,2 °C and with chemical composition of sulphur - calcium-magnesium-thermal-hypotonic mineral waters of a higher content of fluor, the spa are ideal place for treatment of diseases like: mobility apparatus defects, rheumatic diseases, arthrosis, sclerosis multiplex, organic nervous diseases.
Spa treatments: modern and classics therapeutic methods like as an example, riabilitazioni, hydrotherapy, electrotherapy, massages, mud compressions, acupuncture, injections gas, sauna, medical therapy
Trips: visiting of the Trencin and its castle, of the small village Cicmany, walking in the White Carpathians or on Strazov hills (Strazovske vrchy)
Iniziative socio-culturali: ogni anno si organizza il festival musicale - L'estate della musica ed il festival internazionale del film - ART FILM.
Culture and entertainmen: every year are organized the musical festival (The Summer music festival) and the international ART FILM festival
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Need for Volunteers at Special Olympics Texas' Fall Classic
Critical Need for Volunteers at Special Olympics Texas' Fall Classic
Three days of competition and events begins Thursday in Bryan/College Station.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE : October 13, 2014
AUSTIN – Special Olympics Texas (SOTX) is in critical need of volunteers for this weekend’s Fall Classic, October 16-18, in Bryan/College Station. Volunteers are needed for various roles during the Games; there is an urgent need for assistance on Friday and Saturday.
Competition begins Thursday and runs through Saturday. All events are free and open to the public.
Show your support for SOTX by donating your time and assisting with the competition.
Contact Judy Yoshimaru for additional information at volunteer@sotx.org.
Here's where the critical needs are:
Bocce, 12 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. (short 13 volunteers)
Aquatics, 7 a.m. - 1 p.m. (short 13 volunteers)
Bocce, 8 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. (short 47 volunteers); 11:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. (short 39 volunteers)
Bocce Awards, 12:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. (we have 0 and need 15)
Athlete Village, 8 a.m. - 1p.m. (short 45 volunteers); 12 p.m. - 5 p.m. (short 43 volunteers)
Softball, 12 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. (short 15 volunteers)
Softball Awards, 12 p.m. - 5 p.m. (short 10 volunteers)
Golf, 7:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. (short 5 volunteers); 9:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. (short 20 volunteers)
Souvenirs - (All shifts still need volunteers)
Bocce, 8 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. (short 19 volunteers)
Softball, 7:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. (short 21 volunteers); 12 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. (short 16 volunteers)
Softball Awards, 1:30 p.m. - 5 p.m. (short 7 volunteers)
Law Enforcement Torch Run and Walmart
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New Vaccination Guidelines Published
11th January 2018 by SITFFR Editor
Something of a shift toward choosing vaccinations on a dog-by-dog basis rather than using blanket recommendations.
For the first time in six years, the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) has come out with a new set of guidelines for vaccinating dogs. And those guidelines are changing with the times. For instance, with this edition they are now produced as an online education resource that will allow ongoing updates to be made whenever new research information comes in. No longer will there be “gaps of years between versions,” says Link Welborn, DVM, DABVP, CCRT, chair of the AAHA’s Canine Vaccination Task Force. In fact, he says, “the online format will also be accessible on mobile devices, which will improve functionality greatly.”
To be sure, many of the basic guidelines remain the same. As has been the case, there are several “core” vaccines advised for virtually all dogs and also “non-core” vaccines considered useful for certain dogs living in specific environments with particular lifestyles. That is, because of the way some dogs live or where they live, they are more likely to come into contact with certain harmful bacteria and viruses that can make them very ill; therefore, those dogs make good candidates for vaccines that would inoculate them against those pathogens.
The new thinking is that dog owners and veterinarians should work out which vaccinations — and when — together.
But while the core and non-core vaccines aren’t new, the approach is morphing. The guidelines for vaccines have always been seen as just that — guidelines rather than a mandate or a prescribed protocol. But that point is now being emphasized like never before. Right in the second paragraph of the very long document, it says, “the information in this website is intended as a guideline only, not an AAHA standard of care. These guidelines and recommendations should not be construed as dictating an exclusive protocol, course of treatment, or procedure. Variations in practice may be warranted based on the needs of the individual patient, resources, and limitations unique to each individual practice setting…. Because each case is different, veterinarians must base their decisions on the available scientific evidence in conjunction with their own knowledge and experience.”
We should note that in the majority of cases, your veterinarian will recommend that you go along with the guidelines. The expert task force of veterinary scientists in charge of putting them together pooled the latest and best research evidence to support the suggestions. We think that in general, going along with the guidelines is a good idea. Vaccinations given at recommended intervals have saved countless dogs over the years from preventable grave illnesses and even death.
The ways in which one size does not fit all
A lot of dogs don’t even flinch when they get their shots.
Still, as the science moves forward, targeting your dog’s own needs rather than including her in a blanket recommendation for dogs in general becomes more plausible. Consider, for instance, that while the general advice for adult dogs is to receive booster shots for core vaccines every three years, AAHA now says that for the core vaccines, if the levels of antibodies circuiting in the blood to fight a particular disease are high enough at three years, a veterinarian can reasonably choose to wait longer than three years to give the next booster shot. The high-enough antibody level (titer) means the previous vaccine booster is still doing its job and that a new booster at that point would be redundant.
In addition, dog owners are now consciously being brought into the equation. The new guidelines make it easier for veterinarians to work jointly with pet owners in deciding whether any non-core vaccines are advisable. How so? The new guidelines contain a “Lifestyle-Based Vaccine Calculator” that takes into consideration a dog’s age, activities, and geographic locale. If you check off the box that says your dog walks on soil where wildlife could have urinated, for instance, a leptospirosis vaccine is more likely to be recommended. Leptospirosis bacteria, which can cause a life-threatening infection that affects the liver and kidneys, can be transmitted through other species’ urine, and therefore it makes sense for dogs who play in the woods where wild animals urinate to be given the vaccine.
Herewith, an overview of the basic recommendations for adult dogs both for core and non-core vaccines. Those looking for information on vaccinating puppies and for more detail in general (like what to do if your dog is overdue for vaccinations) can surf to AAHA.org/CanineVaccineGuidelines.
That site also has state-by-state information on rabies vaccine requirements along with a page on therapeutic biologics — vaccines for dogs with diseases like melanoma, lymphoma, arthritis, and atopy (skin itchiness, usually due to allergies or other sensitivities). Tufts small animal veterinary internist Orla Mahony, MVB, DACVIM, says these cutting-edge inoculations won’t prevent those illnesses, but they could potentially help ratchet down their severity.
Core vaccines
Generally speaking, adult dogs should receive booster shots against the following pathogens every three years, or at longer intervals if antibody testing is chosen and shows that there are still antibodies in the blood to fight off illness from the previous booster shot.
Distemper virus. Distemper is a viral infection of the nervous system that can cause anything from gastrointestinal upset to pneumonia to seizures or tremors.
Parvovirus. More common than distemper, parvovirus attacks the gastrointestinal tract and immune system, causing symptoms ranging from severe vomiting to diarrhea. It can also cause a secondary bacterial infection that spreads from the GI tract to the rest of the body, wreaking havoc on all major systems. It’s more common in puppies, but it does affect unvaccinated adult dogs, too.
Adenovirus-2. Canine adenovirus type 2 (CAV-2) causes hepatitis, a liver disease that can lead to liver failure — and death. It is also one of the reasons dogs get what is commonly termed kennel cough. A respiratory condition, it is characterized by a dry, hacking cough and gagging accompanied by a fever, runny nose, or red, watery eyes. The disease commonly runs its course without any long term effects, but it can lead to a more serious infection, which, in addition to a dog’s risk for hepatitis, is why it is listed among the core vaccines. The vaccine does not ward off infection; it makes it significantly milder than it would have been.
AAHA says the evidence on antibody testing is strong enough for all three core vaccines. What that means is that for these three, if a test shows adequate antibody titers are present in the blood, a booster shot can wait.
Dog owners should note that antibody tests can well run to at least $150, while an actual booster shot costs less than $50 and cannot harm a dog even if it isn’t needed yet. That’s why most people opt to forego antibody blood tests.
The last core vaccine is for rabies. It is the only vaccine for companion animals required by law in most — but not all — states. But even in the exempted states, the Canine Vaccination Task Force says that “foregoing vaccination due to the age or health of the dog may not be prudent.” It recommends that the rabies vaccine be administered as a core vaccine in a manner consistent with the most current version of the “Compendium on Animal Rabies Prevention & Control.” That document, published just last year in the prestigious Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, reminds veterinarians that rabies is a fatal disease and that while the United States has been declared free from the rabies virus within the dog population, “there is always a risk of reintroduction.” Signs of the disease include cranial nerve deficits, abnormal behavior, paralysis, seizures, and very quickly, death. There are one-year and three-year vaccinations, and your dog’s veterinarian will discuss with you which is the version required or recommended in your state.
Non-core vaccines
The advice on non-core vaccines is often regional in nature. While not necessary for dogs across the country, these vaccines may be suggested for dogs across a large geographical swath. One non-core vaccine, for the Corona virus, has been removed since the last set of guidelines came out several years ago. Corona virus causes gastroenteritis — an infection of the GI tract — but one that’s “much milder than parvovirus,” Tufts’ Dr. Mahony says. “It has never been considered all that worthwhile to vaccinate against; you’d expect a dog to be able to get through it” without an inoculation.
Bordetella bronchiseptica. Bordetella bronchiseptica is a type of bacteria that causes kennel cough, genetically unrelated to the kennel cough virus that one of the core vaccines inoculates against. Because it’s airborne, it’s highly contagious. The vaccine for it is the one often required by boarding kennels — and that your dog may not already have been given. It is administered through nose drops rather than via injection, as that provides better immunity in the route through which the offending bacteria travel. It is sometimes given with the vaccine for the canine parainfluenza virus (see below).
Parainfluenza virus. Parainfluenzea is also a component of what is known as kennel cough complex, which can cause pneumonia in addition to a hacking cough.
Leptospira. Leptospirosis is a life-threatening bacterial infection that affects the liver and kidneys and is very common in New England, the West Coast, and the South. There are more than 3,000 kinds of leptospirosis bacteria, about 15 of which spell potential trouble for dogs. But the vaccine takes care of only four kinds, so even with the vaccine it’s possible for a dog to contract a leptospirosis infection. But the shot will significantly reduce the chances. For adult dogs deemed at risk, an annual booster is recommended.
Borrelia burgdorferi. This is the type of bacteria that causes Lyme disease, and there are four different vaccines for it. Lyme disease in dogs causes essentially the same symptoms as it does in people: fever, loss of appetite, lethargy, lameness (which can be intermittent and recurring), generalized stiffness or pain, and swelling of the joints. For dogs in areas where the risk for Lyme disease is prevalent, the guideline for adult dogs is to have an annual booster. The Task Force also suggests that dogs traveling from areas where Lyme disease is not endemic to regions where it is should be considered for Lyme disease vaccination as well.
Canine Influenza Virus-H3N8. The Task Force recommends vaccinating any dog at risk for influenza, aka the flu. In most dogs, the illness presents as nothing worse than a mild cough. But about 10 percent of dogs go on to develop life-threatening pneumonia. The vaccine doesn’t only protect against the flu and reduce the severity and symptoms if the illness does strike. It also reduces the amount of virus that is shed, making a dog less likely to spread this communicable disease to other dogs. That makes it similar to the flu vaccine for people. The American Veterinary Medical Association says the same dogs that may benefit from the kennel cough vaccine can benefit from the flu vaccine because the risks are similar — the flu tends to affect dogs who live with or engage in activities with many other dogs.
Canine Influenza Virus-H3N2. Any dog for whom the H3N8 is deemed appropriate should also receive the H3N2 vaccine. H3N2 is a newer viral strain that only made the rounds starting around 2015, as opposed to the H3N8 virus, which appeared more than a decade ago. If a dog is vulnerable to one virus, he is vulnerable to the other. Booster shots for both vaccines should be given once a year.
Crotalus atrox. This is the vaccine to protect against a bite from the Western Diamondback Rattlesnake, which lives in the west. (The vaccine provides no protection against venom from the Coral Snake, Water Moccasin, or Mojave Rattlesnake.) The dose of most types of vaccine is usually the same whether a dog is a Chihuahua or a Great Dane, but this is one vaccine whose dose depends upon a dog’s weight. A dog who is bitten should be taken to a veterinarian as soon as possible, vaccinated or not. The shot can make for less pain and swelling, less tissue damage, and a lower risk of death. But it does not eliminate all risk, and a dog with this snake venom in him has to be treated by a doctor with anti-venom right away. In other words, the vaccination should not provide a false sense of security that a bitten dog does not have to be treated.
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Whose Fault is the European Starling?
Debbie Blicher is Senior Producer of Ray Brown's Talkin' Birds.
If you live in North America and you love the European Starling, most folks say you can credit Eugene Shieffelin. If you hate the European Starling, they say you can blame the same guy. It's Shieffelin who is largely credited with introducing 60 starlings to New York City's Central Park in the year 1890 and another 40 in 1891. As we all know, they thrived. And thrived. Today, they number around 200 million in North America, with a range all across the continent, and are considered one of the most invasive species on the planet. So if you love them, you can thank Mr. Shieffelin for the huge flocks of noisy, speckled black birds.
Shieffelin didn't act alone, however. He belonged to the American Acclimatization Society, an organization founded in New York City in 1871 whose goal was to introduce to North America useful species from other countries. In retrospect, we 21st-century types think "useful" was defined rather loosely. After all, the starling isn't especially useful—unless, as is rumored about Shieffelin, you have such a thing for the birds of Shakespeare that you want them all to live right near you. (There actually is not much evidence for this popular story.)
So how did the American Acclimatization Society come to be? Well, for that we can blame the Société zoologique d'acclimatation, founded in Paris in 1854 by naturalist Isidore Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire. He encouraged the French government to import and breed species that would help feed France and control pests. He encouraged other countries to start similar chapters.
By 1877, the American Acclimatization Society was going strong, and Shieffelin, a drug manufacturer from the Bronx, was its chairman. We imagine he must have thought, "How pretty those starlings are! How intelligent and entertaining! What harm could they do?" What harm indeed! They have crowded out countless native North American bird species, interfered with agriculture, and even been a primary cause of airplane bird strikes.
Some bad ideas that seem fun at the time are pretty harmless, such as shaving half your beard or adding extra hot pepper to your chili. But importing non-native species? Not harmless. So let's enjoy European Starlings, but let's also try to educate humankind about invasive species so we don't make such mistakes in the future. The fault? Quite simply, it's ours.
Tagged: European Starling, ecology, History, Invasive species
Conservation, Ecology
Bird Food Source Alert: Declining Insects
In recent years, we've seen well-documented declines in domesticated honey bees, monarch butterflies, and other insects that attract a lot of attention. But we haven't really noticed the moths, beetles, and other insects that flitter and crawl through our everyday life. Birds, however, probably notice their decline a lot, since they're a major food source.
A recent story in the journal Science documents a new set of data gathered mostly by amateur entomologists in western Europe. These folks have tracked insect abundance at more than 100 nature reserves since the 1980s, and the news is not good.
This group of amateurs, named the Krefeld Entomological Society (after their location in Germany) has seen the insect catches in their traps fluctuate every year. This is normal. But in 2013, they noticed that one of their longest-running sites showed a decline by mass of almost 80%. The numbers were just as low in 2014. In fact, the group found dramatic declines across more than a dozen other sites, even in reserves where plant diversity and abundance had improved.
The group has installed more traps each year since 2013. They've also begun working with university-based researchers to look for correlations with weather, changes in vegetation, and other factors. Unfortunately, no simple cause for the decline has yet emerged.
If you don't like bugs, you're probably asking, "Why does this research matter?" The answer is that other creatures eat insects—such as birds. Dave Goulson, an ecologist at the University of Sussex in the United Kingdom, explains, "If you're an insect-eating bird living in that area, four-fifths of your food is gone in the last quarter-century." No matter what your opinion of bugs, this is important news.
No one knows what this research in western Europe means for insects elsewhere. But we at Talkin' Birds think that anything that affects the food chain for birds anywhere is worth investigating for the good of us all.
A male hoverfly on a Bermuda Buttercup. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons; author: Alvesgaspar.)
Tagged: ecology
Birds Provide "Biodiversity Services" that Sustain Ecosystems
"Biodiversity" means "the variety of life in a particular habitat." Each life form, from bacterium to towering tree, plays a role in sustaining its ecosystem. Therefore, each life form matters.
There are few ecosystems on Earth with more biodiversity than a rainforest. A recent study shows that the loss of even a few species from that rainforest adversely affects its longevity. Although a forest may look healthy, if the creatures required for maintenance are missing, the forest can't regenerate if it's disturbed, and its trees will eventually die out.
Research from the Department of Life Sciences at Imperial College London, published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, shows that intensive land use, such as for agriculture and ranching, often leads to the extinction of local forest birds. These birds perform "biodiversity services" that are necessary for maintaining the rainforest's health, such as keeping down the population of plant-eating insects and dispersing the seeds of tree species. But it isn't just the individual birds species that guarantee the future health of the forest, nor is it the number of species left alive; it's the way these species interact with other kinds of life.
The research team studied the composition of bird communities from 330 study sites in the Brazilian Amazon, sampling more than 450 bird species. They also kept track of what special traits these species possessed, such as their beak size and tail and wing shape. (These traits indicate what kind of job a species has evolved to do.) Then they looked at how landscape change affected these bird populations, specifically those birds who eat insects and those who disperse seeds.
The results were sobering. When insect-eating birds go locally extinct, leaf-eating insects can prevent young saplings from growing up into mature trees. When birds that eat certain seeds are missing, then the trees that grow from those seeds eventually go missing, too.
Dr Joseph Tobias, senior author of the study, says that land-use management policy can positively affect forest recovery. He suggests that a forest's ability to regenerate can be preserved, even if it's largely cleared, as long as patches of primary forest survive. “Our findings are a warning flag that we can’t just look at a snapshot of forest health as it appears now—we need to think about preserving the ecosystem processes that will allow forests to survive in the future.”
Next, the team plans to examine the impact of human activity on global ecosystems by using bird traits as a window onto the effects of environmental change.
Tagged: biodiversity, ecology, rainforest
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Through My Father's Eyes
By: Graham, Franklin, Toney, Donna Lee
Thomas Nelson 2018
Inspirational Motivation Biography/Autobiography
As a beloved evangelist and a respected man of God, Billy Graham's stated purpose in life never wavered: to help people find a personal relationship with God through a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. This was a calling that only increased over time, and Billy embraced it fully throughout his active ministry and beyond. Yet Billy pursued his life's work, as many men do, amid a similarly significant calling to be a loving husband and father.
While most people knew Billy Graham as a living legend, Franklin Graham knew him as Daddy. And while present and future generations will come to their own conclusions about Billy Graham and the legacy that his commitment to Christ has left behind, no one can speak more insightfully or authoritatively on that subject than a son who grew up in the shadow of his father's love. "My father left behind a testimony to God," says Franklin, "a legacy not buried in a grave but still pointing people to a heaven-bound destiny. The Lord will say to my father, and to all who served Him obediently, 'Well done, good and faithful servant' (Matthew 25:21)."
This book details the remarkable life of Billy Graham--a life described not as a legend or a spiritual giant, but in the way Franklin Graham has always seen it: through his father's eyes.
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Index Style: Thumb Indexed
Franklin Graham is President and CEO of Samaritan's Purse, a Christian relief and evangelistic organization. He is also President and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. Franklin is the fourth of Billy and Ruth Bell Graham's five children. He is the author of the best-selling autobiography Rebel with a Cause, Living Beyond the Limits, The Name, and the children's book Miracle in a Shoebox. An avid outdoorsman and pilot, Franklin and his wife, Jane, make their home in North Carolina and have four children, two daughters-in-law, and two granddaughters.
Billy Graham in Quotes (Limited Edition)
Graham, Franklin
Operation Christmas Child: A Story of
Billy Graham in Quotes
Por Los Ojos de Mi Padre
Big Russ and Me: Father and Son: Lessons
Russert, Tim
From Diagnosis to Victory Jesus Is the
Jackson Jones Mrs,
Remembering Whitney: My Story of Love,
Houston, Cissy
A Grandmother's Prayer: Moments in a
Christian Chris
What Set Me Free
Banks Brian
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What is a prenuptial agreement?
Laurie 0 comments Divorce
Whenever I hear the word “prenup”, I automatically think about the song Gold Digger by Kanye West. The lyrics go, “If you ain’t no punk holla ‘We Want Prenup.’ ‘We want prenup!’” But what is a prenuptial agreement and who are they really for?
Prenuptial agreements are not just for the wealth, explains Andrea Berkowitz, a New York attorney at Stutman Stutman & Lichtenstein, LLP. In fact, prenuptial agreements can actually work for both parties, especially as couples marry later in life and have more assets.
While the conversation about signing a prenuptial agreement before marriage may be nerve-wracking and seemingly hurtful, Berkowitz explains that a prenuptial agreement can be an opportunity for the partner who is not considered the “monied spouse.” How is this possible? While one partner may have more assets and wealth than the other, the “non-monied spouse” still may have separate concerns about financial security. The prenuptial agreement can help protect the rights of the “non-monied spouse” too. Berkowitz even goes on to recommend that all couples have a clear contract before marriage.
The major concern with divorce is that one spouse may exit the workforce after children are born and have a difficult time rejoining the workforce after time away. While exiting the workforce may be a planned event for some, it becomes a necessity for others when one spouse has to care for the children and cannot work at the same time. Rather than promising re-entry into the workforce, a prenuptial agreement provides for the spouse who stays at home with the children in the event that marriage does not work out. A prenuptial agreement can ensure that the partner outside of the workforce receives a set percentage of their former spouse’s income.
The terms of a prenuptial agreement help guarantee financial support in the event of a divorce. Signing a prenuptial agreement can give both parties more freedom and security during a marriage, and help mitigate the issues of divorce if it occurs in the future.
According to the Law Offices of Baden V. Mansfield, prenuptial agreements can help with the “division of assets, visitation rights to children, custody of children”, and alimony. However, the lawyers at the Law Offices of Baden V. Mansfield explain that each prenuptial agreement is unique to the couple’s situation. By discussing the division of assets, visitation rights to children, custody of children, and alimony upfront, couples can avoid lengthy and costly divorce settlements.
Prenuptial agreements can also include “lifestyle clauses,” according to attorney Lois Liberman. Lieberman explains that some agreements include stipulations about where a child is to be raised even in the event of a divorce. She continues by explaining that “Prenups are contracts that are supposed to be utilized during death or divorce.” Some lifestyle clauses are more wild, penalizing a partner for cursing or a changing physical appearance. While it is difficult to enforce these rules during a marriage, they often can be used to penalize someone in the event of a divorce.
Prenuptial agreements are not just for the wealthy; they can be used by a variety of couples to secure their respective financial futures. While some of the lifestyle clauses are a bit ridiculous, prenuptial agreements help couples divide assets, delineate visitation rights and custody of children, and deal with alimony upfront.
Defective Medical Products
Nursing Home Problems
Phones and Applications
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Which teams have what it takes to get promoted from the Championship this
RFU Championship - Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RFU_Championship
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Championship play-offs 2019 - When is it, how does it work ...
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http://aausports.org/
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014–15_Rangers_F.C._season
Rangers played a total of 54 competitive matches during the 2014-15 season. Rangers boardroom politics were a fictitious force causing a constant flux with change after change of various directorial positions, rival factions attempting to take control of the company and the emergence of Mike Ashley as the major stakeholder and power broker in late 2014.
Championship Play Off Final Tickets 2019 - Wembley Stadium
https://www.livefootballtickets.com/championship-play-off-final-tickets....
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NFL Draft 2019 - Latest Draft News and Predictions ...
https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/
2019 NFL Draft predictions including pick-by-pick analysis from CBS Sports NFL experts. Get the latest news and information on your favorite teams and prospects from CBSSports.com.
AAU - Taekwondo
https://aautaekwondo.org/
Sports For All, Forever. The AAU was founded in 1888 to establish standards and uniformity in amateur sports. During its early years, the AAU served as a leader in international sport representing the U.S. in the international sports federations.
Rally Argentina: Tanak takes 1.6s lead on opening stage
https://www.autosport.com/wrc/news/142945/tanak-leads-rally-argentina-op...
World Rally Championship driver Ott Tanak took an early lead on Rally Argentina, winning the opening Villa Carlos Paz superspecial by 1.6 seconds from Citroen's Sebastien Ogier. Toyota's main ...
RoPS
Manchester City – West Ham
Bianca Devins death! photos
Suzanne Eaton
Lightning map
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Stisted C of E Primary Academy
Equalities Scheme and Objectives 2016-19
Reviewed : Summer 2016 Published : Autumn 2016
The Public Sector Equality Duty 2011 has three aims under the general duty for schools, academies and settings:
Eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation and other conduct prohibited by the Act. By removing or minimising disadvantages suffered by people due to their protected characteristics.
Advance equality of opportunity between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not. By taking steps to meet the needs of people from protected groups where these are different from the needs of other people
Foster good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not. By encouraging people from protected groups to participate in public life or in other activities where their participation is disproportionately low.
Our school has considered how well we currently achieve these aims with regard to the eight protected equality groups : race/disability/sex/gender reassignment/age/pregnancy and maternity/religion and belief/sexual orientation
In compiling this equality information we have :
Identified evidence already in the school of equality within policies and practice and identified and gaps.
Set objectives for the next three years
The Equality Act 2010 replaces previous anti-discrimination laws with a single act to make the law simpler and to remove inconsistencies. This makes the law easier for people to understand and comply with. The act also strengthened protection in some situations.
The act covers nine protected characteristics, which cannot be used as a reason to treat people unfairly. Every person has one or more of the protected characteristics, so the act protects everyone against unfair treatment.
It is unlawful for a school to victimise, harass or discriminate against a pupil, prospective pupil, parent or member of staff by treating them less favourably because of their :
gender reassignment,
pregnancy or maternity
Direct discrimination occurs when one person treats another less favourably than they treat – or would treat – other people with the same protected characteristic. This describes the most clear-cut and obvious examples of discrimination – for example if a school were to refuse to let a pupil be a prefect because she is pregnant would be unlawful.
Indirect discrimination occurs when a “provision, criterion or practice” is applied generally but has the effect of putting people with a particular characteristic at a disadvantage when compared to people without that characteristic.
An example might be holding a parents’ meeting on a Friday evening, which could make it difficult for observant Jewish parents to attend. It is a defence against a claim of indirect discrimination if it can be shown to be “a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim”. This means both that the reason for the rule or practice is legitimate, and that it could not reasonably be achieved in a different way which did not discriminate.
Harassment has a specific legal definition in the Act - it is “unwanted conduct, related to a relevant protected characteristic, which has the purpose or effect of violating a person’s dignity or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for that person”.
This covers unpleasant and bullying behaviour, but potentially extends also to actions which, whether intentionally or unintentionally, cause offence to a person because of a protected characteristic.
Victimisation occurs when a person is treated less favourably than they otherwise would have been because of something they have done (“a protected act”) in connection with the act. A protected act might involve, for example, making an allegation of discrimination or bringing a case under the Act.
The specific duties regulations require schools:
to publish information to demonstrate how they are complying with the Public Sector Equality Duty, and
to prepare and publish equality objectives.
Schools need to update the published information at least annually and to publish objectives at least once every four years.
Data about employees will not need to be published where a public authority has fewer than 150 employees.
This means that for the great majority of schools, only pupil-related data will need to be published.
Specific duties
The Equality Act 2010 (Specific Duties) Regulations 2011 came into force on 10 September 2011.
The specific duties help public bodies perform the Equality Duty better. They do this by requiring public bodies to be transparent about how they are responding to the Equality Duty – requiring them to publish relevant, proportionate information showing compliance with the Equality Duty, and to set equality objectives.
The Equality Act 2010 (Specific Duties) requires public bodies to be transparent about how they are responding
to the Equality Duty including publishing relevant, proportionate information showing compliance with the
Equality Duty, and at least one equality objective.
The Public Sector Equality Duty 2011 has three aims under the general duty for schools, academies and setting.
These are to :
Our school considers how well we achieve these aims and publishes this in an Equality Scheme and Objectives.
The audit, evaluation objectives set by the Academy are set out in the link below:
audit equality 2016.pdf
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UPDATE 4 - World reacts to Mohamed Morsi's martyrdom
Egypt’s first democratically-elected president died Monday during court appearance
UPDATES WITH FUNERAL PRAYER IN ABSENTIA IN AFGHANISTAN, SOUTH AFRICA
By Mahmoud Barakat and Zehra Nur Duz
ANKARA (AA) - The international community mourned the martyrdom of Mohamed Morsi, Egypt’s first democratically-elected president, who died Monday during a court appearance to face charges many believed were politically motivated.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan wished God's mercy for Morsi, whom he called "a martyr who died struggling for his cause", saying history will never forget the tyrants who caused his martyrdom.
Turkey’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Morsi will be remembered as "an exceptional person in his country's struggle for democracy".
“In front of Allah, my father and we shall unite,” Morsi's son, Ahmed, said in a Facebook post.
Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani also mourned Morsi’s demise. "We received with deep sorrow the news of the sudden death of former President Mohamed Morsi," he said.
He offered condolences to Morsi's family and the Egyptian people.
In a statement, Iran’s Foreign Ministry also voiced “sorrow” and “regret” over the news of the passing of Morsi.
"While respecting the viewpoints of the great and brave Egyptian nation, the Islamic Republic of Iran condoles with the people as well as Morsi’s family, survivors and fans over his demise, and wishes divine blessing and mercy for him, patience and divine reward for survivors, and success for the great Egyptian nation," the statement said.
- ‘Sad news’
Shireen Mazari, Pakistan's minister for human rights, also expressed grief over Morsi’s demise.
"Indeed - sad news. What hope there was and how tragically it all ended. RIP," Mazari said in a Twitter post.
"Morsi's incarceration&death symbolize the tragedy of democracy struggling under shadow of Uncle Sam. What promise the Arab Spring held & how it was destroyed - is similar to what happened to Allende & other democratic nationalist forces around the world inimical to the powerful!" she added.
In addition, Malaysian Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah also expressed sorrow over "sudden passing" of Morsi.
"During his tenure as president, Mr Morsi showed courage and moral fortitude in his attempt to lead Egypt away from decades of authoritarian rule and establish true democracy there," Abdullah said.
“Morsi’s contribution to justice and democracy in Egypt will be remembered,” he added.
Prominent Muslim scholar Yusuf al-Qaradawi said Morsi suffered a lot while languishing in prison.
Morsi "died with patience over his suffering in his jail," al-Qaradawi said, praying to God to accept him as a martyr.
The Tunisian Ennahda Movement said it had received the news with great sadness and shock and extended condolences to Morsi's family and the Egyptian people.
The movement expressed hope that "the painful incident would be a reason to put an end to the suffering of thousands of political prisoners in Egypt" and for starting dialogue for a new democratic political life.
- ‘Coup authorities’ held responsible
Jordan's Muslim Brotherhood said it held "the coup authorities in Egypt responsible for Morsi's death".
The group also pinned the blame on "the crimes of the coup" in Egypt.
The Palestinian Hamas group mourned the death of Morsi and hailed his efforts in serving the Palestinian cause.
"Morsi engaged in a long struggle for Egypt, its people and the nation's issues, foremost of which is the Palestinian cause,” it said.
He also made great efforts in defending Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Mosque as a member of Egypt’s parliament, it added, offering condolences to Egypt, its people and his family.
At Al-Aqsa Mosque, dozens of Palestinians offered funeral prayers for the late leader.
In Libya, Mohamed al-Amari, a member of the UN-recognized Libyan Presidential Council, described Morsi as a martyr, adding he had "set an example for his patience, steadfastness and adherence to his principles".
On his Facebook page, Amari expressed his condolences to Morsi’s family, the "free people of Egypt" and "liberation revolutions" in all Arab countries.
- ‘Oppressed legitimate president’
Abderrazak Makri, the leader of Algeria's largest Islamic party, the Movement for the Society of Peace, mourned the "oppressed legitimate Egyptian president".
"On behalf of the movement's institutions and activists, I extend our sincere condolences to the family of the legitimate Egyptian president, who was overthrown, to his brothers in the Freedom and Justice Party and to the Egyptian people," he said.
Sudan's Popular Congress Party expressed condolences to the "Arab and Islamic nation and the Egyptian people" over Morsi's martyrdom. It stressed that Morsi spent "six years of imprisonment and was deprived of his basic and human rights".
Mohamed Mahsoub, who served as minister of state for parliamentary affairs during Morsi's presidency, said "we are facing a new murder case: the murder of the only president elected by the Egyptian people in their history".
He said it was the murder of freedom of choice in order to “keep Egypt's future bound to the will of a tyrant or the decision of a dictator".
Human Rights Watch also commented on Morsi's martyrdom, saying it was “predictable".
"Morsi's death is terrible but entirely predictable, given gov't failure to allow him adequate medical care," Sarah Leah Whitson, executive director of the organization’s Middle East and North Africa Division, said on Twitter.
In South Africa, scores of Egyptian nationals gathered in a Johannesburg protest over the demise of Morsi.
“We are here to show support to the family of late Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi and also strongly condemn how the Egyptian government treated him while in custody,” Hussein Abbasi, leader of the Egyptian community in South Africa, said at the protest.
“We want the international community to investigate circumstances surrounding President Morsi’s death. We are really pained by his death and treatment for Egyptian authorities,” protest organizer Ahmed Jamal told Anadolu Agency.
Separately, a massive funeral prayer in absentia for the late leader was held at the Mayfair mosque, Jamal added.
Mohamed Amir, another protester, said: “We are sending a message to… Sisi to stop persecuting members of the opposition. We want all democratic nations of the world to support the people of Egypt."
In Jammu and Kashmir in India, a Muslim-majority region, over a hundred people, including students and faculty members at Kashmir University in Srinagar offered funeral prayers in absentia for Morsi.
Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Kashmir’s top cleric, expressed grief over Morsi’s death.
“My condolences to the family of Dr Mohammad Morsi and the people of Egypt on his death in detention,” he added.
In Afghanistan, hundreds of people gathered to attend funeral prayers in absentia for Morsi and condolence sessions.
The main funeral prayers, organized by the local Jamiat-e-Eslah (Society for Reform), were offered at the historic Eidgah Mosque in the capital Kabul in the afternoon.
- Egypt’s first democratically-elected president
A leading member of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood group, Morsi won Egypt's first free presidential election in 2012.
After only one year in office, however, he was ousted and imprisoned in a bloody military coup led by Egypt's then defense minister and current president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
At the time of his death, Morsi faced a host of legal charges, which he, along with numerous human rights groups and independent observers, said were politically motivated.
Hamdeen Sabahi, a former candidate in Egypt’s presidential elections, also conveyed his condolences.
“I ask God to welcome him in his vast paradise, accept his kindness, ignore his mistakes, and give patience to his loved ones.”
* Zahid Rafiq in Jammu and Kashmir, Shadi Khan Saif in Afghanistan, and Hassan Isilow in South Africa contributed to this story.
Tags: Funeral prayer, in absentia, Jammu and Kashmir, Mohamed Morsi, South Africa
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The Calamari Sisters in SAUSAGEFEST
Cooking with the Calamari Sisters
The Calamari Sisters
DELPHINE CALAMARI was born in Bay Ridge, NY, the eldest daughter of Rocco and Vittoria Calamari. By age seven, she was assisting her grandmother cater every major event at the legendary Rigatoni Lodge of the Brooklyn Federation of Italian-American Societies. Her love for meat began soon there after, and within a few years she was known throughout the borough as “that Italian girl that can tell you which butcher a sausage comes from with her eyes closed.” By the time Delphine was a young woman, it was widely believed that unless you served Delphine’s meatballs at your wedding reception, your marriage would be doomed and you would never conceive a son to carry on your family name. In addition to cooking, Delphine has always been interested in the arts, singing countless duets with her sister, Carmela, at St. Lawrence of the Roasted Martyrs Church and Convent. Their nativity of cold meats and dairy was always a huge crowd pleaser at Christmastime. Also, as a young girl, Delphine attended Miss FloFlo’s School of Dance for Bigger Girls, where she excelled until she was asked to leave due to an unfortunate fight with a fellow dancer, Tula Mercantelli, over a piece of Easter pie. Today, Tula is carrying her third illegitimate child by a third father, and it serves her right. Undaunted, Delphine was Founder and President of the Pasta and Meat Club at St. Lady of the Divine Pain High School, as well as unofficial Cookie Maker for the Drama Club, where she also landed such roles as Nurse Flinn in “One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest,” the Kit Kat Club Janitor in “Cabaret,” and Rusty Charlie in “Guys And Dolls.” Upon graduating, she was fired from several restaurant jobs for forcing patrons to eat after they were full. Jobless, she teamed up with her sister, Carmela, and founded the borough-famous Calamari Sisters’ Catering Company. They soon became well-known for their song-and-dance-and-cooking routines, being hired by such notable public figures as Ed Koch, Hoda Kotb, and Nancy Harrigan. Knowing that the next natural step for them was television, when the opportunity presented itself, they grabbed it. Four years ago, their Uncle JoJo accidentally went swimming without taking off his cement block, and left them a large inheritance, which they used to finance their public access cable TV show, MANGIA ITALIANO. Delphine wishes to thank her family for all of their support (except her Aunt Viola, go to hell), especially Uncle Geno for being in the right place at the right time when this kitchen set fell off the back of that truck! Delphine sends much love to all of her fans, and invites them to mangia, MANGIA!
CARMELA CALAMARI was born in Bay Ridge, NY, the lightest daughter of Rocco and Vittoria Calamari, weighing 15 pounds at birth. Carmela began turning heads with her cooking from a very young age, combining a lemonade stand with a kissing booth at the age of eight. After being promptly shut down by her uncle, and several of her customers mysteriously disappearing, she turned her attention to more conventional outlets and began competing in the Bay Ridge pageant circuit. While qualified, Carmela was crowned Miss Salami of Bay Ridge, first runner-up Miss Wooden Spoon of Bay Ridge, and Miss Congeniality for Miss Stuck Pig of Bay Ridge; always wowing the crowd with some extraordinary new and unusual talent. It was while competing for the famous Miss Macaroni of Greater Brooklyn when Carmela was allegedly caught feeding one of the judges minestrone soup out of her Gucci knock-off pump. Although never conclusively proven, she was disqualified from any and all future Italian pageants in all five boroughs. Never one to accept defeat, Carmela dove into helping her sister, Delphine, and their grandmother cater events at the Rigatoni Lodge, becoming the fastest cake frost-er in all of Brooklyn. In addition, she became the darling of the St. Lady of the Divine Pain High School’s Drama Club, playing such roles as Effie in “Dreamgirls,” Eliza DooLittle in “My Fairy Lady,” and Mary in “The Secret Garden.” After graduation, Carmela attended DeVry University for a year and a half before pursuing her dream of a life in the show biz. She came close to her big break when she was cast as Kathy Bates butt double, but the MPAA deemed the scene “of questionable taste,” and Carmela’s film debut was never seen. However, when her sister, Delphine, suggested they start a singing-dancing-cooking business together, Carmela knew it was the perfect marriage of her two favorite things: cooking and performing, and so Calamari Sisters’ Catering Company was born. Achieving neighborhood attention for their unusual catering style incorporating song-and-dance routines, she always knew that she needed a medium that would allow more people to experience her unique caliber of entertainment. Public access cable was the answer!! She became the star of MANGIA ITALIANO! Carmela wishes to thank her Uncle JoJo for never making good on his bets, and her devoted fans for their countless letters, pictures (both G-rated and otherwise), and articles of clothing (both laundered and otherwise) the past four years. Carmela wishes to leave you with a quote: “Dreams are like butterflies. Don’t let them go ‘cause they won’t come back. So hold onto them tight even if kills the butterfly.”
LIVELY ARTS PRODUCTIONS (Producer) is a New York based production company focused on theatrical development, investment, and producing, as well as event and design services. Theatrical credits: Cocktails With Coward (Northern Stage, Don’t Tell Mama), The Lightning Field (Fringe 2005 – Winner of Best Play and GLAAD Media Award), Ethan Frome: The Musical (York Theatre Developmental Workshop), White Noise (NYMF 2007), The Greatest Holiday Musical…Ever!(Don’t Tell Mama), Irving Berlin’s I Love A Piano (First National), Booking Consultant on several national tours includingThe Wedding Singer (Second National) through Off Broadway Booking. Currently in development for the national tours of Swing For Victory and South Pathetic, a one man comedy starring Jim David. Event credits: Deborah Cox In Concert, Dixie’s Tupperware Party, Naked Boys Singing Memorial Day Festival (all Fire Island Pines). Design credits: Stormy Weather (Interart), The Tempest (Looking Glass, Spotlight On Award Winner), The Crown Point Festival, ShakespeareNYC Resident Lighting Design (TheatreRow), Lighting Coordinator Pace University’s Michael Schimmel Center for the Arts 2005-2007. Clients included: Inside the Actor’s Studio, NY1 News, People’s Beijing Theater, and Kanye West.
Delphine and Carmela Calamari are bringing their brand-new show, The Calamari Sisters' Sausagefest, to the historic Milton Theatre!
Celebrate the days of summer with these sassy, brassy broads from Brooklyn as they sing, dance, and cook delicious street fair goodies for you and your friends. Whether you're a sausage-lover or not, you'll laugh until your sides ache and fall in love with these dynamic sisters.
Get ready for a raucous good time and above all else, open wide ‘cause here comes the sausage!
will make the kitchen the funniest, most entertaining room in your house!!!
Saturday, June 29 · Doors 1:00 PM / Show 2:00 PM at The Milton Theatre
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“Wall Street’s 9/11”: Did Lehman Brothers Fall or Was It Pushed?
by Ellen Brown on 16 Sep 2009 0 Comment
A year after the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers on September 15, 2008, questions still swirl around its collapse. Lawrence MacDonald, whose book A Colossal Failure of Common Sense came out in July 2009, maintains that the bank was not in substantially worse shape than other major Wall Street banks. He says Lehman was just “put to sleep. They put the pillow over the face of Lehman Brothers and they put her to sleep.” The question is, why?
The Lehman bankruptcy is widely considered to be the watershed event that changed the rules of the game for those Wall Street banks considered “too big to fail.” The bankruptcy option was ruled out once and for all. The taxpayers would have to keep throwing money at the banks, no matter how corrupt, ill-managed or undeserving. As Dean Baker noted in April 2009:
“Geithner has supposedly ruled out the bankruptcy option because when he, along with Henry Paulson and Ben Bernanke, tried letting Lehman Brothers go under last fall, it didn’t turn out very well. Of course, it is not necessary to go the route of an uncontrolled bankruptcy that Geithner and Co. pursued with Lehman...[But] the Geithner crew insists that there are no alternatives to his plan; we have to just keep giving hundreds of billions of dollars to the banks..., further enriching the bankers who wrecked the economy.”
Although Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy on Monday, September 15, 2008, it was actually “bombed” on September 11, when the biggest one-day drop in its stock and highest trading volume occurred before bankruptcy. Lehman CEO Richard Fuld maintained that the 158-year-old bank was brought down by unsubstantiated rumours and illegal naked short selling. Although short selling (selling shares you don’t own) is legal, the short seller is required to have shares lined up to borrow and replace to cover the sale. Failure to buy the shares back in the next three trading days is called a “fail to deliver.”
Christopher Cox, who was chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission in 2008, said in a July 2009 article that naked short selling “can allow manipulators to force prices down far lower than would be possible in legitimate short-selling conditions.” By September 11, 2008, according to the SEC, as many as 32.8 million Lehman shares had been sold and not delivered – a 57-fold increase over the peak of the prior year. For a very large company like Lehman, with plenty of “float” (available shares for trading), this unprecedented number was highly suspicious and warranted serious investigation. But the SEC, which was criticized for failing to follow up even on tips that Bernie Madoff’s business was a ponzi scheme, has yet to announce the results of any investigation.
Other questions about the Lehman collapse are raised in David Wessel’s July 2009 book In Fed We Trust. Why was Bear Stearns saved from bankruptcy but Lehman Brothers was not? How could the decision makers not realize the dire consequences of letting Lehman go down?
One possible explanation is that they actually thought the bank would be bought out at the last minute, just as Bear Stearns was. In both cases, the parties worked feverishly over the weekend after the stock’s collapse to try to negotiate a deal. For Bear Stearns, the negotiations succeeded, with the help of the New York Federal Reserve, which provided the loan used by JPMorgan Chase to complete the deal. With Lehman, however, the interested buyer was British, and the help that was needed was from the UK Chancellor of the Exchequer, Alistair Darling. The weekend after the September 11 stock collapse, intense negotiations were pursued with Barclays Bank, which was prepared to underwrite Lehman’s debts; but it needed a waiver from British regulators of a rule requiring shareholder approval.
Negotiations continued until the market was getting ready to open in Japan on Sunday, but UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling would not give the necessary waiver. He said something to the effect that he did not want to infect Britain with America’s cancer. The sentiment was understandable, but the question was, why did he wait until it was too late for the Treasury or the Federal Reserve to move in with other arrangements?
The issue takes on more significance in light of the fact that Chancellor Darling played a similar role in another 9-11 collapse the previous year. On September 11, 2007, frantic customers were lining up outside Northern Rock, the UK’s fifth largest mortgage lender, in the first British bank run in 141 years. The bank’s shares plunged 31% in a single day. Like the collapse of Lehman Brothers in the US, the bankruptcy of Northern Rock changed the rules of the game. Britain’s major banks too would now be saved at any cost, in order to avoid the loss of customer confidence, panic and bank runs that could precipitate a 1929-style market crash.
With Northern Rock, as with Lehman Brothers, Alistair Darling could have saved the day but backed down. Northern Rock had a willing buyer, Lloyds TSB; but the buyer needed a loan from the Bank of England, which the Bank’s Governor, Mervyn King, had denied. Darling was advised by his staff to overrule the Governor and grant the loan, but this would have cost political capital for UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who had been widely lauded for giving the Bank of England its independence in 1997.
Brown is criticized domestically for precipitating the financial crisis with errors made as Chancellor of the Exchequer before he became Prime Minister. Critics maintain the British Treasury has abdicated its responsibility as the financial overseer of the British economy to the Bank of England, which in many ways controls the government, because its advice is always followed regarding the British budget. The whole scenario suggests that the much-vaunted virtues of an independent central bank are overblown. Some economists, including Milton Friedman and Ben Bernanke, blame poor policymaking by an independent Federal Reserve for bringing on the Great Depression of the 1930s.
Shock Therapy?
According to Representative Paul Kanjorski, speaking on C-SPAN in January 2009, the collapse of Lehman Brothers precipitated a $550 billion run on the money market funds on Thursday, September 18. This was the dire news that Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson presented to Congress behind closed doors, prompting Congressional approval of Paulson’s $700 billion bank bailout despite deep misgivings. It was the sort of “shock therapy” discussed by Naomi Klein in her book The Shock Doctrine, in which a major crisis prompts hasty emergency action involving the relinquishment of rights or funds that would otherwise be difficult to pry loose from the citizenry.
Like the “bombing” of Lehman stock on September 11, the $550 billion money market run was suspicious. The stock market had plunged when Lehman filed for bankruptcy on September 15, but it actually went up on September 16. Why did the money market wait until September 18 to collapse? A report by the Joint Economic Committee pointed to the fact that the $62 billion Reserve Primary Fund had “broken the buck” (fallen below a stable $1 per share) due to its Lehman investments; but that had occurred on September 15, and the fund had suspended redemptions for the following week. What dire reversal happened on September 17? According to the SEC, it was another record day for illegal naked short selling. Failed trades climbed to 49.7 million – 23% of Lehman trades.
Larger Question Is Why?
All of this suggests that Lehman Brothers did not just fall over the brink but was pushed. Judge James Peck, who presided in the bankruptcy proceedings, said “Lehman Brothers became a victim, in effect the only true icon to fall in a tsunami that has befallen the credit markets.”
If Lehman was indeed sacrificed, who pushed it and to what end? Some critics point to Henry Paulson and his cronies at Goldman Sachs, Lehman’s arch rival. Goldman certainly came out on top after Lehman’s demise, but there are other possibilities as well, involving more global players. The month after Lehman collapsed, Gordon Brown and the EU leaders called for using the financial crisis as an opportunity to radically enhance the regulatory power of global institutions. Brown spoke of “a new global financial order,” echoing the “new world order” referred to by globalist banker David Rockefeller when he said in 1994:
“We are on the verge of a global transformation. All we need is the right major crisis and the nations will accept the new world order.”
Richard Haas, President of the US Council on Foreign Relations, wrote in 2006:
“Globalisation... implies that sovereignty is not only becoming weaker in reality, but that it needs to become weaker.” Sovereignty is one of these cherished rights that nations will give up only with “the right major crisis.” Gordon Brown put it like this: “Sometimes it takes a crisis for people to agree that what is obvious and should have been done years ago, can no longer be postponed...We must create a new international financial architecture for the global age.”
In April 2009, Gordon Brown and Alistair Darling hosted the G20 summit in London, which focused on the financial crisis. A global currency issue was approved, and an international Financial Stability Board was agreed to as global regulator, to be based in the controversial Bank for International Settlements in Basel, Switzerland. The international bankers who caused the financial crisis are indeed capitalizing on it, consolidating their power in “a new global financial order” that gives them top-down global control. Just some food for thought as September 11 rolls around again.
© Copyright Ellen Brown, Web of Debt, 2009
Courtesy Global Research [www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=15103]
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Youthline launches AI to support young people
Youthline is celebrating the convergence of Youth Week and Tech Week 2019 with the launch of their brand new Digital Assistant, Sam. In 2018, with the support of the Vodafone Foundation and tech partners JRNY, Youthline began working on a technologically innovative way to respond to more young people in need. Fresh from the Facebook Global Safety and Wellbeing Summit in New York, Youthline CEO Shae Ronald says, "the need to test new ways of interacting with young people and providing good information is so important, especially when you’re dealing with the volume of contacts we receive at Youthline." No stranger to providing support solutions in new ways, Youthline was inundated by contacts when they first began providing counselling by text message, one of the first Helplines in the world to do so. "Suicide prevention and the role of technology was a key theme at the Summit," says Ronald, "I was proud to be able to represent New Zealand and share the role we are playing at the intersection of technology and support." Equipped with decades of data about the top issues young people contact the organisation about, Youthline set about to build a Digital Assistant to help us respond to the enormous number of incoming contacts we receive each year.
This will not replace the critical human interaction at the heart of what we do, but rather help people connect to the information they are seeking, and to a person, as wanted, more efficiently. Sam has been designed to support young people to navigate Youthline services and programmes, and to meet young people where they are at and encourage them to seek further support if they need it. Sam can currently respond to approximately 200 frequently asked questions related to topics like stress, confidence, self-esteem, anxiety, depression, relationships, bullying, youth leadership, volunteering and counselling. These topics were workshopped with several groups of young people, and their language and feedback has been directly incorporated throughout the development process. The Digital Assistant uses conversational artificial intelligence and natural language processing, including sentiment analysis, to recognise questions and learn from interactions over time. Sam will live within Facebook’s Messenger platform, and on the Youthline website, as a starting point. Mia Garlick, Facebook’s Director of Policy for Australia and New Zealand said Messenger chatbots are a simple but effective tool for support services like Youthline to provide scaled, instant access to their programmes in the spaces that young people use most.
"We’re seeing an increased use of direct messaging apps like Messenger, and we commend Youthline for adopting this trend to provide discreet support to young people and instantly equip them with important tools and information when they need it most," says Ms Garlick.
The project was a natural fit for the Vodafone Foundation Innovation Fund which was set up to support innovative work that aims to create better outcomes for our most excluded and disadvantaged youth. New Zealand has the worst youth suicide rate in the developed world. "We see a lot of potential in this project, and it’s alignment with our overall strategy as a Foundation. We’re excited to see how it develops and the contribution it makes to a healthier ecosystem for our young people," says Head of the Vodafone Foundation Lani Evans. It was an exciting fit for technology partners, JRNY, as well. Mental health is a particular passion of JRNY CEO and co-founder Michael Lovegrove. ""It's no secret that young New Zealanders struggle with their mental health, and we need to do something about it. As a company with powerful AI technology, it's our duty to use it for the greater good and help young New Zealanders to get the help they need. The JRNY team is incredibly proud to have worked with Youthline on this project," says Lovegrove. Sam, the Digital Assistant, is now live and will begin to learn from interactions with young people across New Zealand.
Cut certainty fuels markets
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THE ELECTRIC MILES PROJECT: CHRIS KELSEY & WHAT I SAY
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Pianist Herbie Hancock tells a story of going into the recording studio with Miles Davis, circa late-1960s, and not being able to find a piano. Confused, he asked Miles what he was supposed to play. Davis pointed at a Fender Rhodes electric piano in the corner, and said, “Play that.” The rest is history.
More than a tribute album, Chris Kelsey & What I Say: The Electric Miles Project is an original, unaffected take on Davis’s electric legacy by musicians whose early love of that music was the first step in a lifelong journey of exploration – a journey characterized by a love of jazz, sure, but more importantly, a love for the wider world of creative music, regardless of genre.
Saxophonist Chris Kelsey and the individual members of What I Say were kids when Davis first scandalized the jazz world by plugging-in. Too young and open-eared to be outraged, they were, instead, fascinated. Davis albums like In a Silent Way and Bitches Brew became crucial elements in their musical education. In the years to come, while they learned from many sources, the Miles influence remained fundamental.
It makes sense, then, that after distinguished careers playing every kind of music under the sun (leavened by more than a decade apiece working in a milieu as famously experimental and eclectic as the Downtown New York scene of the ‘80s and ‘90s), they would revisit their youthful infatuation with Miles’s electric music.
Saxophonist Chris Kelsey has spent much of the last two decades playing his own form of cutting-edge acoustic jazz. Yet his early experience playing fusion and his love for electric MIles made their mark, and in 2011, a long-contemplated Miles project hit his front burner. In forming a band to realize the music, Kelsey reached out to two old friends with whom he’d played a great deal over the years, bassist Joe Gallant and guitarist Jack DeSalvo. On drums, Kelsey chose a relatively new friend, his near-neighbor in the Hudson Valley, Dean Sharp. When Gallant suggested as second guitarist Rolf Sturm, a great sound sculptor and lead player who Kelsey knew from his work with the bassist’s Illuminati Orchestra, the lineup was set.
The nature of that lineup distinguishes What I Say from other well-known electric Miles projects, many if not most of which are all-star and/or ad-hoc aggregations. What I Say is a band; it came together organically, and comprises a group of musicians who share many years of experience in-common … in particular, years of experience on the Downtown scene, where disregarding convention and flouting tradition was a way of life.
That lack of reverence for the tried-and-true exists alongside an openness to anything and everything, which is another thing that sets the band apart. All are superb jazz players, to be sure, but jazz is just one aspect of their art, jostling for position with rock, funk, punk, classical, r&b, blues, ambient, and virtually any other style one could name.
The organic nature of the band’s construction and diverse nature of their collective experience results in the direct, no-frills approach they bring to such Davis tunes as “Agharta Prelude,” “Ife” and “Sivad.” There’s nothing gimmicky about this music, no high concept fueling the project. At bottom, What I Say: The Electric Miles Project reveals a collection of highly simpatico and gifted improvising musicians doing their infinitely multi-faceted thing, whilst holding in mind their personal relationship to a music that in so many ways helped them become the endlessly curious, passionate, and innovative artists they are.
The finished product becomes, in part, a hint at how post-1980s jazz might have developed had it not become bogged-down with traditionalist dogma – an example of what happens when the music’s custom of incorporating the best aspects of other forms is allowed free rein, resulting in a music that more accurately reflects its own time.
Called “a provocateur in the best sense of the term: a player (and writer) who thrives on pushing buttons,” by Derek Taylor of All About Jazz, and “at the forefront of the fiery reedists today,” by Greg Applegate Edwards of Gapplegate Music Review, Chris Kelsey’s music follows in the tradition of individualism and innovation of Miles Davis, John Coltrane, and Ornette Coleman. Kelsey made his reputation with a series of albums for the C.I.M.P. imprint in the ‘90s and ‘00s, as well as several for his own Saxofonis Music and Tzazz Krytyk labels. From the early ‘90s, he’s maintained an active presence on the Downtown NYC music scene, performing at many of the city’s most important venues, including frequent appearances at the Knitting Factory. Kelsey has a parallel career as a music journalist, contributing to such publications as Jazziz, JazzTimes, The All Music Guide to Jazz, and others, as well as serving as an Associate Editor for the website Jazz.com under the author/pianist Ted Gioia. Kelsey recently published a book of his original compositions, entitled Attack of the Contrafact.
Chris Kelsey, electric saxophones
Rolf Strum, electric guitar
Jack DeSalvo, electric guitar
Joe Gallant, electric bass
Dean Sharp, drums
The Electric Miles Project
Agharta Prelude
Mad Love Pt. 1
Sivad
Recorded July 29, 2011 in Canaan, NY
Engineered by Steven Walcott
Edited, mixed, and mastered by Chris Kelsey
foUR-7991
Released under license from Chris Kelsey
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Contact the Blogle
Top 30 at Jordan-Hare
Top 30 of my First 30
Top 30 at Jordan-Hare: #2 Auburn 22, Alabama 14
by The WarBlogler on September 2, 2010 in Football, Nostalgia, Top 30 at Jordan-Hare
2. Auburn 22 vs. Alabama 14 – Nov. 20, 1993
How I Remember It: 1993 must have just been my year. Like the Florida game from this same season, I sat in the “orange seats” for the Iron Bowl as well.
I remember Patrick Nix coming off the bench and throwing to Frank Sanders for a touchdown on his first pass. I remember James Bostic running up the middle to seal the win. I also remember jumping over the divider between the common folk and the uppity folk after the win to get closer to the celebration, which drew looks of shock from the regulars.
For some reason, I believe someone mentioned Dameyune Craig to me for the first time, saying he was going to be pretty good, and I’d say they were right.
What Really Happened: The Bowden-led, probation-stricken, no-tv-or-bowl-game Tigers came into this game undefeated (10-0) and ranked #6 in the nation, which was ridiculous. Auburn couldn’t play for the national championship game, due to probation, so I guess that meant they weren’t as good. Alabama was 8-1-1 and ranked #11 nationally.
Auburn would get on the board first with a Scott Etheridge field goal late in the 1st quarter. Early in the 2nd quarter, Alabama receiver Kevin Lee took an end around for a 62-yard touchdown. With 10 minutes left in the half, the Tide led 7-3.
On Alabama’s next drive, following a deep punt by Terry “I Look Like a Defensive Lineman but I’m the Punter” Daniels, Jay Evans…uh, Barker was sacked in the endzone for a safety. Just before the half, Alabama took just two plays to move the ball 53 yards for a touchdown. This gave the Tide a 14-5 lead at the half.
Halfway through the 3rd quarter, Auburn drove down to the Alabama 29-yard line, but on 3rd down, Stan White was sacked for a 6-yard loss. White sustained a knee injury on the play and had to leave the game. However, as if he was the starter himself, Patrick Nix entered the game, and on 4th-and-15 from the Alabama 35-yard line, Nix floated a pass to Frank Sanders, who “caught it at the two, and he dives in! Touchdown Auburn! Touchdown Auburn!”. Sorry, I had a Fyffe moment. The touchdown brought the score to 14-12.
Alabama’s next possession was halted by a Brian Robinson interception, and gave the Auburn offense a chance to take the lead. The Tide defense stopped the Tigers, but Etheridge gave Auburn a 15-14 lead with 14 minutes left in the game.
Auburn would then drive down to the 1-yard line, and attempted a field goal on 4th-and-1, but the snap was bobbled and the holder was tackled for no gain.
On Alabama’s next try, Barker was intercepted again on 4th down with 2:30 to play. On Auburn’s first play, James Bostic ran up the middle for 70-yards and the touchdown. Auburn now led 22-14.
Alabama’s last effort was stopped with a batted pass on 4th down. The Tigers took a knee and the clock expired giving Auburn the Iron Bowl victory, an undefeated season, and a claim as the nation’s #1 team.
Why did I pick this game? This was my second Iron Bowl, but the first that I remember. It capped off an undefeated season against Alabama. You can’t get much better than that. Well, I guess no probation would have been better, but you get the point.
Fun Fact: Due to Auburn’s probation, this game was not televised. However, the game was shown in Bryant-Denny Stadium which caused this to be the only game in history to sell out two stadiums at the same time.
Play of the Game: Patrick Nix’s touchdown pass to Frank Sanders in the 3rd quarter brought Auburn back into the game, and began Auburn’s streak of 17 unanswered points.
Player of the Game: James Bostic ran 19 times for 147 yards and a touchdown. Most of the yards came on his 70-yard touchdown run late in the game, but he led both teams in rushing yards even without that play.
Quote of the Game: “Now it’s the ’57 and ’93 Auburn teams. It’s a great team, with emphasis on team. They just kept finding a way to win and that’s what led us to be 11-0. Now let every Auburn fan call us #1.” – Terry Bowden
Game Story: Times Daily
Box Score: Times Daily
Nix to Sanders:
Bostic’s Run:
The rest of the Top 30:
3. Auburn 30 vs. LSU 26 – Sept. 17, 1994
4. Auburn 38 vs. Florida 35 – Oct. 16, 1993
5. Auburn 10 vs. LSU 9 – Sept. 18, 2004
9. Alabama 26 vs. Auburn 21 – Nov. 27, 2009
10. Auburn 41 vs. West Virginia 30 – Sept. 19, 2009
11. Auburn 28 vs. Alabama 21 – Nov. 19, 2005
12. Auburn 10 vs. Florida 7 – Nov. 4, 1989
13. Auburn 28 vs. Tennessee 21 – Oct. 4, 2003
14. Georgia 56 vs. Auburn 49 – Nov. 16, 1996
15. Auburn 7 vs. LSU 3 – Sept. 16, 2006
16. Auburn 20 vs Florida State 17 – Oct. 20, 1990
18. Auburn 29 vs. Georgia 26 – Nov. 11, 2000
19. Auburn 38 vs. Arkansas – Oct. 16, 2004
20. LSU 26 vs. Auburn 21 – Sept. 20, 2008
23. Auburn 33 vs. Ole Miss 20 – Oct. 31, 2009
24. Auburn 26 vs. Tennessee 26 – Sept. 29, 1990
25. Auburn 31 vs. LSU 7 – Oct. 26, 2002
26. Auburn 27 vs. Florida State 24 – Oct. 1, 1983
27. Ole Miss 24 vs. Auburn 20 – Nov. 8, 2003
28. Auburn 24 vs. Georgia 6 – Nov. 13, 2004
29. Auburn 55 vs. Pacific 0 – Sept. 9, 1989
30. Auburn 37 vs. Syracuse 34 – Sept. 28, 2002
WDEinTTown September 2, 2010 at 9:35 pm · Reply
I think they showed it in Beard-Eaves also. So maybe it sold out two stadiums and a coliseum.
The_Anomaly September 2, 2010 at 11:26 pm · Reply
That Nix to Sanders play happened right in front of where I was sitting. There’s no way we were losing that game after that play.
Jared September 1, 2011 at 2:41 pm · Reply
The YouTube video you linked is marked private. Try this one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2BtfZj_pI8
The WarBlogler September 1, 2011 at 2:54 pm · Reply
Fixed it. Thanks for the heads up.
Brad January 12, 2012 at 9:54 am · Reply
That Bostic run actually could have cost Auburn the game. It put us up by 8, but it gave bama the ball back with a chance to tie. Had he taken a knee at the one yard line, we could have run the clock out and won by 1 with no risk. That said, I remember how happy I was when he broke through the first line of defenders WDE!
Emilio August 30, 2013 at 10:15 pm · Reply
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Bret November 14, 2013 at 11:19 am · Reply
My seat was on the 10 right in front of where Sanders caught the ball. I replayed that in my head all day the next day in church.
My first Iron Bowl remains my favorite November 25, 2015 at 6:40 am ·
[…] For a more detailed fan account of the 1993 Iron Bowl, click here. […]
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Autodesk Expands Options for Mac Users
Autodesk and Parallels Team to Support Mac Virtualization for AutoCAD, AutoCAD LT, Autodesk Inventor Professional, 3ds Max and Revit Software
SAN RAFAEL, Calif., Sept. 24 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Autodesk, Inc. (NASDAQ: ADSK), a leader in 2D and 3D design, engineering and entertainment software, and Parallels, a worldwide leader in virtualization and automation software, announced that they have signed an agreement to make Parallels Desktop for Mac Autodesk's preferred Mac virtualization software.
Autodesk will now support use of AutoCAD software, AutoCAD LT software, Autodesk Inventor Professional software, Autodesk 3ds Max software, Autodesk 3ds Max Design software and the Autodesk Revit software platform for building information modeling (BIM) on Mac OS X via Parallels Desktop. Autodesk added official support for these products on the Mac via Boot Camp earlier this year.
"Autodesk customers are increasingly working with both Mac and Windows, and have asked us to support Mac virtualization," said Chris Bradshaw, Autodesk chief marketing officer. "Today we are pleased to welcome Parallels as a partner and Parallels Desktop as our preferred Mac virtualization software. This is the latest step in Autodesk's ongoing efforts to support our customers on the Mac, who will now be able to use some of our most popular 2D and 3D design, engineering and entertainment software alongside Mac OS X, in addition to the five native Mac applications we currently offer."
"Parallels Desktop for Mac enables over two million users to run Windows-based applications seamlessly and simply on their Mac," said Serguei Beloussov, chief executive officer of Parallels. "Autodesk has a long history of creating innovative and industry-leading software for design, engineering and entertainment, and we've heard many requests from customers interested in using their Autodesk applications with Parallels. We are delighted to partner with Autodesk to help make this software more broadly available to the Mac community."
With the launch of the Autodesk Alias family of software for Mac OS X earlier this year, Autodesk now offers six native Mac OS X applications for the entertainment, multimedia and design industries, including Autodesk SketchBook Pro, Autodesk Maya, Autodesk Mudbox and Autodesk Stitcher Unlimited software. For more information about Autodesk Mac support, visit http://www.autodesk.com/mac.
About Parallels -- Optimized Computing
Parallels is a worldwide leader in virtualization and automation software that optimizes computing for consumers, businesses and cloud services providers across all major hardware, operating systems and virtualization platforms. Founded in 1999, Parallels is a fast-growing company with 700 employees in North America, Europe and Asia. For more information, please visit www.parallels.com.
Autodesk, Inc., is a world leader in 2D and 3D design and engineering software for the manufacturing, building and construction, and media and entertainment markets. Since its introduction of AutoCAD software in 1982, Autodesk has developed the broadest portfolio of state-of-the-art Digital Prototyping solutions to help customers experience their ideas before they are real. Fortune 1000 companies rely on Autodesk for the tools to visualize, simulate and analyze real-world performance early in the design process to save time and money, enhance quality and foster innovation. For additional information about Autodesk, visit www.autodesk.com.
Autodesk, AutoCAD, AutoCAD LT, Alias, Autodesk Inventor, ImageModeler, Inventor, Maya, Mudbox, Revit, SketchBook, Stitcher and 3ds Max are registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., and/or its subsidiaries and/or affiliates in the USA and/or other countries. All other brand names, product names or trademarks belong to their respective holders. Autodesk reserves the right to alter product offerings and specifications at any time without notice, and is not responsible for typographical or graphical errors that may appear in this document.
Autodesk Contact: Noah Cole Parallels Contact: Kate Lannan
Email: noah.cole@autodesk.com Email : klannan@parallels.com
Phone : +1 415 200 6310 Phone : +1 425 282 6416
SOURCE Autodesk, Inc.
http://www.parallels.com//
Research and Markets: Autodesk Inventor 2010: No Experience Required Teaches the Essential Skills and Demonstrates the Software Using a Continuous, Real-World Tutorial Project
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KevCAM Night School - Rotary Machining 4 Axis
Senior Operations Environmental Analyst for EDP renewables at Houston, Texas
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Morrison, Mary Anne (Rice)
Mary Anne (Rice) Morrison, age 85, of Winona, passed away on Sunday, June 16, 2019, at St. Anne Extended Healthcare.
She was born on June 27, 1933, in Winona, to Joseph and Alice (Pehler) Breza. She graduated from Cathedral High School in 1951, and attended Winona State University.
Mary Anne was united in marriage with Donald Rice on November 21, 1956, in Winona, and he preceded her in death on March 18, 1988. She later married Donald Morrison on July 26, 1991, in Winona, and he preceded her in death on July 8, 2013.
She was a member of the Basilica of St. Stanislaus Kostka, and also of the Polish Museum, which she was instrumental in helping to establish. Mary Anne was previously employed as the activities director for the Watkins Home, but her favorite role in life was that of being a devoted wife, mother, and grandmother.
Mary Anne will be remembered for her great love of reading, and she was the author of four books including, “Cross Your Heart, Hope to Die,” as well as three of the books in the children’s Quacker’s Saddle Shoes series. She also loved animals, dancing, walking and riding her bike around Lake Winona, painting, and spending winters in Arizona.
Mary Anne is lovingly survived by her children, Russ (Betty VanDerHeyDen) Rice and Ted (Kelly) Rice; grandchildren, Steven Rice, Jeffrey Rice, Alyssa (Dustin) Ross, Becky (Brandon Wachal) Rice, Brooke Rice, William Rice, and Ashlea Beisell; many great-grandchildren; a brother, Fr. Paul Breza; step-children, Paul (Mary Jo) Morrison, Jim (Jean) Morrison, and Mary Amundson; step-grandchildren, Hayley, Tanner, Andrew, Justin, Alyssa, Katie (Ethan), and Matt; as well as other relatives and friends.
She was preceded in death by her husbands; parents; brother, Tom; and sister, Theresa Mrozek.
Visitation will be held from 12:30 p.m. until the Mass of Christian Burial at 1 p.m. on Friday, June 21, 2019, in the Chapel of Our Lady at St. Anne Extended Healthcare. The Reverend Paul J. Breza will officiate. Following the Mass, a luncheon and reception will be held in the Gaudeamus Room of St. Anne.
Burial will be in the Catholic Cemetery, La Crosse.
It is respectfully asked that memorials be considered to Alzheimer’s research, in lieu of flowers.
Mary Anne’s family would like to extend their deepest appreciation to the staffs of St. Anne and St. Croix Hospice for the excellent and loving care which she received.
Online condolences or memories may be left for Mary Ann’s family at www.watkowski-mulyck.com.
Watkowski-Mulyck Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements.
Hinkley, Faith M.
Volkman, Wilbert F.
Orlikowski, Donald George
Meska, Patricia A.
Adank, Lyle Robert
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San Antonio, TX — Presenting "The W. Kamau Bell Curve: Ending Racism in about an Hour"
Trinity University 1 Trinity Place San Antonio, TX, 78212 United States (map)
The W. Kamau Bell Curve is a comedic exploration of the current state of America’s racism, combined with a little (unknown) history, a little Powerpoint, and a whole bunch of Kamau. And because racism is always attacking in new ways and from new angles, Kamau attacks back by constantly adding new material. The W. Kamau Bell Curve is a seamless mix of stand-up comedy, video and audio clips, personal stories and solo theatrical performance.
St. Mary's City, MD — Presenting "The W. Kamau Bell Curve: Ending Racism in about an Hour"
Kingsville, TX — Presenting "The W. Kamau Bell Curve: Ending Racism in about an Hour"
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Your Dad's Gay
About Your Dad’s Gay
Nicholas McInerny (Writer/Producer)
Nicholas is an award winning dramatist and writer with over 75 professional credits in TV, Film, Stage and Radio. TV Credits include being a lead writer on THE BILL (Freemantle), writing over 30 episodes, as well as the hospital drama ALWAYS & EVERYONE (Granada), and work on HOLBY and CASUALTY (BBC 1). He has had two screenplays commissioned, written 12 stage plays – the most recent was THE INCREDIBLE DOCTOR GUTTMANN, published in 2016. He has also written over 30 radio plays – including HOW TO HAVE A PERFECT MARRIAGE, now called yourdadsgay.
Duncan Thomsen (Director/Editor/Producer)
Duncan has been a professional film editor for 30 years, working on primetime documentaries and entertainment for the BBC, ITV and PBS. He is also an accomplished short film director and has a total passion for film and drama. Duncan is also a fan of series such as ‘Walking Dead’, ‘Breaking Bad’ and ‘Westworld’ and wants to bring the cinematic elements of high level productions like those to a low budget webseries. He believes this is a combination of great camera work and time spent in the edit, and can tell this story in a way that will entertain and engage.
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Luke Bryan Performs for Biggest Stadium Crowd Yet at New Jersey Tour Stop
Annie Reuter
Luke Bryan performed for more than 50,000 country fans on Saturday night (June 2). The MetLife Stadium show in New Jersey was his biggest stadium performance to date. For two hours Bryan ran through his lengthy catalog of hits, backed by a fireworks display.
Bryan kicked off his two-hour What Makes You Country Tour set with his signature song, "Country Girl (Shake It for Me)." With plenty of hip shaking, what we can assume was a caffeine rush (and those fireworks), he got the audience energized for what would be a memorable night of music. Some lucky fans were seated close, thanks to Verizon's customer rewards program, Verizon Up, and got to take in the shaking in all its glory.
"Where them country girls at?" Bryan asked the humongous crowd at the start of his set. "We're going to get you shaking right off the bat."
He wasn't lying. The New Jersey audience was dancing right along with him, including a young boy Bryan brought onstage who imitated the Backpack Kid dance. Later in the set, the superstar would invite two girls up after noticing a sign that read, "It's my 8th birthday. Can I dance with you, Luke?"
While performing his 2007 single "All My Friends Say," he grabbed several beers from a cooler placed onstage. After taking a sip from each one, he'd hand them out to fans in the crowd — a much-appreciated gesture. Bryan admitted that drinking too much beer gets in the way of his figure, unlike Sam Hunt, who opened the MetLife Stadium show.
"You know what, he works out a lot. I cannot compete with that sh--!" Bryan joked. "I just don't want to give up drinking. I mean, I work out a little bit, but I ain't giving up no damn cold beer on a Sunday."
He added, "I got the right kind of six-pack. That's a song idea!" He came up with the lyrics on the spot, singing: "I got the right kind of six-pack. I got the right kind of six-pack. I got a little in the front, little in the back. I got the right kind of six-pack."
Throughout the night, it was obvious that Bryan was in his element. As he ran around the catwalk he'd often interact with the fans below, making faces, showcasing his dance moves or simply pointing and smiling at them. His energy never wavered on songs like "I Don't Want This Night to End," "Move" and "Kick the Dust Up." On the slower ballads, he still captivated — highlights included his three-week No. 1 "Most People Are Good," the sultry "Strip It Down" and the poignant "Drink a Beer," during which he urged fans to take a sip of their drink to remember those they have lost.
Mid-set Bryan returned to center-stage alone, with just a microphone and his guitar, and admitted that he never gets to play guitar and sing by himself anymore. He segued into a snippet of his first No. 1 hit, "Do I," before beginning "Home Alone Tonight," his 2015 duet with Little Big Town's Karen Fairchild. Remarking that he needed a duet partner, he asked if any women in the audience would be able to sing with him. One woman, a pediatric nurse named Michelle, eagerly volunteered herself, but once she got to the stage admitted that she can't sing.
"You can't actually sing, but you can try? You sing karaoke? That's a little different than this sh-- going on right now," Bryan told her. "I need some damn help. You realize I've been judging American Idol for like six months so if you can't, I'm going to call you out in front of 50,000 people."
Michelle was forthcoming — she began to sing Fairchild's part and the crowd responded with unfortunate boos. Bryan came to her rescue, though, telling everyone to settle down, and the two eventually finished the song together. It was a comedic part of Bryan's two-hour show that showcased the singer's good-natured spirit and exactly why he's become a household name.
"Right here tonight, of all the stadiums I've had the privilege of playing, this is the biggest crowd I've ever played for," Bryan marveled as he looked out on 50K people. "Right here, y'all made it happen. Thank you!"
Sam Hunt, Jon Pardi and Morgan Wallen kicked off the show. Hunt — a superstar himself — delivered an impressive hour-long set which included his massive hits "Body Like a Back Road," "Break Up in a Small Town," "House Party" and "Make You Miss Me" as well as new single "Downtown's Dead" and "Drinkin' Too Much." Ahead of performing his cut for Billy Currington, "We Are Tonight," Hunt talked about how he started out as a struggling musician. In 2013 he was broke and living off gas station pizza while trying to get his career off the ground.
When Currington cut his song, everything changed. "He helped me put a little change in my pocket, keep these boys fed, and kept enough gas in the van and on the road to MetLife Stadium," Hunt shared.
Hunt's set included a stripped-down medley of old-school country hits to "bring the Nashville honky-tonk experience to New Jersey." His covers included Brooks & Dunn's "Brand New Man," Jo Dee Messina's "Heads Carolina, Tails California," the Dixie Chicks "Goodbye Earl," Tim McGraw's "Where the Green Grass Grows" and Garth Brooks' "Ain't Goin' Down ('Til the Sun Comes Up)."
Bryan's What Makes You Country Tour continues through the summer, with more stadium and amphitheater stops planned.
Editor's Note: Verizon Up offers unique music experiences to Verizon members. Ahead of the show, a backstage tour was provided to Taste of Country, and a member of Bryan's team shared a behind-the-scenes look at the star's current tour. Throughout the concert, Verizon customers were given special seating in the Verizon Up Members Section, which was located near the catwalk of Bryan's stage. Music fans interested in a similar experience can earn rewards by enrolling with the My Verizon app.
Both Luke Bryan and Sam Hunt Make This List of 2018's Sexiest Country Fellas
Source: Luke Bryan Performs for Biggest Stadium Crowd Yet at New Jersey Tour Stop
Filed Under: Luke Bryan, Sam Hunt
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Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons
Releases, Media and Public Affairs
2016 Trafficking in Persons Report
Country Narratives
Trafficking in Persons 2013 Report: Country Narratives
Hungary is a source, transit, and destination country for women and girls subjected to sex trafficking and forced labor. Hungarian women and children are subjected to sex trafficking within the country and in the Netherlands, Switzerland, the United Kingdom (UK), Denmark, Germany, Austria, Italy, Norway, Spain, Ireland, Belgium, Greece, and the United States. Men and women from Hungary are subjected to conditions of forced labor in the UK, Spain, Canada, the Netherlands, and the United States, as well as in agricultural and construction sectors in Hungary. Authorities reported increased detection of forced labor during the year. Sex trafficking victims in Hungary are subjected to exploitation in street prostitution and in brothels disguised as bars or massage parlors, as well as in private apartments or homes. Victims are usually housed in apartments owned by the traffickers or on outbuildings on their property. Experts report that traffickers recruited Roma and other girls from Hungarian orphanages for sex trafficking within the country. Roma women and children are disproportionately represented among trafficking victims in the country.
The Government of Hungary does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so. During the year, the government increased its conviction rate for trafficking offenders but remained hampered by a legal system that requires proof of buying and selling of the victim. In 2012, the government amended general victim assistance legislation to ensure that trafficking victims received support, including access to shelter, regardless of their participation in a criminal case. Also in 2012, the government issued a decree introducing a formalized national-level victim identification protocol. During the reporting period, the government increased shelter capacity by providing funding to an additional NGO. Overall, however, the government continued to offer limited assistance to trafficking victims. NGOs continued to report that some victims who refused to testify against their traffickers were vulnerable to being charged and detained by police for committing a crime against sexual morals. Experts reported that the Hungarian government did not proactively address trafficking occurring within the country, and officials continued to treat children in prostitution as perpetrators—as opposed to victims of trafficking. Serious misunderstandings of child sex trafficking continued to hamper the government’s ability to effectively address Hungary’s trafficking problem.
Recommendations for Hungary: Continue to further expand shelter capacity in Hungary and ensure consistent funding for NGOs providing victim care; bolster protection for trafficking victims who face serious harm and retribution from their traffickers, including by developing longer-term care options to improve their reintegration in Hungary; provide specialized training for social workers to facilitate reintegration assistance for these victims; expand jurisdiction of the specialized anti-trafficking police unit to investigate local, domestic cases of trafficking without an international link; develop stand-alone procedures based on the new identification degree for authorities to increase detection of trafficking victims exploited within Hungary, including among Roma and local children in prostitution; issue guidance for local police to ensure children in prostitution are not treated as offenders and punished for unlawful acts committed as a direct result of being trafficked; take steps to increase incentives for victims’ voluntary cooperation with law enforcement; ensure that the Hungarian anti-trafficking law is fully harmonized with the definition of trafficking under the EU Directive 2011/36/EU by more precisely defining exploitation (including child prostitution, forced prostitution, forced labor, begging, and the exploitation of criminal activities), by ensuring that buying and selling and the transactional basis for trafficking is not required, and by ensuring that means are required to prove an act of adult trafficking; and consider appointing specialized prosecutors and judges to litigate trafficking cases.
The Hungarian government made progress in its anti-trafficking law enforcement efforts in 2012. During the year, authorities continued to investigate trafficking cases and increased convictions for trafficking offenders. Hungary prohibits all forms of trafficking through Sections 175/B of its current criminal code, but the law is both overbroad because it does not require coercive means to prove the basic offense of trafficking in persons, and is too narrow because the courts have interpreted it to require evidence that the victim was bought or sold. Prescribed penalties range from one to 20 years’ imprisonment, which are sufficiently stringent and commensurate with those prescribed for other serious crimes, such as rape. Officials recognize that the narrow judicial interpretation has created overly strict evidentiary requirements for prosecutors to prove the crime of human trafficking—specifically with regards to the transaction requirement and a Supreme Court case requires evidence of direct or recently committed violence. The new Criminal Code adopted by Parliament in June 2012 amended counter-trafficking provisions, effective July 1, 2013. The new regulations introduced an explicit offence for forced labor and raised the maximum sentences for aggravated trafficking acts. However, the new law fails to fully comport with the definition of human trafficking in the EU Directive 2011/36/EU by including the necessary elements of exploitation, such as forced prostitution, child prostitution, or begging. In 2012, police investigated the same number of trafficking cases as in 2011, initiating 18 new investigations. The number of prosecutions, however, declined from 29 cases in 2011 to 12 cases in 2012. Courts convicted 18 trafficking offenders in six trafficking cases in 2012, a significant increase from eight convicted offenders in 2011. In November 2012, a court sentenced two convicted offenders, respectively, to two years’ imprisonment suspended for five years and an 18-month prison sentence suspended for three years for sex trafficking of a 16 year old child. Despite the young age of the victim, these convicted offenders received no time in jail. The remaining 16 sentences ranged from one year and six months to seven years’ and six months’ imprisonment, in comparison to penalties from a one-year suspended sentence to nine years’ imprisonment in 2011. NGOs continued to report that police often failed to investigate trafficking cases that involved Roma or other domestic victims. During the year, the government reduced the number of police investigators in the specialized anti-trafficking unit by five officers, bringing the total number to 11. This specialized unit is charged only with investigation of trafficking crimes that involve organized crime or international elements. In 2012, Hungarian authorities conducted training for 50 police officers on victim protection and identification. The Hungarian government did not report the investigation or prosecution of any public officials for alleged complicity in trafficking-related offenses during 2012. During the year, however, NGOs continued to report concerns about trafficking-related complicity, including victim testimonials indicating traffickers’ connections with officials. Furthermore, a previous research report based on interviews with survivors of sex trafficking contained strong indications of government officials’ complicity, including reports of officers physically abusing and humiliating trafficking victims and not taking action when victims disclosed the names of their pimps.
The Hungarian government sustained its efforts to protect trafficking victims in 2012. It improved its capacity to identify and protect victims by adopting a December 2012 decree on victim identification for all front-line responders, as well as enacting the September 2012 amendment to the Victim Support Act, which requires the government to provide shelter for identified trafficking victims exploited either in Hungary or abroad. Victims are eligible to receive support under this act regardless of their intention to assist law enforcement. In 2012, the government identified a total of 122 trafficking victims through its national referral mechanism (NRM), 12 of whom were identified abroad by Hungarian Consular Services. In 2012, IOM assisted in the repatriation of 20 Hungarian victims exploited abroad. Out of the 122 victims identified in 2012, the government’s victim support service only reported assisting one foreign trafficking victim; a decline from 14 foreign victims in 2011. Thirty victims referred through the NRM were provided only with information services. Eighteen Hungarian trafficking victims were referred to an NGO-run shelter in 2012 for care, a decline from the 34 Hungarian victims referred in 2011. The government provided the approximate equivalent of $27,000 for the operation of this shelter in 2012, the same amount it provided to it in 2011. However, this funding level was insufficient and the NGO continued to rely on local and international donors to adequately address the specialized needs required by trafficking victims under its care. This shelter had limited capacity of space for a maximum of six victims for a renewable, six-week period; some victims were turned away from the shelter during the year due to lack of space; significantly increasing their risk of re-trafficking. In 2012, the government provided another NGO with the approximate equivalent of $105,000 to purchase and operate a second shelter exclusively for trafficking victims. Effective February 1, 2013, the new shelter can accommodate six female trafficking victims for up to a year. Victims are only permitted to leave the shelter if accompanied by a chaperone.
The government continued to criminalize and punish victims for crimes committed as a direct result of their trafficking. Experts continued to report a deep misunderstanding among Hungarian authorities of child trafficking issues, and NGOs reported authorities did not proactively identify potential trafficking victims among local children and other domestic trafficking victims in the country, instead charging them for violating prostitution laws and other offenses. Furthermore, trafficking victims in Hungary are only considered to be official victims of the crime of trafficking if they testify in court against their traffickers. If they refuse to testify, victims may be prosecuted by police for illegal prostitution, a petty offence. NGOs reported victims in Hungary faced considerable risks of retribution by their traffickers. Experts reported that Hungarian traffickers often remained in contact with victims after they left the country and continued to exert pressure on them from Hungary. The government did not provide adequate incentives for victims to voluntarily participate in the investigation and prosecution of their traffickers in 2012. Although the government had a witness protection law that could be used to protect trafficking victims, it had yet to use it to protect any trafficking victims required to testify against their traffickers. The law provided foreign victims with a 30-day reflection period and temporary residency permit, if they decided to assist law enforcement; however, no foreign victims applied for or received this temporary immigration relief in 2012. Hungarian victims could voluntarily decide whether to assist law enforcement authorities during the criminal investigation but were obliged to testify if summoned by the court.
The Government of Hungary demonstrated some limited improvements in its efforts to prevent human trafficking. In August 2012, the government organized a week-long awareness-raising campaign as part of an annual youth music festival to educate young Hungarians about trafficking and screened a Dutch documentary to educate potential clients of prostitution about sex trafficking. In December, the government launched a pilot project to reach secondary school students, and conducted targeted outreach with Hungarians seeking jobs abroad to educate them about their rights to challenge poor working conditions in destination countries. NGOs reported the government did not undertake any anti-trafficking awareness campaigns targeted to internal trafficking in Hungary. Experts report that authorities in Hungary did not acknowledge the problem of human trafficking as it relates to child prostitution within the country. The government undertook only limited measures to reduce the demand for commercial sex acts during the reporting period. The government did not demonstrate transparency in systematically assessing its anti-trafficking efforts and providing reliable trafficking-related statistics in 2012, but maintained a website listing information on its anti-trafficking efforts, indicators of trafficking, and checklists for Hungarians planning on working abroad. The government provided anti-trafficking training to Hungarian troops prior to their deployment abroad on international peacekeeping missions.
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Materials: Embodied Experience of Dynamical Systems
Here’s a collection of some interesting materials that we used in the ∞OS activation program hosted in Berlin in March 2019.
This slideshow was used in the workshop and contains the main ideas from the session with images and references.
The main focus of this working session was to explore and practice the link between the complex systems theory and our day-to-day behavior. Specifically, we were interested to see how various dynamical patterns can be modulated both on the level of the body as well as intersubjective relations and what the outcomes of this modulation may be.
Case 1: Feedback Loops — the Dynamics of Tension and Release
The first case is a simple scenario of two parties engaged in a feedback loop inter~action. There are two different types of influence possible in this constellation: a symmetric one and a complimentary one.
In the symmetric relation if one side escalates (increases the tension), the other one responds with even more escalation (e.g. competition — more tension).
In the complimentary relation, if one side escalates (more tension), the other one de-escalates (e.g. dominance – tension and submission – release).
If the both processes are left unchecked, the system will eventually change its state or destroy itself. This might be a desired outcome but there are also situations where we need to maintain a certain degree of stability.
An example of two kinds of feedback loops: the symmetric one (competition) and the complimentary one (dominance / submission) as well as the possible ways to change the dynamics
If we are able to identify the type of relationship we are engaged in, we can steer and modulate the dynamics of the whole system. For example, if we are engaged in a symmetric feedback loop, we can prevent it from escalating further by reversing the predictable response and de-escalating in response to the other side’s escalating (small change / reversal).
Another way is to recontextualize the loop by introducing an unexpected behavior into the dynamic pattern. That is how humor (smiling) works: not only because it is a way to release the tension, but also because it provides a meta-perspective that allows one to disengage from the feedback loop.
A “crazy” response is another way to “hack” the loop and to prevent it from spiralling further. We call this strategy a contextual shift.
In eightos we have special exercises that allow us to observe and to practice these disengagement patterns, so that they get recorded into our system on the level of reflexes. Here is a good example of an exercise that plays with the tension / release dynamics allowing one to circumvent the feedback loop established.
A similar approach can also be used in other contexts. To take an example of the arms race from history: when the US and the USSR reached the peak of their arsenal during the Cold War, the US then started to gradually decrease its output. This, in turn, also lead the USSR to de-escalate.
The same approach can be used in music, where there’s a constant interplay between the build-up of tension and release. For example, in techno music a musician constructs a context with a gradual build-up of tension through increasing the presence of high frequency and reducing the low frequency (complimentary feedback loop). Once the tension has built up sufficiently (a “break”), the low frequency (the beat) is released to reverse the feedback loop and to “reboot” the system. Same strategy is used when the development of a track is punctuated with a chorus. These kind of general shifts can be combined with the smaller shifts (build-up / breaking down), which are often used in music.
A well-known anthropologist Gregory Bateson in his book “Steps to An Ecology of Mind” has found that the societies which have embedded into the culture the ability to shift the feedback loop dynamics tend to be more stable and avoid wars. This does not happen through the complete eradication of conflict (symmetric tension), but, rather, through modulated generation of conflict only to then release it and to allow the system to reconstruct itself. A similar approach is proposed in Panarchy: a system that proposes to embrace the periods of growth / decline / restructuring in the economy and politics.
Panarchy is a concept of development that embraces a natural shift in the dynamics of evolutionarity development: a period of growth (evolution) is followed by conservation, then release (crisis) and reinvention (reconfiguration), followed by growth again.
Case 2: Chaotic Dynamics, “Pink” 1/f Noise and Variability
Once we get an embodied experience of the feedback loops, we can zoom out and study the dynamics of variability from a meta perspective.
In the previous section we talked about an interplay between the tension and release as a way to modulate feedback dynamics. The ability to alternate between patterns (escalation/deescalation) and to shift between contexts allows us to, on the one side, ensure that we can both build something up (self-reinforcing feedback loop), while also having the concrete mechanisms to ensure that it does not grow out of self-sustainable zone (recontextualization).
The next question is: how can we modulate this dynamics itself? How often should these changes in the tension/release and the recontextualization shifts take place?
This, of course, depends on the objective. There are studies (see references below) that show that systems in the most adaptive states exhibit so-called chaotic, 1/f noise dynamics. “Chaos” in this context does not mean disorder. In complex system science chaotic state is unpredictable, but highly organized. It’s not easily possible to say what’s going to happen next, but there’s a certain pattern that emerges over a period of time. This pattern is characterized by a lot of small changes with a small amplitude and a few, but significant number of big changes with a large amplitude.
1/f “metastable” dynamics is highly adaptive: it is characterized by a high number of small changes and a low number of big changes
In the context of tension/release dynamics this means that in order to stay adaptive and ready to external change we need to maintain a certain kind of dynamics where we make frequent small changes to tension/release and occasionally introduce bigger changes to the dynamics of interaction.
It has also been demonstrated (see the references below) that various pathological states are associated with deviations from this dynamics. For example, a state of anxiety on the level of the body movement is associated with the whitening of the signal (see image A on the figure below). That means the movements become more random: there’s almost the same number of small changes as there are the big ones. Which makes sense: shifting the state too often might make you anxious or excited at best.
White noise (A) above versus pink noise 1/f chaotic fractal dynamics (C)
At the same time, pure chaotic pattern of change alone may render a system unstable. It has been demonstrated that stable systems tend to combine a sustained rhythm with chaotic dynamics. For example, in the study of mood shifts over time it was found that a “healthy” mental state (adaptive and relatively stable) combines circadian rhythm with 1/f dynamics. The same pattern of dynamic change was also observed in a healthy heart beat. Overall, chaos combined with rhythm seems to be correlated with a more stable, adaptable, “healthy” state.
In eightos practice we learn to modulate the movement that has chaotic, metastable 1/f properties while also maintaining a constant rhythm primarily through breathing. Outside of the physical context this can be realized through a special schedule which combines frequent small shifts (e.g. agile development patterns, role-based teams) with occasional changes in pattern (e.g. changing the strategy after a feedback session) with a certain circadian-rhythm based consistency (e.g. month-long iterative cycles). We do this by introducing the patterns of action that combine frequent small changes with the less frequent big shifts (cross-contextual or within the same context) and with a constant rhythm in the background. This can be applied in the realm of movement, intersubjective relations, project management (e.g. holocracy role-based circles), making music, drawing, etc. Such approach introduces a certain kind of variability, which produces metastable states through the modulated dynamics.
There is a strong correlation between adaptive stability (metastability) and the dynamics that shows both oscillatory and chaotic properties.
Here are some videos you might find interesting below. You can also see the whole playlist on YouTube. Don’t forget to subscribe to the ∞OS channel!
Evolution of a Cell:
Nice movement physicality that we also try to cultivate with ∞OS…
Street Flights
Notice how immobility makes people much more vulnerable in unexpected situations. When they move, the chances to avoid / respond are much higher. Also, very hard to predict that something will happen, so it’s important to learn how to receive.
Our Interview with Mayor Komarov (Systema practitioner based in Voronezh, Russia)
The importance of physical practice for learning:
Pain as a training device:
More in our interviews with Mayor Komarov in this playlist
∞OS Drills and Procedures
Assimilation > Redirection:
Getting out from a difficult situation (modularity):
More videos in this ∞OS Playlist
Natural Movement / Our Interview with Imre Thormann (Noguchi Taiso & Butoh Dancer)
Spirals and Waves in the Body:
Dance and the Inner Beauty:
More interviews with Imre Thormann in our interview on YouTube
The last page of the slideshow has many different references. Here are my favorite papers from the bunch with the links to PDFs. Feel free to add yours!
A great paper on robustness and resilience (about modularity etc.)
Kitano, H. (2004). Biological robustness. Nature Reviews. Genetics, 5(11), 826–37
A more or less simple explanation of scale-free phenomena (1/f “pink” noise or chaos):
Bak, P., Tang, C., & Wiesenfeld, K. (1987). Self-organized criticality: An explanation of the 1/ f noise. Physical Review Letters, 59(4), 381–384.
Two papers on how our body naturally moves in 1/f “pink” noise fractal chaotic pattern:
D’Mello, S., Dale, R., & Graesser, A. (2011). Disequilibrium in the mind, disharmony in the body. Cognition & Emotion, 00(00), 1–13.
Yamada, N. (1995). Posture as a Dynamic Stable State of a Body. Research and Clinical Center for Child Development.
Chaotic “fractal” dynamics in robots and movement:
Matthey, L., Righetti, L., & Ijspeert, A. J. (2008). Experimental study of limit cycle and chaotic controllers for the locomotion of centipede robots. In 2008 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (pp. 1860–1865). Nice: IEEE.
Very interesting work on nonlinearity of the brain, psychology and perception:
Rabinovich, M. I., Huerta, R., Varona, P., & Afraimovich, V. S. (2008). Transient cognitive dynamics, metastability, and decision making. PLoS Computational Biology, 4(5)
Bystritsky, a, Nierenberg, a a, Feusner, J. D., & Rabinovich, M. (2012). Computational non-linear dynamical psychiatry: A new methodological paradigm for diagnosis and course of illness. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 46(4), 428–435.
Plus my own research on the subject:
Paranyushkin D (2012). Metastability of Cognition in the Body-Environment Network. Nodus Labs
These are two very good books, especially the Gregory Bateson one.
Gregory Bateson is talking about ecological patterns of interaction using the example of societies, tribes and groups
Steps to an Ecology of Mind, Gregory Bateson
On venture fiction, cognitive stimulants and body-mind operating systems
Special Agent’s Manual (preview)
Photos by Nailya Bikmurzina
chaos dynamics movement scale-free workshop
Newer Post P.Art Documentary: Operating Systems, Reprogramming and Eightos Older Post Hacking through the Body at 35C3 Conference
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POCKETBOOK Week Ending March 8, 2019
March 11, 2019 Uncategorized20 years, allaboutfunds, got cash?, household finances down, Invesco, John Frank, largest funds performances, Lipper, mutual funds, QQQ, QQQ strategist, Reutersdianvujovich
One old, fat ETF turns 20
On March 10, 1999, Invesco introduced their hugely popular and successful QQQ ETF. Now, 20 years later, the QQQ is the sixth largest U.S. listed ETF, has $66.4 billion in assets under management and was the second most traded ETF in 2018.
What’s it’s appeal? The QQQ tries to reflect the performance of the Nasdaq-100 Index, and we all know how hot Nasdaq stocks can be.
According to INVESCO, “A lot of investors think it’s just technology, and actually, today, it’s about 40% technology and 60% other sectors, so we really look at it as large-cap growth and has a lot of the biggest innovators that we know in the economy today,” John Frank, QQQ Strategist for Invesco, said at the Inside ETFs Conference.
Since it’s original launch QQQ had an original weighting of 78% toward technology—a reflection of the dot.com world that was swinging in high form way back then.
Now the portfolio looks like this: 43.0% information technology, 23.3% communication services, 16.1% consumer discretionary, 8.5% health care, 6.0% consumer staples, 2.5% industrials, 0.4% utilities and 0.3% financials. Additionally its components include large-cap growth companies (60.8%), large-cap blended names (23.6% and large-cap value stocks (13.0%).
Top components include Microsoft (NasdaqGS: MSFT) 9.9%, Apple (NasdaqGS: AAPL) 9.6%, Amazon.com (NasdaqGS: AMZN) 9.3% and Facebook (NasdaqGS: FB) 4.8%, among others.
As for performance, since inception the QQQs annual return is around 7.2%; over the last 15 years it was 13.7%; and during the past 10 years has returned almost 21.4%.
Kinda sorta impressive, isn’t it.
Believe what you want, but….
According to a recent Reuters piece, based on data from the Federal Reserve,
“U.S. household wealth fell by a record $3.8 trillion, or 3.5 percent, at the end of 2018..”
In other words, based on percentages, the 5.9% fall represented the biggest quarterly percentage stumble in household finances since 2008.
Not such a hot performance week for the three major indices followed here. In fact, year-to-date returns on each lost ground. Oh, dear.
Below are the weekly and 1-year index performance results for the three major indices—DJIA, S&P 500 and NASDAQ — including the dates each reached new highs. Data is according to CNBC.com and based on prices at the close of business on Friday, March 8, 2019.
–DJIA 9.10% YTD down from the previous week’s 11.57%.
1 yr. Rtn 2.23% down from the previous week 5.76%
Most recent DJIA a new ALL-TIME CLOSING HIGH was reached on Oct.3, 2018 of 26,951.81. The previous high was reached on Sept. 21, 2018 of 26,796.16.
-S&P 500 11.84% YTD down from the previous week’s 11.84
1 yr. Rtn 0.15% down from the previous week’s 4.71%.
1yr Rtn -0.27% way down from last week’s 5.78%
As one might expect, at the close of business on Thursday, March 7, 2019, the year-to-date total return for the average stock fund under the broad U.S. Diversified Equity Fund heading was10.86%. That’s down a sum from last week’s figure of 12.98%, according to Lipper.
Of the 25 Largest Mutual Funds that Lipper tracks, iShares Russ 2000 ETF had the best y-t-d performance of 13.19%.
Behind it were the iShares: Core S&P Md-Cp at 12.46%. And behind it the Invesco QQQ Trust 1 at 11.22%.
The three worst y-t-d- performing funds were DoubleLine at 0.90%: the PIMCO TotRtnl at 1.34%; and iShares: Core US Agg Bd at 1.44%
← POCKETBOOK Week Ending March 1, 2019 POCKETBOOK Week Ending March 15, 2019 →
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Luanda International Fair
Angola to Sign Lusophone Country-Specific Compact
On 10 July 2019, The Governments of Angola and Portugal and the African Development Bank, will sign a Country-Specific Compact
The signing of the compact follows a Memorandum of Understanding of a Development Finance Compact for Portuguese-Speaking Africa
LUANDA, Angola, July 9, 2019/APO Group/ --
WHO: The Government of Angola, the Government of Portugal, and the African Development Bank
WHAT: Lusophone Country-Specific Compact Signing Ceremony
WHERE: Luanda International Fair (FILDA), Special Economic Zone
WHEN: 10 July 2019, 10:15-11:25 a.m.
On 10 July 2019, The Governments of Angola and Portugal and the African Development Bank, will sign a Country-Specific Compact designed to accelerate the inclusive, sustainable and diversified growth of Angola’s private sector.
The Lusophone Compact is a financing platform, involving the African Development Bank, Portugal, and the six Portuguese-speaking countries of Africa (PALOPs): Angola, Cabo Verde, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique and Sao Tome and Principe. It provides risk mitigation, investment products and technical assistance to accelerate private sector development in Lusophone African countries.
The signing of the compact follows a Memorandum of Understanding of a Development Finance Compact for Portuguese-Speaking Africa, signed during the Bank’s 2018 Africa Investment Forum held in Johannesburg, South Africa.
The compact signing ceremony will be a highlight of various events to be held at the Luanda International Fair (https://FILDA.co.ao/), aimed at invigorating Angola’s private sector and promoting economic growth. The event will convene entrepreneurs, development finance institutions and partners, investors, key public and private sector players.
The Bank will be represented by Corporate Services and Human Resources Vice President and Chair of the Lusophone Compact Steering Committee, Mateus Magala, while the Angolan Government will be represented by Hon. Pedro Luís da Fonseca, Minister of Economy and Planning. H.E. Teresa Ribeiro, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, will sign for Portugal.
The media are invited to attend the session or follow media updates via www.AfDB.org.
Email: a.mpoke-bigg@afddb.org
Tel: +225 57 25 77 00
The African Development Bank Group (https://www.AfDB.org) is Africa’s premier development finance institution. It comprises three distinct entities: the African Development Bank (AfDB), the African Development Fund (ADF) and the Nigeria Trust Fund (NTF). On the ground in 41 African countries with an external office in Japan, the Bank contributes to the economic development and the social progress of its 54 regional member states. For more information: www.AfDB.org
Angola to Sign Lusophone Country-Specific Compact On 10 July 2019, The Governments of Angola and Portugal and the African Development Bank, will sign a Country-Specific Compact LUANDA, Angola, July 9, 2019/APO Group/ -- WHO: The Government of Angola, the Government of Portugal, and the African Development Bank WHAT: Lusophone Country-Specific Compact Signing Ceremony WHERE: Luanda International Fair (FILDA), Special Economic Zone WHEN: 10 July 2019, 10:15-11:25 a.m. On 10 July 2019, The Governments of Angola and Portugal and the African Development Bank, will sign a Country-Specific Compact designed to accelerate the inclusive, sustainable and diversified growth of Angola’s private sector. The Lusophone Compact is a financing platform, involving the African Development Bank, Portugal, and the six Portuguese-speaking countries of Africa (PALOPs): Angola, Cabo Verde, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique and Sao Tome and Principe. It provides risk mitigation, investment products and technical assistance to accelerate private sector development in Lusophone African countries. The signing of the compact follows a Memorandum of Understanding of a Development Finance Compact for Portuguese-Speaking Africa, signed during the Bank’s 2018 Africa Investment Forum held in Johannesburg, South Africa. The compact signing ceremony will be a highlight of various events to be held at the Luanda International Fair (https://FILDA.co.ao/), aimed at invigorating Angola’s private sector and promoting economic growth. The event will convene entrepreneurs, development finance institutions and partners, investors, key public and private sector players. The Bank will be represented by Corporate Services and Human Resources Vice President and Chair of the Lusophone Compact Steering Committee, Mateus Magala, while the Angolan Government will be represented by Hon. Pedro Luís da Fonseca, Minister of Economy and Planning. H.E. Teresa Ribeiro, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, will sign for Portugal. The media are invited to attend the session or follow media updates via www.AfDB.org. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).
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Main » 2014 » December » 1 » Spirit of National Heritage Prevails in ADP Celebrations for 43rd National Day
Spirit of National Heritage Prevails in ADP Celebrations for 43rd National Day
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates - Thursday, November 27th 2014 [ME NewsWire]
The celebrations of the Abu Dhabi Police General Headquarters for the 43rd National Day continued amidst an atmosphere mixed with the spirit of national heritage and authentic UAE traditions. Celebrants of the 43rd National Day include the Al Mafraq Juvenile Care Center, the Training Department, and the Crime Scene Department.
Amidst a large presence of officers and employees, Brigadier Ahmed Mohammed Nehkairah, Head of Human Rights Department at the Ministry of Interior and Chairman of the Juvenile Care Center's Steering Committee in Abu Dhabi; and Colonel Mohammed Saif Matar Al Zaabi, Head of the Punitive and Correctional Establishments Department at Abu Dhabi Police, attended the event. The celebration, hosted by the Al Mafraq Juveniles Care Center, witnessed the participation of the Law Respect Culture Bureau, the General Secretariat of the Office of H.H Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, and the Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC).
Colonel Dr. Abdullah Mohammad Bu Hindi, Director of Al Mafraq Juveniles Care Center, said: “This event commemorates what is dear to all of our hearts, hence the center is committed to ensuring constructive communication amongst institutions that care for juveniles and that strive to correct and rehabilitate their behaviors. Together, we can instill a sense of belonging and loyalty in their hearts in order to prepare a generation that loves their country and is capable of maintaining its values and principles.”
The ceremony commenced with the national anthem in front of the flagstaff alongside the releasing of balloons and doves. A march around the pitch followed in the celebrations that also included a traditional tent, a performed formation of the UAE flag, and an exhibition of handicrafts. Rabab Al Amiri, Director of the Social Education Home, gave a speech on this occasion emphasizing the love and loyalty that citizens of the UAE have toward their nation and leadership.
The juveniles performed in theatrical performances which included a National Day Play, a Juvenille Operetta, an Al Yolla traditional dance, and traditional music. Staff members of the center recited national poems and Dr. Ramzi Al Shebah reviewed his personal life journey in a performance entitled “Giving Back” as a school performed a show of traditional games. Upon the conclusion of the event, competitions were held for the audience.
Our Genuine Heritage
The Training Department at the Human Resources Directorate General celebrated the 43rd National Day in a traditional and fragrant atmosphere of genuine heritage. The celebration was attended by Brigadier Obeid Belhubalah Al Kutbi, Head of the Selection and Recruitment Department at Abu Dhabi Police; and Colonel Thani Butti Al Shamesi, Head of the Training Department at Abu Dhabi Police; in addition to a number of officers, non-commissioned officers, individuals, and civilians.
In his speech regarding the establishment of the UAE and of its 43rd National Day, Colonel Al Shamesi congratulated the leadership, police members, and citizens of the UAE. He said: “The celebrations for the anniversary of the National Day are expressive of the pride for a past that was built upon a steady foundation of determination and resolve, and for a bright and promising future.”
The celebration of national performances included an Al Yolla traditional dance by the students of Al Nahda National Schools; the recitation of a national poem by Captain Ahmad Kamidsh from the Training Department; a performance of traditional music by the Bin Nu’man Al Harbiya Band; traditional competitions; and a contest for the ‘best flag costume’ for the children of the Training Department’s staff members.
Poetry and National Anthems
The Crime Scene Department celebrated the 43rd National Day in the attendance of Colonel Abdul Rahman Al Hammadi, Head of the Forensic Evidence Department at Abu Dhabi Police; Major Saeed Al Jaberi, Deputy Head of Crime Scene Department; and a number of officers, lecturers, and department staff members.
In his speech addressed to the audience on this occasion, Colonel Al Hammadi said: “The thread of history has been woven with the most beautiful phrases that piece together the journey of the union and the formation of a significant period in history for the peoples of the region. The vision of the leadership provided a unique model for the unparalleled harmony of a nation that was able to draw the world’s attention towards its civilization and progress. The UAE has become a leading symbol of national unity, one that is reminiscent of the inherent harmonious and genuine characteristics of the leaders of this noble country.”
The celebration, which was moderated by Warrant Officer Asmaa Al Nuaimi, started with the national anthem which was followed by a performance of the Abu Dhabi Police Music Band. Crime scene inspectors performed a play that was well received by the public. A member of the Emirates Scout Association recited a patriotic poem of Yaafi’ Al Junaibi, in addition to a performance of a traditional folk song by Al Junaibi.
The female members also had a unique role in the events. Student Saeeda Al Jasir recited national poems, while Fatima Al Hamoudi, Hamdah Al Hamoudi, Hamad Al Hamoudi, and Reem Al Suwaidi performed a national recitation about the National Day. Towards the end of the celebration, the lecturers were honored alongside the strategic partners, employees, and participants at the event.
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AHRC Leadership Fellow success for Professor Jonathan Pitches: Performing Landscapes: Mountains
School of Performance and Cultural Industries news Wednesday 3 August 2016
Professor Jonathan Pitches, who holds the Chair in Theatre and Performance in the School, has just been awarded a quarter of a million pounds from the Arts and Humanities Research Council to support his interdisciplinary work on theatre, performance and mountains. The 18-month project will culminate in the completion of an academic monograph (Performing Landscapes: Mountains, to be published by Palgrave), a new piece of practice-led research, based on the first ascent of Indian Face in Snowdonia, premiering at the Kendal Mountain Festival (KMF) in 2017, and an international symposium. KMF are close collaborators on the project alongside a postdoctoral researcher who will be appointed to develop the performance piece and to gather some of the brand new data for the project. A wide range of public events are also planned, including talks at Mountain Festivals in the UK and Canada and a new series of Mountainsides seminars, bringing together theatre academics, mountaineers and explorers to discuss common themes such as risk, vertigo and exposure.
Professor Pitches said: “I’ve been working with KMF for two years to get this project together and I’m very excited to have the potential of this collaboration, and the research which will flow from it, recognised by the AHRC. The project promises to deliver unique understandings of the meeting points between mountains and performance and I am really looking forward to working with academics, mountaineers, festival organisers and outdoors enthusiasts to define and develop a new genre of theatre and performance”.
See all School of Performance and Cultural Industries news
Sustainable theatre launches at Leeds
School of Performance and Cultural Industries - Friday 5 July 2019
Student theatre company set to perform in New York
School of Performance and Cultural Industries - Wednesday 3 July 2019
Postgraduate playwrights team up with Leeds Grand young actors
School of Performance and Cultural Industries - Thursday 20 June 2019
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LEO earns $700,000 in funding awards to support continued anti-poverty work
Author: Rachel Fulcher-Dawson
The Wilson Sheehan Lab for Economic Opportunities (LEO) at the University of Notre Dame has received multiple funding awards totaling nearly $700,000 this summer to continue its work reducing poverty and improving lives through evidence-based programs and policies.
“We are excited about and thankful for the support from these funders,” said James Sullivan, co-founder of LEO and the Rev. Thomas J. McDonagh, C.S.C., Associate Professor of Economics. “This will allow us to continue to create evidence that supports programs doing innovative work to serve the poor.”
LEO, a research lab housed in Notre Dame’s Department of Economics founded in 2012, has received $129,000 from the Laura and John Arnold Foundation to support its efforts to rigorously measure the impact of an innovative program, Stay the Course, which utilizes specialized case management to support persistence and completion among low-income community college students.
LEO also received $540,000 from J-PAL North America, a regional office of the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab, based at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, to support work on several initiatives through the J-PAL State and Local Innovation Initiative. In Rochester, New York, LEO is working with the City of Rochester and several community agencies to evaluate the impact of a professional mentoring program, Bridges to Success, on the low-income clients it is designed to move permanently out of poverty.
LEO and J-PAL have worked with the city and partners to embed a randomized control trial (RCT) evaluation in order to most accurately measure and demonstrate cause and effect of the program on the client’s outcomes, such as income, employment and self-sufficiency.
LEO is also partnering with two governments that were selected by J-PAL North America through
the same State and Local Innovation Initiative. In King County, Washington, LEO is partnering with county officials to plan the evaluations of both a youth homelessness initiative as well as a diversion program for low-risk offenders.
In Santa Clara County, researchers will evaluate the county’s rapid rehousing program that aims to prevent homelessness and the ill effects of homelessness by providing immediate housing and support to at-risk populations. LEO and J-PAL will support the efforts of the county to measure the impact of the program and the cost effectiveness by conducting an RCT evaluation.
The funding awards follow a groundbreaking year for LEO research, as Sullivan and co-founder William Evans, the chair and Keough-Hesburgh Professor in the Department of Economics, had their study on a Chicago homelessness prevention call center published in Science. Evans also received significant media attention for new research on refugees, and Sullivan presented research on homelessness prevention at a briefing on Capitol Hill.
Founded in 2012, LEO matches top researchers with social service providers to conduct impact evaluations that identify the innovative, effective and scalable programs and policies that support self-sufficiency. LEO's research is conducted by Notre Dame faculty as well as an interdisciplinary network of scholars from across the country with expertise in designing and evaluating the impact of domestic programs aimed at reducing poverty and improving lives. LEO disseminates its key findings to policymakers and front-line providers in order to support evidence-based policy and programming decisions that effectively and jointly reduce poverty in the United States.
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DreamWorks’ ‘Dragon 3’ Receives High-Flying Early Raves
DreamWorks Animation’s third and final chapter of the epic fantasy series, How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, is one of the most anticipated animated features of 2019. After making a splash at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on New Year’s Day via its award-winning float, the movie received top grades from critics in early reviews and promises to be a very strong contender in next year’s Oscar race. Early reviews unanimously praise the film’s bold creative choices, the stunning visuals and its powerful emotional impact, as well as offering kudos to Toothless’ shimmering new mate, Light Fury.
The film is beautifully directed by veteran helmer Dean DeBlois and produced by Brad Lewis (Ratatouille) and Bonnie Arnold. The voice cast includes Jay Baruchel, Cate Blanchett, Craig Ferguson, America Ferrera, Jonah Hill, Kit Harington, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Gerard Butler, Taron Egerton, Justin Rupple, Kristen Wiig, and new addition F. Murray Abraham as Grimmel, the film’s heartless dragon-hunter. Universal will release the films in U.S. theaters on Feb. 22nd. The pic opens in Australia today (Jan. 3) and continues release in countries such as Indonesia, Netherlands, Brazil, Norway, Finland, S. Korea, Turkey, Hong Kong and Italy throughout January. It opens in the U.K., Ireland, Mexico and S. Africa on Feb. 1st.
Here is a review sampler:
“All told, by the time How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World nears the end of its Harry Potter-esque closing trajectory, in which Hiccup must learn how to let go, the bittersweet result will have audiences finding it equally hard to say goodbye.”
Michael Rechtshaffen, Hollywood Reporter
“How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World packs the emotional heft of the dozen or so years it has taken to get this far, tracking the loss of one parent, the discovery of another, and several momentous lessons in bravery and loyalty along the way.
Peter Debruge, Variety
“Writer-director Dean DeBlois caps his emotionally intelligent adaptation of the Vikings-and-dragons book series with an enjoyable, beautiful story of destiny and freedom.”
Robert Abele, The Wrap
“The Hidden World strikes a bittersweet chord in reminding its young audience that all good things — including the age of dragons – must come to an end.”
Michael Nordine, IndieWire
Here is the film’s main trailer:
America Ferrera Bonnie Arnold Brad Lewis Cate Blanchett Christopher Mintz-Plasse Craig Ferguson Dean DeBlois DreamWorks Animation F. Murray Abraham featured Features Gerard Butler Hollywood Reporter How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World IndieWire Jay Baruchel Jonah Hill Kit Harington Kristen Wiig Michael Nordine Michael Rechtshaffen North America Peter Debruge Ratatouille Robert Abele T.J. Miller Taron Egerton The Wrap Top Stories Universal
WATCH: ‘Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle’ Season 2 Debuts Jan. 11
Wonderful World of Animation Show Opens May 1 at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
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Ansel for The Next Gen Talent: 2016
Articles Interview Photos Photoshoots Press • Emily / 0 Comments
THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER – “I really want roles that challenge me and that make being on set a really intense experience,” says Elgort, who followed his breakout in the John Green adaptation The Fault in Our Stars with a starring role in the Divergent franchise. With four films coming out in the next year (including Edgar Wright’s Baby Driver with Lily James and Billionaire Boys Club with Kevin Spacey), he now is turning his focus to music: The Brooklyn resident released his single “Home Alone” over the summer, and says he has 12 tracks that he wrote, produced and performs on ready to go.
I’m still starstruck by: “The guys who have some mystery behind them, like Christian Bale, Tom Hardy and Leonardo DiCaprio. And any basketball player. I can’t even talk to them. They’re like aliens; they’re from a different planet.”
Favorite splurge: “When I got Carrie, I bought a bunch of DJ equipment. I spend all my money on that.”
Worst audition story: “When I was around 16, I went into an audition and the woman told me, ‘You need to take acting classes. You’re so bad.’ And I said, ‘I am taking acting classes!’ In the next five years, it started to click for me at school. It takes a while — she was probably right. I really think people should take acting classes.”
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Game 27: PNC Park, Pittsburgh
Welcome to the Steel City.
I once took a buzzfeed quiz titled, “What Color Lightsaber Would You Weld?” I got Orange. According to BuzzFeed, I’m a “conflicted” individual who “gravitates toward the light side” albeit “begrudgingly,” and despite being “morally good” I probably will have a “brush” with the dark side of the Force at some point. And while those quizzes can sound strangely accurate…what a bunch of malarkey, really.
What I know for a fact: the City of Pittsburgh would weld a yellow lightsaber.
The first thing you see the moment you emerge from the Fort Pitt Tunnel: yellow bridges everywhere. Not sure what the exact count is, but there’s somewhere in the vicinity of 8 million yellow bridges surrounding The ‘Burgh.
Okay, so technically the bridges are “Aztec Gold” but I wasn’t fortunate enough to have the 64-pack of Crayons as a kid. Proud member of the 24-pack here. The City of Bridges’ official colors are black and gold.
Pittsburgh is the only city to have three professional sports teams wear the same colors. The Pirates, Steelers and Penguins all rock the black/yellow.
Sunday marked the final home game of the Pirates regular season, and the Pittsburgh faithful came our strong to support the Buccos. PNC Park was packed with black and yellow fans – 38,650 of them – ready for their team to make a final push toward their second consecutive playoff appearance. It’s all but certain at this point thanks to collapses by Milwaukee and Atlanta. The National League playoff teams are nearly certain: Dodgers, Nationals, Cardinals, Pirates* and Giants. It’s just a matter of seeding at this point.
* – I picked the Reds instead of the Pirates in the preseason. Otherwise, my NL Picks were correct. *Throws down controller. Thumps chest.
Pittsburgh era are loving the team’s recent success under Clint Hurdle. It’s been a while (22 years and 40 lbs of Barry Bonds ago) since the Pirates have had success of any kind, let alone two seasons in a row.
The Pirates were established in 1882 and won seven championships: two in the National League in 1901 and 1902, and five World Series titles in 1909, 1925, 1960, 1971 and 1979.
Four of the five World Series teams feature a star player who is now immortalized as statues out side of PNC Park.
Honus Wagner (top-left) – The Flying Dutchman. Probably the greatest shortstop of all time, he was the best player on the 1909 World Series team. He’s also the face on the most expensive baseball card of all time: the 1909 T206. Won 8 batting titles and was one of the original six Hall of Fame inductees.
Bill Masoroski (top-right) – Maz hit the only Game 7 walk off home run of in baseball history (Joe Carter’s for Toronto was in Game 6, but was a walk off HR, just not in an elimination game, by the way). In 1960, at home at Forbes Field, he launched a solo shot over the 406′ sign in left-centerfield. The outfield wall remains where Forbes used to be on the University of Pittsburgh campus. The Cathedral of Learning, a gorgeous skyscraper on campus, used to loom over the ballpark behind the left field corner.
Roberto Clemente (bottom-left) – According to my dad, Clemente collected his 3,000th career hit on the last day of the 1972 season. He passed away in a plane crash off the coast of Puerto Rico that winter en route to bring relief supplies to Nicaragua. The main bridge utilized walking to and from the ballpark is now named after him.
Willie Stargell (bottom-right) – Pops. Stargell was a big hulking guy who hit 475 home runs in his career. He was apart of the 1979 “We Are Family” a World Series winning Pirates. Once, in Montreal. Stargell hit a homerun that cleared the fence in right field left the yard at Jarry Park and landed in a public pool.
The day Pops died was the day PNC Park opened: April 1, 2001. Prior to PNC, the Pirates played at Three Rivers Stadium, which as the name suggests, was positioned at the point where the Ohio, Allegheny and Monongahela rivers meet downtown. The days at Three Rivers are likely considered the glory days around Pittsburgh. Those 1970s were good times with the Pirates winning two championships and Terry Bradshaw’s Steelers – who shared the space – winning three Super Bowls. Today, Heinz Field and PNC Park sit on both sides of the parking lot where Three Rivers Stadium used to sit.
PNC Park is breathtaking. The park sits on the river-walk of the Allegheny right across the Clemente Bridge from downtown. It has a distinct old ballpark feel after decades of cookie-cutter multipurpose life at Three Rivers. Old Forbes Field can be seen in the details – the nook in centerfield, the old-style vertical lighting system, and the blue seats are all Forbes-inspired. the scoreboard is modeled off Forbes as well with it’s red/green/blue lights signifying outs, base runners and top/bottom of the inning. It’s a fun flare that’s somewhere in between the manual Wrigley/Fenway scoreboards and the high-tech video scoreboards in newer parks.
With the pennant race in full swing, I spent a lot of time watching that scoreboard update. Royals won, by the way.
I had really high expectations for PNC Park and it entirely lived up. You’ll find it near the top of my rankings when this whole journey is over.
The Pirates sure don’t like the Brewers, whom they played yesterday. The two are division rivals. They especially hate Ryan Braun, the Brewers’ right fielder.
Braun got caught using performance enhancing drugs last year ago, but his offense was especially egregious because of what had happened the year prior. A test had come back positive, and he got off on a technicality and ripped the MLB for accusing him falsely. He was made out to be a victim of a mistake by the league.
So then when he turned out to be guilty a year later, he fell doubly hard. He cheated, lied about it, got away with it, kept cheating, got caught again, and really looked like a dummy.
Something interesting about baseball is the amount of discipline involved in the game. It takes hours and hours of training to become great and stay great at the game. In fact, discipline is such a part of the game that seemingly anyone who works hard enough at getting better can play professionally. There’s no toleration for cheating the discipline of the game.
I wonder if there’s a conversation to be had here about the role of spiritual disciplines and baseball. How do we make connecting with God apart of our daily/weekly/annual rhythms?
Maybe a better example would be Barry Bonds, since he began his career in Pittsburgh.
Just like baseball, there are no shortcuts in our dialogue with God. You can’t just check a box. It’s an ongoing commitment that requires regular disciplines. It’s not a finish line as much a new start.
Okay. Gotta wrap this up it I’mm be late for my next game tonight at the Rogers Centre. To the game notes!
Yesterday’s game was all about Pirate’s starter, Vance Worley, who spun an absolute gem. He threw 82 pitches in eight innings of shut out ball. He threw first pitch strikes to 21 of the 27 batters he faced.
The only run of the game came in the 7th. Andrew McCutchen, the undisputed star of this team, and one of the best players in baseball – hit an infield single. Two past balls later and he was standing on third base. Russell Martin singled scored McCutchen. That’s all the Pirates needed.
Hurdle called on Tony Watson in the 9th who got his first save of the season. I would’ve stuck with Worley personally, but he was pulled for a pinch hitter in the 8th.
Watson made things interesting giving up a leadoff single, but thanks to a baserunning blunder by Carlos Gomez, he got out of it clean and shut the door.
Bucs win 1-0. Raise the Jolly Roger.
Twenty-seven games down. Three to go.
Up next: Toronto Blue Jays.
Author Adam PaulPosted on September 21, 2014 April 2, 2017 Categories Ballpark Tour, BaseballTags aztec yellow, ballparktour2014, Baseball, brewers, pirates, pittsburgh, pnc park, roberto clemente
3 thoughts on “Game 27: PNC Park, Pittsburgh”
Hol says:
This is a pretty park!! Do you like Canada?
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John Coltrane – Giant Steps – Classic Music Review
By altrockchick on January 8, 2014
On many occasions during my teens and early twenties, in search of opportunities to improve my limited guitar skills, I’d call a friend up and ask, “Hey, you wanna jam?” That friend would call another friend who knew this guy who was supposed to be a bad-ass guitar player and just happened to be in town staying with this other friend and the next thing you know I’d have ten fucking people in my living room with guitars and tambourines and maybe a bass if I was lucky.
You couldn’t really call these jam sessions. They were more “fuck around” sessions than real jamming. The group would assemble and then stare at each other with guitars in hands until someone suggested a song that everyone probably knew and could follow with relative ease.
“Hey, what about ‘Don’t Look Back in Anger?’” someone might suggest. In the context of a fuck around, there is only one possible response to that offer. “What are the chords?”
“C, G, Am, E7, F, G for the main. Then there’s an F/Fminor kinda thing on the bridge with a D-note on the Fminor.”
“Okay, let’s give it a shot.”
The key interaction here is the response to a song title: “What are the chords?” With very few exceptions, rock music is based on chords, and since the chords to rock music are pretty standard fare (majors, minors, sevenths and an occasional ninth or diminished chord), most rock musicians know them and can follow along without having to look at a chart (which few of them could read anyway). Blues songs are usually three chords, a standard pop-rock song may have five to eight if the bridge is interesting. The Beatles at their peak and some of the more progressive rock groups added a bit more complexity, but the most rock songs are cut from the same simple fiber. The Oasis song mentioned above has seven or eight chords, and all are very familiar to most homegrown musicians.
I often watched these interactions from an anthropological perspective, fascinated by the development of cultural norms and expectations. Being a wicked little bitch, I always had the fantasy that someday it would be my turn to pick a song and I’d say, “How about ‘Giant Steps’ by John Coltrane?”
“What are the chords?”
“Well, the intro is Bmaj7, D7, Gmaj7, Bb7, Ebmaj7, Am9, D7, then Gmaj7, Bb7, Ebmaj7, F#7, Bmaj7, Fm9, Bb7, Ebmaj7, Am9, D7, Gmaj7, C#m9, F#7, Bmaj7, Fm9, Bb7, Ebmaj7, C#m7, F#7. The first section of the solo follows the pattern B, D7, G, Bb7, Eb, Am7, D7, G, Bb7, Eb, Gb7, B, Fm7, Bb7, Eb, Am7, D7, G, C#m7, F#7, B, Fm7, then back to Bb7, Eb, C#m7, F#7. That’s the first thirty seconds or so. I’ll sing scat for the melody, you guys just follow along, and once we get that down, we’ll do the rest of the song. Ready?”
Once the silence died, maybe one person trying to save face might say, “Am7—isn’t that the ‘Rocky Raccoon’ chord?” The rest would sit there frozen for another minute, then the smart-ass in the crowd would call my bluff and say, “Can you show me on your guitar?”
“Fuck, no!” I’d have to admit. That’s because “Giant Steps” is played at 260-300 beats per minute, depending on which take you use as your model. Standard rock hovers around 120 beats per minute; punk ramps it up to a range of 140-200 beats per minute. It would be a YouTube-worthy feat if a rhythm guitar player could play the chord changes of “Giant Steps” at 120 beats per minute; impossible at 300. On a good day, I might get to play those chords in sequence at 40 beats a minute if I had a good night’s sleep and my finger memory was in working order, but I’m someone who thought she was absolute hot shit when she finally played the rapid chord changes to the chorus in Tull’s “Sweet Dreams,” a pattern that consists of a grand total of five familiar chords. To a rock musician, a barrage of chords at that speed is unintelligible, like speaking Farsi to a Finn. There doesn’t even seem to be an intelligible pattern to them, and because many rock musicians don’t know much about music theory, the lack of a detectable pattern is disorienting.
It certainly wasn’t disorienting to Wynton Marsalis when he was asked about Giant Steps in Ken Burns’ Jazz documentary. A pretty exuberant guy, he really lit up when talking about Giant Steps. “When it came out, everybody wanted to play Giant Steps,” he exulted.
Modern jazz has been attacked as unintelligible gibberish, but it’s really just music in a different language. Americans have never been comfortable with foreign languages, a phenomenon that may explain why jazz has held its popularity in Europe, where people are used to dealing with different languages, while continuing to decline in popularity in the States. The great innovators of the post-swing era—Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane—were constantly exploring new forms of musical expression because they felt restricted by the limits imposed by the standard structures of popular music. They wanted to push the boundaries of musical language. The problem was that when they removed the dance beat and Charlie and Dizzy started playing odd chords at a blistering pace, Americans started checking out of the jazz scene. For American kids weaned on Glenn Miller, they couldn’t see the point in making music that you couldn’t sing or dance to, so jazz began its inexorable decline into cultural irrelevance in the United States.
Coltrane was part of that movement. Coltrane’s journey through the jazz scene was more introverted, intense, personal and spiritual. He played with many of the great musicians of the period, but while respected by those musicians for his amazingly fluid, high-speed style, he never really came into his own until Giant Steps, the first album consisting entirely of Coltrane compositions. He’d been the leader (or featured soloist) on a few albums but still hadn’t found his voice . . . or as he would have said, he hadn’t solved “the musical problem.” To Coltrane, music was a universe of endless possibilities and mathematical problems awaiting solutions; at the same time, it was also the gateway to the eternal soul. This unusual combination of deep technical study and a lifelong personal Hejira in search of eternal truth (and ten hours of practice a day) makes John Coltrane a somewhat intimidating figure at first. His reputation and ascension into sainthood via the St. John Will-I-Am Coltrane African Orthodox Church only adds to the distance. From the church’s website:
The ascension of St. John Coltrane into one-ness with God is what we refer to as the Risen Trane. In dealing with the Saint, John Coltrane, we are not dealing with St. John the man but St. John the sound and St. John the Evangelist and Sound Baptist, who attained union with God through sound. From the standpoint of the biography of John Coltrane, the Risen Trane is the post 1957 John Coltrane. He who emerged from drug addiction onto a path of spiritual awakening and who gave testimony of the power and empowerment of grace of God in his life and in his Psalm on A Love Supreme, and in his music thereafter. (“At that time, in gratitude, I humbly asked to be given the means and privilege to make others happy through music. I feel this has been granted through His grace. ALL PRAISE TO GOD.”) We, too, having been touched by this anointed sound and being called and chosen by the Holy Ghost, endeavor to carry the holy ambition and mantle of sound baptism of St. John Coltrane.
We are fully aware of the universality of John Coltrane’s music and his philosophy, and that his spirit and legacy does reach and touch the lives of people of many different faiths, creeds, and religions. We, however, in this time and place, are grateful for the opportunity to lift up the Name of Jesus Christ through Saint John Coltrane’s music, knowing from personal experience and testimony, and from a great cloud of witnesses, that the Spirit of the Lord is in this Sound Praise as it is delivered from heaven through John.
I take issue with the dating of his ascension. Yes, he kicked drugs at that time, but he still had to finish his apprenticeship with Miles Davis before he achieved the alleged union with the Almighty. You can hear the difference on Giant Steps, and you’ll be surprised as to what gives it away as his ascension piece.
Coltrane is having one hell of a good time! I’ve always thought that ascension, nirvana, or achievement of the ultimate wisdom will be accompanied by howls of joyous laughter, because I have the feeling that when we get there, we’ll find out how beautifully obvious it was in the first place.
While I love Coltrane’s previous work, on Giant Steps his exuberance, playfulness and sense of humor come to the fore in a joyous celebration of musical freedom. There are parts of Giant Steps that make me laugh out loud when I hear them; the vamps are sometimes unexpected and undeniably witty. As for the technical aspects, you can read good baseline descriptions of “sheets of sound” and “Coltrane Changes” on Wikipedia; if you’re really into the theoretical underpinnings and can read scores, I’d refer you to Lewis Porter’s John Coltrane: His Life in Music. If you’d like to understand the man, Coltrane on Coltrane, a series of interviews covering a good part of his career, is definitely the way to go.
But before you go there, just sit back and enjoy the music. The melodies here are phenomenal, intensely complex but curiously memorable, and the horizontal movement of the melody is endlessly enriched by the nimble vertical movement of all those chords. When I used to drive a car, I loved putting on Giant Steps and using it as the soundtrack for my journeys through urban and suburban America; sometimes the music echoed the hustle and bustle, sometimes the loneliness of it all, and sometimes the sheer beauty of a fleeting moment appearing and disappearing as I sped by.
As intimidating as that barrage of chords listed above may appear, when you listen to “Giant Steps” it sounds as smooth and flowing as a forest stream after the first heavy rain of the season. The dominant motif is quite catchy, a tune you’d hum when you’re feeling on top of your game and all is right with the world. Pianist Tommy Flanagan suggested in the Lewis Porter book that “I don’t think there was any melody, just the chord sequence, which spells out the melody, practically.” The speed of the piece tends to blur the distinctions, though, and Tommy did have a challenging time with the tempo. In discussing his compositions with Ralph Gleason, Coltrane said, “I have yet to write a song that had a melody [laughter]. ‘Syeeda’s Song Flute’ was one of the few, that had a melody. And—well, ‘Naima’ had a melody. That was a ballad, though. But these other things I write, I’ve just been goin’ to the piano, gettin’ chords, and then I’ll take a melody, after a while, somewhere out of the chords, you know?” Personally, I couldn’t care less how Coltrane got there . . . if you define melody as the notes in a horizontal sequence (chords are vertical), then “Giant Steps” has a very memorable melody. The music is upbeat, both in terms of speed and mood, and the patterns Coltrane plays not only knock you out because of the beauty of the movement but because of the superhuman fingering and voicing (modifying the inner mouth and tongue to vary the pitch and the “color” of the sound).
The following video from YouTube consists of animated sheet music of “Giant Steps” synchronized to the original recording. I love reading scores when I listen to music, and this one is not only a hoot but a great visual for people who don’t read music because it captures Coltrane’s speed and sophistication in visual form. Enjoy!
“Cousin Mary” will feel more familiar to most listeners because of the blues structure, but Coltrane had a hard time leaving anything alone, so this isn’t your I-IV-V blues. He spots you the I and the IV, but then all bets are off. I know that when I go into music theory most people tune out, so let me focus on Coltrane’s artistic intent. What he was trying to do is paint a musical picture of a cousin he described as an “earthy, folksy person”. Now, take that brief description and listen to the tune. I don’t know about you, but I can see Mary, with her big hips swinging and her mouth going a mile a minute rattling off gossip and bullshit containing more than a few words that were not intended for polite company. That opening three note motif is her signature move, telling you Mary uses three quick movements to announce herself to the people in the room: one step, two steps, hands on hips. Mary’s a gas! Jazz, especially modern jazz, is primarily instrumental music, so you don’t have spoken language to fall back on as an interpretive tool. Jazz at its best expresses the emotions we can’t put into words, so what I like to do is just let the music fill me with pictures and emotions. While your accuracy will improve if you know the composer’s intent (which is why I advise people new to jazz to start with Sketches of Spain, which is loaded with backstory), if the “meaning” or the “state” or the “feeling” that emerges from the experience gives you a sense of satisfaction, fuck trying to explain it. Enjoy! Before we leave “Cousin Mary,” I have to add that it is quite obvious that the rest of the band is much more comfortable with this piece than they were with “Giant Steps.” Paul Chambers has a fabulous turn on the bass and Tommy Flanagan is more into the groove on this one.
“Countdown,” a variation of a Miles Davis number called “Tune Up” (pun intended, btw), is probably the least accessible piece to the new listener. This is much more of a hard bop piece played at a tempo even faster than “Giant Steps,” well over 300 beats per minute. Art Taylor opens the piece with an energetic drum intro, shifting to an extremely rapid high-hat rhythm once Coltrane takes center stage . . . excuse me . . . once Coltrane is shot out of a cannon to take the lead. Porter calls this a “blistering improvisation,” and I have no better way to describe it. Coltrane’s wondrous abilities aside, I’ve always considered “Countdown” a superb example of jazz collaboration and a reaffirmation of my Count Basie Theory that the little stuff often matters more than the big stuff. A little more than a minute into the song, Tommy Flanagan enters in deep background, comping Coltrane with supporting chords. It’s very subtle, but as his volume increases, the dynamics of the piece completely change, creating a high-speed urban, rush-hour mood that gives Coltrane’s solo a richer context. About thirty seconds before the piece ends, Paul Chambers comes in with the bass, filling in the canvas. What we’re left with is a musical story of self-expression merging into the flow of life. And all this takes place in less than two-and-a-half minutes. If you can force yourself not to let Coltrane’s opening improv befuddle you and accept it as a solo voice in search of a chorus, you’ll deeply appreciate this wonderful slice of music.
“Spiral” is probably the song on Giant Steps that gets the least amount of attention. Too bad, because this is cabaret jazz at its best! Kick back, take a sip of your very dry martini, light a smoke and dig the music! I love following Paul Chambers’ bass line on this one, and when he gets to his solo, the voices he creates from bending those big fat strings gives me the shivers. Even when he’s soloing, Chambers never loses the beat, one good reason why Coltrane said he always tried to focus on what the bass was doing to keep him on track.
I mentioned that Giant Steps is full of humor, and I laugh every time I hear Coltrane play the motif of “Syeeda’s Song Flute.” Coltrane wrote this piece with his 10-year old daughter in mind, commenting on the liner notes, “When I ran across it on the piano, it reminded me of her because it sounded like a happy, child’s song.” I didn’t know that back-story when I first heard it sometime in my teens, but that’s exactly the image that came to mind: a child trying to make music. It’s an almost jolly piece, with some of Coltrane’s most relaxed and exuberant playing. It’s also noticeable that the quartet is really into this one, too: they sound crisp and more involved in creating the overall sound. There’s a hint of Thelonious Monk’s playfulness in Tommy Flanagan’s solo, and Chambers nails it once again with confident, marvelously nimble bass work. That moment when Coltrane brings it all back together with a series of single harmonic notes is another brilliantly subtle move.
And then there’s “Naima.” Oh my fucking God, “Naima.” You don’t need to know dick about music theory to appreciate “Naima.” One of the most sensuous pieces of music ever created, “Naima” is a slow-tempo number where Coltrane demonstrates he can express as much inner fire through simple melody and subtle voicing as he does on his improvisational explosions. The perfect way to savor “Naima” is to wrap your lover in your arms and guide him or her through a close, tender slow dance full of the kind of deep kissing where both of you moan in delight. Sometimes I’ll get in a “Naima” mood, leave the whips and chains for another day and simply melt into my lover’s body as we move to the music. Ecstasy!
Coltrane changed the quartet for this piece, going with Jimmy Cobb on drums and Wynton Kelly on piano. Cobb is superb with the brushes, and Wynton Kelly has a certain touch reminiscent of Bill Evans that works beautifully in a sweet number like this. Coltrane considered “Naima” his best composition, and it’s hard to argue with that as long as you consider A Love Supreme a completely different thing altogether.
“Giant Steps” closes with a bang, so if you’ve set up “Naima” as instructed and end the piece on a deep, sensuous kiss, you’ll want to make sure that a.) You have a servant handy who can lift the needle from the turntable or b.) You were smart enough to prepare an iPod playlist that allows you to transition to something a bit less mood-shattering . . . maybe something by Sade or Patti Austin. “Mr P. C.” takes off with the speed of the proverbial bat out of hell, not exactly what you want to hear when you are in a deeply romantic mood. Stunning juxtaposition aside, “Mr P. C.” is great fun, a simple minor blues number that really swings. Mr. P. C. is Paul Chambers, who gives as energetic a performance on that big double bass as Coltrane does on the tenor sax. The motif is another musical fragment that cracks me up; it would make for a fabulous background to a Monty Python secret agent movie. Whatever pictures it brings up in your mind, “Mr. P. C.” is one of the hottest pieces of jazz you’ll ever hear and the perfect way to close a work of joyous liberation.
As I am not particularly fond of religion, she says in the understatement of the century, I can’t really get behind the whole Coltrane-as-saint thing. But I do consider myself a spiritual person, and I can certainly understand the concept of a union with the eternal soul through music. The church calls that eternal soul god; my feeling is that it’s a presence that cannot be explained in language or understood by mortals. Whatever you want to call it, I firmly believe that great music is a path to something greater than ourselves, and that was the path John Coltrane needed to take to achieve his artistic goals. Giant Steps is the exuberant sound of a man who has found the way.
Posted in: Classic Music Reviews, Jazz | Tagged: alt rock chick, altrockchick, Art Taylor, female blogger, female music blogger, Giant Steps, jazz, Jimmy Cobb, John Coltrane, Lewis Porter, Miles Davis, modern jazz, music review, music reviews, Paul Chambers, Ralph Gleason, Tommy Flanagan, Wynton Kelly, Wynton Marsalis
The Sixties | altrockchick January 8, 2014 at 6:06 am | Reply
[…] John Coltrane, Giant Steps […]
Stats January 11, 2014 at 9:28 pm | Reply
thanks for the review.
hopefully there will be more jazz reviews.
we can’t let Stanley Crouch review everything.
please check the youtube clip you provided for Naima
against the people listed as playing the song on the album.
altrockchick January 13, 2014 at 7:45 pm | Reply
Oh, I know the YouTube click isn’t the same combo—trying to find live Coltrane on YouTube is a challenge!
About Jazz | altrockchick November 20, 2016 at 2:02 am | Reply
[…] John Coltrane: Giant Steps […]
bazzabaz December 2, 2016 at 3:09 am | Reply
A fascinating review and I’m kinda ashamed to admit this is one of the few Coltrane albums I’ve not yet listened to, but this gets me wanting to check it out at the nearest opportunity. Fuck… this guy was taken away way too bloody young it makes one feel pretty sick. I’ve been spending most of the last few months listening to and discovering much of Duke Ellington’s work. Been very rewarding and enriching to the degree I’m firmly convinced he was one of the icons of 20th Century jazz… Miles’ “tribute” to the Duke in “He Loved Him Madly” is one of the starkest statements of loss I’ve ever heard. Not wishing to take any focus away from ‘Trane though… by goodness, that guy blazed fast and furiously in a ridiculously short space of time… what? Ten years? Downright bloody extraordinary.
Coltrane may have been inspired or guided by certain spiritual beliefs, but ultimately, at his best, he spoke the Universal language of music. Unfortunately, as you know and acknowledge, many are blinkered. 99% of people I know will NEVER give Jazz a chance because to them it epitomises certain things they cannot comprehend or find accessible… and we feel likewise about Rap and what is labelled “R+B” in the 21st Century. Kinda a stalemate situation… some tried valiantly to convince me that Rap is brilliant and I’d in turn try and turn them on to some prime Miles only to get zero reaction and interaction. I cannot relate to Rap at all in the same way the Rap fans couldn’t relate to Jazz. But man, put some shit hot jazz musicians together and have Geniuses like Coltrane, Miles or Ellington calling the shots, and very often, the results can yield pure magic.
I doubt it will happen, but I can assure you in myself, you sure have an audient for your jazz reviews. I would greatly welcome more of them. I just wish I could write about my thoughts and feelings as eloquently as you do, but I can’t!
An ARC Admirer!
Soul Captain July 23, 2017 at 6:28 pm | Reply
I have to thank you for your review. I will be giving an in-class presentation on the album and your non-too-technical write-up helped verify my idea that John found the ghost that he had been chasing for a long time.
Power to you altrockchick
altrockchick July 24, 2017 at 6:56 pm | Reply
You’re very welcome! I love the way you put that: “John found the ghost he had been chasing for a long time.” So very, very true.
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Fish publications - 1999
Allen G.R. & A.P. Jenkins. 1999. Review of the Australian Freshwater gudgeons, Genus Mogurnda (Eleotridae) with descriptions of three new species. Aqua. 3(4): 141-156.
Burridge, C.P. 1999. Suggestion of Synonymy for Nemadactylus and Acantholatris (Perciformes: Cirrhitoidea) in Proc. 5th Indo-Pac. Fish Conf., Noumea, 1997. Seret B. & J.-Y. Sire (eds) Paris: Soc. Fr. Ichtyol. 413-416.
Castle, P.H.J., & J.E. McCosker. 1999. A new genus and two new species of myrophrine worm-eels, with comments on Muraenichthys and Scolecenchelys (Anguilliformes: Ophichthidae). Records of the Australian Museum 51(2): 113-122.
Castle, P.H.J. & J.E. Randall. . Revision of Indo-Pacific garden eels (Congridae: Heterocongrinae), with descriptions of five new species. Indo-Pacific Fishes 30: 1-52.
Fukui, A. 1999. Larvae of Arnoglossus debilis (Bothidae) from Hawaii. Ichth. Res. 46(2): 199-202.
Gill, A.C. & J.A. Edwards. 1999. Monophyly, interrelationships and description of three new genera in the dottyback fish subfamily Pseudoplesiopinae (Teleostei :Perciformes: Pseudochromidae). Records of the Australian Museum 51(2): 141-160.
Gomon, M.F. & J.W. Johnson. 1999. A new fringed stargazer (Uranoscopidae: Ichthyscopus) with descriptions of the other Australian species of the genus. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 43(2): 597-619.
Gon, O. 1999. Francis Day, Apogon ellioti and Sherlock Holmes. Ichthos. Friends of the JLB Smith Institute of Ichthyology. 62: 13-15.
Grande, T. 1999. Revision of the Genus Gonorynchus Scopoli, 1777 (Teleostei : Ostariophysi) Copeia, 2: 453-469.
Imamura, H., & L.W. Knapp. 1999. Thysanophrys papillaris, a new species of flathead from the Andaman Sea and Northern Australia (Scorpaeniformes: Platycephalidae) Ichthyol. Res. 46(2):179-183.
Iwamoto, T., McMillan, P., & Y.N. Shcherbachev. 1999. A new grenadier, genus Caelorinchus, from Australia and New Zealand (Pisces, Gadiformes, Macrouridae). New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research. 33: 49-54.
Iwamoto, T., & A. Williams. 1999. Grenadiers (Pisces, Gadiformes) from the Continental Slope of Western and north-western Australia. Proc. Cal. Acad. Sci. 51(3): 105-243.
Iwatsuki, Y., Kimura, S., Kishimoto, H. & T. Yoshino. 1999. Redescription of Gerres baconensis (Evermann & Seale, 1907), G.equulus Temminck & Schlegel, 1844 and G.oyena (Forsskål, 1775), included in the "G.oyena complex", with notes on other related species (Perciformes:Gerreidae). Ichthyological Research. 46(4): 377-396.
Johnson, J.W. 1999. Annotated Checklist of the fishes of Moreton Bay, Queensland, Australia. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 43(2): 709-762.
Johnson, J.W. 1999. Designation of a lectotype for the platycephalid fish Inegocia harrissii (McCulloch). Memoirs of the Queensland Museum. 43(2): 620.
Karmovskaya, E.S. 1999. Nettenchelys paxtoni sp. nova (Nettastomatidae, Anguilliformes): A New Species from the south-western Pacific Ocean (Vanuatu). Journal of Ichthology. 39(9): 795-798.
Kuiter, R.H. & H. Debelius. 1999. Description of a new butterflyfish, Chaetodon andamanensis from the eastern Indian Ocean. Senckenbergiana biologica. 79(2): 231-235.
Larson, H.K. 1999. A review of the mangrove goby genus Hemigobius (Gobioidei, Gobiidae, Gobionellinae). The Beagle, Records of the Museums and Art Galleries of the Northern Territory 15: 23-42.
Larson, H.K. 1999. Allocation to Calamiana and redescription of the fish species Apocryptes variegatus and Vaimosa mindora (Gobioidei: Gobiidae:Gobionellinae) with description of a new species. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology. 47(1): 257-281.
Last, P.R. 1999. Australian Catsharks of the genus Asymbolus (Carcharhiniforme: Scyliorhinidae). CSIRO Division of Marine Research Laboratories Report 239: 1-35.
Leis J.M. & T.Trnski. 1999. Larval development of the Indo-Pacific perciform fish Centrogenys vaigiensis (Pisces:Centrogeniidae) Ichthyol. Res. 46(4): 413-418.
McCosker, J.E. 1999. Pisces Anguilliformes: Deepwater snake eels (Ophichthidae) from the New Caledonia region, south-west Pacific Ocean. in Crosiner, A. (ed). Resultats des Campagnes MUSORSTOM, Volume 20, Memoires du Museum national d'Histoire naturelle:180: 571-588.
McMillan, P.J. 1999. New Grenadier fishes of the genus Coryphaenoides (Pisces: Macrouridae); one from off New Zealand and one widespread in the southern Indo- West Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research. 33: 481-489.
Mohlmann, M.S. & P.L. Munday. 1999. Ambleyeleotris arcupinna, a New Species of Shrimp Goby from Papua New Guinea. Rev. Fr. Aquariol. 26(1-2): 59-62.
Murdy, E.O. & T. Takita. 1999. Periophthalmus spilotus, a new species of midskipper from Sumatra (Gobiidae: Oxudercinae). Ichthyological Research. 46(4): 367-370.
Neira, F.J., Miskiewicz, A.G. & S.E. Tait. 1999. Development and ecology of larvae of the monotypic Australian fish family Dinolestidae. Australian journal of Zoology. 47: 37-45.
Randall, J.E. 1999. Review of the Dragonets (Pisces:Callionymidae) of the Hawaiian Islands, with Descriptions of two new species. Pacific Science. 53(2): 185-207.
Randall, J.E. 1999. Revision of the Indo-Pacific labrid fishes of the genus Coris, with descriptions of five new species. Indo-Pacific Fishes 29: 1-74.
Randall, J.E. 1999. Revision of the Indo-Pacific labrid fishes of the genus Pseudocheilinus, with descriptions of three new species. Indo-Pacific Fishes. 28: 1-34.
Randall, J.E. & J.L. Earle. 1999. Abudefduf conformis and Plectroglyphidodon sagmarius, two new damselfishes (Pomacentridae) from the Marquesas Islands. Cybium 23(4): 333-343.
Randall, J.E. & T.H. Fraser. 1999. Clarification of the western Pacific Cardinalfish species Apogon trimaculatus and A. rhodopterus, with description of a similar new species. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology. 47(2): 167-633.
Sasaki, K. 1999. Johnius (Johnieops) philippinus, a new sciaenid from the Philippines with a synopsis of species included in the subgenus Johnieops. Ichthyol. Res. 46(3): 271-279.
Sato, K., Nakaya, K. & A.L. Stewart, 1999. A new species of the deep-water catshark genus Apristurus from New Zealand waters (Chondrichthyes: Scyliorhinidae) Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand. 29 (4): 325-335.
Schwarzhans, W. 1999. A comparative morphological treatise of recent and fossil otoliths of the order Pleuronectiformes. Piscium Catalogus: Part Otolithi piscium, Vol. 2, pp. 1-391, 1021 figs.
Springer, V.G. & J.E. Randall. 1999. Ecsenius polystictus, new species of Blenniid Fish from Mentawai Islands, Indonesia, with notes on other species of Ecsenius. Revue Fr. Aquariol. 26(1-2): 39-48.
Watson, R.E. 1999. Two New subgenera of Sicyopus, with a redescription of Sicyopus zosterophorum (Teleostei: Gobioidei:Sicydiinae). Aqua. 3(3): 93-104.
Yoshino, T., Kon, T. & S. Okabe. 1999. Review of the genus Limnichthys (Perciformes:Creediidae) from Japan, with description of a new species. Ichthyological Research. 46(1): 82.
Larval development of the Indo-Pacific perciform fish, Centrogenys vaigiensis (Pisces: Centrogeniidae)
Monophyly, interrelationships and description of three new genera in the dottyback fish subfamily Pseudoplesiopinae (Teleostei: Perciformes: Pseudochromidae)
Eucalyptus seedling herbivory by Cadmus aurantiacus Chapuis (Coleoptera; Chrysomelidae; Cryptocephalinae)
The history of Australian butterfly research and collecting
Regional guides to fishes
The books listed below contain information on Australian fishes.
Longraker Trevally, Ulua mentalis (Cuvier, 1833)
Clarence River Cod distribution
In August 1999 delegates from Project Big Fish visited. They needed data on the past distribution of Clarence River Cod.
Aulopidae: Sergeant Bakers, Aulopus
Aulopids are marine, demersal fishes of shallow to great depths. They are found world-wide in tropical to temperate waters.
A new generic synonym in the Australian Lucanidae (Coleoptera)
Review of; Ryan, P. & C. Paulin. 1999. Fiordland Underwater: New Zealand's Hidden Wilderness
In situ swimming and settlement behaviour of larvae of an Indo-Pacific coral-reef fish, the Coral Trout (Pisces, Serranidae, Plectropomus leopardus)
Key to and checklist of the freshwater amphipods of Australia
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The Mess »
Foreign Militaries »
Topic: UAV/RPA Crew Recognition and Honours
Author Topic: UAV/RPA Crew Recognition and Honours (Read 41186 times)
tomahawk6
UAV/RPA Crew Recognition and Honours
« on: April 03, 2007, 20:28:40 »
The future of aviation I suspect will be this new career field.The rotorheads wont like this one iota.So I suspect at some point the brainiacs will come up with a different set of wings so they can tell the difference between those that leave the ground and those that do it virtually.
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2007/04/army_UAV_awards_070403w/
UAV operators now eligible for aviation awards
By Jim Tice - Staff writer
Posted : Tuesday Apr 3, 2007 17:00:58 EDT
Soldiers who operate unmanned aerial vehicles now are eligible for award of the Aviation Badge, Distinguished Flying Cross and Air Medal.
The policy change will be included in an upcoming revision of Army Regulation 600-8-22 (Military Awards).
Under the new policy, approved last month, unmanned aerial vehicle system warrant officers and enlisted operators may be awarded the DFC or AM “if they are physically located on the aircraft (system) during the cited period, and all criteria for the decorations have been met.”
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a prestigious decoration that ranks just behind the Silver Star as a valor medal. It is awarded for heroism or extraordinary achievement.
The Air Medal is awarded for heroism, outstanding achievement or meritorious service. It ranks behind the Bronze Star, but in front of the Army Commendation Medal.
There are three degrees of Aviation Badges, which previously were called Aircraft Crewmember Badges.
The Basic Aviation Badge is awarded upon successful completion of advanced individual training in a designated career field or military occupational specialty, and to warrant officers upon successful completion of the MOS 150U (tactical UAV operations technician).
Officers who hold MOS 350U or 350K will be awarded the Basic Aviation Badge retroactively to their date of graduation from the qualification course.
The newly qualifying enlisted specialties are:
• MOS 96U (UAV operator) from Aug. 1, 1993, through Sept. 30, 2003.
• MOS 35K (UAV operator) from Oct. 1, 2007, through Sept. 30, 2008.
• The 68-series MOSs from Dec. 31, 1985, through Sept. 30, 2003.
• Soldiers who completed advanced individual training in CMF 28 before Sept. 30, 1973.
The Senior Aviation Badge is awarded upon successful completion of seven years in flight status, or 10 years of non-flight experience in a principal duty assignment for designated specialties.
The new qualifying career fields and MOSs for enlisted soldiers and warrant officers are:
• 68-series MOSs from Dec. 31, 1985, through Sept. 30, 2003.
• Warrant officers in MOS 150A (tactical UAV operations technician), and officers in 150A who had 10 or more years of experience in 350U and 350K.
The Master Aviation Badge is awarded upon successful completion of 15 years in flight status, or 17 years of non-flight experience in a principal duty assignment for designated specialties.
The new qualifying career fields and MOSs for enlisted soldiers and warrants are:
• Warrant officers in MOS 150A, 151U and 151A. Officers in these specialties may qualify for the badge after 17 years of experience in 350U and 150K, enlisted CMF 68 or 93, or enlisted MOS 71P, 96U or 35K.
« Reply #1 on: February 13, 2013, 19:33:58 »
http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2013/02/military-new-medal-for-drone-pilots-outranks-bronze-star-021313/
New medal for drone pilots outranks Bronze Star
By Andrew Tilghman - Staff writer
Posted : Wednesday Feb 13, 2013 16:37:27 EST
The Pentagon is creating a new high-level military medal that will recognize drone pilots and, in a controversial twist, giving it added clout by placing it above some traditional combat valor medals in the military’s “order of precedence.”
The Distinguished Warfare Medal will be awarded to pilots of unmanned aircraft, offensive cyber war experts or others who are directly involved in combat operations but who are not physically in theater and facing the physical risks that warfare historically entails.
The new medal will rank just below the Distinguished Flying Cross. It will have precedence over — and be worn on a uniform above — the Bronze Star with Valor device, a medal awarded to troops for specific heroic acts performed under fire in combat.
The new medal is a brass pendant, nearly two inches tall, with a laurel wreath that circles a globe. An eagle is in the center. The ribbon has blue, red and white stripes.
“This award recognizes the reality of the kind of technological warfare we are engaged in the 21st century,” Defense Secretary Leon Panetta told reporters in Washington on Wednesday.
The new medal will be awarded for specific acts, such as the successful targeting of a particular individual at a critical time.
“Our military reserves its highest decorations obviously for those who display gallantry and valor in actions when their lives are on the line and we will continue to do so,” Panetta said.
“But we should also have the ability to honor the extraordinary actions that make a true difference in combat operations,” Panetta said. “The contribution they make does contribute to the success of combat operations, particularly when they remove the enemy from the field of battle, even if those actions are physically removed from the fight.”
The service secretaries will make the final determination for awarding the Distinguished Warfare Medal.
The order of precedence came as a surprise to Doug Sterner, a military medals expert and the curator of the Military Times Hall of Valor, the largest database of military medal recipients.
“It’s got me puzzled,” Sterner said in an interview Wednesday. “I understand the need to recognize the guys at the console who are doing some pretty important things. But to see it ranking above the Bronze Star [with] V?”
Re: UAV/RPA Crew Recognition and Honours
Should this not have been posted under "Dumbest Thing Heard"?
....mind you, my Peacekeeping Medal trumps everything but my Afghan medal, so.....
jollyjacktar
It's almost up there with being Bibered.
Agreed.We have reached a new level of retardedness if thats a word.
http://www.duffelblog.com/2012/12/drone-pilot-to-receive-first-air-force-medal-of-honor-since-vietnam/
cupper
Nuke 'em 'til they glow, then wait until dark.
It's the whole "Let's just give everyone a ribbon so they don't feel left out or a lesser person." touchy feely thing.
It's hard to win an argument against a smart person, it's damned near impossible against a stupid person.
There is no God, and life is just a myth.
"He who drinks, sleeps. He who sleeps, does not sin. He who does not sin, is holy. Therefore he who drinks, is holy."
Let's Go CAPS!
Can't wait for the recipients of the Combat Dronesman Badge calling the infantry pogues.
West coast best coast.
I get paid to travel. I just don't pick where.
I'm sure the Duffel Blog's writers are just killing themselves in ironic laughter right now.
I completely understand and advocate a medal for UAV operations, as those folks are essentially on "deployed" (as in shifts, workload, etc.) or actually deployed for launch/recovery crews in the fun places in the world, but to have it ranked higher than a Bronze Star? That's a little rich.
Philip II of Macedon to Spartans (346 BC): "You are advised to submit without further delay, for if I bring my army into your land, I will destroy your farms, slay your people, and raze your city."
Reply: "If."
daftandbarmy
The Older I Get, The Better I Was
Distinguished Warfare Medal
February 18, 2013: The U.S. Department of Defense has, for the second time in a decade, decided to create a new medal for extraordinary behavior in combat for those who are not holding down a traditional combat job. This time it’s a medal for Cyber War experts, UAV operators, and anyone else who makes an exceptional effort towards the winning of a combat operation without actually being there. Called the Distinguished Warfare Medal, it will provide a way of recognizing such accomplishments. Previously the military had “meritorious service” awards for this sort of thing but this new medal recognizes achievement in the combat zone by people who are not there. This is all because you now have a lot more people who are linked, in real time, to the battlefield. For UAV operators it’s normal to see and hear the combat and make life or death decisions while virtually involved. There is some stress associated with this, and even the risk of PTSD. But combat troops are not happy with the Pentagon calling the Distinguished Warfare Medal a “combat” award. The people at the Department of Defense who came up with this appear to have ignored thousands of years of military history. Going into combat where the other guy can kill you is a very special kind of job. One of the perks you gave to those who did it was recognition that they were special. The Distinguished Warfare Medal is seen as being disrespectful towards the combat troops who risk their lives. There have always been support troops who rendered essential and often extraordinary service. No one in that position ever expected a medal deemed superior to the lowest battlefield heroism awards.
http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htmoral/articles/20130218.aspx
"The most important qualification of a soldier is fortitude under fatigue and privation. Courage is only second; hardship, poverty and want are the best school for a soldier." Napoleon
kratz
Summer is here...and more rain.
Float, Move, Fight
« Reply #10 on: February 19, 2013, 06:27:45 »
This news was posted and discussed earlier last week.
Quote from: Pipe *General Call*
"Tanning Stations on the flight deck"
Remember, this site is unofficial and privately owned. The site benefits from the presence of current members willing to answer questions.
Jimmy_D
Quote from: Journeyman on February 19, 2013, 11:44:18
OH, where can I get one of these?
"You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life." - Winston Churchill
Hamish Seggie
This is my son Michael, KIA Afghanistan 3 Sep 08
Is this for real or are you guys cooking up an elaborate joke?
And "retardedness" is a word. I use it all the time along with "smoothlier".
Freedom Isn't Free "Never Shall I Fail My Brothers"
“Do everything that is necessary and nothing that is not".
E.R. Campbell
Retired, years ago
Army.ca Myth
Quote from: Jim Seggie on February 19, 2013, 12:36:17
Sadly, I'm pretty sure the news story is real; for satire see this.
But, you know, it is the US of A, and it is the US of A's military, so how long until:
1. The satire becomes reality; and
2. Canada decides it's a good idea just because the Americans do it?
It is ill that men should kill one another in seditions, tumults and wars; but it is worse to bring nations to such misery, weakness and baseness
as to have neither strength nor courage to contend for anything; to have nothing left worth defending and to give the name of peace to desolation.
Algernon Sidney in Discourses Concerning Government, (1698)
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Quote from: E.R. Campbell on February 19, 2013, 12:40:39
I'll start working on that right now.
It's like the "participation medal" every kid gets at sports events.
'Never send a human to do a robot's job'
So let's give the medal to the robots. I can't stand it when we discriminate against our cybernetic, war winning, human life saving friends.
Jarnhamar
Giving a medal to someone doing a job that a 12 year old can do that superceeds a medal awarded for being wounded in combat or for heroism is a wonderful idea. They should probably get some sort of danger pay while they're at it.
There are no wolves on Fenris
Quote from: ObedientiaZelum on February 19, 2013, 16:39:35
Drone Pilot Ejects From Office Chair
http://www.theglobaledition.com/drone-pilot-ejects-from-office-chair/
I was listening to an interview driving back from Pennsylvania today about this very subject with Peter Singer, director of the 21st Century Defense Initiative and a senior fellow in foreign policy at the Brookings Institution.
http://www.npr.org/2013/02/19/172412891/op-ed-its-time-to-recognize-the-valor-of-cyber-warfare
He makes a couple of good points in the interview:
SINGER:Oh, it's an odd sort of medal, in that the very description of it, the official description says that it, quote, "may not be awarded for valor in combat under any circumstances," which we've never seen happen in a medal before. Essentially, the idea is that it's to recognize accomplishments that are exceptional and outstanding, but not bounded in any geographic or chronologic manner - that is, it's not taking place in the combat zone. And so, essentially, it's recognizing that people can now do extraordinary things because of the new technologies that we're using in war, drones and cyber, but that the system wasn't prepared to recognize them.
SINGER: Well, it's interesting. It goes to what you're trying to recognize with a medal, with an award. Is it the hardships that a person faces, or is what the medal designation says is to recognize something, quote, "so exceptional and outstanding as to clearly set the individual apart from comrades or from other persons in similar situations."
So, you know, traditionally, medals have not been about saying, well, you had a really tough time of it. That's the only one that fits into that category, is the Purple Heart. But for all the others, it's to recognize that you've done something extraordinary, something different than others in a similar situation. And that's the category that this medal is for. It's not saying it's the same thing as a combat medal. It's saying it's not for combat.
So I think, again, it turns on what our notions of medals and what are they for and what's the role they play in war? But I should put my finger on one part of it, though, is that part of why this has been controversial, not in the public but within the military, is not the creation of the medal itself but it's precedence; that is, where one can wear it. And that's where there's been a lot of controversy in the military because if it was (unintelligible)
HEADLEE: The rank, you mean, of this - yeah.
SINGER: Yeah, the rank of it, is that someone will be able to wear it above a bronze star with valor, which is something that's awarded for combat. And so, that's what a lot of the controversy within the military has been. It's not been about the medal itself but the precedence, the rank of the medal. And, again, that's, you know, something to go back and forth on. You know, there's an argument to be made there. I can see it.
SINGER: Well, I think it's two things. One, Mark put his finger on the really heart of the controversy within the military right now, which is not, you know, can we recognize these people, but where in the precedent should it be set? And, frankly, that's, you know, something the military is going to have to work out. I'm not in the position to say, hey, it should be above or below bronze or above or below silver. To me, the fact that by its very definition, it's very clear that it is, you know, again, this is the definition. It may not be awarded for valor in combat. It's an indicator that this is a medal, but it's also something different.
But there's a second part to this that - I mean, I'm a little bit concerned about from this heat, from this controversy around it, is that the first time this medal is awarded, it's going to go to someone who's done something extraordinary for the nation. And yet, the reality is they're probably going to be mocked by a fairly significant portion of the military and or the Twittersphere, or however you want to say it. That is, we're going to focus on what was not done rather than was done. And that's a shame, in a certain way, coming out of this controversy.
Full transcript at the link.
As Singer indicates, the medal is not an award for bravery or valor, and not issued as a combat medal. It recognizes extraordinary and outstanding accomplishments by those who serve with the new technologies of drone warfare, cyberwarfare, and other areas where there currently is no other means of recognition other than commendations or citations. But by putting it's precedence above the Bronze Star diminishes the potential sacrifice that is implied with the Bronze Star should never have occurred.
I used to think that the medal was placed too high. Now I'm not sure. Excuse me while I go off on a little bit of a tangent/rant:
1. What people seem to forget is that there are actually 2 versions of the Bronze Star (BSM); one with the V (for valour) and one without. There have been controversies that the one without the V has been watered down; see link below. Of course, that opens the can of worms whether the BSM with V should even be in the same category as the other one, but that's another rant for another day.
http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2012/04/air-force-tech-sergeants-take-heat-bronze-stars-041612/
2. Yes, the missions are generally run out of places in the US, where the person can go home and see family, friends, etc. That being said, they have launch and recovery teams locally to land/take-off the RPAs who are on deployment lengths similar to (or longer than) those of us in OP ATHENA back in the day. If it's possible for someone in, say, KAF to get a Bronze Star, and the article above definitely thinks so, then why should the DWM not be rated higher?
3. As cupper said, it's not like every RPA pilot/sensor operator/janitor at Creech AFB is getting this. People seem to be getting worked up over a medal that maybe a few may get.
« Last Edit: February 19, 2013, 22:10:07 by Dimsum »
rampage800
You could easily argue the merits of the medal but one things for sure, those 12 year olds sure saved a lot of Canadian lives in Kandahar !
For whatever it's worth -- and because I posted the mocking one earlier
....with...the Bronze Star (V) ribbon -- here's the real one:
Following on to cupper's article from NPR, here are some more interesting tidbits:
HEADLEE: But, you know, explain for me exactly how - when a person distinguishes themselves if they're a drone pilot, for example. I mean, how do you go above and beyond if you're sitting at a computer, piloting a drone?
SINGER: Well, you're putting your finger on one of the controversies that surrounds this, and that's what a lot of the spin around has been. But let's use the case of the mission that got the leader of al-Qaida in Iraq, Zarqawi. So there was a team of unmanned aerial systems, drone operators, that tracked him down. It was over 600 hours of mission operational work that finally pinpointed him. They put the laser target on the compound that he was in, this terrorist leader, and then an F-16 pilot flew six minutes, facing no enemy fire, and dropped a bomb - a computer-guided bomb - on that laser. Now, who do you think got the Distinguished Flying Cross?
HEADLEE: Whoa. The...
SINGER: The people who spent 600 hours, or the six-minute pilot? And so that's really what we're getting at. Actually, the drone operators, in that case, they didn't get the medal, but they did get a nice thank-you note from a general. This is a true story, here.
So, you know, when the first guns came out in the 1400s, there was a nobleman back there who, you know, essentially said: Anyone who uses a gun is a coward. We've change our notion of that. Or there's a great saying from a - in World War I where this French general was complaining that three men with a machinegun can defeat a battalion of heroes. I mean, we've seen this play out. We've seen the story play out before. It doesn't make it something, you know, that we should celebrate or be happy about. It's just the cold, hard reality of war, is that technology continually reshapes our notions of the values that we look for in it.
HEADLEE: But, you know, I mean, to play the devil's advocate here, there is an argument to be made that in the example you gave, the fighter pilot, who only spent six minutes, spent six minutes in danger, right? I mean, he or she could have died, whereas the people - although they've spent 600 hours - they were never in bodily danger, where they?
SINGER: No. I mean, that's the argument to be made. Now, let's be clear. There was no - we're talking about Iraq. There was no enemy fire. I mean, essentially, it was the same as any training mission. The underlying point here is that we have to figure out - and this is what the medal was trying to do, is figure out a manner to recognize both that the battlefield is changing, the way people operate on it is changing, and how do you recognize people that are doing extraordinary things?
57Chevy
widower.
Article is shared with provisions of The Copyright Act
IMO this is giving the phrase "What do you want, a Medal ?" a whole new meaning.
Obama pressured to drop new hero medal for drone and cyber warriors below rank of Bronze Star
More than 5,000 people have signed a petition urging the White House to lower the ranking of a new medal for drone pilots and cyberwarfare specialists that has drawn criticism for its ranking above the Bronze Star.
“Under no circumstance should a medal that is designed to honor a pilot, that is controlling a drone via remote control, thousands of miles away from the theater of operation, rank above a medal that involves a soldier being in the line of fire on the ground,” the petition posted on the White House website says.
The Washington Times first reported Friday that some warriors inside the Pentagon were questioning and mocking Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta’s decision last week to create the Distinguished Warfare Medal for cyber- and drone-combatants who sit inside stations outside a war zone.
The new medal recognizes “extraordinary achievements that directly impact on combat operations, but do not involve acts of valor or physical risks that combat entails.” It ranks just below the Distinguished Flying Cross and just above the Bronze Star, which is awarded for extraordinary service to combatants in an actual war zone.
“This is an injustice to those who have served and risked their lives and this should not be allowed to move forward as planned,” the petition says of the Distinguished Warfare Medal.
The petition was created Thursday, a day after Mr. Panetta announced the new medal. On Monday, it had more than 5,000 signatures.
Any petition receiving more than 100,000 signatories in 30 days elicits a White House response.
In what likely will be his final news conference as defense secretary, Mr. Panetta on Wednesday announced his decision to create the medal as keeping pace with today’s technologies.
“I’ve seen firsthand how modern tools, like remotely piloted platforms and cybersystems, have changed the way wars are fought,” he said. “And they’ve given our men and women the ability to engage the enemy and change the course of battle, even from afar.”
But the announcement has made him the brunt of jokes about the medal’s high placement on the prestige list.
“I suppose now they will award Purple Hearts for carpal tunnel syndrome,” said a retired Green Beret who does contract work for the Pentagon.
Examples of those eligible for the new medal include service members who operate Predator drones over Afghanistan and Pakistan from the shelter of an air base, and military computer whizzes who defeat cyberattacks by China.
See petition created 14 Feb here;
we petition the obama administration to: Lower the precedence of the new Distinguished Warfare Medal
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Zone: East Berlin
Friedrichstrasse is Berlin's largest, longest and most central street. It was named in honour of King Friedrich I, the Elector of Brandenburg – the first monarch to rule a united Prussia. Friedrichstrasse cuts through the entire city on a north-south axis – and despite the great destruction of World War Two, it preserves many of the city's historic locations. In fact, there are really quite a lot of them along Friedrichstrasse! Here you'll see the most enormous theatre in Berlin – the Admiralpalast Theatre, which dates from the early years of the 20th century. Here too we find the famous “Checkpoint Charlie”, where East and West Berlin were once divided; the remains of the former Anhalt Railway Station, and the tragic memorial complex of the Topography of Terror. Come along with us through the pages of Berlin's glorious and infamous history.
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#12 Wheaton Blanks Springfield, 1-0
Springfield (10-14, 7-10) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 1
Wheaton (Mass.) (21-7, 13-2) 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 X 1 4 0
2B: Kyle Difranco; Shane O'Leary
3B: Matt Lavanchy
Lavanchy knocks in game-winning run in the second
NORTON, Mass. – Wheaton College senior right-handed pitcher Frank Holbrook (Middletown, R.I./Portsmouth Abbey School) tossed a three-hit complete game shutout to guide the Lyons, ranked no.12 overall in the latest D3baseball.com national poll, to 1-0 victory over Springfield College in a New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) matchup on Sunday afternoon at Sidell Stadium.
Holbrook retired the first ten batters he faced in order to start the game, did not issue a walk and tallied five strikeouts. Holbrook only allowed two runners to reach scoring position in the fourth and sixth innings and compiled six 1-2-3 innings. Springfield senior Kyle DiFranco (East Longmeadow, Mass./East Longmeadow) broke up Holbrook's string of retiring ten-straight batters to begin his outing with a double down the right field line in the fourth.
Junior Alex Williams (East Hartford, Conn./East Hartford) suffered the hard luck loss on eight innings pitched, four hits, one run (earned), one free pass and five strikeouts.
Wheaton freshman Matt Lavanchy (Walpole, Mass./Walpole) drove home the game-winning run for the Lyons in the second with a triple to right-center field, his third of the season. Senior co-captain Dan Gusovsky (Andover, Mass./Andover) walked with two outs to keep the inning alive.
In the sixth inning, Holbrook stifled Springfield's comeback bid stranding the game-tying run at third base with a ground out. Sophomore Shane O'Leary (Kings Park, N.Y./Kings Park) notched a one-out double to left-center and advanced to third on a ground out before Holbrook closed out the frame.
Sophomores Kevin Foley (Southbury, Conn./Pomperaug) and Apolinar De la Cruz (Providence, R.I./Classical) and senior Paul O'Neill (Framingham, Mass./Framingham) all had base hits in addition to Lavanchy's triple.
Wheaton (21-7, 13-2 NEWMAC) travels to Western New England University on Tuesday, April 16 for a non-conference game at 3:30 p.m. Springfield (10-14, 7-10 NEWMAC) hosts Coast Guard for a NEWMAC contest on Monday, April 15 at 3:30 p.m.
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Football takes Stalham Baptists’ message to Germany
A football from Stalham Baptist Church, whose team plays in the Norfolk Christian Football League, has found its way across the North Sea to a small island off the German coast
Josh Holebon, manager of Stalham Baptist Church football club recently received an unexpected email from Germany.
“My name is Thomas, I live in the south of Germany near the city of Freiburg.
Some weeks ago, we went to the small Island Baltrum in the Northern Sea, Germany. On a sunny day, as we walked along the dunes, I found a football with the inscription “STALHAM BAPTIST”.
The football was wet and heavy. I asked myself where this ball was coming from, and later I researched and found you in the internet.
Had this football found the long way over the ocean from Great Britain to Baltrum, Germany? A distance of 250 Miles! Very interesting.
Finally, I gave the ball to some children who played in the sand on the beach and they were happy about their new friend.
That´s a little story I wanted to tell you and maybe you know the answer.”
David Child, one of the leaders at Stalham Baptist, said: 'A big thank you to Thomas (pictured) for tracking us down. Perhaps Josh and the SBC team has found a unique way of spreading the name of Stalham Baptist Church to the world! Who needs a message in a bottle when you can use the world’s favourite game?'
Baltrum is a barrier island off the coast of East Frisia, in Germany, and is a municipality in the district of Aurich, Lower Saxony. Baltrum is the smallest island in a chain of the seven inhabited East Frisian Islands.
This story has now been followed up by the BBC, Sky Sports and the Eastern Daily Press.
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About Budapest
Budapest is the capital city of Hungary, established in 1872 through the merging of the settlements of Buda, Pest and Óbuda. A modern European capital located on both sides of the Danube bank, encompassing World Heritage sites on both sides along with a culture and history that is over a 1000 years old. The current area of Budapest has been inhabited since the Celtic era of the Carpathian Basin. During the Roman era, Óbuda and some parts of Buda, by the name of Aquincum, became the capital of the Roman province of Pannonia Inferior. By the 4th century and the end of the persecution of the Christian faith, Aquincum became a Diocese headed by a bishop and thus a local religious center. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the settlement remained the center of the region during the Migration Period, due to the continuing operation of the Diocese. In the year 1000, Saint Stephen, the first Christian king of Hungary, was crowned with the Holy Crown provided by Pope Silvestre and was also vested with the authority of Rex Apostolicus (Apostolic King), which allowed him to organize the Catholic Church in Hungary.
After the Mongol invasion in the 13th century, King Bela IV recognized the value of Buda’s location and made it the de facto capital of the Kingdom, building the first royal palace there and one of the earlier forms of the Church of Mary, commonly known as Matthias Church. By becoming the center of the Royal power, Buda became the center of culture and commerce especially during the Anjou era of the 14th century and the reign of Matthias “Corvinus” Hunyadi in the 15th century.
The Ottoman Empire managed to capture the city in 1541, as well as central parts of Hungary, and maintained occupation for over a century. The long Ottoman presence brought certain Turkish cultural elements to the city, such as the still functional famous baths; however, despite the attempts to convert the population, the city remained predominantly Christian by culture and religion.
Buda and the rest of Ottoman Hungary was liberated from by a united Christian army in 1686. While the official capital remained Pozsony (Bratislava), Pest and Buda became the de facto center of the country again, which brought an unprecedented growth and prosperity for both settlements throughout the 18th century. The vibrant life of Christianity along with the newly emerged protestant churches also was a determinative factor of the development of Budapest. This pattern only continued during the 19th century’s reform age, as well as national and industrial revolutions which created permanent, modern infrastructure between the cities.
Today, Budapest is a modern capital city and a flourishing hub of innovation, business and culture. Despite the hardships the city had to endure over the centuries, Budapest still managed to maintain the characteristics of her culture and heritage.
E-mail: info@bfcc.media
Website: www.bfcc.media
Copyright © 2019. Budapest Forum fo Christian Communicators. Designed by WPlook Studio.
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ELIS PEHKONEN
Born in in 1942 in Swaffham, Norfolk, of Finnish extraction, Elis began composing at the age of twelve and at eighteen won a Composition Scholarship to the Royal College of Music, London. Here he studied with Peter Racine Fricker, and at various times with Benjamin Britten, Lennox Berkeley, Richard Rodney Bennet and Anthony Payne.
BFCS gave the second performance in 1982 of his Buccinate Tuba (Written for the Three Choirs Festival in 1980) and such was the response of audience and performers that he was commissioned by BFCS for a work to be premiered in 1986. The result was Russian Requiem, subsequently performed by many choral societies throughout the UK and abroad. Elis Pehkonen later composed Laudate for the 150th Anniversary Concert of BFCS in 2001. Christopher Morley, music critic of the Birmingham Post, was enthusiastic about the work and the recording which followed (Birmingham Post, 17 November 2001)
JOHN JOUBERT
John Joubert (1927 – 2019) has said that he has a “profound respect for the musical cultures of amateurs and with this very important section of the musical public I have enjoyed some of my most rewarding musical experiences.” He was born in Cape Town, South Africa, where he had his first musical schooling. This imbued him with a love of English Cathedral music, and over the years other influences included Elgar, Walton and Britten, as well as Bartók, Janácek, Stravinsky and Shostakovich. At the age of nineteen he won a scholarship to study at the Royal Academy of Music in London. At the age of 24 he married Mary, a primary school teacher in Hull, and wrote the ever popular Torches (1951) for her pupils; in the same year, Barbirolli conducted the Hallé Orchestra in his Overture Opus 3 at the Cheltenham Festival (1953).
He lectured at Hull and Birmingham Universities for many years, then concentrated on composition from his home in Moseley, Birmingham. BFCS commissioned him to compose a work to celebrate the Centenary of the City of Birmingham in 1989, and Jeremy Patterson conducted the première of For the Beauty of the Earth in Birmingham Cathedral.
David Lawrence is one of the UK’s most versatile choral conductors. In 2013 he was appointed Community Choir Director to the London Symphony Orchestra. He has also worked with the London Philharmonic Choir, the Hallé Choir, and the CBSO Chorus, and the national youth choirs of Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. David has adjudicated at international choral festivals, and for the BBC Choir of the Year and Young Musician of the Year competitions. He conducts for BBC Television’s ‘Songs of Praise’ and directed ‘The People’s Chorus’ for BBC Four. He currently holds the Guinness World Record for conducting the UK’s largest choir – 6,846 singers!
David’s work has taken him to Singapore, Colombia, Canada, the United States, India, throughout Europe, and since 2005 he has worked annually in Australia. BFCS has benefitted hugely from his contributions to our residential choral workshops, as well as from his conducting of Circle Song, a piece for adult and youth choirs by Bob Chilcott. David has a particular passion for working with young people, and until recently was the regular conductor of the CBSO’s City of Birmingham Young Voices.
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Professor E.J. Milner-Gulland
Advisory Board Memberej.milner-gulland@zoo.ox.ac.uk
E.J. is the Tasso Leventis Professor of Biodiversity at the University of Oxford (Zoology Department). Before that, she was Professor of Conservation Science at Imperial College London for 15 years, having held previous positions in Resource Economics and Mathematical Ecology at Oxford, Imperial and Warwick Universities. Her first degree was in Pure and Applied Biology at Oxford, and her PhD at Imperial College was on the exploitation of elephants, rhinos and saiga antelopes for trade.
E.J. has a particular interest in developing and applying methods for understanding, predicting, and influencing human behaviour in the context of local resource use in developing countries. She also works on the illegal trade in wildlife and on designing, monitoring and evaluating conservation interventions in order to improve their effectiveness. She received the Marsh Award for Conservation Science from ZSL in 2001, and the Marsh Award for Ecology from the British Ecological Society in 2011, in recognition of her achievements in conservation. In 2014 she was awarded a Pew Marine Fellowship to carry out research on the use of novel approaches to addressing marine bycatch.
EJ’s research group is strongly interdisciplinary and has a wide range of research interests within conservation science. Her ethos is to ensure that all the research that she does is addressing issues identified by practitioners, and is carried out collaboratively with end-users. She also has strong interests in capacity building of conservation scientists in the developing world, and in developing conservation interventions which are both effective at conserving biodiversity and improve the lives of local people in the face of external pressures such as climate change, environmental destruction and social and political uncertainty.
For more information about E.J.’s research, please visit the ICCS website and her latest project, the Oxford Martin Programme on the Illegal Wildlife Trade. You can also follow E.J. on Twitter: @EJMilnerGulland
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Explain How Far Nelsons Fits Into The Overall Development Of Northern Textile Towns?
If we look at Nelsons Industry and work, its evidence is similar to other Northern parts of Britain because it teaches us that Nelson changed from being very rural to an industrialised area. Farm lands were replaced by factories. This is typical to what happened in other textile towns. This is reinforced by source N. The two maps show us the difference that occurred in 57 years. It shows the 1844 version and 1901 version of Nelson. In 1844 we can see that most of the area was of rural life and poorly populated however 57 years later it shows us a much more industrialised version with very crowded areas. A number of Textile Factories were built, which lead people migrating from other towns to find work.
Mills were intentionally built close to running waters to cool down machinery, but also to get rid of the mass amounts of waste products produced. So not only were factory owners making a lot of money, but they were also polluting the river which is home to many animals, including fish, otters and beavers. This results in a lot of natural wildlife being destroyed just for the wellbeing of what was being produced. Along with factories pumping toxic smoke into the air, together they play a major role in why Britain was so polluted.
Source K denotes that people were “encouraged to come from all districts all over the country”. This was a result of more and more mills and factories being built and they were enticing “two hundred and even 1,000 workmen”. Houses were being built “by the side of his mill for the work force” This indicates that terraced houses were built quite close to the factories in which many people worked in to earn a living. It was done to ensure 100% punctuality rate, because most factory owners were very stern regarding attendance.
Source C illustrates a very positive correlation between the population and the number of looms. As the number of looms increased, the population increased. From this, I can extrapolate that the looms were attracting more and more people to come to Nelson in search to find work. As people did find work they settled in the area to feed their families and the word spread.
Source L signifies that there was no age limit for people to start working. Usually a “family works together…father, mother, sons and daughters”. Many children started work at the age of 5. Some children were even set out to carry out very inappropriate jobs, such as picking up pieces of left over cotton from under working machines. It shows that employees are happy working together and no harm has been caused towards them. This is very dangerous and would result in causing major injury. However this source has been written by “William Ecroyd” the founder of the Ecroyd factory. We cannot trust this source to a great extent because Ecroyd may just want to give his mill a good name and may be mendacious about what he is writing.
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Written by Jonathan Cook on July 3, 2019
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In the latest of the interminable media “furores” about Jeremy Corbyn’s supposed unfitness to lead the Labour party – let alone become prime minister – it is easy to forget where we were shortly before he won the support of an overwhelming majority of Labour members to head the party.
In the preceding two years, it was hard to avoid on TV the figure of Russell Brand, a comedian and minor film star who had reinvented himself, after years of battling addiction, as a spiritual guru-cum-political revolutionary.
Brand’s fast-talking, plain-speaking criticism of the existing political order, calling it discredited, unaccountable and unrepresentative, was greeted with smirking condescension from the political and media establishment. Nonetheless, in an era before Donald Trump had become president of the United States, the British media were happy to indulge Brand for a while, seemingly believing he or his ideas might prove a ratings winner with younger audiences.
But then Brand started to look rather more impressive than anyone could have imagined. He took on supposed media heavyweights like the BBC’s Jeremy Paxman and Channel 4’s Jon Snow and charmed and shamed them into submission – both with his compassion and his thoughtful radicalism. Even in the gladiatorial-style battle of wits so beloved of modern TV, he made these titans of the political interview look mediocre, shallow and out of touch. Videos of these head-to-heads went viral, and Brand won hundreds of thousands of new followers.
Then he overstepped the mark.
Democracy as charade
Instead of simply criticising the political system, Brand argued that it was in fact so rigged by the powerful, by corporate interests, that western democracy had become a charade. Elections were pointless. Our votes were simply a fig-leaf, concealing the fact that our political leaders were there to represent not us but the interests of globe-spanning corporations. Political and media elites had been captured by unshored corporate money. Our voices had become irrelevant.
Brand didn’t just talk the talk. He went out and started committing to direct action. He shamed our do-nothing politicians and corporate media (the devastating Grenfell Tower fire had yet to happen) by helping gain attention for a group of poor tenants in London who were taking on the might of a corporation that had become their landlord and wanted to evict them to develop their homes for a much richer clientele. Brand’s revolutionary words had turned into revolutionary action.
But just as Brand’s rejection of the old politics began to articulate a wider mood, it was stopped in its tracks. When Corbyn was unexpectedly elected Labour leader, offering for the first time in living memory a politics that listened to people before money, Brand’s style of rejectionism seemed a little too cynical, or at least premature.
But while Corbyn’s victory marked a sea-change, it is worth recalling that it occurred only because of a mistake. Or perhaps two.
The Corbyn accident
First, a handful of Labour MPs agreed to nominate Corbyn for the leadership contest, scraping him past the threshold needed to get on the ballot paper. Most backed him only because they wanted to make the election look fair and open. After his victory, some loudly regrettedhaving assisted him. None had thought a representative of the tiny and besieged left wing of the parliamentary party stood a chance of winning – not after Tony Blair and his acolytes had spent more than two decades remaking Labour, using their own version of entryism to eradicate any vestiges of socialism in the party. These “New Labour” MPs were there, just as Brand had noted, to represent the interests of a corporate class, not ordinary people.
Corbyn had very different ideas from most of his colleagues. Over the years he had broken with the consensus of the dominant Blairite faction time and again in parliamentary votes, consistently taking a minority view that later proved to be on the right side of history. He alone among the leadership contenders spoke unequivocally against austerity, regarding it as a way to leech away more public money to enrich the corporations and banks that had already pocketed vast sums from the public coffers – so much so that by 2008 they had nearly bankrupted the entire western economic system.
And second, Corbyn won because of a recent change in the party’s rulebook – one now much regretted by party managers. A new internal balloting system gave more weight to the votes of ordinary members than the parliamentary party. The members, unlike the party machine, wanted Corbyn.
Corbyn’s success didn’t really prove Brand wrong. Even the best designed systems have flaws, especially when the maintenance of the system’s image as benevolent is considered vitally important. It wasn’t that Corbyn’s election had demonstrated that Britain’s political system was representative and accountable. It was simply evidence that corporate power had made itself vulnerable to a potential accident by preferring to work out of sight, in the shadows, to maintain the illusion of democracy. Corbyn was that accident.
‘Brainwashing under freedom’
Corbyn’s success also wasn’t evidence that the power structure he challenged had weakened. The system was still in place and it still had a chokehold on the political and media establishments that exist to uphold its interests. Which is why it has been mobilising these forces endlessly to damage Corbyn and avert the risk of a further, even more disastrous “accident”, such as his becoming prime minister.
The rich and powerful are so worried about a Labour government redistributing wealth and power that they're stepping up their attacks on me, those close to me, my staff and our movement.
The answer is to come together to deliver real change and hope to all our communities. pic.twitter.com/HQz3t97Iw1
— Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) July 1, 2019
Listing the ways the state-corporate media have sought to undermine Corbyn would sound preposterous to anyone not deeply immersed in these media-constructed narratives. But almost all of us have been exposed to this kind of “brainwashing under freedom” since birth.
The initial attacks on Corbyn were for being poorly dressed, sexist, unstatesmanlike, a national security threat, a Communist spy – relentless, unsubstantiated smears the like of which no other party leader had ever faced. But over time the allegations became even more outrageously propagandistic as the campaign to undermine him not only failed but backfired – not least, because Labour membership rocketed under Corbyn to make the party the largest in Europe. As the establishment’s need to keep him away from power has grown more urgent and desperate so has the nature of the attacks.
Redefining anti-semitism
Corbyn was extremely unusual in many ways as the leader of a western party within sight of power. Personally he was self-effacing and lived modestly. Ideologically he was resolutely against the thrust of four decades of a turbo-charged neoliberal capitalism unleashed by Thatcher and Reagan in the early 1980s; and he opposed foreign wars for empire, fashionable “humanitarian interventions” whose real goal was to attack other sovereign states either to control their resources, usually oil, or line the pockets of the military-industrial complex.
It was difficult to attack Corbyn directly for these positions. There was the danger that they might prove popular with voters. But Corbyn was seen to have an Achilles’ heel. He was a life-long anti-racism activist and well known for his support for the rights of the long-suffering Palestinians. The political and media establishments soon learnt that they could recharacterise his support for the Palestinians and criticism of Israel as anti-semitism. He was soon being presented as a leader happy to preside over an “institutionally” anti-semitic party.
Under pressure of these attacks, Labour was forced to adopt a new and highly controversial definition of anti-semitism – one rejected by leading jurists and later repudiated by the lawyer who devised it – that expressly conflates criticism of Israel, and anti-Zionism, with Jew hatred. One by one Corbyn’s few ideological allies in the party – those outside the Blairite consensus – have been picked off as anti-semites. They have either fallen foul of this conflation or, as with Labour MP Chris Williamson, they have been tarred and feathered for trying to defend Labour’s record against the accusations of a supposed endemic anti-semitism in its ranks.
The bad faith of the anti-semitism smears were particularly clear in relation to Williamson. The comment that plunged him into so much trouble – leading twice to his suspension – was videoed. In it he can be heard calling anti-semitism a “scourge” that must be confronted. But also, in line with all evidence, Williamson denied that Labour had any particular anti-semitism problem. In part he blamed the party for being too ready to concede unwarranted ground to critics, further stoking the attacks and smears. He noted that Labour had been “demonised as a racist, bigoted party”, adding: “Our party’s response has been partly responsible for that because in my opinion … we’ve backed off far too much, we have given too much ground, we’ve been too apologetic.”
The Guardian has been typical in mischaracterising Williamson’s remarks not once but each time it has covered developments in his case. Every Guardian report has stated, against the audible evidence, that Williamson said Labour was “too apologetic about anti-semitism”. In short, the Guardian and the rest of the media have insinuated that Williamson approves of anti-semitism. But what he actually said was that Labour was “too apologetic” when dealing with unfair or unreasonable allegations of anti-semitism, that it had too willingly accepted the unfounded premise of its critics that the party condoned racism.
Like the Salem witch-hunts
The McCarthyite nature of this process of misrepresentation and guilt by association was underscored when Jewish Voice for Labour, a group of Jewish party members who have defended Corbyn against the anti-semitism smears, voiced their support for Williamson. Jon Lansman, a founder of the Momentum group originally close to Corbyn, turned on the JVL calling them “part of the problem and not part of the solution to antisemitism in the Labour Party”. In an additional, ugly but increasingly normalised remark, he added: “Neither the vast majority of individual members of JVL nor the organisation itself can really be said to be part of the Jewish community.”
In this febrile atmosphere, Corbyn’s allies have been required to admit the party’s institutionalised anti-semitism, to distance themselves from Corbyn and often to submit to anti-semitism training. To do otherwise, to deny the accusation is, as in the Salem witch-hunts, treated as proof of guilt.
The anti-semitism claims have been regurgitated almost daily across the narrow corporate media “spectrum”, even though they are unsupported by any actual evidence of an anti-semitism problem in Labour beyond a marginal one representative of wider British society. The allegations have reached such fever-pitch, stoked into a hysteria by the media, that the party is now under investigation by the Equality and Human Rights Commission – the only party apart from the neo-Nazi British National Party ever to face such an investigation.
These attacks have transformed the whole discursive landscape on Israel, the Palestinians, Zionism and anti-semitism in ways unimaginable 20 years ago, when I first started reporting on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Then the claim that anti-Zionism – opposition to Israel as a state privileging Jews over non-Jews – was the same as anti-semitism sounded patently ridiculous. It was an idea promoted only by the most unhinged apologists for Israel.
Now, however, we have leading liberal commentators such as the Guardian’s Jonathan Freedland claiming not only that Israel is integral to their Jewish identity but that they speak for all other Jews in making such an identification. To criticise Israel is to attack them as Jews, and by implication to attack all Jews. And therefore any Jew dissenting from this consensus, any Jew identifying as anti-Zionist, any Jew in Labour who supports Corbyn – and there are many, even if they are largely ignored – are denounced, as by Lansman, as the “wrong kind of Jews”. It may be absurd logic, but such ideas are now so commonplace as to be unremarkable.
In fact, the weaponisation of anti-semitism against Corbyn has become so normal that, even while I was writing this post, a new nadir was reached. Jeremy Hunt, the foreign secretary who hopes to defeat Boris Johnson in the upcoming Tory leadership race, as good as accusedCorbyn of being a new Hitler, a man who as prime minister might allow Jews to be exterminated as happened in the Nazi death camps.
Too ‘frail’ to be PM
Although anti-semitism has become the favoured stick with which to beat Corbyn, other forms of attack regularly surface. The latest is a comment by an unnamed “senior civil servant” reported in the Times alleging that Corbyn is too physically frail and mentally ill-equipped to grasp the details necessary to serve as prime minister. It barely matters whether the comment was actually made by a senior official or simply concocted by the Times. It is yet further evidence of the political and media establishments’ anti-democratic efforts to discredit Corbyn as a general election looms.
One of the ironies is that media critics of Corbyn regularly accuse him of failing to make any political capital from the shambolic disarray of the ruling Conservative party, which is eating itself alive over the terms of Brexit, Britain’s imminent departure from the European Union. But it is the corporate media – which serves both as society’s main forum of debate and as a supposed watchdog on power – that is starkly failing to hold the Tories to account. While the media obsess about Corbyn’s supposed mental deficiencies, they have smoothed the path of Boris Johnson, a man who personifies the word “buffoon” like no one else in political life, to become the new leader of the Conservative party and therefore by default – and without an election – the next prime minister.
An indication of how the relentless character assassination of Corbyn is being coordinated was hinted at early on in comments – also reported by The Times, and also made anonymously – by a British military general immediately after Corbyn’s election in 2015. He told the paper there would be “direct action”, what he termed a “mutiny”, by the armed forces should Corbyn ever get in sight of power. The generals, he said, regarded Corbyn as a national security threat and would use any means “fair or foul” to prevent him implementing his political programme.
Running the gauntlet
But this campaign of domestic attacks on Corbyn needs to be understood in a still wider framework, which relates to Britain’s abiding Transatlantic “special relationship”, one that in reality means that the UK serves as Robin to the United States’ Batman, or as a very junior partner to the global hegemon.
Last month a private conversation concerning Corbyn between the US secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, and the heads of a handful of rightwing American Jewish organisations was leaked. Contrary to the refrain of the UK corporate media that Corbyn is so absurd a figure that he could never win an election, the fear expressed on both sides of that Washington conversation was that the Labour leader might soon become Britain’s prime minister.
Framing Corbyn yet again as an anti-semite, a US Jewish leader could be heard asking Pompeo if he would be “willing to work with us to take on actions if life becomes very difficult for Jews in the UK”. Pompeo responded that it was possible “Mr Corbyn manages to run the gauntlet and get elected” – a telling phrase that attracted remarkably little attention, as did the story itself, given that it revealed one of the most senior Trump administration officials explicitly talking about meddling directly in the outcome of a UK election.
Here is the dictionary definition of “run the gauntlet”: to take part in a form of corporal punishment in which the party judged guilty is forced to run between two rows of soldiers, who strike out and attack him.
So Pompeo was suggesting that there already is a gauntlet – systematic and organised blows and strikes against Corbyn – that he is being made to run through. In fact, “running the gauntlet” precisely describes the experience Corbyn has faced since he was elected Labour leader – from the corporate media, from the dominant Blairite faction of his own party, from rightwing, pro-Israel Jewish organisations like the Board of Deputies, and from anonymous generals and senior civil servants.
‘We cheated, we stole’
Pompeo continued: “You should know, we won’t wait for him to do those things to begin to push back. We will do our level best. It’s too risky and too important and too hard once it’s already happened.”
So, Washington’s view is that action must be taken before Corbyn reaches a position of power. To avoid any danger he might become the UK’s next prime minister, the US will do its “level best” to “push back”. Assuming that this hasn’t suddenly become the US administration’s priority, how much time does the US think it has before Corbyn might win power? How close is a UK election?
As everyone in Washington is only too keenly aware, a UK election has been a distinct possiblity since the Conservatives set up a minority goverment two years ago with the help of fickle, hardline Ulster loyalists. Elections have been looming ever since, as the UK ruling party has torn itself apart over Brexit, its MPs regularly defeating their own leader, prime minister Theresa May, in parliamentary votes.
So if Pompeo is saying, as he appears to be, that the US will do whatever it can to make sure Corbyn doesn’t win an election well before that election takes place, it means the US is already deeply mired in anti-Corbyn activity. Pompeo is not only saying that the US is ready to meddle in the UK’s election, which is bad enough; he is hinting that it is already meddling in UK politics to make sure the will of the British people does not bring to power the wrong leader.
Remember Pompeo, a former CIA director, once effectively America’s spy chief, was unusually frank about what his agency got up to when he was in charge. He observed: “I was the CIA director. We lied, we cheated, we stole. It’s – it was like – we had entire training courses.”
One would have to be remarkably naive to think that Pompeo changed the CIA’s culture during his short tenure. He simply became the figurehead of the world’s most powerful spying outfit, one that had spent decades developing the principles of US exceptionalism, that had lied its way to recent wars in Iraq and Libya, as it had done earlier in Vietnam and in justifying the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima, and much more. Black ops and psyops were not invented by Pompeo. They have long been a mainstay of US foreign policy.
An eroding consensus
It takes a determined refusal to join the dots not to see a clear pattern here.
Brand was right that the system is rigged, that our political and media elites are captured, and that the power structure of our societies will defend itself by all means possible, “fair or foul”. Corbyn is far from alone in this treatment. The system is similarly rigged to stop a democratic socialist like Bernie Sanders – though not a rich businessman like Donald Trump – winning the nomination for the US presidential race. It is also rigged to silence real journalists like Julian Assange who are trying to overturn the access journalism prized by the corporate media – with its reliance on official sources and insiders for stories – to divulge the secrets of the national security states we live in.
There is a conspiracy at work here, though it is not of the kind lampooned by critics: a small cabal of the rich secretly pullng the strings of our societies. The conspiracy operates at an institutional level, one that has evolved over time to create structures and refine and entrench values that keep power and wealth in the hands of the few. In that sense we are all part of the conspiracy. It is a conspiracy that embraces us every time we unquestioningly accept the “consensual” narratives laid out for us by our education systems, politicians and media. Our minds have been occupied with myths, fears and narratives that turned us into the turkeys that keep voting for Christmas.
That system is not impregnable, however. The consensus so carefully constructed over many decades is rapidly breaking down as the power structure that underpins it is forced to grapple with real-world problems it is entirely unsuited to resolve, such as the gradual collapse of western economies premised on infinite growth and a climate that is fighting back against our insatiable appetite for the planet’s resources.
When we colluded in the manufactured consensus of western societies, the system operated without challenge or meaningful dissent. A deeply ideological system destroying the planet was treated as though it was natural, immutable, the summit of human progress, the end of history. Those times are over. Accidents like Corbyn will happen more frequently, as will extreme climate events and economic crises. The power structures in place to prevent such accidents will by necessity grow more ham-fisted, more belligerent, less concealed to get their way. And we might finally understand that a system designed to pacify us while a few grow rich at the expense of our own and our children’s future does not have to continue. That we can raise our voices and loudly say: “No!”
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Originally published: Jonathan Cook (Blog)
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The Battle of Helena Ark. (Vol. 32, #4)
In the late spring of 1863, the situation was growing increasingly dire for the embattled Confederate bastion at Vicksburg, Mississippi. Union General Ulysses S. Grant’s Army of the Tennessee, after audaciously cutting its supply lines to live off the land, had maneuvered some 31,000 Confederate soldiers into their earthworks at Vicksburg and was slowly starving them into submission, with unfettered access of the Mississippi River as the prize.
Desperately seeking any means of relieving pressure on Vicksburg and its garrison, Confederate Secretary of War James A. Seddon on March 23, 1863, urged troops west of the Mississippi to strike at Union forces there, noting that an “attack on, and seizure of Helena, while all the available forces of the enemy are being pushed to Grant’s aid,” could “secure great future advantage to the Confederacy.”
One hundred and four days later, Seddon’s suggestion would result in one of the signature defeats of Confederate arms in Arkansas on the very day that Vicksburg fell.
The Helena, Arkansas, waterfront on the Mississippi River looking northeast.
At the outset of the Civil War, Helena was a thriving Mississippi River port serving one of Arkansas’ richest agricultural regions, and when the war began the town supplied such luminaries as Patrick Cleburne and Thomas Hindman to the Confederate cause. By the middle of 1862, though, Helena was a Union base, having been occupied by Maj. Gen. Samuel Curtis’ Army of the Southwest in July after an epic campaign that started with the Battle of Pea Ridge in early March. Following that northwest Arkansas battle, Curtis had briefly threatened Little Rock before cutting his supply lines and marching across eastern Arkansas to establish a stable base amid the towering loess bluffs at Helena. The Federals were not alone when they reached Helena on July 12: thousands of slaves had followed the army, seeking new lives of freedom, and “contraband” camps were established for the refugees even as Union officials struggled to determine what to do with the newly liberated blacks. One Iowa soldier observed that the Federals “have brought in negros by the hundred . . . have them do all our dirty work & they are well satisfied at that but some of the women & children look pitiful. They have had a hard row to hoe for a long time, have been hid out in swamps with mules & cattle some times.”
Though they were glad to have the luxury of a riverine supply line, the Yankee troops soon grew to hate Helena as increasing numbers of men fell ill at the unhealthy location. George Flanders of the 5th Kansas Cavalry wrote to his mother that, “I have no fear of being hit by the bullets, but I can’t help dreading spending the summer in this sickly location,” while a Wisconsin captain barred his wife from visiting him: “It is almost sure death to at least 1 out of 3 of all unacclimated persons who come here, except late in fall or in winter.” Another Kansan sourly called Helena “one of the most miserable low down locations in the whole universe,” but Iowan Charles Musser may have best summed up the typical Union soldier’s feeling toward Helena when he wrote, “I hope when we leave this place it will . . . Sink down and the Waters of the Old Mississippi cover it so deep that no lead can Sound the bottom.”
Samuel R. Curtis, USA
In the summer of 1862, Helena was the only Federal enclave in Arkansas and Confederate cavalry began patrolling the area aggressively, snatching up pickets and skirmishing with Union cavalry. While field artillery and Federal gunboats patrolling the Mississippi provided a measure of security, it was obvious that more permanent fortifications would be needed.
In late August, construction began on what would become the main defensive earthwork in the town, with Gilbert Denny of the 18th Indiana Infantry writing on August 24, “We are building a fort here. There is 6 pieces of artillery here for it from 32 to 64 pounders. The Negrows is doing the work while we lay in the shade and drill.” Construction continued into the fall and on October 29, Hoosier S. C. Bishop reported, “This has been a gay day with us, a grand review of all the troops and a general salute fired by all the Artillery and Gunboats in honor of the ‘Fort’ which is now finished.” The impressive fortification, located on the northern outskirts of town, was named Fort Curtis in honor of the Union commander and was armed with two 32-pound and five 24- pound siege guns—a serious deterrent to any potential attackers.
Despite the impressive fortification, Helena was still potentially vulnerable to Confederate attack. The town is located at the southern terminus of Crowley’s Ridge (an erosional loess remnant created when the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers fought for their permanent channels) that towers over the region’s flat Delta landscape. At least four high points dominated Helena—and thus Fort Curtis—and those points became the focus of further fortifications. Capt. John F. Youngs of the 5th Kansas Cavalry noted on September 29, 1862, “Entrenchments are being thrown up on the high ground north of Helena[.] Contraband darkeys employed on the works.”
Helena’s fortification would begin in earnest in early 1863 when Maj. Gen. Benjamin Mayberry Prentiss took command of the District of Eastern Arkansas. Prentiss had made an obstinate stand in a sunken road remembered as “The Hornet’s Nest” at the Battle of Shiloh the previous spring, where he was captured. He was determined that a similar fate would not befall the Union garrison at Helena.
The construction would receive added assistance, and the construction workers a new status, in the spring of 1863 as Union leaders followed January’s Emancipation Proclamation with an effort to bring some of the tens of thousands of black men in the contraband camps surrounding Federal bases into military service. President Abraham Lincoln tasked Brig. Gen. Lorenzo Thomas, the army’s adjutant general, with visiting the U. S. bases in the Mississippi River Valley and recruiting regiments of black troops, and historian Noah Andre Trudeau observed that “the old bureaucrat took to the stump like a bornagain preacher.” Thomas arrived at Helena on April 6 and addressed some 7,000 Union troops there: “I am here to say that I am authorized to raise as many regiments of blacks as I can. I am authorized to give commissions from the highest to the lowest; and I desire those persons who are in earnest in this work to take hold of it.”
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Factors associated with health-seeking behavior among migrant workers in Beijing, China
Yingchun Peng1,
Wenhu Chang1,
Haiqing Zhou1,
Hongpu Hu2 and
Wannian Liang3Email author
BMC Health Services Research201010:69
© Peng et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. 2010
Migrant workers are a unique phenomenon in the process of China's economic transformation. The household registration system classifies them as temporary residents in cities, putting them in a vulnerable state with an unfair share of urban infrastructure and social public welfare. The amount of pressure inflicted by migrant workers in Beijing, as one of the major migration destinations, is currently at a threshold. This study was designed to assess the factors associated with health-seeking behavior and to explore feasible solutions to the obstacles migrant workers in China faced with when accessing health-care.
A sample of 2,478 migrant workers in Beijing was chosen by the multi-stage stratified cluster sampling method. A structured questionnaire survey was conducted via face-to-face interviews between investigators and subjects. The multilevel methodology (MLM) was used to demonstrate the independent effects of the explanatory variables on health seeking behavior in migrant workers.
The medical visitation rate of migrant workers within the past two weeks was 4.8%, which only accounted for 36.4% of those who were ill. Nearly one-third of the migrant workers chose self-medication (33.3%) or no measures (30.3%) while ill within the past two weeks. 19.7% of the sick migrants who should have been hospitalized failed to receive medical treatment within the past year. According to self-reported reasons, the high cost of health service was a significant obstacle to health-care access for 40.5% of the migrant workers who became sick. However, 94.0% of the migrant workers didn't have any insurance coverage in Beijing. The multilevel model analysis indicates that health-seeking behavior among migrants is significantly associated with their insurance coverage. Meanwhile, such factors as household monthly income per capita and working hours per day also affect the medical visitation rate of the migrant workers in Beijing.
This study assesses the influence of socio-demographic characteristics on the migrant workers' decision to seek health care services when they fall ill, and it also indicates that the current health service system discourages migrant workers from seeking appropriate care of good quality. Relevant policies of public medical insurance and assistance program should be vigorously implemented for providing affordable health care services to the migrants. Feasible measures need to be taken to reduce the health risks associated with current hygiene practices and equity should be assured in access to health care services among migrant workers.
Migrant Population
Monthly Household Income
Household Registration
National Health Service Survey
The inception of China's reform and opening policy three decades ago has resulted in the creation of a growing, historically unique social group: rural migrants in the big cities. According to statistical data, the rural migrant population in China rose from 70 million in 1993 to 140 million in 2003, doubling the original number in 10 years and including nearly 30% of the rural labor force [1]. Rural migrants have grown into an important new social stratum of China, particularly as a sizeable component of industrial workers in China and a driving force for urbanization. Investigations indicate that over 60% of rural migrant workers swarm into large cities so that many Chinese metropolises, such as Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou become overloaded. Beijing, the capital city of China, is a major migration destination, where the migrant population currently exceeds 4 million, accounting for 1/4 of the total population [2]. As most migrants can only do simple, unskilled jobs, typically unstable and insecure work, they are often low paid and frequently laid off. Gradually they become the growing poor group in the big cities, lacking a social assistance system and public infrastructure and suffering from health risks which go unnoticed [3].
Although rural migrant workers have contributed much to urban and national economic development, a series of existing problems drag them into "vulnerable groups"[4]. China's national policy has long been established on locality-based schemes. According to law all individuals must have household registration (hukou), by which certain rights, such as free education and access to social welfare, are offered. Since household registration is not easily transferable from rural to urban areas, migrants are rarely entitled to public medical insurance and assistance programs in places outside their original residential area, forcing them to pay out-of-pocket expenses for medical services in cities [5, 6].
While available studies have primarily focused on AIDS and tuberculosis, or reproductive health of female migrants, only limited research has been conducted on health care access and the health-seeking behaviors of this population [7, 8]. Systematic research on how Chinese rural migrants perceive health, disease, and the health care system is far from sufficient. It behooves us to understand how this group perceives the various possibilities for health care: self-medication, private clinics with varied levels of care, and more formal hospital treatment. The concept and awareness of health risks and the knowledge of medicine as well, play a big part in health-related behaviors of the migrants. Understanding these factors will be crucial to prevention, intervention, and other health-related measures for the migrant workers in China [9].
With violently physical, demographic and socioeconomic changes, Beijing is typical of the big cities undergoing market transition and economic restructuring. Therefore, it is an ideal case to study the migrant population against the background of market transition in China. This paper is to collect information about the attitude, perception, preferences and health-seeking behavior among the migrant workers in Beijing. Our present study will also assess their needs in health care services and the obstacles they meet in enjoying health services as well as suggest feasible solutions to presented problems. It is also hoped that policy implications on the management of the issues related to the migrant workers can be drawn from the analysis.
About 60 percent of the migrant population lives in three of eight urban districts of Beijing, i.e. Chaoyang, Haidian and Fengtai[10]. Chaoyang disrict has the highest number and density of migrants among all, owing to its rapid commercialization in recent years. Its migrant population of 1 million accounts for 1/4 of all the migrants in Beijing, and nearly a third of all the residents in that district. The three districts listed above were chosen for this study.
Data Collection and Measures
According to the Beijing Municipal Regulations on migrants, migrants must register with the local community agencies where they are living to receive and renew their temporary residency certificates. The migrants tend to congregate among themselves according to their hometown (laoxiang guanxi), and live in so called 'migrant villages' (liudong renkou jujudian) dispersed among the city districts. A multi-stage stratified cluster sampling method was used in this study. In the first stage, for having the largest and densest migrant populations among all districts, the three districts Chaoyang, Haidian and Fengtai were selected from Beijing. In the second stage, 5 to 8 towns were chosen from each selected district according to the number of migrants. In the third stage, 1 to 2 'migrant villages' from every selected town were chosen according to geographical origin of the migrants, i.e. where they used to live. Finally, based on records of migrants kept in the community agencies, all eligible individual participants were chosen from the selected 'migrant villages'. The criteria for selecting participants were: 1) They were aged from 15 to 65 years old; 2) They had been living in Beijing for at least 3 months; 3) They weren't registered as permanent residents in Beijing.
With the help of local community agencies in these three districts, the interview was conducted face -to -face between interviewers and interviewees at their temporary places of residence in Beijing during their free time.
The study team set up a strict process of review and supervision to ensure survey quality. All of the interviewees were assured that they would remain anonymous during the interview and the analysis. The right to refuse participation was guaranteed. Informed consent was obtained from each participant at the start of the interview, and all participants received a gift following. This study was approved by the ethics committee of Capital Medical University.
The structured questionnaire survey was conducted by a team of trained investigators from March to April, 2008 in the three districts selected in Beijing. A total of 2,545 migrant workers were enrolled in the study. The questions covered such areas as social demographic features, perceived health status, health insurance coverage, health-seeking behavior, perceptions of health risk and so on.
The questionnaire was developed in three steps: Firstly, the items of the questionnaire were generated from literature research. Secondly, they were evaluated by a formal consensus process based on a nominal group technique (NGT), which is a structured variation of small group discussion methods. The process prevents the domination of discussion by a single researcher, encourages the more passive group members to participate, and results in a set of prioritized solutions or recommendations [11, 12]. Lastly, the questionnaire was piloted on 94 migrant workers from Chaoyang district. The internal consistency reliability (Cronbach's α) for the full scale was 0.812. Meanwhile, face validity and content validity of the questionnaire were both confirmed by epidemiologists and experts from health administration. The results indicated that the questionnaire had good reliability and validity.
Prior to the analysis, all questionnaires were reviewed for accuracy. Two research assistants independently uploaded the data into a computerized database using EpiData3.0. Chi-square test was performed to analyze differences in the health- seeking behavior between different socio-demographic groups of migrant workers. The difference was considered statistically significant if the 2-sided P value was less than 0.05. As a hierarchy exists in the dataset, a multilevel methodology (MLM) is used to demonstrate the independent effects of the explanatory variables on health seeking behavior in the final models, the parameter estimates are exponentiated and interpreted as relative risks. Among the multilevels, level 1 is individual, level 2 is 'migrant village', level 3 is town, and level 4 is district, respectively.
All analyses were performed using the MLwiN software package(MlwiN version 2.02, Rasbash J et al,2005) and SPSS for Windows, version 12.0(SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL).
Socio-demographic characteristics of the respondents
A total of 2,545 migrant workers were enrolled in the study, excluding incomplete data, 2,478 valid respondents were received (97.4% response rate). 71.4% of respondents lived in Chaoyang District, 13.2% in Haidian District, and 15.4% in Fengtai District.
As Table 1 shows, of the 2,478 participants aged from 15 to 65, their average age was 33.9 (standard deviation (SD) 7.2), 71.2% aged from 20 to 39 years old, and 57.2% are males. 11.3% of them were illiterate or almost illiterate. The wholesale or retail sector and lodging catering service sector were the major employers of employed groups, and accounted for 28.3% and 19.9% of the respondents, respectively.
Socio-demographic characteristics of migrant workers in Beijing (n = 2478)
Age(years)
University/college degree
Lodging catering service
Transport, storage and postal
Working hours per day (hours)
Monthly household income per capita (RMB)
Less than 250
Duration of stay in Beijing (years)
Employer-based medical insurance
Commercial medical insurance
Social health insurance
Industrial injury insurance
Note: Table 1 presents the socio-demographic characteristics of all the migrant workers that participated in the study, the total sample is 2,478.
The survey also showed that migrant workers' average working time was 6.2 days per week, 10.3 hours per day. 30.8% of the total subjects worked more than 12 hours per day. It was found that the migrants' monthly household income per capita was 842 Yuan RMB, among them 10.1% made less than 500 Yuan, and only 10.1% made more than 1,250 Yuan.
Of all the migrants investigated, 58.2% lived with their family members in the 'migrant villages'. 96.9% of the subjects lived in rental houses, and 2.5% lived in dormitory-style accommodations provided by their work units, sharing with colleagues, and where there exist public toilet facilities.
This survey showed that 2,329(94.0%) of the total respondents had no any insurance coverage in Beijing, only 2.3% had employer-based medical insurance, 1.1% had commercial medical insurance, 0.9% had social health insurance, and 0.1% had industrial injury insurance.
Health seeking behavior and risk perceptions among migrant workers
According to self-rated health statuses, 1,135 (45.8%) of the respondents felt very good, while only 2.3% felt bad and 0.2% felt very bad. As to the preferable medical institutions they would consult, 504 (20.3%) of the total subjects replied they never seek any treatment in medical institutions in Beijing. Of the remaining subjects, 31.6% selected village health clinics or community health service stations(Table 2), while 172 (6.9%) selected so-called private clinics (according to the supervised records kept in the local health bureau, most of the so-called clinics in the 'migrant villages' of the three districts were unlicensed, and the service providers were unqualified practitioners in Beijing). Regarding the reasons why they selected so-called private clinics, the relatively lower medical expenses (48.8% of 172 subjects) and easier access to health services (36.0%) were mainly mentioned.
Self-reported preferred medical institutions by migrant workers when fallen ill in Beijing
Medical institutions
Not seeking care in medical institutions
Village health clinics or community health service stations
Township hospital
District-level hospital
City-level hospital or above
Unlicensed private clinic
Note: Table 2 presents the self-reported preferred medical institutions by migrant workers when fallen ill in Beijing, 504 of the total subjects replied they would never seek any health care from medical institutions (n = 2478).
Concerning what measures would usually be taken when they fell ill in Beijing (In this study, illness means sickness or impairment that often affects a whole body or whole system), 316 (11.8%) of the total subjects replied they had not so far fallen ill, 66.1% of the remaining 2,162 respondents answered that they would see a doctor, 27.6% would take self-medication, 3.7% would have a rest, and another 2.6% wouldn't take any measures. As to why the migrant workers wouldn't visit a doctor when ill, 66.2% of 732 subjects answered that they felt it's not a big trouble, 8.9% admitted that they were unable to pay medical expenses, 7.0% said that it was due to the unreasonable charges in medical institutions, 5.5% expressed having no free time, and 6.2% thought they knew how to deal with illness themselves (Table 3).
Self-reported main reasons for not seeking health care among migrant workers when fallen ill in Beijing (n = 732)
Main reasons
Feeling their own diseases not severe enough
Unable to pay medical expenses
Unreasonable charges in medical institutions
Knowing how to deal with diseases themselves
Having no free time
Long distance from medical institutions
Complicated medical procedures
Long queuing and waiting time
Poor service attitude and discrimination
Excessive service
Note: 316 of the total subjects replied they had not yet gotten sick, 1,430 (66.1%) of the remaining 2,162 respondents (2,478 minus 316) answered that they would see a doctor, while the remaining 732 subjects (2,162 minus 1,430) would not seeking health care, the reasons were shown in Table 3.
As table 4 shows, 309 (324 incidents) of the total respondents fell ill within the past two weeks (two-week prevalence rate of the migrants was 13.1%). Of 324 incidents, 36.4% had seen a doctor (two-week visitation rate of the total sample was 4.8%), 33.3% had taken self-medication, while 30.3% hadn't taken any measures. Reasons as to why subjects didn't see a doctor were due to inability to afford the high medical expenses (40.5% of 206 subjects), neglect of the severity of the diseases (33.4%) and no free time (26.1%). Among those who ever visited a doctor, 44.6% had chosen to go to village health clinics or community health service stations, while 20.0% selected the so-called private clinics.
Health seeking behavior within the past two weeks among migrant workers who fell ill and visited doctors
Person-time
Utilization of health services
Saw a doctor
Non use
Type of selected medical institutions
Note: 309 (324 incidents) of the total respondents fell ill within the past two weeks, while only 4.6% (118) of the respondents had visited a doctor.
Within the past twelve months, 4.6% (114) of respondents had received hospital inpatient care, of which 42 (36.8%) selected hospitals in Beijing and 72 (63.2%) selected hospitals in their hometown. The reasons as to why some didn't select hospitals in Beijing include high medical expenses (52.7% of 72 subjects), inconvenient and inaccessible services (28.6%), and being discriminated against (4.8%). Meanwhile, 28 interviewees of 142 subjects who were recommended by their doctors to be hospitalized were not admitted to a hospital within the past twelve months(from 1 Mar,2007 to 28 Feb,2008), the ratio of without hospitalization to those who should have been hospitalized was 19.7%. Of this group, 14 (50.0%) answered they were unable to afford the high medical expenses and 33.3% thought their illness weren't so severe.
Analysis of factors associated with health seeking behavior among migrant workers in Beijing
In order to explore the factors associated with health seeking behavior among migrants, Chi-square (χ2) tests were firstly conducted to compare the differences between migrant workers with different socio-demographic characteristics. As table 5 shows, no statistically significant difference was found in the health seeking behavior among those of different gender, age, occupation or duration of stay in Beijing. However, differing education level, monthly household income per capita, working hours per day and insurance coverage were found to be statistically significantly associated with the health seeking behavior of migrant workers (P < 0.05).
Association of demographic characteristics and health seeking behavior among migrant workers who fell sick in the past two weeks
Number of fallen sick
Number of those who saw a doctor (%)
χ 2
Pvalue
58(36.9)
Working hours per day(hours)
Less 8
Duration of stay in Beijing(years)
104(34.2)
Note: 309 (324 incidents) of the total respondents fell ill within the past two weeks(n = 324).
In order to further explore what socio-demographic factors play an important role in health seeking behavior among migrant workers, the multilevel logistic regression model was conducted by using "whether they had resorted to health service when they fell ill within the past two weeks" as a dependent variable, and education, work hours per day, monthly household income per capita, and insurance coverage as independent variables (Table 6). Health seeking behavior was measured as follows: one, if the migrant worker visited a doctor when he fell ill within the past two weeks, and zero, if he didn't go to visit a doctor. The multilevel model analysis revealed that health seeking behavior was significantly associated with insurance coverage. Meanwhile, monthly household income per capita and working hours per day also made a significant difference to the health seeking behavior among migrant workers in Beijing.
Multilevel models on factors related to health seeking behavior among migrant workers who fell sick in the past two weeks
Fixed part
Primary school (illiteracy)
Secondary school (illiteracy)
High school or above (illiteracy)
Monthly household income per capita
251-500(Less 250RMB)
501-750(Less 250 RMB)
751-1000(Less 250 RMB)
1001-1250(Less 250 RMB)
Working hours per day
8-9(Less 8 hours)
10-11(Less 8 hours)
Over13(Less 8 hours)
Insurance coverage (Yes)
Random part
Level 2 u0jk 2
Level 1 scale parameter δ
Note: Category of each variable in the parentheses is the reference group. 309 (324 incidents) of the total respondents fell ill within the past two weeks(n = 324).
Health issues of migrant workers in Beijing
In Beijing, the increasing migrant population has increased demand for the provision of various health services, including primary health care services, allied medical services, school health programs as well as overall health service manpower.
In this study, the two-week prevalence rate of the migrant workers was 13.1%, which was 4.6% lower than that of the total rural population (17.7%) reported by the national health services survey in 2008 [13], and also lower than that of migrant populations in other cities of China, such as Kunshan City, Jiangsu Province (18.2%) [14]. This phenomena is mainly due to most migrant workers are young and healthy compared to residents in receiving communities and sending communities. More serious conditions resulted in a migrant's return home to be looked after by family and to avoid the high medical and living costs in cities, which has the perverse effect of making the countryside export good health and re-import ill health [15].
A recent change is taking place among migrants in Beijing, which is the proportion of migrants move with their family members increases[3]. This study shows that more than half of the migrants bring their family to Beijing. With the household registration (hukou) system in China, rural-urban migrants are classified as temporary residents, irrespective of how long they stay in Beijing. They tend to rebuild 'a rural society' in the city, and establish 'a village-amidst-the-city'. With very few exceptions, migrants are frequently marginalized in urban communities and are targets of discrimination [16, 17]. They usually live in poorly sanitized and overcrowded dormitories provided by their employers or in other shared accommodations [18, 19]. In this survey, most of the migrant workers were of low socioeconomic status and they lived in rented housing on the city outskirts, while others lived in dormitory-style accommodations with public toilet facilities. Overcrowded, insalubrious living conditions may amplify the ease of spread of infectious diseases among the population. Poor living conditions and inattention to their own health make migrants vulnerable to long-term health problems [20].
Factors associated with health seeking behavior and risk perception of migrant workers
Because their jobs were on short-term bases, migrant workers suffered from unstable lives, little social support and concern about their future [21]. When their expected residency in a given location is limited, the migrant workers are strongly discouraged to invest time and money in their temporary living places or employer-based insurance programs, or even to invest in their personal health and safety measures [22]. The completed study shows that less than 3% of migrants were covered by health insurance schemes, albeit even those would have very limited access to health services due to the low level of financial protection that these schemes provide [18]. This study shows that insurance coverage plays an important role in health seeking behavior, while 94.0% of the migrant workers don't have any insurance coverage in Beijing. This indicates that, to date, an overwhelming majority of this population has been uninsured and having to pay out-of-pocket health expenses. Moreover, the cost of medical care has risen dramatically in recent years, 20.3% of the migrants in this study stated that they would never seek any health care from medical institutions. A major driving force being that perverse incentives altered physicians' behavior toward self-interest at the expense of patients, even where professional ethics dictated otherwise [23]. The migrant workers are thus put in a disadvantaged position regarding access to health care services when working and living in the urban areas [24, 25]. The means to provide effective health services for migrant populations has become an issue of urgency for the Chinese government and local city councils [26]. Expanding health coverage to migrants will be critical for effective prevention and control of epidemic diseases and for closing the widening gaps in health statuses across subpopulations in China. The success of health reforms will be shaped to a large extent by how migrant workers are incorporated into the rural or urban insurance schemes and how effective population health initiatives are in reaching the migrant population [27].
In this survey, the two-week visitation rate to doctors was 4.8%, only accounting for 36.4% of the migrant workers who fell ill within the past two weeks. This is 10.4% lower than that of rural populations, and 7.9% lower than that of urban populations reported by the national health services survey in 2008 [13]. Meanwhile, nearly one-fifth of the sick migrants who were recommended by physicians to have been hospitalized failed to receive medical treatment. According to self-reported reasons, the high cost of health service was a significant barrier to health care access. The multilevel model analysis also indicates that household income is a key factor in the utilization of health services. Being unable to pay, some people may choose to not seek health care services when they fall ill. Although migrant workers live temporarily in Beijing, they have to face the same problems as the farmers faced in rural China, which is medical expenditure has clearly become an important cause of transient poverty, and, indeed, one of the major poverty generators [28–30], Studies show that the high cost of health services and the lack of any health insurance have resulted in under-utilization of health care services among migrants, which had led to a series of ineffective health seeking behaviors such as unsupervised self-treatment, going to unregulated clinics, or 'just holding on' without seeking any medical care[8].
This survey indicates that the absence of health care awareness and risk perception among migrants deserves more attention. Nearly one-third of the migrant workers chose to take self-medication (33.3%) or no measures (30.3%) when they were ill within the two past weeks. Moreover, the Chi-square test result indicates that those with lower educational levels show a lower probability to utilize health services than that of the higher educated groups. Some of those thought their diseases weren't severe, and what is more noteworthy is that a small number of them thought they could treat the diseases themselves. During the interview, we found more than ten percent of the migrants (273 subjects) whose thought patterns usually reflected animistic and religious beliefs to some extent, and they had little knowledge or ability to prevent diseases and care for those in an unhealthy state, potentially resulting in grave health consequences in the long term.
Our investigation shows that working over time is common for migrant workers, nearly one-third of the total subjects work more than 12 hours per day, and most cannot rest on statutory holidays. Moreover, 31.2% work in the manufacturing and construction sectors, which belong to labor-intensive sectors, and high-risk jobs, work areas in which overtime will severely harm their physical and mental health [4, 31]. The multilevel model analysis indicated that the longer working hours were associated with lower probability for health seeking behavior. This can also be seen in the self-reported main reasons for not seeking any medical care while they were ill as nearly one-third complained of having no free time. Our findings strongly suggest that attention should be paid to over-working in migrant populations. To maintain migrants well-being, the labor and social security sectors should design and implement appropriate regulations or laws to guarantee legal resting time for the migrant workers.
The different backgrounds and perspectives of local health care providers and patients require attention be paid to the potential difficulties of doctor-patient interaction. During the interview, we found that due to perceived discrimination and mistrust from medical professionals, some of the migrant workers were reluctant to resort to health services before they thought their diseases were serious enough to go to hospitals. Moreover, one-fifth of the migrant workers sought folk remedies from unlicensed private clinics. Because these practitioners often come from the same hometowns as migrant workers, familiarity was helpful in developing a good physician-patient relationship. Migrants tend to put their trust in the folk healers more than formally trained health care providers. However, most of the service providers in the so-called private clinics were unqualified practitioners in Beijing. They came from different rural areas of China and some of them used to be village doctors in their hometown. To avoid supervision from the local health administrative departments, they usually practiced secretly in their rental houses or provided home visiting services for migrant workers in Beijing. Moreover, through our field observations and investigation from the local health bureau, we found there existed a lot of disappointing facts regarding the so-called private clinics, including unsanitary conditions in medical facilities and a lack of modern medical equipment. Misdiagnosis and mistreatment may be inevitable and serious harm could be done to migrant workers when they seek health care services from these unlicensed clinics.
Suggestions on solutions to the health seeking behavior dilemma of migrant workers
Adequate health care is one crucial consideration in a civil society, and every person should have the right to access care [32]. The migrants should not be deprived of entitlement to health benefits and community services because of their household registration status [8]. One of the main challenges to health care planners is to reach the most marginalized and vulnerable populations and to ensure universal access to affordable and equitable health care services [33]. While health insurance schemes will remain limited for the foreseeable future, attention should focus on providing affordable health care services to uninsured migrants [20]. Relevant policies of public medical insurance and assistance programs should be vigorously implemented for migrants. To further improve the health situation and risk perception among the migrant workers, and fundamentally solve their problem of health services access, proper attention and appropriate policies are especially recommended. Firstly, the central government should increase its investment in medical and health services for the migrant workers. The expenses for the provision of health care services for the migrant population should be incorporated into the state budget by means of government transfer payment. The responsibilities of all relevant governmental bodies, including public security, medical and health care institutions and the migrant population administration departments should be coordinated [34]. Secondly, to supply adequate basic medical and public health service for the migrants, the current capacity of service provision in community health service organizations needs to be expanded. The health care service institutions should be staffed in proportion to the number of both permanent resident and migrant population. The State should acknowledge the necessity for diversifying the health care workforce for the benefit of all populations. Thirdly, the government and concerned organizations should offer health education and improve social support for the migrants [35]. The health services providers in formal medical institutions should provide patient, considerate and professional services for migrants to help them increase their sense of attachment to their current communities. Professional help should be more readily accessible and affordable to the population so that demands of different levels can be satisfied [33, 35].
This survey contributes to our understanding of the health seeking behavior among Chinese rural-to-urban migrant workers and indicates that the state of the current health services system discourages migrant workers from seeking appropriate and quality care. A widespread challenge of China's public health system in terms of how to provide equitable access to the migrant workers emerges, and there is still a long way to go to ameliorate urban-rural inequality and integrate migrants into the urban society and social welfare network [36]. Feasible measures need to be taken immediately to reduce the risk of unhygienic practices, and equity should be assured in access to health care services among migrant groups.
The research is designed as descriptive rather than analytical, it offers a description of the migrant workers in Beijing, causal factors are undetermined through this cross-sectional survey, and over generalization is likely despite efforts to avoid it. A continuous survey is needed to update these data so as to generate more feedback for experience-based suggestions on improving the health seeking behavior of the migrant workers.
The authors are grateful for the helpful comments of two anonymous reviewers. This study was conducted with the support of the Capital Foundation of Medical Development of China.
WNL participated in the design of the study and drafted the manuscript. YCP participated in the design of the study and helped to edit, draft and revise the manuscript. WHC conceived the study and helped to draft the manuscript. HQZ assisted with editing and performed the statistical analysis. HPH participated in the statistical analysis and review of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
School of Health Administration and Education, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100069, China
School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing, 100083, China
Office of Health Emergency, Ministry of Health, Beijing, 100044, China
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The pre-publication history for this paper can be accessed here:http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6963/10/69/prepub
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Bocas del Toro » In the Press
Welcome to Bocas del Toro, Panama
Bocas del Toro, Panama is visited by numerous foreign journalists throughout the year.
Their inspiring articles, top quality photography and intriguing TV programs reveal the beauty of Bocas del Toro, Panama to the world.
In this media corner you can read press releases on Bocas del Toro, and download high web resolution photos of Bocas del Toro.
If you haven’t yet, we would like to invite you to visit the Caribbean archipelago of Bocas del Toro and share with your readers about your experience of this unique tropical Panamanian paradise.
Use the form below to contact or receive information from the best hotels, restaurants, tours, and the Bocas del Toro Chamber of Tourism. Or write us at: visit [a] bocasdeltoro.travel
Bocas del Toro In The Media
Click on the title to read each publication.
Condé Nast Traveler: The Seductively Sleepy Islands of Bocas del Toro, Panama: I stepped blinking into the Panamanian sunshine outside the tiny airport in the Bocas del Toro archipelago and had to blink again. I couldn’t quite believe what I was seeing.
Cruising World: Laid Back in Bocas del Toro, Panama: You Can Charter Here?: I’d never have thought of Bocas del Toro, an archipelago on the Caribbean side of Panama near Costa Rica (think: skip the San Blas, and head northwest), as a prime chartering ground.
Forever I Do: Wedding Destinations, Bocas del Toro, Panama: The pace is deliciously slow and seductive on a backdrop of blue-sky panorama of Caribbean beauty creating a sensation of returning to Eden for newly weds.
International Living: A Visit to Panama’s Caribbean Paradise: You won’t find the huge resorts of other Caribbean destinations in Bocas del Toro, Panama…just an easygoing, water-lover’s paradise, where snorkeling, island-hopping, and beach-combing are the order of the day.
Alpha XY Magazine: 10 Amazing Latin American Vacations: #8 Bocas del Toro – If you’re like me and passionately detest the hordes of tourists one associates with Costa Rica or other destinations, Panama might be a great alternative for you. Bocas del Toro is a small archipelago on the country’s western coast. Remote and difficult to access even today, the region’s indigenous and West African cultures have flourished over the centuries, and one usually hears more English or Creole than Spanish here.
USA TODAY TRAVEL TIPS: Bocas Del Toro, Panama Travel Guide: An archipelago of seven main islands and over 200 pristine islets, Bocas del Toro offers all the white-sand beaches, lush greenery, colorful coral reefs and laid-back lifestyle of the Caribbean islands, without the high-rise resorts and droves of tourists. A large part of the area is protected in marine and jungle reserves, while still home to vibrant Creole and indigenous communities. Although a few islands are highly developed, Bocas del Toro is the perfect place to get away from it all.
Tico Times: Beat the rain in Panama’s Bocas del Toro: It wasn’t long ago that Panama’s Caribbean archipelago, Bocas del Toro, was a hidden, nine-island prize for adventurous travelers. Today, new hotels and restaurants are unveiled every few months, and the string of tropical islands is far from secret. But with plenty of great dining establishments, hotels and activities, spending a week in Bocas definitely still feels like a win, particularly in September and October when the Pacific side is rainy.
International Living: Easy-To-Reach Beach Paradise In Panama: You won’t find the huge resorts of other Caribbean destinations in Bocas del Toro, Panama… just an easygoing, water-lover’s paradise, where snorkeling, island-hopping, and beach-combing are the order of the day. This is the Caribbean as it should be — clean, white-sand beaches; the freshest fruits and seafood; colorful wildlife; and smiling, laid-back locals.
As We Travel: Escape Winter – Top Beaches in Central America: Bocas del Toro boasts two national parks, a total of nine islands, and lush tropical vegetation. Banana plantations dot the countryside of Bocas del Toro and it’s a top location for all kinds of tours, from snorkeling to hiking.
The Inquirer Philadelphia: As Jungly as you Like: Known for pristine white sand beaches, unspoiled lush green jungles, and tiny red poison dart frogs, Isla Bastimentos has become one of Panama’s top ecotourism destinations.
International Living: How to Live the Tropical Castaway Life: On the Caribbean coast, the islands of Bocas del Toro are a marine wonderland. Less developed and more rustic, this area appeals to adventurers who are up to a challenge.
Milwaukee Wisconsin Journal Sentinel: 2014 travel bucket list: The 14 most amazing places to go this year: Panama’s array of natural attractions, from the idyllic islands in Bocas del Toro to the thick jungle of the Darien, stand among the world’s finest.
Matador Network: Put these 10 countries on your list for 2014: Often overshadowed by its tourist-filled neighbor to the north, Panama has a lot of similarities with Costa Rica and would make for either an awesome standalone trip or a beginning/end to a run through Central America. Make sure to check out the islands — San Blas, Bocas del Toro, Coiba, and the Pearls — the hiking and surfing in the Boquete region, and the Comarca de Kuna Yala, home of the autonomous Kuna people.
Business Week: Secret Caribbean Island Vacations: Panama’s Bocas del Toro has a dense rain forest interior ringed by white sand beaches and mangrove inlets. About 25 miles from Costa Rica, the region has an average year-round temperature of 82F.
Bocas del Toro Photo Gallery
Feel free to use any of the images below for articles about Bocas del Toro, Panama. Click on the image to enlarge.
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Tag: casting
‘The Daily’: Sexual Harassment’s Toll on Careers | New York Times
Listened to ‘The Daily’: Sexual Harassment’s Toll on Careers by Michael Barbaro from nytimes.com
In a case that highlights the economic consequences of sexual harassment and retaliation, Ashley Judd is suing Harvey Weinstein for the damage he did to her career after she rebuffed his advances.
And in the second part of the episode, three women who pioneered the language of consent reflect on being far ahead of their time on the politics of sex.
On today’s episode:
• Jodi Kantor, one of the investigative reporters at The New York Times who broke the story about the raft of sexual harassment accusations against Mr. Weinstein, discusses the implications of a new lawsuit.
• We hear from Juliet Brown, Christelle Evans and Bethany Saltman, who helped to establish an affirmative consent policy for sex at Antioch College in 1990.
• Ms. Judd filed a lawsuit on Monday accusing Mr. Weinstein of harming her career by spreading lies about her after she rejected his sexual requests. Her claim is corroborated by the director Peter Jackson, who revealed last year that Mr. Weinstein had warned him not to hire the actress for his “Lord of the Rings” franchise.
• Antioch College students developed a sexual consent policy in the 1990s. It was mocked by much of the rest of the world. Since then, campuses across the country have caught up, and a new generation of Antioch students is pushing the conversation further.
• A Times video journalist recalls being asked to sign a verbal consent form during a visit to Antioch College in 2004, long before the language of sexual consent had entered the mainstream.
It’s long been an open secret in casting related discussions that people’s character and habits are maligned to push decisions in one direction or another, and often in ways that harm not only the person’s career, but their future potential for hiring. In most other industries, this would be easily litigated or at least brought up. I’m glad to see it may be banned outright as a result of cases like these.
Having gone to college in the 90’s myself I also remember the Antioch College agreements. Though they may have gone a bit too far, it’s obvious they were generally right in re-balancing the power in relationships as well as being well ahead of their times.
Chris AldrichPosted on 9:18 am May 16, 2018 May 18, 2018 Format AudioCategories Entertainment Industry, Listen, Representation, Social StreamTags Antioch College, Ashley Judd, casting, Harvey Weinstein, MeToo, Reading.am, sexual harassment, The Daily
Leave a response on ‘The Daily’: Sexual Harassment’s Toll on Careers | New York TimesSyndicated copies to:
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Costa Teguise sits proudly on Lanzarote's sun-kissed east coast. Here, it's all about the beaches – 5 to be exact – all linked together by a lively promenade, brimming with shops, restaurants, and bars. Days are spent catching the rays, swimming, or diving into the water sports at Playa de Las Cucharas, but if you fancy a change of pace you'll find plenty of family attractions within reach too.
They include Lanzarote Aquarium, which boasts an underwater tunnel and touch pools, and Costa Teguise Aquapark, which features pools, slides, and zip lines. For museums, historical sites, and anything else, Lanzarote's capital, Arrecife, is just 15 minutes away.
Trending now in Costa Teguise
8 Things to Do in Costa Teguise in a Day
Costa Teguise is a seaside resort town on the eastern coast of Lanzarote in the Canary Islands. It might be small, but it's well-developed and popular with families. Most of the action takes place around its main beach of Las Cucharas, with good wave conditions throughout the year that makes it a popular playground for surfers and windsurfers.
Just a short stroll off the scenic beach promenade, you hit the heart of the town. The town has an aquarium, and there’s a waterpark where the kids can enjoy some fast slides. Costa Teguise doesn’t have much of the historical sightseeing of its sister towns, but it's great for lounging on the beach. Around a half-hour bus ride northeast from Lanzarote Airport, here’s the best things to do in Costa Teguise.
Isora
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Health · Politics/Law · Technology · Technology solutions · Viewpoint
Are we using Google Translate responsibly?
By Mosaic on December 11, 2018 No Comments
As with many new technologies, there are limits as to when this software can and should be used
Omar Cruz-Zamora was pulled over by police while driving in Kansas City in October 2017. The police officer used Google Translate to ask if he could search the car. Cruz-Zamora said yes, the officer found drugs and Cruz-Zamora was arrested.
This officer is just one of the more than half a billion people worldwide who use Google every day to translate more than 143 billion words in more than 100 languages.
These are staggering numbers.
People use Google Translate as a quick solution for travel, business, shopping, communicating with friends and relatives, you name it. It was so popular at this summer’s premier soccer event that it was called the “Google Translate World Cup.”
It’s no wonder that Google Translate is everywhere. It’s fast, free and easy to use.
But is it being used appropriately?
MOSAIC thinks it may not be and we’re not alone.
MOSAIC has provided award-winning translation and interpretation services in the Metro Vancouver area for more than 30 years. It’s part of MOSAIC’s suite of services supporting newcomers as they build new lives in Canada.
We’ve noted the growing popularity of Google Translate. Some are predicting the end of the translator and interpreter professions.
The judge in the Cruz-Zamora case in Kansas City isn’t among them. He relied on the testimony of two professional interpreters to conclude that Cruz-Zamora was confused about what the police officer asked. They called it a literal translation that didn’t make sense in the context in which it was used. In his ruling, the judge suppressed the evidence found in the car, stating that it wasn’t reasonable to rely on Google Translate to obtain consent for what would otherwise be an illegal search.
Perhaps it’s obvious that Google Translate shouldn’t be used for legal matters. But what about when health-care professionals are communicating with non-English-speaking newcomers, or teachers or daycare workers are talking with newcomer parents about their children, or employers are providing safety or on-the-job training?
In many cases, using Google Translate will suffice – its accuracy has been improving.
But as with many new technologies, there are limits to when Google Translate should be used.
The Inter-Cultural Association of Greater Victoria has a lot of experience using Google Translate. It has partnered with Google Translate on a project called We Speak Translate. More than 2,300 community members have been trained to use the tool to communicate with newcomer refugees in low-stakes situations, but not where accuracy and clarity are critical.
Google Translate officials acknowledge limitations to its use. The engineering director at Google Translate, Macduff Hughes, was quoted recently by BBC as saying, “You should use it when you need to communicate and understand and you have reasonable tolerance for mistakes.”
Joss Moorkens, an assistant professor at the School of Applied Language and Intercultural Studies at Dublin City University, goes further. He says machine translation is best used “in informal, low-risk situations, where errors can hopefully be laughed off.”
The barriers that newcomers face when settling in Canada are no laughing matter. Poor translations and interpretations of critical content only make the process harder.
It’s incumbent on all of us to set limits on how we use machine translation and think twice before we “google it.”
Olga Stachova is CEO of MOSAIC (Multi-lingual Orientation Services Association for Immigrant Communities). With more than 40 programs, MOSAIC provides employment services, family services, language instruction, legal information, settlement services, and victim and family violence services from multiple sites in Metro Vancouver. MOSAIC also operates the WorkBC Centre for Vancouver Northeast catchment area, as well as MOSAIC Translations and Interpretations Services.
Immigration, Law, Police
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Google raising awareness about what it can do for businesses
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June 20, 2013 June 20, 2013 ~ Shara
So I’ve STILL been thinking about writing lately. A LOT. But rather than coming up with new projects, my brain seems content to chew on Telepathic Soulmates*** while I wait for some final commentary/critique from a friend. We’ve been chatting about themes in my work, and I’ve been asking her to look for certain things that I worry are issues, and it’s been a very useful thing. And when I get the manuscript back, I’m going to take her comments and another friend’s and start going through the manuscript with a fine-toothed comb. I’ve already started a list of things to cut and things to reinforce, but one thing I’ll definitely be focusing on is character and motivation, and whether or not the characters are, if not likable, at least relatable and understandable. I’ve got three POVs, and it seems one’s in good shape. It’s the other two that fight for likability during the book, and those two definitely need focus. And the ironic thing is this: on a first read, those two characters are really frustrating. But once you get the ending and understand what’s happening, re-reading makes the characters seem so much more sensical. You get where they’re coming from and why, but it’s not something I can reveal at the start of the novel.
What I have to do in revision, however, is curb my instinct to write WHOLE NEW SCENES that somehow make these characters more likable/understandable from the get-go. While I suspect a new scene or two may be in order, what I really want to be able to do is read through the POVs of those characters and find ways to tweak reactions. A line here, an observation there. Maybe acting slightly differently in certain situations. And to do that, I discovered my next writing project, so to speak.
Character vignettes.
In other words, I’m going to sit down and write out the backstories of the three POV characters of my novel. It’s their history. Their origin story (sort of). It’s stuff that’s touched on in the novel proper but not fleshed out in flashbacks, which — in the novel — is exactly what it needs to be.
The vignettes won’t end up in the novel, but they’ll allow me to take a focused look at each of my POV characters and examine who they are, where they came from, and what they wanted out of life years before the novel took place. It’ll put me back into the frame of mind of Telepathic Soulmates, which will allow me, during the editing/polishing process, to make the tweaks I need rather than resort to my default rewriting. Better still, it’ll gear me up for the sequel, Prison Planet, something I’ve already given a lot of thought and outlining too, but realize I still have a ways to go, because I’m not quite happy with the over-arcing plot as it stands (it has logic problems, especially when compounded with my vague plans for a third book).
The trick is, now, to decide how many to write and how I’m going to hold myself accountable. I already know I need an “audience” for my work: immediate feedback keeps the warm fuzzies going and allows me to continue (sue me, I’m a performer at heart, and no, I’m not kidding: I majored in Vocal Performance in undergrad). I suspect what I’ll do is send them to my reading/crit partners even though the vignettes aren’t novellas or short stories or anything like that. They’re free-writing. Pre-writing.
But it’s still writing. And that’s what I need to do.
*** = As always, titles used here are aliases for the REAL working titles I’m using. To find out why, click here.
Posted in Codename: Prison Planet, Codename: Telepathic Soulmates, Writing
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8 thoughts on “Decisions, Decisions”
nancyotoole says:
Sounds like a good idea! Writing characters like that (unlikable at first, but likable by the end) seems to be really tricky. I’ve seen some instances where the characters pretty much go through personality transformations once you learn the information that makes them likable, which is really forced. The character shouldn’t change just because the audience has learned something new. There’s nothing wrong with developing them, but it needs to be done in a logical way.
Calico says:
My change is a very, very tricky one, because it’s not that the audience learns something new, but the characters do too. It changes how they view themselves and casts a new light on their actions. Very, very tricky… 🙂
Heather Holden says:
Oh, character vignettes sound like fun. Good luck with them! 🙂
Ardys_the_ghoul says:
I’ve had problems with the project I’m working on right now, not because there are several different POVs but because there’s only ONE POV–which makes it difficult when I know something has to be revealed to the reader, and I can’t figure out how the POV character is going to find out about it. I tend to go through various stages of, “Wait, how could she possibly know that?” and, “Wait, why is she even there?” and, “Would it be too boring if somebody just TOLD her about it?” and then, “Maybe she should read about it somewhere…”
I think I’m finding it hard because I usually use at least two if not more POVs in my writing, and it was an active decision I made at some point to stick to only one with this novel–which is third-person limited, by the way.
I’ve written character vignettes in the past, although I haven’t done that with this story. Personally, I never found them particularly helpful, although that’s an entirely subjective opinion on my part. I think because of the way I write, my own opinion about my own characters tends to change over time–it’s almost like writing for me is a voyage of discovery, as much as it is for any of my characters, as if I’m discovering them at the same time that they’re discovering themselves, if that doesn’t sound too hammy.
One thing to consider about my particular vignettes is this: the characters I’m writing them for? The book they’re in has already been written once to discover the general story (and the characters) and then rewritten exhaustively to make it not a piece of crap. 🙂 In other words, in Telepathic Soulmates, I’ve got characters that aren’t going to change much in revision, because there’s really nothing NEW-NEW to discover, rather I’m tweaking the situations to utilize other aspects of their personalities. The vignettes will help me do that, simply because I can look at my characters when they were younger (the stuff I’ll be writing about is roughly ten+ years prior to this book) and use that to reinforce what I’ve already got.
If I were writing a first draft of something? Probably wouldn’t bother with vignettes unless I was trying to sketch out a world-building issue or explore something for the hell of it that I knew wouldn’t go in the novel. 🙂
Writing in one POV when you’re used to writing in more than one is VERY challenging, but also very, very useful, especially when it comes to learning how to make one’s character proactive instead of reactive, and especially when it comes to plotting. Good luck! That’s a project I need to try myself one day (both of my books have three POVs). 🙂
I hope it didn’t sound like I was trying to discourage you or anything, because I totally didn’t mean it like that. 😦 I just meant my writing style is really…”organic” I guess the word is. 😛
No worries! I just wanted to clarify where I was in the project. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with an organic/pantser writing style (when you’re figuring it out as you go), but you may to a point when you finish your draft and are polishing it that these may help. They may not, but I think it depends on where you are in your process and what you need.
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Time To File Malpractice Action For Partnership Agreement Drafting
Posted on April 23, 2011 by David Tate, Esq.
New case-time to file malpractice action for alleged negligently drafted partnership agreement
David Tate, Esq., http://davidtate.us
Callahan v. Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP (California Court of Appeals, Second District, B221338)
This case may cause attorneys who draft business and estate planning documents to pause for thought.
Law firm Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher drafted a partnership agreement for two brothers Oliver Inge and Robert Inge in 1988. Each brother was a general partner with a 2% interest in the partnership. The Oliver E. Inge Trust and the Robert E. Inge Trust were each 48% limited partners. Oliver died in 2003. Bank of the West became the executor of his estate. In 2004 the Bank discovered that the remaining brother Robert was disabled and unable to run the business.
In pertinent part, the partnership agreement provided:
Paragraph 1.6, “The term of this Partnership shall commence on the Effective Date of this Agreement, and, unless extended by agreement of all of the Partners or terminated earlier pursuant to this Agreement, shall continue until December 31, 2038.”
Paragraph 9.5, “Anything in this Agreement to the contrary notwithstanding, the General Partners shall have no authority, without the unanimous vote of the Limited Partners, to: [¶]… [¶] (f) After the death, retirement or insanity of a General Partner, to continue the business of the Partnership with Partnership property, except as is provided in this Agreement.”
Paragraph 13.1, “The Partnership shall be dissolved upon the happening of any of the following events: [¶] (a) The death, disability, insanity, incompetency, dissolution, bankruptcy, retirement, resignation or expulsion of all of the General Partners[.]”
Paragraph 13.3, “Notwithstanding anything to the contrary provided in this Agreement, upon the death of any of the General Partners, the following provisions shall control: [¶] (a) If either Oliver V. Inge (‘Oliver’) or Robert E. Inge (‘Robert’) predeceases the other (such predeceasing Partner being referred to as the ‘deceased brother’), the deceased brother’s interest as a General Partner shall be converted to an interest as a Limited Partner…. [¶] (b) Upon the death of the survivor of Robert and Oliver, each of the Limited Partners hereby agrees that, if so requested by either of Robert’s or Oliver’s respective surviving wives, they shall vote to continue the Partnership on the same terms and conditions as are contained in this Agreement and elect such requesting wife or wives as the sole successor General Partner(s) of the Partnership. Either such surviving wife may make such a request by delivering to each of the Partners a written notice stating the same within thirty (30) days after the death of the survivor of Robert and Oliver.”
The partnership agreement provided that the partnership was to be dissolved in the event of the death, disability, insanity, incompetency . . . of all of the general partners. Robert’s wife was prepared to run the business but the agreement did not allow for a family member to take over the business so long as either of the brothers was alive.
Bank of the West initiated a probate action, a petition for instructions that sought, among other things, dissolution of the partnership. The parties ultimately settled the action a year and a half later. In 2007 Robert’s family members sued Gibson, Dunn for malpractice based on its faulty drafting of the partnership agreement.
The trial court granted summary judgment for the law firm finding that the case was time barred by the statute of limitations, finding that the statute of limitations expired in 1992, four years after the partnership agreement was drafted and the law firm’s fees were paid.
The court of appeal reversed, holding that Robert’s family members did not suffer actual injury until 2004 as the law firm’s allegedly negligent drafting of the partnership agreement caused only speculative or contingent harm (or a threat of future harm) until time Oliver died and Robert became disabled. Had Robert survived Oliver’s death and then died himself while fully engaged in managing the business as its sole general partner, the limited partnership agreement would have provided for the election of Robert’s surviving spouse as the successor general partner. In that event, the partnership would have continued on the same terms and conditions as before, and law firm’s alleged negligence in failing to provide a succession plan in the event of the retirement or incapacity of the surviving general partner would have never ripened into actual injury. But when Robert became incapacitated the partnership agreement required dissolution whereas the provision authorizing the surviving partner’s spouse to succeed him as the general partner, and permitting the partnership to continue, could not come into play while Robert as the surviving partner was still alive. Thus, Robert’s family members first suffered actual injury when Robert became incapacitated but did not die.
David Tate, Esq., San Francisco
-Trial, arbitration, mediation and appellate practice.
-Trust/probate litigation; difficult administrations; advising fiduciaries and beneficiaries; conservatorships; elder and dependent adult care and protection; disabilities and discrimination; personal physical and mental injury; and real property.
-Business; property and casualty; public entity; personal injury; product liability; employment/workplace; and professional liability litigation.
-Serious personal physical and mental injury.
-Disabilities; discrimination; harassment; and bullying.
-Officers, directors, boards, audit and other committees, governance, risk management, compliance, and investigations.
Variable fee arrangements: hourly, contingency, co-counsel, referral, split fee, contract, fixed fee and other arrangements. See http://davidtate.us.
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Fagstein
Tag Archives: Cat Spencer
August 1, 2016 | Radio
The Beat swaps morning, afternoon drive hosts
Such a fun morning!! So excited to share that I'll be joining @cousinvinnyonair every morning waking up Montreal with Vinny & Nikki in The Morning!! I'm beyond excited to be back in Montreal and be a part of this amazing team @thebeat925 !! Congrats @cat925thebeat on your new show The Beat 5@7!! :)
A post shared by Nikki Balch (@nikkibonair) on Aug 1, 2016 at 5:24am PDT
The Beat 92.5 is continuing its summer of transformation. On Monday morning, it announced that it’s moving Cat Spencer to afternoon drive and Cousin Vinny Barrucco to mornings. The changes take effect immediately.
Vinny will be joined in the mornings by co-host Nikki Balch, who has returned to Montreal after leaving Virgin Radio two years ago, as well as Stuntman Sam and Kim Kieran on news and traffic. Kieran is also moving to mornings from afternoons, replacing the departing Natasha Hall.
Spencer seemed excited about the change, even though morning host is traditionally the most prestigious of the radio jobs. (The 9-to-5 workday shifts are The Beat’s highest rated.) Spencer’s on-air time isn’t only reduced to two hours a day, but four days a week, Mondays to Thursdays. He’s joined by Claudia Marques on traffic.
Spencer explained on the air that he had planned to do mornings for five years when he joined The Beat in 2011, and wanted to move to afternoon drive and have his mornings back.
The rest of the schedule is unchanged. Donna Saker does 9am to 1pm, Christin Jerome does 1pm to 5pm, and Jeremy White takes over at 7pm. Rob Kemp and Nat Lauzon do weekend mornings and afternoons, respectively.
The changes (which also include new headshots for everyone) come less than two months after The Beat brought in a new station manager, Luc Tremblay. Tremblay, who had been working at La Presse+ since 2012, will also act as program director, replacing interim PD Martin Tremblay.
Tags: Cat Spencer, CKBE, Luc Tremblay, Nikki Balch, Vince Barrucco
September 7, 2011 | Montreal, Radio
The Beat is on – but is 92.5FM* any different?
New logo for CFQR "The Beat"
Commercial radio stations spend all sorts of money on focus groups, surveys, branding specialists, PR firms, promotions and consultants to find ways to connect with audiences, target demographics and maximize their ratings (and, hence, advertising revenue).
But as CFQR* general manager Mark Dickie tells it, The Beat owes much of its new brand’s success to random thoughts from Program Director Leo Da Estrela.
Tags: Cat Spencer, CFQR, CKBE, Donna Saker, Ken-Connors, Leo Da Estrela, Mark Dickie, Paul Hayes
August 24, 2011 | Montreal, Radio
Aaron Rand moves to CJAD afternoons
Aaron Rand's ID card from 30 years ago, unearthed by Rob Braide in May. (I've blurred out his social insurance number so you don't identity-theft him)
When your goal is to get a job as a radio host at a commercial English-language radio station in Montreal, your choices are rather limited.
Aaron Rand left CFQR (the Q) in May after more than 20 years when it became clear management wasn’t eager to renew their contract with him. At the time he wasn’t sure where he would go, but he knew he wanted to stay in Montreal, he wanted to stay in radio, he didn’t want to work at a station like K103 and he wanted to have some editorial freedom wherever he ended up. With the Cogeco door slammed pretty tight behind him, the only game left in town was Astral, and he was hoping for something at either CHOM or CJAD (the latter being the better choice because it would mean more talk time and less of being a DJ).
Now it seems Rand has gotten his wish. He won’t be reunited with his former partner Paul (Tasso) Zakaib, but he will have a show on a popular radio station. Rand announced on Facebook and The Gazette published an article about the same time, both saying he is taking the weekday afternoon slot at CJAD, 3 to 7 p.m., starting Sept. 6 (the day after Labour Day). Note that this puts him directly opposite Mitch Melnick on Team 990.
The CJAD timeslot Rand is taking over is currently held by Ric Peterson, and there’s a bit of musical chairs as people are shuffled into new slots. The details, according to The Gazette and other sources:
Ric Peterson moves to 12-3pm, the latter two hours of which will be with Rand’s former cohost Suzanne Desautels. This replaces Kim Fraser’s show and the first hour of Dan Laxer.
Kim Fraser moves to weekends, 1-4pm, which replaces Anne Lagacé Dowson on Saturdays and a few shows on Sundays.
Dan Laxer loses his weekday afternoons gig but keeps his Sunday trivia show from 9am-12pm. He writes on Facebook that “I won’t lie, I am disappointed, and I will miss weekday afternoons. Having my own radio show on CJAD has changed my life in so many ways, and opened so many doors. I’m hoping to nudge them open just a little bit wider and see where they lead.” But he says he isn’t leaving CJAD.
Barry Morgan gets a new show 7-10pm weekdays, bumping Dan Delmar. He’ll also contribute sports news to Rand’s show.
Dan Delmar writes on his blog that he’ll stay at CJAD as a daytime programming producer, and says the change is bittersweet, because he loses a show he’s worked very hard on, but at the same time he’s not “a radio guy” and will enjoy having more free time. He also writes that he’ll be hosting two weekly shows, details to come later.
Anne Lagacé Dowson, the former CBC radio host and one-time NDP candidate, loses her weekly gig. She still has a column in the new Hour magazine, and will be on the Tommy Schnurmacher show’s Gang of Four, plus other stuff, she tells The Gazette’s Bill Brownstein.
Legal Lounge with Christopher Dimakos, Ann Shatilla’s Hollywood Trend Report and the Dr. Schwarcz Show, which are on Sunday afternoons and being displaced by Kim Fraser, will find new homes on the schedule. “All those shows will remain part of our line-up”, says Brand Director Chris Bury. A final schedule is expected within a few days.
Rand’s Facebook fans are thrilled, and the positive reaction to his return to the airwaves easily drowns out those who are disappointed by Laxer, Delmar and Dowson losing their shows. (On the Radio in Montreal discussion group, moderator Sheldon Harvey is a bit skeptical, suggesting that people might not be sufficiently prepared for a switch from music to news/talk programming)
It’s disappointing that young talent has to suffer to bring back a star, but as many people in the industry have told me: That’s the business of radio.
UPDATE: Video of Rand’s interview with CJAD’s Andrew Carter is online.
Meanwhile, at Rand’s old home at 92.5, changes are afoot for the same day. Cat Spencer takes his job as Rand’s morning-show replacement, and the station is rebranding itself “The Beat”, less than two and a half years after rebranding itself from “Q92” to “92.5 the Q”. It’s unclear what kind of format change will come along with the rebranding, but there’s speculation that the station will try to be more like CJFM (Virgin Radio 96) in order to steal some of the No. 1 station’s audience and give Montrealers even less choice in music selection on the radio.
John Bartlett to be voice of Habs for Team 990
It’s probably a coincidence, but competing AM station Team 990 also has a Thursday announcement that was leaked to The Gazette. John Bartlett, formerly the announcer for the Toronto Marlies (the Leafs’ farm team) will join CKGM as play-by-play man for the Canadiens. The station won the rights to Canadiens games away from CJAD this summer.
Bell Media says colour analysts (they used the plural) will be announced in the coming weeks. The Gazette’s Hockeyinsideout.com has an interview with Bartlett, which appears in Thursday’s paper.
Tags: Aaron Rand, Anne Lagacé Dowson, Cat Spencer, CFQR, CJAD, CKGM, Dan Delmar, Dan Laxer, John Bartlett
February 25, 2011 | Montreal, Radio
Cat Spencer to replace Aaron Rand at CFQR
Aaron Rand
Mere hours after veteran host Aaron Rand announced during Friday’s morning show that he will be leaving CFQR (92.5 the Q), news emerged that CJFM (Virgin Radio 96) morning host Cat Spencer has been tapped to replace him.
Staff at CFQR were informed of Rand’s decision on Thursday after the morning show was over. On Friday at 10am, a meeting was reportedly convened at Astral Media to announce that Cat Spencer would be leaving CJFM and moving to CFQR in September.
Rand says he was completely unaware of his employer’s decision to hire Spencer until he was called into his boss’s office after Friday’s show. During the show, Rand said he would stay on for a few more weeks (officially until the end of April) so his station could find a replacement, but now that it seems they’ve found that replacement, Rand says he’s not sure how long he’ll still be there.
Reached by telephone on Friday afternoon, Rand was clearly unhappy about how his bosses handled the situation, concealing from him their decision to hire Spencer and allowing him to give a statement in which he “looked like an idiot” by saying the station hadn’t found someone to replace him when in fact it had.
Still, the decision to leave is Rand’s, both technically and realistically. He says he met with his bosses last week as negotiations were set to begin for his contract renewal (his contract ends Sept. 1), and it seemed immediately apparent that management was not particularly excited about improving his contract, nor was he particularly excited about staying.
He said he was trying to be as honourable as he could, a stark contrast to his former co-hosts Suzanne Desautels and Paul “Tasso” Zakaib, who were fired without being given a chance to say goodbye on air (though Rand put Zakaib on air via telephone and a few months later hosted a party in their honour). It all went fine until he found out about Spencer. Not that he has a problem with Spencer, or the hiring, or even the timing of such. It’s the fact that he wasn’t told that’s left him pissed.
Rand’s enjoyment of the morning job went down significantly after long-time partner Zakaib was turfed in 2009 (they had been hosting the morning show at CFQR for almost 20 years, and had co-hosted together before that for other stations since 1984). He told The Gazette in 2009 that he felt “survivor’s guilt” afterward.
The format change that came with the firings also didn’t work so well for Rand. The station wanted “more music” in an effort to boost ratings, so Rand’s time at the mike was significantly reduced as the station began to sound more like a juke box than live radio. “I’m not a DJ,” Rand told me.
In all, Rand’s career on the Montreal airwaves spans 26 years, notably with CKGM, CFCF and CFQR, but during his early years he had jobs with CJFM, CHOM and CJAD.
The announcement of Rand’s departure comes less than a month after CFQR was officially acquired by Cogeco Diffusion as part of the huge purchase of Corus Quebec, though there’s no indication of any direct link between this decision and the change in ownership. Rand himself says linking the two is “pure speculation.”
My attempts to reach management at CJFM and CFQR for comment have so far proved unsuccessful. Spencer also hasn’t gotten back to me yet. But Mark Dickie, the Q’s general manager, took time out of not returning my calls to tell The Gazette’s Bill Brownstein that “Aaron Rand has been the cornerstone of this station for years and has consistently delivered us great radio. We wish him only the best.”
The announcement
The following was said on air by Rand shortly before 7:30 Friday morning:
I have decided that I’m going to be leaving the radio station and my job here as host of the morning show. After almost 26 years of sitting down to start my day by telling a couple of stories and sharing some laughs with you, my time here is coming to an end. It’s never an easy decision to make, but as the expression goes “when it’s time, it’s time.” And now is that time.
It’s been a great run. I’ve been blessed to work with some really talented people, not the least of whom was my partner for most of those years, Tasso, who I told about my decision yesterday. And I’m also proud of the fact that as a native Montrealer I was lucky enough to work at a job I love in a city I love for my entire career. That’s truly special to me.
As far as what’s next, I don’t really know. I do know I’m not ready to retire yet, so I’m going to spend the next little while thinking about what I’m going to do next, and sleeping in. But I promise to keep you updated through my Facebook page and let you know when I know exactly what’s next. In the meantime, I’ll still be here for the next few weeks while the station goes about the business of finding someone new to fill my seat.
I want to sincerely thank everyone I’ve ever worked with on the show over the years. Talented people like Patrick Charles, Leo Da Estrela, Murray Sherriffs, Suzanne Desautels, Glenn Repas, Melody Pierson, Sandy Weigens and Pierre Arcand. And most of all, I want to thank you. You who listen every morning, especially those of you who have been loyal listeners for longer than I care to remember.
Thank you for allowing me the privilege of entertaining you for so many years. Please believe me when I say the pleasure has been all mine.
You can listen to audio of this announcement in MP3 format here.
Rand said the text of the announcement was given to management beforehand, and had he known about Spencer’s impending hiring he would have deleted the sentence about sticking around as the station finds someone new.
Shortly after the announcement aired, Rand got a call from his mother (in reality, it was Zakaib, performing one of the many popular characters he brought to the morning show). Rand said the bit was a way to take the tension away after such a serious announcement.
It was good thinking. He just surprised thousands of people by telling them he’s breaking up with them after 20 years together.
Last of his era
If this seems like more than just a simple case of a long-time radio personality hanging up the mike (he’s pushing 60, but he said he’s “not ready to retire”), it’s because Rand is one of the few remaining people in commercial music radio in Montreal’s anglo market who isn’t afraid not to sound like a marketer sometimes. Where the standard procedure might have been to pretend his departed co-hosts never existed, Rand granted interview requests, spoke highly of them, gave Zakaib a chance to say goodbye on air and even organized a party in their honour for long-time listeners to attend.
Talk radio still has some true personalities, people like Mitch Melnick and Tommy Schnurmacher. Maybe it’s inevitable that the music side can no longer afford the same kind of broadcasters, and hosts across the schedule at CHOM, CFQR and CJFM (Virgin Radio 96) will all become interchangeable parts without real personalities or even last names. If people are constantly pushing for “more music”, maybe they don’t care what voice tells them what song was just played and what time it is.
If that’s true, you can hardly blame the stations for moving in this direction.
Stopped being fun
Though Rand’s departure was clearly more amicable than was Ted Bird’s from CHOM last year (Bird has since taken a job at K103 Kahnawake), there are similarities in the motivations, as hinted by Rand himself shortly after Bird’s departure:
When I read about Ted Bird (who I know only in passing) and his reasons for leaving, I was struck by one central theme. Not the fact that big corporations now control the business (it’s been that way for awhile), not that they seek to, as he said, take the craft out of the hands of the craftsmen (which naively maybe I choose not to believe) but by the fact that it stopped being fun for him. And in a business where translating that fun you feel into fun an audience can share, once you’ve lost that feeling, it’s time to move on, I respect Ted for that.
I still get up every morning (at 4 not 3) and look forward to going to work. Yes, I miss seeing the faces and hearing the voices of the friends I shared that studio with for what seems like forever, but I’m a realist. You can’t help but see and feel the business changing, and the choice is to either embrace that change, or be left behind by it.
Is it the right thing to do, am I still being true to myself as a performer by staying? Honestly, I don’t know, but I’m willing to at least give it a shot and then make that decision with a bit of perspective to reflect on. The truth is, I still have fun doing what I do on the radio every morning. The only difference is now I’m working with other talented people who offer new perspectives, a different outlook, and maybe, a glimpse into what the future of this business will become.
It’s not better, it’s not worse, it’s just different, But it’s still fun. The day it no longer is, I’ll walk away too.
On Friday, Rand agreed that a lack of fun was a big reason for leaving. “It became more and more obvious that there was less and less for me to do,” he said. “You feel at some point that you’re just spinning your wheels. It’s time for a new challenge.”
So what’s next? Rand says he would like to stay in Montreal, and would like to stay in radio, but even though having creative freedom is more important to him than money right now, obviously his options are limited. K103 already has a big-name morning man (besides, Rand jokes, he doesn’t smoke, and doesn’t want to cross the Mercier every day). Like Bird, he highly doubts the CBC would be interested in his talents. So that leaves the Astral-owned stations: CHOM, CJFM and CJAD.
Rand said he has had some discussions with Astral, but nothing has been set yet. CJAD might be a good fit for a radio host with a talent for humour, but CHOM would also work if it would be willing to give him enough freedom. The question is whether either of them is in a hiring mood.
One thing is for sure, Rand doesn’t want to retire. “I’m not for a second thinking I’m done,” he said. “I can’t imagine sitting around all day doing nothing.”
The Gazette posted a brief based on information above, and Bill Brownstein wrote a story for Saturday’s city section.
CTV Montreal takes the story a step further and reports about a source saying Cat Spencer is quitting Virgin Radio and coming to the Q. Christine Long mentions the news during the noon newscast almost as an aside to a CHOM FM bikini parade.
It didn’t take long for Rand’s colleagues in the Montreal radio industry to comment.
Friend of the blog Terry DiMonte comments via Facebook and Twitter that Rand, a competitor for many years, is “a class act”. DiMonte, you’ll remember, also left Montreal’s music radio market after finding it wasn’t fun anymore.
From CHOM’s Rob Kemp: “The Montreal radio landscape will never be the same. … Good luck Aaron…you are an original pro.”
From co-host Murray Sherriffs: “I sitting not 2 feet from you and my resistance to get off my chair and go over an hug is waning, you big lug.”
From former Q92 program director Ted Silver: “Aaron, You are the man. The best revenge will be the big numbers you put up at your next station. All the best my friend!. … Aaron, You had a long run as the TOP morning show. This was not by accident. The station declined and you became a scapegoat. I don’t know how things would have been if I was still there, but I do know that I would not have dismantled an iconic morning show. Keep in touch!”
From radio listener Sheldon Harvey: “I personally believe that when the history book is written on Montreal English
radio, Aaron Rand will probably deserve a chapter of his own. I feel that his ground-breaking afternoon drive show on the old CFCF/CIQC 600 is still one of Montreal radio’s shining moments in broadcasting.”
From the public, the reaction so far is supportive, but sad. Though there are some who are still ticked off that Tasso was given the boot.
Those wanting to express themselves to the Q about Rand’s departure can do so on their Facebook page (though the station has shut that down in the past to clamp down on negative commentary becoming public) or by calling or emailing management. There’s also Rand’s own Facebook page, which he plans to keep using.
Meanwhile, in other radio staffing news
The Rand and Spencer show obscured another shifting of personalities in the anglo radio sphere on Friday. Sonali Karnick, a longtime member of the CBC Daybreak team – most recently as its sports reporter – is leaving for Toronto to be a national sports reporter for CBC. Friday was her last day on Daybreak.
And similarly, it didn’t take long for a replacement to be announced. Mitch Melnick announced on his Team 990 show on Friday afternoon that his colleague Andie Bennett is heading to Daybreak to fill that void.
UPDATE: Mike Cohen reports that Freeway Frank, who used to be the morning guy at CHUM’s Kool 101.5 in Calgary, will be Spencer’s replacement at CJFM and will cohost the Virgin Radio morning show with Lisa Player.
Tags: Aaron Rand, Cat Spencer, CFQR
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Tag: Jordan Dery
The Story of a Man, a Kitchen Table, and a Dream
Friday, February 1st, 2019
Member Spotlight | Tropical Forest Products
The kitchen table serves as more than just a place for family meals. It is the hub of the home — a place where important family conversations happen, where visiting friends gravitate to socialize, where projects, budgeting, and homework take place. And for Jordan Dery, the founder of Tropical Forest Products, the kitchen table is where his idea to start a lumber company came to fruition.
A native of Quebec, Canada, Jordan began his career in the hardwood lumber industry when he was just 20 years old. He graduated from the NHLA Inspector Training School in 2013, where he gained life-long friends and developed skills that would one day propel him to starting his own hardwood lumber business.
The journey to the creation of his business began in 2016 when Jordan took a three-month holiday to explore Asia. While visiting Indonesia, he toured a local sawmill and was inspired. Jordan recalls his moment of clarity, “I’d always loved the hardwood industry and the people in it. This is my passion! I should start my own lumber company.”
He immediately called his twin brother, Justin Dery, who was already in the hardwood lumber industry. As Jordan excitedly told Justin he was going to start his own lumber company, Justin was wary, exclaiming, “you’re crazy!” Justin knew that starting a lumber company from scratch would be a massive undertaking and wanted to protect Jordan from making a costly mistake, but his skepticism didn’t last long.
Jordan returned home just before Christmas, and by New Year’s Day 2017, his brand-new business was taking shape. Soon, his brother joined the company as its vice president and their longtime friend, Jassi Jaskaran, signed-on to handle sales & purchasing. The newly-created business was named “Tropical Forest Products,” and the center of operations was the kitchen table at their family home.
The first order of business was to join NHLA, which was instrumental in building strong relationships within the hardwood lumber industry. When Tropical Forest Products began, they didn’t have any credit, so they turned to their friends in the hardwood industry for help. These friends trusted his vision and allowed him to use their lumber yards and warehouses to build loads. The first loads sold by Tropical Forest Products weren’t backed by contracts. Instead, the deals consisted of a handshake and Jordan’s word.
By June of 2017, Tropical Forest Products moved into its first warehouse, which was previously used to store old car-parts. “The warehouse was completely disgusting,” said Jordan, “the entire building had to be gutted and completely remodeled before it could be used to house lumber. The first load at the new warehouse looked tiny, sitting all alone in the 30,000 square foot goliath. It just looked like a ghost town.”
2017 was challenging, and Tropical Forest Products had many obstacles to overcome, including some of their customers declaring bankruptcy. Jordan laments, “It was devastating, but we all came together with the understanding that it would take a lot of hard work to make up for the money we’d lost. We had to put in long hours, hitting the phones all day every day, trying to get new customers. It was tough, but we managed to double our goals in our first year.” It didn’t take long for their ghost town of a warehouse to become filled with lumber. In fact, Tropical Forest Products has grown so much that they will be moving into a bigger warehouse in November of 2019.
The Tropical Forest Products Warehouse
Jordan’s approach to managing the business revolves around two things: happy employees and satisfied customers. Jordan’s mantra is, “work at a job you love, and you’ll never work a day in your life.” He extolls the importance of employees spending time with their families, saying, “I let my team know their health and family should always come first. I really believe that. I want my employees to know their company supports them, that we trust them.”
The growth continues at Tropical Forest Products, as they are proud to announce their recent merger with the Lumber Decking Company out of Miami. Jordan points out, “This merger provides a great opportunity for growth. The CEO of the Lumber Decking Company, Kris Kanagenthran, has been one of my greatest mentors since I began in the hardwood lumber industry. I know we need strong leadership to take us to the next level. I trust his leadership and share his vision.”
From its humble beginning of three men working at a kitchen table, Tropical Forest Products has matured into a business that employees a full staff with clients across the world. Instead of borrowing lumber yards and warehouses from friends, they now have their own. Jordan is proud to be a member of NHLA, acknowledging, “None of our success would have been possible if it weren’t for relationships we built through NHLA, our customers, and our suppliers. The friendships we built became the support we needed to get our feet off the ground. They wanted us to succeed. They set us up to triumph.”
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Why support CEAS
Support from CEAS Alumni and friends helps ensure our continued leadership in the field of East Asian Studies, and will enhance genuine understanding of the languages, literatures, religions, histories, and cultures of East Asia. Your donation will support general operations and programs at the Center for East Asian Studies, or may be designated to supprort specific projects such as faculty and student research; the M.A. degree program in East Asian Studies; overseas study fellowships; or conferences, workshops, and public lectures.
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We are actively seeking support for our general operations and specific projects. Your contribution may take the form of an expendable gift, annual pledge or endowment. Endowment gifts provide naming opportunities for specific programs.
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Your gift supplements our research and teaching initiatives by bringing visitors from around the world to the campus for academic and public events, including lectures, workshops, conferences and arts events.
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One of the highest priorities for the program is to provide financial aid to students pursuing M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in East Asia-related fields. Graduate students play a vital role in education and research at Stanford University. They also represent the future of our academic, civic, and professional fields. Because of limited external resources, the responsibility for supporting them falls largely to universities, often through generous gifts of donors. Donors have an opportunity to name a fellowship, which would provide support for advanced study to a succession of our most promising masters and doctoral students.
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The German heavy cruiser, SMS Blücher, capsizing during the Battle of Dogger Bank © IWM (Q 22687)
100 Years Ago Today: Battle of Dogger Bank in the North Sea
Posted on centenarynews.com on 24 January 2015
British warships sank the German cruiser, SMS Blücher, during the Battle of Dogger Bank on January 24th 1915.
Britain had gained access to German codes, allowing the Royal Navy to intercept Admiral Franz von Hipper's squadron in the North Sea. Hipper was the commander who'd attacked the British coastal towns of Scarborough, Whitby and Scarborough in December 1914.
The two sides clashed at Dogger Bank, a shallow area in the middle of North Sea known for its rich fishing grounds. The Germans suspected fishing boats of spying.
Surprised by the Royal Navy, Admiral Hipper turned for home. The British commander, Admiral Sir David Beatty, gave chase at high speed, sinking SMS Blücher.
But Beatty's flagship, the battlecruiser HMS Lion was badly damaged in the exchanges of fire with the German Navy, and had to be towed back to port for repairs.
The Germans suffered more than 1,000 casualties, including 954 dead. The British lost 15 dead and 32 wounded.
It was to be almost another 18 months before the British and German fleets met in force at the Battle of Jutland in 1916.
Centenary News reported from Scarborough on the bombardment centenary commemorations in December 2014. Click here to read a report by CN Editor, Nigel Dacre.
Source: Wikipedia/various
Images courtesy of Imperial War Museum © IWM (Q 22687)
The Armistice - the Guns of the Great War fell silent 100 years ago today
A day of solemn ceremony - as global events close the WW1 Centenary with pledges 'Not to Forget'
Belgium & Canada honour last Commonwealth soldier killed in WW1
Information about Scottish rugby player & First World War casualty to be made available at memorial with new technology
First zeppelin raid on Britain
New Zealand's latest WW1 trail guide follows the Western Front
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The Competing Conspiracy Theories in the News
February 19, 2019 By The Central Standard Times in Politics Tags: conspiracy, coup d'tat, deep state, Donald Trump Jr. Steele dossier, FBI, Hillary Clinton, intelligence agencies, Jeff Sessions, Rod Rosenstein, Russia thing, special counsel, talk radio, Trump, tweets Leave a comment
There are two very consequential conspiracy theories in the news these days, and being longtime conspiracy buffs we’ve been following both closely. One theory golds that the Russian hacked Democratic e-mails and spread disinformation through American social media and attempted to infiltrate America’s vote-counting computers in an effort to elect Donald Trump as president, and and that Trump’s campaign cooperated with the effort. The other theory, long popular on all sorts of conservative media and now fully embraced by the “tweets” of Trump himself, holds that the previous conspiracy theories is the product of a “deep state” coup d’tat against a duly elected president who’s just trying to make America great again.
Based on our everything we’ve read and our general understanding of how the world works, we’re inclined to believe the former theory than the latter.
The theory that the Russians meddled in the past election on Trump’s behalf has been endorsed by the heads of all of America’s intelligence agencies, including the ones appointed by Trump himself, and although Trump has publicly stated he’s more inclined to believe his good buddy andRussian dictator Vladimir Putin’s assurance that it never happened we better trust the American experts. All the e-mails that were somehow hacked during the election proved embarrassing to Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, all of the big social media head honchos have testified to Congress that the Russkies did use their platforms to spread anti-Clinton disinformation, and Trump’s own Department of Homeland Security has advised many of the states that the Russians had attempted to breach their voting computers.
Meanwhile, a duly appointed special counsel investigation has racked up guilty pleas from Trump’s longtime lawyer and Trump’s former campaign foreign policy chief and Trump administration national security advisor, as well numerous convictions against a former campaign chairman, for lying about their contacts with Russian officials, and promising investigations are seemingly underway about Trump’s namesake son and son-in-law on the same suspected charges. There are damning e-mail chains that Trump Jr. has released, sworn congressional testimony by the heads of America’s intelligence agencies ad social media big-wigs, various guilty pleas accepted by duly constituted American courts of law, lots of intriguing search warrants and indictments also issued by duly constituted American courts of law. Throw in Trump’s continued friendliness toward the Russian dictator, and it looks bad to us.
On our daily drives around town, however, all the talk radio hosts assure us that it’s all “fake news.” The real story, we’re told, is that the damned Democrats and their feckless Republican allies in the hated establishment have concocted all these ostensible facts in prevent Trump from making America great again. The real collusion, they argue, was between Clinton and those nefarious yet somehow friendly Russians. While Clinton was Secretary of State the United States allowed a fifth of its uranium supplies to be sold to the Russians, and although nine separate agencies signed off on the deal Clinton is considered a Russian collaborator
Although it was a wealthy Republican who didn’t want Trump to be his party’s standard-bearer who first employed an ex-British intelligence officer named Christoper Steele to ask his former Russian contacts about Trump’s business dealings with Russia, the Clinton campaign later made payments to the effort, so Clinton is therefore guilty of colluding with Russians to get dirt on an opponent. The “Steele dossier” — or the “dirty dossier” or “dodgy dossier” or “discredited dossier,” as it’s known on conservative talk radio — reported the investigator’s “raw data” had informed him that the Russias were launching on a three-pronged cyber-attack on the American election through hacked e-mails and disinformation through social media and attempts to take over America’s vote-counting computers, all of which has since been confirmed to Trump’s own appointed intelligence chiefs, The dossier also had salacious details about Trump paying some Russian prostitutes to urinate on a bed once slept on by President Barack in a fancy Moscow hotel room, and although nobody has verified that neither has anybody definitively discredited anything about the Steele dossier.
The Steele dossier was part of the evidence submitted to the top-secret United States Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act court to start all the “Russia thing” investigations, and that’s proof enough for the talk radio hosts that that it was a “witch hunt” from the beginning. Since then, we’re told, the establishment has been out to get Trump and prevent him from fulfilling his destiny of making America.
Which sounds weird to our aging ears, as we’re old enough to remember when the it was the hippies and the Democrats and the rest of the left-wing nutcases were blaming every human failing on the establishment. These days it’s the right-wig nutcases who are donning the cloak and righteous victimhood at the rough hands of the hated establishment, ill-fitting as it always is, and we hate to see that the President of the United States is among them.
On Monday Trump “re-tweeted” one of the Fox and Friends hots that “This was a illegal coup attempt on the President of the United States,” and added “True!” After that he played his third round of golf in as many days, then “tweeted” that former high-ranking Federal Bureau of Investigation officials Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, “who was hired by Jeff Sessions (another beauty), look like they were planning a very illegal act and got caught. There is a lot of explaining to do to the millions of people who ad just elected a president who they really like and who has done a great job for them with the Military, Vets, Economy and so much more. This was the illegal and treasonous ‘insurance policy’ in full action!” Which strikes us an extraordinary broadside against the establishment by a duly elected President of the United States.
If Rosenstein truly is guilty of “illegal and treasonous acts,” as Trump has “tweeted,” we wonder why Trump still retains him as his duly appointed Deputy Attorney General. Rosenstein was recommended by Attorney General Jeff Sessions, and you can sarcastically consider him “another beauty” if you want, but we note that Sessions was also appointed to his post by Trump, who brags that he only hires the “best people.”
We’ll also note that the Steele dossier didn’t become public until after Trump’s election, which seems an odd tactic for such an undeniably diabolical woman as Clinton, and that we can’t see any reason she’d collude with what everyone other than Trump and his most die-hard defenders agree was a Russian plot to get Trump elected.
Perhaps Trump is the victim of a vast conspiracy, but at this point it’s so vast it includes not only the damned Democrats and the varied “fake news” media but also America’s duly constituted courts of law and a small but significant slice of the Republican party and its leadership, and all of Trump’s appointed intelligence chiefs and his Deputy Attorney General, as well as such disinterested sideline observers as ourselves. One can never tell how these conspiracy theories play out, and they don’t usually amount to much, but for now one side seems to have a lot of evidence and the other side has a lot of explaining to do.
–Bud Norman
« Satire Without Retribution, and Other National Emergencies
The News on a Cold and Snowy Kansas Night »
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Posts Tagged ‘two films’
A GAME OF TWO FILMS – a look at Bruce Lee’s ‘GAME OF DEATH’
Posted: September 10, 2016 in Martial Arts, random thoughts on film and stuff
Tags: bruce lee, death, dragon, fight, fist of fury, game, game of death, Martial Arts, movie, Review, study, two films, yuen beuo
Made in 1972 Game of Death would be Bruce Lee’s final hurrah into the world of cinema but being only partly finished at the time of his death it would also prove to be one of the weirdest mashes of film that ranks up there with some of the best WTF moments in motion picture history.
It all started out well enough, as one would expect we had a pretty cool idea of a tower of death in which competitors would face some of the greatest martial artists in a fight to the death to the top. On paper it sounded like it could be a great showcase of the legendary skills of Bruce Lee. Scenes were being shot and all was on schedule. With about 100 minutes of footage in the can it looked like another hit could be in their hands. What could go wrong?
Unfortunately the very worst was set to happen. Part way through filming Lee went to work on a film of a much grander scale ‘Enter the Dragon’ which was shooting at the same time. This would be the last complete feature he would film before his untimely death. His death unfortunately did not deter the finishing of ‘Game of Death’. The creators decided to have a stand in (the also great Yuen Biao) for the scenes which Lee hadn’t filmed (which was a fair amount). The story dramatically changed until all that was left of Lee’s performance was a mere 11 minutes of the final section of one of the only remaining parts of the original story, the fight up the tower. These 11 minutes are as great as you’d expect but should the film have been finished in this fashion?
The film has numerous sections drawn from previous Lee film ‘Way of the Dragon’ to try and help push that this is a ‘Bruce Lee’ film and not just a cash in attempt to make the best of the worst situation possible. These scenes stand out so incredibly badly that they only highlight the fact that what we are watching on screen is a mish mash of other films and dodgy camera tricks. From reverse shots to crudely implemented shots in different locations, we are greeted with a patchwork vision from a production which doesn’t have a clue of how to save itself. The cut and paste nature is so evident that it detracts from some not bad martial arts that are going on in front of camera by the admittedly good Yuen Biao who is a great fighter in his own right, but unfortunately a shadow of the master he is meant to be portraying.
Part way through the film the main character supposedly gets killed, but it all turns out to be a rouse, he is merely disfigured facially and is unrecognisable as his previous self. This is quite a clever but utterly ridiculous way of hiding the fact that we are still not actually watching Bruce Lee. They even make the comment that he will no longer look like himself thus allowing Yuen Biao to not find it necessary to wear sunglasses in every other shot. It still doesn’t help the cut and paste feel of the film which is highlighted by a conversation in a restaurant where the actors aren’t even in the same location.
It all is reminiscent of the works of a director named Godfrey Ho (who goes under many other names as well) who was doing lots of work during the 70’s and 80’s. He would film half a movie and then splice it with footage from an unreleased martial arts film that had been gathering dust. It really proved a great money making tactic and allowed him to continue working. His films were so hilariously inept that they create their own amusement. Whereas here they are desperately trying to make something more serious and it doesn’t do anything other then being cringeworthy for the most part.
What isn’t as amusing is the use of footage from Bruce Lees actual funeral (at least it is apparently from his funeral) I personally feel this is bad taste even if the filmmakers may have been doing it as a tribute to the legend. I understand the want to include a memorial piece but doing it this way especially when they are trying to fool the audience into believing that it is still Bruce Lee that we are seeing on film is just wrong.
As this is a martial arts film in its heart, there is very little in the way of fighting. What we do get other then a terrible fight in a warehouse featuring motorbikes, isn’t that bad. Its mainly the sort of stuff you will have seen before, but its well choreographed and at least breaks up the otherwise dull and tiresome picture. When at the 1 hour 20 minute mark we actually get to see the real Bruce Lee in action, it is like a breath of fresh air. For the next 13 minutes we are treated to some of the best martial arts from his short career. It is stunning how well this climatic battle in the tower plays out. Its just a shame that until recently the other 40 mins of this battle up the tower remained unseen (the extra footage is on the dvd and blu rays unfortunately not integrated back into the film) this unseen footage entirely out-ways what was actually turned into the film. I would happily watch those 40 minutes over the actual film any day.
When all is said and done is it a good final film for the great Bruce Lee? No. Is it a good film? No. Is it worth watching? No (apart from the actual Bruce Lee fight sequence)
So you may ask what the point is in putting down all this information about a film that I personally don’t like. Well I feel that it is from a behind the scenes perspective a fascinating picture. I hadn’t seen this kind of cut and paste and doubling done to this scale before this film. Its becoming more the norm nowadays For example the famous use of CGI to complete the scenes in Ridley Scott’s ‘Gladiator’ featuring Oliver Reed. Even more recent films such as ‘Fast and the Furious 7’ which features the amazing Paul Walker in his final on screen performance. His scenes were finished using doubles, cgi and footage from the library of Paul Walker movies. This was done again as a kind of memorial and a kind of goodbye to such a great actor, but even now it isn’t seemless. On the whole though it got away with it far better then ‘Game of Death’.
Game of Death for me was kind of a turning point in cinema and experimenting with technologies and techniques that may have been used prior but never quite to the extent (there is a high probability that you may know other times these cut and paste techniques were used before but this is the first time I remember noticing it. Especially considering there is only around 13 minutes of Bruce Lee in a Bruce Lee film that is pushed as starring the man himself throughout.)
This is a film that I am glad to have seen and I would recommend it to those that may find this sort of thing interesting. I would say that anything other then that it really doesn’t hold up well and is actually a pretty sad end to a magnificent, if sadly cut short career of the master of martial arts.
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Donald Trump, End Times, India, Pakistan, Politics, Putin, USA, Venezuela, WW3
“Wars And Rumors Of Wars”: The U.S., Venezuela, Cuba, Russia, India And Pakistan All Move Closer To Military Conflict
February 21, 2019 Michael Snyder
Humanity never seems to learn. During the 20th century, at least 108 million people were killed during all wars combined, and you would think that after so much bloodshed humanity would never want to go down that road again.
And in this century, an enormous amount of American blood has already been shed in Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere. Unfortunately, the drumbeats of war are starting to get louder once again. Very angry talk often precedes military conflict, and right now there sure is a lot of angry talk going on.
Before we get to the U.S., let’s talk about India and Pakistan.
They are both nuclear powers, and thanks to a horrific terror bombing last month, they are once again on the verge of war…
Pakistan’s prime minister offered to hold talks with India, even as he warned New Delhi to refrain from launching any attacks on his country following last week’s suicide bombing in Indian-controlled Kashmir.
Imran Khan said he hoped “better sense” would prevail after the attack on a paramilitary convoy that killed at least 40 Indian troops. But he warned in a televised speech Tuesday that if India attacks, “Pakistan will not merely think of retaliation, but rather, we will retaliate.”
In fact, it is being reported on Twitter that Pakistan has even “begun its logistics preparations for possible war with India”…
#BREAKING: Pakistan has begun its logistics preparations for possible war with India, has put hospitals along the frontier on stand-by mode – @timesofindia
Of course most Americans don’t even know that this is happening.
Sadly, the truth is that most Americans couldn’t even point out where Pakistan and India are on a blank map of the world.
But Americans should at least be concerned that the U.S. could soon be entering a new war. President Trump has repeatedly threatened to use the U.S. military in Venezuela if the Maduro government does not step down peacefully, and that is definitely not going to happen.
In fact, Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino had said that if the U.S. wants regime change in his country, they are going to have to do it “over our dead bodies”…
Trump has refused to rule out US military action in Venezuela. He raised the pressure on Monday, issuing a warning to the Venezuelan military.
He told them that if they continue to support Maduro, ‘you will find no safe harbor, no easy exit and no way out. You will lose everything.’
Padrino rejected Trump’s threat, branding the US president ‘arrogant.’
If foreign powers try to help install a new government by force, they will have to do so ‘over our dead bodies,’ Padrino said.
And could it be possible that U.S. troops are already being positioned for an invasion of Venezuela? That is exactly what Cuba is claiming…
Cuba said Wednesday that the U.S. is secretly moving special forces closer to Venezuela as part of a plan to practice military adventurism in the country under the guise of “humanitarian intervention.”
In a release from Granma, the Cuban government’s official press, Havana officials say that between Feb. 6 and 10 there has been military transport from the U.S. to Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and other Caribbean nations without the knowledge of those countries.
Of course the U.S. is claiming that Cuba already has troops inside Venezuela and is helping to prop up the Maduro regime. And that is probably true. So if the U.S. decides to invade Venezuela, we could find ourselves fighting a war with Cuba also.
In addition, John Bolton is talking as if regime change is on the agenda for Nicaragua too. Just check out what he just posted on Twitter…
The Ortega regime has sentenced three farm leaders to 550 years in prison for their roles in protests in 2018, where Ortega’s police forces reportedly killed 300 activists. As President Trump said Monday, Ortega’s days are numbered and the Nicaraguan people will soon be free.
And previously Bolton had collectively referred to Venezuela, Nicaragua and Cuba as “the Troika of Tyranny”…
The US has repeatedly backed the uprising against the left-wing government, and last November Bolton made a keynote speech calling for the “crumbling” of what he called the “Troika of Tyranny” – Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Cuba – saying the states represented a “a sordid cradle of communism in the Western hemisphere.”
On Monday, Trump name-checked the same three countries, saying their “great potential” would be unlocked with the collapse of socialism.
On top of everything else, Russian President Vladimir Putin is warning that U.S. that we could soon be facing “a Cuban Missile-style crisis”…
Vladimir Putin has said that Russia is militarily ready for a Cuban Missile-style crisis – if Donald Trump is is ‘foolish’ enough to want one – and that his missiles could reach the US faster that theirs could hit Moscow.
Putin has said he does not want an arms race with the United States, but that he would have no choice but to act if Washington deployed new missiles in Europe, some of which he says would be able to strike Moscow within ten to 12 minutes.
When I hear people call President Trump “a Russian asset”, I just have to laugh.
Our relations with the Russians are going downhill very rapidly, and Trump and Putin are much more likely to start World War 3 than they are to sit down and have a beer together.
And the Russians continue to prepare for the coming war with the United States by creating impressive new weapons systems. For example, they just completed tests on a new intercontinental nuclear torpedo known as “the Poseidon”…
The 24 m long UUV armed with a nuclear warhead is designed to navigate autonomously with a maximum speed of 107 kt and detonate near an enemy coastal city, generating a tsunami wave, Russian state media reported.
“On its way to a target, ‘Poseidon’ will be able to avoid and overcome any anti-submarine barriers and other enemy defence systems due to the fully automated operating system. All together, the intellectual and performance characteristics of the vehicle will make it invulnerable and secure a guaranteed target destruction,” an unnamed defence industry source told Russian state media.
We do not have a similar weapon, and we have absolutely no way to defend against it.
We live at a time of “wars and rumors of wars”, and over the last several decades the nations of the world have armed themselves to the teeth with weapons of mass destruction that would have been unimaginable in previous eras of human history.
We literally have the technology to wipe ourselves off the face of the planet, and let us pray that cooler heads prevail before it is too late.
ChaosConflictCuban CrisisDonald TrumpIndiaMaduroPakistanRussian President Vladimir PutinUSAVenezuelaWarWars rumoursWorld
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Local Perspective: Precision Medicine at MU – An Economic Driver for Columbia
Elizabeth Loboa October 30, 2018 FYI, Opinion
At MU Engineering, we have a slogan: “Get in.” It all stems from the fact that engineers have a hand in everything — our food, our roads, our water, our electronic devices, and much more. Engineers are also critical in the development of the medicine and medical devices that keep us healthy. As dean of the college of engineering, my focus is engineering. But in my new, additional role as vice chancellor for strategic partnerships, my perspective also extends to how all of our schools and the entire UM System can best utilize our resources to continue improving quality of life and boosting the economy of Columbia and the state.
The planned Translational Precision Medicine Complex is a fine example of how MU’s schools and colleges are enhancing their shared work in finding cures to diseases that affect millions, while also creating a potential economic boost to the state. The medicine complex, which will place interdisciplinary research and industry partners in the same building, will place MU in a position as a national and international player in precision medicine and research for the ensuing decades of the 21st century. It also will attract new students, faculty, and staff and create jobs, which will grow our economy. In fact, a recent study by MU’s Department of Economics has found that among the four metro areas in the state — Kansas City, St. Louis, Springfield, and Columbia — it is Columbia that has led the way in economic growth during the past decade. The researchers attribute it, in part, to MU’s research strengths that have encouraged a wide variety of industries to blossom in the region.
We want to nurture biomedical research here in Columbia, helping every citizen with their individual medical needs. The medicine complex planning leaders also want to create centers to enable greater collaboration in precision medicine and general technology among universities, public organizations, and private industry, leading to additional opportunities for technology commercialization.
There is unprecedented momentum behind this effort. With the promise of solving grand challenges in health care, precision medicine is a revolutionary approach to disease treatment. The “bench-to-bedside” model the medicine complex will employ will move innovations made in the lab to customized patient care based on one’s individual biology. The UM System and the UM Board of Curators have recognized the complex’s importance and designated it as the top capital and philanthropic priority.
To that end, we already have many researchers working specifically in the precision medicine realm. By the time of the complex’s estimated completion, we will have approximately 60 researchers. These researchers will work together with industry partners and scientists around the globe to solve the unsolvable in precision medicine.
MU scientists are already making tremendous strides in this area, efforts that will be amplified upon the completion of the complex, slated for 2021. For a hint at the potential, consider the recent development of Lutathera. This new drug was recently approved by the FDA to treat certain types of tumors that can occur in the gastrointestinal tract and pancreas. The radioisotope used in Lutathera was created right here at the MU Research Reactor, one of our most powerful tools for our research in precision medicine.
At MU, we’re always on the lookout for the next great breakthrough, the next tremendous biomedical innovation, the next innovative prescription medication. The recent Nobel Prize in chemistry won by our own George P. Smith speaks to that tradition. Dr. Smith’s work led to world-changing breakthroughs in the fight against cancer and other diseases.
Precision medicine is part of our future, and MU is leading the way.
Elizabeth Loboa is the dean of the College of Engineering and vice chancellor for strategic partnerships at MU.
More FYI
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Networking Best Practices
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Tag Archives: Tamala Jones
ABC’s ONCE UPON A TIME, CHARLIE’S ANGELS, CASTLE and THE RIVER Take the Stage at Comic-Con 2011
Don’t Forget to Pack Your Bags for an Exlusive “Pan Am” Giveaway
ABC showcases its upcoming primetime lineup with an exciting peek at its new shows and an interactive booth at Comic Con 2011, taking place in San Diego in late July. Once Upon a Time, Charlie’s Angels, Castle and The River stars and executive producers will participate in the convention for Q&A panels, press room interviews and special autograph sessions. Additionally, the much buzzed about new drama series, Pan Am, will also be represented at Comic-Con. Below are the details:
The River, from Amblin Entertainment and ABC Studios, exclusive screening and Q&A panel for ABC’s newest supernatural series in Room 6A from 2:15-3:15 p.m. From the studio that brought you “Lost” comes a new adventure set deep in the Amazon. Join executive producers Oren Peli (“Paranormal Activity”), Michael Green (“Green Lantern”) and Zack Estrin (“Tru Calling”), plus cast members Joe Anderson (“The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn”), Eloise Mumford (“Lone Star”) and Leslie Hope (“24”). All attendees will get a limited edition Comic-Con poster and flashlight. You don’t want to miss this! The moderator will be Monica Rizzo of People Magazine. Following the panel, the stars will participate in a special autograph session from 4:45-5:30 p.m. in Room 28C.
Once Upon a Time exclusive screening and panel in Room 6DE from 3:15-4:15 p.m.: Calling all “Lost” fans! – join moderator Damon Lindelof (“Lost”) as he introduces you to the magical story of two parallel worlds: one in a distant fairytale land, the other in a present-day reality. Following the exclusive screening of the pilot, co-creators and executive producers Edward Kitsis (“Lost” and “Tron: Legacy”) and Adam Horowitz (“Lost” and “Tron: Legacy”) along with Ginnifer Goodwin (“Big Love”), Jennifer Morrison (“House”), Robert Carlyle (“SGU: Stargate Universe”), Lana Parrilla (“24”) and Josh Dallas (“Thor”) will have a Q&A panel about this modern fairytale turned on its head. All attendees will get a limited edition Comic-Con giveaway! Arrive early for the exclusive posters and magic mirrors. After the panel, the stars will participate in a special autograph session from 5:45-6:30 p.m. in Room 28C.
Charlie’s Angels screening and panel in the Indigo Ballroom at Hilton San Diego Bayfront from 5:00-6:00 p.m. Hello Angels! This fun, glamorous, action-packed take on the 1970’s smash hit series introduces us to three new angels. After the screening, participate in a Q&A panel with Bosley and the ladies from the Townsend Agency. “Charlie’s Angels” stars Annie Ilonzeh as Kate Prince, Minka Kelly as Eve, Rachael Taylor as Abby Sampson and Ramon Rodriguez as Bosley. Written and executive produced by Alfred Gough & Miles Millar (“Smallville”), “Charlie’s Angels” is also executive produced by Drew Barrymore (“Charlie’s Angels” movies), Leonard Goldberg (the original “Charlie’s Angels”) and Nancy Juvonen (“Charlie’s Angels” movies). It is directed and executive produced by Marcos Siega (“Vampire Diaries,” “Dexter”). “Charlie’s Angels” is produced by Millar/Gough Ink, Flower Films and Panda Productions in association with Sony Pictures Television.
Castle panel from 11:45 a.m.-12:45 p.m. in 6BCF: After the smashing success of the Q&A panel last season, “Castle” returns with scheduled panelists, including Nathan Fillion (Richard Castle), Jon Huertas (Detective Tony Esposito), Seamus Dever (Detective Kevin Ryan), Tamala Jones (Medical Examiner Lanie Parish), Susan Sullivan (Martha Rodgers) and Molly Quinn (Alexis Castle). Fans will be treated to exclusive video highlights, bonus footage from the upcoming DVD release of Season 3 and an exclusive Comic Con poster and notebook giveaway. The moderator will be Will Keck of TV Guide Magazine. After the panel, the panelists will participate in a special autograph session at the Marvel Entertainment Booth (#2329) from 2:15-3:00 p.m.
In addition to those Q & A panels, Pan Am – from July 20 to July 24 – will have a special booth designed as the first class cabin of a 1960’s inspired Pan Am plane. Fans who visit the booth will be given a flight time and a boarding pass. Check in for your flight on time, board the plane and watch a preview of ABC’s new drama. Fans that visit the booth will receive a Pan Am giveaway such as a collectable, one-of-a-kind Pan Am travel bag.
For more information on these series, please visit ABC.com
Posted in Comic Con, San Diego Comic-Con, SDCC -- Past Years, SDCC Panel, TV | Tagged ABC, ABC Studios, Adam Horowitz, Alfred Gough, Amblin Entertainment, Annie Ilonzeh, Castle, Charlie's Angels, Damon Lindelof, Drew Barrymore, Edward Kitsis, Eloise Mumford, Ginnfer Goodwin, Jennifer Morrision, Joe Anderson, Jon Huertas, Josh Dallas, Lana Parrilla, Leonard Goldberg, Leslie Hope, Marcos Siega, Michael Green, Miles Millar, Minka Kelly, Molly Quinn, Monica Rizzo, Nancy Juvonen, Nathan Fillion, Once Upon A Time, Oren Peli, Pan Am, Rachael Taylow, Ramon Rodriguez, Robert Carlyle, Seamus Dever, Susan Sullivan, Tamala Jones, The River, Will Keck, Zack Estrin | Leave a reply
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Kupritz, V. W., & Haas J. W. (2009). Workers and workplaces: Managing emotion, work, and privacy. National Communication Association.
Kupritz, V. W. (2000). Pocket CEU’s: Managing privacy through design resources. ASID ICON. 1-8; 35.
Kupritz, V. W. (1999). Workplace design compatibility for today's aging worker. Journal of Industrial Teacher Education. 36, 53-69.
Kupritz, V. W., Cowell E., & Bartley S. (2007). Productive management communication: Online and face-to-face. National Communication Association Conference.
Kupritz, V. W. (2001). Aging worker perceptions about design and privacy needs for work. Journal of Architectural and Planning Research. 18, 13-22.
Kupritz, V. W. (1999). Aging worker perceptions about design and privacy needs for work. International Environmental Design Research Association (EDRA 30).
Kupritz, V. W. (1996). The HEM: Directed means for improving current limits of Privacy research. Journal of Architectural and Planning Research. 13, 310-328.
Kupritz, V. W. (2004). Effective use of e-mail and face-to-face interaction: A comparison of virtual and physical environments. 35th International Environmental Design Research Association.
Kupritz, V. W. (2000). The medium is the message: Implications for teaching in cyberspace. Electronic Journal of Instructional Science and Technology. 3, 1-8.
Kupritz, V. W. (1999). A qualitative assessment of office design perceived by older and younger workers to impact work. International Conference of the Academy of Human Resource Development.
Kupritz, V. W., & Bellingar T. A. (2008). The impact of architectural design features on performance, stress, and informal learning. International Environmental Design Research Association.
Kupritz, V. W. (2002). The relative impact of workplace design on training transfer. Human Resource Development Quarterly. 13, 427- 447.
Kupritz, V. W. (2000). The role of the physical environment in maximizing opportunities for the aging workforce. Journal of Industrial Teacher Education. 37, 66-88.
Kupritz, V. W. (1997). A model of privacy regulation in the workplace. International Conference of the Environmental Design and Research Association (EDRA 28).
Kupritz, V. W. (2005). Ethnographic assessment of individual and group privacy needs in the workplace. 36th International Environmental Design Research Association (EDRA 36).
Kupritz, V. W. (2000). Maximizing opportunities for the aging workforce through workplace design. International Conference of the Academy of Human Resource Development.
Kupritz, V. W. (1999). A qualitative assessment of office design perceived by older and younger workers to impact work. International Academy of Human Resource Development. 1, 239-246.
Kupritz, V. W., & Bellingar T. A. (2008). The impact of architectural design features on performance. International Environmental Design Research Association.
Kupritz, V. W., & Reddy T. Y. (2002). The impact of workplace design on training transfer. International Academy of Human Resource Development. 2, 545- 552.
Kupritz, V. W. (2000). A quantitative assessment of office design needs for today's intergenerational workforce. International Conference of the Environmental Design Research Association (EDRA 31).
Kupritz, V. W. (1998). Privacy in the work place: The impact of building design. Journal of Environmental Psychology. 18, 341-356.
Kupritz, V. W., & Bellingar T. A. (2007). Quantitative assessment of individual and group privacy needs. 36th International Environmental Design Research Association (EDRA 38).
Kupritz, V. W. (2000). A conceptual model of privacy regulation for HRD and organizations. Journal of Industrial Teacher Education. 38, 29-59.
Kupritz, V. W. (1999). Privacy needs that facilitate work practices. International Journal of Vocational Education and Training. 7, 53-70.
Kupritz, V. W., & Cowell E. (2009). Person-Environment relationships in a digital world. International Environmental Design Research Association.
Kupritz, V. W. (1995). Privacy regulation in work organizations: A case study. Building Research and Information. 23, 17-23.
Kupritz, V. W. (2003). The effects of physical design on routine work activities. Journal of Architectural and Planning Research. 20, 110-121.
Kupritz, V. W. (2000). Privacy management at work: A conceptual model. Journal of Architectural and Planning Research. 47-63,
Kupritz, V. W. (1999). Workplace design for performance in today's aging workforce. Workforce Education Forum. 26, 1-15.
Kupritz, V. W. (2007). Symbiotic relationship between culture and work organizations. The International Environmental Design and Research Association Conference.
Kupritz, V. W. (2001). An EB framework of privacy regulation for workforce training and development. International Conference of the Environmental Design Research Association (EDRA 32).
Kupritz, V. W., & McDaniel S. (1999). Pedagogical reflections from an instructional technology workshop. Educational Technology & Society. 2, 1-4.
Kupritz, V. W. (1995). Privacy management in work organizations. International Conference of the Environmental Design and Research Association (EDRA 26).
Kupritz, V. W. (2003). Accommodating privacy to facilitate new ways of working. Journal of Architectural and Planning Research. 20, 122-135.
Krugman, D. M., Cameron G. T., & White C. (1995). Visual attention to programming and commercials: In-home observations. Journal of Advertising. 24, 1-12.
Kranenburg, K., Johnson T. J., & Kaye B. K. (2003). Nothing but Net: A Survey of Online Buying Among Sports Enthusiasts. Midwest Association for Public Opinion Research annual convention.
Kracker, J., & Wang P. (2002). Research anxiety and students’ perceptions of research. An experiment. Part II. Content analysis of their writings on two experiences.. Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology. 53(4), 295-307.
Kotowski, M. R., Smith S. W., Johnstone P. M., & Pritt E. (2008). Using the EPPM to Create and Evaluate the Effectiveness of Brochures to Reduce the Risk for Noise-Induce Hearing Loss in College Students. National Communication Association.
Kotowski, M. R., Levine T. R., Baker C. R., & Bolt J. M. (2006). A Multi-Trait Multi-Method Validation of the Infante and Wigley Verbal Aggressiveness Scale. annual meeting of the National Communication Association.
Kotowski, M. R., Levine T. R., Baker C. R., & Bolt J. M. (2009). A Multi-Trait Multi-Method Validity Assessment of the Verbal Aggressiveness and Argumentativeness Instruments. Communication Monographs. 76, 443-462.
Kotowski, M. R., Smith S. W., Johnstone P. M., & Pritt E. (2011). Using the EPPM to Create and Evaluate the Effectiveness of Brochures to Reduce the Risk for Noise-Induced Hearing Loss in College Students. Noise and Health. 13, 261-271.
Kotowski, M. R., Boster F. J., & Andrews K. R. (2006). The Effectiveness of Altruistic Appeals and Pregiving in an Anti-Social Compliance-Gaining Situation. annual meeting of the International Communication Association.
Kotowski, M. R. (2009). Social Diffusion: A measurement model and construct validation. Southern States Communication Association.
Kotowski, M. R., & Aydeniz M. (2011). Conceptual and Methodological Issues in the Measurement of Attitudes Towards Science. National Association for Research in Science Teaching.
Kotowski, M. R., & Boster F. J. (2007). Searching for super diffusers: Refining a method for locating influentials within a social network. National Communication Asssociation.
Kotowski, M. R. (2008). A Conceptual Clarification of Argument Quality. Southern States Communication Association.
Kotowski, M. R., & Williams K. A. (2010). Persuasion through the Revelation of Self-Incriminating Information: An attempt to reconcile differences in the stealing thunder literature. Southern States Communication Association.
Kotowski, M. R. (2006). The Social Norms Approach to Reducing Campus Binge Drinking: The vacillating nature of descriptive norms. annual meeting of the Eastern Communication Association.
Kinnick, K., White C., & Washington K. D. (2001). Racial representation of computer users in prime-time advertising. Race, Gender & Class in the Media. 8, 96-114.
King, D. W., & Tenopir C. (1999). Electronic Journal Pricing: The Dilemma, The Opportunity. NFAIS Newsletter. 41, 85-90.
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The Best New Music in Rock, Alternative, Hip-Hop, and More
Expertly Curated by the CoS Staff
The Flaming Lips share demo for “We Only Have Tomorrow”, their contribution to SpongeBob Squarepants musical
Listen to the soothing sounds of Bikini Bottom
by Allison Shoemaker
Flaming Lips photo by Philip Cosores
The Flaming Lips have a new accolade to add to a list that includes “Grammy-award winners” and “world’s foremost experts at walking inside giant clear balls”: they’re Tony Award nominees.
One of several artists to contribute to the score to SpongeBob Squarepants: The Broadway Musical, the Lips didn’t end up walking away with that Best Original Score Tony (it went to David Yazbek for The Band’s Visit), but that isn’t stopping them from celebrating. They’ve released the demo for “We Only Have Tomorrow” (called “Tomorrow Is” in the show), a cheerful, but stirring, ballad about perseverance (and Bikini Bottom).
Wayne Coyne talked about the experience of writing the song with Billboard:
“It’s hard for me to take credit for it, because it’s been such an insane production and the stuff they did with the music… we provided them with layers of demos and lyrical ideas over time, but the story kept evolving,” Coyne says of the years-long collaboration that resulted in the inspiring song…
“There were all these texts back and forth where they would give me a scenario — like in the beginning when SpongeBob and Patrick talked to a fortune teller on Bikini Bottom who tells them that the world will end tomorrow, which sets everything in motion — and that gave us this idea about how if the world is ending tomorrow we should make the most of today…”
That scenario immediately felt like a fit for a band whose psychedelic rock has often pondered life and death in the same breath. “I think the Flaming Lips were the perfect people to make this an optimistic song,” says Coyne. “That’s the greatest compliment you can have.” Without knowing the final plot, the Lips crafted their tune and by sheer “dumb luck” their demo ended up working perfectly with the story about a volcano eruption that threatens to wipe out Bikini Bottom.
Panic! At the Disco, T.I., Sara Bareilles, John Legend, Cyndi Lauper, and They Might Be Giants, among others, also contributed to the score for SpongeBob, which is honest-to-god delightful. Listen to the Lips’ demo, and the version in the show, below.
Here’s the song as it exists in SpongeBob.
Broadway musical
Demo Version
Psych Rock
Album Review: A$AP Rocky Successfully Goes Against the Grain on Testing
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones on Their First Album in Seven Years, While We’re at It
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US government drops effort to unmask anti-Trump Twitter account
"“The anonymous account holder is safe, for now,” said Jennifer Granick, the director of civil liberties at the Stanford Center for Internet and Society. “Perhaps the Department of Justice has learned a lesson. Perhaps the Trump administration may try to find the poster another way, for example by monitoring the government’s INS network.”"
Government seeks to unmask Trump dissident on Twitter, lawsuit reveals
"Jennifer Granick, the director of civil liberties at the Stanford Center for Internet and Society, called the government’s behavior “craven” and described the CBP summons as a “classic case of abuse”.
“For the government, a federal law enforcement officer, to not understand the very basics of protecting free speech and following the rule of law is egregious,” she said.
Trump & Co. Just Picked the Wrong Fight With Twitter
"“It seems like the government lied to Twitter about why it wanted the information,” says Jennifer Granick, Director of Civil Liberties at the Stanford Center for Internet and Society. “It’s not entitled to the information under the statutory authority it cites.”"
Republicans claim Trump may have been surveilled through ‘incidental collection.’ What’s incidental collection?
The Republican chair of the House Intelligence Committee, Devin Nunes has just said that Donald Trump’s communications were likely picked up by US intelligence agencies through “incidental collection.” Before Nunes’ statement, I interviewed Jennifer Stisa Granick, the director of civil liberties at Stanford University’s Center for the Internet and Society, about her new
Sean Spicer just suggested that Obama used British intelligence to spy on Trump. Britain isn’t happy.
"Some people writing on intelligence and surveillance note that close working relations such as this can allow intelligence agencies to evade domestic controls. Jennifer Granick, in her new Cambridge University Press book, American Spies: Modern Surveillance, Why You Should Care, and What To Do About It, notes that Five Eyes countries aren’t supposed to spy on one another’s citizens. However, she says that the NSA has prepared policies that would allow it to spy on Five Eyes citizens without permission. She furthermore suggests that:
Preparing For Government Data Requests After Apple Vs. FBI
Does privacy have a future?
Jennifer Granick talks about how notions of privacy have changed over the years and where she thinks things are headed in the future. She is a professor at the Stanford School of Law and Director of Civil Liberties at the Center for Internet and Society, where she specializes in the intersection of engineering, privacy and the law.
When the Cops Come A-Knocking: Handling Technical Assistance Demands from Law Enforcement
Risky Business #417 -- PlayPen ruling to let FBI off leash?
In this week's feature interview we're chatting with Stanford's very own Jennifer Granick about a recent ruling in a Virginia court that appears to give the FBI permission to hack into any computer it wants, sans warrant. Well that's what the headlines are screaming, anyway. But as you'll hear, it's not quite that black and white.
The Seeds Of Apple's Standoff With DOJ May Have Been Sown In Brooklyn
""What was remarkable was that the public hadn't seen the argument surfaced," says Jennifer Granick at the Stanford Center for Internet and Society. She says Judge Orenstein was trying to stoke a public debate. "Judge Orenstein had concerns about whether the government's legal argument was a valid legal argument."
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Edu-CyberPlayGround Blog
K12 Education for the Public
CyberPlayGround Inc.®
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MUSIC LAW: MUSIC DEALS
NetHappenings ©1989
World Peace!
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Tag: #qi #Foreignpolicy #foreverwars #Quicyinst #soros #Koch #CKI #OSI #peace #endwars
Military industrial Complex monopoly and demise
Ending Endless War <> NO MORE WAR
America’s Monopoly Crisis Hits the Military
Wall Street’s short-term incentives have decimated our defense industrial base and undermined our national security.
China has a 5, 10 20, 50, 100 year plan.
America has the Trump Tweets Plan.
By Matt Stoller and Lucas Kunce • June 27, 2019
https://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/americas-monopoly-crisis-hits-the-military/
Who took down America and got royal compensation for taking one of America’s strategic industrial assets down the road toward total destruction.
The erosion of much of the American industrial and defense industrial base.
Wall Street Richard McGinn became CEO in 1997, he and Carly Fiorina focused on financial markets and its pressure on executives to make decisions designed to impress financial markets, rather than for the long-term health of their companies.
Americans invented the telephone business and until recently dominated production and research. But in the last 20 years, every single American producer of key telecommunication equipment sectors is gone. Because of public policies focused on finance instead of production, the United States increasingly cannot produce or maintain vital systems upon which our economy, our military, and our allies rely.
One manufacturer told me we can no longer replace our submarine fleet, because we don’t have the capacity to do high quality steel castings necessary for high-pressure hulls. Most of that’s in China now.
“Well there was a China 2020 plan, 2016 plan, 2012 plan.” The United States has, for instance, lost much of its fasteners and casting industries, which are key inputs to virtually every industrial product. It has lost much of its capacity in grain oriented flat-rolled electrical steel, a specialized metal required for highly efficient electrical motors. Aluminum that goes into American aircraft carriers now often comes from China.
Hickey told a story of how the United States is even losing its submarine fleet.
ending endless war
Ben Ferencz http://www.benferencz.org/index.html
Benjamin B. Ferencz was born in the Carpathian Mountains of Transylvania in 1920. When he was ten months old his family moved to America. His earliest memories are of his small basement apartment in a Manhattan district – appropriately referred to as “Hell’s Kitchen.”
Benjamin Berell Ferencz is a Hungarian-born American lawyer. He was an investigator of Nazi war crimes after World War II and the Chief Prosecutor for the United States Army at the Einsatzgruppen Trial, one of the twelve military trials held by the U.S. authorities at Nuremberg, Germany.
What Ben Ferencz, the last Nuremberg prosecutor alive, wants
What the last Nuremberg prosecutor alive wants the world to know. At 99, Ben Ferencz is the last Nuremberg prosecutor alive and he has a far-reaching message for today’s world.
Tweets by BenFerencz
COALITION FOR AN INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT (CICC)
washingtonicc.org
Coordinates groups to advocate creation of an International Criminal Court for war crimes, genocide, and crimes against humanity.
INFO: HOW CAN YOU TELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A CONSPIRACY THEORY AND FACT?
PROOF OF STRATEGY
STATECRAFT = PROOF OF STRATEGY
https://s3.amazonaws.com/files.cnas.org/documents/CNAS_Strategy&Statecraft_SmithStokes.pdf
Smedley Butler USA’s most decorated General in the Marines
In 1935, Butler wrote a book titled War Is a Racket, where he described and criticized the workings of the United States in its foreign actions and wars, such as those he was a part of, including the American corporations and other imperialist motivations behind them. After retiring from service, he became a popular advocate, speaking at meetings organized by veterans, pacifists, and church groups in the 1930s.
The real heroism story about him starts when he retired. In 1933, A Wall Street bond salesman Gerald MacGuire approached Butler with a proposal for him. He said to him that he was acting as a front man for wealthy industrialists and bankers, and offered Butler the chance to become the American Legion’s national commander. If he accepted the offer he would have the loyalty of 500,000 veterans and up to $300 million of funding made available by the bankers and industrialists. Their mission would be to take over the White House. MacGuire told Butler that the same people controlled the media and that would help for the public to easily swallow the story that they were about to tell. They wanted to install a fascist government and Butler would be America’s Hitler.
Apparently, they had the money, but they weren’t that smart when they approached Butler with this proposal. They picked the wrong man; Butler didn’t like Mussolini and he didn’t like fascism. Butler didn’t say anything and he decided to play the game and try to find out more about them. He even contacted Philadelphia Record reporter Paul French and asked him for help. He gathered all the information he could and went straight to the House Un-American Activities Committee in 1934 and told them everything he knew.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smedley_Butler
WHO IS THE REAL VILLAIN?
– 2014 Nothing Really Compare to the Koch Brothers Political Empire
billionaire George Soros, Tom Steyer, Tides Foundation
The Koch brothers run most of their political empire through a network of 501(c)(4) and 501(c)(6) nonprofits, the majority of which spend money directly on elections or fund those that do.
In total, the Koch political empire marshaled $400 million in the 2012 election cycle toward groups and efforts that spent money directly in the electoral arena.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/koch-brothers-2014_n_4995698
https://www.propublica.org/article/who-controls-koch-political-network-asmi-slah-tohe
“dark money” was meant to describe the funds spent on elections and election-related issue ads by political nonprofits that are not required to disclose the names of their donors. The term “dark money” does not apply, however, to every nonprofit that does not disclose its donors — not even to every nondisclosing nonprofit with political goals, broadly speaking, on the left or the right. public interest nonprofits (organized under section 501(c)(3)), which may be involved in shaping policy but are forbidden to engage in electoral activity and labor unions (organized under section 501(c)(5)), which can participate in elections but must disclose their donors to the Labor Department.
OK FOLKS!
I GUESS IT’S NOW OK TO BELIEVE EVERY CONSPIRACY THEORY TOLD EVER !!!
In an astonishing turn, George Soros and Charles Koch team up to end US ‘forever war’ policy
By Stephen Kinzer 1-401-863-3473 280 Brook Street, Room 211
Stephen Kinzer is a senior fellow at the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs at Brown University. CV
http://stephenkinzer.com/
George Soros and Charles Koch are teaming up on the effort.
BESIDES BEING BILLIONAIRES and spending much of their fortunes to promote pet causes, the leftist financier George Soros and the right-wing Koch brothers have little in common. They could be seen as polar opposites. Soros is an old-fashioned New Deal liberal. The Koch brothers are fire-breathing right-wingers who dream of cutting taxes and dismantling government. Now they have found something to agree on: the United States must end its “forever war” and adopt an entirely new foreign policy.
In one of the most remarkable partnerships in modern American political history, Soros and Charles Koch, the more active of the two brothers, are joining to finance a new foreign-policy think tank in Washington. It will promote an approach to the world based on diplomacy and restraint rather than threats, sanctions, and bombing. This is a radical notion in Washington, where every major think tank promotes some variant of neocon militarism or liberal interventionism. Soros and Koch are uniting to revive the fading vision of a peaceable United States. The street cred they bring from both ends of the political spectrum — along with the money they are providing — will make this new think tank an off-pitch voice for statesmanship amid a Washington chorus that promotes brinksmanship.
“This is big,” said Trita Parsi, former president of the National Iranian American Council and a co-founder of the new think tank.
https://twitter.com/tparsi
“It shows how important ending endless war is if they’re willing to put aside their differences and get together on this project. We are going to challenge the basis of American foreign policy in a way that has not been done in at least the last quarter-century.”
Since peaceful foreign policy was a founding principle of the United States, it’s appropriate that the name of this think tank harken back to history. It will be called the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, an homage to John Quincy Adams, who in a seminal speech on Independence Day in 1821 declared that the United States “goes not abroad in search of monsters to destroy. She is the well-wisher to the freedom and independence of all. She is the champion and vindicator only of her own.” The Quincy Institute will promote a foreign policy based on that live-and-let-live principle.
The institute plans to open its doors in September and hold an official inauguration later in the autumn. Its founding donors — Soros’s Open Society Foundation and the Charles Koch Foundation — have each contributed half a million dollars to fund its takeoff. A handful of individual donors have joined to add another $800,000. By next year the institute hopes to have a $3.5 million budget and a staff of policy experts who will churn out material for use in Congress and in public debates. Hiring is underway. Among Parsi’s co-founders are several well-known critics of American foreign policy, including Suzanne DiMaggio, who has spent decades promoting negotiated alternatives to conflict with China, Iran, and North Korea; the historian and essayist Stephen Wertheim; and the anti-militarist author and retired Army colonel Andrew Bacevich.
“The Quincy Institute will invite both progressives and anti-interventionist conservatives to consider a new, less militarized approach to policy,” Bacevich said, when asked why he signed up. “We oppose endless, counterproductive war. We want to restore the pursuit of peace to the nation’s foreign policy agenda.”
In concrete terms, this means the Quincy Institute will likely advocate a withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan and Syria; a return to the nuclear deal with Iran; less confrontational approaches to Russia and China; an end to regime-change campaigns against Venezuela and Cuba; and sharp reductions in the defense budget.
It aims to issue four reports before the end of 2019: two offering alternative approaches to the Middle East and East Asia, one on “ending endless war,” and one called “democratizing foreign policy.” Its statement of principles asserts that the United States “should engage with the world, and the essence of engagement is peaceful cooperation among peoples. For this reason, the United States must cherish peace and pursue it through the vigorous practice of diplomacy . . . The use of armed force does not represent American engagement in the world. Force ends human life, destroying engagement irreparably. Any resort to force should occur only as a last resort and should remain infrequent. The military exists to defend the people and territory of the United States, not to act as a global police force.”
The depth of this heresy can only be appreciated by recognizing the meretricious power that nourishes Washington’s think-tank ecosystem. These “talk shops” employ experts who pop up to advise politicians, journalists, Congressional staff members, and the public. They write opinion columns and bloviate on news channels. In foreign policy, all major Washington think tanks promote interventionist dogma: the United States faces threats everywhere, it must therefore be present everywhere, and “present” includes maintaining more than 800 foreign military bases and spending trillions of dollars on endless confrontations with foreign countries. That, with some variation, is the ethos that moves conservative think tanks like the American Enterprise Institute and the Heritage Foundation as well as liberal ones like the Center for American Progress and the Brookings Institution. Just as pernicious as their relentless support of the global-hegemony project is the corruption that lies behind it. Many Washington think tanks are supported by industries and foreign powers eager to inflate threats in order shape American law, policy, and public opinion. Their “experts” are often paid shills who cloak themselves in institutional respectability so they can masquerade as independent analysts.
When foreign crises like the war in Yemen break out, critics of US policy emerge and are given space to air their views. These protests, however, are episodic. Little continuity ties one burst of outrage to the next. The Quincy Institute aims to offer a corps of experts in Washington who will promote a unified foreign-policy paradigm based on statecraft and cooperation. Its founders plan to become involved in grass-roots campaigns, especially in minority communities. They hope their specialists will eventually move on to populate Congressional staffs and the executive branch — as alumni of pro-intervention think tanks have been doing for decades.
“Some interesting currents are emerging in American politics and we want to capture this moment, but we’re in it for the long haul,” said Parsi. “We’ll be a failure if in 10 years we’re still criticizing. In 10 years, we want to be driving the bus.”
Quincy Institute – Hiring Director of Media Relations
The idea is that you finance both sides e.g. pro fascist, anti-fascist etc. This creates a state of confusion where people don’t really know what is going on and become apathetic to it. Adam Curtis made a documentary about it, however here is a snippet from it.
Pentagon study: Russia outgunning U.S. in race for global influence
A divided America is failing to counter Moscow’s efforts to undermine democracy and cast doubt on U.S. alliances, says the report, which warns of a surge in ‘political warfare.’
By BRYAN BENDER 06/30/2019 06:11 AM EDT
https://www.politico.com/story/2019/06/30/pentagon-russia-influence-putin-trump-1535243
PDF @ https://www.politico.com/f/?id=0000016b-a5a1-d241-adff-fdf908e00001
The Pentagon has a laser that can identify people from a distance—by their heartbeat https://www.technologyreview.com/s/613891/the-pentagon-has-a-laser-that-can-identify-people-from-a-distanceby-their-heartbeat/
Author cyberplaygroundPosted on 07/01/2019 07/08/2019 Categories ECP Educational CyberPlayGround, K12Newsletters, NetHappeningsTags #qi #Foreignpolicy #foreverwars #Quicyinst #soros #Koch #CKI #OSI #peace #endwars, Ben Ferencz, COALITION FOR AN INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT, crimes against humanity, dark money, Ending Endless War NO MORE WAR, FOREVER WAR POLICY, George Soros and Charles Koch are teaming up, George Soros and Charles Koch team up to end US ‘forever war’ policy, In an astonishing turn, Koch Brothers 501(c)(4) 501(c)(6) nonprofits, NO MORE WAR, Nuremberg prosecutor, Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, The erosion of much of the American industrial and defense industrial base, war crimes genocide2 Comments on Military industrial Complex monopoly and demise
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Donald J. Trump and Jeffrey E. Epstein Sex Slaves Lawsuits
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Educational CyberPlayGround: K12Newsletters 7-11-2019
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Grim and Bizarre reality, half of USA citizens are effectively poor in the world’s richest country.
Get Rid of Epstein lover Manhattan DA Cy Vance
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Lisa M. Dailey
Joel M. Pratt
8.0Joel M. Pratt
Joel M. Pratt is originally from Denver, Colorado. He received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder, after which he started his career in family law right here at Dailey Law, P.C. as a legal assistant. He left the office to go to the University of Michigan Law School, where he graduated magna cum laude and Order of the Coif, an honor society for top law school graduates. During law school, he clerked for a large law firm and interned for Hon. Alan Loeb of the Colorado Court of Appeals. After graduation, he clerked for the University of Michigan General Counsel’s office and then moved back to Denver.
Before his return to family law, Joel worked at two large law firms in Denver, where he litigated complex corporate cases, appeals, government contracts cost accounting and intellectual property issues, among others.
Joel’s practice focuses primarily on appeals and family law, though he works in the adjacent areas of guardianship and juvenile/child welfare law, as well. Since being at Dailey Law, P.C. he has successfully handled a wide variety of matters, which he has helped resolve both in and out of court. These matters include:
Dissolution of Marriage (Divorce);
Allocation of Parental Responsibility (Child Custody);
Post-Decree;
Legal Separation;
Common Law Marriage;
Same-Sex Marriage and Divorce Issues;
Dependency and Neglect;
Child Welfare and Juvenile;
Grandparents’ Rights;
Motions to Restrict Parenting Time;
Contested Guardianship (children and adults);
Child Support;
Contempt Motions; and
Paternity and Parentage.
Joel approaches his cases with a problem-solving mindset. Each case is as different as the family member he represents, and as a result, his approach to solving each problem is customized to that client. While parties can keep control of their own solutions by resolving matters outside of a courtroom, Joel recognizes that when settlement does not or cannot happen on reasonable terms, clients need a confident advocate.
Joel has established ties to his local community and maintains a robust pro bono practice. He participates in the El Paso County Court’s Civil Pro Bono Panel. Joel also volunteers to take on appeals through the Colorado Bar Association’s Appellate Pro Bono Program. Even before he switched to a full-time family law practice, Joel met his commitment to pro bono hours by representing people with limited means in family law matters. He also serves as a Trustee of the El Paso County Bar Association and is dedicated to supporting the local legal community.
Several publications have featured Joel’s writing, from fracking to alternative dispute resolution. He is a regular contributor to The Pikes Peak Lawyer, the El Paso County Bar Association’s monthly publication, where he provides updates to the community on interesting or important appellate cases. He has also been published in The Denver Post, The Colorado Lawyer, and several academic journals.
Joel and his wife, Rebecca, enjoy being back in Colorado Springs, where they can be found hiking with their energetic puppy (and part-time office mascot), Riley.
526 S. Nevada Ave., Colorado Springs, CO 80903
719-473-0884 | lisa@lisamdailey.com
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Business, Entrepreneurship, Marketing, Startup December 3, 2017 December 4, 2017
How Do Products Tempt Us?
Nir Eyal, NirAndFar.com
How do products tempt us? What makes them so alluring? It is easy to assume we crave delicious food or impulsively check email because we find pleasure in the activity. But pleasure is just half the story.
Temptation is more than just the promise of reward. Recent advances in neuroscience allow us to peer into the brain, providing a greater understanding of what makes us want.
In 2011, Sriram Chellappan, an assistant professor of computer science at Missouri University of Science and Technology, gained unheard of access to sensitive information about the way undergraduates were using the Internet. His study tracked students on campus as they browsed the web. Chellappan was looking for patterns, which not only revealed what students were doing online, but provided clues about who they were.
“We believe that your pattern of Internet use says something about you,” Chellappan wrote in the New York Times. “Specifically, our research suggests it can offer clues to your mental well-being.” Chellappan concluded that there was, in fact, predictive power in the data. He found students with early signs of clinical depression used the Internet differently and he could identify students most likely to face mental health issues simply by looking at how they clicked.
“We identified several features of Internet usage that correlated with depression,” wrote Chellappan. “For example, participants with depressive symptoms tended to engage in very high e-mail usage.”
Chellappan developed the technology in hopes of creating an early-warning system to identify struggling students. But his study raised another question, why do people with depression check email more?
Alleviating Pain
The answer may provide clues about why all of us use the products and services we do in our everyday lives. Psychologists believe people with depression feel negative emotions, like anxiety, more frequently than other people do. There is evidence that the depressed students in Chellappan’s study were using the Internet more because they experience negative mental states more often. To try and feel better, they turned to the web to boost their mood.
Finding ways to make ourselves feel better is not something only depressives do. We all seek relief from feeling bad and the brain is primed to help us learn where we can find escape. Just as we might take a Tylenol to relieve a headache, we turn to products to relieve emotional pain. In fact, these two biological processes are so closely linked that taking a Tylenol has been shownto ease both physical and emotional pain. The drug is effective in treating headache and heartache.
Having a pain to cure is a necessary prerequisite to using products. Recent neuroscience reveals the brain even adds pain to things that were previously pleasurable to push us to get what our bodies want. When temptation is activated in the brain, it induces a biological process that not only turns on the pleasure response, but also the body’s physiological stress response.
Consider a 2005 study which looked at the physiological response of women exposed to images of chocolate. Researchers observed that the women experienced a subconscious reaction of alarm similar to seeing a threatening animal in the wild. The women, who had identified themselves as “chocolate cravers,” described feeling not only pleasure at the thought of consuming the chocolate, but also agitation, angst, and a feeling of a loss of control in the face of their desire. For these women’s brains, temptation was stressful.
Since the 1950s, researchers have explored how the brain’s reward system compels behavior. Our understanding of the complex circuitry shows that pleasure and pain work together. Once the brain learns something good is about to happen, it induces a craving we feel as stress. The fastest relief from this discomfort is to get what we want.
Exaggeration and Fear
Companies, of course, are masters of temptation. If marketing is defined as, “the process of communicating the value of a product or service to customers,” then implicit in this practice is accentuating the positive aspects of what being sold. This technique is used not only in hawking goods, but is also found in nature. Animals have been tricking each other by accentuating desirable traits for millennia. The process is called “super-normal stimuli” and it is a key to enticing action by creating the stress of desire.
Another way products induce intense desire is through a certain kind of fear, particularly our innate need to have as much as the next person. The phenomenon is exhibited with a simple experiment conducted by Frans de Waal, a primatologist at Emory University.
In the study, de Waal rewarded two capuchin monkeys with a cucumber when they completed a simple task, in this case, handing a rock to the researcher. When both monkeys were given the same reward, they completed the task as prescribed.
But when the researcher gave one monkey a grape while offering the other the standard cucumber, the results were very different. The stiffed monkey, who was perfectly content just seconds before with his cucumber, began shrieking, baring his teeth, thrashing in his cage, and pounding on the table to show his anger. Known in the vernacular as FOMO, or “fear of missing out”, marketers utilize this inborn trigger to incite pain akin to what the capuchin monkey felt in de Waals cage.
Marketers tasked with increasing consumption of their company’s products have a difficult job; they are often charged with manufacturing desire. To do that, they need to find the customer’s problem, their pain, in order to alleviate it. Without the biological basis spurring our desire, there would be no sales. So marketers must at least accentuate, if not induce, a level of discomfort to make us crave their wares.
Like in the undergraduates in Chellappan’s study exhibiting signs of depression, we all seek to escape feeling bad. The products and services that provide immediate relief are those we come to depend upon most.
Source: Hackernoon
Artificial Intelligence in Digital Marketing: How Can it Make Your Life Easier?
Let’s Chat: Catering to Remittance Customers With Chatbots
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Leo Share Story
Leo’s life was becoming unmanageable. The 16-year-old was experimenting with drugs, lying to his parents, skipping school, hanging with the wrong crowd and getting into trouble with the law. His alcoholic stepfather and his mother fought regularly. Yelling and screaming was all he knew. Problems in the home got worse when his stepfather began having immigration problems and his mother was diagnosed and underwent treatment for a serious medical condition.
Leo became very aggressive at home and his mother couldn’t control his truancy. She tried her best to get him to school, but she worked all day in the fields during picking season in Immokalee (a largely migrant, impoverished agricultural community more than 35 miles away from Naples) and was rarely home to monitor him. He was referred to the Collier County Truancy Court, an intensive, short term intervention program that helps at risk, truant youth attend and succeed in school. Through the program, David Lawrence Center provides mental health and substance abuse assessments, case management and prevention and intervention services.
As Leo began to work on his anger and behavior issues with the therapist, it became and more and more clear that he was severely depressed. He struggled to stop using pot and got caught being out past curfew. He violated probation and was sent to jail on several occasions. He was now at risk of being sent to a commitment program, but instead he voluntarily entered the Breaking the Chains Group, an intensive substance abuse group therapy program for teens who struggle with coexisting substance dependence and mental health and behavioral issues such as depression, anxiety and anger.
He was also referred to Psychiatric Medical Services where he worked closely and routinely with a psychiatrist on the right medications for his symptoms using the Center’s new Telepsychiatry Program. Telepsychiatry uses secure, high-definition video conferencing technology to bring doctors, therapists and patients between the Naples Main Office and the Immokalee Satellite Office together “virtually” to increase accessibility, eliminate barriers to seeking treatment, improve care and reduce costs.
Giving Leo more access to the doctors meant better communication on dosage, symptoms and mood. Because of Telepsychiatry, doctor availability in Immokalee went from twice a month to four days a week and greatly improved scheduling and rescheduling timely medication management visits.
His mother said, “When we first brought him to David Lawrence Center he was suicidal and felt he didn’t have a reason to be alive.” Once the medications began to help his thoughts become more clear and his behavior and impulses to get under control, he was able to share in group and work on his sobriety and coping skills. She adds, “The groups helped him see that a life with drugs, crime and no education gets you nowhere. He doesn’t want to go back to that.”
Life in Immokalee can be hard. Driving to Naples for weekly appointments wasn’t an option for his family. The Telepsychiatry program made it easier for Leo to monitor his medications which helped him stay sober and manage his depression. “Things are very different now at home. We can all see the change in Leo. He communicates better, doesn’t fight and scream, and laughs and plays more with his sisters,” she adds.
Leo, sober now for four months and staying out of trouble, has graduated the Breaking Chains Group and continues his outpatient medication management visits through the Telepsychiatry program. He is working towards finishing his GED and hopes to buy his mother a house some day. She adds, “It is wonderful that there is a place like David Lawrence Center available in Immokalee. David Lawrence Center has had a great impact on our family.”
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Coal Port to China Barges ahead without Public Support: Activists
November 26, 2012 · by David P. Ball · in The Tyee. ·
Published in The Tyee | November 26, 2012 | Circulation: 340,000 unique monthly readers
Voters Taking Action on Climate Change spokesperson Kevin Washbrook displays a briefcase of coal, during a May 5 civil disobedience blockade of a BNSF train carrying coal for export through B.C. Photo by David P. Ball
A plan to significantly expand a Surrey coal port — allowing it to export four million metric tonnes of the fossil fuel a year, mostly to China, and potentially doubling that later — is barging ahead quietly without much public awareness or input, says a climate change activist group.
Fraser Surrey Docks (FSD) wants to build a direct transfer port enabling Burlington Northern Santa Fe railway — owned by U.S. billionaire Warren Buffett — to dump their loads into 8,000-tonne barges bound for Texada Island, where it would be loaded into deep sea vessels.
According to Kevin Washbrook, a spokesperson for Voters Taking on Climate Change, the burning of that coal overseas would boost the port’s emissions to 106 million tonnes of carbon dioxide per year, making it the largest coal port in North America, and a significant exporter of climate change-producing gases in North America, even greater than the controversial Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline, which would generate between 80 to 100 million tonnes.
‘Pretty rigorous review’: Port Metro Vancouver
Port Metro Vancouver told The Tyee that environmental sustainability and community engagement is a key mandate, which is governed by a government-appointed board.
“There’s a pretty rigorous review that is pretty much dictated by the nature of a proposed project,” spokesperson Patricia MacNeil explained. “Fraser Surrey Docks has certainly done quite a bit of community consultation around their proposed project.
“There’s no expectation that there’s going to be any further public engagement activities at this point in time […]. Their project summary report is probably going to come in sometime in the next couple months, as we review the documentation.”
According to the port’s website, “Port Metro Vancouver takes a proactive role in its communities through a dynamic community relations program.” That program, it states, includes engaging community “based on open two-way communication and meaningful public participation.”
According to PMV, Fraser Surrey Docks has already mailed explanatory letters to neighbouring residents in the port area, as well as holding a number of meetings with politicians at several government levels. The City of Surrey and other Metro Vancouver municipalities have also been alerted, MacNeil said.
Those steps, Washbrook insisted, are simply not enough to qualify as”broad public support,” as PMV’s website boasts.
“It’s being put through very quietly, with very little chance for public input,” he told The Tyee. “I hadn’t even heard about this plan to build new coal port until a couple weeks ago; the public needs to know this is happening.”
Public process a ‘black hole’: Washbrook
“The biggest issue for anybody should be that B.C. is poised to be a massive conduit for the export of global warming pollution,” said Washbrook. “As a society, we’ve been very successful in highlighting the risks of the Northern Gateway and Kinder Morgan pipelines, but much less attentive to the scale of coal exports […]. There’s no way in the world you could argue this is in the best interests of Canadians. We’ve almost lost control of climate change; if we don’t reduce emissions immediately, it’ll run away on us.”
According to Washbrook, there is “no clear framework” to welcome public opinion about applications. But most concerning about the process, he added, is the apparent “black hole” where the port is not required to summarize or reveal the types of public submissions.
“It looks like the public input process is simply a black hole,” he said.”If hundreds of people provide comments to the port over the next few weeks urging them to deny these two coal export applications — something we plan on encouraging — how would we ever know?”
Fraser Surrey Docks did not return several interview requests from The Tyee. However, according to its website, the new coal transfer port is an important investment with benefits to the province and region.
“We’re strengthening our role as a key link in Canada’s Pacific Gateway and as an important contributor to our local and provincial economy,” the company’s website states. “This significant new investment to add coal handling capacity will deliver 50 more high-paying jobs to the community. It will mean new tax revenues for Surrey and Delta, which in turn helps fund much-needed services in the community.”
When asked for specifics on the community consultation process needed for the port’s approval, PMV said there is no set “linear” process or “hard-and-fast” deadline for public input.
Slated for big boost in coal shipments: Fraser Surrey Docks are across from Annacis Island, off River Road near the west end of 96th Avenue. Source: Port Metro Vancouver.
“Depending on the potential — or perceived — impacts on adjacent businesses or residents, there’s community consultation involved,” MacNeil said. “And of course, if there are First Nations implications […] we have a duty to consult with First Nations as well.
“It’s hard to say that there’s a linear process that every project goes through. They’re all quite different, because it depends on a number of factors: what’s the potential impact? Where is it? What is it? […] Regardless of what is required within the review process, as part of it environmental, community and First Nations engagements are identified — and for any project, a Port Project Permit will not be issued until all those technical reviews, municipal, First Nations and community consultations are complete.”
Factor in climate hit, say activists
The lack of community hearings or publicity for the project is particularly concerning, Washbrook said, because of the heightened public concern about climate change. PMV states that sustainability is part of its decision-making and operations, but MacNeil was not aware if the company has a policy on climate change specifically.
Voters Taking on Climate Change is pushing for the port to delay its decision until broader consultations — and greenhouse gas emissions from coal — can be considered.
“The public consultation process is seriously flawed and the port is failing to meet its mandate to ‘operate with broad public support in the best interests of Canadians,'” said Washbrook. “There does not seem to be any consideration given to the end use impacts [like] climate change of the proposed exports.
“The significant climate implications for our future are not taken into consideration and the public ultimately has no meaningful influence over the outcome.”
Plan is to load rail-delivered U.S. coal onto barges, which will meet with deep sea vessels off Texada Island. Source: Port Metro Vancouver.
Fraser Surrey Docks says that coal remains a “crucial” energy source around the world, especially in “many developed and developing countries.” It adds that, “Effective technologies have been developed to tackle environmental challenges, including the release of pollutants, such as sulphur and nitrogen, according to its website.
Washbrook disagreed, saying that the world cannot afford to increase its fossil fuel consumption. Ultimately, he argued, the impacts of coal on the environment are linked to those of oil and gas — and there is simply no time to delay on reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
“We’re pretty much at end of our tether in terms of climate change,” he said. “The time for buck-passing has stopped.
“This can’t happen. It’s literally killing the planet. It’s government in the service of the fossil fuel industry; it’s becoming increasingly obvious that’s the case. We need to raise a ruckus.”
On May 5, 13 people were arrested after blocking a northbound BNSF coal-train in White Rock. Those arrested included Nobel Peace Prize-winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change economist Mark Jaccard and former Vancouver city councillor Fred Bass.
Tags: Business & Economy, Climate Change, Coal, Energy, Environment
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Archive for David Hare
An Alternative to Facts
Posted in FILM, Politics, Television with tags Andrew Scott, David Hare, David Irving, Deborah Lipstadt, Denial, LA Story, Mark Gatiss, Mick Jackson, My Week With Marilyn, Rachel Weisz, Sherlock, Timothy Spall, Tom Wilkinson on February 4, 2017 by dcairns
DENIAL is something we opted to watch on BAFTA screener when something else didn’t grip us (not fair to talk about the non-gripper since we didn’t finish it). We knew DENIAL would offer a good STORY, which is what we craved, and so it did.
What has Mick Jackson been doing? I know his name from L.A. STORY, which was a while ago. He’s been on TV, I see. Well, I kind of know what he’s doing here — he’s been brought in to give it a touch of cinema. It’s a BBC film, see, and written by David Hare — very intelligently written as far as the issues are concerned, occasionally clumsy as it draws in bit players to comment on the issues. But compared to much recent exposition, very decently done.
(We attempted a screener of MY WEEK WITH MARILYN once and were appalled at the leaden way characters kept explaining things to each other that they both clearly already knew. I spoofed this with the line, “As you know, I’m your father,” and after ten minutes we’d almost convinced ourselves this was a genuine bit of dialogue.)
The trouble is, a writer like Hare, schooled in the theatre, leaves no room for cinema or “cinema” — he gives you strong dramatic scenes of people talking to each other. A master of such stuff — and it would be lovely to see Otto Preminger getting to grips with this material — can make cinema out of just such scenes. There’s nothing wrong with Jackson’s handling of them, and he renders London in photogenic, grey, wet panoramas. Lots of frosty, foggy, atmospheric shots of Auschwitz too. It’s the bursts of attention-getting technique applied to the Holocaust that seemed a bit egregious. I’ll allow the barely audible sound of screams heard as our characters stand on the roof of a former gas chamber, since I allowed the barely audible sound of cheering in the deserted Nazi Olympic stadium in THE QUILLER MEMORANDUM — the coincidence is so striking, I have to embrace it. But the sudden horror movie plunge into a photograph of a gas chamber window, which becomes live-action and filled with distressed, clawing figures who look like ZOMBIES — that was bad, both because it belonged in a different film, and because any time a filmmaker uses such historical events to show off, I get repulsed.
But that is, to be fair, one tiny moment in an otherwise strong, sensitively handled drama. Rachel Weisz, who made an unconvincing librarian in THE MUMMY and AGORA, makes a convincing historian here and her accent is enjoyable to listen to. EVERYONE is doing an accent, except Tom Wilkinson, who refuses to make any compromises in the direction of being Scottish. Good for him, I say, he has the right idea. Wilkinson brings the entertainment, as does Andrew Scott as his fellow lawyer (I won’t get into the whole barrister/solicitor thing) — Scott annoyed us no end in Sherlock (he’s Moriarty — we enjoyed the show but not him) but it turns out to have been to a large extent the fault of the writing. He uses many of the same tics here, but they don’t come off as tics: he has a sort of flip, aggressive way of jumping in with a line and cutting it off short, which is helpful as he’s essentially playing antagonist to a woman who wants to talk about things. One of those Sherlock writers is here too, Mark Gatiss playing Polish — and he’s really excellent, very restrained, he makes you forget the oddness of that casting (are there no Poles in Britain? To read the tabloids, not that we do, one would think there was nothing but.)
Holocaust denier David Irving is played by Timothy Spall, and just as Weiss is technically too cute to play Deborah Lipstadt, who should look like an ordinary person, Spall is not handsome enough to play Irving, who looks like the portrait of Dorian Gray if Gray were a big rugby-playing type — traces of handsomeness in a face grown gross and harsh and corrupt. Spall has actually lost a shit-ton of fat (by the looks of things, siphoning it off into John Sessions) and now looks kind of like Tim Roth wearing Timothy Spall’s abandoned skin, something I have no doubt Roth would do, given the chance.
But these observations ultimately don’t matter — you get used to the strange accents emanating from Weiss and Spall (and everyone else) and to the fact that they’re imperfect embodiments of the personages they represent, because the actual ACTING is what counts (along with the writing, of course) and it’s very good. And it all manages to express a point that shouldn’t need to be expressed, with enough subtleties around the edges (for instance, why one shouldn’t put survivors in the witness stand in a case like this) which are far from obvious and fascinating to hear argued so well. When Scott tells Weiss that he’s not going to let her testify, I was surprised and impressed and waited for the movie to change its mind and give her a BAFTA-winning speech from the box, but it never came. Almost uniquely in a film centred on a female protagonist, her job is to remain silent, to bear witness, to not debate a man who doesn’t deserve to be debated. The film’s courage in sticking to this principle is praiseworthy.
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