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Municipality Zavrč
Source: Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org, 23. 6. 2010), author Ajax999si
BenediktCerkvenjakCirkulaneDestrnikDornavaDuplekGorišnicaHajdinaHoče - SlivnicaJuršinciKidričevoKungotaLenartLovrenc na PohorjuMajšperkMakoleMariborMarkovciMiklavž na Dravskem poljuOplotnicaOrmožPesnicaPodlehnikPoljčanePtujRače - FramRušeSelnica ob DraviŠentiljSlovenska BistricaSredišče ob DraviStaršeSveta AnaSveta Trojica v Slov. goricahSveti Andraž v Slov. goricahSveti Jurij v Slov. goricahSveti TomažTrnovska vasVidemZavrčŽetale
Region Podravska
Administrative unit Ptuj
Municipality Zavrč, which is part of the podravska statistical region, measures 19 km2; this ranks it 200th among Slovene municipalities.
In the middle of 2015 about 1,700 people (about 1,000 men and 700 women) were living in the municipality, which ranks Zavrč 190th among Slovene municipalities. The population density was 89 people per square kilometre, which was lower than the national average of 102 people per square kilometre.
The number of live births was lower than the number of deaths, which means that natural increase per 1,000 population in the municipality was negative. It was –4.1 (in Slovenia 0.4). The number of people who moved from the municipality was lower than the number of people who moved into the municipality, so net migration per 1,000 population in the municipality was positive. It was 1.7. The sum of natural increase and net migration per 1,000 population in the municipality was negative. It was –2.3 (in Slovenia 0.6).
The mean age of people in Zavrč was 40.7 years, which was lower than the national average (42.6).
in contrast to most Slovene municipalities, in Zavrč the number of young people was higher than the number of old people: there were 99 people, aged 65 or more, per 100 people aged 0–14. This ratio shows that the value of the ageing index was lower than the national average of 123. It also shows that the mean age of people in Žalec is growing more slowly than in Slovenia as a whole. Data by sex show that the ageing index for women was in all Slovene municipalities higher than the ageing index for men. In Zavrč – as in most Slovene municipalities – more women were 65+ years old than 14 or less; for men the situation was exactly the opposite.
In the school year 2015/2016 basic school in Zavrč was attended by about 100 pupils, while various upper secondary schools were attended by about 50 pupils. There were 30 students and 5 graduates per 1,000 people in the municipality; in Slovenia the averages were 39 per 1,000 and 9 per 1,000, respectively.
Among people aged 15–64 (i.e. working age population) about 44% were persons in employment (i.e. persons in paid employment or self–employed persons), which is less than the national average (58%).
The registered unemployment rate was 12.6%, which is more than the national average (12.3%). As in most Slovene municipalities, more women than men were unemployed.
In Zavrč, average monthly gross earnings per person employed by legal persons were about 29% lower than the annual average of monthly earnings for Slovenia; and net earnings about 10% lower.
About every other person in Zavrč had a car (48 passenger cars per 100 population); cars in this municipality were on average 10.5 years old.
In 2015, 115 kg of municipal waste per person was collected in Zavrč, which is 200 kg less than on average in Slovenia.
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Eagle Creek Fire reaches 33,000 acres, still not contained
The Eagle Creek wildfire that has forced hundreds of evacuations and closed miles of Interstate 84, however officials indicated it has "slowed down."
Eagle Creek Fire reaches 33,000 acres, still not contained The Eagle Creek wildfire that has forced hundreds of evacuations and closed miles of Interstate 84, however officials indicated it has "slowed down." Check out this story on statesmanjournal.com: http://stjr.nl/2eMgkWN
Associated Press and KGW Published 2:35 p.m. PT Sept. 6, 2017 | Updated 7:14 p.m. PT Sept. 6, 2017
Several large wildfires are burning in Oregon, keeping crews busy this fire season. Updated: Sept. 4. Wochit
The Eagle Creek Fire burns overnight Monday into Tuesday in the Gorge.(Photo: U.S. Forest Service)
TROUTDALE, Ore. -- The Eagle Creek wildfire that has forced hundreds of evacuations and closed miles of Interstate 84 east of Portland is at 32,929 acres and is 0 percent contained, said Lt. Damon Simmons, a spokesman with Portland Fire & Rescue.
The increase in acreage -- the fire had been estimated at 20,000 acres Tuesday night -- is more of a correction than an indication that the fire has grown, Simmons said during a Wednesday morning news conference. An infrared flight was able to go over the fire, which gave officials more exact numbers.
The Eagle Creek Fire and nearby 1,000-acre Indian Creek Fire have combined, but Simmons said the fire didn't make a hard push in any direction Tuesday. On Tuesday night, the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office said fire officials "are indicating that the fire has slowed way down for now."
The last new evacuation order was issued early Tuesday afternoon. In addition to the evacuations in Multnomah County, Hood River County has closed all forest land for recreational use.
About 600 emergency personnel are fighting the Eagle Creek wildfire. Crews have been focusing on containing the fire, improving fire lines and increasing space around structures.
The historic Multnomah Falls Lodge, built in 1925, has been threatened by the fire, but structural firefighters have worked to keep the fire away from it. Several structural engines and one aerial ladders truck have been working with water tenders to keep the lodge wetted down.
The western edge of the fire had not advanced as far as originally thought, Simmons said. It is currently about a half-mile south of Interstate 84.
The fire destroyed one unused house in the Warrendale area, but Simmons said he didn't have an exact location. Four outbuildings (any structure that is not a home) also burned in the same area.
Simmons also said he has driven through the gorge, and though he said it is still a dangerous drive at this time, the forest remains intact.
"The gorge still looks like the gorge," he said. "It's not a wasteland."
More: Air quality in Salem improves, relief from wildfire smoke in sight
KGW meteorologist Rod Hill said Wednesday morning that light west winds in the gorge should help stop the flow of wildfire smoke into Portland. And he said the winds should calm down for firefighters battling the Eagle Creek blaze through Wednesday afternoon. But gusty winds could pick back up again late Wednesday.
A Fire Weather Watch is in effect Wednesday afternoon for potential lightning.
Simmons said in the case that westerly winds push the fire Wednesday, they have resources in place with 600 firefighters ready to go at a moment's notice, which many already positioned in place.
The blaze, suspected of being started Saturday evening by a 15-year-old boy playing with a firework, has forced the shutdown of more than 30 miles of I-84 through the scenic Columbia River Gorge, between Troutdale and Hood River. Trucks heading westbound are being detoured off the highway at The Dalles.
The freeway is closed because of rocks, snags and other debris on the road. The Oregon Department of Transportation will work with fire officials to determine when to reopen the road.
More: Police identify suspect in Eagle Creek Fire
On the Washington side of the gorge, trucks over 10,000 pounds are prohibited from driving between Washougal and Dallesport on State Route 14 due to the fire. But transportation officials asked all drivers to avoid SR-14 altogether if possible.
Early Tuesday morning, embers from the Eagle Creek Fire caused a new blaze across the Columbia River in Washington, called the Archer Mountain Fire. As of Wednesday morning, that fire had increased from 25 to 112 acres. About 75 firefighters are battling that blaze. No structures are threatened at this time.
The U.S. Coast Guard has closed the Columbia River to all vessel traffic east of Portland to Bonneville Dam.
In Oregon, the Eagle Creek Fire reached the boundary of the Bull Run Watershed, but it is not close to any infrastructure or the drinking water reservoirs, according to the Portland Water Bureau. Water from Bull Run serves more than 950,000 people in the Portland metro area. The water bureau is prepared to switch to its secondary water supply if needed.
More: Fire or volcano? Oregon blaze sparks eruption comparisons
As winds pushed the fire west, smoke was blown over much of the gorge and Portland metro area. Residents as far west as Hillsboro reported ash falling. An air quality warning is in effect in the area through Friday afternoon.
Read or Share this story: http://stjr.nl/2eMgkWN
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Thursday, Oct 11, 2018 05:00 PM
Mike Prisuta
The play that energized and excited cornerback Joe Haden as much if not more than any other during the Steelers’ 41-17 win over Atlanta was one on which Haden wasn’t asked to shadow Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones.
On third-and-9 from the Atlanta 22-yard line late in the third quarter, Jones motioned away from Haden, who had been following Jones to the left or right side of the field with regularity but not into the slot.
Jones ran an out-route and wound up being bracketed along the sideline by cornerback Mike Hilton and safety Sean Davis.
Quarterback Matt Ryan’s pass for Jones ended up high and incomplete.
Haden was as elated.
“There was a lot of communicating going on,” he explained. “(Jones) motioned down, so then me, Mike and ‘S.D.’ (Davis) were all working basically a technique together. It worked out the same way it worked out in practice, that’s why I was just happy that everybody was just talking, everybody had it covered. They tried to throw it over to what we expected to happen and it was incomplete.
“A film-study thing that happened in the game, something we studied, it made me happy.”
Haden said traveling with Jones was the second such assignment he’s undertaken with the Steelers, after having followed the Texans’ DeAndre Hopkins last Dec. 25 in Houston.
Should Haden be asked to work a similar brand of magic on the Bengals’ A.J. Green this Sunday in Cincinnati, it won’t be the first time.
Haden entered the NFL as a first-round pick of the Browns in 2010 and played in Cleveland until last season.
Green was drafted on the first round by the Bengals in 2011.
“We’ve had battles, plenty of battles,” Haden said. “They had me following him the same way I’d follow ‘A.B.’ (wide receiver Antonio Brown when the Browns played the Steelers).”
Haden, 5-foot-11, 195 pounds, feels more at home in a matchup against a receiver the size of Jones (6-3, 220) or Green (6-4, 210) than he does ones similar to Brown (5-10, 181) in stature.
“The bigger guys, it’s easier to be able to get your hands on them,” Haden said. “The dudes that are more my size, (the Giants’) Odell (Beckham Jr.), ‘A.B,’ they’re a little quicker so you kinda miss them off the line.
“The bigger dudes, there’s just more frame you can get your hands on.”
Head coach Mike Tomlin has said such decisions depend on the “trickle-down effect” from week to week.
“It’s a multi-layered discussion and it’s not just about the person that you’re working to neutralize,” Tomlin maintained.
Haden will enthusiastically support whatever the gameplan dictates.
“I just want to do whatever the team wants me to do,” he said. “If they feel like that’s something that’s going to help us win, I’m ready to do it. Whatever ‘Coach T.’ tells us, I’m down. I don’t mind following at all, that’s something I look forward to doing. But if that’s something that he doesn’t have in the plan, then it is what it is.
“He knows where my head’s at. He knows whenever he comes to me he knows I’m ready to accept any challenge. My choice, I’d do it every time. But it’s on ‘Coach T.,’ whatever he wants to do.”
PHOTOS: Practice - Bengals Week - Day 2
The Steelers prepare for the Week 6 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals.
JuJu Smith-Schuster and Artie Burns
Rebecca Mehling/© Pittsburgh Steelers
Farrington Huguenin
The Pittsburgh Steelers practice at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex.
Garrett Giemont
Tyle Matakevich
Keion Adams
Mike Tomlin
Okorafor: 'The best fan base out there'
Get a closer look at Chuks Okorafor
Steelers' birthday, Top Shots and more
If you missed anything this week, we have you covered with our weekly recap
Three for the show
Offseason acquisitions bolster resources at inside linebacker
Thrills galore on the Steel Curtain
Current and former Steelers players rode the Steel Curtain at Kennywood Park.
Canaday overcame the challenge
Get a closer look at Kam Canaday
Asked and Answered: July 11
Players trying to make a roster, like McMillian (35), are better off not playing the numbers game
Steelers' athletic training staff is always on call
Steelers Nation Unite announces 2019 events
Steelers Nation Unite will host three Road Warrior Block Parties when the team is on the road in 2019
Football was his only focus
This offseason was a lot different than a year ago for James Washington
Asked and Answered: July 9
Steelers long have believed in the team-building benefits of going away for training camp
Adeniyi has his sights set on playing
Get a closer look at Ola Adeniyi
A special day in Steelers history
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LOSA PLLC Home
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"When I was a kid in the '80's, my Dad was the President of the Utica Symphony. I grew up watching the work it takes to run a not-for-profit, and the rewards of fostering culture in a community. The arts (a broad term!) are a key contributor to Western New York. I have served as the legal counsel for various cultural organizations, and in that role, have worked on numerous contracts, grants, and organizational initiatives related to the day-to-day challenges facing arts organizations." --Stephanie Adams
If your organization needs services, please get in touch.
Firm News & Commentary
The Law Office of Stephanie Adams, PLLC, 363 Grant Street, Buffalo, NY, 14213, United StatesPH: 716-464-3386 FAX: 716-262-0984info@LOSApllc.com
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Website text and compilation © 2018 The Law Office of Stephanie Adams, PLLC.
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Zarif says Iran's missiles are ‘non-negotiable’
TEHRAN – Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has said Iran’s missiles are for defensive purposes, reiterating that the country’s missile program is “not negotiable”, IRNA reported, citing Al Jazeera.
‘National interests are not something factional’
Iran gets its security from people: Zarif
TEHRAN – Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Friday that it is people who back national security in Iran.
‘U.S. punishing states for complying with UNSC resolutions’
TEHRAN – Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Wednesday that his American counterpart, Mike Pompeo, has turned an isolated U.S. into the first permanent member of the UN Security Council to punish other countries for complying with council’s resolutions.
Zarif blames West, clients for regional miseries
TEHRAN – Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Thursday that the United States and its allies need to stop their “hypocritical absurdities” about Iran’s regional behavior, underlining that it is they and their clients who are responsible for the miseries in the region.
Zarif on Yemen: High time aggressors end crimes against humanity
TEHRAN – It is well past time for foreign aggressors to end their airstrikes and crimes against humanity, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Tuesday, referring to the Saudi-led military campaign against Yemen.
IRGC confirms ballistic missile test
TEHRAN - Amir Ali Hajizadeh, commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Force, has confirmed that Iran has recently test-fired a missile, saying that the country tests tens of missiles annually.
We need stronger region not strongmen, Zarif tweets
TEHRAN – A stronger region, rather than strongmen, is needed by regional countries, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Sunday.
Zarif says U.S. has turned region into ‘gunpowder store’
TEHRAN – Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Saturday that the U.S. has turned the Middle East region into a “gunpowder store”.
Iran says will bring Chabahar terrorists, their masters to justice
TEHRAN – Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Thursday that the terrorists behind the Chabahar suicide attack and their masters will definitely face punishment.
Zarif on Chabahar attack: Iran will punish terrorists, their masters
Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has condemned a fatal terror attack that targeted Iran's strategic port city of Chabahar, vowing that the Islamic Republic will bring the perpetrators and "their masters" to justice.
Zarif says 2231 resolution doesn’t limit Iran’s missile program
TEHRAN – Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Wednesday that the UN Security Council Resolution 2231 and the 2015 nuclear deal, officially called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, do not restrict Iran’s missile program.
MP criticizes Zarif for signing Paris climate agreement
TEHRAN – A member of the Hope parliamentary faction has criticized Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif for signing the Paris climate agreement, saying the pact puts obstacles in the path of Iran’s development.
Zarif urges Pompeo to study UN Resolution 2231
TEHRAN – The U.S. secretary of state needs to study the UN Security Council Resolution 2231, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has suggested in reaction to Mike Pompeo’s tweet which claimed that Iran’s missile testing activities violate the resolution.
U.S. seeking to ‘permanently’ destabilize region, Zarif says
TEHRAN – Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has said that the U.S. is seeking to destabilize the Middle East region “permanently” to justify its heinous policy.
Zarif: U.S. foreign policy based on surrealism
TEHRAN - Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has said that that “surrealism” shapes the United States’ foreign policy.
Zarif, Haniyeh discuss U.S. draft resolution against Hamas
TEHRAN – Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh held a phone conversation on Monday discussing latest developments in Palestine including the U.S. draft resolution against Hamas at the UN General Assembly.
‘Zarif’s money laundering explanation convinces Hope bloc’
TEHRAN – Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif’s explanation about his recent remarks regarding money laundering sounded convincing to members of the parliamentary Hope faction, MP Jalal Mirzaee said on Sunday.
Impeaching Zarif ‘not desirable at all’: Aref
TEHRAN – The chairman of the pro-reform Hope faction in the parliament has criticized the motion to impeach Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, saying the impeachment at the current situation is “not desirable at all”.
Zarif meets top European diplomats in Geneva
TEHRAN – Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Wednesday held talks with a number of senior European diplomats on regional issues, the 2015 nuclear deal, and collective efforts to save the deal and maintain foreign trade with Iran.
Zarif says Iran’s four-point plan is still viable option for Yemen crisis
TEHRAN – Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif reiterated on Friday that Iran’s four-point plan is still the only viable option to resolve the Yemeni crisis.
Zarif urges intra-Afghan dialogue to reach peace
TEHRAN – Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Wednesday underlined the need to facilitate the intra-Afghan dialogue, by helping to bring the Taliban to the negotiating table with the government for inclusive and comprehensive talks.
Zarif meets Afghan chief executive in Geneva
TEHRAN – Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and Afghanistan’s Chief Executive Officer Abdullah Abdullah sat for talks on Tuesday in the Swiss city of Geneva, the Foreign Ministry website reported.
‘Respecting human rights is a national security requirement’
TEHRAN – Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Tuesday held talks with UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet on the sidelines of the Geneva Conference on Afghanistan.
Zarif castigates the Western silence on gas attack in Aleppo
TEHRAN – Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif castigated the West for being silent toward chemical weapons attack in the Syrian city of Aleppo by terrorists.
Iran says Afghan peace talks should involve central government
TEHRAN – Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif met with former Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Saturday discussing the situation in Afghanistan.
Zarif says Europe can’t swim without getting wet
TEHRAN – Foreign Minister Zarif has said that Iran has the option to restore uranium enrichment as it deems it a right under the 2015 landmark nuclear agreement.
Zarif calls U.S. accusation of chemical weapons program ‘obscene and dangerous’
TEHRAN – Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Friday that accusations from the United States that Tehran has a chemical weapons program are "obscene and dangerous".
Zarif to Trump: Perhaps Iran is also responsible for California wildfires
TEHRAN - Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Tuesday mocked U.S. President Donald Trump, saying that "perhaps we're also responsible for the California fires" after Trump earlier in the day attacked Iran in a statement reaffirming his support for Saudi Arabia.
Zarif in Rome to attend Mediterranean Dialogues
TEHRAN – Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif visited Rome late on Wednesday to attend the annual Mediterranean Dialogues (MED).
By Mohammad Homaeefar
Rouhani backs Zarif over money laundering remarks
TEHRAN – President Hassan Rouhani on Wednesday defended the recent remarks made by Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif about money laundering, saying not just Iran but the entire world is suffering from money laundering.
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KCL Big Question
Shoot-out between Russian military and militants leaves seven dead
Three members of Russian security forces and four gunmen killed during crackdown on Islamist militants threatening next month's winter Olympics in Sochi
Recent deadly attacks have heightened security concerns ahead of the Winter Olympics in Sochi Photo: Reuters
1:15AM GMT 16 Jan 2014
Three members of the Russian security forces and four gunmen were killed in a shoot-out on Wednesday during a sweep for Islamist militants who have threatened to attack the Winter Olympics that begin in Sochi next month.
After two suicide bombings in southern Russia last month, Moscow is on high security alert. President Vladimir Putin has staked much personal and political prestige on the success of the Games, and put security forces on combat footing in Sochi.
Russia's National Anti-Terrorism Committee (NAC) said the dead militants included a man accused of carrying out a car-bomb attack in the city of Pyatigorsk late last year which killed three people.
The shoot-out occurred on the same day that Russia's Duma, or lower house of parliament, introduced legislation aimed at broadening the powers of security services and boosting their oversight of the Internet, Russian news agencies said.
Voting has yet to be held on the bill, which the daily Vedomosti said was worked out during closed sessions held between parliamentarians and representatives of the Federal Security Service and the Interior Ministry.
US journalist banned from Russia
US concerned about Russia's oil for goods deal with Iran
Kalashnikov expressed guilt over rifle invention
Ex-Russian spy Anna Chapman launches clothing line
Security forces probe 'terrorist attack' in southern Russia
The group of militants had been trapped in a house in the village of Karlanyurt in the Dagestan region of the North Caucasus, the NAC said in a statement. Five officers were also wounded in what a spokesman called a special operation.
Police defused two explosive devices at the house where the militants battled security forces. Television showed images of grey plumes of smoke rising later from a house in the impoverished North Caucasus region.
The Dagestan capital, Makhachkala, is about 620km (385 miles) east of Sochi. The mostly Muslim region is plagued by bombings and shootings target state and police officials as part of the militants' fight to create an Islamist state there.
At least 34 people were killed last month in the suicide bombings in the southern city of Volgograd. Putin ordered safety measures to be beefed up nationwide after the attacks.
About 37,000 personnel are now in place to provide security in Sochi, located on the Black Sea and on the western edge of the Caucasus Mountains. The International Olympic Committee has expressed confidence the Games will be safe.
But, underlining the danger of attacks, security forces said on Saturday they had arrested five members of a banned militant group in southern Russia and defused a homemade bomb packed with shrapnel.
The main spokesman for Russia's Investigative Committee, whose responsibilities include looking into bombings and other attacks, appealed to civilians on Tuesday to be more vigilant and help avert the threat of "terrorist" attacks.
The insurgency is driven by a mix of religious fundamentalism and anger among local residents over corruption and strong-arm efforts by appointed, pro-Moscow regional leaders to clamp down on militants.
Edited by Steve Wilson
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Loss to Novak Djokovic motivated Rafael Nadal, says Annabel Croft
by LUIGI GATTO | VIEW 15819
The TV tennis presenter Annabel Croft believes that Wimbledon semifinals loss to Novak Djokovic motivated Rafael Nadal to get more success. The Spaniard just won his 33th Masters 1000 in Toronto. 'I think we’re seeing a lot more animation from Rafael these days', Croft said on Sky Sports.
'He was so intense trying to win another Wimbledon title. We know he was so angry when he came off the court against Novak and he wasn’t happy about that. To use that disappointment to come straight back out and win the first tournament he’s entered after Wimbledon was very impressive.' It was Nadal's first appearance in Toronto since 2010. 'There have been many years without coming back to Toronto and I miss this tournament a lot', the 32-year-old said during the prize ceremony following the final won over Stefanos Tsitsipas.
'I have had too many injuries in my career to come here more often, but this week has been fantastic. To receive this trophy means everything to me. And to have the support of you for the whole week means I wake up every morning and try practising every day on court with the highest amount of passion possible.
Thank you very much. Many thanks for all my special memories on court.' ALSO READ: Tsitsipas: 'Rafael Nadal is a beast, monster. I hope to reach his level'
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Apex Magazine #23 & #24, April & May 2011
Tuesday, 05 July 2011 19:24 Bob Blough
Apex Magazine Double Review -- #23/April and #24/May 2011
Apex #23, April 2011
“The Eater” by Michael J. Deluca
“Biba Jibun” by Eugie Foster
Reviewed by Bob Blough
Apex has reached its 23rd issue. They print two new short stories a month and a pair of reprints. The two new stories this month are by newer writers to the field.
Michael Deluca sets up a potentially interesting society in “The Eater” but does not explore it enough to grab the attention. There is a tribe (possibly post-World War III) that survives through the naming of things. If a thing can be named then it can be understood. The tribal guide is called The Speaker. She names things and through chants has her people memorize these words. Her opposite but more ambivalent leader is The Eater. He does the testing of new things in order to bring back new things to be named by The Speaker. A young tribe member follows the eater in order to become his apprentice, but finds that the awful realities of his world are too scary for her to accept.
It is an interesting set up but far too elusive to be a full fledged story. As well, the prose itself is not striking enough to linger in the mind. There are interesting observations of what it is like to be The Eater (the creator/destroyer figure) and The Speaker (the thinker/storyteller figure), but not enough is revealed in this slight story for it to be memorable.
Nebula Award winner Eugie Foster, however, brings us a fable with a heart of pure anthracite in “Biba Jibun.” She writes evocatively in this short which is a continuance of her Japanese fables brought forward into modern day Japan. This is the story of orphaned Rinako as she deals with modern day Tokyo. Tokyo turns out to be a nightmare for the country girl. Her only friend, Yumi, believes in biba jibun or “Viva la self” as it is explained. She brings Rinako into her own sphere and gets her to truly live for herself.
Rinako’s father thought her mother was an obake – an animal spirit; specifically, a rabbit spirit. How this spirit world intertwines with the horrific life she is living in Tokyo makes for a powerful if unpleasant story.
Apex seems to be a magazine that takes chances with new writers and unusual story telling. In which case, I applaud it.
Apex #24, May 2011
“Recipe Collecting in the Asteroid Belt” by Jeremy R. Butler
“Twilight of the Eco-Terrorist” by Annalee Nevitz
This issue of Apex contains two stories by authors that are new to me. One is well written and disturbing. The other just doesn’t quite work.
“Recipe Collecting in the Asteroid Belt” is one hard-hearted short story. Written by Jeremy R. Butler, it takes place in the near future and is about a young boy who is lured into the adventure of asteroid mining. He blames his 8 years alone as an “asteroid wrangler” on Smilin’ Joe Ferese. Smilin’ Joe was a real hero to the young boy, who read of Joe’s thrilling space adventures recounted to a loving public. All the kids wanted to be him or one of the other heroes of asteroid mining program. Needless to say, when the kid grows up and follows his hero into space, what he finds there does not meet his expectations.
This story, obviously, mirrors the “be the best you can be” PR of the marines. However, to me it seemed to be speaking about the SF field as a whole. It feels as though Mr. Butler is saying that we have followed our perfect SF heroes from the writings of Doc Smith or Heinlein down a rabbit hole and that adventure goes to the first, leaving nothing but vicarious adventures in their wake. An adventure that does not fill our need for that sense of wonder we once had. This probably speaks more about me than the story. But the fact that it is written well enough to get me thinking makes it a well handled one. But depressing as hell.
The second story is not as interesting. Annalee Nevitz in “Twilight of the Eco-Tourist” posits a young super hero discovering her talent to dissolve things into nothingness. She experiences this first, to her horror, by dissolving her boyfriend and the car they are making out in. She eventually becomes “The Eco-Terrorist” working for a green movement at college. First of all, I am very tired of super hero stories so it will take an excellent writer to lift me out of that predilection. Nevitz is not yet a good enough writer to do that. Her prose isn’t bad per se, but it lacks enough snap to draw me in. The writing seems to be tongue in cheek yet tries for poignancy at the same time. These modalities co-exist but never truly meld. The story is neither funny nor poignant but in some weird in-between state. It never quite gels.
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Tangent Online
the genre's premiere review magazine for short SF & Fantasy since 1993
Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine, #12, April/May 2004
Wednesday, 31 March 2004 18:00 Michael Gabriel Bailey
Fiction:
"Welcome to Andromeda Spaceways In-flight Duty Free" by Barbara Robson and Stuart Barrow
"If Anyone Should Ask" by Mark W Tiedemann
"Changes" by Stephen Dedman
"Logger" by Jacob Garbe
"Fairytale" by Dirk Flinthart
"Galatea's" by Helen Patrice
"Sister Supernova" by David Kay
"The Girl with the Four-Dimensional Head" by Colin P Davies
"Choices" by Sue Bursztynski
"The Elves Hate You" by Matthew Bey
"Y-Knot" by Bevan McGuiness
"A Dark Lord's Lament (his sorrowful sonnet)" by Barbara Robson
"Size Matters" by Mikal Trimm
"Tea and Biscuits with Sean McMullen" by Edwina Harvey
"Envision 2003" by Heather Gent, Louise Cusack
"Novel Excerpt - Hal Spacejock: Just Desserts" by Simon Haynes
Regular Features:
Reviews by various
Interview of Cory Daniells by Tansy Rayner Roberts Letters
My second review of Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine (ASIM) was tempered by the knowledge I gained in my review of the last issue. ASIM is a publication that tries not to take itself too seriously, resulting in lighter stories, and the contents vary from issue to issue depending on which editor is in rotation. This type of editorial rotation offers more variety from issue to issue than a standard arrangement, and it can also lead to fluctuations in quality. In my opinion, the April/May (#12) issue is an improvement over last month; a good fluctuation, containing stories that I felt were more humorous, more original, and more effective. I also noticed fewer editing errors in ASIM this month; still more than in magazines like Realms of Fantasy or Asimov's, but not an unbearable number of errors (as I found in Absolute Magnitude). Like issue #11, issue #12 of ASIM contains many stories, more than the afore-mentioned competitors, although I did not compare the word count.
Barbara Robson and Stuart Barrow's very short "Welcome to Andromeda Spaceways In-flight Duty Free" offered a few chuckles and set the tone for an irreverent issue. I loved the sales pitch for the "Forbidden Knowledge" item: "Be the envy of your cult as you chant vile phrases not heard for millennia!"
I didn't mind so much that Mark W Tiedemann's "If Anyone Should Ask" didn't seem to have a point. It was fairly funny, and the "Duty Free" had properly prepared me to expect some not-too-serious stuff. The idea of alien amateurs botching a kidnapping and examination had me snickering in no time. My favorite scene was when the aliens tried to levitate the hapless protagonist out of the house through a doggy door.
Stephen Dedman's "Changes" seemed a bit muddled to me. Unlike the first two stories, it was an attempt at a realistic coming-of-age werewolf story, and was not meant to be funny at all. While I thought Dedman did a fair job of capturing the mundane settings and characters that grounded the story, I also felt that he did not have enough time to get me to care about the protagonist and his struggles. The conflict with the father seemed a little incomplete to me, and I felt some of the other characters did not have time to become whole. I had difficulty feeling involved in the story.
"Logger" by Jacob Garbe launches back into comedy, being a yarn about how Jonas Baragovia, big game hunter and adventurer, first learned to hunt wild trees. That's right, wild trees. "The trees were wild. They were cunning. They killed men and flattened houses. They were vicious." Jack McGregor teaches Jonas how to battle the trees, and the two men seem an unstoppable team, but their encounter with a redwood named Murd'rous Red just might turn the tables.... I thought this story was silly, but then again, that was probably the whole point.
Dirk Flinthart's writing in "Fairytale" is, in my opinion, masterful. Flinthart tells the tale of a dull man with a dull life who only finds pleasure in collecting insects. Martin Pymble is attracted to the delicacy and precision, the reassuring and ritualized nature of insect collection. He thrills at "sorting through the jewel-like forms trapped [in his net]," until he finds a dead fairy in his kill jar. Proof that the numinous exists could have a transforming effect on Pymble, who feels that "to be human is to desire something more, something deeper, something subtle and sweet and vibrant and infinitely alive. To be human is to be disappointed." Flinthart wrote a perfect tale here, a story rich in symbolism and imagery, with economical word arrangement, great character development, and a poignant finish. This is by far the best story in this issue, and would be one of my nominees for a Year's Best collection.
In Helen Patrice's "Galateas's," protagonist Karen serves as the front-door receptionist for a middle-of-the-range brothel. Thanks to a deregulated genetic engineering industry, commonplace aliens, and just plain weirdness, Karen never knows what clients she will greet when she answers the door. Karen's misadventures are pure pulp, and no reader should expect to take anything meaningful away from the story. Just kick back and try not to be too squeamish....
"Sister Supernova" might seem puzzling at first, but read it patiently and wait for the last line of the story. Author David Kay admits he wrote the whole thing with the last line in mind, and I guarantee the reader will either let loose a peal of laughter or a mighty groan of anguish, depending on their taste in humor. This story is another fun lark, and like most of this issue, not meant to be taken seriously.
"The Girl with the Four-Dimensional Head" by Colin P Davies is excellent. This is not another goofy, pulpy tale, but a gritty sci-fi drama with fully drawn characters, outstanding dialog, and an interesting take on the old standby setting of Mars. Madelaine's presence in McColl's mind throughout his life is a fascinating idea, and the charged emotion that exists between the characters is believable. If all of Davies' work is this good, I'll need to hunt some of it down for future reading.
The next story is also serious rather than comedy, creating the first streak (two-in-a-row) of non-humorous tales in this issue! "Choices" by Sue Bursztynski is a well written, if slightly convoluted, angle on the legend of King Arthur, told from the perspective of the Nimue character. Bursztynski very quickly informs the reader (or at least this reader) about the various alliances and dalliances that shaped Arthur's legend, and then explores some alternate timelines where Nimue tries to make changes in an effort to save Camelot. The author does a great job of showing the relationships in action where she can, rather than just spitting out a heap of un-digestible Arthurian lore, but there is a great deal to cover in only a few pages, so some of it comes out slightly dry. I'll leave whether Nimue succeeds in her efforts up to the reader to decide, because I don't want to ruin the ending for you. This is a solid story, and most fantasy fans will enjoy it.
Matthew Bey's "The Elves Hate You" was flawlessly hilarious. Do not try to drink or eat while reading it, as choking is a very serious hazard! Bey wrote the tale in a pique of frustration with the fantasy genre, and his vengeful sarcasm shines through. The characters are hilarious caricatures, perfect in appearance and dialog, and their fate is well served. This is by far the best comedy in this magazine, and it would be my favorite if "Fairytale" had not appeared in this issue.
The last story of the magazine, "Y-Knot" by Bevan McGuiness, was a complete miss for me. The story was an attempt at a serious tale; a tough cop yarn set in the future on a colony world. Some of my distaste for the story comes from the fact that I do not care for most "hard-bitten" detective or cop stories. I find them incredibly dull and derivative. It's not McGuiness' fault that I dislike the tropes of that genre, but I feel the author took the story from bad to worse by relying on a premise that made it almost impossible for me to suspend disbelief, and by writing a sloppy ending that I felt was so ridiculous that it had me chortling. I also felt the main character, Anne, was uninteresting from the beginning, as well as a bit unrealistic.
I smiled at both comedic poetry pieces, "A Dark Lord's Lament (his sorrowful sonnet)" by Barbara Robson and "Size Matters" by Mikal Trimm, which I felt were effective and well suited to this issue.
Of the special features, I enjoyed "Tea and Biscuits with Sean McMullen" by Edwina Harvey, and "Envision 2003" by Heather Gent and Louise Cusack. Both features are most likely to be of interest to writers, but not necessarily to recreational readers.
In my opinion, this issue of Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine was an improvement over the last one. The three best stories, those by Flinthart, Davies, and Bey, made the rest of the issue worth perusing. That said, I find that comedy in the sci-fi and fantasy genre is difficult to do well, and this comedy-heavy issue had a hard time holding my interest. I feel that ASIM has a long way to go before it can compete with the quality fiction available in other magazines, where the majority of the writing is good, rather than the minority.
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You are here Research > Research Groups > Thermodynamics and energetics of quantum systems group > Publications
Precursors of non-Markovianity
S. Campbell, M. Popovic, D. Tamascelli, B. Vacchini
arXiv:1902.03156
Quantum thermal absorption machines: refrigerators, engines and clocks
M. T. Mitchison
Thermodynamics of precision in quantum non equilibrium steady states
G. Guarnieri, G. T. Landi, S. R. Clark, J, Goold
Nonreciprocal quantum transport at junctions of structured leads
E. Mascarenhas, F. Damanet, S. Flannigan, L. Tagliacozzo, A. J. Daley, J. Goold, I. Vega
Heat current rectification and mobility edges
V. Balachandran, S. R. Clark, J. Goold, D. Poletti
Quantifying shared information in quantum non-equilibrium steady-states
W. T. B. Malouf, J. Goold, G. Adesso, G. T. Landi
Quantum work statistics and resource theories: bridging the gap through Renyi divergences
G. Guarnieri, N. H. Y. Ng, K. Modi, J. Eisert, M. Paternostro, J. Goold
The role of quantum work statistics in many-body physics
J. Goold, F. Plastina, A. Gambassi, A. Silva
Asymmetry in energy versus spin transport in certain interacting, disordered systems
J. J. Mendoza-Arenas, M. Znidaric, V. K. Varma, J. Goold, S. R. Clark, A. Scardicchio
The role of coherence in the non-equilibrium thermodynamics of quantum systems
G. Francica, J. Goold, F. Plastina
High-temperature coherent transport in the XXZ chain in the presence of an impurity
M. Brenes, E. Mascarenhas, M. Rigol, J. Goold
https://journals.aps.org/prb/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevB.98.235128
Dynamical phase transitions and temporal orthogonality in one-dimensional hard-core bosons: from the continuum to the lattice
T. Fogarty. A. Usui, T. Busch, A. Silva and J. Goold
New J. Phys. 19 113018 (2017)
http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1367-2630/aa8aff
Full counting statistics approach to the quantum non-equilibrium Landauer bound
G. Guarnieri. S. Cambell, J. Goold, S. Pigeon, B. Vacchini and M. Paternostro
New. J. Phys. 19 103038 (2017)
http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1367-2630/aa8cf1/meta
Thermodynamics of quantum information scrambling
M. Campisi and J. Goold
Physical Review E, 95, 062127 (2017)
https://journals.aps.org/pre/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevE.95.062127
Energy diffusion in the ergodic phase of a many body localizable spin chain
V. K. Varma, A. Lerose, F. Pietracaprina, J. Goold and A. Scardicchio
J. Stat. Mech: Theory and Experiment, 053101 (2017)
http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1742-5468/aa668b/meta
Enhancing the charging power of quantum batteries
F. Campaioli, F. A. Pollock, F. C. Binder, L. Céleri, J. Goold, S. Vinjanampathy and K. Modi
Physical Review Letters, 118, 150601 (2017)
https://journals.aps.org/prl/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevLett.118.150601
Total correlations of the diagonal ensemble as a generic indicator for ergodicity breaking in quantum systems
F. Pietracaprina, C. Gogolin and J. Goold
Physical Review B, 95, 125118 (2017)
Daemonic ergotropy: enhanced work extraction from quantum correlations
G. Francica, J. Goold, F. Plastina and M. Paternostro
npj Quantum Information, 3, 12, (2017)
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41534-017-0012-8
Signatures of single particle mobility edge in the ground state properties of Tonks-Girardeau and non-interacting Fermi gases in a bichromatic potential
J. Settino, N. Lo Gullo, A. Sindona, J. Goold and F. Plastina
Physical Review A, 95, 033605, (2017)
https://journals.aps.org/pra/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevA.95.033605
Quantum Entanglement for Systems of Identical Bosons. 1 General Theory
B. Dalton, J. Goold, B. Garraway, M. Reid
Physica Scripta 92, 023004, (2017)
http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1402-4896/92/2/023004
Quantum Entanglement for Systems of Identical Bosons. 2. Spin Squeezing and Other Entanglement Tests
Physica Scripta 92, 023005 (2017)
Dephasing enhanced spin transport in the ergodic phase of a many-body localisable system
M. Znidaric, J.J. Mendoza-Areas, S. R. Clark and J. Goold
Annalen Der Physik, 1600298 (2016)
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/andp.201600298/full
Viewpoint: Maxwell’s Demon Meet Nonequilibrium Quantum Thermodynamics
J.Goold
Physics 9, 136 (2016)
https://physics.aps.org/articles/v9/136
Experimental demonstration of information to energy conversion in a quantum system at the Landauer limit J. J. Silva, R. S. Sarthour, A. M. Souza, I. S. Oliveira, J. Goold, K. Modi, D. O. Soares-Pinto, L. C. Celeri. Proc. R. Soc. A 472, 20150813 (2016)
The role of quantum information in thermodynamics – a topical review
J. Goold, M. Huber, A. Riera, L. del Rio, P. Skrzypczyk
Journal of Physics A: Mathematical and Theoretical, 49, 143001 (2016)
http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1751-8113/49/14/143001/meta
Quantum thermodynamics for a model of an expanding universe
J. Goold, N. Liu, I. Fuentes, V. Vedral, K. Modi, D. E. Bruschi
Classical and Quantum Gravity, 33, 035003 (2016)
http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/0264-9381/33/3/035003/meta
Total correlations of the diagonal ensemble herald the many-body localization transition
J. Goold, S. R. Clark, C. Gogolin, J. Eisert, A. Scardicchio, A. Silva
Physical Review B (Rapid Communications), 92, 180202(R) (2015)
Quantacell: powerful charging of quantum batteries
F. Binder, S. Vinjanampathy, K. Modi and J. Goold
New Journal of Physics, 17 075015 (2015)
Quantum thermodynamics of general quantum processes
A non-equilibrium quantum Landauer principle
J. Goold, M. Paternostro and K. Modi
Maxwell's Daemon: Information versus Particle Statistics
M. Plesch, O. Dahlsten, J. Goold and V. Vedral
Nature Scientific Reports, 4, 6995 (2014)
https://www.nature.com/articles/srep06995
Experimental reconstruction of work distribution and study of fluctuation relations in a closed quantum system
T. Batalhao, A. M. Souza, L. Mazzola, R. Auccaise, R. S. Sarthour, I. S. Oliveira,
J. Goold, G. De Chiara, M. Paternostro, R. M. Serra
Super-adiabatic quantum engines
A. Del Campo, J. Goold, and M. Paternostro
Measuring the heat exchange of a quantum process
J. Goold, U. Poschlinger and K. Modi
Physical Review E. (Rapid Communications), 90, 020101 (2014)
Work and quantum phase transitions: Quantum Latency
E. Mascarenhas, H. Braganca, R. Dorner, M. Franca Santos, V. Vedral, J. Goold
Statistics of the work distribution for a quenched Fermi gas
A. Sindona, J. Goold, N. Lo Gullo, F. Plastina
New Journal of Physics, 16, 045013 (2014)
New spin squeezing and other entanglement tests for two mode systems of identical bosons
B. J. Dalton, L. Heaney, J. Goold, B. M Garraway and Th. Busch
Orthogonality catastrophe and decoherence in a trapped-Fermion environment
A. Sindona, J. Goold, N. Lo. Gullo, S. Lorenzo and F. Plastina
https://journals.aps.org/prl/pdf/10.1103/PhysRevLett.111.165303
Comment on “Quantum Szilard engine”
Phys. Rev. Lett, 111, 188901 (2013)
Decoherence in a Fermion Enviroment: Non-Markovianity and Orthogonality Catastrophe
F. Plastina, A. Sindona, J. Goold, N. Lo Gullo, S. Lorenzo
Open Systems and Information Dynamics, 20, 1340005 (2013)
http://www.worldscientific.com/doi/abs/10.1142/S1230161213400052
Extracting quantum work statistics and fluctuation theorems by single qubit interferometry
R. Dorner, S. R. Clark, L. Heaney, R. Fazio, J. Goold, V. Vedral
Emergent Thermodynamics in a quenched many-body system
R. Dorner, J. Goold, M. Paternostro, C. Cormick and V. Vedral
Quantum coherent contributions in biological electron transfer
R. Dorner, J. Goold, L. Heaney, T. Farrow and V. Vedral
Phys. Rev. E 86, 031922 (2012)
The pinning quantum phase transition in a Tonks Girardeau gas: diagnostics by ground state fidelity and the Loschmidt echo
K. Lelas, T. Seva, H. Buljan and J. Goold
Phys. Rev. A 86, 033620 (2012)
In preparation, (2012).
Structure and interactions of ultracold Yb ions and Rb atoms
H.D.L Lamb, J.F. McCann, J. Goold., N. Wells and I. Lane
Loschmidt echo, Criticality and Non-Markovianity: a unified picture
P. Haikka, J. Goold, S. McEndoo, F. Plastina and S. Maniscalco
Phys. Rev. A. (Rapid Communication) 85, 060101 (2012)
Quantum computational simulations of biological information flow
R. Dorner, J. Goold and V. Vedral
Royal Society Journal: Interface Focus special issue entitled Computability and the Turing Centenary (2012)
Orthogonality catastrophe as a consequence of qubit embedding in an ultra-cold Fermi gas
J. Goold, T. Fogarty, M. Paternostro and Th. Busch
Tripartite nonlocality and continuous-variable entanglement in thermal states of trapped ions
J. Li, T. Fogarty, C. Cormick, J. Goold, T. Busch and M. Paternostro
Transport, atom blockade and output coupling in a Tonks-Girardeau gas
L. Rutherford, J. Goold, Th. Busch and J.F. McCann
https://journals.aps.org/pra/pdf/10.1103/PhysRevA.83.055601
Non-locality of two Ultra-Cold trapped atoms
T. Fogarty, J. Goold, M. Paternostro and Th. Busch
An eccentrically perturbed Tonks-Girardeau gas
J. Goold, M. Krych, Z. Idziaszek, T. Fogarty and Th. Busch
Ion induced density bubble in a strongly correlated one dimensional gas
J. Goold, H. Doerk, Z. Idziaszek, T. Calarco and Th. Busch
Phys. Rev. A 80, 041601(Rapid Communication) (2010)
Detection and engineering of spatial mode entanglement with ultra-cold bosons
J. Goold, L. Heaney, Th. Busch and V. Vedral
Low-density, one dimensional quantum gases in the presence of a localised attractive potential
J. Goold, D. O'Donoghue and Th. Busch
J. Phys. B: At. Mol. Opt. Phys. 41 215301 (2008)
http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/0953-4075/41/21/215301
Ground State Properties of a Tonks-Girardeau Gas in a Split Trap
J. Goold and Th. Busch
Boson pairs in a one-dimensional split trap
D.S. Murphy, J.F. McCann, J. Goold and Th. Busch
School of Physics > Research > Research Groups > Thermodynamics and energetics of quantum systems group > Publications
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LifeStyle Newsletter - Just Give Me that Countryside…
Remember the television classic, Green Acres? Eddie Albert, who portrayed a New York City lawyer, and Eva Gabor, who portrayed his sophisticated spouse, move from the big city to the country – and it’s not quite what they expected.1
Recent retirement migration patterns appear to be producing a real-life version of the show.
The search for warm weather and affordability has driven some people out of Florida and into Appalachia. In May, Cameron McWhirter of The Wall Street Journal reported on the new trend, which was dubbed ‘half-backing.’ Half-backs are:2
“…northern transplants to Florida who are retiring in mountain communities of western North Carolina, northern Georgia, and eastern Tennessee. These retirees are reshaping local economies, boosting everything from tax revenues to restaurant receipts to sales of electric chair lifts for the elderly. Along the way, they are chafing locals who say the migration is pricing them out of homes and bringing in a sort of big-city brusqueness.”
From 2010 to 2017, net migration to counties in the mountainous regions of Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee increased 169 percent, while net migration to all U.S. retirement destination counties increased by just 67 percent.2 That hasn’t pushed these states to the top of the list of retiree destinations, but they’re now in the top 10. Smart Asset reported retirees’ favorite places to relocate are:3
1. Florida
2. Arizona
5. Nevada
6. Texas
7. Oregon
10. Georgia
It’s notable that Texas, Georgia, Oregon, North Carolina, Nevada, Florida, and Arizona are also among the top 10 destinations for Millennials!4
If you’re planning to move during retirement – and you are considering one of these states – it’s a good idea to think about the ways current trends are likely to affect property values, home prices, and the cost of living over time.
Ready to Feed a Crowd?
Whether you’re cheering on a favorite team, celebrating a child’s birthday, or going to a potluck, Food Network’s Bacon Cheeseburger Garbage Bread is a crowd pleaser.5
Bacon Cheeseburger Garbage Bread
2 pounds ground beef chuck
12 ounces American cheese slices (about 30 slices)
All-purpose flour, for dusting
1-1/2 pounds store-bought pizza dough, at room temperature (see Cook's Note below)
5 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoons yellow mustard
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
12 strips cooked bacon, broken in half
32-ounce jar dill pickle chips (about 35 to 40 chips; finely chop 2 tablespoons worth; leave the others whole)
Sesame seeds, for garnish
1 teaspoon dried onion flakes
1 teaspoon dill pickle brine (from above jar)
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees; line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the beef and cook, stirring to break it up into small crumbles, until cooked through, about 8-10 minutes. Meanwhile, roughly chop half of the cheese, leaving the other half as whole slices. Set aside.
Using a slotted spoon, remove the beef from the skillet and transfer to a large bowl; discard the fat and liquid in the pan. Let the beef cool completely in the bowl, then stir in the chopped cheese. On a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough into a 20” x 14” rectangle. Arrange the beef and cheese mixture evenly on one half of the dough, starting on the shorter end and leaving a 1” border on all sides. Drizzle 2 tablespoons ketchup evenly over the beef mixture and the uncovered half of the dough; repeat with all the mustard, and then the red onion. Lay down the remaining cheese slices evenly over the half of the dough with no beef mixture, leaving a 1” border on all sides. Arrange the bacon pieces and 24 dill pickle chips over the beef mixture.
Working from the short side with the beef mixture, tightly roll up the dough into a log – jelly-roll style. Pinch the open ends together to seal, then tuck them underneath the log. Transfer the log, seam side-down, to the prepared baking sheet. Brush all over the dough with water and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake at 400 degrees, rotating the pan 180 degrees halfway through, until the bread is golden brown, about 40 minutes.
While the bread bakes, whisk together the mayonnaise, onion flakes, sugar, a pinch of salt and pepper and the remaining 3 tablespoons ketchup, 2 tablespoons finely chopped dill pickle chips, and 1 teaspoon pickle brine in a small bowl. Taste and season the sauce, and add additional salt if needed.
Let the bread cool for 10 minutes. Slice into 8 servings, and serve warm with the sauce.
Cook's Note: To make rolling and shaping the dough easy, keep the dough refrigerated until 10 to 15 minutes before you are ready to use it.
What Do You Know About Museums?
There are all types of museums – art museums, field museums, children’s museums, and more – around the world. See what you know about museums and installations by taking this quiz.
1. Which museum has a ‘fatberg’? It’s an object described as a “… chunk of congealed grease and garbage [that] changes color, sweats, and even produces broods of freshly hatched flies.”6
a. Museum of Science and Industry (Chicago)
b. Museum of Modern Art (New York)
c. Museum of London (United Kingdom)
2. Which of the following is a real headline about a museum?7
a. A Man Fell Into a Giant Black Hole at Anish Kapoor’s Latest Art Installation
b. Vans and the Van Gogh Museum Want to Turn Your Sneakers Into Works of Art
c. Slice of History: A Pizza Museum is Coming to Chicago
3. Which museum has the Burke Brise Soleil, a ‘moveable, wing-like sunscreen?’8
a. Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
b. Milwaukee Art Museum
c. San Diego Air & Space Museum
d. Musée d'Orsay (France)
4. Where can you find Frida Kahlo’s Self-Portrait Dedicated To Leon Trotsky?9
a. National Museum of Women in the Arts (Washington, DC)
b. Frida Kahlo Museum (Mexico)
c. The Louvre (France)
d. Hermitage Museum (Russia)
If you’ve ever seen a performance of one of Shakespeare’s plays in the language in which it was originally written, you might have had doubts the language was English. In Measure for Measure, Duke Vincento says:10
“Of government the properties to unfold,
Would seem in me t’ affect speech and discourse;
Since I am put to know that your own science
Exceeds, in that, the lists of all advice
My strength can give you.”
The passage is as clear to many Americans as one of the latest 840 additions to Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary: TL;DR (a.k.a. tldr or TLDR). The dictionary describes TL;DR as an abbreviation or noun. It means, ‘Too long; didn’t read.’11
Other new additions to the dictionary included terms related to technology and what we do with it – such as haptics, airplane mode, force quit, Instagramming, biohacking, and Fintech – and food terms like hophead, zoodles, mocktail, and hangry.12
As Merriam Webster’s ‘Words At Play’ concluded, “…the TL;DR of all this is that the dictionary can also be a bingeable time suck with a lot to say about life itself.”12
Quiz Answers:
1. C – Museum of London (United Kingdom)
2. D – All of the above
3. B – Milwaukee Art Museum
4. A – National Museum of Women in the Arts (Washington, DC)
1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Acres
2 https://www.wsj.com/articles/forget-florida-more-northern-retirees-head-to-appalachia-1526388500?platform=hootsuite (or go to https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/peakcontent/Peak+Documents/LN_4th_Qtr_2018_WSJ-Forget_Florida-More_Northern_Retirees_Head_to_Appalachia-Footnote_2.pdf)
3 https://smartasset.com/retirement/where-are-retirees-moving-2018-edition
4 https://smartasset.com/mortgage/where-are-millennials-moving-2018-edition
5 https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/bacon-cheeseburger-garbage-bread-3885966
6 http://mentalfloss.com/article/554403/museum-of-london-whitechapel-fatberg-livestream
7 http://mentalfloss.com/section/museums
8 https://mam.org/visit/burke-brise-soleil.php
9 https://nmwa.org/works/self-portrait-dedicated-leon-trotsky
10 https://books.google.com/books?id=bOdBAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA36&lpg=PA36&dq=But+that+to+your+sufficiency+as+your+Worth+is+able,++And+let+them+work&source=bl&ots=Q3z5yTy5cX&sig=5BhF6BxPV62tP4Q9eJcH8g1Dn0A&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiA96KJkqTdAhVCOK0KHQP_D5kQ6AEwAnoECAgQAQ#v=onepage&q=But%20that%20to%20your%20sufficiency%20as%20your%20Worth%20is%20able%2C%20%20And%20let%20them%20work&f=false (or go to https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/peakcontent/Peak+Documents/LN_4th_Qtr_2018_Shakespeare_Play-Measure_for_Measure-Footnote_10.pdf)
11 https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/TL%3BDR
12 https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/new-words-in-the-dictionary-september-2018
This material was prepared by Carson Group Coaching. Carson Group Coaching is not affiliated with the named broker/dealer.
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San Diego at LA Dodgers: Injury Report
Wednesday May 15, 2019 10:10 pm - Los Angeles, CA
Odds: Los Angeles by 1.5, Total Points: 7.5
Matchup Menu: SD @ LAD
Run Line Analysis
More Games From May 15, 2019
LA Angels @ Minnesota, Wed 1:10 pm
Baltimore @ NY Yankees, Wed 3:05 pm
Pittsburgh @ Arizona, Wed 3:40 pm
Toronto @ SF Giants, Wed 3:45 pm
Chi Cubs @ Cincinnati, Wed 6:40 pm
NY Mets @ Washington, Wed 7:05 pm
Milwaukee @ Philadelphia, Wed 7:05 pm
Tampa Bay @ Miami, Wed 7:10 pm
Colorado @ Boston, Wed 7:10 pm
Houston @ Detroit, Wed 7:10 pm
St. Louis @ Atlanta, Wed 7:20 pm
Texas @ Kansas City, Wed 8:15 pm
San Diego @ LA Dodgers, Wed 10:10 pm
San Diego Injuries
Travis Jankowski CF 7/10 Wrist 60-DAY IL Jankowski has been placed on the 60-day injured list after having surgery to repair a fractured left wrist. He is expected to be sidelined until the latter part of July.
Brett Kennedy SP 7/10 Arm 60-DAY IL Kennedy has been transferred to the 60-day injured list with arm fatigue and is not expected to return until the end of July.
Jose Castillo RP 7/8 Forearm 60-DAY IL Castillo is on the 60-day injured list with a left flexor strain. He has suffered a setback in his rehab assignment and is likely to be out until at least the end of July.
Garrett Richards SP 7/5 Elbow 60-DAY IL Richards is on the 60-day injured list while recuperating from Tommy John surgery. He is lining up to return sometime in September, provided no setbacks occur.
Franchy Cordero CF 7/4 Elbow 60-DAY IL Cordero sustained a right elbow sprain and has been transferred to the 60-day injured list. He is expected to be out until at least the early part of September after incurring a setback during his rehabilitation.
Robert Stock RP 7/4 Bicep 10-DAY IL Stock is on the 10-day injured list due to a right biceps strain and will be forced to miss an extended length of time.
Adam Warren RP 6/8 Forearm 10-DAY IL Warren has a right forearm strain that put him on the 10-day injured list. It is unknown when he will return.
Aaron Loup RP 5/27 Elbow 60-DAY IL Loup has been transferred to the 60-day injured list with a left elbow strain. He suffered a setback during his recovery and is expected to be out of action until at least the start of August.
Jacob Nix SP 4/11 Elbow 60-DAY IL Nix has landed on the 10-day injured list due to a torn UCL in his right elbow and is in danger of missing the entire 2019 season.
LA Dodgers Injuries
Chris Taylor LF 7/15 Forearm 10-DAY IL Taylor has been placed on the 10-day injured list with a left forearm fracture and will miss an extended period.
A.J. Pollock CF 7/15 Rest QUESTIONABLE Pollock is not expected to play against the Phillies on Monday as he is to be rested.
Rich Hill SP 7/14 Forearm 60-DAY IL Hill has been transferred to the 60-day injured list due to left forearm flexor strain but is expected to return sometime in September.
Scott Alexander RP 7/10 Forearm 10-DAY IL Alexander is on the 10-day injured list due to left forearm inflammation and is likely to be out until at least the end of July.
Tony Cingrani RP 6/26 Shoulder 60-DAY IL Cingrani has been shifted to the 60-day injured list after having surgery to repair the labrum in his left shoulder. He is expected to miss the remainder of the 2019 season.
MLB Betting Picks
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How to record the screen on your iPhone
By Tom Bedford How To
Record everything you do on your Apple phone
Image credit: TechRadar
So you want to record the screen on your iPhone – whether that's to collect footage of you playing games, to remember an important Facetime, or just for fun. Unlike many Android phones, there's no obvious way of doing it, but Apple does have an iOS screen recorder feature – you just need to know how to find it.
That's why we've come up with the simple guide on how to record the screen on your iPhone, and how to set up a shortcut to make it easier in the future.
How to delete all photos from iPhone
How to set up the screen recorder shortcut
Image credit: Apple
(Image credit: Future)
The first thing you're going to need to do is head into your iPhone's settings menu, which should be on the home page – its icon is a gray and black cog on a gray background, and if you've just activated your phone, it should be on the penultimate row on the far right.
In the settings men, find Control Center in the third chunk of options and select it, then tap Customize Controls (the second of the two options).
Here, you'll see a list of all the functions that appear in your Control Center. You can find Screen Recording in More Controls. Tap the green arrow to its left, and it'll be added in your list of included apps. You can also add more functions if you think they'll be useful.
Your Control Center will now include a screen recorder shortcut. If you didn't know already, the Control Center is a small options bar you can bring up by swiping down from the top right of the screen in iOS 12 or later, and by swiping up in older versions of iOS.
Now you've got the screen recorder shortcut, bring up Control Center as decribed above. In the rows of icons in the second half of the screen, find a white dot with a white circle around it. This is the screen recorder button.
If you press this, you'll see a countdown in the circle, then the icon will turn red. Your screen is now recording! You can close Control Center and the recording will continue, so don't worry about that. To stop recording, simply press this button again, bringing up Control Center first if necessary.
This recording doesn't include audio from your microphone. If you want to activate that, press and hold on the screen recorder button when you aren't recording. This will bring up another menu that lets you toggle the microphone on and off. Simply press the microphone button to activate it.
Now you're able to record the screen on your iPhone, and can do it in a simple swipe and press, so it's easy to do at any time.
How to record a call on your iPhone
See more how-to articles
Best free iPad apps 2019: the top titles we've tried
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IMA Ponzi scheme: SIT raids residence of Mansoor Khan's close aide, takes him into custody
Updated Jun 30, 2019 | 16:30 IST | Times Now Digital
Mujahid is one of the directors of IMA Jewels and a close aide of company founder Mansoor Khan who has been absconding since the scam came to light.
SIT raided Syed Mujahid's residence
Bengaluru: In yet another big development in the IMA Ponzi scheme case, the special investigation team (SIT) on Sunday took Syed Mujahid in custody for interrogation and also confiscated important documents from his residence in Bengaluru, Karnataka. Mujahid is one of the directors of IMA Jewels and a close aide of company founder Mansoor Khan who has been absconding since the scam came to light.
According to sources, Syed Mujahid is a close aide of main accused Mansoor Khan and it has been alleged that he met Mansoor Khan at the Bengaluru airport on June 8, the day when the IMA Jewels founder fled to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The SIT also confiscated documents pertaining to various properties owned by Mujahid and IMA Jewels.
Earlier on Friday, the Enforcement Directorate summoned Karnataka cabinet Minister BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan for his alleged involvement in the IMA Ponzi scheme. In one of the affidavits given by Zameer Ahmed to the ED, he has mentioned that he sold one of his properties to the IMA Jewels for Rs 5 crore.
However, he came under the ED's radar after the market rate of the property he sold was found to be worth only Rs 2 crore, some Rs 3 crore less than the amount he paid. The Janata Dal (Secular) leader, who is a part of Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy's cabinet, has reiterated that he is nothing to hide and he will prove his innocence before the ED on July 5 when a hearing is scheduled in the matter.
Mansoor Khan is allegedly in hiding in Dubai ever since the Ponzi scheme that he ran through his IMA Jewels company in Bengaluru came to public attention. The investigative agencies have frozen bank accounts, attached several properties and confiscated many documents in the case so far.
Karnataka political crisis: Karnataka Speaker K.R Ramesh Kumar speaks to Times Now | EXCLUSIVE
Karnataka Speaker K.R Ramesh Kumar speaks to Times Now's Deepak Bopanna on Karnataka Drama: Can’t ignore situations around me and it’s a tug of war between contending parties. I would have spoken to MLAs if approached.
Listen in!
Karnataka Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar on Karnataka Crisis, says 'I will go by what is expected of me'
Former Karnataka Chief Minister and BJP leader BS Yeddyurappa speaks on Karnataka political crisis
Karnataka Independent MLA Nagesh back BJP in a letter
Supreme Court orders status quo over Karnataka political crisis
IMA Ponzi scheme: SIT raids residence of Mansoor Khan's close aide, takes him into custody Description: Mujahid is one of the directors of IMA Jewels and a close aide of company founder Mansoor Khan who has been absconding since the scam came to light. Times Now
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Flat Tops Wilderness
In terms of land area, the Flat Tops Wilderness is definitely one of Colorado’s leading contenders. This enormous wilderness is over 235,000 acres in total, making it Colorado’s second largest Wilderness Area.
It’s located in two National Forests: the Routt and White River National Forests. It was designated in 1975, and is under the governance of the U.S. National Forest.
Perhaps the most interesting thing about this wilderness is its history as it directly ties into what the country now knows as the Wilderness Act. In 1919, a U.S. Forest Service official known as Arthur Carhart was sent to the Trappers Lake, one of the lakes located in the Flat Tops Wilderness. Upon seeing the majesty of the Flat Tops Wilderness in its pristine state, Carhart decided that it would be better for the area to remain untouched.
Carhart’s mission was only the beginning of the country’s dedication to protecting wilderness areas as almost fifty years later in 1964, the Wilderness Act was signed into law.
Carhart’s decision is not difficult to understand as well. The Flat Tops Wilderness features terrain that provide hikers with an easy challenge so that they can enjoy the views. The wilderness has subalpine meadows, alpine tundras, volcanic cliffs, dead forests, and more. The wilderness contains over 160 miles of trails winding through it, ready to be explored by adventurous hikers.
Fishing is also a highly beloved activity in the Flat Tops Wilderness. Lakes and ponds are abundant in the wilderness, and all of them are stocked full of trout.
The closest town to the Flat Tops Wilderness is Meeker. Visitors can depart from Colorado Highway 13 to reach the Wall Lake Trailhead above the campgrounds at Trappers Lake. On the other side of the Flat Tops Trail Byway, a national scenic byway that connects Meeker and Yampa, is CO 131, which leads north to Steamboat Springs.
Columbines beside Trappers Lake. Photo: Jeff Foster
High plateau and deep canyons in the Flat Tops. Photo: Pat Gaines
Flat Top Mountains in northwest Colorado. Photo: Paul
Nearby Towns: Meeker | Yampa
Management: USFS
Website: fs.usda.gov/…
Colorado National Wilderness Areas
All National Lands
Black Ridge Canyons
Buffalo Peaks
Byers Peak
Cache La Poudre
Collegiate Peaks
Comanche Peak
Fossil Ridge
Greenhorn Mountain
Gunnison Gorge
Hunter-Fryingpan
Indian Peaks
James Peak
La Garita
Lizard Head
Maroon Bells-Snowmass
Mount Massive
Mount Sneffels
Mount Zirkel
Neota
Platte River
Ptarmigan Peak
Raggeds
Rawah
Sangre de Cristo
Sarvis Creek
Spanish Peaks
South San Juan
Uncompahgre
Vasquez Peak
Weminuche
West Elk
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Equal Opportunities Officer
Equal Opportunities Office
GenderConsulting in Research
GenderConsulting in Collaborative Research
A sustainable equal opportunities policy is crucial in academia. Central to this is the career support of women with to goal to increase the number of women in science, especially the number of those in leading positions. The German Research Foundation and other funding parties (e.g. European Research Council, Federal Ministry of Education and Research) expect an equal opportunities concept within research projects that exceeds common standards. Implementing equal opportunity measures in joint research projects and realizing the compatibility of family and career creates an immense added value and and contributes to high quality research.
In order to actively promote equal opportunities among researchers, Collaborative Research Centres can access up to 30,000 Euro/year after application; Research Training Groups, Research Units and Priority Programmes can access up to 15,000 Euro/year after application. Innovative programmes and measures are demanded for that are designed to fit the subject's and project's requirements and are tailored to the specific coordinated programme. Also, they should contribute to and advance the work of the equal opportunities across the Göttingen Campus.
GenderConsulting in Collaborative Research is part of the University's central equal opportunity office and works closely with other areas (such as equal opportunity-oriented promotion of young researchers, Family Service, and Gender & Diversity Controlling). It offers support to all researchers on the Göttingen Campus regarding the development and implementation of equal opportunity concepts within their joint research projects. This includes:
Advice on creating an equal opportunity concept for proposal outlines and concept papers
Support in the development of equal opportunity measures and offers to improve family-friendliness for full proposals and subsequent applications
Advice regarding the presentation of equal opportunity concepts and measures for the on-site review (incl. poster creation)
Pooling of existing measures or projects and initiatives that are still in development on the Goettingen Campus.
In addition, GenderConsulting in Collaborative Research offers individual counseling for some joint research groups on the implementation of measures.
GenderConsulting of the University of Goettingen is part of the nation-wide network "GenderConsulting Verbundforschung".
GenderConsulting Collaborative Research
Equal Opportunity Office
University of Goettingen
Goßlerstr. 9, 37073 Göttingen
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Godswill Obot Akpabio: Still the Most Hated Man in Akwa Ibom State
By Ikpafak Thompson Essien
There are those who may be of the opinion that the word "hate" is too strong an emotion to evoke, but no matter how one feels, the truth is that Godswill Akpabio is the most hated person in Akwa Ibom State. Akwa Ibom people hate him so much that if they had any chance, they would tear him into pieces, sweep every remnants of him out of the state, and push him and all his remnants into the Atlantic Ocean.
The people see Akpabio as a wicked man who, since 2007 when he became a governor, has deliberately rendered them into a state of penury, hardships, and rancor. They see Akpabio as a man who has stolen, misused, and mismanaged their God-given resources. And they see him as a man who has transformed Akwa Ibom State into a den of kidnappers where political assassination, kidnapping, rape, and armed robbery have become routine activities. Before, and it wasn't until Godswill Akpabio became a governor, none of these vices was a prevalence in Akwa Ibom State.
No one (other than Judge Karfarati) knows exactly what will be the outcome of the pending case between Frank Okon and Godswill Akpabio; the ruling may turn out to be in favor of either man. But because of the hatred for Godswill Akpabio, the indigenes of the State are already discreetly gearing up in preparation for celebration over a victory, which they assume will occur on July 12, 2012; it is the day the court in Abuja will decide if Akpabio committed any fraud by forging the signature of Dr. Nwodo (who had been forced out of office as the Chairman of PDP before the PDP Primary Election of 2011) on a Certificate of Clearance in order to qualify himself as a governorship candidate.
It may be boring for the indigenes of the state if I waste my time here to list all the travesties of Godswill Akpabio. But for the interest of non-indigenes, let me just site three recent instances of how Akpabio is wasting the people's money.
Atlanta, Georgia, USA
In July, a group, which is celebrating its “7th Annual Atlanta Gospel Fest Music, Health & Wellness Festival coming back to the beautiful Georgia World Congress Center located at 285 Andrew Young Boulevard on July 27,28, & 29 2012,” has invited Godswill Akpabio for Award. According to the citation to justify his invitation, “Governor Godswill Obot Akpabio, is the honorary recipient to receive the Man of the Year Lifetime Achievement Humanitarian Award. He has distinguished himself as a disciplined, hardworking and humble person. A devout Christian imbued with true greatness wrapped in simplicity and a strong, unshakable faith in the will of God.”
It is should be noted that Pat Akpabio has also been invited to perform at the show. And who is Pat Akpabio? This is how she is described by the group; “Pat Akpabio an Atlanta – Georgia based gospel singer – the only African inducted into the Grammy's Record Academy as a voting member, a trained financial analyst with a bachelors degree, a proud mother of three and the worthy wife to attorney Ibanga Akpabio – the Akwa Ibom State Secretary of the ruling party in Nigeria – the People Democratic Party (PDP) operates outside of the box or is not governed by the dictates of conventional wisdom is to state the obvious.” For more information about this group, please visit www.atlantagospelfest.com (click on “Who's Coming” at the top of the page and go to items #2 and #6 at the bottom).
It is not clear if Godswill Akpabio has made any donation to the group. But there are speculations that it would be an unusual situation for Godswill Akpabio to be given an Award by groups or by persons without any financial contributions.
Chief Akuma of Kuje
I am told that Kuje is a Council Area around or near Abuja. A couple of months ago some youths of the area contacted Godswill Akpabio and told him that the kingdom of Kuje intended to issue an award to Akpabio during the celebration of their Silver Jubilee. And they asked for a donation of N25 million, which Godswill Akpabio gladly paid. What Akpabio did not know at the time, until it was too late, was that the youths lied to him. As soon as Akpabio made the donation, his bunch of Personal Assistants found out that the entire thing was a hoax, but the N25 million was gone. Akpabio reported the incident to the SSS; there was nothing the agency could do to recover the money: talk of fleecing Akwa Ibom State.
The Silver Bird Award
It was recently announced in the media of how Akpabio was given an award at the recent ocassion hosted by Silver Bird Company. Reliable sources have confirmed that Godswill Akpabio actually gave the owners of Silver Bird the sum of N500 million to host the ceremony. When Chief Dangotte, one of the richest men in Nigeria, was invited to the ocassion, upon hearing that Akpabio gave so much money for the event, he turned down the invitation and complained about the way Akpabio was wasting the people's money. But out of courtesy, he sent down one of his clerks as a representative.
It may be of interest to mention that about two or three years into the governorship of Godswill Akpabio, he had awarded a contract of N30 billion to Ben Bruce for the construction of an entertainment center which is popularly referred to in Akwa Ibom State as the Tropicana. Mr. Ben Bruce is the owner of Silver Bird Company. The sum of N20 billion was paid up-front to Mr. Ben Bruce, but as of this writing, the Tropicana is yet to get off the ground, even though more money (some say as much as additional N20 billion) has been paid to Ben Bruce's Silver Bird Company. It may also be of interest to know that in 2011, Mr. Ben Bruce contested for the governorship of his home state; he lost woefully.
Ikpafak Thompson Essien
Portland, Oregon,
Elvis Iruh | 5/29/2012 1:18:00 PM
Are you current reality of that state you are talking about? Please verify your allegations before publishing them. There are not truth in what you are saying, in fact that Governor is probably the best in the country now.
Etim | 7/13/2012 11:04:00 PM
If you should ask me, I will tell you that he is one of the best ever in Nigeria.
Dd (Mr.Moses E.) | 6/29/2015 2:06:00 PM
Even though there may b an iota of truth in ur allegation mr Ikpafak Thompson Essien. Its a bye gone keep it like that bcos since he has performed xcellently well in Akwa Ibom state he remains d best�past governor d state ever elected and d best the country ever noted. Mr. Ikpafak Thompson know this now that there is a governor dat will b in power n do evil thro out his tenure wit no better things 4 d people of d state. For instance if X gov. Akpabio is such a gov. Hw 'll u describe him. D scripture says do not judge so dat u ' ll not b judged. As 4 me x gov. Akpabio remains the best. DD. Mr. MOSES ELIJAH EDET. Ikoyi, Lagos, Nigeria. (08094580314, 08020766596).
Samuel E. Johnny | 8/12/2015 12:59:00 AM
Godswill Akpabio is a man of honor,a man respect, and also a giver.His people hold his number one(1)parality
Warribo paul | 1/4/2016 6:05:00 PM
Mr A spoke,B join,C reply blablabla,you should have your own plan on how,you can be a leader one day.
My name is wisdom ibenne | 2/11/2016 7:01:00 PM
Though am not frm akwa ibom state bt looking at de state in his time u can see he try to give his ppl wot dey want many ppl love him because of his good works i wish i can have some one like him state his a man of his words.
Paul | 7/20/2016 11:31:00 AM
My Sanate Minority Leader,Senator Dr.Godswill Obot Akpabio May You Live Long.There Has Never Been A Governor Like You,you Are 1 In A Generation And Who So Ever That Speaked ill and faultful Report Against You Will Reap The Friut Of His Wickedness.Akwa Ibomite Here And In The Diaspora Are All Greatful To U For All Ur Selfless Services And Generosity.We Miss U!
USEN B. AKPANA | 8/10/2016 5:45:00 PM
Senetor Dr. God'swill Akpabio, u have change the story of Akwa Ibom State ." KUDOS"
Ezekiel fabian | 9/6/2016 4:28:00 PM
Dr Godswill Obot Akpabio you have change the history of akwa ibom,the history of our nation,the history of our state i knw that some people don't like good things you give us free education waters books house my prayer is that may the grace of our lord jesus be with you
Ak | 1/15/2017 12:23:00 AM
I heard lots of conversations from around that dangote is contesting for the seat of the president of nigeria with Godswill Akpbio as running mate? but to me, I wouldn't want dagote larvish his money the following reasons, 1, he dagote as the africa most richest man to advised that a national asset be sold to rescue nigeria of her obscured place of recession. 2, he dangote with the wealth he has aquired never given loan to his country to prove he love his country. 3, dangote with the amount of cashstocked mantion he has arround the world, where has he build a tatch for the less privillage and what physical help has he rendered to the nigerian people?. he dagote with the numerous oversize industries overseas, how many of such are build accross nigeria apart from in the north. Akpabio,, 1. has he been excenorated of all the corrupt charges against him in the nigeria courts?. 2, has he account for all the incomplete projects that were signed and cash disbursed? 3. has he Akpabio distance from the knife and gun men politics? or has he explain to the akwa ibomites how he expended the huge alocation Mrs Ngozi Igwela said is expended 10% throughout his tenure? or Akpabio with all the loots, where has he a lucrative investment within akwa ibom state to create employment other than their usual sachet water and fish punds outlets. this men are just evil there is no true leadership cap on them...........
Awaji Phillip Geoffr | 2/8/2017 6:55:00 PM
Please people should stop putting confussion in akwA ibom state. Obot akpabio godswill is the best governor in the whole world. We the entire youth of today knows the truth. And the truth must be told. Akpabio is a good man and a giver. Is the man of the people. If you did not get anything from him today does not mean you should crucify him. Although he didn't do anything for us that are from eastern obolo local government, we still love him. Thank you.
GOSPELFRANK OKON OBOT | 2/19/2016 10:24:00 PM
our big daddy i charish your handwork sir,may the lord almighty reward you sir more and more in jesus name amen.my big daddy(chief GODwil a.k.a bio)
He who ends the argument ends the quarrel. An African proverb.
By: Osman B.Nuhu aka Exp
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A Walk on Pune's Taljai Hills
Looking at the branches above as Himalee perfectly captures the intertwined shadows
My mom had preplanned of staying at the Pune House since the last time we were in Pune, two months back. And when mom talks about staying there, it automatically means I’m included in the plan too. I was frustrated to stay in Pune frequently and do nothing but attend a family event and then spend the remaining days either buying groceries or relaxing. I wanted to explore my birth city and revisit the historical places to understand its richness from a different point of view––perhaps, the point of view from a 24-year-old's eyes. For instance, the last time I had visited Shaniwar Wada was around 12 years back, in the summer of 2006, as a part of one of the summer camp excursions.
I enlisted the places I wanted to visit and absorb their rich flavours including the interesting structure of the Pataleshwar temple, the breathtaking view from Sinhagad fort, the dancing of goosebumps at Shaniwar Wada, and bringing back memories at Saras Baug. I planned my entire Pune stay, including the dates. The itinerary was ready.
Planning for a Fun Filled Day Outing in Pune? Wet N Joy Water Park is the best choice. Check for Exclusive Discounts on Wet n joy Water park Tickets.
The plan was on paper: I was to reach Pune by night on the 2nd of May. Next morning, I would climb the Sinhagad fort and then relax. Next day, I would cover Shaniwar Wada, Lal Mahal, Pataleshwar temple and Aga Khan Palace. Then on Saturday, I had plans for a road trip to Lavasa with my cousins (for early brunch) and then the following evening at Agent Jack’s Bar with my first set of friends. Finally, on Sunday, I would try for a meet up with my Instagram buds and then on Monday, spot animals at the Katraj Zoo (and if time permits, then visit an aunt who stays near to the zoo).
However, out of the places jotted down, I could make it to Saturday's events only; i.e., I explored Lavasa city and spent an amazing evening with someone I knew since 1996. Yes, that's right!
I had planned on touring Pune through the Pune government's Pune Darshan service that takes you to about 9-12 important locations in an AC bus. But unfortunately, the official website was under construction and the booking link had a glitch. We contacted the helpline and they advised to book the tickets offline from their ticket counter at Deccan or Pune station. Neither of this was possible so we had to give up the plan of touring Pune.
Posing amidst aesthetically pleasing walls. Captured outside Taljai Mata temple
This did not disappoint me much because I was happy to explore at least few places and meet people whom I knew since decades.
The Sinhagad plan was not entirely canned but was tweaked a little. Instead of this huge fort, we went to the Taljai hills. I was going with Himalee, a brilliant tomboy I had met in a summer camp more than a decade ago. When I was planning on Sinhagad, she popped up in my head and I immediately invited her for this hike up the fort.
Himalee lives in Pune and seeing her agility, intelligence, and love for nature, I thought she would be a perfect partner to hike. I got in touch with her and she happily agreed. While discussing the timings, she suggested leaving at 5:00 am for the best results. I flinched; 5:00 am was beyond imagination early. I requested her to leave from Swargate at 6:30 am but she explained me the possibilities.
We discussed and she made sense. From Swargate, it takes about 1.5 hours to reach Sinhagad and then the hike up top (along with a breather for photographs and relaxation) consumes a total of two hours. So when calculated, if we left from Swargate at 6:30 am, we would reach the foothills of the fort by 8 am, reach the top by 9:30-10:00 am and then descend down by 11:00-11:30 am. The timings would have been suitable if the weather was decent. It's summertime and the city is hit with prickling sunshine at 8:00 am. It would have been highly insane to start climbing the fort by 8:00 am.
However, for me, leaving from Swargate at 5:00 am meant drawing unnecessary risk. My house is in Kothrud and the distance between my house to the Swargate bus depot is about 30 minutes. So in order to reach Swargate at 5:00 am, I had to leave the house by 4:30 am, which is excessively early since I had no private vehicle or a cousin to drop me off. Also, I was shaky about getting a cab that early in the morning.
Himalee understood and proposed a new place. She told me about Taljai hills and on seeing the pictures, it took me back to the trail with my cousin to the Vetal hills, which is similar to this one. (Though Vetal hills have an added quarry that boosts its likeability over the former one.) I nodded and found the place decent. So the plan was finally in its place. We settled on Taljai hills and were to meet each other at 7:00 am before the Taljai Mata temple.
Next morning, I booked an Uber at 6:30 am and surprisingly, when it was dot seven, I reached the temple. I called Himalee and she told me she was near the foothills and would reach in five minutes. Meanwhile, I set up my tripod and shot some videos and clicked a couple of pictures. This was my first time in Pune with the tripod and it felt strange. People looked at me and few even thought I was crazy. Well, I am crazy.
Himalee and I.
The plan was to spend some time on the hills with Himalee and then explore the historical places alone. For the same, I was in a pair of jeans and a dressy top that looked completely out of the place. While everyone was dressed in tracks, I was looking like I was meeting a boy for a date.
In about five minutes, Himalee arrived. She looked exactly the same! I had seen her twelve years ago and not even her hairstyle differed! The clothing, the temperament, the walk, the posture, the hair, the speech...everything was unchanged. She was the same Himalee (even appearance-wise) whom I had met more than a decade ago. I noticed her side bag, her floaters, her glasses, and exchanged a wide smile.
We started walking and came across many fitness enthusiasts ardently walking. This is one of the aspects I love about Pune. Since your job is in the same city and you don't have to travel on a train for an hour to reach your office, life becomes easier. You can walk, jog, hit the gym, take Zumba classes, and have plenty of time to focus on fitness. Therefore you will also find people in their tracks and shoes, walking and laughing chaotically, but happily, in laughter clubs. (Not that you won't find anyone on the jogging tracks in Mumbai!)
We exchanged our stories and narrated our careers. She told me how she freelances in Japanese teaching and translations and how she has visited Japan twice. In fact, she lived in Japan for a year while pursuing a course there. I always admired Himalee's bank of knowledge, and learning that she was attempting her last stage of Japanese language later this year, blew my mind.
We reached an end that displayed a breathtaking view of the city below. From here, you could see Parvati temple and the hill beneath it. You could see the river and the bridge. Himalee recounted the story of 1961 floods when the whole city was washed out. People migrated from older areas of the Peths and sought refuge in the other side of the river. The areas like Kothrud fall under the newly built parts of the city.
We continued walking towards the exit and discussed about the impending trek to Sinhagad. I realised Himalee was right. It was too hot and sunny even at 8:00 am. That's when I requested her to cancel this dreamy trek and I am sure she heaved a sigh of relief. I invited her for breakfast at the Cafe Goodluck and she agreed.
Climbed up a skeletal tree. Thought of giving a different facial expression this time
We reached the Taljai Mata temple, the exact spot where we had met in the morning. There she hung her side bag on a bike and took out a set of keys. At that moment I understood, Himalee rides a bike! I happily sat behind her and we started towards the cafe.
Before breakfast, she had some chores to do. Her mother was fasting on the account of Chaturthi so she had to buy bunch of bananas and a garland on the way. On nearing her building, I announced I would sit on the bench in the periphery of her society. On that she insisted me to come up as her parents wouldn't appreciate a guest sitting below like this. I think I didn't have a choice so I accompanied her.
Himalee told me about how her building is old and that it is on the verge of redevelopment. In fact, on entering her house I realised how soon this process is to start. They've begun with the shifting and her living room was full of boxes ready to be moved.
I sat on a chair and exhanged a smile with her mother, who was seated on the floor. Her mother offered me Pepsi Cola and my childhood memories came rushing by. The flavour was lemon, I suppose.
We wrapped things up and drove towards Cafe Goodluck. I had heard a lot about this place and how one must have Bun Maska here whenever they visit the city. I entered the cafe and the interiors instantly reminded me of the Iranian restaurants back in Mumbai. Same style of covering the table with a cloth and then adding a glass on to it. Goodluck even had menu card on the display between the sheet and the glass.
Scrumptious breakfast of Bun Maska, Cold Coffee, and Bread Butter Jam @ Cafe Goodluck
I was thirsty and craved for something cold and refreshing. So we ordered two tall glasses of cold coffee, a bun maska, and for Himalee, a bread butter jam. The food was delicious and no wonder, people appreciate the place. On our way, we parcelled tomato omelettes and onion uttapam, and my gosh, they were scrumptious too!
I bid her goodbye and thanked for taking me around. I sat in an auto for home and smiled thinking how marvellous travelling is and how beautiful it is to meet people.
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Home South Africans Abroad
South Africans abroad: Taxation of termination payments in the UK
The government had previously confirmed that the £30,000 tax-free exemption on termination payments would be retained but that certain payments will no longer fall within the allowance.
by Exceed CA Limited
in South Africans Abroad
In the 2016 Budget, the government announced that termination payments over £30 000 would be subject to employer National Insurance Contributions (NICs) from April 2018.
In the 2017 Budget, the government further announced that this change would be delayed for a year with the changes set to come into force from April 2019.
A further delay in the implementation of the new rules has now been confirmed, and the introduction of employer NICs on termination payments above £30,000 will now commence from 6 April 2020.
Havoc as delays in issuing documents to South Africans abroad increase
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From April 2020, termination payments over £30,000, which are subject to Income Tax, will also be subject to employer NICs. Non-contractual termination payments of up to £30,000 will continue to remain exempt from Income Tax and employer NICs. The changes will also apply to sporting testimonials of more than the £100,000 lifetime exemption.
It is expected that any employer NICs due on these termination payments will be collected in ‘real-time’, as part of the employer’s standard weekly or monthly payroll returns and remittances to HMRC.
For more information, please contact Exceed.
Tags: South AfricaTaxUnited Kingdom
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Charges filed against Brockton driver who hit Abington girl
Seth Jacobson and Mikaela Slaney
Abington Police Chief David Majenski said charges have been taken out against a driver who hit a 5-year-old Abington girl in a crosswalk last week. Brockton resident Nicole Barros, a driver in her early 20s, has been charged with driving to endanger and failure to stop for a pedestrian in a crosswalk.
Abington Police Chief David Majenski said charges have been taken out against a driver who hit a 5-year-old Abington girl in a crosswalk last week.
Brockton resident Nicole Barros, a driver in her early 20s, has been charged with driving to endanger and failure to stop for a pedestrian in a crosswalk. Majenski also noted the van she was driving was not inspected properly.
Majenski said Barros was not arrested last week but said, "She will have a hearing at Brockton District Court in the near future.”
Five-year-old Abington resident Brandy Rix, who was struck and dragged by the van last week, is now on her way to recovery, according to her family.
According to the girl’s great-uncle, Fred Villa of Abington, Rix suffered a fracture on her skull, a broken pelvis and hip, and was flown the day of the accident — June 17 — by MedFlight helicopter to Boston Medical Center.
Villa said Rix’s injuries were not as severe as his family originally thought.
“Brandy did good, she went into surgery earlier today,” Villa said last Friday afternoon. “She got out of surgery doing very well, the extent of the breaks are not as bad as they thought. They’re going to put her on crutches this afternoon, get her up on her feet. She’s going through the healing process. It could have been severe, but it was just a fractured skull, it didn’t get into the worst part.”
Villa added Brandy’s mother, Laurianne Veazie had been staying with her at the hospital, noting her father, Dan Rix had been visiting Rix as often as possible.
“She’s a tough little cookie, she’s awake,” Villa said. “Her lungs were bruised, she’s on oxygen, but it’s a positive note. Mom hasn’t left her side.”
Majenski said police were already thinking about the potential charges last week, immediately after the accident.
“The preliminary investigation would indicate a driving-to-endanger situation,” Abington Police Chief David Majenski said on Thursday.
The incident took place between 3 and 4 p.m. last Wednesday afternoon as Nix, her mother and her siblings were in a crosswalk on North Avenue in Abington, according to Majenski.
Majenski explained that at the time of the incident, one vehicle, traveling east, stopped at the crosswalk to let Nix and her family cross. Barros, who was traveling west on the roadway, though, did not stop, and hit Nix, Majenski said.
“I can’t think of any reason why (Barros) did not stop,” Majenski said, adding that there “were no skid marks” at the scene of the accident.
After the accident, Majenski said he filed an “immediate threat” report against Barros, which he said all police departments across the state have the power to do.
He explained that police can file these reports with the Registry of Motor Vehicles when they believe a certain driver is a detriment to the roadways, whether that’s based on previous driving incidents, a medical condition or a “cognitive issue.”
Majenski said based on a given immediate threat report, the Registry of Motor Vehicles makes a determination as to whether the individual in question should have their license suspended.
The measure worked. Barros’ license was revoked by the Registry last last week.
“People don’t realize how many of these incidents there are on an annual basis,” Majenski said.
On Wednesday, while police were dealing with the incident involving Nix, an elderly woman in her 80s drove into a support column at HarborOne Bank in Abington. Majenski said an immediate threat report was expected to be filed on that driver by last Friday.
So far this year, Majenski said there have been several incidents in Abington constituting immediate threats. Earlier in the year, an 84-year-old woman struck a utility pole, Majenski said, adding that the individual told police “the tire had fallen off her car” prior to the incident but police found no evidence of that.
Majenski also described another incident this year, where a 70-year-old man left his driving lane and drove head-on into an oncoming vehicle. In that case, Majenski said, “The operator of the car did not remember the accident” and was rushed to the hospital.
In yet another incident, Majenski said a 74-year-old woman found herself unable to operate her vehicle in a Wal-Mart parking lot because of a medical condition.
In 2008 there were 11 incidents that Majenski said fell under the immediate threat category, and in 2007 there were 20 such cases.
“These numbers are really alarming,” he said. “People don’t realize that we’re dealing with this all the time, and it’s not just the elderly drivers.”
Abington Mariner
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THINGS CANCER MADE ME SAY
The 7 cancer facts I learned from the hero scientists helping to keep me alive
I thought science was boring at school, the irony is it's what's keeping me alive now
By Deborah James
Updated: 1 Feb 2019, 17:29
SCIENCE has never been my strong point.
I've always thought it was a bit boring, and about 90 per cent of it flew over my head in school.
I got to meet Rene Bernard this week - he's the incredible scientist who discovered the new drugs I'm taking, the ones I'm hoping will keep me alive
The irony is it's science that I'm clinging on to now, in the vein hope it might save my life.
Scientists aren't geeks they are incredible human beings, many of whom dedicate their lives to trying to stop nasty diseases, like cancer.
When research meets reality
This week I was lucky enough to meet a very special one - Rene Bernard, at a Cancer Research UK event.
Five years ago, in his lab in Holland, Rene discovered that combining three targeted drugs can improve the chances for patients like me, with a rare bowel cancer mutation.
His discovery, his life's work is what is giving me hope.
Hope that I might get more time with my kids, hope that I might get to enjoy a future.
Meeting Rene face-to-face was overwhelming, and I think it was special for him too - the moment his research and reality collided.
Science saves lives
My face after looking down a microscope to see thousands of lung cancer cells
And that is the point of all this... science isn't just boring microscopes and funny formulas that look like a different language.
Science is saving lives, loads of them.
On Monday, it is World Cancer Day and according to the World Health Organisation there were 18.1 million new cases of cancer diagnosed last year.
Science isn’t just boring microscopes and funny formulas that look like a different language. Science is saving lives, loads of them
That's a lot of cancer, and a lot of lives thrown into turmoil. A lot of families' futures torn apart.
One in two of us will get cancer, so like it or not it's something that will be in all of our lives.
And that is why research into new drugs and potential cures is so important.
Thanks to science more people are now living for 10 years after a cancer diagnosis, than dying from it.
When I was born in 1981, the average life expectancy after diagnosis was only one year - for all cancers.
It's staggering to think how far we have come, but it also just highlights there is a long way to go before cancer can be considered "cured".
Here's a few things I learned from the experts:
1. Drugs companies aren't hiding a cure
The idea that drugs companies are hiding a cure for cancer is a joke, these people are desperate to find better ways of tackling the disease
Big pharma companies and the scientists working for them want a cure as much as patients and their families do,
I find the conspiracy theory that suggests somewhere hidden in a lab is a cure for the disease, incredible.
These companies aren't hiding a miracle from us.
There is no denying it, there is a postcode lottery in this country when it comes to access to drugs - and how expensive they are.
But, I've realised even if I had all the money in the world, there is no magic bullet out there to rid my body of cancer in one quick flash.
It's not hiding in a lab under lock and key.
I'd be the first to break in if it was!
2. Drugs take years
Lauren and I have both benefited from drugs that these clever people helped discover
It can take more than 15 years for a drug to go from lab breakthrough to treating humans.
At the Francis Crick Institute this week, with Lauren Mahon my podcast co-host, I got to meet another scientific hero.
Prof Julian Downward started his career with a bang, uncovering the role of a molecule called EGFR in how cancer develops.
His work led to a wave of research that resulted in the discovery of an important cancer gene HER2, which plays a role in breast cancers.
Crucially, this work underpinned the development of a new type of cancer drug - targeted therapeutics.
These are drugs like trastuzumab (Herceptin), erlotinib (Tarceva), gefitinib (Iressa), pertuzumab (Perjeta) – all which aim to block EGFR or HER2 activity in cancer cells.
Drugs both myself and Lozza take! Another research meets reality moment - complete with tears.
The point of all this? Julian made his discovery in the lab 20 years before these drugs were deemed fit for humans to use. This stuff takes time!
3. We've come so far
When I was born in the 80s, life expectancy for cancer patients was a year, just one. We've come so far with more patients living 10 years or more than ever before. Pictured with Prof Julian Downward
In the 80s, life expectancy for all cancers was a year, as I've mentioned.
Survival has doubled in the last 40 years, from 24 per cent of patients surviving to 50 per cent living now.
And with the right funding and research, experts hope that by 2034 75 per cent of patients will survive the disease. That's a stat I don't mind becoming!
4. But we have so much more to learn...
Cancer is a very clever disease, and each type is different.
It's like trying to unpick six million years of evolution and predict the next six million years of development - it's a can of worms.
The reason it can be so hard to tame once it's spread, is that cancer is always evolving.
So the more ways scientists find to block it, the cleverer it becomes, mutating to find new ways around the drugs.
5. Cancer isn't just cancer
Meeting these incredible scientists gave me hope, hope that I will have a futureCredit: Kevin Dunnett - The Sun
There are hundreds of different types with hundreds of different mutations, some of which we are only just discovering, which all act differently because our bodies are all unique.
That's why personalised treatments will be the way forward in future.
6. We can't cancer-proof our lives but we can reduce our risk
We all have rogue cells, in fact we all have cancerous cells in our bodies. We just don't know if they will become dangerous tumours or not.
I was a veggie who got bowel cancer at the age of 35 - so not your average candidate.
I asked all the scientists I met this week what people can do to reduce their risk.
And the resounding advice was this:
maintain a healthy weight
eat a balanced diet with lots of fruit, veg and fibre
7. Incredible research is happening now
We can all help reduce our risk of cancer, and exercise is an important part of thatCredit: Deborah James
This year Cancer Research UK is funding three Grand Challenges that will focus on some of the biggest problems in cancer.
That include how the bacteria in our gut affect our risk of cancer, why a mutation that exists in all our cells can cause cancer is some organs, and how inflammation causes cancer.
These five-year research programmes will look at how billions of microbes living in our bodies - our microbiome - could be manipulated to help treat bowel cancer.
It will also look at different lifestyle factors, like diet and obesity, and how they affect the microbiome and the development of bowel cancer.
There is so much research going on, it's impossible not to be excited by it all.
So... from all of us, thank you
Thank you to all the incredible scientists out there, from the bottom of my heart. Thank you
My brain is bursting with all the info I have taken in this week.
So, it's a good opportunity to step back and say a big thank you.
Thank you to the thousands and thousands of super-smart scientists all over the world who spend their lives researching new ways of tackling this disease.
Thank you to the all the charities that fund their work.
And thank you to everyone who has ever donated to a cancer charity.
To cancer patients like me, this work really can be the difference between life and death.
So from the bottom of my heart, thank you!
The Sun's Deborah James tells Lorraine she's proof you can live with stage 4 cancer
My new book F*** You Cancer is available to buy now - and gives a brutally honest view of what cancer is really like - buy it here now
Credit: Deborah James
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100 Years Ago - County commissioners asked about fixing coal assessment
BY BRIAN FULTON, STAFF WRITER / Published: March 15, 2019
TIMES-TRIBUNE ARCHIVES Times cartoonist Jim Walsh captured the members of the cast of “The Lost Village” with his pen in the March 14, 1919, edition.
Questions raised about
coal land assessment
The Times asked the three Lackawanna County commissioners — Patrick Boland, John Von Bergen and Morgan Thomas — what action they were going to take on claims by seven coal mine inspectors that the county’s assessment of mineable coal in the county was off by hundreds of millions of tons.
Von Bergen and Thomas didn’t respond to the question.
Boland said he believed that a large amount of coal in the county was not on the assessment rolls and that he would introduce a resolution at the next meeting calling for a re-survey of the county’s coal by an impartial party.
‘Lost Village’ presented
at Jackson Street Baptist
The Jackson Street Baptist Church presented an evening of old-time songs called “The Lost Village.”
The premise of the show was that members of a village stop by the home of Aunt Martha and Uncle Josh to celebrate the couple’s 50th wedding anniversary. The roles of the villagers, Martha and Josh were portrayed by members of the church’s choir.
The show was being directed by the church’s choirmaster, professor Ivor Price. The musical presentation was well attended, with the church’s auditorium and Sunday school room both filled.
Bishop Hoban to speak
at Irish concert at Strand
The Most Rev. Michael J. Hoban, bishop of Scranton, was chosen to lend a bit of holiness to the March 16 Irish concert at the Strand Theater in Scranton.
The bishop was to speak before the show on the importance of “oireachtas” (assembly, or gathering together) to the people of Ireland.
The evening of music would feature performances by singers Charles Harrison, Lt. John Burnett, Bula Ray Shull and Lucille Johnson, a harpist from Brooklyn, New York.
The performance was organized by the Catholic Club.
BRIAN FULTON, library manager, oversees The Times-Tribune’s expansive digital and paper archives and is an authority on local history. Contact Brian at bfulton@timesshamrock.com or 570-348-9140.
Visit our local history blog, Pages from the Past, to read about the history of the Ides of March - http://timestribuneblogs.com/category/pages-from-the-past/
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Hedge Fund Manager Jeffrey Epstein Charged With Sex Trafficking
by bnonews.com posted 1week ago 9 views
Jeffrey Epstein, the wealthy hedge fund manager who is well-known for his connections with some of the world’s wealthiest and most powerful people, has been arrested in New York on federal sex trafficking charges, according to reports. Epstein, 66, was arrested in New York after he arrived on an overseas flight, according to NBC News. The Daily Beast, which first reported the news, said Epstein was charged with sexually exploiting dozens of underage girls in New York and Florida between 2002 and 2005.
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Select your language EnglishChinese, SimplifiedChinese, TraditionalJapanese
Select your language EnglishJapanese
Supporting disaster relief in the Philippines
Our global network, diverse fleet and proven ability to provide emergency relief services allow us to deliver much-needed support for aid efforts around the world when natural disasters strike.
When Typhoon Haiyan hit the Philippines in 2013 – killing more than 6,000 and displacing 14 million others – it became the strongest tropical cyclone ever recorded, causing widespread destruction.
To assist the United Nations in delivering supplies to areas most affected by the disaster, the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) provided the HMAS Tobruk to transport 25 trucks to the World Food Program (WFP).
With our proven experience in disaster relief, Toll was engaged by RAN to provide port services and vessel husbandry to the ship whilst in the Philippines.
In addition to sending the fleet of trucks to the WFP, the Royal Australian Navy was also prepared to deploy troops to assist in supplying aid to the local population – Toll was put on standby to provide ground support wherever necessary.
Toll’s remote logistics operation sent an officer from our Defence & Government team to Cebu Province in the Philippines ahead of the HMAS Tobruk to survey the area prior to the ship’s arrival.
Our officer conducted invaluable reconnaissance, travelling to the worst affected areas to scout for issues that could impact the timely delivery of the HMAS Tobruk’s important cargo.
Utilising our extensive experience in vessel husbandry, we were able to source and provide the HMAS Tobruk with equipment and provisions to ensure RAN was able to complete their mission successfully.
With Toll’s support, RAN was able to successfully deliver the fleet of trucks to the World Food Program, enabling the timely distribution of much-needed supplies to areas in the Philippines most affected by the typhoon.
Toll has a proud 13 year history of providing the Royal Australian Navy with a range of port and vessel husbandry services, utilising our global network to facilitate their marine logistics and provide humanitarian aid wherever and whenever it is needed.
Remote Logistics Head Office
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Future of Work Commission
Petition for Leveson 2
Fizz Free Feb
Save the free TV licence for the over 75s
Adventures 4 Health
Give Labour members a say on Brexit
Say no to Boris Johnson's plan to scrap sugar tax
The Future of Britain and Europe
posted by Tom Watson | 22sc
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My speech to the Centre for European Reform 17.06.2019
Thank you very much to the Centre for European Reform for hosting us today and to Ian for that introduction.
This organisation has spent the last 21 years working for a stronger, more open and outward looking European Union so I can’t think of a better place to give this speech.
I want to talk to you today about Europe. About what Europe means to me, what it means to my party and what it means to all those who believe in a democratic socialist future.
Before I begin I want to mention a conversation I had recently with Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury.
The conversation wasn’t about the specifics of Brexit – I don’t mean to draw the Archbishop into this debate, I met him to discuss what our politics can learn from the remarkable success of interfaith dialogue in this country.
Something he said resonated very deeply. He told me that our politicians need to learn to ‘disagree well’.
I think we all instinctively understand what he means by that.
The tone of our politics has become shrill, negative and personal in recent years. We have lost the knack of debating arguments rather than denigrating opponents.
I want that to stop - I want to play my part in making things better, and foster a more deliberative democracy that draws in many more citizens than politicians. It strikes me that citizens assemblies could play a much greater role in addressing difficult national problems.
So this speech will not attack the motives of my opponents.
I want to give a good account of my deeply held thoughts. So I will try to make the positive case for what I believe - in the hope that that case is strong enough on its own merits.
I also want to talk today about our culture. As Labour’s Shadow Culture Secretary I get to spend a lot of time with inspiring young creatives - TV, Radio, artists and musicians.
They don’t see British culture in isolation from European culture – and they are fearful that this country is about to jettison our deep creative partnerships that have been so productive for so many years.
For decades the European Union has been defined by the right as anti-democratic, bureaucratic and anti-British.
None of these things are true, yet the British left has not countered this narrative.
Our belief in the EU has been whispered not shouted.
It has been taken as read by generations of Labour politicians that the European Union is, at best, a necessary evil.
That it’s a major trading bloc we can’t afford to be outside in a globalised world. That the economic benefits make it worth putting up with the parts we don’t like.
Labour is still doing it now. We talk about the evils of No Deal till we’re blue in the face, because we’re still scared to tell the truth about Europe.
We’re more comfortable warning of an ineffable catastrophe, because we’re hard-wired to be unable to say the words that I’ve come here this morning to say:
The European Union is not something to apologise for. It is a good thing. It is Good with a capital G.
An enduring, deep, benevolent collaboration between sovereign states unique in the history of the world.
It produced a lasting peace from the ashes of war.
It produced prosperity where there had been deprivation.
It produced transnational partnership where once there was suspicion and division.
It’s not perfect, but what large institution is?
The core values of the EU are internationalism. Solidarity. Freedom.
Those are British values. And they’re Labour values.
I’m a European Democratic Socialist. I don’t go along with the EU despite being a socialist, I embrace the EU because I am a socialist.
Democratic Socialism is achieving common causes by the strength of collective endeavour. That’s what Europe is.
We’re lucky to be living through this golden age of European cooperation. We are extraordinarily fortunate to live in peace.
I am a democratic socialist, a British patriot and a proud European. These are not identities that rub awkwardly up against one another - they are mutually reinforcing.
Europe is who we are and have been for centuries.
Yet for decades we’ve failed to challenge a narrative that – somehow – our “way of life” is under threat. It’s simply not true. At all. Yet we’ve heard it so often that it’s come to seem real.
To our European neighbours it seems bizarre. Do the French feel any less French because they’re part of the EU? And unlike the UK, also part of Schengen such that they effectively have no internal European borders.
Has that undermined their sense of identity or their way of life? Have you been to France recently? Because I can tell you that it hasn’t. The French are as French as they have always been and always will be. From Dunkirk to the Dordogne they’re still 200% French over there, believe me.
Nor have the Germans come to seem just like the Irish, or the Italians become indistinguishable from the Danes. Europe’s languages, culture and identities have not been homogenised by a centralising bureaucratic behemoth, and never will. Why would they?
The institutions of the EU formalise - and democratise – the natural bonds between us. We are not diminished by our membership of the EU. We are recognised, enhanced and empowered by it.
Probably the most important Englishman who ever lived was William Shakespeare. A man of the Midlands, like me, whose transcendent imagination was as broadly and deeply European as it was English.
As Professor Michael Dobson, Director of the Shakespeare Institute, told the British Council in Paris in 2016:
Shakespeare was a product of the European Renaissance, and he grew up in the knowledge that the territory in which he lived had originally been Britannia, a mere province of something much larger and more significant, the Roman empire. I have written elsewhere about how misleading it can be to think of Shakespeare as modern Britain’s national poet. I would add that it is even more misleading to suggest that Shakespeare thought of Britain as anything other than part of a larger geopolitical entity called Europe.
One only needs look at where the plays took place: Rome, Athens, Venice, Padua, Milan, Cyprus, Navarra, Messina, Vienna, Denmark, the Balkans, Sicily. And he wasn’t just using places he’d visited as handy material. He never left the UK.
He conceived and realised these settings because being European was central to his sense of who he was, and what it meant to be English.
Erasmus and Plutarch loomed as large in his imagination as did Chaucer and Sidney.
Mediaeval London was a bustling melting pot of migrants from all over the world. The greatest Englishman, 400 years ago, was wholly, deeply European.
And it was so for centuries before Shakespeare too, until very recently. Did French kings not become English kings, who became British kings? And did not Dutch and German Kings and Queens do the same? Did the Windsors not change their name from Saxe-Coburg-Gotha?
And did we not a few days ago commemorate D Day, when British soldiers crossed that tiny strip of sea to liberate our ancient neighbour from occupation? Only 75 years ago, our finest young men marched off to war to save France. Yes, to save Britain too. But you couldn’t save Britain without saving France. The fates of our two nations were indivisible.
This is a truth that Churchill understood.
A great war leader but also a great builder of peace. Churchill was a founding father of the EU just as surely as Adenauer, de Gasperi and Schumann. He conceived of it, he pressed for it, he understood both how vital it was to preventing war and how transformational it could be as an engine of prosperity and partnership.
Britain’s place is in the EU because Britain is by definition in and of Europe.
Look at our great cities like London, Birmingham, Manchester, Leicester - among the most super-diverse in the world.
That is what and who we are. Yes, old ladies cycling to church in the mist; that too.
But also a great, historic European nation, still at the zenith of innovation and creativity, attracting all kinds of people, for all kinds of reasons, from all over the world.
Yes, it’s the nation of Shakespeare and Byron, who died fighting for Greece in their war of independence, and Mary Shelley who conceived of Frankenstein in Geneva, and Charlotte Bronte, whose novel Villette was based on her time teaching at a Brussels school and Keats, whose life and death in Rome is celebrated at the foot of the Spanish steps.
And of course of John Dryden, not just a great writer of English drama, but a great lover and student of French drama, and a translator of Virgil, Ovid, Homer, Boccaccio – the great canon of European classical literature that was the base of everything these English geniuses knew.
Dryden who also once wrote the great lines, by the way:
A man so various that he seemed to be
Not one but all mankind’s epitome
Which keeps coming into my head in these Tory leadership days, for some reason.
Yes, this is the Britain of Sir Simon Rattle, who made his name in Birmingham and then spent 16 years conducting the Berlin Philharmonic;
But it’s also today’s Britain, the people’s Britain, with four football teams contesting Europe’s two finals, represented by players from all over Europe and all over the world.
It’s Raheem Sterling’s Britain.
Shane Meadows’ and Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Britain (they’re making a Fleabag in France now by the way). Malorie Blackman and Steve McQueen and Idris Elba’s Britain.
Sadiq Khan and Sajid Javid’s Britain
This is our beautiful place in all its glory. It’s who we really are now. That’s the country I’m so proud of. Not anybody else’s nostalgic fantasy of how it used to be. And my Britain is utterly indivisible from Europe, which now and in the future entails growing with its institutions.
Our relationship with Europe is about far more than economics, and far more than political cooperation.
It’s about what kind of country we are.
What we want for our children.
The scale and the scope of the horizons we can offer them.
What we’re able to bring them up to be.
And the kind of country we are is European. It is a fundamental part of our national identity, our culture, our history. Britishness is not distinct from Europeanness.
These are not warring identities competing for space. To be British is to be European.
Social Democracy
Now, I know that not everyone wears as easily that deep attachment of identity.
In fact some people have begun to use identity as a stick to beat pro-Europeans, equating support for Europe with class. I don’t think that’s right or helpful. The majority of Labour people are supportive of Europe – and that support is not dictated by social class.
There are powerful rational arguments for membership of the European Union as well as emotional ones.
For social democrats who want to make life better for our poorest communities and secure economic growth that can be fairly shared the best way forward is within Europe.
Almost every aspect of life outside of Europe will be more difficult, more expensive and less safe. Travel, communications, trade, manufacturing. Our national security. I don’t think people realise just how far back in time we’d be taken by leaving the EU.
And Europe has been so important to our proud towns as well as our great cities. Let us not forget that in the dark days following the pit closures under Thatcher and Major, the only support those coalfield areas had was Objective One funding.
It became the only hope - a lifeline for so many traditional Labour areas and working class communities.
And in the same way at the same time, faced with a Tory Government that was attacking workers’ rights, socialists in Britain looked to the EU as an institution that was way ahead of the UK in terms of protecting working people, consumers, and environmentalists.
For those on the left to fail to acknowledge that is to re-write history.
I used to lead delegations of union shop stewards to Brussels when I worked for the AEEU - now Unite- in the 1990s. We’d lobby for support for investment in the car industry. Our stewards would share their experiences of the globalised world with other workers across the continent. We’d form alliances to challenge the excesses of global capital.
The European Union has been a steadfast ally in furthering the rights and welfare of working people.
From the European Convention on Human Rights to the Working Time Directive to the agenda for the next Commission, on pan-European minimum wages and tackling global tax avoidance. The EU has been a friend to workers here and across the continent.
It is no ‘boss’s club’, it is both an engine of progress and a backstop against regressive and repressive governments.
Labour, quite rightly, has just declared a climate emergency. But climate change doesn’t stop at our borders, and we can’t tackle it alone. We are so much stronger in Europe.
And as the global economy changes - as automation, AI and the rise of the global mega corporations change capitalism once again - there is strength in numbers and might in unity.
Britain alone will struggle to face down the barons of surveillance capitalism - to take on the shoddy practices, tax avoidance and employee abuse of global giants like Facebook, Amazon and Google.
Together we created the strongest consumer privacy law anywhere in the world. Together we can go further still - breaking up monopolies, shutting out malpractice, facing down tax avoidance. On our own, we are vulnerable.
We can see this pernicious process in action already, before Brexit has even happened.
Inward investment has fallen these last three years whilst it has grown on the Continent.
Our car industry is collapsing around us. Manufacturing jobs are down.
Membership of the EU brings a 2% a year boost to our GDP, according to the Bank of England.
That might sound like numbers in the margin but it isn’t just numbers to me. It is £20 billion a year in extra taxes to pay our nurses properly, to invest in our schools, to give our elderly the care they need and deserve.
These things matter to anyone who calls themselves a democratic socialist. These things matter to me.
Whether you are a European romantic, proud of Britain as a modern, European country or a hard pragmatist who knows that every penny counts when it comes to supporting working people, the European Union is your friend. And so that is the case that I want to make. That is the case that I want Labour to make.
Brexit is not a brake on Labour values. It is an existential threat to them.
The European Union is the fruit of our forefathers’ sacrifice. It is peace forged from the ravages of war.
It is prosperity shared, workers protected, oligopoly challenged.
It is a natural extension of our patriotism and the natural result of our history.
European is who we are and who we have always been.
Our members are remain. Our values are remain. Our hearts are remain.
We need our Labour Party to be true to who we are and be loud and proud in support of Europe.
What we need to do
So where does that leave us?
We are a country going round in circles, kidding ourselves that one last heave will somehow resolve the contradictions and the catastrophes that Brexit both embodies and invites.
And in the meantime, the people of Britain are ignored. The burning injustices rage hotter and brighter than ever. And the machinery of government, stuck in the Brexit mud, simply cannot deliver the things that we need.
The NHS is in crisis. Young people wait in vain for houses to be built and for their schools to be resourced. Our elderly do not get the care they need and our poorest are trapped in the nightmare of universal credit. While our politics fixates on Brexit, Britain is left to rot.
The only tool available to actually break this deadlock - we all know, even if we have not admitted it yet - is a public vote.
We put the question back to the people because parliament and government – as we reach the three year mark – have proved utterly incapable of implementing Brexit, and shows no more sign of doing so now than ever.
The notion that it’s in some way undemocractic to let the people put an end to this crisis because, after three years, parliament and government cannot, is absurd.
And if you want Brexit, and you believe there is still a majority for it in the UK, then a public vote will break the deadlock and deliver the Brexit you want.
Whereas if many people have changed their minds and no longer want Brexit now that they have more information about what it means, how is it undemocratic to give them the chance to express that three years on and with the country in limbo?
Labour is the party of democracy - so we must ask the people.
We are the party of socialism - so we must campaign for Europe.
Proud socialists. Proud Britons. Proud Europeans.
Our future doesn’t need to be Brexit.
So now is the time to speak out more loudly than ever, before any further irreparable damage is done.
Only a public vote can break this deadlock, but we will only achieve this if Labour fights for it and champions it. We must do that – in Parliament and around the country. Labour must make the positive case.
And only by remaining in the EU can we remain the same Britain at heart that we’ve been for 1000 years.
If we leave, we become less than we were and less than our children have a right to expect.
The patriotic choice is to remain.
Consultation on Loot Boxes
Labour's Outdoor Activity Strategy
Labour - A Cultural Manifesto for All
Film and High-end TV Tax Reliefs
POLICE AND COUNCIL TAKE ACTION OVER MOPED AND MOTORBIKE NUISANCE
FOW Commission Report
Friar Park Campaign
Consultation on Loot Boxes Survey
Gambling Addiction Review
Consultation on halting the rise in Type 2 Diabetes
Consultation on Film and TV Tax Relief
The Tories fail to crackdown on FOBTs
Support Labour
Terry Duffy House
Thomas Street
B70 6NT
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Torah On Wheels
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Ahuva Nava snuggles on her father for a little rest
Camps along the way
When the Jewish people were traveling in the desert, they stopped in many places. They were called "masaos", travels, and they had many travels. They camped in many places, and Chazal teach us that in each place they had a different test; in each place that they camped they learned different lessons. This morning, the 13th of Kislev, the 27th of November, I woke up in the surroundings of my new “camp.” Yesterday, Monday, I traveled from Room 346 at St. Joseph's Hospital with all of our belongings that we had amassed there, to Children's Hospital, Room 4160.
The past three weeks have been an amazing roller coaster, up, down, short stops, sudden turns, and a very scary ride! The first of the “camps” that my wife and I travelled to, from home, was to the labor and delivery room at St. Joseph Hospital. After my wife's water broke in school, she called me on her way to the hospital, saying that her water broke and that she was going to register at the hospital. When I got this message I called her and she had already checked in. That was November 6th, 21st of Cheshvan, at that “camp” in St. Joseph Hospital. Between 10:30 and 11:00 PM at night, two beautiful little girls were born, whom we later named Ahuva Naava and Rivka Chaya. They were both immediately taken to the neonatal intensive care unit, otherwise known as the NICU. Once there, Ahuva Naava seemed to be making proper progress but Rivka Chaya was suffering from what we later found out is called chylothorax, a leakage of the chylo, the lymph fluid into the space between the lining around the lungs and the lungs, swelling the body and exerting pressure on the lungs and heart.
Over the next two weeks we prayed and cried out to the Ribbono Shel Oilam, the Master of the World, that He heal Rivka Chaya and keep her with us, but even after we had Rivka Chaya transferred to Children's Hospital on the 6th of Kislev, the 20th of November, abour 4 o'clock in the afternoon, Hashem took Rivka Chaya back. Rabbi Steinberg, the Rav of Zera Abraham, came to the hospital, and encouraged us by telling us that when a soul only comes to this world for such a short time, less than thirty days, there is no aveilus, there is no mourning period, there is no levaya, no normal burial, including a tahara. The soul has just gone from one level of Gan Eden to the next, and we felt that these words picked us up and carried us. We felt privileged to have been part of Rivka Chaya's journey for whatever her neshama came to do.
We went straight from Children's Hospital to Rose Hill Cemetery and buried her in the dark of night with only the lights of someone's car showing us the way, surrounded by family and not too much more, we buried Rivka Chaya next to my grandparents, Harry and Lillian Hoffman. It was hard. It was really hard, to cry so much, ask so much, to plead and be answered, but not in the way we wanted. To be answered no, this is not something that Hashem is going to give us. At the same time that my wife and I were -and are- deeply saddened at Rivka Chaya's passing, we are consoled and filled with joy, still, at the presence of Ahuva Naava. Ahuva means beloved. She was beloved before her sister passed away, but even more so now. There were some questions about Ahuva Naava's health that made us want to take all precautions possible, so she moved from the NICU at St. Joe's, on Sunday night, to Children's Hospial. Baruch Hashem she is doing well and is making progress.
While these thoughts are still fresh in my mind, I wanted to explain the source for the names and some parallels that people have pointed out between Rivka Chaya and Rivka Imeinu, our Matriach Rivka. The source for the name Ahuva Naava is that Ahuva is the lashon-hakodesh equivalent of the Yiddish name Lifsha, my father's mother, Lillian Hoffman, who, after the Second World War, said she could never stand by and see our brethren suffer again, and it was with that in mind that she worked for so many years to help our Jewish brothers and sisters get out from behind the Iron Curtain and leave the USSR. She had tremendous ahavas-Yisroel. She cared very deeply for every Jew and it was with this in mind that we gave Ahuva this name, that she is beloved. But we want this name to also carry with it the company of Naava, beautiful. Our tefilla is that she be both beautiful inside and outside, that she merit to keep all of the mitzvos and have a wonderful relationship and connection with Hashem, all those who come into contact with her, and herself.
Rivka Chaya is named after Rivka Imeinu. Our tefilla was that she be the kind of wife and mother that Rivka Imeinu was. The background to the name Chaya is that she was named after my wife's great-grandmother, Chaya, and that since we gave her this name when she was already sick, we wanted her to have life, and to give life. Since Rikva Imeinu was barren for so many years before having Yaakov and Eisav, we didn't want her to be barren. Our tefilla was that she be able to give forth life, and also to have life.
There are many parallels that people pointed out to my wife and me between Rivka Chaya and Rivka Imeinu. Dr. Mishory pointed out that Rivka Imeinu was very young when she left her family's home, and yet when she was asked if she was interested in going with Eliezer, servant of Avraham, at three years old, she said, "Yes! I'd like to go!" She knew what she had to do. She had a very mysterious pregnancy, very troublesome, she went to the Yeshiva of Shem and Aiver and was told that she had twins and they were going to grow up to be fathers of two great nations. She kept this prophecy to herself for many years. She saw when the time was right, she needed to tell Yaakov that these brachos that Yitzchok was going to give out were very important. She sprang into action, encouraging Yaakov to go and get Eisav's brocha. She knew what she had to do, and she did it. This was Rivka Chaya. She came for a short time. She had a job to do, and she did it. I don't know exactly what her job was, but she touched the hearts of many people while she was here. Another parallel that we see is that Rivka Imeinu was buried in a very quiet way. The Yalkut Meam Loez brings a Medrash that says that Rivka Imeinu was buried at night, that it was an embarrassment to have Eisav bury her, her husband was blind, and Yaakov was out of town. We didn’t feel any embarrassment burying Rivka Chaya at night but but this is another striking similarity
We grew a lot from knowing Rivka Chaya. As my father, Rabbi Henoch Dov Hoffman, pointed out, we see Hashem's hand very clearly both when life comes into the world, and when life leaves. And when we were asking for her to stay, we felt a certain closeness to Hashem, even though the answer was no. We are really appreciating that Ahuva Naava is doing well, may she only continue to improve with the help of Hashem.
Yehoshua HaHarpatkan: Life Adventurer
sharing thoughts, insights, and inspiration gathered along the way
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Departments & Services+
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How to Submit a Petition-
Residents who wish to speak to a matter on the Town Council's agenda may sign up to speak with the Town Clerk, to be heard at the point in the agenda when the particular matter is to be discussed. It is not necessary to submit a petition to speak at a public hearing, although you must sign up with the Town Clerk, who sits to the far right of the Council in the front of the Council Chamber. See also Participation and Comment at Council Meetings.
Petitions to the Town Council
The Council hears petitions, either written or oral, at the beginning of each regular business meeting. By resolution, the Council has agreed that:
Residents may petition the Council regarding matters germane to Town policies or business but not appearing on the agenda at petition time. Residents desiring to present such petitions are strongly encouraged to contact the Mayor's or Town Manager's Office by the Thursday morning before a Wednesday night meeting to indicate their desire to petition the Council and so that the agenda distributed to the Council will reflect their petition under the "Petition" heading of the agenda.
As a courtesy to others, people making a petition are normally limited to three minutes. Only one speaker shall be permitted on each petition, and the petition period is limited to 15 minutes per meeting.
The Council strongly discourages petitions regarding a matter which recently has been, or which soon will be, before the Council as a public hearing item. Petition time is not intended to substitute for public hearings.
Except in the case of urgency, petitions shall not be acted upon at the time they are presented. After hearing a petition, the Council shall, by simple motion, receive it and dispose of it as follows (receiving does not imply approval, agreement, or consent):
For consideration at the end of the meeting at which they are presented;
Consideration at the next regular meeting of the Council;
Consideration at a special meeting of the Council called for that purpose;
Referral to a committee of the Council for investigation and report;
Referral to another board or committee for study and report; or
Referral to the Town Manager for investigation and report.
It shall take a unanimous vote of the full Council declaring a petition to be of unusual urgency for such petition to be acted upon immediately upon its presentation.
See also Status of Petitions to Council
Agenda items for review
Cablecast of Council Meetings
Participation and Comment at Council Meetings
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All categories Building Inspection Business License Economic Development Election Engineering Facilities Footer - FAQs General Plan Parks & Rec Comm Planning Police Public Works Recreation Recycled Water Risk Management Storm Emergency Street Maintenance Town Clerk Town Council Utility Billing Fees Voting Information Water Conservation Water Division Water Reclamation Windsor Shuttle - The Hopper
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1. When do you need a permit?
The best way to find out if you need a permit is to call the Building Inspection Division at (707) 838-5341. Discuss your plans with the code official before beginning construction to determine whether you need a permit. Even if a permit is not needed, the code official will answer construction questions and may provide valuable advice.
2. What requires a building permit?
Additions (bedrooms, bathrooms, family rooms, etc.)
Residential work (decks, garages, fences, fireplaces, pools,
water heaters, etc.)
Renovations (garage conversions, basement furnishings, kitchen expansions, reroofing, etc.)
HVAC (heating, ventilating and air-conditioning) systems
3. What is an over-the-counter permit?
Over-the-counter permits are permits that can be issued without the need for plan review. Some types of over-the-counter permits are: reroofs, water heater, furnace and A/C repair/replacements, electric service panel upgrades, and other miscellaneous repairs. For over-the-counter types of building permits, you may print out the permit application from the Forms Section of this website and fax it to our department for processing. You will need to appear in person to pay for the permit once you have received a call that it is ready to be issued. Forms and Permit Center
4. Do I need a permit to install a spa and hot tub?
If it is a plug cord connected spa/hot tub, the only permit required is for any new electrical work needed to operate the spa/hot tub. If it is a hardwired electrical connection spa/hot tub, permits are required for the spa, electrical work, and plumbing work.
5. Do I need a permit to rebuild or build a new deck?
Yes, a building permit is required if the deck is attached to the structure and is part of an egress or path of travel. Planning department approval may also be required depending on the setback requirements for your area.
6. When do I need to call for inspections after my permit has been issued?
The required inspections are listed on your copy of the permit. All work must be inspected before it is covered up. For example, we must inspect the footing/foundation after it is excavated; installation of steel reinforcement and before concrete is poured. A minimum of 24-hours notice is required prior to each inspection. Inspections can be requested by calling (707) 522-8346.
7. Does dry rot repair require a permit?
Yes, dry rot repair does require a permit. It takes only a few minutes to complete the permit application and state, in writing, the scope of work. Most of the time a copy of the termite report is adequate. The permit fee is based on the valuation of the work, including material and labor costs.
8. Can I use the ceiling joist in the garage as a storage area by adding plywood?
No, the ceiling joist or the lower cord of the trusses is not designed to support storage loads.
9. How long does Plan Check take?
Residential plan checks are completed within fifteen (15) working days of receipt of a complete set of construction plans. Non-residential plan checks are completed within twenty (20) working days of receipt of a complete set of construction plans.
1. What is a business license?
A business license is a permit required for doing business within the incorporated area of the Town of Windsor. The Town’s municipal code requires that you obtain a business license when you conduct business within the Town of Windsor, even if your business is located OUTSIDE the town limits or if you have a business license from another city.
2. Who is required to have a Town of Windsor business license?
Any person whose business is located in Windsor or conducts business in Windsor must apply for a business license within 30 days of the date the business commences. Conducting business in Windsor without a business license can result in penalties, violation notices, citations and court action.
3. What is the purpose of the business license?
The purpose of a business license is to regulate businesses in order to promote improved enforcement of Town, state, federal, or otherwise applicable codes, rules, regulations or laws, at lower public cost, with a higher level of protection of the public. Licensing helps protect the public against threats to public peace, health, safety and welfare, by ensuring compliance with Town ordinances, including those designed to ensure building safety and discourage public disturbances and nuisances.
4. How much does it cost to obtain a business license?
The initial application fee and first year’s license is $67. The annual renewal fee is $22 per year. Such fees are established by Resolution of the Town Council and may be amended from time to time.
5. How long is the business license good for?
All business licenses are valid until December 31st of each year. At least 60 days prior to expiration of a business license, an application of renewal will be mailed to all current business license holders. Business licenses applied for and issued after October 1 of any year shall be valid through the succeeding calendar year. Business licenses expire at the end of the calendar year, or sooner if the person to whom the license is issued ceases operations authorized by the license or the license is revoked.
6. How are applications reviewed and approved and can conditions be imposed?
The Administrative Services Director shall refer all applications received to the relevant Town departments for review. Each department will examine the application to determine whether any conditions should be assigned to issue the license. Inspection of the site shall be conducted as necessary to determine applicability, compliance with, or the adequacy of conditions to achieve compliance with Town, state, federal or otherwise applicable codes, rules, regulations or laws. The business license will be issued no later than 60 days after the date a complete application is filed, unless grounds for denial exist as established in the Town’s ordinance.
The Administrative Services Director may issue the business license upon such conditions as are necessary to ensure safety and prevent the business from disturbing the peace and tranquility of the neighborhood in which it is located. The conditions may include, but are not limited to the following:
1.Limitations upon hours or days of operation, when required in order to prevent disturbance of the peace and quiet of a neighborhood caused by the business or the patrons of the business
2.Requirement that the business provide licensed or other qualified security personnel for the exterior or interior of the business during operating hours
3.Requirement that the business fund any additional law enforcement services required as a result of the operations of the business
4.The installation of on-site improvements required to prevent operation of the business from disturbing its neighbors at a particular location; or
5.Other conditions related to operations or improvements demonstrated under the particular circumstances to be necessary in order to prevent hazards, disturbance of the peace, quiet or safety of the neighborhood; or other nuisance.
Such conditions may be imposed at the time a business license is initially issued, renewed, or at any time during the term of the license.
7. Do I need a business license if I work out of my home?
Yes. Businesses operated out of the home require a business license and must comply with the Town’s zoning codes. These codes regulate the types of home-based businesses allowed in the Town and the manner in which they may operate.
8. What if I have more than one business or more than one business location?
A separate business license is required for each location or branch of a business within the Town. A business license issued for a fixed location is only valid for the location listed on the license.
9. I just purchased a business. Can I use the business license from the previous owner?
No. A business license cannot be transferred or re-assigned. As a new owner, you need to apply for a new business license in your name.
10. Do state-licensed contractors also need a Town of Windsor business license?
Yes. Any person licensed as a contractor by the State Contractor’s Board must obtain a business license if they are conducting business in the Town, or the business is based in the Town whether conducting business in or outside of the Town.
11. What happens if I pay late?
A business determined to be operating without a business license, when one is required, shall have ten days to obtain the necessary business license. If a complete application is not received by the end of the ten-day period, the applicant will be subject to a penalty of 50% of the application fee. If the business continues to operate beyond the ten-day period, the business may also be subject to other penalties authorized by the Town Code.
An application for a renewal of a business license will be deemed received late and subject to a penalty of 50% of the processing fee if the complete application, including all fees, is not received by the Administrative Services Department within 60 days of the date of expiration of the immediately preceding license. If the business continues to operate without a valid license, the business may be subject to all other penalties authorized by the Town Code.
12. What happens if I don’t pay at all?
Operating a business without a business license in violation of the Town Ordinance, after service of written notice advising of the violation and ordering cessation of operations, is deemed to be a public nuisance and shall constitute a misdemeanor.
Except as otherwise specifically provided; any violation of this Ordinance shall constitute an infraction and will be subject to the fines and administrative penalties as provided in the Ordinance.
The Town may use all available legal means to enforce this Ordinance, including but not limited to, injunctions or other civil proceedings.
1. What services do you have available for new businesses?
We work with the Small Business Development Center (SBDC). There is a counselor available to meet with you at their Santa Rosa location one-on-one to discuss finance, marketing and other business matters. The SBDC can be reached at 524-1770.
1. I would like to run for a Councilmember position
Please contact the Town Clerk at 838-5315 regarding filing procedures.
2. When does the nomination period begin?
The Nomination Period for the November 6, 2018 Consolidated General Election begins Monday, July 16, 2018 and closes at 5pm on Friday, August 10, 2018. Nomination packets must be picked up in person from the Town Clerk's Office. Please call (707) 838-5315 or email mdelao@townofwindsor.com to set-up an appointment.
3. I would like to see the election schedule calendar
Calendar November 6, 2018 Election- November 6, 2018 Consolidated General Election
4. Informational Brochure for Council Candidates
/DocumentCenter/View/21489
1. Do I need a Permit to work in the Town’s right-of-way?
An Encroachment Permit is required to perform any work in the Town’s right-of-way. Encroachment Permits
2. Do I need a permit for a debris container for moving?
Debris containers should be out of the Town’s right-of-way and placed in the driveway only on a temporary basis. If this is not possible, you must fill out an Encroachment Permit application. The application should include the dimensions of the container and the duration the container will be within the Town right-of-way (street) and be placed so as not to cause any traffic obstruction, sight distance obstacle or safety hazard. Encroachment Permit Application
3. Are there any easement on my property, and if so, am I limited to how I may use that easement area?
The best way to find all recorded interests such as easements in the property is from a current Title Report obtained from a title insurance company. If any easements exist, uses within the easement would be limited so as not to interfere with the purpose of the easement, i.e. a storm drain easement should not be graded or paved over to interfere with drainage of the lot.
1. Do I need to have security guards when renting a facility for an event?
Security guards will be required at any event where alcohol is being served/sold. Security guards may also be required at large events where alcohol is not being served or at youth-oriented events. Security information can be found in the Facility Use and Reservation policy by visiting Facility Rentals webpage or by calling (707) 838-5943. Facility Rentals
1. When are Town Council Meetings held?
The Town Council holds regular meetings on the first and third Wednesday of each month at 6:00 pm in the Town Council Chambers. For detailed calendar, visit the agendas and minutes page. link
2. What services are available to businesses?
The Town of Windsor's Economic Development Division is your resource for all things business-related. We're your internal advocacy for business-friendly solutions and are happy to assist with questions regarding demographics, location options, incentive programs, permits and Town policies. For more information, visit us at:
Discover Windsor
3. Who is required to have a Business License?
Any person whose business is located in Windsor or conducts business in Windsor must apply for a business license within 30 days of the date the business commences. Conducting business in Windsor without a business license may result in penalties, violation notices, citations and court action. More...
4. Do I need a permit to work in the Town's right-of-way?
Yes, an Encroachment Permit is required to perform any work in the Town’s right-of-way.
5. When is a Building permit required?
6. More...
To learn more, access All FAQ's
7. How long can I park on the street?
Effective June 6, 2009 the maximum amount of time a recreational vehicle can be parked on any public street is 18 hours. After 18 hours you can be fined $146 or risk your vehicle being towed. For further details, see Ordinance No. 2009-252
8. What is the schedule for Street Sweeping?
Street sweeping is done by the Town's franchised waste disposal company. Contact Sonoma County Resource Recovery at (707) 795-7470 or access their schedule via their website: www.sonomacorr.com
Windsor Refuse & Recycling
1. Why is the land use designation for my property proposed to change?
Land use changes are being proposed as part of an update to the Town’s General Plan. The General Plan sets forth a vision for future growth and development of the community. In certain areas of town - mostly along Old Redwood Highway, Shiloh Road (east of Highway 101), and the northern and eastern edges of town – the General Plan envisions changes to the current uses in these areas. The envisioned changes are based on input received from the community over the course of the past three years during a series of workshops and public hearings that focused on the General Plan update. The land use changes being proposed will serve to guide new development in these areas towards the uses that the General Plan envisions for the future.
2. What is a General Plan?
The General Plan is the Town’s long-term blueprint or “constitution” for future growth and development. The General Plan represents the community’s vision for its future. This vision is expressed in narrative form with goals, policies and programs that address a wide range of topics, including land use, transportation, housing, public services and facilities, parks and recreation, economic development, environmental resources, conservation, noise, open space and safety. The General Plan provides a basis for land use decision-making and capital investments in public facilities and infrastructure. California state law requires each city and county to adopt a General Plan.
3. Why is the General Plan being updated?
The Town of Windsor adopted its current General Plan in 1996. Since that time the Town has grown and changed. When the last General Plan was adopted, the internet was not widely used and the youngest members of today’s workforce had not yet been born. New laws have passed that affect general plans and new planning strategies have been developed. These changes require a reevaluation of the existing General Plan and confirmation of the vision for Windsor. The updated General Plan will look ahead to the year 2040, so the update will not only bring policies and programs up to date, but also position Windsor for the next 22 years.
The proposed update to the Town’s General Plan can be viewed/downloaded from: http://www.windsor2040.com/documents/
4. What is a General Plan “Land Use Designation”?
State law requires the General Plan to identify the location, type and intensity of land uses allowed within the area over which the Town has jurisdiction. This is done by designating every property in Town with a specific “land use designation.” The land use designation identifies the general type of use (e.g., residential, commercial, industrial) and the intensity of the use. For residential uses, intensity is stated in terms of dwelling units per acre. For non-residential uses, intensity is stated in terms of a ratio of building floor area to property size (“Floor Area Ratio” or “FAR”).
A table describing each of the land use designations in the current General Plan and the equivalent designation being proposed in the updated General Plan can be accessed from this link Land Use Comparison Table. Maps showing the location of each land use designation in the current and proposed General Plan can be accessed from this link Maps
5. The land use designations in my notice seem to be the same. Is there really a change?
As part of the General Plan update the name of some Land Use Designations are being updated and/or the intensity of allowable development is being adjusted, but the type and physical character of the use will generally remain the same. For example, there are many properties with a current General Plan Land Use Designation of “Medium-High Density Residential (8 to 12 dwelling units per acre)” that are being changed to “Medium Density Residential (8 to 16 dwelling units per acre).” In this example, the change is largely a technical change and will not result in a significant change to the type of uses or physical character of development in areas with this designation. While the change is not considered significant, State law still requires the Town to send notification of any change to the land use designation.
6. My property is in the county, why I am receiving notice of a town land use change?
The Town’s General Plan includes areas within town limits and unincorporated county areas that are outside of town limits but within the Town’s Urban Growth Boundary. It is presumed that during the next 20 years properties located outside of town limits but within the Town’s Urban Growth Boundary could be annexed into the town. To ensure that these properties develop in a manner that is consistent with established land use patterns and the Town’s vision for the future, the Town’s General Plan identifies an appropriate land use designation to guide their future development if and when they are annexed into the town. The Town’s General Plan Land Use Designation will only apply to the use of your property if it is annexed in the future. Until such a time, the use of your property will continue to be regulated by the County of Sonoma.
7. How does the General Plan Land Use Designation affect my property?
The General Plan Land Use Designation regulates how your property is used – in terms of the general type of use and the intensity of the use. For example, if your property is designated for residential use by the General Plan, you can only use your property for residential purposes. You could not have a grocery store or an office building on your property.
The General Plan Land Use Designation also establishes the intensity of use. For residential developments, the intensity of use is regulated by an allowed density range (minimum and maximum) that is measured in terms of “housing units per acre.” Density is calculated by dividing the number of housing units on the site by the gross acreage of the site. Most residential neighborhoods in Windsor have a density range between 3 and 8 units per acre. Apartments and townhomes are located in areas that have a higher allowable density range (e.g. 16 to 32 units per acre).
For commercial and industrial developments, intensity is measured in terms of Floor Area Ratio (FAR). FAR refers to the ratio of building floor space compared to the square footage of the site. FAR is calculated by dividing the floor area of all buildings on the site by the total square footage of the site. For example, a 12,500 square foot building on a 25,000 square foot site has an FAR of 0.5.
A graphic example of how density and FAR are measured can be viewed from this link Density and Intensity Table.
A table describing each of the land use designations in the General Plan, including the type and intensity of uses allowed under each designation can be accessed from this link Land Use Comparison Table.
8. What is the difference between the General Plan and the Zoning Ordinance?
The General Plan sets forth long-term policies that guide future development. The Zoning Ordinance implements General Plan policies through the established detailed development regulations (see Zoning Designation response below). Although the purpose and intent of zoning is different from the General Plan, State law requires that zoning be consistent with maps and policies in the General Plan.
A table showing the Zoning Designation that implements the General Plan Land Use Designations proposed by the update to the Town’s General Plan can be accessed from this link Zoning Implementation Table.
The Town’s Zoning Ordinance can be viewed/downloaded from: https://www.townofwindsor.com/DocumentCenter/View/15921
9. What is a Zoning Designation?
Like General Plan Land Use Designations, each property within the Town has a Zoning District designation. Zoning Districts identify specific types of uses allowed in the district as well as building standards and permitting procedures. Zoning Districts are a tool for implementing the General Plan Land Use Designation and must be consistent with the General Plan Land Use Designation in terms of the types and intensities of uses allowed in the district. For example, if your property has a General Plan Land Use Designation of Residential - 5 to 8 dwelling units per acre, your property would be “zoned” with a Zoning District that allows for residential uses with building and development standards that accommodate development at a range of 5 to 8 units per acre.
A table listing each of the Zoning District designations in the Town’s Zoning Ordinance and the corresponding General Plan Land Use Designation that it implements can be accessed from this link Zoning District Descriptions.
A map of Zoning Districts within the Town can be viewed/downloaded from the following link: /DocumentCenter/View/22059/Zoning-Map-2019-01-30
10. I live in a mobile home park and received a notice of land use change. Does this mean my mobile home park is going to close?
No. As part of the General Plan Update, staff and the consultant team proposed to update the land use designations in the General Plan to reduce the number of designations and to make them more consistent with current naming conventions. As part of this, the “Mobile Home Park” designation was initially proposed to be combined with the “Medium Density Residential” designation (which would have included mobile home parks). This proposal caused a significant amount of concern among mobile home park residents. One major concern is that changing the designation would make it easier for mobile home park owners to close or convert the park to another use.
While staff believes that adequate State regulations are in place to address potential closure or conversion of a mobile home park to another use, it is recognized that having a specific Mobile Home Park land use designation could provide an added layer of protection. In response to the level of concern expressed by mobile home park residents, and because the change was being proposed for administrative purposes rather than a policy-driven matter, staff is recommending that the Mobile Home Park General Plan Land Use Designation not be changed and retained in the 2040 General Plan and applied to all existing mobile home parks.
11. Who can I talk to if I have questions about the land use changes proposed for my property?
Additional questions about the proposed land use changes, the General Plan update program or the Zoning Ordinance should be directed to the Community Development Department. Department staff can be reached by phone at (707) 838-1021 or can be visited in person at Town Hall, 9291 Old Redwood Highway, Building 400, Monday through Thursday between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.
12. How can I submit comments on the proposed land use changes to the Planning Commission?
There are two ways to provide comments to the Planning Commission: attend the Planning Commission meeting and speak during the public hearing, and/or provide written comments in advance of the meeting. Information on the public hearing for the General Plan Update, which will include consideration of the proposed land use changes, is provided below:
HearingDate/Time: Tuesday, February 27, 2018 at 5:30 p.m.
Location: Town Council Chambers, 9291 Old Redwood Hwy, Building 400.
If you are unable to attend the Planning Commission meeting, you may submit your comments in writing in advance of the public hearing to the attention of:
Sheila Wolski, Community Development Technician
Town of Windsor
Windsor, CA 95492
Email: swolski@townofwindsor.com
Planning Commission meeting agendas, including staff reports and other meeting materials can be accessed from the following link: https://www.townofwindsor.com/721/Agendas-Minutes-Videos
13. Who will make the final decision on the proposed land use changes?
The Town of Windsor Town Council will make the final decision on the proposed land use changes as part of their decision on whether to adopt the updated General Plan. A public hearing before the Town Council on the General Plan update has been tentatively scheduled for April 4, 2018. At this meeting, the Town Council will consider the recommendations made by the Planning Commission, Town staff and consultant team, and input received from the public.
Town Council meeting agendas, including staff reports and other meeting materials can be accessed from the following link: https://www.townofwindsor.com/721/Agendas-Minutes-Videos
1. How may I contact a member of the Parks and Recreation Commission?
You may contact a member of the Parks and Recreation Commission by phoning the Parks and Recreation Department at (707) 838-5382; or by e-mailing the Parks and Recreation Commission Recording Secretary at jmitchell@townofwindsor.com
1. How high can I build my fence? Is a permit required?
Fencing between the house and street is limited to 3 feet in height with no building permit required. Side and rear yard fencing is generally limited to 6 feet in height (no permit required), although up to two additional feet of open lattice is permitted with a building permit. On corner lots, street sideyard fencing over 3 feet in height must be set back at least 10 feet from the property line.
2. How do I make a complaint (Zoning Ordinance related)?
Planning Department policy prohibits us from taking anonymous complaints. Be prepared to furnish your full name, address, phone number and the address of the Zoning Ordinance violation. Call the Planning Department/Code Enforcement at (707) 838-1031 and ask to speak with a Planner.
3. What are the typical setback requirements for room additions and accessory structures?
Setbacks will vary according to zoning district. Most of the Town is zoned “Surrounding Residential”, which has the following setback requirements: *Room additions: - Front yard setback to house: 15 ft. - Front yard setback to garage: 25 ft. (new construction) - Side yard setback: 5 ft. - Street side setback (corner lot): 10 ft. - Rear yard setback: 20 ft. *Accessory structures (sheds, detached garages, open sided patio covers): - Front yard setback: 20 ft. - Side yard setback: 5 ft. - Street side setback (corner lot:) 10 ft. - Rear yard setback: 20 ft. (can be reduced to 5 ft. for structures under 500 sq. ft.) *Additional setbacks:6 ft. from main house and any other accessory structures
4. What is the Zoning and General Plan land use of a property?
At this time, site specific zoning information is not available on the Town of Windsor’s website. Please call the Planning Department at (707) 838-1021 to speak with a Planner.
1. How long can I park a recreational vehicle or boat on the street?
Effective June 6, 2009 the maximum amount of time a recreational vehicle can be parked on any public street is 18 hours. After 18 hours you can be fined $146 or risk your vehicle being towed. More...
2. How do I get a copy of my police report.?
A copy of a report can be requested by phone, in person, or by mail. (**Please note in person inquiries may not always be fulfilled at the time of request based on type of report) It is helpful if you call the police department and request the report before going in person. Have the case number or basic information such as date and time of incident, as well as officers name. If this request is through the mail, please include a self addressed, stamped envelope for return.
3. Do I need a permit to solicit door to door?
Yes, per Windsor Municipal Code Chapter 3-3-200. An application and $88.00 application fee must be submitted to the police department. At that time arrangements will be made for fingerprinting which is done at the Sonoma County Sheriff's Department. Once a clearance has been received and the application has been approved by the Chief, a permit will be issued. Please read Title III, Chapter three of the Municipal Code for further details.
An Encroachment Permit is required to perform any work in the Town’s right of way. Encroachment Permits
2. Who handles the garbage pick-up in the Town of Windsor?
Please contact Sonoma County Resource Recovery at (707) 795-7470 for garbage pick-up.
3. Who can I call with questions about my water bill?
Contact Utility Billing Department (707)838-1004. Utility Billing
4. Who is responsible for maintaining the sidewalk in front of my house?
The sidewalk is in the public right of way, however, it is the responsibility of the property owner to maintain it.
5. Why can't I flush unused medications or throw them in the trash?
When flushed down the drain, some medications are not completely removed by wastewater treatment plants and end up in rivers and streams, harming wildlife. The Russian River Watershed Association is partnering with local agencies to provide safe medicine disposal locations. For disposal information please visit the RRWA Website
6. Who do I contact to get a pothole fixed?
Road areas that may be dangerous to pedestrians and vehicles should be reported immediately to the Streets Division at (707) 838-1009. A temporary repair will be made followed by a permanent repair as soon as possible.
7. What happens to the Town's wastewater after it is treated?
The Town disposes of approximately 350 million gallons through land discharge (irrigation of farm lands) and 300 million gallons through creek discharge annually.
Street sweeping is done by the Town’s franchised waste disposal company. You can contact Sonoma County Resource Recovery at (707) 795-7470 or visit their website: www.sonomacorr.com
Unicycler website
9. Do I need a permit for a storage container for moving?
Storage containers should be out of the Town’s right of way and placed in the driveway. If this is not possible you must fill out an Encroachment Permit application. The application should include the dimensions of the container and the duration the container will be within the Town right of way (street) and be placed so as not to cause any traffic obstruction, sight distance obstacle or safety hazard.
Encroachment Permit Application
10. Are there any easement on my property, and if so, am I limited to how I may use that easement area?
11. How can residents and businesses dispose of hazardous waste?
Please contact Sonoma County Waste Management Agency at (707) 565-3375 for the next hazardous disposal in your area.
12. Where can I see a list of Public Works projects currently bidding?
You may view a list of projects currently bidding by visiting the “Bids” section on the Town of Windsor home page.
13. Where does the Town’s responsibility end on a water service lateral?
The Town’s responsibility for maintaining water service ends at the water meter, the customer is responsible for the line on the customer side of the meter.
14. How can I request a Public Works Inspection?
Notification for an inspection can be made up to 24 hours prior to commencing any work shown on the Public Works Permit, and by calling (707) 838-1006. The contractor must show proof that he/she has pulled a Public Works permit.
1. The recreation guide shows a four-hour session for youth basketball and t-ball on Saturday mornings. Should I expect my child to be present and playing for the whole four hours?
The times reflected in the Guide are to give parents a framework in which their child will have his or her game scheduled. Once the schedule is handed out, (at the second practice) and you are assigned to a team, you will know the exact 1-1.25 hour period in which your child will be participating. You need only be present for your scheduled game or practice, not the entire session.
2. Does my child need special shoes or cleats for t-ball or basketball?
Children are not required to have footwear specifically designed for these sports. The normal running shoes or shoes they wear to play at school are fine for both of these activities. We do request that children do not wear black soled shoes in the gym for basketball as they leave marks on the floor. No sandals or open toes are allowed.
3. I want my child to be on the same team as his / her friends. Are team requests possible?
Yes: We do our best to accommodate all team requests to help with carpooling. At the first two practice sessions, parents will have the opportunity to write down their child’s name and the name of one friend to be placed together on a team. Although no guarantees are made, we do our very best to fulfill these requests.
4. I lost my schedule. How can I find out when I play or practice?
Call Community Services at 838-1260. We can give the information over the phone or fax the information.
5. I want to enroll my child in Camp but we will only be able to attend three of the five days. Can I be pro-rated for this?
Camp supplies, food, and staffing are based around the number of participants enrolled in each week long session as a whole. Unfortunately we can not pro-rate families that miss a day during a session.
1. What is "reclaimed" or "recycled" water?
Reclaimed water, also referred to as recycled water, is municipal wastewater that has been cleaned and treated in order to remove pollutants and contaminants so that the water can be safely reused for a variety of uses. The California Department of Health Services has established the treatment standards and regulations regarding any reuse. Windsor treats its wastewater to tertiary recycled water standards (also referred to as advanced water treatment) which is the highest level of treatment defined by the State and allows for unrestricted reuse in virtually all reclaimed water applications. Examples of common recycled water reuse applications include: Any agricultural irrigation (food crops, vineyards, sod farms, Christmas tree farms, etc), ornamental plants, parks and playing fields, golf courses, cemeteries and recreational waterways for boating and swimming, cooling tower water, groundwater recharge, and toilet flushing. Recycled water is an excellent substitute for drinking water in many applications especially in areas experiencing drinking water shortages due to droughts or limitations on supply.
2. Is recycled water safe?
Yes. Recycled water must meet stringent regulatory requirements monitored by the State
Department of Health Services and be treated to the State of California Title 22 standards for tertiary (advanced) treatment of water. It must also meet regional and local standards. Wastewater is treated to these rigid standards to ensure that public health and environmental quality are protected. The Town's recycled water is monitored and tested daily to ensure that it consistently meets these high quality standards.
3. How long has recycled water been in use?
Recycled water systems have been operating in California and throughout the nation since the early 1960’s. As Sonoma County and California water supplies are stretched, using recycled water for irrigation preserves drinking water supplies for people and fresh water for creeks, rivers, and wetlands. Systems are continuously upgraded in response to treatment breakthroughs and research. Windsor’s Advanced Treatment facility was built in 1991. The facility has since been upgraded and expanded over the years to improve treatment, storage, and reuse.
4. What is the Town doing to make sure the recycled water is always safe?
The recycled water quality is monitored by Town personnel daily to ensure that rigid water quality standards are continually met. Additional monitoring is done by local regulatory agencies. Water testing takes place throughout the treatment process. Water quality testing results are reported to, and monitored by, regulatory officials to ensure high quality standards are met.
5. How is recycled water treated?
Windsor has been operating its Advanced Water Treatment (tertiary) facility since 1991. The facility has since been upgraded twice in order to improve its processes and increase plant capacity. The latest technology is used for odor control equipment and disinfection throughout the facility.
6. Can my children run through the sprinklers in lawn that is watered with recycled water?
Because tertiary treated recycled water is approved for full body contact, there is no danger from being sprayed or swimming in it. Physical contact with recycled water is not known to have any adverse or ill effects.
7. Can recycled water be used in swimming pools and spas?
Although the town’s recycled water is approved for full body contact and fish life, the Town does not permit its use in swimming pools and spas at this time. Rather, the Town is trying to convert urban landscape irrigation to recycled water usage wherever possible. Landscape irrigation continues to account for the largest water usage during peak demand periods and continues to be the most practical use of recycled water and preserves our limited potable water supply.
8. What happens if we drink it, or my dog does?
No health related problems have ever been traced o any of the reclamation projects throughout the country. Recycled water is safe for pets, wildlife, and farm animals as well. However, the Town discourages this type of use.
9. Does the Town have plans to expand the use of Recycled Water?
Yes. The Town is currently studying where to expand its existing recycled water distribution system to most cost effectively expand recycled water delivery. For a map of the current distribution system click on map link. Recycled Water Base Map
1. What insurance coverage is required from those who wish to do business with the Town of Windsor?
The Town of Windsor has insurance specifications for construction projects, professional services, encroachment permits, vendors and events. The details of those requirements can be found by selecting the following link: Specific insurance requirements
2. How are the requirements and policy limits determined?
The Town of Windsor is a member of the Redwood Empire Municipal Insurance Fund (REMIF) which provides insurance programs for 15 cities along the north coast of California. Our insurance requirements and limits are determined by REMIF to protect both the Town and it’s contractors in the event of a loss.
3. What if I have more questions?
Town personnel are here to help you and your insurance agent with specific questions or concerns. We are available Monday through Thursday from 7:00 am - 6:00 pm. Please call (707) 838-5362 or email us.
1. Printable Storm Emergency FAQs - English Version
Storm Emergency FAQs - English
2. Printable Storm Emergency FAQs - Spanish Version
Storm Emergency FAQ's - Spanish
3. Who do I call when there is a flood or storm drain that is affecting public drains and roads?
Public Works is the department in the Town of Windsor that handles emergency calls relating to public facilities that are plugged or public roads that are inundated. Please contact 838-1000. After-hour calls will be automatically routed to the Town’s answering service and will contact the Public Works standby personnel to respond.
4. Who do I call for a tree that has fallen or ready to fall?
For public street trees or trees in a public park, contact Public Works at 838-1000. Residents are responsible for fallen private trees. If the tree has fallen onto a public street, contact Public Works. If the caller believes the situation is a public safety hazard, call 9-1-1.
5. What if stormwater enters my private property? Will the Town provide sandbags?
The Town does not provide sand or sandbags to residents. Residents may contact the following nearby stores to purchase sand and/or sandbags:
Garrett’s Ace Hardware (Windsor) 433-6590, has sand and empty sandbags
Home Depot (Windsor) 836-0377, sells premade sandbags
Ramm Rock Supply (SR), 528-6067, can make sandbags and sells empty sandbags and bulk sand
SBI Landscaping (Windsor) 431-1617, has empty sandbags and bulk sand
Whitecap Supply (SR), 586-4330, sells empty bags
6. I live in the County but very close to Town limits. Who should I call for flood issues?
If your property is in the unincorporated area of Sonoma County, please contact Sonoma County Water Agency Operations at 523-1070.
7. There is a downed power line in front of my house. Who should I call?
Call 9-1-1. Stay away from downed power lines.
8. I can’t get out of my driveway because of flooded streets.
Do not attempt to drive through flood waters. Contact Public Works at 838-1000 and notify them of the flooded street. If it is life-threatening emergency situation, call 9-1-1.
Street sweeping is done by the Town's franchised waste disposal company. Contact Windsor Refuse & Recycling at (707) 586-5545 Windsor Refuse & Recycling
1. I would like to add an item to the Town Council agenda
Send your request to Town Clerk. To add a Proclamation, please provide your Draft to Town Clerk at least one (1) month prior to the meeting date . Upon approval of your request, plan on attending the meeting to accept the Proclamation. For the Standard Language, find attached template
2. When are the Town Council meetings scheduled?
The Town Council holds regular meetings on the first and third Wednesday of each month at 6:00 pm in the Town Council Chambers. For detailed calendar, visit the agendas and minutes page.
3. Are the Council Meetings televised?
Council meetings are televised the same day live on the Public Access Channel 27. Meetings can be viewed on the website under Watch Meetings Online.
4. I would like to request a copy of a Town Council Meeting.
Town Council Meetings are televised. You may order a DVD of the meeting, at a cost.
You might also subscribe through Notify Me to receive notifications as new documents are available.
5. I do not see the Town Council Minutes from last week's agenda
Town Council Minutes are not posted on the website until approved by Town Council at the subsequent meeting. Please contact the Town Clerk for any further questions.
6. Who are the members of the Town Council?
Please view the Town Council page.
7. I would to request a copy of a public record?
Please fill out the attached Public Records Request.
8. Who do I contact to get a copy of my house plan.
You may contact the Building Department directly. You may also complete the attached Public Records request form.
9. I would like to view the Public Hearing Notices
Please view the Public Hearing Notices page
10. How do I register to vote?
You must be registered to vote 15 days prior to an election, to be eligible to vote. For further information, please visit the Registrar of Voters.
Send your request to Town Clerk/Records Management Technician. To add a Proclamation, please provide your Draft to Town Clerk/Records Management Technician at least one (1) month prior to the meeting date . Upon approval of your request, plan on attending the meeting to accept the Proclamatin. For the Standard Language, find attached template
2. How do I contact the Town Council?
You may contact a Town Council via email or by calling (707) 838-5311. Town Council
Submit a request to Town Clerk/Records Management Technician
6. I would like to run for a Town Council.
Please contact Town Clerk or for further details, view the Municipal Election page.
7. I would like to be on the distribution list for Town Council Agendas and Minutes?
Sign up through Notify Me to receive notifications. Notify Me
Please contact the Town Clerk.
1. Why is there a deposit on my Utility account?
The Town charges a $200 deposit for:
• Tenants without prior payment history with the Town of Windsor
• Tenants whose payment history was not in good standing on a prior account
• Account holders who are locked off for non-payment
2. When and how do I get my deposit back?
Your paid deposit will be credited to your account after 12 months of on-time payments.If your account has a deposit at the time your closing bill is run:
• The deposit will be used to pay any outstanding charges under your customer number.
• Any remaining deposit will be sent to the mailing address on record.
3. Why do I have to pay an administrative disconnect fee if my water was not turned off?
Your account will be assessed an administrative disconnect fee if payment has not been made for past due charges by the date service is scheduled to be locked off, unless payment arrangements have previously been set up with Utility Billing staff. Duties for processing disconnections begin prior to field staff locking off the service.
1. How do I register to vote?
You must be registered to vote 15 days prior to an election, to be eligible to vote. To obtain a registration form, visit the Registrar of Voters
Please visit the Election Schedule page.
1. Who do I contact about leaks or water waste?
The simplest method is to use the online reporting form listed below. For significant leaks creating a health and public safety concern, please call 838-1000. Leaks & Water Waste Reporting Form...
2. How long should I water my lawn?
Done correctly, irrigating lawns only three days a week in Windsor is both water saving and beneficial for growing more deeply rooted, heat tolerant turf grass. For fixed spray pop-up sprinklers, two shorter applications (4 – 7 min), applied about an hour apart, gets the water deeper into the root zone without runoff. As an example, to run sprinklers 36 minutes per week:
Station run time – 1st Start Time – 2nd Start Time – Days
6 minutes – 5:00 a.m. – 6:00 a.m. – M, W, F
Sprinkler run times will need to be longer for single and multi-stream rotor type sprinklers that apply water at a slower rate than standard fixed spray pop-ups. However, the approach is the same. The clay based soils found throughout Windsor help retain the water that has penetrated deeper into the root zone, eliminating the need for more frequent irrigation, and providing the conditions needed for lawns to grow longer, healthier roots.
3. When is the best time of day to water my lawn?
If possible, you should schedule your irrigation early enough in the morning to be finished before sunrise. This is the time of day when there is the least amount of wind and the least amount of water loss due to evaporation.
4. How can I tell if I have a leak?
Your water meter's low flow indicator can be used to detect whether you have a leak or not. More...
5. A lot of water gets wasted while waiting for the hot water to arrive at my upstairs bathroom faucet and shower. Is there anything I can do?
You can install an on-demand recirculation pump, which speeds up the delivery of hot water to the fixture. The water that normally goes down the drain as you wait is returned to the water heater by using the cold water line as a return loop. Once the hot water arrives, water begins to flow out of the fixture and the pump shuts off automatically. More...
6. How can I get information about landscape plants that use little or no water?
The Water Use Classification of Landscape Species(WUCOLS), a publication of UC Cooperative Extension, is a comprehensive list of plants classified by their water requirements. The Sonoma County Master Gardeners website (http://groups.ucanr.org/sonomamg/) also maintains a list of plants well suited to our climate. Go to WUCOLS link...
7. What are the restrictions for participating in the Town's Water Efficient Landscape rebate program?
You need to call 547-1909 and schedule a free pre-inspection visit / water use assessment before starting work on your project. Additional restrictions are listed in the
complete program details...
1. How do I get my water shut off in an emergency?
Phone us at (707) 838-1006 or Utility Billing at (707) 838-1004. For after hours emergencies call (707) 838-1000 and the standby duty person will be contacted.
2. Does the Town of Windsor flouridate the drinking water?
Contact Utility Billing Department at(707) 838-1004
4. What is my water pressure?
Pressures vary throughout the Town’s water distribution system. Contact us via email or phone (707) 838-1006 and we will schedule a Water Operator to check your pressure and provide you with the test result.
5. What is the hardness of the water in Windsor?
The average hardness level is 8-11 gpg.
6. My meter is buried with dirt. How do you read the meter?
We dig out the box just enough to expose the register cap, wipe off the face of the register above the odometer dial, and get the reading. It doesn't matter if the meter itself is buried. Meter readers often rub their meter hook (the tool they use to remove the meter box lid) over the face of the register to expose the odometer type dial.
If you don't believe your meter is being read, read it yourself and compare the results to the reading printed on your water bill. Be sure to make allowances for any difference between the day you read the water meter and the day it is read by the meter reader.
7. Can water meters over register or record more water than is actually used?
All of our residential water meters (meters 1" in size and smaller) are positive displacement meters. We buy this type of meter because when they fail, they fail in favor of the consumer. The manufacturer certifies the accuracy of the meters when they are new. With age and extended usage they either maintain their accuracy or they slow down.
8. Do I need a water softener?
In large part, the effects and feel of hard water vs. soft water are subjectively based on what the individual is accustomed to. Some people are acclimated to soft water and opt to install and use water softeners on their home water system. These can reduce hardness and related hardness effects. Persons with sodium regulated diets are cautioned to avoid the types of softeners that increase sodium content in their drinking water. If individuals who insist on having a water softener have concerns about sodium they should specify installation of another type of water softener that does not increase sodium. Or, sodium can be removed after softening by a point-of-use filter/conditioner at the tap.
9. What do I do if I notice a change in my water quality?
During regular business hours, call us at (707) 838-1006 and ask to speak with a Water Operator. For after hours emergencies call (707) 838-1000 and the standby duty person will be contacted.
The Town disposes of approximately 350 million gallons through land discharge (irrigation of farm lands) and 300 million gallons through creek discharge, annually.
Reclaimed water, also referred to as recycled water, is municipal wastewater that has been cleaned and treated in order to remove pollutants and contaminants so that the water can be safely reused for a variety of uses. The California Department of Health Services has established the treatment standards and regulations regarding any reuse. Windsor treats its wastewater to tertiary recycled water standards (also referred to as advanced water treatment) which is the highest level of treatment defined by the State and allows for unrestricted reuse in virtually all reclaimed water applications. Examples of common recycled water reuse applications include: Any agricultural irrigation (food crops, vineyards, sod farms, Christmas tree farms, etc), ornamental plants, parks and playing fields, golf courses, cemeteries and recreational waterways for boating and swimming, cooling tower water, groundwater recharge and toilet flushing. Recycled water is an excellent substitute for drinking water in many applications especially in areas experiencing drinking water shortages due to droughts or limitations on supply.
Recycled water systems have been operating in California and throughout the nation since the early 1960’s. As Sonoma County and California water supplies are stretched, using recycled water for irrigation preserves drinking water supplies for people and fresh water for creeks, rivers and wetlands. Systems are continuously upgraded in response to treatment breakthroughs and research. Windsor’s Advanced Treatment facility was built in 1991. The facility has since been upgraded and expanded over the years to improve treatment, storage and reuse.
5. Where is recycled water used in Windsor?
Windsor currently provides recycled water for the irrigation of agricultural lands, parks and recreational facilities such as Windsor Golf Course, Windsor High School, the Town Green and Wilson Ranch Soccer Park. Recycled water is also used to water front and back yards in the Vintage Greens neighborhood. These applications save millions of gallons of fresh water each year. The use of recycled water will continue to expand both within and outside of the Town limits.
8. Why is the Town's partnership in the Geysers beneficial?
See Brochure for full details. Geysers Brochure
1. Does the Windsor Hopper have regular scheduled runs?
Yes, please refer to the schedule for the approximate times the Hopper will arrive at each stop. The driver will do his very best to keep to the times listed. Please be ready to board and exit the Hooper quickly to help keep the Hooper on schedule.
2. Can the Windsor Hopper accommodate passengers with wheelchairs?
Yes, the Hooper is equipped with a wheelchair lift and is ready to serve ADA passengers.
3. Can we eat food or have drinks on the Windsor Hooper?
No, eating and drinking on the Hopper is not permitted. Passengers with “to-go” containers or small carry on groceries are acceptable.
4. Can we bring alcoholic beverages on the Windsor Hopper?
Consumption of alcohol is not allowed on the Hopper. Transporting beverages purchased at any of the breweries or wineries is allowed.
5. Can we smoke on the Windsor Hopper?
No, the Hopper has a no smoking policy while on the shuttle.
6. Can we bring bikes on the Windsor Hopper?
Unfortunately no, the Hooper is not able to accommodate bikes at this time.
7. Does the Hopper have a restroom?
No, the Hopper is not restroom equipped.
8. Where do you store my suitcase and how much luggage can I take on the charter bus?
The Hopper is intended to be a short trip shuttle. Passengers with any items other than a single small carry on should make other arrangements for transportation.
9. Can I bring my dog or pet on the Windsor Hopper?
No. pets are not allowed on the Hopper.
10. What is the price for the Windsor Hopper?
The Hopper is absolutely free of charge!
11. Does the Windsor Hopper take you to the Sonoma County Airport?
The Hopper stops at the Airport SMART Train Station, but does not take you directly to the Airport. The Smart station stop is about a mile from the airport itself.
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Online Student Discounts
AI And Radar System Relieves Need For Diabetics To Draw Blood
Natalie Colarossi 1 year ago
Researchers from the University of Waterloo in Canada have developed a new system for diabetics to monitor their blood sugar without having to prick their finger several times a day.
Using artificial intelligence (AI) and a radar device jointly developed by Google and Infineon, the researchers can detect changes in glucose levels without physically drawing blood.
“We want to sense blood inside the body without actually having to sample any fluid,” George Shaker, an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at Waterloo and lead researcher of the study, said in a statement. “Our hope is this can be realized as a smartwatch to monitor glucose continuously.”
The research is published in the International Journal of Mobile Human-Computer Interaction.
The research began as a collaboration with Google and Infineon, which co-developed the radar device called Project Soli and sought input from select teams around the world on various applications.
The Soli system is a 60 GHz mm-wave radar that is intended for a small, mobile and wearable gesture-recognition platform.
The team at Waterloo adapted the radar system as a means to detect glucose levels in the blood non-invasively.
To do this, the system sends high-frequency radio waves into liquids that contain various levels of glucose and receive radio waves that are reflected back to it.
Then, the information on the reflected waves is converted into digital data for analysis by machine-learning AI algorithms.
“The data is processed on a server, and the results are near real-time, within a minute,” said Shaker.
The software can detect glucose changes on over 500 wave features or characteristics, including the length of time it takes for them to bounce back to the device.
So far, the researchers have tested the software with known controlled liquid samples and blood samples from volunteers at the Research Institute for Aging in Waterloo.
After comparing the data against standard glucometer devices, the researchers found that the results were 85 percent as accurate as traditional analysis.
“The correlation was actually amazing,” Shaker said in a statement. “We have shown it is possible to use radar to look into the blood to detect changes.”
Next, the researchers hope to refine the system to obtain results through the skin, which complicates the process due to conditions such as sweating or dryness, weight gain or loss, and the impact of weather.
They are also working with Infineon to shrink the radar device system to make it both low-cost and low-power.
Additionally, they are working to embed a wireless interface that can relay the data from a smartwatch to the cloud for data processing and analysis.
Currently, the data analyzed by AI algorithms is sent to computers, but the goal is to ultimately create a self-contained technology similar to smartwatches that monitor heart rate.
“We are working hard to speed up the development of a complete wearable prototype. We hope we can present something in the next five years,” said Shaker.
Natalie Colarossi
Natalie Colarossi is a journalism major and global studies minor working toward her bachelor’s degree at Ohio University. She is from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She has covered a number of topics including art, culture, politics, music, and travel. Her greatest passion and priority is to travel, and she hopes to experience as many places and cultures as possible.
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Rapper MI Abaga’s ex sends him lovely birthday message
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Who Revived The Electric Car?
Driving green since 2004
John Laumer
The MAGIC Team did. MAGIC stands for Mid Atlantic Grid Interactive Car, and they just resurrected the EV in a hot "wired" incarnation, with V2G technology on board.
"For a new technology to be truly effective it must have the appearance of magic." Remember that line from Mosquito Coast? It's still true.
MAGIC revived the electric car, in vehicle to grid (V2G) incarnation, by applying a jolt of AC and adding Internet connectivity, after implanting top of the line rechargeable batteries, network interface, and some amazing power controls. This particular resurrection is no rich man's sports car either (although this one and the famed Tesla share some EV technology). Externally, and in the passenger compartment, it's more like a wired green box for the masses, with a webby twist.
MAGIC's "eBox" is a modified Scion xB, custom re-manufactured by AC Propulsion, that relies solely on an alternating current (AC) motor for propulsion. So, of course, there's no exhaust pipe, and no fuel port. With ICE engine, transmission, and fuel systems gone, and the new V2G and propulsion systems added, curb weight is roughly 20% above the OEM's designed weight.
When it's parked and connected to the power grid, however, this car is also connected to, and interacts with, third parties, via Internet. "What's up with that," you're thinking? No big brother stuff. This is about greening the grid.
Hang with us and we'll give you the details, in a series of posts, beginning with this overview.
"No more fuel port."
Once plugged into the grid, PJM Interconnect, a regional transmission organization, is able to send power dispatch commands to eBox over the Internet enabling it to participate in the PJM "regulation market." We're not talking about government regulation here, either. The 'power regulation' market is set up to balance numerous power supply and demand entities and cope with equipment performance variations to keep regional grids operating efficiently. Here's more about PJM if you're interested.
"The MAGIC box."
Keep in mind that if we diversify our power sources - by now our readers understand the need to incorporate wind farms and solar or geothermal plants that operate relatively intermittently - we also need cost-effective ways to balance the power and condition it to keep the grid reliable for all users. MAGIC technology avoids having to rely only on big base load generators and fixed switching devices to accomplish that. It's an idea that no other electric vehicle designed to date has ever approached. Put thousands of them on the road, and the MAGIC fleet helps manage the power to make fixed generators of renewable electricity a welcome addition to the grid of the future. That's what is meant by "Greening The Grid."
The magicians deepest secret:- eBox will respond to network commands by charging or discharging its battery through an on-board inverter, in short bursts, to help balance supply and demand on the PJM grid. Owners will be able to set boundaries on those commands.
The MAGIC Consortium was formed to develop the technology allowing electric vehicles to interact with the grid. Its members include the University of Delaware, Pepco Holdings, Inc. (PHI), Delmarva Light & Power (DPL), Atlantic City Electric (ACE), AC Propulsion, Comverge Inc., Atlantic Counties Utility Authority (ACUA) and PJM.
PJM has been providing technical support to the consortium to enable the technical advancement of the vehicle and to demonstrate how the grid can facilitate plug-and-play technology.
Although the technology is in its early developmental stages, PJM is working to make sure that vehicle to grid (V2G) technology is capable of interacting reliably with the bulk power system. Maintaining the reliability of the system is driving PJM’s role in facilitating technologies to support such Smart Grid concepts.
Update: Comverge, Inc also is a primary participant of the MAGIC core team. Although Comverge, Inc does not have a magnetic sign on the car door (pictured), it is working on the "aggregation platform development" that will make this commercially feasible for the concept to work with average consumer/commuters and commercial fleets plugging in to the PJM managed grid.
MAGIC is currently in the first of three phases of the project, connecting test-vehicles to the PJM Automatic Generation Control (AGC) signal. MAGIC has committed funding to convert a total of five cars and one bus to be able to interact with the grid in this phase. It is seeking funding for a fleet of 300 cars, collectively able to provide 3 MW.
By the final phase of the project, MAGIC hopes to have the V2G program self-sufficient within OEM vehicle manufacturers, power aggregators, and ISOs.
The key MAGIC Project Principals are listed here. We'll introduce them to you in subsequent posts.
Dr. Willett Kempton, University of Delaware
Dr. Victor Udo, PHI
Len Beck, PHI
Clay Anderson, PHI
Kevin Komara, PJM
Update:: Ooops. Nearly forgot to add how eBox "greens" your wallet. The typical auto is driven 1 or 2 hours per day on average. For the remaining hours, assuming the eBox can 'plug and play' at a regular parking spot, each owner will earn several thousand dollars per year, it is estimated. And yes, the battery will still be charged when you need to drive home.
For public relations contacts on MAGIC and the eBOX, please email Paula DuPont-Kidd.
For technical information on the project, please email Jackie Piero at the University of Delaware.
Image credits::TreeHugger, with permission of the MAGIC team
_uacct = "UA-3013296-1"; urchinTracker(); The MAGIC Team did. MAGIC stands for Mid Atlantic Grid Interactive Car, and they just resurrected the EV in a hot "wired" incarnation, with V2G technology on board.
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12 Kid-Friendly Parks and Play Spaces in the Philippines
Let your kids be explorers and adventurers. Introduce them to a world of wonder by bringing them to these kid-friendly attractions in the Philippines.
Pam BaroroMay 19th, 2016
In this media-driven world, finding ways to bring fun and entertainment to your kids can be a tough challenge for many parents. It’s often very difficult to take the young ones away from the TV and gadgets, which is why interesting parks and play spaces are always a big hit for them.
The Philippines may not be the best first thing in mind when it comes to family travel but it still holds quite a few hidden gems for the young and the young-at-heart to enjoy. Not convinced? Well, just check out our list of fun and interesting kid-friendly parks and play spaces around the country.
Also read: The Ultimate Guide to Travelling with Kids in the Philippines
1. KidZania Manila
Image credit: KidZania Manila
Kids learn better when they experience things, so why not introduce them to a real city setting that was built to their scale? At Kidzania Manila, kids are able to take on any one of the 70 role-playing activities across 55 establishments. Children between 4 and 14 years old can either choose to go for roles that will either pay them for their work or require them to pay in order to avail of a service.
I’m pretty sure my 3-year-old daughter will love playing shopkeeper here.
Address: North 11th Avenue, Park Triangle, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City
2. Enchanted Kingdom
Image credit: Marc Gerard Del Rosario
This 17-hectare theme park which opened back in 1995 is perhaps one of the oldest and most popular of its kind in the entire country. The attraction offers a total of 30 rides including two water rides and two roller coasters.
Enchanted Kingdom has seven themed zones scattered all over the place: Victoria Park, Portabello, Boulderville, Brooklyn Place, Midway Boardwalk, Jungle Outpost and Spaceport. The park also comes with shows and other attractions that do not just provide entertainment but also educational value. Plus, you don’t have to be a kid to enjoy the entire place!
Address: San Lorenzo Road, Santa Rosa, Laguna
3. Sky Ranch Tagaytay
Image credit: jcjohn.sesecuneta
When it comes to classic carnival rides, Sky Ranch does not disappoint. The place is clean and offers quite a lot of fun and exciting rides that will fit everyone of all ages. The Sky Eye, which is said to be the tallest ferris wheel in the country, is its most iconic ride. Visiting the Sky Ranch is perfect not just for families but also for friends who just want to enjoy a whole day of fun.
Address: Nasugbu Highway, Tagaytay
Also read: When in Tagaytay: 10 Exciting Things to Do with Your Family
4. La Mesa Ecopark
Image credit: Jun DU1BA
If you grew up in the city, chances are that your closest experience to being inside a forest is when you closed your eyes after reading about it in a book. However, this 33-hectare public park was rehabilitated and renovated through the partnership of various groups to help protect La Mesa Dam.
The ecopark is very popular for many reasons: picnics and strolls with family and friends, educational field trips and even outdoor photo shoots. The ecopark is not only used for recreation but also for raising environmental awareness in the country.
Address: La Mesa Dam Compound, Greater Lagro, Quezon City
5. Rizal Park
Image credit: Maynard Rabanal
People from outside Manila are probably not aware that Rizal Park actually comes with a green space that even kids can have a great time in. Beyond the national hero’s statue, the park’s biggest attraction is the Children’s Playground which comes with a lot of things that kids can climb and slide down on. Most of the area, including the slides, are made from concrete so parents will have to be extra cautious about letting their kids play there.
Address: Roxas Blvd Ermita, Barangay 666 Zone 72, Metro Manila
6. Fun Ranch
Image credit: Fun Ranch
Dubbed as the place where kids rule, Fun Ranch is the perfect playground for children between three and five years old. The area comes with padded play spaces, bumper boats and cars, mini trains, carousels and a mini Ferris Wheel. Fun Ranch is pretty much like a regular amusement park scaled down for much smaller kids.
Address 1: Westgate Center, Alabang, Muntinlupa, Metro Manila
Address 2: Ortigas Avenue Corner, C5 Frontera Dr, Pasig, Metro Manila
7. Terra 28th
Image credit: Elmer B. Domingo
This 8,344-square-metre park might just be the safest and kid-friendliest outdoor destination ever. For starters, it has a Pinoy area where young Filipino kids can enjoy nearly-extinct classic games such as patintero, habulan, piko, holen, luksong baka and many more.
But, that’s not all. The park also features art installations which is definitely eye-candy for when you go on a late afternoon picnic, jog or stroll with your family.You can even bring your furry pets along, too!
Address: 28th St., Bonifacio Global City (BGC), Taguig
Also read: 10 Family Outing Ideas in Metro Manila Under PHP 500
8. D’ Family Park
Image credit: Hey, Miss Adventures!
If you are looking for a no-frills park to spend lazy afternoons at, this park is the best choice for you. It only has the basic features such as slides, swings, see-saws and a pool — and nothing else. Most visitors come here for picnics or a game or two of frisbee. It is also a popular area for holding company family days because of its huge lawn.
Address: Nasipit Road, Nasipit Talamban, Cebu City
9. SM Seaside City Playground
The best thing about being a kid is that you are easily able to enjoy life’s simplest pleasures such as a swing or a jungle gym in the middle of a playground just for kids. But, what makes this playground different is that it is found on top of a huge mall in the city. Interesting, huh?
You probably won’t expect much from it and while it’s pretty small in size compared to other parks and playgrounds, it probably won’t matter much to kiddos. It’s the perfect way to end a day of shopping inside the mall — and it doesn’t cost a single peso, too!
Address: SM Seaside City Cebu, Corner SRP-Mambaling Road, Cebu South Coastal Rd, Cebu City
10. Happy Mong Kids Park
Image credit: Cebu Happymong Kidspark
Bringing your kids outdoors may be the best thing to do but with the heat and pollution in the city, putting kids in an indoor park where they can still move around instead of play with gadgets is the next best thing.
This park is extremely safe and is surrounded by inflatables of all kinds from slides to ships to rides and so much more. The place also has trampolines and a 4D little theatre to provide kids hours of fun and entertainment.
Address: Bridges Town Square, 143 Plaridel St, Mandaue City, Cebu
11. Zoofari Kids Adventure
Image credit: Zoofari Kids
Another indoor play structure in the country is this one located in Davao City. It is the largest in the city boasting of a 5-storey play structure where kids can run around, climb, slide and many more. And, while kids are out there enjoying hours of play, mommies and daddies can also head on over to the Zoofari KTV area for karaoke and X-Box Kinect.
Address: SM City Davao, Quimpo Blvd, Talomo, Davao City
12. Eden Nature Park
This mountain resort located 3,000 feet above sea level is very interesting because 95 percent of the area is all manmade! It was previously a heavily logged area until the owners decided to start planting pine tree seedlings — and the rest was history.
Eden Nature Park provides a tour around most of the entire area, which is a very educational experience for everyone regardless of age. They also have a mini zoo with birds that younger children can enjoy. Aside from day attractions, the park also has cabins, designated campsites and a hiking trail.
Address: Bo. Eden, Toril, Davao
Also read: 8 Simple Ways to Encourage Your Kids to Love the Outdoors
This certainly isn’t an exhaustive list which proves to you that there are still quite a handful of kid-friendly parks and play spaces in the Philippines to discover. Now, go out there and have a great time with your kiddos!
Pam Baroro
When not moonlighting as a freelance wordsmith and code wrangler, Pam is a millennial mom who loves to explore the outdoors to camp/hike/trek/backpack with her partner and their 4-year-old daughter. Check their family travel blog at Hey, Miss Adventures!
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Masungi Georeserve: What to Expect on Your Hiking Trip
Discover the karst terrains and net obstacle courses in this conservation area in Rizal.
The Bittersweet Mt. Apo Climb
Sarah shares how Mt. Apo taught her patience, persistence, and gratitude.
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Domestic Distress
Sheen's Wife's Chilling Knife Story
Kevin Winter / Getty Images
A police affidavit released Monday confirmed TMZ's report that Charlie Sheen used a knife to threaten wife Brooke Mueller at a home in Aspen, Colorado. Mueller told a police officer that after telling Sheen she wanted a divorce, he grabbed her neck and held a medium-sized folding knife to her throat while saying, "You better be in fear. If you tell anybody, I'll kill you." Sheen was later taken to jail for second-degree assault—not the first time he was involved in a domestic-violence dispute—and although he was released on $8,500 bond late Christmas night, prosecutors will not decide his charges until his next court appearance February 8. Threatening a woman may not be unheard of for Sheen, but the actor still claims he did not push or strike her, and that her alleged alcohol problem is a likely explanation for her remarks to the police.
Read it at Us Weekly
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Closure of Famed Car Museum Leads to Massive Firesale
This huge collection, worth millions, suddenly up for grabs. See anything you like?
By Max PrinceJune 18, 2016
Fred Enke/The Enthusiast Network/Getty
Max PrinceView Max Prince's Articles
twitter.com/@themaxprince
In a different time, Riverside International Raceway wasn’t just a place—it was the place. The place where they filmed The Love Bug, where A.J. Foyt came cheated death and Carroll Shelby first tested the GT40 after being given the reins to Ford’s Le Mans program. Riverside, more than Willow Springs and arguably even Laguna Seca, embodied golden era road racing in California. But because all good things end, and because those endings aren’t always pretty, the track shuttered in 1989, and has since been bulldozed to build a shopping mall. Now, the Riverside International Automotive Museum is closing its doors, too.
And that means liquidating all the vehicular assets inside its 20,000 sq-ft. This is set to be done in two waves. The first is basically immediate—RIAM will unload a sizeable chunk of inventory at Auctions America’s Santa Monica event next week, on June 25 and 26. In addition to a dozen prime Maseratis, everything from an Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione and Jaguar XJ220 to legit early-aero age Indy cars will cross the block there. But RIAM’s headliner was always its Dan Gurney collection, including his first Indy car (the No. 31 All-American Racers car from 1966) as well as a legit 1969 Eagle Mk5. That stuff, the really good stuff, is going to RM Monterey at Pebble Beach this August.
The museum closing is a bummer, but odds are those cars will end up with good homes. And there’s a silver lining: The RIAM board is reportedly “in negotiation” to digitize and catalog all its rare photos films. If it works out, those could end up on the web and in the public domain. Sure beats the hell out of a shopping mall.
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The Free Library > Health > Health, general > Family Practice News > December 15, 2001
The Free Library > Date > 2001 > December > 15 > Family Practice News
IBS in Twins. (Clinical Capsules).
<a href="https://www.thefreelibrary.com/IBS+in+Twins.+(Clinical+Capsules).-a081528791</a>
MLA style: "IBS in Twins. (Clinical Capsules).." The Free Library. 2001 International Medical News Group 16 Jul. 2019 https://www.thefreelibrary.com/IBS+in+Twins.+(Clinical+Capsules).-a081528791
Chicago style: The Free Library. S.v. IBS in Twins. (Clinical Capsules).." Retrieved Jul 16 2019 from https://www.thefreelibrary.com/IBS+in+Twins.+(Clinical+Capsules).-a081528791
APA style: IBS in Twins. (Clinical Capsules).. (n.d.) >The Free Library. (2014). Retrieved Jul 16 2019 from https://www.thefreelibrary.com/IBS+in+Twins.+(Clinical+Capsules).-a081528791
The likelihood that someone will develop irritable bowel syndrome is influenced as much by social learning as by genetics, reported Rona L. Levy Ph.D., of the University of Washington, Seattle, and her associates.
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) was reported by 117 pairs of monozygotic twins and 164 pairs of dizygotic twins on questionnaires completed by 6,060 twin pairs living in Virginia. The mothers of 2% of all respondents also had IBS, including the mothers of 15% of the dizygotic and 17% of the monozygotic twins with IBS.
The probability that a dizygotic twin with IBS would have a mother with IBS was greater than the chance that the twin would have a cotwin with IBS (Gastroenterology 121[4]:799-804, 2001).
Mothers share the same number of genes with their children as dizygotic twins share with each other. However, the proportion of dizygotic twins who have IBS and a mother with IBS is significantly greater than the proportion of dizygotic twins with IBS who have a cotwin with IBS.
COPYRIGHT 2001 International Medical News Group
Family Practice News
Brief Article
Depression, Erectile Dysfunction. (Clinical Capsules).
New & Approved: Coreg Biotronik Home Monitoring System.
Genetic aspects
Twin studies
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The Free Library > Business and Industry > Health care industry > Canadian Journal of Public Health > May 1, 2017
The Free Library > Health > Health, general > Canadian Journal of Public Health > May 1, 2017
The Free Library > Law/Government/Politics > Government > Canadian Journal of Public Health > May 1, 2017
The Free Library > Date > 2017 > May > 1 > Canadian Journal of Public Health
Redirecting public oral health fluoride varnish intervention to low socio-economic status children in Alberta.
<a href="https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Redirecting+public+oral+health+fluoride+varnish+intervention+to+low...-a0505130587</a>
MLA style: "Redirecting public oral health fluoride varnish intervention to low socio-economic status children in Alberta.." The Free Library. 2017 Canadian Public Health Association 16 Jul. 2019 https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Redirecting+public+oral+health+fluoride+varnish+intervention+to+low...-a0505130587
Chicago style: The Free Library. S.v. Redirecting public oral health fluoride varnish intervention to low socio-economic status children in Alberta.." Retrieved Jul 16 2019 from https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Redirecting+public+oral+health+fluoride+varnish+intervention+to+low...-a0505130587
APA style: Redirecting public oral health fluoride varnish intervention to low socio-economic status children in Alberta.. (n.d.) >The Free Library. (2014). Retrieved Jul 16 2019 from https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Redirecting+public+oral+health+fluoride+varnish+intervention+to+low...-a0505130587
Dental caries is most prevalent among low socio-economic status (SES) groups of the population where cost limits access to dental care. (1) Implementing interventions that target socio-economic factors is necessary to address the inequities in access to oral health services for vulnerable populations. (1) Providing early access to preventive services to children in low-income families is critical to achieving and maintaining good oral health throughout life.
To better assure equitable access to health services, the province of Alberta, Canada instituted a major health system reorganization in 2008 that integrated nine former health regions and three health agencies into a single health authority. This new health authority, named Alberta Health Services (AHS), consists of five geographic zones that are responsible for providing health care to four million Albertans. To align with the strategic direction of AHS, a Provincial Oral Health Office (POHO) and an inaugural Oral Health Action Plan (OHAP) were developed in 2010. The plan is implemented within a cost-neutral framework that acknowledges individual zone capacity. Under the leadership of a provincial dental public health officer and a team of 2 part-time public health dentists and 3.5 full-time equivalent (FTE) dental hygienists, POHO monitors and responds to Albertans' oral health needs. The OHAP document is a turning point for AHS public oral health as it encompasses a paradigm shift towards a population health approach across the entire province. The plan focuses upstream on access to preventive oral health care for economically challenged Albertans.
One of the key preventive oral health initiatives outlined in OHAP is a fluoride varnish (FV) intervention that targets eligible children throughout the province as identified by socio-economic indicators, as opposed to disease indicators and individual behaviour. The Government of Canada First Nations Inuit Health Branch offers a similar intervention to Indigenous children on reserve land. Fluoride varnish application is an evidence-informed preventive dental practice that reduces tooth decay by 37% and 43% in both the primary and permanent dentitions respectively. (2) The Duraflor FV brand is used for its slow release of fluoride for up to six months, thereby supporting the application in six-month intervals.3 Its availability in a single-dose unit supports good infection prevention and control practices and resolves issues related to fluoride gradients in multidose vials. In addition, FV has advantages over other modes of fluoride delivery because it is easy to apply, acceptable to patients, safe, and inexpensive. (3)
POHO provides FV intervention standards that outline: specific target populations at risk; locations for delivery; roles and responsibilities of oral health professionals; frequency of application; and data collection and reporting processes. To support zone operations to achieve and maintain OHAP standards, POHO delivers staff training and education, develops implementation resources, and provides ongoing consultation to zones. The five geographic zones of AHS manage 58 FTE oral health professionals, including Registered Dental Assistants and Registered Dental Hygienists, in the delivery of FV intervention for preschool and school-age children, dental sealants for school age children and oral health training for care providers of older adults.
The FV intervention uses a directed-population approach to target preschool and school-age populations identified by low socioeconomic indicators that focus on income and education. A combination of direct and indirect measures for low SES establishes the eligibility criteria for the FV intervention. Proof of eligibility is not required for participation.
In the preschool population, the identified eligibility criteria facilitates self-referral by families, referrals from health professionals, and identification of community groups engaged with the target population. The eligibility criteria are promoted through brochures (Figure 1), posters, and Alberta-wide web and telephone sources. Zones develop additional promotional activities to meet the needs of their target population and support intervention uptake.
In the school-age population, a material deprivation mapping index for Alberta (Figure 2) (4) is used to identify schools eligible for the FV intervention. This index, as developed by Pampalon et al. (5) and applied to Alberta, uses income and education indicators to provide a comparative measure of deprivation for a population in defined areas. Schools in the most deprived areas are identified as target populations. Since school populations may not be representative of the deprivation area, subjective knowledge of student socio-economic status provides additional information in selecting target schools. Schools are identified as the target population rather than individual students in the school.
Registered Dental Assistants and Registered Dental Hygienists provide FV applications following evidence-informed implementation standards. An application requires minimal equipment, including a mouth mirror/tongue depressor, a light source and two chairs. Exclusion criteria for FV application include children with a history of an allergy to colophony and children diagnosed with asthma who do not have their rescue medication, for example, a short-acting bronchodilator, at time of application. If asthma medication is required, it is administered by the parent/legal guardian or self-administered, based on the capability of the child.
Preschool children age 12-35 months identified as low SES are eligible for two FV applications per year over a two-year period. School children in Kindergarten and grades 1 and 2 attending schools identified as low SES are eligible for two FV applications per school year. Preschool FV applications are delivered at community health centres and other community venues, such as libraries, daycares and parent centres. For the preschool intervention, the parent/legal guardian provides direct consent and is present to hold their child during the FV application. Parents of children in Kindergarten and grades 1 and 2 in target schools receive a descriptive notice of the FV intervention and a consent form via the school. Consents must be signed and returned for the student to receive the FV intervention. School FV applications are delivered in schools during school hours with minimal time away from class.
The provincial objective for children receiving the first FV application is 10%-20% of the population age 12-35 months and 5-7 years. (6) This objective range primarily reflects the number of zone oral health professionals available to deliver the FV applications. AHS Zones follow the OHAP standard for reporting on the FV intervention. It is noted that rates of subsequent FV applications, particularly in the preschool population, decline (Figure 3). Consequently, preschool objectives for rates of children receiving the second, third and fourth FV applications are set at 55%-75%, 30%-50% and 20%-40% of the initial applications respectively. (6) For school children, the objective for rates of second FV applications in a given year is set at 80%-100% of the initial FV applications. (6) Due to the nature of a school setting approach, the range for rates of second FV applications is set higher than that of the preschool population. Descriptive analysis of the FV application data was conducted in two time periods: April 2015 to March 2016 for the preschool population and September 2015 to June 2016 for the school population.
Following evidence-informed standards, the five zones of AHS deliver FV applications. In the fiscal year studied (2015-2016), a preschool population of 5710 children age 12-35 months from low SES families received a first FV application (Figure 3). This number represents 5% of all Alberta children in this age range. (7) In the same time period, 3042 children (53%) who received a first FV application subsequently received a second FV application (Figure 3). Of the children who had received first and second FV applications in the previous 12-month reporting period, 1446 (28%) received a third application and 676 (13%) received a fourth application (Figure 3). These annual statistics reveal that the rate of first FV applications is below the population objective of 10%-20% as outlined in OHAP. As anticipated, there is a demonstrated decline in the subsequent rates of the second, third and fourth FV applications. The reasons for this decline are unknown at this time. Evaluation of client satisfaction and intervention processes are needed to clarify reasons for the declining rates and inform strategies for improvement.
In the 2015-2016 school year, 47110 consent forms were distributed and 26 817 valid consents were received, representing a 57% return rate for Kindergarten and grades 1 and 2 from low SES target schools. Of these students with consent, 25 813 (96%) received a first FV application (Figure 4), representing 16% of all the Alberta population in Kindergarten and grades 1 and 2.7 In the same time period, 21 662 (84%) of these students received a second FV application (Figure 4). These annual statistics reveal that the rate of first FV applications for school-age children is within the population objective of 10%-20% outlined in OHAP. The rate of second FV applications is also within the population objective of 80%-100%.
Provincially, the five geographic zones of AHS deliver a standardized FV intervention as outlined by POHO in OHAP that targets children on the basis of their socio-economic status. This redirection towards a population health approach in providing a necessary preventive intervention moves public oral health towards improving access to oral health care for vulnerable Albertans. The following is a discussion of the implications related to redirecting the FV intervention to low SES Albertan children.
Creating the eligibility criteria
The construct of eligibility based on socio-economic measures to better target inequities in oral health outcomes contrasts with the former eligibility practices in health regions. Past practices included using an individual high-risk approach that utilized clinical risk factors and behaviours to identify children eligible for the FV application. AHS use of deprivation mapping helps to identify eligible school populations and facilitate an FV intervention based on socio-economic measures. A significant challenge in the preschool intervention is translating socio-economic measures into a practical set of criteria for determining eligibility. To better reach our target population, a self-referral tool was created that offers the parent a number of choices for eligibility that include income and other indirect measures of SES. These indirect measures are useful for low-income families who are employed irregularly, unsure of their annual income, or do not file income tax. The eligibility criteria are also useful for health professionals and community group leaders to promote the FV intervention to potentially eligible populations they work with.
Proof of eligibility is not required for participation in the FV intervention. As a result, it is difficult to confirm the SES status of the target population when such client data are not collected. To support meeting the low-income population target objective, POHO conducts ongoing evaluation of the use of the standard eligibility criteria. Implementing the FV intervention in alignment with these standards increases confidence in the FV application being delivered to the target population.
Engaging the target population
When comparing the FV intervention outcomes for the preschool and school populations, there are higher rates of applications to the school age population. School partners provide an opportunity to use a congregate settings approach to positively impact the uptake and completion of the FV intervention and better meet the population outcomes for this age group. Established relationships between schools and AHS public health services facilitate building oral health school partnerships. Deprivation mapping identifies the most deprived areas and helps locate schools serving low SES populations. All students in Kindergarten and grades 1 and 2 attending these schools are eligible for the FV intervention. This population approach is more efficient and avoids having to identify eligible students on an individual basis, that could in turn create privacy issues and social stigmatization. As champions for student oral health, schools are essential to the success of the FV intervention. They allocate space and class time to deliver FV applications to overcome barriers of transportation and time lost at work and school for appointments. Moreover, schools provide valuable support through their understanding of student needs. This helps with administrative activities such as distributing and collecting consents, identifying need for translation services and addressing student special needs.
Preschool outcomes do not yet meet the provincial objective for uptake of the FV intervention. Similar to using a congregate settings approach in schools, the preschool FV intervention emphasizes delivery to low SES community groups to address issues of affordability, accessibility and acceptability. In reality, this congregate settings approach in the preschool population has challenges. Children age 12-35 months do not typically congregate in locations with their parents present. While public health well child clinics could be a valuable venue for providing the FV intervention, the limited number of oral health professionals to be available at these clinics precludes this option. Deprivation mapping helps identify geographic areas where eligible population resides but does not identify eligible community groups. Once eligible community groups are engaged, there is improved access to the FV intervention. However, this benefit is lost if there are no new members of eligible age entering the group. Providing the FV intervention in community settings varies across the province and depends on the skills of oral health professionals to build partnerships. To improve access to community groups, a number of zones engage community health promotion facilitators to build oral health professional skills in partnership development.
The most common strategy for uptake in the preschool FV intervention is through use of media, including brochures and posters that outline the eligibility criteria for self-referral to community clinics. Public health nurses are important partners as they use this media to promote the FV intervention to parents as they participate in other public health interventions such as vaccinations. This promotion strategy can have a significant impact on uptake. A concern expressed by some health professionals is that the eligibility criteria overtly identifies families as being low SES and therefore inhibits them from participating in the FV intervention. This is more evident in smaller communities where clients are less anonymous due to familiarity among community members. These impressions by health professionals and their impact on the intervention have not been investigated, nonetheless they point to the need to provide support to oral health professionals working with low-income clients. To support low SES family participation, some zones offer the FV intervention in select congregate group settings or low SES districts versus relying on individual self-referral.
The overall goal and evidence for effectiveness supports preschool children receiving all four FV applications. As with the rate of the FV applications, the target objective of the full completion of all FV applications for a given child was not met. In a congregate settings approach for preschool children, the opportunity to complete the four applications is lost when participants choose to leave the group. Due to resources required to implement a provincial recall system, such a system is not available at this time. Rather the emphasis is on the client connecting with the oral health care provider for additional FV applications. A wallet card similar to an immunization card used in well-child clinics indicates applications received and time period for next application. The familiarity of this tracking card concept used in immunization supports its adoption by oral health professionals and parents in the preschool FV intervention. However, its use still needs to be evaluated to determine whether it contributes to an increased completion of the FV intervention. An electronic client record for public oral health is currently under construction and should be implemented provincially within the next 2-3 years. This electronic client record system has the capacity to recall clients and improve the completion of the FV intervention.
Deviating from the standard age population
POHO recognizes that zones may need the ability to respond to local needs in order to deliver the FV applications to the target population. An example may include delivering preschool FV applications to a congregate group that includes members who are not within the standard target age. Or another example is delivering services to remote school populations, where FV applications are delivered to all children in a low SES school, even those students outside the standard grades. The opportunity to engage a congregate group, or time to travel to a distant target school, substantiate the delivery of FV applications outside the standard. However, the decision to deliver FV applications outside the target age population diverts scarce resources away from the target population and challenges equitable access to FV applications. Resource allocation for standard and non-standard age populations is tracked to better understand zone resource capacity. To ensure that application rates represent the standard age populations, applications to non-standard age groups are not included in reaching population objectives.
Unequal distribution of oral health professionals
Currently there is an unequal distribution of oral health professionals on a per-population basis across the five geographic zones. This necessitates POHO setting a range for the provincial population objectives that acknowledges varying zone capacity. Achievement of provincial population objectives is undermined by staffing changes, loss of oral health professional positions, and a growing population. Ongoing acknowledgement and discussions with senior AHS management regarding oral health staffing is needed to advocate for equitable access to the FV intervention.
Ongoing evaluation is needed
Redirecting the FV intervention to low-income SES children is realized through the shared vision and leadership of POHO and the commitment of zones to its implementation. Moving forward, POHO identifies there is still work to be done toward integrating a population health approach. This involves exploring how knowledge, skills and systems impede and assist adaption to the population health approach. Continued support to understand the impact of this approach on interactions with target populations and the delivery of the FV intervention is necessary. From a target population perspective, factors that act as barriers to the uptake and completion of the intervention, as well as the value families place on the FV intervention, need to be better understood. Ongoing evaluation of the structure, processes and outcomes of the FV intervention is needed to better target inequities in oral health outcomes.
doi: 10.17269/CJPH.108.6037
(1.) Canadian Academy of Health Sciences. Improving Access to Oral Health Care for Vulnerable People Living in Canada, 2014. Available at: http://www.cahs-acss. ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Access_to_Oral_Care_FINAL_REPORT_EN.pdf (Accessed January 19, 2016).
(2.) Marinho VCC, Worthington HV, Walsh T, Clarkson JE. Fluoride varnishes for preventing dental caries in children and adolescents. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2013;(7):CD002279. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD002279.pub2.
(3.) Azarpazhooh A, Main P. Fluoride varnish in the prevention of dental caries in children and adolescents: A systematic review. J Can Dent Assoc 2008; 74(1):73-79. PMID: 18298889.
(4.) Ngom R. Alberta Health Services Public Health Surveillance and Infrastructure Insight Issue #5. Equity Measurement in Public Health in Alberta: The Contribution ofthePampalon Social and Material Deprivation Index, 2017. Available at: http:// insite.albertahealthservices.ca/assets/phsi/tms-phsi-insight-newlsetter- 201703.pdf (Accessed March 31, 2017).
(5.) Pampalon R, Hamel D, Gamache P, Raymond G. A deprivation index for health planning in Canada. Chronic Dis Can 2009; 29(4):178-91. PMID: 19804682.
(6.) Alberta Health Services Provincial Oral Health Office. Oral Health Action Plan 2016. Edmonton, AB: Alberta Health Services, 2016.
(7.) Alberta Health Surveillance & Assessment Branch. Interactive Health Data Application--Population Objectives 2013. Edmonton, AB: Alberta Health, 2013.
Received: December 9, 2016
Accepted: June 9, 2017
Cynthia Huber, BSc, MSc, [1] Sylvia Baran, DipDH, [1] Cindi de Graaff, BRE, DipDH, [1] Marianne Howell, DDS, MPH, [1, 2] Steve Patterson, DDS, MPH, [1, 2] Rafael Figueiredo, DDS, FRCD(C) [1, 2]
[1.] Provincial Oral Health Office, Alberta Health Services, Edmonton, AB
[2.] Faculty of Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB
Correspondence: Cynthia Huber, Provincial Oral Health Office, Alberta Health Services, 10216-124 Street, Edmonton, AB T5N 4A3, Tel: 780-905-5892, E-mail: Cynthia.Huber@albertahealthservices.ca
Conflict of Interest: None to declare.
Caption: Figure 2. AHS Material Deprivation Mapping Index for Alberta
Figure 1. Preschool FV intervention eligibility criteria
A. Your family is already enrolled
in the Alberta Child Health Benefit (ACHB).
B. Your household take-home income Is
no more than these amounts:
Household Size Family Income
Single parent with 1 child $39,035
Single parent with 2 children $46,515
Couple with 1 child $46,856
Couple with 2 children $54,951
Single parents or couples with 5 or more children
add $7,460 for each child to the income limit for
4 children.
C. At least 2 of these describe your family:
* Someone in your family has had a cavity
in last 2 years
* You get a subsidy for other government
services (e.g., daycare)
* You're a single parent
* You've been in Canada for less than
* Either you or your partner did not
* Your children are indigenous.
Figure 3. First, second, third and fourth FV applications for
children 12-35 months in 2015-2016
1 FV 2 FV 3 FV 4 FV
application applications applications applications
2015-16 5,710 3,042 1,446 676
Figure 4. Consent, first and second FV applications for children
in Kindergarten and grades 1 and 2 in 2015-2016
1 FV 2 FV
application applications
2015-16 25813 21662
COPYRIGHT 2017 Canadian Public Health Association
INNOVATIONS IN POLICY AND PRACTICE
Huber, Cynthia; Baran, Sylvia; de Graaff, Cindi; Howell, Marianne; Patterson, Steve; Figueiredo, Raf
Canadian Journal of Public Health
1CALB
Parents' online discussions about children's dental caries: A critical content analysis.
The 1% of emergency room visits for non-traumatic dental conditions in British Columbia: misconceptions about the numbers.
Health aspects
Medical policy
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Golden Rockets
Conservative Party Leader Andrew Scheer. (The Canadian Press)
Conservatives won’t use Heritage Minute branding on attack ad any more
Feb. 4, 2019 3:35 p.m.
The Conservative party has removed all Heritage Minute branding from an online video released over the weekend that took aim at the Trudeau government for a handful of ethics breaches.
In a tweet published by the Conservative party’s official account on Monday, the party said the intention was merely to use a “recognizable and often-parodied segment” to attack the Liberal government’s ethics record, recounting times cabinet ministers have been found in breach of federal rules as if they were landmark events.
The Conservative’s use of the Heritage Minute format for partisan political purposes drew the ire of the Historica Foundation, which has been making the one-minute films for nearly 30 years.
“We did not intend to draw negative attention to Historica Canada,” the Conservative party tweeted.
“They do great work profiling Canadian history and we wish to maintain our positive relationship with the organization.”
READ MORE: Historica Canada asks Conservatives to pull spoof of ‘Heritage Minute’
Official Heritage Minute films usually depict memorable Canadian milestones, like the invention of basketball, or showcase contributions of important Canadian figures, such as Lucy Maud Montgomery for authoring the Anne of Green Gables series while also battling depression and sexism.
Anthony Wilson-Smith, CEO of the Historica Foundation, said Sunday on Twitter that parodies are OK, but the organization didn’t want to be tied to any “political mud slinging.” He suggested the organization was considering legal action if the Conservatives didn’t remove all material linking the political spoof to real Heritage Minutes.
The Conservatives first put up a new version of the ad on Sunday with a long disclosure saying it wasn’t a real Heritage Minute following initial push back. After continued concerns, the party finally removed all Heritage Minute branding from the ad.
Once the party did that, the Historica Foundation said in a statement that it considered the matter “closed to our satisfaction.”
Liberal cabinet ministers were quick to use the opportunity to scold the Conservatives in hallways of Parliament Hill on Monday.
“Look at that and show me the difference between the Conservatives of today and Stephen Harper’s Conservatives?” Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez told reporters.
Treasury Board President Jane Philpott said she believes the episode highlights the need for political parties to take a responsible approach to advertising.
“Certainly that’s something that we seek to do in our party and I would certainly hope that other parties would do the same.”
This is the second time the Conservative party has pulled an online ad after facing backlash. In July, the party pulled an attack ad from its Twitter that depicted a black asylum seeker crossing irregularly into Canada, blaming a 2017 tweet from Trudeau for causing a “migrant crisis.”
Teresa Wright, The Canadian Press
UPDATE: Three crew members die in train derailment near Field
Police arrested McArthur moments before he may have killed again, court hears
Logging truck on fire on Highway 1 east of Revelstoke
DriveBC says to expect delays
Golden’s weekly news recap
This week’s top stories
Crossing guard makes visiting Golden Farmers’ Market safer
On Wednesdays, pedestrians and drivers alike might notice someone new, helping people… Continue reading
Golden’s Community Invasive Plant Program removes burdock
The burdock plant has many positive properties, but it has no place… Continue reading
Dreamy strawberry dessert recipes from Chef Heidi Fink
Summer berry treats are a pleasure to make and to eat
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Cyprus president Anastasiades defeats leftist challenger
Second five-year term for conservative who has promised to reactivate reunification talks
Helena Smith in Nicosia
Sun 4 Feb 2018 14.08 EST Last modified on Mon 5 Feb 2018 10.30 EST
Nicos Anastasiades (centre) with his wife Andri and the chief returning officer, Kypros Kyprianou, during a proclamation ceremony in Nicosia. Photograph: Stavros Ioannides/AFP/Getty Images
Greek Cypriots have re-elected Nicos Anastasiades as their eighth president in what is seen as a ringing endorsement of his stable leadership over the past five years.
The 71-year-old conservative won a second five-year term on Sunday with 56% of the vote. His opponent, the leftist-backed independent Stavros Malas, took 44%.
There were scenes of jubilation in Nicosia as news of the incumbent’s 12-point lead reached the campaign headquarters of Anastasiades’ Democratic Rally party (Dysi). Supporters poured on to the streets holding Cypriot, Greek and party flags, chanting slogans and honking horns. “Victory is a beautiful thing,” said Christos Papamichael, a Dysi activist.
Addressing followers soon after, the leader vowed to reactivate peace talks aimed at reconciling Cyprus’ Greek and Turkish communities.
“The biggest challenge we face is reunifying our country. I will continue to work with the same determination in a bid to achieve our common goal – ending foreign occupation and reunifying our state. There are no winners or losers, just Cyprus.”
Anastasiades had long been the frontrunner of a lacklustre electoral campaign marked by voter abstention.
But suspense had hovered over Sunday’s runoff after an inconclusive first round that saw Malas gain an unexpected 30.2% of the vote. The strong performance had sparked enthusiasm that the 50-year-old geneticist, who was running with the backing of the Progressive Party of Working People, Akel, could defy polls and score a spectacular upset.
In the end the electorate, putting financial considerations first, went for Antastasiades, who has been widely credited with navigating Cyprus’ extraordinary economic recovery since he took over the country, amid scenes of chaos, in 2013.
His victory on Sunday amounted to vindication of policies that, far from popular, had put the island back on a sustainable path after the collapse of its banking system and a €10bn EU–IMF-sponsored bailout. At nearly 4%, Cyprus had the eurozone’s highest growth rate in 2017.
“On the economy he has done very, very, very, well,” said Giorgos Skoufaris, a pensioner, flicking a set of worry beads after casting his ballot. “So why not give him our vote, especially when he has said this will be his last term?”
The banking crisis, blamed squarely on the ineptitude of the then Akel government, had been the most traumatic event to befall Cyprus since the Turkish invasion. In an unprecedented step, depositors were forced to foot the bill of the EU rescue programme with savings over €100,000 automatically slashed from bank accounts. Anastasiades’ deft handling of the crisis could now give him the space to focus on finally healing the Mediterranean island’s division.
Ankara ordered a full -scale invasion of the island, seizing its northern third in response to an Athens inspired coup aimed at uniting it with Greece. Some 40,000 Turkish troops have been stationed there ever since.
Repeated efforts at conciliation since have been unsuccessful, although negotiations are believed to have come close to reunifying the two communities before collapsing acrimoniously in Switzerland last July.
“There will now be continuity, which is a positive thing, for the economy, for the prospect of a solution and for the EU’s role in the eastern Mediterranean,” said Cleopatra Kitti, an international consultant based in Nicosia who advises corporations and governments. “Partition is unsustainable. I think Anastasiades is smart enough to realise that there needs to be a deal, that this cannot go on, that without it there is bound to be some kind of conflict.”
Anastasiades has repeatedly said he wants reunification despite upsetting pro-solution Cypriots when the UN-mediated talks broke down and he left the negotiating table last summer. “The status quo is unacceptable and its prolongation will have negative consequences for the Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots,” the lobby group Unite Cyprus Now said in a statement congratulating the president. “Let us not hold our bright future hostage to our troubled past.”
This article was amended on 5 February 2018 to replace the picture with a photograph of Nicos Anastasiades.
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A-month-old video of Congress leader Gopalakrishna surfaces on social media
null | 6 March 2019 12:33 PM GMT
On Tuesday a monthold video of Belur Gopalakrishna the Congress leader has gone viral on twitter as he has been purportedly urging the celebrates of Nathuram Godse to first kill the Prime Minister
Highlights: Belur Gopalakrishna purportedly urging the celebrates of Nathuram Godse to "first kill" the Prime Minister.
BENGALURU: On Tuesday a month-old video of Belur Gopalakrishna the Congress leader has gone viral on Twitter as he has been purportedly urging the celebrates of Nathuram Godse to "first kill" the Prime Minister.
The former Sagar MLA apologised and told a source that, "It is a one-month-old video. I have made that statement in pain. I was deeply disturbed by the act of right-wing leaders shooting at the portrait of Gandhiji. I was upset by that act of communal elements which are part of BJP."
As per reports, the video was filmed on the 4th of February at a rally in Shivamogga. It was organised to condemn Pooja Pandey, the Hindu Mahasabha leader as she has posed with a gun aiming towards a photo of Mahatma Gandhi.
In the video, Gopalakrishna is heard telling the gathering, "I tell those who are celebrating Nathuram Godse, the person who murdered Mahatma Gandhi, if you are trying to kill the democratic set-up of the country, have the guts to first kill Prime Minister Narendra Modi.”
The social media team of BJP and the backlash took the Congress leadership by surprise. “Belur Gopalakrishna, a Congress leader in an official party function calls for assassination of democratically elected PM Sri @narendramodi ji. Instigating for the assassination of PM of a country is a national threat & we urge @ HMOIndia, @CPBlr to impose legal action immediately (sic),” the BJP state unit tweeted.
“When right-wing outfits pose with guns pointing at Mahatma Gandhi, the father of the nation, is that correct? My intention was to convey to them that if they were training their guns on Gandhi, then they should first point it at Narendra Modi. I never asked anyone to kill or murder the PM. I respect the constitutional post of the PM. If I have hurt the post of the PM, I apologise for it,” Gopalkrishna said.
BJP has resolved to file a complaint with the Bengaluru city police commissioner, by urging him to take action against Gopalkrishna.
Gopalakrishna
15 July 2019 12:01 AM GMT
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Home » News » News » Leaked video: Timothy Owoeye’s supporters beat man in court
Leaked video: Timothy Owoeye’s supporters beat man in court
On September 20, 2018 2:57 amIn Newsby adekunle
By Gbenga Olarinoye
OSOGBO—THE alleged ritual case involving the Majority Leader of Osun State House of Assembly, Timothy Owoeye, took another dimension, Wednesay, when members of the All Progressives Congress, APC, believed to be loyal to the legislator stormed an Osogbo High Court and beat a man to stupor.
Timothy Owoeye
The victim was suspected by the APC members to be one of the suspects that allegedly striped the legislator naked and shared his video on social media.
When the victim entered the court, the APC members asked him to bring his mobile phone, and his refusal led to the attack on him.
He ran inside the Judicial Service Commission’s office where he was attacked and computers in the office were destroyed by the mob.
The officials of the court immediately vacated their office since they could not be helped by the mobile policemen around.
The case of the suspects, who were arrested for allegedly setting up the legislator, was slated to come up before Magistrate Olusegun Ayilara.
The Commissioner for Science and Innovation, Remi Omowaye, who apparently led the APC members from Ilesa, where the legislator represents, had challenged the prison officers for covering the faces of the suspects.
He questioned why the prison officers prevented people from taking the picture and video of the accused persons.
The six accused persons had been arraigned and remanded in prison while the case was adjourned for mention.
The video tape of 2minutes 54 seconds of the legislator has gone viral on social media. He was caught naked in the bush while allegedly trying to bath with blood.
But the commissioner of police in the state, Fimihan Adeoye denied ritual cadr in the video saying it was a case of alleged financial scam.
adekunle
View all posts by adekunle →
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Jess Johnson Selects: Platform Games and Obstinate Monsters
In the first of an occasional series for GARAGE, New Zealand-born artist Jess Johnson selects some of the curious and wayward images and image makers that have inspired her practice, from antique allegorical engravings to psychedelic sci-fi comix.
by Jess Johnson
Oct 7 2017, 6:00pm
Kilian Eng, Object 15. © Kilian Eng
Cover of Philip K. Dick, Time Out of Joint, paperback edition (London: Penguin Books, 1976). Illustration by Peter Tybus
1. Book Covers
My first encounters with art were though book and album covers, comics, and posters. I would always select what to read, watch, or listen to based on the cover. Some of my favorite images remain the sci-fi book covers of the 1960s and '70s that you could get cheap from used bookstores. They were windows into universes infinitely bigger than the small New Zealand town I grew up in.
Illustration by Fletcher Hanks, n.d.
2. Fletcher Hanks was a tortured comic book auteur whose flame burned brightly for only two years, from 1939 to 1941. He wrote and drew stories detailing the adventures of all-powerful supernatural heroes who enacted elaborate punishments upon their enemies. Apparently he was a very angry man, which you can see in the simmering tension of many of his images.
Screenshot from Platform Masters by Nick Smith. Courtesy of Nick Smith
3. Platform Masters
Nick Smith is a game developer and elusive internet figure who goes by the handle of Ulillillia. He's the creator of the game Platform Masters, the most complex 2D game ever made. It's comprised of three hundred-plus levels over twenty worlds, and uses parallax scrolling to appear three-dimensional. Its an unfinished masterpiece, and is probably doomed to remain that way since Nick has committed himself to endlessly improving the detail.
Bat (Chiroptera), an illustration by Ernst Haeckel from Art Forms in Nature ( Kunstformen der Natur), originally published 1899–1904
4. Ernst Haeckel
The geometric shapes and natural forms in Ernst Haekel's Artforms In Nature have been a constant reference for me. I look at them when drawing my alien demigods and other creatures from their realm. You don't have to look very far in nature to find the most beautifully grotesque facial forms, with which these bats are particularly blessed.
5. Chris Foss is known for illustrating book covers from the 1970s through to the '90s. He most often depicted epic interstellar spaceships of monumental mass. Alejandro Jodorowsky employed him as a concept designer for his notorious, never-realized Dune adaptation, and he later worked on Ridley Scotts spaceship in Alien. Essentially, he had his hand in many of my favorite things.
Front cover of Bad News #3, illustation by Mark Beyer (Seattle, WA: Fantagraphics Books, 1988)
6. Mark Beyer
I first came across Mark Beyer's artwork in his 1980s comic strip Amy & Jordan. I became stupidly obsessed with it and copied him stylistically for a long time until I finally found my own thing. A few years back, he e-mailed me out of nowhere; I nearly had a heart attack when I saw his name. It turned out an Australian friend had sent him a book in Albuquerque, and inside the book was a random postcard. The postcard featured one of my drawings and he had looked me up. When I read his message I was sitting across from an original Amy & Jordan drawing and I felt that weird contracting thing happen, when the world suddenly feels very, very small.
Illustration by Henriette Valium, courtesy the artist
7. Henriette Valium is a French Canadian comic book artist and painter who was prominent in the underground comics scene of the early 1980s. His drawings lean toward Punk aesthetics, and explore themes of decay, sickness, and addiction. The complexity of the drawings creates an immersive chaotic environment that can feel like an impenetrable wall. Valium works for several months on each page, and the feeling I get when looking at his work is similar to when I've gone super deep down into one of my own wormholes.
8. Allegory of the Five Obstinate Monsters, 1575–1618, Anon
I look at a lot of historical work, more so than contemporary art. I especially like illustrations like these from the early modern period where artists depicted scenes and creatures from imagined distant lands. During this period there was also a heightened anxiety about violent religious conflict and apocalyptic threats, which comes through in the imagery.
9. Jack Kirby
Jack Kirby was one of the most influential, innovative, and prolific comic book creators of all time. His innovation wasn't just confined to his cosmic drawing style; he also experimented with mixed media and photocollage. I often use bits of Jack Kirby collage in my own work. I like the idea of being able to peer through the cracks in my drawings to glimpse his world.
Poster for Argo, illustration by Killian Eng © Killian Eng, Mondo, Warner Bros.
10. Killian Eng
My drawings often have a foundational layer of symmetry; that's something I'm attracted to in the graphic work of Killian Eng. He often does commercial work for films and album covers, and his posters have really striking and seductive compositions. I like how quietly optimistic they are; they're rather calming.
Sascha Braunig, Untitled (Icy Spicy), 2011. Oil on canvas over panel, 66.04 x 48.26 cm. Courtesy of Foxy Production, New York. Copyright the artist
11. Sascha Braunig
Every time I see one of Sascha Braunig's paintings I feel a ping in my head. They seem to come from so deep inside her that they're almost claustrophobic. It's really rare to get such a visceral reaction just from looking at art. Sometimes I imagine that she's swiveled her eyeballs 180 degrees so that they're staring at the inside of her skull, and is painting what her tangled brain looks like nestled in its dome.
12. Moebius
What I like most about Moebius is his ability to make you feel small and insignificant within a vast universe. That's a really difficult thing to do with a flat, static image. Apparently he was profoundly influenced by the Mexican desertscape in which he lived for a time after art school. You get a sense of this in his most iconic images, which show tiny characters traversing unending flat planes beneath blue skies.
Jess Johnson's exhibition Everything not saved will be lost is on view at Jack Hanley Gallery, New York, until October 8.
Sascha Braunig
Jess Johnson
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The New Mixtape | Village Voice
The New Mixtape
by Ethan Brown
Juelz Santana photo: Kate Englund
During a video shoot for Harlem hip-hoppers the Diplomats’ single “Get Down/The Best Out,” staged recently at a sprawling, abandoned lot in Bed-Stuy, more than a dozen cameras circled around the nine-strong crew who were dressed in matching black and red “Stop Snitching” T-shirts. But no more than a couple of the cameras were actually shooting footage for the video itself; the rest were DV-toting amateurs capturing the action for “DVD magazines.”
The Dipset set in Brooklyn is a testament to the growing popularity of the new medium, which, with its dozens of interviews packed into a single DVD, is really more like a compilation of mini-documentaries. Unsurprisingly, the spliced-up nature of DVD magazines—all of which (for now) are homemade and released straight to the street—has brought comparisons to hip-hop’s mixtape scene. One landmark moment occurred late this summer when Smack—which is so popular that it is releasing three successive installments by year’s end—signed a distribution deal with independent label Koch, a first for a DVD magazine. Shonte Armstrong, one of Smack‘s producers, attributes Koch’s interest— and the mushrooming scene itself—to DVD magazines’ unpretentious, anti-bling approach to hip-hop. “When you see rap artists on VH1 and MTV they’re dressed up in a million dollars’ worth of clothing, they’re iced out and blinging all over the camera,” Armstrong explains, “so it’s like ‘How do I relate to that?’ With the DVDs, they’re being themselves. People are smoking and drinking—and sometimes they’ve even got their guns out. And our interviews end up happening anywhere, like on a staircase in the projects.”
The street-centric approach of some DVDs is proving legally problematic, however: In mid October, 15 men who appeared in a DVD shot in Charleston, South Carolina’s housing projects were hit with charges ranging from trespassing to murder. In the DVD, the men allegedly brandished weapons, flashed thick stacks of cash, and smoked crack; the investigation has been so fruitful that police expect to make several more arrests, and most ominously, the feds are now assisting Charleston cops in reviewing the DVD. In a recent Boston Herald article about the indictment of Source magazine co-owner Ray “Benzino” Scott on tax evasion charges, the author noted that Scott starred in a DVD called Benzino: Arch Nemesis. And on October 28, Atlanta’s Black Mafia Family, a crime network that starred in at least three DVDs this summer, were indicted by the feds on drug trafficking charges; it isn’t clear whether law enforcement watched any of those DVDs, but it’s a safe bet that they’ll be introduced as evidence once BMF go to trial. Increased law enforcement scrutiny of the DVD scene will likely have the greatest adverse effect not on small-time hustlers but on hip-hop’s marquee names, who often let down their guard a little bit too much (or strain to prove their street cred) when being interviewed; in Smack‘s recent issue featuring Young Jeezy, “The Snowman” appears on-screen waving an automatic weapon with a group of assault-rifle-brandishing men whose faces are covered menacingly with bandannas.
“The DVD magazine is the new mixtape,” proclaims Albie Montgomery, production director of a hip-hop-entrepreneur-focused DVD series called Cheddar: Money and Hip-Hop. “There is no better promotion out there for an artist to have.” Lower East Side rapper Tru Life—recently signed by Jay-Z to Roc La Familia/Def Jam after garnering buzz on the DVD scene—seems to agree: He proclaims himself “the king of the DVDs.” Unlike the mixtape, though, DVD magazines are not always hip-hop-centric: Crime families share space with rappers like D-Block and Dipset’s Juelz Santana. Titles of DVD magazines— Smack, Blow!, and Drugs on Music— reflect their gritty subject matter.
Indeed, while it is difficult to trace the evolution of the DVD magazine (most have been in business for barely a year and have only recently begun releasing product on a regular basis), there is no doubt that the crossover moment for the medium is 2004’s now infamous Stop Snitching DVD, which featured Baltimore’s hustling A-list along with NBA superstar Carmelo Anthony. The DVD—in which street players threatened police informants—became so popular that it helped make “Stop Snitching” T-shirts ubiquitous in inner-city neigh-borhoods and even spawned boycotts in Boston and Philadelphia, the arrest of a handful of its participants, and, most interestingly, a counter-DVD of sorts from the Baltimore police called Keep Talking.
Perhaps the greatest driver behind the DVD trend is the explosion of
TV culture from flat-screen home-entertainment systems to SUVs tricked out with screens in the headrests. “People are more used to watching things these days, much more than they are reading,” says Dedan Kasimu of Blow!. “I hate to say it, but people are lazy.” Kasimu says it’s not uncommon for him to be stopped at a red light and turn to the car next to him only to see Blow! playing in a headrest.
From Cheddar Volume III: Behind the scenes of the Strip Club set
photo: Kate Englund
Like mixtapes in their heyday, DVD magazines are doing serious numbers. But as with mixtapes—which exist in a legal gray area because of unlicensed music and, as such, are labeled “promotional material”—the scene’s players are loathe to release precise sales statistics. Montgomery of Cheddar boasts of “100,000 viewers” while Blow!‘s Kasimu claims that the magazine has a “circulation of 50,000” (though “circulation” implies a subscription-based distribution system, Kasimu notes that Blow! is sold purely through retail outlets like FYE, Sam Goody, and mom-and-pop stores). Perhaps because Smack is the first to go legit, only Armstrong is specific about sales—she says that since the company’s founding in 2002, about 450,000 copies have been sold over its 10 “issues.”
Such impact is fairly astounding, given that everything from cover artwork to editing to distribution is handled by principals at the DVD magazines themselves. “Nothing is outsourced,” declares Armstrong. Indeed, the DIY nature explains the increasingly crowded marketplace. “Everyone wants to get involved,” Armstrong says, “which is good because I like competition. But some people think that this is easy—you just go out there and get some footage and burn it onto a DVD.” The scene, unsurprisingly, is in danger of becoming oversaturated: On popular website mixunit.com, DVDs like Hip-Hop Honeys: Las Vegas Edition are fast encroaching on a bestsellers list usually dominated by Bun B, G-Unit, and Young Jeezy mixtapes.
Already, some in the DVD world are looking for fresh angles. With DVDs depicting re-enactments of the heyday of legendary hustlers such as Alpo becoming passé and the chronicling of criminals active in the streets turning legally troublesome, imprisoned street legends themselves are being sought out by DVD producers. Snake Charmer Productions, a crew of producers that includes Tupac’s former manager Freddie “Nickels” Moore, is currently putting together a disc called From Queens Come Kings, about kingpins Lorenzo “Fat Cat” Nichols and Kenneth “Supreme” McGriff. The DVD will include first-of-its-kind interviews with McGriff’s Supreme Team lieutenant “Bimmie” and Nichols’s strongman Howard “Pappy” Mason. “While all other DVDs about the Fat Cat era feature re-enactments,” says a spokesperson for Snake Charmer Productions, “we’re going to feature never-before-seen footage of the Supreme Team and Fat Cat from the ’80s, as well as interviews with the players themselves. The bar for street DVDs will permanently be raised.”
More:Albie MontgomeryCharleston (South Carolina)Music NewsShonte ArmstrongYoung Jeezy
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Q&A: Ninjasonik On Tight Pants, Skating, And Coming For The Throne | Village Voice
Q&A: Ninjasonik On Tight Pants, Skating, And Coming For The Throne
by J. Pablo
If you’re really “in the streets” of New York City, then most of the people in your circle should be street urchins and guttersnipes also using the asphalt lawns of the Big Apple as their playground.
They’re your closest friends, even though you didn’t go to school together; you’re not from the same hood or even the same borough. Yet somehow you’re friends. The street is your alma mater. Racking, hustling, skating, rapping, writing graffiti, drinking, drugging… that’s the curriculum.
Telli and Jah Jah, the remaining members of NinjaSonik (their DJ, Teen Wolf, left the group), are no different. Jah is from the Bronx; Telli is from Brooklyn. Both went to different schools and for the most part hung out in different hoods. Yet a love for skating and music bought them together. They recently released the EP No Swords, No Masks as a prelude to their next album, Peter Pan Syndrome, which is scheduled to drop this summer. Though in keeping with their usual sound and aesthetics, their new music makes it obvious that the duo wants to lay claim to the downtown rapper throne. Here’s why they think they deserve it.
Tell me about yourselves before you became a group.
Jah Jah: I grew up in The Bronx right next to Yankee Stadium. Growing up there influenced me because I would see the B-boy jams and it made me want to be a DJ. That time in my life helped fine-tune my ear to different music, not just what was on the radio. Then I went to Art & Design High School. That was when I started meeting kids from Manhattan and Brooklyn and Queens.
Telli: I’m from Bed-Stuy, Crown Heights area. But I ran around all through Brooklyn. BK was all I knew. Then I went to Norman Thomas High School. That was when I started seeing kids from Harlem and LES and Queens and seeing different styles and slang. Because up until then Brooklyn, like I said, was my whole world. So that started broadening my horizons, because I’ve always hungered for different perspectives and sides of the spectrum.
So how’d you get into skating?
Jah Jah: There’s a skate park by where I was at in the Bronx called Mullaly Skate Park. I knew this one kid; he was the only black kid that skated. I used to play ball in the park and I saw him jumping off of shit and doing ollies. One day he passed me the board and told me to try. I tried once and I realized it was more fulfilling than playing ball, at least to me. I had to use my imagination more with skating plus there were no rules. Also seeing my first skate video. It made me want to skate.
Telli: I’ma come clean… we used to shop downtown when NORT was opened and Alife and all that, and it got to the point that we got tired of walking all over the place. So we started skating from place to place. At first we put soft wheels on our decks just to cruise around and be at spots downtown lurking. Eventually though we started doing ollies we’d bust our asses on the soft wheels so we switched. But initially it was just a way to get around.
How did it influence your lifestyles?
Jah Jah: Well it made me appreciate new types of music. I was a DJ and I only spun breakbeats and hip-hop, but then I’d hear a dope punk record or hardcore record on a skate video and you’d seek that shit out. It widened the musical spectrum for me.
You were the pioneers of the whole tight-jean downtown rapper scene. Did you ever feel ostracized by the baggy, hardcore rap contingent before the more fitted look caught on?
Jah Jah: I remember once walking down Fordham Road with my boy in some tight-ass pants. These two fly girls were walking toward us so I’m getting ready to holler when one of them is like, “Are those girls’ jeans? Is this nigga wearing girl jeans? Those are some tight-ass jeans!” I was like, “Aaaah, man, I got played.” But my boy was like, “Don’t worry. Watch—in a few years everyone is going to be dressing like this.” Now look… [Tight] is the norm.
Telli: They were giving me shit. Like, “You’re a weirdo…” Everyone thought I went crazy. Then I was rocking a perm for a while. I would walk down certain blocks in Brooklyn and niggas would give me shit. It never got too, too bad because I always kept it G. Pretty soon I would see dudes who just came home from the pen be all baggy, but once they started hanging with us their clothes got slimmer and slimmer—to the point that now if you see dudes in hella baggy clothes they look crazy!
Jah Jah: Real recognize real. [People] are going to test you regardless anyway to see if you’re real. Might as well be yourself. What’s realer than that?
So how did NinjaSonik come to be?
Telli: I think [Jah and I] met Downtown on Skate Day, but I remember seeing him skate through my block waaay back. I was like “A black kid on a skateboard. Wow.” I remember he had this dope HUF hat and no one even knew what that shit was back then. Then I met Teen Wolf in this bar/rehearsal space in Brooklyn where my uncle was mad cool with the owner. He’d be in there on his computer. So one day he tells me he’s in a band and he plays me “Tight Pants.” I kicked a little something over the beat and he invited me to lay it down in the studio. He starts telling me about Jah Jah, how his pants are even tighter than mine. So I come though the session and I see Jah. We already kind of like knew each other so it was an instant connection. It was on from there.
Jah Jah: I met Teen Wolf when he was going to Fordham University. I lived in the neighborhood. One day my boy met Teen Wolf buying records. He told him about me and we met. Soon we started doing the Fordham functions and I became like the local DJ. Eventually we started making little hooks and beats. It just grew from there.
Tell me about the new EP.
Telli: It’s seven songs. We just rap about our day to day. Remember when rap was all about exaggerating? Now it’s about our lives. It’s all about what we’re actually doing.
Jah Jah: Yeah. People see me and might think I’m popular or a celebrity but guess what? I’m drinking at the same bar as you eating at the same restaurant as you, shouting out streets that you know. We give people that feeling “Oh I’m just as cool as them.”
What does the album name, Peter Pan Syndrome, mean to you?
Jah Jah: Never losing your creativity or imagination. Handle your business because you’re an adult but never lose sight of that kid you were.
Sup with Ricky Powell popping up in your video?
Telli: That’s a funny story. He was hosting this Cypress Hill show at Alife. At first he was asking why are jeans were so tight and kind of trying to clown. But we straightened it out real quick and by the end of the show he was a total fan. Ricky’s the man.
So what can we expect from The Ninjas in the years to come?
Telli: We’ve been cool about it, but we’re coming for that throne.
Jah Jah: Word. There are millions of kids just like us all over the world. We want to reach those kids.
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Tag: David Hunt
While on several continents a financial crisis occurred,in 1996 there were several attempts to enter the Formula One, or even tore-enter the Formula One. During the season Forti Corse were declared bankrupt after the British Grand Prix and took no further part in the championship. Damon Hill became the drivers champion with Williams, after his father did as well years earlier. Arrows FA17 Bridgestone test carIn the early months of
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'Lego' franchise builds a shared animated universe with humor, heart
Success of 'Lego Batman' strengthens the pop culture power of fledgling franchise.
'Lego' franchise builds a shared animated universe with humor, heart Success of 'Lego Batman' strengthens the pop culture power of fledgling franchise. Check out this story on USATODAY.com: http://usat.ly/2lLCrer
Brian Truitt, USA TODAY Published 8:30 a.m. ET Feb. 14, 2017
The new trailer for 'The Lego Batman Movie' starring Will Arnett and Zach Galifianakis. Warner Bros.
After making a splash in 'The Lego Movie,' Lego Batman (voiced by Will Arnett) debuted strongly with his own animated movie.(Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures)
There’s no way Ben Affleck’s Batman could hang in a live-action film with the Wicked Witch of the West, robotic Daleks from Doctor Who, King Kong and the Kraken of 1981’s Clash of the Titans.
But in the fledgling shared universe of the animated Lego movies where literally anything goes? Everything is awesome.
Warner Bros.’ new cinematic franchise is only two releases deep but already building what looks like a successful interlocking landscape. Written and directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, the 2014 adventure comedy The Lego Movie introduced a signature creativity, spoofing sense of humor and cartoon look that captured audience imagination and rang up more than $257 million in box office. The first spinoff just arrived with the superhero-centric The Lego Batman Movie, which opened at No. 1 last weekend with $53 million against strong competition (Fifty Shades Darker, John Wick: Chapter 2).
Review: 'Lego Batman' offers a joyous take on the iconic Dark Knight
That’s not all: The Lego Ninjago Movie arrives Sept. 22 (based on a toy line inspired by Asian culture, martial arts and monsters) and The Lego Movie sequel is set for 2019.
It's just the start of a series of films that aim to dig into brand crossovers and fill them with manic energy. While, say, a Marvel superhero movie probably won't be crossing over with Star Wars anytime soon, Lego has already tapped into a variety of huge properties with the freedom of animation, with characters from Gremlins and The Lord of the Rings stopping by Gotham City in Lego Batman.
“For fanboys and general audiences, this is as hip as it gets right now,” says Jeff Bock, senior box-office analyst for Exhibitor Relations. “You can throw some pop culture references in an Avengers movie but you can go gonzo in the Lego franchise.”
Wyldstyle (voiced by Elizabeth Banks) and Emmet (Chris Pratt) saved the day in 2014's 'The Lego Movie.' (Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures)
The biggest challenge for Lego going forward is keeping it fresh and not just a rapid-fire string of references, adds Uproxx.com senior entertainment writer Mike Ryan. Lego Ninjago might be a tougher sell than the Dark Knight “because a lot of people don't know what that is,” he says. “Which means it will make a billion dollars because anytime someone underestimates these movies, they are proven wrong.”
All your favorite villains (hello, Harley!) get the 'Lego Batman' treatment
There's a logic to the Lego's grand scheme, says producer Dan Lin, and if the upcoming movies are successful, they'll continue to "approach different genres in a Lego movie way."
Lin likens the franchise to “the Boyhood version of Lego.” For him, the movies mirror the play experience of a child: As in the The Lego Movie, kids start out messing with generic Lego people and creating their own original story. As they get older, they get into superheroes and comic books, and later develop an interest in karate and giant monsters.
Lord Garmadon (voiced by Justin Theroux) attacks Ninjago City for the umpteenth time in 'The Lego Ninjago Movie.' (Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures)
“It plays into what makes actual Lego fun: You can get the Death Star Lego set and then hybrid it with something else,” says Justin Theroux, who voices the Lego Ninjago villain Lord Garmadon. “The building blocks are there, literally and figuratively, to squish everything together.”
Best part of being 'Lego Batman'? Will Arnett's sons can see it
Lego Batman director Chris McKay wanted his movie to be an entry point to film fandom the way he experienced going to the movies in the 1980s. "There were oblique references to things that made me curious," he says. “I got to (Martin) Scorsese and (Akira) Kurosawa through (George) Lucas and (Steven) Spielberg.”
It's happening in Lin's own home. “I have kids who are too young to watch Harry Potter but they know the characters now because of the Lego movies. It’s their way to enter into these myths at an early age in a family-friendly way.”
The trailer for the animated comedy 'The Lego Ninjago Movie,' featuring the voices of Dave Franco, Justin Theroux and Jackie Chan. Warner Bros. Pictures
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CNN caved to Trump. It should have stood by its reporters.
Imagine what might have remained hidden about Watergate if Bradlee had encouraged or allowed Woodward and Bernstein to resign after a mistake.
CNN caved to Trump. It should have stood by its reporters. Imagine what might have remained hidden about Watergate if Bradlee had encouraged or allowed Woodward and Bernstein to resign after a mistake. Check out this story on USATODAY.com: https://usat.ly/2tEjS32
Paul Schiff Berman, Opinion contributor Published 7:37 a.m. ET July 2, 2017 | Updated 10:45 a.m. ET July 2, 2017
CNN says a story about the Senate's Russia investigation didn't follow the company's fact-checking procedures. Video provided by Newsy Newslook
Imagine what might have remained hidden about Watergate if Ben Bradlee had encouraged or allowed Woodward and Bernstein to resign after a mistake.
Reporters watch CNN's Democratic debate in 2016.(Photo: Carucha L. Meuse, The Journal News)
This may be the most important moment for investigative journalism in our nation’s history. Faced with a kleptocratic, scandal-ridden, and fundamentally dishonest presidential administration the likes of which we have never seen, journalists are essential right now to preserve democratic oversight and accountability. That’s why the recent resignations (whether forced or not) of a reporter and two editors on CNN’s Investigations team are so troubling.
CNN has poured significant resources into its investigations unit. This is a welcome and necessary investment in the crucial task of uncovering potential corruption, dishonesty, and policy initiatives emerging from the Trump orbit.
Nevertheless, the investigations unit does appear to have moved too quickly in releasing a story last week that was inadequately sourced and may have been inaccurate in some of its details (though we don’t yet know if the core of the story was actually wrong). CNN quite properly immediately retracted the story. After all, if media institutions are to hold government to a high standard of accuracy and transparency, then it owes the public nothing less.
But should the three journalists involved have resigned? That seems pretty extreme given the type of error involved. After all, unraveling the financial dealings of Trump and his associates with various individuals connected with the Russian government is an exceedingly complex task that will undoubtedly take time and result in at least a few missteps along the way. As journalism professor Phillip Meyer has written, “A newspaper with a zero level of factual errors is a newspaper that is missing deadline, taking too few risks, or both.”
CNN needs to slow down after Russia story resignations and retraction
Facts you don't like are not fake news
Moreover, the CNN journalists in question were not fly-by-night individuals with no track record. The reporter, Thomas Frank, has been in journalism for three decades and was a Pulitzer Prize finalist for USA TODAY before coming to CNN. Eric Lichtblau, the editor of Frank’s piece, is a Pulitzer Prize winner himself and was a highly respected reporter at The New York Times for many years. And Lex Haris, the executive editor of CNN Investigations, had been a long-time employee of CNN and most recently Executive Editor of CNN Money. These are people deserving of support in a time of crisis. They should not have been allowed to resign.
It’s worth remembering that even the legendary Woodward and Bernstein made a few errors during their period of reporting on the Watergate scandal. Most significantly, they reported that President Nixon’s chief of staff, H.R. Haldeman, controlled a secret slush fund of money and that the proof of Haldeman’s involvement derived from grand jury testimony by Hugh Sloan. The problem is that Sloan had not in fact testified about Haldeman’s involvement to the grand jury.
POLICING THE USA: A look at race, justice, media
Donald Trump's problem isn't Democrats and the media, it's friendly fire
And, like the Trump Administration today, Nixon’s aides attacked The Washington Post for the error. But Post Executive Editor Ben Bradlee stood by his reporters even under immense pressure, and it turned out that despite the error about the grand jury testimony, his reporters were ultimately proved right about Haldeman’s involvement and much more besides. Imagine what might have remained hidden if Bradlee had caved and either encouraged or allowed Woodward and Bernstein to resign.
That’s why CNN and all other media organizations now more than ever need to support their journalists. The White House is clearly coming after them, going so far as to label news organizations an “enemy of the American people.” So, correct errors where they occur, of course. But stand behind your people and send a message to this administration that you will not be intimidated. Democracy, at this moment of peril, demands nothing less.
Paul Schiff Berman is the Walter S. Cox Professor of Law at The George Washington University Law School. Follow him on Twitter: @pschiffberman
You can read diverse opinions from our Board of Contributors and other writers on the Opinion front page, on Twitter @USATOpinion and in our daily Opinion newsletter. To respond to a column, submit a comment to letters@usatoday.com.
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FILE- In this Aug. 9, 2017, file photo, Louis C.K., co-creator/writer/executive producer, participates in the "Better Things" panel during the FX Television Critics Association Summer Press Tour at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif. Audio has emerged of Louis C.K. apparently mocking the students-turned-activists from the Parkland, Florida school shooting. The sound-only recording was posted Sunday, Dec. 30, 2018 in a since-removed YouTube video that said it was from a Dec. 16 standup set at a Levittown, N.Y. comedy club. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP, File) (Source: Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP/Invision)
December 31, 2018 at 2:28 PM EST - Updated December 31 at 2:48 PM
NEW YORK (AP) — Audio has emerged of Louis C.K. apparently mocking the students-turned-activists from the Parkland, Florida, school shooting.
The sound-only recording was posted Sunday in a since-removed YouTube video that said it was from a Dec. 16 stand-up set at a Levittown, New York, comedy club. Several media outlets captured and posted clips and transcripts of the set.
"You're not interesting because you went to a high school where kids got shot," C.K. can be heard saying on the recording. "Why does that mean I have to listen to you? Why does that make you interesting? You didn't get shot, you pushed some fat kid in the way, and now I gotta listen to you talking?"
Parkland parent Fred Guttenberg replied to the C.K. material on Twitter.
"My daughter was killed in the Parkland shooting," Guttenberg said. "My son ran from the bullets. My wife and I deal with loss every day. Why don't you come to my house and try out your new pathetic jokes?"
The most prominent of the student-activists from Parkland have not offered comment. A message seeking comment left at C.K.'s website wasn't immediately returned.
A gunman killed 17 students and staff members at the school on Feb. 14.
C.K., 51, temporarily disappeared from public life after acknowledging and apologizing for sexual misconduct in November of 2017. He lost a production deal with FX networks and a movie release was canceled.
But since August he has been making unannounced appearances. performing new material at East Coast comedy clubs.
Information from: The New York Times, http://www.nytimes.com
FORECAST: Showers, thunderstorms increasing Tuesday into Wednesday
Tuesday is an Alert Day with showers and thunderstorms likely during the afternoon/evening/overnight hours.
Kevin Harned
Suspicious activity before SWAT situation observed by neighbors, doorbell camera
Neighbors in Paristown Point said they had weird encounters with the suspect and were concerned.
Sara Rivest
Firefighters save 2 dogs from Jeffersonville fire
Annie Moore
Community rallies to reopen Sun Valley Pool
LMPD investigating possible random shooting that struck woman’s car on Gene Snyder
Connie Leonard
Ex-LMPD officer accused of snitching appears in court
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Mostly cloudy. Low temperature around 52F. Dew point will be around 50F with an average humidity of 73%. Winds will be 6 mph from the WNW.
Tuesday 7/16
Mostly cloudy. High temperature around 67F. Dew point will be around 48F with an average humidity of 66%. Winds will be 9 mph from the WNW.
Wednesday 7/17
Partly cloudy. Low temperature around 53F. Dew point will be around 54F with an average humidity of 75%. Winds will be 3 mph from the WSW.
Thursday 7/18
Partly cloudy. High temperature around 76F. Dew point will be around 54F with an average humidity of 59%. Winds will be 1 mph from the WSW.
Mostly cloudy. Low temperature around 61F. Dew point will be around 52F with an average humidity of 62%. Winds will be 4 mph from the SSW.
Friday 7/19
Partly cloudy. High temperature around 76F. Dew point will be around 54F with an average humidity of 56%. Winds will be 7 mph from the W.
Partly cloudy. Low temperature around 60F. Dew point will be around 54F with an average humidity of 69%. Winds will be 4 mph from the NE.
Saturday 7/20
Partly cloudy. High temperature around 83F. Dew point will be around 55F with an average humidity of 51%. Winds will be 3 mph from the ESE.
Mostly cloudy. Low temperature around 65F. Dew point will be around 57F with an average humidity of 61%. Winds will be 6 mph from the ESE.
Sunday 7/21
Partly cloudy. Low temperature around 62F. Dew point will be around 59F with an average humidity of 75%. Winds will be 3 mph from the SW.
50% Chance of Rain
Partly cloudy. High temperature around 78F. Dew point will be around 59F with an average humidity of 65%. Winds will be 1 mph from the S.
Partly cloudy with a chance of rain. Chance of precipitation 50%. Low temperature around 63F. Dew point will be around 61F with an average humidity of 76%. Winds will be 2 mph from the SE.
Partly cloudy with a chance of rain. Chance of precipitation 50%. High temperature around 80F. Dew point will be around 57F with an average humidity of 59%. Winds will be 5 mph from the WSW.
Mostly clear. Low temperature around 62F. Dew point will be around 57F with an average humidity of 70%. Winds will be 4 mph from the WNW.
Partly cloudy. High temperature around 80F. Dew point will be around 57F with an average humidity of 60%. Winds will be 5 mph from the NW.
Partly cloudy. Low temperature around 62F. Dew point will be around 55F with an average humidity of 64%. Winds will be 4 mph from the NW.
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Brazil Poll: Rousseff Popularity Falling
Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff, speaks during ceremony to introduce an anti-corruption package to Congress in the wake of mass protests calling for an end to graft and her impeachment, at the Planalto Presidential Palace in Brasilia, March 18, 201
BRASILIA - Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff's popularity slumped to a new low and support for her impeachment grew amid a deepening corruption scandal and a severe economic downturn, according to an opinion poll published on Tuesday.
The numbers are another blow for Rousseff, who is facing criticism from within her own leftist Workers' Party over fiscal austerity measures she has adopted to try to save Brazil's prized investment grade.
The CNT/MDA poll showed that her government's approval rating has fallen to 7.7 percent compared with 10.8 percent in a previous survey in March, while 70.9 percent rate her government negatively compared to 64.8 percent in March.
The number of respondents who favor Rousseff's impeachment over a massive kickback scandal at state-run oil company Petroleo Brasileiro SA has risen to 62.8 percent from 59.7 percent four months ago.
Preferred shares of Petrobras rose about 3 percent in early Tuesday trading after the poll came out. Many investors believe Rousseff's impeachment would lead to better management of the company.
Brazilians favoring impeachment want Rousseff ousted for corruption at Petrobras, which she chaired before becoming president in 2011. Many who favor her impeachment also cite alleged campaign finance irregularities and government accounting mismanagement during her first term, the poll said.
The survey showed that a vast majority of Brazilians - 84.6 percent - believe Rousseff is unable to handle the country's worst economic downturn in 25 years, with gross domestic product is expected to shrink 1.7 percent this year.
More than 50 politicians, mostly from Rousseff's governing coalition, are under investigation for kickbacks received from Brazil's top engineering and construction firms skimmed from overpriced contracts with Petrobras.
Rousseff is not being investigated but her opponents have stepped up demands for her impeachment, which would require proof that kickback money funded her election campaign. Rousseff and the Workers' Party say all campaign donations were legal.
The political risk consultancy Eurasia earlier this month raised to 30 percent from 20 percent the chances a Rousseff impeachment, which would require an unlikely alignment between her main ally the PMDB party and the main opposition party PSDB.
The MDA poll, commissioned by the national transport lobby group CNT, surveyed 2,002 people between July 12 and 16. The margin of error was 2.2 percentage points.
Brazil Police Target Politicians in New Round of Petrobras Probe
Brazilian police carried out their first search and seizure operations on Tuesday aimed at sitting lawmakers suspected of taking bribes in a corruption scandal at state-run oil firm Petrobras. Police seized luxury cars including a red Ferrari, a black Porsche and a gray Lamborghini from the home of Senator Fernando Collor de Mello, a former president, according to a Reuters witness. The operation, which consisted of 53 related search and seizure operations…
Investigation Could Taint Image of Brazil's Former President
An investigation into allegations that former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's peddled his influence on behalf of construction firm Odebrecht could taint his image and weaken the ruling Workers' Party, analysts said Friday. The federal prosecutor's office announced the investigation Thursday — apparently the first time the enormously popular ex-president has been linked to a criminal investigation, though many aides have been accused in…
Brazilian Lawmaker Weighs Possibility of Rousseff Impeachment
The speaker of Brazil's lower house of Congress said Thursday that he was weighing legal arguments to impeach President Dilma Rousseff, which would be the first effort to oust a sitting president in the country in nearly 23 years. Eduardo Cunha, a leader of the PMDB party that is in charge of deciding whether to move ahead with impeachment, said such proceedings would be a step backward for democracy, but added that he expected a legal analysis on the matter within 30…
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Vote Joe Keithley – Home
Joe will work hard for:
More money for K-12 education and making post-secondary education more affordable.
Complete elimination of MSP fees.
Creation of jobs through green technology, innovation and alternative energy to help our economy grow.
More support for seniors
Electoral reform and strict limits on political donations. The BC Green Party will not be swayed by special interest groups the way the BC Liberals and the NDP have always been.
Affordable Daycare.
About Joe:
Award winning musician and BC Entertainment Hall of Fame inductee, as leader of the world renowed rock band D.O.A.
Successful business owner.
Tireless organizer for human rights.
35 year union member.
Joe has been an advocate for our community and has coached youth soccer, baseball and lacrosse, while raising three children with his wife of 30 years in Burnaby.
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As he warmed up before Sunday’s game, Mayfield was caught by cameras air-drumming to Phil Collins’ In the Air Tonight.The Horned Frogs failed, falling to West Virginia 104 in a triple-overtime thriller behind standout performances Derek Culver and Jordan McCabe on Tuesday night to soften their bubble.Molinari won the event in 2010 at Sheshan by one stroke, holding off then-World No.Tony has got a very high ceiling as a player, said O’Connell, who has worked with some of the top pros in Texas and elsewhere and also tried to qualify for the PGA Tour himself.So, why not bring Savard back for another one?McDonald additionally played 12 snaps on special teams, logging another tackle.
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The 12-point margin was Cleveland’s biggest since a Dec.He led the League in victories with 24 in the 48-game shortened season in 2012.The 20-year-old defenseman hasn’t been overwhelmed at the highest level, posting six shots and a plus-2 rating to go with one assist through two games.
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Offense has been hard to come by for most , but Lindholm still has a reasonable chance to reach 30 points this season.
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Despite ranking near the top of the league in defensive stats, the Blues had a series of issues that cost them a playoff spot.won’t be so momentous if the offensive line isn’t strengthened.22, that will pay him an average of $2 million per year over the next four years.
Their classes have ranked fifth in the AAC three of the last years after ranking either first or second for the four seasons before that.Nicholls heads to nearby Tulane for another road test on Saturday.Bortles was asked if he would ever handle choreographing a celebration.
Gave hope we went inactive the expansion
The 2019 version benefits from a larger, more powerful base engine, two new optional turbocharged motors, a better stick shift, an optional dual-clutch automated manual, an improved chassis, and independent rear suspension.- Garrett Wilson December 4 I’ve seen him coach in spring practice and he’s one of the more chill coaches, Wilson said. 21-year-old saw his production dip in Trotz’s system but led New York in scoring again and became a more responsible two-way player.A trade is coming Their best players also can’t make critical mistakes which cost them games.Once healthy, he’s expected to compete for snaps with Case Keenum, who could gain an edge over the summer if he stays healthy and impresses coaches.
We’ve got to get him back in.I set myself up to be able to do that today where I got the four innings in, and now I can go five innings next time.He’s been handed a role http://www.hockeykingshop.com/adidas-tyler-toffoli-jersey in each of his first three years, but has struggled to maintain the level of play necessary to keep it.
From the start of the new year on March 14 through the completion of the NFL Draft, Snead and his personnel department executed 11 trades, which resulted in the acquisition of players such as CBs Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib, and WR Brandin Cooks.
Nese continued to impress corkscrew moonsaults and a 450 splash, each of could only draw a two count.There’s only one JMU.He scored four goals and assisted on four others for the Edmonton Oilers against the Chicago Blackhawks on Feb.The Mean Green hit 12 of 28 from 3-point range, led by Gibson, who knocked down 5 of 10.
He began his NHL career with the Canadiens in 1971, the season after the great Beliveau retired, and ended it in 1990 after 14 seasons in Montreal, a nearly four-year-retirement, one season with the New York Rangers and two with the Quebec Nordiques.For example, if after five seasons a right-handed batter has recorded a .340 wOBA versus lefties, averaging .340 and .326 is a estimation of his expected platoon split.The home crowd roared in appreciation of the Capitals’ penalty kill.Saunders is sitting on a couch inside the townhome of his in-laws, about 30 miles west of Chicago.
If that isn’t bad enough, he Womens Tyler Toffoli Jersey only has two points to go with a minus-four rating outside of Game 3.Cincinnati hosts North Carolina Central on Tuesday.The Sharks aren’t concerned about that price.That’s how Coach Rivera is.
I asked why he seemed to abandon something he had previously embraced.just do the best to do things the right way.The family is on its way to a triple threat, however, Authentic Shelby Miller Jersey as Dell’s youngest son, Seth Curry, gets http://www.officialmlbrangershop.com/authentic-19-shelby-miller-jersey.html his NBA career underway.To find all players born within a certain month and year, for example all players born in December of 1985, choose the month and year with the drop down boxes and then choose the ‘Month and Year Search’ option.
Even when he saw the field, however, Carr offered little as a receiver.
Will emotional game and obviously ups boise
I am focusing on my things, Bobrovsky said.Cole again reiterated that the season resets itself once the puck drops for Game 1, and the win-every-game mindset, regardless of past results, needs to take over.Following a solid start to the season, in which he was averaging 7 targets per game, Funchess plummeted to fourth on the depth chart and was a non-factor in the offense down the stretch.With its 120-mph speed limit, the oval allows us to test a contender’s highway acceleration and passing performance, wind and road noise levels, stability, and active safety measures such as radar cruise control and lane keep assist.Calgary opened up the game with two quick goals, and held on for dear life in a third period that was largely dominated by the Blue Jackets.
55 had a strong performance against the Detroit Lions Friday.With so many high-octane, young players in the system who are all due new contracts sometime in the next three years, the team simply wasn’t in a position to lock up significant money and term on a player who has struggled with consistency.Matz avoided the worst-case scenario and won’t be out for particularly long.Mark: Leslie, I could do a whole separate post on this one.Phoenix has developing young players up and down their roster at every position except for point guard.
McQuaid has been BOSTON – Half the Bruins are heading to China to start camp, half are staying home.The format the Canadian Hockey League uses for the Memorial Cup includes the winner from the Ontario Hockey League , the winner from the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and the winner from the Western Hockey League.But I think he can be a double-double guy.Shortly before spring training got underway, Sano suffered a laceration on his heel that proved to be resistant to healing, preventing him from participating in baseball activities for the entire preseason.
Dab the spot with liquid laundry detergent.I know that’s a big point of discussion between the two of you.So why isn’t it our winner?
Points were assigned to each player based on where he was selected in the draft; 100 points were rewarded to the No.If you would like to search for all players born on a certain day, for example all players born on December 25th in any year, choose the month and day with the drop down boxes and then choose ‘Month and Day Search’ option.In any case, Barr will keep his role as an off-ball linebacker in the Vikings defense, which has equated to 4 tackles per game in five campaigns to date.19-ranked American International.Stanley Cups are won on grit, commitment to defense, and depth, and if the Panthers are unable to add such things to their arsenal, then the trophy they long for will remain to be nothing more than a pipe dream.
Under former general manager Tim Murray, the Sabres traded away an awful lot of players and picks, some of which they definitely like back.Alex Reyes will finish the season the closer, saving at least 10 games with a sub-3 ERA and at least 80 K’s in 60 innings.There’s 32 teams that think they can win it.A special game can certainly mess with a team’s schedule.
https: aande movies-tv james-holzhauer-wins-over-110k-breaks-single-day-record-on-jeopardy James Holzhauer didn’t just want to break the single-day record for Jeopardy.4, at 6 p.m.It was a tough, and to be honest, a tough and emotional decision for me, and a lot of that is because that was my school, and I was an alumni there, he said.The thing I wonder is if the Blue Jackets will try something creative with Vegas.All reports are that he’s ready to go and he could help lift Toronto to a place they’ve never been: The NBA Finals.
“I look like I’m headed there .When something didn’t feel right after a couple of throwing outings this spring, the Dodgers shut Kershaw down briefly to allow the inflammation to settle in the hope he could successfully return for the bulk of the year.
Lacked tremendous wizards will be good reach they might
In other words, the Blue Jackets’ performance in this stretch of games leading up to the trade deadline will not only define this http://www.flameshockeyshop.com/adidas-jaromir-jagr-jersey season, we’ll feel the effects of this stretch in seasons as well.Gibson added 19 points and Zachary Simmons had 18 points and pulled down 11 rebounds.Shepard has finished 36th, 42nd and 30th at the position in fantasy points during his three seasons.The playoff system gives the Metro teams an edge, as two of Toronto-Boston-Tampa Bay will be knocked out by the conference final.The ones who are selling their own beer in a unique atmosphere can survive.
Coming out of the Combine that seems like a very real possibility given both players’ performances in Indy.Michel opened the scoring with a four-yard touchdown in the first quarter and topped 100 yards for the first time since Week 12 and fourth time overall.However, after playing three more games, he was sent to Providence of the AHL for the rest of the season.16 trade that sent Ricky Davis and others to Boston for Eric Williams, Tony Battie and http://www.officialauthentic49erproshops.com/womens_frank_gore_jersey Kedrick Brown, the Cavs are 4.3 option in field, which would make it exceedingly difficult for the 28-year-old to see consistent at-bats.
I care about pressure.Doug Martin Frank Gore Authentic Jersey is also a free agent, so expect the Raiders to sign a RB if either Lynch or Martin comes back for a bit of a committee.His 2017 may be one of the worst ever by a player with at least 100 RBI.He is a perfect fit for both from a personal standpoint and as a head coach.
He won the Vezina Trophy and he was named to the NHL First All-Star Team.John Johnson, he’s got a knack, he’s got a real nose for the football, he really does and that’s shown, once we started letting him play a little bit.If you root for another team in the AFC East, you know you have basically no hope.Unfortunately, that’s not the case.
He had hoped to shed the brace earlier but had a setback in the Week 5 game at Detroit.
The first moves made by Snead with first-year Head Coach Sean McVay were the signings of Pro Bowl T Andrew Whitworth and WR Robert Woods.
Don’t believe us?
To find all players born within a certain month and year, for example all players born in December of 1985, choose the month and year with the drop down boxes and Womens Jaromir Jagr Jersey then choose the ‘Month and Year Search’ option.CBS Sports was with you the entire way Sunday, updating this story with the latest results and highlights from the biggest show of the year.Crossen exited Sunday’s practice with back spasms and has been sidelined since.But, without Odell and without Brandon those are two great players that they do have, but you see some of these other guys stepping up and there’s a lot of good challenges for us moving forward into this week for our defense.I felt excited, Gregory Angus MacKenzie called the infotainment system infuriatingly complex, and Scott Evans described it as a UX disaster.He just gave me some advice in that and how to bounce back from that.
We’ll wait and see, we don’t know yet.They’re joking.FIC : A formula to encompass all aspects of the box score into a single statistic.
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They lost in the championship round, but their loss was a gain in experience for many of the young players who have populated the Capitals’ roster this season: Boyd, Walker, Vrana, Stephenson, Bowey and Djoos were all there.Tedric steps up, Carroll said.Goalie ‘s second season with the Golden Knights has been just as good as his first.Umoja Gibson’s 3 with two seconds remaining closed out the scoring.
Hogberg was immediately sent back to Belleville as the club was shorthanded, which may mean the Senators will be in the market for a goalie after the holiday roster freeze is lifted.That’s where these two teams could become trading partners.Yet he accepts a third-line role at this stage of his career.Coleman led the way with 88 yards on 13 carries and Smith contributed 60 more on just 10 totes.
While the immediate future may be challenging, our future at UH is very bright.
Trevor Paulhus For ESPN Ed Sr.
He said the fracture occurred on the outside of his leg.Nichols: That’s something I’m going to credit your lovely wife of being so encouraging of him of having his own agency, using his platform.The way people leave that building was very important to me.
Paetsch has spent most of his hockey career in the AHL, playing for the Rochester Americans from 2003 before spending six seasons in the NHL with the Buffalo Sabres – the team that drafted him in 2003 – and the Columbus Blue Jackets.Being a female, so many of us have insecurities and question our ability to be able to do the things we dream of doing.Instead, the Colorado Avalanche will have chance to add a Jack Hughes or Dylan Cozens or Kaapo Kakko, for they own the Senators’ pick.
Now that they’ve had a few days off and time to refresh, it’s time they http://www.49ersshopfootballonline.com/Deion-Sanders-Jersey.html buckle down and lead the way until everyone comes back.Mitchell caught 75 passes for 1 yards, and no one else caught more than 38 passes for 433 yards .I’ve been able to point him out on practice sessions and show the other guys that this is what it looks like when you’re giving everything you got on a Friday practice, for instance, because he’s really working hard and doing everything he can do to be good as he can possibly be.He became one of the most respected executives in the league.The Flyers gave up fan favorite Rod Brind’Amour, but those fans soon came to love Primeau just as much.
Defensive coordinator David Blackwell will coach the Pirates in their season finale on Saturday at NC State .deGrom returned to his dominant form, holding the Reds hitless into the fifth inning and not allowing an extra-base hit for the entirety of his start.Nesterovic improves Dec 31 3 PM Many Timberwolves fans have noticed Rasho Nesterovic’s improvement on offense.Beaty owned the team’s struggles afterward.and I meet in the living room of his sister’s bungalow in Marksville, Louisiana, some four hours east of Houston.
When the Bruins selected Jakub Lauko 77th overall this past June, you probably didn’t think twice about it.
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Pregnant? Belly up to this bar
Kathryn Rem
Energy bars marketed to moms-to-be
Lullaby and good night, mom-to-be can snack right.
A softer, feminine side has emerged in the frenzied marketing of energy bars. With names like Promax, ABB Steel and Nitro-Tech, the $800 million snack-bar industry has set its sights on bodybuilders, protein addicts and the kind of athletes who feel compelled to run two miles if they brush up against a Frito.
But now the nutrition bar — blanketed in pink and blue packaging — is being sold in stores along with maternity blouses and layettes. The newest arrival is the Bellybar, an all-natural, oat-and-soy snack bar for pregnant women that is free of trans fat and preservatives and is touted as “OB/GYN recommended.”
“It’s getting national attention now because Whole Foods started selling it,” said Bellybar spokeswoman Heather Bandura. “It’s also getting celebrity attention. Tori Spelling and Marcia Cross are huge fans.”
The stork-inspired nutritional supplement, from NutraBella, has 100 percent or more of the daily recommended values of iron and vitamin B-6, 200 percent of folate and healthy doses of calcium, vitamin E, vitamin C, magnesium, zinc, and omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Each bar has 170 or 180 calories, depending on the variety, plus 2 grams of dietary fiber and 8 grams of protein.
Bellybars come in four flavors: Baby Needs Chocolate, Mellow Oat, Berry Nutty Cravings and Burstin’ Chocolate. They sell for about $2.29 at Babies R Us, Target, Meijer, Motherhood Maternity and other locations listed at www.NutraBella.com.
The marketplace also has been showered by a similar bundle of joy, the Oh Mama! bar, a vitamin-packed pick-me-up for expectant moms that comes in chocolate peanut butter, frosted white raspberry and frosted white lemon. Oh Mama!, from Vincent Foods, retails for about $2.50 and is available at Motherhood Maternity and other outlets listed at www.ohmamabar.com.
For expectant moms or anyone else who would rather cook up a batch of homemade bars, we offer a recipe from Alton Brown of the Food Network. They’re guaranteed to satisfy a craving.
Kathryn Rem can be reached at 788-1520 or kathryn.rem@sj-r.com.
8 ounces old-fashioned rolled oats (approximately 2 cups)
1 1/2 ounces raw sunflower seeds (approximately 1/2 cup)
3 ounces sliced almonds (approximately 1 cup)
1 1/2 ounces wheat germ (approximately 1/2 cup)
6 ounces honey (approximately 1/2 cup)
1 3/4 ounces dark brown sugar (approximately 1/4 cup packed)
1 ounce unsalted butter, plus extra for pan
6 1/2 ounces chopped dried fruit, any combination of apricots, cherries or blueberries
Butter a 9-by-9-inch glass baking dish and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Spread the oats, sunflower seeds, almonds and wheat germ onto a half-sheet pan or cookie sheet.
Place in oven and toast 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
In the meantime, combine honey, brown sugar, butter, vanilla extract and salt in a medium saucepan and place over medium heat. Cook until the brown sugar has completely dissolved.
Once the oat mixture is done, remove it from oven and reduce heat to 300 degrees. Immediately add oat mixture to liquid mixture, add the dried fruit and stir to combine.
Turn mixture out into prepared baking dish and press down, evenly distributing the mixture in the dish and place in the oven to bake for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely. Cut into bars and store in airtight container for up to a week.
Makes about 20.
Per bar: 160 calories, 4 g protein, 25 g carbohydrate, 5 g fat, 5 mg cholesterol, 3 g fiber, 50 mg sodium.
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Ice thinning rapidly in parts of West Antarctic ice sheet
Reports reveal ocean hotter than ever and ice loss occurring faster
May 16, 2019 at 1:09 PM EDT - Updated May 16 at 1:09 PM
(CNN) - A startling new study finds that nearly a quarter of the West Antarctic ice sheet is affected by ice thinning.
Scientists at the University of Leeds in England found in their research that the ice sheet has thinned at much as 122 meters, or approximately 400 feet.
The thinning is causing instability in the glaciers.
4 years of @ThwaitesGlacier ice tongue from @CopernicusEU #sentinel1 satellite imagery showing how this chaotic ice tongue has become a collection of icebergs glued together by sea ice. pic.twitter.com/0QgeXed8yg
— Stef Lhermitte (@StefLhermitte) March 2, 2019
Melting and calving - the breaking off of ice chunks - is reducing the mass of the glaciers faster than can be replenished by snowfall.
The largest ice streams in the region - the Pine Island and Thwaites glaciers - are losing ice five times faster than they were when the measurements began.
Animation: West Antarctic ice sheet
A team of researchers at the university used 25 years of satellite observations and climate models to track the evolution of snow and ice cover in the area.
The measurements they study aim to distinguish between short-term changes due to weather patterns and long-term trends.
The ice losses are indeed driving up sea levels across the globe, with lead study author and director of the UK’s Center for Polar Observation and Modeling noting, “Altogether, ice losses from East and West Antarctica have contributed 4.6mm to global sea level rise since 1992.”
As the weather gets warmer in the northern hemisphere, spare a thought for our intrepid #scienceseals who are still collecting data under the Thwaites Glacier. They will provide valuable data about winter conditions under the glacier. #glacier #seals #science #polar #sealevel pic.twitter.com/heO1Co11aQ
— International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration (@GlacierThwaites) May 16, 2019
Copyright 2019 CNN. All rights reserved.
Gullah Geechee Task Force making headway in preserving historic neighborhoods
Residents weigh in as Town of Hilton Head Island rewrites comprehensive plan
Meredith Parker
Savannah PD investigating armed robbery at smoke shop on Montgomery Cross Road
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A Lunch Cooked with Love
The annual Teacher Appreciation Lunch has become a popular tradition at Yew Chung International School of Beijing. Each year, a few weeks before the end of term, the YCIS Beijing Parent Organisation puts on an outstanding feast for our teachers and staff in recognition of their hard work during the year. All parents are invited to make a culinary contribution to the meal which is attended by staff throughout the school.
The families at YCIS Beijing represent every corner of the globe, and the Teacher Appreciation Lunch is always a brilliant way to enjoy this multicultural community. Indian, Korean, Japanese, Chinese, American, European and Russian all made an appearance at this year’s feast, which took place last Friday on the school campus. Parent volunteers kindly assisted at the lunch, serving our staff and giving thanks in person.
Prior to the lunch, our students were asked to design their own posters showing their gratitude towards their teachers. Photographs of the students holding their work were pinned up around the room and played on a screen. It was a delightful personal touch that allowed not just parents to show their thanks, but students too.
Annique Claussen, Affairs Consultant for the PO, commented:
“The Teacher Appreciation Lunch is the best possible international buffet – with dishes not only being exceptionally delicious, but very lovingly homemade. It is always a pleasure to be involved in its organisation, especially when we receive such positive feedback from YCIS Beijing staff who see this day as a special highlight of the school calendar.”
A heartfelt thanks goes to all those involved with the lunch this year – both to families who contributed food, and parents who helped organise the event. The staff at YCIS Beijing are always touched by the effort and attention that goes into this special event, and it is a fitting way to end the school year.
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wikiHow:Herald/BUILD
The wikiHow Herald
Herald: A messenger, especially one bringing important news.
EditBUILD, the Final Nonprofit Partnership of 2018
Throughout the year, wikiHow partnered with a variety of nonprofit organizations that share similar missions and values as our community. As part of wikiHow's vision, we would like to imagine a world where anyone can easily learn how to do anything. BUILD shares similar values, and they were our final charitable partner of 2018.
BUILD is a program that prepares students for success in high school, college, careers and beyond through entrepreneurship. BUILD students collaborate to create real businesses, and learn how to do everything from researching competitors to marketing their ideas.
BUILD's Mission: BUILD’s mission is to use entrepreneurship to ignite the potential of youth from under-resourced communities and propel them to high school, college & career success.
BUILD's Vision: BUILD envisions an educational system in which all students, regardless of background, are engaged and prepared for their personal and professional success.
EditBUILD Helped Transform Cristhian’s Life .
Cristhian's BUILD Story
Cristhian grew up in South Boston and was raised by a single mother and two older brothers who used drugs. His family troubles made their way into his relationships with others and his academic performance at school. Check out the video above to learn how Cristhian's life was transformed and he became a successful youth entrepreneur and leader.
As part of wikiHow's final nonprofit partnership of 2018, a special blurb was featured on articles to let readers know about BUILD and give everyone the opportunity to help with the click of a button.
When readers clicked the Yes, I read the article button, they were brought to a landing page explaining further details of the partnership, wikiHow’s mission, and reader success stories.
This is just the latest in a series of charitable partnerships that wikiHow has teamed up with over the course of the past year.
Explore The wikiHow Herald
Stay Connected: @wikiHowHerald on Twitter
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Housing and Redevelopment Authority
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Visiting Windom
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Windom a Great Place to Live! - Promotional Video
Find out more about why the City of Windom is a great…
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Kayaking and Canoeing
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https://www.windom-mn.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/des-moines-river.png 503 798 webdev http://www.windom-mn.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/windom-new-logo-blue-left.png webdev2017-02-09 13:38:472017-02-15 10:33:29Kayaking and Canoeing
“Cottonwood County ranks about 20th among MN counties for bird species
https://www.windom-mn.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/birdwatching.jpg 219 512 webdev http://www.windom-mn.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/windom-new-logo-blue-left.png webdev2017-02-09 13:35:162017-02-15 10:33:42Bird Watching
“We have great friends who love and care for us. Some community members are like
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Regional Significance
“My family is young and we live in rural part of the county. We
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Walkability & Bikeability
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Short Commutes
“I like that I can get to work in about 5 minutes or 1 song on my radio. :)”
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A great place to relax, meet people, and enjoy park amenities. Island Park has always
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There are a variety of amenities in the area. “If you are in to sports, there is plenty to do.
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The BARC is a community facility that offers a space for a variety of activities
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Connectivity with Quiet County Roads
“It is easy to take a bike ride or walk along our quiet country
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Small Town Community Feel
Windom has a number of amenities and still has a unique
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T-ball & Summer Baseball
T-ball in Windom is a community event. “Kids summer t-ball
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Sand Volleyball, Open Gym & Ways to be Active
“I love that I can get a group of friends
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Cottonwood Lake
Cottonwood Lake is a convenient and safe place for family tubing and water skiing.
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Community members have the opportunity to play hockey twice a week at a convenient
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Golfing before Work
It is great to be able to play a round of golf with a group of local golfers before going
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Hyundai's hydrogen-fuel-cell-powered Nexo SUV starts at $58,300, but an array of incentives can save you more than $25,000.
Watching the Hyundai pull into the parking spot, I cringe a bit with the stress that strikes when I feel like I’m holding other people up. The car is wiggling backward and forward, backward and forward, trying to fit into the dead center of the spot, and another driver is stuck, waiting to get by in the tight garage. Once the Hyundai is finally parked, the waiting driver pulls up and stops, window down and eyes wide open. And she’s not annoyed.
“Did that thing just park itself?” she asks. I tell her it did, though I have to stand nearby, holding down a button on the key. “What in the world?” she says. “Now I’ve seen everything.”
The car in question is the Nexo, Hyundai’s newest midsize SUV, with room for five and a week’s worth of groceries. And while the self-parking capability is its most noticeable, maybe marquee, feature, that’s not what makes the Nexo interesting, nor does it explain the blood-draining $58,300 base price. Nor do the heated and cooled seats, the vegan-friendly faux leather materials, or the 12.3-inch, high-res touchscreen. To find the answer, you’ve got to pop open the hood.
The Nexo is all-electric, but it’s no Tesla look-alike, pulling power from a hulking battery built into the floor. This SUV makes its own juice with the hydrogen fuel cell sitting where you usually find a gas-exploding internal combustion engine. Like the few other hydrogen-powered, zero-emission cars on the market today, the Nexo is a joy to drive. As long as you can live with the fact that what makes it special also happens to make it a pain.
The promise of hydrogen power has tempted the auto industry for more than half a century. The idea is simple. Instead of storing electricity in a battery, you make it as you go. In a fuel cell, hydrogen (stored as compressed gas) is stripped of its electrons, then combined with oxygen. The resulting electricity powers a motor (and in turn the wheels), and water, the only byproduct, drips out a tail pipe. When you run low on hydrogen, just swing by a pump. After five minutes or so, you’re back on the road with a full tank that should be good for more than 300 miles. It’s a terrifically clean process that offers the benefits of EVs—a clean conscience and zippy acceleration—without the need to plug in for hours to recharge a drained battery. The tech has been hyped since General Motors showed off a fuel-cell-powered prototype van in 1966.
The Nexo's 12.3-inch touchscreen works nicely and makes it easy to look up the nearest hydrogen fueling station.
Today, though, the Nexo is one of just three fuel-cell cars you can take home in the US, along with the Toyota Mirai and Honda Clarity. GM and the German automakers who poured R&D money into the technology have stopped bringing it up, instead pushing their battery-based electric offerings. That’s because this scheme has plenty of downsides. There’s hardly any infrastructure to move the fuel around the country. Hydrogen is the most common element in the universe, but the process of making it useable as fuel often involves natural gas, so it’s not a guaranteed clean.
No surprise, then, there aren’t many places to fill up. The Department of Energy lists fewer than 40 public hydrogen fueling stations in the whole country. Every one is in California, mostly around Los Angeles, with a few in the San Francisco Bay Area. For reference, the Golden State has more than 15,000 EV charging spots and 10,000 gas stations.
The good thing, I discovered during the 10 days I spent with the Nexo, is that when a full tank takes you about 325 miles, you don’t need to refuel too often. But after a week of shuttling between home in Berkeley, work in San Francisco, and meetings in Silicon Valley, I found myself in Mountain View with 40 miles left in the tank. Not quite enough to get home. Happily, Hyundai anticipated newbies like me and programmed the Nexo’s inbuilt navigation system to pull up to the nearest hydrogen oasis. And lo, there was one in Palo Alto, just a few miles away. A few miles out of my way—a strange feeling to pass up so many gas stations—but acceptable.
That’s when things got tricky. The hydrogen fueler at the Barron Park Shell station on El Camino Real looks like a regular gas setup, down to the credit card reader and pump handle attached to a long black hose. I popped open the Nexo’s fuel door and followed the posted instructions: insert credit card, pick up pump, select pressure rate, begin fueling. Simple enough, except that it didn’t work—no hydrogen. I tried again, and a third time, only to get more error messages. Then the station attendant came over and explained the actual process: insert credit card, pick up pump, lock the nozzle onto the receptacle, pull the handle to lock it on, then select pressure rate. Getting it off again took a fair bit of jimmying. The attendant at one point borrowed my keys to knock away some of the ice that formed on the nozzle. (To ease fueling, the hydrogen in the pump is kept at –40 degrees Fahrenheit.) The delay gave us a chance to chat, though: He loves having the pump at the station and says it has several visitors a day.
Hyundai filled the Nexo with all sorts of neat features, including a camera view of the car's blind spots that pops up in the dashboard when the turn signal is on.
I understand his happiness when I realize that a not-quite-full tank cost me $85. Let’s compare that to the similarly sized Lexus RX, which gets 27 mpg. For 350 miles of range, you’ll need 12.96 gallons of gas. Premium gas in California right now averages $3.544 a gallon, so you’re paying $45.94, barely half what I paid for my high-pressure gas. But worry not, Hyundai’s so eager to get you into this car, your lease comes with three years of free fuel (up to $13,000). And on that note, the government will ease the $58,300 price tag with a $7,500 tax credit from the feds and an additional $5,000 from California. Add those up (assuming you drive enough to hit the fuel max), and you can knock the car’s price down to $33,300. That’s quite good for a car stuffed with luxury options.
With a full tank, the Nexo gets back to doing what it does really well: driving. It accelerates sharply (thanks, instant torque). The adaptive cruise control works nicely. That big center screen supports Apple CarPlay, which I prefer to any single manufacturer’s inbuilt system. For long, traffic-riddled schleps around the Bay Area, it’s a quiet, comfy ride. One casual carpooler I picked up was stunned to realize she was sitting in a Hyundai: “It’s nice!”
A couple of minor gripes: The whole center console is covered in buttons, more than 30 of the things. Buttons trump touchscreens because you can hit them without looking away from the road, but when the cockpit feels like a B-52 bomber, they lose that advantage. Better design can shrink that number by combining functions in logical ways. And driving-wise, I’d have liked the option of dialing up the regenerative braking further, so the car recaptures more energy from the wheels as it slows car down. Crank that high enough, and you can stop the car just by getting off the accelerator.
My bigger concerns are for the bigger idea of selling hydrogen-powered cars. I wonder whether Hyundai will sell enough to make back even some of the R&D it put in here—or if the execs will settle for meeting California’s requirement that they sell at least some zero emission cars in the state (the automaker also offers a few battery-electric models). And even if the network of fueling stations is growing, it will be a good while before it can match the reach of what’s likely its real competitor—the conventional electric car. Charging a Tesla or similar may take a bit (30 minutes for a nearly full battery is increasingly common), but the grid is ubiquitous, and installing a charging station anywhere you like is far easier than setting up a hydrogen pump and keeping it full of fuel.
There’s an old joke about hydrogen: It’s the fuel of the future, and it always will be. But at the end of my test drive, I’m sorry to give up the Nexo. I’d just filled it, after all, and I was ready to get back on the road.
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Tesla's Electric Model 3 Will Be a Great Everyday Car ... Some Day
Nearly half a million people have put down a thousand dollar deposit for a Tesla Model 3 they may not get for years. But once the early production bugs are ironed out, the Model 3 feels like it's going to be a great everyday car.
#Electric Vehicles
#Hydrogen
Alex Davies
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Aarian Marshall
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Trump Wants the EPA Radon Program Cut. So Do Some Scientists
Author: Nick StocktonNick Stockton
HOTLITTLEPOTATO
Woe be to the Environmental Protection Agency. If President Trump gets his way, the federal agency will lose 31 percent of its annual budget—about $3 billion. Supporters of Trump’s 2018 budget proposal call it a “back to basics” approach, carving away what they see as the agency’s regulatory overreach. Opponents are similarly pithy: The EPA’s former director labeled Trump’s proposal a “scorched Earth budget.”
Disagreements over the utility of the EPA's programs typically fall along the partisan lines you might expect. But not all of them.
At least one of Trump's proposed budget cuts targets a program that some scientists have been questioning for decades: residential radon risk. That program, which sets the standards for risk and protection from radon gas, would be completely zeroed out. Now, according to the EPA, the WHO, and many other big public health organizations, radon is second only to cigarette smoking as a leading cause for lung cancer. The EPA says radon gas causes 21,000 deaths every year. Yet some critics in the health care profession say that’s all baloney.
Trump's budget hasn't passed. It still has to survive the congressional gauntlets, full of many senators and representatives who have already voiced opposition to many of the EPA cuts, including to the radon program. But some scientists might actually want the EPA to back off on this one.
The issue here isn't whether radon causes cancer. It does, certainly. But critics say scientists can only prove that radon is carcinogenic at high doses. Like, rates typically found in mine shafts, not suburban homes. They add that the established scientific method for establishing low-dose radon risk assessments is simply unscientific. Some even go so far as to say low doses of radiation might help your body fight cancer. Follow that logic through, and they say the EPA's low dose radon risk assessment could actually be harming people.
It's Coming from Inside the House
Radon is radioactive gas emitted when uranium decays. And because most rocks contain traces of uranium, it leaks from the soil virtually everywhere on Earth. Like uranium, radon decays, too. If it does this in your lungs, the alpha particles it releases can harm the DNA in your cells. "When we talk about radon risk, we really mean the risk from radon and its decay products," says Phillip Price, a physicist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. If enough DNA gets damaged, the mutations pile up and … lung cancer.
Radon is everywhere, but it doesn't usually pose much of a risk because it disperses into the open air. "What’s unnatural are the radon levels that accumulate indoors,” says James McLaughlin, president of the European Radon Association.
Scientists began to recognize the threat in the 1970s, when epidemiologists found that miners were getting lung cancer at higher-than-average rates. The tunnels they worked in were full of radon gas. But the agency's real work started after 1984, when an engineer at the Limerick Nuclear Power Plant in Pennsylvania set off radiation alarms as he was coming in to work. After some sleuthing, public health experts figured out that his house was filled with radon. Like, uranium mine levels of radon. This set off a national panic—homeowners feared their home might have similarly high levels.
By 1986, the EPA established an indoor radon risk exposure level—4 picocuries per liter of air. It's similar to that recommended by the World Health Organization and the European Union. That number isn't tied to any regulations: Instead, the EPA recommends that people test their homes (which can cost between $20 and $200) and take action if necessary—say, by installing fans and vents to improve airflow. Hiring a contractor to ventilate your basement can run into the thousands.
Radon? Maybe Radon't
That number, 4 picocuries, is a funny one. Because here's the thing: The scientific model used to come up with that limit says there's no acceptable level of radon exposure. None.
It's called the linear no-threshold model, and it's used to estimate risk for low doses of carcinogenic materials. See, it's not hugely controversial to link lung cancer to high radon levels, like those found in a mineshaft. But it's impossible to directly establish a link between low levels of radon and cancer. There are just too many other possible carcinogens, like air pollution, second hand smoke, and even random DNA mutations.
So, the linear no-threshold model takes the cancer rates in highly-exposed populations—those uranium miners—and extends them to lower doses of radiation. It then multiplies that very small risk across a huge number of people in order to estimate the total number of future cancers. That's how the EPA estimated that radon causes 21,000 annual lung cancer deaths.
Radiation risk professionals use the linear no-threshold model to determine the exposure risk from all sorts of other radioactive and carcinogenic material. "The idea is that twice as much radiation means twice as many cells with damaged DNA, and if each cell with damaged DNA has a certain chance of initiating a cancer, then ceteris paribus you have the linear no-threshold model," says Price. "That's not crazy."
But if there's no threshold below which radon doesn't increase cancer risk, how did the EPA settle on 4 picocuries per liter of indoor air as its recommended exposure limit? For one thing, radon becomes both more difficult to detect and remove at lower doses. That translates into dollars. When the EPA established the 4 picocurie action level in 1986, it estimated each saved life cost around $700,000. Lower that to 3 picocuries, and the cost per life more than doubles, to $1.7 million. At 2 picocuries, $2.4 million.
Low Limit Soldiers
Critics contend that money probably isn't saving anyone. "I personally think the linear no-threshold model is over conservative, and does waste a lot of money that could be better spent," says Cynthia McCollough, a radiologist. "Using the linear no-threshold model to predict future cancers is very bad science, and all radiation protection agencies agree on that." In fact, the Health Physics Society (a large scientific organization for radiation safety specialists) has officially stated that low doses of ionizing radiation produce no statistically measurable health effects. The HPS's official position on radon, however, still falls in line with the radon risk prescribed by the linear no threshold model2.
The EPA sort of lives with the same dichotomy. While it holds fast to the linear no threshold model for establishing radon risk, its its 2003 assessment of household radon risk, acknowledged the model had its faults1: "The [committee tasked with establishing radon risk] adopted the linear no-threshold assumption based on our current understanding of the mechanisms of radon-induced lung cancer, but recognized that this understanding is incomplete and that therefore the evidence for this assumption is not conclusive." (Emphasis added.)
Despite that admission, the EPA went ahead with the linear no-threshold model for radon out of an abundance of caution. And that caution isn't entirely unwarranted. A World Health Organization meta-analysis of three large, previous epidemiological radon risk studies suggested lung cancer cases at 5.4 picocuries per liter. The EPA notes that these risk projections do not require extrapolation from high dose rates to low1.
But some critics say the agency's overprotective action might actually be harming people. "The linear no-threshold model is based on the concept that increased radiation and increased mutations cause cancer. That assumption is fundamentally wrong," says Mohan Doss, a physician at the Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia. That's because, Doss says, it ignores biology.
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Humans develop DNA mutations all the time. Most of them do not turn into cancer. One theory why, says Doss, is that the immune system moves in and gets rid of those afflicted cells early on. He goes so far as to say that low-dose radiation might prevent lung cancer. Doss points to animal studies showing that low doses of radiation might help the body fight cancer by activating the immune system to clear away mutated DNA. "These boosted defenses actually reduce the DNA damage that would have occurred in absence of radon exposure," he says. If he's right, that means the EPA's guidance levels aren't preventing cancer—they're causing it.
So, why doesn't the EPA listen to these low limit soldiers? Well, first of all because linear no-threshold-based radon risk is endorsed by the National Academy of Sciences' Committee on the Biological Effects of Ionizing Radiation, the WHO, the CDC, the US Surgeon General, and the American Lung Association1. Also, consider the precautionary principle: It’s better to overprotect than under-protect. And the total indoor radon program in the EPA's 2017 budget called for just $3.5 million. Also, remember how hard it is to establish radiation risk at low levels? That sword cuts both ways. "There’s some shaky empirical evidence for a weak protective effect at 2 picocuries per liter compared to 0," says Price. But whether you're looking at health benefits or risks, all the evidence is pretty shaky below an exposure of about 8 picocuries.
Finally, consider inertia. The linear no-threshold model underpins not just the EPA's radon recommendation, but its risk exposure estimates for other radiation sources.
Most of the experts I spoke with didn't have a good idea about what effect, if any, Trump's promise to nix the EPA's radon program might have. McCollough said the real hit happened under Obama's watch, when the Department of Energy's Office of Science killed a program studying the biological effects of low dose radiation.
At least one, though, is rooting for the program's demise. "If the Trump administration nixes the EPA radon program, there would be little adverse impact on public health," says Doss. "But in fact there would be improvement of public health, by reducing lung cancers." Talk about scorched Earth.
1 UPDATE: 8/22/2017 1:30pm ET — This article has been updated with data justifying the EPA's position on radon risk.
2 UPDATE: 8/22/2017 1:30pm ET — This article has been updated to differentiate the Health Physics Society's statements on ionizing radiation risk generally, and its position on radon risk.
So Cellphones Cause Cancer, Right? That Ain't What Science Says
Your grandparents might have warned you that cellphones cause brain cancer. Well, that's not at all what science says.
#radiation
#epa
#national affairs
#public health
#epidemiology
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Family realizes late artist's dream with Bikelantis documentary
One Lafayette family is making a man's dream come true, four years after his passing.
Posted: Apr 27, 2018 7:28 PM
Posted By: Alexis Moberger
LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) - One Lafayette family is making a man's dream come true, four years after his passing.
For two years Emmanuel "Manny" Cervantes had been working on a documentary called Bikelantis. It showcases cycling communities in various cities around the country. Before it was finished, Manny tragically died in a fire. Finishing Bikelantis was Manny's dream and it's a dream his family and friends were able to make happen.
Manny died in a fire at an old school building that was being renovated in Farmington, Illinois back in 2014. Police are still investigating his death and it remains an open case even today.
At that point, Manny had completed filming Bikelantis and was already in the early stages of post productions. His friends and family were able to retrieve the footage from his computer to continue his project and complete the documentary.
Manny's sister Cynthia Vinasco said Friday's premiere will help bring some closure.
"I remember going to the church and we didn't have complete answers. We didn't even know for sure if that was his body. We were having a service and I remember thinking, this doesn't feel right," said Vinasco. "But today feels right. Today feels like finally, we have something proper, finally we have something honorable and memorable."
It took the film's producer, Luis Villamizar, four years to put it together. He said it's been a long journey, but he's looking forward to the impact it will have.
"It's definitely going to be emotional," said Villamizar. "I'm probably going to cry a couple of times and I've seen it a bunch of times of course editing it. But I think it's going to be a great emotional time just for everybody to come together."
Bikelantis is playing at Carnahan Hall. The documentary will air throughout the weekend.
Bikelantis Screenings & Events: Full Details: www.bikelantis.com/screenings
Film Screenings:
Friday, April 27th Bikelantis - Film Screening & Event Doors Open 7:00pm
Sunday, April 29th First Screening Doors Open 11:30am
Sunday, April 29th Second Screening Doors Open 5:30pm
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BENNIE'S COMEBACK: Star basketball player overcomes injury to fulfill dream
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The Answer to Why You're So Morbidly Curious About Tragic Events
There’s a reason you can't look away from car accidents.
By Zahra Barnes
If you often find yourself DVR-ing serial killer documentaries or Googling stories about natural disasters, you're not alone. Many people have a seemingly strange fascination with all things morbid. "This is something across the board with humans in general,” says Matthew Goldfine, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist in New York and New Jersey. “Anyone who's driving on the highway and sees an accident slows down to rubberneck and find out what happened."
It turns out that curiosity about horrifying events is rooted in a few different instincts, all of which are profoundly human.
It's natural that when you hear of something awful happening to another person, you put yourself in his or her shoes. Imagining dealing with an unthinkably scary situation immediately compels you to figure out all of the details—so you can convince yourself that you would never end up in that situation. "Maybe someone was jogging at 4 a.m. in Central Park and got murdered, or maybe they got into a car accident while talking on the phone,” says Goldfine. “You want reassurance that this couldn't happen to you because you're safer than that."
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That's not to say you're victim-blaming because you likely feel a huge amount of sympathy for whoever's involved. You may just be trying to see how your actions differ from theirs to feel safer in a world that, thanks to the Internet, seems to offer up proof of how dangerous it is at every turn. Sometimes, investigating tragedies will even spark a hero fantasy in some people, like thinking they would have fought off the bad guy in the situation. Telling yourself that if you had been there, things wouldn’t have turned out so badly is yet another form of reassuring yourself.
Roller coaster fans will be sure to identify with this one. When you're on an amusement park ride and plummeting toward what feels like certain death, you're in it for the thrill of being terrified—without putting yourself in the face of any real danger. Same goes for seeking out tales of death and destruction. "These situations allow you to take powerful emotions for a safe spin and almost envision what it would be like if you were in a plane crash, car wreck, or other tragic situation—without any negative consequence," says Goldfine. You're almost acting out this fantasy and asking yourself: What would I do? How would I react? Then, as soon as it gets too real, you can just think, "Oh, that would be awful. It's a good thing that isn't really true."
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Part of the intriguing nature of doing this kind of emotional exercise is that fear and excitement are much more closely related than you may think. "Sometimes, the physiological reaction we have to being scared is very similar to being excited,” says Goldfine. “You can feel an adrenaline rush without any negative effect." So think of your reading up on the latest tragedy as putting your imagination on a roller coaster that's able to speed up and stop at will.
While there's nothing wrong with reading up on shocking current events, a normal morbid fascination can start to spiral out of control. If you begin to feel more pleasure from the thrill of reading about tragedy than sadness for those involved, you could be desensitizing yourself to how terrible things can be. "If you're seeking out death and blood and gore, especially if it's because of a morbid pleasure rather than a sympathetic response, it could alter your perception of life in general,” says Goldfine. “It's never a good thing to get enjoyment out of the pain of others." Remind yourself that you'd likely feel very different if this were about you or someone you loved, and that could help ground you a bit.
RELATED: Do You Have an Anxiety Disorder—Or Are You Just a Worrywart?
Immersing yourself too much in tragedy may also make you feel like there's a threat around every corner. "Sensationalism can give people a skewed idea of reality,” says Goldfine. “When there's a big plane crash, everyone starts thinking about the possibility that their plane could crash—even though, in reality, that's incredibly rare.” But because these types of events are so emotionally evocative, news sources and laypeople alike often latch onto them for a while, which can eventually make it seem like you're constantly in danger. If news stories help you feel more alert, aware of your surroundings, and more capable in case something does go wrong, that's the best outcome possible. But if you start worrying that one day you'll be the focus of your own primetime report, your morbid fascination may be taking you into anxious territory. In that case, consider sitting down with a mental health professional to figure out how to balance your desire to be cautious with the reality that it's impossible to fully live your life while always worrying about safety.
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Restoration Hardware Reports Q2 Net Revenues Increased
October 09, 2013 | 5:18 pm EDT
CORTE MADERA, Calif. - Restoration Hardware Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: RH) today announced financial results for the second quarter ended August 3, 2013.
Second Quarter Highlights
•Net revenues increased 30% on top of a 24% increase for the same period last year •Comparable store sales increased 26% on top of 31% growth for the same period last year
•Direct revenues increased 33% on top of a 29% increase for the same period last year
•Adjusted operating income increased 56% to $34.2 million from $21.9 million for the same period last year; GAAP operating loss of $27.8 million from operating income of $19.7 million for the same period last year
•Adjusted net income increased 62% to $19.8 million from $12.2 million for the same period last year; GAAP net loss of $17.8 million from net income of $17.6 million for the same period last year
•Adjusted diluted earnings per share increased 48% to $0.49 compared to $0.33 last year; GAAP diluted loss per share of $0.46
Gary Friedman, Chairman, Creator, Curator, and Co-Chief Executive Officer, said, “We are pleased to announce record financial results for the second quarter. Our industry-leading performance is a reflection of our ability to innovate, curate and integrate new products and businesses offering an unmatched customer experience. We continued to take market share during the quarter, delivering 30% growth in net revenues driven by a comp store sales increase of 26% on top of 31% comp growth last year and 17% percent in 2011. We significantly expanded our operating margin and increased adjusted net income by 62% while at the same time continued to invest in our infrastructure and new businesses to support our future growth.”
Mr. Friedman continued, "Due to the current strength of our business, the continued evolution of our Source Book model, and the enhanced ability to connect with our customers through digital and electronic marketing, we are moving to a once per year mailing of our Source Books. We believe this decision will result in a step change effect in our earnings and cash flow model, allowing us to reach double-digit operating margins and free cash flow positive significantly ahead of our prior expectations. We are eliminating the mailing of our Fall 2013 Source Books and plan to mail an annual edition each Spring. Concurrently, we are raising our earnings estimates for the remainder of 2013 to reflect our current business trends and the associated cost savings."
Carlos Alberini, Co-Chief Executive Officer, commented, “Our business momentum remains very strong and provides good visibility into the back half of the year. Our expected top line growth, coupled with a more efficient cost structure, positions us to drive a significant and sustainable expansion in our operating margins, and over 60% growth in our adjusted EPS for this year. This latest step change to our business gives us even more confidence in the power of our model and in our ability to surpass the long-term financial goals we have set for our Company, including adjusted earnings growth in the mid to high twenties annually.”
Mr. Alberini concluded, “As we look forward, the transformation of our real estate remains our top priority and the true key to unlocking the value of our dominant assortment. Our existing Full Line Design Galleries continue to be highly productive and are driving strong results in each market. Los Angeles and Houston delivered comps in excess of 29% during the second quarter, ahead of the rest of our chain. Also, our new locations in Scottsdale, Boston and Indianapolis continue to perform ahead of expectations. We plan to open new Full Line Design Galleries in Greenwich, Atlanta and Los Angeles in 2014 and are currently in negotiations for more than 30 locations in other key markets. We continue to believe we can open more than 10 locations a year, beginning in 2015. Our next generation Full Line Design Galleries will be larger and showcase our dominant assortment and new businesses, and they will provide opportunities for higher sales, increased earnings, lower capital investment and higher ROIC in each market.”
Second Quarter Fiscal 2013 Financial Results
Revenue - Net revenues for the second quarter of fiscal 2013 increased 30% to $382.1 million from $292.9 million for the second quarter of fiscal 2012. This is on top of a 24% increase in net revenues for the second quarter of fiscal 2012.
• Comparable store sales increased 26% for the second quarter of fiscal 2013. This growth is on top of an increase of 31% in comparable store sales for the second quarter of fiscal 2012.
• As of August 3, 2013, the Company operated a total of 70 retail stores, consisting of 62 Galleries, 5 Full Line Design Galleries and 3 Baby & Child Galleries, as well as 17 outlet stores throughout the United States and Canada. This compares to a total of 73 retail stores, consisting of 70 Galleries, 2 Full Line Design Galleries and 2 Baby & Child Galleries, as well as 10 outlet stores open at the end of the second quarter of fiscal 2012.
• Direct revenues increased 33% in the second quarter of fiscal 2013. This growth is on top of the 29% increase in direct revenues for the second quarter of fiscal 2012.
Operating Income (Loss)* - Adjusted operating income for the second quarter of fiscal 2013 increased 56% to $34.2 million compared to $21.9 million for the second quarter of fiscal 2012. Including the impact of variable and one-time non-cash stock-based compensation charges and costs related to the Company’s follow-on offerings, the GAAP operating loss reached $27.8 million compared to GAAP operating income of $19.7 million for the prior year fiscal quarter.
EBITDA* - Adjusted EBITDA for the second quarter of fiscal 2013 increased 42% to $40.8 million compared to adjusted EBITDA of $28.7 million for the second quarter of fiscal 2012. Including the impact of variable and one-time non-cash stock-based compensation charges and costs related to the Company’s follow-on offerings, EBITDA for the quarter was a loss of $21.2 million compared to positive EBITDA of $26.1 million for the prior year fiscal quarter.
Net Income (Loss)* - Adjusted net income increased 62% to $19.8 million for the second quarter of fiscal 2013 from $12.2 million for the second quarter of fiscal 2012. Adjusted net income is calculated using a 40% effective tax rate. GAAP net loss for the second quarter of fiscal 2013 was $17.8 million compared to GAAP net income of $17.6 million for the second quarter of fiscal 2012.
Earnings Per Share* - Adjusted diluted EPS increased 48% to $0.49 for the second quarter of fiscal 2013 from $0.33 for the second quarter of fiscal 2012. GAAP diluted EPS for the second quarter of fiscal 2013 was a loss of $0.46.
First Half Fiscal 2013 Financial Results
Revenue - Net revenues for the six months ended August 3, 2013 increased 34% to $683.4 million from $510.8 million for the first half of fiscal 2012. This is on top of a 22% increase in net revenues for the first half of fiscal 2012.
• Comparable store sales increased 33% for the first half of fiscal 2013. This growth compares to an increase of 29% in comparable store sales for the first half of fiscal 2012.
• Direct revenues increased 35% in the first half of fiscal 2013. This growth is on top of the 25% increase in direct revenues for the first half of fiscal 2012.
Operating Income (Loss)* - Adjusted operating income for the first half of fiscal 2013 increased 82% to $38.8 million compared to $21.3 million in the first half of fiscal 2012. Including the impact of variable and one-time non-cash stock-based compensation charges and costs related to the Company’s follow-on offerings, GAAP operating loss was $27.3 million compared to GAAP operating income of $17.6 million for the year ago period.
EBITDA* - Adjusted EBITDA for the first half of fiscal 2013 increased 49% to $52.0 million compared to adjusted EBITDA of $34.9 million for the first half of fiscal 2012. Including the impact of variable and one-time non-cash stock-based compensation charges and costs related to the Company’s follow-on offerings, EBITDA for the first half of 2013 was a loss of $14.0 million compared to positive EBITDA of $30.5 million for the prior year period.
Net Income (Loss)* - Adjusted net income increased 102% to $22.1 million for the first half of fiscal 2013 from $10.9 million for the first half of fiscal 2012. GAAP net loss for the first half of fiscal 2013 was $18.0 million compared to GAAP net income of $13.9 million for the year ago period.
Earnings Per Share* - Adjusted diluted EPS increased 87% to $0.56 for the first half of fiscal 2013 from $0.30 for the same period last year. GAAP diluted EPS during the first half of fiscal 2013 was a loss of $0.47.
The Company is providing the following guidance for the third quarter of fiscal 2013:
• Net revenues in the range of $385 million to $395 million
• Adjusted net income in the range of $11.2 million to $12.0 million
• Adjusted diluted EPS in the range of $0.27 to $0.29
The Company is providing the following guidance for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2013:
The Company is increasing its guidance for the fiscal year ending February 1, 2014:
• Net revenues in the range of $1.56 billion to $1.58 billion.
Note: The Company’s adjusted net income and adjusted diluted earnings per share guidance does not include charges and costs which are expected to be similar to those charges and costs excluded from adjusted net income and adjusted diluted earnings in prior quarters. The Company’s fiscal year 2013 will include 52 weeks compared to fiscal year 2012 which included 53 weeks.
RESTORATION HARDWARE HOLDINGS, INC.
(In thousands, except share and per share amounts)
August 3,
% of Net Revenues July 28,
% of Net Revenues August 3,
% of Net Revenues
Net revenues $ 382,098 100.0 % $ 292,906 100.0 % $ 683,435 100.0 % $ 510,820 100.0 %
Cost of goods sold 242,872 63.6 % 178,779 61.0 % 442,332 64.7 % 321,425 62.9 %
Gross profit 139,226 36.4 % 114,127 39.0 % 241,103 35.3 % 189,395 37.1 %
Selling, general and administrative expenses 167,006 43.7 % 94,465 32.3 % 268,372 39.3 % 171,830 33.7 %
Income (loss) from operations (27,780 ) -7.3 % 19,662 6.7 % (27,269 ) -4.0 % 17,565 3.4 %
Interest expense (1,191 ) -0.2 % (1,479 ) -0.5 % (2,031 ) -0.3 % (3,054 ) -0.6 %
Income (loss) before income taxes (28,971 ) -7.5 % 18,183 6.2 % (29,300 ) -4.3 % 14,511 2.8 %
Income tax expense (benefit) (11,136 ) -2.8 % 567 0.2 % (11,304 ) -1.7 % 623 0.1 %
Net income (loss) $ (17,835 ) -4.7 % $ 17,616 6.0 % $ (17,996 ) -2.6 % $ 13,888 2.7 %
Weighted-average shares used in computing basic and diluted net income (loss) per share 38,712,000 1,000 38,394,013 1,000
Basic and diluted net income (loss) per share $ (0.46 ) $ 17,616 $ (0.47 ) $ 13,888
Pro forma weighted-average shares used in computing pro forma basic and diluted net income per share [a] 36,971,500 36,971,500
Pro forma basic and diluted net income per share $ 0.48 $ 0.38
[a] On a pro forma basis, basic and diluted shares outstanding for the three and six months ended July 28, 2012 include (1) the impact of the Company’s reorganization, as further described in the Company’s final prospectus filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 5, 2012 (the “Reorganization”), as well as (2) the 4,782,609 shares of common stock that the Company issued and sold on November 7, 2012 in its initial public offering, as if such events had been completed as of the beginning of the respective periods and the common stock resulting therefrom was outstanding for the respective periods.
February 2,
July 28,
Cash and cash equivalents $ 15,012 $ 8,354 $ 10,102
Merchandise inventories 406,676 353,329 275,485
Other current assets 155,715 131,075 98,604
Total current assets 577,403 492,758 384,191
Property and equipment—net 154,008 111,406 87,904
Goodwill and other intangibles 171,730 172,724 174,125
Other assets 26,223 12,725 4,655
Total assets $ 929,364 $ 789,613 $ 650,875
Accounts payable and accrued expenses $ 205,551 $ 145,353 $ 117,175
Other current liabilities 91,455 74,071 68,239
Total current liabilities 297,006 219,424 185,414
Revolving line of credit and term loan 87,575 82,501 144,452
Other long term liabilities 45,410 36,077 55,885
Total liabilities 429,991 338,002 385,751
Stockholders’ equity 499,373 451,611 265,124
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity $ 929,364 $ 789,613 $ 650,875
Net income (loss) $ (17,996 ) $ 13,888
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization 13,228 12,892
Stock-based compensation expense 64,282 738
Other non-cash items (13,805 ) 309
Change in assets and liabilities:
Merchandise inventories (53,483 ) (29,639 )
Accounts payable, accrued expenses, and other 39,203 (2,821 )
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities 31,429 (4,633 )
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Capital expenditures (30,616 ) (13,517 )
Purchases of trademarks — (304 )
Net cash used in investing activities (30,616 ) (13,821 )
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Net borrowings under revolving line of credit 5,074 22,135
Payments on capital leases (760 ) (2,104 )
Stock options exercised 695 —
Excess tax benefit from exercise of stock options 1,032 —
Tax witholdings related to issuance of stock-based awards
(178 ) —
Net cash provided by financing activities 5,863 20,031
Effects of foreign currency exchange rate translation (18 ) 13
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents 6,658 1,590
End of period $ 15,012 $ 10,102
OPERATING METRICS AND OTHER DATA
Growth in net revenues:
Stores [a] 28 % 21 % 33 % 19 %
Direct 33 % 29 % 35 % 25 %
Total 30 % 24 % 34 % 22 %
Retail [b]:
Comparable store sales change [c] 26 % 31 % 33 % 29 %
Retail stores open at beginning of period 70 74 71 74
Stores opened — — 2 3
Stores closed — 1 3 4
Retail stores open at end of period 70 73 70 73
Retail sales per leased selling square foot [d] $ 353 $ 281 $ 638 $ 481
Total leased square footage at end of period (in thousands) 796 792 796 792
Total leased selling square footage at end of period (in thousands) [e] 521 516 521 516
Catalogs circulated (in thousands) [f] 7,995 225 7,995 15,131
Catalog pages circulated (in millions) [f] 5,691 54 5,691 7,417
Direct as a percentage of net revenues [g] 47 % 46 % 47 % 46 %
[a] Store data represents retail stores plus outlet stores. Net revenues for outlet stores for the three months ended August 3, 2013 and July 28, 2012 were $20.6 million and $13.4 million, respectively. Net revenues for outlet stores for the six months ended August 3, 2013 and July 28, 2012 were $35.0 million and $24.3 million, respectively.
[b] Retail data has been calculated based upon retail stores, which includes our Baby & Child stores and excludes outlet stores.
[c] Comparable store sales have been calculated based upon retail stores that were open at least fourteen full months as of the end of the reporting period and did not change square footage by more than 20% between periods. If a store is closed for seven days during a month, that month will be excluded from comparable store sales. Comparable store net revenues exclude revenues from outlet stores.
[d] Retail sales per leased selling square foot is calculated by dividing total net revenues for all retail stores, comparable and non-comparable, by the average leased selling square footage for the period.
[e] Leased selling square footage is retail space at our stores used to sell our products. Leased selling square footage excludes backrooms at retail stores used for storage, office space or similar matters. Leased selling square footage excludes exterior sales space located outside a store, such as courtyards, gardens and rooftops. Leased selling square footage includes approximately 4,500 square feet related to one owned store location.
[f] The catalogs and catalog pages circulated from period to period do not take into account different page sizes per catalog distributed. Page sizes and page counts vary for different catalog mailings and we sometimes mail different versions of a catalog at the same time. Accordingly, period to period comparisons of catalogs circulated and catalog pages circulated do not take these variations into account.
[g] Direct revenues include sales through our catalogs and websites.
RECONCILIATION OF ADJUSTED INCOME STATEMENT ITEMS
Adjustments Adjusted
% of Net Revenues Reported
Net revenues $ 382,098 $ — $ 382,098 100.0 % $ 292,906 $ — $ 292,906 100.0 %
Cost of goods sold 242,872 — 242,872 63.6 % 178,779 — 178,779 61.0 %
Gross profit 139,226 — 139,226 36.4 % 114,127 — 114,127 39.0 %
Selling, general and administrative expenses [a] 167,006 (61,960 ) 105,046 27.5 % 94,465 (2,226 ) 92,239 31.5 %
Income (loss) from operations (27,780 ) 61,960 34,180 8.9 % 19,662 2,226 21,888 7.5 %
Interest expense (1,191 ) — (1,191 ) -0.2 % (1,479 ) — (1,479 ) -0.5 %
Income (loss) before income taxes (28,971 ) 61,960 32,989 8.7 % 18,183 2,226 20,409 7.0 %
Income tax expense (benefit) [b] (11,136 ) 24,332 13,196 3.5 % 567 7,597 8,164 2.8 %
Net income (loss) [c] $ (17,835 ) $ 37,628 $ 19,793 5.2 % $ 17,616 $ (5,371 ) $ 12,245 4.2 %
EBITDA [d] $ (21,182 ) $ 40,778 $ 26,130 $ 28,738
Weighted-average shares used in computing basic net income (loss) per share [e] 38,712,000 38,712,000 1,000 36,971,500
Weighted-average shares used in computing diluted net income (loss) per share [e] 38,712,000 40,696,706 1,000 36,971,500
Basic net income (loss) per share $ (0.46 ) $ 0.51 $ 17,616 $ 0.33
Diluted net income (loss) per share $ (0.46 ) $ 0.49 $ 17,616 $ 0.33
[a] The adjustments for selling, general, and administrative expenses include management and pre-initial public offering board fees, certain non-cash and other one-time compensation, follow-on offering fees, lease termination costs and special committee investigation and remediation costs. See table titled “Reconciliation of GAAP Net Income (Loss) to Adjusted Net Income” for additional details.
[b] Assumes a normalized tax rate of 40% for all periods presented. See table titled “Reconciliation of GAAP Net Income (Loss) to Adjusted Net Income” for additional details.
[c] Adjusted net income is a supplemental measure of financial performance that is not required by, or presented in accordance with, GAAP. We define adjusted net income as consolidated net income (loss) less non-recurring and other items. Adjusted net income is included in this press release because management believes that adjusted net income provides meaningful supplemental information for investors regarding the performance of our business and facilitates a meaningful evaluation of actual results on a comparable basis with historical results. Our management uses this non-GAAP financial measure in order to have comparable financial results to analyze changes in our underlying business from quarter to quarter.
[d] EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are supplemental measures of financial performance that are not required by, or presented in accordance with, GAAP. We define EBITDA as consolidated net income (loss) before depreciation and amortization, interest expense and provision for income taxes. Adjusted EBITDA reflects further adjustments to EBITDA to eliminate the impact of certain items including non-cash or other items that we do not consider representative of our ongoing financial performance. EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are included in this press release because they are key metrics used by management, our Board of Directors and our principal shareholders to assess our financial performance, and Adjusted EBITDA is used in connection with determining incentive compensation under our Management Incentive Program (“MIP”). Additionally, EBITDA is frequently used by analysts, investors and other interested parties to evaluate companies in our industry. We believe that Adjusted EBITDA provides useful information facilitating operating performance comparisons from period to period and company to company. We use EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA, alongside other GAAP measures such as gross profit, operating income (loss) and net income (loss), to measure profitability, as a key profitability target in our annual and other budgets, and to compare our performance against that of peer companies. Please see the table titled “Reconciliation of Net Income (Loss) to EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA” for further information.
[e] On an adjusted basis for the three months ended July 28, 2012, basic and diluted shares outstanding include (1) the impact of the Reorganization, as well as (2) the 4,782,609 shares of common stock that the Company issued and sold on November 7, 2012 in its initial public offering, as if such events had been completed as of the beginning of the period and the common stock resulting therefrom was outstanding for the period.
Selling, general and administrative expenses [a] 268,372 (66,050 ) 202,322 29.6 % 171,830 (3,690 ) 168,140 32.9 %
[d] EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are supplemental measures of financial performance that are not required by, or presented in accordance with, GAAP. We define EBITDA as consolidated net income (loss) before depreciation and amortization, interest expense and provision for income taxes. Adjusted EBITDA reflects further adjustments to EBITDA to eliminate the impact of certain items including non-cash or other items that we do not consider representative of our ongoing financial performance. EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are included in this press release because they are key metrics used by management, our Board of Directors and our principal shareholders to assess our financial performance, and Adjusted EBITDA is used in connection with determining incentive compensation under our MIP. Additionally, EBITDA is frequently used by analysts, investors and other interested parties to evaluate companies in our industry. We believe that Adjusted EBITDA provides useful information facilitating operating performance comparisons from period to period and company to company. We use EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA, alongside other GAAP measures such as gross profit, operating income (loss) and net income (loss), to measure profitability, as a key profitability target in our annual and other budgets, and to compare our performance against that of peer companies. Please see the table titled “Reconciliation of Net Income (Loss) to EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA” for further information.
[e] On an adjusted basis for the six months ended July 28, 2012, basic and diluted shares outstanding include (1) the impact of the Reorganization, as well as (2) the 4,782,609 shares of common stock that the Company issued and sold on November 7, 2012 in its initial public offering, as if such events had been completed as of the beginning of the period and the common stock resulting therefrom was outstanding for the period.
RECONCILIATION OF NET INCOME (LOSS) TO OPERATING INCOME (LOSS)
AND ADJUSTED OPERATING INCOME
Net income (loss) $ (17,835 ) $ 17,616 $ (17,996 ) $ 13,888
Interest expense 1,191 1,479 2,031 3,054
Income tax expense (benefit) (11,136 ) 567 (11,304 ) 623
Operating income (loss) (27,780 ) 19,662 (27,269 ) 17,565
Management and pre-IPO board fees [a] — 1,198 — 2,087
Non-cash compensation [b] 59,832 — 63,155 —
Follow-on offering fees [c] 2,128 — 2,895 —
Lease termination costs [d] — (961 ) — (386 )
Special committee investigation and remediation [e] — 1,989 — 1,989
Adjusted operating income $ 34,180 $ 21,888 $ 38,781 $ 21,255
[a] Represents fees paid in accordance with our management services agreement with Home Holdings, LLC (“Home Holdings”), as well as fees and expense reimbursements paid to our Board of Directors prior to the initial public offering. All management fees were paid in full at the time of the initial public offering. Board fees and expenses subsequent to the initial public offering are not included in the above adjustments and are included in both the operating and adjusted operating income (loss) amounts.
[b] Includes non-cash compensation charges related to the performance-based vesting of certain shares granted to Mr. Friedman, as well as the one-time, fully vested option granted to Mr. Friedman upon his reappointment as Chairman and Co-Chief Executive Officer in July 2013. All other equity related awards granted to employees are not included in the above adjustments and are included in both the operating and adjusted operating income (loss) amounts.
[c] Represents legal and other professional fees incurred in connection with our follow-on offerings in May 2013 and July 2013.
[d] Includes lease termination costs for retail stores that were closed prior to their respective lease termination dates. The amounts in the three and six months ended July 28, 2012 relate to changes in estimates regarding liabilities for future lease payments for closed stores.
[e] Represents legal and other professional fees, incurred in connection with the investigation conducted by the special committee of the Board of Directors relating to Mr. Friedman and our subsequent remedial actions.
RECONCILIATION OF NET INCOME (LOSS) TO EBITDA AND ADJUSTED EBITDA
Depreciation and amortization 6,598 6,468 13,228 12,892
EBITDA [a] (21,182 ) 26,130 (14,041 ) 30,457
Management and pre-IPO board fees [b] — 1,198 — 2,087
Non-cash compensation [c] 59,832 351 63,155 738
Follow-on offering fees [d] 2,128 — 2,895 —
Lease termination costs [e] — (961 ) — (386 )
Special committee investigation and remediation [f] — 1,989 — 1,989
Other [g] — 31 — 12
Adjusted EBITDA [a] $ 40,778 $ 28,738 $ 52,009 $ 34,897
[a] EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are supplemental measures of financial performance that are not required by, or presented in accordance with, GAAP. We define EBITDA as consolidated net income (loss) before depreciation and amortization, interest expense and provision for income taxes. Adjusted EBITDA reflects further adjustments to EBITDA to eliminate the impact of certain items including non-cash or other items that we do not consider representative of our ongoing financial performance. EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are included in this press release because they are key metrics used by management, our Board of Directors and our principal shareholders to assess our financial performance, and Adjusted EBITDA is used in connection with determining incentive compensation under our MIP. Additionally, EBITDA is frequently used by analysts, investors and other interested parties to evaluate companies in our industry. We believe that Adjusted EBITDA provides useful information facilitating operating performance comparisons from period to period and company to company. We use EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA, alongside other GAAP measures such as gross profit, operating income (loss) and net income (loss), to measure profitability, as a key profitability target in our annual and other budgets, and to compare our performance against that of peer companies. EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are not GAAP measures of our financial performance or liquidity and should not be considered as alternatives to net income (loss), as a measure of financial performance, cash flows from operating activities, as a measure of liquidity, or any other performance measure derived in accordance with GAAP and they should not be construed as an implication that our future results will be unaffected by non-recurring and other items. Our measures of EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are not necessarily comparable to other similarly titled captions for other companies due to different methods of calculation.
[b] Represents fees paid in accordance with our management services agreement with Home Holdings, as well as fees and expense reimbursements paid to our Board of Directors prior to the initial public offering. All management fees were paid in full at the time of the initial public offering. Board fees and expenses subsequent to the initial public offering are not included in the above adjustments and are included in both the EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA amounts.
[c] The three and six months ended August 3, 2013 include non-cash compensation charges related to the performance-based vesting of certain shares granted to Mr. Friedman, as well as the one-time, fully vested option granted to Mr. Friedman upon his reappointment as Chairman and Co-Chief Executive Officer in July 2013. The three and six months ended July 28, 2012 includes stock-based compensation expense incurred prior to the initial public offering. All other equity related awards granted to employees subsequent to the initial public offering are not included in the above adjustments and are included in both the EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA amounts.
[d] Represents legal and other professional fees incurred in connection with our follow-on offerings in May 2013 and July 2013.
[e] Includes lease termination costs for retail stores that were closed prior to their respective lease termination dates. The amounts in the three and six months ended July 28, 2012 relate to changes in estimates regarding liabilities for future lease payments for closed stores.
[f] Represents legal and other professional fees, incurred in connection with the investigation conducted by the special committee of the Board of Directors relating to Mr. Friedman and our subsequent remedial actions.
[g] Represents certain other items which management believes are not indicative of our ongoing operating performance, which includes foreign exchange gains and losses for the three and six months ended July 28, 2012.
RECONCILIATION OF GAAP NET INCOME (LOSS) TO ADJUSTED NET INCOME
GAAP net income (loss) $ (17,835 ) $ 17,616 $ (17,996 ) $ 13,888
Adjustments (pre-tax):
Management and pre-IPO board fees [a] $ — $ 1,198 $ — $ 2,087
Subtotal adjusted items 61,960 2,226 66,050 3,690
Impact of income tax items [f] (24,332 ) (7,597 ) (26,004 ) (6,658 )
Adjusted net income [g] $ 19,793 $ 12,245 $ 22,050 $ 10,920
[a] Represents fees paid in accordance with our management services agreement with Home Holdings, as well as fees and expense reimbursements paid to our Board of Directors prior to the initial public offering. All management fees were paid in full at the time of the initial public offering. Board fees and expenses subsequent to the initial public offering are not included in the above adjustments and are included in both the GAAP and adjusted net income (loss) amounts.
[b] Includes non-cash compensation charges related to the performance-based vesting of certain shares granted to Mr. Friedman, as well as the one-time, fully vested option granted to Mr. Friedman upon his reappointment as Chairman and Co-Chief Executive Officer in July 2013. All other equity related awards granted to employees are not included in the above adjustments and are included in both the GAAP and adjusted net income (loss) amounts.
[f] Assumes a normalized tax rate of 40% for all periods presented.
[g] Adjusted net income is a supplemental measure of financial performance that is not required by, or presented in accordance with, GAAP. We define adjusted net income as consolidated net income (loss) less non-recurring and other items. Adjusted net income is included in this press release because management believes that adjusted net income provides meaningful supplemental information for investors regarding the performance of our business and facilitates a meaningful evaluation of actual results on a comparable basis with historical results. Our management uses this non-GAAP financial measure in order to have comparable financial results to analyze changes in our underlying business from quarter to quarter.
RECONCILIATION OF NET INCOME (LOSS) PER SHARE TO
ADJUSTED NET INCOME PER SHARE
GAAP diluted net loss per share $ (0.46 ) $ 17,616 $ (0.47 ) $ 13,888
Pro forma diluted net income (loss) per share [a] $ (0.44 ) $ 0.48 $ (0.46 ) $ 0.38
EPS impact of adjustments (pre-tax):
Management and pre-IPO board fees [b] $ — $ 0.03 $ — $ 0.06
Non-cash compensation [c] 1.47 — 1.60 —
Follow-on offering fees [d] 0.05 — 0.07 —
Lease termination costs [e] — (0.03 ) — (0.01 )
Special committee investigation and remediation [f] — 0.05 — 0.05
Subtotal adjusted items 1.52 0.05 1.67 0.10
Impact of income tax items [g] (0.59 ) (0.20 ) (0.65 ) (0.18 )
Adjusted diluted net income per share [h] $ 0.49 $ 0.33 $ 0.56 $ 0.30
[a] Pro forma diluted net loss per share for the three and six months ended August 3, 2013 is calculated based on GAAP net loss and diluted weighted-average shares of 40,696,706 and 39,511,685, respectively. Pro forma diluted net income per share for the three and six months ended July 28, 2012 is calculated based on GAAP net income and the Company’s vested share count as if (1) the Reorganization and (2) initial public offering had been completed as of the beginning of the respective periods and the common stock resulting therefrom was outstanding for the respective periods.
[b] Represents fees paid in accordance with our management services agreement with Home Holdings, as well as fees and expense reimbursements paid to our Board of Directors prior to the initial public offering. All management fees were paid in full at the time of the initial public offering. Board fees and expenses subsequent to the initial public offering are not included in the above adjustments and are included in both the GAAP and adjusted net income (loss) amounts.
[c] Includes non-cash compensation charges related to the performance-based vesting of certain shares granted to Mr. Friedman, as well as the one-time, fully vested option granted to Mr. Friedman upon his reappointment as Chairman and Co-Chief Executive Officer in July 2013. All other equity related awards granted to employees are not included in the above adjustments and are included in both the GAAP and adjusted net income (loss) amounts.
[g] Assumes a normalized tax rate of 40% for all periods presented.
[h] Adjusted diluted net income per share is a supplemental measure of financial performance that is not required by, or presented in accordance with GAAP. We define adjusted net income per share as consolidated net income (loss) less non-recurring and other items divided by the Company’s post-initial public offering share count. Adjusted net income per share is included in this press release because management believes that adjusted net income per share provides meaningful supplemental information for investors regarding the performance of our business and facilitates a meaningful evaluation of actual results on a comparable basis with historical results. Our management uses this non-GAAP financial measure in order to have comparable financial results to analyze changes in our underlying business from quarter to quarter.
Source: Restoration Hardware Holdings, Inc.
restoration hardware holdings
Wood Pro Expo group sees Blum in action
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Wood Council applauds House passage of Resilient Federal Forests Act
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Home *writing Authors British SCBWI children's writers Emma Finlayson-Palmer Homefeature Inspirations K. M. Lockwood Matt Haig MG SCBWI SCBWI UK writing ya INSPIRATIONS FROM THE BOOKSHELF Matt Haig
This month, K. M. Lockwood interviews Emma Finlayson-Palmer about one of her literary heroes for Inspirations from the Bookshelf - can you guess who?
I realise picking one favourite author is almost impossible – so who would you pick off the shelf today?
It is near impossible to pick only one as so many authors are amazing and inspiring! But I would like to choose Matt Haig. I am in awe of how he crosses such a wide range of genres and age groups with his books. There is something for everyone from small children upwards, and both fiction and non-fiction.
When did you first come across Matt Haig – and how?
I first discovered Matt Haig via Andrea Semple, who is a published writer and also married to Matt Haig. I had been a subscriber of her writing tips newsletter for a while when she announced that Matt’s first book, The Last Family in England, was being released in 2004 and as a fan of Andrea I decided to give Matt’s book a try and was hooked from there on in!
What attracted you then?
Matt’s writing was fresh and different to anything I’d read at the time. His first book was also told from the point of view of the family dog. It was a dark and quirky observation of family life, which is often the core of many of his books.
How has that initial reaction changed over time?
Over time Matt has released many different types of books covering a multitude of topics, from Christmas and elves, through vampires, aliens, humans, and his own battle with depression. With each book his writing has evolved and so have I as a reader, and find that his ability to cross genres and age groups in his writing is both exciting and inspiring. Something that Neil Gaiman also does (and yes, sorry, I snuck in a second favourite!).
Please share how Matt has influenced you – as a person and as a writer.
Matt Haig’s writing has touched and inspired me on many levels. As a person I feel I’ve learnt a lot about myself, especially through his non-fiction. As a writer it’s challenged me to think about approaching stories from different perspectives and exploring themes and ideas in greater depth and not shy away from subjects that might be difficult or painful to write. His writing excites me and makes me feel it is possible to also write for different age groups and genres, and that it can be done well and you don’t have to be boxed into one specific area of writing.
If someone hasn’t come across Matt Haig before, where should they start?
You could start with his first book, or his most recent, or close your eyes and pick one at random! There are so many to choose from it’s hard to say just one, but perhaps one that appeals to many is The Humans, for its humour and touching observations on what it is to be human. Told from the point of view of an alien in human form appreciating all the little things in life that we may take for granted.
Thank you, Emma, for sharing a more contemporary inspiration from your bookshelf who will probably appeal to a wide range of our readers.
Featured image: A selection of Emma's Matt Haig books taken by herself
Emma Finlayson-Palmer has won numerous short story competitions, and is a Mslexia Children’s Novel Award Longlistee - 2019 for her MG Thriller inspired by The Birds, Ornithophobia. She's been featured in magazines such as Anorak magazine for children, has written six children’s novels, started many more, as well as being mother to a multitude of children, cats and chickens. Host of #ukteenchat, Twitter chat for writers of children’s fiction. Mentor for #WriteMentor, runs her own editing and mentoring service with Wonder Writers. A SCBWI member since 2014 and Girl Thursday for the SCBWI Twitter account, based in the West Midlands, and currently working on a chapter book about cheerleading witches!
finlayson-palmer.blogspot.com
INSPIRATIONS FROM THE BOOKSHELF Matt Haig Reviewed by K.M.Lockwood on 06:30 Rating: 5
Tags : *writing Authors British SCBWI children's writers Emma Finlayson-Palmer Homefeature Inspirations K. M. Lockwood Matt Haig MG SCBWI SCBWI UK writing ya
Compelling reasons to pick up a Matt Haig book. It's wonderful when you discover a writer and follow their writing journey from that 1st book. Thank you I really enjoyed the article.
FinlaysonPalmer 5 May 2019 at 18:55
Thank you, glad it was helpful 😊
I was scraping the barrel for some new author I might enjoy Thanks for the heads up about this one I'm off to the library now
Wonder Writers 8 May 2019 at 14:33
So many Matt Haig books to choose from too, yoully be spoilt for choice 🙂
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taxable
taxable is worth 18 points in the game of Scrabble®
Definitions for the word, taxable
(a.) Capable of being taxed; liable by law to the assessment of taxes; as, taxable estate; taxable commodities.
(a.) That may be legally charged by a court against the plaintiff of defendant in a suit; as, taxable costs.
71 Scrabble® words found in the Scrabble® word, taxable
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Amir-Mahathir talks on Thursday, to take relations to new heights
Amir arrives in Kuala Lumpur
Amir's visit to Malaysia will enhance bilateral ties
Italian envoy lauds robust Qatar-Italy bilateral relations
Amir, Italian president hold official talks
Amir arrives in Zagreb on 2-day state visit to Croatia
talks Mahathir Relations Amir
His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani arrived on Wednesday evening in Kuala Lumpur on a working visit to Malaysia. The Amir was welcomed upon arrival at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport by Malaysian Minister of Foreign Affairs Saifuddin Abdullah, Qatar's ambassador to Malaysia Fahad Mohamed Kafood and members of the Qatari embassy.
QNA Doha/Kuala Lumpur
*Amir arrives in Kuala Lumpur
*Qatar, Malaysia set to establish Joint High-Level Committee, reactivate Joint Technical Committee: Malaysian envoy
Beginning a working visit that is set to take Qatar-Malaysia ties to new heights, His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani arrived in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday evening.
The Amir was welcomed upon arrival at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport by Malaysia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Saifuddin Abdullah, Qatar's ambassador to Malaysia Fahad Mohamed Kafood and members of the Qatari embassy.
In a statement on Wednesday, the Malaysian Foreign Ministry described the Amir’s visit and the talks scheduled on Thursday with Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamed as an excellent opportunity for both leaders to discuss bilateral matters, as well as exchange views on a range of international issues of common concern and mutual interests.
This visit will mark the first official meeting between the Amir and the Malaysian Prime Minister since the latter took office in May this year.
The Amir will honour the winners of Sheikh Tamim Anti-Corruption International Excellence Award during a ceremony on Friday in the Malaysian city of Putrajaya in co-operation with the United Nations, the statement added.
Meanwhile, Malaysian ambassador to Qatar Ahmad Fadil Shamsuddin told Gulf Times in a statement on Wednesday that Qatar and Malaysia are set to establish a Joint High-Level Committee and reactivate the Joint Technical Committee, which will serve as a platform to monitor progress in enhancing bilateral and economic ties.
The two committees are expected to establish their meetings in the first quarter of 2019, he explained.
According to the ambassador, the total trade between Malaysia and Qatar “has increased twofold in 10 years,” from $320mn in 2007 to $670mn in 2017.
“I am proud to say that the current state of bilateral relations between Malaysia and Qatar is at its highest level as manifested by the exchange of high level visits. It is envisaged that these visits will enhance Malaysia-Qatar relations especially in trade and investment, education, women and community development, anti-corruption, and also to forge closer personal relations with Qatari leaders.
“I am of the view that His Highness’s second visit to Malaysia will enhance the opportunity to discuss ways and means and to further strengthen bilateral cooperation between the two countries, as well as exchange views on various issues that are of mutual concern and common interests with the Qatari leaders,” the ambassador added.
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Lenovo, Acer picked for Tassie schools
The Tasmanian Department of Education has placed Lenovo and Acer on its panel to supply computers to schools for the Federal Government's Digital Education Revolution.
By Suzanne Tindal | April 20, 2009 -- 04:05 GMT (21:05 PDT) | Topic: Hardware
Due to the panel arrangement, there is no set contract amount, however, 13 government schools in Tasmania have already been earmarked for 634 computers in the first round of funding, while 56 government schools took part of Tasmania's $5.2 million round two funding in January in order to buy almost 4000 computers.
No Tasmanian schools received funding from the Federal Government's supplementary 2.1 round of funding.
Other states have previously made public announcements about the purchase of hardware for their schools.
The NSW Government has signed a $150 million contract with Lenovo to build up to 267,000 laptops. Victoria has initiated a trial with Lenovo and Acer, rolling out around 10,000 netbooks to schools across the state — 8000 from Lenovo and 2000 from Acer.
The computers in schools plan, dubbed the "Digital Education Revolution" began with a promise of $1 billion in November 2007. An additional $807 million for the program was served up 12 months later.
More from Suzanne Tindal
How to go green without breaking the bank
SAGE-AU puts conference on ice
Does the US Apple-Samsung verdict matter in Australia?
Daily Cuppa: VMworld kicks off
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Home LOCAL NEWS Binga Chief Speaks On First Lady Fish Pond Donation ,“We Want Meaningful...
Binga Chief Speaks On First Lady Fish Pond Donation ,“We Want Meaningful Development.”
Binga Chief Speaks On First Lady Fish Pond Donation, “We Want Meaningful Development.”
As a Chief, my community and I were not consulted on the project and there was no formal invitation which is a sign of some of form of disrespect.
If we were consulted we could have not have opted for the Fish Pond project because it has no political, social, educational and economic contribution to the school and community development.
The project is not viable and sustainable because there is insufficient sustainable water supply and the borehole is not dependable. We as Binga district need an adequate supply of water in the forms of dams for fishing projects and farming projects.
Pashu community in Binga district lies in Region 4 and 5 where it is nationally known that there is insufficient water for sustainability, therefore, there are perennial droughts.
If consulted we could have rejected the Fish pond project as it is meaningless in our valuation of community sustainability and could have opted for a dam for irrigation, livestock, fishing and any other activities.
The school is situated next to a proposed dam site (about a kilometre) which was shown to the 3 departments. In Binga District supply of adequate water is our first priority. We need a bigger and better supply of water for meaningful development, not Fish Ponds.
To us, such is our great expectations for development educationally. Strangely Bulawayo Kraal Secondary, a school that is situated at a stone throw from the Zambezi Lake, who in his right mind could buy, eat or sell fingerlings when there are plenty plus fish in the Zambezi lake.
Pashu community and other greater parts of Binga are still in the stone age period as these basic needs are still scarce to find. Since communication, ZESA and roads are also basic needs for development we as Binga District need these most.
There is no compensation by the National Parks to the community for crops destroyed by wildlife such as elephants. There is also very low recruitment of our local children despite holding the largest National Park in the country.
Our National Constitution stipulates that locals should benefit from their local resources. Beitbridge and Victoria Falls get billions of money yet very little of these resources are given to the local communities directly for development.
There is very little if any activities are undertaken to rehabilitate damaged lands in Pashu and in Binga. There are contradictions, for instance, allocations of mining certificates to coal mines situated upstream to the Gwaai/ Shangani Dam.
The Forestry Department is not contributing much to the community, therefore, we need big, better sustainable forestry development projects.
Having said the above, I further on stated that we considered Her Excellency and First Lady our point of call in distress, as she was our focal point and link to the Head of State and Government.
As the old adage says “ For any successful business or leadership, there is a strong wise woman behind”.
I went on to state that ZANU-PF and General elections are a disaster in Pashu and Binga because of such meaningless projects which fail to win people’s hearts and minds of our community.
I also went on to state that the fish pond project needed a lot of time and resources to make it a better project before the final officiation of it to the community.
Also mentioned that as Binga District we need bigger and better projects and such a high powered delegation (Min of Environments, Tourism & Hospitality, Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Provincial Min of State for Mat North and Her Excellency and First Lady)… At this point, Her Excellency and First Lady intervened and said I had said too much for Her, that she was not part of the Government, that she was a Mother of the Nation without any form of exclusion.
She said there are MPs and Ministers responsible, She is neutral and does not need politics in Her activities and that I did not respect Her. Thereafter she expressed that she was not comfortable to proceed with Her agenda.
When I tried to apologise she refused. Nevertheless, after concerted persuasion, she eventually accepted to officiate the occasion.
The Fish Pond as of now;
the structure is not complete
insufficient water from the borehole
fingerlings dying maybe due to hot water
not fenced, open to damages from cattle, goats and donkeys that need water to drink
made of black plastic lining that absorbs heat
is a danger to children as they could jump into or fall into the pond resulting in accidents and death.
My address was intended to highlight most pertinent challenges experienced by Pashu Community and Binga in general that need ZANU-PF Party and Government.
It was not my intention to sound like I was attacking Her Excellency and First Lady, disrespecting Her and the entire First Family. In my view, the intention was to express our concerns and to seek assistance for meaningful development.
George Nyathi, Chief Pashu,
Binga Chief
Fish Pond Donation
Meaningful Development
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History, Culture and Creativity Take Center Stage at This Dynamic Bicultural Event
"The Bridge: Latinx Artists Talk Culture and Creativity" at the Missouri History Museum on Aug. 8 is an opportunity to explore the St. Louis arts scene through the lens of a growing and thriving [...]
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The Magic of Musical Theater: The Muny Celebrates Its 101st Season with a Sensational Program
The upcoming season at St. Louis’ iconic amphitheater has something for everyone. Audiences can try their luck in gangster-era New York City, see the funnier side of our nation's founding, swoon [...]
Urban Chestnut Brewing Company Presents Maifest 2019
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Enjoy Savory (and Sweet) Specials During Cortex Restaurant Week
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Show Me: A Conversation with ALIVE Editor-in-Chief Attilio D’Agostino
ALIVE's current issue reflects subtle updates to the design and mission statement—but the editorial philosophy is still the same: “Rather than telling everyone how impressive artists and [...]
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Silence! The Musical – Live Performance Review
October 26, 2012 | 0
*Book by Hunter Bell, adapted from the Kaplan brothers’ screenplay. Directed and choreographed by Christopher Gattelli. Featuring Alaine Kashian, Andrew PIrozzi, Jesse Merlin, and Jeff Hiller.
Davis Gaines as Hannibal Lecter, Jeff Hiller as Guard
This ribald, razzmatazz retelling of the Oscar-winning and awfully frightful film The Silence of the Lambs — in dulcet musical tones and Fosse’esque interpretive dance and complete with a Greek chorus of limber lambs — was a cult hit in New York and across the country. And now, it’s in La-la Land!
While L.A. isn’t known as a mecca of theater, there are some good shows to be seen; especially those of the outré sort. I’ve attended quite a few horror musicals here — from The Fly: The Opera, to versions of Jekyll & Hyde, and Re-Animator — but my new favorite, by about a size 14, is Silence! The Musical.
I must admit… I was a bit skeptical, especially when a friend who’d already seen it (and loved it) told me it was crude and raunchy. Usually, I associate those words with hi-jinks of the sort which appeal to teenage boys which is, frankly, not the demographic I relate to. I walked into the Hayworth Theatre with slight trepidation, but practically pranced out with unabashed appreciation.
According to the handouts, some of the roles were played by understudies (including the pivotal one of Clarice Starling) but the show is so tight and titillating, as a first timer you’d never know the difference. Christine Lakin normally stars, but Alaine Kashian is amusingly accurate with her earnest manner, cheap brown pantsuit paired with an even cheaper brown wig, and thick accent (“I’ll look within my-shelf”).
Davis Gaines is haughty and naughty by turns as Dr. Hannibal Lecter, while Jeff Skowron as Buffalo Bill not only has the most shocking reveal in the musical, but the most memorable mumble this side of Brando.
Jesse Merlin (from Re-Animator: The Musical) is dashingly charming as the Wile E. Coyote character of Dr. Chilton. The poor guy can never catch a break and gets shut down at every turn, but he’s plucky. He never gives up, and can he ever hold a note (if not his pen). Jeff Hiller as Sgt. Pembry (and in a few other roles… in fact, the cast reinvents itself quite a few times, with raucous results) is simply sublime.
The songs in this black sheep comedy are all mock and droll fantasy, with teasing tunes ranging from “If I Could Smell Your Cunt” to “Are You About A Size 14,” “Quid Pro Quo,” “My Daughter Is Catherine (Catherine’s Her Name)”, and the biggest hit of the show, Buffalo Bill’s “I’d Fuck Me” ode to the ultimate in self-love.
Photo gallery: Silence! The Musical. L.A. cast – http://silencethemusical-la.com/gallery/.
The book follows the film beat-for-beat, so I think being a fan of the flick, or better yet having seen it again recently, will enhance your enjoyment of the on-stage shenanigans. Ted Tally’s screenplay is subverted to skit humor Saturday Night Live-meets-A Chorus Line style. In the movie, Clarice was Criminal Psychology major, and in Silence! she’s mastered “Criminal Psychology and dance … tap, ballet and jazz.” The celluloid Hannibal boasts of eating a victim’s liver “with some fava beans and a nice Chianti,” while his stage counterpart admits, “truth be told, it was an indifferent Beaujolais and spicy couscous.”
The ways in which the helicopter scene, the screaming lamb slaughter, and the moth-mouthed autopsy are reenacted are madcap fun, yet spot-on accurate. There isn’t ever a moment in the play in which you might wonder what’s going on. It’s a pretty intimate, lo-fi production, augmented quite a bit by inventive lighting and some very simple props.
Silence! has actually been around for 10 years, when it debuted online. It was then expanded into a live stage show a few years later and won several awards (NYCFringe’s Best Musical Award, Time Magazine Top ten and a Winner as the Best Musical at the Off Broadway Alliance Awards). But surprisingly, the horror community at large isn’t in on this fabulous joke. Let’s change that! Tickets to this show are an excellent Halloween treat or Xmas gift (the show runs in L.A. through till the end of 2012).
‘SILENCE! The Musical’ (90 minutes, no intermission)
Where: Hayworth Theatre, 2511 Wilshire Blvd., L.A.
When: 8 p.m. Thursdays- -Saturdays, 3 and 7 p.m. Sundays
Tickets: $45-$75
Contact: http://www.silencethemusical.com or (866) 811-4111
Reviewed by Staci Layne Wilson
Posted in Uncategorized and tagged Alaine Kashian, Andrew Plrozzi, Buffalo Bill, Christine Lakin, Christopher Gattelli, Clarice Starling, David Gaines, Dr. Chilton, Dr. Hannibal Lecter, Hannibal, Hayworth Theatre, horror musicals, Hunter Bell, Jeff Hiller, Jeff Skowron, Jekyll & Hyde, Jesse Merlin, Kaplan Brothers, NYCFringe, Re-Animator, Sgt. Pembry, Silence! The Musical, staci layne wilson, Ted Tally, The Fly: The Opera, The Silence of the Lambs, Time Magazine
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Expert Betting Tips - English FA Cup Betting Tips
Luton vs Sheffield Wed
Luton vs Sheffield Wed - Expert Betting Tips
League: English FA Cup
Bet on Luton vs Sheffield Wed and claim your 100% bonus with Unibet.com !
Luton have lost just one of their last 13 matches against Sheffield Wednesday in all competitions (W5 D7) and are unbeaten against the Owls since a 2-3 defeat in the top-flight back in February 1992 (W4 D5 since).
Sheffield Wednesday have failed to score in five of their last seven English FA Cup matches (W2 D3 L2) and in each of their last three (D2 L1).
Luton have progressed from six of their last seven English FA Cup replays, most recently beating Bury 1-0 in 2014-15 to progress through to the third round.
Sheffield Wednesday have been eliminated from the English FA Cup by third tier sides on each of the last four occasions they have come up against such opponents, most recently losing 2-3 against Shrewsbury Town in the fourth round in 2015-16.
We propose the best expert betting tip for the event Luton vs Sheffield Wed, valid for the English FA Cup, which will be played on 15.01.2019 19:45. Look for the best betting odds of English FA Cup recommended by the best bookmakers.
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Canada Moto Guide
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Features, Newsletter, Slant - editorial
Opinion: Smart politics
December 12, 2018 Mark Richardson 6 Comments
The piece of legislation was buried in the Ontario Highway Traffic Act, tough to find even if you knew to look for it. Regulation 630 made a mockery of Harley-Davidson’s Livewire and other electric motorcycles by forbidding them on the province’s controlled-access highways – Highway 401 and 400 and the like. Bicycles aren’t allowed, or mopeds, or wheelchairs, which is fair enough, but up until last Thursday afternoon, nor was “a motorcycle driven by electricity stored in the vehicle.”
Harley-Davidson’s Livewire would not have been allowed on Ontario’s controlled-access highways next year under the recent legislation.
“Regulation 630 was put in 35 years ago, basically as a safety issue. At the time, electric vehicles did not have the range or the speed to safely be on controlled-access highways,” said Paul Demers. “It was to make sure we wouldn’t have these types of vehicles littered along the sides, and people abandoning them, looking for help and stuff like that.”
Demers is the Director of Policy and Government Relations for Canada’s Motorcycle and Moped Industry Council (MMIC), and he says it wasn’t as straightforward as you’d think to remove the regulation from the books.
When he spotted it late last year, he says he asked for a meeting with the Liberal transport minister, Steven Del Duca, but got nowhere. Two months later, Kathryn McGarry was appointed transport minister, but she wouldn’t take a meeting to discuss it. When the Doug Ford Tories were elected in the summer, however, the process began with new minister John Yakabuski, and when he was shuffled out recently in favour of Jeff Yurek, it was a simple process to see through.
“Under the new government, it took six months, but I’ll give them the first couple of months to find out where the washrooms are, and find some staff,” said Demers. “Realistically, everything happened within two months.”
Ontario’s Minister of Transportation, Jeff Yurek – is he really a biker at heart?
In fact, the decision was made a few weeks ago, but the conservative government wanted to include it in last week’s announcement of some 25 or so regulations it’s just killed or amended to remove red tape. In this case, it’s been amended to allow electric motorcycles made in 2009 or later, and with a power output of at least 11 kW. In Harley’s case, the Livewire has an output of five times that.
Wait, what? Hang on – Ontario’s new conservative government wants to do away with overlooked regulations that are now just stupid? Did Premier Doug Ford read my open letter to him back in July? What about – brace yourself – motorcycles being allowed to ride in Ontario’s HOV lanes at last?
This is, after all, the dumbest of dumb rules in Ontario: High-Occupancy Vehicle lanes are reserved for vehicles with two or more people on board. This is solely to beat congestion, by providing an incentive for commuters to car-pool. This sounds great, but unlike anywhere else in the world, single riders on motorcycles in Ontario are not allowed to use them, despite taking up very little space in the road – certainly less space than a car with two people. There are exceptions for hybrid-electric vehicles with solitary drivers, and for some people on the QEW prepared to pay for the access, but not for single motorcyclists.
Hwy. 404 leaving Toronto and heading north to Markham and Richmond Hill – motorcycles in the HOV lanes without passengers will be ticketed.
Might this new government finally accept that the provincial Liberals screwed up when they opened the first HOV lanes in 2005 and excluded single motorcyclists from using them?
Demers said it’s already being considered.
“Just today (last Friday), I was guided to the right people to talk to,” he said. “The minister’s office is very happy to hear of anything that can be removed that doesn’t make any sense. We do believe that we’ll have a case with regards to HOV lanes, to allow single riders to use and access HOV lanes.
“We just need to find out if it’s a regulation change, or if it’s an amendment to a piece of legislation, which is more complicated. If it’s just a regulation that can be changed with the signature of a minister, then certainly, we’ll be demanding this is done before the start of spring.”
Wow! At last! The truly impressive thing is that neither Doug Ford nor Jeff Yurek have motorcycle licences – I’d always assumed it would take a motorcyclist as Transport Minister to sympathize with our concerns.
This is the way it should be, in California, and how it will be next spring if the MMIC gets its way.
I got excited and asked if the MMIC would also champion the removal of helmet laws (which would be dumb) or the acceptance of lane-splitting. Demers said helmet laws are a non-starter because all the OEMs design their motorcycles to be ridden by riders with helmets – fair enough – but lane-splitting…
“We’re still a way from the cultural shift of lane-splitting,” said Demers, and then David Grummet, the MMIC’s director of communications, chipped in.
“We have been working on this with Toronto Vision Zero – that’s more on a municipal level,” said Grummett, referring to the experimental program in Toronto. “But we’ll cross one bridge at a time and go for the HOV lanes before we ever mention lane-splitting on highways.”
That’s fine with me. I’m still over the moon on perhaps being allowed to ride my motorcycle in the HOV lanes come the spring, like everywhere else in the world. And when I do, it can even be on an electric bike. The times are changing. It’s good, at last, to see some politicians changing with them.
Electric motorcyclefeaturedhighway traffic actHOV lanesJeff YurekLiveWireMMICmotorcycleOntario
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6 thoughts on “Opinion: Smart politics”
Singletrack says:
It’s a step in the right direction that government actually responded to a reasonable request to meet from a public organization (at least one that didn’t offer a significant financial contribution first).
Have any tickets for riding solo in HOV lanes actually been issued in Ontario?
I would think simple common sense from the OPP with a bit of justified civil disobedience from riders would render this a moot point.
TK4 says:
Now if the MMIC could just prod them into the motor vehicle insurance inquiry and premium cuts that the last Ontario provincial government promised…?
Deuce says:
Vancouver area HOV lanes are allowed to be used by motorcycles also.
Ryan H Craig says:
” Demers said helmet laws are a non-starter because all the OEMs design their motorcycles to be ridden by riders with helmets – fair enough ”
WTF does that mean? In what way are motorcycles designed to be ridden by riders with helmets, or without? AFAIK pretty much all bikes can be ridden just as well without a helmet as with one. Not that I want to, but that’s just a silly argument. A better argument would be that a vast majority of Canadians, including riders, support helmet laws and the use of helmets, and trying to fight helmet laws would be a complete waste of whatever resources and political capital they’ve got.
It’s like the guy who’s now claiming that the law allowing Sikhs to ride helmetless is racist and discriminatory, and wants to fight it in court. He’s completely right, but it’s not something I care about enough to bother supporting with my hard earned dollars.
Jeff G says:
When referring to a person in power who can influence an outcome you are lobbying for, it is a good idea to spell that persons name correctly, especially when you omit the “u” from someone named Doug.
Mark Richardson says:
Good point, though at least I did spell it right on the first two references. Must have been confusing him with the Bounty Hunter.
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Cardinal Points: Interactive Navigation Training
Cardinal Points is a free map and compass training program used to teach navigation skills.
Using an expansive 360 degree panorama and interactive compass, this unique desktop application guides you through key navigational techniques; the closest thing to really being out there.
Map and compass navigation is not a dying art: GPS is undeniably useful, but nothing beats the simple satisfaction of being confident that you can find your way armed with just a simple map and compass.
To use Cardinal Points in your browser, click the Start button below (requires Flash).
To download a desktop version of Cardial Points, click the Install badge below.
Download Cardinal Points now.
This application requires the Adobe® AIR™ runtime to be installed for Mac OS or Windows.
Who Is Cardinal Points For?
Cardinal Points for anyone who wants to learn the basics of map and compass navigation. It's used by schools, Scouts, Duke of Edinburgh candidates and many other outdoor enthusiasts.
Navigation can be a tricky subject. Cardinal Points helps users to gain confidence in a safe environment. Being able to practice the techniques again and again is a real advantage.
What People Say about Cardinal Points
"A clean, simple and easy-to-follow set of lessons that will soon see you navigating like a pro."
"Cardinal Points is a great introduction to the art of finding one’s way around safely – something we should all be keen to promote."
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"Amazingly innovate and deceptively simple. Love it!"
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"Such a joy to navigate - very informative."
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Cardinal Points is designed and built by YonYonson © 2011
Cardinal Points Screenshots
Castlerigg Stone Circle proved to be the ideal location for the Cardinal Points interactive map and compass training program. The 360 degree panorama allows the user to pan around and take bearings from individual stones using an interactive compass whilst giving the feeling of really being out there.
The compass looks and behaves just like a real compass. The arrows and the compass itself rotate, and the needle always points north.
Take bearings from the stone circle and identify them on our simplified map of the location - or vice versa. The download also contains a PDF file of Advanced Navigation Tutorials.
Cardinal Points Location: Castlerigg Stone Circle
Castlerigg Stone Circle near Keswick in Cumbria is one of the most impressive prehistoric monuments in Britain. The Stone Circle is surrounded by a natural amphitheatre of some of the highest peaks in Cumbria: Helvellyn, Skiddaw and Blencathra.
The circle has been owned since 1913 by the National Trust. It was one of the first dozen sites to be declared an ancient monument in 1883 and the stones are in the guardianship of English Heritage. Today the site is a popular tourist attraction.
The Stone Circles in Britain seem to have been built between 2500 to 1300 BC during the Neolithic and Bronze ages. Two stone axes and a stone "club" found near the circle in the 18th century AD suggest a Neolithic (New Stone Age) construction.
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On LGBT Center Awareness Day, Two California Community Colleges Lead the Way In the CCC System
The Mt. San Antonio College Pride Center opened in 2016.
Every October 19, we celebrate LGBT Center Awareness Day, and in 2017 Sierra College (Rocklin, CA) and Mt. San Antonio College (Walnut, CA) also celebrate supporting LGBTQ community college students with professionally-staffed Pride Centers on their campuses. When the Pride Centers opened in 2016, they effectively doubled the number of campus LGBTQ centers serving 2-year institutions in the U.S. Visit the Directory to learn more.
The campuses developed different models of support. Sierra College hired a full-time Student Engagement Specialist, Mo Merritt, to supervise student scholars staff in three engagement centers, including a Pride Center, Cross-Cultural Center, and Women & Gender Resource Center. Peer leaders rotate through the centers, creating intersectional equity-driven programming. For example, in their first year, students organized events such as “That’s the way the gender crumbles” – a conversation on gender identity and expression with ginger bread people. Peer leaders also staff the center’s front desk during open hours, with pro staff stationed within the space.
Mt. SAC’s model was to give 40% release time to their founding Faculty Coordinator in 2016, History Professor Kim Earhart. Kim coordinated special events with students, such as Harvey Milk Day and a Lavender Graduation. The Pride Center provides a space for students to find community and resources. In addition to the Coordinator’s hours in the Pride Center, other faculty volunteer their time to keep the center open more often. Mt. SAC’s new coordinator for 2017-18 is Professor Melinda Bowen.
The two campuses also took different paths to opening their Pride Centers. At Sierra College, faculty drove the formation of an Equity Plan and Equity Center, to improve the success of impacted student populations. The Pride Center already existed as a volunteer-run space, and the campus added the Cross-Cultural Center and Women & Gender Resource Center to create the three new engagement centers overseen by the Student Engagement Specialist.
Mt. SAC’s plan for a Pride Center rose out of the World Café Dialogue on LGBTQ Climate in August 2015. Over 30 campus stakeholders came together in dialogue to answer the questions:
What are significant experiences or observations you can offer to help us understand the LGBTQ climate on campus?
What in your wildest dreams can be done to improve the LGBTQ climate on campus?
What steps should be taken immediately to make some of these dreams come true?
The World Café Dialogue on LGBTQ Climate Summary Report of responses led to the development of the Pride Center a year later. Read the full report by clicking here.
Other California Community Colleges continue to address the needs of LGBTQ students through staffing and student spaces. MiraCosta College (Oceanside, CA) for example is hiring a new part-time LGBTQIA Equity Specialist. Los Angeles Valley College is developing a business plan for a staffed Pride Center. They recently launched a campus LGBTQ+ Resource Page.
CCC faculty staff, administrators, and students will be attending the CCC + LGBTQ Summit on November 11, 2017 at UC Riverside, with the opportunity to share models, equity plans, and best practices for supporting LGBTQ people at community colleges. Online registration is free until October 27.
Update: The LGBTQ+ @ California Community Colleges web site also recognizes 4 CCC campuses for offering LGBT centers that are volunteer-run: City College of SF, Los Medanos College, Palomar College, and San Joaquin Delta College.
On LGBT Center Awareness Day, Two California Commu...
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3 financial decisions that will make it harder to retire
How to retire early so you can work, travel, and relax on your own schedule
Published by admin at July 12, 2019
Retiring early takes time and incredible discipline.
If you're planning to retire early, you should aim to have at least 25 to 30 times your estimated annual expenses saved or invested, though that number may be lower or higher depending on the lifestyle you envision.
To achieve your target number, live below your means, increase your income, and max out your retirement accounts.
You should also aim to pay off all debt before retiring early, which may include your mortgage. And don't forget to make a backup plan.
The road to retiring early isn't easy. It takes time and incredible discipline to earn, save, and invest as much as you possibly can.
That said, early retirement comes in various shapes and sizes and what it looks like to you will determine exactly what you need to do to get there. In general, here are the steps you can take:
1. Define early retirement
Retiring early doesn't have to mean never earning a paycheck again — unless you want it to. Many early retirees define it as not having to work to live — i.e. financial independence — but maybe you want to leave your corporate job for something more creative where you can make your own hours. Or perhaps you'd like to focus only on non-income producing hobbies, or work in spurts and travel in between.
The first step on the path to early retirement is figuring out exactly what that phrase means to you. Establishing your ideal day-to-day will make it easier to plan for — but just so you know, it will probably evolve over time.
2. Establish your target number
After outlining your version of early retirement, it's time to establish how much money you need to make it a reality.
Early retiree and self-made millionaire Grant Sabatier suggests having between 25 and 30 times your expected annual expenses saved or invested, plus a year's worth of expenses in cash. In his book "Financial Freedom: A Proven Path to All the Money You Will Ever Need," Sabatier shares the formula he used to calculate his "target number," which he then broke down into monthly, weekly, and even daily savings goals.
This part may be difficult to calculate on your own, especially when there are multiple scenarios to consider, like how a possible recession would affect your investments. A good financial planner (SmartAsset's free tool can help find one) can help you crunch the numbers and send you home with an actionable plan to achieve your goal — and even hold you accountable, if you want.
3. Live below your means
It's very difficult to build substantial, long-term wealth if you spend more than you earn. When you're working toward early retirement, it's imperative to live below your means as it's the only way to save and invest aggressively.
Focusing on reducing your biggest expenses, which are probably housing, transportation, and food, can go a long way in the effort to increase your savings rate.
4. Leverage your income
It's crucial to keep your spending in check, but you can only cut costs to a certain degree, says certified financial planner Eric Roberge. You can make an even bigger difference by increasing your income, he and his wife Kali explained on an episode of their podcast "Beyond Finances." Cutting your expenses and daily spending takes continued effort — it's a short-term solution — whereas increasing your positive cash flow is a long-term solution, they said.
Sabatier encourages taking up a side hustle to diversify your income streams. The most lucrative side hustles are those that generate passive income, such as real estate, he wrote in his book. Building a passive income business that generates a minimum amount of money to cover your monthly expenses "gives you more flexibility and potentially the opportunity to reach financial independence very quickly," he wrote.
5. Max out your retirement accounts
There's at least one common strategy present in nearly every story about financial independence and early retirement: early and frequent savings. Oftentimes the best way optimize your savings is through retirement accounts.
Employer-sponsored retirement plans and IRAs provide unparalleled tax advantages and investment growth. In 2019, you can contribute up to $19,000 pretax to a 401(k) and $6,000 to a traditional IRA for which you can get a tax deduction on your current year's tax return.
The only caveat to stuffing your retirement accounts to the brim when you're planning to retire early is the restrictions on withdrawals. You won't be able to take any money from your 401(k) without penalty until you've reached age 59 and a half. You can, however, dip into your Roth IRA, which is funded with after-tax money, and withdraw your contributions — not including any earnings — tax-free, at any time.
6. Invest the money that's left over
If you're maxing out your retirement accounts, move on to a brokerage account. This is money you can invest directly in the stock market and cash out when you need it.
Many early retirees and self-made millionaires stick to billionaire Warren Buffett's favorite investment: low-cost index funds. Index funds are all-in-one investments that track a specific financial market and are designed to diversify your money and minimize risk.
Need help crunching the numbers? SmartAsset's free tool can help find a licensed professional near you »
7. If you have a mortgage, consider paying it off
In preparing for early retirement, eliminating consumer debt with high interest rates is a no-brainer, but paying off a mortgage with good terms isn't so cut-and-dry. For some, the peace of mind of being liability-free is worth it, while others may argue that the money saved in interest payments would pale in comparison to potential investment returns.
Tommy — who only goes by his first name online — retired nearly 10 years ago at age 51, after a more than three-decade career in telecom. He never earned a six-figure salary, but focused on saving consistently since his 20s and living frugally with his wife and three kids, he wrote in a blog post. One of his biggest regrets? Not paying off his mortgage before retiring.
"So much of our having a great retirement is mental. Being mortgage free certainly adds another level of mental freedom," he wrote.
8. Research your options for health insurance
Leaving a full-time employer also means bidding farewell to your employer's health insurance. If you're waiting for Medicare to kick in at 65, usually the most cost-effective option for health insurance — if available to you — is joining a working spouse's employer-sponsored plan.
Otherwise, you may consider continuing coverage through a former employer under COBRA; browsing coverage options and potential subsidies through the Affordable Care Act marketplace; researching health-sharing plans; or getting a part-time job.
9. Make a backup plan
No matter how foolproof your plan may seem, consider what could go wrong. You may find you hate the unstructured days of early retirement — would you go back to work? Or the economy could tank, taking your net worth with it — would you have room to cut expenses? Running through potential worst-case scenarios is essential when your livelihood is on the line.
10. Put Plan A into action — but enjoy the present, too
Time and discipline are all you need to execute your plan from here on out. Keep saving and investing, but don't forget to live in the present while you can.
As early retiree Steve Adcock wrote on his blog Think, Save, Retire, "Sacrifice is necessary to retire early, but it's not all we do, either. It is important to treat and reward ourselves along the way by celebrating those smaller achievements."
Related coverage from How to Do Everything: Money:
Here's exactly how to figure out when you can retire
How to invest in real estate to make money and build wealth
How to get COBRA health insurance if you lose your job or retire early
How to invest in index funds, explained
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Home>Music> Drake's "Scorpion" Recieves Updates On Streaming Services
Drake's "Scorpion" Recieves Updates On Streaming Services
It seems Drake wasn't finished with "Scorpion" yet.
While Drake and Kanye West may not be on the best of terms at the moment, it seems as though Drake is taking a lesson from Kanye by delivering updates to his latest album, Scorpion.
When Kanye continued to make major changes to his The Life of Pablo album after its release, people assumed that streaming albums would become these ever changing works of art that artists would always be adjusting. That never really came to pass, but it showed how music streaming can offer artists a second chance to go an make small changes to something that they may not have noticed the first time, or had to leave off due to time constraints.
According to Hip-Hop N More, the changes to Scorpion are very minimal and subtle. Far from a whole new song or verse, instead we're given new Lil Wayne vocals on "In My Feelings," which originally sampled Wayne's "Lollipop." The mixing on Jay-Z's verse on "Talk Up" has been improved, which some listeners were complaining about.
Perhaps this was just a last minute adjustment to make sure everything is perfect for Drake's reign over 2018, or maybe there are even more changes on the way for the album. Fans are already coming in droves to listen to the album, and it's been reported that Scorpion will be receiving physical copies in the near future. If Drake is going to make any more changes to the project, he better do it soon. To hear the updated songs, delete the album from your song library and re-download it.
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MUSIC Drake's "Scorpion" Recieves Updates On Streaming Services
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Home>Music> Travis Scott's "Astroworld" Overtakes Drake For #1 On Billboard Albums Chart
Travis Scott's "Astroworld" Overtakes Drake For #1 On Billboard Albums Chart
Travis Scott scores the 2nd largest debut in 2018 according to Billboard.
Finally after a five week reign, someone has toppled Drake at the summit of Billboard's Top 200 Albums Chart. Unsurprisingly, it was Travis Scott who pulled off the feat, unseating Drake by a wide margin. Travis' Astroworld sold 537,000 album-equivalent units in its first week, with Drake falling to 2nd with a performance of 117,000 units sold. Rounding out the top 5 are Mac Miller (Swimming) with 66,000 units, Post Malone (beerbongs & bentleys) with 58,000 units, and YG (Stay Dangerous) with 56,000 units.
Worth noting, Post Malone has spent 15 weeks lodged in the top 5 of Billboard's Top 200, and will likely onto his place at the expense of YG (regrettably) once Nicki Minaj's numbers are counted towards the total. Of Astroworld's 537,000 units sold, 270,000 were driven by traditional album sales, meaning the album was downloaded or purchased in a single transaction.
Aside from posting the 2nd largest debut of 2018, Travis also achieved the 5th largest streaming week ever. The only albums to outperform Astroworld are both clinging to their spots in the Top 5. Drake's Scorpion holds the record at 745.92 million, while Post Malone's personal best rose to 431.3 million for beerbongs & bentleys.
This is remarkably Travis Scott's 2nd #1 album ever after outpacing the competition in 2016 with Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight. Rodeo, the album many consider his best work to date, only peaked at #3.
Music News Travis Scott astroworld Drake scorpion top 200 Billboard chart charts All Time stream streams units units sold numbers sales Figures Post Malone YG Mac Miller top 5 next week Nicki Minaj queen album new album
Teyana Taylor Loses Her Wig But Keeps Her Cool: Video
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MUSIC Travis Scott's "Astroworld" Overtakes Drake For #1 On Billboard Albums Chart
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Our culture is an unique one which has specific features and traditions. Our vision is to conserve, sustain and propagate the cultural identity and heritage of Galle (specific to Nagoda), and improve them further so as to disseminate to external world.
Conserve, promote and disseminate long-standing cultural values and traditions in the country (especially in Galle), allowing room for giving publicity at international level.
Make necessary adjustments so as to bring the cultural heritage at local level to international plain.
Identify the persons who possess local cultural traditions and talents and bring them up to national level.
Identify and nurture emerging cultural roots and traditions.
Improve the knowledge on culture and arts of the young generation (Transferring cultural heritage).
Promote reading habit of the people.
Create an environment which is conducive to respect multi-national culture and sub-cultures of different community groups.
Conserve long-standing traditions and values and inherit them to future generation.
This cultural centre was opened by Revt. Rekadahene Kusalagnana Thero, Chief Sanga Nayaka of Galu Korale, on 30th December, 2000. The financial assistance was provided by Most Venerable Dr. Kiuse Enshinjo Thero, first President of Indian Mahabodhi Society, in appreciation of the service rendered by Revt. Mapalagama Vipulasara Thero at both national and international levels.
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KXM Featuring KING'S X, KORN, Ex-DOKKEN Members To Release Circle Of Dolls Album In September
news hard rock heavy metal kxm
Building upon the success of their 2014 self-titled debut and 2017’s Scatterbrain, KXM returns with their third studio release, Circle Of Dolls. The new album is scheduled for release on September 13 via Rat Pak Records and will also be available via Frontiers Music Srl in Europe.
Circle Of Dolls is currently available for pre-order via Rat Pak Records in various bundle configurations including turquoise & black splatter vinyl, cassette and hand autographed CD packages.
KXM is comprised of Dug Pinnick of King’s X on vocals/bass, George Lynch of Lynch Mob/Dokken on guitars and Ray Luzier of Korn on drums. Circle Of Dolls features 13 brand new tracks and was recorded at the Steakhouse studio in North Hollywood California where the band once again tapped Chris “The Wizard” Collier to engineer and co-produce the new effort.
Ray Luzier comments: “There’s a certain energy that happens in the studio very quickly when George, Dug and I get together and jam. This is our 3rd record and it was recorded with the same formula as the first two albums, no pre-written ideas, we just come up with totally fresh grooves & riffs and not over think anything. We definitely didn’t repeat ourselves, but you know for sure who it is when you hear it, all 3 records have their own unique character.”
George Lynch explains: “It’s better than the first two albums. It's insane, the magic is there, the chemistry's there and we're just sitting here patting ourselves on the back, telling each other what geniuses we are.”
Dug Pinnick adds: “I hope everyone enjoys listening to it as much as we enjoyed recording it!”
From the infectious riff of the album opener “War Of Words” to the album finale of “The Border,” KXM have yet again created something truly special and musically diverse. Songs like “Lightning,” “Big As The Sun,” and “Cold Sweats” are sonically different from each other taking the listener on a musical journey. Circle of Dolls is a darker record thematically than their first two albums and builds upon the established KXM rock sound with thought provoking lyrics, catchy guitar riffs and rock-solid grooves.
Circle Of Dolls tracklisting:
"War Of Words"
"Mind Swamp"
"Circle Of Dolls"
"Lightning"
"Time Flies"
"Twice"
"Big As The Sun"
"Vessel Of Destruction"
"A Day Without Me"
"Shadow Lover"
"Cold Sweats"
"The Border"
"War Of Words" (Radio Edit) * CD & download versions only
(Photo - Kevin Baldes)
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Flash vs HTML5, and the death of Flash - My own take
Anyone want an interesting read? Check out the comments on this article on Lee Brimlow's blog website.
It started off talking about the lack of Flash support of the iPhone, and quickly degraded into name calling from the Flash-Sucks side to the Flash-Rules side, and back again. While most of the arguments are truly interesting, I also found it amazing as to how passionate the debate became. Full props to Lee for being able to moderate what I'm guessing was not a fun job.
Being a Flash developer, one might think I am biased; but my take for what it's worth, is that although it is inevitable that any language, in time, will give way to more powerful languages, in regards to Flash, that is not eminent.
The arguments against Flash seem to be as follows:
- HTML5 has native Video Support so Flash is no longer needed.
True it does have Video Support. However, even if HTML5 takes over as the standard for Video playing (which is unlikely soon, as battles reminiscent of the 90's browser wars are developing over which video standard to support. Plus, open standards are notorious for taking forever to figure things out), there are still a lot of things that Flash will still be the easiest to do in, as Flash will continue to advance as the browsers fight it out about standards. Yes, you could try to build a walking AT-AT walker in CSS, or have stars dancing (Safari only) around the page using HTML5, but why would you want to? As a true OOP language, which possibly some HTML and CSS developers are afraid to learn, it is so much easier and faster to do it in AS3. Flash is simply capable of more. It isn't just about Video. Try doing any of these in HTML5...
- Flash is a processor hog
In the cases of bad development, yes that is true. But bad development in any language is a processor hog
- Flash is annoying Advertising
Yes, advertising can be annoying. But it is advertising that is the lifeblood of the internet. If Flash disappears, another technology would come along to replace the advertising. Flash right now is the best way to code those advertisements, as it is specifically designed for handling video, interactivity, animation, databases, and everything else you could need for coding and tracking Rich-Media advertisements. And I might add that Apple, despite Steve Job's recent announcement that Flash sucks (I'm paraphrasing of course), uses Flash to display it's commercials on banner ads.
The other thing I would like to mention is that there will always be arguments to use one language over another. Not just Flash vs [insert name of technology here], but in other areas as well. When things like Silverlight and Unity get more popular, Flash will not die. It simply will give a developer more options to choose from depending on the project's needs, the developer preferences, and the language advantages.
Flash is a great option for doing certain things when done right, and will be around for a while to come. .NET does not die because of PHP or Java, or vise versa. They are tools to choose from.
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www.BridalChamber.ca
" Always seek mutual
consent with one another ... "
They said to him, ' What is the place to which we are going? ' The Lord said, '
Stand in the place you can reach! '
" Mary said, ' Everything established thus is seen. ' The Lord said, ' I have told you that it is
the one who can see who reveals. ' --The Dialogue of the Saviour "
Karma and Soul Reincarnation
Sophia-Achamoth The One; the silent Silence Ennoia; The One 'Thought' Protonoia; The One 'First-thought' Epinoia; The One 'After-thought' The All The Aeons Christ Christ Consciousness Bridal-Chamber First and 24 Mystery Karma and Soul Reincarnation Gospel of Mark The Logos Gospel of Thomas Gospel of Truth Karma Gnostic, Q Basilideans Pleroma-Multiverses Gnosticism-General Info. Sethian Gnosticism Revelation Eschatology Valentinian Tradition The Nazarenes Archons Clement of Alexandria Stromata Hippolytus - Heresies
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THE GNOSTIC THREEFOLD PATH TO ENLIGHTENMENT
The Ascent of Mind and the Descent of Wisdom
Novum Testamentum XXII, 4 (1980)
Lincoln, NE. by Prof. of religious studies,
JOHN D. TURNER
" Reposted with personal permission from the Prof. John D. Turner "
Many things in Late Antiquity come in threes: three levels of being, three periods of history, three stages of initiation into the mysteries and into the study of philosophy, three stages of the mystical ascent, even the Christian Trinity. Such triads are to be found in a number of Gnostic systems as well. Significant instances of these triads have now come to light in Gnostic documents at home in the so-called Barbeloite Gnosticism of the second century CE. Because some of these documents were read by Plotinus' circle in Rome during the third century CE., the question of the relationship of these documents to contemporary Neoplatonism is immediately raised. Yet these systematized triads go back a long way in Western antiquity, at least as far back as Plato. Beginning with him, and perhaps a good deal before him, the systematic tripartition of the universe into stratified levels of reality and the tripartition of the process by which one comes to know this universe becomes more widespread and increasingly dogmatic in western philosophy and religion. The pattern that emerges is what one might call the three-stage path to spiritual fulfillment, a sort of tripartite structure of spiritual paidaeia by which Hellenistic man might come to know himself, his world, and his place in it. This three-fold path is, of course, found in both Greek and Jewish non-gnostic literature. Specifically however, I suggest that when Gnostic literature portrays this path as a three-stage ascent of the soul to the deity, we have to do with the Platonic tradition, when it portrays this path as a three-fold descent of the deity (or some aspect thereof) to the soul in the lower world, we have to do with primarily Jewish traditions.
The Gnostic documents to which I wish to call attention are five treatises from the Nag Hammadi Coptic Gnostic Library, all of which are available in translation,[1] and all of which seem to belong to a single Gnostic group or sect, the so-called Barbelo-Gnostics described in book I, ch. 29 of Irenaeus' Against the Heresies. The treatises are: the well-known Apocryphon of John (Ap. John) from Codex II, and the less well-known treatises Trimorphic Protennoia (Trim. Prot.) from Codex XIII, Allogenes from Codex II, Zostrianos (Zost.) from Codex VIII and The Three Steles of Seth (Steles Seth) from Codex VII. Strictly speaking, two other treatises, Marsanes from Codex X, and the anonymous concluding tractate of the Bruce Codex belong to this group, since they clearly draw on the same fund of mythologumena found in the other five treatises (e.g. Invisible Spirit, Triple Power, Barbelo, Triple Male and the Kalyptos-Protophanes-Autogenes triad), but their position in the group seems to be derivative rather than constitutive. I begin with some observations about the contents and genealogical interrelationships of the five main Barbeloite treatises, and then turn to the question of their affinity with Platonic metaphysics.
I. THE BARBELOITES
Near the turn of the century, Carl Schmidt showed that the Christian-Gnostic Apocryphon of John contained in the then recently discovered Berlin Gnostic Codex represented a version of the Barbeloite Gnostic system described around 180 CE by Irenaeus in his Against the Heresies (I, 29.1-4).[2]. Since the Nag Hammadi find, we now possess three more copies of this Ap. John. One of them (NHC III,1: 1,1-40,11) is nearly identical with the Ap. John of the Berlin Codex (BG 8502, 2: 19,6-77,7), with which it witnesses a shorter recension of Ap. John. The other two copies (NHC II, 1: 1,1-32,9; NHC IV,1: 1,1-49,28) belong to a longer recension of Ap. John.
In the text common to all four versions of Ap. John, the central figure who initiates the salvation of the Gnostic is the First Thought of the Invisible Spirit, Barbelo, often called Pronoia, Metropator, the merciful Father of the All. The saving drama is motivated by Barbelo's attempt to rescue her productive power of thought from the clutches of Sophia's ignorant offspring Yaldabaoth, who has captured it in the lower world by incarnating it into Adam, his counterfeit copy of Barbelo's male aspect. Her saving mission is conceived in three descents which mark three successive saving dispensations: first as the Autogenes Christ who causes the Archon to blow pneuma into the inert Adam (BG, 51,1-52,1); second, as the Epinoia of Light who appears in the form of the spiritual Eve (Zoe) or of the tree of knowledge (BG, 52,18-53,20; 59,660,20); and third, as the Christ of the frame story who now reveals the gnosis to John (BG 75,11-15).
In the longer versions of Ap. John, this third saving descent is spelled out in the form of a concluding hymnic composition of three stanzas (II, 1: 30,11-31,25), which in effect recapitulates the three descents just narrated. Each stanza narrates in the first person a separate descent of Pronoia, the First Thought of the Unknown God, into the world of chaos to gather up her lost members. At the first two descents (II, 30,11-21; 21-32) this divine First Thought shakes up the world of chaos and its ruling powers; however, because the time is not yet propitious, she does not rescue her members, but re-ascends to the light. On the third descent (II, 30,32-31,25), the First Thought descends to the prison, said to be the body; she awakens the soul from its corporeal forgetfulness, reminds it of its origins, and raises it up to the light by a sort of mystery initiation called the five seals.
This triadic Pronoia hymn had a further history, for it was soon expanded into a larger independent tractate, the Trimorphic Protennoia of Codex XIII, 1: 35,1-50,24).[3] Instead of a short hymn each of whose stanzas relates a single descent of the saving First Thought of God, Trim. Prot. is a full treatise. It is divided into three separate sub-tractates, each one relating a separate descent of the First Thought of the Unknown God into the lower world. Each descent seems to depict not only a separate saving dispensation, but also a different modality of the First Thought. She descends first as Father, Barbelo, the Voice of the Unknown God's First Thought, she reaches down to chaos and loosens the bonds of her members by explaining to them the evil powers that enslave them ("The Discourse on Protennoia", XIII, 35,1-42,3). She descends second as Mother, Meirothea, the Sound of the Voice of the First Thought, and inaugurates the shift from the old Aeon, ruled by the powers of Destiny, to the new Aeon of salvation whose advent she announces to her fallen members ("On the Heimarmene," XIII, 42,4-46,4). She descends the third time as Son, Christ the Logos or Word of the Voice of the First Thought, and disguising herself from successively lower levels of evil powers, she leads her members back into the light by means of the noetic ascent ritual of the five seals ("The Discourse on the Appearance," XIII, 46,5-48,35).
Clearly TriPot derives its structural division into three subtractates from the three stanzas of the Pronoia hymn concluding the longer ending of Ap. John. Furthermore, compositional seams and other formal and material considerations enable one to see that after the short opening aretalogy (XIII, 35,1-32), each sub-tractate is also composed of three sub-sections: an aretalogy cast in the ego eimi style of self-predication (35,32-37,3 on the Voice; 42,4-16 on the Sound, 46,5-32 on the Logos); a doctrinal exposition (37,3-40,29 on Barbeloite cosmology; 42,17-44,29 on eschatology; 46,33-48,35 on soteriology), and a closing aretalogy in which Protennoia narrates her saving deeds in the first person (40,29-42,2; 44,29-46,3; the final section seems to be a later Sethian-Christian conclusion, 48,35-50,20). The doctrinal exposition of the first sub-tractate constitutes the other main point of contact between Trim. Prot. and Ap. John, since it contains a version of the Barbeloite cosmogony and Sophia myth common to the portions of Ap. John that parallel Iren. Haer. I, 29.1-4 (= BG, 26,14-44,19 = II, 4,19-13,13). Glosses containing the name of Christ inserted into this Barbeloite cosmogony betray a process of Christianization at work in Trim. Prot., a process which is most evident in the later Sethian-Christian conclusion of the entire treatise, according to which Protennoia raises Jesus aloft from the cross. In Ap. John, the originally non-Christian Pronoia hymn was made serviceable to Christian Barbeloite Gnosticism simply by being appended to a treatise already of that character. In Trim. Prot., the Pronoia hymn provided a framework which was expanded in the form of lengthy aretalogies, then drawn into the Barbeloite sphere through the interpolation of the Barbeloite cosmogony, and then Christianized by means of the Christian-Sethian conclusion. At this point, two other Barbeloite documents call for comment.
In Codex XI, we find the treatise Allogenes, and in Codex VIII a document containing much the same doctrine, Zost. Now these documents are very probably those Gnostic revelations of the same name which Porphyry in his Life of Plotinus 16 says were displayed before Plotinus' circle in Rome around CE 244-269.[4]
The first section of Allogenes (XI, 45,1-49,38) contains a cosmology whose structure and inhabitants are nearly identical with those of Zost.. and Steles Seth, and to a lesser degree with those found in Irenaeus' Barbeloite source and ill the Ap. John. Although it contains a brief sketch relating the unfolding of the supreme principle into its subordinate powers, Allogenes mostly confines its attention to a cosmology which analyses the cosmos into three levels. The highest level is occupied by the Unknown God and/or the Invisible Spirit, who seems to be related to the immediately subjacent intelligible world through a mediating principle called the Triple Power, a single being who exists in three modalities, Being, Vitality and Mentality.[5] The second level is occupied by the Aeon of Barbelo, the self-knowledge of the Unknown God, who consists of three aspects or hypostases: Kalyptos, Protophanes and Autogenes (a fourth being, Triple Male, is present in the Aeon of Barbelo, but its position therein is uncertain.[6] The third level of the world is not described, but only alluded to as the realm of Nature, Physis. The second section of Allogenes contains a revelation of the way to the divine vision, related by a figure named Youel, who figures as a minor power in Zostrianos and the anonymous Gnostic tractate of the Bruce Codex. The final section of Allogenes reports the successful completion of Allogenes' visionary ascent through the intelligible world of the Aeon of Barbelo, and then through the modalities of the Triple Power, from the level of self-knowledge (i.e. blessedness or Mentality), through the level of Vitality, to the level of Existence; at the summit of the world of being, the Triple Power reveals itself and the Unknown One above it to Allogenes by a primary revelation of the Unknown God (XI, 58,26-61,20). This primary revelation is a negative theology which contains a word-for-word parallel with the Coptic text of a similar negative theology at the beginning of all versions of Ap. John (XI, 62,28-63,23 = BG, 23,3-26,13 = II, 3,18-35). Thus not only Trim. Prot., but also Allogenesis documentarily dependent on some version of Ap. John.
In Allogenes, the triad of the Unknown God, his self-knowledge, and Nature is rather close to Plotinus' triad of the One, Intellect and Soul, in which the lower soul is called Nature. Furthermore, Plotinus a number of times alludes to a tripartition of Intellect, .his second hypostasis, into Being, Life and Intellect, much as the Being, Vitality and Mentality triad of Allogenes (XI, 49,28-38) represents the tripartition of the Triple Power of the Invisible Spirit.
The triadic scheme of Allogenes is also present in Zost., although Zost.. seems to interpret the ascent through various levels by a series of baptisms. The Steles Seth utilizes a triadic ontology similar to the one found in Allogenes, but instead of systematically expounding it, Steles Seth conveys glimpses of it in the course of three lengthy aretalogical doxologies addressed respectively to Adamas (a sort of ideal Anthropos figure), Barbelo, and lastly the Unknown God. The concluding paragraph of Steles Seth makes it clear that these three doxologies are to be used in connection with a spiritual ascent and descent, consisting of three stages. Besides the three-level cosmology and the use of the Kalyptos-Protophanes-Autogenes triad, Allogenes, Zost., and Steles Seth all witness the triad Being or Existence, Vitality, and Mentality found incipiently in Plotinus and perhaps Porphyry, and rampantly in Proclus and Damascius.
We have an interlocking web of five Barbeloite Gnostic treatises. Zost.. and Steles Seth clearly display the same cosmology and terminology found in Allogenes; Allogenes and Trim. Prot. are both literarily dependent on some version of Ap. John, and the central figure that relates them all is Barbelo, the First Thought of the Unknown God. As his Intellect or Self-Knowledge, Barbelo constitutes the focus of the Gnostic experience of salvation. All five treatises possess a three-level ontology consisting of a level beyond being, an intelligible or aeonic level, and a lower realm of Nature sometimes so devalued as to be called Chaos or the prison. In each, the intelligible world, the Aeon of Barbelo, is also tripartitioned whether structurally (the three levels of Allogenes, Zost., Steles Seth) or narratively (the three descents of Pro[ten]noia in Ap. Johnand Trim. Prot.). The goal of each treatise is to reunite the Gnostic's intellect to its source in the aeonic world by the reception of a revelation of and from the highest realm made available to the lowest.
Yet in spite of these similarities, these five treatises are all different. They all deck out their ontological structure with various hypostatic aeons, whose coming-to-be and deployment constitute a myth that predominates in varying degrees in the various tractates. The major mythological feature I take to be a cosmogony narrating the successive begetting of personified powers or Aeons who occupy ever lower levels of being. Under this definition, Ap. John and Trim. Prot. would be the most mythological, with Zost., Steles Seth and Allogenes as the least mythological, according to the degree to which this mythological cosmogonic narrative predominates or is alluded to. In the most mythological, Ap. John and Trim. Prot., revelation occurs through the three-stage descent of a divine noetic principle into the world of mortals, while in the less mythological treatises, Zost., Steles Seth and especially Allogenes, the revelation occurs only after the three-stage ascent of the Gnostic's intellect to its own proper ontic level. Once one has caused one's mind to ascend to the highest level of being, a revelation of the unknown God who is beyond being is disclosed to the successful Gnostic. In Allogenes, this "primary revelation" is a negative theology; one knows the Unknown God by not knowing him (XI, 59,30-32; 61,17-19), a motif known already from the Chaldean Oracles ("It is necessary to know [that one] . . . by stretching a vacant mind to the object of knowledge" (p. 11 Kroll, frg. 1,7-9 des Places).
In the main body of Ap. John, the saving gnosis is mediated by the three descents of Barbelo: the merciful Father (-Mother), in the guise of the Autogenes Christ who blows pneuma into Adam; the Epinoia of Light who appears as the spiritual Eve (Zoe) or as the tree of knowledge, and finally as the Christ of the frame story. In the hymnic narrative of the threefold descent of the First Thought (Pronoia) added to the longer version of Ap. John, the saving gnosis is manifested on the third descent of the First Thought where she communicates the mysterious five seals. Trim. Prot. is essentially an expansion of the same scheme, except that here the three descents of the First Thought are interpreted by a three-stage progressive revelation each stage of which is identified by an auditory metaphor: the Father or Voice who awakens the Gnostics from the bonds of oblivion, the Mother or Sound of the Voice who overthrows the rule of Fate and announces the shift of the ages; and the Son or Logos of the Voice, who strips away the corporeal and psychic accretions and puts the garment of light on the Gnostic through the five seals.
On the other hand, in the treatises Zost., Steles Seth and Allogenes, revelation is not brought below by a descending revealer, but rather occurs only after the Gnostic has ascended to the peak of the world of being in successive stages of detachment and self-unification by an autonomous mystical technique; only at this point does revelation of the Unknown God occur. To be sure, revelation is brought down to the Gnostic in the form of these treatises themselves according to which a famous mortal, Dositheus, Zoroaster or Allogenes, has achieved the vision and redescended to communicate it by depositing a record of their experience with a trusted disciple who teaches it to others. But the means by which gnosis is achieved is a self-performable technique. What occupies the center of attention in these treatises is the structure of the divine world, not its production, and the spiritual ascent through the intelligible levels of that divine world--here there are no archons, no fall of the soul, no secret passwords, no dissolution of the bonds of oblivion by a Redeemer.
II. THE PLATONIC LEGACY
The achievement of gnosis in three stages of enlightenment, whether conveyed by a descent or an ascent, is not as such the legacy of Plato to these Barbeloite treatises, since this feature is found also in Jewish and Christian apocalyptic. Rather, the peculiar legacy of Plato is to be found in the basically emanationistic metaphysical ontology that structures the transcendent world of these treatises. In the final section, it will be suggested that the three-stage descent scheme of these treatises is basically un-Platonic, on the other hand, in these treatises, the three-stage ascent, although found in Jewish and Christian apocalyptic, is of Platonic inspiration insofar as the knower at each stage assimilates to his own being the form of being proper to the level at which he finds himself. First we turn to the ontology of these treatises, and then to their epistemology.
A. Ontology
All five treatises seem to display at least a three-level ontology: a level beyond being occupied by the Unknown God or Invisible Spirit; a level of pure being occupied by the First Thought of the Unknown God, Barbelo and her Aeon, and a perceptible level consisting of the material world. A fourth, psychic level intermediate between the aeons and the material world is possible, but is not consistently portrayed. In accordance with the Gnostic ambivalence toward the soul and psychic existence, the metaphysical status of the soul is ambiguous in these texts.
This three or perhaps four-level ontology seems to be present in Ap. John and Trim. Prot., but in a less systematic manner. For them, the sphere of revelation is predominantly the psychic and/or material sphere in which gnosis is conveyed through a series of descents of the First Thought or some aspect thereof. In Allogenes, Zost.. and Steles Seth, the three- or four-level ontology is very prominent, since it forms the staircase by which revelation is obtained by the Gnostic directly at the level from which it derives, through a gradual ascent.
H.J. Krämer has pointed out that there are two basic ontological structures prevalent in the Platonism of late antiquity.[7] One consists of three levels: 1) the sphere of pure being consisting of a monadic intellectual principle containing the ideal forms and numbers; 2) the demiurgic sphere of the World Soul, often considered to be the lower level of a bipartite Intellect rather than a separate sphere, and 3) the sphere of the material principle. This structure, represented by most Middleplatonists (Albinus, Apuleius, Celsus, Maximus and Numenius) and by Aristotle, is said to derive from Xenocrates, the successor of Speusippus as leader of the Old Academy after Plato's death. The other basic structure consists of four levels and is the same as the three-level structure except that a highest level beyond being, occupied by "the One," dominates the other three. This structure is typical of Neo-pythagoreans (Nicomachus, Moderatus, pseudonymous numerological treatises), Philo and many Gnostics (Basilides, the monistic Valentinians of Hippolytus, the MegaleApophasis), and is said to derive from the esoteric teaching of Plato and his successor Speusippus. The four-level structure of course found its clearest exponent in Plotinus with his spheres of the One, the Intellect, the Soul, and Matter. It appears that the Barbeloite treatises belong to the four-level structure, bearing in mind that the position of soul is ambiguous. In Ap. John and Trim. Prot., soul has its roots in the Intellect, yet it has fallen into the realm of matter through the abortive demiurgic work of the indiscreet Sophia and the arrogant Yaldabaoth. In Allogenes and in Steles Seth, which omit the Sophia myth, the soul is not mentioned as such, although it may occupy the lowest level of Barbelo's Aeon. Among the Barbeloite treatises, Allogenes certainly displays the greatest interest in a systematic metaphysics. Because of its similarity to Plotinus' metaphysics and because this treatise as well as Zost.. was almost certainly known to Plotinus and Porphyry (Vita Plot. 16), the metaphysical structure of Allogenes merits some extended comment.
The cosmology of Allogenes is tripartite, but belongs to the four-level metaphysic of Speusippus, the Neopythagoreans and Plotinus. The highest being, corresponding to Plotinus' One, is the Unknown God or Invisible Spirit, characterized by non-being existence, silence and stillness, he is not an existing thing and is completely unknowable (XI, 62,23-64,14). The second major level is that of the Aeon of Barbelo, corresponding to Plotinus' Intellect, which consists of three personae: Kalyptos (the nous noêtos), the domain of "the authentic existents" (the noêta), Protophanes (the nous theôrêtikos or kinoumenos akinêtos ôn), the domain of "those who exist together" (cf. Enn. IV.1.1: ekei [en tôi nôi] homou men pas nous ... homou de pasai psychai] ); and Autogenes (the nous dianooumenos), the domain of the "individuals" (perhaps individuated souls).The third level, Nature, is only alluded to, and appears to hold no interest for the author of Allog.
Clearly the most intriguing feature of Allog's metaphysics, and perhaps the crucial feature by which it can be placed at a definite point in the Platonic tradition, is the Triple Power. This being is mentioned sometimes independently, sometimes in conjunction with the Invisible Spirit, and once in conjunction with Barbelo. By a static self-extension, the Triple Power becomes the Aeon of Barbelo (XI, 45,21-30). Furthermore it is said that the Triple Power traverses the boundlessness of the Invisible Spirit that subsists in the Triple Power, so that this "boundlessness" might (in turn) surround the Invisible Spirit as his self-knowledge (49, 7-21). Thus the Triple Power probably is the potency (dynamis) of the Unknown One and/or Invisible Spirit by which he unfolds himself into the world of Being and Intellect. The Triple Power is said to consist of three modalities: That-which-is (Being), Vitality and Mentality (XI, 49,26-38).
Now according to Plotinus' doctrine of Intellect, there emanates from the superabundant potency of the One a "trace" called "Life." This Life, declining from the One, is at first boundless, but once it has turned back to the One in an act of vision it receives a limit. By receiving a limit this "boundless Life" becomes definable being and at the same time thinking Intellect (Enn. VI.7.17). This seems to correspond exactly to the function of the Triple Power in Allogenes, except that while in Plotinus the triad Being-Life-Mind is an aspect of the second hypostasis (Intellect), in Allogenes the Triple Power of Being-Vitality-Mentality seems to exist above the second hypostasis (Barbelo) as a sort of quasi-hypostasis. This quasi-hypostatic status of the Triple Power seems to find its analogy for the first time in the metaphysics of Porphyry, Plotinus' disciple.
According to P. Hadot, Porphyry posited the existence of a triadic being called "Life" as a mediating hypostasis between the Plotinian One and Intellect, because he wished to demonstrate that the Intellect which for Plotinus is completely discontinuous with the transcendent One, is paradoxically at the same time discontinuous and continuous with the One.[8] In effect, Porphyry attributed three modalities or phases to the Intellect, which he analyzed into the triad, Existence, Life and Intellect. Porphyry's term existence (hyparxis), which is also used of the Triple Power in Allogenes and Zost., is meant to refer to the absolute being (auto to einai) of the One, which is the idea of the derived being (to on) proper to the Intellect. Intellect thus unfolds from the absolute being of the One in three phases according to which each modality of the Intellect predominates at a given stage. First, qua hyparxis, Intellect is purely potential Intellect resident in and identical with its idea, the absolute being of the One. Last, qua. Intellect, it has become identical with the derived being (to on) of Intellect proper, the second hypostasis, as the hypostatic exemplification of its idea, the absolute being of the One. The transitional phase between the first and last phases of intellect in effect constitutes a median modality of Intellect in which it is "boundless thinking" or Intellect qua Life. Porphyry apparently conceived this transitional phase of Intellect qua Life to have hypostatic reality, and it is tempting to see the Triple Power of Allogenes in the same light. Thus in Allogenes, the Triple Power is continuous with the Invisible Spirit qua its Existence-modality, discontinuous with the Invisible Spirit but continuous with Barbelo qua its Mentality-modality, and qua its Vitality-modality, it is simultaneously continuous and discontinuous with both the Invisible Spirit and Barbelo. Hence the Triple Power serves to emphasize the transcendence of the Invisible Spirit, but at the same time to prevent any ultimate gap in the chain of being. Since Plotinus in his treatise "Against the Gnostics" (Enn. II.9.1 and 6) rejects such attempts to partition the Intellect and posit more than three hypostases, it is quite possible that by restricting his Being-Life-Intellect triad to the second hypostasis, he is reacting against such hypostatic entities as the Triple Power of Allogenes and the Porphyrian median phase of the triad in which Life predominates (significantly, Allogenes also calls the Triple Power an "Eternal Life," XI, 66,32-36). If so, it is possible that Allogenesmay have originally introduced this triad to Plotinus and his circle.
If Allogenes be considered as one of the sources from which Plotinus could have derived this triad, one must try to account for its appearance in Allog. To answer this it is necessary to recognize two different kinds of triads functioning in Allog. The Being or Existence-Vitality-Mentality triad represented by the Triple Power belongs to the subject of first principles (archai) or what one might call "stoicheology," that branch of metaphysics where one is concerned to show how all things originate from primal principles. On the other hand, the tripartition of Intellect or Barbelo by means of the triad Kalyptos-Protophanes-Autogenes belongs more properly to ontology, or better, to "noology."
Now the "stoicheic" triad seems to derive from contemporary Neopythagorean speculation on the origin of all things from the monad. Thus the second-century CE Neopythagoreans Nicomachus of Gerasa (Eisagoge, 11.8.1) and Theon of Smyma (Expositio, p. 37,15-18 Hiller) posit a triad (trigonos) to be potentially resident in the original monad. This triad is evidently composed of the old Pythagorean "even" and "odd," which in the Old Platonic Academy were called the "one" and the "indefinite dyad," two principles whose interaction produces the transcendent ideas conceived as numbers, and from them, all else. Xenocrates identified this "one" with a transcendent Mind who imposed limit on the "indefinite dyad" or material principle, thus producing the world-soul or definite dyad, which he regarded as a self-moving number. This stoicheic metaphysics was later modified (as early as Eudorus of Alexandria in the first century BCE) in such a way as to incorporate the doctrine of a transcendent One beyond being espoused by Plato and Speusippus. Thus one arrives at the Neopythagorean stoicheic metaphysics of a One beyond being from whom derives a pair of elements, the monad and indefinite dyad, from this triad all else derives.[9] On the other hand, the "noetic" tripartition of the divine intellect has little to do with the Neopythagorean speculation on first principles, but derives from contemporary Middle-Platonic exegesis of Plato, Timaeus 39E: "the Nous beholds (kathora) the ideas resident in the veritable living being (ho esti zôion); such and so many as exist therein he purposed (dienoêthê) that the universe should contain." As one can judge from the noology of the Chaldean Oracles, Numenius, Albinus and Maximus, the Timaeus passage was taken to imply two intelligences or Gods, one inert, the other demiurgic. The first God, an inert intelligence (nous noêtos, nous en hêsychia) was found in the "living being" of the Timaeus. The second God, a demiurgic intelligence, was regarded as double: as contemplative intellect (nous nooun, nous theôrêtikos, cf. kathora) he is directed upwards in contemplation of the first God or inert intelligence, and as the planning intellect (nous dianooumenos) he is directed downward to his creation. Plotinus himself plays with such a notion (Enn. III.9.1) which he later attributes to the Gnostics and abandons (Enn. II.9.1 and 6) by equating the lower planning intellect with his Soul-hypostasis, and interpreting the upper (inert) contemplated and (active) contemplating intellects as two indivisible phases of his Intellect-hypostasis.
Now it is quite possible that behind Allogenes there stands a group whom Plotinus mentions as "others" who view the living being, the intellect and the planning principle as a single being (Enn. III.9.1,26-27; cf. II.9.1,14-57; 9.6,14-35). For in Allogenes, the intellective level called the Aeon of Barbelo is tripartitioned into three levels. The highest, Kalyptos, contains "those who truly exist"; this level would be the inert nous noêtos (but which can somehow "act," XI, 45,32). The median level, the male Mind Protophanes, would be the nous nooun (cf. noeron, XI, 51,18). The lowest level, Autogenes, would be the nous dianooumenos(who "works successively and individually" on nature (XI, 51,28-32; cf. the nous merisas, Enn. III.9.1). This scheme comes very close to that mentioned and rejected by Plotinus.
Yet according to the earliest version of the Barbeloite cosmogony contained in Ap. John (BG, 26,14-29,18) and Iren. Haer. I.29.1, Barbelo is not actually tripartitioned. Rather, once she appears on the stage, she requests what appear to be three powers or faculties: Prognosis, Aphtharsia, and Aionia Zoe (a fourth, Ennoia, is only redundant hypostatization of Barbelo's cognomen Ennoia). When one reads further in Ap. Johnthat Barbelo is associated with three powers and three names, one begins to think of the Triple Power, which in Allogenes is called Being or Existence, Vitality or Life, and Mentality. Now conceptually the term Prognosis is close to the term Mentality (derivatives of gnôsis and nous respectively). Aphtharsia certainly characterizes the permanence of pure being as opposed to becoming, and Aionia Zoe already contains the term Life. It is therefore tempting to regard the "stoicheic" triad Being-Vitality-Mentality as a speculative Analogiebildung of the "noological" triad Prognosis-Aphtharsia-Aionia Zoe. Owing to its more abstract character, it could be pressed into the service of a Gnostic-philosophical "stoicheology" whose intent would be to show how the intellectual Aeon of Barbelo derives from the Unknown God or Invisible Spirit. In Ap. John, Barbelo derives from the thought of the Invisible Spirit which arises from his image reflected in the Water of Life that surrounds him. By means of the triad Being-Vitality-Mentality, Allogenes merely spells out the nature of this process in a monistic rather than dualistic fashion. In place of the dual principles of Invisible Spirit and Water of Life, Allogenes conceives in the Triple Power a single principle, the boundless power of the Invisible Spirit, which objectifies itself in an act of contemplative reversion to its source. The high deity does not objectify himself in an act of conception, rather his potency objectifies itself in three phases of spontaneous emission.
It is possible that Plotinus, in his desire to emphasize the absolute transcendence of the One, may have accepted the generative function of the Triple Power triad of Allogenes, but not its hypostatic status between the One and intellect. Thus he demoted the triad Being-Life-Mind to his second hypostasis, taking his lead from a favorite passage of Plato, Sophist 248E: "Are we really to be so easily persuaded that change, life, soul and intelligence have no place in the perfectly real (pantelôs on), that it has neither life (zôê) nor intelligence, but stands solemnly aloof, devoid of intelligence (nous)?[10] While for Allogenes "perfectly real" means something beyond Intellect, for Plotinus this could be Intellect only, and no more.
If this hypothetical process accounts for the role of the Triple Power in Allogenes, one must yet account for the nomenclature it attaches to the tripartite Aeon of Barbelo. How was the triad Kalyptos- Protophanes- Autogenes attached to Barbelo in Allogenes substituted for the Prognosis-Aphtharsia-Aionia Zoe triad of Ap. John?
To begin with, if the triad Being-Vitality-Mentality was formed on analogy with the Prognosis- Aphtharsia-Aionia Zoe triad, the latter triad may have been abandoned altogether to avoid confusion with the new triad that transcended it. Thus a new triad of names had to be substituted for it, or even conceivably displaced it. This is the triad Kalyptos-Protophanes-Autogenes.
These names in this particular triadic arrangement are witnessed only in Allogenes, Zost., the anonymous final tractate of the Bruce Codex ("the ninth Father has a kalyptos- aspect, a prôtofanês-aspect, and an autogenês- aspect" Schmidt-Till 341,5-7), Steles Seth, and in Marsanes (X, 3,25-4,10). While the triadic structure of the Aeon of Barbelo seems to have more or less clear antecedents, the names of this triad are unattested in the earliest Barbeloite literature, and their source can only be a matter of conjecture. Thus the term Kalyptos, which can mean either "hidden" or "that which covers " probably derives from the conception of the veil or kalumma separating the higher from the lower realm. The position of Kalyptos as the highest entity in the intelligible Aeon of Barbelo comes very close to that of the Valentinian upper Horos or Limit that separates the highest deity Bythos from the other Aeons that derive from him (cf. Iren. Haer. I.11.1; ValExp XI, 27,37-38; the "veil" of GPhil II, 3,69,36; 84,23).
The term Protophanes may be of Orphic origin: in the Orphic Rhapsodies, Phanes (called also Eros, Metis, and Erikepaios) was so-called because he was "first to appear" (prôtos gar efanthê, Orph. Arg. 14-16 Hermann) from the cosmic egg. Bisexual, he was regarded as "always two-formed," "looking this way and that," and called (according to Proclus) "the key of Mind" (Orph. frag. 72-89; 167 Kern, Synesios, Hymns 2.63 calls the "Son" protofanes eidos). Both the Orphic etymology "first-appearing" and his characterization as mind and as mediating between above and below are clearly reflected in Protophanes' position in Allogenes, where as "the great male Mind" (XI, 45,34-36; 46,24-25) he represents the progression from the psychic ("individuals" in Autogenes) to the intelligible ("those who truly exist" in Kalyptos) levels of the aeon of Barbelo (XI, 46,25-34).
Finally, the term Autogenes probably derives from the Autogenes-Monogenes light (identified with Christ) who according to Ap. John is generated in Barbelo by the Father. Irenaeus (Haer. I.29.1) adds the interesting comment that the production of Autogenes was the "beginning of the genesis of all things," that is, the origin of the world of becoming and multiplicity. In Platonic metaphysics, this would be the role of the Demiurge who shapes the World Soul (Timaeus 39E ff.). The Valentinians attribute this role to Jesus, the Fruit of the Pleroma, who fashions Sophia's passions into the psychic (and material) world. One may therefore adduce relevant mythological sources for the names contained in the triad, but since the names are not associated together in a triad prior to Allogenes and Zost., one must assume that it was the Gnostics behind these documents who developed this triad. Be these theories concerning the nomenclature of the Barbeloite triads as they may, it cannot be doubted that the structure and deployment of these triads in Allogenes, Zost., and Steles Seth derive from the metaphysics originating in the Platonic Academy. The triad of the Triple Power belongs to the "stoicheological" speculation of the Alexandrian Neopythagoreans, and the triad of the Aeon of Barbelo belongs to the "noological" speculation of the Middleplatonic interpretation of Plato's Timaeus. The general ontology and cosmology of the upper world in Ap. John and Trim. Prot. also intersects with the general Platonic ontological stratification of the cosmos, but the center of gravity in these documents is clearly anthropological and soteriological rather than metaphysical.
Accordingly, the cosmology of these documents is a prelude to the myth of Sophia, the description of man's condition in the material world and the saving initiatives of the higher world in response to that condition. Here, there is no contemplative or ecstatic ascent through the intelligible world.
Man has been so tightly bound in matter that his intellect cannot raise itself above it; he is
dependent on the descent of the divine intellect to his own level.
Yet, oddly enough, in Ap. John and Trim. Prot., this descent of the divine intellect takes place in three stages, just as in Allogenes, Zost.. and Steles Seth, the ascent of the Gnostic intellect occurs in three stages. In Allogenes, Zost.. and Steles Seth these stages are conceived vertically, while in Ap. John and Trim. Prot., they are described as a horizontal temporal succession.
B. Epistemology
We now turn to a consideration of the epistemology of these tractates, specifically the feature that, whether conveyed by descent or ascent, gnosis is achieved in three steps. First, the threefold ascent.
The attainment of enlightenment in progressively higher levels of ecstatic ascent is a feature not only of the Platonic tradition, but also of Jewish and Christian apocalyptic literature.[11] Here the levels of ascent are usually called heavens, thrones or palaces and vary in number between three and ten. But even in the cases when apocalyptic literature portrays a three-stage ascent, the object of vision is generally a personal deity or his throne (who is not ontologically consubstantial with the seer's soul), the course and end of history, the abode of souls, the last judgment, the nature of the heavens, and the divine glory. Similar visionary ascents are also part of the Platonic tradition, such as the myth of Er in Republic X, Plutarch's "Poseidonian" myths of Thespesius (De sera num. vind.) and Timarchus (De gen. Soc. ) and so on, but unlike Jewish visionary literature, the Platonic literature conceives the ascending soul to be returning to its point of origin, and the supreme object of vision is not a personal deity.
The three-stage ascent of Allogenes, Zost.. and Steles Seth seems to have as its object not so much a vision of the upper world, but rather the actual assimilation of the state of one's own being to the state of being that characterizes each level, one undergoes the ascent according to a prescribed sequence of mental states characterized by increasing self-unification and mental abstraction. The movement from multiplicity to solitariness and from motion to stillness is precisely coordinated with the ontological character of each level of the ascent. The progressively higher levels of being require a corresponding ascending scale of self-performable mental states. Because the monistic ontology is emanationistic, evolving from one to many, the ascent is a gradual purification and reintegration of the time bound self, alienated from its ground, back up to its atemporal self-identity. The structure of such a movement is at home, not in apocalyptic, but in the mystery religions, except that the stages of the ritual have been interiorized.[12]
A firm prototype of this threefold ascent is certainly to be found in Plato's Symposium (210A-212A) in the speech where Socrates recounts the path to the vision of absolute beauty into which he had been initiated by the wise Diotima. The method consists of a three-stage qualitative and quantitative purification or purgation of the soul by a redirection of Eros, the moving force of the soul, away from the lower realm to the higher. The qualitative purgation is a progressive shift of attention from the sensible to the intelligible realm in three levels of knowing, which correspond to three levels of life: physical beauty, moral beauty and intellectual beauty; these are the objects respectively of the bodily senses, the ethical components of the soul, and the intelligizing, contemplative faculty of the reflective soul. The quantitative purgation is a shift of attention away from individual instances of beauty, to the ideal beauty of all forms, and finally to absolute beauty itself, which then discloses itself as a sudden and immediate intuition. The next higher stage is therefore achieved by a purifying and unifying synthesis of the experience of the lower stage.
Indeed Plato seems to have applied this three-stage progression not only to his own study of philosophy but also to the program of study in the Academy he founded.[13] In the seventh book of the Republic (533E-540B) he lays down the plan for educating the guardians of the ideal state. After the propaedutic study of mathematics up till the stable and mature age of fifty, one took up the study of dialectic for five years, and then after a fifteen year period of fieldwork, one is at age fifty ready for the goal, the highest philosophy, contemplation of the ideas.
Plato's successors such as Xenocrates and Aristotle also maintained a threefold approach to philosophy, subdividing it into theology, mathematics and physics Aristotle) or into physics (including the idea theory), ethics, and logic (Xenocrates).[14] The latter became the standard division of subject matter in the Academy as well as within the Peripatetic and Stoic traditions, even the Epicureans divided philosophy into physics, ethics, and epistemology (to kanonikon). Since Aristotle, physics was the domain of theoretical philosophy, at its summit was "first philosophy," called theology or metaphysics, then mathematics, including astronomy, and then physics proper.
In the first four centuries of our era to which the Barbeloite treatises belong, the Platonic tradition regarded metaphysics or theology as the highest of the three stages of enlightenment or spiritual progress. It corresponded to the highest stage of initiation into the mysteries and was in fact called epopteia, the supreme vision of the highest reality (Plut., De Is. et Os. 382d; Theon of Smyrna, Expos. p. 14 Hiller; Clem. Alex., Strom. I.28.176,1-2; Origen, In cant. cant. p. 75,6 Baehrens). Commenting on this phenomenon, P. Hadot points out that Porphyry's systematic arrangement of Plotinus' Enneads conforms to this scheme (Enn. I = ethics; Enn. II, III = physics; Enn. IV, V, VI = epoptic, the objects of contemplation), as do certain Neoplatonic prescriptions for the order of the study of Plato's dialogues (Republic = ethics; Timaeus = physics; Parmenides = theology; cf. Chalcidius, In Tim. 272 & 335; Proclus, In Tim. I, p. 202 Diehl).[15]
Vision or epopteia of the highest reality was thus the object of the Platonic metaphysics of Late Antiquity. The methods for achieving this vision of the divine by means of dialectic were called "paths" of ascent (cf. Albinus, Didasc. X.5.6, p. 165,14 ff. Hermann; Origen, Contra Cels. VII,42; Maximus of Tyre, Dial. XI,11b).[16] The via analogiae or way by comparison was based on the parable of the sun in the sixth book of Plato's Republic. The via negationis (kat' afairesin), or way by abstraction or negation of all perceptible affirmative predicates, was regarded as the only logically self-sufficient path to the divine, although it was not based on any of Plato's works. This method figures prominently in the negative theologies at the beginning of Ap. John and at the end of Allog. Complementing the via negationis was the via additionis (kata prothesis or synthesin) or way by approximation from effects to cause. The via eminentiae or way by ascending degrees (anabasmoi) was based on Plato's Symposium, and corresponds to the stage by stage withdrawal (anachôrêsis) to the highest level of the Triple Power in Allogenes as well as to the ascents presupposed in Zost.. and Steles Seth. There is perhaps yet a final way which transcends dialectic, the viaimitationis or way by assimilation, probably based on Plato's Theaetetus (176B) where the goal is said to be flight from this world to the other, to be assimilated (homoiôthênai) to the divine so far as possible. This method seems to correspond to the "primary revelation" or non-knowing knowledge of the Unknown One in Allogenes and perhaps to the "command" of Steles Seth (VII, 125,15-16;).
The sequence of these methods is illustrated by Clement of Alexandria (Strom. V.11.71.2): first, purification by acceptance of the given, second, dialectical contemplation (epopteia), consisting of the analysis of the given leading to primary intellection and abstraction of all dimension and position pertaining to corporeal and incorporeal objects (the via negationis) leading to the pure monad, finally one achieves the intellection of the highest being in terms of knowing what he is not. So also Plotinus suggests a similar approach (Enn. VI.7.36): one begins by instruction through analogies, negations, syntheses and ascending degrees; he draws near by purifications, virtues, orderings (of the soul) and gradations of the intelligible until one "stands firmly" upon it (the via eminentiae, cf. Allogenes 59,18-20; 60,28-31); at that point where one becomes simultaneously subject and object of one's own vision, all learning is abandoned and "suddenly" (cf. Symposium 210E) one sees the source of light itself (the via imitationis).
The culmination of the vision, the via imitationis or way of assimilation, transcends philosophy for mysticism or ecstasy. Since it involves contemplative imitation of the virtues of which the divine is the source, and since his only virtue is oneness, aloneness, tranquillity and absolute goodness, the via imitationis is the ascetic way, a purgative stripping away of all powers of soul and intellect a self-concentration into pure solitariness where no object of knowledge exists outside the knower. At this point, to know is not to know.
This appears to be the culminating experience envisaged in Allogenes and Steles Seth. It has its roots in the three-stage ascent to the vision of the Beautiful described in Plato's Symposium. To be sure, the roots have been bent in a very ascetic direction, perhaps by Neopythagorean rigorism and the Gnostic spirit itself, but the fruit continues to bear the stamp of the Platonic tradition.
When we turn to the other main Barbeloite vehicle for enlightenment, the revelation of gnosis through the threefold descent of a hypostasis of the divine intelligence as depicted in Ap. John and Trim. Prot. we seem to have left the Platonic territory. To be sure, the ontology of these treatises still resembles that of late Platonism, but the triple descent motif is foreign to it.
Recent scholarship locates the descent motif in the Jewish myth of the descending and demiurgic figure of the divine wisdom (Sophia) that works itself out in Proverbs 8, 1 Enoch 42, Sirach 24, Wisdom of Solomon 6-10 and other Jewish sources (cf. also the descent of God's Name and Shekinah.[17] This myth seems to have influenced Philo's doctrine of the Logos (especially the logos prophorikos) as well as that of the author of the Johannine prologue and the Alexandrian Fathers, who interpreted Christ as the Logos.
In general the three-stage advent of redemption into the world is depicted in two basic schemes. The first scheme is horizontal and temporally successive, where redemption is conveyed by descents of separate figures or by repeated descents of the same figure. The second is a more vertical and modalistic scheme in which a single revealer is manifested in each of the three levels of the cosmos in a form and modality suited to the being and needs of each level. Generally neither the first nor the second scheme is found in pure form, they almost always occur in some combination. The first (horizontal) scheme clearly predominates in the Pronoia hymn of Ap. John, where the same figure (Pronoia) makes repeated descents. The same scheme occurs in Gos. Eg. (III, 63,4-64,9; IV, 74,17-75,24) where the same figure, Seth, is said to pass through three parousiai experienced by his seed, the incorruptible generation: the flood, the conflagration, and finally the judgment of the hostile powers by Seth in the form of Jesus. On the, other hand, in ApocAdam there are three saving descents, but the, other hand in ApocAdam there are three saving descents, but in each case the redeeming figures appear to be different: at the flood the seed of Seth is rescued by great angels (V, 69,1-25); at the conflagration, the seed of Seth is rescued by Abrasax, Samblo and Gamaliel (V, 75,9-76,7); thereafter "for the third time" at the advent of the days of death the Illuminator will save their souls (V 76,8-77,3). However, the modalistic scheme is already making inroads in ApocAdam, since, although the successive descents are each ascribed to separate figures, the phrase "the third time" is clearly a device to cause the reader to see them all as manifestations of a single figure, the Illuminator.
Moreover, Gos. Eg. and ApocAdam provide a clue concerning the origin of the horizontal scheme of three successive descents, of which the first two are preparatory and accompanied by purificatory destructions, and the third conveys final salvation. The periodization of the Gnostic history of salvation into three saving dispensations by means of fire and flood seems to derive from Jewish apocalyptic.[18] This scheme seems to be present in 1 Enoch 10 and 99-100 and in the legend of the steles of stone and clay established by the seed of Seth to preserve their wisdom against destruction by flood and conflagration (Vita Ad. et Ev. 49-50 Charles; Josephus, Ant. 1.2.3 Whiston; Cf. Lk 17:25-30; 2 Pt 2:4-9). As for the Barbeloite texts, while flood and conflagration are not mentioned in the Pronoia hymn of Ap. John, the main body of Ap. John (BG, 72,14-73,18) mentions the flood, and Trim. Prot. (XIII, 43,8-12) mentions the conflagration; in each case these are destructions that preface the third descent of the redeemer. .
While in ApocAdam the horizontal scheme of the threefold descent still predominates, the vertical modalistic scheme is beginning to make an appearance in the tendency to regard the descent of angels, a triad of powers, and the Illuminator as separate manifestations of a single being, the Illuminator. Somewhat the same combination of schemes occurs in Ap. John where Barbelo, the merciful Father-Mother, descends through the agency of the Autogenes (BG, 51,1-52,1), the Epinoia of Light (BG, 52,1853,20; 59,6-60,20) and Christ (BG, 75,11-15). In the Barbeloite tradition, it is in Trim. Prot. that the vertical modalistic scheme becomes most prominent with the Voice, Sound and Word modalities of Protennoia. Yet the horizontal scheme of the underlying Pronoia hymn remains dominant.
The vertical modalistic scheme seems to be purest in the triple Sonship of Basilidean system (Hipp. Ref. VII.22.7 ff.), the intellectual, psychic, and earthly Christs of the Naasenes (Hipp. Ref. V.6.5.6), the Christ of three natures, three bodies and three powers of the Peratae (Hipp. Ref. V.12.4) and in the pneumatic, psychic and sensible Christs of the Valentinians (Iren. Haer. I.7.1-2; Exc. Theod. 59; Hipp. Ref. VI.36.3-4). Generally this tripartite redeemer originates from the next to the highest metaphysical level and is subsequently manifested at each of the three cosmic levels (Pleroma, Middle, Earth or sometimes agennêtos, autogenês, gennêtos) in a form corresponding to the ontological status of that level and the figures that inhabit it. In the Christian Gnostic systems, the tripartite redeemer is often Christ, although just as often one finds that Christ is identified with the final modality in which a more exalted tripartite redeemer is manifested, as is the case with Barbelo in the Christianized Barbeloite texts. Insofar as the redeemer originates from the next to the highest ontological level, it is often identical with the divine Mind or Thought or some aspect thereof. This feature seems to draw on the late Platonic noology. But even in texts that seem to be very distant from the late Platonic noology, one finds evidence of a three-stage descent, just as in the Hymn of the Pearl, where the redeemer originates from the East, passes through Babylon and. reaches "down to Egypt" (Acta Thom. 108-113).
We conclude, then, that the motif of the attainment of gnosis or enlightenment in three stages is a major Gnostic motif. When this three-stage process is described in the form of a threefold (horizontal, temporally successive) or three-stage (vertical, modalistic) descent, it seems that one is dealing with a conception of basically Jewish provenance. This conception combines such motifs as a tripartitioning of historical epochs originating within Jewish (and Christian) apocalyptic, Jewish speculation on the descending figure of the Wisdom, Name and Glory of God, and Hellenistic Jewish and early Christian speculation on the Logos. To be sure, the descent pattern has prototypes in the Greek tradition, as does the partitioning of history into world epochs as well as speculation on the Logos. But when Greek myths recount the descent of heroes and gods to redeem lovers and protégés from Hades, the descents do not involve a progressive revelation of the deity either in successive periods of history or in successive levels of the universe.
On the other hand, the motif of the threefold ascent in the Gnostic literature seems to emanate from the Platonic tradition. In cases where the stages of this ascent represent levels of being whose characteristics become part of the beholder's psychic state, as in Allogenes, the influence of Plato as well as of Neopythagoreanism and certain mystery religions seems undeniable. To be sure, the ascent through three levels is to be found in Jewish and Christian apocalyptic. But here the object is not to assimilate one's psychic states to the ontic characteristics of those levels by a progressive purgation of sensory illusion, multiplicity and alienation leading to an absolute unitary stasis characteristic of deification. When such assimilation does occur in apocalyptic, as in 2 Enoch 22, it is not regarded as an assimilation to the deity, and it is always a gift from the higher powers, and not a self-performable technique. Between Greek and Jewish portrayals of the way to enlightenment, there seems always to be the characteristic respective opposition between nature and grace, even in the Gnostic versions. In Judaism and most mythological Gnosis, the deity descends to the aid of man. In the Platonic tradition and in philosophical Gnosis, man ascends to the deity. Even if a higher revelation awaits him at the summit of the world of being, and even if the way needs to be shown by another initiated one, it is man's duty to raise himself to the threshold of deity, "to become like God so far as possible" (Theaet. 176B).
The progressive attainment of enlightenment through the threefold descent of a revealer figure was preserved in the western tradition in Christian theology where Christ, the pre-existent Word of God, was seen to be active in the time of the prophets, in the mission and message of Jesus, and in his future advent as the eschatological judge. Likewise the Christian mystical tradition received the three-stage ascent pattern through the influence of Plotinus and the pseudo-Dionysius; the pattern gained its greatest literary expression in Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy.
[1] In The Nag Hammadi Library in English, edited by J. M. Robinson, (San Francisco: Harper & Row and E. J. Brill, 1977). Other translations: Ap. John in W. C. Till, Die gnostischen Schriften des koptischenPapyrus Berolinensis 8502 (TU 60; Berlin: Akademie Verlag, I955) and in M. Krause and P. Labib, Die drei Versionen des Apokryphon des Johannes im Koptischen Museum zu Alt-Kairo (Abh. des Deutschen Archäl. Instituts Kairo, Koptische Reihe I; Wiesbaden, I962); Trim. Prot. in G. Schenke, "Die dreigestaltige Protennoia," ThLZ 99 (1974), 731-746; Y. Janssens, "Le Codex XIII de Nag Hammadi," Le Muséon 87 (I974), 341-413; Steles Seth in M. Tardieu, "Les Trois Stèles de Seth," RevSchPhTh 57 (1973), 545-575. The Coptic text and English translation with notes of Allogenes (by J. D. Turner and O. S. Wintermute), of Zost. (by J. Sieber), of Steles Seth (by J.M.Robinson) and of Trim. Prot. (by J.D. Turner) are contained in Nag Hammadi Codices XI, XII and XIII (Nag Hammadi Studies 28; Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1990) and NagHammadi Codex VIII (Nag Hammadi Studies 31; Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1991).
[2] C. Schmidt, "Irenäus und seine Quelle in adv. haer. I, 29," in Philotesia: Paul Kleinert zum LXX Gebusrtstag dargebracht. Berlin: Weidmann, 1907, pp. 315-336.
[3] It is more reasonable to suppose Trim. Prot. is an expansion of Ap. John (II, 34,11-31,25) than that the latter is an abridgement of the former. The Pronoia hymn is clearly added to the conclusion of Ap. John. The first subtractate of Trim. Prot. ("The Logos of the Protennoia" XIII, 35,1-42,3) contains the cosmology of Ap. John II, 4,10-12,9 (= Iren. Haer. I, 29, 1-4) as an inserted section (XIII, 37,20-40,18) without which Trim. Prot. would reproduce little more than the Pronoia hymn of Ap. John. This suggests that the author of Trim. Prot. is dependent on the longer version of Ap. John in which he found the Pronoia hymn ready-to-hand.
[4] "There were in his time many Christians and others, and sectarians who had abandoned the old philosophy, men of the schools of Adelphios and Aculinos, who possessed many treatises of Alexander the Libyan and Philocomos and Demostratos and Lydos and produced revelations by Zoroaster and Zostrianos, and Nicotheos, and Allogenes and Messos, and other people of the kind ..." Zoroaster and Zostrianos probably refer to Zost. of Codex VIII (hendiadys); Allogenes and Messos probably refer to Allogenes of Codex XI; for Nicotheos, see Anon. Bruc. 342: 2-8 Schmidt-Till. See also J.H.Sieber, "An Introduction to the Tractate Zostrianos from Nag Hammadi," Novum Testamentum 15 (I973), 233-240, and F.G. Bazan, "Gnostica: El Capitulo XVI de la Vida de Plotino de Porfirio," Salesianum 36 (1974), 463-478.
[5] Triple Power is frequent in such Gnostica as the Bruce and Askew Codices (passim, see Index in Schmidt-Till, p. 397), Steles Seth (VII, 121, 31-33; 122,13; 133,23-25), Zost. (VIII, 24,12-13; 79,21; 87,15-16; 97,2; 118,11-12; 128,20), and Marsanes (X, 1: passim).
[6] For the Kalyptos-Protophanes-Autogenes triad, cf. Zost., VIII,15, 4-17; 22,4-14; 44,24-31; 58,14-16; 60,13-17; (also 25,10-18; 135,12-17; 119, 4-17); Allogenes. XI, 45,31-47,7; 31,7-38; 58,12-26; in Steles Seththe names do not occur in a triadic context: Kalyptos VII, 122,14; 123,1; 126,5; Protophanes, VII,113,5-6; Autogenes, VII, 119,16. Cf. also Marsanes X, 3,25-4,12 and Anon. Bruce, 341,5-7 Schmidt-Till. For Triple Male, cf. Steles Seth, VII, 110,17-19. 29-30; 121,8-9; Zost.. VIII,24,4; 44,30; 51,22; 52,16; 61,17-18; Allogenes, XI, 45,37; 51,33; 55,36; 58,15; Ap. John, BG, 27,21; II, 5,8; Trim. Prot., XIII, 37,16; Anon. Bruce 341,8 Schmidt-Till.
[7] H. J. Krämer, Der Ursprung der Geistmetaphysik: Untersuchungen zur Geschichte des Platonismus zwischen Platon und Plotin (Amsterdam: P. Schippers, I964).
[8] P. Hadot, "La métaphysique de Porphyre," in Porphyre (Entretiens sur l'antiquité classique XII; Vandoeuvres-Geneva: Fondation Hardt, I960), pp. 127-157; "Discussion," pp. 158-163. Hadot does not discuss the possible role of the Chaldean verse hê men gar dynamis sun ekeinôi [scil. tôi patri] nous de ap' ekeinou (Procl. Theol. Plat. 365,3) which H. Lewy relates to Anon. Taur. IX, 1 (Chaldean Oracles and Theurgy:Mysticism, Magic and Platonism in the Later Roman Empire [Recherches d'archéologie, de philologie et d'histoire XIII; Cairo: Institut Francais d'Archéologie Orientale, 1956], p. 79, n. 47). While Lewy thinks this nous is an emanation of the patrikos nous of the Chaldeans, it is also possible that it is the patrikos nous itself. This verse may have formed, along with Ap. John and Neopythagorean speculation, the basis on which Allogenes or perhaps Porphyry developed the Being or Existence-Life or Dynamis-Mind triad. While the present article suggests Allogenes as the source of the triad, Hadot claims Porphyry as the originator on the basis of his theory that the anonymous Parmenides commentary (Anon. Taur.) is by Porphyry ("Fragments d'un commentaire de Porphyre sur le Parménide," REG 74 [1961], 410-438).
[9] On this, see A. J. Festugière, La révélation d'Hermès Trismégiste,Vol. I, Le dieu inconnu et la gnose (Études bibliques; Paris: J. Gabalda, I954), pp. 18-53; Krämer, Der Ursprung der Geistmetaphysik, pp. 193-369.
[10] For extensive analysis of this triad in Plotinus, see P. Hadot, "Etre, Vie, Pensée chez Plotin et avant Plotin," Les sources de Plotin (Entretiens sur l'antiquité classique V; Vandoeuvres-Geneva, Fondation Hardt, I960), pp. 159-174; "Discussion," pp. 175-190.
[11] (1 Enoch 42, 2 Enoch 2-23; Test. Levi. 2-5; Asc. Is.; Apoc. Bar 6, 3 Bar 1; Vita Ad. et Ev. 25, Apoc. Sophonias apud Clem. Alex. Strom. V.11, Apoc. Abraham 15; Apoc. Moses 37; often in rabbinic Merkaba and Hekhaloth speculation; 2 Cor 12 and numerous Christian and Gnostic Apocalypses). See W. Bousset, Die Himmelreise der Seele (Archiv für Religionswissenschaft 4 [1901], 136-169; 229-273; reprint Darmstadt: Wissenschaftliche Buchgesellschaft, 1960). Bousset tries to show that the three-heaven cosmology is original in the earliest Jewish apocalyptic and is of Iranian origin; only later was it displaced by the Neo-Babylonian seven-heaven cosmology. C. Colpe has attempted to establish a phenomenological criterion for the gnostic version of the ascent of the soul ("Die Himmelreise der Seele," in Le Origini dello Gnostismo:Colloquio di Messina, 13-18 Aprile 1966; Testi e Discussioni. Ed. by U. Bianchi. [Supplements to Numen XII; Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1967, pp. 429-445).
He points out that in Iranian and Jewish sources depicting the ecstatic ascent of the soul through the heavens, the soul of the visionary is never aboriginally consubstantial with the object of vision. When assimilation occurs, as in investiture with the cloak of glory (1 Enoch 62; 2 Enoch 22), it is conferred, not achieved by mental praxis. In Greek and Gnostic sources, the ascending soul is as a rule consubstantial with the object of vision according as these sources reflect the notion of the analogy between the microcosmos (= highest part of the visionary's soul) and the macrocosmos (the highest level of the cosmos).
The notion of consubstantiality is also found in Jewish wisdom literature, but except for Philo, these sources depict neither the microcosmos-macrocosmos conception nor the ascent motif, portraying instead the descent motif. The gnostic descent and ascent scheme is distinguished by the motif of the redeemed redeemer, according to which the upper macrocosmic soul becomes the redeemer of the lower microcosmic soul by awaking the latter from the sleep of incarnation so as to release it for its ascent to its origin. In this respect, Allogenes, Zost. and Steles Seth cannot be regarded as truly gnostic.
On the other hand, Ap. John and Trim. Prot. are gnostic, since they depict the descents of the First Thought (like the descent of Wisdom) as redemptive of its fallen (consubstantial!) portions (merê, melê). In this connection, it is perhaps significant that Trim. Prot. and the Pronoia hymn of Ap. John depict the ascent of the redeemed soul by means of the mystery initiation motif of the five seals (cf. Apuleius, Metam. XI, 24).
The five seals are not portrayed as a self-performable ascent. Rather the soul must be raised up from its sleep by a succession of celestial helpers or psychopomps located at various levels of the ascent; it cannot raise itself, as in Allogenes, Zost. and Steles Seth. It therefore appears that Jewish wisdom literature forms the pre-gnostic prototype for the descent motif of Ap. John and Trim. Prot., while the Greek visionary literature provides the pre-gnostic prototype for the ascent motif of Allogenes, Zost. and Steles Seth. The visionary ascent motif of Jewish apocalyptic, lacking the motif of the consubstantality of knower with known seems to stand apart here, but on the other hand may indeed have contributed to the gnostic descent motif through its eschatological speculations rather than its ascent motifs (see note 18 below).
[12] See the analysis of H. Jonas, "Myth and Mysticism: A Study of Objectification and Interiorization," Philosophical Essays: From Ancient Creed to Technological Man (Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, 1974), pp. 291-304.
[13] On this, see H. Cherniss, The Riddle of the Early Academy (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1945), pp. 60-85.
[14] On this division and its history in western thought, see P. Merlan, From Platonism to Neoplatonism (The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, 1953), pp. 53-77. Cf. Aristotle, Met. 1026a 6-19; 1064b 1-3; Xenocrates apud Sext. Emp. Adv. Math. VII, 16,147 (= frags. 1 and 5 Heinze).
[15] Hadot, "La métaphysique de Porphyre," pp. 127-129.
[16] For these "ways," see H. Dörrie, "Die Frage nach dem Transzendenten im Mittelplatonismus," Les sources de Plotin (Entretiens sur l'antiquité classique V; Vandoeuvres-Geneva: Fondation Hardt, I960), pp. 2I3-2I4; A.-J. Festugière, Le dieu inconnu et la gnose, pp. 92-140; Krämer, Der Ursprung der Geistmetaphysik, pp. 105-I08.
[17] See G. W. Macrae, "The Jewish Background of the Sophia Myth," Novum Testamentum 12 (1970), 86-101; but Cf. H. Conzelmann, "Die Mutter der Weisheit," Zeit und Geshichte: Dankesgabe an RudolfBultmann zum 80. Geburtstag. Ed. E. Dinkler (Tübingen: J.C.B. Mohr [Paul Siebeck], 1964, pp. 225-234, who argues that the prototype of the hypostatized Sophia is Isis.
[18] P. Perkins has shown that the threefold schematization of ApocAdam derives from Jewish apocalyptic speculation on Adam and Seth in relation to a periodization of history based on the Genesis tradition of the flood and of Sodom and Gomorrah; the speculative Gnostic reworking of these traditions as one moves from ApocAdam to GEgypt and on to ParaShem (VII, 25, 9-20), Ap. John and Trim. Prot. show increasing distance from the Jewish roots of this periodization ("Apocalyptic Schematization in the Apocalypse of Adam and the Gospel of the Egyptians," Proceedings of the Society of Biblical Literature, One Hundred EighthAnnual Meeting: Book of Seminar Papers, Vol. 2 [Society of Biblical Literature, I972], pp. 591-595). Attention should also be called to Pindar's second Olympian Ode (68 ff.), where only those souls who "thrice had been courageous in keeping their souls pure from all deeds of wrong" will achieve the Isles of the Blessed; to Plato, Phaedrus 249A, where the soul who has chosen the life of philosophy in each of three thousand-year periods of incarnation will regain its wings; and to Empedocles, Frg. 115 Diels, where the daimon is eligible for heavenly bliss only after three transmigration periods of ten thousand years. Although this Greek, perhaps Orphic or Pythagorean, eschatology certainly involves a three-phase purification, the conclusion of each period involves a new ethical choice of the soul, but not a judgmental visitation from without. The Stoic doctrine of the periodic ekpyrôsis of the cosmos involves the destruction scheme, but these periods are eternally repetitive with no salvific goal (e.g. Nemesius, De nat. hom. 38, p. 277 = SVF II 625). Seneca (Nat. quaest. II, 28,7) mentions periodic destructions by flood and renewal after the conflagration, but these occur without any schematization (solutus legibus sine modo fertur). Significantly, following Plato, Philo denies these destructions (De aetern. mundi 497; 508). Origen also rejects the Stoic scheme of periodic conflagration, since destnrction by fire and flood are God's way of purging the soul's evil (Contra Celsum IV, 11-13): when Celsus appeals to the world-catastrophes mentioned by Plato (Timaeus 22), Origen reminds him that this myth is the product of irrational thinking, whence even Plato put the myth into the mouth of an Egyptian priest (Contra Celsum I, 19-10; cf. IV, 4I).
" Reposted with personal permission from Prof. John D. Turner "
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' Also, a nice link to similar is. A Gnostic Appropriation Of Jewish Priestly Practice And Sapiential And Apocalyptic Visionary Lore ';
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... The Logos-Wisdom ...
" The Logos-Wisdom is the principle of all Divine and Esoteric Revelations. She has the characteristics of being the indwelling revealer of God.
She IS the active principle and the transmitter of all Divine knowledge as well the cosmological
cause of all creation. "
" The Ladies of My Spiritual Bridal Chamber Awakening. " click here.
Think for yourself and do not quickly accept ideas. Test all things; hold fast what is good. (1 Thes. 5:21)
If you have enemies, each has a Soul, as you do.
" Love your enemies "
" By their fruits you will recognize them" (Matt.7:15-16) "
" Love is the condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own. " --Robert A. Heinlein
" I know that I know nothing, --bogdan "
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Theresa May to meet Angela Merkel for Brexit talks ahead of EU summit
Anca Alexe 08/04/2019 | 14:35
UK prime minister Theresa May will meet with German chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin on Tuesday to discuss Brexit developments ahead of Wednesday’s EU summit in Brussels, according to The Guardian.
In the meantime, May’s Conservative party will continue talks with the Labour Party to try and reach a compromise on a Brexit deal that could be passed through Parliament.
May has faced strong criticism from pro-Brexit MPs in her party for opening up negotiations with rival Jeremy Corbyn and she is under pressure to not accept Labour’s main proposal, namely a permanent customs union with the EU after Brexit.
Romania among EU countries with high social network participation rates
At the EU leaders’ summit on Wednesday, the British PM will seek a new extension to Article 50 until June 30.
Tags: angela merkel, Brexit, european union, Theresa May
EU leaders struggle to reach agreement on next heads of top institutions
EU makes moderate progress towards Sustainable Development Goals
Donald Trump attacks EU for its antitrust cases against US tech giants
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The Repulsive Uproar Over a Muslim Reality Show
Adam Rose
Every once in a while, TV critics get to take a break from writing Glee recaps and put their pens to work on some good, old-fashioned righteous indignation. Time’s James Poniewozik seizes the opportunity to condemn Lowes for pulling its advertising from an upbeat reality show on TLC about American Muslims. The central complaint from the show’s critics is that it’s “propaganda” that ignores the dangers of radical Islam. “Right: because a decade of news reports, eight seasons of 24 and constant political grandstanding have done a bang-up job of utterly ignoring Islamic extremists.” For an exhaustive (and outraged) debunking of the show’s antagonists, click below.
Read it at Time
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When Activism Is Worse Than Apathy
The stories that seize our attention often don’t stay on our radar for very long, leaving us with only a fuzzy memory of doing something when we didn’t really help at all.
Nancy Kaffer
© Lucas Jackson / Reuters
The quaint children’s story Pierre is a cautionary tale about the perils of indifference. Obstinate Pierre refuses to care about anything, even when a passing lion threatens to eat him. (Yes, it’s a story for kids. By Maurice Sendak. Really.) Consumed and eventually disgorged, Pierre is restored to his loving parents, his ennui banished. The lion, unlikely though it seems, becomes a family friend, and the story closes with a moral: Care.
We’re not like Pierre. Apathy isn’t our problem. We care—we care a lot. Show us an injustice, and we’ll slap a hashtag on it in a hot minute. We may even have a national conversation about it. And then? Ooh, shiny! We’re on to the next outrage. Call it hashtag activism, call it slacktivism—worse than indifference, it’s a transitory, bustling attentiveness that passes so quickly it barely registers, yet leaves in its wake a sense that we’ve done something.
So, eyes on the prize, everyone. All the things you were fussed about in the last six months? Most of them are still happening. We’ve just moved on.
1. Less than a mile from my house, more than 60,000 football fans gathered Sunday to watch the Buffalo Bills beat the Detroit Lions. Yet less than a month ago, the country was having a “whither football” moment, driven by the revelation that National Football League officials had likely seen a security tape of former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice punching wife Janay in the face.
This graphic tape and the reporting that followed prompted a national conversation (stick with me, and you’ll learn to loathe those words) about domestic violence: the social and economic factors that make it hard for women to just leave, the tolerance our culture extends to domestic abusers, the way the NFL protects players who have transgressed and whether NFL fandom means tacit approval of same—something 60,000 Lions fans are apparently untroubled by.
And now? Not much has changed. One hopes that domestic violence shelters will see an uptick in donations—money is a good way to show you actually care.
2. Heads up: No one has brought back our girls. This spring, the terrorist group Boko Haram abducted about 250 Nigerian girls from a school. The plight of the missing girls seeped into Western consciousness, acquiring a hashtag (#bringbackourgirls) and celebrity attention. And briefly, it seemed like a hashtag triumph—pretty much everyone, everywhere, was outraged. The international community offered assistance; President Barack Obama sent a team of specialists to help the Nigerian government obtain the girls’ release.
In the weeks immediately following the mass abduction, about 60 of the kidnapped girls escaped. Since then, nothing.
Back in August, an American surveillance plane spotted groups of girls in Boko Haram-held territory. But it’s complicated: Boko Haram is powerful, and the politics of fighting or negotiating with it are fraught. The group, according to one report, wants to swap the girls for Nigerian-held prisoners, something the Nigerian government won’t do. A cleric working in the area has accused the Nigerian government of funding Boko Haram, and Nigeria’s human rights track record has led to U.S. hesitation in sharing intelligence. Meanwhile, Boko Haram continues to seize territory and hostages in Nigeria.
One thing we do know: Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has hired a Washington, D.C. PR firm to change the international narrative (http://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/210635-nigeria-hires-pr-for-boko-haram-fallout) about the missing girls.
3. Ukraine? That’s still happening.
4. Also still happening: Racism. I know, I know—in the wake of the fatal police shooting this summer of unarmed teen Michael Brown, we had a national conversation about race. About the disparities in outcomes for white and non-white Americans, particularly in the criminal justice system. About police brutality, and the militarization of American police, and how the two have paired to victimize, mostly, black men.
Yet despite this national conversation, we’ve failed to fix racism and the policies that led to the tragedy in Ferguson. Crazy, right?
What’s particularly frustrating about our ADHD on this topic is that there are a few things state legislatures could do—namely, throttle back on the amount of military equipment deployed to local departments, pass laws requiring body-mounted cameras, and track police killings and violence. So far, though, we’re seeing a lot more talk than action on these fronts.
5. And our data still isn’t secure, as made plain by the latest installment of “The Fappening,” the deliberate release by hackers of (mostly female) celebrities’ (often risqué) photos.
(Fappening, if you don’t know, is a portmanteau of “fap,” which refers to male masturbation, and “happening.” Sorry.)
The first photos released were of A-list celebs like Kate Upton and Jennifer Lawrence, and the fact that some of those pics were nudes distracted almost everyone from this: Nude photos are data, and if nude photos aren’t secure, other sensitive data aren’t secure, even when housed in remote data storage sites billed as secure. And let’s not fool ourselves—in the modern world, not using remote data storage isn’t an option.
I could keep going, but I’m falling prey to the same outrage multiplicity that bogs down any forward momentum any one of these causes might otherwise garner.
Nancy Kaffer is a columnist at the Detroit Free Press. She’s @nancykaffer on Twitter; you can find her online atfreep.com/kaffer.
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Weather and Climate @ Reading
Latest news from the Department of Meteorology
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Hidden in the clouds →
U.K. Spring Weather and the Natural World
Posted on 23 April, 2018 by Stephen Burt
By Pete Inness
We are now just over half way through April, so about half way through meteorological Spring which is defined as March, April and May. Despite the warm weather of the last few days it’s been a fairly cold Spring so far, with the mean temperature across most of the UK being 2 degrees C below normal during March. Easterly winds in late February and March, dubbed the “Beast from the East” in the press, brought cold air across the UK from continental Europe, and there were several spells of snow which caused significant disruption to transport.
To many people the arrival of Spring is not so much set by a date in the calendar but by the occurrence of particular aspects of the natural world. People keep records of events such as the first flowering of particular plants or the emergence of particular insects from hibernation. The Nature’s Calendar website, run by the Woodland Trust, allows people to upload their recordings and produces maps which show how the seasons are progressing in the natural world.
For me personally, the appearance of blackthorn flowers in the hedgerows is a sign that Spring has really started. Blackthorn is a ubiquitous hedging shrub around much of the UK and its white flowers, blossoming before the leaves appear, transform the appearance of the countryside between early March and mid April. In Autumn, blackthorn is also the source of the dark blue sloes needed for the manufacture of sloe gin. With the cold weather in February and March this year it’s not surprising that blackthorn has flowered later than usual. By 1 April last year, with March temperatures a degree or so above normal, there had been many recorded sightings of blackthorn in flower across the whole of the UK, including all of Wales, Northern Ireland and even Northern Scotland (see Figure 1, Top). This year, sightings of blackthorn reported to Nature’s Calendar up to 1 April were restricted to England and South Wales, with no reports at all in Northern Ireland or Scotland and very few reports north of the English Midlands (Fig. 1, Bottom). The very cold Spring of 2013, when March was actually colder than February, led to a very similar pattern of delayed flowering in blackthorn. In 2016, a year with Spring temperatures very close to the long term average, there were many more reports of blackthorn in flower by 1 April, including in Northern Ireland and the central belt of Scotland.
Figure 1. Sightings of blackthorn in flower on or before 1 April, reported to the Nature’s Calendar website. Each dot represents an individual report. (Top) 2017. (Bottom) 2018. Figures downloaded from naturescalendar.woodlandtrust.org.uk.
Year-to-year variations in the dates of particular natural events are not unexpected as the weather has a first order impact on the behaviour or plants, animals, birds and insects. However, climate change has also started to have a discernible impact on long term trends in the natural indicators of the arrival of Spring. A study by Amano et al, published in 2010, used flowering records going back 250 years to create an index of flowering dates for the UK. They found that in the most recent 25 year period in their study, plants flowered between 2.2 and 12.7 days earlier than any other consecutive 25 year period in the study, with flowering occurring, on average, 5 days earlier for each degree of warming.
In some ways this might be good news as a longer growing season for crops in the UK might mean that agricultural productivity will increase. However, there may be downsides in the natural world. Some species may adjust to temperature changes at different rates. To give a simple example, the arrival and nesting of a particular migratory bird species in the UK may be timed to coincide with an abundance of a particular insect larva on which they feed their chicks. However, if that insect starts producing larvae very much earlier than the arrival of the birds then the birds themselves may struggle to feed their young.
In farming too, changes to Spring temperatures may also cause problems. Although Spring is getting warmer on average, there are still examples such as 2013 and 2018 when there can be very cold spells. If blossom on fruit trees has already appeared prior to a cold spell then yields of that particular variety of fruit can be badly hit.
The specific atmospheric conditions that led to the low Spring temperatures this year and in 2013 are now reasonably well understood and there is no indication that these conditions will become less likely to occur in a warmer world. Hence we can continue to expect considerable variations in Spring temperatures from year to year even as the mean climate warms over the next 50 years or so.
Tatsuya Amano, Richard J. Smithers, Tim H. Sparks, William J. Sutherland., 2010. A 250-year index of first flowering dates and its response to temperature changes. Proceedings of the Royal Society (B).
This entry was posted in Climate, Climate change, Phenology. Bookmark the permalink.
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Sports Polling
The Sharkey Institute
Tag Archives: New Jersey
New Jersey Bill: DFS ‘Not Gambling’ but Should be Regulated by Gambling Commission
Interesting article in NorthJersey.com on Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) and the prospect of it being regulated in New Jersey. The article’s author, John Brennan of The Record, notes that New Jersey is the “nation’s No. 2 gambling state” behind Nevada and that a bill (Whelan, D-Atlantic County) to be discussed before the New Jersey Assembly would designate DFS as “not gambling” under state law, but have it fall under the jurisdiction and regulation of New Jersey’s “Division of Gaming Enforcement, the state body that oversees Atlantic City’s casinos and online gambling.”
Brennan notes that:
The crux of the debate over daily fantasy sports is whether the competitions are games of skill — as operators insist — or games of chance, and therefore gambling, as critics contend.
The confusion on this issue appears to extend to the public at large. A recent national poll by Seton Hall University found that 52 percent of Americans consider daily fantasy sports to be a form of gambling, while 31 percent consider them to be a game of skill.
On this point, Whelan’s bill appears to be “inconsistent,” said Nicholas Casiello, a gaming law attorney partner at the Atlantic City-based law firm Fox Rothschild.
“If daily fantasy sports is not gambling, you have to question whether it needs to be regulated in the same way that gambling is regulated,” he said.
The Casino Association of New Jersey, which represents seven of Atlantic City’s eight remaining casinos including the market-leading Borgata, did not respond to a request for comment. However, Tom Ballance, the Borgata’s president and chief operating officer, offered an unambiguous assessment of daily fantasy sports.
“Borgata’s and Boyd Gaming’s position is simple: Daily fantasy sports is clearly gambling and should be regulated as such,” Ballance said in a statement, referring to the casino’s parent company.
The bill is the product of New Jersey State Senator Jim Whelan, an Atlantic County Democrat who served as mayor of Atlantic City for 11 years and is known as a steadfast casino advocate. Senator Whelan is said to have met privately with representatives of FanDuel and DraftKings this last Thursday.
The bill is scheduled for a hearing before the New Jersey Assembly on Monday, November 9 and “is expected to feature testimony from representatives of the leading daily fantasy sites.”
This entry was posted in DFS, Fantasy Sports, Gambling, Poll Results, Sport and tagged DFS, Draft Kings, FanDuel, Fantasy Sports, New Jersey, Seton Hall Sports Poll on November 8, 2015 by Michael Ricciardelli.
The Seton Hall Sports Poll is sponsored by The Sharkey Institute, brought to you by The Stillman School of Business, and directed by Rick Gentile – a faculty member at Seton Hall University and 10 time Emmy Award winner for his work as Executive Producer and Senior Vice President of CBS Sports.
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This year is memorable for shocking upsets like Kabir Khan directed Salmaan Khan's Tubelight, Imtiaz Ali directed Shah Rukh Khan & Anushka Sharma starring Jab Harry Met Sejal, Vidhya Balan's Begum Jaan, Vishal Bhardwaj directed Shahid Kapoor, Saif Ali Khan & Kangana Ranaut starring Rangoon are among 2017's big budget flops along with movies like Raabta, Machine, Ok Jaanu, etc. But few hits of some league breaking movies like Lipstick Under My Burkha, Secret Superstar, Anarkali of Aarah, Hindi Medium, Shubh Mangal Savdhan, Bareily Ki Barfi surprised everyone. Here is my list of Top 10 Movies of 2017. Feel free to give your suggestion in the comment section.
1. Jolly LLB 2: Sequel to 2013 Arshad Warsi staring Jolly LLB, this one staring Akshay Kumar is one notch higher than the first one which is a prerequisite for a sequel. Writer & director Subhash Kapoor has perfectly presented the courtroom drama in appealing and interesting way. The film not only gives entertainment but raise important questions on our judicial system.
2. Hindi Medium: It's a social comedy staring Irrfan Khan and Saba Karim. The directer Saket Chaudhary point out the lapses and corruption in our education system which has made education just a luxury for elites and snatched a chance of better education from the poor. Irrfan Khan has beautifully portrayed his role in this film.
3. Kaabil: This film was ruled out as a hit by me from its trailer and promos but after seeing it Hrithik Roshan won my heart with his performance in the film. Blind man taking revenge of his wife's death looks impossible but the way it was shown by directer Sanjay Gupta it looks real and believable which for me made this film the part of this list.
4. Raees: 'Baniye Ka Dimaag, Miyan Bhai Ki Daring' the dialogue was a hit even before film was released and another phrase 'Ammi Jaan Kehti Thi' was also become part of speech for many. Varun Dhawan even used it in his film Judwaa 2. The star quality of Shah Rukh Khan was nicely used in this film to create charisma of the character he was portraying. Nawazuddin Siddique was impressive as a cop in it and Mahira Khan received the perfect Bollywood debut with this film. The director Rahul Dholakia did a fine job.
5. Bareilly Ki Barfi: Ayushmana Khurana again shines as a small town guy after Dum Laga Ke Haisha. He played a writer in the film but portrayed Rajkumar Rao as himself which starts all the confusion. Kirti Senon give justice to her role and Rajkumar Rao was perfect in this type of commercial film also. Credits to Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari for keeping this film interesting and entertaining.
6. Tiger Zinda Hai: Yes this film sells Salmaan Khan and his chemistry with Katrina Kaif but Ali Abbas Zafar made a perfect sequel to the film whose prequel he hasn't directed by him. The RAW & ISI which were searching the absconding agents in the first part come together for a mission first time in this movie. Great action sequences and the course of story which looks believable made this film part of the list.
7. Half Girlfriend: Film is based on the Chetan Bhagat's novel of the same name. Mohit Suri who usually make incomplete love stories made lead characters Arjun Kapoor & Shraddha Kapoor to come together in the end. The film is more interesting than the novel and the beautiful songs were addition to its flavors.
8. Badrinath Ki Dulhaniya: Seriously Badrinath Ki Dulhaniya was lower in expectations from the first installation of the series Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhaniya. Directer Shashank Khaitan has failed to bring out the romance between the lead characters Varun Dhawan & Alia Bhatt but the film was good, enjoyable and entertaining. Foot tapping songs like Tamma-Tamma, Title track and Aashiq Surrender Hua helped in the promotion of the film.
9. Begum Jaan: The film was a flop but I have chosen it for the story and performances of the lead cast. Written & directed by Srijit Mukherjee the story has a feel of the kinds of Ismat Chugtai & Sadat Hasan Manto. The period drama moves around partition and a brothel run by Vidhya Balan which came in between the border line. It reminds me of Toba Tek Singh a short story by Sadat Hasan Manto in which a mental asylum was divided by the partition.
10. Jagga Jasoos: Including another flop in this list because it was entertaining for me. Directer Anurag Basu has given this film a comic book type look which is first time for a Hindi film. Lyrical dialogues by the protagonist Ranbir Kapoor is brilliantly done. It was not boring at all but I think didn't work because it has a complex story line which don't appeal in the first go.
Many other films like Phillauri, Mom, Babumoshai Bandookbaaz, Secret Superstar, Golmaal Again, Firangi, Anarkali of Aarah, Toilet-Ek Prem Katha, Bahubali 2 were also under consideration before making this list. Looking forward to 2.0, Pad Man, Aiyaary, Hichki, Veera Di Wedding, Race 3, Fanney Khan, Thugs of Hindustan, Super 30, SRK's unnamed and many more. Hope some of these make into the next years list of Best 10 films of the year.
Badrinath Ki Dulhaniya Bareily Ki Barfi Begum Jaan Best Films of 2017 Bollywood Half Girlfriend Hindi Film Industry Hindi Medium Jagga Jasoos Jolly LLB 2 Kaabil My List Raees Tiger Zinda Hai Top 10
vishal bheeroo January 2, 2018 at 5:55 PM
Hindi Medium, Tiger Zinda Hai, Raees and Jolly LLB stands out. I've missed Bareilly ki Barfi and last year belonged to meaningful cinema. Heart warming to see good stories triumph. Happy New Year.
Jyotirmoy Sarkar January 6, 2018 at 10:13 AM
Among all these i liked "Jolly LLB2" most, watched Bengali version of "Begum Jaan",yet to watch "Tiger Zinda Hai".
Nice list.
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+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
RECOLLECTION OF AFTN-UDORN CRASH by Jim Treat
I was assigned to the AFRTS station at NKP, Thailand on 1 Dec 69, programmed to replace the Station Manager upon his departure to the ZI (ConUS) in early '70. Since this was my first assignment to AFRTS I was given blanket TDY orders to all Armed Forces Thailand Network (AFTN) locations to broaden my knowledge of various station operations and their individual requirements. As such I visited the Udorn station in early April. While there I met all station personnel and worked closely with the station manager, TSgt Jack Lynch and Radio Programming Director, SSgt Ed Strain. Ed and I had been roommates the preceding year when we attended the Radio/Television Broadcast School at Ft. Harrison, IN.
When I returned I briefed all personnel on how the Udorn operations coincided with those at NKP. They wanted to know if I'd met all of the Udorn AFTN people since I think it was SSgt Al Potter and TSgt Frank Ryan had previously served at NKP and arranged to get transferred to Udorn for personal reasons. A/1c Jim Brisbois ask if he could get a couple of days TDY to Udorn so that he could observe their operation and visit with his uncle who was stationed there. I took care of this and Jim caught the Klong Hopper a few days later.
I don't recall the day of the week, but on 17 April 70, early in the afternoon A1C Frank Stanton, who was our News Director came into my office and said I needed to check the teletype machine "RIGHT NOW." We had two (2) machines that brought us news from AP, UPI, Reuters and AFTN Headquarters in Korat. The one (1) line message read: "AFTN-Udorn hit by damaged aircraft. No survivors." There was no date/time group of sender ID. I ask Frank to reply asking for authentication. We received nothing back. I then tried to call the Udorn station on the landline, but the call would not go through. Within five (5) minutes we received another message, this time from Hq, AFTN stating the previous message was sent in error and should be disregarded. All station personnel on duty were clustered in the news room and surmised that the original message was more than likely true.
Approximately an hour later an official message came down the line stating an F-4 aircraft, returning from North Vietnam with battle damage had in fact crashed into the AFTN-Udorn station killing all personnel within the building. (I heard later that a janitor cleaning the main hallway had in fact ran out the door that was at the end of the hall. He survived despite severe burns.) I called the AFTN Deputy Commander, Captain Dick Horner (?) and advised him A/1c Brisbois could possibly be among those that perished. He stated he would immediately contact Udorn and ask them to check.
Around 1800hrs I received a phone call from Jim letting me know he was Okay and more or less giving me a "first person" report. It seems he had decided to take a late lunch and meet his uncle at the base swimming pool snack bar which was in close proximity to the AFTN station. They were sitting there when they heard a large thunder like clap and looked to see an F-4 bounce off the roof of a nearby two (2) story wooden barracks and disappear from sight between other buildings. Almost immediately there was a tremendous explosion and flames, debris and smoke filled the air just a couple of blocks away. Jim stated that he knew at once it either came from the AFTN station or a building close by. He and his uncle started to run in that direction, but were stopped by the heat and smoke.
Later in the evening I received another message from Hq, AFTN asking for an inventory of all excess equipment that could possibly be used in getting AFTN-Udorn back on the air. We did this and a few days later shipped all the equipment, tapes and records we could operate without to Udorn.
This disaster directly effected numerous AFTN-NKP personnel since they personally knew several of those who died on a personal, as well as professional level. As stated previously Ed Strain and I had been roommates at DINFOS for almost eight (8) weeks since he was in the class directly behind me. However, he had arrived in Thailand before I did since I was on a controlled tour and delayed until Nov 69.
I met Jack Lynch again at a Station Manager's conference in Korat. Jack told me that he had left the building and was gping to the base dispensary to have the station's First Aid Kit replenished. As he was walking up the street he heard a loud roar and turned around to see the aircraft strike the AFTN building. This conversation took place in the summer of '70 and I could tell he was still having a hard time of it. He'd been given a 30 day leave in the States immediately after the crash, but the effect was evident.
I still recall the events of that fateful day, despite the fact the exact day of the week escapes my memory. When you work 12/6 the days pretty much tend to run together. I can vividly recall the good times Ed and I had at the Ft. Harrison NCO Club, common trial and tribulations with our class studies, plus the trek he took me on of the Udorn bars and joints when I as there TDY. Okay, so I only remember about half of that trip ........!
I visited DINFOS, Ft. Harrison in the early 80's. A memorial plaque was displayed near the main entrance dedicated to all those at AFTN-Udorn who lost their lives that day. I have no idea where that plaque is now since Ft. Harrison has been deactivated.
Jim Treat
AFTN-NKP, Dec 69 - Nov 70
[Web note: The memorial plaque is now stored at the DINFOS bldg. at Fort Meade, Maryland]
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Charlie Blackmon
33-Year-Old OutfielderOF
Blackmon was a top fantasy option just two years ago. Sure, he’ll turn 33 in July and there are signs of skills decline, but chances are rumors of his demise are premature. Blackmon’s 19.3 K% last season was the highest of his career, but assuming it doesn’t get much worse, it’s still better than average. His power waned due to a four-point drop in flyball rate, but his 17.7 % HR/FB was his second best ever. Blackmon’s running has curtailed, but remember he swiped only 14 bags in his stellar 2017 season, a number certainly still within reach. Aside from playing in Coors Field, Blackmon’s numbers are driven by volume, playing at least 154 games four of the past five seasons, averaging 678 PA during that span. The market appears to be over-penalizing a fantasy stud for a down age-32 season. He may not rebound to a first-round, $30 level, but Blackmon has plenty left in his tank. Read Past Outlooks
Bats L
Throws L
Born Dallas, TX
College Georgia Tech
Drafted 2nd Rd 2008 COL
$Signed a six-year, $108 million contract extension with the Rockies in April of 2018. Contract includes player options for 2022 and 2023.
Day off Sunday
OFColorado Rockies
Blackmon is out of the lineup for Sunday's game versus the Reds, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.
Blackmon went 2-for-5 with an RBI and two runs Saturday to bust out of a four-game slump, but he'll take a seat for the series finale. Raimel Tapia, Ian Desmond and David Dahl will start in the outfield from left to right Sunday.
Since 2017vs Left .886 649 105 27 72 9 .309 .365 .521
Since 2017vs Right .978 1122 220 59 160 19 .317 .386 .593
2019vs Right 1.066 196 40 12 36 2 .348 .398 .669
2018vs Left .817 261 40 10 24 6 .293 .352 .464
2017vs Right 1.023 491 101 28 78 11 .329 .402 .622
Since 2017Home 1.161 853 195 54 135 13 .379 .442 .719
Since 2017Away .746 918 130 32 97 15 .256 .318 .428
2019Home 1.419 166 44 16 38 0 .446 .500 .919
How does Charlie Blackmon compare to other hitters?
View Charlie Blackmon vs. Pitcher Stats
Rockies Depth Chart
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Chris Morgan urges you to ignore the marquee pitching names on today's schedule and focus on a cheaper solid alternative like Mike Soroka.
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Tanner Roark has compiled promising numbers this year but struggles against lefties, which is why Mike Barner is touting a trio of Rockies' hitters - including Charlie Blackmon - to tee off the Reds' starter.
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Mike Trout is one of the best hitters of all-time, but a tough matchup against Justin Verlander on Friday has our expert leaning towards an uneventful night from the All-Star outfielder.
Blackmon's fourth full season with the Rockies was his best yet, as he established new career-highs in nearly every meaningful offensive category while becoming the fourth Colorado player in the last five seasons to capture the National League batting title. With another step forward in power, Blackmon's stolen-base output dropped slightly, and his lower success rate (14-for-24, 58.3 percent) could lead to fewer green lights in the future. Other than the declining efficiency on the basepaths, he's proven to be a very good player in an excellent situation. Over the past two seasons, he's shown significant improvement against lefties, topping out with a .952 OPS against southpaws in 2017. Blackmon was extremely productive at home last season, posting a .391/.466/.733 line at Coors Field, improving his home OPS by 300 points from 2016, and topping his road OPS (.784) by 455 points. Expecting a repeat is unfair, but he was nearly a top-five player with his 2016 numbers, so he'll likely be among the first 10-12 players off the board in 2018.
Although some toe injuries hampered Blackmon's ability to run last season (only 28 stolen base attempts, as opposed to 56 in 2015), those issues did not hold him back at the plate. The 30-year-old hit 35 doubles and 29 homers which propelled him to a stellar .324/.381/.552 slash line. Blackmon managed to bring his strikeout rate down below 16 percent, and his road splits were perhaps the most encouraging numbers of all. While most Rockies hitters have gaudy numbers at home that drop off as soon as they're away from Coors Field, the outfielder's OPS on the road was a mere 13 points lower than his OPS at home. If he can bring the stolen bases back into his game while maintaining this solid approach away from Coors Field, Blackmon should carry his weight as an early pick.
Blackmon ran a bit in the minors — he stole 30 bases as a 22-year-old in 2009 at High-A — but scarcely looked like a burner in his first few major league seasons. Blackmon was unleashed in 2015, and stole a career-high 43 bases in a tidy 56 attempts (76.7 percent). He now has 71 stolen bases over the past two years. Blackmon has also been a quality hitter, primarily due to his plus contact skills, as evidenced by his .288/.336/.437 career batting line. Thanks to the statistical inflation that is Coors Field, he has been good for 16 homers per 162 games and a .288 average since coming up in 2011. With Blackmon showing that he can be an efficient basestealer, he should have a green light throughout the 2016 season. Now that he's running wild, he can add an elite skill to an already well-rounded talent base.
The Rockies were prepared to go with a timeshare in both center field and the leadoff spot to open 2014, but Blackmon quashed those plans following a six-hit game in the season’s first week. It was a harbinger of what was to come over the rest of April for Blackmon, who was arguably the fantasy MVP during that month with an incredible .389 batting average, five homers, seven steals and 23 runs scored over 28 games. Alas, the first-year starter wasn’t able to sustain that level of production when his BABIP and HR/FB rate normalized, slashing a more earthly .271/.318/.405 from May onward. That larger sample represents a reasonable approximation for Blackmon’s 2015 line, and while certainly not eye-popping, the 28-year-old’s base-stealing skills and moderate power profile will allow him to rack up the counting stats while he retains a regular role at the top of the order. However, like many Rockies, Blackmon was prone to dramatic home/road splits last season, making him an optimal play in home-heavy slates to avoid the batting average drain away from Coors Field.
Foiled by a turf toe issue just a season before, Blackmon was actually the beneficiary of injuries in 2013. With Carlos Gonzalez and Dexter Fowler sidelined for large swaths of the second half, Blackmon received his first extended opportunity at regular duty in the majors and was magnificent, batting .309/.336/.467 in 258 at-bats, while showing moderate speed and power. He could stand for some improvement in plate discipline (2.7 percent walk rate), but his well-rounded skill set allows him to compensate for the deficiency. For the first time in his career, he'll now have a legitimate chance at earning a starting gig out of spring training, with Dexter Fowler out of the picture. Blackmon will face stiff competition from Corey Dickerson and Brandon Barnes for the job but should have the upper hand heading into the spring given his impressive finish to the previous campaign.
Blackmon missed nearly the entire first half dealing with a turf toe issue, taking him out of the running for a backup outfield spot during spring training. After a run of strong play at Triple-A Colorado Springs, Blackmon earned his callup to the Rockies. Late-season injuries in the outfield resulted in a de facto 2013 audition for Blackmon, who batted .362 while playing regularly in September. Though Blackmon's power has not been as quick to develop as some might have expected, his ability to hit for contact, get on base, and steal the occasional bag somewhat offset a lack of home runs. Blackmon's all-around skill set could give him an edge over much of the existing competition in the Rockies' outfield logjam, but he will likely be relegated to no better than fourth outfielder status entering the season.
Blackmon tore up the Pacific Coast League to earn a promotion to the big leagues last season, but he slumped in 27 games with the Rockies before a fractured left foot ended his season in July. On some teams, Blackmon might be a lock to grab a starting job during spring training, but he's currently in position with Colorado to enter a battle for a bench job barring a move or two by the Rockies' front office. In addition to carrying a steady contact rate through each stop in the minors, Blackmon has displayed a combination of power and speed that could make him a 20-20 threat capable of hitting for a good average at some point down the road. While the Rockies signed Michael Cuddyer as a free agent to start in right field, the trade of Seth Smith to Oakland increases Blackmon's chances of becoming the fourth outfielder this season.
Blackmon, the Rockies' 2008 second-round pick, profiles as a future everyday outfielder who can play all three positions and hit for a bit of power with some nice speed. In 2010, he hit .297/.360/.484 at Double-A Tulsa with 11 homers and 19 stolen bases. He finished the year with a nice showing in the Arizona Fall League with a .264/.372/.417 batting line. Thanks for the outfield depth ahead of him, Blackmon will probably spend much of 2011 at Triple-A Colorado Springs, while he waits for a callup. At 24 years old, he's a prospect worth tracking.
Scores twice in loss
Blackmon went 2-for-5 with an RBI and two runs Saturday in the Rockies' 17-9 loss to the Reds.
Reaches 20 homers
Blackmon went 2-for-4 with a home run, two RBI, a walk and two runs scored Sunday against the Dodgers.
Launches 19th homer
Blackmon went 1-for-4 with a two-run homer and a second run scored in Saturday's 5-3 win over the Dodgers.
Crosses home three times
Blackmon went 3-for-4 with an RBI, three runs scored and a walk in Friday's 13-9 win over the Dodgers.
Collects three hits in loss
Blackmon went 3-for-5 with a double, a triple, two RBI and a run scored during Thursday's 12-8 loss to the Dodgers.
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UNPRESIDENTIAL
CNN’s Van Jones Goes Off on Trump for ‘Smearing’ DREAMers in State of the Union
One year after Jones infamously said Trump ‘became president of the United States in that moment, period’ following his first address before Congress.
Matt Wilstein
Updated 01.30.18 11:35PM ET / Published 01.30.18 11:15PM ET
CNN/Screenshot
Around this time last year, Van Jones was getting pilloried by the left for declaring that President Donald Trump “became president of the United States in that moment, period” when he led a standing ovation for the widow of a Navy SEAL in his first speech to a joint session of Congress.
Tonight on CNN, immediately following Trump’s State of the Union address, it seemed as though Jones might be trying to make up for what was arguably a vast overstatement.
Jones began by calling Trump a “master salesperson” who “used all of those stories really well.” However, he added, the president “was selling sweet-tasting candy with poison in it.”
“What he said about those young people, he implied—and he did it deliberately—that DREAMers are gang members,” Jones said. “Facts matter,” he added as Rick Santorum began to push back. “It’s completely unacceptable to take this issue, which—we have a moment now where 90 percent of the country agrees that these young people deserve a shot. And to smear these young people with the blood of—it’s wrong. It’s morally wrong!
“We are in a moment now where we could come together and get something done on a bipartisan basis,” Jones added, echoing the purported goal of Trump’s speech. “Republicans cannot continue to just smear these young DREAMers and associate them with gangs that they’re not a part of.”
During his speech, Trump pointedly declared, “Americans are dreamers, too,” a line that resonated strongly with his white nationalist supporters.
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San Francisco 49Ers Events
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Day1 brings you helpful video resources designed to enrich your spiritual life and better prepare you to live your Christian faith day by day.
Day1 TV:
Day1 Video Features Home
The Rev. Peter Wallace
The Rev. Peter Wallace is the host and executive producer of Day1. The President of the Alliance for Christian Media, Peter is also the author of "The Passionate Jesus,""Heart and Soul: The Emotions of Jesus," and other books.
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Love and Fear - Peter Wallace on the Psalms
Day1 host and author Peter Wallace continues his reflections on the Psalms and coping with fear. This time he draws from Psalm 56 to examine the great risks of love and the fear of rejection or loneliness.
fear love loneliness
Diana Butler Bass - Day1 Video Feature part 1
Diana Butler Bass - Day1 Video Features part 3
Day1 Video Feature
Day1 Presents Presiding Bishop Michael Curry: “We Need Some Witnesses to the Way of Jesus!”
The Most Rev. Michael B. Curry, Presiding Bishop and Primate of the Episcopal Church, offered a stirring message on the Jesus Movement and how we can play a role in reviving the mainline churches to follow the Way of Jesus today. Watch his unforgettable message now! And feel free to share it.
Day1 Minute with Leanne Van Dyk - Part 1
In this Day1 Minute, Dr. Leanne Van Dyk of Columbia Theological Seminary takes us to the Mount of Transfiguration to see the glory of Jesus. Watch now for a moment of inspiration!
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Even business lobbyists say Australia can run on 50% renewables
Can Australia reach 50% renewables without compromising grid stability? The experts – and even the major energy stakeholders of business and industry – all say yes. We’re just waiting on the right policy.
Sophie Vorrath Posted on 21 March 2018 21 March 2018 19 Comments
Can Australia achieve 50 per cent renewable energy without compromising grid stability? That was the topic of a panel discussion at the ABB Customer World conference in Melbourne last week. And it’s a hot topic in Australia right now, particularly in political quarters.
For a large part, government thinking on the subject has been divided neatly down state and federal lines.
While Labor states and territories have set targets for 40, 50 and 75 per cent renewables – and some have already met them – the Turnbull government regularly decries those targets as reckless, and insists on keeping the nation on the slow train to just 36 per cent by 2030.
But for the host of the conference – who also used the occasion to launch its portfolio of more than 210 digital solutions, called ABB Ability – the answer is an unequivocal ‘yes’.
The Swiss-based company with 125 years’ experience in the power industry now directs a great deal of its expertise and manpower to help renewables tie into grids, and to work out how this will be done in various parts of the world.
“What we have seen… in the past few years is that the trend towards 50 per cent, even above 50 per cent utilisation of renewables … is a trend that is not going to go (away),” said Massimo Danieli, the global business unit manager of Power Grids and Grid Automation at ABB Group.
“I think that the target of 50 per cent is just the initial target, and there will be more and more to come,” he said.
Independent energy expert Chloe Munro and ABB’s Massimo Danieli at ABB World 2018 in Melbourne.
Indeed, for the entire panel of experts who took part in the ABB discussion – including AusNet Services executive Alistair Parker; independent energy expert Chloe Munro and; Australian Industry Group policy advisor Tennant Reed – the answer to the above question was ‘yes’… but… not without the right policy.
Here’s what they said:
The policy guy
Tennant Reed, who is the principle national advisor on public policy for the Australian Industry Group, says there are three things we need to have in place to get Australia to 50 per cent renewables.
First, the technology needs to work and be cheap – “that’s well in hand,” he says. Second, the markets need to be receptive – and that’s going pretty well, too.
“There is a deep hunger among energy users for cheaper that what the market is serving up right now,” Reed told the conference.
“A lot of my members, who have been far from sold on big-picture energy transition stuff in past years, are going out and signing contracts, off-take agreements with big renewables projects, or installing their own generating capacity.”
As well they might. Brewing giant CUB is installing enough solar to match its total demand by the end of the year; vegetable grower Nectar Farms is going 100 per cent renewable on its new greenhouse (Australia’s biggest); zinc producer Sun Metals is using solar to underpin its regional Queensland expansion; and Sanjeev Gupta is turning to solar and storage to save and expand the Whyalla steelworks business. And many others are following.
The third thing you need is policy, says Reed, and that’s the missing piece.
“I want to make one thing very clear here: Policy at this point is not needed to make renewables competitive. They are competitive when we’re talking about choices of new-builds.”
The policy that we do need, he adds, can do two things: “it can bugger everything up, which is very much the role that it is serving at the moment; or it can govern the speed with which old assets close, and that will govern how much opportunity there is for new-build stuff.
“So when you have had a decade of back-and-forth at every election at the federal level and most of the states too, where the opposing sides represent total changes in energy policy, that’s a terrible environment for making decisions about assets that will last for many-multiple terms of government.
“We really need to break that cycle… Even though there are plenty of energy investments that on their fundamentals make sense, the specific nature of the energy policy that we wind up with, the climate policy that we wind up with, can make or break any of those investments. So we need an outcome.”
On the latest energy policy proposal, the Turnbull government’s National Energy Guarantee, Reed said that while it was currently “the only game in town,” there was still a lot of convincing to be done that it was the right outcome for all of the major stakeholders, including industry, business and consumers.
“I guess energy stake-holders are getting so flexible we might not even be able to stand up anymore,” he said. “We’ll just take anything, is the perception. But it’s not true.
“We need an outcome that works, and an outcome that is consistent with having competitive electricity markets that deliver what we need at an affordable price.”
The network guy
According to Alistair Parker, the executive general manager of regulated energy services at Victorian network operator, AusNet, there’s “a plethora of technical answers to the stability questions that we will face at 50 per cent renewables.”
“The capacity to manage that … is a technical problem, quite a complicated one, multidimensional, but ultimately, it will be possible to resolve it,” he told the conference.
But without stable and well defined policy settings, it could be a lot more complicated than it needs to be, and a lot more costly to consumers.
“I think the trick will be to resolve that at a price that our customers actually want to pay. And that we don’t force them to make some different decisions,” Parker said.
“We could rush out tomorrow and put in lots of fancy black boxes that would really help the stability … but if the reliability component of the National energy guarantee actually drives some of the more generation side to bring that forward, it would be a bit of a double up.
“So we’re going to have to work in lock-step, there, I think, to make sure we get the answers right.
“The technical questions, it strikes us, they’re complicated, but they’re doable. And you can definitely find those answers. It will be a matter of hard work and some investment.”
The independent expert
Chloe Munro, who was part of the panel of experts who advised Australia’s chief scientist, Alan Finkel, during his comprehensive review of Australia’a energy market, says the core of the Review’s findings was “encouraging governments to embrace this transition.”
But it was also about recognising that the NEM, which Munro herself had helped to “lovingly craft” more than 20 years ago, was no longer fit for purpose. And this needed strong government policy, and new market rules, built around whole-system thinking.
“AEMO has come up with a consultation on Integrated System Planning as a first step towards really taking a more coherent view of the way the electricity system needs to work into the future,” she said.
“It’s important that we acknowledge the new realities of demand. Compared to what we were thinking in the late 90s, there hasn’t been (increase demand).
“What is happening is demand is becoming peakier. And it will probably become more peakier and more volatile into the future.
“Managing that volatility, and the volatility that can also come from whether it’s the wind dropping or a large unit of a thermal generator dropping out unexpectedly, all of that is quite a challenge for the system operator.
“But more importantly, the economics of the system doesn’t actually reward the kind of resources that we need to manage the volatility.”
“So what we need are these flexible dispatchable resources. And I think the important thing is that flexibility and dispatchability won’t just come from generation,” she said.
“For me the big thing that really has been missing is really marshalling demand-side participation. There’s such huge opportunities to shift from always having supply following load, to actually managing load so to an extent, that can follow supply.
“And that’s really going to change the way that our electricity system operates into the future.”
More : ABB Group, AusNet Services, Australian Idustry Group
Nectar Farms and Sundrop Farms are blazing a trail
Victoria plan to use old mines for pumped hydro heads to next stage
Peter F 1 year ago
We are going to find out fairly soon. Victoria/ SA and Tasmania as a sub-NEM will be 50% by 2020-21. At the current build rate in Queensland won’t be that far behind
Andy Saunders 1 year ago
Well, Tasmania as a sub-NEM has been like that forever.
Cooma Doug 1 year ago
I am sure you are right that this is possible and just plain as day certain.
But the Libs did such a balls up with the nbn, I keep a little bit of doubt in my head.
What the reality is from a grid manager perspective, the problem isnt supporting the new technology and plant, the problem is sustaining the old stuff.
Any grid controller going on shift in a heat wave these days worries most about big coal gens.
Ray Miller 1 year ago
Who would have thought coalers couldn’t stand the heat?
Every component in the NEM is temperature dependent and needs to either be designed to deliver its rating at an ambient of 50C or be derated on the day, when the efficiency of those air-conditioners plummets like a stone. The networks need to “gold plate” for those couple of hours each year, the good news is every year those stress hours are increasing so we are making more use of the investment.
Carl Raymond S 1 year ago
When I see 50% written, I read it as 100%. We can all see the fall and fall in the price of wind, solar and storage. By the time any 50% target is reached, it’s kind of obvious that the incentive to keep going, cheaper energy, will be stronger than ever. It’s like putting a plate with two tim tams in front of a hungry person and saying ‘try one’.
The coal industry understands this perfectly, hence their dogged determination to avoid any meaningful target.
Sorta. New problems will arise as the penetration increases.
As an example, let’s say there’s no renewables anywhere in a system – it’s dead easy to add the first installation as it is barely a drop in the ocean. At some point as penetration increases, though, the zero marginal cost lowers then forces out high-cost generation – the first effect. Then dispatchable capacity less tripped plant sometimes threatens to be less than demand peaks. Then ramp rates may be greater than dispatchable load-following capacity. Then… you get my point – various new problems arise at increasingly higher penetrations and have to be dealt with.
The point at which each of these happens depends on the circumstances of the grid – proportion of interconnect capacity, degree of load variability, degree of correlation of renewables generation etc etc.
So it’s not altogether a slam dunk to just keep on increasing renewables penetration. Although as costs fall over time, renewables will indeed overwhelm the economics of practically any other form of generation.
Mike Westerman 1 year ago
Except that Norway and Tasmania are already at 100% RE so a first step is careful and accurate definition of the “problem”.
Glynn Palmer 1 year ago
Mike Tasmania is currently generating 13.3% 200Mw of their electricity from gas and exporting 200Mw to Victoria..
No doubt. Having it doesn’t mean you have to use it. Which was my point: define the problem without the loose language. Who cares what you have: customers want to know if you can meet their need in a way they find acceptable .
Agreed. The second 50% won’t look like the first 50%. I should probably have put a tim tam and a mint slice on the plate. Still not phased at all because of counter-balancing effects to the challenges you describe:
It’s much easier to extend a system than to invent a system. Going from 0 to 5% is hard. From 50 to 55% not so hard because you already know all the ‘how to’ and ‘how much cost’ and ‘how much revenue’ answers – information banks are pretty fond of.
At 50%, we’ll have a plethora of data regarding weather effects, the right amount of fast storage, the right amount of big storage and how much can be achieved with demand management. Also the optimal mix of wind/PV/CSP/hydro/batteries for each region will be well understood.
Finally, people will have had a taste of 7c/kWh free-fuel energy. The pressure on govt to phase out anything that requires digging up the ground and involves expenses such as pipelines or train-cars will be overwhelming. If they don’t grant the people’s wishes, they’ll simply go off grid, with the latest $5K 100kWh powerwall. That seems like a big battery now – but once upon a time a 32″ TV was ‘large’.
When at 50%, tell me a solution to the problems that is not renewable. It is all renewable solutions from now. I remember my CEO in 1995 talking on a big old black phone planning to purchase a hugely expensive main frame computer. This would include a multi million dollar communication system across the organisation.Most of his rant was about the futility of PCs and the internet. Luckily we soldiered on and pushed through.
Any significant installation of renewables now includes stability synergy far better than the fossil plant it replaces.
We will be able to load shift to a degree that provides more than enough reserve and stability than the grid has ever had. That will be the case sooner than we can imagine if we rely on the information floating around parliament.
Ian 1 year ago
Andy you forgot to add the preamble to your assessment: at the last 0% renewables point in time, air-conditioning became cheaper and more popular, the midday summer demand increased dramatically requiring increased generation capacity to cover this demand. 100% FF could not cope. Solar power was the best-fit generator type for this new load. Solar energy was very expensive and required generous subsidy to activate. Despite solar being relatively easy to integrate into the grid, vested interests fought tooth and nail to limit this. Even though overall renewables percentage is way lower than coal power generation, these same gentailers act as though renewables were already at 50% and threatening the grid . Their narrative is :……. add the rest of your post! 😉
John Saint-Smith 1 year ago
“The policy that we do need, he adds, can do two things: “it can bugger everything up, which is very much the role that it is serving at the moment”
Are you listening Mr Turnbull? He’s describing your obituary.
“or it can govern the speed with which old assets close, and that will govern how much opportunity there is for new-build stuff.”
Still paying attention Malcolm? He’s offering you a triple by-pass. It’s not too late…
The independant expert is a 10
Ren Stimpy 1 year ago
Yeh I reckon ‘back in the day’ she would’ve been a Bo Derek sort.
Btw Dougie I’ll be picturing you as a Dudley Moore from here on.
Why does everyone harp on about percentage renewables without really defining what this means. One can understand 0% renewables as meaning no renewables or 100% renewables being all solar, wind, water etc, but anything in between needs careful definition. Can anyone provide the “official” definition for percentage renewables.
RobertO 1 year ago
Hi Ian, It’s nice and simple, it’s a mathematical term only and you then need to relate it back to the statement in terms that it was made. The headline statement is “Even Business …… can run at 50% renewables” is very simple, over a average full year renewables (RE) can supply 50% of the energy need to run Australia. Note that sometimes during that period RE will supply more that 50% and sometimes less. It does not define what type, where, how or when and it does not matter for that statement.
Lots of people define the % as yes we should do this or not do that. Take hydrogen cycle as an example, just because it’s on 10 or 15 % efficient they beleive we should not do it (they are putting the horse behind the cart, not at the front of the cart where it belongs). In the board room the first question is always “Can we make money out of this new process, or can it save us lots on money”
Only if the answer is a resounding yes will the process be considered. Then and only then will they ask about the efficiency of the process and so what if it’s only 0.5% efficienent (they making money (or saving lots) and they do not care about effeicieny except if they can increase the effeicency how much more money can they make or how big the saving will get)
So % renewables is the quantity of electricity produced in GWH for a specific grid system over a year / total electricity produced in GWH as a percentage?
Could it not also mean percentage nameplate capacity of renewables generators vs nameplate capacity of all generators?
Or perhaps quotas of allowable generation mix at any instant such as renewables have an allowable access to 50% of grid exports at any particular moment (in GW) the rest is preserved for fossil generators? A type of merit order system or firming capacity requirement?
Hi Ian, English is such a lovely language. So your sitting in a room on a country train and you say “Look Out” to another person in the same room. What does it mean?
If there sitting in the room and they are leaning out of the window it is different meaning to another person whom the waiter is about to spill hot coffee on that person, and another person it may mean just look outside at what is going past. Two words with three different meaning (about to hit their head, about to wash in hot coffee or about to see something interesting).
The operative words (run Australlia) tell you that it’s not name plate (can be turned off and not running), it’s not about quota because RE is so vairable (not able to run), it’s not about merit order (because it says run Australia). The whole article tell you what the heading means.
As an after thought if Labour / Greens form Gov in the next election and Labour has a target of 50% RE they will fail miserably. About 2022 they will be at about 75% (they will overshoot the target)
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Kinky Horror
“What the Heck is Kinky Horror?”
Videodrome: Long Live the New Flesh!
#SupernaturalSaturday Comic Review: Lucifer #6
Posted on 09/30/2017 by Kasey
(Submitted by Senor Prince Adam…Thanks for kicking ass, Kinky Kolleague! 🙂 xoxo)
“Rosemary’s just an average American co-ed bringing her boyfriend, Takehiko, home from college to meet her parents, who happen to be Satanists.” (Vertigo)
When I first started reading through this story, I thought that this was going to be a one off filler issue. Instead, what we get is a jaw dropping mythological twist and the setup for the next big arc. The issue starts off very casually enough. It’s about a boy and a girl, heading to a seemingly quaint town in New England, so the boy can meet the girl’s parents. You even see the girl warning the boy that her family is weird and to be prepared for anything. The stereotype is perpetuated by the boyfriends typical reaction of shrugging her warnings off as hyperbole. While this may sound like a typical romance story, it is anything but that. Shockingly, Rosemary and her parents. are part of a group of Satanists, living in the town of Devil’s Knob. Maybe the name of the town and the fact that this is a Lucifer comic book, should’ve made me think twice about writing this issue off as a romantic filler with some scares. As Rosemary tells her boyfriend the history of Satanism in the town, we the reader get just enough exposition that we need for the payoff for the rest of the story, we learn that a resident named Gordo, who started a church because he knew that if he ran a church, he’d never have to pay taxes, That reasoning is so humorous , yet so believable. I can imagine some lazy bastard doing this because he didn’t want to pay taxes. The fact that the church is in part a Satanic church and a club for Death Metal Band, serves the nature and tone of the comic book on the whole and the overall story. Rosemary tries to soften the idea of her parents being Satanists for her boyfriend Takehiko, by telling him that while there is a segment of Satanists who believe in a devil with horns and a pitchfork, for most, including Rosemary and her parents, Satanism is about physical gratification, putting yourself first, lusting after hot people, eating inappropriately, being a bitch or an asshole and treating it like a sacrament. Takehiko asks Rosemary if there are any true demonic or ghost stories associated with the church, she say yes. We then get the story that really kicks this comic into a high gear and it starts to have relevancy. During one of the parties, things got too crazy and the church/house burnt down with a drunk girl named Joanna Newton, who died inside. Gordo then, as folklore tells it, sold the girls soul for money to build a new church. If this were any standard romance story, the boyfriend would cut it and run. Instead, Takehiko says he’s looking forward to meeting her parents and attending their church function. He is ambushed by her parents and other members of the congregation, who are naked except for wearing robes and horns. They pull a blade on him, claiming to sacrifice him for Lucifer.
At this point, Takehiko snaps and calls them blasphemers and summons the supposedly dead Joanna Newton. Turns out Joanna survived the fire and managed to escape, after Gordo and the others left her for dead. This revelation means that, the deal Gordo made in exchange for her soul is incomplete. After learning the demon Gordo made a deal with was Asmodeus, Takehiko summons him. Here’s where the real twist comes in. Asmodeus is Lucifer’s brother and uncle to Takehiko, meaning Takehiko is the first born son of Lucifer. The book ends with Asmodeus ordering Takehiko to return to hell, allowing him to bring Rosemary, while he keeps Gordo as a slave, as a means to fulfill his deal. With Lucifer back in action, Asmodeus indicates it’s time to challenge Mazikeen for the throne and reclaim his birthright, becoming the King of Hell. I’ll be completely honest, I did not see that twist with Takehiko coming. The sad thing on my part, is that there were hints. For example, its mentioned that, his father was long gone and that eventually he would have to deal with the family business. These bits of writing were in bold, so I should’ve paid them more attention. Even worse, there were small demonic wings sprouting out of his back, as he was having sex. I’m going to use the fact that there was a sex scene and the fact that I was so engrossed in the backstory of the Satanic Church, thus I missed it. That’s my story and I’m sticking with it. There was no mention of Lucifer having children in the first story arc and I don’t know enough about Neil Gaiman’s initial run of this series, Given that reasoning, I have to give credit to writer Holly Black, for writing such a fascinating and distracting story.
Art for this issue was drawn by Stephanie Hans. This is a different artist than the first story arc but I liked her work just as much, if not more. While I said that a page or two looked painted in the last story, this whole book had a painted look to it. Specifically, an oil paint style. I don’t think it is actually painted though as it’s not mentioned anywhere in the credits info. Also, they don’t mention a colorist, so I’m going to assume, that too, was done by Stephanie Hans. The opening scenes, with the young couple driving through a wintery New England, was idyllically picturesque. I know people who live in New Hampshire and winter’s can produce quite the snowfall, so this imagery has some accuracy to it. The flashback scenes to the drunken party had this purple filter to them. I’ve seen color pallets such as this used in films and television when people get piss drunk or sky high and I like that this book borrows stylistic choices from other media. The art for the fake Satanic sacrifice ritual poked fun at the stereotypes that are out there about Satanism. I like that the art and this book as a whole, is very self aware and does this sort of thing. While Lucifer and his son look nothing like the stereotypical version of the devil, I’m glad others like Asmodeus do have the more red skinned, horned demon look we are used to. Gives the book some variety. Regarding Takehiko’s red demonic looking wings, as opposed to Lucifer’s white angelic looking wings. I’m going to assume this is due to the fact that Takehiko’s mother is an ancient Japanese demon herself, while we must remember that Lucifer is in fact an angel. Once again there is plenty of nudity in this book and it is very naturalistic and never done to be in your face, or over the top.
This issue is a great example of what a stand alone issue after a main story arc should be. A more personal intimate story that gives the reader time to catch their breath, while at the same time, getting us excited for what’s to come. I am beyond excited for the Game of Thrones-like supernatural battle for the throne of hell, that is about to go down. This book may be about the devil but the quality of writing and art continues to be heavenly good! It’s worth your time and money. After reading this, I am definitely going to do a commentary article on the television series, after Season 3 concludes, especially with Smallville alumni Tom Welling on the series.
This entry was posted in Awesome Things, Comics, Greatness, Prince Adam, Prince Adam's Komic Krypt, Thank You, Up and Adam!!!! :) and tagged #SupernaturalSaturday, Comic Reviews, Demons Are a Girl's Best Friend, Horror-ish, Lucifer, Lucifer Morningstar, Superhero Sci Fi, You Devil! by Kasey. Bookmark the permalink.
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#MonsterMovieMonday: Song at Midnight (1937) – China’s Phantom of the Opera
Flush Gorden on #SeXXXOnSunday: The Odd Jobs Edition
Flush Gorden on Splatterday Mourning Cartoon: Godzilla – The Firebird
Flush Gorden on Movie Review: Batman & Harley Quinn
Flush Gorden on #FrankensteinFriday: Tales of Frankenstein (1958)
Flush Gorden on Goon Review: The Resurrected (1991)
Copyright © 2019 - kinkyhorror
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Welcome to the Cornhill-on-Tweed Community Website
The village of Cornhill lies on the Scottish Border, approximately 1½ miles from Coldstream, and so is on the northerly edge of Northumberland. It was in ancient times known as Cornell. The parish carries the same name and incorporates Old and New Heaton and Tillmouth. The river Tweed runs eastward about a mile from the village, where there is an eighteenth century bridge with a span of five arches over the river. Agriculture plays a part here, with a rich soil that supports diverse crops such as turnips, beans, and a variety of grains.
Cornhill was, for political purposes, part of the county of Durham, but in 1844 by act of parliament was separated from it and then joined with Northumberland. The Anglican St. Helen's Church is dedicated to St. Helen, the mother of Constantine the Great, the first Christian Emperor. Legend says that it was erected in 1082AD, because Norham had become the property of Durham Cathedral. It has undergone rebuilding and restoration work both in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, with the bell tower being added in 1840. The Church could boast a harmonium by 1856, when the choir was created. In addition to this, the rectory held a lending library of 300 volumes. There have been several gifts bestowed upon this church by the Earls and Countesses of Home, including stained glass windows, an organ, and a new font.
A school was raised in 1837, for the education of both boys and girls following the national system. The master's house was constructed in 1860, the land for both buildings being given by the Collingwoods. The school was enlarged and improved in 1868 at a cost of nearly £200. The school was closed however in 2012.
(Information supplied by Northumberland Communities NCC)
Cornhill Community Diary
Cornhill Community Walk
Please join us for a 5 mile walk on Saturday, April 27th at 10am.
We will meet at Twizel Bridge and take in the 16th century bridge, Twizel Castle, the Till Viaduct, St. Cuthbert’s chapel, the site of the lost medieval village of Tillmouth and St. Cuthberts Farm. Crossing the A 698 at Harper Ridge, we will cross fields to Stickle Heaton before taking in the views from high ground between New Heaton and Melkington. We then follow the byway down to Melkington Farm to finish at Donaldson’s Lodge Chapel. Transport will be provided to take drivers the short distance back to Twizel Bridge.
REMEMBRANCE DAY 11th NOVEMBER 2018
DONATIONS TO ARMED FORCES CHARITIES.
The Remembrance Day Service on the 100th anniversary of the ending of the First World War was held at St. Helen’s Church at 10.15am on Sunday, 11th November, followed by an Act of Remembrance at the War Memorial at 11.00am. In the evening, a procession was led by two Pipers from the Memorial to the beacon behind the Village Hall, where some short reflections on remembrance and peace were led by the Revd. John Carr, before the beacon was lit at 7.00pm, simultaneously with others across the country. Everyone present was then invited to the Hall for soup and cake.
Thanks to the great generosity of everyone participating in these events, donations amounting to £634.00 were collected and will be shared equally by
Blesma, The Limbless Veterans charity.
New LED Lamppost Information
for Cornhill-on-Tweed and Donaldson's Lodge
UPDATE ON THE LED LIGHTING PROJECT IN CORNHILL AS AT 16 NOVEMBER 2018.
The lighting contractor for Northumberland County Council (NCC) was in Cornhill on Friday 16 November 2018 to complete the work at lighting columns 26CJ & 27CJ in the Main Road. This involved electrical connection work and the removal of old columns which were standing beside the new ones.
As regards other outstanding LED lighting issues, NCC has asked the contractors to complete a full survey of remaining works in the area and to provide NCC with a timescale for full completion. There are some pole boxes to complete (lantern changes and pole box renewal) and some construction work i.e. some remaining old columns to remove once the electrical supplies are transferred into the new columns.
The Parish Council has been promised a weekly update.
On another lighting matter, the Parish Council has arranged for the installation a light on the path from the roundabout to Station Gardens, which NCC have promised to do as quickly as they can.
Street Lighting Costs for Additional Items Available HERE
(Opens as a PDF)
Please help retired greyhounds!
I am collecting used postage stamps on behalf of the Retired Greyhound Trust - (Charity nos. 269668 and SC044047).
These can be sold to look after and find forever homes for retired greyhounds, many of whom would otherwise have to be put to sleep
The RGT collects all stamps (providing they are undamaged) from normal 1st and 2nd class UK stamps to foreign, special edition and first day covers.
Just tear the stamps off your envelopes leaving a quarter of an inch surround, and when you have a good pile of them, either email me on or phone 01890 820501, and as long as you are reasonably local, I will arrange to pick them up. Thank you.
Angela Hallam-Baker, Cornhill-on-Tweed
River Tweed Footpath
Parish Council's letter to the Berwick Advertiser of Thursday, August 10th 2017
Household Waste Disposal - Opening Hours
Berwick, North Road Industrial estate, TD15 1UN
Wooler, Brewery Lane, NE71 6QG
open Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday
1 November to 31 March 8am until 6pm
1 April to 31 October 8am until 7.30pm
View Google Map HERE
Radio Borders
Click HERE for the latest Border travel information
Border Buses
Latest Bus Timetable, (PDF):
HOLY ISLAND
SAFE CROSSING TIMES
Coach House, Crookham
Collingwood Arms
Cornhill Village Shop
Rickerby Cornhill
The Blue Bell Crookham
Tillmouth Park Hotel
Tillmouth Fishing
Carham Community Website
Wooler & Glendale Community
Norham Deanery
Crookham Church URC
Windbyte Windfarm Information
READ FULL DETAILS HERE (PDF)
PLANNING LINK ON THE
PARISH COUNCIL PAGE MENU
FOR LOCAL PLANNING APPLICATIONS
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I had wanted to put up a schlagertastic song by an Austrian girl called Doris Russo whose name, when put into Google, returns a spectacular 834 hits (just 724,174 less than Demis Roussos) and who may well have the honour of being the only person alive to have covered two Lisa Scott-Lee songs but the CD won't work. Never mind.
Having given you somethin g by Boytronic, i thought it only fair to also mention the other Eighties boyband dusted off for the new millenium. The Twins who, like the adorable HK pop group of the same name, clearly aren't even related to each other, apparently had a brief flurry of popularity around 1983 and were more or less forgotten until twenty years later when Hell, chief International DeeJay Gigolo, decided that he'd re-release their hit Face To Face on what was, during the summer of Electroclash, the coolest record label in the world.
The Twins - Face To Face
Naturally, no round-up of German music, however brief, would be complete without mention of the almighty Rammstein. Germany's biggest export in recent years (Scooter aside) are admirable on a number of levels, not least for their refusal to play in venues where the health and safety regulations preclude them from setting themselves on fire. You can tell from their dedication to showmanship, their enormously catchy tunes and the fact that Moskau, from their album Reise Reise, was clearly written with a Tatu collaboration in mind (only stymied by Yulia's pregnancy), they're a proper pop group. Getting the Pet Shop Boys to remix Mein Teil was just the icing on the cake.
Rammstein - Mein Teil (Pet Shop Boys Remix)
There's a case for saying that electro-rock pioneers Laibach are a one-trick-pony but there's no denying that it's an incredibly amusing trick. The Slovene band brilliantly emphasise the slightly disturbing totalitarian trappings of "classic" stadium rock - the baying crowds having simple messages repeatedly drummed into their heads - turning things like Queen's One Vision or The Beatles' Get Back into stomping, jackbooted anthems for dictators-in-waiting. This is their hilarious assault on the former.
Laibach - Geburt Einer Nation
As a bonus, here's Mina Harker of Melodrom and Milan Fras of Laibach singing Ohne Dich by Rammstein - it's staggeringly beautiful if you like this sort of thing.
Mina Harker - Ohne Dich
posted by ShariVari @ 10:12 pm
At 4:28 pm, Adrian said…
Goodness. I never realised Rammstein were so, uhm, attractive.
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WHO IS HAVING FUN? Discovery is either encountering unprecedented problems or being subjected to unprecedented in-flight inspections. The latest anomaly to turn up is some drooping strips of high-tech oakum, something that has manifested itself before, and which may be within the usual tolerances.
One piece is sticking out 1.1 inches between the thermal tiles, the other protrudes at an angle from six-tenths to nine-tenths of an inch. For those areas, far forward near the nose, the general wisdom and flight history indicate that the limit should be a quarter-inch, said flight director Paul Hill.
Hill noted, however, that the quarter-inch measurement was taken following previous re-entries and the intense heat could have burned some of the material off. Discovery's flaws were spotted in orbit - a first - because of all the photography and laser imaging being aimed at normally hard-to-see spots, an outcome of the 2003 Columbia disaster.
On a flight by Columbia in 1995, the shuttle returned with a gap filler that protruded 0.6 inches, but the material was rolled up and located farther back on the belly, in an area less likely to overheat, said Steve Poulos, manager of the orbiter project office. When unrolled, it was 1.4 inches long. The only overheating effect was to nearby damaged tiles.
"Tonight they're working overtime trying to compress, I believe the phrase was, a decade's worth of study into two days," Hale told reporters.
Fortunately for NASA administrator Michael Griffin, who appeared on Meet the Press this morning, following a taped interview with Discovery crew (transcript, .pdf,) this problem came to light after the interview, which quickly enough turned from gee-whiz good wishes to inside-the-Beltway ankle biting. Unfortunately, Mr Griffin could do no better in defense of the shuttle program than to note that "the average American spends less than 15 cents per day on the space program, less than $60 per year on the space program." That's the same special-pleading-by-de minimus defenders of Amtrak or the National Endowment for the Arts or the sugar subsidy make: look how little you are spending on this useful effort. But it's such a canard. Why can't I argue, with equal force, that my entire federal tax bill for last year, which runs into five figures, was all spent on maintaining the shuttles to service the space station, or for that matter, on mining water on the high plains to grow sugar beet?
No Oil for Pacifists and American Mind suggest it is time to retire the shuttles. There might be room to park one at the Experimental Aircraft Association's museum in Oshkosh, where, this week, rail magnate Richard Branson and canard wizard Burt Rutan brought White Knight and Space Ship One as well as the Virgin Global Flyer to Air Venture. They also announced the formation of a new business to develop spacecraft for Virgin Galactic, offering a new dimension in space travel, at a price less than the Russians are charging for a trip to the Space Station.
Wittman Field, alas, is not big enough to handle the landing roll of Space Ship One; otherwise there might have been a real spectacular during the afternoon air show.
And herewith, in a few sentences, the difference between Rutan-Branson and NASA. Reason's Ted Balaker interviews Burt Rutan.
TB: And I think the concept of fun you mentioned is hugely important and at NASA it’s very different—they can’t justify something on the basis of fun.
BR: No, and they don’t understand the concept of taking risks in order to find breakthroughs. I hate to say that because we send billions to them for what we think is research but they don’t do research, they only do development. They won’t reach out and look for new concepts.
The same thing is happening with this Bush initiative, the Crew Exploration Vehicle. NASA’s going to award multi-billion dollar contracts in September for the primes, and the primes are going to go out and they’re going to fight to make sure that they win the next phase after spending billions, and because of that, they’re not going to try new, innovative stuff. They’re just going to just build some new capsules, and they’re going to get launched by expendable boosters, and they won’t go out and solve the safety problems that are preventing us from having resort hotels in orbit.
Innovation, safety, have fun doing it. They probably aren't having much fun in Houston, Huntsville, and the Cape these days.
Now, the economics puzzle: how much of my 15 cents a day is a subsidy to Burt Rutan? I'm only being slightly facetious. Presumably the public record of shuttle design and accident investigation has provided useful information both in the form of what works and what fails. Any participant in the X-Prize would be able to make use of that information.
THAT JUST DOESN'T LOOK RIGHT. Book Review No. 26 is R. A. Scotti's Sudden Sea: The Great Hurricane of 1938, which accelerated from the Florida coast over open ocean until it charged into Long Island, moving too fast to be appreciably weakened over the land, and then smacked into eastern Connecticut and Rhode Island. If not for the hurricane, the biggest news on the shore might have been actress Katherine Hepburn's first hole-in-one.
As was true in Children's Blizzard, the Weather Bureau, now independent of the Signal Corps, was caught out, although hurricanes are sufficiently quirky that to this day it is difficult to anticipate their formation or their course and strength. A junior meteorologist, Charles Pierce, noted a more northerly position for the Bermuda High that governs steering currents, another high over the Alleghenies, unseasonably humid conditions along the eastern seaboard, and a warm ocean, all providing an invitation for a storm off Florida to steer a northerly course. The establishment saw only a routine Cape Verde storm that would blow itself out over the sea lanes.
NOSTALGIA, PRESERVATION, PROGRESS? Triticale is not going along with the nostalgia surrounding the National Liquor Bar's last drink, characterizing the place as a "dive." True, but there is a place for dives. The public policy question is, do they have their place in a city.
"Oftentimes, you see people blaming buildings for problematic conditions in a neighborhood and believe that the easiest solution is to take those buildings down. Unfortunately, what you're doing is taking down a piece of our history," said 3rd District Ald. Michael D'Amato, who opposed the Walgreens plan.
Former Mayor John O. Norquist, who lived much of his life within walking distance of the tavern and used to buy takeout cases of Pabst there, said his office tried at a late hour to come up with an alternative to razing the site but to no avail.
"Just tearing the city down and turning it into suburbia are what devalues the city," he said in a recent interview.
That's unclear. Several of the major industrial cities of the Steel Age, including Detroit and Milwaukee, had rather high rates of detached home ownership when compared with major commercial cities such as New York and Chicago. Urban suburbanization, anyone? Such industrial cities have also suffered relative to their commercial counterparts. Are blasted neighborhoods of abandoned two-flats and obsolete factories really preferable to brownfield redevelopments with houses on large lots and retail districts? (And that's despite the shock to the equilibrium of viewing soccer fields, a casino, and a baseball stadium where there once were stock yards and the backshops of a transcontinental railroad.)
ON THE LIGHTER SIDE. Politburo Diktat finds World War II as a real time chat room game. Herewith the denouement.
*Roosevelt has left the game.*
Hitler[AoE]: wtf?
Eisenhower: sh1t now we need some1 to join
*tru_m4n has joined the game.*
tru_m4n: hi all
T0J0: hey
Stalin: sup
Churchill: hi
tru_m4n: OMG OMG OMG i got all his stuff!
tru_m4n: NUKES! HOLY **** I GOT NUKES
[cut]
T0J0: wtf is nukes?
It helps to be conversant with instant messenger shortcuts to work through the whole thing. Strategy Page also recommended the site.
JUST IN TIME FOR THE NEW SEMESTER. Halfway through the Fifty Book Challenge! I offer Patrick Allitt's I'm the Teacher, You're the Student, which is essentially a diary of Professor Allitt's Reconstruction to Today survey of U.S. History, with a few vignettes from a non-credit course he offers to retirees, and an occasional reference to advising. As one of the Amazon.com reviewers noted, "it does not provide much insight regarding the struggles of balancing multiple classes, teaching, and service requirements."
There is, however, much to like in the book. An appendix provides the course outline and regulations, while managing not to balloon into the Syllabum Omnium (from the little Latin I know, that translates as "Unabridged Abstract," but I digress.) No eating, turn off cell phones and pagers, remove hats.
The baseball caps have always been an affliction. It was bad enough when they were worn with the bill facing forward. Students had an artful way of slumping down in their chairs so that their eyes gradually disappeared from view. Were the eyes open? I would suddenly ask someone a difficult question, singling him out by name. Usually this had the effect of causing a sudden flurry of alarm and a great deal of muttering. Sometimes the student requested that I repeat the question; occasionally his silence confirmed that sleep had descended. Then came the trend, starting around 1994, to wear the hats backward, with the bill sticking out behind and the adjustable plastic tabs defining a semicircle of forehead. The reversed student hat makes a statement about its wearer, something like, "I am dull."
Priceless. Just read the book. One sidenote. Paul Fussell noted the backward prole cap (his language, not mine) in Class, in the early 1980s, with a particularly lurid passage about showing off the at-the-time pathbreaking "adjusto-strap," which Fussell characterized as "One Size Fits All [Proles]." Chronology notwithstanding, Professor Allitt pronounces anathema on the use of "like" as a filler. "Resist it. It's the verbal equivalent of the reversed baseball cap." Amen. Apparently Emory undergraduates, keeping pace with the rest of the country, are not terribly polished speakers or writers, nor are they assiduous researchers. Ah well, we persevere.
They're also prone to rely on rote memorization and regurgitation, despite twelve years give or take of exposure to schooling from teachers full of the latest wisdom from the Colleges of Deaducation about the ineffectiveness of rote learning ...
What else is there to commend? For one, Professor Allitt is a train enthusiast. Quick quiz: which year is the most important year in American history?
f. 1929
g. 1945
h. 2001
If you know why the answer is "e. 1869" congratulations.
There's also evidence to give pause to those who contend that university tuitions are too high.
Now let me escort you to the student parking area, where we encounter a magnificent fleet of the best vehicles currently on sale anywhere in the world: haughty Mercedes Benzes by the dozen, stately Lexuses, fleet little BMWs, zesty sports cars from Italy and Japan, and monstrous SUVs with zip codes of their own. I always found the experience of seeing slim American college women driving these giants something half-erotic, half spiritual.
By all means read the whole thing, and consider Professor Allitt's approach to classroom presentation, which is itself distinctive (no textbooks and a lot of audience participation, for openers) as well as his advocacy of greater social distance between students and faculty.
PUBLIC CHOICE. The line item veto is a rather versatile tool. Wisconsin's Governor Jim Doyle changed a few numbers in the state budget to cope with a hold-up from Illinois.
Doyle said he will use his veto power to add the increased aid when he signs Wisconsin's fiscal 2006 budget on Monday. He said the additional aid was needed because the state of Illinois recently passed its budget with a cap on its funding for the Hiawatha route.
These cross-border squabbles will be the undoing of any national plan to devolve Amtrak to the states.
President George W. Bush has proposed eliminating federal operating support for Amtrak. The Bush administration wants states, not the federal government, to pay to operate interstate passenger trains.
Wisconsin recently paid for a station at Mitchell Field on the south side of Milwaukee; residents of the northern suburbs of Chicago have discovered that this particular train to the planes can be a bit less painful than heading to the closer "If you've got time to spare, fly O'Hare." That is the kind of asset-specific transaction that lends itself to a hold-up, in this case by an Illinois governor who is discovering that raising business taxes is not always effective at raising revenue.
Sometimes the funding for the trains comes with an additional handling charge.
In a huge boost to the effort to extend Chicago's Metra commuter trains from Kenosha to Racine and Milwaukee, the bill provides $80 million for the proposed 33-mile line, more than half of the expected $152 million price tag. That's the second major step for the project this month, after the 2005-'07 [Wisconsin] state budget set up a Regional Transit Authority to oversee the line and levy a $2 rental car tax.
That's not all.
The federal government will chip in another $3.76 million to rebuild Milwaukee's downtown Amtrak station into a combined train and intercity bus depot. That will nearly double the $4 million in state, federal and private money already pledged, and Mayor Tom Barrett is calling for another $4 million or $5 million in tax-incremental financing.
Also earmarked are an unspecified amount for preliminary engineering on expanding Kenosha's streetcar system and $750,000 for environmental studies on commuter rail or streetcar lines in Madison. The Kenosha project would add 3.4 miles to what is now a 1-mile line, while the Madison project has been mired in disagreements between commuter rail and light rail backers.
I'm sure that last development will not please some observers.
What's the handling charge?
In addition to the highway and transit formula money, the bill sends more than $480 million to Wisconsin for specific projects. By contrast, a single congressional district in Illinois - the northwest suburban Chicago area represented by Republican House Speaker Dennis Hastert - captured some $200 million.
And thus the title of the post.
Despite the uncertainty about Amtrak's future, an upgrade of the Empire Builder will roll out on August 22.
"No, my name is not Hiawatha, and this is not a Super Dome."
The redecoration is intriguing.
Inside the cars, the walls and surfaces have been updated with a frosty white and navy blue color scheme, accented by cherry wood grain laminate and cushions, carpets and drapes in matching shades of blue.
Wood grain panelling ... very Milwaukee Road. But Minnesota cheeses? [cough]
First-class passengers will be treated to service enhancements including an onboard wine and cheese tasting event in the lounge car featuring Minnesota cheeses and Washington state wines.
And a little history of that "upstairs snack bar" to be available during peak travel times. Note the pelt on the shelf in the lower left of the picture. That shelf is the location of the "upstairs snack bar," an as-built feature of the Sightseer Lounges that lost its attendant as one of the periodic economy measures.
PICKING AT OLD SCABS? Book Review No. 24 is John Earl Haynes and Harvey Klehr's In Denial: Historians, Communism, and Espionage. The book has a sobering roll call of American communist sympathizers, many originally from Finland, who were subjected to extreme measures by the NKVD. That's in the context of arguing, once again, that the academy is full of communist sympathizers who continue to refuse to read and understand and accept the conclusions of the authors' prior investigations of Soviet archives. (I think one of their previous books is in the stack of candidates for this year's 50 ...)
Alas, to a great extent, the book is yet another recitation of the controversies that roiled the coming of age of a cohort of intellectuals too young to be called to Korea and too old to be called to Vietnam (but just the right age to come up for tenure just as the older cohorts of the Baby Boom were entering college -- talk about being born on third base! -- and to make common cause with the noisiest of those Baby Boomers who were subject to the draft to perpetuate what Alan Charles Kors has correctly characterized as a "generational swindle"): Whittaker Chambers, Alger Hiss, Joseph McCarthy, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, Richard Nixon. In some ways the book is a Doppelganger to the efforts of many intellectuals who came of age in that era to overplay -- particularly as they age and reminisce -- their support for the Rosenbergs and opposition to McCarthy as somehow of a piece with resisting the Vietnam war or with compelling real fascists to surrender, the coming-of-age challenges of respectively the younger and older cohorts. My. Eyes. Glaze. Over. Perhaps in 100 years the maturing of the red diaper babies will provide a middling dissertation topic to a middling graduate student at a middling doctoral program, if such things still exist. Anybody else who looks at the history content standards the red diaper babies had a hand in writing who sees more emphasis on McCarthy than on Moon shots will wonder what the fuss was about.
There's a subtheme in the book of somewhat greater relevance, namely the fury of some of those academicians of that certain age who Messrs. Haynes and Klehr suggested were not paying sufficient attention to the evidence of communist oppression available in the Moscow archives after the Soviet Union posted its discontinuance notice. It transpired that the authors, as well as a few other researchers making use of declassified Soviet era archives, received financial assistance from openly anti-communist foundations such as Olin and Bradley. (Disclaimer: several Karlsons have provided surplus value appropriated by the Bradley Foundation. We called it "working our way through college." Or "supporting a family.") Some of their critics have called their previous work into question precisely because it was funded by foundations with an ideological bias, something that continues to trouble some academicians today.
Case in point: this essay in Inside Higher Ed by Donald Lazere, who attempts to compare and contrast the motives of Olin, Scaife, Bradley, et. al. (I believe those are the financiers of the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy) with those of the foundations that are more likely to support the academic establishment.
The same cannot be said for more liberally inclined foundations like Ford, Rockefeller, Carnegie, and MacArthur, in relation either to corporate sponsors or the Democratic Party. The very fact that these foundations fund projects that are often antithetical to their corporate patrons’ class interests is evidence that their motives are philanthropic, not propagandistic; they fund precisely the kind of projects least likely to attract corporate sponsorship.
Oh, come. Stack the review panel with reviewers sympathetic to leftist causes and then defend the outcome as "objective." Don't universities have affirmative action offices to second-guess the actions of hiring committees that, sight unseen, put together a short list comprising entirely white males based on their review of portfolios?
University Diaries has some related thoughts on Professor Lazere's column.
As far as In Denial is concerned, it is the scrap over whether there are ways of funding research that can promote quality scholarly objectivity that are more important than whether or not a few (aging?) academicians accepted Soviet propaganda at face value.
EVERYTHING WE LIKE GOES AWAY. Milwaukee's National Liquor Bar will close Saturday. We organized an impromptu family gathering in June for our farewells, which included pictures but no burgers. Today, one of the Milwaukee talk shows devoted an hour to the loss of the bar, and other nostalgic Milwaukee that has gone. Nobody got quite back to the North Shore Line or the streetcars or the parking lot monitors in control towers behind the Mitchell Street Sears and the Third Street Schuster's.
I suppose that's the world we live in today, and I've had a half century of observing what some of my rail enthusiast friends refer to as "Everything Turns To S***." All the same, I'll know we're in real trouble if Rockwell Automation is reduced to selling naming rights to the clock tower or the thermometer.
ANTICIPATING A GREAT DEVALUATION. Some economics in Book Review No. 23, Laurence Kotlikoff and Scott Burns's The Coming Generational Storm. It's everything you didn't want to know about the global extent of unfunded liabilities and the tendency of politicians and their court intellectuals to ignore or defer them. The authors offer a disclaimer.
Before you read on, we recommend you get into a comfortable chair, loosen your collar, and take your antidepressants.
Economists who are aware of the laws of conservation in economics and the existence of tradeoffs will not be as startled by what they read, nor by the fact that the authors' suggestions for coping with future liabilities are unlikely to satisfy anybody, particularly individuals most committed to any specific ideology.
Consider first their proposed Personal Security System (PSS in what follows) which would replace Social Security as we know it. (Please advise me if at about 2 pm Eastern today there was a mild earthquake in Hyde Park, New York.)
The accrual of additional Social Security retirement benefits is eliminated.
Current retirees and current workers receive their accrued Social Security benefits.
Social Security's Old Age Insurance (OAI) payroll tax is eliminated and replaced with equivalent compulsory contributions to PSS accounts.
A new federal retail sales tax is used to pay off the accrued retirement benefits owed under the old system. [This tax would be reduced as those liabilities expire.]
Workers' PSS contributions are shared fifty-fifty with their spouses.
The government contributes to PSS accounts on behalf of disabled and unemployed.
The government matches PSS contributions on a progressive basis.
All PSS balances are invested in a single market-weighted global index fund of stocks, bonds, and real estate.
The government guarantees the real principal that workers contribute to their PSS accounts.
Between ages 57 and 67, workers' PSS balances are gradually sold off and transformed into inflation-protected pensions.
If a worker dies prior to age 67, any remaining PSS balances would be transferred to PSS accounts of the worker's heirs.
It's a start. The authors are fairly careful to explain each of these changes as well as to spell out some of the trade-offs involved. They've also proposed chopping up the Medicare elephant.
The traditional fee-for-service Medicare system is discontinued.
Medicare participants receive vouchers to purchase health insurance coverage.
Voucher amounts are participant specific and depend on the participant's health status.
New vouchers are issued annually, and participants can change plans annually.
Insurers/HMOs cannot deny coverage or basic service.
Insurers/HMOs must provide basic coverage, including prescription drug benefits.
Insurers/HMOs are free to market additional coverage at additional premiums.
Government sets voucher amounts to limit per capita MSS growth to that of real wages.
I suppose an observer could object that neither of these plans addresses technical changes or their effects on economic growth or spending on new therapies previously unavailable at any price. But these suggestions are a well-thought-through starting point, and there's a chapter on investment strategies that will reduce the pain should the politicians and their court intellectuals choose to do nothing until the bills come due.
THESIS, ANTITHESIS. Cox and Forkum are inspired by Mark Steyn columns questioning excessive non-judgementalism and revisiting a government employee attempting to demonstrate cultural competence ... to terrorist ringleader Mohammed Atta.
With the new academic year about to begin, and freshman indoctrination introduction to the New Dispensation already in full swing, it's time for some serious thinking about the use, and abuse, of nonjudgemental and relativist stances in dealing with people who do things differently.
Such stances, which are eminently sensible for the observer who is relying on the hospitality of strangers and wishes to stay alive long enough to return to familiar turf to publish those observations, are less convincing when applied to the behavior of new arrivals, particularly new arrivals with less pacific intentions, in your neighborhood. And when those stances introduce a vulgar form of anthropology into the academy via what used to be called the English department, as well as the nexus of faux-anthropology University Diaries felicitously refers to as "Studies Agglomerations" the academy loses credibility and the common culture becomes coarser.
There are, however, more interesting developments afoot. Start with some serious anthropologists; in this case a group venture called Savage Minds, which has been evaluating the recent taxpayer-assisted television version of Jared Diamond's Guns, Germs, and Steel, which I read well before the Fifty Book Challenge came out. (Here is a link to some comments at Catallarchy.) Mr Diamond attempts to explain the prosperity of Eurasia without appeal to biology or unspecified cultural choices, an attempt that Savage Mind member Ozma finds wanting.
This is a punchline about race and history that many white people want desperately to hear. Those dying black kids at the end of the special – we know, because We Are Not Racist, that they don’t deserve what they are getting. They are not inferior. In fact, there but for the grace of god… thus affirming that no one but god has any historical responsibility, and that the world as we know it is a regrettable inevitability. Diamond’s account loudly insists that alea jacta wast (pardon the pig latin conjugation) before we even got going. And it poisonously whispers: mope about colonialism, slavery, capitalism, racism, and predatory neo-imperialism all you want, but these were/are nobody’s fault. This is a wicked cop-out. Worse still, it is a profound insult to all non-Western cultures/societies. It basically says they’re sorta pathetic, but that bless their hearts, they couldn’t/can’t hep it. Such an assertion tramples upon all that anthropology holds dear, and is a sham sort of anti-racism.
My objection to Mr Diamond is that he paid insufficient attention to the rules of trading. A temperate climate with easy technology transfer along parallels is useful, but somebody still has to think about patenting the lever or double-entry bookkeeping or an insurance contract. It is to the topic of neo-imperialism that I wish to turn; readers who would like to follow the anthropological debate will find a collection of links from Kerim of Savage Minds. Professor DeLong offers some observations from the perspective of an economic historian. Henry at Crooked Timber attempts to moderate the debate; there's a spirited bull session in progress.
But the preceding is a deviation from the post I originally set out to write this morning, which was provoked by a couple of columns addressing the motives of jihad bombers. Arnold Kling, writing some weeks ago, draws parallels between today's encroaching globalization and the homesteading of Indian Territory.
As the Napikwans (white men) begin to encroach on the Pikuni lands, some of the Pikunis express their frustration and resentment by scalping and horse-stealing. However, instead of leading to a tit-for-tat response, as in the traditional intra-tribal feuds, these gestures provoke a massacre in which native Americans are annihilated by the whites.
A recent column by William Pfaff makes a similar point.
The liberals and the conservatives of modern Western society firmly believe that. It is inconceivable to them that the traditional world, in which everyone except themselves lives, remains a valid choice for those who live in it.
The modern world is the aggressor, determined - without even seriously thinking about it - to destroy the backward civilizations of everyone else, which it sees as discredited remnants of the past. To destroy them is progress. Progress leads - where?
Here ...
However, deregulation and the globalization of the world economy casually destroyed what already was there: self-sufficient economies functioning within traditional trading patterns, artisanal manufacturing for local or neighboring markets, subsistence agriculture - and the cultural assumptions that went along with all of this.
No Westerner gave much thought to the damage being done. The West was bringing progress. Progress was membership in the world trading system and participation in a global consumer market with cheap goods and mass-produced food promoted by globalized communications.
The downside - destruction of self-sufficient societies and the uprooting and proletarianization of their people - simply seemed inevitable, bringing these people into the modern world and putting them on the road of progress.
With what consequences?
More to the point, when there are young men whose fate has been to be born between modern and traditional worlds - in ghettos in or around London, Madrid, Paris - without any possibility of living fully inside either of those worlds, who should be surprised when they attack what they see as the source of their distress?
Islam now includes tens of millions of young people either born in Western ghettos or sent out of traditional societies to study hyper-modern subjects in what their own civilizations would regard as godless societies.
There is a crucial factor in this that few in the West understand. Modern Western civilization is the product of Western history and culture. The West is what it is because of its past. Nobody imposed foreign ideas on the West. Hence the West is at home in the modern world. The modern world was created by, and belongs to, the West.
But the West is trying to impose not only foreign ideas on everyone else, but ideas that contradict and would destroy the fundamental values and assumptions of non-Western societies.
It says: This is progress. Our progress is your destabilization, the destruction of your cultures, the creation of millions of culturally alienated, deracinated, displaced persons, ripped from their own past to become integrated into a radically materialistic ethic.
It should hardly be surprising that the reaction to this is nihilistic violence.
But was it really true that no Westerner thought about these things? As I read Mr Pfaff's column, the following passages came to mind.
The bourgeoisie, wherever it has got the upper hand, has put an end to all feudal, patriarchal, idyllic relations. It has pitilessly torn asunder the motley feudal ties that bound man to his "natural superiors," and has left no other nexus between man and man than naked self-interest, than callous "cash payment." It has drowned the most heavenly ecstasies of religious fervor, of chivalrous enthusiasm, of Philistine sentimentalism, in the icy water of egotistical calculation. It has resolved personal worth into exchange value, and in place of the numberless indefeasible chartered freedoms, has set up that single, unconscionable freedom -- Free Trade....
The bourgeoisie has stripped of its halo every occupation hitherto honored and looked up to with reverent awe. It has converted the physician, the lawyer, the priest, the poet, the man of science, into its paid wage laborers.
The bourgeoisie cannot exist without constantly revolutionizing the instruments of production, and thereby the relations of production, and with them the whole relations of society. ... All fixed, fast frozen relations, with their train of ancient and venerable prejudices and opinions, are swept away, all new formed ones become antiquated before they can ossify. All that is solid melts into the air, all that is holy is profaned ...
The bourgeoisie has through its exploitation of the world-market given a cosmopolitan character to production and consumption in every country. ... National onesidedness and narrowmindedness become more and more impossible, and from the numerous national and local literatures there arises a world-literature.
The bourgeoisie ... draws all, even the most barbarian nations into civilization. The cheap prices of its commodities are the heavy artillery with which it batters down all Chinese walls, with which it forces the barbarians' intensely obstinate hatred of foreigners to capitulate. It compels all nations, on pain of extinction, to adopt the bourgeois mode of production; it compels them to introduce what it calls civilization ... it creates a world after its own image.
The bourgeoisie has subjected the country to the rule of the towns. It has created enormous cities, has greatly increased the urban population as compared with the rural, and has thus rescued a considerable part of the population from the idiocy of rural life.
The source of that extended passage? A now obscure work called The Communist Manifesto. And how would Messrs. Marx and Engels view the McDonalding of the developing world? No doubt as a necessary evil in order to accelerate the global tension between bourgeois and proletarian. And their view of the resistance to the destruction of traditional societies. Look at those last two paragraphs. Strange times we live in, where a writer (and Mr Pfaff is probably not the only example) of the post-Communist left recognizes the dynamic but not the underlying dialectic at work.
Strange times we live in, indeed.
POLITICAL CORRECTNESS IS OPPRESSIVE NO MATTER THE POLITICS. Micha at Catallarchy discovers the disciplinary code for Liberty University. Catallarchy is a libertarian-leaning site and several commenters have raised the freedom of association argument. All the same, mandatory community service and protest permits are obnoxious.
BLOW, YOU OLD BLUE NORTHER. Several hours of soaking rain Tuesday afternoon, followed by a cool polar high overhead; a good evening to do some painting is in store. In parts of the Plains, temperatures have fallen some 40 degrees (Fahrenheit); that's the kind of contrast that kills the unaware in the winter. The contrast can bring severe summer weather as well. Thoughtful Conservative has coverage from Ohio.
ALBERTA CLIPPERS, DAKOTA DRIFTERS, AND PANHANDLE HOOKERS. Thus the three major tracks of winter storms east of the Rockies, something recognized by Lieutenant Thomas Mayhew Woodruff, Signal Corps weather forecaster in St. Paul in January 1888. But in those days which track any particular storm would take, and how quickly, was not known. Thus, when a particularly deep low brings in train a particularly cold high with great speed, The Children's Blizzard, which is Book Review No. 22, has several tragic stories of death by exposure, made worse because many people who began their day dressed for the warm sector ahead of what we now understand to be the cold front were taken completely by surprise by the storm.
There are four or five strands to the story. The storm itself is relatively unimportant; it's the optimism of emigrant farmers anticipating the consequences of Scandinavian land-tenure laws and Russification policies (Alexander II's mistreatment of German Protestants in Volhynia figures in the Superintendent's family history) and seeking opportunities to become landed gentry in a new country; the eagerness of the railroads to develop traffic in the empty spaces between the midwestern gateways and the Pacific Ports that led many of those migrants to believe the Northern Plains had a lot of upside potential; the public choice dynamic at work by which St. Paul received a weather station to provide, at taxpayer expense, information of great commercial value to elevators and packers; and, ultimately, the recriminations over the Signal Corps's failure to anticipate this blizzard, and a slightly more deadly late spring blizzard in New York City and New England two months later, that structure this story.
Perhaps author David Laskin would have a better story without some of the editorializing. His criticism, at p. 86, of Lt. Woodruff, who was ceremonially sacked in the recriminations, for "lacking imagination" suffers when he twins "A common failing in a person trained and drilled all his adult life in military discipline. A common failing in an age hell-bent on material progress and territorial expansion." In a foxhole, your imagination can get you killed. In business, or in migration, it is your lack of imagination that will be your undoing. Come off it. Likewise, his p. 269 explanation for the storm being called the "Children's Blizzard" because many of the dead were youngsters caught out at school is a bit over the top.
[I]n a way the entire pioneer period was a kind of children's disaster. Children were the unpaid workforce of the prairie, the hands that did the work no one else had time for or stomach for. The outpouring of grief after scores of children were found frozen to death ... was at least in part an expression of remorse for what children were subjected to every day -- remorse for the fact that most children had no childhood. This was a society that could not afford to sentimentalize its living and working children. ... A safe and carefree childhood was a luxury the pioneer prairie could not afford.
Nor could any other hardscrabble society, whether in Europe where many of the stories began, or any of the poorer parts of today's world. Might it be more accurate to argue that the entire history of preindustrial civilization has been a children's disaster, in which offspring are necessary liabilities to provide any hope of support for the few adults to survive to an age at which they're no longer able to work?
SOCIALIZATION? Regular readers have long known what that means, and whether or not it's useful. Time, anyway, for a refresher course. Joanne Jacobs has picked up a defense of the common schools that has drawn fire from homeschoolers clear on the concept. Here's Woody's Roundup.
Quite frankly, the way so many parents are raising their kids today, I really don't want mine socializing with most of them.
No doubt some education theorist would gripe about the hegemonic biases in that post. Imagine suggesting that the common schools ought be teaching the lower orders how to behave. The horror! Natalie's Nexus quotes a letter to the defender that gets socialization.
And socialization -- don't even get me started! No matter how many play dates and group classes or field trips a homeschooler participates in, there are so many lessons that a child can only learn on a public-school playground! This is where kids learn to stick up for themselves, where they discover their place in society, and where they find out who their real friends are.
The good news is that playground society is not necessarily prefigurative of adult society. Life after college ... sorry to keep repeating myself, but apparently the academic establishment is full of slow learners ... is the revenge of the nerds.
WHAT HAS BEEN GOING ON ON YOUR WATCH? Inside Higher Ed's Kati Haycock has disturbing news.
Over the past decade, the United States has slipped to 17th in the developed world in high school graduation rates, and seventh in college-entry rates. And we are no longer first in the proportion of young people completing a college degree.
This is not acceptable. If our nation is to continue as a world leader, institutions of higher education must assume responsibility for helping every student they admit succeed. Right now, student success is not part of the way institutions of higher education — or the people who run them — are evaluated.
Under what standards are those students being admitted? And is it really true that success is not part of the evaluation? Ms Haycock directs something called the Education Trust ... is she that innocent of the legislative proctology that has been going on the past 15 or 20 years? Her prime concern appears to be class and race stratification, but read this:
While these disturbing patterns — low overall graduation rates and big gaps between groups — have remained stubbornly consistent, the consequences of not graduating have changed drastically. People with a four-year degree or higher now earn much more relative to high school graduates than they did 30 years ago, and the gap increases with the level of the degree.
Yes, and that's precisely the years over which the universities have been devoting more resources to access, diversity, and retention. Perhaps it's time for some new thinking about these tired nostrums.
Congress should first support state efforts to align the standards for exiting high school with those for beginning postsecondary study. With a relatively small investment, lawmakers could help states make sure that students don’t fall between the cracks separating high school from college, including linking their K-12 and higher education data systems.
Got a problem, pass a law. Where is the admissions office that will credibly commit itself to the following: No admission if you're not ready for college? No remedial courses, whether for credit, or not.
Second, Congress should provide more money to students by committing to a five-year trajectory to recoup the buying power of Pell Grants. The financial burden of paying for college is a huge barrier for many young people. Low-income young people are particularly hard hit, because the relative value of Pell Grants has diminished by 50 percent since the late 1970s. Whereas Pell Grants used to cover 84 percent of the average fixed cost at a public, four-year institution, in 2001-02 they covered only about 40 percent of these costs.
These grants are also a massive inducement for administrators to raise tuitions, for publishers to churn marginal revisions of textbooks at inflated prices, and for grant recipients to study less.
Ms Haycock would just as soon punt on the main problem.
Of course it would certainly help if more young people entered college well prepared and if they didn’t have to struggle to cover college costs, but preparation and ability to pay only tell part of the story.
Don't you just love that "of course" serving to rule the real solutions out of bounds? Wisconsin's tourism industry is importing summer help. The high schools are passing their academic deficiencies along to two-year and four-year colleges. There's a lot more to be done in the areas of preparation and obtaining resources that doesn't involve more of the same failed therapeutic regime.
GODSPEED DISCOVERY. On-time launch, nominal lift-off. The live shots from the new fuel tank camera are rather impressive. At separation these include a view of the lower leading edge of the wings for mission controllers to evaluate.
One of the Fox News commentators stated the obvious, observing that after Challenger's last flight, Discovery's 1989 liftoff would be watched particularly carefully; this time both liftoff and re-entry will be watched particularly carefully. That's a D'Oh! moment. The most dangerous moments of any flight are the takeoff and the landing; I think flyers have known that since 1903.
As of this moment the newsies are speculating about potty breaks for the crew ...
DUELING HISTORIES. Book Reviews 20 and 21 are James DeKay's Monitor and James Nelson's Reign of Iron, both covering the Battle of Hampton Roads and the subsequent fates of the ships and the leading men who fought them. The Superintendent is a bit of a Civil War junkie. For most readers, one of the two books will suffice, and Monitor, although a bit smaller and a bit more expensive, is the better buy. It offers more information about the effects of the fog of war on people's judgement, including the panic of the superintendent of the Gosport Navy Yard who had Merrimack patched up and ready to steam and then fired her along with the shiphouses, while an assistant failed to demolish the drydock, and the repeated errors in judgement by old-salts who knew that oakum, and only oakum, would keep the sea from opening up a seam. (A heavy harder metal object on a softer metal surface is less likely to work open.) You'd think Monitor's handlers would have learned from that error on the tow from New York to Chesapeake Bay. (Reign describes Monitor's sinking off Cape Hatteras, but the harrowing tow from New York gets short shrift.)
Monitor also reveals that designer John Ericsson originally conceived of his "sub-aquatic battery" as capable of firing steam-propelled "hydrostatic javelins." Flood Tube 1.
Reign offers less by way of the human follies and leaves out some important parts of the story, although -- for serious Civil War buffs -- it reveals that the drydock where Merrimack became Virginia still serves the U.S. Navy, and it puts to rest an old yarn about Monitor's cat.
Which ironclad won the battle? Monitor correctly, in the Superintendent's view, gives it to Monitor. Virginia's purpose was to destroy the Hampton Roads blockading squadron and permit foreign commerce to land goods and load cotton at the Virginia ports. Hampton Roads remained blockaded. Two years after the battle of the ironclads, General Grant was able to cross the James River and close land and sea access to Richmond.
CARNIVAL CALL. Political Calculations uses dynamic tables (electronic sorting on the fly, forsooth!) to present this week's Carnival of The Capitalists. It's a lot easier than rearranging the cage wagons in the menagerie. (And this is on Blogspot.com! Must. Study. This.)
AND YET ANOTHER ENDLESS, MINDLESS SUMMER ARGUMENT. The proprietor of Newmark's Door has done a great deal of work compiling four different league tables for economics weblogs. In three rankings that read like the coaches' poll these services have an outside shot at a BCS bid, and we're Force 6 (or is it Force 9?) on a compilation set up like the Beaufort scale. (If I can convince a few academic administrators to reef tops'ls it's a good day!)
There's a bull session over there on the merits of the rankings. Thanks for looking in.
SUPPLY AND DEMAND. Indepundit links to Michael Yon's embedded coverage of a raid on a weapons cache in Mosul, Iraq. Scary stuff. But note this:
There are tons of explosives and munitions here in Mosul, with more streaming in every day, though mounting evidence strongly suggests this flow is abating. For example, the street price of 60mm "mortar bombs" was about $3/shot 9 month ago. Now it’s up nearly seven-fold to over $20. Car bomb incidents in Mosul, while still causing major damage to both military and civilians, have been declining. Whether this is a temporary dip or steady trend remains to be seen. Even if the ongoing flow were completely cut off, there is still a deep well of materiel on hand.
Fewer incidents and a higher price for the ordnance. For the sake of our guys, and for the civilians in Mosul, let this be a leftward shift of the supply curve for ordnance.
POSSIBLE SOURCE OF COMPANY MAIL? Marginal Utility is the weblog of an economist located in Madison, Wisconsin, who found time for family trips on the Wisconsin and Southern's anniversary train (blocker-defeating pop-ups) and to the Oshkosh air show.
Flying Fortresses still impress.
A GRIPE I CAN EMPATHIZE WITH. The anonymous northeastern community college dean deals with some faculty pooh-bahs as the enrollment counts come in and some courses don't make.
Inevitably, that entails changing some faculty teaching schedules. Oh, the hue and cry! How could you possibly have me come in on Tuesdays? I never come in on Tuesdays! (Unspoken, but desired, answer: yeah, full-time jobs are like that.) You’re taking my course away from me! (what do you mean, your course?) Given how many of our classes are staffed by adjuncts, sometimes we have to base decisions on when the better adjuncts are likely to be available (and their schedules can get pretty idiosyncratic). That creates the odd dynamic of moving a full professor’s schedule around to make room for an adjunct. I can justify it on the grounds that it’s best for the students (and, for what we pay the adjuncts, we’re lucky if they show up at all), but the tenured types have long memories. I get accused of autocratic tendencies, since I didn’t run the decision by a committee first.
Setting up committees for special projects brings its own set of joys as well. Consider your rural normal school that has morphed into an exurban mid-major with lots of dual-career couples and one career in the metropolitan area. (I put in the special projects stipulation for a reason: the "Committees of the University" listing is thicker than the Amtrak timetable as well as more likely to be observed. People can use the schedule to mark up or mark off on those committees.) To be sure, one of the reasons universities don't pay as much as LaSalle Street is that a faculty member does not have to get on the 7 am semi-fast Monday through Friday; all the same, when a commuting colleague gives "doesn't want to drive here" as primary reason for preferring one day rather than another ... The 15 minute bicycle riders maintain home offices for a reason; longer commutes -- or daycare schedules -- ought not be trump cards for scheduling meetings.
AN ENDLESS, MINDLESS, SUMMER ARGUMENT. Enroute home yesterday, I tuned into one of those sports call-in shows that rival a humanities seminar for learned disquisition on absolutely nothing, albeit without the pretentiousness. Topic du jour: does Lance Armstrong's seven straight Tour de France wins count as among the greatest accomplishment in sport?
Irrelevant radio argument number 1: Bicycle racing. Who cares? The dudes scarfing hot wings at the big screen tavern are only interested in accomplishments in basketball, baseball, football, and hockey (and likely in that order, as individuals are more likely to be able to do more for the team in roughly that order, and hockey comes close to being tinted with the same Continental brush that colors the local view of soccer and bike racing.)
Irrelevant radio argument number 2: OK, so the competitors have to do a lot of preparation. What do we know about how good the competition is? That's irrelevant because the best at any endeavor must prepare to be better than anybody else, and, as Buddy Melges concluded his book, skimping on preparation will mean somebody else crossing that finish ahead of you. It's safe to assume that the best in any competition will have invested whatever it takes in conditioning and practice to stay best.
So how, then, to identify a great accomplishment? Why not use a survival test? Mr Armstrong's seven straight wins are noteworthy because there are previous competitors with four or five or six wins, well within my lifetime. And that the radio guys would gripe that no wing-chomping dude could come up with Eddy Merckx or Bernard Hinault or Miguel Indurain and they might recognize Greg LeMond as the previous American hope is irrelevant. But note that over the past 30 years a racer that manages to sustain focus for repeated Tour wins is the norm.
Now consider my candidate, the consecutive game hitting streak in baseball. The supremum is 56 games in 1941; there is a 44 game streak as recently as 1978 and a 39 game streak in 1987. The most recent streak is 35 games in 2002.
Seven straight Tour wins? Good on ya, Lance. And props for keeping focus maneuvering in a crowded fleet for the better part of a month, for the seventh straight year. Definitely noteworthy. Let's watch the Tour for another sixty years and then put that streak in perspective.
This is an endless, mindless summer argument post. Your candidate events are welcome. Keep it civil.
WORKING THEIR WAY THROUGH COLLEGE -- IN BULGARIA. The weekend's roller coaster destination was Wisconsin Dells, now home to five wooden roller coasters and numerous other gravity rides. The Big Chief go-kart track is now the Mount Olympus water and amusement park, which is home to four of the wooden coasters, including the recently opened Hades. Fast smooth ride. Make sure you buy the unlimited rides pass so as to sample everything else on the grounds and take repeat rides as your endurance can stand.
Closer to downtown is Timber Falls, home to Avalanche, a coaster with a lot of action.
Here's a transportation secret I learned over the weekend. Amtrak's Empire Builder (.pdf schedule) makes a valiant effort to emulate the Hiawatha between La Crosse and the Dells, and it is timed in such a way as to allow residents of La Crosse and Tomah to take day trips to the Dells. Years ago, the Milwaukee Road would run extra sections of the Hiawatha for Chicago to the Dells traffic; nice to know that residents of western Wisconsin ... and some Minnesotans who don't mind getting up early ... can do a day trip to the Dells on a train.
The title of this post ... a number of the ride operators at the two amusement parks, as well as employees of other attractions at the Dells, were residents of Former Soviet Bloc countries. How things change. Years ago, when the Superintendent was in college, chances were pretty good that if you got to talking with a kid from the sand county, he or she had a summer job in the Dells or in the cranberry bogs. In fact, I knew one kid who had a football scholarship that also drove a Duck. Perhaps the academy can get away with tuition hikes and hard to complete schedules to the extent it can because registration and records no longer has to deal with disappointed Duck drivers or cranberry cultivators who might have more of their own sweat, rather than Daddy's plastic, invested in getting finished. Empirical test time ... how quickly do the Bulgarians finish college? And all of this despite a Wisconsin law ... at the instigation of the tourism business, that requires school to open after Labor Day, with this rationale.
It also would allow students to work through August at their summer jobs, learn valuable life skills and earn more money to pay for advanced education.
Yup. Apparently the valuable life skills are being learned by youngsters from the Former Soviet Bloc.
MARKING OFF. Thanks for looking in. Time for a roller coaster fix. Some book reviews and other intellectual content next week.
ON MY WORKBENCH. Work progresses on laying out the valve gear and designing hangers and crosshead guide supports for this monster.
WOULD THEY WEAR NICER SHOES TO A HOOK-UP? The national champion womens' lacrosse team, from Northwestern (logical, I suppose) has generated some negative buzz because a few of the players purchased new sundresses and such and accessorized with ... flip-flops.
Aly Josephs' mother had the same reaction after seeing her daughter in the front row of the photo - the fifth person away from the president - wearing brown suede flip-flops with a skirt, sleeveless top and matching beaded jewelry. "Don't even ask me about the flip-flops," her mother said when a reporter questioned her about the picture. "As somebody who is 52 years old, it mortified me. I don't go out of the house without pantyhose on."
The team members used the old "compare-with-the-worst" strategy.
The teammates, and their athletic director, commented several times that it was actually the University of Michigan's national-champion softball team - in khaki shorts, polo shirts and sneakers - that was way underdressed.
Well, that's Michigan. Probably blue polo shirts.
Joe Guidry, a salesman at the upscale Stuart Weitzman store on Michigan Avenue, said he wouldn't advise women to wear the company's $150 flip-flops to the White House. "Meeting the president? I personally wouldn't wear them," he said.
$150 flip-flops??? $150??? I must not get out enough.
James at Arma Virumque weighs in.
Even with the collapse of civilized style, can't we still agree on six little words:
No shoes. No shirt. No service.
This admonition just happens to appear on the door of the old five-and-dime store on the island of our destination.
Yes, but let's keep our perspective here. Generally the kind of establishment that posts such advice offers little service to those wearing their shoes and shirt.
UNDOING VANDALISM. James Lileks notes that New York City has committed to rebuilding the Farley Post Office Building as a new Pennsylvania Station.
The sin of the demolition of the old Penn Station was never erased, and the wretched piss-soaked warren they put in its place was a constant reminder of the Original Sin of post-war urbanists. That unholy combo of bottom-liners and utopians took away one of the most magnificent spaces in urban American and replaced it with something that seemed lifted en masse from a claustrophobic dream. To modern eyes it makes no sense: the era where social divisions were keenly felt gave us a space so vast that all distinctions dissolved in its great stone heaven; the egalitarians, by contrast, gave us a space whose equalizing impulse was best expressed as the desire to oppress everyone’s spirit. I usually cooled my heels in the Amtrak First Class club, which was a parody of a sham of a travesty of First Class, at least in the 90s. You got a scratchy seat and a battered magazine and translucent coffee. If I didn’t have a first class ticket I went to the bar on the north side of the room, where you could smoke. It stank. Aside from rush hour, it was empty, and had a sad battered quality that made you feel like a rude sack of meat slumped over a ration of intoxicants. And I never knew which track I should take. It never seemed clear. Even though they had signs and names it always seemed as though they were leaving out some key detail. Like your destination. No, I hate Penn Station.
The tribute to the old station includes one of my favorite quotes, this from the editorial board of the New York Times.
We want and deserve tin-can architecture in a tinhorn culture. And we will probably be judged not by the monuments we build but by those we have destroyed.
That pretty well applies to many of the other monuments of the America of that era, the America that worked, including the universities.
But enough of that. Consider Mr Lileks's tribute to train travel.
Penn Station had one thing going for it. Trains. Nothing compares to arriving by train; you’re not dropped off in a climate-controlled center on the edge of town, but dropped in the humid middle, surrounded by machinery and steam and shouts and clangs. You don’t slide up the jetway – you schlep yourself along the platform to the stairs, you jostle and maneuver and find your place in the throng; you thread through the station, head outside – and oh, my, GOD, there it is, loud and wide and high and alive, the city.
Yes, and throughout the rebuildings of the visible spaces of Penn Station, the one constant has been the trains and the tracks. Apart from the connections to a west side coach yard and a New York Central freight line to bring all Amtrak trains into Penn, the track is as The Pennsylvania Railroad conceived it in 1910.
When you leave you leave with the nudge. Planes waddle to the runway then throw themselves in the air with theatrical fury. Trains nudge you out. You’re sitting in your seat; you’re still. The strange orange subterranean light fills the car; again the shouts, the clangs, the whistles, the whirr of electric carts. The doors huff shut. Conductors walk around listening to crackly voices on the walkie-talkie. You wait. Then the nudge. The train lurches forward, the wheels clank, the rhythm begins, and you’re on your way. In a few minutes you’ll clear the tunnels and see the city from below, indifferent to your departure. Clank clank clank clank clank clank clank clank. On the plane you seem to approach New York like a nest of hornets – you’re wary, circling, then you bore in. When you leave by train you simply move along, move down, move out. Old tunnels, old concrete, rusted remains, barrels, trash, then light.
And speed.
DISCOVERING THE RAILFAN SEAT. Annie at Going Underground finds one on the Docklands Light Railway.
One of the good things about travelling on the DLR (Docklands Light Railway) - in fact it's probably the only good thing about travelling on the DLR - is that you can sit in the front of the train and pretend to be a driver.
Yes, the Superintendent concurs.
The subway is another matter.
Imagine looking at tunnels like this every day. No wonder [the motormen] look so bored.
The novel version of Taking of Pelham 1-2-3 (not on my movie list; patience) has the motorman estimating the weight of his passengers as a way of passing time. Remember the story problem that begins "You are a motorman ...?"
TENURE VIA THE BACK DOOR. Sean at The American Mind has been following the death-duel between the University of Wisconsin and the Legislature over the practice of granting high-ranking administrators tenure in academic departments, which has lately become known as "backup jobs" for administrators that don't work out. As I noted here, at one time presidents and deans were citizen professors who did that work for a few years before returning to faculty. That's somewhat less common these days. Watch for the Legislature to gain some traction here. With the continued division of labor in the academy, the ranks of administrators including presidents and provosts is being expanded by scholars whose research credentials are often modest.
Watch the critics outside the academy to become even more vocal, if this post (via Sykes Writes) is at all representative.
ACELA'S RETURN. Amtrak hopes to resume a full schedule of Acela Express service with a few Boston runs as early as this weekend. They are pretty trains but the recriminations over whether the trains came in heavier than the brake manufacturer was told or over corner cutting by that manufacturer will not be pretty.
IS SUBURBIA KIDDIELAND? Laura at 11-D sees opportunities for spontaneity.
Instant access to fresh air and buddies without dog poop on the sidewalk.
Lynne at Knowledge Problem concurs with a Marginal Revolution observation that "sprawl is a tax on spontaneity," although adult-supervised and coached play enters the equation.
I'm somewhat older than these observers and an emigre from early tract housing (in those days "upscale" was a three-bedroom ranch with a basement under everything and two sinks in the one bathroom.) In those days parents were somewhat more willing to let kids be kids, and it was standard procedure to find a few buddies and throw around a football or something rather than be ferried from practice to practice (what passed as "rich" differed in those days as well; if Dad's income made a new station wagon possible every three years one was doing well. Two incomes and two car garages, let alone those snout houses over a three car garage were a future not imagined in The Jetsons.)
Also unimagined in those days were "rails to trails" bike path conversion. But the grades of the interurban, gone under 15 years, and the North Shore Line, gone less than ten, were still in a rideable condition. In those days the outlying segments of the system, which are now configured as trails, were a bit outside my riding range. On the other hand, my less durable body and less rugged commuter bike will probably appreciate the improvements to those trails.
"IT'S THE SAME S*** YOU'D BUY FOR YOUR KID'S BEDROOM." So a carpenter describes the new desks being delivered as a palliative to the departments displaced by the Great Zulauf Space Grab. Heavy particle-board with a wood-grain like veneer that may or may not be wood. Plastic bags of drywall screws. Components predrilled in approximately the right places. Bring the drill and the Phillips screw bits.
The desk deliveries appear to be approximately on schedule. On the other hand, the former economics offices at the northeast end of the 4th floor, which were supposed to be vacated by the end of exam week (never mind deadlines such as proctoring the exams and turning in the grade sheets on time) are still in the empty condition the occupants left them in at that time. And some other departments might be in temporary quarters yet at the start of the semester.
Kudos to William "King of Spades" Minor for deciding that disrupting the operations of most of the social science division for the summer (and extracting a lot of unpaid labor from the faculty) was in the best interest of the college. (And this thirtysomething anonymous administrator wonders why I'm snarky.)
Remind me again, this space grab is supposed to improve conditions for students, isn't it?
HERE WE GO AGAIN. More explosions on the Tube. Tube Geek at Going Underground offers continuing coverage.
On Tuesday I was happily posting about Harry Potter sightings on the tube and now it's bombs again.
Also this hypothesis.
'Explosions' appear to be dummy detonators. No casualties reported. It's NOT a major incident, but windows WERE blown out on the No. 26 bus.
I'm guessing it's someone proving that detonators (with no explosives) still get past the sniffer dogs, and they're doing it to show that panic and disruption can still be caused.
Sounds like one of two from Mitch at Shot in the Dark.
The terrorists are down to using their "B" team. They built a batch of squib bombs; all bang, no bite. Luck is good.
The terrorists tossed off a squib attack to lull the west into complacency.
Something else to consider: some of the followup coverage of the larger attack two weeks ago suggested the bombers were not supposed to be on a martyrdom operation. Remember that bin Laden tape from November of 2001 where he and some buddies were chuckling over the muscle guys on the airplanes who were not aware the hijacking was not going to end with negotiations on a tarmac someplace? Incentives matter. Are the bin Ladenistas beginning to encounter the same problem the Japanese Navy began to encounter at Midway, with the best commanders choosing to share the fate of the ship, but without press-gangs to replenish the ranks?
In related developments, this observation from two weeks ago
Hmmm, did the assembly of U.S., Canadian, Commonwealth, Free French and Free Polish troops and materiel along the Channel coast provoke the buzz-bombs and flying gas mains?
has become this Henry Payne cartoon.
MESOSCALE VORTICITY CENTER. Apparently that's the meteorological description of this cyclone over Wisconsin, which I assure you is not Photoshopped.
It did whirl enough rain our way to replenish the rain barrel and stimulate the weeds at the same time that it's helping the lettuce and okra.
CHICAGO TO FLORIDA BY TRAIN. Effective August 1; change at Washington D.C. headed east and south; change at New York Penn Station headed north and west.
KEEPING CURRENT. I've begun to deal with the backlog of technical journals. The July issue of Iron and Steel Technology describes the direct casting of steel sheet by Nucor Steel at Crawfordsville, Indiana.
Steel sheet is useful in a number of applications including wastebaskets, appliances, and automobiles. But only recently have engineers figured out how to continuously cast liquid steel between two rollers, enabling the production of a coil of sheet steel (Flash-intensive sales pitch, be wary) without all the work involved in reshaping a relatively easy to cast slab of steel into a coil.
The Crawfordsville mill has been operating on a development basis until recently, and Nucor intend to build a second plant.
ARE MARKETS USEFUL, OR NOT? Book Review No. 19 is Eric Schlosser's Reefer Madness, a trip through those parts of the underground economy that provide marijuana, strawberries, and pornography (maybe there is something to get hung about?) On the one hand, Mr Schlosser (based on market evidence?) suggests the U.S. decriminalize marijuana for personal use and let secular, rather than sacred, considerations govern the production and consumption of pornography. On the other hand, the use of market incentives to entice illegal immigrants to pick strawberries (as well as numerous other agricultural tasks) is wrong.
The market will drive wages down like water, until they reach the lowest possible level. Today that level is being set not in Washington or New York or Sacramento but in the fields of Baja California and the mountain villages of Oaxaca. That level is about five dollars a day. ... Left to its own devices, the free market always seeks a work force that is hungry, desperate, and cheap -- a work force that is anything but free.
Page 108. The book sells for just over five bucks, used. Draw your own conclusions. That the level might be set by education policies that ensure a culturally competent but innumerate workforce does not enter the discussion; that cheap labor subsidies are available for some industries but not others affects induced innovation does. And the careful reader will learn an archaic meaning of inversion.
COMPARE AND CONTRAST. The Washington Post's David Von Drehle invites Betsy Newmark and Barbara O'Brien for treats and a stroll around Washington. Here are their sites' announcements of this story.
IS THIS MEETING NECESSARY? An anonymous dean at a community college somewhere in the northeast laments.
The tricky part of summer work is trying to put meetings together. Since academia is allergic to the concept of a single manager doing anything on his own intiative (that would be running the college like a business! Horrors! What’s next – tying pay to performance?), everything requires consultation and collaboration. In practice, everything requires meetings.
The logistics of assembling meetings are challenging enough during the academic year, when everyone’s calendar is full already. In the summer, simply finding days when everyone is in the state at the same time is tough.
Oh, come. Summer shut-down has been a fact of life for what, 100 years? And in that time nobody has figured out how to deal with most of the routine business by May 15? Legislative recisions have been reality for, oh, the past 15 years? And nobody has figured out the most logical contingency plans for this year yet?
Give. Me. A. Break.
And why might everyone's calendar be full during the school year? Might there be a connection between down-sizing the faculty, asking the remaining faculty to teach more sections with more students, subjecting that faculty to more inquisitions from various advisory offices keeping track of the progress of special-admissions students as well as requiring attendance at mandatory harassment or diversity training sessions or seeking participants for focus groups? (A conjecture: watch the final version of the Oregon Five Year Plan for Cultural Competence include the re-education mandatory training during the school year: resistance to that training during the summer being more likely to get people angry than the insulting nature of the training's content.)
What is the sound of Atlas, shrugging? In the academy, is it a growing reluctance of faculty to volunteer to do extra, unpaid work, during the summer session as the administrators become more intrusive and arbitrary in their demands on faculty during the nine months they are under contract? Does the absence of any rewards for greater productivity (couple those enlarged teaching loads with higher enrollments and minimal merit raises) make the faculty more protective of their own time than they otherwise would be?
THE DIFFICULT WE DO RIGHT AWAY. Book Review No. 18 is Craig Symonds's Decision at Sea: Five Naval Battles that Shaped American History. Of the five, the most significant might have been the Battle of Lake Erie, which most people learn of incidental to the wineries and Tri-Motors (if they're still flying?) on the Erie Islands and the roller coasters ashore. That victory, which secured for the United States control of Lake Erie, made possible the development of the coastal cities that later became Erie, Cleveland, Sandusky, Toledo, and Detroit. (Absent amicable relations between the U.S. and Canada, the Prairie Provinces might well have at some time become States. There is a stretch of road along the north bank of Lake Superior that is essentially the only improved road between east and west, and imagine how difficult a few monitors would have made hacking the Canadian Pacific out of that same bank.)
The theme that sticks out in most of the five stories is individual initiative and excessively aggressive behavior, something still part of our military tradition. Commodore Perry built his fleet behind a sand bar at Erie, Pennsylvania; he was in the middle of floating his fleet over the bar, an evolution that required guns and tophamper to be removed in order to reduce the draft, when the British fleet hove into view. Perry's reaction: speed up the refitting of Niagara and prepare for action. The British, with the expectation of being able to deal with the fleet at their leisure once their ship Detroit was ready, left the preparations alone.
The Battle of Hampton Roads contains a similar tale, with Captain Buchanan of Virginia deciding to turn his sea-trial into a raid. Had he waited even a day, Monitor would have been on station and his first day's success against the wooden ships well might not have happened. At Midway, the Japanese calculated that Yorktown would not be available to respond to their move; they thus decided to refit Shokaku and Zuikaku at leisure as four carriers against two are sufficient odds. Four against three and an airfield, on the other hand, is a good way to lose four.
The book also has some thoughts about what goes on on land that will reward careful study. For example, Admiral Dewey requested a force to occupy the Phillipine archipelago after destroying the Spanish fleet, a request unanticipated in Washington, and one that might have contributed to a protracted guerrilla war with aftereffects to this day. That the U.S. Navy now has the task of inspecting any cargo ship anywhere and confiscating contraband cargoes ought give readers pause, even if captains do not have the authority to press-gang civilian crews into the Navy, as their Georgian counterparts did.
IS THERE AN EFFICIENCY WAGE EFFECT? No beach that offers "two girls for every guy" can long remain in that state. (I'm sure that's been offered as an arbitrage argument somewhere, but my search string skills are a bit weak this afternoon.) There might be something related in a Liberty Belles post on the meatmarket.
The finest of these beefcakes are much costlier to obtain than others, requiring you to spend more money diversifying your designer portfolio and more time working on your butt and hips. The entire value of the man derives from his relative unavailability and high cost vis à vis other men. An exclusive relationship with this man makes him entirely unavailable to others and drastically lowers supply of fine men on the meatmarket. Should the man violate his commitment to you by taking another Belle out to a romantic dinner, the supply of men will increase and his value to you will decrease.
But the hottest women are also costlier to obtain.
Let’s say a man is dating a stunning woman whom we will classify as a luxury good. In order to stay in this relationship, the man must have the wherewithal to meet her standards. This wherewithal, referred to as income in economic terms, includes the gamut of attributes that his lovely girlfriend finds attractive. Let’s say the man unexpectedly experiences a series of unfortunate events that hamper his ability to maintain her: he takes a pay cut, he has a stroke, he loses an arm, he gets fat, and his house is repossessed by the government for the public good. This miserable creature no longer has the wherewithal, or income, to pay for a luxury good such as his erstwhile girlfriend.
There's a nasty efficiency-wage problem buried in herre somewhere. But if both parties are paying premia to each other so as to attenuate the incentive to stray, what is the equilibrium investment in self-maintenance? And is that a pooling equilibrium or a separating equilibrium? Consider this followup at Unshackling Isaac Newton:
Women who are aloof find that there is a shortage of men who are willing to approach them. They are willing to spend very little opportunity dollars, and at this level there is a shortage of men.
There ought be opportunities for the people who opt out of the conventional channels being analyzed in this series of posts to find each other through different channels.
PROHIBITION'S END. In Rockport, Massachusetts, 72 years after it ended in most of the rest of the country. Vodka Pundit approves. Perhaps there will be fewer intoxicated drivers on the northeastern end of 128 returning from Gloucester, which, as a proper fishing town should, has taverns.
WHO HAS LUFFING RIGHTS IN A PELOTON? Lynne at Knowledge Problem has been providing a racer's perspective on the Tour de France, with these sites recommended for race commentary. A cross-country bicycle race combines cooperation and competition, with the leading riders taking turns providing draft for each other, and with teams engaging in strategic maneuvering to prevent challengers from getting in front of them. Imagine a crowded mark-rounding that goes on for over 100 miles, up-hill and down, with competitors literally on your hip, no hulls to crunch together before the bodies crunch together, no water to absorb your fall, and velocities made good in excess of 20 knots. If somebody attempts to break out of the pack, what is the proper course of a racer in front that wants to stop the overtaking bike from passing? It's a wonder more riders don't get hurt.
SAFETY IS THE FIRST OBLIGATION. Discovery launch delayed account troubles with a fuel gauge.
OPTING OUT OF THE SENSITIVITY GULAG? David French at the Torch discovers the New York Times covering proprietary institutions of higher learning. First Mr French's commentary.
Already, these for-profit schools represent a viable alternative for many students who see the university primarily as a vehicle for career advancement. Since (truth be told) most students go to college not to learn the nuances of political theory or the joys of Chaucer but instead to improve their economic position, it is not difficult to imagine a day when for-profit colleges—which put job placement at the center of their mission—will present a major challenge to traditional government and nonprofit private schools. As colleges become increasingly politicized (some are so ideologically slanted that students are essentially joining revolutionary cells rather than academic departments), the for-profit schools may be seen as a haven from the culture wars.
He notes there is a downside.
There are, however, complaints regarding the quality of the for-profit educational experience.
But as I read the particulars, I'm prompted to compare and contrast.
Students at these schools study to prepare for careers in business, culinary arts and design, and to become medical technicians or paralegals.
But questions exist about the quality of education at some of these institutions. Federal and state investigators have found that some used inappropriate enrollment practices, like registering students incapable of doing the work. Some critics also charge that the schools make rosy promises about jobs for their graduates that do not materialize.
That's different from admitting unprepared students and calling it "access," or using the expected retirements of Silent Generation professors to induce hopefuls into graduate school, now known as the first mile of the adjunct track?
In recent audits, the New York State comptroller's office found more problems with commercial schools than at other schools. In audits of four degree-granting schools in the past year, the comptroller found that irregularities in financial aid grants were more than eight times higher at the two commercial schools studied than at the public college and the private nonprofit college that it also reviewed.
Representative Maxine Waters, Democrat of California, said in written testimony to a Congressional hearing in March that at one point she had accumulated a two-foot stack of complaints about the schools. She said that while not all schools were bad, enough were to warrant "even more protection from the false sales pitches of many of these for-profit trade schools."
That the state-located and the non-profits are not as bad is insufficient reason to think all is well.
Nonetheless, more and more college students are attracted by the career-oriented education these schools typically offer, as well as by their often relaxed admissions policies and their consumer-oriented focus.
The Wal-Mart version of Jacuzzi U? What is it, maybe 200 traditional colleges and universities that turn away more applicants than they admit? And perhaps what this story tells us is how ineffective elementary and secondary education are at serving some people.
What students get in return is harder to measure. Despite the growth and the public money flowing to the schools, they remain a poorly understood corner of higher education. What is clear is that they often focus on groups that many colleges do not, like working adults or students who have not graduated from high school. They place less emphasis on professors with doctorates and more on teachers with practical experience. They offer a narrower range of courses that are more career-oriented, and they schedule classes at times convenient to working students.
But the quality of education can vary. Gail O. Mellow, president of La Guardia Community College in Queens, said that after the Drake Business School, a commercial institution that did not grant degrees, closed last year, La Guardia tried to see if it could help some of the students.
"We found it impossible," she said. "Even though some of these students were at the end of their sophomore year, their level of preparation was so low that they were not passing our basic placement tests."
With somewhere between 1/4 and 1/2 of entering freshmen requiring remediation, perhaps the for-profits are a symptom of troubles elsewhere in the education system, or perhaps in the broader society.
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MOJO SEARCH
Happiness is the opposite of thinking.
- Art Director.
I wake with a start and realise i have lost my writing mojo. I realise, suddenly, that i simply can't write. Woah. Woah woah woahdiddly woe. Now i'm in trouble. I realise i have been unable to write for some weeks now. I bury my head in the pillow. I hear the kookaburras outside the window, laughing. I raise my head to shout at them. A dim glow over Mount Clarence tells me it is just before dawn. It is always darkest before the dawn. If you're going to steal your neighbour's newspaper, this is the time to do it. But i have more pressing problems at hand.
It is because i am no longer miserable. Misery is a writer's best friend, saving, as it does, his or her readers the trouble of being miserable for their own selves. Misery is a blessing in a disguise, a bit like Nastassja Kinski in that bear suit in The Hotel New Hampshire.
For a writer, happiness equals death. Happiness freezes the brain into a kind of Zen blancmange from which nothing can emerge but fatuous tautologies, and the occasional recipe for Thai chilli mussels.
After shouting at the kookaburras i pass the day cutting copy from one of our North West newspapers, periodically picking up the phone to berate the mindless, rum-snorting party animals that pass for journalists in that part of the world. Martine comes in to grab a camera. "Did you know the collective noun for subeditors is a whinge of subeditors?" she asks as she passes my desk. How edifying. She pauses, Nikon in hand. "Hmm. I wonder what the collective noun is for journalists?"
I stare at her. "An affront of journalists would be quite apt," i suggest.
So. The mojo. I feel i must return to first principles. This means consuming vast quanitities of either wine or beer. Excessive consumption of alcohol is guaranteed to bring on a dose of the abjects. So i take Miss Polly out to dinner. Halfway there - i say halfway there as if there were some destination in mind, which there never is, because going out for dinner in Albany always involves driving up and down the same desultory streets ruling out the same desultory restaurants, before eventually throwing culinary caution to the wind and choosing a place that is at least consistently mediocre - halfway there, Dewse calls from somewhere up the highway.
"Hey A.D," he says. "I'm in Kojonup."
"What are you doing there," i ask. "Come to Albany. And bring a tuna."
"Why," he asks.
"I want to cook sashimi," i say.
"You don't cook sashimi," Dewse says.
"Just find a tuna and get down here. Jesus, man, don't argue with me."
“I was going to camp in the Porongorups and climb a mountain,” he says.
“Fuck you.” I say. “How about you come to Miss Polly’s instead and we get pissed and write a joint blog.” The mere mention of the word 'joint' has Dewse pulling up his metaphorical tent pegs.
He turns up after the chicken parmigiana, all hair and attitude, smiling like a poor man's jesus, a new copy of On The Road stuffed into his backpack. The desserts look dubious, so the muse and i decide to pay up and head back to base. I whip out my bank card to pay for our meal. It is, after all, the day after payday.
“Sorry sir, but it is declined," says the buxom waitress.
It’s always embarrassing when you have to ask your date to pay for your food. And yet, as Dewse so kindly points out, this is expected - like next week's pay cheque.
Miss Polly produces her credit card.
“What else am i supposed to do?” asks Miss Polly. “Regurgitate?”
The waitress stares at us, no doubt hoping this is a rhetorical question.
“So what are we going to do?” asks Dewse, once we have escaped the very real prospect of criminal charges.
“I have ideas,” I say. “That don't involve night clubs. And besides, Miss Polly has a credit card, so I suggest we stick with her.”
We head for Spencer Park. Dewse gets a tour of Miss Polly's house.
"I never got a tour of the house," i complain.
“Maybe that's because you headed straight for the bedroom,” Miss Polly says.
She points us to some pre-Party cartons of warm beer on the kitchen floor, then peels off her stockings. "Good night boys," she says.
Sleeping is one of her favourite activities. But then, how else is she going to find her dream house?
The guitar, the blues harmonica and the cartons of warm beer are but a prelude to drunken computerising. The writing becomes somewhat turvy. But Dewse did not come all this way in search of a qwerty merely to fall asleep on some chased lozenge. No fear. We need tuna. Perhaps we can buy some online? "Shut up," says Dewse, and directs my aspirations toward the further consumption of warm beer. He takes over the keyboard, foaming bottle at his side.
"Party." It’s a profound and familiar voice that resonates down the blower, one I met some time ago down at Oyster Creek. His deluded pitch is frightening. We used to get away with it then, up that way. The booze, the hash, and useless days without a hint of tit. Long odious days where the red earth ends, veering off into the ocean sea. A dangerous place, where a man finds no companionship other than that of a loaf of stale bread. Where the desert will fry the brain, if you give it half the chance.
“You think we are pissed now, just wait till the Party," the Art Director says.
"Lets hit some clubs up,” i declare, with a certain insanity that will see a good man do time.
With that, the Dewse abandons the keyboard and heads for the fridge.
I look at what the Dewse has written, and decide i should leave stories from beyond the edge to the younger generation.
So, i've lost my mojo, i complain to Sarah Toa from under my hangover. Sarah is my rock, my touchstone, and my warrior princess. She is not afraid to tell me when i am being a princess because, as we all know, it takes one to know one.
Try looking under the bed, she says.
Sage advice. This girl knows her bream from her mullet. She gives me a jar of fig jam and a dozen eggs from her chook pen. On the way home i buy some bread. Gluten free, says the label. Glutens are great, i think. They should glue body and soul together for a while longer.
And it's even better if they are free.
sarah toa said...
How utterly appropriate, to write about being unable to write! A sure way to lure back that dastardly mojo.
I disagree with the misery bit though, if we all needed Misery to write then we would be tied to a bed, then hobbled by Kathy Bates and instructed to finish the novel with the proper ending.
Yes - perhaps misery is only required to write within a certain genre. Abject love poems ...
Ms Martin said...
Mark, it has been 10 days since this blog entry. It will be 11 by tomorrow.
Okay, where's Kathy Bates? We need her like NOW.
BOHEMIUM IS SO AN ELEMENT
STARLESS AND BIBLE BLACK
EGGS POACHED IN SALTY TEARS
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An art deco diamond, multi-gem and enamel sautoir, by Mauboussin.
An art deco diamond, multi-gem and enamel sautoir, by Mauboussin. Photo: Christie's Images Ltd., 2010
Suspending a pendant, designed as a circular, single and old European-cut diamond vase, centering upon a carved hexagonal cabochon emerald, extending carved ruby, sappire and emerald blossoms and leaves, enhanced by black enamel detail, from an onyx hoop, to the neckchain, designed as a series of circular-cut diamond links, each centering upon a carved ruby leaf, enhanced by calibré-cut sapphires and emeralds, alternating with single-cut diamond and calibré-cut emerald barrel-shaped links, enhanced by onyx and black enamel detail, mounted in platinum, 1927, with French assay mark and maker's mark (indistinct). By Mauboussin, no. 025755 - Estimate $800,000 - $1,200,000. Price Realized $1,106,500
With certificate of authenticity dated 9 November 2009 from Mauboussin, stating that the pendant and neckchain are recorded in the archives as nos. 90234 and 90269, dated 22 June and 1 July 1927, respectively
Mauboussin has a long and illustrious history, beginning in 1827 when Mr. Rocher and Baptiste Noury established a jewelry shop in Paris. In 1850, Noury assumed control of the business which, in 1896, was transferred to his nephew, Georges Mauboussin. During the first four decades of the new century, Mauboussin contributed exhibits to the major international expositions including Milan in 1923 and 1924; Strasbourg, 1924; New York, 1939; and Paris, 1925, 1931 and 1937. At the 1925 Exposition des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, they were awarded the Grand Prix and, for his contributions to the world of joaillerie, Georges Mauboussin was given the prestigious "Legion d'Honneur."
During the 1920s, the firm maintained branches in London, Buenos Aires, New York and Palm Beach. Mauboussin is most noted for their creations during this decade, at the height of the art deco period when they produced not only important designs in the rectilinear style characteristic of the decade but they also introduced truly remarkable jewelry that has come to be known as "Tutti Frutti" or "fruit salad." These jewels featured naturalistically engraved gemstones in leaf, berry and blossom shapes that were based on the Islamic flower cult of the Mughal emperors. Although these gemstones were not as valuable as perfectly cut stones, their polychromatic effects were so striking that they became sought after by discriminating clients during the period.
This sautoir is an example of the best "Tutti Frutti" offerings from Mauboussin in which the engraved gemstones are incorporated into the design of both the pendant and neck chain. The "Vase de fleurs" pendant is made up of a hexagonal diamond-set flower pot centered by an emerald engraved with a flower. Out of the pot grows a diamond-set stem from which spring engraved ruby and sapphire flowers and emerald leaves. As a nod to the geometrical paradigm of the period, on either side of the floral bouquet is a stepped contour, reflective of the abstract patterning found on the architecture of ancient civilizations such as Babylonian ziggurats and stepped Mayan and Aztec temples. A small black onyx sphere on each step softens the pure linear design which could otherwise have been static.
A simple black onyx ring joins the pendant to the neck chain. The latter consists of alternating links of floral clusters, each with an engraved ruby blossom surrounded by emeralds, sapphires and diamonds, and separated by onyx rings to diamond, emerald and black onyx barrel shaped links. As a remarkable feature of this necklace, its reverse which is just as beautifully crafted as the obverse with all the engraved gemstones also engraved on the underside.
Mauboussin created "Tutti Frutti" necklaces at the end of the 1920s, featuring them in their Vogue advertisements in December 8, 1928, November 9 and December 7, 1929. The drawing for the pendant is illustrated in Mauboussin by Marguerite de Cerval (Paris: Editions du Regard, 1992), page 79; a sketch for the sautoir is included on page 8 of the firm's promotional book, Mauboussin Joaillier
Literature: Mauboussin Catalogue, circa 1929, page 11
Masterpieces Magazine, The Keystone Publishing Company, May 1928, Volume 5, No. 2, back cover
Notes: Cf. Marguerite de Cerval, Mauboussin, Editions du Regard, Paris, 1992, page 79
Cf. Suzanne Tennenbaum and Janet Zapata, Jeweled Garden: A Colorful History of Gems, Jewels and Nature, The Vendome Press, New York, 2006, page 75
Christie's. Jewels: The New York Sale Including the JAR Imperial Topaz, Ruby and Diamond Ear Pendants, The Bulgari Blue, Jeweled Elegance & the Vanderbilt Diamond Necklace, 20 October 2010, New York, Rockefeller Plaza www.christies.com
Tags : "Tutti Frutti", art deco, diamond, enamel, Mauboussin, multi-gem
A FINE BLUE AND WHITE 'GARDEN' YUHUCHUN VASE....
A fine Blue and White 'Garden' yuhuchun vase. Seal Mark and Period of Qianlong. photo courtesy Sotheby's ...
DEUX COUPES LIBATOIRES EN CORNE DE RHINOCÉROS....
Coupe libatoire en corne de rhinocéros. Chine, XVIIe - XVIIIe siècle. photo courtesy Pierre Bergé & associés...
An art deco diamond, gem-set and enamel brooch, circa 1925
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Selection of jade jewelry @ m.s. rau antiques
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David webb black enamel, ruby, emerald, amethyst and diamond
A pair of diamond and enamel earclips, by buccellati.
A diamond and enamel demi-parure, by frascarolo
A diamond ruby enamel zebra bangle
An art deco ruby and diamond ring & a pair of pendant earrings, mauboussin, 1924
An enamel, diamond, ruby and emerald bangle bracelet, david webban enamel, diamond, ruby and emerald bangle bracelet, david webb
Commentaires sur An art deco diamond, multi-gem and enamel sautoir, by Mauboussin.
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Sounzgood Website
19 Dec Sounzgood Website
Posted at 08:43h in Reviews by superuser
Dylan Storey- Out Of The Soup December 2009
Dylan Storey’s third album ‘Out of the soup’ I must say is an enjoyable listen. The Auckland musician who’s been a mainstay of the NZ Music scene for some tie now has produced an album packed with poetic goodness and impressive musicianship. For those not familiar with Storey his music is a mixture of Alt Country and Blues rock and roll (with tinges of the psychedelic). The opening track ‘Travelling Salesmen’ is a country style rocky up-tempo track with a hooky chorus and catchy lyrics. It’s the kind of song I would enjoy on a hot summer road trip, a perfect opening song to hook you into the album. The good times roll on with the second track ‘Lies make an honest man’ a laid back beachy pub tune. When I listen to these two opening tracks I imagine myself at a Raglan pub on a sunny day (a Sunday perhaps) with a cold beer in hand just kicking back enjoying these tunes. The albums start does a good job in hooking you in and making you want more. ‘The Skies above Crete’ is the first darkish moment of the album. Storey has a yearning, heartfelt tone in his singing. If you entered the room halfway through this song you may be forgiven for thinking it was a Bob Dylan song with the whiney tone of Storey’s voice (in a GOOD Bob Dylan-ish way of course). One of my personal favourite tracks is the lazy ‘Footsteps of kings’. The track is a slow burning bluesy jam that reminds me of a Fly My Pretties tune. The song is a relaxing gem that would be perfect hangover music. The title track ‘Out of the soup’ chops and changes abit too much for my liking. It’s got that country knee slapping quality going on then it suddenly slams on the brakes into a calm chorus. I love it when the Mint Chicks do this jerkiness but it just seemed inappropriate here. It then goes into some psychedelic blues guitar that also distracts from the earlier promising knee slapping. It had me at the honky tonk knee slapping stage, this should have continued. I could have done with more of that. This is my only real gripe with the album and it’s not a major one. The last two tracks of the album start to get very murky and deep. Storey starts showing off his dark and brooding side on ‘Never turn your back on the sea’. It’s a wintery rainy day solo listen. This song is one of those ones that prompt angst and self-introspectiveness. If you’re not in a good frame of mind this is probably not one for you. The last track on the album ‘The Tempest’ is a whale of a song. Its starts of with some up beat rock, which really hooks you in before going into a led zep type blues guitar solo before tapering right of to a quiet solemn sadness. The end bit features some tear jerking blues guitar. This song is the kind you would hear in Christchurch’s Southern Blues Bar stained off your tits on whiskey, drowned in your own quiet self-pity at three in the morning. Simply beautiful, a good end to a good album. Every song on ‘Out of the soup’ is listenable and likeable. It’s the kind of album you can play from start to finish. You could chuck this on while you and your buddies’ are having a few drinks and be confident know one would complain. You wouldn’t get the cries of ‘what’s this bloody music?’ In fact I believe after a few tracks in you’ll probably have your friends enquiring who this guy is followed by comments like ‘this is quite good’ and ‘I could get into this’. If you’re a fan of the genre blues or the work of Fly My Pretties, Ryan Adams, Bob Dylan or Anna Coddington this album will be one for you. Enjoy some of this album with friends and beers and some of it with lonely solace.
Matt Hicks
Email: thisbarrenland@gmail.com
Bandcamp: http://dylanstorey.bandcamp.com/
Elsewhere – Graham Reed
Posted in Reviews by Dylan
Sideroom.com Magazine
North and South Magazine
Posted in Reviews by superuser
Real Groove
Music.net.nz
Einstein Music Journal
Website by CP Design
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Don’t mess with Jeromy Rodriguez
...anti-bullying crusader says be your brother’s keeper
Nasser Khan
Jeromy Rodriguez
Do not mess with young Jeromy Rodriguez. He will unleash his powerful anti-bullying message on you—B-Be your brother’s keeper; U-Uplift and support each other; L-Love and respect one another; L-Lean on his/her/my shoulder; and Y-Yes, we can do it together.
The 15 year old is the founder and head of the anti-bullying crusade Abatt (Anti-Bullying Association of T&T) which he started in 2013 using monies from his winnings after being crowned the National Junior Soca Monarch of T&T. The ongoing bullying of his sister, which he had witnessed, sparked the desire in young Rodriguez to make a difference.
Some excerpts from Rodriguez’s bio read: songwriter, plays the double tenor pan and piano, sings, founder and president of the Anti-Bullying Association of T&T; Express Youth of the Year 2014; recipient of the National Youth Award—Ministry of Gender & Youth Affairs; Minister’s Award for his anti-bullying community project 2015; two-time winner of the National Junior Soca Monarch competition—2013 and 2014; winner of the International Soca Awards 2014 for Best New Artiste; National Youth Action Committee Award 2014 for outstanding contribution to soca music.
He became a rising soca star since 2011 when he won two calypso monarch titles: Moruga Carnival Committee title and Princes Town Regional Corporation title. That year, Machel Montano took interest in Rodriguez and invited him to feature on his remake song I Love My Country
His latest thrust in the anti-bullying campaign is called Love Somebody school tour, scheduled to kick off in September once all regulations, permissions and approval are in place. The theme surrounds promoting peace, showing empathy and respect for others and mostly, to ensure that his anti-bullying pledge is taught.
Q: Tell us about your early years (including where born and grew up).
A: I was born on September 9, 2001, in Elizabeth, New Jersey, USA, and grew up in the humble close-knit community of Moruga. From as early as three years old, I was dubbed the birthday singer as I liked singing the happy birthday song to anyone who was having a birthday and mostly because I like to see smiling faces.
Which primary school did you attend and which secondary school are you currently attending? Which are your favourite subjects?
I am a proud past student of the St Mary’s Government Primary School in Moruga. Thankfully, I passed for my first choice which is Cowen Hamilton Secondary School and my favourite subjects are music, maths and Spanish in that order.
How would you describe yourself? What is an interesting aspect of Jeromy Rodriguez’s personality that most people do not know?
I would describe myself as a leader, self-starter and motivator. One aspect that many people don’t know about me is that I am a great listener and I am very empathetic towards others.
Who/what has influenced/inspired you/keeps you motivated the most, with regard to the formation and continuing of Abatt?
The bullying situation that my older sister was facing at her school was what really moved me to embark on this initiative. My biggest motivators are my peers who support me and continually congratulate me, and the impacting change I see in some bullying cases show me that our generation has hope.
What motivates you to continue to be so passionately involved with the Anti-Bullying Association of T&T?
The world needs healing. We need to get back in touch with our natural human senses and emotions like empathy. It is therefore critical that I continue my involvement with the Abatt as the need to bring anti-bullying awareness and education is imperative.
What is the biggest opportunity arising in championing this cause?
The biggest opportunity was being invited to the 29th Annual General Meeting and Conference of the Association of Caribbean Commissioners of Police held in May 2014 and being acknowledged and awarded by these heads for my anti-crime initiative as a young citizen.
What is the most valuable piece of advice or information you would give to those afflicted or affected by bullying?
Don’t allow the opinions and actions of people to define you or change the only “you” that you are.
What is the biggest need/priority at the Anti-Bullying Association of T&T?
The Abatt definitely needs a place to call home, a permanent office space where we can work in a comfortable setting.
What is the slogan of Abatt?
“Break that trend...Bring bullying to an end”
How can the public assist your cause?
The public can assist by volunteering some hours a week, sharing their skills and expertise in the field that we deal with and participate in our fund-raising efforts.
What other information about Abatt would you like to share with our readers…contact info, social media, etc.
We are on Facebook: Anti-Bullying Association of T&T, Email: [email protected] Phone: 656-4526
What are the upcoming plans of Abatt?
The Abatt is working feverishly on a Love Somebody school tour which we know will create an impact on students nationwide. We have submitted a copy of our proposal to the Ministry of Education seeking the relevant permissions and sharing the proposed material content of the shows.
What is your recipe for success and what inspires you?
Success comes with hard work, consistency, determination and dedication but these four factors won’t work if you allow detractors and distractions to throw you off course. Staying focused is the secret.
Of all your accolades, accomplishments, prizes and awards, which do you rate as extremely special, be it in the field of soca/calypso, Abatt, or otherwise?
My extremely special accolade is the National Youth Award—Minister’s Award for my anti-bullying initiative.
What advice would you give to the young people of T&T?
Be the change you want to see. Let our generation show that we too can be good examples.
Which of your calypsoes would you like a first-time audience to listen to/see you perform? Is it on YouTube, if so what is the link?
It would be Doh Take me and it’s on YouTube.
What is the best advice you have ever received?
The best advice: “Live and Let Live.”
Paying homage to Siparee-ke-mai
Calypso stars of Sangre Grande
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CBI CONDUCTS SEARCHES AT FIVE LOCATIONS INCLUDING DELHI & MUMBAI IN AN ONGOING INVESTIGATION OF A CASE
New Delhi, Face2News
The Central Bureau of Investigation has today conducted searches at five locations in Mumbai and Delhi at the premises including office & residence of accused in an ongoing investigation of a case. Certain incriminating documents have been recovered during searches.
CBI has registered a case on 13.06.2019 on a complaint from the Ministry of Home Affairs (GoI), New Delhi against a Mumbai based NGO; president of the said NGO; unknown office bearers/functionaries of the said NGO and unknown private individuals & public servants.
It was alleged in the complaint that during the year 2006 to 2014, the accused persons entered into a conspiracy in Mumbai, Delhi and other places with an intent to cheat the Government of India in the matter of misusing / diverting Foreign Contribution received in the Mumbai based NGO. It was further alleged that in pursuance of the said conspiracy, Foreign Contribution to the tune of Rs.32.39 crore (approx.) was received in the account of the said NGO and the accused persons mis-utilized sizable amount of the Foreign Contribution received in the account of the Mumbai based NGO and thereby violated the provisions of FERA 2010. Investigation is continuing.
PUNJAB, HARYANA CMs AGREE ON INTER-STATE MEETING ON DRUGS ON JULY 25 LIFE IMPRISONMENT TO SEVEN ACCUSED INCLUDING FORMER MP IN MURDER OF AMIT JETHWA RTI ACTIVIST FAKE CURRENCY RACKET RUNS FROM WEST BENGAL BUSTED, TWO NABBED WITH FAKE CURRENCY NOTES OF DENOMINATION 2,000 VALUED 1 LAKH SEIZED CBI CONDUCTS SEARCHES AT 12 LOCATIONS IN 8 CITIES/DISTRICTS OF UP IN TWO SEPARATE CASES OF ILLEGAL SAND MINING , RECOVERS HUGE CASH
CBI CONDUCTS SEARCHES 110 LOCATIONS IN 19 STATES/UNION TERRITORIES IN SEPARATE CASES PUCA URGED BIHAR GOVT TO REVIEW THE RECENT NOTIFICATION OF BIHAR CREDIT CARD SCHEME IN THE INTEREST OF THE STUDENTS
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