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improper grammar and our modern day vernacular collide raising questions about whether one louisiana mans fifth amendment rights were violated Home Constitutional Improper Grammar and Our Modern-Day Vernacular Collide Raising Questions About Whether One Louisiana Man’s Fifth Amendment Rights Were Violated TOPICS:interrogationself-incrimination Jeff Reeves, WATE CBS North Carolina Posted By: trialjournal Written By: Holly Howell Editor-in-Chief, American Journal of Trial Advocacy “If y’all, this is how I feel, if y’all think I did it, I know that I didn’t do it so why don’t you just give me a lawyer dog ‘cause this is not what’s up.”[1] This request, made by then-22-year-old Warren Demesme, may seem straightforward on its face, but it has proved controversial, requiring Louisiana law enforcement and, later, the Louisiana Supreme Court to analyze Demesme’s vernacular, what he was actually asking for, and whether or not his Constitutional rights were violated. The Court’s decision may now have serious implications—both for Demesme, who is potentially facing time in prison, as well as for those accused and interrogated in the future. Demesme’s October 2015 Request and Admission In October 2015, Demesme, now 24, was brought in and interrogated by New Orleans police.[2] Two of Demesme’s female cousins, both minors under the age of thirteen, claimed that he sexually assaulted them.[3] The New Orleans Police brought him in for questioning once, but got little information.[4] Upon gaining additional evidence, however, they brought Demesme in for questioning again.[5] Like the time before, Demesme voluntarily agreed to be questioned.[6] Additionally, in both recorded interviews, Demesme was read his Miranda Rights.[7] On both occasions, he reportedly told law enforcement officials that he understood his rights, but he chose to waive them and be questioned without a lawyer present.[8] During the second round of questioning, an officer from the NOPD Sex Crimes Department put increased pressure on Demesme to admit that he had raped and assaulted the children who had accused him.[9] As officers pressed him, they reported that Demesme became more and more agitated, but, despite his exasperation with the questions, he continued to deny the questioner’s allegations.[10] It was at this time when Demesme made the above request, which he still maintains was his attempt to invoke his right to counsel.[11] While the law explains that it is appropriate to cease interrogation when an accused person asks for a lawyer, they only must do so under Louisiana law when that person’s request for counsel is unambiguous and unequivocal.[12] Not believing his request met the requisite levels of clarity required, the interrogating officers continued with the interview.[13] Soon after, Demesme reportedly admitted to one NOPD Sex Crimes Detective, Nijel Baddoo, that he had in fact sexually assaulted one of his two accusers.[14] He is currently in the Orleans parish jail awaiting trial.[15] While Fifth Amendment jurisprudence is settled, and has been for many years, there still exist questions about how to tell if an accused’s request for counsel was direct and clear enough. The Present State of the Law Regarding a Defendant’s Right Against Compelled Self-Incrimination The Fifth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States prohibits compelled self-incrimination.[16] Prior to 1966, the question of compulsion was decided by an evaluation of whether or not an accused person’s statement was made voluntarily.[17] This voluntariness assessment considered the totality of the circumstances surrounding the suspect’s statement.[18] This changed in 1966, however, with the precedent set in Miranda v. Arizona.[19] From this case came the Miranda Rights, a four-part recitation, the most relevant of which, for the purposes of the present case, is that the suspect has the right to an attorney, and that, if he or she cannot afford an attorney, that one will be appointed to him.[20] The four Miranda Rights are to be repeated by law enforcement officials to any alleged perpetrator before custodial interrogation.[21] As a result, it is no longer enough to consider whether or not the statement was voluntary—now, it is also necessary to determine if the police officials who took the statement were in compliance with Miranda when the statement was made.[22] Stated simply, any statements made by a defendant during custodial interrogation by the police are precluded from use in the prosecutor’s case-in-chief, unless the prosecutor is able to prove that the defendant understood his Fifth Amendment rights, but knowingly, voluntarily, and intelligently waived them.[23] As previously stated, the safeguards of Miranda are only triggered during custodial interrogation.[24] Determining whether this was the case requires a factual analysis of what was going on when the statement took place.[25] Under the law, a suspect is considered to be “in custody” if he or she has been placed under formal arrest, but also if he or she has been otherwise deprived of his or her freedom of movement in a significant way.[26] Additionally, a suspect is interrogated when the police or other law enforcement officials directly question him or her, or when the officers use “words or actions . . . that they should have known were reasonably likely to elicit an incriminating response.”[27] If both of these factors are satisfied, the individual will be considered to be under custodial interrogation and it must be shown that he or she was properly made aware of his or her rights before the interrogation began.[28] If it is found that the suspect was subject to custodial interrogation and had been given the proper Miranda rights, the next step in the analysis is determining whether he or she chose to invoke or waive those rights.[29] To effectively invoke the right to remain silent, or the right to counsel, the invocation must be clearly articulated.[30] Focusing specifically on a suspect’s right to counsel, the United States Supreme Court has established a relatively high evidentiary bar for showing that this right has been invoked.[31] For example, the Court has held that, a suspect who reasoned, “Maybe I should talk to a lawyer?” did not adequately indicate that they wanted to be provided with an attorney.[32] While many may view this statement as a relatively clear depiction of the suspect’s desires, the Court held that it was insufficient because it was not a clear and unambiguous invocation of the right to counsel.[33] In the same way, while some courts have held that a suspect may be assumed to have constructively waived his or her rights through his or her behavior, the suspect may not invoke a right solely through his or her behavior.[34] In order to assert one’s right to counsel under the Fifth Amendment, that suspect must ask for a lawyer in a way that can be interpreted only to mean that he or she would like to be represented by counsel[35]—“Give me an attorney” or “I would like to speak with an attorney,” for example. The Supreme Court articulated this requirement in the landmark case Davis v. United States.[36] In the language of Davis, “the suspect must unambiguously request counsel,” articulating that request “sufficiently clearly that a reasonable police officer in the circumstances would understand the statement to be a request for an attorney.”[37] Once a suspect has clearly and unambiguously invoked his or her right to counsel, all questioning about any subject must immediately cease, and questioning may not resume until the suspect is provided with counsel.[38] There are only two exceptions to this rule. The first allows police to resume questioning, even if the suspect has invoked his or her right to counsel, if the suspect is the one who re-initiates the conversation.[39] The other allows law enforcement to renew questioning after the suspect has been released from custody for fourteen days.[40] In this event, even if the suspect invoked his or her right to counsel during the first custodial interrogation, the police may reinitiate questioning fourteen days later and seek the suspect’s waiver of his or her Miranda Rights in hopes of garnering a confession.[41] Subsequent Motions on Demesme’s Behalf and a Decision from the Supreme Court of Louisiana The public defender for Orleans Parish, Derwyn D. Bunton took on Demesme’s case in the aftermath of his admission.[42] Bunton filed a Motion to Suppress the incriminating statement citing to the rule articulated in Davis.[43] “Under increased interrogation pressure,” Bunton wrote, “Mr. Demesme invoke[d] his right to an attorney, stating with emotion and frustration, ‘Just give me a lawyer.’”[44] Bunton reasoned that law enforcement unconstitutionally failed to stop questioning his client, even when his client had, in his opinion, “unequivocally and unambiguously asserted his right to counsel.”[45] The Orleans Parish District Attorney, Kyle Daly, disagreed with Bunton’s assessment in a brief he filed on behalf of the parish.[46] In his brief, he argued that even though Demesme referenced having the officers give him a lawyer, that he did not unequivocally invoke his right to counsel.[47] Instead, Daly reasoned, “whether [Demesme] actually wanted a lawyer was dependent on the subjective beliefs of the officers.”[48] In his view, a reasonable law enforcement officer would have understood, as the officers did in this case, that Demesme only might have been asking explicitly to be given an attorney.[49] Prosecutors focused, not on Demesme’s use of the word/nickname “dog”, but rather focused on where he said, “if y’all think I did it” before he asked for a lawyer.[50] They argued that this was evidence of equivocation, asking for representation only in the instance that the officers believed him to be guilty.[51] Prosecutors also made sure to point out that, in response to Demesme when he said the contested statement, officers immediately advised him again that “whether he wanted a lawyer was his choice,” but he did not respond to that, and he kept answering their questions.[52] The Motion to Suppress Demesme’s incriminating statement was rejected, both at the trial court level and on appeal.[53] In response, Bunton appealed again, this time to the Supreme Court of Louisiana.[54] The State’s highest court too ruled against Demesme, denying the Motion to Suppress by a vote of 6-1.[55] This decision will likely be impactful in Demesme’s pending sexual assault trial that is expected to occur next year. This is because, with the denial of his Motion, the Supreme Court of Louisiana ruled that his confession made during interrogation was intercepted properly by police, and that it may be used as substantive evidence during the State’s case-in-chief.[56] The Court’s ruling, which came down Friday, October 27th, 2017, could have denied Demesme’s Writ of Certiorari without publishing a written decision.[57] However, State Supreme Court Justice Scott J. Crichton wrote his own brief concurring opinion explaining his rationale for voting the way he did, shining light on what he called “the very important constitutional issue regarding the invocation of counsel during a law enforcement interview.”[58] Justice Crichton based his rationale on one Louisiana case, State v. Payne,[59] which largely mirrors the United States Supreme Court’s precedent set in Davis.[60] He quoted perhaps the most famous passage from Payne, writing that, in the state of Louisiana, “[i]f a suspect makes a reference to an attorney that is ambiguous or equivocal in that a reasonable police officer in light of the circumstances would have understood only that the suspect might be invoking his right to counsel, the cessation of questioning is not required.”[61] It was Justice Crichton’s view that, instead of asking for counsel at all, that Demesme was asking for something different entirely: a “lawyer dog”.[62] Because Justice Crichton believed he asked for something other than representation, he, along with his fellow justices, upheld the rulings of the lower courts that Orleans Parish officers had acted rightly when they continued questioning Demesme, resulting in a confession.[63] Equivocal Questions, Missing Punctuation, and the Invention of the Lawyer Dog So, based on the analysis above, did the suspect ask for a lawyer dog? Or did he call a detective “dog,” while seeking a lawyer? Justice Crichton’s concurring opinion has drawn opinions from all sides, with many finding humor in the fact that he likely misunderstood the vernacular “dawg,” which is used as a nickname, especially among younger people, to be a reference to an actual “dog.”[64] Part of the reason for his confusion probably also stemmed from the fact that, as it was transcribed in a court document, there was no comma between the words “lawyer” and “dog.”[65] Normally, when a person is giving a directive to another that he or she calls by name, there will be a comma before the person’s name, representing a “pause” between the directive and the person’s name. However, its absence in the brief that came from the District Attorney’s office allowed Justice Crichton to create from Demesme’s words the “lawyer dog” interpretation. This missing punctuation may be the catalyst that stands between Demesme and time in prison. It is not totally certain, however, that, even had the comma been included, that Demesme’s request would have been deemed an affirmative invocation of his right to counsel under existing case precedent.[66] The Supreme Courts of both the United States and the state of Louisiana have held that, in order for a suspect to invoke this right, his or her request must have been unambiguous and unequivocal.[67] An analysis of what Demesme actually said that day, even operating under the assumption that when he said the word “dog” he was referring to the questioning officer, shows that he likely put a qualifier on his request that would make it ambiguous or equivocal to any normal officer.[68] Removing the word “dog,” Demesme said, “. . . if y’all think I did it, I know that I didn’t do it, so why don’t you just give me a lawyer [ ] cause this is not what’s up.”[69] While it does appear that Demesme asked for a lawyer, one may interpret his statement to have been conditional, only asking for a lawyer if the police think he is guilty. Additionally, he continued to maintain his innocence within the request.[70] It could be argued that he was merely trying to make a point with what he was saying—Basically, he told them he was innocent, but the police thought he was guilty, so why don’t they just give him a lawyer, because the police had the story wrong. One could also compare the insufficient requests made in the Davis case, “Maybe I should talk to a lawyer,”[71] and in the Louisiana Payne case, “may I call a lawyer-can I call a lawyer?”[72] to Demesme’s, “so why don’t you just give me a lawyer[?]”[73] It is uncertain whether this on its own, absent the rest of his statement, would be deemed unequivocal under the precedent cases. Any assessment of the intent behind Demesme’s statement is purely conjecture, but in comparing the actual text of his statement to the ones in the precedent cases, it is questionable that Demesme’s request would be satisfactory to constitute an invocation of his right to counsel—no matter who he was calling “dawg,” or what “dog” Justice Crichton believed him to be calling. While the image Justice Crichton’s concurrence evokes is humorous, and much of the analysis surrounding Demesme’s statement is based largely on technicalities, the law on this issue is well established. Fifth Amendment jurisprudence, specifically the notable cases regarding a person’s right against compelled self-incrimination—Miranda, Davis, and Edwards—are clear in their holdings and application. Whether or not the Supreme Court of Louisiana was correct in their assessment of Demesme’s intent when making the statement, the law on this matter is unlikely to change. Justice Crichton’s decision has been under fire and the butt of jokes, but it has been in the public eye. While the law may not be likely to change, the viral nature of this case may result in more Americans understanding what it takes to invoke their constitutionally protected right to counsel. That would be a change for the better. [1]State v. Demesme, No. 2017-KK-0954, 2017 WL 4876733, at *1 (La. Oct. 27, 2017) (Crichton, J., concurring) (emphasis added). [2] Tom Jackman, The suspect told police ‘give me a lawyer dog.’ The court says he wasn’t asking for a lawyer., Wash. Post (Nov. 2, 2017), https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/true-crime/wp/2017/11/02/the-suspect-told-police-give-me-a-lawyer-dog-the-court-says-he-wasnt-asking-for-a-lawyer/?utm_term=.c9eea47e4ea6. [6] Ken Dailey, Orleans rape suspect’s ‘lawyer dog’ request lacking, state Supreme Court finds, The Times-Picayune (Oct. 30, 2017), http://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/2017/10/orleans_rape_suspects_lawyer_d.html. [10] Id. [11] Demesme, 2017 WL 4876733, at *1. [12] Id. (citing State v. Payne, 833 So. 2d 927, 935 (La. 2002)). [13] Jackman, supra note 2. [14] Dailey, supra note 6 (While Demesme admitted to sexually assaulting the first child, he still maintained his innocence with regard to the accusations made by the second female minor). [15] Jackman, supra note 2 (It is important to note that, if Demesme is convicted of the rape charge when this case goes to trial next year, he faces a mandatory life sentence). [16] U.S. Const. amend. V. [17] Welsh S. White, Miranda’s Waning Protections: Police Interrogation Practices After Dickerson 198-99 (2003). [18] Id. at 199. [19] 384 U.S. 436 (1966). [21] Id. at 444-45 (“Prior to any questioning, the person must be warned that he has a right to remain silent, that any statement he does make may be used as evidence against him, and that he has a right to the presence of an attorney, either retained or appointed. The defendant may waive effectuation of these rights, provided the waiver is made voluntarily, knowingly and intelligently. If, however, he indicates in any manner and at any stage of the process that he wishes to consult with an attorney before speaking there can be no questioning.”). [22] Ric Simmons & Renée McDonald Hutchins, Learning Criminal Procedure: Investigations 732 (2015). [23] Dickerson v. United States, 530 U.S. 428, 432 (2000). [26] See Berkemer v. McCarty, 468 U.S. 420, 437 (1984) (This does not include brief, public detentions such as Terry stops or traffic stops because detentions of this nature are “comparatively non-threatening” to a person’s freedom of movement next to a formal arrest). [27] Yarborough v. Alvarado, 541 U.S. 652, 663 (2004) (quoting Thompson v. Keohane, 516 U.S. 99, 112 (1995)). [28] Simmons & Hutchins, supra note 22, at 732. [30] Davis v. United States, 512 U.S. 452, 462 (1994) (“But we are unwilling to create a third layer of prophylaxis to prevent police questioning when the suspect might want a lawyer. Unless the suspect actually requests an attorney, questioning may continue.”). [34] Simmons & Hutchins, supra note 22, at 734; see also Berghuis v. Thompkins, 560 U.S. 370 (2010) (holding that a suspect may not invoke his or her right to remain silent merely by being silent, but that there must be some affirmative invocation of the right). [37] Davis, 512 U.S. at 459. [38] Id. at 462 (Note, however, that if a suspect’s statement is ambiguous or equivocal and it is unclear whether or not it was a request for counsel, officers have no obligation to stop questioning him.). [50] Response to man’s plea for ‘lawyer dog’ has internet howling, American Press (Nov. 3, 2017), http://www.americanpress.com/news/state/response-to-man-s-plea-for-lawyer-dog-has-internet/article_88f1cfb8-c0da-11e7-b109-7739bcf1fb5c.html. [54] WATE Staff, Court rules suspect asked for a ‘lawyer dog,’ not a ‘lawyer, dog,’ WATE (Nov. 3, 2017, 9:39 AM), http://wncn.com/2017/11/03/court-rules-rape-suspect-asked-for-a-lawyer-dog-not-a-lawyer-dog/. [56] Dailey, supra note 6. [59] 833 So. 2d 927 (La. 2002). [63] Id. (aligning with the precedent set in Edwards v. Arizona, 451 U.S. 477 (1981)). [64] Orin Kerr, The ‘lawyer dog’ decision isn’t obviously wrong, Wash. Post (Nov. 3, 2017), https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/volokh-conspiracy/wp/2017/11/03/the-lawyer-dog-decision-isnt-obviously-wrong/?utm_term=.e4a0ced114c4. [66] See Kerr, supra note 64 (theorizing that there may have been even more complicated problems with Demesme’s request than his use of the nickname “dog” when referring to his questioner). [72] State v. Payne, 833 So. 2d 927, 930 (La. 2003). Be the first to comment on “Improper Grammar and Our Modern-Day Vernacular Collide Raising Questions About Whether One Louisiana Man’s Fifth Amendment Rights Were Violated”
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Cynthetics Living in a Cynthetic World The Contessa turns 105! Posted on May 11, 2016 by Cynthetics On March 20, 2011, I blogged about my own grandmother who was to become a Centenarian on May 29, 2011. This year, May 29, 2016, she will be 105! It’s not often that you experience a Centenarian who can lucidly and vividly tell stories from decades of living. I have updated the story a touch in honor of her upcoming birthday. Hope you all enjoy it. One day, when I was about fourteen years old, my grandmother came to town to visit. She would come to Dallas from time to time to visit us, and I couldn’t wait to get home from school to see her. She always came bearing gifts and outlandish stories from various parts of the world she had been visiting. Not only that, I loved looking at all of her jewelry, and there was a lot. She was always dressed nice, wore lots of gold necklaces, bracelets and rings, all at one time, and her hair was always stacked high on top of her head. (Ann Montin, pictured here from March of 2015). On this particular visit, when I arrived home from school, we hugged and kissed, and as usual, I ran upstairs to my bedroom to change my clothes. As soon as I got to my bedroom, I let out a scream that made everyone run. On my dresser sat a large circle of thick, braided hair in a dressy hair net. I couldn’t believe it! After the initial shock of finding her hair in my bedroom and not on her head, my grandmother explained that she had grown her hair long, cut it off, and made a braid out of it. The hair on her head was still down her back. She simply put her hair in a bun, and then added the braid on top. No wonder she wore so many hair clips. That was my first real insight into the unique style that is my grandmother. Ann was born in 1911 in New York City, during a time of building and innovation in America. She exhibits the excitement that was part of the American culture during the beginning of the 20th century with her unique and vivacious personality, intellect and style. Ann was the middle child of eleven to Adelina Vaccaro and Antonino Ajello. She was surrounded by wonderful brothers and sisters her entire childhood, growing up in Manhattan and the Bronx. Since Ann and her siblings went to all-girl catholic schools or military academies, holidays were her most memorable times because her entire family would be together. After dinner, Ann’s family would gather and have parties, or they would sit around her father and listen to him play guitar. On April 23, 1933, a grown up Ann married Vincent Anthony Minchillo, whose family was from Foggia, Italy. They had two sons, Joseph and Vincent. When her two sons were very young, Ann’s husband passed away unexpectedly. Ann eventually remarried John Fusco, from Italy, moved to Vermont, and expanded her family with a third son, Mario Fusco. In the 1950’s, Ann left Vermont and returned to her home state of New York to start a new chapter in her life. She began working for an executive assisting him with travel arrangements to support herself and her family. It was this job that gave Ann her first peek into the world of travel, and from there, she took a keen interest in working for a travel agency. She got her first passport in 1958 after starting her new career as a travel agent for an agency in the Federal Building in New York City. Over the next 40 years, Ann and her career took off, literally. Ann traveled around the world several times over. Her travels extended up and down the Ivory Coast, took her to China after the Chinese borders were opened, flew her to many parts of Persia including Iran and Afghanistan, all over Asia, south to Australia and New Zealand, and all over warm and friendly South America. One of her favorite places to visit is Indonesia. During every trip, she made it a point to attend a funeral, a wedding, and a fiesta, and all of these events combined reminded her of all the beautiful traditions and things life had to offer. She has fond memories of wonder and amazement from visiting many countries that are now experiencing natural disasters, strife and war. Ann took hundreds of photographs and Super 8 film recording her discoveries and stories that were beyond belief. She brought her children and grandchildren back mementos from each trip representing the indigenous people and culture of each country. I couldn’t wait for her to make a trip through Texas and visit. Many people refer to Ann as the Contessa (an Italian Countess). She is truly a Contessa, and certainly treated her sisters, friends and granddaughters as such. But I had to ask her how she got the nickname, and this is what I learned. On one of Ann’s many visits to Italy, Ann and her sister were boarding a train in Palermo. They boarded the dining car in hopes to be served lunch on their trip back to Rome. However, they were told they could not sit in the dining car since it was not time for dinner, but Ann was hungry and refused to move. The waiter had no choice but to relent and grant Ann’s wish to dine. As the train started, the dining car doors were locked, the curtains were drawn, music began, and six men entered the back of the dining car. The waiter went straight to the six men and took their order first. When he returned to Ann’s dining table to take her order, Ann lectured the waiter on the American custom of women first. But that did not matter, as the waiter explained that one of the six men was the current Italian Premier, Amintore Fanfani. Not to be outdone, Ann announced to the waiter that she was the Contessa Anna Maria. He was astonished, and informed the Premier that he was sharing the dining car with a Contessa. Once the six men learned there was a Contessa on the train, the mood changed. Prime Minister Fanfani and the other men stood up and bowed at Ann and her sister. They sent over a bowl of cherries and tasty liquors. And finally, when Ann and her sister got up to leave the dining car, all six men greeted them and kissed their hands. Ann was an Italian Contessa for a day, but has lived her life as if she really is a Contessa. Ann’s family is originally from Sorrento, Italy, where in 1775 The Ajello Candle Company was created. In 1785, Ajello candles were recognized by the Catholic Church, and The Ajello Candle Company was commissioned to make all of the candles for the Vatican. From there, Ajello candles spread to be sold to Europe’s elite including kings, queens and the Pope. In 1862, the creator’s grandson, Rafael Ajello, and his two sons, came to America and opened a candle shop in Manhattan. Antonino, one of the sons and Ann’s father, took special care to make sure the business was a success. It was in New York that Antonino began producing candles for people like President Franklin D. Roosevelt. As the company grew in popularity, it helped to celebrate grand events all over the United States and Europe and eventually expanded west to Beverly Hills. In 1935, the Ajello family opened a candle shop in the famed Waldorf Astoria Hotel in Manhattan, and celebrated a new generation of elite customers for the next 40 years. Ann spent part of her youth working in the family shop. Today the Ajello family still operates candle shops in California and New York. Ann married Joseph “Nino” Montin in 1982 at the age of 71 in New Jersey. Together, they moved to Florida and lived happily in love in Cape Coral for many years. Although she lost Nino many years ago, she still loves and has a beautiful heart. Ann moved to Denton, Texas in 2003 to be close to her son Vincent. She ultimately moved to Largo, Florida, where she has brightened many lives. Ann is as vibrant as the North Star, and, as many family members describe her, “sharp as a tack”. You can ask her every day what her secret to longevity is, and her answer always includes garlic, red wine, olive oil, laughing, watching game shows like the Wheel of Fortune to keep her mind sharp, watching The Bachelor for fun, and treating others the way she wants to be treated. And Ann has a lot to smile and laugh about. She still brags about her teeth and long hair, especially because they are all hers. It is fun to listen to her reminisce about the horse and buggies on Pleasant Avenue in New York City, the five cent subway fares, and her days as a young school girl at a Catholic school started by Saint Francis Cabrini (1850-1917). Even more interesting are facts including that Ann never had a driver’s license and never drove a car, but managed to travel all over the world. More amazing, Ann has never worn pants! She is too stylish and always dresses like a lady with her hair beautifully pinned up. Ann is the mother of three boys, six grandsons, two granddaughters, and twelve great grandchildren. Her family and friends are gathering from far and wide in Largo, Florida to celebrate her now 105th birthday. She truly brings inspiration and joy every day to people around her whether family, friends, neighbors or complete strangers. She is a daughter, sister, mother, aunt, grandmother, great aunt, friend, neighbor and a Contessa! Happy Birthday Ann “The Contessa” Montin. Filed under People - Go Figure | 1 Comment About Cynthetics Amateur blogger and intense observer of life through warped sunglasses. In an attempt to hone my writing skills, I am having fun bringing humor and entertainment through observations of everyday experiences. Nothing is sacred! View all posts by Cynthetics » Celebrity: Peter Ajello - Writer: Elizabeth A. Walk on May 11, 2016 at 5:17 pm said: I love this article!! She is amazing, can’t wait to see her this month! Favorite Flicks Blood Simple * Bruno * Django Unchained * Fargo * Inglorious Basterds * No Country for Old Men * Pulp Fiction * Slumdog Millionaire * The Godfather I * The Help * True Romance * The Piano * Usual Suspects * And so many more ... Split Happens * Confederacy of Dunces * Game Change * Mary Shelley's Frankenstein * A New Earth * The Power of Now * Listening is an Act of Love * Memoirs of a Geisha * Possible Side Effects * The Catcher in the Rye * Eat Pray Love * Cynthetic Search 4:20 banya spa Business Dogs individual individuality inner peace kindness Olympics Roadside attractions stick figure family stickers Ends and Beginnings "The World is round and the place which may seem like the end may also be the beginning."-Ivy Baker Priest Political Cookin' Politics & Cooking? politicalcookinorg politicalcookindotorg Cheri Lucas Rowlands Wander Woman Thea Taste, Travel, Tell Post it Notes from my Idiot Boss delivered directly to my computer monitor on an all too regular basis... The Paralegal Society™ a forum created to educate, motivate and inspire paralegals to engage in the pursuit of excellence for all paralegalkind. Kristen Lamb Author, Blogger, Social Media Jedi Plays Well With Words mommystylist.com/ A Budget-Conscious Fashion Blog Empowering Moms To Look And Feel Their Best Texas Paralegal Division Blog Bringing you the vision and actions of the TXPD. The Dirty Floor Diaries Horrible Housewife
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Archive for Far Away So Close This was a Train of Death Posted in FILM, literature, MUSIC with tags Bruno Ganz, Dennis Hopper, Far Away So Close, Kings of the Road, Lou Reed, Patricia Highsmith, The American Friend, Wim Wenders on March 1, 2019 by dcairns More Bruno Ganz — in THE AMERICAN FRIEND he plays a dying man. The film uses green light, not in any obvious “sickly” way — it’s more associated with Dennis Hopper’s ennui than Ganz’s malady — and also trains. There’s an impressive murder staged on a train, but before that, the Paris Metro and a Hamburg el-train are featured, Hopper holds a canvas displaying a locomotive, and Ganz’s young son has Buster Keaton’s The General on his night-light. The night-light is also one of many projection devices and photographic toy and motion picture gizmos featured, including a zoetrope, perhaps a nod to Wenders’ approaching collaboration with Francis Ford Coppola. We could also include Hopper’s Polaroid selfies and the tape deck he records his meandering thoughts into. (He’s quite UN-like Patricia Highsmith’s Ripley in these quirks, but still close enough to the essence). Fiona had never seen it, and was surprised at how much of a thriller it actually was. “I mean, it’s very eccentric, but…” Wenders had succeeded in his goal, using the book to get closer to mainstream commercial cinema, without losing his individuality. Indeed, he never lost that, what he lost instead was his coolness, the confidence he evoked that whatever he concentrated on was really cool. I think it dates to the time the rock stars he worked with stopped being so cool. Lou Reed’s songwriting scene in FAR AWAY, SO CLOSE is probably the first cringe-making moment in a Wenders film. Worse than the guy doing a poo in KINGS OF THE ROAD. youtube.com/watch?v=K-uXk…
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« Paul Krugman: The Diabetic Economy | Main | Growth of Income and Welfare in the U.S, 1979-2011 » The Legacy of Joan Robinson This is by Barkley Rosser (I left quite a bit out, including the connections to the Sander's campaign): The Legacy of Joan Robinson: ... Joan Violet Maurice Robinson (1903-1983) was without doubt the most important woman economist born before 1930 and maybe still the most important woman economist ever. ... While she nearly got a Nobel Prize, and certainly deserved one, she suffered professionally from being a woman. She was only appointed a Lecturer at Cambridge in 1937, well after she had already published several highly innovative and influential works. She was only made a Full Professor at Girton College at Cambridge University (which she had attended) in 1965, the year her husband retired from his professorship. Rumor has it that she came closest to receiving the Nobel Prize in 1975, the year Kantorovich and Koopmans got it for linear programming (which created a major stink among mathematicians who said that at a minimum George Dantzig should have shared it). I do not know if she was thought of as a possible third for them or a replacement for them, perhaps with Piero Sraffa sharing, who also never got one while arguably deserving it, who could have shared it credibly with Leontief in 1973 for input-output analysis. The Encyclopedia Britannica reports that her leftwing political views may have played a role in her not getting it. I also heard it from a primary source that Assar Lindbeck, the committee's dominant figure then, once said that if either Joan Robinson or James Buchanan got it, it would be over his dead body, although Buchanan did get it in 1986, with Lindbeck still on the committee and not dead, although Joan Robinson had been dead for three years by then. As evidence that she was clearly in contention in the mid-70s, I shall report something I observed on an elevator in the New York Hilton during the 1973 AEA meetings (the first I ever attended). Lionel McKenzie, another who never got the prize but should have, was talking to somebody else. McKenzie told this other person that "they are going to give it to Joan Robinson next for her Economics of Imperfect Competition, but she will refuse it." As it was, she never got the chance to do so. Speaking of that 1933 book, that was her first major publication and remains one of her most important, indeed worthy of a trip to Stockholm in and of itself. Among other things in it, she invented the word "monopsony." While she later wrote less about monopolistic competition, one can see that it remained very much on her mind if one reads her excellent 1977 article in the JEL, "What are the Questions?" a good overview of how she viewed economics near the end of her life. She spends quite a bit of it going on about the issue of monopoly power and its importance. I note that this is one area where her concerns are very relevant to current economics, with many now posing that increased monopoly power in the US economy may be playing a role in secular stagnation. She was indeed a core Keynesian, one of the three people thanked by Keynes himself in the Preface to his 1936 General Theory. She also supported Kalecki, whom Keynes had in to Cambridge, but by all accounts did not like. In 1937 she wrote her influential essay on "Beggar thy neighbour policies," which made the concept associated with competitive devaluations widely known, although the term had appeared before previously, used once by Adam Smith and also by a British economist named Gower in 1932. In 1941 she published her famous Essay on Marxian Economics, in which she rejected the labor theory of value and basically supported redoing Marx along Keynesian and Sraffian lines. She would indeed later praise both Maoist China and North Korea, but saw China in particular as possibly offering another way of modifying Marx along useful lines. However, Robinson was always known for her pithy remarks, and one from that era was "There is only one thing worse than being exploited, and that is not being exploited" (that is, unemployed). The 1950s may have seen the high water mark of her work. She set off the Cambridge capital theory debates with her 1954 paper in the Review of Economic Studies, "The production function and the theory of capital," in which she took apart the idea of aggregate capital, with Paul Samuelson in 1966 agreeing that she was right. The first time I ever met Samuelson (in the early 70s) I gave him a hard time about this issue, and he just completely agreed with her and said that capital must be modeled as being heterogeneous. One of the more hidden but very important roles she played in the 1950s was to work on Piero Sraffa to finally complete his short, but important, 1960 book, Production of Commodities by Commodities: A Prelude to a Critique of Economic Theory. He had been working on it for 35 years, but it was still only a prelude to a critique, not a critique itself. Samuelson claimed that if he had published it in 1930, he would indeed have shared the Nobel Prize with Leontief. In 1956 she published what is probably her magnum opus, although now widely ignored, The Accumulation of Capital, which in contrast to her later critiques of analytical equilibrium analysis in favor of looking at "historical time," was in fact a study of various equilibrium growth models, many of which she provided amusing names for such as "bastard golden age" and "creeping platinum age." She did not generally use formal equations but rather favored figures and graphs backed up by clear verbal descriptions and discussions. Apparently in 1949 Koopmans asked her to be on the board of the Econometric Society, but she refused on the grounds that she did not want to be part of something that produced things she could not read. After 1960 her work increasingly moved towards more methodological issues, such as her 1962 Economic Philosophy, as well as work looking at development issues, especially in India, but also her highly controversial work on China and North Korea. ... The final, and maybe most important, influence of Joan Robinson today is on Post Keynesian economics, or post-Keynesian economics... Joan Robinson's thought and career are both relevant and currently influencing many economists today, including many who have never heard of her through some of her ideas simply entering into basic textbooks, such as "monopsony." Posted by Mark Thoma on Monday, May 2, 2016 at 08:44 AM in Economics, History of Thought | Permalink Comments (101)
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Home » Exhibitions The Russian Revolution through the Prism of Propaganda Reasons for Revolution Spreading the Revolution Abroad Defending the Revolution at Home About the Posters The Russian Revolution is one of the most important events of the twentieth century. In February 1917, Tsar Nicholas II abdicated, and a representative Provisional Government succeeded the autocracy. In October, the Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Lenin, overthrew the Provisional Government. They would go on to establish the world's first socialist state and attempt to spread socialist revolution around the world. In so doing, they issued a strong ideological challenge to the capitalist world. During the 1930s, the Soviet Union industrialized and advertised full employment and prosperity, while the capitalist world was mired in the Great Depression. For much of the post-World War II period, the majority of people on the planet lived in a state that identified itself as either capitalist or socialist. The Russian Revolution's influence extended to nearly every major geopolitical event of the twentieth century, including both World Wars, the Cold War, Korea and Vietnam, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and wars between Israel and Arab states. The Soviet legacy continues to affect the successor states of the former Soviet Union, as well as the former USSR's client states. By studying the Revolution and the formation of the Soviet state, students and scholars better understand the context of events that have shaped the world in which we live. Why study propaganda posters?
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1. Housing High quality housing suitable for foreigners is becoming increasing expensive. Rent for houses in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City ordinarily range from US$1,500 to US$6,000 per month, with many of the larger houses featuring gardens and swimming pools. Houses can be either furnished or unfurnished. In addition, many serviced apartments have been built in the last few years, resulting in good quality accommodation being available from between US$500 to US$5,000 per month, depending on location and service facilities. In general, accommodation in Hanoi is slightly more expensive than in Ho Chi Minh City. Six months’ rent in advance may be required for some accommodation, but advance rent of one to three months is more common. Many foreigners choose to employ household staff, such as maids, cooks, drivers, or guards. Wages range from US$100 to US$400 per month, depending on the services performed. Several privately run international schools are located in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City for foreign children. These schools educate children of all nationalities from pre-school to high school and offer examinations under the International Baccalaureate program. Standard Aptitude Tests are also available at certain schools. Each school establishes its own curriculum, but the Australian, American and French education systems appear to be the most common. Annual tuition at these schools ranges from US$5,000 to US$20,000. 3. Medical services As of December 2009, Vietnam had 1,094 hospitals and more than 30,000 clinics with over 53,000 doctors working both in state owned and private sectors. 31 Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City are home to international medical facilities and foreign doctors operating in private practice, providing a range of services from general medical advice and medical testing, to gynecology, obstetrics and dentistry. The doctors are internationally trained and come from various countries. Most clinics are not equipped for serious emergencies or surgery and it is not advisable to have these procedures performed at a local Vietnamese hospital. Clinics can arrange medical evacuation, if required, at a cost of upwards of US$30,000. As a result, foreigners living or traveling in Vietnam are advised to buy medical and medical-evacuation insurance. 4. Leisure and tourism Notwithstanding its war-riddled history, Vietnam as a culture and civilization has existed for more than 4,000 years. The traumatic interruptions in its peace have brought foreign influences into the culture, this is particularly apparent from China, France, Japan and the United States. These influences have merged with rather than replaced Vietnam’s own long-standing heritage. Traditional farming methods as well as traditional clothing can still be seen in the countryside; while Vietnam’s lively urban Street life remains one of its most characteristic features. Tourism is a booming sector in the economy. Vietnam welcomed some 4.1 million foreign tourists in 2007, representing a year-on-year increase of 116% in comparison to 2006 (3.5 million). However, in 2009, due to the financial crisis, the number of tourists coming to Vietnam was 3.4 million which decreased by 12.3% as compared to the same period in 2008. 32 Nevertheless, Vietnam expects total revenue from tourism in 2010 to reach US$4 billion to US$5 billion. Vietnam has over 9,350 hotels with around 184,830 rooms, including 25 five-star hotels, 85 four-star hotels, and 166 three-star hotels 33. As in much of developing Asia, the influence of Western culture is growing. Western compact discs and DVDs are available in local stores, and shopping malls and supermarkets continue to emerge. Sports popular in more developed countries, such as golf and tennis, are being played here. Cycling is a highly visible recreational pastime. The Mekong River which flows for approximately 4,023 kilometers (2,500 miles) down through the Himalaya Mountains and the country’s 2,897 kilometers (1,800 miles) coast offers beautiful beaches and recreational opportunities. Vietnam’s tourism infra-structure, including first-class hotels and resorts, has been extensively developed. Over the last few years, resorts have opened in Dalat, Phan Thiet, Nha Trang, Da Nang and Sapa , and numerous first-class hotels have also opened in these cities. More in this category: « Visas and permits
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Dreams of the Sleepers (Redirected from DREAMS OF THE SLEEPERS) Title: Dreams of the Sleepers Publisher: Pon Farr Press Author(s): Alexis Fegan Black Cover Artist(s): Vel Jaeger Illustrator(s): Vel Jaeger Date(s): February 1985 Medium: print zine, fanfic External Links: online flyer 2 Part of a Series 3 Previous Incarnation 4 Related Works 5 What's It All About?: 1985 6 What's It All About?: ~2006 8 A Mention of the Sequel, and Too Many LoCs 10 Excerpt 11 Reactions and Reviews front cover of Dreams of the Sleepers, Vel Jaeger back cover of Dreams of the Sleepers, Vel Jaeger Dreams of the Sleepers is a K/S slash Star Trek: TOS 142-page novel by Alexis Fegan Black. It was a 1985 Surak Award nominee for best long story and for the 1988 Federation Class Excellence Award. The artwork is by Vel Jaeger. The zine also contains six poems by Natasha Solten, Diane Tessman, and Alexis Fegan Black. "My Soul to Sleep" is the gen version sent to Pocket Books. It is a time travel story in which Kirk and Spock visit Earth's 1960 on a research mission that goes awry, so that they fall into the hands of the U.S. government. In a 2011 interview, the author called it her favorite novel. [1] Publisher's summary: ".... what could occur should James Kirk and Spock be called on to bring the Enterprise into Earth's past. It begins as a mission of historical research into Old Earth's development of psychotronic weapons during the 1960's. But the mission quickly goes awry, leaving K & S at the mercy of the U.S. Government -- where they learn that they are not the first "aliens" to "visit" this world. Nor are they the first to experience the fate of life suspension -- a process which creates a prison with no bars, and perhaps a world which only the mind's eye can perceive." Summary from Media Monitor: "Arguably the most influential K/S zine ever written... Kirk and Spock travel back in time to Earth's 1960's where they are captured by a hostile government and placed in cryonic suspension. Their bodies are trapped, but their astral selves live on." Summary from Gilda F: "Sent on a mission into the past, Kirk and Spock are captured by the very institution they were sent to investigate, a company which uses ʻsleepersʼ as psychotronic weapons." The Fifth Hour of Night A Collection of Dreams Previous Incarnation This story was originally sent in the form of a professional manuscript to Pocket Books for publishing consideration in 1985. It 1986, Van Hise offered this in manuscript form, "signed by the author," for sale in Datazine #44. It was later re-written as Dreams of the Sleepers. front cover of "My Soul to Sleep" inside page of "My Soul to Sleep" "All That We See or Seem" by Christopher Randolph and Dianne Tessman, a story in Starry Seas, Earthly Planes, is a "sort-of-tie-in story for Dreams of the Sleepers, though either can be read separately and stands on its own." What's It All About?: 1985 From the editorial: "What's it all about? ... DREAMS OF THE SLEEPERS is about a lot of things-- as you will see as you begin reading. For years people in fandom, people who have been touched by the essence of STAR TREK, have formulated hypotheses, written stories, and generally spent a lot of sleepless nights trying to figure out why the hell a t.v. show grabbed them by the soul and refuses to let go. That's one thing DREAMS OF THE SLEEPERS is about. It's also about reality — about who defines what's real, and what isn't. Since the dawn of time, the human animal has been dreaming. About everything from relatives to cars to space to the end of the world to making it with a moose on a warm day in Alaska. Dreams are funny things. So is reality. The only thing funnier is the government, a la STARMAN and CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND, just to name two prime examples of the kind of funny business I'm talking about. Who knows? Actually, DREAMS OF THE SLEEPERS began long before either of these two movies were ever ever, considered. At least the concept of DOTS started prior to that. In about... oh... let's see... 1967 or thereabouts? It's difficult to look at the stars and not think about STAR TREK — especially when you're a twelve year old kid who wants to believe that K & S and the Big E just might be flying overhead sometime. Episodes like TOMORROW IS YESTERDAY and ASSIGNMENT EARTH were wonderful for that kind of fantasy, weren't they? But in all seriousness, DOTS is more of a question than an answer. It is not only a question about the potential "reality" of STAR TREK, but a question about ourselves as well. After you've read this novel, I hope you will ask yourself one question: What would this world be like without STAR TREK? Sure, there are plenty of well-meaning mundanes in the world who would have us believe that TREK is only a t.v. show, and that K & S are really nothing more than a twinkle in the eyes of the actors and Gene Roddenberry. And, as usual, truth is in the eye of the beholder. On a more "mundane" side of it all,, there WILL be "sequels" to DOTS — actually more like stories which will fit into the DOTS universe. No, I do not know when or what they'll be. I only know that they WILL be... sooner or later. Like I said, when something grabs one by the soul and refuses to Let go, it's hard to stop writing, hard to stop believing that there is something out there worth going for. Ah well— so much for sleep. So much for feeding the cat- So much for the mundane reality. At any rate, DREAMS OF THE SLEEPERS is for your enjoyment — and hopefully to provoke a few thoughts some of you may not have been troubled with before. Yes, I know there are a few typos. I also know that some of the printing might be not quite as beautiful as other zines. And yes, I'm perfectly well aware that some of the graphics ain't perfect. Quite honestly, I was more interested in the story — which I hope will speak for itself. I welcome letters of comment — even negatives ones with constructive criticism. What I don't welcome are picky little gripes. In recent months, it seems that many fans are more interested in whether or not the zine is spiral bound with neatsy-weatsy computer print than whether the stories are interesting or well-written. I'm not aiming this at those fans who read for pleasure — and I know there will be a few who may not Like DOTS. ALL I'm saying is that I'm not interested in LoCs if they're only designed to compare the paper, typing, printing, typos, graphics, et al with other publications. Save your stamp. On the other hand, I openly Look forward to comments on the content of the story, or, the writing, or the hypotheses set forth. I'd love to hear I from you with any comments or far-out ideas. At any rate, I hope you will enjoy DREAMS OF THE SLEEPERS. And, in a nice way, I hope it "haunts" you as much as it has haunted the few people who have read the manuscript. The next time you're out on a lonely stretch cf road at night and you see a patch of fog whisper across your headlights... or the next time you're rattled from a sound sleep with the feeling that someone or something just walked through your soul... think about the sleepers... and their dreams. What's It All About?: ~2006 From the author at her sales website: ... don't ask me what I was thinking when I wrote Dreams of the Sleepers... I wish I remembered. Truly I do. [2] From the interview: Interview with Della Van Hise (Slash Alexis Fagen Black): In my K/S writing, I would say that my personal favorite is Dreams of the Sleepers - a plot-driven novel that has Kirk and Spock captured by the US government in the 60s, and placed into cryonic suspension, where they then ‘dream’ their way to love and ecstasy despite the very dark circumstances surrounding them. It turned into a trilogy, and in some ways contributed to the foundation of some of my more mystical pursuits later on. How much of what we think about reality is real, and how much may be only a dream within a dream? Sure...age-old questions, nothing new there, but when we really start looking at what we write, we learn more aboutwhat we believe, and in learning what we believe, we begin to get a more accurate view of the person in the mirror. That’s what writing is all about - not just about getting two characters in bed, or solving a mystery or launching a rocket... it’s really about examining the writer herself... through the process of writing. [3] A Mention of the Sequel, and Too Many LoCs In 1985, the author thanks fans: I'd like to personally thank everyone who has written with LoC's on DREAMS OF THE SLEEPERS. The response has been tremendous, & I simply wish I had the time to answer each letter personally. But the LoC's have inspired me to start work on the sequel — though at this time I have no idea when that'll happen.[4] untitled poem by Natasha Solten (74) untitled poem by Diane Tessman (85) Cold Dream, poem by Natasha Solten (97) Some Kind of Hero, poem by Natasha Solten (128) Wayward Sons, poem by Diane Tessman (136) Of Butterflies... and Men, poem by Alexis Fegan Black (142) (It has the editor's note: "This poem is part of the novel. Please do not read it until you have completed the story itself. Thanks...") "Time did not pass. sample text page Rather, Spock decided, he passed through it, weaving it around him like a blanket of invisible filaments. It was an entity. Alive. Sentient. And ultimately patient. He realized with a pang of loneliness that Jim was not yet with him; and upon stretching out the tendrils of his mind, he confirmed that the human was still very much "asleep", drawn into the tight womb of the chamber's void. But Time, his new friend, whispered that she would take find care of her human prize. For a moment which might have spanned several years, Spock dwelled in that loneliness, letting the sensation close over him, reminding him of what he had lost. But with that reminder, came a renewed determination which was, he decided, illogical under his present circumstances. Some always-Vulcan segment of his mind informed him with questionable accuracy that his body had been in the sleeper unit for nearly three months; and another probe into more realistic matters confirmed that his own body, though there was no sensation connected to it, still lived… at least in some definition of the word. For a very long while, he was content to float, relying on past memories to occupy his mind, to keep him from drifting back toward the eerie invitation to sleep. With a scientist's curiosity, he pondered the peculiar sensation of Existence. It, too, was an entity. It simply was -- without form or substance, without the five senses upon which he had relied in the past. It was flame without fuel. Light without source. Spirit without temple. It was, he understood with utter simplicity, the essence of self, the culmination of all realities existing outside physical sensation. He pondered that at length. And when Time tapped him gently on the shoulder, it was a full month later…" Ideally, a zine review should probably include a brief plot synopsis -- a little taste of what it's all about. For this novel, it isn't that simple. "Dreams of The Sleeper" is about Time, and Reality, and Love and the nature of Truth. Beyond the disclosure that the ENTERPRISE has returned to the Twentieth Century on a critical mission, I am reluctant to deprive readers of the joy of discovery they will experience upon reading D.O.T.S., and so I will not attempt a storyline summary here. I'm not even sure it would be possible in this case. Most of the ideas are not new or unique (to Trekkers, at least), but they are beautifully worked into an unusual and intriguing plot. Be prepared to think. This is not light reading. If you have never explored the depths of your own thinking processes, or wondered about the nature of what we call Reality if you have never attempted to analyze why Star Trek holds such irresistible fascination for so many of us; if you still think (or EVER thought) that Trek is "science fiction" -- then this novel will probably give you a headache. On the other hand, I've found a great many K/S aficionados HAVE given considerable thought to the metaphysical aspect of Star Trek and its characters. To them, I can give a succinct review of this story: "Dreams of the Sleepers" is easily the most fascinating novel ever to come out of Star Trek fandom. And who is to say it isn't true? What is Truth? D.O.T.S. is my nomination for this year's K/Star Award. Nothing I've read this year even comes close to it. [5] Have you ever been looking out a window, mind drifting, imagination taking wing upon some Starship-shaped cloud when suddenly there seemed to be a presence behind you, as if someone has stepped silently into the room and passed close by your shoulder? Has it ever seemed, in the dark hours of the night, that those characters you've been reading about or writing a story about have somehow taken three dimensional form and walked past your bedstand or your typewriter and out your door? Have you ever heard of 'Project Blue Book'? Ever wonder if those UFO's that have been reported over the past 40-ish years have been more than mere flashes in the sky? Ever wonder what the US Government might do with any aliens found in these UFO's, with any information they could extract from visiting aliens? Has STAR TREK ever struck you as more than just a TV series? Has there seemed to be some hidden, untouchable truth just beyond your mind's ability to understand? Well, one must wonder if this isn't more than a passing impression for Alexis Fegan Black. DREAMS OF THE SLEEPERS is an amalgamation of adventure, mystery, romance, comedy, tragedy, K/S and hope and it's all extremely well written. The ENTERPRISE is ordered back in time to investigate a top secret installation where it is suspected a now-lost 'psychotronic' weapon was developed before the Eugenics Wars destroyed all traces of it. The Federation is very interested in finding this weapon and, despite their own misgivings about bringing such an item forward to their own time, Kirk, Spock, McCoy and Secutiry Chief Ariel Pierson beam down to 1960's Southern California. Through a very interesting series of events, both Kirk and Spock are captured by Futura Technics, the corporation they have been ordered to investigate, and soon are given first hand experience of the ' psychotronic' weapon, the results of which put them in a unit known as "Project CLOES". Find themselves faced with cryogenic suspension, Kirk and Spock are forced to survive... anyway they can. While DREAMS OF THE SLEEPERS involves a deeply moving K/S relationship, the actual details of that relationship take a far backseat to the intricate, compelling, often frustrating plot. I found myself alternately brought to tears and laughter and, quite often, both at the same time. There is a great sense of verisimilitude (I 've waited years to use that word! It means a thing has a great sense of being true), a haunting familiarity, as though it is something I lived through or was privy to long ago and only now can remember. The theories Alexis puts forth (which include "astral tripping", time psychic weapons and levels of consciousness far beyond the ' norm' ) hold up cynical scrutiny for me, broaching a possibility thai is both exciting and frightening, nobel and deminishing in its scope. One can only hope that Alexis' reality, or a least that which she suggests in DOTS, in fact... not the one which she proposes would or will be in its place. DREAMS OF THE SLEEPERS is 142 pages (reduced) and contains some beautiful, very apropos poetry by Natasha Solten and Diane Tessman as well as a final, summarizing poem by Alexis Fegan Black. The cover art by Vel Jager is beautiful and, as of this moment, there is no inside art. The cost, in person, in $14. 00 and I found it well worth the money. In this time of K/S with little plot, and plot there is is often only a devise to get the boys into bed, the intriguing, page-turning story of these pages is far more than simply refreshing. I hope to see sequels to this story soon. [6] This is a K/S zine, but that is not the pivot (physically). The story deals with metaphysical and moral questions. Spock and Kirk are captured by Earth military in 1963 and become two of many aliens caught in a military UFO cover-up. They are put in a state similar to, but more than, suspended animation. This is handled in a manner that is very plausible, touching, poignant, and frightening. Alexis wonders just what occurs to the mind when the body is in a near-dead state. Spock is the first to break away from his body, and he meets another alien similarly controlled. This new friend teaches Spock how to live with and use the spirit state in which he finds himself, and Spock begins to hope that Kirk will soon be free. After some tense experiences, Spock does free Kirk, and the two live a spirit life in this Earth, planning how they can get back to their own bodies and time and, also, how they can keep the awful things that they have suffered from happening to others. I thoroughly loved this novel. It was well thought out, complex, extremely imaginative, tense, loving, thought-provoking, and full of mystery and adventure. It was creative and enchanting, with some very senuous and tender K/S scenes. This story indicates to me that Alexis is a very talented writer with an extremely vivid and realistic imagination. If you are like me, when you finish this story, you will really wonder if the Star Trek crew and the Enterprise are real and if that is the reason that we write about them. Do we write about them because somehow we intuit the truth and, in writing about this world, give it life and make it real? You will think on this for a long time after reading this novel and ask, which is first in our reality? I recommend this zine without reservation. Alexis is a woman, a writer, of courage and vision. [7] In a word, it was overwhelming. I had always sensed a special closeness between Kirk and Spock, and to see the two of them brought together in such a unique set of circumstances as DOTS provided left me with a feeling of absolute awe. Also, Alexis' poetic style of writing in DOTS was so tender and poignant that I swore I'd never write another poem as long as I lived. Ms. Black adequately expresses the love between Kirk and Spock in this novel, and she gave me an added insight into "mysticism. [8] ... about long novels in which no one learns anything being written for much the same reasons that a batch of shorter stories are, good point! The one time I paged tlirough Dremns of the Sleepers, a very long K/S novel/series/universe, it seemed to me to be mostly a device to get innumerable first-time stories in one timeline... [9] The Enterprise is ordered to go to Earth's past, the early sixties. Kirk and Spock are confronted with very advanced technology, far more ahead as the time-area they are in now. There is some kind of private research building, Futura Technics, and Kirk and Spock go down there to investigate. They discover that hundreds of people are kept in prison there by means of cryonic suspension. The thoughts of all those 'sleepers' together form a considerable energy-power, which is impossible to conquer, and they become captives themselves. Their captors, lead by Dr. Meade, plan to let Kirk and Spock share the sleepers, and they, too are put on ice. A wonderfully written scene, describing the fears for their destiny and feelings they have for each other, when Kirk and Spock finally are put on life suspension. But first Spock and later Kirk find themselves awake in some astral reality. They now have astral bodies—without shadow—they cannot touch anything in the real world and cannot be seen. They can no longer pretend the feelings they have for each other don't exist, and they learn to live in their new reality and to love each other. The sleepers form a great danger. They are a sort of united energy of all the sleepers, directed by a computer in the labs. Dr. Meade intends for the sleepers to be a new invincible psychological weapon. There is always a danger for Kirk and Spock that the sleepers will force them to join them. To keep their minds busy and thus the sleepers away, they live some fantasies themselves, where they make love for the first time in all different kinds of scenarios. This is a well-written story with good characterization of both Kirk and Spock. Spock is discovering that he can no longer, and need no longer, hide his feelings for Kirk, and Kirk finds out that he needs more than being a starship captain and that he sometimes needs to depend on another. [10] [many years later, the author commented about this zine]:... don't ask me what I was thinking when I wrote Dreams of the Sleepers, and don't expect me to remember whether the third story in Contact #2 has a happy ending or not, or what the name of the Klingon was in Kraith #19724. I wish I remembered. Truly I do. But alas, they only let me out on weekends, and then only on a short leash. Memory? What memory? [11] ↑ See Interview with Della Van Hise (Slash Alexis Fagen Black) ↑ many years later, the author comments about this zine, at Fanzines Plus: The Essential Yadda, accessed March 5, 2012 ↑ Interview with Della Van Hise (Slash Alexis Fagen Black) ↑ from Not Tonight Spock! #10 ↑ from Not Tonight, Spock! #9 ↑ from Datazine #41 ↑ from Universal Translator #31 ↑ from On the Double #10 ↑ comment by a fan, quoted anonymously (November 1993) ) ↑ from The K/S Press #20 ↑ at Fanzines Plus: The Essential Yadda, accessed March 5, 2012 Retrieved from "https://fanlore.org/w/index.php?title=Dreams_of_the_Sleepers&oldid=1215715" Star Trek TOS Slash Zines
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Native North America, Vol. 1 (Redirected from Native North America (Vol. 1): Aboriginal Folk, Rock, and Country 1966–1985) Native North America, Vol. 1: Aboriginal Folk, Rock, and Country 1966–1985 is a compilation album,[2] released in 2014 on Light in the Attic Records.[3] Compilation album by November 25, 2014[1] First Nations music Light in the Attic Records Kevin "Sipreano" Howes Compiled by Kevin "Sipreano" Howes,[4] the album collects rare and out of print recordings by First Nations, Métis and Inuit musicians from Canada and Alaska.[5] With many of the artists poorly documented in media sources, Howes travelled extensively to interview and document the musicians for the album's booklet.[5] The songs were remastered from the original recordings, which in many cases existed only in Canadian Broadcasting Corporation archives.[6] A second volume, featuring musicians from the Contiguous United States and Mexico, is slated for future release.[5] In August 2015, the Plug In Institute of Contemporary Art in Winnipeg, Manitoba staged an event dedicated to the album, featuring appearances by Howes and contributing musician Shingoose, and screenings of the aboriginal-themed documentary films The Paradox of Norval Morrisseau and The Other Side of the Ledger.[7] The album was a longlisted nominee for the 2015 Polaris Music Prize.[8] The album received a Grammy Award nomination for best historical album in December 2015.[9] Track listingEdit Willie Dunn, "I Pity the Country" John Angaiak, "I'll Rock You to the Rhythm of the Ocean" Sugluk, "Fall Away" Sikumiut, "Sikumiut" Willie Thrasher, "Spirit Child" Willy Mitchell, "Call of the Moose" Lloyd Cheechoo, "James Bay" Alexis Utatnaq, "Maqaivvigivalauqtavut" Brian Davey, "Dreams of Ways" Morley Loon, "N'Doheeno" Peter Frank, "Little Feather" Ernest Monias, "Tormented Soul" Eric Landry, "Out of the Blue" David Campbell, "Sky-Man and the Moon" Willie Dunn, "Son of the Sun" Shingoose with Duke Redbird, "Silver River" Willy Mitchell and Desert River Band, "Kill'n Your Mind" Philippe McKenzie, "Mistashipu" Willie Thrasher, "Old Man Carver" Lloyd Cheechoo, "Winds of Change" The Chieftones, "I Shouldn't Have Did What I Done" Sugluk, "I Didn't Know" Lawrence Martin, "I Got My Music" Gordon Dick, "Siwash Rock" Willy Mitchell and Desert River Band, "Birchbark Letter" William Tagoona, "Anaanaga" Leland Bell, "Messenger" Saddle Lake Drifting Cowboys, "Modern Rock" Willie Thrasher, "We Got to Take You Higher" Sikumiut, "Utirumavunga" Sugluk, "Ajuinnarasuarsunga" John Angaiak, "Hey, Hey, Hey, Brother" Groupe Folklorique Montagnais, "Tshekuan Mak Tshetutamak" Willie Dunn and Jerry Saddleback, "Peruvian Dream" ^ "Groundbreaking First Nations artists get their due; Native North America collects diverse array of sounds and styles from various artists". Vancouver Sun, November 22, 2014. ^ "'Native North America': How We Ignored Incredible Folk and Country Made at Home". Rolling Stone, November 21, 2014. ^ "Light in the Attic Unearths the Forgotten History of First Nations Music with 'Native North America' Compilation". Exclaim!, October 8, 2014. ^ "Kevin Howes and Lloyd Cheechoo on the music of Native North America". Q, December 17, 2014. ^ a b c "New Compilation Rescues Native Folk, Rock and Country From the Vinyl Dustbin". Indian Country Today, November 25, 2014. ^ "Native North America Vol 1 review – a goldmine of forgotten fusions". The Guardian, November 23, 2014. ^ "Album aims to give indigenous trailblazers overdue recognition". The Globe and Mail, August 2, 2015. ^ "Polaris Music Prize Announces 2015 Long List". Exclaim!, June 16, 2015. ^ "58th Annual Grammy Award Winners and Nominees". NARAS. February 16, 2016. Retrieved June 3, 2016. Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Native_North_America,_Vol._1&oldid=865689047"
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The SteelDrivers The SteelDrivers are a bluegrass band from Nashville, Tennessee. Members include fiddler Tammy Rogers, bassist Mike Fleming, guitarist Kelvin Damrell, mandolinist Brent Truitt, and banjoist Richard Bailey. The band has recorded four albums on the Rounder Records label and one independent live album recorded at The Station Inn. Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. thesteeldrivers.com Kelvin Damrell Tammy Rogers Brent Truitt Adam Wakefield After playing at bluegrass festivals they signed to Rounder Records and released a self-titled debut in 2008, featuring new lead singer Chris Stapleton.[1] The album peaked at No. 57 on the U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums chart.[2] The group was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2009 for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for their song "Blue Side of the Mountain."[3] In 2010, the group received two nominations for its second album, Reckless. The album has been nominated for both Best Bluegrass Album and Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal for the song "Where Rainbows Never Die".[4] Stapleton announced in April 2010, that he was leaving the band to focus on raising his family.[5] He was replaced by former Mercury Records artist Gary Nichols on lead vocals and guitar.[6] In December 2011, founding member Mike Henderson left the band.[7][8] Henderson was replaced by Nashville musician and record producer Brent Truitt. In 2015, the new lineup received a Best Bluegrass Album Grammy Award for its album, The Muscle Shoals Recordings.[9] AlbumsEdit Peak chart positions US Grass US Country US Heat Label: Rounder Records 2 57 — Hammer Down The Muscle Shoals Recordings "—" denotes releases that did not chart Music videosEdit Blue Side of the Mountain "I'll Be There"[10] Dycee Wildman "Wearin' a Hole"[11] "Long Way Down" Awards and NominationsEdit 2009 "Blue Side of the Mountain" Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal Nominated 2011 Reckless Best Bluegrass Album Nominated "Where Rainbows Never Die" Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal Nominated 2015 The Muscle Shoals Recordings Best Bluegrass Album Won ^ The Steeldrivers at Allmusic ^ Billboard, Allmusic ^ Flippo, Chet (22 January 2009). "NASHVILLE SKYLINE: A Deserved Grammy Nod for SteelDrivers". CMT. Retrieved 13 September 2010. ^ http://www.grammy.com/nominees%7Caccessdate=6 December 2010 ^ "Chris Stapleton leaves The SteelDrivers". Country Standard Time. 1 April 2010. Retrieved 8 September 2010. ^ "Gary Nichols named SteelDrivers' new singer". Country Standard Time. 2 April 2010. Retrieved 8 September 2010. ^ "Mike Henderson Exits the Steeldrivers". Bluegrass Today. 8 December 2011. Retrieved 19 January 2012. ^ "Mike Henderson Moves On". Bluegrass Today. 21 December 2011. Retrieved 19 January 2012. ^ "58th Annual Grammy Award winners". www.grammy.com. Retrieved 18 April 2018. ^ "CMT : Videos : The SteelDrivers : I'll Be There". Country Music Television. Archived from the original on July 18, 2013. Retrieved February 12, 2013. ^ "CMT : Videos : The SteelDrivers : Wearin' a Hole". Country Music Television. Archived from the original on October 14, 2013. Retrieved October 12, 2013. This article on a United States country music band is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_SteelDrivers&oldid=904325149"
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Vanda Felbab-Brown Vanda Felbab-Brown is an American expert on internal[1] and international organized crime.[2] She is a senior fellow[3] with the Center for 21st Century Security and Intelligence in the Foreign Policy program[4] at the Brookings Institution,[5] a Washington-based thinktank.[6] In June 1999 Felbab-Brown obtained a B.A. in Government from Harvard University. In February 2007 she completed a Ph.D. in political science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.[3][7] CareerEdit In 2007 Felbab-Brown worked as assistant professor at the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. In fall 2008 she became adjunct professor at the University.[8] In 2009 and again in 2011 she was asked to work as adjunct professor at the University of Delaware. In 2012 and 2013 she was guest lecturer at the School of Advanced Military Studies in Fort Leavenworth. From March 2012 until July 2013 she also was on the advisory board of the Modernizing Drug Law Enforcement Initiative. Since June 2013 she has been a member of the Economics of International Drug Strategy expert group which is organized by the London School of Economist’s IDEAS.[7] Since March 2017 she is a senior fellow for foreign policy at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C.[9] In addition, she is involved in a number of projects at the Institution. She is co-director of the project "Reconstituting Local Orders" as well as director of the "Improving Global Drug Policy: Comparative Perspectives and UNGASS 2016" project.[4] Carroll Wilson Award, MIT Sloan School of Management, 2005 American Political Science Association 2007 Harold Lasswell Award for the Best Dissertation in the Field of Public Policy, September 2007 Outstanding Book Award for Aspiration and Ambivalence from Association of American University Presses, 2013[7] PublicationsEdit Shooting Up: Counter-insurgency and the War on Drugs (Brookings 2010)[10] Bringing the State to the Slum: Confronting Organized Crime and Urban Violence in Latin America (Brookings 2011);[3] Calderón’s Caldron: Lessons from Mexico’s Battle Against Organized Crime and Drug Trafficking in Tijuana, Ciudad Juárez, and Michoacán (Brookings, 2011)[3] Aspiration and Ambivalence: Strategies and Realities of Counterinsurgency and State-building in Afghanistan (Brookings, 2013)[7] ^ Bailey, Julia (2013-11-19). "Authors on Asia". hchouston.clubs.harvard.edu. Retrieved 2017-10-17. ^ "The Development response to drug trafficking in Africa" (PDF). usaid.gov. 2013-04-01. Retrieved 2017-10-17. ^ a b c d "Smart Adjustments or Dropping the Ball? Mexican Anti-Crime Policies" (PDF). cls.unisg.ch. 2014-11-04. Retrieved 2017-10-17. ^ a b Felbab-Brown, Vanda (2017-10-05). "Public Presentation: "Global Wildlife Trafficking and Conservation Dilemmas"". jacksonholechamber.com. Retrieved 2017-10-17. ^ Lally, Kathy (2011-03-29). "Russia, U.S. keep lines open on narcotics". washingtonpost.com. Retrieved 2017-10-17. ^ Hawley, Chris (2010-11-15). "South American gangs flying vast quantities of cocaine to Europe". theguardian.com. Retrieved 2017-10-17. ^ a b c d "Vanda Felbab-Brown" (PDF). brookings.edu. 2017-03-01. Retrieved 2017-10-17. ^ "Vanda Felbab-Brown" (PDF). oversight.house.gov. Retrieved 2017-10-17. ^ "Contact Brookings". brookings.edu. Retrieved 2017-10-17. ^ Carroll, Rory (2010-02-16). "Why the war on drugs in Colombia may never be won". theguardian.com. Retrieved 2017-10-17. Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Vanda_Felbab-Brown&oldid=886079481"
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Victor Cazalet Colonel Victor Alexander Cazalet, MC (27 December 1896 – 4 July 1943) was a British Conservative Party Member of Parliament for nineteen years. He came from a prominent aristocratic English family. In his political career, he was a noted authority on international affairs and was a veteran of World War I. He became the liaison officer with Polish General Sikorski after the outbreak of World War II. He promoted strong military ties with America before and during the war and was an outspoken advocate for creating a Jewish homeland in Palestine. Cazalet was also an amateur athlete and squash champion in Great Britain for many years. He became godfather to actress Elizabeth Taylor after developing a friendship with her family. Traveling back to London from Gibraltar, he was killed in a plane crash at age 46 along with General Sikorski and 15 others. Early life and educationEdit William Marshall Cazalet, John Singer Sargent, 1902 Victor Cazalet was born in London, at 4 Whitehall Gardens, on 12 December 1896, the second son of William Marshall Cazalet and his wife, Maud. They were a prominent aristocratic English family[1] whose home had once been the residence of former Prime Minister Sir Robert Peel.[2]:2 The family also had a villa at Cimiez, France, where Queen Victoria was sometimes their guest; she also became Victor's godmother.[2]:2 Cazalet's mother with sons Edward and Victor, painted by John Singer Sargent, 1900-1901, LACMA[3] Their family roots were in Languedoc, and after they were driven abroad, part settled in England and others in Russia.[2]:1 Cazalet's father had achieved affluence in business and was heir to his own father's fortune as an industrialist in Russia.[2]:1[2]:174 Cazalet's mother was the daughter of a Scottish baronet, Sir John Heron-Maxwell of Springkell, who when he died had left his family penniless.[2]:2 Cazalet had three siblings, Edward, Thelma (later Thelma Cazalet-Keir) and Peter.[2] He was educated at Eton College and the University of Oxford.[4] Political careerEdit He was commissioned into the Queen's Own West Kent Yeomanry in 1915 and reached the rank of Captain. After serving in the front line during World War I, Cazalet received the Military Cross for gallantry in 1917.[4] He later took part in the conference leading to Treaty of Versailles, which ended the war.[4] From 1918 to 1919 he was a member of the British staff in Siberia.[4] From 1924 to 1926 he acted as a private secretary in the parliament where he served under the President of the Board of Trade and later under the Colonial Secretary.[4] He was first elected at the 1924 general election, serving as MP for the Chippenham constituency in Wiltshire until his death. During the Spanish Civil War, he was a strong supporter of General Franco and the fascists,[5] serving on the 'Friends of National Spain' committee. However, before World War II, he opposed, with Winston Churchill, the appeasement of Adolf Hitler by Neville Chamberlain's government.[6] Cazalet became the liaison officer with Polish General Władysław Sikorski in 1940.[4] And as a Member of Parliament, he was a member of the Anglo-Polish committee formed in 1941.[4] He visited Russia with Sikorski in 1942.[4] During that same period he was made chairman of the House of Commons committee on refugee problems, and was stationed at the British embassy in Washington.[7] Promoting military ties with AmericaEdit Cazalet also termed himself "a booster for America," and had publicly expressed the gratitude of British citizens for the aid that America gave Britain before and after World War II began.[8] In 1940 he wanted Britain to give the U.S. a free port in the West Indies, with all sovereign rights, in order that the U.S. Navy could have a port closer to South America.[9] He also hoped that the U.S. and British navies would join together after the war so that their navies could "pool their policies and ideas," he said.[9] It was an opinion he expressed going back to the disputes at the 1927 Geneva Naval Conference, and which he continued during the revival of those efforts which led to the London Naval Treaty in 1930.[10] He feared that a failure of Great Britain and the United States to reach an agreement among themselves, regardless of the other countries involved, would lead to a dangerous competition in shipbuilding between their two countries which would seriously jeopardize world peace.[11] "Each country should build the ships it needs without regarding the other navy as a possible enemy," he said.[12] A year and a half after the war in Europe had begun and after the German bombing of London had continued, Cazalet urged the American government to keep the life line between their countries open. "The victory can be won," he emphasized, "if the stuff gets over."[13] He added that Britain was deeply grateful for the help they had already received from the U.S.[13] Advocating a Jewish homelandEdit Cazalet had become chairman of the House of Commons Palestine Committee, where he described the plight of Britain under siege as connected to that of the Jews who were being driven from Europe by the Nazis.[13] During a speech to the committee in May 1941, he explained that they had the same aims: Both Jews and the British have one thing in common—a faith that their problems will be solved. And that faith has kindled in our hearts a flame no enemy will be able to extinguish. On the treatment of Jews, and of all small minorities, depends the future of mankind.[13] In Cazalet's opinion, it was in the best interest of the British Empire to establish a Jewish state in Palestine.[14] However, despite the fact that the Jews were also victims of Nazi aggression, they were still not recognized as allies of Great Britain.[14] "England," he said, "may have made many mistakes, but today she represents something above and beyond material possessions."[15] Although he never knew him, it was Cazalet's grandfather who first inspired his interest in establishing a Jewish state. His grandfather, Edward Cazalet, was an industrialist based in Russia who had written a number of treatises in the 1870s in which he advocated a Jewish homeland. He wrote that "under English protection the Jewish nation, after eighteen hundred years of exile, would have it in their power to return again to their own country."[16]:41 According to Cazalet biographer Robert Rhodes James, Edward Cazalet had seen the pogroms against the Jews in the Russian Empire and their plight made a "profound emotional appeal to him."[2]:174 He also recognized the spiritual aspect: Why is it that the English, more than any other nation in the world, are interested in the Jews and in their country? I think it is because the Bible is the History of the Jews, and the English and their descendants alone of all the nations of the world read and study the Bible.[16]:40 Victor Cazalet's actual involvement in promoting the Jewish state began with the guidance of Lord Arthur Balfour, however, and Cazalet's friendship with Chaim Weizmann.[2]:174 Cazalet wrote that "Lord Balfour's devotion to the cause of Jewry will be recognized wherever Jews are to be found in this world."[2]:177 Weizmann tried to apply those feelings by championing the idea of creating a separate Jewish army which would support Britain's fight against Germany.[2]:175 In 1942 Cazalet called upon the British government to grant the Jewish Agency's request to create a fighting force of 20,000 Jewish soldiers and a home guard of 50,000 to be made an integral part of the British army.[17] His efforts failed, however. Jew and Arab, by cooperation, will create a Middle East which may rival in prosperity the happiest days of their ancient glory. Victor Cazalet[18] At a 1941 conference in the U.S. where he was joined by General Sikorski, he advocated forgetting differences and "uniting all forces in an effort to defeat the enemy."[15] He saw the struggle in Palestine as setting an example for the rest of the world.[15] "Although the war has held up our program as far as Palestine is concerned, in God's good time the Jewish State will be established and it will contribute as much happiness and prosperity to the Arab as to the Jew."[15] During a speech in April 1941, Cazalet stated: Deliverance of the Jews from persecution was as important an issue as any for which we are fighting. The Jewish problem will never be solved anywhere until a national home in Palestine is established...I believe that every unprejudiced Englishman could and should be grateful for the opportunity which his country has been given to fulfill the Scriptures and re-establish the Jewish State in the Holy Land.[19] On 27 June 1943, a week before he was killed, he had visited Cairo and then Jerusalem, where he met with David Ben-Gurion and others. His last public statements recorded were at that meeting, where he said, "I would gladly give my life for the establishment of a Jewish state in Palestine, as I am ready to give my life for the preservation of the British Empire... Whatever happens, the Jews must have a permanent home."[2]:286 Death and legacyEdit After serving in the House of Commons for nineteen years, he was considered one of the "most brilliant" of the younger men in the Commons. "His knowledge of central Europe was probably unequaled," wrote the New York Times after his sudden death in 1943, at age 46, when his plane crashed seconds after take off from Gibraltar.[4] The plane, a B-24 Liberator II LB-30 AL523 was also carrying General Sikorski and fellow Conservative MP Brigadier John Whiteley; Sikorski, Whiteley and everyone else on board (except for first pilot Eduard Prchal)—sixteen in all—died in the crash.[4] The circumstances surrounding the unexplained accident have led to various controversies and allegations of sabotage.[2]:287 Cazalet's family received a flood of tributes, many from unknown admirers and others from notables, including Churchill, Anthony Eden, Eleanor Rathbone, Hugh Dalton and Polish dignitaries.[2]:287 Chaim Weizmann speaking at a memorial ceremony in London, described Cazalet as "one of the few precious friends of the Jewish people in modern times who never was moved from his devotion to the (Zionist) cause." He said that his grave at Gibraltar would become a place of pilgrimage for the Jewish people, while Hadassah, the Women's Zionist Organization of America, agreed to plant 1,000 trees in Palestine to be named the "Victor Cazalet Grove."[20] A lead article in the New York Herald Tribune read: There can be few other Englishmen of our time who have touched so many nations and so many individual citizens upon terms of understanding and friendship. What he did for Poland he literally did around the world. Here in America his friends were countless ... it was as an understanding observer and appreciative visitor that Americans held him in affection and will remember him. To that post-war world, which must lean heavily upon men of goodwill if peace and justice are to prevail, Victor Cazalet is a heavy loss.[2]:287 Cazalet, who never married,[4] was a Christian Scientist and a lay preacher at Ninth Church of Christ, Scientist, London.[21] He was a landowner and a wealthy bachelor, whose numerous social and political connections included close friendships with Winston Churchill and Anthony Eden.[22] He was also the amateur squash champion in 1925, 1927, 1929 and 1930, who also played as a member of the English squash team when it won the international trophy after competing against Canada and the United States in 1927.[4] Cazalet's sister, Thelma Cazalet-Keir, was a noted feminist and also a Conservative MP. She married journalist David Keir in August 1939.[23] Cazalet's brother, Peter, who married P. G. Wodehouse's daughter, Leonora, was a notable racehorse trainer who was British jump racing Champion Trainer three times and trained Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother's racehorses. Godfather to Elizabeth TaylorEdit Cazalet, who had a passion for fine art, became a close friend of American art gallery owners Francis Taylor and his wife Sara, parents of Elizabeth, after they had moved from the U.S. to London in 1936.[1] Cazalet let the Taylor family, who were also Christian Scientists, spend their weekends in a separate 16th century cottage on his estate in Kent.[1] He wanted them to think of England as their new home.[22]:13 He gave 4-year-old Elizabeth a horse named Betty as a gift, which she would ride bareback throughout the property.[1] The Taylors asked him to be her godfather, after which he became an important influence during her early life.[1] At one time while Elizabeth suffered the first of many near-fatal illnesses, Elizabeth begged her mother to "please call Victor and ask him to come and sit with me." Cazalet then drove ninety miles through thick fog to be at her side.[24] When he arrived, recalled her mother, "Victor sat on the bed and held Elizabeth in his arms and talked to her about God," and soon after the fever had broken.[22]:14 At a lunch with Churchill in April 1939, Cazalet learned that a war was coming, and was permitted by Churchill to inform others.[22]:24 Cazalet, concerned for the Taylor family's safety, urged Francis to close his art gallery as soon as possible and return with his family to America. Because of the time needed to vacate the gallery, he suggested that Sara and his children should be sent back alone where Francis could later join them. They took his advice and eventually ended up in Los Angeles where he established a new gallery.[1] As Cazalet was an acquaintance of screen actor DeWolf Hopper and his former wife, Hollywood columnist Hedda Hopper, he sent a letter of introduction on behalf of Elizabeth to Ms. Hopper, to help 7-year-old Elizabeth become involved in acting.[1][24] Hopper met with Elizabeth and Sara and offered to help. Months later, Cazalet wrote in his diary for 16 April 1941, "Imagine excitement of Taylors. Elizabeth has a contract for seven years with a big cinema group."[22]:33 Other readingEdit James, Robert Rhodes (1976). Victor Cazalet: a portrait. London: Hamilton. ISBN 0-241-89405-0. ^ a b c d e f g Spoto, Donald. "A Star is Born", The Guardian (London), 11 Feb. 1995 pp. 54-60 ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o James, Robert Rhodes (1976). Victor Cazalet: a portrait. London: Hamilton. ISBN 0-241-89405-0. ^ "Barbra Streisand donating John Singer Sargent painting to LACMA", Los Angeles Times, May 27, 2015 ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Col. Victor A. Cazalet," New York Times, obituary, July 6, 1943 ^ The other volunteers, BBC News, September 2006 ^ Spartacus Educational: Appeasement Archived 23 September 2006 at the Wayback Machine ^ "British Refugee Expert Visits Phil La Follette", Green Bay Press-Gazette (Green Bay, Wisconsin), April 21, 1941 p. 1 ^ "Marsden Extols Briton's War Work," New York Times, Jan. 27, 1943 ^ a b "British M.P. Would give West Indies Port to U.S.", The New York Times, April 23, 1940 ^ Steiner, Zara S. (2005). The Lights that Failed: European International History 1919–1933, pp. 587-591. ^ "Sees Peace at Stake in London Conference", New York Times, Jan. 8, 1930 ^ "Urges Cooperation in Naval Relations", New York Times, August 4, 1929 ^ a b c d "American Aid Called Essential", Los Angeles Times, May 17, 1941 p. 7 ^ a b "Palestine Victory Campaign", The Guardian (London), 29 July 1941 p. 3 ^ a b c d "Palestine Is Held Example of Unity", New York Times, April 29, 1941 ^ a b Cazalet, Edward. The Eastern Question: An Address to Working Men, Edward Stanford (London) 1878 ^ The Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle, August 14, 1942 p. 1 ^ "Barkley Praises Palestine Leaders", New York Times, May 1, 1941 ^ "War Seen Holding Up Jewish State Plan", New York Times, April 17, 1941 ^ "Dr. Weizmann Mourns Cazalet", The Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle, July 23, 1943 p. 1 ^ Christian Science Sentinel, 20 June 1931 issue ^ a b c d e Walker, Alexander. Elizabeth: The Life of Elizabeth Taylor, Grove Press (1990) ^ "Thelma Cazalet Engaged: British Conservative M.P. Will be Bride of David Keir, Reporter", New York Times, June 16, 1939 ^ a b "The Making of a Goddess", The Observer (London), 23, October 1977 p. 25-26 Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs CricketArchive profile for Victor Cazelet Daily Telegraph [London] 23MAR2011. Media related to Victor Cazalet at Wikimedia Commons Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Victor Cazalet Parliament of the United Kingdom Alfred James Bonwick Member of Parliament for Chippenham 1924 – 1943 Succeeded by David Eccles Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Victor_Cazalet&oldid=901915486"
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Mandisa at The American Idol Experience in 2009 Mandisa Lynn Hundley (1976-10-02) October 2, 1976 (age 42) Citrus Heights, California, U.S. Contemporary Christian, gospel EMI, Sparrow mandisaofficial.com Mandisa Lynn Hundley (born October 2, 1976),[1][2] known professionally as Mandisa, is an American gospel and contemporary Christian recording artist. Her career began as a contestant in the fifth season of American Idol, in which she finished in ninth place. She is the fifth American Idol alumna to win a Grammy Award for her album Overcomer in the Best Contemporary Christian Music Album.[3] 2 American Idol 2.1 Performances 3 Music career 4 Personal life 6.1 Grammy Awards 6.2 GMA Dove Awards Early life[edit] Mandisa Hundley was born and raised in Citrus Heights, California.[4] After graduating from El Camino Fundamental High School, she attended American River College in Sacramento where she studied Vocal Jazz.[4] Then she studied at Fisk University in Tennessee and graduated with a Bachelor of Music degree with a concentration in vocal performance.[4] American Idol[edit] Mandisa auditioned for the United States talent competition show American Idol in Chicago, in 2005. She referred to herself as "just Mandisa," thus was billed simply as Mandisa on the show. She stated that her musical influences run the gamut from Whitney Houston to Def Leppard.[5] Idol judge Simon Cowell made several comments about Mandisa's weight after her successful audition. He first quipped, "Do we have a bigger stage this year?"[6][7] Then, when Paula Abdul commented that Mandisa had a "Frenchie" growl to her voice, Cowell responded that a more apt comparison would be to France itself.[7] These were among comments that drew the ire of the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance, (NAAFA) and would be one of the reasons Mandisa would entitle her 2007 album True Beauty. When Mandisa presented herself to the judges prior to the final cut-down to the season's 24 semi-finalists, she told Cowell: "What I want to say to you is that, yes, you hurt me and I cried and it was painful, it really was. But I want you to know that I've forgiven you and that you don't need someone to apologize in order to forgive somebody. I figure that if Jesus could die so that all of my wrongs could be forgiven, I can certainly extend that same grace to you."[8] Cowell told Mandisa that he was "humbled" and apologized to her immediately.[8] On the March 7, 2006, Idol show, she stated in her pre-performance video that she sucked her thumb until she was 24 years old. She performed a rendition of Chaka Khan's "I'm Every Woman" which drew praise from all three judges. She was among the 12 contestants chosen on March 9, 2006, as a finalist in Idol's fifth season. Mandisa was eliminated from American Idol on April 5, 2006, in the top nine, having never previously been in the bottom three (she was there with Paris Bennett and Elliott Yamin, neither of whom had been in the bottom three either). Mandisa revealed that, when the first group of Taylor Hicks, Kellie Pickler and Chris Daughtry was sent back to safety, and Mandisa, Elliott and Paris were on the stage on one side and the other group of Ace Young, Katharine McPhee and Bucky Covington on the other side, she told Paris and Elliott that it was most likely their own group in the bottom three, as she remembered how the same thing had happened in the third season, when the three divas landed in the bottom three, and was sure that it would probably be a "shocker" like that one as Ace, Katharine and Bucky had all been in the bottom three earlier. She, like most eliminated contestants, appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno one day later. Performances[edit] Audition Free Choice "Fallin'" N/A Advanced Hollywood Group Performance "Band of Gold" N/A Advanced Top 24 (12 Women) Free Choice "Never" 1 Safe Top 20 (10 Women) Free Choice "Cry" 10 Safe Top 16 (8 Women) Free Choice "I'm Every Woman" 7 Safe Top 12 Songs of Stevie Wonder "Don't You Worry 'bout a Thing" 4 Safe Top 11 Hits of the 1950s "I Don't Hurt Anymore" 1 Safe Top 10 21st Century Hits "Shackles (Praise You)" 5 Safe Top 9 Country Music "Any Man of Mine" 2 Eliminated Music career[edit] On July 27, 2007—after being eliminated from American Idol—Mandisa performed the song "I Don't Hurt Anymore" on the TV talk show, Live with Regis and Kelly. She also joined Gladys Knight and others at the Apollo Theater for the benefit concert "Back to Harlem," to raise money for various charities. Mandisa collaborated with tobyMac and Kirk Franklin on tobyMac's album, Portable Sounds.[9] Mandisa's first full-length album True Beauty was released on July 31, 2007. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Top Christian Albums charts, making it the first time a new female artist has debuted at No. 1 in the chart's 27-year history.[10] It also debuted at No. 43 on the Billboard 200, an unusually high debut on that chart for a Christian artist. It also garnered a Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album nomination.[11] Showcasing Mandisa's stylistic range was the task set before the five sets of producers who lined up to work with her on the album: Shaun Shankel, Brown Bannister, Christopher Stevens, Drew Ramsey & Shannon Sanders, and Robert Marvin & Josiah Bell. Mandisa also spent personal time with the album's writers before the songwriting process began, sharing her vision for the project and what she hoped to communicate through the songs. Her first single, "Only the World," was released on May 22, 2007. The song had a successful debut on the Billboard Hot Singles Sales chart, which tracks commercial single sales, debuting at No. 2 and reached No. 1 the following week. It is also getting major airplay on Christian radio stations. It was written by Matthew West, Sam Mizell and Clint Lagerberg. (West also co-wrote two other songs on album.) Mandisa's cover of "Shackles" features a horn section provided by LiveHorns.com with Tommy Vaughan on trumpet, Rodney Mills on trombone, and Shane Philen on sax. They also appear on Mandisa's performance of "The Right Thing" on the VeggieTales soundtrack for The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything. The second single "God Speaking" was released to Christian radio in October 2007. A third single, "Voice of a Savior," written by West, was serviced to Inspo radio in mid-2008, where it peaked in the Top 5 of Radio and Records' Soft AC/Inspo chart. In November 2007, Mandisa released a holiday EP, Christmas Joy EP, which features the song "Christmas Makes Me Cry", a duet with frequent collaborator Matthew West. Earlier that year, Mandisa also recorded "Christmas Day," a duet with Michael W. Smith. The EP peaked at No. 2 on Billboard's Hot Christian AC chart, stopped from reaching No. 1 by her duet with Smith, "Christmas Day". It was the first time in the history of the Christian singles chart that a solo female artist was featured on the top two singles at the same time. On October 14, 2008, Mandisa released a full-length Christmas album, It's Christmas. Freedom was released on March 24, 2009.[12] There have also been reports that Mandisa will be releasing "We Are Family" which is a Bonus Track on Napster on April 14, 2009. The song was available for a short time on Amazon.com added to Freedom labeled as "Freedom + Bonus Track". It also debuted at No. 83 on the Billboard 200. What If We Were Real, was released on April 11, 2011. In March 2011 she began a tour with comedian Anita Renfroe promoting the album. The first single off "What If We Were Real," a track titled "Stronger," peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Christian Songs chart on June 18, 2011. The album has remained on the Billboard Christian Albums for 76 consecutive weeks as of September 2012. It debuted at No. 66 on the Billboard 200. The second single, "Waiting for Tomorrow," peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Christian Songs chart the week of January 28, 2012. The third single, "Good Morning", features fellow Contemporary Christian musician tobyMac, with whom Mandisa collaborated on "Lose My Soul". Mandisa's fourth studio album, Overcomer, was released on August 27, 2013, and debuted at No. 29 on the Billboard 200 Albums Chart, her highest peak on that chart to date.[citation needed] The title track "Overcomer" was released in late July, hitting the Billboard Christian Top 20 in its third week on the charts. It went to No. 1 on that chart by October 2013 when it also appeared on the mainstream Bubbling Under chart.[13] Mandisa won the Best Contemporary Christian Music Album for Overcomer at the 56th Grammy Awards. The title song from the album also won Best Contemporary Christian Music Song for songwriters David Garcia, Ben Glover and Christopher Stevens.[14] She declined to attend the Grammy Awards, however, saying, "I have fallen prey to the alluring pull of flesh, pride, and selfish desires quite a bit recently. …I knew that submerging myself into an environment that celebrates those things was risky for me at this time.[15][16] Mandisa's fifth full-length album, Out of the Dark, was released on May 19, 2017.[17][18] The lead single, "Unfinished", was then released on March 10, 2017. The song reached No. 8 on the Billboard Hot Christian Songs Chart. Personal life[edit] Mandisa resides in the suburban Nashville community of Antioch, Tennessee.[citation needed] Since her appearance on American Idol in 2006, Mandisa has made efforts toward health and weight loss. The title of her second album, Freedom, was inspired by her experience of overcoming an addiction to food.[19] As of March 2009, she had reportedly lost 75 pounds and hoped to lose a total of 100 or more. As of February 2011, she reached her goal and lost 100 pounds.[19] Mandisa explained why she gained back the weight and suffered with deep depression, including suicidal thoughts, after the loss of a close friend. In 2013, Lakisha Mitchell, a close friend of Mandisa's, lost her battle with breast cancer, after choosing to carry her unborn child rather than undergo aggressive chemotherapy. This loss, coupled with a sense of deep betrayal by God, led Mandisa into a dark place, and also led to her virtual disappearance from both public and private view. In May 2017, Mandisa returned to public view, and began to open up about her ordeals, around the same time as the release of her album, Out of the Dark. She hadn't recorded an album in three years.[20][21] Main article: Mandisa discography 2007: True Beauty 2008: It's Christmas 2009: Freedom 2011: What If We Were Real 2013: Overcomer 2017: Out of the Dark Awards and nominations[edit] Grammy Awards[edit] 2008 Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album True Beauty Nominated 2010 Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album Freedom Nominated 2012 Best Contemporary Christian Music Album What If We Were Real Nominated 2014 Best Contemporary Christian Music Album Overcomer Won Best Gospel/Contemporary Christian Music Performance "Overcomer" Nominated GMA Dove Awards[edit] Dove Awards 2008 New Artist of the Year Mandisa Nominated Female Vocalist of the Year Mandisa Nominated 2009 Female Vocalist of the Year Mandisa Nominated Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year "My Deliverer" Nominated Short Form Video of the Year "Lose My Soul" tobyMac, featuring Kirk Franklin & Mandisa Nominated ^ "Alabama's gray-haired Hicks brings soul to 'Idol'". Legacy.decaturdaily.com. March 22, 2006. Retrieved October 1, 2016. ^ "Mandisa". AllMusic. ^ "Mandisa Wins First Career Grammy". KFSH-FM. Archived from the original on February 8, 2014. Retrieved February 7, 2014. ^ a b c "Mandisa – Profile". About.com. Retrieved May 25, 2009. ^ Liz Somers (December 2, 2011). "Mandisa uses faith to tackle abuse, weight". The Denver Post. ^ Raquel Dunn; Renelle Richardson. "Mandisa's American Idol Moment". CBN. ^ a b gabyvalla (April 19, 2007). "American Idol 5 – Mandisa's Audition". YouTube. Retrieved December 1, 2011. ^ a b reneejlee. "Mandisa – Never". YouTube. Retrieved December 1, 2011. ^ "News". Starsong.com. Archived from the original on September 29, 2007. ^ "Breaking Music News – Music Business Information – Music Industry Sales". Billboard. August 28, 2011. Archived from the original on May 20, 2009. Retrieved December 1, 2011. ^ The Christian Post. December 7, 2011 http://www.christianpost.com/news/gospel-singer-mandisa-earns-second-grammy-nomination-64083/. Retrieved May 30, 2013. Missing or empty |title= (help) ^ "Mandisa – Freedom". Billboard. Retrieved March 22, 2009. ^ "Chart history". Billboard. ^ Fred Bronson (January 26, 2014). "Grammys: 'American Idol' Alum Mandisa Wins for 'Overcomer'". The Hollywood Reporter. ^ Alison Moore (January 29, 2014). "Christian Grammy winner, Mandisa, doesn't attend award show". Deseret News. Retrieved June 22, 2014. ^ "Christian Singer Mandisa Skips Grammys 2014 Because of Faith, Wins 2 Awards Anyway". The Christian Post. January 28, 2014. Retrieved June 22, 2014. ^ "Mandisa's New Album Release!". Mandisa Official Website. True Artist Management. ^ "'Out of the Dark': Mandisa Tells CBN and GMA of Fight with Suicidal Depression". April 26, 2017. Retrieved October 5, 2017. ^ a b Steve Almasy (March 11, 2009). "Whatever happened to 'American Idol's' Mandisa?". CNN. Retrieved May 25, 2009. ^ "Wally on WAY-FM » How Mandisa Overcame Depression and Thoughts of Suicide". way.fm. Retrieved June 2, 2017. ^ Wally Show (May 17, 2017). "Mandisa Opens Up about Dealing with Depression". Retrieved June 2, 2017 – via YouTube. Mandisa on IMDb Mandisa at American Idol February 21, 2006 Sacramento Bee article MTV Mandisa Interview STREETBRAND Magazine Interview It's Christmas What If We Were Real "Only the World" "God Speaking" "Christmas Makes Me Cry" "Voice of a Savior" "Angels We Have Heard on High" "My Deliverer" "Overcomer" "Unfinished" Featured singles "Christmas Day" "Lose My Soul" Ruben Studdard Fantasia Barrino Taylor Hicks Lee DeWyze Candice Glover Caleb Johnson Nick Fradiani Trent Harmon Maddie Poppe Laine Hardy Runners-up Justin Guarini Clay Aiken Diana DeGarmo Bo Bice Blake Lewis Lauren Alaina Jessica Sanchez Kree Harrison Jena Irene Clark Beckham La'Porsha Renae Caleb Lee Hutchinson Alejandro Aranda Other alumni Josh Gracin Elliott Yamin Kellie Pickler Daniel Seavey Winners' singles "A Moment Like This" "Flying Without Wings" "I Believe" "Inside Your Heaven" "Do I Make You Proud" "This Is My Now" "The Time of My Life" "No Boundaries" "Beautiful Day" "I Love You This Big" "Home" "I Am Beautiful" "As Long as You Love Me" "Beautiful Life" "Falling" "Going Going Gone" "Flame" Related programming Idols (franchise) Idol Christmas Idol Extra Idol Gives Back Idol Rewind World Idol Alumni album sales Alumni awards and nominations Alumni in film, television and theater Alumni single sales Compilation series Hot 100 singles "Judge Me Tender" The American Idol Experience American Idol season 5 Paris Bennett Ace Young Bucky Covington Lisa Tucker Kevin Covais Melissa McGhee "My Destiny" American Idol Season 5: Encores MusicBrainz: 9f6af61e-f0d4-4b63-9db2-a35750af153d Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mandisa&oldid=902330070" 21st-century American singers African-American Christians African-American female singers American female singers American gospel singers American Idol participants American performers of Christian music Fisk University alumni Musicians from Nashville, Tennessee Musicians from Sacramento, California People from Citrus Heights, California Performers of contemporary Christian music Sparrow Records artists 21st-century American women singers People from Antioch, Tennessee Use mdy dates from June 2017 Wikipedia articles with MusicBrainz identifiers
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Councillors demand more information on Allotment Sites November 5, 2010 11:08 AM Alexandra allotment site is the largest in the borough Lib Dem councillors have asked for more information on new allotment sites to be brought forward for discussion. A meeting of the council's Leisure Committee debated a new agreement for self-managed allotment sites and prompted a discussion on the potential for new sites around the borough. Cllr Jonathan Lees, himself an allotment holder in West Ewell, said "We really need to get on and identify new sites. The development coming on-stream at West Park has earmarked an area as suitable but there's no agreement as to how a new allotment site would be made suitable for use and who would pay for this. Residents of these new hospital cluster developments including those at recently occupied Parkviews (formerly St Ebba's hospital) are desperate for allotment facilities and the council's waiting list is going through the roof. We are one of few boroughs who have a real opportunity to lead the way in creating more allotments. We just need the political will and a funding stream to get things up and running but I see no reason why a developer should not contribute." The council is intending to involve current "site representatives" in making sure vacant plots are taken up quickly. Self-managed sites are likely to have to cover their water charges as the council now pays £7,800 in water charges for its allotments - 13% of its total water bill each year. The meeting also heard how one of the council's allotment sites, at Stones Road, had been disused for years because of vandalism problems. There is hope that this site can be re-opened in the future but there's now a further delay because the county council has run out of money to complete the Stones Road tunnel works.
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Fort Hartsuff State Historical Park 82034 Fort Ave, Burwell, Nebraska Little Indian Dick and Lt. Heyl Two interesting characters that enriched the fort’s history must be considered together. They are ‘Little Indian Dick’ and Lieutenant Heyl. Charles Heath Heyl was 2nd Lieutenant in Company A of the 23rd Regiment of Infantry. This unit garrisoned the fort from April 1875 to December 1876. Heyl was commissioned as an officer in the United States Army in 1873. He and his company served in Arizona before coming to Fort Hartsuff. While there he was cited for “…gallant service in action against Indians on the…Verde River Arizona on 24 May 1874. While Lt. Heyl served at Fort Hartsuff, he led the detachment of soldiers involved in the Battle of the Blowout. This battle took place northwest of present day Burwell in the sandhills north of the Calamus River. The battle occurred on the 28th of April of 1876. Sergeant W.H. Dougherty was killed and buried at the fort cemetery two days later. One of the Sioux Indians from Spotted Tail’s Brule Agency was either killed or severely wounded. As a result of this battle, three Medal of Honor were awarded. Two went to corporals in the detachment. The third medal was later awarded to Lt. Heyl “…for most distinguished gallantry.” The Medal of Honor was authorized by an Act of Congress on March 3, 1863. Often referred to as the Congressional Medal of Honor, it is correctly the Medal of Honor. During the three decades of the Indian Wars, only 421 Medals of Honor were awarded. Of this total, only 38 were awarded to Infantrymen. Of the five such medals awarded in Nebraska and Kansas during that period, four went to soldiers associated with Fort Hartsuff. Leander Herron won his in Kansas in the year 1868. He was a sawmill engineer at the fort in 1874-75. Corporals Jeptha Lytton, Patrick Leonard and their leader Lieutenant Charles Heyl won theirs as a result of gallantry displayed at the Battle of the Blowout in 1876. There are thirty Medal of Honor winners buried in Nebraska. There are very few living recipients in the state, the most famous of those is Senator Robert Kerrey. Heyl came from a well-to-do family. The Indian boy he adopted lived for some time with Heyl’s sisters in New Jersey, far removed from his Arizona mountain origin. The Indian child called Little Indian Dick was officially named Richard Deltche Heyl. He was approximately four years old when his parents were killed in battle. The 1961 Mead account from Back in Pioneer Days reads “…his father was an Apache Indian Chief.” A story was published in 1931 (NSHS) titled Fort Hartsuff and the Local Pioneer Life. It was written by Ora Clement based on accounts by her mother who was a teacher at the town of Calamus near Fort Hartsuff. Clement states that “most memorable of the pupils at Calamus school was little Indian Dick, Flathead Indian…” She describes his cranial features as “…his head flattened almost to the thickness of a man’s two palms… Dick was a bright pupil and could read and spell better than many of the paler and older boys and girls.” She probably meant to refer to his head shape rather than his tribal origin in calling Dick a ‘Flathead’, that appellation is sometimes attached to bands in the Northwest and elsewhere. He was also referred to in other sources as a Ute Indian. We have more reliable evidence from the National Archives that he was a Dan Carlos Apache. Dick was a good speller and a good shot! His teacher inquired as to the reason he was not bringing his lunch to school as usual. Dick informed her it was because the mess sergeant was not preparing it. Upon inquiring ‘why’, Dick responded, “Because I shot him.” He explained that the cook “…had bullied and tantalized him when none was by to protect him. He watched his chance and when he caught the unsuspecting cook bending over some task the little rascal let an arrow fly. He had the unerring aim of his forebears and the weapon struck squarely in the broadest portion of the cook’s anatomy, to Dick’s delight and the cook’s pain and indignation.” The cook had withheld his lunch in retaliation. The matter was soon settled in Dick’s favor when Lt. Heyl was informed of the facts. Indian Dick was a playmate of a boy his age, Ross herron, whose father was mentioned earlier as a steam engineer at the fort sawmill. Herron’s daughter, Hildred Mead of St. Paul, organized the story of Little Indian Dick. Mead relates that the two boys would hunt frogs and squirrels along the small streams near the fort. The soldiers and officers made them bows and arrows from willow branches. An interesting oral narrative regarding Indian Dick was told to this writer several years ago. It was related to the informant by a soldier who had served at Fort Hartsuff, was discharged here and lived out his life in the town of Ord. He recalled that: “Indian Dick was a much better athlete than his fort playmates and schoolmates. The white boys would rig the races or impose a handicap on Dick in the jumping contests. Once they placed fresh cow-pies in the broad jump impact area to reduce the length of his leaps.” This third hand story rings true. Every account describing Lieutenant Heyl’s ‘capture’ of Indian Dick are similar: “Upon seeing the soldiers and realizing his parents were dead he ran like a deer and was only with great difficulty caught in the canyons.” Although Lieutenant Heyl had killed Dick’s father, he had promised the dying chief to adopt and care for the child. This he did and they seemed to have developed a very close relationship. Dick attended Carlisle Institute and led a successful life, dying in Wilmington, Delaware in 1940. Fort Hartsuff State Historical Park, Proudly powered by WordPress.
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When really was the golden age? Guest answer from Ian Jones of TV Cream. I'm a sucker for compartmentalism. Life is far more manageable when ordered and filed in different boxes. That's what I tell myself, anyway. Trouble is, you need to decide which boxes are which before you begin. Then there are the criteria for keeping item A separate from item B. And on whose terms are you trying to file, slice, categorise and datestamp the people and things you like to believe are important to you? Theirs, or yours? Compartmentalising is addictive. You find yourself doing it while washing up after tea or lying in bed trying to sleep. Then you find yourself wanting to do it while washing up after tea or lying in bed trying to sleep. It ends with you washing up or lying in bed simply to give yourself another opportunity for doing it. But as a pastime, it's often less personally intrusive or distressing to try doing it at one remove. By this I mean applying a bit of compartmentalism to, for example, time itself. I think it's fun to argue that the 1960s didn't run from 1960 to 1969, but in fact ran from 6 June 1962 to 1 April 1970: the dates of the very first and the very last Beatles recording sessions at Abbey Road. Or that the 1990s didn't start until Tony Blair became leader of the Labour party, and lasted until 11 September 2001. Or that 20th century pop culture lasted from the birth of Radio 1 to the death of Princess Diana. This last time-frame is the one loosely adhered to over on TV Cream, where various people including myself attempt to make nostalgia sound as fresh and as funny as it did 10 years ago when all those clip shows were on the telly. (A time when, mark you, TV Cream was already getting on for being five years old.) To be honest, such a rule came about more through expediency than decree. We needed some kind of start and end point to give the site a bit of shape and focus. Perhaps one day we’ll actually manage both. Yet all this cultural compartmentalising is again something of a diversion from applying similar sorts of itemisation to more personal matters. And yes, it can be more fun, but only if you've already decided into which box you've put the people with which you intend to do the compartmentalising. You can see that this can all become a bit of a chore. Historians build and destroy reputations when splicing up the past in order to give it meaning. The idea that the whole of the 1970s could be shoved in a cabinet labelled GHASTLY MISTAKE, or perhaps more precisely GHASTLY MISTAKE WHERE EVERYONE WORE FLARES HA HA HA, has only recently, and thankfully, been challenged by more thoughtful accounts from the likes of Andy Beckett and Dominic Sandbrook. Yet the notion of an entire era being singly and neatly summed up is surely something that appeals to all of us, not just those of a historical persuasion. Who doesn't like to believe that the UK was a better or worse place in such and such a decade, or during so and so's reign as prime minister? Compartmentalising something as a "golden age", however, always comes with the charge of a different, more potent kind of addiction: that of a misplaced wielding of rose-tinted spectacles, or the wrong kind of conservatism (yes, there is a right and a wrong kind), or delusion about a uniformity of excellence that once flourished and is now extinct. In response, I would simply question the idea of a “golden age” needing both a start and end point. Take, for example, the idea of there being a “golden age” for pop music, for cinema, or for television. In all cases there certainly has been one. But it’s one that began when the first note was recorded, the first reel projected, the first broadcast transmitted; and in each case, it hasn’t finished yet. These are all open-ended compartments. Which, on reflection, also happen to be the very best kind. Posted on Saturday, December 24, 2011 0 comments Labels: review 2011 Ken Branagh's In The Bleak Midwinter now available on R1 dvd. Ish. Tonight, after my usual pre-Christmas viewing of Ken Branagh's In The Bleak Midwinter via an increasingly ropey VHS recording from S4C about ten years ago, I grumpily checked Amazon for a dvd release. I've also done this pretty much every year and come up disappointed. Not this year. This year revealed that in December 2010, the film was released on Region One under its US title A Midwinter's Tale by the Warner Bros Archive Collection imprint, and copies are available still available. There are still a few copies from Amazon's Marketplace. See where it says 2 new from £11.98? That used to be three. Looks like I'll be watching it again in January. Updated! It's back up to three. Posted on Friday, December 23, 2011 1 comments If Star Wars were made today who would you cast in which part? Film Sacrilege. One might even say “blasphemy”. Recast Star Wars? Are you mad? But note this isn’t a question about remaking Star Wars. This is about who would be cast if time skipped a beat and George Lucas was making the series now. It’s a challenge especially since when Lucas was casting the original film he was looking generally at unknowns for the young parts with established British actors in the main roles. Economies of scale now generally mitigate against that, actors tend to have to be established to some degree even if it's for television work and perhaps even more. So just to offer my first justification I’ve selected from known knowns rather than known unknowns. I’ve also stuck to the main roles, the kinds of faces that might appear on the posters (sorry fans of Mon Mothma). Michael Cera is Luke Skywalker Nathan Fillion is Han Solo Emma Stone is Princess Leia Organa Alan Rickman is Grand Moff Tarkin Kenneth Branagh is Ben Kenobi Anthony Daniels is C-3PO (Eddie Izzard if unavailable) R2-D2 is CGI Paul Kasey (on stilts) is Chewbacca Stellan Skarsgård is Uncle Owen Juliette Binoche is Aunt Beru Paul Kasey is Darth Vader James Earl Jones is his voice (Peter Serafinowicz if unavailable) Michael Kenneth Williams is Lando Calrissian Paul Kasey is Boba Fett Kevin Spacey is The Emperor Paul Kasey is Greedo Most of those are predictably self-explanatory. But since you’ve asked, Luke isn’t an action character in a traditional sense; he’s a farm boy forced to take up his calling so it doesn’t need a Chris Evans or Chris Hemsworth but a loser who could become a hero. Paul Kasey is under the suit of most nuWho aliens so has tons of experience. Plus, there has to be someone from The Wire, and Omar fits the bill. Posted on Friday, December 23, 2011 0 comments Labels: review 2011 What's the last game you played, and did you win? Question asked by Jess Haskins. Life When did everything in life become a game? Perhaps everything in life has always been a game, hence the board game. It just seems that as I age, everything from interpersonal relationships, to using public transport to shopping requires strategies, acute senses and problem solving skills which fill every decision with some element of jeopardy, negative outcomes leading to a loss of time, a loss of money and sometimes much worse. Without thinking ahead you’ll find yourself saying the wrong thing at the wrong time, missing the bus or inadvertently being ripped off in a supermarket, drip on drip of anxiety which ultimately leads to exhaustion, mental and physical. Why does everything we say feel like it’s under a microscope and why is every conversation so fraught with danger that every sentence, clause and tone of voice has the awareness of being picked over because we’re so desperate to project a certain version of ourselves, which also changes depending on the people we’re with? Unlike most, I seem to be at ease amongst strangers because they haven’t worked me out yet, I could still be anyone. The worry only descends when those strangers become friends and I suddenly feel the potentiality to be judged and rejected so I begin to question everything, every word, which is presumably why making new friends, proper friends, trusted friends becomes impossible. Sometimes it’s easier just to bug out, lose a life. As some of you know I work at the weekends finishing at around five o’clock and there are about five bus stops weaving through the city centre until the place where I should wait. When I began this job, it soon became apparent that because it’s only a half hour, it would always be full by the time it reaches me and it would always drive past. For a couple of years I gritted my teeth but the wait was becoming ever longer, pointless, because of the relative distances. Eventually I just decided to get a taxi home those two nights and absorb the extra twenty pound a month on top of the exorbitant bus fair (£1.90 flat fair) it would have been anyway, worth it just to get the time back and reduce my stress levels. Even something as simple as buying a Christmas tree. Last year we turned up at the seller a week before the 25th, as usual, and there were few trees left and the only scotch pine was more akin to a branch than an actual tree. Charlie Brown’s was larger. So this year we decided to attend a week earlier and sure enough loads more scotches but they were far too tall for our ceiling and mostly bagged. Which is where the gamesmanship comes in. Which to choose? Eventually we came to a decision, having rejected others for being too bushy or having a longer trunk than we required, but the whole process was amazingly tense, despite the fact that any real tree looks amazing in the corner of the room with some lights on. I tend to win and lose in equal measure I think, which actually a higher ratio than when I used to play computer games regularly and the only chance I had of seeing past the average first level was via cheat code entered using an Action Replay cartridge in the back of the Commodore 64. But life has few cheat codes, bar the odd money off voucher or competition win, no way to turn off sprite detection or have infinite ammunition (at least I don’t think so). I’ve also realised that it’s up to me to decide exactly what “winning” might be because unlike the boxed game, life itself doesn’t have any particular rules. So I’ll just keep playing and hope at some point I’ll escape the Jet Set Willy infinite death loop by myself. Posted on Thursday, December 22, 2011 0 comments Labels: review 2011 Why do you think the common discourse in our society, at political, technical and cultural levels, generally ignores the likely impending collapse of our civilisation? Answer can include things like: What are the consequences of this ignorance? How does it make you feel? What does it remind you of? What could alter it? Bonus: Avoid making assumptions about the exact nature and timing of the collapse - there are lots of possible ones, and nobody knows the future. It's probabilistic. Question from Francis Irving. Let's begin. Prestissimo, please. Civilisation is going to collapse. We won’t know how, we won’t know when, but at some point, civilisation is going to collapse. In order to answer the question we have to work from that assumption outwards. If the question was, “Will civilisation collapse?” my answer would more likely be “maybe” (illustrated by a picture of me shrugging) because to continue in the first person, even though I’m inherently pessimistic about myself, I’m optimistic that civilisation will survive. But the question is the question and so we must proceed from the assumption that civilisation will collapse. If society is wilfully ignoring that impending collapse then it’s for the same reason that I doesn’t think it will happen. It’s because society itself is inherently optimistic and to work, to carry on, it has to assume that civilisation has a future. What’s the point of trying to accumulate wealth if you can’t spend it? What’s the point in having a car if you can’t drive it? But society is constantly as war with itself on these issues, because it knows collectively, not always subliminally that the consequences of such optimism and ignorance could itself bring about the collapse of society. But it can’t help itself. It has an addictive personality. To say I’m disappointed would be an understatement. We should be aware of all potentialities for collapse and making plans. But there are enough clever stupid people and ignorant stupid people willing to listen to stop that from happening. It’s become an ideological fight between whether bringers of truth or lies can have the upper hand and too often, because this is a petulant, self-perpetuating machine, the latter takes precedence, largely because it’s cunning enough to offer the version of the truth which best suits their purposes. That’s how apathy develops. Why bother arguing against someone who isn’t willing to be rational in the first place? It’s like this column/piece/essay/blogpost/blog post which could and probably should have been well researched and planned out pointing to useful articles like this one from The Guardian about how the population will increase to such an extent the film Soylent Green will look like a documentary. But the bonus section wilfully disallows me from coming to any conclusions about what the nature of the collapse will be, forces me to ignore the specifics and work in generalisations leading to woolly thinking. Which is society’s other approach to the collapse. There are so many potentialities it chooses to ignore them all. Which means that in the end, because society is fixed in a reactive rather than proactive cycle, the only way the situation can alter is the actual collapse of our civilisation, because then, and only then, will society, or what’s left of it, know what hit it and have some ideas on how to deal with it. But of course, we’ll probably spend so much time analysing what happened, having arguments about who was to blame, with the people who were to blame pointing to other about causes and wanting to see how they can profit from it, that it’ll stay collapsed. Which is why I have to be optimistic, because the alternative is too horrible to contemplate. Posted on Wednesday, December 21, 2011 0 comments Labels: review 2011 If Matt Smith was to leave Dr Who tomorrow and then the BBC rang to offer you the role, how would you play it? Question from Risa Arendall via Facebook. TV For a fan like me this is a two part question. Would I play it? Then how would I play it? My immediate answer to the first would be in the negative for the simple reason of concern at the kind of madness which has led the BBC or more specifically whoever’s running the show to offer the lead part in one of the flagship programmes to an amateur blogger from Liverpool with miniscule acting experience (a twenty week night course and understudying a public speaking competition at school). Apart from anything else we’re ex-directory which means they’d have to do some detective work to get the number which means they’d really want me and I’d be wondering whether this was their attempt to run the series into the ground. To buy into the fantasy and assume in fact I do look, sound and have the acting ability of Laurence Fox (if not him for the twelfth Doctor, who else?) or Romola Garai (that's who else) would I take the role? Well, on the one hand it’s very seductive. It’s the Doctor. It’s the role of a lifetime, even if, like Matt Smith, you aren’t really fan before you get the call. Assuming there’s a decent writer at the helm, support from the BBC and you’re likeable enough to attract people to watch even on Christmas Day, you’re set up for life, especially now that it won’t necessarily typecast you in the way it might have done in the past. And even if that doesn’t work out the convention circuit is very welcoming. On the other it’s hard bloody work and not just spending nine months in production with its bonkers scheduling. There’s the publicity machine, the endless interviews with people asking the same old questions, there’s the media you don’t want to talk to who’ll make up stories about you anyway and you wouldn’t be able to go out in public ever again if you’re a private kind of person. Then there’s the Malkovich element of seeing your face everywhere including the merchandise you once may have coveted. There’s no use picking up a copy of Doctor Who Magazine to find out what’s happening, because you are what’s happening. Plus, and this is important, you’ll no longer be able to watch the show like a fan, which is at least one of the reasons offered for leaving by both Russell T Davies and David Tennant, that they wanted to be able to watch the programme again and not know what was going to happen. Which is bonkers, especially since you’re doubtless going to also be at the epicentre of merchandising freebees, boxes of books and cds and dvds turning up on a weekly basis, probably. But yes, that would be in the mix. Plus I’d be on the other side of the internet’s review nexus dealing with amateur bloggers from Liverpool describe how rubbish I am on a weekly basis. And yet, and yet, like the tenth Doctor himself looking into The Satan Pit in The Satan Pit, there’s the itch. It’s Doctor Who. Why would anyone not want to be in Doctor Who no matter the consequences? Look at an average episode of Confidential and look at the production team at least, that family, that amazingly democratic family. Everyone says how much they’ve enjoyed working on the programme (at least the less egotistical ones, Swift) and it’s because of that family. There’s a reason Danny Hargreaves is still in there, blowing things up after all these years. There can’t be many shows like it. In addition, for good or ill, even if you’re rubbish, you’d become part of television history. For most of the populace, Paul McGann only had one adventure as the Doctor, but he’s still the Eighth Doctor. He still appears in montage sequences, in the general historical articles in newspapers, still asked about the role, still does the convention circuit. People can barely remember who all the actors in the average soap are, or which series of Spooks this or that spy appeared in, but they always seem to know who’s played the Doctor. Never mind the fictional character, it’s become one of the few roles in which an actor can be immortalised. So on reflection, yeeees, yeeees, I would do it! I would do it! And probably even if I wasn’t married to Billie Piper or a woman. Because actually the franchise is probably actor proof. Anyone can play the Doctor. Hugh Grant’s played the Doctor, albeit for just a few moments, and he was amazing. Arabella Weir’s played the Doctor on audio in an alternative universe story and she was amazing too. Those were twenty very good weeks and I probably would have given Henry V’s “Once More Unto The Breach…” a fair bit of welly, even if the sixteen year old version of me couldn’t remember all of it. I could be the first Doctor to improvise the role. Agonising over, how would I do it? Doctors seem to be rather split down the middle between those for whom its a job of acting and those for whom the role is a natural extension of their personality. As you might expect there's some discussion as to which Who fits into which category, though there's not much argument that Tom Baker and Matt Smith were and are largely playing versions themselves. I'd argue Tennant is somewhere in the middle, giving the "Tennant" performance which crops up throughout his work. Legendary writer Terrance Dicks always said that you just need to write the same Doctor and leave it up to the actor's interpretation but I'd disagree. The brilliance of Who isn't just that the show itself is flexible, or that the main character can change his appearance, it's also that his attitude is quantum locked with the needs of the story. The Eleventh Doctor in The Doctor's Wife is a different presence to Let's Kill Hitler then Closing Time, partly because of the writer but also because of the actor's reaction to the script. To an extent, nuWho's spoilt the gene pool because aristocratic is right out. Unless Mark Gattis has a few ideas when he inevitably takes over, the Pertwee approach wouldn't work. Much as we love him, or some of us do, he's something of an alienating presence, and although like all Doctors he warmed up over time, the last thing you'd want is for him to be patronising all in sundry and visiting private clubs. He needs to be a bonkers presence, the benevolent alien with the darker side bubbling under the surface waiting to explode. But always clever. And kind. Don't laugh (though you will), but I sometimes catch myself being Doctorish in real life, running my voice off, injecting a hint of unnecessary sarcasm and searching for the right thing to say in order to diffuse whatever mood someone's in. And problem solving, lots of problem solving. It's not on purpose, it's not consciously "What would the Doctor do?" It just sort of happens. Then I notice later. Or project it. I wonder sometimes if it's a fan thing. If we all do this. That we've all played the Doctor. Sort of. Posted on Tuesday, December 20, 2011 0 comments Labels: doctor who Are the tips in The Sunscreen Song really useful? Guest answer from Lisa-Marie Ferla. Life I feel as have been spending most of this month backpedalling furiously, playing catch-up. More so than usual, I mean. The fact that I thought Stuart’s original deadline of “the first week of December” for my contribution to this project was a long way off, and easily reachable, probably tells you all I need to know. This time last year I was working in retail, an aftershock of the Great Financial Downturn of 2008. I was working for a company who probably see themselves as more than a consumer electronics outlet, and to be fair some of its innovations have come to define this first decade of the 21st century in much the same way as the death of its pioneer made particular headlines on the tech blogs I now scan in my current role here in 2011. What I’ll tell you about retail is that there ain’t no way the festive season is sneaking up on you in that environment, particularly when you’re selling the ‘must-have’ gadgets some of the richer brats of Glasgow are expecting bulking out their stockings. This December, however, I’m back working in journalism (I’ve always thought of myself as a journalist first and foremost, but it’s only this year I haven’t had to stretch the boundaries of the definition to include the word in my CV). My focus is the law, particularly as it pertains to business, and as the Government releases report after consultation trying to clear its desks and justify its existence before the country closes down for the holidays I don’t think I’ve ever found myself generating so many words. Still, December is a great month for those of us concerned for what we’ve been missing. Some blog, somewhere, will for example have curated a list of the Best Memes of 2011 - although surely, if you missed them first time around, they can hardly have been meme-y at all. Seriously. WTF is a “nyan cat”? Did you..? The Sunscreen Song, which you’ll probably best remember from its Baz Luhrman-remixed spoken word single interpretation, was fourteen years old this summer. Think about that. Fourteen years (twelve, I suppose, if you’re going by the single release but the newspaper column the words come from appeared in the Chicago Tribune on 1 June 1997. That’s a little less than half a lifetime, yet I’m pretty sure you can still remember huge chunks of the words in a way you certainly won’t be able to recall huge chunks of Rebecca Black’s “Friday” when you hit your mid-forties. The word “meme” was yet to slither its insidious way into the Oxford English Dictionary when The Sunscreen Song entered popular culture, but that its words still have some sort of ageless resonance - in fact, they’re perfectly pitched to be pretty much endlessly reblogged on Tumblr - is a testament to the power and simplicity of its advice. Incidentally, I’ve been layering on sunscreen and hiding in the shade with a book since before Boots the Chemist Buy One Get One Free Ambre Solaire made it a necessity. Pale and interesting, even if it is under a head of hair more suited to Mediterranean ancestry, beats skin cancer hands down any day. Plus, the sweat? Not so attractive. In its original op-ed incarnation the ‘song’ carried the strapline Advice, Like Youth, Probably Just Wasted On The Young and what strikes me now as I reread its words, trembling on the precipice of my 30s, is that that line is perhaps its most prophetic. I have no idea how old its author was when she penned them but I am beginning to suspect they were never aimed at a carefree seventeen-year-old. Age is, of course, nothing but a number but as those numbers begin to stack up they’re still pretty scary. That’s why I might be eating chocolate spread for breakfast, using rich tea biscuits as a spoon, but I’ve still drawn up a list of thirty things I’m putting pressure on myself to accomplish before there’s a change in both column (a) and column (b) come June. Because I still don’t know what I want to do with my life, but the difference between 29 and and the breakdown I had when I graduated with my second degree at 22 is that at least I’m living it, to some extent, rather than hiding under the covers and considering the whole thing a tremendous amount of pressure to pile on a girl. You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they’ve faded... You are not as fat as you imagine. You know, 2011 was the year that I gathered my Righteous Feminist Rage to my ample chest and realised I didn’t care any more. If fifty sit-ups in the morning and regular two-mile walks with my headphones on isn’t going to flatten out my stomach then perhaps it isn’t meant to be flat. As long as I can still shoehorn my boobs into a dress that makes me look like Christina Hendricks and accessorise my eyeshadow with my shoes before I head into the office, I’m golden. Nobody has yet to call me on my continuous mission to dress like a six-year-old. You should have seen the length on the skirts I wore on my eighteen-month hiatus from #corporatelaw. Actually, you probably couldn’t. If you get my meaning. Respect yourself. That’s the message in its purest form. Don’t waste your time on jealousy, worrying about the future or chewing over the insults you receive. Don’t put up with people who are reckless with [your heart]. It’s easier said than done, but I’m going to print that one out in 24pt font and stick it on my fridge. I wish I’d made a note of it when I was seventeen. But I probably wouldn’t have learned the importance of it otherwise. What do I honestly believe? Yes advice, like youth, may be wasted on the young but if you don’t make your own mistakes in the first place then you’ll have no platform for recognising how right that advice was. So read as much as you can, then go out and make your own mistakes. Allow yourself five minutes to wallow in the stupidity of your decisions: the empty gin bottle, the text message you can hardly remember, the corns that will only disappear after two weeks in trainers. Then phone a friend, phone a pizza and remember that everything usually looks better in the morning. And besides, if I didn’t mess too much with my hair I’d already look 85. In the meantime I’m working on my list, eating chocolate spread for breakfast and looking forward to spending my next sunny holiday sitting in the shade, plotting how to turn The Sunscreen Song’s most important advice - to live in New York City once - into a reality. And when my sister asks me what I’m doing, as she turns over to get some colour on her front, I will tell her that I heard it in a song once. Posted on Monday, December 19, 2011 0 comments Labels: review 2011 Vegetarianism. Topic suggested by Rosie Fernandez. Food My first visit to the Egg Café was over ten years ago for a works Christmas night out. The whole idea seemed terribly exotic. Not because it was as it is now, a vegetarian restaurant but because as now, it didn’t have a drinks license and so diners could take their own alcohol and the cafe charging a pound for corkage. Paying someone to open a bottle seemed strange until someone pointed out to me that they’d also ultimately have to deal with disposing of the bottles. There was a Secret Santa that night I now remember; I gave someone a wine carrier and I was given a Blackwells mouse mat. Even after ten years, the restaurant/café hasn’t changed that much. It’s in a loft in Newington Buildings just off Renshaw Street at the top of a winding staircase, containing an exhibition area and as you can see from the photo I've embedded from flickr because I neglected to take a camera myself, more tables than it might seem capable of accommodating from looking up from street level. It’s perhaps slightly less bo-ho than I remember, less about sofas, but it still retains an atmosphere inclusive enough for regulars searching the mythic third place, large parties and the sharing of secrets amongst secretive people. I chose it after meeting another friend there recently for the beginning of a night out. After climbing the many stairs I pushed through the heavy doors into the candle-lit space unable to quite comprehend the difference to everything else outside. The beautifully painted rafters, the wooden floors and the paintings all combined to make me wonder if I'd entered some new dimension. "Why don't I come here?" I kept saying to my friend, "Why don't I come here?" So when another friend was in town for a few days, this was the perfect place for us to go. Ordering is from a bewildering selection of food on a chalkboard behind a counter filled with prospective dishes, which is sometimes much more preferable to the monolithic mystery of most menus where the diner is locked in a bond of trust with the waiter and the chef as to what the plate will contain once a selection’s been made. It’s one of the reasons I was a regular at the late Everyman Bistro which also had the virtue of being able to watch the food being heated in the microwaves at the back. Cash conscious, my visiting dining companion and I decided on the set menu which is all three courses and a beverage for £9.75. Orders for the starters and mains are made up front and as far we could tell because that's what seemed to work for us, diners attend the counter between courses when they’re ready which allows for a leisurely pace and there’s no sense as in some restaurants of being hurried through the meal by over attentive waiters. We’re identified by a number on a slip of paper. This is the point in professional restaurant reviews when you’d receive a length dissection of the courses. This being my first restaurant review (I'm winging it, can't you tell?) and lacking a rarefied palate and liking what I like, all I can say is that I couldn’t find fault. This was a meal between old friends catching up, so it wasn’t really about the food to begin with, but there weren’t any moments when the quality of anything going into the mouth interrupted the flow of conversation which in most cases, in most night’s out in fact, is all diners really want. The starter, some kind of spicy lentil soup, was smooth and tasty and not indigestibly strong in that way that indicates the chef doesn’t appreciate that there may be more courses to come. After a slight wobble, I chose the garlic bread, a large slice of tin loaf which is helpfully illustrated in the front page of the Egg’s website. It looks greasy but it was the perfect accompaniment and there’s something to be said for the effort in breaking up the bread and dripping it in the soup, so that even in a deceptively simple dish you become an active presence. That was especially true of the mains, or at least the bolognaise I ordered which was served half with rice and half with a kitchen sink like salad that even included pesto pasta. This was based, I think, on some kind of meat substitute rather than just beans (although there were plenty of those) and came in a portion which almost dwarfed the table which meant I was half conversing with my dinner companion and half making sure that I wasn’t the messy eater I tend to be. Much cleverer than me, he’d selected a broccoli quiche which he seemed to relish. We returned to the counter to select a desert, he a carrot cake, me a chocolate fudge which were trayed up with a large pot of tea for two. Both were again excellent, mine as indulgent and rich as chocolate fudge cake should be and somehow despite everything else my stomach was able to fit it all in, as though it was replicating the TARDIS-like properties of the café. For just under a tenner the whole meal represents excellent value. Since the closure of the Everyman Bistro, I’ve been looking for an alternate which has the same relaxed atmosphere, easy ordering system and flavoursome food and I think I may have found it in the Egg. There’s the same sense of feeling right at home whilst simultaneously being in a space unlike most anywhere else in Liverpool which considering my oscillating comfort zone is no mean feat. As we left, my friend, who is a vegetarian said, “Good choice” and despite loving meat, I had to agree with him. The Egg Cafe, 16 - 18 Newington, Liverpool L1 4ED (0151 707 2755). Meal for two, including tea and service, £19.50. Posted on Sunday, December 18, 2011 0 comments Labels: review 2011 The Opinion Engine 2.0:24/31:When really was the g... Ken Branagh's In The Bleak Midwinter now available... The Opinion Engine 2.0:23/31If Star Wars were made... The Opinion Engine 2.0:22/31:What's the last game ... The Opinion Engine 2.0:21/31:Why do you think the ... The Opinion Engine 2.0: 20/31: If Matt Smith was t... The Opinion Engine 2.0:19/31:Are the tips in The S... The Opinion Engine 2.0:18/31:Vegetarianism.
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L6-Part 5 Social Control Mener l'innovation dans les arts et la culture Université Vanderbilt 4.5 (32 notes) | 9K étudiants inscrits Developed by David Owens at Vanderbilt University and customized for the cultural sector with National Arts Strategies, this course is designed to help arts and culture leaders create an environment where new ideas are constantly created, shared, evaluated and the best ones are successfully put to work. One of the toughest challenges for any leader is getting traction for new ideas. Winning support can be a struggle. As a result, powerful new ideas often get stuck. This is especially true in the cultural sector. People involved in arts and culture often have little time and even less money for experimentation and risks. This course will help those in the performing arts, museums, zoos, libraries and other cultural organizations build environments where new management and program ideas flourish. Leading Innovation in Arts & Culture will teach you how to make an "innovation strategy" a fundamental component of your organization's overall strategy. In this seminar you will learn to: - Analyze constraints on innovation in your organization, foresee obstacles and opportunities, and develop a shared vision - Develop a process to manage the demands of multiple stakeholders, shifting priorities and the uncertainty inherent in new initiatives - Create a culture for innovation and risk-taking that generates new perspectives and challenges existing practice - Create a strong customer focus within your organization that anticipates customer needs National Arts Strategies worked with David Owens to customize this course for those working in the cultural sector. They based their work on David Owens’ Leading Strategic Innovation in Organizations course. This highly interactive 8-week course will engage you in a series of class discussions and exercises. Is not made express for arts and culture but it really applies!!! so happy to course it Fantastic!!! a must do course for any aspiring innovators. Societal Constraints This week's session explores the perspective of the sociologist and anthropologist. People who adopt this view argue that innovation is likely to be constrained by (1) the views that a society holds of itself, (2) how it enforces those views, and (3) the history by which it came to hold and share those views. In more basic terms, this view suggests that innovation will fail when a society does not see how a proposition for change can make it become more of what it wants to be. Society will oppose changes that are antithetical to the ideals that it holds for itself. This constraint should feel familiar to arts and culture, where so much work challenges how we as individuals, groups and societies see and understand ourselves and our world. As in other sessions, in addition to the watching the lectures, you are asked to do the diagnostic survey and reflection essay, and participate in the forum discussions. As an additional exercise (All Students), this week will also require you to analyze a case study. L6-Part 1 Introduction3:52 L6-Part 2 Human Cloning?2:37 L6-Part 3 Values & Identity A7:43 L6-Part 4 Values & Identity B14:25 L6-Part 5 Social Control13:08 L6-Part 6 History Constraints13:30 L6-Part 7A Segway Constraints Analysis16:36 L6-Part 7B Segway Constraints Analysis13:28 David A. Owens, PhD, PE Jim Rosenberg Independent Consultant and Senior Advisor at NAS The next of the social constraints, I want to talk about is social control, and how social control is exerted, asserted you know in societies. Social control are really about these guiding behaviors. How do we guide the behaviors of people? How do we hold members accountable? When things are done according to our values, like we talked about, we just talked about values. Like, so things go against our values or according to our values, what happens then? How do we hold members accountable for their behaviors in the society? in the 1700s Jean-Jacques Rousseau, he said, you know, man is free, but everywhere, he's in chains. And what he meant was that we have freedom of choice that we have volition and we can choose to do all sorts of things. I can choose to drive down the street on the wrong side of the street, I can run around hitting people, there's all kinds of things I can do. But some, for some reason, the vast majority of us, we accept the yolk of society, that is, we agree that we're going to play by the rules that society sets. And that's the kind of social control that we want to think about, that we actually we willingly adopt the yolk, in order to be able to live a more productive and more functional society. because think about if we had the kind of anarchy where everyone's running around doing whatever they wanted to, it would be very difficult to conduct the society. It would be very difficult to have a culture in that world. The social control is a way that society maintains order, right? That, that we, we, maintain order and, and through that, long term survival. We do it through politics, we have norms, morality, we have ethics, laws regulations, and all kinds of other forms of social control that's asserted over people. And sometimes people, you know, they, they push back against that, but nonetheless, it is in reaction to assertion by society. The society tries to control them, even if there is a rebellion about it they still, it still is in response to that social control. So, really at the heart of this is the problem of social control. Social control takes two forms. We'll just talk first about explicit controls. So, these are the very things that are written down, the things that are very obvious and clear, the kind of controls that come in the form of laws and, and regulation. So music sharing, early on, it was not clear that it was illegal, it was not really sure. society made it explicit, you can't do that. And that was the DMCC, the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. it was a way of ensuring that people weren't doing this thing called music sharing. And so, what was before not completely clear, was clarified, this very, very, very specifically. And what some of the record companies, the RIA, the, the Record Industry, Association, went around suing people to make sure that they understood that, explicitly, this is not legal. And we'll put you in jail if it is. So, society is asserting this kind of control. In the, to earlier, go back to the cloning example, in the early 2000s cloning was, was unethical. It was, it's been unethical. But it was not illegal. Not until Brigitte Boisselier, the doctor, French doctor, claimed that she had done this, did all of the sudden the laws come out to do it. So, there's something about this, this kind of explicit control that maybe sort of backwards looking. Alright. And so, there was, she did this thing. It was not illegal. But then, all these laws came out to say hey, that thing is illegal. In fact, there are lots of civil laws against it. So, there's the United Nations' banned it, the United States Congress, lots of states banned it. every country that I know of that I was able to find, has actually, has actually banned human cloning. And also, some religious organizations banned it as well. The Roman Catholic Church said this is a grave offense, unto the dignity of the person, the person being cloned, and is also a problem for all people. there is an Islamic Fatwa issued against it, to say, you know, in effect, basically just because you can do something, it doesn't mean you should do it. Unless it serves the interest of mankind. Unless it makes us, protects us from harm and makes us better. So, again here is that the social control is asserted because someone is engaging in an act that is not considered helpful, it's not considered to make us better. And it's, in fact, considered something that potentially harmful to us all. Now, what's the harm, well there's this fear of what could go wrong. We don't understand enough about cloning to be able to do it in a way that makes sense. Let alone that we don't know what a good use of human cloning would be. So, regulatory constraints these, these kinds of regulations, I think really, the goal is to stabilize society, so you keep things sort of stable, and then also, to protect the vulnerable. these are really noble aims, these are important things, these are good things. These are the things that have to be in place, in order for us to have society. Things that what, basically by Jean-Jacques Rousseau was saying. Still, they can be controlling, they can be distracting. they require some legitimized ideas. So, I have an idea of doing something, and then I have to put, test it against the law. You know, this legal, this is, you know, regulated, this is not regulated. And in the end, what this does is the regulatory constraints, they force new tests, old tests for new concepts. So, I may have some new way of thinking about things, and I have to push that against old tests. Again, it's a good test to have to do to make sure that I'm not going to harm society. But nonetheless, we need to consider it when we think about pushing our innovations forward. That is getting our innovations implemented adopted in the world. The other kind of social control is or tacit. These are like norms, morals, ethics traditions, things that were generally not written down. They're not, sort of, explicit. They're not, it's not clear that we know why or how we know them, but we just know them. And so these are things like read this funny, I don't know if it's funny, but I read this interesting example of a there's was a store in Virginia and three or four young men, African American men. They had their pants down around their waist, their underwear is showing. Now, one of the men, in fact, had a holster and was carrying a nine millimeter pistol. In Virginia, there's an open carry law, so you're allowed to carry a firearm on the outside. Don't ask me about that. but an old woman in there, saw the boys and she started yelling at them, hey, you guys, you guys look awful. I can't believe you're doing that. You're bringing down the race. You're making us look bad. Like, pull up your pants. And she started berating them, despite the fact that, that one of them had a pistol. Eventually, apparently, the, the police came. But still, this kind of control, she was making explicit what was normally tacit. People should know not to wear their pants like that. People should know not to behave in that way. And so, she was trying to remind them that, in fact, there are social norms about how it is we dress. There are reasons that these, you know these things we wear are called underwear and not the outerwear. So, how do we overcome these social control constraints? And again, here the question is, do we, is it about overcoming them or really just about understanding them? So. I'm not proposing that we subvert these constraints, because I think it's important that society have control, the society be able to, to step into innovations in measured ways, in considered ways. But still, we want to consider them and understand that sometimes we may need to be able to see what's going on. So, three things we can do, we can watch for impending regulation, we can show society a better way, and we can put the idea before the pad. And let me tell you what I mean by those three things. There's an interesting story about monitoring rules and regulations where Sir Richard Branson, the CEO of Virgin Galactic. He was also Virgin Record, Virgin Airlines and now Virgin Galactic. He's trying to form a space tourism business. And the space tourism business is kind of interesting. It requires lots and lots of technical development. So, think of this as an innovation, where you have to create the, a new rocket, create a new rocket engine formulation. They're not doing it the same way. There's, there's two wing, there's two fuselage thing here takes the space ship up. And then, it goes up from there. Lots and lots and lots of technical innovations. Really important things developed and invented and created in the, in the spirit of, of getting this space craft to work. So, as you're working on this, one thing that happened was in the US Congress started debate, debate a bill, a, a law that would make it. So that if you did space tourism, that is if you took a tourist up into space and you crashed or the thing crashed coming down that the company would, Virgin Galactic, in this case, would be fully liable. Would be 100% liable for that. They would not be able to waive any, any liability. So, it's just to say basically if, if, you're driving a car, and it was a Ford car and you got in a crash, then Ford would be liable. That would be pretty problematic. And he saw immediately, that would be the end of this business. Right, it would be the end of the industry in the United States. And so, what did they do, what he did was he got all of his astronaut buddy, friends together, they all went to Washington, they started a really big campaign of lobbying, of trying to get the rules and regulations changed to make sure that they didn't pass a law that made this business that they had, this idea that they had impo, impossible. And in fact, they were able to defeat the legislation. They had Buzz Aldrin and a bunch of people like that, who came out and said, you know, if you do this, you're going to kill this industry. And so, you think about what the active innovation is lobbying that is monitoring rules and regulations and, and you know, basically asserting your interest with your, your local politician is not sound like innovation. But in fact, in this case, it was a critical thing to do, in order get the innovation passed. And so, this is not about out, outwitting or, or subverting society's role, but really it was sort of saying, hey, there's another way to look at this. This rule and regulation they're going to put in, the social control, is actually harmful to society. And actually, not going to help us as much as having a private space industry that will help us. Showing a better way. I remember working with some people who would run, would run clinical trials. And they were telling me about that they had developed a way to think about the statistics for clinical trials. And so, what they figured out was that there was a way to do the math, so that the, the statistics of each clinical trial. So that they could basically understand how to understand if a patient on the drug, you know, sooner or later they would have people on the drug and people like a control group, and would have them go along and they would look for symptoms and things. How they could do this statistics in a way that would allow them to say much earlier to see whether it's working or not working. And if people, if it's working, put the people in the not drug, on the drug, right? To help them. And if it isn't working, then take people off the drug. Because maybe it could be doing further harm. And so, this new way of doing the statistics, they proposed to the FDA and the FDA said, hey, wait a minute, this is not in our protocol. This is not the way that we accept it. You have to put this in a different form, in order for us to understand. So, you need to do it the old way, in other words. And these researchers were saying no, but we have a better way. And so what they ended up doing was actually teaching the FDA. They had to show the FDA how it is we do this thing. How we do this math. And, and teach them, in order to be able to get the innovation done. So again, here, it's really the innovation was not doing the math understanding how to do statistics. The innovation was convincing other people that, in fact, this was a legitimate way to do it. And then, therefore change the administrative procedures required in order to allow this new way to be accepted and to be legitimate in the way in the, in the administrative mechanism of the FDA. Another thing about distracting the, the distractions that are caused by regulations and rules is an interesting story about VisiCalc. I don't know if you know what VisiCalc was? VisiCalc was the predecessor of Excel. So, the guy who invented, actually there's two guys that invented VisiCalc. Never patented it. And, and, and the one of the inventors, the guy with the, the beard here Dan Bricklin, has a website where he talk about why they didn't invent it. And they think the headline of the website is something like, you, you know, were we stupid for not patenting it? And so, it turns out, at the time, the early, late 70s or early 80s, you couldn't patent software. Patents were considered a, a law of nature, there were algorithms, things like that. You couldn't patent plants. You couldn't patent m, software. And so, what they learned was that, basically they had about 10% chance of patenting it. Even if they lied about what it was and claimed that it was a software. They would still only had about 10% chance of getting a patent on that. So, they could spend a lot of time in their business trying to get that patent, work on the patent, paying their lawyers. You know, subverting this thing. ending up with a document that's barely defensible because once it's out that it's actually is software will be worth nothing. Or they could spend all that energy and time working on the business. You know, getting their business plan together, work on their marketing, getting the technology to work. And so, in that case, this kind of you know, the patent, the patent, the patent, that people are distracted by that. That actually doesn't add any value to have a patent without a product, that you have to have a product to market, and that way of creating value to make a patent worth something. Otherwise, it's not worth anything at all. And so, patenting VisiCalc had implications in the long run because the companies were able to copy what they did. But still, they had, they would not have been able to get a patent anyway. And they probably would have been out of business because they were so distracted by what was going on, that they actually wouldn't be able to bring this thing to market at all. So, social control is about guiding behavior, it's about holding people accountable for the things that happen in the society. And for keeping us functioning in a way that actually, protects the vulnerable and makes society work as a whole. So, in the next lecture, we're going to talk about history constraints. And what is the role of what came before in terms of creating an obligation for what comes next.
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Israel Folau’s appeal for financial assistance for his legal fight against Rugby Australia has been shut down by GoFundMe Australia. On 18 June 2019 a crowdfunding campaign was launched to fund Folau’s legal fight against Rugby Australia. Folau said, “I decided to take legal action when Rugby Australia terminated my employment contract and ended my playing career after I expressed my religious beliefs on social media. Sadly, Rugby Australia have said that they will devote significant resources to fight me in court. This shows I have a long and hard battle on my hands, which is why I am asking for your support.” (Also see, Appendix). Today (24 June 2019) the crowdfunding campaign was shut down by GoFundMe after raising more than $750,000 in a few days. They said, “We are absolutely committed to the fight for equality for LGBTIQ+ people and fostering an environment of inclusivity”. The company also said it would not tolerate the promotion of discrimination or exclusion. Except (in this case) the promotion of discrimination or exclusion against Bible-believing Christians! Culture watch According to Bill Muehlenberg’s blog, this is “a full-fledged war on Christianity, and on any believers who boldly stand up for their faith.” There have been relentless media attacks designed to vilify and demonise Folau. There is hatred of Folau and God. And the media continue to attack both him and his wife with false information. The legal significance of this case is very high. This case is our case if we are Christians, or people who have politically incorrect beliefs. It is unjust, and it threatens to set a precedent which could bring about the same injustice upon many employees, professionals, and others in the Australian community. Folau did no wrong, but he is being punished as a wrongdoer. It is ultimately about religious freedom – and the war against it. It’s a crackdown on Christianity. To what extent is religious expression protected in Australia? NSW One Nation MP Mark Latham, who defended Folau in his maiden speech to parliament earlier this year, said GoFundMe’s decision was “excessive use of corporate power”. He tweeted: “Lefties scoffed when I said the absence of religious freedom protections would lead to a reign of terror against Christians. In all aspects of the Folau matter, it’s easy to see what’s happening.” New funding page After GoFundMe shut down the crowdfunding site, the Australian Christian Lobby offered to host Folau’s online appeal for funds to pay for his legal case. Over $1 million was raised on the first day! The target is $3 million. If you can’t express your religious beliefs without losing your job, then you don’t have freedom of religion. Appendix: Statement on crowdfunding site “Thank you to all those who have given to my Legal Action Fund so far. I am humbled and overwhelmed by the support I have received, for which I am very grateful. Unsurprisingly, I have been criticised by Rugby Australia and some sections of the media overnight. I decided to take legal action when Rugby Australia terminated my employment contract and ended my playing career after I expressed my religious beliefs on social media. I have received thousands of messages from supporters who believe discrimination in the workplace is wrong and has no place in Australia or anywhere else. Sadly, Rugby Australia have said that they will devote significant resources to fight me in court. This shows I have a long and hard battle on my hands, which is why I am asking for your support. The money that is donated will be used to fund my legal battle, which could take years. While the attacks against me have shown I have a big fight on my hands, I will stand strong. Your support and my faith will give me strength. For those of you who have chosen to donate within your capacity, I am very grateful of your support for my legal case. For those not in the position to donate, I value your prayers and messages of support so much. Every little bit will help.” Israel Folau. This post includes comments from Bill Muehlenberg’s (Culture Watch) blog. Written, June 2019 Also see: Selective tolerance: Folau verses Rugby Australia June 24, 2019 | Categories: Christian, Culture, Spiritual | Tags: crowdfunding, Folau, GoFundMe, Israel Folau, religious freedom | Leave a comment “NSW needs freedom of speech laws, even for its own MPs. And also new laws for the protection of religious freedom”, Mark Latham claimed in his first speech to the New South Wales Parliament. “Many migrants came to Australia to escape religious persecution. Now they are saying the problems in their home country have followed them here. I’m not a Christian but I recognize the vital contribution of Christianity to our civilization: its vast social and charitable work; its teaching of right and wrong in civil society. I stand with Israel Folau. In his own private time away from his job playing football, he’s a preacher at his community church and naturally, he quotes the Bible. He believes, as millions of people have believed for thousands of years, that sinners go to Hell. As per his valid religious faith, he loves the sinner but condemns the sin. Yet for his beliefs, his Christianity, he is not allowed to play rugby, to chase the pigskin around the park. How did our State and our nation ever come to this? I was on Folau’s list of sinners, more than once actually. But as I don’t believe in Hell, there was no way I could take offence. Those claiming outrage have fabricated their position solely for the purpose of censorship. This is not an argument about diversity. The Wallabies (Australia’s rugby union team) have no female players, no disabled, no elderly, no middle aged. They are selected from a tiny fraction of the young, fit, athletic male population. By excluding a committed Christian, they are making their game less inclusive. And as for Folau being a role model for young gay men, one only needs to state this proposition to understand its absurdity. Footballers are not role models for anyone, other than in enjoying their sporting ability. I say to any young person: if you are looking for guidance and inspiration in life, study Churchill, Lincoln, Ronald Reagan and Roosevelt, not Todd Carney (a rugby league footballer). I believe that no Australian should live in fear of the words they utter. No Australian should be fearful of proclaiming four of the most glorious words of our civilization: “I am a Christian”. No one should be sacked by their employer for statements of genuine belief and faith that have got nothing to do with their job. The Folau case exposes the new serfdom in the Australian workplace: how big companies, the corporate PC-elites are wanting to control all aspects of their employees’ lives – their religious and political views, how they speak and think, how they behave, even in their own time away from the workplace. This is a stunning intrusion on workers’ rights. Yet far from condemning the new serfdom, Labor and the trade unions have been cheering it on. As per our One Nation election commitments, I will be moving legislation for the protection of free speech, religious freedom and the privacy rights of workers.” He also blogged: “Quoting the Bible should not be a workplace crime. The ARU should respect the rights of those who preach valid religious beliefs. They cannot make their game more ‘inclusive’ by excluding committed Christians. I will be moving Protection of Religious Freedom Laws in NSW Parliament later this year. The culture war on Christians must end.” His motion on religious freedom – “The House agreed to: (a) support the basic human right of NSW workers to express political, cultural and religious opinion in their private time, away from their place of work, without suffering employment penalties; and (b) support Article 18 of the International Covenant of Civil and Political rights, covering the right of each citizen to have freedom of religion.” Acknowledgement: Extract from a speech by Mark Latham (Member of the Legislative Council) to NSW Parliament, Australia, on 8 May 2019. Posted, June 2019 June 13, 2019 | Categories: Christian, Culture, Spiritual | Tags: bible, diversity, Folau, football, free speech, hell, Israel Folau, Latham, Mark Latham, religious freedom, sinners | Leave a comment Rugby Australia have sacked their best player because of the religious views he expressed on Instagram. Since then Israel Folau has begun legal proceedings for unlawful dismissal. As his views were based on the Bible, the Court case could involve an assessment of Christianity and the Bible. It’s possible that parts of the Bible could be deemed to be “hate speech” or homophobic because they aren’t “inclusive”. Hate speech is language that expresses prejudice against a particular group, especially on the basis of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, or physical or mental disability. But who decides what is “hate speech” and what is not? This is a very subjective topic as the answer could depend on the worldview of the person making the decision. For example, my views which are influenced by what the Bible says, will be different from those of an LGBT advocate. We live in a day where biblical truth is considered hate speech. Israel Folau says, “The word of God hurts, and that’s a good thing because it’s meant to turn us away from our sin and turn us to God” and “We should never compromise God’s word in order to make people feel comfortable!!!” The legal debate Rugby Australia claims the sacking was for a breach of their Code of Conduct (Appendix A) and Inclusion Policy (Appendix B), which are part of a player’s employment contract. But Folau claims his sacking was unlawful because section 772 of the Fair Work Act prohibits terminating a worker on the basis of religion. Apparently there is no other law to protect religious freedom in Australia. Section 772 of the Act says that an employer must not terminate an employee’s employment for any one of a list of unlawful reasons, including “religion”. If the parties don’t agree to arbitration by the Fair Work Commission, the employee can make an application to the Federal Court to deal with the matter. In this case they may need to rule on the limitations of an employer’s power to prevent discriminatory expression. The common understanding of the Fair Work Act is that workers cannot be sacked for expressing their religious views. But Rugby Australia must think that their Code of conduct can over-ride the Act. This is a case where an employer code of conduct appears to contradict an act of parliament. One possible outcome could be a ruling that codes of conduct must not contradict an act of parliament. But this is unlikely because it goes against the prevailing secular sympathy for the LGBT cause! There is also the aspect of an employer controlling people’s private life. An employer is entitled to regulate out of hours conduct of an employee when it has a relevant connection to the employment. But what if this action contradicts the Fair Work Act? The case has already been referred to the Fair Work Ombudsman by a Liberal senator seeking a ruling on whether an employer can sack an employee for expressing their religious beliefs on social media outside the workplace. I have previously written about Folau’s Instagram post. Does the post target homosexuals? The answer to this question is “Yes and no”. No, because it targets everyone (we are all “idolators”)! And yes because “homosexuals” are included in a list along with “drunks, adulterers, liars, fornicators, thieves, atheists, and idolators”. As the post isn’t only addressed to homosexuals, it doesn’t specifically target homosexuals. So the post isn’t homophobic. Why have there been no protests about the other categories of people mentioned in the post besides homosexuals? If it is unacceptable for homosexuals, then it should also be unacceptable for drunks, adulterers, liars, fornicators, thieves, atheists, and idolators! Does the post harm homosexuals? The answer to this will depend on your worldview. I think it doesn’t harm homosexuals (or others) because it tells the truth according to the Bible. It warns about a destiny that can be avoided. It offers help, not harm. A warning isn’t harmful or hateful. So the post isn’t homophobic. But the response by Rugby Australia to the post isn’t in keeping with Folau’s intention. However, an LGBT advocate, who is ignorant of the Bible or who disregards what it says, would probably think that it was criticizing homosexuals. But this view fails to take the context into account. The post doesn’t target homosexuals directly. Instead it targets everyone. In that case, everyone should be upset, not just homosexuals! Test case for free speech Some see the sacking as a threat to free speech and freedom of religion. Are we becoming more restrictive on religious views? Next weekend the “Religious freedoms at the crossroads conference – The rise of anti-Christian sentiment in the west” is being held at Perth in Australia. As a sign of the times, Facebook has censored this legal conference because it violates their “community standards”! So Facebook refuses to allow anyone to post information about this conference. This shows that our freedom of speech and religious freedom is already under threat. Recently, Open Doors—the global authority on Christian persecution—predicted the end of religious freedom in western nations. China blocks more than 3,000 foreign websites, including Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. And there is increased censorship of religious discussions on WeChat. In this way freedom of speech and freedom of religion is curtailed in China. Now the Christian view is being censored. It’s a world where evil is called good and good is called evil. And Christians are like Daniel in Babylon because community standards are against those in the Bible. Will this trend lead to the Bible being classified as discriminatory hate speech that’s homophobic and not inclusive? Will it be banned from usage in public and be restricted to private use? How ironic! The law of our land, which was based on laws of the Bible, could be used to condemn the Bible! And will Christians be persecuted for their faith like in some Muslim countries? A similar matter arose in the UK in 2012 when an employee was demoted and lost 40% of his wages after he questioned on his Facebook page about whether churches should be required to perform same-sex weddings. In this instance, the High Court held that the workplace code of conduct could not restrict the employee’s free speech (Smith v Trafford Housing Trust [2012] EWHC 3221). As you can see, this is a complex situation! And there can be conflicting views. But we can always pray for a good outcome that is fair to all concerned (if that’s possible!). Paul told Timothy, “I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all people” (1Tim. 2:1-6NIV). So we need to pray for those in authority “that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness”. If Folau loses his court case it will be difficult for Christians to live peaceful and quiet lives because their Christian views will no longer be acceptable by society. Instead they will be censored. Rugby Australia sacked their best player because he quoted and paraphrased the Bible. He lost he freedom of religious expression. This could lead to further discrimination against Christians and the censorship of Christian views. I wonder if Rugby Australia would sack a Muslim player for quoting or paraphrasing the Koran on Facebook or Instagram? They would probably celebrate their multiculturalism instead. Appendix A: Extract from Rugby Australia, Code of conduct “Treat everyone equally, fairly and with dignity regardless of gender or gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnicity, cultural or religious background, age or disability. Any form of bullying, harassment or discrimination has no place in Rugby.” (1.3) Appendix B: Extract from Rugby Australia, Inclusion policy (August 2014) Rugby Australia’s inclusion policy, which was adopted in 2014 and states, “Rugby has and must continue to be a sport where players, officials, volunteers, supporters and administrators have the right and freedom to participate regardless of gender, sexual orientation, race or religion and without fear of exclusion. There is no place for homophobia or any form of discrimination in our game and our actions and words both on and off the field must reflect this.” (1.6) “The overriding objective of this Policy is to make our position on inclusion clear. By doing so, we are signalling our commitment, as the governing body of Rugby Union in Australia, to make a stand to eradicate discrimination in all forms, including harassment and bullying toward gay, lesbian and bisexual people, individually and collectively with other sports codes.” (1.7) “While this Policy has a focus on homophobia and makes specific reference to gay, lesbian and bisexual people, the overarching principles and intention of the policy is to make a positive statement on the importance of inclusion for all, and the importance of eliminating all forms of discrimination in our game.” (1.8) June 12, 2019 | Categories: Christian, Culture, Spiritual | Tags: bible, Code of conduct, Fair Work Act, Folau, gay, hate speech, homosexual, inclusive, Israel Folau, Rugby Australia | 5 Comments Selective tolerance – Folau versus Rugby Australia Israel Folau has gone from being one of the best players in Australian rugby, to an outcast. How did this happen? On 10 April 2019, Folau quoted the Bible on his own Instagram page. Because the post mentioned homosexuals, it looks like he is being terminated from his livelihood of playing professional sport, will miss playing in the Rugby World Cup later this year and is being persecuted across Australia, the UK and New Zealand. When Tasmania passed new legislation making gender optional on birth certificates, Folau commented on Twitter, “The devil has blinded so many people in this world, REPENT and turn away from your evil ways. Turn to Jesus Christ who will set you free”. And He posted the following on Instagram. There was an image stating: “Warning – drunks, homosexuals, adulterers, liars, fornicators, thieves, atheists, idolaters – hell awaits you. Repent! Only Jesus saves”. There was a statement: “Those that are living in sin will end up in hell unless you repent. Jesus Christ loves you and is giving you time to turn away from your sin and come to Him.” And three passages were quoted from the Bible: “The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God” (Galatians 5:19-21NIV). “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). “In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now He commands all people everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:30). Here is an explanation of the reason for the post (Appendix A). The text in the image is a paraphrase of the following verses in the Bible: “Do you not know that the unrighteous [sinners] will not inherit the kingdom of God [they will go to hell instead of heaven]? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Cor. 6:9-10NKJV). Some say the text in the image is not a direct quote from the Bible because the words “warning” and “hell” have been added. They infer from this that Folau could not have been sacked it he had not included these words. However, this fails to recognize that the text is a paraphrase and not a direct quotation. The “kingdom of God” is equivalent to “heaven”. And the opposite of “heaven” is “hell”. And the truths expressed in any of these biblical passages can be applied as a warning, even though the word “warning” isn’t mentioned specifically. The context of the text in the image is the other text in the post, and this includes Galatians 5:19-21, which is a warning. Critics needed to read the whole text, not just the part that mentions “homosexuals”. This is basic to understanding the meaning of any statement. Rugby Australia intend to terminate Folau’s contract, because they say the post is a breach of their inclusion policy which states: “Rugby has and must continue to be a sport where players, officials, volunteers, supporters and administrators have the right and freedom to participate regardless of gender, sexual orientation, race or religion and without fear of exclusion. There is no place for homophobia or any form of discrimination in our game and our actions and words both on and off the field must reflect this”. They claim Folau’s post is a breach of the player’s code of conduct because “he cannot share material on social media that condemns, vilifies or discriminates against people on the basis of their sexuality”. The decision about Folau’s future is being made today. The accusation is that the post “condemns, vilifies or discriminates against people on the basis of their sexuality”. They say “The content within the post is unacceptable. It does not represent the values of the sport and is disrespectful to members of the Rugby community”. Media commentators are calling it “hateful”, “hate speech”, “harmful”, “homophobic”, “anti-gay comments” and “offensive”. A sponsor said, “These comments are really disappointing and clearly don’t reflect the spirit of inclusion and diversity that we support”. This persecution was swift and severe. And the attack has been relentless. In the name of inclusion and diversity they will not tolerate and include Israel Folau! There is no tolerance today towards outspoken Christians! This is not surprising. Both Jesus and Paul were persecuted for teaching the Christian faith (Appendix B). Paul was imprisoned and Jesus was executed. So it’s unsurprising that the Christian message given in the Bible isn’t tolerated today. Jesus told His disciples: “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first … If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also” (Jn. 15:18, 20). And Paul told Timothy that “Everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Tim. 3:12). The Christian message The Bible says that all people are sinners and they are all heading to eternity in hell unless they repent. That’s why God sent Jesus to earth. By taking the punishment we deserve upon Himself, Christ has made a way for people to be reconciled to God. So people must be warned. And that’s what Folau is doing. Mark Latham’s summary of the post is “that sinners go to Hell”. Some people are upset about his reference to hell. Hell is the judgement for sinners who refuse or ignore God’s free gift of eternal life. The Bible is full of references of the punishment of the wicked (Rom. 2:5-12; Gal. 6:7-8; Heb. 10:29-31; Rev. 20:11-15). Hell is mentioned 14 times in the New Testament (Mt. 5:22, 29, 30; 10:28; 18:9; 23:15; 23:33; Mk. 9:43, 45, 47; Lk. 12:5; 16:23; Jas. 3:6; 2 Pt. 2:4). It has more references to hell than it does to heaven. And Jesus Christ often warned about hell and the judgment to come. Folau quotes Galatians 5:19-21 and paraphrases 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 that list some sins. The people who practice such sins are not believers and are bound for hell (eternal punishment). The Bible says that some lifestyles are sinful and displeasing to God. Did you know that tolerance is a Christian idea (Appendix C)? This is an example of selective tolerance. There is no tolerance to outspoken Christians. And an example of selective inclusion. There is no inclusion for outspoken Christians. How is rugby showing its “inclusiveness” by excluding an outspoken Christian? What’ s wrong with sharing our Christian beliefs in public? Suppose a person went to a doctor and the doctor discovers they have a deadly cancer, but he sends them home, telling them that they are healthy. That’s not loving. They are refusing to share a life-giving truth. Or suppose you see a child playing on the street and a big truck hurtling their way, if you cared at all, you would yell, scream, jump up and down and do all you can to save them. The most loving thing we can do for sinners is to tell them the truth about sin, hell and Jesus. It’s been noted that Folau’s actions suggest he’s more inclusive than his critics. Despite his personal views, he’s still happy to play with the many rugby players who are gays, drunks, adulterers, liars, fornicators, thieves, atheists or idolaters. And note the contrast in how Israel Folau is being treated compared to Tiger Woods! It reminds me of Jesus and Barabbas. This is an erosion of free speech and free religion. Can we have real democracy without freedom of speech and freedom of religious belief? Christians are the only ones attacked for their religious beliefs. It’s spiritual warfare. It reminds me of the thought police in the novel “Nineteen eighty-four” by George Orwell who persecute independent thinking and spy on people’s private lives. Are we becoming like a totalitarian state with a high degree of control over citizens and no tolerance of different views? Could this trend lead to parts of the Bible being classified as discriminatory hate speech that’s not inclusive? If this eventuates, parts of the Bible could banned from usage in public and be restricted to private use. Of course, sharing Christian truth will always offend some people. Jesus alienated people because He spoke truth. And the truth about ourselves is confronting. The Bible teaches that Christians should obey governing authorities because they are instituted by God (Rom. 13:1-7). But when the Jewish religious leaders told Peter and John “not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus”, they disobeyed because “We must obey God rather than human beings!” (Acts 4:18-19; 5:27-29). So the Bible allows disobedience if the authority orders them to sin or to compromise their loyalty to Jesus Christ. If there is a conflict between the will of an authority and the will of God, then believers give precedence to the will of God. No matter what happens at the code of conduct hearing today, Israel Folau says, “It’s obviously a decision that’s in the process right now but I believe in a God that’s in control of all things. Whatever His will is, whether that’s to continue playing or not, I’m more than happy to do what He wants me to do. First and foremost, I live for God now. Whatever He wants me to do, I believe His plans for me are better than whatever I can think. If that’s not to continue on playing, so be it. In saying that, obviously I love playing footy and if it goes down that path I’ll definitely miss it. But my faith in Jesus Christ is what comes first.” What a great example of a follower of Jesus! Appendix A: “I’m a sinner too”, by Israel Falou People’s lives are not for me to judge. Only God can do that. I have sinned many times in my life. I take responsibility for those sins and ask for forgiveness through repentance daily. I understand a lot of people won’t agree with some of the things I’m about to write. That’s absolutely fine. In life, you are allowed to agree to disagree. But I would like to explain to you what I believe in, how I arrived at these beliefs and why I will not compromise my faith in Jesus Christ, which is the cornerstone of every single thing in my life. I hope this will provide some context to the discussion that started with my reply to a question asked of me on Instagram two weeks ago. I read the Bible every day. It gives me a sense of peace I have not been able to find in any other area of my life. It gives me direction. It answers my questions. I believe that it is a loving gesture to share passages from the Bible with others. I do it all the time when people ask me questions about my faith or things relating to their lives, whether that’s in-person or on my social media accounts. Two weeks ago, I tore my hamstring quite badly in the opening minutes against the Brumbies. I was told I would be on the sidelines for a month. Finding out I would miss three or four games so early in the season was disappointing and frustrating, but I accepted the news and started looking ahead. That afternoon I put up the following Instagram post, referring to James 1: 2-4: Consider it all joy when you encounter various trials, because the testing of your faith produces endurance … so that you may be lacking in nothing. In the comments section of that post, I was asked a question by somebody about what God’s plan is for gay people. My response to the question is what I believe God’s plan is for all sinners, according to my understanding of my Bible teachings, specifically 1 Corinthians 6: 9-10: Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor the drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. I do not know the person who asked the question, but that didn’t matter. I believed he was looking for guidance and I answered him honestly and from the heart. I know a lot of people will find that difficult to understand, but I believe the Bible is the truth and sometimes the truth can be difficult to hear. I think of it this way: you see someone who is about to walk into a hole and have the chance to save him. He might be determined to maintain his course and doesn’t want to hear what you have to say. But if you don’t tell him the truth, as unpopular as it might be, he is going to fall into that hole. What do you do? In this case, we are talking about sin as the Bible describes it, not just homosexuality, which I think has been lost on a lot of people. There are many sins outlined in that passage from 1 Corinthians and I have been guilty of committing some of them myself. No man or woman is different from another – if you sin, which we all do, and do not repent and seek forgiveness, you will not inherit the kingdom of God. As it is written in Acts 2:38: Repent and be baptised, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. I believe when Jesus died on the cross for us, it gave us all the opportunity to accept and believe in Him if we wanted to. To enter the kingdom of Heaven, though, we must try our best to follow His teachings and, when we fall short, to seek His forgiveness Break me down, build me up It wasn’t always this way for me. I grew up in the Mormon church but, like a lot of kids, I didn’t really pay all that much attention. I went to church on Sundays because that’s what my parents expected. I didn’t want to disappoint them. It was box ticking, pretty much. We left the Mormon faith in 2009. As much as I might not have been the most devout follower out there, I always believed in God, so it left a huge void in my life. I tried to fill it with other things. Alcohol. Women. Sins. I was playing in the NRL at 17 and, soon after, playing Origin and Test footy. That opened me to a world of temptation I had never been exposed to before. I had the means to indulge in that, but not the wisdom to understand what it really meant. Often during this period I felt I was losing control of who I was and what I wanted to be. It was all ego and no humility. But despite living this materialistic life, I still felt empty. I would wake up on a Sunday morning and think, ‘This isn’t me’. And yet I would do it again the next week. And the week after that. It was a cycle of sin that was getting me nowhere. The big change happened with the move to Greater Western Sydney. With one signature, I went from the top of the NRL to the bottom of the AFL. I have written before about the reasons why I signed with the Giants, but not so much the way it made me feel at the time. I’ll be honest: I would be driving to training most days thinking, ‘Why am I doing this?’ It kept me up a lot of nights. I was doing what I thought was best for my family, but the reality of the situation – that I wasn’t very good at this new sport – made me upset. All I had wanted to do in life was play in the NRL. Now I had made a decision to leave that all behind and live a new life to appease other people. It left me emotionally broken. It was around this time I started attending a new church where I experienced God’s love for the first time in my life. That’s when I started to realise this was all part of God’s plan for me. I had been hiding my inner thoughts and feelings from everyone around me, but God could see into my heart. He had to break me down in order to build me up again into the person He wanted me to be. It all suddenly made sense. I have tried to live my life in God’s footsteps ever since. I follow His teachings and read the Bible all the time in order to learn and become a better person. Since that happened I have been at peace and enjoyed life with an open, honest heart, which is why my faith in Jesus comes first. I would sooner lose everything – friends, family, possessions, my football career, the lot – and still stand with Jesus, than have all of those things and not stand beside Him. As you have probably read, last week I met with Rugby Australia chief executive Raelene Castle and Waratahs general manager Andrew Hore. During the meeting I told them it was never my intention to hurt anyone with the Instagram comment, but that I could never shy away from who I am, or what I believe. They explained their position and talked about external pressure from the media, sponsors and different parts of the community, which I understand. I acknowledge Raelene and Andrew have to run things in a way that appeals broadly to their executive, fans and sponsors, as well as its players and staff. It is a business. I didn’t agree with Bill Pulver taking a stance on the same sex marriage vote on behalf of the whole organisation, but I understand the reasons behind why he did. After we’d all talked, I told Raelene if she felt the situation had become untenable – that I was hurting Rugby Australia, its sponsors and the Australian rugby community to such a degree that things couldn’t be worked through – I would walk away from my contract, immediately. I feel I need to explain this part in more detail because at no stage over the past two weeks have I wanted that to happen. There have been things written about me angling to get a release from my Rugby Australia deal to pursue an NRL contract. That simply isn’t true. There have been rugby offers from the UK, Europe and Japan that are way above anything I could earn in Australia. This is not about money or bargaining power or contracts. It’s about what I believe in and never compromising that, because my faith is far more important to me than my career and always will be. After the meeting I went home, turned on the TV and was really disappointed with some of the things that were said in the press conference. I felt Raelene misrepresented my position and my comments, and did so to appease other people, which is an issue I need to discuss with her and others at Rugby Australia. That aside, I hope Raelene and Andrew appreciate my position, even if it differs with theirs. I love rugby union. It has allowed me to travel all over the world and meet some fascinating people along the way. It is one of the best things about the game in my opinion. I do not want to bring hurt to the game and want as many people playing it as possible, so when I spoke to Raelene about walking away, it was to help the game, not harm it, in the event we couldn’t come to an understanding. I used to believe I was defined by my actions on the footy field, but I see now that’s not true. God can see from beginning to end Anyone who knows me knows I am not the type to upset people intentionally. Since my social media posts were publicised, it has been suggested that I am homophobic and bigoted and that I have a problem with gay people. This could not be further from the truth. I fronted the cover of the Star Observer magazine to show my support for the Bingham Cup, which is an international gay rugby competition for both men and women. I believe in inclusion. In my heart, I know I do not have any phobia towards anyone. With everything that has been said and written, many people over the past six months have told me they think I am wrong, either to my face or via social media. I won’t to go into the specifics – some of it has been pretty heavy, and from people close to me – but they let it be known that their views differed from mine. I don’t have any issue with this. Every individual in this world is different and we have all experienced things that have shaped us in unique ways. I don’t expect everyone to believe what I believe. That goes for teammates, friends and even family members, some of whom are gay. I don’t pretend to have all the answers in life. It can be difficult making the right decisions. You are always trying to reconcile the truth from the Bible with things you feel inside. But I have faith that God’s path is the right one and that path is outlined in the Bible. I will keep sharing that. One of God’s commandments is to, ‘Love thy neighbour as thyself’. In other words, God loves each and every one of us. He just doesn’t love the sin we live in. That is what Jesus died for, to give us a chance to be forgiven. If you choose to believe in Him, repent, and be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ for the removal of your sins, you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. That will enable you to live the life that God has called us to live. God can see from beginning to end. I can’t. There’s a big element of trust in that and sometimes you have to give up the things you really want in order to please God. I trust that He knows what is best for me. He knows the future. He knows how it is all meant to play out. At times, you can feel alone and down. But Jesus told us that when you stand up for Him in this world, you can expect backlash. I find peace in that. As testing as it can be standing up for what you believe in, the Bible tells us it will be worth it in the end. Appendix B: Persecution of Paul Paul described the persecution and suffering he endured when he shared the Christian message to sinners as follows, “I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked” (2 Corinthians 11:23-27). Appendix C: Tolerance in the Bible Tolerance is a Christian idea. It says, “I disagree with what you’re saying, but I allow you the right to say it”. The Bible calls Christians to do more than merely tolerate our neighbors. We’re called to love them. – “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Mt. 5:44). – “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you” (Lk. 6:27). – “Do to others as you would have them do to you” (Lk. 6:31). – “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Lk. 10:27). – “do good to all people” (Gal.6:10). – “clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience” (Col. 3:12). – “be ready to do whatever is good … slander no one … be peaceable and considerate, and always to be gentle toward everyone” (Tit. 3:1-2). – “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect” (1 Pt. 3:15). But the Bible says that there is no other way to God and heaven than other than through Jesus. Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (Jn. 14:6). So the Bible is intolerant about sin and the way of salvation. Christians are to tolerate other people, but be intolerant towards the postmodern idea that all religions lead to God or that everyone’s beliefs are valid. We don’t have to agree with their opinions. Tolerance of something or someone doesn’t mean we condone it. Of course, there are limits to tolerance, we don’t tolerate terrorism, violence, child abuse, or neglect of the elderly. Postscript: The hearing and legal proceedings The hearing is being held in Sydney on 4-5 May 2019. In one of the most significant legal battles in Australian sport’s history, Folau’s team is expected to argue that Rugby Australia did not include a specific social media clause in his contract and that his posts were merely passages from the Bible and not his direct words. And Rugby Australia is likely to contend that Folau has seriously breached its code of conduct policy and its inclusion policy. 7 May 2019: “A hearing has found rugby union player Israel Folau committed a ‘high-level breach’ of the Professional Players’ Code of Conduct over controversial social media posts”. 17 May 2019: “Israel Folau’s Australian rugby union career appears over, after a three-person panel ordered that the Wallabies star’s four-year contract be terminated as punishment for his breach of the players’ code of conduct”. “Rugby Australia chief executive Raelene Castle said the decision had not been directly communicated to Folau”. 20 May 2019: “Israel Folau says a lack of ‘confidence’ in Rugby Australia’s ability to treat him fairly is the reason why he will not appeal against its decision to terminate his contract”. “He did not have faith in Rugby Australia’s ‘management of the judicial panel process’.” “I simply do not have confidence in Rugby Australia’s ability to treat me fairly or lawfully throughout this process.” 6 June 2019: “Sacked former rugby international Israel Folau has launched legal proceedings with the Fair Work Commission against Rugby Australia and NSW Rugby for breach of contract. Folau’s lawyers said under Section 772 of the Fair Work Act, it was unlawful to terminate employment on the basis of religion.” Folau stated, “No Australian of any faith should be fired for practising their religion.” 18 June 2019: A crowdfunding campaign was launched to fund Folau’slegal fight against Rugby Australia. 24 June 2019: The crowdfunding campaign is shut down by GoFundMe after raising more than $750,000. The company said it would not tolerate the promotion of discrimination or exclusion. “We are absolutely committed to the fight for equality for LGBTIQ+ people and fostering an environment of inclusivity,” GoFundMe’s Australian regional director Nicola Britton said. 25 June 2019: After GoFundMe shut down the crowdfunding site, the Australian Christian Lobby (ACL) offered to host Folau’s online appeal for funds to pay for his legal case. Over $1 million was raised on the first day! The target is $3 million. 27 June 2019: ACL put the fund raising campaign on hold after $2 million was raised from over 20,000 donors in just two days. This shows that there is considerable support for religious freedom. 28 June 2019: A conciliation hearing begins at the Fair Work Commission. If a settlement isn’t achieved, the case will probably go to the Federal Court. 29 June 2019: No settlement was reached at the Fair Work Commission hearing. This post has been inspired by Bill Muehlenberg’s (Culture Watch) commentary on this topic. Written, 4 May 2019 Also see: What is hell like? May 4, 2019 | Categories: Christian, Culture, Spiritual | Tags: bible, Christian, Folau, inclusion, Instagram, Israel Folau, persecution, rugby, social media, tolerance | 3 Comments Gender confusion Australian passports have three gender options male (M), female (F) and indeterminate/intersex/unspecified (X). Today it’s possible to change one’s preferred sex! And the Western Australian Law Reform Commission has recommended leaving gender off birth certificates, as well as adding a third official option of “non-binary”. Meanwhile, Facebook has 71 gender options (see Appendix)! The reason for this is that the word “gender” has different meanings today. I thought that it meant whether one is biologically male or female. But now it’s also used for the behavioral, cultural, or psychological traits typically associated with one sex and to indicate whether one feels male or female regardless of their biological sex. Popular culture accepts the idea that gender is fluid and is disconnected from biological sex. If gender is fluid, a biological male can identify as a female. If gender is fluid, perhaps there are more than just two genders. And gender can be seen as more of a spectrum. Now gender is seen as a matter of choice – an expression of how we see ourselves and how we show ourselves in the world. But this can lead to stress and confusion if our gender doesn’t match our biological sex. According to Corney (2016), there are four stages in the recent history of sexual politics in the West. These are: – Stage one: The cause of women’s rights to equality. – Stage two: The decriminalisation of homosexuality and Gay rights. – Stage three: The legalization of same sex marriage. – Stage four: The gender fluidity debate. This is the stage we are currently entering. Gender fluidity is based on two ideas; a sharp distinction between sex and gender and the claim that our gender identity is not determined by our biology or the prevailing social construct of heterosexuality but by individual choice. What does the Bible say about biological sex? The Bible says that God created humanity as male and female (Gen. 1:27; 5:2). As this happened before the fall of humanity into sinful behavior, it was God’s original perfect plan. Jesus repeated that “at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female’” (Mt. 19:4; Mk. 10:6NIV). So the Bible teaches that the biological sex of human beings is binary/dual – each person is either male or female. Our biological sex is determined at birth. Every baby I know is called either a girl or a boy. There is no ambiguity about this. And it can’t change throughout life. Every cell in our body has either XX (female) or XY (male) sexual chromosomes. Our chromosomes are different. Our hormones are different. Our voices are different. Our body shapes are different. Our body strengths are different. Our reproductive systems are different. We think differently, learn differently, and are generally motivated by different ideas. And we can’t change that! It’s claimed that “up to 1.7% of people have intersex traits” (where it’s difficult to know whether a baby is a boy or a girl), but I don’t know anyone in this category. So, I think this figure is inflated. The figure mentioned for USA is 0.05% of the population. What does the Bible say about gender? The first gender role mentioned in the Bible is marriage: “That [the creation of woman] is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united [in marriage] to his wife, and they become one flesh” (Gen. 2:24). In this basic human relationship, the male’s role is as a husband and the female’s role is as a wife. As the first marriage (between Adam and Eve) happened before the fall of humanity into sinful behavior, it was God’s original perfect plan that gender is fixed and is connected to biological sex. Biblical marriage is between one man and one woman. After the fall into sin, all God’s creation was flawed. So gender behavior didn’t always follow God’s plan. For example, there are examples of adultery, rape, and polygamy in the Bible. These are reports of what happened in biblical times and not commands or models for us to follow. Jesus repeated God’s command for marriage that “For this reason [the two sexes] a man will leave his father and mother and be united [in marriage] to his wife, and the two will become one flesh” (Mt. 19:5; Mk. 10:7). So about 2,000 years ago, it was still God’s intention that gender is fixed and is connected to biological sex. But in a sinful world this is not always the case. For example, in Australia it’s legal for a man to marry a man or a woman to marry a woman (homosexual marriage, or “marriage equality”), even though this is against what God says in the Bible. Jesus used one set of terms to refer to “male and female” – two biological sexes. He used a different set of terms to refer to a “man” and his “wife” – two gender roles. There are two sexes, and there are two genders. This strongly suggests that biological sex determines gender as the norm for human existence. In Paul’s commands about marriage, he always assumes that marriage is between one man and one woman (1 Cor. 7:1-16; Eph. 5:22-33). And he repeated God’s command for marriage that “For this reason [the two sexes] a man will leave his father and mother and be united [in marriage] to his wife, and the two will become one flesh” (Eph. 5:31). This shows that under the new covenant, God’s plan is still that gender is fixed and is connected to biological sex. Proper gender behavior in marriage is important because it symbolizes the relationship between divinity and humanity. In the Old Testament, God is symbolized as the husband and the nation of Israel is symbolized as His wife (Jer.3:14). Likewise, in the New Testament, Jesus Christ is symbolized as the husband and the church (Christians) is symbolized as His wife (Eph. 5:22-32). What does the Bible say about cross-dressing? The Israelites were not to cross-dress: “A woman must not wear men’s clothing, nor a man wear women’s clothing, for the Lord your God detests anyone who does this” (Dt. 22:5). According to the context of this verse it seems that the main reason for this law is that cross-dressing blurred the basic distinctions of gender duality (male and female) established in creation. The issue at stake is blurring the distinctions in external appearances between women and men. God is saying here that a man ought to look like a man, and a woman ought to look like a woman. The law is against the wearing of any item specifically intended for the opposite sex. The distinctives of each sex should be maintained and protected in regard to outward appearance. At that time men probably wore a shorter skirt than women and may have carried weapons and tools. Whereas women’s clothing may have used finer materials, vivid colors and distinctive embroidery. This law under the Mosaic covenant isn’t mentioned in the New Testament. But Paul mentions a gender distinction in hair length (1 Cor. 11:14-15). So a possible conclusion is that God still wants His people to do their best to avoid any confusion over gender identity. We are to respect and honor God’s perfect decision to create us as women or men. We are not to alter our clothing, accessories, cosmetics, hair styles, gait, body language, speech patterns, lifestyles, or anatomy in order to appear to others, or ourselves, to be the opposite sex. To do so is to tell God that His decision to make us a woman or a man was wrong. That is rebellion. The Bible does not give us free rein to choose our sexual preferences and gender identity. Our culture has taken something simple and obvious, and made it complex and complicated. The entire Biblical context is that of men and women each operating within the biology given to them by the one true God who created all things. God determines our biological sex. And there is no mention of us determining our own gender identity. Any mismatch between the two is a result of human sinfulness. Sin is when one actualizes their own desires that are contrary to God’s desires. When a person says they are a different gender than their biology indicates, they are saying “I know better than God”. The Bible clearly differentiates between temptations to sin and the committing of sins (Jas. 1:12-16). To have “feelings” of confusion and to experience temptations to adopt a lifestyle of the opposite sex (either temporarily or permanently) is not sinful. But when one gives in to temptation and does anything contrary to God’s will, it’s sinful. Meanwhile, our culture’s gender stereotypes are often too rigid. Masculinity isn’t only about sports, fighting and womanizing. And femininity isn’t only about dresses or ‘girly’ things. We don’t need a new body, and we don’t need to invent a new gender for ourselves because God doesn’t make mistakes. There is great diversity within the male and female genders, so we don’t need to go outside them to find ourselves. Life is difficult and we all feel insecure at times. If we find our identity in things that don’t last, we will be disappointed. But we are all made in God’s image and we all have a unique genetic makeup in every cell of our body (Gen. 1:27). That’s a good start, but Christians have a new identity that’s eternal (2 Cor. 5:17). Christians are chosen, loved, accepted, forgiven, possessed by God, and indwelt by God (Eph. 1:3-14; 1 Pt. 2:9-10). They are set apart for God and through Jesus they have direct access to God. And they are to serve God. God has given them this identity and purpose so they can reveal God’s identity to others. And they look forward to spending eternity with God. This is the only robust and secure identity that’s available to us (Heb. 6:19). The reason we struggle to find our identity and meaning in life, is because we’re separated from God (Rom. 3:23). But Jesus bridged the gap so we can be reconciled with God (Jn. 3:16). If we chose to follow Him, our identity is in Jesus Christ. The biblical perspective is that human gender is fixed and is connected to biological sex, which is binary (male of female). Gender diversity/fluidity is a rejection of God’s plans for humanity. It’s sinful to change our gender according to individual choice. According to the media, this kind of sin is becoming more prevalent. As believers, like Jesus we can love, help, and serve sinners without condoning, accepting, or compromising with behavior that God deems sinful (Jn. 8:3-11). Appendix: Facebook’s 71 gender options Agender (without gender identity; no gender identity) Androgyne (a combination of masculine and feminine characteristics; ambiguous gender identity) Androgynes (a combination of masculine and feminine characteristics; ambiguous gender identity) Androgynous (a mix of female and male characteristics in appearance and dress) Bigender (changes between masculine and feminine behavior for the situation) Cis (“cisgender”, gender identity matches biological sex) Cis Male (male with masculine gender identity) Cis Man (male with masculine gender identity) Cis Woman (female with feminine gender identity ) Cisgender (gender identity matches biological sex) Cisgender Female (female with feminine gender identity) Cisgender Male (male with masculine gender identity ) Cisgender Man (male with masculine gender identity) Cisgender Woman (female with feminine gender identity ) Female to Male (female with masculine gender identity) FTM (“female to male”; female with masculine gender identity) Gender Fluid (experience an entire range or spectrum of gender identities over time) Gender Nonconforming (do not dress, behave, or otherwise “fit in” with gender expectations) Gender Questioning (exploring their gender identity and how to express it) Gender Variant (gender identity does not conform to socially defined masculine or feminine gender norms) Genderqueer (embrace a fluidity of gender identity) Intersex (characteristics are not either all typically male or all typically female) Male to Female (male with feminine gender identity) MTF (“male to female”; male with feminine gender identity) Neither (not putting a label on one’s gender identity) Neutrois (genderless) Non-binary (nether masculine or feminine gender identity) Other (choosing to not provide a commonly recognized label to one’s gender identity) Pangender (inclusive of gender diverse people) Trans (gender identity doesn’t match biological sex) Trans Female (male with feminine gender identity) Trans Male (female with masculine gender identity) Trans Man (female wit masculine gender identity) Trans Person (gender identity doesn’t match biological sex) Trans*Female (male with feminine gender identity) Trans*Male (female with masculine gender identity) Trans*Man (female with masculine gender identity) Trans*Person (gender identity doesn’t match biological sex) Trans*Woman (male with feminine gender identity) Transexual (through surgery and/or hormones, gender identity is opposite to biological sex) Transexual Female (male with feminine gender identity through surgery and/or hormones) Transexual Male (female with masculine gender identity through surgery and/or hormones) Transexual Man (female with masculine gender identity through surgery and/or hormones) Transexual Person (gender identity is opposite to biological sex) Transexual Woman (male with feminine gender identity through surgery and/or hormones) Transgender Female (male with feminine gender identity) Transgender Person (gender identity doesn’t match biological sex) Transmasculine (female with masculine gender identity, but not wholly) Two-spirit (individual spirits are a blend of male and female) Asexual (lack of sexual attraction to others) Female to male trans man (female with masculine gender identity) Female to male transgender man (female with masculine gender identity) Female to male transsexual man (female with masculine gender identity through surgery and/or hormones) F2M (“female to male”; female with masculine gender identity ) Gender neutral (without gender; no gender identity) Hermaphrodite (characteristics are not either all typically male or all typically female) Intersex man (characteristics are not either all typically male or all typically female, with masculine gender identity) Intersex person (characteristics are not either all typically male or all typically female) Intersex woman (characteristics are not either all typically male or all typically female, with feminine gender identity) Male to female trans woman (male with feminine gender identity) Male to female transgender woman (male with feminine gender identity) Male to female transsexual woman (male with feminine gender identity through surgery and/or hormones) Man (male with masculine gender identity) M2F (“male to female”; male with feminine gender identity) Polygender (multiple gender identities) T* man (female with masculine gender identity) T* woman (male with feminine gender identity) Two* person Two-spirit person (individual spirits are a blend of male and female) Woman (female with feminine gender identity) Dascalu, O (2014) “The rationale of the ban on cross-dressing in Deuteronomy 22:5”, Andrews University Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary. Corney, P (2016) “Gender and gender fluidity: A Christian response” Written, September 2018 September 2, 2018 | Categories: Christian, Culture, Spiritual | Tags: cross-dressing, gender, gender diverse, gender fluid, intersex, non binary, sex, transgender, transsexual | Leave a comment Europe is fracturing over how to handle hundreds of thousands of immigrants fleeing the Middle East and North Africa. Many people don’t want refugees in their neighborhood. They look differently, speak differently and there is a lot of resentment. There is a cultural clash – the role of women in society and dress. The Dutch, Danes and French are in favor of gender equality, while the Muslim immigrants see differently. The Christians in Galatia were being fractured by Jewish legalism. They were adding their previous religion to Christianity. So Paul corrected them vigorously. In this post we look at the meaning of the verse, “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:28NIV). We will see that instead of discriminating against each other, Paul tells them to concentrate on what they have in common. The first Christians were Jews and Jewish proselytes (Acts 2:5, 8-11). After Christianity spread to other nations, the question arose as to whether the new Christians needed to follow Jewish practises. This was resolved at a meeting in Jerusalem in AD 49-50 (Acts 15). It was agreed that Jewish practices associated with the law of Moses, like male circumcision, weren’t required for salvation. This is the topic that’s being addressed in Paul’s letter written about AD 48-50 to the churches in Galatia. The theme is the contrast between the law of Moses and faith in Christ. The major divisions of Paul’s letter are: – Introduction (1:1-10), – Paul defends his authority (1:11 – 2:21), – Christian doctrine (3:1 – 4:31), – Practical application of the doctrine (5:1 – 6:10), and – Conclusion (6:11-18). Galatians 3:28 is in the section on doctrine, which contains the following teaching: – Faith or works of the law (3:1-14)? This contrasts Christian faith and “the works of the law” (3:2, 10). – Law versus promise (3:15-22). God’s promise to Abraham was unconditional; it didn’t depend on works at all. The law was given to the Israelites to show humanity’s sinfulness. – Children of God (3:23-4:7). After the day of Pentecost, Jews and Gentiles could be children together in God’s family. Both Jews and Gentiles as mature sons can inherit God’s blessings promised to Abraham and fulfilled in Christ. – Paul’s concern for the Galatians (4:8-20). They were seeking God’s favour by following legal observances. While Paul sought their spiritual welfare, the Judaizers wanted to isolate them from Paul. – Hagar and Sarah (4:21-31). Hagar represented the law and Sarah represented God’s grace. Hagar’s son (Ishmael) was a slave, while Sarah’s son (Isaac) was free. As Ishmael persecuted Isaac, the Judaizers persecuted the Christians. So don’t mix law and grace. Instead, get rid of the legalism. Galatians 3:28 is in the subsection on “Children of God”, which teaches: – Christians aren’t required to keep the law of Moses today. But in the Old Testament times the Jews were viewed as being under the guardianship of the law (3:23-25) – Christians are children (“sons” in ESV, HCSB, NET) of God through faith in Christ. They share a kind of unity and the inheritance promised to Abraham which was fulfilled in Christ (3:26-29) – The Christian Jews had changed from being slaves to the law to being sons of God. They have a great inheritance awaiting them (4:1-7). In Galatians 3:28 Paul tells the Galatian Christians “you are all one in Christ Jesus”. What does this oneness mean? In this case it means a unity in Christ amongst their diversity. At that time “you are all one” was used to signify a common characteristic that was present amongst diverse objects. For example, those who plant and those who water share a common purpose (1 Cor. 3:8), God the Father and God the Son share divinity (Jn. 10:30), husband and wife share “one flesh” (Mt. 19:6; Mk. 10:8), and all Christians share a corporate body in Christ (Rom. 12:5; 1 Cor. 10:17). In all these cases the word “one” describes a unity between diverse people, not between similar people. So it means that the diverse believers in Galatia were united in oneness in Christ. They had unity, not uniformity or unlimited equality. The paragraph v.26-29 is all about being children (or sons) of God. Paul describes how it happens (v.26), when it happens (v.27), what is changed from being under the law of Moses (v.28) and the resultant inheritance (v.29). Galatians 3:28 says, “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus”. The subject of verse 28 is those “in Christ Jesus” (Christians), who are referred to as “you” in verses 26-29. This is in contrast to the previous paragraph (v.23-24) which is addressed to Jews who are indicated by “we”. So there had been a change from living under the law up to the Day of Pentecost to becoming children (or sons) of God through faith in Christ after the Day of Pentecost. Paul told the Galatians, “you are all children of God through faith” (v.26). They had a new spiritual status through their relationship with Christ. Then Paul explains that the new spiritual status started when they were “baptized into Christ” (v.27). Although it takes place at the time of conversion (the baptism of the Holy Spirit, 1 Cor. 12:13), it’s confessed publicly in water baptism. This public identification with Christ is like a soldier being identified by his uniform: they had clothed themselves with Christ (v.27). Paul has used this metaphor elsewhere for exchanging an old way of life for a new one (Rom. 13:12-14; Eph.6:11-14; Col. 3-10). Then Paul says that true Christians are united through their common relationship with Christ – they are “all one in Christ Jesus”. In this respect there is no difference between “Jew” and “Gentile”, “slave” and “free”, or “male and female”. Each pair represents all of humanity. These are binary categories of people divided according to race, social class and gender. We need to interpret Galatians 3:28 in terms of the contrast between the law of Moses and faith in Christ (which is its context). The implication is that in Christianity there is a unity within the categories of people that is absent under the law. What kind of a unity is this? The doctrinal portion of Galatians (Ch. 3-4) is mainly about the differences between the law of Moses and the Christian faith. These were ways to enter into a relationship with God before/after the day of Pentecost and what that brings. So the unity involves entering a relationship with God and the resultant blessings. It meant that the way of salvation is the same now for both Jew and Gentile. And for both slave and free. And for both male and female. This is consistent with Paul saying that God’s salvation is equally available to everyone regardless of race (Rom. 10:11-13) and that this salvation removes ethnic barriers (Eph. 2:15-16). Furthermore, all Christians have the same position in Christ regardless of their race, social class and gender. They are all born again, justified, forgiven, redeemed, adopted, a child of God, spiritually alive in Christ, a new creation, in God’s spiritual kingdom, citizens of heaven, seated with Christ, sealed with the Holy Spirit, and headed for heaven. Each also has eternal life and peace with God. So no one has an advantage in the kingdom of God because of their race, social class or gender. Equality of inheritance of all God’s blessings maybe Paul’s main point because it’s the subject of the next verse: “If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” (v.29). This means that no race or social class receives more inheritance than another and that males don’t receive more inheritance than females. In the New Testament, salvation is described metaphorically as an inheritance which anyone may personally receive. Under the law of Moses, inheritance of land left by their fathers was restricted to Jewish free men (Dt. 21:15-17). That’s probably why Paul introduces slaves (or social class) and women (or gender) into Galatians 3:28. He’s saying that in Christ, Gentiles, slaves and women receive the inheritance in the same way as Jews, the free, and men. So everyone who receives the inheritance of salvation receives it in the same way. On the other hand, under the law of Moses, Jews were privileged over Gentiles (Dt. 7:6; 14:1-2), and society was hierarchical and patriarchal, with a free man more favoured than a slave and a man more privileged than a woman. Jews were the children of God, while Gentiles were sinners (Gal. 2:15). What a contrast! Principle and application According to Grant Ritchison, the principle of Galatians 3:28 is “God does not recognize human distinctions in those who are in Christ”. Then he makes this application: “Human role distinctions (1 Cor. 14:34; 1 Ti. 2:11-15; Eph. 5:22-24; 6:1-8) have nothing to do with our spiritual significance before God. Christian feminists completely miss the point of this passage which says the male has no spiritual privilege over the female. Every person, male or female, rich or poor, has the same spiritual status before God”. “When we make distinctions in people, we form a basis for prejudice against them, making some superior and others inferior. Christians should not make race, economic status, or gender a measuring stick of acceptance”. “However, God maintains differences in roles within society. God designed differences in sexual roles so there are functional differences between men and women. He did not create unisex; He created gender difference. If so, where is the distinction? Spiritually, men and women are the same. Physically and functionally, they are different. Spiritual blessing is one thing but human function is another thing”. What does it mean today? Today it means that the diverse believers in any place are united in a oneness in Christ. As the context is one’s standing before God and one’s spiritual relationships and blessings and not one’s functions or roles (in the family, in the church or in society), it means that racial, social and gender distinctives are irrelevant to salvation (entering into a relationship with God). These distinctives are also irrelevant to position before God and the blessings that accompany salvation. Consequently, because of what we share in Christ, believers should accept Christians of a different race and respect their customs. It’s unity amidst ethnic (or cultural) diversity and not showing ethnic (or cultural) bias or favoritism. Paul rebuked Peter at Antioch because Peter was following the prejudice of His previous religion (Gal. 2:11-14). Because of what we share in Christ, believers should accept Christians of a different social class and respect their position in society. It’s unity amidst social diversity and not showing social bias or favoritism. Because of what we share in Christ, believers should accept Christians of a different gender and respect their gender. It’s unity amidst male and female and not showing gender bias or favoritism. The same applies to all other differences between people that don’t affect salvation like: rich/poor, younger/older, literate/illiterate, socialist/capitalist etc. Christians who differ in these respects should also be accepted without bias or favoritism. After all, Paul encouraged the Jewish and Christian believers in the church at Rome to live harmoniously (Rom. 15:5). His guiding principle for them was “Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God” (Rom. 15:7). If Christ has accepted a person, then we should also accept them. Then he reminds them that the ministry of Jesus Christ includes Jews and Gentiles, and the implication is that we should welcome both as well (Rom. 15:8-13). India is a large country with a range of races, languages, cultures, customs and religious faiths. It is multiracial and multicultural. In spite of this diversity, there is a sense of national unity and oneness among all the Indians that keeps them bonded together. What doesn’t it mean today? Be careful of using Galatians 3:28 to over-ride other verses in the New Testament. For example, it doesn’t mean that: – we ignore or remove all ethnic or cultural customs, or – we ignore or remove all social differences, or – we ignore or remove all gender differences by assuming that their roles are identical. If this aspect is elevated to override the rest of Scripture, it can be used to justify homosexuality. So the Christian faith wasn’t designed to abolish racial, social and gender distinctions. In fact, it’s impossible to obliterate one’s race or gender. “You are all one” doesn’t mean you are all equal. Because people are equal in one respect (salvation and its blessings), it doesn’t follow that they are equal (the same) in other respects. For example, it doesn’t mean that men and women have interchangeable roles in the home and church. Instead, the New Testament does recognize the distinction between races (Rom. 15:27; Gal. 2:14) and between slaves and masters (Eph. 6:5-9; Col. 3:22 – 4:1). It also recognizes the distinction between men and women. For example, the elders that lead the early church were always male (1 Tim. 3:2; Ti. 1:6). In order to practice the teachings of the early church it’s important not to be deceived by the emphasis on gender equality in the western world. Instead, let’s accept a diversity of customs and social class and distinct male and female roles without unbiblical bias or favoritism. After all each of us has a particular race, a particular social class and a particular gender. But these differences don’t matter in one’s relationship with God. Similar passages Paul has expressed similar thoughts to this in other Scriptures. “Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all” (Col. 3:11). This verse refers to the “the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator” (3:10). It follows references to the believer’s standing and state (or position and practice). He wants their state to be consistent with their standing (or their daily behavior to be consistent with their Christian faith). Verse 11 teaches that as far as their standing before God is concerned, all believers are on the same level. Christ “is in all” in the form of the Holy Spirit. So no-one is spiritually superior to anyone else. And Christians can no longer blame and excuse wrong conduct (such as anger, rage, malice, slander, filthy language and lying, v. 8-9) on racial background (“Gentile or Jew”) or social class (“barbarian, Scythian, slave or free”). “Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink” (1 Cor. 12:12-13). Each Christian is different (like a part of a body), but they share the fact that each is baptized by and indwelt by the Holy Spirit. This is the case regardless of their race (“Jews or Gentiles”) or social class (“slave or free”). So as far as salvation goes, ethnic and social distinctions are irrelevant. So in AD 55 and AD 60, Paul told those in Corinth and Colossae that race and social class were irrelevant to salvation and wrong behaviour. And we have seen that in AD 50 Paul told those in Galatia that race, social class and gender were irrelevant to the way of salvation and their position “in Christ”. So Paul’s teaching is consistent over this ten-year period. Practical applications in Galatians Galatians 3:28 is in the doctrinal portion of this letter (3:1-4:31). The practical applications made in the letter are: – Don’t tolerate legalism, like requiring believers to follow the law of Moses (5:1-12) – Serve one another humbly in love (6:13-15) – Express the fruit of the Spirit, not the acts of the flesh (5:16-26) – Share each other’s burdens (6:1-6) – Do good to all, especially to believers (6:7-10). Note that none of these applications relate to gender roles or functions in the church. In fact, there is no mention of gender roles in the whole letter. Therefore, to apply Romans 3:28 to gender roles or functions in the church is “cherry-picking” (in this case taking a verse totally out of context and reading in a meaning that wasn’t intended by the author). More on slavery and gender We have looked at what Paul wrote (~ AD 50) in Galatians 3:28 about slavery. The Bible contains additional instructions for slaves that were written about AD 60-64 (Eph. 6:5-9; Col. 3:22-25; Phile.; 1 Tim. 6:1-2; Ti. 2:9-10; 1 Pt. 2:18-21). These mainly involve obeying, serving and respecting their master. If Galatians 3:28 meant abolishing slavery, then we would expect this to be mentioned in some of these passages which were written 10-14 years afterwards. But it isn’t. This is consistent with Galatians 3:28 teaching that slaves and their masters can share the same Christian faith and have the same inheritance in Christ. This is equivalent to saying that people in all social classes and positions in society can share the same Christian faith and have the same inheritance in Christ. We have also looked at what Paul wrote (~ AD 50) in Galatians 3:28 about gender. The Bible contains additional instructions for women that were written about AD 55-64 (1 Cor. 11:3-16; 14:34-35; Eph. 5:22-24; Col. 3:18; 1 Ti. 2:9-15; 1 Pt. 3:1-6). These mainly involve godly behavior, including submission to husbands. If Galatians 3:28 meant abolishing gender roles, then we would expect this to be mentioned in some of these passages which were written 5-14 years afterwards. But it isn’t. This is consistent with Galatians 3:28 teaching that women and their husbands can share the same Christian faith and have the same inheritance in Christ. We have seen from Galatians 3:28 that in Christianity, ethnic (cultural), social and gender differences are demolished with regard to our salvation, our position before God and our inheritance. That’s why the labels that can separate believers are often replaced by the words “brother” and “sister”. All believers are saved the same way and all are entitled to the same privileges as children (sons) of God. So, instead of discriminating against other Christians like the Galatians, let’s concentrate on what we have in common. Hove R. W. (1999) “Equality in Christ? Galatians 3:28 and the gender dispute”, Crossway Books, Wheaton, Illinois. Ritchison G. <www.versebyversecommentary.com/galatians/galatians-338>, 1 March 2016 Written, March 2016 Also see: May we go in there? March 2, 2016 | Categories: Christian, Culture, Spiritual, women | Tags: exegesis, female, free, gender, Gentile, Jew, male, sex, slave | 1 Comment The local church in a changing world The need to be culturally relevant How can the local church, which originated almost 2,000 years ago, survive in a world of diverse languages, customs and ways of life? In particular, how does the church balance a changeless message in an ever changing culture? The Church is Multicultural History shows that Christianity and the church have been multicultural across both time and space. They have survived from the first century to the twenty first century. During this period, Christianity was practised in the Roman Empire, in the feudal hierarchical system of the Middle Ages, in the Reformation of the 1500s, in the revivals of the 1700s and 1800s and in the modern world. These were all radically different cultures with different technology, different languages, different ways of life and different customs. So, the church has adapted to various cultures across history. Through missionaries, Christianity and the church has spread geographically across the world, first across the Middle East and then around the Mediterranean Sea and across Europe, and finally to colonies across the world as they were visited by European nations. Today, there are churches in virtually every country, although in some places they meet in secret because of persecution. In all these countries there are different cultures with different technology, different languages, different ways of life and different customs. So, the church has adapted to various cultures across the world. Today, it is multicultural. It was God’s intention that the church be multicultural. On the day the church began, God did a linguistic miracle, so those present could all hear the wonders of God in their native language (Acts 2:1-13) . Christianity was to go to all language groups. As this was a new thing, when Peter was about to visit a Gentile, he was given a vision that taught him that God accepts believers from all nations (Acts 10:35). Peter needed to be retrained to know that God doesn’t have any favourites in the church. So, Christianity was to go to all nations, to all cultures. That’s why before He ascended, the Lord told His followers, “you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8TNIV). They took Christianity to the ends of their known world and today it has spread across the globe. Finally, in heaven Jesus will be praised because He “purchased for God members of every tribe and language and people and nation” (Rev. 5:9). So, Christianity will go to all tribes, to all language groups, to all nations, to all cultures across the world. Now we will look at how the church survives in these different cultures. The Bible records the history of the Jewish nation over a period of about 2,000 years. The coming of their Messiah had such an impact that Scripture is divided into two parts: the Old and the New Testaments. The Old Testament describes what life was like before Christ and the New Testament what it was like after Christ. Let’s see what the Lord said about this change. The Importance of Wineskins In Luke 5:33-35 the religious leaders criti­cized Jesus because His disciples did not fast (go without eating) as was their custom. Jesus gave a reason for not following all the religious customs of that time and He explained it further with a parable: “People do not pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the new wine will burst the skins; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins” (Lk. 5:37-38). In ancient times goatskins were used to hold wine (1 Sam.1:24). After the animal was skinned, the skin was tanned, the openings were sewn shut, the neck of the goat was used for the spout, and unfermented grape juice was poured in. Afterwards the neck was sewn shut and the fermentation process began. As the fresh grape juice fermented it gave off carbon dioxide which stretched the new leather wineskin (Job 32:18-19). Only a new wineskin would have the capacity to stretch and not break during the process of fermentation. A used wineskin would break because it was already stretched and hardened and was no longer elastic or flexible. It had lost its power to stretch any more and so was no longer an effective container for the wine. Jesus’ hearers knew not to use old skins with new wine. The wine­skin contained the wine and pro­tected it from the outside environment. This is shown schematically in the diagram as three components: the wineskin (represented by a circle); the wine inside the skin and the environment outside the skin. This parable, which is reported in Matthew, Mark and Luke, illustrated a truth that Jesus was teaching. From the diagram it can be seen that the wineskin is the point of contact between the wine and the world (or the surrounding envi­ronment). Old “wine” represented the OT law and old “wineskins” represented the Jewish practices of carrying out the law, both of which are described in the Old Testament. Jesus introduced the “new wine” of the gospel of God’s salvation through the death of Christ as a substitute for us all (Rom. 7:6; 2 Cor.3:6). The lesson was that the Jewish practices were too old, weak and rigid for the gospel. They needed to be replaced. The gospel would be destroyed if they tried to express it through the Jewish practices. Because there was a new wine, there needed to be a new wineskin. So, because the gospel was new and different to the Old Testament law, it could not be expressed by the Jewish customs and practices that were related to the law. This problem was faced by the early church in Galatia and other places. Instead, new Christian practices were required to express Christ’s teachings: “Pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are pre­served” (Mt. 9:17). The new covenant which Jesus was instituting must bring with it new structures, new forms, new practices; which are those for the church. The application of this illustration to the church era is shown schematically as three components: Christian practices (represented by the circle), Christian principles inside the circle and circumstances outside the circle. Action is essential for putting the principles into practice. Our practices are important because they are the visible aspect of our faith. For example, Jesus said that people will recognize His disciples if they love one another (Jn. 13:35). Furthermore, James wrote, “faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead” and John wrote “let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth” (Jas. 2:15-17; 1 Jn. 3:17-18). So genuine faith and love will produce action. The practices are the action part of our faith, when the principles are expressed in an active way in our world. Next we will look at the wineskins and then the environment outside the skins. Multicultural Wineskins There is an important difference between the “wineskins” of the Old Testament and those of the New Testament. This is a difference between Jewish practices and Christian practices. The Old Testament has many detailed laws about how the Jews were to behave including: social life; the tent and temple where sacrifices were made to God; the sacrifices; the priests; health regulations; and religious festivals; even down to circumcising male babies. These characterised the Jewish way of life. But Christ freed us from slavishly following the Old Testament law and its regulations (Gal. 5:1; Eph. 2:15; Col. 2:14; Heb. 9:10). So detailed regulations are absent from the New Testament, where the emphasis is on principles that can be expressed and practiced in many ways in different cultures. For example, Jesus summarised the law as “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” and “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Mt. 22:37-39). We need to distinguish between the principles and the practices. Scriptural principles are fixed by Scripture. However, we need to interpret these and sometimes there is more than one interpretation. On the other hand, Christian practices are expressions of divine principles in a particular human situation. They can change according to local circumstances. They are multicultural. They enable the changeless principles to be applied to any culture. This is one of the liberties of the Christian faith. Having the practices between the principles and the circumstances also reflects our dual citizenship. We live under human government and we serve the Lord of heaven: “Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s” (Mt. 22:21). Our values are heavenly and our impact and service is earthly. Responding to Circumstances We now look at how this applied to the early church. In the above parable, Jesus taught that if the principles (wine) changed, then the practices (wine­skins) should change. What if there are changes to the circumstances we live in, which are represented by the outside environment in the illustration? Biological organisms respond to changes in their envi­ronment, otherwise there is no evi­dence of life. Likewise, the early church was urged to address the circumstances it faced. In the first century, local churches in different places faced different circumstances. This is reflected in the topics of the letters that were written to these churches. For example, some of the issues they faced were: Corinth: factions, immorality, litigation, disorder, false teaching Galatia: legalism Ephesus: false teachers, lacked love Thessalonica: persecution, misunderstandings about death and the second coming, idleness Smyrna: persecution, poverty, Thytaria: immorality and idolatry Sardis: lacked spiritual life Loadicea: material wealth, stagnant. In all these situations the writer was inspired by God to tell the church how to respond to their particular circumstances. In particular, the elders at Ephesus were told to be alert for false teachers: “Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which He bought with His own blood” (Acts 20:28). They are told to “keep watch” over themselves and the congregation, to “Be shepherds of the church of God” and to be on their guard for threats to the congregation (Acts 20:28, 31). This means being vigilant and aware of the circumstances that are faced from both within and outside the local church. They were to protect the congregation like a shepherd protected their sheep from predators. So church elders are to be active and responsive to the circumstances being faced, not passive and unresponsive. Human behavior is influenced by past experiences, present cir­cumstances and goals for the future. This means that the circumstances faced in the local church can relate to the past, the present or the future. Influences from the past may be traditions handed down from previous times. These are practices that were followed beforehand. Jesus called the religious leaders hypocrites for placing more importance on their traditions than on God’s commands (Mk. 7:1-9; Lk. 6:1-11). They imposed many laws on the common people and treated their traditions as though they were scriptural truths. Jesus also said, “And none of you, after drinking old wine wants the new, for you say, ‘The old is better’” (Lk. 5:39). This indicates people’s reluctance to replace the old for the new. In context, it meant that the Jews of the first century would find it hard to make the change to accept Christianity. They would be reluctant to give up their traditional Jewish ways and try the gospel. It was probably directed at the Pharisees who questioned Jesus. Given this trait of human nature, today some will be reluctant to accept new practices. There is a tendency to perpetuate long-established practices, but our security should be in the principles, not in the practices. Influences from the present are current circumstances that demand a response. For example, language, way of life and geographic spread of the congregation. These circumstances change with time because life is dynamic. Influences from the future may be goals that the local church has agreed to move towards. The balance between these influences will control the practices within a local church at a given point in time. This is shown schematically in the diagram, where the changeless is shown in blue and the variable is shown in black. Lessons for us God has established the local church so that it can function in all cultures across the world. The truths of the gospel and the church should be expressed by the practices of the local church in a manner that takes account of changes in culture, technology, language, way of life and customs. That’s how the church is multicultural. We need to distinguish between Scriptural principles and Christian practices: principles are fixed, whereas the practices can change and should change when there are significant changes in circumstances. We should know the purpose behind our practices, and periodically con­sider whether other methods would be more appropriate. A practice shouldn’t be viewed as better only because it is old, or better simply because it is new. Local churches all face different circumstances. Today we need to be aware of the circumstances we face, including the changing culture of our world. If the local church is to be sustainable, we need to know our circumstances and decide how they affect our expression of the principles. If its practices don’t change, the local church becomes a stagnant and unresponsive subculture that will die out. There is no future for churches that are content with the old and caught up in the traditions and the forms of 50 or 100 years ago. Let’s face it, the world we live in has changed drastically over the last 40 years. This is a challenge that is faced by all local churches, particularly in times of rapid cultural changes. It’s not enough to be a church that is based on Scripture; there is also a need to be culturally relevant. Our vision should include these two components: Scriptural principles that reflect our Lord and our heavenly citizenship and practices that relate to the physical world we live in. Let’s be a Biblical church that is culturally relevant. Written, November 2007 See earlier article on scriptural principles and practices: – Practicing scriptural principles January 5, 2011 | Categories: Christian, Church, Culture, Spiritual | Tags: Church, circumstances, culture, multicultural, practices, principles, wineskins | Leave a comment George's Journal
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How many women…? Final 2014 statistics! 2014 is history, and so is my year-long project to track the genders of all the people I played with. Here are the final numbers… Overall, 26% of my opponents in 2014 were women. If I was playtesting an unpublished game, then 17% of my opponents were women. If I was playing a published game, then 31% of my opponents were women. If I was in a public space (like a game store or a public convention), then 21% of my opponents were women. If I was in a private space (like someone’s house), then 31% of my opponents were women. I hope no one sees these numbers as authoritative. They only show my personal experience. If anyone else takes up this project, I’m sure their numbers will differ, and they may differ by a lot! But this project has opened my eyes to the invisible ropes that I feel keep some women from participating in the hobby. I think, in a perfect world, board games could be split more evenly across genders. It’s also made me think about privilege and status. In order to play and design board games as a hobby, a person needs lots of time off to play games, to design games, to go to conventions, to playtest, to talk on the internet, to network. That person will also need a strong, steady income to afford new games, supplies, and conventions. Finally, if that person has a family, they will need some sort of support in covering family roles while they play and design their games. In order to have that sort of time and income, that person is going to need a whole lot of privilege. It means a good job with good benefits and lots of time off. It also means passing off familial obligations to loved ones. It’s something that men are more likely to be able to do than women. I believe that sort of privilege is the primary reason why there are so many more men than women in our hobby, and especially why there are so many more men who design board games than women. I know that’s a pretty big generalization, and there are going to be tons of people who are exceptions. My hope is that we start seeing more and more exceptions as our hobby develops, and we get closer to an even gender split. Finally, this project has also opened my eyes to people who identify as nonbinary; that is, people who do not identify as traditional “male” or “female” genders. This is still quite a taboo subject, and there are even more ropes and walls blocking me from tracking that as well. Many nonbinary people don’t publicly share their stance out of fear, and I felt uncomfortable asking friends who were just over to play games. So once again, please forgive the lack of nonbinary data here. Perhaps one day, someone can handle this kind of information much more thoroughly than I have. I know I’ve been hammering on gender topics on this blog lately. If you’ve found it tiresome, I understand; but I urge you to consider that there are plenty of people who don’t get to ignore things like exclusion and discrimination, because it gets rubbed in their face every single day. The lone woman in an otherwise all-male gaming group. The woman working at the game store who has to deal with customers either hitting on her or ignoring her. The woman who feels pressured to make a move in her game, before the other players start peppering her with unsolicited advice. The woman who has the nagging feeling that she should be doing something more “productive” while she’s playing a game. I’ve learned so much during this project, and I’m really grateful that I see more people sharing their views. I feel weird bringing it all up, because I’m not a woman, and I don’t want to say anything untruthful, inaccurate, or hurtful. I hope I’ve succeeded there, and I hope you will grant me the privilege to keep writing the occasional post on this topic from time to time if I find something worth discussing. With all that said, I resolve to talk more about game design in 2015! 2 Comments to “How many women…? Final 2014 statistics!” As a female board gamer, I very much appreciate what you’re doing to increase the visibility of females who play board games. I myself am guilty of only playing games within my circle of friends and not venturing to local gaming events because of my preconceived notions of not being accepted or seen as an equal by the males. It’s really ridiculous that I let myself feel this way (and it’s partly because I’m an introvert), and I need to do my part to show that woman can be as interested in and as good at board gaming as men. katedahl says: As a female board gamer, I commend you for writing about this. I have to admit that I’ve been hesitant to go to local gaming events because of two of the things you mentioned: fear of being the lone woman and being pressured to play quickly so I can “prove” my ability to play games without men helping me. I went to BGGcon for the first time this year, and I have to admit that not wanting to be the lone woman at a table kept me from joining some of tables looking for more players. (I did play one demo game with three strangers — all male — and it was probably the least fun I had because I felt like I was the outsider because of my gender.) As I’m writing this, I realize that it seems quite ridiculous, and I shouldn’t hold myself back from enjoying games because of this. Hopefully acknowledging it will give me the courage to go to some gaming meet-ups and events this year.
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You are at:Home»Paris»Arrondissements of Paris»15th Arrondissement of Paris»Statue of Liberty on the Île aux Cygnes, Paris Statue of Liberty on the Île aux Cygnes, Paris © French Moments Statue of Liberty on the Île aux Cygnes, Paris By Pierre on 10 May 15th Arrondissement of Paris, Île-de-France, Monuments of France, Paris, Secret and Offbeat Paris It is either visible from the top of the Eiffel Tower, from the Front-de-Seine or the Maison de la Radio, the Statue of Liberty on the Île aux Cygnes is a replica of the famous monument in NYC offered by the Americans to the French. Statue of Liberty on the Île aux Cygnes The Statue of Liberty in New York City has been standing on its island facing Manhattan since the 28 October 1886. Three years later the French people living in the United States offered to their fellow countrymen of France a replica of the statue for the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution. The inauguration of the statue took place on the 4 July 1889 (the American Independence Day) in the presence of French president Sadi Carnot. The Statue of Liberty was made in bronze from Bartholdi’s plaster model which explained its height of 11.50 metres (compared to 46.50 m for the original in NYC). The inscription on the tablet of Lady Liberty reads: IV JUILLET 1776 = XIV JUILLET 1789 (4 July 1776 = 14 July 1789, the dates of the American Declaration of Independence and of the French Revolution). The statue was placed on the western tip of the Île aux Cygnes (Swans Island), next to the Grenelle bridge which connects the 15th to the 16th arrondissements. The statue was first orientated so that it would face the Élysée Palace, the French presidential palace. However, at the event of the World Fair of 1937 it was turned to face its American big sister in NYC. The statue has always been standing on the Île aux Cygnes except from 1998-1999 when it was sent to Japan on the occasion of the ‘Year of France in Japan’. Commemorative plaque on the plinth of the Statue of Liberty, Île aux Cygnes, Paris © French Moments Views of the Statue of Liberty in Paris: From the top floor of the Eiffel Tower there is a fine view to the Île des Cygnes, the Grenelle Bridge and the tip of the island where the Statue of Liberty stands: Statue of Liberty seen from the top of the Eiffel Tower © French Moments One of our favourite views is from the Pont Mirabeau where the Statue of Liberty stands in front of the Eiffel Tower. If you look closely you can see the Sacré-Cœur of Montmartre in the distance. Statue of Liberty in Paris, France © French Moments View of the Statue of Liberty from the Pont de Bir-Hakeim (16th arrondissement). In the forefront the RER C bridge spanning the River Seine and in the background the tower of French TV channel TF1: Statue of Liberty © French Moments Other replicas of the Statue of Liberty in Paris There are many other replicas of the Statue of Liberty in the French capital: in the Luxembourg Garden, at the Arts and Métiers Museum and at the Orsay Museum. Find out more about the other replica of the Statue of Liberty hidden in the 6th arrondissement. Did you enjoy this post? Let us know by commenting below, we’d love to hear from you! Previous ArticleOur Instagram profile has gone berserk! Next Article Berlin Wall Section in Paris
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LifeWay, the Largest Christian Retailer in the Country, is Closing All Stores March 21, 2019 Sarahbeth Caplin LifeWay, the Largest Christian Retailer in the Country, is Closing All Stores LifeWay, the largest Christian retailer in the country, will officially close its doors later this year and sell merchandise online only. If you’re not a Christian, you may have heard of LifeWay from its previous controversies in which they removed books by authors who affirm marriage equality, referred to female genitalia, and claimed to have visited Heaven (at least after it was discovered that said visitor made the whole thing up). This is clearly a business decision, as more and more brick-and-mortar stores grapple with uncertainty about the digital future. But it probably didn’t help that the company’s strict standards for “acceptable” Christian material alienated many believing customers. The Southern Baptist affiliate announced in January initial plans to reduce its locations this year due to declining sales and financial pressures, but ended up deciding it wasn’t viable to keep any stores open past 2019. [President Thom] Rainer said they did all they could to save the stores. “Our retail strategy for the future will be a greater focus on digital channels, which are experiencing strong growth,” [acting president and CEO Brad] Waggoner said in an announcement on Wednesday… Rachel Held Evans, whose book was pulled from LifeWay’s shelves because it included the word “vagina,” called the decision “good news” for Christian publishers. Thread. Lifeway is closing all of its physical locations, and I’m truly sorry to everyone for whom this means the loss of a job or a publishing partner. But, at the end of the day, this is good news for writers of faith and Christian publishing… — Rachel Held Evans (@rachelheldevans) March 20, 2019 I made a few enemies (and a lot of secret friends!) waaaaay back in 2012 when I took on Lifeway with this post… https://t.co/Dbo8g48K4x My hope is that this news will reinforce to writers, editors, publishers, and marketers in the industry that we don’t have to conform to Southern Baptist culture and theology to sell books and that fear of getting banned from Lifeway shouldn’t drive editorial decisions. I hope it sends a message to retailers that banning books for not conforming to strict, fundamentalist standards is an ineffective strategy because readers of faith want books that reflect the diversity of the church and the complexity & nuances of the faith experience. The average reader has no idea just how large Lifeway loomed over Christian publishing, & just how many voices & ideas it managed to stifle, even outside conservative circles. I hope this unleashes a new era of freedom, creativity & diversity for writers & readers of faith.❤️ Many Christian publishers refused to take a chance on new authors with good writing and large social media followings because they feared backlash from LifeWay. After all, why take a chance on an author if the books can’t be sold in the largest Christian retailer? Time will tell whether this change will affect the Christian publishing industry at large, but it’s hard to see how this would change it for the worse. Todd Starnes on IL Pro-LGBTQ Bill: "Where Are the Heterosexual History Classes?" March 21, 2019 GOP Rep. Andy Harris Blames Decrease in "Religiosity" for Rise in Gun Violence
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PQ2: Practical Intelligence Quotient a game by D3 Platform: PSP Editor Rating: 7.7/10, based on 2 reviews I've always loved brain teasers, and I've often wondered exactly how smart I was. I suppose that's why PQ appealed to me, offering a nice break from traditional gameplay, going back to making a puzzle title that really did present just that. PQ is broken up into ten stages of ten levels each, for one hundred levels of puzzling goodness. To keep your mind focused on the task at hand, the controls are extremely simple and easy to use, leaving you to devote your brain power to solving the puzzles in front of you. First, I liked the fact that you only have to worry about the D pad and a single button. The game provides you with a traditional 3d view, along with an overhead map, which is also good. What I didn't like is the difficult camera controls; accomplishing your objective usually involves stacking boxes, moving boxes, moving walls, or dodging sentries, and sometimes the camera angle provided served only to muddy the experience. If you're expecting anything deeper from this game, don't. That's it. In a nutshell, you play puzzles, fun puzzles but just puzzles, for 100 stages. There's the option of posting your scores online to compare with other people, but given that you can repeat just about any stage until you know exactly how to complete it, those scores are pretty much bunk. That said, I'm a fan of puzzle titles, and if you are to (which I hope, since you're reading this) then I'm betting you'll like PQ. It seems short to beat, but long to master, so there's some replay here, and overall, I think its fun to flex your intellectual muscles. Plus, with a discount price, it's also pretty attractive to a wallet too. Although the title of 'Practical Intelligence Quotient' seems more of a marketing ploy than anything else, don't let that dissuade you. If you enjoy a good bit of puzzling, you'll likely be able to play this game without much frustration. Download PQ2: Practical Intelligence Quotient PSP Download People say: If you ask me, PQ2 is simply one of the best puzzle games on PSP, and possibly beyond. But it's not for the faint of heart; while scrambling to complete 100 puzzles in the five-hour time limit, you may end up feeling like a complete idiot. Do not be alarmed; this is normal. PQ2's nefarious puzzles of logic and spatial reasoning are like visual riddles, designed specifically to make you feel stupid until you finally "get it," at which point you'll feel stupid for not getting it sooner. It is, after all, just moving blocks around (some with special abilities) to find a path to the exit. How hard can it be? Plenty hard. What's more, a constant stream of user-created levels traded online guarantees the inferiority complex should persist indefinitely. If you like a cerebral challenge, you won't find anything much better. But if you look to games to turn off your brain, you'll hate this one with a passion. I guess I must be turning off my brain when I play games, because I'm not nearly as enamored with PQ2 as Joe up there. The game is a decent puzzler, but not Earth-shattering. I do really dig the puzzle-creation aspect, though. The interface is a tiny bit confusing at first--what with having to pop up a whole new menu before switching out different pieces and all--but once you get past the initial stumbling blocks, it's quite easy and rewarding. And being able to share your creations with the rest of... well, creation? That's just the icing on the cake. It gives PQ2 unlimited replay value, assuming a decent community springs up around the game. Greg "The Brainiac" Sewart has never been mistaken for someone with his neocortex turned on, so it's no surprise this one didn't wake his synapses. I'm 2,000 percent with Joe here. PQ2 kicked my ass--and brain--in a million different directions, but I loved how it made me feel idiotic one second, then Einsteinian the next. The puzzles are inventive, brain-bending, and unique (and about 87 out of 100 are very challenging). Brain Age is the type of game that makes you react; this is a game that makes you think--and even punishes trial and error (which I found out the hard way). Download Super Mario Bros. 3
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Joachim of Fiore (ca. 1132-1202) Joachim of Fiore (Joachim of Floris, Joachimus Calaber) (ca. 1132-1202) was the founder and first abbot of the Cistercian monastery in Calabria. He was an Italian mystic, the originator of the prophecy concerning the approach of the age of the Spirit (in 1260), which was to follow upon the age of the Father in the history of Israel and the age of the Son in the history of the Catholic Church, as the third and final era, and bring about a renewal of the Spirit in secularized Christendom. Joachim's ideas became widely spread. In some respects he prepared the way for the Reformation and Anabaptism; for the former in his antipapal attitude, which became more and more pronounced among the rigorous Franciscans, and for the latter in his demand for the renewal of life and his apocalyptic view of history and of the Bible. Thus apparently Melchior Hoffman was influenced by Joachimite ideas in his exegesis of Revelation, in which he has the two witnesses of Revelation 11 appear before the dawn of the new age and oppose the anti-Christian papacy, and prophesy for 1,260 days in the spirit of Elijah and Enoch. The Joachimites understood these witnesses to be St. Francis and St. Dominicus, whereas Hoffman's followers saw their Elijah in Hoffman himself. Hoffman's analysis of history deviates from Joachim's in that he divides the period after Christ into three ages. A division of world history into three parts is again encountered in the exegesis of the High German Anabaptists, who call the Old Testament time yesterday, New Testament time today, and future time tomorrow, but here all extra-Biblical speculation is absent. Arnold, Gottfried. Unparteiische Kirchen- und Ketzerhistorie vom Anfang des Neuen Testaments bis auf das Jahr Christi 1688. Frankfurt a.m., 1703. Reprinted Hildesheim : G. Olms, 1967: XII, 3, 5; XIII, 2, 3, c. 3, 2. Benz, E. Ecclesia Spiritualis. Stuttgart, 1934. Bett, H. Joachim of Flora. London, 1931. Loserth, J. Quellen und Forschungen zur Geschichte der oberdeutschen Taufgesinnten im 16. Jahrhundert. Vienna, 1929: 583. Hege, Christian and Christian Neff. Mennonitisches Lexikon, 4 vols. Frankfurt & Weierhof: Hege; Karlsruhe; Schneider, 1913-1967, v. II: 427. zur Linden, F.O. Melchior Hofmann, ein Prophet der Wiedertäufer. Haarlem, 1885: 93 and 195 ff. Gerhard Hein Hein, Gerhard. "Joachim of Fiore (ca. 1132-1202)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. 1957. Web. 19 Jul 2019. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Joachim_of_Fiore_(ca._1132-1202)&oldid=144180. Hein, Gerhard. (1957). Joachim of Fiore (ca. 1132-1202). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 19 July 2019, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Joachim_of_Fiore_(ca._1132-1202)&oldid=144180. Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 3, pp. 110-111. All rights reserved. Retrieved from "https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Joachim_of_Fiore_(ca._1132-1202)&oldid=144180"
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Bugs Bunny in Crazy Castle 3 Bugs Bunny in Crazy Castle 3 Game Price Chart Bugs Bunny in Crazy Castle 3 (Nintendo G... [Game Boy Color] Bugs Bunny in Crazy Cas... Bugs Bunny Crazy Castle 3 (Nintendo Game... Click on a tab below to view a list of sold listings for Bugs Bunny in Crazy Castle 3 for the Game Boy Color Bugs Bunny in Crazy Castle 3 (Nintendo Game Boy Color, 1999) GBA SP ADVANCE Bugs Bunny in Crazy Castle 3 (Nintendo Game Boy Color, 1999) Bugs Bunny in Crazy Castle 3 (Nintendo Game Boy Color, 1999) TESTED!!! Bugs Bunny in Crazy Castle 3 (Nintendo Game Boy Color, 1999) Tested And Working! Bugs Bunny in Crazy Castle 3 (Nintendo Game Boy Color, 1999) Game Only Bugs Bunny in Crazy Castle 3 Nintendo Game Boy Color plays in Advance SP System Bugs Bunny in Crazy Castle 3 (Nintendo Game Boy Color, 1999) {66793} Bugs Bunny in Crazy Castle 3 (Nintendo Game Boy Color, 1999) + FREE SHIPPING
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Posted on 29 April 2015 by Advocate Editorial: More Propaganda, Less Liberalism: Our Ongoing Struggle When I began my tenure as Editor-in-Chief of the Advocate, I, along with then Managing Editor Cristina Pérez Díaz and Associate Editor Francisco Fortuño Bernier, drafted an open letter to the Graduate Center Community. In the letter we articulated our desire to maintain, and indeed strengthen, the political trajectory of the paper. In addition, we set out to diversify the paper “in a way congruent with the experiences of the most marginalized in New York City and the United States as a whole.” I trust that our readership has found that we (including longtime layout editor Mark Wilson and newly appointed Managing Editor Bhargav Rani) have lived up to these ambitious tasks, and that we have improved upon the foundations of our predecessors. Hopefully the incoming Editor-in-Chief will enhance this legacy. Yes, I am vacating my position as Editor-in-Chief and this is my final issue in charge. I have been asked by friends and colleagues why I have decided to step down. Rest assured that my decision to leave has nothing to do with the vitriolic attacks initiated by the NY Post and sustained by other far-right wing news outlets as some have surmised. Neither does this decision come as a result of the workings of CUNY administrators (two of whom were gracious enough to implicitly side with the Post, which is not all that surprising), my decision is in fact purely based on my need to focus more deeply upon my own research. At once, my decision is both selfish as well as generous. A new Editor-in-Chief will take over my role come July and they will have the quite wonderful task of providing a political continuity for what I think the Advocate has become. But what exactly has the Advocate become? It has always been a voice for the Graduate Center community, specifically the student body, a space for critical inquiry and expression, but I think it has metamorphosed into something greater. It is now a space for increased political activity, sharp debate, and an outlet for those pushing against dominant discourses, both in the academic world and the world at large. Since the new editorial committee took over in March 2014, there have been some subtle, but important changes in the Advocate. The most obvious change is the aesthetic appeal we have been trying to convey through reformatting the look of the paper, I hope that you have enjoyed the new look and trust the incoming editor to continually revamp and reexamine the paper on this front. The most important feature we have set up is the Edifying Debate column, which since the beginning of our tenure has hosted polemical articles ranging from the role of CUNY hiring David Petraeus to the struggle in the Doctoral Students’ Council to pass a resolution endorsing the academic boycott of Israeli educational intuitions, from the complicity of the police and the state against the activist efforts of the Black Lives Matter movement to one of the articles selected for this issue, a direct and critical response to my previous editorial. These sorts of writings are what should sustain us, make us think, push against the boundaries of our beliefs, and most importantly, motivate us to want to change the status quo. Additionally, we have expanded to an internationalist purview by bringing together articles that are of importance to a wide range of audiences. The political and social insularity of the academy must be ruptured if, in fact, we are to transform the world, for what precisely is the point to the production of knowledge if not to foster change in our societies? I see the current manifestation of the Advocate as contributing to such a transformative project, both in New York City and more specifically at CUNY. We, as a community of scholars, activists, and students, have a special responsibility at one of the largest public institutions in the United States – to break through the malaise that the increasingly neoliberal university, in conjunction with the capitalist state, foists upon us, upon our students, and upon our friends, colleagues, and families. We must continue to write, and write critically about the issues that motivate and affect us at CUNY and beyond. The Advocate has and will continue to provide the space for such transformative musings to come to life. It should also continue to be a space in which criticism is not only accepted but welcomed, even biting criticisms at that. This is our mandate as graduate students. To not only contribute to knowledge production, but also to reimagine the world, and change it for the better. The Advocate is one of many vessels we have at our disposal to agitate for such transformative processes, but it is an important one because it is ours, and it is imperative that we avail ourselves of the space (both physical and metaphorical) that it affords us in our processes of thinking, writing, and criticizing. I was at one point castigated by a DSC representative for “leading a coup of elite students in an effort to hijack the paper in an effort to push a certain agenda.” I never addressed the criticism here in the paper, though I did so during the DSC Plenary when the allegation was made. The editorial committee never, during either of its formations since the beginning of my tenure, attempted to coopt the paper for a specific political goal, and this can be seen from the variety of articles that we published from myriad political positions. The second clause in the accusation is, however, true. We as a collective, and as individuals have political agendas, ideas, outlooks and so on. Consequently, we take positions collectively as well as individually when organizing issues of the Advocate, and it is indeed propaganda that we produce. I use propaganda in the actual sense of the word, not the contrived understanding of the word as an anathema. If propaganda is invoked to mean an effort to sway a reader’s position, then isn’t all writing propagandistic? Another DSC representative euphemistically mentioned to me that I was the “propagandist-in-chief.” I very much like this title, though the best propagandists in CUNY are the Board of Trustees and the sections of the administration that are acquiescent to, or outright in favor of, the increasingly neoliberal path our university is traversing. I hope that the incoming Editor-in-Chief will be as adept a propagandist as the aforementioned DSC representative thinks that I am. Without propaganda, the Advocate will not be able to function as a source of advocacy and agitation – the principal purpose, in my eyes at least, for this paper. As with any sort of propagandistic endeavor, the attendant concern of politics and political orientation are not far removed. I hope that through my editorials and from some of our newer contributors, our readership has been able to glean the project that I, alongside various other members of the editorial committee at different times, have been embarking on. If it hasn’t been abundantly clear thus far, it is one of challenging the straight-laced liberalism of New York and of the Graduate Center specifically. This political project is a rejection of this current of liberalism that has influenced people in this building to such an extent that the recent (well, it’s a sort of continuity too) police murders of Blacks in this country failed to be condemned. It is an outright denunciation of this liberalism which informs those DSC representatives who fail to see the linkages between the murdered college students in Ayotzinapa and the United States’ historic role in the economic subjugation of Mexico. It is a call to arms against this same liberalism that has allowed for some to so vehemently and acerbically condemn pro-Palestinian BDS activists (my own criticisms of BDS as a tactic notwithstanding). Again, it is people imbued with this strain of liberalism who have told us (both the Advocate and the broader CUNY community) that we are “too political,” that politics should be shunned in the academy, it is better to focus on (innocuous) “internal issues.” It is the same liberalism that criticized our publication of the racist letters we received (I imagine the critics thought I was White, but I may be mistaken) yet was eerily silent on, or at times opposed to, the right to self-defense against the violence of police forces in this country. It is this liberalism that I, the editorial committee, and a significant number of our contributors over this past volume, have tried to combat and critique as being fundamentally frail as a political position. I hope the next editor continues to push up against the status quo in this building as the last three editors have done to varying degrees. Our political aspirations go beyond the scope of “CUNY specific” issues, and the subsequent editor should continue this tradition. This, for instance, is reflected in the current issue by the statement from the CUNY Internationalist Clubs on the historic decision for organized labor, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union specifically, to collectively engage in the struggle for Black liberation. Our international(ist) optic is further demonstrated in earlier issues from the current volume. I ask that our readership and contributors continue to engage the Advocate from a non-provincial, non-insular perspective, and that the next editor build upon the work we have done this year, as we have built off of those before us. I have learned a great deal during my stint as Editor-in-Chief, and it is with a heavy heart that I resign from this position. I will, no doubt, miss the work that goes into producing this paper for you (and by you). So thank you for your camaraderie, for your suggestions, your criticisms, for your praise and support. Thank you for writing critically, for bringing the world to CUNY and in some cases CUNY to the rest of the world. Thank you for acknowledging the new trajectory of the Advocate and helping it to thrive, to advance. I wish the next Editor-in-Chief the utmost success for the forthcoming volume, and I thank the readership for reading, responding, and consuming what we have worked hard to produce. Continue to criticize, to debate, to write, to think, to push, to transform, to radicalize, continue to be revolutionary, it is all part and parcel in the process of bringing into fruition something greater than ourselves – something superior to the current socio-political reality which we inhabit. Comradely, Gordon R. Barnes Jr.
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Guillermo del Toro Confirms THE SHAPE OF WATER Will Be an R-Rated Fairy Tale Movie Movie Guillermo del ToroThe Shape of WaterFairy TaleFantasy about 2 years ago by Joey Paur Everything that I've heard about Guillermo del Toro's The Shape of Water has been fascinating. For the most part, Del Toro is known for his horror movies, but he doesn't consider his next film project to be a horror film. He recently confirmed on Twitter that The Shape of Water will be rated R and that it will tell a fairy tale story. Here are the tweets! So- "R" it is! — Guillermo del Toro (@RealGDT) May 2, 2017 No. The Shape of Water is NOT a horror movie. It's a bit of a fairy tale story - a fable set in early 1960's America. The film has been described as an “other-worldly love story, set against the backdrop of Cold War era America circa 1963.” It’s also said to be a “mysterious and magical journey.” When I think of a Del Toro fairy tale film, I immediately think of Pan's Labyrinth. Even though it had dark horror-like elements, the story was definitely in the fairy tale fantasy realm. If the movie is anything like that, I think fans should be crazy excited. Del Toro's last film Crimson Peak didn't really do very well, which is a shame because I actually really loved the gothic, horror/thriller. I hope this next film of his does a lot better. Even after the movie flopped, I like that it didn't scare him away from jumping right back into R-rated territory. The movie has an incredible cast which includes Sally Hawkins (Blue Jasmine, Happy-Go-Lucky), Michael Shannon (Revolutionary Road, 99 Homes), Richard Jenkins (The Visitor), Doug Jones (Crimson Peak, Hellboy), Michael Stuhlbarg (A Serious Man, Steve Jobs), and Octavia Spencer (The Help, Gifted). Jones previously talked about the film and shed some additional light on the story saying: “It’s not a sci-fi [film], it’s not a genre film, but I am a creature in it. I’m a fish man that’s kind of a one-off. I’m an enigma, nobody knows where I came from; I’m the last of my species so I’m like a natural anomaly. And I’m being studied and tested in a U.S. government facility in 1963, so the Russian Cold War is on, the race for space is on, so there’s all that backdrop and that undercurrent. I’m being tested for how can they use me for advantages in military or space travel, or my technology—can we make this usable for humans? So they’re trying to keep me a secret from the Russians.” He goes on to offer additional details for the film, saying: "My character is... even if I'm not in every scene, they're talking about me when I'm not there. I am the focal point of the whole movie. They're all having interactions because of me. It is one of the most gorgeous stories I have ever been a part of. And it was filmed beautifully. The art direction for the era - the cars, the clothes, the hair, the sets - it's very Del Toro and very gorgeous. "Our central character is Sally Hawkins who plays a very sympathetic character, a woman you're just going to fall in love with. What she goes through... you're going to be rooting for her every step. It's a classic Del Toro movie where we root for an underdog in very impossible circumstances, and I'm a part of all of that in a very, very integral way. So without giving it all away, I think I just gave it all away." From what you know about Del Toro's The Shape of Water, are you excited about it? Guillermo del Toro Starts Production on His “Other-Worldly” Next Film THE SHAPE OF WATER Beautiful First Trailer For Guillermo Del Toro's New Film THE SHAPE OF WATER Guillermo Del Toro's THE SHAPE OF WATER is His Best Film Since PAN'S LABYRINTH! Read the First Reviews! Amazing Red-Band Trailer For Guillermo del Toro's THE SHAPE OF WATER Guillermo del Toro's THE SHAPE OF WATER Gets a Behind-The-Scenes Video with New Footage New Red-Band Trailer Released For Guillermo Del Toro's Dark Fairytale THE SHAPE OF WATER
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(NB: To read more about gender, WASH and CCA, see Sectoral Module E.) Tonle Sap Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Sector Project Sector(s): Implementing Organizations: Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) Budget (US$): Project Objectives: Sustained access by all community members, including the poorest, to safe water and hygiene and better sanitation to improve the quality of life and health of rural residents of the project areas. The project targets were to: Increase the percentage of the rural population with access to safe water to 50 percent Increase the percentage of the rural population with access to sanitation facilities to 30 percent. Notable Gender-Related Activities and Processes: (Source: ADB 2011a) Hired gender specialist to participate on review teams. Gender awareness included in the capacity-building program for the MoRD, along with other project management topics in 30 separate multiday training sessions. Developed a gender strategy output, with capacity-building and institutional support elements, for the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation (RWSS), as an input to the national RWSS strategy. Notable Gender-Related Results: Impacts included: Women’s time spent on water collection decreased with improved water supply and hygienic latrines for individual households Reduced household income spent on water purchases from private vendors Increased safety and convenience for women when household latrines replaced nighttime open defecation practices. Asian Development Bank. 2005. Report and recommendation of the President to the Board of Directors on a proposed grant to the Kingdom of Cambodia for the Tonle Sap rural water supply and sanitation sector project. ADB, Manila, the Philippines. http://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/projdocs/2005/rrp-cam-34382.pdf ———. 2009a. Cambodia: Rural water and sanitation—Can a gender action plan make a difference? Press release on gender equality case study. ADB, Manila, the Philippines. http://www.adb.org/themes/gender/case-studies/cambodia-rural-water-sanitation-gender-action-plan-difference ———. 2011a. Completion report, Cambodia: Tonle Sap rural water supply and sanitation project. ADB, Manila, the Philippines. http://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/projdocs/2011/34382-022-cam-pcr.pdf ———. 2013c. Project data sheet. Tonle Sap rural water supply and sanitation sector project. ADB, Manila, the Philippines. http://www.adb.org/projects/34382-022/details Karin Schelzig (kschelzig@adb.org) Cambodia has inadequate water and sanitation resources. Climate change is expected to exacerbate these problems by likely reducing water availability and quality problems. Inadequate water supplies and sanitation lead to higher rates of diseases, causing public health hazards and requiring more of women’s time for family caretaking. Although Cambodians have made improvements, their rural water coverage remains one of the lowest in Asia. As a result, the Government of Cambodia developed the national water supply and sanitation policy, which established the objective that “every person in rural communities has sustained access to safe water supply and sanitation services and [is] living in a hygienic environment by 2025.” Women are the primary users of water, family hygiene educators, and managers of RWSS. They are not always invited to participate in the development of these local systems, and their roles are limited in formal management and O&M. Furthermore, they are underrepresented in professional positions in water and sanitation sectors but likely overrepresented in hygiene education. Hygiene programs and communication campaigns tend to focus on women as primary family educators. Beginning in 2006, the ADB Tonle Sap Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Sector Project assisted the MoRD in Cambodia to achieve its RWSS Investment Plan (2005–2015) and the Cambodian Millennium Development Goals in the five provinces around the Tonle Sap Basin: Battambang, Kampong Chhnang, Kampong Thom, Pursat, and Siem Reap (ADB 2013c). There were 859 targeted communities in 129 communes in 18 districts (ADB 2011a). The project aimed to increase the percentage of the rural population with access to safe water supply to 50 percent and sanitation facilities to 30 percent by 2015, and the project is in line with the Cambodia Millennium Development Goals targets. The project also aimed to reduce child mortality from waterborne diseases by half of the 1990 level. The project had four components: Community mobilization and skills development Water supply improvement Sanitation improvement Capacity building and institutional support 2. Summary of Project General description of proposal preparation Household surveys that included usage, interests, and average willingness and capability to pay monthly fees for water supply (ADB 2005). Gender analysis covering demographic, rights, and use issues for the various ethnic groups in the project areas (ADB 2009a). Stakeholder analysis that identified primary stakeholders as including rural residents, resettlement-affected peoples, the poorest households and vulnerable groups, water and sanitation users, village authorities, planning and budgeting committees, commune councils, the private sector, gender working groups, and all administrative levels of the MoRD. Secondary stakeholders were provincial rural development committees, the Inter-Ministerial Resettlement Committee, mass organizations, and relevant line agencies. Female-headed households were treated as a specific stakeholder group and consulted (ADB 2005). The project was developed through a set of public consultations, workshops, and meetings with stakeholders, including formal surveys and participatory rural appraisals. Issues discussed included water supply and sanitation issues, poverty levels, beneficiary contributions and affordability of services, land acquisition and environmental concerns, hygiene practices, and O&M challenges (ibid.). Gender integration during project design/formulation and proposal preparation Convened community meetings with potential beneficiaries to discuss water supply and sanitation issues, poverty levels, beneficiary contribution and affordability issues, land acquisition and environmental concerns, hygiene practices, and O&M challenges (ADB 2013c). Conducted a gender analysis during project preparation and refined it during project implementation. The earlier study found that women comprised about 52 percent of the combined population of the five provinces and headed about 27 percent of all households (ADB 2005). The study found that the latter group was not homogeneous. Gender relations and inheritance rights differed among the Khmer majority and the Cham Muslim minority, as well as between Vietnamese and Chinese families. The proposed project activities were expected to be of greater benefit to women than men with respect to time-savings, a reduced burden of labor, and improved family health. Three-quarters of the respondents reported that women and children are responsible for collecting water. During the dry season, they spend up to three hours per day collecting water with frequent trips and long queues at water points. Most people (65–75 percent) perceived women as the household members who were responsible for proper hygiene and for cleaning water jars and around the well area (ADB 2009a). Developed a GAP as a precondition for the ADB loan agreement, secured government agreement to fully implement the GAP as part of the loan covenants, and conducted an assessment of the GAP’s impact and results in a 2009 study. Identified minimum targets for women’s participation and included these in the GAP: Water and Sanitation User Group boards (40 percent women;50 percent of O&M training participants), staff of contracted NGOs (50 percent women), skills development participants (40 percent women and 50 percent of trained maintenance personnel), and male participation in hygiene and sanitation education (40 percent men) (ADB 2005). Made plans to develop national guidelines for gender mainstreaming in RWSS to build the capacity of the gender working group within the MoRD (ibid.). Focused livelihood development for women and the poorest residents via provision of information on livelihood opportunities arising from water and sanitation-related activities (e.g., (installation, construction, and O&M of latrines, wells, rainwater, and filter equipment, sludge removal, etc.);identifying potential participants;offering skills capacity development and linkages;or referral to livelihood improvement projects. Relied on NGO providers to apply a user-friendly, gender-sensitive approach to community development and livelihood activities and planned to offer NGOs training on participatory, gender, and technical issues and tools. Developed a capacity-building program that included gender awareness with other technical and administrative topics for MoRD staff at national and subnational levels and the commune councils. Monitored the level of participation of women and vulnerable groups and the degree to which they benefit. Results were compared to baseline survey data for each community (ADB 2005). NGO partners organized data through villages and communes, and the data was stored in a database maintained by the Project Implementation Units and the Project Management Unit. All monitoring data and indicators were disaggregated by gender, ethnicity, and income (ibid.). Key gender-related results Women’s participation in project activities is widespread. By the end of the project, half of the almost 920,000 participants in the project information dissemination meetings that were organized in every project village were women. Just over 43 percent of the Water and Sanitation User Group board members trained on hand-pump O&M were women (ADB 2013c). In late 2009, the project recorded that women constituted about 56 percent of the participants in village-level meetings on the formation of water user groups and information dissemination sessions on community water management and technology. The boards of 5,330 newly established Water and Sanitation User Groups were 43 percent women, or approximately two of the five board members (ADB 2009a). Construction of separate school latrines for girls to respect local modesty norms and encourage girls to stay in school. (ADB 2005) Developed guidelines on mainstreaming gender in the RWSS sector in 2009 (ADB 2013c). Both community-level socioeconomic surveys and gender analysis at the beginning of the project provided site-specific information for shaping project choices, based on gender and ethnic norms. Targets set for women’s participation led to different project strategies. Targets addressed women’s representation at various levels, including group leaders and members. Included activities to increase women’s roles in RWSS enterprises and O&M. Lessons learned and missed opportunities Monitoring was sex-disaggregated, but these results are not discussed for many of the indicators. Similarly, the sex of household heads does not appear in final reports. Women’s roles in formulating water supply and sanitation village plans are not well-articulated in the project design nor is their involvement discussed in final reports. It is not clear how many women were able to find work with RWSS enterprises, compared to men, or who played a role in O&M maintenance of village hand pumps. Men’s participation in hygiene education is unknown. Nationwide awareness campaign on water use and hygiene education could have been tailored differently to reach men and women (e.g., messages, media channels). There is no evidence that baseline information was used for this purpose.
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Enhancing accountability in the medicines market: The Medicines Transparency Alliance Home > News > Enhancing accountability in the medicines market: The Medicines Transparency Alliance by TIM REED and RENÉE VASBINDER Roberto Pagdanganan, MeTA Philippines Chair, Renee Vasbinder, HAI, Cecile Sison, MeTA Philippines Country Coordinator, Tim Reed, HAI, and Deirdre Dimancesco, WHO, at the 2014 MeTA Philippines Forum. (Photo courtesy of MeTA Philippines.) At least a third of the world’s population—over 2 billion men, women and children—still have no regular access to affordable essential medicines. In many countries, this abominable problem primarily stems from a scarcity of, or contradicting, information about the price, availability, affordability, quality and promotion of medicines. Unfortunately, the absence of this vital information has far-reaching, negative consequences; it begets a lack of accountability within the medicines market. To address these ongoing problems of transparency and accountability, the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID) introduced a new program—essentially, a new approach—called the Medicines Transparency Alliance (MeTA) in 2008. Years later, and now in its second phase, the project, co-managed by Health Action International (HAI) and the World Health Organization (WHO), has seven participating countries. Each country—Ghana, Jordan, Kyrgyzstan, Peru, the Philippines, Uganda and Zambia—has formed a multi-stakeholder group of representatives from the public sector, private sector and, very importantly, civil society to drive transparency and policy reform within their countries. These collaborative groups identify country health policy priorities, and collect, share and analyse data on the selection, procurement, quality, availability, pricing, promotion and use of medicines. They then use this information to inform medicines policy so that more of their citizens can access quality-assured essential medicines through a truly country-driven programme of transparency and reform. Since forming, MeTA multi-stakeholder groups have made great strides towards improving medicines access. In Jordan, for example, the prices of more than 700 medicines were recently reduced, making them more affordable for Jordanian citizens. MeTA Jordan, particularly the Jordanian Civil Society Organizations Health Alliance (JCSOHA), has been instrumental in driving this positive result. Meanwhile, this week, HAI was pleased to join MeTA Philippines for its annual forum, which focused on the dreadful medicines promotion situation that is plaguing the rational use of medicines in that country. HAI gave a presentation about the role of drug promotion (using the HAI/WHO manual, Understanding and Responding to Pharmaceutical Promotion: A Practical Guide) and participated in a panel discussion regarding regulatory mechanisms to curtail the excesses of the pharmaceutical industry. No doubt, MeTA milestones and events, like these, are important steps towards improving the health of citizens. They also offer hope that the MeTA model could, one day, be extended to other countries so even more people could reap the benefits of having reliable access to affordable essential medicines. Study provides recommendations on European Medicines Agency's communication on medicines EU-Mercosur Trade Agreement: A bad deal for transparency, policy coherence and access to medicines Report: Public information as a medicines marketing tool Snooping CEO unveils conflicts of interest at the European Medicines Agency HAI Holds Workshops on EU Medicines Policy & Access to Medicines in Eastern Europe Statement on Medicines Patent Pool Farewell to Access to Medicines Pioneer, Andrew Herxheimer Good week for access to affordable medicines Review of conflict of interest policies in three European medicines regulation agencies European Medicines Agency faces tough questions about patient groups' transparency
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‘I Am An Immigrant’ Poster Campaign Highlights Positives Of Immigration Unfortunately, the national news is constantly teeming with negative quotes and statistics on immigration, leading many members of the British public to view both immigrants and immigration itself in a negative light. It is, therefore, an incredibly refreshing change when immigration is promoted and spoken about positively, as it is in the new campaign by Movement Against Xenophobia, entitled ‘I Am An Immigrant’. The pro-immigration campaign has launched this week in almost 1,000 rail and bus stations around the country, with 400 of them featuring at tube stations in London – the epicentre of multicultural British society. The campaign was thought up by the organisation after it recognised that many Britons are becoming ‘fed up’ with the negativity and hostility directed towards immigrants, both in the news and in our society. The ‘I Am An Immigrant’ campaign features posters depicting 15 immigrants who have moved to the UK and made a significant contribution to society. The immigrants featured include people from all walks of life, from Mohammad Taj from Kashmir, who has been working as a bus driver for over 40 years, to Polish born Lukas Belina, who has been saving British lives as a firefighter for the past 7 years. Other immigrants featuring in the campaign include a head teacher, a barrister and a mental health nurse – all contributing significantly to British society within their respective sectors. Polish born firefighter, Lukas Belina, has been saving British lives for 7 years Contrary to the negativity that is consistently seen in the media, it would seem that the UK population are, in reality, incredibly supportive of our migrant population. The entire ‘I Am An Immigrant’ campaign, including photography, poster creation and placement and part time campaign staff, has all been crowd funded with contributions from the public – a total of £54,000 has been raised to date, surpassing the initial fundraising target. The posters recognise inclusion and highlight the mixed heritage that we have in Britain, reminding us all that we have been benefitting from the positive aspects of immigration for generations. It also publicises that the majority of Brits reject intolerance of immigrants, and, instead, embrace our cultural diversity.
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church congregation Archives For church congregation Who will protect the church? Lisa Misner — April 4, 2019 By Whitman H. Brisky What happens to church property when most of its members depart, leaving only an unpopular pastor and a few of his close friends and family to determine its use? Unfortunately, in all too many cases, the congregation essentially shuts down as an active ministry, converts the property to cash, and then pays the remaining funds to (or for the benefit of) the pastor. Frequently the money is paid out as salary for doing very little since the congregation is now defunct. Even worse, in some situations we have seen, the pastor seems to deliberately drive the bulk of the congregation away so that he can sell the property for his own personal benefit without having to account for the money. We are even aware of an example where a single minister became pastor of three separate congregations and drove the members of all three away leaving him with the property. While this situation would normally not occur in denominations with relatively strong connections because the denomination would step in, it is all too common among independent congregations and in denominations with much looser structures. Whether the pastor is truly a wolf in shepherd’s clothing, intentionally driving most of his congregation away so that he can profit personally from the sale of the property, or simply a poor pastor, the result is the same: the destruction of a congregation, the sale of church property often for secular use, and the waste of assets which should be used to build the Kingdom. What can Christian lay people do to avoid this kind of situation in their own congregations? First, build strong, independent lay leadership for the congregation and resist attempts by the pastor to “pack” the board with his own supporters. This will ensure that there is a strong independent board to check the pastor, offer guidance if he seems to be taking a wrong path, and if necessary, initiate the pastor’s removal. The second way congregations can help prevent this kind of situation is to exercise great care in selecting a pastor. This should include a careful check of his background and prior employment. Frequently these wolves in shepherd’s clothing move from church to church, repeating the process multiple times. A call committee should be very reluctant to hire a candidate who has left his prior church worse off than when he arrived. It would be wise to talk to some people who left the candidate’s prior church to find out why they left. Third, the church’s bylaws should be reviewed and updated to ensure that a pastor, with or without a compliant board, could not use parliamentary tricks and super majority requirements to prevent the majority of a congregation from supervising or removing an unpopular or incompetent pastor. The bylaws should not allow a pastor to unilaterally remove anyone from membership or limit a member’s voting power. Fourth, there should be a written contract with each pastor not only detailing the compensation and other benefits he will receive, but also specifying what he is expected to do and the conditions under which he can be terminated. This ensures that a civil court can and will enforce decisions which are consistent with that contract. And lastly, make sure that the church treasurer, and other people charged with handling the money of the church, are independent of the pastor and that their work is independently reviewed (preferably by a third party accountant) to ensure that financial transactions are properly recorded. Taking these common sense steps will not only help avoid the wolf in shepherd’s clothing, but also strengthen the church congregation generally—particularly its lay leadership, which can also lead to more effective evangelism and ministry. Even if you already have a wolf in shepherd’s clothing, it might not be too late. You should contact an attorney experienced in handling these matters before you walk away from a congregation. The firm offers a free newsletter on religious liberty issues at www.mauckbaker.com. Whitman H. Brisky is a partner with the Chicago-based law firm of Mauck & Baker, which handles cases involving churches and religious liberty. He has practiced law in Illinois since 1975, after graduating from the Northwestern University School of Law in Chicago. He frequently represents churches and pastors, and is an ally with Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF). According to his company biography, Brisky was brought to the Lord after wandering into a Presbyterian church where the pastor preached a sermon entitled “Has Anyone Been Saved Here Lately?” At the end of the service Brisky could respond enthusiastically, “Yes, me!” In Commentary bylaws, church, church building, church congregation, property
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Advocacy and Research About ICBA / Advocacy and Research Advocacy and Research Menu As the leading voice of BC’s construction industry, ICBA speaks out on issues that impact its members, including labour and employment policies, fair tendering, Worksafe BC policies, regulation and taxation, infrastructure, and building a stronger and better BC. At a national level, ICBA is part of Merit Canada, an organization that fights to allow fair and open competition in awarding contracts for public projects. ICBA’s history is rich with advocacy and standing up for our values. Forty years later we are still standing up for free enterprise values and sound legislation that is fair to both employers and employees. Today, we fight for responsible development and bringing projects to ‘Yes’ because when BC grows, we all grow. Over the years, we’ve advocated for many projects that have helped change the political and economic landscape of the province. Wage and Benefit Survey Each year, ICBA surveys members on their confidence in the industry, and examines the increases or decreases in wages and benefits. This survey is one of the important services ICBA offers to its members. The survey results for 2017 are nearly complete. These results are only accessible for ICBA members and people who took the time to complete the survey. Log in to see the results from 2018, or explore the trends, data and information at your leisure below. 2018 Public Report Previous public Reports Polls and Studies Construction industry optimistic for 2016 except in northern B.C., survey suggests B.C.’s Interior, Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island are optimistic for increased work volumes and wages in 2016, according to the Independent Contractors and Businesses Association of B.C.’s annual survey. However, Northern B.C. projects a decline in growth despite increased activity. While previous surveys indicated promising years for the construction industry, the 2016 survey suggests a shift in northern B.C. The survey found that only 22 per cent of open shop businesses in northern B.C. are predicting an increase in activity in 2016, down from 58 per cent in 2015 and 71 per cent in 2014. With fewer companies in northern B.C. projecting an increase in work volume, many respondents suggest they will be hiring fewer tradespeople, and many will not increase employee hours. Despite the dip in growth in northern B.C., the overall outlook is positive. The survey suggests that on average: 48 per cent of companies will see an increase in work, and 46 per cent of companies are expecting the same workload as they did in 2015. 42 per cent of companies will hire new tradespeople in 2016 to deal with the projected increase. This trend remains consistent over the past three years. Companies across B.C.’s Interior, Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island are expecting wages to rise 3 per cent in 2016, continuing the trend for upward growth. Many businesses will increase the hours of existing employees. Wage ranges for construction trades have consistently risen since 2013. 80 per cent of companies surveyed will employ apprentices, up 5 per cent from last year, and half will pay for at least part of the apprentices’ tuition. Companies will continue to offer generous benefits packages, with 90 per cent covering all or part of the costs for their hourly employees. Half of the construction companies surveyed pay bonuses to their hourly employees, while 41 per cent provide upgrading or training allowances, and a quarter pay tool and clothing allowances. Since 2014, ICBA has conducted a wage and benefits survey that forecasts the construction industry in B.C. and provides insights towards changes in the sector. The respondents are comprised of ICBA members who cover every region in B.C., representing all construction trades and company sizes. A summary of the survey is released online, while the comprehensive and detailed results are provided exclusively to ICBA members, available here. Silent majority say ‘yes’ to responsible resource development while NDP leadership remains out of touch A new study released today by ICBA reveals that overall 84 per cent of British Columbians support responsible development. Of the 800 British Columbians surveyed, the poll revealed that: • 67 per cent support the Site C Clean Energy project only 18 per cent oppose it; • 68 per cent support expansion of our ports and 20 per cent oppose it; • 62 per cent support mining and 25 per cent oppose it; and, • 58 per cent support LNG and 28 per cent oppose it. “It’s clear, the ‘no to everything’ movement in B.C. is not representative of citizens’ views on responsible resource development,” said Philip Hochstein, president of the ICBA. “This poll illustrates that a strong majority of British Columbians understand that B.C. is a resource-based economy and it creates jobs in every sector.” Inaccurate perceptions of trade jobs, study reveals A study released by the ICBA reveals that 59 per cent of young adults are unaware of how to get into the trades because of their inaccurate perceptions of construction. The poll revealed that when given a list of different types of trades’ job opportunities with approximate wages and salaries for B.C. overall, the 12 traditional trade jobs were ranked at the bottom of the list. The greatest interest was in office opportunities such as office managers, business development managers, estimators and project managers. “Youth are interested in office jobs but do not realize that those opportunities often start with trades training,” ICBA president Philip Hochstein said. “The takeaway for me is that we need to start promoting careers in construction not a job in the trades.” The poll also showed that: less than half of the respondents (48 per cent) see a job in the trades as a long term career with opportunity for advancement because they are always in demand, they can learn new skills and it pays well 52 per cent see a job in the trades as either career limiting or didn’t know because it is physically demanding work, there is no room for promotion and once you are in you are stuck with your trade the first things that came to mind when they heard a “job in the trades” were: manual labour, good pay, training or certification required and hard work. The top factors to seek a trades job: discovering they loved the work, more money, job security, career advancement “As an industry, we have some work to do to change the way young people perceive skilled trades,” said Hochstein. “ICBA and the open shop construction industry are rolling up our sleeves to make sure we do.” View the study results here.
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Euro NASCAR Takes The Next Step! Gian Luca Guiglia NASCAR.com December 27, 2017 Presents New Logo Aligned With NASCAR’s New Brand Identity And Exciting 2018 Season Already one of the best touring car series in Europe, the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series is taking the next step by introducing new evolutions for 2018 to come even closer to its American model, beginning with the launch of a new logo and the official 2018 season teaser. Fresh of a partnership extension between Team FJ, NASCAR and Whelen Engineering that confirmed the official European NASCAR championship through 2024 and in perfect continuity with the new NASCAR brand identity unveiled in 2017, NWES presented today a logo that features distinctive traits inspired by the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. “We are incredibly proud to represent NASCAR and to carry with us 70 years of legendary racing history, as well as to promote the Whelen brand across Europe,” said NASCAR Whelen Euro Series President / CEO, Jerome Galpin. “The NASCAR’s authentic, innovative and very unique racing style attracts every day more and more people from all over the world. NWES is just at the beginning of its history but we can easily attest its great appeal on European fans. NASCAR is a dominant sport in North America and has everything to follow the same path in Europe. This new brand identity is just the beginning! We can’t wait for the new season to start!” With its action-packed imagery, the new teaser is the perfect introduction to a season that promises to be more exciting than ever. The 2018 NASCAR Whelen Euro Series season will begin in Valencia, Spain on April 13-14 and will visit five more countries – Italy, United Kingdom, France, Germany and Belgium – bringing spectacular NASCAR door-to-door racing and American-themed family entertainment across the continent. NWES 2018 TEASER
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Home Review CD of the Month Well crafted collection of violin concertos and partnering pieces CD of the Month Well crafted collection of violin concertos and partnering pieces Mendelssohn, Brahms, Dvořák & Prokofiev: Violin Concertos Collection Joseph Swensen (violin & conductor), Scottish Chamber Orchestra Linn Records are to be congratulated on re-packaging four previous releases of violin concertos featuring Joseph Swensen as soloist and conductor of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra. Each of these was recorded in the Usher Hall, Edinburgh between 2002 and 2004 when Swensen was the Principal Conductor of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra. The first CD begins with Mendelssohn’s Hebrides Overture, Op. 26 before we get a performance of the Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64. Finally we get the Symphony No. 3 in A minor, Op. 56 ‘Scottish’ effectively giving us a very attractive all Mendelssohn concert programme. In a similar vein, on CD 2, we are presented with about half an hours worth of excerpts from Brahms’ Hungarian Dances following the ever popular Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 77. Dvořák’s Violin Concerto in A minor, Op. 53 is accompanied by his Czech Suite, Op. 39 together with a nocturne and a waltz. The final disc Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No. 2 in G minor, Op. 63 is neatly sandwiched between the well known Symphony No. 1 in D major, Op. 25 ‘Classical’ and an orchestrated version of the Five Melodies for Violin and Piano, Op. 35b which showcases Joseph Swensen’s talents as an arranger. The overall standard of these four discs is uniformly high and shows what an accomplished violinist (and conductor) Swensen was (and still is) in a wide range of repertoire adjusting his style of performance to match the individual work. There are undeniably better performances of each of these works (though I really enjoyed the ‘Scottish’ symphony and the beauty of Swensen’s tone in the favourite concertos from Brahms and Mendelssohn) available but saying that is missing the point. This package is greater than the sum of its parts and can be recommended wholeheartedly to those wishing to become familiar with the orchestral works of Mendelssohn, Brahms, Dvořák and Prokofiev. The sound is of the usual high standard that the Linn engineers achieve in the Usher Hall and at a favourable price this can also be recommended to fans of Joseph Swensen and of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra; assuming; of course; that they have not already invested in the single releases! Joseph Swensen Scottish Chamber Orchestra Previous articleBach’s Cello Suite No. 1 in G major – Work No. 76 in our collection Next articleOur top recommendations for January 2019
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Chief Geologist IronRidge Resources https://www.ironridgeresources.com.au/ With over 21 years of exploration, project studies and commercial experience in both the junior and major arena, Len Kolff has a proven track record in Africa, Europe and Australia. Len Kolff is the Chief Geologist at IronRidge Resources. As a key member of the Simandou iron ore discovery team and a grassroots iron ore discovery in Liberia, Len Kolff is an accomplished and proven explorer. Also accredited with the discovery of Cu-Au mineralisation at Northparkes, he has made discoveries and value-added in a diversity of geological settings. Len Kolff holds a Bachelor of Science (Honours) degree from the Royal School of Mines, Imperial College London and a Masters of Economic Geology from CODES, University of Tasmania. Len Kolff is a member of the Australian Institute of Geoscientists, the Society of Economic Geologists and the Australian Institute of Company Directors, and currently resides in Brisbane, Australia. Len Kolff will be presenting on the Spotlight Session of Ironridge Resources within the Africa Focus Day at IMARC. Download the programme.
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Mobile app to book car parking space ready, to be launched soonhttps://indianexpress.com/article/cities/chandigarh/mobile-app-to-book-car-parking-space-ready-to-be-launched-soon-4902082/ Mobile app to book car parking space ready, to be launched soon With the help of the app, before beginning for their destination, people could book space in the sector they were visiting. By Express News Service |Chandigarh | Published: October 23, 2017 5:13:41 am With the help of the app, before beginning for their destination, people could book space in the sector they were visiting. (Representational image) THE MOBILE app by which residents can book space to park cars at parking lots in advance, has finally been prepared by the company managing the parking lots. Residents would be able to download the mobile app from Google play store only after October 25 when it would be formally inaugurated. Until now, the app facility which the company had to provide was being delayed. It was to be launched on July 19 but because of internal software issues, it was delayed. With the help of the app, before beginning for their destination, people could book space in the sector they were visiting. Booking can be done through a smartphone free of cost and the real time status of how much space available was to be known via the app. Mumbai-based Arya Toll Infra Limited has been allotted the Rs 14.78-crore parking contract of Chandigarh. Also, new rates for the parking are likely to be implemented after October 25. Sandeep Bhora, project coordinator of the company, said that the app would officially be launched between October 25 and November 1 as the date would be fixed in consultation with the civic officials. There are 26 parking lots, including the multilevel parking lot. An internal application is already under operation but that is meant for the parking operators where they would feed the vehicle number and the parking slip would be generated automatically. The smart parking facilities had to be made available for the residents in September when the rates had to be implemented but because of no facilities till now, the new rates have not been implemented. The company officials have been claiming that there has been a delay in the electricity connection too which has to be given by the electricity department. Due to this, CCTV cameras could not be installed at all parking lots. Also, MC had to carry out repairs of certain stretches in the parking lots. 1 Dealers protest against lack of facilities at Hallomajra car bazaar 2 Chandigarh Fun Parade organised 3 Brain-dead Hamirpur man’s organs give fresh lease of life to 5 people
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Home News Archives Paul Newman, 1925-2008 Paul Newman, 1925-2008 A hero we could believe in by Laura Boyes Paul Newman visiting Carnation, Wash., in June 2007 Paul Newman made a lot of movies people love. Hud, The Hustler, Cool Hand Luke, The Sting and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid are films that capitalized on Newman's cynical attitude, acting chops and earthyyet unearthlybeauty. He was an antihero for an iconoclastic age with a difference: He wasn't one of those hippie kids in Easy Rider or Woodstock or similar druggy cultural touchstones. Exactly the same age as my father, Newman's rebelliousness was not that of youthful self-destruction. He turned out to be anti-establishment for the long haul. The Sting, Cool Hand Luke and Butch Cassidy are superficially period pieces, but they are steeped in the what-the-hell ethos of the 1960s. Doing what was right (even if you were a con man or a bandit) devilishly reflected an era, as well as a mellowing of Hud and The Hustler's Fast Eddie, whose moral ambiguity had a harder edge. Newman was a genuine movie star, groomed with the last generation of studio contract players in the 1950s. Unlike so many others, he eschewed tabloid notoriety for a devoted marriage of 50 years to a fellow player with whom he shared a house in Connecticut far from the madding Hollywood crowds. Although his Newman's Own line of food products is well known, it's still astonishing to realize his lemonades, pasta sauces and salad dressings allowed him to donate $250 million dollars to the charitable causes close to his heart. On screen, he played Robin Hoods for the peace-and-love generation, but Newman the man walked the walk. Newman wasn't just the same age as my parents; he also attended Shaker Heights High School in Cleveland, Ohio, with them. My mother remembers Newman playing Hamlet in school, his handsomeness overwhelming any other memories of the play. Newman's life, as actor, private individual and philanthropist, a rebel with a cause, seems exemplary. We ask no more of our screen heroes, our father figures and fantasy boyfriends, and usually we get a lot less. Issue: 2008-10-01 Ye Olde Archives Spotlight
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Home News Orange County Carrboro's Burmese refugees working for democracy Carrboro's Burmese refugees working for democracy They paid for peace by Charles Duncan Larger image • Burmese refugee Soe Naing hid in a jungle along the Burma-Thailand border after the military killed hundreds of peaceful protesters in 1988. The same military junta recently lashed out against Buddhist monks and pro-democracy demonstrators. Soe Naing had joined hundreds of student protesters in surrounding a government building in Tevoy City when Burmese soldiers began shooting at them. Just 17, Naing survived; 10 of his fellow demonstrators were killed. They were among thousands of civilians who died while rallying for political and economic reforms during Burma's September 1988 military coup. "We got the call to demand democracy and freedom, and human rights," says Naing, who lives in Carrboro. "We were demanding peacefully." Nearly 20 years later, recent violence against pro-democracy demonstrators in Burma (renamed Myanmar by the military-run government) has prompted members of Carrboro's Burmese refugee community, including Naing and Min Khaing, to form the Burma Action Committee. Shortly before the government crackdown began last August, 145 Burmese refugees have arrived in the Triangle, joining an estimated 200 to 500 living here. The group has demonstrated for reform in Burma and hopes to pressure U.S. lawmakers to support action against the military regime. Earlier this month, the Bush administration announced economic sanctions against Burma because of rampant human rights violations. Naing sits in a Carrboro apartment with Khaing, who also fled the country in 1988. With dark eyes and a shaved head, Naing becomes angry, as he talks about Burma's history of repression. Press play to begin Soe Naing talks about his experience during the military crackdown on a September 1988 protest march in Rangoon, Burma. (1:32 min.) After the 1988 shootings, the military quickly imposed martial law. Because of his involvement in the protests, he was targeted for arrest. Naing fled into the jungle along the Thailand-Burma border with thousands of other students escaping the military crackdown. He lived there for seven years. In the jungle, Naing worked as an organizer with the student movement fighting federal troops who had penetrated the area. "We could not demand peacefully, so we had to fight," he says. Students traveled to villages on both sides of the border to discuss the conflict with Burma's military government. "We never fight in the villages," Naing says. "The villagers were like my family." Beset by malaria, the students survived on bananas, papayas and what they could fish from local streams. Eventually, they farmed crops and received food from non-governmental organizations based in Thailand. Naing left the jungle in 1995, crossing the border into Thailand to look for work. Homeless for nearly three months, he traveled to Bangkok, where the United Nations recognized Naing as a refugee. He volunteered in a UN health clinic for about a year before arriving in the United States as a refugee in 1996. He moved in 2000 to the Triangle, where Lutheran Family Services, which has a government contract to relocate refugees, helped him acclimate to his new life. Naing knows little about the fate of his father and sister, except he received word from a friend in Thailand that they're still in Burma, and that his mother died in late summer. Nonetheless, he's formed tight friendships in Carrboro's Burmese community. "In the jungle and even here," says Naing, who works in a Chapel Hill restaurant, "we are like a big family, a big community." Megan Tracy, regional manager with Lutheran Family Services of the Carolinas, says Burmese make up the largest refugee population in North Carolina and nationally. Her group helps them with critical needsfinding housing, receiving health care and enrolling their children in schoolbut also day-to-day tasks, from using bank accounts to riding the bus. Tracy says most of the new arrivals came from the Mae La refugee camp in Thailand, where some had lived for almost 20 years. But she says there are still many refugees living in camps in Thailand that don't want to resettle in another country: "They would much prefer to go home." Min Khaing talks about the military crackdown on protesters Sept. 19, 1988, in the south of Burma. (1:25 min.) Min Khaing, his wife and daughter have not seen home in two decades. He too remembers fleeing the Burmese military in 1988. A student at a Rangoon monastery, Khaing joined the marches in Burma's capital. One afternoon, troops stopped the march, plowing into the crowd in their military vehicles, shooting at protesters. Khaing and several students ran to the house where he lived; the owners hid them above the ceiling panels. Tucked away, Khaing heard shooting outside and later saw bodies lying in the street. The military drove through the streets retrieving the dead, and a fire truck followed not far behind, hosing away the blood. "After one hour, there's nothing left on the street; no body, no blood, nothing left," Khaing says. "Like nothing happened here." Khaing also fled into the jungle, where he joined the All Burma Student Democratic Front to fight the federal troops. Khaing worked as a medic in the jungle for 10 years, tending to the wounded and treating those ill with malaria. After a decade, Burmese troops overran the jungle base used by Khaing and his "comrades," as he calls them, forcing Khaing to cross into Thailand. He spent three years in refugee camps in Bangkok before arriving in the United States as a refugee. He now works the graveyard shift as a housekeeper at UNC Chapel Hill. Khaing says he hopes the international community will pressure Myanmar's military government to reform the country. If that doesn't work, he says he wants a "UN security force to go to enter Burma, maybe to take some military action to pressure" the government to talk with the opposition groups. "We need democracy and human rights," Khaing says, adding he doesn't think it can happen without outside intervention. "Burmese people must have freedom to choose their own government, democratic or military." Issue: 2007-10-24 News Orange County
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Varada raises $7.5 million to apply analytics to data lakes Thanks for VentureBeat – Varada, a Tel Aviv startup that offers “petabyte-scale” analytics for enterprise customers with data lakes, today announced that it has raised $7.5 million in seed financing from Lightspeed Venture Partners, with participation by StageOne Ventures and F2 Capital. It’s the second phase of a two-stage round, the first part of which involved a $2.5 million investment in March 2017 from StageOne Ventures and F2 Capital. Eran Vanounou, CEO of Varada, said the fresh capital will be used to expand Varada’s business operations and development. “We know firsthand the daily struggle felt by many data practitioners who are continuously having demands placed on them, often resulting in the compromising of the quality of their work,” Vanounou said. “I have led large data-driven global organizations for the past 15 years. When I met Varada’s founding team and saw their technology, I realized immediately its value for enterprises — it solves the pain points that many CTOs and CIOs across the industry are experiencing. I also knew that I wanted to help them bring this technology to market.” Data lakes — centralized repositories that allow the import of any amount of structured and unstructured data in real time, from multiple sources — are a hot commodity in big data. According to a report by Mordor Intelligence, the on-premises and cloud market across retail, entertainment, media, health care, manufacturing, telecommunications, and IT was valued at $3.24 billion in 2017, and is expected to hit $14.01 billion by 2023. But as useful — and popular — as they might be, data lakes have a problem: They’re tough to tap effectively without a substantial amount of legwork. That’s where Varada comes in. The startup’s bread and butter is a cloud-based, on-demand SQL analytics service that enables users to define datasets of interests within a data lake, and to analyze those datasets using SQL or business intelligence tools without having to worry about preprocessing or modeling. Varada, which uses an open-source Presto SQL query engine frontend and database connectivity via JDBC and ODBC, supports automated deployment in Amazon Web Services and most other secure virtual private cloud environments; it runs on a scalable, distributed architecture managed from a unified dashboard. Varada is currently in beta, and is accepting applications from enterprises with “cloud use cases.” Testers get unlimited access to the Varada platform and all of its features, plus a say in future features, roadmap announcements, and limited customization. “Varada has compiled a stellar team of data storage experts who can tap into their vast knowledge and experience to alleviate one of the biggest pain points for data practitioners today,” David Gussarsky, venture partner at Lightspeed Venture Partners, said. “We invested in Varada because we truly believe in the team and think they are creating a new standard for big data infrastructure. We’re excited to help them develop and expand their capabilities.”
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Archive for the tag “Green Day” Thanks for the Many Championships November is Gratitude Month on the Guitar Train. Quirky T has so many things to be thankful for in her life. Going back to last month’s Happy Month on the Guitar Train, I believe that concentrating on what you have in life instead of dwelling on what you don’t have is one of the keys to happiness. On that track, I want to start Gratitude Month by thanking the New York Giants and New York Yankees for many seasons of amazing games and world championships. New York Yankees pitcher Andy Pettitte signed photo The last week in September this year was the worst I’ve ever witnessed as a New Jersey sports fan. On Sunday, September 22, the Giants lost their third straight game to start the season. Meanwhile, the Yankees retired closer Mariano Rivera’s number 42 while pitcher Andy Pettitte started his last game at Yankee Stadium. They are my two favorite Yankees pitchers. The ceremony for Mariano was amazing as all Yankees ceremonies are. It’s sad that after Derek Jeter retires, there’s no one else on the team to honor. There’s nothing to look forward to. I went to a Yankees game in April of this year. Second baseman, Robinson Cano, was the only returning starter from last year playing because of the huge amount of player injuries. It was like watching a whole new team. The season ended basically the same way with many of the starters not returning from injury. There are so many questions surrounding this team for next season. Will Alex Rodriquez play again? Will Derek Jeter be healthy? Who will the starting pitchers be? Who will be the closer, not to replace Mariano because that is impossible, but just to close games? Will Alfonso Soriano continue to play as well as he surprisingly played? At least, Joe Girardi will still be the manager. New York Giants Super Bowl XLVI Champions That worst week in September continued as the Giants lost their fourth straight game the following Sunday. At least with the Yankees, they know what they have to do to improve and which positions they need to fill. With the Giants, the answers are not coming. They have had injuries, too, but it is more than that. It’s surprising that this franchise could start the season playing that badly but it shouldn’t be totally shocking considering how badly they played at the end of last season. The other times I’ve been through losing streaks with this team, the talent wasn’t there. I would never think that a team that has two time Super Bowl MVP QB Eli Manning and great receivers could be playing so badly. The only way I can survive this horrible time is to remember all the great seasons in the past. The five World Series I have seen the Yankees win. The four Super Bowls I have seen the Giants win. Some fans never see their teams get to the playoffs, let alone win a championship. So I am very grateful to have seen my two favorite sports teams not only win but win repeatedly. I guess because of these big victories, my expectations have been raised. I have to step back and be happy for the many past seasons of glory and amazing games. I am also tremendously thankful that I was able to see my favorite teams play in a World Series game and a Super Bowl in person. I went to Game One of the 1998 World Series when the Yankees played the San Diego Padres. Not only did the Yankees win that game but my favorite player, first baseman Tino Martinez, hit a grand slam. I went to Super Bowl XXXV in Tampa, FL where the Giants played the Baltimore Ravens. Unfortunately, the Giants lost that game. It was the worst feeling in the world at that time. To get on the music track, here are some songs that remind me of the Yankees. Mariano Rivera entered all his home games to Metallica’s “Enter Sandman”. I probably wouldn’t have ever heard that song if it wasn’t for watching Yankees games. I thought it was great that the band performed that song live on the field at Yankee Stadium during the retirement ceremony for Mariano. The other song that reminds me of the Yankees is Queen’s “We Are The Champions.” That song was played frequently in reference to the Yankees World Series Championships in 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, and 2009. For the Giants, the songs that remind me of them have nothing to do with the games on the field. In 1990, I was lucky enough to be able to tour the Giants locker room as part of an event held at Giants Stadium. While fans walked around the locker room, the Wilson Phillips song, “Impulsive” was playing in the background. I was already a fan of the group so it really added to the fun of the moment to hear this song playing. Years later, when I was leaving a Giants game, on the car radio the Green Day song, “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)” was playing. I remember looking back at Giants Stadium lit up beautifully in the night and taking a mental picture of it. Watching the Giants win the Super Bowl in 1986, 1990, 2007, and 2011 really was the time of my life. Guitar Train passengers, what sports teams are you grateful for? How do you get through the bad times with these teams? Posted in Gratitude Month, Uncategorized and tagged Alex Rodriquez, Alfonso Soriano, Andy Pettitte, Derek Jeter, Enter Sandman, Gratitude Month, Green Day, Mariano Rivera, Metallica, New York Giants, New York Yankees, Queen, Robinson Cano, Super Bowl, Tino Martinez, We Are the Champions, Wilson Phillips, World Championships, World Series | Leave a comment
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Nathanael Andrade Solmsen Fellow (2015-2016) History, University of Oregon From the Roman Mediterranean to India: The Early Movement of Christianity through the Afro-Eurasian World System My current project explores how Christianity made its remarkable voyage from the Roman Mediterranean to the Indian subcontinent, and it examines the social relations that made such movement possible. It also analyzes how the narrative tradition regarding the apostle Judas Thomas, which originated in Upper Mesopotamia and accredited him with evangelizing India, traveled among the social networks of an interconnected late antique world. In this way, the book probes how the Thomas narrative shaped Mediterranean Christian beliefs regarding co-religionists in central Asia and India, impacted local Christian cultures, and experienced transformation as it traveled from the Mediterranean to India, and back again. Nathanael Andrade is an Assistant Professor of History at the University of Oregon. His past research has principally focused on topics relating to the Roman and late Roman Near East and its broader Mediterranean context. Since receiving his PhD at the University of Michigan in 2009, he has written Syrian Identity in the Greco-Roman World (Greek Culture in the Roman World; Cambridge University Press, 2013) and has conducted research as a regular member at the Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, NJ (2012-2013). His research has also appeared in the Journal of Near Eastern Studies, The Journal of Early Christian Studies, and many other journals and edited collections. He is at work on a project entitled "From the Roman Mediterranean to India: The Early Movement of Christianity through the Afro-Eurasian World System."
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Robinson and de Blanck Named Athletes of the Week FRANKLIN SPRINGS, Ga. - This weeks Athlete's of the Week are Kurtis Robinson of Men's Basketball and Julie de Blanck of Women's Volleyball. Kurtis Robinson is a Senior Forward from Decatur, Ga. As a leading scorer for Emmanuel, Kurt averages 17 points per game this year. In his two most recent games last week, Kurt had 34 points, 35 rebounds, 12 assists, and 5 blocks. Julie de Blanck is a Junior Middle Hitter from Copenhagen, Denmark. In her third year at Emmanuel, Julie has established herself as a top player in Conference Carolinas and was recently named the NCCAA Player of the Year. At the NCCAA National Tournament last week, Julie had a career high game of 29 kills, hitting .500. She led the Conference Carolinas in blocks per set with 1.18, was second in hitting percentage with .284, and led the team all season with 3.48 kills per set and 4.6 points per set. As a three year starter for the Lions, Julie has tallied up 877 kills, 117 service aces, and 291 blocks. Julie is on track to be the first Emmanuel Women's Volleyball player with 1000 career kills next season. Congratulations to both Kurtis and Julie on their impressive performances!
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Return To Ants Menu European Fire Ant, Photo Copyright By Sean McCann. The European fire ant is a nasty pest that can be found all over Europe and in some parts of North America and Asia. They are now found on southern Vancouver Island. They are mainly red in color, with slightly darker pigmentation on the head. The ants live under stones, fallen trees, and in soil. They can be very aggressive ants and will often attack instead of running away and they are equipped with a stinger that can deliver a burning sting. Their colonies can have up to one hundred queens per nest. These queens will gather together after their nuptial flight and will form a nest and lay their eggs in it. The queens can live up to 15 years or more. The European fire ant is an invasive species that was introduced around 1900 into the Boston area. It was reported in Quebec in 1915. Perhaps about 40 years ago it began to significantly expand its range and was reported in southern Ontario. In the past 15 years, it has moved into the Maritimes and has started to show up on the BC coast area. While other ants in British Columbia can be aggressive and bite, they are usually just an annoyance and encountered as single or a few ants. The European fire ant, however, swarms rapidly when disturbed, and stings repeatedly.
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Olivia Criticisms Vindicated Posted in Uncategorized on January 31, 2011| 2 Comments » Finally recovered from the holidays (except for those pesky top-of-the-cupboard decorations), I’m getting back on track with my children’s book features. I’m also catching up on a little reading, including an entire month’s worth of the Sunday New York Times. I was surprised to discover this review of “Olivia Goes to Venice” in the January 16 edition of the New York Times Book Review. I have to admit, I had been feeling a tad guilty about my criticisms of Ian Falconer’s most recent title. Especially considering that everything else that had been written about the book after its publication was immediate and unquestioning praise. So, who was I to knock Falconer’s exuberant use of color and photography? Well, I’ve finally found someone who agrees with me. Journalism Jessica Bruder writes: “Olivia’s new worldliness, however, comes at a price. The old Olivia was a D.I.Y. darling. She relied on creativity and pluck to create the fabulous scenes of her dreams. She tamed lions in ‘Olivia Saves the Circus’ and pulled together a cacophonous, one-pig orchestra in ‘Olivia Forms a Band.’ But in ‘Olivia Goes to Venice,’ she consumes, rather than creates, the world around her. So it’s hard to hear her growing litany of demands, as well as the ‘edge of hysteria in her voice’ when she begs, ‘Oh, please — Oh, Please, Mother — can’t we live in a palazzo on the Grand Canal?'” A Lion (and Two Little Girls) in Trouble With the Library Law For someone who loves children’s books as much as I do, it’s rather pathetic how little time my daughters and I have spent inside a library. In fact, we’ve been just twice in Eloise’s three years. Our most recent visit lasted less than 10 minutes – about 30 seconds after settling into the children’s section, my girls were racing in opposite directions through the stacks, screeching back and forth in high-pitch tones like dolphins using echolocation. With a girl under each arm, I left embarrassed. In all honesty, though, the apples don’t fall far from the tree. I have more than a handful of memories of being asked to leave the library after particularly disruptive behavior on the part of my younger sisters and myself (yelling, running and hair-pulling were not uncommon). When I came across Michelle Knudsen’s “Library Lion,” I was fondly reminded of those trouble-making days. I felt an immediate kinship with the author’s curious lion, who wanders into the library one day and has trouble following the rules. When the lion walks through the library’s front doors, the circulation desk attendant, Mr. McBee, is startled by the big cat’s presence. While the lion finds a comfortable place to enjoy the children’s story hour, Mr. McBee goes running to the office of head librarian Miss Merriweather. She, however, is not fazed by her assistant’s report but does chastise Mr. McBee for running in the library. “But there’s a lion!” said Mr. McBee. “In the library!” “Is he breaking any rules?” asked Miss Merriweather. She was very particular about rule breaking. “Well, no,” said Mr. McBee. “Not really,” “Then leave him be.” And so, the lion is allowed to sit through story hour. But when the books are closed and the children all get up to leave, he roars in protest. Miss Merriweather, of course, is not happy. The lion is informed that he will only be allowed back at the library if he can learn to keep quiet. The lion returns the next day a model patron. In fact, he becomes a beloved fixture at the library, helping Miss Merriweather with dusting and stamp licking and helping children reach books on the top shelves. He wins over everyone – everyone except Mr. McBee, that is: “Lions, he thought, could not understand rules. They did not belong in a library.” Mr. McBee is eager for an excuse to banish the lion once and for all. He’s certain he has found just cause when the lion comes tearing down the hall and lets out his loudest roar right in Mr. McBee’s face. After dishing out a harsh reprimand, Mr. McBee takes off toward Miss Merriweather’s office intent on tattling only to find that Miss Merriweather had fallen and broken her arm, hence the lion’s urgency. Before anyone can thank the lion, he leaves, certain his rule breaking has made him unwelcome. Days go by, and Miss Merriweather and the rest of the patrons miss him sorely. His conscience heavy, Mr. McBee tracks down the sulking lion and offers an olive branch. “I thought you might like to know,” said Mr. McBee, “That there’s a new rule at the library. No roaring allowed, unless you have a very good reason – say, if you’re trying to help a friend who’s been hurt, for example.” To everyone’s delight, the lion returns to the library the next day. Libraries, with their insistence on quiet and decorum, are often intimidating places for children. Knudsen’s lion embodies young readers’ struggle to adhere to the rules in the midst of their excitement at exploring this novel place. The lion’s redemption gives a child hope that they, too, have a place at the library, even if they do slip up once or twice. Prior to writing and editing children’s books, Knudsen worked in libraries in New York City and Ithaca, New York. One imagines that her experiences in the field (including rule enforcement) have likely influenced her work. In an interview on a fellow author’s blog, Knudsen says, “We did occasionally get animal visitors at the Cornell library – birds, squirrels, the occasional dog that got tired of waiting for its owner to come back out – but never any lions, I’m fairly certain.” Like many of us, both Knudsen and illustrator Kevin Hawkes have treasured memories of childhood days spent at the library. Hawkes, who grew up in a roving military family, says the one constant of his youth was the feeling of home he found in libraries he visited in each new city. “Every library in the world smells the same – they all smell like old books,” he said in a YouTube video about the book. “I could go to the library and see all of my friends there – different books that I had read at various places in my life. And it was a very comforting experience.” Using acrylic paints and pencil, Hawkes has crafted timeless illustrations that honor our ubiquitous reverence for libraries. The soft color palette makes me think of the muted spines of old books. His rendering of Knudsen’s lion is both huggably sweet and nobly stoic, immediately bringing to mind the marble lions guarding the New York Public Library. Knudsen’s endearing story, paired with Hawkes’ charming images, result in a library etiquette manual served with a spoonful of sugar. When I read the book aloud, I editorialize a bit, taking extra pains to emphasize the moral of the story: “Oh, that poor lion. He has to sit outside in the cold, cold rain because he yelled and ran in the library. He’s sooo sad.” Maybe with a few dozen more readings our family will be prepared for a return trip to the library. I LOVE Tom Lichtenheld! My daughter Eloise and I rarely share a favorite picture book – I still cringe thinking of her “Cat and the Hat” obsessed stage. But when it comes to Tom Lichtenheld, we’re always on the same page. Around our house these days, “Bridget’s Beret” is consistently at the top of the stack, and it’s usually followed by Lichtenheld’s “What Are You So Grumpy About?” At the age of 2-almost-3, Eloise isn’t able to fully articulate exactly what it is about these books that hold her captivated, but I suspect the reasons are keeping with what originally led Lichtenheld to a career in illustration. His book jacket reads: “Tom Lichtenheld is drawn to drawing. And puns. And alliteration. Ever since he discovered that creating children’s books lets him get away with all three at once, he’s been in hog heaven.” Lichtenheld’s illustrations are the realized potential of every box of crayons you ever opened as a child – saturated in rich color, detailed in content and full of energy. His puns and other forms of humor are right up my alley – the wittiest children’s author around as far as I’m concerned. As for alliteration, Eloise just can’t resist the fun of repeating the double B’s in this book’s title. “Bridget’s Beret” chronicles the journey of Bridget, a talented young artist whose cherished black beret is blown away – mid brushstroke – by the wind one day. She searches high and low for the beloved chapeau but to no avail. And without it, she fears she’s lost her ability to draw. After several days of moping, Bridget reluctantly agrees to make a sign for her sister’s lemonade stand but grumpily warns: “No drawing.” Once she has paint and brush in hand, however, Bridget finds there’s no containing her artistic inspiration. As someone who frequently loses prized possessions (and has only once recovered one), I’m relieved to say this book has a happy ending. Bridget regains her self-confidence and conquers artist’s block all without the aid of her beret, but her dear dog recovers the treasured hat and all is as it should be. (To find out what really happened to Bridget’s beret, visit Lichtenheld’s website and take a look at “The Stray Beret,” a two-page spread of illustrations omitted from the book.) Lichtenheld refers to “Bridget’s Beret” as his answer to the Fancy Nancy series. In an incredibly interesting article for his publisher’s blog, Lichtenheld describes an authors and educators luncheon he attended at which he first learned of Jane O’Connor’s wildly popular debut in children’s literature: “I’m not a raving feminist and I don’t begrudge any book that gets kids to read, regardless of subject matter, but I was surprised by the audience’s positive reaction to this new book. These were educators, mostly women, praising a story about a little girl who completely defined herself in terms of traditional feminine trappings. Pink ones, no less. Rather than rant or turn my breakfast into sour grapes, I decided to take some inspiration from the experience.” The result was “Bridget’s Beret,” Lichtenheld’s first book aimed at a female audience. Previous books, including “Everything I Know About Pirates,” slanted more toward to interests of his peg-leg and eyepatch-obsessed nephew, Adam. With “Bridget’s Beret,” however, Lichtenheld was certain to make his protagonist a “girl of substance beyond her appearance.” What I admire about Bridget are her looks of determination, air of confidence and the fact that she takes herself and her art seriously. Lichtenheld reveals that he based the character on his niece, Madeline, with whom he often paints and draws. He says his books are, in general, written with a specific child in mind, either as the subject or the audience: “For inspiration, I have a bunch of photos of kids on my wall. Whenever I’m stuck for an idea, I look at one of those photographs and think to myself, ‘What would make THAT kid laugh?’” Miraculously, what Lichtenheld ends up with is as entertaining for the adult reader as it is for his target audience of 4-to-8-year-olds. Here’s my favorite bit of wit from “Bridget’s Beret:” For those of you who aren’t familiar with this French turn of phrase, “Je ne sais quoi” literally translates as “I don’t know what.” Prior to “Bridget’s Beret,” Lichtenheld wrote books he refers to as “encyclopedias of silliness,” or books lacking a traditional narrative with a plot, hero and moral. “What Are You So Grumpy About?,” the other Lichtenheld title in our home library, certainly qualifies in this category. Every square inch of this book is sheer goofiness, from the endpapers to tiny details in the illustrations to the author’s biography on the dust jacket. See the concrete smirking? Admit it, you blame the sidewalk, too. The inspiration for “What Are You So Grumpy About?” came from a plane ride the author spent sitting next to a particularly ill-tempered man. I can just imagine Lichtenheld biting his tongue to keep from asking this passenger what put him in such a foul mood. What came about instead was this series of possible explanations: I’m amazed by the authenticity with which Lichtenheld is able to think and write from a child’s perspective (is there’s anything worse than touching food?) while at the same time humoring our adult frustrations (yes, cleaning dog snot on the patio door IS maddening!) Many of these hilarious spreads were sketched before Lichtenheld even deplaned. On his website, he offers an amazing behind-the scenes look at how he turned these quick sketches into finished illustrations. Using his pencil drawings, Lichtenheld creates black line art, which he prints on watercolor paper. “It’s kind of like a home-made coloring book,” he says.” He then layers watercolor paints and colored pencil to achieve the finished product. As an illustrator, Lichtenheld also had several successful collaborations with author Amy Krouse Rosenthal, including the New York Times Bestseller “Duck! Rabbit!” You’ve also seen his works on the shelves in the form of “Shark vs. Train,” created with author Chris Barton. In addition to “Bridget’s Beret” and “What Are You So Grumpy About?,” Lichtenheld has a handful of other solo projects, including his most recent: “Cloudette.”
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Facebook19TweetPinEmailShares19 Home / Sex & Relationships / Advice for the Modern Man: Those Three Little Words Advice for the Modern Man: Those Three Little Words The make-or-break impact of that first 'I love you.' June 7, 2018 by Brent Stoller 2 Comments To send in a question, please complete this form. All submissions are anonymous. (Question has been modified for space and clarity.) I’m 23 years old and have been seeing someone for about three months now. Things started off slowly but are getting to be serious — it’s as serious a relationship as I’ve been in. This is new territory for me, but the man I’m dating is a few years older and has been in years-long relationships before. Recently, after hanging out with friends, we were saying goodbye to each other, exchanging those passionate, “Don’t leave me” kisses, when I heard him mumble something. Between my infatuation and our friends talking nearby, it didn’t register what he had said to me. But a moment later as he walked out the door, it clicked: I love you. I think he said, “I love you,” but I can’t say for sure. And now I don’t know what to do. He’s not one to talk about his feelings; he’s more of an actions-speak-louder type of guy. This makes him hard to read at times, and it prevents us from talking about our emotions. On one hand, I want to bring it up, because I do truly love him and want him to know that. But what if I mention it and it turns out that’s not what he said? What if we’re not on the same page? Three words. Three syllables. Eight total letters. How can one sentence have so much power? On the other hand, if I don’t bring it up and he did say I love you, I don’t want him to assume I heard him, ignored him and don’t feel the same way. Don’t like ads? Become a supporter and enjoy The Good Men Project ad free I take saying “I love you” very seriously, and I don’t want to mess this up. Any advice? –Distracted by Love; Houston, TX George: I might tell her that I love her. Jerry: Well, that’s a big move, Georgie boy. Are you confident in the ‘I love you’ return? George: Fifty-fifty Jerry: ‘Cause if you don’t get that return, that’s a pretty big matzo ball hanging out there. Considering you’re only 23, I’m guessing you don’t remember that exchange from the Seinfeld episode, “The Face Painter.” (It originally aired when you were a toddler.) But it perfectly captures the stress, uncertainty and overall impact that initial “I love you” can have on a relationship. Well, not only is it the most meaningful verbal expression of emotions, its utterance marks the first time a couple measures how much they care for one another. You can go on dates, you can have your first kiss and you can spend the night together. But you can do all those things without being in the same place emotionally — and without addressing that discrepancy. But when someone says, “I love you,” they’re drawing a straightforward, pass-fail line in the sand. And if the two parties are on opposing sides, it can spell the end of the partnership. Just ask George. He ultimately decided to tell his girlfriend he loved her, and she told him she was ready for dinner. “You have any idea how fast these things deteriorate when there’s an ‘I love you’ out of the bag?” he tells Jerry. “You can’t have a relationship where one person says, ‘I love you,’ and the other says, ‘I’m hungry, let’s get something to eat.’” Unfortunately, that’s true in most cases. But fortunately for me, it wasn’t in mine. It took me forever to tell my now-wife, Emily, that I loved her. FOR-EVER — and well after she had told me. It wasn’t because I didn’t care for her deeply enough, because I did. It was that I couldn’t connect with those emotions. I had (and still have, to an extent) all sorts of walls up that blocked me from feeling those feelings, even though on some level I knew they were there. But I wasn’t going to say it just to say it. I wanted to be able to say it and mean it. Emily and I talked about my issues a bunch, so she knew what I was dealing with, and she knew I was doing my best to work through it. Still, it had to have been hell on her. She loved me, and above all else, that’s what mattered to her. For a long, long time, she’d tell me she loved me, and I just wouldn’t say anything back. Even though we both knew my silence was coming, it was like an awkward, heartbreaking scene in a rom-com every time we said goodbye or hung up the phone. I felt like the world’s cruelest mute, but Emily, G-d bless her, hung in there like a champ, and did so much, much longer than most people would have. Why? I don’t know. But obviously, I’m thankful she did. I guess she thought our relationship was worth waiting for, and she figured that, even though we weren’t on the same side of the “I love you” line at the time, we would be one day. And sitting through the silence would eventually pay off. I’d say the same thing about you. You love your boyfriend. To me, that’s the most important thing here — not what he did or didn’t say, or what he might or might not do if you bring up this “incident.” You love him, so you should tell him. I understand this is uncharted territory for you, but three months is a reasonable point in the relationship to start having this type of conversation. And while I do believe timing is critical in relationships — it’s one of THE most important factors — I also believe that if a relationship is right, it’s right. It doesn’t have to unfold in a uniform manner. The balance of power can seesaw back and forth, because the underlying feelings are strong enough to support it until each side finds its equilibrium. If you decide to tell your boyfriend that you love him, there are two potential outcomes: He’ll say it back, or he won’t. And out of those responses, he’ll either figure out what he has to do to keep you, or he’ll start looking for a way to leave you. Regardless, drawing that line in the sand will force him to confront how he feels — something that doesn’t come easy for him — and it’ll push your relationship, for better or worse, that much closer toward its eventual fate. Behold the power of the matzo ball. What do you think? What advice would you give this reader? Share your thoughts in the comments below! Need more advice? Check out the most recent installments: The Election Has Torn My Family Apart Friends With Benefits(?) To Give and Receive The Value of a Home-Cooked Meal Filed Under: Featured Content, Sex & Relationships Tagged With: advice, Advice for the Modern Man, brent stoller, dating, relationships, Sex and Relationships About Brent Stoller Brent Stoller is a writer in Houston. In trying to expand their family, he and his wife, Emily, have endured three pregnancies, three lost pregnancies, and one continuous heartbreak. Yet they still hope to one day hold their own healthy child. For insights into how to cope with the traumas of infertility and pregnancy loss, visit www.BrentStoller.com. Better to evaluate what you feel to that person before you blurt out those three little words. Oh, you know…she could just ask him “what did you say to me at the end there, when we last saw each other? I thought I heard it right, but I’m not sure.” If he’s been left wondering what happened there, he might have an internal sigh of relief that it was just a fluke of acoustics. He’ll probably say it again, and then the rest of that exchange can happen properly.
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Impact Funding Partners Impact Funding Partners manages funding on behalf of the public sector, private companies and donors. We have 36 years’ experience of working with funders to develop and manage grant funding to achieve maximum social, environmental and economic benefit. Formerly known as the Voluntary Action Fund, we have awarded over £140 million in grants to the third, public and private sectors across Scotland. Our proven approach has been developed to help funders make the most of their investment to have the greatest impact. We do this by building capacity and forming trusting relationships which helps organisations achieve even more with their funding. Our area of expertise is managing funds which tackle inequality in all its forms. Equality and diversity is core to our work and drives everything we do and how we do it. Together we can create a fairer future. https://www.impactfundingpartners.com/ https://twitter.com/Impact_Funding https://www.facebook.com/ImpactFundingPartners/ @Voluntary_Action_Fund on Good HQ Inverkeithing or Glasgow office We are looking for an energetic and motivated Development Officer to join our team, working to support funded projects in the Equally Safe (Violence against Women and Children) Fund and the Rape Crisis Specific Fund. Equally Safe is Scotland’s strategy to prevent and eradicate violence against women and girls, and funding is provided by the Scottish Government. This is an exciting time to join Impact Funding Partners (formerly known as the Voluntary Action Fund) as we have just had a corporate change of identity and have launched our new three year strategy – Together we can create a Fairer Future. We are a successful grant manager with 37 years of experience. Our proven approach is to help funders make the most of their investment so that it has the greatest impact. We do this by building capacity and forming trusting relationships which helps organisations achieve even more with their funding. Our area of expertise is managing funds which tackle inequality in all its forms. Equality and diversity is core to our work and drives everything we do and how we do it. The successful applicant will recognise the important role of grant management in creating a fairer future and will be committed to supporting funded projects working to address gender based violence and gendered inequality. We are looking for someone with a solutions based attitude who has relevant grant management skills and experience and who will be responsible for managing a portfolio of funded projects, providing development support, and building positive relationships with funded projects. Please note that we can only accept applications from women under Schedule 9 (part 1) of the Equality Act 2010. Top job! Trustee Opportunities Inverkeithing and Glasgow Following the launch of our new brand and strategy in February, Impact Funding Partners (formerly Voluntary Action Fund) is enthusiastic and passionate about this new chapter in our history. With a track record of 36 years managing funds on behalf of the public sector and donors, and distributing £140 million across Scotland, we know a thing or two about creating impact through grants. We now want to build on our success by expanding our relationship with businesses and donors to create a fairer future for everyone. Impact Funding Partners is committed to maintaining a diverse Board that reflects the strengths of the people and communities of Scotland. We welcome applications from anyone who is passionate about making a difference in communities, and particularly from people from under-represented groups on charity boards in Scotland, such as women, disabled people, people from ethnic minority communities and people aged under 50. We would particularly welcome applications from people with experience in Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, Human Rights, Marketing, Business Development, Philanthropy and the Private Sector.
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Gopher Stat Blog Bringing Data and Analysis to Gopher Hockey Early Season Trends Hello Gopher fans! I haven’t forgotten or abandoned this project and have been hard at work tracking and compiling stats for the 2017-18 season. So far I have the first six games tracked and plan to get to the Michigan State series eventually. I skipped Clarkson so that I had some time to compile the data already tracked and might get to it during the Gophers’ winter break but we’ll see. While the team has lost some key players since last year in Justin Kloos and Vinni Lettieri, we all know this is a team that doesn’t tend to rebuild and instead reloads. Before the year there was a ton of excitement around the fact that one of the newest recruits, Casey Mittlestadt, a top 8 pick in the NHL draft, is now with the team. With the acquisition of him, Scott Reedy, and Brannon McMannus to name a few, the preseason outlook of the forward group was very favorable. The defense looks to be fairly similar to last year’s with the losses of two upper classmen, Jake Bischoff and Ryan Collins, whose icetime has mostly been replaced by Tyler Nanne and Jack Glover. And with new goalie Nate Robson now on the roster (who is eligible to play later in the season), the goalie outlook looked strong as well between him and Eric Schierhorn. As such the preseason expectations were very high with this team. So far this year the brightest spot has to be goaltending and the improvement of Eric Schierhorn. It’s still early but as of today he is second only to Jake Keilly of Clarkson in save percentage for goalies who have played 10 games or more. If you include goalies that have played 8+ games he is currently 5th and within .001 of of the top 5. Given UMN’s difficult schedule to start the year and how the team has consistently been outshot this is really impressive and a good sign going forward. Whether this is repeatable is a fair question to ask given that his .933 sv% is a big jump from his save percentage over his .906 sv% over the 74 games that preceded this year. But a lot has been made of his preparation before the season and the fact that he now has better competition in Nate Robson for the spot. It will be interesting to see how this progresses going forward but as of right now goaltending is probably the team’s biggest strength thus far and by far the biggest reason for their current record of 7-3. As for what we’re seeing from the rest of the team, admittedly it’s hard to be down on them given their current record and the fact that their schedule has been pretty tough including 3 difficult road games vs North Dakota and Duluth. But there are some trends that are a little bit concerning both from a sustainability and a pure entertainment standpoint. Let’s dig into the numbers a bit. One of the better predictors of success at the NHL level is even strength shot attempts for and against. A lot this has to do with the fact that the majority of all hockey games is played at 5 on 5 and shot rates tend to correlate with scoring chances. In the link you can see that while expected goals is slightly better, even strength shot attempt differential tends to be pretty close and is much better than goal differential. At the collegiate level we don’t have expected goal metrics available to us and another limitation is that we also don’t have score adjusted shot metrics to take out some of the noise of score effects. That said it’s still more ideal to be on the right end of that spectrum and consistently out-shooting your opponents more often than not. Before the Michigan State series the Gophers sat in the bottom 10 of all NCAA teams in even strength shot differential, next to the likes of Holy Cross, Brown, and Alaska. As of today they’re 47th out of 60 teams. To get a sense of which teams are in the top 10, we can see that some of the best teams in the polls that have higher expectations such as North Dakota, Denver, Duluth, Mankato, Penn State, and Harvard, all sit in the top 10. Even a team like St. Cloud who has been been a bit more pedestrian in this area is right at about 50% and in the middle of the pack of all NCAA teams. For the Gophers it’s still very early in the season and this team has had some players recovering from injuries that happened last year as well as this year but this will be something to watch going forward as it doesn’t tend to bode well for future success. A lot has been made of the special teams difficulties this team had especially in the series vs North Dakota but to me the 5 on 5 play is a bigger concern simply because the vast majority of all games is played at even strength and this team doesn’t lack shooting talent, the power play was bound to bounce back at some point. For frame of reference, last year’s Gopher team ended up 19th in the NCAA in this metric and Denver, the team that ended up winning it all, was 6th (and due to the difficulty of their schedule vs some of the WCHA/Atlantic teams ahead of them, 6th is probably under selling how good they were in this area). The year before North Dakota was 4th in this metric and the Gophers, who eventually missed the tournament, were 19th (keep in mind the B1G was terrible that year and only one team made the NCAA tournament, their shot differential was undoubtedly worse vs non-conference teams). As such it’s definitely good to see this team winning as many games as it has but it’s also fair to say that this team has been outplayed more often than I expected, especially against the NCHC opponents. While it’s obviously somewhat concerning that this team is consistently being outshot at even strength, I would argue that what’s driving it is even more alarming. Before Saturday’s game vs the Spartans the team was 5th worst in the entire NCAA in terms of EV shots/game ahead of Brown, LSSU, Sacred Heart, and Anchorage in that order*. Even if you just want to look at goals per game this team currently ranks 39th. For a team that has mostly reloaded in terms of its roster and has kept much of its key talent up front and acquired Casey Mittlestadt, this isn’t exactly what I would’ve expected going into the year. So while the team is currently getting the tangible results it needs to get an NCAA birth and that’s a good thing, it is interesting to see this team struggling on offense and playing somewhat conservatively. Another way to gain some insight into the strategy the coaches are trying to implement is by looking at team pace, ie when you add up the shots for and against per game, is this that total on the higher or lower end of the spectrum? Generally speaking teams with higher numbers here tend to be playing more of a run and gun style, in the NHL the last couple years the Penguins and the Maple Leafs were on the higher end and teams like New Jersey and Vancouver (this year anyhow) at the bottom playing more of a trapping/defensive style. There are some exceptions but generally it gives us some insight into what teams are trying to do strategically. As of right now the Gophers are second to last, only above Anchorage. The other teams in that realm are North Dakota and Bemidji. North Dakota is by far the best shot suppression team in the entire country and towards the middle of the pack in terms of shot generation which is probably the biggest explanation of why their pace is so low. In reality they aren’t necessarily trying to play a slow paced game, they just have a really good D core. Bemidji is a team that has been known to slow the game down in recent years and Anchorage is… well Anchorage. If I had to guess based on what I’m seeing as well as what the numbers show, this years Gopher team is playing more of a conservative defensive based system. Now on a more positive note Dakota and Duluth are top 10 teams in terms of suppressing shots and the team won’t be playing either of them again during the regular season. As such it’s hard to imagine the team not improving in a lot of these areas. In the past 2 games vs Michigan State (which haven’t been tracked yet) the team has looked better and outshot them while looking significantly better at even strength. And I can’t deny that the team is getting the results it needs to gain some ground in the pairwise despite playing below their capabilities. While this post probably seems a bit negative for a team that’s played a tough schedule, gotten good results, and dealt with a spate of injuries (possibly including some lingering ones), I think it is fair to try and think about the results and the overall process as separate entities. While the team has gotten outplayed quite a bit in the early part of the year, I also think that it’s really impressive when a team can manage to find ways to win games where they get thoroughly outplayed. This team is talented enough where it can pull more of those types of wins than a lesser skilled team and hopefully they can build off an MSU series where they looked better. In the next post I will post some of the team level and individual stats I’ve been tracking. Thanks for reading! *Since not all teams play the exact same amount of time at even strength I tried to come up with a way to calculate this. What I did was took the total shots on goal at all strengths, divided that by the number of shots at even strength to create a coefficient for every NCAA team, and multiplied it by their EV shot rates across the board to try and figure out what every team’s even strength shots for and against per game would look like if the entirety of all their games was played at 5 on 5. I’ve also done this with using a coefficient derived from taking penalty minutes out of the equation and got similar results. This method isn’t perfect and ideally we’d have 5 on 5 ice time to work with but I’m doing the best with the limited data that exists for NCAA hockey. All data came from CHN’s website. Author gopherstatblogPosted on November 7, 2017 November 7, 2017 2 thoughts on “Early Season Trends” stu sandberg says: Outstanding work. I’ve only seen just a few games this season – none in person. Judging from the comments on GPL, I’m not alone. I’m only 7 states away…..I know, not a very good excuse but it’s the only one I’ve got. My impression – visually and from game reports – to date is this team is playing a very conservative, very anti-traditional-Gopher game. This might be due to the first game neutral zone turnover debacle in Duluth – perhaps it left some psychic scars on the coaching staff. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a Gopher team so content to dump and chase but it’s obvious the coaching staff believes this is the way this team can win. They want to eliminate NZ turnovers. Not a bad strategy but, stylistically, it ain’t pretty. I don’t think they are interested in style points and must feel as if they have to play this way……especially if they are able to play even or on the lead. As you highlighted, the puck possession numbers – as indicated by 5 on 5 shot differential – have to improve to nail down a spot in the final 16. I suspect the next three series will give us a clue if they ability to turn this around. Actually, the MSU games were a step in the right direction for puck possession with more controlled zone entries and trailers involved soon thereafter. It showed up in the 5 on 5 shot totals. I’m curious how they’ll fare against three teams that – to date – have produced better possession numbers. Team speed for all three will be a challenge, too. Goaltending has been outstanding but that can be fleeting. Better to give the goalie some breathing room. This weekend would be a great place to start. Again, thanks so much for the detailed work and insight. gopherstatblog says: Thanks Stu! I think you’re spot on and like I said I’ll dive into this more in the next post. Leave a Reply to stu sandberg Cancel reply Previous Previous post: UMN vs Notre Dame Breakdown Next Next post: The Michigan Series 2017-18 Season Tracked Data and Analysis March 4, 2018 The Michigan Series December 1, 2017 Early Season Trends November 7, 2017 UMN vs Notre Dame Breakdown April 7, 2017 The Importance of Ryan Lindgren Quantified March 26, 2017 Gopher Stat Blog Blog at WordPress.com.
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Game of Thrones Actor and Britain's Tallest Man Neil Fingleton Dies at 36 Filed to: obituaryFiled to: obituary neil fingleton Credit: HBO/Getty Images Neil Fingleton, the man who brought the Game of Thrones giant Mag the Mighty to life, has passed away from apparent heart failure. He was 36 years old. Fingleton, who stood 7-feet and 7-inches tall, received the Guinness World Record in 2016 for being named Britain’s Tallest Man. He started out as a basketball player in the United States before switching to acting. He appeared as the Fisher King on Doctor Who, and did various roles (including stunt work) on films like Marvel’s Age of Ultron, X-Men: First Class, and Jupiter Ascending. Credit: HBO Many Game of Thrones fans remember his portrayal of Mag the Mighty in the season 4 episode, “The Watchers on the Wall.” Mag the Mighty was the giant who forced his way into the tunnel underneath the Wall before he was killed by the Night’s Watch. CW&apos;s Pandora Is an Embarrassment
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Drone Use in Aerial Pesticide Application Faces Outdated Regulatory Hurdles By Ryan V. Petty, PhD. - Edited By Evelyn Chang View companion PDF The use of unmanned aerial systems[1] (“UASs” or “drones”) in commercial activity has become exponentially popular in recent years.[2] One relatively new use for UASs is in pest control—eliminating both agricultural pests and disease vectors—through aerial pesticide application. Compared to a traditional fixed wing aircraft, a UAS can fly lower, is significantly smaller, and can hover in place for extended periods of time, all of which enhance the precision, speed, and safety of pesticide application.[3] In fact, estimates suggest that pesticide application by a UAS could be up to five times faster than traditional fixed-wing aircraft.[4] Some aircraft have already been developed to apply pesticides via UAS and are currently undergoing testing in the United States.[5] However, the regulatory landscape facing these novel uses for UASs serves as a significant barrier to entry. In, 2016, the Federal Aviation Administration (“FAA”) promulgated extensive rules regulating the use of small UASs (“sUASs”), UASs under 55 lbs.[6] These regulations, codified at 14 C.F.R. § 107 (“Section 107” or “Part 107”), streamline the process for certifying sUASs for flight and only regulate commercial sUAS use.[7] One benefit is that a sUAS pilot, unlike traditional aircraft or UASs over 55 lbs., need only receive a “remote pilot” certification, which has substantially fewer requirements than a traditional pilot certification.[8] The Section 107 rules include limitations, among others, on operational hours[9] and require registration for sUASs.[10] Some, but not all, of these limitations may be waived by the FAA Administrator.[11] Despite the advent of novel uses of UASs, the regulations surrounding aerial pesticide application have not yet been updated to accommodate the specific benefits and limitations of UAS use. As a result, a patchwork of exemptions,[12] waivers,[13] and label modifications[14] is currently required for a commercial entity to aerially apply pesticides via UAS. The focus of this Note examining UASs in aerial pesticide application is to provide an overview of the regulatory hurdles, to review the two currently approved UASs, and to make recommendations to streamline the permitting process. II. Current regulations fail to reflect technological advancements in aerial pesticide application, create barriers to entry, and reduce competitiveness A. FAA pesticide regulations do not reflect the unique nature of UASs Many of the FAA regulations on aerial pesticide application have not been updated in almost half a century and fail to accommodate advancements in technology, including UASs. For example, one FAA regulation—which makes it illegal to dispense pesticides from an aircraft contrary to safety instructions—still makes reference to pesticides being registered with the U.S. Department of Agriculture,[15] a role which was transferred to the Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) in 1972.[16] Furthermore, while the definition of “aircraft” within 14 C.F.R. § 1.1[17] encompasses UASs,[18] the use of “aircraft” in 14 C.F.R. § 137 clearly does not. Namely, 14 C.F.R. § 137.31 states that “[n]o person may operate an aircraft unless that aircraft—(a) Meets the requirements of § 137.19(d)[19]; and (b) Is equipped with a suitable and properly installed shoulder harness for use by each pilot.” The regulation clearly presupposes that an individual pilot could be physically secured to the aircraft itself, which is inapposite for a UAS. These incongruities may lead to confusion by potential UAS pilots who must determine which rules do and do not apply to their activities. A private agricultural aircraft operator also needs to show a satisfactory knowledge of “maneuvers,” under § 137.19(e)(2), including “flare-outs” and “pullups and turnarounds” which are less relevant to the manner in which a UAS is operated.[20] The section additionally requires that an operator must “hold a current U.S. private, commercial, or airline transport pilot certificate.” This requirement as applied to sUASs in particular is unnecessary as sUASs pose nowhere near the mechanical complexity of helicopters and fixed wing aircraft.[21] Many UASs, in fact, may effectively be controlled autonomously, with pre-programmed mapping software in concert with GPS and additional positional sensors.[22] B. Inability to waive hazardous material transport restriction further inhibits use of sUASs in aerial pesticide application While some restrictions on sUASs may be waived, not all—including those critical to pesticide application—can be. For example, sUASs are forbidden from carrying “hazardous materials,” which includes certain pesticide active ingredients such as allethrin, carbamate, and organophosphorous.[23] With such prohibitions, one notable loss is the application of naled, an organophosphate. Naled is one of the most common aerially applied pesticides, used primarily for the control of mosquito populations.[24] Naled’s use has been on the rise as a response to recent Zika virus outbreaks in the southern United States.[25] As an organophosphate, naled-based pesticides would be banned from transport by a sUAS unless a specific, time-consuming exemption were granted.[26] An ability to waive the ban on sUAS hazardous material transport would permit the use of chemicals like naled in the fight against Zika and other mosquito-borne diseases in addition to traditional agricultural pest control. C. EPA pesticide regulations require modification in light of new sUAS uses Among the requirements of a pesticide label are those which dictate the directions of use.[27] In the case of pesticides which may be applied aerially, this includes whether a pesticide may only be applied by a helicopter/rotocopter, fixed-wing aircraft, or both. Often this limitation is to minimize the risk of pesticides drifting to non-target areas, potentially poisoning non-resistant neighboring crops or agricultural workers. Drift can be caused by pesticides being released at improper altitudes, at inappropriate ambient temperatures, or with incorrect droplet sizes.[28] EPA mandates specific applicator boom length and nozzle size to mitigate drift of certain pesticides.[29] The fact that a sUAS can operate significantly closer to crops without causing damage, due in part to the lower thrust exerted by a sUAS relative to larger manned aircraft, reduces the concern for drift, and renders the safety concerns of current pesticide label restrictions less relevant.[30] These benefits may also result in sUASs supplanting uses that have traditionally required hand-application for certain pesticides, reaping farmworker safety benefits currently addressed by the Worker Protection Standards.[31] D. International adoption of UASs leaves the United States less competitive. Other countries, including Japan and China, have been at the forefront for the use of UASs in pesticide application, leaving the United States lagging behind. For example, the Yamaha RMAX, discussed below under Section 333 Exemptions, has been in operation in Japan for over 20 years, while it has only recently been approved for limited use in the United States.[32] In 2015, China issued its first major regulations surrounding UAS use and in these regulations created a dedicated category for “Plant Protection UAS.”[33] This category includes UASs up to 5,700 kg but limits flight to 15 meters above the surface.[34] UASs in this category must, however, have an “electric fence” installed that reports every second that the UAS is within a key area, which includes “military sites, nuclear plants, [and] administrative centers.”[35] Many UASs are already in operation for aerial pesticide application in China and new models are currently being developed for the market.[36] Importantly, the lack of integration of UASs into domestic industry, including in the agriculture sector, is estimated to cost at least $10 billion annually in unrealized productivity and full integration has projected benefits of up to $86 billion by 2025.[37] Rapid adoption internationally of UASs, along with the cost and production efficiencies that accompany their use, ultimately puts the United States at a competitive disadvantage. E. FAA is receptive to modifying regulations to accommodate UAS innovations On October 25th, 2017, the United States Department of Transportation (“USDOT”) announced it was launching a new initiative called the “Innovative Drone Integration Program.”[38] This program’s purpose is to: help the USDOT and FAA develop a regulatory framework that will allow more complex low-altitude operations; identify ways to balance local and national interests; improve communications with local, state and tribal jurisdictions; address security and privacy risks; and accelerate the approval of operations that currently require special authorizations.[39] The FAA subsequently published additional details of the program in the Federal Register on November 8th, 2017.[40] One specific type of proposal the FAA was interested in receiving was “[a]n agricultural State and several of its municipalities desiring to explore with stakeholders how UAS could be used to assist farmers in reducing costs.”[41] A program which coordinates with the State agency who has authority, delegated by EPA,[42] to regulate pesticides in combination with pesticide applicators, UAS operators, and farmers would be a perfect proposal for this initiative. The current process for regulatory relief, which could be simplified, is detailed next. III. UASs may be used for aerial pesticide application through a burdensome exemption and waiver process There are currently three exemption and waiver processes that a UAS operator would need to navigate to aerially dispense pesticides, depending on the type of UAS used. For UASs over 55 lbs., a Section 333 Exemption is required. This application is more open-ended, has fewer limitations, but is more expensive and takes longer to obtain. For sUASs, a Part 107 waiver may be used. These waivers are cheaper and faster to obtain, but are more limited in the restrictions that may be waived. Finally, Part 11 Exemptions permit relief from a vast array of FAA regulations; however, this process requires full notice and comment for each applicant and requires navigating significantly more regulations. An overview of each of these three processes follows next along with an example of a UAS aerial pesticide applicator that has successfully navigated these regulatory hurdles. A. Section 333 Exemptions for non-sUASs In order for any aircraft to operate in the United States, it must be certified for airworthiness by the FAA. Prior to the promulgation of Section 107 to regulate sUASs, most commercial UASs were operating under what are called Section 333 exemptions. Section 333 of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 allowed the Secretary of Transportation to determine, on a case by case basis, that a certain “[UAS] may operate safely” in the national airspace system.[43] For most commercial sUASs, Section 107 has supplanted their prior Section 333 exemptions.[44] Because Section 107 bans the transport of certain pesticides as hazardous materials, the Section 333 Exemption process, which is still active, may be an avenue to bypass the current restrictions which face UAS aerial pesticide application. It is important to note that the Section 333 Exemption only certifies the UAS itself, while the pilot must also be fully trained and certified by the FAA as with any other traditional aircraft. Approximately 40,000 Section 333 Exemptions have been requested,[45] of which approximately 5,500 have been thus far approved[46] leading to a current approval rate of less than 14%. In addition, the cost of obtaining a basic Section 333 exemption can be up to $1,500 and take up to four months for the FAA to review.[47] Recently, Yamaha received a Section 333 Exemption to use its UAS, the RMAX, in aerial pesticide application.[48] Because the RMAX weighs in excess of 55 lbs., it is ineligible for the Section 107 sUAS rules. The RMAX possesses two 8 liter tanks, with a practical payload of up to 16 kg (~35 lbs.).[49] According to Yamaha, the RMAX currently treats 2.4 million acres of farmland annually in Japan.[50] In granting the Section 333 Exemption, the FAA looked beyond the plain text of certain provisions in § 137, noting that “[t]hese requirements are intended to ensure the safety of the onboard pilot during manned agricultural aircraft operations and thus, relief from §§ 137.31(b) and 137.42 [both shoulder harness requirements] does not adversely impact safety.”[51] After obtaining the exemption, the RMAX began commercial operation in the U.S. in May 2016, spraying against powdery mildew.[52] B. Part 107 Waivers for sUASs The Administrator of the FAA has the authority to waive a limited list of Part 107 requirements on sUAS use,[53] so long as the Administrator determines that “the proposed [sUAS] operation can safely be conducted under the terms of [the] waiver.”[54] Anyone may request a waiver, but their request must include a “complete description of the proposed operation and justification that establishes that the operation can safely be conducted under the terms of [the waiver].”[55] The streamlined application consists of a basic online form.[56] With legal counsel, obtaining a Part 107 waiver can cost upwards of $2,000–$10,000, depending on the restriction being waived.[57] To date, the FAA has granted 1,058 Part 107 waivers[58] and these waivers are generally in effect for 4 years.[59] The vast majority of waivers granted deal with § 107.29 that, absent a waiver, limits sUAS operation to daylight hours.[60] Common limitations placed on nighttime operation waivers include a requirement that the area in which the drone is operating is sufficiently lit such that any obstacles may be readily observed and that the sUAS is fitted with anti-collision lighting visible for several miles.[61] Importantly, and unlike the Part 11 exemption process detailed immediately below, the waiver application process is highly streamlined. The FAA says that it “will strive to review and issue decisions on waiver and authorization requests within 90 days” and this review does not require notice and comment.[62] Part 107 waivers may also be secured in combination with Part 11 exemptions, as discussed below in the case of DroneSeed. C. Part 11 Exemptions The FAA can exempt an individual from any FAA regulation by submitting a request for a Part 11 exemption. This pathway, however, is far more burdensome than the Part 107 waiver process as it requires publication in the Federal Register and opportunity for public comment.[63] The FAA requires that the petition be submitted at least 120 days before the petitioner anticipates the exemption is required.[64] Additionally, Part 11 exemptions are typically only valid for 2 years, as opposed to 4 years under a Part 107 waiver.[65] The FAA does, however, provide guidance to individuals seeking a Part 11 exemption[66] and a searchable database called the Automated Exemption System (AES) is accessible to the public.[67] One company, DroneSeed,[68] has successfully petitioned the FAA for numerous exemptions under Part 11, as well as a Part 107 Waiver, for aerial pesticide application by a sUAS.[69] DroneSeed’s business model includes the use of sUASs to apply pesticides and reseed tree populations after a clear-cut in remote forest areas.[70] These sUASs are designed to fly mostly autonomously, relying on GPS and pre-programmed maps and surveys to control flight paths.[71] Since DroneSeed’s aircraft are all under 55 lbs., they are the first pesticide-dispensing UASs to fall under the Section 107 rules.[72] The FAA cited the Section 333 exemption granted for the Yamaha RMAX drone to similarly exempt DroneSeed from § 137 requirements like shoulder harnesses and certain aerial maneuvers.[73] DroneSeed’s granted Part 11 petition included a critical exemption which was unavailable under the Part 107 waiver: the ability to transport hazardous materials, namely pesticides.[74] The FFA noted that DroneSeed’s “intended use would involve far smaller quantities of economic poisons than currently allowed and carried under part 137.”[75] As such, “a limited grant of exemption from § 107.36 [the ban on carriage of hazardous material] is consistent with [the aerial applicator rules] to permit the use of small UAS for agricultural operations under part 137.” The FAA ultimately granted the exemption, but limited it to “the use of any economic poison as defined in § 137.3.”[76] DroneSeed also requested, and was granted, a Part 107 Waiver to operate more than one drone per pilot.[77] The waiver, however, contains several key limitations. To begin, it requires that all operation be conducted in “remote (rural) forestry sites” and requires several notification procedures to “restrict access by non participating persons.”[78] Additionally, the pilot in command must “identify operational area obstacles and boundaries so as to avoid collision with, or damage to property” and the sUAS must use high-visibility paint to “facilitate rapid identification of errant [sUASs].”[79] The waiver also contains requirements that the software and any redundancies are fully functional before beginning operations and that if any component fails, the other sUAS are not affected and that the operator is visually and audibly alerted to the failure.[80] This cumbersome process of applying for multiple exemptions and waivers would have to be conducted by each and every operator wishing to use sUASs in the pesticide-applicator marketplace. DroneSeed’s success demonstrates that the FAA is open to the use of drones as pesticide applicators; however, the current complex approval process serves as a significant barrier to entry for potential competitors. IV. FAA and EPA can facilitate the adoption of UASs in pesticide application There are several, relatively straightforward, regulatory actions which both the FAA and EPA can take to facilitate the adoption of UASs in aerial pesticide application. First, the FAA could initiate rulemaking to amend or append the regulations of pesticide-dispensing aircraft under Section 137 which meet the description of a UAS to automatically exempt them from a list of inapplicable regulations, for example, §§ 137.19(e)(2) (certain aerial maneuvers) and 137.31(b) (safety restraints). This automatic exemption would both provide clarity to potential operators as well as reduce the regulatory hurdles required when receiving approval for UAS use. Second, the FAA can initiate rulemaking to add the ban on hazardous material transport to the list of waivable restrictions under the Part 107 Waiver process. The FAA could limit, as it did in the case of DroneSeed, the waiver to those materials defined as “economic poisons” under FAA regulations, or simply adopt the statutory definition of pesticide contained within FIFRA.[81] Importantly, the Administrator of the FAA would still retain discretion whether or not to grant the waiver if there were serious safety concerns. Third, the EPA in the short-term could promulgate an interpretive rule, not subject to notice and comment, that UASs qualify as “helicopters” for the purpose of pesticide label restrictions. This rule would provide clarity to UAS operators, but would be limited to those pesticides for which application from a helicopter/rotocopter under prescribed conditions has been demonstrated safe. For a longer-term solution, the EPA could develop internal guidelines to be included in evaluating and proscribing future pesticide labels. These guidelines could take advantage of the unique benefits of UASs where traditional aircraft may be unsafe as methods of pesticide application or simply modify traditional restrictions in light of the technological features of UASs. Updates to the FAA and EPA regulations dealing with the aerial pesticide applications are overdue, especially in light of the advent of sUASs as a possibly safer and cheaper substitute for traditional fixed-wing or helicopter/rotocopter aerial applicators. In the meantime, a combination of Section 333 exemptions, Part 107 Waivers, Section 11 exemptions–depending on the size of the UAS–are a viable, albeit expensive and time-consuming, alternative to permit limited use and testing of sUASs for aerial pesticide application in the near future. * J.D. Candidate, Harvard Law School, 2019 (expected); Ph.D., Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2014. Much of this research was performed while I was law clerk at the United States Environmental Protection Agency in Summer 2017. This note contains no confidential information, and any opinions contained within are exclusively my own. I wish to thank Helene Ambrosino for her incredible mentorship. I also wish to thank Evelyn Chang and Filippo Raso for their excellent editing and comments. [1]. Note that the “system” includes not only the actual unmanned aircraft itself, but also the remote-control unit and any other associated hardware and software which ultimately operate the aircraft. Note also that UAS encompasses all unmanned aerial systems whereas sUAS applies only to a UAS under 55 lbs. of total weight. [2]. See, e.g., E-commerce Giant Amazon Seeks FAA Nod For Testing Drones, Seattle Bulletin (July 12, 2014), http://www.seattlebulletin.com/news/223727243/e-commerce-giant-amazon-seeks-faa-nod-for-testing-drones. [3]. For a thorough overview of the various benefits to UAS use in agriculture, see Andy Lin, Agricultural Sector Poised To Soar With Drone Integration, But Federal Regulation May Ground The Industry Before It Can Take Off, 48 Tex. Tech. L. Rev. 975, 978–­­80 (2016); see also Kelsey Atherton, This Drone Sprays Pesticides Around Crops, Popular Sci. (June 23, 2016), https://www.popsci.com/agri-drone-is-precision-pesticide-machine; 5 Ways Drones Could Change the Way America Eats, PBS Newshour, http://www.pbs.org/newshour/ru... (last accessed September 24, 2017). [4]. See Michael Mazur, Six Ways Drones Are Revolutionizing Agriculture, MIT Tech. Rev. (July 20, 2016), https://www.technologyreview.com/s/601935/six-ways-drones-are-revolutionizing-agriculture/. [5]. See Evan Ackerman, Yamaha Demos Agricultural RoboCopter, But Humans Can’t Unleash It Yet, IEEE Spectrum (Oct. 16, 2014), http://spectrum.ieee.org/automaton/robotics/drones/yamaha-demos-agricultural-robocopter. Note that this particular craft has been in-use since 1991 in Japan and has recently been approved for limited use in the U.S. [6]. 14 C.F.R. § 107 (2016). [7]. The FAA provides several examples to differentiate between commercial and personal use. Personal use is for “educational or recreational flying only” and commercial/business use includes “providing aerial surveying or photography services” and “doing roof inspections or real estate photography.” Unmanned Aircraft Systems – Getting Started, Fed. Aviation Admin., https://www.faa.gov/uas/gettin... (last accessed June 28, 2017). [8]. See 14 C.F.R. §§ 107.53–107.79; see also Unmanned Aircraft Systems – Becoming a Pilot, Fed. Aviation Admin., https://www.faa.gov/uas/gettin... (last accessed Nov. 27, 2017). [9]. 14 C.F.R. § 107.29 (2016). [10]. 14 C.F.R. § 107.13 (2016). UASs in excess of 55 lbs. do not qualify for the § 107 rules and must obtain a Section 333 exemption in order to fly in the national airspace system. See Part III.A. infra. [11]. See Part III.B. infra; see also Part II.B. infra. [12]. See Part III.A. infra. [13]. See Part III.B. infra. [14]. See Labelling Requirements, Envtl. Prot. Agency, https://www.epa.gov/pesticide-... (last accessed September 24, 2017); see also 7 U.S.C. § 136(p). [15]. 14 C.F.R. § 137.39(a). [16]. See Amendments to the Federal Insecticide Fungicide and Rodenticide Act, Pub. L. No. 92-516, 86 Stat. 973 (1972). [17]. 14 C.F.R. § 1.1 (1962) contains the definitions section for the entire Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations, unless explicitly superseded within a subchapter. [18]. “Aircraft means a device that is used or intended to be used for flight in the air.” 14 C.F.R. § 1.1 (1962). [19]. The cross-reference to § 137.19(d) states that the aircraft must be “certificated” and “equipped for agricultural operation.” Whether the registration system in place for commercial UASs, and specifically sUASs, actually satisfies this requirement is another open question. [20]. See Yamaha Motor Corporation, Docket No. FAA-2014-0397, Exemption No. 11448 (FAA Dec. 21 2015), at 17 (noting that “the skills described in these paragraphs . . . are not compatible or applicable to the operation of [a UAS] . . . .”). [21]. Elizabeth Maartens, Drone vs. Helicopter, What is the Difference?, https://www.ezvid.com/drone-vs... (last accessed September 24, 2017) (comparing the fixed pitch of quadcopters with the adjustable pitch of helicopters). [22]. See, e.g., How GPS Drone Navigation Works, Droneomega.com, http://www.droneomega.com/gps-... (last accessed September 24, 2017). [23]. There are 76 chemicals on the hazardous materials table at 49 C.F.R. § 172.191 listed as pesticides, though many of these represent different forms and states of the same chemical. A catch-all for other relevant pesticides posing an inhalation hazard is also present on the table under “Pesticide, liquid, toxic, not otherwise specified.” [24]. See Naled For Mosquito Control, Envtl. Prot. Agency, https://www.epa.gov/mosquitoco... (last accessed June 30, 2017). [25]. See, e.g., Julie Steenhuysen, Florida To Begin Aerial Spraying Of Pesticides To Control Zika, Rueters (Aug. 2, 2016), http://www.reuters.com/article... below in the case of ons implement Section numbers?nformationse cases, Jillian.ce issues but I don'ringement y ncing. [27]. See Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) § 2(q)(1)(F); 40 C.F.R. § 156.10(a)(1)(viii). [28]. See, e.g., Vista® Ultra (Fluroxypyr 1-methylheptyl ester), EPA Registration No. 62719-586 (“fixed wing aircraft require additional drift mitigation measures”) and Garlon® XRT (Triclopyr, methyl ester), EPA Registration No. 62719-553 (limiting aerial application to helicopters only). [29]. See, e.g., Vista® Ultra (restricting boom length to 90% of the total diameter of the rotor and nozzle direction to no more than 45° downward). [30]. See Lin, supra note 3, at 980. [31]. See generally 40 C.F.R. § 170. [32]. See Ackerman, supra, note 5. [33]. See Regulation of Drones: People’s Republic of China, Libr. Cong., https://www.loc.gov/law/help/r... (last updated July 22, 2016). [34]. Id. [36]. See Julien Girault, China Drone King Turns To Farming, Phys.org (June 25, 2017), https://phys.org/news/2017-06-china-drone-king-farming.html. See also Newley Purnell, Chinese Drone Maker Plows Into Agriculture, Wall St. J. (Nov. 26, 2015), https://www.wsj.com/articles/chinese-drone-maker-plows-into-agriculture-1448573490; Sijia Jiang, Drones For Agricultural Use Taking Off In China, S. China Morning Post (July 25, 2016), http://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1994543/drones-agricultural-use-taking-china. [37]. See Darryl Jenkins & Bijan Vasigh, The Economic Impact of Unmanned Aircraft Ssytems Integration in the United States, Ass’n. for Unmanned Vehicle Sys. Int’l. (Mar. 2013), at 2, https://higherlogicdownload.s3.amazonaws.com/AUVSI/958c920a-7f9b-4ad2-9807-f9a4e95d1ef1/UploadedImages/New_Economic%20Report%202013%20Full.pdf. [38]. President Donald Trump and Secretary Elaine L. Chao Announce Innovative Drone Integration Pilot Program, U.S. Dept. of Transp. (Oct. 25, 2017), https://www.transportation.gov/UAS-integration-pilot-program. [39]. Id. (emphasis added). [40]. See 82 Fed. Reg. 51903. [41]. Id. at 51904. [42]. See FIFRA, supra note 25 at §§ 26–27 (detailing how states may be delegated primary enforcement of the law). [43]. The Secretary would also be required to “establish requirements for the safe operation” of such aircraft when granting the exemption. See FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012, Pub. L. No. 112-95, 126 Stat. 11. § 333. [44]. Section 333 exemptions, however, can be broader in what use of a UAS is permitted as compared to 14 C.F.R. § 107. For example, Section 107 forbids the carriage of hazardous materials by a sUAS whereas prior to Section 107, no such restrictions existed unless specified as a condition of the exemption. [45]. See Regulations.gov, search term “333,” filtered by “notice,” “nonrulemaking,” and “FAA.” [46]. See Authorizations Granted via Section 333 Exemption, Fed. Aviation Admin., https://www.faa.gov/uas/beyond... (last accessed Nov. 24, 2017). [47]. See, e.g., Jeffrey Antonelli, Most Section 333s Just $1,500, Drone Laws (Jan. 06, 2016), http://dronelawsblog.com/2016-most-section-333s-just-1500/. [48]. See Precision Agriculture: Frequently Asked Question, Yamaha Motor Sports, https://www.yamahamotorsports.... (last accessed June 30, 2017). See also Yamaha Exemption No. 11448, supra note 20. [49]. See Precision Agriculture: RMAX, Yamaha Motor Sports, https://www.yamahamotorsports.... (last accessed June 30, 2017). [51]. See Yamaha Exemption No. 11448, supra note 20. [52]. See Yama RMAX Debuts Commercial Spray Service On Napa Valley Vineyard, PR Newswire (May 19, 2016), http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/yamaha-rmax-debuts-commercial-spray-service-on-napa-valley-vineyard-300271880.html. [53]. The full list of waivable requirements is available at 14 C.F.R. § 107.205. Note that this waivable list does not include the ban on hazardous chemical transport, which requires a Part 11 exemption, as detailed in Part III.B. infra. [54]. 14 C.F.R. § 107.200(a). [55]. 14 C.F.R. § 107.200(b). [56]. See Request a Part 107 Waiver, Fed. Aviation Admin., https://www.faa.gov/uas/reques... (last accessed Nov. 24, 2017). [57]. See, e.g., Jeffrey Antonelli, Prices for a Part 107 Waiver, Drone Laws (Aug. 07, 2017), http://dronelawsblog.com/prices-for-part-107-waiver-antonelli-law/. [58]. See Part 107 Waivers Granted, Fed. Aviation Admin., https://www.faa.gov/uas/reques... (last accessed July 18, 2017). [60]. See id. There are currently 921 waivers granted exclusively to waive the requirement of § 107.29. [61]. See, e.g., Gary Indiana Police Dept., Waiver No. 107W-2017-02836 (FAA July 13, 2017), https://www.faa.gov/uas/request_waiver/waivers_granted/media/107W-2017-02836_Douglas_Drummond_CoW.pdf. [62]. See Request a Part 107 Waiver or Operation in Controlled Airspace, Fed. Aviation Admin., https://www.faa.gov/uas/reques... (last accessed July 18, 2017) (detailing the step by step process to request a Part 107 waiver). [63]. See 14 C.F.R. § 11.85. [65]. See Guidelines for Submitting a Petition for Exemption, Fed. Aviation Admin., at 23. https://www.faa.gov/regulation... (last accessed July 18, 2017). [66]. See id.at 7–20; The full list of required information submitted as a part of the petition is detailed in 14 C.F.R. § 11.81. [67]. See generally Automated Exemption System, Fed. Aviation Admin., http://aes.faa.gov/AES.asp (last accessed July 18, 2017). [68]. See generally DroneSeed, https://www.droneseed.co/ (last accessed July 14, 2017). [69]. See DroneSeed, Co., Exemption No. 17261, Regulatory Docket No. FAA-2016-9247 (FAA Mar. 19, 2017), https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=FAA-2016-9247-0005. The FAA erroneously labeled DroneSeed’s petition as a Section 333 exemption request in the Federal Register. See 81 Fed. Reg. 90045. DroneSeed submitted a public comment noting that its petition specifically requested relief under Part 11. Interestingly, when FAA approved the petition for exemption, it cited neither Section 333 nor Part 11 as its authority to grant an exemption. The FAA noted, again erroneously, that it received no public comments in response to its notice in the Federal Register. [70]. See DroneSeed, Petition for exemption, at 3–4, 22 (September 27, 2016), https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=FAA-2016-9247-0001. [71]. See id. [72]. See FAA Exemption No. 17261, supra note 68 at 2. [73]. Id. at 1, 9. [74]. See id. at 9, 12. [75]. Id. at 7. [76]. Id. at 12. Note that “economic poison” is defined in 14 C.F.R. § 137.3 as “(1) any substance or mixture of substances intended for preventing, destroying, repelling, or mitigating any insects, rodents, nematodes, fungi, weeds, and other forms of plant or animal life or viruses, except viruses on or in living man or other animals, which the Secretary of Agriculture shall declare to be a pest, and (2) any substance or mixture of substances intended for use as a plant regulator, defoliant or desiccant.” This definition is functionally equivalent to the definition of “pesticide” under FIFRA § 2(u). [77]. See DroneSeed, Waiver No. 107W-2016-01297 (FAA Nov. 16, 2016). This waives the limitation of § 107.35 which states that “A person may not operate or act as a remote pilot in command or visual observer in the operation of more than one unmanned aircraft at the same time.” As of July 14, 2017, 18 individuals and companies have received a waiver of the § 107.35 limitation to multiple drone operation. [81]. See 14 C.F.R. § 137.3, supra note 75. The Relative Importance of Intrinsic Evidence in t... Fake News and the Looming "State Action" Problem... Ready for Patenting? A Debate on the Intended Purp... A Double-Patenting Double Whammy: Federal Circuit ...
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The short version: Joanna Preston is an Australian-born poet, editor and freelance writing tutor, who lives in a small rural town in Canterbury, New Zealand. In 2008 she won the inaugural Kathleen Grattan Award for Poetry. Her first collection, The Summer King, was published by Otago University Press in July 2009, and won the Mary Gilmore Award for the best first poetry collection by an Australian author in 2010. She has an MPhil in Creative Writing from the University of Glamorgan (now the University of South Wales). She worked for three years as a part-time tutor in Creative Writing at Christchurch Polytech (now Ara Institute), was co-editor of Kokako magazine from 2009 to 2012, and poetry editor for takahē magazine from 2014 to 2016. In a previous life, she won the 1988 Winton to Longreach Stockman’s Hall of Fame Endurance Ride. In this one, she’s a chicken-keeper. The longer version: She was born in Sydney in 1972. Her childhood was spent in various outback towns in New South Wales, with her maternal grandparents’ farm – Cowarral, on the Forbes River – the one constant. She grew up surrounded by books, and wrote stories, songs, plays and poems from a very early age. In 1994 she emigrated to Christchurch in New Zealand, and married scientist Stewart, whom she had met at university. In 1998 she joined the Airing Cupboard Women Poets group, and began writing poetry seriously. Academic: She received a BA from the University of New South Wales, majoring in Theatre and Film Studies, with a secondary major in The History and Philosophy of Science and Technology. During her final year at university she studied Creative Writing with poet Hazel Smith. From 2003 to 2006 she lived in the United Kingdom. She recieved an MPhil in Creative Writing from the University of Glamorgan, studying under Gillian Clarke, Tony Curtis and Sheenagh Pugh. (Excerpts from Joanna’s thesis, Weaving Complexity: beyond the single, linear narrative in contemporary poetry, can be read in the Analysis & Commentary section.) In 2005 she was one of the two featured Broadsheet Poets in the Australian issue of Agenda (41:1-2), and had a poem (’The Pride of Lions’) selected for Best Australian Poems 2005. In 2007 Carcanet selected eleven of her poems for inclusion in New Poetries IV. Her first collection, The Summer King, was published by Otago University Press in 2009, and won both the inaugural Kathleen Grattan Award (2008), and the 2010 Mary Gilmore Award for the best first poetry collection by an Australian author. Her poem ‘Fault’ was selected for inclusion in the ESA Level 2 English Study Guide, and ‘The Pride of Lions‘ was selected for inclusion in the Cambridge International Examinations anthology of Poetry in English, Songs of Ourselves vol. 2. Her work has appeared in numerous publications, including: Acumen, Dreamcatcher, Envoi, The Interpreter’s House, Iota, Magma, Poetry Wales, Smiths Knoll, and South in the UK, Barnwood Poetry Magazine, Chronogram, Contemporary Haibun 4, 5 , 8 & 10, Frogpond and Sub Tropics in the US, Big Sky, Glottis, JAAM, Poetry New Zealand, takahē, The Press and The Unbelievable Lightness of Eggs in New Zealand, and Cordite, Four Tellings, four W, Hobo, Imago, LiNQ, Southerly, and Tirra Lirra in Australia. She co-edited the 3rd Airing Cupboard anthology, Half Light and High Wind (2000) with Helen Bascand and Lynn Tara Austin, and the haiku anthology, listening to the rain (2002) with Cyril Childs. (listening to the rain was runner-up in the Haiku Merit Book Awards 2003, for the best anthology of English language haiku published the previous year). She has also edited and produced three competition anthologies for the New Zealand Poetry Society: A Savage Gathering (2002), the infinity we swim in (2007) and Before the Sirocco (2008). She co-edited the anthology Leaving the Red Zone: poems from the Canterbury earthquakes (Clerestory Press, 2016) with James Norcliffe. She was a foundation member of The Australian Haiku Society, the Small White Teapot Haiku Group, and the Lost Friday Salon. She was a committee member of the Canterbury Poets’ Collective from 2001-2003 (and is so again, returning in 2018) and was an active member of Spin magazine’s Orbital Poetry Workshops 1998-2001. Joanna was co-editor of Kokako magazine from 2009 to 2012, and poetry editor for takahē magazine from 2014 to 2016. She has been a guest reader for the Canterbury Poets’ Collective on numerous occasions, as well as for National Poetry Day (2001), the United Nations “Dialogue Between Nations” Poetry Reading in Christchurch (2002), and the Dunedin Fringe Festival (2002). In 2010 she was the International Guest Poet at the Perth Spring Poetry Festival, and in 2011 was guest reader at both the Southland Festival of the Arts and Auckland Writers and Readers Festival. She has also regularly read on radio, both national and local. 2 Replies to “About” Pingback: Points Of View » Helen Lowe Pingback: “The Ode Less Travelled” by Stephen Fry | Ruth's Reflections
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Tag Archives: pulp fiction Review: “The Fortress In Orion” by Mike Resnick Title: The Fortress In Orion As some of you may know, I review for the San Francisco/Manhattan Book Review in exchange for free books. I’m usually careful not to inadvertently get myself dropped into the middle of a new series. Then I requested The Prison In Antares, not realizing it was book two in a new series. So I hastily tracked down The Fortress In Orion to catch up before I set in. Now I find out that everything Resnick has ever written is set in the same universe! (Okay, just most of it.) I’ve got a lot of reading to do…. The (mostly) human Democracy is at war with the alien Transkei Coalition, fighting a war that they may not be able to win. Colonel Nathan Pretorius is the Democracy’s go-to man for crazy, impossible missions…when those missions haven’t left him in the hospital growing a new spleen. This next mission? This one is going to top them all…. The Democracy has managed to clone a replacement for General Michkag, the top Transkei commander. Its up to Nathan and whatever fools he can convince to follow him to capture if possible, kill if necessary, the real Michkag and leave the friendly one in his place to try and bring the war to a peaceful conclusion. The odds of this mission ending in death for the entire team? Not worth thinking about. Failure isn’t an option. Pretorius and his Dead Enders are just going to have to find a way to infiltrate The Fortress In Orion…. This one…this one has me conflicted. I really liked the characters, every one of them felt well-realized and interesting. The setup was good, and had the potential to be a great story. But you know what you need for a great story? There’s this literary device called Things Going Wrong. You see, its just not interesting when everything goes to plan and the good guys carry off their allegedly difficult, nay, impossible mission without a hitch or casualty. Its far more interesting when the crap hits the fan and everything goes wrong but they somehow manage to squeak out victory anyway. Unfortunately, that’s not what happens here. Occasionally a wrench gets thrown into the works, just for flavor, but since Pretorius is following a careful plan of winging it anyway that never seems to matter. Something went wrong? Give me three pages and I’ll turn it to my advantage. There’s never any real danger or tension, despite everyone saying how dangerous everything is. I’m not giving up on Resnick, his reputation is too shiny for one book to tarnish, and I’m obligated to read the sequel anyways, but I will admit this was a disappointment. On the other hand, he managed to keep things moving along at such a clip that I didn’t quite notice until the ride was over that there was never any real danger. The tongue-in-cheek tone was also pretty great. CONTENT: R-rated language, not gratuitous. Mild sexual innuendo. Occasional violence, sometimes disturbing. Tagged as adventure, Books, Circe, crime, Dead Enders, Felix Ortega, fiction, Michkag, Mike Resnick, murder, Nathan Pretorius, novel, Pandora, pulp fiction, Pyr, Sci-Fi, Science Fiction, Snake, space opera, The Birthright Universe, The Fortress In Orion, thriller Review: “Doctor Who: The Eleventh Doctor Archives Vol. I” by Tony Lee et al. Title: The Eleventh Doctor Archives Vol. I Writers: Tony Lee, Joshua Hale Fialkov, Matthew Dow Smith, & Dan McDaid Artists: Andrew Currie, Richard Piers Rayner, Horacio Domingues, Tim Hamilton, Mark Buckingham, Matthew Dow Smith, Josh Adams, Paul Grist, Blair Shedd, Mitch Gerads, Dan McDaid, Charlie Kirchoff, Phil Elliott, Rachelle Rosenberg, Kyle Latino, & Deborah McCumiskey Series: Doctor Who (Series 2, 2010) #1-12 + Annual 2011 Publisher/Copyright: Titan Comics, 2015 How do you explain Doctor Who? The Doctor is an alien who looks human (“No, you look Timelord!”), the last of his kind, travelling all of time and space in a vessel camouflaged to look like a 1960s British police telephone box. There’s a fair bit of tourism, to be sure, but the Doctor is always willing to help someone in need…and since his ship has a habit of depositing him when and where he’s needed rather than where he wants to be, he has ample opportunity. When critically injured he regenerates into a new body, thus allowing the showrunners to do a semi-reboot every few years without actually hitting the reset button and starting from scratch. Clear as mud? Good! Let’s move on to the book, shall we? This particular tome is a collection of Doctor Who tie-in comics starring the Eleventh Doctor (Matt Smith) and his companions Amy and Rory Pond, set during Amy and Rory’s honeymoon in between the fifth and sixth seasons of the revived series. It’s status as canon is questionable, but even with the occasional inconsistency* it shouldn’t be too hard to square things given the shifting nature of the timeline. Doctor Who is at its most fun when it’s reveling in its core of whimsical lunacy, but there’s a deep vein of tragedy and determination to the character of the Doctor, and it’s the moments that this is revealed that make the franchise one of my favorites. Thankfully, this collection does both elements extremely well. There’s whimsy galore, from spam email infecting the TARDIS’ mainframe and manifesting as holograms to Kevin, a robotic tyrannosaur that briefly joins the adventuring. There’s a story that functions on one level as a standard Doctor Who romp and on another as an homage to the show Castle, transplanting the cast of that series to a space station. There are also more serious moments, such as a conversation between Rory and the Doctor about how much Amy means to them both, or between Rory and Kevin about finding your place and purpose in the world. These moments serve to ground the characters, making the Doctor, for all that he is an alien, very human. There’s a wide variety of art styles, and while I’m more a fan of some than others, they all seem to work for the stories being presented. Most of these are written by Tony Lee, with the exceptions being the stories from the 2011 Doctor Who Annual. Spam Filtered (art by Andrew Currie, colors by Charlie Kirchoff) sees the TARDIS overrun with holographic spam mail after Rory and Amy use it’s extra-temporal internet connection to check their email, forcing the TARDIS to set down and reboot. Unfortunately, the planet they land on is scheduled for destruction in about an hour…. The art here is pretty good, especially when it features the Doctor or Amy. Rory kind of gets the shaft, though. Also, the leader of the Scroungers is totally Danny Trejo. In The Ripper’s Curse (art by Richard Piers Rayner, Horacio Domingues, & Tim Hamilton, colors by Phil Elliott) the Doctor and company get sidetracked to Whitechapel, London just in time for Jack the Ripper’s reign of terror. The art on this one is shared among three artists, which leads to some small inconsistencies in the visuals, but the colorist is the same all the way through and helps to smooth things out with a painted (maybe watercolor?) aesthetic. It was different. I liked it, most of the time anyway, though I’m starting to think nobody can draw Rory properly. They Think It’s All Over (art by Mark Buckingham, colors by Charlie Kirchoff) has our protagonists once more sidetracked on their way to their football match, this time a case of right place, wrong time. This time, they’re in the ninth century, stuck between the invading Vikings and Alfred The Great’s defending Britons. Good story, and it includes a scene that should help explain just why the Doctor and Rory are two of my favorite characters ever, in different ways. The art was good, as is expected from Buckingham. When Worlds Collide (art by Matthew Dow Smith, colors by Charlie Kirchoff) gives us a minimalist, geometric aesthetic that actually worked better than I’d expected. The story involves a strange resort built on a rift allowing for different spaces slightly out of phase with each other….until an accident merges them all. Suddenly, there’s a dozen Amys, a dozen Rorys, and a dozen Doctors….and a whole army of Sontarans. Also introducing Kevin the Dinosaur! Space Squid (art by Josh Adams, colors by Rachelle Rosenberg) was weird. I think the writer had a fixation with the television show Castle (and who can blame him?) because the side characters are all named after the cast of that series. Commander Katic, Major Fillion, everyone down to Ensign Quinn. It was honestly a bit distracting, though I did laugh when I first noticed. The likenesses aren’t bad, either…most of the time anyway. The story involves a mind-controlled cult on a space station that wants to enslave the galaxy to their giant squid god. Yeah, you read that right. It’s not Cthulhu though, unfortunately. Body Snatched (art by Matthew Dow Smith, colors by Charlie Kirchoff) sees the Doctor set off to save his friend Trevor, the Horse Lord of Khan. It seems Trevor has had his mind transferred into a bioengineered plant person on the hospital planet of Bedlam….Smith’s art is once more strangely suitable for the story being told. Silent Night (art by Paul Grist, colors by Phil Elliott) is a “silent” tale featuring the dynamic duo of The Doctor and…Santa Claus? Odd, but fun. Not sure how it fits in with last year’s Christmas Special though… Run, Doctor, Run (written by Joshua Hale Fialkov, art by Blair Shedd) is an homage to the Looney Toons, featuring a planet without conventional physics that makes up and down unpredictable. Down To Earth (written by Matthew Dow Smith, art by Mitch Gerads, colors by Gerads & Kyle Latino) was a nice little tale featuring an alien stranded on Earth who would rather just stay if it’s all the same to everyone. The art was good, too. Tuesday (written and art by Dan McDaid, colors by McDaid & Deborah McCumiskey) is told in the form of a letter home to Amy’s parents detailing a few of their adventures. The art was odd, but it worked. CONTENT: Mild profanity, nothing too severe. Several murders, played to be quite scary in The Ripper’s Curse. A couple scantily clad characters. Minor sexual innuendos in the form of a couple “little blue pill” jokes in Spam Filtered or Rory’s sudden enthusiasm for a beach vacation at the thought of Amy in a bikini. Some prostitution in The Ripper’s Curse, nothing too explicit. *One that springs immediately to mind is Jack the Ripper, here shown to be an alien stopped by the Doctor and friends, elsewhere stated to have been “stringy, but quite tasty” by Madame Vastra. Tagged as adventure, alternate history, Amy Pond, Amy Williams, Andrew Currie, Anthologies, Blair Shedd, Body Snatched, Books, Castle, Charlie Kirchoff, comedy, Comic Books, Comics, Dan McDaid, Deborah McCumiskey, Doctor Who, Down To Earth, Eleventh Doctor, Expanded Universe, fantasy, fiction, graphic novel, Horacio Domingues, Josh Adams, Joshua Hale Fialkov, Kevin the Tyrannosaur, Kyle Latino, Looney Toons, Mark Buckingham, Matt Smith, Matthew Dow Smith, Mitch Gerads, Molly Quinn, Mystery, Nathan Fillion, Paul Grist, Phil Elliott, pulp fiction, Rachelle Rosenberg, Richard Piers Rayner, Rory Pond, Rory Williams, Run Doctor Run, Sci-Fi, Science Fiction, Silent Night, Space Squid, Spam Filtered, Stana Katic, The Eleventh Doctor Archives, The Ripper's Curse, The TARDIS, They Think It's All Over, thriller, Tim Hamilton, Tony Lee, Tuesday, western, When Worlds Collide Review: “The Untold Tale” by J.M. Frey Title: The Untold Tale Author: J.M. Frey Series: The Accidental Turn #1 Publisher/Copyright: 2015, REUTS Publishing LLC. There is very little Forsyth Turn doesn’t know. As Shadow Hand, the king’s spymaster, he wages in secret the war his famous older brother carries out in songs and tales told in every tavern throughout the three kingdoms. Kintyre is everything an epic fantasy hero is made of—strong, brave, and oblivious to what’s going on around him. While Kintyre is off gallivanting about the world with his loyal sidekick and magic sword, slaying first and asking questions later if at all, Forsyth quietly manages the family’s holdings and keeps up with the mountains of paperwork generated by his legion of spies. Through this legion, Forsyth knows nearly everything there is to know about the world he lives in…which is what makes the girl so fascinating. Rescued from the clutches of the evil Viceroy by Forsyth’s men, Lucy Piper (Pip to her friends) is brought to Turn Hall to recover from the tender attentions of the Viceroy’s sidekick and torturer Bootknife, attentions that have left an intricate lattice of artistic scrolling vines carved into the flesh of her back. For anyone to have resisted Bootknife long enough for the carvings to become so intricate is alone enough to earn Forsyth’s attention and respect, but Pip also represents a complete mystery. In a world where Forsyth can usually match a face to its family heritage at a glance, Pip’s bronzed skin and the shape of her eyes are like nothing he’s ever seen. Then too there are the things she cannot know but does—such as the fact that mild-mannered minor nobleman Forsyth Turn, Kintyre’s worthless younger brother, so shy and graceless, is really the Shadow Hand of the king. Could it be true? Could the Viceroy really have managed to call down one of the legendary Readers, one of those all-powerful beings who watch all that happens from on high? But surely not. Readers, the Great Writer, the world being born from the nib of a pen, that’s all just mythology and nonsense…isn’t it? “Yeah, yeah,” you say. “It’s a metafictional world, the girl is trapped inside her favorite book, we’ve seen that before.” Well, yes. I suppose you may have. It does bring Inkheart to mind, though that was sort of the polar opposite to what’s happening here. Such a metafictional narrative is itself a fantasy trope, if not a widely used one. But that just strengthens my point. J.M. Frey is a master of the fantasy trope, both the good and the bad. The central conceit here is that The Adventures Of Kintyre Turn were written by a stodgy (and frankly, downright lecherous) old man who ripped off, er, faithfully followed every single convention of his genre when creating the world his characters inhabit. Women exist solely to be damsels in distress, fainting at danger and then falling into the arms of the Conquering Hero. Minorities and non-humans are scattered through for flavor, but only in background roles or to be the Exotic Other. Quests all follow a certain formula. These tropes are so ingrained in the fabric of the world that they remain true even when the author isn’t writing. By dropping in an outside observer, Frey is able to really examine each and every one of these tropes even as she makes use of them herself. The result is truly incredible, a novel that is by turns hilarious and heartrending, at times a love letter to the entire genre, at others a biting indictment of its more appalling conventions. Beyond its agenda, though, the fact remains that this is simply a stellar book. The characters, while initially suggested to be little more than the stereotypes they inhabit, are all real living breathing people, and whatever you think you know about what’s going on is just waiting to be upturned. I would recommend this book to anyone with a healthy love of the fantasy genre, or just a love of good stories. I do offer fair warning, though, there’s quite a bit of sexual content in the back half of the book. It’s necessary to what Frey is trying to do here, but does render the book unsuitable for certain audiences. CONTENT: Intermittent R-rated profanity. Strong violence, occasionally gruesome. Moderately explicit sexual content, scattered throughout the back half of the book. Tagged as adventure, Bevel Dom, Books, Bootknife, comedy, fantasy, Feminism, fiction, Forsyth Turn, J.M. Frey, Kintyre Turn, Lucy Piper, magic, metafiction, mind control, murder, Mystery, novel, Pip, pulp fiction, puppet, Shadow Hand, spoiler, The Accidental Turn, The Untold Tale, The Viceroy, thriller, tropes, words Review: “Star Wars–Rebels: The Fake Jedi” by Martin Fisher & Bob Molesworth Title: The Fake Jedi Writer: Martin Fisher Artist: Bob Molesworth Series: Star Wars: Rebels Publisher/Copyright: Egmont UK Ltd, 2015 Here’s another Star Wars: Rebels short! This one was first published in Germany (sensing the trend?), translated and published in the UK in Star Wars Rebels Magazine #3, and should be published stateside eventually. Until then, happy Googling! This one is a solo adventure for Kanan as he is forced down by the Empire on a strange planet. Taken in by the locals, he is taken to their lightsaber-wielding leader who, despite his weapon, is no Jedi. Of course, this is when the Inquisitor decides to show up looking for Kanan…. This one wasn’t bad. The story was predictable, but that’s par for the course on these I’m thinking. As with previous stories illustrated by Molesworth, I think his art is perfectly serviceable and possibly better than these comics could reasonably hope for. Is this one essential reading? Not really, but it was fun nevertheless. CONTENT: Mild violence. No profanity. Scantily-clad alien women, not played for titillation. Filed under Comics/Graphic Novels, Reviews, Short Stories, Star Wars Tagged as adventure, Bob Molesworth, Comic Books, Comics, Egmont, Expanded Universe, fantasy, fiction, graphic novel, Jedi, Kanan, Kanan Jarrus, Martin Fisher, pulp fiction, Sci-Fi, Science Fiction, Star Wars, Star Wars Expanded Universe, Star Wars: Rebels, The Fake Jedi, The Inquisitor
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The disturbing case of Asia Bibi November 10, 2018 John 1 Comment I have long been intrigued by the case of Asia Bibi. According to Wikipedia: “The Asia Bibi blasphemy case involves Pakistani Christian woman Aasiya Noreen, born 1971, commonly known as Āsia Bibī, who was convicted of blasphemy by a Pakistani court and was sentenced to death by hanging in 2010.In October 2018, the Supreme Court of Pakistan acquitted her based on insufficient evidence, though she will not be allowed to leave Pakistan until the verdict has been reviewed, a process that can take years. In June 2009, Noreen was accused of blasphemy after an argument with co-workers while harvesting berries. She was subsequently arrested and imprisoned. In November 2010, a Sheikhupura judge sentenced her to death by hanging. The verdict was upheld by Lahore High Court and received worldwide attention”. I have been keen following developments for some time, along with others of like mind, realizing the fate that might befall her (and still could) and have been much concerned and in prayer. This is clearly a travesty of justice and an example, one of many sadly, of religious persecution across the world, born of hate, prejudice and religious fanaticism, and this too often results in death for those whose only “crime” is being a follower of a religion, in most cases Christian. Some of those siding with Asia, including those involved in the legal process, have been killed by opponents (her lawyer has fled the country because of threats). The demonstrations after the acquittal calling for her execution is worrying, as is the decision of the Pakistani authorities not to allow her to leave Pakistan to a country she is a lot likelier to be safe, because of fear of the mob. Of particular sadness is the decision of many western countries to not get involved by way of protest or through sanctions, and of our own spineless, morally inept UK authorities not to grant asylum for fear of the repercussions. It is also an example of why Islam is not a religion of peace, as far as certain practitioners are concerned, something too often played down because of political correctness. I raise the matter here because it is important and people need to know. I continue to pray for Asia and her family. → Buying truth and making sense of it all ← Trump and the Press – Jim Acosta banned One thought on “The disturbing case of Asia Bibi” Caroline Read. says: Such hatred, pray for a miracle for Bibi and family. Where are the Muslims who say they love God, no love here.
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BLOG TOUR DARK CONTROL by ANNABEL JOSEPH Dark Control an all-new sexy standalone by Annabel Joseph is available NOW! Dark Control by Annabel Joseph Release Date: September 25th, 2017 Not all fantasies are safe, sane, and consensual. Welcome to the world of The Gallery… Juliet meets Fort St. Clair on a miserable, drunken night, and wakes up the next morning cuffed to his guest room bed. Of course, Fort would never take advantage of her. No, the pleasure and pain he wants to inflict on her body must be negotiated in advance, because once Juliet sets foot in his private, exclusive dungeon, she belongs to him. BDSM at The Gallery is supposed to be a straightforward arrangement, an affair by the rules, but Juliet and Fort’s growing connection brings unexpected emotions they can’t control. She’s the free spirit who transforms his rigid world, and he’s the Dominant she can finally trust—or can she? I crossed to join him on the sofa, leaving some space between us for the questions and uneasiness to fit. He put his cup on the table behind him, then reached across the space to touch the top of my knee. His fingers trailed over the place he’d grabbed me last night, lightly, nothing sexual now. He wanted to discuss things. A future for us, maybe. Next, he tilted my neck, inspecting the place where he’d bit me, his touch lingering like he might still soothe the pain. “No marks,” he said. “At least nothing obvious. You feel okay?” “Yes, I feel fine.” I felt more than fine. God, I felt a million things. “How do you feel?” I asked, turning the question back on him. “Conflicted,” he said, coming right out with it. “Here’s the thing about last night. What I did to you up against the wall in that work room…that was me on my best behavior. That was me being a gentleman.” “Was it?” I took a sip of my tea now that it was cooler. “It felt pretty nice.” “I can be worse. I usually am when it comes to sex.” “Hmm.” I took another sip of tea to process, rolling the vanilla and cinnamon flavors on my tongue. “You mean you can be even rougher?” “Rougher, colder, more intense. I’m a Dominant, but it’s more accurate to call me a sexual sadist. I like to hurt women and force them to do things for my pleasure. It’s how I prefer to get off.” “I understand about BDSM.” He shook his head. “You understand mainstream BDSM, the safe, sane, consensual stuff they do at Underworld. You’re into the romance of it, the slap and tickle to get off. To me, that’s going through the motions. It’s not real. Well, not real enough.” I met his gaze, wondering what he meant by that. Not real enough? “It’s hard to explain,” he went on, an edge of frustration in his voice. “Especially to a BDSM baby like you.” “A BDSM baby?” I protested. “Maybe I’m a mess, but I’m not a baby. I’ve been submissive for years. I’ve done a lot of scenes, experimented with a lot of things.” “I’m not trying to insult you. I’m trying to explain. You’ve been with a few Doms, you’ve participated in the lifestyle, but at the end of the day, you’re looking for pleasure, a good time.” He grimaced. “I’m into something different.” “You don’t like having a good time? How does that work?” I blinked in confusion. “Why do you do whatever the hell you do if it’s not fun?” “It’s fun to me. Dark fun, though.” He shifted, pushing back his hair. “I do BDSM for the rush and release. I like to push boundaries, and hang out with other people who like to push boundaries. Places like Underworld only scratch the surface of power exchange. I belong to a private club where people…go a little further.” “So…” I put my tea on the low table in front of us. “This is why you’re not good for me? Your sadism is the reason you believe we won’t work out?” “It’s hard for me to work out with anyone, Juliet. Except, you know, the women who come to the private club. I can be as rough as I want, as cruel as I want, and they want more.” I looked away from him, biting my lip, considering how to reply. “Do you think…” I turned back to him. “Do you think I didn’t want more last night? Do you think I responded badly to your force?” He held my gaze. “I think you responded wonderfully. That’s why I’m sitting here on your couch, drinking tea with you, which I literally fucking hate.” He picked up his cup as if to illustrate his point, pounded the rest of his tea, and swallowed with a disgusted face. “I hate tea, Jewels. More than anything in the world.” “I’m not sorry. I only meant to say hi to you last night, but it went further than that, and now we have to decide…” “Decide if we’re going to go further still?” I looked at him from under my lashes. “How often do you go to your private club to do dark, sadistic, non-fun things?” “Often enough,” he said tightly. “And I don’t always play with the same women. It’s not a relationship thing, where we all pair up into couples.” “It’s a sex club thing.” He shrugged. “It’s scratching a mutual itch with no emotional expectations. So it’s not for everyone, especially emotional types. When the wrong people get caught up in that kind of lifestyle, the results aren’t pretty. That’s why I’ve been trying to stay away from you, even though I find you painfully attractive.” “Painfully attractive.” I sniffed and sipped my tea. “Can’t hurt me, can’t live without me.” “It’s not a joke, Juliet.” “I know.” If it were a joke, I wouldn’t feel such lust and confusion, such horrible curiosity. “You could show me the kind of dark stuff you like to do,” I suggested. “You could invite me to this club to see what goes on, and I could tell you how I felt about it.” “Spectators aren’t allowed. Only vetted people are allowed at the club, so there aren’t any misunderstandings.” “Oh.” At this point, I understood what he was trying to say. Even after last night’s scorching-hot hookup, he thought we might be terminally non-compatible. He reached for my hand and held it hard. His deep hazel eyes hit me full force, his lips pressed in a line. “I’m trying to protect you,” he said. “Since I can’t…” Those eyes raked over me, leaving me feeling stripped. “Since I can’t enter into any kind of…” “Relationship,” I provided. “Any kind of relationship with you, especially the sweet, emotional relationship you probably want…” I let out a long breath. “That’s fucked up. You don’t know me well enough to know what kind of relationship I want. Honest talk: I wanted sex from you from that first sober morning I met you, and I got it.” I stood with my cup and saucer, carrying my tepid tea over to the sink. It had too much sugar. It was too sweet, like me. “I don’t have any judgment about your…your thing. Your sexual sadism, your private club, your playboy ways.” “Playboy ways,” he repeated in an amused mutter. “At the same time, I think you’re kind of an asshole. If you don’t want a relationship with me, don’t ask me to dinner at the Ivy. Don’t invite my boss to be part of your ad campaign, and then drop by his art show to fuck me against a wall after weeks without contact.” “I tried to call you after the Ivy. You blocked my number, Sparkles.” I glared at him from the kitchen. “Sparkles?” “To go with Jewels. To go with your eyes when you get really emo and intense.” I picked up a dishtowel and started aggressively wiping invisible spots on the counter. “I had to block your number, Fort. No offense to you personally. I’m just at the point where I have to be more careful about the men I let into my life.” “As you should be.” He stood to bring me his cup, his expression turned serious. “I try to be careful too. I try to maintain boundaries when I think someone might be easily hurt.” My eyes widened. “Me? You think I’m some fragile flower? I’m just super sensitive to bullshit right now.” He didn’t reply, only watched me with his lofty, level gaze. A sadist? Definitely. He could hurt me in so many ways, and those were only the ways I knew about. “Come here, Sparkles,” he said from across the counter. “My name’s not Sparkles.” “Come here, Juliet.” I wanted to say no. I wanted to make some more hot tea and dash his most-hated mixture in his face. No, I wanted to go to him. His expression was kind, if resigned. His arms opened for me. I walked around the counter and let him embrace me. He pressed his cheek against my forehead and stroked my back. “You’d hate it,” he said. “You’d hate what I’m into.” “I didn’t hate it last night.” “I was careful with you last night.” He tilted my head back and brushed fingers across my temples and through my hair. “We have this rule at the club: never fuck with the vulnerable. We’re not allowed to hook up with women who are emotionally or physically complicated, women we might damage. We can’t even bring them into the space. It’s like an honor system.” I tugged my chin from his fingers and looked away. “I figured out why I like you,” he went on. “I figured out why I want you so much. It’s because you’re all on the surface. Your emotions are right there, plain as day, all the time. You don’t give a fuck about saying what you feel and being who you are. You have this open expression, this way of looking at me and at other people. And you dress however you want.” “What’s wrong with the way I dress?” His eyes glanced over the blue fur headband I wore. “I love the way you dress. I love the way that headband matches your eyes, but not your clothes.” “These are my Sunday hangout clothes,” I said, pouting. “They’re not supposed to look hot and put together like your freaking designer suits.” He held me against his chest, running his big hands up and down my back. “Just shut up for a minute, because I don’t know what to do with you. I don’t know what to do about what happened last night…” AMAZON: U.S | U.K | CANADA | AUSTRALIA iBooks | Nook | Kobo Reviewed by Emma-Louise on behalf of KFF Dominant Fort St. Clair rescues Juliet. All romantic and white knight like, only he is no romantic and he most certainly isn’t a white knight. Fort is a long time member at The Gallery. The Gallery is a high end, limited membership, super-secret BDSM club. Fort doesn’t do flowers and poetry, he prefers pain and tears. After rescuing Juliet, he becomes obsessed with figuring out if she’s just another “posturing, pretty club maven” or a real sub. Dark Control was an exhilarating read full of darkness and pain. As the reader, I found myself uncomfortable and even cringing at some points. I didn’t really believe I had limits until I read this book. Fort’s kink is harsher than a lot of Dominants I’ve read. He truly enjoys and gets off on causing his subs pain. In the beginning, Juliet was newly awoken to her desires. She knew she enjoyed them but it caused her a lot of confusion. Fort’s personality helped lead her down the path she wanted to go down and gave her the ability to discover who she really was. There’s always angst in a book like this but in this book the angst was turned way passed factor 10. There was a certain scene that gave me a giant case of foreboding. You know from the start it’s going to end badly and sure enough it does. Fort breaks the only important rules there are at The Gallery and there are consequences. ‘Leave your submissive in better shape than you found them. Don’t take more than they can give. Never, ever mess with the vulnerable.’ ‘We hurt women, but we don’t damage women. There’s a difference.’ Fort is a complex character. He’s a confident, sure alpha of a man, no wonder he makes a stunning Dom. All he wanted was to move from one sub to the next, never getting involved with all those messy things, like emotions. Juliet changes this for him and like most stubborn pig headed males, he fights it tooth and nail. He won’t admit how he feels, perish the thought. The sad thing is that for me it made him less likable. He went back and forth so much, to the point, even I was confused at times. The highlight in Dark Control had to be Goodluck Boundless (yes this is a person). Goodluck is the artist that Juliet manages and to say he’s eccentric is putting it mildly. In such a heavy and dark book, Goodluck is the light shining from above. This book wouldn’t have been the same without him. Dark Control flowed from one page to the next. The author took the time to make the book feel real, and to me that really helped to pull me into the scenes. Especially the scenes in The Gallery, the description of the clock made me a little sad that it didn’t actually work. Devin has a book next, Deep Control. Devin is even more of sadist than Fort, so we’re certainly in for one heck of a ride. About Annabel: Annabel Joseph is a NYT and USA Today Bestselling BDSM romance author. She writes mainly contemporary romance, although she’s been known to dabble in the medieval and Regency eras. She is known for writing emotionally intense BDSM storylines, and strives to create characters that seem real—even flawed—so readers are better able to relate to them. Annabel also writes non-BDSM romance under the pen name Molly Joseph. Connect with Annabel: Facebook | Reader Group | Twitter | Instagram Website | Amazon | Goodreads Stay up todate with Annabel by signing up for her newsletter Author EmPosted on September 27, 2017 September 28, 2017 Categories Blog Tours, Excerpt Reveal, Reviews Previous Previous post: EXCERPT REVEAL ~ SICK FUX by Tillie Cole Next Next post: RELEASE BLITZ ~ THE BROTHER by K. Larsen Kindle Friends Forever Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com.
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Austin’s Nick Foles is Thinking About a Career Change Super Bowl Champ Nick Foles went to high school in Austin, and has plans to give back to students through a new calling once this NFL thing fizzles out. The new career direction may surprise you. If you were a pro football player, what would you do with your time during the off season? Golf? Vacation on the beach? The honey do list? There are some things the players have do to get ready for the next season, but there are no games between February and August and there's a lot of free time in there for other pursuits. The Eagles star quarterback told KHOU in Houston that he wants to stay productive during each off season and do things that might benefit him down the road, so he's been taking seminary classes during the down time. Faith has always been important to Nick, and he says he's considering making a career of it once his NFL career is over. He's especially interested in encouraging middle and high school students, since they're the group that might be the most impressionable and going through the roughest temptations. That's the age group he wants to speak to the most once he's finished with football. Nick grew up in Texas, and went to elementary school at Bridge Point in the Eanes ISD. (The kids and teachers there held a pep rally for Nick before the Super Bowl, while he was all the way in Minneapolis getting ready for the big game. He can thank the good vibes for the big win.) After elementary school, Nick became a star player for the Chaps at West Lake High School near Austin. Nick Foles and Drew Brees both went to Westlake, and become the second quarterback duo from the same school to win the Super Bowl. Peyton and Eli Manning did it too. Now with a Super Bowl win to his credit and being named the game's MVP, Nick Foles has suddenly become a top tier quarterback in the NFL. And he started the season as the backup! He's got a long playing career ahead of him. And once that gig ends, he's got a solid backup plan that could carry him the rest of his life, so he'd better get used to being a hero. Filed Under: faith, news, Sports, texas Categories: East Texas News, Entertainment, Lifestyle, News
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Showing posts with label Symphony Hall Birmingham. Show all posts Seeing is Believing: Norman Perryman paints the music Last night I was describing the musical work of the painter Norman Perryman to some artistic friends who were young in the 1960s. "That's rock'n'roll!" they declared. It is. And it's also going to rock Symphony Hall Birmingham next Saturday, when Perryman and his projectors join the CBSO and Mirga Gražynitė-Tyla to perform The Sea by the composer and artist Mikolajus Čiurlionis, Lithuania's most celebrated artistic figure, one whose music is hardly ever heard in the UK – though Mirga, herself Lithuanian, is about to change all that. Čiurlionis's combination of musical and visual artistry makes him the perfect outlet for Perryman, who creates "kinetic painting" live in concert. Video trailer for Saturday from the CBSO: As I have adored Norman's work for years, yet never before had the chance to see him in action in a top UK concert hall, I thought we should ask him for a guest blog. He has kindly provided one, so here it is. JD A guest post by Norman Perryman “What? Are you crazy? Have you ever done this before?” “Yes, for 45 years or so.” For years, I’ve been trying to verbalize what I do – create a hybrid art-form of flowing colours and light in synch with the music. Unlike a framed static painting, this painting only exists in real time – for as long as the music lasts. Instead of using computer-generated images, I use my hands, as musicians do. My instrument is my paintbrush. I don’t just improvise. I memorize the score, mark it up with my choreography for brushstrokes and colours, then practise for months before the performance. Rather than synthetic pixelated images, I prefer pure analogue fields of flowing colour that touch our emotions with their organic properties. When these watercolours are magnified with my overhead projectors onto a ten-metre wide screen as I paint, they acquire an other-worldly quality. But words fail me - seeing is believing. Every day now in my studio, as I practise my lyrical expressionist painting for a performance of the symphonic poem The Sea, by Lithuania's national hero the painter/composer M.K.Čiurlionis (1875-1911), I feel deeply moved. By the end of this 35-minute piece I’m almost in tears, with a sense of having plumbed the depths of his “boundless longing” for a sublime mystical experience with Nature. After months of work, his music is in my blood, in my ears, day and night. I feel we know each other. It’s time now to show this to the world. Widely regarded as one of the precursors of European modern art, Čiurlionis was steeped in the cultural philosophies of his day, in his case visualized in hundreds of paintings of mystic symbolic landscapes, seascapes and fantastic architecture. It would be totally inappropriate to try to imitate his paintings. Instead, I take my inspiration from his music to show in my own style of painting, how visual and emotional his music is. Had he lived longer, he might have become one of the early film composers, who knew how to underscore the drama of the movies. I myself underline the emotions of the music with my own movies of abstract lyrical images. I shall never forget the moment when two years ago the new Lithuanian CBSO Music Director Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla flipped through one of my heavily marked-up scores and exclaimed: ”Aha… you paint the music!” Then, after 20 seconds fast-forwarding through a video-trailer of my Scriabin’s Poem of Ecstasy, she looked at me very thoughtfully and said: “We must work together, with Čiurlionis”. The obvious choice for my fluid watercolours was The Sea. I spent the following summer travelling in Lithuania, to soak myself in its rich culture and nature. I felt I was in the very heart of Europe. That visit and following studies played an essential part in my understanding of The Sea and of the amazing man who wrote it. How did it all start? As a Birmingham art-college student in the early 1950s, I couldn’t afford lunch, so my lunch-times were spent at free concerts given by the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra just across the road in the Town Hall. I was wrestling with the choice of studying music or art. My compromise was to dedicate my life to finding a way of satisfying two passions, by bringing these art-forms together. Forty years later, it was the visionary Simon Rattle who recognized my ambition. He suggested working together with his CBSO and in 1993 BBC Television filmed the results in the documentary entitled Concerto for Paintbrush and Orchestra. Since then, after 25 years of performances worldwide, it feels like coming home to be back in Symphony Hall, this time via a pathway that led to Lithuania, of all places. But I was also appalled with the realization of how tragic and complex the history of Lithuania is, despite having been the largest and one of the most prosperous countries in Europe. Many of us are ignorant of the significance of this tiny country and of the many cultural heroes it has produced. Did you know that Jascha Heifetz, Philip Glass, Bob Dylan, Sean Penn, Leonard Cohen and our celebrated author Jessica Duchen, to name just a few, all have Lithuanian roots? [another story, that - JD] It’s been a long road, so this performance with Mirga and her CBSO in Birmingham Symphony Hall on 16 February, Lithuania’s Independence Day, is a huge milestone for me. I’m proud to play a modest part in the ongoing cultural renaissance of the city where I was born. Norman Perryman www.normanperryman.com www.normanperryman.blogspot.com Norman Perryman is with the CBSO and Mirga Gražynitė-Tyla at Symphony Hall, Birmingham, on Saturday 16 February, 7pm. More info and booking here. Posted by Jessica at 10:05 am Links to this post Labels: CBSO, kinetic painting, Mirga Gražynitė-Tyla, Norman Perryman, Symphony Hall Birmingham Will power! Happy Shakespeare's Birthday, everyone! There are Shakespeare concerts absolutely everywhere tonight and I'm off to do a pre-concert talk for the one at Symphony Hall, Birmingham, where Lahav Shani - the young conductor who won the Gustav Mahler Conducting Competition the time I went to watch it in Bamberg - is at the helm for the CBSO's one. The programme involves three very different works based on the same Shakespeare play: Romeo and Juliet. We'll be looking at how Tchaikovsky, Prokofiev and Bernstein all made this drama their own, each staying true to the spirit of Shakespeare as they viewed him, yet imbuing the story with their own time, place and personality. The talk is at 5.45pm - please note, half an hour earlier than usual! - and the concert starts at 7pm. Info and booking here. Do come along. I am quite sorry not to be hearing the LPO's Shakespeare extravaganza today, though. They're doing everything from A Midsummer Night's Dream to Henry V and finishing with the end of Falstaff, and they've got Simon Callow and an amazing line-up of singers including Toby Spence and Kate Royal. Vladimir Jurowski conducts. Read Vlad's Shakespearean insights here. Posted by Jessica at 9:44 am Links to this post Labels: CBSO, Lahav Shani, LPO, Shakespeare, Symphony Hall Birmingham, Vladimir Jurowski Symphony Hall to be shifted to London Is this to be Orfulkoff Symphony Hall, City of London? Photo: Craig Holmes In a strange yet possibly inspired twist to the saga of the new venue for Sir Simon Rattle and the LSO, Symphony Hall, Birmingham, is to be shifted brick by brick to London. Rattle's campaigning for a state-of-the-art concert hall during his years with the CBSO resulted in the construction of what many consider to be the UK's finest of its kind. But now, as Birmingham City Council struggles against budget cuts that have already rendered its splendid new library openable only in restricted hours, selling Symphony Hall to London appears to kill many birds with one concrete block. Rattle and the LSO get the use of Symphony Hall's fabulous acoustic and magnificent interior; the cost to London will be lower than commissioning a brand-new design and buying new materials; Birmingham City Council gets the money from selling off arguably its finest asset; and everybody is happy, with the possible exception of the CBSO. It is thought that the tab for much of this will be met by a massive donation from the philanthropic pharmaceutical oligarch Ivan Orfulkoff, whose firm will later gain further promotion by offering audiences attending events free manuka honey lozenges. The hall will, obviously, be renamed after the man who has given so much to support its arrival in the capital. It is expected that Orfulkoff Symphony Hall will open its doors to the public in time for Rattle's first concert as LSO music director. Labels: CBSO, Sir Simon Rattle, Symphony Hall Birmingham New Perryman portrait for Symphony Hall... This is Norman Perryman's brand-new watercolour portrait of Bryn Terfel as The Flying Dutchman. It is due to join the substantial gallery of this unique music-focused artist's work at Symphony Hall in his native Birmingham, where it will be unveiled on 7 June. Norman writes on his blog: "This painting is inspired by fragments of the Dutchman’s role that Bryn sang to me in our portrait “sitting” (actually standing) in a Milan apartment. He chose parts of the famous monologue “Die Frist ist um” (“The term is up…once more”) when the Dutch captain is pleading with the angel in heaven and wrestling with his fate. The mariner is condemned to roam the seas, allowed to go ashore after every seven years. But if he can find someone who will be faithful to him unto death, he will be released from his curse. Since then, I’ve been playing this opera continuously in my studio (and every other recording Bryn has made!). My paintings are always driven by the music and I delved deep into the intense emotions of the plot, from depression to disappointment, ecstasy and tragedy. It gets quite exhausting! "Rejecting idiosyncratic images from various opera productions, I put together my own impressions of Bryn as the Dutchman, with a seaman’s hands, tanned complexion, long hair and leather long-coat and with a somewhat ambiguous expression, somewhere between desperation and a glimpse of hope. The background and brushwork suggest not only the stormy atmosphere, but the emotional drama of the surging music. Bryn’s phenomenally expressive voice and his dramatic stage presence made the creation of this painting a very intense experience." ... Read the rest of his post about the painting here. Labels: Bryn Terfel, Norman Perryman, Symphony Hall Birmingham Beethoven: Strength, Inspiration, Revolution! There've been a few enquiries about my pre-concert talk for the CBSO & Andris Nelsons's Beethoven cycle in Symphony Hall, Birmingham, on 20 and 21 March. Here's the complete text, plus a recording of the movement I took apart via a surprise analogy that worked even better than I'd expected when I started preparing it... BEETHOVEN, MUSIC AND REVOLUTION Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, and a very warm welcome to Symphony Hall for the continuation of Andris Nelsons and the CBSO’s Beethoven cycle. We’ve got to symphonies numbers 6 and 7 today and it’s a very great pleasure for me to be here to introduce them, as they happen to be my personal favourites of the nine. The sixth is, of course, the ‘Pastoral’ symphony and the seventh was once described by Wagner as ‘the apotheosis of the dance’ – though the conductor Sir Thomas Beecham had to put his own slant on that. He said, “well, what can you do with it, it’s like a load of yaks jumping about.” As Elvis Costello once said, talking about music is like dancing about architecture. It’s essentially intangible - but what I’d like to do today is to try to burrow into some of those intangible connections to consider how Beethoven can seem to convey to us the deepest associations between the processes of music and the processes of life and of living. And this might help to show why we think of him as a revolutionary, producing music that inspires idealism the way few others could dream of. Daniel Barenboim often says that music is like God because you can’t describe it – you can only describe the effect that it has. There’s no music more associated with Barenboim than Beethoven. Last year you might have caught the series he performed at the Proms with the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra of the complete Beethoven symphonies. At the end of the Ninth Symphony he zipped off to the Olympic Stadium and took part in the opening ceremony of the London 2012 games – he was one of eight great humanitarians who carried in the Olympic flag together (pictured). They were dressed all in white, and shortly afterwards I interviewed him and he said he’d felt like a carnation. Barenboim has written and spoken extensively on the links between musical expression and life itself, and of music’s role in society as an art that can encapsulate the deepest and most universal of human processes. His book Everything is Connected is all about this. Barenboim says that “Beethoven’s music is universal – it speaks to all people”. The question is, why? How can it be that pieces written for a western classical orchestra some two hundred years ago can communicate so vividly with such a range of people today? And this music really does. A few years ago I went to the West Bank to report on some music education projects. Together with some musician friends, I had lunch in Hebron [pictured right - a snap of Hebron from the trip] with an amazing Palestinian lady named Sharifa, who showed us around the historic mosque where the tomb of the Patriarchs is located. Sharifa is an absolute indomitable battle-axe. She has to struggle daily with many very difficult situations. But she has extraordinary spirit and an irrepressible sparkle. Her English was good, but not perfect, and at one point we were trying to explain to her the word “inspiration”. And when she understood, she straight away asked the violinist who was with us to play some Beethoven. She loves Beethoven: she says he gives her strength. She was born and raised far from the music of the western classical tradition in a terribly troubled spot of the Middle East – but to her, Beethoven was the absolute definition of the word ‘inspiration’. We hear frequently that Beethoven is “revolutionary”. But I wonder why he strikes us that way. His inner strength, of course, is unmistakeable. We know that in 1802 he went through a tremendous personal crisis while he was living in Heiligenstadt, just outside Vienna. He had to face the fact that he was losing his hearing, and for a man who lives body, heart and soul for music, this was the worst thing that life could do to him. In his most famous document, the Heiligenstadt Testament – part will, part explanation, that he wrote for his two brothers – he said: “Such things brought me to the verge of desperation, and well-nigh caused me to put an end to my life. Art! art alone deterred me. Ah! how could I possibly leave the world before bringing forth all that I felt it was my vocation to produce?”. But Beethoven’s essential strength, the revolutionary quality, if you like, is not really biographical, at least not solely. Yes, he had huge personal battles to overcome and much tragedy in his life. His ideals are certainly reflected in his works, in some more directly than others. His only opera, Fidelio, for instance, is about a devoted wife who disguises herself as a man to infiltrate a political prison and save her husband from its dungeon. But Beethoven doesn’t ever seem to have been involved with politics beyond his intellectual interest. And of course his deafness, which set in when he was only about 28, would probably have prevented him getting involved even if he had wished to. He had great social and political ideals, though, and he certainly felt the injustices of the world: he was a cantankerous, troubled individual, yet one who, under that facade, felt an enormous compassion towards humanity. I heard a theory recently – from the great pianist Murray Perahia – that the real meaning of the so-called ‘Moonlight’ sonata may be something beyond our usual assumption that the publisher added the title for effect. Instead, it’s possible that this heading refers to the so-called ‘children of moonlight’, a term that described the spirits of the unfortunate, the outcasts, people who were denied the sunlight of the Enlightenment – hence the polarity of sun and moon. These spirits would sing of their suffering to the world through the medium of the Aeolian harp, which is played by the wind. Apparently there is good circumstantial evidence to support the theory and it is much in tune with Beethoven’s spirit, to say nothing of the concept fitting the music to perfection. So perhaps there Beethoven could consciously have matched image to musical content. But what about the subconsciously revolutionary qualities in the music of his symphonies? And why can they seem revolutionary even to us today? In Beethoven’s time, this music would have sounded not just new, but shockingly new. The overt sense of conflict, the struggle between primal, motivic themes vying for supremacy, sparks flying through the extremities of his contrasts, all that would have sounded incredibly radical around the turn of the 18th into the 19th century. Beethoven was not remotely easy listening for those accustomed to graceful minuets in the background to accompany their dinner. And especially not just after the French Revolution. But now? We’ve had Mahler, we’ve had Schoenberg, we’ve had Stravinsky, we’ve had, for goodness sake, Stockhausen and Boulez and John Cage. Why does Beethoven still inspire feelings of idealism, and even of political idealism, to ears and minds that have been exposed to so much else? There are several levels to this. For a start, tonight’s two symphonies are totally different from one another; each is unique. But then, so is every other Beethoven symphony. And so is every single one of his 32 piano sonatas and each of his string quartets. And so on. Beethoven doesn’t repeat himself – the structures of no two works are exactly the same, and each one has not only an individual form but an individual soundworld, an atmosphere that is entirely its own. For instance, No.6 is the only Beethoven symphony in five movements and the only one in which three of the movements run through without a break. As for the individual soundworld, the spread-out, lyrical, tranquil melodies of the Sixth Symphony could scarcely be further away from the elemental punch and drive of the Seventh. This sense of constant reinvention, the need to push the boundaries further and further, is just one reason to consider Beethoven not only an innovator but, beyond that, a revolutionary. (And luckily we don't need Fantasia's Pastoral Symphony animation, pictured right, to push its own boundaries any further in this case...) Now, there wasn’t so much that was new about the idea of a Pastoral Symphony by 1808. Or so you might think. Yet the way Beethoven approaches the idea is entirely new. Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons is probably the work’s most famous forerunner. Vivaldi gave us an extremely pictorial set of concertos with direct sonic depictions of birds twittering in spring, the rain driving down in the summer storm, the skaters weaving around on the ice in winter. Then there was Haydn, with his oratorios The Creation and The Seasons; yet he largely serves his texts: the musical pictures are developed to match the images that the singers evoke. Beethoven’s difference is that although the symphony may sound pictorial, that isn’t the point of it. Beethoven wanted to evoke not images, but the feelings associated with them. He provided a brief guide for the programme at the world premiere, with the words: “Pastoral Symphony, more an expression of feeling than painting.” This puts him in a musically pioneering strand with the world of romanticism, where feeling was at the forefront. Yet it’s almost as if he looks forward by about a hundred years towards the symbolist movement, in which emotion and image are completely fused and nothing can be taken at face value. I think this was true, in a different way, for Beethoven. For instance, he used to take long walks on which he’d jot down themes he thought of, some inspired by nature - and in 1803, scribbling a melody suggested by the sight of a river, he wrote "The greater the river, the more grave the tone." Those words could suggest that he’s not thinking of what he sees, but of what more that image suggests to him in terms of association, and metaphor, and his emotional response to that. But there are processes inside the fabric of the music itself that while entirely abstract can still produce some startling results when you look at them in detail. To me, the second movement of Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony represents a special summit of achievement. I’d like to draw on Barenboim’s idea that the processes of life and music are connected to show you why I think this music strikes us as revolutionary, at that deep, abstract level. As Barenboim says, we can’t describe music itself; we can only describe the effect that it has, and what I’d like to describe is the effect on us of Beethoven’s music’s inner processes and how they can well be said to mirror the processes of human thought, interaction and society. So I’m going to talk us through the second movement of Beethoven Seven with a few images in mind suggested by a story that obviously has nothing to do with its creation - but that mirrors something about the way its extraordinary structure operates and the impression it makes on us. On 1 December 1955, an African-American woman named Rosa Parks was on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama. The town buses practised racial segregation. The driver told Rosa Parks to give up her seat to a white passenger. Rosa Parks refused. This one simple gesture against an enormous human injustice snowballed and eventually led to her becoming an icon of resistance to racial segregation and an important symbol of the American civil rights movement. It started as one person making one small gesture. But it sprang out of a situation of bleak injustice, and one basic, fundamental thought. A situation as bleak as Beethoven’s first chord and a thought about human rights – segregation is wrong - that is as primal as the rhythm Beethoven sets up for his main theme. The very first chord progression when those low strings come in is tonic to dominant, dominant to tonic. It’s the most fundamental harmonic progression you can get. The theme is scarcely a melody – it is a motif, a rhythm, strong and memorable and simple, and it is fundamental to the whole movement. Next, Beethoven begins to bring in the other sections of the orchestra one by one: voice after voice takes up the motif. The voices that have already sung it move on to a counter-melody, a more elaborate thought that illuminates the basic thought by the way it sounds together with it. Others are taking notice, recognising, adding their voices, joining in. The idea is growing in sophistication. The movement – a good word for it - continues to grow. The thoughts become more elaborate, further voices are drawn in from different parts of the orchestra, or different parts of society if you like, and the rhythm begins to move on too: to the basic pulse we now add a doubling of pace in the lower instruments and gradually the woodwind sidle in almost without us noticing. And, of course, a big crescendo, a great groundswell of support, is beginning. Now triplets come into the accompaniment so you get a two against three rhythmic effect that sets up a sense of differing forces in friction against one another, adding even more to the tension. The woodwind and brass are making their presences felt, so the central motif assumes the character of a fanfare, and the drums come in as well, but not always at the obvious moments – this adds to the unsettling effect of this growth. It is unpredictable, you don’t know where it’s going to go. Yet still, the entire orchestra is united in proclaiming a fundamental truth and its consequences, with everyone pulling together, which is the only way people can rise up and effect a revolution... Ah – what happened? The movement ran out of steam. A decrescendo and it’s come to a halt. What now? An idealist is needed, with a new sense of direction. A Martin Luther King, perhaps, with a dream of a better world, powered by the underlying motif that segregation is wrong. Beethoven’s motif, the essential idea, is very much present now as a pulse, a heartbeat, underneath the lyrical melody that now begins. Other voices echo the song of the clarinet – and all the time there’s that tension in the background of that three against two rhythm. It should be as simple as a major scale down and up. But it isn’t. There’s an interruption, an obstacle, and now what happens? Back comes the melody that started as counterpoint to the first idea; now there’s a new counterpoint against this one, and faster still than triplets, as if to say it’s going to be more complicated than we thought. And the fundamental theme is almost buried in the form of quiet pizzicato under the complication of what it’s spawned, as the strings keep on discussing and bickering, as strings tend to, while the woodwind try to preserve a trajectory of eloquence. Of course someone has to come along and explore the small print. The legalities, the intellectualisation of the nature of that injustice. In music, that means we have to have a fugue. New motifs and counterpoints and off-beat rhythms complicate matters considerably...as we know, the lawyers always win. ...Now the original idea returns in a strong statement, together with its ideal-world dream and an argument – a tug-of-war between major and minor – that presents a continuing struggle, a perpetuated situation with nobody ready to give in. "We can change this!" "No you can’t!" In human terms it’s at this point that sometimes people get shot for their ideas. So what’s happened to our basic idea? It seems to be pushed out into a corner – on upper woodwind, surreptitious, then passed down, whispered along from section to section, suppressed, through the lower woodwind until it reaches pizzicato. It’s going underground. The theme seems to have lost the battle. But that doesn’t change the truth of it. And in the last bars a resurgence is promised and left hanging in mid air: it will return. The human condition is the same, injustice remains injustice, and likewise, the final chord is the same as the one at the start. This is the most extraordinary structure. Beethoven builds up a great climax near the beginning, then deconstructs it, suppresses it, yet proves that those ideas must ferment and rise again. You can take this idea or leave it - I offer it to you as one possible way of looking at the matter, and just one of many different ways. But to me, it seems to work. And this, I believe, is how Beethoven helps us all to change the world. Posted by Jessica at 1:48 pm Links to this post Labels: Andris Nelsons, Beethoven, Beethoven Symphony No.7, Carlos Kleiber, CBSO, Daniel Barenboim, Fantasia, Rosa Parks, Symphony Hall Birmingham Three easy ways to get into opera La Voix Humaine from washmedia on Vimeo. 1. Combine exploring opera with your passion for the piano. If you're heading to the Institut Francais's big three-day keyboardfest, It's All About Piano - starting today and running through Sunday - catch the screening of Poulenc's one-woman opera La Voix Humaine, filmed with the one and only Felicity Lott - with piano accompaniment, in which version it's been recorded for the first time, delivered by the brilliant Graham Johnson. Sneak preview above. The screening is tonight at 8pm - and if you turn up at 6pm you can hear Nick van Bloss play the Goldberg Variations and a four-hands programme from Lidija and Sanja Bizjak at 7pm. 2. Pop over to CultureKicks for my latest post, which is called "How to get into opera in under six minutes". You'll find a quick guide to Rigoletto, a film of its astonishing quartet 'Bella figlia d'amore' and a short explanation of why it shows to perfection what opera can do that just cannot be done nearly so well in any other art form... (Lovely editor there then said "What about Wagner?" to which the response can only be: "Well, what about Wagner...?" Watch that space.) 3. Listen to Andris Nelsons conducting. I've just been in Birmingham doing some pre-concert talks for the CBSO's Beethoven Cycle, which he, their music director, is doing for the first time. Honest to goodness, guv, this guy is amazing. Not sure I've seen anything so purely energetic and with so much warmth since...well, who? Jansons? Solti? The atmosphere in Symphony Hall - which was sold out - really had to be experienced. Nelsons, who hails from Latvia, cut his musical teeth as an orchestral trumpeter and started off, as so many great maestri do, in the opera house, and he's married to the soprano Kristine Opolais, who's currently wowing ROH crowds in Tosca. He conducted his first Ring Cycle at the age of 26 and is now a favourite at Bayreuth. Hear his Beethoven and you can tell why. The structures are clear, but the emotion is allowed to blaze: there's enough rhythmic strength to build a castle, but enough flexibility to let in the sunshine. The characters and personalities that shine out of each of Beethoven's symphonies are as distinct as those of any opera. Perhaps, in this conductor's hands, music is inherently operatic? It was an absolute privilege to have introduced this extraordinary concert. Great turnout for the talks, too, especially for yesterday's matinee, where a door-count estimate suggested we had nearly 500. Thanks for your warm reception, dear friends, and I hope you all enjoyed hearing about the slow movement of Beethoven 7 through the narrative of Rosa Parks and the American civil rights movement. Last but not least, it was a special treat to run into our old friend Norman Perryman, the musical "kinetic artist", whose beautiful paintings and portraits are part of the Symphony Hall visual brand. Here he is beside his magnificent picture suggested by Elgar, Gerontius, which hangs in the foyer at level 4. Glad to say he was in town to start work on a portrait of Nelsons. Labels: Andris Nelsons, CBSO, Culture Kicks, It's All About Piano, La voix humaine, Nick van Bloss, Norman Perryman, Poulenc, Rigoletto, Symphony Hall Birmingham Perryman's paintings blog One of the great treats the other day in visiting Symphony Hall, Birmingham, was the chance to lap up the sight of some wonderful Norman Perryman musician portraits backstage. The VIP room is full of them - Cecilia Bartoli, Valery Gergiev, Jessye Norman and more: artists captured in action, with the motion of colour around them evoking the particular energies of their music-making. They also have Rostropovich (left), which is one of my favourites. Now Norman, who is about to undertake a major new "kinetic painting" project with no less a pianist than Pierre-Laurent Aimard in such delectable locations as the Aldeburgh Festival, has started a new project all his own: he is blogging his autobiography A Life Painting Music. It's nearly as colourful as his pictures. You can find the latest episode here. Labels: Mstislav Rostropovich, Norman Perryman, Symphony Hall Birmingham Friday Historical: Szymanowski plays Szymanowski Tomorrow evening I am doing a pre-concert talk about Szymanowski at Symphony Hall, Birmingham, where the doughty CBSO, Ed Gardner and friends are performing the elusive Polish composer's Stabat Mater (more info on their site here). The talk will be along the lines of "Introducing Karol" - though I'm a tad aware that people in Birmingham are probably among the UK's most Szymanowski-aware, following Simon Rattle's championship of him and the magnificent recordings that resulted in the 1990s. Do come along and say hi if you're in the area. Meanwhile, here is a Friday Historical of Szymanowski playing one of his own Mazurkas. Labels: CBSO, Edward Gardner, Karol Szymanowski, Symphony Hall Birmingham A message from Dame Sarah Connolly One woman, three harps and a very long journey
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NuRoots’ Infinite Light: Celebrating Hanukkah After the Fires BY Esther D. Kustanowitz | Nov 30, 2018 | Cover Story Infinite Light, a citywide festival of Hanukkah events organized by NuRoots, a 20s and 30s initiative run by the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles, began this past summer with upward of 35 organizational partners and individuals planning events. They ranged from meditation to storytelling and everything in between. The marketing plan was set. Social media posts had been written and scheduled. Then the fires hit and everything changed. “Our mind-shift has definitely changed, regarding marketing and the framing of the program” said Margalit Rosenthal, senior vice president of NuRoots. “We pressed pause while everything was going on. Now, as we’re coming back, we’re really focusing the message less on ‘celebration,’ and not using language in a joking way.” In previous years, events had names like “Vodka and Latkes,” “Let’s Get Lit for Hanukkah” and “Light it Up.” But this year, Rosenthal explained, the overall framing for L.A.’s Infinite Light has shifted. “Now is the time to actually feel the community that comes together in times of crisis like this,” Rosenthal said. “There are a lot of scary things in this city and community. We are really looking to give people an outlet during this time, the comfort of feeling that community.” From Nov. 30 through Dec. 9, NuRoots is helming Infinite Light’s festival of diverse programs to celebrate Hanukkah that covers a wide geographical swath of the Los Angeles map. The array of programs includes hosted experiences in arts and culture, civic engagement, food, fitness, games, global Jewish culture, Israel, LGBTQ+, music, Shabbat, social justice and storytelling for singles, young couples and young families. Among this year’s offerings are Hanukkah in Marrakesh, hosted by a NuRoots community member in a private home in West Hollywood. Art and Storytime with PJ Library is taking place in Beverly Grove. Master Debater, a debate on the themes and ideas of Hanukkah with a comedic bent, is sponsored by East Side Jews in Silver Lake. Festival of Rights, hosted by Bend the Arc in Sherman Oaks, celebrates the holiday and the work of young Jewish leaders in their Jeremiah Fellowship Program. Glow: Cocktail Party & Comedy Podcast features IKAR’s Rabbi David Kasher in conversation with his brother, comedian Moshe Kasher, in Pico-Robertson. And JQ International’s annual “Gelty Pleasures” Hanukkah party, this year with a story slam, takes place in West Hollywood. “Now is the time to actually feel the community that comes together in times of crisis like this. We are really looking to give people an outlet during this time, the comfort of feeling that community.” — Margalit Rosenthal One of the stipulations of Infinite Light partners, who receive partnership investments ranging from $500 to $3,000 depending on the size and extent of collaboration with partnering organizations and individuals, is that the events not be fundraisers. Even in the aftermath of the fires, there doesn’t seem to have been a pivot by event organizers, but it is something that NuRoots would be open to, if the hosts requested it. “None have come and asked to raise money for our fire relief fund,” Rosenthal said. “[But] if they did, we’d figure out a way. People are reeling and trying to figure out how to do the program they are already doing, without having to change [them].” Why so many events? Because L.A. is a large city and from the Federation’s perspective, “shows a healthy economy,” Rosenthal said. “There are so many young Jews in the city. We don’t anticipate anyone having issues filling up their space,” she said, noting that in a large community, there’s always going to be a lot of events. “But we’re also conscious of not programming similar events on the same nights and in the same location. We listen to our partners.” Ultimately, Rosenthal said, Infinite Light’s Hanukkah celebrations will continue, and will provide a sense of belonging that many — even those in pain — may find comforting. “Hanukkah is celebratory and fun,” she said. “We want people to feel that, but also want them to feel the connection to the community.”
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Katina Thornock Director, Corporate Counsel Starbucks Coffee Company Katina Thornock grew up in Seattle, so she has a hometown fondness for Starbucks, even though the company is now an international powerhouse. Working in Washington, D.C. for a few years after college, she used to go to Starbucks for her coffee “because it reminded me of home.” So when she came to Seattle University School of Law for her legal education, she was thrilled to see the coffee company on a list of legal internship opportunities. "I found an internship at Starbucks the summer after my 1L year and stayed on part-time through the school year," she said. "I enjoyed the spirit of the company and its mission. I had a unique opportunity to see what practicing law might look like." A 2001 graduate of the law school, Thornock is now a director within the Law and Corporate Affairs department of the coffee company. She is responsible for overseeing tort, commercial and ADA litigation on behalf of Starbucks in North America. She also advises internal business units, including the company’s Partner and Asset Protection, Risk Management, Store Development and Supply Chain Operations departments. Working as an attorney in a corporate setting enables a lawyer to truly engage with one client who you get to know intimately and can ultimately serve better, Thornock said. "You really become a business partner," she said. "This is still a growth company, and I’m constantly working to assist them in meeting business goals while at the same time helping to manage overall risk." Before Starbucks, Thornock followed a more traditional route. She began her career in the Prosecuting Attorney’s Offices of King and Pierce counties, where she guided misdemeanor and felony prosecutions through trial. She then moved to private practice, working at the Reed McClure law firm and then Cozen O’Connor where she focused on insurance coverage, bad faith, premises liability, products liability and commercial litigation. "My career path has prepared me for just about anything," she said. So the time seemed right for a return to the green Siren of Starbucks in 2009. Though her work is fast-paced and challenging, Thornock said there are distinct advantages to a less traditional legal career. "It's good to think outside the box," she said. And as a mother of three young sons, she said her job allows her the flexibility she needs to achieve that all important work-life balance and enables her to regularly draw upon the skills developed throughout the course of her legal career in creative ways. Our graduates have a variety of legal and law-related careers
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I asked Fred Astaire once when he was about my age if he still danced and he said 'Yes, but it hurts now.' That's exactly it. I can still dance too but it hurts now! I've always kept moving. I was at the gym at six this morning. Of course marrying a beautiful young woman has been a big help. There are so many years between us and we don't feel it. I'm emotionally immature and she's very wise for her age so we kind of meet in the middle. Van Dyke is the recipient of five Primetime Emmys, a Tony, and a Grammy Award, and was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame in 1995.[1] He received the Screen Actors Guild's highest honor, the SAG Life Achievement Award, in 2013.[2] He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7021 Hollywood Boulevard and has also been recognized as a Disney Legend.[3] By this time van Gogh was ready for such lessons, and the changes that his painting underwent in Paris between the spring of 1886 and February 1888 led to the creation of his personal idiom and style of brushwork. His palette at last became colourful, his vision less traditional, and his tonalities lighter, as may be seen in his first paintings of Montmartre. By the summer of 1887 he was painting in pure colours and using broken brushwork that is at times pointillistic. Finally, by the beginning of 1888, van Gogh’s Post-Impressionist style had crystallized, resulting in such masterpieces as Portrait of Père Tanguy and Self-Portrait in Front of the Easel, as well as in some landscapes of the Parisian suburbs. Late in November 1881, Van Gogh wrote a letter to Johannes Stricker, one which he described to Theo as an attack.[58] Within days he left for Amsterdam.[59] Kee would not meet him, and her parents wrote that his "persistence is disgusting".[60] In despair, he held his left hand in the flame of a lamp, with the words: "Let me see her for as long as I can keep my hand in the flame."[60][61] He did not recall the event well, but later assumed that his uncle had blown out the flame. Kee's father made it clear that her refusal should be heeded and that the two would not marry, largely because of Van Gogh's inability to support himself.[62] In 1957 Francis Bacon based a series of paintings on reproductions of Van Gogh's The Painter on the Road to Tarascon, the original of which was destroyed during the Second World War. Bacon was inspired by an image he described as "haunting", and regarded Van Gogh as an alienated outsider, a position which resonated with him. Bacon identified with Van Gogh's theories of art and quoted lines written to Theo: "[R]eal painters do not paint things as they are ... [T]hey paint them as they themselves feel them to be."[285] Mattresses, Bedroom Sets and Headboards - You will rest well with a Tempur-Pedic, Stearns & Foster, or PureSleep queen or king mattress set that fits your sleep style. Complete your master bedroom, guest room or kids' bedrooms with beautiful bedroom furniture collections. You will find designer upholstered headboards, bureaus, dressers, wardrobes and chic metal beds to create a room that is your personal oasis. Beautiful rooms from Metropolitan Home and Ashley have something for every décor style, whether small and urban or spaciously rustic. To support his religious conviction and his desire to become a pastor, in 1877 the family sent him to live with his uncle Johannes Stricker, a respected theologian, in Amsterdam.[42] Van Gogh prepared for the University of Amsterdam theology entrance examination;[43] he failed the exam, and left his uncle's house in July 1878. He undertook, but also failed, a three-month course at a Protestant missionary school in Laken, near Brussels.[44] There was interest from a dealer in Paris early in 1885.[86] Theo asked Vincent if he had paintings ready to exhibit.[87] In May, Van Gogh responded with his first major work, The Potato Eaters, and a series of "peasant character studies" which were the culmination of several years of work.[88] When he complained that Theo was not making enough effort to sell his paintings in Paris, his brother responded that they were too dark, and not in keeping with the bright style of Impressionism.[85] In August his work was publicly exhibited for the first time, in the shop windows of the dealer Leurs in The Hague. One of his young peasant sitters became pregnant in September 1885; Van Gogh was accused of forcing himself upon her, and the village priest forbade parishioners to model for him.[89] Join us as The GRAMMY Museum welcomes television, Broadway and film star Dick Van Dyke, along with his lively, talented a cappella group, The Vantastix. Not long after a chance meeting in a Malibu coffee shop in 2000, Dick Van Dyke teamed up with vocalists Eric Bradley, Bryan Chadima and Mike Mendyke to form Dick Van Dyke & The Vantastix. Hosted by Executive Director, Robert Santelli, hear Dick in conversation about his career, before the group, who continues to participate in benefits and children's events across the country, performs selections from their most recent release Put on a Happy Face. Van Dyke publicly endorsed Bernie Sanders as his choice for the Democratic candidate in the 2016 US presidential election. Van Dyke, a New Deal Democrat, had not actively campaigned for a candidate since Eugene McCarthy in 1968.[59] In July 2016, Van Dyke said of Donald Trump, "He has been a magnet to all the racists and xenophobes in the country, I haven't been this scared since the Cuban Missile Crisis. I think the human race is hanging in a delicate balance right now, and I'm just so afraid he will put us in a war. He scares me."[60] Gogh, Vincent van: Landscape at Saint-Rémy (Enclosed Field with Peasant)Landscape at Saint-Rémy (Enclosed Field with Peasant), oil on canvas by Vincent van Gogh, 1889; in the Indianapolis Museum of Art. 73.66 × 92.07 cm.Photograph by Jenny O'Donnell. Indianapolis Museum of Art, gift of Mrs James W. Fesler in memory of Daniel W. and Elizabeth C. Marmon, 44.74 Van Gogh knew that his approach to painting was individualistic, but he also knew that some tasks are beyond the power of isolated individuals to accomplish. In Paris he had hoped to form a separate Impressionist group with Gauguin, Toulouse-Lautrec, and others whom he believed had similar aims. He rented and decorated a house in Arles with the intention of persuading them to join him and found a working community called “The Studio of the South.” Gauguin arrived in October 1888, and for two months van Gogh and Gauguin worked together; but, while each influenced the other to some extent, their relations rapidly deteriorated because they had opposing ideas and were temperamentally incompatible.
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The sunflowers were painted to decorate the walls in anticipation of Gauguin's visit, and Van Gogh placed individual works around the Yellow House's guest room in Arles. Gauguin was deeply impressed and later acquired two of the Paris versions.[134] After Gauguin's departure, Van Gogh imagined the two major versions of the sunflowers as wings of the Berceuse Triptych, and included them in his Les XX in Brussels exhibit. Today the major pieces of the series are among his best known, celebrated for the sickly connotations of the colour yellow and its tie-in with the Yellow House, the expressionism of the brush strokes, and their contrast against often dark backgrounds.[244] Categories: Wikipedia articles with style issues1966 establishments in California1980s fashion1990s fashion2000s fashion2010s fashionCompanies based in Santa Ana, CaliforniaClothing companies established in 1966Shoe brandsShoe companies of the United StatesSkateboarding companiesSnowboarding companiesSportswear brandsSurfwear brandsSkateboard shoe companies2004 mergers and acquisitions They contain a wide array of physiognomical representations.[230] Van Gogh's mental and physical condition is usually apparent; he may appear unkempt, unshaven or with a neglected beard, with deeply sunken eyes, a weak jaw, or having lost teeth. Some show him with full lips, a long face or prominent skull, or sharpened, alert features. His hair may be the usual red, or at times ash coloured.[230] Danny (last name May, I'm pretty sure) and Sierra were a pleasure to work with. They had a completely non-pushy yet totally dedicated approach. Their timing was perfect - literally every time we had a question or wanted help, they appeared and LISTENED to our wants and dislikes and guided us like they really cared. They were upbeat and personable and miles ahead of the salespeople we met at other furniture stores in the area. We couldn't be happier with how we were treated. The portrayals of the Arles landscape are informed by Van Gogh's Dutch upbringing; the patchworks of fields and avenues appear flat and lacking perspective, but excel in their use of colour.[117] His new-found appreciation is seen in the range and scope of his work. In March 1888 he painted landscapes using a gridded "perspective frame"; three of the works were shown at the annual exhibition of the Société des Artistes Indépendants. In April, he was visited by the American artist Dodge MacKnight, who was living nearby at Fontvieille.[118][119] On 1 May 1888, for 15 francs per month, he signed a lease for the eastern wing of the Yellow House at 2 place Lamartine. The rooms were unfurnished and had been uninhabited for months.[120] The piece comes back and looks horrible. The fabric was torn and stapled back together unevenly. We called Art Van to complain and were promised to be contacted by the manager. In the meantime we moved and didn't get a chance to call manager back.  We called back and were told manager would contact us. Nothing. I finally called the manager, Kathy Smith, today and received the worst treatment I've ever experienced from a store. Right away she had a chip on her should and said because it's been 8 months since original purchase, we couldn't get a replacement and basically it wasn't her problem. I wasn't rude and didn't say anything to anger her but she acted like I was trying to steal from her. I explained that if we could not get the piece replaced (which is ridiculous by itself), could we get a decent discount on the purchase of two new pieces? We need to get the reverse pieces for the new house and were hoping after all the inconvenience, that they could work with us since the original piece looks terrible from being serviced. ^ Theo and his wife, Gachet and his son, and Signac, who all saw Van Gogh after the bandages were removed, maintained that only the earlobe had been removed.[142] According to Doiteau and Leroy, the diagonal cut removed the lobe and probably a little more.[143] The policeman and Rey both claimed Van Gogh severed the entire outer ear;[142] Rey repeated his account in 1930, writing a note for novelist Irving Stone and including a sketch of the line of the incision.[144] In 2015 the company paid out $2.5 million dollars in free furniture to 3000 customers after a promotion that gave away the purchases of customers if it snowed three inches each in the cities of Toledo, Fort Wayne, and Chicago.[21][22] In 2016, Art Van replaced its regional Super Bowl advertisements in the Detroit and Grand Rapids areas with a thank you message for donors of water to Flint, Michigan, which the company had solicited through its charitable programs.[23] The manager Steve was a jerk to me as well as a African american employee who was assisting me. he spoke like we were bothering him instead of being a customer. STEVE the store manager at the Saginaw st location will make this store lose business because im making it a point to tell everyone. clearly Steve hates his job and should have chose another career path, or either he just doesnt like black people cause the two people he was extremely rude to were both African american. I purchased a sectional set from the Fort Wayne store last year and it has been nothing but a nightmare. Within a month it has stated to rip at the stitching. We called and they said we don't cover that it's the factory warranty. So we called them and was informed we called to late of the incident of the rip and it was not on the stitching even tho clearly the picture the guy took showed the stitching coming apart. Then a month later our dog threw up brown sugar all over or brown sectional and the oder is unbearable to the point where you can't sit on it. We purchased the extended stain warranty and you guessed it... It was not covered...... So a month ago they were have birthday sale so we go in looking for a bed and bed frame. They worked with us and got a good deal on a set. So last week they delivery was 2 hours late so we had to reschedule and my wife missed work. Now today they showed up with half our order and made me miss work bc they couldn't work with us on times to be delivered. Now they want us to miss work again to deliver the rest of the order next Thursday. So I sit down on my disgusting falling apart sectional and it clicks I'm done with this company and the empty promises and cancel the remainder of the order bc I need a mattress to sleep on tonight. Do not do business with this company unless you like terrible customer service... During this period Van Gogh mastered the use of light by subjugating shadows and painting the trees as if they are the source of light – almost in a sacred manner.[252] Early the following year he painted another smaller group of orchards, including View of Arles, Flowering Orchards.[254] Van Gogh was enthralled by the landscape and vegetation of the south of France, and often visited the farm gardens near Arles. In the vivid light of the Mediterranean climate his palette significantly brightened.[255] Theo criticised The Potato Eaters for its dark palette, which he thought unsuitable for a modern style.[206] During Van Gogh's stay in Paris between 1886 and 1887, he tried to master a new, lighter palette. His Portrait of Père Tanguy (1887) shows his success with the brighter palette, and is evidence of an evolving personal style.[207] Charles Blanc's treatise on colour interested him greatly, and led him to work with complementary colours. Van Gogh came to believe that the effect of colour went beyond the descriptive; he said that "colour expresses something in itself".[208][209] According to Hughes, Van Gogh perceived colour as having a "psychological and moral weight", as exemplified in the garish reds and greens of The Night Cafe, a work he wanted to "express the terrible passions of humanity".[210] Yellow meant the most to him, because it symbolised emotional truth. He used yellow as a symbol for sunlight, life, and God.[211] Van Gogh's mother came from a prosperous family in The Hague,[19] and his father was the youngest son of a minister.[20] The two met when Anna's younger sister, Cornelia, married Theodorus's older brother Vincent (Cent). Van Gogh's parents married in May 1851 and moved to Zundert.[21] His brother Theo was born on 1 May 1857. There was another brother, Cor, and three sisters: Elisabeth, Anna, and Willemina (known as "Wil"). In later life Van Gogh remained in touch only with Willemina and Theo.[22] Van Gogh's mother was a rigid and religious woman who emphasised the importance of family to the point of claustrophobia for those around her.[23] Theodorus's salary was modest, but the Church supplied the family with a house, a maid, two cooks, a gardener, a carriage and horse, and Anna instilled in the children a duty to uphold the family's high social position.[24] Van Dyke's start in television was with WDSU-TV New Orleans Channel 6 (NBC), first as a single comedian and later as emcee of a comedy program.[18][19][20] Van Dyke's first network TV appearance was with Dennis James on James' Chance of a Lifetime in 1954. He later appeared in two episodes of The Phil Silvers Show during its 1957–58 season. He also appeared early in his career on ABC's The Pat Boone Chevy Showroom and NBC's The Polly Bergen Show. During this time a friend from the Army was working as an executive for CBS television and recommended Van Dyke to that network. Out of this came a seven-year contract with the network.[21] During an interview on NPR's Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! program, Van Dyke said he was the anchorman for the CBS morning show during this period with Walter Cronkite as his newsman.[22] Van Dyke began his film career by playing the role of Albert J. Peterson in the film version of Bye Bye Birdie (1963). Despite his unhappiness with the adaptation—its focus differed from the stage version in that the story now centered on a previously supporting character[32]—the film was a success. That same year, Van Dyke was cast in two roles: as the chimney sweep Bert, and as bank chairman Mr. Dawes Senior, in Walt Disney's Mary Poppins (1964). For his scenes as the chairman, he was heavily costumed to look much older and was credited in that role as "Navckid Keyd" (at the end of the credits, the letters unscramble into "Dick Van Dyke"). Van Dyke's attempt at a cockney accent has been lambasted as one of the worst accents in film history, cited by actors since as an example of how not to sound. In a 2003 poll by Empire magazine of the worst-ever accents in film, he came in second (to Sean Connery in The Untouchables, despite Connery winning an Academy Award for that performance).[33][34] According to Van Dyke, his accent coach was Irish, who "didn't do an accent any better than I did", and that no one alerted him to how bad it was during the production.[35][36][37] Still, Mary Poppins was successful on release and its appeal has endured. "Chim Chim Cher-ee", one of the songs that Van Dyke performed in Mary Poppins, won the Academy Award for Best Original Song for the Sherman Brothers, the film's songwriting duo. Van Gogh's works are among the world's most expensive paintings. Those sold for over US$100 million (today's equivalent) include Portrait of Dr Gachet,[286] Portrait of Joseph Roulin and Irises. The Metropolitan Museum of Art's version of Wheat Field with Cypresses was acquired in 1993 for US$57 million.[287] In 2015 L'Allée des Alyscamps sold for US$66.3 million at Sotheby's, New York, exceeding its reserve of US$40 million.[288] In 1944, Paul Van Doren dropped out of intermediate school in 8th Grade at age fourteen when he realized he didn’t like school. He had a strong passion for horses and found his way to the race track where he earned the nickname “Dutch the Clutch”, and for just one dollar he would give you the odds of the race.[3] Paul’s mother, Rena, did not enjoy the idea of Paul being without a job and not in school, so she insisted he get a job at Randy’s, a one-time shoe manufacturer in the US. His job entailed sweeping the floors and making shoes. Paul eventually worked his way up the ladder and became the executive vice president at just 34 years old. Randy’s became one of the biggest shoe manufacturers in the US From Van Doren’s quick success in Massachusetts, he was ordered to turn around a failing Randy’s factory in Garden Grove, California that was losing close to a million dollars each month. Paul and his brother Jim moved their families and settled in Anaheim to help the factory. After just eight months of being in Garden Grove, the factory was functioning better than the one in Massachusetts.[4] Three months after trying to have the Garden Grove factory, Paul decided he wanted to start his own shoe brand. Van Gogh's works are among the world's most expensive paintings. Those sold for over US$100 million (today's equivalent) include Portrait of Dr Gachet,[286] Portrait of Joseph Roulin and Irises. The Metropolitan Museum of Art's version of Wheat Field with Cypresses was acquired in 1993 for US$57 million.[287] In 2015 L'Allée des Alyscamps sold for US$66.3 million at Sotheby's, New York, exceeding its reserve of US$40 million.[288]
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Exchanges by language Exchanges by country Exchanges by city Language.Exchange 🇩🇪 Deutsch 🇺🇸 English 🇪🇸 Español 🇫🇷 Français 🇮🇹 Italia 🇵🇹 Português (PT) 🇧🇷 Português (BR) 🇷🇺 Русский 🇯🇵 日本語 🇨🇳 中文 🇰🇷 한국어 🇸🇦 العربية 🇲🇾 မြန်မာဘာသာ Penpals Get help from your friend ♂️ Male ♀️ Female Day 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Month January February Mars April May June July August September October November December Year 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990 1989 1988 1987 1986 1985 1984 1983 1982 1981 1980 1979 1978 1977 1976 1975 1974 1973 1972 1971 1970 1969 1968 1967 1966 1965 1964 1963 1962 1961 1960 1959 1958 1957 1956 1955 1954 1953 1952 1951 1950 1949 1948 1947 1946 1945 1944 1943 1942 1941 1940 1939 1938 1937 1936 1935 1934 1933 1932 1931 1930 1929 1928 1927 1926 1925 1924 1923 1922 1921 1920 1919 1918 1917 1916 1915 1914 1913 1912 1911 1910 1909 dimitar kieule juanon211 hank333 nb__01 Johnstown Language Exchange > City > 🇺🇸 Johnstown Arlondale Johnstown, USA He speaks : English <=> He looks for : Japanese language exchange My name is Joseph, and I am twenty going on twenty-one. I started studying Japanese a year ago but stopped after six months due to a new job. Now I wish to meet the added challenge head on! Sort by - Login date Profile date First name Country City ©2019 All Rights Reserved | Language.Exchange Language Exchange Websites | Contact us | Privacy & Cookies | Terms of Use | Thanks | Pen Pal
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LETTER TO THE EDITOR: In defense of CoreCivic By Amanda Gilchrist, Nashville, Tenn. Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2018 | 2 a.m. View more of the Sun's opinion section Editorials - the Sun's viewpoint Columnists - local and syndicated writers Letters to the editor - readers' views In response to the Aug. 20 editorial “Upset over immigration crackdown? Join detention center divestment effort”: None of CoreCivic’s facilities provide housing for children who aren’t under the supervision of a parent. We also don’t enforce immigration laws or policies or have any say in an individual’s deportation or release. We’ve worked with every administration — Democrat and Republican — for more than 30 years. Our corrections professionals prepare inmates for life after prison by providing education, vocational training, substance use treatment and other re-entry programs. We’ve also launched a nationwide initiative to advocate for a range of policies, including “Ban the Box” legislation, which would help former inmates rejoin their communities and stay out of prison. Our company does not lobby for or against — or take any position on — policies or legislation that would determine the basis for or duration of an individual’s incarceration or detention. These are highly charged, emotional issues, but much of the information about our company being shared by special interest groups is wrong and politically motivated, resulting in some people reaching misguided conclusions about what we do. Our job is to help the government solve problems in ways it could not alone — to help manage unprecedented humanitarian crises, improve the standard of care for vulnerable people, and meet other needs. The writer is director of public affairs for CoreCivic.
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Home / Health / Patrick Reed in no mood for a while after the American Open club-blinking tantrum | sport Patrick Reed in no mood for a while after the American Open club-blinking tantrum | sport A newcomer who is seeking a sincere performance of indignation by Patrick Reed for the American act of becoming a social media phenomenon will be very disappointed . An irregular Reed, which reflected on Friday's episode when he slammed his lobe over his knee, struggled to see what all the fuss was about. "At the end of the day, I pulled out my anger; I didn't do anything about the golf course, I didn't say anything or anything," the 2018 champion champion said. "It was a split second, I attacked my business and hit my next golf shot." Within minutes of the Reed dismantling of the club, along the 18th green at Pebble Beach, the footage became viral. There is a presumption that Reed will be fined for his fitness, although the tournament organizers never disclose the details of such penalties. Not unreasonably, Reed used the aftermath of his third round on Saturday to show indiscretions to his fellow professionals. In February, Sergio García suffered a serious injury to damage surfaces in Saudi Arabia. In an episode, it affected other players in the field. "You've got Sergio with what he did on the green, I've seen several guys golf courses and grind break down clubs," Reed added. "Rory [McIlroy] throws his club in the water on the 9th hole at Doral [in 2015]. Lucas Bjerregaard sent his driver into the water here. It happens. Things like this should probably not happen, but as long as you respect the golf course and do nothing to damage it, or the guys you are playing with, I would rather leave it than to keep it in. To me, this is not a big problem. It was not comical to hit a bad wedge shot after a weak wedge shot, especially if I was proud of my wedge play.To miss the green of 20 meters, the ball moved three inches of 6ft from the green, usually it's not my short game. That's what a US Open and rough like this will do to you. " For all Reed is in a position where he An example for young people should be he is not prone to damaging equipment. He drew criticism five years ago in China after branding a "fucking bassoon" at the time of a missed putt; for which he immediately repented. Reed admitted that he had "mood problems" before adding: "It should never have happened. This game of golf, it's a gentleman's game." Conveniently, Reed carries three versions of the involved in each tournament, which means he has another in his pocket for a third round of 72. He calls the clubs that have 61 degrees cage, "61 and finished". Reed explained: "Usually it gets me out of jail, it kept me in jail. " Players even at this level and whether you play well or bad, anytime you have a bad golf shot hit or find a very bad place, you're always upset. You won't be happy and smiling if you hit a bad golf shot, especially if you hit four in a row in a row. "The double goat that Reed picked up at that particular hole meant he survived. The halfway cut through only one shot. Saturday's round kept him up to a total of three, which means that he is playing outside the 18-hole American Open 50. In his previous four majors before Pebble Beach, Reed had the best finishes of the 28th and two missed tracks. to track. "I knew [what the cut was] but I wasn't worried about the cut line," he said. "I'm not here to make just cuts, I'm here to win golf tournaments . It didn't matter to me whether the cut was one, two over, seven over. I was more upset about making double bogey than just making a cut. " Reed offered a smile when asked when he last slapped a club." It happened three times last year; I got commercial flights and there was a broken club in my pocket, "said the 28-year-old." I have no idea when I last did it. " That he did, will continue here as one of the lasting memories of the tournament. Heart failure risk associated with diabetes is greater in women than men, says study Trump took heat from Melania and Ivanka over the racist chicks in the rally
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Axial Length, Eye Tupaiidae Tupaia Myopia, Degenerative Mydriatics Retinoscopy Emmetropia Lasers, Excimer Photorefractive Keratectomy Keratomileusis, Laser In Situ Keratotomy, Radial Orthokeratologic Procedures Keratectomy, Subepithelial, Laser-Assisted Refractive Surgical Procedures Psychiatry and Psychology 3 Phenomena and Processes 4 Accommodation, Ocular Named Groups 1 Asian Continental Ancestry Group Geographicals 1 AnatomyOrganismsDiseasesChemicals and DrugsAnalytical, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Techniques and EquipmentPsychiatry and PsychologyPhenomena and ProcessesNamed GroupsHealth CareGeographicals MyopiaMyopia, DegenerativeRefraction, OcularEyeglassesHyperopiaRefractive ErrorsSensory DeprivationEyeAccommodation, OcularScleraAxial Length, EyeTupaiidaeRetinoscopyEmmetropiaBiometryTupaiaAstigmatismLasers, ExcimerPhotorefractive KeratectomyVisual AcuityKeratomileusis, Laser In SituContact LensesLensesKeratotomy, RadialCorneal TopographyCorneaOrthokeratologic ProceduresVitreous BodySingaporeAnterior ChamberAsian Continental Ancestry GroupKeratectomy, Subepithelial, Laser-AssistedRefractive Surgical ProceduresMydriaticsAnisometropia Myopia: A refractive error in which rays of light entering the EYE parallel to the optic axis are brought to a focus in front of the RETINA when accommodation (ACCOMMODATION, OCULAR) is relaxed. This results from an overly curved CORNEA or from the eyeball being too long from front to back. It is also called nearsightedness.Myopia, Degenerative: Excessive axial myopia associated with complications (especially posterior staphyloma and CHOROIDAL NEOVASCULARIZATION) that can lead to BLINDNESS.Refraction, Ocular: Refraction of LIGHT effected by the media of the EYE.Eyeglasses: A pair of ophthalmic lenses in a frame or mounting which is supported by the nose and ears. The purpose is to aid or improve vision. It does not include goggles or nonprescription sun glasses for which EYE PROTECTIVE DEVICES is available.Hyperopia: A refractive error in which rays of light entering the eye parallel to the optic axis are brought to a focus behind the retina, as a result of the eyeball being too short from front to back. It is also called farsightedness because the near point is more distant than it is in emmetropia with an equal amplitude of accommodation. (Dorland, 27th ed)Refractive Errors: Deviations from the average or standard indices of refraction of the eye through its dioptric or refractive apparatus.Sensory Deprivation: The absence or restriction of the usual external sensory stimuli to which the individual responds.Eye: The organ of sight constituting a pair of globular organs made up of a three-layered roughly spherical structure specialized for receiving and responding to light.Accommodation, Ocular: The dioptric adjustment of the EYE (to attain maximal sharpness of retinal imagery for an object of regard) referring to the ability, to the mechanism, or to the process. Ocular accommodation is the effecting of refractive changes by changes in the shape of the CRYSTALLINE LENS. Loosely, it refers to ocular adjustments for VISION, OCULAR at various distances. (Cline et al., Dictionary of Visual Science, 4th ed)Sclera: The white, opaque, fibrous, outer tunic of the eyeball, covering it entirely excepting the segment covered anteriorly by the cornea. It is essentially avascular but contains apertures for vessels, lymphatics, and nerves. It receives the tendons of insertion of the extraocular muscles and at the corneoscleral junction contains the canal of Schlemm. (From Cline et al., Dictionary of Visual Science, 4th ed)Axial Length, Eye: The distance between the anterior and posterior poles of the eye, measured either by ULTRASONOGRAPHY or by partial coherence interferometry.Tupaiidae: The only family of the order SCANDENTIA, variously included in the order Insectivora or in the order Primates, and often in the order Microscelidea, consisting of five genera. They are TUPAIA, Ananthana (Indian tree shrew), Dendrogale (small smooth-tailed tree shrew), Urogale (Mindanao tree shrew), and Ptilocercus (pen-tailed tree shrew). The tree shrews inhabit the forest areas of eastern Asia from India and southwestern China to Borneo and the Philippines.Retinoscopy: An objective determination of the refractive state of the eye (NEARSIGHTEDNESS; FARSIGHTEDNESS; ASTIGMATISM). By using a RETINOSCOPE, the amount of correction and the power of lens needed can be determined.Emmetropia: The condition of where images are correctly brought to a focus on the retina.Biometry: The use of statistical and mathematical methods to analyze biological observations and phenomena.Tupaia: A genus of tree shrews of the family TUPAIIDAE which consists of about 12 species. One of the most frequently encountered species is T. glis. Members of this genus inhabit rain forests and secondary growth areas in southeast Asia.Astigmatism: Unequal curvature of the refractive surfaces of the eye. Thus a point source of light cannot be brought to a point focus on the retina but is spread over a more or less diffuse area. This results from the radius of curvature in one plane being longer or shorter than the radius at right angles to it. (Dorland, 27th ed)Lasers, Excimer: Gas lasers with excited dimers (i.e., excimers) as the active medium. The most commonly used are rare gas monohalides (e.g., argon fluoride, xenon chloride). Their principal emission wavelengths are in the ultraviolet range and depend on the monohalide used (e.g., 193 nm for ArF, 308 nm for Xe Cl). These lasers are operated in pulsed and Q-switched modes and used in photoablative decomposition involving actual removal of tissue. (UMDNS, 2005)Photorefractive Keratectomy: A type of refractive surgery of the CORNEA to correct MYOPIA and ASTIGMATISM. An EXCIMER LASER is used directly on the surface of the EYE to remove some of the CORNEAL EPITHELIUM thus reshaping the anterior curvature of the cornea.Visual Acuity: Clarity or sharpness of OCULAR VISION or the ability of the eye to see fine details. Visual acuity depends on the functions of RETINA, neuronal transmission, and the interpretative ability of the brain. Normal visual acuity is expressed as 20/20 indicating that one can see at 20 feet what should normally be seen at that distance. Visual acuity can also be influenced by brightness, color, and contrast.Keratomileusis, Laser In Situ: A surgical procedure to correct MYOPIA by CORNEAL STROMA subtraction. It involves the use of a microkeratome to make a lamellar dissection of the CORNEA creating a flap with intact CORNEAL EPITHELIUM. After the flap is lifted, the underlying midstroma is reshaped with an EXCIMER LASER and the flap is returned to its original position.Contact Lenses: Lenses designed to be worn on the front surface of the eyeball. (UMDNS, 1999)Lenses: Pieces of glass or other transparent materials used for magnification or increased visual acuity.Keratotomy, Radial: A procedure to surgically correct REFRACTIVE ERRORS by cutting radial slits into the CORNEA to change its refractive properties.Corneal Topography: The measurement of curvature and shape of the anterior surface of the cornea using techniques such as keratometry, keratoscopy, photokeratoscopy, profile photography, computer-assisted image processing and videokeratography. This measurement is often applied in the fitting of contact lenses and in diagnosing corneal diseases or corneal changes including keratoconus, which occur after keratotomy and keratoplasty.Cornea: The transparent anterior portion of the fibrous coat of the eye consisting of five layers: stratified squamous CORNEAL EPITHELIUM; BOWMAN MEMBRANE; CORNEAL STROMA; DESCEMET MEMBRANE; and mesenchymal CORNEAL ENDOTHELIUM. It serves as the first refracting medium of the eye. It is structurally continuous with the SCLERA, avascular, receiving its nourishment by permeation through spaces between the lamellae, and is innervated by the ophthalmic division of the TRIGEMINAL NERVE via the ciliary nerves and those of the surrounding conjunctiva which together form plexuses. (Cline et al., Dictionary of Visual Science, 4th ed)Orthokeratologic Procedures: An alternative to REFRACTIVE SURGICAL PROCEDURES. A therapeutic procedure for correcting REFRACTIVE ERRORS. It involves wearing CONTACT LENSES designed to force corrective changes to the curvature of the CORNEA that remain after the lenses are removed. The effect is temporary but is maintained by wearing the therapeutic lenses daily, usually during sleep.Vitreous Body: The transparent, semigelatinous substance that fills the cavity behind the CRYSTALLINE LENS of the EYE and in front of the RETINA. It is contained in a thin hyaloid membrane and forms about four fifths of the optic globe.SingaporeAnterior Chamber: The space in the eye, filled with aqueous humor, bounded anteriorly by the cornea and a small portion of the sclera and posteriorly by a small portion of the ciliary body, the iris, and that part of the crystalline lens which presents through the pupil. (Cline et al., Dictionary of Visual Science, 4th ed, p109)Asian Continental Ancestry Group: Individuals whose ancestral origins are in the southeastern and eastern areas of the Asian continent.Keratectomy, Subepithelial, Laser-Assisted: A surgical technique to correct REFRACTIVE ERRORS of the EYE, such as MYOPIA and ASTIGMATISM. In this method, a flap of CORNEAL EPITHELIUM is created by exposure of the area to dilute alcohol. The flap is lifted and then replaced after laser ablation of the subepithelial CORNEA.Refractive Surgical Procedures: Surgical procedures employed to correct REFRACTIVE ERRORS such as MYOPIA; HYPEROPIA; or ASTIGMATISM. These may involve altering the curvature of the CORNEA; removal or replacement of the CRYSTALLINE LENS; or modification of the SCLERA to change the axial length of the eye.Mydriatics: Agents that dilate the pupil. They may be either sympathomimetics or parasympatholytics.Anisometropia: A condition of an inequality of refractive power of the two eyes.
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Anatomy 21 Cell Nucleus Tumor Cells, Cultured HeLa Cells Fibroblasts 3T3 Cells HCT116 Cells Cell Line, Transformed Embryo, Nonmammalian Oocytes Embryo, Mammalian Epithelial Cells HL-60 Cells Schizosaccharomyces Caulobacter crescentus Caulobacter Mice, Knockout Breast Neoplasms Chemicals and Drugs 93 Cyclins Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p21 Retinoblastoma Protein CDC2 Protein Kinase Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 2 Protein-Serine-Threonine Kinases Cyclin D1 Cyclin E Cyclin A Cyclin B CDC2-CDC28 Kinases cdc25 Phosphatases E2F Transcription Factors Cyclin B1 Cyclin D E2F1 Transcription Factor Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor Proteins Fungal Proteins Histones Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen Microtubule-Associated Proteins Proto-Oncogene Proteins RNA, Small Interfering Transcription Factor DP1 Ubiquitin-Protein Ligase Complexes Retinoblastoma-Binding Protein 1 Anaphase-Promoting Complex-Cyclosome Recombinant Fusion Proteins Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc Cyclin A2 CDC28 Protein Kinase, S cerevisiae Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated Proteins Checkpoint Kinase 2 S-Phase Kinase-Associated Proteins Thymidine Aphidicolin Retinoblastoma-Like Protein p107 Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins Cyclin G Growth Inhibitors Trans-Activators Kinetin Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-mdm2 DNA, Fungal Drosophila Proteins Oncogene Proteins Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone Geminin Ki-67 Antigen Phosphoproteins DNA, Neoplasm Gene Products, vpr Cyclin G1 Blotting, Western Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis Microscopy, Fluorescence Immunoblotting Fluorescent Antibody Technique Gene Knockdown Techniques Mitotic Index Phenomena and Processes 65 Cell Cycle Checkpoints G1 Phase S Phase G2 Phase Cell Cycle Checkpoints Genes, cdc Estrous Cycle Gene Expression Regulation Transcription, Genetic Citric Acid Cycle Base Sequence S Phase Cell Cycle Checkpoints Down-Regulation M Phase Cell Cycle Checkpoints Promoter Regions, Genetic RNA Interference Dose-Response Relationship, Drug Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal Enzyme Activation Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental Genes, Fungal Up-Regulation Cell Aging Gamma Rays Genes, p53 Ultraviolet Rays Gene Deletion Protein Structure, Tertiary Gene Silencing Cell Growth Processes Disciplines and Occupations 1 Information Science 3 AnatomyChemicals and DrugsPhenomena and Processes Cell CycleCell Cycle ProteinsCell Cycle CheckpointsG1 PhaseS PhaseMitosisCyclinsCell DivisionMenstrual CycleG2 PhaseCyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p21ApoptosisCyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p27Retinoblastoma ProteinCell ProliferationG2 Phase Cell Cycle CheckpointsG0 PhaseCDC2 Protein KinaseCell Line, TumorG1 Phase Cell Cycle CheckpointsTumor Suppressor Protein p53Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 2Protein-Serine-Threonine KinasesCyclin D1Phosphorylation Here you can see the latest Cannabinoid Induces Cell Cycle Arrest Apoptosis Inhibits Proliferation articles that have been published worldwide. (bioportfolio.com) We have published hundreds of Cannabinoid Induces Cell Cycle Arrest Apoptosis Inhibits Proliferation news stories on BioPortfolio along with dozens of Cannabinoid Induces Cell Cycle Arrest Apoptosis Inhibits Proliferation Clinical Trials and PubMed Articles about Cannabinoid Induces Cell Cycle Arrest Apoptosis Inhibits Proliferation for you to read. (bioportfolio.com) In addition to the medical data, news and clinical trials, BioPortfolio also has a large collection of Cannabinoid Induces Cell Cycle Arrest Apoptosis Inhibits Proliferation Companies in our database. (bioportfolio.com) You can also find out about relevant Cannabinoid Induces Cell Cycle Arrest Apoptosis Inhibits Proliferation Drugs and Medications on this site too. (bioportfolio.com) Cannabinoid WIN 55,212-2 induces cell cycle arrest and apoptosis, and inhibits proliferation, migration, invasion, and tumor growth in prostate cancer in a cannabinoid-receptor 2 dependent manner. (bioportfolio.com) The present study aims to explore the effects of the sophocarpine on the proliferation and apoptosis of GC cells and elucidates the relevant molecular mechanisms. (bioportfolio.com) After treatment with sophocarpine, GC cells were evaluated on their proliferation, autophagy, cell cycle progress and apoptosis. (bioportfolio.com) Adenosine diphosphate-sensitive P2Y11 receptor inhibits endothelial cell proliferation by induction of cell cycle arrest in the S phase and induces the expression of inflammatory mediators. (bioportfolio.com) Extracellular adenosine diphosphate (ADP) mediates a wide range of physiological effects as an extracellular signaling molecule, including platelet aggregation, vascular tone, cell proliferation, and apoptosis by interacting with plasma membrane P2 receptors. (bioportfolio.com) However, the effect of ADP on cell proliferation was contradictory. (bioportfolio.com) In this study, we found that ADP significantly inhibited cell proliferation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells at high concentrations (50 to 100 µM). (bioportfolio.com) Antifibrotic Agent Pirfenidone Suppresses Proliferation of Human Pancreatic Cancer Cells by Inducing G0/G1 Cell Cycle Arrest. (bioportfolio.com) Several lines of evidence strongly indicate that aneuploidy triggers genome instability, ultimately generating cells with complex karyotypes that arrest their proliferation. (jove.com) Nitidine chloride induces apoptosis and inhibits tumor cell proliferation via suppressing erk signaling pathway in renal cancer. (springer.com) also, it was observed to have decreased cell proliferation and induction of apoptosis, suggesting its chemopreventive activity [ 6 ]. (hindawi.com) The goal of this study was to determine whether ponatinib, an FDA-approved ABL/SRC inhibitor, reduced proliferation and/or survival of merlin-deficient human Schwann cells (HSC). (harvard.edu) We investigated combinatorial treatment strategies using a mathematical model that predicts the impact of MEK inhibition on tumor cell proliferation, ONYX-015 infection, and oncolysis. (nih.gov) This can involve gene regulation, cell proliferation, programmed cell death and stress responses. (wikipedia.org) Cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1C is a tight-binding inhibitor of several G1 cyclin/Cdk complexes and a negative regulator of cell proliferation. (wikipedia.org) A mutation of this gene may lead to loss of control over the cell cycle leading to uncontrolled cellular proliferation. (wikipedia.org) Polycomb group (PcG) of proteins form the multiprotein complexes that are important for the transcription repression of various genes involved in development and cell proliferation. (wikipedia.org) Studies of the mouse counterpart suggested the involvement of this gene in the specification of anterior-posterior axis, as well as in cell proliferation in early development. (wikipedia.org) apoptosis in human Here, we demonstrate that following the arrest of cells in G2, Vpr induces apoptosis in human fibroblasts, T cells, and primary peripheral blood lymphocytes. (asm.org) The checkpoints maintain cell cycle arrest while the repair takes place followed by cell cycle progression once repair is completed. (hindawi.com) Flow cytometric analysis revealed that ircinin-1 resulted in G1 arrest in cell cycle progression which was associated with a marked decrease in the protein expression of D-type cyclins and their activating partners Cdk 4 and 6 with concomitant inductions of p21WAF1/CIP1 and p27KIP1. (aacrjournals.org) While viral factors elicit cell cycle arrest signaling, some viral factors also activate certain cell cycle regulatory pathways that would normally promote cell cycle progression. (asm.org) Further evidence that infection by HSV leads to inhibition of cell cycle progression came from molecular studies addressing alterations in a key set of cell cycle regulatory transcription factor complexes, the E2F family of complexes ( 33 ). (asm.org) These protein kinases send damage signals to the cell cycle control system to delay the progression of the cell cycle. (wikipedia.org) It has been demonstrated the binding of ASPP2 to bcl-2 and p53 and to impede cell cycle progression at G2-M, as well as the fact that binding of ASPP2 to p53 changes the conformation of p53 and increases p53 binding to the promoters of proapoptotic genes such as Bax and PIG-3 but not those of G1-arrest genes such as p21waf1. (wikipedia.org) induces apoptosis Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 Vpr induces apoptosis following cell cycle arrest. (asm.org) ASPP2 induces apoptosis but no cell cycle arrest. (wikipedia.org) Loss of function of merlin encoded by the NF2 tumor suppressor gene leads to activation of multiple mitogenic signaling cascades, including platelet-derived growth factor receptor (PDGFR) and SRC in Schwann cells. (harvard.edu) The human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) vpr gene encodes a protein which induces arrest of cells in the G2 phase of the cell cycle. (asm.org) Analysis of various mutations in the vpr gene revealed that the extent of Vpr-induced G2 arrest correlated with the levels of apoptosis. (asm.org) 1997) used serial analysis of gene expression (SAGE) to evaluate cellular mRNA levels in a colorectal cancer cell line transfected with p53. (wikipedia.org) Reprimo (RPRM), is a gene located at human chromosome 2q23 whose expression in conjunction with p53, along with other genes which are p53-induced, is associated with the arrest of the cell cycle at the G2 phase.Reprimo's protein product is a highly glycosylated polypeptide which, upon its expression, is localized to the cytoplasm where it is primarily active. (wikipedia.org) LAM involves lung tissue infiltration with smooth muscle-like cells with mutations of the tuberous sclerosis complex gene (TSC2). (wikipedia.org) Complete hydatidiform moles consist only of paternal DNA, and thus the cells lack p57 expression as the gene is paternally imprinted (silenced). (wikipedia.org) Daughter cells which inherit the plasmid inherit the FlmB gene, coding for FlmB RNA which binds the leader sequence of FlmA mRNA and represses its translation. (wikipedia.org) Nuclear factor of activated T-cells 5, also known as NFAT5, is a human gene that encodes a transcription factor that regulates the expression of genes involved in the osmotic stress. (wikipedia.org) The product of this gene is a member of the nuclear factors of activated T cells (NFAT) family of transcription factors. (wikipedia.org) This protein regulates gene expression induced by osmotic stress in mammalian cells. (wikipedia.org) In addition, ircinin-1 suppressed the phosphorylation of pRb protein and increased the co-association of pRb or proliferating cell nuclear antigen with p21WAF1/CIP1 in these cells. (aacrjournals.org) Ircinin-1 also induced cytochrome c release, cleavage activations of caspase-3 and caspase-9, and up-regulation Fas and Fas-L. Even though the inhibitor of apoptosis protein (IAPs) was expressed in ircinin-1-untreated or -treated SK-MEL-2 cells, only cIAP-1, but not XIAP or cIAP-2, was cleaved during ircinin-1-induced apoptosis at Western blot and RT-PCR studies. (aacrjournals.org) However, the mechanism of cell or organ damage is still poorly understood with respect to early signaling cascades including mitogen activated protein (MAP) kinases. (aacrjournals.org) Shortly after DPS injection, significant cell cycle arrest was observed in CECs at both G1/S and G2/M checkpoints, which was accompanied by the activation of cell cycle inhibitors p21 and growth arrest and DNA-damage-inducible protein 45 alpha (GADD45A). (osti.gov) In all eukaryotic cells, ATR and ATM are protein kinases that detect DNA damage. (wikipedia.org) If the plasmid is not inherited, long-lived FlmA mRNA and protein will be highly toxic to the cell, possibly to the point of causing cell death. (wikipedia.org) This protein is cleaved in the trans-Golgi network, and presented on the cell surface as a heterodimer. (wikipedia.org) inherit the plasmid When these systems are contained on plasmids - transferable genetic elements - they ensure that only the daughter cells that inherit the plasmid survive after cell division. (wikipedia.org) permanent cell cycle arrest Cells undergo permanent cell cycle arrest and apoptosis if the DNA cannot be repaired adequately. (hindawi.com) A permanent cell cycle arrest occurs with cells remaining in G 0 /G 1 phase during senescence [ 10 ]. (hindawi.com) Chk2 as well as ATR/ATM can activate p53 which leads to permanent cell cycle arrest or apoptosis. (wikipedia.org) induce cell Flow cytometry analysis showed CdtB alone could induce cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in PK-15 porcine kidney and pulmonary alveolar macrophage (PAM) cells, which could be enhanced by CdtA or/and CdtC. (sigmaaldrich.com) In the presence of DNA damage, the cell can either repair the damage or induce cell death if the damage is beyond repair. (wikipedia.org) apoptotic Cadmium induces apoptotic program imbalance and cell cycle inhibitor expression in cultured human astrocytes. (bioportfolio.com) Ircinin-1 treatment on SK-MEL-2 cells resulted in a dose-dependent inhibition of cell growth and induced apoptotic cell death. (aacrjournals.org) CDT holotoxin could lead to significant cell distension, G2 arrest and apoptotic death in PK-15 and PAM cells. (sigmaaldrich.com) Pirfenidone (PFD), which is an antifibrotic agent used for treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, induces G0/G1 cell cycle arrest in fibroblasts. (bioportfolio.com) Genes Cells. (wikipedia.org) gastric cancer cells Sophocarpine inhibits the growth of gastric cancer cells via autophagy and apoptosis. (bioportfolio.com) Surprisingly, it was also found that DPS protects normal intestinal crypt epithelial cells (CECs) from clonogenic death after ionizing radiation (IR). (osti.gov) Cell cycle checkpoints sense damage of the DNA structure and elicit complex cellular repair response. (hindawi.com) Throughout the cell cycle there are various checkpoints to ensure the cell is in good condition to progress to mitosis. (wikipedia.org) The activation of JNK and p38 kinase was important in cell death since treatment with a respective inhibitor of JNK or p38 kinase significantly reduced the rate of ethanol-induced cell death. (aacrjournals.org) CI1040 up-regulates CAR, induces G1 cell cycle arrest, and sensitizes cells to infection.HCT116 cells were treated with MEK inhibitor CI1040, DMSO, or alone. (nih.gov) It encodes a cell cycle inhibitor that binds to G1 cyclin-CDK complexes. (wikipedia.org) Purpose: It was recently reported that the organic arsenic compound darinaparsin (DPS) is a cytotoxin and radiosensitizer of tumor cells in vitro and in subcutaneous xenograft tumors. (osti.gov) The extent to which viruses infect targeted cells determines the efficacy of this approach but many tumors down-regulate the Coxsackievirus and Adenovirus Receptor (CAR), rendering them less susceptible to infection. (nih.gov) ASPP2 importance in human malignancies is emphasized by studies that show that downregulation of ASPP2 is commonly found in tumors and carcinoma cells expressing wild type p53, and to a lesser extent mutant p53. (wikipedia.org) elicit Further, numerous studies from several different herpesvirus systems have provided unifying evidence that these viruses encode factors that elicit a cell cycle block, thereby actively preventing entry into S phase. (asm.org) Therefore, it appears that although herpesviruses elicit cell cycle arrest, their complex interactions with the cell cycle regulatory machinery likely evolved to poise the cell in a precise cell cycle position which most favors viral replication. (asm.org) Nitidine chloride inhibits hepatocellular carcinoma cell growth in vivo through the suppression of the jak1/stat3 signaling pathway. (springer.com) This study aimed to analyze the antitumoral effects of the purified pfaffosidic fraction or saponinic fraction on the human hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2 cell line. (hindawi.com) This strategy of protection from chemotherapy exploits one of the basic genotypic differences between normal cells and tumor cells: the integrity of genetic pathways that regulate growth. (aacrjournals.org) It has been clear for a number of years that small DNA tumor viruses such as simian virus 40 (SV40) and papillomavirus interact with cell cycle control pathways during lytic replication in a way that promotes entry into the S phase of the cell cycle. (asm.org) These cell cycle-promoting functions also appear to be important since inhibition of these pathways inhibits viral replication. (asm.org) Although a scattering of publications prior to 1995 provided hints into the interaction between herpesviruses and cell cycle control pathways, accumulating interest from several different laboratories over the past 5 or 6 years has begun to provide general underlying themes into this issue as well as elucidate some of the details of these interactions. (asm.org) As the expression of reprimo is controlled by p53, which is in turn controlled by a wide array of convergent signal pathways pertaining to DNA damage or nutrient depravity, its presence is expected within cells which would cause damage should they be freely allowed to replicate. (wikipedia.org) Telomere shortening with decreased telomerase activity was observed in senescent HDFs while the levels of damaged DNA and number of cells in G 0 /G 1 phase were increased and S phase cells were decreased. (hindawi.com) Incubation with TRF reversed the morphology of senescent HDFs to resemble that of young cells with decreased activity of SA- β -gal, damaged DNA, and cells in G 0 /G 1 phase while cells in the S phase were increased. (hindawi.com) MEK inhibition, however, interferes with adenovirus replication due to resulting G1-phase cell cycle arrest. (nih.gov) C) Cell cycle phase was measured 1-3 days post treatment with CI1040 or DMSO through PI staining. (nih.gov) During S phase the cell is more vulnerable to DNA damage than any other part of the cell cycle. (wikipedia.org) Pursuant to this, reprimo's expression during the G2 phase of the cell cycle ultimately results in the reduction of Cdc2 expression, and in the inhibition of the nuclear translocation of cyclin B1 which is necessary to its function. (wikipedia.org) Thus p57KIP2 causes arrest of the cell cycle in G1 phase. (wikipedia.org) Comparison of in vitro activities of camptothecin and nitidine derivatives against fungal and cancer cells. (springer.com) Both in vitro and in vivo studies have shown the increase in percentage of cells positive for SA- β -gal with cumulative population doublings (CPDs) and age [ 7 ]. (hindawi.com) Purified CdtB had DNase activity, i.e. caused DNA double strand damage, in vitro and in vivo prior to cell arrest and apoptosis. (sigmaaldrich.com) inhibits Wang Z, Jiang W, Zhang Z, Qian M, Du B. Nitidine chloride inhibits LPS-induced inflammatory cytokines production via MAPK and NF-kappab pathway in raw 264.7 cells. (springer.com) Nitidine chloride inhibits renal cancer cell metastasis via suppressing akt signaling pathway. (springer.com) It inhibits activation of T cells and B cells by reducing the production of interleukin-2 (IL-2). (wikipedia.org) dose-dependent Using MTT and flowcytometry assays, we found that NC induced cell growth inhibition and G2/M cell cycle arrest in a time- and dose-dependent manner both in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell lines. (springer.com) Ethanol caused time- and dose-dependent cell death in SK-N-SH cells. (aacrjournals.org) anterior-posterior axis They are involved in a multitude of cellular functions including osteogenesis, cell differentiation, anterior/posterior axis specification, growth, and homeostasis. (wikipedia.org) The state of arrest was reversible and did not compromise cell viability over a period of at least 7 days. (aacrjournals.org) Chk2 leads to reversible cell cycle arrest. (wikipedia.org) The transforming growth factor beta (TGFB) signaling pathway is involved in many cellular processes in both the adult organism and the developing embryo including cell growth, cell differentiation, apoptosis, cellular homeostasis and other cellular functions. (wikipedia.org) The Notch signaling network is an evolutionarily conserved intercellular signaling pathway that regulates interactions between physically adjacent cells. (wikipedia.org) In Drosophilia, notch interaction with its cell-bound ligands (delta, serrate) establishes an intercellular signaling pathway that plays a key role in development. (wikipedia.org) Cancer cell growth inhibition was associated with increased levels of the p53 and p21 proteins. (springer.com) Cell cycle was analyzed by flow cytometry and the cell cycle-related proteins were analyzed by quantitative PCR and Western blot. (hindawi.com) The proteins in this family are expressed in nearly every tissue in the body and are known transcriptional regulators in cytokine and immune cell expression. (wikipedia.org) Apoptosis induction by NC treatment was confirmed by JC-1 mitochondrial membrane potential, annexin V-positive cell, and TUNEL staining. (springer.com) Together these studies indicate that induction of G2 arrest, but not necessarily continued arrest in G2, was required for Vpr-induced apoptosis to occur. (asm.org) As discussed here, regulation of the cell cycle during herpesvirus DNA replication has evolved as a complex series of interactions involving multiple viral factors, further implying an important role for this function in the life cycle of the virus. (asm.org) The purpose of this review is to bridge the current understanding of virus-cell cycle interactions for these three herpesvirus lytic replication systems. (asm.org) Predictive understanding of how to attain and enhance therapeutic efficacy of combinatorial treatment is difficult since the effects of MEK inhibitors, in conjunction with adenovirus/cell interactions, are complex nonlinear dynamic processes. (nih.gov) ASPP2 plays a central role in regulation of apoptosis and cell growth via its interactions. (wikipedia.org) Alternatively, Brx may also be activated through changes in its interactions with possible osmosensor molecules at the cell membrane. (wikipedia.org) cyclin These changes were associated with decreased cyclin D1 and increased p27Kip1levels, leading to a G1 cell-cycle arrest as assessed by Western blotting and flow cytometry. (harvard.edu) accumulate Senescent cells have been shown to accumulate with age in human tissues and, thus, have been suggested to contribute to organismal ageing [ 3 ]. (hindawi.com) Ageing cells accumulate DNA damage which may consequently lead to an irreversible growth arrest [ 9 ]. (hindawi.com) Un-repaired DNA damages accumulate in non-replicating cells, such as cells in the brains or muscles of adult mammals and can cause aging. (wikipedia.org) These methylation events commonly cause aberrant DNA splicing which may cause one of many potential errors within the resulting mutant reprimo that ultimately undermine its ability to be expressed, have its intended effects, or to accumulate in sufficient quantities to produce the expected arrest reaction. (wikipedia.org) Haemophilus parasuis cytolethal distending toxin induces cell cycle arrest and p53-dependent apoptosis. (sigmaaldrich.com) Chromosomal toxin-antitoxin systems also exist, some of which perform cell functions such as responding to stresses, causing cell cycle arrest and bringing about programmed cell death. (wikipedia.org) Toxin-antitoxin systems have several biotechnological applications, such as a method of maintaining plasmids in cell lines, targets for antibiotics, and as positive selection vectors. (wikipedia.org) Thus, the toxin-antitoxin system confers an advantage to the host DNA by eliminating competing plasmids in cell progeny. (wikipedia.org) MazEF, a toxin-antitoxin locus found in E. coli and other bacteria, induces programmed cell death in response to starvation, specifically a lack of amino acids. (wikipedia.org) If a daughter cell does not inherit the par locus, the unstable RNAII will quickly degrade leaving the long-lived fst toxin to damage or kill the daughter cell. (wikipedia.org) undergo Upon entering the state of senescence, cells undergo dramatic changes in morphology. (hindawi.com) These regulatory actions help to render the afflicted cell into an arrested state which is less immediately threatening to the whole organism due to the inability of afflicted cells to replicate with damaged DNA, among other potential circumstances, giving the cell an opportunity to undergo DNA repair or apoptosis as the level of damage will dictate. (wikipedia.org) An isopropyl-1-thio-β- d -galactopyranoside-inducible P16 construct was introduced stably into a melanoma cell line and used to promote G 0 -G 1 arrest in the recipient cells. (aacrjournals.org) on SK-MEL-2 human melanoma cells (mutant p53). (aacrjournals.org) MicroRNA-140-5p suppresses retinoblastoma cell growth via inhibiting c-Met/AKT/mTOR pathway. (bioportfolio.com) In addition, NC exhibited a synergistic effect with doxorubicin on the growth inhibition of the human breast cancer cell lines MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231. (springer.com) Nevertheless, the mechanisms that are responsible for the continuous cell growth and increased in SA- β -gal expression in senescent cells have not been well elucidated [ 8 ]. (hindawi.com) Approximately 10 years later, Dargan and Subak-Sharpe ( 14 ) showed that infection of cells with L particles (naturally produced HSV virions that do not contain any viral DNA) blocks cell growth without inducing apoptosis. (asm.org) The term chemotherapy has come to connote non-specific usage of intracellular poisons to inhibit mitosis, or cell division. (wikipedia.org) To a large extent, chemotherapy can be thought of as a way to damage or stress cells, which may then lead to cell death if apoptosis is initiated. (wikipedia.org) Many of the side effects of chemotherapy can be traced to damage to normal cells that divide rapidly and are thus sensitive to anti-mitotic drugs: cells in the bone marrow, digestive tract and hair follicles. (wikipedia.org) This results in the most common side-effects of chemotherapy: myelosuppression (decreased production of blood cells, hence also immunosuppression), mucositis (inflammation of the lining of the digestive tract), and alopecia (hair loss). (wikipedia.org) Because of the effect on immune cells (especially lymphocytes), chemotherapy drugs often find use in a host of diseases that result from harmful overactivity of the immune system against self (so-called autoimmunity). (wikipedia.org) These micrometastases can be treated with adjuvant chemotherapy and can reduce relapse rates caused by these disseminated cells. (wikipedia.org) Traditional chemotherapeutic agents are cytotoxic by means of interfering with cell division (mitosis) but cancer cells vary widely in their susceptibility to these agents. (wikipedia.org) These findings confirmed the ability of tocotrienol-rich fraction in preventing HDFs cellular ageing by restoring telomere length and telomerase activity, reducing damaged DNA, and reversing cell cycle arrest associated with senescence. (hindawi.com) Normally after about 50 cell divisions, HDFs enter a state of irreversible proliferative arrest, termed as replicative senescence or cellular senescence [ 1 ]. (hindawi.com) The cell size or volume is increased with accumulation of cellular debris and intracellular vesicles, many of which are lysosomes. (hindawi.com) Therefore, we hypothesized that changes in the early signaling cascades are critically important in ethanol-mediated cell death. (aacrjournals.org) MKP-4 is another MKP that belongs to Type I and, is distinct from other MKPs in this subgoup because it is only found in placenta, kidney and embryonic liver cells. (wikipedia.org) MKP-5 is only located in the heart, lung, liver, kidney and skeletal muscle cells. (wikipedia.org) VHR is only found in lymphoid and hematopoietic cells, and it inactivates the ERK1/2 and JNKs in T-cell receptors. (wikipedia.org) Ethanol-induced cell death was accompanied by increased cytochrome C release and caspase 3 activity observed at 12 h in a successive manner. (aacrjournals.org) Taken together, these results strongly indicate that ethanol causes apoptosis of SK-N-SH neuroblastoma cells by stimulating p53-related cell cycle arrest and apoptosis possibly mediated through activation of the JNK-related cell death pathway. (aacrjournals.org) DPS decreased post-IR DNA damage and cell death, suggesting that the radioprotective effect was mediated by enhanced DNA damage repair. (osti.gov) Further analysis revealed that a CAR-independent mechanism may be responsible for amplified virus production and cell death. (nih.gov) This releases the cell's contents for absorption by neighbouring cells, potentially preventing the death of close relatives, and thereby increasing the inclusive fitness of the cell that perished. (wikipedia.org) Naturally occurring oxidative DNA damages arise at least 10,000 times per cell per day in humans and 50,000 times or more per cell per day in rats, as documented below. (wikipedia.org) When nutrients become limiting in this swarming bacteria, a group of 50,000 cells converge into a fruiting body structure. (wikipedia.org) They are also nerve cell survival factors. (wikipedia.org) binds MKP-5 is a type III MKP that binds specifically to p38 and SPK/JNK and is found both in the cytoplasmic and nuclear regions of a cell. (wikipedia.org) Although the precise mechanism by which osmotic stress is sensed by the cell is unclear, it has been suggested that Brx, a guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) localized near the plasma membrane, is activated by osmotic stress through changes in the cytoskeleton structure. (wikipedia.org) percentage of cells it enables a percentage of cells within the fruiting body to form myxospores. (wikipedia.org) Since these viruses do not code for their own DNA polymerase or other accessory factors that support DNA replication, this strategy is a means of subverting the cell cycle control machinery to support viral DNA replication. (asm.org) At the end of this review, I have commented on some of the common strategies utilized by these viruses to achieve efficient cell synchronization during lytic replication. (asm.org) In replicating cells, such as cells lining the colon, errors occur upon replication of past damages in the template strand of DNA or during repair of DNA damages. (wikipedia.org) Like the BMPs, TGF betas are involved in embryogenesis and cell differentiation, but they are also involved in apoptosis, as well as other functions. (wikipedia.org) Cells can alternatively synthesize enzymes and transporters that increase intracellular concentration of organic osmolytes, which are less toxic than excess ions but which also aid in water retention. (wikipedia.org) On the other hand, silencing of ASPP2 expression by methylation was observed in several human carcinoma cells. (wikipedia.org) enter the G0 phase Most nonproliferating vertebrate cells will enter the G0 phase. (wikipedia.org) Some cells enter the G0 phase semi-permanently and are considered post-mitotic, e.g., some liver, kidney, and stomach cells. (wikipedia.org) it is often a biochemical alternative to the self-destruction of such a damaged cell by apoptosis. (wikipedia.org) Prolonged arrest of cells in mitosis due to nocodazole treatment typically results in cell death by apoptosis. (wikipedia.org) Nuclear DNA damage can contribute to aging either indirectly (by increasing apoptosis or cellular senescence) or directly (by increasing cell dysfunction). (wikipedia.org) Exogenous PUFA and a TRPC3 antagonist regularly attenuated breasts cancer tumor cell proliferation and migration, recommending a mechanism where PUFA restrains the breasts cancer partially via its inhibition of TRPC stations. (cancercurehere.com) Additionally, our outcomes also claim that TRPC3 shows up as a fresh mediator of breasts cancer tumor cell migration/invasion and represents a potential focus on for a fresh course of anticancer agent. (cancercurehere.com) Within this research, we discovered the functional appearance of TRPC3 in individual MCF-7 breasts cancer tumor cell-mediated Ca2+ entrance. (cancercurehere.com) Ca2+ entrance via turned on TRPC was improved when PUFA had been absent, recommending a double-gating system for Danshensu TRPC which may be involved with MCF breasts cancer tumor cell proliferation and invasion. (cancercurehere.com) P53 is at the core of the tumor suppression mechanism and an important protein for regulating cell life, according to a paper she co-authored in the September 2016 edition of the journal Oncogene. (utexas.edu) As a result, DNA damage accumulates in cells, which can allow them to grow and divide in an uncontrolled way to form a cancerous tumor. (utexas.edu) Cardiac arrest Cytokine release syndrome Tumor lysis syndrome, causing acute renal failure Infections Hepatitis B reactivation Other viral infections Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) Immune toxicity, with depletion of B cells in 70% to 80% of lymphoma patients Pulmonary toxicity Bowel obstruction and perforation Two patients with systemic lupus erythematosus died of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) after being treated with rituximab. (wikipedia.org) Tumor cells arise from two distinct classes of genomic instability: mutational instability arising from changes in the nucleotide sequence of DNA and chromosomal instability arising from improper rearrangement of chromosomes. (wikipedia.org) senescent cells Although senescent cells can no longer replicate, they remain metabolically active and commonly adopt an immunogenic phenotype consisting of a pro-inflammatory secretome, the up-regulation of immune ligands, a pro-survival response, promiscuous gene expression (pGE) and stain positive for senescence-associated β-galactosidase activity. (wikipedia.org) The nucleus of senescent cells is characterized by senescence-associated heterochromatin foci (SAHF) and DNA segments with chromatin alterations reinforcing senescence (DNA-SCARS). (wikipedia.org) Senescent cells affect tumour suppression, wound healing and possibly embryonic/placental development and a pathological role in age-related diseases. (wikipedia.org) The experimental elimination of senescent cells from transgenic progeroid mice and non-progeroid, naturally-aged mice led to greater resistance against aging-associated diseases. (wikipedia.org) The word "post-mitotic" is sometimes used to refer to both quiescent and senescent cells. (wikipedia.org) G1 phase ends when the cell moves into the S phase of interphase. (wikipedia.org) In cells with a nucleus, as in eukaryotes, the cell cycle is also divided into three periods: interphase, the mitotic (M) phase, and cytokinesis. (wikipedia.org) After cell division, each of the daughter cells begin the interphase of a new cycle. (wikipedia.org) Although the various stages of interphase are not usually morphologically distinguishable, each phase of the cell cycle has a distinct set of specialized biochemical processes that prepare the cell for initiation of cell divisions. (wikipedia.org) Interphase is a series of changes that takes place in a newly formed cell and its nucleus, before it becomes capable of division again. (wikipedia.org) Previously it was called resting stage because there is no apparent activity related to cell division.Typically interphase lasts for at least 90% of the total time required for the cell cycle. (wikipedia.org) Another standard cell biological application of nocodazole is to induce the formation of Golgi ministacks in eukaryotic cells. (wikipedia.org) DNA Cell Biol. (wikipedia.org) Mol Cell Biol. (wikipedia.org) eukaryotic The g1 phase, or Gap 1 phase, is the first of four phases of the cell cycle that takes place in eukaryotic cell division. (wikipedia.org) microtubule network Analyses of cell cycle distribution, and morphological microtubules organization showed that compound 3m induced G2/M phase arrest and, dramatically disrupted the microtubule network. (deepdyve.com) Microtubules are one type of fibre which constitutes the cytoskeleton, and the dynamic microtubule network has several important roles in the cell, including vesicular transport, forming the mitotic spindle and in cytokinesis. (wikipedia.org) This gene is highly conserved during evolution and it plays a key role in the regulation of cell division. (wikipedia.org) The spectrins are a family of widely distributed cytoskeletal proteins which are involved in actin crosslinking, cell adhesion, intercellular communication and cell cycle regulation. (wikipedia.org) Biochemical triggers known as cyclin-dependent kinases (Cdks) switch on cell cycles events at the corrected time and in the correct order to prevent any mistakes. (wikipedia.org) When it binds to this protein it triggers cell death. (wikipedia.org) Cells had been transfected with hCOX2 by Lipofectamine 2000. (cancercurehere.com) The initial work, published in the JCI in 2000, described the method enabling successful attainment of blood outgrowth endothelial cells (BOEC). (jci.org) Thus, in a population of cells comprising a tissue with replicating cells, mutant cells will tend to be lost. (wikipedia.org) However, infrequent mutations that provide a survival advantage will tend to clonally expand at the expense of neighboring cells in the tissue. (wikipedia.org) When tissue damage occurs, for example, products of gatekeeper genes ensure that balance of cell growth over cellular death remains in check. (wikipedia.org) Mutations are replicated when the cell replicates. (wikipedia.org) In contrast to caretaker genes, gatekeeper genes encode gene products that act to prevent growth of potential cancer cells and prevent accumulation of mutations that directly lead to increased cellular proliferation. (wikipedia.org) Mutations must occur in the remaining normal caretaker allele in addition to both alleles of gatekeeper genes within that cell for the said cell to turn to neoplasia. (wikipedia.org) In contrast to the pacemaker neurons, in which the circadian oscillations of clock gene expression what time should you take spironolactone self-sustained for many days in DD, oscillations in the peripheral clocks decline after several cycles in DD. (luxbar-starway.ru) For example, a mutation in a caretaker gene coding for a DNA repair pathway that leads to the inability to properly repair DNA damage could allow uncontrolled cell growth. (wikipedia.org) The modification of isoCA-4 by introduction of difluoromethoxy group at the para-position (3i) and substitution of the two protons of the linker by two fluorine atoms (3m), produced the most active compounds in the series, with IC50 values of 0.15-2.2 nM (3i) and 0.1-2 nM (3m) respectively, against a panel of six cancer cell lines. (deepdyve.com) Evaluation of cytotoxicity in Human noncancer cells indicated that the compounds 3i and 3m were practically ineffective in quiescent peripheral blood lymphocytes, and may have a selective antiproliferative activity against cancer cells. (deepdyve.com) In the mid-1990s, my research group began to devise a method to establish endothelial cell cultures from human peripheral blood, with an ultimate goal of examining interindividual heterogeneity of endothelial biology. (jci.org) lasts In human somatic cells, the cell cycle lasts about 18 hours, and the G1 phase takes up about 1/3 of that time. (wikipedia.org) Nocodazole is an antineoplastic agent which exerts its effect in cells by interfering with the polymerization of microtubules. (wikipedia.org) Interestingly, nocodazole has been shown to decrease the oncogenic potential of cancer cells via another microtubules-independent mechanisms. (wikipedia.org) These functional Golgi ministacks remain distributed about the cell, unable to track forward to form a perinuclear Golgi since nocodazole has depolymerized the microtubules. (wikipedia.org) grows in size During G1 phase, the cell grows in size and synthesizes mRNA and proteins (Known as histones) that are required for DNA synthesis. (wikipedia.org) In this phase, the cell increases its supply of proteins, increases the number of organelles (such as mitochondria, ribosomes), and grows in size. (wikipedia.org) Non-proliferative (non-dividing) cells in multicellular eukaryotes generally enter the quiescent G0 state from G1 and may remain quiescent for long periods of time, possibly indefinitely (as is often the case for neurons). (wikipedia.org) divides M phase is itself composed of two tightly coupled processes: karyokinesis, in which the cell's chromosomes are divided, and cytokinesis, in which the cell's cytoplasm divides forming two daughter cells. (wikipedia.org) 1) divides more often than it should or (2) does not die when conditions warrant cell death. (wikipedia.org) inhibit In the anterior pituitary gland, the effects of somatostatin are: Inhibit the release of growth hormone (GH) (thus opposing the effects of growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH)) Inhibit the release of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) Inhibit adenylyl cyclase in parietal cells. (wikipedia.org) Multiplicity reactivation (MR) is the process by which two or more virus genomes, each containing inactivating genome damage, can interact within an infected cell to form a viable virus genome. (wikipedia.org) Changes in the genome that allow uncontrolled cell proliferation or cell immortality are responsible for cancer. (wikipedia.org) Altered DNA methylation at various CpG sites was associated with exposure to mercury, lead or BPA, providing candidates to be investigated using a larger study sample, as the results may reflect an independently associated predictor (e.g. socioeconomic status, diet, genetic variants, altered blood cell composition). (pubmedcentralcanada.ca) Further characterization revealed that these patients were neutropenic and NK cell deficient. (jci.org) We used human glioma lines containing BRAF V600E (adult high-grade: AM-38, DBTRG, PLGG: BT40), or wild-type BRAF (pediatric high-grade: SF188, SF9427, SF8628) and isogenic systems of KIAA1549:BRAF -expressing NIH/3T3 cells and BRAF V600E -expressing murine brain cells. (aacrjournals.org) In bacteria, which lack a cell nucleus, the cell cycle is divided into the B, C, and D periods. (wikipedia.org) This is because vinca alkaloids are rapidly deactivated in myeloid cells by their enzyme myeloperoxidase. (wikipedia.org) In culture, fibroblasts can reach a maximum of 50 cell divisions before becoming senescent. (wikipedia.org) metabolically Effect of metabolic inhibitors on the cytotoxicity of MSE and MIT in metabolically competent MCL-5 cells Discussion Genotoxic potential of MSE and MIT Introduction Materials and methods 3. (kratomextractworld.com) The duration of each phase, including the G1 phase, is different in many different types of cells. (wikipedia.org) The duration of G1 is highly variable, even among different cells of the same species. (wikipedia.org) For cell synchronization experiments, nocodazole is usually used at a concentration of 40-100 ng/mL of culture medium for a duration of 12-18 hours. (wikipedia.org) This deterioration is due to the death of the muscle cells and muscle tissues and leads to ongoing muscle wasting and muscle weakness. (blogspot.com) The accumulation of unrepaired DNA damage is more prevalent in certain types of cells, particularly in non-replicating or slowly replicating cells, such as cells in the brain, skeletal and cardiac muscle. (wikipedia.org) If you have a damaged cell, you don't want it to replicate," Amaro said. (utexas.edu) division cycle At the G1/S checkpoint, formation of the G1/S cyclin with Cdk to form a complex commits the cell to a new division cycle. (wikipedia.org) The cell-division cycle is a vital process by which a single-celled fertilized egg develops into a mature organism, as well as the process by which hair, skin, blood cells, and some internal organs are renewed. (wikipedia.org) Nocodazole is frequently used in cell biology laboratories to synchronize the cell division cycle. (wikipedia.org) Within the cell cycle, there is a stringent set of regulations known as the cell cycle control system that controls the timing and coordination of the phases to ensure a correct order of events. (wikipedia.org) Complexes of cyclin that are active during other phases of the cell cycle are kept inactivated to prevent any cell-cycle events from occurring out of order. (wikipedia.org) MAJOR CANCER BREAKTHROUGH: Scientists Find Plant That Kills 98% Of Cancer Cells In Just 16 Hours! (unews.top) The shorter 1.8 kb transcript seems to be the major transcript in EB1 colon cancer cells. (abcam.com) Many cells do not enter G0 and continue to divide throughout an organism's life, e.g., epithelial cells. (wikipedia.org) Cells can also be induced to senesce via DNA damage in response to elevated reactive oxygen species (ROS), activation of oncogenes and cell-cell fusion, independent of telomere length. (wikipedia.org) As nocodazole affects the cytoskeleton, it is often used in cell biology experiments as a control: for example, some dominant negative Rho small GTPases cause a similar effect as nocodazole, and constitutively activated mutants often reverse or negate the effect. (wikipedia.org) citation needed] In estimates made for mice, DNA lesions occur on average 25 to 115 times per minute in each cell, or about 36,000 to 160,000 per cell per day. (wikipedia.org) This stops the damage where it is in the cell cycle. (utexas.edu) Some DNA damage may remain in any cell despite the action of repair processes. (wikipedia.org) Given these properties of DNA damage and mutation, it can be seen that DNA damages are a special problem in non-dividing or slowly dividing cells, where unrepaired damages will tend to accumulate over time. (wikipedia.org) So the vinca alkaloids do much more damage to the lymphoid cell lines (including the T-cell lines responsible for antileukemic immunity) than to the myeloid cell lines. (wikipedia.org) Rituximab destroys both normal and malignant B cells that have CD20 on their surfaces and is therefore used to treat diseases which are characterized by having too many B cells, overactive B cells, or dysfunctional B cells. (wikipedia.org)
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Poll: RUN-OFF Poll: 100 Greatest Movie Quotes (Part 3) A poll by borimor Results of 426 votes: The Godfather: Part II (1974) Sudden Impact (1983) Dr. No (1962) On the Waterfront (1954) Goldfinger (1964) Planet of the Apes (1968) Chinatown (1974) The Maltese Falcon (1941) To Have and Have Not (1944) A League of Their Own (1992) Marathon Man (1976) The Graduate (1967) The Pride of the Yankees (1942) Dog Day Afternoon (1975) Now, Voyager (1942) She Done Him Wrong (1933) Beyond the Forest (1949) Grand Hotel (1932) AFI nominated rivalries ... Following the recent exciting thread of AFI-related polls, these are the 22 pairs of heroes and villains from the same film (not just the same series or franchise) that were nominated for the American Film Institute Top 100 list of memorable screen-characters (those who made the list are marked with a *), which of them is the most memorable rivalry or pair of antagonistic characters? Discuss here Like Master Yoda, say it ... Which of these famous movie lines said backwards à la Master Yoda, the funniest, would sound? Here, discuss Favourite Criterion Collection title in the IMDb Top 250. The Criterion Collection is one of the most important film distribution companies in the world. They help to bring to light many classic films. Whether foreign or domestic and whether well-known or underrated, the CC helps to bring these movies to mainstream attention and appreciation, in the best editions possible. As such, what is your favourite CC film that is in the Top 250 on this site? Discuss here Best Cinematography Winners in IMDb Top 250 By selecting the best film stock, lens, filter, lighting, angle, movement, composition, etc., the cinematographers made wonderful images for these films and brought home the Academy Award for Best Achievement in Cinematography. With visually beautiful scenes the viewers are pulled into these films, which gives them a unique viewing experience. Which of these winners of the Academy Award for Best Achievement in Cinematography (in the IMDb Top 250 as of Aug 19, 2017) do you think has the best artistic images? You may discuss the poll here Also vote for: Best Original Screenplay Winners in IMDb Top 250 (by pere-25366) Best Adapted Screenplay Winners in IMDb Top 250 (by pere-25366) Poll Board Recommendations: The most quotable movie The mere fact that you're reading this tells me that you are a movie fan. Being movie fans, I'm sure we all quote movies from time to time. All of these movies and quotes were put forward by the poll board users as the movies we quote most often. Which movie do you find yourself quoting from most often? If your most quoted movie isn't included in this list, hop on over to the discussion board and let us know what it is. Best "Best Picture" 1950 - 1959 What is the best "best picture" winner of this decade? Discuss here I lived that heroic moment ... Because being a hero isn't just about saving a group of hostages from terrorists, freeing a city from invaders or putting the bad guys in jail. Indeed, sometimes heroism is simply about having the courage to raise your voice, to act according to your beliefs, to take all the chances, all the hits and still move forward ... to become later, an inspiration for your friends, your family, your peers etc. Since there is a little bit of Rocky, Spartacus and George Bailey in all of us, which of these 'heroic' moments have you lived at least once in your life? if you lived many of them, which one of the most intense and impacting in your life? Discuss here The Golden Age of Hollywood — The 1950s Which of these Golden Age of Hollywood movies of the 1950s from the IMDb Top 1000 list, is the most era-defining in your opinion? After voting, you may discuss the poll here. The 1940s << The Golden Age of Hollywood Best Picture Romances All the romances which won the Oscar for best picture. Discuss this list on this thread here The peasants are revolting Each of these film feature conflicts between the little guy vs. the big guy: Employee-Employer and rulers-citizens and minority-majority (in both directions). Which one of these films rings the loudest bell for you? Poll suggested by ur0312403. You may discuss this poll here. The Best Film About Informants This list contains films focusing on informers, whistleblowers, undercover cops and infiltrating spies. Which film about informants is your favorite? Discuss/Suggest at the Poll Suggestion Board! IMDb All-Time Top 250: Crime Only sixteen films have been ranked in every IMDb Top 250 year end list (1996-2016) and are categorized as part of the "crime" genre. Which of these films of the crime genre do you consider the best? After voting, you may discuss the poll here. Vote for Other Genres: Biography | Adventure Good brother, Bad brother movie combinations Which of these movie brothers, where one is good and the other bad have personalities of the starkest contrast? Discuss here The Vatican Film List: Values “Since the first public audience in Paris viewed the moving pictures prepared by the Lumière brothers in December 1895, the film industry has become a universal medium exercising a profound influence on the development of people’s attitudes and choices, and possessing a remarkable ability to influence public opinion and culture across all social and political frontiers.” Pope John Paul II In 1995, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of cinema, the Vatican compiled a list of 45 "great films". The 45 movies are divided into three categories: Religion, Values and Art. Which film of the Vatican film list 'Values' is the best because of its special moral value? You may discuss the poll here See also: The Vatican Film List: Religion — The Vatican Film List: Art Favorite score from AFI's 100 Years of Film Scores list? Discuss here. Best "Best Picture" - 1929 - 2009 Using the top 3 (or 4 depending on closeness) of each of the previous Best Picture Polls, which of them is the best so far? Vote on the others from here Discuss here Which is the Best Marlon Brando/Elia Kazan collaboration? Which is the best of the three films the talented Marlon Brando and Elia Kazan made together? Poll suggestion by Pencho15 Discuss this suggestion at http://www.imdb.com/board/bd0000088/flat/230164280 In 2007, a jury of 1,500 film artists, critics and historians, members of the American Film Institute determined that Citizen Kane (1941) remained the greatest movie of all time, followed by 99 American classics. Celebrating the 4th of July, which of the Top 25 Greatest American movies according to the AFI, is your favorite? After voting, you might discuss the list here AMC's Greatest Movies of All Time According to a public poll created by AMC, these are the top 35 of the 100 greatest movies of all-time as of October 2016. Which one of these do you think is the greatest? Discuss the poll here In honor of Labor Day! Labor Day in the United States is a holiday celebrated on the first Monday in September. It is a celebration of the American labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of workers. Which film related to the Labor Movement is your favorite? Discuss the list here
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List Of What Lists For Everything Good Relationship Tips How to Romance a Woman List Of Arts And Entertainment Newspapers In The US What Is Romance? 10 Great Holiday Gift Ideas [Ans] Who is the head of the executive branch of the U.S. government? January 11, 2019 Category: UncategorizedAuthor: master Who is the head of the executive branch of the U.S. government? The Executive Branch | whitehouse.gov Clipped from: https://www.whitehouse.gov/1600/executive-branch From the President, to the Vice President, to the Cabinet, learn more about the Executive Branch of the government of the United States. The power of the Executive Branch is vested in the President of the United States, who also acts as head of state and Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces. The President is responsible for implementing and enforcing the laws written by Congress and, to that end, appoints the heads of the federal agencies, including the Cabinet. The Vice President is also part of the Executive Branch, ready to assume the Presidency should the need arise. The Cabinet and independent federal agencies are responsible for the day-to-day enforcement and administration of federal laws. These departments and agencies have missions and responsibilities as widely divergent as those of the Department of Defense and the Environmental Protection Agency, the Social Security Administration and the Securities and Exchange Commission. Including members of the armed forces, the Executive Branch employs more than 4 million Americans. The President is both the head of state and head of government of the United States of America, and Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces. Under Article II of the Constitution, the President is responsible for the execution and enforcement of the laws created by Congress. Fifteen executive departments — each led by an appointed member of the President’s Cabinet — carry out the day-to-day administration of the federal government. They are joined in this by other executive agencies such as the CIA and Environmental Protection Agency, the heads of which are not part of the Cabinet, but who are under the full authority of the President. The President also appoints the heads of more than 50 independent federal commissions, such as the Federal Reserve Board or the Securities and Exchange Commission, as well as federal judges, ambassadors, and other federal offices. The Executive Office of the President (EOP) consists of the immediate staff to the President, along with entities such as the Office of Management and Budget and the Office of the United States Trade Representative. The President has the power either to sign legislation into law or to veto bills enacted by Congress, although Congress may override a veto with a two-thirds vote of both houses. The Executive Branch conducts diplomacy with other nations, and the President has the power to negotiate and sign treaties, which also must be ratified by two-thirds of the Senate. The President can issue executive orders, which direct executive officers or clarify and further existing laws. The President also has unlimited power to extend pardons and clemencies for federal crimes, except in cases of impeachment. With these powers come several responsibilities, among them a constitutional requirement to “from time to time give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their Consideration such Measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.” Although the President may fulfill this requirement in any way he or she chooses, Presidents have traditionally given a State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress each January (except in inaugural years) outlining their agenda for the coming year. The Constitution lists only three qualifications for the Presidency — the President must be 35 years of age, be a natural born citizen, and must have lived in the United States for at least 14 years. And though millions of Americans vote in a presidential election every four years, the President is not, in fact, directly elected by the people. Instead, on the first Tuesday in November of every fourth year, the people elect the members of the Electoral College. Apportioned by population to the 50 states — one for each member of their congressional delegation (with the District of Columbia receiving 3 votes) — these Electors then cast the votes for President. There are currently 538 electors in the Electoral College. President Donald J. Trump is the 45th President of the United States. He is, however, only the 44th person ever to serve as President; President Grover Cleveland served two nonconsecutive terms, and thus is recognized as both the 22nd and the 24th President. Today, the President is limited to two four-year terms, but until the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution, ratified in 1951, a President could serve an unlimited number of terms. Franklin Delano Roosevelt was elected President four times, serving from 1932 until his death in 1945; he is the only President ever to have served more than two terms. By tradition, the President and the First Family live in the White House in Washington, D.C., also the location of the President’s Oval Office and the offices of the his senior staff. When the President travels by plane, his aircraft is designated Air Force One; he may also use a Marine Corps helicopter, known as Marine One while the President is on board. For ground travel, the President uses an armored Presidential limousine. The Vice President The primary responsibility of the Vice President of the United States is to be ready at a moment’s notice to assume the Presidency if the President is unable to perform his duties. This can be because of the President’s death, resignation, or temporary incapacitation, or if the Vice President and a majority of the Cabinet judge that the President is no longer able to discharge the duties of the presidency. The Vice President is elected along with the President by the Electoral College — each elector casts one vote for President and another for Vice President. Before the ratification of the 12th Amendment in 1804, electors only voted for President, and the person who received the second greatest number of votes became Vice President. The Vice President also serves as the President of the United States Senate, where he or she casts the deciding vote in the case of a tie. Except in the case of tiebreaking votes, the Vice President rarely actually presides over the Senate. Instead, the Senate selects one of their own members, usually junior members of the majority party, to preside over the Senate each day. Michael R. Pence is the 48th Vice President of the United States. Of the 47 previous Vice Presidents, nine have succeeded to the Presidency, and four have been elected to the Presidency in their own right. The duties of the Vice President, outside of those enumerated in the Constitution, are at the discretion of the current President. Each Vice President approaches the role differently — some take on a specific policy portfolio, others serve simply as a top adviser to the President. The Vice President has an office in the West Wing of the White House, as well as in the nearby Eisenhower Executive Office Building. Like the President, he also maintains an official residence, at the United States Naval Observatory in Northwest Washington, D.C. This peaceful mansion, has been the official home of the Vice President since 1974 — previously, Vice Presidents had lived in their own private residences. The Vice President also has his own limousine, operated by the United States Secret Service, and flies on the same aircraft the President uses — but when the Vice President is aboard, the craft are referred to as Air Force Two and Marine Two. Every day, the President of the United States is faced with scores of decisions, each with important consequences for America’s future. To provide the President with the support that he or she needs to govern effectively, the Executive Office of the President (EOP) was created in 1939 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The EOP has responsibility for tasks ranging from communicating the President’s message to the American people to promoting our trade interests abroad. The EOP, overseen by the White House Chief of Staff, has traditionally been home to many of the President’s closest advisers. While Senate confirmation is required for some advisers, such as the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, most are appointed with full Presidential discretion. The individual offices that these advisors oversee have grown in size and number since the EOP was created. Some were formed by Congress, others as the President has needed them — they are constantly shifting as each President identifies his needs and priorities, with the current EOP employing over 1,800 people. Perhaps the most visible parts of the EOP are the White House Communications Office and Press Secretary’s Office. The Press Secretary provides daily briefings for the media on the President’s activities and agenda. Less visible to most Americans is the National Security Council, which advises the President on foreign policy, intelligence, and national security. There are also a number of offices responsible for the practicalities of maintaining the White House and providing logistical support for the President. These include the White House Military Office, which is responsible for services ranging from Air Force One to the dining facilities, and the Office of Presidential Advance, which prepares sites remote from the White House for the President’s arrival. Many senior advisors in the EOP work near the President in the West Wing of the White House. However, the majority of the staff is housed in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, just a few steps away and part of the White House compound. The Cabinet is an advisory body made up of the heads of the 15 executive departments. Appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate, the members of the Cabinet are often the President’s closest confidants. In addition to running major federal agencies, they play an important role in the Presidential line of succession — after the Vice President, Speaker of the House, and Senate President pro tempore, the line of succession continues with the Cabinet offices in the order in which the departments were created. All the members of the Cabinet take the title Secretary, excepting the head of the Justice Department, who is styled Attorney General. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) develops and executes policy on farming, agriculture, and food. Its aims include meeting the needs of farmers and ranchers, promoting agricultural trade and production, assuring food safety, protecting natural resources, fostering rural communities, and ending hunger in America and abroad. The USDA employs more than 100,000 employees and has an annual budget of approximately $95 billion. It consists of 17 agencies, including the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, the Food and Nutrition Service, and the Forest Service. The bulk of the department’s budget goes towards mandatory programs that provide services required by law, such as programs designed to provide nutrition assistance, promote agricultural exports, and conserve our environment. The USDA also plays an important role in overseas aid programs by providing surplus foods to developing countries. The United States Secretary of Agriculture administers the USDA. The Department of Commerce is the government agency tasked with improving living standards for all Americans by promoting economic development and technological innovation. The department supports U.S. business and industry through a number of services, including gathering economic and demographic data, issuing patents and trademarks, improving understanding of the environment and oceanic life, and ensuring the effective use of scientific and technical resources. The agency also formulates telecommunications and technology policy, and promotes U.S. exports by assisting and enforcing international trade agreements. The Secretary of Commerce oversees a $6.5 billion budget and approximately 38,000 employees. The mission of the Department of Defense (DOD) is to provide the military forces needed to deter war and to protect the security of our country. The department’s headquarters is at the Pentagon. The DOD consists of the Departments of the Army, Navy, and Air Force, as well as many agencies, offices, and commands, including the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Pentagon Force Protection Agency, the National Security Agency, and the Defense Intelligence Agency. The DOD occupies the vast majority of the Pentagon building in Arlington, VA. The Department of Defense is the largest government agency, with more than 1.3 million men and women on active duty, nearly 700,000 civilian personnel, and 1.1 million citizens who serve in the National Guard and Reserve forces. Together, the military and civilian arms of DOD protect national interests through war-fighting, providing humanitarian aid, and performing peacekeeping and disaster relief services. The mission of the Department of Education is to promote student achievement and preparation for competition in a global economy by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access to educational opportunity. The Department administers federal financial aid for education, collects data on America’s schools to guide improvements in education quality, and works to complement the efforts of state and local governments, parents, and students. The U.S. Secretary of Education oversees the Department’s 4,200 employees and $68.6 billion budget. The mission of the Department of Energy (DOE) is to advance the national, economic, and energy security of the United States. The DOE promotes America’s energy security by encouraging the development of reliable, clean, and affordable energy. It administers federal funding for scientific research to further the goal of discovery and innovation — ensuring American economic competitiveness and improving the quality of life for Americans. The DOE is also tasked with ensuring America’s nuclear security, and with protecting the environment by providing a responsible resolution to the legacy of nuclear weapons production. The United States Secretary of Energy oversees a budget of approximately $23 billion and more than 100,000 federal and contract employees. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is the United States government’s principal agency for protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human services, especially for those who are least able to help themselves. Agencies of HHS conduct health and social science research, work to prevent disease outbreaks, assure food and drug safety, and provide health insurance. In addition to administering Medicare and Medicaid, which together provide health insurance to one in four Americans, HHS also oversees the National Institutes of Health, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Centers for Disease Control. The Secretary of Health and Human Services oversees a budget of approximately $700 billion and approximately 65,000 employees. The Department’s programs are administered by 11 operating divisions, including 8 agencies in the U.S. Public Health Service and 3 human services agencies. The missions of the Department of Homeland Security are to prevent and disrupt terrorist attacks; protect the American people, our critical infrastructure, and key resources; and respond to and recover from incidents that do occur. The third largest Cabinet department, DHS was established by the Homeland Security Act of 2002, largely in response to the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. The new department consolidated 22 executive branch agencies, including the U.S. Customs Service, the U.S. Coast Guard, the U.S. Secret Service, the Transportation Security Administration, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. DHS employs 216,000 people in its mission to patrol borders, protect travelers and our transportation infrastructure, enforce immigration laws, and respond to disasters and emergencies. The agency also promotes preparedness and emergency prevention among citizens. Policy is coordinated by the Homeland Security Council at the White House, in cooperation with other defense and intelligence agencies, and led by the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is the federal agency responsible for national policies and programs that address America’s housing needs, that improve and develop the nation’s communities, and that enforce fair housing laws. The Department plays a major role in supporting homeownership for lower- and moderate-income families through its mortgage insurance and rent subsidy programs. Offices within HUD include the Federal Housing Administration, which provides mortgage and loan insurance; the Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, which ensures all Americans equal access to the housing of their choice; and the Community Development Block Grant Program, which helps communities with economic development, job opportunities, and housing rehabilitation. HUD also administers public housing and homeless assistance. The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development oversees approximately 9,000 employees on a budget of approximately $40 billion. The Department of the Interior (DOI) is the nation’s principal conservation agency. Its mission is to protect America’s natural resources, offer recreation opportunities, conduct scientific research, conserve and protect fish and wildlife, and honor our trust responsibilities to American Indians, Alaskan Natives, and our responsibilities to island communities. DOI manages 500 million acres of surface land, or about one-fifth of the land in the United States, and manages hundreds of dams and reservoirs. Agencies within the DOI include the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Minerals Management Service, and the U.S. Geological Survey. The DOI manages the national parks and is tasked with protecting endangered species. The Secretary of the Interior oversees about 70,000 employees and 200,000 volunteers on a budget of approximately $16 billion. Every year it raises billions in revenue from energy, mineral, grazing, and timber leases, as well as recreational permits and land sales. The mission of the Department of Justice (DOJ) is to enforce the law and defend the interests of the United States according to the law; to ensure public safety against threats foreign and domestic; to provide federal leadership in preventing and controlling crime; to seek just punishment for those guilty of unlawful behavior; and to ensure fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans. The DOJ is comprised of 40 component organizations, including the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Marshals, and the Federal Bureau of Prisons. The Attorney General is the head of the DOJ and chief law enforcement officer of the federal government. The Attorney General represents the United States in legal matters, advises the President and the heads of the executive departments of the government, and occasionally appears in person before the Supreme Court. With a budget of approximately $25 billion, the DOJ is the world’s largest law office and the central agency for the enforcement of federal laws. The Department of Labor oversees federal programs for ensuring a strong American workforce. These programs address job training, safe working conditions, minimum hourly wage and overtime pay, employment discrimination, and unemployment insurance. The Department of Labor’s mission is to foster and promote the welfare of the job seekers, wage earners, and retirees of the United States by improving their working conditions, advancing their opportunities for profitable employment, protecting their retirement and health care benefits, helping employers find workers, strengthening free collective bargaining, and tracking changes in employment, prices, and other national economic measurements. Offices within the Department of Labor include the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the federal government’s principal statistics agency for labor economics, and the Occupational Safety & Health Administration, which promotes the safety and health of America’s working men and women. The Secretary of Labor oversees 15,000 employees on a budget of approximately $50 billion. The Department of State plays the lead role in developing and implementing the President’s foreign policy. Major responsibilities include United States representation abroad, foreign assistance, foreign military training programs, countering international crime, and a wide assortment of services to U.S. citizens and foreign nationals seeking entrance to the U.S. The U.S. maintains diplomatic relations with approximately 180 countries — each posted by civilian U.S. Foreign Service employees — as well as with international organizations. At home, more than 5,000 civil employees carry out the mission of the Department. The Secretary of State serves as the President’s top foreign policy adviser, and oversees 30,000 employees and a budget of approximately $35 billion. The mission of the Department of Transportation (DOT) is to ensure a fast, safe, efficient, accessible and convenient transportation system that meets our vital national interests and enhances the quality of life of the American people. Organizations within the DOT include the Federal Highway Administration, the Federal Aviation Administration, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Federal Transit Administration, the Federal Railroad Administration and the Maritime Administration. The U.S. Secretary of Transportation oversees approximately 55,000 employees and a budget of approximately $70 billion. The Department of the Treasury is responsible for promoting economic prosperity and ensuring the soundness and security of the U.S. and international financial systems. The Department operates and maintains systems that are critical to the nation’s financial infrastructure, such as the production of coin and currency, the disbursement of payments to the American public, the collection of taxes, and the borrowing of funds necessary to run the federal government. The Department works with other federal agencies, foreign governments, and international financial institutions to encourage global economic growth, raise standards of living, and, to the extent possible, predict and prevent economic and financial crises. The Treasury Department also performs a critical and far-reaching role in enhancing national security by improving the safeguards of our financial systems, implementing economic sanctions against foreign threats to the U.S., and identifying and targeting the financial support networks of national security threats. The Secretary of the Treasury oversees a budget of approximately $13 billion and a staff of more than 100,000 employees. The Department of Veterans Affairs is responsible for administering benefit programs for veterans, their families, and their survivors. These benefits include pension, education, disability compensation, home loans, life insurance, vocational rehabilitation, survivor support, medical care, and burial benefits. Veterans Affairs became a cabinet-level department in 1989. Of the 25 million veterans currently alive, nearly three of every four served during a war or an official period of hostility. About a quarter of the nation’s population — approximately 70 million people — are potentially eligible for V.A. benefits and services because they are veterans, family members, or survivors of veterans. The Secretary of Veterans Affairs oversees a budget of approximately $90 billion and a staff of approximately 235,000 employees. OldPhone – Antique Phones, Parts, and More What Is The ONLY U.S. State Whose Official State Song Was A #1 Hit On The Billboard Charts? [Ans] The fortune-telling die inside the Magic 8-ball toy is an icosahedron, meaning it has how many sides? – thebreakingtrends.club [Answer] [Ans] In the classic Rocky and Bullwinkle cartoon, Rocky is what type of animal? [Answer] How much money does the Treasury Department print every day? [Answer] Women currently make up what fraction of the U.S. Supreme Court? List Of Funeral Flowers For Soldiers List Of Funny Icebreakers For Meetings List Of Free Websites To Create Your Own Blog Or Business Site On Online Photo Album Reviews List List Of Arts And Entertainment Newspapers In The US By City Cosmetic Product List Simple List Of National Parks In America List Of Blood Thinners: Generic And Brand Names: Anticoagulents 10 Great Holiday Gift Ideas For 2019 List Of Toothless Dragon Toys List Of 10 Top Food Delivery Box Services With Recipes List Of Restaurant Types Or Cuisine Types List Of Famous Blog Sites Odds Of Dying By Gender And Age List Of Famous Fairy Tale Characters
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10 Crazy Facts About Camels Nolan Moore November 19, 2013 0 No, this list isn’t about cigarettes. We’re talking about camels, the ships of the desert. These iconic, even-toed ungulates are synonymous with hardiness, humps, and horrible B.O. They might be ungainly and ugly, but camels have been helping humans for over 3,000 years, carrying our gear and taking us places no horse could ever go. 10Camel Brigades When the ancient world went to war, they always took along a few camels. The Persians, the Seleucids, the Greeks, and the Romans all rode on camels when conquering their foes, but the animals didn’t disappear in the modern age. Camel warfare continued through the 20th century—and they fought in some pretty surprising places. In March 1855, the US Congress passed the Shield Amendment, a bizarre bill which provided $30,000 for the War Department to buy camels. The idea was to use them in the deserts of the American Southwest. Thirty-three dromedaries, as well as three Arabic and two Turkish trainers, were taken to Camp Verde, Texas, where they surveyed roads and explored the Big Bend. Eventually, they went to Fort Tejon, California, where they carried supplies and military dispatches. They even served as pack animals in the Civil War, and 80 of them were captured by Confederate troops. However, soldiers eventually got sick of the camels’ bad smell and worse tempers, and they were released into the wilderness. Camels also saw action in World War I. The Imperial Camel Corps, made up of Brits, Australians, and New Zealanders, fought against the Turks in the Sinai desert. However, these “camaliers” didn’t fight from the saddle. Once the beasts were barraked (made to kneel down), one man would care for 16 camels at a time, allowing the other troops to fight on foot. Once the Allies reached the grassier terrain of northern Palestine, horses became more practical, and the majority of the ICC was disbanded in June 1918. But even today, camels are still putting their lives on the line as they help the Bedouin desert forces protect Jordan from smugglers and any other baddies who want to cross the border. 9The Legend Of Red Ghost After the US military released its camels, the animals spread across the Southwest, eventually dying out by 1934. However, from time to time, people still claim to see the camels wandering in the distance, and the desert is full of spooky stories of spectral camels like the Red Ghost and his undead rider. In 1883, an Arizona woman was found stomped to death surrounded by weird hoof prints and strange red fur. Soon after, two miners awoke to find a massive red creature standing in their tent. Several close encounters later, people realized they were dealing with a camel, but there was something unsettling about the beast. People claimed the Red Ghost carried a headless rider. Some speculated he was a young soldier whose comrades had tied him to the dromedary’s back to help him conquer his fear of camels. Unfortunately, the animal galloped away, and the two began haunting the Arizona wastelands (though nobody mentions how he lost his head). In 1893, the camel was shot by an irate farmer who didn’t care for ghosts lunching in his garden. But when he inspected the corpse, its rider was gone. Perhaps it had fallen off . . . but to this day, people still claim they’ve seen the Red Ghost and the headless camalier, roaming across the Arizona desert. 8The Wild Bactrians The wild Bactrians of Eastern Asia are the only wild camels in the entire world. Sure, Australia is full of dromedaries, but they’re feral rather than wild, and while there are plenty of domesticated Bactrians, these ones are a separate species that have never been tamed. Wild Bactrians are also among the toughest creatures in existence, perfectly adapted to survive in Mad Max-style post-apocalyptic badlands. Wild Bactrians only live in two places on the planet. Some are located in Mongolia’s Great Gobi Strictly Protected Area (which, by the way, is strictly protected) while the rest live on the Arjin Shan Lop Nur nature reserve in China’s Xinjiang province. This is pretty impressive considering the Chinese tested their nukes there in the ’50s. It’s basically an irradiated wasteland, but the camels don’t mind. Wild Bactrians also have kidneys that’d make any rock star jealous. There isn’t much fresh water in these regions, so these guys get by slurping from salty springs. That’s right—these camels drink saltwater. Even domesticated Bactrians won’t touch the stuff. Sadly, wild Bactrians are even more endangered than the giant panda. As of 2010, there were at most 950 left in the wild, largely thanks to nature’s oldest enemy, man. While the Gobi Protected Area is supposed to be human-free, miners ignore the “No Trespassing” signs in their quest for gold, and when they get hungry, they kill a few camels. In Lop Nur, poachers place explosives around salty springs, and when the camels come in for a drink . . . boom goes the dynamite. Drought and wolves are also taking their toll, and scientists estimate the wild Bactrians will disappear in just a few years. Some conservationist groups hope to breed wild Bactrians with domestic ones to save the species, while others want to establish captive breeding programs to keep the bloodlines pure. Hopefully, they’ll find a solution soon, so the wild Bactrian can keep on being the world’s toughest camel. 7The World’s Largest Meal You’re probably fine with eating cows and chickens, but what about camels? The idea probably makes you nauseous, but in the Middle East, camel meat is a delicacy, and the hump is the best part. It’s pretty much 100 percent fat, so it’s nice and tender. However, it’s important to eat your camels young as the old ones are pretty stringy. You don’t have to travel to the Middle East for a camel snack though. Some British restaurants sell camel burgers, and since Australia is crawling with the critters, there’s quite a market for camel meat. Restaurants serve camel sausage, mince, and steaks to hundreds of hungry Aussies. It’s a win-win situation for everyone (except the camels) as their meat is healthier than beef and fewer camels helps preserve the Australian environment. Another place you’ll find camel meat is in the Guinness Book of World Records. According to Guinness, the world’s biggest meal (served at Bedouin wedding feasts) involves a roasted camel . . . and that’s just one ingredient. First, cooked eggs are stuffed into fish, and then the fish are stuffed into chickens. The chickens are stuffed into a sheep, and finally the sheep is stuffed into a camel. Voila! The world’s largest meal! Anyone hungry? 6Camel’s Milk Got camel milk? It might seem gross, but camel milk is amazing stuff. It’s closer to human milk than any other milk in nature, and it has 10 times more iron and three times more vitamin C than cow’s milk. And if you’re lactose intolerant, you can drink it without any problems. Camel milk is served across the globe, and is enjoyed by the rich and poor alike. The Ritz-Carlton in Abu Dhabi serves creamy camel milkshakes, and this frosty treat is popular with Muslims during Ramadan as it provides plenty of nutrients to help them through their daily fast. Kenyans also appreciate a glass of camel milk, but for them, it’s a matter of survival. East Africa has been struggling with a horrible drought, the worst in six decades, and farmers are exchanging their cattle for camels. They can go long periods of time without water, and they provide sustenance when the cows are all dried up. Camel milk is also used for medicinal purposes and has been for hundreds of years. In Kazakhstan, camel milk is used to treat tuberculosis, and African doctors use it to provide nutrition to people with HIV/AIDS. According to the Bikaner Diabetes Care and Research Center, camel milk reduces the amount of insulin injections needed by diabetes patients, which is helpful in countries where people can’t afford professional treatment. And some even say camel milk can help the autistic live better lives. So why hasn’t camel milk hit American shelves? It used to be illegal to sell camel milk in the US, but the FDA finally OK’d the beverage in 2009. However, the government refuses to pay for testing, so it looks like Americans will have to wait a little longer before they can wash down their cookies with creamy, cold camel’s milk. 5The Camel Virus Nobody wants to get sick, but catching a disease from a camel of all things? It doesn’t get much worse than that. In 2012, a virus known as MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome) appeared in Saudi Arabia and has since spread to other Middle Eastern countries like Qatar, Jordan, and the UAE. MERS has even made its way to Europe, infecting people in France, Italy, and the UK. Those unlucky enough to catch this coronavirus develop respiratory illness, which leads to fever, coughing, and difficulty breathing. At first, scientists weren’t sure how some victims contracted MERS. They knew it was jumping from person to person, but they also found cases where patients hadn’t been near a human carrier, leading them to conclude some unlucky animal was an unwitting host. But which one? Doctors experimented on livestock from various countries, testing them for antibodies. If the scientists discovered antibodies meant to fight “spike,” a protein in the coronavirus, then they’d found the source. It turned out that retired racing camels were the culprits. The camels were infected by bats and then spread the virus to their trainers. While MERS is no Black Death, it’s pretty dangerous. As of October 25, 2013, 62 of the 144 infected had died. Hopefully scientists can develop a cure, or this camel virus might well end up making Captain Trips look like chicken pox. 4The Camel Mobile Library The area outside of Garissa, Kenya has the sad distinction of the highest illiteracy rate in the nation. While the national illiteracy rate is 31 percent, a depressing 85 percent of north-eastern Kenyans can’t read or write. The people in this region are mostly nomadic and many are destitute, so instead of buying books, they spend their time and money on food and shelter. Of course, without the ability to read, they’re trapped in a vicious cycle of poverty. And that’s where the Camel Mobile Library comes to the rescue. Formed by the Kenya National Library Service in 1996, the Camel Mobile Library provides books to students and adults in hard-to-reach places. Camels are well suited for the arid landscape, and they can haul quite a few paperbacks. Monday through Thursday, librarians set out with three camels apiece. The first camel hauls two boxes full of books, 200 in each. The second totes a tent, and the third carries anything else the librarian might need. The libraries visit 12 locations (which are always different as their patrons are nomadic), where they find children eagerly waiting to check out new books. The librarians set the books out on mats, and let the children take two apiece. Then they pack their wares and set off the next location, promising to return in two weeks. For the most part, the adults and children who frequent the Camel Mobile Library aren’t reading for pleasure. Students check out textbooks to study for their exams, and the library specifically provides books to correspond with what the kids are learning in school. They also provide books for adults learning to read and to those living in refugee camps. It’s weird to think that people’s lives are being changed for the better by these slobbery, humpbacked beasts. 3Camel Dung And World War II World War II soldiers used a variety of weapons, including machine guns, hand grenades, and . . . camel poo? Surprisingly, camel droppings played a small but important role in the North African Campaign. For some bizarre reason, German tank operators believed they’d have good luck if they drove over piles of camel poop. Once the Allies learned of this weird Nazi ritual, they started making mines that looked like camel dung. After a couple of panzers exploded, the Nazis figured out what was going on and started only running over dung that had already been plowed over by other vehicles. Once the Allies figured out their new good luck charm, they started building new dung mines—complete with tread marks. The British also found camel feces useful when it came to camouflage. When they mixed the droppings into their paint, it created the perfect color for disguising their gear. So when they weren’t fighting Nazis, British soldiers spent their time following camels around with bags at the ready. While it might seem like the camels favored the Allies, they also aided the Axis powers. Dysentery was a major threat on the front lines, but the Nazis learned that local Africans had an effective cure . . . fresh camel droppings. Scientists discovered that the feces were filled with Bacillus subtilis, bacteria which killed the dysentery-causing germs. So since the Nazis didn’t want to number two themselves to death (a horrible way to go), they decided to chow down on “camel apples.” Delicious. 2Camel Wrestling Let’s shift gears and talk about Tulus, woolly hybrids of the Bactrian and the dromedary. While Tulus might look fuzzy and huggable, they’re actually hardcore athletes who practice the ancient martial art of camel wrestling, and every third Sunday in January, they battle along Turkey’s Aegean cost. The camels are dressed in brightly colored cloths complete with pompons and wooden saddles. In addition to the outfits, they’re given crazy names like Thunderbolt, Black Ali, and Jackal, or even Obama and Rambo. The day before the match, the Tulus are paraded through the streets, strutting their stuff while music plays. On the day of the fight, the camels are led into an amphitheater where wealthy fans make big bets and spectators buy camel sausages or commemorative shawls. When it’s time to fight, the trainers pull the camels into each other, sparking an all-out war. If a camel falls to the ground, runs from the ring, or screams, he loses and the fight is over. Every camel has its own style. Some attack from the right and some from the left. Some trip their opponents, others use headlocks, and some try to sit on their enemy’s head. However, biting is illegal, and there’s always an umpire to make sure nobody’s cheating. Most fights end with a tie, but when there’s a winner, the owners get a beautiful carpet as a prize. While exciting, animal blood sports are inherently cruel. The government of Turkey also has problems with the event, although they’re more embarrassed for the nation’s image than the camels’ well-being. But even though the sport’s popularity is waning among the youth, there’s still a loyal fan base, and in the wrestling community, champions (both owners and animals) are superstars on the level of Mike Tyson. Like all animal blood sports, this game has deep roots, and it probably won’t go away anytime soon. 1Camel Beauty Contests Ask most people to describe a camel, and you might hear “goofy,” “ugly,” or “has a rich tobacco taste,” but you probably won’t hear anyone say “beautiful.” Not unless you’re in the United Arab Emirates that is. Every year, thousands of spectators attend the Al-Dhafra Camel Festival, and the biggest draw is the camel beauty contest. The pageant features over 25,000 camels and attracts kings and sheikhs from across the region. Winners take home brand new Chevy pickups and sell their camels for millions of dollars. Judges look for specific qualities in prize winning camels. Some of the desirable traits include floppy lips, an elegant hump, nice whiskers, good ears, a proper amount of space between the toes, sturdy legs, a long neck, and a large head (the most important part). If you’re thinking about entering, be sure to keep your camel out of the sun, as the heat will ruin its complexion. Also, you should probably enter a female as they’re considered more attractive. And to make sure everything is above board, you’ll have to swear a religious oath promising to tell the truth about your livestock’s age and lineage. While the Al-Dhafra Camel Festival might seem a bit strange, it’s very significant to the Bedouin people. Their relationship with camels dates back to ancient times, and these contests also foster tribal pride. Most importantly, these beauty contests preserve the bloodlines of purebred breeds and protect ancient customs from disappearing in the modern age. It’s not exactly Miss Universe, but at least it’s got good intentions. Nolan Moore once rode a dromedary at the county fair which makes him an expert on all things camel. 10 Extinct Animals That Science Could Bring Back From The Dead 10 Disturbing Stories Of Interspecies Sex 10 Animals That May Not Be As Extinct As We Thought They Were Top 10 Unusual Ways People Have Survived Bear Attacks
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The Great Maple Syrup Heist Posted Monday, Jan 21, 2013 January 2013, from Bloomberg Businessweek, Global Economics The Great Canadian Maple Syrup By Brendan Borrell The Photo Essay. On the morning of July 30, 2012, an accountant named Michel Gauvreau arrived at the Global Strategic Maple Syrup Reserve, housed in a huge red brick warehouse on the side of the Trans-Canadian Highway in Saint-Louis-de-Blandford, about two hours northeast of Montreal. Inside, baby-blue barrels of maple syrup were stacked six high in rows hundreds deep. Full, each barrel weighs about 620 pounds. With grade A syrup trading at about $32 per gallon, that adds up to $1,800 a barrel, approximately 13 times the price of crude oil. The fiscal year was coming to a close, and the Federation of Québec Maple Syrup Producers had hired Gauvreau's company, Veragrimar, to audit its inventory. Québec dominates the maple syrup market, and since 2002 the Federation has operated as a legal cartel, setting production quotas and prices, authorizing buyers, and stockpiling syrup. There were around 16,000 barrels here, about one-tenth of Québec's annual production. The gap between the rows was barely wide enough to walk through, and the rubber soles of Gauvreau's steel-tip boots stuck to the sugar-coated concrete floor. He scaled a row of barrels and was nearing the top of the stack when one of them rocked with his weight. He nearly fell. Regaining his balance, he rattled the barrel: It was light because it was empty. He soon found others that were empty. After notifying the Federation's leaders and returning with them to examine the stockpile, they unscrewed the cap on a full barrel. The liquid inside was not goopy, brown, or redolent with the wintry scent of vanilla, caramel, and childhood; it was thin, clear, and odorless. It was water. The Federation would need two months to tally the losses to the stockpile. Sixty percent, or 6 million pounds of syrup, had vanished, worth about $18 million wholesale. The bold and baffling heist counts as one of the largest agricultural thefts ever, dwarfing the 860 head of cattle snatched in Queensland, Australia, last spring and the potato patches the size of a football field that were dug up in British Columbia in August. Siphoning off and transporting so much syrup was no mean feat. It would have taken more than 100 tractor-trailers. "To steal that amount of maple syrup means you have to know the market," says Simon Trépanier, acting director of the Federation. "We are talking about big players." See the Bloomberg video on the inside story. The theft was also an existential threat to the Federation, which had viewed its growing strategic reserves as the final step in stabilizing prices, locking in buyers, and ensuring loyalty from its producers. For the past decade it had struggled to overcome opposition to its reign in a series of legal battles the local media had christened "The Maple Wars." Some observers have suggested that their attempts to control the syrup supply had, in fact, catalyzed an underground economy. "With the benefit of hindsight, this is something you would have expected," says Marc Van Audenrode, an economist with the Analysis Group in Montreal, who has studied the industry. Indeed, the syrup trail soon led to free-market renegades inside and outside the province who opposed what was, in their view, a Communist program. It wasn't just about syrup, or money. It was a miniature Canadian Cold War. Maple syrup may not rank among Canada's most financially important agricultural exports, but nothing says "Eh!" quite like a liter of boiled-down tree sap. Ten species of maple, including the sugar maple, are native to Canada. By the early 19th century the multipointed leaf had become a popular icon for French-Canadians living in the Saint-Lawrence Valley; it wasn't long before the leaf became a national symbol featured on coins, military uniforms, and eventually the country's flag. When Prime Minister Stephen Harper travels abroad, his gift bag for foreign leaders includes a selection of the country's finest maple syrup. It remains both a national point of pride and a durable punch line. At Canadian markets, you can find maple sugar, maple butter, maple pork rub, maple vinaigrette, maple coffee, maple tea, and, as of last year, maple perfume. Syrup production occurs between February and April, on the 20 to 25 days when the temperature rises above freezing, creating pressure that forces the energy-rich sap--which is about 3 percent sugar--out of a tap hole in the trunks of maple trees. On a recent morning, Philippe Turcotte, 39, an affable man with a speckling of gray in his goatee and mustache, took an ATV tour of his family's 12,000-tree sugarbush in Drummondville, Québec. A tangle of plastic tubes stretches from tree to tree, converging on a vacuum pump in a wooden shack at the back of their property. From that shack, the thin sap gets pumped about half a mile over the hill to a barn, where reverse-osmosis raises sugar concentration to 14 percent. Then Turcotte fires up his $25,000 stainless steel Dallaire evaporator--model name: L'Enfer ("Hell")--and boils the syrup until it reaches a sugar concentration of exactly 66 percent. For 2012, Québec estimated maple syrup production of 96.1 million pounds, which has a wholesale value of about $270 million. Approximately two-thirds of bulk exports head to the U.S., with the rest going to Japan, Germany, France, the U.K., and other countries. For most producers, maple syrup is either a hobby, a second career, or a source of retirement income, but their investment and revenue are not trivial. Turcotte's sugarbush can produce 35,000 pounds of syrup each year, worth about $100,000, but it's going to be many years before he pays off his equipment improvements. Turcotte, who also works for the telecommunications company Bell Canada (BCE), says he would not be where he is today were it not for the Federation. "They took this industry out of the backwoods," he says. "For myself, business has never flourished so much." Early on, maple syrup producers banded together in this region to form trade groups and develop joint marketing plans. In 1989 the Agriculture and Food Marketing Board in Québec, which sets regulations and arbitrates legal disputes, oversaw a vote that empowered the Federation alone to set the rules for the production and marketing of maple syrup throughout the province. Over the next 10 years, the number of tapped trees increased from 20 million to 35 million. The short production season often resulted in price fluctuations, and by 2000 supply had also outpaced demand: Syrup prices fell to C$1.56 ($1.57) per pound from C$2.20 in 1998. Producers were unable to get bank loans or invest in new equipment. In 2002 and 2003 the Federation created a central sales agency and a quota system for bulk sales. Producers obtained their quota based on their two best production years. The rules have nudged the wholesale price up from an average of C$2.06 per pound in 2002 to C$2.82 today, but the province's 7,300 producers also have to pay their dues: C12¢ per pound sold. For the 20th anniversary of the cartel, in 2010, the Federation's enthusiastic young inspector, Mathieu Audy, penned an ode: "With the principles of unity, solidarity, and social justice, producers have pursued their common interest and traveled the countryside in search of consensus!" It sounds better in French. Solidarity to some, however, is devilish centralized planning to others. If you live in Québec and want to tap a maple tree to sell syrup wholesale, you either have to buy land from someone who has been granted an allocation or apply for a new allocation from the Federation, an uncertain process that could take years. Twelve hundred producers are on the waiting list. Producers are free to exceed their quota, but they'd only get paid once the Federation's entire inventory was exhausted. They're also on the hook for storage fees. The quota also calls for intrusive oversight at times. For instance, if a producer fails to sell to the Federation one year, Audy or his peers could ask him to provide electricity bills to prove he wasn't boiling syrup. Buyers and producers caught circumventing the system are hit with hefty fines. "We have a rotten system in Québec," gripes Roland Champagne, a producer in Inverness. In the woods, a rebellion started. Nevertheless, by the summer of 2012, the Federation had largely prevailed over its malcontents and was nearing a milestone that would cement its dominance. To fully stabilize prices, actuaries calculated that the Federation needed to maintain reserves of 40 million pounds of syrup, and the Federation was building a facility to accommodate that. Meantime, it had begun stashing its surplus syrup at a rented warehouse in Saint-Louis-de-Blandford. The only security was a guard who was supposed to stop by each day. Etienne St. Pierre, a 69-year-old widower, has lived his entire life in Kedgwick, New Brunswick, a working-class logging town 100 miles from Maine surrounded by mixed evergreen forest in the northernmost remnants of the Appalachian Mountains. His great-grandfather settled here in 1905 as part of a land grant program; today, his four brothers and two sisters all have houses along one short stretch of Route 17. After retiring as a mechanic in the early 1990s, St. Pierre started a sugar farm producing about 65,000 pounds of syrup each year and selling it to Québec. But for three straight years, from 1993 to 1995, he lost about half of his sales as one buyer after another declared bankruptcy. He decided that if anything went wrong, he'd rather be the one declaring bankruptcy. He sold his sugarbush to his only son and set up shop in an office attached to his home, launching SK Export in 2002 to package and ship syrup. His business plan was simple: Avoid the Federation and sell directly to distributors in the U.S. In the first year he exported thousands of barrels of New Brunswick syrup to Maple Grove Farms of Vermont, whose syrups, candies, and baking mixes sell at Wal-Mart Stores (WMT), Safeway (SWY), and other chains. In 2006 he sent advertisements to producers in Québec, promising 25 percent to 50 percent cash. "Our system is very confidential," one flyer noted. "St. Pierre is a very honest person and very well known in the region," said another. St. Pierre's opinion is that Québec's provincial rules don't apply to him. "As soon as you cross into New Brunswick, the Federation can do nothing. There's no border. No duty," he says. The Federation begged to differ. On April 17 an undercover investigator working for the Federation--and operating under the dashing alias Jacques Leblond--phoned St. Pierre, asking if he'd buy four barrels of Québec syrup. Mais oui, said St. Pierre. The next day, Leblond's partner drove four barrels from the stockpile to New Brunswick. St. Pierre graded his syrup and assigned Leblond a confidential number, 95, by which he would be identified. One month later, Leblond received a check for C$3,550.65 made out to Buyer 95. That was less than the Federation would have paid, but the payment came promptly. The Federation expanded the investigation the following year, discovering more about St. Pierre's trade network. Québec producers were shipping thousands of barrels of syrup to St. Pierre via a remote farm, where the owner earned a dime for every pound it stored. One couple, Jean-Pierre and Lise Caron, ignored the quota system and sold St. Pierre their entire annual production in 2005 and 2006. The Federation demanded that St. Pierre pay C$264,166 in damages and submit all his bank statements from 2004 to 2008. St. Pierre, a mellow man who dons a navy shirt and slacks to work each day, ignored this and other demands, believing the Federation is not entitled to any money. His second-in-command, Julienne Bossé, took a stronger tack: She scribbled her response on a subpoena and faxed it back to the Federation. "F-?-?- you gang of A-holes," she wrote. "Ha! Ha! Ha! ... We will keep buying maple syrup forever." In another letter, she taunted the Federation for continuing to get the address of SK Export wrong and helpfully provided a creatively spelled alternative: "7348 Rue Funck You." When Bossé wasn't penning screeds to the Federation, she helped make syrup-filled chocolate maple leaves and melt-in-your-mouth maple meringues for sale in the gift shop. After the Federation reported the theft from the Strategic Reserve to the Québec provincial police, known as the Sûreté du Québec, the agency began a vast investigation that would involve interviews with nearly 300 people in the industry, reviews of export statistics, and forensic analyses of syrup kettles, forklifts, and scales, tracing two-thirds of the stolen syrup to companies in New Brunswick, Québec, Ontario, and the U.S. At 10 a.m. on Sept. 25, Etienne St. Pierre was in his usual navy-blue outfit, working in the office after a recent scouting trip to China, when two police officers from the Sûreté du Québec arrived with a search warrant. Bossé knew their Québec warrant was no good in New Brunswick; at one point she says she pretended to wipe her derrière with it, gave the police the bird, and locked the side door. When the officers went to another door and asked for the keys to the warehouse, she snatched them from St. Pierre and tucked them into her ample bosom. The police relented, returning that evening at 11 with a stamp of approval from a New Brunswick judge, but they still had to pry open the warehouse door with a crowbar. Inside, St. Pierre had more than a million dollars' worth of syrup. The next day he told the authorities that about 700 to 800 barrels came from Richard Vallières, one of Québec's most notorious "barrel-rollers," an unauthorized middleman who had run afoul of the Federation in the past and paid thousands of dollars in fines. The police seized St. Pierre's forklift, his confidential list of suppliers, and all his syrup for forensic analysis. The next month they took between 75 and 100 barrels from an unmarked warehouse near Québec City that Vallières had rented to stash and cook fermented syrup. Neighbors said they frequently smelled the maple wafting across the parking lot, and Vallières made no attempt to hide his operation. In early November, I met Vallières in Kedgwick, where he was keeping a low profile, regularly lunching with St. Pierre and establishing his own sugarbush. A chubby, nervous guy in his 30s with a six o'clock shadow and a baseball cap, he was willing to speak only for a few minutes through the open window of his idling pickup truck. He owed back rent on the warehouse and hadn't returned to it since the raid. He said he typically bought from producers who had exceeded their quota but couldn't guarantee that purloined syrup didn't pass through his hands, and he had no idea who could have carried out the theft. Five weeks later, on Dec. 18, as snow blanketed the Saint-Lawrence Valley, the Sûreté du Québec arrested Vallières at his home near Québec City, charging him with conspiring with five others to commit the theft at the warehouse and sell the stolen maple syrup. TV cameras filmed him being hauled into the courthouse in handcuffs. One member of the gang had rented space in the same warehouse, merely moving the syrup from one section of the warehouse to another and out the other loading dock. In total, prosecutors have charged 22 suspects, including St. Pierre, who is accused of knowingly possessing and trafficking the stolen syrup. St. Pierre is out on bail and says he had nothing to do with the theft. The stolen syrup still worries law-abiding producers within the Federation. "My biggest fear is that this syrup is going to hit the market, and big buyers are not going to buy our syrup," says Turcotte. The Québec television station TVA Nouvelles reported that at least 70 truckloads of stolen syrup have already made it to three distributors in the U.S., including Bascom Maple Farms in New Hampshire, one of St. Pierre's clients and the largest maple supplier in the U.S. Bruce Bascom says he fully cooperated with the Sûreté du Québec and they have ended their inquiries, but he declined to answer whether the company purchased any stolen syrup. Two Vermont companies that reportedly purchased the syrup, Maple Grove Farms and Highland Sugarworks, did not respond to requests for interviews. Gone Forever? There is no guarantee that the Federation will get its syrup back across international boundaries. "This is what bothers us," says Trépanier, a slim technocrat who is passionate about the Federation. "Everybody knows it is stolen, but nobody can do anything about it. It's incredible." At least until the full story comes out, he says the Federation is obligated to sell to Bascom and other companies that reportedly received stolen product. Large questions loom about whether Québec's tightly controlled system will survive in the long term. In 2002, the first year the new rules went into effect, Québec claimed 80 percent of world maple syrup production. The Federation has raised its quota from 68 million pounds to 115 million pounds today, but its market share is slipping. In 2011, its share dropped to 71 percent of the market as U.S. states and Canadian provinces without quotas have risen to supply cheaper syrup, according to buyers. Last June, Senator Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) inserted the Maple TAP Act into the draft of the Farm Bill to provide grants to farmers to tap trees on private lands and to promote the industry. New York has 280 million tappable maple trees--three times more than Québec--but very few are tapped. The bill stalled in the House in September and may not pass until well into 2013. Trépanier is watching all these developments closely. "We are not idiots," he says, adding that in his mind climate change ultimately will tip the syrup scales in favor of his countrymen. On a recent afternoon, the side door to the warehouse where the theft took place was open, and a clanging sound echoed off the walls. It had a funk of spilled beer, and the floor glistened with patches of dried syrup. Two men with grimy work gloves climbed up stacks of battered barrels in the dark, knocked them down with a boom, and rolled them into the back of a trailer. "They're empty," said one of the men as he banged on the barrel. "Scrap!" Twenty-five miles away in the town of Laurrierville, the Federation was preparing its new warehouse. When the Sûreté du Québec called to say they had no place to store the syrup they seized from St. Pierre, Trépanier offered to help. "We have a new building," he said, "and there's some space in there." Borrell is a Bloomberg Businessweek contributor.
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MISSION NEVER GROWS OLD Featured Stories / Jul 4, 2014 || By Margaret Gaughan Faced with the challenge of leading the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers through its centennial celebrations in 2011, Superior General Father Edward Dougherty was seeking advice. Without hesitation, he went to Mission St. Teresa, the Society’s nursing home on the grounds of Maryknoll, N.Y. He knew he’d get words of wisdom from the priests and Brothers who live there. “These are men who spent their lives sharing the Gospel among people overseas. They aged or got sick, returned home and continue to search for God in their lives and the world,” says Father Dougherty. As for their centennial advice, he adds, “They told me to concentrate only 25 percent of our celebrations on the past and 75 percent on the future.” Interest in the future of mission seems to permeate life at Mission St. Teresa, from communal prayer for current and prospective Maryknoll candidates to the welcome and witness residents give when the candidates come to visit them. Maryknoll’s newest priest, Father Lam Hua, describes one such visit he had with the late Father Norbert Verhagen shortly before the veteran missioner’s death. “The way he talked about his mission in Mexico was like he was still there,” Father Hua says. “He was very excited to share the mission spirit with me. That motivates me now and reminds me it’s not all about me; it’s all about mission.” Recognizing that spirit when he served as administrator at St. Teresa’s from 1998 to 2004, Father Thomas McDonnell asked that the name of the four-story facility be changed from St. Teresa’s Residence to Mission St. Teresa. “For some, it can seem that coming here means mission is over, but I see these men still living mission,” says Father McDonnell, now himself a resident. With characteristic enthusiasm, a young Father Thomas McDonnell greeted Tanzanians he served almost 50 years ago. and today he welcomes therapy dog, Charlotte, to Mission St. Teresa, where Kathy Kane helps Father Joseph Lang with exercise. Residents do mission in a variety of ways, he says. Some stay in touch with the people they served. Some use their skills in service to the Society. Brother Adrian Mazuchowski, for example, helps out in the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers Accounting Department three days a week. Father Fern Gosselin, who grew up on a farm, takes care of the tractors and property surrounding Mission St. Teresa. He often lends a hand to fellow resident Father John Hudert, who with the help of volunteers runs the Pachamama Farm, a Maryknoll initiative that uses 1.5 acres of land adjacent to Mission St. Teresa to grow vegetables for distribution to local food pantries. But for most of the residents, mission is done in smaller ways. “Each day is made up of endless opportunities to serve, often as simple as helping someone find his way back to his room,” says Father McDonnell. Typical of missioners at any age, these men find their strength in spirituality. “Getting old is a challenge,” says Father McDonnell, “but prayer is your lifeline.” It is also a vehicle for mission. “We pray for our missions and can offer our infirmities for others who are suffering,” says Father Joseph Lang, “but we know mission is not just in fields afar. It’s where you are. As Christians we are all called to share our faith with each other. We can do it right here.” The members of the pastoral team, which includes resident Fathers McDonnell, Gosselin and Hudert as well as Fathers Alfonso Kim and Edward Moore, ensure the celebration of daily Mass at Mission St. Teresa as well as opportunities for the sacrament of reconciliation and devotions such as Benediction and communal recitation of the rosary. Members of the team also accompany residents to the hospital and remain in prayer with the terminally ill during their last hours. When 53-year-old Father Alfonso Kim was assigned as director of the pastoral team last year, he admits he was apprehensive, given the age gap between himself and the residents, most of whom are in their 80s. “I am the baby,” he says. “But these men give me energy and hope. Even being with them in death is teaching me that heaven is just a continuation of our life here on earth. This is a wonderful place for ministry.” Father McDonnell agrees and praises the mission society and its benefactors for making Mission St. Teresa possible. “I admire Maryknoll’s vision of taking care of our elderly generously, graciously, with a comprehensive view of vocation,” he says. That vision, he says, extends to the staff of some 50 healthcare professionals who minister to the current 55 residents at Mission St. Teresa. “Whatever they need is what we provide,” says administrator Susan Anello. “Many of our staff have been here a number of years and try to tailor their care to each resident. Above all, we respect their spirituality and faith practices. That comes first.” Recreation would probably come second. Activities coordinators Anne Cahill and Ed Ciffone offer a host of programs to stimulate mind and body, ranging from sing-alongs to discussions of current events to exercise classes. A popular feature for residents is the weekly visit of Charlotte, a black Labrador Retriever, accompanied by her owner, Steve Saper, a local volunteer. Every other week Cahill teams up with Father McDonnell to facilitate a “biography” group in which residents share with each other their life stories. “Some of these guys went off to different regions and haven’t been together since the seminary,” says Father McDonnell. “Now they get to know each other better.” Father Robert Lefebvre says he is also getting a fuller picture of missionary work worldwide. “I served in Africa and Southeast Asia,” he says, “but I knew zero about Latin America. Now I’m learning from guys who served there.” Missioner tales are often interspersed with humor, says Anne Cahill, noting that laughter is a hallmark of life at Mission St. Teresa. Humor even extends to physical therapy sessions, provided by physical therapists Sally Peake and Kathy Kane. “A lot of camaraderie takes place during these sessions,” says Kane. “The men encourage each other and poke fun at each other good-naturedly.” “One resident said that physical therapy is more popular than happy hour!” adds Peake with a smile. Both Peake and Kane agree that working at Mission St. Teresa is much more than a job. “It’s like being with family,” says Kane. “The missioners are so appreciative of all we do and are really concerned about us.” “I love the positive environment,” says Peake. “I can feel the goodness in this place.” And what is the secret to happiness at Mission St. Teresa? Father Lefebvre gives a hint. “The work of a missioner is to help people find Jesus,” he says. “I find him here.” Margaret Gaughan Marge Gaughan has been on the staff of MARYKNOLL magazine since 1988, serving first as copy editor, then assistant managing editor, and managing editor from 2000. She was named editor in 2019. A former Sister of the Divine Compassion, she was a middle school teacher and director of religious education and holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Good Counsel College in White Plains, N.Y., and a master’s degree in religious studies from St. Mary’s University in Winona, Minn. ON BEING AN ELDER I Welcome any Questions, Feedback, Ideas, or Comments you may have about MARYKNOLL Magazine. * You Are... A Happy Subscriber A Subscriber with a Concern or Complaint Curious, but Not a Subscriber A Special Person, But NOT on this List In Mwanza, Tanzania, where I serve with the Maryknoll Lay Missioners, I help run a program for girls to learn life skills,...
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Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman Charged As Part of College Admission Scam Two famous Hollywood actresses, Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman, were charged in a Massachusetts court Tuesday along with more than 50 others for their alleged roles in an elaborate scam involving college admissions. According to ABC News... Those indicted allegedly paid bribes of up to $6 million to get their children into elite colleges, including Yale, Stanford, Georgetown and the University of Southern California, federal prosecutors said. ‘Beginning in or about 2011, and continuing through the present, the defendants — principally individuals whose high-school age children were applying to college — conspired with others to use bribery and other forms of fraud to facilitate their children’s admission to colleges and universities in the District of Massachusetts and elsewhere...’ the indictment said. The government claims Huffman "made a purported charitable contribution of $15,000” in order to participate in the scam on behalf of her college-age daughter. (According to these documents, they paid to have their daughter take the SATs at a “testing center” that would “secretly correct” her daughter’s answers.) Meanwhile, Louglin allegedly “agreed to pay bribes totaling $500,000 in exchange for having their two daughters designated as recruits to the USC crew team — despite the fact that they did not participate in crew.” The evidence in the case reportedly includes cooperating witnesses, emails, and telephone call recordings. Huffman is an Emmy and Golden Globe winner, and an Oscar nominee for her role in Transamerica. Loughlin is famous as Aunt Becky on the beloved ’90s sitcom Full House, and she’s made numerous appearances on its Netflix revival series, Fuller House. Gallery — The Worst Movie Posters in History: Get the ScreenCrush App For All the Latest Movie and TV News Source: Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman Charged As Part of College Admission Scam Filed Under: felicity huffman, Lori Loughlin
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Ostrężnik – castle castle plan according to B.Guerquin reconstruction of the castle according to B. Drejewicz with the gate from the west side reconstruction according to M. Szelerewicz with the gate from the south side About the castle does not mention medieval messages, which makes much more difficult to verify the view that it was erected on the initiative of king Casimir the Great in the 14th century and served as the watchtower of the western border of the Kingdom of Poland. According to archaeological research from 2000-2003, it is supposed that the castle was erected at the beginning of the 14th century, probably at the initiative of Jan Muskata, the bishop and starost of Cracow. Lack of later cultural layers would allow us to assume that it could not be completed or was used very briefly. It is not inconceivable that it served as a prison for nobles and all information about castle was kept secret; or it was the seat of knights-robbers. It is not known in what circumstances and when the castle was destroyed. The castle consisted of two parts. On the rock, not accessible from the north and east, was the upper castle, which wall was marked by an elongated polygon with an area of 1200 m2 finished on the eastern side with bend. Inside you can see the remains of the building on a rectangular plan with dimensions of 10×30 meters, adjacent to the north-west part of the perimeter wall. To the southern section of the perimeter, a tower on a rectangular plan of 6×9 meters adjoined from the outside. It is not known whether it served as gatehouse or whether the entry was carried from the west. The lower castle was separated by a deep moat and was surrounded by a system of earth reinforcements. Until today, only the foundations of the perimeter wall, the residential building and the gates tower with a height not exceeding one meter, have survived at the edges of the rock. The surrounding subterranean earth ramparts are also visible. In the rock on which the stronghold was erected, there is the Ostrężnicka Cave with corridors about 90 meters long. rock on which the upper castle was located, photo: J.Michalew relics of the castle on a rocky hill, photo: J.Michalew Leksykon zamków w Polsce, L.Kajzer, S.Kołodziejski, J.Salm, Warszawa 2003. Sypek R., Zamki i obiekty warowne Jury Krakowsko-Częstochowskiej, Warszawa 2003.
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When the Minimum Viable Product is Not Enough Dispelling misconceptions around the notion of MVP Max Dunn Jul 22, 2013 · 5 min read The concept of the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) is popular and relevant to software development. However, the term gets tossed around with diverse meanings, and has different applicability in varying situations. Here are three considerations that may help clarify when an MVP makes sense or not: Is it a market test or a product? You can find radically different interpretations of “MVP”: Some use the term to describe a minimalist way to test the waters, to assess if a product will have an audience or not, while others use the term referring to what would be the basis for a 1.0 product launch. Scott Selhorst has already written about confusion over the words “minimum” and “viable” (and which one you should emphasize), but I think there is just as much confusion over the word “product.” Eric Ries has said, “The minimum viable product is that product which has just those features and no more that allows you to ship a product that early adopters see and, at least some of whom resonate with, pay you money for, and start to give you feedback on.” It is kind of vague: He mentions shipping a product, but he is also talking about targeting forgiving early adopters, with the goal of gathering their feedback.Thus we have people considering a video or a landing page to be an “MVP” at one extreme, and companies using the MVP concept to define when they tell the world “use this product!” at the other. Paul Kortman writes of an MVP that his company released that didn’t work, and the consequences: “So our earliest adopters, the people who trusted us, we pushed off a cliff in the name of Lean Startup. What am I supposed to tell them… ‘Sorry it was an MVP?’” Ben Zifkin has also pointed out that lemming-like adoption of MVP concepts can lead to some ridiculous situations. “There is a huge focus on the MINIMUM part. It seems as if there is a race to the bottom where companies are doing all they can to ship a product that is just good enough to prevent major backlash.” Certainly he is interpreting “product” to mean “product,” not “market test,” as are most critics of MVP. Personally I think the word “product” is abused if you are considering an MVP to be a PowerPoint, a video, a landing page, or complete vaporware. To me, a product is a product, and in that sense, the notion of an MVP is still often (not always) a wonderful concept. It depends on other factors… Is this a revolutionary new idea or a product for a proven market? The idea to write about MVP came about while I was considering the Adobe InDesign 1.0 release, and the architecture that went into building that product. Adobe InDesign was certainly not “MVP” in many senses: the level of investment; the depth of focus on architecture; the time spent on development before the release, all of these fly in the face of standard MVP practices. In one sense it was “minimal” in that it was not entirely feature-rich: For example, someone made the decision that the initial release did not have to have bullets or tables. But even the first release had an extremely highly evolved architecture. As Lanette Creamer, who was intimately involved with the InDesign product at Adobe, writes of it: “A product like InDesign 1.0 can’t happen in 1 year. Those who are concerned with the minimum viable product aren’t inspiring. Have you ever wanted to work your hardest to barely scrape by? What about the maximum breathtaking experience. That’s worth your heart & soul as a developer, & that’s what makes InDesign great. It wasn’t the minimum anything. It went for the jugular.” ‘ Aha, MVP was not so relevant to that situation? Why was that? Well, a wonderful article at PandoDaily makes the point that some products are disruptive, reflecting new and untested concepts, while some are going after a well-known, predictable, existing market, trying to sustain innovation rather than be disruptive. InDesign was competing mainly with the very robust and highly evolved QuarkXPress; thus, they had little need to toss off an experiment. OK, InDesign was the type of situation where MVP concepts didn’t really apply. Because MVP has to be considered in the context of “startup” sorts of innovation, it wasn’t particularly relevant in that case (beyond their smart decision to release something solid enough but not yet robust). Twitter, on the other hand… who’d have thunk we would find so many humans spitting out 140-character messages throughout their days? It was a novel concept and something worthy of the MVP idea. It was also such a simple concept that it could be built by a much smaller team than InDesign. Basecamp is somewhere in between. It actually went after a market that was fairly mature, and they faced competitors with robust offerings, but they embraced a minimalist philosophy nonetheless. There are definitely virtues in critically analyzing the merits of a feature, and not following the crowd or placing too much value on the personal assumptions of salespeople or engineers, but really assessing what is needed and most sensible. How self-contained and non-extensible should it be? Another consideration is extensibility. Extensibility has a cost, both initially (architecting for extensibility is a fine art) and in ongoing development (the extensibility of features must be maintained). It is a big commitment. Yet for some forms of software it has huge value. In some cases it will make the difference between success and failure. It is very common for extensibility to be implemented as an afterthought with software. This may be prudent in terms of getting to market or testing a market, yet the cost of implementing extensibility after the fact is higher, and when re-architecture is not an option, sacrifices are often made in terms of extensibility. In the case of InDesign, we are eternally grateful that the product was built with a serious, architectural commitment to extensibility from the beginning, Although rare, in this case it was a great decision by Adobe. Extensibility can be very valuable even in new software that is in the “disruptive” category. The Twitter API, for example, has probably had a very positive impact on the adoption of the platform. There are now over 100,000 applications leveraging the Twitter API. Beyond considerations of mere extensibility, it is, generally speaking, worthwhile to consider investing in architecture up front, even with disruptive software, and there are cases in which this investment can help avoid a rewrite of a success. When speaking of MVP, first decide what a “product” means and what you are aiming at with that product. For products representing new or disruptive concepts, MVP can be an effective strategy; yet even there it is conceivable that architectural investment beyond a minimalist approach will produce the best results. Thanks to Stef Lewandowski and Andrew Brennan. Silicon Publishing co-founder focused on Adobe InDesign Server and online editing solutions. Author of WYSIWYG XML Authoring in the XML Handbook.
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Supporters protesting outside Belmarsh prison speak out in defense of Julian Assange By our reporters Sylv is from London and has been protesting outside the Ecuadorian embassy for several years in defence of Julian Assange. She said, “It is a shame what happened and a real disgrace what the British government and Ecuadorian government are trying to do. They don’t care about human rights and they are breaking the law. And [Assange] is not even breaking the law and he ends up in prison so this is a huge injustice.” Sylv said she became interested in Julian Assange and WikiLeaks because of “[w]hat they publish and why they publish it and because they uncover government secrets and we have the right know what is going on. We pay taxes and we have the right to know where the money goes.” She thought the WikiLeaks’ publication of material from the US Democratic National Committee [DNC] was important “because no one is questioning what was published and no one is questioning Hillary Clinton and the DNC itself. Everyone was saying straight away where did you get it from and who is the source? Straight away they are questioning the journalist. Why is no one paying attention to what was published—the criminal activities of Hillary Clinton and her gang. No one is questioning it and she is freely walking.” Sylv Sylv made a homemade placard for the rally reading, “The UK has no sovereignty. The UK must resist this attempt by the Trump administration!—Free Assange!” She explained that these were the words that Assange said when he was being dragged out of the Ecuadorian embassy by police on Thursday. “I found it very powerful when Julian was taken out and they were important words that he was saying. Even though he was being taken away, he was still fighting, and he was still strong. He has not given up, he is resilient and that is what we need to be. He has always been here for us and we have to be here for him. He has risked his life and for a person to do something like that is a beautiful thing to do. It is very sad about where he is now.” Asked about the implications for democratic rights of Assange’s seizure in the middle of London--the home of the Magna Carta and parliament--Sylv said, “That is disgusting. You cannot trust your own government. You cannot really trust the Australian government because they took his passport away. Imagine if this happened to you or me or anyone?” “There is no democracy if you are doing this to a publisher or a journalist. They [the governments involved] are just hypocrites and liars and they are the ones breaking the law and they are the one who need to be behind bars.” Asked her views on the importance of international solidarity in defence of Assange, she said, “They [people internationally] definitely should be out there, at the US embassies, UK embassies, Australian Embassies. It can happen to any journalist. It happened in Malta with [investigative journalist] Daphne [Caruana Galizi]. She was killed because she uncovered the dirty government secrets, the same in Slovakia with Ján Kuciak, it can happen everywhere, it happened in Brazil.” In relation to the role of the Labour Party refusing to demand Assange’s freedom, Sylv said, “They are not doing much either. They are trying to silence him, too. There is a power against us and there needs to be a massive change that needs to happen for humanity. “I want everyone to fight for Julian Assange, I want everyone to be out there and to be vocal and not to hide. Don’t trust the mainstream media and their propaganda.” Carolina Graterol Carolina Graterol, a documentary filmmaker, is a foreign correspondent for BBC World Service (Spanish section) and Telesur. She said, “I am here with all my friends and activists to complain and denounce the imprisoning of Julian Assange and the possibility that he is extradited to the United States. We are opposing this measure. We think this is an affront against freedom of expression. Freedom of the world depends on Assange’s case. “We know that the government of this country is colluding with [US President] Trump to send Julian Assange to United States, sadly. Seventy members of parliament were in favour of retention of Julian Assange and they are hoping that he gets extradited. We need to denounce and fight against the breaking of the international law. The human rights of Julian Assange have been violated. “Our society needs to know the truth, how our governments work. Crimes have been committed by our government. Their credibility is seriously being damaged. Journalists around the world are in danger.” Graterol noted that Labour Party Shadow Home Secretary “Dianne Abbott made a passionate speech in the parliament in favour of Julian Assange,” but added, “We need to wonder about some MPs of the Labour Party, what kind of line they have… Sadly, at this moment, the conservatives of the Labour Party [who have written a letter to Home Secretary Sajid Javid backing Assange’s extradition to Sweden] have a united group. But I think the majority of the people believe in justice and they are on the side of Julian Assange. “There are a lot of events happening around the world, not just in the UK, in defence of Assange. There are petitions going around social media, gathering lots of signatures against his extradition. We have been protesting for nearly nine years in front of the Ecuadorian Embassy and there are many more people campaigning for his freedom.” Sadie, 25, from Matlock, is a jewelry design student. She had learned about Assange’s courageous stand through designer Vivienne Westwood, a well-known supporter of the WikiLeaks founder. “Julian Assange is a truth speaker and all he did was publish information about government corruption, war crimes, torture and it’s illegal to arrest him. It’s against human rights. It’s more of a dictatorship government. “I was reading a magazine yesterday, the media just slurred him [Assange], they all make him out to be a horrible person. They said he was bullying people in the embassy, he was really dirty. I think it’s all b.s., it’s more like they bullied him. He was doing the right thing, standing up for people, and especially with those videos [Collateral Murder video] he was showing the Iraqi people their history, why their families have been killed, unlawfully just ploughing down civilians and children in the street when they were doing nothing wrong. “If he goes to America he could get life imprisonment or the death penalty, and all he’s trying to do is protect people and show them the truth of what’s happening. All the media are against him. I think he thought England was the only country that was going to help him… The US is after him and Ecuador helped him until it changed direction. “It’s a scary thought that the government is against you… but we need everyone to open their eyes and realise there is a massive problem. Take climate change, it’s caused by capitalism. The people in Africa and the poorer countries, they’ll be hit first. “Dianne Abbott made a really good speech [after Assange was seized] and they slated her. All he did was speak the truth about government corruption and this is what happens when you stand up. “The problems in this country are the same in every single country.” Dominic, 19, is an economics student at Kingston upon Thames University. He attended the protest with his younger brother Matthew. He said, “I’ve spent the last few days outside the Ecuadorian embassy. I’ve been outside the Westminster Magistrate’s Court and now here outside Belmarsh prison. Julian Assange has published the most important journalistic documents of the last few decades. We all remember the Collateral Murder video and the documents of the Iraq and Afghan wars that revealed how they [US and UK] killed hundreds of thousands of civilians unnecessarily. We’re here to protest Assange being persecuted for that incredibly important journalistic work. “They’ve come down on him hard because he’s the most effective journalist in the last few decades. He’s published concrete documents, none of which have been refuted. They’ve published thousands of them and none of which have shown to be false. “The UK government want to hand him over to the US to be tortured, abused and debased possibly for decades. “The rule of law doesn’t protect the people the state want to persecute, it doesn’t protect independent journalists, the rule of law is only for the rich. The rich believe they can get away with taking all the money, and we have to get the rich scared again so they’ll need to redistribute the wealth.” The Persecution of WikiLeaks
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Home Model Trains model trains naples florida | Model Train Express model trains naples florida | Model Train Express Some had wheels which flipped, but these had to be pulled or pushed. A few of the early 19th-century drive toy rails were made of tinplate, like the big, durable, stylized locomotive toys from the U.S., that were painted red and gold and decorated with hearts and flowers. model trains naples florida Around 1875, technological improvements in materials and manufacturing enabled tin to be stamped, cut, rolled, and lithographed faster than previously. Toy trains were altered when Märklin, a German company that specialized in doll house accessories, sought to make an equivalent toy for boys where a continuous revenue stream could be ensured by selling add-on accessories for years after the initial purchase. In addition to boxed sets containing a train and track, Märklin offered additional track, rolling stock, and buildings offered separately, creating the predecessor to the modern model train layout featuring scenery and buildings along with a working train. Electric trains adopted, with the first appearing in 1897, made by the U.S. company Carlisle &amp; Finch. As home use of electricity became more common from the early 20th century, electrical trains gained popularity and as time went on, these electric trains grew in sophistication, gaining lighting, the ability to change direction, to emit a whistling sound, to smoke, to remotely couple and uncouple cars as well as load and unload cargo. Toy trains by the first half of the 20th century were frequently made of lithographed tin; later trains were frequently made mainly of plastic. Before the 1950s, there was little distinction between toy trains and model railroads–model railroads were toys by definition. Pull toys and wind-up trains were marketed towards kids, while electrical trains were marketed towards teens, especially teenaged boys. It was during the 1950s the modern emphasis on realism in model railroading began to catch on. Today, S gauge and O gauge railroads are still considered toy trains by their adherents and are often accessorized with semi-scale model buildings by Plasticville or K-Line (who owns the rights to the Plasticville-like buildings produced by Marx in the 1950s into the 1970s). However, due to their high cost, one is more likely to locate an HO scale or N scale train set in a toy shop than a O scale set. Many modern electrical toy trains contain sophisticated electronic equipment which emit digitized sound effects and allow the operator to securely and easily run multiple remote controller trains on a single loop of course. In the last few decades, many toy rail operators may operate a train with a TV camera in the front part of the engine and hooked up to a screen, such as computer monitor. This will show a picture, like that of a real (smaller size) railroad. Thanks for your interest in model trains naples florida
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The snow is great for my business by Parija Kavilanz @CNNMoney February 13, 2014: 1:35 PM ET Pawz, a Brooklyn-based maker of rubber boots for dogs, is one of the businesses enjoying huge sales because of the snow. If there's a silver lining to the snow storms that have walloped the nation, businesses that make weather gear have found it. While the winter weather has stunted sales for many East Coast businesses, the Original Muck Boot Company in Smithfield, R.I., has seen sales of winter boots skyrocket. "This winter cycle has been tremendous for us," said Sean O'Brien, global director of retail footwear. The company typically counts on the fall and winter seasons for 70% of its sales, but this year already seen a 20% increase in boot sales from last year. "It's turning into our best year ever," O'Brien said. "It's seems odd to say this, but the nasty, cold, slushy weather is core to our business. We welcome it." But the surge in demand for its all-weather boots, priced from $120 to $200, has also triggered some inventory challenges. "There's no way we could have anticipated this weather," said O'Brien. So they've asked the China-based factory to ramp up production and even flown in extra orders. Related: Winter storms slam online sales, too The snow and slush has also created a run on doggie boots. Brooklyn-based Pawz makes bright-colored rubber boots that protect the sensitive padding on dogs' paws from extreme cold, salt and other chemicals used to melt the snow on roads and sidewalks. Sales of its dog boots, sold nationwide, typically peak in the winter, said President Michael Friedland. "But this year, starting with the Polar Vortex until now, our sales are up 40% over last year." Friedland said he's been hearing about shortages from stores in New York and other East Coast states. "In some stores, you're not seeing our product on the shelf at all," he said. "We're in a battle to increase inventory." Even some businesses north of the border are benefiting from the United States' frigid temperatures. Montreal-based Watson's has been making thermal underwear since 1945. About 40% of its sales come from the U.S., which are up 20% from last year, said VP of Sales Dan Khoury. "Last year, winter came a bit late and retailers in the U.S. began removing our products early to make way for spring merchandise," said Khoury. "This winter, it's the opposite. It's been cold from the beginning, which means our products are still in stores." Related: Drought hits ski towns hard All American Clothing Co., in Arcanum, Ohio, is enjoying robust snow-driven sales of its Made-in-the-USA hooded sweatshirts, coats, beanies and other winter products. "Our sales from January to now are already up 140% over last year," said Boomer Beam, the company's marketing director. And in the snow-strewn states of Ohio, New York, Georgia and North Carolina, sales are up a whopping 204%. "It's going to be one of our strongest years to date," said Beam. And they're trying to capitalize on it. Their hooded sweatshirt has been in high demand, but it only comes in three colors. So Beam said the company quickly added three more colors, which, not surprisingly, have been flying off the shelves as well. CNNMoney (New York) First published February 13, 2014: 1:35 PM ET Small Business Videos Watch Death Wish Coffee's free Super Bowl ad This is how Captain America learned to fight
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ABC series Quantico leaving Montreal for New York A major Hollywood TV series is leaving Montreal to shoot in New York City. Brendan Kelly, Montreal Gazette On Friday, New York governor Andrew Cuomo announced that the second season of Quantico, an ABC series about FBI agents, will be shot in New York, bringing over 200 jobs to the city. It is estimated that the 22 episodes of Quantico will generate around $68 million in spending in the state of New York. The series features Bollywood star Priyanka Chopra in the lead role as an FBI agent suspected of orchestrating a terrorist attack. The first season, also 22 episodes, was shot in Montreal, both in studio at Mel’s Cité du Cinéma and on location. The cast and crew were spotted filming at The Pioneer, a bar/concert-hall in Pointe Claire village this week. Production began here in late July of last year and the last day of shooting on the first season was Thursday. Chantal Barrette from the Montreal office of the Directors Guild of Canada said people in the industry have known for months that the production was decamping to New York. She says the producers had originally wanted to shoot in New York, but moved the shoot to Montreal because of a shortage of crews and studio space in New York City at the time. A source at the Quebec Film and Television Council said the decision to move from Montreal to New York was “an artistic choice.” Quantico executive producer Joshua Safran told the New York Times that the second season will focus much more on New York, as opposed to the first, which took place in large part at an FBI training centre in the town of Quantico, Va. The first episode of Quantico featured a terrorist attack on New York’s Grand Central Station, a central event in the drama. “In season one, we sort of destroyed New York locations,” Safran told the New York Times. “Season two is going to be very much more a New York story.” The departure of Quantico is a big loss for the local industry, which had a record year for foreign production in 2015, with $313 million worth of shooting. But there are other notable American projects coming to film here in the coming months. These include a still-untitled film from director Darren Aronofsky (The Wrestler, Black Swan) starring Jennifer Lawrence, Javier Bardem, Michelle Pfeiffer and Ed Harris. Also coming to town is the film The Glass Castle with Woody Harrelson, Naomi Watts and Max Greenfield. Our city will also be hosting the second season of the series The Art of More with Dennis Quaid and Kate Bosworth. bkelly@postmedia.com twitter.com/brendanshowbiz In or Out? Laurie Anderson's Heart or Bily Kun turns 18 Groupe TVA to shut down specialty business channel Argent By clicking “Submit”, I consent to receiving the above communication from Postmedia Network Inc. I understand that I may unsubscribe from these communications at any time.
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The Boat That Rocked The Boat That Rocked (retitled Pirate Radio in North America) is a 2009 British comedy film written and directed by Richard Curtis, with pirate radio in the United Kingdom during the 1960s as its setting. The film has an ensemble cast featuring Philip Seymour Hoffman, Bill Nighy, Rhys Ifans, Nick Frost, and Kenneth Branagh. Set in 1966, it tells the story of the fictitious pirate radio station "Radio Rock" and its crew of eclectic disc jockeys, who broadcast rock and pop music to the United Kingdom from a ship anchored in the North Sea while the British government endeavours to shut them down. It was produced by Working Title Films for Universal Pictures, and was filmed on the Isle of Portland and at Shepperton Studios. The film opened 1 April 2009 and was a commercial failure at the British box office, making only £6.1 million in its first twelve weeks, less than a quarter of its over £30 million production cost. It received mixed reviews, with most criticism directed at its muddled storyline and 2¼-hour length. For its North American release it was re-edited to trim its running time by twenty minutes, and retitled Pirate Radio. Opening 13 November 2009, Pirate Radio was still commercially unsuccessful, earning only about US$8 million (approximately £5 million). 3.1 North American release 5 Historical setting 6 Soundtrack 7 Home media In 1966, numerous pirate radio stations broadcast to the United Kingdom from ships anchored in international waters, specializing in rock and pop music that is not played on BBC Radio. Seventeen year-old Carl (Tom Sturridge), recently expelled from school, is sent to stay with his godfather Quentin (Bill Nighy), who runs the station "Radio Rock" anchored in the North Sea. The eclectic crew of disc jockeys and staffers, led by the brash American DJ "The Count" (Philip Seymour Hoffman), quickly accept Carl as one of their own. In London, government minister Sir Alistair Dormandy (Kenneth Branagh) resolves to shut down pirate radio stations due to their commercialism and low morals, instructing his subordinate Twatt (Jack Davenport) to find legal loopholes that will serve this end. They attempt to cut off the stations' revenue by prohibiting British businesses from advertising on unlicensed radio stations. Quentin counters this by bringing massively popular DJ Gavin Kavanagh (Rhys Ifans) out of retirement and onto Radio Rock, enticing his advertisers to work around the law by paying their bills from abroad. Gavin's popularity creates a rivalry between himself and The Count, who was initially brought to Radio Rock as Gavin's replacement. On his eighteenth birthday Carl is introduced to Quentin's niece Marianne (Talulah Riley) and falls instantly in love with her, but is heartbroken when she is seduced by Doctor Dave (Nick Frost). Carl's roommate "Thick" Kevin (Tom Brooke) observes that the sex, drug, and alcohol-filled atmosphere of Radio Rock is clearly no place for Carl to get on the straight-and-narrow. He theorizes that the real reason Carl's mother sent him there is that his father—whom Carl has never met—is someone on the ship, with Quentin being the likeliest suspect. DJ "Simple" Simon Swafford (Chris O'Dowd) marries Elenore (January Jones) in an on board ceremony, but soon learns that she only married him as a means to live on the ship and be with Gavin, with whom she is infatuated. The Count challenges Gavin to a game of chicken in defense of Simon's honor: The two climb one of the ship's radio masts in a clash of egos, reconciling after they are both injured by jumping into the ocean below. When Carl's mother Charlotte (Emma Thompson) visits for Christmas, she denies his suspicion that Quentin is his father. As she departs, Carl passes on a cryptic message from reclusive late-night DJ "Smooth" Bob Silver (Ralph Brown), leading to the unexpected revelation that Bob is actually his father. Soon afterwards, Marianne returns to the ship and apologizes to Carl for sleeping with Doctor Dave. She and Carl have sex that night. The following morning, The Count and the rest of the DJ's announce the news of the event to millions of cheering fans all over Britain. Meanwhile, Dormandy's mission to ban pirate radio advances when Twatt comes across news of a fishing boat whose distress call was blocked by Radio Rock's powerful signal. Twatt proposes the creation of the Marine Offences Act, which will make pirate radio stations illegal on the grounds that they endanger other vessels. Despite public opinion being heavily in support of the pirate stations, the Act passes unanimously through Parliament and takes effect at midnight on January 1, 1967. The Radio Rock crew choose to defy the law and continue to broadcast, firing up the ship's engine so that they may avoid arrest by relocating. The aging vessel cannot take the strain, causing the engine to explode and the ship to start sinking. The DJs broadcast their position in hope of aid, but Dormandy refuses to send rescue boats. Carl rescues the oblivious Bob from his cabin, while The Count vows to continue broadcasting as long as possible. With the lifeboats inoperable, all gather on the prow as the ship begins to go down. They are rescued by dozens of fans, who heard about their broadcast predicament, and motored out in fleet of small boats to save them; Carl himself is rescued by Marianne. The Radio Rock ship disappears beneath the sea, with The Count emerging from the sinking vessel at the last moment. Though pirate radio in Britain comes to an end, the music lives on, with rock and pop becoming increasingly popular in subsequent decades, broadcast over hundreds of 'legal' stations around the world. Philip Seymour Hoffman as "The Count", the brash American DJ on Radio Rock. The character is loosely based on Emperor Rosko, a DJ on BBC Radio 1 during the late 1960s and early 1970s.[4][5][6] Tom Sturridge as "Young" Carl, who is sent to stay with his godfather Quentin on the Radio Rock ship. Bill Nighy as Quentin, Carl's godfather, who runs Radio Rock. Will Adamsdale as "News" John Mayford, the station's news and weather reporter. Rhys Ifans as Gavin Kavanagh, a massively popular DJ brought out of retirement by Quentin, leading to a professional rivalry with The Count. Nick Frost as DJ "Doctor" Dave, who unsuccessfully attempts to help Carl lose his virginity and later ends up sleeping with Carl's crush Marianne. Tom Brooke as "Thick" Kevin, Carl's intellectually dense cabin-mate and member of the Radio Rock staff. Rhys Darby as Angus "The Nut" Nutsford, DJ and lone New Zealander on the ship. Katherine Parkinson as Felicity, the lesbian cook and the only single woman permitted to live on the ship. Chris O'Dowd as "Simple" Simon Swafford, Radio Rock's breakfast DJ who marries the too-good-to-be true Elenore only to learn that she is actually in love with another DJ, Gavin. O'Dowd drew inspiration from Tony Blackburn, the morning DJ on pirate station Radio Caroline in the 1960s, and his Irish contemporary Larry Gogan.[7] Tom Wisdom as "Midnight" Mark, Radio Rock's suave night time DJ who rarely speaks but nonetheless has female listeners swooning over him. Known as 'The Sexiest Man on the Planet." In one scene, he is shown in his cabin 'entertaining' about 30 naked women who are part of a large group of fans that visit the ship. Ralph Brown as hippy "Smooth" Bob Silver, "The Dawn Treader" (3-6am shift), Radio Rock's reclusive early-morn DJ who turns out to be Carl's father. Ike Hamilton as Harold, the station's radio assistant. Kenneth Branagh as Sir Alistair Dormandy, a strict government minister who endeavors to shut pirate radio stations down. Sinead Matthews as Miss C (aka Miss Clitt, as revealed in the DVD deleted scenes), Dormandy's assistant who secretly listens to Radio Rock. Jack Davenport as Domenic Twatt, Dormandy's subordinate who is assigned the task of finding legal loopholes that can be used to shut pirate radio stations down. Talulah Riley as Marianne, Quentin's niece, (and a fan of Dave) whom Carl falls instantly in love with. Emma Thompson as Charlotte, Carl's mother. January Jones as Elenore (referred to as a 'goddess' by Quentin, while acting as 'minister'), who marries Simon as a means of getting to be on the ship with Gavin, whom she is actually in love with, the revelation of which ends the sham marriage after just 17 hours, and causes dissension among the group. Gemma Arterton as Desiree, a female fan Dave attempts to trick into having sex with virgin Carl. Additional minor roles were played by Ian Mercer as the transfer boatman, Stephen Moore as the Prime Minister, Michael Thomas and Bohdan Poraj as Dormandy's subordinates Sandford and Fredericks, Olegar Fedoro as the Radio Rock ship's captain, Francesca Longrigg and Amanda Fairbank-Hynes as Dormandy's wife and daughter, and Olivia Llewellyn as Marianne's friend Margaret who Felicity falls in love with. Production[edit] Edit [1][2]Principal photography taking place on the steps of the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square The film was written and directed by Richard Curtis and made by Working Title Films for Universal Studios.[8] The producers for Working Title were Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner and Hilary Bevan Jones, with Curtis, Debra Hayward and Liza Chasin acting as executive producers.[9] Principal photography started on 3 March and continued until June 2008.[8] Filming took place on the former Dutch hospital ship Timor Challenger, previously De Hoop, moored in Portland Harbour, Dorset; the "North Sea" scenes were shot off the coast of Dunbar, East Lothian. Boat interior shots were filmed inside a warehouse in Osprey Quay on the Isle of Portland[10] and at Shepperton Studios.[11] They also visited Squerryes Court in Kent to shoot the scenes of the home of government minister Alistair Dormandy (Kenneth Brannagh).[12] The film's production cost exceeded £30 million.[13] Following the film's commercial failure at the British box office, Focus Features commissioned a re-edited version for release in North American release 13 November 2009.[14][15] Retitled Pirate Radio, this version of the film deleted approximately twenty minutes of footage from the original version to address complaints from several critics that the film's running time was excessive. North American release[edit] Edit Following the film's commercial failure at the British box office, Focus Features commissioned a re-edited version for release in North American release 13 November 2009.[16][17] Retitled Pirate Radio, this version of the film deleted approximately twenty minutes of footage from the original version to address complaints from several critics that the film's running time was excessive. A shorter version of the film was released in the United States with the title Pirate Radio. Upon that release, Manohla Dargis wrote:[18] "Stuffed with playful character actors and carpeted with wall-to-wall tunes, the film makes for easy viewing and easier listening, even if Mr. Curtis, who wrote and directed, has nothing really to say about these rebels for whom rock 'n' roll was both life's rhyme and its reason." Robert Wilonsky, reviewing Pirate Radio after having seen The Boat That Rocked and its UK home video release, said the U.S. theatrical release had had "most of its better bits excised"; according to Wilonsky, "after watching the DVD,Pirate Radio feels so slight in its current incarnation. Shorn of the scenes that actually put meat on its characters' frail bones, the resulting product is vaguely cute and wholly insubstantial, little more than a randomly assembled hodge-podge of scenes crammed in and yanked out that amount to yet another movie about rebellious young men sticking it to The Grumpy Old Man—this time, with a tacked-on Titanic climax."[19] The marketing campaign for the film's North American release was notable for embellishing the nature of the movie, as well as the historical setting. Trailers had a prominent voice-over announcement stating that "in 1966 the British government banned rock 'n' roll on the radio. Until one American DJ and a band of renegades launched a radio station on the high seas and raided the air waves."[20] In the film, pirate radio transmissions were widespread before parliament passed the Marine Offences Act, including the station portrayed on the film. The trailer in North America also featured dialog from a scene not in the release; chief among which where a British government minister was being told in a voiceover that the American deejay "The Count" is "possibly the most famous broadcaster ever", which wasn't borne by the actual plot. The trailer and commercials also displayed prominent text that stated "inspired by a true story", which was not claimed by either the production or writing staff.[21] Reception[edit] Edit The film has received generally mixed reviews: it holds a 60% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 149 reviews.[2] The Daily Telegraph credited the film with "some magical moments", but called it "muddled" and criticised its length.[22] Time Out was also critical of the length and said the film was "disappointing".[23] The Hollywood Reporter ran the headline "Rock 'n' roll movie Boat just barely stays afloat", declaring the film too long to sustain interest.[24]Total Film also criticised the film's length and comedic style.[25] Andrew Neil, writing in The Observer, remarked that he was disappointed in the "contrived" storyline and the "unnecessarily perverted" history.[26] Channel 4 reviewed the film more positively, calling it "touching", "heartfelt" and an "enjoyable journey", but ultimately questioned its coherence.[27] The film's British box office revenues in its first 12 weeks of release were £6.1 million, less than a quarter of its production cost.[13] In USA, the film earned less than $US 3 million in its first weekend (in a mid-scale release of 882 screens as opposed to 3,404 screens for 2012 and 3,683 screens for A Christmas Carol) and suffered a 49.7% drop-off on its second weekend - earning only $US1.46 million.[28] Pirate Radio took in only about US$8 million (approximately £5 million) in North America.[28] Historical setting[edit] Edit Main article: Pirate radio in the United Kingdom[3][4]The MV Mi Amigo, c. 1974, which was the home of Radio Caroline South from 1964-1968 The official synopsis of The Boat That Rocked before release stated that it tells the fictional story about a group of DJs in 1966 who are at odds with a traditionalist British government that prefers to broadcast jazz.[29] According to director Richard Curtis, the film, though inspired by real British pirate radio of the 1960s, is a work of historical fiction and does not depict a specific radio station of the period.[30] Soundtrack[edit] Edit Main article: The Boat That Rocked (soundtrack)*The soundtrack features songs from The Kinks, The Rolling Stones, The Turtles, Jimi Hendrix, Duffy, Procol Harum, Box Tops, The Beach Boys, Dusty Springfield, The Seekers and The Who The soundtrack features 32 songs on two discs. The film itself has a 60-song playlist.[31] Home media[edit] Edit Scenes cut from the film but available in at least some of the film's home media releases include:[19] a long scene of late-night sabotage aboard a competitor's vessel; The Count's homage to the Beatles, delivered in front of Abbey Road studios; Gavin Kavanagh in a flashback, dancing in a South American bar to "Get Off of My Cloud"; a heartbroken "Simple" Simon lip syncs Lorraine Ellison's "Stay with Me" in its entirety. DVD Region 1: 13 April 2010 Region 2: 7 September 2009 Region 4: 12 August 2009[32] Deleted scenes, director's commentary Blu-ray Region 1: 13 April 2010 Region 2: 7 September 2009[33] Region 4: 12 August 2009 Retrieved from "https://movies.fandom.com/wiki/The_Boat_That_Rocked?oldid=63169"
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Lawnmower Man 2: Beyond Cyberspace (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) Robert Folk Kids In Cyberspace Virtual Light Tour Jobe's Memory Jobe's Realization The Train Jobe's Theme Institute Recon Stealing the Kiron Chip Inspecting the Kiron Chip Jobe's War Streets of Anarchy Virtual Reality Battleground The Kiron Explosion ℗ 1996 Allied Film Productions, Ltd., under exclusive license to Varese Sarabande Records, under exclusive license to Varese Sarabande Records More By Robert Folk Trapped In Paradise (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) Beastmaster 2: Through the Portal of Time (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) Maximum Risk (Original Motion Picture Score) Beastmaster II: Through the Portal of Time There Be Dragons: Secretos De Pasion (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
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Music Fans Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for music historians, critics, and fans. Join them; it only takes a minute: Longest-running artist in music history? If you google information about longest running bands, there seem to be conflicting accounts, like U2, ZZ Top, Rolling Stones, etc, which depend on the criteria used (no gaps, same members, etc). These tend to focus on rock bands, but surely there are other music genres, or even soloists (e.g. Dave Bartholomew or Bob Dylan), who might have lasted longer, or are still playing music. So, I guess to properly answer this, we need some precise definitions. I propose: Who is the (i) singer and (ii) band that: was active for the longest period, without interruptions, but not necessarily with the original members was active for the longest period, without interruptions, with the same original members is still active for the longest period, without interruptions, but not necessarily with the original members is still active for the longest period, without interruptions, with the same original members It might be worth mentioning those who fit the above, albeit having had some interruption in their career. Yet, for the moment the above is enough. luchonacholuchonacho You might be interested with musicfans.stackexchange.com/questions/5039/… – Bebs Jun 10 '17 at 20:29 For a solo singer, you're going to have to live a long time to beat Tony Bennet First hit, 1951 with Because of You - still touring in 2017 I spotted a poster for this outside the Albert Hall last week - http://www.royalalberthall.com/tickets/events/2017/tony-bennett/ That's 66 years. If you are considering only the life-span of actual chart success with only new material qualifying & no re-releases, then Cliff Richard is probably up there, first hit Move it, 1958; last qualifying hit 2008 with a new & original song Thank you for a Lifetime TetsujinTetsujin Dame Vera Lynn has clearly beaten everyone else by several decades. Behold the facts - First solo record release 1936 Debut US chart single 1948 (only US because there wasn't a UK chart for a few more years) Debut studio album 1949 Most recent UK Album Chart entry 'Vera Lynn 100' (celebrating her 100th birthday on 20 March 2017) which charted 17 March 2017 I make that comfortably an 81 year career, and counting. DavePDaveP All fine and true, but I would notice that her last studio album was in 1984. After that, all are compilation albums. Naturally this does not take away the merit of being, as it seems, the longest currently active singer in the world. – luchonacho Apr 20 '18 at 9:25 Consider Charles Aznavour. Born on 22 May 1924, with a career starting arguably in 1946 (although he was performing as a child). From Wikipedia: Charles's parents introduced him to performing at an early age, and he dropped out of school aged nine, taking the stage name "Aznavour". His big break came in 1946 when the singer Édith Piaf heard him sing and arranged to take him with her on tour in France and to the United States. The next paragraph has more details WRT his early years: Aznavour was already familiar with performing on stage by the time he began his career as a musician. At the age of nine, he had roles in a play called Un Petit Diable à Paris and a film entitled La Guerre des Gosses. Aznavour then turned to professional dancing and performed in several nightclubs. In 1944, he and actor Pierre Roche began a partnership and in collaborative efforts performed in numerous nightclubs. It was through this partnership that Aznavour began to write songs and sing. The partnership's first successes were in Canada in 1948-1950. Meanwhile, Aznavour wrote his first song entitled J'ai Bu in 1950. He is currently touring, though this is expected to be his farewell tour. Assuming 1946 as his career's start date, he's been in the business for 70+ years. A 2014 concert announcement says: With a career spanning over 70 years, garnering over 100 million records sold, 1200 songs, 80 movies, and 294 albums, Charles Aznavour has recorded and performed in 7 languages, and is the longest standing “A list” star, still filling major venues all over the world BCdotWEBBCdotWEB The Isley Brothers are the only group to have hit the US Top 100 every single decade between the 50's and the 2000's. That's six decades and counting(!) Lead singer Ron Isley (age 76) has already added on the most recent decade, if you count the R&B/HH charts. ("My Favorite Thing," 2013, and Kendrick Lamar's "How Much a Dollar Cost", 2015, which peaked just under the US Top 100.) Fun trivia --Jimi Hendrix started out as a backup guitarist for the Isley Brothers, and one of the Beatles' earliest hits was a cover of their "Twist and Shout." According to Wikipedia, the following singles reached the Top 100 of the US or UK Pop Singles Charts: Year | Single | US | US R&B | UK 1959 "Shout" 47 — — 1962 "Twist and Shout" 17 2 42 1966 "This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak for You)" 12 6 3 1968 "Behind a Painted Smile" — — 5 1969 "It's Your Thing" 2 1 30 1969 "I Turned You On" 23 6 — 1969 "Put Yourself In My Place" — — 13 1970 "Love the One You're With" 18 3 — 1972 "Pop That Thang" 24 3 — 1972 "That Lady (Part 1)" 6 2 14 1974 "Summer Breeze" 60 10 16 1975 "Fight the Power (Part 1)" 4 1 — 1975 "For the Love of You" 22 10 — 1976 "Harvest for the World" 63 9 10 1977 "The Pride (Part 1)" 63 1 — 1977 "Livin' in the Life" 40 4 — 1978 "Take Me to the Next Phase (Part 1)" — 1 50 1979 "I Wanna Be with You (Part 1)" — 1 — 1979 "It's a Disco Night (Rock Don't Stop)" 90 27 14 1980 "Don't Say Goodnight (It's Time for Love) (Parts 1 & 2)" 39 1 — 1983 "Between the Sheets" 101 3 52 1996 "Down Low (Nobody Has to Know)" (R. Kelly featuring The Isley Brothers) 4 1 23 2001 "Contagious" 19 3 — Other long-running groups that have remained influential and active (without necessarily hitting the charts) include the Jolly Boys (formed in 1945, still includes 3 original members, named by Errol Flynn!), and the Blind Boys of Alabama (formed 1939, still includes 2 original members, the remainder are deceased). Chris SunamiChris Sunami The Stones are definitely up there...having been formed in '62 and still releasing albums in 2016 with many of the same original members. That's a span of 54 years, which is impressive--and perhaps unique in the rock genre. To add some answers from a different genre, some long lived Jazz entities: The Preservation Hall Jazz Band formed in 1963 and still perform extensively today. Herbie Hancock released his first album in 1962. He still performs today. Chick Corea has been active since the early 1960s and still performs today. DA.DA. Petula Clark. Released her first single in 1949, and made a new studio album in 2018. That's 69 years! Brahadeesh We're looking for long answers that provide some explanation and context. Don't just give a one-line answer; explain why your answer is right, ideally with citations. Answers that don't include explanations may be removed. Welcome to the site! You might consider updating your answer with some context or citations to sources indicating Petula Clark has the longest running musical career. – sanpaco Oct 16 '18 at 20:26 She actually had her first radio broadcast aged 9 in 1942 - & is returning to the stage in 2019 in Mary Poppins - that's 77 years & counting - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petula_Clark – Tetsujin Apr 13 at 11:19 Sons of the Pioneers. Obviously not a rock band but still going. Started in 1933/4 by Roy Rogers (then known by his birth name Len Slye) with Bob Nolan and Tim Spencer and originally called Pioneer Trio. Hugh Farr then joined and a radio announcer dubbed them ‘Sons of the Pioneers’ because they were ‘too young to be pioneers’ and they were also no longer a trio. Roy Rogers’ son Roy Jnr (‘Dusty’) now performs with them. Obviously there have been many members over the years and all the original members are now dead. Roy Rogers was the last of the founding members to die when he passed away in 1998. Karen PKaren P The Blind Boys of Alabama began as a group in the 1930s, although they didn't start recording until 1948. Stéphane Grappelli began his career in approximately 1928 which lasted almost to his death in 1997. The Thomanerchor choir has been together for 800 years. BarneyRubbleBarneyRubble Thanks for contributing an answer to Music Fans Stack Exchange! Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged history or ask your own question. Greatest logevity in Rock bands, keeping all initial members
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RIP: Senator John McCain, Pulitzer Prize-Winning Playwright Neil Simon and Singer Kyle Pavone Died – Short Overview This weekend was unfortunate as Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Neil Simon, singer Kyle Pavone and Senator John McCain died. Read the details on Nexter.org. John McCain, August 25 Source: Arizona Governor’s Office US Senator John McCain, a Vietnam War hero and towering political figure who became the 2008 Republican presidential nominee, passed away on August 25. “Senator John Sidney McCain III died at 4:28pm on August 25, 2018. With the senator when he passed were his wife Cindy and their family,” his office said in a statement. “At his death, he had served the United States of America faithfully for 60 years.” Back in 2017, John McCain was diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer and he battled it for one year until he chose to discontinue medical care. Neil Simon, August 26 Source: Stage Milk Neil Simon was an American playwright and screenwriter, who wrote more than 30 plays and around 30 movie screenplays. Simon died of the complications with pneumonia around 1 a.m. Sunday at New York-Presbyterian Hospital in New York City, CNN reports. He received Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1991 and more combined Oscar (four Academy Award won) and Tony nominations than any other writer. He’s famous for the following comedies “The Odd Couple,” “Barefoot in the Park,” “The Sunshine Boys” and “Brighton Beach Memoirs.” These pieces of writing made him one of the most successful and famous writers in US. Kyle Pavone, August 25 Source: Fox News Musician and vocalist of We Came As Romans Kyle Pavone has passed away at the age of 28 on August 25. His band announced the death of a singer and shared their grief, writing: ‘Today music lost another great … Kyle’s tragic loss came too early in his life and those of his bandmates.’ “‘All are devastated by his passing. We will miss his smiles, his sincerity, his concern for others, and his impressive musical talent,” they added on Instagram. He has been hospitalised for a week before the death. However, the cause of death is still unclear. Other musicians and celebrities shared the feelings and memories about the late singer. Cody Carson says “Today is a sad day, we lost one of our brothers in music. So sad to know that you’re gone @kylepavone.” Taylor Lumley‏ also commented on the situation, “RIP @kylepavone, thankful for your friendship in life and glad we were able to share some truly fun and memorable times together.” RIP: LazyTown’s ‘Robbie Rotten’ Actor Stefan Karl Stefansson Dies – 5 Reasons Why He’s a Memory from Our Childhood Avicii Killed Himself on a Vacation + 5 More Celebrities That Committed Suicide Eternal Sorrow: Jonghyun Death and 5 More Celebrity Suicides in 2017 RIP: Senator John McCain, Pulitzer Prize-Winning Playwright Neil Simon and Singer Kyle Pavone Died - Short Overview Tags: celebsdeathsuicide
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Buddhism in Modern Chinese Culture Essay Buddhism has existed for thousands of years and still has a profound influence on Chinese culture today despite the continued illegality of some religious belief and practice in China. This is most profoundly represented in the existence of the Falun Gong and the communist government’s crackdown on the organization and its rising popularity. Although pronounced and dramatic in relevance to the Falun Gong there are many other aspects of Chinese society and culture that show that Buddhism and religion in general is alive and well and, in many respects, growing in influence in modern Chinese Society. A distinct advantage of Buddhism as a religion practiced in a controlled environment such as China is that the Buddhist doctrines do not require public worship or elaborate ceremony and in fact the religious practices of Buddhism are ones which can be undertaken without being noticed at all. So as a religion it is an excellent choice for the Chinese in this respect. But it is not just the religious aspects of Buddhism that is firmly entrenched in the Chinese psyche; it is the attainment of ideals and states of mind that are inherently Chinese. Despite this, organizations such as the Falun Gong, whose fundamental doctrines are rooted in Buddhist belief, are targeted by the government as a cult organization and forced underground. Despite this adversity Buddhism is alive and well in China, practiced both within the accepted parameters of the Chinese government and outside of that by groups considered radical by the government. Keywords; Falun Gong, Buddhism, religion, culture Buddhism Background Information. Buddha is considered to be the greatest of the prophets because he is the only one to have achieved pure and complete enlightenment. Thus he is as much a role model in Buddhism as he is a God-like figure. Early in Buddha’s life (his birth name is Siddhartha Gautama) an astrologer proclaimed that Buddha would be either a great king or a great religious figure. Despite his father’s efforts to create the former, Buddha ventured through the world, sought wisdom and understanding, found compassion and enlightenment and ecame the latter, a religious prophet. Buddha’s teachings are vast and complex but there are a number of his teachings and beliefs which form the fundamental doctrine of Buddhism. The first is related to karma. Buddhist’s believe that karma, which is the cycle of suffering and rebirth, will revisit us as a consequence of our actions in this or former lives. Ethical conduct of course brings good karma and unethical deeds bad karma. It is important to note that karma is based on the intent of the doer rather than the action. Buddhists believe that every soul lives several lifetimes in a number of possible spheres including Naraka (hell), Preta (a ghost world), Animal, Human, Asura (demons), and Devas or Brahmas which is a good deity. There are other states but that is beyond the scope of this background information as a basis for understanding Buddhism in modern Chinese culture. In addition to the matters of reincarnation Buddhism also concerns itself with Four Noble Truths which essentially deal with human suffering and the path to relief. The path to the Noble Truth is The Middle Way (or Middle Path) which promulgates a moderate path, and an explanation of Nirvana (the goal of Buddhism), and the different possible mental states of being. These different states include the state of nothingness. Nothingness is liberation from objects, stress and the things in life to which we cling. It is important to have a superficial understanding of these basic principals in order to realize how Buddhism is still relevant in modern Chinese culture. Religion in China. The People’s Republic of China was founded in 1949 (Xinping, 2009), with the decree that all people in the Republic of China had freedom of thought, speech, publication, assembly, association, communication, etc… As such, religion and freedom of religious practice and freedom of speech is not technically illegal in China, a fact contradicted historically by events such as the massacre at Tiananmen Square and more commonly in the lives of the Chinese. The Chinese people are regulated by unspoken rules that require a person to swear atheism to achieve advancement in government or state agencies. Since much of China’s employment is state operated, religion although legal, is discouraged by various means of the government (Bryan Edelman, 2005). In March 1982, the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party issued policies addressing religious problems in China (Xinping, 2009). In this document the Chinese government proclaimed that in order to protect religious freedom workable laws and regulations were needed. The enactment of the document established greater religious freedom in China. Whether this was achieved or whether this was a smokescreen for the world at a time that China wanted to open its economic doors to an international community is debatable. What is apparent is that despite the liberalization of laws relating to religion, religious practice is still a matter of government ruling and the Chinese government is guilty in this respect of coercion at least and likely oppression. There are five officially sanctioned religions in China and they are Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Protestantism and Catholicism; these religions while legal are still subject to state suppression. All other religions are illegal. Despite the Falun Gong’s close relationship with Buddhist and Taoist doctrine they are not perceived by the government as representing these religions. Falun Gong The Falun Gong went through several changes in leadership with the most influential of these, Li Hongzhi (born May 13, 1951, according to followers, or July 7, 1952, according to critics who contend that Li adjusted his birth date to be the same as the Buddha’s), worked in law enforcement and corporate security before becoming the full-time spiritual leader of Falun Gong in 1992. His leadership brought the Falun Gong to the world’s attention and grew the organization to be a large and popular religious practice. Falun Gong has been called a spiritual movement or a system or beliefs and practices with principles based upon the religious principals of Buddhism and Taoist concepts but they claim, also rooted in science and Chinese history (Schechter, 2001). Its main tenets, like Buddhism are truthfulness, compassion and forbearance. Between 1992 and 1999 the movement went from a relatively small organization of around 3 million to as many as 70 million Falun Gong supporters around the world. Today the Chinese government claims there are 3 million Falun Gong in total and the Falun Gong claim there are 100 million. The Falun Gong is notorious for their fierce official opposition to Chinese dictatorship. The speed in which the Falun Gong has gained support has been alarming to the Chinese government and is indicative of China’s desire for more religious freedom than they have had in the recent past. Chinese government criticism of the Falun Gong has been fierce and they have been accused of being unscientific, dangerous and destabilizing. The Falun Gong has responded to these accusations with passive defiance and protest. While the Falun Gong takes their religious philosophy from several traditional Chinese religions their relationship with Buddhism is particularly close. The relevance of the Buddhist Wheel to the Falun Gong is particularly relevant. The use of meditation techniques and physical exercise to achieve good health and peace of mind has a long history in Chinese culture and religion stemming from Buddhist practices. Popular practices that can be directly attributed to Buddhism occur within the Falun Gong, for example the practice of meditation to balance good health and karma. “According to the Buddha school, bad karma accumulates from wrong-doing in this and past lifetimes, causing suffering. Falun Gong holds that the suffering of illness results from karma and that through self-cultivation this karma may be eliminated, bringing one to an illness-free and ultimately enlightened state. In Zhuan Falun, Mr. Li states, however, that cultivation depends on one’s self, and a cultivations system depends on one’s teacher. So it is understood that through obtaining the right teachings and through self cultivation, one may not only reach and illness-free state, but enlightenment. ” (Schechter, 2001) However, practitioners in modern China present these techniques as purely secular in an effort to escape official restrictions against independent religious activity. Despite this close relationship with Buddhism which is an accepted religion of the Chinese Communist Party, in 1999 the Falun Gong was declared and evil cult by the government. Chinese Response to the Falun Gong. Unlike many other Chinese organizations, Falun Gong has successfully responded strongly and proactively to government criticism, which has in turn prompted the Chinese government to respond with more extreme measures. The movement has been condemned and outlawed by the Chinese authorities, who identified Falun Gong as the latest of many Chinese religious societies that have combined religious assurance with political dissent. In this respect modern China has embraced the Falun Gong as the adoption of traditional Buddhist belief in a modern fashion but also as the voice of dissent to oppression. On 25 April 1999, over ten thousand Falun Gong supporters gathered in a peaceful demonstration in Zhongnanhai which is the home of many of China’s central government leaders (Bryan Edelman, 2005). The protestors wanted the Chinese government to officially recognize the movement as a legitimate form of spirituality. In response the government officially declared the Falun Gong illegal and a cult. In July 1999, a nationwide crackdown on the Falun Gong was begun with propaganda and alleged human rights abuses ensuing. In defence of their position the Chinese government held forth their right under laws which protect religious freedom, to stop the religious activities that were, according to their reports, disrupting public order, impairing the health of the citizenry and/or interfering with the educational system of the state. These are the claims which the government made against the Falun Gong which then gave them the right, under Chinese law, to stop the Falun Gong activity. A Chinese Desire for Religion. In response to international demands that China allow religious freedom in a meaningful way and without reprisal to those who practice religion, the Chinese government undertook a number of initiatives to appear to honor their international commitments in terms of human rights. A professor travelling China as a representative of the United States lecturing on American politics and religion found amongst his listeners, an insatiable desire for information about religion in the United States (Hertzke, 2000). In his travels Hertzke found that the fifty years of official atheism in China combined with the upheavals of opening China to the West and the liberalization and capitalism now presented to the Chinese, created a strong desire in the Chinese people for a stabilizing and Chinese grounding. More specifically Hertzke felt that Chinese intellectuals were grasping for moral and religious clarity. This perspective provides greater understanding as to the phenomenal success and growth of the Falun Gong and other religious movements (including the legal Islam and Christian) in China. It is also a well known fact that an aging population is more attracted to religion. China is no different from the rest of the world in that it is experiencing a rapid aging of the general population. This is another probable reason for the resurgence of Buddhism in modern Chinese culture. As China opens its doors wider to the western world and religions like Falun Gong become ever more powerful it will be interesting to see how traditional religions in modern China develop. The people of China are realizing their ally in the western world in terms of human rights and freedoms and will no doubt push the bounds of religious oppression even more in the future. It can be assumed therefore that traditional religion in China will find greater variety of practice and broader scope. The time when religious oppression of even the legal religions in China (as expressed by the Falun Gong the practice of Buddhism) was easy for Chinese government is passing as organizations like Falun Gong gain strength. Despite tight government controls religion is very much an integral part of Chinese culture. Attempts to stifle certain religions by the government have sent them underground but have not silenced nor stopped banned religions in China. China’s growing exposure to religious freedom enjoyed in other parts of the world will further encourage resistance to governmental religious oppression. Buddhism is alive and well in modern China. The resurgence of religion and in particular Buddhist belief and practice is apparent in the incredible growth of the Falun Gong which represents the core tenets and beliefs of Buddhism. The staunch resistance shown by members of the Falun Gong is indicative of the determination of the Chinese people to retain Buddhist beliefs in modern culture despite government interference and oppression. That the movement has grown to a purported 100 million followers in less than 20 years in an oppressed environment suggests that not only is Buddhism alive and well in modern Chinese culture, but that we are only at the beginning of this amazing resurgence of this ancient religion. While Buddhism is a legal religion in China the practice of it (and other religions) is very tightly controlled by the government. Organizations like Falun Gong which are founded on Buddhist principals are still deemed illegal in China. Despite China’s international commitments to human rights, the right of religious practice and freedom of speech are offered in China in theory but not allowed in practice. Despite this state of affairs Buddhism, particularly as expressed by the Falun Gong, is a cultural phenomena of modern China. Diplomatic visitors to China have seen the desire for open religion of the Chinese people and are expressing this to the world in support of greater religious freedom of religion. Benjamin A. Elman. on Their Own Terms: Science in China, 1550-1900. (2007). Franklin J. Woo , 87+. Bockover, M. I. (2003). Rethinking Confucianism: Past and Present in China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam. China Review International , pp. 337-339. Bryan Edelman, J. T. (2005). Imposed Limitations on Freedom of Religion in China and the Margin of Appreciation Doctrine: a Legal Analysis of the Crackdown on the Falun Gong and Other “evil Cults”. Journal of Church and State , 243-245. Feuchtwang, S. (2001). Popular Religion in China: The Imperial Metaphor. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhism Richmond: Curzon. Hertzke, A. D. (2000, March). What I Learned in China. First Things: A Monthly Journal of Religion and Public Life , p. 64. Hodous, L. (1924). Buddhism and Buddhists in China. New York: MacMillan. Kapstein, M. T. (2002). The Tibetan Assimilation of Buddhism: Conversion, Contestation and Memory. New York: Oxford University Press. . Schechter, D. (2001). Falun Gong’s Challenge to China. New York: Akashic Books. Xinping, Z. (2009). Religion and Rule of Law in China Today. Brigham Young University Law Review , 519+. Tibetan death, burial and afterlife Essay Chinese Immigrants in New York Essay The Buddhist Path Essay China’s Rise and the Role of Export Essay Cultural Differences Between Chinese and American Born Chinese Essay Previous Previous post: Traditions that need to be discouraged Essay Next Next post: ?raditions in asian civilization Essay
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NJFPL New Jersey Family Planning League Highlights and Fast Facts Find a Health Center Reproductive Health Services New Jersey Family Planning League (“us”, “we”, or “our”) operates the http://njfpl.org website (hereinafter referred to as the “Service”). This page informs you of our policies regarding the collection, use and disclosure of personal data when you use our Service and the choices you have associated with that data. We use your data to provide and improve the Service. By using the Service, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy. Unless otherwise defined in this Privacy Policy, the terms used in this Privacy Policy have the same meanings as in our Terms and Conditions, accessible from http://njfpl.org Service is the http://njfpl.org website operated by New Jersey Family Planning League Cookies are small files stored on your device (computer or mobile device). 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Timbaland + Ne-Yo Are Working on Music for ‘Empire’ Season 2 Beth Kellmurray Larry Busacca (2), Getty Images After its breakthrough first season, Empire has big plans in store for its second go, which is set to premiere this fall. Fox has announced that Timbaland -- who’s also the show’s executive music producer -- and R&B crooner Ne-Yo are already working on new music for Empire’s second season. Timbaland and Ne-Yo were all over the charts in the early-to-mid ‘00s, and they’ve already worked together once before on the 2012 track, “Hands in the Air.” Fox also recently announced a slew of guest star spots for Season 2. Alicia Keys, Lenny Kravitz and Chris Rock are all slated to make appearances, with more to be announced. Season 1 was already stacked with guest stars, including Rita Ora, Courtney Love, Jennifer Hudson and more. Hudson even contributed a song to the show, “Remember the Music.” Earlier this year, Fox renewed Empire for a second season, upping its episode order from 12 to 18. The network will also split the season in half, with the first nine episodes premiering this fall and the remaining nine running after a mid-season break. Empire actor Jussie Smollett -- who plays Jamal Lyon, the son of Empire Entertainment CEO Lucious Lyon (Terrence Howard) and ex-wife Cookie Lyon (Taraji P. Henson) -- recently made an emotional appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, where he came out to the public for the first time. “It was really important to me that it got across that there is no closet,” he said. “There’s never been a closet that I’ve been in.” He then gave a moving performance of the Empire song, “Good Enough.” Next: Tink Reworks Aaliyah's 'One In A Million' With Timbaland's Blessing Source: Timbaland + Ne-Yo Are Working on Music for ‘Empire’ Season 2 Filed Under: Empire, Ne-Yo, Timbaland
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Creationism, Evolution, General, Science and religion Reading Noah Noah's Ark/20,000 Leagues Under the Sea mashup, created by Ryan Long for a shirt sold by Woot.com. Used with permission. Let me tell you a story. The first story my father told me, and the first story I told each of you. Russell Crowe’s Noah, in Darren Aronofsky’s Noah Noah is, in part, a story about how we read stories. The line above is what Noah says to his family aboard the Ark, before he recites a version of the opening chapters of Genesis, the story of the world’s creation in six days. But as Noah tells the tale, the images that appear on screen could have come from Cosmos. The earth coalesces from space debris, and the moon is smashed out of it. Life originates as a single cell, then diversifies and expands. In a mix between stop-motion animation and morphing that manages to be linear without being Lamarckian, a fish grows legs, walks on shore and spawns lizards, snakes, early mammals, and an ape, which leaps forth from the trees into a blaze of light, and then we see Adam and Eve in the Garden. The creation account, we’re led to understand, is a story, and not an exact account of exactly how everything happens. Earlier, while Noah is reeling from a vision of the world’s destruction which came to him in a dream, his grandfather Methuselah explains to him, “You must trust that He [the Creator, as the film’s characters refer to God] speaks to you in a way you can understand.” Those two passages bookend the bulk of the story of Noah, and give us a guide about how Aronofsky wants us to read his story of Noah, and how he thinks we ought to read the earlier story (or, rather, stories, since there are lots of flood myths to go around). At various times, both Noah and the film’s villain (Tubal-Cain, a briefly-noted Biblical figure whose anachronistically simultaneous invention of bronze and iron tools earns him only one line in Genesis, but who Aronofsky fleshes out into at least a stock movie villain) stare skyward and ask why the Creator doesn’t speak to them or give them some sign. Tubal-Cain, Job-like, does this to seek clarity about what he should do with his kingdom of people, people whom the Creator has apparently consigned to drown without telling them why, or whether there’s anything they can do to save themselves. Noah’s request echoes Abraham’s on Mt. Moriah, before the sacrifice of Isaac. He’s decided that humans are not meant to live in the post-Flood world, since the Creator sent him and his sons onto a boat accompanied only by Noah’s wife (who we’re left to assume is post-menopausal) and the eldest son’s girlfriend (whose womb was destroyed by a childhood injury). But—SPOILER ALERT!—Methuselah blessed the daughter-in-law, healing her womb, and she is pregnant. DOUBLE SPOILER: She gives birth to twin daughters. Noah had sworn to kill any girl-child to ensure that God’s judgment on humanity would be carried out, and had convinced himself that he was chosen to build the Ark not because he was righteous enough to re-people the earth, but because he was righteous enough to ensure that no children would be born to his children. The arrival of twin daughters, however, suggests that maybe the Creator wants both of his unmarried sons to have wives as well. Knife bared over his newborn granddaughters, Noah pauses, stares up at the cloudy skies, and asks for guidance. But where an angel descended to tell Abraham to spare his son Isaac, the skies above Noah remain foreboding, filled with portents of either rain or a rainbow. In the end, he surrenders to love. He chooses to interpret that choice as a rebellion against the Creator, and when they leave the Ark he invents—and then surrenders to—wine. It’s a story, then, of fanaticism and its consequences. Noah thinks he’s been given clear signs that no new women should enter the world, and thinks that means he has to kill his granddaughters. If he were right, he’d be remembered like Abraham (assuming his hand was stayed, and there was anyone left to remember him), but if he were wrong, he’d be remembered (if at all), like Fred Phelps, Andrea Yates, or the Taliban. The Creator may speak to us in a way that we can understand, but Aronofsky’s message is clearly that we shouldn’t be too certain that we really do understand that message. Noah could just as easily have read his daughter-in-law’s pregnancy as a miraculous sign that humanity would survive, and never considered killing the children. The clarity of such stories and signs lies more in how we interpret them as it does in the raw text (which is why I hate and avoid the term “literalism”). Various people, especially creationists, have taken the film to task for deviating from the source material in Genesis. Genesis specifies that Noah’s sons and their wives boarded the Ark, and doesn’t specify that—SPOILER ALERT—Tubal-Cain was on board, or that he tempted Ham into mutiny. Aronofsky’s Noah is vegetarian, and one of the great sins of Aronofsky’s industrialized Cainite tribe is that they kill, cook, and eat living things. But the Biblical Noachian clan sacrificed some of the animals on the Ark after landing, and the smoke from the burnt offerings pleases God enough that he swears never again to destroy humanity. (Though critics are wrong to say that Noah wasn’t vegetarian. Genesis 1:29-30 states only that “all plants that bear seeds…all trees in which there is tree fruit that bears seeds, for you they shall be, for eating,” an injunction not lifted until Noah leaves the Ark, in Genesis 9:3: “All things crawling about that live, for you shall they be, for eating, as with the green plants, I now give you all.”) Getting caught up in those particulars misses the crucial point, though. Stories about burnt offerings are how you’d communicate to a desert tribe a few millennia ago, but don’t speak to modern audiences. Aronofsky understands, as did the nameless multitudes who edited and emended the Biblical texts, that these stories are living things and have to change to match their listeners. Aronofsky’s Noah travels across un-Biblically industrial wastelands and leaves out the Biblical animal sacrifice because he’s telling the story to us, not our distant ancestors. And re-reading Genesis after watching the film, you can’t escape the realization that Noah is never promised that his family will re-populate the earth, not until after they land and make a thanksgiving sacrifice. Most modern tellings omit that uncertainty, and Aronofsky does well to bring us back to the angst Noah and his family had to feel at the possibility that they might be the last humans ever (e.g., Madeleine L’Engle’s Many Waters humanizes the doomed parts of humanity, but doesn’t leave any doubt that humans will survive after the Flood). And he humanizes the non-Noachians enough that the viewer is struck by the divinely-commanded genocide we know lies in their future. Could we see those crucial and shocking aspects of the story so clearly if he didn’t deviate from the text we’ve all gotten used to? Shouldn’t we, like the characters, be unsure how it’ll all turn out? Aronofsky’s also taken flack for adding an environmental message to the movie that isn’t present in the original text. After the Ark lands, the God of Genesis explicitly states (using the fabulous Everett Fox translation): Fear of you, dread of you shall be upon all the wildlife of the earth and upon all the fowl of the heavens, all that crawls on the soil and all the fish of the sea— into your hands they are given. All things crawling about that live, for you shall they be, for eating, as with the green plants, I now give you all. As for you—bear fruit and be many, swarm on earth and become many on it! The word “swarm” here seems significant. It’s a word used elsewhere to describe the movements of animals, and other translators render it as “slither and crawl” in those contexts. Humans have survived the Flood, but God is now talking about them as animals, not as the nearly-divine beings he made in the Garden. There has been a re-Creation through the flood, and humans are diminished in a sense, and more fully part of nature. The context of stewardship of the Earth, a theme Aronofsky pounds on, certainly runs through Genesis. Or at least through some people’s readings of it. When God grants Adam “dominion” over the Earth, and tells Noah to fill the Earth and gives all living things into his hands, does that mean the natural world is ours to exploit, or ours to tend to? Certainly, many Jews, Christians, and Muslims who read those words in their holy texts understand it to mean stewardship, and for good cause. Bill McKibben’s fascinating early book The Comforting Whirlwind traces those themes, especially in the Book of Job, where God’s oration from the whirlwind celebrates the wonders of nature, most especially natural wonder where there’s no human nearby to see it. This way of interpreting the Biblical stories sees the Creation as the goal of the Creator, and humans as just one part of that grand work. Others see the word “dominion” and see it as a clear sign that we are meant to dominate and control the Earth, not to tend and care for it as a good unto itself. Aronofsky weighs in firmly with the stewardship camp, and the precepts about reading stories that open and close his own story are part of an argument with those who favor the dominionism voiced by Tubal-Cain in the film. But they are also an acknowledgment that Aronofsky knows better than to insist that his is the only way to read Noah. Antibiotic Batman Finds His Robin, Part 1
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Thank a Teacher Thursday Thank a Teacher Thursday—Terry Chapin It’s hard to imagine that tree twigs could change someone’s life, but this week’s Thank a Teacher started with just that. And not just twigs, but leafless winter twigs that might seem to shed little light on a tree’s identity. Such were the tools that one teacher used to intrigue a small group of students who would grow up to change the world. Some people don’t catch fire for science in high school. Some of them don’t even really get the bug in college, at least in the sense of having that “a-ha!” moment when they develop not just a fondness, but a passion for the topic. My next few stories on the blog will be about teachers who made a difference in college and beyond. Let’s start with F. Stuart Chapin III – he goes by “Terry” – emeritus professor of Ecology at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. Since coming to Fairbanks in 1973, Terry has carried out groundbreaking research in ecology, focusing on how plants adapt to low temperatures and changing environments. He has also authored a highly regarded textbook on Terrestrial Ecology, mentored dozens, and taught hundreds. His outstanding scientific research resulted in his being the first Alaskan elected to the National Academy of Sciences. In the last decade, Chapin has expanded his ecology research to include human-environment interactions and has been involved in many national and international efforts, including a major National Research Council (NRC) study called “America’s Climate Choices,” focusing on how societies can adapt to a changing climate. I recently wrote Terry to ask whether a teacher had influenced his decision to become a scientist, and his willingness to devote his time to working with others to ensure that scientific knowledge contributes to the public good. It turns out that a teacher did indeed have an outsized impact on Terry’s career choice, but he didn’t come across him until his freshman year in college. After two years of high school in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and two at the Deerfield Academy in Massachusetts, Terry went off to college at Swarthmore with no idea what he might want to do. His assigned advisor happened to be an economics professor, so he signed up to major in economics. However—in a lucky break for science—his advisor, upon learning that Terry liked the outdoors, suggested that he try Intro Bio. And the rest is history. The introductory biology course at Swarthmore was (and is) taught by the entire biology faculty, “each professor taught the unit on their specialty” Terry told me, “so they were passionate about what they taught.” It was the ecology professor, Bill Denison, whose passion captured Terry’s attention. Denison led lots of outdoor field studies and Terry remembers becoming fascinated with a project involving identifying trees by their winter twigs. “Figuring out which trees were there got us into the classical ecological questions like why certain trees are in some places and not others” and a lifelong passion for unraveling ecosystem interactions was born. Terry was not the only student captivated by science under Denison’s tutelage. A group of Terry’s fellow freshman continued studying ecology together throughout their four years at Swarthmore, and each of them went on to earn graduate degrees in the subject. Denison was also deeply concerned about social issues and that passion rubbed off on his students. As Terry told me, “The fact is that this teacher became a mentor not only with respect to biology but how we were developing as individuals and as professionals. Denison didn’t separate biology from life.” An influence like that can play out years and years later. When Terry’s ecological studies revealed how quickly Alaskan habitats were changing, it was natural for him to consider the consequences for people. “Those of us who continued in ecology had a strong bent for addressing social issues,” Terry says. “That’s why I got interested in climate change, and how ecological changes have affected Alaska’s native peoples.” The year after Terry graduated from Swarthmore, Dr. Denison moved to Oregon State, where he continued to transform students’ lives. Terry and his fellow Swarthmore classmates stayed in touch with him until his death in 2005. In Oregon, Denison was one of the pioneers opening up a new habitat to ecological research—the forest canopy. An article, “Treetops Yield their Secrets” published in 1994 in the New York Times Science section describes the “derring-do” that was required to study this previously unseen world. I wonder how many students who came to climb trees stayed to become scientists? Have a story about a teacher who brought science to life? Tell me about it—reid@ncse.com. Scientist in the Classroom Spotlight Claire Adrian-Tucci Apply Claire Adrian-Tucci filter (-) Remove November 3, 2016 filter November 3, 2016 14:__ Apply 14:__ filter
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A private audience "Theater Rehearsal With Maid'' (oil on canvas), by George Hughes. This appeared first on the cover of the Jan. 13, 1951 issue of The Saturday Evening Post. This image is copyrighted 2014 by The National Museum of American Illustration, Newport, R.I. Photo courtesy of Archives of American Illustrators Gallery, New York, N.Y. Tagged: Archives of American Illustrators Gallery, George Hughes, Saturday Evening Post Post-war pride "Community Tree'' (gouache on paper), by STEVAN DOHANOS, for the cover of the Dec. 4, 1948 Saturday Evening Post. Copyright 2013 National Museum of American Illustration, Newport, R.I. Photo courtesy Archives of the American Illustrators Gallery. Tagged: National Museum of American Illustration, Saturday Evening Post, Stevan Dohanos RWhitcomb-editor art, illustration, Massachusetts, oped The way he wanted life to look Norman Rockwell (1894-1978), “The Bridge Game,” 1948, oil on canvas, published by Saturday Evening Post, May 15, 1948 cover Image Courtesy of National Museum of American Illustration, Newport, RI., cover image © SEPS: www.curtispublishing.com. There’s another picture below.(Rerunning this posting from the pre-renovation version of New England Diary a few weeks ago.) The New York Times seems to be on a Norman Rockwell kick, with a long review of a new book out about him and a travel piece about Arlington, Vt., where he lived for a long time. That was before he moved to Stockbridge, Mass, in the Berkshires, to, among other things, be closer to Austen Riggs, the mental hospital identified with many celebrity patients. As Deborah Solomon (who also wrote the travel story) writes in “American Mirror: The Art and Life of Norman Rockwell,” his life was far more complex and darker than most of his beautiful art. That he was a troubled man (who ain’t?) is not news, but Ms. Solomon puts it together very well indeed. He was apparently conflicted about homosexual longings, had three troubled marriages and was a lifelong hypochondriac. The Thoreau line about “the mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation” comes to mind. Still, he obviously found much comfort and joy in his studio. Do too many writers these days make too much of sexual conflicts? Maybe a highly creative person’s biggest trauma is the difficulty of finding meaning in a seemingly chaotic world, a torturous search for ultimate meaning. Some of this reminds me of the strange story of Robert Frost, whose public image as a sort of quaint, folksy, friendly rural poet was so false. In fact, Frost, a kind of Modernist, used his New England settings to explore existential quandaries; and he could be a very nasty man. Many of his poems were dark, dark, dark. Take a look at his poem design “Design”. But, in part because his folksy image got him many lucrative lecture gigs, he played along with it, to a point (while winking). But then, behind almost family’s door is conflict and mental illness of varying seriousness. In some way, maybe imaginative repression and diversion, Rockwell got great popular art done despite, or because of, his problems, through vast technical skill, knowledge of other masters’ work and a rich visual imagination. The Rockwell renaissance also reminds me of how much many of us miss the golden age of magazines, such as The Saturday Evening Post, for which Rockwell did so much work. The weekly arrival of pubs such as The Post and Life magazine was a joy that I, anyway, have never found with TV, the Internet and newspapers (with the possible exception of the beautiful old New York Herald Tribune). That is probably ungrateful, since newspapers paid for most of my upkeep for almost 44 years. Speaking of the past, I was pleasantly surprised to see that John Wilmerding, my art-history professor of almost a half century ago at Dartmouth, was the reviewer of Ms. Solomon’s fine new book. Mr, Wilmerding, an heir to great Havemeyer sugar fortune in New York, also has one of America’s greatest collections of American art, much of which he is giving away. The best places to see Rockwell work are the National Museum of American Illustration, in Newport, and, the Norman Rockwell Museum, in Stockbridge. Norman Rockwell (1894-1978), ”Volunteer Fireman,” 1931, oil on canvas, published by Saturday Evening Post, March 28, 1931 cover image Courtesy of National Museum of American Illustration, Newport, RI. Saturday Evening Post cover image © SEPS: www.curtispublishing.com Tagged: Arlington, Austen Riggs, Berkshires, Deborah Solomon, John Wilmerding, Mass-, National Museum of American Illustration, New England, New England Diary, Norman Rockwell, Saturday Evening Post, Stockbridge, Va-
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Butler Newsroom > 2016 > July Notice: “Project Management Fundamentals” Email Is a Scam Butler University warned the public today that an organization called Project Management International, which has sent out emails offering a class at Butler in August, is in no way affiliated with the University and has not been authorized to hold [...] Butler Athletic Hall of Fame Inducts Jack Krebs Again and Again and Again and Again and Again Jack Krebs ’63 came to Butler in 1958 with no fanfare. At 6-foot-1 and 155 pounds, he was talented enough to play quarterback at Shelbyville High School, but not big or strong enough to be recruited by Butler. He chose [...] Butler Alumni Have Their Companies Moving Fast Two of the fastest-growing Indianapolis-area private companies are being run by Butler University Lacy School of Business graduates, the Indianapolis Business Journal reported in its July 18-24 edition. GreenLight LLC, which ranked No. 6 in the IBJ’s “Fast 25,” is [...] Butler’s School Counseling Degree Rated Among the Best TopCounselingSchools.org has rated Butler’s M.S. in School Counseling degree as one of the best in Indiana. In ranking Butler second in the state, the website wrote that “students are trained to respond to a host of issues facing the lives [...] Butler Again Listed in ‘Fiske Guide to Colleges’ Butler University is again among the roughly 300 schools listed in the Fiske Guide to Colleges, a reference book for prospective students looking for “the best and most interesting schools.” In the 2017 edition, which was released on July 1, [...]
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"Football" American South 8 Segregation 8 Clothing and dress 7 Neckwear 3 Collecting cards 2 Souvenir programs 2 Archival materials 1 Home movies 1 Washington County 10 Cook County 5 Grambling 4 Lincoln Parish 4 Anderson, Henry Clay 10 National Football League 7 Grambling State University 5 Iooss, Walter 5 Rice, Jerry Lee 5 San Francisco 49ers 5 Evans, William Leonard 4 Kaepernick, Colin Rand 4 Nike Inc. 4 Reebok International Ltd. 4 Robinson, Avis Collins 4 Robinson, Edward Gay 4 Simpson, O. J. 4 Tuesday Publications, Inc. 4 Wilson Sporting Goods Co. 4 Brown, Jim 3 Mississippi Valley State University 3 Morehouse College 3 Riddell 3 Smith, Emmitt James 3 J. Max Bond, Sr. Home Movie #3 16mm motion picture film of J. Max Bond, Sr. home movie #3 Bond, J. Max, Sr., American, 1902 - 1991 16mm Film (a): acetate film; Film Reel (b): metal Length (Film): 350 Feet This 16mm film is from a collection of home movies shot by J. Max Bond Sr. between 1930-1960. The collection features travel footage, family outings, and gatherings with family and friends. This 16mm color film is one of ten home movies shot by J. Max Bond, Sr. from 1930 to 1960. The footage mainly focuses on family, travel, and educational institutions with which J. Max Bond Sr. was associated. Consists of: 16mm Film (a) and Original 400 foot Film Reel (b). 2016.16.3.1a: 16mm film. The film opens with a wide shot of men cheering from a covered grandstand at a homecoming football game. This is followed by pan shots of finely dressed women standing in a line and seated men cheering for the camera. Subsequently, there are wide shots of the football team warming up and of the game itself. Next, there are multiple shots of the Tuskegee marching band performing on the football field. The camera then shoots a man speaking to the crowd. This is followed by more shots of the marching band and the football game. The film then cuts to scenes from a ceramics class. There are multiple shots of ceramic objects and a close up of a bust of Booker T. Washington being sculpted. The following scene depicts children in a classroom with wide shots of the children and a teacher seated in a circle and multiple portrait-style shots of the children and teachers. Next, a weaving class is shown with wide shots of a loom in operation and students showing off objects they've made in the class. This is followed by multiple shots of a cooking class where a teacher is training students in various techniques. The next several shots are out of focus, but appear to depict people formally entering a room. The film ends with multiple shots from a funeral with both wide and portrait-style shots of the mourners. 2016.16.3.1b: Original 400 foot film reel. Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift from the Family of George Clement Bond 2016.16.3.1ab © Alison Bond J. Max Bond, Sr. Family Home Movies Something to Build On 16mm motion picture film of Something to Build On Bourne, St. Clair, American, 1943 - 2007 Chamba Productions, founded 1971 Hancock, Herbie, American, born 1940 Nairobi College, founded 1969 California State University, Los Angeles, American, founded 1947 The City College of the City University of New York, American, founded 1847 St. Petersburg College, American, founded 1927 Clark Atlanta University, American, founded 1988 Morehouse College, American, founded 1867 Bowser, Pearl, American, born 1931 16mm Film (a): acetate film Length (Film): 1190 Feet motion pictures (information artifacts) Place filmed East Palo Alto, San Mateo County, California, United States, North and Central America Los Angeles, California, United States, North and Central America Saint Petersburg, Pinellas County, Florida, United States, North and Central America Harlem, New York City, New York County, New York, United States, North and Central America 16mm color film directed by St. Clair Bourne and produced by his production company, Chamba Productions, for the College Entrance Examination Board. The film provides various perspectives on the college experience and presents resources to encourage minority youth to attend college. 16mm color film directed by St. Clair Bourne and produced his production company, Chamba Productions, for the College Entrance Examination Board. The film provides various perspectives on the college experience and presents resources to encourage minority youth to attend college. Consists of: 16mm Film (a). 2012.79.1.54.1a: 16mm film. Film begins with an introduction animated segment of a young black man walking down a city sidewalk and then entering a doorway with the word College written over it. A musical soundtrack accompanies the animation. He walks down the hallway past doors and a trophy case while the voiceover narration begins. The narration focuses on thinking about how to get started on applying for college. The animation sequence depicts the prospective student collecting paperwork and talking to the appropriate people to take to the door with a college sign next to it. The animated introduction ends and the film transitions to live action and the title of the film. A man runs out of a storefront across a parking lot to his car. The next scene shows a professor leading a class discussion in a classroom. Then there is an exterior shot of Nairobi College and the man from earlier in the film running in the front door. The college is located in a small house. The narrator introduces the college and the man joins the classroom conversation. The narrator introduces Nate Perry, the man that has been in the film, and he talks about enrolling in Nairobi College. The narrator explains that the purpose of the college is to teach leaders for non-white communities and break down the separation of the college and the community by holding classes in different locations. The next scene shows the Nairobi College Cultural Center and students playing music and dancing. The next subject of the film is California State College (California State University) in Los Angeles. The narrator discusses the importance of the college for the Mexican American community. There is a shot of the front door of College Recruitment for Educational Opportunity (CREO). The door also has a sign for Community Relations for Educational Opportunity (also CREO). People are shown walking into the office and talking to someone in the office and he answers questions about gaining admission to college. A man is shown talking outside and a group discussion ensues about confronting the power structure. An inside classroom discussion also shows students talking about similar problems as those in the outside discussion. The next scene shows New York City and the narrator begins talking about City College of New York in Harlem and the importance of providing both financial assistance as well as special counseling and tutoring. However, the narrator points out that black and Puerto Rican students demanded an open admissions policy. A group of students is shown discussing education issues and going back to the community to work and raise awareness. The narrator introduces Megan McLaughlin, and she describes through a voiceover narration the Search for Elevation, Education, and Knowledge (SEEK) Program. She is shown walking on sidewalks during the voiceover narration. The next scene features St. Petersburg College, and the narrator discusses attending a junior college before attending a four-year institution. Students share their experiences and how students can benefit from attending a junior college. The smaller classes are beneficial and the opportunity to balance home life with attending college are among those benefits. The scene is filmed inside of a moving car while Don Gekkins, director of the Service Center Program, talks about how the program works. The next scene shows him entering a classroom where children are reciting words displayed on cards held by a tutor from the junior college. Don Gekkins is then shown leaving his house with his two sons and playing with them. Gekkins, in a voiceover narration, describes growing up in a depressed area of St. Petersburg. The next scene shows a college marching band leading a parade down a street. The narrator discusses this parade in the context of a four-year university and the distractions of a four-year university, particularly sports events. The university being discussed appears to be Howard University in Washington, D.C. After footage of cheerleaders and a football game, a football player is interviewed about attending college on a scholarship. After the interview, there is footage of a football practice. The next scene includes an interview with Tom Nelson, a college graduate and ex-professional football player. The next scene shows two men picking up trash on the sidewalk, then some other men performing municipal trash service. There is footage of a college campus, probably Clark University in Atlanta, while the narrator discusses the main reasons for attending college. The next scene shows a woman walking on a sidewalk and into a building while the narrator begins a discussion about financial aid. The woman enters an office and talks to a financial aid officer while the narrator discusses the difference between types of financial aid. The next scene shows a student from Nigeria at Morehouse College in Atlanta, and he discusses studying science to bring back knowledge to Nigeria. The film ends with the narrator presenting a summary of what has been discussed, and there is a montage of images from the entire film. Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Pearl Bowser 2012.79.1.54.1a Pearl Bowser Collection Football commemorating Eddie Robinson's 324th win at Grambling State University Wilson Sporting Goods Co., American, founded 1914 Robinson, Edward Gay Sr., American, 1919 - 2007 Grambling State University, American, founded 1901 leather , rubber and thread H x W x D (deflated): 4 1/4 × 12 1/4 × 6 1/2 in. (10.8 × 31.1 × 16.5 cm) Dallas, Texas, United States, North and Central America Grambling, Lincoln Parish, Louisiana, United States, North and Central America This is a deflated white and brown Wilson football with white lacing. On the white side is text in black letters that reads "EDDIE ROBINSON GETS 324TH WIN/ GRAMBLING 27 VS PRARIE [sic] VIEW 7/ COTTON BOWL STADIUM/ DALLAS TEXAS 10 - 5-85." On a brown side in black text are the words "PAUL 'BEAR' BRYANT 323 WINS/ AMOS ALONZO STAGG 314 WINS/ GLEN POP WARNER 313 WINS." On a third side in large black script is the word "Wilson ®." Below in black text are the words "Made/ in / USA/ K" and "Inflate/ 13 LBS/ R." Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of the Eddie Robinson Family Tools and Equipment-Sports and Recreational Sports: Leveling the Playing Field Football helmet worn by Emmitt Smith as a member of the Dallas Cowboys Riddell, American, founded 1929 Emmitt Smith, American, born 1969 plastic , metal H x W x D: 10 × 9 × 12 in. (25.4 × 22.9 × 30.5 cm) A football helmet worn by Emmitt Smith as a member of the Dallas Cowboys. Helmet is covered with nicks and abrasions from impacts. Helmet is size 7 1/4 and was made by Riddell. There is a blue and white star decal on both sides. Shield-shaped sticker at back right reads [All / American / 7 1/4]. Label on back of helmet on white stripe reads [E. SMITH]. On interior padding on right side, underlined in black ink: [EMM]. On interior padding on right side in red marker: [GO / GIANTS]. Interior at crown on the plastic that covers the ring-shaped pad is [RIDDELL / 16543]. Interior above left ear hole is a sticker that reads [PROVA / Let's Get Legit! / www.provagroup.com / Z4vuNK2u1c]. Interior, behind right ear hole, on lip of foam insert, is [16003-2] stamped into the plastic. Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Emmitt Smith From His Personal Collection Clothing-Historical Football jersey worn by Emmitt Smith as a member of the Dallas Cowboys Reebok International Ltd., British, founded 1895 H x W (Flat): 39 × 34 1/2 in. (99.1 × 87.6 cm) sports uniforms Football jersey worn by Emmitt Smith as a member of the Dallas Cowboys. The jersey is blue with white sleeves. White stars with blue and white trim are stiched on at the shoulders, and white numbers [22] with blue and white trim are stiched on the front and back. Blue numbers 22 are stiched on the sleeves. Stiched on in white letters on upper back is [E. SMITH]. Two tags on the collar read [01-44] and [(blue and white circular logo) / WE TRAK / www.wetrak.com]. Sticker adhered to jersey at right of WE TRAK tag reads [WT288104251] in black print. Tag at front bottom of jersey reads [reebok / (Dallas Cowboys helmet) / Designed and engineered / to the exact specifications / of the Dallas Cowboys]. Two small tags adhered to jersey using shared stitching read [4"L.B.] and [44]. Tag on lower interior of jersey reads [100% NYLON / MADE IN / BERLIN, WI / U.S.A. / OVER FOR CARE] with [NOV 22, 2001] written over it in black marker. Reverse of tag has washing instructions. WETRAK tag is adhered to jersey with zip tie through mesh at front lower right. Tag gives [WT2388104251] on front and notice of certification by WeTrak, Inc. on the back. Football cleats worn by Emmitt Smith H x W x D (Left shoe, a): 6 × 4 1/4 × 12 1/4 in. (15.2 × 10.8 × 31.1 cm) H x W x D (Right shoe, b): 6 × 4 1/4 × 12 1/4 in. (15.2 × 10.8 × 31.1 cm) One pair of blue and white size 12 1/2 Reebok football cleats worn by Emmitt Smith. Shoes have minor scuffing at the toe and lower third of the leather. Both shoes have the number 22 written in black marker at the heel. Text on outsole of both shoes reads [AUTHENTIC / reebok / FOOTBALL]. Tag on inside of tongue on both shoes reads [EQUIPMENT / NFL / MADE IN CHINA / FABRIQUE EN CHINE / USA UK EUR CM / 12.5 11.5 46 30.5]. Tag on insole of both shoes reads [EQUIPMENT / NFL / ENGINEERED BY REEBOK TO THE / EXACT SPECIFICATIONS OF THE / NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE / NAME # (blank) / 8NFIELD reebok]. Sticker on inside of right shoe reads [PROVA / Let's Get Legit! / www.provagroup.com / Z4vuNK2w1r]. 2017.84.3ab Ticket to Super Bowl XXII National Football League, American, founded 1920 Williams, Doug, born 1955 Washington Redskins, American, founded 1932 Denver Broncos, American, founded 1960 H x W (Ticket): 6 5/8 × 2 5/8 in. (16.8 × 6.7 cm) H x W x D (Case): 9 5/8 × 4 5/8 × 5/8 in. (24.4 × 11.7 × 1.6 cm) admission tickets San Diego, California, United States, North and Central America Washington quarterback Doug Williams was selected as the Most Valuable Player of the game, and he was the first African American quarterback to win the Super Bowl. Washington won the game 42-10. A ticket to Super Bowl XXII between Washington and Denver played on January 31st, 1988. The ticket is for Section 40, Row 4, Seat 3 on the Press Level and has a face price of $100.00. The ticket is intact. The front has an image of a white sculptural archway with the Lombardi Trophy underneath it. In the background is an illustrated view of San Diego. The back has a map of the stadium and surrounding roads. The ticket is housed in a plastic case with a label. Signed digital print of Colin Kaepernick kneeling during national anthem Kaepernick, Colin Rand, American, born 1987 dye on paper H x W (Image and sheet): 8 × 10 in. (20.3 × 25.4 cm) dye diffusion thermal transfer prints A color photograph of the San Francisco 49ers sideline during the singing of the national anthem. Colin Kaepernick at center is down on knee with left elbow resting on left knee. Eric Reid, out of uniform, is to his right with brace on his right hand. Nate Boyer, on Kaepernick's left, wears dark patriotic shirt with jeans and holds hand over heart. The scene is in Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California, as the Chargers' fans and logos are visible within the stadium. Signed at bottom right partly over image of Kaepernick: [Coli / Kap / 7]. Repeating watermark on back of photograph reads [MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC]. Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Dr. Harry Edwards © Getty Images. Permission required for use. Tuesday Magazine, Vol. 4, No. 2 Tuesday Publications, Inc., American, 1965 - 1970s Evans, William Leonard Jr., American, 1914 - 2007 Simpson, O. J., American, born 1947 Coleridge-Taylor, Samuel, British, 1875 - 1912 Robinson, Avis Collins, American, born 1954 H x W: 13 1/8 × 10 7/8 in. (33.3 × 27.6 cm) Mexico, North and Central America Edition of Tuesday Magazine, Vol. 4, No. 2. The cover has black printed text at the top and graphics below. The text reads [NATIONAL / EDITION Tuesday / -ZINE] with [OCTOBER 1968 · ISSUED MONTHLY] in the upper right corner. A list of topics discussed in the magazine is below this [O. J. SIMPSON / FOOTBALL’S LATEST ‘GREATEST’ / THE NEGRO IN WORLD HISTORY / SAMUEL COLERIDGE-TAYLOR / IN MEXICO / THE OLYMPICS GO ON]. The images on the cover, illustrated by Dennis Luczak, show two (2) women dressed in pink and purple outfits over images of four (4) different cars. The lower right corner reads [SPECIAL AUTOMOBILE SECTION: THE LOOK OF 1969/PAGE 12]. There are various articles and advertisements in the issue. The back cover has a Chevrolet advertisement. The magazine has forty-eight (48) pages. © Tuesday Publications, Inc, 1968. Permission required for use. Delany, Martin Robison, American, 1812 - 1885 Illustrated by Gall, Ted, American, born 1941 H x W: 13 × 10 7/8 in. (33 × 27.6 cm) Edition of Tuesday Magazine, Vol. 7, No. 3. The cover has black printed text at the top and graphics below. The text reads [NATIONAL / EDITION Tuesday / MAGAZINE] with [NOVEMBER 1971 · ISSUED MONTHLY] in the upper right corner. A list of topics discussed in the magazine is below this [THANKSGIVING DINNER / THE CARIBBEAN WAY / THE NEGRO IN WORLD HISTORY / MARTIN R. DELANY / THE BLACK WORKER & THE / AMERICAN LABOR MOVEMENT]. The front cover has an image of a sculpture by Ted Gall. The metal sculpture shows a football player wearing his helmet and gear in a dynamic pose. The figure has his proper right arm extended out holding a football. The image has a blue background. The lower right corner reads [ROOKIES OF THE YEAR: TUESDAY’S PRO FOOTBALL FORECAST/PAGE 12]. There are various articles and advertisements in the issue. The back cover has a Kool cigarettes advertisement. The magazine has forty (40) pages. Foodways Sesame Street, American, founded 1969 Long, Loretta, American, born 1938 Robinson, Matt, American, 1937 - 2002 Edition of Tuesday Magazine, Vol. 6, No. 3. The cover has black printed text at the top and graphics below. The text reads [NATIONAL / EDITION Tuesday / MAGAZINE] with [NOVEMBER 1970 · ISSUED MONTHLY] in the upper right corner. A list of topics discussed in the magazine is below this [PRO FOOTBALL / THE 1970 ALL-ROOKIE TEAM / THE NEGRO IN WORLD HISTORY / CHAKA THE GREAT / SOUL FOOD / A REALLY WILD THANKSGIVING]. The front cover has an image of a scene on Sesame Street. On the left are co-hosts Susan, played by Loretta Long, and Gordon, played by Matt Robinson, leaning against a prop brick wall. At the top of the wall are the Sesame Street characters Roosevelt Franklin, Betty Lou, Bert, and Ernie [left to right]. The lower right corner reads [SESAME STREET: WHERE THE PRE-SCHOOL REVOLUTION IS HAPPENING/PAGE 20]. There are various articles and advertisements in the issue. The back cover has a Kool cigarettes advertisement. The magazine has forty (40) pages. Caricature and cartoons Nike cleats worn by Jerry Rice during Super Bowl XXIX Nike Inc., American, founded 1971 Jerry Rice, American, born 1962 San Francisco 49ers, American, founded 1946 leather and plastic H x W x D (2016.66.1a): 4 15/16 × 4 1/4 × 12 1/2 in. (12.5 × 10.8 × 31.8 cm) H x W x D (2016.66.1b): 4 3/4 × 4 1/4 × 12 1/2 in. (12.1 × 10.8 × 31.8 cm) Miami, Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States, North and Central America A pair of Nike cleats worn and signed by Jerry Rice. The cleats are mostly white with red and black accents and white laces. The outsole and insole sides of both cleats have large red Nike Swoosh symbols. The backs of both cleats have a smaller Swoosh symbol and [NIKE] sewn on in red. The tongues of both cleats have [Jerry Rice] sewn on the outside and [80] sewn on the inside. Jerry Rice's autograph [Jerry Rice / #80] in black marker is on the outsole side of both cleats near the toe. [SB / XXIX] is handwritten in black marker on the insole side of both cleats near the toe. The interior of the cleats are fabric and have white text on the insole side near the upper edge. The text in the left cleat (2016.66.1a) reads: [8 / 96 / 12 1/2 / 2897]. The text in the right cleat (2016.66.1b) reads: [12 1/2 / 2897]. The heels of the interior have been worn. The bottom of the cleats are black and white they have a black background and a white accent down the middle. [NIKE] is printed near the toe. There are 14 spikes on the bottom of each cleat. Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture; Gift of Dr. Harry Edwards Cleats worn and signed by Rickey Jackson during Super Bowl XXIX Jackson, Rickey Anderson H x W x D (2016.66.2a): 7 1/4 × 4 1/2 × 12 11/16 in. (18.4 × 11.4 × 32.2 cm) H x W x D (2016.66.2b): 7 3/8 × 4 1/2 × 12 11/16 in. (18.7 × 11.4 × 32.2 cm) China, Asia A pair of Reebok cleats worn and signed by Rickey Jackson. The size 13 cleats are black, white, and red with the Reebok logo throughout. The logo can be found on the sides, the back, and the straps. The exterior of the tongue is black and has white lettering that reads: [Reebok / Mid Victorious]. The cleats have a high ankle with a white strap attached to the back. The number [57] has been handwritten, in black, on both straps. On the interior of the tongue, a white tag with black and red writing reads has make and size information. The bottom of the cleats have a series of seven studs and [Reebok] in white lettering up the middle. Each shoe has an inscription and signature. 2016.66.2a (left cleat) has [Super Bowl XXIX / To The Dr / Rickey Jackson # 57 / 49ers] written in black ink on the outer sole side. 2016.66.2b (right cleat) has [Rickey Jackson / # 57 / 49ners] written in black on the outer sole side and [57] written on the interior outer sole side, up at the top of the cleat. Football signed by Jerry Rice leather and rubber H x W x D (not fully inflated): 5 7/8 × 13 1/2 × 6 3/4 in. (14.9 × 34.3 × 17.1 cm) San Francisco, California, United States, North and Central America United States, North and Central America A Wilson NFL football signed by Jerry Rice. The football is tan and white with white laces and black, gold, and red text throughout. The text on the football reads: [Wilson / Official / NFL / Paul Tagliabue / Commissioner] and [Wilson / Made In USA/I / Inflate 13 lbs/V / San Francisco Forty Niners]. Jerry Rice's signature, in black ink, is on one side of the football. The football also came with an accessory mesh net ball bag (2016.66.3.1_ACC1). 2016.66.3.1 H x W x D: 7 × 13 1/2 × 8 in. (17.8 × 34.3 × 20.3 cm) A Wilson NFL football signed by Jerry Rice. The football is leather with white rubber laces. There is an inscription written in black in on the laces that reads [R / Q]. The logos for the NFL and Wilson are visible and there is text throughout. The text reads: [(NFL Logo) / American Football Conference / National Football Conference / National Football League / Wilson / Made In USA / 8Z]; ["The Duke" / Wilson / (NFL Logo) / Roger Goodell / Commissioner]; and [49ers]. Jerry Rice's signature, in silver marker, is visible on one side. Jersey signed by Jerry Rice Mitchell & Ness Co., American, founded 1904 polyester, nylon, and spandex H x W: 31 1/2 × 38 1/2 in. (80 × 97.8 cm) Chest: 24 in. (61 cm) A Mitchell & Ness San Francisco 49ers throwback jersey signed by Jerry Rice. The jersey is all red with white details. The front of the jersey has a white number [80] stitched on at center. In the top right of the chest there is a NFL 75th anniversary patch sewn on. The patch has a blue and green background with a [75] and the NFL logo at center. In the bottom right corner of the front of the jersey, there is a throwback patch. The patch has a depiction of a football player and text that reads: [Throwback / (NFL logo) / Authentic / Nostalgia Co. / Mitchell & Ness / Philadelphia, PA / NFL Players]. Below the throwback patch, a sewn on tag reads: [1994 / Jerry Rice]. Three white bars adorn each sleeve. At the interior neck, there are two small tags on top of one another. The first tag is white with red lettering that reads [Nostalgia Co. / Mitchell & Ness / Philadelphia, PA. U.S.A.]. The second tag, underneath the white tag, is red with white lettering and reads: [44 (L) / Made in China]. Inside the bottom hem are two white tags with black lettering. The first tag has materials and care instructions. The second tag has serial numbers, the Mitchell & Ness logo and a QR code. The back of the jersey has the name [RICE] sewn on white lettering at the top. At center, the number [80] is sewn on in white. Jerry Rice’s signature in black ink is located inside the [0]. Great Migration Home Movie Study Collection National Museum of African American History and Culture (U.S.) Church of God WHUT Howard University Television Mid-Atlantic Regional Moving Image Archive (MARMIA) Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of District of Columbia Archival materials The Great Migration is a unique, ongoing digitization service program that partners the National Museum of African American History and Culture with individuals and organizations across the United States to preserve their important analog audiovisual media. While major motion picture film and television historically lacked diverse representation, black history was instinctively being preserved in everyday home movies. Today, these personal narratives serve as an invaluable tool for understanding and re-framing black moving image history, and provide a much needed visualization of African American history and culture. Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. Supported by the Robert Frederick Smith Fund of the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Collection is available online for open research. Scope and Contents The collection contains 39 digtized home movies, 41 digitized home videos, and 2 digitized audiotape recordings. However, as an ongoing project the scope of the collection will continue to increase over time. The scope will be updated as is appropriate. The content of the collection consists predominantly of amateur recordings created by families to document their lives. This includes major life events, such as birthdays, as well as family vacations and holidays. Additionally, the collection includes footage produced by professionals for broadcast on television. This particular footage entered the collection through partnerships with other memory institutions. 41 video recordings 39 motion picture films Amateur films smithsonian online virtual archive Outdoor Photo of Two Boys Standing on a Football Field Rev. Anderson, Henry Clay, American, 1911 - 1998 silver and photographic gelatin on acetate film H x W: 4 x 5 in (10.2 x 12.7 cm) Greenville, Washington County, Mississippi, United States 1948 - 1970s 2007.1.69.21.64.C © Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
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Features Muse Legal Legacy Becca Challis speaks to Funke Abimbola about racial prejudice and representation in the law industry Tuesday 3 Oct 2017 Becca Challis As graduation looms, and other students like myself face the daunting prospect of 'entering the real world', I am becoming increasingly concerned with which career it is that I should be pursuing. The general advice is to think about what matters to you - how it is that you can help make a difference. As someone who is clueless as to what this is for me, I find myself looking for more advice. However, when I heard Funke Abimbola's story, there was no generic job-acquiring advice to sift through, but instead an emphasis on the values needed to overcome the obstacles that everyone will face at some point in their career, as well as in beginning one: perseverance, determination, hard work and ingenuity. It is through Abimbola's stronghold on these values that she has gone on to become a multi-award winning lawyer. Funke Abimbola was born in Nigeria, into a family of medics. At the age of 16 she set out to convince her father that rather than "follow in the footsteps of the rest of her family in studying Medicine, she should study Law. As the eldest child, she knew that this would not be an easy task. She has clear advice for others who are facing the same challenge: "Remain focused and resolute about what you want to do and why. Have solid, valid reasons to back you up." She adds, "get the support of your teachers. My teachers played a key role in convincing my father to let me read law and I have no doubt that, had they not intervened, I would have ended up studying medicine." Abimbola was able to persuade her father, "to continue funding my studies at a private school and then as an overseas student reading law at Newcastle." It was immediately after graduating from university that Abimbola "returned to Nigeria for the summer holiday and ended up staying for almost three years." Enrolling in the Nigerian Law School, Abimbola studied towards the Nigerian Bar, as well as gaining over two years' experience at a top law firm in Lagos. She was then admitted "as a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria" but decided to return to the UK, "completing the transfer test to qualify as a solicitor here." On arrival in the UK, Abimbola applied to the Law Society to reduce her training contract based on her experience in Nigeria. They reduced her pre-admission training requirement from two years to just six months, however Abimbola found it difficult to find a firm to work with. She admits, "I thought the six months would be easy to find, but had underestimated the amount of cultural and racial bias that I would experience because of my obviously African name and being black." She had dreamed of becoming a corporate lawyer, but faced multiple opponents, one recruiter even saying that "corporate law was too competitive for a black woman." Image: Funke Abimbola At this point, with others telling her the impossibility of the task, Abimbola could have given up her aspirations entirely or gone back to Nigeria. But 'giving up' does not appear to be in Abimbola's vocabulary. Determined to prove the recruiters wrong, she "cold-called the top 100 UK corporate law firms and 50 in-house legal teams, speaking to the team leaders in each to convince them to interview me." In her twenties and determined to get to where she wanted to be, Abimbola did the only thing she could - force people to see and speak to her. The reactions were mixed: "Some hung up or refused to take my call but some did agree to speak to me." After securing several interviews, Abimbola accepted an offer to qualify within a large, fully-listed PLC within the entertainment sector, eventually being admitted as a solicitor in September 2000. Abimbola's Nigerian heritage and her time in Nigeria may have made her entrance into the legal world a difficult one, but she now sees this as an asset: it allows her "to relate to corporate clients from a broad range of cultures and backgrounds." She adds that "many of my clients had actually worked in Nigeria at some point in their career, making me stand out even more." Her name is particularly important to this: "Ironically, having initially struggled to find six months experience due to my African name, my name then made me unique and became my USP. There aren't many UK corporate solicitors called Funke!" From here, the only way was up for Abimbola. After working as an Assistant So- licitor for a few firms, she was promoted to Associate before becoming a Senior Solicitor at IBB. Soon, however, Abimbola was again facing obstacles in the workplace. She had her son at 28 and returning to work after a year of maternity leave "found that no-one else working in corporate law at my firm was having children at that age." Childcare was difficult as "flexible working simply did not work when I was working in Central London due to the long hours culture". She found this an "isolating and difficult time", especially "coupled with my marriage breaking down "and becoming a single mother." Abimbola decided to relocate, moving out of London to "regional law firms that presented a much better life balance." Determined to continue pursuing her career, her only option was to employ an au pair. This wasn't necessarily her preferred choice, finding it "a huge compromise in terms of having someone in our house who wasn't a family member, but the trade-off was the flexibility of this option." Abimbola and her son employed au pairs for 11 years, and many have become "lifelong friends". I underestimated the amount of cultural and racial bias that I would experience because of being black Abimbola began her work at Roche Pharmaceuticals in 2012. She was promoted to her current position as General Counsel (the chief lawyer providing legal advice to a company) in 2015. Abimbola lists this as her career highlight so far. She explains, "I am the first black She has also received both national and General Counsel in Roche's history and currently the most senior black lawyer working in the Association of Women Solicitors, the Law the UK pharmaceutical industry." She is also Society, the National Diversity Awards and "determined to blaze a trail for others from under-represented groups to follow." In working for Roche, Abimbola has also found a way to combine her legal passion with the medical legacy of her family. She says, "my father sadly passed away five years ago, but he was alive when I got my first job with Roche and was over the moon. He always felt proud of my legal career but also sad that I hadn't pursued medicine like the rest of the family. He was delighted to see me able to combine law and medicine." Abimbola truly is passionate about her work at Roche: "The work we do at Roche is tudes in of the utmost importance to patient care. Roche is a truly innovative organisation to work for and the world's largest biotech. I have worked with some extraordinary colleagues and none of us are ever too far away from the science underlying our work." Her work at Roche has been recognised by many organisations. Abimbola was listed by Debrett's 500 as the most influential black lawyer in the UK which was "the icing on the cake" for her. Abimbola says that "it was surreal seeing my name listed with other leaders in in law including Attorney General Jeremy Wright, Lord Neuberger (recently retired Supreme Court President) and Lady Hale (current Supreme Court President)." She has also received both national and international recognition for her work from the Association of Women Solicitors, the Law Society, the National Diversity Awards and from the European Diversity Awards, among others. Most recently, Abimbola received recognition in the Queen's birthday honours list. She was awarded an MBE in June 2017 for her services to diversity in the legal profession and to young people. I am the first black General Counsel in Roche's history and the most senior black lawyer in the UK pharmaceutical industry She says this honour was "a wonderful surprise and a genuine shock!" She had to keep her news secret for six weeks until the list was officially announced. She says that "once the news became public, I received hundreds of messages of congratulations." Abimbola had been nominated by multiple individuals and "over 35 letters of support had been sent to the Cabinet Office." Abimbola's work towards greater diversity is something she's deeply passionate about. She also has very clear steps that she believes we should follow to improve the situation: "We need targeted interventions starting from school, focusing on bright students from a broad range of backgrounds and supporting them early. Bursary schemes and early outreach programmes that include mentoring have proven very successful in developing more diverse entry-level talent into both law and business." She also recognises that changing attitudes in recruitment is beginning to make a difference: "Many organisations now recruit from universities outside the Russell Group which has resulted in more diverse talent", while "other organisations support apprenticeships, doing away with the need to go to university altogether." However, as Abimbola states, "diversity is half the battle." She believes that, "to gain true equality, we have to work on inclusion too. This means embracing differences as a means of gaining a competitive edge and supporting employees so they feel they belong." This can be done through the creation of "employee networks (supported by com- mitted, senior leaders and allies), mentoring programmes (including reverse mentoring) and the sponsorship of diverse talent for key, senior roles." A more hands-on approach is needed, as Abimbola says, "the main point to make is that this does not happen by accident - targeted and focused interventions are needed." Abimbola is also dedicated to gender equality in the workplace. She believes that the gender wage gap can be decreased by "developing a pipeline of female talent and supporting that pipeline into senior leadership." Abimbola highlights that attitudinal changes are integral to developing this: "there are many barriers to women progressing into senior leadership including systemic challenges, our own limiting beliefs and societal challenges. "To become a senior leader requires a great deal of courage, motivation and self-belief. You do need to master the art of promoting yourself, yet women are often more harshly judged for promoting themselves than men, simply because society does not expect women to do so." This is shown in the approach to job applications, as Abimbola details: "Research has shown that a man will sometimes apply for a job if he only meets five to ten per cent of the criteria whereas a woman won't consider applying unless she meets close to 100 per cent of the criteria. Yet every job advert describes the ideal candidate who simply does not exist." Helping women's confidence in the workplace can be done "with targeted interventions like coaching on how [women can] network and market themselves" and Abimbola emphasises her beliefs that this will "really help to close that gap." She also feels that "gender based leadership targets are also key", adding that "what doesn't get measured doesn't get done." However, the promotion of women in the workplace cannot be done by women alone. Abimbola believes "firmly in the important role of male gender champions in being allies in championing women for senior roles". After all, only 24 per cent of senior business roles are held globally by women, according to Forbes, and 33 per cent of global firms have no women in senior management. Change, therefore, needs to be affected not only by women, but by men too. Abimbola has tried to instil the importance of this in her son, now 15. She says he is "very independent - he cooks, helps me with chores around the house, does his own ironing, walks himself to and from school with friends and so on." Despite being a "typical teenager in many ways", it sounds as though he has inherited his mother's fighting spirit: "He has been coming with me to my diversity talks and speaking engagements since he was nine years old, so the cause has become second nature to him too, as has networking and public speaking. He has been with me to Parliament and met MPs and other politicians. He signed up to UN Women's 'He For She' initiative when he was 13 and is a male gender champion." Abimbola adds that he is "always being recognised for his leadership at school - long may this continue!" Hopefully with the changes that Abimbola is fighting for in diversity and gender equality, management can become more varied and representative. Not only is Abimbola seeking to make significant changes in these fields, but she is also working for a pharmaceutical company which is innovating the ways in which we treat cancer and many other diseases. Funke Abimbola really is making a difference. M Becca Challis Features Editor ( Jan 2016 to Jun 2016 ) Deputy Features Editor ( Oct 2015 to Oct 2016 ) (2016)<br/> (2015/16) An expression of manliness How to get the perfect night's sleep All about the bling Latest in Features Unjustly Detained The next generation of Pride Lomas: The Awkward Comedian There's More to Morrell than the Library
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In 2019, National Wildlife® magazine celebrates 57 years as the flagship publication of the National Wildlife Federation, the nation’s leading wildlife conservation organization. Through compelling articles and unsurpassed photography, we bring the natural world to life for our readers, offering stories about the latest conservation science as well as practical tips about gardening, birding, photography, healthy living, wildlife viewing, engaging kids with nature and much more. Our readers are passionate about wildlife and wild lands—and they take action to protect them, whether in their own back- yards or across the nation and the world. When you advertise in National Wildlife, you will reach well beyond our core print subscribers. Through our digital edition, e-newsletter, social media channels and website, you can also connect with the nearly 6 million loyal supporters of the National Wildlife Federation. Together, we are building a conservation army dedicated to ensuring that wildlife thrive in a rapidly changing world. Join us!
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'Next Generation' Smallpox Vaccine Ordered by HHS Modified vaccinia Ankara (MVA) smallpox vaccine worth $500 million soon will be added to the U.S. Strategic National Stockpile, following HHS' award of a contract for that amount to Bavarian Nordic A/S of Copenhagen, Denmark, for 20 million doses. This is a "next generation" vaccine intended for Americans with compromised immune systems in the event of a smallpox outbreak, HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt announced June 4. "To protect ourselves from the remote but extremely grave threat of a deliberate release of smallpox virus, we need vaccines that can be safely given to all Americans, including individuals with weakened immune systems," he said. "Acquiring a stockpile of this new smallpox vaccine is a key step toward protecting even more members of the American public against a smallpox release." The vaccine contains a weakened form of the vaccinia virus that cannot replicate in humans, HHS said. The contract was the first under Project BioShield to allow two types of pre-delivery payments, one under the Project BioShield Act of 2004 and the other under the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act of 2006. "The use of these new authorities under the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act further demonstrates our commitment to building improved partnerships with industry," Leavitt said.
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World-class Bible museum opens in D.C. Bill Bumpas (OneNewsNow.com) The executive director of the capital city's newest museum is excited to invite all people to engage with the Bible. Even before its opening on Friday, November 17th, the 430,000-square-foot nonprofit Museum of the Bible was already getting rave reviews, according to museum executive director Dr. Tony Zeiss. "We could not be more excited to see the surprised looks on the faces of our visitors," he tells OneNewsNow. "Their basic word is it's 'incredible.'" He believes this new venue is the best Washington, D.C. site to invite all people to engage with the Bible. "We were very fortunate to find a building that came open for sale about three years ago," Dr. Zeiss reports. "It's just two blocks off of the National Mall, two blocks south of the National Air and Space Museum, and only three blocks from our nation's Capitol. So we're really excited that it's happening at this time in our generation and in our nation's capital to have the first world-class museum to the Bible. It's pretty awesome." While the museum is free to the public, Dr. Zeiss asserts, "It's not a one-and-done museum. It'll take the average person nine- to eight-hour days to see everything, so people will come back year after year." Hobby Lobby President Steve Green serves as chairman of the board at the museum, which is described as "an innovative, global, educational institution whose purpose is to invite all people to engage with the history, narrative and impact of the Bible." Samaritan's Purse still at work in Puerto Rico The long road to recovery for hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico continues and a Christian relief agency is continuing to help.
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Town takes 'righteous' stand for the unborn A small community in eastern Texas has come together to push for life, making history and sending a message to the abortion industry. The town of Waskom sits along Interstate 20, adjacent to the border with Louisiana and less than 30 minutes from Shreveport, Louisiana, which has had notorious abortion clinics. Waskom's city leaders have passed a resolution declaring the town of 2,200 a "sanctuary city" for unborn babies, making it the first city in the state to do so. In addition, the community passed an ordinance prohibiting abortions and abortion clinics in the town. According to Tom Mittler of Right to Life of East Texas, one factor in the city's decision might have been that an abortion clinic could be closing in nearby Shreveport. "[There are] some pretty strong indications that they're looking to move out of the state – and Waskom is just across the state line, west of Shreveport," he describes. "And there are some indications that they were making plans to open some sort of a facility there. So this is looked at as a preemptive move to keep that from happening." Randy Thomas, who heads Operation Save America, spoke before the Wascom city council. He tells OneNewsNow that the view of local residents was well represented. "They packed out that little room and they stood in solidarity with the Lord [and] with the little ones and [they] really encouraged their city council to make a righteous and just stand against the murder of God's little babies," says Thomas. "It was electrifying, honestly – it was electrifying." The crowd cheered when the unanimous vote was announced, then gathered outside afterwards to praise God and pray for the city's elected officials. OneNewsNow also spoke with Dr. Ivy Shelton, senior pastor of First Baptist Church-Wascom. "I believe it's a great thing that we have declared ourselves – by both resolution and ordinance – to be a sanctuary city for the unborn," the pastor shares. "We want Waskom to be a city where there's never an abortion clinic or abortion services provided. We think that accords with just good morality and [with] scripture." Some legal difficulties remain to be worked out with the ordinance passed by the city council.
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Statement by Peter Julian Peter Julian on Points of Order In the House of Commons on November 7th, 2017. See this statement in context. Omnibus BillsPoints of OrderRoutine Proceedings November 7th, 2017 / 10:10 a.m. Peter Julian NDP New Westminster—Burnaby, BC Mr. Speaker, I rise today to follow up on the point of order raised by the hon. member for Carleton last Friday. Because this is the very important provisions of the new Standing Order 69.1, it is imperative to stand and add to what the member for Carleton said last Friday. In this corner of the House, we believe that Bill C-63 is an omnibus bill as defined under the new Standing Order 69.1. Unlike the member, we have been and remain concerned that omnibus bills continue in this place and their use boxes members of Parliament into positions where it becomes increasingly difficult to represent our constituents on various matters that various governments have lumped together. Standing Order 69.1, which was passed in the House in June, states the following: In the case where a government bill seeks to repeal, amend or enact more than one act, and where there is not a common element connecting the various provisions or where unrelated matters are linked, the Speaker shall have the power to divide the questions, for the purposes of voting, on the motion for second reading and reference to a committee and the motion for third reading and passage of the bill. The Speaker shall have the power to combine clauses of the bill thematically and to put the aforementioned questions on each of these groups of clauses separately, provided that there will be a single debate at each stage. Standing Order 69.1 allows members of Parliament to represent their constituents on various specific issues and it grants the Speaker the power to group parts of legislation to allow for voting on separate items and protects all parliamentarians from the Hobbesian choice of having to choose how to vote on multiple questions, which can be contradictory. The Standing Orders also allow for exceptions and allow for grouping in the second part of that Standing Order, which states under clause 2: The present Standing Order shall not apply if the bill has as its main purpose the implementation of a budget and contains only provisions that were announced in the budget presentation or in the documents tabled during the budget presentation. With respect to Bill C-63, the wording of that particular Standing Order states very clearly, I think, that a factual determination can be made. Do all of the initiatives presented in Bill C-63 also appear in the budget that was presented in March of this year? If all of the initiatives “were announced in the budget presentation or in the documents tabled during the budget presentation” then the bill should not qualify for separate votes, pursuant to Standing Order 69.1. If it is truly a budget bill, the Speaker should not “combine clauses of the bill thematically and...put the aforementioned questions on each of these groups of clauses separately” as called for by Standing Order 69.1. I submit today that if Bill C-63 contains any initiative that was not included in the March budget, then the whole bill cannot be exempted under Standing Order 69.1(2), because the exemptions described in the Standing Order say that all measures must have been in the budget. I also submit that there are sections in Bill C-63 that were not in the March 2017 budget. We found a couple more examples that the member for Carleton did not mention in his intervention last Friday. According to the summary of Bill C-63, after the section that summarizes the changes to the Income Tax Act, the summary goes into a second list, saying, “implements other income tax measures by”, and then lists a number of measures, including, “(c) ensuring that qualifying farmers and fishers selling to agricultural and fisheries cooperatives are eligible for the small business deduction.” There is no mention in the budget speech or in the budget documents of such a plan. This, we assert, was not part of the March 2017 budget. In the March budget, there were sections that allowed for insurance deductibility for farmers and fishers, but nothing that would change the small business deduction. As well, the same section in Bill C-63 goes on to say, “Part 3 amends the Excise Act to ensure that beer made from concentrate on the premises where it is consumed is taxed in a manner that is consistent with other beer products.” This is reflected in part 3 of the bill, which introduces amendments to section 165 of the Excise Tax Act to change how tax on mostly homemade beer is calculated. In the documents that accompanied the budget, only one section mentioned alcohol products, and that was to talk about potential changes to implement interprovincial agreements. In the supplementary tax measures documents, there are changes to the tax on alcohol, but nothing specific to beer from concentrate. While the government certainly has the right to ask for an increase to taxes on beer from concentrate, it did not do so in the last budget, and therefore this bill is not a true budget bill. Given that those two measures appear in Bill C-63, but are not mentioned in either budget 2017 or in any of the additional documentation such as budget planning or supplementary information on tax measures, I believe that Bill C-63 should be treated in its entirety as an omnibus bill as defined in Standing Order 69.1. Remember, the Standing Order says clearly that the exemptions are only available for legislation that has as a “main purpose the implementation of a budget and contains only provisions that were announced in the budget presentation or in the documents.“ By throwing in elements that were not in the March budget, I submit the bill should be treated as an omnibus bill.
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CCommunitySSlider Articles Community / Leading a Grassroots Movement With a bottom-up approach to public policy, what Young wants to do now amounts to turning “the Delaware Way” on its head. (Photo by William Moree) Leading a Grassroots Movement Larry Nagengast Apr 27, 2017 , Community, Slider Articles After falling just short in his campaign for mayor, Eugene Young continues to advocate for social change through Network Delaware, a new nonprofit coalition Candidates who lose elections tend to take either of two paths afterward: the road to oblivion or the roundabout that leads to one failed race after another. Eugene Young, after finishing second to Mike Purzycki by 234 votes in the eight-way Democratic primary for Wilmington mayor last September, is trying to pave a different route—one he hopes will lead to success. Young, 34, is the board chairman of Network Delaware, a new nonprofit coalition of community organizers, leaders and activists that is trying to spur grassroots involvement to advocate for social change throughout the state. He has a “day job” too, working as advocacy director at the Delaware Center for Justice, a nonprofit whose executive director is Ashley Biden, daughter of former Vice President Joe Biden. Network Delaware is “very unique in this moment,” says Elizabeth “Tizzie” Lockman, advocacy director for the Christina Cultural Arts Center and vice-chairperson of the Wilmington Education Improvement Commission. The organization is an outgrowth of the political campaign, Young says, a collaboration of volunteers who “doubled down and said ‘we’ve got to get involved’” following their disappointment with the outcome of the November elections. A week after the election, he says, “about 65 people came out, just to get together, and started to look at ways this could work.” By the end of January, he was able to launch the operation, getting it off on a high note with a rally-like meeting that drew about 300 to the Christina Cultural Arts Center. Progressive and Charismatic Lockman met Young about 10 years ago, when the St. Mark’s High School and University of Maryland Baltimore County graduate was organizing a basketball league for Wilmington kids and she was cutting her teeth with several nonprofits in the city. They reconnected two years ago, when he returned to Wilmington after spending two years as an advisor to Cory Booker, first while Booker was serving as mayor of Newark, N. J., and then as a U.S. senator. Almost from the beginning, she says, she recognized that Young, being both progressive and charismatic, “was somebody who was going to be able to do whatever he wants.” What Young wants to do now amounts to figuratively turning “the Delaware Way” on its head. Rather than having business and foundation leaders meeting at the table with a bipartisan assemblage of political power brokers, Network Delaware would take a bottom-up, grassroots approach to developing public policy. While proponents of the Delaware Way tout the relative ease with which key stakeholders in government, business and nonprofit circles can assemble to hash out issues in a small state, Young notes that, with this closeness, “it becomes very easy for a small group of people to become exclusive.” As it starts out, Network Delaware has no causes. The nature of those causes will evolve, Young says, as the organization listens to its members and learns their concerns. To those familiar with issue-based organizations, Network Delaware’s mission can be confusing, says Lockman, who is doing some policy advisory work for the group. “They ask, ‘What are we working toward?’ But it’s not a specific issue. It’s building the community, linking it to the civic process and giving them the tools” to become advocates for their causes. “We’re focusing on what people’s concerns are and finding solutions for those concerns,” Young says. “A lot of people don’t care because their voices aren’t being heard. Our goal is to amplify their voices.” In some respects, Network Delaware’s intended growth trajectory mirrors the strategy Young employed as the young man who grew up on the city’s East Side and morphed from an unknown political quantity into a near-winner in the race for Wilmington’s highest office. During the campaign, Young and his volunteers knocked on doors throughout the city and churned out position papers on issue after issue. While the other candidates in the primary had pockets of support in particular neighborhoods—Purzycki, for example, dominated the upper-income areas on Wilmington’s west side, with help from a campaign urging Republicans in those areas to switch party affiliation to vote in the primary—Young’s voters were distributed throughout the city, indicating diverse support by ethnicity and income levels. Similarly, Network Delaware is drawing members from diverse backgrounds. “We’ve got people of extremely high socioeconomic means and resources to people in poverty, and everything in between,” Young says. In terms of their politics, he says, “we have progressives, we have libertarians, we have some conservatives.” The organization’s big tent, he adds, “allows people to interact with those who they might not have necessarily met before.” Everybody has a role to play. “If you’re about justice, if you’re about creating a better community, then you’re with us,” Young says. Six Working Groups Young launched the six-tiered nonprofit with the goal of creating social change and commuity leaders. (Photo by William Moree) What remains to be seen is what the new group will be able to accomplish. It is organized into six working groups, or “pillars,” each one with a distinct role: base building, an economic opportunity incubator, an electoral politics committee, a leadership development pipeline, a public policy and research institute, and a nonviolent movement building group. Base building represents the core of the network—getting involved with people on a block-by-block basis, learning about their needs and identifying potential community leaders—while the economic opportunity incubator will focus on training entrepreneurs and developing new small businesses, with a focus on economically troubled neighborhoods. The electoral politics committee will not only identify, recruit and mentor candidates for public office. It will also develop an “information hub” with political profiles of each lawmaker’s district and a report card system to track voting records of elected officials. “We’re going to train people to be organizers. We’re going to train people to be candidates. We want to be community-led but outcome driven,” he says. Serving as a public official is hard work, Young points out. Just as important as holding legislators accountable for their votes is to “provide cover and support when they do the right thing.” If lawmakers suspect that their constituents don’t care, they will be less likely to stick their necks out on controversial issues, he says. The leadership development pipeline will train leaders for Network Delaware and other organizations, while the public policy and research institute would examine issues, develop a repository of laws passed in other states and adapt these laws to fit Delaware’s context. The nonviolent movement building group, according to the organization’s website, “will plan resistance to nationalist, authoritarian and undemocratic narratives and actions, while building a unifying vision.” Having such a unit in the organization doesn’t make Network Delaware part of “the resistance,” the mushrooming array of issue-oriented groups that have expanded or been birthed since the November elections, Young says. But, he adds, “If you’re not doing what’s right for the community, for the people in this country, we’re going to resist. I don’t believe in blind resistance. We will go issue by issue.” While the organization may be grassroots and somewhat populist in its approach, that doesn’t mean it’s not business friendly, Lockman says. “It’s pro-business, it’s pro-growth. We just want to make sure everyone has access.” Young hopes to see Network Delaware grow in numbers, reach and influence. In his view, improving communities is a shared responsibility, with each individual having a role. “If I’m not working to impact the lives of those in our community, whatever happens to them impacts me anyway,” he says. “If I’m in New Castle and a child in Dover is not getting educated, or a family in Milford can’t break out of poverty, that will impact me, whether I like it or not.” Achieving Systemic Change Building a statewide network is no small challenge. Building one that has genuine influence is an even greater task. “When you’re trying to achieve deep systemic change, there’s definitely not an immediate payoff,” Lockman says. “But I have a good amount of faith that it is going to work.” At this time, it’s fair to say that Network Delaware’s evolution as an organization could well be a significant factor in determining Young’s political future. During the mayoral campaign, Purzycki and Young occasionally traded sharp barbs, with Purzycki questioning whether Young had the experience necessary to handle the job. Despite their differences during the campaign, Young now describes their relationship as “very cordial.” While there was some post-primary speculation that Purzycki might offer Young a position in his administration, that never happened. “If he thought there was a role for me, he could ask, and I would consider it,” Young says. “I want him to be successful.” For now, Young isn’t thinking about another campaign, even though he has gotten some mentions as a possible senatorial candidate if Tom Carper doesn’t seek re-election in 2018, or as a repeat mayoral candidate in 2020 if Purzycki doesn’t try for a second term. Young’s current priorities are his work with the Delaware Center for Justice and growing Network Delaware. “I’ve got a lot on my plate right now,” he says. “It takes a lot out of you to run for office. I put my family through enough,” he says, referring to his wife, Nicole, who earned her Ph.D. during the campaign and is on the business faculty at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pa., and his daughter, Madison, who celebrated her second birthday in March. “Anything I do, I have to be sure, I have to feel it in my gut,” he says. “It’s not a plaything. It’s not about wanting power, prestige or money. It has to be something you believe in.” Community, Slider Articles Written By Larry Nagengast More Posts From: Community, Slider Articles
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Wade's statistical nature of noise A correspondent recently wrote to me pointing out the inconsistency with statements on the statistical nature of noise in some of my article and (Wade 1996) who states [t]he instantaneous noise voltage has a Gaussian distribution around the rms value , and asking me to explain / justify my position. Johnson noise (white noise, thermal noise) can be thought of as a random process that gives rise to a time varying instantaneous charge due to random vibration of molecules, the higher the temperature, the greater energy involved in this process and the greater noise power available. Though noise is a continuous process, we could quantise it and consider it a time series of instantaneous voltages and so long as the rate at which we quantise the noise phenomena is sufficiently high, the data capture will match that of any continuous instrument with equivalent bandwidth. The quantisation process is akin to a statistical sampling process where a limited sample is drawn from a much larger population, in this case some thousands of instantaneous noise samples from a population being the continuous noise phenomena which has not start or end in a pure sense. Fig 1: Fig 1 shows the probability distribution of instantaneous noise voltage of 1VRMS. The noise process gives rise to instantaneous voltages that are normally distributed with a mean of zero and some variance. Having a mean of zero means it has zero DC component. It can be shown that the noise power available from a resistor is equal to the variance divided by the resistance, and it follows from that that the RMS voltage is equal to the square root of variance, or the standard deviation. The fact that a pure noise process has a mean voltage of zero does not mean that a sample of the process has a mean of exactly zero, but it will have a mean that is very close to zero for a large sample size, and the probability that the mean is something else for a given standard deviation (RMS voltage) can be found using Student's T distribution. Effectively, the error of the mean of a measurement (or sampling) of noise that has a sufficient sample size to be useful will be insignificant. (Wade 1996) states [t]he instantaneous noise voltage has a Gaussian distribution around the rms value . Firstly, the normal distribution discussed above is a special case of a Gaussian distribution, the normal distribution is a more specific description of the distribution and not incompatible. The words Gaussian distribution around suggest that the distribution has a central tendency to the RMS value. The central tendency of a normally distributed variable is the arithmetic mean (or just mean), and so with these words, Wade equates mean to the RMS value. The ONLY case where the mean is equal to the RMS voltage is if v(t)=constant, ie it is a DC voltage and has no time varying component. That is incompatible with the description of noise as a time varying voltage, if the time varying component of a voltage is zero, there is no noise present.. I have raised this with Wade, and my feeling from his response (Paul Wade, 1/3/13 email message to author) is that he considers his original statement correct. Perhaps no one else has challenged it in the 17 years since he wrote the paper. Wade, Paul. 1996. NOISE: Measurement and Generation. http://www.w1ghz.org/noise/noise99.pdf (accessed 05/03/13). Version Date Description 1.01 05/03/2013 Initial. © Copyright: Owen Duffy 1995, 2019. All rights reserved. Disclaimer.
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Corey Buchanan Gabriel Park will receive ADA improvements, a sewer improvement project is slated in Hillsdale and Multnomah Gabriel Park to get ADA improvements Portland Parks and Recreation recently announced that Gabriel Park, which is located at Southwest 45th Avenue and Southwest Vermont Street, will become an inclusive playground. That means the park will exceed ADA standards and "provide a rich play experience, addressing physical, sensory and social needs of all children and their caregivers, and is designed with universal accessibility in mind, accommodating everyone and challenging them at their own developmental level," according to a City press release. The project will include the construction of a new playground, pathway and parking improvements and is projected to be completed in 2020. Funding for the $4.2 million project will come from the 2014 Parks Replacement Bond and Parks System Development charges "Gabriel Park is a regional park that includes parking and public transportation options so that children and families of all abilities are able to access the playground features," Portland City Commissioner Amanda Fritz said in a press release. "This project will create a greater number of inclusive playground elements, more space to play and a fun environment that meets a wider range of needs and abilities. I'm looking forward to seeing more children enjoying our parks as a result of the innovative vision for this project." Currently, 4,982 children in Portland have reported having a disability, according to the U.S Census Bureau, and 5.3 percent of people between the ages of 5 and 15 have a disability, according to Oregon's 2016 Disability Status Report. "We are committed to creating and embracing play areas which connect a greater number of people to self, to the outdoors, and to each other," Portland Parks and Recreation Interim Director Kia Selley said in a press release. "It is rewarding to begin work on such a tremendous opportunity. The new, inclusive play area at Gabriel Park will help achieve PP&R's goals of expanding the capacity of the playground system and creating an inclusive, 'destination' playground in more parts of the city to meet the needs of a growing Portland." Sewer improvement project planned City of Portland Environmental Services is preparing a project to replace 30,000 feet of public sewer pipes in Hillsdale and Multnomah that are 80 years old on average, according to a City of Portland press release. "The project will include the installation of manholes and storm drain inlets, repairing existing manholes and drain inlets, and replacing public sewer connections from the main line in the street to the curb," according to the press release. Design work for the project will continue through 2018, with construction scheduled to begin in 2019. For more information about the project, contact environmental services staff member Benjamin McLean at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 503-975-7073. Hillsdale book sale set for July 22 The annual Hillsdale Book Sale will take place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday, July 22 at the Watershed Building on Southwest Capitol Highway and Bertha Court. Proceeds from the sale go to the Hilldale Community Foundation, which donates to community and school projects. The primary dropoff dates for the sale will be between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. July 8 and July 15 at the Hillsdale Farmer's Market. Don't donate textbooks, almanacs, encyclopedias, catalogs, magazines and other books that aren't able to be sold. For questions, email Rick Seifert at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. — Southwest Community Connection Your Best Advocate for Oral Health is You Brought to you by Todd Gifford, DMD, Gifford Family Dentistry - DENTAL INSIDER Cutting edge technology saves money and teeth 2019 Tooth Team Tips
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Designing a modern town centre and how to provide effective outdoor power Town centres are undergoing a period of significant change. Footfall has dwindled over the years due to online shopping and there is a lower demand for retail space than before. However, the Government, together with local councils, are undertaking projects to regenerate such town centre spaces trying to re-establish them as attractive places to visit. Part of such regeneration plans include organising outdoor events to create physical experiences for visitors e.g. market days and festivals. Powering such events can often be problematic, with traditional power supplies such as petrol generators, posing health and safety risks. Pop Up Power Supplies® supply a range of Outdoor Power Units which are ideal for town centre spaces, market days, festivals and other built up areas. We have three types of power unit, including Pop Up Units which can be raised and lowered from the ground as and when they are needed. In-Ground Units which can provide a source of electricity with the lids locked down ensuring clear, safe walkways. And finally, Power Bollards which provide a source of power in elegant street furniture format. The changing landscape of town centres The considerable shift in consumer trends and habits has meant more and more shoppers now favour buying goods online. Not only that, but out-of-town shopping centres are also increasingly popular as they offer retail experiences as well as leisure facilities e.g. restaurants, bowling, arcades, in one convenient location. These factors have compounded to create difficult economic conditions for town centres. Footfall has dropped dramatically in town centres over the years and local councils are now trying to address this issue. They are trying to re-establish town centre areas as attractive places where people visit and developers invest. Councils throughout the UK have developed ambitious plans to create positive change in town centres to encourage visitors, investors and businesses, with the overall aim to boost the macro economies. Planning Policy Statement 6: Planning for Town Centres (PPS6) sets out the Government’s policy in England on planning for the future of town centres and the main uses that relate to them. Council Planners have to work with existing outdoor spaces, often rich in Heritage. They have to create positive sustainable and economic changes to increase awareness in the town centre spaces. A popular way to do this is by organising outdoor events. Traditional market days and festivals are commonplace in town centres throughout the UK. Indeed, Christmas Markets have surged in popularity over recent years. Stalls and kiosks selling artisan products, local food produce, clothes, crafts, toys and much more, are helping to draw crowds back to town centre areas. Such festivals and market days have to ensure safety is paramount, safeguarding the visitors. Traditional means of powering stalls and staged events include power generators being located around the grounds, with trailing leads. This poses various safety hazards including trip hazards for visitors and traders as well as electrocution hazards with the exposed generators and electricity sources. A solution to these issues is our range of Retractable Service Units, which provide a safe, sustainable source of electricity to outside spaces. Providing safe outdoor power solutions for town centre redevelopments Pop Up Power Supplies® supply a range of innovative Outdoor Power Units which help Local Councils in their redevelopment projects. The retractable nature of the power units and the increased safety they bring to town centre areas is greatly appreciated by Council Planners and Market/Festival Organisers. Pop Up Power Units Our Pop Up Power Units can be raised and lowered easily with a detachable handle, and provide a range of electricity sockets, water supply and data points. The units are easily design and installed into town centre areas and only require light excavation. On event days, Festival Organisers and Market Day Traders simply raise the power units where they then have access to a range of power sockets. These range from 16A to 12 5A power supply in both single and three phase, all with RCBO protection. When the festival or market event finishes, the power units are simply lowered back into the ground until the next event, where they blend seamlessly with the local environment. In Ground Units One of the main advantages of our In Ground Power Units, or Flip Lid Units, is that they can be operated with the lids locked down. The units sit in the ground flush with the surface level, and when needed, the user simply opens the lid to reveal power sockets or water supply. The power units provide a stable power supply to outdoor festivals and markets stalls preventing any public access and reducing trip hazards. The power sockets are safely located within the high-grade mild steel structure, which is hot dip galvanised to BS EN: ISO1461. The lids are also recessed and can be infilled with the surface material to create a seamless environment. Our range of Power Bollards provide a safe form of outdoor power, with architectural appeal. Available in various designs and configurations, the bollards are built using the finest AISI 304 stainless steel AISI 316 with a plate thickness of 2mm. This ensures a robust and hard-wearing structure that Architects and Contracts can have confidence in, reassuring them that the units will stand the test of time. Pop Up Power Units for town centres across the UK Our range of power units have been specified in town centres across the UK, including Pop Up Units at Covent Garden and Rugby Town Centre; In Ground Power Units at Stamford, Lincolnshire; and Power Bollards at Gravesham, Kent. The simplicity of specifying the pop up plug sockets means the units are a favourite with Architects, Contractors, Electrical Engineers, Developers, Local Councils and many more professionals.
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Connecticut State Department of Education Current: Gov. Malloy Announces Four Connecticut Public Schools Earn 2018 National Blue Ribbon Schools Distinction Search Department of Education Search the current Agency with a Keyword Filtered Topic Search Gov. Malloy Announces Four Connecticut Public Schools Earn 2018 National Blue Ribbon Schools Distinction (HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Dannel P. Malloy today announced that the U.S. Department of Education has named four Connecticut public schools as 2018 National Blue Ribbon Schools – an annual award bestowed on schools across the nation for high academic performance or greatest progress in achievement gap closure among subgroups. The four Connecticut public schools awarded this year are: University of Hartford Magnet School, a CREC school; Forest School in West Haven; West School in New Canaan; and Haddam-Killingworth High School in Regional School District 17. “Every student from every background and every walk of life deserves a quality education that allows them to succeed,” Governor Malloy said. “With exemplary schools like this year’s Blue Ribbon award winners, it’s no wonder that we have record-high graduation rates and students who are among the best in the nation. We congratulate these schools and their teachers, students, and families for their collective efforts to nurture positive school communities – they are all helping to shift the growing possibilities for our next generation in a positive direction.” “We are excited to celebrate four Connecticut schools that are transforming the futures of students by delivering a top-quality education in the classroom,” Education Commissioner Dianna R. Wentzell said. “Congratulations to our Blue Ribbon Schools on the collective effort and hard work by students, parents, educators and community partners to earn this prestigious honor.” The Connecticut State Department of Education (SDE) uses data from the Next Generation Accountability System to nominate schools for the National Blue Ribbon School award. Nominated schools must complete an application process and be approved by the U.S. Department of Education. All selected schools in Connecticut demonstrated outstanding overall achievement in 2016-17 and were identified as Schools of Distinction. National Blue Ribbon Schools are identified in two categories – Exemplary Achievement Gap Closing and Exemplary High Performing. Forest School (West Haven) Forest School located in West Haven enrolls students in Grades PK-4. As a school in an Alliance District, the majority of students (76 percent) are eligible for free or reduced-price meals. Additionally, 23 percent of students at Forest School are English learners with over 16 different languages spoken at home. Forest prides itself on its model of layered shared leadership designed to support teachers to ensure learning for their diverse student body. The instructional team at Forest includes a mathematics coach and reading consultant as well as a special education team and an English learner team. Collectively, and with strong district support and coordination, these educators work closely with classroom teachers, providing model lessons, research-based instructional strategies, and other key resources to realize their foundational principle that “all students can succeed.” Forest is a school demonstrating success in terms of strong academic growth in mathematics and ELA for high needs students, leading to its nomination as an Exemplary Gap Closing school. Haddam-Killingworth High School (Higganum) Haddam-Killingworth High School is identified as an Exemplary High Performing school based on its 2016-17 accountability index. Included in the accountability index is the four-year graduation rate for all students (95.2 percent) and the six-year graduation rate for high needs students (100 percent), both exceeding state targets. In their Blue Ribbon School application, the school administration expressed that they are most proud of their success in personalizing the student experience. They offer a wide range of “traditional” courses, a variety of online learning opportunities, an internship program where students earn credit through experiential learning within the community, and they have developed a system to support students who are interested in pursuing highly unique learning opportunities not found in a typical course of studies. HKHS has established a goal that all students graduate having completed a college and/or career experience. To this end, they expanded course offerings as well as added a transition coordinator. The 2016-17 accountability report shows that 84.8 percent of students in Grades 11 and 12 have taken at least two courses specifically designed to prepare students for college and/or career (Indicator 5), again surpassing the state target of 75 percent. University of Hartford Magnet School (West Hartford) The University of Hartford Magnet School (UHMS) is operated by the Capitol Region Education Council. The school serves Grades PK-5 students from more than 30 Connecticut towns. The school’s theme is “Learning through Multiple Intelligences.” The curriculum is built on inquiry and problem solving and focuses on relationships that exist across all disciplines. The school’s location and partnership with the University of Hartford and the Hartt School provide students opportunities not typically available in elementary school. For two consecutive years, UHMS students demonstrated very strong growth in English language arts (ELA) and mathematics. In particular, it was the sustained growth of high needs students (English learners, students with disabilities, and economically-disadvantaged students) that prompted the Blue Ribbon nomination in the Exemplary Achievement Gap Closing category. West School (New Canaan) Based on 2016-17 accountability reports, West School in New Canaan, a PK-4 school, earned 97.5 percent of all possible points across indicators. This accountability index was the highest of all Schools of Distinction. Therefore, West School was nominated for the Blue Ribbon award in the Exemplary High Performing category. The school administration identifies collaboration as a key factor driving the school’s success. There are strategic efforts to encourage collaboration and teamwork across staff, keeping the needs of students at the center of every conversation. One example of this is the school’s Universal Screening Team (UST) at each grade level. The UST convenes at the close of each trimester to ensure that instruction is meeting the needs of all students by providing the appropriate level of ongoing challenge and support. Collaboration extends to families who are engaged in a strong and active Parent Teacher Council, sponsoring a variety of school community events such as One Book West, Family Math Night, and Kids Care. For more information about the program, please visit the USED’s National Blue Ribbon Schools Program webpage. Twitter: CT State Department of Education Twitter Facebook: CT State Department of Education Facebook Peter Yazbak
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Tag Archives: Chad Smith Satriani Leaves Listeners Asking “What Happens Next?” In The Best Way With His New LP Posted on February 6, 2018 by philspicks Courtesy Epic Records Guitar great Joe Satriani has done seemingly everything that can be done by an artist of his caliber and experience. He has built quite the successful solo career. He has served as a member of the famed rock band Deep Purple and as the rock super group Chicken Foot as well as so much more. Considering how much Satriani has done and how much success he has had throughout the course of his decades-long career, one is left asking after each of his releases, “what happens next?” Thus we get the title of his latest album, What Happens Next. Released Jan. 12 via Epic Records, this 16th full-length studio recording from the virtuoso guitarist is everything that audiences have come to expect from Satriani. That is due to the continued growth exhibited throughout the album’s 51-minute run time. That growth is exhibited both in the songs that throw back to Satriani’s established albums and to those that show his continued abilities. That growth is just one part of what makes this album stand out Its sequencing plays its own important part in the album’s overall presentation, too. This element will be discussed later. The record’s production rounds out its most important elements. When it is set alongside the record’s sequencing and clear growth exhibited within the songs’ arrangements, the whole of the elements noted here makes this record a work that will leave listeners asking once again, “What happens next?” in the very best way. Joe Satriani’s latest full-length studio recording What Happens Next is easily one of this year’s top new rock records. The 12-song record shows yet again over the course of its 51-minute run time why Satriani remains today one of rock’s elite musicians. This is due to the continued growth exhibited throughout the course of the album’s run. Right from the outset, fans familiar with Satriani’s body of work are transported to his 2004 album Is There Love In Space? in ‘Energy.’ the aptly titled song is a straight-forward, up-tempo piece that harkens back to ‘Hands In The Air,’ the third of the album’s offerings. What’s really interesting to note here is that while the songs bear a stylistic similarity in their sounds and energies, it’s obvious that Satriani didn’t just rehash that earlier song. This completely contradicts the statements of so many who have claimed that this album is more of the same from Satriani. One could argue that the album’s second song, ‘Catbot’ also throws back to some of his older works, too. Even with that comparison possible, one has to admit that the song’s arrangement, with its fuzz effect on the guitar bears more similarity to recent works from Royal Blood than anything that Satriani has composed before. The album’s third song, ‘Thunder High on the Mountain’ presents a run that would make Zakk Wylde and Tom Morello proud. It’s the kind of run that Satriani has not composed before, but instantly conjures thoughts of his aforementioned counterparts. Again, it shows that continued growth that has been mentioned so many times already. That display of growth doesn’t end here, either. Rather it continues on throughout the rest of the album. ‘Cherry Blossoms,’ with its contrasting “A” and “B” sections also takes listeners back in time, conjuring thoughts of perhaps works from Satriani’s 1998 album Crystal Planet while also changing things up considerably. The changes come in the form of the string arrangements in the “A” sections and the more reserved guitar line in the “B” section. The song gets even more lively in its bridge, with Satriani just letting go. ‘Headrush,’ with its uptemp guitar lick instantly conjures thoughts of ‘Satch Boogie,’ from Satriani’s 1987 album Surfing With The Alien. Deep Purple bassist Glenn Hughes’ walking bass line in this song adds a nice bluesy touch that helps in its own way the growth, as does Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith with his polyrhythmic patterns. It’s yet another way in which this record reaches back in time while also looking clearly forward. As if that wasn’t example enough, ‘Super Funky Badass’ reaches back to Satriani’s ’06 record Super Colossal thanks to its arrangement. Yet again though, as much as it bears similarities to songs from that record, it also establishes its own identity, thanks again to its arrangement. There is some material here that is slightly more intense than the music on Super Colossal. That contrast and comparison once more proves that this record is in fact not just more of the same from Satriani. It shows that while yes, there are some similarities between songs here and his established works, there is just as much new to appreciate from start to finish. Much the same could be argued of every one of the other songs not noted here. That being the case, when those songs are joined with the works directly discussed here, the arrangements featured here form a solid foundation for the record’s presentation. They are not the album’s only important collective element either. Its sequencing is important to discuss, too. The sequencing at the heart of What Happens Next is important to its whole because of the general effect that it creates through the song’s energies. The album starts off rather upbeat, as has already been noted. Even with the momentary reservation in energy in ‘Thunder High on The Mountain,’ that decline is only momentary. The same can be said of the energy in the album’s fourth track, ‘Cherry Blossoms.’ The song’s energy feels slightly reserved at times, but even in that reservation, it doesn’t necessarily slow down per se. It’s something that must be heard to be fully understood and appreciated. It’s just a nice solid balanced up and down of energies within the very context of the one song. That balance is just as evident in ‘Righteous.’ As the album enters its midpoint in ‘Smooth Soul,’ the album does markedly slow down, but it’s in a good way. That pullback gives listeners just enough time to breath before Satriani launches into the much more up-tempo ‘Headrush,’ which again is another throwback composition that shows a certain growth from the professor. The album’s energies vary even more as the album makes its way through its second half from contemplative to playful to gentle and reserved to close things out. Simply put, from one song to the next, the album’s energies remain stable without fault. That being the case, it shows plenty of thought was put into the album’s sequencing, proving once and for all why the album’s sequencing is so important to the album’s whole. It is not the last of the album’s important elements, either. The album’s production rounds out its most important elements. The production at the center of What Happens Next is important to discuss because of the general effect that it has on the album’s overall presentation. Just as the album’s energy is balanced from start to finish in this record, ensuring listeners’ maintained engagement, so are each of the trio’s parts in each song. Satriani, Hughes and Smith each shine throughout the record thanks to producer Mike Fraser’s work. This should come as no surprise considering that Fraser has worked with Satriani for so many years. The pair’s friendship and understanding of one another comes across clearly throughout this record as not only Satch gets plenty of time, but he also gladly gives up the spotlight so many times in favor of teamwork from his fellow musicians. Because each member of the group gets his own time to shine (and plenty of it at that), the end result is a record that sounds great and new from beginning to end even with its comparisons to its predecessors. When this is considered alongside the expertly balanced energies exhibited throughout the record’s sequencing and the impressive and enjoyable arrangements at the heart of each song, the whole of those elements shows without doubt why this record will indeed leave listeners asking “What happens next?” in the best way possible. Joe Satriani’s 16th full-length studio recording What Happens Next is, while maybe not one of his landmark offerings, still an enjoyable record that is certain to leave listeners asking “What happens next?” in the best possible way. That statement is proven in part through 12 musical arrangements that take listeners through Satriani’s past, present and even future. The sequencing of those songs strengthens the record even more thanks to the balance of energy from one song to the next. The record’s production puts the final touch to its presentation. Each element is important in its own right, as has been pointed out. All things considered, this record is another impressive and enjoyable offering from one of the true masters. It is a work that once more will leave listeners asking “what happens next?” in all of the best ways possible. More information on What Happens Next is available online now along with all of Satriani’s latest news and more at: Website: http://www.satriani.com Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/joesatriani Twitter: http://twitter.com/chickenfootjoe Posted in Celebrities, Concerts, Internet, Music | Tagged celebrities, Chad Smith, Chickenfoot, Deep Purple, entertainment, facebook, Glenn Hughes, internet, Joe Satriani, music, Phil's Picks, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Twitter, Wordpress | Leave a reply Chickenfoot To Release Its First Hits Compilation Next Month Posted on January 28, 2017 by philspicks Courtesy: eOne Music Chickenfoot will release its first-ever hits collection this spring. The rock super group announced this week it will release its new hits collection Best + Live on March 10, 2017. The compilation includes ‘Get It Up,’ ‘Soap On A Rope,’ ‘Dubai Blues’ and eight other Chickenfoot favorites. It also includes a “new” song, ‘Divine Termination,’ which the band performed live last May. The song was performed during a performance at Harrah’s Lake Tahoe. The performance was from one of two one-off shows performed at the famed casino. The band’s hits and its new songs are just some of what audiences have to look forward to on Chickenfoot’s new compilation record. It will also feature three live performances included in that main disc. To sweeten the deal for fans, the collection will also include a second disc that features 11 live performances from Chickenfoot. The songs featured on the bonus live disc were originally included in the band’s 2010 Live DVD/BD Get Your Buzz On. The full track listing for Best + Live is noted below. Tracklist “BEST+LIVE” CD1 – BEST OF 01. Divine Termination (BRAND NEW SONG) 02. Soap On A Rope 03. Sexy Little Thing 04. Oh Yeah 05. Get It Up 06. Future In The Past 07. Big Foot 08. Different Devil 09. Lighten Up 10. Dubai Blues 11. Something Going Wrong Bonus LIVE TRACKS: 12. Highway Star 13. Bad Motor Scooter 14. My Generation CD2 – LIVE 01. Avenida Revolution 04. My Kinda Girl 05. Down The Drain 06. Bitten By The Wolf 08. Learning To Fall 10. Turnin’ Left More information on Best + Live is available online now along with all of the band’s latest news and more at: Website: http://www.chickenfoot.us Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/chickenfoot Twitter: http://twitter.com/chickenfoot To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it. Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com. Posted in Celebrities, Concerts, Internet, Music | Tagged celebrities, Chad Smith, Chickenfoot, entertainment, EOne Music, facebook, internet, Joe Satriani, Michael Anthony, music, Phils Picks, Sammy Hagar, Twitter, Wordpress | Leave a reply Chad Smith Lends His Talents To SAD’s Upcoming Debut LP Posted on October 23, 2015 by philspicks Photo Credit: Thierry Brouard Independent rock band Screaming at Demons recently introduced itself to the world in a big way when it partnered with the nationally known charity group Homeless Rock Stars. The band combined the video for its new song ‘Rock Star’ with footage from a Homeless Rock Stars event to make an emotionally moving and powerful to help raise money for the organization and introduce itself to the music community at large at the same time. Now the band has taken another huge step in getting its name out there. The band has enlisted the help of one of the most talented and respected drummers in the music community today to help record a pair of songs for its upcoming debut record. Screaming at Demons announced this week that it has enlisted famed drummer Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers, Chickenfoot) to record the drums for two of the songs to be included in the band’s upcoming album. Those songs are ‘Our Time’ and ‘All Of Me.’ Smith’s inclusion on the album, which currently has no set release date, is rooted in his friendship with AD bassist Chris Clemmence. Having previously performed live with Smith, Clemmence had a first hand understanding of and appreciation for Smith’s work behind the kit, leading to Clemmence asking Smith to lend his talents to the band’s new record. When asked about those talents, Clemmence responded telling reporters, “Chad is a legend and phenomenal powerhouse of a drummer. We are beyond honored to have him play on our two new upcoming singles. His feel and groove have brought our songs to a new level. We are so lucky to have him as well as an all-star team working on our music.” Currently, Screaming at Demons is hard at work on its upcoming album. The album is being mixed by five-time Grammy Award-winning producer Chris Lord-Alge. Alge is no stranger to the music community and obviously to success within that community having those awards to his name. The roster of bands with which he has worked over the course of his career says plenty of his expertise behind the boards. That list includes the likes of: Eric Clapton, Tina Turner, Cher, Bon Jovi, Seal, Meatloaf, Three Days Grace, Aerosmith, Shinedown, Deftones, and countless others. Alge was asked by reporters his thoughts on working with SAD. his response showed just how excited he is to work with front man Shimon Moore and fellow SAD band mates Russell Ali and Chris Clemmence. He had only positive things to say of working with the band, noting of the group, “A new level of excitement is coming from these boys and they are giving back to people in need and making music that instantly makes you wanna be a part of it!” While fans wait for Alge, and the members of SAD to finish the band’s new album, they can check out the band’s video for its inspirational and infectious song ‘Rock Star.’ It can be viewed online now via YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0g7QiwkAe4&feature=youtu.be. Audiences can also keep up with all of the latest updates from the studio and all of the band’s latest news online at: Website: http://screamingatdemons.com Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/screamingatdemons Posted in Celebrities, Internet, Music | Tagged Aerosmith, Bon Jovi, celebrities, Chad Smith, Cher, Chickenfoot, Chris Lord-Alge, Deftones, entertainment, Eric Clapton, facebook, internet, Meatloaf, music, Phils Picks, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Screaming at Demons, Seal, Shimon Moore, Shinedown, Three Days Grace, Tina Turner, Wordpress, Youtube | Leave a reply Glen Campbell: I’ll Be Me Is A Moving Tribute To One Of Music’s Greats Posted on September 16, 2015 by philspicks Courtesy: Virgil Films Four years ago country music legend Glen Campbell made one of the most difficult announcements of his career if not the single most difficult. The announcement in question was that he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease. Those that know someone with Alzheimer’s or that have known someone with Alzheimer’s know the emotional pain that comes with such an announcement. Knowing that there is no cure for the disease, Campbell decided that he would not go quietly into that good night. Rather, he wanted to go out with a bang before the disease took control of his mind. He went on from there to release one final album and embark on a farewell tour to thank his fans for their years of support. Now thanks to Virgil Films Campbell’s fans can relive that final tour and everything that came with it in the form of the tour documentary Glen Campbell: I’ll Be Me. The main reason that this is such a standout documentary is that it isn’t presented like every other tour documentary out there. Rather it is presented more as a tribute to the life and legacy of one of the music industry’s titans. That is just one reason that audiences will find it so compelling. The interviews with Campbell’s counterparts throughout the entertainment industry make the documentary even more intriguing. It isn’t just because his counterparts come from so many different realms of the industry either. The surprising reveal of each celebrity interviewee’s link to Campbell makes the program in whole even more powerful. The final reason that viewers and fans alike will find this presentation so touching and powerful is its editing. The editing is spotless from beginning to end, making for an emotional impact that will move even the strongest person emotionally speaking. It is thanks to the work of those that edited the documentary and prepared it for its release that the interviews and collective footage presented here is so powerful. It brings everything full circle and proves famed Chicago Sun Times writer/critic Richard Roeper completely right in his sentiment that Glen Campbell: I’ll Be Me is “one of the most remarkable documentaries in recent years” and that “You do not want to miss this movie.” Every year, there is any number of new music documentaries distributed to stores and online outlets for viewers to choose from. The problem is that most of those documentaries are little more than space fillers used as to hold fans and fulfill contractual obligations with record labels. Luckily though, for all of those poorly put together pieces, there are the occasional diamonds in the rough that manage to somehow shine through. Virgil Films’ new documentary Glen Campbell: I’ll Be Me is one of those diamonds in the rough. This presentation is not just another run of the mill tour documentary. It is a tour documentary. But it is more than that. It is a tribute to the life and legacy of one of the music industry’s titans. That is the central reason for its success. While it does follow Campbell on his final nationwide tour, it offers audiences more than just a presentation following Campbell on said tour. It also follows Campbell off of the road. Viewers get to follow Campbell and his wife as they check in with the doctor to find out how much the disease has progressed. They also get to follow Campbell as he tries to face the reality of his diagnosis within his daily life. What audiences get here is the picture of a brave man; a man who refuses to just give up and give in. Rather, as viewers will see, he chooses to face it head on with a smile and all of the laughs and love that he can give. This includes some of the most difficult times as the disease progresses. The end result of the presentation will have viewers (including even the strongest viewers) both laughing and crying throughout. By the program’s end, viewers will agree that Glen Campbell: I’ll Be Me is not just another tour documentary. It is a powerful, moving tribute to a legend that will potentially inspire others with family and friends suffering from that terrible disease. The overall presentation of Glen Campbell: I’ll Be Me makes the documentary stand out head and shoulders above every other music documentary that has been released so far this year. That is because it isn’t just a run of the mill tour documentary churned out to satisfy some label’s contractual obligations. It is a tribute to the life and legacy of a great talent. It’s just one reason that this presentation is such a memorable and moving work. The interviews with Campbell’s family, friends, and counterparts across the entertainment industry make the documentary even more powerful. The interviews in question are with Campbell’s family, friends, and counterparts throughout the entertainment industry. Those counterparts include well-known figures from the country music world such as Brad Paisley, Vince Gill, and Keith Urban as well as some of the rock world’s biggest names including: Bruce Springsteen, Chad Smith, and The Edge among others. Even former President Bill Clinton gets some face time along with famed actor/comedian Steve Martin and other well-known figures from the realms of television and movies. The list of people interviewed throughout the program is within itself plenty of reason to watch the documentary. But it is what the interviewees have to say of Campbell that makes each individual’s discussion so important to the whole of the documentary. Every one of the feature’s interviewees speaks with such reverence for him. They also speak with an increasingly noticeable emotion. The reason for that emotion is revealed in the program’s final minutes. Not to ruin it for anyone but it is revealed that the individuals interviewed for the documentary each had a connection to somebody that was either suffering from Alzheimer’s or that had suffered. So it makes sense that they would each get somewhat choked up in discussing the topic as it related to Campbell. It just brought up memories of their own friends and families. It is that heartfelt emotion displayed by each of the interviewees that really makes each separate segment so powerful. In turn, each of the segments combined makes the presentation in whole that much more moving for viewers. The interviews collected for Virgil Films’ new Glen Campbell documentary are extremely moving to say the very least. They are so moving not because they feature some of the biggest names from the entertainment world and that of politics, but because of the heartfelt sentiment shared by each individual in discussion what Glen Campbell means to them and how his condition relates to them personally. They, along with everything else presented in this documentary, paint a picture that every person should see regardless of their familiarity with Glen Campbell the man and the musician. Of course without the work of those charged with editing and assembling the presentation ahead of its release, none of that would matter. It is the work of those individuals that rounds out the reasons that audiences will so appreciate this work. Their efforts present Campbell as a strong yet still fragile individual. The footage of Campbell in his childhood set against that of him as an adult, raising his family adds even more of an emotional impact to the overall presentation. Seeing Campbell slowly begin to struggle through his tour yet still fight through it and put on the best show that he can ups that emotional impact even more. Add in the expert balance of each element from beginning to end and viewers will find themselves not wanting to turn off the movie. Like a really good book or any other really good movie, the work of the editors makes this presentation’s near two-hour run time pass by with ease. Viewers won’t realize at all just how much time has passed by the time the movie has ended. They will also find themselves moved possibly deeper than they ever had by any fictional feature released in recent memory. In coming to such realization, audiences will agree that those charged with editing this documentary have succeeded to the highest degree in their jobs and have in turn helped craft what is one of the best music documentaries to be released in many years; a documentary that every viewer should see regardless of their familiarity with Campbell’s body of work. Glen Campbell: I’ll Be Me is one of the best music/tour documentaries to be released in recent memory. The work of the movie’s editors coupled with its interviews and the overall approach to the presentation make it a presentation that every viewer should see regardless of their familiarity with Campbell’s body of work. It is available now in stores and online and can be ordered direct from Virgil Films’ online store at http://www.virgilfilmsent.com/store/product.php?pid=716. More information on this and other titles from Virgil Films is available online now at: Website: http://www.virgilfilmsent.com Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/VirgilFilms Posted in Celebrities, DvD's and blu-rays, Internet, Movies, Music | Tagged Bill Clinton, Brad Paisley, Bruce Springsteen, celebrities, Chad Smith, Chicago Sun Times, Chicken Foot, entertainment, facebook, Glen Campbell, internet, Keith Urban, movies, music, Phils Picks, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Richard Roeper, Steve Martin, Th eEdge, The Boss, U2, Virgil Films, Wordpress | Leave a reply Satriani Proves He’s Still Got Plenty Of “Momentum” On New LP Posted on May 17, 2013 by philspicks Courtesy: Epic Records/RED Distribution Joe Satriani’s latest release, Unstoppable Momentum is the famed guitarist’s best release since his 2006 album, Super Colossal. This new record is the album that fans have waited for since the release of Super Colossal. It is just as bombastic as Super Colossal and more at some points. It’s also just as gentle as SC, too at different points. Perhaps a big reason for the success of this record is the Satch opted for a different backing group than he typically uses on his records. Many of Satriani’s past records were recorded with Jeff Campitelli on drums and Allen Whitman on bass. This time out, Satch opted instead to have drummer Vinnie Colaiuta man the kit and Chris Chaney add the low end on bass. Another change to the lineup that could have created such a difference on this record from his other works was the inclusion of Mike Frasier behind the glass once again. The two are quite familiar with one another, having worked together on no less than six of Satch’s previous records, including his most recent album, Black Swans and Wormhole Wizards (2010) and Super Colossal. He also helped with the creation of both of Chickenfoot’s current releases on which Joe played guitar. That familiarity and friendship between the pair—and the inclusion of new musicians–obviously played a role in the record’s sound as it has proven to be not just his best record since Super Colossal, but one of his finest records to date. Right from the opening number of Unstoppable Momentum, long-time fans of Satriani’s work know they are in for quite a ride. The album opens fittingly with its title track. Simply listening to the song, one can’t help but hear that perhaps Satriani is making a statement early on that even fourteen albums in, he still has a lot left to offer audiences. He still has that “unstoppable momentum.” The song’s seeming ABA structure starts off easy before really kicking things up in the middle section. Joe shows without a doubt that he’s still got plenty left in the tank with his “solos” in this section while drummer Vinnie Colaiuta gives an added intensity with his musicianship behind the kit. He proves to be just as solid as [Jeff] Campitelli, if not more so. His ability to handle polyrhythmic patters without missing a single beat is impressive to say the least, both here and throughout the record. This is just one example of what makes this such a solid record. Another good example of what makes Unstoppable Momentum a success is the almost Beatles-esque, ‘I’ll Put a Stone on Your Cabin.’ The song’s “A” sections have something of a Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club influence. Somehow, Satriani and his band mates manage to tie in a sound that is quite the counterpoint to this vibe, making the song into a piece unlike anything that Satriani has ever recorded throughout his career. It is one of those songs that simply must be heard to be appreciated and understood. There is at least one more example of what makes this new record one that fans will enjoy. And it is the album’s absolutely shortest, but most touching piece. That song is the one minute and forty-three minute long, ‘I’ll Put a Stone on Your Cairn.’ For those that don’t know, one of the traditional uses of a cairn is as a monument to one who has passed on. Its use roots all the way back to prehistoric Eurasia. So placing a stone on one’s cairn would be an act of tribute and remembrance to the deceased. Keeping all of this in mind, the gentle, dulcet tones of this short opus are sure to create thoughts in the minds of listeners of perhaps those that they have lost. It offers some of the album’s deepest emotions and is sure to generate among listeners some of the deepest emotions, as well. Without a doubt, this song may end up being a favorite for fans, even as short as it is. And it is just one more among so many that listeners will enjoy throughout the course of the album’s eleven total tracks. The album is available now in stores and online. It can be ordered online via Joe’s website, http://www.satriani.com, where he has links to iTunes, Amazon, and through his own website. Fans can also order the new album and all sorts of Joe Satriani gear through his official Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/joesatriani. Fans can keep up with the latest tour updates and news from Joe on his Facebook page, too. To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment reviews and news, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks. Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment reviews and news in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com. Posted in Celebrities, Internet, Music | Tagged AC/DC, Amazon, cairn, celebrities, Chad Smith, Chickenfoot, Chris Chaney, entertainment, Epic Records, facebook, internet, iTunes, Jeff Campitelli, Joe Satriani, Michael Anthony, Mike Fraser, music, Phils Picks, Red Distribution, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Sammy Hagar, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, Super Colossal, The Beatles, Unstoppable Momentum, Van Halen, Vinnie Colaiuta | Leave a reply Real Rock Fans Will “Dig” H&E’s Dig Posted on May 6, 2013 by philspicks Courtesy: Quarto Valley Records The latest release from the British blues/rock band, Heaven & Earth, is one of the year’s best rock albums, and potentially one of the year’s best overall albums. From the album’s artwork to its songs, so much was done right with this album. Bassist Chuck Wright notes in the album’s bonus DVD about the album’s cover art that it is meant to represent the “unearthing” of rock and roll. He states that “it [rock and roll] has been buried away for far too long.” And if that’s the case, then this album has done quite the job of “digging up” rock and roll. As producer Dave Jenkins states, this album was an attempt to capture the vibe of a live show on record. He and the band did just that from start to finish. The album opens fittingly with the anthemic ‘Victorious.’ The opening Middle Eastern influenced strains lead in to front man Joe Retta’s powerhouse vocals. He sings, “There’ll be a champion/Standing tall for all to see/On their way to be victorious/All for glory.” Taking into account Jenkins’ statement about crafting an album that sounds like a live performance in studio, it becomes so easy to see Retta standing both before the mic and in front of thousands singing this line, fist raised along with those of thousands in attendance at a major arena as they sing in unison. Even more interesting to note about this song (and others throughout the album) is that if one were listening to this record without knowing it was Retta and company, one would swear one was listening to either Chickenfoot or to its singer, Sammy Hagar. Retta’s vocals are so close in style to Hagar’s that the difference is nearly incomparable. Joe Retta isn’t the only one that gets the chance to shine on H&E’s new record. While he might front this veteran band, his band mates—Stuart Smith (guitars), Chuck Wright (Bass), Richie Onori (drums), and Arlan Schierbaum (keyboards)—also get their chance to showcase their talents, too. Case in point, the album’s second track and lead single, ‘No Money No Love.’ Stuart Smith’s chops are right up there with guest musician Richie Sambora (Bon Jovi) in his solos. And drummer Richie Onori keeps the band moving with a straight forward with solid time keeping that is just enough to impress any drummer of any level. Add the keyboards of Arlan Schierbaum and audiences will hear just why this was chosen to lead off this album. The band has also released a video for the album that can be viewed via YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WB1iW0thik. Audiences get even more of that full on energy in the song, ‘Man & Machine.’ Again, one has to refer to [Dave] Jenkins’ mention of making a record that sounds like it’s a live experience here. Everything that could go right with this song went right. From its choruses to the pure musicianship of each band member, this is just one more of this record’s highest of points. And it isn’t the last, either. Fans will also enjoy the slower, bluesy vibe of ‘House of Blues’, the driving guitars and drums of ‘Back in Anger’, and ‘Rock and Roll Does’ as well as the record’s softer, slower moments. Fans will especially enjoy ‘Rock and Roll Does.’ It would be a surprise if the band doesn’t use this as a show closer at its live shows in support of this record. All assembled together, this record is a welcome change of pace from the constant drone of so much mainstream rock and the down tuned crunching guitars and cookie monster growls of less mainstream sounds. Speaking of live shows, no live shows have been announced as of yet. However, fans can get all the latest tour news and more from the band online at the band’s official Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/officialheavenandearth and its official website, http://heavenandearthband.com/wordpress. Dig is available now in stores and online. It can be ordered online via iTunes at http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/dig/id637141654. Posted in Celebrities, Internet, Music | Tagged Arlan Schierbaum, Bon Jovi, celebrities, Chad Smith, Chickenfoot, CHurck Wright, Dave Jenkins, Deep Purple, Dig, entertainment, facebook, Heaven and earth, internet, Joe Retta, Joe Satriani, Michael Anthony, music, Phils Picks, Quarto valley Records, Richie Onori, Richie Sambora, Sammy Hagar, Stuart Smith, Van Halen, Wordpress | Leave a reply Re-Machined More Than Just A Tribute Record Posted on March 21, 2013 by philspicks Courtesy: Eagle Records/Eagle Rock Entertainment Famed British hard rock band Deep Purple is set to drop its new album next month. The album, titled Now What?! will be released in the United State Tuesday, April 30th. While fans wait for the release of this highly anticipated album, they have another recent release to tide them over in the form of the tribute album, Re-Machined: A Tribute to Deep Purple’s Machine Head. It may be a tribute album, but it is still a great album for both new and long-time fans of Deep Purple. The new honorary compilation hit stores in late 2012 as part of the 40th anniversary of the landmark album’s original release. It features all seven tracks from Deep Purple’s original iconic album plus a pair of bonuses. One of those bonuses comes in the form of Metallica’s cover of ‘When A Blind Man Cries.’ As Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich notes in the compilation’s liner notes, “I have a list of songs in my head that Metallica should play before we either break up or die, and Deep Purple’s ‘When A Blind man Cries’ is one of those songs.” The song in question is a bonus in that it actually never made the record. Again, the liner notes shed light on this. The notes, written by Classic Rock Magazine’s Mark Blake note that the song in question was originally a B-side to the song, ‘Never Before’ but has become a fan favorite throughout the years. So it only made sense to have it included on this tribute record. And it’s just one of the pieces that make this album a must not just for any Deep Purple fan but for any hard rocker, period. ‘When A Blind Man Cries’ is just one part of what makes Re-Machined such an impressive album of covers. Going back to Ulrich, he and Metallica constitute just one of the acts brought together to record this album who openly tout Deep Purple as an influence in their own career as musicians. Blake writes of Iron Maiden’s front man Bruce Dickinson (whose band also covers a track on the disc) that he [Dickinson] was also a “serious Purple aficionado.” He quotes Dickinson as saying, “I cut my teeth as a kid on Deep Purple. It’s what I grew up with. It’s what got me out of bed in the mornings.” Now if that isn’t a tribute in itself to the importance of Deep Purple in the music world, it’s anyone’s guess what is. Dickinson and company ended up recording ‘Space Truckin’’ for the record, which is an absolutely outstanding piece both originally and as a cover here. The way that it drives (no pun intended), it will have fans pumping their fists and singing along loud and proud. If Iron Maiden’s ‘Space Truckin’’ isn’t enough to convince fans of this compilation’s importance, then maybe the album’s opener will. Carlos Santana (yes, that Carlos Santana) joins Papa Roach front man Jacoby Shaddix for a cover of what is arguably the band’s most famous song of all time, ‘Smoke on the Water.’ What’s really interesting about this cover is that while it is a cover, it doesn’t feel or sound like one. Far too often, bands and artists try to take classic songs and update them. That’s not the case here. Shaddix and Santana have taken the classic and made it their own while still paying homage to the original. It makes perfect sense as to why the album would open with this cover in hearing Santana’s guitar chops and the solid vocals of Shaddix. It also serves one more purpose that at a passing glance is missed. But in really thinking about the generational mix presented here, one sees the purer purpose of using it as the compilation’s opener. On the surface, having a bunch of bands and artists resurrect one of rock’s most important and iconic albums is a great thing. Having the album resurrected by a collection of rock’s greatest names past and present is even greater. What this does is it makes it more than just a tribute album. It makes the album a music history lesson in and of itself. As evidenced in the opening number, young audiences will be pulled in by the inclusion of Papa Roach’s Jacoby Shaddix. Older audiences will be pulled in from both the fact that it’s Deep Purple and that fellow veteran musician Carlos Santana is on the track. Also because of the inclusion of Santana, those same younger audiences will potentially be introduced to the music of not just one great classic act, but two in both Deep Purple and Carlos Santana, thus preserving both acts’ legacies for a whole new generation. The same could be said of the inclusion of Chickenfoot’s live cover of ‘Highway Star’ and Black Label Society’s cover of ‘Pictures of Home.’ It should be clear by everything noted here that Re-Machined is more than just a tribute to a band. It’s a tribute, yes. But it’s also a tribute to everything that was and still is right with rock and roll. It’s a musical love letter to real rock and an excellent way to get a whole new generation of hard rockers and metal heads into what is without a doubt, one of mainstream rock’s greatest bands. The album is available now in stores and online. Audiences can get more information on this album, the band’s upcoming new full length studio release and its tour dates online at http://www.deeppurple2013 and http://www.facebook.com/officialdeeppurple. To keep up with more from Deep Purple and all the latest sports and entertainment reviews and news, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it. Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment reviews and news in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com. Posted in Celebrities, Concerts, Internet, Music | Tagged Black Label Society, Carlos Santana, celebrities, Chad Smith, Chickenfoot, Classic Rock Magazine, Deep Purple, Eagle Records, Eagle Rock Entertainment, entertainment, facebook, Glenn Hughes, internet, Iron Maiden, Jimmy Barnes, Joe Bonamassa, Kings of Chaos, Lars Ulrich, Machine head, Mark Blake, Metallica, Michael Anthony, music, Phils Picks, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Sammy Hagar, Steve Vai, The Flaming Lips, Van Halen, Whitesnake, Wordpress, Zakk Wylde | Leave a reply
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Tickets and Info Business Showcase Interactive Games & Inflatables Community Ceremonies Freedom 5k & Kids’ Fun Run by admin_sangria | Oct 24, 2018 | Uncategorized | 1 comment Wednesday July 11 Redemption Flood – 5:30-7:00 Lords of Literature – OPENER – 7:30-9:00 SlawDog – HEADLINER – 9:30-11:00 Formed in 2005, SlawDog is a Christian rock band with the mission of rockin’ the area with the Message of Jesus Christ, while playing some great originals and covers inspired by the classic rock music they grew up with. The band was honored to receive the ‘New Horizon’ award from the Ohio Christian Music Association at the Ohio State Fair in 2016. SlawDog has been blessed to entertain at a wide variety of events including the Lancaster Festival, The Violet Festival in Pickerington, Ohio State Fair, and they’ve opened for national acts Josh Wilson and 7eventh Time Down. SlawDog released their third album, entitled “Old Skool”, on May 6th, 2016. Recorded at Power Play Studios in Grove City, the title refers to the style of music the band is influenced by, and the lyrics reflect each member’s faith walk. A WordPress Commenter on October 24, 2018 at 7:39 pm © Picktown Palooza 2018. Built by Sangria Media Picktown Palooza
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Pirelli Triumphs with the Citroën C4 Wrc of Loeb-Elena By taking his third win out of the four rallies that have been run so far this year, Sebastien Loeb claims the lead of the FIA World Rally Championship drivers' classification. Chris Atkinson finished an excellent second place in his Subaru Impreza WRC, ahead of the other factory Citroen C4 WRC of Sordo. Gigi Galli finishes seventh with the Stobart Ford Focus WRC after encountering technical problems yesterday. Villa Carlos Paz, 30 March 2008 - The Pirelli-equipped Citroën C4 WRC of Loeb and Elena has dominated the fourth round of the World Rally Championship, despite some appalling conditions that included driving rain and mud. The reigning World Champion claimed his fourth consecutive win in Argentina, and with the factory Ford Focus WRC of Mikko Hirvonen finishing fifth Loeb now takes the lead of the drivers' World Championship, five points ahead of the Finn. The final day saw the retirement of Petter Solberg and Phil Mills, who were stopped by an electrical problem on their Subaru Impreza WRC whilst they were second. Their position was then inherited by Atkinson and Prévot in the other factory Subaru-Pirelli. "In the closing stages, we were obviously just controlling the rally and managing our advantage," said Sebastien Loeb. "The Pirelli Scorpion tyres did their job well, as they did in Mexico a month ago where there were hardly any punctures. The problems we faced here were to do with the regulations rather than the tyres." Just behind the Frenchman was Chris Atkinson, who was once more extremely competitive in his factory Subaru Impreza WRC. "I feel sorry for Petter, who was just far too unlucky and would have amply deserved second place," he said. "Although it was another very tough day, the Scorpion tyres delivered more than could be expected through all the mud, which made life really difficult. Every time we went through a watersplash or a river crossing it was a constant risk as you never knew what was underneath. You stood a chance of ruining everything by hitting a rock just under the surface. " Just behind Atkinson was Dani Sordo, who also set a good pace in the second factory Citroën, ahead of Conrad Rautenbach in a privately-run C4 WRC. Galli, driving a Stobart Ford Focus WRC, finished seventh after re-starting the event today under the super rally system. His co-driver Giovanni Bernacchini commented: "We're still pleased with the result, which at least means that we do not go home empty-handed. Nonetheless, our final placing is not representative of the potential of our Ford Focus and its Pirelli tyres here." Mario Isola, Pirelli's rally manager, concluded: "Our hard compound's Scorpion tyres have been designed and tested for conditions that are quite different to those we saw on this year's Rally Argentina. Of course we are more than ready to analyse and discuss the current tyre rules both with the FIA and the manufacturers in order to evaluate any potential rules' refinements that need to be made. "
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