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Magic Mitts
By Ontario Minor Hockey Association, 11/06/13, 9:45AM EST
The mystery of magic hockey hands starts and ends at the head
These instruments are not made for bludgeoning, but nor are they the delicate hands of a concert pianist, surgeon or watch maker.
Biggish, but not gnarled, strong, yet nimble, these marvels of human evolution belong to a 19-year-old who uses them to wield what may well be one of the quickest sticks in the NHL.
Ask Alex Galchenyuk when he discovered his ability to stickhandle and shoot with uncommon force and agility, and he’ll shrug and laugh.
“Uh, I think I was always known for good hands … I don’t really remember much about when I learned. Today, I’m still working on getting better at that aspect,” said the Montreal Canadiens forward, who has seven points through seven games this season.
It’s not a question NHLers dwell on, but why some hockey players are so “handsy” and how they come by their skills is, like a human hand itself, both simple and complex, and involves a healthy dose of mystery.
The common hockey argot is “mitts” – be they, “quick,” “soft,” “sick” or merely good – but it turns out that’s not strictly accurate. The catch-all puck folk should use is eyes, or more pertinently, vision. Not just what the eyeballs see or how well they see it (it turns out that isn’t such a big factor) but the neural pathways and areas of the brain that interpret visual cues and spatial information.
Gush all you want about the magic of Galchenyuk’s toe-drags, Patrick Kane’s crazy dangles, Steven Stamkos’s uncanny one-timer or Pavel Dastyuk’s pickpocket cunning (the general sense among NHL players is the Russian is the da Vinci of hands), just know it’s not strictly about their sticks or the strength and flexibility of their limbs.
It’s about their heads. More specifically, perceptual-cognitive processing.
Research suggests the region in the brain’s temporal lobe that processes “biological motion” may hold the key to unlocking why some players excel at accepting passes in tight spaces, or stickhandling at top speed, or getting off a quick, precise shot.
That’s not to be confused with eye-hand co-ordination.
That’s the downstream process which is thought to live in something called the occipital junction, in the frontal and parietal lobes. The brain is a complicated place.
A recent study authored by University of Montreal researcher Jocelyn Faubert – an optometry professor who directs the school’s visual psychophysics and perception laboratory – has concluded elite-level athletes in a trio of professional sports (NHL, English Premier League soccer and French Top 14 rugby) process visual information in similar ways.
According to the paper, published in the open-access, peer-reviewed journal Scientific Reports in January, their ability to gather and filter vastly greater quantities of it than regular humans, and even high-level amateur athletes, is their true advantage. It appears things like above-average eyesight, strength and reflexes are marginal factors.
More importantly, Faubert discovered that not only do elite athletes outperform control subjects on a clinical test of their brain function, their capacity to quickly master increasingly difficult tasks far outpaces regular folks.
“It’s not so much where they start, it’s where they can go,” said Faubert, who has written several papers on the question of perceptual-cognitive training and has a financial stake in a company that does dynamic visual testing.
But neuroscience hasn’t yet provided a full explanation of the intricacies of motor skills, and why some people develop them more quickly or to a higher degree than others.
Several scientific studies have drawn the distinction between ability (defined as specific physical characteristics like endurance or speed) and skill (specialized motor functions and the like). The latter can be taught, the former cannot.
An oft-cited study conducted in the 1980s by found the physiological differences between elite-level hockey players and regular folk aren’t as stark as you might expect. But that’s not to say there aren’t any.
York University kinesiology professor Norman Gledhill recently established one of the things that sets hockey players apart.
He’s the man behind the fitness testing at the NHL’s annual scouting combine, and in testing more than 300 players discovered something about their wingspan.
The distance from fingertip to fingertip is typically in direct relationship to height from head to toe, although roughly 15 per cent of people have a shorter wingspan than their height; the rest have a larger one, and the maximum variance is typically two or three inches.
This article originally appeared in Montreal - The Globe and Mail (October 18, 2013)
Origional Article
© The Globe and Mail 2013
Ensure You Have the Right Qualifications to Coach Next Season
Everything you need to know about coaching qualifications
Activating Defencemen in the Offensive Zone
By Ian Taylor, OMHA Executive Director 05/09/2019, 1:30pm EDT
Video Coach | Presented by Hockey Intelligym
The Recipe for Growing a Player's Confidence
Focus on the work and effort, not the end result
Tag(s): Coaches Features OMHA Players Club Home
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Former Bulldog golfer inspires Georgia football team ahead of Masters
By Ryne Dennisrdennis@onlineathens.com
AUGUSTA | Kirby Smart wanted the Georgia football team to learn a lesson about perseverance, so the Bulldogs’ head coach called on his good friend, and former Georgia golfer, Kevin Kisner for motivation.
Kisner, an Aiken, S.C., native, was bringing his family into Athens last Friday to watch the NCAA gymnastics regional. Knowing this, Smart devised a plan.
After finishing runner-up to fellow former Bulldog Bubba Watson at the 2018 WGC Match Play Championships, the 35-year-old Kisner managed to win that same event three weeks ago, edging Matt Kuchar, a former Georgia Tech golfer, 3 & 2 in the championship.
After close calls to Alabama in the national championship in 2018 and again in the SEC Championship later that year, Smart wanted his football team to hear about the resolve and determination that made Kisner Match Play champion.
“He asked if I’d come by and talk about being in that position last year and losing and what it took to come back and win the next year,” Kisner said. “He said the team could learn a lot from that.”
Kisner is one of three former Bulldogs in the Masters field this week, along with Keith Mitchell and Watson.
Kisner will tee off his fourth consecutive Masters at 12:54 p.m. Thursday.
Kisner’s speech to the Bulldogs wasn’t the first time Smart has used the success of former Georgia golfers as an example for his program, Kisner said.
“Kirby’s first thing he did when he took the job, we chatted, and he’s like ‘we’ve got to make all the success the golfers are having, we have to use it to our benefit,’” Kisner said. “I thought that was really cool. He incorporated all of us to be a part of the program and I think that’s awesome.”
Kisner, who proclaims himself a passionate Georgia football fan, tries to make it to a game or two each season.
Two seasons ago, ironically, former Alabama golfer Justin Thomas provided a helicopter for Kisner to fly from the season-ending Tour Championship at Atlanta’s East Lake Golf Club to Athens to catch Georgia’s game against Mississippi State.
While he was hoping to inspire the football team last Friday, he made sure to let them know that they constantly inspire him as well.
“I told them that,” Kisner said. “Everybody complains when they lose but they don’t understand what they go through and I do. I’ve seen it and I had to go through the same stuff. I love the way they compete and I love the way he’s got them playing and I look forward to the year.”
Kisner is in search of a higher showing this week than his previous three tries at Augusta National.
Last season’s even-par finish placed him 28th, the best result of his Masters career.
Chris Haack, Kisner’s former college coach, believes Kisner is playing some of his best golf at the moment and the Match Play championship proved the steadiness his former player has always shown.
“He does a great job of never getting overly excited or overly annoyed by anything,” Haack said. “He just kind of plays golf and he’s kind of got that steely-eyed look from the get-go. He just kind of focuses on what he can do and doesn’t seem to get caught up in the nuances of who he’s playing and so forth, he just plays golf.”
But Kisner said he had extra motivation to beat Kuchar in the Match Play finals after hearing the former Yellow Jacket jokingly tell an NBC reporter “God, I hate them ‘Dogs.”
The mild-mannered Kisner took the words to heart.
“Oh heck yeah, I was in the locker room in between rounds when he said he hated those Bulldogs, so that was a little more incentive,” Kisner said. “But we’re good friends, we’ve known each other a long time and he’s a great player and I wanted to beat him individually more than the university rivalry—but it’s always fun to beat those guys.”
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Oracle CEO Safra Catz joins Trump's transition team
The appointment comes after rumors she was being considered for a cabinet position
By Martyn Williams
Senior Correspondent, IDG News Service | PT
Stephen Lawson
Oracle co-CEO Safra Catz is joining President-elect Donald Trump's transition team, the team said Thursday. She will sit on its executive committee and remain in her position at Oracle.
The appointment comes a day after Catz and other tech leaders met Trump in a high-profile meeting at his New York offices.
"I'm actually privileged and honored to even be here, and we are looking forward to helping you, and your administration," Catz said at the beginning of the meeting.
That meeting wasn't the first time Catz had met Trump. She visited him in New York in November, sparking rumors that Trump was considering her for a cabinet position.
Since 2015, Catz has donated US$57,640 to a handful of Democrats and Republicans, according to filings with the Federal Election Commission. More than half of that money went to the Republican National Congressional Committee in September, well after Trump was picked as the party's presidential candidate.
Martyn Williams covers technology news for IDG and is based in San Francisco. He was previously based in Tokyo.
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The inner workings of Robert Pentelovitch
Posted by Lynn Woods on August 18, 2012 in Art, Places · 1 Comments
Gear Set by Robert Pentelovitch.
Driving south from Kingston on Route 209, one enjoys some of Ulster County’s most picturesque views. But now the route offers a cultural destination worth a trip in itself: an exhibition of Robert Alan Pentelovitch’s paintings, titled “Machine Works,” at Hurley Motorsports, located between Hurley and Stone Ridge. If the Audi service-and-sales facility seems like an odd location for a gallery, it’s perfectly suited to this work, which consists of large, striking paintings of close-up views of automotive transmissions, mining equipment and other types of machinery: contraptions essential to the smooth operations of daily life that yet remain hidden and mysterious.
Pentelovitch, who is a friend of Hurley Motorsports’ owner Sloan Hoffstatter, divides his time between Esopus and Manhattan. His precise-but-bold, dramatically lit and brightly colored paintings emphasize abstract form; stylistically, they are reminiscent of the Precisionist paintings of Charles Sheeler, who depicted auto factories, smokestacks and other industrial subjects starting in the 1920s. Pentelovitch’s paintings have been bought by many museums and private collectors. Originally from Minnesota, Pentelovitch earned an MFA from the San Francisco Art Institute and received a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1991.
“I’ve always been mechanically oriented, and have been painting and drawing cars since I was a little kid,” said Pentelovitch. He noted that his works avoid the dryness of technical drawings, and are instead imaginative recreations, sometimes infused with eroticism. They also relate to Pop Art in their smooth execution, subject matter and monumental size. Of the 12 pieces on display at Hurley Motorsports, the largest is five-by-seven feet.
Pentelovitch maintains two studios: one in New York, the other in Esopus; he is currently working on two pieces at once. One is a painting of a Ferrari, while the other piece is a very complex cross-section of a transmission “that’s very erotic, related to a female body,” he said.
He added that he has been fortunate to have had loyal and connected patrons over the years, as well as the support of his wife, Janet. Art “chooses you,” he said. “One thing leads to another. I already know the next six paintings.”
Pentelovitch said that he’s hoping that the show on 209 “will introduce me to the area and establish a destination.” He added that in the future, he may follow up with a show of his landscapes and floral works, “which look like gears.”
“Machine Works” will be on display at Hurley Motorsports, located at 27729 Route 209, until October 27. Gallery hours are Tuesdays through Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. A selection of Robert Pentelovitch’s works can be viewed at www.hmsgallery.com and www.pentelovitch.com.
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The Camping Trip That Changed America: Theodore Roosevelt, John Muir, and Our National Parks
Rosenstock, Barb
Annotation: In 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt joined naturalist John Muir on a camping trip to Yosemite, an experience that led to the establishment of our National Parks.
Genre: United States history
Catalog Number: #5273205
Format: Publisher's Hardcover
Publisher: Dial
Illustrator: Gerstein, Mordicai,
Dewey: 979.4
National parks and reserves. United States. History. Juvenile literature.
Environmentalism. United States. History. Juvenile literature.
National parks and reserves. United States. History.
Environmentalism. United States. History.
ALA Booklist
In 1903, Theodore Roosevelt read John Muir's book on the Sierra Nevada, which ended with a plea for government to save the vanishing forests. The president asked Muir to take him camping in the Yosemite wilderness, and two months later, Roosevelt followed his knowledgeable guide into the mountains, through the valley, and among the giant sequoia trees. Returning to Washington, the president pushed to pass the laws that created national parks and forests as well as wildlife sanctuaries. The very readable text focuses as much on the men's enjoyment of the outdoors as on the historical importance of their camping trip. Gerstein contributes a wonderfully varied yet coherent set of line-and-watercolor illustrations, including small portraits of the men, a memorable scene showing two figures dwarfed by giant sequoias, and a close-up of the men talking around their campfire. In an appended note, Rosenstock includes information left out of the story and mentions that some scenes were imagined. A short list of sources is included. This colorful picture book humanizes two significant individuals in American history.
Horn Book
In 1903, Roosevelt asked Muir to take him camping in the Yosemite wilderness. By the time the two reached Yosemite, Roosevelt had been persuaded to create "national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, and national forests." Rosenstock (as she explains in an author's note) has invented the dialogue here, but the ideas expressed are authentic. Gerstein brings his usual verve to the expedition. Bib.
Theodore Roosevelt's 1903 trip to the western parks included a backcountry camping trip—complete with snowstorm—with John Muir in the Yosemite Wilderness and informed the president's subsequent advocacy for national parks and monuments. In a boyish three-day adventure, Teedie (Roosevelt) and Johnnie (Muir) dodge, if temporarily, the confines of more formal surroundings to experience firsthand the glories of the mountains and ancient forests. (You can't ever quite take the boy out of the man, and Rosenstock's use of her subjects' childhood names evokes a sense of Neverland ebullience, even as the grownup men decided the fate of the wilderness.) The narrative is intimate and yet conveys the importance of the encounter both as a magnificent getaway for the lively president and a chance for the brilliant environmentalist to tell the trees' side of the story. Gerstein's depiction of the exuberant president riding off with Muir is enchantingly comical and liberating. A lovely two-page spread turns the opening to a long vertical to show the two men in the Mariposa Grove, relatively small even on horseback, surrounded by the hush and grandeur of the giant sequoias, while in another double-page scene, after a photo of the two at Glacier Point, Muir lies on his back at the edge of the canyon, demonstrating to an attentive Roosevelt how the glacier carved the deep valley below. An author's note explains that the dialogue is imagined and reconstructed from Muir's writing as well as from other accounts of the meeting. Wonderfully simple, sweet and engaging. (author's note, source notes) (Picture book. 7-10)
School Library Journal Starred Review
Gr 1&11;4&12; Theodore Roosevelt (Teedie) and John Muir (Johnnie) both held important positions&12;Roosevelt was the youngest President of the United States, and Muir was a world-famous naturalist. In 1903, Roosevelt read of Muir's Sierra Mountain adventures and heard his plea for the government to save the mountain forests. Muir's response resulted in a meeting between Teedie and Johnnie, an adventure of only four days that traversed the wonders of the Yosemite Valley and established an understanding and respect between the two. Based on an actual event in which Roosevelt "dropped politics" and persuaded a reluctant Muir to camp with him, the book presents a fictionalized account of the shared experiences of these two strong-willed personalities that resulted in the addition of 18 national monuments and double the number of national parks. Gerstein's richly colored paint and detailed pen drawings heighten readers' vision of an expanded horizon on the full spreads. Turn the book lengthwise to accommodate the sequoia giants' full height, and back again as tiny vignettes fill the night sky in tales above lingering campfire shadows. Impressions of the wilderness emphasize the grand impact of the event, detailed by an author's note (bibliography and references to the Yosemite Research Library, John Muir National Site, and University of the Pacific Library are included). In interpreting and recording both personal relationships and the historical impact of the meeting, this offering makes a little-known bit of history accessible for younger readers, and encourages further research.&12; Mary Elam,Learning Media Services, Plano ISD, TX
School Library Journal Starred Review (1/1/12)
ALA Booklist (12/1/11)
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
National Council For Social Studies Notable Children's Trade
New York Times Book Review
Wilson's Children's Catalog
Bibliography Index/Note: Includes bibliographical references.
Accelerated Reader: reading level: 5.0 / points: 0.5 / quiz: 148137 / grade: Lower Grades
Reading Counts!: reading level:4.5 / points:3.0 / quiz:Q56448
Caldecott medalist Mordicai Gerstein captures the majestic redwoods of Yosemite in this little-known but important story from our nation's history. In 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt joined naturalist John Muir on a trip to Yosemite. Camping by themselves in the uncharted woods, the two men saw sights and held discussions that would ultimately lead to the establishment of our National Parks.
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FAQs TSRDCP
Home...New and Ongoing ProjectsEquity, Diversity and Inclusion – Multi Year Acti... FAQs TSRDCP
How the project will work...
Why is the Ottawa Police Service (OPS) conducting the Traffic Stop Race Data Collection Project?
What does the OPS hope to accomplish through this Project?
How can officers correctly identify the race of drivers by observation only?
What categories of race will be used for the project?
Does the collection of information on perceived race violate the Human Rights Code or privacy legislation?
Who will have access to the data?
Can I know what race I was recorded as?
Do I need to give permission to be part of the study? What if I don’t want to participate in this race data study?
Why does collection of race data only apply to the traffic stop?
Will officers face disciplinary action during this study as a result of the data collected?
What is the OPS policy on racial profiling?
Starting June 27 th 2013, OPS officers will record their perception of driver race using the existing in-car computer system, as part of the regular process used for conducting traffic stops.
The categories of race have been developed with the Research Team in consultation with the OHRC and community partners and are consistent with current policing practices. The recording of perception will be conducted in accordance with the Ontario Human Rights Code and applicable privacy legislation.
The collection process has been designed to have minimal impact on regular duties and will not be noticeable to drivers. Drivers will not be asked to self-identify their own race.
The data will be made available to the OHRC at the conclusion of the two-year data collection period following the extraction and de-identification of the data. It will also be available publicly on ottawapolice.ca/race. In consultation with the Research Team, the data will be limited to relevant information required for analysis and will have no personal identifiers attached of either the driver or the officer.
The Project is the result of a settlement agreement between the Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) and the Ottawa Police Services Board (OPSB). As per the agreement, officers will record their perception of driver race at traffic stops for a two-year period.
In addition to continuing our ongoing work to ensure bias-free policing, the OPS is looking to continue to promote trust and confidence in the police by addressing community concerns about racial profiling.
Through this project, the OPS can continue its commitment to openness and accountability, while advancing the study of race-based data collection, and use the learnings and recommendations to strengthen service to the community.
As perception and stereotyping are at the heart of racial profiling, the focus of the Project is of the perception of race that police officers have. A person’s self identification of race is not relevant to this study. The purpose of the study is to determine the perception of the officer and if it contributes to officer conduct.
To learn more about racial profiling and the OPS’ policy on racial profiling, please visit the OPS Traffic Stop Data Collection Project website at ottawapolice.ca/race. Moreover, please visit the OHRC’s website (www.ohrc.on.ca) to view the OHRC’s Policy and Guidelines on Racism and Racial discrimination and the OHRC’s inquiry report Paying the Price: The Human Cost of Racial profiling.
To learn more about the collection of human rights-based data, please visit the OHRC’s website to view its guide Collecting Human Rights-Based Data: Count Me In!
The categories of race have been developed in consultation with communities and are consistent with current policing practices. The categories that will be used for the study are: Aboriginal Peoples; White; Black; East Asian, Southeast Asian; South Asian; Middle Eastern; and other racialized communities. For more information about the categories and how they were chosen, visit ottawapolice.ca/race.
Collecting and analyzing human rights-based data will be conducted in accordance with the Ontario Human Rights Code and applicable privacy legislation.
It will be made available to the Ontario Human Rights Commission at the conclusion of the two-year data collection period. The data will be limited to relevant information required for analysis.
If asked, officers can provide an answer as to what observational data was recorded (race, reason for stop) during the traffic stop.
Questions about the collection of personal information in connection with the project should be directed to ottawapolice.ca/race or 613-236-1222, Ext.5586.
Permission is not required as the focus of the Project is officer perception of the driver’s race in traffic stops.
The settlement agreement between the OHRC and the OPSB specifically states that the collection of the race-based data by officers will take place during all traffic (vehicle) stops.
Over 50,000 traffic stops are conducted each year. The research team, the OHRC and the OPS agree that this data will provide us with a suitable sampling for the purpose of the project. It will be the largest and longest study of its type ever conducted in Canada.
As per the settlement agreement, the race-based data collected will not be used for the purpose of discipline or performance evaluation of its officers.
The OPS firmly believes that everyone has the right to live and work in an environment that is free of police action based on racial bias or racial profiling. The OPS has been a leader in raising awareness around this issue and continues to work with the community and train its members.
In August of 2011, the OPS was the first police service in Canada to introduce a Racial Profiling Policy. The policy was created in consultation with both police and community groups to act as a guide in ensuring bias-free policing.
Conducted Energy Weapons
Training with De-Escalation Component
Usage and Accountability
Regulated Interactions
Service Initiative
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion – Multi Year Action Plan
TSRDCP multilanguages
Cops and Bloggers
Info for Journalism Students
GLBT Liaison Committee
Youth Advisory Committee
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Age is just a number
Eric Jackson Doesn't Believe in Getting Old
Kayaker Eric Jackson is still developing new tricks—and beating his kids in competitions
Graham Averill
Meet one of the best professional kayakers of all time: Eric Jackson. (Dean Treml/Red Bull Content Pool)
Photo: Dean Treml/Red Bull Content Pool
Eric Jackson doesn’t know what’s going to happen to his body as he ages. But he has some theories. Conventional wisdom be damned, the world champion kayaker, now a 55-year-old grandfather, believes that if he simply continues to train hard, he won’t succumb to the steady decline that usually plagues aging athletes. “I was told by my coaches, and the United States Olympic Committee, and International Coach Federation, that I would peak by 28. They said it was just science,” Jackson says. “But I wasn’t ready to peak. I wanted to be stronger and faster, so I kept training hard, and I got stronger and faster in my thirties and in my forties.”
Jackson is one of the most successful professional kayakers in history. He spent 26 years on the USA Kayak team between 1989 and 2015, competing and winning on an international level well into his forties. He made the U.S. team again in 2017 at the age of 53. Along the way, he pushed and defined the world of freestyle kayaking, started the paddlesports manufacturer Jackson Kayak, and won three world championships. His two kids, Emily, 29, and Dane, 26, grew up paddling alongside their dad and are considered to be two of the best kayakers in the world right now. (Emily is also married to professional kayaker Nick Troutman.) But their father, known in the boating world simply as EJ, continues to go head to head with them when he competes: he beat Dane and Troutman in the downriver race at the GoPro Mountain Games last year and came in second to Dane at this year’s event. “It seemed to be a very clear cause-and-effect situation,” Jackson says about his lasting achievements. “Train consistently, do the right things, and you will be rewarded.”
Still, Jackson admits that he has seen a couple of dips in his performance in recent years, especially after picking up bass fishing. As the captain of the USA Kayak Fishing team, he participates in the professional bass-fishing tour, a commitment that has started to take up a significant amount of his time. “I’m still trying to find a good way to work out while I’m fishing,” Jackson says. “I think I saw my lowest level of fitness last fall when I was competing so much on the bass boat.”
Even with this new devotion to fishing, Jackson is still paddling hard. He recently created a new freestyle move where he does a backflip into the river from an overhanging rock, sinks into the water, then pops out to do another backflip. He calls it the “Stunt Double” and says that his son is the only other kayaker he knows of that can pull it off. It’s a move that would make most athletes his age throw out a hip.
To keep up with these demanding tricks, Jackson says he tries to create a lifestyle that naturally pushes his mind and body to perform. When I talk to him in early June, he’s in Salida, Colorado, resting between training sessions on the town’s world-class play wave. He spent two hours training on the river in the morning and will go back out in the afternoon for another session with a couple of Jackson Kayak team members. Jackson is also signed up to run a marathon in the fall. But his training doesn’t involve too much pavement pounding. Instead he plays “speed-disc golf,” where he sprints and does parkour while moving through an 18-hole golf course that he designed at his home in Tennessee. He believes that if he can sprint that course in a certain amount of time, he’s good to go for the marathon. “Aging isn’t what makes your body go to hell, not training is what makes your body go to hell,” Jackson says. “Not having any goals that require physical prowess is a death sentence.”
While Jackson says he only lifts weights when he can’t kayak enough or is recovering from an injury, he has a series of benchmarks that he regularly monitors to keep track of his fitness. For instance, he aims to be able to bench 165 pounds ten times and run a 10K while averaging 7:30-minute miles. In addition to monitoring his weight daily, he subjects himself to these periodic fitness tests. If he can hit those marks, he knows he’s in decent shape.
Marathons and benchmarks aside, the overall goal for Jackson is to continue competing and living the active lifestyle that he’s grown accustomed to. Not just throughout his fifties and sixties, but beyond. “I train with my kids now because they’re the best training partners out there,” Jackson says. “I don’t see any reason why I won’t be training with my grandkids—who are now five and two—one day.”
Filed To: Fishing / Aging / Athletes / Kids
Orlando Duque Has Mastered the Mental Game
The cliff diver competes against athletes half his age
Orlando Duque in the 2019 Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series (Dean Treml/Red Bull Content Pool)
Orlando Duque has a strange job. As one of the most successful cliff divers in history, the 44-year-old Colombian gets paid to travel around the world and dive off precipices up to 88 feet high. After spending the past two decades competing in professional events, including the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series, he’s become the face of the sport, racking up 13 world titles and two Guinness World Records, one of which he earned for scoring a perfect dive. But even after all that time at the peak of his sport, Duque admits his nerves are not totally made of steel. “I still get a little scared before most jumps,” he says from San Miguel Island, off the coast of Portugal, where he competed in the Azores leg of the Cliff Diving World Series. “It’s inevitable. That fear, that bit of excitement. It’s one of the reasons why cliff divers do what we do.”
Just being able to compete in the sport at the age of 44 is impressive when you consider that a typical dive involves jumping from perches three times higher than what you see at the Olympics. Falling at 32 feet per second, the divers flip and contort their body at breakneck speeds, rotating up to 2.5 times per second. When they hit the water at about 60 miles per hour, they decelerate in 0.3 seconds, experiencing up to ten G’s of force.
If you’ve caught any of the competitions on Red Bull TV, you know that each diver on the tour is ridiculously fit and also pretty young, ranging from about 18 to 35. The impact from diving more than eight stories into open water can be brutal on your body, with injuries that can vary from from a broken tailbone (very common) to a separated pelvis (less common, but still possible if you land wrong). “You’re going to feel any small mistake when you hit the water,” says Duque, who’s had his share of injuries over the years, most recently a torn calf muscle. But he has managed to outlast most of his contemporaries, winning individual events as recently as 2017 and finishing in the top ten at the Portugal stop of the Red Bull World Series, earning a qualifying spot for this year’s world championships in South Korea. “You have to stay fit. I have to put the time in during the off-season to make sure I can handle the impact.”
But it’s not just the physical impact that Duque has to handle. It’s also the mental pressure that comes with convincing yourself to jump off an 88-foot cliff. Once you decide to do it, you have to have the body awareness to perform gymnastic moves throughout the three-second free fall. Duque’s signature dive, the one that in 2000 earned him a perfect score, is a reverse double somersault with four twists. If you aren’t familiar with diving, it looks like a bunch of midair chaos, but it’s actually an act of precision—each rotation and flip is timed and executed based on the landmarks Duque sees as he’s tumbling through the air.
Being able to execute these sort of mid-dive gymnastics boils down to aerobic fitness, says Duque—keeping his breathing and heart rate in control. “Your cardio capacity needs to be really high, because that helps you concentrate for the few seconds that you’re in the air,” he says. “Concentration is key.”
Duque trains five to six days a week to prepare for each season, mixing in running and spinning with gym workouts that focus on building strength rather than bulk (think: plyometrics that develop explosive strength and side lunges to work the abductor muscles). “A few years ago, training was just trial and error,” he says. “It was divers helping other divers and trying to figure things out. Now there’s so much science involved. The sport has really evolved.”
And for Duque, that has been key to his own longevity. “It is difficult to maintain that level of fitness as you get older,” he admits. “Strength goes away really fast. When I was younger, I just stayed strong. Now if I stop for two months, I have to rebuild almost from scratch.”
But one aspect of the sport that doesn’t wane with age is technique. Duque was on Colombia’s national diving team when he was young, before discovering cliff diving at 24, and the precision he learned in the pool early on served him well as he started jumping from greater heights. “When you learn good technique, it stays with you,” Duque says. “You have to put in the time up front, but it’s something you can keep with you as you age. It’s the same in other sports, too. Just look at Roger Federer. His technique is flawless. He’ll compete for many years because of it.”
Still, Duque has no desire to outlast the 37-year-old tennis legend. He says this season will probably be the last of his competitive career, although he’s not going to quit the sport entirely. Through his work with Red Bull and other sponsors, Duque has had the opportunity to travel the world and dive from dramatic locations noncompetitively. He’s jumped from 100-foot-tall trees into the Amazon River and donned a wetsuit to dive from the top of a 30-foot iceberg in Antarctica. As he nears retirement, he’s looking forward to pursuing the adventurous aspect of diving. “I have a few more years of intense diving in me,” Duque says. “I might not compete, but I still want to do high and challenging dives all over the world. There are still so many places I want to explore.”
Filed To: Cliff Diving / Events / Science / Sports / Workouts / Aging
Tim Hola's Key to Success: Train Hard and Early
The 44-year-old Ironman competitor wakes up early—and we mean early—and only takes one rest day a month
Hola is a member of Suunto’s Multisport Team. (Courtesy Tim Hola)
Photo: Courtesy Tim Hola
Tim Hola will probably piss you off. It’s not on purpose—he’s a super nice guy. Like your average 44-year-old, he has a full-time job, a wife, and kids. But in reality, he’s far from average, because he has a work ethic that is simply not human. A member of Suunto’s Multisport Team, he keeps an early-morning “farmer’s schedule” so his workouts won’t interfere with family life, he doesn’t touch alcohol, and he’s unfamiliar with the phrases “cheat day” or “rest day.” In his 24 years of racing, he’s completed more than 219 triathlons, has three masters-national-championship and two world-championship titles to his name, and has raced in the Hawaii Ironman World Championships 16 times. We profiled Hola as one of our Fittest Real Men back in 2008. Since then, he’s only gotten stronger.
“Everybody tries to tell you it’s all over when you turn 40, but I just decided not to listen to them,” Hola says from his home in Colorado. “I just try to keep it going. I feel like my body is made to move.”
Hola has been moving his whole life. He was a swimmer as a kid, then turned to rowing in college when he couldn’t make the swim team. After picking up running during crew training, Hola raced his first triathlon with his father, Ken, during his sophomore year. It’s a tradition they’ve maintained ever since, racing together at least once a year. “I like the variety,” Hola says. “I like training for different sports. If I were just a runner, I think my career would already be over.”
He also likes the Ironman format because he says the longer distance—a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride, and a 26.2-mile run—plays into his strengths as an older athlete. “As you age into your thirties, you get better at longer distances. You’re a smarter [racer],” he says. “A lot of pros in Ironman are well into the upper thirties and early forties. You’ve done it for so long, you’re good at distance.”
Hola credits his training regimen with helping him avoid injuries. Unlike a traditional triathlete’s routine of long training hours, Hola keeps his sessions short to accommodate his family and his job as a medical sales rep, knocking out just 15 to 16 total hours a week. (Training plans for other pro Ironman triathletes often have them spending that much time on the bike alone).
But Hola makes up the difference by training really hard. “I focus on quality over quantity, and I try to go anaerobic once a day,” he says, referring to workouts performed at an intense pace that cause lactate to form. Think sprints instead of jogging. While it’s common for younger athletes to spend regular time in this anaerobic zone, a lot of older athletes avoid going hard for fear of injury. But Hola says it’s crucial to his success.
Still, Hola admits that he suffers from the same inevitable physical declines that come with age. While he’s gotten better at race strategy during his tenure, his pace on long runs has slowed. “My body reaches its limit a little sooner, but that’s OK, because I still feel strong. Sure, there’s a lot of physical stuff that happens as you age, but there are things you can do to lengthen your athletic career,” he says.
In order to maximize his longevity, Hola follows a next-level routine. He wakes up at 4:15 every morning to train before his 12-year-old twins wake up. He splits each session between two sports—running and biking on one day, swimming and lifting on the next. He does a recovery workout on Mondays (usually an easy swim), but he doesn’t necessarily adhere to the all-holy temple of rest that most aging athletes and trainers swear by; he only takes one rest day a month. “That’s just how my body works,” Hola says. “If I don’t get up and check the workout box, I won’t feel good.”
And the early-morning workouts are just the beginning. Hola drinks 40 ounces of water first thing when he wakes up, even before he brushes his teeth, then sips on water the rest of the day, taking in a total of 160 ounces. He calls himself a boring eater who likes fruit and yogurt and never reaches for the fried calamari. And he hasn’t had a sip of alcohol in nine years. “Everything I put in my body has an effect on it, so I pay attention to what’s going in,” Hola says. But he’s quick to add that he doesn’t consider himself a strict health nut. For instance, after a good race, Hola will treat himself to a cheeseburger and an order of fries from McDonald’s. Not a large order of fries. A small order.
The cheeseburger and fries is a tradition Hola shares with his father, who’s still racing hard at the age of 75. In September, the duo will attempt to earn a Guinness World Record for the fastest combined father-son time to complete an Ironman.
Hundreds of triathalon finishes, national-championship titles, and now, maybe, a world record. If anyone is still wondering how he gets it all done, Hola has a few tips. “It’s all about will power and time management. That’s the key,” Hola says. “But it’s also gotta be fun. I don’t have a coach, and I don’t crunch the data, because that would feel too much like work. The day I stop enjoying it is the day I’ll stop training and racing.”
Filed To: Ironman / Racing / Athletes / Family / Kids / Running / Sports / Workouts / Aging
Rebecca Rusch Never Lets Herself Get Bored
The pro mountain biker recently completed a 1,000-mile trip around Arkansas in eight days
The queen of suffering lets us in on how she keeps on grinding. (Corey Rich)
Photo: Corey Rich
Rebecca Rusch just finished the longest bike ride of her life. Although the 50-year-old professional mountain biker has dominated a variety of disciplines in her 30-year career, this adventure at the beginning of May was easily her biggest single effort: breaking in the newly created Arkansas High Country Route, a 1,041-mile loop circumnavigating the entire state that mixes lonely gravel and paved roads. “It’s the most hours I’ve ever spent on a bike, basically pedaling for 12 to 15 hours a day continuously,” Rusch says. “I honestly didn’t know how my body would react to that much time in the saddle.”
The Arkansas High Country Route was created by the Adventure Cycling Association, a nonprofit that develops and promotes long-distance cycling routes. It connects some of the state’s most picturesque and remote destinations, including Buffalo National Scenic River and the Ouachita and Ozark Mountains. At the beginning of 2019, the organization invited Rusch to test the route and set the inaugural fastest known time, a feat that proved tougher than Rusch expected. “There isn’t a flat road in the entire state,” Rusch says. “I live in Idaho, so I’m no stranger to mountains, but the climbing in Arkansas was tough.”
Still, Rusch’s body reacted just fine to all that climbing (80,000 feet) and time in the saddle (107 hours in eight days). Her knees and feet were sore during the first two days of the ride, but the deeper she got into the adventure, the better she felt and the stronger she rode.
Like her Arkansas High Country Route ride, Rusch only seems to get better with time. “Endurance sports are like any job—someone who’s been at it for 30 years knows more, is more efficient,” she says. “Even though I’m not the same physically as I was at 25, the experience that I have and the knowledge and strength in my mind that I’ve accrued… it all offsets the sheer benefits of being 25.”
In her long career, Rusch has competed in 24-hour solo races, where bikers pedal the same cross-country loop for a day straight; gravel grinders; and televised EcoChallenges, a multi-day expedition-style race that has competitors route finding, paddling, biking, and climbing across vast landscapes. She’s had the most success in cross-country mountain biking, though, winning several national and world championships and the coveted Leadville 100 mountain-bike race twice.
Recently, she’s turned her attention to long-distance gravel grinders and bikepacking routes. Last year she won the inaugural Dirty Kanza XL, a 350-mile version of the storied 200-mile gravel race through backcountry Kansas. “I’ll always consider myself a mountain biker first, but I really like these gravel rides,” Rusch says. “They tap into that basic motivation to explore and get off the beaten path. Ultimately, I’m still that kid in my backyard that wants to explore and dig in the dirt.”
As a Red Bull athlete, Rusch says she has access to the most cutting-edge training facilities and philosophies in the world. But the thing that has changed Rusch’s riding the most is the humble power meter. “Having that clear measure of your output is a revelation. You realize that your heart rate, or perceived exertion, isn’t a good measure of the work you’re actually doing,” Rusch says. “It taught me that more miles on the bike isn’t necessarily better, because if your power output isn’t there, the effort isn’t worth it.”
While Rusch’s training has gotten more efficient over the years, she’s also learned that preparation isn’t everything when gearing up for big escapades. “So many people think they can’t do a 100-mile ride or multi-day bikepacking trip because they haven’t logged long training miles on the bike,” Rusch says. “You don’t have to train for 15 hours a day to do these sorts of adventures. It’s more about the commitment to being fit and doing a little something every day. You’ll be surprised what you can accomplish when you get out of your comfort zone.”
Every time Rusch steps out of her own comfort zone—like riding 1,000 miles across Arkansas—she gets inspired. Fresh off the exploratory ride, she’s already planning a series of follow-up adventures, where she hopes to tackle some of the biggest bike routes in the country, like the Lewis and Clark Trail and the 1,000-mile long Idaho Centennial Trail.
“What I’ve learned, being an athlete for decades, is you have to do what excites you,” Rusch says. “Let your goals morph and change. There was a time when Leadville excited me. Now it’s these long expedition rides. I don’t like to be bored.”
Filed To: Arkansas / Bikepacking / Biking / Mountain Biking
Kathy Pico Is Just Getting Started
Pico started running and climbing mountains ten years ago, after losing her foot to cancer
Melody Schreiber
Pico scrambles up mountains—with one foot. (Pablo Chiquiza)
Photo: Pablo Chiquiza
When Kathy Pico reached the summit of Ecuador’s Cotopaxi in September, she took a deep breath of sulfur-tinged air. The amputee, then 47, had been pushing herself so hard, moving for so many hours—and for so many years—that she finally allowed herself a moment of respite on top of one of the world’s highest volcanoes. She peered into the crater and then looked out over the sweep of land before her. “Miraculous,” she said. Nine days later, and thousands of miles away, she completed her first marathon, in Chicago, in six hours and seven minutes.
Pico’s journey started ten years ago, after discovering that the chronic pain in her ankle that had sidelined her for years was a slow-growing tumor. By the end of 2009, she had endured four rounds of chemo, which reduced it in size but didn’t eliminate it. She then made the decision to amputate her left foot above the ankle to fully eradicate the tumor.
The night before her surgery, Pico dreamed that she was racing in a marathon. She hadn’t run since she was 18, when the ankle pain began, and that had just been for fun; she had never competed in a race. After her surgery, Pico connected with David Krupa, an American prosthetist in her hometown of Quito, Ecuador, who outfitted her with a prosthetic foot. She was thrilled. But after her first step, she realized how heavy her new limb was and how weak her body had become from the chemo, early menopause due to the chemo, and the surgery. “I thought, ‘My God, how am I supposed to run in this?’” she says in Spanish through a translator. Pico spent two years in physical therapy, building up her muscle mass and getting used to the extra weight. She signed up for her first race, a 5K, in October 2012, although her prosthesis was only made for walking, and she had to take the three miles at a slow pace.
After a couple of years with her first prosthesis, Krupa contacted Pico about receiving a running blade through the Range of Motion Project (ROMP), an organization he cofounded that donates prostheses to South American amputees. “It was perfect,” Pico says. “Spectacular.” She began building up her stamina as a runner, racing through the narrow cobblestoned streets of Quito and scaling vertiginous alleyways.
In 2015, Krupa asked if Pico wanted to be part of a new initiative through ROMP, in which amputees from around the world would scale mountains and raise funds for prostheses. “I thought it would be easy, because I could just walk,” Pico says. But when she first tried climbing a steep hill in a park in Quito, her legs gave out. Her training partners had to push her up from behind to reach the top. The muscles for scaling mountains, she discovered, were different than those used to navigate hilly streets. A prosthesis adds another layer to the struggle, as the differences in the muscles used are even more pronounced. For amputees wearing a prosthesis, along with a mountaineering boot and crampons, every added ounce feels much heavier than the same gear would feel on a normal limb. “That’s when I found out that I really had to develop the muscles I had that were dormant,” Pico says.
To build these muscles, she started walking up and down countless flights of stairs and performing exercises to strengthen her glutes and back. She did more cardio, swimming, and cycling, and she made changes to her diet, eliminating fat and any processed foods, eating smaller portions five to six times a day, and dining on a regular schedule without skipping any meals. Gradually, she adjusted to the lower oxygen levels found at higher altitudes. “The first year was very difficult, very tiring, very emotional,” she says. “It felt like starting all over again.”
After a year, though, Pico felt the same passion for climbing that she felt for running. She ramped up her workout regimen, training at 4 A.M. before her job as an accountant began and picking it back up as soon as work was over. In the following two years, she scaled smaller peaks throughout Ecuador—Rumiñahui, Pasochoa, Rucu Pichincha, Iliniza Norte, Cayambe—but nothing as tall as 19,000-foot Cotopaxi. On September 28, 2018, Pico reached Cotopaxi’s icy summit with the climbing team from ROMP on their first attempt. “I got rid of my left foot so I could plant both of them on the ground,” she says.
Soon Pico was on the move once more. Crossing the finish line at the Chicago Marathon last October, Pico felt like she was moving through the dream she’d had nine years earlier. Thinking about that feeling again, she begins crying. “I never could have imagined I would be an athlete until after the surgery,” Pico says. Looking back, she says it was all worth it: the years of frustration and sacrifice, the relentless training, even the procedure itself. Her athletic accomplishments made it seem as though the prosthesis had become a part of her.
Pico recommends that all athletes starting a new sport gradually ease themselves into it. Begin with longer walks, then runs, before diving into mountain hikes or marathons. “The key is to have patience. Every dream that is built takes time,” she says.
Pico plans to continue running one or two races a year, including in the New York City Marathon this fall. And she will keep climbing mountains with ROMP and its team of elite amputee climbers, chasing the feelings that come with standing on top of the world and crossing the finish line. “The small moments in which we lose our breath—that’s what life is about,” she says.
Filed To: Marathon / Climbing / Running / Exercises / Diet
Surfer Shane Dorian Is Planning for the Next Big Wave
Although he retired from the World Tour in 2004, Shane Dorian isn't slowing down
While Dorian has fine-tuned his workouts and nutrition over the years, he says the biggest evolution has been his perspective. (Trevor Moran/Red Bull Content Pool)
Photo: Trevor Moran/Red Bull Content Pool
Shane Dorian has nothing left to prove. A key member of the so-called Momentum Generation, a group of young surfers who became some of the sport’s greatest athletes in modern history, Dorian spent a solid decade competing in the World Tour before retiring in 2004 to focus on big-wave surfing. But he didn’t stop winning—in 2011, he earned the coveted Ride of the Year for surfing a 57-footer at Jaws in Hawaii, the biggest wave ever at the time. He repeated that feat again in 2015 and 2016, with massive waves in Puerto Escondido, Mexico, and Jaws, respectively, and notched countless other World Surf League Big Wave Awards, including best overall performance in 2015 and 2016. Now, at 46, he’s still tackling some of the biggest waves in the world.
When I talk to Dorian in early May, he’s at his home in Hawaii, packing for a weeklong trip to Australia, where he’ll camp in the desert and chase swells for a GoPro film project. “My life is basically split between being at home, living a pretty normal lifestyle as a dad, and traveling to chase surf somewhere,” Dorian says. “You gotta be fit to survive heavy conditions or handle a weeklong surf trip.”
When he was younger, Dorian was always considered one of the strongest athletes on the World Tour, squeezing in body-weight and jump-rope circuits while traveling full-time to compete. But he says his obsession with fitness didn’t really kick in until he retired and discovered CrossFit. He went all in, training five days a week for several years. “CrossFit is amazing. There’s always someone faster and stronger than you, which is fine, as long as you don’t make any decisions with your ego,” he says.
But in 2015, injury—an overdeveloped back from years of surfing, which created a lopsided core—forced Dorian to abandon CrossFit. “Basically, I have the opposite problem of most people, who have an overly weak back from sitting in an office all their life. There’s too much curve in my lower spine from the muscular imbalance,” he says.
Not deterred, Dorian took the high-speed, circuit approach of CrossFit and adapted it to a bodyweight workout he can do at home and on the road. He’ll use free weights and resistance bands to add a strength element, but his workout consists mostly of pull-ups, push-ups, lunges, and core exercises like planks and leg lifts. “As long as you’re breaking a sweat for 45 minutes several days a week, you’ll be OK,” he says. As for cardio, Dorian doesn’t run or bike. He simply surfs and chases after his two kids, who are 12 and 9. “We get after it every day, and they both have a lot of energy.”
Dorian is also a proponent of cross-training and has developed a passion for bowhunting, which he says has helped him develop not just endurance but patience and persistence. “I didn’t grow up a hunter, but I love the discipline that it takes to get really good at it,” Dorian says. “With bowhunting, you get this immediate feedback about whether you suck or not. Because if you suck, your freezer is empty.” Dorian will spend days on end hunting boar and venison in the mountains of Hawaii. His passion for the sport has led to a fairly strict diet of wild game and fruits and vegetables. “I’m at that age where I’m hyperaware when some type of food doesn’t work for me, so diet is so important,” he says. “I’m semi-paleo, limiting the rice and bread I eat, and stick mainly to venison when it comes to meat. It’s really nutrient dense, with a higher percentage of protein per pound than on other red meat out there.”
While Dorian has fine-tuned his workouts and nutrition over the years, he says the biggest evolution has been his perspective. Instead of training for what he can do now, at the age of 46, he’s training for what he wants to do in 10, 20, and 30 years. “I’m looking at my seventies and thinking about the life I want to live. I’m not overtraining, I’m not lifting superheavy weights. I’m taking a more long-term approach to wellness, because I want to be surfing at a good level in my sixties and seventies.”
Filed To: Surfing / Hawaii / Athletes / Exercises / Aging
Freya Hoffmeister's Long Paddle Around North America
Hoffmeister is no stranger to long kayak trips—she's already paddled around Ireland, Australia, and South America
Freya Hoffmeister on her trip up the North American West Coast (Courtesy Freya Hoffmeister)
Photo: Courtesy Freya Hoffmeister
For the next decade, Freya Hoffmeister’s kayak will be her part-time home. The 54-year-old German explorer is less than halfway through a multiyear project to circumnavigate all of North America in her boat, equating to roughly 30,000 miles of ocean paddling. But it isn’t her first time kayaking around a major landmass. She circled both Iceland and New Zealand in 2007, Australia in 2009, and Ireland in 2016. Between 2011 and 2015, she navigated around South America off and on. “I like to do big things,” Hoffmeister says. “I’m chewing on the elephant of North America right now. So far I like it, and I want more.”
Like a section hiker knocking out pieces of the Appalachian Trail over the course of several years, Hoffmeister will paddle around North America for three to five months, then spend three months in Germany working and resting, then do it all over again. The first massive phase of the project took three years, starting in Seattle and ending at the southern tip of Baja, Mexico. Soon she’ll head back to Seattle and point her kayak north, navigating along the coast of Alaska and into the Arctic. “Paddling with polar bears will be interesting,” Hoffmeister says. “It’s about giving them space. People have paddled in polar bear country before, and they’re still alive. I’ll make it.”
Like most of her past expeditions, Hoffmeister will be traveling alone and completely unsupported. She piles all of her gear, food, and water into a custom-built expedition kayak that, when loaded for multiple days, weighs about 220 pounds. “It’s like a heavy, stable truck,” Hoffmeister says. She doesn’t listen to music while she paddles (but carries an e-reader for camp), pees in a sponge inside her drysuit, and eats whatever is stocked at coastal towns’ supermarkets when she stops to resupply. If she can, she likes to find a secluded beach to set up camp but has spent many nights sleeping in her kayak.
Hoffmeister could finish her North American circumnavigation in eight years—or eleven or twelve. It’s impossible for her to estimate exactly how long it will take, because it’s so dependent on weather and sea conditions. On a good day, she’ll spend an average of nine to ten hours working her way along the coast, enjoying the views, and covering about three miles an hour. Sometimes she’ll head to deeper, calmer water if the coastline is too rocky or choppy.
Hoffmeister started paddling in a lake in Germany in 1995 when she was pregnant with her son, and her passion for the sport—and the length of her projects—grew from there. Iceland was the first large island she tackled, and Australia the first continent. “I look at islands the way other people look at mountains,” she says. “The islands have gotten larger and larger. It’s the same thing with mountaineers. That is the nature of these expeditions.”
She’s also had her share of roadblocks along the way. While making her way around South America, Hoffmeister inadvertently surfed a massive tidal wave at the mouth of the Amazon at night. She also battled extreme heat and constant headwinds in the Suez Canal and sea snakes, venomous jellyfish, and saltwater crocodiles off the coast of Australia. But these things don’t phase her. “I like the challenges,” she says. “I like to do something that people have not done before.”
Hoffmeister is confident that nobody will repeat her South American circumnavigation—or her North American journey. But toothy crocs aside, Hoffmeister says the biggest challenge of these multiyear expeditions is realizing she’s not getting younger. “I don’t recover as fast as I used to,” she says. “I’m 54 now, I’ll be in my sixties when I finish North America. I never wanted to believe it, but at 50 your body feels different.”
Still, Hoffmeister is more than capable. She says her strength and endurance builds as she paddles, and when she’s back home in Germany, she works hard to stay fit, mostly by cross training. This includes biking, lifting weights, and swimming, activities that give her body rest from the repetitive motion of kayaking. “These expeditions are doable at my age. The key is to never stop doing it. It’s easy to get rusty and lazy and sad. So you should never stop,” she says.
Her advice for others looking to get into expedition kayaking is to start small—although Hoffmeister’s definition of the word might be different from the average person’s. “Don’t start with a continent. Start with a small island,” she says. “I paddled around Iceland, which is a small island, just to see if my body would like it. And it did.”
Filed To: North America / Paddling / Australia / Kayaking / Aging
Runner Gene Dykes Is Playing the Long Game
Last year, Dykes set the marathon record for his age group—only to find that it didn't count. But he's not giving up.
Dykes wants retirees to stop acting so old. (Courtesy Gene Dykes)
Photo: Courtesy Gene Dykes
Gene Dykes is obsessed. The 71-year-old Pennsylvania resident is scheduled to run 34 races in 2019, including five marathons and 17 ultras, four of which are 100-plus-milers. He’ll travel to events in 13 different states and all over the world, hitting a 200-mile race in Australia, a 125K in the Azores, and a marathon in Canada—a grand total of 1,360 miles of racing. That doesn’t even include the local fun runs that Dykes will enter or the 1,500 miles of training he’ll put in this year. “I look in my calendar, and if I see an open weekend, it drives me nuts,” he says.
Dykes has become one of the most prolific and successful septuagenarian racers of all time, winning multiple masters national championships, setting a number of national records, becoming the oldest person ever to run the Triple Crown of 200s (three 200-mile races in a single year), and achieving a marathon PR of 2:54:23 at 70 years old. But Dykes is just hitting his stride; he didn’t run his first marathon until he was 58. “I was always a jogger to stay in shape, but I never ran hard until I retired at 64,” Dykes says. “Turns out, when you have a lot of time on your hands, you can run a lot more.”
Given his packed race calendar, Dykes is essentially always gearing up for competition. He puts in a minimum of 40 miles a week, and he doesn’t take it easy. Currently, he’s working with a coach who helps him incorporate speed, tempo, and long runs into his regular aerobic jaunts, which consist of six to sixteen miles at a seven-to-eight-minute-mile pace. In a lot of ways, Dykes defies stereotypes that suggest retirees can’t do speed work or race often. “I don’t think you should give up on running hard just because you’re older,” Dykes says. “People say you shouldn’t race every weekend, but I disagree. You can train your body to do it. I had more injuries when I was a casual runner. My knees are stronger now than they ever have been.”
And Dykes seems to just be getting stronger. He has won his age division in the Boston Marathon three years in a row, running the race in 3:22:41 last year, a respectable time at any age. But this year, he ran it in 2:58:50, about 18 minutes faster than the closest competitor in his age group.
As for other forms of exercise, Dykes doesn’t buy into yoga or strength training. He just runs. “I like to keep things simple,” he says. “I don’t believe stretching works for me. The best stretch is a warm-up run. I’ve flunked all the flexibility tests. I don’t cross train. That just takes time away from running.”
Still, Dykes doesn’t preach a running-only routine for everyone. “I understand you have to put me on one side of the ledger and a lot of experts on the other side. Everybody’s different. But just because conventional wisdom says you gotta do one thing doesn’t mean you have to do that one thing,” Dykes says. “You gotta find what’s right for you. That’s my point of view.”
Dykes has spent the last couple of years achieving specific running goals. In 2017, his race season was all about completing the Triple Crown of 200s, knocking off the Bigfoot 200, the Tahoe 200, and the Moab 240. Last year he was focused on trying to beat the long-standing world record for fastest marathon in the 70-to-74 age group, set by Ed Whitlock in 2004. In December, he ran a 2:54:23 at the Jacksonville Marathon in Florida, besting that age-group world record by 25 seconds. The next day, he learned that while the race course was certified by USA Track and Field, the race itself wasn’t sanctioned by the governing body—making it ineligible for the record. But that doesn’t get Dykes down. “It’s a paperwork thing,” he says. “It isn’t holding the record that’s important to me. It’s setting a goal and achieving it. And I did that.”
In 2019, Dykes is running for fun, filling his race schedule with the most enticing competitions he can find all around the world. These superfun things include feats like running the Boston and Big Sur Marathons with only two weeks to recover in between (you get a T-shirt for that). There’s also the four 100-milers, and a 24-hour track race where he’ll try to set a national record for the most miles run in his age group (the current record is 108). He’s also planning on making another attempt at the marathon world age-group record this year in Canada at the Toronto Waterfront Marathon, the same race where Whitlock set the record 15 years ago. Dykes is getting older, sure—but he’s also getting faster. “Most people who were running hard when they were younger are burned out by the time they’re my age,” Dykes says. “But I’m not burned out.”
And through it all, Dykes is hoping to inspire other retirees to step out of their comfort zones. “Just run. Don’t limit yourself to one distance, try everything,” he says. “Sign up. Stretch your boundaries. Do a stage race, which are like the gateway drugs to running longer. It doesn’t matter if you fail. Just try.”
Filed To: Running / Racing / Aging / Wellness / Events / Marathon
Conrad Anker Is Not Done Climbing
After nearly dying while summiting Lunag Ri three years ago, Anker is still tackling tricky sends
Anker in Bozeman, Montana (Janie Osborne/AP)
Photo: Janie Osborne/AP
When Conrad Anker gives you ice-climbing advice, you listen. We’re in Hyalite Canyon, outside of Bozeman, Montana, one of the premier ice-climbing destinations in the country, and he’s guiding me on one of the many routes scattered over a few miles of cliff. But even as I struggle to maintain my strength through a 60-foot-tall, mildly overhanging single-pitch ice climb, these routes are child’s play for Anker, the 56-year-old who became the face of mountaineering after discovering George Mallory’s body on Mount Everest in 1999. Since then, he’s climbed the world’s tallest peak three times, taken part in countless National Geographic expeditions, and was the subject of a 2015 feature film by his climbing partner, Jimmy Chin, about their summit of Meru.
There’s also the massive list of big-mountain climbing routes he’s put up in Patagonia, the Himalayas, Alaska, Antarctica, Yosemite, and Canada. “Establishing new routes is my publicly accepted stab at graffiti and immortality,” he says. “I recognize the ego in that, but it’s true.”
Anker was sponsored by the North Face at 21 and showed no signs of slowing down in the years after. But in 2016, at the age of 54, he had a heart attack while attempting to summit Lunag Ri, the tallest unclimbed mountain in Nepal. It hit, sudden and painful, as he was moving up a mixed-ice route behind the lead climber. After it passed, though, he still had to rappel down and hike out to advanced base camp with a numb lip and aching left arm before being helicoptered out to a hospital in Kathmandu for surgery.
This heart attack had Anker reassessing his work and life. Before nearly dying on Lunag Ri, Anker had a superhuman ability for staying healthy—his worst injuries during more than three decades of climbing were a dislocated thumb and an infected tick bite. “I’d get a cold every 18 months. That’s about it,” he says.
After Lunag Ri, Anker heeded his doctor’s advice and moved away from expedition climbing. Last year he stepped down as captain of the North Face’s expedition team after 26 years in the role; the title is now held by ski mountaineer Hilaree Nelson. Anker also limits his time at high elevation; he was supposed to manage a trip to the Himalayas in April but eventually turned it down. Basically, Anker has been ordered to take it easy—a tricky task for one of the most famous mountain climbers in the world. “I’m like a dog who doesn’t know better,” he says while we take a break from the wall at Hyalite Canyon. “I’m always amped. Total ADHD. But the heart is the one muscle that can’t fail. So, it’s about realizing where you are in life and knowing your limits.”
But it’s hard to pin down Anker’s limits. On the afternoon in Hyalite Canyon, he spends most of his time belaying and helping several climbers who won the chance to hang with Anker through his new sponsor, Dove Men+Care. But at some point, he gets antsy and starts traversing along the bottom of the wall, lightly tapping the axes into the ice and gently poking his crampons for purchase. Eventually, he ropes in and starts climbing routes, sending them gracefully with only one ax.
I watch him work his way up the toughest route on the wall. It took every ounce of strength I had to send it a few minutes earlier, but Anker looks weightless, like the feat takes no effort at all. When asked how people can learn to climb like him, Anker smiles. “I managed a nordic center in Utah in the eighties, and we had European skiers training at the center quite a bit,” he says. “They could tell if a skier was American just by seeing them ski, because American skiers are always breathing heavy. They aren’t working efficiently.” The key to climbing, Anker tells me, whether it’s Everest or Hyalite Canyon, is efficiency of movement, only moving as much as you have to.
Instead of swinging axes into the ice or kicking his toes into the wall, Anker sets the tip of his axes on tiny ledges and slowly and carefully places his crampons into crevices. Rather than big and dramatic movements, his are small and effortless. “Everest is basically hiking up a ski slope,” Anker says. “But with a 2,000-pound elephant on your chest and head. You can’t waste any motions. You have to orient your body for max efficiency.”
This climbing efficiently comes from knowing the medium inside and out, according to Anker. “I know I can climb this route with just one ax, without much effort, because I’ve climbed it without ropes half a dozen times this season alone. I know exactly what it takes,” he says. Developing that kind of familiarity begins at the climbing gym. He and his family have a lifetime membership to one in Bozeman, where he continues to train a few nights a week. “That’s where I go to relax, and they’re great spaces to get in that repetition you need to start climbing efficiently. It’s where you start learning the balance you need to keep from having to work so hard on the wall,” he says.
Balance and efficiency. I expect Anker to go into a philosophical tangent about mindfulness, because it seems like the next logical step, but he shrugs off the concept. “Sometimes I’ll try to count to 20, but that’s about it. I should probably get better at that stuff,” he says. “I guess I do it in the climbing gym. Focus, breathing, that sort of thing.”
Later that afternoon, while drinking beers in his office, Anker talks about the next phase of his life, now that he’s not leading expeditions to the world’s toughest peaks. As vice president of the Khumbu Climbing Center, a training ground for Sherpas and climbers at the base of Everest, he’s looking forward to the grand opening of the new headquarters in June. He might write a book. He hopes to serve as a mentor for the next generation of climbers. But mostly, he wants to make sure his climbing career serves some greater purpose.
“I want to be the eyes and ears of the mountains now,” says Anker, who’s an outspoken member of Protect Our Winters, a nonprofit advocating for climate protections. “The change I’ve seen in the mountains is huge. The Khumbu Icefall on Everest [a glacier near Base Camp] doesn’t look like it did 20 years ago. The diminishing snowpack and melting ice tell you exactly what’s going on in the world.”
When I ask him if there’s anything he feels like he’s left on the table in terms of mountain climbing, he doesn’t seem worried. “I have plenty of ‘no successes’ I could look back on, but I don’t want to live life in reverse. And I might not be leading expeditions anymore, but I’m still climbing. I’m still outside,” he says. “I might be on the injured reserves, but I’m having as much fun as anyone.”
Filed To: Climbing / Axes / Ice Climbing / Mountaineering / Ropes / Sports
Jeff Lenosky's World-Record-Breaking Training Tips
Jeff Lenosky travels the U.S. knocking out mountain biking's toughest trails. Here's how he stays fit.
Jeff Lenosky has put together a 23-year-long career that includes three national championships and a Guinness World Record for highest bunny hop on a mountain bike. (Brice Sherbach)
Photo: Brice Sherbach
Farlow Gap is one of the most notoriously difficult mountain-bike trails in North Carolina’s Pisgah National Forest. Riddled with boulder-heavy creek crossings, big drops, steep switchbacks, and the occasional 34 percent grade, it’s a boogeyman that gives mountain bikers nightmares. But not Jeff Lenosky. The 48-year-old pro mountain biker styles it like a beginner flow trail at a county park, picking apart the technical bits with a smooth combo of track stands and bunny hops that make him look weightless.
But then, that’s what Jeff Lenosky does. With a start as a trials rider, biking over picnic tables and pickup trucks, he has put together a 23-year career that includes three national championships and a Guinness World Record for highest bunny hop on a mountain bike (45.5 inches, or roughly the height of an average four-year-old). Now, instead of competing, Lenosky travels around the country, knocking out mountain biking’s toughest trails for a popular YouTube series called Trail Boss. With each ride and video, he brings his physical, trials-style riding to technical singletrack that takes him deep into the backcountry.
“I always liked trying to ride my bike over stuff, and when I first started, trials was the only place I could really do that,” Lenosky says from his home in New Jersey. That desire to “ride over stuff” has translated well to the technical riding he’s now known for. It’s a graceful but physical style that demands incredible balance and strength. “I’ve always loved challenging myself on a technical line. Now I can do it ten miles into the woods instead of just in the parking lot,” he says.
Lenosky started mountain biking during his senior year of high school. He grew up skateboarding in New Jersey, trying to skate obstacles like stairs, rails, and trash cans, which helped hone his street-skate sensibility to biking. “I wasn’t really interested in a 15-mile cross-country ride back then,” Lenosky says. When he was younger, Lenosky only trained while riding his bike, spending day after day sessioning, riding the same obstacles repeatedly. But as he’s gotten older, he’s gravitated toward more gym-centric exercises. “I realized years ago that the trail can’t be the hardest thing you do,” Lenosky says. “It can’t be your hardest effort. So I’m in the gym lifting weights to build the strength I need on the trail.”
While most cyclists focus their energy on building endurance, training their legs and lungs, Lenosky says the key to riding technical terrain is building strength in the hips. “So many movements on the bike engage your core and require a hip pop. You have to keep your lower back and hips strong,” he says.
Watch Lenosky demonstrate how to perform the bunny hop or the punch, an alternative to the bunny hop that allows mountain bikers to climb stairs or boulders, and you’ll see how important these areas are while you’re navigating technical terrain. Both moves require the hip pop, in which the body compresses and provides power that hinges from the hips. To re-create this necessary movement, Lenosky focuses on exercises in the gym that build full-body strength, like the rowing machine—Lenosky says rowing for 15 minutes is essentially like doing 50,000 bunny hops in a row. He also focuses on kettlebell swings and deadlifts, which help develop strength from the knees to the shoulders, as well as the box jump, a key plyometric drill that re-creates the compression and explosion needed when mountain biking, whether you’re climbing over roots, hitting kickers, or launching drops.
As for bike drills that help improve technical skills, Lenosky takes it back to the basics. “Track stands,” he says, referring to the move where a rider is balanced on the bike without moving. “That’s the foundation of technical riding. And once you get track stands down, try small wheel pivots, where you lift and move your back wheel to the left and then to the right, while holding the track stand. Then work on moving the front tire.”
If you have that balance, Lenosky says, you can come to a standstill on the trail, and if you lose momentum and start to wobble, you’ll have the skills to give you a few more seconds to regroup and keep moving. Being able to hold that track stand, and move from it, also comes down to having strong hips and a strong lower back.
But training in the gym and practicing bike drills will only get you so far. If you truly want to master technical terrain, Lenosky says, you have to spend more time riding technical terrain, over and over and over. “When riders suck at riding technical stuff, it’s because they don’t take the time to session things,” he says. “They don’t take the time to practice something on the trail in a group ride. You have to play and have fun. Go out one time a week and just play on your bike, hop some curbs, find a tabletop, ride a skinny. Don’t worry about your heart rate or calories. Forget about Strava. Just go play.”
Lenosky will spend the rest of 2019 hitting the biggest mountain-bike festivals in the country with Reeb Cycles, leading group rides on local trails. The idea is to stop and session different tech zones with the locals to help them conquer their own boogeyman trails. “You can never master everything,” Lenosky says. “That’s what keeps mountain biking interesting after 23 years. I travel around enough to know that there’s always new sections of trail that people say are unrideable. I love finding these spots and trying to figure them out.”
Filed To: North Carolina / Mountain Biking / Biking / Agility and Balance / Strength and Power Training / Endurance Training / Core
How Time Off Helped Hilaree Nelson Tackle Lhotse
The ski mountaineer was known for her relentless summits of the world’s toughest mountains. But the best thing she did for her career was take a break.
Nelson and expedition partner Jim Morrison became the first people to climb and ski the 27,940-foot Lhotse peak last fall. (Nick Kalisz)
Photo: Nick Kalisz
It’s hard to pin down Hilaree Nelson’s signature accomplishment. The 46-year-old was the first woman to climb two 8,000-meter peaks in 24 hours, and she has made first descents all over the globe, including all five of Mongolia’s Holy Peaks. She’s skied from the Himalayan summit of Cho Oyu in Tibet. She’s captain of the North Face Global Athlete Team. And she was named a National Geographic Adventurer of the Year in 2018. And yet, despite all these wins, Nelson’s greatest accomplishment might just be learning how to process failure. “I had a few years where a lot of expeditions didn’t go as I planned,” Nelson says from her home in Telluride, Colorado. “I was unhappy and totally out of balance and in a bad place in terms of the cycles of life.”
The difficulty started with Nelson’s attempt to summit and ski Papsura, a mountain in northern India locally known as the Peak of Evil. Nelson had been obsessed with the mountain for more than a decade, and she says her botched attempt to climb and ski it in 2013 triggered a series of failures in her life. The most high-profile of these was the 2014 expedition she led to the remote peak of Hkakabo Razi in Myanmar to determine if the mountain is truly Southeast Asia’s highest point. It was a logistical nightmare full of endless jungle hikes, hypothermia, dwindling rations, and porters who abandoned the expedition in the middle of the night. The adventure was the subject of a documentary, Down to Nothing, and Nelson still tours the country speaking about the lessons she learned. Following these professional frustrations, Nelson decided to do the unfathomable: she took a break.
For two years, she avoided ski mountaineering. She didn’t even leave the country. Instead she threw herself into new sports and purely athletic pursuits, like road biking and learning how to swim. She entered races and spent time with her two kids. “I had a lot of steam to burn off. I started running ultras and doing 100-mile bike races and Ironmans and climbing big walls,” Nelson says. “I spent time trying to sort out my life and get to the point where I felt mentally solid enough to put myself in the mountains again. Mountaineering is dangerous if everything goes right. If you’re not there for the right reasons, it’s even more dangerous.”
After Telluride’s good snowfall during the 2016–17 season, Nelson, along with her new expedition partner, Jim Morrison, began skiing technical couloirs in the San Juan Mountains, which required route finding, rappels, and navigating over and around big cliffs. It was a practice in technical ski mountaineering that gave Nelson the confidence to attempt tricky summits again—in 2017, Nelson and Morrison successfully climbed and became the first people to ski the Peak of Evil that she had obsessed over for so long. Nelson credits her accomplishment to the two years that she stepped away from her career. “That break gave me a whole new perspective,” she says. “Papsura was the first time I’ve ever gone back to a peak a second time. I was able to step out of this box and look at the mountain differently, find a different team, explore a different route, and target a different time of year. That wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t taken a break.”
Consider this Nelson’s second wind, a new era of exploration for the ski mountaineer. After Papsura, Nelson and Morrison put up a double summit of Denali, combining a sheer alpine climb up the 9,000-foot southern face of the Alaska mountain with a ski-mountaineering ascent and descent. But her most impressive feat might be her latest, when she and Morrison became the first people to climb and ski 27,940-foot Lhotse in September. Part of the Mount Everest chain and the fourth-highest peak in the world, it’s a prize that has eluded other ski mountaineers for decades, requiring a seamless ski descent after 18 days of climbing. She and Morrison decided to summit Lhotse in the fall, which meant they would train throughout the spring and summer, eliminating their opportunity to ski in preparation for an expedition that would require a massive, 7,000-foot ski descent off its face. “I wasn’t worried about the physical aspect of training for Lhotse,” Nelson says. “That tends to take care of itself, because I’m always outside doing something. But we made a point to hone the mental side of things leading up to Lhotse.”
Nelson says she and Morrison focused on climbing technique, from dialing in knots to scrambling escarpments, and made a point to train as often as possible in situations with high exposure, clocking ten-hour days in the mountains outside Telluride. “We’d go out to huge, rocky, 13,000-foot ridgelines where the rock sucks, and you’re scrambling, and you have to hang on and pay attention not to slip,” Nelson says. “We wanted to get used to the exposure and get used to working technical moves in high-risk situations.”
Nelson’s ski-mountaineering plans are sparse for 2019, but she has her sights set on the 8,000-meter peaks of the Himalayas for 2020. In the meantime, she’s diving deeper into the multisport approach. “It’s awesome to take up new sports later in life,” she says. “I didn’t think I’d like road cycling, but I love it. And I’m still in that sweet spot with where I’m getting better really fast.”
Her next goal: mixing things up on the slopes. “I’ve been skiing so much powder this winter, I’m thinking it might be fun to try it on a snowboard,” she says.
Correction: (Mar 21, 2019) An earlier version of this story misstated the elevation of the peaks in the Himalayas Nelson wants to climb. The story has been updated with the correct elevation. Outside regrets the error.
Filed To: Mountaineering / Climbing / Skiing / Sports / Athletes / Women’s
The Mental Tricks of SUP Adventurer Paul Clark
Forget functional fitness. If you want to run whitewater on a SUP, you need focused fitness.
Clark says whitewater SUP requires a specific style of physicality and mental aptitude that aren’t present in most other adventure sports. (Courtesy Paul Clark)
Photo: Courtesy Paul Clark
Paul Clark has lived a hell of a life. The 46-year-old spends most of his time paddling whitewater all over the world, but he’s also been a professional sea-kayak guide in Alaska and Baja, Mexico, an Outward Bound instructor, a ski patroller, and an avalanche-rescue dog handler. He’s thru-hiked the Pacific Crest Trail, lived in a snow cave for 83 days, and paddled the 1,000-mile Sea of Cortez solo (twice).
Now, as Clark pushes into his late forties, he’s into stand-up paddleboarding, which he discovered six years ago. He focuses on whitewater SUP and self-supported multi-day expeditions, paddling stout rivers like the Kaituna in New Zealand and the Petrohué in Patagonia. “Solo pedestrian sports have always been my chosen aesthetic,” Clark says. “Whether I’m using a pair of skis, or a kayak, or a paddleboard, the idea of dictating my own pace and moving at my own power has always been my thing.”
Clark, who has made a living from outdoor pursuits for two decades, lives out of his van and spends much of his time on the road, creating content for brands and teaching SUP clinics. This year he’s already paddled 40 rivers on his SUP in Oregon alone. With a knack for knocking out Class III and low Class IV rapids with grace, Clark says that SUP seems to have broad appeal for older, experienced athletes like himself. “I was never comfortable confined in a kayak when running rapids,” he says. “But a paddleboard is different. As soon as I figured out you could load a drybag on the front of the board and actually do a multi-day trip on the thing, I was hooked.” Most of his students are advanced whitewater kayakers looking to avoid the risk that comes with Class III kayaking but still stay entertained as they reach their forties. “It’s not about getting radical. It’s about exploring the landscape,” Clark says. “Paddleboarding gives you a whole new way to learn the river.”
While he and other whitewater SUP paddlers aren’t running tall waterfalls or Class V wave trains, that doesn’t mean the sport isn’t physically demanding. Clark says that whitewater SUP requires a specific style of physicality and mental aptitude that isn’t present in other adventure sports. When his life was dominated by skiing, sea kayaking, and hiking, Clark managed to avoid any sort of regimented fitness routine, relying instead on the adventures themselves to provide the workouts he needed. But as his focus has shifted to paddleboarding in the past couple of years, his attitude has changed. “I see now that if a person my age isn’t constantly active, the body and brain starts to break down. Inertia is a terrible thing,” he says.
Instead of functional, all-around fitness, Clark is more concerned with focused fitness, which zeros in on movements he needs while on the river and emphasizes muscle memory and the connection between the brain and body. Clark always carries a 15-pound kettlebell and a custom-designed 15-pound kettle bat in his van—whenever he stops, he knocks out a handful of weighted squats and lunges, holding a stance at the bottom of the movement and rotating. These exercises are particularly important before he gets on the river, so his body is used to being low and centered. “Whitewater is a slow sport. It’s not like skiing or mountain biking, where you’re approaching a feature at 20 miles per hour. You have to brace and hold a position for a long time. There are elements of balance, agility, and core strength, but really you have to have some specific movements down so you don’t have to think about them,” Clark says. “You want muscle memory to kick in.”
Besides exercises that help lower his center of gravity, Clark insists that developing mental fortitude is a huge key to successful whitewater paddling. “The less you’re in your mind, and the more you let your body just move, the more success you’ll have,” Clark says. “When I teach clinics, I can see in people’s eyes if they’re gonna fall. If there’s fear, if they’re in their head, they’re toast.”
Board Training with Paul Clark
Clark has his students run through these exercises as soon as they get on the board. “The idea is to get your body used to staying centered and low,” he says.
In a calm section of river, start paddling on your knees. Peel into an eddy, then peel out. The action of paddling in and out of this placid stretch of water will force your body to work through a range of motions and positions.
Next, move to one knee, with the other foot in front of you. Peel into the eddy and peel out. Switch knees and repeat the process.
Stand in a squatting position on both feet. Try to keep your torso erect but your butt low toward your heels. Your head should be about the same height as when you were kneeling.
Filed To: Paddling / Paddleboarding / Exercises / Watersports / Athletes
Pat Gallant-Charette Won't Stop Breaking Records
The oldest woman to swim the English Channel wants to continue knocking off marathon swims into her 80s
Catch Gallant-Charette's final Oceans Seven swim at the end of this month. (Courtesy Pat Gallant-Charette)
Photo: Courtesy Pat Gallant-Charette
Pat Gallant-Charette is tougher than your average grandma. She’s probably tougher than you. The 68-year-old Maine native has completed the majority of the Oceans Seven, a marathon swimming challenge that has athletes tackling seven of the toughest open-water swims in the world. She has systematically subjected herself to near-freezing water temperatures, strong currents, shark attacks, and blooms of jellyfish during swims that have her in the water for up to 24 hours.
But the really crazy part? Gallant-Charette didn’t get serious about swimming until she was 58. And she was terrified of the ocean for years, after she had what she thought was a close encounter with a shark (it was really a curious seal) when she was 13. “I wouldn’t get in the water above my knees for years,” says Gallant-Charette in her strong New England accent.
But after her two brothers, Johnny and Robby, each died unexpectedly (and 25 years apart), the then-full-time nurse reassessed her life. In remembrance of Robby, an accomplished open-water swimmer himself, Gallant-Charette decided to swim the Peaks to Portland , a 2.4-mile open-water swim that Robby had won twice. She started training at the local pool. At first, she was able to swim only a few laps, but she slowly built her endurance until she felt comfortable swimming across the bay in her brother’s honor. “I was only going to swim the Peaks to Portland once,” Gallant-Charette says. “But halfway through, there was something so tranquil about swimming in the bay. I saw seagulls and lobster boats. I thought, ‘I really like this.’”
She felt good after her Peaks to Portland swim. Really good. Like she could swim farther. Curious to see just how far she could go, Gallant-Charette later swam across Sebago Lake in Maine, more than twice the distance of Peaks to Portland. It took her 3.5 hours, but when she finished, she felt like she could swim back across. So Gallant-Charette trained for a year and knocked out a two-way crossing of the same lake. “I looked at my husband after I finished and said, ‘I think I might be one of those endurance athletes,’” she says.
Since then, Gallant-Charette has spent the past decade testing her limits. In 2010, she became the third-fastest woman to swim from Spain to Africa across the Strait of Gibraltar; seven years later, she became the oldest woman to swim the English Channel. Last year, she knocked out four marathon swims in two months: 28 miles around Manhattan Island, 21 miles across Lake Tahoe, 23 miles across Loch Ness, and 10.5 miles across Lake Windermere in England. In November, she was inducted into the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame . “I feel strong. Stronger than when I was a teenager,” Gallant-Charette says. “I want to see what a 68-year-old can do , and then what a 70-year-old can do. I can see myself doing this into my 80s.”
In February, Gallant-Charette attempted her final leg of the Oceans Seven challenge, New Zealand’s 16-mile-wide Cook Strait, after being on a waiting list for three years. (As marathon swimming grows in popularity, athletes have to register for specific windows to complete their chosen swim, for safety reasons.) She started the swim in calm weather and swam strongly for more than 12 hours, but her support crew pulled the plug just three miles from the finish because of dangerous currents. The conditions were so poor that Gallant-Charette’s rescue zodiac was damaged by a large wave and began to sink. A similar situation happened during her previous attempt five years ago, although she only made it halfway (and no zodiac sank). “That’s the territory for marathon swimming. You have to accept that sometimes Mother Nature won’t be on your side,” she says.
Gallant-Charette says she was mentally and physically ready for the swim, having trained all year, six days a week and a minimum of two hours a day, usually in a pool because she doesn’t like swimming in open water. When she does train in the ocean, she knocks out laps close to shore, refusing to swim deeper than her waist. And she’s completely self-taught. Aside from getting a few stroke technique tips from the local YMCA swim teacher, she’s never had a coach.
Only a dozen people have finished the Oceans Seven since it was established in 2008, but Gallant-Charette says her age isn’t a handicap, especially when she’s had to battle constant jellyfish stings or gotten caught in a wicked current. “When you’re younger, you get caught up in it all, trying to be the fastest,” she says. “But when you’re 68, you just want to have a good swim. If you’re successful, great. But if not, eh, you just reschedule and try it again.” Swimming across Hawaii’s Molokai channel in the middle of the night, Gallant-Charette was bumped by either a shark or a dolphin, which sent her mind reeling to when she was a kid, frightened for her life at the beach in Maine. “These are tough swims. So much can go wrong that’s out of your control,” she says. “Trying to swim the English Channel in my twenties would have been overwhelming, but now I realize that it’s just swimming.”
Gallant-Charette doesn’t think she’ll attempt the Cook Strait swim again, but she’s not done with marathon open water swimming. She’s already compiling a bucket list of swims she wants to tick off around the world. She’s halfway through the Still Water 8, a worldwide marathon lake-swimming challenge, and has her sights on the last four lakes in New Zealand, Switzerland, Russia, and Peru. And after she finishes the Still Water 8? “Who knows. I’m never going to retire,” Gallant-Charette says. “After doing a marathon swim, I can do another within 24 hours. Once I get caught up on my sleep, I’m ready to go for another swim.”
Filed To: Swimming / Marathon / Athletes / Portland / Maine / Bucket List
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Gender and Private Security
Alasdair McKay
Maya Eichler
Western states are growing increasingly reliant on private military and security companies. Fully understanding the privatization of security and its effects on sustainable security requires the inclusion of a critical gender lens.
In 1999, the American private military contractor Dyncorp hired Kathryn Bolkovac as UN International Police Task Force monitor in Bosnia-Herzegovina. In the course of her work Bolkovac raised allegations that private contractors and UN employees were trafficking and sexually exploiting young girls. In 2002, a UK court acknowledged that Bolkovac was wrongfully dismissed for bringing the story to light, but nobody was ever prosecuted for the alleged sex trafficking.
Bolkovac’s story — dramatized in the movie The Whistleblower — captures perfectly some of the challenges to accountability when security functions are outsourced to the private sector and performed by transnational security forces. Security privatization reduces transparency and accountability in ways that exacerbate and make less visible the gender inequalities and gender-based violence that pervade militarized security contexts. Moreover, security privatization increases the profitability of insecurities, making it more difficult to tackle the causes, including gendered causes, of insecurity. Understanding the privatization of security and its effects on sustainable security requires the inclusion of a critical gender lens.
PMSCs and gender: an emerging challenge
Image by chuck holton via Flickr.
Over the past three decades a new challenge to sustainable security has emerged: the growing reliance on private military and security companies (PMSCs) by Western states, international organizations, non-governmental organizations, and transnational corporations. PMSCs offer a wide range of services from logistical support, intelligence, training, armed and unarmed guarding and protection, to reconstruction and more. The US-led wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have shown that today waging war is contingent on heavy involvement from the private sector. Private contractor numbers have trailed and at times outpaced US troop levels in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. In February 2010, the US DoD employed more than 100,000 private contractors each in Afghanistan and Iraq.
A number of high-profile cases have highlighted the problems associated with the use of private contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan. Private contractors were involved in the abuse of prisoners at Abu Ghraib and the 2007 shooting and killing of Iraqi civilians in Nisour Square. Allegations of war crimes, poor working conditions, sexual harassment and human trafficking, and disregard for local populations have come to shape the public image of the private security industry over the past two decades.
In this context, gender has become part of the industry’s attempts to improve its reputation. Gender considerations have made it into the voluntary International Code of Conduct for Private Security Providers that came into effect in November 2010. The International Code of Conduct explicitly addresses gender in three paragraphs on gender-based violence, selection of personnel, and harassment-free work environments. Gender has also been declared ‘good for business‘ by the private security industry. Female employees of PMSCs are seen as useful to conduct security checks on women or to foster positive interactions with local populations, and thus seen as instrumental to operational effectiveness. This attention to gender, while positive on the surface, has mostly served the purpose of creating greater legitimacy for the industry. It has not addressed the larger impacts that outsourcing have on women’s claims to greater and equal participation in the military sphere and the gendered impacts of the use of private forces in local contexts.
A critical gender lens on private security
Gender is not just a ‘problem to be solved’ for private contractors, but is fundamental to the reorganization of force through privatization, to the functioning of the private security industry, and to how the industry legitimizes itself. The greater use of private force is part of the broader neoliberal transformation of militarized citizenship that has also entailed a shift from conscription to all-volunteer forces in many Western states. This reorganization of public force has meant an end to the male citizen-soldier model and the greater integration of women into all-volunteer forces. The greater reliance on private security has occurred alongside to the greater integration of women into Western public militaries. While some decry the feminization of public militaries, others have shown how PMSCs actively rely on hyper-masculinity in portraying themselves as more effective security forces vis-a-vis the public sector.
PMSCs that provide security services primarily recruit from the army and special forces. In doing so, they replicate and even reinforce the gendered division of labour present in the public military sphere. However, PMSCs have also made a concerted effort to distance themselves from the hyper-masculine images of trigger-happy burly ‘cowboys’ and shift towards a softer and more legitimate image of masculinity, shedding the hyper-masculine militarized image for one emphasizing humanitarianism, protection, professionalism, and expertise. At the same time, privatization sidelines and depoliticizes questions of gender equality in the military sphere. There is neither publicly available data on women in the private security industry nor public debate on their marginalization within the industry. By its very logic, profitability drives the private security sector and not questions of citizenship and equal participation.
Gender also intersects with race and citizenship to shape the division of labour in the globally operating private security sector. A large segment of the workers hired or subcontracted by PMSCs comes from the Global South. The globally operating private security industry can be thought of as a hierarchy of masculinities. Western contractors are at the top of this hierarchy, and so-called third-country nationals (TCNs) from the Global South sit at the bottom. Profitability is in part achieved through the exploitation of this vulnerable migrant labour force.
The outsourcing of military security functions to private companies has allowed a global rescaling of labour recruitment in support of Western military operations. As data from the US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan show, a majority of contractor labour is made up by ‘third-country’ and host-country nationals and not by US citizens. For example, of the more than 200,000 DoD contractors working in Iraq and Afghanistan in February 2010 (mentioned above), less than 40,000 were US citizens. The racialized hierarchy among contractors of different citizenship is evident not only in pay and working conditions, but also in the kind of work performed. While local and migrant workers perform much of the logistical support work, their proportion is particularly high when it comes to the more dangerous armed security work.
Simply bringing consideration of gender into the private security industry is not a sufficient enough means of addressing the problems that security privatization poses for sustainable security. Conflict is often justified and waged by appealing to gendered notions of security: masculinized protectors and defenders, and feminized and vulnerable populations in need of protection. Private actors feed into this gendered discourse, portray themselves as masculinized protectors, and benefit from continuing insecurities and global inequalities. As insecurities create new market opportunities for the private security industry, gendered discourses of protection and gendered divisions of labour are being reinforced while sustainable security becomes more elusive. We need to be mindful of security privatization and the fundamental ways in which it is gendered as we work towards remaking security in more sustainable ways.
Maya Eichler is Canada Research Chair in Social Innovation and Community Engagement and Assistant Professor of Political Studies and Women’s Studies at Mount Saint Vincent University.
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Jamie's Big Day?
JAMIE Lowry is hoping that his expected full Argyle debut will be a lucky one for the Pilgrims.
Summer-signing Jamie, 25, appears to be favourite to step into the boots of suspended midfielder Conor Hourihane when Argyle visit Rotherham on Saturday.
He will probably be more familiar to the opposition fans than the Green Army when he steps out at the New York Stadium – up until the is season, he played of Rotherham’s close rivals, Chesterfield.
“I’m used to their hostile crowd,” he said. “I’m looking forward to going back up north.
“I had a few wins against them so, hopefully, I’ll be a lucky omen on Saturday.”
Jamie came on as a late substitute during Tuesday’s 2-1 defeat at Cheltenham, three months after damaging ankle ligaments in a pre-season match at Truro.
He said: “It was a bit of a surreal feeling to finally get on the pitch in a proper league game. I really enjoyed it and I want more of it now.
“I hope to play in every game I’m available for so, if I get selected, I will go out there and give it my all.
“Obviously, after the amount of time I have had off, I’m not at my peak, but, if you don’t play games then you won’t get back to your peak.
“I feel fine - no niggles any more. I don’t feel my ankle any more.
“I’m just loving being back, playing football. It’s so frustrating, watching all the time.
“I have had enough of that already in my career, so, every day on the training pitch, I like to do as much as I can and just enjoy myself.
“We have got quite a competitive squad with a lot of good players in it. So I want to try to get a way into the team, put in a good performance and give the gaffer a bit of a headache.”
It seems that is headache that Fletch will be happy to have.
“It’s good to see him back,” he said.
“The lads love him and he’s a good footballer, so it will be good to see him.”
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Villa First For Argyle
Argyle Media
ARGYLE will begin their 2013-14 pre-season campaign in Plymouth, but not at Home Park.
The Pilgrims’ first taste of action since securing their Football League status at Rochdale in April will be at Elburton Villa on Tuesday, July 9.
The match against the South West Peninsula League side at their Haye Road ground will kick off at 7.30pm.
Four days later, on Saturday, July 13, Argyle visit Evo-Stik League Southern South & West Division side Tiverton Town for a 3pm kick-off.
Further pre-season games will be announced in due course.
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Ty's Break
TYLER Harvey waited the best part of two seasons to add to his Argyle goals’ tally – then claimed another within 20 minutes.
The 20-year-old made the most a rare start – and a first in one of manager Derek Adams’ 11s – to score the opening two goals in the Pilgrims’ 5-0 demolition of Hartlepool United which proved a wonderful denouement to Argyle’s Sky Bet league 2 season.
“It was brilliant,” said the Plymothian whose previous Argyle goal came in the opening league game of the 2014-15 season, a 3-0 victory over Exeter City. “Taking my chance was the most satisfying thing today.
“I hope, every game, I’m in the team. It has been a long time coming but it is what it is and you can only take your chance when you’re given it.”
Ty’s first, in the sixth minute, came from a long-range right-footed shot after being set up by Kelvin Mellor.
“Any goal’s a good goal,” he said, “and settled me and settled the team. It was ideal. I just hit and it and I knew it had a chance as soon as it left my foot.”
The second was slightly less authentic. Gregg Wylde’s pacy 25th-minute break down Pools’ right side ended with a perfect cross that Tyler only had to reach to convert.
He said: “It hit me on the knee and went in but they all count, however they go in. It took everything out of me to get on the end. It’s handy having [Gregg] in the team because he gains you 60 yards in ten seconds which is a big asset.”
Tyler’s two goals were followed by another double by fellow Plymothian Louis Rooney, who was making his Football League debut after 22 games as a substitute in his first season as a professional. As well as sharing the first-team bench on many occasions, the two have been team-mates in development games this season.
“I’m made up for him,” said Ty. “We’ve been good friends, especially this year, and helped each other through. We’ve played a lot of football together and I always knew he’d score when he gets his chance.”
Tyler also had a loan spell at Vanarama National League South side Bath City – managed by former Argyle coach Gary Owers – where he came to national attention when he scored a goal from the halfway line.
“It was a nice goal,” he said, “but I was more pleased that I got four when I was up there. A goal is a goal and it was nice bit of attention for how it went in, but the more goals you score, the more confidence comes with it.”
The five-goal thrashing lifted spirits ahead of the Sky Bet League 2 Play-off semi-final against Portsmouth after the disappointment of failing to win automatic promotion.
“We couldn’t have asked for anything better,” said Ty. “We seem to do alright against the big teams in the league.”
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Do You Have a Tipping Point?
By Dustin Rowles | Think Pieces | July 12, 2010 |
It’s been a weird and kind of ugly week for celebrities. In the span of a few days, Lindsay Lohan was jailed for violating her probation; it was revealed that Mel Gibson unleashed a violent, racist, and misogynistic rant against his ex-girlfriend; the Swiss released convicted rapist, Roman Polanski, from house arrest after refusing to extradite him to the States; and even Ed Norton was reportedly nixed from The Avengers because he’s a purportedly a giant dick.
One of the questions that always comes up in the more egregious examples, like Mel Gibson’s rant, is how will it affect their career? Or even should it affect their career? I think most of us can agree that a celebrity’s personal life doesn’t necessarily have a direct correlation with his or her talent level, and thus wouldn’t have an affect on the celebrity’s performance in a film or television show, but the question often remains: Should we be watching their films?
There seems to be a tipping point when it comes to this question, and maybe that tipping point is when a celebrity crosses over into racist territory. Our hotheads, we seem to forgive. Druggies, no problem. Felons, whatever. Rapists? It’s mixed, there; many have suggested that Polanski has been punished enough; others say enough time has passed that he should be forgiven; still others refuse to watch his films on the basis of that rape conviction; and many more say that it doesn’t matter. All that matters is his work, and that’s all he should be judged upon.
But is that necessarily true? Should we keep the personal and professional lives of actors and directors separate? Can we? Last year, when Christian Bale unloaded on a crew member, it didn’t seem to affect either his performance or the reception of his films, Terminator: Salvation and Public Enemies (both of which put up mediocre box-office numbers compared to expectations). No one has ever suggested we stop watching Ed Norton or John Cusack’s films because they are allegedly giant douchebags in real life.
But even if we don’t condone the bad behavior of a celebrity, are we not supporting them personally by paying to see their movies? Does that matter? Why is it that people are less inclined to see Tom Cruise films because he’s a little kooky in the head (though, otherwise harmless), while Mel Gibson was able, fairly easily, to overcome his anti-Semitic tirade of a few years back? Or that Christian Bale was able to easily overcome allegations that he had verbally assaulted his mother?
I don’t know the real answers to any of these questions, though I have a feeling that much of it has to do with the movies an actor or director is involved in. If Christian Bale wasn’t making Batman films, maybe we’d be less inclined to see them. But then again, if he were making mediocre action fare, we’d probably be less inclined to see them, anyway. Maybe Tom Cruise’s crazy doesn’t really have much to do with the reception of his films — we don’t really want to see what he’s making these days anyway. Or maybe it does because his movies are marketed as “Tom Cruise” movies, instead of “Batman” movies.
What I do know is that off-set prickishness or daffiness ultimately doesn’t have a lot of bearing on whether I’ll see a movie. I don’t know if that’s a good thing or not. I find what Roman Polanski did to be deplorable, and I never watched The Ghost Writer. But I’ve seen a couple of his films between his sexual assault case and the attempt to extradite him. That doesn’t mean I condone his behavior, but maybe it does mean that I’m willing to overlook his repugnant indiscretion if it means seeing a well-made movie. I’d like to believe that I’d never watch another Mel Gibson movie again. But I watched Mel Gibson movies after his anti-Semitic remarks, and I am curious about The Beaver. It’s an interesting premise, I like Jodie Foster, and I think that Mel Gibson can be a good actor on occasion. I’ve liked many of his films in the past. But I won’t be sad if he never gets a chance to make another one again. In fact, I don’t believe he deserves to make another one. But that doesn’t mean I won’t watch it. It doesn’t mean I won’t separate his professional from his personal life.
But then again, why is it such a bad thing to conflate an actor’s personal and professional lives? Outside of Hollywood and the NFL, employers run criminal background checks and they check past references and few, if any, would hire a wife-assaulting racist with a restraining order on him even if he was at the top of his field. I wouldn’t buy a vacuum cleaner from a known racist even if I knew had had the better, cheaper product. So, why am I still willing to see a known racist’s film? Does that make me a hypocrite? Does that mean I’m condoning evil behavior?
I don’t know. Maybe I am a hypocrite. Hell, I don’t want to watch torture porn because the people in those movies commit evil fucking acts. But those acts aren’t real. And Mel Gibson is. Moreover, when I hear someone suggest that we shouldn’t judge an actor based on his personal life, I get a little rage-y at the idea that a guy’s real-life assholery shouldn’t factor into my perception of him. But then again, I also agree. But it can be hard to separate, and the more egregious the evil, the harder I find it to be. I thought Michael Richards’ turn on “The Larry David Show,” last season was nothing less than inspired, but I was also a little sickened by it and the idea that we could turn his racist tirade into a punchline.
All of which is to say: I hope Mel Gibson dies in a house fire, but I’ll probably still see The Beaver. I wouldn’t shed a tear if Roman Polanski lost his testicles on a rusty nail, but if he made a compelling enough film, I’d probably see it, too. But I’d probably feel a little bad about it. And I think that’s OK.
What about you? Do you have a tipping point where you’d honestly refuse to see an actor or director’s film based on their real-life behavior? Or do you think that personal and professional lives should remain separate, no matter what?
← Despicable Me Review | Bela Lugosi's (Not) Dead
Dumbledore and the Doctor →
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Metropolitan PGA Board of Directors keep in tune with history to celebrate the PGA’s 103rd birthday
PGA of America
Bob Denney
Series: PGA
Published: Wednesday, April 10, 2019 | 9:15 a.m.
The PGA of America turns 103 today, and the Metropolitan PGA Section – one of the Association’s original member entities – helped light the candles in advance.
Gathering at the Martinique New York on Broadway, Curio Collection by Hilton, the Metropolitan PGA leadership met in the hotel’s second-floor boardroom. It was there on April 10, 1916, that the PGA’s constitution and bylaws were ratified, and 78 members were elected to launch the country’s first all-professional golf association.
Formerly the Radisson Martinique, the hotel in Midtown Manhattan, at 49 West 32nd Street and Broadway, opened in 1898. It is a member of the Historic Hotels of America.
In anticipation of today’s PGA birthday, the Met PGA’s 16-member board and nominating committee convened on March 26, to become first PGA of America entity in over a century to conduct business at the historic site. The board went over plans to greet the 101st PGA Championship, May 13-19, at Bethpage Black Course in Farmingdale, New York.
The @MetropolitanPGA honored an important date in PGA history by holding a recent board meeting at the Martinique Hotel, where the PGA of America was established 103 years ago today. pic.twitter.com/ZqBoiXWSfs
— PGA of America (@PGA) April 10, 2019
“Met PGA Professionals revel in the history of the PGA,” said Section President Carl Alexander, the PGA Director of Golf at the Golf Club of Purchase, New York. “As players and instructors, our history is at the foundation of professional golf. We appreciate those who came before us and it is an honor to carry on their traditions.
“Hosting our Met PGA Board Meeting at the Martinique in the same room where the PGA of America was founded was an inspiring event. We read the founding documents and then discussed the final preparations for the PGA Championship at Bethpage. It was an amazing experience.”
Section Executive Director Jeff Voorheis said that the board “felt like part of the family at the Martinique.”
“They are especially proud of their PGA history and were very excited to have us in the board room and among the exhibit they maintain at the hotel,” said Voorheis. “Our meeting was certainly a break from the norm and got a jolt from being held at a truly special venue. The connection to our history was palpable and the atmosphere created a heightened camaraderie among our board and staff.”
Home » Metropolitan PGA Board of Directors keep in tune with history to celebrate the PGA’s 103rd birthday
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Phnom Penh Post - Brennan reaffirms Trump ‘treason’
Brennan reaffirms Trump ‘treason’
AFP | Publication date 20 August 2018 | 12:06 ICT
US President Donald Trump speaks at the White House in Washington, DC, on Friday. AFP
Mon, 20 August 2018
Former CIA chief John Brennan doubled down Sunday on his charge that Donald Trump has engaged in “treasonous” behaviour and called on Congress to block the US president’s attempts to strip other intelligence officials of their security clearances.
Brennan has received an outpouring of support from former top-ranking intelligence officers – but not much from Republican lawmakers – since Trump revoked his top secret security clearance last week in retaliation for what the president called “unfounded and outrageous allegations.”
Trump served notice that other top former and current officials – all Democrats – also were at risk of losing their clearances, and the White House has reportedly drawn up more revocation orders, raising the chilling spectre of an “enemies list.”
In an interview with NBC’s Meet the Press, Brennan reaffirmed his most inflammatory accusation against the president.
“I called his behaviour treasonous. I stand very much by that claim,” he said. “These are abnormal times . . . I have seen the signs blinking red on what Mr Trump has done and is doing.”
Brennan levelled the charge after Trump met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki last month and cast doubt on the US intelligence community’s conclusion that Moscow meddled in the 2016 election to sway it in Trump’s favor.
Special Counsel Robert Mueller is investigating whether Trump’s campaign colluded with Russia and whether the president sought to obstruction justice.
Earlier this week, Brennan denounced as “hogwash” Trump’s repeated claim there was “no collusion” with Russia.
“This is the time for members of Congress to step up,” he said on NBC, referring to a move by Democrats in the Senate to constrain the president’s ability to revoke clearances without following the normal process.
Republican Senator Ron Johnson, chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, defended Trump’s actions towards Brennan, telling “Fox News Sunday” that the former CIA chief had “crossed a line” in his criticism of the president.
But he added: “I don’t want to see this become routine. I don’t want to see it be politicized.”
Meanwhile, Trump on Sunday angrily denounced the federal probe of Russia’s 2016 election meddling as “McCarthyism at its WORST!” insisting that he had authorised his White House counsel to testify to bring the matter to a close.
Trump’s Twitter storm was set off by a front-page report in the New York Times that said White House counsel Don McGahn had provided Special Counsel Robert Mueller with an unusually detailed account of Trump’s thinking during key episodes under investigation.
Trump – who had already addressed the issue late Saturday – stepped up his attacks on the story and the probe in a series of angry morning tweets, slamming The New York Times for implying that McGahn had turned on him.
“I have nothing to hide . . . and have demanded transparency so that this Rigged and Disgusting Witch Hunt can come to a close. So many lives have been ruined over nothing – McCarthyism at its WORST!”
Mueller is investigating whether the president sought to obstruct justice as well as whether his campaign colluded with Russia’s covert effort to sway the 2016 presidential election in Trump’s favour.
In more than 30 hours of testimony over the past nine months, the Times said McGahn laid out for investigators Trump’s fury over the probe and the ways in which he asked McGahn to respond to it.
Among the episodes he testified to were Trump’s firing of former FBI director James Comey, and his obsession with putting a loyalist in charge of the probe, according to the Times. It noted that McGahn played a key role in stopping Trump from firing Mueller, who was made special counsel after Comey’s firing.
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Piano Tutorials - Kimberley Locke - Up On The House Top
Kimberley Locke - Up On The House Top
Up On The House Top
"Up on the House Top" is a Christmas song written by Benjamin Hanby in 1864 in the town of New Paris, Ohio. It has been recorded by a multitude of singers, among the most notable Gene Autry, who is also known for his version of the classic "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer". (Wikipedia)
Kimberley Dawn Locke is an American singer-songwriter and model. She has recorded in the dance, pop and adult contemporary music genres. (Wikipedia)
More Piano Tutorials by Kimberley Locke
More Piano Tutorials of Up On The House Top
Otis Redding - Sittin' On The Dock Of The Bay
Liszt - La Campanella
ABBA - Mamma mia
Eminem - Love The Way You Lie
Vanessa Carlton - A Thousand Miles
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The history of freeform radio (before 1968)
Early KZAP History (late sixties/early seventies)
The Peak of Radio Anarchy (early seventies)
Transition from Freeform to Album Rock (early to mid-seventies)
The Emerging FM Audience (late seventies)
KZAP Rules the Market (early eighties)
The Greatest Rock Battle...(mid-eighties to early nineties)
Reflecting on the Legend
1. Jeff Hughson Interview #1: The Dawn of Freeform Radio
2. Jeff Hughson Interview #2: The Birth of KZAP
3. Dennis Newhall Interview: 70s Freeform Radio
4. Robert Williams Interview #1: KZAP Programming
5. Robert Williams Interview #2: 70s Rock Scene
EARLY KZAP HISTORY
A revolution was going on everywhere when freeform rocker KZAP signed on the 98.5 FM dial position in 1968 with "Revolution" by the Beatles. Sacramento's top 40 battle on the AM dial was between 1240 KROY, 1470 KXOA and San Francisco AM stations 610 KFRC and 1260 KYA. KROY had become the market leader but not every young person wanted to hear top 40 radio. Progressive music fans called the mainstream "bubble gum" and wanted more experimental music that reached in new directions hosted by music authorities who had something more to say than upbeat one-liners over short song intros. KZAP brought them the freeform station of their dreams on November 8, 1968.
For nearly a quarter century the call letters KZAP would come to be synonymous with "rock" in Sacramento. The station began as a wild freefrom experimental alternative to the structured fast-paced jingly sound of top 40. Freeform stations had been popping up in America since the middle of the decade when the FCC made a decision to reduce the number of AM/FM simulcasts as a way to create new radio programming. FMs were mostly just extensions of the more popular AM properties at the time, but stations like KZAP changed that.
Several of KZAP's early personalities came from Sac State University's KERS (90.7 FM), where creative minds developed and went on to shape the sound of Sacramento radio and beyond. Charlie Weiss and Paul Merriam had been students at the station, which introduced many Sacramentans to progressive rock. Another KERS student at this time was Rick Carroll, who went on to work at crosstown KXOA and eventually crafted a national radio format known as "rock of the eighties" at KROQ in Los Angeles.
Jeff Hughson was a sixteen year old high school student doing the 2a-6a show on station KXRQ at 98.5 on the FM dial. Jeff made one dollar per hour but as he puts it, "radio money didn't get good until radio got bad." The station played lite pop from 6a-6p and then jazz the rest of the time. In the Spring of 1968 the FCC ordered the owner to sell the station due to poor management. It went dark for several months and ended up in the hands of the California Talking Machine and Wireless Company, which was founded and owned by Princeton University Class of '67 graduate Lee Gahagan, who was originally from New York City. He had studied engineering but majored in architecture and was involved with the campus station WPRB. The first person Lee hired was General Manager Ed Fitzgerald. Then Ed started putting a team together that would help build the new station. The first three people he hired were J.B. Winans, who was supposed to be the first Program Director, along with musicologist/announcers Fred Gaines and Jeff Hughson.
"I heard the station was being sold and I pursued that," remembers Jeff. "I said what's going on? So I got a hold of Ed and he came to my house and interviewed me and I had a big record collection. So I was hired as Music Director and put the library together. I graduated from (Sacramento) High School in June of '68 and I went to work for KZAP at the end of July." Another early hire before the sign-on was Charlie Weiss. All of the early staff members, along with a few carpenters, physically built the station that would become KZAP throughout the summer and autumn of 1968. Until the station was built Downtown in the Elk's Temple, station meetings were held at Ed's home in Rancho Cordova.
Charlie remembers it this way: "I was a student at Sac State majoring in speech and journalism. At that time, there was a student operated station, KERS. It was part of the broadcasting curriculum. A fellow student and I started a program that ran on Friday nights from midnight to six. It was a cross between KMPX in San Francisco and Berkeley's KPFA where we played albums - everything from Cream to Eastern music to Firesign Theatre - and invited guests to the studio. One day, I got a call from a guy named J.B. Winans who told me that he and a few other people were trying to convince the new owner of a station that was playing jazz on the 13th floor of the Elks Building (pictured left), to switch to an underground radio format. He apparently was inclined to go with classical music. Winans and his friend Fred Gaines came up to the KERS studios and I said I might be interested.
"I was headed to Seattle for the summer where my parents had moved and told them I would check with them when I returned in September. When I returned in September, sure enough, things were beginning to happen. I, along with some other interested folks, met with the new GM (Ed Fitzgerald) at his home and things got underway. I remember our transmitters came from a transmitter site near the town of El Dorado. We loaded them on a flatbed one cool fall night and drove them to 11th and J where we took them up the elevator. As we began to install the transmitters, I'll never forget Fitzgerald grabbing a hold of the coax cable outside on the crows nest and sliding down the roof to the 13th floor. Anyway, we painted the place - I chose the paint and frankly picked an ugly green color - thank god for posters."
According to Sacramento musician Mick Martin, "Jeff Hughson and I set up the initial KZAP library when Ed Fitzgerald first came to town." Both Martin, who worked at Tower Records, and Hughson had huge record collections. Jeff remembers, "I called up Tom Donahue and said 'We're starting this station in Sacramento and I'd like to have you show me how to do a record library for a radio station. I had been a fan of Tom since the KMPX days when he first did progressive radio in San Francisco. What I really got from him was service from the labels. Tom helped put me in touch with the (record) reps to help me get service. I stayed in touch with Donahue and he was an advisor and a mentor."
The KZAP call letters had once been used by a top 40 station in Houston in the fifties, but made the list of available names in 1968. Jeff says that the staff had put together a wish list of call letters for the station and then submitted it to attorneys, who checked with the FCC for available possibilities. "There must have been about 30 or 40 suggested call letters like KDMT and stuff," Jeff recalls. "And we submit this whole list and our attorney calls us. I remember we were working at the station that day sawing and hammering. And he calls and says 'hey I got the response from the FCC and I picked the call letters. Out of the whole list there were only two: KPOT and KZAP and I told them you want KPOT.' We said 'NO! NO! We don't want KPOT. Come on, that is so trite and obvious. Tell them we want KZAP.' "
Lee Gahagan also owned classical station KPEN in Los Altos and another FM station in the Monterey-Seaside area. Ed had actually worked for Lee since he put KPEN on the air in 1965. Lee was described by friends as quiet and from a wealthy family. By the time the station was ready to go on the air, Winans had been replaced by Paul Merriam as Program Director. Paul had also worked at KERS and had graduated, went to Europe and had returned to Sacramento. The term "freeform radio" was preferred to "underground" by the owner, the GM and the original staff because "freeform" sounded more accessible, according to Charlie Weiss. Because it was before the digital age, the frequency was referred to as "98 and a half."
Jeff and Ed came up with the idea for the first pre-produced tape that introduced KZAP to the audience. "We went on the air November 8, 1968 at 6am," says Jeff. "The first thing that went over the air at KZAP was Jose Feliciano doing the 'Star Spangled Banner,' which was a single because he had done it at a sporting event and it became controversial because he did it J ose Feliciano style. Then it segued into 'Revolution' by the Beatles." Ed Fitzgerald cracked the microphone as "Uncle Ed" and was the first voice to be heard on the new station. He became the morning jock partly to keep overhead costs down. After Ed got off the air the first morning he and Jeff went to the airport to pick up an electronic part as they listened to Paul Merriam's show. Paul began naming off all the station announcers. When he got to Jeff's 10p-2a shift he billed Jeff as "The Flower Pig," which was a nickname for someone Paul knew in England. "I accepted the nickname," says Jeff, "only because Sacramento's Tony Bigg (who was a popular night jock on KROY) had become Tony Pigg when he went to FM radio. I thought that both were funny names." He used the name Flower Pig for about three months. For about that same stretch of time, Jeff signed the station off the air at 2am overnight to keep costs down. Ed opened his show every morning with the song "Cristo Redemptor" by Harvey Mandel as he would sign the station on the air at 6am.
"We could play anything - and I mean anything," says Charlie, who was the initial afternoon jock. "Segues were what we were about. From Olatunji into Oye Como Va, from Segovia into the Doors. The Beatles were constantly being played - all of their albums. But in addition to Hendrix, one would play a set of blues that could include the Mississippi Delta players to the Chicago guys. A Motown set was always fun. The mood of the music could move through several genres in an hour's time. There were message sets as well that could pass through folk protest, Dylan, Jefferson Airplane and CS&N, for example. We also took turns producing a daily news program that included collages of music reflecting our general opinions on the events of the day. By then, a KZAP house at 23rd and N had a sunroom where a tape recorder, mike and turntable were set up. You would produce your news show and then drive it to the station. This wasn't the first KZAP house. The first one was on Yale Street between X Street and Broadway but was short lived - but quite a bit of fun. I had a 15 year old runaway girlfriend named Claudia for awhile - it never even crossed my mind that I could have been arrested."
Cary Nosler, a nutrition expert, later went by the name Captain Carrot. Cary actually had done an evening freeform show in 1967 on KJML (106.5 FM) in Sacramento and was sought out by KZAP's management. "KJML had the first underground radio show in town," says Cary. "I had lived in Palo Alto and listened to KMPX and KSAN and decided that was what I wanted to do. The owner of KJML got me a trade out at Jack's House of Music where I bought all the music. My show was called 'Fantasy Machine' which became popular by word of mouth. Then we expanded the show to weekends. We had another guy named Stan Goman who we called 'The Worm.' He worked at Tower Records and brought in music. We had to buy everything. But after awhile the owner got paranoid and didn't want to do it anymore."
During the construction of KZAP Jeff Hughson remembers listening to Cary on KJML (106.5 FM, which became KWOD in 1977). Charlie Weiss and Paul Merriam visited Cary at KJML, took him to an ice cream parlor after the show and asked him if he wanted to work at KZAP. Cary went for it. "My pay was $160 a month," says Cary. "I brought in the first two sponsors. One was Sacramento Real Food Company and the other was a head shop run by a Middle Eastern lady named Jodette." Tower Records owner Russ Solomon also bought time on the station early on for "a dollar a holler," according to Ed Fitzgerald. Other early sponsors were Turntables Unlimited, Merriam Real Estate in Auburn (Paul's dad), and the Yankee Doodle restaurant in Auburn (no cash, but all the health food burgers staff members could eat).
Mick Martin says of KZAP management's attitude about hiring air talent, "They wanted to find out who these people were that had all the music. All of the disc jockeys were great. It was their love of music that created KZAP. They knew the records inside and out. They all had their own style." Mick worked with Stan Goman at Tower Broadway in the late sixties on the night shift. Goman was Tower owner Russ Solomon's nephew who later made millions as head of Tower's record division.
The original class of KZAP personalities consisted of Ed Fitzgerald (6a-10a), Paul Merriam (10a-2p) Cary Nosler (2p-6p), Jim Hilsabeck (6p-10p), Jeff Hughson (10p-2a), Charlie Weiss (various shifts) and Fred Gaines (who was still a student at Rancho Cordova High School and did various shifts). The exact line-up on day one is somewhat of a puzzle because of different accounts. Jeff Hughson says at the thirty year reunion they tried to remember the exact line-up on day one and kept coming up with "one extra guy." One thing is for sure: the crew prior to day one that built the station was: Ed Fitzgerald, Paul Merriam, Charlie Weiss, Fred Gaines and Jeff Hughson.
Other early KZAP personalities included Bob Bartell and News Director Ace Young, who went on to work at KMET in Los Angeles three years later in 1971. Michael Sheehy ('68-'70) was an early part-timer who went on to be heard all over the country as a voice-over talent. Charlie was fired and rehired early on and wound up doing overnights but by late 1969 he was doing mornings with Ace Young. Ken Wardell was a Sac State student from KERS who came to KZAP in 1969 and stayed for three years before entering the record industry. Robert Williams also came from KERS and lasted on KZAP for a decade from 1969-1979.
KZAP personalities to follow included Dennis Newhall (mornings/middays/afternoons '72-'75), Phil Glatz ('70-'72), Jack "Mr. Normal" Androvich ('69-'72), Sherman Renius ('69-'70), Robert Williams, Ken Wardell, Tasha Covington, Jock Taft (late nights then middays, '69-'71) and Zoe Riddle. Later personalities included Zack Boles aka Zacharria (mornings, '73-'74), Helen Meline (middays in the early '70s, then returned in the early '80s), Allen Cherry (News Director in the early '70s), Jok Church (News Director, most of the '70s), William Fuller (Sunday morning talk host, circa '73-'79), Jesse Robinson, Robyn Robinson, Roger Moon, Bruce "Jet" Riordan (nights then mornings, '70-'74), Travus T. Hipp (Sunday night talk host, most of the '70s), Viola Weinberg (mid-seventies co-host with Lindy on women's lib talk show Woman Waves), Richard Dunk (weekends, '74-'75) Bill Slater (mornings, late '70s), Gordo Styler and Edward Fong. The morning show changed frequently throughout the seventies and some other morning people who came and went included Marla, Scott McConnell and Eileen Fields. Alan Beim was a key sales executive throughout the seventies. Ted Longmire was the first African-American to be hired as a full-time jock at KZAP and did afternoons in 1972.
Some early KZAP highlights included Jeff's interview with Frank Zappa around the release of the disguised Mothers of Invention album Cruising with Ruben and the Jets in late 1968 and a dance the station put on at a small club with local acts. "In early '69 we did the first name artist (concert)," says Jeff. "Some of the people were against the idea of going into the concert business. But we did an evening with the Incredible String Band at Freeborn Hall. That was in the days when we actually hired the band, booked the hall. We actually took the risk and produced the show." It was uncharacteristic at the time and for many years to come for the station to also be the concert promoter. Shortly afterward the standard became a trade agreement in which concert promoters such as Bill Graham would take the financial risks and produce concerts in exchange for advertising as stations were allowed to claim that they were the ones presenting shows.
Even though the various jocks programmed their own music, Charlie Weiss served as Music Director under PD Paul Merriam from 1968 to 1969. Charlie says, "The original record library was provided by the staff but we had contacts at Tower Broadway as well. One day, early on, I drove up in my '56 Ford sedan and we loaded up a trunk load of LP's from rock to Gregorian chants. I drove them to the station and the GM said, 'I don't even want to know where you got them.' Also, I would drive down to San Francisco with a guy name Dave Turner in a VW hatchback (sales guy and later on air person as well) and we would hit all the record warehouses where they were still quite skeptical about who the hell we were. I also contacted record companies who started sending us product. Blue Thumb Records was the first company that called me. A guy named Jeff Trager who sent me albums including by a group called Southwind and Cajun accordionist Clifton Chenier. Later, they signed Dave Mason and Bob Bartell and I got to go on junket to LA to see him."
Being an hour and a half drive from San Francisco, where artists and fans were moving to in droves, Sacramento in many ways was closely connected to the Bay Area concert scene. KZAP personality Phil Glatz says, "We had an arrangement with Bill Graham in the 1969-1971 period where we were all on the free pass list at the old Fillmore and the later Fillmore West. We saw a lot of incredible shows there and learned about a lot of emerging artists. Graham was very daring in those days and had such a great love of music. It was also very freeform. He would have Miles Davis open for the Dead - stuff like that - turning on a lot of hippies to a much wider range of music."
KZAP developed its own concert scene in Sacramento at the Sound Factory and William Land Park. Unfortunately, the William Land Park shows ended in a Kent State-like ordeal one day when police broke up a show with tear gas because of suspicion that minors were drinking wine. There was also a period of a few years where KZAP did live broadcasts from the fourteenth floor of the Elk's Building where bands played. Phil says, "It had been a 'Top of the Mark' kind of nightclub in the old days, but unused for decades. Great views, windows all around. A lot of great groups played up there: Stoneground, Youngbloods and many more."
The Grateful Dead were the main attraction at the station's first anniversary party in November 1969, in which Mick Martin introduced them onstage. Meanwhile, Robert Williams, a KERS student who had hung out at the station for a year, saw this as his opportunity to get on the air. "The first time I was on the air at KZAP was the night of the first anniversary party, which was the Grateful Dead at Cal Expo. Nobody wanted to be on the air, everybody wanted to go to the show. Well, I wanted to go to the show, too. But I like to think I was smart enough to realize this is my opportunity, so I took it ... You were judged by your musical knowledge and your ability to put it together. Whether you spoke in complete sentences was far less important."
KZAP developed quite a cult following that was starting to shake up the market. But the jocks were not even trying to compete with other stations. They cared more about the art they were crafting. Cary Nosler says, "One day in the early seventies (KROY PD) Johnny Hyde called and said 'I want to congratulate you. You're number three in the book.' I didn't know what he was talking about. I got off the phone and said to Ed (Fitzgerald) 'what's a book?' Then Johnny tried to hire me at KROY. I ended up working there for one night but we weren't even on the air and I kept getting calls for all these songs I didn't want to play. They wanted me to play 45s but the songs would go by too fast and I was used to playing LPs. It was the most depressing night of my life. I told myself 'I cannot live in this world.' So I quit and asked Ed if I could have my job back."
Continue to next chapter: The Peak of Radio Anarchy (early seventies)
Other KZAP Stories
KZAP's Freeform Return to KDVS in November 2012
Interview with KZAP Cat Logo Designer Bill Styler
KZAP Returns as LPFM at K-ZAP.org on July 4, 2015
KZAP Returns on KDVS Part 1: Michael Taber
KZAP Returns on KDVS Part 2: Freeform Era
KZAP Returns on KDVS Part 3: College Freeform
KZAP Returns on KDVS Part 4: The 60s
Freeform Radio Survives
Captain Carrot at Sac Music Fest 2015
Legend of KZAP Table of Contents
May the music and memories live on forever because it's still o.k. to rock and roll !!!
Listen to the new K-ZAP.org
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Lab Director's Columns and Opinion Pieces
With new jet, PNNL will take research to new heights
Published in the Tri-City Herald, June 2019, authored by Lab Director Steven Ashby
When you think of research equipment at a national laboratory, you might imagine powerful microscopes, sophisticated spectrometers and room-sized supercomputers. Read more...
Nuclear science and engineering is at the core of PNNL's Tri-Cities mission
Published in the Tri-City Herald, May 2019, authored by Lab Director Steven Ashby
From understanding basic physics to producing medical isotopes, supporting nuclear nonproliferation to advancing nuclear energy, and aiding environmental cleanup at sites like Hanford — nuclear science and engineering underpins about half of the research at the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Read more...
Tri-Cities scientists are taking a quantum leap in supercomputing for clean energy and more
Published in the Tri-City Herald, April 2019, authored by Lab Director Steven Ashby
Scientists at the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory are working to realize an entirely new kind of computing that could revolutionize research in areas ranging from clean energy to secure communications. Read more...
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory: PNNL's commitment to transform the world
Progress Edition
At the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, our 4,400 exceptional staff members are committed to transforming the world through science and technology.
How to withstand extreme weather? Science is coming up with these solutions
Published in the Tri-City Herald, March 2019, authored by Lab Director Steven Ashby
Spring may be just around the corner, but according to the National Weather Service this year's February snowfall in the Tri-Cities was the most on record since 1916. Read more...
Making it modern: PNNL infuses innovation into nation's electric grid
Published in the Tri-City Herald, February 2019, authored by Lab Director Steven Ashby
A century is a long time when it comes to technology. Read more...
Richland scientists are teaching computers to learn — and advancing scientific frontiers
Published in the Tri-City Herald, January 2019, authored by Lab Director Steven Ashby
When you watch young children learning to sort shapes or recognize letters, you can see how layers of knowledge build upon to create new understanding. Humans excel in this regard. Read more...
10 research accomplishments at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in 2018
Published in the Tri-City Herald, December 2018, authored by Lab Director Steven Ashby
As the year draws to a close, top-10 lists of all kinds appear — from box office hits to bestselling novels, top products and baby names. Read more...
PNNL lighting research makes for a brighter future
Published in the Tri-City Herald, November 2018, authored by Lab Director Steven Ashby
The days are growing shorter, and some of us are beginning to decorate for the holidays. Read more...
PNNL helps identify current computer threats, train the next generation of cyber warriors
In our connected world, we are increasingly online. Read more...
Celebrate National Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Day
Published in the Tri-City Herald, October 2018, authored by Lab Director Steven Ashby
Hydrogen may be the first element on the periodic table, but this lightweight gas could be a heavy hitter for enhancing our nation's clean energy security. Read more...
A sidewalk that repairs itself? PNNL cracks the code for self-healing cement
Published in the Tri-City Herald, August 2018, authored by Lab Director Steven Ashby
Imagine a nascent crack in the sidewalk that heals itself rather than growing into an eyesore or a tripping hazard. Read more...
This historic PNNL lab runs 'hot' and 'quiet'
Published in the Tri-City Herald, July 2018, authored by Lab Director Steven Ashby
Peering through the thick, green glass of a decades-old "hot cell," an expert technician manipulates robotic arms to study highly radioactive waste from Hanford, in support of ongoing cleanup. Read more...
PNNL's work in Alaska: ArcticShark, EyeSea and fire ice
Alaska's remote location and vast wilderness contribute both to its beauty and its challenges. Read more...
PNNL wants to shine a light on dark matter by searching for WIMPs
While some of us may periodically ponder the universe, most of us don't dedicate our lives to studying its mysteries, including its birth, evolution and fate. Read more...
PNNL putting energy into battery innovations
We rely on batteries more than ever to power our lives. Read more...
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory: Advancing science and technology for a more prosperous, safe and secure world
It's easy to have a vision — to imagine a brighter future and how you might contribute. But it takes hard work, constant focus and informed decisions to achieve it. Read more...
These tiny tubes can bring water to millions. And that's just scratching the surface
Imagine a hollow tube thousands of times smaller than a human hair. Now envision filthy water flowing through an array of such tubes, each designed to capture contaminants on the inside, with clean water emerging at the other end. Read more...
Why is a virus fatal to one person, but not another? PNNL is on it
At the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, we strive to understand the world around us. We also seek to understand "us" — that is, the human body and its inner workings. Read more...
Supporting STEM is an Investment in our Future
DOE's STEM Rising blog, January 30, 2018, authored by Lab Director Steven Ashby
Mahatma Gandhi once said, "The future depends on what you do today." At Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, we believe the ability to address the most challenging problems in science, energy, the environment and national security—both as a national laboratory and as a nation—depends upon our ability to inspire and prepare the next generation of scientists and engineers. Read more...
PNNL's research today may help feed the planet tomorrow
January is a time for New Year's resolutions, and many of us might be trying to eat a little healthier and cut back on certain foods. Read more...
PNNL's holiday gifts include science and technology for the nation
This time of year finds many of us busy with holiday shopping. While the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory might not be developing the latest video games or hoverboards, we are working hard to deliver a few presents you might like. Read more...
PNNL protecting the electric grid from cyberattack
We depend on electricity for nearly everything we do. Flip a switch, and the lights come on. Turn up the thermostat, and the room gets warm. Read more...
WSU, UW and PNNL: Rival schools make for good partners
Many of us are looking forward to next month's Apple Cup as the Cougars and Huskies battle for regional pigskin pride. At the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, however, we strive to bring these fierce gridiron competitors together to collaborate on research and development. Read more...
PNNL on the cutting edge of making extreme weather predictable
Published in the Tri-City Herald, September 2017, authored by Lab Director Steven Ashby
A few weeks ago, Texas was devastated by Hurricane Harvey, a once-in-500-years storm. Irma was right behind it, leaving a path of destruction in the Caribbean and Florida. Read more...
EMSL has expanded far beyond original focus 20 years ago
Earlier this month, we celebrated the 20th anniversary of EMSL, the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, a Department of Energy Office of Science User Facility. Read more...
PNNL lending a hand — and technology — to first responders
When disaster strikes, first responders rush in to provide assistance. In addition to their courage and training, they depend on a panoply of technologies to do their jobs. Read more...
PNNL advancing the frontiers of computing: the march toward exascale
We often hear how supercomputers are used to tackle incredibly complex problems. They have played an essential role in the design of automobiles and aircraft, including the Boeing 777 Dreamliner, the creation of new anti-cancer drugs and discoveries related to the origin of the universe. Read more...
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory fueling a sustainable future
Imagine a future in which agricultural, animal and even human waste is used to produce fuels and high-value chemicals. Read more...
PNNL committed to embracing diversity
As director of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, I often have an opportunity to write or speak about the incredible science and technology that we perform on behalf of the nation.Read more...
PNNL detecting and preventing the use of chemical weapons
Like detectives looking for clues, researchers at the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have been working for nearly a decade on ways to identify the "fingerprints" of potential chemical threats. Read more...
Skating to where the puck will be
The "Great One" of hockey fame, Wayne Gretzky, said the secret to his success was skating to where the puck would be, not where it has been. Great organizations are similar: they anticipate their customers' needs and then meet those needs before— and better —than anyone else. Read more...
PNNL helps Hanford cleanup
Cleaning up Hanford is no easy task: it is one of the world's largest and most complex environmental remediation projects. The nation's top engineering firms are on the job and the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is helping. Read more...
PNNL in Richland detecting nuclear explosions around the world
Just reading the headlines makes it clear that these are anxious times. Read more...
PNNL shares the gift of innovation
It has been said that invention is the process of turning money into ideas and innovation is the process of turning ideas into money. Read more...
Being grateful and going green at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Thanksgiving is a time for us to reflect on our many blessings, and being a part of the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is one for which I am especially grateful. Read more...
PNNL research fuels nuclear energy solutions
Nuclear power figures prominently in our country's energy portfolio and is essential to our economic and environmental security. Read more...
Making better "stuff" at PNNL
There is a science website for kids that defines materials science as "the study of stuff" and, in the simplest of terms, that's right. Read more...
PNNL gives students hands-on experience
Many of us remember writing that dreaded essay about how we spent our summer vacation — often struggling to recall what we did or make it sound interesting. Read more...
PNNL saving energy, money through innovation
July in the Tri-Cities usually brings sunny skies, hot weather and high demand for electricity as many of us retreat to air-conditioned homes and offices. Read more...
PNNL a world leader in subsurface science
The earth is a complex system and its study is the focus of research at the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Read more...
PNNL research is enhancing cybersecurity
Cybersecurity is increasingly top-of-mind and in the news. Individuals worry about identify theft and the compromise of financial and medical records. Companies struggle to stay one step ahead of criminal hackers looking for customer data and corporate secrets. And the federal government battles myriad threats aimed at our national security and critical infrastructure. Read more...
PNNL researchers drive innovation to lead the way to a better world
Steve Jobs said, "Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower." That is especially true in research and development. New technologies and creative solutions do not materialize overnight or on their own. Read more...
Meeting America's Pressing Needs — One Reaction at a Time
DOE's BLOG, March 28, 2016, authored by Lab Director Steven Ashby
In the Middle Ages, alchemists worked diligently to transform base metals, such as lead, into gold or other precious metals. While these ambitions were without success, medieval alchemy set the stage for modern chemistry. Read more...
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory: Discovery in action
Discovery in action. These words describe what we do at the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. For more than 50 years, we have advanced the frontiers of science and engineering in the service of our nation and the world. We make fundamental scientific discoveries that illuminate the mysteries of our planet and the universe. We apply our scientific expertise to tackle some of the most challenging problems in energy, the environment and national security. Read more...
Science and solutions for environmental remediation at PNNL
As a Department of Energy national laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory takes pride in advancing scientific frontiers and developing solutions to vexing problems. In particular, we apply our technical expertise to address national needs in security, energy and the environment. Read more...
PNNL puts bacteria and bugs to work
As a Department of Energy national laboratory, you would expect Pacific Northwest National Laboratory to perform research in chemistry, physics and engineering in support of our energy, environmental and security missions. Read more...
PNNL making cleaner and more efficient vehicles
As Tri-Citians, we're fortunate that we don't have the frustrating traffic and long commutes that our friends in Seattle and Portland endure. And with lower prices at the pump, we don't think much about fuel efficiency. Read more...
PNNL helps advance science behind climate change:
Climate change is a global issue. And in the past few weeks, it received global attention as leaders from more than 190 countries met in Paris to discuss how to address climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere. The United Nations Framework Conference on Climate Change — known as COP21 — recently ended with pledges to reduce emissions and accelerate deployment of clean energy alternatives. Read more here: Read more...
Making air travel cleaner and safer and giving thanks at PNNL
No sooner than we turn back the clocks, the weather takes a turn and reminds us that the holidays are just around the corner. For many of us, this means flying to see family and friends — or picking them up at the newly remodeled Tri-Cities Airport. Read more...
PNNL puts chemistry to work for manufacturing, energy applications
In the middle ages, alchemists tried to transform everyday materials into precious metals. For example, turning lead into gold. Although those ambitions still elude us, today's chemists do amazing things, including creating commercially valuable compounds and designer materials. Read more...
PNNL trying to keep the world safe from nuclear weapons:
Despite the end of the Cold War, the spread of nuclear weapons and the trafficking of nuclear materials remain real national and global security challenges. Addressing these challenges is one of the main missions of the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Almost half of our research staff are working on programs to deliver science and technology to protect against these threats. Read more...
Tackling the big data challenge:
Our digital age is generating data at an unrelenting pace. Some estimates put it at more than one exabyte (1 billion gigabytes) per day, which is enough to fill the hard disks of a million PCs. Read more...
Today's interns are tomorrow's scientists:
School's out, which means a new group of interns is settling into summer research assignments with mentors at the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland. Last year, about 1,200 students and teachers immersed themselves in laboratory research experiences through programs offered to high school, undergraduate and graduate students, as well hands-on opportunities for post-doctoral fellows and educators. Read more...
PNNL's role in environmentally-sustainable hydro power:
The Northwest and the nation depend on hydroelectricity as a clean source of power. While it accounts for only about seven percent of the nation's overall power production, it represents about half of the renewable energy in the United States. Here in Washington, more than 70 percent of our energy comes from hydroelectric dams. Read more...
"US Energy Labs Together Engineer New Grid"
Published in The Energy Times, May 2015, co-authored by Lab Director Steven Ashby
"There's a big energy challenge on our hands and the need for a solution is imminent. The electric grid — which hasn't had major design advances in decades — needs a transformation to meet future needs and opportunities," says Steve and Dan Arvizu, director of the U.S. National Renewable Energy Lab. Read more...
Tri-Cities Part of International Physics Research Community
Physics is central to understanding the world around us and the universe in which we live. It seeks to answer some of humankind's most fundamental questions, such as what comprises the universe and how it began. Read more...
Grid Research Just One Highlight for New PNNL Director
I am both honored and humbled to have been selected to succeed Mike Kluse as director of the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. I look forward to building on the foundation of success that Mike built during his eight years as director. Read more...
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The left plans to press Obama to protect those who reelected him.
Liberals fear grand bargain betrayal
By CARRIE BUDOFF BROWN
But Obama signaled last week that he could revive the offer he made to Boehner, which was a mix of new revenues, reduced federal spending and entitlement benefit cuts such as raising the Medicare eligibility age and lowering the cost-of-living increases for Social Security recipients.
“It will probably be messy. It won’t be pleasant,” Obama told The Des Moines Register editorial board. “But I am absolutely confident that we can get what is the equivalent of the grand bargain that essentially I’ve been offering to the Republicans for a very long time, which is $2.50 worth of cuts for every dollar in [taxes], and work to reduce the costs of our health care programs.”
Administration officials say the range of options that Obama has considered in the past are well known, so it shouldn’t be a surprise if they are resurrected.
But progressive leaders don’t want Obama to go back there. Privately, they use words like “debacle” and “betrayal” to describe the backlash that would ensue. They are far more measured in their public statements ahead of the election.
The unions and advocacy groups have invested time and money in the battleground states pushing the message that Obama is better than Republican Mitt Romney on creating jobs, protecting the middle class and preserving Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security.
And if Obama wins, they say they plan to remind him who is responsible for delivering him a second term — and it won’t be a coalition of Republicans, deficit hawks or even independents, but rather a Democratic base that expects him to stand firm on key priorities.
They won’t match the $30 million behind the Campaign to Fix the Debt, a group of CEOs that’s urging Congress to strike a grand bargain. But the coalition of unions and liberal advocacy groups, which is still finalizing its plans, vows to activate its network of grass-roots supporters.
“MoveOn’s 7 million members have made clear that ending the Bush tax cuts for folks earning over $250,000 and preventing any benefit cuts to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid are top priorities — that’s a key reason why MoveOn members are working so hard to reelect President Obama and elect progressive champions to Congress,” said Ilya Sheyman, campaign director for MoveOn.org Political Action. “After Election Day, our members will expect Congress and the president to focus on passing a real jobs program, instead of making job-killing cuts, even if it requires working into January or beyond.”
The AFL-CIO and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees will keep their organizers in the field well after Tuesday to pressure lawmakers as their attention turns from electoral politics to deficit deal making.
The network will hold what they’re calling a national day of action Nov. 8 and follow up later in the month with lobbying events. They’ll also release results of an election night survey by Democratic pollster Stan Greenberg on why voters went to the polls.
“It is safe to say many groups are very concerned that a grand bargain will be foisted on the Congress that goes against what Democratic candidates promised on the campaign trail,” said Roger Hickey, co-director of the Campaign for America’s Future. “And it is clear the president is considering making the grand bargain that he offered to Boehner previously.”
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Boris Johnson, left, and Jeremy Hunt will fight it out for the Tory leadership | Jeff Overs/BBC via Getty Images
Boris Johnson to face Jeremy Hunt in Tory leadership run-off
Michael Gove was knocked out of the race after coming last in the fifth ballot of Tory MPs
Updated 6/20/19, 10:59 PM CET
Jeremy Hunt will fight Boris Johnson for the Conservative leadership after he clinched a place on the final ballot of two to be put to the party's members.
The foreign secretary secured 77 votes on Thursday to face off against the frontrunner in the battle for Downing Street — setting the stage for a showdown campaign that will stretch over the next month. The winner will also become U.K. prime minister.
Environment Secretary Michael Gove was booted out of the race after winning 75 votes in the fifth and final ballot of Tory MPs, while Johnson cemented his commanding lead with 160 votes. There was one rejected ballot paper.
Hunt and Johnson will now throw themselves into a campaign to win around 160,000 Tory members, including taking part in hustings around the country. The result is expected in the week beginning July 22.
Johnson tweeted that he was “deeply honoured” to have won the backing of more than 50 percent of Tory MPs.
“I look forward to getting out across the UK and to set out my plan to deliver Brexit, unite our country, and create a brighter future for all of us,” he added.
Hunt admitted he was the “underdog” on the members ballot but argued “surprises” happen in politics “as they did today”.
“I do not doubt the responsibility on my shoulders - to show my party how we deliver Brexit and not an election, but also a turbo-charged economy and a country that walks tall in the world,” he said on Twitter.
Brussels blocks out Boris bluster
Jacopo Barigazzi
Polls suggest Johnson, who quit as foreign secretary last year in protest at the Brexit plan proposed by Theresa May, is the firm favourite to win the race.
He has vowed to take the U.K. out of the EU deal or no deal by the current Brexit deadline of October 31.
Hunt meanwhile has said he would be willing to ask Brussels for a Brexit extension if a deal appears close when the deadline looms.
Both have pledged to renegotiate the Brexit deal May struck with the bloc — although EU leaders have dismissed suggestions the controversial Northern Irish backstop could be dumped.
Gove also took to Twitter to say he was “naturally disappointed but so proud of the campaign we ran. Huge thanks to my brilliant campaign team.”
He added: “It’s been an honour to be able to set out a vision for the future of our great country. Many congratulations to Boris and Jeremy!”
Earlier on Thursday, Home Secretary Sajid Javid was knocked out of the race, while International Development Secretary Rory Stewart was ousted the night before.
Westminster bubble
Rory Stewart
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Satire Is a Key Feature in 'Silicon Valley' Season 2
Silicon Valley's relentless skewering of the Bay Area's well-known tech valley continues as Pied Piper faces new challenges.
Silicon Valley: The Complete Second Season
Distributor: HBO Home Entertainment
Cast: Thomas Middleditch, T.J. Miller, Josh Brener, Martin Starr, Kumail Nanjiani, Amanda Crew, Zach Woods, Matt Ross, Suzanne Cryer
TV show: Silicon Valley
Network: HBO
The brilliance of any great satire is the way in which it skews reality just enough that it can exaggerate the foibles of its subject matter while leaving viewers satisfied that its setting could actually exist. That quality is what makes Mike Judge's HBO series Silicon Valley a perfect funhouse mirror reflection of a place where people can receive a few million bucks just by pitching an idea for an app. (Admittedly, what comes next isn't easy.)
The show probably wouldn't have been successful had it debuted during the dot-com boom of the late '90s, when most people were still trying to figure out the Internet. Now that being online has become a ubiquitous part of nearly everyone's lives (certainly in the "first world" countries, anyway), it's much easier for casual viewers to grok the techie-oriented jokes, even if some of the more "inside baseball" subject matter, such as pitching to venture capitalists, might fly over their heads. Those who haven't seen the show shouldn't worry, because there's plenty of broad humor, too.
Satire is also at its best when populated by archetypes, and Silicon Valley obliges here too, starting with the main character, a painfully shy engineer named Richard Hendricks who stumbles across a technological breakthrough that allows him to quit his job with monolithic employer Hooli (an obvious stand-in for Google, with a bit of Apple mixed in) and kick his startup, Pied Piper, into full gear. He runs his business through a home-based incubator run by slovenly entrepreneur Erlich Bachman, who embodies the worst self-absorbed traits found in the valley.
Hendricks is accompanied by another Hooli employee, Donald "Jared" Dunn, who serves as the Pied Piper CFO and business advisor, as well as amoral libertarian programmer Bertram Gilfoyle, who can be counted on to undercut any situation with his sarcastic wit, and Dinesh Chugtai, a programmer from Pakistan who thankfully does not speak with an accent.
Chugtai and Gilfoyle clash quite often on the show, but they seem to grudgingly respect each other, especially when they must work together to solve a problem. No one has much respect for Dunn, who often doesn't understand when he's being ridiculed. Hendricks does his best to keep Pied Piper going, especially when he has to deal with stressful business situations that are obviously beyond his abilities.
The first season saw Hendricks achieve success and turn down a substantial buyout offer from Hooli, whose brash CEO, Gavin Belson, realizes he has made a mistake by allowing him to leave with an important piece of technology. However, a venture capitalist named Peter Gregory steps in with an investment offer that makes Hendricks realize that Pied Piper could be worth billions in the long run, so he accepts the money.
Gregory is a character who embodies the "head in the clouds but feet on the ground" style of thinking that is often found in the valley. For example, an early season one episode has him delaying a meeting with Hendricks to sample a variety of choices from Burger King, whose food he has never tried. He realizes that most of their sandwiches have sesame seeds, whose sources are about to be threatened by cicada infestations in Brazil and Myanmar, which supply most of the sesame seeds used in the world. However, Indonesia grows sesame seeds, too, and has no cicada population, a revelation that leads Gregory to buy Indonesian sesame seed futures, enabling him to loan Hendricks money out of his projected profits.
Sadly, Christopher Evan Welch, who played Gregory, passed away during the filming of the first season, leading to his character being sent on a trip. Season two begins with the Pied Piper crew learning of Gregory's passing, which creates a new crisis because they are counting on a new round of funding from his venture capital firm. Gregory's replacement is a woman named Laurie Bream, whose character is an echo of Gregory in her mannerisms. That might have been meant as an homage to her predecessor, but instead it creates a longing for something new.
As season two continues, Pied Piper finds itself about to accept a new round of funding from Bream when Hooli launches a lawsuit against the startup for copyright infringement. The rest of the season involves Pied Piper dealing with the lawsuit while trying to prove that its technology is viable. The lawsuit creates funding problems, but a seeming white knight named Russ Hanneman, who boasts that he became rich in the '90s by "putting radio on the Internet", enters the picture and bails out Pied Piper.
However, Hanneman turns out to be an overgrown man-child who could be more trouble than he's worth, leading to further complications for Hendricks and his crew. Meanwhile, Hooli CEO Belson promotes Hendricks' friend Nelson "Big Head" Bighetti to a prominent role at Hooli XYZ (a riff on Google X, a research lab where Google works on secret projects) in the hope of showing that he was the brains behind Pied Piper, and thus proving that it was invented at Hooli, but Bighetti ends up in way over his head.
As those plotlines play out, the second season builds to a climax that sees Hendricks emerge victorious but dealt a serious setback, and he's left hanging for the third season. He and the others at Pied Piper, even the ones with less than redeeming qualities, are easy characters to root for because they're taking on a Silicon Valley establishment that sometimes values money and power over all else. While none of them change much, that's not the point of satire, where the goal is to highlight the absurdities of the subject matter.
The ten second season episodes are found on two Blu-ray discs, with a smattering of extras spread across them and a code for a digital copy. Six of the episodes have commentary tracks featuring a group of cast members and either Judge or writer/director Alec Berg. They're worthwhile listening, although sometimes the participants fall into the trap of simply watching the action and commenting on it without adding any additional insight.
There are also eight deleted scenes running close to 11 minutes. While they're all pretty funny, they're textbook examples of how sometimes good material simply has to be tossed for various reasons. The final bonus feature is a three-minute piece with Judge and some of the cast and staff members talking about the research that went into making Pied Piper's technology seem believable, especially to real engineers who can smell fakery from a mile away.
Hopefully at some point a Silicon Valley home video release will include some more in-depth bonus materials, as this is the kind of show that would be worthy of them.
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To start, Wilsons willing to pitch out of bullpen
By TIM BRITTON | | Journal Sports Writer
FORT MYERS, Fla. � It was this time last year that Alex Wilson�s head was spinning.
FORT MYERS, Fla. - It was this time last year that Alex Wilson's
head was spinning.
The right-handed pitcher was coming off a disappointing stint at
Double-A Portland in 2010 and was in major-league camp for the
first time. It wasn't a long time.
"It was a whirlwind. It went by real quick," Wilson recalled. "I
didn't know what to expect, I didn't know who to talk to. Over time
I figured it out, but by the time I figured it out, I was basically
getting sent down."
A year later, Wilson is "not so much in shock" in the big-league
clubhouse, and he's not planning on getting sent down. In a spring
full of competition for open spots in the rotation and bullpen,
Wilson is an intriguing dark-horse candidate to make the team.
"There's no reason why I shouldn't get my shot up there - as
long as I do what I'm supposed to do and perform and pitch well,"
Wilson said. "I do my part, hopefully I'll get that
opportunity."
Wilson's confidence received a major boost from his outstanding
2011 season, which culminated in his being named the Red Sox Minor
League Pitcher of the Year. Spending time at Portland and Triple-A
Pawtucket, he finished the year 10-4 with a 3.11 ERA in 133 innings
- putting to rest any outside anxieties that his 2010 problems
would linger.
"It's a tribute to Alex," farm director Ben Crockett said. "Even
in the struggles, there was never any doubt for us in terms of the
way he was competing, which at the end of the day is the only thing
you can ask a guy to do."
Wilson is focused on making the big-league club, if not out of
camp then sometime later this season. Although he's been a starter
for all of his professional career - and freely admits that's where
he is most comfortable - Wilson's power fastball-slider repertoire
projects well to the bullpen.
"He's got that kind of stuff, the hard fastball-slider-change,"
Pawtucket pitching coach Rich Sauveur said. "He's got an out pitch
with that fastball on a good angle and the sharp, breaking slider.
He can get outs in the big leagues right now."
It wouldn't be the first time Wilson has made the shift from the
rotation to the pen. During his junior season at Texas A&M in
2009 - a year removed from Tommy John surgery - he was moved to the
closer role after making a handful of starts. He excelled as a
reliever for head coach Rob Childress.
"He took to it like a duck to water," Childress said by phone.
"He's an extreme competitor. � He's going to do anything it
takes to help the team win. He was all for it if that was going to
help our team, and he certainly did a great job for us in that
role."
Wilson isn't the only pitcher in the Red Sox clubhouse to hear
how well he'd do as a reliever even while he started in the minors.
Daniel Bard was surrounded by the same chatter before he switched
to the bullpen. As such, he and Wilson have talked a lot about the
potential shift.
"Bard's always a good guy to talk to," said Wilson. "He came up
as a starter, got switched to reliever, things that have always
swirled around my name. Just to get the feel of how his mindset was
at this point, it always helps."
Says Bard, "I definitely can feel for him, because I wasn't
100-percent comfortable with the bullpen until I was told to go to
that role. It's just something you learn as you go. Most guys learn
to love it."
Even as their roles may be going in opposite directions, Wilson
and Bard find themselves working on the same thing in spring
training - namely, the changeup. Wilson's improvement with the
changeup is one of the primary reasons he rebounded from the tough
end to 2010, and it's a pitch he's feeling more comfortable with
each day.
"It's been about two years in the making," he said. "The
changeup was just kind of a touch-and-feel thing. I don't think I
hold it like anybody else does. It's nothing pretty, but it
"It opened up a number of doors for me, just with my repertoire
and pitching certain guys certain ways. I wasn't labeled as a
two-pitch guy anymore."
Wilson also added a two-seamer, learned from former spring
training roommate and current Astro Kyle Weiland, to his arsenal
The strides he's made since last spring have allowed him to
enjoy big-league camp this time around.
"It's definitely a lot more comfortable. I kind of knew what to
expect coming in," he said. "I'm more worried about doing my thing
than what everybody's doing around me."
"He's done a very nice job. He's a professional, kept his mouth
shut and his ears open. That's the first thing you need to do when
you're in big-league camp," said Sauveur. "I hope he's with me [in
Pawtucket], and he should be. But you never know. It's possible he
could be a little bit more north."
tbritton@providencejournal.com
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New Reporters' Guide Documents Rex Sinquefield's Effort to Railroad Personal Agenda through Missouri State House
Submitted by PR Watch Admin on April 29, 2014 - 9:49am
PRESS RELEASE: April 29, 2014
CONTACT: Brendan Fischer, brendan@prwatch.org
The Center for Media and Democracy and Progress Missouri today released a new report, "Reporters' Guide to Rex Sinquefield and the Show-Me Institute," that should be an eye-opener for Missouri residents and national press.
While a great deal of attention has been paid to the billionaire Koch Brothers and their network of dark money groups and right-wing think tanks, few have heard of Missouri multi-millionaire Rex Sinquefield.
"Sinquefield is one of the top right-wing political funders in the country, and the single top political spender in Missouri, where he has spent at least $31.5 million since 2006 seeking to reshape Missouri laws, legislators, and policies according to his own ideological mold," said co-author Brendan Fischer, General Counsel of the Center for Media and Democracy. "Plus, like the Kochs, he pursues his agenda through a diversity of avenues, including his pet think tank the Show-Me Institute and front groups and lobbying entities, in order to massage politicians, spin the press, and try to soften up public opinion toward his personal wish list for changing Missouri law."
Sinquefield has poured tens of millions into the show-me state to push for the repeal of the progressive income tax system, to thwart efforts to secure fair wages for hardworking Missourians, and to promote legislation that weakens Missouri’s public schools.
"Despite the obscene sums of money Sinquefield spends on politicians, consultants and TV ads, Missourians continue to reject his ideas and vision," said Sean Nicholson, Executive Director of Progress Missouri. "Whether it's bizarre ideas about the KKK and public schools, or radical tax schemes, people not on Rex's payroll are having none of it."
Sinquefield has disclosed spending at least at least $31.5 million on state elections since 2006.
In 2013, Sinquefield spent at least $2.35 million over a one-week period unsuccessfully urging legislators to override Governor Jay Nixon’s veto of Sinquefield-backed tax cut legislation.
In 2012, Sinquefield gave $1 million to the “Now or Never” Super PAC, which spent just over $1 million supporting Todd Akin’s 2012 U.S. Senate run; 80% was donated and spent in the final days of the elections, well after Akin’s offensive and absurd comments about “legitimate rape” and pregnancy.
Sinquefield has also given hundreds of thousands to ALEC legislators in Missouri, who have used ALEC model bills to advance Sinquefield’s school privatization agenda. For example, Sinquefield gave $100,000 to the Speaker of the Missouri House, Tim Jones, for his 2012 campaign -- despite Jones running unopposed. Jones is a member of the ALEC Education Task Force and was previously the ALEC State Chair for Missouri.
Sinquefield and his groups have also directly bankrolled the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). Sinquefield’s Pelopidas lobbying group, for example, sponsored ALEC’s 2013 Annual Meeting to the tune of six figures.
ALEC is holding its Spring Task Force Summit at the Kansas City Marriott this week, May 1-2.
Access the full report here.
Reporters Guide to Rex Sinquefield and the Show-Me Institute 783.04 KB
PR Watch Admin
Iraq Ethics Lobbying Environment Wisconsin Public Relations Democracy Propaganda Secrecy U.S. Government International Journalism ALEC Exposed Economy Activism Right Wing Corporations Politics Human Rights War / Peace Media Health Marketing Science U.S. Congress
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Will Health Care Be Deciding Election Issue?
About 100,000 North Dakotans are considered to have pre-existing medical conditions. (valelopardo/Pixabay)
BISMARCK, N.D. – Health care could be one of the biggest deciding factors in this year's election for voters in North Dakota and nationwide.
According to polling from the Kaiser Family Foundation, 75 percent of Americans say it's very important that the Affordable Care Act provision protecting individuals with pre-existing conditions remains law.
Former state Rep. Ben Hanson of West Fargo says the issue is front and center for a lot of North Dakotans.
"It is very much on their minds because, of course, a very large chunk – estimates somewhere around 100,000 of them qualify for the much talked about pre-existing conditions that are being volleyballed back and forth," he states.
Hanson says the issue takes on greater significance because North Dakota is home to one of the most watched Senate races of the midterm.
Nationwide, an estimated 27 percent of Americans ages 18-to-64 have some kind of pre-existing health condition, such as asthma, diabetes or heart disease.
Hanson notes that North Dakota expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act in 2013, which helped cover about 35,000 people and cut the state's uninsured rate in half.
He says the majority of North Dakotans support building on the ACA rather than getting rid of it.
"A full repeal would also repeal the Medicaid expansion clause in the Affordable Care Act, which would then potentially take away that insurance coverage for tens of thousands of North Dakotans,” he points out. “And when you're looking at a state whose population is roughly 740,000 people, 35,000 is a very large number."
Kaiser polling shows Americans across the political spectrum support pre-existing condition protections. That includes 86 percent of Democrats, 75 percent of independents and 58 percent of Republicans.
Eric Tegethoff, Public News Service - ND
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News » Jazz Studies Onstage and On-Air in April
Jazz Studies Onstage and On-Air in April
April bursts with jazz studies performances in New York City and recordings featured on WBGO Jazz 88.3fm.
New Standards Combo on WBGO
Students playing in jazz studies’ New Standards Combo, under the direction of Pete Malinverni, associate professor of practice in music, recorded three songs that listeners of WBGO will hear as part of the station’s Jazz Appreciation Month programming.
As the name suggests, the group’s repertoire features newer rather than traditional songs. The three selected come from Broadway shows: “Both Sides Now,” “Goin’ Out of My Head,” and “This Masquerade.” (See notes at bottom for more information about each.)
WBGO has featured Purchase students for several years now, a testament to the quality and professionalism of our program. “This band is just one of fifteen combos here at Purchase Jazz Studies that evidences the kind of artistic quality, professional comportment, and joy in making music that we prize and seek to instill,” says Malinverni.
And this year, rather than traveling to the WBGO studios to record, student Jason Maurer ’19 (studio production) recorded, mixed, and mastered the group here on campus. “This is the type of collaboration we’ve been seeking to develop in the Conservatory of Music,” says Malinverni.
The New Standards Combo features:
Lucy Wijnands ’20 (voice)
Josh Nelson ’18 (saxophone)
Ryan Pieniacha ’19 (guitar)
Haeun Joo MM ’18 (piano)
Mikey Migliore ’18 (bass)
Daniel Criado ’18 (drums)
Purchase Jazz Live in NYC
The annual tradition continues when the Purchase Jazz Orchestra and the Purchase Latin Jazz Orchestra perform in renowned Manhattan jazz clubs in April.
Purchase Jazz Orchestra
The Purchase Jazz Orchestra (PJO) will perform at the Blue Note Jazz Club on Monday, April 9, then again on Monday, April 23 at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola/Jazz at Lincoln Center.
PJO is a 17-piece big band that performs jazz from every era. From staples like Ellington and Basie, to more modern works by today’s leading composers and arrangers like McNeely, Clayton, Abene, and Schneider, the PJO always swings. Grammy Award-winning jazz bassist Todd Coolman, and legendary trumpeter Jon Faddis direct the group.
Purchase Latin Jazz Orchestra
The Purchase Latin Jazz Orchestra (PJLO) will perform at Birdland Jazz Club on Saturday, April 21.
Under the direction of saxophonist and lecturer David DeJesus, the PLJO is an exciting ensemble that performs music from all over Latin America. Featuring top students from the Conservatory of Music, the PLJO explores numerous genres including Mambo, Cha-Cha, Danzon, Festejo, and Porro. Whether performing classic compositions by the masters or newer works commissioned for the ensemble, seeing and hearing the PLJO is always a memorable occasion.
Both groups will perform separately on campus on Thursday, April 26, and Wednesday, April 18, respectively, then together for the Big Band Dance Party at the Performing Arts Center on April 28.
Read Malinverni’s notes on the New Standards Combo repertoire…
”Both Sides Now” by Joni Mitchell. Joni’s allegorical take on life and love still resonates today and is made poignant by the sensitive reading of this arrangement by the full band.
“Goin’ Out of My Head,” written by Teddy Randazzo and Bobby Weinstein, was first recorded by Little Anthony and the Imperials in 1964. Here, the beat is updated and new colors are added, resulting in a fresh take.
“This Masquerade,” written by Leon Russell, was a successful 1976 foray onto the Pop charts by Jazz guitar legend George Benson. A hit then, its beauty is revealed anew on this version, arranged, once again, by the full band.
New Standards Combo in the Jazz Studies program
Conservatory of Music
WBGO
Recent Press Coverage
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Posted on December 31, 2015 December 31, 2015 1:14 am
One of the biggest banks in Japan, Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, wants to boost the level of investments in financial technology firms once it is able to do so after certain rules are lifted by regulators.
[bctt tweet=”Japanese banks are likely to boost FinTech investments after restrictions are lifted.”]
The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday (Dec. 30) that the firm’s president, Koichi Miyata, said in an interview with the paper that his bank has been talking with financial tech firms ahead of the rule change. The executive said that the smaller startups “could be our competitors in the financial world, but they could also be partners.”
Under current rules, banks are not allowed to hold more than 5 percent in companies that are not direct players in the banking industry. Bank holding companies are not allowed to hold more than 15 percent.
But under new rules that will be forthcoming from the bank regulatory agency of Japan, known as the Financial Services Agency, legislation would be given over to Parliament that would loosen up investment restrictions in the FinTech arena specifically. That would be important, as banks seek to gain a foothold against the upstarts that threaten the traditional banking model, especially in digital payments and security, where larger players lag. There’s even a phone number that would-be investors will be able to call in order to ask questions about FinTech technology.
Sumitomo has an innovation department devoted to FinTech that launched two months ago and extends to embrace technologies such as mobile banking. By way of example, noted WSJ, there is an Indonesian bank, Bank Tabungan Pensiunan Nasional, in which Sumitomo owns a significant stake of 40 percent, that has banking technology in place where branchless features (read: no bricks or mortar) offer banking services to people in remote areas, chiefly via mobile devices they use to conduct transactions.
Related Items:banking, FinTech, investments, Japan, Sumitomo, What's Hot
Alphabet’s Chairman Declares UK Top eCommerce Dog
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Radioactive Fukushima contaminants found as far north as Alaska’s Bering Strait
Radioactive contamination from Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant hit by a tsunami in 2011 has drifted as far north as waters off a remote Alaska island in the Bering Strait, scientists said on Wednesday.
Analysis of seawater collected last year near St. Lawrence Island revealed a slight elevation in levels of radioactive cesium-137 attributable to the Fukushima disaster, the University of Alaska Fairbanks Sea Grant program said.
“This is the northern edge of the plume,” said Gay Sheffield, a Sea Grant marine advisory agent based in the Bering Sea town of Nome, Alaska.
The newly detected Fukushima radiation was minute. The level of cesium-137, a byproduct of nuclear fission, in seawater was just four-tenths as high as traces of the isotope naturally found in the Pacific Ocean.
Those levels are far too low to pose a health concern, an important point for people living on the Bering Sea coast who subsist on food caught in the ocean, Sheffield said.
Cesium-137 levels some 3,000-times higher than those found in the Bering Sea are considered safe for human consumption under U.S. Environmental Protection Agency drinking water standards, officials said.
A 9.0-magnitude quake and tsunami in March 2011 triggered meltdowns at three of the Fukushima Daiichi plant’s six reactors, spewing radiation into the air, soil and ocean and forcing 160,000 residents to flee.
It was the world’s worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl 25 years earlier.
LONG-TERM STUDY
The results reported on Wednesday came from a long-term but small-scale testing program.
Water was sampled for several years by Eddie Ungott, a resident of Gambell village on the northwestern tip of St. Lawrence Island. The island, though part of the state of Alaska, is physically closer to Russia than to the Alaska mainland, and residents are mostly Siberian Yupik with relatives in Russia.
Fukushima-linked radionuclides have been found as far away as Pacific waters off the U.S. West Coast, British Columbia and in the Gulf of Alaska.
Until the most recent St. Lawrence Island sample was tested by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, the only other known sign of Fukushima radiation in the Bering Sea was detected in 2014 by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
NOAA scientists found trace amounts of Fukushima-linked radionuclides in muscle tissue of fur seals on Alaska’s St. Paul Island in the southern Bering Sea. There was no testing of the water there, Sheffield said.
The people of St. Lawrence Island, who live well to the north of St. Paul Island, had expected Fukushima radionuclides to arrive eventually, she said.
“They fully anticipated getting it. They didn’t know when,” she said. “The way the currents work does bring the water up from the south.”
Trump border official melts down on MSNBC after refusing to admit Trump lied about ‘mass raids’
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ARK: The Journal of the Royal College of Art. Issue 7 (1953)
King's Fund bed: prototype tilted with measures, Kenneth Agnew photographic collection, Special Collections., Department of Design Research Job 13 February 1967
Photographer: Unknown
RCA Convocation, July 1982. John Hedgecoe (Pro Rector), Lionel March (Rector), Sir Hugh Casson (Provost), Peter Byrom (Pro Provost), Lord Howard (Treasurer), Brian Cooper (Registrar). Peter Byrom papers, Special Collections.
RCA Junior Common Room c.1935; Elisabeth Clements and J D McCord collection, Special Collections, c.1935
Painting students in the Mural Room, c.1936. Margery Dennis Hall collection., c.1936
Graphic Design Department (Clifford Hatts and Richard Guyatt at rear), 1949. Clifford Hatts collection, Special Collections., 1949
Flyer from Junior Common Room Committee campaign to elevate Fashion course to MA status, 1968. Nick Holland papers, Special Collections, c.1968
Phil Roberts (ed.), Design in General Education (cover, detail), Royal College of Art, 1979
Robin Darwin at Work, c.1950s
Cover of Newsheet, No.16, Summer 1960, Gerald Nason papers, Special Collections.
Structure of Proposed RCA Syllabus, c.1901 (detail), W R Lethaby manuscript, Special Collections
Royal College of Art Archive (c. 75 linear metres, excluding photographic and art collections)
RCA/RCAA/1985
The Royal College of Art (RCA) archive is a substantial resource that documents the history and work of the RCA in multiple formats and across many decades. The majority of material dates from the post-1896 incarnation of the College, when the National Art Training School at South Kensington became the Royal College of Art, while the archive’s particular strengths lie in the period following the 1948 reorganisation of the College under Robin Darwin. The RCA archive can be used to trace the evolution of courses and developments in art and design education, together with the range of work created by students, and the numerous projects, publications and exhibitions with which the College has been associated.
Manuscript and published material
Published material and grey literature within the archive includes runs of prospectuses (from 1898), exhibition catalogues (from 1937), annual reports (from 1937), governing body reports (including the landmark government reports of 1901, 1911 and 1936), and press cuttings (from 1940s). Other series include documents relating to individual departments, programmes and schools (usually exhibition materials or annual publications), and numerous publications from various College imprints, including Inklings (1971–95) and the Lion and Unicorn Press (1952–84). Student magazines include The Beam (1898), Gallimaufry (1925) and The Mandrake (1926–7), together with complete runs of two series of the RCA Students’ Magazine (1911–15; 1921–4) and ARK (1950–78). Student newsletters (typically more irreverent than formal publications) are also included from different phases of College life, and include Newsheet (two runs, c.1956–62 and c.1967–72), Boo! (1970s), Mews Paper (1970s) and OTR (1980s). Across the decades, the student magazines include articles and artwork by numerous notable alumni, from Austin Osman Spare (attended c.1905) to Pauline Boty (graduated 1961).
Manuscript material includes series relating to the management of ARK and the Lion and Unicorn Press. Numerous other projects and functions of the College represented include the evacuation to Ambleside in the Lake District in the Second World War, the operations of the Junior Common Room Committee (students’ union), and the development of teaching spaces and College buildings.
Photographic material
The substantial series of photographic collections contain over 80,000 images of moments from College history in many different formats, from glass lantern slides to born-digital files. College life is represented through over 5,000 images of, for example, department life, Convocation ceremonies, exhibitions, and interiors in print and slide format. The earliest images include a set of interiors of the College during its incarnation as the National Art Training School in the nineteenth century. Major College projects covered include the Lion and the Unicorn pavilion for the Festival of Britain (1951), the design by RCA staff and students of stained glass windows for Coventry cathedral (1956), re-built after its destruction in the Second World War, and the GraphicsRCA retrospective exhibition (1963). The self-contained Record of Student Work series contains photographs of student work as exhibited in the final-year diploma and degree shows from the 1950s, and contains around 2,000 prints (1950s–70s), 30,000 slides (1950s–2002) and upwards of 50,000 born-digital images (2003–ongoing). The record is comprehensive for many years, and the student work of many notable alumni is included. The Royal College of Art collection has also been photographed in its entirety. Images from the collections have been catalogued and digitised to varying degrees, but much of this work is ongoing or undertaken on demand. Some images may be viewed on the websites of the Visual Arts Data Service and the Public Catalogue Foundation.
Special Collections receives many requests for biographical information relating to former staff and students. In the case of former students, we can usually confirm year of graduation and course followed. Qualitative information about living individuals can only be provided in accordance with the provisions of the Data Protection Act (1998) or with the permission of the data subject. However it is often possible to supply contextual detail drawn from photographs, prospectuses, annual reports and departmental publications.
Royal College of Art: Related Collections
These collections, usually donated by the individuals who acquired them, contain material that overlaps substantially with the formal College archive and reflects different aspects of the RCA’s operations and history.
Kenneth Agnew photographic collection (2 boxes)
RCA/KA/2011
Contains visual documentation of many RCA Industrial Design (Engineering) Research Unit and Department of Design Research projects of the 1960s and 70s and complements the L Bruce Archer archive. In slide and transparency format and arranged by ‘Job Number’ (project code). Images often show prototypes, technical processes and assembly alongside finished products, and include projects ranging from medical equipment for the National Health Service (NHS) to the development of solar panels. Kenneth Agnew’s celebrated re-design of the NHS hospital bed (1963) is well represented. Cataloguing and digitisation in progress.
Peter Byrom papers (1 box)
RCA/PB/2007
Correspondence and memoranda relating to the College’s strategic plans and changes of senior management at the Royal College of Art c. 1981–3, in particular relating to the tenure of Rector Lionel March. Donated by Peter Byrom, Chair of Council, Royal College of Art, 1981–6. Complements the contemporaneous diaries of L Bruce Archer in the L Bruce Archer archive. Inventory available.
Elisabeth Clements and J D McCord papers (2 boxes)
RCA/EC/2010
Photographs and other mementos relating to the RCA in the 1930s from the collection of sculptors Elisabeth Clements (graduated 1933) and J D McCord (graduated 1935), who met while students at the College. Contains various photographs of student life, including the Junior Common Room and Sculpture department huts on Queen’s Gate. Also includes sketchbooks and photograph albums recording the work of both sculptors after their time at the RCA, including Elisabeth Clements’s travel scholarship to Germany in 1934. Inventory available.
Robin Darwin memorabilia (2 boxes)
RCA/AM/2007
A collection of the remaining Darwin-related papers in the possession of Sir Robin Darwin’s family and held on deposit by Special Collections. It includes sketchbooks and designs for book jackets by Darwin, some personalia, and many photographs, largely of Darwin’s own paintings. Inventory available. Many other Darwin-authored papers, including letters, articles and speeches, appear throughout the main Royal College of Art archive.
Margery Dennis Hall collection (1 box)
RCA/MDH/2011
Various photographs collected by alumna Margery Dennis Hall (graduated 1937), depicting RCA student life in the 1930s.
Clifford Hatts collection (1 box)
RCA/CH/2011
Articles, memoirs and photographs donated by alumnus Clifford Hatts (graduated 1949). Includes material relating to RCA Theatre Group productions and various photographs. Also includes 16mm films (transferred to DVD) of the 1948 Convocation ceremony along with that year’s graduate exhibition and student revues. Inventory available.
Nick Holland papers (1 box)
RCA/NH/2009
A collection of letters, memoranda, ephemera, minutes and student newsletters (Newsheet, 1967–8), principally relating to student unrest at the time the College received its Royal Charter (1967) to attain university status and become a wholly post-graduate institution. The unrest was fuelled by the Academic Board’s failure to raise the status of the qualification offered by the Fashion School to Master’s level, creating a disparity with other courses. Donated by Nicholas (Nick) Holland in November 2009. Holland had been president of the Junior Common Room committee (students’ union) throughout the period. The collection includes letters from Sir Robin Darwin and the then Professor of Fashion Janey Ironside. Inventory available.
Patrick Holliman collection of Design Education Unit papers (1 box)
RCA/PHDEU/2013
A collection of RCA papers c. 1984–5, including correspondence and reports mainly generated by the Design Education Unit (DEU) led by Ken Baynes. Collected by Patrick Holliman, employed by the DEU as a resource officer. Includes advocacy documents and studies by Ken Baynes, Janet Daley and Phil Roberts, and publications related to design education. Inventory available.
Gerald Nason collection of ARK magazine and Newsheet papers (1 box)
RCA/GN/1990
A set of photocopies of correspondence surrounding the controversial, and ultimately pulped, issue 34 (1963) of RCA student magazine ARK. The largely image-based issue had caused controversy with a range of irreverent and satirical photo-montages, involving Princess Margaret and Winston Churchill, among others, and College management deemed it unfit for public distribution. Gerald Nason was editor at the time and donated copies of the correspondence to the Library in 1990. In 2014, he added a second series to include select issues from the first run of the RCA Newsheet (1956–63), which includes contributions from David Hockney and Pauline Boty, and a photocopy of the original issue 34 of ARK. Inventory available.
W R Lethaby manuscript (1 file)
RCA/WRL/2005
W R Lethaby’s 11-page manuscript notes for a proposed syllabus when invited to become Professor of Ornament and Design at the Royal College of Art, c. 1901. Contains proposals before appointment and an outline of the prepared syllabus on arrival at the College. Digital copy available.
Click here for Special Collections access, location and appointments information.
special-collections@rca.ac.uk
Please note, access to the collections is by appointment only.
Meet Dr Rob Philips in New York
World’s Top Art & Design University for Fifth Year Running
QS World University Subject Rankings 2019
EU students applying to English universities for autumn 2019 and autumn 2020 entry will benefit from the current system of postgraduate loans and pay the same fees as UK students, for the duration of their programme.
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Breaking News - San Francisco man drowns at Zephyr Cove
Serving Minden-Gardnerville and Carson Valley
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Best of Carson Valley
Researchers discover surviving strain of Lahontan cutthroats
Local | April 18, 2018
by Mike Wolterbeek
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services stock more than 8,000 Lahontan cutthroat trout in Fallen Leaf Lake, Tahoe Basin, on, Sept. 10, 2010.
Jon Myatt/USFWS.
The Lahontan cutthroat trout was rediscovered in a “dinky” stream near the Nevada-Utah border. Genetic testing by University of Nevada, Reno, Associate Professor of Biology Mary Peacock led to the rediscovery of an iconic Nevada fish.
“Even though they were in that tiny, dinky stream on the edge of Utah for close to 100 years, they had maintained that capacity to grow into this big fish,” Peacock said. “People just went completely wild; it’s like the big boys are back.”
Peacock became involved with the research and recovery of the Lahontan cutthroat trout in the early 2000s. She began working on ways to perform genetic testing to determine if the small trout discovered in the Pilot Peak streams were the original species of the Truckee River watershed.
The Peacock lab obtained samples of the Lahontan cutthroat stored in museums and compared the DNA to the Pilot Peak trout.
“We asked a very basic question: ‘Who do these fish look most similar to?’” Peacock said. “We probably had 50 populations in this analysis. So we took those fish, and we compared them to all the populations and did the genetic analysis – and bingo! They’re the original dudes.”
The recovery of the Lahontan cutthroat trout is a true resurrection story. Weighing in at 40 pounds, with stories of the trout getting up to 60, the Lahontan is the largest species of cutthroat trout. The fish are characterized by their crimson red-orange slash marks on the throat under the jaw with black spots scattered over their steel gray to olive green scales. They are Nevada’s state fish and hold a cultural significance to the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe.
“Mary Peacock’s research and collaboration with the Fish and Wildlife Service over the last 15 years has led to a paradigm shift in how we look at recovery for lacustrine LCT [Lahontan cutthroat trout] in Tahoe and Pyramid Lake,” project leader of the Lahontan National Fish Hatchery Complex Lisa Heki said.
The research to identify the Lahontan began for Peacock in the 1990s, when the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services hired her to conduct genetic analysis on the Pilot Peak trout. She started out doing a population viability analysis, which is an assessment of the fish and its habitat to determine what factors would lead to a successful survival. Samples were taken from fish in the Pilot Peak streams and were later used for DNA testing.
Since there were no original Lahontan cutthroat trout left in Lake Tahoe, Pyramid Lake or the Truckee River, Peacock and researchers turned to museums for genetic samples of the historic fish.
“Museums are these great repositories of what biodiversity was in the past,” Peacock said.
The Smithsonian, Cal Academy and University of Michigan had specimens from the late 1800s through the early 1900s, but they were preserved in a way that made it very difficult to get the DNA out. Peacock’s lab manager, Veronica Kirchoff, perfected a technique to get usable DNA out of the museum samples and determined that the Pilot Peak trout was indeed the original Lahontan cutthroat.
“Her work with the museum mounts and her analysis has answere that question for science and for the species, really, and for our recovery efforts,” Heki said.
The building of the Derby Dam in the early 1900s, along with the introduction of invasive species, overharvesting, human water consumption and changing precipitation regimes, began ticking away at the population of the trout, and by the 1940s the fish was extirpated from its native habitat throughout the Truckee River watershed.
In the early 1900s, before Fish and Wildlife Services existed, a wildlife commission took small fish from Pyramid Lake and Lake Tahoe and placed them in streams in eastern Nevada and across the border in Utah. Many of the streams already had populations of fish, but the Pilot Peak streams were fish-less, and the Lahotans survived.
“They took them out on trains and took them in buckets and threw them out everywhere,” Peacock said. “So they stuck in this little stream out in the middle of nowhere, and they managed to make it out there and people just forgot about it. It was just happen stance that they got rediscovered.”
In the late 1970s, the renowned fish biologist Robert Behnke identified a small fish in the Pilot Peak streams as the Lahontan cutthroat trout. At the time, there were no genetic tools to determine if the fish was the same species. By the 1990s, methods and tools were beginning to develop to determine if the small fish in the Pilot Peak streams were the true offspring of the enormous Lahontan cutthroat trout.
In 2006, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, in partnership with the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe, stocked the Pilot Peak strain back into its home waters in Pyramid Lake. The fish thrived for several years, growing bigger and bigger. In the early 2000s people began catching 20-pound cutthroats. Today, anglers are catching trout up to 30 pounds. The big monsters have returned.
The fish has returned to its natural migration and reproduction pattern from Pyramid to Tahoe. Recovery efforts going forward will focus on maintaining the habitat of the prehistoric fish that inhabited the area for thousands of years.
Douglas 4-H students participate in Carson Fair
Jacques the Magician big summer reading finish at Public Library
Illegal campfire cited in Alpine blaze
Pond pays homage to centenarians
Celebrity waiter luau benefit next week
Tweets by RecordCourierNV
Lake Tahoe-Nevada
Tahoe.com
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At the mention of Andy Warhol’s name one specific color comes to mind: silver. The artist became known for his Silver Factory -- which, as you may have guessed, was a space covered entirely in silver. It was also the birthplace of many iconic Warhol artworks, from films and Brillo Boxes to the emergence (and, for some, eventual evanescence) of Warhol’s superstars. But there remains one beloved man behind the scene whose name and work is still, for some reason, widely unknown.
Billy Name, born William Linich, was working as a waiter at Serendipity 3, a frequent Warhol hangout in New York City, when he met the artist in 1959. The two became boyfriends, then saw each other on and off until Warhol went to one of Name’s parties in 1963. Name’s apartment was doused in silver -- literally -- with everything wrapped in aluminum foil and blanketed in silver spray paint. The aesthetic immediately mesmerized Warhol, who equated the color with technology and modernity, according to Warhol friend Gerard Malanga. When Warhol asked Name to do the same to his new place, an old fire station located on East 47th Street, Name cleared out the grocery store of aluminum foil and got to work. Thus was the birth of the original Factory, and the birth of Name, the Factory's decorator and architect, glossing every inch in silver, from the stereo to the ceiling.
But Name also, unknowingly at the time, became an even more important facet of the Warhol legacy when the artist gave Name a 35-mm Honeywell Pentax. Warhol couldn’t figure out the f-stops and specifics so he handed the camera over. “Billy, you do the photography now because I’m going to do movies,” Name recalled Warhol telling him. Name eventually moved into a closet in the Factory, taught himself photography, turned a bathroom into a darkroom and began capturing everyone around him, from The Velvet Underground to Edie Sedgwick.
Now, 50 years after the establishment of the Factory, Name’s black-and-white photos are getting their first major exhibition at Milk Gallery and have been compiled into a 482-page collection. Billy Name: The Silver Age, Photographs from Andy Warhol’s Factory features over 400 of Name’s "Factory Fotos," a term he coined, from 1964 to 1968. “The only things that ever came even close to conveying the look and feel of the Factory then, aside from the movies we shot there, were the still photographs Billy took," Warhol wrote in his 1980 memoir POPism.
“Billy’s always been a bit off the radar,” Dagon James, editor and designer of the book, told The Huffington Post. “Everyone’s seen his photographs, but they haven’t really quite understood his role in the mythology of Warhol.” Not only do Name’s gritty, over-exposed shots give an insider’s perspective on Warhol, but they document an iconic era in American art history. Name’s photos give a behind-the-scenes look at various Warhol films including “Vinyl,” “Nude Restaurant,” “My Hustler” and “Chelsea Girls,” while also capturing the creation of the Brillo Box sculpture and flower silkscreens.
But this new collection isn’t just another tribute to Warhol -- he’s only one element of the story Name’s photographs tell. “We didn’t want to make just another Andy Warhol book,” James said. “People don’t want to read the same stories that have been told book after book.” There’s a plethora of published works that recount the Factory era and Warhol’s artistic endeavors at the time, from Steven Watson’s Factory Made and Mary Woronov’s Swimming Underground to Warhol’s POPism. But Name, along with James, wanted to piece together a more comprehensive history of those who frequented the silverized space, including Brigid Berlin, Gerard Malanga, Mario Montez, Viva, Nico and Susan Bottomly, among others.
“We wanted to paint a broad picture of what life was like in the Factory,” James said of his collaboration with Name, whom James also manages. “This [book] is about his place in history. This is about Billy.”
Name was mainly behind the camera -- he is, however, featured in Warhol’s “Haircut” films, which were of Name’s haircutting parties, and a screen test -- but his presence is unmistakably resonant in his work and in the memories of his friends. The Velvet Underground co-founder John Cale wrote in the foreword to Name’s book of the photographer’s powerful and calming effect on his fellow bandmates. “We could see Billy’s influence on each of us,” Cale wrote of one of the last times the band got together, with Name in tow. The musician described Name as the "pilot fish" to Lou Reed's whale, conveying the silent songwriter's innermost thoughts. "Billy would join us and we all relaxed because the usual tongue-tied fright of Lou’s persona would melt away as Billy gave voice to what it seemed Lou was thinking."
This tranquil aura and in-the-now presence is something Name still seems to exhibit today. When asked how Name considers his work as an artist and documentarian of the Factory, James said that Name doesn’t view himself as a photographer. “He considers himself a Buddhist,” James said. “He describes himself as the Factory foreman,” James added recalling a man who would pop out of his closet to snap photos, then disappear again for days. That’s the magic of Name’s photos, which capture Warhol and his superstars in some of their most raw, unfiltered states. Name has written that while his many stunning shots of Nico look posed, the singer was merely being her natural self.
“He sees a moment, picks up his camera and grabs it,” Malanga has written of Name’s always-present state of mind. “There’s no hesitation in Billy’s photographs because there is no hesitation in history. That’s a very powerful feeling.”
To see full article, click here.
Erin Whitney
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'Get your act together': Sainsbury's investors berate board over Asda failure
James Davey
LONDON (Reuters) - Private shareholders in Sainsbury’s (SBRY.L) berated the board of the British supermarket chain at its annual meeting on Thursday over its failed takeover of rival Asda, as well as a share price slump and what it pays its boss.
FILE PHOTO: Mike Coupe, CEO of Sainsbury's poses in a store in Redhill, Britain, March 27, 2018. REUTERS/Peter Nicholls/File Photo
Sainsbury’s had its proposed 7.3 billion pound ($9.2 billion) takeover of Walmart (WMT.N) owned Asda blocked by the UK competition regulator in April, which said the deal was likely to increase prices for shoppers.
The group spent 46 million pounds on the Asda deal and Mike Coupe, chief executive since 2014, saw his total annual pay package rise 7% to 3.88 million pounds in the 2018-19 year despite the failure of the transaction.
Shareholder John Farmer, a regular critical voice on Britain’s annual general meeting circuit, said Sainsbury’s’ board had presided over a “blunderingly poor performance” and the “fiasco” of the failed Asda tie-up. He said Coupe, “this useless chief executive”, should be fired.
“For goodness sake, you as a board are paid to get things right and manifestly at the moment you are not,” said Farmer.
“When are you going to get your act together and deal with the world as it is, not as you would like it to be?” he added to applause from the around 450 investors present.
Private shareholders account for about 10% of Sainsbury’s total equity.
Chairman Martin Scicluna, who succeeded David Tyler in March, responded by saying buying Asda was “a cracking deal”.
“I don’t think a business should shirk from making investments which they think are sound and reasonable and have a good chance of succeeding,” he said.
CHAIRMAN’S DEFENSE
Scicluna also backed Coupe, saying he “knows retail more than anybody in this world” and deserved to be rewarded for delivering a 7.8% rise in 2018-19 underlying pretax profit.
“I don’t think it’s right to talk about our chief executive in the way you do. I have great respect for our chief executive and that’s why I said I’m not shopping around.”
Another shareholder, Jean Dale, who said she worked for Sainsbury’s for 25 years before losing her job as part of a cost savings program, expressed dismay at the lowly share price and questioned whether it made the group “ripe for a takeover”.
Scicluna said Sainsbury’s poor share price, down nearly 40% over the past year, reflected weakness in the wider market.
“Retail stocks and those companies focused on the domestic UK markets have not performed well, especially over the past few months and we tick both those boxes,” he said.
He said the current share price undervalues Sainsbury’s but the group has the strategy “to drive us forward.”
Coupe made unwanted headlines shortly after the Asda deal was announced in May 2018 when he was caught on camera singing “We’re in the Money”. He apologized, saying he had been trying to compose himself before a television interview.
FILE PHOTO: Mike Coupe, CEO of Sainsbury's (L) and Martin Scicluna, Chairman of Sainsbury's, pose for a portrait at the company headquarters in London, Britain, May 1, 2019. REUTERS/Toby Melville/File Photo
“Has he got any other song today,” another shareholder asked at the meeting.
“Don’t tempt me,” Coupe replied.
He was re-elected to the board with 99.53% of votes cast.
Reporting by James Davey; Editing by Keith Weir
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Section 169.345
Disabled persons
Public safety department
2019 Subd. 2 Amended 2019 c 3 s 1
2017 Subd. 1 Amended 2017 c 3 art 3 s 52
2011 Subd. 1 Amended 2011 c 60 s 2
2009 Subd. 2 Amended 2009 c 159 s 80
2005 169.345 Amended 2005 c 64 s 7
2003 Subd. 2a Amended 2003 c 108 s 2
1999 Subd. 1 Amended 1999 c 238 art 2 s 16
169.345 PARKING PRIVILEGE FOR PHYSICALLY DISABLED.
Subdivision 1.Scope of privilege.
(a) A vehicle described in section 168.021, subdivision 1, paragraph (a), that prominently displays the certificate authorized by this section or that bears the disability plate or plates issued under section 168.021 may be parked by or solely for the benefit of a physically disabled person:
(1) in a designated parking space for disabled persons, as provided in section 169.346;
(2) in a metered parking space without obligation to pay the meter fee and without time restrictions unless time restrictions are separately posted on official signs; and
(3) without time restrictions in a nonmetered space where parking is otherwise allowed for passenger vehicles but restricted to a maximum period of time and that does not specifically prohibit the exercise of disabled parking privileges in that space.
A person may park the vehicle for a physically disabled person in a parking space described in clause (1) or (2) only when actually transporting the physically disabled person for the sole benefit of that person and when the parking space is within a reasonable distance from the drop-off point.
(b) For purposes of this subdivision, a certificate is prominently displayed if it is displayed so that it may be viewed from the front and rear of the motor vehicle by hanging it from the rearview mirror attached to the front windshield of the motor vehicle or, in the case of a motorcycle, is secured to the vehicle. If there is no rearview mirror or if the certificate holder's disability precludes placing the certificate on the mirror, the certificate must be displayed on the dashboard of the vehicle. No part of the certificate may be obscured.
(c) Notwithstanding paragraph (a), clauses (1), (2), and (3), this section does not permit parking in areas prohibited by sections 169.32 and 169.34, in designated no parking spaces, or in parking spaces reserved for specified purposes or vehicles. A local governmental unit may, by ordinance, prohibit parking on any street or highway to create a fire lane, or to accommodate heavy traffic during morning and afternoon rush hours and these ordinances also apply to physically disabled persons.
Subd. 2.Definitions.
(a) For the purpose of section 168.021 and this section, the following terms have the meanings given them in this subdivision.
(b) "Health professional" means a licensed physician, licensed physician assistant, advanced practice registered nurse, or licensed chiropractor.
(c) "Long-term certificate" means a certificate issued for a period greater than 12 months but not greater than 71 months.
(d) "Organization certificate" means a certificate issued to an entity other than a natural person for a period of three years.
(e) "Permit" refers to a permit that is issued for a period of 30 days, in lieu of the certificate referred to in subdivision 3, while the application is being processed.
(f) "Physically disabled person" means a person who:
(1) because of disability cannot walk without significant risk of falling;
(2) because of disability cannot walk 200 feet without stopping to rest;
(3) because of disability cannot walk without the aid of another person, a walker, a cane, crutches, braces, a prosthetic device, or a wheelchair;
(4) is restricted by a respiratory disease to such an extent that the person's forced (respiratory) expiratory volume for one second, when measured by spirometry, is less than one liter;
(5) has an arterial oxygen tension (PaO2) of less than 60 mm/Hg on room air at rest;
(6) uses portable oxygen;
(7) has a cardiac condition to the extent that the person's functional limitations are classified in severity as class III or class IV according to standards set by the American Heart Association;
(8) has lost an arm or a leg and does not have or cannot use an artificial limb; or
(9) has a disability that would be aggravated by walking 200 feet under normal environmental conditions to an extent that would be life threatening.
(g) "Short-term certificate" means a certificate issued for a period greater than six months but not greater than 12 months.
(h) "Six-year certificate" means a certificate issued for a period of six years.
(i) "Temporary certificate" means a certificate issued for a period not greater than six months.
Subd. 2a.Health professional's medical statement.
(a) The commissioner shall develop a format for the medical statement. The medical statement must be signed by a health professional who certifies that the applicant is a physically disabled person as defined in subdivision 2. The commissioner may request additional information from the health professional if needed to verify the applicant's eligibility. The medical statement that the applicant is a physically disabled person must specify whether the disability is permanent or temporary and, if temporary, the opinion of the health professional as to the duration of the disability. A health professional who fraudulently certifies to the commissioner that a person is a physically disabled person as defined in subdivision 2, and that the person is entitled to the disability plates authorized by section 168.021 or to the certificate authorized by this section, is guilty of a misdemeanor and is subject to a fine of $500.
(b) The commissioner may waive the requirement of providing a statement of a health professional if the applicant has previously filed with the commissioner a statement of a health professional certifying that the applicant has a permanent physical disability.
Subd. 3.Identifying certificate.
(a) The commissioner shall issue (1) immediately, a permit valid for 30 days if the person is eligible for the certificate issued under this section and (2) an identifying certificate for a vehicle described in section 168.021, subdivision 1, paragraph (a), when a physically disabled applicant submits proof of physical disability under subdivision 2a. The commissioner shall design separate certificates for persons with permanent and temporary disabilities that can be readily distinguished from each other from outside a vehicle at a distance of 25 feet or, in the case of a motorcycle, can be readily secured to the motorcycle. An applicant may be issued up to two certificates if the applicant has not been issued disability plates under section 168.021.
(b) The operator of a vehicle displaying a certificate has the parking privileges provided in subdivision 1 only while the vehicle is actually parked while transporting a physically disabled person.
(c) The commissioner shall cancel all certificates issued to an applicant who fails to comply with the requirements of this subdivision.
Subd. 3a.Organization certificates.
(a) An organization providing transportation to one or more physically disabled persons may apply to the commissioner for one or more organization certificates for motor vehicles owned or operated on behalf of the organization.
(b) The organization shall submit a written statement of intent to the commissioner signed by an officer of the organization. The statement must:
(1) indicate the number of certificates requested;
(2) state that all issued certificates must be used solely for the benefit of physically disabled persons;
(3) state that the organization shall report lost or stolen certificates to the commissioner within 24 hours of first discovery; and
(4) state that the organization shall immediately notify the commissioner of any misuse or suspected misuse of any certificate issued to the organization.
(c) An organization shall include with the application a description of the internal controls to be used to ensure the proper use of certificates and to account for all issued certificates. The controls must include:
(1) maintenance of a current list of the make, model, and plate number of all motor vehicles in which a certificate issued to the organization will be used; and
(2) maintenance of a current list of the name and driver's license number of all individuals authorized to operate the motor vehicle in which certificates issued to the organization will be used.
(d) When the commissioner is satisfied that an organization will use a certificate to transport physically disabled persons, the commissioner shall issue without charge (1) immediately, a permit valid for 30 days if the organization is eligible for a certificate and (2) an organization certificate for the motor vehicle.
(e) The certificate issued to an organization transporting physically disabled persons must be renewed every third year. On original application and renewal, the organization must present evidence that each certificate issued continues to be used exclusively to transport physically disabled persons.
(f) The commissioner shall cancel all certificates issued to an applicant who fails to comply with the requirements of this subdivision.
Subd. 3b.Certificate design, format, information.
A certificate must be made of plastic or similar durable material and must bear its expiration date prominently on both sides. A certificate issued to a temporarily disabled person must display the date of expiration of the duration of the disability, as determined under subdivision 3 or 3a. Each applicant must be provided a summary of the parking privileges and restrictions that apply to each motor vehicle for which the certificate is used.
Subd. 3c.Fees; organization, temporary, and short-term certificates.
The commissioner may charge a fee of $5 for issuance of each organization certificate, each temporary certificate, and each short-term certificate and a fee of $5 for a duplicate to replace a lost, stolen, or damaged organization, temporary, or short-term certificate. The commissioner shall not issue more than three duplicate certificates for lost, stolen, or canceled certificates within any six-year period without the approval of the Minnesota State Council on Disability.
Subd. 4.Unauthorized use or noncompliance; cancellation; misdemeanor.
(a) If a peace officer, authorized parking enforcement employee or agent of a statutory or home rule charter city or town, representative of the Minnesota State Council on Disability, or an authorized agent of a citizen enforcement program under section 169.346, subdivision 4, finds that a certificate, permit, or disability plate is being improperly used, or the applicant is no longer eligible, the officer, municipal employee, representative, or agent shall report the violation or situation to the commissioner. The commissioner may cancel the certificate, permit, or disability plates issued under section 168.021 on determining that:
(1) the certificate, permit, or plates were used improperly;
(2) the certificate, permit, or plates were fraudulently obtained;
(3) the certificate, permit, or plates were issued in error;
(4) the person who was issued the certificate, permit, or plates is deceased;
(5) the person who was issued the certificate, permit, or plates no longer maintains a Minnesota address; or
(6) the person or organization has failed to comply with the requirements of this section.
(b) A person who uses a certificate, permit, or disability plates in violation of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and is subject to a fine of $500.
Subd. 5.
[Repealed, 1967 c 389 s 2]
1965 c 844 s 1-5; 1967 c 389 s 1; 1969 c 1129 art 1 s 15; Ex1971 c 27 s 10; 1977 c 22 s 1,2; 1979 c 31 s 1; 1979 c 277 s 4; 1985 c 248 s 70; 1986 c 444; 1987 c 355 s 7; 1988 c 642 s 7,8; 1989 c 209 art 1 s 17; 1989 c 234 s 3-5; 1989 c 301 s 3; 1990 c 497 s 11; 1991 c 301 s 4; 1993 c 98 s 4,5; 1994 c 536 s 20,21; 1995 c 85 s 2-4; 1999 c 238 art 2 s 16-18; 2003 c 108 s 2; 2005 c 64 s 7; 2009 c 159 s 80; 2011 c 30 s 1; 2011 c 60 s 2,3
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How Generation Z Gets their News
By ripon_admin on February 15, 2018
by JACK MYERS
It’s been said that each generation learns from the past and that young people tend to be more progressive than their parents. It’s also been said that the generation just entering their adult years — known as Gen Z — is the smartest and most well-informed in history, having grown up online with unlimited access to news and opinions.
The reality, however, is that ubiquitous access to news and information may be having the opposite effect. According to a new study of 1,000 young people aged 18 to 32 conducted by Anchor Free for Jack Myers Knowledge Exchange, young people have become overly dependent on social and user-generated media and may, in reality, be less exposed to news sources than any recent generation.
When asked to identify their two primary sources of news, the majority of this cohort name Instagram (29%), You Tube (22%), and Facebook (15%) as the media where they are most likely to read/see the news. Fewer than a quarter of young people depend on newspaper or television news, with 8% reading national newspapers such as the New York Times, Washington Post, and USA Today, 10% watching broadcast and cable network news, and 6% exposed regularly to local television news or newspapers. Radio talk shows influence only 4.4% of young people, a number only slightly larger than Breitbart News (3.9%), and half the number that depend on late night TV for their news and information about the world. By comparison, a stunning 82% of Gen Z and younger Millennials include among their primary news sources Reddit, Twitter, Facebook, You Tube, BuzzFeed, Instagram, Snapchat and their desktop newsfeed.
When asked to identify their two primary sources of news, the majority of this cohort name Instagram (29%), You Tube (22%), and Facebook (15%).
Without the traditional filters of trusted news organizations and journalists, this new generation of potential voters may be highly susceptible to fake and biased news and may find it difficult to discern fact from fiction. Compounding this reality, Instagram — the #1 source of news for young people — is dependent almost exclusively on visual images, and none of the major social media channels invest meaningfully in original news reporting, nor do they provide user-tools for deeper investigative analysis of their content.
Accustomed to having real-time access to big stories via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, young people inherently distrust news outlets that were lauded by older generations. This is evidenced by a recent Future of Work Research Consortium survey of Gen Z teens from all around the world in which they confessed to being super skeptical of mass media. Only 4.6% of respondents admitted to trusting the media completely, compared to over 11% who completely trusted banks and 23% who trusted the pharmaceutical industry. These three categories were actually the least trusted sectors in the survey, and yet pharma and banks beat out the media by a mile. The result is a generation that prefers news that focuses on political and social content similar to their own, with only 36% open to news that presents views different from their own.
Historically, youth is a bastion where liberalism thrives, but this first Internet generation appears to be reversing this trend. Studies indicate that today’s teens and young adults are more conservative than their Millennial predecessors. According to the Knowledge Exchange study, the political polarization apparent in society also extends to the younger generation, with 28% self-reporting as liberal and 26% identifying as alt-right. Sixteen percent say they’re progressive, compared to 12% who are politically conservative. Only 17% are centrists. With limited access to news sources, a propensity to seek news that is consistent with their pre-disposed beliefs, and little trust in institutions, Gen Z and young Millennials will be difficult to reach through traditional media and even more difficult to influence. While it’s clear that social media campaigns will be a required component of any political campaign targeting young voters, the challenge will be how to effectively engage and involve a cohort that is disengaged from the political system.
There are also no clear issues that are coalescing Gen Z into a cohesive voting bloc. When asked to identify the issues most important to them right now, no major issue was identified by more than 10% of respondents. While they are more socially aware and gender neutral, more multi-cultural and global, their issues are unusually diverse.
Finally, a warning for those politicians and their aides who embrace politics as usual: Gen Z has the strongest “BS” filter of any generation. In other words, they can see right through the spin. At the same time, they also are the least likely to actively seek out news and information on policies, positions, and the priorities of political candidates. Their worldview is informed by their online friends and social networks.
A warning for those politicians and their aides who embrace politics as usual: Gen Z has the strongest “BS” filter of any generation. In other words, they can see right through the spin.
The compelling message for politicians and marketers who seek to influence this generation is that communications must be personal, highly targeted and should reinforce pre-conceived ideas. Generic messages targeted to generic audiences, and assumptions that Gen Z is a predictable generation, will be misguided.
Jack Myers is the founder of MediaVillage and chairman of Jack Myers Knowledge Exchange. He is also the author of Hooked Up: A New Generation’s Surprising Take on Sex, Violence and Saving the World.
In Defense of the Institution of Congress and the Return of Earmarks
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Red Ink Reality Check
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Creating One Out of Many: The Military Way
STATE OF THE ELECTORATE
Understanding GENERATION Z
What Generation Z Thinks of Washington
Ripon Profile of Pete Ricketts
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The future of autonomous trucks is already here. Several states are laying the groundwork for these self-driving behemoths. California, Florida, Michigan and Utah have passed laws allowing autonomous trucks to drive in platoons.
Autonomous Trucks Will be Rolling on the Highway
Len Calderone for | RoboticsTomorrow
02/15/18, 10:30 AM | Unmanned & Other Topics | Len Calderone - Contributing Author | autonomous vehicles
It’s scary enough to see a large 18-wheeler bearing down on you on the Interstate; but even scarier to see that no one is driving.
Autonomous trucks are going to have a serious impact on businesses, as they could replace corporate fleets for deliveries. Innovations in self driving trucks are poised to completely change the insurance industry by reducing accidents. We could see autonomous trucks reducing accidents by 80% in 20 years.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration adopted the Society of Automotive Engineers' levels for automated driving systems, ranging from complete driver control (Level 0) to full autonomy (Level 5).
We should see Level 4 trucks on the road in next few years. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration defines a Level 4 autonomous vehicle as one that can drive itself in most situations, except in bad weather or road construction, where a human will need to take over the driving.
Having a truck drive completely autonomously in any condition is a great objective; but no one is close to achieving true Level 5 autonomy.
There are still technical problems to be resolved; but those, who support the technology claim that self-driving trucks will be safer and less costly. As with all new technology there are risks. These vehicles will have to expect and defend against a gamut of malevolent attackers initiating cyberattacks. Trucks could be stolen by hackers or used as weapons.
When Level 5 trucks become commercially available, there will be upfront costs, which will be expensive, adding thousands of dollars in annual costs for additional equipment, maintenance and specialized mapping services.
There are many interactions on the road, which require many more decisions, necessitating more complex software then flying fighter jets. Autonomous trucks will undoubtedly cause accidents due to unanticipated conditions, including crashes that will harm other drivers. Yet, we will see positive safety improvements, as their crash rates should be lower than human-driven vehicles.
Other features that will make autonomous trucks safer is “platooning.” This is where multiple trucks drive very close together to reduce road space requirements and wind resistance. When the lead truck brakes, all subsequent trucks will break immediately, eliminating the reaction time that a human takes to brake. This can reduce road space needed for multiple trucks up to 80%. Take a look at truck traffic on your local interstate highway, and you will see a lot of space between trucks.
In Britain, they are experimenting with Platooning. Three vehicles will travel in a convoy. Each truck will have a driver who can take control if required (Level 2). The first truck in the platoon, will control the acceleration and braking of all three, using technology to improve the trucks’ trailing distance to reduce drag, which will cut fuel consumption and emissions. Road congestion will be eased, as the trucks will be as little as one or two seconds apart.
In 2016, the Dutch government organized a challenge. A dozen trucks, manufactured by Volvo, Daimler and Volkswagen subsidiary Scania, traveled from their production bases in Sweden, Denmark, Belgium and Germany to their destination in the port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands. They traveled more than 1,243 miles and crossed four borders.
Two trucks traveling 100,000 miles annually can save about $7,400.00 on fuel by platooning, compared to driving on cruise control, according to TNO, the Netherlands organization for applied scientific research.
Autonomous trucks built and operated by the startup Embark have been hauling Frigidaire refrigerators 650 miles along the I-10 freeway, from a warehouse in El Paso, Texas, to a distribution center in Palm Springs, California. There is a human that rides in the cab, who monitors the trucks performance. This is Level 2 control with a professional driver sitting behind the wheel monitoring the road, supervising the system, and ready to take control at any time.
The trucks have a custom designed dual-redundant real-time computer, which guarantees the accuracy of each command. Embark’s trucks run hundreds of self-tests every second to ensure that all systems are working as envisioned.
DHL, which employees more than 500,000 across 220 countries, said it will begin testing self-driving delivery trucks in the second half of this year. DHL will equip some of its existing electric delivery trucks with new self-driving equipment from tech company NVIDIA and the automotive supplier ZF.
The trucks will have video cameras, LiDAR and radar. The data gathered by these vehicles will help inform ZF’s ProAI self-driving system, teaching the AI to navigate along the delivery routes.
NVIDIA DRIVE™ is an AI platform that enables truck makers to fast-track production of automated and autonomous vehicles. The company has four high performance AI processors, which can deliver 320 trillion deep learning operations per second. This will allow for Level 5 autonomous driving.
Deutsche Post DHL hasn't revealed how many vehicles will be used; but said the move is expected to make its delivery service more efficient. The experiment will feature self-driving delivery trucks that follow a delivery person to deliver packages. The person wouldn't need to get back into the truck between dropping off packages; they'd just be needed to remove packages from the rear of the truck.
Of course, we can’t speak of autonomous anything without the name, Tesla, being brought up. Tesla has a concept truck, which we have yet to see what its autonomous capabilities are. A version of the Autopilot driver assist system is sure to make the scene, considering that Tesla has all the hardware and software to make this happen.
Will truck drivers survive the age of the algorithm? Are the days of the truck driver, as we know him, coming to an end? Trucking is a $700 Billion industry, where a third of the costs go into compensating drivers.
The future of autonomous trucks is already here. Several states are laying the groundwork for these self-driving behemoths. California, Florida, Michigan and Utah have passed laws allowing autonomous trucks to drive in platoons. Truck drivers are not allowed to drive more than eleven hours a day without taking an eight-hour break; an autonomous truck can drive 24 hours a day. This effectively doubles the shipping capacity at half the cost.
Of course, your kids can no longer signal a trucker to toot his horn for them.
The content & opinions in this article are the author’s and do not necessarily represent the views of RoboticsTomorrow
Len Calderone - Contributing Author
Len contributes to this publication on a regular basis. Past articles can be found with an Article Search and are listed below. He also writes short stories that always have a surprise ending. He has also written a book on wedding photography on a budget. These can be found at http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/Megalen
Instead of a new eyepiece or objective lens, the four-meter reflector telescope is being outfitted with about 5,000 fiber optic sensor-equipped, pencil-sized robots. The 5,000 robots will fit inside ten wedge-shaped petals.
What is Deep Learning
Deep learning is a machine learning technique that teaches computers to learn by example just as we learned as a child. We see this technology in autonomous vehicles.
A.I. —Rules, Learning and Reason
There needs to be standards by which developers are held accountable for the use and impact of their A.I. technology. Appropriate laws need to be written to govern the use of A.I. And most importantly, A.I. is a tool not a replacement for humans.
More about Len Calderone - Contributing Author
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Zimmer Group - THE PREMIUM GRIPPER NOW WITH IO-LINK
IO-Link is the first standardized IO technology worldwide for communication from the control system to the lowest level of automation.
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Home » Liability for Ancillary Staff in the Emergency Department: Legal Case Studies of Nurses and Physician Assistants
Liability for Ancillary Staff in the Emergency Department: Legal Case Studies of Nurses and Physician Assistants
Drug Misadventures: Medical-Legal Cases and Caveats for the Emergency Physician
What is physician/nurse liability for directing activities of EMTs?
Journal Reviews: Utilization of the Ottawa Ankle Rules by nurses in a pediatric ED; The prosecution of sexual assault cases - Correlation with forensic evidence
By Brian Snyder, MD, Gregory Moore, MD, JD, and Christopher S. Kang, MD, Department of Emergency Medicine, Madigan Army Medical Center, Tacoma, WA
While nurses have always had a presence in the emergency department (ED), the increasing prevalence and utilization of physician assistants (PAs) in EDs across the nation is generating a new and unique liability for emergency physicians (EPs). This article will familiarize the reader with pertinent legal concepts and recent cases that enlighten the issue of liability for ancillary staff in the ED.
In order to fully appreciate the following cases, it is important to understand three legal principles that govern liability in these situations. The pivotal concept is whether the physician has the ability to control the actions of the nurse or PA.
Most people realize that they are responsible for their own actions, and that if they are negligent, they will be liable for their wrongdoing. Vicarious liability is the legal tenet where, even though someone has done nothing wrong, he or she is responsible for the negligent acts of others. The main principle is: A master is vicariously liable for the negligence of his or her servants committed while the latter are acting within the scope of their employment.1 This principle is based on the concept of "respondeat superior," which is Latin for "let the master answer," dating back to Greek and Roman law. In order to apply "respondeat superior," a master-servant relationship must exist. The master is considered to have the power to control the servant, and although a salary is not required, this concept has traditionally translated to the boss-employee relationship. Vicarious liability has been considered a legal fiction that arbitrarily assigns blame, despite no negligence. The court's philosophy is that when a party has been wronged, someone must be responsible. The entity that is in the best position to prevent or mitigate the injury is the one who should be liable. A distinction to note is that an employer is generally not considered responsible for an independent contractor.
The case Lauro v. Knowles legally defined the elements that determine liability.2
Element 1: The principal "boss" indicates that the agent is acting for them.
Element 2: The agent accepts the undertaking.
Element 3: Both parties agree to the principal being in control.
In summary, the court stated that "the essence of the relationship is the right to control the work of the agent."
Borrowed Servant Doctrine
The "borrowed servant" doctrine evolved from old English law. In the past, farmers who needed help with their fields would "borrow" a servant from another farm to help. If there was a wrongdoing, the farmer who "borrowed" the servant was vicariously liable, not the servant's original master. The legal definition is: The common law principle that the employer of a borrowed employee, rather than the employee's regular employer, is liable for the employee's actions that occur while the employee is under the control of the temporary employer.3
A hypothetical medical example that illustrates this concept would be when a physician directly orders a nurse to do something that results in injury to a patient. Although the nurse is an employee of the hospital, the physician would be liable, as he has "borrowed" the hospital's servant. The hospital would not be liable. However, under vicarious liability, the hospital would be liable if the nurse unilaterally acted outside of the established scope of clinical practice for her assigned role.
Captain of the Ship Doctrine
Just as the captain of a ship is considered to be responsible for all that occurs with regard to the ship, the "captain of the ship" doctrine provides that a physician who exercises control over a group of other health care professionals will be held liable for their negligence. It parallels the "borrowed servant" doctrine but provides for a broader and harsher responsibility. This doctrine has been applied despite the fact that some health care professionals are not employed by the physician, but instead, by the hospital. In Johnston v. Southwest Louisiana Association, a surgeon was held responsible for a sponge being left inside a patient and an inaccurate sponge count, even though he did not participate in the actual count.4 However, the captain of the ship doctrine has recently fallen into disfavor in the courts. Courts are sympathetic that a physician rarely has complete control in the hospital environment, and that it is unfair to apply vicarious liability. The "captain of the ship" doctrine imposes liability primarily on surgeons in an operating room, in essence stating that they are responsible for the entire environment/arena. The doctrine has been confined primarily to the operating suite, but one can see where it could be applied to an EP in charge of a team.
This doctrine has fallen out of legal favor since the pivotal case Franklin v. Gupta. 5 In this case, patient Franklin was scheduled for wrist surgery. He underwent initial evaluation with laboratory testing, EKGs, radiographs, and a preoperative visit from an anesthesiologist, Dr. Lee. Dr. Lee identified Franklin to be at significant risk for anesthesia complications due to a history of syncope, emphysema, asthma, hyperthyroidism, depression, and morbid obesity. Dr. Lee decided that Franklin should receive a nerve block instead of general anesthesia, but did not record or notify anyone else of his assessment or recommendation. The following day, Franklin was evaluated by a nurse anesthetist (NA), who also decided that a nerve block and opioid medications were the appropriate choice for anesthesia. The nerve block was found to be "patchy" and Franklin received multiple intravenous (IV) doses of opioid medication. The NA then left to consult the supervising anesthesiologist while a second NA monitored the patient. The consultation was requested by the surgeon, Dr. Gupta, who wanted the patient placed under general anesthesia. During the consultation process, Franklin developed shallow breathing and became cyanotic and bradycardic. Franklin was intubated, received IV atropine and CPR, and remained in the hospital for five days, never having the originally scheduled surgery.
The plaintiff, Franklin, claimed that Dr. Gupta was at fault under the "captain of the ship" doctrine, since the operating theater is historically under control of the surgeon, and that, in this situation, the NA or assisting doctors were borrowed servants in a temporary master-servant relationship. The defense responded that a surgeon should be judged in the capacity of a surgeon, not as an anesthesiologist. The court found that there was no evidence that Dr. Gupta exercised control or supervision. It also stated that due to the specialization in medicine as well as within the relationship of surgeon and NA or anesthesiologist, the "captain of the ship" doctrine is inapplicable. The final decision of the case by the court was to reject the "captain of the ship" doctrine.
Illustrative Legal Cases Involving Nurses
In Minogue v. Rutland Hospital, an obstetrical nurse was instructed by a physician to apply pressure to patient Minogue's chest and abdomen during the delivery of a baby.6 The pressure was painful to the patient, who was quoted as saying, "You are breaking my ribs." The pressure did, in fact, break several ribs. The plaintiff, Minogue, brought suit, claiming that the employees of the hospital directly harmed her. The defendant, Rutland Hospital, argued that the physician was in control of the nurse's actions and, thus, the physician, not the hospital, was liable for the harm. The court concluded that the physician was liable, as he gave the order to apply pressure and the nurse was under his control, despite the fact that she was an employee of the hospital.
In contrast, a physician may not always be held liable for the actions of a nurse. In Ferguson v. Dyer, a 33-week pregnant woman, Ferguson, was evaluated in the ED and discharged home, but returned several hours later with worsening shortness of breath and respiratory distress.7 Ferguson was intubated and admitted to the ICU under the care of the attending physician, Dr. Dyer. After two days of mechanical ventilation, Ferguson improved, was extubated, and did well for 27 hours before requiring re-intubation. The nurse alerted a resident physician (not Dr. Dyer) after Ferguson deteriorated. The resident physician arrived and had difficulty intubating the patient, which resulted in an anoxic brain injury. The plaintiff, Ferguson, brought suit and argued that Dr. Dyer was liable for the actions of the nurse, as she was a borrowed servant. Dr. Dyer argued that while he could give orders and direct patient care, he did not have true control over all of the nurse's actions since he had not been notified. The court agreed with Dr. Dyer that the mere potential or possibility of control is not sufficient by itself to find liability under the borrowed servant doctrine.7
These cases illustrate that a physician can be held liable for a nurse's actions under the borrowed servant doctrine, but that a physician may not necessarily always be held liable. The ability of the physician to control the actions of the nurse will be the determining factor in the case outcome.
Illustrative Legal Cases Involving Physician Assistants
In contrast to liability for nurses, cases involving PAs almost always hold the supervising or employing physician liable.
In Flaherty v. Bell, a PA evaluated a woman with nausea and headache. He suggested several ancillary tests, prescribed an oral steroid medication without antibiotics, and recommended a follow-up appointment;8 a supervising physician did not see the patient. The patient had a sinus infection that subsequently eroded into her brain. The patient was taken to an ED when she deteriorated and was evacuated by helicopter to a facility with a neurosurgeon for emergency surgery. The patient had an additional surgery with partial craniotomy repair several weeks later and was hospitalized or in a rehabilitation facility for six months. The plaintiff, Flaherty, brought suit and claimed that the supervising physician was liable for the PA's care. She argued that it was the obligation of the supervising physician to actively discuss the patient encounter with the PA, instead of passively adding to the chart within a certain amount of time. This requirement was actually stated in the contract regarding supervision of the PA, and since the physician did not see the patient, there was a breach of that responsibility. The defendants contended that the plaintiff was contributorily negligent because she failed to obtain an X-ray and the blood tests that the PA had prescribed for her. At trial, the jury found in favor of the plaintiff, and awarded the plaintiff $2,290,589.14 and her husband $1,000,000.00 on his loss of consortium claim.
In another case involving a PA, Navarro v. Austin, a man awoke with a headache and double vision, and was taken by his wife, who was a nurse, to a nearby ED.9 They were greeted by a man named Mr. Herranz, who performed and recorded a history and physical exam. Mr. Herranz had trained as a PA, but failed licensure testing four times. He was contracted by a larger medical group as an expediter or scribe, but was not given limits on his duties. The attending EP, Dr. Austin, met the patient Navarro and ordered testing, including a computerized tomography scan imaging of the brain, and reviewed the results, but did not perform his own patient exam, thinking that Mr. Herranz was a PA. The testing was reported negative for an emergent condition, and the patient was discharged home with a diagnosis of sinus infection, and provided analgesics and antibiotics. The patient returned to the ED several hours later with progressive symptoms of gait disturbance, confusion, and worsening headache. A cerebellar stroke was diagnosed on repeat physical exam and testing. The patient fell into a coma after respiratory failure, requiring mechanical ventilation. The patient was determined nearly brain dead, but slowly recovered from his coma and moved to a specialized rehabilitation facility. After nearly a year, he was moved to another facility for five more years before returning home with his wife. At the time of the trial, the patient was able to move only his right hand slightly, could not control his bowel or bladder, and required a feeding tube because he was unable to eat due to multiple choking episodes.
The plaintiffs detailed a series of alleged failures by the medical providers. The larger medical group had never written a job description for Mr. Herranz that limited his role in the ED; never alerted its employees that Mr. Herranz was unlicensed and should not perform any clinical duties; billed for Mr. Herranz's work as if he were a doctor; and, although officially Mr. Herranz's role was as an expediter or scribe, had no policies or procedures that stopped Mr. Herranz from engaging in the unlicensed practice of medicine. The defense reasoned that Mr. Navarro's brainstem injury resulted from the stroke itself and not from delays in treatment. They relied on the fact that strokes happen and that cerebellar strokes are rare. Dr. Austin stated that he did not know that Mr. Herranz was only an expeditor or scribe and believed that he was a PA. The jury rendered a verdict for the plaintiffs and awarded $216.8 million. The EP, Dr. Austin, was held liable for 25%, Mr. Herranz was held liable for 25%, and the medical group employer was held liable for 50%.When physicians work with PAs, there are often state laws that define the scope of practice and relationships. Employer practice policies and procedures are often required, and will determine responsibility, involvement, and level of supervision by the physician. Compensating entities (insurance companies, state agencies, etc.) may require a defined amount of physician involvement for various levels of billing. While some states may allow PAs to work independently, in the majority of situations, the physician will be held liable due to the above factors.
There are several types of documents that are used to describe how a physician and PA will work together. These documents are often referred to as "supervision agreements," "delegation agreements," "job descriptions," "physician-PA practice agreements," or "supervision protocols." Whatever they're called, the purpose of the documents is to describe how the supervising physician and PA will work together; outline any specific requirements the physician has for the PA; explain how supervision will be documented; and provide general expectations for the physician and the PA. Some state laws require specific information to be included in the practice agreement. The best supervision agreements are general one- or two-page documents that allow flexibility and do not have to be modified every time the PA learns a new procedure or takes on a new task.10
Emergency physicians may be held vicariously liable when working with nurses and PAs. The key determinant is whether the EP has control of the nurse or PA. This control can occur either through actual direct employment or via a "borrowed servant" relationship. In light of the evolving composition of and dynamics within the ED workforce, especially in cases involving PAs, liability will be reduced if the EP follows established guidelines and personally evaluates the patient.
1. Restatement (Second) of Agency sec 219
2. Lou Ann Lauro v. Kenneth G. Knowles, M.D. et al Rhode Island Supreme Court. No. 98-74, 1999
3. Webster's New World Law Dictionary, Copyright © 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Hoboken, NJ.
4. Johnston v. Southwest Louisiana Association, 693 So.2d 1195 (La.App.1997)
5. Franklin v. Gupta 81 Md. App. 345, 567 A.2d 524 (1990)
6. Minogue v. Rutland Hospital 125 A.2d 796, (1956)
7. Ferguson v. Dyer, Ohio Court of Appeals No. 01 AP-619, March 28, 2002
8. Flaherty v. Bell and St. Clair Memorial Hospital, No. GD 03-23868. In the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Civil Division (2007) Pittsburgh Legal Journal, Vol. 156 No. 17 Page 299-303.
9. Navarro et al. v. Austin et al., Fla. Cir. Ct., 13th Jud. Cir., Hillsborough County Oct. 4, 2006 No. 02-6154
10. PAs in the ED. SEMPA. Retrieved May 31, 2012, from http://www.sempa.org/Resources/PAs-in-the-ED/
ED Legal Letter
ED Legal Letter 2012-07-01
Do ED Patients Have Legal Right to Receive Narcotics?
Lawsuits Alleging Under-triage Likely to Increase
Is ED's Quality Data Legally Relevant?
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Home › Blogs
HTSA Goes in as a Buying Group, Leaves as a Trade Consortium
The Group’s Spring Meeting in Orlando Provides an Update on Lighting Design and ‘Well Buildings’ Initiatives
Jeremy Glowacki ⋅ Apr 5, 2018
The era of buying groups as “line collectors” is over. The leaders for the three main organizations within the custom integration channel have become training and education partners for their dealer and vendor partners, cheerleaders for new business development, and thought leaders at the level of mini trade associations.
HTSA, the smallest of the big three, has only around 80 dealer members to serve, but its agenda could be considered the most progressive and forward-thinking. Its executive director Jon Robbins is not focused on adding new member companies, per se (although a couple will soon will be announced) or fixating on “buying power” and vendor discounts, but instead on educating his membership with in-field and back-office best practices, emerging technology thought leadership, and business growth opportunities.
The agenda of the group has changed so much since Robbins took the helm two and half years ago that he believes it should no longer should be called a buying group anymore. Robbins announced during his state of the business keynote at the HTSA Spring Conference at The Ritz-Carlton in Orlando this week that HTSA is now a “trade consortium.”
“Rebates and vendors, we love them,” Robbins said. “We still feel that as a member-owned organization we put more money in our vendors’ pockets than anybody else does. But we have so much more to offer with our education and all of these intangibles and training endeavors, new technology endeavors, the information sharing that we do, and the communication we do.
But why “trade consortium?”
If you look up the word “consortium” and how it’s defined, Robbins explained, “you’re going to see that it falls exactly in line with everything that we’re doing. We just don’t want it to be just about dollars and cents. And it can’t just be on the backs of our vendors. We have a responsibility to grow our businesses and our offerings and what we do well, with organic growth.”
Robbins likes to draw on the quote by hockey great Wayne Gretzy that HTSA needs to go “where the puck will be, not where it has been.” As part of its thought leadership, last fall the group hired industry veteran Tom Doherty to lead its emerging technologies initiatives. His first effort was to connect the group to lighting fixture companies that previously only worked directly with professional lighting designers, architects, and interior designers. At the spring meeting this week, the group was introduced to Paul Sciallo, the CEO of an innovative company called Delos, which, for the past seven years, has been studying the effects of indoor living on human circadian rhythms and how to improve to health through the use of light, air filtration, water filtration, and acoustics.
Mark Hoffenberg, president of AudioVisions, a relatively new addition to HTSA and its newest board of directors member, has been actively involved in three test projects for Delos to provide results back to the group. He’s making no money on the projects, but wants the spec homes to serve as a proof of concept for his own company and his colleagues at HTSA. It’s the ability to connect with progressive opportunities like this one that Hoffenberg says convinced him to join his first buying group, after 26 years in business.
“We joined essentially because of the best practices initiatives and the ability to spend time with the other larger, well established, forward-thinking, like-minded integration firms,” he said. “We didn’t join because it’s a buying group. The way HTSA is set up, you aren’t going to be in peer group conversations with your direct competitors, so you’re more willing to share intimate knowledge.”
With his Delos projects, Hoffenberg is working directing with architect partners to integrate the company’s Darwin software platform and recommended technology partners into the construction of the homes. Architects are an easier sell for this type of initiative, he said, because they already understand the goals behind LEED certification.
“LEED certification is all about having a healthy planet. It’s focused on being green through construction techniques or energy savings,” he said.
Similarly, Delos focuses on what the company calls the “well-building” standard, which is about having healthy inhabitants of those building. “It’s the intersection of architecture and design and health and wellness,” Hoffenberg explained. “For most of man’s existence, 90 percent of our time was spent outdoors with pristine air, pristine water, and circadian rhythms. Today, we spend 90 percent of our time indoors, and that really screws up our body.”
Delos wants to bring the good elements from outside into the home. The company doesn’t sell filtration systems or any of the other supporting systems for its Darwin technology, but works with vendors in these various categories and recommends best of breed solutions.
Robbins says that based on what the group learns from pilot projects from Hoffenberg and others, it will roll out the technology gradually to qualified dealer members. Eventually, it will provide integrators with a foot in the door with more architects and builders. “We can explain that we’re an authority on this wellness technology, then we’ll have the opportunity to tell about the other things that we do.
As for the lighting fixture initiatives also being led by Doherty, Robbins pointed out that the group has trained 80 people, both technical and sales, in lighting fixtures, since its October Fall Conference. HTSA also has formed an affiliation with the American Lighting Association (ALA) and is helping HTSA members underwrite the cost of joining that trade group. And, once an HTSA member company has its employees trained, and they’ve passed appropriate tests, they will be certified as lighting designers, according to Robbins.
For both the ALA and Delos partnerships, Robbins is quick to point out that the group must take the process slowly, pushing it into a new area only after its members are properly trained and supported.
“We can’t say, ‘Hey, we’re in the lighting business! Go out and sell fixtures.’ That’s very dangerous. Success is great, but failure can be very expensive. We have a huge responsibility to our members to know who may be ready and who is not.”
That being said, the group has done “well into seven figures” in lighting fixture purchases since the Fall Conference. “The business is there,” Robbins said. “We just want to put our people in a position for success.”
Since its Fall Conference, HTSA also has led three of its technical Master Classes through Maverick Technical Institute in Nashua, NH, training around 60 installers in that school’s week-long courses. As well, HTSA held a Standardization Master Class at Maverick, where the group invited in operations people and taught them repeatable processes. “We’re getting to the point where these guys from different companies are using the same color codes because they’re learning about standardization in the same way,” Robbins said.
The group also attended several Master Classes at vendor partner headquarters, including Sonance’s brand-new facility in California.
To help HTSA members in the sales process, the group is also providing its members with the new version of its Home Technology & Lifestyle Guide, a glossy, 44-page leave-behind brochure that is brand agnostic but syndicated for members to put their name on the front and the back of, as if they produced it themselves. If they did, it would cost about $20 a book, Robbins said. Instead, it’s a member benefit for communicating with builders, architects, and designers.
All of these efforts, Robbins said, helped lead to 36.7 percent more sales (at cost) through its vendor partners in 2017 over 2016.
For Frank Sterns, who leads Sony’s initiatives in the custom integration channel, HTSA’s success is notable but he was hesitant to play favorites among the big three groups. He does believe, however, that this is the best it has ever been working with the groups.
“In my whole career, I’ve never seen buying groups execute as well as all three are right now, making commitments and delivering on those commitments,” he said. “They’ve gone, in my opinion, from line collectors, to very strong, cohesive bodies of having strategies and working as a group to achieve them. I can remember being quite frustrated early in my career because dealers would do what they wanted to do and just kind of take a manufacturer’s money, but now they work much more cohesively, moving in the direction espoused by the group. I don’t know if that’s because the leadership is better or the groups are more focused or if things have changed, but all of the groups are better now.”
Crestron is HTSA’s most notable new vendor partner, having eschewed buying groups for many years. The company’s Phil Thompson and John Clancy were looking for what Thompson calls a “similar mechanism” to how their company goes to market, creating a value channel in the CI market. They felt that they found the best partner in HTSA.
“One of the things that we have been heavily focused on is lighting and shades and our new DM NVX over IP,” Thompson said. “We’ve been looking for who can be an accelerator or catalyst for that business, and although HTSA already had a number of our dealers, they don’t have all of them.”
Crestron saw that there was an opening to be the lighting and shade manufacturer of choice for HTSA, in a productive two-way partnership. “That, along with heavy hitters like Tom Doherty, was a really compelling reason to join,” Thompson explained. “We need to have HTSA behind us to give us the credibility to be in this residential space,” he said. “Having HTSA just turn around and say, ‘We’re a back-and-forth partner with Crestron,’ is just fantastic for us.”
For Rosewater Energy Group’s Joe Piccirrilli, joining HTSA allowed his relatively new company to brand build and reach critical mass for its niche power management product. “What HTSA does for us, is provide the ability to influence 80 of the most influential dealers in the country, in a very intimate setting twice a year,” he said. “That allows us to get our brand some form of critical mass that makes advertising worth it. It is that step that so many companies ignore, because it is so difficult to find that vehicle. From a purely economical standpoint, this in invaluable. It’s very important for us to be represented here and for us to do everything that we can to make the HTSA members successful because, for the long term, that’s what will make us successful.”
Thirty-eight-year-old Audioquest has been an HTSA vendor partner for a very long time, but for Shaun Scheutz the group’s twice-a-year meetings offer a lot of beneficial two-way dialogue. “Not only are we able to meet with some of our most important dealers one on one, but we’re also really able to pull from them. I think in all of our businesses, there’s always eight million things going on. There are a lot of distractions. Here, we can be a little more focused. And there’s the discussion of what we can do as a vendor to help the group grow, not just an individual dealer. A lot of similar feedback from dealers helps us figure out how to better serve the entire group. It’s all about being able to ask questions and learn.”
Tags ⋅ Buying Group Meetings ⋅ buying groups
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Quality, Reliability, and Durability 1
Reliability 1
Control systems 1
Charles W. Dingell 3
Bonifacio Calayag 1
Hal Strumpf 1
Helen Pickup 1
Kathryn M. Hurlbert 1
Oscar Buchmann 1
Stephen Tongue 1
Susan Rose 1
NASA Johnson Space Center 3
AlliedSignal Aerospace Equipment Systems 1
Hamilton Standard Space Systems International, Inc. 1
NASA Johnson Space Center Charles W. Dingell
Environmental Control System for an Experimental Crew Return Vehicle
A small team of NASA engineers has been assembled at the Johnson Space Center, with the goal of developing an inexpensive space-capable vehicle. In order to minimize cost and development time of the experimental vehicle, it was desirable to build upon a previously-developed vehicle shape. The basic shape of the X-24A experimental lifting body was chosen for several reasons, and in the case of the Environmental Control and Life Support (ECLS), the de-orbit cross-range capability of this shape provides for a minimal on-orbit time while waiting for landing opportunities, which in turn simplifies the ECLS. Figure 1 shows the X-38 vehicle body shape. In keeping with the goal of rapidly developing an inexpensive and reliable vehicle, the ECLS was developed using simple, passive systems where practical. This paper provides an overview of the ECLS mission requirements and design, with emphasis on the philosophy used in its development.
Enhanced Performance Evaporative Heat Sinks for Space Applications
An evaporative heat sink has been designed and built by AlliedSignal for NASA's Johnson Space Center. The unit is a demonstrator of a primary heat exchanger for NASA's prototype Crew Return Vehicle (CRV), designated the X-38. The primary heat exchanger is responsible for rejecting the heat produced by both the flight crew and the avionics. Spacecraft evaporative heat sinks utilize space vacuum as a resource to control the vapor pressure of a liquid. For the X-38, water has been chosen as the heat transport fluid. A portion of this coolant flow is bled off for use as the evaporant. At sufficiently low pressures, the water can be made to boil at temperatures approaching its freezing point. Heat transferred to liquid water in this state will cause the liquid to evaporate, thus creating a heat sink for the spacecraft's coolant loop. The CRV mission requires the heat exchanger to be compact and low in mass.
The Porous Plate Sublimator as the X-38/CRV (Crew Return Vehicle) Orbital Heat Sink
A porous plate sublimator (based on an existing Lunar Module LM-209 design) is baselined as a heat rejection device for the X-38 vehicle due to its simplicity, reliability, and flight readiness. The sublimator is a passive device used for rejecting heat to the vacuum of space by sublimating water to obtain efficient heat rejection in excess of 1,000 Btu/lb of water. It is ideally suited for the X-38/CRV mission as it requires no active control, has no moving parts, has 100% water usage efficiency, and is a well-proven technology. Two sublimators have been built and tested for the X-38 program, one of which will fly on the NASA V-201 space flight demonstrator vehicle in 2001. The units satisfied all X-38 requirements with margin and have demonstrated excellent performance. Minor design changes were made to the LM-209 design for improved manufacturability and parts obsolescence.
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Egyptian pro-democracy advocate Mohamed ElBaradei, former chief of the UN nuclear watchdog agency and Egypt's reformist leader, talks during a press conference in Cairo, Egypt, Friday, Feb.4, 2011. The Egyptian military guarded thousands of protesters pouring into Cairo's main square on Friday in an attempt to drive out President Hosni Mubarak after a week and half of pro-democracy demonstrations. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil) (AP)
ElBaradei seeks presidential office in Egypt
The Nobel Peace Prize winner sets conditions regarding a run for the top job in Egypt
Check out this article! https://www.salon.com/2011/03/10/ml_egypt_politics/
Sarah El Deeb
March 10, 2011 5:35PM (UTC)
Nobel laureate Mohamed ElBaradei, former head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency, said Wednesday that he will run for president only if a real democratic system is in place, not the reforms Egypt's military leaders are proposing.
ElBaradei told a private Egyptian television said that suggested constitutional amendments to move Egypt toward democracy are "superficial." He appealed to the military rulers to scrap them or delay a scheduled March 19 referendum on them.
"We are at a decisive period in Egypt's history," he told ONTV. "We shouldn't rush. Everything should be on a solid basis."
The constitutional amendments limit a president to two four-year terms. They also allow independents and opposition members to run, impossible under the regime of deposed President Hosni Mubarak.
Even so, ElBaradei said he would vote against the amendments. He said the changes don't limit the powers of president or give enough time for political parties to form, setting parliamentary elections soon.
The military rulers have said they want to hand over power six months after the ouster of Mubarak. The proposed amendments suggest that elections, both presidential and parliamentary, would take place during that period.
However, there is no proposed change in the laws that regulate forming political parties. This, ElBaradei said, would allow remnants of Mubarak's party and the well organized Muslim Brotherhood to control the new parliament. He also expressed concern that the current lack of security would hamper ability of authorities to secure the elections or protect people going to vote.
"After all this, how can the parliament be representative," he said. "I can't rule Egypt for one day under this constitution."
Since his return to Egypt last year, ElBaradei has reinvigorated a youth movement that reached out to him as a leader in their calls for reform, seeing him as independent, untainted by state corruption and as a figure who represents international success.
ElBaradei, a prominent figure in the mass protests that forced Mubarak out, appeals to educated and middle class Egyptians, but lacks a wider popular following.
ElBaradei described himself as a social democrat, and said, "democracy is my program."
"My first decision would be to bring all experts locally and abroad to install a new education system," he said. "Without education there will be no Egypt of the future."
ElBaradei said if he were to become president, he would restore relations between Egypt and Iran, severed in 1979.
He criticized Egypt's foreign policy as characterized by emotions and captive to slogans.
On the key issue of Egypt's 1979 peace treaty with Israel, which he helped negotiate, he said it was a mistake to forge a separate agreement with Israel, but he would not cancel the treaty. Instead, he said, he would try to restore what he called "compatible" relations with Israel.
He said the current situation is "peace between the Egyptian government and the Israeli government, not the people."
He said there a Palestinian state cannot be created through war, but he called the current peace process a "ridiculous joke." Peace talks are stalled over the issue of Israeli settlement construction in the West Bank.
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Galaxy Note 8 China launch expected on September 13
Samsung’s market share in China has been decreasing over the past few quarters. It’s having to deal with intense competition from local manufacturers. The company will certainly be hoping to gain more ground with its new flagship smartphone.
Samsung is yet to confirm when the Galaxy Note 8 China launch is going to take place. It will certainly launch its latest and greatest phablet in the world’s most lucrative smartphone market. Precisely when it does that remains to be seen.
According to a new report, the Galaxy Note 8 China launch is going to take place on September 13. There’s no word on the pricing as yet. It’s likely going to cost the equivalent of almost $1,000 as it does in other markets.
There have been rumors recently that Samsung might launch a cheaper version of the Galaxy Note 8 in China. The only major difference will be that it will have 4GB of RAM. This variant was spotted at China’s TENAA certification agency recently.
The Galaxy Note 8 with 4GB of RAM is expected to cost $100 less than the 6GB variant. It’s unclear if Samsung will launch this variant in any other market. Previous reports have suggested that the Galaxy Note 8 China launch will take place on September 13.
The company is expected to release the handset in China on September 23.
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Home » Contact » Company
Manufacturer of auto body repair systems
Autorobot Finland Oy is a Finnish family business. The company manufactures high-quality and modern dent pulling and measuring systems for vehicles. Autorobot products are used in all continents, in a total of more than 70 countries.
» Watch Company Presentation Video (WMV-stream, size 6MB)
The history of SmartPuller’s manufacturer, Autorobot Finland, started already in 1969, when the business owner and executive director Olavi Venäläinen founded a vehicle body shop. In his own body shop, Olavi found the body shop’s work methods of that time to be difficult and laborious, and so he had an idea of a device, which would make the dent pulling work of a vehicle easier and quicker. As a result of several years of active development work, a pioneering dent pulling device was created, which raised a lot of interest among the professionals in the field. The device was innovative in many aspects. It operated hydraulically, and it took ergonomics in to account. The first Autorobot device was sold in Finland in 1977. Export to other countries began a few year later.
The development of the SmartPuller began when the repair work of collision damage in the 2010s began to focus more dominantly on small damages, particularly in Western countries. We wanted to respond to customer needs, and bring to the market a device, which would allow vehicle panel damages to be repaired quickly and effortlessly. The SmartPuller device was launched in 2015. Customers have welcomed the product well, and we have received good feedback on it. The product is easy to use, and it does not require special training.
» History of Autorobot Finland Oy
» Awards of Autorobot Finland Oy
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VPN encryption and VPN protocols
VPN protocols and VPN encryption are a very important part of what makes a VPN service work. Data encryption, security procedures and traffic speed are the most important VPN features. This article aims to make an introduction to VPN encryption and VPN protocols. How they work, why do we need them and how to make the best choices in order to obtain the best performances in terms of security, speed and compatibility. So, let’s start from the beginning.
What is VPN encryption?
Why should I encrypt my connection?
How can I encrypt my connection?
What is a VPN Protocol?
What is PPTP?
What is L2TP and L2TP/IPSec?
What is SSTP?
What is IKEv2?
What is SoftEther?
What is Perfect Forward Secrecy?
What VPN protocol should I use?
Encryption is a procedure of encoding information so that only the owners of the decryption keys could decipher that information. It’s like a secret code that protects a message from being red by the people or computers who are not supposed to see it. But let’s go to the specifics and talk about VPN encryption. The way a VPN works is by creating a tunnel between computers from one end to another. The data that travels this tunnel is encrypted and afterwards decrypted when it reaches destination, so that nobody else on the way can read it. Encryption and decryption are accomplished by using dedicated security protocols. But we will talk more about VPN protocols, further in this article.
Maybe you are asking yourself: is this encryption thing just a toy for people who like to play spy games? Well if it’s a game, is more real than you think. Cyber-attacks, data thefts or just plain snooping are affecting users on a daily basis. Without a protective encryption you put at risk your financial information, your private data, you allow companies and governments to profile and monitor you. None of these sound very good, do they?
The best way to achieve an encrypted connection is to use a VPN service, there’s no doubt about that. A VPN is a network technology that ensures a secure connection over the Internet. Practically it keeps your online activity private and safe from any prying eyes. Because it encrypts all data and online activity there’s almost no chance for a hacker to read it. More than, a VPN provides an anonymous internet surfing by hiding your IP. This way you will get and encrypted browsing and your online activity becomes stealth to all the outsiders, including your internet provider.
Increase your online security and privacy.
VPN protocols represent both the encryption standards and transmission protocols required to ensure a fast and secure connection between a device and the VPN servers. The VPN providers offer to their clients various protocols, every one of them with specific characteristics. Depending on your protection and privacy needs, some of them might work for you better than others. The most used VPN protocols are Point to Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP), Layer to Tunnel Protocol (L2TP), OpenVPN, Secure Socket Tunneling Protocol (SSTP), Internet Key Exchange (IKEv2) and SoftEther. In order to find out more about their advantages and disadvantages we will try to give you a quick and relevant look to their characteristics.
Point to Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP) is one of the oldest and most popular VPN protocols. Created in the 90’s by Microsoft, was being used by almost all the companies interested in secure online traffic. It is compatible with every VPN device, supports up to 128-bit session key encryption, it’s easy to install and configure, without any external software required. Also, it works very fast compared to other VPN encryption protocols. But hold your horses because this wonderful, easy to use and quick protocol has one big flaw. It’s easy to crack. Yes, unfortunately, it has a lot of security weaknesses. Even Microsoft recommended a safer alternative like L2TP/IPsec or SSTP. Still, this protocol, because it’s fast, is a good choice for unblocking geo-restricted content.
Layer to Tunnel Protocol (L2TP)uses AES-256 bit keys or 3DES encryption algorithm and competes with PPTP on speed performances but, also, offers a much stronger security. It doesn’t work on its own, so usually it’s accompanied by the IPsec encryption suite. Nevertheless, in most of the cases, it’s easy to install and configure. We say most of the cases because L2TP could easily be blocked by some firewalls and, in order to fix that, it requires a more complex configuration. All in all it’s considered a highly secured protocol, although slower than others and relatively easy to be blocked by ISPs.
OpenVPN can use up to 256 bit encryption via OpenSSL and it’s the popular high school kid from the protocols class. It’s one of the most used VPN encryption standard, among VPN providers. OpenVPN uses a combination of SSLv3 and Open SSL technologies and combines them for an upgraded performance. The major pluses are that is very configurable, has a great performance against firewalls, so it’s very hard to block and it’s an open source. Also it’s very fast, but this feature depends on the level of encryption. Though, truth being told, it’s not as fast as L2TP/IPSec and it’s difficult to setup because it needs a 3rd party software.We recommend this protocol for users who are interested in a high security performance.
Secure Socket Tunneling Protocol (SSTP) is encrypted with 256 bit SSL key and it was created by Microsoft as a dedicated feature for Windows Vista SP1. Of course it doesn’t work with Apple devices. However it runs very well on Linux, RouterOS and SEIL. Not an open source, obviously, as it is Microsoft’s little treasure, so it’s not accessible for backdoor auditing. Besides that, SSTP is very secure, works impeccable with Windows operating systems and is able to avoid even the most powerful firewalls. But, again, we recommend it only if you are a Windows fan and you appreciate and trust Microsoft.
Internet Key Exchange, the second version (IKEv2) is encrypted with 256-bit AES key and it’s the result of combined effort between Microsoft and Cisco, and a good effort it was. Works very well on Windows 7 as it was a dedicated security protocol and also on the systems developed after that. Also it’s a good choice for Linux and Blackberry devices which cannot work with any other security protocol. It has many great features, like the capacity of automatically restoring VPN connection when Internet drops. It is superior in speed and security to many other VPN protocols and is a good choice for mobile devices as it reconnects automatically every time the Internet pauses and then comes back. The big downside is, again, that it works only for Microsoft products and friends.
SofteEther uses 256-bit AES key and it’s relatively a new bird on the wire. But what a fine exemplar it is. It was developed in 2013 as an open source and is a wish come true in terms of security and speed. If you need a comparison term, it makes OpenVPN to eat dust in terms of how fast it works. The throughput for SoftEther is over 900 mbps while OpenVPN goes with 100 mbps. Also its security is one of the best you can find. This great VPN protocol has managed to successfully integrate all the good features of other VPN protocols like OpenVPN, PPTP, L2TP and SSTP while eliminating their disadvantages. It is as fast as PPTP, secured as OpenVPN and stable as L2TP. The only disadvantage we could find about it is that is not yet very well known in the VPN club.
To answer the question what is pfs?, let’s go first to Wikipedia where we can learn that:
“forward secrecy (also known as perfect forward secrecy – PFS) is a property of secure communication protocols in which compromise of long-term keys does not compromise past session keys. Forward secrecy protects past sessions against future compromises of secret keys or passwords.”
Why is PFS useful? Let’s say a hacker gets his hands on an encrypted information that he couldn’t decipher. But he holds down to it, for an undetermined period of time, until he manages to discover the encryption key. And all the secrets are out in the open. But, with the PFS, this danger is removed from VPN traffic and it works like this: the client and the server use a cipher suite called the Diffie-Hellman key exchange. A new key is generated each time the user and the server connect. The code will never be reused or stored so the encryption is different every time and that make the secret impossible to break. Even if the hacker discovers the master key there’s also a session key that could never be intercepted. What this means is that a secret remains a secret and once an information is encrypted it will remain so in the future.
To find a good answer to this question you have to take a fair look to your privacy and security needs. Like different type of cars, if you like, VPN protocols are fast but incompatible with some roads, safer but slower, or they try to take the most of the advantages and keep none of the lows.
If compatibility is what interests you the most PPTP and L2TP are the choice for you as they are a match for major platforms while OpenVPN, SSTP and SoftEther are not.
If you are into accessing geo-restricted websites a lot then you need a high performance connection. For that PPTP, L2TP and SoftEther are the recommended choice.
For online security, anonymity and privacy OpenVPN, SSTP and SoftEther are ready to do the trick. For torrent downloading PPTP, L2TP and SSTP are the best for P2P connections. Of course if you live in a country where P2P is allowed.
Testing marketing and SEO strategies requires speed and for that you need PPTP, SoftEther and L2TP, or security which calls for OpenVPN and SSTP.
But enough about work, let’s talk about fun. So, maybe you want to unblock games and online servers. You need all the speed you can get for that. PPTP and L2TP are ready to start their engines.
So, taking all these under consideration you can now say that you can make a well informed choice. All the options are available for you, just take your pick.
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Report: Panthers' Bidding Price Has Reached Record $2.5 Billion
If the Panthers are sold for this much, it would set the record for a U.S. sports franchise.
By Khadrice Rollins
The bidding price for the Panthers has reached $2.5 billion, which would be a record selling price for a U.S. sports franchise, Scott Soshnick of Bloomberg reports.
The team was put up for sale by owner Jerry Richardson in December after a Sports Illustrated report detailing a history of confidential payouts for Richardson's workplace misconduct—including sexual harassment and the use of a racial slur—launched an NFL investigation into the team's founder.
Bloomberg reports the remaining bidders for the team include Alan Kestenbaum, the chief executive officer of private equity firm Bedrock Industries LP; David Tepper, a minority owner of the Steelers and the founder of Appaloosa Management LP; Ben Navarro, the CEO of the South Carolina-based Sherman Financial Group; and SAS Institute Inc. CEO Jim Goodnight could also potentially be interested.
Bloomberg also reports the $2.5 billion price point has pushed Michael Rubin, the executive chairman of the sports-apparel company Fanatics, to back out of the bidding. David Newton and Darren Rovell of ESPN.com report Rubin said he is willing to spend more for the team than what his initial bid was and he will remain interested at "the right price."
Rubin's bidding group reportedly included Sean "Diddy" Combs and Stephen Curry. ESPN adds that billionaire businessman Joseph Tsai is the only confirmed partner in Rubin's group.
Forbes listed the Panthers as the 21st most valuable NFL franchise in 2017 at $2.3 billion, sandwiched between the Colts ($2.375 billion) and the Chargers (2.275 billion).
According to ESPN, three-fourths of the league's 32 owners will have to approve the sale after Richardson chooses a buyer, and the most likely time for that to happen will be the league's spring meetings in Atlanta from May 21-23.
panthers selling price
jerry richardson
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"POKÉMON DETECTIVE PIKACHU"
(2019) (Justice Smith, voice of Ryan Reynolds) (PG)
Comedy/Action: A young man teams up with his father's Pokémon to try to find out whether the man's detective father, who reportedly perished in a mysterious car accident, is really dead.
Tim Goodman (JUSTICE SMITH) is a 21-year-old insurance appraiser who long ago gave up his childhood dream of being a Pokémon trainer. Some of that stems from his mother dying when he was eleven and the subsequent estrangement of his cop father who moved to Ryme City to be a detective. That high-tech metropolis -- where humans and Pokémon live side by side with the former no longer attempting to catch the latter -- was built by tech magnate Howard Clifford (BILL NIGHY) who's handed over most control of the company to his adult son, Roger (CHRIS GEERE), due to suffering from a degenerative disease.
Tim has no reason to think of that place until he receives word that his father has died in a mysterious car crash, something reiterated by Lt. Yoshida (KEN WATANABE). Upon visiting his father's apartment, Tim not only meets unpaid cable news network intern Lucy Stevens (KATHRYN NEWTON) who claims she was working on a story involving his dad at the time of his death, but also Pikachu (voice of RYAN REYNOLDS), his father's Pokémon partner. The extraordinary thing is that Tim and Pikachu can understand each other, but the latter can't remember anything about his past. Yet, since he was also reported dead, Pikachu convinces Tim that his father might be alive as well.
From that point on, and with the help of Lucy -- who's accompanied by her Psyduck Pokémon that could blow at any moment -- Tim and Pikachu try to figure out what happened to Tim's father and whether something nefarious is behind that, all while contending with a powerful and seemingly dangerous Pokémon known as Mewtwo.
If they're into any or all things Pokémon related they probably will.
WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG
For action/peril, some rude and suggestive humor, and thematic elements.
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Live Now: The Paul Finebaum Show
Memorial Stadium/Faurot Field - Columbia, MO
Arkansas2-10, 0-8 SEC
Box Score | Photos
Missouri8-4, 4-4 SEC
Missouri blanks Arkansas
Last reporter standing at SEC Kickoff
Strong leadership steers Tigers
Moorhead expects breakout year from Hill
COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Three years ago, Drew Lock's freshman season ended with a dismal performance in a blowout loss to Arkansas in a chilly downpour. A losing season coupled with the retirement of longtime coach Gary Pinkel had the quarterback questioning whether Missouri was the right school for him.
On Friday, only the opponent and the weather was the same. Lock threw for two touchdowns and rushed for two more to guide Missouri to a 38-0 victory over Arkansas in his final home game. After a rocky start to his career, Lock has led the Tigers to two straight winning seasons and positioned himself to be a high NFL draft pick, which explained Denver Broncos general manager John Elway's presence at Friday's game.
"The best way to put it is it just felt right walking off the field," Lock said.
Missouri (8-4, 4-4 SEC) held Arkansas (2-10, 0-8 SEC) to just 187 total yards and broke the game open by converting two second-quarter turnovers into 14 points.
Lock completed 16 of 25 passes for 221 yards. He went over 3,000 passing yards for the third straight season. With a bowl game left to play, Lock's career total of 11,820 passing yards is second in SEC history to Georgia's Aaron Murray, who threw for 13,166 yards from 2010-13.
"He's done a heck of a job of being Drew, being what we need him to be and playing really well at a high level," Missouri coach Barry Odom said. "He left his mark."
Lock had plenty of help on both sides of the ball against Arkansas. Emanuel Hall caught six passes for 153 yards and two touchdowns. Larry Rountree carried 29 times for 119 yards to go over 1,000 yards on the season.
Arkansas had no answer. Starting quarterback Ty Storey threw an interception into the chest of linebacker Terez Hall in the second quarter, setting up Missouri's second touchdown. On the next series, Missouri defensive tackle Jordan Elliott sacked Storey and forced a fumble that Akial Byers recovered in the end zone to give the Tigers a 21-0 lead. Elliott, who entered the game without a sack, racked up three against the Razorbacks.
"I did not think we played well up front," Arkansas coach Chad Morris said. "We've got guys that have been playing those positions all year long. ... Our inability to sustain some blocks was disappointing and put us behind the chains."
REVOLVING QBs
Morris made a change at quarterback in the second quarter, inserting freshman Connor Noland in place of Storey, who is a junior. Storey completed 4 of 7 passes for 24 yards, and Noland was 5 of 17 for 98 yards.
"Connor did some good things," Morris said. "Thought he got the ball out of his hand, hit some throws that were good to see. Obviously missed a few, but I thought the more he played, he got more comfortable."
Freshman John Stephen Jones, the grandson of Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, took over for the final two series of the game.
ARKANSAS CONNECTION
Missouri's most noteworthy player from the state of Arkansas, running back Damarea Crockett, did not play against the Razorbacks for the third straight year. He was suspended in 2016 and was injured for the last two meetings. But three other players from the home of the Razorbacks -- Fayetteville -- made contributions for the Tigers.
The biggest was Byers, a sophomore defensive end who scored his first career touchdown on a fumble recovery.
"It just came to me," Byers said. "Good things happen when you run to the ball."
The fact it came against his hometown team wasn't lost on him.
"That made it way more special," Byers said.
Barrett Banister, a freshman walk-on from Fayetteville who has carved out a role as a possession receiver, caught two passes for 12 yards. Backup quarterback Taylor Powell, who replaced Lock in the fourth quarter, completed 1 of 2 passes for 6 yards.
Arkansas: It was a rough debut season for Morris. The Razorbacks posted their fewest wins since going 2-8 in 1952.
"I knew that this was the toughest league in college football, and it definitely did not disappoint," said Morris, who spent the previous three years as the SMU head coach. "It did exactly what I thought was going to happen. You've got to have depth, and you better have some speed."
Missouri: In an effort to boost sagging attendance, Odom publicly offered to buy tickets to Friday's game for any fans who wanted to attend. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that Missouri took orders for 5,537 tickets, with an estimated cost of $138,425. But heavy rain and temperatures in the 40s no doubt kept fans away as attendance was announced at 52,482 but appeared far smaller than that.
"Weather-wise, it wasn't perfect, but I am thankful for the folks that were in the stands," Odom said. "For those that showed up, hats off to you."
Arkansas: Morris will have plenty of time to put the finishing touches on a promising recruiting class that already has 24 verbal commitments and is ranked No. 12 nationally by Rivals.com.
Missouri: The Tigers will play in their second straight bowl game and their 11th in the last 14 years.
PASS C. Noland - 5-16, 98 yds
RUSH D. Whaley - 13 car, 54 yds
REC D. Whaley - 2 rec, 61 yds
PASS D. Lock - 16-25, 221 yds, 2 tds
RUSH L. Rountree III - 29 car, 119 yds
REC E. Hall - 2 rec, 153 yds, 2 tds
How will SEC coaches in their sophomore season fare?
Dores setting the standard for SEC baseball
SEC Grads: Education lasts forever
Looking back at the magical 1997 season
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Session Newsletter (March 10, 2014)
March 10, 2014 by Creigh Deeds
Final Update from 2014 Session
The 2014 Session of the General Assembly is over; we adjourned on Saturday. However, the main work, the budget, remains to be accomplished. The General Assembly will go back into session on the 24th of March to try to finalize a spending plan for the next biennium.
Impasse over Medicaid Expansion
The big hang up, as I suggested from the beginning of the session, is the expansion of Medicaid. Opponents of expansion seem to be swayed by the argument that by refusing the federal dollars attached to Medicaid expansion Virginia will send a message to the President and in some way rebuke the Affordable Care Act. The predominant concern is over whether the federal government can sustain Medicaid payments, despite the requirement that the feds fund no less than 90 percent of the cost of expansion. The argument ignores the fact that the feds have never failed to make their payments to Virginia under the original Medicaid plan, started in 1965.
There are at least three reasons why Virginia needs to move forward with the Senate’s approach, Marketplace Virginia, to this issue.
First, ignoring the fact that a healthier population will result in a healthier community and a more robust economy, hospitals and insurance companies are already subsidizing the cost of providing healthcare to the uninsured. And thus, the people who pay the bills at the hospitals and the premiums to insurance companies are already picking up the tab. The people who will be covered by Marketplace Virginia are primarily the working poor, people who are already working but are not making enough money to afford insurance premiums and do not receive insurance through their work. For many, primary care is received through the emergency room, which cannot refuse care for a sick person. Those costs are subsidized by the hospital or other providers through increased costs for those who can pay and for insurance companies. We are already picking up the tab, and it just makes sense to provide coverage to the uninsured.
Second, the flow of federal money to Virginia, up to $1.8 billion a year, or about $5 million a day, is bound to have a positive effect on Virginia’s economy. Because the plan will provide healthcare coverage to over 200,000 Virginians, expanding coverage is expected to create as many as 30,000 jobs in the next six years. In an area where we need job growth, especially with a stagnant economy, this aspect cannot be ignored.
Third, we are paying for Medicaid expansion anyway. There is no doubt that fees and taxes went up at the federal level to pay for Medicaid expansion. In fact, Virginians are paying as much as $2.9 billion a year under the Affordable Care Act. Why should those dollars be spent anywhere but Virginia? It is true that we may not recoup all of the money Virginians pay the federal government under the Affordable Care Act, but why should we not receive as much as we can back from the federal government? Under the law, the feds have to pay 100 percent of the costs for three years and no less than 90 percent after that. What part of that deal is bad for Virginia?
Obviously there are people who disagree with my point of view. We will strive in earnest, I hope, to resolve the budget impasse as soon as practical. Millions of Virginians and hundreds of localities depend on Virginia getting its budgetary house in order.
Despite the budget impasse, the General Assembly did achieve some things this session:
Ethics Reform
A package of ethics reform bills passed, and, without question, raises the standard. For example, the new limit on tangible gifts to legislators is $250. However, for those looking for real reform, the legislation will not satisfy your hunger. One obvious flaw is that there is no limit on “intangible” gifts such as trips, or sporting events.
Increasing the Number of Judges
Every year there seems to be an argument about the appointment of judges, where the judgeships belong, and who gets appointed. To satisfy many questions, in 2012 the legislature directed the Supreme Court of Virginia to develop a system to evaluate caseloads and determine the appropriate use of resources in our judicial system. The National Center for State Courts completed the study on behalf of the Court in November. The results show that we need about twenty-eight judges more than we currently provide in the Code. Because legislators from different parts of the state can pick apart just about every section of the report, particularly those that dealt with their region, the report was somewhat controversial. Nevertheless, the report provided us with a metric to use, and we finally agreed to increase the number of judges provided in the Code to 429. That does not mean all of the judgeships will be funded, but at least it gives us a point from which to work.
Mental Health Policy Reform
My personal goals with respect to mental health reform were met. I needed the strongest bill possible to leave the Senate to increase my negotiating power with members of the House of Delegates. The Senate supported legislation to establish a 24-hour ECO period, a registry of psychiatric beds, and the establishment of state facilities as providers of last resort for any individual deemed to require hospitalization. While we did not achieve the 24-hour wait, the House agreed to the proposal to ensure that the state provide a bed of last resort. This is significant. It changes the paradigm. Under existing law, the issuance of a temporary detention order is triggered not by the need or behavior of the individual, but by whether a bed exists in which to place said individual. That makes no sense. The new process will effectively end what is known as “streeting”, where one in need of a bed is released at the end of the ECO period because a bed is not identified. We also lengthened the period of the TDO from 48 hours to 72 hours. These changes in the law will give the state enormous tools in mental health crisis situations.
But we cannot lose our urgency about the need for changes in our mental health system. We are still severely lacking, not just in Virginia but around the country, in our system of delivery of mental healthcare services. Importantly, my legislation creating a legislative study committee passed, and we will spend the next four years working to develop in Virginia a mental health delivery system that, I hope, can be a model for the rest of the country. In fact, I will not settle for less. I hope to examine and weigh the costs and benefits of every aspect of our system. Many argue that funding is the problem. I know that our system of community services boards has been underfunded and that the ones that work best are those that receive a significant amount of funding from local government. However, funding is not the entire issue. For example, a recent Inspector General’s report showed that one of the reasons we have a shortage of psychiatric beds is that the state hospitals are inefficient in the discharge of patients. I believe that we can squeeze inefficiencies out of the system and ensure that money is spent on effective, patient-focused care.
It continues to be my high honor to serve you in the Senate of Virginia. Should you have concerns, questions or views you wish to share, please contact me at (434) 296-5491 or [email protected].
Filed Under: Virginia General Assembly 2014 Tagged With: Ethics reform, Marketplace Virginia, Medicaid expansion, mental health policy, Virginia budget
Session Newsletter (March 3, 2014)
March 3, 2014 by Creigh Deeds
Last Week of the Virginia General Assembly Session
Every year as the General Assembly session winds down, it’s important to take some time to reflect on the things that have been accomplished, the things yet to accomplish, and perhaps the missed opportunities. With less than a week left before the scheduled adjournment of the 2014 session, a couple of things are clear.
The biggest opportunity this session has been to try to find a way to provide health insurance to perhaps as many as 400,000 additional Virginians and also recapture some of the federal taxes we are paying to fund the Affordable Care Act. Some people deem this the expansion of Medicaid. We in Virginia have come up with a different response, Marketplace Virginia, that basically turns this over to the private insurance market. Perhaps the next week, and more likely the next few months, will determine whether we are able to take advantage of this opportunity.
I have been on a journey to bring reform to the area of delivery of mental health services. The road to reform has been somewhat bumpy. My proposals, many of which were roughed out in my mind as I tried to process what happened in November, are moving forward. The details will be finalized in conference this week. These proposals are just the first steps of a concerted effort to improve our mental health system.
A number of other issues, some a regurgitation of past efforts and others brought on by the exigency of circumstances, have been considered this session. A few of those are as follows:
Legislative ethics reform has been put forward in bills sponsored by Delegate Todd Gilbert of Shenandoah County and Senator Tommy Norment of James City County. Both of these bills represent a very modest step forward, and many who call for reform in the area of ethics, including me, are going to be left unsatisfied with the results. Those bills will be in conference this last week.
Sunday hunting has been championed through bills from Senator Phillip Puckett of Russell County and Delegate Todd Gilbert. Those bills limit Sunday hunting to private property with written permission from the landowner and are headed to the Governor’s desk. He has indicated he will sign them.
Delegate Tim Hugo and Senator Dave Marsden, both of Fairfax County, sponsored legislation to require social studies textbooks used in Virginia to identify the body of water between the Korean Peninsula and Japan as both “Sea of Japan” and the “East Sea.” This legislation appears to be enjoying the majority of support in both bodies but is tied up procedurally right now. The Governor has indicated he will sign this legislation if it reaches his desk. The legislation has many proponents in the Korean American population.
My effort to increase the court fee paid by those convicted of crime to fund the Internet Crimes Against Children units in Bedford and Fairfax, grants to localities throughout the Commonwealth, and maintenance of the Child Pornography Images Registry appears to be stalled in the House of Delegates. The bill enjoyed unanimous support in the Senate. The legislation would raise the fee $5 and generate an additional $900,000 a year for this important work.
The legislature has tackled SOL reform through bills championed by Senators John Miller of Newport News, George Barker of Fairfax, and Delegate Tag Greason of Loudoun County. I also sponsored two bills on the matter. The number of tests, especially for elementary age students, will be reduced as a result of this effort. High standards are the right thing for our schools and students, but the emphasis on testing has diminished the role of teaching the basics of reading, writing and arithmetic. Many of the concerns some of us had about the SOLs when they were adopted back in 1994 are being heeded 20 years later.
The additional hybrid fee added last year as part of the comprehensive transportation package was repealed. As many recall, Governor McDonnell included the fee in his transportation proposal in 2013. Both the Senate and the House removed the provisions from their versions of the legislation. When the bills went into conference, the conferees reinserted the language into the bill. At that point in the process, the bill could not be amended. While many opposed this particular provision, a majority of legislators voted for the proposal in its entirety. Governor McAuliffe has signed the legislation, which will become law July 1.
For the second consecutive year, the General Assembly has passed a resolution to place on the ballot this fall a proposed constitutional amendment to allow localities to grant real estate tax relief to the surviving spouses of service members who were killed in action. The companion bill that stipulates the details of how this exemption would work is still moving through the process. Voters should expect to vote on this measure in November.
A number of bills were introduced to delay the July 1, 2014 start date for local governments to have in place new stormwater management programs that reduce runoff. Many localities were concerned about the implementation costs and whether they had sufficient time to put in place the necessary regulations and staff by the deadline. During the deliberations, a compromise measure came forward that makes the adoption of this program optional for localities that do not operate a municipal separate storm sewer system. The Department of Environmental Quality will manage a stormwater management program in those localities that opt out.
Over 2,700 bills and resolutions were introduced this year, ranging from resolutions recognizing great Virginians we lost this year to legislation effecting major policy changes. Today is the final day for committees to meet. In this final week, we will finish up work on bills in conference and take action on the bills coming out of committees today. I look forward to your continued input during this last week.
It continues to be my honor to serve you in the Senate of Virginia. This session is rapidly winding down and while it is true that some issues may not be resolved by the scheduled adjournment period, I expect to be able to be back home practicing law soon. If you have concerns or questions please contact us at [email protected]. We can be reached by phone in Richmond at (804) 698-7525. Beginning March 10, please contact the district office at (434) 296-5491 or P.O. Box 5462, Charlottesville, VA 22905.
Filed Under: Virginia General Assembly 2014 Tagged With: Ethics reform, Marketplace Virginia, Medicaid expansion, mental health policy, Standards of Learning
Session Newsletter (Feb. 25, 2014)
February 25, 2014 by Creigh Deeds
Nearing Sine Die
The 2014 session of the General Assembly is rapidly moving toward the scheduled adjournment on March 8. Both houses passed competing budgets this past week and bills are headed to conference.
On Thursday the House and the Senate passed out their respective versions of the biennial budget. As with all legislation, the budget bills must be approved by the other chamber. Every year, the House and Senate insist on their amendments and send the budget to a committee of conference. The General Assembly is expected to finalize the budget for fiscal years 2014-2016 before the scheduled adjournment, but the deliberations may stall this year over Medicaid.
At least twice this session I have used this space to talk about Medicaid expansion and about the Senate’s approach, Marketplace Virginia. A couple of things need to be clear whether or not we expand Medicaid in Virginia. First, individuals and Virginia businesses will pay additional taxes to the federal government. Second, Virginia hospitals will experience reduced Medicare payments from the federal government and must continue to provide treatment to the uninsured. The gap between the cost of providing care to these patients and the reimbursement will grow into the hundreds of millions of dollars.
The primary hang-up between the budget advanced by the House of Delegates and the Senate of Virginia involves these issues. Marketplace Virginia is an attempt not only to provide insurance coverage to about 285,000 Virginians but also to recapture almost $2 billion in federal taxes Virginians are paying. The Senate proposal recognizes the reality of the federal actions and tries to take advantage of it. The House budget rejects that reality and instead uses millions of state tax dollars to reimburse hospitals for the Medicare cuts imposed at the federal level. Under the House plan, Virginia taxpayers will pay for Medicaid expansion while nobody in Virginia will receive any benefit under that program. Virginia taxpayers will also be asked to pay a second time for the cost of Medicaid expansion through the reimbursement program to the hospitals.
Some of my colleagues in the Senate who have been philosophically opposed to the Affordable Care Act recognize that it is the law and believe we should put the law to work in order to benefit as many Virginians as possible. Enacting a market-based insurance plan to expand coverage to the uninsured is more fiscally prudent than doing nothing. A rejection of Marketplace Virginia is not a vote against the Affordable Care Act. At best it is a symbolic gesture, but the action will cost Virginians real tax dollars. The ongoing discussion about health care is at the heart of why a budget will likely not be agreed to on time.
There was some progress on my efforts to make changes in the mental health laws of Virginia. Mental health has always been an important issue to me throughout my legislative career. The community services boards, particularly Region Ten and Alleghany Highlands Community Services, have made great strides over the years in improving services, and the staff has kept me abreast of the needs in our communities. Family members of institutionalized loved ones have been vocal advocates about Virginia’s abysmal ranking for spending in these vital areas. Particularly after the tragedy at Virginia Tech in 2007, I have been involved in efforts to ensure that the laws will be responsive to the needs of all Virginians.
I did not ask to be more involved than that, but my circumstances have made it necessary for me to be more directly involved in reforming our mental health laws. To that end, I introduced a number of bills this year. I can report that my bills relating to crisis intervention are moving along. The legislation requiring the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services to reexamine qualifications for intake agents and establish a data base for psychiatric beds is still under consideration in the House. Disagreement remains about how long we should extend the emergency custody order period. I am confident that we will have a satisfactory bill emerge from conference. Importantly, the study resolution that asks for a two- year comprehensive examination of the mental health system appears headed for passage. It has been amended to specifically include the effective re-institutionalization of those with mental illness in our jails and prisons. Needless to say, this study is the vehicle by which we hope to make significant long-term changes in the mental health system. I am convinced that through this work we can improve the quality of people’s lives for years to come.
It continues to be my pleasure and distinct honor to represent you in the Senate of Virginia. If I can be of service, do not hesitate to contact me at PO Box 396, Richmond, VA 23218, [email protected], or (804) 698-7525.
Filed Under: Virginia General Assembly 2014 Tagged With: Marketplace Virginia, Medicaid expansion, mental health policy, Virginia budget
Crossover and Medicaid Expansion
This past week the General Assembly saw the crossover and lots of chest thumping. Both sides, Republicans in the House of Delegates and Democrats in the Senate, claimed to be the source of all things moderate and reasonable. The proof, however, is in the pudding, and people can make their own judgments. The big hang up at this point remains from the opening day of session: Medicaid expansion.
Paying for Medicaid Expansion
As explained in this space before, Medicaid expansion is an optional part of the Affordable Care Act. Payment for expansion, however, is not optional. Funding comes from federal taxes. People are already paying increases in taxes on insurance premiums and in other areas. Virginia taxpayers will continue to pay those taxes whether or not we expand Medicaid; however, if we don’t expand in Virginia, our taxpayer dollars will be spent to provide coverage to residents in other states. Virginia loses in excess of $5 million in federal funding every day that we don’t expand Medicaid.
Last week Senator John Watkins, a Republican from Powhatan, revealed a new approach to Medicaid expansion. His proposal, which would need to be approved by the federal government, would allow us to put our own brand on expansion and provide coverage to an estimated 285,000 people. The plan, Marketplace Virginia, requires recipients of the new coverage to pay a premium, just as they would if they had private insurance. The proposal also includes language we inserted into the budget last year that says if federal funding ever dips below 90 percent of the cost of expansion, Virginia will be allowed to withdraw. As explained before, under existing law, the federal government will pay 100 percent of the cost of expansion for three years, reduced to 90 percent in the sixth year of expansion. The premiums will be collected to apply against the state’s share of the cost.
Members of the House of Delegates argue that reforms to Medicaid must occur before expansion. Two of the primary concerns, however, are already written into the law. We already establish a minimum 90 percent funding level, and we require the payment of premiums. Requiring some form of financial responsibility on the part of the insured is a significant reform. What’s more is the unbelievable pressure that the cost of providing for the uninsured puts on our health care system. That pressure has shut down hospitals in Virginia and in other parts of rural America. Expansion of Medicaid will provide the necessary funding to keep rural hospitals open.
Impact of Medicaid Expansion on Treatment of Mental Illness
And, important to me, expansion of Medicaid requires equity between the treatment of mental illness and other illnesses. This will pump over $200 million a year into Virginia’s treatment for mental illness. Without question, this will raise the level of mental health care higher than we have ever had in Virginia. Expanding insurance coverage, passage of the omnibus mental health bill, and a comprehensive review of our system has the potential to bring much needed transformations in the delivery of mental health care in Virginia and put the Commonwealth in a leadership position among the fifty states in the treatment of those who suffer mental illness.
As Virginians we should not expect to be any less than leaders.
I continue to be overwhelmed by the kindness and the support I receive from constituents, people around Virginia, and people all over the country on a daily basis. It remains my distinct honor to represent you in the Senate of Virginia. If I can be of service, do not hesitate to contact me at PO Box 396, Richmond, VA 23218, [email protected], or (804) 698-7525.
Filed Under: Virginia General Assembly 2014 Tagged With: Marketplace Virginia, Medicaid expansion, mental health policy
Session Newsletter (Feb 7, 2014)
February 8, 2014 by Creigh Deeds
The 2014 session rolls on, and we are nearing crossover. Crossover is the time when the Senate must complete work on bills introduced in the Senate, and the House must complete work on bills introduced in the House. It’s called the crossover because after it occurs, the bills cross over to the other house for consideration.
Virginia Budget Issues
As usual, the budget is the major piece of work to be completed in this session of the General Assembly. In past years, transportation has been the topic at the top of the agenda. With the passage of the comprehensive transportation package last year, there are more arguments over spending priorities and how to balance the budget. With that said, the transportation plan last year has not raised nearly as much money as anticipated because last year’s numbers were built on the presumption that the price of gas would continue to rise. The good news for consumers is that the price of gas, though high, has remained fairly stable.
Expansion of Medicaid
Not surprisingly, the big issue this year with respect to the budget is the expansion of Medicaid. As outlined in this space a few weeks ago, I think expansion would be a good deal for Virginia. It would provide health care, including mental health service, to between 200,000 and 400,000 currently uninsured Virginians; and it would create a significant number of new jobs in Virginia. The federal government has committed to funding 100 percent of the cost of Medicaid expansion for the first three years and at least 90 percent in subsequent years. To me, it’s a no brainer: it is the right thing to do, and it makes good economic sense. A proposal to create a Virginia Marketplace to provide coverage for these individuals has been advanced in the Senate. The General Assembly is far from reaching a consensus on this issue, which risks tying up the budgetary process for a considerable period of time.
Contentious Legislative Proposals
A number of controversial topics have been debated this session that generated a lot of phone calls and emails. Among the most contentious measures are:
Sunday Hunting
This year a bill was fashioned by Senator Phillip Puckett and others to allow Sunday hunting on private property by the owner of the property or those to whom he gave permission. I have long resisted voting for Sunday hunting because I think there are things to do outside on a Sunday other than hunt. In Bath County, where I live, hunting remains a popular activity. In the fall, Sunday is the only day that you can participate in other outdoor recreation, like trail riding or hiking, without coming across hunters in the woods.
Boating on Non-Navigable Streams
Senator Dave Marsden introduced a bill this year granting anyone the right to float on a stream with a drainage area of at least seven square miles. The bill was framed somewhat innocuously but would have allowed, from my perspective, floating on just about every stream in Virginia. Because I was concerned that this approach would have negatively affected some people’s property rights and would have provoked confrontation, I voted no.
Currently there is a bill pending from Senator Bill Carrico that would mandate execution by electrocution, a method that is optional under current law, if the chemicals for lethal injection are not available. Starting in 1994 Virginia joined the trend of performing executions by lethal injection. Today, some of the drugs that have been used to make the cocktail for the lethal injection are in short supply. I understand why Senator Carrico introduced the bill. However, there are only four states that currently allow the use of the electric chair. I am inclined not to support this legislation. I think we need to make sure that our statutes are constitutional, and I am concerned that this bill will actually weaken our death penalty statute.
The high profile case involving former Governor Bob McDonnell generated a great deal of interest and legislation pertaining to our ethics laws. The bill moving through the Senate would create the Virginia Conflict of Interest and Ethics Advisory Council, expand reporting requirements to include gifts to children, require semi-annual reporting of lobbyists and elected officials, and cap tangible gifts to legislators at $250, among other provisions. The bill is pending on the Senate floor as we debate amendments. While the bill does not go as far as some would like, the provisions are an improvement over current law.
A large portion of my work continues to be in the area of attempting to reform our mental health laws. Two of my proposals, Senate Bills 260 and 263, and legislation sponsored by others have been merged into one bill. The omnibus bill will require subjects be held up to 24 hours under an emergency custody order, create a database of available psychiatric beds, and ensure people in need of hospitalization cannot be “streeted” by establishing state hospitals as providers of last resort. That bill is currently on the floor of the Senate, and I expect to move it to the House by next week. The resolution creating a joint subcommittee to study mental health services passed the Senate and is pending in the House Committee on Rules.
The response to my legislative work on mental health has been overwhelming. People from throughout Virginia and the United States have shared their stories and reached out to me for help. Getting in touch with your elected officials and voicing your concerns is critical to effecting change. The Governor’s Task Force of Mental Health Services and Crisis Response will continue to meet throughout the year. You can submit public comment here.
It continues to be my distinct honor to serve you in the General Assembly. This will continue to be a busy session for me, and I look forward to your input throughout the process. Concerns, questions, or requests should be directed to my office at: PO Box 396, Richmond, VA 23218, [email protected], or (804) 698-7525.
Filed Under: Virginia General Assembly 2014 Tagged With: Death Penalty, Ethics reform, Marketplace Virginia, Medicaid expansion, mental health policy, Virginia budget, Virginia transportation funding
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Home Uncategorized Naira gains, sells for 284/dollar at official market
Naira gains, sells for 284/dollar at official market
The naira gained on the second day of trading at the new interbank market as it closed at 284.83 against the United States dollar on the back of further intervention from the Central Bank of Nigeria.
The local currency had on Monday plunged to 288.8 to the greenback compared to a peg of 197 to 199, which the CBN had maintained in the 16 months to June 20 before allowing the naira to float freely.
The central bank intervened on Tuesday to sell dollars at the interbank market after floating the naira failed to attract trading between banks due to liquidity concerns, Reuters quoted traders as saying.
A total of $31m, sold between N282 and N285 per dollar, was done around 12pm, which traders said was an intervention by the central bank. The interbank market quoted the total traded volume at $73m.
The naira firmed to 281 after the dollar sales, recovering from a low of 287 it touched earlier on Tuesday.
On Monday, the CBN said it cleared a total foreign exchange demand backlog of $4bn, with a dollar exchanging for N280 at the foreign exchange market.
The Chief Executive Officer, Cowry Asset Management Limited, Mr. Johnson Chukwu, said in a telephone interview with our correspondent, “For you to have an appreciating currency, the state of supply sources must be quite strong. Today, the central bank is virtually the sole supplier in the primary segment of the market. Until the other sources develop, then the naira will continue to be under pressure.
“When naira liquidity reduces, the pressure will moderate. Naira liquidity will reduce when the $4bn that they claimed they have met is withdrawn from the system. It is about N1.3tn and that is about the liquidity that has been pursuing forex. So, you are going to see a moderation in demand.”
He added, “In the immediate term, you are going to see continuous volatility and possible depreciation of the naira; in the medium term, we may see stability; and then in the long term, we will see appreciation.
“Clearly, it is not a sustainable approach because the central bank does not have a limitless war chest to continue to intervene.”
The Chief Executive Officer, Chapel Hill Denham, a Lagos-based investment bank, Mr. Bolaji Balogun, said it would take awhile for the market to settle, considering that the backlog of forex demand had built up in recent months.
He said, “This is something that the central bank should have done six months ago. By now, the backlog would have been cleared. By delaying so long, the backlog builds up and you have much more to clear. We must clear that backlog.
“Investors are going to watch the market and gradually deep their toes back into the market. An investor who had $500m to $600m here is not going to bring it back at once. They will make sure that the market is working before they will bring in big money.”
Describing recent developments in the interbank market as the start of a positive direction, Balogun said the central bank might also have to tighten money supply, which meant that interest rate would go up.
The central bank, which has seen its reserves fall to more than 10-year low of $26.4bn, will struggle to keep intervening on a large scale to defend the currency, according to the UBS Wealth Management.
“They can’t do this for months. We could see further pressure on the naira and it may depreciate to about 300 per dollar,” Bloomberg quoted Jonas David, a Zurich-based emerging-markets analyst at UBS Wealth Management to have said.
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How to Make E-Books with Google Docs
Bilex - June 28, 2016
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/ Hystory
/ TULA - CITY - HERO
TULA - CITY - HERO
Under the walls of the fortress, in the morning, the bargaining noise. Boyko is traded in benches, on tables, piers (stalls). There are many who sell for "Altyn with money", just to feed themselves.
The city grew. There were new streets and alleys in it. The name of one of them has reached our days - Chernikov Lane. Someone was rich. And the main number of citizens - posadskie people - lived in hopeless need. Tailors, shoemakers, engaged in every handicraft, in general, fed a black work.
ARSENAL OF RUSSIA
By guarding the southern border of the Russian state, constantly participating in brutal battles with the enemy, the garrison, all the inhabitants of Tula were in dire need of weapons. The weapons business began in Moscow. But for those times from Moscow to Tula the path was not close. So there was a need to start a weapons business on the spot.
By the end of the 16th century, on the right bank of the Upa river, 30 blacksmiths settled under the decree of Tsar Fyodor. Along with the usual Kuznetsk work, they performed "the state's weapons business," receiving state orders for it.
From this small settlement the century-old glory of Tula began - the city, which was given to the people by sonorous and filled with a deep sense of definition: the forge of weapons, the arsenal of Russia.
The place for the founding of weapons production was chosen very successfully. In the vicinity of Tula long melted iron from the local ore, and if the iron melted, then the products from it were made. There was metal, there was skill, there was a need for weapons. All this, having united, determined the rapid development of weapons production. In 1632 the Dutch merchant A. Vinius, having received the letter of Tsar Mikhail, built water-producing ironworks near Tula and Kashira. On the Venetian road near the village of Torhovo, Gorodishchensk factories operated with two blast furnaces that were not inferior in productivity to foreign ones. So began the Tula metallurgy, widely known in our days.
As the metal of the Tula, which stood at the sources of the national metallurgy, is poured and forged, what peaks have reached in this matter.
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What You Need to Know 2001: A Space Odyssey
What You Need to Know is a series of in-depth sessions exploring the music being performed at Southbank Centre.
These study days take place in advance of the concert performances at Southbank Centre and are designed to deepen the audience experience, whether you’re a seasoned concertgoer or new to classical music.
Southbank Centre's Director of Music Gillian Moore leads a group of speakers who include broadcasters, writers and academics, all of whom have been carefully selected for their in-depth knowledge and expertise.
This series grew from the feedback we received in our award-winning The Rest Is Noise festival, where attendees told us that taking part in talks and events deepened their experience of hearing the music in concert. You now have the opportunity to enrich your concert-going experience all year round.
Choose a What You Need to Know session because you’d like to find out more about a piece of music that is unfamiliar to you. Come along because you know the music already, but would like to deepen your knowledge, or book the whole series as an exciting and engaging way to do a course in classical music in the context of world-class performances.
Members get priority
For your best chance to secure tickets for the biggest names when they go on sale, join now as a Member.
Our courses explore a variety of artistic and intellectual topics in a range of formats and time commitments, from single workshops to year-round accredited programmes.
Find out more about our courses here
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Soyuz MS-04 sends two-man crew on fast-track to ISS
Curt Godwin
Soyuz MS-04 launches from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Liftoff took place at 3:13 a.m. EDT (07:13 GMT) April 20, 2017. Photo Credit: Aubrey Gemignani / NASA
The two newest International Space Station (ISS) inhabitants are on their way to the orbiting outpost. Soyuz MS-04 lifted off at 3:13 a.m. EDT (07:13 GMT) April 20, 2017, from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
Expedition 51 crew members Jack Fischer, a NASA astronaut, and Fyodor Yurchikhin, a Russian cosmonaut, will join NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Pesquet, and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy.
NASA astronaut Jack Fischer, top, and Russian cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin wave goodbye before boarding the Soyuz spacecraft to take them to the International Space Station. Photo Credit: NASA
The Roscosmos State Corporation for Space Activities, better known as Roscosmos, is only sending two people inside the Soyuz instead of three. This was a result of a decision by the Russia to reduce the size of its station crew size from three per expedition to two in order to save money to launch a new module to the ISS – the decade-delayed Nauka science module.
The extra seat will afford already-in-space Whitson a three-month extension to her space stay. She will return to Earth with the Soyuz MS-04 crew in early September 2017, instead of early June, with Pesquet and Novitskiy in Soyuz MS-03.
Liftoff!
Taking slightly more than 10 seconds between ignition and liftoff, the Soyuz-FG presented a ponderous sight as its five engines – one RD-108A in the core, and a single RD-107A engine in each of the four liquid-fueled boosters – spooled-up to flight speed.
Once the engines passed health checks, the launch mounts released the rocket, allowing it to lift off from launch pad 1/5 – the same pad Yuri Gagarin flew into space from in 1961.
The launcher was pushed skyward by a combined 933,000 pounds-force (4,100 kilonewtons) of sea-level thrust from the five engines. Just short of two minutes into the flight, the launch escape system (LES) was jettisoned.
Designed to rapidly pull the crewed spacecraft away from a stricken rocket in the event of a catastrophic failure, the LES is discarded once it can no longer be used.
Not long after jettisoning the LES, the four strap-on boosters consumed their supply of highly refined kerosene (RP-1) and liquid oxygen (LOX) propellant and separated from the still-firing core stage.
The four boosters, now independent from the rest of the launch vehicle, appeared to form a cross as they performed a flipping and tumbling maneuver during their free-fall to the ground below. This aerial display is called the Korolev Cross in homage to Sergei Korolev, the inventor of the R-7 rocket – a precursor to the Soyuz booster.
Hot staging
At an altitude of 48 miles (78 kilometers) and above most of the atmosphere, the protective aerodynamic shroud covering the Soyuz spacecraft was no longer needed. Splitting in half along its length, the fairing separated from the launch vehicle and exposed the spacecraft to the harsh near-space environment.
The core stage’s RD-108A engine continued to fire, pushing the rocket and its crewed payload to an altitude of 95 miles (153 kilometers) and a velocity of 8,500 mph (13,600 km/h).
The Soyuz’s second stage (or third, depending on how the boosters are classified) began to fire its RD-0110 while still attached to the core stage – an operation known as “hot staging” – and separated approximately 4 minutes, 45 seconds into flight.
Hot staging negates the need for separation motors in the core stage, thus decreasing the complexity of the staging process. It has been a mainstay of much of the Russian spaceflight industry for 60 years.
Express route to the ISS
The upper stage’s RD-0110 burned for approximately four minutes, placing the Soyuz MS-04 spacecraft on a trajectory to reach the ISS a scant six hours after leaving Kazakhstan. In the past, Soyuz spacecraft have taken upward of two days to reach the orbiting laboratory.
Shortening the rendezvous profile to six hours – just four orbits around Earth – not only offers the benefit of getting a crew to the station more quickly but also helps conserve the spacecraft’s limited supply of consumables, such as fuel and oxygen.
With only a four-day supply of those consumables aboard the spacecraft, the expedited rendezvous and docking process gives extra margin in the event of an emergency.
Soyuz MS-04 is scheduled to dock with the International Space Station’s Poisk module at 9:23 a.m. EDT (13:23 GMT) and will be carried live on NASA TV. That will be followed by the opening of the hatches between the spacecraft and ISS at 11:05 a.m. EDT (15:05 GMT).
Soyuz-FG / MS-04 launch. Photo Credit: Aubrey Gemignani / NASA
Soyuz-FG / MS-04 launch. Photo Credit: Roscosmos
Video courtesy of NASA
Video courtesy of Телестудия Роскосмоса (Roscosmos TV)
Tagged: Baikonur Cosmodrome Expedition 51 International Space Station Lead Stories NASA Roscosmos Soyuz MS-04
Curt Godwin has been a fan of space exploration for as long as he can remember, keeping his eyes to the skies from an early age. Initially majoring in Nuclear Engineering, Curt later decided that computers would be a more interesting - and safer - career field. He's worked in education technology for more than 20 years, and has been published in industry and peer journals, and is a respected authority on wireless network engineering. Throughout this period of his life, he maintained his love for all things space and has written about his experiences at a variety of NASA events, both on his personal blog and as a freelance media representative.
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Social Security Programs Throughout the World: Europe, 2010
You are here: Social Security Administration > Research, Statistics & Policy Analysis > Social Security Programs Throughout the World: Europe, 2010
Exchange rate: US$1.00 equals 2,880 rubles.
Old Age, Disability, and Survivors
First law: 1956.
Current laws: 1992 (pensions), 1995 (social insurance), 2003 (public service), and 2008 (occupational pensions), implemented in 2009.
Type of program: Social insurance and social assistance system.
Note: In 2009, a mandatory occupational pension system was introduced to supplement the social insurance system for certain persons in hazardous or arduous work and in specific professions. Funded by employer contributions, the pension will be paid 5 to 15 years before normal retirement age, depending on working conditions and profession.
All employed persons residing permanently in Belarus, including priests and employees of religious organizations, members of cooperatives, and farmers.
Special systems for aviators, teachers, artists, professional athletes, government employees, specific categories of medical personnel, and persons injured in the Chernobyl catastrophe.
Source of Funds
Insured person: 1% of earnings.
The funeral grant is financed under Sickness and Maternity.
Self-employed person: 29% of declared income.
Employer: 5% to 28% of payroll, according to the type of industry and business.
Government: The cost of social pensions and subsidies.
Qualifying Conditions
Old-age pension (social insurance): Age 60 with at least 25 years of coverage including at least 5 years of paid contributions (men) or age 55 with at least 20 years of coverage including at least 5 years of paid contributions (women).
Qualifying conditions are reduced for war veterans, parents of children with disabilities, persons with disabilities since childhood, mothers of five or more children, and mothers of soldiers killed in action.
Partial pension: Paid if the insured does not fulfill the coverage requirements for a full old-age pension.
Constant-attendance supplement: Paid if the insured requires the constant attendance of others to perform daily functions.
Benefits are payable abroad under reciprocal agreement.
Disability pension (social insurance): A pension is paid for a group I disability (total disability requiring constant attendance), a group II disability (total disability), or a group III disability (partial disability), with at least 1 to 15 years of covered employment, depending on the insured's age when the disability began.
Survivor pension (social insurance): The deceased was the head of the household.
Eligible survivors are a dependent spouse; children, siblings, and grandchildren younger than age 18 (age 23 if a student, no limit if disabled before age 18); the insured's parents if they are of pensionable age, disabled, or care for a child younger than age 8 and do not work; and dependent grandparents.
Funeral grant (social insurance): Paid to the person who pays for the funeral.
Social pension (social assistance): Nonworking citizens who are not eligible for an old-age, disability, or survivor pension and are at least age 60 (men) or age 55 (women), disabled since childhood, younger than age 18 and disabled, or orphans younger than age 18 (no limit if disabled before age 18).
Old-Age Benefits
Old-age pension (social insurance): The monthly pension is 55% of the wage base plus 1% of the wage base (but not less than 1% of the minimum old-age pension) for each year of coverage over 25 (men) and 20 (women) years. An additional 1% of the wage base for each year of coverage exceeding 10 years in hazardous work (7.5 years for women), up to 20%.
The minimum pension is 25% of the national average subsistence income level plus 15% of the national average wage.
The national average subsistence income level is 266,230 rubles a month.
The national average wage is 1,116,820 rubles (April 2010).
The maximum pension is 75% of the wage base.
The wage base is determined by the Council of Ministers.
Partial pension: The monthly benefit is reduced in proportion to the number of years of coverage less than that required for a full pension.
The minimum partial pension is 50% of the minimum pension; 100% of the minimum pension for mothers of at least 5 children.
Constant-attendance supplement: 50% of the minimum old-age pension is paid for a pensioner aged 80 or older who requires care; regardless of age for single pensioners.
Benefit adjustment: Benefits are adjusted when the average wage increases by more than 15% a quarter.
Social old-age pension (social assistance): 50% of the national average subsistence income level is paid.
Benefit adjustment: The social pension is adjusted according to changes in the national average subsistence income level.
Permanent Disability Benefits
Disability pension (social insurance): The Group I disability pension is 75% of the wage base; the Group II disability pension is 65% of the wage base; and the Group III disability pension is 40% of the wage base.
The minimum disability pension is 100% of the minimum old-age pension for Groups I and II and 50% of the minimum old-age pension for Group III.
The minimum old-age pension is 25% of the national average subsistence income level plus 15% of the national average wage.
Expert medical rehabilitation commissions assess the degree of disability.
Constant-attendance supplement: 100% of the minimum old-age pension is paid for a pensioner with a Group I disability; 50% if assessed with a Group II disability and requiring some care.
Benefit adjustment: Benefits are adjusted when the average wage increases by more than 10%.
Social disability pension (social assistance): The pension is 85% of the national average subsistence income level for a Group I disability; 75% for a Group II disability that began in childhood; 65% for a Group II disability that began in adulthood; and 55% for a Group III disability.
For children younger than age 18 with disabilities, the pension is 60% to 85% of the national average subsistence income level, depending on the assessed disability.
Survivor pension (social insurance): 40% of the wage base is paid for each eligible survivor; 50% for full orphans.
The minimum pension is 100% of the minimum old-age pension; 200% for the loss of both parents or the death of a single mother.
Funeral grant (social insurance): A lump sum equal to the national average wage in the month before the date of the death is paid.
Benefit adjustment: Benefits are adjusted when the national average wage increases by more than 15%.
Social orphan's pension (social assistance): 65% of the national average subsistence income level is paid.
Administrative Organization
Ministry of Labor and Social Protection (http://mintrud.gov.by) and its local offices administer the program.
Social Protection Fund of the Population (http://www.ssf.gov.by) of the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection administers the program.
Sickness and Maternity
Current laws: 1992, 1993 (health), 1995 (social insurance), and 1997 (sickness).
Type of program: Social insurance (cash benefits) and universal (medical benefits) system.
Cash sickness and maternity benefits: Persons in covered employment or in military service; and registered unemployed women (maternity benefits only).
Medical benefits: All persons residing in Belarus.
Insured person: None.
Self-employed person: 6% of declared income.
The self-employed person's contributions also finance family allowances, unemployment benefits, and the funeral grant.
Employer: 6% of the payroll.
The employer's contributions also finance family allowances, unemployment benefits, and the funeral grant.
Government: The cost of medical benefits; the cost of maternity benefits for members of the armed forces, the interior service, and students.
Cash sickness benefits: Paid for insured workers, including foreign citizens and persons without citizenship working in Belarus.
Cash maternity benefits: There is no minimum qualifying period. Unemployed women must be receiving an unemployment benefit.
Parental care grant: Paid to those registered with the state health care system.
Medical benefits: There is no minimum qualifying period.
Sickness and Maternity Benefits
Sickness benefit: The benefit is 80% of the insured's average earnings for the first 6 days of incapacity; thereafter, 100%.
The monthly maximum benefit is 300% of the national average wage in the month before the incapacity began.
The benefit is also paid at 100% of the insured's average earnings for the insured to provide care for a sick child younger than age 14 for up to 14 days or for periods of hospitalization as recommended by a doctor.
Maternity benefit: Employed women receive 100% of average monthly earnings; students on leave from employment receive 100% of the education grant; unemployed women receive 100% of the unemployment benefit.
The monthly minimum benefit is 50% of the national average subsistence income level.
The monthly maximum benefit is 3 times the national average wage in the month before childbirth and maternity leave.
Benefits are paid for 126 calendar days (140 calendar days in the case of complications or multiple births). For the adoption of a child younger than 3 months, the benefit is paid for 70 days, starting from the date of the adoption.
Prenatal care grant: A lump sum of the average subsistence income level is paid during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.
Workers' Medical Benefits
Medical services are provided directly by government health providers and include general and specialist care, hospitalization, prostheses, medication, and other medical care services.
Dependents' Medical Benefits
Ministry of Labor and Social Protection (http://mintrud.gov.by) provides general supervision.
Social Protection Fund of the Population (http://www.ssf.gov.by) of the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection finances sickness and maternity benefits.
Employers and local social protection offices pay temporary disability benefits, as specified by law.
Ministry of Health (http://minzdrav.by) and local health departments provide general supervision and coordinate medical care.
Government clinics, hospitals, maternity homes, and other facilities provide medical services; the Ministry of Health and local health departments administer medical services.
Current law: 2003 (work injury and occupational diseases), implemented in 2004.
Type of program: Social insurance system.
Employed persons, prisoners working in prison workshops, persons employed based on a civil or legal agreement, and students engaged in vocational training.
Exclusions: Self-employed persons.
Self-employed person: Not applicable.
Employer: Contributions vary from 0.3% to 0.9% of payroll according to the assessed professional risk. (Contributions are reduced by 50% for nongovernmental associations with disabled persons or pensioners accounting for at least 50% of the staff, and for members of collective and state-owned farms and government-funded organizations.)
Government: None.
Work injury benefits: There is no minimum qualifying period. Work injury benefits are reduced by up to 25% if the work injury is deemed to be caused by gross negligence on the part of the insured.
Temporary Disability Benefits
Temporary disability benefit: The benefit is based on the insured's adjusted earnings before the certification of disability and according to the assessed loss of working capacity. The benefit is paid from the first day of incapacity until recovery or certification of permanent disability. The adjusted monthly earnings must not be less than 60% of the national average monthly wage.
Temporary disability grant: A lump sum of 6 times the temporary disability benefit is paid.
Permanent disability pension: The pension is based on the insured's adjusted monthly earnings before the disability began and according to the assessed loss of working capacity. The adjusted monthly earnings used to calculate the pension must not be less than 60% of the national average monthly wage.
Earnings-related benefits for work injury or occupational diseases may be paid in addition to other pensions.
Permanent disability grant: A lump sum of 6 times the value of the permanent disability pension is paid.
Medical services are provided directly by government health providers and include general and specialist care, hospitalization, prostheses, medication, and other medical care services. Supplementary compensation is provided for food, transportation, and other special services necessary in cases of serious injuries.
Survivor pension: If the insured's death is the result of a work injury or an occupational disease, a monthly pension is paid.
Eligible survivors are the widow(er), survivors younger than age 18 (age 23 if a student), old-age pensioners, disabled persons, one of the insured's parents, and other nonworking relatives with dependents younger than age 14 or disabled.
Survivor grant: A lump sum of 12 times the deceased's average monthly earnings is paid.
Eligible survivors are the widow(er), regardless of working capacity, survivors younger than age 18 (age 23 if a student), old-age pensioners, disabled persons, one of the insured's parents, and other nonworking relatives with dependents younger than age 14 or disabled. The benefit is split equally among all eligible survivors.
Belarusian Republican Unitary Insurance Company Belgostrakh (http://www.bgs.by) administers the work injury and occupational diseases insurance program.
Ministry of Labor and Social Protection (http://mintrud.gov.by) and its local offices administer the permanent disability and survivor pensions program.
Social Protection Fund of the Population (http://www.ssf.gov.by) of the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection finances benefits.
Ministry of Health and local health departments provide general supervision and coordinate medical benefits.
Current law: 2006 (employment).
Citizens aged 16 and older residing permanently in Belarus.
Employee: None.
Self-employed person: See source of funds under Sickness and Maternity.
Employer: See source of funds under Sickness and Maternity.
Government: Subsidies as needed from state and local budgets.
Unemployment benefit: The insured must be unemployed, of working-age, and residing in Belarus. The insured must register at the state employment office as unemployed (must not be enrolled in a day-program at an educational institute, enlisted in military or government service, or engaged in a business pursuit) and be able and willing to work. Unemployment must be involuntary.
70% of average earnings of all employees at the last place of employment are paid for the first 13 weeks and 50% for the next 13 weeks for those who were employed full-time (or employed for at least 12 weeks in the last 12-month period).
For an unemployed person who had more than 12 months of covered employment (but fewer than 12 weeks of paid work in the last 12 months) or for workers returning to work after a period of interruption longer than 12 months but with at least 12 months of covered employment, the benefit is 100% of the wage base for the first 13 weeks and 75% for the next 13 weeks.
For an unemployed person who is a first time job seeker or for an unemployed person who has had a prolonged interruption from work and who has worked for less than a year in total, the benefit is 85% of the wage base for 13 weeks and 70% for the next 13 weeks.
For an unemployed person who is ineligible for regular unemployment benefits, but was gainfully employed in public works for at least 22 days, the benefit is 100% of the wage base for the first 13 weeks and 75% of the wage base for the next 13 weeks.
The maximum benefit is twice the wage base.
State Employment Service of the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection (http://mintrud.gov.by) and its local offices administer the program.
Family Allowances
Current law: 1992 (family benefits).
Type of program: Universal and social assistance system.
Families permanently residing in Belarus with one or more children.
Government: Subsidies as needed from federal and local governments.
Family allowances: Paid for all children younger than age 3 and for children aged 3 to 16 (aged 18 if a student and not receiving an education grant) if their families' monthly income does not exceed 80% of the national average subsistence income level as of September in the previous year.
Families caring for a child aged 3 to 18 with a disability are not subject to a means test and receive full benefits.
Sick child care allowance: Paid for a child younger than age 14 in outpatient care or a child younger than age 5 if hospitalized.
Disabled child care allowance: Paid to nonworking persons who are not pensioners and who care for a child younger than age 18 with a disability.
Additional monthly allowances: Paid for children under certain conditions.
Birth grant: Paid for the birth of a child.
Family Allowance Benefits
Family allowances: For a child younger than age 3, monthly allowances of 100% of the national average subsistence income level are paid to non-working women; 50% to women employed more than 50% or with a child in kindergarten.
For a child older aged 3 or older, 30% of the national average subsistence income level is paid for each child whose family income does not exceed 60% of the average national average subsistence income level for September of the previous year; 50% of the benefit is paid if family income is 61% to 80% of the average national average subsistence income level for September of the previous year.
Sick child care allowance: 100% of the salary of the parent who cares for the child is paid for up to 14 days for outpatient care; without limit for hospitalization.
Disabled child care allowance: 65% of the national average subsistence income level is paid.
Additional monthly allowances: 75% of the national average subsistence income level is paid for children up to age 18 months with an unmarried mother; 40% for children from age 18 months to age 3 with an unmarried mother.
A single parent not receiving alimony receives 40% the national average subsistence income level for each child until age 16 (age 18 if a student).
Families with children younger than age 18 with disabilities as well as wives of soldiers on regular duty receive 40% of the national average subsistence income level.
Each child younger than age 18 diagnosed with HIV or AIDS receives 45% of the national average subsistence income level.
Birth grant: A lump sum of 500% of the national average subsistence income level is paid for the first child; 700% for subsequent children.
Additional grants are paid for multiple births and for families with several children.
Ministry of Labor and Social Protection (http://mintrud.gov.by) provides general oversight of the program.
Social Protection Fund of the Population (http://www.ssf.gov.by) administers the program.
Enterprises and employers pay benefits to employees.
Local offices of the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection (http://mintrud.gov.by) administers benefits for nonworking mothers.
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Personal Responsibility As An American
The Declaration of Independence placed significant emphasis on the following words: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” (Seven words burned into the minds of all Americans.)
These seven words are so profound and powerful, that they are seen as the foundation stone to the Constitution of the United States. These words however were only the guide lines that a Bill of Rights would later use the prophetic words: “in order to form a more perfect union”. And, as could be expected and predicted by The Framers of our government, apparent additions and clarifications became necessary.
But, these words, original or amended, were only set to describe what the government was to do. It was up to each citizen to take upon themselves a personal responsibility to ensure that their own rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness were not abridged, and that their entitlement to these truths did not infringe upon the same inalienable rights of another.
A precarious balance on the scales of justice! With the rights of one citizen on one side and the rights of another on the other side of the scale, the balance would be the same and equal. This is where the genius of our founding fathers once again becomes apparent. The Government with all the legislative powers to make laws, rules, and regulations sits in the middle of the scales as a “balance” to the two sides. With equal entitlement to the rights set forth in the Constitution, it is the personal responsibility of either side to “follow the rules”. When the laws and rules are not followed by one side or the other, the balance then should lean toward that of the citizen that did follow the rules. I would call this justice.
I recently heard a professor from Hillsdale College make an interesting comment. What he said, meant to me, that of those seven profound words in our Declaration of Independence; only three are personally left up to us: “pursuit of Happiness”. As individuals, happiness is the only thing that we personally have any control over. Happiness is a very personal thing that has as many different meanings as there are people. Life and death are ultimately decided by God. Liberty while given by God; is controlled and regulated by others and The Law for the benefit of all the people of this country.
So, when you next consider: “What makes me happy?” I ask you also to consider three things. Am I breaking any existing laws, rules, or regulations? Am I infringing upon the rights of others? And, will what I am contemplating really make me happy?
It is our personal responsibility not only to ourselves, but also to the common good, for each of us as Americans to follow the laws, rules and regulations that are legal, just, and legislatively agreed upon by our government. This I believe will ensure that our right to liberty endures. Take responsibility for your actions and be accountable for the results.
Learn About This Author
Mike Holland
Michael “Mike” Holland: Born in Chicago, Illinois March 7, 1952. Mike, growing up in the turbulent 1960’s joined the Marine Corps in 1969 serving for eleven years, and was Honorably Discharged at the rank of Staff Sergeant. After a brief time in civilian life, he returned to the military in 1980 where he served in the Navy for another nine and a half years being Honorably Discharged at the rank of Chief Petty Officer in 1989. His beliefs in Patriotism, Honor, Duty, and Integrity were acquired through these years of military service. Here, he acquired his beliefs and opinions in the greatness of America through living and working alongside all persons who make up the fabric of our Country. His global opinions have been formulated through his first hand personal experiences in and around the cultures of at least eight other foreign countries. Mike and his Wife Jan, also a Navy Veteran, now make their home in Levering, Michigan.
Steve Gruber ©
Website Design by Michigan Creative
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Priest in Charge Search
The Search Committee
The Vestry is the Search Committee. The Search Committee is chaired by Carly Greenwald.
At St. Gabriel’s, we embrace the Episcopal traditions, but we are a flexible community, understanding people’s imperfections and welcoming changes. We like to say: “Come as you are” and this is true for inward spirit and outward appearance. This is a community with a strong sense of family with each of its multiple congregations. We have very strong lay ministers – all who are very dedicated to our ministries. We look for new ways to bring the love of God to those who may not come within our doors and bravely adapt current ministries and create new ministries to meet these needs.
Our ministries include:
A strong youth program
A day school for infants through Pre-k, with before and after school through 6th grade
A recovery ministry including a weekly worship service
Strong pastoral connection to the continuing care facility adjacent to our property
A new ministry of Laundry Love
St. Gabriel’s is in a period of transition – where we will need guidance to decide how best we should next serve our community effectively. We will look to our next priest to help us define our vision, giving patient guidance, and encouraging our lay ministers to set new paths. Preaching and teaching will play a big role in this as well to keep our congregation engaged and inspired.
The Hill School
The Wyndcroft School
Philadelphia Region
St. Gabriel’s Church was founded in 1720 by a group of Swedish Lutherans who had earlier moved to Berks County from the area in and around Philadelphia. We are the oldest congregation in Berks County with services first being held in 1708 by the Reverend Andrew Sandel.
Our parish began as a Swedish Lutheran congregation; however, they were not able to secure regular sustained ministry from their own clergy. In 1760, St. Gabriel’s formally joined the Church of England, ending our relationship with the Swedish Lutheran Church organization and was provided with Anglican ministers. The relations between the Church of England and the Swedish Lutheran Churches in this country had been most cordial and intimate. The ministers preached interchangeably in many of the churches and the same liturgy eventually came to be used in both.
St. Gabriel’s Church was one of eight parishes that formed the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania after the Revolutionary War. Deputies from St. Gabriel’s were at the General Convention, which elected the Rt. Rev. William White to be the first Bishop of Pennsylvania. We also helped to form the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America.
The 1801 stone building, affectionately known as the “1801 Chapel”, served as our church until 1884, when the current church building was completed. The cornerstone of this new building was laid on October 19, 1881. It was first occupied for worship in January 1884, and on December 8, 1887, was consecrated to the service of God by the First Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Central Pennsylvania, the Rt. Rev. M.A. DeWolfe, D.D.
The 1801 Chapel was “remodeled” around 1890. The Chapel was restored to its original state between 1960 and 1975, and was placed on the National Register of Historic Sites in 1978.
The “1801 Chapel” still plays a large part in our worship life as we hold our Saturday service in the Chapel as well as Christmas Eve, Thanksgiving Eve and Memorial Day services. The Chapel has been home to non-denominational congregations – New Horizons Church and Heart’s Ablaze Fellowship.
In 2000 the Good Shepherd Learning Center opened, a Christian-based daycare center providing a much-needed outreach to the community in the region. This vital ministry has maintained a four star rating under the Keystone Stars program.
Land next to the 1884 Church was purchased in 1990. In 2005 the Villa at Morlatton, renamed to the Keystone Villa, opened its doors as an independent living center. Since 2005, The Villa has expanded its facility and added additional services for the elderly to include assisted living and memory care.
St. Gabriel’s interacts with Villa residents in several ways. There a two services held weekly at the Villa and children from both the Sunday School and the Good Shepherd Learning Center frequently visit residents.
Over the years St. Gabriel’s has been the home of Boy Scout Troops, Girl Scout Troops, AA groups, other Community groups, Hope Methodist Church, New Horizons Church, Heart’s Ablaze Fellowship Church, and Hopewell Love in the Name of Christ to name a few. St. Gabriel’s has also served as a “way” station for people in the discernment process on their way to ordained ministry.
In preparation for the 300th Anniversary celebration, the Property Committee has worked to address the condition of the various buildings and planning for several events to celebrate the anniversary are underway.
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Morgan Gibbs-White pays tribute to 'mentor' Cyrille Regis
Former West Brom and England striker has died aged 59
David Broome
KOLKATA, INDIA - OCTOBER 28: Morgan Gibbs White celebrates with the trophy after winning the FIFA U-17 World Cup India 2017 Final match between England and Spain at Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan on October 28, 2017 in Kolkata, India. (Photo by Buda Mendes - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
A STAFFORD football star says he has been left “speechless” after the sudden death of his mentor, Cyrille Regis.
Former West Bromwich Albion, Coventry City and England striker Regis passed away on Monday, aged 59, after a suspected heart attack.
Stafford-born Gibbs-White has had a meteoric rise over the past year, making his debut for Wolverhampton Wanderers and then helping England Under-17s to lift the World Cup last year.
Morgan Gibbs-White stars as England Under-17s win World Cup
And he credits Regis with a helping hand in his football journey.
He said on Twitter: “Speechless and hurt to say the least.
“The best mentor I could have wished for, he helped me in so many ways and gave me the best advice – and that definitely improved me as a player.
“A great friend to me and my family.
“My thoughts are with you and your family big man RIP.”
Football world stunned by sudden death of West Brom legend Cyrille Regis
Regis won five caps for England between 1982 and 1987, having been one of the stars of the Baggies team between 1977 and 1984.
Coventry City's Cyrille Regis and Manchester United's John Sivebaek battle for the ball in January 1987. Regis, a former West Brom and England striker, has died aged 59.
He scored 112 goals in 297 appearances for Albion before moving on to Coventry, winning the FA Cup with the Sky Blues in 1987.
The Professional Footballers’ Association announced the news and later Tweeted: “A true gentleman and legend, he will be deeply missed. Our sympathies to his family and friends.”
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Regis was born in French Guiana in February 1958, but moved to London with his family at the age of five.
He did not come through the youth ranks with a professional football club and was instead spotted playing Sunday morning football by the chairman of Surrey non-league club Molesey.
West Brom signed him for £5,000 in May 1977 and he made a spectacular start, scoring twice in a League Cup tie against Rotherham in September of that year.
And along with Laurie Cunningham and Brendon Batson, who joined Albion in 1978, the trio of black players were nicknamed ‘The Three Degrees’.
He was voted the PFA Young Player of the Year for 1978.
After his stint at Coventry, Regis also played for Aston Villa, Wolves, Wycombe Wanderers and Chester before ending his playing career in 1996.
Premier League gossip: Chelsea to launch shock move for striker
He briefly return to West Brom in a coaching role, but then became a football agent with the Stellar Group.
Former West Bromwich Albion player Cyrille Regis,who has died aged 59. (Image: Mike Egerton)
England Football Team
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Mar 21, 2018, 5:00 am SGT
http://str.sg/oTjh
Broadway stars release gun control song
Two of Broadway's biggest stars, Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda and Dear Evan Hansen star Ben Platt, teamed up to release a song on Monday in support of the March For Our Lives gun control movement started by students at a Florida high school.
Miranda and Platt recorded a mash-up of two songs from their respective shows, called Found/Tonight. A portion of the proceeds from the song will support the initiative aimed at pressuring American lawmakers to tighten laws on gun ownership.
Fifth Harmony take a break
Popular girl group Fifth Harmony announced on Monday that their members would be taking an indefinite break to pursue solo careers. Camila Cabello left the band, which were put together on the reality series The X Factor, in 2016.
New Dior Homme designer
British designer Kim Jones was confirmed as the new artistic director of Dior Homme on Monday, two months after he stepped down as artistic director of menswear at Louis Vuitton. He will replace Kris Van Assche, who had been in the role for 11 years.
A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on March 21, 2018, with the headline 'Buzzing'. Print Edition | Subscribe
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‘There’s Nobody Cooler Than Krizz’ – Tech N9ne Gives His Favorites From ‘GO’ [SM Exclusive]
Just days away from the release of Krizz Kaliko’s GO, Tech N9ne gives some insight into the features he was part of. In this exclusive interview, Tech also hints at some potential huge name collaborations in the works.
Krizz put you on four features on this album. What can you tell me about those songs? How did they come about?
Some of the songs were inspired by me. With “Behave”, something had happened in my life, and the way he came with it was just perfect. I had to rap on that one because I know the story like nobody else does (laughs).
I begged to be on “No Love”, because when I first heard the track, it sounded like something that Seven should have sent Eminem. When I heard “No Love”, I said, “Seven, you should’ve sent Em that one – he would’ve killed that one”. Krizz ended up picking it though, and it fits him well. I wanted to rap on that one; I played the role of God talking to the world on it. They always have it put together before they present it to me. When I heard it, it was massive already, then I put my two cents on it.
The rap shit that he’s got on there, “Orangutan” is elite. It has all of us on it. It has Krizz on it for two verses, and then after Krizz’s two verses, you’d think there would only be room for one more verse, but NO! There are two verses from Krizz that are chopper style, then there’s a small verse from me, JL, Wrekonize, CES Cru, and Rittz. Man! That’s colossal!
He’s also got some very emotional songs on there.
Oh yeah. Songs like “Wallflower”, I really like that one a lot. Him and Seven had the beat, he played it for me, and said, “I hear you on this one”. In “Wallflower”, I’m talking from a perspective of a kid that’s not cool. [Sings lyrics from “Wallflower”] “I just hold this wall up while everybody wants to be you”. “How does it feel to win every time?” It’s Krizz talking to people that are cool.
With him having Vitiligo, maybe the beautiful people didn’t pay attention to him when they teased him. [Sings] “All that cool stuff, y’all can have that. Imma just be this flower on the wall, and when it’s time for me to break out, Imma be the cool one.” Now, there’s nobody cooler than Krizz. Fuck everybody. He’s cooler than me. You seen that new hat he got?
I need that hat. Any personal favorites on this album?
Dude, that whole album can be played nonstop, on repeat. You’ve got songs like “Big FU” that are massive. When you have a party at the house, you play it like a hundred times. It’s just a really nice album.
It’s one of the those albums you don’t want to end.
Anything you want to say about music you’re currently working on?
I just did a new one. I have one to record that I’d like to pitch to Alabama Shakes. I’ll be writing one that I want to send Jay-Z after that. I have to finish one I have called “Mind Cuff” today. I want to send that one to Chris Brown for a chorus.
After I do those three, I have a new one that Mackenzie did for me. There’s one that Seven is doing with a Doors-feel for the last song on the album. I’ve got the EP with Marcus Yates called Orbit and we’ve only got a few days. I know Marcus Yates is stressed out and I’m like, don’t worry about it because when the music hits, it’s going to hit hard. You’re going to have to move quick. Even if we have to do some of it on the road.
I’m a little stressed about the face paint thing because it’s starting to take too much time. It takes two hours to complete. I’ve got to think of something different. I don’t want to depend on people anymore to do my face paint. I want a mask for every day of the week. A mask that’s durable enough to where I can move my mouth and it looks like the worldly angel. I reached out to Slipknot’s camp but I think that the time that I let them know was too late for their mask people to do.
The music, I’m not really stressed out about. I’m a little stressed about all the new songs I’ve got on the show, but not too stressed. I’ve got songs on there I’ve never done live before.
What’s your favorite track from ‘GO’?
Which potential collaboration are you most excited for?
CLICK HERE TO PRE-ORDER GO
AlbumBlogGOInterview
Krizz KalikoTech N9ne
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Publications, White Papers & Presentations / August 31, 2016
Back to the Future: Turning Back the Clock on Clean Water Act Jurisdiction
In the late 1980s, life was simple: DeLoreans, parachute pants, Michael J. Fox in theaters. Life under the Clean Water Act was simple as well. Over the last three decades, a lot has changed.
We’ve seen multiple Supreme Court cases (Bayside, SWANCC, and Rapanos) dealing with the limits of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) jurisdiction under the Clean Water Act. These cases and subsequent agency guidance muddied the waters, so to speak. Some waters and wetlands were “in” and some were “out,” with substantial confusion as to which was which.
In May 2015, the agencies attempted to remove the confusion by issuing a new definition of “waters of the U.S.” (WOTUS). This definition could, in many parts of the country, take us back in time relative to USACE and EPA jurisdiction under the Clean Water Act.
The New Definition in a Nutshell
Paragraph “a” defines the eight categories of WOTUS:
traditional navigable waters
interstate waters
territorial seas
impoundments (of 1 - 3 above and 5 below)
tributaries
adjacent waters
five special groups of similarly situated waters
case-specific significant nexus waters
These are referred to as “a(#)” waters by the agencies. For the most part, the categories covered in paragraphs a(1) through a(5) are familiar ground. Traditional navigable waters, interstate waters, and territorial seas have always been considered jurisdictional, as have impoundments of those waters and tributaries with an OHWM. Little has changed except the clarification that a tributary must have an OHWM and a “bed and banks.”
Adjacent waters, or a(6), morphed from the 1986 version limited to only adjacent wetlands to include other waters such as ponds, lakes, oxbows, impoundments, and similar waters. Adjacency is defined in the rule as “bordering, contiguous, or neighboring” an a(1) through a(5) water. Generally, these include waters at least partially within 100 feet of an OHWM, or within 1,500 feet of an OHWM and within the FEMA 100-year floodplain.
From Here It Gets Tricky
The last two categories are based on the agencies’ interpretation of the significant nexus standard presented in the Supreme Court cases: waters are WOTUS “if they, either alone or in combination with similarly situated waters in a region, significantly affect the chemical, physical, or biological integrity of traditional navigable waters, interstate waters, or the territorial seas” (Clean Water Rule: Definition of WOTUS, USACE & EPA, May 27, 2015, emphasis added). Note the key words similarly situated and significantly affect. A water can have a significant nexus if it significantly contributes just one of nine different functions — sediment trapping, nutrient recycling, pollutant filtering, floodwater retention, runoff storage, flow contribution, organic matter export, food resources export, and aquatic species habitat — to the integrity of a downstream jurisdictional water.
Paragraph a(7) waters include five special groups already determined to be similarly situated:
prairie potholes (in the upper Midwest)
Carolina/Delmarva bays (along the Atlantic coast)
pocosins (in the central Atlantic coast)
western vernal pools (in California)
Texas coastal prairie wetlands (along the Texas Gulf Coast)
All of these are typically discrete, freshwater, depressional wetlands scattered across their respective landscapes. Many had been considered isolated and non-jurisdictional after the 2001 SWANCC Supreme Court case. These waters will be considered jurisdictional on a case-specific basis if all such waters in single watershed meet the significant nexus standard, which is not likely to be difficult.
Last but not least, there are the a(8) waters. This is sort of a catchall category for any waters left out above that might meet the significant nexus standard. There are “bright line” limits, however. These waters have to fall within the 100-year floodplain, or within 4,000 feet of the OHWM or high tide line.
In many areas of the country, especially east of the Rocky Mountains, the 4,000-foot limit will include vast areas. One exercise we ran using GIS showed 99% of the area west of Houston could fall within 4,000 feet of a tributary with a potential OHWM and bed and banks. Wetlands and other waters within this area, even if considered isolated and non-jurisdictional before, could be considered jurisdictional on a case-specific basis. The figure here illustrates those non-tidal waters considered to be jurisdictional by rule, those requiring case-specific analysis, and those that are isolated or unregulated.
So What’s NOT Included?
A second paragraph in the new rule defines what are not considered WOTUS. These include waste treatment systems, prior converted cropland, artificially irrigated areas, stock ponds, man-made lakes, rice fields, stormwater control features, wastewater recycling structures, swimming pools and ornamental waters constructed in dry land, water-filled depressions associated with mining or construction (including borrow pits), erosional features that are not tributaries, groundwater, and (my personal favorite) puddles.
But what about ditches? It turns out not all ditches are alike in the eyes of the agencies. The new definition excludes ditches that don’t flow most of the time (perennial), so long as they are not relocating a natural tributary or draining wetlands. Ditches that do not flow into a WOTUS are also not jurisdictional. However, ditches with relatively permanent flow, or those that drain a wetland or relocate a stream, are still potentially jurisdictional.
A third paragraph of the new rule defines seven key terms: adjacent, neighboring, tributary, wetland, significant nexus, OHWM, and high tide line. For the most part, these definitions are identical or very similar to their predecessors, with the exception of the linear footage limits given above. The most notable exception is “tributary,” which is now defined by the presence of a bed and banks and an OHWM.
Implications of the New Clean Water Act Rules
Expanded Clean Water Act jurisdiction in parts of the country, especially where the five special groups of similarly situated waters occur
Greater scrutiny of potential jurisdiction for ditches
Increased permitting requirements under Clean Water Act Section 404 and Section 402 National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System stormwater discharge permits
A likely increase in the USACE and EPA permit backlog affecting permittees’ project schedules and increasing project costs associated with permitting and mitigation
So it’s back to the future for Clean Water Act jurisdiction. In some parts of the country, jurisdiction will for all practical purposes look very similar to pre-SWANCC days when any water that fit the definition of a tributary or a wetland required a permit. Time to find my parachute pants and jump in the DeLorean.
For more information on Clean Water Act jurisdiction, contact Matt Stahman in Houston at (email hidden; JavaScript is required).
EDITOR’S NOTE: On Aug. 27, 2015, Chief Judge Ralph R. Erickson of the U.S. District Court for the District of North Dakota issued a stay on the Clean Water Rule’s implementation in Colorado, North Dakota, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Idaho, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, South Dakota, Wyoming, and New Mexico. The judge’s stay only applies to these states. The rule went into effect for all other states on Aug. 28, 2015.
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SwedishAmericana
A Story of the Founding of Lindsborg, 1869 -- June 27
Headlines from Lindsborg -- 2019, June 27
Swedish American Entities
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A Story of the Founding of Lindsborg, 1869 - June 27
-- a 1953 glimpse of Lindsborg's Dr. Rev. Olof Olsson's Swedish immigration story --
Because the Lindsborg Sesquicentennial, the 150th Year Founding Anniversary, is being celebrated this year, SwedishAmericana is sharing a most fitting piece of information here coming from the late Dr. Emory Lindquist, the "Swedish Kansan."* Dr. Lindquist, as fourth Swedish American Bethany College President in his 1953 book, Smoky Valley People, A History of Lindsborg, Kansas, writes in his second chapter, "The Coming of the Swedes," of the very time when Pastor Olof Olsson decided to go to the Kansas Smoky Valley with a group of pietistic Swedes from the Värmland area.
Here, Dr. Lindquist describes their immigration experience and Rev. Olsson's arrival, the period of which would most probably be considered as the official settling of the Swedish community of Lindsborg; and, especially so, with Pastor Olsson's founding the Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Bethany Church (today's Bethany Church) there on August 19, 1869.
The text for the photograph of Pastor Olsson shown below from the Bethany College "Forget-Me-Not" annual of 1902 describes him as "Founder of the Lindsborg Colony;" however, in fact, it had already been founded or discovered by the Chicago based First Swedish Land Company who in 1868 had purchased 13,160 acres of Kansas land in Saline and McPherson counties from the Union Pacific Railroad for the purpose of providing homesteads to these and other Swedes from Sweden. Four months before the arrival of Olsson and his parishioners, on February 20, 1869, the community was given the named of Lindsborg by members of First Swedish Land Company.
Interspersed with images from other sources, here is the excerpt from Dr. Emory Lindquist, "The Coming of the Swedes," found on pages 10 - 14 of Smoky Valley People:
The decision of Olsson to go to Kansas was clear. The missionary impulse, the quest for religious freedom, the adventure of building a religious community of a distinctive character, the urging of Christian friends combined with economic and social factors to fashion the background for the decision. He was only twenty-eight [28] years of age, with a future ahead of him. The letters from Kansas, portraying the need and the opportunity, impressed him. In a small study at Sunnemo, following consultation with his wife and friends and after serious prayer, the decision was made. Lindsborg came into being at that hour.
- Olof Olsson was the pastor of the Sunnemo Parish Church from May 1867 to March of 1869 -
(The church was built in 1653 and is located in Sunnemo, Värmland, Sweden.)
Source: Wikipedia photo by www.bing.com
There were busy days for Pastor and Mrs. Olsson following the decision to go to America. As a pastor in the church of Sweden, it was necessary for him to receive permission to go to America. His request, addressed to the diocese at Karlstad, December, 1868, was not granted. He appealed then to Carl XV, King of Sweden. In a letter addressed to the diocese at Karlstad on February 19, 1869, the King granted Olsson permission to go to America with the understanding that he would return to Sweden upon completing his mission in America.
- Karlstad Cathedral -
The diocese that would not grant Pastor Olsson permission to go to America.
(This cathedral was established in 1730 and is located in Karlstad, the capital of Värmland County.)
Sources: From Wikipedia. From Wikimedia Commons: Photograph by Håkan Svensson (Xauxa)
Carl XV, King of Sweden
The King who granted permission for Pastor Olsson to go to America.
Source: From Wikipedia, photographed by Mathias Hansen around 1865
Many farewells had to be said during those spring days as Olsson made ready for the long voyage. On May 3, 1869, he parted from his good friend, C. G. Nyvall, at Sunnemo. Two weeks later he was at Göteborg. At that place he had great difficulties with the port officials. The police accused him of being an immigrant agent. He had to clear himself of these charges, and, of course, he went free. In writing to his friend, C. W. Weinberg, on May 20, 1869, while still in Leith, Scotland, he expressed great bitterness at the attitude which had been assumed toward him.
The trip across the North Sea from Göteborg to Leith was rough, and while most of the passengers were violently ill, Olsson was spared the ordeal. Mrs. Olsson and little daughter Anna were very ill. From Leith the party traveled by rail to Glasgow, where all the immigrants were sent to hotels, in groups of thirty [30] or forty [40]. The manager and his wife were exceedingly kind to the Olssons, and Mrs. Olsson was full of praises for their hospitality, although she suffered from the cold and damp climate.
On May 22 the Olssons and their friends boarded the S. S. Columbia of the Anchor Line, a steamship of 1,367 tons. There was great confusion as the 700 passengers tried to find their places, arrange their baggage, and get settled for the long journey across the Atlantic. Mrs. Olsson was ill when she embarked, and her illness, coupled with sick seasickness, made her so weak that when she attempted to stand, her husband had to support her. The 14 day trip seemed endless, especially to Mrs. Olsson. The storms were so violent that people were frightened. Olsson seemed calm, and fortunately he was well during the entire voyage and rendered comfort and assistance to members of his immediate group as well as to other travelers. The appearance of Pastor Olsson on the deck was always a source of encouragement to these seasick and homesick immigrants, who undoubtedly wondered if their decision to leave Sweden had been a wise one. Life and death accompanied the immigrants. On the first day of the voyage a son, Charles Gustaf, was born to Johan and Maria Solomonson. Three days later Johannes Snee, age eighty [80], died. Eighty-one [81] of the 735 passengers were children of six years or younger according to the Ships List. Included were the six children of Mr. and Mrs. Ole Anderson. There were Bror, fourteen; Anders, eleven; Martha, ten; Carl, seven; Ola, three; and an unnamed infant one year old.
- The ship line that Pastor Olsson and his group used to transport them from Glasgow to New York -
- S.S. Columbia - Anchor Line -
- to see the interior and hear the music of their day, "Castle House Rag" -
Source: Simplon - The Passenger Ship Website - www.simplonpc.co.uk
The long voyage came to an end on June 8 amidst great rejoicing. Olsson has written: “It was a beautiful June morning as we slipped into the harbor at New York. It was really a magnificent view from the ship. But what terrible bullies in Castle Garden. The stay in New York was the worst during the whole trip. I strolled around the finest and the poorest streets one evening. What sights during that little excursion! As soon as I got out of New York, I began to breathe easier. Yes, the further west I came, the more pleasant I found it.”
The trip from New York to Chicago was interesting. The speed of the express train, a good night’s rest on route, and the prospect of seeing friends cheered the tired travelers. In Chicago they were guests of friends including John Ferm, who was born at Storfors Bruk in Värmland. The size of the city impressed the visitors from the quiet countryside of Värmland. Olsson met the Rev. Erland Carlsson, pastor of the Immanuel Lutheran Church, and the Rev. A. W. Dahlsten, a fellow student at Upsala, and in the latter’s company attended the meeting of the Augustana Synod at Moline, Illinois. Olsson was present at various sessions and addressed a full session on June 22, using the Twenty-third Psalm as his text. Mrs. Olsson stayed in Chicago and pointed out that the great festive Midsummer Day was not observed in America, and that she had spent the day sewing on a dress. She was quite fearful about the prospects in Kansas because the previous day a report, which proved to be false, declared that twenty [20] Swedes had been killed by Indians in Kansas.
On June 25 the Olssons said farewell to friends in Chicago and started the two-day trip to Kansas by rail. The Kansas Pacific Railroad brought them to Salina, twenty miles [20] north of their future home in the Smoky Valley. Many of their friends were already in Kansas since they had gone to Lindsborg directly from Chicago.
The trip for the Olssons from Salina to Lindsborg was made in a wagon hauling building materials to the new settlement. Francis Johnson has described his first view of Pastor Olsson:
“The first time I saw Dr. Olsson was on the way to Salina. He sat riding on a load of lumber and was reading a newspaper. In Salina he had bought a slouch hat for a dollar. ‘Here is the new Swedish pastor that just now is coming from Sweden,’ said the man driving the load as he introduced him. I thought: 'That cannot very well be much of a preacher, who comes in that matter.' ”
- A lumber wagon, most likely, similar to the one Dr. Olsson used to arrive in Lindsborg from Salina -
Source: "Pioneer Swedish-American Culture in Central Kansas" by Ruth Billdt, 1965
There was great rejoicing and gratitude in the Lindsborg community when the Olssons arrived at the end of the long journey. The members of the party who had gone directly to Lindsborg were there to greet them. Other people were also present to welcome them. There was C. R. Carlson, the former schoolmaster, who had been instrumental in urging the young pastor to come to Kansas. Other associates of by-gone days also greeted him with enthusiasm. A new confidence came to these immigrants at the sight of the pastor. Moreover, they realized that soon a congregation would be formed. They could worship God in the language which they knew and in an order of service familiar to them. Confirmation instructions would be available for their children, and the sacraments would be administered. It was the beginning of a new era in the Smoky Valley. Many prayers of gratitude were uttered that June evening from dugouts, log-cabins, sod and stone houses. Pastor Olsson had arrived.
D u g o u t L i v i n g
- Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Bethany Church -
First Church in Lindsborg built in 1869-1870
Etching by G. N. Malm
Source: Deere Papers
(New church building of 1874, additions were made in 1880)
Source: Pioneer Swedish-American Culture in Central Kansas by Ruth Billdt, 1965
- Lindsborg, nine years after Olsson's Arrival -
The first weeks and months were full of difficulties for the newcomers. Every effort was made by the Swedes already in the settlement to provide places for whole families until sod or stone houses could be constructed. Unfortunately, there is no way of knowing exactly how many Swedes were in the area when the large influx of immigrants occurred in June, 1869. On the basis of the records of the Bethany Lutheran Church, there were only twelve families and four single men in the Lindsborg community in 1868 who later joined the church. There were perhaps a few Swedes in the valley at that time who never joined the church. Several families came in 1869 before the arrival of the Olsson party. There may have been some twenty [20] Swedish families here by June 1869.
- 50 Years in Lindsborg -
A Group of Most of the Surviving First Citizens
(On the College Campus, they are posed on the steps of the Carnegie Library also called the Bethany Library.)
Source: "The Smoky Valley in the After Years" by Ruth Billdt and Elizabeth Jaderborg, 1969
The size of the Olsson party which came to Lindsborg is not known exactly. No documentary evidence substantiates the off–quoted designation of eighty [80] families or 250 persons which undoubtedly referred to all who left Sweden under Olsson’s leadership. A careful check of the records of the Bethany Lutheran Church accounts for 110 individuals – men, women, and children – who came directly to Lindsborg from Sweden in 1869, excluding those known definitely not to have been associated with the Olsson party. It is possible to account for only thirty-five [35] families. Included in the total figure of 110 were thirty-nine [39] children. Twenty [20] single men came to Lindsborg in 1869 on the basis of the records.
It was always a source of great regret to Olsson that the full membership of his party failed to come to Lindsborg. In a letter on May 13, 1870, Olsson wrote: "What gives me greatest disappointment is that the majority of my party stayed in Missouri where they bought railroad land and paid $10 per acre. My intention was that they should remain in Missouri over the summer, until I arrived in Kansas. Dangerous rumors about the Indians and the like caused me to not feel able to urge them to come immediately. Meanwhile, some unscrupulous land agents fooled them to take railroad land in Missouri." On the basis, therefore, of Olsson’s statement that the majority of his party stayed in Missouri, it seems reasonable to assume that the estimate of 110 as constituting the Lindsborg members is close to the exact figure.
End of the excerpt from Dr. Lindquist, found on pages 10 - 14 of Smoky Valley People
- Surviving Members of the 1868-1869 Swedish Immigration -
OLOF OLSSON
(Born in Karlskoga, Värmland)
Swedish Founder and First Pastor
Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Bethany Church
who officially led the first Swedish party from Värmland to settle in
Lindsborg, Kansas.
(He would become the third President of Swedish Evangelical Augustana Lutheran College.)
Source: Bethany College "Forget-Me-Not" annual 1902
Overlooking the Mississippi River and Bettendorf and Davenport, Iowa is the final resting place of Lindsborg's beloved Pastor Olof Olsson and his wife Anna Olsson. They are laid to rest in Moline, Illinois, Riverside Cemetery, a few miles from Rock Island, Illinois, where he served as Augustana College's third president from 1891 - 1899.
For a very up-close-and-personal story on Dr. Rev. Olof Olsson, go HERE.
To move onto SwedishAmericana, Swedish American Entities, go HERE.
To return to Swedes: TheWayTheyWere, Home, go HERE.
* Source: The "Swedish Kansan" reference taken from an Illinois 1992 North Park University's Swedish-American Quarterly article entitled Emory Kempton Lindquist.
Swedish Americana
~ restoring, preserving and promoting Swedish American histories & cultures ~
~ sharing the Swedish American tapestry with all ~
All color photography throughout SwedishAmericana is by Fran Cochran unless otherwise indicated.
Copyright © 2019 www.swedishamericana.org All rights reserved.
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Home / Bible Commentaries / Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible/ Exodus
Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible
Exodus Exodus 3
Haydock's Catholic Commentary
Commentary Critical and Explanatory - Unabridged
Keil & Delitzsch
Wells of Living Water
MacLaren's Expositions
Birdgeway Bible Commentary
Mackintosh's Notes
Verses 1-10
Exodus 2:1 to Exodus 4:31. Preparation and Call of Moses.
Exodus 2:1-10 E. His Birth and Upbringing.—If the text can be trusted, we are informed that "a man of the house of Levi took (to wife) the (only) daughter of Levi" (cf. Exodus 6:20, Numbers 26:59 P), who would thus be, according to the genealogy of P, his aunt, or the sister of his father Kohath. Possibly, however, the text has been abridged, and ran, as LXX with some variations suggests, "took one of the daughters of Levi to wife and made her his own" (lit. had her). It is implied in Exodus 2:2 that Moses was the firstborn. But in Exodus 2:4; Exodus 2:8 he has a grown-up sister. Moreover, in Exodus 15:20 Miriam is called pointedly "the sister of Aaron," and in Numbers 12 complains with him against Moses. This would all be explained if E had related the birth of Aaron and Miriam from Jochebed, and of Moses from a second wife having another name, and if the editor had by abridgment removed the discrepancy with P. Another suggestion has been that Moses was in the oldest tradition of unknown parentage, and Aaron and Miriam unrelated to him. Maternal love and pride would sufficiently explain the three months' concealment. In Hebrews 11:23, where LXX (cf. Syro-Hexaplar) is followed in ascribing the action to both parents, a deeper motive is found in an intuition of faith in the child's future, based on his comeliness (cf. Acts 7:20). The "ark" (Exodus 2:3) or chest, in which the child was laid was made of papyrus (mg.) strips, cut from the pith of the tall reed-like plant which then grew along the lower Nile, though now only found higher up the river. Cf. Isaiah 18:2 for light boats or canoes made of this material. The ark was made watertight with asphalt ("slime"), which was imported into Egypt from the Dead Sea (pp. 32f., Genesis 14:10) for embalming and other purposes, and with pitch. It was then placed in the reedy growth by the river's brink. It is not clear whether suph, which furnished the Heb. name for the Red Sea (Yam Suph) denoted any specific plant. The Nile banks in the S. half of the delta are now bare, but so late as 1841. were thickly fringed with reeds. That the Divinely-called hero or heroine must overcome all obstacles in the path of destiny was a widespread faith in antiquity, as shown by the stories of Semi-ramis, Perseus, Cyrus, and Romulus. What Driver calls "the singularly similar story of Sargon, king of Accad (3800 B.C.), is worth quoting. "My lowly mother conceived me, in secret she brought me forth. She set me in a basket of rushes, with bitumen she closed my door; she cast me into the river, which rose not over me. The river bore me up; unto Akki, the irrigator, it carried me Akki, the irrigator, as his own son . . . reared me" (Rogers, Cuneiform Parallels, 1912, p. 136). In spite of E's fondness for naming, the princess has no name in the text. Later traditions supply the lack with Tharmuth, Thermuthis, Bathja, and Merris. The last, given by Eusebius, recalls Meri, the name of one of the 59 daughters of Rameses II, her mother being a Kheta princess. Of this the first two may be variant forms. While the princess bathed, perhaps from a bath-house, her ladies-in-waiting guarded her privacy from the bank. From the water she saw the chest, and sent the female slave who was in attendance on her in the water to fetch it. Josephus suppresses the circumstance of the bathing. Compassion for the little foundling, whose exposure proved his Hebrew parentage, led the princess to evade her father's edict. The sister intervened at the psychological moment with her offer to find "a woman giving suck," and the child's mother is bidden to suckle "it under the guise of a wet-nurse or foster-mother. An Egyptian woman would hardly have undertaken the task. So he "grew," i.e. (cf. Genesis 21:8) till he was weaned, which would be at three or four years, and "became a son to her." On this slender statement tradition built largely, Josephus and Philo much amplifying the modest inference of Stephen that he was "instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians" (Acts 7:22). Driver points out that if, according to Erman, a good Egyptian education "comprised such things as moral duties and good manners, reading, writing, composition, and arithmetic," it also included such undesirable items as "mythology, astrology, magic, and superstitious practices in medicine." It is safer to say that the most certain historical inference from Exodus 1:15 to Exodus 2:10 is that Moses had an Egyptian name (meaning "born." cf. Thutmosis, "Thoth is born," Ra-mses, etc.). If he had been invented he would have had a Heb. name. The derivation (Exodus 2:10) is a purely popular play on the sound of the word in Heb.
Exodus 2:6. Render, "And she (the princess) opened it and saw him." "The child" is an ungrammatical gloss not found in LXX. The next words, "and, behold, a boy weeping," may be derived from J, the sound of the child weeping being in his narrative the clue.
Verses 11-22
Exodus 2:11-22 J. Moses's Flight to Midian.—Here is interposed an incident from J, who uses the same word "grow" (contrast Exodus 2:10) of Moses reaching man's estate, interpreted in Acts 7:23 as 40 years of age (cf. 42 years in Jubilees). The "Egyptian" slain by Moses may have been some bully of a gangmaster (cf. Exodus 3:7). The well-intentioned but unjustifiable assumption of the authority to punish committed Moses to the career of a patriot (cf. Hebrews 11:24-26). But the incident was distorted by rumour, and not only aroused the king's anger, but set his own countrymen against him. Midian, whither he fled, is on some maps placed in the S.E. of the Sinai peninsula on the W. of the Gulf of Akaba. But the evidence of Ptolemy and the Arabic geographers, confirmed by Burton, locates it on the E. Its people, regarded in Genesis 25:1-6 J (cf. 1 Chronicles 2:46 f., 1 Chronicles 4:17) as distant blood-relations of Israel, had, at the time when this story took shape, apparently not yet come to be regarded as the bitterest of national foes (as in Numbers 31, perhaps based on Numbers 25:6 f.). The later view has led to "the troops of Midian" being taken as symbolising the enemies of the soul. "The priest of Midian" is introduced without explanation or apology; and in Exodus 2:18 he becomes the counsellor of Moses. It is possible that a real religious connexion existed between the Kenites (to whom the family of Jethro belonged, see Judges 4:11) and early Israel (cf. Exodus 2:18*).—Burckhardt found that the pasturing of flocks was still "the exclusive duty of the unmarried girls" (cf. Rachel in Genesis 29:9). M'Neile renders Exodus 2:19 b, "and he actually drew water for us," pointing out that "Moses and Jacob drew water for women, while a slave (Genesis 24:19 f.) allowed a woman to draw for him." The tradition that Moses married a Midianitish woman would hardly have been preserved unless it had been widespread, for in Numbers 25:6 ff. (P) such an act is regarded as worthy of death. Zip-porah means "bird," and is the feminine of Zippor, the name of the father of Balak. In Judges 7:25 the Midianitish chiefs are named Oreb (raven) and Zeeb (wolf). It has been suggested that this points to a primitive totemistic belief, betrayed when obsolete by the ancient names (Genesis 29:31-33*). A family or clan is by this system linked as having the same totem animal.
Exodus 2:18. Reuel: the name, meaning "God's friend," which, if original here, would have been given in Exodus 2:16, is oddly inserted by the editor from Numbers 10:29*. Possibly, like some Saban kings and priests, he had two names. The LXX has Jethro twice in Exodus 2:16. The AV "Raguel" reproduces the same Heb. differently, following LXX.
Exodus 2:22. a sojourner in a strange land. Driver notes that "strange" is no longer in English an equivalent of "foreign," and gives instances. The word "sojourner" implies a popular play upon the first syllable of the word Gershom. In Judges 18:30 the priests of Dan claim descent from Moses through Gershom.
Exodus 2:23 to Exodus 3:15. The Call of Moses (first account). Exodus 2:23 a, J, Exodus 2:23 b - Exodus 2:25 P, Exodus 3:1 E, Exodus 3:2-4 a, J, Exodus 3:4 b, E, Exodus 3:5 J, Exodus 3:6 E, Exodus 3:7-9 a J, Exodus 3:9 b - Exodus 3:14 E, Exodus 3:15 Rje.
Exodus 2:23 a J. many will refer to the 67 years' reign of Rameses II, unless it is a gloss by a scribe (Old Latin omits) or editor (so Baentsch) to suit P's view of Moses as 80 years old (77). In J (Exodus 4:20; Exodus 4:25) Gershom is still an infant at the return. It is likely that Exodus 4:19 f., Exodus 4:24-26, should follow here but have been displaced by the compiler. The death of the king is clearly mentioned as removing the obstacle to Moses's return. But after the solemn call a merely negative reason seems inadequate. If this view be correct, the appearance at the bush will have been placed by J (Exodus 3:2) on the way back to Egypt or in Goshen itself.
Exodus 2:23 b - Exodus 2:25. The sequel in P of Exodus 1:14. God's "remembering" and His "covenant" are favourite ideas with this writer, and have passed into the devotional language of the Church. In Gen. all the sources agree in linking the patriarchs by bonds of purpose and promise with a God who was their faithful and watchful friend.
Exodus 2:25. The last words are strictly "and God knew," and are usually taken in an intensified sense of interested and sympathetic knowing, as frequently (cf. Exodus 3:7 below). But the omission of the object is strange, and has led some to correct the text. The LXX "and made Himself known unto them" only requires a slight alteration of the vowel points (p. 35), and gives a good sense.
Exodus 3:1-10. The Revelation at the Bush.—According to E (Exodus 3:1; Exodus 3:4 b, Exodus 3:6) Moses had "led the flock to the back of the wilderness," i.e. the W., since the E. was always regarded as being in front (as the N. is with us), N. and S. being left and right. The flock belonged to "the priest of Midian," a term not used elsewhere by E. but which suits the representation of Jethro in Exodus 3:18 (E), and need not be a gloss from Exodus 2:16 J. Thus, accidentally, Moses "came to the mountain of God," and learnt that it was such by the voice of God ("out of the midst of the bush" is probably a gloss from J). By this discovery, it is implied, Horeb became a sacred mountain, i.e. a place where God was peculiarly at home, and, therefore, where man was specially susceptible to Divine influences, even as the mediæval candidate for knighthood would be most likely to see visions or hear voices during his midnight vigil before the altar. In primitive thought the tie with locality was no doubt crudely conceived, but not a few OT references show that the association of places with God's special presence long retained its value, as symbolising and concentrating an aspect of reality to which the abstract doctrine of omnipresence fails to do justice. Moderns, who reckon it unspiritual to call any place sacred, because God is everywhere, may condemn themselves to finding Him nowhere. It has been usual to identify Horeb (Exodus 3:1) with Sinai, or at most to distinguish the former as covering the district in which the latter was placed, and to locate the whole region in the Sinaitic peninsula, where Christian tradition has loved to find it. Recently, however, it has been sought by Sayce and others to prove that Sinai was not in the peninsula at all, but N.E. of it, near Edom; and by M'Neile to show that, as in regard to other places, the sources differ, and that while Sinai was rear Kadesh, N. of the head of the gulf of Akaba, Horeb was S.E., on the E. shore of the gulf. Horeb is mentioned only by E (here and in Exodus 17:6, Exodus 33:6) and by D, while J and P refer only to Sinai. Really the evidence is conflicting and obscure, and it matters little which identification is adopted (p. 64).—As E told how Horeb became sacred, so—we must suppose—originally J related here how Sinai also was shown to be holy by the revelation at the bush (Seneh). Fire is constantly a symbol of God's presence (cf. Exodus 13:7, "the pillar of fire," Exodus 19:18, Exodus 24:17, Ezekiel 1:27; Ezekiel 8:2). In view of the large number of undoubted cases, like that of Joan of Arc, in which visions and voices have been authentically reported by the original subjects of the abnormal experiences, it is reasonable to suppose that it was so in this case, though, in view of the long oral transmission, it would be rash to assert it positively. In any event the story embodies a lofty and suggestive symbolism. The unconsumed bramble bush may signify Israel. burnt by the Divine wrath yet spared destruction (cf Keble, quoted by M'Neile); or Moses, the fleshly pole or contact-point for the transmission of the stream of redemptive energy, unclean (like Isaiah), yet not slain by the Divine holiness, which was then conceived under quasi-physical representations. Only once (Deuteronomy 33:16) is the sacred bush again mentioned in OT (cf. Mark 12:26).—"The angel of Yahweh" is sometimes distinguished from Yahweh and sometimes (as here, Exodus 3:2) identified with Him (Genesis 16:7*). But the phrase always marks some sensible manifestation of the Divine. As the term is missing in Exodus 3:4 and Exodus 3:7, probably "the angel of" is here a gloss due to the reverence of a later age. It is never found in P.—The removal of the "shoes" or sandals (Exodus 3:5) was a traditional mark of reverence, arising more probably from ancient custom than from fear of soiling the sanctuary, and is maintained by Mohammedans (Genesis 35:2*). The place was already holy "ground," and did not merely become so through the manifestation. So now worshippers do not wait for service to begin before removing their hats.—Moses is sent by no new God, but by the God of the patriarchs (Exodus 3:6). Each advance in revelation or redemption is due to the same Being; and the religious experience of to-day is continuous with the experience of yesterday out of which it has been developed. In Mark 12:26 Christ further draws from this verse the inference that God will not allow death to break the conscious fellowship He has established with His creatures.—That Moses "hid his face" (Exodus 3:6) was a sign of reverence parallel with the baring of the feet noted in Exodus 3:5 (J). In this source (cf. Exodus 3:7) there is a fearless use of human terms ("seen," "heard," "come down") to make God's relations with man real and intelligible. Such language is for plain people more effectively true than coldly abstract words.—In Exodus 3:8 we first meet with the phrase, so frequent in J and D, "a land flowing with milk and honey," see RV references. "Honey," like the present-day Arabic cognate dibs, probably includes the grape-juice syrup, used with food, like jam. The lists of Palestinian peoples (as in Exodus 3:8, cf. Genesis 15:19-21*, and RV references), are common in JE and D, but have probably often been amplified. The term Canaanite is used (cf. Genesis 12:6 J) generally of the pre-Israelitic inhabitants of Canaan, but has a narrower sense, of the dwellers on the sea coast and in the Jordan valley. It is a question whether the inclusion of the Hittites among the peoples conquered by Israel is justified by victories over some Hittite colony (cf. Numbers 13:29 JE, Genesis 23* P); for the main body of the nation was established N. of the Lebanon and was never subject to Israel. Amorite (p. 53, Genesis 14:7*) also is used as a comprehensive term, but properly refers to a distinct people, ruled by Sihon, N.E. of the Dead Sea, and settled early N. of Canaan (Tell el-Amarna Letters, 1400 B.C.). For the Perizzites, see Genesis 13:7*. The Hivites belonged to the centre, and the Jebusites held Jerusalem till David took it (2 Samuel 5:6-9).
Exodus 3:4 a. The Heb. is "And Yahweh saw . . . and God called," so that the division of the verse between J and E is grammatically natural.
Exodus 3:11 f. Moses's First Difficulty—personal unfitness (cf. the cases of Gideon, Jeroboam, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel). Once Moses was rash and impulsive. Now he is older and sees the difficulties. All the sources agree in this representation. A fugitive, a shepherd, and unknown, how shall he interview the Pharaoh, or lead Israel? The promise, "I will be with thee" (omit "certainly"), draws aside the veil and shows him his Unseen Divine Companion; cf. RV references.—The "token" or sign (Exodus 2:12) is but a further promise that on the sacred mount (Exodus 2:1*) the people should offer God worship; unless a reference to the "rod" or the "pillar" has been displaced.—The awkward "ye shall serve" (Exodus 2:12) becomes, by changing the Heb. initial t to y, "they shall serve."
Exodus 3:13-15. Moses's Second Difficulty—ignorance of the Name under which Israel was to worship God. This is expressed in two of the sources (E here, and P in Exodus 2:6). He must learn the name of the God who was sending him. In ancient religions generally the knowledge of the name was a necessity for prayer or sacrifice (Genesis 32:29*), and its meaning was sometimes an indication of the nature of the God. Four points arise here: (i) the original pre-Mosaic meaning of the name Yahweh; (ii.) its meaning for Moses; (iii.) the idea of it in the mind of the author; (iv.) the identification of the author. As to (i.) there has been much discussion, but little agreement. Possibly it may have had reference to nature processes—"He who comes down as the rain or the lightning-flash," or He who makes these come down. But the solution of this problem matters little. The greatest words may grow in meaning from the humblest seed of suggestion. Driver considers that there is enough Assyriological evidence "to show that a West-Semitic deity, Ya-u, was known as early as c. 2100 B.C." Taking (iv.) next, it is clear that, for the prophetic writer E, the name Yahweh was regarded as unknown both to the Israelites in Egypt and also to the patriarchs. The text here and the usage of this source in Gen. prove this. Indeed, it is possible that the identification of Yahweh with the God of the fathers is due to a later editor, and that the contrast between old and new was originally thought of as a revolution, a passage from the worship of Elim ("gods") to the worship of one God, Yahweh, greater than all else, and alone revered in Israel. Besides the link with the past through Jethro (Exodus 18:12*) it has been suggested that one or more of the tribes may have been worshippers of Yahweh. (iii.) The diversity of views on the point of translation is shown by the four renderings of RV. For other alternatives, see M'Neile, Ex., p. 22, or HDB ii. 199 (Davidson), or EBi. Exodus 33:20 (Kautzsch). The third mg., "I will be that I will be," is supported by Robertson Smith, Davidson, Driver, M'Neile, and others. [The meaning would be more clearly conveyed to the English reader by the translation, "I will be what I will be."—A. S. P.] It brings out the implications both of the root and tense of the verb hayah. The root denotes rather becoming than being, and the tense (imperfect) marks uncompleted process or activity. AV and RV rendering ("I am that I am"—the unnamable and in expressible One) involves an amount of reflectiveness alien to the Hebrew mind. And so with others: "I am because I am," "I am who am." Heb. syntax and thought analogies favour decisively the beautiful rendering adopted above, found as early as Rashi (A.D. 1105), and now preferred by British scholars. The temper of noble adventure which belongs to faith is here shown to spring out of the very Name (i.e. Being) of Yahweh (= "He will be"): no one can limit the inexhaustibly fresh possibilities of One so named. The question (ii.) of the meaning of the name for Moses is too large for treatment here; but his must have been the parent conception which the historian has so grandly expressed here. In Exodus 3:14 read the last clause, "I-will-be hath sent me." The spelling "Jehovah" (at least as early as A.D. 1278) arose from misunderstanding the Jewish practice of placing under the four-lettered word (or tetragrammaton) Yhwh (or Jhvh) the vowels of the word Adonay ("Lord") which they pronounced in place of it, out of mistaken reverence based on Exodus 20:7 or Leviticus 24:11; Leviticus 24:16. The correctness of the form here adopted, Yahweh, is established, not merely by analogy with other names derived from verbs (Isaac, Jacob, etc.), but from the transliterations used by early Christian Fathers, before the tradition of substituting Adonay had become established; Theodoret, reporting Samaritan speech, and Epiphanius have ἰαβέ, and Clement of Alexandria has ἰαουαι (or ἰαβέ, the occurrence in which of all the five vowels prompted certain magical uses).
Exodus 3:15. Observe that in Exodus 3:14-16 there are three instructions of identical or similar scope in regard to the announcement of the Divine Name. The simplest explanation of the repetition is that Exodus 3:16 comes from J. and Exodus 3:14 from E, Exodus 3:15 being a link verse by the redactor of JE.
Peake, Arthur. "Commentary on Exodus 2:4". "Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible ". https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/pfc/exodus-2.html. 1919.
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Suffolk County Council launches new Transition Guide to support schoolchildren with special educational needs
Endeavour House, Ipswich (7074609)
A new guide to help teenagers with special educational needs progress into adulthood has been published as part of a major revamp of provision in Suffolk.
The 16+ Transitions Guide was published this month with the aim of helping youngsters with special educational needs (SEND), as well as parents and carers, plan for their future.
Among the advice and support it contains are public transport solutions, education, apprenticeship or employment opportunities, finance planning, health options and ongoing SEND services available.
The guide comes as part of a major shake-up of SEND services carried out in the last two years, following a poor inspection by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission.
The new guide has been published as the two watchdogs returned to inspect SEND provision in Suffolk.
Judith Mobbs, assistant director for inclusion and skills at Suffolk County Council, said: “It’s a tough job for any child to grow up through that adolescent period and make a successful transition to adulthood anyway, without the additional barriers of having some kind of SEND need.
“All teenagers find it tough to find their way in the world; if you have got SEND needs as well, imagine how much more challenging that must be.
“We have been looking at how we can introduce a plan much earlier. We are looking at how we can introduce planning for adulthood from 13, and we have appointed a moving into adulthood lead.”
The plan has featured the council’s SEND team working alongside clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) and the Suffolk Parent Carer Network (SPCN) – which works with families to access adequate support – to create an easy-to-read guide for all areas of future planning.
Kate Chate, from SPCN, said: “This new guide is a great way for everyone involved in SEND to support young people with good, timely, consistent information on their journey into adulthood.
“We would like to encourage all parties to use it and contribute to its ongoing development by feeding back on how it has helped.”
Lisa Nobes, chief nurse with the NHS Ipswich & East Suffolk and NHS West Suffolk CCGs, added: “It is packed with helpful discussion plans, top tips, case study examples, useful information and links to all the relevant contacts, websites and helplines.”
Suffolk County Council recently announced it had formulated a £45.1 million plan to create more than 200 new SEND places, including creating three new special schools and establishing new SEND units at existing mainstream schools.
To view the guide, go online to www.infolink.suffolk.gov.uk.
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Traffic and Construction Jul 18th 2019 - 2pm
Barker's Island beach opens
News Jul 17th 2019 - 4pm
Lake Superior Day to be celebrated Sunday on Barker's Island
Packers set interviews with McDaniels, Campbell
By Jason Wilde The Wisconsin State Journal GREEN BAY -- New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels is next on the Green Bay Packers' interviewing to-do list, followed by New Orleans Saints tight ends coach Dan Campbell and Saints q...
Written By: superiortelegram Administrator | Jan 4th 2019 - 8pm.
By Jason Wilde
The Wisconsin State Journal
GREEN BAY - New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels is next on the Green Bay Packers’ interviewing to-do list, followed by New Orleans Saints tight ends coach Dan Campbell and Saints quarterback coach Pete Carmichael.
But it’s looking less and less like the team will be luring Northwestern’s Pat Fitzgerald or Oklahoma’s Lincoln Riley from the college ranks.
A league source confirmed an NFL Network report that the Packers have arranged interviews with McDaniels, whose Patriots have a first-round bye in the AFC playoffs, and Campbell, whose Saints have a first-round bye in the NFC.
The NFL Network reported that McDaniels’ interview was set for Friday, Jan. 4, in New England, and Campbell’s was set for Saturday, Jan. 5, in New Orleans. The Packers have already interviewed two former NFL head coaches - ex-Indianapolis Colts and Detroit Lions coach Jim Caldwell, and ex-Colts coach Chuck Pagano.
The Packers have also reportedly requested to interview Patriots linebackers coach Brian Flores, who is coach Bill Belichick’s defensive play-caller but does not have the defensive coordinator title; Pittsburgh Steelers offensive line coach Mike Munchak; and Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur. One would think that the Packers would also interview Flores while they’re in Foxborough, Massachusetts, to interview McDaniels.
NFL rules allow teams to interview prospective coaches during the opening weekend of the NFL postseason if that coach’s team has a first-round playoff bye. Should the Patriots and/or the Saints reach the Super Bowl, the Packers would be able to conduct a second interview with them.
The Packers intend to cast a wide net in their search for a replacement for Mike McCarthy, who was fired on Dec. 2 with four games left in his 13th season as the team’s head coach.
McCarthy, meanwhile, was set to interview with the Cleveland Browns on Thursday, Jan. 3, and was expected to interview with the New York Jets as well sometime earlier this week, ESPN.com reported.
The 42-year-old McDaniels has spent most of his career in New England working for Belichick, having departed to become the Denver Broncos’ head coach in 2009. He returned to New England in 2012 after being fired by the Broncos late in the 2010 season and spending the 2011 season as the St. Louis Rams’ offensive coordinator.
He’s been the Patriots’ offensive coordinator the past seven seasons, reprising the role he first held on Belichick’s staff from 2006 through 2008. He spent seven seasons on New England’s staff in various roles before that.
Last year, McDaniels had agreed to become the Colts’ head coach, but reneged after the Patriots lost in the Super Bowl and returned to New England. The Cincinnati Bengals, who parted ways with longtime coach Marvin Lewis on Monday, Dec. 31, also reportedly will interview McDaniels.
The 42-year-old Campbell played 11 years as a tight end in the NFL and has 12 games of head-coaching experience, having taken over as the Miami Dolphins’ interim head coach in 2015 after the team fired Joe Philbin. Philbin was the Packers’ interim head coach for the final four games this season after McCarthy was fired. Philbin remains a candidate for the job as well.
Campbell is reportedly also scheduled to interview with the Cleveland Browns and the Arizona Cardinals.
Carmichael will interview with the Packers on Saturday, according to ESPN.
Carmichael joined the Saints in 2006 as a quarterbacks coach. He became the team's offensive coordinator in 2009 and has served in that capacity since.
Meanwhile, a league source said Tuesday, Jan. 1, that the Packers still hope to interview Fitzgerald, who has been Northwestern’s head coach since now-Packers team president/CEO Mark Murphy hired him in 2006 following the sudden death of coach Randy Walker.
But despite his connection to Murphy, it’s possible Fitzgerald won’t even take an interview with the Packers. After the Wildcats’ Holiday Bowl victory over Utah on Monday night, he proclaimed to FOX Sports analyst Joel Klatt, “This is home. I’m not going anywhere. This is home forever.”
The Packers could theoretically make Fitzgerald an offer he can’t refuse - or would have a hard time refusing - but he is a Chicago-area native and was a star linebacker at Northwestern. He has no NFL playing or coaching experience, is making more than $3 million per season in Evanston and the school just built a sparkling new football facility.
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NYC Sets a $17.22 Minimum Wage for Uber and Lyft Drivers
Last updated 12/06/2018 by Andrew Latham
The New York City’s Taxi and Limousine Commission approved new rules yesterday that are designed to set a minimum wage of $17.22 an hour for Uber and Lyft drivers.
Last August, New York’s City Council also set a cap on new vehicle licenses for ride-hail services. The purpose of these measures is to regulate the competition ride-hail services present to traditional taxi companies and ensure a minimum wage for drivers.
New Yorkers are willing to pay a little more and wait a little longer so the people transporting them are able to provide for themselves and their families.”
“This first-time regulation to form a floor for app driver earnings and give a modest first raise is a long time in the making,” said Bhairavi Desai, executive director of the Taxi Workers Alliance in a statement.
“It’s the first real attempt anywhere to stop app driver pay cuts, which is an Uber and Lyft business practice at the heart of poverty wages.”
Jim Conigliaro Jr., founder of the Independent Drivers Guild, said in a statement. “All workers deserve the protection of a fair, livable wage and we are proud to be setting the new bar for contractor workers’ rights in America.
The Taxi and Limousine Commission claims these changes will increase the annual earnings by $10,000 a year. This remains to be seen. According to a study by the TLC, the majority of drivers earn $11.90 an hour. However, according to Uber, the median hourly rate (as of October 2018) for Uber drivers in New York City was $23.40 an hour ($468.00 a week) based on 20 hours a week. In contrast, the national median hourly wage for Uber drivers was $15.68. These measures would have certainly had more of an effect on the bottom line of drivers in areas with lower rates.
[These measures] will lead to higher than necessary fare increases for riders while missing an opportunity to deal with congestion in Manhattan’s central business district.”
Competing pricing models
Lyft and Uber argued it should be the market that determines fares based on the time of the day and demand for rides. In theory, this model reduces congestion. Drivers are rewarded with higher fees when there is a high demand. However, rates plummet when there isn’t.
Uber’s director of public affairs, Jason Post, said the new rules will lead to unnecessarily high fare increases for riders and fail to deal with traffic congestion in Manhattan’s central business district.”
In a statement, Lyft said these new rules “will undermine competition by allowing certain companies to pay drivers lower wages.” It called the new system “a step backward for New Yorkers.”
It’s not that ride-hailing companies are advocating a pure offer and demand model on principle. Uber also uses a route-based pricing that predicts what passengers are willing to pay based on the income level of their neighborhoods. Passengers from a wealthier part of a city, for instance, can expect to pay more whether they are traveling to or from a wealthier or poorer part of town.
According to the taxi commission chairman, Meera Joshi, these pricing models are missing the point. New Yorkers, she believes, “are willing to pay a little more and wait a little longer so the people transporting them are able to provide for themselves and their families.”
Deferment and Forbearance: Top 8 Private Student Loan Lenders That Offer Them
IRS Notices – The Ultimate Guide To Your Tax Questions
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Lifting sanctions was not chief aim of nuclear talks, top Iranian diplomat says
TEHRAN – Protecting Iran’s “inalienable nuclear right” and not lifting sanctions was the chief purpose of Iran’s negotiations with great powers, a top Iranian chief diplomat has said.
Abbas Araqchi made the remarks in a televised interview on Monday.
Under the 2015 nuclear deal, the five permanent members of the UN Security Council – Russia, China, Britain, France and the U.S. – along with Germany and the European Union recognized Iran’s right to nuclear enrichment.
“I do not believe that we entered the negotiations to remove sanctions. We entered talks to uphold the Iranian people’s inalienable right. The fact that the international community, the UN Security Council and the 5+1 group respect our nuclear program is a great achievement of the JCPOA,” he explained.
As a signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Iran is legally entitled to master nuclear technology for peaceful purposes. However, in order disprove claims by certain hardliners in the U.S. that Iran is seeking to build nuclear weapons, Tehran agreed to temporary limits on its uranium enrichment work.
Araqchi also noted that according to the nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, all the nuclear related sanctions against Iran have been removed.
The deal went into effect in January 2016.
‘Trump is an impediment to implementation of JCPOA’
Araqchi also said that U.S. President Donald Trump is an “impediment” to the implementation of JCPOA.
Iran agreed to slow down its nuclear program in exchange for termination of nuclear related sanctions. However, Tehran has threatened if the other side does not abide by its commitments it will resume enrichment work with full speed.
“Trump seeks to deprive Iran of its power. So, he says that the nuclear deal should be scrapped,” said Araqchi who was heavily involved in nuclear negotiations with major powers and the European Union in drafting the text of the JCPOA.
In a statement on January 12, Trump said if the text of the nuclear deal is not revised in the next 120 days he would unilaterally withdraw the U.S. from the agreement.
‘Iran benefits from JCPOA’
Araqchi, an international law expert, also said Iran gains benefits from the JCPOA, because the international atmosphere for investment in Iran has improved a lot.
“Iran, from our point of view and also the international community’s viewpoint, is gaining benefits from the JCPOA. We are selling oil and have also attracted investment,” he pointed out.
He also dismissed any suggestion for the review of the nuclear agreement. “Iran’s position is obvious… the country will not accept any review on the JCPOA.”
The deputy foreign minister also said so far the Europeans have adopted a “good position” on the JCPOA.
Elsewhere, Araqchi said that pulling out of the JCPOA will be costly for the U.S.
“Its costs are very clear. It is clear for the Europeans and will also be obvious for the U.S. that the JCPOA plays an important role in West Asia. West Asia is facing many crises and conflicts and a new crisis, as complicated as a nuclear crisis, will be added to the existing ones,” the top diplomat noted.
NA/PA
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Norman F. Youngstrom,, 81
Norman F. Youngstrom, 81, of Holden, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, July 26, 2011 in UMass Memorial Healthcare, Worcester, after an illness. His wife of 54 years, Joan Louise (LeBlanc) Youngstrom died in May of 2006.
Norman is survived by his two daughters, Gail Truedson and husband David of Oakham and Anne Greene and her husband Marty of Rutland; a son, Mark Youngstrom and his wife Connie of Shrewsbury, Vermont; five special grandchildren, David and his wife Misty, Holly and her husband Rick, Marc and his wife Andrea, Alexis and Gunnar; many nieces and nephews; and his household companion "Willy", his cat. He was predeceased by his twin brother, Warren Youngstrom and his sister, Frances Hedlund. He was born, raised and loved growing up in the Greendale section of Worcester and was the proud son of the late Fritz R. and Ellen M. (Mork) Youngstrom.
Norman graduated from North High School and was a printer for the Eusey Press Company of Leominster, retiring in 1993. Previously, he had worked for the Washington Press Company in Worcester. He was a member of the West Boylston Senior Citizens and its carving group. Norman was a very talented man; together with his wife he built his beautiful home in Holden, which he lived in for over 55 years. He enjoyed carving, restoring furniture, antiquing, gardening, baseball, traveling and sailing.
Relatives and friends are invited to visit with the family from 12 to 2 p.m. on Sunday, July 31st, followed by a funeral service for Norman at 2 p.m. in the Miles Funeral Home, 1158 Main St., Holden. Burial will be held in Worcester County Memorial Park, Paxton at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made the Worcester Animal Rescue League, 139 Holden Street, Worcester, MA 01606. For online condolences, please visit:
© Copyright 2006-2019 GateHouse Media, LLC. All rights reserved • GateHouse Obit
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Guest Column: Severe Weather, Climate Change Not Linked
If science doesn’t support a link between extreme weather events and climate change, why do politicians and so many in the media keep making exaggerated claims?
by Lamar Smith Oct. 15, 2013 10 AM
Congressman Lamar Smith, R-San Antonio.
In today’s 24-hour news cycle, it often feels like there’s always some sort of hurricane, flood or tornado wreaking havoc in the U.S. These events can have a devastating impact on our economy and on our communities. But too often we hear politicians and the media claim these events have become more frequent and more extreme due to carbon emissions by humans.
The Obama administration and the Environmental Protection Agency want you to believe that devastating storms are caused by climate change. The president recently linked a warming climate to “more extreme droughts, floods, wildfires and hurricanes.” But these assertions are contradicted by scientific facts. They are just scare tactics used to justify costly new regulations.
In reality, there is little science to support any connection between climate change and more frequent or extreme storms. According to the foremost scientific body on the topic, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), there is now “high agreement” among leading experts that long-term trends in weather disasters are not caused by human-made climate change.
Nor have hurricanes increased in the U.S. in frequency, intensity or normalized damage since at least 1900. And the U.S. currently has gone seven years without a Category 3 or stronger hurricane making landfall. This is the longest streak ever recorded.
Government data also indicates no association between climate change and tornado activity. Whether measured by the number of strong tornadoes, tornado-related fatalities or economic losses associated with tornadoes, the latter half of the 20th century shows no climate-related trend.
The data on droughts paints a similar picture. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration found that “climate change was not a significant part” of the recent drought in Texas. And the IPCC found that "in some regions droughts have become less frequent, less intense, or shorter, for example, central North America.” IPCC’s latest report also states there is “low confidence” in any climate-related trends involving flood magnitude or frequency.
So if science doesn’t support a link between extreme weather events and climate change, why do politicians and so many in the media keep making exaggerated claims?
To drum up support for costly, unnecessary regulations and subsidies, activists stretch the truth. They want people to believe that strict new policies and regulations can decrease the intensity of hurricanes, tornadoes, droughts and floods. But that’s a scare tactic that should be dismissed.
We need to look at the science and be honest about the uncertainties associated with climate change. Contrary to even the most sophisticated climate models, climate change has been far less severe than predicted. Nearly every major temperature record shows that global temperatures have held steady for the last 15 years.
Climate change is due to a combination of factors, including natural cycles, solar activity and human actions. And scientists disagree about how much each of these factors contributes to the overall climate change.
We are fortunate to have a beautiful planet, and as a global community, we should promote policies that protect our environment. But we must set aside science fiction and focus on the facts.
A better approach to address climate change is to place a higher priority on fundamental research that will enable new energy technologies to become more cost effective. In order to impact global emissions, we must shift from costly subsidies and regulations to research and technological solutions that will be used not only here but around the world. In other words, let’s set aside the fiction and focus on a real solution.
Lamar Smith, R-San Antonio, represents Congressional District 21 in the U.S. House and is chairman of the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology.
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Serving Lake Tahoe
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Icemen hope to start long postseason run vs. Bellingham (video)
Sports | March 22, 2018
Bill Rozak
brozak@tahoedailytribune.com
Show CaptionsHide Captions
The Lake Tahoe Icemen have been practicing almost daily in preparation for the playoffs that begin this weekend against the Bellingham Blazers.
When the Icemen hit the ice Friday, March 23, for the first game of a best two-out-of-three series, it will have been nearly three weeks since they last competed.
“There are challenges with having so much time off, but these guys aren’t just taking the days off,” said Icemen head coach Mickey Lang. “We’re practicing, working and putting ourselves in game situations every day even though we’re not getting the actual games.”
Lang is trying to keep the Icemen in shape during their time off, putting them through tough conditioning. Half the practices consist of different kinds of sprints across the length of the ice combined with quick stops.
“The conditioning is a lot harder than any other place I’ve been,” said Icemen team captain Phil Heisse. “The altitude and thin air make it even harder. But that helps us because other teams aren’t used to playing at this high of elevation.”
Lang, a former East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) most valuable player just a few years ago, looks like he can still outskate most of his team. He joins in on the conditioning, a little, with his players.
“It’s brutal, it’s so hard to breathe,” Lang said. “I can’t last long. I go one time and I’m dead. I make them go 10 times. It’s brutal at the end.”
The Icemen have made the playoffs each of the last years after winning just two games for the entire season the year before. Heisse has been a part of the huge turnaround. The Icemen went from winning two games, to earning a playoff berth, to earning the No. 2 seed and first round bye over the past three seasons.
“We’re getting ourselves on the map,” Heisse said. “People are starting to see how good of an organization we are and want to come play here. Leading a team like this, in front of fans like we have, has been a lot of fun.”
Being “on the map” is what helped assistant team captain Paul Frys come to Tahoe. The forward has been on scoring binge the entire season, especially in the second half where he has put together a 30-game scoring streak. He’s helped the Icemen become one of the top scoring teams in the Western States Hockey League, and a lot of fun to watch with all the offense.
“I’ve had a lot of fun here,” Frys said. “I’m glad he brought me in. We’re a good team. Hopefully we’re gonna make a good run in playoffs. I’m excited.”
Frys said the key to the Icemen advancing to the next round is out working the Blazers, just like they’ve done all season. Tahoe had faced Bellingham six times and has 12 points to show for it. The Blazers earned just one point by forcing one contest into overtime.
Lang is also excited because for the first time this season, his Icemen will be healthy heading into postseason. He doesn’t have any specific goals to determine Icemen playoff success, he just wants the team to play like he knows it can.
And he loves that they get to play at home.
“We love playing here, especially this year because we’ve had such great support from the fans,” Lang said. “As the season has moved along, there are more and more people in here and it’s been getting packed. More people are talking about the Icemen. And these guys do a great job in the community. They’re always working with kids, working with charity skates, around town and the people have been terrific.”
The games Friday and Saturday, March 23-24, start at 7 p.m. at South Lake Tahoe Ice Arena located at 1176 Rufus Blvd. The best two-of-three series ends Sunday, if necessary, with the puck drop at 2:30 p.m.
Diedra Wallis, who has sung the national Anthem before Sacramento Kings home games, will sing Star-Spangled Banner.
A Sierra-at-Tahoe avalanche dog will ceremoniously drop the puck Friday night
The Icemen will hold a 50/50 raffle Friday and Saturday for a center ice shot for prizes donated by Sierra-at-Tahoe.
There will be an Icemen autograph signing after the games in the lobby.
Tickets are $6 with children 6-and-under receiving free admission. Parking is free.
There will be a warm-up special, Coors Light will be $2 and Deschutes will be $4 from 6:15 p.m. until puck drop.
“We’ve had a very successful season but we’re not ready to stop,” Heisse said. “We’re looking to make a deep run. If we play our game, we can do that.”
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PA Prep Live
Women Say They're Ready to Put Their Money to Work for Them
(NewsUSA) - More women than ever before are realizing they need to make their money grow for them.
For decades, we've been hearing about an "investment gap" between males and females. And while it still exists, a whopping 72 percent of women in a new survey by Fidelity Investments said they're ready to make bolder moves in the coming months - including investing more of their savings.
"Women tend to be the CFO of their household," says Kathy Murphy, president of personal investing at Fidelity. "They tend to pay the bills, they tend to make 80 percent of the purchasing decisions. This (investing) can be part of it."
The point about investing more of savings is crucial. While 44 percent of females polled for the firm's "2018 Women and Investing Study" were currently putting their money to work in the market beyond just retirement accounts - that compares to 59 percent of men -more than a third of all women reported having $50,000 or more still sitting in checking and savings accounts that pay a pittance in interest. And that third or so includes those who do invest outside of, say, company 401(k) plans.
But if even $20,000 of that cash was invested in a conservative portfolio mix? Over five years, in a typical market, the money could potentially swell by $5,733 vs. $80 in a basic savings account (and potentially $2,961 in a typical five-year CD).
Millennial women would seem to be taking those numbers most seriously, which accounts for much of the optimism underlying the report.
Forty-eight percent of them are already investing their cash, as opposed to about 40 percent of both Baby Boomers and Gen Xers.
"This is the first time in the almost decade we've been doing this study that we've seen Millennial women on track to really lead the way," notes Murphy.
Don't misunderstand: No one's saying people - men or women - shouldn't keep at least enough cash on hand in savings to cover three to six months of living expenses. That's a fundamental rule of thumb among financial advisors. And Murphy contends that women who do invest actually turn out to be "great" at it for this simple reason: They come up with a long-term plan based on their own or their family's goals, and then they allow their investments to grow without tending to make the mistake of trying to time the market.
Many online tools can help women looking to better manage their financial lives. Fidelity, for example, offers a free 10-minute "Financial Wellness" check-up that's a first step in developing such a plan, and the firm also just launched a new "Demand More" site designed specifically for those with two X chromosomes. The latter, which is also free, includes personal stories from women like the 54-year-old with two grown children who "restarted her finances" after her divorce.
As for why women lag men in investing, Murphy has her own theory: "Sixty-five percent of them equate it with picking stocks. But it's not about that. It's about having a financial plan and sticking to it."
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Jack Ezzell, vice president, chief accounting officer and controller of MarineMax, announced his resignation from the company, effective Friday, to pursue an opportunity with a large private company, MarineMax said in a report to the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Ezzell's principal duties will be assumed by Michael McLamb, the company's executive vice president and chief financial officer, and Kurt Frahn, vice president of finance and treasurer, among others.
"The company wishes to express its appreciation to Mr. Ezzell for his nearly 13 years of dedicated service to the company and wishes him well in his new endeavor," MarineMax said in its report.
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This Queer History Instagram Is Teaching LGBTQ+ People What We Didn’t Learn in School
"Being denied history is a fundamental part of queer persecution; dominant cultures work very hard to diminish the importance of our lives and our stories."
Matthew Riemer
Leighton Brown
A gay couple celebrates the 25th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising.mark peterson/Corbis via Getty Images
We started the Instagram account @lgbt_history when we realized we didn’t know anything about queer history.
In November 2015, we — Leighton Brown and Matthew Riemer, a D.C.-based couple, both of us attorneys by training — attended the unveiling of a headstone for the activist Frank Kameny, perhaps best known for coming up with the slogan “Gay Is Good,” at Congressional Cemetery. At the time, the extent of our knowledge about gay history was limited to some disconnected factoids about a scared group of conservatives called “the homophiles” (we owe everything to the militant, vibrant homophiles!), a mythological account of Stonewall (no one threw a shot glass!), an incomplete version of the AIDS story (hundreds of thousands in the U.S. alone still lack access to prevention education and treatment!), and a woefully overhyped sense of “equality” in the form of civil marriage rights (there are many queer people, trans activist Riki Wilchins wrote, who “couldn’t say it was just about who we loved”).
We knew so little about Kameny’s life, yet during the memorial, we were inundated with details about the man who served as the moral and logical compass in the fight for queer rights for nearly six decades. We were overwhelmed by how much we didn’t know, isolated by our ignorance, and furious at the forces that had kept our history from us. From there, we set out to learn what we could. There was no real plan; we just wanted some sense of our story.
After months of research and collecting images, and as our understanding of queer history grew, we both started to feel more complete, more connected, more confident, and truly and proudly queer. Every day brought discoveries about our people — your people — and stories that we all need to know. History became an obsession, with every picture, name, and event leading to exponentially more pictures, names, and events. We started @lgbt_history in January 2016 because we wanted others to see what we were seeing, to learn what we were learning, and to feel what we were feeling.
While there always has been a great deal of joy in our work, we are ultimately propelled by an angry determination to learn the details of queer history, as well as to expand, add nuance to, and correct the public record of that history. Being denied history is a fundamental part of queer persecution; dominant cultures work very hard to diminish the importance of our lives and our stories, and that absolutely includes the erasure by queer people of women, people of color, trans people, disabled people, those with non-normative body types, femmes, butches, radicals, undereducated individuals, and anyone else who doesn’t “fit the mold” cast by heteronormative forces from within and outside the queer community.
Despite the incredible work of many academics, archivists, photographers, and grassroots historians, the community has only begun to understand its own story. We know what we’ve sought out and we know what we’ve heard (the former tends to be that which the individual wants to hear, and the latter that which people with access to the machines of power want us to hear). But it’s nearly impossible to find broadly inclusive, accessible guides to queer history, ones that present the interrelated stories of the countless subcommunities that make up our past, present, and future.
That should piss you off.
It’s infuriating that popular accounts of our history, to the extent they are even available, have been so sterilized that many within our own community truly believe that we somehow have to “win over” our enemies — i.e., anyone who in any way opposes the full liberation of the entire queer community. “We ARE right,” Frank Kameny wrote in 1965: “Those who oppose us are both factually and morally wrong. We are the true authorities on homosexuality, whether we are accepted as such or not. We must DEMAND our rights, boldly, not beg cringingly for mere privileges, and not be satisfied with crumbs tossed to us.”
Equally if not more infuriating is the impact of not knowing or not appreciating the diversity of our past. So many queer people believe that if we just get this or win that, if the courts tell us it’s OK when we do y or other people vote in favor of our right to x, then everything’ll be better. Legal and political victories are great for what they are, but they only make a dent in the deeply ingrained social norms that constantly force queer people into closets. And, as we negotiate small steps that only benefit certain segments of the community, we rush to distance ourselves from the tougher issues, the more radical queers, and ultimately the possibility of a truly inclusive liberation movement. But as Stone Butch Blues author and trans activist Leslie Feinberg wrote, “A timid denial that ‘we’re not all like that’ only serves to weaken the entire fight-back movement. We can never throw enough people overboard to win approval from our enemies.”
With our work, which soon will include our first book, We Are Everywhere, we want to prove — using incredible images and accessible, well-researched summaries of history — that the strength of the queer community is its diversity and that assimilation is spiritual erasure. Whoever you are, YOU are an authority on being queer. And, no matter what, you are not alone in the grand scheme of history. The battles for queer liberation have been waged by people of every background, with every body type, of every color, educational pedigree, socioeconomic status, gender identity, and physical and mental ability.
Learn about these people; learn from these people.
And take comfort in knowing you have every right to express your frustration, your anger, your fears, and your pride.
If you believe, as we do, that an attack on one of us is an attack on all of us, then there’s no question that we all are under attack right now. There are times when that’s overwhelming, but your history shows that you’re part of a community that can and will overcome. We’ve fought travel bans before, just as we’ve fought discriminatory policies that would exclude us from serving openly in the military. We helped slow an epidemic, and we’ve been fighting Donald Trump for decades.
With that knowledge, though, comes personal responsibility. Everyone who is now in a position of power because of those who fought before has an obligation to fight for those who have not achieved that same power. And we have so much work to do before the fight is over. “To accept one’s past — one’s history,” James Baldwin wrote, “is not the same thing as drowning in it; it is learning how to use it. An invented past can never be used; it cracks and crumbles under the pressures of life like clay in a season of drought.”
It’s not all pretty, it’s not all inspiring, it’s often troublesome, and it’s always complicated, but our history is what makes our community such a remarkable force for liberation.
Tagsevergreenqueer historyinstagram
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Allepo, Syria, ruined after the barrel bomb attack / photo indianexpress.com
Syria barrel bomb attack last Thursday
Martha Soezean 2016-08-28 International
“On Thursday, 25 August, 11 children and four women were killed in a barrel bomb attack on the Bab al-Nayrab neighbourhood in the south of Aleppo city,” the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights Monitor reported.
The Observatory also said rebels fired mortar rounds into regime-held areas in western Aleppo; eight people were killed, including two children.
Rescue workers and residents dig through the rubble, looking for loved ones through the ruins of collapsed buildings, an AFP journalist in Bab al-Nayrab reported.
One man carried out a lifeless small baby, eyes closed, white dust covered its body except for spots and smears of blood.
photo: zajwal.com
Men and women carry dead children covered with dust, sobbing and crying; a Syrian woman screamed in anguish, “I lost five children…!”
A heartbreaking video was posted on ITV News Facebook yesterday, shows two young brothers hugging and crying after finding out that their brother was killed in the bomb blast.
The footage was released by the Aleppo Media Centre, an anti-government activist group.
Last week a video, also posted by the Aleppo Media Center, captivated the world and was a horrifying reminder of the victims of the war in Syria.
The video showed a boy no older than five year old, Omran Daqneesh, dust covered and blood smeared, sitting silently in an ambulance awaiting help. No information about the fate and whereabout of his family.
Aleppo city once was Syria’s economic powerhouse, but it has been wrecked by the conflict that began with anti-government protests in March 2011.
image: wcvb.com
The city has been divided between government control in the west and rebel control in the east since mid-2012, each side bombarding the other and causing civilian casualties.
According to the Observatory, more than 290,000 people have been killed in Syria since the conflict began.
In addition to using barrel bombs, which President Bashar al-Assad and his government deny, the Syrian regime has been accused of using other forms of weapons.
CNN reported, the White House condemned the Syrian government after announcing a year-long UN-backed investigation which found President Bashar al-Assad’s government and ISIS had used chemical weapons.
US National Security Council (NSC) spokesman Ned Price said Wednesday, “It is now impossible to deny that the Syrian regime has repeatedly used industrial chlorine as a weapon against its own people.”
The NSC pointed that the regime has violated the Chemical Weapons Convention and a UN resolution.
In August 2012, Obama described the use of the kind of weapons as constituting a “red line” and if it is crossed would force the US to consider intervening, CNN reported.
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Discovery could lead to 'optical battery' (United Press International)- April 19, 2011
U.S. researchers say an unexpected magnetic effect of light could lead to solar power without traditional semiconductor-based solar cells. The finding could lead to a way to make an "optical battery," University of Michigan researcher Stephen Rand said. The findings fly in the face of long-held tenets in physics about the properties of light, a university release said Tuesday... More...
On the way to hydrogen storage? (PhysOrg)- April 19, 2011
The car of the future could be propelled by a fuel cell powered with hydrogen. But what will the fuel tank look like? Hydrogen gas is not only explosive but also very space-consuming. Storage in the form of very dense solid metal hydrides is a particularly safe alternative that accommodates the gas in a manageable volume. As the storage tank should also not be too heavy and expensive, solid-state chemists worldwide focus on... More...
Scientists finely control methane combustion to get different products (PhysOrg)- April 14, 2011
Scientists have discovered a method to control the gas-phase selective catalytic combustion of methane, so finely that if done at room temperature the reaction produces ethylene, while at lower temperatures it yields formaldehyde. The process involves using gold dimer cations as catalysts — that is, positively charged diatomic gold clusters. Being able to catalyze these reactions, at or below room temperature, may lead to significant cost savings in... More...
Cold asteroids may have a soft heart (PhysOrg)- April 8, 2011
A new analysis of one of the most well-known meteorites on Earth provides strong evidence that the prevailing view of many asteroids is wrong. Rather than randomly mixed blobs of rock and dust stuck together, it appears that the asteroid that was the source of the Allende meteorite was large enough to have had a molten core, even though its surface remained cold and solid... More...
Nanoparticles Improve Solar Collection Efficiency (ScienceDaily)- April 5, 2011
Using minute graphite particles 1000 times smaller than the width of a human hair, mechanical engineers at Arizona State University hope to boost the efficiency -- and profitability -- of solar power plants. Photovoltaic (PV) solar panels are popping up more and more on rooftops, but they're not necessarily the best solar power solution... More...
Pinnacle Engines Introduces Its Ultra-Efficient Combustion Engine (The Street)- March 31, 2011
Pinnacle Engines today unveiled plans to commercialize a breakthrough ultra-efficient engine by 2013. The new engine design enables significant reductions in fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions without increasing vehicle cost. Pinnacle also announced it has raised $13.5 million in venture funding from NEA, Bessemer Venture Partners and Infield Capital. While electrification of the worldwide vehicle fleet presents a promising long-term solution... More...
Scientists discover recycling method to advance fuel cell practicality (PhysOrg)- March 21, 2011
The use of hydrogen as a practical, widespread alternative fuel to gasoline took another step today as researchers from Los Alamos National Laboratory and The University of Alabama announce a method for recycling a hydrogen fuel source. The scientists demonstrate that a lightweight material, ammonia borane, can be a feasible material for storing hydrogen on vehicles... More...
Breakthrough in Nanocomposite for High-Capacity Hydrogen Storage (ScienceDaily)- March 14, 2011
Since the 1970s, hydrogen has been touted as a promising alternative to fossil fuels due to its clean combustion -- unlike hydrocarbon-based fuels, which spew greenhouse gases and harmful pollutants, hydrogen's only combustion by-product is water. Compared to gasoline, hydrogen is lightweight, can provide a higher energy density and is readily available. But there's a reason we're not already living in a hydrogen economy... More...
Tough crystal nut cracked: Correct prediction of all three known crystal structures of a sulfonimide (Physorg.com)- March 10, 2011
Small differences in the production conditions, such as variations in pressure or temperature, can be enough to cause fine chemicals, such as pharmaceuticals, pigments, explosives, or agrochemicals, to crystallize in a different form. This can lead to problems with the production process or to undesirable product properties. It is correspondingly important to know which crystal structures are possible. Scientists use computational chemistry methods to obtain information about molecular structure... More...
University of Illinois Nuclear, Plasma, and Radiological Engineering Founder B.T. Chao Dies At Age 92 (University of Illinois)- March 7, 2011
Bei Tse Chao, among a handful of individuals who were instrumental in developing the nuclear engineering program at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign over 50 years ago, died Wednesday, March 2, 2011. He was 92. More...
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By Marc Lourdes
Splice Hong Kong
PUBLISHED 30 Apr 2018, 3:55 pm
UPDATED 21 May 2018, 5:15 pm
In an age when trust in the media is in peril, FactWire crowdfunded $600,000 when it started out in 2016 with the promise of a simple vision — investigative journalism based on fact, not opinion, and not beholden to business or political interests of any kind.
Taking his cues from the likes of AP, Reuters and AFP, founder Don Ng decided to build a wire service that would provide the press and people of Hong Kong with unbiased, investigative reporting that he says the city’s mainstream media is increasingly shying away from.
In doing that, Ng got rid of long-established newsroom hierarchies, populating his team with only journalists and getting them to peer review and edit each other.
The result is a back-to-basics news service that focuses on long-term investigations, no-frills writing and reporting, and one that prioritizes serving people via its wires clients rather than creating beautifully designed content, chasing viral stories or obsessing over traffic goals.
In other words, there should be no reason for FactWire to succeed, considering everything it does goes against the grain of what everybody ‘knows’ about digital journalism today. But yet, it does.
I met Don Ng to find out what makes this unique organization tick, and how FactWire has found success at a time when many news companies are struggling to stay afloat.
FactWire's founder Don Ng (Photo: Marc Lourdes)
Why did you start FactWire?
I was watching the Occupy movement in Hong Kong a few years ago and saw protesters chase a TV reporter and try to hit him. They weren’t happy because they felt the news organization he was with was not fairly reporting the news.
I had never seen that at that point in my career, and I began to wonder why the credibility of our reporters had become so damaged that citizens of Hong Kong didn’t trust them anymore?
I concluded it was because some newsrooms were no longer regarded as fair and independent.
So I thought if I am going to do something that can win trust in the press again, I need to start a newsroom that can function independently, with money funding that newsroom not coming from a businessman.
At first I thought it would be an uphill battle. But after several months of operations, 99 percent of Hong Kong’s media — online and mainstream — subscribed to FactWire. It was unbelievable.
Each time FactWire publishes articles, almost 99 percent of Hong Kong media use them. Even the pro-China press sometimes uses our investigations, depending on the subject.
Why has the take-up been so good? What was the gap you filled?
In Hong Kong’s press, there is self-censorship because of politics and business. Most press don’t initiate or start investigations by themselves because of sensitivities. But if people like FactWire have an investigation, they will use it because they can say it’s a FactWire investigation, not theirs.
I always say the Press Freedom Index published every year is misleading. It’s not the freedom of press in Hong Kong that’s been dropping all the way since 1997 — the index should be on press self-censorship, which is getting worse and worse and worse.
Why is self-censorship so bad now? What changed?
One is the businesses of businessmen who own the press. Before ’97, they didn’t have so many business interests in China. They didn’t see China as a big market, and China was still not part of Hong Kong’s government.
After ’97, China became a huge market for the businessmen behind the press. Most of them have big investments in China, so they have to listen to China, they have to take care of their business interests, make sure the reporting doesn’t anger any of their business partners in China. So many interests.
The government is no longer the UK, it’s now Beijing. So they also have political considerations.
And that’s how self-censorship comes. Most businessmen use the press as their business tool rather than public service.
Its newsroom has no editor. Reporters vote on editorial decisions. And they produce investigative journalism only. But @FactWireWorld in Hong Kong is a success. Story by @marclourdes.
As a media business, how hard is it to operate in Hong Kong? What are the challenges you face?
It’s difficult in terms of cost, because we don’t offer cheap salaries for investigative reporters. Rent for office space is expensive in Hong Kong too. Some people have offered us a free office, but we’ve declined because we want to stay independent.
So far there is no revenue. We rely on people’s donation for operations.
The product we sell is not the articles. It’s the mission. People pay or donate money not to read our articles; they want an independent organization like this and to keep it running as long as the mission is still there. And that is how we are surviving.
There have been internal discussions among the reporters, [about] whether we should push more human interest stories that can appeal to more people in order to get more readers, or whether we should try to put up a paywall.
In the end, they found that people don’t really pay for you because you write beautiful articles. In Hong Kong, if you’re looking for beautiful articles, there are many, many websites that provide this service.
But people still donate money to us because they want us to stay where we are, be who we are.
We are trying to grow monthly sponsors. There are now 252 monthly sponsors at $25 each per month.
If that trend can grow upwards, we can be stable, get more reporters, grow upwards and produce more stories. And from that point we can produce more business models, like corporate subscriptions or newsletters.
Otherwise, it will remain a free public service, relying on public sponsors.
Some of FactWire's many newspaper clients. (Photo provided)
Besides investigative journalists, what are the other job roles in your company?
We have seven reporters and one researcher. Two of the reporters are bilingual English-Chinese writers and the others only write in Chinese. There is no editor. For stories, reporters take on different roles. One writes, one edits, one fact checks. So, actually, all of them edit the stories and come out with the final version. It’s a form of a collective newsroom.
How Tom Grundy of Hong Kong Free Press learned how to crowdfund his news service, build a team, and keep the lights on.
"Certainly, I don’t consider myself an entrepreneur — I didn’t have a meticulous business plan, nor had I ever set up a business before."
So who runs the operations?
It’s an experimental newsroom, where the reporters manage themselves. There is no boss. For editorial decisions, they will vote. If there is too much argument on a certain story, the majority will rule. For management, they will listen to my advice. Like, whether we are going to change office, or whether we are going to cut staff.
What is your role, then?
I promised during crowdfunding that I would not be employed by FactWire. I am just a spokesman, fundraiser and public face, because most of the reporters don’t want to go public. I’m not taking part in daily operations. I have a meeting with them maybe once a month, and if they need advice, I will be there.
Most companies in the digital space measure success by traffic. What are the measures of success for FactWire?
One is the pickup rate of our stories. The other is Facebook reactions from readers.
Most Hong Kong readers reach FactWire stories through their media outlets, not our website. So the traffic for the website is very low. We only publish the story on the site about six, eight or 10 hours later than our wire services.
And because FactWire doesn’t rely on advertising and click rates, it doesn’t really matter. What matters is how many media outlets pick up our story.
What kind of tools does your team use to do its work?
Whatsapp and Telegram, which are publicly posted on the website and Facebook. Most people use these to send tipoffs and information. And, of course, their own network of sources.
It’s very traditional old-school journalism. Most of the time, they go out to the field to meet people or wait for people. Sometimes people don’t want to meet, so they wait for weeks. Many weeks spent outside people’s offices.
They go out to get documents, they send emails to government departments, request information that has been declined by government offices. Most of the time it’s this kind of stuff.
Marc Lourdes is a Malaysian journalist and editor, and is among Asia’s leading experts on digital news media operations. Until recently, he was CNN’s digital director for Asia Pacific. Follow Marc Lourdes on Twitter.
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Sheffield to consider £500-a-month Universal Basic Income trial
A Universal Basic Income, where everyone receives £500 a month whether they are in work or not, could be piloted in Sheffield.
By Robert Cumber
The city would become the first in England to adopt the concept, which advocates claim is a simpler and fairer alternative to the benefits system, should a trial be approved.
Universal Basic Income would replace traditional means-tested benefits with an unconditional flat rate payment to all citizens, regardless of their circumstances.
Universal Basic Income would mean a flat rate of payment for everyone, whether in work or not
“I’m the victim of identity theft” says suspended Sheffield councillor
A recent trial in Finland suggested it had the potential to improve people’s health and happiness without significantly affecting how likely unemployed recipients were to find work, according to analysis by the University of Bath.
Sheffield has taken note, and a meeting and series of workshops are due to be held next month about the prospect of making such a scheme a reality in the city.
A draft proposal will be launched at the same time by UBI LAB: Sheffield, a collaboration of organisations and individuals within the city which are intrigued by the prospect.
Jason Leman, who chairs the group, said: “What the trial in Finland has shown us is that a Universal Basic Income works to improve health and wellbeing, which means people are less of a burden on health services and more likely to be able to contribute.
“But the Finnish experiment just looked at people who were long-term unemployed. We want to see what the effects would be on everyone. Whilst there are trials being proposed in Scotland, our proposal is the most detailed yet launched for England.”
He described the existing tax and benefits system as a ‘maze of paperwork and bureaucracy’, and claimed changing the way things work could really benefit the lowest paid, including people on zero-hours contracts.
UBI LAB: Sheffield, whose members include Opus Independents, Centre for Welfare Reform, and University of Sheffield is considering three different models for a trial.
One would simply remove the need for people receiving disability benefits to keep undergoing assessments; another would provide a monthly £130 top-up for all; and a third would entitle everyone to a full basic income of £500 a month, to be funded by increasing income tax.
Shadow chancellor John McDonnell last year said the Labour Party was considering including plans for a Universal Basic Income in its next manifesto.
The Star has contacted Sheffield Council, which declined to comment on the proposals.
‘Basic Income: How do we get there?’ is due to take place at the University of Sheffield’s Diamond building on Leavygreave Road on Saturday, March 9, from 11am-4pm.
The event, which will be chaired by Dr Simon Duffy, of Citizens Network, is jointly sponsored by Basic Income UK, Citizens Basic Income Network Scotland, UBI LAB: Sheffield, and the University of Sheffield.
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Energy Transfer Equity Announces Chancery Court Decision In Litigation With The Williams Companies
Energy Transfer Equity, L.P.
Jun 24, 2016 8:05 PM EDT
Energy Transfer Equity, L.P. (NYSE: ETE) ("ETE" or the "Partnership") today announced that the Delaware Court of Chancery has issued an opinion finding that ETE is contractually entitled to terminate its merger agreement with The Williams Companies, Inc. ("Williams") in the event ETE's counsel Latham & Watkins LLP ("Latham") is unable to deliver a required tax opinion prior to the June 28, 2016 outside date in the merger agreement.
The Chancery Court's opinion stated:
"Because I conclude that Latham, as of the time of trial, could not in good faith opine that tax authorities should treat the specific exchange in question as tax free under Section 721(a); and because Williams has failed to demonstrate that the Partnership has materially breached its contractual obligation to undertake commercially reasonable efforts to receive such an opinion from Latham, I find that the Partnership is contractually entitled to terminate the Merger Agreement, assuming Latham's opinion does not change before the end of the merger period, June 28, 2016."
Latham has advised ETE that it is currently unable to deliver the opinion, and ETE does not believe that Latham will be able to render the opinion prior to June 29, 2016, the date that ETE would be entitled to terminate the merger agreement in light of the opinion rendered by the Delaware Court of Chancery. The Chancery Court's ruling is subject to appeal.
Energy Transfer Equity, L.P. (NYSE:ETE) is a master limited partnership that owns the general partner and 100% of the incentive distribution rights (IDRs) of Energy Transfer Partners, L.P. (NYSE: ETP) and Sunoco LP (NYSE: SUN). ETE also owns approximately 2.6 million ETP common units and approximately 81.0 million ETP Class H Units, which track 90% of the underlying economics of the general partner interest and IDRs of Sunoco Logistics Partners L.P. (NYSE: SXL). On a consolidated basis, ETE's family of companies owns and operates approximately 71,000 miles of natural gas, natural gas liquids, refined products, and crude oil pipelines. For more information, visit the Energy Transfer Equity, L.P. website at www.energytransfer.com.
This communication may contain forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements may include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the merger of the Partnership and Williams, the expected future performance of the combined company (including expected results of operations and financial guidance), and the combined company's future financial condition, operating results, strategy and plans. Forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of the words "anticipates," "expects," "intends," "plans," "should," "could," "would," "may," "will," "believes," "estimates," "potential," "target," "opportunity," "designed," "create," "predict," "project," "seek," "ongoing," "increases" or "continue" and variations or similar expressions. These statements are based upon the current expectations and beliefs of management and are subject to numerous assumptions, risks and uncertainties that change over time and could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. These assumptions, risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, assumptions, risks and uncertainties discussed in the Registration Statement on Form S-4, which was declared effective by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on May 25, 2016 (the "Form S-4") and in the most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K for each of the Partnership, Energy Transfer Partners, L.P. (NYSE: ETP) ("ETP"), Sunoco Logistics Partners L.P. (NYSE: SXL) ("SXL"), Sunoco LP (NYSE: SUN) ("SUN"), Williams and WPZ filed with the SEC and assumptions, risks and uncertainties relating to the proposed transaction, as detailed from time to time in the Form S-4 and in the Partnership's, ETP's, SXL's, SUN's, Williams' and Williams Partners L.P.'s (NYSE: WPZ) ("WPZ") filings with the SEC, which factors are incorporated herein by reference. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements we make in this communication are set forth in the Form S-4 and in other reports or documents that the Partnership, ETP, SXL, SUN, Williams and WPZ file from time to time with the SEC include, but are not limited to: (1) the ultimate outcome of the pending litigation between the Partnership and Williams; (2) the ultimate outcome of any business combination transaction between the Partnership, Energy Transfer Corp, LP ("ETC") and Williams; (3) the ultimate outcome and results of integrating the operations of the Partnership and Williams, the ultimate outcome of the Partnership's operating strategy applied to Williams and the ultimate ability to realize cost savings and synergies; (4) the effects of the business combination transaction of the Partnership, ETC and Williams, including the combined company's future financial condition, operating results, strategy and plans; (5) the ability to meet the closing conditions to the transaction, including Williams stockholder approval, on a timely basis or at all; (6) the reaction of the companies' stockholders, customers, employees and counterparties to the proposed transaction; (7) diversion of management time on transaction-related issues; (8) unpredictable economic conditions in the United States and other markets, including fluctuations in the market price of the Partnership's common units and ETC common shares; (9) the ability to obtain the intended tax treatment in connection with the issuance of ETC common shares to Williams stockholders; and (10) the ability to maintain the Partnership's, ETP's, SXL's, SUN's, Williams' and WPZ's current credit ratings. All forward-looking statements attributable to the Partnership or any person acting on the Partnership's behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any of these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof. The Partnership does not undertake any obligation to update any of these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this communication or to reflect actual outcomes.
This communication does not constitute an offer to buy or solicitation of an offer to sell any securities, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. No offering of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended. This communication relates to a proposed business combination between the Partnership and Williams. In furtherance of the proposed business combination and subject to future developments, the Partnership, ETC and Williams have filed a registration statement on Form S-4 with the SEC and a proxy statement/prospectus of WMB and other documents related to the proposed business combination. This communication is not a substitute for any proxy statement, registration statement, prospectus or other document the Partnership, ETC or Williams may file with the SEC in connection with the proposed business combination. The registration statement of ETC was declared effective by the SEC on May 25, 2016. INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS OF THE PARTNERSHIP AND WILLIAMS ARE URGED TO READ THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT, PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS AND OTHER DOCUMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN OR MAY BE FILED WITH THE SEC CAREFULLY IN THEIR ENTIRETY AS THEY CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPOSED BUSINESS COMBINATION. Definitive proxy statement(s) will be mailed to stockholders of Williams. Investors and security holders may obtain free copies of these documents and other documents filed with the SEC by the Partnership, ETC and Williams through the website maintained by the SEC at http://www.sec.gov. Copies of the documents filed by the Partnership and ETC with the SEC will be available free of charge on the Partnership's website at www.energytransfer.com or by contacting Investor Relations at 214-981-0700 and copies of the documents filed by Williams with the SEC will be available on Williams' website at investor.williams.com.
The Partnership and its directors, executive officers and other members of management and employees may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies in respect of the proposed transaction. Information regarding the directors and officers of the Partnership's general partner is contained in the Partnership's Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on February 29, 2016 (as it may be amended from time to time). Additional information regarding the interests of such potential participants is included in the proxy statement / prospectus and other relevant documents filed with the SEC. Investors should read the proxy statement / prospectus carefully before making any voting or investment decisions. You may obtain free copies of these documents from the Partnership using the sources indicated above.
Williams and its directors, executive officers and other members of management and employees may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies in respect of the proposed transaction. Information regarding the directors and officers of Williams is contained in Williams' Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on February 26, 2016 (as it may be amended from time to time). Additional information regarding the interests of such potential participants is included in the proxy statement / prospectus and other relevant documents filed with the SEC. Investors should read the proxy statement / prospectus carefully before making any voting or investment decisions. You may obtain free copies of these documents from Williams using the sources indicated above.
Copyright Business Wire 2010
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Pearson Sells Penguin Random House Stake to Bertelsmann; Will Return £300 Million to Shareholders
Pearson said Tuesday that it will sell a 22% stake in Penguin Random House as part of the group's effort to trim its balance sheet and return cash to shareholders.
Updated Jul 11, 2017 5:19 AM EDT
Pearson Plc (PSO) shares led FTSE 100 shares higher Tuesday after it said it will sell a 22% stake in Penguin Random House as part of the group's effort to trim its balance sheet and return cash to shareholders.
The deal will see the educational publisher raise about $968 million from the sale of the Penguin Random House stake to its venture partner, Bertelsmann SE & Co KGaA, around £300 million ($386 million) of which will be redirected to shareholders through a buyback program. The group also said its future dividend policy would be "progressive" and "comfortably covered by the earnings of our ongoing business excluding any contribution" from the 25% stake it will continue to hold in Penguin Random House.
"Combining Penguin with Random House has proved to be a great publishing success, as well as enabling some big cost savings. This has benefited readers, authors, and shareholders," said CEO John Fallon. "Today's deal enables Pearson to realise a significant amount of the value we've helped to create whilst continuing to be part of the world's biggest and best trade publisher. We will use the proceeds to maintain our strong balance sheet, invest in our business and return £300 million to shareholders."
Pearson shares gained 2.35% in the opening minutes of London trading to change hands 705.8 pence each before falling more than 8.4% to 646 pence each later in the session as investors questioned the sale of such a high-performing asset.
Pearson added at the time it may sell all or part of its 47% stake in Penguin Random House and "use proceeds from this action to maintain a strong balance sheet; invest in our business; and return excess capital to shareholders whilst retaining an investment grade credit rating."
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Author: Jo Barrett
ASIN: B0010YQMXY
He made a vow to protect her, but how would he protect his heart. Coming face to face with her first teenage crush, Bobbi McBride is more than just a little tongue-tied. Her dream prince is out cold and bleeding all over her cabin floor. But how did he get there, and more importantly, did he have ne...
He made a vow to protect her, but how would he protect his heart. Coming face to face with her first teenage crush, Bobbi McBride is more than just a little tongue-tied. Her dream prince is out cold and bleeding all over her cabin floor. But how did he get there, and more importantly, did he have news about her missing brother? Travis Reid, FBI agent, struggles to fulfill his promise to his friend and partner, Jason McBride. He must protect Jase’s sister, Bobbi, whether she likes it or not, and give her the news of Jason’s death. But he is totally unprepared for the temptingly beautiful woman who lays siege to the walls around his heart. She’s no longer the little girl in pigtails and braces, but he knows all too well how deadly a distraction like love can be and refuses to make that mistake again.
Jo Barrett
Jo currently resides in North Carolina with her patient and supportive family while she juggles her writing career and her position as a programmer analyst. She has won numerous awards and continues to write whenever she can. Someday, she hopes to take off her programming hat and write full time. So many of her dreams have already come true. What's one more?
Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the page above are "affiliate links." This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, TWRP will receive an affiliate commission. We are disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."
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Facebook and Google Own the Future of Advertising—in 2 Charts
The two companies dominate digital advertising in a way even TV's oligopolists would envy
Two remarkable images from the Wall Street Journal: First, take a look at the future of American advertising. Print and radio are projected to stabilize this decade, TV is expected to keep growing, and digital is on pace (dangerous term, but there it is) to double by 2018, the year it would eclipse TV as the single biggest ad category.
The television business is a tremendous oligopoly. About 95 percent of the time you spend watching TV, you are consuming media owned by one of seven companies, including Disney (ABC, ESPN, Disney Channel), Time Warner (TBS, TNT, HBO) and 21st Century Fox (FOX, FX, all those sports channels).
But the digital ad business isn't really an oligopoly. It's more like a duopoly (and that's begin generous to the second half of the duo). With $19.1 billion in projected Internet ad revenue in the U.S. this year, Google controls almost 40 percent of the market. Add Facebook and you get past 50 percent. (Add Microsoft and Yahoo, and you're screaming by 75 percent.)
And this picture would be even more duopolistic if you looked exclusively at the fastest growing segment of digital advertising, mobile, which doubled in 2013. Google and Facebook account for about 60 percent of global mobile ad spending right now. Next year, they are projected to account for 70 percent, even as the market nearly doubles again. This is a heyday for great television and quality digital journalism and entertainment, but it's a heyday born in an age quasi-monopolies: The number of companies that make up more than three-quarters of digital and TV advertising can be counted on two hands.
Derek Thompson is a staff writer at The Atlantic, where he writes about economics, technology, and the media. He is the author of Hit Makers and the host of the podcast Crazy/Genius.
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US July 04, 2017
Heidi Munson
Shocking details of starvation, disease, lack of clothing as troops emerge from Valley Forge
The winter at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, in 1778 proved to be a long and costly one for Gen. George Washington's army during the American Revolutionary War. (Three Lions/Getty Images)
VALLEY FORGE, PENNSYLVANIA (MARCH 1, 1778) — Winters in Pennsylvania tend to be cold, and this past winter has been no different with its blowing wind and plentiful snow. It appears that a warmer winter could have been wished for by Gen. George Washington and his troops, who have spent this past winter in Valley Forge.
Washington chose the location to settle his troops for the winter because it was only 18 miles northwest of Philadelphia, where the British were stationed. A fairly secure location and defensible, it was close enough to keep tabs on their enemy.
It was soon discovered, however, that given the lack of any existing shelter, the lack of food, money, or, in many cases, clothing for the soldiers, the cold Pennsylvania winter would prove to be a long and costly one.
It has been well documented that the Continental Army has been accustomed to being ill-provisioned, frequently lacking food and often not being paid by the Continental Congress, which claims to lack the funds. This winter, however, privation entered an entirely new dimension with multiple sources coming forward to paint a picture of truly bleak circumstances.
The regiment arrived at Valley Forge knowing their only shelter would be ones in which they themselves constructed. Harvesting timber from miles away, the undernourished troops hauled the logs back to the camp to construct rustic cabins that did little more than protect them from the elements.
Healthy soldiers would have found such conditions difficult. The soldiers in this encampment, however, were far from healthy. Lack of food was a continual issue; the soldiers’ primary staple were “firecakes,” which is a tasteless mixture of flour and water. Food from the surrounding farms was sparse, as the farmers were far more eager to sell to the British regiments, knowing they would get a good price for their crops, as opposed to being paid in Continental dollars, which are known to hold far less value. That is if the Congress issued any funds at all. And unlike the British, Gen. Washington was adamantly opposed to his troops simply taking what they needed from farms in the area.
In addition to being malnourished, a large percentage of the troops had shockingly little clothing. Only one in four had shoes, and many had no coats or blankets. It was not uncommon to see men with pants in tatters or clothes in the process of rotting off of their bodies. Many were prevented from doing their duties due to their nakedness, being embarrassed to be seen with so little clothing.
Connecticut soldier James Martin shared his experience as he began the winter:
“The army was now not only starved but naked; the greatest part were not only shirtless and barefoot, but destitute of all other clothing, especially blankets. I procured a small piece of raw cowhide and made myself a pair of moccasins, which kept my feet, while they lasted, from the frozen ground, although, as I well remember, the hard edges so galled my ankles while on a march that it was with much difficulty and pain that I could wear them afterward. But the only alternative I had was to endure this inconvenience or go barefoot, as hundreds of my companions had to, till they might be tracked by their blood upon the rough, frozen ground.”
Gen. Washington, while lamenting the deplorable conditions he and his soldiers were in, couldn’t help but praise them for the character they displayed under such circumstances:
“No history now extant can furnish an instance of an army’s suffering such uncommon hardships as ours has done. To see men without clothes to cover their nakedness, without blankets to lie on, without shoes (for the want of which their marches might be traced by the blood from their feet), and almost as often without provision as with them, marching through the frost and snow, and at Christmas taking up their winter quarters within a day’s march from the enemy, without a house or hut to cover them till they could be built, and submitting to it without a murmur is proof of patience and obedience which in my opinion can scarce be paralleled.”
Washington pleaded repeatedly with the Continental Congress for funds for his troops, but that availed him little. Additionally, America's loosely coordinated national government places much of the responsibility for funding on the states, and many of them have not followed through on their agreement, claiming lack of funds themselves.
He was also forced repeatedly to seek provision from quartermaster general Thomas Mifflin, who was ineffectual. Circumstances grew to such a dire state that he demanded Gen. Nathanael Greene replace Mifflin, which Greene was hesitant to do, due to the enormity of the task. Once Greene was in place in March 1778, however, things began to improve for Washington and his men.
Of the 12,000 troops that entered Valley Forge in December 1777, an estimated 2,500 died of starvation, disease, malnutrition, or exposure by the spring.
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General Mills - Get News & Ratings Daily
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Gilman Hill Asset Management LLC Sells 625 Shares of General Mills, Inc. (GIS)
April 25th, 2019 - By Scott Moore - Comments Off on Gilman Hill Asset Management LLC Sells 625 Shares of General Mills, Inc. (GIS)
Filed Under: Finance - SEC Filing Articles
Gilman Hill Asset Management LLC trimmed its position in shares of General Mills, Inc. (NYSE:GIS) by 0.5% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 121,630 shares of the company’s stock after selling 625 shares during the period. General Mills makes up approximately 2.2% of Gilman Hill Asset Management LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 4th biggest holding. Gilman Hill Asset Management LLC’s holdings in General Mills were worth $6,294,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.
Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of GIS. Acima Private Wealth LLC bought a new position in shares of General Mills during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $29,000. We Are One Seven LLC bought a new position in shares of General Mills during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Legacy Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of General Mills during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $31,000. BDO Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in General Mills in the 4th quarter valued at $37,000. Finally, Sageworth Trust Co bought a new position in General Mills in the 1st quarter valued at $49,000. 68.94% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
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Shares of GIS stock opened at $50.68 on Thursday. General Mills, Inc. has a twelve month low of $36.42 and a twelve month high of $52.17. The firm has a market capitalization of $30.54 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.30, a PEG ratio of 2.17 and a beta of 0.78. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.61, a current ratio of 0.55 and a quick ratio of 0.35.
General Mills (NYSE:GIS) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, March 20th. The company reported $0.83 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the Thomson Reuters’ consensus estimate of $0.69 by $0.14. General Mills had a return on equity of 28.11% and a net margin of 9.26%. The business had revenue of $4.20 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.21 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.79 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.1% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts forecast that General Mills, Inc. will post 3.14 EPS for the current year.
The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 1st. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, April 10th will be issued a $0.49 dividend. This represents a $1.96 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.87%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, April 9th. General Mills’s dividend payout ratio is 63.02%.
Several equities analysts have commented on GIS shares. TheStreet raised General Mills from a “c+” rating to a “b-” rating in a research report on Friday, March 15th. Deutsche Bank raised General Mills from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and upped their price objective for the company from $43.00 to $54.00 in a research report on Thursday, March 14th. Guggenheim reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of General Mills in a research report on Tuesday, February 26th. Standpoint Research started coverage on General Mills in a research report on Wednesday, December 26th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $37.59 price objective on the stock. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $55.00 price objective on shares of General Mills in a research report on Wednesday, March 20th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, twelve have given a hold rating, six have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. The stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $49.91.
In related news, insider John R. Church sold 4,719 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, April 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $50.78, for a total transaction of $239,630.82. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 34,112 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,732,207.36. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director R Kerry Clark sold 7,849 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $44.26, for a total value of $347,396.74. Following the sale, the director now owns 30,215 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,337,315.90. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 452,071 shares of company stock valued at $22,112,181 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.59% of the company’s stock.
COPYRIGHT VIOLATION NOTICE: “Gilman Hill Asset Management LLC Sells 625 Shares of General Mills, Inc. (GIS)” was first published by The Cerbat Gem and is the property of of The Cerbat Gem. If you are viewing this piece on another domain, it was stolen and reposted in violation of United States & international copyright and trademark legislation. The original version of this piece can be accessed at https://www.thecerbatgem.com/2019/04/25/gilman-hill-asset-management-llc-sells-625-shares-of-general-mills-inc-gis.html.
About General Mills
General Mills, Inc manufactures and markets branded consumer foods worldwide. The company operates in five segments: North America Retail; Convenience Stores & Foodservice; Europe & Australia; Asia & Latin America; and Pet. It offers ready-to-eat cereals, refrigerated yogurt, soup, meal kits, refrigerated and frozen dough products, dessert and baking mixes, frozen pizza and pizza snacks, grain, fruit, and savory snacks, as well as organic products, including refrigerated yogurt, nutrition bars, meal kits, salty snacks, ready-to-eat cereal, and grain snacks.
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bird news Apr. 24, 2019
This Bloodthirsty and Beautiful Bird Needs a Forever Home
By Hannah Gold
Bad chicken. Photo: Sam Panthaky/AFP/Getty Images
The exotic bestiary of a recently deceased Florida man is going on the auction block this weekend, and among the impressive bunch is the animal who killed him. A bird.
Not just any bird, a cassowary, known for their terrifying soigné beauty, barreled chests, gallant heights (they can reach six and a half feet), and propensity for violence. The species is indigenous to Australia and Southeast Asia; authorities were alarmed to have encountered one in Florida.
The New York Times reported on Wednesday that on April 12, 75-year-old Alachua County resident Marvin Hajos died tragically after falling between two cassowary pens and suffering an attack from at least one of the birds, according to the local fire rescue department.
Jeff Taylor, deputy chief of Alachua County Fire Department told the Times, “My understanding is these birds are fairly shy around humans but if they are provoked or they have an opportunity they will be very aggressive … It may be they saw him fall and had an opportunity and decided to attack.” It is also possible that the attacking bird was a female who felt her eggs were under threat.
Although cassowaries are known for their bouts of violent bird rage, they are only rarely known to kill. The last recorded cassowary-induced fatality occurred in April 1926. Bill Grotjahn, who investigated Hajos’s death for the Medical Examiner’s Office, told the Times:
“I’ve been doing this for 18 years and I’ve never had a thing like this … I’ve had them killed by alligators and snakes but never by a bird like that. I know ostriches and emus have their moments, but cassowaries are an extremely, extremely dangerous bird. You don’t want to fool around with them. They have no sense of humor.”
For the right price you too could be stepped on by the daggerlike claws of a beautiful and merciless living dinosaur. Or keep a healthy, survivable distance. Up to you!
bird news
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Strategic Impatience
Democrats Try to Outflank Donald Trump After He Failed to Implement Russia Sanctions
Democrats are tired of waiting for the Trump administration to punish Russia.
Andrew Desiderio
Updated 02.27.18 9:49PM ET / Published 02.26.18 11:22AM ET
House and Senate Democrats are teaming up in an attempt to increase pressure on the Trump administration in the coming days over its controversial decision to not immediately implement sanctions against Russia last month, as mandated under legislation that Congress passed overwhelmingly.
This week, House Democrats are filing a resolution aimed at compelling the administration to implement those sanctions under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA). A copy of the resolution was obtained by The Daily Beast.
“Congress passed a pretty comprehensive sanctions bill with respect to Iran, North Korea, and Russia last year—and the president has not implemented any of those sanctions. So we need to put our foot to the gas pedal,” Rep. Gerald Connolly (D-VA), who is introducing the House resolution, said in an interview. “If the president’s not going to do it, then Congress needs to.”
The resolution names Russia’s “continued aggression in Ukraine and forcible and illegal annexation of Crimea and assault on democratic institutions around the world, including through cyberattacks.” It mirrors a Senate resolution introduced this month by Sens. Ben Cardin (D-MD), Bob Menendez (D-NJ), and Sherrod Brown (D-OH).
The House and Senate efforts are largely symbolic, lawmakers acknowledge. And they’re unlikely to force real action absent Republican support. But Democrats are hoping that the effort will keep the spotlight on the sanctions as Moscow continues to destabilize Eastern Europe and the Middle East, and as Trump and his associates remain under investigation by the special counsel.
When CAATSA became law last August, Putin’s foes in Eastern Europe commended Trump and members of Congress. While American lawmakers were crafting the legislation, they consulted and met with top Ukrainian officials to hear their concerns—both in Washington and in Kiev, U.S. and Ukrainian officials told The Daily Beast. The significance of the CAATSA legislation extends beyond the halls of the Capitol.
“When you look at the comprehensiveness of this legislation, I must say that it’s the first international legislation which is seriously hitting the Russian Federation,” Dmytro Shymkiv, a top aide to Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, told The Daily Beast in a recent interview. “It’s a very important step for countering Russian aggression in Ukraine, but also in the U.S. and other European states.”
That’s why lawmakers, mostly Democrats, were outraged when the administration informed Congress last month that it would not impose new sanctions against Russia by the Jan. 31 deadline. A State Department spokeswoman told The Daily Beast at the time that it felt that the mere threat of additional sanctions was already acting as a “deterrent” against foreign investment in Russia’s defense and intelligence sectors.
“The threat of sanctions is not a substitute for real sanctions that can hopefully deter behavior and change it,” Connolly said, referring to U.S. intelligence officials’ warnings that Russia is poised to interfere in the midterm elections later this year.
State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said at the time that no further sanctions were required because foreign governments “have abandoned planned or announced purchases of several billion dollars in Russian defense acquisitions.” The sanctions, if the administration had implemented them, would have hit foreign government and other entities that were doing business with those Russian companies that the State Department named in October.
But many pointed out that the impetus for the CAATSA legislation was to punish Russia for its incursions into Eastern Europe and its interference in the U.S. presidential election in 2016, arguing that the Trump administration was abandoning its responsibilities under a law that passed in the House 419-3 and in the Senate 98-2. As written, the legislation—which President Donald Trump reluctantly signed after his administration tried to weaken a core tenet of the bill—aims to punish Russia’s defense and intelligence sectors in particular.
“We want concrete actions that put Russia back into the norms of international behavior—stop aggression against Ukraine, stop meddling with the political system in Europe and in Eurasia and other places, and become a decent political entity,” Shymkiv said.
The formal introduction of the House resolution comes as Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is due to testify in front of the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Tuesday. Democrats are planning to use much of their time questioning Tillerson about the sanctions implementation and, in particular, what the federal government is doing to prevent Russian President Vladimir Putin from seeking to interfere in American elections later this year and beyond.
Tillerson’s relationships with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle became strained in October after the administration missed the first deadline for issuing guidance about the implementation of the sanctions. Furthermore, frustrated Democratic and Republican senators told The Daily Beast at the time that they were not getting straight answers from Tillerson about the delay. The episode led to a breakdown of State Department-Capitol Hill relations.
Connolly, along with House Foreign Affairs Committee ranking member Eliot Engel (D-NY), introduced legislation last year aimed at sanctioning individuals and entities that meddle in a federal election. The legislation, which remains stalled, would cover the 13 Russian individuals and other groups that were named in special counsel Robert Mueller’s indictment this month who are charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States.
While most Republicans have largely taken no issue with the administration’s sanctions regime, Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) took Trump to task over the issue last month after the president delivered his State of the Union address.
“I wish he’d talked about sanctions on the Russians and explained to us why he is not immediately imposing the sanctions, because I think President Putin has acted for the past five years like a thug,” Kennedy said during a CNN interview.
Kennedy sits on the Senate Banking Committee, which has formal jurisdiction over the Treasury Department’s implementation of sanctions. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin faced tough questioning from that panel last month, and senators were particularly concerned about a Treasury report on Russian oligarchs that was made public the same day, as mandated under CAATSA.
The public version of that report appeared to be cribbed from a Forbes list of Russian billionaires and those with deep connections to the Kremlin. The full report was delivered to the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee by the Jan. 31 deadline, but the document is classified and is not expected to be made public, three sources with direct knowledge of the matter told The Daily Beast.
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Civil society is underappreciated as a partner in delivering justice goals
Speaking at the World Justice Forum, Hina Jilani champions civil society actors as filling the gaps in providing access to justice. But warns they need financial support, and recognition from the legal system.
Human rights are a key tool to protect the vulnerable against climate change
Mary Robinson highlights the enduring relevance of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in protecting the vulnerable against the effects of climate change as we mark the 70th Anniversary of the UDHR.
Discrimination: human rights are a preventative tool
Hina Jilani highlights the role of human rights in the struggle against discrimination as we mark the 70th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Ban Ki-moon addresses UNGA on the life and legacy Kofi Annan
On 21 September, Ban Ki-moon reflected on the life and legacy of Kofi Annan, his predecessor at the United Nations, during an address to the UN General Assembly in New York.
Mary Robinson addresses UNGA on the life and legacy of Kofi Annan
On 21 September, Mary Robinson reflected on the life and legacy of Kofi Annan, during an address to the UN General Assembly in New York.
Livestream: Gro Harlem Brundtland to deliver the 2018 Barbara Ward Lecture at the IIED
On 19 June 2018, Gro Harlem Brundtland will deliver the 2018 Barbara Ward Lecture at the International Institute for Environment and Development. Watch the livestream here from 7:00pm BST.
Ban Ki-moon: A decisive UNSC is needed now more than ever
Addressing the UN Security Council on 21 February, Ban Ki-moon called on members to swap rhetoric for action to ensure it delivers on its mandate to maintain international peace and security.
Citizen power can generate the political will for Universal Health Coverage
Ricardo Lagos reflects on his experience as President of Chile, highlighting the vital role of citizen demand to generate the political commitment needed to realise health for all at the UHC Forum public event in Tokyo.
Livestream: Health for all: Rising for our right to Universal Health Coverage
On 14 December, Ricardo Lagos joined world leaders, youth advocates and civil society to call for all political leaders to make Universal Health Coverage their top priority at the Universal Health Coverage Forum's public event in Tokyo.
Defending women’s rights in turbulent times
Delivering the keynote speech at the EU Colloquium on Fundamental Rights in Brussels on 20 November, Mary Robinson highlighted formidable challenges facing women's rights today and the importance of not losing hope.
A New Vision for Multilateral Cooperation
In a speech to the 2017 Partnership Forum at the UN Economic and Social Council in New York on 5 April, Mary Robinson urged the international community to develop an entirely new paradigm of inclusive cooperation in order to overcome the world's greatest
The Elders felicitan al Presidente de Colombia, Juan Manuel Santos por el premio Liderazgo de las Américas
Una carta abierta por parte de nuestro Presidente Kofi Annan al Presidente de Colombia, Juan Manuel Santos, en la que se elogia su liderazgo en negociar dos acuerdos de paz con los rebeldes de las FARC para poner fin al conflicto más prolongado de Col
The Elders congratulate Colombia’s President Santos on Leadership for The Americas award
An open letter from our Chair Kofi Annan to Colombia’s President Santos, praising his leadership in brokering two peace agreements with the FARC rebels to end Colombia’s long-running conflict.
Confronting the challenge of climate change is a problem for us all
Speaking at the Sommet des Consciences pour le Climat in Paris, 21 July, Kofi Annan reflects on what kind of world he will be leaving his grandchildren and suggests that change is not only in the hands governments, but also businesses and individuals.
A Secretary-General to represent all the world's peoples
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Thursday, July 18, 2019 | 84.2° scattered clouds
Arch Madness: Blues win 1st Stanley Cup, beating Bruins 4-1
By Associated Press | Wednesday, June 12, 2019, 4:51 p.m.
BOSTON — Ryan O’Reilly scored for the fourth straight game and rookie Jordan Binnington stopped 32 shots in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final on Wednesday night to lead the St. Louis Blues to a 4-1 victory over the Boston Bruins and their first NHL championship.
Alex Pietrangelo added a goal and an assist and Brayden Schenn and Zach Sanford also scored for St. Louis. The Blues woke up on New Year’s morning with the worst record in the league but won 30 of their final 49 regular-season games and soared through the playoffs to reach the final for the first time since 1970.
Coach Craig Berube, who took over when Mike Yeo was fired in November, is the fourth coach in the past 11 years hired in midseason to lead his team to the NHL title.
Matt Grzelcyk scored the Bruins’ only goal, and Tuukka Rask stopped 16 shots for Boston.
More AP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports
Ecuador’s highest court approves same-sex marriage
Philippine official seeks strong protest over boat sinking
Family mourns 6-year-old girl killed by father’s golf shot
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NSA Whistleblower: “I Don’t Want to Live in a Society That Does These Sort of Things” …(So He Defects to China?)
by Jim Hoft June 9, 2013
75Share
Earlier today, The Guardian broke the news that Edward Snowden was their 29-year-old source behind the biggest intelligence leak in the NSA’s history. Snowden spoke out from his hiding place in Hong Kong on his motives, his uncertain future and why he never intended on hiding in the shadows.
Snowden told Glenn Greenwald,
“I don’t want to live in a society that does these sort of things.”
So he defected to Hong Kong – owned by China.
Where they censor the internet and jail dissidents.
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Catherine Sampson's top 10 books on Beijing
Tue 22 Jul 2008 10.41 EDT First published on Tue 22 Jul 2008 10.41 EDT
The newly built Herzog de Meuron Olympic stadium in Beijing. Photograph: Iwan Baan
Catherine Sampson has lived in China for more than 15 years. Her fourth crime novel, The Slaughter Pavilion, is set in Beijing and features private detective Song Ren. It will be published in hardback by Macmillan on September 5. Her third novel, The Pool of Unease, in which private detective Song Ren was introduced, is now available in paperback. She has also contributed a short story to the book Beijing Portrait of a City, a collection of fiction, poetry and essays published by Odyssey which you can buy online here.
"Beijing is about to become host to what will be one of the most fascinating Olympics ever. I first came to Beijing in 1981, more than a quarter of a century ago. It was a sleepy place, where you couldn't get a taxi and the streets were full of bicycles. Restaurants were staffed by snapping waitresses and closed at eight o'clock. Because of astounding economic growth and because of the Olympics, the city has been transformed - but with restrictions on visas, traffic and public gatherings, Beijing could look like the world's most over-built ghost town come August. Great swathes of old alleyway housing and street markets have been demolished to make way for some of the world's most audacious skyscrapers and stunning sports facilities. But the history of this city is one of sometimes murderous political struggles. These ten novels and collections of short stories are rich in satire, and in metaphors for political oppression. Most of the books below are written by Chinese writers who have chosen to live abroad in order to write freely about their country."
1. Beijing Coma by Ma Jian
Published this year, Ma Jian describes the events that led up to the 1989 massacre in Beijing. He has found the perfect metaphor. Dai Wei, a student activist, lies paralysed years after being wounded during the army action of June 4. Those around him believe Dai Wei to be unconscious, but he can see and hear and, most importantly, remember. He is locked in - just as China is locked in - unable to speak or communicate freely, but silently remembering, unable to forget. The novel is rich in contemporary detail – doctors who gouge families for cash for treatment; bulldozers that threaten demolition of homes. Like much of the book, the intricate description of factional rivalries among students is rooted in fact. Ma Jian lives in London.
2. Please Don't Call Me Human by Wang Shuo
As a teenager, Wang Shuo ran wild in Beijing, and he writes in the slang of the capital. In Please Don't Call Me Human he's at his most scathingly satirical. In a thinly veiled reference to the Olympics, his Beijing taxi driver anti-hero competes in an international competition to find the nation most able to humiliate itself, with gory and gloriously symbolic results. Wang Shuo lives in Los Angeles.
3. A Thousand Years of Good Prayers by Yiyun Li
In this short story collection, Yiyun Li writes beautifully about the lives of ordinary people to tell the greater story of contemporary China. In Extra, the first story of the collection, she follows a middle-aged woman who has just been laid off from the bankrupt Beijing Red Star garment factory. The unemployed woman navigates the grim realities of modern China, first in a marriage of convenience, then as a cleaner for rich kids. Each ends tragically, but the woman catches a glimpse of love. Yiyun Li lives in the US.
4. The Uninvited by Yan Geling
This is a comic novel that gently lays bare all manner of social issues. Dan is an unemployed factory worker who discovers by accident that if he pretends to be a journalist he can attend press conferences. That means eating like a king at banquets laid on for the press, and receiving "red packets" of cash which amount to payment for writing adulatory stories. In fact he can make a comfortable living from his assumed identity. Things get more complicated as he is approached to write the stories of several people with grievances. He tries to help, with disastrous consequences. Yan Geling lives in the US.
5. The Crazed by Ha Jin
Here is another metaphor for the censorship of free expression in China, and again it is set during the student demonstrations of 1989. At a provincial university, Prof Yang suffers a stroke. His subsequent outbursts draw parallels between the cultural revolution and pre-Olympic China. This unsettles his student Jian Wan, who eventually leaves to go to Beijing to take part in the demonstrations. Ha Jin lives in the US. His novel Waiting won the National Book Award.
6. The Last Empress by Anchee Min
This is fictionalised history. Anchee Min has taken one of the most notorious women in Chinese history, the empress Dowager Cixi, and has turned her into a surprisingly accessible heroine. Drawn in by the first person narrative, the reader is taken into the heart of imperial life and witnesses first hand the life and death struggles between those who would open to the west and those who would turn China in on itself. It is a struggle that continues today in Zhongnanhai, the Communist party compound which occupies part of the old imperial palace. Anchee Min lives in California.
7. Servet the People by Yan Lianke
Yan Lianke lives in Beijing, and has said that this means he sometimes tones down what he writes. Nevertheless, Serve the People is an unashamed satire on the Communist party's instruction to "serve the people". A lowly cook working in the provinces takes the instruction too literally when his boss, a local party leader, leaves for Beijing, and the cook finds himself seduced by the official's wife.
8. I Love Dollars by Zhu Wen
Zhu Wen is another writer who chooses to live in Beijing. I Love Dollars is a collection of short stories that are often absurd and have a strong undercurrent of nihilism. Zhu, tongue firmly in cheek, debates the relative values of sex, political idealism and money.
9. The Dragon's Tail by Adam Williams
Williams' latest historical novel, The Dragon's Tail, follows British spy Harry Airton through the Japanese invasion, the cultural revolution, and up to the Beijing massacre of 1989. Williams' passion for China's modern history is rooted in his own family's experiences as expatriates in China during the same period, and in his own experience as a long-time Beijing resident. The result is engaging, enthusiastic storytelling.
10. Beijing Doll by Chun Sue
This is all teenage angst and boredom. Chun Sue is the name both of the author and the protagonist, and this is thinly veiled autobiography. Chun is pessimistic, rebellious and more interested in sex than in school. The book can feel as tedious as the narrator's life, but it is an interesting insight into a generation whose lives are as far from the Communist Youth League as from the moon. Don't be taken in. Beijing Doll tells only part of the story. Back in the late 80s, middle-aged people rolled their eyes about young people's shallow materialism. In 1989, millions of young people took to the streets nationwide calling for political change.
China holidays
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Diversity & equality in business
Austerity may be on the way out – but its legacy will haunt us for years
It’s the final year of spending cuts, but services will remain stretched, pushing more children below the poverty line
Sun 7 Apr 2019 01.00 EDT
An anti-austerity protester in a Theresa May mask outside Downing Street during the ‘Not One Day More’ march in July 2017. Photograph: Chris J Ratcliffe/Getty Images
Sometimes you can see the future, but not quite touch it. That’s where we are on austerity. The prime minister and chancellor have promised to end it; Labour opposes it. But as they talk about possible Brexit deals, an actual last year of post-crisis austerity is getting under way – as millions of families will find as the new tax year kicks in this week.
As well as marking the last year of George Osborne’s programme of public spending cuts, the new tax year means the fourth and final year of the benefits freeze – affecting around 10 million households. This will cost poorer couples with children an average of £400 next year, cutting spending by £1.8bn overall – rising to £900 a year and £4.7bn once the full four-year freeze is taken into account.
Guardian graphic
More positively, the million or so households on universal credit, will from tomorrow gain as much as £630 a year as a result of the increases to work allowances that the Resolution Foundation, and this newspaper, have long called for. But with relatively few people as yet on universal credit, it will be the wider benefit cuts that dominate – delivering another living-standards blow to low-income families.
The post-crisis habit of cutting income taxes along with benefits is also being repeated this year. Cuts introduced since 2010 – to income tax, corporation tax and fuel duty – are expected to cost the government around £40bn this year, putting more pressure on public services and social security.
This year’s income tax cuts are bumper ones for higher earners. If you earn £30,000 you’ll be £73 better off, but make that £327 for those of you on £60,000 – over four times as much. Our lowest 40% of earners will gain precisely zero. In fact, over a third of the £2.8bn package of tax cuts this year will go the richest tenth of households alone.
Added together, the new tax and benefit changes for the year mean an average £280 income boost for the richest fifth of households, but a £100 reduction for the poorest fifth.
These cuts to public services, social security and taxes do genuinely represent the end of an era, though – the final year of the austerity plan drawn up by David Cameron and George Osborne. But this era has a painful legacy. Prisons and local government services will remain severely stretched for years. Social security retrenchment will continue for new claims well into the 2020s. This risks pushing even more children below the poverty line, and child poverty rising to record levels. But a new era is coming – this autumn’s spending review will see spending rise not fall, while Labour and Tory leadership contenders are competing on extra welfare spending, not further cuts. It won’t be ushered in by Theresa May despite her initial focus on the “burning injustices” facing Britain. Brexit put paid to that.
And while the next prime minister or government may well also be defined by their Brexit travails, they will face other questions that can’t be delayed or put off.
If the deficit underpinned the austerity era, what will frame our post-austerity economic policy? If the state is to shrink no further, where and how should it be extended? And, crucially, how should this be paid for in an era when wealth has risen but wages have not? An era is coming to a close, but tough choices aren’t.
Torsten Bell is director of the Resolution Foundation
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This article is more than 1 month old
Chelsea make Frank Lampard their No 1 target to replace Maurizio Sarri
• Club set to make formal approach to Derby for manager
• Derby would be due around £4m in compensation
Dominic Fifield
@domfifield
Fri 14 Jun 2019 09.38 EDT Last modified on Fri 14 Jun 2019 14.12 EDT
Frank Lampard, who spent 13 years playing for Chelsea, guided Derby to the Championship play-off final in his first season as a manager. Photograph: John Walton/PA
Chelsea are set to make a formal approach to Derby County after earmarking Frank Lampard as their preferred candidate to succeed the Juventus-bound Maurizio Sarri.
The Championship club would be due around £4m in compensation for their manager, who is one season into a three-year contract, and are understood to be planning for life without Lampard. The former England midfielder enjoyed a glittering 13-year stint as a player at Chelsea, establishing himself as the club’s record goalscorer, and although he accepts his coaching career is in its infancy, the opportunity to take over in south-west London would surely be hard to resist.
Juventus and Chelsea reach agreement in principle over Maurizio Sarri
The Europa League winners will be keen to secure a replacement for Sarri – for whom compensation potentially worth more than £5m has been agreed with Juve – well before pre-season training starts in the first week of July.
Even if there had been understandable reservations over Lampard’s lack of managerial experience – he guided Derby to the Championship play-offs in his first season as a coach – there has always been support from key members of the hierarchy to restore him to a club which, as it operates under a Fifa-imposed transfer ban, could be more reliant on younger personnel for the foreseeable future.
Players such as Tammy Abraham, Reece James, Mason Mount, Fikayo Tomori and Callum Hudson-Odoi are expected to play significant roles in the senior set-up next season, when the team will return to the Champions League after a year’s absence. Lampard, who has been assisted by the former Chelsea midfielder and under‑18s’ coach Jody Morris, is seen as a figure who could coax the best from the academy graduates and returning loanees of whom two, Mount and Tomori, excelled under his management at Derby.
Chelsea enjoy a fine relationship with the Championship club whose chief executive, Stephen Pearce, left his role as a finance director at Stamford Bridge in 2013. Lampard has been preparing Derby’s pre-season, and discussions have taken place over contract extensions and transfer plans.
The board at Stamford Bridge are aware Lampard’s appointment would constitute a risk given the basic demand of every Chelsea head coach – Champions League qualification – cannot be relaxed with the need to comply with Uefa’s financial fair play regulations. However, the hope is that his arrival would galvanise a young squad and be restorative in terms of a support horribly divided and disillusioned at times over Sarri’s brief tenure.
Just as significant has been the reality that alternative options appear to be dwindling. Massimiliano Allegri, whom Sarri is to replace at Juve, has indicated he will take a sabbatical “to recharge the batteries and take my personal life back in hand”. Erik ten Hag is apparently committed to Ajax, and Nuno Espírito Santo and Javi Gracia, who have been mentioned in dispatches, would cost considerably more in terms of compensation to extract from Wolves and Watford respectively.
Laurent Blanc is available but may be considered an uninspiring choice, not least for fans who made their frustration with Sarri all too obvious. The Italian, secured from Napoli last summer, was close to being sacked this year after results deteriorated dramatically following a promising start. Chelsea were surprised and dismayed at the breakdown in the relationship with a vocal section of the club’s support disenchanted with the lack of drive and urgency in much of the team’s football.
An upturn in results – which culminated with a third-place finish and the Europa League success – left Chelsea reluctant to dismiss Sarri, only for him to make clear his desire to return to Italy, citing family reasons. Agreement was reached with Juve late on Thursday over compensation for a head coach who had 12 months to run on his £5m-a-year contract. Chelsea had resisted the Serie A champions’ attempts to secure the 60-year-old for nothing and could end up banking more than that amount, dependent on what Sarri achieves in Turin.
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Susan Crosland obituary
Journalist and wife of Labour minister Tony Crosland, she acted as his charming foil
Julia Langdon
Mon 28 Feb 2011 14.00 EST First published on Mon 28 Feb 2011 14.00 EST
Anthony and Susan Crosland on their wedding day. Photograph: PA Archive
Shortly after the publication in 1956 of what is now described as the most important book of socialist revisionism of the last century, its celebrated author Tony Crosland found himself being questioned about it over dinner by an attractive young American woman he had recently met. "What exactly is 'The Future of Socialism'?" she asked. "Is it one of those pamphlets?" Her question pleased him greatly and he gave her a marked copy, annotated with the chapters she should skim and those she should skip altogether, in order to provide her with an appropriate grounding in political philo- sophy, sociology and economics.
Theirs was to be a meeting of minds, as well as a passionate love affair which lasted until his untimely death. It was an extraordinary relationship because she could meet him at every level. Susan Crosland, who has died aged 84, was brave, clever, funny, beautiful and smart. She also had a steely strength which, after their marriage in 1964, she used with considerable effect to promote her husband's frontbench career within the Labour party and thus provided a charming foil which served to counter his own somewhat Olympian manner, often perceived as arrogance.
She was born Susan Barnes Watson in Baltimore, Maryland, and brought up in an environment she herself described as not having fully recovered from the trauma of the civil war and the "reconstruction" of the south. She was the younger daughter of Mark Skinner Watson, a Pulitzer prize-winning war correspondent on the Baltimore Sun who was also awarded the presidential medal of freedom. Her mother, Susan Owens, was an early convert to women's emancipation and as a young reporter on the Sun had flown in a small plane over Baltimore scattering leaflets encouraging women to vote.
The girls were strictly raised but when Susan went to Vassar college, New York, aged 17, she was by her own admission rather "wild", but not "fast". Living at home after graduation, she taught at the Baltimore Museum of Art before marrying Patrick Skene Catling, a reporter on the Baltimore Sun, in 1952. The marriage was already rocky in 1956 when Catling was posted to the Sun's London bureau and Susan accompanied him with their two small daughters and first engaged with the capital's political and intellectual society, of which Tony Crosland was then a famously rude, famously brilliant and famously charming star. The Catlings fell in love with London and although the Sun assignment ended after two years, they returned almost immediately to live in London permanently.
Catling initially worked on the Guardian – and later for Punch magazine – but in order to bolster the family finances, Susan Barnes, as she called herself professionally in order to avoid using the journalistically distinguished names of either of her parents or that of her husband, also sought work in newspapers. She apparently had little difficulty in persuading John Junor, the editor of the Sunday Express, who was notoriously susceptible to beautiful young women, that he should employ her. After her first commissioned article about travel was published, she was offered a contract, the value of which she managed to push up by 80% through artful negotiation.
But despite the help Catling had initially given in her new career – they divorced in 1960 shortly after it had started – Susan swiftly proved she was a natural journalist with an instinct for drawing people out during interviews and a sure touch in understanding the subtleties in her subjects' personalities. The Susan Barnes Interview was a regular and popular feature in the Sunday Express until she married Crosland and he insisted that she should not write for a Conservative-supporting newspaper while he was looking to join the cabinet. She moved to the Sun, before it was bought by Rupert Murdoch in 1969, and then in 1970 found her metier writing lengthy, in-depth profiles of significant public figures for Harold Evans's Sunday Times. Her articles in those years were must-reads.
A flavour of her style of interview – though not, on this occasion, rewarded with the success she usually achieved – is given by an account from Tony Benn's Diaries in 1965: "She ... asked a hundred trivial questions. Why do you keep your hair short? What do you think the Evening Standard meant by saying that you were a Scoutmaster? It was entirely inconsequential and I cannot think that anything helpful will come out of it."
The Croslands and the Benns were neighbours and friends, despite coming from different wings of the Labour party, and presumably for that reason Susan had agreed that Benn could vet the article. He found it "unspeakable". He wrote: "It was the bitchiest, most horrible thing I've ever read and I decided to be bold and rang her up and asked her not to publish it. She was much taken aback, no doubt hurt, but she assented immediately. I should never have accepted in the first place."
She managed to maintain her career while being a supportive cabinet wife. Like several others of her generation – Audrey Callaghan, Edna Healey, Caroline Benn among them – Susan Crosland was willing to put up with the limitations of being married to a great man while having her own strengths. She stuck out in a crowd. One friend, Therese Lawson, said of her: "Susan has an aura about her. It is difficult to be in the same room and not notice her."
Tony Crosland had a low boredom threshold and would sometimes duck social engagements; Susan often represented him. Barbara Castle commented that he sent her out to pick up the gossip, and Susan certainly enjoyed the political salons, but she also recognised how she could help ameliorate her husband's sometimes brash behaviour with her charm. "I found myself talking to Tony Crosland's wife, Susan Barnes, which was very nice indeed," writes Richard Crossman in 1966. And in 1969, at a production of Die Meistersinger at Covent Garden, when neither his wife nor Tony were present, Crossman notes: "She looked very beautiful with her skirts far above her knees and her dress right down on her breasts ... it was very nice just to have Susan and myself ... [the performance] was dramatic and dynamic. We went out enormously exhilarated ..."
When Tony Crosland, then foreign secretary, died aged 58 following a stroke in 1977, his widow helped alleviate her grief by writing his biography. It took her four years and it is an unusual book, written from inside the marital home, but it is also an important contribution to understanding the Labour party politics of those years which stands as a testament to her skills. She refused an invitation to stand as parliamentary candidate in Grimsby in succession to her husband, declined a life peerage and instead resumed her career in journalism. She also began writing novels: Ruling Passions (1989); Dangerous Games (1991); The Magnates (1994); and The Prime Minister's Wife (2001). She published two books of collected articles, Behind the Image (1974) and Looking Out, Looking In (1987), and, in 2002, Great Sexual Scandals. Her last novel, which was partly autobiographical, was edited by and dedicated to her great confidant Auberon Waugh, with whom she enjoyed 16 years of friendship until his death in 2001. She was working on a memoir of their relationship.
Her last years were clouded by ill-health, triggered by a riding accident as an 18-year-old which brought arthritis in middle age and the need for hip and shoulder replacement operations. After one of these, she contracted the superbug MRSA, as an NHS patient in a London hospital. She continued to use the NHS, although her politics were adopted from her late husband. According to a family friend: "She bought Tony's politics like someone buys a watch as a work of art because the mechanism is so beautifully constructed, and not because it tells the time particularly well."
By the time of her death, she was profoundly disabled. "I hope to continue to be stoical rather than bitter," she said. "I'm an optimistic person but I've sometimes been disappointed in my optimism." Until an hour before she died, she was singing with one of her daughters. She leaves two daughters, Sheila and Ellen-Craig, four grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Diana Melly writes: Although Susan was often in a lot of pain, and latterly always so, she never complained. She cared about her appearance, and had her shoes dyed in bright fluorescent colours to match her walking sticks. Eventually, confined to a wheelchair, and wearing a flower tucked behind her ear to disguise her hearing aid, she still went to the opera, the theatre and saw her friends. She also managed that most difficult of arts, how to receive the care that she needed gracefully and gratefully, and with buckets of charm.
• Susan Barnes Crosland, journalist and author, born 23 January 1927; died 26 February 2011
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Is Depression Genetic? An Experiment
3703 words (15 pages) Essay in Psychology
07/02/19 Psychology Reference this
Quantitated research is information collected and the production of data via statistics and numbers. The data is collected through questionnaires, surveys or by manipulating pre-existing statistical data. For example, calculating the number of people who suffer with depression, this research can provide a number of manifestations but cannot provide an explanation to why people are depressed (Skills you need, 2018). Primary research (field research) is inspected first hand by individuals via surveys, interviews and observations. Variables of such research should be considered when addressing the results in particular age groups, sex and number of participants within a survey. Secondary research (desk research) involves collection on existing research using primary research sources as a source of data to analyse. (Research Optimus, 2018)
In order to complete the project brief a secondary research technique has been applied opposed to primary research due to the absence of ethics committee within the college. The research will include looking at journal articles, statistics, legitimate websites and newspaper articles with further reading. This will then allow analysis and evaluation of material in attempt to answer the essays question with an unprejudiced perspective.
23/02/2018 – 05/03/2018 Decided topic; begun research and finalised essay question with supervisor.
06/03/2018 – 23/03/2018 Continued research and analysed data.
24/03/2018 – 17/05/2018 Assembled information into essay format; final meeting with supervisor. Review work, conclude and evaluate.
18/04/2018 Submit the assignment
Table 1 – Project timeline and Key activities
The research will focus on six key areas:
Who’s more likely to suffer from depression?
What is the genetic explanation for depression?
What is the biochemical explanation for depression?
What are the psychological explanations of depression?
What are the sociological explanation of depression?
Information contained within this essay will not be open to debate as statistics collected are the result of a worldwide research being high in validity and reliability. Moral judgement, assumptions and personal opinions is not suitable or necessary for the purpose of this essay. This essay will include conflicting perspectives with the intention to enable the reader to form their own conclusion. Throughout this essay efforts will be made to assess the validity and reliability of the information available such as government statistics highlighted in reputable studies. Health and safety protocol will be followed during the process of researching and assembling the essay such as regular breaks to reduce eye strain and upper limb problems. Information will be referenced accurately ensuring plagiarism is avoided, whilst observing all ethical and legal obligations at all times.
Depression is one of the most common and serious illness with devastating consequences in its most server form, it is estimated that more than 300 million people suffer with depression worldwide (WHO, 2017) Depression is the most common mental disorders within the UK and reports suggests that it’s hit a record high, increasing by nearly a third in the last four years. The total estimated number of people living with depression worldwide increased by 18.4% between 2005 and 2015 to 32 million according to the World Health Organisation (Families for depression Awareness, 2017). This has prompted urgent calls for the government to ensure better health provisions are put in place, with the need to look deeper into this phenomenon to enable an understanding of the disorder enabling them to overcome it. Research has shown that depression does run in families, which could potentially mean that depression is genetic (inherited condition) NHS (2013). However, families don’t just share genes – they also experience similar environments.
Depression is a common and serious mental disorder that negatively effects how we feel, how we act and how we think (American Psychiatric Association, 2018). Depression is classified as a mood disorder that has an impact on both physical and mental health, affecting a large portion of the UK population with around 3 in 100 adults suffering every year (Mind Org, 2013). An episode of depression serious enough to require treatments occurs more commonly in 1 in 4 women and 1 in 10 men at some stage in their lives (Kalat, 2001). This could just be due to the fact women are more open to express their concerns and feeling then men are or that women are more willing/ likely to seek treatment. To meet the criteria for having depression the sufferer needs to display at least 5 symptoms that are laid out by the DSM-IV (Diagnostic and statistical Manual of mental health disorders, 2013). World Health Organisation WHO (2001), marks depression as when “capacity for enjoyment, interest, reduced concentration and marked tiredness after even minimum effort is common. The core symptoms of depression would entail persistent sadness or low moods, loss of interest or pleasure in activities, disturbed sleep or tiredness, change in appetite, feeling worthless or in server cases recurrent thoughts of death, excessive feelings of guilt and hopelessness (NHS, 2016). It’s also common for people with depression to develop physical symptoms such as headaches, palpitations, chest pains and hallucinations these are called psychotic symptoms.
Depression is generally divided as follows; major depressive disorder, dysthymia, Bipolar disorder, Seasonal affective disorder, premenstrual dysphonic disorder and atypical depression affecting anyone at any time (Very well mind, 2018). There are many contributing factors that seem to increase the risk of developing or triggering depression. These include certain personality traits, traumatic or stressful events, a history of mental health disorders, history of depression in blood relatives, abuse of recreational drugs or alcohol, chronic illness and medication(Kalat, 2001) However, this does not factor in the environmental factors such as poverty with the affects it has on an individual’s well-being.
Genetic assessment
There are strong biological links with those who sufferer with depression, in terms of genes family research- especially twin and adoption studies shows a genetic link were Individuals may inherit pre-dispositions to depression or other mood disorders( kalat, 2001). Wender et al (1986) conducted family correlational research into depression through adoption study which observed whether genetics or the environment appeared to be more associated with depression in adopted adults would suffered depression. Psychiatric evaluations were conducted and the study produced results showing that the biological parents of the adopted adults were eight times more likely to have the disorder than the adopted parents. Twin studies are an additional way of studying if genetic factors are the cause of the pre-dispositioned disorder. Monozygotic twins (MZ) share 100% of their genes whereas dizygotic twins (DZ) only share 50%, of the rate is the process for assessing the likelihood of one twin having the disorder in which the other also has to have the same. A significant note that need to be considered, is in previous research it wasn’t possible to differentiate between the MZ and DZ twins so statistics may also be incorrect. Diverse studies have produced fluctuating statistics but the overall trend pattern was usually the same concluding MZ twins indicated increased rates in depression in contrast to DZ twins. From these studies environmental factors cannot be ruled out, MZ twins share comparable environment’s than DZ twins so influences such as friends and education are more likely to be similar on both. Even in MZ twins being raised apart their environments may not be that diverse. Despite the thousands of studies carried out to locate the gene, studies have failed to identify locus of any significant gene specific to depression (http://www.psychology4a.com/depression.html, no date). It is however possible for people with no family history to also develop depression.
A British team of scientists has recently located a gene that seems to be predominant in multiple family members suffering with depression, chromosome 3p25-26 was situated in more than 800 families with recurring depression. This study looked at DNA from over 800 families including 971 sibling pairs who had European origin and who were affected by recurring depression. It also included 118 pairs of siblings with one affected by depression and the other not. Other studies were conducted at the same time as the British researchers which matched the link between the same chromosome and depression. (Heath line, 2016) However the results could not be applied to those suffering with less serve depression. This evidence also lacks ecological validity as it cannot be generalised to the whole population and only represents the European. Research has also shown that individuals with parents suffering with depression are 3 time more likely to have the disorder.
Scientists now have confidence in that as many as 40% of individuals suffering with depression can be linked back to genetics. (Health line, 2016)
Biomedical Assessment
The biological aspect of depression looks for indications that relate to diagnostic categories of mental disorders with an outlook that a sick body can be restored to health (McLeod, 2014). This theory links depression to imbalances or problems in the brain regarding the neurotransmitters, serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine. Evidence of the imbalances is very difficult to monitor and measure in a person brain. The neurotransmitter serotonin involves the regulation of important physiological (body orientated) functions such as sleep, aggression, mood and sexual behaviours. Research suggests that the decrease in the production of serotonin by the neurons can cause depression in some people but not all. Catecholamine hypothesis was a popular explanation in the 1960s to why people developed depression, suggesting that a deficiency of norepinephrine in certain areas of the brain was responsible for creating depressed moods. (Mental help net, 2007) Autopsy studies support this theory as it shows that individuals who experienced multiple depressive episodes had less norepinephrine neuron than individuals with no history of depression. Conversely, the research outcomes also revealed that not all people who experienced mood change was the reaction to the norepinephrine levels being lower. Modern studies also suggest that decreased levels of serotonin triggers a drop in norepinephrine levels leading to depression.(Harvard medical school,2009)With this explanation or approach anti psychotics have long been established as a fairly cheap, effective and speedy treatment at reducing symptoms for the individual. However, it could be argued that the side effects and addiction caused by these types of medication is a weakness of this approach. Although this approach created psychological treatments for many mental disorders it has neglected the treatment process. Scientists have been testing the chemical imbalance theory validity for over 40 years (approximately) and regardless of thousands of studies been conducted there’s still not one direct supporting evidence proving the theory accurate (Psychology Today, 2017).
Psychological assessment
The psychological perspective on depression explores unconscious thinking, possible past traumas and focuses on aiding the individual to realise their potential and emphasis on social support and psychological interventions. Freud was the first to offer an explanation on depression. This theory delivers evidence based explanations for how people think, behave and feel the way they do (http://www.psychology4a.com/depression.html, no date).
The psychodynamic approach regards the source of mental disorder being the cause of loss or rejection by a parent (McLeod 2015). Although, this does not take in to account current experiences/problems that the individual may be going through. Supporting evidence of this was Bifulco et al (1992) studies found that children who lose their mother are more likely to suffer with depression (http://www.psychology4a.com/depression.html, no date).
The cognitive- behavioural model has a strong emphasis on reinforcements (positive or negative) as an explanation for depression. Beck’s (1976) hypothesised that individuals with negative thoughts towards themselves or those who have low self-esteem are far more susceptible to suffer from depression, suggesting that the negative perception that they held towards themselves was built up through negative experiences. Beck anticipated that experiences in childhood could lead to a cognitive traid resulting in the individual suffering with depression. This traid is built up in three parts in which people hold negative thoughts; the self, the world and the future. In addition those who suffer with depression or are susceptible to it magnify the bad experiences and minimise the good (Eysenck, 2012). Weissman and Beck (1978) as cited in Dobson (2010) supported this theory by using self-schemas to discover out how people perceived themselves and the world around them. The results showed that those people with negative self-schemas were far more likely to suffer with depression. Although, White (1985) agrees that there was enough evidence to suggest that Beck’s theory was correct although, he suggests it does not show the true connection of depression and failed to identify that logical errors might be triggered by biological factors such as chemical imbalance in the brain. Becks theory was based upon questionnaires, although there are limitations to this form of information gathering. This questions the reliability of the research as the participants of the questionnaire can be effected by social desirability (McLeod, 2015)
Ferster (1973) behavioural theory suggests that it’s a lack of positive reinforcements is the cause of depression. For instance a loss of a loved one may cause depression due to the loss of a positive reinforcement. Lewinsohn (1976) suggested that when others give the depressed individual attention this reinforces the depressive behaviour and symptoms. This can also have the reverse effect when there’s a lack of attention given by family or friends and thus lack of reinforcements, this can equally exacerbate depressive symptoms. This raises the debate to whether depression causes negative thinking and perceptions or that the negative perceptions were the cause of depression. Abreu and Santos (2008, p.131)
Sociological explanation
The sociological explanation for mental health such as depression regards social forces as the most important determinants of mental disorders, taking a broader view of a psychiatric disorder than any other model. Regarding an individual’s environment and behaviour as being fundamentally linked. In some perspective it’s similar to the psychodynamic model which also sees individuals moulded by external events. However, whereas the psychodynamic model views depression as highly personalised and determinants are not immediately recognisable. This model views depression based on general theories of groups and caused by observable environmental factors such as poverty, poor neighbour hoods, low education, ethnicity, divorce and the loss of a loved one WHO (2014). Although short term sadness is a normal response to these triggers and should not be confused for depression. People who live in poverty struggle causing them to be in a continuous stressful state, feeling overwhelmed and inadequate of taking control over their own lives. Health Ross (2000) as cited in Cockerham, (2008) linked better quality neighbourhoods with those of a poor disadvantaged neighbourhoods, the findings were higher levels of depression occur in the latter with individuals suffering psychologically due to their environment (although there were also links to their individualism). The daily stressors of living in these deprived areas with low income, unemployment etc. are linked to the symptoms of depression (Haralambos and Holborn, 2008). Individual’s living in clean and safe environments displayed lower levels of depression further supporting that social factors contribute. Individuals living in poverty become the strongest predictor of depression WHO (2004)
Consideration must also be given to the possibility that individuals living in communities with increased employment opportunities are still being diagnosed with depression as a result of losing their jobs through suffering with depression rather than not having a job and becoming depressed. This raises to the question is depression the cause of the environmental factors or is the environmental factors the cause of depression.
In conclusion, there doesn’t seem substantial evidence in any one area to state that there is a single source of depression. Evidence points towards genetics playing 40% role in cause of depression, especially in cases of family studies. However, it is suggested that instead of being a direct cause of it makes a person more prone to getting depression than others. The behavioural and cognitive theories have reputable aspects of validity to such that you can apply findings to real life situations and cases of depression. However it does have a weakness with both approaches being that either do not consider or recognise the biological or genetic effects of depression. The research has established that mental illness is complex and depression is no exclusion, therefore it cannot have a singular, unpretentious explanation and is a result of a combination of biological, psychological and social factors. Evaluation of the available research would suggest that although genetics may have an impact on depression there is more sound evidence to suggest other factors heavily contribute.
The introduction of this essay specified clear figures regarding those suffering with depression within the UK and women being more susceptible as pose to men. However it could have given more insight to that particular causes of this issue such as evidence based studies to suggest why.
The research throughout this essay was gathered by a wide variety of reliable sources and used the most up-to-date information as possible. As this essay was limited to secondary research this restricted access to research on a more personal level such a questionnaires within the community on families who suffer or have recurring depressive disorder. Due to the word count set on this essay it restricted more divulge information on other cause/ explanations for depression. For example Personality, Gender, Disabilities etc.
The Researched statistics that was presented in this essay was analysed and evaluated were possible. Links to genetic theories supported the findings of certain studies which in turn strengthened the statistics enabling the essay question to be answered. However there could have been additional analysis of genetic studies not relating to the MZ twins and DZ twin siblings.
From the supporting evidence and statistics gathered within this essay the conclusion was able to answer the essay question giving a figure of 40% of depression is caused through genetics. It also acknowledges the serious mental health disorder and its complex problems and cause. Yet it was unable to single out one defining cause of depression. A more enhanced insight and knowledge was obtained by carrying out this project in the wider field of depression and its root causes.
Abreu, R.B. and Santos, E.C (2008) Behavioural Models of Depression:A critique of the emphasis on positive reinforcements.4 (2) pp130-145 International Journal of behavioural consultation and therapy [online] Avaliable at:https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ800945.pdf (Accessed 25April 2018)
American Psychiatric Association (2018) what is depression? Available at: https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/depression/what-is-depression. (Accessed 20 March 2018)
Beck, A.T.(1976). Cognitive therapy of emotional disorders. New York: New American Library
Cockerham, W. (2008). The social causes of health and disease. Oxford: Polity.
Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. (2013) 5th Ed. Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Association.
Dobson, K. (2010). Handbook of cognitive-behavioral therapies. 3rd ed. New York, N.Y.: The Guildford Press, p.150.
Eysenck, M. (2012). AS level psychology. 5th ed. Hove: Psychology, pp.278-280.
Families for Depression Awareness (2017) Depression on the rise worldwide, says WHO. Avaliable at:http://www.familyaware.org/who-2017-depression-report/ (Accessed 13 March 2018)
Haralambos, M. and Holborn, M. (2008). Sociology. 7th ed. London: Collins.
Harvard Medical school (2009) What causes depression? Available at:https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/what-causes-depression (Accessed 19 April 2018)
Health Line (2016) Is depression Genetic?. Available at: http//www.heathline.com/health/depression/genetic (Accessed 15 March 2018)
Kalat, J. (2001). Biological psychology. 7th Ed. Belmon,CA: Wadsworth Thomson Learning, p428-429
McLeod, S. A. (2014). The Medical Model. Retrieved from www.simplypsychology.org/medical-model.html (Accessed 19 April 2018)
McLeod, S.A. (2015). Psychological theories of depression. Retrieved from www.simplypsychology.org/depression.html (Accessed on 20 April 2018)
McLeod, S.A. (2015). Unconscious mind. Retrieved from www.simpplypsychology.org/unconscious-min.html (Accessed 23 March 20180
Mental help net (2007) Biology of depression. Available at:https://www.mentalhelp.net/articles/biology-of-depression-neurotransmitters/ (Accessed 10 April 2018)
Mind Org (2013) Mental health facts and statistics. Available at: https://www.mindorg.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/statistics-and-facts-about-mental -health/how-common-are-mental-health-problems/#Wv1x9BbTXYU. (Accessed 21 March 2018)
NHS (2011) Genetic link. Available at:http://www.NHS.uk/news/genetics-and-stem-cells/genetics-link-for-depression-found/ (Accessed 20 March 2018)
NHS (2016) Symptoms of depression. Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/clinical-depression/symptoms/ (Accessed 24 March 2018)
NIH (2013) Common genetic factors found in 5 disorders. Available at: https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/common-genetic-factors-found-5-mental-disorders (Accessed 25 March 2018)
Organisation, W (2001) World health report 2001. Geneva: World Health Organisation
Psychology Today (2017) On myth of the chemical imbalance. Avaliable at:https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/mental-illness-metaphor/201709/the-myth-the-chemical-imbalance (Accessed 20 April 2018)
Psychology4A.com http://psychology 4a.com/depression.html/(no date) (Accessed 20 April 2018)
Research Optimus (2018) Primary research methods. Available at: https://www.researchoptimus.com/article/primary-research-methods.php. (Accessed 10 March)
Skills You Need (2018) Quantitative and Qualitative Research methods. Available at:https://www.skillsyouneed.com/learn/quantitative-and-qualitative.html (Accessed 10 March 2018)
Very Well Mind (2018) Common Types of Depression. Available at:http://www.verywellmind.com/common-types-of-depression-1067313 (Accessed 10 April 2018)
WHO (2004) Promoting mental Health. Available at:http://www.who.int/mental_health/evidence/en/promoting_mhh.pdf (Accessed 05 May 2018)
WHO (2014) Social determinants of mental health. Available at:http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/112828/9789241506809_eng.pdf;jsessionid=AB96531936427A020E8E24B7E0F0C8F2?sequence= (Accessed 05 may 2018)
WHO (2017) Depression: let’s talk says WHO, as depression top llist of causes of ill health. Available at: http://www.who.int/news-room/details/30-03-2017–depression-let-s-talk-says-who-as-depression-tops-list-of-causes-ill-health. (Accessed 20 March 2018)
Essays, UK. (November 2018). Is Depression Genetic? An Experiment. Retrieved from https://www.ukessays.com/essays/psychology/is-depression-genetic.php?vref=1
"Is Depression Genetic? An Experiment." UKEssays.com. 11 2018. All Answers Ltd. 07 2019 <https://www.ukessays.com/essays/psychology/is-depression-genetic.php?vref=1>.
"Is Depression Genetic? An Experiment." All Answers Ltd. ukessays.com, November 2018. Web. 19 July 2019. <https://www.ukessays.com/essays/psychology/is-depression-genetic.php?vref=1>.
UKEssays. November 2018. Is Depression Genetic? An Experiment. [online]. Available from: https://www.ukessays.com/essays/psychology/is-depression-genetic.php?vref=1 [Accessed 19 July 2019].
UKEssays. Is Depression Genetic? An Experiment [Internet]. November 2018. [Accessed 19 July 2019]; Available from: https://www.ukessays.com/essays/psychology/is-depression-genetic.php?vref=1.
{{cite web|last=Essays |first=UK |url=https://www.ukessays.com/essays/psychology/is-depression-genetic.php?vref=1 |title=Is Depression Genetic? An Experiment |publisher=UKEssays.com |date=November 2018 |accessdate=19 July 2019 |location=Nottingham, UK}}
All Answers ltd, 'Is Depression Genetic? An Experiment' (UKEssays.com, July 2019) <https://www.ukessays.com/essays/psychology/is-depression-genetic.php?vref=1> accessed 19 July 2019
Psychology Essay Writing Service Dissertation Writing Service Assignment Writing Service Full Service Portfolio
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North Bridgton, ME (View All Cities)
North Bridgton, ME
N Bridgton
ZIP code 04057 is located in southwest Maine and covers a slightly less than average land area compared to other ZIP codes in the United States. It also has a slightly less than average population density.
The people living in ZIP code 04057 are primarily white. The number of young adults is extremely large while the number of people in their late 20s to early 40s is extremely small. There are also an extremely large number of single adults and an extremely small number of single parents. The percentage of children under 18 living in the 04057 ZIP code is extremely small compared to other areas of the country.
Male 0 0 0 31 4 0 0 0 2 1 3 2 1 1 0 0 1 0
Female 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 1 1 1 2 0
Total 0 0 0 33 4 0 0 0 2 1 5 2 2 2 1 1 3 0
5-9 0 0 0
Owner 0 0 0 1 1 2 2 0
Male 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 13 18 3
Total 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 13 19 3
ZIP code 04057 has an extremely large percentage of vacancies. The Census also indicates that there are one or more universities nearby.
The majority of household are vacant. Homes in ZIP code 04057 were primarily built in the 1970s.
For more information, see Bridgton, ME rent prices.
As with most parts of the country, vehicles are the most common form of transportation to places of employment. 04057 is extremely friendly to pedestrians/cyclists and the percentage of people using these transportation methods to commute to work are among the highest in the country. Compared to other ZIP codes in the country, 04057 has very few people that work at home. In most parts of the country, the majority of commuters get to work in under half an hour. However, that is not the case in 04057. It has a much lower than average number of people that make it to work in under half an hour. The area has an extremely high percentage of people that most travel over 45 minutes to their place of employment. People that commute should be aware of the potentially long commute times.
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Technology (Aeronautical Eng)
This cut-off is indicative only and based on previous application period (i.e. 2015 entry). The actual cut-off may be higher or lower. Please go to http://www.uac.edu.au/ for more information regarding ATAR and other related information.
full-time equivalent
UNSW CANBERRA
Additional selection criteria:
Defence Force Recruiting Process
Assumed knowledge:
Mathematics and Physics.
Discover where the Bachelor of Technology (Aeronautical) degree can take your Australian Defence Force career.
The Bachelor of Technology (Aeronautical) degree provides a solid and broad foundation in Engineering Technology, specially developed to meet the needs of the Australian Defence Force and accredited by Engineers Australia at the Engineering Technologist level.
This program is primarily undertaken for a career in the Air Force as aircrew or as personnel involved in the operation and performance of aircraft. It also has relevance for Naval and Army technical careers.
The Bachelor of Technology (Aeronautical) program is organised into areas such as; foundation science, engineering technology, materials and structures, dynamics and control, thermofluids, design and management as well as discipline specific areas; such as aircraft and engines.
At the discretion of the Services, if you have completed the Bachelor of Technology and wish to upgrade to a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Aeronautical Engineering, you may undertake 12 months of further study at a later date.
– UNSW Canberra is the only Australian Engineering School to equip engineering students with vocational level competencies, providing a practical foundation for professional Engineers.
– UNSW Canberra has purpose built workshops and facilities, with dedicated workspaces, workshop tools, machines and welding equipment.
– UNSW Canberra has the best university teacher-to-student ratio in Australia.
Undergraduate Discipline Coordinator (Aero):
Dr Jong-Leng Liow
j.liow@adfa.edu.au
Undergraduate Student Enquiries:
Handbook Link:
http://www.handbook.unsw.edu.au/undergraduate/programs/current/4430.html
Related to this program
Navy Midshipmen and Army and Air force Cadets begin their careers in the Australian Defence Force (ADF) receiving a full-time salary while they undertake a program of military and leadership training at the Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA). Simultaneously, they study an undergraduate degree program in Arts, Business, Computing and Cyber Security, Engineering, Science or Technology with UNSW Canberra.
If you are accepted into the ADFA Trainee Officer Program you will receive your military training and education program from one of Australia’s top universities, fully paid for by the Australian Defence Force, which will provide you with the knowledge, skills, professional abilities, and qualities you will need as an officer in the ADF.
Program Code: 4430
Award Level: Bachelor Degree
Award: Bachelor of Technology
Minimum Units of Credit per Term: 6
Maximum Units of Credit per Term: 24
Minimum Units of Credit for Award: 144
Ready to begin your study?
2019 Undergraduate Guide (PDF 6.05 MB)
Adjustment factors
Access Scheme
Page last updated: Friday, 4 January 2019
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Volunteering for Change in Chhattisgarh
Chhattisgarh, India
The Strengthening Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS) project and National Service Scheme (NSS) comprise one of the world’s largest youth volunteering schemes and together reach out to over 11 million young people in India.
National UN Volunteer Anil Kumar Mishra is a UNV-District Youth Coordinator (UNV-DYC) in Sarguja, Chhattisgarh (UNV, 2016)
The Strengthening Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS) project and National Service Scheme (NSS) comprise one of the world’s largest youth volunteering schemes and together reach out to over 11 million young people in India. National UN Volunteer Anil Kumar Mishra is a UNV-District Youth Coordinator (UNV-DYC) in Sarguja, Chhattisgarh, where his responsibilities include reaching out to out-of-school, marginalized youth in the district.
With a Master’s degree in Social work (along with an MBA and a law degree!), Anil shares, “My first experience with volunteering and community development was in 2006 when I was selected as a National Service Volunteer (NSV) with NYK Sarguja. This was my home and I wanted to figure out a way to work with my community to address the multiple issues that we face like poverty, youth unemployment, etc. Sarguja is also home to a large population of marginalized communities like persons from tribal communities, persons with disability, and others.”
In December 2015, Anil joined UN Volunteers and since January, 2016, has been focusing on working with marginalized communities to empower them socially as well as economically. He has managed to reach out to 40 youth with disabilities through the formation of 4 Helping Hands Youth Clubs in the district.
Through these clubs, Anil provides information about government schemes and programmes and facilitates learning and skill development for the young people. He is also passionate about empowering young women from tribal communities and has created opportunities for one women’s self-help group to set up a small restaurant and for another to start a food delivery service from home which delivers meals to local workplaces.
Started in June 2016, Anil’s latest project, English Learning Centre, is another innovative approach to connect volunteering to community building. Young people from NYKS youth clubs will teach English to children under five years of age in an informal pre-school setting. Talking about the impact of this programme, Anil shares, “The Centre has a two-pronged objective. First, it will engage unemployed youth in a way that they can further develop their own soft skills and secondly, it will provide a learning platform for the most marginalized young children to prepare them for formal education.”
Shimla Ravi, a person with a disability who is a National Youth Corps Volunteer at the NYK Sarguja office, recalls, “I initially got to know Anil through the Helping Hands Youth Club where he encouraged me to become independent. I recently completed my B.A. degree and have been volunteering at the NYK office since then. I have learnt a lot after coming here and my family is also elated that I have started stepping out of the house and working for the community. Anil has been very supportive and encouraging throughout.”
What motivates this 33-year-old UN Volunteer to work for the marginalized? Anil shares, “I have grown up in Sarguja and been working for the betterment of the community for many years. I don’t see myself doing anything else. This is my community and I feel like all the members are my family.”
India volunteering schemes youth
SDG 8: Decent work and economic growth
ECOSOC Youth Forum: Volunteerism key to fostering inclusion of youth and people with disabilities in sustainable development
UNV and China Youth Volunteers Association sign Memorandum of Understanding
Harnessing the power of youth through volunteering
COMESA Council adopts Youth Internship and Volunteer Programme developed in collaboration with UNV
UN Volunteers programme supports Malawi in developing Legal and Regulatory Volunteer Framework
Volunteerism framework law passed in Burundi with advisory support of UN Volunteers programme
UNV and Senegal Institute of Management sign agreement to deploy UN University Volunteers
UNV convenes third strategic dialogue with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan
Strengthening the UN system's monitoring and evaluation capacity through the deployment of young evaluators
Sponsoring UN University Volunteers
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'This storm is a monster.' Here's what you need to know about Hurricane Florence
Hurricane Florence barrels toward the Carolinas, Bob Woodward dishes on President Donald Trump and "Fear," the USA marks 9/11 anniversary, and more news from Tuesday.
'This storm is a monster.' Here's what you need to know about Hurricane Florence Hurricane Florence barrels toward the Carolinas, Bob Woodward dishes on President Donald Trump and "Fear," the USA marks 9/11 anniversary, and more news from Tuesday. Check out this story on USATODAY.com: https://usat.ly/2N9kxnl
Editors, USA TODAY Published 5:09 p.m. ET Sept. 11, 2018 | Updated 11:19 p.m. ET Sept. 11, 2018
A satellite image taken Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2018, shows Hurricane Florence in the Atlantic Ocean as it threatens the U.S. East Coast.(Photo: AP)
Your questions about Hurricane Florence, answered
Ferocious Hurricane Florence marched relentlessly toward the U.S. East Coast on Tuesday, a massive storm threatening record rains and historic flooding as more than 1 million people flee the anticipated devastation. "This storm is a monster. It's big and it's vicious," North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said. "The time to hope Hurricane Florence away is gone." Here's what you need to know to prepare:
Where is Florence right now? With winds up to 140 mph, the Category 4 storm was 785 miles east-southeast of Cape Fear, North Carolina, pressing forward at 17 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center's 5 p.m. update. Follow along with our interactive storm tracker here.
When will it make landfall? The first rain bands could reach the Carolinas and Virginia on Wednesday, forecasters said, while hurricane-force winds could reach the mainland by Thursday evening.
How will my state be affected? From the Carolinas to Delaware, here's a state-by-state forecast.
What's the biggest threat? Although the focus on where the storm will make landfall is drawing lots of attention, disastrous, deadly flooding from days of relentless rain could be the worst impact.
Will my travel be affected? Yes, here's what to know if you're flying. And if you're driving to evacuate, know that gas shortages are popping up in North Carolina. Some stations in South Carolina and Virginia could also see a rush, too.
Hurricane Florence tracking map as of 5 p.m. AST, Sept. 11 (Photo: USA TODAY)
Woodward on Trump and 'Fear': Is it time to feel afraid?
There apparently is a robust market for Bob Woodward's new book. Even before its publication Tuesday, "Fear: Trump in the White House" was the No. 1 bestseller in the United States, thanks to pre-orders. The high interest "says people are worried," Woodward told USA TODAY. And they should be, he says: "I think people better wake up to the nature of the war on truth and its consequence." President Donald Trump certainly seems concerned. He's called the book "a joke." White House chief of staff John Kelly similarly denied Woodward's assertion that he called the president an "idiot." Woodward said Americans shouldn't put much stock in their statements, given the uproar "Fear" has caused. "That's just the Washington denial machine," he said. "I think people kind of get it."
USA TODAY's Susan Page sat down with legendary reporter Bob Woodward and discussed his new book which focuses on Donald Trump's time in the White House. USA TODAY
On 9/11, Trump honors those who 'fought until the very end'
President Donald Trump chose an aggressive tone to pay tribute Tuesday to the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. In a speech in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, Trump praised the passengers of United Flight 93 who charged the cockpit of their plane to stop hijackers from attacking Washington, D.C. "They attacked the enemy," Trump said on the field where the plane crashed 17 years ago. "They fought until the very end. And they stopped the forces of terror and defeated this wicked, horrible, evil plan." The ceremony came two days after the dedication of a new, 93-foot "Tower of Voices" featuring 40 wind chimes, one for each passenger on the doomed flight. "This field is now a monument to American defiance," Trump said. "This memorial is now a message to the world: America will never, ever submit to tyranny."
In New York, families gathered at Ground Zero to remember their loved ones.
Here are some of the most unforgettable images from 9/11.
Remembering 9/11 – 17 years later
Visitors to the The National September 11 Memorial in New York watch the Tribute in Light on Sept. 11, 2018. Seth Harrison, The Journal News via USA TODAY NETWORK
Flowers and a photograph were left at the The National September 11 Memorial in New York on Sept. 11, 2018. Seth Harrison, The Journal News via USA TODAY NETWORK
A man pauses at the The National September 11 Memorial in New York on Sept. 11, 2018. Seth Harrison, The Journal News via USA TODAY NETWORK
Two members of the New York City fire department look towards One World Trade Center through the open ceiling of the Oculus, part of the World Trade Center transportation hub in New York, on Sept. 11, 2018. The transit hall ceiling window was opened just before 10:28 a.m., marking the moment that the North Tower of the World Trade Center collapsed on September 11, 2001. CRAIG RUTTLE, AP
James McGlynn of Baldwin, N.Y., looks towards the One World Trade Center site on the anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York on Sept. 11, 2018. McGlynn, wearing a tie bearing the likeness of the original World Trade Center towers, says he purchased it about about a week after the attacks in 2001 and has worn it on every anniversary. CRAIG RUTTLE, AP
A man stops to lay flowers on one of the benches at the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial before the start of the September 11th Pentagon Memorial Observance at the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2018. PABLO MARTINEZ MONSIVAIS, AP
Flowers for one of the fallen sit on the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial in Arlington, Va. on Sept. 11, 2018. MICHAEL REYNOLDS, EPA-EFE
People pause at the north pool of the 9/11 Memorial during a ceremony marking the 17th anniversary of terrorist attacks in New York on Sept. 11, 2018. JUSTIN LANE, EPA-EFE
Thousands spend time at the The National September 11 Memorial in New York on Sept. 11, 2018. Seth Harrison, The Journal News via USA TODAY NETWORK
A flower is placed on the South Tower Memorial by the name of Paul Geidel with Engine Co. 8 during ceremonies at the National September 11 Memorial on Sept. 11, 2018, in New York. Chris Pedota, NorthJersey.com, via USA TODAY NETWOR
People visit the North Tower Memorial during ceremonies at the National September 11 Memorial, Sept. 11, 2018, in New York. Chris Pedota, NorthJersey.com, via USA TODAY NETWOR
Army Sgt. Edwin Morales of the Bronx, honors his cousin, Ruben Correa, a New York City firefighter who died on 9/11 during ceremonies at the National September 11 Memorial, Sept. 11, 2018, in New York. Chris Pedota, NorthJersey.com, via USA TODAY NETWOR
A couple hug as they listen to the names of those who died on 9/11 during ceremonies at the National September 11 Memorial, Sept. 11, 2018, in New York. Chris Pedota, NorthJersey.com, via USA TODAY NETWOR
A New York State Court Sergeant looks at names etched into the memorial at the south pool during 9/11 observances on Sept.11, 2018, in New York. Timothy A. Clary, AFP/Getty Images
Army Sgt. Edwin Morales bows in honor of his cousin Ruben Correa, a New York City firefighter who died in the 9/11 attacks, before the start of a commemoration ceremony in New York. Chris Pedota, NorthJersey.com via USA TODAY Network
Relatives and friends of victims walk into the World Trade Center site for a commemoration ceremony on Sept.11, 2018, in New York. Spencer Platt, Getty Images
Ann Rossener drapes an etching with her son's name during ceremonies at the National September 11 Memorial on Sept. 11, 2018, in New York. Chris Pedota, NorthJersey.com via USA TODAY Network
Firefighters hold up a flag that flew at the World Trade Center at the start of a commemoration ceremony in New York. Drew Angerer, Getty Images
A man looks at names etched into granite at the National September 11 Memorial on Sept. 11, 2018, in New York. Chris Pedota, NorthJersey.com via USA TODAY Network
Vice President Mike Pence and his wife Karen bow their heads after laying a wreath during the September 11th Pentagon Memorial observance on the 17th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. Pablo Martinez Monsivais, AP
People observe a moment of silence at the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial in Arlington, Virginia. Michael Reynolds, EPA-EFE
The Military Color guard presents the flag as staff gather on the South Lawn of the White House for a moment of silence in Washington, D.C. Tasos Katopodis, EPA-EFE
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump participate in the September 11th Flight 93 Memorial Service in Shanksville, Pa. Evan Vucci, AP
Bianca Burton, center left, and Erin Schultheis walk around Pepperdine University's annual display of flags honoring the victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on Sept. 10, 2018, in Malibu, Calif. JAE C. HONG, AP
Visitors to the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, Pa., hold a giant Flight 93 flag during a moment of remembrance on Sept. 10, 2018. GENE J. PUSKAR, AP
Visitors to the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, Pa., participate in a sunset memorial service on Sept. 10, 2018. GENE J. PUSKAR, AP
People attend the dedication of the 93-foot tall Tower of Voices on Sept. 9, 2018, at the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, Pa. The tower contains 40 wind chimes representing the 40 people that perished in the crash of Flight 93. KEITH SRAKOCIC, AP
A boulder marks the crash site of Flight 93 at the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, Pa., on Sept. 10, 2018. GENE J. PUSKAR, AP
Visitors to the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, Pa., view the Wall of Names on Sept. 10, 2018. The Wall of Names contains the names of the 44 people who died in the crash of Flight 93. GENE J. PUSKAR, AP
Tom Ridge, left, the first U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security and 43rd governor of Pennsylvania, joins in with some of the family, friends and volunteer representatives for the first ringing of the chimes at the dedication of the 93-foot tall Tower of Voices on Sept. 9, 2018, at the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, Pa. KEITH SRAKOCIC, AP
Callie Cirulnick, 10, visits Pepperdine University's annual display of flags honoring the victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on Sept. 10, 2018, in Malibu, Calif. JAE C. HONG, AP
Opioid epidemic hits home for reporter
Angela Kennecke has covered the opioid epidemic for years. Now, the investigative reporter is speaking out about one particular overdose victim: her daughter. In a report for KELO-TV in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Kennecke revealed that 21-year-old Emily Kennecke died from a fentanyl overdose in May. Angela said she had begun contacting addiction centers after Emily became fascinated with drug culture and started missing family events. On the day Emily died, Kennecke said she was working on letters as part of an intervention. Angela now wants to help other parents and addicts through sharing her story. "I just felt like I had an obligation to come forward and say this happened to me, this happened to my family, this could happen to you," she told USA TODAY. "This could happen to anyone."
From USA TODAY's Bill Sternberg last week: The opioid crisis hits home. Mine.
Angela Kennecke, right, with her daughter Emily. (Photo: Angela Kennecke)
How classy are you? Online calculator will tell you
Are you lower, middle or upper class? A new online tool from Pew Research Center will set you straight on your economic stratum. The interactive asks for your state, metropolitan area and household income to determine your "income tier." Where you live makes a difference: A couple with a household income of $100,000 in New York is considered middle class whereas the same couple making the same amount in El Paso, Texas, is considered in the upper income tier. Pew's calculator was released the same day the nonpartisan fact tank published an analysis suggesting middle class households are falling further behind the wealthy.
This compilation of stories from across the USA TODAY NETWORK was brought to you by John Riley and Ryan Miller.
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National attention, praise for new Silicon Valley history ‘The Code’ by UW historian Margaret O’Mara
News releases | Politics and government | Research | Social science | UW and the community | UW News blog
Margaret O’Mara’s history of Silicon Valley was published in July by Penguin Press.
Her sweeping new book about the history of Silicon Valley has University of Washington history professor Margaret O’Mara on a busy national book tour this summer. The book, “The Code: Silicon Valley and the Remaking of America,” was published this month by Penguin Press and is receiving many positive reviews.
Margaret O’Mara and
‘The Code’ at UW Bookstore
6-8 p.m. July 15
O’Mara will read from and discuss her new history of Silicon Valley July 15, at the University of Washington Bookstore, 4326 University Way N.E.
“The Code” takes the reader from the post-World War II beginnings of computer technology to the garages and dorm rooms of the emerging computer titans, through the dot.com boom and bust and up to the social media-saturated present.
O’Mara explores the power dynamics — and deeply ingrained misogyny — that kept women from full participation in this tech revolution. And she reminds readers that Silicon Valley’s boom was supported in large part by taxpayers via grants from the federal government.
Publishers Weekly said the book “puts a gloriously human face on the history of computing in the U.S.,” and calls it “a must-read for anyone interested in how a one-horse town birthed a revolution that has shifted the course of modern civilization.”
Critic and New Yorker writer Ken Auletta, who wrote a history of Google, called “The Code” a “vital and important” book.
Coverage for “The Code”
New York Times: “How the Department of Defense Bankrolled Silicon Valley“
Interview on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe“
Interview on “Marketplace Tech” radio program
“With the deftness of a novelist and the care of a scholar, (O’Mara) guides the reader on an exciting journey — from the pioneers who birthed Silicon Valley, to often overlooked government dollars that served as its spur, to portraits of both famed individuals like Jobs and Gates and of those who deserved to be famous, in an industry that both inspires and horrifies.”
In an interview posted by Penguin Press, O’Mara is asked why the tech revolution exploded in California rather than New York, Boston or even Houston. The West Coast was the right place, and the early Cold War the right time, she said, for people to seize such an entrepreneurial opportunity — and the area’s relative geographic isolation helped, too.
“Far removed from the era’s capitals of politics and finance, the sleepy valley was able to create a tech Galapagos of distinctive business species,” she said. “Startups, law firms, marketing operations, and more — bound by tight personal and professional connections.” Add to that the waves of highly creative and capable immigrants who ventured to the valley, “and you have a region unlike any other.”
Asked about the relationship between Silicon Valley and the Cold War race to the moon — days now from the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11’s historic landing — O’Mara said until researching the book she hadn’t realized the “enormous” role the space race played in the valley’s history.
“The Apollo program became the first and largest customer for newly created integrated circuits and other small electronics the valley built, really jump-starting the semiconductor industry,” she said. That also set the area apart from other tech hubs like Los Angeles and Seattle, “which built things like airplanes, on a large scale, while the valley built small.”
Social media has amplified hate and polarized people; O’Mara was asked if the idealism of Silicon Valley computers changing the world was always “an illusion” or if it could still be realized.
O’Mara said when she began work on “The Code” five years back, “it was hard to puncture the resolute techno-optimism about Silicon Valley — not just in the valley, but in media and political circles as well.
“Now the pendulum of popular and political opinion has swung so violently in the other direction that it can be hard to see the good that tech has done. But it has.
We are walking around with supercomputers in our pockets, and the gift cards in our wallets … have more computing power than the rockets that sent American astronauts to the moon. Even fractious and fractured social media platforms have elevated new voices, held the powerful accountable, and connected people across time and space.”
Asked if reviewing the history of Silicon Valley encourages her to think that big tech may yet help solve complex world problems, she said that individual and collective human action is where change comes from, and Silicon Valley “had amassed … an extraordinary well of human talent, of people who truly do want to change the world for the better.
“They can do that if they reckon with their history—and understand that solutions won’t come only from better tech, but from recognizing interconnections between government and tech, between old and new economy sectors, between technical and non-technical people.”
History, she said, “makes me an optimist. When you study history, you understand that nothing is inevitable, and nearly everything is changeable.”
For more information, visit www.margaretomara.com.
Follow her on Twitter: @margaretomara
Tag(s): books • Department of History • Margaret O'Mara
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The Trump administration just halted this Obama-era rule to shrink the gender wage gap
President Trump speaks at a rally in Phoenix. (Joshua Roberts/Reuters)
By Danielle Paquette
Danielle Paquette
West Africa bureau chief
The Trump administration has halted a rule that would have required large companies to report to the government what they pay employees by race and gender — an Obama-era policy that aimed to close what economists call the wage gap.
The decision landed Tuesday evening, prompting outrage from groups who note that women and minorities still aren’t receiving equal pay for equal work. Some of the furor was directed at Ivanka Trump, who has previously spoken out against wage disparities and workplace discrimination.
Fatima Goss Graves, president and chief executive of the National Women’s Law Center, said the move contradicts President Trump’s claim that he wants prosperity for every American.
“It’s not enough to say 'equal pay,' " Grave said. “It matters what policies you stand behind.”
[Ivanka Trump and the World Bank have a new idea to help women globally]
In a letter sent Tuesday to Victoria Lipnic, acting chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Neomi Rao, administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, said the Office of Management and Budget had paused the government’s pay data collection process to review it.
“OMB is concerned that some aspects of the revised collection of information lack practical utility, are unnecessarily burdensome, and do not adequately address privacy and confidentiality issues,” Rao wrote, according to documents obtained by The Washington Post.
Ivanka Trump released a statement hours later.
“Ultimately, while I believe the intention was good and agree that pay transparency is important, the proposed policy would not yield the intended results,” the president's daughter said. “We look forward to continuing to work with EEOC, OMB, Congress and all relevant stakeholders on robust policies aimed at eliminating the gender wage gap.”
A source close to Ivanka Trump, who works as an unpaid adviser to her father, said she initially wanted to support the measure. Then she consulted experts and worried that it wouldn’t work as intended.
Graves said that Ivanka Trump’s platform to fight discrimination at work now seems flimsy.
“We have seen her say the words ‘equal pay’ and that she supports equal pay,” Graves said, “but halting an equal pay policy, which would have brought transparency and improved enforcement and made employers more accountable — that shows her rhetoric doesn't match reality.”
The Obama-era rule, which did not require congressional approval, would have given the EEOC more reach in its efforts to investigate firms with glaring pay disparities.
Starting next year, companies with more than 100 employees and federal contractors with at least 50 would have had to report more detailed salary data to the EEOC on a form they already annually submit to the agency.
If, for example, the numbers revealed that a business paid male sales employees far more than their female counterparts, the EEOC could choose to look into the matter and perhaps launch a discrimination lawsuit.
As of today, only large federal contractors provide such data to the government. Earlier this year, the Department of Labor took the technology giant Google to court for what the government called “extreme” pay disparities between men and women at the company. (The case is ongoing.)
When President Barack Obama’s rule was proposed in January of last year, Jenny Yang, former EEOC chairwoman, said officials would not have shared how much money individual employees make or how much firms pay, but they would have released an annual report showing how much workers in different kinds of jobs earn by race and gender.
The updated form would have grouped workers in ten categories, from service employees to managers to executives. It would have also lumped them into 12 annual wage bands, from about $19,000 to $208,000 and higher.
“Pay discrimination goes undetected because of a lack of accurate information about what people are paid,” Yang said at a White House news conference last year. “Collecting this pay data would help fill a critical void we need to ensure American workers receive fair pay for their work.”
[U.S. could get first paid family leave proposal under Trump]
Some in the business community strongly opposed the measure, saying it added an unfair burden to a company’s workload. Others said the data would not have offered a clear enough picture to right any economic wrongs.
Nancy Hammer, senior government affairs policy counsel at the Society for Human Resource Management, a global business group with 270,000 members, said the expanded data-collection process still lacked specificity to find evidence of discrimination.
“We didn’t think it would help them solve the issue they were trying to solve, which is rooting out pay discrimination,” Hammer said. “Pay has a lot of variables, and the way they collected the data was in pretty big categories.”
Hammer said wage disparities remain a problem in the United States. She recommends that employees go to their human resources department if they’re concerned about their paycheck, giving their employer a chance to explain or fix the issue.
Otherwise, Hammer said, “to really do it, you'd need to practically report on every single employee. That's not a practical way of looking at this issue nationwide.”
Federal law has banned pay discrimination since 1963. Women, though, still earn an average of 79 cents for every dollar paid to men. The gap is larger for black women, who take home 60 cents for every white man’s dollar, and Hispanic women, who average out at 55 cents.
Francine Blau, an economist at Cornell University, found in a recent study that a woman’s career decisions account for about 60 percent of the gap, while about a third is left unexplained. That leaves room, she determined, for employer bias, unconscious or otherwise.
What to expect as Ivanka Trump moves into the White House
Ivanka Trump is hitting the road to boost workers. Her father wants to cut job-training programs.
Danielle Paquette Danielle Paquette is The Washington Post’s West Africa bureau chief. Before becoming a foreign correspondent in 2019, she spent five years writing about labor, gender and the economy. Follow
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Our Catalog Oldies Girl Groups
The Best Of The Girl Groups, Vol. 2
The Best Of The Girl Groups, Vol. 2 by GIRL GROUPS at WA Tunes. MPN: CDRN70989. Hurry! Limited time offer. Offer valid only while supplies last. A special sound deserving another volume. Includes the Angels My Boyfriend's Back ; the Chiffons Sweet Talkin' Guy ; the Toys A Lover's Concerto ; the Cookies Chains ; the Paris Sisters I Love How You Love Me and more.Shrink-wrapped.
A special sound deserving another volume. Includes the Angels My Boyfriend's Back ; the Chiffons Sweet Talkin' Guy ; the Toys A Lover's Concerto ; the Cookies Chains ; the Paris Sisters I Love How You Love Me and more.Shrink-wrapped.
Shrink-wrapped
Manufacturer: Rhino
Brand: GIRL GROUPS
Part Number: CDRN70989
Publisher: Rhino
Studio: Rhino
MPN: CDRN70989
View More In Girl Groups.
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Dirty Dancing (Original Soundtrack)
By RCA
12 Selections from the original motion picture including (I've Had) the Time of My Life and Hungry Eyes.(I've Had) The Time Of My Life - Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes. Be My Baby - The Ronettes. She's Like The Wind - Patrick Swayze. Hungry Eyes - Eric Carmen. Stay - Maurice Williams & The Zodiacs.
Sing Rodgers & Hart
By Motown
The Supremes w/ Diana Ross Sing Rodgers & Hart Seen from a '60s perspective, this collection might strike a novice Supremes fan as somewhat unusual. Viewed in the context of Diana Ross's subsequent solo career as pop diva extraordinaire, however, it makes perfect, often sublime sense. But the historical truth is that the Motown superstars had employed an eclectic mix of classics and new material that was typical of the era. The germ of this album was a 1966 all-star TV special honoring the
Very Best of Dusty Springfield
By Chronicles
mpn: 314558208-2, ean: 0731455820829,
At last, a single-CD collection of Dusty's best! Includes I Only Want to Be with You; Wishin' and Hopin'; You Don't Have to Say You Love Me; Stay Awhile; Son of a Preacher Man; I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself; What's It Gonna Be; All Cried Out; In the Middle of Nowhere; All I See Is You; The Look of Love; Little by Little; I Close My Eyes and Count to Ten; Some of Your Lovin'; I'll Try Anything; Losing You; Guess Who?; A Brand New Me; Give Me Time , and Goin' Back . Dusty Springfield's
The Greatest Hits
By Universal Uk
Import exclusive compilation for the world renowned Scottish vocalist spans her entire career from 'Shout' to 'Relight My Fire' with Take That. 18 tracks. Universal. 2004..
The Best Of Dusty Springfield: 20th Century Masters (Millennium Collection)
By Mercury
Her Top 10 hits You Don't Have to Say You Love Me and Wishin' and Hopin' join her breakthrough hit I Only Want to Be with You plus Stay Awhile; All Cried Out; Losing You; All I See Is You , and more. There are many facets to Dusty Springfield's career, and this brief set tells only part of the story. But for as much as it takes on--Springfield's hits from the start of her solo career up to (but not including) her triumphant soul album, Dusty in Memphis--it shows an artist of immense talent,
Dusty Springfield: Live at the BBC
By Universal Music
mpn: DVD9849526, ean: 0602498495261,
In 1966 and 1967, Dusty hosted 2 successful TV series for the BBC. Here for the first time ever on DVD are her classic performances from these shows. Several of the 46 songs were not show on the original broadcast and many more songs were never put on herDusty Springfield's late '60s heyday was littered with huge hits on both sides of the Atlantic. This program offers a treasure trove of previously unreleased material from the singer, with appearances culled from Dusty's popular BBC show, which
The Shirelles - 25 All-Time Greatest Hits
By SHIRELLES
Every major chart hit, rare B-sides, memorabilia, photos, notes-the ultimate Shirelles collection! Includes both the hit mono version and the rare stereo album version of Baby It's You; I Met Him on a Sunday (Ronde-Ronde); Dedicated to the One I Love; Will You Love Me Tomorrow?; Mama Said; Soldier Boy; Big John; Foolish Little Girl; Everybody Loves a Lover; Don't Say Goodnight and Mean Goodbye , and more. 26 tracks!Shrink-wrapped.
Billboard Top Rock'n'Roll Hits: 1962
By Rhino
10 track comp on Rhino. Fts. Neil Sedaka, Little Eva, Dion & more.
Gold [2 CD]
mpn: CD9881265, ean: 0602498812655,
For the first time ever on one compilation the Original 2-LP set Diana Ross & The Supremes Greatest Hits, The Follow-Up Greatest Hits Vol. 3; And '70s Supremes At Their Best. Each includes mixes unique to the original album release, now properly digitally remastered for the first time.The bonus song 'I'm gonna make you love me', a #1 smash duet w/temptations not on original LPs. Motown. 2005.Shrink-wrapped.
Party Tyme Karaoke - Oldies 1 (16-song CD+G)
Karaoke Songs: Track #1: Hound Dog | Popularized by: Presley, Elvis Track #2: Great Balls Of Fire | Popularized by: Lewis, Jerry Lee Track #3: Heat Wave | Popularized by: Martha & The Vandellas Track #4: Unchained Melody | Popularized by: Righteous Brothers, The Track #5: Johnny B. Goode | Popularized by: Berry, Chuck Track #6: Kansas City | Popularized by: Harrison, Wibert Track #7: Baby Love | Popularized by: Supremes, The Track #8: Can't Help Falling In Love | Popularized by: Presley, Elvis
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Woman found shot on Mount Vernon Ave. in Portsmouth
Newport News Shipbuilding announces buyout offers, restructuring
by: Associated Press, WAVY Web Staff
Posted: Dec 18, 2018 / 10:06 AM EST / Updated: Dec 18, 2018 / 11:20 PM EST
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (AP/WAVY) — Newport News Shipbuilding is offering buyouts to a little more than 10 percent of its workforce.
A letter from Newport News Shipbuilding President Jennifer Boykin says the buyouts being offered to more than 2,500 employees are “completely voluntary,” and no layoffs are expected.
Employees who take buyouts will get up to 26 weeks of severance, depending on their years of service.
READ: Shipbuilding President’s Letter
Boykin’s letter also indicated a forthcoming restructuring, saying the moves are necessitated by the federal government’s “increasingly complex defense priorities.”
The buyout offers are intended to cut overhead costs, and apply to senior manager- and director-level employees, as well as certain other salaried employees.
The shipyard, which is the sole builder of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, is a division of Huntington Ingalls Industries. It’s also one of two yards that builds nuclear-powered submarines.
In the year 2015, after saying the shipyard had exhausted all other efforts to reduce spending, then Newport News Shipbuilding President Matt Mulherin told employees about 1,500 layoffs for the following year.
Mulherin said cutbacks were necessary because of an expected decrease in the shipyard’s workload over the next two years. Shipyard leaders, he said, had already started several cost-saving initiatives to minimize layoffs, and listed some in a letter he emailed to employees in 2015.
Fast forward to 2017, and a spokesperson told 10 On Your Side that Newport News Shipbuilding anticipated hiring 3,000 positions this year. The company said it was reaching out to those who were previously laid off.
by WAVY Web Staff / Jul 18, 2019
PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) -- Police are investigating after a woman was found shot in the Port Norfolk area of Portsmouth on Thursday night.
Portsmouth dispatchers say the victim was found in the 1100 block of Mount Vernon Ave. just after 8 p.m., and her injuries are non life-threatening. She was struck in the lower body.
Portsmouth / 10 mins ago
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How the Iron Bowl’s longest streaks came to an end
On Nov. 27, 1982, Bo Jackson went over the top on fourth down and Auburn beat Alabama 23-22 in Birmingham. (Source: Auburn Athletics)
By Stephen Gunter | November 20, 2018 at 5:12 PM CST - Updated November 20 at 11:14 PM
MONTGOMERY, AL (WSFA) - On Nov. 27, 1982, Bo Jackson went over the top on fourth down and Auburn beat Alabama 23-22 in Birmingham.
It ended the longest winning streak in Iron Bowl history. The Tide had won nine-straight games until that day.
On Nov. 27, 1982, Bo Jackson went over the top on fourth down and Auburn beat Alabama 23-22 in Birmingham. (Source: Carlson, Morgan)
“It was a wonderful feeling when coach [Pat] Dye brought us back out on the field after the game, and the field was covered with our fans. They were everywhere. You couldn’t even see the turf. They had torn the goal post down. Thirty-five years ago you didn’t do that unless it was off the charts special,” said former Auburn quarterback Randy Campbell.
Campbell was Auburn's starting quarterback in 1982, and while Bo stole the show, Campbell jokes the headlines were a yard shy from being about him.
Randy Campbell was Auburn's starting quarterback in 1982. (Source: WSFA 12 News)
“I remember on third and goal from the 10, I threw a swing pass to Bo, and he ran down to the one foot line. That’s how we ended up at fourth and a foot. I tease Bo all the time, you know if you would have scored on third down, the Birmingham news would have said Campbell throws winning touchdown pass to beat Alabama for first time in 10 years,” Campbell said.
It was the third Iron Bowl decided by one point, and Auburn’s first win since the “Punt Bama Punt” game in 1972.
"I think winning the game against Alabama is '82 really gave us the confidence going into the next year in '83. We went 11-1. We won the SEC Championship for the first time since 1957. The New York Times presented us with the National Championship. At the time we didn't think too much about that. But it's in the NCAA record book," Campbell said.
From 2002 through 2007 it was Auburn’s turn to streak. The Tigers won six-straight Iron Bowls until Nov. 29, 2008.
Nick Saban’s second year in Tuscaloosa, Alabama halted Auburn’s run with a 36-0 win.
"We kind of just took a different mindset. Kind of just tried to take what has happened in the past, let's stop trying to make this a big game. We know we're a better team than this opponent," said former Alabama tight end Nick Walker.
Walker was Alabama's senior starting tight end and second leading receiver in 2008. He says Nick Saban changed the mindset heading into a big game.
Nick Walker was Alabama's senior starting tight end and second leading receiver in 2008. (Source: WSFA 12 News)
“He was big on not looking through the straw. sometimes people get tunnel vision. He just didn’t want us to get caught up in the hype,” Walker said.
Since that 2008 Auburn Bowl, Bama has won six of the last nine over Auburn and gone on to win five national titles under coach Saban.
Walker gets a laugh saying the 2008 crew started it all.
“For all the fans out there, I want them to know we started this winning thing, and it started in 2008 when we started buying in to what Saban was selling. He knows how to recruit. He knows how to develop the player and he knows how to make them buy in to what he’s selling,” Walker said.
Nick Saban's second year in Tuscaloosa Alabama halted Auburn's run with a 36-0 win on Nov. 29, 2008. (Source: Carlson, Morgan)
The 83rd edition of the Iron Bowl kicks off at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday from Tuscaloosa.
Copyright 2018 WSFA 12 News. All rights reserved.
Stephen Gunter
Stephen joined the WSFA 12 News team in September 2013.
Published 5h at 12:54 PM
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Iraqi Special Forces Announce Most of Fallujah Taken From IS
By VOA News
Iraqi security forces enter central Fallujah after fight against the Islamic State militants, Iraq, June 17, 2016.
Iraqi Special Forces were continuing operations in Fallujah Saturday after announcing most of the city had been taken from Islamic State control a day earlier.
"We promised you the liberation of Fallujah and we retook it," Iraq's Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said Friday.
Iraqi army troops had earlier taken over an IS command center in the region through a series of airstrikes that hit two tactical units and destroyed six machine gun positions. Officials confirmed the Iraqi army had also seized a government building in the center of the city.
On Twitter, Abadi said Fallujah had returned to the nation and Mosul was the "next battle."
PM Al-Abadi: Fallujah has returned to the nation and Mosul is the next battle, Daesh will be defeated pic.twitter.com/rNhHKMfYfF
— Haider Al-Abadi (@HaiderAlAbadi) June 17, 2016
"Daesh will be defeated," he added, using the Arabic acronym for IS.
For almost two months, U.S. intelligence officials have described the Islamic State group as being “at its weakest point since its rapid expansion,” pointing to a number of factors.
Officials said jihadists are fleeing the city by mingling with the civilians who are also leaving the area.
The French news agency reported that at least 20,000 people had left Fallujah in just a few hours. On Thursday another 42,000 had already fled.
"It is unknown how many families are still trapped inside Fallujah but we are concerned they are the most vulnerable -- pregnant women, elderly people, people with disabilities," the Norwegian Refugee Council said. It described the wave of people fleeing the fighting as an "unprecedented mass displacement" in that region.
Families flee
For weeks, families, many with small children, had been fleeing under sniper fire and punishing heat to arrive at camps set up outside the city. New camps are now being built by both the government of Iraq and U.N. agencies to shelter new arrivals.
U.S. President Barack Obama said during a news conference the group is "under more pressure than ever" adding that IS continues to lose key leaders.
"So far, we’ve taken out more than 120 top ISIL leaders and commanders. ISIL continues to lose ground in Iraq. ... All told, ISIL has now lost nearly half of the populated territory that it once controlled in Iraq -- and it will lose more," Obama said on Tuesday.
But analysts said although the loss is "significant," the group could still survive.
"The ISIS messaging machine will likely find ways to continue attracting recruits and encouraging lone wolf attacks despite the loss of Fallujah," said Patrick Martin, Iraq analyst at the Institute for the Study of War.
Fallujah is 50 kilometers (32 miles) west of Baghdad.
Aid Agencies Race to Help Families Fleeing IS-held Fallujah
Hundreds of families were pouring out of the Fallujah war zone Thursday after Islamic State militants apparently lost control of the main road southwest of the city. Thousands of people crossed the bridge out of the city and walked 15 kilometers to reach the al-Salam junction, where they are collected by Iraqi security forces and local authorities. The flood of people, most of whom had been without adequate food, clean water or medical care for…
By Sharon Behn
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Native Hawaiians Divided on Federal Recognition
By Cecily Hilleary
FILE - In this June 23, 2014 file photo, Laulani Teale, left, and Liko Martin, right, sing while Palani Vaughan, center rear, holds up a copy of Queen Liliuokalani's protest of the overthrow of Hawaii at the Hawaii state Capitol in Honolulu.
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Civil Rights Commission recently recommended Congress officially recognize Native Hawaiians, making them eligible for the same government-to-government relationship and benefits given to hundreds of Native American tribes.
But many Native Hawaiians reject that idea and say they won’t settle for anything less than complete independence and control of more than a million acres of land.
Polynesian navigators first discovered the Hawaiian Islands more than a millennium ago, and for the next 1,000 years, flourished as a self-sustaining and self-governing people.
Portrait by an unknown artist of King Kamehameha I
Portrait by an unknown artist of King Kamehameha III, who ruled from 1825 to 1854 and united Hawaiians under a constitutional monarchy.
In 1840, Hawaii’s king Kamehameha III established a constitutional monarchy and later opened up Crown lands for private ownership. Native Hawaiians, whose population had already been decimated by introduced diseases, were now displaced from the land to make way for a prosperous sugar cane industry that came to be dominated by American planters.
In 1887, U.S. and European oligarchs forced King Kalakaua to sign a constitution that stripped him of his authority, removed Native Hawaiians’ land rights and allowed foreign landowners the right to vote.
Hawaii's Queen Liliuokalani, who was removed from
Hawaii's Queen Liliuokalani, who was removed from the throne in a coup with American support. Photographed around 1891 by James J. Williams
In 1893, Kalakaua’s successor, Queen Liliuokalani, tried to draft a new constitution to restore the monarch’s power. The planters, with help from John Stevens, the U.S. Minister to the Kingdom of Hawaii, and a contingent of U.S. Marines, forced Liliuokalani from the throne and imprisoned her. Five years later, the U.S. Congress annexed Hawaii as a territory, and in 1959, named it the 50th U.S. state.
“Then there was a huge rush of settlement by U.S. citizens that coincided with the growth in jet travel,” said Noelani Goodyear–Ka'opua, a Kanaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian) scholar and expert in Native Hawaiian social movements. “After statehood, you had this a massive influx of people, which resulted in a boom in development of housing developments and hotels, leading to even more land struggles.”
Waikiki beach, Hawaii, in July 1961. Post WWII set
Waikiki beach, Hawaii, in July 1961. Post WWII settlement and tourism led to a boom in housing developments and hotels, leading to more land struggles with Native Hawaiians.
Calls for sovereignty
The U.S. government acknowledges Native Hawaiians as “a distinct and unique indigenous people with a historical continuity to the original inhabitants” of Hawaii. But Congress has never formally recognized them as it has 573 Native American tribes and nations, and Native Hawaiians have never established a formal government.
Native Hawaiians today, like Native Americans on the continent, are politically and economically marginalized. Prior to the arrival of Europeans, they numbered up to a million. Today, they represent only about 20 percent of the state's population and experience discrimination, high rates of poverty and homelessness, and disparities in health and longevity.
A man sleeps on the sidewalk in front of Honolulu
A man sleeps on the sidewalk in front of Honolulu Hale, Tuesday, March 28, 2006, in Honolulu after the City evicted groups of homeless people from Ala Moana beach park in order to begin renovations to park facilities.
But the Kanaka Maoli, as Native Hawaiians call themselves, didn’t take colonization sitting down. Even before annexation, they were organizing, petitioning and resisting, according to Ka’opua. And the sovereignty movement, always simmering, began to solidify after the 100th anniversary of overthrow, when thousands of Native Hawaiians rallied at Iolani Palace, former home of the monarchy.
“From that point, there were really two parallel streams of the movement,” said Ka’opua. "One is seeking more of a nation within a nation, that is, federal recognition status. The other is asserting the claim for a country independent from the United states.”
‘A lesser deal’
In 1993, Congress apologized to Native Hawaiians for its role in overthrowing the monarchy and committing itself to a process of reconciliation. To that end, in 2014, the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) held a series of hearings across Hawaii, giving hundreds of Native Hawaiians a platform to express their opinions on federal recognition.
Transcripts of the hearings reveal that the vast majority of those who testified oppose recognition, arguing the overthrow violated international law and the kingdom, in fact, never stopped existing. Watch video of one of those meetings in Waimea, Hawaii, July 3, 2014 (below).
In 2016, the DOI released a final rule to create a framework for formal recognition if Native Hawaiians form a unified government and call for a government-to-government relationship with the U.S.
“If you look at that final rule, it basically says no federally controlled lands are on the table,” said Ka’opua. “How is this in any way to our benefit? We wouldn’t even be getting the crappy deal that Native American nations have. And once you accept a lesser deal, a better deal is impossible.”
Indigenous or race group?
Davianna Pomaika'i McGregor, a Hawaii historian and founding member of the Department of Ethnic Studies at the University of Hawaii, Manoa, views federal recognition as an important step in the right direction toward full sovereignty.
Hawaiians who marched from the Royal Mausoleum in
Hawaiians who marched from the Royal Mausoleum in Nuuanu arrived at Iolani Palace Wednesday Aug. 12, 1998 to begin a somber commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the annexation of Hawaii by the United States in Honolulu, Hawaii.
“The acknowledgment of Native Hawaiians as indigenous people with the right of self-governance has nothing to do with acknowledging the independence of Hawaii,” she said. “They are two separate issues, and one does not preclude the other.”
Congress has passed dozens of statutes that recognize a special obligation to Native Hawaiians, and provide for health, education, job and other funding. But McGregor said these programs are vulnerable to court challenges.
“I’m very much in favor of reorganizing our government as a native people, not the government of the state of Hawaii as a whole, but the quest to reestablish an independent Native Hawaiian government within an independent Hawaii,” said McGregor. “But I don’t think that’s going to happen in my lifetime.”
US Recognizes 6 Virginia Native American Tribes
After decades of trying, their sovereignty is now formally acknowledged
Cecily Hilleary
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Bahraini startup streams success?
Read In
For 10 years Ali Mahmood was obsessed with amateur motorbike and go-kart racing.
He wanted to take his love of the sports to another level though - he wanted sponsorship. “I wanted to continue but it was hard,” he told Wamda. “[I was] rejected many times, so I looked at why they were rejecting me.”
Mahmood realized that companies were not giving out sponsorship because no one was actually watching the sport on TV - an impossibility because they weren’t even broadcast.
A project coordinator for a supermarket at the time he says that it was his passion that led him towards creating a live-streaming channel.
A still from Drift UAE earlier this year. (Images via Utrack)
Back in 2013 if you wanted to see drag racing at the Bahrain International Circuit, a Dodge Challenger race in Riyadh, or any of the Drift UAE season, you had one option - to be there.
Now, thanks to Mahmood, you have a second option.
Since February 2013 Utack.tv, Mahmood’s startup has been live-streaming sporting events.
Servicing the niche
After much chasing Wamda was unable to get a comment from any sports channels on why they don’t cover the smaller events like drag- or go-kart racing.
But Mahmood says the demand is there.
“In the Middle East we love the engines, the sound. [Those running these events] have been complaining for many years that there is no investment, and in Europe, they have the whole package,” he said. “Over here they don’t understand the business of motor sports. If you are looking to improve the industry, we come in with our own solution.”
Mahmood and his friend Hassan Aldoy began their experiment by filming a go-kart race in Bahrain and live streaming it over the internet. Mahmood says they were “kind of broke” at the time.
Ali Mahmood.
They took the idea to a Startup Weekend Bahrain in 2011, where they won first place and $10,000, which kept them going for a year. Then in 2014 they caught the eye of 500 Startups founder Dave McClure and spent seven months refining their business model in the Silicon Valley hot house.
Now operating in more than 15 countries, from Europe to the Middle East, they have four staff and 12 part-timers in Bahrain.
Cracking outside markets
Utrack isn’t alone in their service and entering an international market there are others to contend with.
In August, Facebook launched its Mentions app. So far this allows “public figures”, like actors, sports stars and politicians, to live stream through Facebook.
Other apps like Meerkat and Periscope have seen exponential growth in users - they’ve collectively been downloaded several million times since their respective launches this year.
There is also the move to mobile gaming being live streamed. Mobcrush, who live-streams games raised $11 million a few weeks ago and YouTube have just launched their gaming channel (after failing miserably with simple live-streaming), and rounds like this are being raised.
There should be no fear on entering an international market says Sam Jacobs, senior VP of sales and marketing at Livestream, the high-quality video streaming platform has been running since 2007. If anything it’s the region’s established players that need to be on their toes.
“I think stations in Bahrain should be threatened but smaller companies will have a different vision. TV stations are limited because they have limited space. [The] internet is unlimited space and inventory.”
“I think there is an opportunity for growth when it comes to sports,” Jacobs told Wamda.
When it comes to what is being streamed Jacobs broke it down into two parts. There are “spontaneous moments”, those that are consumer-driven by the likes of Periscope or Meerkat, such as the guy walking down the street commentating his walk to work.
The other is the organized event where there is actually a production budget. These could be anything from a high-school sporting event to a birthday party.
“In terms of the opportunities for things to be live streamed I think we’re at the beginning of an overall growth cycle,” said Jacobs. The lowering of production costs and upgrading of technology makes it easier.
Large leagues like the NFL or Premier League, for example, have their own platforms on which to broadcast, and contrary to fears sponsors or leagues might have had about applications like Periscope putting a dent in their business, however, shaky handed side views of a boxing match aren’t going to top hi-def.
Back to the Middle East
While Utrack is focusing on the sports that are largely being ignored by TV channels, it is within their plans to expand to other events.
Already covering sporting events like the IODA Asian Championship, and the WWA Wake Park Worlds Championship from Al Forsan International Sports Resort in Abu Dhabi, they are looking to cover ice hockey, golf and bowling, as well as business events and concerts.
Mahmood believes it is often the case that people in the region are sceptical of a product that comes from the region. “At the start we were struggling to get the attention and trust of people,” he said.
However, not only is interest in what they’re offering growing, they have also managed to raise $500,000 from Bahraini investors (as yet undisclosed), an improvement the cofounder attributes to having spend time in Silicon Valley.
Utrack.tv
View all posts by Lucy Knight
In conversation with Abdullah Bahabri of Nota Nota
Triska Hamid
In conversation with Sahiqa Bennett of Searchie
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Film and Play Related 2011
Viggo-Works > Articles > Films and Plays > Film and Play Related 2011 > Filming In Spanish
Viggo Mortensen Returns To Filming In Spanish
By Rocío Garcia translated by Ollie, Rio and Zoe
, 26 May 2011
Source: El Pais
© Haddock Films.
A doctor who helps his brother die and then takes on his life. A man who distances himself from his previous life to live at the edge of the law, in a world that borders on criminality. There he will discover new friends, and get involved with people very different from the ones he was used to. The participation of Viggo Mortensen, quite an internationally well-known actor, has jump started a film with an impeccable script that had been seeking production for a long time, Todos Tenemos Un Plan.
Written and directed by the Argentinian, Ana Piterbarg, Todos Tenemos Un Plan begins filming in a couple of weeks in el Tigre, the area of marshes and rivers in the province of Buenos Aires, and later moves to Ciudad de la Luz in Valencia. The film, a Spanish-Argentinian co-production, signals the return to the Spanish screen of the American actor after his participation in Agustín Díaz Yanes' Alatriste in 2006.
In case anyone says that the presence of a known and well-respected face on the big screen is not important: Ana Piterbarg met with Mortensen and, just like that, offered him the lead role in her story. The actor read the script and quickly accepted the offer. He loved it. Everything else fell into place. "The project has clearly emerged strengthened by Viggo's presence," confessed the producer, Gerardo Herrero, who even signed an agreement for international distribution of the film with Fox International at the recent Cannes Film Festival. Viggo Mortensen, 52, and raised in Argentina, vaulted to world fame after years and years of making good films, thanks to his participation in the trilogy, The Lord of the Rings. His work under the direction of David Cronenberg with Eastern Promises and A History of Violence was universally praised by critics and audiences. One of his last appearances on the big screen was in the film, The Road, based on the novel of the same title by Cormac McCarthy.
In case anyone says that work on the script doesn't matter: Three years ago, Ana Piterbarg arrived with her first version of the script at the courses that are organized every fall by the Fundación Carolina and the Casa de América de Madrid, and that are directed by Gerardo Herrero. She continued working on the script throughout those years, also winning the Julio Alejandro prize awarded by the Sociedad General de Autores at the Festival de Málaga. "It's one of the best scripts I've read in a long time," says Eva Cebrián, film director of Televisión Española, the channel that has already purchased the broadcast rights to Todos Tenemos Un Plan.
The film, a thriller about assumed identities with an unexpected twist, takes place in the marshy, island-filled area of el Tigre, where canoes are the only form of transportation. Viggo Mortensen plays the part of the two brothers, one of whom, a doctor, helps the other die, and it is in that moment that he has to assume the identity of the deceased brother. What he finds in the rise and fall of the waters of el Tigre has nothing to do with his previous existence. The movie, produced by Tornasol Films and Haddock Films, has a budget of four million Euros.
Last edited: 30 May 2011 07:44:36
© El Pais.
Source: https://www.viggo-works.com/?page=2628
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