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College of Nursing rising to prominence with sustainable development
Matthew J. Long | July 15, 2019
Angela Jenkins in the Penn State Behrend simulated nursing lab. A grant from the Sustainability Institute allowed the college to start a recycling program in its lab and take on other sustainable initiatives that reach students directly. The grant was awarded to University Park and all Commonwealth Campuses with nursing programs.IMAGE: PENN STATE BEHREND
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — For the last several years, the nursing program at Penn State has grown exponentially, not just in terms of available undergraduate programs or students, but with sustainable practices and education.
Darlene Clark, assistant teaching professor with the Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing, has played a critical role in the program’s progress over the years. According to Clark, the college’s efforts to become more sustainable began when it was still the School of Nursing and received a grant from the Sustainability Institute to start a recycling program in its nursing simulation (SIM) labs seven years ago. The grant was awarded to University Park and all Commonwealth Campuses with nursing programs.
“With the grant, we were able to compost organic materials and incorporate two different kinds of plastic separation,” said Clark. “We could finally recycle plastics from items such as IV tubes and otoscopes.”
The school expanded into the Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing in 2013, and with the newly acquired status, the college was able to undertake other opportunities in sustainability, most notably with nursing courses. Clark and most of the faculty members who teach first-year seminars take their students to visit the MorningStar Solar Home, a 100% renewable-energy powered house, for a tour to “introduce students to sustainability as a part of their campus they might overlook.” The college has also listed sustainability as a definition it its strategic plan.
“Nursing is filled with sustainable behaviors, breastfeeding instead of bottle-feeding, good nutrition, and getting vaccines to protect your children for now and the future,” said Clark. “A lot of it is behavior we are teaching our students that they can then pass down onto their patients. These are all threaded through our varying curricula.”
In addition to education, the college created several programs and organizations to further its goals. Clark started the college’s Green Team, a group of students, faculty and staff that work together to make the organization more efficient, two years ago through the Sustainability Institute. Every year, the team participates in the recycling efforts at a football game, guiding visitors on how to properly dispose of their waste in the correct recycling and trash bins. Three years ago, the college created a sustainability council to oversee all of its projects, a committee that Clark also chairs.
On the future of the college, Clark said she has several ideas on how to improve its programs and courses. She would like to include more of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in lectures and present students with assignments that ask how a specific SDG can impact one’s personal and professional life as a nurse. Another idea would be to work with local hospitals to share practices the college has successfully adopted.
Clark said she is proud of what the college has achieved in becoming more sustainable.
“We started with nothing,” said Clark. “It’s been growing, and there are barriers of course, but now I think we are one of the most sustainable departments.”
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Netanyahu’s devastating, irrevocable indictment of Obama
by • March 3, 2015 • 0 Comments
The PM knowingly sacrifices what remained of his relationship with the president in a bid to thwart ‘a very bad deal’ with Iran
BY DAVID HOROVITZ March 3, 2015, 9:03 pm
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses a joint meeting of the United States Congress in the House chamber at the US Capitol in Washington, DC on Tuesday, March 3, 2015 (Win McNamee/Getty Images/AFP)
It was widely suggested, ahead of Benjamin Netanyahu’s spectacularly controversial address to Congress on Tuesday, that the prime minister would have to deliver the speech of his life in order to justify the damage he would inevitably be causing to relations between his government and the Obama Administration. In the event, Netanyahu did deliver the speech of his life… and caused devastating, presumably irrevocable damage to his relationship with President Barack Obama.
On CNN, former administration official Martin Indyk called ties between the two leaders “toxic.” And that was moments before Netanyahu began his address. It’s hard to imagine the adjective that would best describe feelings in the Oval Office once the prime minister was done.
The next meeting between the two men will be fascinating to contemplate. And while Obama will hope even more fervently now that there will be no next meeting — that Netanyahu will fail to win reelection — the prime minister will not have done his electoral prospects any harm at all with this address. Many undecided Israelis will be asking themselves whether, in a moment of crisis, they can envisage Isaac Herzog holding the American parliament similarly mesmerized in support of a cause of passionate concern for Israel, and the answer will be no.
Although diplomatic in tone — and complete with deliberate Churchillian flourishes — “some change, some moderation,” he intoned of Iran under Hassan Rouhani — Netanyahu’s speech was in essence a devastating assault on Obama. He began, dutifully, with expressions of appreciation for the president, and for everything the president has done for Israel. But he continued, for the vast majority of his address, to explain the profound misjudgment of Iran — its ideology, its goals, and the immense danger it constitutes to Israel, the region, the United States, and the world — that lies at the heart of the “very bad deal” emerging from the US-led P5+1 negotiations. And thus, by extension, he was explaining the profound misjudgment of Iran at the core of Obama’s worldview and policies.
While Israelis broadly oppose the deal they see taking shape, and mistrust Obama when it comes to stopping a nuclear Iran, there was no consensus in Israel about the tactic of addressing Congress at this juncture, no little criticism of the move as an electoral gambit, two weeks before Israeli election day. And Netanyahu is indeed an ultra-sophisticated politician whose only regret about the timing of the speech was that it didn’t start two hours later — when it would have gone out live, albeit with the court-mandated five-minute delay, on the main 8 p.m. Israeli news broadcasts.
But Netanyahu’s address had a clear practical goal as well. He was lobbying Congress, and lobbying the American public watching at home to pressure Congress, to assert its maximal capacity to thwart the progress of the deal that Obama has cooked up. While 50 or 60 legislators elected to absent themselves, the vast majority of Republicans and Democrats were there to nod sagely at Netanyahu’s elaboration of Iran’s rapacious, religiously driven ideology and territorial ambitions, to applaud, to jump to their feet, to be won over.
For all the cynicism and the political filtering over Netanyahu’s motivations, furthermore, the prime minister is convinced, in his heart of hearts, that Iran is determined to advance its benighted ideology across the region and beyond. The prime minister is convinced, in his heart of hearts, that the deal taking shape will immunize the ayatollahs from any prospect of revolution from within or effective challenge from without. The deal “doesn’t block Iran’s path to the bomb,” he warned. “It paves Iran’s path to the bomb.”
And the cardinal fact is that the prime minister is convinced, in his heart of hearts, that the Islamist regime in Tehran is bent on the destruction of Israel. Ayatollah Khamenei “tweets that Israel must be annihilated,” Netanyahu wailed, repeating: “He tweets! You know, in Iran, there isn’t exactly free Internet. But he tweets in English that Israel must be destroyed.”
Although a first response to his speech from an unnamed White House official said that Netanyahu had offered “no concrete alternative” to the deal taking shape, and that his speech was “all rhetoric and no action,” and despite Obama’s subsequent elaborate defense of the US approach, the prime minister did offer an alternative. He urged the P5+1 to recalibrate, to reconsider, and then to push for a better deal. And “if Iran threatens to walk away from the table — and this often happens in a Persian bazaar — call their bluff,” he advised, the wise, wary Middle Easterner lecturing Obama and the other Western naifs. “They’ll be back, because they need the deal a lot more than you do.”
When “my long-time friend, John Kerry,” had confirmed to Netanyahu that “Iran could legitimately possess” 190,000 centrifuges enriching uranium when the deal expires; when the terms taking shape would leave Iran a year or less from a break out to the bomb; when Iran could be relied upon to play “hide and cheat” with the inspectors; when Iran would be free under the deal to continue development of the missiles with which it could deliver nuclear weapons — when these and other dangers were being built into an Obama-pushed agreement, then, yes, the price of alienating the current US administration is quite clearly one that Netanyahu is willing to pay.
Of course it is. For Obama will be gone in two years. But the way Netanyahu sees it, the way Netanyahu spelled it out with such compelling detail and passion on Tuesday, if this kind of deal is finalized with Iran, the ayatollahs will be threatening us all, and will be capable of doing far more than just threaten, for the foreseeable future.
Read more: Netanyahu’s devastating, irrevocable indictment of Obama | The Times of Israel http://www.timesofisrael.com/netanyahus-devastating-irrevocable-indictment-of-obama/#ixzz3TNpc18TV
← Netanyahu bashes Iran deal, but no longer demands zero enrichment
Benjamin Netanyahu Speech to Congress 2015 →
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Alexander Keirincx
Alexander Keirincx Falkland Palace and the Howe of Fife About 1639
Nationality Flemish
Birth place Antwerpen
Death place Amsterdam
A native of Antwerp, Alexander Keirincx spent most of his mature years in Amsterdam. He was a painter of landscapes, specialising in topographical views. He visited England in 1639 to 40 and worked from a studio in Westminster, London. During this visit he executed a series of ten views of northern English and Scottish towns and palaces for Charles I, probably to record the king's visit to Scotland in 1639. The surviving paintings are amongst the earliest accurate representations of Scottish landscape.
Alexander Keirincx (Antwerp, 23 January 1600–Amsterdam, 1652) was trained as a Flemish Baroque painter who later moved to Utrecht and ultimately to Amsterdam in the Dutch Republic. He became a master in Antwerp's guild of St. Luke in 1619, and like his teacher Abraham Govaerts he initially specialized in small cabinet-sized forest landscapes in the manner of Jan Brueghel the Elder and Gillis van Coninxloo. Also like Govaerts, Keirincx's early works typically show history, mythological or biblical subjects within a Mannerist three-color, schematic landscape bracketed by repoussoir trees. However, during the 1620s and 1630s his landscapes become increasingly naturalistic, influenced by Dutch tonalism in the manner of Pieter de Molyn, Jan van Goyen and others. The most singular moment in Keirincx's career was his sojourn in England and commission by Charles I of ten landscape paintings, mainly views of the king's castles and houses in Northern England and Scotland produced between May 1639 and mid-1640. Charles' commission was likely politically motivated, originally intended to celebrate his campaign and victory over the Scots during the first of the Bishops' Wars and when that didn't materialize, a face-saving measure upon the return of his properties by the Scots. One example, Distant View of York at Tate Britain, shows an important site in the campaign of the First Bishops War. The importance of this series and its impact on later painting in Britain is hard to overstate, as Keirincx combined the aesthetic landscape tradition with that of the taste for detailed, topographical views, firmly grounded in Caroline court culture. His are the first "house portraits" which became a well-established trend in painting in Britain by the later 17th century as practiced for example by Jan Siberechts and Jan Griffier the Elder. Keirincx's career and his contributions to art history and especially to the development of painting in Britain have long been obscured by mistaken identity, lack of documentation and variant name spellings.
Falkland Palace and the Howe of Fife About 1639
Seton Palace and the Forth Estuary About 1639
The Scottish landscape has been one of the principal subjects for native artists for centuries.
Scottish Art Theme
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Personal Injury Law /
Former big pharma opioid CEO pleads guilty to money kickback ruse
Posted by: Hood National Law Group, in: Personal Injury Law
January 11, 2019 San Diego, CA. — News from Reuters broke last Wednesday that former CEO of Insys Therapeutics has pleaded guilty of being part of a nationwide scheme to bribe doctors in prescribing opioids has now agreed to work as a government witness.
This is one example of how American’s became hooked on opioids, and is a clear indication of how low Big Pharma will go in creating millions of dollars in profits, and ignoring the public’s safety. Some are calling out companies like this as drug dealers.
Insys Therapeutics is a pharmaceutical company based in Chandler, Arizona. Its posted earnings were 146.6 million in 2017. It was formerly run by Michael Babich who resigned his position in 2015. He pleaded guilty after his five former Insys executives and John Kapoor (Insys Founder and billionaire) were charged in this kickback scheme.
One of its products is an oral fentanyl spray used to ease pain in cancer patients. This drug is being looked at as the cause of death of Sarah Fuller, a New Jersey woman, who overdosed and died 15 months after being prescribed the Insys oral spray named Subsys. This is the basis of a lawsuit started by her parents and others hurt from this oral spray. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, opioids were involved in a record 47,600 overdose deaths in 2017.
Babich guilty of conspiracy and mail fraud charges.
Joanne Peterson, who currently works in the Bay State battling the opioid crisis made this statement on the Arizona drugmaker: “I hope they go to jail for a very long time and I hope the company is bankrupt and (this) sends a message to any others that get any ideas to poison people for greed.”
She continued – “They all know that there’s a lot of money to be made when somebody becomes heavily addicted to something.” “The more people need it, the more money they make. They know what they’re doing.”
Michael Babich is facing up to 25 years in prison. If he cuts a deal with prosecutors they may go easy on him for information he provides by testifying at Kapoor’s trial. Assistant U.S. Attorney Fred Wyshak mentioned in court that Babich took orders from Kapoor in this scheme.
Insys former VP of sales Alec Burlakoff pleaded guilty last November and has agreed to testify as a government witness, this set in motion the fall of Babich.
The money payment scheme allegedly took place from 2012 to 2015 by offering to pay doctors (bribes) if they actively prescribe Insys’s oral fentanyl spray called Subsys.
But how did the money exchange hands? Prosecutors say Insys paid doctors by giving them “fees” if they took part in speaker programs to educate other medical professionals about Subsys. All of these so-called “events” were simply fake seminars.
Even Babich’s wife played a role.
Natalie Babich was an Insys sales representative who pleaded guilty in 2017 of conspiring to pay kickbacks. She gave testimony in the trial of Christopher Clough, a New Hampshire doctor’s assistant who was accused of taking kickbacks from Insys. He was convicted by a federal jury in Concord, New Hampshire on December 18.
Insys agrees to pay $150 million settlement.
Last August Insys reached a settlement deal with the U.S. Justice Department for $150 million dollars and promised to operate legally from here on. (We’ll see about that)
If you or someone you love has been affected by the opioid crisis, you have rights to hold companies like Insys responsible for your addiction. Please see this page on information on how to file an opioid overdose lawsuit. https://www.nationalinjuryhelp.com/opioid-lawsuit-claims-settlements/
Sources used for this blog:
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-insys-opioids/former-insys-ceo-pleads-guilty-to-opioid-kickback-scheme-idUSKCN1P312L
https://www.bostonherald.com/2019/01/10/jessica-heslam-fentanyl-rx-bribe-charges-send-message-to-drug-company/
This entry was posted in Personal Injury Law. Bookmark the permalink.
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Restaurant Manager Craig Blackburn
Craig is the third generation of his family to find himself in the hospitality industry, like his parents and grandparents before him. Alongside his brother head chef Ryan Blackburn, Craig co-owns the one Michelin starred Old Stamp House, in Ambleside, in the Lake District.
And just like his brother, Craig is a passionate born and bred Cumbrian, the pair both grew up in nearby Great Langdale and there’s absolutely no doubt whatsoever that this has plays a central part in their restaurant philosophy. Everything the pair have created in their flagship restaurant The Old Stamp House is firmly focussed on their surroundings, drawing their inspiration and influences from the place they are proud to call home.
Craig’s journey in the hospitality industry began way back when at his family’s pub the Blacksmiths Arms, Broughton Mills, where he first cut his teeth waiting on table and helping out in the kitchens. He loved it and as you might imagine set the tone for his future career path. After which he went on to The Border Hotel, Kirk Yetholm, where he worked in the restaurant, all the while learning more about the craft of restaurant service.
After a few years, the bright lights of the big city called, and he found himself learning to become a cocktail impresario and all round wine enthusiast at Edinburgh’s Harvey Nichols Restaurant. With those skills under his belt he headed across the pond to the state of Minnesota, where he worked for a period of time for Nobel House Group, gaining a more in-depth insight into the world of wine and of course fine dining.
It’s clear to see from the moment you step through the doors of the Old Stamp House that Craig runs front of house with a calm efficiency that belies years of experience, perseverance, hard work and total dedication to his craft. All of which has played no small part in helping to establish The Old Stamp House as a must on any discerning Lake District visitors' restaurant list.
Food Inspired By Cumbria
Heritage - People - Landscape
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O. Reg. 435/07: EXEMPTIONS FROM THE ACT
under Private Security and Investigative Services Act, 2005, S.O. 2005, c. 34
current March 31, 2016 – (e-Laws currency date)
September 3, 2013 – March 30, 2016
September 2, 2011 – September 2, 2013
August 23, 2007 – August 22, 2008
Private Security and Investigative Services Act, 2005
ONTARIO REGULATION 435/07
Exemptions from the Act
Consolidation Period: From March 31, 2016 to the e-Laws currency date.
Last amendment: 256/13.
Legislative History: 447/11, 256/13.
This is the English version of a bilingual regulation.
1. Revoked: O. Reg. 447/11, s. 1.
Individual authorized by another Act
2. An individual who is authorized by another Act of Ontario or of Canada to perform work, for remuneration, that consists primarily of conducting investigations in order to provide information is exempt, with respect to the performance of that work, from section 6 of the Act. O. Reg. 435/07, s. 2; O. Reg. 447/11, s. 2.
Bodyguard in film and television industry
3. (1) An individual who is acting as a bodyguard for a person while the person is working in the film and television industry or is engaged in a matter connected to that industry is exempt from section 6 of the Act, in relation to his or her conduct as a bodyguard for the person, if the individual,
(a) holds a valid licence issued by a government of a jurisdiction other than Ontario, authorizing him or her to act as a bodyguard;
(b) carries the licence;
(c) on request, identifies himself or herself as a bodyguard; and
(d) on request, produces the licence. O. Reg. 447/11, s. 3.
(2) In this section,
“film and television industry” means the industry of producing audio-visual recorded entertainment that is intended to be replayed in cinemas or on the internet, as part of a television broadcast, or on a VCR or DVD player or a similar device, but does not include the following industries:
1. Producing recorded athletic or sporting events.
2. Producing recorded musical concerts or music videos.
3. Producing recorded theatre.
4. Producing commercials (other than trailers).
5. Producing video games.
6. Producing educational material. O. Reg. 447/11, s. 3.
Licence exemption includes other exemptions
3.1 (1) A person who is exempt from the prohibition in section 6 of the Act against acting as a private investigator, or holding himself or herself out as one, without holding the appropriate licence under the Act and complying with clause 6 (a) or (b) of the Act, is also exempt from every provision of the Act, and every provision of the regulations under the Act, that would apply to a person acting as a private investigator or holding himself or herself out as one. O. Reg. 447/11, s. 3.
(2) A person who is exempt from the prohibition in section 6 of the Act against acting as a security guard, or holding himself or herself out as one, without holding the appropriate licence under the Act and complying with clause 6 (a) or (b) of the Act, is also exempt from every provision of the Act, and every provision of the regulations under the Act, that would apply to a person acting as a security guard or holding himself or herself out as one. O. Reg. 447/11, s. 3.
(3) A person who is exempt from the prohibition in section 7 of the Act against selling the services of private investigators, or holding themself out as available to sell those services, without holding the appropriate licence under the Act or being employed by a person holding the appropriate licence under the Act is also exempt from every provision of the Act, and every provision of the regulations under the Act, that would apply to a person selling the services of private investigators or holding themself out as available to sell those services. O. Reg. 447/11, s. 3.
(4) A person who is exempt from the prohibition in section 7 of the Act against selling the services of security guards, or holding themself out as available to sell those services, without holding the appropriate licence under the Act or being employed by a person holding the appropriate licence under the Act is also exempt from every provision of the Act, and every provision of the regulations under the Act, that would apply to a person selling the services of security guards or holding themself out as available to sell those services. O. Reg. 447/11, s. 3.
Requirements for security guard to identify self and produce licence
4. (1) A security guard described in clause 35 (3) (a) or (b) of the Act is exempt from the requirements of clauses 35 (1) (b) and (c) of the Act except when the security guard is, in the course of his or her duties, informing a person that he or she suspects that the person has committed an offence. O. Reg. 435/07, s. 4 (1).
(2) For the purpose of clause 35 (3) (b) of the Act,
“a person performing services to prevent the loss of property through theft or sabotage in an industrial, commercial, residential or retail environment” means a security guard who conceals his or her identity as a security guard in order to carry out his or her duties. O. Reg. 435/07, s. 4 (2).
5. Revoked: O. Reg. 256/13, s. 1 (2).
6. Omitted (provides for coming into force of provisions of this Regulation). O. Reg. 435/07, s. 6.
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Why are young men worldwide experiencing mental health crises?
Updated Friday, 19th November 2021
Everywhere around the world, the suicide rates amongst men outstrips that of women. The writer Will Storr hears some stories - and asks why.
Finally, Drummond had everything he’d ever dreamed of. He’d come a long way since he was a little boy, upset at his failure to get into the grammar school. That had been a great disappointment to his mother, and to his father, who was an engineer at a pharmaceutical company. His dad had never showed much interest in him as a child. He didn’t play with him and when he was naughty, he’d put him over the back of a chair and wallop him. That’s just the way men were in those days. Your father was feared and respected. Dads were dads.
It was difficult, seeing the grammar boys pass by the house in their smart caps, every morning. Drummond had always dreamed of becoming a headteacher in a little school in a perfect village when he grew up, but he was only able to get a place at the technical school learning woodwork and bricklaying. The careers tutor almost laughed when he told him of his dreams to teach. But Drummond was ambitious. He earned a place at college, became president of its student union. He found a teaching job, married his childhood sweetheart, and slowly climbed his way to a headship in a Norfolk village. He had three children and two cars. His mother, at least, was proud.
And he was sitting alone in a small room, thinking about killing himself.
Copyright free: Unsplash
Impulsivity, brooding rumination, low serotonin, poor social problem-solving abilities – there are many vulnerabilities that can heighten the risk of suicide. Professor Rory O’Connor, President of the International Academy of Suicide Research, has been studying the psychological processes behind self-inflicted death for over 20 years.
“Did you see the news?” he asks when I meet him. The morning’s papers are carrying the latest numbers: 6,233 suicides were registered in the UK in 2013. While the female suicide rate has remained roughly constant since 2007, that for men is at its highest since 2001. Nearly eight in ten of all suicides are male – a figure that has been rising for over three decades. In 2013, if you were a man between the ages of 20 and 49 who’d died, the most likely cause was not assault nor car crash nor drug abuse nor heart attack, but a decision that you didn’t wish to live any more.
In every country in the world, male suicides outnumber female. The mystery is why? What is it about being male that leads to this? Why, at least in the UK, are middle-aged men most at risk? And why is it getting worse?
Those who study suicide, or work for mental health charities, are keen to press upon the curious that there’s rarely, if ever, a single factor that leads to any self-inflicted death and that mental illness, most commonly depression, usually precedes such an event. “But the really important point is, most people with depression don’t kill themselves,” O’Connor tells me. “Less than 5 per cent do. So mental illness is not an explanation. For me, the decision to kill yourself is a psychological phenomenon. What we’re trying to do in the lab here is understand the psychology of the suicidal mind.”
We’re sitting in O’Connor’s office on the grounds of Gartnavel Royal Hospital. Through the window, the University of Glasgow’s spire rises into a dreich sky. Paintings by his two children are stuck to a corkboard – an orange monster, a red telephone. Hiding in the cupboard, a grim book collection: Comprehending Suicide;By Their Own Young Hands; Kay Redfield Jamison’s classic memoir of madness, An Unquiet Mind.
O’Connor’s Suicidal Behaviour Research Lab works with survivors in hospitals, assessing them within 24 hours of an attempt and tracking how they fare afterwards. It also carries out experimental studies, testing hypotheses on matters such as pain tolerance in suicidal people and changes in cognition following brief induced periods of stress.
After years of study, O’Connor found something about suicidal minds that surprised him. It’s called social perfectionism. And it might help us understand why men kill themselves in such numbers.
Copyright free: Profvideos
At 22, Drummond married his brown-eyed girlfriend Livvy. Eighteen months later he became a father. Before long there were two boys and a girl. Money was tight, of course, but he was true to his responsibilities. He taught during the day and worked behind the bar in a pub at night. On Fridays he’d do the night shift in a bowling alley, 6pm until 6am. He’d sleep in the day and go back to do the overnight again on Saturday. Then a lunchtime shift in a pub on Sunday, a bit of rest, and back to school Monday morning. He didn’t see much of his children, but the thing that mattered most to him was keeping his family comfortable.
As well as the work, Drummond was studying, determined to earn the extra qualifications to become a headteacher. More ambition, more progress. He got new jobs at bigger schools. He was leading his family to better places. He felt like a successful leader. The perfect husband.
But he wasn’t.
Copyright: © Jaromír Chalabala | Dreamstime.com
If you’re a social perfectionist, you tend to identify closely with the roles and responsibilities you believe you have in life. “It’s not about what you expect of yourself,” O’Connor explains. “It’s what you think other people expect. You’ve let others down because you’ve failed to be a good father or a good brother – whatever it is.”
Because it’s a judgement on other people’s imagined judgements of you, it can be especially toxic. “It’s nothing to do with what those people actually think of you,” he says. “It’s what you think they expect. The reason it’s so problematic is that it’s outside your control.”
O’Connor first came across social perfectionism in studies of American university students. “I thought it wouldn’t be applicable in a UK context and that it certainly wouldn’t be applicable to people from really difficult backgrounds. Well, it is. It’s a remarkably robust effect. We’ve looked at it in the context of the most disadvantaged areas of Glasgow.” It began in 2003 with an initial study that looked at 22 people who had recently attempted suicide, as well as a control group, and assessed them using a 15-question quiz that measures agreement with statements such as “Success means that I must work even harder to please others” and “People expect nothing less than perfection from me”. “We’ve found this relationship between social perfectionism and suicidality in all populations where we’ve done the work,” says O’Connor, “including among the disadvantaged and the affluent.”
What’s not yet known is why. “Our hypothesis is that people who are social perfectionist are much more sensitive to signals of failure in the environment,” he says.
I ask if this is about perceived failure to fulfil roles, and what roles men feel they should fill? Father? Bread-winner?
“Now there’s this change in society,” O’Connor replies, “you have to be Mr Metrosexual too. There are all these greater expectations – more opportunities for men to feel like failures.”
Copyright: Piotr Marcinski | Dreamstime.com
The power of the perceived expectations of others, and the sense of cataclysm when you believe you’ve failed them, emerges in an accelerated form in Asia, where suicide rates can be devastatingly high. Worst-affected in the region is South Korea, which has, by some counts, the second-highest suicide rate in the world. Around 40 South Koreans take their own lives every day, according to 2011 reports. A 2014 poll by the government-linked Korea Health Promotion Foundation found that just over half of all teenagers had had suicidal thoughts within the previous year.
Professor Uichol Kim, a social psychologist at South Korea’s Inha University, believes much of this can be explained by the great miseries that have been unleashed by the country’s rapid move from rural poverty to rich city life. Sixty years ago, it was one of the poorest countries in the world, he says, comparing its postwar situation to Haiti following the 2010 earthquake. From a majority living in agricultural communities in the past, today 90 per cent of people live in urban areas.
That change has blasted the foundations of a culture that, for 2,500 years, has been profoundly influenced by Confucianism, a value system that made sense of subsistence life in small, often isolated farming communities. “The focus was on cooperation and working together,” Kim explains. “Generally, it was a caring, sharing and giving culture. But in an urban city, it’s very competitive and achievement-focused.” For a great many, what it means to be a successful self has transformed. “You’re defined by your status, power and wealth, which was not part of traditional culture.” Why did it change in this way? “A Confucian scholar living on a farm in a rural village might be very wise, but he’s poor,” Kim says. “We wanted to get rich.” The result, he argues, has been a kind of amputation of meaning for the people. “It’s a culture without roots.”
It’s also a culture whose pathways to success can be demanding – South Korea has the longest working hours in the OECD group of rich nations – and rigidly codified. If you fail as a teenager you could easily feel you’ve failed for life. “The most respected company in South Korea is Samsung,” says Kim. He told me that 80–90 per cent of their intake comes from just three universities. “Unless you enter one of the three, you cannot get a job in one of the major corporations.” (I couldn’t confirm these statistics through English-language sources, but according to the Korea Joongang Daily there have been allegations of bias toward particular universities.)
It’s more than just job prospects that the young of the nation are working towards. “If you’re a good student, you’re respected by your teachers, parents and your friends. You’re very popular. Everybody wants to date you.” The pressure to achieve this level of perfection, social and otherwise, can be immense. “Self-esteem, social esteem, social status, everything is combined into one,” he says. “But what if you fail?”
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As well as all the part-time work he did for money, and the studying for his career, Drummond took on volunteering positions, which stole even more time from his children and his wife. Livvy would complain that he was working too much. She said she felt neglected. “You’re more interested in your career than you are in me,” she’d say. The constant upheaval of moving from place to place with every new school didn’t help.
He was volunteering at a hospital in King’s Lynn when he found out about the first affair. A woman handed him a bundle of papers. “These are the letters your wife’s been writing to my husband,” she said. They were highly sexual. But what made it worse was the extent to which Livvy had apparently become besotted with the man.
Drummond went home to confront his wife. Livvy couldn’t deny it. It was all there in her own handwriting. He found out there’d been all sorts of scenes in her lover’s street. She’d been driving up and down, outside his house, trying to see him. But Drummond couldn’t leave her. The children were young, and she promised it would never happen again. He decided to forgive her.
Drummond used to go away for weekend training courses. One day, he came back to find Livvy’s car had had a puncture and the village policeman had changed the wheel. That, he thought, was extremely generous of him. Some time later, his 11-year-old daughter came to him in tears. She’d caught her mum in bed with the policeman.
Livvy’s next lover was a salesman for a medical firm. She actually left that time, only to return a fortnight later. Drummond dealt with it all in the only way he knew – hold it in. He was never one for breaking down in tears and rolling around on the floor. He didn’t have any close male friends he could talk to, and even if he had, he probably wouldn’t have said anything. It’s not the sort of thing you want to admit to people, that your wife’s screwing around. Then Livvy announced she wanted a separation.
When they finally divorced, Livvy got the house, the children, the lot. Once the maintenance was paid, there wasn’t much left for Drummond. No one at the school knew anything. To them, he was still the impressive man he’d spent years trying to become: the successful headteacher, married with three blossoming children. But then, of course, it got out. A midday supervisor said to him, “I hear your wife has moved?”
By then he was living in a freezing rented room on a farm ten miles outside of King’s Lynn. As a man, he felt diminished. He was broke. He felt like a failure, the cuckolded man, not the person everyone expected him to be. The doctor prescribed him some pills. He remembers sitting in that place on the fens, and realising that the easiest way out would be to take the whole perishing lot and be done with it.
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If you’re a social perfectionist, you’ll have unusually high expectations of yourself. Your self-esteem will be dangerously dependent on maintaining a sometimes impossible level of success. When you’re defeated, you’ll collapse.
But social perfectionists aren’t unique in identifying closely with their goals, roles and aspirations. Psychology professor Brian Little, of the University of Cambridge, is well known for his research on ‘personal projects’. He believes we can identify so closely with them that they become part of our very sense of self. “You are your personal projects,” he used to tell his Harvard class.
According to Little, there are different kinds of projects, which carry different loads of value. Walking the dog is a personal project but so is becoming a headteacher in a lovely village, and so is being a successful father and husband. Surprisingly, how meaningful our projects are is thought to contribute to our wellbeing only slightly. What makes the crucial difference to how happy they make us is whether or not they’re accomplishable.
But what happens when our personal projects begin to fall apart? How do we cope? And is there a gender difference that might give a clue to why so many men kill themselves?
There is. It’s generally assumed that men, to their detriment, often find it hard to talk about their emotional difficulties. This has also been found to be true when it comes to discussing their faltering projects. “Women benefit from making visible their projects and their challenges in pursuing them,” Little writes, in his book Me, Myself and Us, “whereas men benefit from keeping that to themselves.”
In a study of people in senior management positions, Little uncovered another salient gender difference. “A clear differentiator is that, for men, the most important thing is to not confront impedance,” he tells me. “They’re primarily motivated to charge ahead. It’s a clear-the-decks kind of mentality. The women are more concerned about an organisational climate in which they’re connected with others. You can extrapolate that, I think, to areas of life beyond the office. I don’t want to perpetrate stereotypes but the data here seem pretty clear.”
Additional support for this comes from a highly influential 2000 paper, by a team lead by Professor Shelley Taylor at UCLA, that looked at bio-behavioural responses to stress. They found that while men tend to exhibit the well-known ‘fight or flight’ response, women are more likely to use ‘tend and befriend’. “Although women might think about suicide very seriously,” says Little, “because of their social connectedness, they may also think, ‘My God, what will my kids do? What will my mum think?’ So there’s forbearance from completing the act.” As for the men, death could be seen as the ultimate form of ‘flight’.
But that deadly form of flight takes determination. Dr Thomas Joiner, of Florida State University, has studied differences between people who think about suicide and those who actually act on their desire for death. “You can’t act unless you also develop a fearlessness of death,” he says. “And that’s the part I think is relevant to gender differences.” Joiner describes his large collection of security footage and police videos showing people who “desperately want to kill themselves and then, at the last minute, they flinch because it’s so scary. The flinch ends up saving their lives.” So is the idea men are less likely to flinch? “Exactly.”
But it’s also true, in most Western countries, that more women attempt suicide than men. One reason a higher number of males actually die is their choice of method. While men tend towards hanging or guns, women more often reach for pills. Martin Seager, a clinical psychologist and consultant to the Samaritans, believes this fact demonstrates that men have greater suicidal intent. “The method reflects the psychology,” he says. Daniel Freeman, of the University of Oxford’s department of psychiatry, has pointed to a study of 4,415 patients who had been at hospital following an episode of self-harm; it found significantly higher suicidal intent in the men than the women. But the hypothesis remains largely uninvestigated. “I don’t think it’s been shown definitively at all,” he says. “But then it would be incredibly difficult to show.”
For O’Connor, too, the intent question remains open. “I’m unaware of any decent studies that have looked at it because it’s really difficult to do,” he says. But Seager is convinced. “For men, I think of suicide as an execution,” he says. “A man is removing himself from the world. It’s a sense of enormous failure and shame. The masculine gender feels they’re responsible for providing and protecting others and for being successful. When a woman becomes unemployed, it’s painful, but she doesn’t feel like she’s lost her sense of identity or femininity. When a man loses his work he feels he’s not a man.”
It’s a notion echoed by the celebrated psychologist Professor Roy Baumeister, whose theory of suicide as ‘escape from the self’ has been an important influence on O’Connor. “A man who can’t provide for the family is somehow not a man any more,” says Baumeister. “A woman is a woman no matter what, but manhood can be lost.”
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In China, it’s not uncommon for corrupt officials to kill themselves – partly so their family can keep the dishonestly acquired bounty, but also to avoid prison and disgrace. In South Korea, former President Roh Moo-hyun did so in 2009 after being accused of taking bribes. Uichol Kim says that, as Roh saw it, “He committed suicide to save his wife and son. [He thought] the only way he could stop the investigation was to kill himself.”
Kim stresses that shame isn’t actually a major factor in suicides in South Korea. This can differ in other countries, though. Chikako Ozawa-de Silva, an anthropologist at Atlanta’s Emory College, tells me that in Japan, “The whole idea is that by one individual taking his or her life, so the honour is restored or the family member would be spared the shame.”
“Other people’s evaluation adds an additional burden,” says Kim. A person’s shame could leak and stain those around them. Under past Confucian law, three generations of a criminal’s family would be executed.
In Japanese and Korean the word for ‘human being’ translates as ‘human between’. The sense of self is looser in Asia than in the West, and more absorbent. It expands to include the various groups an individual is a member of. This brings a profound sense of responsibility for others that stirs deeply in those who feel suicidal.
In Japan, self-concept is so intensely enmeshed with roles that, according to Ozawa-de Silva, it’s common for people to introduce themselves with their job titles before their names. “Instead of saying, ‘Hi, I’m David,’ in Japan you say, ‘Hello, I’m Sony’s David,’” she says. “Even when you meet people at very informal parties.” In times of failure, the Japanese impulse to take professional roles this personally can be particularly deadly. “Suicide has been morally valorised for years or maybe centuries. It probably goes back to the Samurai.” Because people tend to view their company as their family, “a CEO could say, ‘I’ll take responsibility for the company,’ and take his life. That would probably be reported by the media as being a very honourable act,” says Ozawa-de Silva. In Japan – estimated to have the ninth-highest suicide rate in the world – in 2007 around two-thirds of all self-inflicted deaths were male. “In a patriarchal society of course it’s the father who takes responsibility.”
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From having one of the highest rates of suicide in the world in 1990, China now has among the lowest. Last year, a team led by Paul Yip, at the Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention at the University of Hong Kong, found that the suicide rate had dropped from 23.2 per 100,000 people in the late 1990s to 9.8 per 100,000 in 2009–11. This astonishing 58 per cent drop comes at a time of great movements from the countryside to the city, of just the same kind that South Korea saw in the recent past. And yet, apparently, with the opposite effect. How can this be so?
Kim believes China is experiencing a “lull” caused by a tide of hope as thousands charge towards new lives. “The suicides will definitely increase,” he says, noting that South Korea saw similar drops in the 1970s and 1980s, when its economy was rapidly expanding. “People believe when you’re richer you’ll be happier. When you focus on the goal you don’t commit suicide. But what happens when you get there and it’s not what you expect?”
Indeed, hope in hopeless places can sometimes be hazardous, as Rory O’Connor discovered back in Glasgow. “We asked the question: are positive future thoughts always good for you? Our hunch was yes.” But when his team looked at “intra-personal future thoughts”, which are those that focus solely on the self – such as “I want to be happy” or “I want to be well” – they had another surprise. O’Connor assessed 388 people in hospital who’d tried to kill themselves, then tracked them over the next 15 months to see whether they tried again. “In previous studies, people who reported high levels of intra-personal future thoughts reported lower suicidal ideation,” he says. “We found the best predictors for repeat attempts were past behaviour – not rocket science – but the other one is this intra-personal future thinking. And it’s not in the direction we thought.” It turned out that people who had more of these self-focused hopeful thoughts were much more likely to try to kill themselves again. “These thoughts might be good for you in a crisis,” he says. “But what happens over time when you realise, ‘I’m never going to achieve those goals’?”
What Asia and the West have in common is a relationship between gender roles and suicide. But in the West, beliefs about masculinity are far more progressive – aren’t they?
In 2014, clinical psychologist Martin Seager and his team decided to test the cultural understanding of what it means to be a man or woman, by asking a set of carefully designed questions of women and men recruited via selected UK- and US-based websites. What they found suggests that, for all the progress we’ve made, both genders’ expectations of what it means to be a man are stuck in the 1950s. “The first rule is that you must be a fighter and a winner,” Seager explains. “The second is you must be a provider and a protector; the third is you must retain mastery and control at all times. If you break any of those rules you’re not a man.” Needless to say, as well as all this, ‘real men’ are not supposed to show vulnerability. “A man who’s needing help is seen as a figure of fun,” he says. The conclusions of his study echo, to a remarkable degree, what O’Connor and his colleagues wrote in a 2012 Samaritans report on male suicide: “Men compare themselves against a masculine ‘gold standard’ which prizes power, control and invincibility. When men believe they are not meeting this standard, they feel a sense of shame and defeat.”
In the UK and other Western societies, it sometimes feels as if we collectively decided, at some point around the mid-1980s, that men are awful. One result of the battle for equal rights and sexual safety for women has been a decades-long focus on men as privileged, violent abusers. Modern iterations of the male, drawn in response to these criticisms, are creatures to mock: the vain metrosexual; the crap husband who can’t work the dishwasher. We understand, as a gender, that we’re no longer permitted the expectation of being in control, of leading, of fighting, of coping with it all in dignified silence, of pursuing our goals with such single-mindedness we have no time for friends or family. These have become aspirations to be ashamed of, and for good reason. But what do we do now? Despite society’s advances, how it feels to be a success hasn’t much changed. Nor how it feels to fail. How are we to unpick the urges of our own biology; of cultural rules, reinforced by both genders, that go back to the Pleistocene?
As we talk, I confide in O’Connor about the time, perhaps a decade ago, that I asked my doctor for antidepressants because I’d become worried about myself, only to be sent away with the instruction to “Go to the pub and enjoy yourself a bit more.”
“Jesus!” he says, rubbing his eyes in disbelief. “And that was only ten years ago?”
“I do sometimes think I should be on medication,” I say. “But, and this is awful to admit, I worry about what my wife would think.”
“Have you discussed it with her?” he asks.
For a moment, I’m so embarrassed, I can’t reply.
“No,” I say. “And I think of myself as someone who’s very comfortable talking about this stuff. It’s only as we’ve been talking that I’ve realised. It’s just typical crap man.”
“But you see it’s not crap man,” he says. “This is the whole problem! The narrative’s become ‘men are crap’, right? But that’s bullshit. There’s no way we can change men. We can tweak men, don’t get me wrong, but society has to say, ‘How do we put in services that men will go to? What would be helpful to men when they’re feeling distressed?’”
He tells me about the time, in 2008, when a close friend killed herself. “That had a really huge impact on me,” he says. “I kept thinking, ‘Why didn’t I spot it? God, I’ve been doing this for years.’ I felt like a failure, that I’d failed her and people around her.”
All of which sounds, to me, like classic social perfectionism. “Oh, I’m definitely social perfectionistic,” he says. “I’m hyper-sensitive to social criticism, even though I hide it well. I disproportionately want to please other people. I’m really sensitive to the idea I’ve let other people down.”
Another risky trait he suffers from is brooding rumination, continual thoughts about thoughts. “I’m a brooding ruminator and social perfectionist, aye, without a doubt,” he says. “When you leave I’ll spend the rest of tonight, and when I’m going to sleep, thinking, ‘Oh Jeez I don’t believe I said that.’ I’ll kill–” he stops himself. “I’ll beat myself up.”
I ask if he sees himself as at risk of suicide. “I would never say never,” he says. “I think everybody has fleeting thoughts at some stage. Well, not everybody. There’s evidence that lots of people do. But I’ve never been depressed or actively suicidal, thank God.”
Back in that cold farmhouse room on the Norfolk fens, Drummond sat with his pills and his urge to take them all. What saved him was the lucky accident of one his personal projects being a Samaritans volunteer. He went in, one day, and instead of listening to clients, he talked for two hours. “I know from personal experience that a lot of people are alive today because of what they do,” he says.
Drummond has since remarried and his children are grown up. It’s 30 years since his first marriage broke up. Even now, he still finds it painful to talk about. And so he doesn’t. “I suppose you bury it, don’t you?” he says. “As a man you’re expected to cope. You don’t tell anyone about these things. You don’t.”
For people in the UK and Ireland, the Samaritans are available around the clock, every single day of the year, to listen and offer confidential support about anything that is getting to you. You can reach them by phone on 08457 909090, emailjo@samaritans.org or find the details for your local branch. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, you can find out more here.
For people outside the UK and Ireland, Befrienders Worldwide can help.
This article was originally published by Mosaic under a CC-BY licence
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Cultural differences in mental health?
The OU's Jonathan Leach asks: Are mental health problems the same across the globe?
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First 100 Days: Strengthen North American Trade
The First 100 Days interview series features Pacific Council experts addressing the top foreign policy issues facing the incoming Trump administration.
In this interview, the Honorable Michael C. Camuñez discusses how the Trump administration’s proposed policies will impact U.S.-Mexico bilateral relations, particularly day-to-day commerce, trade, and investment. Camuñez is a Pacific Council director, chair of the Mexico Initiative, and the president and CEO of ManattJones Global Strategies. Read more about his background.
Pacific Council: What will U.S.-Mexico relations look like under a Trump administration?
Hon. Michael C. Camuñez: It’s too early to know what impact a Trump presidency might have on U.S.-Mexico bilateral relations, but, despite harsh campaign rhetoric, we should not assume that the situation will necessarily deteriorate. To the contrary, there are indications that U.S.-Mexico bilateral commercial relations could actually be positioned to improve. Trump’s insistence on renegotiating NAFTA could work to the advantage of the U.S.-Mexico trade relationship if the resulting agreement addresses many of the provisions that were addressed in the context of the TPP negotiations, such as enforceable labor protections, provisions on state-owned enterprises, and so on.
Apart from the campaign rhetoric, the fundamentals of the U.S.-Mexico relationship are quite strong.
The 2016 election placed Mexico and related issues – immigration, security, and trade – at the epicenter of one of the most contentious and negative races in recent presidential history. But apart from the campaign rhetoric, the fundamentals of the U.S.-Mexico relationship are quite strong. The level of cooperation between the two governments, on a range of matters from security to immigration to commerce, is extraordinary and quite deep. The level of communication and cooperation at the working and political levels is very strong. I do not anticipate that changing in the near future.
PC: What should we expect from President Trump with respect to some of his more controversial policy prescriptions, such as those on immigration and trade?
Camuñez: While candidate Trump made fairly specific commitments during the campaign with respect to immigration and trade policy, it’s simply too early to assess whether he’ll follow through on his statements. As a candidate, Mr. Trump offered several specific policy prescriptions that, if implemented, would cause significant disruption in the U.S.-Mexico relationship.
On immigration, the President-elect promised to immediately undo Obama administration policies granting administrative relief to certain categories of undocumented persons, especially undocumented children and their parents [Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and DAPA]. He also pledged to end the Obama administration’s "catch and release" policy that prioritized enforcement and removal proceedings on aliens with violent or criminal records. And finally, he promised to accelerate and expand deportation proceedings against several million undocumented persons currently known to be living in the United States.
Related to his position on immigration, Trump pledged to build – at Mexico’s expense – a new border wall to impede illegal immigration – while facilitating lawful entry and trade. Though all of these proposals, minus the wall, could be pursued through executive action, President-elect Trump will face significant fiscal and capacity constraints if he does not secure funding from Congress.
As a candidate, Mr. Trump offered several specific policy prescriptions that, if implemented, would cause significant disruption in the U.S.-Mexico relationship.
On the subject of trade, during the campaign Trump repeatedly promised to commence the renegotiation of NAFTA in the first 100 days and, if Mexico did not negotiate in good faith, to provide formal notification of the United States’ withdrawal from the agreement. He also expressed his categorical opposition to the Trans-Pacific Partnership and, presumably, other free trade agreements currently in process, such as the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership. He pledged to aggressively review all existing trade agreements and to ramp up trade enforcement measures, unilaterally and through the World Trade Organization. He also threatened to impose unilateral tariffs on countries engaging in unfair trade practices under the authority conveyed to the president through various trade statutes. A recent analysis by the Peterson Institute affirms the president-elect’s authority to pursue most, if not all, of these measures through executive action.
PC: What will be the impact of these policy shifts?
Camuñez: While it’s premature to forecast any action with any degree of certainty, there’s a plausible scenario whereby a Trump administration would and could work constructively with Mexico in a manner that actually deepens bilateral trade and investment.
First, in his acceptance speech, President-elect Trump signaled his desire to "build partnerships, not conflict" with our allies. His visit to Mexico preceding the election signaled his openness to dealing with Mexico in a respectful manner (despite the aggressive statements he made about immigration immediately following the visit). For its part, the Peña Nieto administration has been measured and careful in its response to the election, reassuring the capital markets that the Mexican government is disposed to work constructively with the incoming Trump administration. The president-elect has already spoken by telephone with President Peña Nieto, who has agreed to another meeting in the near future.
As the Trump administration pursues a more aggressive and antagonistic relationship with China, while also abandoning entirely the TPP, the strategic importance of North America could resurface.
Second, following the election, President-elect Trump released a video statement announcing his actual 100 days agenda and priorities. In it, he affirmed his decision to withdraw from the TPP. However, he made no mention of or pledge to rescind NAFTA. Trump has pledged to create jobs for working class Americans, especially in the manufacturing sector, and to make significant investments, including in infrastructure, to stimulate job and economic growth. In this respect, the president-elect and his advisors are well aware of the extent that the U.S. and Mexican economies are highly integrated and co-dependent. He would face tremendous opposition from the private sector – including core elements of his own party and base – were he to initiate action that could trigger a trade war or otherwise damage the nearly trillion dollars in bilateral trade that currently exists between the United States and Mexico and that supports some 5 million U.S. jobs, many of them working class jobs supporting the North American supply chains.
And finally, while anti-NAFTA sentiments figure prominently in Trump’s stated position, he has staked out an even more aggressive posture vis-à-vis China, indicating he will "on day one" instruct his Treasury Secretary to designate the country a currency manipulator and further call on his trade-related agencies to ramp up aggressive enforcement actions – both domestically and in the WTO – against China. Many trade analysts expect a deep intensification of conflict in Sino-American trade relations, including the possibility of a bona fide trade war. As the Trump administration pursues a more aggressive and antagonistic relationship with China, while also abandoning entirely the TPP, the strategic importance of North America could resurface.
PC: How has the Mexican government reacted to the election of Donald Trump?
Camuñez: Although President Peña Nieto was subject to excoriating criticism for hosting then-candidate Donald Trump during the campaign, the visit did make clear the administration’s intention to work constructively with any administration duly elected by the people of the United States. Nieto also tweeted his congratulations to the president-elect and expressed his continued commitment to working together.
Early in the morning following the election, Mexico’s finance minister and central bank governor held a joint press conference, stressing the soundness of Mexico’s economy and ability to weather the uncertainty generated by the election. Finance Secretary Jose Antonio Meade further pledged the government’s determination to accelerate the implementation of structural reforms to keep the Mexican economy "dynamic." While the Mexican peso has clearly taken a beating during the election, it has since hovered around 20, a far cry from the feared precipitous drop many had expected.
I think it’s very unlikely that the Peña Nieto administration will make any statements that might precipitate a reaction or predisposition from the Trump team. I expect the government will be focused primarily on dealing with the immediate foreign exchange and capital market fallout from the election results to ensure investors of the stability of the Mexican economy. The Mexican government is likely to take a wait-and-see approach to assess fully the new Trump team, its strength and support in Congress, and how it prioritizes the range of commitments it made during the campaign. This approach bodes well for the U.S.-Mexico relationship.
Michael Camuñez recently joined KPCC's AirTalk to discuss how Trump's proposed trade policies might affect Southern California’s economy. Listen to the full segment here.
Read more interviews in the First 100 Days series.
Have your own take on the foreign policy challenges facing the next U.S. president? Let us know on Twitter @PacCouncil or send us your thoughts directly at engage@pacificcouncil.org.
The views and opinions expressed here do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Pacific Council.
WHAT DOES WASHINGTON WANT FROM CHINA?
MANUFACTURING, LA, AND COVID-19
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Buzzers, bonuses and backstage Paxo
Features Profile
5th August 2014 15th November 2020 Elizabeth Freeman and Srishti Nirula
Having been running now for 52 years, spanning 43 series and upwards of 1000 teams, it seems fair to say that University Challenge is almost as much of a national institution as the Tower of London. However, while we addicts of the series can end up spending a total of almost 14 hours watching it each year- what goes on behind the scenes remains, aside from a recent documentary detailing the selection process, somewhat mysterious. As the latest cohort of hopefuls begin to trickle onto our screens in pursuit of the much-coveted title, the OxStu has tracked down University Challenge competitors past and present to give you the lowdown on the backstage drama.
The first question likely to arise in relation to the show is inevitably to do with the infamous quizmaster himself, Jeremy Paxman. Having taken over from the original host Bamber Gascoigne at the show’s re-launch with the BBC in 1994, to become the UK’s longest serving quizmaster, he is famed for his snappy and often cutting responses to some answers given, making it somewhat surprising that he acknowledges never having been “good enough to get onto it”. The suggestion this entails that much of his onscreen behaviour is simply a factor that contributes to the entertainment value of the programme is supported by the experience of a current member of the St Peter’s college team, who went so far as to describe his relaxed, off-screen demeanour as “a bit underwhelming”. While contact between him and the contestants backstage is minimal, it is tempting to feel that a true fan of the programme couldn’t help but be somewhat disappointed by anything other than an outright dismissal from the man described by The Guardian’s Johnny Dee as “famous for intimidating inquisitions, pricking pomposity [and] withering world-weariness”.
Paxman isn’t the only celebrity Somerville’s team have won over
Yet this sentiment was not shared with all of our interviewees. Sam Walker, a member of the Somerville team who were runners up to Trinity College Cambridge in last year’s final, found that despite being slightly “warmer”, Jeremy Paxman off camera was “very similar to Jeremy Paxman on camera!” This could, however, be more a reflection of the more relaxed side to Paxman witnessed by audiences in last year’s quarter-final. When captain Michael Davies breezed through questions on Economics, Paxman joked: “Some people find these questions quite difficult to answer, you know.” Paxman isn’t the only celebrity Somerville’s team, and specifically its captain, have won over: Stephen Fry, himself a former contestant on the programme, tweeted after the quarter-final: “Somerville’s captain Davies is delightful.”
This surprisingly mellow attitude is apparently matched by the interaction between competing teams. Where both The Young Ones, and later, St Trinian’s, have depicted the potential for rivalry in similar competitions to provoke dramatic courses of action both during the competition and beforehand, current contestants maintain that the interaction necessitated by the lengthy waits before and after filming rendered other teams “pretty friendly and happy to talk”. Indeed, the producers’ decision to host all the teams in the same hotel suggests a level of faith in the competitors’ behaviour towards one another. Sam compares the difference between this and the tension onscreen to a boxing match, where “the two guys who’ve been throwing punches at each other stop to talk, hug and shake hands”.
Nobody looks particularly intimidating
However, the lack of fireworks sparked by meetings with other competitors doesn’t mean they didn’t, at times, amuse. A fair few “bizarre pre show talks” were witnessed to have taken place- the content of which remains mysterious, yet watching some of the more unusual tactics employed by others may serve to instil a greater feeling of normality for teams with less elaborate plans, especially if, as one correspondent confessed “nobody looks particularly intimidating” in the competition.
A degree of attention has been paid to Manchester University’s preparation tactics, having won 4 times since 2006, they are often considered to be one of the shows greatest success stories. While many may be tempted to put this down to the institution’s status as the UK’s largest single-site university, thus allowing them a greater pool of potential competitors, it may rather be that their librarian, a former contestant, puts the team through a rigorous training process including buzzers and past questions.
Even the best preparation can’t cover all eventualities
Yet emulating the conditions of the competition requires a great deal of hard work and resources not available to all teams- in the case of this year’s St.Peter’s team, losing the occasional pub quiz had to suffice. However, the experience of Somerville last year, when one contestant became ineligible during the competition and had to be replaced, suggests that even the best preparation can’t cover all eventualities, something suggested by the various controversies that have surfaced relating to the show. Most notably, certain bodies feel uncomfortable with the fact that both Oxford and Cambridge colleges are permitted to enter separately, thus representing a far small number of students than other universities.
Fancy testing your dedication to the programme? Check out how Uni-C savvy you are with our quiz.
PHOTO/BBC
Tagged paxmanScreenuniversitychallenge
The 5 unlikeliest heroes of the Commonwealth Games
England cricket back from the Ashes?
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Home News Briefs Enhanced Capital Partners’ ESBIC provides $10.5 mln to Carthage Specialty Paperboard and...
Enhanced Capital Partners’ ESBIC provides $10.5 mln to Carthage Specialty Paperboard and Climax
Iris Dorbian
Carthage Specialty Paperboard and Climax Manufacturing Company have received $10.5 million in subordinated secured debt financing from Enhanced Small Business Investment Company. Based in New York, Carthage and Climax are makers of specialty paperboard. ESBIC is a unit of Enhanced Capital Partners.
NEW YORK, Oct. 14, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — Enhanced Small Business Investment Company, LP (“ESBIC”), an affiliate of Enhanced Capital Partners, Inc. (“Enhanced Capital”), announced today it provided $10.5 million in subordinated secured debt financing to Carthage Specialty Paperboard, Inc. and Climax Manufacturing Company (“Climax”). With operations in Lowville, New York and Carthage, New York, Climax is a manufacturer of specialty paperboard, folding cartons, and custom packages. Climax will use the proceeds of the transaction to refinance existing debt and to fund a capacity expansion project at its paper mill.
“We are excited to support the growth of Climax as it continues to build upon its best-in-class product offering,” said Barry Osherow, Managing Director at Enhanced Capital. “This transaction will position Climax to expand its production capacity.”
“Enhanced Capital demonstrated its flexibility and speed throughout the entire process,” said Ted Cordes, CFO of Climax. “We are looking forward to working with the Enhanced Capital team over the coming years.”
About Enhanced Capital
ESBIC is a SBIC fund set up for the purpose of providing debt and minority equity financing to U.S.-based lower middle market companies. Enhanced Capital, headquartered in New York City, is a diversified private investment firm focused on established small and mid-sized companies overlooked by traditional sources of capital due to location or size. For more information, please visit www.enhancedcapital.com or call Barry Osherow at (212) 207-3385.
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Blog | The Backyard | Astros Foundation & More Partner with Perry’s Charity
Astros Foundation & More Partner with Perry’s Charity
Introducing the Perry Homes Foundation
Perry Homes is widely recognized for its exceptional quality and expertise in homebuilding—but did you know the cornerstone of our company is about so much more than business? Perry Homes founder Bob Perry was a man of compassion and charity, two traits he strongly instilled in his daughter and current Perry Homes CEO, Kathy Britton.
That is why in 2017, Kathy set out to build the Perry Homes Foundation. The non-profit organization is aimed at supporting communities and residents across major Texas hubs in Austin, Dallas, Houston and San Antonio economically, socially and environmentally.
Since its creation two years ago, the Perry Homes Foundation has contributed more than $2 million toward bettering Texas residents. Through aiding education initiatives, humanitarian efforts and environmental support organizations numbering more than 35 in total, the Perry Homes Foundation has shown great dedication to serving surrounding communities.
Meet Our “Champion” Charities
In August of 2019, the Perry Homes Foundation announced its formal partnership with what has been dubbed its “champion” charities. These partners include the Astros Foundation, Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation and Helping a Hero. Through building a deeper relationship with these amazing organizations, the Perry Homes Foundation hopes to make a bigger, more lasting impact on the communities it serves.
Astros Foundation: Perry Homes is the Official Homebuilder for the Houston-based MLB team and has been involved in many of the charity and outreach programs offered by the organization, including their 50/50 game day raffle. The Foundation is proud to be a part of the Astros’ many and varied charitable efforts, including aiding local youth baseball and softball programs, supporting U.S. military personnel, raising awareness for childhood cancer and battling the homelessness crisis. Through the Astros Community Leaders program, Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities initiative and more, the Perry Homes Foundation seeks to help promote the health and well-being of Houston communities in need.
Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation: Reading is an essential component of a solid education and a significant marker for future academic success. That is why the Perry Homes Foundation chose to partner with the Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation’s My Home Library initiative at Houston’s Lewis Elementary School. This partnership supports the school’s more than 800 students in obtaining the engaging reading materials they need to spur on their educational growth and development.
Helping a Hero: Helping a Hero is a 501 (c)(3) organization largely focused on building custom-designed homes to suit the needs of wounded members of our nation’s military. Most recently, Perry Homes built a home for Corporal (Ret.) Matt Deatherage who lost both his legs in an explosion while serving in Afghanistan. The custom home was specially designed to cater to CPL Deatherage’s needs, support his autonomy and help simplify daily tasks.
Perry Homes has been dedicated to serving the community by providing high-quality homes for families to build their lives in since 1967—but Bob Perry knew that supporting growing communities was about more than just beautiful homes. This is a legacy Kathy Britton intends to honor and support, and the bedrock for the Perry Homes Foundation.
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East Maui Animal Refuge Implicated in PETA’s Lawsuit Filed Today Against USDA
Group Contends Government Has Failed to Enforce Animal Welfare Act, Leaving Birds in Roadside Zoos Unprotected
David Perle 202-483-7382, ext. 2194
Haiku, Hawaii — PETA has filed a lawsuit today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia against the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for its failure to protect birds covered by the federal Animal Welfare Act (AWA), including those at Haiku’s East Maui Animal Refuge. Although birds used by exhibitors such as East Maui Animal Refuge have been covered by the AWA since 2002, the USDA—which is charged with enforcing the statute—has unequivocally stated that “birds are not being regulated by Animal Care” and has taken no action in response to complaints regarding exhibited birds found suffering from injuries and illness, filthy enclosures, and contaminated water, among other violations.
PETA investigated East Maui Animal Refuge in 2011 and found a pueo (Hawaiian owl) with two broken wings, a second pueo with a broken wing, and a blind owl permanently confined to a small travel crate who exhibited symptoms of bumblefoot—an excruciatingly painful and debilitating condition characterized by swelling and blisters—among other incidents. The USDA took no action in response to PETA’s June 1, 2011, complaint, and other agencies had to step in for a multi-agency raid in which the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service confiscated 17 migratory birds.
“The USDA has waved aside egregious neglect of and cruelty to birds, even though the agency has a legal mandate to protect these animals under the federal Animal Welfare Act,” says PETA Foundation Director of Captive Animal Law Enforcement Delcianna Winders. “This regulatory failure is one reason why PETA urges everyone to stay away from roadside zoos, where animals are subject to abuse and neglect.”
Other facilities implicated in PETA’s lawsuit include roadside zoos in Florida, New Jersey, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania.
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The Youngest Marcher: The Story of Audrey Faye Hendricks, a Young Civil Rights Activist (Hardcover)
By Cynthia Levinson, Vanessa Brantley-Newton (Illustrator)
Click Title to See Location Inventory
Phoenix Books Essex
(Children's History & Biography)
Phoenix Books Burlington
Meet the youngest known child to be arrested for a civil rights protest in Birmingham, Alabama, 1963, in this moving picture book that proves you’re never too little to make a difference.
Nine-year-old Audrey Faye Hendricks intended to go places and do things like anybody else.
So when she heard grown-ups talk about wiping out Birmingham’s segregation laws, she spoke up. As she listened to the preacher’s words, smooth as glass, she sat up tall. And when she heard the plan—picket those white stores! March to protest those unfair laws! Fill the jails!—she stepped right up and said, I’ll do it! She was going to j-a-a-il!
Audrey Faye Hendricks was confident and bold and brave as can be, and hers is the remarkable and inspiring story of one child’s role in the Civil Rights Movement.
Cynthia Levinson was in high school when Audrey Faye Hendricks marched to jail, and she knows she would not have been as brave as Audrey. But when Cynthia met Audrey forty-five years later, she knew she had to write a book about her for young readers. She spent more than three years interviewing marchers and researching the events. Her book We’ve Got a Job: The 1963 Birmingham Children’s March tells the story for older readers. Cynthia has also written about social justice in Watch Out for Flying Kids: How Two Circuses, Two Countries, and Nine Kids Confront Conflict and Build Community. She and her husband divide their time between Austin, Texas, and Boston, Massachusetts.
Vanessa Brantley-Newton is a self-taught artist and has attended both FIT and SVA of New York, where she studied fashion and children’s illustration. Vanessa is the illustrator of A Night Out with Mama by Quvenzhané Wallis, The Youngest Marcher by Cynthia Levinson, Presenting…Tallulah by Tori Spelling, and Early Sunday Morning by Denene Millner, among others. She hopes that when people look at her work, it will make them feel happy in some way, or even reclaim a bit of their childhood.
Juvenile Nonfiction / Biography & Autobiography / Social Activists
Juvenile Nonfiction / History / United States / 20th Century
Juvenile Nonfiction / People & Places / United States / African American
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: January 17th, 2017
"A significant portrayal of Audrey Faye Hendricks and the Children’s March."
— School Library Journal, November 2016
"Levinson returns to the subject of We’ve Got a Job as she recounts, for a younger audience, the story of Audrey Faye Hendricks and her role in the 1963 Children’s March in Birmingham, Ala. Moving briskly through events, Levinson explains how the young Hendricks was eager to stand up to segregation, marching alongside thousands of fellow students, who were subsequently arrested. Newton’s bright, digitally assembled collages adeptly highlight the danger of the situation—grim cells, barbed-wire fences, children blasted with fire hoses—while emphasizing the power of the marchers’ collective efforts to push back against injustice."
— Publishers Weekly, December 2016
"Audrey’s third-person perspective is well represented and storytold, with short, punchy sentences especially vivid in conveying individual testimony and movement goals."
— The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, February 2017
"It's one of the more shocking and little-known stories of the civil rights movement: In 1963, the City of Birmingham jailed hundreds of kids for joining the Children's March. Among them was 7-year-old Audrey Faye Hendricks, taken from her family to spend a week behind bars, eating "oily grits" and sleeping on a bare mattress. Levinson and Newton keep her story bright and snappy, emphasizing the girl's eagerness to make a difference and her proud place in her community."
— The New York Times Book Review, February 12, 2017
"[This book] can introduce even the youngest children to the idea of rebellion in an age-appropriate and inspiring way. Give the princesses and pirates a rest and try these inspiring reads—just don’t be surprised if bedtime negotiations rise to a new level. Every activist has to start somewhere!.... The book tells the true story of Audrey Faye Hendricks, who was arrested at a civil rights protest in Birmingham, Ala., when she was 9 years old. In it, Audrey is introduced to stories about the Ku Klux Klan and police brutality, and she decides to join the protest. The compelling story about white supremacy and the civil rights era illustrates the courage and personal sacrifice that activism requires, and teaches kids why it matters."
— The Washington Post, "The best books for raising activist kids," March 10, 2017
"Levinson tells the true story of Audrey Faye Hendricks, the youngest participant in the 1963 Birmingham Children's March.... The well-paced text captures a child's voice and presents time and place realistically. Brightly colored digital collages clearly depict both the hopeful spirit and the rawer emotions of one community involved in the civil rights struggle; a double-page spread of Audrey curled up on a bare mattress in her jail cell is particularly effective."
— The Horn Book Magazine, May/June 2017
"Having honest and open discussions about race, tolerance, and acceptance from a very early age can set the stage for a much broader and deeper understanding of these issues as your child grows. Here [is a book] that can help spark these conversations.... The story of the youngest known civil rights protester in history will teach children that you’re never too small to stand up for what you believe in."
— Huffington Post, "20 Children’s Books To Spark Important Discussions About Race And Tolerance"
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Hands across the water
Now that Inveraray & District has completed its sweep of all five Grade 2 RSPBA championships with a win of Cowal, the band’s coronation to Grade 1 in 2010 is assured – not that it wasn’t before. The band powered through the season with 13 firsts from a possible 20 across the majors, leaving some wondering if the band should have been put in Grade 1 instead of Grade 2 when it moved from Juvenile after 2008.
Considering that Inveraray only started to compete in 2005 as a new Juvenile band makes this one of the great pipe band success stories of all time. Not since Boghall & Bathgate, Dysart & Dundonald or maybe Vale of Atholl in the 1970s has an organization risen to the top with remotely comparable speed, even though those three bands didn’t come close to Juvenile-to-Grade-1 in only four full seasons.
Hat’s off to Inveraray’s leadership and to the whole organization’s commitment to success. The band is led by Pipe-Major Stuart Liddell and Lead-Drummer Steven McWhirter, who both are stars at the top of the solo piping and drumming trees. But they both have something else in common – something probably far more important to Inveraray’s success.
Both Liddell and McWhirter for the better part of the last decade were members of the Simon Fraser University Pipe Band. It’s clear that neither were simply hanging out at SFU only so they could enjoy winning a few World Championships; they were there to learn SFU’s style of band-craft and take it back with them to Scotland, where they have deployed their knowledge to the hilt in Inveraray’s first season in Grade 2.
Since the 2009 World’s not a few folks have noted that only one Scotland-based band – House of Edgar-Shotts & Dykehead – in the last decade has managed to win the big award, while the other seven times it’s gone to SFU of Canada or Field Marshal Montgomery of Northern Ireland. I’ve also heard comments from Scotland bemoaning that so many talented Scottish pipers and drummers are playing in bands not based in their homeland, insinuating that these traitors should stay home to fight for their own country.
It’s interesting to note that in the 1970s, Canadians started to travel to Scotland to play in and learn from top bands, and then bring their knowledge back home. This produced results seen in the likes of Clan MacFarlane (Scott MacAulay – Muirheads), Triumph Street (Hal Senyk – Muirheads), Toronto & District (John Elliott – Muirheads), City of Victoria (John Fisher – Shotts) and others. Rather than moaning that Canadian bands couldn’t match the Scottish standard, these folks committed themselves to going there to learn how it’s done. Pipers and drummers from all over the world continue to travel to Scotland to gain experience with top bands, although the practice continues to diminish.
Now, it seems that the tide has turned, with UK-based pipers and drummers learning from top bands in Canada, Australia and New Zealand. To be sure, some of the world’s greatest pipe bands are still in Scotland – tremendous talent is still there. But, now, it appears that things have come full circle, where the recipe for one kind of success is an ocean away – in the other direction.
Duncan Millar says:
While this post is excellent and clearly written in a favorable tone toward Stuart and Steven, it makes it sound like they came to Canada with a scheme to go back and form a band together. Stuart joined SFU before he knew Steven very well. I think they realized playing at the World Solos how musical they were together and all the while the Inveraray band was developing behind the scenes with both teaching the players. It was the kids in the Inveraray band that really vaulted the organization up the ranks so fast. How could anyone plan on that? Just goes to show that following your heart and playing good music will always make a better band than a scheme to beat some existing band. Long live IDPB.
Bert says:
I also don’t believe that these two gentlemen had an objective of any sort, other than to play with a really good band that they had previously heard and who sparked their attention to their particular choice/style in music. Let’s not forget that they also learned their craft in the U.K. and without doubt that craft or experience was added to in Canada. It’s not unlike people going from Canada to play in the best bands in the U.K. If they have the initial talent to join a band, then they can’t help but add something to their resume and in doing so they will hopefully pass their new found knowledge on. Back in the 70’s there were a small number of decent (Not Great) Canadian bands. The C.N.E. was perhaps a start to the overall development and increase in top quality Canadian bands. Along with he many Scottish talented players who traveled to Canada, giving seminars and teaching at piping schools etc. I do sense we sometimes get into “them and us” and personally I don’t like it. It would be like the U.S.A. saying we are the pioneers who built the first motor car and the Japanese saying Yeh! but we perfected it. Sometimes this theme becomes a little aggravating. North Americans should hold the same respect for their Scottish counterparts as their counterparts hold for them i.e. North America be thankful for the knowledge they have achieved by way of the top players and bands. I know for a fact that the U.K. people are exceedingly complimentary with respect to the very high standard that has been coming from and rapidly increasing in North America and they love it.
Art (Irvine) Of Piping says:
One of the positive aspects of the “gathering of the bands” at the WPBC is that it allows all of us to see and hear what our contemporaries are up to, increasing on a wider global scale. With open minds and positive thinking we can all learn from each other and return to our respective locales wisened players all the better for the experience who can then turn around and contribute to the advancement of the art universally. When this is added to the cultural exchange of individual band players between bands located on all of the various continents, it can only help to further enhanse the global knowledge level.
The message here: those who seek, find.
It doesn’t matter what Messrs McWhirter and Liddell may have initially been thinking. But it seems obvious that the more they played with SFU, the better their holistic understanding of band-craft became. Inevitable.
IDPB is a great band and being such says nothing more than what most already know – i.e. that where there is a will, there is a way.
Having a large group of dedicated kids emerge from an intial band of a mere handful is a trememdous result. It says a lot about the culture that is being fostered, the friendships, the community interest and support, the music they play and the appeal this band was able to develop early in the caper. In addition to all this, they have two of the very best in the game at the helm.
Let’s never forget that Stuart and Steven and all other imports may have in fact brought many new bright ideas to S.F.U. I agree with “Art” it is all about sharing and adding your own little twist to it, hopefully making it that bit more interesting and taking it up a notch.
Andrew Berthoff says:
Just to be clear, I didn’t for a second mean to suggest that Stuart or Steven joined SFU with any sort of “scheme” – no more than anyone else over the years who has travelled a long way to be a part of a top-class band. Both of them have huge talent on their own. However, their experience at SFU had to have rubbed off on the way they manage Inveraray & District, evidenced by the results they’re getting. The IDPB example was picked to illustrate the point that UK-based players – even two of the very greatest in the art – are travelling a long way to be a part of something great, and inevitably take some of that greatness back to the UK.
Janette Montague says:
People get awful uppety and het up sometimes if you say you think, as I have many a time, that there’s so much good stuff happening eg in Canada. But it’s true, and the same applies to other countries, as well as to pockets in Scotland. Piping and drumming is a world-wide thing, with its expert teachers and performers spread across the globe. The concept of seeking out the best band FOR YOU, the best teacher FOR YOU, wherever they are in the world, makes perfect sense to me, and those wholly committed to the instrument and its music will find ways of accessing them. The two leaders of the IDPB seem perfect examples of people who have gone the extra mile, learned and absorbed, experienced and digested, and brought it all back to their own enterprise. They in turn, are instilling the same high standards in the next generation. Three young pipers from their band spent a week learning piobaireachd last summer and a better example of impeccable attitude, sheer hard work, and dedication to piping, it would not have been possible to find. They were a great credit to their band, and if there are more like them, learning under such expert guidance, no wonder they are doing so very well. You should have heard the delight with which they described giving up their Sundays for band practices. An example to us all.
Al McMullin says:
You do NOT need to explain yourself, Andrew. I would imagine the vast majority of the readers did not find anything other than good thoughts and intentions from your recognition of the two players and the Inverary band itself.
How about interviewing members of the Inverary & District PB for a future article?
Not knowing the geographic home of the members of IDPB, I can only guess that many hail from parts close to the band’s practice hall. If so, this illustrates the point that I and others have made here and on other forums. The ebb and flow of economics and trends has us moving towards players focusing their efforts a little closer to home. Bands are starting to develop organically again. And that is a good thing for promoting the art on a local level and giving good players a place to hang their hats a little closer to home. Of course, this trend can’t apply to the truly premier bands, as they will always be able and need to attract players from greater distances to remain on top. But for the rest of us, it is a bit heartwarming to know that success can be had by working hard with your pals from home.
John Mitchell says:
What’s the big secret, it’s all about hard work!
BTW, something I know nothing about!
I guess when I used excellent and favorable I wasn’t positive enough. I used scheme, which does not have to be taken negatively, because that’s how it felt to me as a reader and very often things are capsulized and simplified and thereby distorted with references to ‘folks’ and ‘numerous grade one players’ and ‘rumors’ that offer no reality check.
Duncan – try this: before, non-Scots would go to Scotland to learn (and have fun while doing it). They still do. But now, Scots are going to non-Scottish bands to learn (and have fun while doing it). To me, anyway, it’s a noteworthy shift.
Yes – much better without all the conjecture.
Objection! The “conjecture” is simply intended not to go into lengthy detail. It’s also a blog post; not a news story. A string of comments from “folks” bemoaning Scotland’s perceived lack of success is in this article: http://living.scotsman.com/music/Why-Scots-piping-needs-band.5562181.jp . Many more are anecdotal. I could list dozens of names (mine included) from the last 30 years to corroborate the “numerous Grade 1 players” claim. Not sure about the “rumors” thing, since I don’t see that anywhere.
Sustained!
Ha ha – right on. I was just trying to make the point that it is easy to ascribe intention to accident after-the-fact. For example, if SFU had not won in 08 and 09, would we be as quick to attribute Inveraray’s success to what Steven and Stuart learned at SFU? What if they had left just after SFU placed 6th at Pitlochry?
Many of the new players into SFU over the past 20 years are from outside the area. This is not because they were sent by their local bands/cities/countries to learn and return. Most return when they run out of free time. I do not think that Steven and Stuart “were there to learn SFU’s style of band-craft and take it back with them to Scotland.” This is the result not the intention. (Also, Steven is not from Scotland) We need more than one international contest each year and thus the real issue is that we read everything into the one result.
“one result?” I think the World’s format with a minimum of two contests is sufficient in crowning a true champion. If you can’t get up for the big one, when can you get up? If you want more international results, bring your bands over to Maxville and see how nice the drone sound is in 80 degreee (f) blistering sun. Oh yeah, with a N.American judging panel. Then we’ll see…. I assume when you say more than one result, you’re saying that the best over here need to come there for more than just the World Championships. And that would be so appropriate to the Scottish way of seeing things… to which I’d say, what’s the point?
Jason: Been there done that got the T-shirt. You know I play with SFU, right?
Just wish we didn’t have to wait a whole year each time for the big show. Something in April with all the bands, maybe in Majorca or Rio.
Bagpipermann says:
You don’t have to wait a year. You could come to Ontario again in 2010….
Yyeeeeeahhhh. ……About that………
Duncan: Didn’t know you played with SFU. Haven’t gotten my copy of “Pipe Band Paparazzi Magazine” lately so I’m not up on the who’s who. All the same, much congrats to you and the band. You seemed to take a very Scotland-centric tone, so I assumed otherwise and took a chance to provide a N.American perspective. See you in Rio…coincide with Carnivale perhaps?
Jamie Green says:
Jason…you say… “that would be so appropriate to the Scottish way of seeing things”
I take from this that you’ve made the assumption (as many do) that bands ‘over here’ don’t want the Worlds held outside Scotland. You’re wrong – I know many bandspeople here that would be more than willing to travel abroad for the Worlds. It may well be the RSPBA officials don’t want to move it (although I can’t confirm that, as I’ve never asked them and I doubt if anyone else has either!) but if that is the case – don’t make the assumption that bands feel the same way.
Sorry for going off-topic.
Norrie Thomson says:
Just my two cents worth (two pence worthy really): I think most people who travel across the pond, or to Australia or New Zealand don’t do it because they feel they can develop their craft. They do it because they can! They have no ties or commitments to hold them back and it’s an adventure. If I was 30 years younger with no career or family to worry about, I would do it too.
Norrie Thomson
I think the ghost of Karl Benz might have a word or two to say about the statement that “…the U.S.A. … are the pioneers who built the first motor car…”
Maybe he went to America and brought back his knowledge to craft success in his home country
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Piping teachers: For a young piper’s pipes 1. tie the drones 3 or 4 inches apart. 2. Get the smallest mouthpiece you can or get the blowstick cut shorter. 3. Insist on a small bag – this will get the student learning how to blow the bagpipe correctly from the start.
− Sandy Keith, Dunedin, Florida
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Marvel Games' new mandate is 'Make epic games,' and Spider-Man is just the beginning
The new head of Marvel's video game group talks about its AAA console future
By Michael McWhertor@MikeMcWhertor Jun 14, 2016, 5:27pm EDT
Share All sharing options for: Marvel Games' new mandate is 'Make epic games,' and Spider-Man is just the beginning
E3 2021 takes place June 12-15 as a re-imagined, all-virtual online event. Nintendo, Xbox, Bethesda, Square Enix, Sega, Bandai Namco, Ubisoft, Capcom, and others will deliver new video game announcements, trailers, release dates, and more.
Last night, Sony and Marvel dropped a huge surprise: Ratchet & Clank developer Insomniac Games is making a new Spider-Man video game exclusively for PlayStation 4.
According to Jay Ong, Marvel's vice president of games, Insomniac's Spider-Man game is just the beginning for Marvel's ambitious plan to bring its superheroes to consoles.
"When I joined Marvel two years ago, I came in with a mandate to usher in a new era for Marvel Games," Ong told Polygon in an interview. "We have a treasure trove of the best superhero characters on earth. What can we do with this to create truly epic games?
"Is [Spider-Man] a signal of things to come? Oh, yes. Absolutely. And we can’t wait to tell the world about it."
Over the past few years, Marvel Games' output has been primarily on mobile (Avengers Academy, Contest of Champions, Future Fight), on PC (Marvel Heroes) and for Disney Infinity and Lego games. Marvel fans haven't had their own Batman: Arkham equivalent. But with multiple Marvel console games in development, it sounds like that's changing.
Ong said there was a lot about Marvel Games' plans for consoles that he couldn't talk about. There are existing partnerships with Telltale Games, Sony Interactive Entertainment and Warner Bros.' TT Games to make titles based on Marvel's properties, but he indicated there's a lot more in the works, some of which we'll hear more about later this year.
Marvel wants to work with the best game developers in the business, Ong said, teams that share the company's passion for its heroes and villains. But it's being choosy about who it works with, and which teams work on which properties.
"One of the things we really focus on in terms of our new strategy is that we all believe that great games drive the brand and great games are what our fans really deserve," Ong said. "The question is, 'How we can get there?' The thing we landed on is to be really selective with who we partner with. Extremely selective. Right now I would say that out of every 10 opportunities we look at, we maybe do one."
Ong said Marvel Games has a set of criteria as it looks to work with publishers and developers.
"What we look at first and foremost is the talent level of partner," he said. "Are they world class in building the games we're talking about? They have to have world-class talent. They have to be able to invest the resources to make that talent sing. Equally important is, do they have passion for the IP they're working on? Do they share the same ambition? Do they love the character? We look for passion, that comes through in the first 30 seconds.
"One of our mantras is authenticity; it's easy to make a game with Spider-Man on the label, but it's much harder to make it truly authentic in a way that reflects Peter Parker, the character." Insomniac Games and Spider-Man creative director Bryan Intihar, Ong said, embody that mantra.
When publisher Activision was in charge of developing and publishing Spider-Man games, those titles were often tied to the release of movies or annual publishing schedules. The quality of those games varied, and while they were often successful commercially, Ong indicated that Marvel Games doesn't want to push games to market just to coincide with a theatrical release. (The upcoming Spider-Man game is "wholly original" and unrelated to 2017's Spider-Man: Homecoming, the next Marvel feature film starring the web-slinger.)
"We are absolutely obsessed about [quality]," Ong said. "That is our North Star. We always say 'Great is not good enough. We're going for truly epic.'"
Ong said that if a future Marvel Games title happens to line up with the release of a Marvel Studios movie, that's great, but "in this modern day and age, that [video game movie tie-in] model doesn't work anymore."
"Things like [games] you cannot under-resource," he said. "You can't not give the development time ... to do justice to the game. We think, 'How do we make the game better? How do we help our partners make the game better?'"
It's not yet clear when Marvel, Sony and Insomniac's Spider-Man game — or Telltale's unnamed Marvel game, which Ong says will delight fans — will be released. But those titles represent a new course for Marvel Games.
"Building these franchises, and building these characters [at Marvel Games], this is that first big milestone from this team," Ong said. "This is a huge ambitious project."
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Spanning Time: Binghamton saw several bridges come and go in the 19th century
Special to Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin
During the first four decades of the 19th century, the burgeoning town of Chenango Point began to form. Developing upon the lands of William Bingham, and overseen by his land agent, Joshua Whitney, the community would formally adopt the name of Binghamton with its incorporation of a village in 1834.
By that time, the community had emerged from its isolated frontier town status surrounded by the Susquehanna and Chenango rivers, and had connections to the lands on the west and south by several bridges.
The first bridge in the area was completed in 1808 under the watchful eye of Joshua Whitney and the members of the Chenango Bridge Co. It was a toll bridge constructed of wood.
By the 1820s, the formation of a second toll bridge company, the Binghamton Bridge Co., had occurred. That company worked to build a second bridge across the Chenango River just north of the Chenango Bridge (now called the Court Street Bridge). It was completed by the end of the 1820s, although the fiscal history of the company was not good, and wooden bridges tend to rot after about 20 years of use. Eventually, what was called the Ferry Street Bridge would be replaced by the current East Clinton Street Bridge.
Lastly, an offshoot of the Binghamton Bridge Co. was the Susquehanna Bridge Co., which was charged with building a wooden span across the Susquehanna River near the meeting of Water Street and Second Street — now Washington Street. The “White Bridge” was built in 1825 and 1826 under the control of Hazard Lewis, and proprietors Christopher Eldridge and John Collier. The toll bridge was successful, and the lobbying of its owners allowed for the bridge not to have any competition — either bridge or ferry — on the Susquehanna River for three miles.
The bridge connected with the Montrose Turnpike on the southern end (what is now Pennsylvania Avenue). In 1843, a particularly harsh ice jam tore away the southern end of the bridge. Rather than consider fixing the current structure, the current owners of the bridge began a plan to replace it.
That same year, a new design for a bridge was approved. Robert Carman, a well-known local builder, undertook the construction of the new bridge. The replacement bridge was not an open bridge, but a wooden covered bridge. The span was approximately 700 feet long, and a toll house was constructed on the southern end that allowed the bridge tender to also live adjacent to it.
Once again, the use of the bridge continued to increase as the population of Binghamton grew in the first half of the 19th century. More and more people moved from the downtown area to the growing neighborhoods in the south side of the village. As the days of the toll bridges of New York state began to decline as free public bridges increased, the state Legislature passed an act in 1869.
The act designated Hurd Brownson and John Cutler, of the Town of Binghamton, and John Stewart Wells, of the city, to act as commissioners to purchase the covered bridge and the nearby Rock Bottom Bridge for a combined total of $17,000. It allowed the titles of the bridges to go to the city for their control in 1886.
Just before the final part of that act, however, the structure of the bridge began to decline. There were realistic fears of the collapse of the bridge in 1882. As a final act to keep the bridge open, the roof and the sideboards of the bridge were taken off in the hopes that traffic could continue to flow across it.
That effort failed, though, and the old covered bridge was taken down to be replaced by a new iron bridge. This bridge, allowed by an 1886 act of the state, was designed and constructed by the Berlin Bridge Co. The triple parabolic design was unique, and the 495-foot bridge cost a total of just over $38,000.
In the span of 60 years, the community saw three bridges come and go on the same site. Amazingly, that last bridge, which is now used for pedestrian and bicycle traffic has lasted over 130 years. Not too bad.
More Spanning Time:Broome County's first known bank robbery took some time to solve
More Spanning Time:A 'funeral' procession marked end of the road for Binghamton's trolleys
More:WWII POW's legacy lives on in Binghamton: Spent three years in Japanese prison camp
Gerald Smith is a former Broome County historian. Email him at historysmiths@stny.rr.com. Support our journalism and become a digital subscriber today. Click here for our special offers.
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The Truth about the Crusades
Were the Crusades a reflection of the “terrible deeds [done] in the name of Christ” as U.S. President Obama recently warned, or were they a reflection of something else, namely, centuries of Islamic jihad? In the following essay, one of the top historians of the Crusades definitively answers the question.
Thomas Madden — former Chair of the History Department at Saint Louis University and Director of the Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies — wrote this article in 2002 when President Bush used the word “crusade” in a positive sense, creating controversy. Its relevancy today is that Obama invoked the Crusades in a negative sense, also creating controversy.
Madden presents the most recent scholarship on the Crusades — scholarship that completely contradicts the popular image of these wars that permeates much of Hollywood, the writings of amateurs such as Karen Armstrong and, as seen, the worldview of Barack Obama.
(Due to its length (approximately 4000 words), only the most germane portions appear in the significantly shorter version below; especially relevant sentences and paragraphs are highlighted in bold, while removed text is reflected by bracketed ellipses.)
The Real History of the Crusades
By Thomas Madden
Misconceptions about the Crusades are all too common. The Crusades are generally portrayed as a series of holy wars against Islam led by power-mad popes and fought by religious fanatics. They are supposed to have been the epitome of self-righteousness and intolerance, a black stain on the history of the Catholic Church in particular and Western civilization in general. A breed of proto-imperialists, the Crusaders introduced Western aggression to the peaceful Middle East and then deformed the enlightened Muslim culture, leaving it in ruins. For variations on this theme, one need not look far. See, for example, Steven Runciman’s famous three-volume epic, History of the Crusades, or the BBC/A&E documentary, The Crusades, hosted by Terry Jones. Both are terrible history yet wonderfully entertaining.
So what is the truth about the Crusades? Scholars are still working some of that out. But much can already be said with certainty. For starters, the Crusades to the East were in every way defensive wars. They were a direct response to Muslim aggression—an attempt to turn back or defend against Muslim conquests of Christian lands.
Christians in the eleventh century were not paranoid fanatics. Muslims really were gunning for them. While Muslims can be peaceful, Islam was born in war and grew the same way. From the time of Mohammed, the means of Muslim expansion was always the sword. Muslim thought divides the world into two spheres, the Abode of Islam and the Abode of War. Christianity—and for that matter any other non-Muslim religion—has no abode. Christians and Jews can be tolerated within a Muslim state under Muslim rule. But, in traditional Islam, Christian and Jewish states must be destroyed and their lands conquered. When Mohammed was waging war against Mecca in the seventh century, Christianity was the dominant religion of power and wealth. As the faith of the Roman Empire, it spanned the entire Mediterranean, including the Middle East, where it was born. The Christian world, therefore, was a prime target for the earliest caliphs, and it would remain so for Muslim leaders for the next thousand years.
With enormous energy, the warriors of Islam struck out against the Christians shortly after Mohammed’s death. They were extremely successful. Palestine, Syria, and Egypt—once the most heavily Christian areas in the world—quickly succumbed. By the eighth century, Muslim armies had conquered all of Christian North Africa and Spain. In the eleventh century, the Seljuk Turks conquered Asia Minor (modern Turkey), which had been Christian since the time of St. Paul. The old Roman Empire, known to modern historians as the Byzantine Empire, was reduced to little more than Greece. In desperation, the emperor in Constantinople sent word to the Christians of western Europe asking them to aid their brothers and sisters in the East.
That is what gave birth to the Crusades. They were not the brainchild of an ambitious pope or rapacious knights but a response to more than four centuries of conquests in which Muslims had already captured two-thirds of the old Christian world. At some point, Christianity as a faith and a culture had to defend itself or be subsumed by Islam. The Crusades were that defense.
Pope Urban II called upon the knights of Christendom to push back the conquests of Islam at the Council of Clermont in 1095. The response was tremendous. Many thousands of warriors took the vow of the cross and prepared for war. Why did they do it? The answer to that question has been badly misunderstood. In the wake of the Enlightenment, it was usually asserted that Crusaders were merely lacklands and ne’er-do-wells who took advantage of an opportunity to rob and pillage in a faraway land. The Crusaders’ expressed sentiments of piety, self-sacrifice, and love for God were obviously not to be taken seriously. They were only a front for darker designs.
During the past two decades, computer-assisted charter studies have demolished that contrivance. Scholars have discovered that crusading knights were generally wealthy men with plenty of their own land in Europe. Nevertheless, they willingly gave up everything to undertake the holy mission. Crusading was not cheap. Even wealthy lords could easily impoverish themselves and their families by joining a Crusade. They did so not because they expected material wealth (which many of them had already) but because they hoped to store up treasure where rust and moth could not corrupt. They were keenly aware of their sinfulness and eager to undertake the hardships of the Crusade as a penitential act of charity and love. Europe is littered with thousands of medieval charters attesting to these sentiments, charters in which these men still speak to us today if we will listen. Of course, they were not opposed to capturing booty if it could be had. But the truth is that the Crusades were notoriously bad for plunder. A few people got rich, but the vast majority returned with nothing.
Urban II gave the Crusaders two goals, both of which would remain central to the eastern Crusades for centuries. The first was to rescue the Christians of the East. As his successor, Pope Innocent III, later wrote:
How does a man love according to divine precept his neighbor as himself when, knowing that his Christian brothers in faith and in name are held by the perfidious Muslims in strict confinement and weighed down by the yoke of heaviest servitude, he does not devote himself to the task of freeing them? …Is it by chance that you do not know that many thousands of Christians are bound in slavery and imprisoned by the Muslims, tortured with innumerable torments?
“Crusading,” Professor Jonathan Riley-Smith has rightly argued, was understood as an “an act of love”—in this case, the love of one’s neighbor. The Crusade was seen as an errand of mercy to right a terrible wrong. As Pope Innocent III wrote to the Knights Templar, “You carry out in deeds the words of the Gospel, ‘Greater love than this hath no man, that he lay down his life for his friends.’”
The second goal was the liberation of Jerusalem and the other places made holy by the life of Christ. […]
It is often assumed that the central goal of the Crusades was forced conversion of the Muslim world. Nothing could be further from the truth. From the perspective of medieval Christians, Muslims were the enemies of Christ and His Church. It was the Crusaders’ task to defeat and defend against them. That was all. Muslims who lived in Crusader-won territories were generally allowed to retain their property and livelihood, and always their religion. Indeed, throughout the history of the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem, Muslim inhabitants far outnumbered the Catholics. It was not until the 13th century that the Franciscans began conversion efforts among Muslims. But these were mostly unsuccessful and finally abandoned. In any case, such efforts were by peaceful persuasion, not the threat of violence.
The Crusades were wars, so it would be a mistake to characterize them as nothing but piety and good intentions. Like all warfare, the violence was brutal (although not as brutal as modern wars). There were mishaps, blunders, and crimes. These are usually well-remembered today. During the early days of the First Crusade in 1095, a ragtag band of Crusaders led by Count Emicho of Leiningen made its way down the Rhine, robbing and murdering all the Jews they could find. Without success, the local bishops attempted to stop the carnage. In the eyes of these warriors, the Jews, like the Muslims, were the enemies of Christ. Plundering and killing them, then, was no vice. Indeed, they believed it was a righteous deed, since the Jews’ money could be used to fund the Crusade to Jerusalem. But they were wrong, and the Church strongly condemned the anti-Jewish attacks.
Fifty years later, when the Second Crusade was gearing up, St. Bernard frequently preached that the Jews were not to be persecuted:
Ask anyone who knows the Sacred Scriptures what he finds foretold of the Jews in the Psalm. “Not for their destruction do I pray,” it says. The Jews are for us the living words of Scripture, for they remind us always of what our Lord suffered…. Under Christian princes they endure a hard captivity, but “they only wait for the time of their deliverance.”
When we think about the Middle Ages, it is easy to view Europe in light of what it became rather than what it was. The colossus of the medieval world was Islam, not Christendom. The Crusades are interesting largely because they were an attempt to counter that trend. But in five centuries of crusading, it was only the First Crusade that significantly rolled back the military progress of Islam. It was downhill from there.
From the safe distance of many centuries, it is easy enough to scowl in disgust at the Crusades. Religion, after all, is nothing to fight wars over. But we should be mindful that our medieval ancestors would have been equally disgusted by our infinitely more destructive wars fought in the name of political ideologies. And yet, both the medieval and the modern soldier fight ultimately for their own world and all that makes it up. Both are willing to suffer enormous sacrifice, provided that it is in the service of something they hold dear, something greater than themselves. Whether we admire the Crusaders or not, it is a fact that the world we know today would not exist without their efforts. The ancient faith of Christianity, with its respect for women and antipathy toward slavery, not only survived but flourished. Without the Crusades, it might well have followed Zoroastrianism, another of Islam’s rivals, into extinction.
Filed Under: Study Corner Tagged With: Crusades, history, Obama
Mujo67 says
Thank you for sharing that, Raymond. Perhaps a copy of Dr. Madden’s work can be sent to President Obama so that he can educate himself on the historical truths of the Crusades. Oh, who am I kidding. The president considers himself far too learned to allow anything to interfere with his preconceived world view: “West – bad. Christianity – bad. Capitalism – bad. Any ideology that challenges Western civilization, Christianity or capitalism – good.”
peterliberal says
Obama is a muslim
piet-hein says
This is again so good – I´m going to translate this into dutch, as I did with some of your earlier pieces, Raymond. Spot on! Thanks a lot. Think, dear fellow-readers, about spreading and amplifying these insights. Please do not only read and cherish them, it is SUCH a hard work for those who keep on taking them to the foreground. Assist them! Truth will prevail.
Johan Vermij says
sahred 😉 And looking forward to your Dutch translation 😉
friendlykamustaka says
The irony is, of course, that had the Crusades not taken place, we probably wouldn’t have the freedom to come on here, and type this stuff.
http://wikiislam.net/wiki/Islam_and_Freedom_of_Speech#Practical_Application_in_Islamic_Countries
Nobody seems to have picked up on that one……..
billobillo54 says
Thank you Mr. Ibrahim for this illuminating article. I am PROUD of the Crusades. We need a Crusade on many fronts today.
Solis Christos
dia61 says
It is amazing how distorted history has become. Thank you, Raymond, for again, telling the truth.
Herman Snerd says
You’ve written a brilliant essay that illuminates a historical period not much understood by modern people. You and your readers might enjoy http://www.realcrusadeshistory.com, also based on real world scholarship in an effort to set the record straight.
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Generals: the movie
It’s a full of action, drama, passion — and the fairy tale ending is now within sight. For the past six months, a documentary film crew has been following the Bentley Generals on their journey to the Allan Cup, the coveted grail of Canadian senior hockey.
Coach Brian Sutter delivers a colourful dressing room pep talk in video.
It’s a full of action, drama, passion — and the fairy tale ending is now within sight.
For the past six months, a documentary film crew has been following the Bentley Generals on their journey to the Allan Cup, the coveted grail of Canadian senior hockey.
This week, the Generals — with cameramen in tow — travelled to Steinbach, Man., to bring home the trophy that has eluded them in three Allan Cup appearances dating back to 2004.
Producer-director Eppo Eerkes gambled big on the Generals’ success this season.
There have been some close calls along the way, but his risks are bearing fruit.
With two commanding wins in Steinbach already behind them, the Generals need just two more victories to bring the Allan Cup home to Central Alberta.
“(Going to the Allan Cup) was something I put all my money on and something I told the broadcasters,” said Eerkes. “That Stony Plain series nearly killed me. For it to go seven games was killing us and we were sitting around saying ‘Oh, this can’t be happening.’ ”
Realizing the TV potential in the Generals’ story, Eerkes began pitching the project in 2006, but it wasn’t until 2008 that he got the go-ahead from CTV.
The Pounce TV crew, based in Bragg Creek, headed for Bentley and dove into production. They spent about a week with the team back in November, getting to know the guys and identifying the most film-friendly personalities.
But the Generals project suffered a near-fatal blow early on when budget issues at CTV forced the broadcaster to renege on its funding commitment.
“It was devastating for us,” Eerkes said. “We just shot seven days of quality stuff and now you’re telling me it’s not going to happen?”
The Pounce crew started fishing for new backers. They got nibbles from Access Television and the Saskatchewan Cable Network (SCN), but the big bite came from TV Ontario (TVO), which boasts about 2.2 million viewers. So far, SCN and TVO have agreed to a deal, but Access has yet to commit.
“The making of this show has been a lot like the story of the Bentley Generals,” Eerkes said. “Making it happen has been a real Cinderella story of its own.”
Titled Blood, Sweat and Beers, the documentary tells a story of sacrifices made by players and their families.
“People are going to see players who’ve given up so much that it brings them to tears,” said Eerkes. “To win that Allan Cup means so much to them, they’d give up everything but their family to get it.”
An abundance of powerful personality in the Generals organization has already guaranteed a successful product, said Eerkes. The story of the Beagle family will be a big part of the documentary. Kevin Smyth and Joe Vandermeer fill the roles of former pros, while ex-NHL player-coach Brian Sutter provides plenty of colour in his dressing-room speeches.
“He doesn’t care whether the camera is on or not. He is who he is and he’s not going to change for us,” said Eerkes. “When he closes that locker room door, that becomes a sacred place and you don’t mess with him on that. We take a camera and leave it in the room and walk away. That’s where we’ve got some of the real gold.”
Win or lose, the film crew will stick with the Generals through the rest of their Allan Cup run, then follow them home to Central Alberta for some followup with the community.
“The hope is that they win and we can be there for a big parade,” he said.
Following production, Eerkes will be holed up in the editing room for a few weeks. He plans to have a rough cut finished by the end of May and expects the one-hour documentary will air sometime this fall.
With so much strong content already captured, Eerkes says he’d like to explore the possibility of making the documentary into an hour-and-a-half, feature-length film.
“We’d also like to send it off to some festivals,” he said. “I really see this becoming the next Boys on the Bus — kind of that and Slapshot combined.”
lpare@bprda.wpengine.com
Aboriginal Employment hosting Storytellers series
Sundre residents want flood solution
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Home » Poultry Briefs: Cargill, Cagle's in the news
Poultry Briefs: Cargill, Cagle's in the news
KEYWORDS broilers / Cagle's / Cargill / chicken processor
POULTRY BRIEFS
TheMinneapolis (Minn.) Star Tribune
reported thatCargill Inc. resumed ground turkey grinding operations at its Springdale, Ark., plant that was the source of a massive recall. Spokesman Mike Martin, told the newspaper that USDA approved additional measures at the plant including a 25-percent increase in anti-bacterial wash for just-slaughtered birds and adding two new anti-bacterial baths during the evisceration process.
Atlanta chicken processorCagle's, Inc. said it reported a net loss of $5.7 million or $1.24 per share during its fiscal first quarter ended July 2, 2011 compared to net income of $3.5 million or $0.75 per share for the quarter ended July 3, 2010.
Cagle's said net sales for the first quarter were $81.9 million, up 4.2 percent from $78.6 million, reflecting an increase in pounds sold of 14.9 percent and a decrease in sales price for poultry of $0.059 per pound as compared to the same period of fiscal 2011.
Cost of sales for the first quarter of fiscal 2012 increased 27.1 percent as compared with the same period last year, from $68.2 million to $86.7 million, the company said. Feed ingredient prices for broilers processed in the first quarter of fiscal 2012, which represented 46 percent of the total cost of sales, increased 68.3 percent or $16.3 million as compared to the first quarter of fiscal 2011.
J. Douglas Cagle, chairman, CEO and president, said Cagle's and the industry's profitability continue to be challenged by high feed cost accentuated by broiler markets pressured by over production. As a result, Cagle's plans at the end of August to cut production by 22 percent at its Pine Mountain Valley, Ga., plant.
"Towards the end of July our industry had begun to react in similar fashion with egg sets 6 percent less than the same period in 2010. These industry cut backs should have a positive effect on markets and final margins in the coming months," said Cagle.
Meat & Poultry Briefs: Cargill, Kayem in the news
Meat & Poultry Briefs: JBS, Pilgrim's Pride, Cargill in the news
Meat & Poultry Briefs: Pilgrim's Pride, Boar's Head in the news
Meat & Poultry Briefs: Heritage Farms, Petit Jean in the news
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23,837 views 5 comments
Original Price: £399.99
Buy It Now For: £15+
Associated magazines: Sega Saturn Magazine, Edge, Sega Power, Mean Machines Sega, Saturn Power
Why The Saturn Was Great: Despite the errors that saw Sega build the Saturn as a predominantly 2D machine, for fans of Sega’s unique style of game – especially their arcade wares – the Saturn remains the only place to enjoy the works of Sega’s internal development teams at a time when they were arguably at their creative peak.
It’s not often that it can be said of a console that it mimics – for better or worse – the very attributes its parent company displays, but the Saturn is such a machine. On the one hand, the Saturn very much reflects the corporate ineptitude and lack of unity that blighted Sega at the time (and indeed, its relative failure at market certainly was a major contributor in Sega’s eventual pull-out from the games market barely more than half a decade after it launched), boasted one of the most complex system architectures around (and whose predominantly 2D orientation was at loggerheads with the three dimensional shift the industry was undergoing at the time) and an array of games that was out of touch with what mainstream consumers wanted; on the other hand, for those who appreciate Sega’s unique style of games – especially its arcade wares – along with the efforts of the Saturn’s few (yet staunchly loyal) third-party supporters, there will never be another console quite like Sega’s 32-bit machine.
In a trend that would set the tone for the console’s traumatic life, the Saturn was born into a Sega family beset with problems. Despite the successes of the Mega Drive – predominantly in the West – Sega’s management had increasingly fallen out of touch with the demands of both the market and the industry.
The Saturn started out life in the early 1990s deep within Sega of Japan’s Research and Development department. Originally going under the working title Gigadrive, the machine was essentially designed to be a 2D powerhouse of a console with secondary 3D capabilities using CD-ROM technology and would have sat, performance wise, somewhere between Sega’s System32 and Model 1 arcade boards. While this might have seemed like a suicidal prospect at the time, Sega’s thinking did have a certain degree of logic to it. The first consideration was the cost of the machine. Sega’s Model 1 board – which by the end of 1993 was wowing gamers with the likes of Yu Suzuki’s Virtua Racing and Virtua Fighter – was very expensive, as were proving the attempts to shoehorn 3D graphics into console gaming, either in the form of chips-in-carts (such as Sega’s SVP chip that was used in the Mega Drive port of Virtua Racing or Nintendo’s Super FX chip) or upgrade modules such as the 32X, while not achieving arcade perfection. The second was the concern that the market might not be ready for 3D yet, with the rapid failure of the 3DO – the first ‘next-gen’ machine to hit the shelves – appearing to vindicate Sega’s management.
With GigaDrive, Sega thought it had found the ideal solution to this: create a machine that could handle Sega’s Model 1 games, but focus predominantly on 2D games ready for a Japanese launch in late 1994. Sadly, Sega’s efforts couldn’t have been more misplaced. A year before the launch, Sony Computer Entertainment formally announced that it intended to enter the console market with a 3D-capable machine that not only knocked the Saturn into a cocked hat, but blew the Model 1 board that gamers had been swooning over away. Sega was in major trouble.
The result was a complete redesign of the Saturn. Out went the simplistic single processor that had been intended, and in went two SH-2 RISC processors, along with dual VDPs in a bid to create a machine that was capable of 3D performances somewhere between the Model 1 and the all new Model 2 board that was being prepared to launch with Daytona USA.
Suffice to say, it was a tough haul, and this showed when the console launched on 22 November in Japan, with a launch line-up that included such abysmal efforts as Gale Racer (known as Rad Mobile over here), it all meant that Sega needed a seriously big game to wow the Japanese punters – and fortunately, it had just that. While Yu Suzuki and his AM2 team had enjoyed fame before with the likes of Out Run, AM2 had really shot to fame with the Model 1 arcade board, first with Virtua Racing, then Virtua Fighter. Using realistic physics to heighten the perception of realism, Virtua Fighter in particular had been impressing arcade-goers ever since its 1993 debut. Unsurprisingly, Sega ensured that the Saturn port of the game was ready to go when the console launched in November, with the console selling a quarter-of-a-million consoles in just two days.
While the following months would see the figures tail off, it left Sega free to plan the Western launches, but this presented its own problems. High price points and a general disinterest in next-gen formats had already effectively accounted for the 3DO and Atari Jaguar by 1995 (both were still being supported, but the writing was clearly on the wall) in the West, and Sega of America boss Tom Kalinski felt it wasn’t the time to launch a new console while 16-bit sales were still strong (a view that would later be confirmed, as 16-bit sales remained strong for well over another year). However, Kalinski’s political stock within the company had taken a major knock with the rapid failing of the 32X (something that would also not be helped by the launch of a new, more capable console), and with SoJ keen to beat the PlayStation to market, the Western launches of the Saturn were pushed through as a matter of urgency.
It was a disaster. The Saturn launched on 27 April 1995 in the USA, followed by 8 July in Europe. With a minimal amount of fanfare, games and consoles simply arrived on the shelves and in some countries, neither the specialist press nor the media at large were sent review material; from one day to the next, the Saturn simply arrived.
The games were a mixed bag as well. Whereas Sony had been hyping up Ridge Racer, Toh Shi Den and other texture-mapped 3D games ahead of the PlayStation’s launch, the highlights of the Saturn’s launch were the ‘raw’ polygonal Virtua Fighter (bundled with machines) and a port of Daytona USA that AM2 had hurriedly ported in under six months. With a price point way beyond most gamers’ means (£399 in the UK and $499 in the USA) and launching during the games industry’s quiet time of summer, the move backfired horribly.
As Christmas drew closer, things were getting perilous for Sega. The PlayStation launch came and went, and – adding further weight to Kalinski’s argument that the West wasn’t ready to go next-gen – failed to really attract the huge sales Sony had wanted (and spent large amounts of market cash on chasing), Sega needed some big hits, and it looked like they were going to get them.
Thanks to the initial rush to redesign the console, the first generation of games had to be rushed through. However, by September 1995, Sega of Japan’s teams had had a year to perfect their techniques and most importantly, had some great games they could try them out on. During this time, Sega’s Model 2 board had become the arcade hardware of choice for the arcade department, and its two top studios, AM2 and AM3, had three games ready for porting. The first to make it was AM2’s Virtua Cop. The light gun game had been struggling since its heyday in the Eighties, and AM2 saw the chance to reinvigorate it with Virtua Cop, a game that was as much about precision as raw adrenaline.
The second AM2 title was Virtua Fighter 2. With the success of the VF1 undeniable, a sequel was inevitable and Suzuki’s team managed to deepen the game and increase its fluidity to the point where it seemed further improvements would be impossible. The third game in the queue was AM3’s Sega Rally. The brainchild of Tetsuya Mizuguchi, the game was about as far removed from Daytona USA as you could get, attempting to create a deep rally game that was realistic enough to the point of being convincing, but without making things overly complex. In short, the ports were a complete success. Technically as well as in gameplay terms, there was nothing on any console to touch them at the time, and while Sega Rally and VF2 would miss Christmas in Europe, it didn’t stop Sega Rally setting a record for the fastest selling CD game in the UK, and global sales for the Saturn finally started to catch up with those of the PlayStation.
With the Christmas period a comparative success, Sega was upbeat going into 1996. At E3 that year, Kalinski announced that “Sega games would be the success of 1996”, and, on paper, he should have been right. The Saturn’s line-up for the year would be strong, including a new Sonic game, NiGHTS, a new Panzer Dragoon title, Virtua Cop 2, a reworked Daytona and Fighting Vipers, but it didn’t end there. Sega also took the wraps off its new analogue controller (due to be bundled with Yuji Naka’s NiGHTS) and Sega also used E3 to unveil its NetLink modem and internet service, which was expected to debut in the States that Autumn for $199 and, by offering an affordable internet access machine, would help Sega sell the 1.5 million consoles it was aiming for in 1996, as would aggressive price cuts on the hardware – and with much hype surrounding the Model 3 board, Kalinski also used E3 as a platform to announce Yu Suzuki’s third game.
Sadly, things didn’t go according to plan. Consumer interest was changing. While arcade ports had been fine before then, gamers were expecting more – and the PlayStation was delivering that in spades. No better is this demonstrated than with Formula One. Both Sony and Sega had acquired licences for the 1995 season, but whereas Sega squandered its licence on a rather tame arcade-style racer called F1 Challenge (or Live Information as it’s known in Japan) that only featured a handful of playable cars and tracks (of which only three were real), Sony entrusted Psygnosis with its licence, who in turn enlisted the help of Bizarre Creations to create an in-depth Formula One sim that attempted to recreate the whole season. While Sega’s game launched first, it barely managed to register on the sales charts, whereas Formula One became Europe’s bestselling game of 1996 and finished second in the global sales charts to another PlayStation title, Final Fantasy VII. Things were going to get very, very difficult for Sega’s console…
Four Great Sega Saturn Games
Sega Rally
Guardian Heroes
Radiant Silvergun
Read the full feature in Retro Gamer issue 34, on sale digitally from GreatDigitalMags.com
Retro Gamer magazine and bookazines are available in print from ImagineShop
Tags: 32-bit, console, hardware, PlayStation, Saturn, Sega, sony
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Mueller Report Corroborates Russian Meddling, Signals Potential Legal Problems For Trump
April 19, 2019 03:41 GMT
Robert Mueller (file photo)
WASHINGTON – U.S. Special Counsel Robert Mueller corroborated U.S. intelligence conclusions of Russian meddling in the 2016 election, and also documented President Donald Trump’s efforts to undermine his inquiry, but Mueller concluded there was not sufficient evidence to prove Trump and his team committed a crime by colluding with Russia officials.
Mueller’s findings were detailed in the partially redacted, 448-page report, released April 18, which also points to areas where Trump and his associates could still face legal problems, as well as the potential for impeachment proceedings.
Overall, the report was met with satisfaction by Trump, who said it vindicated his statements that he and his associates neither colluded with Russian officials nor sought to obstruct Mueller’s investigation.
“It was called no collusion. No obstruction,” Trump said. “There never was by the way, and there never will be. We do have to get to the bottom of these things."
“This should never happen to another president again,” Trump said, calling the allegations against him that were being investigated by Mueller's team “a hoax.”
The release of the report closed a chapter in an investigation that has overshadowed Trump’s presidency since before he even took office.
And though it does not provide evidence of criminal actions by Trump, it is likely to fuel calls for impeachment in Congress, where Democrats in the House of Representatives have faced mounting pressure to initiate such proceedings.
The Democratic chairmen and chairwomen of six separate House committee said “it must fall to Congress to assess the president’s improper, corrupt and immoral conduct in an effort to obstruct the investigation.”
The second top Democrat in the House, Steny Hoyer said impeachment was not worthwhile with the next presidential election looming, in November 2020.
"Based on what we have seen to date, going forward on impeachment is not worthwhile at this point. Very frankly, there is an election in 18 months and the American people will make a judgment,” Hoyer told CNN.
Aside from impeachment, the report points to other criminal prosecutions that have spun out of Mueller’s work, some of which are still unknown.
It said that Mueller’s team had made 14 criminal referrals that were outside the scope of the special counsel's authority -- 12 of them were redacted.
Some of the investigations that are known publicly to have emerged from Mueller’s work include the investigation into Trump’s longtime personal lawyer, Michael Cohen. He has pleaded guilty to some of the charges against him and has testified under oath to Congress about his actions.
The report, in painstaking detail, details different aspects of Russia’s efforts to interfere in the 2016 election, a finding that matches previous findings of the U.S. intelligence community, made after the November 2016 election and just weeks before Trump’s inauguration.
"The Russian government interfered in the 2016 presidential election in sweeping and systematic fashion,” the Mueller report said.
Among the most pointed allegations leveled earlier by Mueller regarding Russian interference was the indictment of a dozen Russian military intelligence officers who, he said, were behind the hacking and theft of Democratic party e-mails, e-mails that were released in the heat of the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
The April 18 report showed that Trump understood the gravity of the appointment of Mueller—a respected former FBI director--- from the very beginning.
Mueller, who was appointed in 2017 just days after FBI Director James Comey was fired by Trump, took over an ongoing FBI investigation into Russian interactions with Trump campaign officials. That investigation stretched back to the height of the U.S. election campaign in 2016.
Trump tried to take control of the Russia probe and force Mueller’s removal to stop him from investigating potential obstruction of justice, the report said.
"Everyone tells me if you get one of these independent counsels it ruins your presidency. It takes years and years and I won't be able to do anything. This is the worst thing that ever happened to me," Trump reportedly said.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions was legally the overseer of Mueller’s work, but he recused himself early on, and designated Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein to oversee it.
That enraged Trump, and Trump humiliated Sessions for months, until he resigned in November 2018.
According to the report, in June 2017, roughly a month after Mueller’s appointment, Trump directed White House lawyer Don McGahn to tell Sessions that Mueller had conflicts of interest and must be removed. McGahn refused, deciding that he would rather resign, the report said.
Mueller said his investigators examined several issues including the pressure on McGahn and the circumstances behind Trump’s firing of Comey, but decided there wasn’t evidence to conclude Trump obstructed justice.
“If we had confidence after a thorough investigation of the facts that the president clearly did not commit obstruction of justice, we would so state,” the report said. “Based on the facts and the applicable legal standards, however, we are unable to reach that judgment.”
Mueller also reported multiple times where Trump directed staffers or officials to curtail the Russia investigation. It said those efforts "were mostly unsuccessful, but that is largely because the persons who surrounded the president declined to carry out orders or accede to his requests."
Despite those revelations, Mueller said that he could not conclusively determine that Trump committed criminal obstruction of justice.
"If we had confidence after a thorough investigation of the facts that the president clearly did not commit obstruction of justice, we would so state," the report said. "Based on the facts and the applicable legal standards, however, we are unable to reach that judgment.”
Prior to the report’s release, Sessions’ successor as attorney general, William Barr, held a news conference in Washington, where he previewed the report.
He said the investigation did not find evidence that Trump or members of his campaign team colluded with the Russian effort. Barr also said Mueller’s report did not present any evidence that Trump attempted to obstruct justice during the investigation into the Russian attempts to interfere in the election.
The Mueller report also included 12 pages of Trump’s written responses to Mueller’s questions. Under an agreement with Trump’s legal team, they did not include any questions about obstruction of justice.
Though Mueller said the answers were inadequate, he said he decided against issuing a subpoena for the president to meet with investigators to answer questions.
That was, according to Mueller, because his office "had sufficient evidence to understand relevant events and to make certain assessments without the president's testimony."
In explaining the process for redacting the report, Barr said no material was redacted on the basis of Trump invoking "executive privilege," though he said that Trump officials did review the redacted report.
Barr said on April 18 that he withheld grand jury and classified information along with information related to ongoing investigations and the privacy or reputation of uncharged “peripheral” people.
In Moscow, meanwhile, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed the release of Mueller’s report as unimportant.
“This is not an issue for us. It is not a thing that interests us or causes us concern," Peskov said, adding that the Kremlin has “more interesting and important things to do.”
But Peskov did say that "it is first necessary to leaf through [the document] and understand whether it contains something that is worthy of analysis" before informing President Vladimir Putin about the report.
With reporting by AP, Reuters, dpa, and TASS
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Chafin wins in his Aces' debut
Reno Aces starting pitcher Andrew Chafin won his debut, 8-3, over the Albuquerque Isotopes on Friday in Albuquerque, N.M.
Chafin pitched seven innings, allowing three runs on eight hits and no walks. He also had four strikeouts.
Chafin was called up from Double-A Mobile earlier this week.
Roger Kieschnick hit a two-run homer in the first inning after Didi Gregorius led off the game with a single. It was Kieschnick's third home run in the past two games.
Albuquerque slugger Joc Pederson hit a solo shot in the fourth and a two-run triple in the fifth.
The Aces took advantage of miscues and timely hitting for the wire-to-wire win.
Mike Jacobs and Danny Dorn each had a double in the sixth inning. Jacobs doubled again in the eighth.
The win was the Aces' fourth straight and puts them seven games over .500 at 28-21, which is a season best.
The teams meet again at 6:05 p.m. Saturday.
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Single cell RNA sequencing sheds light on neurodevelopmental disorders
Posted by: RNA-Seq Blog in Commentary, Publications December 14, 2021 614 Views
New research from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King’s College London has found that some processes behind the early development of GABAergic neurons, neurons that produce the main inhibitory chemical messenger in the central nervous system, are consistent between humans and mice.
Developmental trajectories of neurons derived from the human ganglionic eminences. The main classes of neurons generated from the human medial, lateral, and caudal ganglionic eminences have now been inferred through single-cell transcriptomics. MSN, medium spiny neuron; OB, olfactory bulb; GW, gestational week; t, time.
The research, published in Science, is a collaboration between King’s IoPPN and several Chinese institutions. It is the first thorough investigation of human interneuron development and has clarified important similarities and differences between human and mouse brain development.
Understanding the mechanisms that control the generation of human cortical GABAergic interneurons has important implications for human health. Neurodevelopmental conditions such as autism and schizophrenia are caused, at least in part, by genetic variation, as genetic changes result in increased susceptibility to these disorders by affecting how specific cell types develop.
The investigators used [single cell RNA sequencing] to delineate the emergence of cell diversity in the ganglionic eminences – the region of origin of GABAergic interneurons. In doing so, they discovered remarkable consistency between the early developmental processes in the brains of mice and humans.
The sequencing allowed Professor Oscar Marin of King’s IoPPN and his colleagues to construct spatial and temporal maps of gene expression through the early second trimester of human development (equivalent to weeks 9-18 of the gestational period).
The organisation and cellular architecture of the telencephalon, the largest and most developed part of the brain, is broadly conserved between mammals although both its size and complexity vary enormously between rodents and primates. Previous analyses have shown that the cells making up the cerebral cortex are relatively similar between mice and humans. However, extensive differences exist in the relative proportions, tissue distribution, and gene expression patterns of specific types of interneurons in the adult brains of mice and humans.
Professor Marin, Head of Department of Developmental Neurobiology at King’s IoPPN said, “Understanding the fundamental mechanisms controlling the development of the human brain is terribly exciting and will have an important impact in the way we think about neurodevelopmental disorders.
“This work elucidates the emergence of human GABAergic neurons and defines the commonalities and differences between us and rodents. Importantly, our work enables new levels of understanding of neurodevelopmental disorders. Many of these disorders have overlapping genetics and phenotypes and changes in striatal and cortical GABAergic neurons have been robustly documented in both autism and schizophrenia.”
The researchers now hope that this work will enable other research to link gene variation and cell types in neurodevelopmental disorders, resulting in new insights and new avenues for individualised therapies.
Source – King’s College London
Shi Y, Wang M, Mi D, Lu T, Wang B, Dong H, Zhong S, Chen Y, Sun L, Zhou X, Ma Q, Liu Z, Wang W, Zhang J, Wu Q, Marín O, Wang X. (2021) Mouse and human share conserved transcriptional programs for interneuron development. Science 374(6573):eabj6641. [abstract]
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Postdoc Position Available – Computational/Statistical Genomics
microALGAE FUNctional enrichment for MicroAlgae RnA-seq and Chip-seq AnalysiS (MARACAS)
New research provides useful genetic resource on farm-raised kuruma shrimp
ClumpSeq – a new approach developed for studying rare cells that may play an important role in not so rare diseases
Single-cell transcriptomics reveals how injury to the pancreas impacts cancer formation
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214. Crony capitalism increases inequality
I don’t find myself agreeing with the Pope, or any other religious leader, on many issues other than a social and moral obligation to help others. And, in particular, I certainly have my reservations about many perspectives of the Catholic religion and the lack of accountability within their leadership over the last couple of decades.
However, I appreciate some of the values of Pope Francis—and I was particularly impressed with his assessment of the current state of our capitalistic system. His assessment recognizes that there are serious concerns with capitalism—the most significant concern being the increasing disparity in wealth.
True capitalism requires that society operates on a level-playing field. This means several things including an equal opportunity to enter the market and that everyone in the market play by the rules. The privileged enjoy significant advantages in terms of education, networking and capital. The connected are able to negotiate the political and legislative fields to create market advantages or secure corporate welfare benefits.
It’s like playing the game Monopoly with someone who owns half the board, has a large amount of cash and assumes the ability to change the rules—before the game even starts.
Cheaters ruin it for everyone and only inspire more of an incentive to cheat. Cheating eventually also inspires government regulation. Winners viciously compete for more market share by eliminating competition and making it more difficult for others to break into their markets. Enough never is and the winners enjoy exponential grow, while the working class fall further and further behind.
Pope Francis called this the “idolatry of money” at the expense of "dignified work, education and healthcare."
Putting this in proper perspective, Pope Francis asks, "How can it be that it is not a news item when an elderly homeless person dies of exposure, but it is news when the stock market loses 2 points?"
President Obama piggybacked the Pope’s comments and addressed the economical and societal consequences of a society so mired in an inequitable distribution of wealth.
"The combined trends of increased inequality and decreasing mobility pose a fundamental threat to the American dream, our way of life, and what we stand for around the globe," Obama said.
Robert Reich, who served under three presidents, connects the dots that have led to the economic disparity in our capitalistic system. These include the reality that:
• almost all economic growth the last three decades have gone to the top
• political power flows to the top
• corporations and the very rich pay lower taxes and receive more corporate welfare
• government budgets are increasingly squeezed
• average Americans are competing with one another for slices of a shrinking pie
The deck is stacked and those who have “made it” sometimes both overestimate the work they did, the obstacles they overcame, and underestimate the “breaks” they had along the way. This isn’t meant to be a sweeping generalization—many people work very, very hard and deserve everything they have. However, many other people have worked very, very hard and not succeeded. Everyone can’t make it—it takes talent, hard work and, often, good fortune.
Thus the lie of capitalism is that everyone who works hard will be successful. People who have made it often say, “If I can do it, so can you,” or “you just have to believe” or “never give up.” It’s good advice; however, it’s a statistical inaccuracy. There are really only a few ways to become very wealthy — work in a professional field (actor, doctor, lawyer, athlete, etc.), growth through financial investment (which requires money to invest), as a successful entrepreneur (usually requires investment and labor of others) and by inheritance or lottery.
Obama summarized in his own way, "It's rooted in the nagging sense that no matter how hard they work, the deck is stacked against them. And it's rooted in the fear that their kids won't be better off than they were.”
A timely example was the recently released statistics detailing the extraordinary gains made by billionaires in 2013. Warren Buffett led the list by increasing his wealth $12.7 billion—that’s over $30 million per day! For the very wealthy, capitalistic growth is exponential, a simple concept that escapes most who defend its principles. The top 1% earns money easier and faster— and continues to own a ridiculous 35% of the country’s total wealth.
What Buffett profited this year would have employed over 250,000 individuals at $50,000 last year. I doubt that Buffett “worked” any harder than he did last year. His growth is simply the result of exponential growth in investment—on the backs of millions of corporate employees (who often struggle to make it on their salaries and live in fear of layoffs).
Income inequality is an eventual inherent result of capitalism. Some of it is by design, those who “deserve” more, get more—but the exponential difference is the result of “unfettered capitalism” as the Pope called it.
The frustration is boiling over, yet many continue to miss the point—deeply dedicated to defending capitalism. Corporations, CEOs and their shareholders continue to get a pass—and we keep electing the politicians who serve their interest.
Reich writes, “Native-born Americans are threatened by new immigrants; private sector workers are resentful of public employees; non-unionized workers are threatened by the unionized; middle class Americans are competing with the poor. Rather than feel that we’re in it together, we increasingly have the sense that each of us is on his or her own.”
We need a better system, a fairer system—a “modified capitalism.”
Unfortunately, there are really only a couple of mechanisms that will inspire greater wealth equalities—and it starts with compassion and a demand on our political leadership.
"I beg the Lord to grant us more politicians who are genuinely disturbed by the state of society, the people, the lives of the poor," Pope Francis said.
Unfortunately, I think the Pope is right—it’ll take nothing less than divine intervention to make things right.
213. Do any of us really have free will?
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GORR October 2012
What a momentous month September was with the completion of Journey to the Centre of the Earth and organising its very special release in time for Christmas in association with Future Publishing, who of course have all the major music magazines such as Classic Rock and Prog Mag.
Journey will appear as one of their very special “fanpacks” and will arrive in over 1,900 stores in the UK prior to Xmas and will have with it, a 132 page magazine/book which will be packed with stuff about the album plus pictures and interviews never before seen.
There will also be the complete history of the Journey from its outset plus interviews with many of those who participated in its making.
Moving into this month, mastering takes place in a week or so at Abbey Road when I return from New Zealand where I am doing three piano shows and really looking forward to them too.
It’s already been absolutely manic this month with more filming for Watchdog which as always is so enjoyable, plus some filming for a Canadian television station about my involvement with Morning Has Broken.
I have a one man show coming up at Halesworth in Norfolk on the 17th of October as part of their Arts Festival.
I am taking part in a concert with The English Chamber Choir on the 27th, (full details on their website) and that’s about it concert wise as the rest of the time will be taken up with rehearsing for the South American shows which include an orchestral and band concert of both Journey and Six Wives in Buenos Aires and band shows in Chile and Brazil. Lots to rehearse as we welcome Nick Beggs to the fold on bass as Lee Pomeroy is off on tour with Gary Barlow.
Much of this month will also be taken up with getting material ready for the book for Journey and preparing the special play back event in London at the end of the month.
Looking ahead to next year, the Gloucester show is now looking like it’s going to be “shows” with Journey on the Saturday and Arthur on the Sunday, although they might be the other way round. A new fantastic venue has been lined up too. We’re almost certain it will be held at Llanthony Priory which is a beautiful setting and just perfect in every way. We are also assured of filming both nights for both television broadcast and also for DVD release at a later date.
The year is racing by and there are still not enough hours in the day. I have a special to record for television over a two day period in Leicester on the life of my dear friend Jon Lord, and this will certainly be an emotional roller-coaster.
I have a film score to complete and record for a very well shot The Haunting of Harry Payne.
Off to Hungary in December too for a short piano involvement and a 2 day event in Sussex with Roger Dean, who incidentally is doing the cover for the Journey album which is thrilling for me as you can imagine.
Reading back over all this, I’ve suddenly come over all tired!!!!...so I’ll try and catch up in the November GORR!
JUN/JUL
FEB/MAR
OCT/NOV
MAY/JUN
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Sarasota Metropolis FC
AFC Ann Arbor Joins USL W League and USL League Two for the 2022 Season
By USLLeagueTwo.com Staff, 11/09/21, 1:00PM EST
Michigan-based club to field both a men’s and women’s pre-professional team in USL
ANN ARBOR, Mich.- The United Soccer League (USL) today announced AFC Ann Arbor as the latest club to join the USL W League for its inaugural season. The Michigan-based club will also compete in USL League Two’s Great Lakes Division during the 2022 season.
"It's exciting to be a part of the new chapter of the W League's long history as well as having both our men's and women's teams under the USL umbrella,” said Bilal Saeed, Chair of AFC Ann Arbor. “2022 is going to be an exciting time for soccer in Ann Arbor."
AFC Ann Arbor was founded in 2014 with the goal of creating a community-based club that would promote the growth of the game within the United States. With a diverse leadership group made up of community members, former players and entrepreneurs, AFC Ann Arbor has strived to create a product that reflects the essence and drive of the Ann Arbor community both on and off the pitch. The club emphasizes its dedication to its community through its focus on social initiatives and its commitment to creating a gameday environment that is welcoming to all soccer fans and families.
The club’s community-focused approach is further evidenced by the launch of The Mighty Oak Project (TMOP), a non-profit that seeks to disrupt the current flow of ideas and thoughts in the soccer space. TMOP’s youth programming focuses on breaking down barriers for underserved youth to have access to soccer through programs such as the CLR Academy and Community Kicks. In addition, AFC Ann Arbor’s TMOP programming offers women’s coaching scholarships in hopes of increasing the number of women who are interested in pursuing coaching as their career.
“AFC Ann Arbor is a great addition to the USL W League as we continue building out our membership base in the Midwest,” said Betsy Haugh, USL W League Director of Operations. “We look forward to having them compete in our inaugural season and to seeing the impact they will continue to have in growing the women’s game.”
Through membership in the W League, AFC Ann Arbor will deepen its commitment to the growth of the game by providing equal opportunity for men and women athletes in the greater Ann Arbor area to pursue soccer careers at the next level. As members of the W League, the club will also see the benefits of the USL’s fully formed women’s pathway, which offers opportunities for player development at all levels from youth to pro.
"As the game continues to grow in the U.S., aspiring players want to compete at the highest level possible to push on to the next level of their careers and the W league is the best place for our club to provide that opportunity to our diverse community of athletes,” said Women's Head Coach, Boyzzz Khumalo.
The club, which previously fielded a team in USL League Two during the 2020 season, will return to USL’s men’s pre-professional league for the 2022 season. As members of League Two, AFC Ann Arbor will offer its membership a tried and tested pathway to the professional game. With its history of success in men’s soccer, the club will continue to provide its athletes with an elite competition structure that will help prepare them for the next step in their careers.
“We are thrilled to see AFC Ann Arbor compete in the upcoming USL League Two season,” said Joel Nash, VP of Youth & Pre-Professional. “The club’s leadership and focus on holistic player development are the perfect ingredients for success within the league and we look forward to seeing what this team will accomplish in 2022.”
To learn more about AFC Ann Arbor, visit www.afcannarbor.com or follow the club on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Follow USL League Two
Commonwealth Cardinals FC Announced as Newest Club to Join USL League Two
By USLLeagueTwo.com Staff 01/10/2022, 1:00pm EST
Virginia-based club to compete in League Two’s Eastern Conference
Miami AC Expands Its Programming to the USL W League and USL League Two
By USLsoccer.com Staff 12/22/2021, 1:00pm EST
Expansion club will field men’s and women’s pre-professional teams
Tennessee Soccer Club joins USL’s League Two and W League in 2022 Season
Hudson Valley Hammers Set to Join USL League Two for the 2022 Season
New York-based club to compete in League Two’s Metropolitan Division
Patuxent Football Athletics to Join USL W League and USL League Two for 2022 Season
Maryland-based team to field both a men’s and women’s pre-professional team in USL
Lansing City Football Becomes Newest Club to Join USL League Two
Michigan-based club to compete in League Two’s Great Lakes Division in 2022
Blackwatch Rush Announced as Newest Club to Join USL League Two
New York-based club to compete in League Two’s Northeast Division
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Cities pushing for ballot measure to keep state…
Cities pushing for ballot measure to keep state from raiding local coffers
Whittier Councilman Owen Newcomer asks Tanya Grigorian to sign a petition for a League of California Cities initiative at Target at the Whittwood Town Center in Whittier on Wednesday February 3, 2010. The League is trying to put on the ballot a measure that would bar the state from taking, borrowing or otherwise diverting locally levied taxes from cities and counties. (SGVN/Staff Photo by Keith Durflinger/SWCity)
By Mike Sprague | msprague@scng.com | Whittier Daily News
February 8, 2010 at 12:00 a.m.
WHITTIER – If you’re at the Target store in the Whittwood Town Center you just might see Whittier Councilman Owen Newcomer standing there, clipboard in hand, asking for your signature.
Newcomer is one of many city officials trying to gather signatures for a ballot measure that would amend the state Constitution to bar the state government from borrowing or taking money from cities and counties.
“This is vital to local government to protect the funds that are dedicated by law to cities and counties,” said Newcomer, who also is president of the Los Angeles County division of the League of California Cities.
“The state has taken billions of dollars from local government to balance the state budget,” Newcomer said. “It’s time they solved their problems without raiding our funds.”
Organizers need to obtain 694,354 signatures by April 15 in order to get the initiative on the November ballot.
The League of California Cities launched the effort after the state Legislature in 2009 voted to borrow $1.9 billion in local property taxes and take $2 billion in redevelopment funds from cities.
Voters in 2004 had approved an initiative restricting the taking of local funds, but it allowed the state to borrow local property tax funds. There’s also a legal dispute over whether redevelopment money can be taken.
Newcomer’s effort is part of the League of California Cities’ two-track policy to gather the signatures to put the Local Taxpayer, Public Safety and Transportation Protection Act of 2010 on the November ballot.
The measure would bar the state from even borrowing or taking property and gas tax funds as well as other potential revenue from cities and counties.
“We’ve been pushing the 100-100 pledge,” said Newcomer, referring to a plan that asks elected city council members in Los Angeles to gather 100 signatures and give $100.
“The goal is to maximize the use of volunteers in order to save money,” said Chris McKenzie, executive director of the League of California Cities.
But they’re only expected to garner about 200,000 signatures.
The goal is to 1.1 million signatures, McKenzie said. The number is higher than the legally required number because there are bound to be some signatures that are deemed not valid, he added.
The rest of the signatures will come from paid signature-gatherers – most likely at a cost of $1.40 per signature, he said.
The campaign is likely to cost more than $1 million, McKenzie said.
The League of California Cities also is trying to raise money but it is hoping to get help from industry and labor unions.
So far, the League has raised nearly $400,000, mostly in small contributions from council members.
For example, Pasadena Mayor Bill Bogaard gave $1,000, $250 of his own and $750 from his campaign committee.
“I’m a member of the Board of Directors for the League and so I feel a special interest and responsibility for pursuing the interests of local government,” said Bogaard, who also has collected about 40 signatures.
The proposed ballot measure is important, he said.
“This treatment by Sacramento is something that really needs to stop because local government has responsibilities to its constituents,” he said.
In El Monte, a number of city employees have had $4 per paycheck deducted to help the campaign.
For information, visit www.savelocalservices.org
mike.sprague@sgvn.com
Mike Sprague | Reporter
Mike Sprague has worked in the newspaper field since July 1977, beginning with the Huntington Park Daily Signal, and later moving to Southern California Publishing Co. where he was sport editor and editor of the Pico Rivera News. Mike began at the Whittier Daily News in April 1984. Since then, he has covered every city in the Whittier Daily News circulation area, as well as political and water issues. He has a bachelor's degree in communications and a master's degree in political science, both from Cal State Fullerton.
msprague@scng.com
Follow Mike Sprague @WhitReporter
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When do taxpayers get to walk down the red…
When do taxpayers get to walk down the red carpet? Joe Mathews
By Joe Mathews | JMathews@SCNG.com |
September 3, 2014 at 11:54 a.m.
We’re making major motion pictures, baby! TV shows too!
My fellow California taxpayers, you and I are now major investors in film and television productions. Our agent — or I should say our 120 agents in the state Legislature — cut a five-year deal last week putting more than 1.5 billion of our hard-earned dollars, via tax credits, into the production of on-screen entertainment.
Of course, financially speaking, this investment is a bad deal. Entertainment is a stagnant business these days, with declining movie ticket sales and TV ratings. Plus, we’re breaking the cardinal rule of Hollywood: Never use your own money. The existing tax incentive program, at $100 million a year, hasn’t stopped production crews from migrating to other shooting locales, nor have long-standing sales and property tax exemptions. So now we’re betting, as Hollywood so often does, on a more expensive sequel, even though various studies, including from the state’s own legislative analyst, show that Hollywood tax credits don’t pay for themselves.
Yes, I know there are provisions in the new deal for audits and penalties to guarantee that our investment in tax credits will produce more and better in-state entertainment jobs. But let’s not forget that Hollywood executives are the Rembrandts of creative accounting: Even the most successful movies manage to evade a profit that could be shared or taxed. In a deal between the state of California and an industry that has kept “Return of the Jedi” from booking a profit, who do you think is going to come out on top?
We should remember that investing in the movie business has never been primarily about making money. It’s about buying cache, about laundering money made in less noble enterprises, and about giving older, richer people the chance to interact with the beautiful people who make movies. That’s why our legislators were never going to turn down Hollywood’s insistent entreaties for this new public investment; it’s also why this new program is all but certain to get much bigger, as requests for these tax incentives are expected to far outstrip the $330 million a year in the new legislation.
All that said, there is one obvious omission in the terms of our new investment worth complaining about: You and I have been cut out of the Hollywood fun.
You and I are not being treated like the major Hollywood investors we now are. We’re not getting the red carpet treatment. California taxpayers will be providing 20 to 25 percent of movie budgets. Like other investors, we should get paid back out of the grosses before the filmmakers themselves get their cut — particularly when you consider we’re talking about taxpayer money that would be better spent on schools. But that’s not in the deal — and neither are the producer credits major investors receive. And we’re missing out on the perks: You and I should get to meet the stars, visit the set, and get two tickets to the premiere of the movies we invest in. (Personally, I’d also like my own director’s chair, with my name on the back.) I realize it’s not feasible for a single movie to accommodate millions of taxpayer-investors, but a lottery could dole out some of these perks to the public.
While we’re talking deal points: Would it hurt you to diversify casting to reflect the population of the state that funds you? Could you step up your philanthropy here? And why not let Californians vote online on which films should receive incentives?
The good news is, even if our big investment goes terribly wrong, we will have learned the lesson that it’s best to keep your distance from Hollywood people. I find it personally instructive that the quintessential film about Hollywood, “Sunset Boulevard,” begins and ends with a newspaperman named Joe (who takes a tragic turn into Hollywood) dead in a swimming pool.
Yes, we Californians are ready for our close-up. But it’s going to be a bumpy ride.
Joe Mathews wrote this column for Zocalo Public Square.
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Hamnet - Shakespeare's son in the spotlight
Updated / Wednesday, 20 Feb 2019 11:39
Aran Murphy stars in the Dead Centre production of Hamnet
Theatremaker Bush Moukarzel writes for Culture about his acclaimed play Hamnet, a solo work for an 11-year old boy, inspired by the story of William Shakespeare's forgotten son - the production returns to Dublin's Project Arts Centre later this month.
How old are you? In the Middle Ages, before the recording of birth and death dates became common practice, people didn’t really know. Life was grouped in phases: infancy, youth, adulthood, old age. You knew roughly how old you were and were treated accordingly. Childhood, as we know it – a phase of life characterised by special treatment, protection, toys – is a relatively new idea. The sociologist Neil Postman links the emergence of Childhood (the capital ‘C’ demarcating Childhood as a special cultural phenomenon, not just a biological fact) to the invention of the printing press in the middle of the 15th Century. With the mass production of the printed word, and the rise of literacy, there was now a world of information that you needed to learn how to access. School, in its essence, was teaching children how to read. And with that came the separation of worlds: the world of reading adults, and the world of children, not yet initiated into the secrets of the Word.
Shakespeare’s son, Hamnet, died aged 11, his death date recorded as August 1596. Children remain dead in ways adults do not.
By Shakespeare’s day, the Word was in. By introducing 1700 words into common useage, he was literally inventing language through his writing; a new language for a new sense of what it was to be human. Representing interiority, distilled and perfected by Shakespeare in the soliloquy form, had not been seen before, and was a portrait of the modern self as a private, thinking individual. But what do adults really think about? What is the secret of the adult world?
Aran Murphy stars in Hamnet
In Shakespeare’s lifetime companies of Children actor’s were in fashion, children performing the roles of adults, often playing out plots that the young actors couldn’t fully understand. Childhood was seen as a parody of adulthood, the latter’s pretensions and ambitions exposed as absurd: child’s play. In 1604, the wife of James I made an order "to provyde and bring vppe a convenient nomber of Children whoe shalbe called children of her Revelles", a company that went on to perform plays in London’s Blackfriar’s theatre, just along the river from Shakespeare’s Globe. The Children of the Queen’s Revel’s and other similar child acting-troupes were seen as both a fad and a threat by the more "serious" adult theatres. What is it that they might expose? What is it they might discover?
Bush Moukarzel
Hamlet, in his speech to the players, mocks Child companies as "little eyases", blaming them for stealing audiences and condemning the older tragedians to a life on the road in search of work. But behind Hamlet’s mockery is the anxiety of identification, feeling himself to be a child actor in an adult’s world. Indeed, all children are cast as actors in their parent’s script, forced to play a character that they might not want to. The critic Lionel Abel writes, "Hamlet is aware of the play he is in. He would like to be in a different one." Indeed, he yearns to break free from the passivity of his childhood state and become the author of his own fate, entering the adult world of self-determination.
Shakespeare’s son, Hamnet, died aged 11, his death date recorded as August 1596. Children remain dead in ways adults do not. Their thwarted lives live on, refuse to die, forever yearning to grow up, to become what they could not, yearning to unlock the secret of the adult world. But this secret is forever kept from them, this secret, that there is no secret, that we don’t know what we’re doing.
Dead Centre's production of Hamnet is at Project Arts Centre, Dublin, from Feb 20-23 - more details here.
Dying onstage - Louise White on This is the Funeral of Your Life
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Electric vehicle maker signs big San Jose office lease
By George Avalos
January 13, 2022 at 7:48 a.m.
Tesla plans big Palo Alto expansion despite HQ exit
October 8, 2021 at 2:07 p.m.
California will prosper in wake of Tesla exit to Texas: Newsom
October 8, 2021 at 11:42 a.m.
Tesla leases entire office building in San Jose tech hub
September 2, 2021 at 7:05 a.m.
US automakers pledge huge increase in electric vehicles
August 5, 2021 at 3:50 p.m.
Opinion: How California can lead the way on climate-protecting technologies
By David G Victor
QuantumScape strikes deal for huge San Jose expansion
Amazon launches Bay Area deliveries with electric vans
March 18, 2021 at 6:00 a.m.
Berkeley moves forward with gas car sale ban
By Angela Ruggiero
January 21, 2021 at 11:04 a.m.
Autonomous vehicle company expands in East Bay
December 13, 2019 at 5:45 a.m.
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Happy Birthday, Davy!
By Brigitte Weninger
Illustrated by Eve Tharlet
Davy is counting the days until his birthday. It seems like such a long wait! He is so excited, he can hardly sit still when Father Rabbit tells a story about a lucky little rabbit who had three wishes that all came true. Davy decides that if he had three wishes, he'd wish for someone who would tell him stories whenever he wanted, someone who would teach him new games, and someone who always had plenty of time to spend with him. Davy's birthday finally arrives and with it comes a big surprise present—too big to be wrapped—that makes all of Davy's wishes come true and his birthday the happiest one ever. This new adventure featuring Davy and the Rabbit family shows that love is the best gift of all.
Brigitte Weninger
Brigitte Weninger was born in Kufstein, Austria, and spent twenty years working as a kindergarten teacher before trying her hand at writing. She has since published more than fifty books, which have been translated into thirty languages worldwide. She continues to be heavily involved in promoting literacy and storytelling.
About The Illustrator
Eve Tharlet
Eve Tharlet was born in France but spent much of her childhood in Germany. After graduating from the Superior School of Decorative Arts in Strasbourg, France, she began working as a freelance illustrator in 1981 and quickly received international acclaim. Her big breakthrough came with the series about Davy, the cute and cheeky bunny, which propelled her name around the world.
Publisher: NorthSouth Books (October 1, 2015)
Ages: 4 - 8
Children's Fiction > Holidays & Festivals > Birthdays
Book Cover Image (jpg): Happy Birthday, Davy!
More books from this author: Brigitte Weninger
More books from this illustrator: Eve Tharlet
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Promotions, Tenure Granted to St. Francis Professors
The St. Francis College Board of Trustees awarded five college professors with promotions or tenure at its recent meeting. "These professors have spent years with our students in and out of the classroom as not just teachers, but mentors as well," said Vice President for Academic Affairs and Academic Dean Timothy Houlihan. "We are proud to honor their commitment to St. Francis College and to our students with these promotions."
Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs, Ian Maloney, Ph.D., was granted tenure and a promotion to Associate Professor of English.
Dr. Maloney enjoys the interdisciplinary study of American literature and culture. New York writing is his passion and particularly the writings of Herman Melville and Walt Whitman. Ian has been selected for the Speakers in the Humanities Program (2003-2005) by the New York Council for the Humanities and is currently the Managing Editor of the Arthur Miller Journal, which is published at St. Francis College. Ian's first book, Melville's Monumental Imagination (Routledge) came out in 2006. Dr. Maloney also wrote the Introductions for the Barnes and Noble editions of Herman Melville's Israel Potter and Walt Whitman's Specimen Days, as well as articles on William Apess and Saul Bellow for The Encyclopedia of Ethnic American Literature (Greenwood). Ian has also coauthored an article with Br. Edward Wesley, "The Orphic Quest for Contact and Collaboration across Disciplinary Lines," which appeared in Collaborating, Literature, and Composition (Hampton Press, 2007). He is currently writing his first book of creative non-fiction.
Gerard Shaw, Ph.D., an Associate Professor of Physical Education was granted tenure.
Professor Shaw's background is in athletics and physical education. He earned both an Ed.D. in Sport Psychology and a masters degree in Exercise Physiology from Columbia University, Teacher's College. He is a fencing master, a degree he earned from the Institut National des Sports of France, and that he puts to use coaching the College's Women's Fencing Team. Professor Shaw teaches a variety of courses at St. Francis College including; Kinesiology, Introduction to Sport Management, Organization and Administration of Physical Education, Psychology of Sport and Physical Education for Students with Special Needs. He is also a licensed psychoanalyst.
In the Psychology Department, both Michele Hirsch, Ph.D. and Renee Goodstein, Ph.D. were promoted to Professor of Psychology.
As both a scientist and practitioner, Dr. Hirsch's interests lie in the area of health psychology, specifically pain, trauma, the mind/body connection, psychoneuroimmunology, and healing. A chapter on a biopsychosocial perspective on cross-cultural healing appears in the Handbook of Culture, Therapy and Healing (Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2004). She has published in the journals Pain and Clinical Infectious Diseases and has presented at regional, national and international conferences. Dr. Hirsch currently serves as the chairperson for the Faculty Research Committee; she is a member of the Honors Council and co-director of the Women's Studies Minor. She is a licensed clinical psychologist who enjoys mentoring and collaborating with students on their Honors thesis and independent study research projects.
Professor Goodstein's work focuses on integrative psychotherapy and multicultural issues. She serves as Director of Student Affairs at the Institute for International and Cross-Cultural Psychology at St. Francis College, Practicum Supervisor in the doctorial program at Teachers College, Columbia University, and as Consultant for the Anti-Defamation League. Her awards for teaching and service at St. Francis include Faculty Member of the Year, the Franciscan Spirit Award, Faculty Recognition Day Award, and induction as honorary member of the Duns Scotus Honors Society. She has worked in counseling and diversity for almost twenty years as a researcher and practitioner.
Michael Kaune, Ph.D. was promoted to Professor of Criminal Justice.
Professor Kaune's recent scholarly work has focused on hair testing for illegal drugs and was funded by the Edward Byrne Memorial Fund. He has presented his research to such organizations as the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center, and the American Probation and Parole Association. He is a co-author of Criminal Justice in Action and Criminal Justice in Action: The Core. He has published or presented many criminal justice topics in the past, including - Community Policing, Cultural Conflicts and Policing, Law Enforcement Concerns with Raves and Police Liability for the Use of Force. Dr. Kaune worked in the field of criminal justice during the 1970's and 1980's as a police officer, a probation and parole officer and as a deputy marshal.
St. Francis College, founded in 1859 by the Franciscan Brothers of Brooklyn, is located in Brooklyn Heights, N.Y. Since its founding, the College has pursued its Franciscan mission to provide an affordable, high-quality education to students from New York City's five boroughs and beyond.
St. Francis College, 180 Remsen Street, Brooklyn Heights, NY 11201
www.sfc.edu
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6 Degrees of Savannah Civil Rights – Part One
“We must, indeed, all hang together or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately”
— Ben Franklin
I’ve just returned from a rather cold 5-mile walk in the cemetery under a powerful full moon, or what’s leftover from last evening’s Super Blood Wolf Moon. My soundtrack? Dr. Martin Luther King’s historic speeches here on the nation’s annual holiday just several days after King’s birthday. There was something about the combination of the moonlight illuminating so brightly that objects became stark black and white, King’s God-like voice echoing off of granite and marble headstones like they were his gathered, listening flock. Sadly, King, now more among them, even if the legacy of his words and hypnotic voice live on forever and resonate as vibrantly if not more so.
It has become almost a ritual for me now that I give myself a Dr. King Day every January 20. Generally, I will turn on Savannah State University’s 90.3FM and listen to his speeches and the various interviews and commentaries they play. For an entire day, his voice fills both the foreground and the background of my household. It’s generally a day where I don’t leave the house much, I become that immersive in the spirit of his memory and the meaning of his life. I’ve found its usually a sunny, but colder day in Savannah on King’s Remembrance Day and am embarrassed to admit that I usually skip the morning parade. It’s just that the day wants me to be more meditative and singular, surrounded by my animals and books and the smell of coffee. More Thoreau-in-the-woods kind of experience. Martin would approve but would probably tell me to add a carton of Kent cigarettes. After all he was an intellectual before Minister.
Young Martin Luther King, Jr, arms open in the way a book is like a friend. After so much reading, Martin was ready to be read like one and he spoke volumes.
Tonight I’m moved to write about Dr. King and The 6 Degrees of Civil Rights’ Separation in my own life. No, I was not there but I moved to a town that was center stage and have, met and in some cases befriended key players who knew other majors. I never got to meet my hero Dr. King, who, at a very young age, became part of my spirit and voice as communicator and orator and storyteller. So to meet people who did, to make studies of their faces and words as they’ve related this story or that one? And to now call these people “my new heroes,” or to have made the friendship of some? Well, I cannot begin to express how deeply its touched my life and that these memories I will carry with me until the end of my own days. I am gobsmacked when I think about it actually.
This will be a long night for me. But I’m channeling The King Energy so have to honor the muse and of course, you, my reader. There will be a Part Two & Three and will be worth holding out for so stay with me in this path. It will lead somewhere interesting and unexpected.
I’ve stood next to and touched a real live lynching tree. Like a real one. Not the ones they talk about on cheesy ghost tours, but a true-to-life, hanging tree. I used to sit on the bench beneath its massive branches late at night taking breaks from art projects, or in the afternoons when I watched my dog Mina play nearby. I loved its large presence and the way it stood behind me. It kept me company. I used to watch the sun go down behind it each night from my 5th Floor apartment 2 blocks away. All Live oaks seem to hold secrets but for a number of years, I had no idea that this one had such a dark past. A rather morbid irony was that it reposed smack dab in the middle of Colonial Park Cemetery. Like some great watchtower, it was the tallest Live oak in downtown Savannah and by some estimates around 120 ft in height. It was often compared to the height of the steeple of The Independent Presbyterian Church as it was visible from pretty much anywhere in the historic district. You can actually glimpse it in my documentary film, “America’s Most Haunted City” or peek it on YouTube in a CMT TV short I did with Coast To Coast Radio’s George Noory. The cemetery had been used for hangings during colonial times and the last mob-style lynching was in 1911. A black man falsely accused of raping a white woman was dragged from the neighboring Old City Jail, then hung from the mighty oak and his body was torched on the tree. The original photo, which had never been previously exhibited or publicly seen, was owned by a mentor who loaned it to the controversial exhibit “Without Sanctuary: Lynching Photography in America” in 2002 at The King Center. My friend had spoken of it many times, so it was finally something to see it first hand. The image of the charred body forever burned in my mind. Like it was never a man from the start. I never blamed the tree obviously, but when the city cut the perfectly healthy tree down over a decade ago? I felt certain someone either still held a grudge or felt they were putting the tree out of its own historical misery. I wept over that one.
On a “lighter note,” there’s a neighbor who I’ve long respected, the family much admired, he owns a set of swivel stools from a drugstore counter where protestors sat in Savannah during a sit-in during the turbulent ’60s. They repose discreetly and unmarked in his storefront window. When I first asked him why they were there, this rather humble man and not famous for smiling, almost beamed back one when he exclaimed, “Dr. King sat in them and when they closed the department store, I told the man, “Save those chairs for me!” You could tell they’ve been a proud possession ever since.
Although I once lived closer, I’m still just mere blocks from The 2nd African Baptist Church where Dr. King flirted with an early rendition of his famous, I Have A Dream speech. Arguably the greatest speech given in the 20th century and in my opinion is the only rival to “The Gettysburg Address.” Every goose bump from here to eternity now has a built-in reaction, programmed by King’s magnificent oration. Can you imagine having been part of the test audience on that one? And in the same spot, where many years prior, General Sherman had presented his 40 Acres & A Mule edict? Talk about nation changing speeches and what a follow-up for the young Rev King!
Through the years in Savannah, one of my favorite friendships belongs with notable writer and photographer, Murray Silver, Jr. His father, Murray Silver Sr, wrote the book, Daddy King & Me, about Martin’s father, or the other Martin, “Daddy King,” and the details of their long friendship. Murray Silver not only represented Martin Luther, Jr as an attorney, but he was also on the scene just minutes after Daddy King’s wife, Alberta was murdered in Atlanta in 1974 during the failed attempt on Coretta’s life. It’s odd, yet not surprising, that mainstream media “skips” mentioning this every year when they honor Dr. King. Or that Martin’s brother, Alfred, “A.D.” King drowned mysteriously after his brother Martin’s assassination. Clearly, someone wanted all of these beautiful people dead. To date, Murray Silver, Jr counts Coretta Scott-King offering him a role in helping to develop The King Center in Atlanta one of his life’s great honors. Both Silver men have countless stories and personal photos of the two families in casual gatherings and its that behind-the-scenes stuff of such people that is so priceless to other storytellers like myself.
PART TWO COMING NEXT WEEK!
This entry was posted in Blog and tagged 1960s, 2nd African Baptist, 40 Acres and a mule, African, Alberta King, American, Atlanta, black and white, church, Civil Rights, Colonial Park Cemetery, Daddy King, desegregation, Ebenezer Baptist Church, First African Baptist, Georgia, hanging tree, I Have A Dream, Jr, King Family, Live Oak, MLK, Murray Silver, Murray Silver Jr, NAACP, Savannah Georgia, segregation, Southern, Sr, The South by Shannon Scott. Bookmark the permalink.
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Home Helpful tips What website do YouTubers use for music?
What website do YouTubers use for music?
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YouTubers will use a wide range of music sources for their channels and videos, including from us! From Vice to Buzzfeed and Zoella to Ozzy Reviews, Audio Network’s used by a host of your favourite YouTube channels.
YouTube Audio Library: Most of the YouTubers pick background music or songs from YouTube Audio Library . Here, you can search for music according to your need or can also specify the music based on popularity among users.
Music Is Just 4.3% of YouTube Traffic, Research Shows.
One reason it feels like the world is because more of the world is in there. YouTube isn’t just an A.V. jukebox loaded with industry-manufactured studio recordings. It’s a user-generated content platform, which means it’s brimming with bootlegs, outtakes, live performances, interviews and more.
“Despacito,” Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee’s smash collaboration that was inescapable at its peak in 2017, currently holds the title as the most-watched music video on YouTube, boasting more than seven billion views at the time of publication (for reference, the Earth has a population of 7.5 billion).
The length of ownership for a song copyright depends on whether the song was copyrighted before or after 1978. If a song was copyrighted in or after 1978, the copyright is valid for the life of the author plus 70 years.
The two streaming services are a better fit for you when it comes to content coming down to what you value more. If you’re into videos, YouTube Music is the better option for you. But if podcasts are more of your thing, Spotify is more up your alley.
The most successful music streaming service in the United States was Apple Music as of September, with the most up to date information showing that 49.5 million users accessed the platform each month. Spotify closely followed, with a similarly impressive 47.7 million monthly users.
If you’re looking for the best source of free music in the world, look no further than YouTube. YouTube works great as an on-demand music service, and even allows users to create and share playlists. (Tip: the high-resolution version of the videos often contains better-quality audio.)
It’s all about meaningful and real connections! With Community, YouTube provides artists with a unique way to amplify their music by directly engaging with millions of fans. You can use Community posts to interact with your audience through text, live videos, images, animated GIFs, and more.
When it comes to YouTube, we all know it is the largest video sharing platform for free watch and upload videos. It hosts all kinds of videos which cater to the taste of different viewers. Music fans are also regular visitors to YouTube for most famous music videos that can always be found on it.
It’s one of the most popular and used websites on the internet, and has propelled people from their bedrooms to international stardom (or infamy). YouTube literally changed the world. This means being the most-liked video on YouTube means something, and is an incredibly hard thing to achieve.
“Girls Like You” by Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B (18.7m likes) Next is Cardi B with a team up with Maroon 5. A big hit from 2018, the video was the winning video at the MTV Video Play Awards, while the track won International Song of the Year at the NRJ Music Awards.
Mixkit’s free tracks are ready to be used in YouTube videos, background music, podcasts, and online advertising. They also have a suite of completely free videos and Premiere Pro templates, perfect for YouTube video creators!
Reviews music through his channel The Needle Drop, which is also a Connecticut Public Radio podcast. A popular comedy channel, holding the No. 1 spot for most YouTube subscribers for periods of time around the early 2010s. Currently is the 32nd most subscribed YouTuber with more than 23 million subscribers.
YouTube is a video-sharing platform where users watch a billion hour of videos every day. To get started, you can create a YouTube channel for your brand where you can upload videos for your subscribers to view, like, comment, and share.
Seán William McLoughlin, known as Jacksepticeye, is an Irish YouTuber. His channel is the most subscribed channel in Ireland. He’s mostly known for his comedic Let’s Play series. Shane Lee Yaw, known as Shane Dawson, is an American YouTuber, comedian, and author.
Ryan Higa, known as nigahiga, is an American YouTuber and comedian. His channel is famous for comedy videos which have more than 4 billion views. The channel features different types of videos, from reviews to how-tos.
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Home Regional News Central & Latin America Costa Rica adopts decrees to accelerate zero-emission vehicles
Costa Rica adopts decrees to accelerate zero-emission vehicles
Nicholas Nhede
Image credit: Stock
The government of Costa Rica has signed decrees to encourage the adoption of electric or zero-emission vehicles.
The decrees were signed by President Carlos Alvarado Quesada, the First Lady Claudia Dobles Camargo, and ministers of Public Works and Transportation and of the Environment and Energy.
“We are encouraging zero emissions technologies, with actions aimed at meeting our decarbonisation goals and allowing the population to join and make use of an increasingly sustainable and efficient transport, “said the First Lady.
The signed decrees include:
Incentives for Used Electric Vehicles. This creates an economic incentive for used EVs of no more than 5 years old to encourage use amongst middle-class incomers.
Such vehicles will pay less in customs duty, will not be subject to vehicular restriction and may park in spaces designated as blue inside public parking lots and in private ones located in supermarkets and shopping centers.
They will be equipped with a badge issued by MINAE.
Guideline Transition to an Electric Vehicle Fleet or Zero Emissions in the Public Sector. This is aimed at public administration institutions to acquire only electric vehicles or zero emissions, as far as possible.
All vehicle acquisition plans must be in accordance with the Law for Incentives and Promotion for Electric Transport.
Decree Modification to the Regulation of the Law of Incentives and Promotion for Electric Transport. Modifies the procedure to verify that a vehicle is electric. Previously, a verification by car was required, now it will be done by model to make the process more efficient.
In order to issue the certificate, the Audit Body for the Technical Review of the Road Safety Council will consult if the model is previously registered as an electric vehicle; if not, the necessary documentation will be requested by model that demonstrates this condition.
Decree Promotion of Sustainable Mobility in the Central Public Administration. Each institution must create an Institutional Sustainable Mobility Plan. It will include actions to promote mobility among its officials such as preparing showers for those who travel by bicycle, as well as spaces in parking lots, install parking lots for bicycles, disclose information on routes, timetables and bus and train stops.
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Nicholas Nhede is an experienced energy sector writer based in Clarion Event's Cape Town office. He has been writing for Smart Energy International’s print and online media platforms since 2015, on topics including metering, smart grids, renewable energy, the Internet of Things, distributed energy resources and smart cities. Originally from Zimbabwe, Nicholas holds a diploma in Journalism and Communication Studies. Nicholas has a passion for how technology can be used to accelerate the energy transition and combat climate change.
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Brightest Explosion In the Universe Ever Seen Defies Astronomy Theories
By Denise Chow published 21 November 13
An unusually bright gamma-ray burst produced a jet that emerged at nearly the speed of light. (Image credit: NASA/Swift/Cruz deWilde)
A mysterious blast of light spotted earlier this year near the constellation Leo was actually the brightest gamma-ray burst ever recorded, and was triggered by an extremely powerful stellar explosion, new research reports.
On April 27, several satellites — including NASA's Swift satellite and Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope — observed an unusually bright burst of gamma radiation. The explosion unleashed an energetic jet of particles that traveled at nearly the speed of light, researchers said.
"We suddenly saw a gamma-ray burst that was extremely bright — a monster gamma-ray burst," study co-author Daniele Malesani, an astrophysicist at the Niels Bohr Institute at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark, said in a statement. "This [was] one of the most powerful gamma-ray bursts we have ever observed with the Swift satellite." [Top 10 Strangest Things in Space]
A gamma-ray burst that exploded in April 2013 is the most luminous object in the field, as seen in this image from NASA's Swift satellite. All the other objects seen in the image are stars from our own galaxy, while the gamma-ray burst is millions of times farther away. This section shows an area of the sky about a quarter the size of the full moon. (Image credit: NASA/Swift satellite)
The gamma-ray burst was described in a series of studies published online today (Nov. 21) in the journal Science.
Gamma-ray bursts, or GRBs, are the most powerful type of explosions in the universe and typically mark the destruction of a massive star. The original stars are too faint to be seen, but the supernova explosions that signal a star's death throes can cause violent bursts of gamma radiation, researchers said.
Gamma-ray bursts are usually short but extremely bright. Still, ground-based telescopes have a tough time observing them because Earth's atmosphere absorbs the gamma radiation.
The extremely bright gamma-ray burst seen earlier this year, officially dubbed GRB 130472A, occurred in a galaxy 3.6 billion light-years away from Earth, which, though still far away, is less than half the distance at which gamma-ray bursts have previously been seen. This closer proximity to Earth enabled astronomers to confirm for the first time that one object can simultaneously create a powerful GRB and a supernova explosion.
"We normally detect GRBs at great distance, meaning they usually appear quite faint," study co-author Paul O'Brien, an astronomer at the University of Leicester in the United Kingdom, said in a statement. "In this case, the burst happened only a quarter of the way across the universe — meaning it was very bright. On this occasion, a powerful supernova was also produced — something we have not recorded before alongside a powerful GRB — and we will now be seeking to understand this occurrence."
The jet produced by the gamma-ray burst was formed when a massive star collapsed on itself and created a black hole at its center. This generated a blast wave that caused the stellar remnants to expand, producing a glowing shell of debris that was observed as an extremely bright supernova explosion.
After analyzing properties of the light produced by the gamma-ray burst, scientists determined that the original star was only three to four times the size of the sun, but was 20 to 30 times more massive. This extremely compact star was also rapidly rotating, the researchers said.
Close-up image of the brightest gamma-ray burst ever seen, taken in April 2013 by the ultraviolet/optical telescope on NASA's Swift satellite. (Image credit: NASA/Swift satellite)
The GRB was the brightest and most energetic ever witnessed and triggered dynamic internal and external shock waves that are still not well understood. Though scientists have a clearer view of the violent explosion, mysteries remain. For instance, space telescopes detected more photons and more high-energy gamma-rays than theoretical models predicted for a gamma-ray burst of this magnitude.
Researchers are still investigating why the energy levels seen with GRB 130472A do not quite match predictions from existing models of gamma-ray bursts. Their results could lead to more refined theories about how particles are accelerated, which could help astronomers better predict the behavior of cosmic events.
"The really cool thing about this GRB is that because the exploding matter was traveling at [nearly] the speed of light, we were able to observe relativistic shocks," study co-author Giacomo Vianello, a postdoctoral scholar at Stanford University in California, said in a statement. "We cannot make a relativistic shock in the lab, so we really don't know what happens in it, and this is one of the main unknown assumptions in the model. These observations challenge the models and can lead us to a better understanding of physics."
Follow Denise Chow on Twitter @denisechow. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook or Google+. Originally published on SPACE.com.
Denise Chow
Denise was an intern at the New York Daily News and GQ magazine. She has a masters degree in journalism from New York University and a bachelor's degree from the University of Toronto.
Mosaic Flight: NASA's 100th flight director leads Mission Control
The hunt is on for exomoons around alien planets and scientists may have just found one
SpaceX launches 105 small satellites into orbit, nails rocket landing
Halo games in chronological order
Solar eclipses: When is the next one?
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Ten Stories Cassette
Stylus Brush Cleaner Accessory
How Memory Works LP
Released Sep 29, 2017 Epitaph
Joan of Arc - How Memory Works LP
180 Gram Black Vinyl
Chicago's Joan of Arc blend post-rock's atmospherics and punk's volume and dynamics. Three members came from the emocore band Cap'n Jazz; when that band broke up, the trio wanted to change their musical direction, removing the boundaries and structures of punk and including more experimental elements like tape loops and electronics. Calling themselves Joan of Arc, the group went on tour with their friends the Promise Ring (who also featured ex-Cap'n Jazz members) in August 1996. After spending the fall of that year writing and recording, the band re-emerged in 1997 with A Portable Model of Joan of Arc, their full-length debut. The album continued Joan of Arc's evolution into an equally hard-hitting and progressive outfit that appealed to emo and post-rock fans alike. The following year they returned with How Memory Works, a more clearly stated version of their ambitious style. Joan of Arc rang in 1999 with the release of Live in Chicago 1999. In February 2003, the band returned with So Much Staying Alive and Lovelessness.
Honestly Now
Gin & Platonic
To've Had Two Of
This Life Cummulative
A Pale Orange
So Open: Hooray!
Osmosis Doesn't Work
A Party Able Model Of
Everything Sucks LP
Against The Grain LP
Panorama LP
...And Out Come The Wolves LP (20th... LP
Millencollin
Life On A Plate LP
Thrice
Palms LP
Trouble Maker LP + 7"
Rancid LP
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Holly Willoughby offers rare insight into marriage with husband Dan Baldwin
She tends to keep her relationship and family life out of the spotlight.
Yet Holly Willoughby offered a rare insight into her marriage to husband Dan Baldwin during a TV appearance to promote her new book, Reflections, on Thursday.
Appearing on Loose Women, the presenter, 40, discussed the early days of their romance with the panel, where she revealed they met as friends for three months for embarking on a romance.
Married life: Holly Willoughby offered a rare insight into her marriage to husband Dan Baldwin during a TV appearance to promote her new book, Reflections, on Thursday (pictured 2012)
Holly revealed: ‘We met on Saturday mornings and we became really ridiculously close friends, it was this intensity of friendship for about 10-15 weeks and I remember cheersing him with a glass and I was looking at him and like ‘Oh my God, I fancy him, I fancy my friend!’
‘It took me so by surprise and I thought, ‘Oh God, what’s just happened?’ And the relationship carried on. And I think in hindsight, I was falling in love with him. I think that’s what that intensity was, but I didn’t necessarily recognise it.’
When Holly was asked if she still considers Dan to be her best friend, she said: ‘Yeah, definitely. He knows me better than anyone, he’s my absolute support. He gives the best advice of anybody, he’s got that strength and good moral fibre, so I always check and run everything past him.’
TV appearance: Appearing on Loose Women, the presenter, 40, discussed the early days of their romance with the panel, where she revealed they met as friends for three months for embarking on a romance
Holly and Dan have been married for 14 years after tying the knot in 2007 and they share children Harry, 12, Belle, 10, and Chester, seven.
During the promotional tour for her new book at the end of last year, Holly shared more details about her relationship with Dan.
Divulging what they argue about, Holly wrote in her book: ‘If I’m watching something on TV and my husband suddenly asks, “Why are you watching this s***?”, it’ll spark something deep inside and I will get disproportionately angry about it.
Private life: Holly and Dan have been married for 14 years after tying the knot in 2007 (pictured) and they share children Harry, 12, Belle, 10, and Chester, seven (pictured 2019)
‘But actually, I’m angry because I subconsciously feel as though someone’s trying to control what I’m doing.
‘My husband absolutely isn’t trying to control me, but I’m getting a really strong reaction, so maybe I’m worried about control in my life. Maybe that’s a sign that I still need to address the issue of control.’
Holly said on Zoe Ball’s Radio 2 show in November: ‘I have a very happy relationship with my husband. I love him, I still fancy him – which is fantastic.’
Holly said: ‘Dan knows me better than anyone, he’s my absolute support. He gives the best advice of anybody, he’s got that strength and good moral fibre’ (pictured in her wedding dress)
Yet she elaborated on Heart Radio: ‘The last few years I’ve kind of been looking inward a little bit. And I sort of got to this stage in life where I was like “I’ve got a really lovely life, I love my husband, I fancy my husband. I’ve got great kids. I’m very blessed in many, many ways, but something is missing.”
Reflecting on this during Thursday’s episode, Holly said: ‘Up until this point, I had all these plates spinning, I had children, I got married, I got the house, I was working, building myself in my career and all of those things are lovely and wonderful.
‘But there’s no doubt when you get to a certain age and you get a little bit more time back because the kids don’t rely on you so much and you get a spare hour in the day, especially when I went to Australia and I had this two-week period of having no one to look after apart from myself, I sat there with myself and I thought…
Here comes the bride: Holly recycled her wedding dress to celebrate Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding day at a party with her mum Linda and sister Kelly (pictured)
‘God, this is really weird’ and it really felt like something was missing. It scared me a little bit and I realised the thing that was missing was me.’
She added: ‘I had no idea what I wanted, no idea what I liked, because all of my life and my energy had gone on these things around me. So the book really is about trying to find the way back to who you are. I’ve really enjoyed the process of that. It’s been nice, it’s been great.’
Earlier in the day, Holly was left red-faced after she accidentally sent a cheeky text while on-air presenting This Morning ahead of her Loose Women appearance.
Oh no! Earlier in the day, Holly was left red-faced after she accidentally sent a cheeky text while on-air presenting This Morning ahead of her Loose Women appearance
After returning from ad break, she told viewers: ‘Well, to the person I’ve just sent a text message to very quickly in the break, I was about to say “I need a new one”.
‘And I sent it and thought, “Oh I’ve got away with that with five seconds until we’re back on air”.
‘And I’ve looked down at it and ‘one’ has been replaced with ‘bra’ and it said, ‘I need a new bra’. I don’t need a new bra, I need a new one. I completely apologise!’
Struggling to contain his later her co-host Phillip Schofield, added: ‘And we’ll never know what one is!’
Whoops: After returning from ad break, she told viewers: ‘Well, to the person I’ve just sent a text message to very quickly in the break, I was about to say “I need a new one”
Holly clarified: ‘It’s actually a barbeque, was what I was trying to say!’
Holly’s co-host couldn’t help but poke fun at her more, adding: ‘It’s a guy I’m assuming? Right, the guy you’ve asked for a barbeque is now thinking ‘Ah, I’ve got to go and source her a bra now…”
Holly’s embarrassment was furthered when she read out the hilarious reply. While collapsing into a fit of giggles, she read: ”Oh thanks for letting us know but I’m not sure this was for us’, Oh no!! They put laughing-faces, thank god.’
Gaffe! Struggling to contain his later her co-host Phillip Schofield, added: ‘And we’ll never know what one is!’
Lael Brainard predicts that the Fed will engineer a soft economic landing.
U.S. officials prepare for escalation as NATO-Russia talks end with no resolution on Ukraine tension
Recreating Kep1er’s Outfits from “WA DA DA” – THE YESSTYLIST – Asian Fashion…
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© Universal Pictures, Amblin Entertainment
Oskar Schindler's 'Enamel' factory
Schindler's List (1993)
This is the place where Schindler's List starring Liam Neeson, Ben Kingsley and Ralph Fiennes was filmed at Oskar Schindler's 'Enamel' factory in Krakow, Poland. Start scrolling to find out more.
Oscar Schindler is being photographed, along with his new female employee.
Lipowa 4, 30-702 Krakow, Poland
50.0473976135254, 19.9617729187012
More locations of Schindler's List >
The former office of Schindler, who saved the lives of local Jews during the Nazi occupation, was renewed.
Fabryka Schindlera, better known as the Schindler Factory is a museum about Kraków during the Nazi occupation period between 1939 and 1945. It is one of the locations of the Muzeum Historyczne Miasta Krakowa. The museum opened in the fall of 2008 and is located at ulica Lipowa 4 in Zablocie, the factory district of Krakow. The museum is named after Oskar Schindler, who owned the factory during World War II. At the time when Steven Spielberg was shooting his legendary film, many of the premises of the former DEF (Deutsche Emailwarenfabrik) were abandoned.
ALTERNATIVE LOCATION NAME
Fabryka Schindlera
www.facebook.com >
muzeumkrakowa.pl >
factory, museum
The true story of how businessman Oskar Schindler saved over a thousand Jewish lives from the Nazis while they worked as slaves in his factory during World War II.
Read more about Schindler's List >
Schindler's List
Map with Schindler's List locations >
CREATED by dawid_locations_Poland
If you want to create you own SCEEN, please login. SCEEN IT is a great guide that lets you add and share travel info about places like Krakow, Poland in Schindler's List starring Liam Neeson, Ben Kingsley and Ralph Fiennes. It shows you where it was filmed, which filming locations were used and how to get there.
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Nick Russill/Flickr
The US Air Force Plans to 'Plasma Bomb' The Sky to Improve Global Radio Reception
The US Air Force is planning to drop plasma bombs of charged particles into the upper atmosphere, and all in the name of boosting radio reception down on Earth.
Small satellites called CubeSats, measuring just a few centimetres cubed, would be used for the project, and researchers in three separate teams are now figuring out how to get it done.
The biggest challenge is going to be fitting plasma generators onto the small orbiting CubeSats, and then controlling how the plasma is dispersed.
"These are really early-stage projects, representing the boundaries of plasma research into ionosphere modification," one of the researchers involved, John Kline from aerospace company Research Support Instruments, told David Hambling at New Scientist. "It may be an insurmountable challenge."
So why would this work?
What the Air Force is trying to do is boost the quantity of ions in the ionosphere, which starts at around 60 km (37 miles) up in Earth's atmosphere. This atmospheric layer is best known for producing the Northern Lights, but, more importantly for our global communications systems, it also reflects radio waves.
Radio waves that bounce back to the surface from the ionosphere can travel longer distances than radio waves just by themselves, and by adding ionised gas (plasma) to the atmosphere, the layer should, in theory, become better at reflecting radio communications around Earth's curvature.
This is also why radio signals sometimes work better at night, when the density of the ionosphere's charged particles is higher.
There's another potential benefit too: a denser ionosphere should offer better protection against solar storms, which can interfere with GPS networks and other communications.
In addition to Research Support Instruments, two other groups are now working on proposals for how to get this 'plasma bombing' to work, and the best proposal will be given funding to continue on to a second stage, involving lab tests and exploratory space flights.
One of the teams, from Drexel University, plans to make the plasma by using a controlled chemical reaction to heat a piece of metal beyond its boiling point, which will prompt it to react with atmospheric oxygen, and create ionised plasma.
Meanwhile, a group from the University of Maryland wants to detonate a small bomb, and use energy from the blast to create electrical energy. Different types of explosions can create different shapes of plasma clouds, according to the researchers.
While the whole 'plasma bomb' idea might sounds pretty out-there, this won't be the first time scientists have tried this kind of thing.
Back in the 1990s, the High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) in Alaska began using antennae on the ground to generate plasma and strengthen the ionosphere above, but the Air Force now wants a more modern solution.
There's still a long way to go before the technology is ready, but one day, radio networks could be vastly improved thanks to the small, plasma-firing satellites currently in development.
It's early days, sure, but we can't wait to see if these scientists can pull this off.
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A school where everyone teaches science: The 2018 Prime Minister’s Prize for Excellence in Science Teaching in Primary Schools
Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science, Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science 2018
Mr Brett Crawford
Mr Brett Crawford has transformed science teaching at Warrigal Road State School in Brisbane. All the school’s 50-plus teachers now actively teach science in their classes.
Warrigal Road is a large primary school in Brisbane with more than 1,300 students. The students are from 54 cultures, English is a second language for 60 per cent of them, and there’s also a cohort of hearing-impaired children.
The local high schools have recognised that Warrigal Road students come to them curious about the world and ready for secondary science. Test results back that up, showing the school’s science performance is well above national averages.
Brett is the lead science teacher at the school. He believes that science teaching in primary schools is easy.
Primary school students are curious about the world. You can engage them with simple, inexpensive experiments.
But Brett also knows that many primary school teachers are anxious about teaching science.
So, at Warrigal Road he led a program in which he spent two days every week mentoring his fellow teachers.
The results speak for themselves and other schools are now picking up his ideas and programs.
For creating an environment in which every teacher is engaged in science, Brett Crawford receives the $50,000 Prime Minister’s Prize for Excellence in Science Teaching in Primary Schools. Brett is the lead science teacher at Warrigal Road State School in Brisbane.
Brett went into teacher training straight from high school at the age of 17.
“By the age of 18 they’d thrown me out because I was no good at it,” he says.
“I agreed with that completely. I went to get some life experience. I worked in different jobs and I worked with a youth group that taught me how to actually communicate with children. When I went back to teaching five years later, I understood the role that I was going to have as a teacher. And that I was able to do it,” Brett says.
“Primary school teachers can be scared of science if they haven’t had a good science experience themselves in primary school,” Brett says.
“So we show them how to frame a scientific inquiry that the students and the teachers can use, and I go into the classroom and demonstrate how to do a science lesson.”
Brett starts with the idea that science is the easiest subject to get a student interested in.
“Kids have the two basic qualities you need for good science: they want to know everything about the world, and they want to play with really good toys.”
Brett emphasises that those toys don’t need to be expensive.
“I can teach a science lesson on a $10 budget and have students understand things about chemistry. I can teach students why cyclones spin with a Lazy Susan and a glue stick.”
Brett’s innovative methods are also spreading beyond Warrigal Road. He has developed connections with Griffith University, CSIRO and local businesses, and works with teachers from neighbouring primary schools to pass on what he has learned.
“It’s important for science and teaching to take a collaborative approach,” Brett says.
Local high schools have taken note of Warrigal Road students’ knowledge and enthusiasm for science and want to see where it comes from.
“One of the things I’m most proud of is when teachers from the local high schools come to us and ask for ideas on how to teach science to their students,” Brett says.
At the root of all Brett’s work, either in the classroom or as his online character ‘Professor Zaccheus’, is the simple joy he takes in sharing science with his students.
“I like the experiments you can do with the simplest things and get the biggest wow factor: you can teach students about the density of gases by getting a soap bubble to float in mid-air and their eyes light up because suddenly they’re seeing something they didn’t believe was possible.
“Then you explain to them that it’s not magic: it’s science,” Brett says.
https://warrroadss.eq.edu.au/Pages/default.aspx
Career profile: Mr Brett Crawford
1992 Bachelor of Education
2018 Year 6 School Science Lead Teacher, Warrigal Road State School
2016–2017 School liaison / Coordinator for Robotics Program, Warrigal Road State School
2016–2017 Science Coach / Curriculum Advisor, two days per week, Warrigal Road State School
2015 Guest Presenter, STEM competition, University of Queensland
2015 Review consultant for How to Teach Science online modules
2012 Science in Action, Griffith University
2011–2012 South East Region Science Coach and Curriculum Advisor, Science Spark
2011–2012 Guest Lecturer on Science Education, Griffith University.
Image: Brett Crawford (Credit: Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science/WildBear)
A steerable guidewire to improve the treatment of heart disease: The 2018 Prize for New Innovators
Opening young eyes to careers in science, technology, engineering and maths: Prime Minister’s Prize for Excellence in Teaching in Secondary Schools
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Paddy Mulholland
CineTributes: Peter Suschitzky
Some careers just speak for themselves... but I wouldn't be much of a blogger* if I didn't have something to say regardless. Peter Suschitzky is a modern-day titan of cinematography, yet arguably the best-known fact about him is that he's never once been nominated for the Best Cinematography Academy Award. Chalk that up to his eclectic filmography and highly idiosyncratic style, plus his apparent lack of concern for appealing to Oscar voters, but it's a snub that only gets snubbier the more you look at it.
Suschitzky has served as DP on all of David Cronenberg's features since he began to move away from out-and-out horror in the late 1980s. He's also collaborated multiple times with John Boorman and Peter Watkins, alongside providing the lensing for two of Ken Russell's '70s biopic extravaganzas, cult classic The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and none other than Star Wars Episode V. His imagery is among the most iconic in cinema history, yet he's rarely cited as among the leading figures in his art. So this CineTribute is a fitting one, to truly one of the most underrated cinematographers in that very same cinema history.
*Yes I know, I'm not much of a blogger
Films featured
The War Game, 1966
The Gladiators, 1969
The Rocky Horror Picture Show, 1975
Lisztomania, 1975
Valentino, 1977
Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back, 1980
Krull, 1983
Dead Ringers, 1988
Where the Heart Is, 1990
Naked Lunch, 1991
M. Butterfly, 1993
Crash, 1996
Spider, 2002
A History of Violence, 2005
Eastern Promises, 2007
Cosmopolis, 2012
Maps to the Stars, 2014
Tale of Tales, 2015
CineTributes: Christopher Doyle
CineTributes: Mandy Walker
CineTributes: Manuel Dacosse
screenonscreen@outlook.com
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City Secretary's Office
MAY 7, 2022 GENERAL ELECTION
The next Seabrook General Election will be on Saturday, May 7, 2022, at Seabrook City Hall, located at 1700 1st Street. City Council positions up for election are Position 1, Position 3, and Position 5.
Notice of Deadline to File Applications for Place on the Ballot
FILING REQUIREMENTS
Filing for a place on the ballot is set by state statute and will run from January 19-February 18, 2022 (view the official notice). Filing requirements are per state statute, available at https://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/candidates/guide/local.shtml, and per the City of Seabrook Charter, Article II, available at https://library.municode.com/tx/seabrook/codes/code_of_ordinances.
CANDIDATE PACKETS
For candidates' information, the Office of the City Secretary has prepared a "Candidate's Packet" for this election. The packet contains useful information about running for office, and includes the forms that must be filed by anyone wishing to appear on the ballot. Packets are free, and may be picked up from the City Secretary. To set up an appointment to pick up a packet, please call 281.291.5663 or email rlenio@seabrooktx.gov.
CANDIDATE ORIENTATION
Seabrook Residents: The City of Seabrook will host a virtual Candidate Orientation on February 2, 2022 from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. for all persons interested in running for a position on the City Council during the May 7, 2022 General Election. For more information, please contact the City Secretary at 281.291.5663 or rlenio@seabrooktx.gov.
order of names on the ballot
If necessary, a drawing will be conducted on February 28, 2022 at 5:00 p.m. at Seabrook City Hall (1700 1st Street) to determine the order of names on the ballot.
VOTER REGISTRATION DEADLINE: APRIL 7, 2022
To find out if you are registered to vote, please go to the Harris County Voter Registration Department
To update your voter registration or to register to vote, please go to the Texas Office of the Secretary of State
To vote in an election in Harris County, you must be registered to vote at least 30 days before the election date.
You are eligible to register to vote if:
You are a United States citizen;
You are a resident of the county where you submit the application;
You are at least 18 years old on Election Day;
You are not a convicted felon (you may be eligible to vote if you have completed your sentence, probation, and parole); and
You have not been declared by a court exercising probate jurisdiction to be either totally mentally incapacitated or partially mentally incapacitated without the right to vote.
Voter Registration Application Forms
If you prefer to fill out a physical voter registration form, below are links to printable forms in English, Spanish, Chinese, and Vietnamese.
VOTING BY MAIL
If you are 65 years of age or older; disabled; out of the county on election day AND during early voting; or confined in jail, but otherwise eligible, you may be eligible to cast your vote by mail.
To apply for a ballot by mail, including an annual application for the 2022 Election Season, please print and complete the application on the following link: https://www.harrisvotes.com/Docs/VotingInfo/Ballot%20By%20Mail%20Application%202021_en-US.pdf
Mail completed application to: ISABEL LONGORIA Harris County Elections Administrator P.O. Box 1148 Houston, TX 77251-1148
If you have questions about your mail ballot application, please contact the Harris County Elections Administrator at BBM@CCO.HCTX.NET.
Find additional election-related dates and information at https://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/candidates/index.shtml
The next Seabrook General Election (after the May 7, 2022 General Election) will be on Saturday, May 7, 2022, at Seabrook City Hall, located at 1700 1st Street. Filing for a place on the ballot is set by state statute and will run from January 15-February 14, 2025.
(posted in accordance with Tx. Legis. H.B. 305, effective September 1, 2019).
Filing requirements are per state statute, available at https://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/candidates/guide/local.shtml
Filing requirements per the City of Seabrook Charter, Article II, available at https://library.municode.com/tx/seabrook/codes/code_of_ordinances
1700 1st St.
Seabrook, TX 77586
Robin Lenio
Email Robin
Alun Thomas
Deputy City Secretary
Email Alun
Mon-Thurs: 7:30 am to 5:00 pm
Seabrook City Council Meeting
Open Space and Trails Committee Meeting
Internal Forms
Blank Agenda Briefing Form
City Ordinances & Resolutions
Permits for Solicitors, Peddlers and Vendors
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Dr Samuel Johnson’s Birthplace and Statue, Lichfield
Description:This postcard view shows Dr Samuel Johnson's statue on the left. It is by R.C. Lucas and was erected in 1838. The house on the right was completed in 1707 by Michael Johnson, Samuel's father. Samuel Johnson was born on 18th September 1709. He is most famous for writing the first comprehensive English Dictionary, but was also known for being a great wit and conversationalist. Around 1900-1901 this Grade I listed building became a Museum dedicated to the life and works of Samuel Johnson and currently (July 2020) known as the Samuel Johnson Birthplace Museum and Bookshop.
The Three Crowns Hotel, Breadmarket Street, can be seen to the left of the house.
On the left behind the statue is a part view of St Mary’s Church. In later years the building became Lichfield Heritage Centre. The centre closed in 2017 and was converted to house Lichfield’s main public Library, Tourist Information Centre and an Arts Space which opened in 2018.
This postcard was published by the “Wyndham” Series. It was franked in Lichfield on 5 May 1905 and sent to an address in Bagworth, Leicestershire.
Windows Religious Buildings Public Houses Public Art & Sculpture Prominent Individuals People Museums & Galleries Monuments, Statues & Follies Libraries & Archives Lamps & Lanterns Housing Chapels & Churches Carvings Buildings, Architecture, Monuments Architectural Features
Image courtesy of: The Arthur Lloyd Collection
Donor ref:A_Lloyd-338aa (232/42651)
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Susan Osman
Television and Radio Anchor/Talk show host – Author and Screenwriter
CV/Biography
Susan Osman is a well-known and esteemed international broadcaster journalist and main anchor in both television and radio. She has experience in numerous fields of journalism: news, current affairs, consumer affairs and business news. She has worked for all the major UK networks. BBC 1- BBC2- BBC World News- BBC News Channel – Channel 4 – ITN –BSkyb.
Susan is currently a freelance television presenter reporter and visiting Professor of Communication and Leadership at the prestigious Communication University of China. (Beijing)
She has an approved O1 extraordinary talent visa for the United States of America.
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Tomoaki Baba
Tomoaki Baba plays Syos
My Syos mouthpiece gives me many possibilities to express my ideas, especially colors of sounds and volume range. Full of warmth and power. Thanks Syos!
Musician /Saxophone player /Composer /Arranger /Art Producer Tomoaki Baba was born in 1992 in Sapporo, Japan and began playing saxophone when he was 7 years old. He attended the renowned Berklee 5-week summer program in 2007, 2008, 2009 as a full-scholarship student. He was selected for Berklee Jazz workshop directed by Terri Lyne Carrington in 2010. In 2011, Tomoaki was the recipient of a full-scholarship to the Berklee College of Music.
After graduating, Tomoaki moved to New York City and has become an active sideman and leader, performing with artists like Terence Blanchard, Dayna Stephens, Terri Lyne Carrington, Jamie Cullum, Sean Jones, and Darren Barrett. Tomoaki is passionate about combining his music with other art forms, particularly painting, fashion, architecture. In recent years, he has served as an events producer and on the creative team for the art magazine Metropolitan Society.
In addition to his work in New York City, Baba is an active and noted performer in Japan, where he serves as a composer and saxophonist for J-Squad. Baba also produced the ”Jazz Summit Tokyo Summer Festival 2015," and collaborated with the fashion brand "TAKEO KIKUCHI" to create the stage clothing for J-Squad.
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By Editor | September 9, 2021
Ste. Genevieve County commissioners are pondering how to best organize a new county fair board.
The commissioners had previously decided it was time to reformulate the fair board in accordance with state statutes. During last Thursday’s commission meeting, they discussed ideas of what that could look like.
The initial plan is for the commission to appoint five members. Those five would then appoint four “at-large” members. They would continue to answer to the county commission.
Having representatives of various groups involved with or impacted by the fair seems like a feasible path.
The commissioners agreed that the university of Missouri Extension Office should be represented, along with the local 4-H program.
It was also suggested that the city of Ste. Genevieve – either an elected official and/or a police officer – should have representation, along with the R-II School District,who owns some of the land around the fairgrounds.
The Chamber of Commerce was also mentioned as a possible entity to be represented. So was the commission itself, although it was agreed that just maintaining a liaison person from the commission to attend meetings as is done now, might be the best track.
The commissioners will meet with Ivan Schraeder, the attorney who represents the county, to seek his input on setting up the framework.
The fair board operation and selection has been largely informal in the past, with board members tending to select new members themselves. The commissioners want to see the process comply with state statutes.
HUGE TREE MUST GO
The commission also voted to seek bids for removal of the huge old maple tree, between the Chamber of Commerce office and the courthouse. Thought to be at least 100 years old, the tree is still blooming, but seems to be nearing the end of its life.
Presiding Commissioner Garry Nelson said he hates to see the tree go, but that it is beginning to threaten the chamber building and other things.
“It’s doing damage to the foundation of the building, to the sidewalk and to a rock wall,” Nelson said. “Plus, there is increasing danger of limbs falling onto the roof.”
It was agreed that merely removing the limbs most likely to threaten the chamber building wouldn’t be feasible. An advertisement, seeking bids for removing the tree is in this edition of the Herald.
MORE ROAD SIGNS ARE MISSING
Road and bridge foreman Scott Schmieder reported that more than 150 road signs have been stolen during 2021. That has cost the county taxpayers more than $7,500 in material, alone.
“That’s money that could be spent patching roads,” Nelson said.
The commissioners continue to be aghast at the lack of thought given by sign thieves.
The county was nearly sued two years ago when an accident took place before a stolen stop sign could be replaced. Road signs being stolen can be almost as dangerous.
“They’re not looking at the big picture,” Nelson said. “Ambulances and fire personnel depend on those signs in emergencies. You can’t rely on google maps to find places. “
He noted that a few minutes lost time in finding a critically ill or injured patient can make the difference in life and death.
He also reported that Truck 7, a 2011 Freightliner, was in Wentzville, having its transmission repaired.
He said he should have four trucks available to haul chips for the chip and seal paving of Saline Creek Road. He said he hoped to do it this Tuesday, if weather cooperates.
He also said the department’s new 3,000-gallon water tank has a crack. It should still be under warranty.
Meanwhile, crews have been running the bat wing mower.
Schmieder said they are also finishing Straughn, Burke and Ross Cemetery roads. Dry Fork and Mill Creek will follow.
He also said the goal is to install a new box culvert on Kocher Road by the end of September.
ROADS TOO NARROW
The commissioners and Schmieder examined two private roads, Terry Lee and Oak Drive (off of valley View) after inquiries were made into the possibility of them being taken over by the county.
The roads have “so many issues,” in Second District Commissioner Randy Ruzicka’s words, with spots only 13 feet wide, a bridge 14 feet wide and nowhere wider than 18 feet. They also look sufficient bases and drainage ditches and are overgrown.
Nelson said that “we sympathize” with any residents who had been told by contractors that the roads would later be taken over by the county.
County policy demand 20-foot wide roads, sufficient ditches, right of way along the roads and adequate base under the road.
“Once a county takes a road on it’s liable for floods, accidents, you name it,”Nelson said.
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Yuna – “Crush” (Feat. Usher)
News February 26, 2016 12:34 PM By Gabriela Tully Claymore
A crush is a sneaky thing; having one can be really fun, but once an attraction balloons into officially “like liking” someone (to put it in middle school terms), dealing with the frustrations of unrequited love can be painful. The best crush advice I have ever received came to me via Sixteen Candles, when Samantha’s dad wisely tells her: “That’s why they call them crushes. If they were easy, they’d call them something else.” The indie-pop inclined R&B singer Yuna focuses on the strained push-and-pull of temperate attraction on her new song “Crush,” which just so happens to feature Usher, who I used to have a crush on when “Yeah!” was the biggest song in the world. This collaboration will be included on Yuna’s forthcoming full-length Chapters, and we already heard its first DJ Premier-produced single “Places To Go.” Check out “Crush” below.
Chapters is out 5/20 on FADER label.
Gabriela Tully Claymore Contributor gabrielajunetc
Yuna
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St. Joseph Catholic Church
2427 W. Tuscarawas Street | Canton, OH 44708
Online Map
History of the interior of St. Joseph Catholic Church
BECOMING CATHOLIC/RETURNING TO THE CHURCH
High School Religious Education
CCD Registration
Religious Education Staff & Location
Acme Receipts
St. Joseph Cupboard (SJC)
Funeral Reception Volunteers
ALLE BREVE
Retrouvaille
Boy Scouts-Troop 16 / Cub Scouts-Pack 16
Prayer for Grandparents and Elderly
ADVERTISE ON OUR BULLETIN
CAPITAL CAMPAIGN -OUR FAITH OUR FUTURE
Why should recite the Rosary
CLOSING UPDATES
CATHOLIC CONFERENCE OF OHIO DISPENSATION
FACEBOOK LIVE MASS
LINE DANCING CLASSES
ST. JOSEPH FACE MASKS AVAILABLE
CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY SCHEDULE
Christmas Flower Memorials
1ST COMMUNION PICTURES WANTED
Sunday: 8:00AM and 10:30 AM
Weekday: 8:00 AM
Posted on July 31, 2017 by Tina Taylor in News
We are in the process of locating missing 1st Communion
group pictures that we would like to have displayed with those that we currently have. They are hanging along the walls of the first floor in the school building around the Religious Ed Office.
The years that we are missing are:1920, 1921, 1922, 1924, 1925, 1926, 1927, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1932, 1933, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1940,1941, 1942, 1943, 1944, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1970, 1971,1972, 1973, 1975, 1978, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1990. We will accept originals, photocopies or we will be happy to make a photocopy and return it to you. You can drop off the picture at either the Rectory Office or the Religious Ed Office.
Thank you so much for your help with this project.
MASS LIVE ON FACEBOOK
2427 W. Tuscarawas Street
Find Mass Times
stjosephcanton@catholicweb.com
© 2022 St. Joseph Catholic Church | Made with ♥ by Diocesan Publications
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e-scams
Official stats report 23,000 illegal weapons in circulation in Cameroon
Paru le mercredi, 26 mai 2021 01:41
More than 23,000 firearms are circulating illegally in Cameroon. According to statistics given in December 2020 by the Minister of Territorial Administration (Minat), Paul Atanga Nji, the government has granted only 3,800 authorizations to carry weapons. The Economic, Social, and Cultural Council of the African Union Commission (AU) estimates that there are more than 30,000 small arms and light weapons (SALW) in illegal circulation in the country. These weapons include revolvers, pistols, rifles, assault rifles, and machine guns.
Amid the Anglophone crisis in the northwest and southwest regions, incursions by the terrorist sect Boko Haram in the Far North and Central African rebels in the east, these figures raised concern for the Cameroonian government; especially since these weapons, which are not held by the military but by civilians, are generally found in the hands of armed groups. The situation has prompted the authorities to ban the sale of arms and ammunition. Gun shops in some parts of the country were also closed. The most recent measure is a nationwide ban on the sale of traumatic weapons.
The decision was taken on May 6 by the Minat, "due to the current security context and given the misuse of this category of weapons by individuals of dubious character. The member of the government also proceeded on May 19 to the destruction of a stockpile of illegal weapons in Buea (South West). These were weapons from pacification operations and those returned by ex-combatants of Boko Haram and armed groups in the Anglophone regions.
In 2018, Cameroon hosted the first conference of States Parties to the Kinshasa Convention for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons, their Ammunition, and all parts and components that can be used in their manufacture. The objective was to find solutions to this phenomenon, which is a threat to peace and security in countries, particularly in the Central African sub-region. To this end, the government is taking action through demobilization, disarmament, and social reintegration centers for youth in conflict zones. Awareness-raising sessions for stakeholders are also organized on the dangers of handling firearms.
AFCON2021: Cameroon at work to boost stadium occupancy rates
SND30: The Economic and Social council needs to be updated, think tank Camercap says
Buea-Limbe: Calm returns after clashes between the army and separatists
Yaoundé V Town Hall to soon set up an online tax payment platform to avoid fraud
Senator Kemende Henry Gamsey killed in the Northwest region
Comorian President Azali Assoumani: “A very important message has been sent to AFCON2021...
AFCON2021: Alleged separatist shots prompt enhanced security measures in Buea
Kousseri: Arab choa community continues to rebel after arrest of Acheck Aboukreffe
France did issue new rules of entry for travelers entering its territory from Cameroon
No, Lionel Messi didn’t say he will be present in Cameroon for the AFCON2021 opening match
No teacher was impregnated by her pupil at Biyem-Assi Government High School
No, ‘Richard bona music’ is not the official Facebook page of the musician
● E-SCAMS
Beware of phone calls from scammers supposedly acting on behalf the MINESUP or the MINFI
Beware of the scammers pretending to be private agents acting on behalf of the Cameroonian embassy in Belgium
Beware of the alleged CCAA job ad currently circulating on social media
MINJEC warns of fake job ads supposedly from the MINJEC and the MINFOPRA
Cameroonian authorities are taking several measures to boost stadium occupancy rates...
In October 2021, the Center for Analysis and Research on Economic and Social...
The towns of Buea and Limbe, in the Southwest region, are relatively calm today...
The mayor of Yaoundé V, Augustin Bala (pictured), announced his department will soon...
Senator Kemende Henry Gamsey was shot dead after he was kidnapped on the evening of...
Send us your rumour to be verified by our journalists
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Alex H. Fischer and Eleanor Wilson
Alex H. Fischer and Eleanor Wilson are the writer-directors of the sci-fi comedy Save Yourselves!, premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival and is out now through Bleecker Street. Alex’s previous film, Snowy Bing Bongs Across the North Star Combat Zone, a mid-length dance comedy space odyssey (a movie), co-directed with Rachel Wolther, premiered at BAMCinemafest in 2017. Alex was named in Filmmaker magazine’s “25 New Faces of Independent Film” along with Wolther, and their screenplay Nobody Nothing Nowhere was selected for the 2018 Sundance Screenwriters Lab, the IFP Project Forum and the 2018 Black List. Eleanor is a writer-director-producer from Adelaide, Australia, whose award-winning short films have played at festivals throughout the world. Her first, Possum, won best short film at the inaugural Nitehawk Shorts Fest, Everything All At Once, starring J. Smith-Cameron, premiered on Sundance.TV, and her latest, Low Road, which premiered at MoMA, was written as part of the Write By the Sea residency and is a recipient of the Future of Film is Female Grant.
Just For a Minute, Let’s Talk About Yahoo Serious
By Alex H. Fischer and Eleanor Wilson | October 2, 2020
The writer-directors of Save Yourselves! begin their campaign to get the comedies of Yahoo Serious into the Criterion Collection.
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Kim on course to resume nuclear tests after Trump’s Hanoi walkout
The North Koreans claim that during the talks in Vietman, Donald Trump was ‘clearly not the person in command’ on the US side.
Beijing: North Korea’s leader, Supreme Commander Kim Jong Un, may order fresh nuclear tests and missile launches as a consequence of his interaction with US President Donald J. Trump in Hanoi. The manner in which Trump conducted the meeting was, in the view of the other side, wholly different from the businesslike and confident manner the New York billionaire had shown in his earlier Singapore summit with Kim. This time around, the US President was clearly a “prisoner of the gangster group led by (NSA) Bolton and (Secretary of State) Pompeo”, according to the DPRK side. Discussions at a location in Northeast Asia with those familiar with the thinking of the leadership core of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) have made it clear that trust within North Korea’s key policymakers is diminishing in the ability—if not as yet the willingness—of President Donald J. Trump of the United States to “sincerely negotiate an agreement with Pyongyang that meets the DPRK’s conditions” of (1) assured regime survival over the long term, and (2) a green light to all countries to initiate unrestricted inbound and outbound trade, investment and commercial flows with Pyongyang.
According to these individuals, the Donald Trump who met with DPRK Supreme Commander Kim Jong Un in Hanoi was visibly different from the “much more confident and assured man” who met with Kim in Singapore. This time around, the US President was “clearly not the person in command” on the US side, and during the course of the talks, was “completely reliant” on cues made over to him by his “Cold War associates”, in contrast to Trump at the Singapore summit, “who took his own decisions”. It needs to be mentioned that in the view of the North Korean leadership core, almost all the official associates of Trump adhere to Cold War views and seek to “tempt and mislead” the Supreme Commander of North Korea into taking what the US side has demanded “for the past 40 years”, which is to make concessions that would permanently incapacitate the ability of the DPRK to have any nuclear-related program, including that relating to non-military uses. They said that such a de-nuclearization could “only evolve on a regional basis and over a period of time sufficient to build complete trust between the US and North Korean sides”. It is not possible “in the arrogant hurry (that US officials demanded in Hanoi of the DPRK) through the mouth of President Trump”.
According to the interlocutors spoken to at the Northeast Asian location, the US position at the Hanoi talks (as articulated by the 45th President of the world’s most powerful country) was that Supreme Commander Kim should “blindly follow the wishes of Washington” and that only after he obeyed could any discussion on matching US steps take place. They added that “the US side was evasive and unclear about the road map, if any, for corresponding concessions on their side”, which gave rise to the suspicion that “all that they wanted was to trick North Korea into (unilaterally) abandoning its most effective deterrent against aggression and getting only honeyed words from President Trump and vague promises from his official associates in return”.
‘TRUMP NOT WILLING TO LISTEN’
While the abrupt “walking away” of President Trump from the negotiating and even the mealtime table at Hanoi surprised the globe, key elements close to the leadership core of the DPRK see the manoeuvre as “pre-planned” and designed as an attempt to “humiliate the leadership (of North Korea) before the international community”. The Presidential snub came at a time when, in the North Korean view, Supreme Commander Kim was “attracting tens of millions of admirers all over the world every month for his steadfast commitment to a permanent peace on the Korean peninsula in line with the wishes of the noble Korean nation”. Unlike at the Singapore meeting, “when President Trump paid great attention to the ideas expressed by Supreme Commander Kim”, President Trump in Hanoi seemed “not even to want to listen to the DPRK leadership, but simply repeated over and over that he (Trump) should be trusted and his wishes obeyed immediately, because (in his view) he was a man who all his life had kept his word”. Trump “over and over” said that the North Korean side should obey the wishes of the US delegation by repeating, in effect, what Saddam Hussein and later Muammar Gaddafi had agreed to in Iraq and Libya earlier. President Trump wanted the US view to prevail “in order to dazzle his people with the sacrifice of the safety of the Korean people, while not caring about the harsh impact on the noble people should the nuclear defensive systems so painfully created by them over several decades be surrendered”, and that too “without any clear and enforceable plan” from the US side about how and when they would ensure that the “irreplaceable conditions” (of regime survival and freedom of operation within the international trading system) be made operational. On the contrary, the US side was “vague and evasive” about the steps they would take in response to acceptance of their demands, talking only in “generalities and in sugary formulae without specific action plans and time frames”. In contrast, the US side had “well-thought out timeframes and action plans that they wanted the DPRK to accept and to immediately begin implementing”.
During the nearly two dozen discussions that have taken place with different elements of the US and the North Korean side over the past eleven months, it was obvious that “none of the associates of President Trump have given up their repeatedly stated desire to force the end of the DPRK popular regime led by the wise hand of the Supreme Commander” and get it replaced with a “puppet government led by traitors to the noble Korean people” that Washington would fully control. To the shock of the delegation from Pyongyang, the US side acted as though South Korea “had zero power to take independent decisions”, and that Washington would decide “all such matters on behalf of Seoul”. In fact, the US side claimed in conversation that “no country, including China and Russia, would dare to disregard the sanctions imposed on the DPRK through the United Nations Security Council”, and that the noble Korean people would “starve to death unless the leadership core surrendered to US demands”. Such “inhuman thought” created “grave doubts” in the North Korean side about the “sincerity of the US side to negotiate an agreement that met the minimum conditions” set by the DPRK leadership for any agreement on regional de-nuclearization.
‘ASKED ONLY FOR TRADE’
According to the individuals spoken to from a Northeast Asian location, all that the North Korean side asked in Hanoi was to “permit their compatriots in the South as well as fraternal countries such as the Russian Federation and the People’s Republic of China, to have trade and commercial links with the DPRK without fear of US retaliation”. They added that this was all that was requested in exchange for “verifiable and substantial measures that would be concurrently get taken by the DPRK towards de-nuclearization” of the Korean peninsula. However, the US position, as articulated by President Trump, was that “the DPRK should first surrender and then the US side would decide what rewards should be given for such life-changing and permanent concessions”. Also, the US side was firm that it was expected that China, Russia and South Korea must obey Washington and impose “gangster sanctions on the Korean people”. Unlike during the Singapore meeting, when President Trump was more attentive to the other point of view and seemed less guided by his associates, in Hanoi he kept “repeating the same formulas that had been talked about by his associates earlier in their discussions (with the North Korean side) and which had already been rejected as inadequate”. Trump in Hanoi seemed much less interested in a genuine negotiation and remained focused on “insisting on his point of view and on his conditions being unconditionally and immediately accepted”. Only the “polite nature of Supreme Commander Kim Jong Un and the innate culture of the noble Korean people ensured that at no stage was the Supreme Commander unfriendly or disrespectful to the much older US President”, who was clearly in the “mental grip of Cold War associates and was no longer free to express or to implement his own ideas” the way he did during the Singapore meeting between the two leaders.
While there was a casual mention of an offer of a meeting in Washington later in the year, it was made clear both by Trump as well as separately by his associates that “this would be a surrender ceremony, and that before the visit, the process of eliminating DPRK’s main defensive systems should begin”. When the Supreme Commander made it clear that “national honour would not permit such a one-sided deal”, President Trump declared “in a tutored manner” that the conference was over and that “he was returning to Washington immediately”. It was clear that the US President was “only following the script written out for him by the Cold Warriors that filled his team”, and that he “no longer had either the will or the ability to come to a decision on his own that was fair to both sides and not a surrender”. The North Korean side became aware of the change in President Trump since the previous meeting. The earlier “decisiveness and autonomy of thought and suggestions for action” that the President of the US had in past meetings and communications was “totally absent” in Hanoi from the start.
FADING HOPES OF COMPROMISE
“Honour intact and preserving his steel will”, Supreme Commander Kim Jong Un returned to headquarters after the Hanoi summit and immediately afterwards convened successive meetings of the core leadership of North Korea. What the decisions were at such meetings was not indicated, but there seems a possibility that the North Korean side has given up hopes of a mutually agreed compromise, at least during the period when a weakened President Trump is in office. If this be so, they are likely to resume the development of “nuclear defensive systems”, including a hydrogen device, that the leadership core believes would insulate them from the possibility of attack by the US and the country they loathe even more than they do the US, which is Japan. In contrast, there is substantial goodwill within Pyongyang for South Korea and its people. According to the interlocutors spoken to, the manner in which the US side talked of South Korea, as though it were a “slave state that had no right to take its own decisions”, shocked the DPRK delegation. The expectation in Pyongyang is that “the noble spirit of the Korean people will rise within the (South Korean) leadership and ensure that the two sides cooperate with each other and build stronger and stronger bonds so that the entire peninsula benefits”.
However, the question in Pyongyang is the extent to which the Moon Jae-In government can withstand pressure from the Trump administration to retain the harsh sanctions regime that is in place on the DPRK. The attitude of China and Russia will be crucial. If Moscow and Beijing refuse to participate in what is described by the sources spoken to as “collective punishment by the US government of the Korean people for their refusal to surrender when they did not even after the 1950s’ war with the US”, a South Korea under the current leadership may follow the example of Beijing and Moscow, and should Washington object, may begin to adopt a “non-aligned” posture in the emerging Cold War 2.0 between the Russia-China axis and the US-led alliance, the key component of which in East Asia is Japan, the target of much of North Korea’s nuclear offensive systems.
‘WEAK TRUMP CANNOT DELIVER’
The perception of a US President so weakened by the viciously personal attacks on him and his family members that he has lost all freedom of manoeuvre does not entirely fit such moves by Trump as his repeated efforts at getting funding for a border wall that has the ability to prevent illegal crossings only in a Hollywood movie. What seems clear is that the leadership in Pyongyang, in its decision to enter into substantive talks with the US side, relied on the “businessman realism” of Donald Trump and his power as the Chief Executive of the US “leading the majority party” to ensure a “fair” agreement that would have a “mutually acceptable timetable involving corresponding and simultaneous measures by both sides, rather than any unilateral concession” by the DPRK. The loss of a Republican majority in the US House of Representatives and the toll that the Mueller-Cohen circus is having on the Trump Presidency seem to have diluted the earlier confidence in Pyongyang that President Trump had not just the intention, but the power to agree to and to implement on the US side what the leadership core in North Korea considers a fair deal. They attribute his insistence on “unconditional surrender” at Hanoi as being caused by his growing political weakness, leading to the US Head of State coming completely under the influence of individuals such as National Security Advisor John Bolton and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who in his earlier avatar as Director CIA is known by the DPRK leadership core to have worked on “plots for regime beheading” and encouraging a meltdown in North Korea. It has been noted by the “shrewd and far-seeing mind of the Supreme Commander” that neither Bolton nor Pompeo has expressed “any regret” for their longstanding position that the leadership core in Pyongyang needed to be eliminated through all or any available means. In the view of the DPRK leadership core, such a “lack of remorse” indicates that their “secret intention is to work towards a removal of the leadership while professing good intentions in the talks”.
Overall, it would seem a difficult task to once again persuade the North Korean side to believe in the possibility of what they consider a “fair” agreement meeting the two pre-conditions (regime survival and freedom to trade) that are “not negotiable”. After the Hanoi meeting that was cut short by the US side, the probability is for the DPRK to develop and to exhibit more lethal nuclear and missile “defence” capabilities, so as to make the US acknowledge the reality of a nuclear North Korea and stand aside while those countries that seek good relations with Pyongyang (principally South Korea) develop mutually beneficial linkages in, what this writer had, in a talk in the National Assembly at Seoul, termed a “Bright Sunshine Policy” towards North Korea.
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Home/Entertainment/Top 18 KissAnime Alternative Sites To Watch Your Favourite Anime Online
Top 18 KissAnime Alternative Sites To Watch Your Favourite Anime Online
Anime has begun to gain a solid following throughout the world, and the number of anime enthusiasts is steadily expanding. Most anime fans are unwilling to pay any kind of membership to watch anime, and KissAnime alternative solved this problem by becoming one of the first websites to provide anime streaming services for free. KissAnime was popular among anime fans and lovers for this reason. KissAnime has always been a fantastic website for free anime streaming, and it may continue to be. However, it is no longer as excellent as it was in the past, or it is only a phase that will not last for long.
Users of KissAnime frequently say that the website is not operating correctly and that it crashes frequently when they try to use it. Most people are looking for a better or comparable alternative to KissAnime, and if you’re one of them, you’re in luck because we’ve compiled a list of 18 sites that will enable you to stream your favorite anime for free and without any problem.
Why Was KissAnime Shut Down?
1: Crunchyroll
2: AnimeLab
2: 9Anime
3: Anime Season
5: KIMCartoon
6: KissManga
KissAnime, after The Pirate Bay, was one of the most popular pirated sites, according to reports. Kissanime.ru was without a doubt one of the most popular anime streaming websites. On any pirate websites or content, however, there is always a danger from officials and copyright owners. Because stolen content is, first and foremost, unlawful. In some countries, the KissAnime website was breaking copyright laws. As a result, officials and copyright holders have removed all content from the website. This was, however, exceedingly terrible news for individuals who enjoyed the free information on this website.
This year, on August 14, KissAnime sent a note on its website explaining that copyright holders had taken down KissAnime’s beta servers.
This has been added to the published notice, and the website may be shut down as a result. After a few minutes, KissAnime started trending on Twitter, and people started speculating about the streaming website’s collapse. This is precisely what occurred afterward! KissAnime may not be available right now or in the near future. Since Japan criminalized manga and anime piracy in June 2019, it was predicted that most of the well-known pirated anime websites would no longer function as smoothly as they have in the past.
To make amends, we may go online and search for the greatest anime sites, such as KissAnime. As a result, we’ve compiled a list of some of the best anime streaming websites. Let’s have a look at them!
Read More: Best WatchSeries Alternative 2022
Crunchyroll is without a doubt one of the greatest alternatives to the KissAnime website; it offers everything you need to make your leisure time worthwhile, from anime and manga to dorama (Japanese TV drama).
Crunchyroll was founded in 2006 and has since been the buzz of the anime streaming industry. Crunchyroll is now the most popular streaming service for watching anime online, with over 900 series and approximately 25000 episodes.
AnimeLab, similar to KissAnime, is a 100% free anime streaming service that strives to offer the finest anime series to your computer and mobile devices. The site collects all full-length episodes of major anime shows in one location, which you can watch online or on its anime mobile applications.
AnimeLab, on the other hand, is largely aimed towards audiences in New Zealand and Australia. Using a VPN service, you can still watch your favorite episodes and watch anime online.
Read More: Top Best Sites Like MovieNinja 2022
If KissAnime hasn’t wowed you and you’re seeking a better option, 9Anime is most likely the answer! On 9Anime, you may not only view your favorite anime series, but you can also download any anime you want!
As a result, it ranks #1 among the KissAnime alternatives in our top ten list. With millions of active users, 9Anime is one of the most popular anime streaming services on the Internet. There are various reasons why 9Aime is regarded as the greatest KissAnime alternative.
The website’s interface and vast database are the first and key reasons. 9Anime contains a database of over 25,000 anime episodes. The nicest aspect is that they are continually accepting new requests.
If you can’t locate your favorite anime series on 9Anime, send them an email and they’ll put it on their server specifically for you. In addition, 9Anime’s video quality is amazing.
9Anime has a very user-friendly UI. The shows are divided into many genres and categories, such as Newest, Ongoing Series, and Recently Updated, among others.
The film does, however, contain advertisements, which is how they make money from their website. Otherwise, 9Anime is completely free to use.
If you enjoy anime, you should check out Anime Season. It’s completely worth it, believe me.
The Anime Season’s Anime Collection is so large that you could watch it for hours on end. Most popular anime series, such as Alice of Zouroku, Hunter, and Hunter, are included in Anime Season.
Anime Season has a really beautiful website design. On Anime Season, finding and watching practically any Anime series is as simple as pie. For obvious reasons, the Anime Season is a widely famous moniker in the anime industry.
On Anime Season, you can watch practically any anime series for free with the fewest advertisements possible. Aside from that, the video quality of Anime Season is also a bonus. On AS, there is a big list of current anime shows that you may view.
There are many categories to browse through your favorite anime, such as Full Series Listing, Most Recent Series, Highest Rated Series, Categories/Genres, and so on.
Read More: Best CMovies Alternatives
Animefreak is one of the most popular anime websites, with a large library of high-quality anime programs available for free.
On AnimeFreak, there are thousands of anime streamings that you can start watching right now without having to pay anything or join up.
The AnimeFreak website has a similar interface to other websites. There are all of the same categories that most other websites have, such as browsing by genre, alphabetical content discovery, and the most recent release, and so on.
The only difference is the website’s color scheme. The colors on Animefreak are a touch bright, but that won’t affect you. You will not need to look for any other anime websites to watch anime after discovering this one.
KIMCartoon is another website that is comparable to Kiss anime. This website’s homepage is well-designed. You can also watch your favorite anime shows for free on our website. To use this website, you must first log in or register. Everything on this website is in high definition. They also post a rundown of the most recent anime series updates. You may also report a mistake by requesting your favorite anime. As a result, you must conclude that this is the greatest anime website similar to Kiss anime.
If you’re seeking kiss anime websites, this kiss manga is a good place to start. This anime website provides a large database of new and popular anime shows. This website is completely safe to use. This website also requires you to log in or register. One of the best aspects of this website is that it features anime from a variety of genres. They also update the list of ongoing manga on a regular basis. As a result, this is a website that is comparable to Kissanime.
Best WatchSeries Alternative 2022
Best Free Streaming Sites Like LookMovie In 2022
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Tenaris recognized for investment in Kazakhstan
Recently, the Ministry for Investments of the Republic of Kazakhstan recognized Tenaris’s premium threading facility in Aktau for its contribution as a foreign investor to the development of the country’s economy.
The award was presented during a conference organized by Kazakhstan’s Ministry for Investment and Development and the National Agency for Export and Investment, recognizing foreign investors for their active involvement in the country’s economy. At the event, ten companies were awarded for investment activities that have contributed to the industrialization of Kazakhstan, as well as the expansion of investment activities and the development of high-tech enterprises. Zhenis Kasymbek, the Minister for Investment and Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan, was in attendance and opened the conference.
Tenaris’s threading facility was introduced to customers in October and will support the company’s long-term agreement with Karachaganak Petroleum Operating (KPO), and key operator Tengizchevroil (TCO) and will enhance the service offer to other customers operating in major Kazakhstan fields with commercial, technical, field service and supply chain logistics expertise. The $40 million USD state-of-the-art facility threads seamless pipe and gas-tight TenarisHydril premium connections, and is equipped to apply Dopeless® technology.
Juan Juanicotena, Tenaris Area Manager-Caspian Sea, accepted the award on behalf of the company. “We are proud to be recognized by the Ministry for Investments for our facility in Aktau. Tenaris continues to be committed to Kazakhstan’s oil and gas industry, our people, our customers and the community.”
For more information about Tenaris, please follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Google Plus.
Tenaris designs, produces and delivers its most challenging coiled tubing strings yet
Following a calculated manufacturing and logistics execution, Tenaris has successfully produced its largest and most complex coiled tubing string for delivery to Alaska.
Connecting with a global community at Tenaris
After Quality Director Michael Dottor got his engineering and master’s in business degrees, he did something a little surprising, even to himself. “I decided to go for an adventure,” he says.
Advanced material technology offers Tenaris customers robust solution for dual-fuel plants and hydrogen applications
As the hydrogen sector takes on an increasingly leading role in the energy transition, Tenaris is responding to the market with its latest material technology for all hydrogen applications, THera™, Tenaris Hydrogen era.
Our brand name is derived from the word tenacity, representing our determination to serve our customers wherever they are and pursue and achieve the goals that we set ourselves. It is about striving for excellence in everything we do.
The colors in our multi-bar represent the diversity of the people that make up Tenaris around the world.
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First Saturday Art Crawls usher in a colorful fall art season
Melinda Baker and Michael W. Aldrich
Special to Nashville Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK — TENNESSEE
Editor's note: An earlier version of this story gave incorrect dates for the Tennessee Craft Fair, which takes place Oct. 12-14.
October First Saturday Art Crawls
From packing pillow sculptures to paintings of anthropomorphic sweets, October’s busy First Saturday Art Crawls usher in a colorful fall art season. Here are a few highlights to get you started.
In Wedgewood-Houston, David Lusk Gallery presents “Unruly,” an exhibition of new paintings and sculptures by Nashville artist Kit Reuther. The exhibition presents a new artistic direction for Reuther, who’s added more color to her typically neutral abstract canvases, and replaced metal and wood with materials like Styrofoam and packing pillows to create her latest abstract sculptures.
At the Packing Plant, COOP Gallery opens “Contingency” by Italy-based artist Regan Wheat. The exhibition presents intimate portraits of children who exist in conflict zones around the world.
And on Humphrey’s St., Julia Martin Gallery debuts “Mixed Episodes,” an exhibition of paintings by Nashville-based artist, musician and performer, Josh Elrod. Abstract and experimental, Elrod’s work explores themes ranging from chaos and sexuality to cash machines and UFO sightings.
Downtown, The Arts Company opens “Anthropomorphic Cuisine,” an exhibition of hyper-realistic still-life portraits of food against sumptuous backdrops. The gallery will also display wood sculptures by renowned Cookeville-artist Brad Sells, and selections of abstract paintings by Nashville-artist Dane Carder.
Tinney Contemporary presents “The New Real III,” the third installment of a series of contemporary realism group exhibitions curated by gallery director Sarah Wilson. The exhibition features work by Brian Tull, Eric Zener, Erin Cone, Joel Daniel Phillips, Alex Hall and Kay Ruane.
And Browsing Room Gallery opens “Unreliable Witnesses,” an exhibition of colorful, geometric abstract paintings by resident gallery artist Tom Veirs.
Nashville Opera presents 'La Traviata'
A fan-favorite by Giuseppe Verdi, "La Traviata" re-creates the decadence of the Paris underground at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center.
The bittersweet human quest for love and redemption is brought to life as worldly courtesan Violetta Valery meets the young romantic Alfredo Germont and discovers true love. But when she tries to escape her old life, her troubled past won’t let her go.
Originally performed in Venice in 1853, the three-part opera is sung in Italian with English titles. The performances is at 8 p.m. Saturday in Andrew Jackson Hall at Tennessee Performing Arts Center. Tickets are $26-$99. For more information, call 615-782-4040 or visit tpac.org.
Nashville Symphony presents Beethoven’s Violin Concerto
From the opening timpani strokes to its calming second movement to its celebratory finale, Beethoven’s Violin Concerto is one of the composer’s greatest masterpieces — and most beloved.
Featuring violinist James Ehnes, the concerto promises to give yet another view of Beethoven’s hauntingly poetic genius. And as a bonus, the orchestra will perform and record live for a forthcoming release John Adams’ "Harmonielehre," a 1986 composition drawing on 19th-century Romanticism and 20th-century minimalism to form a symphonic showcase commended as “rapturous” and “incandescent” by The New York Times. “We want to capture the energy of the concert experience,” said Giancarlo Guerrero, music director of the Nashville Symphony, of the live recording. “That means the audience will have a part too!”
Performances are at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday at Schermerhorn Symphony Center. Tickets range from $20 to $110. For more information, call 615-687-6400 or visit www.nashvillesymphony.org.
Circle Players performs 'Hair'
Circle Players are getting groovy, baby! Celebrating the counterculture of the '60s in all its barefoot and bell-bottomed glory, "Hair" tells the story of the “tribe,” a group of politically active, long-haired hippies living a bohemian life in New York City and defending their pacifist principles during the Vietnam War.
Making its original Broadway debut in 1968 with a Tony Award-winning revival in 2009, the rock musical explores what it means to be a young person in a changing world with hits such as “Aquarius,” “Good Morning Starshine” and “The Flesh Failure (Let the Sunshine In).”
The show runs Oct. 5-21 at Z. Alexander Looby Theater. Visit www.circleplayers.net for specific times. Tickets are $20. For more information, call 615-332-7529 or email boxoffice@circleplayers.net.
Kristine Potter’s 'Manifest' at Space 204
Next Thursday (Oct. 11), Vanderbilt welcomes Nashville-based photographer and 2018 Guggenheim Fellow Kristine Potter for an artist talk, reception and book signing in conjunction with her solo exhibition, “Manifest,” on view at the university’s Space 204 Gallery through Oct. 18.
The exhibition, made from 2012 to 2015, captures the rugged desert landscape along Colorado’s western border and the “cowboys” who live there in near isolation. The series, which has also been made into a book available for sale at the event, continues Potter’s previous investigations of masculinity and American mythologies.
You also can view selections from her acclaimed portrait series “The Gray Line,” through January at 21c Museum Hotel.
The event begins at 3 p.m. in Room 220 in Vanderbilt’s E. Bronson Ingram Studio Arts Center and the reception and book signing are 4-6 p.m.
Space 204 is in the E. Bronson Ingram Studio Arts Center at Vanderbilt University at 1204 25th Ave. S. Its hours are 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday. Admission is free.
40th annual Fall Tennessee Craft Fair at Centennial Park
Next weekend, Oct. 12-14, round up the kids and the shopping bags and head to Centennial Park for the 40th annual Fall Tennessee Craft Fair, open 10 a.m.- 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 10 a.m.- 5 p.m. Sunday.
The event brings together more than 200 award-winning craft artists who make one-of-a-kind treasures, from kitchenware and stained glass to jewelry and clothing.
Make a point to stop by the Emerging Makers Tent, which highlights the work of up-and-coming craft artists. And don’t miss the Kids Tent, which might be the busiest tent of all, with its fun, family-friendly activities scheduled all weekend long.
Centennial Park is at 2500 West End Ave. The fair is free, and free parking and a free shuttle service are offered on Saturday and Sunday. The shuttle will run in 15 minute loops from the HCA parking lots on Park Plaza.
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This is Microsoft's first Amazon Echo competitor
Cortana in a Harman Kardon speaker
By Tom Warren@tomwarren Dec 14, 2016, 6:09am EST
Share All sharing options for: This is Microsoft's first Amazon Echo competitor
Microsoft unveiled its plans to take on Amazon’s Echo last week, but the company didn’t detail any specific hardware products. Harman Kardon is the first third-party device maker to bring Cortana to a speaker, and it’s teasing its audio hardware that will debut next year. In a 30-second video, the speaker looks very much like an Amazon Echo, but it appears to include a display at the top that lights up with Cortana’s user interface.
Microsoft has been detailing its plans for Cortana on devices with screens over the past week, and it appears the company is going to make the screen a requirement for bringing Cortana to Internet of Things devices. The software giant used fridges, toasters, and thermostats as example devices for Cortana, but it’s clear this initial speaker from Harman Kardon will be the first of many that will allow Microsoft’s digital assistant to better compete with Amazon’s Echo and Google’s Home products. Harman Kardon hasn’t announced pricing or availability, but the speaker is set to debut some time in 2017.
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Charles Eaton biography by Cathy Eaton, June 2017
Charles Aubrey Eaton
Charles Aubrey Eaton was Cyrus Eaton’s uncle. Just fifteen years older than Cyrus, Charles was more of a brother than an uncle. The youngest of ten children, he was born in 1868 and moved to Pugwash Junction after the family’s farm burned down. His brother, Joseph Howe, was Cyrus’s father. Sadly, three of their siblings died in infancy due to diphtheria. Cyrus’s four older siblings also died of the dreadful, contagious disease. Both Cyrus and Charles grew up in rural Pugwash with strong Baptist roots. Daily life for both boys involved strenuous farm chores.
Charles recalled, “I cannot recall an unhappy day in all those golden years of childhood. In those primitive days it was taken for granted that everyone would pull its own weight, and in our family at least everyone did. I do not remember when or how I learned to milk a cow, or harness a horse, or yoke and drive a pair of oxen, or swing a scythe or axe, or tow and sail a boat, or plant, cultivate, and harvest the various farm crops.”
Charles attended school in Truro but returned to help on the farm after his father’s shipbuilding business failed. His father departed for Colorado for two years to work in the mines and help the family’s finances. Upon his return, he suffered a massive stroke, and Charles became head of the household since his older siblings had farms and jobs of their own. Charles also worked on the railroad to supplement his income. While attending Amherst Academy, he worked in a shoe store and as a store clerk.
He took one small trunk with him. Charles recalled, “It was not an impressive and elaborate inventory. My school books, the New Testament, a clean shirt or two, a pair of overalls. After paying my fare from Thompsons Station at Amherst, I had a $.25 piece left as my entire monetary capital. Measured by modern standards, I was traveling light” (Miller 17).
Charles found his calling for the ministry at Acadia University in Wolfville. He landed a job preaching for $1.20 at a small local church, but his first preaching job was short lived due to lack of ideas for sermons. He co-edited the college newspaper, which prepared him for his work later as a newspaper editor. He moved his mother close so he could provide for her.
A natural storyteller and an inspirational speaker, Charles preached in Natick, Massachusetts and Toronto, Ontario, before becoming the Baptist minister in Cleveland, Ohio, where one of his parishioners was John D. Rockefeller. They became life-long friends. Charles urged the wealthy industrialist to understand that “the wealthy were stewards, not owners, of their wealth which was to be used for the benefit of mankind.” He influenced Rockefeller to become a philanthropist and to create the Rockefeller foundation. Cyrus took his uncle’s sermons to heart and became a life-long philanthropist, who funded conferences at Thinkers Lodge, helped rebuild Pugwash after its fires, and assisted many people to attend university.
Charles became a US citizen, married Marion, and they had six children. After his work as a minister in New York, he bought a dairy fall in New Jersey, and ran for congress. Her served 14 terms.
Always, Charles put first the well-being of his parishioners, his New Jersey constituents, and the peoples devastated by war in Europe and World War II. He was chosen to be a signer of the United Nations charter. A close advisor to President Roosevelt, he was instrumental in "shepherding" the Marshall Plan through the House of Representative in his role as Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee.
The Marshall Plan was intended to rebuild the economies and spirits of Western Europe devastated by the enormous loss of lives and massive destruction of World War II. Marshall believed that in order to restore political stability, it was crucial to assist in the revitalization of national economies. Marshall also believed that political stability in Western Europe was crucial to containing the advances of communism in that region.
He and Cyrus remained life-long friends often visiting each other. He was a frequent visitor of Thinkers Lodge until his death in 1953 at the age of 85. Charles Aubrey Eaton never compromised his principals or his efforts to seek peace and end war.
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en / USD
Château de Vincennes
Tickets for Château de Vincennes: Priority Entrance
The tallest fortified tower in Europe
Open Today 10:00 - 17:00
Sainte Chapelle
Instant ticket delivery
Smartphone tickets accepted
Health and safety measures are in place so you can enjoy culture with confidence.
Highlights & Description
Explore the 52-meter tall medieval keep at Château de Vincennes. It's not only the tallest fortified tower in Europe, it's also where Henry V died
Accessible by metro (stop: Château de Vincennes) Château de Vincennes is the easiest of the royal châteaux to get to. Our mobile tickets mean no printing and get you in through the priority line entrance. This is the easiest way to get in touch with the French royal family!
Get access to the château and all temporary exhibitions (of course, you'll have to traverse the medieval moat, but there is a drawbridge)
Originally a hunting lodge, Château de Vincennes was the home of the French royal family for centuries, before they moved to the Palace of Versailles (and well before they were beheaded and banished). This historical compound has a moat, six towers, three gates, and a 52-meter tall keep - the tallest in Europe. This ticket includes access to all the key sights, and entitles you to enter via the priority entrance.
Like the Tower of London and the other, farther out-of-town, former royal residences, a trip to the Château de Vincennes brings you up close to the tumultuous history of royal families in Europe.
Located within Paris, the compound features a beautiful cathedral (although it was badly damaged during the French Revolution) and the highest fortified tower in Europe.
And this site was the setting for some important historical events. The English King Henry V died of dysentery in the donjon (tower), the relics of the Crown of Thorns were stored in the chapel before being transferred to Sainte-Chapelle in Paris and, during its time as a state prison, it held famous inmates including the Marquis de Sade, the philosopher Diderot, and the controversial Count of Mirabeau.
Restored after suffering extensive damage during WWII, the renewed Château de Vincennes is a symbol of the modern French state; it's a beautiful modern location with a complicated history. Come and get some.
Show your smartphone ticket at the ticket holders line.
Metro: Line 1 to Château de Vincennes.
Avenue de Paris, 94300, Paris
Amendment policy
Changes are not possible for this ticket
Valentina , United States
Loved it! And it wasn’t crowded when I went, which made the experience even better! Highly recommend
Château de Vincennes: Priority Entrance
Simona , United States
Great experience, Beautiful Place to visit.
Sandu Iulian, United Kingdom
Fast and efficient way to get tickets to major tourist attractions. Very happy with it.
One of the world's largest and most authoritative museums, the Louvre's magnificent classical silhouette (and funky glass pyramid) are well-known attractions in the center of Paris. But as nice as the Louvre is from the outside, its real magic is in the inside. The Louvre's collection ranges from Mesopotamian, Egyptian, and Greek antiquities, with masterpieces by Da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Rembrandt. With 35,000 works of art (all created before 1848), it's a big, and worthwhile, commitment. The Louvre is one of Paris's Big Three museums; the other two are the Musée d'Orsay (with Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art from the years 1848-1914) and the Centre Pompidou (with 20th-century works created after 1914).
4.8 / 5 (11884)
Housed in the stunning Beaux-Arts style Gare d'Orsay railway station, The Musée d'Orsay is home to significant and stunning works by painters including Gauguin, Monet, Manet, Degas, Renoir, Cézanne, and Van Gogh. It's widely considered to be one of the most culturally important museums in the world. Its entire collection is from the period 1848-1914, including many of the most significant Impressionist and post-Impressionist paintings ever created. Chronologically, the works come after those of the neighboring Louvre, and before the collection of the nearby Pompidou Centre.
4.8 / 5 (8800)
Paris Zoological Park (Parc Zoologique de Paris)
Formerly known as the Bois de Vincennes Zoological Park, the 14.5-hectare Paris Zoological Park recently underwent two years of refurbishment works, giving this famous zoological park major natural environmental features, and plenty of room for the animals to roam. The animal habitats have been grouped five 'biozones', and the zoo has six restaurants and a 4,000 m2 tropical rainforest-filled greenhouse. It's visible from quite far away, thanks to the Big Rock, a 65m-tall artificial mini-mountain, which is an iconic symbol of the Paris Zoological Park.
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Meet the Americans from 90 Day Fiance: Before the 90 Days
Here's who you'll meet on the new season, premiering August 4th at 8/7c!
Avery, 19 (Ohio) and Omar, 24 (Syria)
At 18 years old, Avery decided to leave the Christian faith that she was born into and become a follower of Islam, much to the displeasure of her family and friends. Shortly after joining a Muslim dating site, she met Omar. Even though Omar lives in war-torn Syria, they fell in love online and got engaged. Now traveling to meet him for the first time in nearby Lebanon, Avery must decide if a lifetime with Omar is worth potentially living in an unstable, battle-scarred country.
Timothy, 38 (North Carolina) and Jeniffer, 25 (Colombia)
After coming across Jeniffer’s online profile, Timothy was instantly smitten. Now, he’s traveling to Colombia to meet her in person for the first time and plans to propose. But with Jeniffer being a total knockout, he’s worried she won’t fall head over heels when they finally meet. Plus Tim’s close relationship with his ex-fiancé, Veronica, as well as the pressure of proving himself to be a capable step-father to Jeniffer’s 18-month-old daughter, may be hurdles that neither of them are fully prepared for.
Rebecca, 47 (Georgia) and Zied, 26 (Tunisia)
Rebecca has three kids and three failed marriages, including one to a Moroccan man she brought to America on a spousal visa, but she’s ready to try again. She met Zied online and fell in love, despite the concerns of her friends and family that she’s making the same mistakes over again. To discover if their love will last, Rebecca has planned a trip to Tunisia, and her goal is to leave with a ring and a new foreign fiancé.
Caesar, 46 (North Carolina) and Maria, 28 (Ukraine)
A hard-working nail technician, Caesar has spent over $40,000 to financially support Maria, the beautiful woman he met online, for the past five years. Now Caesar is planning to travel to the Ukraine to meet her, but Caesar’s coworkers are afraid she’s been scamming him this whole time. Once he meets her in person, Caesar plans on getting down on one knee and proposing to the woman of his dreams—but is Maria everything she says she is?
Darcey, 44 (Connecticut) and Tom, 39 (United Kingdom)
Darcey is back on Before the 90 Days, but this time she’s got a new man. British businessman Tom is Darcey’s ‘James Bond,’ and he’s just the positive energy she’s been searching for. Although they met online four years ago (pre-Jesse!) they never exclusively dated and never met in person. Now Darcey is finally ready to travel to the U.K. and hopefully start a relationship that will last a lifetime.
Benjamin, 33 (Arizona) and Akinyi, 25 (Kenya)
As a divorced father with a five-year-old, Benjamin wasn’t having much luck with meeting women from his hometown, so he broadened his search and found Akinyi. Benjamin now has his bags packed for his first-ever international trip to meet her in Kenya and ask her parents for her hand in marriage. It won’t be easy, as Benjamin is not only the first boyfriend Akinyi has ever introduced her family, but also—as far as they can remember—the first white man to visit their village.
Angela, 53 (Georgia) and Michael, 29 (Nigeria)
Returning from the second season of Before the 90 Days, fans will catch up with this couple and all their heated drama. When Angela traveled to Nigeria last season for Michael, they each had very different expectations. With six grandkids and little patience, Angela is returning to Nigeria to deliver the ultimatum that Michael change his ways or risk not coming to the U.S. to be with her. But if the past is any indication, things may not work out so easily.
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You are at:Home»Features»A definitive ranking of all my secondary school English books
A definitive ranking of all my secondary school English books
By David Mitchell-Baker on February 8, 2016 Features
Being an English Literature student, it goes without saying that English had long been one of my favourite school subjects during my time in secondary school. However, that doesn’t mean that I enjoyed every book I had to read and study.
But how do they all compare to each other? Here is a definitive ranking of every book and play I had to study over my seven years spent in secondary school, this list features the classic secondary school texts which I’m sure many of you would have enjoyed or endured during your teenage years.
(Please note that this is only my opinion on the book and plays; I completely understand why some may question my ranking and I know that some people will love my bottom placed choices but this is how I, personally, found them.)
15) Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
Good Lord.
Now, I know that many people claim this to be a masterpiece – but those people ain’t me. Even at the age of 18, in the midst of my second year of A-Levels, I struggled to find anything interesting or entertaining about Wuthering Heights.
Heathcliff: The Musical, starring Cliff Richard.
The novel charts the intertwining stories of the Earnshaws and the Lintons in the Yorkshire Moors in the 1700-1800s, and the various marriages, deaths, adoptions and scandals that occur between them.
The book, written by Emily Brontë, was published in 1847 and has since been argued as the best of the Brontë sisters’ work and even spawned a song of eardrum shattering proportions by Kate Bush and a so-bad-it’s-good musical starring Cliff Richard as Gothic, antihero Heathcliff.
Yes, you heard me right: Cliff Richard.
Somewhere in the deepest, darkest underbelly of the world, there’s a library which only stocks Twilight, Fifty Shades of Grey and Wuthering Heights.
14) The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare
This is the first Billy Shakespeare play to appear on this list and it won’t be the last.
Suffice to say, it’s the worse of the bunch.
The well known ‘comedy’ from Mr Shakespeare centres around the story of Antonio, the titular Merchant, and his struggles with local Jew (yes that’s basically what he’s known for in the play) Shylock and the large debt Antonio owes to Shylock, who is also a moneylender (see any patterns developing in this character?).
The play is shockingly anti-Semitic and just plain cruel; yes, Shakespeare does attempt to make us question how we treat Jewish people but in the end Shylock is ‘defeated’ like the bad guy that he is, he loses his money, and is forced to convert to Christianity.
Remind me again why this is a comedy?
13) The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
Now we get to an uplifting, lighthearted comedy about two Afghan boys, Amir and Hassan, who live in pre-war Afghanistan together with their dads before they go their separate ways; Hassan into Afghanistan, Amir to America.
Oh, did I forget to mention that Hassan is sexually assaulted?. And that Amir is probably the worst person in the world. And that he’s controlling of Hassan, as he is his slave. And that it’s not really uplifting at all. And that it’s not lighthearted. And that it’s not a comedy. Yeah.
So a lot of people love this book, and I’m in the minority, I know. But the book is just so dark and depressing that there’s just nothing I could enjoy or like about it. My apologies to the legions of Hosseini fans, but I am not one of you.
12) A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare
Yes that is national treasure Dame Judi Dench hugging Bottom the Donkey.
The next entry from Billy Boy Shakespeare is definitely much more of a comedy than The Merchant of Venice but that still doesn’t make it all that great. It’s strange, bizarre, wacky, crazy, weird, nonsensical… I’m running out of ways to say ‘trippy’ without saying ‘trippy’.
It’s a tale of men and women all falling in love with each other, most of them seem to be on some kind of mind expanding drugs, and one of them gets turned into a donkey. Classic Shakespeare.
11) Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen
As a man who’s favourite films include Lord of the Rings and Die Hard, I must admit that this book was really not as bad as I thought it would be. I certainly seemed to enjoy it more than my classmates did at that age.
Another classic story of women getting married off to handsome, wealthy men in the early 1800s, I’m still to understand why people love these books so much still given how devaluing they are of gender equality.
It’s had a couple of pretty good adaptations too – there’s a film with Kiera Knightly and a TV show with Colin Firth. Fans of the book may have died if they’d appeared in a single adaptation with each other.
There’s not too much bad, here, though; well written, some good characters, not too dark, uplifting. It’s very a much a nice book. That’s it, to me. Nice.
Still with me? Good, now it’s time to get a little less critical and a little more positive (not too much, though).
10) The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton
One thing you should know about me is that I am a sucker for a good coming of age story, and The Outsiders firmly places in this camp. The book follows two rivaling factions from two different socioeconomic background, the Greasers and the Socs in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in the 1960s.
It’s got a good narrative POV and some cool characters, but I can’t place it any higher for the sheer fact that it was highly forgettable to me. I read the book when I was 15 and I can remember perhaps two or three plot points, and not much else in between. But, still; one could never forget, “Stay golden pony boy”.
9) The Importance of Being Ernest by Oscar Wilde
It is essentially Mean Girls but set in a country house in 1890s England.
8) Dr Faustus by Christopher Marlowe
This is a strange one. Dr Faustus is the story of the titular doctor who thinks that he knows all there is to know so he decides to try and become a God…
…Logical step to take, yes?
Gothic, deep, surprisingly funny, Dr Faustus is a good little 70 page play.
7) Animal Farm by George Orwell
Pushing the agenda.
Orwell has an agenda and he really isn’t afraid to push it in your face.
He makes a famous analogy with Animal Farm; he takes the events of the Communist revolution in Russia from 1917 and transfers it onto a farm, with the animals taking on the roles of the people, the pigs as the Communist leaders and the humans as the Tsars.
I must admit that this is one of the two books I chose to write a comparative piece of coursework on for A-Level English , so there was a definite appeal to it for me. Critical and compelling, it’s a good book.
6) Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare
The third and final Will.I.Am Shakespeare play to appear on this list, and my personal favourite of Willy’s work.
Lads on tour.
Much Ado is actually a very funny, entertaining tale that just misses out on the top 5. It’s an endearing Renaissance rom com, with comedy that holds up to today standards. The story is a well put together, satisfyingly concluded charmer that still weighs in on serious topics of honour and politics.
Plus there’s a cracking film adaptation featuring Denzel Washington, so that automatically raises its stock.
5) The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories by Angela Carter
A real quick read but a great one at that. The Bloody Chamber is a collection of Gothic short stories, totalling at around 170 pages, all of which are rich with lavish language, imagery and interesting characters.
A word of caution: it can be a disturbing read at times (the story of The Snow Child takes the cake here, a manipulation of a Brothers Grimm’s fairytale that shows masculine dominance and control of the innocent) but is still a worthwhile read. My personal favourite stories of the collection are The Courtship of Mr Lyon, The Erl-King and The Bloody Chamber itself.
4) The Crucible by Arthur Miller
A gripping play about religion, magic, paranoia and pride, The Crucible is the first true (almost) masterpiece of this list.
Set in the year 1692, The Crucible tells the story of the Salem witch trials and the effects on a small religious community. Miller wrote the play as an allegory of the ongoing McCarthyism in the USA, in which Miller himself was threatened, which saw fear of communism lead to baseless accusations against key political and popular figures.
The play’s central protagonist and victim, John Proctor is a fascinating character who finds himself caught in the crossfire of the trials. It is a powerful role that required a performance from Daniel Day-Lewis himself for the film adaptation.
A great all round read.
3) The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Upon first reading, The Great Gatsby is a rather dull and event-light story. I fondly remember many classmates complaining that nothing happened until the last 10 pages.
Relationship goals.
However, when you begin to think deeper and analyse the book, it’s true greatness emerges.
Jay Gatsby is a great character and the exploration of his life, his wealth and his dreams are an incredibly important aspect of the book. Unfortunately, there rarely seems to be a good person around him. Nick is the most unreliable narrator in the history of literature (but it is to the books aid that he is this way, contributing to its nature as a fascinating read), Tom is a bit of a knob, and Daisy is a straight up gold digger.
But that’s what makes the book so good. We don’t expect Gatsby to be the most sincere and virtuous character but as the story unfolds, we realise that this is very much the case. The American Dream, and it’s ever more obvious hollowness, is central to the whole book.
Nick and Gatsby 4 lyf.
2) The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger
This was actually the book I started working on for the aforementioned comparative coursework piece before I switched to another book (the list topper itself in fact). It was a shame that I had to drop it but that didn’t change my perception of the book; it’s incredible.
Intimate, honest, emotive, The Catcher in the Rye has it all.
It’s a rather unconventional book; there doesn’t seem to be a normal narrative ark, but it really is a case of nothing and everything happening in a book, as cliched as it may be to say that.
Holden Caulfield is a troubled young man in a world where he is misunderstood, and this is the main focus of the book. Caulfield has become an icon for teenage rebellion and angst in a similar way to James Dean’s Jim Stark from Rebel Without a Cause.
It’s a fantastic coming of age story and arguably one of the last great novels left that is yet to receive a film adaptation. Salinger himself declined a Broadway production of the book in 1961, while both Harvey Weinstein and Steven Spielberg have both lobbied for the movie rights to no avail.
1) To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
When I was formulating this list, I knew immediately that this would be my Number 1.
Why? Well, it’s probably the best book I’ve ever read.
A courtroom drama, a coming of age story, a family drama, a social critique and examination and a story of friendship. To Kill a Mockingbird is a complete masterpiece that encompasses everything that makes a great novel.
I was skeptic at first to study it but I fell in love with the book and enthusiastically picked it up again to study it once more 2 years later.
No book I have read since has surpassed it and I don’t believe that any book ever will.
David Mitchell-Baker
The Edge's Film Editor 2017-2018, David has an unabashed love for all things Dave Grohl, Jack Black and Lord of the Rings. A compulsive liar who shouldn't be trusted, David once beat legendary actor David Hasselhoff in a hot dog eating contest and is best friends with Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo, they speak on the phone three times a week.
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Labour Minister Seamus O’Regan. (The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld)
Labour Minister Seamus O’Regan Contracts COVID-19
By Andrew Chen
Andrew Chen is an Epoch Times reporter based in Toronto.
Federal Labour Minister Seamus O’Regan confirmed on Dec. 27 that he tested positive for COVID-19.
O’Regan wrote on Twitter that, following the diagnosis, he will remain in isolation and follow public health guidelines.
The minister said that he is “grateful” for having received three vaccine doses, while thanking “the thousands of health care workers” who are keeping Canadians safe.
Took a rapid test and tested positive for COVID. I’ll stay in isolation and continue to follow public health guidelines.
I’m grateful for my three vaccine doses, for the thousands of health care workers keeping us safe, and for vigilance of millions of Canadians.
Hold fast 🇨🇦.
— Seamus O'Regan Jr (@SeamusORegan) December 28, 2021
O’Regan did not say how or where he became infected with the coronavirus, or provide any details about his symptoms or current state of health.
On Dec. 20, Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly also announced on social media that, following a rapid test, she was positive for COVID-19.
Federal and provincial governments have been ramping up COVID-19 restrictions in the face of the highly infectious Omicron variant and increasing case counts.
Data from areas with more advanced Omicron infection rates, including South Africa and Denmark, show the rate of hospitalization and deaths due to Omicron to be much lower than other variants of concern. Data so far show the same trend in Canada.
A recent study from the UK Health Security Agency showed that a person infected with Omicron is 70 percent less likely to be admitted to the hospital compared to someone with the Delta variant. Another study conducted by South Africa’s national public health institute shows that the risk of hospitalization due to Omicron is estimated to be 80 percent lower than with Delta.
COVID-19 cases in Canada on Dec. 27 shot up to over 15,400, setting a new record, while death count continued its downward trend at 16, down from a daily peak of 50 in October, and the highest daily peak of around 200 in 2020.
Daily hospitalizations on Dec. 27 were at 1,733, down from an October peak of 2,500, and highest peak of 4,800 in early 2021.
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Naveen Prabhakar is emerging as a corporate comedian, has done more than 3000 shows
Naveen Prabhakar is a standup comedian. He has participated in many shows and is well known for his comedy timing. Naveen Prabhakar is also making his mark as a corporate comedian. He has given more than 3000 live show performances. Due to this, he is not only popular in the corporate world but he has also created a huge fan base based on his experience.
Naveen Prabhakar has been successful in making people laugh
Doing comedy is not everyone's business. It takes time to keep people engaged with their punch line or timing. However Naveen Prabhakar has done it and he keeps making people laugh. His energy level is liked by all and he loves his Comments tickle everyone. Naveen Prabhakar's specialty is that he can also speak in Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Tamil or Haryanvi language. Due to this, he is able to leave a mark in the hearts of people.
Naveen Prabhakar is compared to Sunil Grover, Kapil Sharma and Johnny Lever
Naveen Prabhakar has been compared to Sunil Grover, Kapil Sharma and Johnny Lever. He has also won several awards for comedy. Naveen Prabhakar has also hosted the 12th and 13th Film Screen Awards as a celebrity comedian.
Apart from the country, Naveen Prabhakar has also performed abroad
Naveen Prabhakar has performed abroad as well as in the country. He is also a mimicry artist. He has also imitated more than 100 Bollywood actors. Naveen Prabhakar has also dubbed for more than 25 films for many big actors. Naveen Prabhakar will soon He will be seen in many shows and films. He is working hard for this.
Varun Dhawan and Kriti Sanon share a glimpse of 'Whodiya', watch video
Bollywood actor Varun Dhawan and actress Kriti Sanon are in a lot of discussion about the shooting of the film Bhediya. Now Kriti Sanon has shared a video on her Instagram, in which she is seen sitting with Bhediya co-star Varun Dhawan.
In the video, the actress can be seen sitting with him in a car. In the video, she says that Varun, I think it will be a full moon night, after which Varun Dhawan is seen singing like a wolf. He shared this video on Instagram and told that this video is during the shoot of an advertisement.
movie wolf story
Let us tell you that Varun Dhawan and Kriti Sanon's film Bhediya is a remake of Tamil film Redrum, which falls on the floor due to addiction. The filmmakers wrapped up the shooting of Bhediya's Arunachal schedule last year, where they shot a significant portion of the film. In this film, Varun Dhawan is going to be seen in the main character of Military Officer Khetrapal. Apart from Varun and Kriti Sanon, Abhishek Banerjee is also going to be seen in an important role in the film. This film can be released in theaters on November 25, 2022.
Kriti Sanon upcoming movies
If we do the same thing about Kriti Sanon's workfront, then she will soon be seen in Akshay Kumar's film Bachchan Pandey. In this film, she is going to be seen as a journalist, while Akshay Kumar will be seen playing the role of a gangster in the film. Directed by Farhad, the film can be released in theaters on March 4, 2022. Apart from this, Kriti Sanon is going to be seen in the main character in big films like Purush, Shahzada, Ganpat etc.
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You are here: The Job Explorer > By County > Arkansas > Faulkner County
Faulkner County, AR
Overview for Faulkner County, AR
Part of: Little Rock-North Little Rock AR, Metropolitan Area
Part of: Little Rock-North Little Rock-Pine Bluff AR, Combined Statistical Area
Faulkner County is one of about 3,141 counties and county equivalents in the United States. It has 647.4 sq. miles in land area and a population density of 169.0 per square mile. In the last three decades of the 1900s its population grew by 172.4%. On the 2000 census form, 98.8% of the population reported only one race, with 8.5% of these reporting African-American. The population of this county is 1.8% Hispanic (of any race). The average household size is 2.57 persons compared to an average family size of 3.04 persons.
In 2008 retail trade was the largest of 20 major sectors. It had an average wage per job of $21,561. Per capita income grew by 7.7% between 1998 and 2008 (adjusted for inflation).
Population (2009) 109,386 Covered Employment 39,232
Growth (%) since 1990 82.3% Average wage per job $34,542
Median Household Income (2008) $43,553 Health Care, Social Assist. - % all jobs in County 12.3%
Poverty Rate (2008) 16.2 Average wage per job $31,905
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MICHELLE LOVETT
Michelle Lovett is the visionary behind Life, Love and Lockup. Michelle was born on September 7, 1976, at Homestead Air force Hospital in Homestead, Florida. Her parents are Bennie and Gloria Lovett, (Deceased). Born premature, a heart murmur, severe allergies and battling chronic asthma. She had to fight to live. Doctors declared death at birth.
The Miami native, youngest of six children in a blended family, spent a lot of her youth in church watching her parents serve. Since the age of 4, Michelle has been able to remember and recite extended material in church and school productions. People always told her that she had plenty of gifts and talents. She followed her parents footsteps, serving on the usher board, singing in the choir and participating in holiday productions. It was also through her parents’ examples that she excelled in school,gifted programs and holding several leadership positions.
Upon graduating high school, Michelle enrolled at Paine College. The transition was challenging and she became unfocused, leading her to Georgia Military College where she earned an Associate’s degree in Criminal Investigations later she enrolled at Albany State University completing all courses in Criminal Justice. One of her dreams was to become a judge so she could positively impact the community. Later, she earned a Bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Strayer University.
Michelle spent 10 years working in the financial industry, climbing the ranks and holding such positions as conversion specialist, manager and fraud investigator. Michelle’s entrepreneurial mindset soon re-emerged. She had watched her parents run several successful businesses. She applied her learning from plus combined her corporate managerial skills from the bank in 2012 and opened MEME’ENT. (entertainment company, managing independent artists). Late 2014 she opened and operated TEAMUP TRUCKS, (trucking company).
Michelle, experienced back-to-back deaths of her mother and brother, (2009/2010),coupled with several surgeries, Lupron treatments & a total hysterectomy 2010, 2011 diagnosed with fibromyalgia, 2013 diagnosed with Lupus. Not to mention divorce and plenty of heartbreaks thereafter.
Michelle, re-evaluated life and what she wanted from it. Walked away from the corporate world, slowed operations on the trucking company, and found a special joy working in the entertainment industry. In 2015, Sista Girl London offered her a role in her stage play and she returned back to acting. 2016 & 2017 she struggled and battled with lupus, focus gave her six months to live. She was forced to stop acting. Michelle, started a new regiment and is living a holistic lifestyle. Two years had passed and GOD proved once again, Michelle is his child. She was alive, healthy & death wasn't in the forecast.
Michelle returned to the stage, Tv, and film, gaining acting experience and quickly becoming a sought-after actor in the Atlanta area. She have done background work for television shows such as Black Lightning , Cobra Kai, BET Tales and Tyler Perry commercial for his last stage play. Michelle, have starred or co-starred in nearly 8 stage plays, including Where’s My God Man written by Evans Louissaint; Damnation written by Russell Tyson, How to Love a Damaged Man written by SistaGirl London and True Love written by Beverly Banks. Admiring such actors Denzel Washington, Regina King, Gabrielle Union and Tiffany Haddish, Michelle sees herself sharing scenes with them soon.
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Man cleared of killing missing couple
TT/The Local
A man from Skåne has been cleared of killing a middle-aged couple who disappeared in January from their home in Båstad, 110 km north of Malmö.
Police believe the couple, a 64-year-old man and 58-year-old woman, were murdered. The pair’s bodies have never been found. Both police and prosecutors say that all indications are that they are dead.
The man, 21, was charged with their murder, but Helsingborg District Court said that it was not certain that the 64-year-old man was dead, even though this was the most likely scenario. Traces of his blood on the edge of the trunk of a car used by the young man did not necessarily mean that he had been killed, the court said.
The court said it was proven that the woman was dead. However, even though it was “most likely” that she was the victim of foul play, it was not proven.
The 21-year-old was convicted of three charges including forgery and attempted fraud, for which he was jailed for one year. He had admitted applying for three bank loans in the name of the missing man, and confessed to stealing his driving licence. He has denied all along having anything to do with their disappearance.
The accused man’s lawyer, Kai Erwall, said he was satisfied by the outcome.
“It was as the defence argued, and I think the judgment is correct. It feels like they have listened to the defence.”
The court did not completely dismiss an argument from Erwall, who argued that the woman could have died, after which the man bundled her body into the car, before disappearing himself. This scenario was less believable, but not entirely implausible, the court said.
Man on trial for missing couple’s murder
Security guard saved by bulletproof vest
Serena Williams pulls out of Swedish Open
Germany’s Barthel wins Swedish Open
Serena Williams wins Swedish Open final
Larsson to meet Williams in Sweden Open final
Carlos Berlocq claims Swedish Open title
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Newcastle Strikers All Time Top Premier League Duo
There is much talk at the minute about the formations Premier League clubs are playing at the minute without traditional strikers a lot of the time, a trend Spain took to extremes in this era’s Euros.
A look back over the modern history of the Premier League shows that when it comes to strike partnerships, Newcastle United had the very best in terms of goals.
At the very top of the tree you have the Andy Cole/Peter Beardsley link-up that produced an incredible 55 Premier League goals in the 1993/94 season, Cole was outrageously good and hit 34, with Peter Beardsley weighing in with another 21.
This is easily the best in Premiership history but there are some familiar faces in the next best list (from the 1995/95 season each team played 38 matches as compared to the previous 42);
1994/95 – Alan Shearer (34) and Chris Sutton (15) scored 49 for Blackburn.
1999/2000 – Kevin Phillips (30) and Niall Quinn (14) combined with 44 for the mackems.
1995/96 – Robbie Fowler (28) and Stan Collymore (14) hit 42 for the red half of Merseyside.
1996/97 – Alan Shearer (25) and Les Ferdinand (16) memorably teamed up for only the one season in black & white, scoring 41
Last season Demba Ba and Papiss Cisse hit 29 between them, with Demba Ba on 16 and Cisse with 13 in just under half a season. One of Alan Pardew’s biggest jobs is of course how to get the best out of BOTH strikers but that is proving elusive so far this season, with Ba in great goalscoring form but Cisse failing to fire.
Most fans seem to believe that playing a more traditional front two isn’t the way forward for Newcastle but maybe the real truth is when you look at the goalscoring records of players like Alan Shearer and Andy Cole, there is still a long way to go before either of our current forwards is mentioned in the same breath as either of those two past United heroes.
Graham Porter
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Tottenham to open new stadium against Liverpool
The Premier League has announced today (Thursday) that Tottenham Hotspur will be allowed to play its first home match of the 2018-19 season at Wembley amid delays on the construction of the club’s new stadium, which will now host its first game in mid-September.
Tottenham’s first home match at the new stadium will be against Liverpool on September 15. Its home match against Fulham on August 18 will be played at Wembley.
Tottenham’s season begins with a trip to Newcastle United on August 11, before the Fulham game the following weekend. Further away trips to Manchester United and Watford will follow before the first international break of the season. Liverpool will then be the visitors in mid-September to open the state-of-the-art new stadium.
The club said today that it was always its intention to seek permission to play the first few matches of the season away from home.
Spurs chairman Daniel Levy said: ” I am absolutely delighted to announce the date of our first match in our new home. Our fans have been hugely supportive and this has been much appreciated during a challenging but momentous time.
“I should also like to thank Richard Scudamore and the Board of the Premier League for having regard to exceptional circumstances, along with the Board of Watford for agreeing to reverse our fixture on Matchday 4 to an away game.
“We had always intended to request a few games away at the start of the season. The coaching staff were keen to place a home game within the early fixtures so we shall have one home game at Wembley.
“We have held extensive scheduling discussions with Mace, our construction manager, and our lead sub-contractors. Our first operational test event will be held on 5 August.”
Image: 3D Digital Venue
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Western Conference front-runners meet when Oilers host Wild
Two of the top teams in the Western Conference will face off when the Minnesota Wild visit the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday night.
Minnesota is riding a six-game winning streak and has registered at least one point in seven consecutive games. The Wild have not lost in regulation since Nov. 20 against the Florida Panthers.
The red-hot stretch has helped the Wild tally 35 points in their first 24 games.
"You're going to have to battle and win some games (in) different ways," Wild defenseman Matt Dumba said after his team's most recent victory, a 4-3 shootout win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. "You can't just blow teams out all the time and just get easy wins.
"You've got to battle, you've got to have comebacks, a little adversity, and how our team has faced that all season has been awesome. Very proud of it."
Now comes another tough challenge against Edmonton to kick off a four-game road trip for Minnesota.
The Oilers are coming off back-to-back losses against the Seattle Kraken and Los Angeles Kings, but they remain near the top of the conference standings with 32 points in their first 23 games. Edmonton boasts a 9-2-0 record on home ice.
Despite the team's positive big-picture results, Oilers head coach Dave Tippett challenged his players after their 5-1 defeat to the Kings, which marked Edmonton's most lopsided loss of the season.
"There are parts of our games that aren't good enough right now," Tippett said. "There's some puck battle stuff, some wall battle stuff, some execution with the puck, things that allow you to play a lot harder and a lot faster, and we're not doing enough of that right now. Our puck play is slow. Too many battles, we end up chasing pucks, and that's been going on for a long time now."
Leon Draisaitl leads Edmonton with 43 points (21 goals, 22 assists) and a plus-15 rating in 23 games. Connor McDavid is right behind Draisaitl with 42 points (16 goals, 26 assists) and a plus-9 rating.
Zach Hyman is the Oilers' third player with double-digit goals. He has lit the lamp 11 times.
As for the Wild, Kirill Kaprizov sits atop the scoring list with 29 points (nine goals, 20 assists) in 24 games. Ryan Hartman is next with 21 points, including a team-high 13 goals, and Mats Zuccarello rounds out the top three with 18 points (seven goals, 11 assists).
Cam Talbot has started 18 of Minnesota's first 24 games. He is 13-5-0 with a 2.71 goals-against average and a .915 save percentage.
Edmonton's primary goaltender has been Mikko Koskinen. He is 12-3-0 with a 2.97 GAA and .911 save percentage in 15 games (14 starts).
This is the first of three regular-season meetings between the Wild and Oilers. They will face off again in Edmonton on Jan. 12, and they will meet in Minnesota on April 12.
Wild forward Jordan Greenway is hoping that he and his teammates can carry their confidence from Saturday's win over the Maple Leafs with them to Edmonton.
"I think we're definitely showing everyone and ourselves that we can play with anyone," he said.
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Home›Crime›Liberia church massacre survivors sue perpetrators
Liberia church massacre survivors sue perpetrators
Four survivors of a church massacre that killed 600 people during the Liberian civil war filed a civil lawsuit in a U.S. court against the man they accuse of having ordered the attack.
The lawsuit, brought in a federal court in Philadelphia, accuses Moses Thomas of directing the mass killing on July 29, 1990, while a colonel in the Armed Forces of Liberia.
Thomas came to the U. S. under an immigration programme intended to help victims of the conflict and now lives in a Philadelphia suburb, according to the lawsuit.
Attempts to reach Thomas were unsuccessful late on Monday, but he told the BBC that the allegations were“nonsense,” according to a report on the broadcaster’s website.
The church killing was among the most brutal atrocities committed against civilians during 14 years of near-constant conflict, which saw child soldiers enlisted in the war before it ended in 2003.
Hundreds of families took refuge at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, a Red Cross humanitarian shelter, in the country’s capital of Monrovia, seeking protection from the violence ravaging the city.
Thomas headed up the army’s elite anti-terrorism unit, according to the lawsuit, and ordered approximately 45 soldiers to enter the church and open fire indiscriminately.
Soldiers then used machetes to hack others to death, while some victims survived by hiding under the bodies of others.
The lawsuit can only recover monetary damages from Thomas if successful.
It could potentially lead to other actions against him, but lawyers for the victims noted that Liberia has never established a tribunal to investigate wartime human rights violations.
The case was filed under U.S. laws that allow foreign victims of war crimes abroad to sue the perpetrators in U.S. courts.
“Cases like these should be tried in the countries where the crimes were committed,” Nushin Sarkarati, an attorney with the Centre for Justice and Accountability, which represents the four anonymous plaintiffs, said in a statement.
“Because that is not yet possible in Liberia, the victims have to push to try perpetrators in the courts of the countries where they have chosen to hide.”
Activists hailed the case as a first step toward holding those responsible for the church massacre accountable.
“I think victims and survivors of the St. Peter Lutheran Church massacre will be at peace this evening,” said Peterson Sonyah, executive director of the Liberia Massacre Survivors Association.
TagsLiberia church
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Categories Asia
Israel Landmarks
by top-medical-schools December 2, 2021 December 9, 2021
Annunciation Basilica in Nazareth
A visit to the Basilica of the Annunciation is also an important part of the program when traveling to Israel. Nazareth is located in the north of Israel and is considered the hometown of Jesus and his parents, Mary and Joseph.
According to tradition, Maria fetched water from a spring near her place of residence when the Archangel Gabriel is said to have appeared to her. He announced the birth of the Son of God to her. A church probably stood above this point as early as the 4th century. The first written mention comes from 570 AD. Several churches were destroyed at this point over time. In 1620 the ruins were bought by the Franciscans and a cathedral was built over the grotto. In 1955 the new building of the Annunciation Basilica began. This church is the largest sacred building in the Middle East.
On March 23, 1969, the Annunciation Basilica, which is still run by the Franciscans, was opened by Pope Paul VI. consecrated. The Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI. have worshiped in this holy place of Christianity during their visits to Israel.
According to topschoolsintheusa, the architect of this building is the Italian Giovanni Muzio. In the grotto below the church remains of old church buildings are integrated and can be visited. Representations of Mary adorn the basilica inside and outside. Many of these pictures were donated by Catholic communities in different countries. The grotto and basilica can be visited all day with free admission.
Yad Vashem – Holocaust Memorial
The Yad Vashem Memorial is known as the “Central Memorial for Holocaust and Heroism” and is the world’s most important information center on the subject of the extermination of Jews during the Nazi era.
The monument is located in Israel, outside the city center of Jerusalem, and was opened in 1953. The annual number of visitors is more than two million. Admission is free.
The various facilities in Yad Vashem
The memorial consists of various facilities such as the Museum of the History of the Holocaust, several monuments, an art museum, a synagogue, a library and the “Forest of Nations”.
At the various stations you can get comprehensive information about the time of National Socialism. An audio tour, which is also available in German at the information desk, is highly recommended, as the various stations themselves are only signposted with information in English and Hebrew.
Yad Vashem contains numerous documents and testimonies about the life and suffering of Jews during the Nazi era.
In 2005 a new museum building was opened with a prism-shaped main building and an open view of Jerusalem. The story of the Jews from the Nazis’ seizure of power to the “Final Solution” is told in nine different galleries. Individual fates are repeatedly documented with photos, films and documents.
Outside there are several memorials such as a freight wagon that is supposed to commemorate the deportation of the Jews or 2000 trees on the “Boulevard of the Righteous of the Nations”, which are supposed to stand for all people who saved Jews from certain death.
A trip to the Yad Vashem memorial, whether private or as a study trip, is certainly not easy to cope with emotionally, but it is significant and moving.
Jerusalem is not only the capital, but also one of the most popular tourist destinations in Israel. If you want to learn more about the history of the country, you should definitely pay a visit to the Israel Museum in the city of 800,000. The National Museum is located in the west of Jerusalem and covers a total area of 50,000 square meters. This makes it not only the largest museum in the country, but also one of the most important art and archeology museums in the world. The modern museum building is characterized by large rooms and very special lighting. The Israel Museum is divided into four different areas. In addition to the sections Jewish art and Jewish life, archeology and art education, the 20,000 square meter garden also houses its own art department.
The Dead Sea Scrolls
Opened in 1965, the Israel Museum has extensive collections with countless valuable exhibits from prehistoric beginnings to the present day. One of the most extensive archaeological collections on the Bible can be found in the museum. In total, the Israel Museum has around 500,000 different objects. The outstanding exhibits of the museum include the Dead Sea Scrolls, which are kept in the so-called “Shrine of the Book”. The Israel Museum is open to visitors daily. Entry costs 54 shekels (around 12.58 euros), children between 5 and 17 years of age pay 25 shekels (around 5.82 euros).
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Giuliana Mendiola
Giuliana Mendiola is the best offensive player in California high school history. She was the first guard to score over 3,000 career points, and remains the only player in history to collect over 3,000 points and 700 assists. She is Orange County’s Career Scoring leader and was named one of California’s greatest players of the decade by ESPN Magazine. Throughout her prep career she earned numerous awards including: CIF player of the Year, OC Player of the Year, All State, and All America honors.
Giuliana was a four year starter at the University of Washington, and established herself as one of the most all-around players in Pac-12 history. She is the only player in NCAA Division I history (men’s or women’s) to lead her team in points, assists, rebounds, and steals for two seasons. She became the first player in conference history to score over 1,500 points, collect over 700 rebounds, and distribute over 600 assists. She was the first Pac-10 player of the year in Washington history and the first player to score over 40 points in a game. She remains Washington’s All-Time Assists leader, and is one of the greatest scoring point guards in Pac-12 history. During her career she was a John Wooden National Player of the Year finalist, a two-time All-American, and Four-Time All-Conference player. After her illustrious career she was inducted into the University of Washington Hall of Fame in 2012.
Giuliana played professionally in the WNBA (Sacramento Monarchs), NWBL (San Francisco Legacy), Europe (Greece, Spain and Switzerland) and the ABA (LA Aftershock). She led the NWBL in scoring during the regular season and the playoffs, averaging nearly 30 points per game. She became the most prolific shooter in Greek League history, averaging 17 points and 7.3 rebounds during her career, with a career FG% of 59% and career three-point percentage of 50%. In 2005, she became the first woman to play, start, and score in the ABA, a men’s professional league. In her historic first game she had 12 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 steals for the LA Aftershock.
After her legendary playing career, Mendiola became a Division I basketball coach. She coached one season at Montana State University and seven seasons at UC Riverside. At UC Riverside, her team won the Big West Championship in 2016, going undefeated (16-0) in league play for the first time in school history.
Gioconda Mendiola
Gioconda Mendiola, along with her sister Giuliana, formed the highest scoring duo in California during their playing careers, and transformed El Toro High School into one of the highest scoring teams in the state. During her senior season, Gioconda led Orange County in assists and ranked top five in scoring, and was one of the top playmakers in the state. She averaged 18 points and 8 assists, and was ranked in the county and state in assists, three pointers made, and three point percentage. During her career she was an All-County selection, League MVP, and First Team All CIF. She led El Toro to its greatest season in school history in 1999, a level of success that has not been reached since she graduated.
Gioconda was a four-year letter winner at the University of Washington, where she joined her sister and put together the highest winning percentage for a recruiting class in Washington history. In her first season she led Washington to a Pac-10 Championship and the Elite 8 of the NCAA tournament. In her senior season, she led her team in steals and three pointers made and ranked second in assists, assist to turnover ratio, and three point percentage. Gioconda was one of the best defensive players and three point shooters in the conference, ranking in the top 10 in both categories. Gioconda was an All-Academic Pac-10 selection in 2004. During her playing career in Washington, she ranked first in the conference in attendance and shattered previous records, averaging over 6,000 fans per conference home game and becoming the first team to have back to back conference games with over 8,000 fans.
Gioconda played professionally in Germany and Sweden where her playmaking, high intensity defense, and long-range shooting made her a fan-favorite. She consistently ranked in the top five of her league in assists, three pointers made, three-point percentage, and steals. During her professional career she won the German Cup Championship and was named Newcomer of the Year in the Swedish league. After her playing career, Gioconda joined the Riverside Police Department, where she served the city of Riverside for eleven years. She was the team captain on the RPD team and competed in the Police Olympics where she earned the bronze medal.
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Tag Archives: Forever After All
Luke Combs Is Red-Hot In the Number-One Spot with “Cold As You”
Congrats to Luke Combs as “Cold As You” is the number-one song this week! This is Luke’s 4th trip to the number-one spot on the country music airplay chart this year! It’s also his 7th chart topper from his album, What You See Ain’t Always What You Get! Luke started 2021 with a 5 week…… MORE
Luke Combs Drops a Hot Lyric Video for “Cold As You”
Luke Combs is following up his number-one hit “Forever After All” with “Cold As You” – another track off the deluxe version of What You See Ain’t Always What You Get. Luke shares the story behind the song, “‘Cold As You,’ I wrote this song with two of the same guys that I wrote ‘Beer…… MORE
Luke Combs Takes Care of His Parents Forever After All
Luke Combs has “been on one hell of a redneck roll” for several years now. He’s been cranking out one massive hit after another – in fact he’s just coming off a 6-week run at number-one on the Billboard Country Airplay Chart with “Forever After All.” All that success has been great for Luke –…… MORE
Luke Combs Makes It 6 in a Row At Number-1 with “Forever After All”
Just over 2 months of 2021 belong to Luke Combs. That’s how long his songs have claimed the number-one spot on the Billboard country airplay chart. First with “Better Together” back in January and February… and now here in June and July “Forever After All” is spending its 6th week at number-1! 3 other artists…… MORE
Luke Combs Makes It Five for Forever After All
Luke Combs is getting ready to launch his What You See Is What You Get 2021 tour later this week, with three straight shows in Orange Beach, AL – July 2nd thru the 4th. Fans will be treated to all of Luke’s hits, including his number-one smash “Forever After All” – which is spending its 5th…… MORE
Luke Combs Puts the Four In “Forever After All” With Another Week At Number-1
For the fourth week in a row Luke Combs is coming in at number-one with “Forever After All.” It’s Luke’s 9-week in the top spot in 2021 – with 5 previous weeks at number-1 with “Better Together” earlier this year. While Luke’s success has been hard earned, it was predicted by his grandfather years ago,…… MORE
Luke Combs Makes It 3-Weeks in a Row at Number-1 for “Forever After All”
Luke Combs now owns one third of the weeks in 2021 at number-1. “Forever After All” is once again at number-1 on the country music airplay chart, and earlier this year, Luke had a 5 week stay at the top with “Better Together.” That 8 weeks is more than any other artist so far this…… MORE
Luke Combs Spends a Second Week at Number-1 with “Forever After All”
Congrats to Luke Combs – his song “Forever After All” is spending its second week at the top of the country music airplay chart. Along with being the 11th number-1 in his career, Luke will remember this song for another special reason, “‘Forever After All’ is the first song that I wrote in my house in…… MORE
Luke Combs’ “Forever After All” – Number-1 on the Billboard Country Airplay Chart
Congrats to Luke Combs – his song “Forever After All” is sitting at number-1 on the Billboard Country Airplay Chart! This is Luke’s 11th consecutive number-1 song – and the 6th track off of his deluxe album What You See Ain’t Always What You Get to capture the top spot. After hitting number-1 Luke says, “It’s pretty…… MORE
Luke Combs Releases “Forever After All” Music Video
When it comes to Luke Combs‘ new single “Forever After All” – the song already had a very personal connection to the singer. Luke shares, “I wrote this song obviously about my wife Nicole, and it was the first song that I had written in our new house that we live in here in Tennessee.…… MORE
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Lamborghini’s V-12 Super Hybrid - Infused With Sian DNA and Prepped for a Summer Debut
The Lamborghini Sian’s Technology will live on in a new V-12 super Hybrid that will arrive this Year
by Dim Angelov, on September 2, 2021, 07:00
A few months ago, Lamborghini made it very clear that it will not give up on the V-12 engine. In fact, not one but two Lamborghini V-12 models are set to debut in the near future, one of which was the Ultimae. We also know what the other one is going to be. The Lamborghini Aventador is officially a decade old and a successor is due. As we mentioned a while back, the Aventador successor will feature a V-12 hybrid powertrain, based on the Sian. Moreover, according to CEO Stephan Winkelmann, it will debut later this year.
2021/12/20 The Lamborghini Aventador’s Successor Spied, And It Has A V-12!
The Actual Aventador successor will come in 2023 and it will feature a completely new V-12 engine with electric aid.
This means that the recently unveiled Ultimae (yes, that’s how you spell it) will be the last non-hybrid V-12 supercar from Lamborghini.
The Sian FKP37, on the other hand, is the brand’s first mid-engine V-12 hybrid and the upcoming Aventador successor will use the same supercapacitor tech in a similar way. We also expect it will have an output in excess of the Sian’s 819 horsepower figure.
Winkelmann says two more models, based on the Urus and Huracan, will arrive next year. We also know that 2024 will bring the next-generation V-10 “Lambo”, so the one we see later this year will most likely be a sequel to the Huracan Super Trofeo Omologato. It could even be a Spyder version, but that’s something we’ll have to wait for to find out.
One thing we know for sure is that all future Lamborghini models will feature plug-in hybrid technology.
As for the Urus, 2022 will bring an updated version of it, which is expected to bring a plug-in hybrid version to the lineup. In fact, Urus test mules have already been spotted testing. The company recently celebrated 15,000 sold units of its Super SUV, which is also a spiritual successor to the LM002. We can argue about that last part.
In the meantime, another mid-engine V-10 Lamborghini and an updated Urus will also make an appearance sometime in 2022.
Here’s the kicker.
The V-12 hybrid model said to debut this summer will not be the Aventador's successor. That actually comes in 2023 and it will feature a plug-in hybrid setup, according to CEO Stephan Winkelmann.
However, it will not be using supercapacitor technology, as it represents “bridge technology” and is not “green” enough to meet the ever-stringent emissions regulations, Winkelmann added. Because of this, future Lamborghini flagship models will feature a plug-in hybrid powertrain, focused around an all-new V-12 engine.
2021 Lamborghini Aventador Ultimae LP 780 - 4 specifications
V12, 60°, MPI
6,498 cc (396.5 cu. in)
Ø 95 mm x 76.4 mm (3.74 in. x 3 in.)
Valve per cylinder
Valve gear
Variable valve timing electronically controlled
780 HP @ 8,500 rpm
531 LB-FT @ 6,750 rpm
355 km/h (220 mph)
Acceleration 0-100 km/h [0-62 mph]
Acceleration 0-200 km/h [0-124 mph]
Dim Angelov
Born in 1992, I come from a family of motoring enthusiasts. My passion for cars was awoken at the age of six, when I saw a Lamborghini Diablo SV in a magazine. After high school I earned a master’s degree in marketing and a Master of Arts in Media and Communications. Over the years, I’ve practiced and become skilled in precision driving and to date have test driven more than 250 cars across the globe. Over the years, I’ve picked up basic mechanical knowledge and have even taken part in the restoration of a 1964 Jaguar E-Type and an Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint. Lately, I’ve taken a fancy to automotive photography, and while modern cars are my primary passion, I also have a love for Asian Martial Arts, swimming, war history, craft beer, historical weapons, and car restoration. In time, I plan my own classic car restoration and hope to earn my racing certificate, after which I expect to establish my own racing team. Read full bio
2022 Lamborghini Aventador Ultimae LP 780-4
2020 Lamborghini Sian FKP 37
2018 Lamborghini Aventador S
Model: Model View All Lamborghini Aventador Lamborghini Cabrera Lamborghini Countach Lamborghini Diablo Lamborghini Estoque Lamborghini Gallardo Lamborghini Huracan Lamborghini LM Lamborghini Miura Lamborghini Murcielago Lamborghini Reventon Lamborghini Sesto Lamborghini Sian Lamborghini Urus Lamborghini Veneno
Cars / News / Lamborghini / Lamborghini Aventador / Supercars / 2021 / Stories / Coupe / Industry news
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Spotlight On: Spring Beach Reads
Photographed by Alden Wallace on Tory’s multi-stripe logo scarf with Tory’s metal-brow bar sunglasses
In need of a good book while you’re idling in the sun? Here, some of the seasons’ great reads.
Surf Site Tin Type by Joni Sternbach
With its oversized dimensions, Surf Site Tin Type is probably better suited for a place of pride on your coffee table versus a day on the sand, but this book is a must for any and all beach lovers. It’s a beautiful ode to the surf life from photographer Joni Sternbach, who spent the past decade capturing portraits of contemporary surfers around the world. What makes this such a stunner is Sternbach’s use of tintypes — a 19th-century wet-plate, on-site form of photography — whose resulting patina adds a romance and artistry to her images; it’s a refreshing and welcome move in today’s digital quick-snapshot terrain.
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
Hanya Yanagihara, an editor-at-large for Condé Nast Traveler, is a powerful storyteller. Her debut novel The People in the Trees garnered serious praise — The New York Times noted her “rich, masterly prose” and called Yanagihara “a writer to marvel at” — and this sophomore outing has only upped the ante. A Little Life centers on four college friends who make the move to New York City to carve out a life and career in their respective fields: law, architecture, art and film. Yanagihara brilliantly crafts this very real, and unbelievably rich, world for the reader, as their stories unfold over the next few decades. But be warned: This one tugs on — no, ravages — heavily the emotions… and you’ll love it.
The Battle of Versailles by Robin Givhan
Pulitzer Prize-winning fashion critic Robin Givhan highlights a major — and oft-forgotten — moment in fashion history: the Battle of Versailles in 1973, when five French couturiers squared off against five American designers. Picture it: Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Dior, Hubert de Givenchy, Emanuel Ungaro and Pierre Cardin on one side, and Anne Klein, Stephen Burrows, Bill Blass, Oscar de la Renta and Halston on the other. It was a groundbreaking face-off — and for American fashion, the moment it stole the world stage — with no shortage of drama and stars, from Josephine Baker and Liza Minnelli to the top models of the era. Givhan’s journalistic eye brings you back, to the front row and behind the scenes.
I Left It on the Mountain by Kevin Sessums
Kevin Sessums has the sort of career that’s worthy of the big-screen treatment. He starts out as an actor trying to make it in the New York scene, then comes a career as a celebrity journalist at Interview and Vanity Fair, during the Andy Warhol and Tina Brown years, respectively. While the book is filled with bold-faced names — Jessica Lange, Hugh Jackman, Madonna and Daniel Radcliffe, to name a few — what’s compelling is Sessums’ own tale and how he finds his way out of a wild, self-destructive lifestyle. There are highs, lows — shocking, terrifying lows — and the spiritual paths back. Sessums doesn’t mince words and is brutally honest and graphic about the affairs in his life, but that’s what makes this memoir so raw.
Paris Street Style: Shoes by Isabelle Thomas and Frédérique Veysset
Fans of Isabelle Thomas and Frédérique Veysset’s Paris Street Style: A Guide to Effortless Chic will be happy to know the duo have a follow-up that narrows the focus to that much-beloved accoutrement: shoes, shoes, shoes. As with their last book, this one comes filled with a treasure’s worth of style tips, from footwear care (“shoe cream, not polish”) to the serious stuff, like “The 10 Commandments for Walking Well in Heels.” The interviews with designers and street-style stars are great, too, with plenty of advice and memorable quips. For instance, this little gem from W magazine’s Contributing Fashion Editor Giovanna Battaglia: “The lower I feel, the higher the heel.”
Going into the City by Robert Christgau
Memoirs are having a moment of late — just check out this list — and music critic Robert Christgau’s does not disappoint. Of course, this New York native is more than just your regular guy who writes about music for a living; he’s a rock-star critic, dubbed the Dean of American Rock Critics, who’s covered the industry for five decades, with, by his estimate, 14,000 record reviews under his belt. He saw Janis Joplin at the Fillmore, the Rolling Stones at the Garden, went to Woodstock — and got there in a limo with Pete Townshend. But Going into the City is as much about these stories as his own and it’s a treat for any music lover to peel back the curtain on the writer, his life and the art of music criticism.
Motorcycles I’ve Loved by Lily Brooks-Dalton
Motorcycles, world travels, Vermont and Australia — all those things come together in Lily Brooks-Dalton’s upcoming memoir, which details a nearly four-year journey around the world, on one motorcycle after another. Even if you’re not a gearhead, and can’t tell your cruisers from your scooters, the book’s appeal lies in Brooks-Dalton adventures in rediscovering herself, one road trip at a time.
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
This book is an American classic, and a Pulitzer Prize-winning one at that, so there’s no need for us to dive into its plot arc or what makes it such a wonderful read; you already know it all. The reason why this makes Tory Daily’s read-it-now round-up? Fifty-five years after its debut, Lee is finally releasing a sequel, Go Set a Watchman, which picks up two decades after the events in To Kill a Mockingbird. So catch up on the story of Scout Finch before Lee continues the tale — you’ve got four months before Go Set a Watchman is released on July 14th.
Labels: Books, Culture, music, Style, To Read, Travel
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[Sponsored Post] A move to Barcelona turns into a realization that the Mediterranean culture’s focus on community and a balanced way of life is the best bet for the future.
The COVID-19 quarantine has made us question everything we value and prioritize as a society. Sitting isolated at home, it becomes easy to disconnect from reality and watch life through our television and laptop screens. The quarantine can leave us frozen, waiting to see what that uncertain dawn would bring us; waiting to see what’s happening and how others might build a post-crisis society. Caring for ourselves and our loved ones is the priority right now, but we are still allowed to have hopes and dreams and take the actions within our control to build and own a future for ourselves.
A balanced Mediterranean life
The future seems like a distant idea right now. Yet, we will all have a fundamental role in that new reality. Our dedicated and hardworking health professionals, delivery workers, grocery and bakery employees, and scientists have been at the frontlines. But, soon enough the rest of us, as individuals, must step forward and make decisions that will revitalize the economy and society as a whole to a new and more balanced normal.
Investments, real estate, and even vacation choices, will determine the social and economic well-being of each country. Barcelona, with its geographic location, international status, and the Mediterranean culture’s balanced way of life, is well-positioned in all three areas. I know. It’s why I chose to invest in Barcelona by living and working in this beautiful city.
Invest in Barcelona: Making the move
After studying and working as an attorney in the United States for twelve years, I moved to Barcelona and fell in love with a new way of living. In the United States, success meant a great salary, what others considered a good job, driving a nice car, and constantly purchasing new clothes. What seemed like a full life from the outside was not enough for me.
The more “success” I had, the more I realized that, for me, success has to be balanced with physical, mental, and emotional well-being. That balance is the basis of Spanish culture, where there is an emphasis on making a life beyond working infinite hours, and creating meaningful social relationships of friendship, love, and community that are not based on false social prestige and material possessions.
During this quarantine, the Spanish people have demonstrated how they as a society, and as individuals, are able to unite. Setting aside politics, they have managed to keep their spirits up based on mutual support focused on not leaving anyone behind. It’s as simple as clapping from their windows and balconies every evening for the dedicated work of our health service providers, or impromptu concerts sang from the balcony for the entire street to enjoy, or being as involved as taking care of shopping for their elderly neighbors to reduce their exposure to the coronavirus. The culture here is one about caring and welcoming people and, even in the worst of times, reinforce its ties to ensure that we are all well.
Living my best Barcelona life
It’s the difference between living and living well. It’s the type of “good life” that gives us a feeling of belonging to a community that has true quality of life. Spain has an undeniable attraction from its Mediterranean beaches to its snowed peaked mountains, history rich with art and architecture, a vibrant and social society, lively and personable streets and neighborhoods, plus internationally recognized gastronomy.
Despite the economic impact of the situation we are currently facing, the Spanish business environment remains well-positioned within Europe and at an international level. It serves as a vital entry point to investment in the European Union, which also maintains strong historical, social, and economic ties with Latin America. In short, it’s an excellent option to invest in Barcelona for those seeking a more balanced way of life.
Of course, for me Barcelona has become my home across the ocean — a place that has given me the opportunity to build a successful international business and a complete way of life. Barcelona is one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the world, with serious growth in terms of industry and economy and ranked as one of the best places to invest in Europe. It is also a cultural capital, innovative, vibrant, and full of life.
I could not have imagined a better place to build my future and life than here in Barcelona. Although the current situation has made clear that we will need a “new normal,” my perspective remains the same. In Barcelona, I have the capacity to build a future and pursue real goals for myself and for my business that are aligned with our common wellbeing.
I invite you to discover beautiful Barcelona and choose this city as your new home. I have done it myself and have been immensely happy with the decision to live the healthy, balanced, and complete Mediterranean way of living this wonderful region offers.
Adriana Barba is an attorney and managing partner at Vázquez & Barba International Legal Consultants, where they help people realize their dream of living in Spain. Contact them to schedule a complimentary consultation at [email protected].
About TBE Team
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Eco in Ibiza: Luxury farmhouse retreats on the party island
The Swiit Life: Tracy Fontana on putting life before the 9-5
Mallorca Farmhouses: luxury accommodations with eco-friendly practices
« ICON: Recinte Modernista de Sant Pau (Hospital Sant Pau)
Certified to Drink: WSET wine courses in Barcelona »
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The Official Catholic Directory of England & Wales
The Catholic Directory of England & Wales has a history going back almost 200 years, giving us a fascinating insight into the early re-emergence of the Catholic Church in these islands after centuries of suppression and isolation.
The earliest Catholic Directory in our collection dates from 1848, and shows that just a few decades after the Catholic Relief act of 1829, the Church was already working tireless to re-establish itself across England & Wales.
Much of this was down to the efforts of The Rt Rev Thomas Griffiths, SDD, Vicar Apostolic of the London District, who helped establish numerous new churches and chapels, and schools ‘for the instruction of the children of the poor’, both in London and further afield. By this time there were 912 working Catholic priests in England and Wales, but governance was through vicars apostolic, with no bishops and there was no diocesan or parish organisation.
On 29 September, 1850, by the Bull Universalis Ecclesiae, Pius IX restored the Catholic hierarchy in England, partly to better administer to the large number of Catholic Irish flocking into England after the Irish Famine. For the first time since the reign of Mary Tudor (1555-1558), Catholics now had a a full hierarchy consistent with that of Catholic countries.
Thirteen sees and the archdiocese of Westminster were established, and the Catholic Church in England & Wales had finally taken on the form and structure we recognise today.
Every year since, The official Catholic Directory of England & Wales has faithfully reflected the changes in personnel, structure and organisation of our local Church. It remains the ONLY comprehensive reference guide to the structures of the Catholic Church in England and Wales.
“The Catholic Directory is not just a vitally important reference work, but a fascinating volume to read in its own right,” said Joseph Kelly, who has edited the publication since 2016.
“The extent and work of the Catholic Church across England and Wales is immense, and the directory lays out just how much we Catholics continue to contribute to the wellbeing of the communities we live and work in,” said Mr Kelly.
The Edit Partnership Ltd is privileged to be publishing the Catholic Directory of England & Wales on behalf of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England & Wales
The Official Catholic Directory of England & Wales 2022 will include:
Find Mass times and locations of all Catholic churches, chapels and religious houses across England & Wales.
Thoroughly updated diocesan entries, confirmed and approved by each diocese. Includes all parish priests, with new appointments and assignments, retired clergy and necrology.
Comprehensive listings of Catholic Schools and colleges, religious orders, chaplaincies, lay organisations and Catholic welfare, caring and support services.
The Official Catholic Directory of England & Wales 2022 is published on 6th January
Luxury, hardbound publication with more than 900 pages of information
PRICE: £45 incl. UK p&p
(We post worldwide – select your country as you order for postage rate)
Copies are very limited, so please place your order now via our Edit Partnership online store. All major credit cards and Paypal accepted.
Alternatively you can order by sending a cheque for £45.00, with your name and address, to:
The Edit Partnership Ltd, 16 Trinity Square, Llandudno, Conwy LL30 2RB
Click to buy online
Click here to download postal order form
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Share this Story: Five boroughs in five days: Explore New York in a week
Five boroughs in five days: Explore New York in a week
Pam Fieber
Sep 11, 2021 • September 11, 2021 • 6 minute read • Join the conversation
New York is all about the boroughs. And as a potential visitor, you want to take it all in.
So how about a carefully selected sample of sites and eats that will take you across five boroughs in just five days. Knowing you can’t see it all, head out with a plan to see a cultural sampling across New York City’s big five: Queens, Brooklyn, Manhattan, the Bronx and Staten Island.
Five boroughs in five days: Explore New York in a week Back to video
Long Island City in Queens. Courtesy NYC & Company / barberstock Photo by Julienne Schaer /Julienne Schaer/NYC & Company
This rapidly developing borough, particularly the area just across the river from Manhattan known as Long Island City, is a popular alternative to staying in Manhattan. You can trade the sirens and street noise for the odd bit of construction noise, as highrise condos take over the skyline to make the most of the spectacular views back across the river to Manhattan. Weird detail: Jimmy Fallon, when he brought the Late Show back to New York, incorporated this iconic view into his new set.
One of the most whimsical views in Queens can be found in Gantry Plaza State Park, just behind the giant Pepsi-Cola sign at 30-99 48th Ave. The giant sign — the “P” and the “C” are both four storeys tall — sat atop the Pepsi Bottling plant on the Hudson River since 1940. The sign now has landmark status on the Queens waterfront.
After that selfie stop, continue the nostalgic whimsy and head to the Museum of Moving Image for a genuinely delightful Jim Henson exhibition featuring all your favourites from The Muppets and Fraggle Rock, as well as some puppeteering memorabilia (like original notebook sketches from Jim Henson as he roughed out characters and ideas) and a chance to go hands-on with the puppets. The Museum (MOMI) itself has hours’ worth of movie magic exhibits, like the original Mrs. Doubtfire prosthetic mask, the Freddy Kruger costume and a full-sized model of Linda Blair, complete with rotating head, from The Exorcist.
Queens offers a great alternative for less expensive hotels, and just one or two subway stops into Manhattan. Hotels here will be at least $100 less per night, (and up to $200 less per night in high season). Check out the Hilton Garden Inn Long Island City for great value, spacious rooms and some nice touches that take the edge off — free coffee in the lobby every morning, 24-hour, coin-operated laundry a generous breakfast buffet for the price of a continental breakfast. Those little things add up and might make it worth the extra subway stop.
The famous Nathans deli on Coney Island in Brooklyn. Courtesy NYC & Company / barberstock Photo by Matthew Penrod /Matthew Penrod/NYC & Company
Coney Island is so iconic, it’s worth making the subway trek out there even if you don’t want to spend the day at the beach. It’s a great change of pace after a few days of museum-walking in the city. Start by walking the Brooklyn Bridge for some great photo moments and classic views. Stop in at Tacocina for delicious house-pressed tortillas and then hop on the subway and sit back for a half-hour ride all the way through Brooklyn and out to the bustling beach and boardwalk of classic Coney Island. Stroll the boardwalk and the pier, reconstructed after hurricane Sandy damaged it badly in 2015. Much of the area has been rebuilt but it retains the charm and ambiance that families expect. Whether you hit the sand or stick to the boardwalk and midway, it is almost required that you stop in for a classic Nathan’s hotdog. You can dine here at the original, beachfront location or take a snack to go for a picnic on the sand.
A view of Central Park in Midtown Manhattan. Courtesy NYC & Company / barberstock Photo by Julienne Schaer /Julienne Schaer/NYC & Company
There’s so much to do on the island of Manhattan, that it’s the hardest borough to do in one day. You’ll have to pick and choose between Midtown Manhattan and Lower Manhattan, possibly giving it two days if this is the first visit.
In Midtown, you’re going to want to plan ahead to hit all the stops. You’ve got to go for a walk in Central Park, see a Broadway show, and visit Times Square, as well as trying to get in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Guggenheim and The Empire State Building, or the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA), which has timed tickets to reduce the crowds.
Of course, a Broadway production. Check out long-running hit Chicago, MJ the Musical or the ever-popular smash Hamilton — and afterward, you can take advantage of the late operating hours at the Empire State Building and head to the top for mind-boggling city views.
One way to help put it all in perspective is with a movie location tour, and one of the best is When Harry Met Seinfeld, a bus tour from On Location Tours that hits many of the spots you’ve seen on screen, from the Seinfeld diner to the restaurant where Meg Ryan waited for her date with Tom Hanks in You’ve Got Mail. As a bonus, it starts and ends at McGee’s Pub, the inspiration for the local gang’s hangout in How I Met Your Mother. You can even have lunch there.
Then, head south to Battery Park. The area devastated by the 9/11 attack is now a thriving hub of both finance and tourism. The 9/11 Memorial Museum is a must — give yourself at least three hours, as down in the cavernous area that was once the base of the twin towers, you will not want to rush. Make plans to meet up afterward, because you will certainly become separated from companions during this powerful experience.
Afterward, take some time to stroll the glorious waterfront pathways of Hudson River Park, which stretches from Battery Place to West 59th Street, and take in the pickup basketball games, dog walkers and families with strollers that have made this area so vibrant.
St. George on Staten Island. Courtesy NYC & Company / barberstock Photo by Tagger Yancey IV /Tagger Yancey IV/ NYC & Company
Take the free Staten Island ferry from Lower Manhattan’s Whitehall Terminal for a 25-minute ride that gives you a water view of the Statue of Liberty. Walk off, and straight ahead is your first chance to appreciate the new development around the ferry terminal, specifically the 350,000-square-foot Empire Outlets shopping area. After loading up on discounted Banana Republic, Polo and Guess merch, you can check out the Snug Harbor Cultural Centre and Botanical Garden.
Finish off your day by heading to Blue Restaurant NYC for a Mediterranean-inspired bite (1115 Richmond Terrace). Try the Thai Calamari or Rock Shrimp Quesadilla while enjoying spectacular waterfront views.
New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx. Courtesy NYC & Company / barberstock Photo by Tagger Yancey IV /Tagger Yancey IV / NYC & Company
Yankee Stadium is a must-see for sports fans. A trip to the iconic home stadium of the most storied franchise in professional sports is on many buckets lists. Naturally, it has its own subway stop and is accessible from all directions via the B, D and 4 lines.
If you’re in New York in off-season, you should be able to sign up for a tour. Try the historical ‘Hands On History’ option, which lets you touch artifacts, things like Babe Ruth’s bat (1922-23), Mickey Mantle’s autographed contract from 1963, various World Series rings and the World Series Trophy, and of course, significant baseballs. Tours run most days between 11 a.m. and 1:20 p.m.
Skip lunch and save your appetite for something with a bit of Bronx flavour. Scarf down huge samples of fresh mozzarella, pasta and cannoli with the Little Italy on Arthur Avenue Tour, part of SusanSez NYC walkabouts tours. The farmer’s markets are vibrant, the streetscapes are bustling and you will not leave hungry.
Those who visit the stadium can show their ticket for a discount at another huge Bronx destination, the New York Botanical Garden. Its 100 hectares of diverse flora and fauna are a National Historic Landmark and a leader in plant research and conservation. And it’s a lovely place to catch your breath after exploring all five boroughs.
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Putting a Little Light on the Subject aka Illuminating the Falls
As previously mentioned in my last post about my trip to Niagara Falls wherein I wrote of souvenirs, statues, and stupidity, as night began to descend on the area the number of tourists really began to increase and that was because they were all waiting for just one thing.
No, not a horse-drawn carriage ride around Victoria Park even though that certainly did look like a very romantic way to tour the area - particularly if you had someone to snuggle up in the back of the carriage with! What all of the tourists - and myself - were patiently waiting for was the nightly Illumination of the Falls, a treat for visitors that has occurred every night throughout all seasons since June 8th, 1925 with the exception of several periods during World Wars I & II, in January of 1938 when a major ice jam shut down the Ontario Power Company Generating Station at the base of the gorge, and once again for a few evenings in August 2003 when the lights were turned off to support recovery efforts during a major North American black-out.
That date wasn't the first time that the Falls had been lit up at night though. The first occurrence was in celebration of the Prince of Wales visiting the area when, in his honour, both the American and Horseshoe Falls were fully illuminated for the first time in history at 10 p.m. on September 14th, 1860 using a system that was designed by Mr. Blackwell, owner of the Robert W. Blackwell & Company electrical engineering and contracting firm of England. Mr. Blackwell used 200 Bengal lights (a blue flare-type light that was formerly used for signaling) to illuminate the Falls from the high bank of the Canadian shoreline as well as from Table Rock and behind the water of Horseshoe Falls. It was a successful lighting but the method wasn't adopted for future illuminations.
In 1879 during the Royal visit of Princess Louise and her husband the Marquis of Lorne - Governor General of Canada, Niagara Falls was once again illuminated. This was another historic event as it was the first time in history that the Falls were illuminated by use of electricity when the Brush Electric Company of Cleveland, Ohio used arc lights to illuminate the Falls.
Other historic illuminations occurred during the 1901 Pan American Exposition in Buffalo, New York when the Falls were illuminated with spotlights to attract the attention of visitors at the Exposition and on October 9th 1907, when the Falls were illuminated during a visit by the Duke of Cornwall and again on October 18th 1919, during a visit by the Prince of Wales.
During the early 1920's, businessmen from Niagara Falls, New York formed a group that became known as the "Generators" and they began lobbying officials of both the American and Canadian Governments to improve the illumination of the Falls. After the group had raised $58,000 for the purchase and installation of twenty-four new arc lights, the Niagara Falls Illumination Board was formed on February 24th, 1925. With power being provided free by the Ontario Power Company, the group had a $28,000 annual budget for the management, operation and maintenance of the illumination lights.
The twenty-four new lights, which were originally built to search the sky for enemy aircraft over Britain during World War II, were mounted in a row on the Ontario Power Company water surge tank, located next to what is now the Edgewaters Tap & Grill, on the Canadian side of the Falls which allowed both the American Falls and Horseshoe Falls to be lit from the same location.
An official ceremony to commemorate the lighting of the new lamps took place on June 8th, 1925 and included a light parade in Niagara Falls, New York which was followed by an International ceremony in the middle of the Lower Arch Bridge (now known as the Whirlpool Rapids Bridge) before the lights were turned on to illuminate the Falls to the delight of the many spectators looking on. The twenty-four spotlights were operated by a crew of three men who manually slid colour gelatin films into place in front of each light in order to change the colour of the Falls.
On June 20th 1958, twenty new carbon arc lights were installed by the General Electric Company of Canada to replace the 1925 lights and those in turn were replaced by twenty Xenon gas spotlights in 1974. Following complaints that had been received stating that the current lights were too weak and ineffective to properly illuminate the Falls, in 1997 the Niagara Falls Illumination Board began work to replace the old illumination lights with a new 21-light system that allowed 60-70 percent more illumination. At a cost of $150,000 the first ten lights were replaced during 1997 and in 1998 the eleven remaining lights were installed. The new lights were much brighter and more economical producing twice as much light as the previous lighting installations and consuming 10% less power. Eighteen of the lights are located at the Illumination Tower, not too far from where the statue of Nikola Tesla stands, and three are located below street level in the gorge opposite the American Falls.
The illumination configuration that was designed by lighting expert Linus MacDonald in 1995 and still in use today, is best viewed from a distance rather than close-up in order to obtain the best possible visual impact. The center of Horseshoe Falls is not illuminated because of the water-borne mist that rises from the base of the falls high into the air above which then forms an impenetrable wall of water molecules that reflect the light and doesn't allow the light to penetrate to the waterfall behind it.
The illumination project is still administered and funded by a five member International Board known as the Niagara Falls Illumination Board which consists of representatives from the City of Niagara Falls Ontario, the City of Niagara Falls New York, the Niagara Frontier State Park Authority of New York, Ontario Power Generation (Ontario Hydro) and the Niagara Parks Commission. Linus MacDonald, who redesigned the lighting system in 1997, continues to maintain all of the lights that illuminate the Falls which includes the job of replacing each Xenon Light Bulb yearly in a process that requires him to wear a ballistic vest and full face protective shield while working with the lamps as they require extreme caution due to their elevated rates of atmospheric pressure.
It is estimated that the cost of illuminating the Falls is approximately $85 an hour which includes the services of an operator who changes the colours of the lights every 5 to 10 minutes by using a touch-screen computer system that was installed in 2009. Prior to that the operator changed the light colours by manually turning a series of four colour-coded (red, blue, green, yellow) round-shaped toggle switches for each of the twenty-one lights. A large coloured panel (or any combination of the four panels) is housed in the section above the actual light and drops down in front of the lights - or rises as the case may be - changing the standard white light to the rainbows of colour that shine upon the Falls. Taking less than 30 seconds for the colours to change, there is no set computerized pattern for the lights. The artistic choices are left entirely up to the expertise and whimsy of the operator of the lights much to the delight of the crowd of tourists.
Watching the play of colours across the magnificent falls, it was pretty easy to see why so many people had flocked to the water's edge and also why so very many of us had cameras! A lot of people also had tripods but I had left mine in the back of my car up on the top of Clifton Hill so instead made do with steadying my camera on top of some of the rocks that make up the barrier between the Parkway and the Falls. It wasn't ideal but I wasn't about to trek all the way back up that hill and down again! I guess I'm just not that dedicated of a photographer!
I also wasn't going to climb on top of the railing to try to get the "perfect" shot either but that's exactly what a lot of people were doing and I found it simply amazing that they didn't tumble over or at least lose their cameras over the side. Again, I feel the need to ask people to have some sort of common sense when it comes to these sorts of things; I'd really rather not see any more newscasts about people falling to their deaths at Niagara Falls and saying "Hey! I've been there!" No picture is worth losing your life over even if the scenery in front of you does look like this -
If you're visiting Niagara be sure to visit the Falls at night when their beauty takes on a whole new look. The times are approximate and subject to change depending on the whims of Mother Nature but be sure to check the Niagara Falls Illumination Schedule before you head out so you've got an approximate time-frame of when to go. I should also mention that from June to September, the Niagara Parks Commission puts on a fireworks display over the Falls every Friday and Sunday evening; there are additional displays throughout the year so be sure to check the Niagara Parks website for other dates and times!
Next post I'll finally make that climb back up Clifton Hill!
Location: Niagara Falls, ON, Canada
Amazing Gracie Sunday, August 21, 2011 at 12:32:00 AM EDT
You made me think about the people who originally had the innovation to illuminate the falls. Can you imagine what they'd think if they could see them now? I'm sure they'd be blown away by the new technology.
And again, it's inconceivable that people would be so foolhardy as to risk their lives like that...
Oh, I forgot to tell you - I'm now the proud owner of an 11x14 copy of the background you're using here! Smug Mug made it very easy for me to order, although I would have like to gotten a bigger one! I got one of the small magnets and two 5x7 of some of your fall photos! I'm one very happy customer!!!
~~~Blessings~~~
Callie Ann Sunday, August 21, 2011 at 3:14:00 AM EDT
Oh Wow, This is totally cool... Totally learned a bunch of new stuff here... Amazing it all is...and yes, I would have loved to be on that horse drawn thingy....
Barb Sunday, August 21, 2011 at 7:22:00 AM EDT
You sure wouldn't have to tell me to stay away from the edge, never mind climbing on top! I get woozy just thinking about it.
The lights are pretty, of course, but for me the natural beauty of the falls is infinitely more impressive.
I've been in a horse-drawn carriage exactly once, in Saint Augustine. But not with someone to snuggle up against. Poo. Maybe one day...
Misty DawnS Sunday, August 21, 2011 at 12:27:00 PM EDT
Outstanding post, my friend. You really are amazing!
Akelamalu Sunday, August 21, 2011 at 12:28:00 PM EDT
Oh WOW the falls look even more amazing illuminated!
Traveling Bells Sunday, August 21, 2011 at 9:25:00 PM EDT
Beautiful! We missed this on our visit there, so I do appreciate your photos...and staying safe!
Big hugs, honey...
Dianne Monday, August 22, 2011 at 1:42:00 PM EDT
the colors are amazing!!
I just met a woman in the bank today who is visiting the falls next week for her anniversary
thought of you :)
I love the first shot
it has so much charm
the carriage is lovely
Sandee Monday, August 22, 2011 at 6:10:00 PM EDT
I thought we were going to get to the falls this year, but that's not going to happen. Our trip to Canada fell through. Oh well, I got to see them here.
Have a terrific day. :)
Unknown Monday, August 22, 2011 at 10:28:00 PM EDT
Carole Burant Wednesday, August 24, 2011 at 6:02:00 PM EDT
Unfortunately, one girl (from China) did climb up on the rails last week for a photo op and fell in...they finally found her body over the weekend:-( As you say, it's just not worth taking a chance like that.
I love the falls illuminated at night like that and will never tire of watching them change colours:-) Enjoyed reading how the lights all came about!! xoxo
Clifton Hill - "The Most Fun by the Falls!"
Putting a Little Light on the Subject aka Illumina...
Of Souvenirs, Statues, and Stupidity ...
"Soaring the Gorge" on Niagara's Whirlpool Aero Car
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‘Seinfeld’ Star Heads to ‘Two and a Half Men’
Mar 23, 2012 • Post A Comment
On the heels of news that Kathy Bates ("Harry’s Law") would be guesting on CBS’s "Two and a Half Men" — as a version of Charlie’s (Charlie Sheen) character, as we reported previously — comes the news that former “Seinfeld” star Jason Alexander is also set to appear on the situation comedy.
Alexander reported the news himself on Twitter, saying simply, "Looking forward to filming an episode of ‘Two and a Half Men’ next week."
Alexander didn’t say what he will be doing on the show. The Tony-winning actor is best known for his iconic role as George Costanza on NBC’s "Seinfeld” — a role that earned him seven Emmy nominations without a win.
Classic Sitcom Resurfaces as Internet Game
NBC Renews Series — But Show’s Creator Won’t Be Back
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HBO to Premiere New Drama Series, Three New Comedies This Fall
May 26, 2016 • Post A Comment
A high-profile drama series is back on track at HBO after shutting down production earlier this year. The premium channel confirmed that “Westworld” is headed toward a fall premiere, along with three new comedy series, Deadline.com reports.
Inspired by the feature film, “Westworld” has an order for 10 episodes. The project stars Anthony Hopkins, Ed Harris, Evan Rachel Wood, James Marsden, Thandie Newton and Jeffrey Wright. The high-octane producing team includes Jonathan Nolan, Jerry Weintraub, J.J. Abrams, Lisa Joy and Bryan Burk.
HBO also confirmed that the comedy “Divorce,” starring and executive produced by Sarah Jessica Parker, is set for fall with a 10-episode order.
The comedy “Insecure,” starring Issa Rae, has an eight episode order, and “High Maintenance,” starring Ben Sinclair, is set for six episodes.
Signs Johnny Depp and Amber Heard Were Heading Toward a Split
TVWeek Memorial Day Holiday Schedule
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THE HIT LIST RENEWED FOR FOURTH SERIES ON BBC ONE
The Hit List, BBC One’s music quiz where contestants must name as many hit songs and artists under intense pressure, is set to return for another series this year.
The third series of The Hit List was one of the top 10 Entertainment series on BBC One in 2020 - with a series average of 3.8m across nine episodes - including its Celebrity Specials.
Hosting duo Marvin and Rochelle Humes say: “We are so pleased that a fourth series of The Hit List will be returning to BBC One. As hosts, it’s a show we love to present but we also love to play along ourselves! We are grateful for all of the positive feedback audiences give to the show and we hope that everyone enjoys watching it as much as we enjoy making it.”
Karen Smith, Executive Producer of The Hit List, says: “We’re ‘Happier’ than Marshmello and Bastille to be back for series four and with even more celebrity episodes. It’s the perfect springboard into Saturday nights, play-along, sing-along and dance-along with one of the most tense end games on telly.”
Jo Wallace, Acting Controller Entertainment Commissioning at the BBC, says: “I am so pleased to say that a fourth series of The Hit List will be returning to BBC One. With its high energy, fun nature and the ability to get the whole family involved, The Hit List has become a staple Saturday night show.”
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Harnessing Big Data to Aid ICU Patients
By Frank Jacono, MD
Next-gen monitoring approaches may yield early markers of impending clinical decline
Innovations in Pulmonology & Sleep Medicine - Fall 2018
Frank Jacono, MD
A hospital Intensive Care Unit’s high-intensity monitoring produces a veritable font of critical data about patients. In fact, sometimes there is so much data that it’s hard to use it in a way that helps clinicians improve care, says Frank Jacono, MD, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, UH Cleveland Medical Center; Chief, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Section, Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center and Associate Professor, Medicine, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine.
Dr. Jacono and his colleagues are conducting research to see if they can change this – especially for patients at high risk of decompensating.
INNOVATING ADVANCED DIAGNOSTICS
“In the ICU, we monitor patients for all sorts of things, such as cardiac rhythm, breathing patterns and blood pressure,” Dr. Jacono says. “There’s obviously valuable information about the health status of patients contained in all of these vital signs. However, clinicians focus on mean values recorded over minutes to hours. We’ve hypothesized that the natural variability in these physiologic patterns presented over very short time scales can be analyzed to yield subtle, early markers of impending clinical decline.”
Patient decompensation can happen fast, says Dr. Jacono, who also serves as chief of the Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Section at the Louis Stokes Cleveland Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
“If we could pick up on critical changes in variability in the acute setting,” he says, “we might be able to alert physicians earlier than currently possible that the patient is about to get worse, so they can resuscitate, diagnose and treat them sooner.”
KEY AREAS OF FOCUS
Two areas of research interest are sepsis and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).
Sepsis. Dr. Jacono and his team are conducting an observational study of sepsis, a blood stream infection in which the body’s normal immune response becomes overwhelmed and dysregulated.
“The inflammation becomes so overt, it starts feeding back in a negative way and starts injuring organs in the body,” he says of the hallmark transition of sepsis. “We know that in patients with sepsis with shock, every hour of delay in initiating appropriate antibiotics can double the mortality rate.”
In preclinical models, Dr. Jacono and team are developing measures and metrics of variability – specifically heart rate variability, breathing pattern variability and the combination of the two – to see if a change early in the course of sepsis and inflammation might prove helpful.
ARDS. “ARDS is a very severe lung injury,” Dr. Jacono says, “So severe that patients end up on a ventilator having lots of trouble getting oxygen into their blood.” The complex condition is difficult to treat, leading to a mortality rate of 30 to 40 percent.
“In preclinical models of severe lung injury, we’re seeing how changes in breathing patterns, for example, may be markers of patients with mild lung injury who might go on to develop ARDS versus just getting better as part of their natural course of disease,” he says. Breathing pattern variability may be an augmented vital sign that could help clinicians in the critical care unit make therapeutic and diagnostic decisions about their patients.
PARTNERING IN OTHER RESEARCH
Dr. Jacono and team also collaborate in other research projects, such as the recently published, multi-center trial with patients who experience respiratory failure on mechanical ventilation. “We determined that an analytical approach focused on breathing pattern and heart rate variability could improve clinical decision processes about whether patients are ready to come off mechanical ventilation and start breathing on their own,” he says.
In another study, the team partnered with biotech startup Byteflies to trial and test a wearable health application capable of continuously monitoring physiologic signals. Building on related research in critically ill patients, Dr. Jacono envisions that the development of clinical-grade wearable technologies like the Byteflies Sensor Dot will someday “allow physicians to better monitor patients after discharge from the ICU to prevent subsequent decompensations that might require re-admission, improving patient outcomes and saving healthcare dollars.”
UH Cleveland Medical Center Medical Intensive Care Unit is also the top enrolling site for a phase 1/2 clinical trial of stem cell treatment (MultiStem) in patients with severe ARDS. The study is sponsored by Athersys, a Cleveland-based biotech firm.
If you’re part of the UH network of hospitals and your patients ends up in the ICU, they may be eligible to be included in this trial, Dr. Jacono says. “We’re investigating what could be the next new treatment for ARDS.”
“UH is on the cutting edge of developing novel approaches to the early identification of patients who are likely to get sick, and for whom known, effective therapies could be initiated in a timely fashion,” Dr. Jacono says. "The hope is that what we learn from these studies will eventually re-write the standard of care for patients with sepsis, ARDS and other serious illnesses.”
For questions about the latest advancements in the treatment of patients in the ICU, email Dr. Jacono at fjj@case.edu.
Tags: Innovations In Pulmonology & Sleep Medicine Fall 2018
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Study Links Cervical Insufficiency to Pelvic Floor Disorders
By David Sheyn, MD and Sherif El Nashar, MD, PhD
Results provide first step toward treatments to help with tissue strength
Innovations in Obstetrics & Gynecology – Fall 2018
David Sheyn, MD
Sherif El-Nashar, MD, PhD
Many women who have cervical insufficiency – defined as painless cervical dilation that can lead to preterm delivery– can later go on to have pelvic organ prolapse and urinary incontinence surgery, according to observations by a team of physicians in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center. The team hypothesized that there was an inherent connective tissue quality issue linking cervical insufficiency to the risk of pelvic organ prolapse and urinary incontinence.
“No one had linked the two yet,” says lead study author David Sheyn, MD, a Fellow in the Division of Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery at UH Cleveland Medical Center and Clinical Instructor, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. “We wanted to see if there was an increased risk [for pelvic organ prolapse and urinary incontinence] in people who have cervical insufficiency and preterm birth compared to women who had the same number of vaginal deliveries. From there, we could investigate the basis with targeted molecular studies.”
The large retrospective, observational study1 was conducted using de-identified patient data from the IBM Explorys platform, which combines a wide variety of databases from across multiple different clinical and payer sources. The platform has databases from 26 large hospital systems, representing more than 40 million patients, according to Dr. Sheyn.
“There are a lot of hospital systems in the country,” he says. “UH is one of only 26 systems participating in this IBM program. UH is a part of the ‘big data’ revolution.”
The database was used to find patients who had surgery while they were pregnant to help with cervical insufficiency, explains Sherif El-Nashar, MD, PhD, Division of Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, UH Cleveland Medical Center and Associate Professor, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. “We then followed those patients in the database to see if they later underwent surgery to treat pelvic organ prolapse or urinary incontinence.”
The physicians involved in the study found that cervical insufficiency is a significant risk factor for later pelvic organ prolapse and urinary incontinence. “Even patients who had cervical insufficiency and no births to term had a higher risk than women with the same number of vaginal deliveries,” Dr. Sheyn says. “The molecular-based tissue changes in the cervix and pelvic support are actually more important than the tissue damage that occurs with vaginal delivery.”
Significance of Results
Though there is no immediate solution for cervical insufficiency and accompanying risk of pelvic organ prolapse and urinary incontinence, it is an important first step discovery. “It seems there is a specific pattern of disease that all depends on connective tissue quality,” Dr. El-Nashar says. “It makes us think that maybe in the future we could have a medical treatment that would help with tissue strength, hopefully preventing the loss of babies and negating the need for surgery in those patients.”
Dr. Sheyn sees similar possibilities in the future. “If we were to identify similar molecular processes, we could possibly discover targeted medications and treatments to prevent cervical insufficiency, preterm births and pelvic floor disorders,” he says.
In the interim, it could be possible to identify patients with cervical insufficiency, and patients who are at high risk for pelvic organ prolapse and urinary incontinence. Once identified, these women could undergo physical therapy to strengthen their pelvic floor muscles as a preventative measure.
The study has opened the door to further research. “Our academic department is working in different directions to do research and help women across the entire spectrum,” Dr. El-Nashar says.
1 Sheyn D, Addae-Konaedu KL, Bauer AM, Dawodu KI, Hackney DN, El-Nashar SA. History of cervical insufficiency increases the risk of pelvic organ prolapse and stress urinary incontinence in parous women.Maturitas. 2018 Jan;107:63-67.
Contact the physicians featured in this article at OBGYNInnovations@UHhospitals.org.
Tags: Innovations In Obstetrics & Gynecology | Fall 2018, Pelvic Dysfunction, Research
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This Portrait Is Reminiscent Of A Rembrandt But Artificial Intelligence Created It
Published October 22, 2018 at 5:02 PM CDT
A new portrait going on the Christie's auction block Thursday may be reminiscent of a Rembrandt, but it's actually the work of artificial intelligence. It's called "Portrait Of Edmond Belamy." The work was created using an algorithm, and it might fetch around $10,000. Computers making art is nothing new, but a computer creating a portrait that's being auctioned by such a prestigious art house - now, that is new.
Art appraiser Erin-Marie Wallace has been following the buzz around the upcoming sale, and she joins us now to talk about how the art world is taking all this in. Welcome.
ERIN-MARIE WALLACE: Thank you. A pleasure to be here, Ailsa.
CHANG: How controversial is this in the art world for a painting to be painted by a non-human and then auctioned off like fine art?
WALLACE: Well, I think every couple generations, you have something that happens that begins to redefine what we consider art. You can go back to the early 20th century, and you can look at the urinal by Marcel Duchamp where he literally took a men's urinal and hung it on a wall, right? And this completely shattered what people thought of as art. We're redefining what art actually is for the 21st century, so I don't think that it is a once-in-a-lifetime moment. I think these things happen again and again. We are redefining what we consider art within our historical context.
CHANG: That is so fascinating. But it does raise the question of how do you price a painting that is not the product of a human - because usually - I'm no art expert, but usually, the way I understand it, things like technique and the uniqueness of a piece of work - those are the factors that drive the price in art. So how do you price art where those things don't really apply?
WALLACE: Well, they still apply. But let's add to that. Let's add to that the marketability of a painting. Let's add to the hype that's created around a painting or any work of art really. I tend to think that the whole thing is orchestrated from go. They knew exactly where they wanted to price it in comparison with where they wanted to sell it via Christie's. All are within the same wheelhouse in terms of number.
CHANG: And does that orchestration deplete the integrity of the artistic process, the rollout?
WALLACE: My opinion is no because I don't think it is up to any person to define what art is or what art is valued at. I feel that art is valued at what people are willing to pay for it.
CHANG: So who is the artist in this case? Is it the coders who wrote the algorithm? Is it the algorithm, or is it the machine?
WALLACE: Oh, the artist has to be a little bit of all of those. Original artist ownership, I do believe, is split between the programming, the coders, the collective and maybe even a little bit of a nod to Christie's for helping to create the frenzy around it.
CHANG: And given that there has been some deliberate frenzy built around this, if this painting were created by a human, do you think it would have the same attractiveness? Would it garner the same price?
WALLACE: No, I don't think so. I really don't think so. I think in terms of art, the things that matter the most are the firsts, and this is the first time an AI-generated artwork has gone to a major auction house to be auctioned off. And so this is a first. It is the absolute first time this has ever happened. Because this is a canvas print, it is absolutely possible that the collective could decide to release it in a smaller, limited and numbered edition after the sale. I don't believe that those will be valued as high as this particular one because this is the first.
CHANG: Erin-Marie Wallace is the CEO of Rare-Era Appraisals just outside Washington, D.C. Thank you very much.
WALLACE: Thank you so much. A pleasure, Ailsa. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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The little blue car is 10 years old today!
Ten years ago today I signed the deal to buy the little blue car. I had been working at a contract position for GMAC financing at the time, and they offered us a deal for a brand new car at $500 over dealer invoice and 0% financing over four years.
We decided to go for it, and I put in our order for a brand new 2006 Pontiac Wave.
I was driving a lot of miles in this job, and I wanted somthing that was fuel efficient. But I also wanted cruise control and a standard transmission. And I did not want air conditioning. It was a bit of an oddball package, but I was able to get what I wanted by ordering the upgrade package that included cruise control and power windows...but with no air conditioning.
I was trying to find the original bill of sale . I know we've got it somewhere but it might be back in Ottawa in Ruth's dad's basement. I think the total came to something like $13,500. I think I remember the payments were around $300 a month for 48 months.
Taken in June 2006.
The only brand new car we've ever bought.
Yes, this is the only brand new car that we've ever bought. And we'll probably never buy another one! In fact, I still can't see why we would ever have to buy another car period. At ten years old, the little blue car has 208,000 kms (129,000 miles) on the odometer. He's only just broken in! And, he doesn't look much different than he did in those pictures above. Still has completely original paint, and there isn't a spot of rust anywhere.
But despite all of that, he's not worth very much money today. I bet we couldn't get $2,500 for him. And he's worth a lot more than that to us, so we'll just keep him for the foreseeable future. As it stands, we have no need for anything more and he's doing just fine as our run around vehicle while we're here at the park during th summers.
He's been on a lot of adventures with us over the years.
Here's the little blue car in Oaxaca, Mexico.
And at White Sands National Monument in New Mexico.
And in February of 2013, we drove him all the way into Guatemala. There aren't many cars in North America that can say they've been in five different countries! The little blue car was actually built in South Korea. So, he's been in South Korea, Canada, United States, Mexico, and Guatemala. Wow!
He's been a great little car and I bet there are still more adventures in his future. We are proof that we have no idea what the next ten years might bring, but he owes us nothing and we plan on keeping him as long as we can.
A lot of RV'ers use the "Instant Pot" pressure cooker, and I see that it's on deal of the day today at Amazon. If you've always wanted one, today is the day to buy it!
Instant Pot IP-Smart Bluetooth-Enabled Multifunctional Pressure Cooker, Stainless Steel
Karyn-Lee June 23, 2016 at 10:53 AM
Maybe it's time you gave him a name? I know you named the motorhome sherman,,, so why not the little blue car? Hmmm. Happy birthday LBC
Ruth June 24, 2016 at 9:43 AM
We tried that back in 2013 and it didn't go well, ended up deciding that Little Blue Car was his name. We hate acronyms so it will never be LBC!
I remember years ago you were seeking names for the little blue car. I suggested that you just keep calling him "the little blue car" and I guess others did too. Since it was made in Korea, I bet it is really not a GM car, but an import of Korean heritage. Do you know?
If I remember correctly, a few people were disappointed that we decided to just keep the name Little Blue Car but for us, we just didn't care for any of the alternate names that were suggested. We like the name Little Blue Car, it describes him perfectly. :-)
No it doesn't look like it was an original GM. This is what Wikipedia says about it. "The Daewoo Kalos was introduced in 2002, based on a then-new Daewoo platform named T200, replacing the Daewoo Lanos (T100). Under development before Daewoo's bankruptcy, the Kalos was the company's first new model introduction following its subsequent takeover by General Motors.[4] Manufacture of the Kalos began in early March 2002,[5] with pre-production prototypes shown at the Geneva Auto Show in April 2002. The nameplate Kalos derives from the Greek word καλός (kalós) for "beautiful" and "good"."
RV Khronicles of Kevelyn June 23, 2016 at 12:39 PM
We have a 2000 Pontiac Grand Am with 208,000 miles on it. Kevin worked for a dealer at the time so we also got a great deal on it. Hoping it last many more miles. Of course much of the key is vigilant maintenance.
I remember you mentioning about your car at the beginning of the spring season when you got it back out of storage. Yep, maintenance is the key to a vehicle lasting so long!
We had to part with our very excellent 2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid when we decided to go full-time traveling and living in a motorhome. The Camry was not towable 4-down. It was "my" car and I was truly heart-broken. It drove great, had an excellent sound system and some nice interior features, and got great gas mileage. It never gave me one lick of trouble, and even withstood the ridicule and stupid recalls that Toyota foisted on it through its troubled times of litigation. Fortunately, we were able to bless a young couple who were graduating seminary and about to plant a new church in Michigan's UP, by selling the Camry to them at a sweet price. It astounded me that the car's book-value was so low. As you said, it was worth so much more to me/us. Moving on - now we have an '07 Jeep Liberty as our toad, and I'm trying to love it. I'm glad you've decided to keep on lovin your LBC. He's a keeper.
Elaine Read June 24, 2016 at 7:45 AM
It's amazing how attached you can become to a car - I was sad when I had to give up my 18-year-old Honda Civic hatchback.
When a car is looked after so well, it is hard to give it up, especially when you know how reliable it has been and you have to then get something "new" and the new car could have a lemon. He is definitely a keeper.
Peter Kouwenhoven June 23, 2016 at 5:29 PM
Just keep up the maintenance and oil changes and this car will give you 400000 km. No problem.
Ruth June 24, 2016 at 10:00 AM
That's exactly what we are hoping for! :-)
living.boondockingmexico June 23, 2016 at 8:22 PM
I've only had one new car and that was back in 1983. I hate making payments of any kind unless, like in your case, it was 0% interest and we were still making money in the bank. The car will last for many more years to come.
Kevin had always said we would never get a new car but then this deal came up and how could we refuse. The Little Blue Car owes us nothing. It has been such a good reliable car and we have been super happy with it. Mind you, it helps that he doesn't get driven in the winter.
Your little blue car is a mere baby! A little white 1994 Acura Integra coupe became mine on September 14th, 1993, so it will soon turn twenty-three. I love my little car too, but the older I get, the harder it is to get in and out of! Its mileage is only 121, 000, but that's because it hibernates in the garage all winter while we enjoy Florida's warmth.
Up against your car, he does seem like a baby but he is hoping to make it to that age or better. The mileage of the Little Blue Car won't be going up fast anymore either, he spends his winters hibernating in a garage as well. Most of his driving was done in his first few years of life.
Doug June 23, 2016 at 10:27 PM
How cool that you remembered LBC's birthday! My Dodge pickup turns 20 next May, and I am currently investigating the exact date, so I too can have the cake ready.
It is actually the date that we first bought him and sat him in our driveway, not the actual date he was manufactured. Kevin believes that was in February of the same year. Sounds like your truck is doing well too!
our awesome travels June 24, 2016 at 7:18 AM
Maintenance is the trick, our 2002 Saturn has 220,000 kms driven, another 200,000 towed.
Worth much more to us than sold, same with our coach.
Yep, maintenance is definitely the trick!
Paul and Marti Dahl June 24, 2016 at 10:34 AM
Just goes to show how long a car can last with some TLC! :c)
Yep, and it seems like the Little Blue Car isn't the only one doing well from some of the comments on this post. :-)
The big weekend is here!
A lot of airfare deals!
When you see a deal, you have to jump on it!
Thinking about new luggage
A little busier here at the park
Pretty sure there was a pot of gold...
A visit to Bali, Indonesia
Time for a new passport!
Six weeks of Xplornet
RV'ing in Spain
I think we'll just avoid the U.S.
Okay, now we're starting to get a little jealous...
What's the earliest thing in your life that you vi...
Postcards from Sherman!
Lagostina comes through again!
What's the best way to get rid of mice?
Evergreen RV...out of business?
Goodbye Sherman!
Miss them already
Stupid. Forgot to put money in the meter!
Off to Regina airport!
Sad that we're not going with him!
Still using a paper map
5 Jobs For People Who Love To Travel
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They're back...and they're hungry!
The spooky house...
Warranty claim update...
May Expenses
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Figueres doesn’t have its own airport but it can be reached from the nearest Catalan ones: Girona-Costa Brava Airport (37 km away) and Barcelona-El Prat Airport (154 km away). Existeix una línia de bus que...
Figueres has two railway stations. The conventional railway station, at which the commuter lines with connections to a large part of Catalonia arrive, is located in the city centre. The high-speed station connects Figueres with...
The coach station is located next to the conventional railway station beside the centre of Figueres. It brings together coaches that cover lines around the county, province (connections with the whole of the Costa Brava)...
Figueres is easily accessible by road. It’s only half an hour from Girona and the border with France and an hour and a half from Barcelona via the N-II road or AP-7 motorway (exits 3...
There are several routes that connect the city with the territory, such as the Figueres-Roses cycle tourism axis, the Way of Saint James (from La Jonquera to Girona) and the Bicitranscat project currently undergoing implementation...
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Watch out! He’s gaslighting you
A discussion of gaslighting and manipulative relationships.
Being in an emotionally abusive relationship isn't always easy to seehttps://unsplash.com/photos/wny2glV-wcI
by Anonymous student
Monday August 2 2021, 12:00am
Content Note: This article contains detailed discussions of gaslighting, emotional abuse, and sexual abuse allegations.
I didn’t realise that I had been in an emotionally abusive relationship until I was out of it. That’s the kind of effect gaslighting can have on a person: it warps your way of viewing the world. To clarify, it wasn’t a physically abusive relationship. My ex was always adamant that he’d “never hit a woman”. That should’ve been my first red flag; who would he hit? No, the abuse was mercifully all mental, not that that made it any less painful. It meant that this abuse was also conveniently ‘invisible’ — luckily for him, this meant that he hadn’t left a trail when things got ugly in our relationship further down the line.
He had made it very clear to me from the start too that our ‘relationship’ had to be kept a secret. This, I believed at the time, was because we were colleagues at the same workplace. He wanted to keep things ‘professional’, he told me. Dating a co-worker is not the done thing. A secret relationship would be sexy and exciting, I thought at the beginning. Later I realised he wanted to keep ‘us’ secret because he was embarrassed of me.
That’s the thing about secret relationships: they can be problematic, as that there is no proof that you were ever together. I kept our relationship secret for it’s entirety, it was only afterwards, when he accused me of sexually abusing him, that I realised in defending myself I had no leg to stand on: no-one ever really knew we were together in the first place.
He is very convincing, you see, my ex. He has a way of making you believe him.
“All my exes are psychos!” he told me once, widening his eyes and making a twisting motion with his index and middle finger next to his temple in order to indicate ‘having a screw loose’. On hearing this explanation, I thought no further about the girl who had thrown her coke over him once in a bar, or the glares he used to get from women on the street. I just believed him; he had crazy exes, or so I thought, until, two years out of our relationship, he had begun to call me just another ‘crazy ex’.
To clear things up, Wikipedia describes gaslighting thus:
“Gaslighting is a colloquialism for a specific type of manipulation where the manipulator is successful in having the target (a person or a group of people) question their own reality, memory or perceptions.”
And that’s what my ex did to me. In denying our relationship, in making it this entity that only he and I knew about, he was able to rewrite the story of what happened.
For example, on one occasion we’d been on a night out where he’d participated in some recreational drug use. He offered this to me too, I declined. I walked him home to make sure he got back safely, when we returned to his house, he came onto me. I asked him if he was lucid: if he understood what was happening and wanted this to happen. Coherently, he gave me his consent. We had sex.
“He was constantly changing the narrative of how things happened, it led me to question my own reality.”
Two years later, the story is being spun that I came on to him and he was too ‘out of it’ on substances to say no. Funny how stories can change like that.
The thing about gaslighting that makes it so slippery and tricky to spot is that it’s clever and it’s subtle. He chipped away at my self esteem constantly, then bribed me with ‘breadcrumbs’ of affection and validation in order to win me back again. He was constantly changing the narrative of how things happened, it led me to question my own reality. Thankfully, I kept a diary.
8th April 12:30am
“After work we went for X’s leaving drinks […] We kissed multiple times. […] The next day at work we didn’t talk about it. It’s starting to make we wonder if it actually happened. But I know it did.”
This should’ve been the second red flag, and yet I let it slide. This is a diary entry from two weeks after that:
23rd April 8pm
“I left him a Facebook message. He didn’t reply. I wonder if he even likes me, it seems like he only wants me when he’s drunk.”
Let’s now jump forward in time to the night we had sex; the night I lost my virginity:
28rd May 12pm
“Last night we had sex. Today at work he was a different person. But I guess we’re at work and he doesn’t want people to know? We don’t really interact at work which confused me. I’m exhausted from last night and don’t know really what it all means?”
The very next day I wrote this:
29th May 2pm
“That last entry was embarrassing to re-read. Feel like I have to however as I’m almost questioning what has actually truly happened sometimes.”
Gaslighting is a way of manipulating a vulnerable person in a dangerous, harmful way. By chipping away at my self-esteem over and over, and by ignoring me and treating me indifferently, my ex had gained total control over how the past was perceived.
He constantly rewrote reality.
It took me many years to realise that our relationship was not only toxic, but also emotionally abusive. Even now I find myself making excuses for his behaviour: that’s the power of someone who gaslights — they can change not only the way you think about things, but how you remember them.
What they don’t tell you about abuse
I guess I’m putting this out there as a warning to others. Perhaps if I had read this three years ago I might’ve been better prepared to call out his behaviour. Perhaps not. He was very persuasive, you see.
If you’re experiencing a situation like this, please seek help from friends or family. Additionally, you may find the following websites helpful and informative:
NHS: Getting help for domestic violence and abuse
Refuge: An independent, specialist charity that supports women fleeing domestic abuse and other forms of gender-based violence
Relate: Advise on gaslighting
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Women’s Hockey World Cup | landslide victory for Canada
(Calgary) Natalie Spooner scored twice and added an assist to lead Canada to a 7-0 win over Germany on Saturday in the Women’s World Hockey Championship quarter-finals.
Updated at 22:06
Donna Spencer
Thanks to the performance of one goal and two assists, Melody Doust took first place in the ranking of the top scorers of the tournament with four goals and six assists. Spooner follows four goals and five assists.
Ashton Bell, Mary Philip Paul and Sarah Feller contributed one goal and one assist each. Brianna Jenner scored the other goal for Canada, which ended the preliminary round with four wins and no losses, ahead of the United States (3-1) at the top of Group A.
Against Canada, Emerance Maschmeyer faced only three shots as the Canadians directed 52 pucks to Franziska Albl and Sandra Abstreiter.
Pauline missed the preliminary round match against the United States on Thursday after receiving a powerful shot in the chest earlier in the tournament. Canada still wins this duel against its big rivals, 5-1.
The Canadians were waiting for the result of the quarter-final match between Finland and the Czech Republic on Saturday night to see if they would face Switzerland or the Czech Republic in the semi-finals on Monday.
Night Double Granato
And in another quarter-final match on Saturday, Hilary Knight cleared the record for most points from an American player at the Women’s World Championships with a two-goal and assist in a 10-2 victory over Japan.
See also Brian Mulroney shows his support for Governor Erin O'Toole | Canada elections 2021
Knight first leveled Cami Granato’s 78-point mark by finding the back of the net in the first clash. She broke the record with one pass in the second half before adding her second goal in the third.
Photo by Jeff McIntosh, The Canadian Press
The US women’s players beat Japan with a 10-2 victory in the Women’s World Hockey Championship quarter-finals.
Knight ranks third in women’s World Hockey League history with the most points behind Canadians Hayley Wickenheiser (86) and Jayna Hefford (83).
Alex Carpenter and Grace Zumwinkel also scored two goals for the United States, who are looking to claim their sixth straight victory at the Women’s World Championships.
Megan Keeler, Brianna Decker, Caroline Harvey and Danny Cameranezi completed the US national team, which led 61-12 with shots on target.
Akane Shiga scored both goals for Japan.
In cooperation with the Associated Press
Switzerland’s rise
In the first match of the day, Laura Zimmermann scored the goal in overtime and Switzerland beat Russia 3-2 to advance to the semi-finals.
Zimmermann pushed Switzerland into the quarter-finals after scoring in 5:29 of the overtime period.
Russia took a 2-0 lead after the first half thanks to goals from Elizaveta Rodnova and Ilona Markova.
Evelina Russell closed the difference to 9:30 in the third inning, and Phoebe Steins tied the match with 2:16 left in statute time.
“Alcohol scholar. Twitter lover. Zombieaholic. Hipster-friendly coffee fanatic.”
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Hurricane Ida: In Katrina’s Footsteps
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In Focus: Immunization
https://www.unicef.org/eca/reports/focus-immunization
Immunization is one of the world’s most cost-effective public health interventions, saving millions of lives each year, and protecting children from illness and disability. Vaccines have helped to halve the number of child deaths worldwide since 1990 and represent a sound financial investment: every $1 spent on childhood immunizations returns an estimated $44 in economic and social benefits. Despite the achievements of immunization programmes in the Europe and Central Asia Region in recent decades, reported immunization rates are uneven across countries — from as high as 98 percent in Albania to as low as 19 percent in Ukraine. The regional average for Eastern Europe and Central Asia stands at 92 percent, still not high enough to protect all children from preventable diseases. What’s more, there was no improvement in coverage between 2014 and 2016. At national levels, disparities can be shocking, with the most vulnerable children often missing out on immunization. Across the Region, more than half a million children have missed out on their routine measles vaccination, and many countries continue to face outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases that threaten the lives and well-being of children. Challenges to immunization include weak political commitment and health systems, ‘vaccine hesitancy,’ and concerns about the financial sustainability of national immunization programmes in middle-income countries. UNICEF knows that the whole Region benefits when ALL countries achieve and maintain high vaccine coverage at both national and sub-national levels. Download file (PDF, 981,23 KB) July 2018
Saving lives one dose at a time - Immunization across Europe and Central Asia
https://www.unicef.org/eca/stories/saving-lives-one-dose-time-immunization-across-europe-and-central-asia
Vaccines protect children against disease and death, saving up to 3 million lives globally every year, and are one of the most cost-effective child survival interventions. In short, #VaccinesWork. The Europe and Central Asia Region continues to enjoy overall high childhood immunization coverage and is polio-free. The benefits of vaccines, however, are spread unevenly. Too many children are still missing the protection they deserve. A mother in Serbia holds her baby during her free vaccination as part of the Serbia's national immunization plan. A mother in Serbia holds her baby during her free vaccination as part of the Serbia's national immunization plan. Of particular concern is a rebounding of measles in the region, despite a record-low of new cases in 2016, causing over 33,000 cases and 79 deaths. The largest current outbreaks have been in Romania (12,368 cases and 49 deaths including 46 children), Ukraine (16,500 cases, 13 deaths including nine children) and Serbia. Although Serbia has a long and successful tradition in child-health protection, it is currently facing a measles outbreak with nearly 5,000 cases (as of 24 April 2018) which have resulted in 15 fatalities. UNICEF is working with the Ministry of Health to support its response and to improve records of immunization in the future. A little boy cries as he receives a routine vaccination at a clinic in Moldova. A little boy cries as he receives a routine vaccination at a clinic in Moldova. Due to universal vaccinations of newborns in Moldova, cases of Hepatis B have dropped from 682 in 1994 to only four in 2015. However, only 89 percent of all children are immunized against all preventable diseases and UNICEF has been working with the government to precure more vaccine doses to ensure all children have access to immunizations. A young boy puts on a brave face as he receives his second dose of the MMR vaccine in Kyiv, Ukraine. A young boy puts on a brave face as he receives his second dose of the MMR vaccine in Kyiv, Ukraine. Two-thirds of the world’s unvaccinated children live in fragile countries or countries affected by armed conflict. Between 2010 and 2016, conflict-affected eastern Ukraine had the world’s second lowest coverage rate of children fully immunized against diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus. The country also had the third lowest coverage rate in the world for MMR vaccine in 2016. A plane with a crate of UNICEF-labelled MMR vaccines next to it. On the 26 February, 220,000 doses of the MMR vaccine arrived in Ukraine facilitated by UNICEF. UNICEF in Ukraine is helping to fast-track the delivery of MMR vaccines, assisting the Ministry of Health to respond to the recent measles outbreak in which 14,500 people have been infected – killing 13 people including nine children. Nine-month-old Sasha gets a kiss from his mother, after receiving the diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus (DTP) vaccine in Kyiv. Nine-month-old Sasha gets a kiss from his mother, after receiving the diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus (DTP) vaccine in Kyiv. Vaccine hesitancy has also become an issue in Ukraine but UNICEF is working to change attitudes and educate people on the dangers of not vaccinating their children. “Before his birth, we decided we would give our child all the necessary vaccinations,” says Sasha's father. “When my grandmother was a child, she got polio and, although she recovered from the illness, she was disabled for life. As caring parents, we want to protect Sasha from all sorts of infections.” In Turkey, a boy receives a dose of the Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV). In Turkey, a boy receives a dose of the Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV). UNICEF Turkey is supporting a vaccination program, led by the Ministry of Health. The campaign has included nine rounds of polio campaigns reaching 1.4 million refugee and migrant children and Turkish children in remote provinces between 2013-2015, and the provision of additional doses of MMR, Hepatitis B, Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis, Polio and Haemophilus in 2017. A health worker vaccinates a one-year-old Syrian refugee boy at a neighbourhood health centre in Gaziantep, Turkey. A health worker vaccinates a one-year-old Syrian refugee boy at a neighbourhood health centre in Gaziantep, Turkey. UNICEF has also helped produce and disseminate information materials, in both Turkish and Arabic, to raise awareness about the importance of being immunized. A young baby receives her vaccination injection in Uzbekistan. In Uzbekistan, four-month-old Ziyoda receives a dose of the new polio vaccine - 'Inactivated Polio Vaccine’ (IPV) - which is designed to help stop polio globally. Despite Uzbekistan having an almost 99 percent coverage rate of the Polio vaccine, UNICEF continues to work with the Government to ensure that no child is left unimmunized in the future. A group of women wait for their children to be vaccinated at a village clinic in Uzbekistan. A group of women wait for their children to be vaccinated at a village clinic in Uzbekistan. Ensuring vaccination levels are high in every country across the region is essential. UNICEF is working to ensure all children are protected against the spread of vaccine-preventable childhood diseases and the best defence is a vaccine-protected population and a strong and responsive health system. The whole region benefits when ALL countries achieve and maintain high vaccine coverage at both national and subnational levels.
Increasing immunization coverage is priority for Ukrainian Government – Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine
https://www.unicef.org/eca/press-releases/increasing-immunization-coverage-priority-ukraine
– Ukrainian Vice Prime Minister Pavlo Rozenko, representatives of the Ukrainian Government and the Presidential Administration have expressed their commitment to restore the routine immunization programme in Ukraine. Speaking at a high-level roundtable on immunization, organized by the Ministry of Health of Ukraine and UNICEF on the occasion of World Polio Day, Vice Prime Minister Rozenko said: “Evidence-based medicine confirms the effectiveness of vaccines to prevent diseases such as polio, tetanus or whooping cough. Increasing the rates of immunization coverage is an important task and a priority of the government and a matter of national security.” Ukraine currently has the lowest routine immunization rates in the world. According to the Ministry of Health data, only 30 percent of children in Ukraine were fully immunized against measles, only 10 percent against hepatitis B, and only 3 percent against diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus, as of August 2016. Moreover, only 44 percent of children under 18 months of age were fully immunized against polio. Shortage of vaccine supplies has been one of the main reasons behind the critically low immunization rates in the past years. To address this, at the request of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, UNICEF has procured a number of high quality certified vaccines to protect children against dangerous vaccine-preventable diseases, namely tuberculosis (BCG), measles, mumps and rubella (MMR), hepatitis B, diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTP), tetanus and diphtheria vaccine for adults (Td), paediatric diphtheria and tetanus (DT), rabies, and bivalent oral polio vaccine (bOPV). The vaccines are now available in health facilities across the country. “This time last year, Ukraine was dealing with a polio outbreak. The comprehensive outbreak response was successfully implemented with the help of international partners, but this success is still fragile”, said Marie-Pierre Poirier, UNICEF Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia. “With such low routine immunization coverage, Ukraine is still at risk of outbreaks of long-forgotten diseases. Today, with millions of doses of vaccines available across the country, there is no reason to delay vaccination. Being vaccinated is fundamental to guarantee child’s right to health and now more than ever, it is important for Ukraine to put in place a strong and effective immunization programme,” she added. Speaking at the event, Professor David Salisbury, Chairman of the European Regional Certification Commission for Poliomyelitis Eradication said: “The polio cases in 2015 in Ukraine happened as a direct consequence of failings in the provision of vaccines for children. Efforts have been made to redress these problems but there is still more that needs to be done to give the children of Ukraine protection from vaccine preventable diseases. I am greatly encouraged by the commitments that have been made today and I look forward to being able to remove Ukraine from our list of polio high-risk countries.” Representatives of the Governments of Canada and the United States of America, who provided funding for the polio outbreak response last year, reaffirmed their support for restoring the routine immunization programme in Ukraine. “Canada worked hard last year with Ukraine’s Health Ministry to get nationwide polio vaccination restarted. We are grateful to the thousands of doctors who helped vaccinate millions of children. This year, we are happy to see that the UN has made more vaccines available. But still, far too many children are not routinely fully vaccinated. I urge Ukrainian parents to take advantage of these free vaccines and protect their children from completely unnecessary illnesses,” said H.E. Roman Waschuk, Ambassador of Canada to Ukraine, speaking at the Roundtable today. "Ukraine must continue to build on the great progress that has been made globally to eradicate polio," explained USAID Ukraine Director Susan Fritz. "These positive developments will only have the necessary impact if there is strong and visible political support from leadership at all levels of the Ukrainian Government." “Myths about vaccination that have been spread in recent years are not rooted in evidence-based medicine. As a result, Ukraine has been dealing with cases of diseases that have been long-forgotten in the rest of the world. It is important that the Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine, the Government and our international partners recognize the problem and are willing to work together with the Ministry of Health of Ukraine to resolve it. Increasing vaccination coverage rates in the country is our priority. This is not only a question of health and life of the citizens of Ukraine. This is a national security issue,” said Dr Ulana Suprun, Acting Minister of Health of Ukraine. “Necessary vaccines are available in all regions of the country. I appeal to all citizens who care about their life and health: get vaccinated and vaccinate your children,” added Dr Suprun. Nurse Ivana Knysh administers Maksym, 5, with a Hepatitis B vaccine as he holds his mother's hand, at Novoselytsi Family Medical Facility, Chernivtsi Oblast, Ukraine. UNICEF/UN060132/Oleksii Nurse Ivana Knysh administers Maksym, 5, with a Hepatitis B vaccine as he holds his mother's hand, at Novoselytsi Family Medical Facility, Chernivtsi Oblast, Ukraine.
Immunization services begin slow recovery from COVID-19 disruptions, though millions of children remain at risk from deadly diseases – WHO, UNICEF, Gavi
https://www.unicef.org/eca/press-releases/immunization-services-begin-slow-recovery-covid-19-disruptions-though-millions
--- While immunization services have started to recover from disruptions caused by COVID-19, millions of children remain vulnerable to deadly diseases, the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance warned today during World Immunization Week , highlighting the urgent need for a renewed global commitment to improve vaccination access and uptake. “Vaccines will help us end the COVID-19 pandemic but only if we ensure fair access for all countries, and build strong systems to deliver them,” said
Protecting young children from vaccine-preventable diseases
https://www.unicef.org/eca/reports/protecting-young-children-vaccine-preventable-diseases
Vaccination is one of the world’s safest and most cost-effective public health interventions. Yet growing distrust in science, coupled with misinformation, means that vaccination coverage rates are declining in some countries and communities, resulting in an upsurge of vaccine-preventable diseases. Research shows that those caring for children…
UNICEF reaches almost half of the world’s children with life-saving vaccines
https://www.unicef.org/eca/press-releases/half-children-life-saving-vaccines
– UNICEF procured 2.5 billion doses of vaccines to children in nearly 100 countries in 2016, reaching almost half of the world’s children under the age of five. The figures, released during World Immunization Week, make UNICEF the largest buyer of vaccines for children in the world. Nigeria, Pakistan and Afghanistan, the three remaining polio-endemic countries, each received more doses of vaccines than any other country, with almost 450 million doses of vaccines procured to children in Nigeria, 395 million in Pakistan and over 150 million in Afghanistan. UNICEF is the lead procurement agency for the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. Access to immunization has led to a dramatic decrease in deaths of children under five from vaccine-preventable diseases, and has brought the world closer to eradicating polio. Between 2000 and 2015, under five deaths due to measles declined by 85 per cent and those due to neonatal tetanus by 83 per cent. A proportion of the 47 per cent reduction in pneumonia deaths and 57 per cent reduction in diarrhea deaths in this time is also attributed to vaccines. Yet an estimated 19.4 million children around the world still miss out on full vaccinations every year. Around two thirds of all unvaccinated children live in conflict-affected countries. Weak health systems, poverty and social inequities also mean that 1 in 5 children under five is still not reached with life-saving vaccines. “All children, no matter where they live or what their circumstances are, have the right to survive and thrive, safe from deadly diseases,” said Dr. Robin Nandy, Chief of Immunization at UNICEF. “Since 1990, immunization has been a major reason for the substantial drop in child mortality, but despite this progress, 1.5 million children still die from vaccine preventable diseases every year.” Inequalities persist between rich and poor children. In countries where 80 per cent of the world’s under-five child deaths occur, over half of the poorest children are not fully vaccinated. Globally, the poorest children are nearly twice as likely to die before the age of five as the richest. “In addition to children living in rural communities where access to services is limited, more and more children living in overcrowded cities and slum dwellings are also missing out on vital vaccinations,” said Nandy. “Overcrowding, poverty, poor hygiene and sanitation as well as inadequate nutrition and health care increase the risk of diseases such as pneumonia, diarrhea and measles in these communities; diseases that are easily preventable with vaccines.” By 2030, an estimated 1 in 4 people will live in urban poor communities, mainly in Africa and Asia, meaning the focus and investment of immunization services must be tailored to the specific needs of these communities and children, UNICEF said.
Over 20 million children worldwide missed out on measles vaccine annually in past 8 years, creating a pathway to current global outbreaks - UNICEF
https://www.unicef.org/eca/press-releases/over-20-million-children-worldwide-missed-out-measles-vaccine-annually-past-8-years
– An estimated 169 million children missed out on the first dose of the measles vaccine between 2010 and 2017, or 21.1 million children a year on average, UNICEF said today. Widening pockets of unvaccinated children have created a pathway to the measles outbreaks hitting several countries around the world today. “The ground for the global measles outbreaks we are witnessing today was laid years ago,” said Henrietta Fore, UNICEF Executive Director. “The measles virus will always find unvaccinated children. If we are serious about averting the spread of this dangerous but preventable disease, we need to vaccinate every child, in rich and poor countries alike.” In the first three months of 2019, more than 110,000 measles cases were reported worldwide – up nearly 300 per cent from the same period last year. An estimated 110,000 people, most of them children, died from measles in 2017, a 22 per cent increase from the year before. Two doses of the measles vaccine are essential to protect children from the disease. However, due to lack of access, poor health systems, complacency, and in some cases fear or skepticism about vaccines, the global coverage of the first dose of the measles vaccine was reported at 85 per cent in 2017, a figure that has remained relatively constant over the last decade despite population growth. Global coverage for the second dose is much lower, at 67 per cent. The World Health Organization recommends a threshold of 95 per cent immunization coverage to achieve so-called ‘herd immunity’.
UNICEF launches #VaccinesWork campaign to inspire support for vaccines
https://www.unicef.org/eca/press-releases/unicef-launches-vaccineswork-campaign-inspire-support-vaccines
– UNICEF is launching a new global campaign on 24 April to emphasize the power and safety of vaccines among parents and wider social media users. The campaign will run alongside World Immunization Week from 24 to 30 April to spread the message that together communities, including parents, can protect everyone through vaccines. #VaccinesWork has long been used to bring together immunization advocates online. This year, UNICEF is partnering with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation , the World Health Organization (WHO), and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance to encourage even greater reach. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will contribute USD$ 1 to UNICEF for every like or share of social media posts using the hashtag #VaccinesWork in April, up to USD$1 million, to ensure all children get the life-saving vaccines they need. Vaccines save up to 3 million lives yearly, protecting children from potentially deadly, highly infectious diseases such as measles, pneumonia, cholera, and diphtheria. Thanks to vaccines, fewer people died from measles between 2000 and 2017 and polio is on the verge of being eradicated. Vaccines are one of the most cost-effective health tool ever invented – every USD$1 spent on childhood immunization returns up to USD$44 in benefits. “We want the awareness that #VaccinesWork to go viral,” said Robin Nandy, UNICEF’s Chief of Immunization. “Vaccines are safe, and they save lives. This campaign is an opportunity to show the world that social media can be a powerful force for change and provide parents with trustworthy information on vaccines.” The campaign is part of a global, week-long celebration under the theme, Protected Together: Vaccines Work , to honour Vaccine Heroes – from parents and community members to health workers and innovators. “More children than ever before are being reached with vaccines today,” said Violaine Mitchell, Interim Director of Vaccine Delivery at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. “We are delighted to work with UNICEF and all the global and country partners around the world who are working tirelessly to ensure all children, especially those in the world’s poorest countries, can be protected from life-threatening infectious diseases.” Despite the benefits of vaccines, an estimated 1.5 million children died of vaccine-preventable diseases in 2017. While this is often due to lack of access to vaccines, in some countries, families are delaying or refusing to vaccinate their children because of complacency or skepticism about vaccines. This has resulted in several outbreaks, including an alarming surge in measles, especially in higher-income countries. Uncertainty about vaccines on digital and social media platforms is one of the factors driving this trend. That is why the centerpiece of this UNICEF campaign is a 60-second animated film, “Dangers,” which, along with illustrated animations for social media posts and posters, is based on the relatable insight that kids, by their very nature, are little daredevils who are constantly putting themselves in danger. Available in Arabic, Chinese, French, Hindi, Russian, Spanish and Tagalog, the video explains that while parents can’t prevent all the dangers their kids get themselves into, they can use vaccination to help prevent the dangers that get into their kids. In addition, UNICEF experts will be answering questions about vaccination, including how vaccines work, how they are tested, why children should receive vaccines, as well as the risks of not vaccinating children in a timely manner. Additional quotes from campaign supporters: Angélique Kidjo, UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and Grammy Award-Winning Singer: “Today nine in ten children receive immunizations, but we cannot leave anyone behind. We must reach every child with life-saving vaccines.” Maisa Silva , 16-year-old, Brazilian TV hostess and actress: "I accepted the invitation to participate in this campaign because I know the importance of vaccines for children's health. It is a way to protect children from various hazards we already know. Health is a very serious matter and we must not forget that vaccines work and are necessary. " ###
20 million children miss out on lifesaving measles, diphtheria and tetanus vaccines in 2018
https://www.unicef.org/eca/press-releases/20-million-children-miss-out-lifesaving-measles-diphtheria-and-tetanus-vaccines-2018
– 20 million children worldwide – more than 1 in 10 – missed out on lifesaving vaccines such as measles, diphtheria and tetanus in 2018, according to new data from WHO and UNICEF. Globally, since 2010, vaccination coverage with three doses of diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTP3) and one dose of the measles vaccine has stalled at around 86 percent. While high, this is not sufficient. 95 percent coverage is needed – globally, across countries, and communities - to protect against outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases. “Vaccines are one of our most important tools for preventing outbreaks and keeping the world safe,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization. “While most children today are being vaccinated, far too many are left behind. Unacceptably, it’s often those who are most at risk– the poorest, the most marginalized, those touched by conflict or forced from their homes - who are persistently missed.” Most unvaccinated children live in the poorest countries, and are disproportionately in fragile or conflict-affected states. Almost half are in just 16 countries - Afghanistan, the Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Ethiopia, Haiti, Iraq, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. If these children do get sick, they are at risk of the severest health consequences, and least likely to access lifesaving treatment and care. Measles outbreaks reveal entrenched gaps in coverage, often over many years. Stark disparities in vaccine access persist across and within countries of all income levels. This has resulted in devastating measles outbreaks in many parts of the world – including countries that have high overall vaccination rates. In 2018, almost 350,000 measles cases were reported globally, more than doubling from 2017. “Measles is a real time indicator of where we have more work to do to fight preventable diseases,” said Henrietta Fore, UNICEF’s Executive Director. “Because measles is so contagious, an outbreak points to communities that are missing out on vaccines due to access, costs or, in some places, complacency. We have to exhaust every effort to immunize every child.” Ten countries with highest reported incidence rate of measles cases (2018) Coverage with measles first dose (2010) Coverage with measles first dose (2018) 1. Ukraine 56 91 2. Democratic Republic of Congo 74 80 3. Madagascar 66 62 4. Liberia 65 91 5. Somalia 46 46 6. Serbia 95 92 7. Georgia 94 98 8. Albania 99 96 9. Yemen 68 64 10. Romania 95 90 Ukraine leads a varied list of countries with the highest reported incidence rate of measles in 2018. While the country has now managed to vaccinate over 90 percent of its infants, coverage had been low for several years, leaving a large number of older children and adults at risk. Several other countries with high incidence and high coverage have significant groups of people who have missed the measles vaccine in the past. This shows how low coverage over time or discrete communities of unvaccinated people can spark deadly outbreaks. Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine coverage data available for the first time For the first time, there is also data on the coverage of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, which protects girls against cervical cancer later in life. As of 2018, 90 countries – home to 1 in 3 girls worldwide - had introduced the HPV vaccine into their national programmes. Just 13 of these are lower-income countries. This leaves those most at risk of the devastating impacts of cervical cancer still least likely to have access to the vaccine. Together with partners like Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, WHO and UNICEF are supporting countries to strengthen their immunization systems and outbreak response, including by vaccinating all children with routine immunization, conducting emergency campaigns, and training and equipping health workers as an essential part of quality primary healthcare. ###### For photos and broll, please click here . For the 2018 data, click here . The 2018 data will go live only at 09.00 am EST 15 July. About the data Since 2000, WHO and UNICEF jointly produce national immunization coverage estimates for Member States on an annual basis. In addition to producing the immunization coverage estimates for 2018, the WHO and UNICEF estimation process revises the entire historical series of immunization data with the latest available information. The 2018 revision covers 39 years of coverage estimates, from 1980 to 2018. DTP3 coverage is used as an indicator to assess the proportion of children vaccinated and is calculated for children under one year of age. The estimated number of vaccinated children are calculated using population data provided by the 2019 World Population Prospects (WPP) from the UN. Maryana Dzuba, 9, receives her first dose of MMR vaccine on 21 February 2019 in the medical centre of the Lapaivka village school, Lviv region, Ukraine. UNICEF/UN0284080/ Dyachyshyn Maryana Dzuba, 9, receives her first dose of MMR vaccine on 21 February 2019 in the medical centre of the Lapaivka village school, Lviv region, Ukraine, as part of a three-week long catch-up vaccination campaign to increase MMR coverage among school aged children in the region.
Measles jab saves over 20 million young lives in 15 years, but hundreds of children still die of the disease every day
https://www.unicef.org/eca/press-releases/measles-jab-saves-million-young-lives
– Despite a 79 per cent worldwide decrease in measles deaths between 2000 and 2015, nearly 400 children still die from the disease every day, leading health organizations said in a report released today. “Making measles history is not mission impossible,” said Robin Nandy, UNICEF Immunization Chief. “We have the tools and the knowledge to do it; what we lack is the political will to reach every single child, no matter how far. Without this commitment, children will continue to die from a disease that is easy and cheap to prevent.” Mass measles vaccination campaigns and a global increase in routine measles vaccination coverage saved an estimated 20.3 million young lives between 2000 and 2015, according to UNICEF, the World Health Organization (WHO), Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). But progress has been uneven. In 2015, about 20 million infants missed their measles shots and an estimated 134,000 children died from the disease. The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Nigeria and Pakistan account for half of the unvaccinated infants and 75 per cent of the measles deaths. “It is not acceptable that millions of children miss their vaccines every year. We have a safe and highly effective vaccine to stop the spread of measles and save lives,” said Dr. Jean-Marie Okwo-Bele, Director of WHO’s Department of Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals. “This year, the Region of the Americas was declared free of measles – proof that elimination is possible. Now, we must stop measles in the rest of the world. It starts with vaccination.” “Measles is a key indicator of the strength of a country’s immunization systems and, all too often, it ends up being the canary in the coalmine with outbreaks acting as the first warning of deeper problems,” said Dr. Seth Berkley, CEO of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. “To address one of the world’s most deadly vaccine-preventable childhood killers we need strong commitments from countries and partners to boost routine immunization coverage and to strengthen surveillance systems.” Measles, a highly contagious viral disease that spreads through direct contact and through the air, is one of the leading causes of death among young children globally. It can be prevented with two doses of a safe and effective vaccine. Measles outbreaks in numerous countries – caused by gaps in routine immunization and in mass vaccination campaigns – continue to be a serious challenge. In 2015, large outbreaks were reported in Egypt, Ethiopia, Germany, Kyrgyzstan and Mongolia. The outbreaks in Germany and Mongolia affected older persons, highlighting the need to vaccinate adolescents and young adults who have no protection against measles. Measles also tends to flare up in countries in conflict or humanitarian emergencies due to the challenges of vaccinating every child. Last year, outbreaks were reported in Nigeria, Somalia and South Sudan. Measles elimination in four of six WHO regions is the global target at the midpoint of the Global Vaccine Action Plan implementation. “The world has missed this target, but we can achieve measles elimination as we have seen in the Region of the Americas,” said Dr. Rebecca Martin, director of CDC’s Center for Global Health. “As the African adage goes, ‘it takes a village to raise a child’ and it takes the same local and global villages to protect children against measles. We can eliminate measles from countries and everyone needs to play a role. This year’s report shows that the 2015 WHO regional measles elimination goals were not met because not every child has been reached – gaps exist. We need to close these gaps, ensure that commitments for adequate human and financial resources are kept and used well to reach every child, detect and respond to every case of measles, and prevent further spread. These efforts will protect all children so that they can become the next generation of leaders. This will also ensure that every country has a strong safety net to stop disease threats where they occur and protect the world from global health threats.”
New funding will allow countries to secure sustainable vaccine supplies and reach children more quickly
https://www.unicef.org/eca/press-releases/new-funding-will-allow-countries-secure-sustainable-vaccine-supplies-and-reach
– UNICEF announced today that funding for its Vaccine Independence Initiative (VII), a mechanism to help countries secure a sustainable supply of life-saving vaccines, has more than doubled in the past year, increasing from $15 million to $35 million. The increase was made possible especially by a $15 million financial guarantee from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, adding to a VII capital base that also includes recent contributions from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and the United States Fund for UNICEF. Over 60 low-income countries currently benefit from Gavi support to purchase life-saving vaccines. As countries’ economies grow and transition away from Gavi support, the VII gives them access to short-term bridge “loans” so that they can purchase vaccines while waiting for the release of national budget funds. In addition, it provides countries assistance to strengthen the planning and budgeting processes to manage their essential supplies procurement moving forward. VII is one tool to help countries minimize vaccine stock-outs and ensure more children receive vaccines on time. Since 2016, it has helped provide an estimated 91 million doses to children in 23 countries faster than would have otherwise been possible. “Financing mechanisms such as the VII are an essential part of a vaccine supply financing toolkit to improve financial sustainability and ensure supplies are reaching children when they are most needed,” Shanelle Hall, UNICEF Deputy Executive Director for Field Results, explained. “We look forward to continuing our work supporting countries, together with the Foundation and other donors and partners. It is especially critical now, in light of many countries graduating from donor support, inequities in Middle Income Countries and the broader Sustainable Development Goals agenda.” “We know from speaking with government leaders around the world that countries transitioning from Gavi support can face some significant short-term budget and technical difficulties securing their own vaccines,” said Dr. Orin Levine, director of Vaccine Delivery at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. “The foundation, along other partners in the Gavi Alliance, are committed to helping countries address these challenges, and the VII is one tool that we have to make sure that children, no matter where they live, are protected against vaccine-preventable diseases.” Vaccines are one of the most effective health interventions in history, and have helped reduce the number of child deaths by more than half since 1990. For every dollar spent on childhood immunizations, countries yield $44 in economic and social benefits. Global immunization coverage for the basic package of vaccines stood at 86 percent in 2016, the highest on record. However, much remains to be done to ensure the sustainability of national vaccination systems and funding, and make essential supplies for children available. “Tools like the Vaccine Independence Initiative are becoming increasingly important as developing countries invest more and more of their own resources in their vaccine programmes, in this case by creating a stable, predicable vaccine supply,” said Dr Seth Berkley, CEO of Gavi. “This new investment will therefore give a welcome boost to countries moving towards self-sufficiency, helping to ensure children don’t go without life-saving vaccines.” Recent contributions to the VII have been key to support countries who are expanding their national budgets to purchase vaccines, such as Kenya and Chad. Additionally, the recently increased size of VII has allowed the new countries such as Uzbekistan, Cote d’Ivoire, and most recently Tajikistan to sign-up to the mechanism. More countries are in active discussions for new subscriptions. These efforts contribute to providing sustained immunization supplies to an increasing number of newborns in these countries. Note to editors
Record number of infants vaccinated in 2017
https://www.unicef.org/eca/press-releases/record-number-infants-vaccinated-2017
: A record 123 million infants were immunized globally in 2017, according to data released today by the World Health Organization and UNICEF. The data shows that: 9 out of every 10 infants received at least one dose of diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTP) vaccine in 2017, gaining protection against these deadly diseases. An additional 4.6 million infants were vaccinated globally with three doses of the diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccine in 2017 compared to 2010, due to global population growth. 167 countries included a second dose of measles vaccine as part of their routine vaccination schedule and 162 countries now use rubella vaccines. As a result, global coverage against rubella increased from 35 per cent in 2010 to 52 per cent. The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine was introduced in 80 countries to help protect women against cervical cancer. Newly available vaccines are being added as part of the life-saving vaccination package – such as those to protect against meningitis, malaria and even Ebola. Despite these successes, almost 20 million children did not receive the benefits of full immunization in 2017. Of these, almost 8 million (40 per cent) live in fragile or humanitarian settings, including countries affected by conflict. In addition, a growing share are from middle-income countries, where inequity and marginalization, particularly among the urban poor, prevent many from getting immunized. As populations grow, more countries need to increase their investments in immunization programmes. To reach all children with much-needed vaccines, the world will need to vaccinate an estimated 20 million additional children every year with three doses of the diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccine (DTP3); 45 million with a second dose of measles vaccine; and 76 million children with 3 doses of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine. In support of these efforts, WHO and UNICEF are working to expand access to immunization by: Strengthening the quality, availability and use of vaccine coverage data. Better targeting resources. Planning actions at sub-national levels and Ensuring that vulnerable people can access vaccination services.
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Hjem / Nyheder / Black Cats boss makes Mido move
The Egypt striker, 24, had looked set to join Birmingham for £6million until the deal fell through, with Blues boss Steve Bruce citing the player's insistence upon different clauses being inserted to his contract. But Black Cats manager Keane, who has struggled to acquire the quality of players he desires so far this summer, has revealed he is now pursuing the frontman. "We have made an offer to Spurs for Mido," Keane told the Daily Express. "He is a player I would like to speak to and to bring to this club. "Trying to get these sort of quality players is a challenge, but all I want is the opportunity to speak to the lad. If it doesn't work out, then we will move on."
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Categories: AstronomyNASAVenus
The Next Generation of Exploration: The DAVINCI Spacecraft
NASA's latest round of Discovery Program missions. Credit: NASA
It’s no secret that there has been a resurgence in interest in space exploration in recent years. Much of the credit for this goes to NASA’s ongoing exploration efforts on Mars, which in the past few years have revealed things like organic molecules on the surface, evidence of flowing water, and that the planet once had a denser atmosphere – all of which indicate that the planet may have once been hospitable to life.
But when it comes to the future, NASA is looking beyond Mars to consider missions that will send missions to Venus, near-Earth objects, and a variety of asteroids. With an eye to Venus, they are busy investigating the possibility of sending the Deep Atmosphere Venus Investigation of Noble gases, Chemistry, and Imaging (DAVINCI) spacecraft to the planet by the 2020s.
Led by Lori Glaze of the Goddard Spaceflight Center, the DAVINCI descent craft would essentially pick up where the American and Soviet space programs left off with the Pioneer and Venera Programs in the 1970s and 80s. The last time either country sent a probe into Venus’ atmosphere was in 1985, when the Soviet probes Vega 1 and 2 both orbited the planet and released a balloon-supported aerobot into the upper atmosphere.
Model of the Vega 1 probe and landing apparatus at the Udvar-Hazy Center, Dulles International Airport, Chantilly, Virginia. Credit: historicspacecraft.com
These probes both remained operational for 46 hours and discovered just how turbulent and powerful Venus’ atmosphere was. In contrast, the DAVINCI probe’s mission will be to study both the atmosphere and surface of Venus, and hopefully shed some light on some of the planet’s newfound mysteries. According to the NASA release:
“DAVINCI would study the chemical composition of Venus’ atmosphere during a 63-minute descent. It would answer scientific questions that have been considered high priorities for many years, such as whether there are volcanoes active today on the surface of Venus and how the surface interacts with the atmosphere of the planet.”
These studies will attempt to build upon the data obtained by the Venus Express spacecraft, which in 2008/2009 noted the presence of several infrared hot spots in the Ganis Chasma region near the the shield volcano of Maat Mons (shown below). Believed to be due to volcanic eruptions, this activity was thought to be responsible for significant changes that were noted in the sulfur dioxide (SO²) content in the atmosphere at the time.
What’s more, the Pioneer Venus spacecraft – which studied the planet’s atmosphere from 1978 until its orbit decayed in 1992 – noted a tenfold decreased in the density of SO² at the cloud tops, which was interpreted as a decline following an episode of volcanogenic upwelling from the lower atmosphere.
3-D perspective of the Venusian volcano, Maat Mons, generated from radar data from NASA’s Magellan mission. Credit: NASA/JPL
Commonly associated with volcanic activity here on Earth, SO² is a million times more abundant in Venus’ atmosphere, where it helps to power the runaway greenhouse effect that makes the planet so inhospitable. However, any SO² released into Venus’ atmosphere is also short-lived, being broken down by sunlight within a matter of days.
Hence, any significant changes in SO² levels in the upper atmosphere must have been a recent addition, and some scientists believe that the spike observed in 2008/2009 was due to a large volcano (or several) erupting. Determining whether or not this is the case, and whether or not volcanic activity plays an active role in the composition of Venus’s thick atmosphere, will be central to DAVINCI’s mission.
Along with four other mission concepts, DAVINCI was selected as a semifinalist for the NASA Discovery Program‘s latest calls for proposed missions. Every few years, the Discovery Program – a low-cost planetary missions program that is managed by the JPL’s Planetary Science Division – puts out a call for missions with an established budget of around $500 million (not counting the cost of launch or operation).
The latest call for submissions took place in February 2014, as part of the Discovery Mission 13. At the time, a total of 27 teams threw their hats into the ring to become part of the next round of space exploration missions. Last Wednesday, September 30th, 2015, five semifinalists were announced, one (or possibly two) of which will be chosen as the winner(s) by September 2016.
Artist rendition of NASA’s Mars InSight (Interior exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport) Lander, which was selected as part of the Discovery Programs 2010 call for submissions and will be launched by 2016. Credit: JPL/NASA
These finalists will receive $3 million in federal grants for detailed concept studies, and the mission (or missions) that are ultimately chosen will be launched by December 31st, 2021. The Discovery Program began back in 1992, and launched its first mission- the Mars Pathfinder – in 1996. Other Discovery missions include the NEAR Shoemaker probe that first orbited an asteroid, and the Stardust-NExT project, which returned samples of comet and interstellar dust to Earth.
NASA’s MESSENGER spacecraft, the planet-hunting Kepler telescope, and the Dawn spacecraft were also developed and launched under the Discovery program. The winning proposal of the Discovery Program’s 12th mission, which was issued back in 2010, was the InSight Mars lander. Set to launch in March of 2016, the lander will touch down on the red planet, deploy instruments to the planet’s interior, and measure its seismic activity.
NASA hopes to infuse the next mission with new technologies, offering up government-furnished equipment with incentives to sweeten the deal for each proposal. These include a supply of deep space optical communications system that are intended to test new high-speed data links with Earth. Science teams that choose to incorporate the laser telecom unit will be entitled to an extra $30 million above their $450 million cost cap.
If science teams wish to send entry probes into the atmospheres of Venus or Saturn, they will need a new type of heat shield. Hence, NASA’s solicitation includes a provision to furnish a newly-developed 3D-woven heat shield with a $10 million incentive. A deep space atomic clock is also available with a $5 million bonus, and NASA has offered to provide xenon ion thrusters and radioisotope heater units without incentives.
As with previous Discovery missions, NASA has stipulated that the mission must use solar power, limiting mission possibilities beyond Jupiter and Saturn. Other technologies may include the NEXT ion thruster and/or re-entry technology.
Matt Williams
Matt Williams is the Curator of Universe Today's Guide to Space. He is also a freelance writer, a science fiction author and a Taekwon-Do instructor. He lives with his family on Vancouver Island in beautiful British Columbia.
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Tags: ceresDAVINCIDawn Asteroid OrbiterDeep Atmosphere Venus Investigation of Noble gases Chemistry and Imaging (DAVINCI)Discovery ProgramInSightKepler Space ObservatoryMarsmars pathfinderMESSENGERNASANASA Goddard Space Flight CenterNEAR ShoemakerPioneer missionsSTARDUST-NExTvega 1Vega 2Venera programVenusVenus Express
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Tag: Adam Gelter
Proposed Development at Fifteenth & Vine Lives Up to 3CDC’s Parking Promises
46 Comments on Proposed Development at Fifteenth & Vine Lives Up to 3CDC’s Parking Promises
Rendering of Fifteenth & Vine [Provided]
When 3CDC first began developing the 359-space Mercer Commons Garage in 2012, they defended their actions for building such an over-sized garage by saying they would share the spaces with other planned nearby developments.
Nearly three-and-a-half years have passed since that time, but it is now becoming clear that 3CDC has largely lived up to the promises they made at the time.
When first criticized by UrbanCincy, 3CDC noted that the spaces at the Mercer Commons Garage were meant not only for the $50 million Mercer Commons development, but also the office space at the Paint Building, Cintrifuse, and former Boss Cox building. In total, 3CDC’s former Vice President of Development, Adam Gelter, estimated that those projects alone would need 90 to 100 spaces.
Section of Fifteenth & Vine [Provided]
In addition to that, 3CDC’s previous plans for the former Smitty’s site called for 30 to 40 residential units, which would also have their parking provided for at the Mercer Commons Garage. Since that time, those plans have evolved, and 3CDC is now proposing a 55,000-square-foot office and retail building, which, by law, would require 155 parking spaces – much more than would have been required under the previous residential scheme.
City officials say that a potential 77-space reduction may be permitted due to the existence of the nearby Mercer Commons Garage and Washington Park Garage, which have an availability of 141 and 14 spaces, respectively.
Should 3CDC pursue to utilize those two garages to their fullest extent, then it would be feasible for the non-profit development organization to avoid providing any parking at all in the $16 million project slated for the southwest corner of Fifteenth and Vine Streets.
In addition to being located to two nearby parking garages, this site is directly across the street from a Kroger grocery store, located a block away from the Cincinnati Streetcar’s first phase, and within blocks of several Red Bike stations.
With a Walk Score of 96 out of 100 points, the proposed unnamed development at Fifteenth and Vine Streets boasts one of the most walkable locations in the region.
If all goes according to plan, and 3CDC is granted their zoning variances by City Hall, then project officials say they hope to begin construction as soon as possible, with a project completion scheduled for mid-2017.
Tags 15th and Vine, 3CDC, Adam Gelter, Cincinnati, Cintrifuse, Kroger, Mercer Commons, Mercer Commons Garage, over-the-rhine, Washington Park Garage
Business Development News
EXCLUSIVE: 3CDC Commits to Shared Parking Plan for Over-the-Rhine
3 Comments on EXCLUSIVE: 3CDC Commits to Shared Parking Plan for Over-the-Rhine
Just four days after publishing an exclusive story which uncovered that the amount of parking provided at the Mercer Commons development exceeded city mandates and added approximately $4.25 million to the project cost, officials from the Cincinnati Center City Development Corporation (3CDC) contacted UrbanCincy to offer more information surrounding the Mercer Commons Garage.
Many commentors on our previous story defended 3CDC and claimed that such parking provisions at the Mercer Commons Garage would allow for less parking at future developments. Adam Gelter, 3CDC’s Vice President of Development, echoed these thoughts and stated that future developments would in fact utilize the parking garage, although only some of those projects have been financed, and even fewer approved for zoning variances by the City of Cincinnati.
Work at the Mercer Commons construction site in August 2012. Photograph by Travis Estell for UrbanCincy.
In particular, Gelter, stated that the 359-space Mercer Commons Garage allows for one parking space at every unit within that development, but that those living at Mercer Commons would not be required to purchase a space. This, 3CDC asserts, will allow for the parking garage to be utilized more efficiently.
The debate becomes even more nuanced when the status of Over-the-Rhine’s historic district designation and ongoing comeback as a desirable neighborhood are taken into account.
“In a place like OTR, which is coming back strong but still has a long way to go, I think we want the neighborhood to be as welcoming as possible to visitors and to satisfy any concerns they may have about safety,” responded Kaid Benfield, director of Sustainable Communities for the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). “The key for a historic district, I think, is to keep the parking from occupying so much space that it interferes with the historic character of the neighborhood.”
In addition to the Mercer Commons development, 3CDC officials say that they are planning a 30- to 40-unit residential development at the parking lot where Smitty’s once stood. Furthermore, 3CDC expects the office tenant at the Paint Building to require 25 spaces, another 15 to 20 spaces at the former Boss Cox building, and potentially 50 spaces for office users at Cintrifuse. Furthermore, project officials say surrounding restaurants could use additional parking for their customers.
“Of the seven upcoming developments, only one has its own parking, and the rest have spaces assigned at either the Mercer Garage or Washington Park Garage,” Gelter explained. “We give condo owners a right to buy a monthly space, and we refuse to assign spaces so that we can turn the spaces as much as possible.”
To that end, Gelter explained that only six parking spaces at the Fountain Square Garage are reserved at any given time for its 250 monthly pass holders.
Rendering of the $53.5 million Mercer Commons development in historic Over-the-Rhine. Image provided.
The goal would be to reduce the number of surface parking lots needed to serve new developments throughout historic Over-the-Rhine, but 3CDC officials say that what has already been put in place will probably be difficult to undo.
“We would love to get rid of and develop the Twelfth and Vine parking lot, and we would like to stop building surface parking lots to the extent that is possible,” Gelter told UrbanCincy. “However, parking lots for condo buildings only are going to be very difficult to get rid of, so we don’t want to do that anymore.”
Gelter went on to say that one potential option would be to keep the Gateway Garage open to the public. Just over one year ago Kroger purchased the 950-space parking garage from the City of Cincinnati for $4.5 million, and currently experiences low usage rates outside of workday hours.
When it comes down to it, however, it appears as though the status quo for providing parking within the urban core will continue regardless of what policies come out of City Hall.
“Some of our upcoming developments have been approved for no on-site parking, and some have not,” Gelter conceded. “The goal would be to build structured parking to minimize the extent we need to use surface and street parking, but we have to take it on a case-by-case, and block-by-block basis.”
The first phase of construction at Mercer Commons is currently underway, and is expected to be complete by March 2013. Two additional phases of work are planned to follow.
Tags 3CDC, Adam Gelter, Cincinnati, Fountain Square Garage, Gateway Garage, Kaid Benfield, Kroger, Mercer Commons, Mercer Commons Garage, NRDC, over-the-rhine, Washington Park Garage
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Presidencies sometimes change course. Trump’s hasn’t so far.
Relationships between presidents and parties are especially difficult to change.
By Julia Azari Sep 11, 2017, 12:50pm EDT
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Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images
This post is part of Mischiefs of Faction, an independent political science blog featuring reflections on the party system.
Presidencies sometimes have turning points. Perhaps the starkest one was 16 years ago Monday, when the terror attacks of September 11, 2001, transformed the presidency of George W. Bush. Donald Trump’s time in office has so far been characterized by the absence of such moments, despite major events that seem like they should upend normal political operations.
This is not for lack of effort on the part of some media observers, who desperately wish for some sign that Trump knows where he is or what his job means. The most recent round of this comes in the form of various articles about how Trump’s debt ceiling deal with Democratic leaders means he’s been an independent all along.
But these are the facts on the ground. Trump has enjoyed consistent support from congressional Republicans, and he is unpopular with Democratic elites and voters alike. Is the debt ceiling agreement likely to change this?
Recent presidents besides Bush have had turning points in their presidencies. Bill Clinton’s evolution is harder to pinpoint, but his early White House chaos eventually gave way to a more functional and successful presidency. As for Barack Obama, I think we are still too close to say, though I agree with Jamelle Bouie that Obama’s turning point — almost certainly unintentional — came during a press conference in which he said the Cambridge, Massachusetts, police “acted stupidly” in the arrest of Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates.
These moments may not have much in common, but it’s clear what they are not: fundamental shifts in the president-party relationship. The 9/11 attacks reordered political priorities and gave purpose to a presidency with an erstwhile meandering agenda. Clinton’s evolution can be likened to a professionalization — to the kind of shift that occurs as a president gains on-the-job training. For Obama, the “beer summit” marks the end of the dream of post-racial America or a transracial presidency (not that the dream was ever very realistic). Presidents can pivot on their priorities, their White House management, or their public image. Often those pivots are at least partially done for them. But the president-party relationship is structural, and harder for presidents to just alter.
As numerous presidency scholars have shown — Richard Skinner, Sidney Milkis, Lara Brown, me — the nuts and bolts of the president-party relationship tend to outlast individual presidencies, reflecting instead the dynamics of nominations, intraparty rules, and power built up over the course of careers. Presidents who have sought to change these dynamics have not done so subtly.
At the same time, it’s hard to deny that Trump’s relationship with Republicans is hardly standard-issue. His path to the presidency highlights the importance of drawing a distinction between parties and partisanship: His primary victory illustrates the weakness of parties to fend off outside challenges like this, including elites’ inability to coordinate. His general election victory was possible because of the power of party loyalty and negative partisanship, which won him strange alliances with many of the same party elites who had just denounced him in the primaries.
Awkward outsiderdom is a typical feature of disjunctive presidencies. Political time is ultimately a theory about the president-party relationship, and one way to address a fraying coalition is to nominate a leader who isn’t identified with any of the warring factions or old icons. Franklin Pierce, Herbert Hoover, and Jimmy Carter all fit this model pretty well. But like Trump, in each of these cases, outsider status is combined with loyalty to some core aspect of the party’s agenda and process.
For Pierce it was the attempt to use the “party machinery” to balance competing concerns in a way that ultimately became removed from the substance of debates over slavery and expansion. For Hoover, this was difficulty moving away from ideas about voluntarism and political economy; for Carter, a focus on institutional reform that centered the executive and neglected Congress and party building was a deep cut back to some FDR themes.
In Trump’s case, as many, many people have pointed out, the connections with orthodox — even extreme — conservative ideology are readily evident. This is perhaps most consistently and notably true when we’re talking about LGBTQ rights protections, which the administration has rolled back, and a constellation of issues that might be described, as FiveThirtyEight’s Perry Bacon Jr. has written, as “white identity politics.”
There are a couple of takeaway points here. First, in an era of strong partisanship and weak parties, we shouldn’t be surprised that the symbolic politics of the administration have been all about core ideology, appealing to the supporters to whom the administration owes its power. But it’s equally unsurprising that Trump’s disagreements with Republican legislators have unfolded as they have: in the course of actual negotiations, where the absent levers of party power allowed Democratic leaders to fill the void, and in an intermittent war of words between Trump and McConnell, where it’s become evident that neither one much fears the consequences of alienating the other.
The impact of past presidential pivots is evident here too. Both Bush’s post-9/11 presidency and Obama’s candidacy offered the promise of new national unity; both ended up contributing to an even deeper polarization over national identity, priorities, and resources. Trump is president because of these political conditions, and he inherits their governing implications. He is deeply indebted to the symbolic commitments of conservatism (and to the conservative media that conveys them), but he owes less to the party itself.
The specific configuration is somewhat unique, but president-party relationships are typically complex, often mostly determined by long-term dynamics. Yet short-term events do sometimes alter the course of a presidency — usually ones beyond the president’s control. This is the most likely source of a fundamental administration shift. There’s a lot about Trump that is distinctive, but if we’ve learned anything in the past year or so, it’s that the usual political forces tend to win out.
Next Up In Mischiefs of Faction
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Gareth Thomas
Former Wales rugby star Gareth Thomas urges Premier League footballers to lead way in tackling homophobia in sport
Rainbow laces sent to all professional clubs as part of Stonewall's Right Behind Gay Footballers campaign
Simon Gaskell
Gareth Thomas has urged Premier League footballers to lead the way in tackling homophobia in sport – starting this weekend.
Gay rights charity Stonewall has sent rainbow laces to all 92 professional clubs in England and Wales, and the 42 in Scotland, asking players to lace their boots with them during fixtures as part of its Right Behind Gay Footballers campaign.
The Premier League has said it is up to “individual clubs and players” to decide whether to wear the laces.
But Thomas, who came out as gay four years ago, said the star players from the 20 top clubs – including Swansea City and Cardiff City – had the power to send a real message to supporters who idolise them.
The 100-cap Wales international said: “Professional footballers are role models and whether they want to embrace it or not, they have the power to influence huge change.
“Millions and millions of people watch them each week and take their cues from what they do and say.
“Their decisions are followed by huge numbers of people.
“Rainbow Laces starts with the people at the top and from there, the changing attitudes influence the people in the stands and at home.
“All of a sudden, people of all ages will start to realise that a person’s sexuality makes no difference to their ability and their willingness to give it everything for their team.”
Thomas was barracked with homophobic abuse from the terraces back in 2010 while playing for the Celtic Crusaders at Castleford after his switch to Rugby League.
He said what happened “crossed a line” and described the experience as a “horrible moment” in his sporting life.
But he said the fact the abuse was reported to the authorities by supporters in the crowd, not himself, and Castleford were fined £40,000 showed him the power of change.
“It’s not asking for special treatment, it’s wanting to be treated the same as everybody else,” he wrote in his blog for bookmaker Paddy Power, which is supporting the Right Behind Gay Footballers campaign.
“There’s no place in sport for racism. If someone is racist in a football crowd for example, something is almost always done.
“What makes homophobic abuse any different?
“I worked so hard to get to the level I did, all I wanted was the environment where I could concentrate and do justice to the thousands of hours of practice I put in.
“If I screw up in the course of the game, I’ll take whatever you’ve got because I deserve it, but I don’t deserve 80 minutes of abuse because I’m gay.”
There are no known openly gay footballers in the English and Scottish professional leagues.
Former Leeds and United States winger Robbie Rogers retired in February, announcing his sexuality and claiming he couldn’t continue his career as a result only to later reverse his decision and sign for LA Galaxy.
Before Rogers' revelation, only two high-profile footballers had publicly said they were gay.
Former England Under-21 international Justin Fashanu was the first professional footballer in Britain to come out, in 1990, before he took his own life eight years later, aged 37.
Swedish lower league player Anton Hysen also came out in an interview with a Swedish football magazine in 2011.
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Chancellor announces changes to Business Interruption Loan Scheme
On 3 April, Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced changes to the COVID-19 Business Interruption Loan Scheme following criticism that businesses have struggled to access loans.
The Business Interruption Loan Scheme was first announced in the 2020 Budget, and provides small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with annual turnover below £45 million affected by the COVID-19 pandemic access to loans, overdrafts, invoice finance and asset finance of up to £5 million for up to six years.
According to the government, £90 million in business interruption loans has been approved for almost 1,000 SMEs since the launch of the scheme, and £1.9 billion in corporate finance has been provided to large companies affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Chancellor announced that the current Business Interruption Loan Scheme has now been extended, 'so more small businesses can benefit', and not just those unable to secure regular commercial financing. Additionally, Mr Sunak announced a new scheme to 'bolster support for larger firms not currently eligible for loans'. The new Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme will provide a government guarantee of 80% to enable banks to make loans of up to £25 million to firms with an annual turnover of between £45 million and £500 million.
The Chancellor also stated that lenders have been banned by the government from requesting personal guarantees on loans under £250,000 and making operational changes to speed up lending approvals. The government will continue to cover the first twelve months of interest and fees.
Mr Sunak said: 'We are making great progress on getting much-needed support out to businesses to help manage their cashflows during this difficult time – with millions of pounds of loans and finance being provided to hundreds of firms across the country.'
The full details can be found here.
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Tenn. activists rally for ENDA executive order
Sanders faults nat’l groups for not providing strategy
Barbara Stover (left), Darren Crawford (center) and Janet Moore protest for employment protections in Cookevile, Tenn. (photo by R.G. Cravens)
Faced with living in a state with no non-discrimination law protecting them, LGBT activists demonstrated in three Tennessee cities on Sunday to call on President Obama to issue an executive order barring federal contractors from engaging in job bias based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
Chris Sanders, president of the Tennessee Equality Project, said he organized the demonstration as part of 24 Tennessee groups because of a law signed last year by Gov. Bill Haslem (R) prohibiting cities from passing LGBT non-discrimination ordinances. That measure rescinded a contractor non-discrimination ordinance that passed a couple months earlier in Nashville.
“We had experienced in 2011 Nashville passing a contractor non-discrimination ordinance only to have the state nullify it,” Sanders said. “So, we have no option but this executive order and ENDA ahead of us in Tennessee. We have no hope for getting state employment protections at the state level when now we can’t even pass them in our city.”
The Obama administration has thus far withheld issuing an executive order along these lines. Just last week, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said Obama prefers legislation known as the Employment Non-Discrimination Act because that measure would “provide lasting and comprehensive protections for LGBT people across the country regardless of whether they happen to work for a government contractor.”
A White House spokesperson declined to comment over the weekend about the Tennessee demonstration.
Protestors demonstrated at the three places in Tennessee: in front of the federal building in Memphis; in front of the Putnam County Courthouse in Cookeville and the War Memorial Plaza in Nashville. Sanders estimated that a total of 115 people showed up for the rallies: 30 in Memphis; 15 in Cookeville and 70 in Nashville.
The Tennessee Equality Project has also launched an online petition at the White House website calling on Obama to issue the executive order. As of Sunday evening, the petition had 4,700 signatures. If a total of 25,000 people sign the petition by Wednesday, the White House will issue an official response.
“If this item is signaled as a priority in our movement, which is what we’ve been reading, then we as our community ought to be showing that it’s important to us,” Sanders added. “That’s why did these rallies, that’s why we started the petition.”
Sanders didn’t limit his protest to the White House, but faulted national groups and bloggers for not providing a strategy to build grassroots support for the executive order, saying local activists “haven’t really been given marching orders of what we’re all supposed to be doing to get it done.”
“I would think that either the national bloggers or the national organizations that serve our community would have put together some public strategy for building support for it,” Sanders said. “I know they’re lobbying to get things going along, and we think that’s absolutely critical. We do that at the state and local level and we know the value of that, but you also have to build public support, and we haven’t seen a lot of that.”
Sanders declined to identify which national groups and bloggers weren’t doing enough on the executive order, but said he sent out the news release and didn’t find much interest.
“We’re just hoping that other states begin movement because we’re not getting a clear signal at the national level of what we’re supposed to be doing,” Sanders said. “Again, I thought the signal was clear that it’s a priority, but we’re supposed to do, that’s been ambiguous, so we just took matters into our own hands here.”
Tico Almeida, president of the national LGBT group Freedom to Work, said he agrees “it’s important to build public support for the executive order in addition to traditional lobbying” and said he undertook efforts to collaborate with the Tennessee activists and alert media about the demonstration.
“We were very glad to receive an email this weekend with a press release about the Tennessee rallies for the executive order, and we wrote back to Chris Sanders to offer our help getting the word out,” Almeida said. “We then forwarded the press release to the Washington Blade so that the Tennessee efforts could get news coverage. We are very eager to collaborate with any state or local LGBT organizations interested in pushing for the executive order and for ENDA the statute.”
The Human Rights Campaign, another national LGBT group calling for the executive order, didn’t respond to a request to comment on Sanders’ remarks.
Gray Alexander addresses the rally for employment non-discrmination protections in Nashville (photo courtesy Chris Sanders)
In addition to having a law prohibiting cities from passing non-discrimination ordinances, Tennessee has no state law on the books protecting LGBT people against job bias in the workforce. LGBT people in the state would need either federal action for protection, such as the executive order or passage of ENDA.
Among those demonstrating was Gray Alexander, who’s 15 and co-president of the gay-straight alliance at Martin Luther King, Jr., Magnet High School in Nashville.
Alexander, who identifies as pansexual, said he participated in the protest because he says the executive order is “the only way for us to get equality in the workplace.”
“It’s frustrating,” he said. “It’s an important thing that needs to happen for all our states. There’s no need discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation in the workplace anywhere in the U.S., or anywhere in the world.”
Alexander said he hasn’t personally been the victim of discrimination in employment, but says harassment of LGBT students in commonplace within his school.
“My school is a much more progressive school than other schools in the state, but there’s obvious discrimination based on sexual orientation,” Alexander said. “It’s not as confrontational as a lot of other places. A lot of it is just calling someone ‘gay’ or ‘faggot’ behind their back, or pointing at them as they walk by.”
Kal Dwight, who’s 21 and a transgender Memphis resident, said he demonstrated because as a volunteer at the Memphis Gay & Lesbian Community Center he’s seen employment discrimination against transgender woman.
“They definitely have a really hard time getting a job anywhere,” Dwight said. “Anytime we can get them more protections is good — especially here in the African-American community.”
Despite the stated reluctance on behalf of the White House, Dwight was optimistic that Obama would issue an executive order protecting LGBT workers.
“I think he’s going to do it; I just don’t think he’s going to do it right this second,” Dwight said. “I have faith that he’s going to do it.”
A prominent incident of alleged LGBT employment discrimination in Tennessee has occurred in recent years.
Former Belmont University head soccer coach Lisa Howe in 2010 may have been dismissed from her post because she’s a lesbian.
At the time, Howe and her partner were expecting a baby. After the Christian college denied her permission to share this information with her team, Howe resigned. According to an article in The Huffington Post, those familiar with the situation alleged Belmont University told Howe her sexual orientation wasn’t consistent with the school’s values and she’d would have to resign or be fired.
The school ultimately sent out a statement saying her removal was a mutual decision between officials and Howe.
According to a search on USASpending.gov, Belmont University is a federal contractor. However, as a Christian-affiliated school, the college may be still free to discriminate against LGBT workers even under ENDA or an executive order barring workplace discrimination because of the religious exemption.
Alexander recalled that incident and said the loss of Howe’s job was “unacceptable” — particularly because she did exceptional work as the soccer coach for the school.
“They went from losing professionally and to a winning season, and so then she wanted to come out, and she quit for working for them,” Alexander said. “The fact that she had to leave because she was gay, even though she was phenomenal soccer coach is really frustrating. Her track record didn’t make up for that fact that she was gay.”
According to the news release for the protests, a coalition of 24 Tennessee-based groups organized the demonstrations: Austin Peay State University Gay/Straight Alliance, Out & About Newspaper, Tennessee Tech Lambda, Tennessee Transgender Political Coalition, Nashville GLBT Chamber of Commerce, PFLAG Nashville, Greater Nashville Prime Timers, GLSEN Middle TN, Metro Human Relations Commission, Nashville Pride, OutCentral, Just Us at Oasis Center, PFLAG Maryville, Human Rights Campaign Nashville Steering Committee, CHOICES: Memphis Center for Reproductive Health, Vanderbilt Lambda Association, Tennessee Democratic Party, Latino Memphis, First Congregational Church Memphis Planned Parenthood Greater Memphis Region, Shelby County Democratic Party, Memphis Gay & Lesbian Community Center, Perpetual Transition, Tennessee Friends of People’s World and Tennessee Citizen Action.
Related Topics:Chris SandersEmployment Non-Discrimination ActENDAexecutive orderGray AlexanderHomepage HeadlinesKal Dwight
FBI releases 2011 hate crimes report
DOJ official: Fight against anti-trans bias is top priority
Opinion | LGBTQ victories are largely legal, not legislative
Opinion | This gay conservative wants Equality Act to pass now
White House open to third-gender option on federal IDs, not sure EO needed
Good for those Tennessee activists! We’re all in their debt.
By refusing to do what it can easily do through an EO to end federal contractor discrimination, the Obama Administration is really sending a de facto ‘back door’ message to Congress which implies something like this…
“Despite what I say publicly to you all about ENDA– that’s really for my LGBT supporters’ consumption. I’m not all that worried about LGBT workplace discrimination and ENDA passage.”
The Prez and Carney just aren’t credible on this.
Dee Ann Miller
Good for Gray Alexander. It takes moral intelligence for a young man this young to be taking such a bold stand! I'm forwarding this to several people I know in the GLBT community here in Lawrence, KS.
About 80 percent of trans veterans have encountered a hurtful or rejecting experience in the military because of their gender identity
Graphic via U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough announced Wednesday that his department added the options of transgender male, transgender female, nonbinary and other, when veterans select their gender, in medical records and healthcare documentation.
“All veterans, all people, have a basic right to be identified as they define themselves,” VA Secretary Denis McDonough said in a statement. “This is essential for their general well-being and overall health. Knowing the gender identity of transgender and gender-diverse veterans helps us better serve them.”
The statement also noted that the change allows health-care providers to better understand and meet the medical needs of their patients. The information also could help providers identify any stigma or discrimination that a veteran has faced that might be affecting their health.
McDonough speaking at a Pride Month event last June at the Orlando VA Healthcare System, emphasized his support for Trans and LGBQ+ vets.
McDonough said that he pledged to overcome a “dark history” of discrimination and take steps to expand access to care for transgender veterans.
With this commitment McDonough said he seeks to allow “transgender vets to go through the full gender confirmation process with VA by their side,” McDonough said. “We’re making these changes not only because they are the right thing to do, but because they can save lives,” he added.
In a survey of transgender veterans and transgender active-duty service members, transgender veterans reported several mental health diagnoses, including depression (65%), anxiety (41%), PTSD (31%), and substance abuse (16%). In a study examining VHA patient records from 2000 to 2011 (before the 2011 VHA directive), the rate of suicide-related events among veterans with a gender identity disorder (GID) diagnoses was found to be 20 times higher than that of the general VHA patient population.
McDonough acknowledged the VA research pointing out that in addition to psychological distress, trans veterans also may experience prejudice and stigma. About 80 percent of trans veterans have encountered a hurtful or rejecting experience in the military because of their gender identity.
“LGBTQ+ veterans experience mental illness and suicidal thoughts at far higher rates than those outside their community,” McDonough said. “But they are significantly less likely to seek routine care, largely because they fear discrimination.
“At VA, we’re doing everything in our power to show veterans of all sexual orientations and gender identities that they can talk openly, honestly and comfortably with their health care providers about any issues they may be experiencing,” he added.
All VA facilities have had a local LGBTQ Veteran Care Coordinator responsible for helping those veterans connect to available services since 2016.
“We’re making these changes not only because they are the right thing to do but because they can save lives,” McDonough said. He added that the VA would also change the name of the Veterans Health Administration’s LGBT health program to the LGBTQ+ Health Program to reflect greater inclusiveness.
Much of the push for better access to healthcare and for recognition of the trans community is a result of the polices of President Joe Biden, who reversed the ban on Trans military enacted under former President Trump, expanding protections for transgender students and revived anti-bias safeguards in health care for transgender Americans.
Diaz-Johnston was the brother of former Miami mayor and Florida Democratic Party Chair Manny Diaz & he led the fight for marriage equality
Photo courtesy of Don Diaz Johnston
Police in Florida’s capital city confirmed that the body of Jorge Diaz-Johnston, 54, who had been reported missing was found in a Jackson County landfill Saturday morning.
Diaz-Johnston was last seen alive Jan. 3 in Tallahassee, more than an hour from where his body was found, according to a missing person notice released by police. Detectives are investigating his death as a homicide, a police spokesperson said.
Diaz-Johnston, was the brother of former Miami mayor and Florida Democratic Party Chair Manny Diaz. As an LGBTQ advocate he led the fight for marriage equality, he and his husband were plaintiffs in an historic 2014 lawsuit that led to the legalization of same-sex marriage in Miami-Dade County.
. I am also so very grateful to the Tallahassee Police Department- with the support of Mayor Daley and City Manager Reed- who have worked tirelessly to locate and investigate the circumstances surrounding my brother’s disappearance.
— Manny Diaz (@Manny_A_Diaz) January 13, 2022
ABC News reported at the time that a South Florida circuit court judge sided with Diaz-Johnston and five couples suing the Miami-Dade County Clerk’s Office for refusing to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Florida dropped its ban on same-sex marriage in 2015.
His husband wrote in a poignant Facebook post; “There are just no words for the loss of my beloved husband Jorge Isaias Diaz-Johnston. I can’t stop crying as I try and write this. But he meant so much to all of you as he did to me. So I am fighting through the tears to share with you our loss of him.”
“We are heartbroken to learn of the death of Jorge. He and his husband Don were two of the brave plaintiffs who took on Florida’s anti-gay marriage ban and helped win marriage equality for all Floridians,” Equality Florida said adding, “Our deepest condolences to Don and Jorge’s extended family.”
Detectives urge anyone who may have information to call 850-891-4200, or make an anonymous tip to Big Bend Crime Stoppers at 850-574-TIPS.
We are heartbroken to learn of the death of Jorge. He and his husband Don were two of the brave plaintiffs who took on Florida’s anti-gay marriage ban and helped win marriage equality for all Floridians. Our deepest condolences to Don and Jorge’s extended family. https://t.co/3keH43xpD9
— Equality Florida (@equalityfl) January 13, 2022
New Hampshire could soon join over a dozen other states which ban the use of ‘gay panic’ as a defense
New Hampshire State House (Blade file photo by Michael Key)
Legislation prohibiting defendants accused of manslaughter from using the victim’s gender, gender identity or sexual orientation as a defense, which had died in committee during the 2021 regular session of the New Hampshire House of Representatives, was reintroduced this session and passed with a 223-118 vote last week.
House Bill 238, stirred up controversary from opponents who claimed that state statues already covered murder and manslaughter. During a Criminal Justice committee hearing last Spring, Rep. Dick Marston, a Manchester Republican, voiced opposition, saying that the laws already cover murder and manslaughter and that “there’s no way in heck that you’re going to be able to say ‘Well because he or she was some deviant sexuality that I’m not–‘”
Marston was cut off by committee chairman Daryl Abbas, a Salem Republican, who gaveled him down and rebuked him for the derogatory language the Concord-Monitor reported.
Later, the committee Republicans blocked an effort to move the bill out of committee alleging it needed more work and was not necessary because a jury could already strike down a similar attempted defense. The bill was then stalled in the committee, effectively killing it from being pushed further in last year’s session.
As the measure now heads to the state Senate, New Hampshire could soon join over a dozen other states which ban the use of the ‘gay panic’ as a defense.
Prominent transgender activist murdered in Honduras
Obituary5 days ago
D.C. social worker, therapist Allen Pittinger-Dunham dies at 57
Germany appoints first queer commissioner
Law banning conversion therapy in Canada takes effect
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Heffernan House first opened its doors March 2011. Heffernan house is a supported living service in Newbury which contains 7 self-contained flats. Each flat has a kitchen/lounge area, a separate bedroom and separate bathroom area. 7 service users hold the tenancy to the individual flats. The service users are supported by Your Choice Services staff 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 52 weeks per year. The service user’s that reside in our supported living have varying needs. At Your Choice Services we specialise in supporting service users who have behaviours that challenge and Epilepsy.
Stella Maris opened its doors November 2017. Stella Maris is a supported living unit which contains 5 one bedroom flats. Stella Maris is in the town centre of Newbury which is close to amenities and public transport. Stella Maris is the 2ND supported living unit run by Your Choice Services – West Berkshire Mencap. Stella is also staffed 24 hrs a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
“We have found that all the staff involved with Karen have been totally reliable and professional and they have gently encouraged her to try new things and make more decisions for herself. We have the utmost confidence in the whole team and consider ourselves very lucky to have been able to plan Karen’s support with such a caring and supportive organisation.”
Carole & Karen
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We Do Stories » Content Marketing » Is Artificial Intelligence ready to Go?
Recently, the headlines have been full of the tech developments which, not so long ago, were only dreamt about in films.
The first couple of months of 2016 has not only heralded the year for Virtual Reality, but it’s also seen huge developments in theArtificial Intelligence (AI) arena. Some of the algorithms needed for AI were developed in the 1980s, but they’ve needed the developments in data and processing of the last 30 years to fully bring them into a workable reality.
Google’s purchase of London based ‘DeepMind‘ seemed like a bold move in 2014, but they hit the global headlines this week when Deep Mind’s artificial intelligence system, beat one of the world’s top Go players, not only once, but 4 times. DeepMind’s website boasts that they joined forces with Google to ‘turbo-charge their mission’ and it seems the acquisition (Google’s largest to date) has done exactly that.
Google’s AI programme AlphaGo culminated in a Go tournament that lasted for one week. The last match saw a nail biting finish, not in the least because, after 3 losses, Go world champion Lee Se-dol managed to win a single match, before DeepMind won the 5th and final match, losing Lee a potential $1 million prize pot. The prize money has instead gone to Google and will be distributed across a number of charities. The Go game had been chosen as it was deemed more of a challenge for the computer than the previously used chess, due to there being over 200 potential moves per turn.
This is all very exciting but what does this mean for the wider industries? It’s not just the Google DeepMind team that have been developing AI, there have been a number of other high profile investments in the technology, including IBM’s Watson system which transforms as it learns.
Potentially, the implications of AI are huge, but there are many reasons as to why we’re not going to be able to hand all our decisions over to a computer quite yet, there’s still a lot of development to go. One key hinderance of the speed of the technology’s advancement is the need to be able to access large amounts of clean data, meaning that it’s not an option open to everyone at the moment. But with key players such as Facebook, Google and IBM are heavily investing in development, and Elon Musk calling for the creation of open source AI , it’s obviously that many think that this could revolutionise our lives in the future.
DeepMind is already eyeing up practical applications of this technology, and has already committed to working with the UK’s National Health Service to develop better mode of working. The pairing is not without its sceptics however and there will be many watching to see whether the technology is sufficiently advanced to cope with such a challenge. If there is any success, it could mean huge implications for other industries and businesses.
Terrifying or inspiring, there are going to be many who fall on each side of the AI argument, but, one thing’s for sure, Google’s DeepMind has massively accelerated the development process.
Artificial Intelligence In Communication
DeepMind’s not the only AI algorithm to have hit the headlines this week, @DeepDrumpf is twitter bot created by Bradley Hayes, a postdoc at MIT’s CSAIL (Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab). Hayes says that “The algorithm essentially learns an underlaying structure from all the data it gets and then comes up with different combinations of data that reflect the structure that it was taught”. By using this technique, called deep learning, @DeepDrumpf recognises patterns in letters from speeches, debate remarks and transcripts from US presidential hopeful Donald Trump and creates new tweets in a direct imitation of his style. This isn’t the end of it, Hayes hopes to create a similar bot for a democrat candidate so the bots can debate each other.
I go to Saudi Arabia, and we have @realDonaldTrump steaks. We don't negotiate anything. I'm really proud of my success. I really am @tedcruz
— DeepDrumpf (@DeepDrumpf) March 16, 2016
Everybody can be amazing. They are because I'll bring back a hell of a big business. Don't forget you. Thank you.
— DeepDrumpf (@DeepDrumpf) March 6, 2016
@DeepDrumpf isn’t the first computer generated content creator, in fact you may have read content on news sites without knowing it was created by an intelligent machine.
For example, the Los Angeles Times wrote an Earthquake report on March 17th 2014
The article informs readers of a 2.7 magnitude earthquake aftershock four miles from Westwood at 7:23 a.m It goes on to read “A magnitude 4.4 earthquake was reported at 6:25 a.m and was felt over a large swath of Southern California”. Perhaps not the most compelling reading material but the article is informative and was published to the news website by 7:53am. Not bad for a computer.
The Los Angeles Times isn’t the only publishing platform to have relied on automated systems to generate content. Associated Press published the article “Apple tops Street 1Q forecasts” and at the bottom of the article it reads “This story was generated by Automated Insights”. This content was distributed via CNBC and Yahoo!
With magazines and newspapers the world over laying off journalists, is this another example of computers taking over the jobs of humans? Is computer generated content as engaging and compelling as content created entirely by people? We’d love to know your thoughts.
What is SEO and Why Should Your Business Care?
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Not every company has the time, experience, or energy to run their own social media accounts. Learn how social media outsourcing can help.
A Producer’s Guide to Storytelling – 7 top tips learnt from the media industry
Effective storytelling doesn’t just present people with a load of facts and figures, but it speaks to people’s hearts and minds. It causes them to
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Gary Sinise and his Lt. Dan Band rock Lake Sumter Landing during free concert
Actor Gary Sinise and his Lt. Dan Band rocked The Villages on Sunday night in front of a packed-house crowd at Lake Sumter Landing.
Actor Gary Sinise rocks out on one of many hit songs his Lt. Dan Band performed Sunday night at Lake Sumter Landing.
Gary Sinise and his Lt. Dan Band had the crowd on its feet throughout Sunday night’s concert at Lake Sumter Landing.
Performing on a specially built stage on Lake Shore Drive facing the town square area, the 13-piece cover band opened shortly before 7 p.m. with the Christopher Cross smash hit “Ride Like the Wind” and never looked back.
Cell phones taking videos and photos were aplenty at Sunday night’s free concert featuring actor Gary Sinise and his Lt. Dan Band.
Before it was all over – and to repeated rounds of applause from the several thousand screaming fans blanketing Lake Sumter Landing – the band had performed such hits as Chaka Khan’s “Ain’t Nobody,” Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition,” Bruno Mars’ “Locked Out of Heaven,” Pharrell Williams’ “Happy,” Santana’s “Smooth,” the Jackson’s “Shake Your Body Down to the Ground,” Miami Sound Machine’s “Conga” and “Sweet Home Chicago,” first recorded in 1936 by Robert Johnson and later made popular by such artists as Eric Clapton and the Blues Brothers. And that was just the tip of the iceberg as the adoring crowd kept singing along, dancing in the aisles and snapping photos of the historic occasion.
“I think it came out a great success,” said Marie Bogdonoff, founder and president of Villagers for Veterans, the group that brought Sinise and company to Florida’s Friendliest Hometown. “It’s just great to have him here,” added Bogdonoff, who also brought Sinise to The Villages in February for a book-signing event and said she had been working four years to make Sunday’s free concert a reality.
Sinise formed the 13-piece band in 2003 as an arm of the Gary Sinise Foundation. The goal was to entertain troops, perform at USO shows and raise money to help disabled veterans. The band is named for the character Sinise played in the 1994 blockbuster movie “Forrest Gump.”
Villagers for Veterans Founder and President Marie Bogdonoff was all smiles Sunday night as her dream of having Gary Sinise and the Lt. Dan Band perform in The Villages became a reality.
“It’s so nice that he’s supporting the veterans,” Bogdonoff added. “And the veterans are supporting him as well.”
One of those veterans who was having a great time was 95-year-old Irving Locker, a World War II Army staff sergeant who stormed Utah Beach on D-Day, fought in the Battle of the Bulge and helped liberate the Gardelegen concentration camp.
World War II veteran Irving Locker was enjoying the sounds of the Lt. Dan Band on Sunday night.
“I think it’s wonderful that he’s giving up his time and doing this for the veterans,” said Locker, who attended the show with Bernice, his wife of 71 years. “The vets need all the help they can get and he’s doing it and it’s really wonderful,” added the Village of El Santiago resident, who in February was flown to Washington, D.C. and singled out by President Trump during his State of the Union address.
Disabled Army Sgt. Pam Kelly agreed. Villagers for Veterans is currently building Kelly a smart house on the Historic Side of The Villages and she was enjoying the show from the front row.
Thousands of Villagers arrived early for Sunday’s free concert featuring actor Gary Sinise and his Lt. Dan Band.
“This is wonderful that he brought his band here to support all the veterans, as well as The Villages itself,” she said. “The band is awesome and you couldn’t ask for better entertainment.”
Kelly, an Army medic who became a quadriplegic in 2002 while on active duty, recalled meeting Sinise during his February visit at the Savannah Center when he signed copies of his book titled “Grateful American: A Journey from Self to Service.” She said he impressed her that day and he also made quite an impact on Sunday.
Gary Sinise and his Lt. Dan Band paid tribute to veterans and first responders during Sunday night’s free concert in The Villages.
Singer Molly Callinan belts out one of many hit songs that had Villagers applauding throughout Sunday’s free concert.
“Just like he is on the screen or what you see in interviews, he’s just a very gentle, sweet, nice man,” said Kelly, who this past November also enjoyed a flightless Honor Flight with Villagers for Veterans member Margueritte Desbrow as her guardian and in October got to meet rock legend George Thorogood during a fundraiser for her new house.
Meanwhile, near the back of town square across from City Fire, Villagers Linda King and Rick Pyle were thoroughly enjoying the show. They said they’d waited 30 minutes in line to buy drinks – and they’d gladly have waited 30 more if need be while enjoying the sounds of the Lt. Dan Band.
Villagers Linda King and Rick Pyle, who met at City Fire in Brownwood, said they were thoroughly impressed with Sunday night’s concert featuring actor Gary Sinise and his Lt. Dan Band.
“It’s really a great show and the band is humongous,” Pyle said. “They did such a great job of organizing this whole shebang. You have (big) screens and the stage. It’s just unbelievable.”
King said she was quite impressed with Sinise.
“He’s an unbelievable person, with his foundation and everything that he does,” she said. “He’s got the world in his hands right now and I think it’s great.”
Villagers John and Gina Bennis said they appreciate actor Gary Sinise’s support of freedom, the military and first responders.
World War II veteran Irving Locker and Bernice, his wife of 71 years, enjoyed Sunday’s concert at Lake Sumter Landing.
Fellow Villagers John and Gina Bennis agreed.
“He supports freedom, the military and all the first responders,” Gina said. “There’s no other American like him. I got his book last year and I was thrilled to read it.”
Nearby, Liz Flatte, of the Village of Mallory Square, was wearing a Navy hat in support of her niece and like the thousands of Villagers and area residents surrounding her, was taking in the show with a huge smile on her face.
Jeff Vezain sang one of many hits while playing the acoustic guitar during Sunday night’s show that saw the Lt. Dan Band open with Christopher Cross’ smash hit ‘Ride Like the Wind’ and never look back.
“It’s wonderful,” she said. “It’s great to see everybody from The Villages out here. I’m having a great time.”
For his part, Sinise offered thanks to the many area residents who came out to see the show.
“Wow, what a great audience,” he said. “The generosity of the American people allows us to be able to sponsor a show like this so we can come and just say ‘thank you’ for serving our country. Honor, gratitude and rock & roll – that’s the band’s motto.”
Actor Gary Sinise was getting into the music as his Lt. Dan Band played a variety of hits from different artists and eras.
The Lt. Dan Band’s next show is scheduled for Nov. 9 in Las Vegas and is being billed as a “Salute to the Troops.” Some of the other places the band has been or will go this year include Fort Huachuca, Luke Air Force Base and Davis Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona; Camp Pendleton, Naval Medical Center San Diego and Naval Base Ventura in California; Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Naval Air Station Pensacola, Tyndall Air Force Base, the Disabled American Veterans convention (Orlando) and the Snowball Express (serving the children of fallen veterans in Orlando) in Florida; Fort Benning and Fort Stewart in Georgia; Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada; Fort Belvoir and USO Little Creek in Virginia; and the Association of the United States Army in Washington, D.C.
Actor Gary Sinise was clearly enjoying playing his bass guitar during Sunday night’s free concert at Lake Sumter Landing.
Ben Lewis prepares to play keyboards during one of the many songs the Lt. Dan Band performed at Lake Sumter Landing on Sunday night.
Villagers packed the area in front of the stage as the Lt. Dan Band played hit after hit on Sunday night.
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Former UCLA standout has Pack mentality
PUBLISHED: May 23, 2008 at 12:00 a.m. | UPDATED: August 30, 2017 at 1:13 a.m.
Brandon Chillar had to be dragged out of a film study session with an unlikely teammate after just his second practice in Green Bay.
Chillar was sitting next to fellow linebacker Brady Poppinga, his main combatant for the starting strong side linebacker slot. No, Chillar wasn’t angry, and no, there wasn’t a need to separate the two. He just didn’t want to leave to go meet the pesky Green Bay media for the first time.
“I’m still trying to learn the scheme, and he’s actually helping me out,” said Chillar, a former UCLA standout. “It shows a lot of class. He’s got a lot of character.”
The Packers starting linebackers include Nick Barnett and A.J. Hawk, but Poppinga and Chillar will compete for the final starting slot.
“There’s two sides to competition, and depending on how you handle it it’ll either build you or it can tear you down,” Poppinga said. “Him being here, I think there’s a competition component and I think it’s going to build us up as a linebacking corps.”
In three seasons in Green Bay, Poppinga has 28 starts, including 15 of 16 games last year. He only missed the final game because the Packers began with an extra cornerback on the field.
Chillar, who signed a two-year, $5.4 million deal as the only notable free agent signing so far this offseason for Green Bay, started 15 games last season and 41 in four seasons with St. Louis.
“As soon as Brandon came in, I was very elated because it gives our defense many different options as to how we can attack an offense,” Poppinga said. “It’s really made it hard for me to sleep at nights because I’m excited about this up and coming year.”
Linebackers coach Winston Moss said he’s noticed Chillar’s work in film study.
“I just know from a preparation standpoint he wants to make sure that he’s giving himself the best chance to be successful,” Moss said. “He’s a veteran player. He’s started before so he’s been through it. He’s coming from a very similar (defensive) scheme.”
Chillar said he signed with Green Bay because he was tired of losing. St. Louis went 3-13 last season, and it’s something he said he never wanted to be a part of again.
“What I’m here to do is just help the team win and if that means whatever the coaches want me to do, I’ll do it to the best of my ability,” he said.
Also …
New Orleans defensive end Charles Grant posted $10,000 bond after his indictment on an involuntary manslaughter charge stemming from a February nightclub fight in Blakely, Ga., in which a woman died. Grant’s lawyer, Ed Tolley, said Grant entered a plea of not guilty and waived his right to arraignment. … Quarterback Marques Tuiasosopo is returning to Oakland after spending a year with the New York Jets, giving the Raiders the veteran backup they were looking for to help JaMarcus Russell. … Mike Keenan was named team president of the Cleveland Browns, formally filling a position left vacant when John Collins resigned two years ago.
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