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The warming centre in Tahsis, where people have been without power since early Tuesday morning. Photo courtesy SRD
Remote Vancouver Island communities pull together in face of deep snow, no power
Zeballos, Tahsis, Gold River cut off from rest of Island; spend days without power
What happens in a community when they are on their fourth day without power and then they get over 30 cm of snow overnight?
Turns out they really show what “community” means.
Zeballos has been without power on and off since Monday, and like the rest of the Island they have received more snow in one day than they have in years. However, according to Mayor Julie Colborne, that has not put a damper on people’s community spirit. If anything, it has made the sense of community in the tiny tone on northern Vancouver Island even stronger.
“Isn’t it amazing how the community just pulls together and does stuff for their neighbours?” she said. “We’ve got people donating fuel and people are getting things to their neighbours. I’m just astounded by the kindness of the strangers and neighbours alike.”
“Our hearts are with Tahsis, they’re in the exact same position as us, and our hearts go out to them,” she said.
RELATED: Power outages in Gold River, Tahsis and Zeballos affecting 1,600
Zeballos and neighbouring community Tahsis are fairly remote on Vancouver Island’s west coast. In the best of times, food security is an issue for villagers, whose closest grocery store is in Campbell River. Now with the roads closed, people have to turn to each other for necessary supplies.
However, SRD protective services coordinator Shaun Koopman isn’t too worried about villagers in Tahsis.
“You don’t live in Tahsis if you have to go to Starbucks,” Koopman said. “I am not worried about the residents up there.”
The emergency response in the communities has been aided by the Strathcona Regional District’s Emergency Operations Centre. Since things are happening so quickly, people have been trying to find off-the-cuff solutions to the issues. One idea was for a helicopter to bring food supplies in to the Zeballos warming centre, but because of the inclement weather that idea didn’t work out. Instead a barge with food and fuel has been donated and will be arriving in Zeballos this afternoon. Colborne said that since people have stepped up, the village should be fine for food for the day at least, and hopes that the roads get cleared in the meantime, allowing food shipments to come in.
“There will be supplies brought to us somehow,” she said. “We’ve advised people not to travel on the road because it’s better to let those guys do their jobs. They’re out there plowing and trying to keep it open for us for essentials. Somehow, some way we are going to get medicines and food for the warming centre. Then we’ve had a gracious donation from Grieg Seafood for fuel.”
Colborne hopes that the power will be back on on Friday afternoon.
“That’s in perfect case scenario and in the best of conditions. We’re not in the best of conditions right now,” she said. “We’re building contingency planning for Sunday or so or even after, just so that we’re more prepared.”
Fixing the power system also is reliant on a helicopter, according to a release from B.C. Hydro.
“The continued heavy snowfall has caused extensive damage to the line serving customers in Tahsis and Zeballos,” it says. “We assessed damage using a helicopter yesterday, and we began work in areas where it was safe to do so. As more heavy snowfall is expected, work progress will be dependent on the weather conditions and crews ability to safely access damaged areas.”
Gold River has also seen more power outage issues this season than it does normally. Mayor Brad Unger posted on the village website that he and staff have “had discussions with the BC Hydro’s Vancouver Island community relations manger, Ted Olynyk, in regards to the current and past issues.”
Potential solutions were to have a crew stationed in the village, but Unger wrote BC Hydro’s response was that it would be “very difficult for many reasons.”
“During severe weather storms like the one recently experienced, crews come from all over the island and the length of time they can work without a break is an issue that must be considered,” Unger’s note says.
Despite the tough conditions, Colborne says that the villagers’ spirit has only reaffirmed her love for the area.
“The North Island is the place to be, man.”
RELATED: BC Ferries rep explains the strain the latest winter storms put on the system
Campbell River snow clearing operations challenged by recent extreme snowfall events
marc.kitteringham@campbellrivermirror.com
power outagesSnowsnowstormvancouverisland
Loved ones turned away from B.C. senior homes, advocate says
VIDEO: Anti-racism efforts mounting in North Okanagan
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NATIONAL MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY
Can Scientists Stop One of the World’s Deadliest Mosquitoes?
The National Mosquito Collection provides invaluable insight into how species behave and how scientists can detect them before they spread disease.
David Pecor
A drawer of pinned adult mosquitoes from the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History’s National Mosquito Collection. The specimens shown here were digitized recently. Meaning, their bionomic information is databased and individual specimens are cataloged. (David Pecor, WBRU)
While giving tours of the Smithsonian’s National Mosquito Collection, I always pull out a tray from a special cabinet with seven glass slides laid out. It is difficult to see the specimens mounted on these slides without a microscope, but the name “MAJ Walter Reed” written on the labels is clear. These slides were part of a now famous study spearheaded by Major Walter Reed of the U.S. Army in the early 20th century, implicating the mosquito Aedes aegypti as the species responsible for spreading the deadly yellow fever virus to humans. Armed with this knowledge, along with information about this specific species’ biology, the U.S. military was able to launch a vigorous and ultimately successful campaign against this enemy, allowing the completion of the Panama Canal.
Flash forward over 100 years and the species, also incriminated as the primary vector (carrier) of dengue and chikungunya viruses, is wreaking havoc yet again. This time, as the primary vector of the Zika virus.
I am a researcher with the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) and the Walter Reed Biosystematics Unit (WRBU), based at the Smithsonian’s Museum Support Center (MSC) in Suitland, Maryland. The WRBU is responsible for managing the National Mosquito Collection as well as nine other families of biting flies like sand flies (Psychodidae), horse flies (Tabanidae) and biting midges (Ceratopogonidae).
The view from inside the National Mosquito Collection. Drawers of pinned adult mosquitoes are stored in sealed cabinets. If properly dried and stored in the right conditions, pinned mosquitoes stay preserved indefinitely. David Pecor, WRBU
The WRBU has a long history of conducting research to identify and describe mosquito species implicated as disease vectors. We provide entomologists, mosquito control personnel and health planners with identification tools, detailed biological profiles and hazard maps for all known mosquito vector species. All of this would be impossible without NMNH’s National Mosquito Collection. The collection contains over 1.5 million individual mosquitoes with records documenting life stages, where, when, and how each specimen was collected, whether there have been observations about feeding preferences and breeding sites. This allows us to build profiles for each species—called bionomics—which varies significantly from species to species.
In late 2015, South and Central America reported rising numbers of Zika virus infections and concern over a potential outbreak in the southern United States became urgent. By using the more than 5,000 individual Aedes aegypti specimens in the collection, we were able to better predict where the species might be present in the U.S., provide guidance on when they will be active throughout the year and share images of adults and immatures to facilitate its identification.
Data from the collection also enabled us to provide information about what people can do in and around their homes to reduce their risk of encountering this species. For example, Aedes aegypti prefers to lay its eggs in human-made containers such as flowerpots, rain gutters and bird baths. Treating these sites with pesticides or removing the water entirely, significantly reduces the number of mosquitoes present.
An Aedes aegypti mosquito in the Smithsonian’s National Mosquito Collection. The white bands on the legs are an easy way to distinguish this species from others, even without a microscope. Judith Stoffer, WRBU
By 2016, travel related Zika virus infections were regularly showing up throughout the U.S. and locally acquired (mosquito-spread) cases were reported from Southern Florida and Texas. It was clear that we needed to do more to monitor the spread of the disease. The challenge, however, was deciding where and when resources should be focused to maximize the chances of detecting infected mosquitoes before they infected more people.
Although the WRBU is housed within the Smithsonian’s MSC, we are a division of the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR). This means our first priority is U.S. military personnel. For this reason, we focused our attention on predicting where and when surveillance for Aedes aegypti mosquitoes should be conducted on U.S. military bases during the 2015-16 outbreak.
Our earlier work digitizing the National Mosquito Collection, coupled with habitat suitability modeling efforts by other researchers provided a reliable picture of where this species was expected to be found. However, we needed some other factor to help predict when those mosquitoes would be active. It turns out that in seasonal, temperate climates such as North America, temperature is a major force driving the timing of mosquito activity. In fact, it is well documented that Aedes aegypti has a specific temperature range that it can tolerate, between 18-38oC/ 64.4-100.4oF. When temperatures reach above or below this threshold, these mosquitoes either die or enter a dormant stage called diapause, similar to hibernation in mammals.
We began monitoring air temperature on a weekly basis using data collected by satellites, freely available via NASA. By calculating the likelihood of mosquitoes being present at a target location and relating that information to average temperatures, we produced a simple tool for monitoring the likelihood of encountering Aedes aegypti on any U.S. military base in near-real time. The tool gave us a clearer picture of where and when this mosquito species was likely to be active, allowing us to provide actionable guidance on targeting surveillance and intervention strategies.
A map of the weekly Zika virus vector “hazard assessment” for U.S. military bases (December 2016). Bases in red indicate high risk. Meaning, those areas fall within the active temperature range and are highly suitable habitats for Aedes aegypti. From: "Vector Hazard for Zika/Chikungunya/Dengue within US Military Facilities," WRBU
Our motto is “know the vector, know the threat.” In the case of the 2015-16 Zika outbreak, the locality and bionomic information from the National Mosquito Collection provided invaluable insight into how the species behaved and how we could detect them before they spread disease. There is much work still to be done, but by staying vigilant and drawing on the knowledge accumulated in museum collections like the National Mosquito Collection, we can be ready to respond to emerging zoonotic disease threats and maybe even prevent them one day.
David Pecor | READ MORE
David Pecor is a researcher at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History and the Walter Reed Biosystematics Unit (WRBU). He is part of a team who curates the National Mosquito Collection. David also works on the VectorMap project, an online repository for arthropod collection data, ecological niche models and other map layers related to vector ecology. David works directly with members of the U.S. military to preserve specimens and data associated with entomological surveillance efforts around the world. David graduated from the University of Montana in 2010 and worked as a freelance journalist before joining the WRBU team.
Collections National Mosquito Collection Public Health Research Vector Zika Virus
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Entomology (27)
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Mineral Sciences (30)
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Paleobiology (47)
Smithsonian Marine Station - Fort Pierce (6)
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You Know You Want To Snoop Around Marilyn Monroe’s Secret FBI File
Freshly un-redacted FBI files paint Monroe as a bit of a communist
Colin Schultz
A mural of Marilyn Monroe in Washington, D.C. Photo: Library of Congress
The dazzling actress Marilyn Monroe, who wowed a generation with her acting, singing and standing-on-a-subway-grate antics was, according to freshly-released documents compiled by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, also a bit of a communist. Or, at least, during the mid-20th century communist-hunting era, the bureau thought she was a bit of a communist. But, says the Atlantic Wire, the feds could never quite pin her down.
According to the Associated Press, who got access to the documents through a Freedom of Information Act request, the files “show the extent the agency was monitoring Monroe for ties to communism in the years before her death in August 1962.”
The records had been available previously, but they were heavily redacted. The new re-issue saw some of those black marks taken away.
Monroe’s file begins in 1955 and mostly focuses on her travels and associations, searching for signs of leftist views and possible ties to communism. One entry, which previously had been almost completely redacted, concerned intelligence that Monroe and other entertainers sought visas to visit Russia that year.
The file continues up until the months before her death, and also includes several news stories and references to Norman Mailer’s biography of the actress, which focused on questions about whether Monroe was killed by the government.
All 104 pages of Monroe’s two-part file are available online on the FBI’s The Vault, a site that houses all the documents released by the agency because of Freedom of Information Act requests.
If you feel like diving deep into the secret lives of some of history’s notable figures, the Vault actually holds files on a varied and interesting mix of characters including, ironically, Senator Joseph McCarthy. Some other names that jumped out include:
Historical Figures:
Amelia Mary Earhart
Celebrities:
Kiss (the band)
More from Smithsonian.com:
Remembering Marilyn Monroe
This 105-Year-Old Made Marilyn Monroe’s Earrings
Colin Schultz | | READ MORE
Colin Schultz is a freelance science writer and editor based in Toronto, Canada. He blogs for Smart News and contributes to the American Geophysical Union. He has a B.Sc. in physical science and philosophy, and a M.A. in journalism.
American History Cool Finds History
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NFL: Predicting the Next $100 Million Quarterback
by Jimmie Kaylor on June 27, 2015
Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
It’s no secret that quarterback is the most lucrative position in the NFL. They always have been, and always will be, the highest paid position group in the league. The emerging trend among current NFL quarterbacks is the use of $100 million contracts as a negotiating tool and a measuring stick against their peers.
Currently there are only eight signal callers around the league playing on contracts worth nine-figures in total value. Only two of them have won Super Bowl rings – Joe Flacco and Aaron Rodgers – and only one of them – Rodgers – has won an NFL MVP award. More and more, teams are paying quarterbacks based on the player they could become, rather than the player they currently are. Likewise, several young quarterbacks and their agents have capitalized on a league-wide obsession among front offices with finding franchise quarterbacks. With that said, the market for elite quarterbacks is about to blow up.
This offseason, we have seen Ryan Tannehill of the Miami Dolphins land a contract that will pay him $96 million over the next six years, and Cam Newton of the Carolina Panthers land a five-year, $103.8 million contract extension. Depending on whom you ask, those two deals were either fantastic or terrible. For Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson and Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck, the contracts came as great news. For the front offices of the Seahawks and the Colts, the contracts practically killed their negotiation power with Wilson and Luck, respectively.
It is basically a forgone conclusion that Wilson and Luck will be the next $100 million NFL quarterbacks. In fact, both will likely sign record-breaking contracts sometime within the next year. Given the certainty of their pending contracts, we chose not to include either player in this list.
So, who is the next most likely up-and-coming NFL quarterback to land a $100 million contract? Here’s our take on the situation.
John Konstantaras/Getty Images
1. Blake Bortles, Jacksonville Jaguars
Career Stats:
13 starts
3-10 overall record
58.9% completion percentage
2,908 passing yards
11 touchdown passes
17 interceptions
6.1 yards per pass attempt
69.5 quarterback rating
419 rushing yards
Let’s not beat around the bush here; Bortles simply wasn’t ready to be the Jaguars starter in 2014. With that being said, the former Central Florida signal caller did flash signs of having what it takes to be franchise quarterback at the NFL level during his rookie season. And let’s not forget, his pro day leading up to the 2014 NFL Draft was one of the best by a draft eligible quarterback in recent memory. The 2015 season will be a huge for Bortles in his quest to be a $100 million quarterback. The team added multiple weapons to their offensive arsenal, and the game should slow down in his second season. At this point, however, it’s way too early to deem Bortles as being worthy of a $100 million deal.
Hannah Foslien/Getty Images
2. Teddy Bridgewater, Minnesota Vikings
6-6 overall record
1 rushing touchdown
Bridgewater proved to be the top rookie quarterback in the NFL during the 2014 season. As a result, expectations for the former Louisville Cardinal are sky high as he heads into his second professional season. His development should be expedited in 2015 with the return of running back Adrian Peterson and the addition of wide receiver Mike Wallace. If he can build off of his success as a rookie, Bridgewater could be the most likely young quarterback in the league to land a $100 million contract.
Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
3. Derek Carr, Oakland Raiders
92 rushing yards
During the first half of the 2014 season, Carr looked like a future All-Pro. During the second half of 2014, he looked like a guy who was destined to be a journeyman for his entire career. Not everything was Carr’s fault, though. His play slipped in part due to hitting the proverbial rookie wall, and in part due to him playing with a subpar supporting cast. Looking forward, the Raiders were able to add several talented players on the offensive side of the ball, and new offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave is implemented a system similar to the one Carr broke numerous records playing in at Fresno State. The Raiders have money to spend in the coming years, and if their 24-year-old quarterback continues to improve, we could easily see him landing a $100 million contract within the next three or four years.
Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images
4. Robert Griffin III, Washington Redskins
35 regular season starts
14-21 overall regular season record
0-1 postseason record
1,480 rushing yards
8 rushing touchdowns
You may be surprised to see RGIII on this list, but the idea of the 2012 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award winner landing a $100 million contract isn’t that far-fetched. Despite a run of wildly inconsistent throughout the last two seasons, the 2011 Heisman Trophy winner has proven on more than one occasion that he can play at an extremely high level in the NFL. While there are no guarantees that he will be the team’s starter for the entire 2015 season, the Redskins have already picked up Griffin’s fifth-year option worth $16.1 million for the 2016 season. If he plays well this season, there is no telling how much money Dan Snyder, the notoriously frivolous owner of the Redskins, will throw at the 25-year-old quarterback.
All statistics courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference, all contract data courtesy of Spotrac.
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Home > Neuroscience > News Articles
Sapir-Wharf Hypothesis: Pre-Linguistic Infants Can Categorize Colors
By News Staff | February 10th 2016 07:58 AM | Print | E-mail
Infants aged between 5 and 7 months hold the representation of color categories in their brain, even before the acquisition of language, according to a study in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The Sapir-Wharf hypothesis claims that languages define our perceptions. This belief is widely accepted in various fields of study including psychology, linguistics and anthropology. Color perception is also considered to be subject to this theory, since colors are called by their names in daily communications.
Figure 1. (Top) Infants watched figures whose colors alternate. NIRS probe set is fitted on an infant's head with bands. (Bottom) Sequence of color changes in the experiment. Colors alternated every 1s. B1 represents a color of blue category and G1/G2 represent two different colors of green category. Color differences between G1-B1, and G1-G2 are equated. Credit: Ichiro Kuriki
Through numerous studies on the color lexicons of languages in the world, categorical color perception is considered to be strongly affected by language. On the other hand, the similarity of color categories across linguistic and cultural differences is also reported as strong evidence of the universality of color categories. Therefore, whether or not language affects color categories has been a central issue related to how we perceive colors.
This new study reveals that the category of colors can be independent of language, at least in the early stage of development in an infant's visual system.
Infants 5-7 months old were tested to see if brain activity is different for colors in different categories. The brain activity was measured by a near infrared specrtoscopy (NIRS; Figure 1) technique, which realizes comfortable measurement of brain activity in infants.
The study found that the brain activity increased significantly when the colors of blue and green were alternated, while there was no significant reaction to the alternation of different shades of green (Figure 2). The difference was observed in the occipito-temporal area in both left and right hemispheres.
A similar difference was found in adult participants with no significant lateralization. Since language related cortical areas reside in the left hemisphere in most right-handed adults, the observed brain activity had no direct relation to language processing. In addition, brain activity caused by categorical color differences was not found in the occipital region, which is known to play a significant role in the early stage of visual processing.
These results show that color information is processed through multiple cortical stages in infants, in a way similar to adults. They suggest that the brain activity in reaction to different color categories are represented differently in infants, even before the acquisition of language. They also imply that color categories can develop independent of the acquisition of relevant language.
source: Tohoku University
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sfha
homes for scotland
existing homes alliance
wwf scotland
rics scotland
scottish property federation
bedroom tax
matilda’s planet
seep
programme for government 2016-17
Sector welcomes Programme for Government
Alan Ferguson
The Scottish Government’s priority for warm homes has “lit up” the Programme for Government and been welcomed across the sector.
The Existing Homes Alliance said welcome detail on the new Scotland’s Energy Efficiency Programme (SEEP) will deliver the Scottish Government’s commitment to a National Infrastructure Priority on energy efficiency to tackle fuel poverty and climate change.
For the Alliance, the £10bn pledged to SEEP also unveils the scale of the programme.
An additional £20 million of Brexit stimulus funds will be spent on energy efficiency programmes, bringing overall spending on energy efficiency to £500m over the next four years and providing a boost to local economies and communities. Although this multi-year commitment is welcome, the Alliance warned this represents a small increase on current funding and will fall far short of realising projected £10bn investment required.
A further welcome announcement for the Alliance is the intention to consult on regulations to drive uptake of energy efficiency in private rented housing, as well as phased regulation of existing buildings. Encouraging everyone to invest in their homes will be crucial to achieving the overall investment needed to tackle fuel poverty and reduce climate emissions, it added.
The Existing Homes Alliance has estimated that a total of £4.5bn of public investment will be required to virtually eliminate energy efficiency as a driver for fuel poverty and meet climate targets. It believes the SEEP should aim for the vast majority of homes to reach at least an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) band C by 2025.
This, it argues, would benefit 1.5million households, help reduce energy bills, cut the nation’s carbon emissions, reduce NHS costs of treating illnesses related to cold and damp homes, and create up to 9,000 new jobs spread across Scotland. This objective is also supported by more than 50 major civil society organisations.
Alan Ferguson, chair of the Existing Homes Alliance, said: “It is great news the government has decided to make tackling fuel poverty and driving up the energy performance of our homes a priority in the Programme for Government. People in Scotland shouldn’t be suffering from fuel poverty because it’s too expensive to keep their home warm.
“We agree the overall cost of the programme will be £10bn to virtually eliminate energy efficiency as a driver of fuel poverty and meet our climate targets. This means two things – we’ll need more investment from the public sector, as well as fair and reasonable regulation of the whole private sector housing stock – providing those in private housing the benefits of a warm and affordable to heat home that social housing tenants have enjoyed for years – thanks to regulation.
“This is not just about fuel poverty and climate change - a multi-billion pound investment in energy efficiency can delivery excellent value for money as a stimulus project – research estimates it will have a benefit to cost ratio of 2:1 – with direct impacts on people’s well-being, employment and energy costs throughout Scotland.
“The Alliance looks forward to working with government and opposition parties on a shared ambition for all Scots to enjoy the benefits of living in a warm, dry home.”
The Scottish Federation of Housing Association (SFHA) welcomed the proposed Housing (Amendment) Bill, Social Security Bill and Warm Homes Bill announced yesterday by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.
These bills, it said, will all help to support the delivery of 50,000 affordable homes over the next five years.
The Federation also welcomed the confirmation that £3 billion will be provided to support the development of the new affordable homes target.
Andrew Jackson, head of public affairs, SFHA, said: “We continue to work with the Scottish Government and other partners to ensure that RSLs can play their part in the achievement of the Scottish Government’s ambitious 50,000 affordable homes target which will help to solve Scotland’s current housing crisis.
“We are pleased that the Social Security Bill will see the abolition of the ‘bedroom tax’ alongside a number of other welfare policies which have been counterproductive in supporting social tenants.”
Andrew Jackson added: “We also welcome the introduction of a Warm Homes Bill and the announcement of a new Energy Strategy as there is still much work to be done in order to solve fuel poverty.
“It is of paramount importance that everyone in Scotland can have a warm, energy efficient, affordable home in order to improve their health, wellbeing and life chances, and we trust that key elements of (yesterday’s) Programme of Government will help to realise this.”
Industry body Homes for Scotland pointed to the vital role that increasing the supply of new high quality, warm and energy-efficient homes could play in achieving the First Minister’s ambition of improving education outcomes and boosting the wider economy.
Nicola Barclay
Chief executive Nicola Barclay said: “With the First Minister making it clear that education lies firmly at the heart of this new Programme for Government, it is crucial that the intrinsic link between educational attainment and access to good quality housing is recognised.
“Research has highlighted that improving access to new warm, energy-efficient homes has a number of important benefits. These include significant positive effects on children’s abilities in terms of skills and education as well as contributing more widely to the establishment of sustainable communities which help these youngsters thrive. In addition, every new home built in Scotland supports four jobs, stimulating economic growth.
“Whilst we welcome the Scottish Government’s £3bn commitment to invest in affordable housing, it’s essential that we build enough homes of all tenures in order that our growing population can reach its full potential and make Scotland a better place in which to live, work and invest.
“We are encouraged by the announcements in relation to the Planning Bill which will be brought forward early in the Parliamentary session and await further details on this and the implementation of the recommendation of Simplified Planning zones and support to modernise compulsory purchase orders which would mean vacant and derelict land would be brought back into use.
“A refresh of the national strategy for housing for Scotland’s older people will also prove crucial in ensuring that people are housed in properties which are appropriate for each stage of their personal housing journey, potentially freeing up many much-needed family homes.”
Referring to the announcement of a £500 million Scottish Growth Scheme providing investment guarantees and loans for “high-growth potential companies, with clear export growth plans”, Barclay pointed to the difficulties faced by small and medium sized builders in accessing development finance and highlighted the key importance they have to play in the domestic market in increasing housing supply, calling for similar support to be made available to them.
The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors in Scotland said the First Minister has taken “some very welcome steps” which will help to return some much needed stability to the property and construction sectors.
Gail Hunter
RICS regional director of Scotland, Gail Hunter, added: “While confidence in these markets wobbled following the Brexit result, the Scottish Government’s Programme for Government 2016-17 has provided key policies and legislative proposals that could provide much needed certainty in an uncertain world.
“The Scottish Government has clearly recognised the emerging uncertainty that has followed the Brexit vote along with its impact on Scottish business confidence and development. The commitment to spend £4bn on infrastructure next year, along with a £500m package of support for private businesses, could go a long way to alleviate this.
“Furthermore, the development of a Scottish Rural Infrastructure Plan in 2017 is a welcome move. Prior to the election, we RICS called on the newly elected government to deliver such a plan, providing a clear strategy around greater connectivity of broadband, energy and transport. RICS stands by this appeal and calls on the Government to inject rural economies with the infrastructure required that will entice private investment to rural and remote Scotland.
“There is little detail so far behind the announcement of the Scotland Energy Efficiency Programme (SEEP) to improve the energy efficiency of buildings, but we would encourage the Scottish Government to look to the maintenance of existing stock – particularly older stock, and support for owners and tenants of these properties - in the process of developing regulations for this initiative.”
David Melhuish
Scottish Property Federation director David Melhuish said: “The rollout of Simplified Planning Zones for housing is particularly welcome news and we hope that the Government will continue to engage with housebuilders and the development industry as well as local authorities to make use of the best practice which has emerged in places such as Hillington Park where a commercially led SPZ has been particularly successful.”
WWF Scotland director Lang Banks said: “It was great to hear the First Minister highlight the importance of Scotland’s low-carbon economy as part of her government programme. Commitments to new climate change and warm homes legislation will provide opportunities to bring forward new policies that will put us on track for securing the full benefits of a zero-carbon future. Money for energy efficiency in the First Minister’s post EU Referendum stimulus package is a welcome recognition that tackling cold homes can create jobs, boost the economy and cut our climate emissions.”
Commenting on action to secure warm homes, Banks said: “With thousands of families across the nation wasting cash and carbon heating leaky homes, it’s good to see more detail on Scottish Government’s plans to improve energy efficiency. New funding, a commitment to consult on regulation, and an ambition that a total of £10bn ends up being invested in tackling cold homes, all show the government recognises action in this area is good for the economy, jobs and climate. However, the level of funding for the next five years looks to be a slow-start and little more than is invested at the moment. In advance of the budget this autumn and a forthcoming new energy strategy, we’ll be looking for more detail on this from Scottish Government.”
Lang Banks
On plans for a new Climate Bill, Banks said: “A new Climate Bill is a very welcome commitment and we hope that MSPs from across the Parliament use it as an opportunity to bring forward new policies that help us secure the benefits of a zero-carbon future.”
Commenting on plans for a new energy strategy, Banks added: “Scotland is taking positive steps on renewables all the time, whether its breaking records or developing innovative new technology. So it’s great to hear the Scottish Government setting out plans to develop a new energy strategy that can provide confidence to investors about the future for renewables in Scotland. We’ll be calling on the Scottish Government to use the energy strategy to set a new objective of generating half of all of our energy – across electricity, heat and transport – from renewables by 2030.”
The pledge to forge ahead with a new Climate Change Bill and Energy Strategy was also welcomed by legal firm Pinsent Masons.
Energy efficiency has been identified as a national infrastructure priority and the proposed legislation is envisaged to not only meet climate change obligations but “provide investors with certainty and a clear sense of direction”.
Kate Turner, a legal director at Pinsent Masons who specialises in energy sector projects, said: “The commitment to delivering a new Climate Change plan and Energy Strategy is a positive signal to the market.
“We will need to see the detailed strategy but would like to see it address energy demand reduction through improved energy efficiency and heat measures alongside the integration of energy storage capacity in to the market, and a clear commitment to low carbon generation capacity and addressing energy use in the transport sector. These are key areas which should feature strongly in any new energy strategy for Scotland.”
Sean McLaughlin
Sean McLaughlin, managing director of energy efficiency specialists Matilda’s Planet, said: “It’s refreshing and heart-warming to see a strong, long-term commitment to retrofit and energy efficiency from the Scottish Government. While it is easy to talk a good game it’s invigorating that these words have been backed up by a very significant pot of money to improve the energy efficiency of homes and buildings in the commercial, public and industrial sectors.
“I met with representatives of the Scottish Government about SEEPS recently and was delighted that they were open to a more collaborative approach with the energy efficiency supply chain and were prepared to listen.
“Lack of proper engagement with the supply chain and a burning desire to reinvent the wheel has led to the ridiculously expensive failure of too many energy-efficiency programmes like the Green Deal. It’s refreshing that the Scottish Government is treading a different path and is consulting effectively.”
Read the Programme for Government at a glance here.
Fuel poverty campaigners call for more ambitious targets
Fuel poverty among Scottish households drops by 4%
Fuel poverty initiatives named amongst engineering projects of the future
Fuel poverty strategy ‘must go further’ to give assurance that Scotland will meet fuel poverty targets
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Abraham Chyung, MD
Dr. Abraham Chyung, MD
9898 Genesee Ave
Scripps Green Hospital
Korean, English
Medical Groups (1)
Abraham Chyung, MD, is a neurologist specializing in the evaluation and treatment of memory and seizure disorders. With a doctorate degree in Alzheimer’s disease research, he has a strong clinical interest in conditions that cause memory loss. These include Alzheimer’s disease, frontotemporal dementia, Lewy body dementia, vascular dementia, normal pressure hydrocephalus and other dementia syndromes.
Dr. Chyung has subspecialty fellowship training in epilepsy and is a co-director of the Epilepsy Monitoring Unit at Scripps Memorial Hospital in Encinitas. He has published peer-reviewed articles on the subject of both dementia and epilepsy.
He believes that open communication and listening are the foundations of lasting relationships, something that Dr. Chyung strives to establish with each of his patients.
In his spare time he stays active by exercising regularly.
American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, Epilepsy, 2017
American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, Neurology, 2006
University of Pennsylvania, MD, 2000
University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine, Neurology, 2004
University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine, Epilepsy, 2005
Scripps Clinic Carmel Valley
3811 Valley Centre Dr
10710 N Torrey Pines Rd
Abraham Chyung welcomes new patients. Call the office at 858-824-5400.
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U.S. Birth Collection
Life events like birth, death and marriage that are kept secure under the custody of government authority in the form of certificates are VITAL RECORDS. In some zones, the vital records include records of civil unions or domestic partnership.
In USA, Vital Records Office of the states, capital district and territories and former territories issues birth certificates. Since birth in USA ensures eligibility for American Citizenship, a birth certificate from the Vital Record Office also enables one to obtain US passport. US State department issues a Consular report of birth abroad for children born to US citizens, including births on military bases in foreign countries. These children are also eligible for US passports.
Birth Collections
King County Birth Records from 1940 to 1980 in the state of Washington Washington, King County Delayed Births, 1940 - 1980 10000+
Births and Christening Index from 1600 to 1914 in the state of Rhode Island Rhode Island Births and Christening Records, 1600 - 1914 10000+
Birth Certificates Index from 1900 to 1934 in Chisago County, Minnesota Chisago County, Minnesota Birth Records, 1900 - 1934 10000+
Birth Index from 1955 to 1964 of Allen County, Indiana Allen County, Indiana Birth Records, 1955-1964 10000+
Birth Index from 1963 to 1980 of Geauga County, Ohio Geauga County, Ohio Birth Records, 1963-1980 10000+
Birth Data from 1950 to 1970 in Orange County, California Orange County, California Birth Index 1950 - 1970 10000+
Birth Data from 1945 to 1960 in Colusa County, California Colusa County, California Birth Index 1945 - 1960 10000+
Birth Index from 1970 to 1978 in Altoona County, Pennsylvania Altoona County, Pennsylvania Birth Record 1970 -1978 10000+
Birth Data from 1980 to 1990 in Anderson County, Alabama Anderson County, Alabama Birth Index 1980 - 1990 10000+
Birth Index from 1951 to 1995 in Anderson County, Texas Anderson County, Texas Births, 1951-1995 14918+
Birth Record from 1955 to 1993 in Hennepin County, Minnesota Hennepin County, Minnesota Birth Index 1955-1993 1084+
Birth Index from 1959 to 2008 in the state of Pennsylvania Pennsylvania Births, 1959-2008 1106+
Birth Records from 1951 to 1997 in Habersham County, Georgia Habersham County, Georgia Birth Index, 1951-1997 2894+
Birth & Baptism Data from 1969 to 1997 in Nebraska Nebraska Birth & Baptism Records Collection, 1969-1997 3165+
Birth Data from 1977 to 1998 in Mississippi Mississippi Birth Index, 1977-1998 2958+
Birth & Baptism Index from 1950 to 1980 in Bay County, Florida Bay County, Florida Birth & Baptism, 1950 - 1980 5984
Birth Data from 1822 to 1947 in Minnesota Minnesota, Birth Index, 1822-1947 10000+
Birth Index from 1879 to 1905 in Georgia Georgia, Births and Christenings, 1879-1905 10000+
Birth Data from 1827 to 1939 in Kankakee County, Illinois Kankakee County, Illinois Birth Index, 1827-1939 10000+
Birth Index from 1861 to 1993 in Pulaski County, Virginia Pulaski County, Virginia Births, 1861-1993 10000+
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New Leadership in Pinkerton Asia and India
Pinkerton has carried out significant leadership changes in its Asia and India units following the exit of Mr Garry Singh, Col. Sandeep Sudan and Sagarika Chakraborty. Angelo Krizmanic has been named the new Vice President for Asia. He has been at Pinkerton for the last 12 years and has replaced Garry Singh. He will be based out of Shanghai.
Mr Karan Bains has been named the new Country Director for India. He has been at Pinkerton for nearly 5 years and will replace Col. Sandeep Sudan. He will be based out of the India headquarters at Gurgaon.
Pinkerton is one of the oldest, largest and most experienced corporate risk management firms. Established in 1850 by Allan Pinkerton, they are headquartered in USA, and have physical presence in more than 100+ locations worldwide.
It has been a preferred partner to most of the FORTUNE 1000 companies in domains of Business Intelligence, Corporate Investigations, Intellectual Property Rights, Executive Protection, Risk Consulting, Background Screening & Due Diligence Services, Security Management and Emergency Response to provide a holistic Risk Management Solution. In India, Pinkerton has been present for the last 9 years through their offices in Gurgaon, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bangalore and Chennai.
Previous articleRs. 59 cr. sanctioned for Hyderabad CCTV surveillance system
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Home › Virus & Threats
Officials: Washington Being Targeted by Phishing Campaign
By Associated Press on September 25, 2020
Washington state is among those being targeted by a “large-scale, highly sophisticated” nationwide phishing campaign, the office of Gov. Jay Inslee said Thursday.
At a press conference Thursday, Inslee said that the state is taking proactive measures to protect state systems, but he said that no ransomware activity has occurred among the agencies targeted, and no state services have been impacted.
“We’re using every resource at our disposal to prevent these criminals — and that’s what they are — from potentially putting us in that position,” Inslee said.
Inslee and other officials wouldn’t provide specifics about the phishing activity, citing security reasons, but said a recent uptick in efforts had caused concern.
“We’ve seen a ramp up in activity over the past week, which is why we are taking the proactive measures we’re taking to make sure that we’re doing the due diligence that we need to do to protect the state and the state assets and resources,” said James Weaver, the state chief information officer. Weaver said that no personal information was obtained in any of the recent phishing efforts.
Weaver said that private and public entities across the country have been subjected to phishing attacks, and that the state is working with the Department of Homeland Security and other federal partners to combat the attacks. Inslee announced that he was activating the state’s emergency operations center and the National Guard’s cybersecurity team.
“We take this very seriously and it’s been all hands on deck,” Inslee said.
Weaver and Vinod Brahmapuram, the state chief information security officer, said that they haven’t seen any indicators that there were attempts to exploit the state’s election infrastructure but said they would continue to work with Secretary of State Kim Wyman.
“We will continue to work very collaboratively as we look at what we’re seeing as well as the activities that they may be seeing to make sure we are doing a coordinated and comprehensive response,” Weaver said.
An email from Inslee’s office said that an indicator in the current phishing campaign is that the sender’s email address doesn’t match the person supposedly sending the email.
Brahmapuram said that these phishing efforts are prevalent across the globe, and “that’s why it’s important for all of us to be so vigilant.”
“We cannot let our guards down, we have to always pay attention to what is coming through, what we click, what we do,” he said.
Related: U.S. Election Administrators Failed to Implement Phishing Protections: Study
Related: The Evolution of Phishing: Welcome "Vishing"
Related: CISA Warns of Phishing Emails Delivering KONNI Malware
Previous Columns by Associated Press:
Maryland Lawmaker: Officials Misled on Ransomware Attack
Maryland Confirms Ransomware Attack at Health Agency
Report: Dozens of El Salvador Journalists, Activists Hacked
Virus & Threats
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"Most people don’t know my name and my face. There are only a few people that know my name and very few people know my face. and my parents don’t even realize who I am. They think I’m working in construction, as a 'Tiler'."
Space Invader, Invasion of Bilbao
Print —
Space Invader, Invasion of Roma
Invader is a French urban artist. He is known for his ceramic tile mosaics modeled on the pixelated art of 1970s–1980s 8-bit video games, many of which depict the titular aliens from the 1978 arcade game Space Invaders (the inspiration for his pseudonym).
A graduate of a Parisian École des Beaux-Arts, Invader initially derived inspiration for his creations from the video games he played when he was growing up in the 1970s and 80s. Using tiles to represent the pixels in the games' 8-bit graphics, Invader began making mosaics in Paris in the 1990s, and went on to install mosaics in 31 other cities in France.
Invader has since staged "invasions" in cities and countries worldwide, including seven in New York City and three in Hong Kong. He often installs mosaics in culturally and/or historically important locations, with one high-profile example being his December 31st, 1999 mosaic on the letter D of the Hollywood Sign marking the Y2K bug. During subsequent trips to Los Angeles, he also placed mosaics on the eight other letters of the sign.
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Pop Eye
Local Motion
Music Choices
Folk Fest
What's In Your Fridge
Straight Series
The Falcons give diehard instro-rock fans a reason to rejoice
by Steve Newton on March 20th, 2012 at 3:19 PM
In celebration of their 20th anniversary, Vancouver instro-rockers the Falcons recently released EP Collection, a batch of tracks recorded between 1991 and ’97, newly remixed and remastered in analogue. The 12 originals—plus a version of the deathless instro classic “Apache”—were recorded “live off the floor” at a no-frills Kitsilano location called Bedclothes Studios.
“Bedclothes Studios is a spacious seven- by 11-foot bedroom,” reads the disc’s liner notes, “with two closets, optimized for recording. First, we remove the bed. Second, we hang four 2x6 foam cushions in the corner, and third, we wheel in the Audio Technica four-track cassette recorder. Now we’re in business.”
Diehard instro-rock fans have reason to rejoice whenever the Falcons get down to it. On their latest album of new material, Atomic Guitar, lead guitarist and main songwriter Mike Beddoes—proud owner of the aforementioned recording facility—leads rhythm guitarist Scott McLeod, bassist Gord Kearney, and drummer André DesLauriers in a wonderfully melodic and whimsically swinging collection of 12 originals, with a lap-steel-infused cover of “Sleep Walk” thrown in for good measure. The album—which made this scribbler’s Top 10 list of 2011—was also recorded “live off the floor in analogue”.
“I like to record that way,” Beddoes says, sipping coffee at a Kits java joint, “and I hope I’m helping revive an interest in live, old-school recording. ’Cause it is such a nice sound; it sounds like people playing. Sure there’s a few blemishes—you speed up and slow down, and it’s not always meticulously in tune—but that’s natural. We’ve got fretless bass and 12-string electric, and I’m playing a Fender Jaguar—they’re never in tune!”
Perfectly tuned or not, Beddoes’s Jag never strays far from his Gibson Falcon amp when it’s time to make a new Falcons record. He’s shown clutching the instrument on the cover of all of the band’s releases, including 1997’s Queen of Diamonds, which was named album of the year by influential U.K. surf-music mag Pipeline, and 2001’s Rebel Jukebox, which the group plans to rerelease as a 10th anniversary edition—a year late, mind you—this September.
“I got the Jaguar when I was in New York in 1982,” says Beddoes, “so it’s a souvenir of America. It’s the gaudiest of Fenders, with the most chrome and the most buttons. And it’s got little metal channels that the pickups sit in, so it’s really harsh. It’s a real trial to play, but it sounds neat when you get it right—now and again.”
Over the years the Falcons have had guest appearances on their albums by the likes of Bill Bonney from the Fentones and Nokie Edwards of the Ventures. Beddoes says that the main aim of the Falcons is to keep the spirit of the classic instro-rock bands alive, and that there’s a “fair number” of other groups with similar goals.
“Either they’re strict revivalists,” he says, “doing the best they can to sound like the Ventures or the Shadows, or they’re doing something quite unrecognizable from that, basing it roughly on the sound of those bands.
“So that’s the two general schools of instro-rock,” he adds, “and then there’s us. There’s a few bands like us—not many—who are starting with the original stuff and trying to bring it forward as if they’ve been playing it for the last 50 years.”
Although they don’t do a lot of gigs, on record the Falcons sound surprisingly tight. Kearney has been with the band since day one, and DesLauriers has slammed the skins since ’98, but on the rhythm-guitar front there’s been a lot of changes. Before MacLeod—who makes his debut as a Falcon on Atomic Guitar—that position was held by Michael O’Brien and Gary Schnepper, as well as two players who have since passed away, Gary Cramer and Kim Clarke. When first forming the group, Beddoes auditioned 24 rhythm guitarists before finding one that was up to snuff.
“It was quite an ordeal,” he recalls. “Of the 24 there were maybe four who could play, whereas when I was growing up everybody played rhythm guitar first and then learned lead guitar. Nowadays everyone wants to play lead and no one could be bothered to learn the rhythm, which is where it all starts. And I love rhythm playing. I do it myself, given half a chance.”
Here’s hoping Beddoes keeps on finding solid enough rhythm players to back up his tasty lead work so he can continue making music “live off the floor”, whether in the cozy confines of Bedclothes Studio or—as with Atomic Guitar—via offshoot company Bedclothes Mobile.
“The ‘mobile’ part is I took the tape recorder out and recorded it in the hall,” explains Beddoes, referring to the Russian Hall on West 4th Ave. “The acoustics are excellent, and it’s only three blocks from my house, so what could go wrong?”
Steve Newton
@earofnewt
Steve Newton started working at the Georgia Straight in the spring of 1982, shortly after graduating from UBC. Having previously worked as a stringer for his hometown paper, The Chilliwack Progress, he was originally hired as a freelancer to interview touring rock bands, which...
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‘Consolidation of non-NDA groupings need of the hour’
Abhinandan Mishra
This 11 August 2021 photo shows Congress MP Dr Abhishek Singhvi speaking in Rajya Sabha during the Monsoon Session of Parliament, in New Delhi. ANI
‘At their peak Narendra Modi and BJP have never got more than 38-39% votes. It is imperative for all non-NDA groupings, irrespective of political colours, to leverage and consolidate 80% to 90% of the balance 61% of the votes.’
New Delhi: Senior Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi, who is a third term MP and National Spokesperson of the Congress Party, spoke to The Sunday Guardian on the topic of a “weak” Congress, the criticism against the Gandhi family and the “failure” of the party to counter the TINA argument that is raised by the BJP. Singhvi, who is one of the most prominent lawyers of the country, has also served as Additional Solicitor General of India in the past and has been Chairman, Parliamentary Standing Committee on Law and Justice. He is regarded as one of the core strategists of the party. Edited excerpts.
Q: You have seen the rise of Congress during UPA times and witnessed the present times when Congress is perhaps at its weakest. The party has failed to cross 54 seats in the last two Lok Sabha elections. If you have to identify one single reason for the party’s collapse, what would that be?
A: I do not agree with the word collapse. The Congress still has a presence in the hearts and minds of people across India. There are always multiple reasons for a decline in electoral seats, but if I am forced to be univocal, I would ascribe it to the fact that 10 years of national incumbency sometimes can result in an electoral ennui coupled with a perceptional aura about scams created towards the end of UPA-II and the rise of a new face in national politics, Narendra Modi, with zero national baggage.
Q: In 2014, a report by A.K. Antony was submitted to the party leadership identifying reasons for the defeat and it had also suggested remedies. Has the recommendation been implemented?
A: Firstly, I agree with most of the recommendations and I am confident that they will be implemented. The process with regard to some (e.g. organisational election) has already started. I agree that the pace is slower than desirable and I think you should see significant changes by the end of 2022.
Q: Senior BJP leaders tell me that despite shortcomings in the present government, it will continue to win because of the TINA (There is No Alternative) factor. The voters, even if they want to remove the BJP, they don’t know who to elect. Does this assessment worry you?
A: I, respectfully, totally disagree. The best answer to TINA, and I can do no better, is to reiterate the article written by Pratap Bhanu Mehta two days ago with this identical theme. Secondly, we all have to remember that at their peak Narendra Modi and BJP have never got more than 38-39% votes. It is imperative for all non-NDA groupings, irrespective of political colours, to leverage and consolidate 80% to 90% of the balance 61% of the votes. Simple arithmetic teaches us that this relatively simpler exercise will defeat Modi. No doubt, that requires a submergence of egos, personal likes and dislikes and narrower consideration of region, caste and community.
But given the humongous failures of this government—wholesale prices on a seven-year high; unemployment at unprecedented levels; petrol and diesel at runaway figures, a divisive and fear drenched atmosphere across the country; polarization with crude tactics unknown to India’s proud democracy in the last 70 years; complete absence of inner party democracy even within the ruling party; vendetta politics of an unknown degree and kind ever seen in India’s past, and so on and so forth (I could continue ad nauseam)—makes it clear that Modi and BJP can be defeated but more importantly deserve to be defeated.
Q: One of the primary criticisms that the Congress faces, even from neutral observers, is that despite having such an old legacy and having leaders from across the country in its ranks, it is not able to move beyond the “Gandhi family”. I know it is a difficult question, but do you see any merit in this criticism?
A: I find such criticism to be actually a negation of democracy while swearing in the name of democracy. This is a delicious irony. The electorate may elect any Gandhi or many of them repeatedly, the Congress’ rank and files may want one or more of them repeatedly over the years, there may be no allegations of electoral rigging either in the manifestation of national electoral politics or intra party elections and yet the self-styled policemen of this new definition of democracy castigate the Gandhis for being a dynast.
Yes, family lineage involving dictatorial imposition, in non-democratic cultures is rightly called dynastic. But popularity over generations, with significant periods of non-Congress rule, can hardly be referred to as dynastic. Incidentally, it suits these vested interests and critics not to mention the inconvenient fact that no Gandhi has been at the helm of government of India for the last 30 years. Equally susceptible to selective amnesia of these vested interests is the fact that they may be in an alliance for decades with regional parties which actually have had dynastic impositions even in an undemocratic manner (e.g., alliances in Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir and Maharashtra) and yet continue to moralise and sermonise the Congress.
Q: The much-awaited Congress Working Committee (CWC) that took place in October was expected to come up with “big” decisions. However, nothing of that sort happened. Is the Congress facing a “paralysis”, a stage where it believes it is doing everything it can, but still not able to move ahead?
A: That may not be true because several decisions were taken in a series of prior CWCs including in the October one. But the timeline for them has naturally got extended due to Covid and other impending state elections. For example, a full schedule for organisational elections ending around August-September 2022 has already been announced. I agree that the pace is a little slow, but that is because of exigencies including the fighting of bigger battles at the state level rather than initiating elections in the party. That is going to happen very soon.
Q: The BJP, despite all rhetoric to the contrary, still considers Congress as its biggest opponent. I am sure you will agree with this perception, but don’t you think that this perception is because of its past achievements rather than present actions and shouldn’t this worry Congress party strategists like you?
A: I think you are guilty of wanting to have your cake and eat it too in the question that you have formulated. The BJP cannot have it both ways. It cannot write off Congress as a non-existent entity and yet chant “Congress Mukt Bharat” 24×7. The reasons are twofold. Firstly, the BJP knows in its heart of hearts that it is not the Congress as a party but the ideals and virtues that it represents which are a threat to the opposite vices which the BJP wants to propagate and impose on India.
The Congress’ view of India as a progressive, liberal, slightly left-leaning, secular, intrusive democracy is an anathema to the founding fathers of the philosophy that underlies the birth of the RSS, Hindu Mahasabha and the BJP. It is that which underlies the Congress Mukt Bharat refrain.
Secondly, as a political vehicle, the BJP knows equally that despite its current relative decline, the Congress had ruled for 10 long years at the national level till hardly seven years ago. It also knows that there are strong bastions of Congress support in every nook and cranny, in every village and tehsil of India. It is desperate to decimate that, but finds that it cannot erase the Congress from the hearts and minds of people. That is why it takes this contradictory stand of on the one hand, writing off the Congress as not worth commenting upon, and on the other displaying their fear and terror of the Congress in every action, utterance and every sentence.
Q: Old Congress leaders say that this new age Congress has fallen into the trap of BJP and is “fighting” on social media rather than on the streets. Do you agree, even partially, with this assessment?
A: India of 2021-22 must fight its battles on multiple fronts. The political battle therefore also has to be multi-dimensional and multi-hued. Physical campaigns are the heart and soul of any political party’s existence and they cannot be undervalued. But equally, to de-emphasis the social media would be a great folly. Some of these critics are the very same people who applauded with awe the “great” rise of Modi on social media between 2013 and 2015. Therefore, I think that the political battle must be holistic, multi-pronged and fought with the use of every physical, emotive, technological and a-technological means available in India of 2022. Indeed, I believe that we must invest more direct sources in strengthening the technological power of our political party so as to capture the eyeballs, not only from house to house and rally to rally but also from eye to eye and ear to ear.
Q: How correct would it be to say that TMC’s recent decisions are hurting the Congress’ bid to fight the BJP by bringing all the Opposition parties together? Also, in your view what explains the sudden “change of heart” of TMC chief Mamata Banerjee to take decisions that have clearly antagonised the Congress?
A: Firstly, I have made my view on the 38%-62% equation clear in the answer to the earlier question. Secondly, the natural corollary is that each and every party must rise to the occasion above everything else to achieve that as quickly and as nearly as possible. Thirdly, to imagine that the non-NDA space is occupied by political formations, identical or even broadly similar, would be to live in a fool’s paradise. On the contrary, it is the recognition and acceptance of the great, sometimes humongous diversity of viewpoints on social, economic and political issues within the non-NDA space which gives rise to the legitimate challenge to consolidate such space. It has been done in the past and can be done in the future. With respect to these differences and these diversities, let me make it clear that there is absolute unanimity amongst the non-NDA groupings that consolidation is the need of the hour. I have earlier gone to the extent of saying that even the non-NDA, non-UPA configurations should be drawn to the non-NDA’s side in this holistic consolidation. Obviously, this requires statesmanship, leadership and a sacrificing spirit. I have no doubt that leaders like Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Mamata Banerjee, Sharad Pawar, Stalin and several others have such qualities in different measures and would rise to the occasion.
Q: In the recent past, many Congress leaders have moved away to BJP. There was speculation that you too were being wooed by the BJP in view of your experience and credentials. Have you been approached by the BJP?
A: Let me assure you that the media would be amongst the first to know if and when that happens. I bow down to the compliment contained in your question, but would respectfully say, no thank you. But I do remember wishfully the politics of the Vajpayee era or even of Janata Dal groupings which had far greater magnanimity, far less vendetta, far more inclusiveness, bonhomie and cross-party communication than is possible in the present dispensation.
An overview of trademark infringement in India
Mediation Bill 2021: How still not to draft a mediation law
[498A & 304B] Casual reference of family members of husband in FIR not enough to prosecute: sc
Delhi HC annuls marriage after 16 years
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‘Omicron has severe effects on unvaccinated or immuno-compromised patients’
Tanmaya Das
New Delhi: India is witnessing a sudden surge of Covid-19, although fortunately, most of the patients have been showing mild effects of Omicron. Most of the experts have claimed that more results and studies are needed to be conducted to understand the new variant. Although vaccinations do not prevent the infection, it reduces the severity of the virus and its variants. Anybody with comorbidities, diabetes, heart problems or an immunocompromised system will have a severe effect of Covid-19.
Omicron was first discovered in South Africa on 25 November, 2021, when some laboratory technicians at the Lancet Labs in Pretoria, South Africa, discovered unusual features in coronavirus samples. What they discovered was remarkable as a gene was missing from the usual genomic profile of the virus so the PCR testing were failing to detect one of the intended targets of the virus, indicating that something had changed about it. A similar occurrence happened a few days later at the Lancet’s Molecular Pathology Department in Johannesburg. The discovery, according to Dr Allison Glass, a pathologist at Lancet, coincided with a spike of positive Covid-19 cases in portions of South Africa. The discovery raised concerns, however, the origination is still unknown to the scientists.
A leading pulmonologist in South Arica, who works at Midstream Mediclinic in Tshwane, Dr E.M. Taban, said, “Omicron variant has presented with mild clinical symptoms amongst young people, vaccinated patients with multiple co-morbidity and unvaccinated with no chronic conditions. I have seen a few severe cases in the unvaccinated individual that require intensive care admission, but when compared to the previous variants such as delta, they have fewer inflammatory markers. Current, mortality in South Africa is not directly as a result of omicron, but rather due to unvaccinated individuals with underlying severe chronic conditions and co-infection with another virus.”
While discussing whether Omicron affects the lungs of asymptomatic patients, he went on to add, “I have not seen one yet but difficult to say because most of these patients are isolated at home. I have done a CT scan of the lungs for patients at our hospital with upper respiratory symptoms and underlying asthma (24 patients unpublished study) and none of the patients developed lung involvement or opacities despite complaining of shortness of breath and chest pain. Only patients who developed mild lung problems are unvaccinated with an uncontrolled chronic condition or on immunosuppressive treatment.”
As per the research paper, dated, 16 December 2021, in The New England Journal of Medicine, Molnupiravir, which is now approved in India, in unvaccinated adult outpatients with mild-to-moderate Covid-19, reduced rates of hospitalization or all-cause mortality by 30%. However, it has not been approved for children below 18 and pregnant women. Similarly, Paxlovid, which has not yet been approved in India, is administered with ritonavir reduced rates of hospitalisation or all-cause death by almost 90% among unvaccinated high-risk adult outpatients.
“We have sufficient evidence to believe that Omicron is not as severe as other variants of Covid-19, as the cases are mild. However, people who are unvaccinated or immunocompromised have the severe effects of Omicron,” Prof G.C. Khilnani, Chairman of Pulmonology, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, PSRI Hospital, told this paper. He also believes that there is a chance that Omicron has already surpassed Delta in India, however, many since many samples are not being sequenced so the main cause of the Covid-19 spike is difficult to determine. Prof Khilnani suggested that oral medications, Molnupiravir and Paxlovid, can be given in home and both reduce severity and hospitalization.
The severe symptoms witnessed in patients with Omicron are sore throat, body ache, headache, tight chest and sometimes cough, few gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhoea and abdominal pain. As per the report published by the South African Medical Research Council, the mortality of the patients fell in a week and the official deaths have declined in South Africa. The excess deaths were reported in the first three weeks. The WHO officials have said that though Omicron may produce less severe symptoms but should not be categorised as ‘mild.’ Janet Diaz, who leads WHO clinical management, stated that as most of studies have been on younger people, impact of Omicron on elderly is one of the unsolved questions.
Violence against women during Bengal assembly polls: Report
Congress to re-constitute Bihar unit on caste lines
Number increasing of unrecognised parties; most don’t contest elections
BSF proactive, Bengal witnesses huge drop in cattle smuggling
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New appeal to raise £1.5m for children with liver disease
We have launched a new appeal to raise £1.5 million to transform liver care for children and young people. The Charity has ambitious plans to advance research, buy cutting edge equipment, rejuvenate the environment in the hospital and provide vital support networks for patients and families at King’s. The TLC Appeal – Transforming Liver Care for children and young people – will help realise these plans.
Before the Paediatric Liver Centre at King’s was created, more than 60% of children diagnosed with liver disorders died. Today, thanks in the most part to the incredible work carried out at King’s, that figure is down to 6%. But there is still much more to do.
As well as their physical challenges, children with chronic liver disease can have lower IQs, more mental health problems and higher levels of diagnosed learning disability; with over 30% requiring specialist education support. The Charity believes that, with the right medical and therapeutic support, children with liver conditions can overcome these problems and live healthier, happier, more productive lives. The funds raised through the TLC Appeal will help to bring this transformation about.
Liam's story
Liam Hills couldn’t wait to leave the Children’s Liver Unit at King’s in February. A transplant operation earlier that month had given him a new lease of life and he wanted to get outside and start living it – especially as his discharge date coincided with his 8th birthday!
Molly's story
A seemingly innocuous sickness bug was the likely trigger for a catastrophic series of events that left Molly Plavenieks, aged four, fighting for her life.
Emily's story
Emily Byrne was a jaundiced baby from day two of her life but until she was three months' old, her parents Ann-Marie and Sean just thought she was sallow skinned. Several medical professionals had examined Emily during those first few months but it was only when the family GP returned from leave that Emily was sent to their local hospital in Cork, Ireland, to have tests.
The TLC Appeal will support pioneering research, improvements to the hospital environment and support networks to ensure that children like Liam and Emily, and every child diagnosed with a liver disease, not only survives but thrives into adulthood.
The TLC Appeal will transform liver care for children and young people. We need to raise £1.5 million to advance research, buy cutting-edge equipment, rejuvenate the environment in the hospital and provide vital support networks for children and families.
Milo's story
“The transition staff are so brilliant with young people. They understand what it’s like to be a teenager. They want you to give them a realistic description of what’s going on in your life and they give you judgement-free advice about what you can and can’t do.”
Transforming liver care
“Our Transition programme brings together a whole team of people to provide a different style of care. For me this is probably one of the most exciting areas of care that we provide because it enables us to look after our young people and nurture their potential.”
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KQ Entertainment Announces Strong Legal Action Against Invasion Of ATEEZ’s Privacy
by U. Kim
ATEEZ’s agency KQ Entertainment has released a statement announcing that they are taking legal measures against those who invade ATEEZ’s privacy.
The agency revealed that a location tracking device was discovered on a vehicle used for ATEEZ’s activities and warns that strong legal action will be taken against the culprit who planted the device.
Hello. This is KQ Entertainment.
We would like to thank the fans who always cherish and support ATEEZ.
Previously, we have made several announcements about fan club etiquette and prohibiting fans from visiting artists during their private scheduled activities and in private spaces, but incidents of invasion of privacy via unlawful means have continued to take place.
Moreover, behaviors that cross the line, such as following artists to their private activities and private areas simply for their own benefit despite the the staff’s attempts to stop them, have obstructed the company’s business and caused the artists to go through psychological suffering.
Recently, the company discovered that someone had attached a location tracking device to the artist’s work vehicle and illegally collected information about their location. We have spoken to the local police station, who are now tracking down the culprit, and there will be no leniency or negotiation regarding the punishment.
Moving forward, regarding all behaviors that violate the private lives of our artists, we will enforce legal measures in addition to the existing black list system, and those people will be excluded from all fan participation events and activities without advance notice.
We are also receiving tip-offs via email to put an end to the violation of our artists’ private lives, so we ask the fans for their cooperation.
We ask you once again for the sake of the safety of ATEEZ and their fans and an orderly and proper fan culture, so we sincerely request your cooperation.
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Blogs | WorkSmarts: Workplace Solutions
Brian Peterson
bpeterson@spencerfane.com
Paul D. Satterwhite
psatterwhite@spencerfane.com
David L. (Dave) Wing
dwing@spencerfane.com
Randi Winter
rwinter@spencerfane.com
Labor and Employment Group
By Brian Peterson, Randi Winter
Today the United States Supreme Court issued a decision staying implementation and enforcement of the Emergency Temporary Standard (“ETS”) issued by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requiring employers with 100 or more employees to adopt policies mandating COVID-19 vaccination and testing, at least while legal challenges to the ETS proceed through lower courts. This means that for now, employers covered by the federal ETS are not required to comply with it.
OSHA’s Healthcare ETS in Limbo: What are Employers to do?
By Elizabeth Wente
On December 27, 2021, OSHA issued a statement to address the confusion surrounding the status of the Healthcare Emergency Temporary Standard (the “Healthcare ETS”) implemented on June 21, 2021. The confusion arose because the Healthcare ETS was a temporary standard that was intended to be effective until it was replaced by a permanent standard. However, the OSH Act provides that the permanent standard should be promulgated within six (6) months from the adoption of the temporary standard. This means that OSHA needed to implement a permanent standard to replace the Healthcare ETS by December 20, 2021. This did not occur.
Quarantines and Isolations – What Employers Need to Know About the New CDC Guidance
By Katherine Davis
On Monday, December 27, 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provided new guidance[1] regarding quarantine and isolation periods for those who test positive for COVID-19 and those who have been exposed to COVID-19. The guidance comes at a time when COVID-19 cases are rising across the country, likely because of the new highly-transmissible Omicron variant. The CDC’s guidance is not a “mandate” of any sort, but rather, serves as a recommendation that can be used by employers when addressing staffing shortages and determining when to safely permit or require employees who have been infected or exposed to return to work.
Many Employers Caught Off-Guard by Deadline for Ensuring 911-Calling Compliance
By Jon Farnsworth
The Ray Baum’s Act (the “Act”) requires companies to implement additional safeguards related to dialing 911 from the companies’ phone systems, including any software programs used by computers to make phone calls. Aspects of the Act related to landlines/VOIP phones are already in effect and are less controversial. However, many companies have been caught off-guard given the Act applies to software technology and enforcement of the Act begins January 6, 2022. Many companies utilize software programs like Jabber, Webex, Teams, Zoom, and other platforms that allow for the ability to make phone calls from a computer.
Supreme Court to Hear Challenges on Federal Vaccine Mandates from OSHA and CMS
By Andrew C. Brought, Randi Winter
Late on Wednesday, December 22, the United States Supreme Court announced that it will hear oral arguments on January 7, 2022, on several consolidated cases challenging the Emergency Temporary Standard (“ETS”) issued by the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) requiring that employers with 100 or more employees adopt vaccine mandate and testing policies, as well as the vaccine mandate imposed on certain health care facilities under the Interim Rule issued by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
OSHA Sets January 10 Deadline for Employers to Implement Mandatory Vaccinate or Test Requirements, Following Federal Appeals Court Victory
By Andrew C. Brought
Employers with 100 or more employees have until January 10, 2022, to implement the obligations required under the mandatory vaccinate or test requirements in OSHA’s Emergency Temporary Standard issued on November 4, 2021, as published in the Federal Register at 86 Fed. Reg. 61402 (Nov. 5, 2021). Even though the ETS is now effective, the agency is granting a short time period for companies to satisfy the requirements.
CMS Vaccine Mandate Rule Blocked in 10 States (including Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska)
By Randi Winter
A Missouri-based federal judge issued an order today partially blocking the Biden Administration from implementing the emergency regulation issued by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on November 4, 2021, that mandated COVID-19 vaccination by January 4, 2022, for the employees and contractors of covered health care facilities participating in the Medicare and Medicaid programs. The order, known as a preliminary injunction, is temporary in nature, although it could eventually become permanent if the lawsuit is successful.
OSHA Halts Implementation and Enforcement of ‘Large Employer’ COVID-19 ETS (At Least for Now)
By Helen Holden
On November 12, 2021, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a decision in which it reaffirmed its prior temporary injunction against implementation or enforcement of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s Emergency Temporary Standard (the “ETS”) mandating COVID-19 vaccination and testing. The November 12 decision reaffirmed a prior stay issued on November 6th and found that the ETS was both overbroad and under-inclusive. The court found the ETS overbroad because it failed to consider that COVID-19 is “more dangerous to some employees than to other employees.” BST Holdings, L.L.C. et al. v. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, et al., No. 21-60845, slip. op at 13. The court found it underinclusive because even the most vulnerable workers would draw no protection from the ETS if the company employs 99 employees or fewer. Id. at 15. It further ordered the agency to “take no steps to implement or enforce” the ETS until further court order.
Fifth Circuit Issues Temporary Stay on OSHA ETS – What Does It Really Mean?
On November 6, 2021, the Fifth Circuit issued a temporary injunction on OSHA’s ETS for employers with 100 or more employees. The Fifth Circuit’s Order is brief citing “grave statutory and constitutional issues” with the ETS. The Court ordered the government to respond to the motion for a permanent injunction by 5:00 p.m. today, November 8, 2021. The petitioners have until tomorrow, November 9, 2021, at 5:00 p.m. to provide a reply to the government’s response.
OSHA COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing ETS: Overview and Summary
On November 4, 2021, OSHA issued its 490-page document setting out its Emergency Temporary Standard for COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing, as published in the Federal Register at 86 Fed. Reg. 61402 (Nov. 5, 2021). The ETS requires covered employers to develop, implement, and enforce a mandatory vaccination policy by December 5, 2021, with all covered employees vaccinated by no later than January 4, 2022. Alternatively, the ETS permits covered employers to instead adopt a policy requiring employees to either get vaccinated or elect, in lieu of vaccination, to wear a face covering at work and undergo weekly COVID-19 testing. The ETS imposes many additional safety protocols, recordkeeping, and disclosure requirements for covered employers and employees beyond mandatory vaccination and testing.
The New Federal COVID-19 Requirements for Employers With 100+ Employees Have Finally Arrived
OSHA issued the long-awaited ETS requiring employers with 100 or more employees to mandate that employees either get the COVID-19 vaccine or undergo weekly COVID-19 testing. The Spencer Fane Labor and Employment Attorneys are analyzing the ETS and will be providing a more in-depth client alert shortly, in addition to hosting an educational WorkSmarts™ webinar on Wednesday, November 10 from 2:00pm-3:00pm CT. In the meantime, here are a few highlights:
White House Guidance to Federal Contractors for Compliance With the Upcoming December 2021 Vaccine Mandate Deadline
By Sonja McGill
The White House has released a new set of FAQs meant to provide flexibility to employers who are federal contractors and subcontractors in their efforts to satisfy the December 8, 2021 deadline for their employees to be fully vaccinated. These latest FAQs are intended to give some clarity while also grace to those contractors making good-faith efforts to reach compliance with new COVID-19 workplace safety protocols.
COVID-19 and Religious Accommodation Requests: New Guidance From the EEOC
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission snuck in some pre-Halloween updates to its Technical Assistance Questions and Answers for COVID-19, Title VII, and other EEO laws. In this latest round, published October 25, 2021, the agency finally gave us additional guidance on how employers should handle requests for religious-based exceptions to mandatory vaccination requirements, more commonly known as “religious accommodation requests.”
Federal Contractor Vaccination Mandate: FAQs
By Randi Winter, Michelle Berger, Helen Holden, Sonja McGill
Information for Construction, Transportation, Aerospace/Defense, and Other Industries
Last Friday, October 15, 2021, marked the date on which federal agencies were required to begin incorporating a clause compelling compliance with federal COVID-19 workplace safety protocols, including a vaccination mandate for covered workers, into certain existing and new federal contracts, as detailed in guidance issued by the Safer Federal Workforce Task Force on September 24, 2021, pursuant to Executive Order 14042.
GC of NLRB Encourages Regional Offices to Pursue Alternative Make-Whole Remedies
By Brian Peterson
On September 8, 2021, the Office of the General Counsel to the NLRB issued a memorandum to all Regional Directors encouraging them “to continue exploring new and alternative remedies” to ensure that the victims of unfair labor practices are made whole for the losses they suffer as a result of unlawful conduct. See Memorandum GC 21-06 (Sept. 8, 2021). This is an important development for employers to monitor because it strongly suggests that the NLRB plans to seek harsher remedies for unfair labor practice violations than it has done historically.
Sweeping New Federal COVID-19 Vaccination Mandates on the Horizon for American Employers and Employees
On September 9, 2021, the Biden Administration announced a new plan to use federal regulatory powers to reduce the number of unvaccinated Americans. The thrust of the administrative initiative involves “substantially increas[ing] the number of Americans covered by vaccination requirements,” primarily through mandates that “will become dominant in the workplace.” The Administration estimates that these new mandates will affect over 80 million Americans eligible to be vaccinated but who have not yet gotten their first COVID-19 shot.
OSHA Implements COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standard for Healthcare and Updates COVID-19 Guidance for all Employers
By Paul Jacobson
On June 10, 2021, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”) announced an action OSHA has not taken in 38 years: issuing an Emergency Temporary Standard (“ETS”). This ETS aims to protect “healthcare and healthcare support service workers from occupational exposure to COVID-19 in settings where people with COVID-19 are reasonably expected to be present.” The ETS does not go into effect until publication in the Federal Register, which has not yet occurred but appears imminent (OSHA has submitted the ETS to the Office of the Federal Register for publication and codification in 29 CFR 1910 Subpart U). The text of the ETS, as submitted to the Office of the Federal Register, is available here. OSHA also launched a website with resources regarding the ETS.
COVID-19 Update: EEOC Vaccine Incentive Programs
On May 28, 2021, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) updated its COVID-19 related technical assistance document, “What You Should Know About COVID-19 and the ADA, the Rehabilitation Act, and Other EEO Laws,” which can be found here (“WYSK”). This document was first published on March 19, 2020, and was last updated, as we noted in this previous WorkSmarts update, on December 16, 2020. Although the recent update was published without consideration of updated guidance from CDC for fully vaccinated individuals issued on May 13, 2020, it still contains valuable guidance for employers with respect to vaccines in the workplace.
To Mask or not to Mask – Questions in Light of new CDC Guidance
On May 13, 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) made a surprising announcement: individuals who are fully vaccinated no longer need to wear masks or maintain social distance in most indoor spaces. Individuals are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after their second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine or two weeks after a single dose of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine.
DOL Withdraws FLSA Independent Contactor Rule
On May 5, 2021, the United States Department of Labor (“DOL”) withdrew the regulations (i.e. the “Independent Contractor Rule”) that were intended to clarify the standard for determining whether a worker qualifies as an independent contractor for FLSA purposes. See DOL Press Release, US Department of Labor to Withdraw Independent Contractor Rule (May 5, 2021); see also Independent Contractor Status Under the Fair Labor Standards Act: Withdrawal, 86 FR 24303 (Published: May 6, 2021). The withdrawal of the Independent Contactor Rule is effective as of May 6, 2021.
Taking a Shot at Avoiding Quarantine (and COVID-19): A Layered Approach
During the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important to stay up-to-date with the latest guidance from the CDC. On February 10, 2021, the CDC released new guidance for the general public regarding mask-wearing and quarantining for individuals who have received both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. This new guidance is important for employers whose employees are working in-person and for employers in certain industries who may have fully-vaccinated employees.
OSHA Issues New Comprehensive Worker Safety Guidance – COVID-19
On Friday, January 29, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued a new comprehensive worker safety guidance to protect workers against COVID-19, entitled: “Protecting Workers – Guidance on Mitigating and Preventing the Spread of COVID-19 in the Workplace.”
‘American Rescue Plan’ Proposed to Provide Expanded COVID-19 Paid Leave and Unemployment Relief
On January 14, 2021, President-elect Biden announced the “American Rescue Plan,” which is the new administration’s first emergency coronavirus and stimulus proposal. If passed, the plan will greatly expand the availability of paid leave and unemployment benefits to U.S. workers. Indeed, the new administration maintains that the plan could provide emergency paid leave to an additional 106 million Americans. To do so, the plan will impose significant new burdens on employers by, for example, closing certain loopholes that previously exempted large segments of employers from federal paid leave requirements.
COVID-19 Update: FFCRA Tax Credits Extended and Updated Guidance from the CDC
On Monday, December 21, the stimulus bill from Congress was released. The bill contains individual relief, as well as an extension of federal unemployment assistance benefits. The bill did not, however, contain an extension of the mandatory paid leave benefits provided under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (“FFCRA”). The stimulus does contain an extension through the end of March, 2021 of the tax credits provided for under the FFCRA leave. As a result, the mandate for FFCRA leave will formally sunset on December 31, 2020, but employers who voluntarily provide leave under the original provisions of the law may be able to qualify for tax credits through the end of March, 2021.
Colorado’s Equal Pay for Equal Work Act Starts January 1, 2021
By Michael Belo
No Pay Discrimination for Substantially Similar Work, and New Job Posting Rules
On January 1, 2021, the Equal Pay for Equal Work Act (“EPEWA” or “the Act”) becomes effective in Colorado. C.R.S. § 8-5-101 et seq. The Act applies to virtually all employers in the state, regardless of size, and is intended to “close the pay gap” between men and women and “ensure that employees with similar job duties are paid the same wage rate regardless of sex,” which it defines broadly as “gender identity.” The Act has two major parts: (1) Part 1 amends Colorado’s previous equal pay statute by broadening the prohibition against wage discrimination to include paying employees of different sexes less for “substantially similar work”; and (2) Part 2 provides for “transparency in pay and opportunities for promotion and advancement” by requiring employers to announce opportunities for promotion and to disclose wage and benefit information in all job postings.
What to Consider Before Implementing a Mandatory Vaccine Policy
The first COVID-19 vaccines have been released, with more to come in the near future. This landmark development raises important questions – can employers require their employees to get the COVID-19 vaccine as a term and condition of continued employment when it becomes available to them? And if an employer implements such a mandate, would it be lawful?
DOL Proposes New Rule to Better Define Independent Contractor Status
On September 22, 2020, the Department of Labor (“DOL”) issued proposed regulations that are intended to clarify the standard for determining whether a worker qualifies as an independent contractor for Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”) purposes. See RIN 1235-AA34 (Independent Contractor Status under the Fair Labor Standards Act).
Colorado’s Paid Sick Leave Law
On July 14, 2020, Governor Jared Polis signed the “Healthy Families and Workplaces Act” (“HFWA”). Last month, we discussed the emergency COVID-19 provisions here. The emergency provisions are effective from July 15 to December 31, 2020. In this Part 2, we will discuss the paid sick leave provisions of HFWA that go into effect January 1, 2021.
DOL-WHD Releases FLSA, FMLA, and FFCRA Guidance Relating to COVID-19 and Work From Home Issues
During the week of July 20th, the Wage and Hour Division of the Department of Labor published new guidance for employers, focusing on compliance under the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”) and the Family and Medical Leave Act (“FMLA”) in the midst of the pandemic (See FLSA Q&A, FMLA Q&A, and FFCRA Q&A).
OSHA Fines Healthcare Facilities for Improper Use of N95 Respirators
Employers beware, particularly those in healthcare sectors. If you provide a NIOSH-approved N95 “respirator” to protect employees from COVID-19, there are a number of OSHA respiratory protection standards that must be followed in a comprehensive Respiratory Protection Program. The Department of Labor OSHA’s July 21, 2020, national press release makes clear that OSHA will seek the maximum possible penalties for serious violations against companies that do not fully satisfy the respiratory protection standards.
Colorado Passes Paid Sick Leave and Whistleblower Laws
On July 14, 2020, Governor Jared Polis signed the “Healthy Families and Workplaces Act” (“HFWA”). Several provisions of this law are effective immediately (July 15, 2020), and require paid sick leave specifically for COVID-19 related issues. Starting January 1, 2021, the HFWA will require that most employers provide their employees with up to 48 hours of paid sick leave per year. This article is Part 1 of a two-part series, and focuses on the immediately effective laws relating to COVID-19. We will discuss the details of the general paid sick leave in Part 2. Governor Polis also recently signed the Public Health Emergency Whistleblower Law (“PHEW”), effective July 11, 2020, which we will discuss briefly below.
Supreme Court Expands “Ministerial Exception” to Employment Discrimination Laws
On July 8, 2020, the Supreme Court expanded the scope of the “ministerial exception” to employment discrimination statutes. This exception is grounded in the First Amendment’s protections for religious institutions. In Our Lady of Guadalupe School v. Morrissey-Berru, the Court considered two cases involving elementary school teachers in Catholic schools who alleged that they were terminated in violation of federal employment discrimination law. Seven justices joined the majority opinion of the Court, holding that “When a school with a religious mission entrusts a teacher with the responsibility of educating and forming students in the faith, judicial intervention into disputes between the school and the teacher threatens the school’s independence in a way that the First Amendment does not allow.” A link to the full decision of the Court can be found here.
SCOTUS Holds That Title VII Prohibits Discrimination Because of Sexual Orientation and/or Transgender Status
On June 15, 2020, the Supreme Court held that Title VII’s prohibition of “sex” discrimination also prohibits discrimination because of sexual orientation and transgender status. See Bostock v. Clayton County, Case No. 17-1618 (Slip Opinion). Therefore, “an employer who fires an individual merely for being gay or transgender violates Title VII.” Id. at pg. 1.
OSHA Refines Stance on COVID-19 Recordkeeping and Enforcement
On May 19, OSHA issued two enforcement memos regarding COVID-19. The first of these memos revised OSHA’s requirements for employers as they determine whether individual cases of COVID-19 are work-related. The second enforcement memorandum OSHA issued on May 19 revised OSHA’s policy for handling COVID-19-related complaints, referrals, and severe illness reports. These two memos are summarized below.
Summary of Recent Agency Activity on Employment-Related COVID-19 Issues
Last week (April 4-12), several federal agencies issued updated guidance for employers on issues relating to COVID-19, including:
EEOC Updates COVID-19 Guidance
On April 9, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) updated its guidance for employers entitled “What You Should Know About COVID-19 and the ADA, the Rehabilitation Act, and Other EEO Laws,” found here. Previously issued guidance explained that employers may, under pandemic conditions, ask employees about whether they are experiencing certain symptoms. The EEOC further stated that employers may also implement other measures to protect against spread of COVID-19 due to the novel coronavirus in the workplace. The guidance further noted that if employers do receive health information from employees, the information must be maintained confidentially, and consistent with other requirements under the Americans with Disabilities Act (the “ADA”).
COVID-19 Emergency Paid Sick Leave and Family Medical Leave: Updated Department of Labor FAQs
The Department of Labor (the “DOL”) issued FAQs regarding the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (the “FFCRA”) and has updated its FAQs multiple times by adding questions to the same document. The FAQs can be found here. The most recent update occurred on March 28, 2020 and addressed many of employers’ questions that were initially left unanswered in the FFCRA and the initial FAQs.
COVID-19 Emergency Paid Sick Leave and Family Medical Leave: An updated notice and more from Department of Labor
As of Friday, March 27, the Department of Labor has issued an updated notice on its website, as well as responses to additional questions about the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (the “Act”). The new notice can be found here: FFCRA Poster.[1] The updated notice clarifies that employees may have a total of up to 12 weeks of leave, paid at 2/3 of pay, to care for a child whose school or place of care is closed (or child care provider is unavailable) due to COVID-19 related reasons.
COVID-19 Emergency Paid Sick Leave and Family Medical Leave: Updates from Department of Labor
On March 18, 2020, President Trump signed into law the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (the “Act”). We outlined the key provisions of this law here. Since the publication of our original article, the Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division, which will enforce the new law, has published updated guidance about the new law. The Department has now clarified that the law will officially take effect on April 1, 2020, and applies to leave taken between April 1, 2020 and December 31, 2020. The new law also requires that employers post notice regarding the new law, and a model notice has been published. It can be found here.
COVID-19 Emergency Paid Sick Leave and Family Medical Leave: Key Provisions
On March 18, 2020, President Trump signed into law the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, which goes into effect no later than April 2, 2020. The new law imposes sweeping new emergency paid leave and expanded family medical leave requirements for employers nationwide. Here is a summary of the key provisions affecting employers:
Coronavirus is a Recordable Illness According to OSHA
According to recent OSHA guidance, COVID-19 (i.e., the coronavirus) is subject to the agency’s Injury and Illness Recordkeeping and Reporting Requirements at 29 CFR 1904. This means that employers who are subject to the OSHA recordkeeping and reporting rules must include and log employee illnesses related to the coronavirus when an employee is infected on the job. So while the common cold and Flu are exempt from work-related exposures, the coronavirus is not.
NLRB Issues Final Joint Employer Rule
The National Labor Relations Board (“NLRB”) has updated its joint employment rule (the “Final Rule”). The Final Rule, which will be published in the February 26, 2020 Federal Register effectively overturns the joint-employer standard established in the 2015 Browning-Ferris Industries decision, which expanded the definition of joint employer based on indirect or limited control. NLRB Chairman John Ring explained that “[t]his [F]inal [R]ule gives our joint-employer standard the clarity, stability, and predictability that is essential to any successful labor-management relationship and vital to our national economy.”
Fluctuating Laws: DOL Announces Proposed Fluctuating Workweek Regulations
On November 5, 2019, the Department of Labor (“DOL”) published a proposal to revise regulations governing the fluctuating workweek method of calculating overtime pay under the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”). This method of calculating overtime may apply if certain conditions are met. These conditions include that the employees paid under this method work fluctuating hours, and they and their employers agree that the employees are paid fixed salary for all hours worked plus an overtime premium. There are very specific requirements for utilizing this method, but utilizing the method in a compliant manner can be complicated due to the need to calculate the regular rate of pay for every week in which the employee works more than 40 hours. Additionally, some state laws prohibit use of this method.
OSHA Issues Enforcement Directives Targeting a Variety of Industry and Manufacturers
Effective October 1, 2019, Region VII OSHA (Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Iowa) announced a combination of Regional Emphasis Programs, along with state-led local emphasis programs.
DOL Issues Opinion Letter on FMLA Leave and IEP Meetings
By Courtney Davis Powell
The U.S. Department of Labor/Wage and Hour Division has continued its practice of issuing opinion letters. It recently issued an opinion letter that addresses the question of whether an employee may take FMLA leave to attend a Committee on Special Education (“CSE”) meeting to discuss a child’s Individualized Education Program (“IEP”). See DOL Opinion Letter FMLA2019-2-A.
Agency Developments at the Department of Labor: The Fair Labor Standards Act
In the summer of 2019, the Department of Labor (“DOL”) made headlines when Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta resigned. President Trump then nominated Eugene Scalia for the position, and Mr. Scalia was sworn in as Secretary of Labor on September 30. In recent months, the Senate also confirmed Cheryl Stanton as Administrator of the Wage and Hour Division.
DOL Releases Final New Overtime Rules – Effective January 1, 2020
On September 24, 2019, the Department of Labor (“DOL”) issued the final rule (the “New OT Rules”) that updates and revises the regulations which govern the exemptions from minimum wage and overtime pay requirements under the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”). Employers should carefully review the New OT Rules and the explanatory commentary. See Final Rule Announcement. The New OT Rules are set to become effective on January 1, 2020.
Considering a “Split-Day Plan” to Minimize Overtime Liability? Proceed With Caution.
A recent Minnesota Supreme Court opinion demonstrates why employers should proceed with caution if they are considering whether to implement “split-day plans” or any other complicated pay practices that are seemingly authorized by the federal wage and hour laws. See In re Minnesota Living Assistance, Inc. d/b/a Baywood Home Care, Case No. A17-1821, 2019 WL 4456081 (Minn. 2019). Specifically, the Minnesota Supreme Court concluded that the employer was liable for $1.1 million dollars in back pay and liquidated damages because it violated the Minnesota Fair Labor Standards Act (“MFLSA”) by failing to pay employees overtime following implementation of a split-day plan.
Implementing Individual Arbitration Agreements Does Not Violate NLRA, Even If Done After Collective Action is Filed
By Helen Holden, Paul D. Satterwhite
As previously discussed on Spencer Fane Human Resource Solutions, an employer can lawfully require its employees to sign individual arbitration agreements with class action waivers as a term and condition of their employment. See Employee Class Action Waivers Held Enforceable (May 22, 2018). However, even if individual arbitration agreements with class action waivers are not, as a general rule, unlawful under the National Labor Relations Act (“NLRA”), can an employer require its employees to sign such an agreement after a collective or class action lawsuit has already been filed against it? The National Labor Relations Board (the “Board”) recently said yes in Cordúa Restaurants, Inc., Case 16-CA-160901 (August 14, 2019).
Minnesota Employers: Don’t be Caught Off Guard
All companies and organizations with Minnesota-based employees must update their employment policies and practices due to recent state law changes going into effect on July 1, 2019. These updates are necessary due to the Minnesota Legislature’s passage of a law imposing new recordkeeping and notice requirements intended to protect all employees working in Minnesota. These new requirements are catching many employers off guard due to the lack of publicity for the new law and the short period to achieve compliance.
SCOTUS Holds that Title VII’s Charge-Filing Procedures Are Subject to Waiver
On June 3, 2019, the Supreme Court held that filing a charge of discrimination is not a “jurisdictional” prerequisite to filing suit under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. See Fort Bend County v. Davis, Slip Op. No. 18-525 (June 3, 2019). Although this case deals with what sounds like an obscure legal issue, it is of great practical importance to employers. In short, it means that employers defending against claims of discrimination under Title VII must diligently assert all procedural defenses they may have as early as possible. Otherwise, a failure to assert a defense may allow the plaintiff-employee’s claim to go forward, even if the employee has not technically complied with Title VII’s mandatory charge-filing procedures.
Supreme Court Sheds Light on Class Arbitrations
The Supreme Court has further closed the window for employees to pursue class-wide claims against their employers in arbitration. In 2010 the Supreme Court ruled a court may not compel arbitration on a class-wide basis when the arbitration agreement is “silent” on the issue. Stolt-Nielsen S.A. v. AnimalFeeds Int’l Corp., 559 U.S. 662 (2010). Nine years later, presented with an arbitration agreement that, instead of silent, was “ambiguous” regarding the availability of class arbitration, the high court has again demonstrated its preference for individual arbitration. In Lamps Plus, Inc. v. Varela, Case No. 17-988 (slip opinion April 24, 2019), the Court held that ambiguity cannot provide the basis for finding consent to participate in class arbitration.
DOL Publishes Proposal Interpreting Joint Employer Status
On April 1, 2019, the Department of Labor (“DOL”) published its third proposal in 30 days to revise regulations interpreting the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”). The April 1 proposed rule would revise and clarify the test for when multiple employers (known as “joint employment”) can be held responsible for wages under the FLSA. The notice and full text of the rule can be found here.
DOL Publishes Proposals Interpreting “Regular Rate of Pay” in Overtime Regulations
Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), employers must generally pay non-exempt employees overtime at a rate of one and one half times the “regular rate” of pay when they work more than forty hours in a workweek. Overtime cannot be properly calculated unless the employer knows what to include in the regular rate. As benefits, bonuses, reimbursements and other elements of compensation have evolved, greater ambiguity has developed in determining what is included in and excluded from the regular rate. On March 29, 2019, the Department of Labor (“DOL”) published a proposal (found here) to clarify and update several regulations that interpret the regular rate of pay requirement.
New FMLA and FLSA Opinion Letters Issued by DOL on Key Topics
By Sue K. Willman
On March 14, 2019, the U.S. Department of Labor/Wage and Hour Division continued its practice under the Trump Administration of issuing Opinion letters by releasing three new ones – its first Opinion letters of 2019. One of the newly-released Opinion letters relates to the Family and Medical Leave Act (“FMLA”), and two of them involve the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”).
DOL Publishes Proposal on New White-Collar Exemption Regulations
On March 7, 2019, the Department of Labor (“DOL”) published a long-awaited proposal for revising the regulations relating to the white-collar exemptions from overtime and minimum wage under the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”). In the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (“NPRM”), DOL has proposed increasing the threshold salary amount for certain white-collar exemptions from its current $455 per week (or $23,660 per year) to $679 per week, or ($35,308 per year). In 2015, DOL had proposed increasing this threshold to over $47,000 per year ($913 per week). As we reported here, that proposal was blocked by a federal court in Texas in late 2016.
The Supreme Court Remands the Ninth Circuit’s Pay Bias Decision Due To Judge Reinhardt’s Death
On February 25, 2019, the United States Supreme Court vacated a decision previously decided by the full Ninth Circuit because it was filed after Judge Stephen Reinhardt, who authored the opinion, died. In the case, Rizo v. Yovino, the Ninth Circuit held that employers could not rely upon an employee’s prior salary as a “factor other than sex” in defending against a claim under the Equal Pay Act. We discussed the Ninth Circuit’s decision here. Notably, the Ninth Circuit was the only federal circuit court to decide that employers could never rely upon salary history as a factor other than sex. All eleven judges (including Judge Reinhart) in the Ninth Circuit had agreed that prior law should be overturned, and that the employer’s utilization of salary history alone to set salaries was impermissible.
FAA Not Applicable to Contracts with Transportation Workers, Even If They Are Independent Contractors
In New Prime, Inc. v. Oliveira, the United States Supreme Court held that the Federal Arbitration Act (“FAA”) does not apply to contracts with independent contractors in the transportation industry. This decision is very important for transportation companies because, to the extent a contract with any transportation worker contains a mandatory arbitration provision, the arbitration provision is not covered by, and is no longer enforceable under, the FAA.
New Year, New Minimum Wage
As of January 1, 2019, the minimum wage increased in over 20 states. Employers with workers in Arizona, Colorado, and Florida should note the following rates that are effective January 1:
Arizona – $11.00
Colorado – $11.10
Florida – $8.46
Missouri Minimum Wage Set to Increase Starting January 1, 2019
On November 6, 2018, Missouri voters overwhelmingly voted in favor of amending the Missouri Minimum Wage Law (“MMWL”) to increase the state-wide minimum wage. Therefore, effective January 1, 2019, the Missouri minimum wage rate will increase to $8.60 per hour and will keep increasing each successive year until 2023 when the increases will stop at the target minimum wage rate of $12.00 per hour. Employers must begin the process of budgeting for and implementing these changes ahead of the effective date of the first increase. Employers should also be aware of the non-wage-rate related changes that the law implements. However, the wage increases do not apply to “public employers.”
Missouri’s Medical Marijuana Amendment Creates New Issues for Missouri Employers
By Paul D. Satterwhite
On November 6, 2018, Missouri’s voters approved a medical marijuana ballot initiative, Amendment 2, while rejecting two competing medical marijuana initiatives on the ballot. This constitutional amendment empowers doctors to authorize patients to buy medical marijuana for the treatment of a variety of conditions. It likewise provides that dispensaries may sell marijuana for medicinal purposes. Amendment 2 does not cover recreational use of marijuana, which is currently allowed in nine states. Missouri is the 31st state to legalize medical marijuana. While Amendment 2 authorizes use of marijuana for medicinal purposes, this is not a “free pass” for employees. Amendment 2 does not allow employees to use marijuana while working, on the employer’s premises, or to work while impaired by marijuana use that occurred prior to the employee’s work shift. With that said, the passage of Amendment 2 will likely create multiple issues of varying complexity for Missouri’s employers for years to come, including:
Mount Lemmon Fire Dist. v. Guido: The ADEA Applies To All State and Local Government Employers
On November 6, 2018, the United States Supreme Court unanimously held (8-0) that the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (“ADEA”) extends to all small state and local government employers, not only public entities with twenty or more employees.
OSHA Announces Site-Specific Targeting Program to Focus Inspection Priorities at Establishments with High Injury and Illness Rates
By Paul Jacobson, Helen Holden
Beginning October 16, 2018, employers with high injury and illness rates can expect more frequent OSHA inspections in connection with the resurrection of the agency’s Site-Specific Targeting (SST) Program. OSHA will use the SST Program to prioritize employer facilities and establishments for health and safety inspections in the coming year.
Corporate Entity Formation Is Not Dispositive on “Employee” Status Under the FLSA
The Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals recently provided an important reminder to employers about the pitfalls that can occur when attempting to determine whether workers are employees or independent contractors. The court held that individual workers who personally perform janitorial cleaning services could be found to be employees under the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”), even if those workers have formed corporate entities and entered into franchise agreements with a franchisor See Acosta v. Jani-King of Okla., Inc., Case No. 17-6179, 2018 WL 4762748 (10th Cir. Oct. 3, 2018). The holding in Jani-King emphasizes the principle that forms and labels are not the deciding factor in determining whether a worker is considered an “employee” for FLSA purposes. Under current law, administrative agencies and/or the courts will make a determination as to “employee” status under the FLSA by examining the totality of the circumstances in light of the factors stated in the “economic realities test.”
Fair Credit Reporting Act – New Summary of Consumer Rights Forms Now Required
All entities and individuals required to provide “consumers” with a notice of rights pursuant to Fair Credit Reporting Act (“FCRA”) section 609 are now required to use the updated summary of rights forms authored by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (“CFPB”). See Interim Final Rule (83 FR 47027). Companies that use background check reports for employment purposes are subject to this rule.
New Wage and Hour Opinion Letters Provide Guidance to Employers
By Helen Holden, Elizabeth Wente
On August 28, 2018, the U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division issued six new Opinion letters. Four of these opinion letters relate to the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”), and two of the letters involve the Family and Medical Leave Act (“FMLA”). As we noted in April (WHD Opinion Letters), Secretary of Labor Alex Acosta announced in 2017 that the agency would soon re-start the practice of issuing opinion letters, which the Obama Administration had discontinued. The new opinion letters are summarized below.
Changes to Missouri’s Public Sector Labor Law Impacts Employers, Unions, and Employees
By Wale Akinmoladun
A new law, making it easier for Missouri public employees to opt out of both union membership and paycheck deductions funding political advocacy work, goes into effect on August 28, 2018. The new law, a victory for public sector employers, effectively enacts “right-to-work” protections for public sector employers, despite the fact that voters rejected right-to-work generally for the state of Missouri (see Missouri Right to Work is Overwhelmingly Rejected by Voters, Spencer Fane HR Solutions August 15, 2018). Therefore, public sector employers should review the new law and determine what steps need to be taken in order to comply with it upon the forthcoming effective date. (See Full Text of Law Here).
Missouri Right to Work is Overwhelmingly Rejected by Voters
By David L. Wing
By a greater than two to one margin, Missouri voters rejected the Right to Work Act passed early in the legislative session. The law was supported and signed by former Missouri Governor Greitens. With strong local and national union backing and a ton of dollars, the unions led the effort first to get the issue on the ballot with more than 300,000 petition signatures and then to defeat the measure soundly at the polls.
DOL Rescinds Persuader Rule
On July 17, 2018, the Department of Labor (“DOL”) officially abandoned the “Persuader Rule” by filing a notice of rescission in the Federal Register. The rescission is expected to become effective on or about August 17, 2018 (i.e. 30 days after the rescission notice is published in the Federal Register). This rescission gives employers and certain legal service providers more certainty as to whether their business dealings are subject to the reporting requirements of the Labor Management Reporting and Disclosure Act (“LMRDA”).
Janus v. AFSCME – Mandatory Agency Fees Unconstitutional for Public Sector Unions
By Brian Peterson, Kyle Klucas
On June 27, 2018, the Supreme Court of the United States issued what may be one of its most impactful decisions of the 2017/2018 term in Janus v. American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees, Council 31, Case No. 16–1466. In its opinion, found here, the Court held that laws requiring public sector workers who are not union members to pay union dues would be compelled speech in violation of the First Amendment. This decision reverses nearly forty years of federal precedent, and declares unconstitutional a host of state laws which allow such fee arrangements. It also has significant implications for the manner in which public sector unions collect their dues.
The Masterpiece Cakeshop Decision – Bakery Owner Wins, But on Narrow Grounds
On June 4, 2018, the Supreme Court of the United States issued its highly anticipated decision in Masterpiece Cakeshop, Ltd. v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission, Case No. 16-111. In its opinion, found here, the Court vacated an administrative order entered by the Colorado Civil Rights Commission (“CCRC” or the “Commission”) against the bakery, which had refused to sell custom wedding cakes to same-sex couples on the grounds that doing so would violate the owner’s sincerely held religious beliefs. The Court made it clear that judges and administrative officials violate a litigant’s constitutional rights if they engage in conduct that displays hostility toward a particular set of religious beliefs. But the majority opinion left many questions unanswered. It remains to be seen if a business owner may refuse to do business with a prospective customer because of the customer’s sexual orientation when the refusal is based on a sincerely held religious belief.
Employee Class Action Waivers Held Enforceable
On May 21st, the United States Supreme Court held that the National Labor Relations Act (“NLRA”) does not prohibit employers from requiring workers to agree, as a term and condition of their employment, that they waive the right to bring class or collective actions, and will individually arbitrate employment-related legal claims. Epic Sys. Corp. v. Lewis, U.S., Case No. 16-285 (Slip Opinion, May 21, 2018). This decision resolves a high profile conflict, in which the National Labor Relations Board and some federal courts had found that the NLRA prohibits enforcement of arbitration agreements containing class action waivers. The Court’s decision makes clear that the NLRA does not prevent the enforcement of an arbitration agreement that is otherwise valid under the Federal Arbitration Act (“FAA”).
NLRB Restored to Employer-Friendly Three Republican/ Two Democrat Composition
Relief for employers under the Trump Administration continues, following the U.S. Senate’s narrow confirmation of John Ring, former Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP attorney, to the National Labor Relations Board on April 11, 2018. The 50-48 Senate vote returned the five-member board to an employer-friendly composition of three Republicans and two Democrats and alleviates the log jam of the 2-2 split created when Board Member Phillip Miscimarra stepped down. On April 13, Ring became Chair of the Board, replacing Marvin Kaplan as Chair. Kaplan remains a member of the Board.
New WHD Opinion Letters Provide Guidance to Employers
By Megan D. Meadows
Last week, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) issued three new opinion letters for the first time since 2010. The Obama administration had ceased the practice of issuing opinion letters – which answer specific questions from employers or other parties – in favor of general administrative interpretations. Last June, Secretary of Labor Alex Acosta announced that he was reinstating the practice of issuing opinion letters for the Trump administration. This announcement was praised by businesses and employment lawyers because the opinion letters apply the law to a specific set of facts and represent official statements of agency policy. In addition to the new letters, WHD republished 17 letters the Obama administration rescinded following their original publication late in the Bush administration.
Equal Pay Act: Ninth Circuit Says Prior Salary Not Job-Related
On April 9, the full Ninth Circuit held that employers may not rely on an employee’s prior salary as a “factor other than sex” in defending against a claim under the Equal Pay Act. Rizo v. Yovino, No. 16-15372 (9th Cir. April 9, 2018) (found here). In making this determination, the court phrased the question before it concisely, asking “can an employer justify a wage differential between male and female employees by relying on prior salary?” The answer: a resounding “no.” The court further stated that the “text, history and purpose of the Equal Pay Act” do not allow an employer to rely on an employee’s prior salary to justify a wage disparity. Id.
DOL Announces “PAID” Program
On March 6, 2018, the Wage and Hour Division of the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced that it will soon launch a nationwide pilot program for employers to self-report potential overtime and minimum wage violations. The pilot program is called the Payroll Audit Independent Determination (PAID) program. The primary objective of PAID, according to the agency, is to “improve employers’ compliance with overtime and minimum wage obligations, and to ensure that more employees receive the back wages they are owed—faster.” Many details are not yet available, but the DOL has announced the broad outlines of the program, which are available here: https://www.dol.gov/whd/paid/#1
Large Arizona Jury Award Reversed Because of Timely Raised Procedural Defense
The Arizona Court of Appeals recently reversed a jury’s award of $375,000 in damages to a former police officer for the City of Surprise. In Peterson v. City of Surprise, No. 1 CA-CV 16-0415 (Feb. 6, 2018), the court held that the employee, who claimed she was constructively discharged in retaliation for reporting sexual harassment, was precluded from bringing the case in court because she had failed to file a charge of discrimination within 180 days after she left her employment. As the court stated, the employee specifically “crafted her claim against the City to allege not constructive discharge caused by ‘firsthand’ discrimination, but constructive discharge caused by illegal retaliation under the [Arizona Employment Protection Act].” A claim of illegal retaliation is one that contends that the employer’s actions were wrongful in response to a report of discrimination, not wrongful because of the discrimination itself. The court held that there was no difference between the claim of retaliation and the harassment claims for purposes of the filing deadline.
City of KCMO Adopts Ban The Box Ordinance for All “Employers”
On February 2, 2018, the City of Kansas City Missouri (“KCMO” or “the City”) adopted a “Ban The Box” ordinance that applies to private employers. The KCMO “Criminal Records in Employment” ordinance enacts a new section, Section 38-104. The ordinance becomes effective on June 9, 2018. Before this ordinance, private employers located in KCMO were encouraged, but not required, to limit the extent to which they based employment-decisions on an applicant’s criminal history. The new Section 38-104 clearly and unambiguously places limitations on the extent to which all private employers located in KCMO can take an applicant or current employee’s criminal history into account when making employment decisions. (The City has applied a similar rule to its own employment procedures since 2013.). Employers with locations in KCMO should carefully review the ordinance and seek guidance from legal counsel in determining whether, how and when to make inquiries regarding criminal history.
The FLSA & Unpaid Internship Programs: DOL Adopts “Primary Beneficiary” Test
On January 5, 2018, the U.S. Department of Labor (“DOL”) clarified its position regarding paid and unpaid internships. They will now use the “primary beneficiary” test for determining “whether interns are employees” under the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”). The agency has issued a revised Fact Sheet called “Internship Programs under the Fair Labor Standards Act.”
NLRB Issues Two Landmark Decisions: Return to Original Joint-Employer Standard & New Handbook Policy Review Standard
On December 14, 2017, the National Labor Relations Board (the “Board”) issued two landmark decisions. Both are of note because they directly and substantively address two issues that have vexed employers for a number of years: (1) When can two separate and distinct corporate entities be treated as joint-employers for NLRA purposes? and (2) When is a work rule or handbook policy unlawfully overbroad under the NLRA?
DOL Proposes Rescission of Regulations that Restrict Tip Pooling
On December 5th, 2017, the U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division will publish a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (“NPRM”) and a request for comments on tipping regulations issued pursuant to the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”). The NPRM will propose that the tip pooling regulations issued by the DOL in 2011, which placed restrictions on employers’ ability to implement tip pooling arrangements, should be rescinded.
New Age Harassment: When Will the Next Shoe Drop? What to Do When You Learn One of YOUR Employees Might Be on the Naughty List.
Who will be next? After Matt Lauer, Garrison Keiller, and Russell Simmons each faced assertions of inappropriate conduct in the last week, the “who’s next” question predominates pop culture and the daily news cycle. In the wake of numerous sexual harassment accusations unfolding across Hollywood and corporate America, sexual harassment has become one of the hottest topics in today’s news. While claims of sexual harassment in the workplace are nothing new, the almost daily media coverage of so many high-profile claims will likely result in an increase in reports of sexual harassment allegations for many employers in the immediate future.
Deadline for OSHA Electronic Reporting Rule Delayed Until December 15, 2017
OSHA has delayed the December 1, 2017, deadline for the Electronic Reporting Rule until December 15, 2017. This rule requires a wide range of establishments to electronically submit injury and illness information from their OSHA Forms 300A. The deadline extension was announced via a November 24, 2017, OSHA notice in the Federal Register.
Deadline for OSHA Electronic Reporting Rule Fast Approaching
Employers have until December 1, 2017, to electronically submit injury and illness information from their 2016 Summary of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses (Form 300A) under OSHA’s 2016 Improve Tracking of Workplace Injuries and Illnesses Rule (“Electronic Reporting Rule” or “the Rule”).
The Tivol Decision – Must An Employer Challenge The Issuance of an MCHR Right-To-Sue Letter By Filing A Writ of Mandamus?
The Missouri Supreme Court recently issued an opinion that clarifies when it is appropriate to challenge the issuance of a Missouri Commission on Human Rights (“MCHR”) right-to-sue letter.
Major Changes to Missouri Human Rights Act Signed Into Law by Governor Greitens
On Friday, June 30, 2017, Missouri Governor Eric Greitens signed Senate Bill 43 into law. The Bill implements significant changes to the Missouri Human Rights Act (“MHRA”) and will likely have a significant impact on the litigation of MHRA claims. When he signed the legislation, Governor Greitens touted Senate Bill 43 for bringing Missouri law in closer alignment with the standards under federal law and 38 other states’ laws.
7th Circuit Holds That Title VII’s Prohibition on Sex Discrimination Includes A Prohibition on Sexual Orientation Discrimination
On April 4, 2017, the en banc Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals overruled its own precedent and became the first Circuit to hold that discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation can constitute unlawful sex discrimination under Title VII.
Requirements for Arizona employers to stay in compliance with new paid sick leave law
In November, 2016, voters in the State of Arizona adopted Proposition 206, known as The Fair Wages and Healthy Families Initiative. As of July 1, 2017, all employers in Arizona must provide employees with paid sick leave.
St. Louis City Minimum Wage Set To Increase to $10 Per Hour
Today, the Circuit Court for the City of St. Louis, Missouri lifted an injunction that had blocked a St. Louis City ordinance increasing the minimum wage for St. Louis City businesses. This action came after the Missouri Supreme Court ruled that state law did not prohibit the higher local minimum wage.
The EEOC’s Proposed Enforcement Guidance on Unlawful Harassment
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has issued proposed enforcement guidance on unlawful harassment (the “Proposed Guidance”). The Proposed Guidance is intended to be a follow-up to the EEOC’s Select Task Force on the Study of Harassment in the Workplace in 2016 (“2016 Harassment Study”). The Proposed Guidance provides a detailed explanation of the EEOC’s position on the three components of a hostile work environment claim: 1) covered bases and causation; 2) hostile work environment threshold; and 3) liability.
Steps for Employers to Avoid Violating the Fair Credit Reporting Act
By Kersten Holzhueter
The federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (“FCRA”) outlines a strict procedure that employers must follow when they obtain criminal background reports, credit histories, and other background reports on employees and applicants from a third party which is engaged in the business of preparing such reports. All such reports are called “consumer reports” under FCRA.
Right to Work Enacted in Missouri
By David L. Wing, Sue K. Willman, George S. Freedman, Paul D. Satterwhite, Michael Belo, , Ronald L. Fano
Governor Greitens signed the Missouri Right to Work Bill on February 6, 2017. See Missouri Senate Bill 19. It becomes effective on August 28, 2017 and applies to any new collective bargaining agreements or renewals, extensions, amendments, or modifications after the effective date.
OSHA Releases “Recommended Practices” for Anti-Retaliation Programs
By Casey P. Murray
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”) recently released so-called “recommended practices” directed at employers who may be covered by any of the 22 whistleblower protection statutes enforced by OSHA. While these “recommended practices” are not mandatory, they are provided by OSHA to assist employers in creating workplaces free from retaliation.
Court Halts New Overtime Rules on Nationwide Basis
By Ronald L. Fano, George S. Freedman, Paul D. Satterwhite, Brian Peterson, , David L. Wing, Sue K. Willman
Just as employers across the nation were bracing for the new rules governing white-collar exemptions to the overtime laws (“the New OT Rules”), a federal district court in Texas blocked the Department of Labor from implementing them. The New OT Rules—which drastically increased the minimum salary threshold for employees classified as exempt under the executive, administrative and professional employee exemptions—were set to take effect on December 1, 2016.
DOL’s Persuader Rule Permanently Enjoined on a Nation-wide Basis by Texas District Court – May Be Sign of Things to Come for Other DOL Regulations
By Brian Peterson, George S. Freedman, Paul D. Satterwhite, David L. Wing, Ronald L. Fano, Sue K. Willman
On November 16, 2016, the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas (Lubbock Division) entered an order holding that the Department of Labor’s Persuader Advice Exemption Rule is unlawful and should be set aside pursuant to 5 U.S.C. § 706(2). The Persuader Rule regulations are now subject to a permanent nation-wide injunction and the DOL will be prohibited from enforcing the regulations unless and until the district court’s order is revised or reversed on appeal.
Getting Ready for the Presidential Election – Voting Leave Law
By Sue K. Willman, George S. Freedman, Ronald L. Fano, Paul D. Satterwhite, David L. Wing, Brian Peterson
With the Presidential Election just days away, employers need to be ready to accommodate workers who may want or need to leave during the workday to cast their votes. The purpose of this blog post is to help employers prepare for the anticipated surge of political activity by providing a summary of the voting leave laws for the states of Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas.
A New Type of Student Union – the NLRB’s decision in Columbia University
By Courtney Davis Powell, George S. Freedman
In its August 23, 2016 decision in Columbia Univ., 364 N.L.R.B. No. 90 (2016), the National Labor Relations Board (the “Board”) ruled that graduate students working as teaching and research assistants at private universities qualify as employees for collective bargaining purposes under the National Labor Relations Act (“NLRA”) and thereby paved the way for graduate students to join or form unions. Depending on the size of the academic institution, the unionization of graduate employees could pose not only a significant financial burden but also a disruption to the completion of academic programs. This type of student union may be one that not all campuses are ready for.
EEOC’s Revised EEO-1 Rule Seeks to Identify Equal Pay Discrimination
By Madison Perry
Companies should consider examining the extent to which there may be pay disparities in their workforce. Current events and the EEOC’s revised EEO-1 Rule suggests that all regulatory agencies will be taking a much closer look at corporate pay practices in an attempt to try and root out unintentional bias that is identifiable through inexplicable differences in pay between men and women (as well as between other protected categories).
Supreme Court Refuses to Enforce the DOL’s FLSA Regulation on Car Dealership Service Advisors
By Brian Peterson, David L. Wing
On June 20, 2016, the Supreme Court of the United States held that the Department of Labor’s (“DOL”) 2011 regulation classifying “service advisors” as eligible for overtime pay under the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”) was not enforceable.
OSHA Reporting Rules Discourage Use of Mandatory Post-Accident Drug Testing
On May 12, 2016, OSHA published the final version of new reporting rules intended to “Improve Tracking of Workplace Injuries and Illnesses.”
DOL Issues New, More Expansive, Interpretation of Persuader Rule
In March of this year, the Office of Labor-Management Standards (“OLMS”) issued new regulations regarding the Persuader Rule. See 29 CFR Parts 405 and 406. The new regulations, which become fully effective on July 1, 2016, require employers and their law firms or consultants to comply with federal reporting and disclosure requirements if they engage in certain labor relations advisory activities.
Department of Labor Releases New Overtime Rules
By David L. Wing, Paul D. Satterwhite, Sue K. Willman
The long anticipated DOL overtime rules have been issued. On May 18, 2016, the Department of Labor released the Final Rule governing the “white-collar exemptions” to the Fair Labor Standards Act’s (“FLSA”) overtime pay requirements. These long-awaited regulations will have substantial implications for most employers. The final rule is set to become effective on December 1, 2016.
Supreme Court Allows Representative Evidence to Establish Liability in a FLSA Collective Action
By Tara A. Bailes
Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 23(b)(3) requires that, before a class is certified, a district court must find that questions of law or fact common to class members predominate over questions affecting only individual members.” In a recent decision by the Supreme Court, the majority explained that “[i]n a case where representative evidence is relevant in proving a plaintiff’s individual claim, that evidence cannot be deemed improper because the claim is brought on behalf of a class.” Tyson Foods, Inc. v. Bouaphakeo, et al., No. 14-1146, 2016 WL 1092414 (S. Ct. 2016).
EEOC Now Releasing Position Statements to Charging Parties
When an employee or former employee files a charge of discrimination against their employer, the EEOC has the authority to investigate. As part of the investigation, the EEOC asks the employer to submit a position statement explaining its side of the story.
EEOC Seeks Additional Pay Information from Large Employers
By Jamie N. Cotter, Ronald L. Fano, Sue K. Willman
In a nutshell – Last week, the EEOC unveiled its proposal to seek increased amounts of data from large employers in a stated effort to “combat the persistent gender gap in employee compensation.” Practically, the proposal revises the EEO-1 form. The EEOC’s proposed changes to the EEO-1 form will require all employers with 100 or more employees to submit the new EEO-1 form and provide substantial information regarding pay ranges and hours worked as well as salary data by race, gender and ethnicity.
DOL Guidance on Joint-Employer Standard Raises a Red Flag for Businesses
By Paul D. Satterwhite, Brian Peterson
On Wednesday, January 20, 2016, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) released an administrator’s interpretation that is intended to provide guidance to employers on the WHD’s position on the joint-employer standard under the Fair Labor Standards Act and the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act.
Criminal Prosecution of Worker Safety Violations – New DOJ Initiative to Increase Criminal Enforcement of OSHA Matters
On December 17, 2015, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced a major new initiative to increase the number of criminal charges in worker endangerment and worker safety cases. Although the DOJ and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) have had a worker endangerment initiative for a number of years, the new changes are intended to bolster the likelihood and number of criminal prosecutions which historically have languished, according to DOJ, due to the OSH Act’s misdemeanor criminal provisions.
Sexual Orientation Discrimination Claims Not Available Under MHRA, But Availability of Sex Stereotyping Claims Still an Open Question
On October 27, 2015, the Missouri Court of Appeals for the Western District issued an opinion holding that sexual orientation was not a protected category under the Missouri Human Rights Act (“MHRA”) and, as a result, the plaintiff’s sexual orientation discrimination claim was not cognizable under Missouri law. See Pittman v. Cook Paper Recycling Corp., 2015 WL 6468372 (Mo. App. W.D. Oct. 27, 2015). However, Judge Gabbert wrote a lengthy dissenting opinion and the majority opinion identified but declined to reach the question of whether a claim for sexual orientation discrimination would be actionable under the MHRA if the claim is framed as a claim for unlawful sex-based stereotyping.
Spencer Fane Team Secures Court Order Striking St. Louis Minimum Wage Increase
By Jane E. Dueker, Thomas W. Hayde, CIPP/US, Arthur D. Gregg
On October 14, 2015, a St. Louis judge declared the city’s planned minimum wage increase invalid because it conflicts with the state minimum wage, currently set at $7.65 per hour. In August, the City of St. Louis passed an ordinance that would have eventually raised the minimum wage to $11.00 per hour by 2018. The first increase to $8.25 per hour was set to take effect on October 15, 2015.
4th Cir. Says It Is Unlawful to Fire Managers That Reasonably Refuse to Take Company’s Side During Internal Investigations
In DeMasters v. Carilion Clinic, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals clarifies what constitutes protected oppositional activities under Title VII and refuses to extend the FLSA’s “manager rule” to Title VII retaliation claims. This case serves as an important reminder to employers that managers relaying information about harassing conduct are protected by Title VII and cannot be disciplined for disagreeing with how the company is handling a particular complaint.
The Netflix Approach to HR – Could It Work for Your Company?
Here is a little food for thought for the week. As I’m sure many of you have read, Netflix has received much praise (and some criticism alike) for its approach to company culture, talent management, and HR issues.
The NLRB Redefines the Standard for Joint Employer Status
On August 27, 2015, the National Labor Relations Board (the “Board”) issued its opinion in Browning-Ferris Industries of California, Inc. d/b/a BFI Newby Island Recyclery, and FRP-II, LLC d/b/a Leadpoint Business Services, and Sanitary Truck Drivers and Helpers Local 350, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, 362 NLRB No. 186 (August 27, 2015), which overturned longstanding precedent regarding the standard for determining if a joint employer relationship exists.
The DOL Announces Guidance on Wage and Hour Misclassification – Employees vs Independent Contractors
The Department of Labor recently released new guidance (Administrator’s Interpretation No. 2015-1) on how it will decide whether a worker is properly classified as an employee or an independent contractor. Although the factors discussed in the Administrator’s Interpretation are not new, the DOL’s broad reading of the term “employee” under the Fair Labor Standards Act and the heightened focus on the “economic realities” of the business relationship between the worker and the purported employer indicate that wage and hour misclassification will be an enforcement priority for the DOL going forward.
The EEOC Weighs In on Sexual Orientation and Title VII
On July 16, 2015, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) issued a 3-2 decision finding that under Title VII, sex discrimination includes actions based on sexual orientation. The decision involved an appeal from a Federal Aviation Administration (“FAA”) dismissal of a sexual orientation discrimination complaint. The issue before the EEOC was whether a complaint alleging discrimination based on sexual orientation in violation of Title VII lies within the EEOC’s jurisdiction. Apparently buoyed by the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision on same sex marriage, the EEOC unequivocally answered that question with a resounding “Yes.”
White Collars May Turn Blue: Prepare for New Rules on Overtime Eligibility
Responding to a call by President Obama last year, the U.S. Department of Labor this week issued a proposal to update the regulations governing which employees qualify for the “white collar” exemptions to federal minimum wage and overtime pay requirements. Currently those exemptions – for executive, administrative and professional employees – require the workers to meet job duties-related tests and receive a salary of at least $455 per week, or $23,660 annually. Certain computer and outside sales employees are also exempted.
Clarity for Colorado Employers: Colorado Supreme Court Decides that Marijuana Use is Not a “Lawful” Off-Duty Activity in Colorado
By Ronald L. Fano
The Colorado Supreme Court has now heard and decided a case (Coats v. Dish Network) critical to Colorado employers in terms of whether the legalization of marijuana in Colorado mandates an exception to zero tolerance drug policies. The Court decided in favor of the employer, ruling that marijuana use, at least for medicinal purposes, is not a lawful off-duty activity for purposes of receiving protection under Colorado’s lawful activities statute even though state law has legalized the use of marijuana for medicinal and recreational purposes. As a result, employers may continue to maintain and enforce zero tolerance policies that include marijuana within their scope.
EEOC Begins Roll-Out of Digital Charge System. Going Forward, Administrative Filings Submitted Through Online Web Portal.
By Sue K. Willman, Brian Peterson
The EEOC recently announced that it will begin communicating with employers through an online Digital Charge System rather than regular mail and e-mail. The EEOC receives roughly 90,000 charges of discrimination per year. The proposed purpose of the “ACT Digital” pilot program is to ease the administrative burden of handling those charges and to reduce the use of paper submissions and files.
Courts May Review EEOC Conciliation Efforts, According to Supreme Court
In an employer friendly decision, last week the U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously that courts may review whether the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has satisfied its duty to attempt pre-suit conciliation.
New Rule Accelerating Union Organizing Takes Effect April 14th
A new NLRB rule, known by pro-business critics as the “ambush election rule,” takes effect on Tuesday, April 14th. The rule makes it easier for unions to organize unrepresented employees through a dramatically shorter time period between the union’s filing of a representation petition and the election. Congress passed a resolution to block the rule in March, but in another victory for labor organizations, President Obama vetoed the Congressional measure.
Young v. UPS – An Important Case on Pregnancy Discrimination
On March 25, 2015 the United States Supreme Court issued its opinion in Young v. United States Parcel Service. This is an important case because it clarifies what constitutes unlawful discrimination under the Pregnancy Discrimination Act (“PDA”). Employers should carefully review this case and ensure that they are not inadvertently discriminating against pregnant employees by refusing to accommodate their temporary physical restrictions.
Policy Update: FMLA Rights Extended to Same-Sex Spouses
By Stephanie Lovett-Bowman
The U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) new rule broadening the definition “spouse” under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) to provide legally married same-sex couples the same rights under the law as married opposite-sex couples becomes effective on March 27, 2015.
Supreme Court Makes It Easier for Administrative Agencies to Change “Interpretive Rules”
Last week, the Supreme Court of the United States held that Interpretive Rules issued by administrative agencies do not have to undergo the notice-and-comment rulemaking procedures of the Administrative Procedure Act (“APA”) even if they contradict or substantially change previously issued Interpretive Rules. Perez v. Mortgage Bankers Association, et al., —S.Ct.—, 2015 WL 998535 (Mar. 9, 2015). Specifically, the Court held that the Department of Labor was allowed to change its position on whether mortgage-loan officers were exempt from the overtime provisions of the FLSA even though (1) it did not follow the APA’s notice-and-comment rules prior to changing its position and (2) it had taken the exact opposite position just four year earlier.
“Home Care Rule” Called Into Doubt by Federal Courts
A recent district court opinion invalidated the Department of Labor–Wage and Hour Division’s “Home Care Rule,” a regulation slated to become effective this year that would alter the scope of an exemption from the Fair Labor Standards Act’s (“FLSA”) minimum wage and overtime provisions. Health care employers that provide in-home care or in-home medical services to individual customers should watch this case closely. Whether the Home Care Rule is valid and enforceable will have major implications for the viability of many home care businesses.
New NLRB “Quickie” Election Rules – To Become Effective April 14, 2015
In December of 2014, the National Labor Relations Board (“NLRB”) issued new regulations that govern how union representation elections will be conducted. The new rules are set to become effective on April 14, 2015. Although the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and business groups are challenging the new regulations, Employers should pay careful attention to the new rules because the rules will require Employers to act much more quickly and to be proactive when responding to a union organizing campaign and subsequent election. This blog post highlights key aspects of the new rules.
New OSHA Reporting Rules to Become Effective Jan. 1, 2015
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) will celebrate 2015 by implementing new regulations relating to an employer’s duty to report work-related fatalities, injuries, and illnesses. The new regulations go into effect on January 1, 2015 for all workplaces that fall under federal OSHA jurisdiction.
Rip Van Winkle Awakens! – The NLRB Overturns Register-Guard
In their dissent to the National Labor Relations Board’s Register-Guard decision, Board Members Liebman and Walsh classically stated that “the NLRB has become the ‘Rip Van Winkle of administrative agencies. Only a Board that has been asleep for the past 20 years could . . . contend, as the majority does, that an e-mail system is a piece of communications equipment to be treated just as the law treats bulletin boards, telephones, and pieces of scrap paper.” See 351 NLRB 1110, 1121 (2007). After a seven year slumber, the Board has awoken and is attempting to get with the times. See Purple Commc’ns, Inc., 361 NLRB No. 126 (2014). A 3-2 majority of the Board adopted the logic of Liebman and Walsh’s dissent and overruled what many believed to be a canonical case on the balance between employees’ Section 7 rights and employers’ property rights.
Employers Must Wait for A More Permanent Immigration Solution
On November 20, 2014 President Obama announced that he would take executive action to further immigration reform amid Congressional gridlock. However, it is critical that employers understand the limited scope of the President’s Executive Order.
Administrative Agencies Cracking Down on Overly Broad Arbitration and Severance Agreements
The Supreme Court’s pro-arbitration and pro-alternative dispute resolution jurisprudence is being met with opposition from administrative agencies, especially the National Labor Relations Board (“NLRB”) and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”). As a result, common employment practices, such as mandatory arbitration provisions and severance agreements, are being subject to intense legal scrutiny.
Supreme Court Affirms D.C. Circuits’ Noel Canning Decision, Hundreds of NLRB Decisions May Be Moot
Last week, the United States Supreme Court held that the purported “recess appointments” of NLRB Members Block, Flynn and Griffin were unconstitutional. See N.L.R.B. v. Canning, 12-1281, 2014 WL 2882090 (U.S. June 26, 2014). Therefore, the Board will have to reconsider and reissue hundreds of prior opinions.
Kansas City Area Restaurants Targeted by Union Organizers
The Union is acting as though it is a public interest group that is seeking to increase the minimum wage to $15. But its true goal is to become the restaurant workers’ exclusive bargaining representative. First, the Union ingratiates itself with restaurant workers by advocating for a substantial increase in the minimum wage. Second, it asks the workers to sign letters that they support and will participate in a strike with other employees in support of a minimum wage increase. Then the union seeks employee signatures on union authorization cards. Finally, once it has collected a sufficient number of signed authorization cards, it files an election petition with the National Labor Relations Board (“NLRB”).
Inflexible Leave Policies can Protect the Rights of the Disabled
By Jamie N. Cotter
Last week, the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals issued its decision in Hwang v. Kansas State University, and directly addressed the legality of so-called “inflexible leave policies,” i.e., policies that set an exact limit on the amount of leave an employee can take. In that case, Ms. Hwang was hired as a professor at Kansas State and was diagnosed with cancer. Kansas State had a policy that allowed for no more than six months’ sick leave. Ms. Hwang argued that this “inflexible” policy was illegal on its face. The 10th Circuit disagreed.
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Google’s Long, Strange Life-Span Trip
Why does a mole rat live 30 years but a mouse only three? With $1.5 billion in the bank, Google’s anti-aging spinout Calico is rich enough to find out.
At a laboratory outside San Francisco, money from the founders of Google maintains a large number of naked mole rats. The hairless rodents require exacting, expensive conditions to thrive: they live in coöperative colonies like ants, led by a queen rat. But what is truly extraordinary is that they can live about 30 years—10 times longer than a mouse.
The rodents belong to Calico Labs, short for the California Life Company. In 2013, the cofounder of Google, Larry Page, announced that his company would form Calico and fund it lavishly to carry out a long-term project, trying to sort out the causes of aging and do something about them. The company’s mission: to build a Bell Labs of aging research. It hoped to extend the human life span by coming up with a breakthrough as important, and as useful to humanity, as the transistor has been.
This story was part of our January 2017 issue
There are reasons to think aging can be slowed in fundamental ways. Among Calico’s first hires was Cynthia Kenyon, now its vice president of aging research, who 20 years ago showed that altering a single DNA letter in a laboratory roundworm made it live six weeks instead of three. There is something hair-raising about Kenyon’s videos of old, should-be-dead worms wriggling vigorously across a petri dish.
So Google’s founders created an academic-biotech hybrid they call an R&D company to follow up on such clues, providing nearly unlimited funding to a group of top researchers. Calico has hired stars like artificial-intelligence specialist Daphne Koller. With equal contributions from Google’s parent company, Alphabet, and the drug company AbbVie, it has $1.5 billion in the bank. But despite the hype around its launch—Time magazine asked, “Can Google Solve Death?”—Calico has remained a riddle, a super-secretive company that three years in hasn’t published anything of note, rebuffs journalists, and asks visiting scientists to sign nondisclosure agreements.
Aging is the inexorable journey from birth to old age and death. Today, some researchers think the aging process could be slowed. The artworks that accompany this story depict the phases of life and the dream of eternal youth.
In fact, Calico has other researchers “a little miffed,” says Felipe Sierra, director of the division of aging biology at the National Institute on Aging. “We want to know what they are doing so we can focus on other things, or collaborate. They are a research company, so what are they researching?”
MIT Technology Review has learned that Calico is, in effect, an elite university research group housed within a corporate bunker, doing mostly basic science. It has more than 100 employees and has assembled a Noah’s ark of yeast, worms, and more exotic creatures like the naked mole rats, which are kept at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging, about 30 miles from Calico’s South San Francisco headquarters.
THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH
Lucas Cranach the Elder
What’s different about a mole rat? That is the sort of costly, open-ended question Calico can afford to ask. And then there’s the seven-year study Calico is financing that will follow 1,000 mice from birth to death to search for biomarkers of aging. Right now, there’s no proven test for a person’s “biological” age; finding one would be scientifically useful and possibly lucrative. “They don’t open the kimono much,” says Brian Kennedy, a Buck Institute scientist who interacts with Calico. “I think they believe we need a broader grasp on the biology of aging. They recognize it can’t possibly be simple.”
The Google founders aren’t the first billionaires to decide that aging is the “most fundamental unsolved problem in biology,” as Calico’s press releases put it. Larry Ellison, the cofounder of Oracle, gave away $335 million to scientists studying aging before redirecting his foundation’s grants toward eliminating polio in 2013. The investor Peter Thiel has also donated to the anti-aging cause, and there’s even a $500,000 Palo Alto Longevity Prize to anyone who can radically extend the life of a mammal.
The difficulty is that scientists don’t know enough about why animals age. Calico’s Hal Barron, hired from Roche to lead its drug development efforts, told the National Academy of Medicine in 2015 that there would be no short-term payoff. “We believe you have to take a very long view,” he said, “and not rush into the clinic until you really know what you are doing.”
A hundred and seventy five years ago most people died from infections, not from old age. Thanks to vaccines, better nutrition, and all-around improvements in public health and medicine, life expectancy at birth in wealthy nations has doubled from 40 to around 80 years, an average gain of 2.5 years per decade. But now that we live longer, we have traded up to a new set of killers that are harder to beat: cancer, heart disease, stroke, and dementia.
For all these diseases, aging is the single biggest risk factor. An 80-year-old is 40 times as likely to die from cancer as someone middle-aged. The risk for Alzheimer’s rises by 600 times. But what if it were possible to postpone all these deaths by treating aging itself? “I think we have failed in our effort to attack chronic disease when we attack them one by one,” Sierra says. “And the reason is that they have one major risk factor, which is the biology of aging.”
Overarching theory
David Botstein is Calico’s chief scientific officer. He is 74, with a grizzled shadow of beard reaching up from his collar. In November, I found him at a lecture hall at MIT, where he offered a rare window onto experiments under way at Calico. Botstein, a well-known Princeton geneticist whom Calico recruited out of near retirement, was in town to celebrate the birthday of a successful former student, now a sexagenarian. “The pleasure is coming to see old friends,” he says. “The not-so-pleasure is if these guys are 60, what am I?”
THE AGES AND DEATH
Hans Baldung Grien
In his lecture, Botstein described several technologies—four, in fact—that Calico has for isolating old yeast cells from the daughter cells that bud off them. (One project has the institutional-sounding name Mother Enrichment Program.) These old cells are tracked and subjected to a comprehensive analysis of which genes are turned up or turned down, a technique that is Botstein’s specialty.
Botstein told me Calico is exactly what Google intended: a Bell Labs working on fundamental questions, with the best people, the best technology, and the most money. “Instead of ideas chasing the money, they have given us a very handsome sum of money and want us to do something about the fact that we know so little about aging,” says Botstein. “It’s a hard problem; it’s an unmet need; it is exactly what Larry Page thinks it is. It’s something to which no one is really in a position to pay enough attention, until maybe us.”
Botstein says no one is going to live forever—that would be perpetuum mobile, or perpetual motion, which defies the laws of thermodynamics. But he says Kenyon’s experiments on worms are a “perfectly good” example of the life span’s malleability. So is the fact that rats fed near-starvation diets can live as much as 45 percent longer. The studies Botstein described in yeast cells concerned a fundamental trade-off that cells make. In good times, with lots of food, they grow fast. Under stresses like heat, starvation, or aging, they hunker down to survive, grow slowly, and often live longer than normal. “Shields down or shields up,” as Botstein puts it.
Such trade-offs are handled through biochemical pathways that respond to nutrients; one is called TOR, and another involves insulin. These pathways have already been well explored by other scientists, but Calico is revisiting them using the newest technology. “A lot of our effort is in trying to verify or falsify some of the theories,” Botstein says, adding that he thinks much of the science on aging so far is best consumed “with a dose of sodium chloride.” Some molecules touted as youth elixirs that can act through such pathways—like resveratrol, a compound in red wine—never lived up to their early hype.
According to Botstein, aging research is still seeking a truly big insight. Imagine, he says, doctors fighting infections without knowing what a virus is. Or think back to cancer research in the 1960s. There were plenty of theories then. But it was the discovery of oncogenes—specific genes able to turn cells cancerous—that provided scientists with their first real understanding of what causes tumors. “What we are looking for, I think above everything else, is to be able to contribute to a transformation like that,” he says. “We’d like to find ways for people to have a longer and healthier life. But by how much, and how—well, I don’t know.”
Botstein says a “best case” scenario is that Calico will have something profound to offer the world in 10 years. That time line explains why the company declines media interviews. “There will be nothing to say for a very long time, except for some incremental scientific things. That is the problem.”
To get there, Calico is ratcheting up its expertise and skills. Botstein says it has demonstrated it could decode a human genome from scratch, without peeking at the official genome map. That’s a difficult task requiring significant investment in computing and know-how. But Calico got the right answer, so it’s confident of accurately mapping the genome of the naked mole rat—a job he says is half done. And a precise understanding of how the mole rat’s genes are organized may hold clues to its long life. “A lot of what we do is technology development,” says Botstein. “It’s not interesting, and it’s not supposed to be interesting. It’s how you put one foot in front of the other so you don’t trip on yourself.”
Big disappointment
To some, Calico’s heavy bet on basic biology is a wrong turn. The company is “my biggest disappointment right now,” says Aubrey de Grey, an influential proponent of attempts to intervene in the aging process and chief science officer of the SENS Research Foundation, a charity an hour’s drive from Calico that promotes rejuvenation technology. It is being driven, he complains, “by the assumption that we still do not understand aging well enough to have a chance to develop therapies.”
HARMONY (THE THREE GRACES)
Indeed, some competitors are far more aggressive in pursuing interventions than Calico is. “They are very committed to these fundamental mechanisms, and bless them for doing that. But we are committed to putting drugs into the clinic and we might do it first,” says Nathaniel David, president and cofounder of Unity Biotechnology. This year, Jeff Bezos joined investors who put $127 million behind Unity, a startup in San Francisco that’s developing drugs to zap older, “senescent” cells that have stopped dividing.
These cells are suspected of releasing cocktails of unhelpful old-age signals, and by killing them, Unity’s drugs could act to rejuvenate tissues. The company plans to start with a modestly ambitious test in arthritic knees. De Grey’s SENS Foundation, for its part, has funded Oisin Biotechnologies, a startup aiming to rid bodies of senescent cells using gene therapy.
Other scientists say it is time to begin large human studies of “geroprotectors”—drugs that could decelerate aging altogether. One such effort is being spearheaded by gerontologists at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, in New York. The medication they hope to test, metformin, is used to treat diabetes. It cropped up as an anti-aging prospect after scientists reviewing medical records found that people taking it not only were much less likely to die than other diabetics but died at a 15 percent lower rate than all other patients.
Metformin lowers blood sugar levels, one clue it may have something in common with a low-calorie diet. But getting a study off the ground hasn’t been easy. To convince the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to approve the trial, doctors decided to measure metformin’s effectiveness in preventing three separate diseases: heart attack, dementia, and cancer. “They do not recognize aging as a disease, so what we have done is choose diseases of aging with minimal overlap in their causes,” says Steven Austad, a biologist at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and scientific director of the American Federation for Aging Research, which has endorsed the metformin study. “If it simultaneously delays them, that would indicate a slowed rate of aging.”
The trial is designed to involve 6,000 people and would last six years. It would be the first large study of a geroprotector in volunteers, according to S. Jay Olshansky, a public health researcher at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He therefore rates the trial as significant no matter whether it flops or, as he hopes, sets off “the most groundbreaking events in public health in this century.”
The only problem is who will pay for the trial, expected to cost $65 million. The chance the NIH will pay for the entire study is “remote,” says Austad, and since metformin is an old drug not covered by patents, drug companies aren’t interested either. Instead, Olshansky and Austad are going with what’s become a favorite play in research on aging: they plan to hit up billionaires for the money. Funding a groundbreaking advance, Olshansky promises potential investors, could be their “ticket to immortality.”
Playing the long game
The science of aging is easy to disregard, given its long historical connection to alchemy, quacks, and vitamin pushers. Even now, many scientists do their utmost to avoid the phrase “anti-aging research”—sounding as it does like a promise made on a tin of skin cream. “There are a lot of charlatans in aging research. I should be careful in what I say, but it attracts pretty quirky people,” says Gary Churchill, a mouse geneticist at the Jackson Laboratory, in Bar Harbor, Maine.
It can’t help, either, that the people who bankroll this science keep saying they hope to live forever. Bill Maris, the former head of Google Ventures who hatched the idea for Calico, has said he thinks it is possible people could live “for 500 years.” That’s pretty unlikely. In that sense, Calico’s creation of a strictly controlled research fortress staffed by recognized leaders makes sense as an inoculum against hokum, maybe even from the people paying the bills. “They are playing the long game,” Churchill says. “It’s a good strategy. It could leave them positioned a decade from now to have something.”
Churchill’s work with Calico gives some idea of how long it could take. In April 2016, the company agreed to pay for a large experiment at Jackson Labs to search for a “biomarker” of aging—a molecule, which they hope to find in the blood, whose quantity or properties change with “biological” age, not just with the hands on the clock. Such a diagnostic could be extraordinarily useful, and profitable.
But searching for such a marker is not cheap. At Jackson Labs, Churchill’s team plans to follow 1,000 mice, drawing blood and placing them inside special cages where food and water intake can be precisely measured and the rodents’ droppings and urine collected. Half the mice will be on a calorie-restricted diet to extend their lives—necessary to confirm whether a biomarker really tags them as biologically younger. The experiment will generate millions of readings—for levels of growth hormones and glucose, among other things. Churchill wouldn’t say how much Calico is paying, but simply feeding that many mice could cost $3 million. “We’ve mapped it out, planned it. It’s immense, and we’d never be able to do this with the NIH,” he says. “The willingness to invest in the long term is the most appealing thing about Calico.”
LE NÉOPHYTE
Churchill says the ideal biomarker of aging would actually estimate how much longer you have left to live, barring any unforeseen events. And the readout would change if you took a drug or adopted a diet that somehow rescheduled your appointment with the Grim Reaper. With a test like that, companies could see whether their drugs actually influenced aging without waiting many, many years for the answer. Finding such a blood marker would be the kind of breakthrough that aging research so desperately needs—and that Calico was created to discover.
Antonio Regalado is MIT Technology Review’s senior editor covering biomedicine.
by Antonio Regalado
Meet Altos Labs, Silicon Valley’s latest wild bet on living forever
Funders of a deep-pocketed new "rejuvenation" startup are said to include Jeff Bezos and Yuri Milner.
We won’t know how bad omicron is for another month
Gene sequencing gave an early alert about the latest covid variant. But we'll only know if omicron is a problem by watching it spread.
The miracle molecule that could treat brain injuries and boost your fading memory
Discovered more than a decade ago, a remarkable compound shows promise in treating everything from Alzheimer’s to brain injuries—and it just might improve your cognitive abilities.
Adam Piorearchive page
Pfizer’s vaccine takes a “very large” hit from omicron—but boosters help
Lab tests indicate that omicron can escape the protection from two injections of Pfizer’s vaccine, but not three.
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To Be a Cat by Matt Haig – review
This is a clawed masterpiece
Setting the scene … The Aristocats. Photograph: SNAP/Rex Features
Philip Ardagh
Fri 20 Apr 2012 17.47 EDT
I'm not a fan of book reviews that give the game away, belching out plot-spoilers like fur balls, but in the case of Matt Haig's To Be A Cat you'd have to be a bear of very little brain not to get what's going to happen, before you've even turned to the first page.
There is, of course, the title itself, To Be a Cat, reminiscent of Floyd Huddleston and Al Rinker's "Ev'rybody Wants to Be a Cat" from Disney's animated romp The Aristocats, though Haig's book has the strapline: "Imagine what it would be like …" preceding the title, rather than "Ev'rybody Wants … "If that weren't enough, there's a picture of a curly-haired boy turning from human to cat in four stages (rather like one of those evolutionary timelines of Man from stooped hunter-gatherer to Wall Street banker, only more positive). On the back, beneath a Eadweard Muybridge-style sequence of a black cat in motion, is the single line: "Be careful what you wish for …"
As Lloyd Grossman used to say, let's look at the evidence. The conclusion? That we're about to embark on an adventure with a boy not being careful what he wishes for and turning into a cat. So, although the transmogrification – Haig refers to it as plain old metamorphosis, but I think he missed a trick there – doesn't actually happen until page 60, the cat is out of the bag from the very outset.
The boy in question is Barney, whose father, Neil, mysteriously disappeared the previous summer after he and Barney's mum had divorced. "He just vanished. Zip. Poof. Gone. Not a trace."
Barney doesn't fit in at school. Neither does his friend, Rissa, but the difference is that she "was one hundred percent bully proof … She genuinely didn't care what people said about her." She lives on a barge without a TV.
Characters in To Be a Cat often have names to suit their personalities: the Primm twins are neatly dressed and every teacher's favourites; Gavin Needle – the school bully and a key player in this tale – needles Barney mercilessly; Mrs Lavender is the nicest teacher in school. Another key character is the "author" himself. (If not actually Matt Haig, that's how he signs himself at the end.) He's not a participant in events but his voice is a real presence throughout.
Two of my favourite characters, though, are the wonderfully rude head teacher, Miss Whipmire, who obviously hates children, and Barney's dog, Guster. Miss Whipmire has a cat-skull pencil pot on the desk in her study. Guster doesn't recognise Barney in cat form. ("Confine your tongue. Do you know who you're talking to? I am a King Charles Spaniel … ") Both make Barney's cat life difficult, in very different ways.
This is a fun book, but certainly not silly, and things really do get a little hairy once in a while: there's a whiff of real danger. And when Barney does become a cat, something very unexpected happens and, no, I'm not going to tell you what. It transpires that there are three types of cat: the two-legs (who used to be human); the firesides (happy, domestic cats); and the swipers (tough street cats). They don't all see eye to eye, of course. Then there's the mysterious Terror cat to contend with. Ultimately, though, To Be a Cat is a book about being comfortable in your own skin rather than someone else's fur.
Philip Ardagh's Eddie Dickens Trilogy is published by Faber.
Children's books: 8-12 years
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What’s on in the Lake District: November 2018
It’s time to dig out the thermals, pull on the bobble hats, and pack the thermos flask. Winter has arrived in the Lake District and we’re feeling the chill. If you like frosty mornings and cosy afternoons spent by a roaring fire in a traditional pub then this is the time to visit.
The Lake District’s Most Spooktacular Spots
As Halloween approaches at the end of this month we take a look at some of the Lake District’s most haunted and spookiest places. Plus, we have a guide to some of the scariest events taking place across the national park in celebration of the ghoulish date.
Michelin Star Restaurants in the Lake District
The tens of thousands of people who attended the Taste Cumbria Cockermouth Food Festival last weekend were left in little doubt that Cumbria has an outstanding food heritage. The county is home to the Cumberland Sausage, Grasmere Gingerbread, Cartmel Sticky Toffee Pudding, and now it can add another accolade, being home to four Michelin starred restaurants. This is no mean feat when you consider that the county is the 3rd largest in England, but the second least densely populated.
What’s on in the Lake District: October 2018
If you don’t mind a bit of rain and want to visit the Lake District during one of the quieter periods, then October is the time to come. Most of the trees are now adorned with golden leaves, waiting for the next big storm to blow them all away. The nights are much colder, and so we see the return of cool crisp mornings leading to spectacular sunrises as mists engulfs the lakes.
Taste Cumbria Cockermouth: 7 Things to Look Out For
This weekend sees the return of the Taste Cumbria food festival to the streets of Cockermouth. First held in 2010 in response to flooding in the area, this is the flagship event for the Taste Cumbria team, bringing around 40,000 visitors to this small town on the fringe of the western Lake District.
Top Heritage Open Days in the Lake District This September
England’s largest festival of history and culture takes place this September. The festival, Heritage Open Days, sees hundreds of places of historical and cultural interest across the country open their doors for members of the public to explore for free. Many of these places are not normally open to the public, whilst others would normally charge an admission fee.
Cumbria to Host Two Stages of the Tour of Britain: How to Catch the Action
The OVO Energy Tour of Britain, Britain’s most prestigious cycling event, returns this September. Attracting cycling’s top talent, including Chris Froome and Geraint Thomas, the race offers members of the public a chance to view the heroes of the sport up close and in action, for free! The race is an eight-day event with the aim to cover as much of Britain as possible during that time.
What’s on in the Lake District: September 2018
September is the time when we begin to say goodbye to this year’s long hot summer and start looking forward to the delights that autumn brings. The leaves on the trees slowly change colour as they lose their dark green shades and hints of yellow, gold, and orange shine through, whilst the hedgerows are dotted with bursts of colour, as berries and seeds become plump and ripe.
11 Reasons to Visit the Lowther Show This Weekend
August is country fair season in Cumbria with over ten taking place across the county. The biggest show this month is happening this weekend at the Lowther Estate. The Lowther Show attracted around 60,000 visitors last year and despite being one of the youngest country shows in Cumbria, it is one of the highlights of the show calendar.
Seven Things to Do with the Kids in the Lake District This Summer
School's out for summer! If you haven’t already planned a Lake District trip for you and your family during the long summer break then it’s not too late, with plenty of hotels, campsites, and lodges still available for booking. However, they are likely to sell out pretty fast, so don’t delay booking much longer to avoid disappointment.
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23 April 1775 (Estimated) – 19 December 1851
Joseph Mallord William Turner, more commonly known as JMW Turner, was an English artist who inspired a new appreciation for landscape art. The 3rd Earl of Egremont, who held the Cumbrian seat of Cockermouth, was a patron and friend to Turner, and consequently Turner visited the Lake District on a number of occasions, creating stunning depictions of the landscapes. One of these paintings is currently on display in a Lake District museum.
JMW Turner, Self Portrait / Wikipedia.org
JMW Turner’s exact birthdate is unknown, though it is thought to have been in April 1775. He was born in London and was the son of a barber and wig maker. Turner began exhibiting artistic talent early on, with his father proudly displaying his sketches in his shop. At aged 14, Turner was admitted into the Royal Academy of Art, having impressed the panellists. His initial work largely covered architectural subjects with pencil sketches being used for prompts for his watercolours.
However, as his studies progressed he began to diversify, painting landscapes and the dramatic water scenes that he is now famous for. His work was shown in the Royal Academy from 1790 onwards, and he began to acquire patrons, one of which was the 3rd Earl of Egremont, who held the Cumbrian seat of Cockermouth.
Walter Fawkes, Yorkshire Landowner and Member of Parliament became another patron as well as close friend, and Turner was a frequent visitor to Fawkes’ Yorkshire estate. The surroundings of this estate had a profound influence on Turner’s work, and many of his finest paintings depict scenes from the area.
In 1804, Turner opened his own gallery in London, close to his home. He was a frequent traveller, both in the UK and in Europe, with many of his paintings inspired by the dramatic scenery of the Alps. Whilst he never married, he had two long-term relationships. The first was with Sarah Danby, who had two children – though it is unclear if they were Turner’s daughters. The second was with Sophia Caroline Booth, with whom Turner was living when he died in 1851.
JMW Turner had a profound impact on the art world. His landscape paintings elevated that particular form of art. He fuelled a new appreciation for paintings depicting scenes from nature as opposed to portraits and historical scenes that were, at the time more widely respected. He had great influence on a number of artists across Europe, particularly those in the French Impressionist movement.
Turner left much of his fortune to the Royal Academy of Arts, to be used to support other artists. He also desired that his collection be left to the British people in a purpose built gallery, but due to political delays this did not happen. Sadly, his collection was split up, although a large portion of it was retained by the National Gallery of British Art – today known as the Tate Gallery. Each year the Tate Gallery awards the Turner Prize for a piece of visual art, in honour of JMW Turner.
Links to the Lake District
Turner was a keen traveller, seeking inspiration for his paintings. He first visited the Lake District in 1797, and in the 1800s he was a regular visitor to Cockermouth Castle, where the 3rd Earl of Egremont resided. Turner painted a great number of scenes from the Lake District. These included Derwent Water as seen from Friar’s Crag, Coniston Water, Buttermere, and Ullswater.
You can view one of Turner’s most famous paintings, entitled “Ullswater, Cumberland” at the Wordsworth Museum (Dove Cottage) in Grasmere, which has a fine collection of art and literature from many other romanticists in in the same period.
As noted above, many of the lakes feature in Turner’s work, including Derwent Water from Friars Crag. Our family friendly walk will take you to the same view point that inspired the great artist.
Alfred Wainwright
Canon Hardwicke Rawnsley
Fletcher Christian
George Romney
John Constable
Thomas De Quincey
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Swedish activist held in China returns home
TT/AFP/The Local
Peter Dahlin on Chinese TV last week. Image: CCTV/AP/TT
UPDATED: Peter Dahlin, a Swedish human rights activist arrested in China earlier this month returned home to Sweden on Tuesday after being deported.
“I'm back in Sweden now. I arrived this morning, after various delays but I'm in my hometown now with my parents,” said Peter Dahlin of the Chinese Urgent Action Working Group.
“I'm happy to be back but three of my colleagues and close friends are still being held,” he told Swedish radio.
Dahlin, who suffers from Addison's disease, said China had released him on Monday for “medical and diplomatic reasons”.
The campaigner was detained earlier this month by China for allegedly posing a threat to national security. But on Tuesday Chinese officials announced the Swede had been made to leave the country.
“We have deported him,” Hua Chunying, a foreign ministry spokeswoman, told a regular press briefing.
Michael Caster, a US-based spokesman for Dahlin's group, said on Twitter that the Swede had been “expelled from China”.
His Chinese girlfriend, who had also been held “is no longer in detention but, contrary to some assertions, has not left the country”, he added.
Peter Dahlin has been expelled from China. Pan Jinling is no longer in detention but, contrary to some assertions, has not left the country.
— Michael Caster (@michaelcaster) January 26, 2016
“I welcome the fact that Peter Dahlin can now be reunited with his family in Sweden. This is the result of close contacts between the Swedish foreign ministry and Chinese representatives,” Foreign Minister Margot Wallström said in a statement following his release.
Dahlin, who worked for the Chinese Urgent Action Working Group, disappeared on January 4th as he prepared to board a flight to Thailand, and appears to have been caught up in a crackdown on human rights lawyers.
His detention came as China considers a new law to control the activities of foreign non-governmental organisations (NGOs), which has raised widespread concern among overseas groups. Dahlin's group has said it offered training to lawyers who have tried to use China's tightly-controlled judiciary to redress apparent government abuses.
State broadcaster CCTV last week aired footage of a dazed and harried looking Dahlin apologising to China for his alleged actions.
Another Swedish national, China-born Hong Kong bookseller Gui Minhai, disappeared from Thailand late last year before reappearing on Chinese national television in police custody.
He confessed to a mainland drink-driving offence dating back years and said he did not want Stockholm to interfere with his case.
Gui was rumoured to be preparing a tell-all book about the love life of President Xi Jinping.
Wallström said she remained “greatly concerned” about Gui.
“Our efforts to get a clear picture of his situation and the possibility to visit him continue with undiminished force,” she said.
Beijing only rarely accuses foreigners of endangering state security, a crime which can involve a heavy sentence.
While forced public confessions are an old practice in Communist China, there has been a resurgence of such incidents since President Xi took power in 2012.
The European Union's ambassador to China, Hans-Dietmar Schweisgut, had called Dahlin's arrest and televised confession “part of a worrying trend and call into question China's respect for the rule of law and for its international human rights obligations.”
Journalism advocacy group Reporters Without Borders last week urged the European Union to impose sanctions on Chinese state media over the “forced confessions”.
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Julian Assange's partner: extradition ‘disastrous for the UK’
Stella Moris, who has two children with Assange, speaks out before ruling on whether WikiLeaks founder can be sent for trial in US
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is taken from court. AP
On Monday, Julian Assange will find out if he could be extradited from the UK to the US to face espionage charges over the publication of secret military documents relating to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
District Judge Vanessa Baraitser is due to deliver her decision at London’s Old Bailey courthouse at 10am on Monday.
If Ms Baraitser grants the request, then Britain’s Home Secretary, Priti Patel, would make the final decision.
Before the ruling, Mr Assange’s partner, Stella Moris, said extraditing the WikiLeaks founder, 49, would be an “unthinkable travesty” and would damage British freedom.
Ms Moris, with whom he has two children, said a decision to extradite him to the US would be “politically and legally disastrous for the UK”.
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange’s father says US is ‘slowly murdering’ his son
Julian Assange says he 'hears voices' in prison
Julian Assange could face 175-year sentence if extradited to US
"It would rewrite the rules of what it is permissible to publish here," she wrote in the Mail on Sunday.
“Overnight, it would chill free and open debate about abuses by our own government and by many foreign ones, too.
“In effect, foreign countries could simply issue an extradition request saying that UK journalists, or Facebook users for that matter, have violated their censorship laws.
"The press freedoms we cherish in Britain are meaningless if they can be criminalised and suppressed by regimes in Russia or Ankara, or by prosecutors in Alexandria, Virginia.”
Both sides are expected to appeal if they lose, which could lead to more years of legal wrangling.
But there is a possibility that outside forces might come into play that could instantly end the decade-long saga.
Ms Moris has appealed to US President Donald Trump on Twitter to grant a pardon to Mr Assange before he leaves office on January 20.
And even if Mr Trump does not, there is speculation that his successor, Joe Biden, may take a more lenient approach to the extradition process.
US prosecutors indicted Mr Assange on 17 espionage charges and one charge of computer misuse, which carry a total maximum sentence of 175 years in prison.
Lawyers acting on behalf of the US government said in their closing arguments after the four-week hearing in autumn that Mr Assange’s defence team had raised issues that were neither relevant nor admissible.
“Consistently, the defence asks this court to make findings, or act upon the submission, that the US is guilty of torture, war crimes, murder, breaches of diplomatic and international law and that the US is ‘a lawless state’,” they said.
“These submissions are not only non-justiciable in these proceedings but should never have been made.”
Mr Assange’s defence team said he was entitled to First Amendment protection for the publication of leaked documents that exposed US military wrongdoing in Iraq and Afghanistan, and that the US extradition request was politically motivated.
In their written closing arguments, they accused the US of an “extraordinary, unprecedented and politicised” prosecution that constitutes “a flagrant denial of his right to freedom of expression and poses a fundamental threat to the freedom of the press throughout the world”.
Defence lawyers also said Mr Assange was suffering symptoms of mental illness, including suicidal ideation, that could be exacerbated if he were placed in prison in the US.
They said his mental health deteriorated while he took asylum inside the Ecuadorian embassy in London for years and that he had a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder.
Mr Assange jumped bail in 2012 when he sought asylum at the embassy, where he stayed for seven years before being evicted and arrested. He has been held at Belmarsh prison in London since April 2019.
His legal team said he would, if extradited, probably be placed in solitary confinement, which would put him at a greater risk of suicide.
They said if he was then convicted, he would probably be sent to the notorious ADX Supermax prison in Colorado, where inmates include Unabomber Ted Kaczynski and Mexican drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman.
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange greets supporters outside the Ecuadorian embassy in London. AP
Lawyers for the US government said Mr Assange’s mental state was “patently not so severe so as to preclude extradition".
He has attracted the support of high-profile figures, including the dissident Chinese artist Ai Weiwei and actress Pamela Anderson.
Daniel Ellsberg, the famous US whistleblower, also came out in support, telling the hearing that they had “very comparable political opinions.”
Mr Ellsberg, 89, was widely credited for helping to bring about an end to the Vietnam War through his leaking of the Pentagon Papers in 1971.
He said said the American public “needed urgently to know what was being done routinely in their name, and there was no other way for them to learn it than by unauthorised disclosure".
There are clear similarities between Mr Assange and Mr Ellsberg, who leaked more than 7,000 pages of classified documents to the press, including The New York Times and The Washington Post.
Mr Ellsberg was put on trial for 12 charges in connection with contraventions of the Espionage Act, which were punishable by up to 115 years in prison.
The charges were dismissed in 1973 because of government misconduct against him.
Mr Assange and his legal team will be hoping that developments in the US will bring an end to his ordeal if the judge grants the US extradition request.
UKEuropeUS NewsUK News
New French Covid law sees unvaccinated excluded from venues
Record Covid rates in Germany
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KIM urges
KANGPOKPI, Jan 11 : The Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM), the apex body of the Kukis, has urged the Chief Election Officer, Government of Manipur to reschedule the first phase date of polling to another day other than Sunday.
Shokholun Mate, general secretary, KIM said that the scheduled polling days for the 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly Election 2022 are on February 27 and March 3. The first phase polling date of February 27 falls on Sunday, which will cover most of the valley districts along with 9 ACs in Churachandpur and Kangpokpi districts.
The KIM general secretary continued that it is a matter of fact that the tribal people in the State are predominantly Christians and Sunday is a day of rest and worship for them.
He also maintained that scheduling the date of the poll on February 27 which falls on Sunday has raised serious objections and complaints while it is bound to hurt the religious sentiments of this section of society and under such circumstances, many voters will be prevented from exercising their adult franchise.
Mate further said that as it is the policy of the Election Commission to ensure the participation of all eligible citizens to exercise their adult franchise, it would be in everyone's best interest to reschedule the polling day.
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May 24 - 30, 2014 | No. 13
Tehching Hsieh once locked himself in a cage for a year. Later, he tied himself to a woman for the same period. He talks about the rigours of making art where time is of the essence. By Clarissa Sebag-Montefiore.
Time piece: Tehching Hsieh exhibition
Film straps from Time Clock Piece (1980-81)
Credit: Zan Wemberley
Emigration from Taiwan
Time Clock Piece exhibition
Apolitical message
On September 30, 1978, the Taiwanese-American artist Tehching Hsieh, then an illegal immigrant in New York, locked himself in a cage. He stayed inside it for a year. Within the confines of his wooden cell – furnished only with a basin, a bed, and a pail – Hsieh swore that he would not talk, read, write, listen to music, or watch television. Food was to be delivered daily by a friend, who also purged the artist’s waste.
Once a month, the performance was open to the public. One day an elderly lady stumbled into the studio. She looked around and walked close to the cage. Then, as Hsieh recalls in a monograph of his works, Out of Now, “She held the bars … and asked me ‘Where is the work?’ ”
Hsieh did not answer the lady. Nor did he make eye contact. To do so would have derailed his entire piece: an exploration into the recesses of solitude and an experiment of the power of mind over body. From self-imposed solitary confinement, he hoped to find liberation. Imagination, after all, was the only tool at his disposal for entertainment, mental sustenance and escape.
Cage Piece, made when Hsieh was almost 28 years old, was to be the first of five seminal one-year-long durational performance artworks. One by one, over half a decade, all in the name of art, Hsieh deprived himself of freedom, sleep, shelter, privacy and, finally, art itself.
Time Clock Piece (1980-81) saw Hsieh punching a time clock every hour in his studio. In Outdoor Piece (1981-82) he slept on the streets of New York, surviving a freezing winter and never allowing himself to step indoors. In Rope Piece (1983-84) he tied himself by an eight-foot rope to the performance artist Linda Montano, with whom his life was inextricably entangled but whom he was forbidden to touch. And in the most abstract of the five, No Art Piece (1985-86), he promised not to engage with art at all, whether making it, viewing it or discussing it.
Each was designed to peel away the superficial thrills, pleasures and distractions of living, and dive instead into the essence of the human condition. “All my work is talking about the meaning of life,” the diminutive artist says.
1 . Emigration from Taiwan
In 1974, four years before Cage Piece, Hsieh had docked in the Delaware River on a Taiwanese oil tanker. He never finished high school, working on the high seas instead. From there he crept, unnoticed, into America, where he paid a taxi driver $150 to take him to Manhattan, the heaving hub of the art world.
“Maybe I am pessimistic. I don’t think that art can change the world. But at least art can help us to unveil life.”
Whatever his dreams, the reality of life for a young, unknown and illegal Taiwanese immigrant was one of struggle and isolation. Hsieh washed dishes to survive. His performances, when he finally started them after years of pondering how to make his mark, existed outside the system of galleries, funding bodies and art-world institutions. His work went unseen by most, even when, as with the old lady, it was witnessed.
Almost four decades later, Hsieh’s time has come. Today the American citizen, who received asylum in 1988, enjoys a cult-like following in an art world that treats him with awe – ironically, a status that has been achieved only now that he has stopped making art altogether. At the turn of the millennium, after a stretch known as Thirteen Year Plan during which he promised to create artworks but never show them publicly, Hsieh released a statement that said: “I kept myself alive. I passed the Dec. 31, 1999.” Since then he has declared that his turn as an artist is over. Today, only the documentation and discourse surrounding these works remain.
Despite this, Hsieh has achieved mainstream success and acceptance. Both the Museum of Modern Art and the Guggenheim Museum have exhibited his work. Major collectors now court him and in 2013 the yet-to-be-opened M+ museum in Hong Kong announced it had bought six of his performance works, which will make it home to the most extensive collection of his work in the world.
2 . Time Clock Piece exhibition
Now, the first major solo work of Hsieh’s to be shown in Australia is being exhibited at Sydney’s Carriageworks until July 6.
In Cage Piece Hsieh was a prisoner of space. Time Clock Piece saw him become a slave to time. In the 1980 leap year, during the 366 days it took for the sun to circle the earth, Hsieh punched a time clock in his studio every hour on the hour, 24 hours a day. Pinned on the walls of a small claustrophobic room at Carriageworks are 366 timecards alongside 366 film strips. Together they display the 8621 times he punched the time clock, with a photograph taken for each hour he marked.
The entire punitive process is reduced into a six-minute 16mm film that flickers and burrs frenziedly, with Hsieh staring, zombie-like into the camera, his closely shaved head erupting into a mane of hair as the year progresses. The piece, he says, is about how in life “we do over and over the same thing but also it’s different because times change. Time passes, cannot come back.”
Philosophy underpins the work, but there is also method in his madness. In Out of Now Hsieh said: “Maybe I am pessimistic. I don’t think that art can change the world. But at least art can help us to unveil life.” Speaking at Carriageworks, he notes that art is just “a different tool, a different perspective to pass time. Art is one kind of way to live. To me, my work just consumes time until [I] am dying.”
A palpable tension exists between the precise, methodological presentation of the strips on the wall and the 16mm film, with its urgent, near schizophrenic, unhinged whirring of images. This juxtaposition of order and chaos “encapsulates the conceptual purity of the project and yet the messy reality of it at the same time – the toll it took on him physically,” says Nina Miall, a curator at Carriageworks.
Meeting Hsieh, 64, it is hard to imagine this slight man, whose tiny frame is dressed in a neat blue shirt tucked into jeans, once subjected himself to such savage physical deprivations. Today, he travels with his serene wife, Qinqin Li, an elementary school art teacher originally from Beijing who is 24 years his junior. It is his third marriage, and they live together in Brooklyn. Despite years in America his English remains poor and in person he is polite and quietly spoken, with a disarming softness at odds with the severity of his work.
Cage Piece proved the most challenging, nearly pushing him to the edge of insanity. Just two weeks after entering his cell, he thought it was a mistake. He kept going, he says, because “you don’t break trust. It means I had to finish.” The performance was witnessed by just a handful of people, yet he persevered.
“What often strikes me is what a kind of single-minded and focused artist he is, regardless of art world trends and currents, the expectations of his family, or of the society he is living in,” Miall says. “He has pursued these very uncompromising searching endeavours that have their own very particular logic.”
When the year was finally up, Hsieh decided to live in the cage for another month, sleeping inside the cell with the door open. “My body and my mental [state] was very weak,” he remembers, speaking in staccato English, and occasionally turning to his wife for help with translation. “Psychologically I feel there [in the cage] is more safe.” Outside, sounds, smells and sights were magnified. A little girl’s voice sounded “like a wolf to me, because I’m so weak”.
3 . Apolitical message
Failure is also carefully documented. At Carriageworks a glass cabinet displays a breakdown of the 133 times Hsieh missed punching the time clock – mainly due to oversleeping. In order to wake up every hour, the artist had 12 alarm clocks attached to amplifiers. He remembers his brain receiving “pain” at the slicing through of unfinished dreams. “Sometimes I dream that I say I don’t want to be an artist anymore,” he recalls.
Hsieh may have questioned his vocation, yet few artists have so completely submerged their lives in their work. Pleasures of the body were secondary to philosophical experiments. “I don’t have a personal life [at that time], and I don’t expect to have a personal life,” he concedes. “I only expect to have…” He pauses to think. Then he reframes his words, grabbing his head and laughing in a rare moment of lightness. “It is my voice to say what I can say, and that is a kind of freedom.”
It is easy to read political or religious messages in Hsieh’s performances. The punishingly repetitive trials he subjected himself to are similar in tone to the extreme lengths some Buddhist monks go to achieve enlightenment. In New York, Hsieh shared a studio with another young – then unknown – artist from mainland China. Ai Weiwei has since become one of the world’s most famous dissidents, and argues that art is inextricably entwined with politics.
But Hsieh, who counts Ai as a good friend, is quick to dismiss external messages. “I refute [politics],” he says. “I am not political about my work. I know even my art cannot change my reality but it gives me confidence in myself. It means I can change my psychological life. To create, to understand life, to transport life to be art.”
He regrets only the inevitable imperfection of his work. He wishes he had a toilet in the cage, rather than a pail, which made him “more like an 18th-century prisoner”. He wishes that he could have found a new way to describe his imprisonment. “Solitary confinement already has some messages about political,” he ponders, a solemn look on his face. This, he believes, is misleading. He wants to expose universal humanity, not specific issues tied to a particular era.
Yet to Miall the works nonetheless align themselves to society’s underclass: the prisoner, the homeless person, the illegal immigrant. In Time Clock Piece Hsieh’s grey, pressed, military-style uniform and shaved head, combined with the relentless punching of the clock, “reveal a veiled critique of this uniformity of industrialised labour,” says Miall.
4 . Family
Hsieh was one of 15 children; his father, an austere authoritarian figure, ran a trucking company and had five wives. The artist came of age in the 1960s when hippie culture had, to some extent, infiltrated Taiwan: he read existentialist books, grew his hair long and started to paint. Yet his country, where Hsieh had to complete three years of compulsory military service, remained “very conservative with not much new exciting contemporary art”. He vowed to make it to America.
Before leaving Taiwan he had already started to experiment with extreme performance art. He created in isolation: he had never heard the term “performance art”. Nor had he seen Yves Klein’s Leap Into the Void, in which the French artist appeared to dive off a rooftop, though in 1973 Hsieh made Jump Piece, in which he leapt from a 15-foot-high (4.6-metre) window onto the concrete floor below. He broke both his ankles – he still feels pain today – and recorded the act on a Super 8 camera.
Other early works were equally brutal: in Half-Ton Hsieh crushed himself below plasterboard; in Throw Up he consumed fried rice until he vomited, then repeated the process with fruit salad. Paint Stick (1978) saw him slice a line with a mat knife on each of his cheeks, letting the blood course down his face.
These works upset his family. Nonetheless they remained supportive, sending him money when he moved to America. Today, money is equally elusive. “Only one month I make [money], then one month gone,” says Hsieh. “I don’t have money. My family is also my grant. I still put in my hand to ask money [from them].”
Hsieh insists that although his work is not religious his mother, a devout Christian, taught him the most valuable life lessons: through her he learnt “dedication and sacrifice”. Still, success as defined in a traditional Confucian family setting, where children are expected to look after their parents in old age, was never going to be his.
“I am not a good son,” he says, woefully.
This article was first published in the print edition of The Saturday Paper on May 24, 2014 as "Time piece".
Clarissa Sebag-Montefiore writes on current affairs and the arts for the BBC, Financial Times, and Wall Street Journal.
May 24 - 30, 2014 Edition No. 13
Mining’s multi-billion-dollar black hole Mike Seccombe
On the ethical fringe of euthanasia Martin McKenzie-Murray
The tale of the stolen Rupert Bunny painting Jan McGuinness
Is this budget proposal for the good of our health? Sophie Morris
DLP senator John Madigan happy to be the family guy Sophie Morris
India looks to Modi to restore the economy Hamish McDonald
Bumper floats Kirsty Simpson
David Marr on the budget of a hidden man David Marr
The real cost of casual sexism Laura Bates
A call for a National Theatre of Australia Julian Meyrick
Geoff Pryor – Cartoon May 24, 2014 Geoff Pryor
How did PM Tony Abbott get the budget so wrong? Editorial
Fraser still fights for free enterprise
Time piece: Tehching Hsieh exhibition Clarissa Sebag-Montefiore
Brisbane's double-barrelled DZ Deathrays Dave Faulkner
There in a crisis Kate Holden
Captives Reviewer: DL
Pub staple Andrew McConnell
Second world problems Gillian Terzis
George Calombaris and March Studio reincarnate The Press Club Fleur Watson
Front and centre: Tameka Butt, 22, soccer player Richard Cooke
Who is the Roman goddess of peace? Cindy MacDonald
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CWPA
CWPA Western Standings: Maryland, Michigan, Indiana Battling For Regular Season Championship
By Jeremy Mauss@JeremyMauss Apr 3, 2012, 9:00pm EDT
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The Western division of the CWPA is not as clear cut as their Southern division counterpart, for one there are still more games upcoming that are huge in determining the No. 1 seed for the conference tournament. With Indiana's 8-7 upset win over Michigan this past week there is a possibility that there could be a three-way tie for the top seed.
Here are the current standing:
Team Win Loss Points
Hartwick College 3 3 6
Gannon University
Notre Dame College 1 5 2
Salem International University 0 5 0
The easy way to decide the champion is for Maryland to defeat Michigan at 1 p.m. on April 7, but if Michigan beats Maryland then things get complicated. I will let the CWPA website decode the possibilities:
With Indiana standing at 5-1 in the Western Division, and Maryland (5-0) and Michigan (4-1) effectively tied for the division lead, the match-up will have significant bearing on who earns the No. 1 seed for the Western Division Championship. If Maryland wins against Michigan, and defeats Salem International University on Friday night, the Terps claim the outright Western Division regular season title and the No. 1 seed for the division tournament. However, a loss to Michigan combined with the Terrapins winning their other league game against Salem International would make the standings interesting and force tiebreakers as Maryland, Michigan and Indiana would all stand at 5-1.
If all three do tie then it would come down to total goals from the games between Michigan, Indiana and Maryland. For Michigan to win the outright title they would have to defeat Maryland by two goals, and that is the easiest solution outside of Maryland beating Michigan.
Here are the multiple scenarios of the top three could be determined:
Maryland (loss to Salem International, win versus Michigan): Michigan, Maryland and Indiana are all at 5-1. A Maryland win against the Wolverines would give the Terrapins the No. 1 seed as they defeated Indiana and Michigan. With Maryland removed from the equation, the battle for the No. 2 seed reverts back to head-to-head as Indiana would then be the No. 2 seed, with Michigan the No. 3 seed.
Maryland (loss to Salem International & Michigan): Indiana and Michigan both finish 5-1, with Maryland at 4-2, but Indiana claims the Western Division title based on its head-to-head win versus Michigan. Michigan is the No. 2 seed, with Maryland the No. 3.
Maryland (by any score over Michigan): The Terrapins claim the No. 1 seed by finishing undefeated in the Western Division. Indiana is the No. 2 due to a head-to-head win over Michigan.
Michigan (1-0 win vs. Maryland): With all three teams tied at zero in goal differential (one goal win, one goal loss), the tiebreaker reverts to total number of goals scored. As Indiana has 16 total goals scored, far more than Maryland and Michigan, the Hoosiers are the No. 1 seed, with Michigan and Maryland following in order based on Michigan's victory.
Michigan (2-0 win or any victory by two goals vs. Maryland): Michigan wins the No. 1 seed based on goal differential as the Wolverines are at least +1, Indiana is 0 and Maryland is at a minimum -1. Maryland claims the No. 2 seed based on their head-to-head win vs. Indiana.
Michigan (2-1, 3-2, 4-3, 5-4, etc. win vs. Maryland for a one-goal win): With all three teams tied at zero in goal differential (one goal win, one goal loss), the tiebreaker reverts to total number of goals scored. As Indiana has 16 total goals scored, Michigan can not win by one and score enough goals to outdistance the Hoosiers and Terrapins. Even a 100-99 win does nothing for the Wolverines as Maryland enters the game with a +2 advantage due to defeating Indiana 9-8 (and Michigan managing 7 goals against the Hoosiers), thus the total number of goals if the Maize and Blue reach the century mark for a one goal win would be 108 to 107 in favor of the Terrapins.
NOTE: For Maryland to claim the division regular season title based on the total number of goals scored via a one-goal loss to Michigan, the Terrapins need the game to reach a 9-8 conclusion. The 9-8 loss would give Maryland 17 total goals (9 vs. Indiana, 8 vs. Michigan), while Indiana has 16 (8 vs. Maryland, 8 vs. Michigan) and Michigan would have 16 (7 vs. Indiana, 9 vs. Maryland). In this case, Maryland would claim the No. 1 seed, while Indiana takes the No. 2 spot courtesy its head-to-head win versus Michigan. Any one goal loss by Maryland to Michigan that is less than a 9-8 final gives the No. 1 seed to Indiana, with Michigan claiming the No. 2 seed based on its head-to-head win versus Maryland.
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Pope Francis delivers the Angelus prayer in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Sunday, Nov. 28, 2021.
Pope Francis pained at migrant deaths in English Channel
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis on Sunday expressed pain and sorrow at the deaths and suffering of migrants crossing the English Channel, at the border between Poland and Belarus and in the Mediterranean Sea.
The pope asked the faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square for the traditional Sunday blessing to pray “for migrants and their suffering.” Those present included members of an association of migrants with whom he met a day earlier at the Vatican, and who held an enormous banner comprised of flags from countries around the world.
“How many migrants, let’s think about this, how many migrants are exposed to very serious dangers also in recent days? How many lose their lives at our borders?’’ the pontiff said.
“I feel pain at the news of the situation in which many find themselves. Of those who died in the English Channel, of those at the border of Belarus, many of whom are children. Those who drown in the Mediterranean. How much sorrow, thinking of them.”
The deaths of 27 migrants in the English Channel have shocked both Britain and France. Still, shipwrecks of that scale are not uncommon further south in the Mediterranean Sea as migrants flee poverty, natural disasters and authoritarian regimes for a better life in Europe. UN officials estimate that as many as 1,600 people have died or are missing in the Mediterranean this year alone, their bodies usually not found and their deaths related only by survivors.
Overnight Sunday, the Italian Coast Guard rescued 244 migrants off the coast of Calabria, the toe of the Italian boot, in difficult sea conditions. Those rescued included 41 minors, among them an infant born Saturday on the packed wooden fishing boat.
The pontiff also remembered migrants who are sent from Europe back to northern Africa, “where they are captured by traffickers and enslaved. They sell the women and torture the men.”
Francis expressed closeness to the migrants, and called on civil and military institutions to find solutions to help those who undertake dangerous journeys “that respect the humanity of these people.”
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Home > List > Cue Sports > Carom Billiards > Balkline
Balkline
Balkline and straight rail is a carom billiard game, which is played with two cue balls and a third, and a red object ball. It is played on a table, which is covered with cloth, it should be around 5 foot by 10 foot, pocketless, and it should be divided by balklines into marked regions called balk spaces.
These games were developed to make the precursor game, straight rail. Straight rail is difficult to play, and it is also tiresome for the spectators to view the skills of the participants, in which they score endless points. Unlike the balkline games, straight rail had no balk space restrictions.
The goal of the game is to score one point, which is called a “count.” The players score this every time the cue ball makes contact with the object balls, which is the second cue ball and the third ball, this should be done on a single stroke. A winner is determined when a certain number of counts are agreed.
See Cue Sports (Billiards)
About Carom Billiards
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Northern Michigan RailRoad Club > 2011 Issue - Manistee and Northeastern Railway
2011 Issue - Manistee and Northeastern Railway
Graphic design and layout © 2011 Buffalo Creek Graphics. All rights reserved. Manistee and Northeastern Railway 40' Boxcars. HISTORY: M&NE operated along the northwestern shore of Lake Michigan on the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. The "main line" extended from Manistee to Traverse City; 70 miles. At one time, there were two branch lines to Provemont, 15 miles, and Northport, 23 miles, for a total of 108 miles of railroad. Founded in 1887, by a lumber company in Manistee, the line was surveyed along a circuitous route. The purpose was to gain access to the maximum amount of the biggest, old-growth timber in the region. Large logs were carried on M&NE flatcars to the sawmills in Manistee. Finished lumber was then loaded out, most likely in boxcars. In addition to lumber, M&NE boxcars may have been used to originate other products from the region, such as salt, paper products, potatoes, cherries, and apples. As an independent company, freight service continued until 1955, when the M&NE was merged into the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway. MODEL: For their 2011 NMRRC Model Club Car, the Northern Michigan RailRoad Club has chosen this car to represent their home town railroad history. Although not 100% accurate to the prototype cars, the model is of a Crown/Weaver 1932 ARA 40’ steel boxcar. It looks sharp, and runs great. Custom-decorated by Buffalo Creek Graphics. TRUE Limited Edition = only 100 cars total. Made in the USA. Never before offered in O-Scale. Production model shown. Three road numbers. All cars have diecast trucks, two-rail or three-rail. Shipped NIB with window display box and collector's labeling. Sold out, collectible.
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Sun Selects
Sun Jobs
KICK BACK
I’m on track to retire by 40 because I go MONTHS without spending a penny – here’s how
Lynsey Barber
A SAVVY saver has explained how he is on track to "retire" by 40 and have enough to live on without having to work.
He regularly manages to put away over £7,000 after spending nothing for three months at a time.
A submariner has shared his plans for retiring earlyCredit: Getty
That's because he's a Royal Navy submariner and spends long periods of time under the sea.
"When you dive you CANNOT spend a single penny, no internet, no wifi," he said in a post on Reddit.
"We dive for usually a period of three months before we return to port, the bombers can be a bit longer."
He added that he saves around £7,320 each time taking into account expenses like mortgage payments, but it could be more, with pay after tax of around £3,000 a month at his level.
"If you are young you can come back with £9,000 each time," he said, and food is free on board while accommodation when not at sea is £60 a month.
The anonymous poster said: "I serve in the royal navy as a submariner and would like to shed some light on the career, as it may present a simplistic way to achieve FIRE by age 40."
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FIRE is short for financial independence retire early, a movement popular online where people try to reduce their outgoings and maximise their income so they no longer have to work.
Usually they invest the money, as putting the savings in a pension will lock it away for longer - at least until 55 in the UK, but rising to 57 in 2028.
The goal is to be able to live off the income from these investments.
The submariner said that he aims to be mortgage free by 40 with a "considerable amount" invested, alongside a generous navy pension, but did not share how much he has saved already, or his goal amount.
The FIRE fan said: "Once I serve 20 years and reach age 40 that's time done.
"I will be entitled to a £40,000 lump sum and I will be paid £360-£400 per month until my full pension kicks in at pension age."
In the navy you get a non-contributory pension, which means you don't lose any of your salary but the navy pays in money.
PENSION AND PERKS
There are other perks of the job that could put you on course to an early retirement too.
In the Royal Navy you can earn a £5,00 bonus (pre-tax) for completing your training to become a submariner, he said.
Meanwhile pay is higher than for those serving on the surface fleet, while you get fuel and wear and tear for your coimmute covered by the navy when on land.
The military offers its own help to buy scheme offering an interest free loan of up to £25,000 to help purchase a home, and when you leave up to £6,000 for new qualifications "to help you settle into civilian life" he added.
But there are drawbacks and the job might not suit everyone, despite the promise of an early retirement.
"There is sacrifice to this job though, its hard on your kids and family being away underwater," he said.
I won £2million on the Lottery… but I’m keeping my day job so I can retire even RICHER
Do you have a story for The Sun Money team?
Email us at money@the-sun.co.uk
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Darlene Fiske, 86, Bull Valley
Darlene S. Fiske, 86, Bull Valley, died peacefully Wednesday, June 1, 2016, at her home, the Cold Springs Schoolhouse, Bull Valley, surrounded by her family.
She was born Nov. 4, 1925, to Arthur E. and Alma (Melchior) Sharp in Chicago.
In 1954, she married Kenneth V. Fiske of Chicago and moved to Woodstock.
She graduated from Northwestern University, where she was a member of Alpha Phi sorority and Mortar Board, and pursued a master’s degree in library science at the University of Chicago.
Prior to her marriage, she had a successful career in television production with NBC Chicago, which included shows such as Zoo Parade (from the Lincoln Park Zoo), Wild Kingdom and Mr. Wizard.
She was a homemaker and volunteer. She was a founder of the McHenry County Audubon Society and the Woodstock Fine Arts Association and a key organizer in the restoration of the Woodstock Opera House. A renowned birder, her bird identification ability was unparalleled. She traveled the world adding birds to her Life List and was a member of the Governor’s Committee on Endangered Species. She worked together with her husband for the Hawaii Nature Conservancy, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service of Hawaii and the Ding Darling Nature Preserve on Sanibel Island, Fla.
She loved music, especially opera, and was a longtime subscriber to the Lyric Opera of Chicago. She sang with the Woodstock Fine Arts Chorale and was a founder and active member of Woodstock’s Mast House folk music circle.
Survivors include her husband; three daughters, Diana (David) Wilson, Crystal Lake, Jennifer Fiske, Woodstock, and Nancy (Ron) Readel, Richardson, Texas; two grandchildren, Matthew (Kate) Wilson, Santa Barbara, Calif., and Timothy (Nina Beck) Wilson, Milwaukee; and two great-grandchildren, Elliot and Nora Wilson of Santa Barbara; her twin brother, Donald Sharp, New York; and her devoted cat, Serena.
She was preceded in death by her parents and a brother, William Sharp.
Memorials may be made to the McHenry County Audubon Society or the Woodstock Fine Arts Association.
Funeral services were private, and arrangements were by Schneider, Leucht, Merwin, Cooney Funeral Home, Woodstock.
Woodstock's most trusted news source. Period.
Mariella ‘Beanie’ Kleinschmidt, 67
Louise J. Smith 86
Teresa Jean Pappas, 62
Larry F. ‘Piet’ Pietrzak, 81
Marjorie (Marge) L. Birk, 101
Nancy J. Moore, 90
Linda Schiller Puckett, 61
Vytautas S. ‘Vito’ Lukas, 83
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What do legendary NFL quarterbacks Steve Young, Dan Marino and Warren Moon have in common? They have all…
Channeling his effort
Within the next month, Barrington resident Doug McConnell will attempt to accomplish something that only 47 people older…
A Will to succeed
Author Jason Learman
Woodstock resident Bob Will is like many of us. He worked hard all his life, raised a beautiful…
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Chattanooga to participate in challenge to build better buildings
January 19, 2016 | by David Cobb | Copyright © 2022
Staff Photo by Dan Henry / The Chattanooga Times Free Press- 1/19/16. Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke announces that the city will participate in the Department of Energy's Better Buildings Challenge in 2016. The goal of the challenge is to reduce energy use in city buildings by 20 percent over a span of ten years. Representatives from EPB, the Chamber of Commerce and Green|Spaces also spoke at the announcement, offering their support for the initiative.
Tuesday morning's news conference at City Hall to announce Chattanooga's participation in the U.S. Department of Energy's Better Buildings Challenge was a lot like most announcements of civic initiatives.
Nicely dressed executives from prominent organizations in the city introduced each other to the audience and then aired prim marks of praise for the city's commitment to sustainability.
But then Mayor Andy Berke took the podium for a third time in the 20-minute ceremony and issued a reflective statement that brought the day's announcement full circle.
He recalled the Chattanooga he grew up in with a core that was "hollowing out," rivers and air that were polluted and people who were moving out.
"It was a dying city, and a large part of that was because we hadn't taken care of what God had given us," he said. "But now, Outside Magazine calls us 'Best Town Ever,' and that's in large part because we understand the role sustainability plays in our city and our country. The city can help lead by example."
Over the next 10 years, the city will try to do that by reducing energy usage in its 200 buildings by 20 percent, in accordance with the Better Buildings Challenge that was launched by President Barack Obama in 2011.
Berke said the 200 city-owned buildings amount to two million square feet that use about 250 million kilowatt hours per year of electricity. Completing the challenge would require cutting that amount by 50 million kilowatt hours per year within a decade.
"We were trying to find a new goal to go for that would spur us to bigger heights," Berke said after the announcement. "The accountability part is important, because once we accept that challenge, we will meet it. The goal is important."
The challenge calls for participants to develop a schedule, milestones and a "showcase" project.
Berke said the showcase project will be revealed in the next few weeks, and that the city website will be updated soon with information on how residents can get connected with the initiative.
The Department of Energy offers technical assistance to participants on how to reduce energy use, and the city will be able to get tips from others who have taken the challenge.
Wal-Mart, Sprint and Macy's are among corporations that have taken the challenge. Atlanta, Knoxville, Los Angeles, San Diego, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia are among other cities that are participating.
Berke said the city will continue to look at what "capital improvements" it needs to work toward the goal. He said grants are available to help with the process.
Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce president Bill Kilbride said the chamber will spread word of the initiative to its 2,000-plus member businesses so they can set goals, too.
"We're very eager to get started, just to spread the word and talk about the importance of this," Kilbride said. "I believe by now that most good business people understand that being sustainable in every way is good for business."
"The city can help lead by example," Berke added. "We know that reducing our energy consumption by 20 percent is big for the city, but we want to encourage you to do the same."
Contact staff writer David Cobb at dcobb@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6249.
Updated Jan. 19 at 11:15 p.m.
Local committee to investigate hundreds of homicide cases with unanalyzed evidence
Area schools close ahead of year's first snow
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About a year ago, the Tim Tebow Foundation set out on a bold new initiative to pour into new and existing ministry partners in Central America and the Caribbean doing profound work in serving children with special needs. In order to be effective in this new agenda we called upon our faithful TTF family to consider joining us in this critical effort. Through prayer, hard work and determination, together we made a difference—and we are only getting started!
We set out on a mission to bring Faith, Hope and Love to those in their darkest hour of need in Guatemala, Mexico and Haiti with funding for in-country programming and improvements. Raising more than $500,000 to fortify work we are doing with four key ministry partners, here is a brief look at the life-changing impact you’ve been a part of:
MyLIFEspeaks — Located in Neply, Haiti, myLIFEspeaks focuses on providing clinical care, therapy, family preservation programs, and peer mentoring. Recently, Life Clinic staff have been enabled to provide more current and comprehensive care for those in the community due to additional resources for education and training of staff. They have also made improvements to their building by adding solar panels which provides round-the-clock power and water—increasing patients access for treatment. New equipment such as thermometers, scales and exam table have been added which helps staff to be more efficient in helping patients.
Down Guatemala — Because of the financial support provided to Down Guatemala over the past year, the program’s impact on the community of people with special needs has expanded and strengthened significantly. The number of students they serve has doubled, they created a new Personalized Learning Program for students who need a uniquely tailored approach, they have trained more than 450 local pastors on the importance of special needs ministry and the ministry has expanded into other cities, as well as rural areas of the country and now serves children with autism, spina bifida and other mild-moderate intellectual disabilities in addition to Down syndrome.
Hands & Feet Project — From Grand Goave to several hours away in Jacmel, your faithfulness in giving has continued to change the lives of children through the Hands & Feet Project, and often their families, as well. Over the past year, the ministry has developed a daycare program to prevent abandonment as parents go off to work to provide for their families, support has been deployed for young women who desire to care for their children but do not have the means to do so, and the Children’s Homes continue to provide a refuge for children who have been orphaned or abandoned to be known and loved in a family environment.
Back2Back Ministries — Thanks to your generosity, the orphaned and vulnerable children cared for by TTF and Back2Back Ministries in Mazatlan, Mexico, will soon be able to receive specialized and personalized care in a beautiful 8,000 square foot multi-resource center. This center will not only serve the residential children, but will also be available to the entire community, supporting families with the necessary resources to care for their children with special needs, keeping families together and allowing children to not just exist, but to thrive. Learn more about the 12 Stones Center for Holistic Child Development by clicking here
We, together, have done far more than we could have imagined. God stretches, pulls and strengthens us to not only pursue the work before us; but also seek His will as we continue to share Faith, Hope & Love. We are reminded that we are co-laborers with God in Hebrews 6:10 that says, “God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.” With that, we take up the call and continue to fight for those who cannot fight for themselves.
Each one of these ministries reaches a specific need in the region. We work with those already deeply invested in changing the lives of people with special needs—their purpose is clear in what they hope to achieve. By partnering with these passionate organizations, and bringing them together as a coalition, we are meeting real needs with haste and effectiveness. God is moving through TTF, these ministries and through your giving.
The success of these programs and improvements directly correlates with the prayer and giving of the TTF family. Our goal is to continue to pursue a ‘let’s go’ attitude in how we strive for the people this work reaches and serves are thankful you’ve joined us in that fight to help meet physical and spiritual needs in these regions.
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Three dead in Fond du Lac fire at group home
Three people are killed in an early morning fire in Fond du Lac.
By: Rich Barak
FOND DU LAC — Three people are confirmed dead after a house fire Thursday morning in Fond du Lac.
The fire broke out about 6 a.m. in the 600 block of South Military Road.
Fire Chief Peter O'Leary said three people were trapped inside, but two others escaped the fire.
The fire marks the fourth fire-related death in Fond Du Lac this year. Prior to that, Fond Du Lac went nine years without one, according to O'Leary.
This is a group home, and the residents are believed to have cognitive disabilities, officials said during a news conference.
Investigators believe the fire started in the front-end of the home, near the porch area.
"We suffer with those people today," O'Leary said. "We're in the positive outcome business. We want to save people and their property."
Officials do not know what caused the fire and if a working smoke detector was inside.
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Maryland shooter was diagnosed with mental illness yet was still able to legally buy gun
By: Corey Shegda, Zachary Babo
Officials are still left wondering why a 26-year-old woman went work and fired shots Thursday morning, killing three people and injuring three others.
During a news conference on Friday morning, Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler gave the press more details regarding the deadly workplace shooting in Aberdeen and released the names of the victims.
RELATED: 4 dead, including female shooter, 3 injured at Rite Aid distribution center in Aberdeen
Those killed on Thursday were Sunday Aguda, a 45-year-old man from Baltimore County, Brindra Giri, a 41-year-old woman from Baltimore County, and Hayleen Reyes, a 41-year-old woman from Baltimore City.
The names of the victims who were shot, but survived their wounds are: Hassan Mitchell, a 19-year-old man from Harford County, Wilfredo Villegas, a 45-year-old man from Montgomery County, and Acharya Purna, a 45-year-old woman from New York.
Gahler also released more information about the alleged shooter. He says at 6:30 a.m. Snochia Moseley went to work at the Rite Aid distribution center on Perryman Road. She entered through the front door, and then left the building for unknown reasons at 7:21 a.m. Before leaving there had been a spat about cutting in line.
She then went back to her Baltimore County home, and then returned to the warehouse around 8:35 a.m. Gahler says he believes she went home to grab her Glock 9mm handgun, three magazines, handcuffs, and pepper spray, which were found on her after the shooting. Around 20 minutes later she went inside of the building.
Then around 9:05 a.m., Moseley went back out of the building, pulls her hood over her head, and began shooting. One person was shot outside of the building and several other shots were fired, but nobody was hit. She then went into the building where around 65 people were working.
Gahler said that's when she fired 13 rounds, injuring 5 others before shooting herself two times.
The first shot she aimed at herself only grazed her, so she shot herself another time in the head. That is what ultimately killed her.
She was taken to the hospital by an officer who didn't know she was the shooter, where she later died.
Gahler said the shooter was diagnosed with a mental illness in 2016. Her family said she had been extremely agitated the last couple weeks and they were concerned.
Gahler would not go into more detail about the specifics of her mental illness.
The shooter had bought her gun legally, and Gahler said she was able to do because her mental health diagnosis didn't rise to a level to bar her from buying a gun. Because she had not been involuntarily committed and she did not have a propensity for violence to herself or others, she was able to legally buy the firearm in March of this year.
In the past, the shooter had worked as a security officer, but her handgun permit expired in May of 2018.
SEE ALSO: More information released on Aberdeen workplace shooter
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Legendary Pete Seegerreflects on life at 85
Pete Seeger isn't slowing down. At 85, the dean of American folk singers is still recording, still working to leave a better world.
Aug. 11, 2004, 4:29 PM UTC / Source: The Associated Press
The voice on the other end of the line sounds a bit winded at first, giving his caller momentary pause that perhaps the years are finally catching up on the dean of American folk singers.
But then Pete Seeger explains that he’s just spent the better part of the afternoon outside, building a new fence around his home in the mountains of rural upstate New York.
These are busy times for Seeger, who has far more on his plate than just building fences, or chopping wood, which he also does regularly at 85.
A member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, a Grammy winner, and the composer of hundreds of songs including such American classics as “If I Had a Hammer,” “Turn Turn Turn” and “Where Have All the Flowers Gone,” Seeger has never been one to slow down.
He spent his Father’s Day weekend, as he does every year, working at the Clearwater Festival, the annual musical event he formed 36 years ago to help clean up New York’s Hudson River. He has since watched it grow into what organizers say is the largest environmental music festival in the world.
Then there are occasional concert engagements with Arlo Guthrie, his on-again, off-again singing partner since the 1960s and the son of Woody Guthrie. There are more musical genres to study, community sing-alongs to lead and various benefits to support for this longtime advocate of human rights.
AP: So, what was it like to turn 85?
Seeger: I’m becoming just a little bit creaky, like most folks my age. But I get more exercise than most city people do because I’ve got to provide firewood for the house here and right now I’m trying to put up a fence around the garden so that the local deer don’t get in. So I’m in better condition than most people my age. At least from the shoulders down (chuckling). From the shoulders up, I’m only about a quarter there. I can remember lyrics from songs I sung 60 years ago. But what happened to me last week I’d have a little trouble telling you.
AP: Eighty-five probably doesn’t seem like a big deal to you. Your father (pioneering ethnomusicologist Charles Seeger) lived to be, what? Ninety-three?
Seeger: He was 92 when he fell down the stairs, hit his head and went out like a light. Which is just the way he would have wanted to go. I went to close up his little house, where he still cooked for himself. It was still neat as a pin and there was a letter there to someone in some foreign country. He said — how did he put it? — he said, “Now that my cataract operation is a success, I’m out of the doldrums and I’m all set to go traveling around the world again.” He had musicologist friends in many countries and he was planning to go out and visit them again.
AP: You don’t take to the road quite as much as you did.
Seeger: I’m in over my head in local things. We have a local Clearwater sloop called the Beacon Sloop. We take people out for free and teach them how to sail. ... Also, my singing voice is about 95 percent gone now. But I can still get an audience singing because I’m a lifelong song leader. I do what they do in church. They call it lining out the hymn. I tell people, “You know this song” (as he starts singing Woody Guthrie’s “This Land is Your Land”). Then I feed them the words: “As I was walking. That ribbon of highway. I saw above me. I saw below me.” I just need to hint at the words and the audience sings.
AP: How did you meet Woody Guthrie?
Seeger: I had been singing for a little left-wing theater group called Action. One of the teachers there was Will Geer the actor. ... I’d met him in New York, and a year later he had a job in Hollywood. He wrote me and said, “I’ve met the most wonderful ballad singer here named Woody Guthrie.” He said, “I hope when he comes to New York you’ll meet him.” Later (in 1940) Will was in the Erskine Caldwell play “Tobacco Road.” The stage was full of red dust and sharecroppers’ cabins, and Will persuaded the producers to let the theater be used for a midnight concert to benefit California agricultural workers. On stage were Leadbelly, Josh White, an American square dance group my wife was dancing in, and a person who was a stranger to everybody in New York, a little curly-haired guy named Woody Guthrie. He had to come back again and again, they wouldn’t let him off the stage. He’d tell a little story, sing a song, tell another little story, sing another song. I sang one song, very amateurish, got a smattering of applause and quickly left the stage.
AP: Are you still working with his son Arlo?
Seeger: We were together in February to have a little tribute here for our fellow manager Harold Leventhal. Harold is two weeks younger than I, and he and I and Arlo have known each other for 50 years or so. ... Woody brought Arlo up here (to the house) when he was only about 3 years old.
AP: Any plans to do any more recording?
Seeger: You haven’t heard my Martin Luther King song? It was recorded this past year. “Take It From Dr. King.” I don’t expect it to be widely sung, but I think on Dr. King’s birthday it will get sung in schools and churches and played on radio stations. It’s a jazzy little song. But I’m not trying to record any more. As a matter of fact, the only reason I made this record was because I had a whole batch of other people to help me do it.
AP: What do you think has kept Woody’s, and your music, in front of the public for so long?
Seeger: Woody set the tone for it well. It’s been a half-century since he went into a hospital and people are still singing his songs. And the most important work I did in my life since then was go from college to college to college and sing some of Woody’s songs. And Leadbelly’s too. And let them know there is a lot of music in this country that never gets played on the radio. Then along came Bob Dylan, Phil Ochs and Buffy Saint Marie and others, and they carried Woody on farther. And now there are hundreds, maybe thousands, of people doing his songs.
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Art & Culture Japanese Culture
TOP5 Contemporary Authors with Japanese Roots Worth Reading
5 Contemporary Authors with Japanese Roots Worth Reading
By Lisandra Moor
Thankfully, there’s been an increase in the translation of Japanese authors in the last few years. I remember when I was in university, and all I could find on the shelves was Murakami and Mishima. While waiting for more contemporary authors to read, I relied on North American authors of Japanese descent to transport me to Japan or give me some insight on the Japanese communities abroad.
Ruth Ozeki has made her place in the literary world with her witty and intelligent novels. I read A Tale For the Time Being in university and loved how the cultural details sprinkled throughout the book reflected the years Ozeki spent in Japan in a modest and realistic way. While this book is, of course, great for those who either dream of visiting Japan or love a good story set in Tokyo, I’d recommend it for anybody who enjoys a story that blurs the wall between fact and fiction. You know, the kind that makes you fall into a Wikipedia rabbit hole at two in the morning.
Yoshiko Uchida. 2/22/75. At the Book Place. UC Berkeley, Bancroft Library
Yoshiko Uchida
Yoshiko Uchida wrote more than 30 books, all surrounding the issues she was confronted with growing up in America in the mid-20th century. When the Japanese forces attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941, Uchida and her family were among the thousands of Japanese Americans who were robbed of their homes, their citizenships and civil liberty. Despite a three-year internment across the United States, Uchida became an award-winning author known for her raw historical fiction that she would publish in the shapes of everything from memoirs to children’s books.
Julie Otsuka
Julie Otsuka is a must-read author for stories that shed light on the forgotten lives of the growing Japanese community in early 20th-century America. Otsuka’s novels are filled with hardship and unfortunate turns of event, but tell the stories of a few good days too. Her second book, The Buddha in The Attic, traces the picture brides as they sail to the United States to discover a world full of challenges in the form of a new language, new customs, childbirth and the lead-up to the First World War.
Karen Tei Yamashita
Magic realism is something that Japanese authors, or in this case authors with Japanese roots, tend to do extremely well. Karen Tei Yamashita’s third novel does just that, but with complicated commentary. Tropic Orange is amazing in that it speaks to everybody and manages to fit centuries of American history in a digestible few hours. While it might not be her work that explores her roots the most, I think this book explores and expresses her frustrations as a Japanese American in an interesting and introspective way.
Mary Yukari Waters, n/a.
Mary Yukari Waters
While Mary Yukari Waters was born in Japan, she moved to America at the young age of 9. Her books offer amazing insight into the complex feelings and the loss of a clear identity that comes with the violent clash of two contrasting cultures. Her first book, The Laws of Evening, is a collection of short stories set in Post-War Japan when American culture first came to the country.
Have you joined the Tokyo Weekender Book Club yet?
Join us as we dive into (mostly) contemporary books that are either written by Japanese authors, are set in Japan, or have some sort of connection with Japan.
See what we’re reading this month
Feature image by IVY PHOTOS / Shutterstock.com
Did you come straight here after watching our other softcream adventures on YouTube? Or are you just finding us for the first time? Either way, welcome to the local softcream flavors exploration mission. This month…
Banking the Mikuma and Kagetsu Rivers in a large basin in western Oita Prefecture and wreathed by verdant mountains on all sides, lies Hita, a historical town steeped in local folklore. The…
Oita is best known for its onsen havens, but the prefecture in Kyushu has quite a few areas worth exploring on the way to and back from the hot springs. One must-visit…
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TSA Professionals have worked on some of the world's largest stages.
TSA specializes in the design and management of special events that are memorable, immersive and engaging, while also driving strategic organizational goals.
TSA Projects Include:
CANADIAN SCIENCE POLICY CENTRE
TSA planned and executed the annual Canadian Science Policy Conference in 2018 and 2019, which brought together more than 700 scientists and policy-makers from across the country for three days of panels and networking opportunities.
PARLIAMENT HILL, QUEEN’S PARK AND PROVINCIAL LEGISLATURES
TSA has organized multiple receptions on Parliament Hill and at Queen's Park that allow clients the opportunity to mix with politicians, political staff and officials.
DUKE OF EDINBURGH'S COMMONWEALTH STUDY CONFERENCES
TSA managed the eighth Duke of Edinburgh's Commonwealth Study Conference and is now working on the next CSC that will bring 300 emerging leaders from 35 or more Commonwealth countries to Canada in May 2022.
GOVERNOR GENERAL'S CANADIAN LEADERSHIP CONFERENCES
TSA has managed five Governor General’s Canadian Leadership Conferences, Canada’s most prestigious development experience for emerging leaders. Independent surveys show that over 90% of participants rate the Conference as the best that they have ever attended.
“TSA has been a trusted advisor to Salesforce for more than 6 years. They have consistently delivered on a variety of strategic projects for us. They approach their work professionally, act in an ethical manner, and are fun to work with.”
Senior Vice President, Government Affairs & Public Policy - Salesforce
https://www.tsa.ca/testimonials/jim-green/
"We have worked with TSA for several years for some key reasons. The first, and most important is that they are focused on our goals and make good things happen. The second is that I view them as a business partner. Their team brings different perspectives which ensures our plans and strategies are developed thoughtfully and holistically, and our teams have strong alignment."
David Prowten
President & CEO, JDRF Canada
https://www.tsa.ca/testimonials/david-prowten/
"Throughout COVID-19, TSA has been instrumental in ensuring our association and members have remained up to date on developments at both the federal and provincial level. This has been critical for us in navigating the rapidly changing health and economic environment."
Chief Executive Officer, Food and Beverage Canada
https://www.tsa.ca/testimonials/kathleen-sullivan/
"As the Provincial regulator of dentists and registered dental assistants in Nova Scotia, it is critical that we provide clear and accurate information to the public and our registrants that depend on us. TSA ensures our communications are strategic, proactive and timely, and the Board and its spokespeople are fully prepared to engage with the media, stakeholders and the health community."
Dr. Martin Gillis
Registrar, Provincial Dental Board of Nova Scotia
https://www.tsa.ca/testimonials/dr-martin-gillis/
Ontario Fall Economic Statement 2021
Ontario Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy tabled the Government’s annual Fall Economic Statement. The plan lays out how the Government will build the foundation for Ontario’s recovery and prosperity with critical infrastructure, restoring leadership in auto manufacturing, and protecting Ontario’s progress against the COVID-19 pandemic while significantly reducing the annual projected deficits.
Social Media as a Tool for Policy Advocacy
Social media is an essential tool for communicating policy and asserting influence by politicians and those seeking to influence them.
The Top Line Earlier today, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland presented the Federal Economic and Fiscal Update 2021. In the recent
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AN ART WANDERING AT TUFENKIAN FINE ARTS
Brand Associates, August 9, 2021
Crossroads, Crossing and Convergence is an exhibition with a unique, non-traditional curatorial process inspired by the conversations between two female immigrants who have lived in the same countries with different upbringings and occupy different positions in the art world.
This new exhibition features seven contemporary female artists of diverse ethnicities who immigrated to the United States and settled in Los Angeles.
Crossroads refers to each woman’s personal story. Crossing refers to crossing a border, reaching a new horizon, and redefining boundaries. Convergence refers to intersectionality and how various cultures interweave and converge their identities, or resist doing so.
Tufenkian Fine Arts (TFA) is owned by director Caroline Tufenkian, a former Board member of the Brand Associates. The exhibit closes August 20. The gallery director will lead an intimate, behind-the-scenes tour of this landmark exhibition.
Link: VIEW ON BRAND ASSOCIATES
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Joan Stanley-Baker
Edition: 3rd Edition
Artwork: 185 illustrations, 50 in color
Size: 6 in x 8.3 in x 0.7 in
Published: October 28th, 2014
Series: World of Art
“A long-needed presentation of Japanese art that concisely offers inclusive coverage from prehistoric times to the twentieth century.” —Choice
The uniqueness of Japanese culture rests on the fact that, throughout its history, Japan has continually taken, adapted, and transformed diverse influences—whether from Korea, China, and the South Seas, or Europe and America—into distinct traditions of its own. This book, an authoritative and provocative survey of the arts of Japan from the prehistoric period to the present, brings together the results of the most recent research on the subject. In this expanded and updated edition, a new chapter explores Japanese art from the 1980s to the new millennium. Profusely illustrated with examples from a range of arts as well as an extensive bibliography, Japanese Art is a concise, thought-provoking overview of a fascinating culture.
Covers the prehistoric period through Japan today and seeks to capture the essence of Japanese culture, which embraces balance, harmony, humor, and human imperfection. [Stanley-Baker] aims to communicate the sense of union between the art and the artist, as well as the ability of Japanese art and culture to absorb the ideas and influences of other cultures into its own.
— Protoview
Joan Stanley-Baker is Emeritus Professor of Art History at Tainan National University of Arts, Taiwan, and is the author of several books on Japanese and Chinese art.
Viking Art James Graham-Campbell Read More
Art Nouveau Alastair Duncan Read More
Realism in 20th Century Painting Brendan Prendeville Read More
Women, Art, and Society Whitney Chadwick Read More
Turner: Second Edition Graham Reynolds, David Blayney Brown Read More
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» Histoire - History
» William Luther Pierce
William Luther Pierce
VIDEOS - E-BOOKS
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The Dr. William L. Pierce Collection
http://archive.org/details/TheDr.Willia … ctionaudio
Note to self - Item successfully derived 5/16/13.
ETA - Expose Them All
Archived: 630 audio files, over 265 hours of; Dr. William L. Pierce
Dr. William Pierce Audio Archive (308 Radio Broadcasts)
http://www.archive.org/details/DrWillia … Broadcasts
Collection of 308 broadcasts by Dr. William Luther Pierce, former physics professor and founder of the National Alliance, from a program called American Dissident Voices.
Favorite saying of Dr. Pierce for men and women of European ancestry to live by :
Cattle die, and kinsmen die, and so must one die oneself. But there is one thing I know which never dies, and that is the fame of a dead man's deeds.
(Old Norse Proverb)
Dejuificator II
Maîtres Ascensionnés V.I.P
Re: William Luther Pierce
William Pierce - The Turner Diaries Audiobook
http://archive.org/details/TheTurnerDia … iobook1978
Turner Diaries audiobook read by its author Dr. William Pierce
It is a novel originally published in 1978 describing a revolution and civil war in America.
[img align=http://www.the-savoisien.com/blog/public/img2/Macdonald_Andrew_-_Les_Carnets_de_Turner.gif]http://www.the-savoisien.com/blog/public/img2/Macdonald_Andrew_-_Les_Carnets_de_Turner.gif[/img]
Last edited by DejuificatorII (07-12-2011 23:17:04)
Nous serons toujours là.
Welcome to the Cosmotheist Community Church
Ideas conceived by Dr. William Luther Pierce in the 1960s
Audio Clip :
Dr. Pierce Speaks
Dr Pierce Speaks - thus spoke 22.mp3 430 KB
https://mega.co.nz/#!stFQjIDJ!SsqMpHZf0 … 3TkuGjYBZg
Pierce William Luther - Cosmotheism Trilogy.pdf
http://www.balderexlibris.com/index.php … sm-Trilogy
Cosmotheism is a religion which positively asserts there is an internal meaning and purpose in life and in the cosmos. There is an essential unity, or consciousness that binds all living beings and all of the inorganic cosmos, as one. And what our true identity is this: we are the cosmos, made self-aware and self-conscious by evolution. Our undeniable human purpose, is to know and to complete ourselves as conscious individuals, and also as a self-aware species, and thereby to co-evolve with the cosmos towards total and universal awareness, and towards the ever-higher perfection of consciousness and being.
The Holy Books of Cosmotheism
Book #1 : The Path
Book #2 : On Living Things
Book #3 : On Society
1:1 Life is short, our brothers and sisters. Must it also be empty? Must it also be bitter? Must its passing hold terror?
1:2 Where is fulfillment to be found in the midst of shallow and empty things? Where is peace to be found in the midst of chaos and strife? Where is serenity to be obtained in a spiritual wasteland?
1:3 Seek no more, our brothers and sisters, for we give you these answers, and more.
1:4 We show you the meaning and the purpose of things. We lead you from confusion and uncertainty to knowledge; from weakness to strength; from frustrated desire to fulfillment.
1:5 We lead you to the Path of Life. We bring your souls into harmony, with the Spirit of All Things.
1:6 We give you the Truth, which is this: There is but one Reality, and that Reality is the Whole. It is the Creator, the Self-Created.
2:1 The meaning of the Truth is this: Man, the world, and the Creator are not separate things, but man is a part of the world, which is a part of the Whole, which is the Creator.
2:2 The tangible Universe is the material manifestation of the Creator. AH the blazing suns of the firmament; the formless gas between the stars; the silent, frozen mountain peaks of the moon; the rustling trees of earthly forests; the teeming creatures of the dark ocean depths; and man are parts of the Creators material manifestation.
2:3 But the Creator has a spiritual manifestation, which is the Urge toward the One Purpose. The Urge lies at the root of all things and is manifested in the relations between all things.
2:4 The Urge is in the tenuous gases of the void, for they have a purpose, which are the flaming suns and all the planets, which form from them. The Urge is in the earth, for it has a purpose, which is the realm of plants and animals which flourish on it. And the Urge is in man, for he has a purpose, which is higher man.
2:5 And the purposes of all these things are steps on the Path of Life, which leads to the One Purpose, which is the Self-realization of the Creator: the Self-completion of the Self-created.
2:6 And the matter and the spirit, the Universe and the Urge, are One, and it is the Whole.
3:1 Man is of the Whole, and his purpose is the Creators Purpose. And this signifies: Man is, in part, both the substance and the means of the Creator, and he is nothing else; this is his entire being and purpose.
3:2 And man serves the Creators Purpose in two ways. The first way is the way of all the other parts of the Whole; it is the way of sub-man; it is the blind way; it is the way of the deeply in-dwelling consciousness, the immanent consciousness; it is the way of instinct. The second way is the way of higher man; it is the sighted way; it is the way of the awakened consciousness and of true reason; which is to say, it is the way of the perfect union of the immanent consciousness with mans reason, which perfect union we call Divine Consciousness.
4:1 The meaning of the first way is this: The Purpose of the Creator is Self-completion; the Path of the Creator toward Self-completion is the Path of Life; and man is a step on this Path.
4:2 The Creator existed before man, and the Creator will exist after man has surpassed himself. The step on the Path before man was sub-man, and the step on the Path after man is higher man. But man is now, for a time, a part of the Creator, of the ever-changing, ever-evolving Whole.
4:3 There is a threshold on the Path at the step, which is man. It is the threshold of Divine Consciousness. Before man, each part of the Whole was blind, and it could not see the next step on the Path. The gases of the void could not foresee the suns which they were to become, nor could sub-man foresee man. The Urge carried the Whole along the Path, and each part of the Whole, though blind, served the Creators Purpose.
5:1 And the meaning of the second way in which man serves the Creators Purpose is this: The evolution of the Whole toward Self-completion is an evolution in spirit as well as in matter. Self-completion, which is Self-realization, is the attainment of perfect Self-consciousness. The Creators Urge, which is immanent in the Universe, evolves toward an all-seeing Consciousness.
5:2 Man stands between sub-man and higher man, between immanent consciousness and awakened consciousness, between unawareness of his identity and his mission and a state of Divine Consciousness. Some men will cross the threshold, and some will not.
5:3 Those who attain Divine Consciousness will ascend the Path of Life toward their Destiny, which is Godhood; which is to say, the Path of Life leads upward through a never-ending succession of states, the next of which is that of higher man, and the ultimate that of the Self-realized Creator. True reason will illuminate the Path for them and give them foresight; it will be a mighty aid to the Creators Urge within them.
5:4 And those who do not attain Divine Consciousness will continue groping in the darkness, and their feet will be tripped by the snares of false reason, and they will stumble from the Path, and they will fall into the depths.
5:5 For the threshold at which man stands is a dangerous threshold, a difficult threshold. And mans reason is a dangerous achievement. Just as it can give eyes to his instinct, which is the immanent consciousness of the Whole acting in him, so it can confuse and mislead his instinct.
6:1 And let us now understand the present state of man, so that we can distinguish true reason from false reason. Let us employ true reason, so that it can guide us across the threshold of Divine Consciousness.
6:2 The difference between true reason and false reason is this: True reason seeks to guide mans actions in accord with the immanent consciousness of the Whole, while false reason does not.
6:3 The man or woman of true reason seeks order in all things, and he shuns chaos. He is pleased by a harmonious relationship between all the elements of his life and the world. He rejects that which clashes and does not fit, that which is alien.
6:4 He is happy in the knowledge that what was true and good yesterday will be true and good tomorrow. Through order and harmony, he seeks true progress, which is the ascent of the Path of Life; but he shuns frivolous change, which destroys the harmony between the past and the future.
6:5 He loves truth, and he hates falsehood.
6:6 He loves beauty, and he hates ugliness.
6:7 He loves nobility in all things, and he hates baseness.
6:8 And all these predispositions of the man or woman of true reason are like rays thrown out by the Divine Spark which burns in his soul. And this Divine Spark is the immanent consciousness of the Whole. It is the presence of the Creators Urge in him.
7:1 The Divine Spark burns brightly in some men, and their reason is true. It burns less brightly in others, and in them true reason may give way to false reason.
7:2 For the Urge is in all things, but the state of consciousness of the Whole is more highly evolved in some things than in others. It is more highly evolved in living things than in non-living things; in man than in other animals; and in some men than in other men. There exists in the various living creatures a continuous hierarchy of states of the immanent consciousness of the Whole.
7:3 In the best of times men and women of true reason prevail, and there is true progress.
7:4 But in the worst of times false reason overcomes true reason. Then the self-seekers, the liars, and those of base motives prevail.
7:5 And then all the other evils come forth: Falsehood overcomes truth and is held up in the place of truth. Ugliness replaces beauty and is preferred over beauty. Baseness is everywhere and is praised as nobility. Disharmony rules all mens lives, and those of true reason are frustrated in their desires.
7:6 Lies are heard everywhere, and no one has the power to speak against them. Evil deeds are seen everywhere, and no one can act against them. All that is good, valuable, and progressive is pulled down and defiled. All that is alien and discordant grows and multiplies. There is no true reason or peace in the masses of men, and they are without direction or purpose.
7:7 Then most men live from day to day, and their only thought is of themselves. Through idle amusements, through eating and drinking, through games and parties, through stupefying themselves with intoxicants, and through every other form of self-indulgence, they turn their thoughts away from the meaninglessness of their existence.
7:8 Some men attempt to give directions to their lives, but they are false directions. Their purposes may be to accumulate wealth or f o wield power over other men or to become skilled in some art or craft. But unless these purposes are related to the Creators Purpose they are without merit and the lives of those who pursue them are as without meaning as the lives of those with no purpose.
7:9 For falsehood may often have the appearance of truth, but it remains false nevertheless. A man may pile up mountains of gold, or he may order nations to war, or he may acquire great knowledge or skill, but if he does not direct his life in accordance with the One Purpose, he may as well not have lived.
8:1 Death comes to the man or woman without Divine Consciousness as it comes to the sub-man: living matter becomes non-living matter; meaningless life becomes meaningless death; the personality is annihilated. Eternal nothingness is the destiny of those who are spiritually empty.
8:2 But he who has attained a state of Divine Consciousness partakes of the immortality of the Whole in the way of higher man: his body perishes, but his spirit remains with the Whole.
8:3 He who is a member of the Community of Divine Consciousness is not annihilated by death, because his consciousness is one with that of the Community. So long as the Community lives, his consciousness lives; and so long as the Community serves the One True Purpose, he who served that Purpose before the perishing of his body serves it in eternity.
9:1 The Community of Divine Consciousness is the Community of the Awakened, the Community of the Climbers of the Path, the Community of the People of the Rune of Life, the Community of the Ordained Ones.
9:2 The gathering of those who would become members of the Community of Divine Consciousness is called the Cosmotheist Community; it is the Community of those who would become People of the Rune.
9:3 And the People of the Rune are known by these four things: knowledge, consciousness, discipline, and service; they are the things for which the members of the Cosmotheist Community strive.
9:4 By knowledge is meant understanding of the Truth. It is attained by the receptive learner through diligent study of the teachings of the Cosmotheist Community.
9:5 By consciousness is meant the awakened state of those who have gone beyond knowledge and have partaken of the immanent consciousness of the Whole which resides in their innermost souls; they have understood the inner message and have seen that it is the same as the outer message, which is the message taught by the Cosmotheist Community. The attainment of consciousness, like knowledge, requires receptiveness and diligence, and it also requires good will, which is to say, a pure motive.
9:6 Discipline comes from without and from within. From without it is imposed on the members of the Cosmotheist Community. By being so imposed it brings forth the growth of discipline from within. Without discipline, there is no mastery, and he who has not mastered the chaos of conflicting forces within himself cannot render full service. But discipline imposed and discipline which grows from within together give those who have attained knowledge and consciousness mastery over their own forces, so that those forces may serve the Creators Purpose.
10:1 Service of the Creators Purpose is the purpose of all things, and the purpose of the Community of Divine Consciousness is service which is conscious and disciplined. In this dangerous and difficult era of the threshold between man and higher man, many men have ceased serving the Creators Purpose in the old way, which is the way of sub-man, the unconscious way, and they have not begun serving in the new way. False reason leads them instead into the grievous error of contravention of the Creators Purpose.
10:2 But the members of the Community of Divine Consciousness, the Awakened Ones, the People of the Rune, serve in the new way, which is the way of higher man, the way of true reason. They are conscious agents of the Creators Purpose.
10:3 And they are ordained to overcome the men of false reason and to put an end to the works of all those who contravene the Creators Purpose.
10:4 They are the beginning; they are the first crossers of the threshold; they are the pointers of the way, of the Path of Life. Through their service, they resume the never-ending ascent toward their Destiny, which is Godhood.
11:1 And this is our summons to you, our brothers and sisters; it is our call to all the men and women of our blood who are of good will:
11:2 Abandon falsehood and folly. Cast off alien ways and free yourselves from the snares of false reason. Turn away from the corruption of this decaying order of things.
11:3 Understand who you are and what your purpose is. Seek your Destiny. Put your life into the service of Cosmic Truth.
11:4 Enter now into the Cosmotheist Community. Partake of our joyful certainty that the Creators Purpose will be fulfilled. Lay with us the foundations for the new order of things, which will rise in the place of the old.
11:5 Cross with us the threshold of Divine Consciousness. Strive with us toward membership in the Community of the Awakened.
On Living Things
1:1 From the Path we know these things:
1:2 There is but one Reality, and that Reality is the Whole. It is the Creator, the Self-created. (1:6)
1:3 The material manifestation of the Creator is the tangible Universe, with all its non-living and living things, including man. (2:2)
1:4 The spiritual manifestation of the Creator is the Urge toward the One Purpose. The Urge lies at the root of all things and is manifested in the relations between all things. (2:3)
1:5 The One Purpose is the Self-Realization of the Creator: the Self-completion of the Self-created. (2:5)
1:6 Mans purpose is the Creators Purpose. He is, in part of both substance and the means of the Creator, and he is nothing else; this is his entire being and purpose. (3:1)
1:7 Man serves the Creators Purpose in two ways: unconsciously and consciously. In both ways, he follows the Path of Life, which is the Creators evolutionary Path toward Self-Completion. He passes from step to step on the Path, from sub-man to man to higher man, and beyond. (3:2, 4:1-2)
1:8 In the unconscious way the passing is blind, an its driving force is instinct, which is a manifestation of the immanent consciousness of the Whole in man. (3:2)
1:9 And in the conscious way the passing is guided by mans awareness of his true identity and his true mission; this awareness illuminates the Path before him and allows him to choose his steps. (5:3)
2:1 These things, which we know, lead us to an understanding of the significance and value of all living things: of the variety of animals, of the races of man, and the varying qualities of individual men.
2:2 We understand that the living things developed from non-living things through the all-permeating Urge toward self-realization: first, there was the Urge, and through it came the ordering of non-living and the highest ordered became living. And the Urge has ordered the living things, and through this ordering has come higher levels of consciousness. And the Urge continues its ordering.
2:3 All matter, living and non-living, is ordered in a hierarchy, animate above inanimate, conscious above unconscious. The Urge is toward higher consciousness; the purpose of all material things is the implementation of the Urge, the service of the One Purpose; and the value of each thing is its potential for serving the One purpose.
2:4 Now, our understanding of this truth must serve as a guide to us in evaluating all things living and on-living, animate and inanimate, human and non-human.
3:1 Some have taught falsely that all things, being of the Whole, are sacred and inviolable. They mean: sacred in the eyes of men; inviolable by men. They may be of good will, in wanting to restrain men from thoughtless destruction, in wanting to protect beautiful and noble living things, in wanting to preserve the harmony of the Universe. But their understanding is limited, and their teaching is contrary to the purpose of the Creators Purpose.
3:2 For man is not a spectator, but a participant; not a being apart, but a part of all Being. And every living part of the Whole lives only by violating other parts; every animal must take unto itself other living things and must cast away its wastes.
3:3 It is only the Whole, which is inviolable, only the One Purpose that is sacred. The parts of the Whole come and go; they are subject to the eternal process of Creation, which annihilates some, preserves some, and transforms some.
3:4 And higher man, Divinely Conscious man, is an agent as well as a subject of this process. When a member of the Community of Divine Consciousness acts in accord with the One Purpose, the Creator is acting.
3:5 Others have taught falsely that man himself is sacred and inviolable; that all who are men are immune to the process of creation, that men stand aside from it and above it, and that all men are of kind.
3:6 But the value of man lies not in his conformation, nor in his ability to speak or to reason, except as these things aid him in serving the One Purpose. If he does not serve the Purpose, his life is without value, his formation and reason meaningless. If he contravenes the One Purpose, then he is an abomination, his life a defilement of all life.
4:1 Thus are men ranked in value: First in value are those with Divine Consciousness; they are those who walk the Path of Life with sure foresight; they are those who have crossed the threshold from man to higher man; they are those who serve the Creators Purpose in full consciousness that they are of the Creator and in full knowledge of the way in which they serve; they are the Awakened Ones.
4:2 Next in value are those of goodwill and awakening consciousness; they are those who strive for Divine Consciousness; they are those of the Cosmotheist Community.
4:3 After them are all those of the stock from which the Awakened Ones arise, those of the same race-soul; for they collectively, are the reservoir in which higher man has his origin and from which he draws his replacements.
4:4 But in this reservoir men are also ranked in value: Those uncorrupted by false reason are higher, and those corrupted are lower.
4:5 Those of goodwill are higher, and those indifferent, self-seeking, or serving alien masters are lower.
4:6 Those who have mastered themselves are higher, and those who have not are lower.
4:7 Those with great capability for knowledge are higher, and those with less capability are lower.
4:8 Those who are strong constitution and well formed are higher, and those who are weak, sickly, or ill formed are lower.
4:9 And those men who, even though of the stock from which the Awakened Ones arise, are corrupted of ill will, undisciplined, without the capability for knowledge, weak, or ill formed cannot claim value by reason of their stock alone.
4:10 For they may threaten, through evil action, the One Purpose, if they are corrupted by false reason and of ill will.
4:11 And they may also threaten, through weakening of the stock, the One purpose, if they lack the capability for discipline or knowledge or are of poor constitution.
5:1 And all other living things may also be ranked in value: men not of the stock from which the Awakened Ones arise; the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, the fishes of the sea; the smaller things which creep or crawl or fly; the large and small forms of inanimate life.
5:2 Each living thing has a potential for good effect and for evil effect, for serving the Creators Purpose and for contravening it. This potential is both inherent in a thing and dependent on its relationships with other living things, and it determines the value of the thing.
5:3 Let us now understand how this potential is judged: The Potential for good which is inherent in a thing is its potential for attaining Divine Consciousness or for giving rise to new things which may attain Divine Consciousness; its potential for good which is dependent on its relationships with other things is its potential for hindering the attaining of Divine Consciousness by other things.
5:4 A Things potential for evil, which is dependent on the things relations to other things is its potential for hindering the attaining of Divine Consciousness by other things.
5:5 A thing may have a high potential for attaining Divine Consciousness, but it may also have a potential for hindering another living thing with a higher potential for attaining Divine Consciousness; or it may have a low potential for attaining Divine Consciousness, yet have a high potential for aiding another living thing in attaining Divine Consciousness.
5:6 We can deem a thing good or evil only after we have weighted together its potential for both good and evil effect. For this weighing, we must have knowledge; for this reason does the Cosmotheist seek knowledge.
6:1 A living thing may realize its potential for good effect by proving either physical or spiritual sustenance for the stock of men who from which the Awakened Ones arise:
6:2 It may provide physical sustenance, as the sheaf of grain or the steer provides bread or meat.
6:3 Or it may sustain those things which provide sustenance, as the grass of the meadow nourishes the steer or the microbes of the soil allow the grain to grow.
6:4 Or it may provide spiritual sustenance, as the trees of the forest, the flowers of the field, the strong and graceful beasts of prey provide beauty for the eye, instruction for the mind, and inspiration for the soul.
6:5 And a living thing may realize its potential for evil effect in all the ways it may harm the stock of men from which the awakened Ones arise:
6:6 It may weaken or destroy that stock physically, as the plague microbe or the debilitating parasite wreaks its havoc.
6:7 Or it may deny that stock sustenance, as the swarm of locusts destroys the sustaining grain.
6:8 Or it may corrupt that stock spiritually, as the stock of alien race soul spreads its spiritual poison.
6:9 Or it may corrupt that stock through a mixing of bloods.
6:10 The first two of these evil effects may come from things which have a low potential for attaining Divine Consciousness, but the latter two come only from things which are close in potential for attaining Divine Consciousness to the stock from which the Awakened Ones arise.
7:1 Let us understand these latter evils:
7:2 The process of Creation is a process of developing self-consciousness in the Whole. Its way has progressed from blindness to foresightedness, from unguided groping to the threshold of consciously directed progress.
7:3 Because its way has been a groping, bound in the fog of imperfect consciousness, Creation has followed many channels; the Urge has taken many directions.
7:4 In some channels the current of progress has been slow, and in some it has been rapid. Some channels have ended in stagnant ponds, and the Urge has found no outlet. Some ponds have dried up altogether.
7:5 In other channels the current has been rapids, but the course of the channel has gone askew: reason has developed without consciousness, strength without discipline, action without service for the One Purpose.
7:6 Thus are we to understand the diversity of the forms of life.
7:7 In one channel the current has been sufficiently rapid and the course sufficiently true that the stream of life has reached the edge of the god. Beyond lies the open water in which distant goals can bee seen and a straight course chosen with foresight.
7:8 But other currents also run near the edge of the fog, and the danger still exists of being swept into a false channel, of being carried back into the fog, of emptying into a stagnant pond. And the closer we are these false channels, the greater the danger.
8:1 And so, then, those living things which provide necessary physical and spiritual sustenance for the stock from which arise the awakened ones are good and should be preserved: the grain and the steer, just as the living forest, the flowers of the field, the eagle and the leopard, and all other living things necessary to these.
8:2 And those living things which weaken the stock from which the Awakened Ones arise, or deny it necessary sustenance, or pull down its potential for divine consciousness are evil, and measures must be taken against them; against the disease organisms which plague sustenance, against the lesser stocks which may mix or corrupt. And as the last of these evils is the greatest, so must the strongest measures be taken against it.
9:1 In evaluating living things this also must be understood:
9:2 Our stock has reached a threshold, which separates the unconscious way of progress from the conscious way, and the values of all things change when this threshold is crossed.
9:3 In an age of immanent consciousness some living things severed through their very hostility to advance our stock, as the wolf strengthens the stock of sheep by pruning away the slow and the infirm.
9:4 In an age of awakened consciousness, these things cease to serve; our stock will prune itself, and the pruning will better serve the One Purpose, because it will be done with foresight.
9:5 But at the threshold we must use the greatest care; its crossing is a time of danger, in which the old way no longer serves, and the new way still waits beyond the threshold.
10:1 And these are the qualities which man shall value in himself, both higher man and the stock from which higher man arises.
10:2 First, the brightness of the Divine Spark in his soul, which is the immanent consciousness of the Whole in him. The brighter it burns, the truer is a mans inner sense of direction.
10:3 Second, the strength of his reason, for the perfect union of reason with immanent consciousness is divine Consciousness. The stronger is a mans reason, the more effectively can he implement the Creators Urge and the more truly steer his lifes course in the direction illuminated by the Divine Spark in his soul.
10:4 Third, the strength of his character, which is his ability to act in accord with his immanent consciousness and reason, overcoming the lesser urgings in himself, seeking consciousness rather than pleasure, knowledge rather than happiness, true progress rather than wealth. It is his ability to subordinate all the extraneous urgings, which are of the nature of sub-man and man to Urge, which is the nature of higher man.
10:5 Fourth, the physical constitution of his body, that it might serve well the One Purpose. Thus are strength and soundness and keen senses to be valued, for they make the body a better tool, and beauty, for it manifests mans Divine nature and inspires his efforts to act in accord with the urgings of his race-soul.
11:1 These are the ways in which man shall consciously serve the Creators Purpose, combining true reason with immanent consciousness in the advancement of his stock along the Path of Life:
11:2 He shall keep his stock pure; he shall not permit his blood to mix with that of other stocks, for each stock follows a different course along the Path of Life. When stocks are mixed, the inner sense of direction is lost with it the potential for attaining Divine Consciousness.
11:3 He shall increase the number of his stock, and he shall make every land wherein he dwells, free of the danger of mixing with other stocks.
11:4 He shall so arrange his laws and his institutions that in each generation men and women shall engender numbers of offspring in proportion to their own value: the best shall engender the most, and the worst none.
11:5 He shall guide the progress of his stock from generation to generation: he shall act as the wolf and the winter have acted, pruning and selecting; and he shall act as have all those forces of the Whole which change the seed of his stock.
And he shall do these things in full consciousness of his identity as the substance of the Creator and the agent of the Creators Purpose.
On Society
1:1 Human social institutions, like all other things, are of the Whole, and they cannot be perfect while the Self-realization of the Whole remains incomplete. As men and all other things made by men they can only serve the One Purpose imperfectly.
1:2 While men lack consciousness, their society reflects their blindness and their groping; its service fails; it even may become an instrument of retrogression, contravening the Creators Purpose.
1:3 But when men are awakened, then their society should reflect their consciousness and their true reason; it should become an instrument of progress; it should manifest in its structure and in its institutions the Urge toward the One Purpose.
1:4 How, then, should men who have been awakened constitute their society so that it may best serve the Creators Purpose? How should they govern their community, which is the Cosmotheist Community? What should be the forms and functions of their institutions?
1:5 We know that men who are members of the Community must keep their stock pure, increase their number, and make every place where they dwell secure for these purposes (On Living Things, 6:2-3); they must strive for knowledge, consciousness, discipline, and service (The Path, 4:3); they must judge themselves by their qualities and order themselves accordingly (On Living Things, 2:3-4, 6:4); and they must elevate the value of their stock from generation to generation (On Living Things, 6: 5).
1:6 These four concerns of men survival, right striving, order, and progress are the proper determinants of human social institutions. Accordingly, society has four proper functions: defense of the Community and of the stock in which it is based; guidance of the striving of the Communitys members; organization of the Community for the maintenance of order and the effective pursuit of its Purpose; and elevation of the value of the Communitys stock.
2:1 The Community defends itself and the stock in which it is based by providing collective means for countering the many dangers with which the individual man alone cannot contend.
2:2 The Community must protect the purity and healthfulness of the air men breathe and the water they drink. It must concern itself with the quality of the food they eat. It must beware of every threat to the physical health and fitness of men, and it must have the means to prevent any man from poisoning the common air, water, or land, whether from greed, malice, negligence, or ignorance.
2:3 The Community also must have the means to promote those factors in the lives of men which lead to sounder, stronger, and more beautiful bodies; to build health is to defend against illness.
2:4 Vigilance against famine and disease, the conservation of common resources upon which the survival or welfare of the Community and its stock depends, and armed protection of the Community against those who would harm it are necessary elements of societys defensive function.
2:5 Likewise are those elements concerned with defense against the corruption of mens spirits necessary, for survival depends not on the physical aspects of mens lives alone: Just as the defense of the physical health and welfare of the Community is a proper social function, so is the defense of its spiritual health and welfare.
2:6 Thus, it is proper that the Community use all needed means to exclude the purveyors of doctrines which would have men act against the Creators Purpose, and that it oppose diligently all influences which corrupt mens spirits and turn them from the Path of Life.
2:7 If a man teaches others that the mixing of stocks is permissible or that all men are of equal value or that human life has no purpose, then the Community shall make him an outlaw and drive him out.
2:8 And, whether a man teaches falsehood or not, if his behavior or his manner of life is such as to lead others astray or to weaken the order of the Community, then he may not remain in the Community. For it is a proper function of society to safeguard the Community against indiscipline as much as against falsehood.
3:1 The Community guides its members in their striving for knowledge, consciousness, discipline, and service by providing a social framework and social institutions within which each striver learns and grows and is shaped into an effective agent of the Creators Purpose. These support and direct him; they give him both necessity and means.
3:2 Mens knowledge comes not from their individual endeavors alone, but from the collective striving of the race over the endless course of generations. The Community must preserve the knowledge gained in each generation and make it the basis for further gain in the next generation; it must impart to the members of the Community knowledge gained by past generations; and it must facilitate the gain of new knowledge to be bequeathed to future generations.
3:3 The Community must provide a framework, which encourages and rewards scholarship, and it must provide the institutions the libraries, the schools, and the laboratories within which scholars can seek knowledge effectively.
3:4 The Community must concern its self with the imparting of knowledge outside of its schools as well as inside. The Communitys customs and practices, its celebrations and festivals, its songs and rituals, all the work and the play of its members should impart knowledge of identity, of mission, and of means.
3:5 Above all else, the Community must give direction to the gain of knowledge; for it is not mere knowledge itself for which the members of the Community strive: it is knowledge which leads to understanding, knowledge which complements consciousness, knowledge which abets service of the One Purpose. The Community must ensure that the efforts of its knowledge-seekers are purposeful and coordinated; that every member remains aware of the Communitys direction and of its goal in his quest for knowledge, so that what he gains will be the gain of the Community.
3:6 Those entrusted by the Community to supervise the guidance of its members, however, must ever be mindful that the path to knowledge takes many unexpected turns. The course of wisdom, therefore, is to avoid narrowness and to be ever ready to accept new ways to the goal, if they were better ways.
3:7 Consciousness and discipline, like knowledge, are better acquired with guidance than without, and the Community also must provide this guidance through its institutions.
3:8 Many of the same institutions which guide the members of the Community in their striving for knowledge also will guide the awakening of their consciousness and the building of their control over themselves. Schools must impart consciousness along with knowledge, and they must impart both in a manner, which trains the awakening learners in self-mastery.
3:9 Festivals and rituals, likewise, must raise consciousness, and they must demand self-discipline of the celebrants: in practice for song and recitation; in demonstration of grace, skill, and strength. The Community must glory in the self-mastery of its members and in their achievements, valuing these things so highly that all will strive mightily for them.
3:10 Service, above all else, requires guidance, so that the service of each member of the Community complements and reinforces that of every other member. The Community itself is an instrument of service; the performance of service is its reason for existence, and its every institution must manifest that reason.
3:11 The Community, therefore, must have order and structure: each member has his place in the Community, each place serves its purpose, and the purpose of every place is comprehended by the One Purpose. Each member of the Community serves according to his qualities: one in his way, and another in his and it is good that there be many ways. But each way is guided; each member accepts the guidance of the Community in the performance of his service.
4:1 The Community is not merely the sum of its members, its institutions, and its material assets; it is an organization, and its ability to perform its service depends upon the effective coordination of its components.
4:2 Without order, by which is meant the placing of members in accordance with their qualities, the Community is incoherent, and it cannot progress.
4:3 Without structure, by which is meant the body of rules defining the relationships between its members and governing its institutions, the Community has no strength, and it will fail.
4:4 The qualities of men and women grow from within; but the growth of these qualities is ruled both from within and from without. The Community rules the growth from without, and it judges the qualities according to its standards.
4:5 Some qualities are manifest even in an infant. These include beauty, strength, vigor, and fidelity to the physical norms of the stock. Other qualities intelligence and disposition show themselves in the growing child; and some become visible only in full maturity, when the mind and character of the man or woman have developed for many years and been proved in attainments and in service.
4:6 The Community must judge all of these qualities, throughout the life of each member, and it must act on its judgment in such a way that the order in the Community best serves the Creators Purpose. It must judge the infant, and decide whether or not his future lies in the Community; it must judge the child, and train him according to his ability; and it must judge the adult, so that he is fitted to his task and to his station.
4:7 In every society men are ranked, in high station or low: some by the criterion of wealth, some by age, some by the favor of the mob, some by the qualities of their friends or associates, some by their mental or physical skills. But the Community stands apart from other societies: its members attain their stations, and they ascend from one station to the next, according only to their value in the Communitys performance of its service.
4:8 In every aspect of the Communitys service, those who are ranked high guide those who are ranked beneath them, and the latter return respect for guidance. Authority to guide is granted by the Community to those whose qualities, manifested in their prior attainments and service, provide assurance that the authority will serve well the Communitys purpose, and it is granted in a measure corresponding to the assurance provided. With each grant of authority, a corresponding degree of responsibility is imposed.
4:9 And these are the four essential institutions of the Community: the family, the academy, the corps of guardians, and the hierarchy.
4:10 The family is the institution by which the Community regenerates itself. For the Community the name of the institution has a special meaning. Others may call a man and a woman living together who are beyond the childbearing age a family, or they may use the name to designate an extended group, including grandparents and other related persons. But by family we mean a man and a woman united by the Community specifically for the purpose of engendering and nurturing children, and the children so engendered until they attain adulthood.
4:11 Over each family so defined the Community exerts its authority: it judges the children of each family; it limits their number when that serves the Communitys purpose; and it sets the pattern for nurturing them.
4:12 The Community does these things in order to ensure that the value of its stock will increase from generation to generation, and it charges each man and each woman who are united in a family to keep this purpose ever in mind and to govern themselves accordingly.
4:13 The Community honors each man who is a father and each woman who is a mother, and the family in which the two are united, in a measure corresponding to the value of the children they engender; and this value is measured both by the qualities inherent in the children at their birth and by the development and strengthening of their qualities through proper nurture.
4:14 The academy is the institution by which the Community educates its members, throughout their lives.
4:15 In the academy the children of the Community receive a uniform grounding in language, history, music, and the other elements of their cultural heritage; they are made conscious of the spiritual basis of their existence and of the Cosmotheist Truth; and they begin the lifelong process of building will and character through discipline.
4:16 In the academy the youth of the Community receive the training necessary to prepare them for their work in the Community, in accord with their qualities.
4:17 And in the academy those adult members of the Community who serve it as scholars carry on their work.
4:18 The corps of guardians is the institution by which the Community defends itself against its enemies, both within and without: against those who would harm any of the things upon which the life of the Community depends, both its physical life and its spiritual life.
4:19 The men of the Community who are chosen to become guardians shall be trained and proven. They shall come only from among those ordained to a life of service to the One Purpose, and they shall be only of the best of those: of the most disciplined, the most conscious, and the most capable. They shall be the strong right arm of the Community, a sworn brotherhood of sentinels ever vigilant against the enemies of the Community.
4:20 The hierarchy is the institution by which the Community orders itself, rules itself, and holds itself to its proper course along the Path of Life.
4:21 The hierarchy is a community of priests within the Community; in structure it is a series of steps leading upward. When a man enters the first step, he is ordained to a life of service to the One Purpose.
4:22 Thereafter he may be the father of a family, or a scholar in the academy, or a guardian, or a worker in another field of service to the Community, but he remains also a hierarch. As he advances in knowledge, in consciousness, in discipline, and in service, he is judged by those above him; and, according to their judgment, he may progress upward, from step to step, throughout his life.
4:23 The hierarchy guides and judges. It shapes structures and makes or changes rules, when those things are needed; otherwise it preserves what it has made. It looks to the future, foresees the needs of the Community, and strives to fulfill those needs. Above all else, it keeps the Community moving ever upward: toward new knowledge, higher levels of consciousness, greater strength and discipline, more effective service of the Creators Purpose.
4:24 The Community may have other institutions which serve its needs, but it must have these four: the family, by which it breeds and builds itself; the academy, by which it trains itself and grows in knowledge; the corps of guardians, by which it defends itself; and the hierarchy, by which it governs and guides itself.
5:1 The Community progresses by traveling upward along the Path of Life from generation to generation: it elevates itself in both its physical and its spiritual aspects.
5:2 It strives toward higher man by pruning and selecting the stock in which it is based. It orders its men and women according to their qualities, and, in the family, it combines and propagates those qualities that best serve its purpose. It ensures that the children born in each generation manifest those qualities more strongly than those of the preceding generation.
5:3 The Community also elevates itself by awakening more fully in each member the immanent consciousness of the Whole and by building in him the discipline needed to render more effective service; through the family and the academy it does these things, and it strives always to do them better.
5:4 And the Community elevates itself by refining and strengthening all of its institutions, by striving always to make them more nearly perfect: to make the family an institution able to engender children of higher quality and to nurture and train them more suitably in their earliest years; to make the academy a more effective institution for raising these children to conscious, disciplined, and knowledgeable adulthood; to make the corps of guardians a stronger and more vigilant institution for safeguarding the physical and spiritual welfare of the Community; and to make the hierarchy wiser, truer, and more effective in its guidance of the Community, with each passing year.
5:5 Thus, the structure of the Community, the form of its institutions and the rules, which govern them, evolve, just as does the stock in which the Community is based. But they do not evolve blindly; they are guided with an ever-growing self-consciousness, with an ever-surer sense of direction along the Path of Life, with an ever brighter and clearer vision of the Godhood, which is the destiny of the stock whose members follow the Path.
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The Rise of Aaron’s Amphitheatre
Jaclyn Mulé, Staff Writer|September 25, 2015
This past summer saw the rise of Aaron’s Amphitheatre, a massive pavilion about four miles south of downtown Atlanta. With innovative lighting, technology, and a distinctive easygoing atmosphere, Aaron’s Amphitheatre reigns as the most popular concert venue among Westminster students. The amphitheater, which first opened in 1989, now boasts parking for 6,000, concession stands, and 2 VIP decks.
From Fall Out Boy to Sting, Aaron’s Amphitheatre attracts an array of musicians.
“I think Aaron’s Amphitheatre attracts so many artists because there is a unique venue, and an outdoor and indoor component,” said junior Michael McGovern. “It also can hold a lot of people, which garners the attention of big-name celebrities.”
Several artists, such as Phish, have named Aaron’s Amphitheatre as one of their preferred concert locations, owing to the venue’s unparalleled audio experience. Other celebrities such as Tim McGraw, Elton John, Pearl Jam, and Aerosmith have performed there.
“I think it’s pretty cool that you don’t have an assigned seat, so you have some mobility,” said McGovern. “You can turn around and talk to all of your friends who are also there, in the lawn.”
Many Westminster students attended multiple concerts, but usually could choose a favorite from them all.
“I went to Wiz Khalifa, Dave Matthews, Lady Antebellum, and Toby Keith this summer,” said McGrew. “I had the most fun at Wiz Khalifa because all of my friends were there, and that’s my favorite artist out of all of them.”
Out of all the concerts this summer, the highest number of Westminster students attended the concert featuring JCole, a popular hip-hop recording artist “A lot of my friends from outside of school were there,” said sophomore Truman Vick. “I knew all the songs, so it was fun.”
Students cited the artists and mobility as major reasons for the amphitheater’s popularity.
“It does have a lot of good artists that perform there,” said McGovern, “But also the free and mobile spacing makes it so you can walk around and see all of your friends instead of having to sit next to one, like the arena.”
“You can go on the lawn, or you can go into the concert, so a lot of people can afford it that way because it’s cheaper at the lawn and more expensive at the concerts,” said McGrew. The 4000 seats under the pavilion, 3000 outdoor seats, and open area for another 12,000 concert-goers draws many Westminster students.
The concerts are popular not only among Westminster students, but throughout Atlanta. “I would say that it seems very relaxed,” said McGovern. “It felt really open and free, since it is mostly outdoors.”
This summer, more students went to Aaron’s Amphitheatre than Braves games. Although some Westminster students consider concerts and Braves games incomparable, others prefer the concerts.
“Unlike the Braves stadium, where you have to stay in one place, you can move around [at Aaron’s amphitheater],” said McGovern. “I do also enjoy going to Braves games, but I do like from a personal standpoint to walk around and see kids who I don’t get to see everyday, some of whom don’t go to Westminster.”
However, in McGrew’s opinion, part of the increase in popularity of Aaron’s Amphitheatre is because the Braves stadium slightly switched amenities.
“The place where everyone hangs out at Braves games [changed], in a way, so a lot of people don’t go anymore,” said McGrew. “And there were also a ton of concerts people liked this summer, so it was more fun than Braves games.”
Although the concerts were extremely popular this summer, Aaron’s Amphitheatre’s popularity may decline with the approach of fall and winter.
“It’s too cold in the winter to go,” said Vick.
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Rotherham UEFA Women's Euro 2022 legacy programme
UEFA Women's Euro 2022 will be staged in England
UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 is a huge opportunity for women and girls in across Rotherham to engage in a healthy lifestyle through football.
More than that, we all know that physical activity has significant mental health benefits too.
Chris Siddall, acting head of strategic projects and partnerships at Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council, said: “Rotherham Council is excited to be working alongside our partners to encourage more women and girls to be physically active, participate in football and become leaders of the future.
“The UEFA Women's EURO 2022 is a wonderful opportunity to demonstrate everything that is great about our borough.”
ROTHERHAM LEGACY BOOKLET
Jamie Noble, head of community at Rotherham United Community Sports Trust, added: “We hope, that having such a prestigious multinational event, shows in the community about the unbelievable power of football and its ability to unite and be a common language which can inspire future generations.”
Here’s what we aim to achieve within two years of the end of the tournament:
Deliver a range of programmes to welcome women and girls into football, focusing on under-represented groups.
Use football to encourage more women and girls to adopt and maintain a healthier lifestyle.
Develop leadership opportunities to help women and girls grow the game.
All leading to:
Doubling the number of FA-qualified women coaches and referees.
Fifty per cent increase in the number of football opportunities for women and girls.
One thousand women engaged on a new bespoke digital platform to create awareness of playing opportunities.
History Of Women’s Football To Be Revealed
#WEURO2022 Schools Programme Now Live
TICKETS RANGE FROM £5 TO £50
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If you're plugging along in the prime of your life, you may be surprised to learn that blowing out 50 candles on your birthday cake qualifies you for Senior Center membership in many communities.
When exactly does one become old? When one has grandchildren? When one needs reading glasses? When one retires from work?
“There is no answer for how old is old,” says Cyndie Bender, director of University Hospitals Center for Lifelong Health/Post Acute Services. “I know some pretty vital 90-year-olds, and I know some 40-year-olds who can barely get out of bed in the morning. It's all about healthy living habits.”
Older Adults Now More Involved
In general, she says, people who are approaching their retirement years today are more active in managing their health and finances than their parents and grandparents were during the same stage of their lives.
“I feel like people of my father's generation were more passive participants in their health care,” Ms. Bender says. “Today, health care is more complicated and people are paying more attention to health risks, disease processes and educating themselves about insurance and financial planning. I think doctors are better at supporting their patients to learn how to manage their health better, instead of just telling them what to do. As a result, I think people today generally have the opportunity to enjoy a longer retirement than our parents did.”
Here are five tips to help baby boomers optimize their lives as they reach and pass the age of 60:
Get connected. The world is embracing the latest communications technologies and so should you, Ms. Bender suggests.
“People want to stay in touch with their grandchildren and today, social media like Facebook is the way to do it,” she says. “Your computer and iPhone are connections to the outside world, whether you live in your home or in an assisted living community.”
Another reason to connect is because many organizations, like UH’s Age Well, Be Well Club, communicate events and announcements to the vast majority of its members electronically, rather than on paper.
Plan your future. Compared to the previous generation, fewer people today expect to live on Social Security after retirement.
“Most people understand that Social Security may not be here in its present form when they retire, so they are planning and saving more, even if they get a late start," Ms. Bender says. “You have to know where you want to be and how you want to live and plan toward that goal. Some people want to work longer, and they should if they want to. Some people want to retire at 65 or 67. It's your choice, and it's never too late to start planning.”
Exercise your body and brain. “Staying active is a good way to enjoy your life, and to stay healthy,” Ms. Bender says. “Seek ways to continue to learn. Gardening offers two benefits: fresh, healthy fruits and vegetables and fun exercise. Read. My dad visited the library most days. Find a hobby and a class at your local college – they're often free. Stay connected to family and friends.”
Bender notes that the UH Center for Lifelong Health is partnering with Cuyahoga Community College to offer educational opportunities for people older than age 55.
Monitor your health. Today's technology makes it easier than ever to keep track of doctor appointments, lab results and other important health information.
“People in their 30s, 40s and even their 50s are used to getting information online,” she says. “People in their 60s and older can also benefit from easy access to their medical records.
Check our quarterly calendar and locate a Get Connected class if you’re interested in learning more about Internet safety.”
Brush and floss. Increasingly, research is connecting oral health with overall physical wellness.
“The same bacteria that causes gum disease has been linked to heart disease, sepsis and other health problems,” Ms. Bender says. “Be sure to take care of your teeth and mouth.”
Tags: Seniors, Baby Boomers
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Sahej Rahal: Feeding His Inner ‘Mad’ Artist
Text by Tina Dastur
Art might be his first love, but storytelling is equally integral to this 28-year-old’s practice
Art might be his first love, but storytelling is equally integral to this 28-year-old’s practice. Born in Mumbai, Sahej Rahal’s multidisciplinary approach to his work includes drawing, sculpture, performance and moving image. Speaking about his artistic inspirations, Sahej promptly slips into narrator mode and weaves a bizarre tale to elucidate. “On 28th September 2008, I had left the Rachana Sansad Academy of Fine Arts and Crafts early to play a few rounds of Counter-Strike at a cybercafe in Bandra, and I found a private server that was hosting a modified version of the de_dust2 map. As soon as the game loaded, I checked the score tab and saw that there was only one other player on the map; I read the name aloud — BASILISK. And that is when it happened. I got killed, but instead of respawning, my avatar froze and the other player’s voice whispered in my headset that it was an artificial intelligence that had been designed to archive the research of the Iranian archaeologist, Dr. Hamid Parsani. It went on to show me the secrets of the multidisciplinary artist and told me that I must use them to prepare the world for the coming of the [REDACTED],” he reveals.
It is his peculiarity that has got him both national and international acclaim. From his sculptures at the second edition of Kochi-Muziris Biennale in 2014 to his mixed-media works for his solo show Adversary at Chatterjee & Lal in 2016, Sahej continues to challenge the notions of conventional art. His most recent showcase was at the 2016 edition of the Liverpool Biennial, where a series of installations — peppered across the city — that resembled fossilised artefacts from science fiction and popular culture reimagined thousands of years into an abstract future.
Today, he is feeding his inner ‘mad’ artist to prepare for the next chapter in his story. “In September, I shall be following traces of recent unnatural activity that has been pointing to signs of the [REDACTED] at the Centre for Contemporary Arts in Glasgow….” he trails off. And one can only gander at what he’s plotting next.
Tags: Animated Raconteur, Featured, People, Sahej Rahal
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Kiran Nadar On Being A Collector Who Follows Her Heart
Pooja Sood On Her Decades-Long Tryst With The Arts
Boon Hui Tan On India’s Developing Creative Community
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Speeches »Tonkin Government
Tonkin Government
I rise to speak in support of the motion presented by the member for Newland and thank him for reminding us, with this motion, of the importance of the Tonkin government, which served from 1979 to 1982. I also recognise that Dr Tonkin came into parliament in 1970 in the newly formed seat of Bragg. He was the first member for Bragg and I am proud to be the third.
Recognition of David Tonkin has been comprehensive in our own area, not only for his community service but also for his political life and his work as an eye specialist. Dr Tonkin was a family man with many children. In his honour, upon becoming the member for Bragg I established the Tonkin Room, which is the meeting room at the Bragg electorate office. It was opened by the then Liberal leader, Mr Rob Kerin.
As has been expressed, we have continued to support the Tonkin Scholarship, which is available to students who either live or go to school in the Bragg electorate. It is supported annually by his widow, Mrs Prue Tonkin, who most graciously attends and provides a personal gift (often a book from Dr Tonkin's collection) during that time. The scholarship recognises outstanding service, including community service, and it is a tradition that we are proud to continue.
As has also been mentioned, the Minister for Education, during his time with the Young Liberal Movement and when he worked at my office, established the David Tonkin annual address. He and I also appreciate the Young Liberal Movement's continued recognition of this fine tradition. I have kept a number of the speeches of that time, including my own and that of the member for Heysen's father—that was a very long speech, unsurprisingly, but it was an excellent one.
It was established with the first address by Jennifer Cashmore, who was a member of the Tonkin government. Her summary of the pioneering work of David Tonkin as a new member and of a number of his government's initiatives was outstanding. It has also really been a forerunner to the establishment of a scholarship in Bragg in recognition of Jessie Cooper and Joyce Steele, who were, of course, the first women elected. The 125-year celebration this year of women's suffrage and the right to stand for parliament is the type of tradition we want to continue to employ.
Often, I have recognised Dr Tonkin as a pioneer in the Lions association in our electorate, with the establishment of a now international program to support those with eyesight deficiencies. Even today, projects such as the preparation of very large crosswords for people who are sight challenged all emanate from an era in which Dr Tonkin was a pioneering member.
My father, Ted Chapman, was the minister for agriculture in the government that we today recognise, but he was also a good friend of Dr Tonkin, who gave my father significant advice on the subject of girls' education and the opportunity to have that. I do not think that I would have had an opportunity to come to Adelaide and undertake matriculation—year 12, as it now is—had it not been for the advice of Dr Tonkin. He also suggested that I attend what was to be the newly formed Pembroke School in the 1970s, and I have regularly credited him for having that opportunity.
Today, I have one of his sons, Peter Tonkin, as the leading counsel and adviser in the division of the Crown Solicitor's Office that deals with native title matters. I frequently rely on his advice, and through him South Australia continues to benefit from the service of the Tonkin family. I thank him for that.
Given that one of the most outstanding achievements of that government related to the forming of the APY act, I always like to give credit to the Hon. Graham Gunn, who was a long-term member of this parliament as well. He added a clause into that bill at the time to ensure that members of parliament, along with police, would have the right to enter property that was to become part of the APY lands jurisdiction, but otherwise respect needed to be maintained with the permit system to be able to enter.
I encourage members to understand that, although members of parliament do not require a permit, as a matter of courtesy I think it is appropriate that a permit is always sought before entering into the APY lands. As a general custom, that has been supported, so I would urge members to maintain that.
Finally, can I say that, yes, the Tonkin government did come in in 1979, and much has been said about that, but let me tell you something else that happened. There was a longstanding government, the leader of which, Don Dunstan, had retired earlier in that year. There was a big press conference and he was in a wheelchair in his pyjamas, vacating the space. The Corcoran government came in short term, of course, because the election washed him from office. I remind members to look at that time.
The meat scandal alone that was exposed at the Royal Adelaide Hospital was a huge issue at that time. It involved Samcor trucks loading up carcasses to the hospital for the purposes of providing meals for patients, which was done on site in those days—they were not done externally—and a number of these carcasses being stolen and onsold by operators at that time. That is the type of government that operated prior to that change of government. That meat scandal was exposed, and there were other serious failings in relation to the previous government, which deservedly swept it from office.
Members ought to remember, if we are going to have these types of motions in recognition of governments, that they should not just come to the parliament with one side of the position in relation to that. For the member for Lee's benefit, Frank Webster was the member of parliament against whom a challenge was made to his election for the seat of Norwood, and the Court Of Disputed Returns under Roma Mitchell declared that there was to be a by-election. We of course now have our Premier of South Australia who is the member for that electorate and we are proud to say has been a welcome addition.
Finally, can I say that if ever there is to be a time for land tax reform it is now, in recognition of the Tonkin administration, who were, as has been mentioned, clear in ensuring that land tax was not to be passed on to tenants but, most importantly, was not to apply to people in their principal place of residence. These are the sorts of gifts that came from a Tonkin administration. He did care about the people of South Australia, he did do what he said he would do and he did serve us well.
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whats-on
Actor David Dalaithngu has been remembered as an inspiration to the nation and a humble giant of the screen who took Aboriginal culture to the world. Dalaithngu died at his home in Murray Bridge, South Australia on Monday aged 68 after a long battle with lung cancer. The legendary actor's career spanned 50 years before he was diagnosed with the disease in 2017. He appeared in iconic films such as Walkabout, The Last Wave, Crocodile Dundee, Storm Boy, The Tracker and Rabbit-Proof Fence. Prime Minister Scott Morrison told parliament Dalaithngu was a formidable force in Australian culture. He said he was a "mirror to the soul" of the nation and had reflected 60,000 years of Indigenous history back to the people. "He was a gift from our country and a gift to our country," he said. "In lauding him we should not rob him of his joy, his cheekiness and the ease in which he carried himself ... with elegance, grace, dignity, and beauty." Actor Hugh Jackman, who starred alongside Dalaithngu in the Baz Luhrmann film Australia, led tributes from the entertainment world. "I join all Australians, and the world over, in mourning the loss of David Gulpilil Ridjimiraril Dalaithngu," Jackman posted on Instagram. He said one of the greatest privileges of his life had been working with Dalaithngu, who started his career when Jackman was a toddler. "From his cheeky laugh, to that mischievous glint in his eye and effortless ease in front of the camera ... His humanity is irreplaceable," Jackman said. Opposition leader Anthony Albanese said Dalaithngu was a great Australian, a rare human and a titan. "He knew the bright lights of Hollywood, but he never stopped holding onto the glow of his own country," he said. "He walked tall in two worlds with grace, truth and humour. Now he walks in another place". Minister for Indigenous Australians Ken Wyatt described Dalaithngu as a giant of the screen and the most recognisable Aboriginal man in the world. He said the actor was a "legend of the Yolngu people" and he had loved all his films. "I was struck by his modesty, his humility and that same, shrewd sense of humour he took to the screen," he said of meeting Dalaithngu. Mr Wyatt said Dalaithngu had made Aboriginal culture mainstream. "His contribution to raising the profile of our people and Australia cannot be overstated," he said. Olympian Cathy Freeman posted on Twitter: "Thank you for the inspiration." Thousands of other fans and admirers took to social media platforms to farewell the actor, known as "uncle" to many Indigenous people. "So very sad to hear the passing of our Uncle and I say our uncle coz to every Aboriginal kid in the 80s, 90's that's how we felt," one posted on Instagram. His face would literally light up the screen his voice would make you escape from the reality of racism in our lives, he was our Denzil Washington, our Black Panther he was & still is our Hero." Born at Maningrida in Arnhem Land on July 1, 1953, Dalaithngu grew up among the Mandjalpingu clan of the Yolngu people. Far from the white man's world, he became a skilled tracker, hunter and ceremonial dancer under the tutelage of his elders. Dalaithngu got his big break as a 16-year-old in 1971 when visiting British filmmaker Nicolas Roeg tapped him for the leading role in the movie Walkabout. He went on to act in more than 30 movies and television productions and was recognised in the 1987 Queen's Birthday Honours List and received the Medal of the Order of Australia. Northern Territory Chief Minister Michael Gunner said Dalaithngu was and remains the face of Australia. South Australian Premier Steven Marshall described him as one of the greatest artists Australia has ever seen. In his final days, Dalaithngu was cared for by his family and friend Mary Hood. The actor's family has requested he be referred to as David Dalaithngu following his death. Permission has been granted to publish images from his career. Australian Associated Press
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David Dalaithngu was 'a gift to Australia'
David Dalaithngu's acting career spanned 50 years and included multiple hit movies.
Actor David Dalaithngu has been remembered as an inspiration to the nation and a humble giant of the screen who took Aboriginal culture to the world.
Dalaithngu died at his home in Murray Bridge, South Australia on Monday aged 68 after a long battle with lung cancer.
The legendary actor's career spanned 50 years before he was diagnosed with the disease in 2017.
He appeared in iconic films such as Walkabout, The Last Wave, Crocodile Dundee, Storm Boy, The Tracker and Rabbit-Proof Fence.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison told parliament Dalaithngu was a formidable force in Australian culture.
He said he was a "mirror to the soul" of the nation and had reflected 60,000 years of Indigenous history back to the people.
"He was a gift from our country and a gift to our country," he said.
"In lauding him we should not rob him of his joy, his cheekiness and the ease in which he carried himself ... with elegance, grace, dignity, and beauty."
Actor Hugh Jackman, who starred alongside Dalaithngu in the Baz Luhrmann film Australia, led tributes from the entertainment world.
"I join all Australians, and the world over, in mourning the loss of David Gulpilil Ridjimiraril Dalaithngu," Jackman posted on Instagram.
He said one of the greatest privileges of his life had been working with Dalaithngu, who started his career when Jackman was a toddler.
"From his cheeky laugh, to that mischievous glint in his eye and effortless ease in front of the camera ... His humanity is irreplaceable," Jackman said.
Opposition leader Anthony Albanese said Dalaithngu was a great Australian, a rare human and a titan.
"He knew the bright lights of Hollywood, but he never stopped holding onto the glow of his own country," he said.
"He walked tall in two worlds with grace, truth and humour. Now he walks in another place".
Minister for Indigenous Australians Ken Wyatt described Dalaithngu as a giant of the screen and the most recognisable Aboriginal man in the world.
He said the actor was a "legend of the Yolngu people" and he had loved all his films.
"I was struck by his modesty, his humility and that same, shrewd sense of humour he took to the screen," he said of meeting Dalaithngu.
Mr Wyatt said Dalaithngu had made Aboriginal culture mainstream.
"His contribution to raising the profile of our people and Australia cannot be overstated," he said.
Olympian Cathy Freeman posted on Twitter: "Thank you for the inspiration."
Thousands of other fans and admirers took to social media platforms to farewell the actor, known as "uncle" to many Indigenous people.
"So very sad to hear the passing of our Uncle and I say our uncle coz to every Aboriginal kid in the 80s, 90's that's how we felt," one posted on Instagram.
His face would literally light up the screen his voice would make you escape from the reality of racism in our lives, he was our Denzil Washington, our Black Panther he was & still is our Hero."
Born at Maningrida in Arnhem Land on July 1, 1953, Dalaithngu grew up among the Mandjalpingu clan of the Yolngu people.
Far from the white man's world, he became a skilled tracker, hunter and ceremonial dancer under the tutelage of his elders.
Dalaithngu got his big break as a 16-year-old in 1971 when visiting British filmmaker Nicolas Roeg tapped him for the leading role in the movie Walkabout.
He went on to act in more than 30 movies and television productions and was recognised in the 1987 Queen's Birthday Honours List and received the Medal of the Order of Australia.
Northern Territory Chief Minister Michael Gunner said Dalaithngu was and remains the face of Australia.
South Australian Premier Steven Marshall described him as one of the greatest artists Australia has ever seen.
In his final days, Dalaithngu was cared for by his family and friend Mary Hood.
The actor's family has requested he be referred to as David Dalaithngu following his death. Permission has been granted to publish images from his career.
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We’re proud of all our UNSW School of Civil and Environmental Engineering graduates and enjoy showcasing their achievements. Read about some of our notable alumni:
Robert Care
Dr Robert Care, AM
BE Civil (Hons 1) 1973, PhD 1978
Former Principal at Arup Group, Canberra
Awards: Order of Australia AM - Awarded in 2012 for contribution to Engineering, Business, Humanitarian Programs and Athletics
UNSW International Alumni of the Year Award 2013
Professional Engineer of the Year 2014 - Engineers Australia
Why did you choose civil engineering?
I actually wanted to be a high school maths teacher but I was advised to study engineering to keep my career options open. Funny how things work out.
What I enjoyed most was the study, the dedication to an end. What I enjoyed least – Soil mechanics and statistics. I remember looking at the final Soil Mechanics paper with a sinking heart … and then seeing the way out. I bamboozled my way through by trotting out my knowledge of finite differences for a flow net calculation, and ended up with a high mark that I am not sure I deserved.
I will never forget, my PhD supervisors Al Kabaila and Ray Lawther, and Ray’s MGTC, Ken Faulkes and Bob Warner, great lecturers and Stan Hall, a benevolent HoS.
Career Highlights to date: The Wandoo B Full Field development– a project Alliance – the first in Australia: leading the forensic recovery team into the Hatfield Rail crash in Britain in 2000: working as Chief Engineer at the National Capital Development Commission – a great organisation: joining the global Arup Group Board and from 2004 leading Arup Australasia during a great period of our development.
Upon reflection I was at the School for almost eight years, learned a lot, and I graduated with two excellent degrees. I enjoyed myself, made many friends including one group that has met annually for the last thirty something years. A great School, a great reputation, and a lot to be thankful for.
Em Prof Elizabeth Taylor, AO
BE Civil ‘78
Chair, RedR Australia
Structural engineer, engineering academic, humanitarian engineer.
Previous roles included Pro-Vice Chancellor and Executive Dean, Sciences, Engineering & Health at University of Central Queensland
Awarded the Order of Australia in 2004 for her services to engineering education, and for enhancing the status of women in engineering.
While a student I enjoyed the hands-on engineering such as making concrete, and the survey camp at Richmond. Project based aspects such as the “Footpath Foreman” activity in first year. In this activity each student was required to find a construction site and, with the permission of the foreman, follow and document progress over the six months of term, write a report and give a presentation to the class. I also enjoyed playing cards in the “Blue Room” in later years.
I did not enjoy the isolation and lack of support. I was not assertive, and the boys did not speak to me for the first year. Upon reflection I feel that it was an unconscious rather than an active exclusion. UNSW at that time reflected the norm culturally. What perhaps is sad is that universities generally reflect rather than challenge prevailing social norms.
Career Highlights: As a professional engineer: construction and contracts engineering on site around Sydney Harbour. As an academic: in collaboration with wonderful colleagues who are passionate about their area of expertise, integrating curriculum and support for students while extending the boundaries of our understanding of our professionalism. I am privileged to have been a part of the movement that made some shift to greater inclusivity within universities, and a member of groups such as AAEE (Australasian Assoc for Engineering Education) and the Women in Engineering Units who were critical change agencies.
Ian McIntyre
Ian McIntyre, Chair, CVEN Industry Advisory Committee
BE Hons 1 ’74
Principal and Service Lead, Contractual Services, Advisian
School Memories: I have always felt a debt to David Howell for the General Systems Thinking perspective that I have utilised to good effect ever since. The ability to use the General Systems paradigm to structure a sensible formulation of new fields, issues and problems has been a recurring theme throughout my career. I also clearly remember the ease with which Professor Valentine made the study of Hydraulics simple and straightforward and I have sought to emulate his explanatory ability ever since.
Career Rewards: I have never regretted my choice of Civil Engineering as a career. I was the third person in Evans & Peck (now Advisian) and I have found its development and maturing over the years to be very satisfying, particularly in regard to the high calibre of people we have attracted into the business, especially the excellent and bright “twenty somethings” who will lead the organisation in the future. Individuals can achieve little except as part of teams and I have found the membership and leadership of project teams that genuinely operate as integrated teams to be very rewarding and satisfying. Engineering is, above all else, a people business.
MEngSc ’94, PhD ’00
Greens Member Of the NSW Legislative Council
‘Civil Engineers can do anything and everything!’ I can remember my Dad, also a civil engineer, repeating this line quite often.
School memories: I did my post graduate study (Master and PhD) in environmental engineering. We had an amazing cohort of research students from all over the world. The professional and social networks we formed continue to this day. My lecturers, in particular Stephen Moore and Ronnie Harding, are passionate teachers and really inspired me.
Career rewards: I have worked in a variety of organisations including local government, consulting firms and universities. I believe that Engineers today need to take a leading role in delivering current and future human needs, addressing complex environmental challenges such as climate change and ecosystem degradation, while understanding the ‘exquisite interdependence’ of science and technology with business, politics and society. What inspires me most today, are my own students whose diverse views and expertise paves the way for creative and innovative thinking - the only way to lead change.
BE Hons ’95
Principal, Sydney Buildings Design Group 1, Arup
School memories: Ray Lawther’s classes were always entertaining…… and whilst (from my perspective!) I didn’t always understand his lectures at the time, I found myself afterwards - in exams and the early years of my professional career - having moments when the light switched on or the penny dropped. Thanks Ray! Ian Gilbert for his knowledge and tireless effort to improve the design of concrete structures. Skipping lectures and tutes to get to the Village Green for cricket training – a small price for a learning-life balance…..
Career rewards: It is an exciting and important time to be an engineer. The associated impacts from climate change and population growth - such as sufficient food and water supply, and necessary changes to the built environment and the way we live today - will require creative and innovative solutions from both today’s and tomorrow’s engineers. The most rewarding moments are always seeing designs realised – in particular those where problems have been solved creatively, collaboratively, and functionally. The most challenging is to maintain the mindset and environment to realise continual innovation and creativity.
Dr James Glastonbury
PhD Civil Engineering 2002
Engineering Director Laing O’Rourke
Member CVEN Industry Advisory Committee
When James Glastonbury joined the multi-national privately owned engineering firm Laing O’Rourke in early 2013, he knew it wasn’t a typical engineering career move. Rather, he realised it could be considered an engineer’s dream role.
James is a director with the Engineering Excellence Group at Laing O’Rourke, a global team of technical specialists and innovators that seek smarter ways to do things, to challenge traditional practice. He sits in between the ‘blue sky thinkers’ and project teams and brings them together so that the innovations and thoughts can be manifested in real situations.
“The challenge for us in the current economic climate is that infrastructure owners are spending less money on constructing new assets and seeking more from existing assets,” said James. “We offer opportunities that help clients better understand and optimise their assets without increasing their capital spend.” This in turn helps clients plan the design of new assets to be more efficient, saving time and money in the long run.
James relishes the conversations he has with clients about how new ideas and technologies could be integrated into projects to provide greater efficiency. He focuses on innovative engineering solutions that can provide smarter, faster, cheaper and safer delivery, increased quality and improved performance.
Laing O’Rourke was recently listed in the top 10 of the BRW Most Innovative Companies, in part due to some of the ground-breaking work happening within their Engineering Excellence Group. They recently worked on a project to optimise the power supply at remote project sites – which is unreliable at the best of times. They were able to develop a hybrid solar-diesel power system that has had significant operational, commercial and environmental benefits – a massive improvement.
“Laing O’Rourke is an exciting organisation to be part of – there is an inherent appetite to explore and invest in new ideas,” he says. Sometimes the technologies he uses come from completely unrelated industries or are unproven in the construction sector, so the challenge lies in having clients prepared to “go on the journey”, to find a better way.
So where did he begin? James comes from a long line of engineers and, after studying a combined undergraduate degree in civil engineering and geology, it was the Thredbo Landslide in 1997 which led to a PhD in geotechnical engineering at UNSW and really focused his career. He looked at slope behaviour prior to a landslide, and developed slope risk management tools that have been used by various agencies for better managing landslide risk, igniting a passion for innovation which has remained to this day.
James believes that stepping into his role at Laing O’Rourke was like having a second career, and one which he hopes to continue indefinitely. “I love what I do – it’s both exciting and challenging at the same time.”
Erin Cini
BE Environmental Hons 2006
Director, Water Licensing & Compliance at IPART
How my degree benefitted me
Environmental engineering at UNSW Australia gave me skills which I would call ‘beyond technical’. So yes, as an engineer I can do the maths and the science, but the most important skills I got from my degree were skills in communication, problem solving, strategic thinking, working in a team and applying the maths and science for positive outcomes. Maths and science alone won’t save the world!
My advice to current or prospective students
Get as much diverse experience as you can both while at university and in the workforce, always learn from what you have done before and wherever possible challenge yourself.
Look for the degree, the project, or the job that you think is most likely to change you, change Australia or change the world.
Bruce Munro
BE Hons ‘75
Managing Director, Thiess
Bruce Munro was appointed Thiess Managing Director in September 2011 after joining the Thiess Group in 1986.
A civil engineer with 36 years’ experience in the construction and mining industries in Australia, SouthEast Asia and India, he has held a number of senior positions within the company. These have included President Director of PT Thiess Contractors Indonesia– a roll he held for eight years after his appointment in 1999. He was appointed Executive General Manager Asia August 2007 and in January 2010 he was took on the role of Thiess’ Chief Executive Mining.
He is a Non-Executive Director on the board of Sedgman – a leading provider of minerals processing and associated infrastructure solutions to the global resources industry. Bruce is also on the Boards of the Minerals Council of Australia and Australian Constructors Association and Queensland Chair of the Australia Indonesia Business Council.
Dr Jaqueline Thomas
BSc/BA (Hons), PhD Civil and Environmental Engineering 2012,
Senior Scientist, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Research,
Ifakara Health Institute, Ifakara, Morogoro, Tanzania
In the East African country of Tanzania, 9% of all deaths of children aged under 5 occur from diarrhoeal disease in part due to poor water supply and low level sanitation. As a Senior Scientist working for the Ifakara Health Institute in Tanzania, School PhD alumnus Dr Jacqueline Thomas is working on interventions that can make a huge difference to populations not just in Tanzania but around the world.
In Tanzania, water supply is typically taken from shallow open wells, many of which can be easily contaminated by pit latrines. Interventions are a proven means to reduced diarrhoeal disease risk by around a third. Jacquie is researching the effectiveness of household level water and sanitation interventions that could be brought to scale via market demand.
Jacquie and her team are developing an innovative chlorine dosing mechanism for locallymade ceramic filter pots to achieve complete household-level drinking water treatment for low-income communities. But how do you stop this contamination of water supplies in the first place? You need to find an appropriate treatment solution and an end-use for the faecal sludge. Jacquie is currently looking at ways of addressing this.
There are two main issues that direct the research focus. Firstly, there is limited agricultural productivity due to the expense of commercial mineral fertilisers in Tanzania. Secondly, only about 20% of the population is connected to electricity, so most people use charcoal to cook with - which results in rampant deforestation.
“The challenge in developing countries is providing drinking water and safe sanitation,” she says, “using techniques and technologies that people can afford to pay for, that can be locally produced and that are sustainable”.
Dr Thomas worked with a team that developed a rice huskfired furnace to sterilise human waste and recapture nutrients and energy, creating safe biosolids for agricultural reuse. Then, via pyrolysis of dried faecal sludge, biochar brickets can be produced to replace the use of charcoal from virgin forests. The whole system can be operated by local entrepreneurs and will hopefully motivate significant up-take of ecologically sound sanitation.
Jacquie’s greatest challenge has been advocating for change, seeing a problem and a way to address it but having to take on the cultural, economic and political barriers involved to make things happen. However, she hopes that her work will continue to make a difference, and more local communities can benefit from the technology her project has developed.
David Carolan
BE Hons ’81, MEngSc ’89
Director, Taylor Thomson Whitting
School memories: Fellow students bonding through working together as teams to complete assignments. Lecturers Ken Faulkes (clear thinking on concrete design and enthusiasm for it); Alex Heaney (how he quizzed us on the shapes of bending moment diagrams and deflected shapes); Ray Lawther (laid back analysis wiz with a cool MG); Peter Kneen (who supervised my Masters project on the analysis of cable structures). Being told in first lecture in Statics that ‘this was the culling subject and 50% of you would fail’. Least liked - statistics lectures. Sneaked off to the Blockhouse and applied my physics & dynamics skills on the snooker table.
UNSW was good at teaching us how to think; how to problem solve which I think is much more important for a uni than just delivering content.
Career rewards: Starting my firm’s first overseas office (in Jakarta) where I caught up again with School lecturers Vir Murti and Peter Kneen. Continuing relationships, personal &
professional, that came from that time overseas. Working with a creative team that turns a sketch on a page into a building. Seeing the fruits of my labour in concrete (literally). I feel very fortunate to still be working in a job where I ‘do’ engineering every day.
Alice Tjitradjaja
BE Civil with Architecture 2011 University Medallist in Civil Engineering with Architecture
Graduate Engineer - Sydney Buildings Facades - ARUP
Arup are an independent global and multidisciplinary firm of designers,planners, engineers, consultants and technical specialists offering a broad range of professional services.
My job today: The heart of my job is design. It’s not limited to technical/engineering aspects but is also heavily involved in coordination and discussions with architects, builders, contractors and so on. My undergraduate education has better prepared me for design, a constantly evolving and iterative process. The “big picture” approach, often downplayed in engineering education, has turned out to be the most applicable lesson in the workplace.
Why I chose my degree: I was attracted to UNSW’s great reputation in engineering, I enjoyed the teaching and the large variety of subjects. The civil engineering subjects are very relatable and true to life - it made me appreciate the everyday conveniences we take for granted. While allowing us to be practical and analytical in doing the engineering calculations, we could release our creative energy with the architecture subjects. It was great fun. The Design Studios trained students towards a holistic approach to design, from planning, developing ideas, to presentation. There was plenty of time on one-on-one feedback or discussion with tutors on various issues. Other than architectural design, discussion also ranged to include practicality, materials, construction, buildability, and so on.
Most challenging aspect: Time management, especially when juggling engineering assignments with architecture ones, which were often very time-consuming. Prioritising is everything! Future Hopes: I’m just starting out in the industry. It’s exciting, fast-paced, dynamic. I’m hoping to gain valuable experiences and learn what it takes to be a real, capable engineer. I’m also keeping my eyes open for further education in engineering or maybe architecture in the future.
Garry Mostyn
BE Hons 1974, MEngSc 1976
Principal, Pells Sullivan Meynink
Why civil engineering: When I completed the HSC in 1969, a man had just been on the moon. It seemed engineers could do anything. I happened to be very good at maths and physics and my background was that you did what you were good at. I didn’t want to be in an office full time and had a view that civil engineers worked on sites and built big things. That was good enough for me.
Clearest memories of School days: To be frank, I remember excellent academic staff (Professor Ian Lee, Ian Cordery and Ken Faulkes to name a few) and somewhat idle students, myself included. Mid career, I spent 12 rewarding years on the School’s staff. It struck me that the students were much more motivated and focused.
Career rewards and challenges: Two projects with very challenging technical problems are especially memorable: Working with an international team on re-engineering the North Rankin A platform in the early 1980s, and managing to get Burnley Tunnel re-opened in less than a week when the side wall failed in 2000. More recently, I have had to challenge a number of orthodoxies and have managed to take multiple technical reviewers on the journey. Most rewarding? That’s easy. Working with very bright and motivated young engineers.
Engineering challenges of the future: The major challenge facing First World civil engineering is providing new infrastructure in congested urban environments where the local community bears the cost but a more remote (in time and space) community reaps the benefits.
Elise McKenna
BE Surveying and Spatial Information Systems 2009
Hyder Consulting - GIS Analyst
I chose UNSW because of its reputation, especially in engineering. However, the range of programs and assistance provided to new students also made me feel comfortable and at ease with my transition to university.
Spatial information is a field that is industry independent, which means the opportunities are endless. I have always loved to play with technology and this degree also combined my love of maths and the outdoors.
The Surveying and Spatial Information Systems program offered a good mix of theory and practical experience and provided a well-rounded education. Also the strong connection with industry allowed me to hit the ground running once I had completed my degree.
Studying at UNSW not only built the foundations of my technical knowledge, but also developed my problem-solving skills, so that I am able to think outside the box and provide balanced solutions to the challenges I face.
Since graduating, I have been working as a geoinformation systems (GIS) analyst with Hyder Consulting, a multinational engineering design consultancy company. This work includes creating and maintaining online mapping and communication systems so that project teams are able to work in a collaborative and coordinated environment.
Janet Salem
BE Environmental Hons 2007, MEngSc 2008
Program Officer at UNEP the United Nations Environment Program
UNEP is the voice for the environment in the United Nations system, inspiring, informing, and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations.
Why I chose engineering: I felt that the natural resources we depend on were not being managed well - perhaps not intentionally, but out of lack of the right people and knowledge in the right place. I decided I wanted to study engineering and see what I could contribute to the solution. Very happy to have done so. Having a technical understanding of water supply, waste management, industrial production, transport systems and environmental assessment methods means I can now talk substantively with policy makers and scientific experts about how to achieve environmental goals.
My job today: Day to day my job involves project management: coordinating the research and peer reviews, liaising with governments, fundraising and financial management, developing contracts for procurement, and communications – including organising outreach events. I have just moved from a position in Paris to Bangkok – to focus on policy support to countries in the Asia Pacific region.
How my degree benefitted me: It is great knowing that as an engineer you have the skills to help people and improve the way things work. One need only travel to India to see the transformative effect of a small dam on the farmers’ livelihoods in a water scarce area and the improved access to water for women and children who used to walk to carry it. Or see the health benefits and human dignity afforded by basic sanitation and water treatment. Or the pride of a community once a decent waste management system is in place to clean up their streets.
My advice to current or prospective students: Firstly, find out what really fascinates you and go in that direction. If you enjoy what you do, you will be good at it and people will want to work with you. Secondly, invest in yourself: do internships and keep learning, in addition to and after you finish your studies. Enjoy your time at university, it’s precious time to have fun and make friends you’ll have for life.
Kourosh Kayvani
MEngSc 1992, PhD 1997
Building Structures Leader & Head of Innovation, Aurecon
Why civil engineering: As a young boy I looked up to my two successful Civil Engineer uncles as role models. That led to me finishing a BSc in Civil Engineering at Tehran University. I developed a strong interest in structural engineering which led me to complete my postgraduate degrees at UNSW as an overseas student. I chose UNSW for the reputation of its academic staff and its diverse research programme. Living in Sydney turned out to be even better than I expected.
Clearest memories of School days: Amongst other things, I recall the supportive academic staff (Dr Ray Lawther, in particular, who was always willing to help with a tricky technical question); conversations with my fellow PhD students that made our studies a less lonely experience; and the view to the south from the sixth level of the Civil Eng building particularly when the planes were landing and taking-off at Sydney Airport in the evening.
Career rewards and challenges: The most rewarding and challenging project of my career has been designing the Arch of Wembley Stadium in London and seeing it get built.
Engineering challenges of the future: Delivering affordable housing and infrastructure to the poorest people on our planet; a sustainable response to the continuing trend of urbanisation in the world; and keeping a long term outlook on infrastructure planning.
Jing Guan
PhD'99
Chief Scientist and Deputy Director of R&D at Origin Water, Beijing
Jing Guan is chief scientist and deputy director of R&D at one of China’s largest water treatment membrane technology companies, Beijing Origin Water Technology Co (B.O.W.). Already with more than 100 membrane patents, and 1000 completed membrane projects that provide 2 billion tonnes of high-quality reclaimed water a year, it’s a boundless task.
Jing says the company’s main products are PVDF MF/UF membrane and low pressure reverse-osmosis membranes for the treatment of municipal and industrial wastewater, drinking water treatment, domestic tap water purification and seawater desalination. “The company also provides technologies for solid waste and sludge treatment, water engineering construction and water industry investment,” she says. “It also plays an important role in water environment treatment in new rural construction. B.O.W. has made a great contribution to water environment protection in China.”
Formerly a senior research fellow at UNSW’s Centre for Water and Wastewater Technology in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Jing moved back to China and began her current role five years ago. In 1999 she completed her PhD in Environmental Engineering at UNSW.
She says she receives great job satisfaction working with such a strong R&D team in an area of such global concern. “The biggest engineering challenges for my work are how to develop a right, proper technology as well as ensure it is able to apply to solve the water problem.”
Voo Yen Lei
Be Hons 1 '01, PhD '04
CEO and Executive Director, DURA Technology
Dr Voo Yen Lei has been setting world records in bridge-building. In 2011, the company that he founded and of which he is CEO and Executive Director, DURA Technology, built the world’s longest trafficable bridge using ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC): the Kampung Linsum Bridge in Malaysia. Voo designed, manufactured and built the cutting-edge bridge, which won the Husband Prize from the Institution of Structural Engineers. His company is currently building a 100m single-span bridge using the same technology. He says the breakthrough “followed many years of research and development and close collaboration and fruitful scientific discussion with Professor Stephen Foster (Head of the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering)”.
Voo says that as well as the long spans making the bridge quick to construct, UHPC has environmental benefits. “As a rule of thumb, a UHPC bridge is generally able to give immediate inventory savings of 20–25% in terms of carbon footprint or global warming potential when compared to current design.”
Voo left Sydney in 2003 and spent four years developing the technology, marketing, and dealing with regulators and industry bodies. The company has completed 14 bridges for the Malaysian government, 12 more are under construction and 10 others are under tender. “Almost all our clients have no knowledge about UHPC technology,” he says. “One of the reasons I am still active and teaching lectures at university level [he is adjunct professor for University Putra Malaysia] is because it is the most suitable way to teach UHPC technology.”
Narelle Underwood
BE Hons 1 Surveying and Spatial Information Systems, ’09
NSW Surveyor-General
Member of the School’s Industry Advisory Committee
On 2 September 2016, NSW Department of Finance, Services and Innovation Secretary, Martin Hoffman, announced the appointment of Narelle Underwood as the NSW Surveyor General.
Mr Hoffman said Ms Underwood brings a wealth of experience, most recently as the Acting Principal Surveyor at NSW Roads and Maritime Services.
“Ms Underwood is a leader in her profession working as an advisor to the Board of Surveying and Spatial Information and Chair of the Surveying Mapping and Industry Council,” said Mr Hoffman. “She has also played a significant role in promoting and developing the survey profession, particularly in the tertiary sector and with young professionals.”
In addition to her considerable personal and professional capabilities, Narelle Underwood also has the distinction of being the first female Surveyor General in Australia.
In her relatively short career to date, Narelle has won a total of nine industry awards for her innovation and commitment to quality outputs, including the Asia-Pacific Spatial Excellence Awards Young Professional of the Year in 2011, which she won from amidst a highly capable international field.
In 2014 the team which Ms Underwood managed won a NSW Excellence in Surveying and Spatial Information Award for the technical innovation and efficiency they displayed during stage 1 of the WestConnex development project. Under Narelle’s management, six teams covering vast geographical areas used the latest mobile laser scanning technology, cutting surveying time by up to 70%. Because of the densely populated urban environment, other technologies such as traditional detail surveying and Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS) were also used to enhance the accuracy of MLS-derived data and filling in any apparent gaps.
“Merging new and traditional technologies continues to be one of my greatest joys. Combining data drawn from different sources allows surveys to be much richer and more useful,” she says.
Narelle Underwood is not daunted by the ever changing technological landscape of the surveying industry; she is excited by it. Technological innovation can ensure the expansion of public infrastructure in the future.
In her role with RMS, overseeing surveying projects in the Sydney region, much of her work focused on research and development of better, safer and more accurate outputs. Take as an example mobile laser scanning which, as the name suggests, consists of a device mounted on a vehicle which then moves through the area to be surveyed. The device takes images at up to two million pixels per second, which is an astounding feat and allows surveys to be extremely accurate, often down to ten millimetres. Because of the accuracies involved – projects which may ordinarily have taken over 12 months can now be fully completed in a third of the time.
Narelle is working with two professional bodies (ISNSW and SMIC – of which she is chair) on the NSW Surveying Task Force to encourage more graduates to consider a career in surveying – without whom the construction industry could very well grind to a halt.
“There is a severe shortage of Registered Land Surveyors in Australia so we’re working to lifting the profile of the profession,” she said. “With technology changing so rapidly, we really don’t know what will be happening in five or ten years, what people will need and how data and information will be used. It’s an open book, which makes this profession extremely exciting.”
Jamie Ruprecht
BE Civil Hons 2009
Water Research Laboratory, UNSW Water Research Centre
WRL is a leading international consulting and research laboratory and is a major group within UNSW Australia's Water Research Centre. WRL is unique in housing academic staff alongside a commercial Projects Team. The Projects Team offer commercial services of expert advice to industry and government, while the academic staff carry out research programs and
supervise postgraduate students.
My job today: Since I began at the WRL I have worked in a variety of areas within the water discipline including: physical and numerical modelling, contaminate fate and transport (tracer) studies, estuarine and wetland projects and groundwater quality and monitoring programs. All of the work that I do at the
UNSW Water Research Laboratory is exciting. The Lab is considered the birthplace of coastal engineering in Australia with a highly regarded international reputation in the fields of coastal and ocean engineering.
Why I chose my degree: I first heard about the UNSW Civil program through my Physics teacher in high school and he encouraged me to pursue a career in engineering. UNSW Engineering has a steadfast reputation as being the best in the business and also offered a coastal focus which was one of my interests. I was also offered a 4-year scholarship to study civil engineering at UNSW. Also a BE (civil) degree at UNSW is a good platform to begin a career in engineering particularly when one considers the industry partnerships the Faculty maintains.
The BE civil engineering program provides substantial variety in the courses offered over the five discipline areas – construction and management, geotechnical, structural, transport, and water
engineering - to undergraduate students which gives them the opportunity to find their personal strengths, weaknesses and interests. The high calibre of teaching staff within the faculty not
only provide students with the tools for learning but are also readily available to mentor individual students throughout the degree so that they are ready to face whatever "real-world" challenges come their way in the future.
My advice to prospective students: All I can say is that you will not look back after completing a BE (civil) degree at UNSW. I haven't. If you are dedicated to achieving the goal to become eminent in the field of civil engineering then this program will provide you with the tools and stepping stones in order to do so. Jump in, do the work, but enjoy yourself along the way!
Adnan Sufian
PhD candidate in Imperial College London
“I chose UNSW because it had the best program. It explored all aspects of civil engineering and had a great balance between theory and practice,” says Adnan Sufian, a graduate now working with one of Australia’s leading engineering consultancy.
“I found that the teaching was outstanding and the resources provided by the university were really helpful in my education. Even now, I still bring folders of lecture notes and booklets to work because all the things I studied are applicable to my work.”
Adnan was working as a geotechnical engineer at SMEC Australia, a company with projects all over Australia and internationally.
“I’ve worked on a site investigation project in Gerringong for duplication of the Princes Highway, designed numerous bridge foundations for the Hunter Expressway and even had the chance to work on a project in Vietnam.”
The UNSW School of Civil and Environmental Engineering provides more than 20 scholarships each year to high-school leavers and mid-program students.
“I was lucky enough to receive two scholarships during my time at UNSW, including the Roads & Traffic Authority (RTA) Scholarship for Civil Engineers, which provided me with industrial experience that I found was invaluable when I was applying for jobs,” says Adnan.
“I also received the Elite Student Program Research Scholarship in the third year of my degree. This allowed me to do research into a new technology for fibre reinforcement of soils to improve their earthquake resistance – I recently presented the results at a conference to more than 300 civil engineers from industry.”
When asked what surprised him most about his experience at UNSW Adnan says, “I went to university expecting to learn knowledge. But because of the strong teaching and research culture at UNSW, which was recently ranked the highest in Australia, I was encouraged to seriously question existing, and develop new, knowledge.”
“My honours research was reviewed by international experts and will soon be published in a top-ranked journal. I used x-ray images to study the way the cracks and pores develop in sandstone as it is loaded to failure. It will help engineers understand strength and permeability changes, and is relevant to things like tunnel design but also underground storage of CO2.”
“As for the future, I don’t see myself leaving the geotechnical engineering profession any time soon. It’s a profession that is always evolving and updating itself, and will keep throwing challenges your way and that’s really why I do it.”
Adnan is currently a PhD candidate in Geotechnical Engineering with UNSW School of Civil and Environmental Engineering.
Kate Fairlie
BE Hons Surveying and Spatial Information Systems 2008
Geoinformation Analyst, Shell
Surveying and Spatial Information Systems graduate Kate Fairlie is helping energy giant Shell find oil and gas in the cold seas off the coast of Scotland.
As a Geoinformation Analyst, Kate, 22, assesses data from formations under the sea for petroleum exploration. The information is also used to restore the sea floor after drilling has finished. Surveying and Spatial Information Systems is a truly international discipline: Kate, originally from Mildura in Victoria, travelled to Sweden and worked with Shell for her internship during university and then accepted her job in Scotland before graduation. The skills a surveyor develops at university can be used anywhere in the world.
“There are limits to where an engineering degree can take you but these consist of only yourself and your own initiative,” Kate says. Surveying and Spatial Information Systems covers every aspect of mapping and analyzing the surface of the planet and the built environment. It employs satellites, aircraft-mounted remote sensing equipment and ground-based devices. This rapidly growing field also covers the development of new-generation GPS devices, satellite navigation and imaging systems. As demand grows for GPS-enabled mobile devices, for example, Surveying and Spatial Information Systems engineers will be the ones to develop the interactive, intelligent mapping technology that will make them work.
Lisa Thom
BE Civil with Architecture, 2013
Structural Engineer, Lend Lease Development
When Lisa Thom completed her Civil Engineering with Architecture degree at UNSW in 2013 she breathed a sigh of relief, but she certainly wasn’t prepared for the whirlwind of opportunities to come. Her undergraduate thesis, on the use of cross laminated timber (CLT) in building and construction, won her the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering prize for Civil with Architecture. It also caught the interest of the Timber industry of Australia who sponsored her to travel to the World Conference for Timber Engineering in Canada earlier this year.
As a direct result of her thesis, she received a call from a senior engineer at Lend Lease asking if she wanted to apply for a job in their development arm, working as a Structural Engineer on Timber Products – she agreed. Lend Lease’s interest in timber began during the planning phase of the Docklands area in Melbourne. The traditional heavy weight construction materials required expensive groundworks due to the soil conditions so Lend Lease engineers sought an alternative – timber.
Massive timber has been used successfully in construction for over 30 years across Europe. It is lighter, and its construction time is quicker. What’s more, it is environmentally, economically and socially sustainable – a natural product that comes from plantations, stores carbon and can be recycled at the end of its useful life. Lisa feels passionately that timber technology has limitless potential in this country. She was encouraged recently to present to the Institute of Structural Engineers in Melbourne about the benefits of using CLT in building - the presentation was very well received.
Using timber brings a whole new set of parameters to the initial project phase. The design needs to be nailed down much earlier in the process because of the prefabrication process. The design basics for timber differ so it is best if the developers commit to using timber right from the start which puts more pressure on the design team up front. However, this in turn can dramatically reduce risks (and additional cost) in the later stages of construction.
At present there are only two CLT buildings in Australia, both constructed by Lend Lease. But, once the local industry takes off, as Lisa is sure it will, she hopes to see more and more massive timber buildings in Australia.
Stephanie May
BE Civil Hons Class 1/B Art 2012
Structural Engineer, CTE WIND Civil Engineering, Brittany France
CTE WIND is an engineering consulting firm specialized in the analysis and design of onshore wind turbine foundations.
I had no idea what “engineering” involved when I began my degree. However I enjoyed the sciences at school, and was drawn by the opportunity to creatively apply them to solve real-world problems.
When I was considering where to apply, I came across an article on how civil engineers from UNSW were volunteering in Cambodia for EWB (Engineers Without Borders). I have always been passionate about humanitarian issues, and civil engineering seemed to be a path through which I could contribute. For a somewhat impulsive choice, it’s been a perfect fit.
UNSW Australia has a reputation as being one of the best universities for engineering in the country. Not only are there extensive choices for different types of engineering, there is also an excellent range of combined degrees available. I decided to combine my Bachelor of Engineering with a Bachelor of Arts, so I could continue my studies in French.
Once I started my degree I became aware of the diversity available even within Civil Engineering at UNSW. I took courses in structural engineering, but also geotechnical engineering and water engineering. All of which I use on a daily basis in my job.
At the moment I’m working as a structural engineer in north-western France. I work for a company that specialises in the design of foundations for onshore wind turbines. We are involved in projects all over the world –my last project was for a wind farm in Samoa. I enjoy the technical aspect of the design phase, however it’s also exciting to get on site and see our designs constructed in reality.
And in my spare time, I volunteer with the EWB team in France designing various structures for projects in developing countries. Despite the obvious challenges, it’s rewarding knowing that I can contribute my technical knowledge to bring about sustainable change.
The highlight of my degree by far was doing an exchange to France. It was probably the most challenging aspect of my degree, both from a linguistic and an academic point of view, but I loved every moment of it. I met some of my closest friends while on exchange, and it had a huge influence on where I am today.
I highly recommend the exchange program. UNSW has partnerships with hundreds of universities around the world, so you can literally go anywhere you want to goMany people will tell you to get experience. I believe an exchange can be equally as enriching – and may just set you apart from the other candidates.
Steve Hare
BE Civil Engineering Hons/BCom 2011
Strategic Maintenance Planner, State Water Corporation
State Water Corporation is the organisation responsible for the maintenance and operation of 20 large dams and 280 weirs and regulators across regional NSW.
My job today: My current role is heading up a project that is responsible for identifying the most cost effective and efficient levels of maintenance to apply to our assets. This has involved travel to various sites -including Wyangala Dam near Cowra, Burrinjuck Dam near Yass, and Glennies Creek Dam near Singleton - to facilitate workshops with trade and engineering staff to apply a reliability centred
maintenance approach to maintenance planning.
Why I chose my degree: After several visits to interesting building sites while in High School, and hearing about the sorts of jobs civil engineers can work in, I was attracted to the degree. Advice to me was that many engineers often end up in management, and as such I decided to combine my Engineering degree with Commerce to give me some formal training in business related fields. I chose UNSW
because of its reputation, and I enjoyed the flexibility to take different subjects that interested me later in my degree. I also really appreciated the real world examples and assignments presented in classes. Learning how to interact and deal with people from a variety of different backgrounds was also one of the most important skills I learned while at University.
My advice to current or prospective students: I strongly encourage students with an interest in science and maths to take up engineering as a career. There is a huge variety of varied roles that are available to people with an engineering degree
such as managing multimillion dollar construction projects, to maintenance planning, to inspecting dams to ensure they are safe for day to day operation.
Engineering doesn't just limit you to technical roles as I have many friends who have gained roles in finance, banking, business consulting and management. Given the current resources boom and aging engineering workforce, there is currently huge demand for engineers and this is likely to continue for some time. The varied roles and high demand means that graduating engineers should have no trouble finding a rewarding and interesting career path to follow.
Tania Milinkovich
BE Civil Engineering with Architecture, 2011
Facade Engineer, Arup
Arup are an independent global and multidisciplinary firm of designers, planners, engineers, consultants and technical specialists offering a broad range of professional services.
My job today: At the moment, I am predominantly working as a façade access and maintenance consultant. This involves working closely with architects, clients and other engineers in the design phase to come up with strategies on how a new building façade will be accessed in order to carry out routine maintenance work. This can be quite a complex task which requires coordination with many different parties to work out spatial requirements, costs, safety, workability and structural adequacy to support the systems which must be installed. Most of the projects I am working on are very large scale buildings and developments around the world and working with some of the most well known
architects globally has been the most exciting part for me thus far.
How my degree benefitted me: I learnt all the technical skills and established my foundations as an engineer (excuse the pun!), but at the same time I was exposed to how architects are taught to think and ultimately come up with designs for buildings. I engaged with this process myself and learnt how the creative process happens. I am able to appreciate where an architect's design has come from and the reasoning behind it, and I feel that I can communicate and collaborate with architects more easily as well.
My advice to current or prospective students: To current students: My number one piece of advice is to really try to get out there and get some work experience as soon as possible in your degree. I found uni so much easier after I had gone out and seen how things are in the real world, just by going out on site and seeing how buildings are put together. Everything you learn at uni gets put into context after doing work experience and then it is
so much easier to approach problems at uni logically rather than just memorising a method and trying to re-apply it to new things in exams, which never works out!
To prospective students: As an engineer, the opportunity to do this degree is invaluable. Particularly if you think you would like to work as an engineer on building projects, this degree is for you. You will have the opportunity to learn all about the creative design process as well as the technical and problem solving skills you need to have as an engineer.
Conversely, be warned of the level of mathematics involved in engineering. I feel lucky that I was interested in both arty and creative things as well as the technical/problem solving side. It feels empowering to be a woman in an industry which is male dominated. I feel that people respect and admire you for doing it.
Personally this degree was a huge challenge for me and there were times where I questioned my decision to do it, but looking back now I don't think I would have done anything else!
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Cancelled: 2021 National Tertiary Netball Championship
UTSNZ, in partnership with Netball NZ, have made the difficult decision to cancel the 2021 National Tertiary Netball Championship that was scheduled to be held at the Auckland Netball Centre on 25-26 September.
While we had initially intended on making the final decision following the government announcement on the 13th of September, it is now obvious that running the event at alert level one in Auckland on the scheduled dates is not feasible.
Despite this being the second year in a row the event has been cancelled, it is clear that university and student support for the event is strong and we look forward to preparing for it's return in 2022.
Posted: Tue 07 Sep 2021
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» Narratives
» Call-out
Call-out
A climber's tales of mountain rescue in Scotland
Hamish MacInnes
Call-out is the definitive collection of tales about early mountain rescue in the Highlands of Scotland from Hamish MacInnes – Everest pioneer and arguably the most famous Scottish mountaineer of the twentieth century.
In the late 1960s, MacInnes led the Glencoe Mountain Rescue team and together they developed innovative techniques and equipment in order to save lives – often risking their own in the process – whether night or day, and always at a moment’s notice. He was a central figure in the rescue during the 1963 New Year tragedy in the Cuillins on the Isle of Skye, and led groundbreaking rescues on Buichaille Etive Mor, Ben Nevis, Bidean nam Bian and many other legendary Scottish mountains.
At the heart of the stories in Call-out are the unique characters in the team and wider Glencoe community who demonstrate faultless camaraderie, and – by virtue of MacInnes’s engaging storytelling – inject an almost comical slant into these sometimes-grim accounts of misadventure in the mountains.
The dark allure of the frozen Scottish peaks provides a foreboding backdrop against which we learn of Hamish MacInnes’s concern for human life under even the most extreme conditions. Call-out offers an inspiring portrayal of responsible and dedicated mountaineering practice, which is as pertinent today as ever.
Also available as an ebook:
Kindle USA
Born in 1930, Hamish Maclnnes OBE is a Scottish mountaineer with a leading climbing record. He has made many first ascents in Scotland, including the 1965 first winter traverse of Skye's Cuillin Ridge, alongside Tom Patey, Brian Robertson and David Crabbe. In 1973 he climbed the infamous prow of Roraima in Venezuela with Don Whillans, Joe Brown and Mo Anthoine. He has taken part in seven expeditions to the Himalaya, and was deputy leader on Chris Bonington's 1975 Everest South-West Face expedition on which Dougal Haston and Doug Scott made the first British ascent. In addition to around twenty world-class expeditions, he found time to invent items of advanced mountain-rescue equipment including the MacInnes stretcher and specialised ice-climbing hardware such as the Terrordactyl ice axe.
MacInnes founded the Glencoe Mountain Rescue Team in 1961 and served as team leader for over thirty years. An internationally renowned rescue expert, he also founded the Search and Rescue Dog Association and has been the honorary secretary of the Mountain Rescue Committee of Scotland, an honorary member of the Scottish Mountaineering Club and holds four honorary doctorates. He has authored an impressive thirty-five books, illustrated with his beautiful photography for which he has become renowned, and has also contributed to hundreds of documentaries and films, including The Eiger Sanction, Highlander and The Living Daylights.
Title: Call-out
Subtitle: A climber's tales of mountain rescue in Scotland
Author: Hamish MacInnes
Rights: Worldwide
Publication: 14 November 2016
Imprint: Vertebrate Digital
This is the classic mountain rescue book, yet so many of the rescues are in the same places that occur regularly now. I advise all mountain rescuers to read this – there is so much to learn in each chapter. There are so many similarities to today’s rescue and its politics! It is a must-read for all climbers, walkers and armchair adventurers. These are true stories and all who love the wild places especially Glencoe and Scotland and will be enthralled by the stories. Hamish and his band of brothers in Glencoe have left a great legacy in pioneering mountain rescue in Glencoe. Hamish’s Call-out is a wonderful tribute to those special people and this book has already stood the test of time. To anyone starting in the mountains – read this book there are so many lessons to be learned.
This is a book of one man’s life and team who have given so much for others. I would advise all to read it and learn that life and nature can teach us so much and build a bond that lasts beyond the experiences that this book covers. Thanks Hamish for a great book, and to Vertebrate Publishing for republishing this book – it’s a classic. You have to read it. – David “Heavy” Whalley MBE, BEM
In the Shadow of Ben Nevis
In 1959, sixteen-year-old Ian ‘Spike’ Sykes joined the RAF. He was posted to the remote RAF Kinloss ...
Mountaineering in Scotland – Undiscovered Scotland
Mountaineering in Scotland and Undiscovered Scotland are two of the greatest classics in mountaineering ...
The Next Horizon
The Next Horizon, the second volume in Chris Bonington's autobiography, relates his adventures from 1962 ...
£ 7.99 £7.99 each £ 9.99 full price
Punk in the Gym
Punk in the Gym is the stunning autobiography of British rock climber Andy Pollitt. With nothing held ...
£ 9.60 £9.60 each £ 12.00 full price
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Straight Talk 18-Nov-2021
Soft skills in investing
Anand Tandon
The most interesting takeaways from Morgan Housel's book 'The Psychology of Money'
By Anand Tandon
A by-product of a booming equity market is the rush of how-to books that get published, each attempting to assure its reader that the elusive pot of investment gold is there for the taking for anyone who survives reading the next 250 pages of the author's tome. In that cacophony, it is rare indeed to find a true gem that will likely outlast the current bull-run and make it to the list of investment classics you would want on your bookshelf for a long time to come. I refer to Morgan Housel's 'The Psychology of Money'. Writer, columnist and partner of Collaborative Fund, Morgan Housel has written a book that displays maturity well beyond his years.
Housel writes about an approach to personal finance that stresses that 'personal' is more important than 'finance'. "Financial success is not a hard science. It's a soft skill, where how you behave is more important that what you know." For people who are intimidated with the jargon of investing, this should be music to the ears. Housel calls this "the psychology of money".
Your personal experience determines your approach to investment
Housel makes the point that every person (and generation) has an attitude about money that is based on economic circumstances during their growing-up years, and investment choices and risk preferences differ widely among people. While an individual's personal experience is a tiny percentage of how the world works, it dominates his view of the world. "Some lessons have to be experienced before they can be understood." In 2006, two economists looked at 50 years of "survey of consumer finances" to see what Americans did with their money. The economists reported, "Our findings suggest the individual investors' willingness to bear risk depends on personal history" - in other words - just "dumb luck of when and where you were born".
People born when inflation is raging will approach bond investments differently from those born when interest rates are in a persistent decline. Attitudes towards risk are not based on models that are suggested by a spreadsheet, and what may appear rational to one investor can appear unacceptably high-risk to another. It is often the 'reasonable' that trumps 'rational'.
Luck and risk are two sides of the same coin
Housel quotes Nobel Prize winner Robert Shiller's answer to a question he posed, "What do you want to know about investing that we can't know?" Shiller's response: "The exact role of luck in successful outcomes".
The future is unknown. No strategy can work 100 per cent of the time. All too often success is attributed to skill or risk-taking ability, while failure is attributed to poor decision-making. But these are difficult to separate. Zuckerberg turned down an offer by Yahoo to buy-out Facebook for $1 billion in 2006 - a decision that proved to be correct, and Zuckerberg is classified as a genius. The same Yahoo turned down an offer by Microsoft to acquire it. The outcome for Yahoo was totally different and the management is criticised as fools. Housel suggests that when trying to find role models, we should resist the impulse to seek out successful individuals - instead focus on broad patterns where more consistent success has been achieved. While extreme outcomes dominate the news, averages are more replicable and trends in averages offer more actionable information to investors.
Don't move the goal post
What made Rajat Gupta, a highly regarded, financially successful individual at the top of his industry, indulge in insider trading? A sense of not having enough - when compared to those who he hobnobbed with. Comparison with someone who has more is a recipe for unhappiness because there is always someone out there who will have more. "Happiness is just results minus expectations." When a financial goal is achieved at a level that allows for a comfortable existence, it is important not to move the target.
Housel refers to the power of compounding, where due to the non-linear nature of growth, small amounts can grow to astronomical numbers over time. He goes on to suggest that rather than seeking outlier returns, steady returns over extended periods make for "financial unbreakability". When making a financial plan, it is important to plan for the plan to not work. Successful investing is about keeping a margin of safety so that longer-term investments are not disrupted when things don't go as per plan - as they inevitably won't. Housel points out that unless there is enough left in the tank to stay in the game after a vicious bout of volatility, investors may well have to exit at inopportune moments without the means to get back in.
"A barbelled personality" is Housel's recommended strategy for investors - where you are optimistic about the future but "paranoid about what will prevent you from getting to the future". He uses this to explain why often successful entrepreneurs become paupers because of the risks they take. Making money and keeping it are two differing skills - the first requires an optimistic outlook to the world and a belief that problems will tend to sort themselves out. The second needs a degree of paranoia about the unexpected and its ability to disrupt the best-laid plans. These, often contradictory impulses, lead to people witnessing volatility in their own journey to financial independence.
Housel makes a case for living within one's means - and saving without a 'goal' - simply because the surplus offers an individual the ability to control how he spends his time - the most important commodity there is!
Almost everything that Housel writes has been written about before. Yet what makes this book truly remarkable is the way he brings together the entire story of why it is all right to make investment choices that allow one to sleep well at night rather than 'optimise' for some imaginary goal. Keeping surplus cash enhances financial unbreakability, and being able to stay invested in volatile times ensures that compounding can do its thing. There is indeed no need to pursue highly risky strategies or measure performance against some successful individual - when all that is required for happiness is to build enough capital to have the freedom to decide how to spend your life the way you want. A book that should be read ever so often.
Too costly to be beneficial
Will inflation sustain higher for longer?
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Here’s why tech billionaires are fighting over San Francisco’s Prop C ballot measure
Leaders in the tech community are being pulled into a debate about their corporate responsibility in San Francisco and beyond.
By Shirin Ghaffary Oct 27, 2018, 10:00am EDT
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Robert Rey, a homeless man, outside San Francisco City Hall/
Justin Sullivan / Getty Images
There’s been a lot of debate about Prop C lately: The San Francisco ballot measure on homelessness has sparked a rare public feud among some of tech’s biggest billionaires.
The proposition seeks to address the growing problem of homelessness in the tech industry’s de facto capital. The stark contrast between the tech sector’s affluence and the poverty that surrounds it has become a mark of shame that has drawn international condemnation.
With this ballot proposal, tech executives are weighing what corporate responsibility they must display as they are being publicly challenged — notably by Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff — to give back more to the community they’ve built their wealth in.
Here is a rundown of what exactly the measure would do and why tech is divided on the issue:
What would the measure actually do?
If passed, Prop C would raise corporate taxes by .5 percent on companies making more than $50 million in revenue, earmarked for housing and helping the homeless.
It would bring in an estimated $250 to $350 million a year to help San Francisco’s growing homeless problem, nearly double what the city spends now on its homeless services. There are currently around 7,500 homeless people in San Francisco, according to the most recent estimate; the city says Prop C funds would house up to 5,000 and prevent the eviction of another 30,000.
A lot of the debate over the bill is over the type of tax that would increase — gross receipts tax — and how it would disproportionately affect financial tech companies such as Square and Stripe, which are leading tech opposition on the measure. Square CEO Jack Dorsey said that Square in particular would pay twice as much in taxes as Salesforce, despite having an annual revenue that’s projected to be about four times less this year.
What are the arguments for and against it?
Proponents of Prop C say that it’s a moral imperative to help the homeless, and that San Francisco, which has seen some of the nation’s strongest economic growth in the past two decades, can afford to pay the price.
Opponents worry about the harm the tax could bring to the businesses. And some — including San Francisco’s mayor, London Breed, also say they worry about accountability of how the funding will be used.
It’s worth taking a moment to dispel the myth floating around the tech community that the city spends $40,000 dollars per homeless person per year. In reality, that number is far, far lower — actually 10 times lower, around $4,000 a person — according to reporting from the San Francisco Chronicle.
Whether or not the city is spending that $4,000 per person in the most efficient way possible is up for debate, although some have found it a bit odd that the city’s mayor is questioning the responsibility of local government to allocate funds.
On the question of economic impact — Prop C would likely cause some job loss and reduction in GDP, but only by about .1 percent, according to the city’s analysis. But there’s an additional risk to the local economy if the tax increase compels tech companies to move out of the city altogether, the report found, and that risk is more difficult to measure. So far, Dorsey has said he’s committed to staying in San Francisco and finding a solution, but Twitter and other companies have considered leaving the city in the past over tax issues and rising costs to operate.
Who’s on which side, and how much money is behind Prop C?
Benioff has been the only tech executive so far to come out in strong support of the proposition, following the lead of advocacy organizations behind the measure. Even so, he’s been able to help the Yes on C campaign far outspend its opponents — in total, there have been $5.6 million in contributions for the proposition and $1.3 in contributions against it, with $5.1 million of Yes on C donations coming from Benioff and Salesforce.
Here’s a list of the tech figures and companies who have donated No on C, and how much they’ve contributed to those campaigns, according to the latest public disclosures:
Jack Dorsey - $75,000
Square - $25,000
Stripe - $419,999
Paul Graham, Y Combinator - $150,000
Lyft - $100,000
Michael Moritz, Sequoia - $100,000
There’s a similar divide on Prop C with California politicians: While San Francisco Mayor London Breed is against the bill, state Rep. Nancy Pelosi and Sen. Diane Feinstein are proponents of it.
And then there’s an assortment of celebrities who have come out in support of Prop C, including country-pop singer Jewel, Chris Rock, Danny Glover and will.i.am.
With less than two weeks until the final vote, we’ll see if tech CEOs dish out more last-minute cash or fiery tweets in support of their views on the issue. But one thing is for sure — the tech industry is now being called upon to help fix a colossal problem; one that, whether justified or not, people feel it’s in large part responsible for.
Building more high-density housing, as Stripe CEO Patrick Collison and other YIMBY advocates have proposed, may help, but it’s unclear if that will happen and in what time frame. In the meantime, voters in San Francisco and beyond will be asking: If not Prop C, what should tech leaders be doing to keep the most vulnerable citizens off the city’s streets?
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【772】Positive Response from MSCHE Evaluation Team
The Evaluation Team from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) delivered a very positive verbal report to Ming Chuan University (MCU) President Dr. Chuan Lee and over 50 directors, faculty and staff in attendance at an Exit Interview on Wednesday morning September 29 at the conclusion of the Team’s site visit to the University at its Taoyuan Campus. The Team will be reporting to the Middle States Commission on Higher Education that Ming Chuan University has met all 14 standards. They listed just a few recommendations for areas that MCU needs to address. With their positive report, MCU looks forward to the official letter from the Commission in mid- to late November about the official outcome of the MCU application for MSCHE institutional accreditation. This Evaluation Team was headed up by Dr. David F. Turk, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Nyack College in Nyack, New York. The other four members of the team were Ms. Robin Beads, Associate Director of Institutional Research and Assessment at the American University in Washington, DC; Ms. Charling Chang Fagan, Director of Libraries and Academic Computing at Sarah Lawrence College in Bronsville, New York; Mr. Michael J. Frantz, Vice President for Enrollment Management at Robert Morris University in Moon Township, Pennsylvania; and Mr. William Joseph Scott, Vice President of Finance and Administration at the American International University in London, Richmond, Surrey, United Kingdom. As team leader, Dr. David Turk spoke on behalf of this team of five evaluators. He spoke, with deep emotion, about the deep impression that all team members have regarding the significance of the MCU mission to attend to all students with parental care. Dr. Turk said that it is a really great testimony to each of the team members about how MCU that faculty and staff’ care for each student, one by one. The team commended President Lee for his amazing visionary leadership in moving MCU not only into mainland China market but across the globe, in attracting students, faculty and collaboration programs. Dr. Turk commented that is has been a great pleasure to see Dr. Lee’s leadership in action. Faculty were commended for their exceptional work on assessment over the past five years. The team commented that this degree of participation and level of achievement is something that few universities can match. Dr. Turk went on to especially commend the unit staff and department secretaries for their very important role in keying in massive quantities of data, as well as chasing after faculty and students to collect all the necessary information. This is just one of the evidences of the teamwork and family spirit of MCU. Thirdly, the MSCHE team commended the institution for its work over these past five years to link student learning goals to the MCU mission and goals. The close and careful linkage and mapping that are evident is a significant achievement for any university, and one to be proud of. Ming Chuan University first applied to MSCHE in 2006 to be a U.S. accredited university.
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News & Notes: Betts Sidelined 2-4 Weeks
Ladell Betts is expected to be sidelined 2-4 weeks due to a knee injury, head coach Jim Zorn said.
Betts suffered a sprained knee in the second half of Sunday's 19-17 loss to the St. Louis Rams.
He walked gingerly off the field and was later taken into the locker room for further evaluation.
His MRI on Monday revealed the extent of the injury.
"He may not practice for a while," Zorn said. "I just know he's sore."
Newly signed running back Shaun Alexander and Rock Cartwright could see action as Clinton Portis's backup in this Sunday's game against the Cleveland Browns.
Betts, a 7-year veteran, has 38 rushes for 156 yards this season.
In Sunday's game against the Rams, he had seven rushes for 32 yards.
-- ON KELLY
Rookie wide receiver Malcolm Kelly sat out his fourth game last Sunday after having some fluid drained from his surgically repaired knee.
Kelly has been slowed by knee and ankle injuries this season.
Jim Zorn acknowledged on Monday that if Kelly is not healthy, then placing him on injured reserve remains a possibility.
That would necessitate the Redskins signing another wide receiver to the roster.
"At some point, we have to have a guy," Zorn said. "I don't want to make a decision yet because I know Malcolm's potential. We just have to get it comfortable with him pushing [the knee].
](http://www.visitloudoun.org)
"We're trying to do everything right with him, If it doesn't work, then I think we gave it it's due. We just have to make a decision. It's coming."
-- HEYER UPDATE
Stephon Heyer continues to work through a shoulder injury that has sidelined him for the last two games.
He still does not have enough strength and "punch" needed to block defensive linemen, Jim Zorn said.
Zorn acknowledged that there is a "competition" between Heyer and Jon Jansen.
Jansen, who was benched in favor of Heyer in Week 1, has started the last three games as Heyer rehabs his injury.
The Redskins' ground game has flourished the last three games with Jansen at right tackle.
Zorn likes Heyer's pass-blocking ability, particularly since he runs the pass-heavy West Coast offense.
-- TAYLOR GETS THROUGH FINE
Jason Taylor was back in action last Sunday, serving as a backup to Demetric Evans. He recorded four tackles, including one for a loss, in the game.
Taylor returned from a calf injury. He wore a protective pad on his calf during the game.
Taylor said his calf felt fine after the game.
"I made it through," he said. "I didn't do any more damage, I know that. It went all right."
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‘He was a good driver’: 10-year-old leads police on an hour-long, 100-mph car chase
A 10-year-old boy from Cleveland led police on an hour-long chase on Oct. 26. It was reportedly the second time the unnamed boy had gone joyriding. (Reuters)
By Kyle Swenson
The sedan ripped down the Ohio turnpike like a cannonball, the speedometer pushing 100 mph as a dozen police and state cruisers tagged behind in pursuit.
Under a cloud-streaked blue sky, the vehicle dipped in and out of lanes of morning traffic, eventually running off the highway completely.
“He’s off road, driving down the ditch,” one of the Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers radioed to the rest of the pursuers, according to dash cam footage. “We are not going to let him get back on the highway.”
But the car kept driving, speeding through the grass running parallel to the roadway.
“Can you advise on intentional contact to stop him?” a trooper radioed.
“One car as gently as possible,” another answered. Slowly, one of the Highway Patrol cars nudged the fleeing vehicle, bringing it to a stop after a 45-mile high-speed chase outside of Cleveland.
Law enforcement quickly swarmed the vehicle.
Troopers reached through the window for the driver, yanking out a 10-year-old who had stolen the family car. It was the second time in as many weeks the unnamed boy had gone joyriding, Cleveland.com reports.
The hour-long chase started in Cleveland earlier Thursday morning. The boy grabbed the keys while waiting for his sister to take him to school. While she showered, he snagged the keys to his mother’s boyfriend’s car, according to Cleveland.com.
Realizing what had happened, the boy’s mother jumped in her own car and pursued the speeding car as the boy piloted around the Cleveland highway and made for the turnpike.
“My 10-year-old stole his dad’s car, and he’s running from me,” the mother told a 911 dispatcher.
After police stopped the car, the boy was taken into custody. No charges have been filed.
“He was a good driver for being 10 years old,” an eyewitness to the chase told News 5. “He was three foot tall. He was a very short kid. I don’t see how he even looked over the steering wheel.”
According to Fox 8, earlier in October the boy stole the same car and three flat tires left him stranded on the side of the highway. The boy’s mother told police he had taken the car because he was “bored.”
More from Morning Mix:
Berkeley student newspaper apologizes for cartoon depicting Alan Dershowitz stomping a Palestinian
Paul Newman’s Rolex — with a telling message from his wife — fetches record $17.8 million
She was missing for 42 years. But even she can’t tell police where she’s been.
It’s official: Bridge is definitely not a sport
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Biden: Romney’s approach to financial regulation will ‘put y’all back in chains’
By Sean Sullivan
Campaigning in southern Virginia on Tuesday, Vice President Biden told an audience that Mitt Romney's approach to regulating the financial industry will "put y'all back in chains," a remark that triggered a flurry of Republican criticism, including a sharp rebuke from the presumptive GOP presidential nominee.
2021 Election: Complete coverage and analysisArrowRight
"Look at their budget and what they're proposing," Biden said. "Romney wants to let the - he said in the first hundred days, he is going to let the big banks once again write their own rules. Unchain Wall Street. They are going to put y'all back in chains."
Biden made the comments at the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research in Danville, where he kicked off a two-day campaign tour of southern and southwestern Virginia. He spoke before what appeared to be a racially varied audience of 900 people, and one prominent Republican suggested that his language could be interpreted as racially divisive.
Romney, who visited Ohio on Tuesday on his swing state bus tour, used Biden's remark to level a harsh criticism at President Obama.
"His campaign and his surrogates have made wild and reckless accusations that disgrace the office of the presidency," Romney said. "Another outrageous charge came a few hours ago in Virginia. And the White House sinks a little bit lower."
Romney has said that if he is elected, he will work to repeal the Dodd-Frank financial regulatory bill signed into law by Obama in 2010. Romney's running mate, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), the chairman of the House Budget Committee, also has been an
outspoken critic of the law.
The Romney campaign lashed back at Biden's remarks and called on Obama to say publicly whether he agrees with the comments.
"After weeks of slanderous and baseless accusations leveled against Governor Romney, the Obama campaign has reached a new low," Romney spokeswoman Andrea Saul said. "The comments made by the vice president of the United States are not acceptable
in our political discourse and demonstrate yet again that the Obama campaign will say and do anything to win this election."
The Obama campaign defended Biden's remarks.
"For months, Speaker Boehner, Congressman Ryan and other Republicans have called for the 'unshackling' of the private sector from regulations that protect Americans from risky financial deals and other reckless behavior that crashed our economy," said deputy campaign manager Stephanie Cutter. "Since then, the vice president has often used a similar metaphor to describe the need to 'unshackle' the middle class. Today's comments were a derivative of those remarks."
But John Sununu, a Romney surrogate and former governor of New Hampshire, suggested the comments might be interpreted in a racial context. "There's going to be folks across the country that will try and take that as some kind of code word that is going to suggest that the Republicans are trying to be racial in their programs," Sununu said on MSNBC.
Tuesday's remarks weren't the first time Biden, a candid and outspoken politician, has attracted widespread attention for making off-the-cuff comments. In 2009, when concerns about swine flu were widespread, Biden raised eyebrows when he said in an interview on NBC News that he was advising his family against "going anywhere in confined places." More recently, Biden said in May that he was comfortable with same-sex marriage, a remark that prompted immediate questions about whether the president agreed.
At an event later on Tuesday in Wytheville, Va., Biden referenced his earlier remarks and the resulting Republican outrage.
"I got a message for them," Biden said. "If you want to know what's outrageous, it's their policies and the effects of their policies on middle-class America. That's what's outrageous."
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The last remnants of the old New Republic have been swept away
By Will Baude
Like a lot of people who write on the internet, I also once worked at The New Republic. In my case it was for one summer, between college and law school, and I was a lowly intern working for “TNR Online.” (I guess that was the beginning of The New Republic’s transformation to a “vertically integrated digital media company”?)
I’d gotten the job because of one professor who had a lot of faith in me and some writing I’d done in college. It was at TNR Online where I published my first articles about law. (All of them, ironically, have disappeared since.) It was at TNR where I first had a job that was intellectually hard. It was at TNR where I first had a job that required me to stay late at the office, and it made me want to stay late at the office.
When I started law school the next year, I started to dig into the New Republic’s history. My first year of law school, I used to spend nights and weekends in the Sterling Library archives, finding and devouring old New Republic columns by Alexander Bickel. For me, Bickel’s columns will always be the real New Republic.
So for me the New Republic has been fading for a long time. But last week’s announcement of mass departures is the final blow. Given how much an intellectual institution is composed of its members and its social norms, I think it is fair to say that whatever remained of the institution of The New Republic is now dead.
Chris Hughes, the stranded owner of The New Republic, has an op-ed in the Post that I guess is supposed to be a defense of his regime. But while it contains the word “institution” eleven times, it doesn’t really contain any substantive content or reason to believe that Hughes understands or values anything that was ever good about The New Republic. (Jack Goldsmith calls Hughes’s op-ed “just platitudes”.)
My reaction here is more sadness than specific criticism of Hughes. While I’m sad to see The New Republic go, the political coverage had been slipping for some time. To be sure, that wasn’t nearly as true of the “back of the book,” run by the seemingly-immortal Leon Wieseltier. As Josh Chafetz says:
The New Republic’s back of the book was motivated by nothing so much as an abiding belief that ideas matter, that culture matters, and that if you write about them in a deep and serious way, you can make other people see that and how they matter. This is a — perhaps the — liberal project, in the broadest and most inclusive sense of that term.
Indeed, the back of the book was probably the most significant remnant of the old New Republic, and its destruction is the saddest part of the institution’s demise.
There’s also lots of criticism bouncing around about how self-satisfied, arrogant, and elitist The New Republic was. Fair enough. But that arrogance was also bound up with that “abiding belief that ideas matter.”
Here’s one more story: The summer I interned at The New Republic they were working on the “Were We Wrong?” issue. The staff had supported Bush’s War in Iraq, and many of them had come to wonder if they’d made a terrible mistake. I was seen and not heard in all these discussions, but what struck me was the moral seriousness with which everybody thought about the project. People unironically used the phrase: “blood on our hands.”
Now of course there is something ridiculously arrogant about that. The New Republic probably did not cause the Iraq War. But at the same time, there was something profound about intellectuals taking their own ideas — and their own mistakes — that seriously. People at The New Republic genuinely worried that being wrong about politics and ideas could cause death. Ridiculous or not, the world needs more people who think ideas are that important.
Lots more good stuff has been written about The New Republic’s demise (intellectuals and journalists mourn their own), like this from Jack Goldsmith, this from Paul Horwitz, this from Dan Drezner, and this from Megan McArdle.
But the thing that seems most appropriate now is this announcement from the magazine’s founding:
The New Republic is frankly an experiment. It is an attempt to find national audience for a journal of interpretation and opinion. Many people believe that such a journal is out of place in America; that if a periodical is to be popular it must first of all be entertaining, or that if it is to be serious, it must be detached and select. Yet when the plan of The New Republic was being discussed it received spontaneous welcome from people in all parts of the country. They differed in theories and programmes; but they agreed that if The New Republic could bring sufficient enlightenment to the problems of the nation and sufficient sympathy to its complexities, it would serve all those who feel the challenge of our time. On the conviction that this is possible The New Republic is founded. Its success inevitably depends on public support, but if we are unable to achieve that success under the conditions essential to sound and disinterested thinking, we shall discontinue our experiment and make way for better men. Meanwhile, we set out with faith.
The bad news is that The New Republic experiment has finally failed. But the good news is that there are still a lot of smart people who care passionately about ideas and about rebuking error. They just write elsewhere now.
(P.S. Sorry about the hyperbolic post-title, but the chance to quote Grand Moff Tarkin was irresistible.)
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TRACE ADVANCED 4.5-27x50mm MOA
September 17, 2021 /by Chris Watkins
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THRIVE HD 3-18x56mm-PHR II Illum.
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March 18, 2021 /by Chris Watkins
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VENGEANCE PHR II Illum 4-20X50
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THRIVE 3-12×44 PHR 3
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VENGEANCE PHR II 4-20X50
October 20, 2020 /by Chris Watkins
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VENGEANCE R3 4-20X50
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VENGEANCE R3 Illum 4-20X50
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THRIVE 3-9x40mm DUPLEX
September 26, 2019 /by warcher
https://www.zerotechoptics.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/THRIVE-TH3940-Hotspot-1.jpg 603 1358 warcher https://www.zerotechoptics.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/ZeroTech-logo-small-white.png warcher2019-09-26 01:12:242020-08-25 16:13:43THRIVE 3-9x40mm DUPLEX
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Brad Aylmore on 4-16x50mm Thrive Mildot Riflescope
Brad Aylmore on 3-12X44mm THRIVE PHR 3 Riflescope
William on 4-16x50mm Thrive Duplex Riflescope
Rosina Armon on 3-18x50mm Trace R3 Riflescope
Jc new caledonia on 4.5-18x40mm Vengeance PHR Riflescope
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Elder Class of 2024
JAY KENNERLY
Jay and Carole, his wife of 56 years have two children Pamela and Christian and three granddaughters. Jay earned his B.A. in journalism/advertising from SIU where he also did graduate work in Mass Communications Research and Methodology. Jay served in the US Navy earning the rank of Lieutenant. He worked for Horace Mann Educators Corp as Advertising Manager and Assistant Vice President before becoming self employed in 1977 working in publishing, as an independent contractor and serving as an adjunct instructor at U of I Springfield in their Marketing Department. Jay has published two articles in his field. Along with singing in the choir, Jay has served as an elder and deacon at Westminster.
Tim is a retired engineer, previously employed for 32 years with the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency working in water pollution control and eight years as Technical Director for the Sanitary District of Decatur. He and his wife, Priscilla, an artist and educator, have been married 46 years. Their daughter Elizabeth and her husband Mark are both teachers and live in Springfield, and their son Matthew is an architect living in Champaign Tim especially enjoys spending time with his family, traveling and bicycling.
DAVE LEONATTI
Dave and his wife Valerie have two daughters, Alana and Lauren. Dave received his architectural degree from the University of Illinois and is Principal and Owner of Melotte Morse Leonatti Parker Architect Firm in Springfield. He has served as an elder, deacon, chaired the APNC, and provided leadership on numerous Youth Mission Trips.
MICHAEL MORTHLAND
Michael and his wife Kate have one son Walter. Michael earned his law degree at SIU and is Chief Of Staff at Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. His undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois is in music and he plays the bassoon. He grew up at the Westminster Presbyterian Church in Decator where he and Kate were married. He enjoys music, hiking, cooking, eating, and volunteering with children. He and Kate are volunteering with Compass for Kids.
CHRISTY POUND
Christy and her husband Karl were married at Westminster in 1998. They have two sons, Aery and Bryce. Christy earned her B.S. in Business Administration from Erskine College, Due West, S.C. and worked for the Illinois Commerce Commission for 18 years. She has worked for her family’s agricultural business since 2012 going fulltime in 2017.Christy serves on the Springfield High School Booster Board and is a member of PEO and the Ruth and Naomi Circle at Westminster.
KAREN SHERRICK
Karen and her husband, Dr. Andy Sherrick, have two children, Jack and Annie. Karen earned her B.S. degree in Education from Texas A&M and also earned a M.Ed in Reading. Karen served as a classroom teacher for 10 years before becoming an Orton Gillingham trained dyslexia tutor and serving for three years in this capacity. Karen joined Westminster’s staff as our Director for Children’s Ministry in February of 2018 and is Currently pursuing Certified Christian Educator Certificate. Her interests include travel, cooking, reading, and fitness.
ELEANOR VANDEVENTER
Eleanor and her husband Lyle have four children between them and five grandchildren. Eleanor earned her B.A. at the University of Illinois and her Master’s degree in Reading at Illinois State University. She recently retired as a Reading Specialist at Pawnee School District. Eleanor is active in Elizabeth Circle, Bible Study. St. Andrew’s Sisters, and of course, the Westminster Choir where she has nourished our spirits with her beautiful soprano voice for years. She and Lyle recently downsized and moved to Springfield.
SARAH ZERFAS
Sara is married to Bob and they have two children: Danielle and Jack. She joined Westminster in 1999 and has served as a Deacon, preconfirmation teacher, confirmation mentor, mentor in Youth Group and adult leader on one mission trip. Sarah earned her B.A. Political Science at Miami University, Oxford, Ohio. She has worked at the U.S. House of Representatives, U.S. Chamber of Commerce and IBM Corporation. For the past 28 years she served as an Agency Liaison at Central Management Services and Illinois Department of Innovation & Technology. Within the community Sara is a Past Board Member of Springfield High School Boosters and Springfield Art Association. She is also active in Kings Daughters and Junior League. She enjoys cooking reading and snow skiing.
EMILY BROWER (YOUTH ELDER)
Emily is a junior at Springfield High School where she is a swimmer, the artistic coordinator for feminist club, and a writer for the newspaper. She also volunteers at compass for kids and has been on two mission trips with the Youth Group. She loves reading, baking, and creating art in her free time. Her mother Cathy is an elder and has encouraged her involvement at Westminster.
BRYCE POUND (YOUTH ELDER)
Bryce currently attends Springfield High School as a Junior. He works at Illini Country Club over the summers and enjoys golf, tennis, and bowling in his free time. His brother Avery currently attends Cornell. Bryce was baptized and confirmed at Westminster and youth group plays a large role in his life.
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Bernard Mathias Jochum
Passed away peacefully in his home in Santa Barbara, CA, on August 10, 2014, at the age of 92, with his daughters by his side. Bernie was born to Mathias and Mary Jochum on July 17, 1922 in Chicago, IL, the eleventh of thirteen children. He graduated from Immaculate Conception High School before working as a file clerk for the Buick Motor Company. Drafted in 1942, Bernie served three years in the US Army during World War II, achieving the rank of Sargent. Following his honorable discharge, Bernie attended De Paul University in Chicago, graduating in 1949. While riding on a commuter train in Chicago, Bernie met and fell in love with his future bride, Mary Tuohy. The two were married on September 1, 1951. The couple lived in Chicago, IL, and later moved to Phoenix, AZ where they had three daughters, Mary, Judy and Ruth. In 1969 the family moved to Santa Barbara where Bernie worked for Raytheon, as a buyer, until his retirement in 1990. Bernie and his wife, Mary, were active parishioners at Saint Raphael's parish, in Goleta, for 45 years. He was involved in many community and church organizations including the Elks Lodge, Sociable Seniors, and the Knights of Columbus. In retirement Bernie discovered he had a green thumb, as was evidenced by the over 200 orchid plants growing in his yard. He also realized he had an aptitude for cooking, especially baking. Although he was of German decent, he was especially well known for the delicious Irish Soda bread he baked and donated every March for Saint Patrick's Day. His loving devotion to his family, his strong faith in God, his amusing sense of humor and his contagious smile will be missed by his many friends and family. Bernie was preceded in death by his wife Mary and their youngest daughter, Ruth. He is survived by his daughters, Mary and Judy, son-in-laws Chuck and Nick, grandchildren; George, Chris and Zoe, his sister Cecelia and many nieces and nephews. A rosary will be held at Welch-Ryce-Haider Funeral Chapel in Goleta at 6:30 pm on Friday, August 15th. A funeral mass will be held on Saturday, August 16th at 10:00 am at St Raphael?s parish with interment at Calvary Cemetery immediately following. A reception will follow these services at Saint Raphael's church hall. The family wishes to thank the caring and devoted home health aides from the Visiting Nurses Association, who lovingly referred to him as Mr. B, especially Marrisa, Laura, Teresa, and Dominic.
Passed away peacefully in his home in Santa Barbara, CA, on August 10, 2014, at the age of 92, with his daughters by his side. Bernie was born to Mathias and Mary Jochum on July 17, 1922 in Chicago, IL, the eleventh of thirteen children. He... View Obituary & Service Information
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Home/Tag: Austin Riley
Tag Archives: Austin Riley
Atlanta Wins World Series For The First Time In 26 Years
November 3, 2021 Atlanta Braves, Baseball, MLB, MLB Playoffs, World Series
The Atlanta Braves won the 2021 World Series, defeating the Houston Astros 7-0 in Game 6 to take the series, 4-2. Jorge Soler delivered a massive three-run blast in the third inning to put Atlanta up early and earning himself the MVP award. The Braves are now World Series champions …
Braves Take Game 1 Over Astros In World Series
October 27, 2021 Atlanta Braves, Baseball, MLB, MLB Playoffs, World Series
The Atlanta Braves struck first in Game 1 of the World Series, beating the Houston Astros 6-2. The Braves took an early lead as the Astros were later able to get on the board, but it was too late to matter. Here are some noteworthy plays and moments from Game …
Dodgers Comeback At Home In Thrilling Win Against Braves
October 20, 2021 Atlanta Braves, Baseball, MLB, MLB Playoffs
Dodgers are back in the NLCS, coming back from a three-run deficit in Game 3 to beat the Braves 6-5. Here’s a recap on how the Braves could not capitalize on a three-run lead, allowing the Dodgers to flip Game 3. Corey Seager Strikes First Mookie Betts drew a leadoff …
Atlanta Braves heading to second-straight NLCS
The Atlanta Braves ousted the Milwaukee Brewers in their 5-4 come-from-behind win in Game 4 of the National League Division Series. Consequently, the Braves will now advance to the NL Championship Series for their second season in a row. https://twitter.com/BravesOnBally/status/1448094020337639432 National League Division Series Atlanta Braves vs. Milwaukee Brewers recap …
Rays, Marlins and Braves Round Up
May 28, 2021 Atlanta Braves, Baseball, Miami Marlins, MLB, Tampa Bay Rays
As we come to an end with the first quarter of the MLB season, let’s look back at how the Tampa Bay Rays, the Miami Marlins, and the Atlanta Braves have done so far. Tampa Bay Rays Record: 32-20 The Tampa Bay Rays have been a force to be reckoned …
Future is Bright for the Braves
It wasn’t the ending they wanted, but it’s not the end for the Atlanta Braves. The Braves stunned the baseball world when they pulled ahead 3-1 in the National League Championship Series over the heavily-favored Dodgers. However, Los Angeles returned the favor with three consecutive wins of its own. The …
Braves Come Up Big In The 9th, Lead NLCS 1-0
Game 1 of the NLCS between the Atlanta Braves and the Los Angeles Dodgers was a tight one heading into the final 9th inning frame. That was until the Braves’ nine-hole hitter Austin Riley had something to say about it. With the crack of a bat, a ball was launched …
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Howard University names fine arts college after Chadwick Boseman
May 26, 2021 @ 5:31pm
▶ Watch Video: Chadwick Boseman’s charity work takes on deeper meaning after his death
Howard University has announced their reestablished College of Fine Arts will be named after alumnus Chadwick Boseman. The late actor, who graduated from the school in 2000, had protested against the reabsorption of the college into the broader College of Arts and Sciences while he was a student and continued to advocate for its reestablishment long after he left the Washington, D.C., campus.
“Chadwick’s love for Howard University was sincere, and although he did not live to see those plans through to fruition, it is my honor to ensure his legacy lives on through the Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts with the support of his wife and the Chadwick Boseman Foundation,” Howard University President Wayne A. I. Frederick said in a statement Wednesday. “I’m also elated to have the support of The Walt Disney Company’s Executive Chairman Bob Iger, who has graciously volunteered to lead the fundraising effort to build a state-of-the art facility and endowment for the college.”
Thank you, @Variety, for featuring our exciting news! Howard University is pleased to name the College of Fine Arts after our iconic alumnus @chadwickboseman
Read more here: https://t.co/NPeE3JSMNK #HowardForward
— Howard University (@HowardU) May 26, 2021
Boseman, best known for his role as T’Challa in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and for playing non-fictional icons James Brown, Thurgood Marshall and Jackie Robinson, died last year at age 43 after an intense and secret battle with colon cancer. Boseman was nominated for an Academy Award for “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” and posthumously won a Golden Globe award for his role in the film, which would prove to be his last. He also won several NAACP Image Awards and two Screen Actors Guild Awards throughout his highly celebrated career.
Howard alumna and celebrated actress Phylicia Rashad, best known for her work on “The Cosby Show,” will serve as the college’s dean. During Boseman’s time at Howard, Rashad acted as a mentor for the young actor, who said in a statement that he was “possessed by a passion” for acting and telling stories. The new building, on which construction has not yet begun, will also be home to the Cathy Hughes School of Communications and the University’s television and radio stations.
In 2018, Boseman was the keynote speaker for Howard’s 150th Commencement Ceremony. During his speech, he referenced his time at the school, including his protest against the absorption of the college, and pressed the students to use their degrees to make a real world impact on the things they’re passionate about.
“A Howard University education is not just about what happens in the classroom, students,” Boseman said. “In some ways, what you were able to do exemplifies some of the skills you learned in the classroom. It takes the education out of the realm of theory and into utility and practice.”
The Boseman family on Wednesday thanked Howard for the honor, saying they had full faith in the leadership of Rashad and the college to honor Boseman’s role and legacy at the school.
“I am extremely pleased that Howard University has chosen to honor my husband in this way and elated that Ms. Rashad has accepted the role as Dean,” Simone Ledward-Boseman, Boseman’s wife, said in a statement Wednesday. “Chad was a very proud Bison — both Howard and Ms. Rashad played integral roles in his journey as an artist. The re-establishment of the College of Fine Arts brings this part of his story full-circle and ensures that his legacy will continue to inspire young storytellers for years to come.”
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Archive for Republicans
red state – blue state – vaccinated state – unvaccinated state
Posted in Books, Kids, Statistics, Travel with tags @ScientistTrump, anti-vaccine, CDC, COVID-19, Democrats, NYT, Red State Blue State, regression, Republicans, The New York Times, US politics, vaccine, voting on October 6, 2021 by xi'an
The New York Times published an article demonstrating the partisan separation between US Democrats and Republicans by regression lines. As the one above, regressing the proportion of vaccinated on the proportion of Trump voters but no scale on the first axis. But no correction for age composition or population density. And the one below, plotted at the county level, which seems quite meaningless given the spread of red dots in Wyoming.
Still, there is a clear opposition between places (counties) that voted more than 70% Trump (representing 33M people) and those that voted more than 70% Biden (more than 58M people), even though county density, age composition, and earlier deaths from COVID should also be accounted for. But the vaccination rate also exhibits this opposition, with a 1.65 ratio between the first and last decile of the blue counties.
will it ever get better?! [verbatim]
Posted in Kids, pictures, Travel with tags @ScientistTrump, Agent Orange, America, coronavirus epidemics, COVID-19, decency, Donald Trump, incompetence, John Adams, pandemic, Republicans, The New York Times, Thomas Jefferson, US elections 2020, US politics, US presidents on November 14, 2020 by xi'an
“…after his defeat in the 1800 election, Adams wrote bitterly that “we have no Americans in America,” and that “a group of foreign liars, encouraged by a few ambitious native gentlemen, have discomfited the education, the talents, the virtues, and the property of the country.” Adams was so disgusted that he refused to attend the inauguration of his successor, Thomas Jefferson.” Sean Willenz, 11 November
“This man is a pathological liar. He doesn’t know the difference between truth and lies. He lies practically every word that comes out of his mouth. And in a pattern that I think is straight out of a psychology textbook, his response is to accuse everybody else of lying.” Ted Cruz, 03 May 2016
“No sitting president — no presidential candidate, with the partial exception of Jackson in 1824 — has refused to accept the results of an election. I’m not surprised that Trump is threatening to do so, but refusing to accept the results of an election may be a bridge too far.” James T. Campbell, 11 November
“There is no enchanted village in Pennsylvania full of 50,000 Trump voters that we haven’t heard from already. It doesn’t exist.” John Fetterman, Pennsylvania lieutenant governor, 13 November
and it only gets worse [last round?!]
Posted in Kids, pictures, Travel with tags @ScientistTrump, Agent Orange, America, Amy Coney Barrett, baby Trump, cliffs, coronavirus epidemics, COVID-19, decency, Donald Trump, Dover cliffs, EU, European Union, Geneva Consensus Declaration, Human Rights, incompetence, International Criminal Court, pandemic, reproductive rights, Republicans, Roe v. Wade, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, sanctions, Supreme Court, The New York Times, United Nations, US politics, US presidents on November 2, 2020 by xi'an
““A lot of what we’ve done over the last four years will be undone sooner or later by the next election. They won’t be able to do much about [Amy Coney Barrett election] for a long time to come.” M. McConnell, 25 October
“We’re not going to control the pandemic” White House Chief of Staff, 26 October
“The International Criminal Court (ICC) plays an essential role in delivering justice to the victims of some of the World’s most horrific crimes. Its independence and impartiality are crucial characteristics of the Court’s work, which are fundamental for the legitimacy of its judgements. The sanctions announced by the United States administration on 2 September against two Court staff members, including its Prosecutor, are unacceptable and unprecedented measures that attempt to obstruct the Court’s investigations and judicial proceedings. The European Union (…) will resolutely defend it from any attempts aimed at obstructing the course of justice and undermining the international system of criminal justice.” [EU High Representative] Josep Borrell, 03 September
“Under President Trump’s leadership, the United States has defended the dignity of human life everywhere and always. He’s done it like no other President in history (…) in no case should abortion be promoted as a method of family planning.” M. Pompeo [when signing the Geneva Consensus Declaration]
“[signing the Geneva Consensus Declaration] marks another giant step backwards for the United States as it joins a list of countries willingly endangering people’s health and lives. The United States’ stance flies in the face of human rights and decades of health research. This is about people living full lives that are their own – not the lives that the government has prescribed for them,” Tarah Demant, Amnesty International
“[Amy Coney Barrett] is the most openly pro-life judicial nominee to the Supreme Court in my lifetime. This is an individual who has been open in her criticism of that illegitimate decision Roe v. Wade.” Josh Hawley, Missouri Republican Senator, 27 October
“Last week, the Supreme Court acquiesced to another attack on the voting rights of all Americans. In a 5-3 decision, the court blocked a trial judge’s ruling permitting Alabama counties to offer curbside voting as a reasonable accommodation to disabled voters.” Ari Ne’eman, The New York Times, 28 October
“In this election America faces a fateful choice. At stake is the nature of its democracy. One path leads to a fractious, personalised rule, dominated by a head of state who scorns decency and truth. The other leads to something better—something truer to what this newspaper sees as the values that originally made America an inspiration around the world.” The Economist, 29 October
the “myth of the miracle machine”
Posted in Books, University life with tags Arizona, conservatism, funding, Nature, Philosophy of Science, religion, Republicans, US politics on September 13, 2017 by xi'an
In what appears to be a regular contribution of his to Nature, Daniel Sarewitz recently wrote a “personal take on events” that I find quite reactionary, the more because it comes from an academic. And I wonder why Nature chose to publish his opinion piece. Every other month! The arguments of the author is that basic science should be defunded in favour of “use-inspired” research, “mission oriented” programmes, “societal needs and socially valuable knowledge”… The reason being that it is a better use of public money and that scientists are just another interest group that should not be left to its own device. This is not a new tune, calls to cut down funding fundamental research emerge regularly as an easily found culprit for saving “taxpayer money”, and it is the simplest mean of rejecting a research proposal by blaming its lack of clear applicability. Of course, when looking a bit wider, one can check this piece bemoaning the Democrat inclinations of most scientists. Or that one that science should sometimes give way to religion. With the definitive argument that, for most people, the maths behind scientific models are so complex that they must turn to an act of faith… Yes, I do wonder at Nature providing Sarewitz with such a wide-ranging tribune.
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New Suicide Squad trailers spotlight Joker, Harley Quinn, Deadshot and more
Matt Kamen
Fan-favourite characters including Joker, Harley Quinn, and Deadshot get spotlight trailers for Warner Bros upcoming supervillain team-up movie
Warner Bros' next DC Comics movie is about to hit cinemas, with Suicide Squad hoping to build on the shared universe begun in 2013's Man of Steel and expanded in March's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.
The film follows a group of DC's greatest and most dangerous villains, recruited by the US government to take on missions where plausible deniability is politically favourable. In return, the members are offered commuted sentences - if they survive the highly dangerous operations.
Although the characters will be recognisable to comics fans, the general public may not be quite so familiar with their personalities and powers. So, with the film landing on August 5, Warner Bros is rolling out a series of new character spotlight trailers, focusing on the deranged cast of one of the most unconventional 'superhero' movies ever.
Harley's is the most interesting clip, both for Margot Robbie's infectiously gleeful portrayal of the psychotic character and for its hints at deeper secrets of the movie. We see Harley texting the Joker, played by Jared Leto, and later joyriding through the streets with him. Director David Ayer has been tight-lipped on who the Squad will actually be facing in the film, referring only to an "antagonist". While the Joker hasn't been confirmed as the main villain, could Harley still be working with him?
The pair have a twisted relationship. Harley first appeared in the Batman: The Animated Series episode Joker's Favor in 1992 as the Joker's besotted girlfriend. Originally psychiatrist Doctor Harleen Quinzel, Harley attempted to treat the Joker's insanity but instead became enamored with him, eventually helping him escape and taking up a criminal life herself, before being slowly driven insane by the Joker's abuse.
Quickly becoming a breakout hit, Harley transitioned to the comics, where she grew into a more independent character, and occasionally something of an anti-hero. She's also more commonly in the arms of plant-powered villain Poison Ivy nowadays, making her one of DC's most prominent bisexual characters.
The Joker himself gets time to shine too, with Leto offering a unique take on the psychotic Clown Prince of Crime. As far removed from Heath Ledger's performance in The Dark Knight as Ledger's was from Jack Nicholson's in Batman '89, this Joker is lean and very, very mean.
Despite being described as a "total megalomaniac" and "psychotic anti-social freak", there's a hint in the trailer that Joker may actually be sent in after the Suicide Squad when something goes wrong - but may only be interested in 'rescuing' Harley. It appears to be a very different direction from the earlier Harley trailer, and from what we've seen of this version of the Joker so far.
Keep your eyes peeled for a flash of Ben Affleck's Batman too, who is set to appear in the film - because you can't have the Joker without his favourite joke, can you?
Deadshot, meanwhile, is expert assassin Floyd Lawton. Will Smith gives him a bit more swagger than he has on the printed page, where he's more sarcastic and calculating. He also seems to be tallying his vendettas, keeping track of anyone who threatens or insults him. Expect vengeance.
Deadshot first appeared in Batman #59 in 1950, initially impersonating a hero and trying to undermine Batman and Robin. Revamped years later, he became a walking arsenal who boasts pinpoint accuracy with his wrist-mounted guns. However, one of Deadshot's defining character traits is a deathwish, tempered only by his desire to provide for his estranged wife and daughter.
Like Harley, Deadshot grew into something of an anti-hero over time, working with the Secret Six, a group of villains who resisted an effort by an alternate reality Lex Luthor to control the world's supercriminals. Comics!
Despite Suicide Squad opening so soon, there is still a surprising amount of secrecy surrounding the film's events. In addition to not revealing the "antagonist", we don't know what the Squad is united for, or where the city they're seen entering in the trailers actually is. Perhaps the ruins left in the wake of Batman v Superman's finale's orgy of destruction?
What is clear though is that Warners will be keen for this film to be well-received, especially after Batman v Superman was slaughtered by critics and failed to net the golden $1 billion at the global box office. Suicide Squad's lighter tone - ironic, considering its cast is a crew of murderous supervillains - should help bring audiences in, and cement the cinematic DC Expanded Universe.
TopicsFilmCulture
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Lucy Burdette's Mysterious 'Key Lime Crime'
WLRN 91.3 FM | By Leslie Ovalle
'The Key Lime Crime: A Key West Food Critic Mystery' by Lucy Burdette
Key West is known for its laid-back lifestyle. But the book "The Key Lime Crime" shows us that the pastry chefs behind the island’s sweet key lime pies are anything but laid back.
It’s our Sundial Book Club pick for June. The mystery fiction culminates when a fancy chef brings a key lime puff pastry to a pie-baking contest.
The city’s pie aficionado, and host of the contest, is beside himself and a fierce rivalry begins in Key West’s pie-baking world.
Someone gets pied in the face, but that’s not the worst of it — one of the pastry chefs is mysteriously murdered.
You can join the book club here.
WLRN’s Luis Hernandez spoke with the author Lucy Burdette about the book and her Key West Food Critic Mysteries series.
Below are excerpts from the conversation, which have been edited for length and clarity.
WLRN: You are a clinical psychologist. At what point did you decide to go down the path of becoming a writer?
BURDETTE: I started writing in the late 1990s when I had become obsessed with trying to play golf. I was so bad and I spent so much time working on it that my psychologist brain was saying — "What can you do with this? How can you make something from it?" At first I was writing articles about the psychology of golf, which, believe it or not, is a big field. And then when I had trouble placing a lot of these as a freelancer, a friend said, "Why don't you try writing a mystery?" And it was like something clicked. I'd always read mysteries. I love mysteries. So that's how it started.
They tell people, write what you know. So I wrote about a neurotic lady golfer and it fit perfectly. The trouble is, it turns out that golfers don't have a lot of time to read and readers hate golf. So I had to move on to something else. And now I'm on the third series, which is the Key West Food Critic series.
You live in Key West, part of the year. When did you decide that you wanted to spend so much time there? And how did it inspire the characters in the book?
We just fell in love with Key West. It's such an interesting place. Lots of art, lots of music, lots of book people there. There are sports for my husband. If I get stuck, all I need to do is go outside and look around and the characters and the quirky people are all around me.
Some of the people in the books are actually based very closely on real people. Like I have a character named Lorenzo who reads tarot cards at Mallory Square at sunset, and that is very much a real person. His actual name is Ron and I've gotten to know him. And every time I'm writing a book, I try to take him to lunch because he gives me so much insight into the island and the people and also how he would think about what he does.
Another character, Haley, was like me. She had come to Key West. She didn't know the people. She didn't understand how the island works. She had come because a man invited her. And when that exploded, as it should have, she'd already gotten so attached to being there that she would do anything to stay. And she's evolved a lot. I'm not the kind of writer who can sit down and write pages and pages of character sketches. These people get more alive to me the longer I write.
What makes the Key West food scene unique?
Well, there are the kinds of food that are special to Florida and not just Key West, but all of South Florida — key limes and mangoes and papayas, things that in the northern part of the country are just foreign to people. So that makes it special. I have met several people who are cooking down in Key West. They're special people too, because you need to be unusual to end up living in Key West. It's expensive. And there are scary times with the hurricanes. So I think it's just the different kinds of people.
Why does a small little touristy town like Key West make for such a great setting for a crime story?
Well, there are so many layers. I think that's part of it. The tourists who come in for a day, they see one thing. They see Duval Street, the bars, the outdoor restaurants and the T-shirt shops. That's one surface level. And then you stay there a month and you realize, no, there's a lot more to it. And then you stay there longer and you realize, no, there's even more to it than that — because people have lived here all their lives.
They're called Conchs and they experience it in a different way than a visitor ever would. So I never run out of ideas. You open up the newspaper and it's full of ideas. I don't know exactly what it is but it's so beautiful. People aspire to be there and live there. I think a lot of readers feel that magical connection without even visiting.
NewsLocal NewsnewsSundial Book ClubKey WestKey lime pieKey limesmystery writingchefsfoodSundial
Leslie Ovalle produces WLRN's daily magazine program, Sundial. She previously produced Morning Edition newscasts at WLRN and anchored the midday news. As a multimedia producer, she also works on visual and digital storytelling.
See stories by Leslie Ovalle
Review: 'Caprisongs,' the latest from FKA twigs
Sundial Book Club For October: "Squeeze Me"
'Of Women And Salt' From Cuban Cigar Factories To Immigration Detention Centers
A Forgotten Star: The Untold Story Of Cuban Actress Estelita Rodriguez
Karen Russell's Haunting And Dreamlike 'Swamplandia!'
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Katy Perry Has Been Denied Entry to China, Just When It Looked Like Things Couldn’t Get Worse for the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show
Paging Taylor Swift?
by Katherine Cusumano
Harry Durrant/Getty Images
After Gigi Hadid had to bow out of the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, it looked like things couldn’t get much more complicated for the globetrotting annual show, which has already found media outlets struggling over access to the Mercedes-Benz Arena and event staff struggling to get their press releases approved—and yet, on Thursday evening, Page Six reported yet another setback. Katy Perry, who had been slated to perform on the runway, has apparently found herself unable to acquire a visa, and it all comes down to a performance in Taipei, Taiwan two years ago.
According to the report, Perry had initially been granted access to Shanghai, but that was rescinded—and Perry’s visa unfulfilled “indefinitely”—when government officials learned of her maybe-subversive, definitely sunflower adorned show in Taipei in 2015. Perry slipped into a sparkling chartreuse dress dotted with sunflowers, just one of the array of technicolor looks she’s brought on her Prismatic tour, and performed in front of a microphone stand in the shape of a giant sunflower. The sunflower had been adopted the previous year as an emblem of the Sunflower Student Movement, a resistance group who opposed what they perceived to be mainland China’s overreach in Taiwan.
It was a major incident at the time, with Chinese officials working to scrub the image from social platforms in the country, though Rolling Stone pointed out Perry had worn the dress on several other occasions during the tour—including in Shanghai. However, in Taipei, unlike in Shanghai, Perry also wrapped a Taiwanese flag around her shoulders. When she applied for a visa to perform at the Victoria’s Secret show, Perry included a memo outlining that she would adhere to the Chinese Ministry of Culture’s guidelines—“I promise not to say or do anything religious or political,” according to a copy of the memo posted to the Chinese social platform Weibo, and “I promise not to participate in any activities that jeopardize China’s unity and integrity”—but this, apparently, was insufficient.
“For every artist who wants to perform in China, officials comb through their social-media and press reports to see if they have done anything deemed to be offensive to the country,” a source told Page Six. “Maroon 5 was banned a few years ago because one band member wished the Dalai Lama happy birthday on Twitter.”
In addition to Katy Perry, several other models, including Hadid, Irina Sharipova, Kate Grigorieva, Julia Belyakova, and Dasha Khlystun, were also denied entry, reportedly because of posts on social media. Adriana Lima’s visa has apparently also been delayed due to “an ongoing ‘diplomatic problem,’” according to Page Six. It’s been speculated, for example, that Hadid’s visa was denied as part of the fallout from a video posted on her sister Bella’s Instagram that ostensibly depicted Hadid imitating a Buddha-shaped cookie by squinting her eyes. Observers were quick to call out her offensive gesture, and the post was promptly deleted.
Harry Styles, pop’s least scandalous rock star, will apparently still be playing at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, even if his former bandmate’s current girlfriend won’t be in attendance. Before the performers had been announced, rumors indicated Taylor Swift might also be part of the lineup; now, it seems, there’s an opening. (Of course, she hasn’t entirely bypassed the scrutiny of the Chinese censors, seeing as 1989—the title of her last album, and her birth year—is something of a taboo subject in China.) Perhaps Swift is still out there as Victoria’s Secret’s pinch hitter.
Katy Perry admits she cries to some of her own songs:
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Boehner Plays It Loose With His Speakership At Stake
By S.V. Dáte
While House Speaker John Boehner is almost certain to win re-election in his suburban Cincinnati district, his prospects of being re-elected as speaker are far less clear.
House Speaker John Boehner is almost certain to win re-election in his suburban Cincinnati district, but that will only get him back to Congress.
To get another term as speaker, he'll need to win a floor vote that doesn't happen until January — and Boehner's prospects in that contest are far less clear.
Boehner has led the more conservative of the parties, but the most conservative members of that party have never been his fan club.
They see him as a deal-maker who's too willing to compromise — and that was before Boehner said this to a hometown Rotary Club about a House vote on immigration:
A few days later, Boehner told his Republican caucus he was only kidding.
"There was no mocking," he said. "You all know me. You know, you tease the ones you love."
Some Boehner critics think they see his joking as a sign.
"I don't think John Boehner is running for speaker," says Rep. Mo Brooks, R-Ala. "Just the way he has conducted himself. I just don't think he's going to run."
Brooks has a long list grievances. He blames Boehner for the fact that there are no committee chairmen from the eight states that Brooks calls the heart of the South, even though they account for more than a fifth of all House Republicans.
Boehner has also allowed bills such as the Violence Against Women Act to pass with more Democratic votes than Republican, and, Brooks says, Boehner threw his Republican caucus under the bus during the government shutdown last fall.
Brooks says the video of Boehner mocking his colleagues was a popular conversation topic at a gathering last week in the office of Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas. Like-minded conservatives have continued to meet regularly with Cruz since he led the shutdown effort.
"I would say, right now, there are at least two dozen members of the House that have pretty firm views about the way in which the House of Representatives operates, and we'll take whatever steps are necessary to ensure that we better rise to the challenge that our country faces," Brooks says.
That two dozen is about the same number that had supposedly agreed to vote against Boehner for speaker in 2013, before several got cold feet and backed out at the last minute.
Lynn Westmoreland, R-Ga., helped Boehner survive that earlier challenge. He says two dozen votes could be enough to make things dicey for Boehner again, if the majority margin remains at about 30 seats.
But if Republicans do well in the mid-term elections, like they think they will, Boehner's life would be a lot easier.
"Republicans take the Senate, you gain 12 or 15 seats in the House, now, you've got a different speaker's position than you have right now," Westmoreland says.
For the record, Boehner's office says he fully intends to be speaker in the next Congress.
Congressional scholar Norm Ornstein, for one, thinks Boehner has a Machiavellian plan to get there.
"Part of what Boehner is doing is operating maybe even with a little bit of a game of chicken, but believing that all of those people who are now bitching and moaning and saying he's not going to be able to make it back don't have a plan, and in the end they aren't going to be able to do what they threaten to do," Ornstein says.
That's what happened last time. Brooks says he's confident next time will be different.
"This time next year, we will have a different speaker," he says.
S.V. Dáte
Shirish Dáte is an editor on NPR's Washington Desk and the author of Jeb: America's Next Bush, based on his coverage of the Florida governor as Tallahassee bureau chief for the Palm Beach Post.
See stories by S.V. Dáte
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Vin Diesel Writes About 'Fast and Furious 7' Difficulties in Facebook Post
American actor, producer, director, screenwriter and stuntman
American actor (1973-2013)
Last week brought reports that Vin Diesel was having problems on the set of Fast and Furious 7 — various unnamed sources complained that the star was being difficult and “spent a whole day in his trailer one day.” Although the actor didn’t respond directly to the reports (which studio reps emphatically denied), he did take to his Facebook page Tuesday to reminisce about his late costar Paul Walker and to talk about the production’s struggle to carry on in the wake of Walker’s death last year. Accompanying a shot of Diesel and Walker together, Diesel writes of his friend, “There wasn’t a scene in the saga he didn’t want to discuss, improve… even with just a changing of a line or adding a specific nuance to enrich a moment.”
Diesel goes on: “He did it with the pride of knowing, that over a decade of portraying Brian, through four directors, multiple writers and new producers he was able to maintain the inner core of the character he created. Those work ethics and drive to be both truthful, and in his own way, evolve the decade spanning character is what made his character as iconic as it has become.”
"He always knew I would fight for him… whether it was to protect his deal or to protect his integrity… and he knew that if it made for a better film, I was going to do whatever it took… it is why together, we won best duo… twice, 12 years apart."
Shooting on the sequel was halted for four months as producers figured out how to deal with the loss of Walker, who was killed in car crash last November. When production restarted in April, Walker’s 25-year-old brother Cody was brought in to film several key scenes with plans to digitally add Paul Walker’s likeness using so-called “face-replacement” technology. Diesel appeared to address the difficulties of that process in his post, writing, “With our new ambitious vfx team, the whole cast and crew has had to adjust to this awkward and uncomfortable process of pixels over people. Aside from the obvious strains it places on the director, the challenge is not to allow it to compromise what makes the character so special.”
*This post has been corrected since its original publication.
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