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The dataset generation failed
Error code: DatasetGenerationError
Exception: ArrowInvalid
Message: JSON parse error: Missing a closing quotation mark in string. in row 45
Traceback: Traceback (most recent call last):
File "/src/services/worker/.venv/lib/python3.9/site-packages/datasets/packaged_modules/json/json.py", line 153, in _generate_tables
df = pd.read_json(f, dtype_backend="pyarrow")
File "/src/services/worker/.venv/lib/python3.9/site-packages/pandas/io/json/_json.py", line 815, in read_json
return json_reader.read()
File "/src/services/worker/.venv/lib/python3.9/site-packages/pandas/io/json/_json.py", line 1025, in read
obj = self._get_object_parser(self.data)
File "/src/services/worker/.venv/lib/python3.9/site-packages/pandas/io/json/_json.py", line 1051, in _get_object_parser
obj = FrameParser(json, **kwargs).parse()
File "/src/services/worker/.venv/lib/python3.9/site-packages/pandas/io/json/_json.py", line 1187, in parse
self._parse()
File "/src/services/worker/.venv/lib/python3.9/site-packages/pandas/io/json/_json.py", line 1403, in _parse
ujson_loads(json, precise_float=self.precise_float), dtype=None
ValueError: Trailing data
During handling of the above exception, another exception occurred:
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "/src/services/worker/.venv/lib/python3.9/site-packages/datasets/builder.py", line 1997, in _prepare_split_single
for _, table in generator:
File "/src/services/worker/.venv/lib/python3.9/site-packages/datasets/packaged_modules/json/json.py", line 156, in _generate_tables
raise e
File "/src/services/worker/.venv/lib/python3.9/site-packages/datasets/packaged_modules/json/json.py", line 130, in _generate_tables
pa_table = paj.read_json(
File "pyarrow/_json.pyx", line 308, in pyarrow._json.read_json
File "pyarrow/error.pxi", line 154, in pyarrow.lib.pyarrow_internal_check_status
File "pyarrow/error.pxi", line 91, in pyarrow.lib.check_status
pyarrow.lib.ArrowInvalid: JSON parse error: Missing a closing quotation mark in string. in row 45
The above exception was the direct cause of the following exception:
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "/src/services/worker/src/worker/job_runners/config/parquet_and_info.py", line 1529, in compute_config_parquet_and_info_response
parquet_operations = convert_to_parquet(builder)
File "/src/services/worker/src/worker/job_runners/config/parquet_and_info.py", line 1154, in convert_to_parquet
builder.download_and_prepare(
File "/src/services/worker/.venv/lib/python3.9/site-packages/datasets/builder.py", line 1029, in download_and_prepare
self._download_and_prepare(
File "/src/services/worker/.venv/lib/python3.9/site-packages/datasets/builder.py", line 1124, in _download_and_prepare
self._prepare_split(split_generator, **prepare_split_kwargs)
File "/src/services/worker/.venv/lib/python3.9/site-packages/datasets/builder.py", line 1884, in _prepare_split
for job_id, done, content in self._prepare_split_single(
File "/src/services/worker/.venv/lib/python3.9/site-packages/datasets/builder.py", line 2040, in _prepare_split_single
raise DatasetGenerationError("An error occurred while generating the dataset") from e
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pred_label
string | pred_label_prob
float64 | wiki_prob
float64 | text
string | source
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|---|---|---|---|---|
__label__cc
| 0.532474
| 0.467526
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karadeniz@kulturajans.com
Writing Principles
Copyrigth and Conflict of Interest
CC-BY Licensing
Karadeniz International Scientific Journal
This is an internationally refereed social science journal that is published every three months (quarterly) in electronic-based and print-based since 2009. The journal publishes four issues each year (March, June, September, and December).
The publication language of this journal is Turkish, English, or Russian.
This is an open-access journal. Therefore, all issues and articles published so far can be accessed free of charge from the journal's website.
Writing and Publication Principles
APA 6 Bibliography Examples
TWO EXEMPLIFICATIONS OF INFORMATION POLLUTION AND ALTERATIONS ON DEDE KORKUT STORIES
Erdoğan ALTINKAYNAK
Dede Korkut Stories is a work that can be a source of the quotation in almost any discipline in the field of Turkish social sciences. Therefore, like scripture, it must be emphasized, protected, and preserved. Anyone without qualification should not write about these stories, or what is written should be filtered by an expert committee.
There have been many publications about Dede Korkut Stories, and even many criticisms of these publications in the scientific community. In the scientific circle, these writings have been pursued with interest, and these discussions have been an important benchmark in the formation of convictions about the work.
Using a word that Fuad Köprülü, known as the founder of Turkology, may have said, as if heard it from his own mouth or taken from an article he wrote, giving the main discourse without citing or referring to it, constitute a populist approach and at the same time information pollution. This pollution becomes then a rule and accepted. A word or a sentence that there is not or is incorrectly used is later legitimized.
There are several explanations for the editions of Dede Korkut Stories. We can split them into scientific or commercial publications. Another third publication type is for prestige purposes. In scientific publications, the control mechanism is also used comfortably, as the original of the stories is given. Commercially purposed publications are often published after being simplified and translated into modern Turkish. The only prestige publication is the one produced by TOBB. Simplifications made by non-experts in this prestige publication for the purpose of simplifying the stories in the publication cannot be found appropriate in terms of Turkology and simplification.
Keywords: Dede Korkut, Fuad Köprülü, TOBB, simplification, information pollution
© 2023 Dergi Karadeniz. All Rights Reserved. Designed By JoomShaper
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cc/2023-06/en_head_0039.json.gz/line3
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| 0.597019
| 0.402981
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Galt Gores
Type of Inductee: Athlete Year Inducted: 1999 Sport(s): Baseball View PDF
Inter-City Fastball Champions 1963, 1964, 1966
The Galt Gores fastball team of the mid-1960s was not lacking for talent, and none were as talented on the field as pitcher Gerry Hopcraft.
The late Hopcraft, several times an Inter-City league MVP – he won the batting title in 1965 – was a legend in fastball circles. With his on-field leadership, and a talent-laden cast of teammates like Marty Myska and Bob Johnson, the Gores chalked up some impressive numbers between 1963 and 1968.
In ‘63 they posted a 20-4 won-lost record in the regular season and then bested Kitchener 4-1 in the first round of the playoffs before beat- ing Guelph, also 4-1, to win the Inter-City title. Herb Morton was selected as an all-star coach that year. Two years later Morton was named coach of the year as the Gores posted an 18-6 regular-season mark en route to winning the league title once again after beating Brantford and St. Clements in post-season play.
In the O.A.S.A round that year they downed both Guelph and St. Catharines by identical 2-1 scores before dropping a heartbreaker, also by a 2-1 score, to Windsor.
In 1966 Hopcraft was again selected as the league MVP as the Gores posted an 18-10 record. They dominated post-season play once again, beating in successive outings Guelph (3-2), St. Clements (4-2) and the Slees (4-2). They went on to the O.A.S.A. playoffs with high hopes, and once again, it looked like they had the right stuff to win a provincial title after beating Guelph (2-0), Windsor (2-1) and St. Catharines (2-1).
But it was not to be. They were edged 2-1 by Oshawa in their final game. Legions of fans regularly packed Galt’s Lincoln Park to over- flowing as they watched the talented and entertaining Gores work their magic. Year after year, with the same nucleus of players, the Gores made summers memorable.
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Home/Research Themes/Spatial Demography
Spatial Demographycsda_wpadmin2016-04-07T15:00:33+00:00
Click here to see the researchers in this field
While space or geographic location resonate throughout much of the research conducted by CSDA associates, as a result of our focus on spatial inequalities, in this section we consider research where the role of space or location is a more central focus. Research on residential segregation is one such strand for which the Center has long been known and tends to be at the core of the research in the spatial demography area. CSDA researchers have brought innovations to the study of segregation in several ways. First, explicit attention has been paid to exactly how different layers of geography (i.e., proximate neighbors, census tract in which the original unit is located, adjacent census tracts, and the metropolitan level) affect the residential mobility of individuals underlying segregation. This work moves us beyond the question of whether space matters to how space matters. Second, at an aggregate level, innovative research has been done to expand knowledge about why residential segregation persists in the aggregate, focusing particularly on racial and ethnic discrimination that exists in the online, rental market, which has not heretofore been examined. Third, a significant amount of research by CSDA associates has focused on the impact of segregation at the individual-level in terms of the locational attainment experienced by individuals, particularly children. While this area is not necessarily “new” in the study of segregation, research by CSDA associates has focused on this topic using new data and also new contexts (i.e., China). In addition to work on residential segregation, CSDA associates have been examining the links between space and crime, the environment, and health.
With respect to the first innovation, South in collaboration with past Albany graduate students, has estimated the effect of the racial composition of spatially nearby neighborhoods on the out migration from neighborhoods, controlling for the neighborhoods in which individuals migrate from and metropolitan-level characteristics. Using data from the PSID, they find that controlling for extralocal conditions provides stronger support for neighborhood effects since conditions in the nearby neighborhoods act as suppressors on the neighborhood of residence. Most recently, South and his team have turned their attention to the larger metropolitan structure and how it influences residential segregation, particularly the residential attainment of white and black households as well as the mobility of such households to and from poor and nonpoor neighborhoods. This work advances the literature by explicitly considering the influence of metropolitan characteristics, relative to neighborhood-level characteristics, on these outcomes and by revealing that a sizeable share of the variation in these outcomes is directly attributable to metropolitan-level variation in these outcomes. South and colleagues’ future work will examine the extent to which neighborhood- and metropolitan-level characteristics interact with one another to influence such outcomes, thereby further advancing our current understanding of how the linkages across space affect individual-level outcomes underlying residential segregation. In addition, they will explore the effect that kin location and residential histories potentially have on inter-neighborhood migration. This is an innovative new direction given that no research has considered the complexities of family dynamics and previous residential histories on such mobility dynamics.
Adding to this small body of research that considers the role of layers of space on demographic processes, FriedmanSociology) has considered the impact of proximate neighbors in “neighbor clusters” on the residential satisfaction, out-mobility, and in-mobility of whites, blacks, and Latinos using data from the American Housing Survey. Relative to census-tract level characteristics, she finds that proximate-neighbor characteristics (particularly proximate-neighbor race and ethnicity) matter more than census-tract characteristics in predicting the race and ethnicity of households that move into vacated units (i.e., destination choices) and matter less than census-tract characteristics in predicting residential satisfaction and the out-mobility of households. Friedman has also brought innovation to the larger study of residential segregation through her “cybersegregation” or internet-based name discrimination project, in collaboration with Gregory Squires and Maria Krysan. NICHD, ARRA, and HUD funded, this project investigates how owners or managers renting apartments in Boston and Dallas discriminate based on whether the name of the applicant sounds white, black or Hispanic, and thus investigates a key mechanism that could perpetuate residential segregation.
Friedman and colleagues find that disparities in unfavorable treatment of minorities, relative to whites, are the largest when it involves more potential contact with providers. Minority testers are less likely to be invited to inspect rental units or be told to contact the provider. Surprisingly, however, the disparities in treatment based upon these discrete measures are not as large as might be expected. A follow-up study by Friedman and colleagues re-analyzed the word-for-word email responses of providers, who gave a response, and found that discrimination is not typically characterized by a “slam-the-door in your face” kind of behavior but instead is subtler. Often providers are more “facilitative” to white testers as compared to minority testers, behavior that is not easily captured in discrete measures of treatment (i.e., is the unit available, did the tester get a response; an invitation to inspect the unit; was told to contact the provider). Friedman has applied the methodology used in the name-discrimination project to one that she is currently working on as a consultant regarding discrimination of same-sex couple households in the rental housing market, funded by HUD. She plans to build upon this work in the future to try and capture discrimination in the housing market against single-female headed households, Muslims, and other protected classes.
Another strand of spatial research that has a long history at CSDA and continues is locational attainment research. This method, originally devised by Alba, is being used in the project “Social Contexts of Immigrant Children” funded by an NICHD grant to Denton, Alba and Hernandez (also discussed above under immigration and internal migration). The project investigates the quality of the neighborhoods in which immigrant parents are able to rear their children. It is innovative because it uses the NYCRDC and thus is able to link immigrant families to their Census tract, as well as estimate effects based on the full sample, not just the public data, thus increasing the number of specific immigrant origins that can be studied. The project is finding that for children in Hispanic immigrant families, their neighborhood environments are nowhere near the same as those of non-Hispanic white children, even after family characteristics are controlled. This is important because it has implications for the pathways of integration that might be taken by such children when they become adults. Also interested in the spatial aspects of immigration, Liang is currently working on a Russell Sage Foundation funded project with Deane to analyze the settlement of low-income immigrants from China and their businesses. What is innovative about this work is its link between the locational attainment of Chinese immigrants to characteristics of the broader metropolitan context, in particular whether the context is a traditional immigrant destination or a new gateway. While such gateways have been identified, little research has systematically explored how those contexts affect individual-level housing, health, and economic outcomes.
On another side of the globe, geographer Huang (Geography and Planning) examines the patterns of residential segregation and housing inequality emerging in Beijing as China makes the transition from work-unit compounds to gated communities and ownership of multiple homes. Huang’s more recent work focuses on second home ownership in China. Second home ownership is promoted to stimulate the economy but it also contributes to the housing shortage, inequality and market or locational distortions. It argues that ownership and location of the primary and secondary home must be considered together. The persisting household registration system, as well as the continued allocation of subsidized housing, results in people owning one home and renting another, or living in public housing but also owning a home.
Also working in the context of China, Messner (Sociology) is focused on the link between neighborhoods and crime. This new project, funded by NSF is designed to examine the distinctive organizational mechanisms intended to control disorderly conditions in contemporary urban China. The project focuses on the operations of “neighborhood committees” (Jü Wei Hui) and neighborhood police stations (Pai Chu Suo), which are grass-roots social control organizations, and the adaptations of these organizations to the rapidly changing social landscape in China. The research is informed by an analytic model that integrates key concepts from the Western literature on “neighborhood effects” with concepts tailored to the unique Chinese context. The analyses assess the interrelationships among indicators of the social structural features of neighborhoods, distinct dimensions of neighborhood social control (informal, semi-public, public, and market-based control), and specified forms of social and physical disorder.
The Urban China Research Network, founded at Albany in 1999 and currently led by sociologists Liang and Messner(described more fully in the Immigration section) also is concerned with spatial demography. It engages with the uneven development evident across the regions of China and other critical issues of urbanization in that country.
The nexus between spatial methods and substantive research at CSDA is best exemplified by the work of Deane. His work focuses on how the environment and population interrelate with each other. A key example is his 2011 co-edited bookNavigating Time and Space in Population Studies (Springer). This book covers all the population processes, a time frame from the 18th to 21st centuries, and presents innovative temporally and spatially explicit methods to examine longstanding questions about population diffusion as well as refine core demographic theories. His long collaboration with Myron Guttman, funded by NICHD, has sought to answer the question of how people behave demographically in a complex social, economic, and environmental setting. They find that while simplistic trend models are descriptive of frontier settlement, the process involves more than simple diffusion. His work on family dynamics is structured to show whether relations between parents and adult children are imbedded in and influenced by relationships with other adult children.
A new theme emerging in spatial research at CSDA moves beyond urban areas to suburban and rural communities. Much of this work is being done on New York State. A new project, headed by Denton and Friedman, called “How the Other Third Lives”, has been launched on the Mumford website (http://mumford.albany.edu/mumford/UpstateProject/). It aims to do several things: first, explore demographic issues for upstate New York, since research on the entire state is dominated by NYC; second, use upstate as a laboratory to investigate the feasibility of larger projects; and third, to link together data about New York State from various sources and at different geographic levels into a comprehensive mapping system. This is a collaborative project involving researchers from other universities. Several reports have already been produced (race/ethnic change, Catskills, 2010 Census) and more are in process (poverty, assistance, segregation). The upstate NY project dovetails nicely with Bell’s work on pesticides and fetal mortality and agricultural health issues, which is described in more detail under the Data Collection and Methods Theme. Another public health researcher, Gallant is examining sources of support for diabetes in rural and underserved communities, documenting the relationship between them and diabetes self-help behaviors. The project involves implementing community-based walking programs in rural communities in upstate N.Y.Jurkowski, (Public Health), has been involved in the Amsterdam Latino community, a smaller “new” immigrant destination, focusing on women’s mental health, physical activity levels, and delays in using health care. Like the work of Liang andDeane, her work is innovative in its focus of how this particular context affects the health care outcomes of this population.
Other work that focuses on specific parts of the urban environment and is likely to include more spatial components as it moves forward include Chung’s work on Asian American suburbs in Los Angeles and Hosler’s work on the location of food stores as a factor in the nutrition of low income families. Liang seeks to further the study of spatial demography in examining the complex effect of natural disasters on population, health, and environmental dynamics. In addition, he plans on studying the complexity of the interaction between humans and nature in rural landscapes. Friedman seeks to expand her recent work on segregation by homeownership (tenure) status. She plans to take a longitudinal focus on this project in order to investigate whether and how the subprime mortgage lending crisis has played a role in exacerbating the segregation of black homeowners from white homeowners. South and colleagues have a proposal under review to examine the effects of minority concentration on health. Using mapping software, information on neighborhood environmental conditions, and spatial regression techniques, Brandon is planning a project on the location of childcare centers in order to: (a) represent the spatial distribution of these two vulnerable groups of children relative to the locations of market child care providers; and (b) document the potential health and social consequences for these two groups attending child care in compromised environments. He is very knowledgeable in spatial statistics and his expertise will complement Deane’s and enable us to expand our statistical focus as detailed in the Development Core.
CSDA’s spatial demography theme contributes to NICHD’s population dynamics vision. In particular, spatial methodology and modeling is a sophisticated method of using neighborhood or other contextual data to identify populations with distinctive environmental experiences.
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cc/2023-06/en_head_0039.json.gz/line10
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| 0.720226
| 0.279774
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Titanic: Going There
This April marks the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic.
I'm quite sure this is why the 1997 movie is being re-released right now in 3D, and why I've seen Titanic-related books and such as well.
What I'm talking about today has nothing whatsoever to do with the quality of the film. I don't particularly love it or hate it. It is what it is. It had special effects that were ground-breaking. It struck an emotional nerve with millions and broke box-office records. No matter your feelings about it, that film is a piece of history.
I recall a huge fervor in my (then) neighborhood when the movie came out. In particular, I heard a lot of murmurs about how it had bad, bad content and shouldn't have gotten a PG-13 rating. People were divided into those who oh, so loved the movie and saw it fourteen times in the theater, and others who, I must admit, seemed a bit self-righteous about not seeing the "evil" film.
The bad, evil content included a predictable one: upper female frontal nudity. Yes, some said, it's technically in an artistic scene, but it's a straight-on shot of a woman's chest. (Insert horrified gasps.)
Other content that made it inappropriate for "good" people to view included lots of violence, graphic deaths and more.
I reserved judgment. Maybe it was totally inappropriate nudity. Maybe not. Sometimes films have violence I don't want to be exposed to, graphic deaths I don't want in my head. Maybe these people were over-reacting. Maybe not.
I'd decide for myself some day. But for the moment, the issue was moot, because I had a toddler and an infant, neither of whom I felt comfortable leaving with a sitter. Date night almost always meant take-out and a video in the basement, often with the kids at our feet. If I saw any new release that year, it would have been a Disney matinee.
Two issues surrounding the neighborhood discussion still linger in my mind:
1) The Evil Fiance
A neighbor said she saw the film and wasn't so much offended by the art scene (although she didn't approve of that, either), but she was offended instead by the fiance's behavior. I asked what he did.
Neighbor: He's mean, controlling, and violent.
Me: Oh, so he's the hero? His behavior is acceptable in the movie?
(That was the obvious explanation. If we're supposed to cheer for a jerk, I don't want to see it.)
Neighbor: Oh, no. He's the villain.
Me: O_o
I believed then, and I do now, that a story, whether in a film or a book, can teach better than almost any tool. Just because something is portrayed in a story doesn't mean the creator is saying it's acceptable; in many cases, the portrayal is the reverse: a condemnation of that very behavior.
In this movie, we see Cal being a jerk. He treats the woman he's supposed to cherish in a bad way and does a lot of other bad things. We know he's a bad guy.
Ergo, cruelty to women is bad.
If fiction showed only good things and good people and happy events, there would be no stories, no exploration of ideas or problem solving, no understanding compassion or people who aren't us.
I was quite sure I wouldn't have a problem with the villain's actions. He's the villain. He's supposed to be bad.
What about the other big thing?
The Nudity
This issue was put into perspective when my mother told me about a conversation she'd had with some women. They'd raved over movies like Dr. Zhivago and Bridges of Madison County, about how romantic they were.
My mother stayed quiet, being the only one there who didn't like either movie and couldn't see how glorifying adultery (the topic of both movies) was "romantic."
They moved on to discuss the buzz around, of course, Titanic.
Did they like it? Was it romantic?
They hated it. It was totally inappropriate and evil. Why? Because of the art scene with the woman's chest. But the scene in the sex scene in the car? Romantic, just like the other movies. These were middle-aged, Mormon women.
Mom: O_o
I don't know if she said anything in the moment, but she told me her thoughts about it, and I couldn't have agreed more:
Since when is the human body evil, but extra-marital sex is good?
Better mention that nudity thing to Michelangelo. Whoa, that evil Sistine Chapel . . .
This isn't to say that I necessarily think the art scene needed to be there or whatever, but I do think the scene became a scapegoat. Some people saw it and promptly stopped thinking for themselves. They weren't thinking about real values, about what's right or wrong. They were reacting, almost Puritanically (the body is evil!), about what made them uncomfortable.
One of the biggest ironies to me is that these women (the ones I talked to and the ones Mom talked to) were all Mormon. Yet our doctrine celebrates the body as something you must have to attain eternal glory. It's not something bad and dirty.
We believe in reserving sex for marriage.
Yet these women flip-flopped the two concepts completely.
Somehow old-fashioned beliefs creep in anyway and make people squeamish. I get that. I also get that I have less squeamishness thanks to the fact that I lived in Finland for three years, where the body is viewed very pragmatically. Also, Mom's a Finn, so before and after our Finland years, in our family, the body just wasn't a big deal. (We weren't walking around naked or anything, but if you asked about something, you'd get a direct answer, no blushing.)
My kids are older now. I have daughters. Teaching them these things is a challenge. I see how easy it is to try to teach something like honoring and respecting your body enough to dress modestly, and have the value eventually twisted into something that makes them ashamed of their bodies instead. It's something I don't have answers to, but I'm working on.
A final note:
If you plan to see Titanic in theaters with this new release, whether for the first time or again, I recommend not doing so when you're nervous.
We made that mistake by watching it on video two years after its release, when we had two toddlers and an infant, on New Year's Eve of 1999 . . . while bracing ourselves for Y2K.
Labels: in my never-quiet opinon, motherhood, movies
I think you have a good point. However, if the full frontal nudity only served as an art experience, I would agree with you --instead, it served as a catalyst for their sexual encounter in the car less than an hour later, regardless of how it was narrated.
Things I hated about the movie (in no particular order):
1. the nudity (it could have easily been implied --in fact, seeing the drawing of her nude wasn't offensive to me --it was seeing HER nude that was. Art is one thing; manipulative hollywood executives throwing in an "art scene" in order to get nudity into a pg-13 movie is another.
2. the sex scene
3. The fact that she later married, had children, and apparently was with her spouse for a bazillion years, but the movie implied that when she died, she chose to be with the boy she had been with for 5 days. yes, he changed her life, but give me a break! I couldn't respect a woman who chose a passionate and short-lived affair over a lifetime of love and family. (granted, how else could have Hollywood ended it?)
4. Their depiction of Molly Brown. Kathy Bates needed more to work with; seriously! Get the character correct!
5. The everlasting and all encompassing message that continues to plague the media: Women who learn how to be "ladies" are oppressed and stupid. They need to fight "against the system and THE MAN" at every chance they get, but! They must still be beautiful. And it's okay to be immoral if you're fighting against being "a lady." In fact, it's encouraged. It's bad if the fiance or husband wants to have sex with you, but if it's with the boy in the back of the car, have at it! (I don't agree with the fiance thing, either, but you know what I mean).
Of course, when I saw this movie when it came out, I loved it. It took some time and thought to realize what was really going on. I'd take a documentary or a book over this movie, anyday. It wasn't fiction worth watching, imo. And for those women who might have been mixed up in WHY they shouldn't like the movie, I say, "none of us should have seen it!" I really don't know what the value was --it certainly didn't make me a better person. Breasts exposed or not, it was a brilliant Hollywood lie.
Jordan McCollum said...
I've never seen Titanic and I have no intention of ever seeing it.
There are a lot of reasons for that, but to be honest, the root reason is that it was so popular. I was in high school when it came out and some of my friends were obsessed. It was obnoxious. It was the Twilight of my day (LOL).
This might be where my "I don't like it because it's popular" streak started.
Melanie Stanford said...
I really like your comments, especially about the villain. I was having the same discussion with my mom that we have to write bad people, but that doesn't mean we like what they're doing or are condoning it. But there has to be the bad to balance the good or no one would read the book.
I have to admit that I never really gave this movie much thought. It didn't do my imaginary vision of the titanic experience justice, but I still found it passably entertaining.
I agree with your assessment of the villain and don't get why someone would be so offended by him. Bad guys are bad.
As for the painting/car thingy, it must not have made much of an impact on me because I can barely remember it. But that's par for the course at my age!
Totally agree with Cheryl.
It is weird how hard it is sometimes for me to imagine how other people can see things so differently than I do. (In this case I'm not talking about you, but about the people you mention in your post) Whenever I read somebody who is more liberal about nudity talking about those on the other side who declare that "the body is evil" it is just so frustrating to me. Even though I KNOW you don't think (I assume) that everyone who opposes most any type of modern nudity/immodesty must surely think the body is evil. It is hard for me to realize that you must be talking about actual people who do think that. I just DO NOT. Satan wants us to think the body is evil, and he's the only one. I have a hard time imagining an intelligent member of the church ever having that thought cross their mind. The word is sacred, and it's so weird that the idea of the body being sacred has somehow twisted, for some, into the body being evil. Satan is seriously clever.
I also think it's kind of funny for anyone to consider it an art scene. These two people clearly like each other. I find it hard to believe that a "take off your clothes so I can draw you" would ever be about anything more than lust under those circumstances. However, I am not an artist, so I can't really say
But I CAN say that I don't think any 13 year old boy needs to see that. (or 14, 15, 16, 17 etc. year old, either. All the way up to 110, actually). Or that any good would come of them seeing it (though I'm not saying ALL of them would rush home to see more on their computers)
And I have not seen Mama Mia, although I have wanted to very much, because I understand that it's the adultery thing. I think cheering for the adulterous couple is just not something I need to be tempted to do.
Pretty sure you knew you'd hear from me on this one. :)
"Just because something is portrayed in a story doesn't mean the creator is saying it's acceptable; in many cases, the portrayal is the reverse: a condemnation of that very behavior."
Love this line. It's frustrating to hear people condemning a series like the Hunger Games because of violence against children in it. It depicts certain undesirable acts yes, but it does not condone them. Quite the opposite. It's an example of the best and worst of the human race and the power of one person to bring about change for the better. It seems to be mostly Christians who have these issues with recent series, Harry Potter amongst them. They may as well shun the bible as well, what with all its stories of evil doers and witchcraft and war.
Now the Twilight series on the other hand shows an oppressive, lustful and co-dependant relationship as a desirable and romantic thing, but I suppose I better not get started there.
Anyway, I enjoyed this post. I myself have never seen Titanic. It came out when I was in High School and at that time I followed Jordan's line of thinking - If it's popular or trendy I want nothing to do with it.
Melanie Jacobson said...
Wow. I never even thought about that, but you put it really, really well.
I loved that movie when I saw it but now I think it's kind of ridiculous.
Amber Lynae said...
I love your comments on the movie. I just saw the trailer for it's rerelease last night.
Just SO said...
I didn't see it in the theaters either. I heard people talking about it and how they walked out because of that sex scene right at the first of the show. I still haven't sat down and watched the whole thing. I've watched it off and when it was on tv but I've always been doing things. And honestly I wasn't all that impressed with it BUT I didn't watch it up through the VERY end until last year because my daughter wanted to watch it. The end is beautifully sad.
You make some good points.
We won't be seeing it in 3D.
Jessica G. said...
I watched Titanic a few times in the theaters but that was mostly because the people I was with watched to see it. When it came out on a 2 tape set, I'd only put in the second tape to watch, the one where the boat actually sinks.
I was a newlywed :)
I am in total agreement with you, A.
I like your thoughts on this a lot.
I remember when a girl I worked with went with her new husband to see some movie with a sex scene or three in it. She told me it was okay because "she was married now."
Okaaaaaay.
I find it interesting the ways we justify certain things. I have never seen Titanic...I was on my mission when it came out, and have never had a desire to see it since.
Julie Wright said...
love your comments. i thought the hand print on the steamed up window was pretty over the top and totally lame. On a side note--everyone in the theater hated me because my husband laughed as the ship went down. he said he couldn't help it because they'd thrown in the bong, bang sound effects in when people were falling and he thought that was hilarious. We almost didn't make it out of the theater alive. People were ticked because his laugh . . . not so quiet. :)
The Daily Dish!
It's Coming: Story @ Home
WNW: Word Roots in English
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Browse: Home / 2001 / April / Friday, April 13, 2001
By Brent on 13 April 2001
Been downloading a slew of new anime music videos. There are a lot of good ones out there. Particularly, “She Blinded Me With Science” set to Washu footage, Weird Al’s “It’s All About the Pentiums” seto to lain (oddly enough, it’s effective), and the theme to “Fat Albert” set to Street Fighter II. There’s also “Two Mix — White Reflection,” which looks like an actual music video, just animated in the anime style. Now if I could just keep a network connection at work long enough to transfer all of these to my machine at home….
I’m gearing up to do another music video, too. I’ve decided to take the “All Your Base Are Belong To Us” mp3 song and make a comedy video out of it. It’ll start with Tenchi Muyo footage, lip-synching Tenchi and Yosho as the Captain and the Pilot. Kagato (OVA) will appear as the “All Your Base” villain, all lip-synched (I hope!). Then it’ll transition into a montage of anime villains, lip-synching to the chorus (“All your base. Your base. Base. Base. All your base. Are belong to us.”). Should be fun.
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Current development
Logicenters invests in Moss – acquires 70,000 m2 site
The logistics property company is continuing to expand its presence in Norway. Logicenters has now announced that it has acquired a 70,000 m2 site from Skolt. Construction is expected to begin in the first quarter of 2023 and the entire developed logistics park is scheduled for completion in 2025.
Logicenters has acquired a site on speculation in Moss, Norway. During the first quarter of 2022, Logicenters will start preparing the land, which is expected to be ready for construction in the fourth quarter of 2022. To begin with, a building will be constructed on the site which will later become part of a developed logistics park. Construction of the planned property will begin in the first quarter of 2023. The entire logistics park is scheduled to be fully developed during 2025.
The logistics property company is in dialogue with several exciting companies, for whom Logicenters wants to develop facilities at the new logistics park in Moss.
“We are delighted to have secured this site in Moss. The area has seen strong growth in recent years and we can see that development in Moss is off to a good start. With tenants in the area such as Greencarrier, Europris, HelloFresh, Onna Greens, Altus Logisitics, Etac and Rockwoll, Moss logistics park has been on the map for major logistics companies for some time. Moss also has a good supply of labour, which we are finding is becoming increasingly important to logistics companies. The park is also located right next to the port of Moss and its dry dock. So there are great opportunities to move goods in and out of the country easily using containers and ships that are more environmentally friendly than heavy transport. Our ambition is to develop a state-of-the-art property with a strong focus on the environment, sustainability and energy efficiency. We are currently looking for major tenants who focus on the same factors as us. We would like to thank Skolt for a smooth process and look forward to further cooperation in the preparation of the park,” says Ruben Krantz, Commercial Manager at Logicenters.
The logistics park in Moss is strategically located close to Oslo, Moss Airport and Rygge.
“I would like to thank Logicenters for a very professional and smooth process. I look forward to continued great collaboration in the future,” says Karsten F. Hansen, CEO at Skolt.
Contact Matthias Kettelhoit for more information.
Mail: make@logicenters.com
Get in touch with any question or inquiry.
The leading provider of modern logistics properties with presence in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland and Poland. We develop, re-develop and hold modern logistics properties.
Regeringsgatan 25, 11th floor
Pohjoisesplanadi 37 A, 3rd floor
© Copyright NREP 2023 All rights reserved.
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Kurdish Printing in Iran
Though printing was brought to Iran in 1629 by Carmelite missionaries (Floor 1980:369), the industry did not develop until-the early twentieth century. The first book with Kurdish language material is a Kurdish-Persian dictionary printed lithographically in Tehran in 1885 (cf. 8.4.4 and Figure 32).
The first city close to Kurdistan to acquire a press was Urmia, where the leaders of a Kurdish revolt seized a small private press to publish a journal and other material (cf. 6.3.0). Printing presses were carefully watched by the secret police during the entire period of the Pahlavi dynasty (1925-79). Printing in the languages of Iran’s nationalities, Turkish, Kurdish, Baluchi and Turkmeni was illegal. Even in the relatively relaxed conditions following the abdication of Reza Shah in 1941, the newly formed Kurdish political party Kornelley J.K. had to print its journal and a few books (cf. 3.2.l.II.B. and Fig. 1) clandestinely in Tabriz.
When Iranian Kurds revolted against the Shah in 1946 and established an autonomous republic, there were no printing presses in any Kurdish town within its territory. Two years earlier, the Iranian government had officially protested to the Soviet Union for providing the Kurds with "one printing press and lots of newssheet paper" (Ettela’at, No. 5922, December 1, 1945; cf., also, Times, November 28, 1945, p. 3). In fact, an old hand press was given as a gift to the Kurdish Republic in 1946 by the autonomous Azerbaijan Republic which had been established in December 1945 to the east of the Kurdish areas of northwest Iran. A second press, set up in Bokan [Bukan], printed the first book in February, 1946 (Kurdistan, No. 14, February 13, 1946, p. 3). The small presses were put to active use and printed five periodicals in less than a year (cf. Table 30, items 36¬40). The workers at the press published their own journal (cf. Table 30, item 38). A number of Iraqi Kurds helped with the operation of the machinery. The presses were expropriated by the Iranian Army and removed from the region after the fall of the Republic in December, 1946.
Two small presses were set up in Sanandaj (one as early as 1922) and one in Mahabad in the mid-1950s, although neither was permitted to print in Kurdish except for a few religious works. The presses in Sanandaj published two weekly or monthly papers in Persian. Under the political circumstances of the early 1960s (cf. 7.4.3.1), a bookseller in Mahabad was permitted to publish non-political Kurdish works, but had to use printing facilities outside Kurdistan (cf. 7.2.3). To publish the government sponsored weekly Kurdistan, one printing press in Tehran used Kurdish letter types in the early 1960s. Another press in Tabriz was also using special type to print the folklore material published by the Faculty of Letters of Tabriz University.
Printing was an indispensable weapon against the Pahlavi dynasty in the 1978-79 Revolution. In Kurdistan, students, teachers and government employees gained access to the well-guarded duplicating machines in government offices and schools and produced periodicals and leaflets. Soon after the fall of the monarchy in February 1979 considerable sums of money were donated by the people in Saqqez and Mahabad for the purchase of printing presses. In Saqqez, the machinery had just been acquired when the Government offensive against the Kurds began in 1979, and the Army expropriated the press.
In the rural areas which were mostly under Kurdish control during the period 1979 through 1985, publishing activity was going on through mimeographing. In the post-1979 period a number of printing presses possessed Kurdish type, although much of the publishing has been done by using the less costly method of offsetting typed or letter-set texts with manually added diacritics.
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Prior Tours
SDCHPS
Press Photographs
Historic places. Social graces. Sacred spaces.
Spring Pilgrimage offers visitors a chance to experience hands-on history through guided tours. This year marks two special anniversaries. Observe the 150th anniversary of the Civil War Battle of Selma by strolling the town’s Civil War Trail anchored by brand-new historic markers or visiting the homes that saw the two sides converge here near the end of the war. Remember the 50th anniversary of the Voting Rights Marches by viewing special exhibits such as photojournalist Spider Martin’s iconic voting march photographs and see where two Nobel Peace Prize winners talked and dined. Cross the famous Edmund Pettus Bridge and remember the courage of the thousands who overcame violence and hardship on their 1965 Selma to Montgomery March for voting rights.
Tour historic homes and museums from the Civil War to Civil Rights and Beyond.
Marshall’s Grove, c. 1843
Dr. Hugh Marshall, one of the area’s first physicians, designed and supervised the building of this Modified Greek Revival house in 1840-1843. Union Gen. James H. Wilson used this house for his headquarters during the Battle of Selma. Legend has it that Union troops spared the house from burning because of a Masonic chart on the wall. The heritage of Dr. Marshall’s family members is evident throughout the house. Friday and
Heritage Village, c. 1850s
Heritage Village is the site of several 1800’s structures that were donated to the Selma-Dallas County Historic Preservation Society by private individuals. Included are four relocated historic structures: McKinnon-Riggs doctor’s office, 1830 Calhoun law office, Siegel servant quarters and a historic pigeon cote, displays of 19th century equipment and furnishings.
Jackson Home, c. 1912
This will be the very first time this home is open to the public! Tour where Martin Luther King Jr. planned the historic Selma-to-Montgomery march. He met with civil rights leaders Andrew Young, John Lewis and James Bevel in its breakfast nook and at its dining room table. On March 15, 1965, he sat in its living room watching the president announce the drafting of the Voting Rights Act.
Jordan Home, c. 1869
A private home that has never been opened to the public before. The ornamental architecture is highlighted by the striking bay window to the left of the porch, with double arched windows above. This two-story Italianate home was built in 1869 for Gus Jordan and stayed in the Jordan family until 1978. Locals remember former Auburn Coach Ralph “Shug” Jordan visiting the home and playing catch in the yard.
Phillips-Hobbs-Gamble, c. 1837
Weatherboards creaked as Mrs. Frances John Hobbs hid her husband’s jewelry store silver inside the walls of this home, before Yankee looters razed much of Selma. Look closely at the north wall of this one-story raised Greek Revival cottage where it was damaged by gun-fire during the Battle of Selma.
Brown Chapel A.M.E Church
Both the building and the members of Brown Chapel A.M.E. Church played pivotal roles in the Selma, Alabama, marches that helped lead to the passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. The starting point for the Selma-to-Montgomery marches, Brown Chapel also hosted the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) for the first three months of 1965.
Church Street United Methodist
The Methodists were the first denomination to organize in Selma in a wooden church around 1817. The present building is the third structure to house the congregation on this same site. The impressive Romanesque building was completed in 1901. The beautiful stained glass rose window on the Dallas Avenue side of the sanctuary is a memorial to the founders.
First Baptist Church MLK
First Baptist Church, constructed in 1894 in the Gothic Revival style by a local black architect, Dave Benjamin West, is considered one of the most architecturally significant late-19th-century black churches in the state. The members of First Baptist Church allowed the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) to use their church as the planning site and organizational headquarters of the Selma campaign.
Even though the Baptists organized in May 1842, their first church wasn’t built until 1850 at the corner of Church St. and Alabama Ave. The first minister served as a chaplain to the Selma troops for the Civil War and became the first casualty of the Civil War when he drowned in Mobile Bay. The current building was erected in 1904 in the High Gothic style with two Tiffany stained glass windows.
Queen of Peace Catholic Church
Selma’s Catholic community dates back to 1850 when they met in homes. Construction of this building started on St. Patrick’s Day in 1869 using stones from the ruins of the Confederate Military and Naval Works. German architect A. Von Fichert designed the Gothic church.
Reformed Presbyterian Church
This church was built in 1878 under Rev. Lewis Johnson, the first African American to be ordained a Reformed Presbyterian minister. The church served as headquarters for the Concerned White Citizens of Alabama when they came to march for black voting rights. Pastors and members of this congregation have played many important roles in our community.
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church
This English Gothic Revival building was completed in 1875 and designed by the Upjohns, noted New York architects. The interior features several Tiffany stained glass windows designed by parishioner and Selma native, Clara Weaver Parrish, who was a noted artist who worked for Tiffany Studios in NYC. Join us for lunch served in Parker Hall on Saturday from 11 to 1 for $10.
Tabernacle Baptist ChurchThis church in the Classical Revival style was designed by noted African American architect David T. West and built in 1922. They are proud of many of its members and pastors who have made an impact in the state and nation. Rev. L. L. Anderson offered it to civil rights activists from SNCC to hold the first Selma mass meeting as the church began a significant role in the movement.
The Old Depot, c. 1891Immerse yourself in Selma and Dallas County’s past with a visit to the Old Depot Museum. The Old Depot Museum offers a window to Selma’s rich past. Journey from the town’s founding in 1820 through the Industrial Revolution and past the Voting Rights movement of 1965. The Depot was built on the site of the Confederate Naval Foundry which was destroyed by Federal troops during the Battle of Selma in 1865.
Selma Interpretive Center, c. 1880
The Selma Interpretive Center opened in 2011 and continues to attract many visitors to learn about Selma’s important role in the Civil Rights Movement. Pictures from the 1960’s Civil Rights Movement hang on its walls, and there are civil rights displays with books, CDs and brochures.
Sturdivant Hall, c. 1853
Sturdivant Hall has been called “The finest Greek revival neo-classic antebellum mansion in the Southeast”. Established as a museum in 1957, it houses period antique furnishings, porcelain and doll collections, as well as an impressive collection of art by Selma native Clara Weaver Parrish. This magnificent mansion with its six front columns, is the epitome of the South’s golden age.
Vaughan Smitherman Museum, c. 1847Honoring former Mayor Joseph T. Smitherman, who was instrumental in its preservation and restoration, it houses an extensive collection of Civil War memorabilia and exhibits of medical and political artifacts. The museum proudly displays exquisite Victorian antiques, nationally acclaimed art from local artists, antique documents, military memorabilia and uniforms, and medical equipment. Outside the building, the tranquil gardens beckon visitors out for a stroll along brick walks and among flowing fountains.
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James W. Forsyth, 1835-1906 [RG5664.AM]
by tmooney | Dec 12, 2017 | Uncategorized
RG5664.AM: James W. Forsyth, 1835-1906
Papers: 1891-1895
Maumee, Ohio: Soldier
Size: One reel of microfilm
James W. Forsyth was born in Maumee, Ohio, on August 8, 1835. He entered West Point in 1851. Upon graduation in 1856, he received a commission as a 2nd Lieutenant in Co. D, 9th U.S. Infantry. After serving at Fort Bellingham, Washington Territory, and Camp Pickett, San Juan Island, Forsyth was promoted to 1st Lieutenant in 1861 and returned east to command Union forces in the Civil War.
With the outbreak of war and holding the rank of 1st Lieutenant, Forsyth became an assistant instructor of Ohio recruits. For the first quarter of 1862, he commanded a brigade in the Army of the Ohio. He was then appointed as an inspect general to Major General George B. McClellan’s staff during the Peninsula, Seven Days, and Antietam Campaigns. Forsyth was also provost marshal general of the Army of the Potomac.
Transferring to the Western theater, Forsyth joined Major General Philip Sheridan as acting assistant adjutant general, where he served with George A. Custer. Appointed a brevet major for his actions at Chickamauga, he served as Sheridan’s chief of staff until the end of the war. Forsyth was appointed a brevet brigadier general of volunteers for his service in the Shenandoah Valley, and for gallantry at the Battle of Five Forks he was appointed a brigadier general of volunteers on May 19, 1865.
Staying in the regular army after the Civil War, Forsyth commanded a brigade of cavalry for two year. He then rejoined Sheridan in 1867, serving first as the secretary and then as an inspector in the Department of the Missouri, and also receiving an appointment in the cavalry. He took part in campaigns against the Comanche, Cheyenne, Arapaho, and Kiowa in 1868-69. In 1870 he went to Europe as an official observer of the Franco-Prussian War.
In 1878 Forsyth commanded the 1st Cavalry in the Bannock campaign. In 1885 he was in command of Fort Maginnis, Montana, where the army was monitoring the Crow, Cree, and Gros Ventres. He was promoted to colonel in 1886 and placed in command of the 7th Cavalry at Fort Riley, Kansas. He served there from 1887 to 1890, organizing a School for Cavalry and Field Artillery. He was in command of the 7th Cavalry at Wounded Knee Creek on December 29, 1890, and his role in this event is the one for which he is most known.
Forsyth was promoted to the rank of brigadier general in 1894 and was appointed commander of the Department of California. He was promoted to major general in 1897. General Forsyth died on October 24, 1906, in Columbus, Ohio, where he is buried.
The Nebraska State Historical Society purchased this reel of James W. Forsyth’s papers from the New York Public Library. The microfilm was purchased for the Research and Publications Division in preparation of Voices of the American West: The Settler and Soldier Interviews of Eli S. Ricker, 1903-1919, edited by Richard E. Jensen (978 J54i Vol. 2).
This reel contains Forsyth’s “Statements in Defense of the 7th Cavalry.” These were prepared by Forsyth to counter allegations made by General Nelson A. Miles critical of Forsyth’s actions at the Wounded Knee battle of December 29, 1890, and events the next day at Drexel Mission, South Dakota. Included are copies of orders, testimony, reports, and correspondence, 1891-1895, gathered by Forsyth to make his defense.
Note: This material was filmed by the New York Public Library. A statement at the beginning of the reel states that the record is not to be reproduced, quoted, or published in whole or in part without permission of the New York Public Library’s Manuscript Division.
“Statements in Defense of the 7th Cavalry” by General James W. Forsyth. The 7th Cavalry was under Forsyth’s command in actions against the Sioux Indians at Wounded Knee, December 29, 1890, and at Drexel Mission, South Dakota, December 30, 1890. Included are copies of orders, testimony, reports, and correspondence, 1891-1895.
Forsyth, James W., 1835-1906
Indians of North America — Wars, 1866-1895
United States. Army. Cavalry, 7th
Wounded Knee Massacre, S.D., 1890
AIF 08-11-2009
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App Review: In Your Own Time
Dana Wen
on November 20, 2013 at 7:00 am
This post is part of our ongoing series of app reviews for mobile devices. In September, Thomas posted our first review, which features iOS app Pocket Audio Tools. We’re pleased to expand the series to Android apps with a look at In Your Own Time.
Created by Dublin-based composer David Collier and released in August 2013, In Your Own Time is an adaptive musical composition designed exclusively for performance on mobile devices. Audiences experience the piece through the app, which uses feedback from the listener’s surroundings to alter the playback of the music, making each “performance” of the piece unique.
Inspired by apps like RjDj’s Situ music player (which selects tracks based on the user’s current activities) and Bluebrain’s location-based musical works, Collier hopes that In Your Own Time will “reconnect” users to their immediate surroundings, bringing elements from the outside environment into the experience of using a smartphone.
As a piece of music, In Your Own Time conceptually elegant. Five calming, ethereal melodies are constant elements, meaning that you’ll always hear the same tunes with each listen. Each melody always enters at the same moment in every playback of the piece. (For example, melody A always begins at the 60-second mark, melody B always comes in after 90 seconds, etc.)
Collier cites Arvo Pärt and Benjamin Britten as influences for In Your Own Time’s structure and melodic material. The tunes provide a fitting soundtrack for a variety of situations, and the adaptive elements ensure that you’ll get a faster, denser of the piece for your morning jog than you would while relaxing on the couch with a good book.
It’s in the tempo and rhythm where things start to become more complex. A built-in pedometer measures the user’s walking speed and uses their gait to determine the tempo of each new melodic line. The app also samples sounds from the surroundings and adjusts rhythmic material accordingly. As the melodies combine and overlap, differences in tempo and rhythm can create a variety of interesting soundscapes, from hocket effects to drone-like layers.
The lightweight app is incredibly easy to use — just plug in your headphones, press the giant play button on the app’s home screen, and you’re in business. I could see In Your Own Time becoming a staple for commuters or a handy companion for a stroll in the park. Just watch out if you’re jumping rope or hopping over a puddle — the app is programmed to skip a beat if the device is shaken.
Currently, the app is only available for Android devices, though Collier hopes he will eventually be able to release a version for iOS. Collier considers In Your Own Time a complete, stand-alone work of music, so no upgrades or new releases of the existing Android app are planned. However, he’s toying with the idea of another app-based musical composition that creates a “crowd-generated soundscape” based on feedback from a group of users.
When he’s not developing apps or presenting In Your Own Time at events like London’s MusicTechFest and Italy’s SoundSCAPE Music Festival, Collier also composes both acoustic and electronic music. He’s currently working on a string quartet, Smacht, that’s based on an earlier piece written for laptop orchestra.
adaptive musicAndroidAppDavid CollierGoogleIn Your Own Timepedometer
Dana Wen (I CARE IF YOU LISTEN’s Technology Editor) is a Seattle-based pianist and software engineer who writes about music, technology, and everything in between.
Introverted Music With a Dramatic Flourish From Ensemble die reihe
Meerenai Shim's Art of Noise: Sophisticated, yet Accessible
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Home News China committed to building Asia-Pacific community with shared future
China committed to building Asia-Pacific community with shared future
By He Yin, People’s Daily
On Nov. 17, Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered a written speech at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit in Bangkok, Thailand.
On Nov. 18, he attended the 29th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Economic Leaders’ Meeting and delivered an important speech.
Focusing on the major questions of where the world is headed and what the Asia-Pacific should do, Xi profoundly reviewed the historical experiences of the development of the Asia-Pacific and expounded on China’s solution to build an Asia-Pacific community with a shared future and the global significance of Chinese modernization. He has set a direction and boosted confidence for the region in coping with challenges and jointly breaking new ground in development.
Over the past decades, robust economic cooperation in the region has created the “Asia-Pacific miracle” admired across the world.
Today the world has come to another historical crossroads, and this has made the Asia-Pacific region even more important and prominent in its standing and role.
The Asia-Pacific region should stay committed to promoting development and draw experiences from history.
Only by following a path of peaceful development can the region share a solid foundation for development.
History proves that bloc confrontation cannot solve any problem and that bias will only lead to disaster. The Asia-Pacific is no one’s backyard and should not become an arena for big power contest. No attempt to wage a new Cold War will ever be allowed by the people or by the times!
Only by following a path of openness and inclusiveness can the region enjoy constant momentum for development.
Openness and inclusiveness are vital for human prosperity and advancement. Any attempt to disrupt or even dismantle the industrial and supply chains formed in the Asia-Pacific over many years will only lead Asia-Pacific economic cooperation to a dead end.
Only by following a path of solidarity can the region navigate the surging tides of the global economy.
The Asia-Pacific miracle has been created by all regional economies working hand in hand and overcoming difficulties and obstacles. The Asia-Pacific has entered a crucial stage of post-COVID recovery. Only by strengthening cooperation and supporting and helping each other can the Asia-Pacific be a leader in boosting global economic recovery.
In the written speech delivered by Xi at the APEC CEO Summit, he encouraged the Asia-Pacific region to bolster the foundation for peaceful development, take a people-centered development approach, pursue higher-level opening-up, strive for higher-standard connectivity, build stable and unimpeded industrial and supply chains, and promote economic upgrading.
At the 29th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Economic Leaders’ Meeting, he said the Asia-Pacific region should uphold international fairness and justice and build an Asia-Pacific of peace and stability, stay committed to openness and inclusiveness and bring about prosperity for all in the Asia-Pacific, strive for green and low-carbon development and ensure a clean and beautiful Asia-Pacific, and bear in mind its shared future and make itself a region where all are ready to help each other.
What Xi said contributed a Chinese solution to building an Asia-Pacific community with a shared future.
When the peace and development of the Asia-Pacific region are facing severe challenges, the Chinese solution shows a clear way for regional economies to jointly safeguard regional peace and stability, which has created conditions and injected momentum for the long-term and stable Asia-Pacific cooperation.
China, as a member of the Asia-Pacific, has benefited much from the region. In return, it has shared its development gains with others in the region.
Embarking on a new journey, China will advance a broader agenda of opening up across more areas and in greater depth, follow the Chinese path to modernization, put in place new systems for a higher-standard open economy, and continue to share its development opportunities with the world, particularly with the Asia-Pacific region.
The modernization of China, a country with over 1.4 billion people, will be of epoch-making importance in human history. The country will continue to take the people-centered approach with a goal to increase the middle-income population to more than 800 million in the next 15 years and promote the sustained growth of its super-sized market.
It will keep raising people’s living standards and enriching their lives, hold dear humanity’s common values and promote human advancement along a balanced, positive and upward trajectory. The country will pursue all-round green transition in economic and social development and build a community of life for humanity and nature.
China will strive to safeguard world peace and development as it pursues its own development, and it will make greater contribution to world peace and development through its own development.
A China marching toward modernization will bring more opportunities to the world, inject stronger momentum for international cooperation, and make greater contribution to human progress!
Building a clean and beautiful Asia-Pacific of peace and stability, as well as prosperity for all, where all are ready to help each other, conforms to the common interests of all members of this region.
China will unswervingly join hands with other members of the region to build an Asia-Pacific community with a shared future and take Asia-Pacific cooperation to a new height, so as to further improve the wellbeing of the peoples in the region.
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2016-2017 Catalog > Admission Requirements
Occidental is highly selective in the admission of students. The Admission Committee seeks students with strong academic preparation and personal characteristics who demonstrate motivation, accomplishment, involvement, energy, and commitment. Rigor of coursework, grades, writing, recommendations, extracurricular activities, and test scores are all taken into consideration in selecting the members of the first-year class.
While there is no specific requirement for the high school course of study, it is recommended that applicants take five academic subjects each year, including advanced or honors courses when available. The emphasis in each academic area will vary with individual interests and goals, but a solid preparation in high school should include four years of English composition and literature, three to four years of foreign language, three to four years of mathematics (four years for students interested in science or engineering), three to four years of social studies, and three to four years of science—including one year each of biological and physical science. (Students interested in science or engineering should be sure to include both chemistry and physics.) Regular Decision applications for admission into the first-year class are due by January 15.
Students for whom Occidental is their first-choice college may apply under one of two binding Early Decision programs. ED I applications are due November 15, with decisions mailed within a month, and ED II applications are due January 1, with decisions also mailed within a month.
Transfer applications for the fall semester should be submitted by April 1, and for the spring semester by November 1. International transfer applications are accepted for fall semester only, and should be submitted by April 1.
Detailed information on the College, its curriculum and programs, and admission and financial assistance is included in published materials available from the Office of Admission and online at www.oxy.edu/admission-aid.
First-year and transfer candidates may apply to the College using the Common Application. Prospective students are encouraged to experience Occidental firsthand by visiting the College. It is possible to attend an information session, tour the campus, and visit classes. Although interviews are not required, they are strongly recommended. For more information, call 1-800-825-5262, email admission@oxy.edu, or contact: Office of Admission, Occidental College, 1600 Campus Road, Los Angeles, CA 90041.
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Home India-Myanmar Joint Parliamentary Friendship Forum
India-Myanmar Joint Parliamentary Friendship Forum
PM Heblikar
July 28 , 2017 Views: 9440 Comments: 0
Myanmar occupies a central position in India’s “Look East Policy” or “Act East Policy” and has received highest level political patronage under the Modi doctrine. Continuity in India’s policy has received attention in the neighborhood especially when the situation is in a flux and following China’s belligerent moves in the region.
Strategic Thrust of Look East Policy
The strategic thrust takes into account the need for political and economic stability in Myanmar as also to ensure India’s participation in key sectors, improving its image and visibility and importantly to create greater synergy and influence in bilateral relations. Myanmar is India’s bridge to Southeast Asia and beyond. India’s northeast region is a vital part of the Modi doctrine and both embrace the Look East Policy.
Pillars of Change
Myanmar has emerged from decades of military or single party rule and is now well on the road to multi-party democracy. The change is articulated by the results of parliamentary elections two years ago that gave the National League for Democracy (NLD) the mandate to govern the country. The transition is irreversible and it must be strengthened by all stakeholders both within the country and outside. It is important that Myanmar must move beyond the status quo to creating conditions for political stability, good governance, and economic development and address deficit trust in critical areas. The progress is slow in achievement of the development manifesto and calls for patience and understanding of the evolving scenario.
Myanmar’s major target today is to create conditions conducive for all round economic development and improve quality of living standards of its people. Myanmar requires reliable and long term partners in vision and substance. India is well placed to share its experience to assist Myanmar in all spheres of activity especially in restoring its critical administrative infrastructure so vital for planning and implementation of development plans. Further, there is considerable scope for creating greater synergy between the corporate sectors of both countries. Long years of military rule resulted in the withering away of its civil services and also created a political vacuum. It needs to address this area sooner than later for meeting its development objectives.
Out of Box Thinking
Political relations between both countries are at unprecedented levels. This has set the tone for other areas of bilateral relations. The government is looking at several options to consolidate the relationship. One initiative is related to the creation of a joint parliamentary friendship group between the legislative bodies of both countries as way forward. The Parliamentary Friendship Group (PFG) which is part of the Indian Parliamentary Group (IPG) will be the ideal platform for the proposed bilateral forum. The IPG has been in existence since 1949 and has rich experience in the field of bilateral relations with its counterparts overseas including regional and international bodies and Associations.
Establishment of a Parliamentary Friendship Group (PFG)
The establishment of a formal and permanent joint parliamentary forum between India and Myanmar is a strategic necessity for a variety of reasons. It should become an integral part of the Look East Policy (LEP) with emphasis on people to people contact and importantly promote personal contacts between Members of Parliament of both countries. The proposed “India-Myanmar Joint Parliamentary Forum (IMJPF)” should preferably include representatives of the 27 Members of Parliament from the Northeast region or the Northeast MP’s Forum.
This will be in keeping with the Modi doctrine where India’s Northeast region is the key to development of relations with Myanmar and beyond. Such an arrangement can also be made individually with Bangladesh, Bhutan, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam either under the BIMSTEC or ASEAN+SAARC-Pakistan umbrella. Myanmar is already a part of the Lao-Singapore and Myanmar Parliamentarians Friendship Group and has several bilateral parliamentary friendship arrangements.
From India’s perspective a multi-structured bilateral parliamentary friendship arrangement with Myanmar will be a force-multiplier. The Myanmar Parliament (Pyidaungsu Hluttaw) comprises of two Huttaw’s or Houses, The Pyithu Hluttaw (Lower House) has 330 members elected on the basis of township as well as population basis and not more than 110 members representing the armed forces (Tatmawdaw) are nominated by the Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Services. The Amyotha Hluttaw (Upper House) has 168 members elected in equal numbers from Regions and States and not more than 56 of them, being the Defense Forces personnel, are nominated by the Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Services. This is a critical mass of Myanmar legislators who are expected to lead Myanmar on its journey forward, they comprise the majority members of the National League for Democracy (NLD), the Union Solidarity and Development Party and other smaller but important political parties. The Myanmar Parliament is therefore at the apex of the bilateral parliamentary interaction.
In its desire to enhance image and visibility in Myanmar, India has also to look at the States and Regions such as Yangon, Bago and Karen that have announced major development projects for their respective jurisdictions. Some of these have plans to mount trade delegations overseas to attract investment and technology. There are others too like Kachin, Shan, Rakhine and Mon who need to be brought on to India’s radar especially in agriculture, primary health and education, rural electrification, food processing and social forestry sector. Time is at hand for the Indian industry Associations and corporate entities to consider inviting Myanmar counterparts for road shows to show case Indian development scenario as also to visit Myanmar for interaction. It is desirable to promote India as First Destination for meeting Myanmar’s requirements since India has much more to offer than Myanmar’s traditional trade and business partners.
India tops the list of countries for participation in these sectors. This is an unprecedented situation for India as also the opportune time to look at involvement in the micro-levels.
India has recently created a Rs. 500 crore Project Development Fund for catalyzing Indian economic presence in Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and Myanmar (CMLV) states under the umbrella of Ministry of Commerce and operated by the EXIM Bank. An exclusive fund for Myanmar is advocated to financing projects locally with the involvement of local legislative bodies which is critical for economic development.
Links with Regional Legislative Bodies
Some of the States and Regions of Myanmar share common international border with Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram and have age old links. It would be in India’s interest to develop plans to reach out to members of the Amoytha Hluttaw as also local legislative bodies especially whose good offices are important towards participation in local developmental programs. Funds available under the Border Areas Development Program (BADP) of the Home Ministry may be utilized for disaster management, skills development projects and training.
Regional Parliamentary Linkages
By the same token, the role of the Indian legislatures of Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram respectively to play a limited international role is equally important. Cross-border legislative contacts in a formal sense will be mutually beneficial to both countries. Matters of regional development, trade, commerce and industry, environment, health care, environment, prevention of human trafficking and narcotics, cultural, people-to-people contacts and tourism are recommended for India-Myanmar border region. It is worthwhile for India to engage with other States and Regions in Myanmar that require greater Indian attention and specific plans need to be developed to integrate them into India’s strategic policy. Contacts with these have been limited for a variety of reasons. Informal relations with these entities have to become structured and operated on a designated road map. Guwahati in India and either Monywa or Mandalay in Myanmar are ideal locations for regional parliamentary interaction.
The benefits accruing from multi-structured parliamentary association between India and Myanmar are going to add value to bilateral relations besides becoming a precursor to changes in other areas. Exchange of information and knowledge on national, regional and international developments will led to deepening of understanding of each other’s policies. The two governments have agreed to setting up the Eminent Persons Group (EPG), which is a step in the right direction. The bilateral parliamentary friendship group in tandem with EPG will become engines of positive growth and for Myanmar it will be a force multiplier of immense proportions. It may even create the groundswell for Myanmar’s entry into the Commonwealth.
(PM Heblikar is Managing Trustee, Institute of Contemporary Studies Bangalore (ICSB) and former Special Secretary, Government of India)
Image Source: http://www.globalnewlightofmyanmar.com/union-foreign-affairs-minister-meets-with-indian-minister-of-state-for-external-affairs-in-laos/
Indo-Myanmar friendship
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Sex Ratio at Birth
The sex ratio at birth is the ratio of male to female births. In 2011, the sex ratio at birth (male to female) in the United States was 1.05. Slightly more males were born than females.
The Northeast region has the lowest sex ratio in the U.S. Source: U.S. Census Bureau 2011
Numerous studies have reported changes in the ratio of males to females at birth with a reduction in male relative to female births in different countries throughout the world. Although the mechanism which determines the sex of the infant is not completely understood, some studies have suggested that environmental hazards, particularly endocrine disruptors, can affect how many males are born.
Other factors besides environmental exposures can affect the sex ratio. A reduced sex ratio at birth has been linked to older-aged parents and parental smoking and an increased sex ratio has been linked to premature births.
When reviewing and interpreting sex-ratio at birth data, it is important to take into consideration the following:
Sex ratio does not consider the inability to become pregnant, which may potentially be caused by environmental exposures.
The data presented are based on the location of the residence at the time of birth. The place of residence or potential exposure during gestation or at the time of conception, when an exposure that may have affected the outcome could have occurred, may be different.
Available Data on Sex Ratio
Use the Explore Maps & Tables link on this page to access the following measure for sex ratio in your community. The most current available data will be shown. Be sure to check the site periodically as new data are added each year. To protect privacy, no information is shown that could identify an individual.
Annual male to female sex ratio at birth (term, singleton live births only) by community, county, and statewide
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January 2010 -- We're In the Army Now
You better sit down -- what I have to say will be quite a shock.
I now live in Alexandria, Virginia.
<pause for the shock to set in>
Funny the places you'll go and things you'll do upon necessity. After I left Citigroup (only the TINIEST of regrets there), I did a whole lot of . . . well, hardly anything for pretty much the rest of 2008. There were a few glorious side trips:
In July of 2008, I jetted over to London for a 30-hour whirlwind of musical theater and partying in the West End with the stars of the English National Opera
A marvelous five-day canoe trip through the Adirondack Wilderness, August 2008
Otherwise, the latter part of the year was spent in job hunt mode. Scary to be out of work for that long when you have a HUGE mortgage to pay.
But oh, the jobs I did land. First and BEST was an all-too-short project at the United Nations, doing training and user documentation for a new intranet portal. Such people, such an environment, such a thrill. I even got to spend a week at in Geneva for the pilot training.
I then moved on to Parsons Brinckerhoff, the engineering firm. Basically the same kind of work, but I never got to leave the dingy offices on 7th Avenue at 34th (ugh). That lasted five months, and then ended when they ran out of money to pay me with. No big loss, that.
In and amongst all that, I sat for and passed the U. S. State Department's Foreign Service Officer exam. I came to DC for two days in March 2009 for the orals, which I sadly did not pass -- although I do know exactly why I didn't.
As fickle fate would have it, I did end up in DC anyway. I'm now working for a web consulting firm in Virginia, and our current client is the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. I'm Mr. SharePoint to thousands of men and women in uniform.
I'm not missing New York too much. I never really did consider myself a true New Yorker, and never really envisioned myself staying there for an extended period. I still own my co-op on 70th Street (my niece Ashley is living there now), and I'm renting an apartment in Alexandria with a panoramic view that includes the Washington Monument, the Capitol, National Airport, and the Potomac River. Photos here!
Looks like I got my wish from my last posting -- not one, but SEVERAL very cool jobs.
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« Approach the Second 2nd Year Reading Secretly
Art Aches in Claudia Rankine and Solmaz Sharif »
Advent of the Final 2nd Year Reading
Dec 1st, 2016 by Coleen
Where will you be at the end of the semester? Perhaps this an accurate portrait (give or take some hair/fur).
But it’s not over yet. If you’re a student, you got those finals and papers keeping vigil before the new year. If you’re not, you got those not-a-student end of year ordeals. Either way, we’re all stumbling over the finish line towards the next season of this race. Fortunately, I bring something to breathe life into you (and it’s not Christmas coming early).
Taeyin ChoGlueck, Luis Lopez-Maldonado, and Tania Sarfraz will read and perform their poetry and prose on Wednesday, December 7, 2016, at the Hospitality Room of Reckers on Notre Dame’s campus. The reading begins at 7:30 PM. It is free and open to the public.
Taeyin ChoGlueck is the co-founder of Stage for Change, a non-profit group that puts unheard voices that question identity, inclusion, and difference on the stage. Her most recent play, The Pink Pope, is a feminist satire featuring a female God dealing with a Purgatory full of misogynistic men who reject Her, and a split church led by women on earth. Recently, Taeyin has found herself writing about menopausal super heroes, virgin ghosts, and ajummas. In her spare time, she eats up Korean webtoons (that may or may not star menopausal super heroes, virgin ghosts, ajummas, and menopausal supervirgin ajumma ghosts). Did you miss The Pink Pope? Now’s your chance to make up for it.
Luis Lopez-Maldonado is a Xican@ poeta, choreographer and educator. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing and Dance from the University of California Riverside. His poetry has been seen in The American Poetry Review, Cloudbank, The Packinghouse Review, Public Pool, and Spillway, among many others. He also earned a Master of Arts degree in Dance from Florida State University. He is a candidate for the Master of Fine Arts degree in Creative Writing at Notre Dame, where he is poetry editorial assistant for the Notre Dame Review, and founder of the men’s writing workshop in the St. Joseph County Juvenile Justice Center. He is also co-founder and editor at The Brillantina Project and founder of Humans of The University of Notre Dame. Luis’s reading will focus on violence as performance, and explore the hybridity between poetry, choreography, and audience. His works will contain themes relating to the darkness in America we all know: the mass shootings, the racism, the sexism, the homophobism, and the hate, among others. Plan to be disturbed. Prepare to hear erotic, beautiful language. Get excited to experience the world premier of his new contemporary dance solo: Silence Is Violence.
Tania Sarfraz received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Anthropology from Brown University in 2014. She won the Weston Senior Prize for her short fiction collection, Betrayal & Other Stories. She recently acquired a sentient hotdog on a skateboard, but due to legal issues it remains to be seen if Tania will bring it to the reading. It is entirely possible it has been eaten already. Such is the life of a hotdog.
But forget about franks. Let us all gather to on December 7 to reflect upon 2016 and gaze towards the trials and possibilities that await us in 2017. Come hear the voices of bright minds to clear your own, or fill it with inspiration.
-Moon
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A mother from Guatemala is supposed to see her 6-month-old tomorrow. Will it happen? - Progrexas
Home Texas News A mother from Guatemala is supposed to see her 6-month-old tomorrow. Will...
A mother from Guatemala is supposed to see her 6-month-old tomorrow. Will it happen?
An eight-year-old boy detained at a children’s shelter in Phoenix, Arizona sends a drawing to his grandmother in the mail. The boy and his three siblings were separated from their mother after crossing the Texas-Mexico border earlier this summer.
A few weeks ago, Hilda received some letters in the mail from her 8-year-old grandson. One is a drawing of a red heart framed by two pink roses with bright green stems, surrounded by the words “La adoro mucho, Mama Hilda.”
Another shows a house at the end of a long walkway, next to a small car and behind a line of seven stick figures — each one progressively smaller than the next. Another says, in Spanish: “Grandma Hilda, we will see each other soon I will give you lots of hugs I love you with all my heart we will be together soon.”
The boy and his three siblings were separated from their mother, Sandy — Hilda’s daughter — earlier this summer while crossing the Texas-Mexico border. (The boy’s name is not being published, and his family members’ full names are being withheld for their protection.) And the clock is now ticking on a deadline set by a federal judge in San Diego to reunite all parents with children under the age of 5 by tomorrow. Her 8-year-old son and two of his siblings are not subject to that deadline, since they’re older than 5. But one of Sandy’s sons is just 6 months old — one of about 100 toddlers that Judge Dana M. Sabraw has said must be given back to their parents on Tuesday.
“I don’t understand why they don’t reunite me with my kids,” Sandy said by phone from an immigration detention center in Port Isabel last week. “Why can’t they stop to think about the psychological damage that they are causing these children? The older one outright told me: ‘I don’t want to be here.’ And that broke my heart, when he told me that. He said, ‘I don’t know what is happening to me. What is wrong with me?'”
A letter from an 8-year-old boy to his grandmother. The boy and his three siblings are in a children’s shelter in Arizona after being separated from his mother while crossing the Texas-Mexico border in May.
Last night, federal records show, Sandy was transferred to an immigration detention center in Eloy, Ariz. That’s apparently in an effort to more easily reunite her with her kids, who are in a shelter about an hour away in Phoenix. But there’s still a long way to go before the mother and her 6-month-old boy can physically be in the same place. And it’s unclear whether she will have to wait longer to meet her older kids, who Sabraw has said must be reunited with their parents by July 26.
“It’s hard to be optimistic at this point,” said Jennifer Falcon, communications director for Refugee and Immigration Center for Education and Legal Services (RAICES), a San Antonio-based nonprofit that is representing many parents who’ve been separated from their kids. “[The administration] continuously keeps changing their story and telling us lies … we don’t have anybody that we expect to be reunited with their children tomorrow.”
The Texas Tribune’s reporting on the Families Divided project is supported by the Pulitzer Center, which will also help bring discussions on this important topic to schools and universities in Texas and across the United States through its K-12 and Campus Consortium networks.
Sandy and Hilda’s nightmare began in May, after Sandy and her four kids fled persecution in Guatemala and showed up at the Gateway International Bridge in Matamoros, Mexico (Hilda had fled persecution herself years earlier, and has lived in California for years). After initially being rebuffed by armed Customs and Border Protection agents stationed at the bridge’s halfway point, they were eventually let through. But soon afterward, Sandy was transferred to immigration detention, and her kids were taken away. The family was separated even though Sandy was not prosecuted for illegally entering the U.S.; in fact, she had taken pains to ask for asylum legally at an official port of entry, which President Donald Trump’s administration has claimed is the “correct way” to seek asylum and wouldn’t result in ripping families apart.
Sandy is still not sure exactly where her kids are. In Port Isabel, she sometimes got calls from them and could speak to them for a few minutes at a time. The kids could also call Hilda and speak to her for a maximum of 10 minutes at a time; the phone number they called from indicates that they’re at a shelter owned by the Texas-based company Southwest Key in Phoenix.
“[My 8-year-old son] asks me, what is it like where you are, mamita?” Sandy recalled. “I told him, there are a lot of us here. He asked me, “It isn’t a big place?” I said, “No, son … where I sleep it’s not a big place. But as a mother, I know him. He is asking me what it’s like over here, but what he’s really asking is if it’s possible to be with him.” She said she’s already been given a DNA test and been asked to provide a number of documents proving that she is the kids’ mom.
A drawing by a child who was separated from his mother at the Texas-Mexico border in May. The child and his siblings are at a shelter in Arizona.
At a court hearing in San Diego on Monday morning, U.S. Department of Justice lawyer Sarah Fabian said the agency will only be able to reunite about half of the 100 toddlers with their parents by tomorrow’s deadline. Sandy’s 6-month-old son appears to be part of the lucky half: His mother does not have a serious criminal history, she hasn’t been deported, and she’s not in a federal or local jail — all reasons that Fabian said would make it difficult to comply with the deadline. Sandy is in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and Fabian said on Monday that all such parents will be reunited with their kids and then released from ICE custody by tomorrow night.
If that’s really going to happen, said Ruben Reyes, an immigration attorney based in Phoenix, then ICE should have started the process of releasing Sandy on Monday afternoon. In order to be released, she’ll probably have to be sent from Arizona’s Eloy detention center to a separate processing facility. Most likely, she would spend the night there, Reyes said, and then get moved to what he called a “non-detained” ICE facility where she can actually be released — and where, possibly, she might be reunited with her child (or children).
“This would have to start now, because it’ll take about 24 hours for them to make it happen,” Reyes said. As of Monday evening, Hilda wasn’t sure if Sandy’s transfer had begun or not.
Even then, things will be tough, Reyes added, because “the agency is completely overwhelmed. They don’t have the personnel. They don’t have the numbers. They don’t have the information. They don’t have the pieces of the puzzle that they need.” On the other hand, he said: “They’ve got a federal judge putting a fire up their ass … ICE can make whatever they want to happen, happen when they have the right motivation to do so.”
Fabian insisted during Monday morning’s court hearing that the government would get the reunifications done, and Sabraw said he was encouraged by the progress. But it was unclear whether Southwest Key, the company that owns a number of children’s shelters across the country, including the one where Sandy’s kids are detained, had any indication of what role it should play in the reunification process.
“We’re watching the court the same way you are, and waiting to hear on the next steps from the Office of Refugee Resettlement,” said the company’s spokesman, Jeff Eller, referring to the agency that oversees shelters for migrant children. He wouldn’t elaborate on whether the agency has given his company any directions.
Asked if he expects to find out about the next steps in time for tomorrow’s deadline, Eller said, “that will be up to the Office of Refugee Resettlement. We take our direction from them.”
Anayansi Diaz-Cortes of Reveal contributed reporting to this story.
Federal judge blocks separation of migrant children, orders family reunification
Facing a Tuesday deadline to reunite about 100 migrant toddlers with their parents, feds say they’ve reunited 2
Analysis: Do the feds have a plan to reunite migrant families? We’re about to find out.
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“Pugilist Patrick on full display”: Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick takes aim at two Republicans who crossed him
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Muragaki Norimasa
The graves of Muragaki and his family at Yanaka Tennô-ji in Tokyo
Titles: Awaji no kami
Other Names: 与三郎 (Yosaburô), 村垣範忠 (Muragaki Noritada)
Japanese: 村垣範正 (Muragaki Norimasa)
Muragaki Norimasa was a Tokugawa shogunate official of the Bakumatsu period. He is perhaps particularly known as the vice-ambassador on the 1860 Japanese Embassy to the United States, the only official overseas embassy dispatched by the shogunate.
He was reassigned from makanai-gashira to Kanjô ginmiyaku on 1854/1/14 and was simultaneously appointed Matsumae Ezo Yôkakari (officials assigned to matters in Ezo/Matsumae, i.e. Hokkaidô) alongside Hori Toshitada. The two departed Edo for Ezo two months later, on 3/27, arriving at Matsumae early in the 5th month, and at Cape Sôya towards the end of that month. In the 6th month, they crossed over to Sakhalin, where they visited Kushunkotan (a village where the Russians had set up an encampment the previous year) and conducted a survey of the area around the 50th parallel. While Hori remained in Ezo, Muragaki and a number of others returned to Edo, arriving sometime before 1854/10/15.
Once back in Edo, Muragaki was assigned by the shogunate in 1855 to a number of different tasks, including overseeing the artillery batteries (Daiba) around Edo Bay, the casting of weapons, the construction of ships, and river works projects along the Tôkaidô.
The following year, the staff of the Hakodate bugyô was expanded, and Muragaki was assigned to one of those new staff positions, contributing to surveys and inspection tours around Edo and Ezo. In 1858/10, he was named Gaikoku bugyô in addition to retaining his position as Hakodate bugyô.[1]
Several years later, on 1860/1/19, Muragaki then departed Yokohama aboard the USS Powhatan alongside lead ambassador Niimi Buzen-no-kami Masaoki, numerous other members of the embassy, and American crew and escorts. While in the United States, Muragaki kept a diary entitled Kôkai nikki, which reveals much about the Japanese thoughts and impressions upon making such a journey, including an attitude on Muragaki's part that despite their curiosity, the samurai had to refrain from indulging themselves too much in any of the activities, in order to maintain their dignity as representatives of their great nation.[2]
Gallery labels and pamphlet from exhibition "Samurai in New York." Museum of the City of New York. 25 June - 7 Nov. 2010.
Ishin Shiryô Kôyô 維新史料綱要, vol 1 (1937), 409, 530, 537, 550, 564, 576, 598, 607, 660.
Ishin Shiryô Kôyô 維新史料綱要, vol 2 (1937), 71, 135, 219.
↑ Ishin Shiryô Kôyô 維新史料綱要, vol 3, (1937), 80.
↑ Marius Jansen, China in the Tokugawa World, Harvard University Press (1992), 98.
Retrieved from "http://samurai-archives.com/w/index.php?title=Muragaki_Norimasa&oldid=42840"
Bakumatsu
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19F ~ 43F Beijing Weather
Beijing-Shanghai high-speed rail has launched floating fares today, with a difference of 100 yuan between second-class seat fares
From the 24th, the Beijing-Shanghai high-speed rail will launch a "silent car" service.
Starting today, the Beijing-Shanghai high-speed rail has introduced floating fares, with a price difference of 100 yuan for second-class seats. The highest second-class fare for the entire train from Beijing South Railway Station to Shanghai Hongqiao Station was adjusted to 598 yuan, and the lowest implemented fare was adjusted to 498 yuan. However, the current second-class train with 498 yuan is only G153. From tomorrow, the Beijing-Shanghai high-speed rail will launch a "silent car" service.
The lowest fare for second-class seats is 498 yuan, and there is only one train per day
After inquiring through the official platform of Railway 12306, the reporter found that the full running time of the train with the highest fare is the fastest of all the Beijing-Shanghai high-speed rail trains. The full journey time is basically about 4 and a half hours, and the implemented fare is 598 yuan, some trains. The price will be higher at 604 yuan. From Beijing to Shanghai Hongqiao Station, the second-class seat shows that the lowest fare is 498 yuan. At present, there is only the G153 train, and the whole journey time is 5 hours and 55 minutes.
On October 23 this year, the Beijing-Shanghai High-speed Railway Company held the sixth interim meeting of the fourth board of directors to review and pass the "Proposal on Optimizing and Adjusting Beijing-Shanghai High-speed Railway Fares", and decided to change the current practice of fixed fares and implement high-quality premiums. Price, flexible floating fare mechanism, with the current implemented fare as the base price to implement up and down fluctuations. Optimized adjustments will be made to the published fares for the second-class seats of the Beijing-Shanghai high-speed trains with a speed of 300-350 kilometers per hour. At the same time, the price ratios of business seats, special seats and first-class seats and second-class seats will be 3.5 times, 1.8 times and 1.6 times respectively. Times execution. The factors of price fluctuations include seasons, time periods, seats, zones, etc.
According to the adjustment plan, at present, the highest implemented second-class fare for the entire train from Beijing South Railway Station to Shanghai Hongqiao Station is adjusted to 598 yuan, an increase of 8%; the lowest implemented fare is adjusted to 498 yuan, a decrease of 10%; the highest implementation of the commercial seat for the entire train The fare is adjusted to 1998 yuan, and the minimum implemented fare is 1748 yuan. The Beijing-Shanghai High-speed Railway Company will flexibly adjust and implement fares based on passenger flow.
From tomorrow on, some trains on the Beijing-Shanghai high-speed rail will push silent cars
From tomorrow (December 24), the railway department will also pilot the "silent carriage" service on some trains of the Beijing-Shanghai high-speed rail and Chengdu-Chongqing high-speed rail.
Starting today, when passengers purchase tickets for designated trains of Beijing-Shanghai high-speed rail and Chengdu-Chongqing high-speed rail through the railway 12306 website, mobile app, automatic ticket vending machine and other channels, if they need to provide "silent carriage" service, they can voluntarily choose to purchase "silent carriages" according to the system prompts "Ticket, "Silent Car" is set in Car 3 (second-class car). When passengers ride in a "silent car", please cooperate to comply with the "silent" agreement.
It is understood that the "silent" conventions that passengers need to follow include: keeping quiet in the "silent compartment"; wearing earphones or turning off the sound source when using various electronic devices; turning the mobile phone to silent or vibrating state; making calls Or leave the "silent car" when talking to each other; passengers travelling with children will take care of your children and avoid making noise. Currently, the Beijing-Shanghai high-speed rail provides "silent car" service specific trains: G1, G2, G3, G4, G5, G6, G9, G12, G13, G16, G17, G22. (*Article source: Beijing News)
Prev:Ministry of Culture and Tourism: More than 100 million red tourists visited the country this year
Next:The domestic tourism market is fully launched during the winter vacation and the Spring Festival, and 'small group tours' are popular
Address: 24 xiaoshiqiao, old Gulou Street, near Dashiqiao Hutong
Opened in 1982, Bamboo Garden Hotel Beijing.
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BANN ARE EURO CHAMPIONS
Banbridge Hockey Club President Neil Madeley has congratulated the Men’s 1st XI on winning the Euro Hockey Clubs Champion Challenge I in the Czech Republic today.
President Neil Madeley said: “We are absolutely delighted to have won all four of our games at the Euro Hockey Club Champions Challenge. The Men’s 1st XI has had another great season and winning this tournament is a real credit to the team and to coach Mark Tumilty and his assistants. On behalf of the whole club I want to congratulate the lads on this achievement and also to thank our club sponsors and all the supporters who encouraged the team to this success”.
Bann, backed by Swallow Groupage Serivces Ltd, travelled to Europe with a reduced squad of 16 due to exams and work commitments but despite this, topped their pool that included the club champions of Gibraltar, Croatia, and Czech side Slavia Prague. The team then went on to beat Akkord HC from Azerbaijan in the final classification match.
Neil Madeley who is out in the Czech Republic with the team added; “This will bring Bann’s season to a close and is a fitting end to a season that didn’t produce any silverware in domestic competitions for our Men’s 1sts but was still a success on and off the pitch.”
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Mary Campbell
Mary Ann Campbell passed away on Nov. 2, 2006, at her home after a long illness.
She was born Mary Ann Palastyi on Jan. 5, 1916 and has lived in Gladwin County the majority of her life.
Mary married Walter Moore Campbell in Oct. of 1937. He preceded her in death on Oct. 26, 1957.
She was a 1934 graduate of Gladwin High School and a 1965 graduate of the Midland School of Licensed Practical Nursing. After graduation from nursing school Mary worked at the Gladwin Hospital and the Gladwin Nursing Home, retiring shortly before her 80th birthday.
She is survived by three sons, Robert (Nelda) Campbell of Salem, New Hampshire, Thomas Campbell of Huntington Beach, California, and Walter (Laura) Campbell of Whitmore Lake; two daughters, Janet Hospodar of Gladwin, and Susan (John) Lewis of Chicago; 13 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. Besides her husband, Mary was preceded in death by daughter-in-law Jane Campbell; son-in-law Steve Hospodar; and granddaughter Laura Campbell.
Services were held on Saturday, Nov. 4, 2006 at Sisson Funeral Home with Rev. Father John Cotter officiating and burial at Highland Cemetery.
The family would like to thank Hospice and Mother's wonderful caregivers which include two of her grandchildren, Carla Wright and Jim Wright, Jr., and three dedicated ladies, Anita, Roberta and Beverly. Many thoughtful people helped during Mother's illness by bringing food and flowers, plowing snow in the winter, visiting and caring for her. We would like to thank these special friends for their kindness. It will always be remembered.
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Music to Haunt By: Dead Rose Symphony
And here, I just changed my diet.
Music to Haunt By: The Dark Tower
By Weird Jon in Music To Haunt By
Nox Arcana
The Dark Tower, Monolith Graphics 2011
What can I say about Nox Arcana that hasn’t already been said since I last reviewed them in “Music to Haunt By?” Well, this is the second time I’ve reviewed them for this series (unless you count the band members’ participation in Buzz Works as Nox Arcana albums). This is also the first time I’ll be reviewing a Nox Arcana album that’s a literary tie-in, as it’s a companion piece to band founder Joseph Vargo’s anthology Tales From The Dark Tower. The album also marks the return of our old friends, the Gregorian Shadow Choir.
“Darkness Rising” uses tolling bells, soft chanting and string work as a prelude to Vargo’s spooky voice, which speaks of spirits, vampires and gargoyles inhabiting the Dark Tower. If one features an animatronic character to greet patrons of their haunted house, this track would make a fine introduction to any setup based around (or involving) a tower. If one is not available, a simple cardboard facade in front of a door could create a “tower.” “Born of the Night” starts off with pounding noises, violins and snippets of organ work. Female chanting leads to unisex chanting and tolling bells that provide an unrelenting feel. While the title might surprise Midnight Syndicate fans, I should note how Mr. Vargo used to be a member of the band and how the names of his paintings were used as song titles. A heavy intro in “Crimson Thirst” leads to light piano work with touches of string work and bells. The female wordless vocals add to the eerie feel. “Vasaria” has similarly heavy intro that makes it seem like something menacing is approaching. Wailing violins and chanting add to the effect, while the bells provide a touch of elegance. “Vesper Tolls” features tolling bells (of course) and mixed chanting, which make for an effective combination. Said chanting is a mix of low chanting of male with somewhat louder female chants layered on top. “Path of Shadows” has low pounding drums and lurking tone conveyed by the music. Light violins contrast with the percussion, organs and chanting. It’s perfect for any haunted hall, trail or haunted forest scene. In “Banshee,” wolves howl, ravens caw and we gradually become aware of a low moaning chant by a woman that increases in volume. A female spirit tells of both the animals and power of the banshee’s cry. This could definitely work with a banshee scene or even a hooded ghost, especially if you have a “museum of the weird” setup. “Ghost at the Gate” features great piano work and groaning effects. Said effects give way to distant tolling bells and ethereal female chanting. As you can imagine, it’s great for a ghost scene, especially one using a flying crank ghost.
“Nightwatcher” features scary organ music (not the usual “Toccata and Fugue in D Minor”), along with the occasional pounding percussion and distant chanting. Whether it involves a still prop, animatronics or a live actor, this goes great with a phantom organist scene. “The Dark Tower” features a spoken intro that uses the infamous “abandon hope” quote, which makes it a good introduction for a haunt or an entrance to a tomb or crypt scene. There’s also chanting in background, which soon takes center stage. The feel of sinister forces at work is aided by the pounding drums and Latin chanting. “Haunted” uses thunder, soft cries, chanting and a harpsichord to conjure up sense of antiquity. The chimes take on an almost music box-like tone at one point, which give this haunted nursery potential. The frantic string work bells and chanting excellent piano solo in “Vampire’s Kiss” are soon followed by bells. The female chanting takes center stage, but the organ work is nothing to sneer at. Soft piano work grows in terms of both intensity and volume in “Undying Love.” There are music box-like chimes at points, along with some bells and chanting. This would work perfectly in a vampiress or haunted woman’s room scene. “Masque of Sorrow” has powerful intro with chanting and organ work. Violins come into play later, as do bells. “King of Fools” starts with a soft plinking piano solo, but soft chanting slowly works its way in. Chimes and bells follow later. If you have a scene featuring a spooky throne with a (un)dead king in it, you need to use this track. Moaning wind opens the very short “Something Wicked,” which leads to thunder and sinister female’s (witch?) voice recites the poem from the liner notes. Said poem is inspired by (and not from) Ray Bradbury’s 1962 classic Something Wicked This Way Comes. Ravens’ cawing joins distant moans in “Sinister Forces.” Female chanting and organ work give way to pounding violins. It’s almost playful in tone, which means you could get away with using in a haunted circus setup. The soft and fast plinking tones in “Immortal Fire” soon gave way to something heavier, along with plenty of female chanting. “Sorrow’s End” opens with soft piano work that leads to soft female chanting. “Dark Desire” conveys a sense of dark elegance or regality using soft, speedy plinking tones, tolling bells and chanting. Once the heavy piano appears, it never lets up. “Noctem Aeternus” means “eternal night,” and the chanting and organ start immediately. The bells and increased chanting add to the feeling of darkness. Those who wait patiently will be reward with a few short bonus tracks. The first consist of whispers of things like “We are watching you,” which would go well in a “face room” or in a haunted yard display involving staring faces and glowing eye effects. If you wait some more, a spooky intro and violins create a pounding theme with plenty of chanting and bells.
While somewhat talkier than your average Nox Arcana album, it’s still chock-full of the scary musical excellence that Nox Arcana is known for. So whether it’s for home haunting, Halloween displays or just some musically accompaniment to Tales From The Dark Tower, you definitely want to pick up this album.
Special thanks to Monolith Graphics for the review copy!
Gravedigger’s Local 16 is not to be held responsible for the content on or anything that may occur (be it good or bad) as a result of visiting any links on the above sites (or constructing a project that’s detailed on them). This also applies to the suggestions made here. Attempt at your own discretion.
Gregorian Shadow Choir, Joseph Vargo, Music, Music to Haunt By, Nox Arcana, sound effects, The Dark Tower, Wiliiam Piotroski
Music To Haunt By: Carnival of Lost Souls | Gravedigger's Local 16 on June 15, 2013 at 5:14 am
[…] soundtracks that can be used in a variety of haunts. That said, I should have known that Nox Arcana would be the ones to make a circus-themed album that has tracks appropriate for regular and […]
Music to Haunt By: Transylvania » Gravedigger's Local 16 on June 30, 2014 at 8:27 pm
[…] groups that inspired me to do the “Music to Haunt By” series and have been a constant presence ever since then. Given how 2013 is their 10th anniversary, it would make sense for me to review […]
Tales From The Dark Tower (& Other Disturbing Destinations) | Gravedigger's Local 16 on October 8, 2015 at 12:01 pm
[…] To The Dark Tower, the final installment of the series of books inspired by Nox Arcana’s The Dark Tower. So how will I celebrate the end of the trilogy? By sending you to its start. Not only is James […]
The Yellow Wallpaper (& Other Women’s Weird Fiction) | Gravedigger's Local 16 on February 18, 2016 at 12:01 pm
[…] The phrase “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned” immediately comes to mind when it comes to describing the plot of Christine Filipak’s “The Masque of Sorrow.” Not only has Ms. Filipak lent her talents to many a Nox Arcana album, but this is one of many tales inspired by the album The Dark Tower. […]
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HOC's 2016 Report
August 3, 2016: The worldwide trend towards abolition, underway for more than fifteen years, was again confirmed in 2015 and the first six months of 2016.
There are currently 160 countries and territories that, to different extents, have decided to renounce the death penalty. Of these: 104 are totally abolitionist; 6 are abolitionist for ordinary crimes; 6 have a moratorium on executions in place and 44 are de facto abolitionist (i.e. Countries that have not carried out any executions for at least 10 years or countries which have binding obligations not to use the death penalty).
Countries retaining the death penalty worldwide have gradually declined over the last ten years: in 2016, as of 30 June, there were 38 retentionist countries, compared to 54 in 2005.
In 2015, executions were carried out in 25 countries, compared to 22 in 2014 and 26 in 2008.
In 2015, there were at least 4.040 executions, compared to at least 3.576 in 2014 and at least 5,735 in 2008. The increase in executions as compared to 2014 is explained by increases recorded in Iran, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.
In the first six months of 2016, at least 1.685 executions were carried out in 17 Countries and territories.
In 2015, there were no recorded executions in 3 countries where executions were carried out in 2014: Belarus, Equatorial Guinea and Palestine (Gaza Strip). In the first six months of 2016, there were no recorded executions in 7 countries – Chad, Egypt, Jordan, India, Indonesia, Oman and United Arab Emirates –where executions were carried out in 2015.
On the other hand, 5 countries, which had not carried out executions in 2014, resumed them in 2015: Indonesia (14), Chad (10), Bangladesh (4), Oman (2) and India (1). Another 3 countries, which had not carried out executions in 2015, resumed them in the first six months of 2016: Botswana (1), Belarus (1) and Palestine (Gaza Strip) (3).
It could not be confirmed if judicial executions took place in Syria in 2015, as well as in North Korea, Sudan, Syria, Vietnam and Yemen in the first six months of 2016.
In 2015 and the first six months of 2016, another 6 States joined the list of total or de facto abolitionist countries: Côte d’Ivoire, Fiji, Mongolia, Nauru and Suriname completely abolished the death penalty; Zimbabwe can be considered de facto abolitionist country, after ten consecutive years without carrying out executions.
In the United States, in May 2015 Nebraska became the nineteenth State of the federation to abolish the death penalty, and the seventh to do so in eight years. In three other States – Washington, Colorado, Pennsylvania e Oregon – the Governors granted a stay of executions and essentially put executions on hold because of concerns about the death penalty system.
In 2015 and in the first six months of 2016, significant political and legislative steps towards abolition or a de facto moratorium on capital punishment have been seen in 43 countries.
In 5 countries – Burkina Faso, Guinea, Kenya, South Korea and Uganda – have announced or proposed laws for the abolition of the death penalty in the Constitution or criminal codes and Vietnam reduced the number of capital crimes.
During the Universal Periodic Review by the UN Human Rights Council, 8 countries – Guyana, Laos, Liberia, Malawi, Niger, Sierra Leone, Tajikistan and Thailand accepted recommendations and/or announced steps towards abolition of the death penalty.
Twelve other countries have confirmed their policy of de facto moratorium on the death penalty or executions in place for many years: Bahrein, Central African Republic, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo; Eritrea, Ethiopia, Lebanon, Morocco, Papua Nuova Guinea, Qatar, Tunisia and Zambia.
In the Caribbean Region, in 6 countries – Belize, Cuba, Dominica, Guatemala, Jamaica and Saint Lucia – no new death sentences were imposed and death rows were still empty at the end of 2015. In 5 other countries of the region – Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines – no new death sentences were issued and death row inmates were a few units.
Furthermore, collective commutations of death sentences or suspension of executions indefinitely were granted in 7 countries: Cameroon, Gambia, Ghana, Myanmar, Nigeria, Sri Lanka and Swaziland.
On the other hand, 5 countries, which had not carried out executions in 2014, resumed them in 2015: Indonesia (14), Chad (10), Bangladesh (4), Oman (2) and India (1). Another 3 countries, which had not carried out executions in 2015, resumed them in the first six months of 2016: Belarus (1), Botswana (1) and Palestine (Gaza Strip) (3).
Chad and Oman resumed executions after, respectively, 12 and 6 years of de facto moratorium.
IRAQ: SEVEN ARABS HANGED FOR BELONGING TO AL-QAEDA
BANGLADESH: 11 GET DEATH SENTENCE FOR KILLING JUBO DAL ACTIVIST IN LAXIPUR
IRAN: 30 PRISONERS EXECUTED IN THREE DAYS
IRAN: 12 PRISONERS HANGED ON DRUG CHARGES
CAMEROON: 109 SUSPECTED BOKO HARAM TERRORISTS SENTENCED TO DEATH
INDONESIA: FIVE SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR DRUG POSSESSION
NORTH KOREA: KIM JONG-UN STRENGTHENS REIGN OF TERROR
IRAN: HANDS OFF CAIN, ITALY MUST NOT EXTRADITE THE BLOGGER KHOSRAVI
BANGLADESH: EX-MP SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR WAR CRIMES IN 1971
IRAN HANGS POLITICAL PRISONER MOHAMMAD ABDOLLAHI AND FIVE OTHER PRISONERS
BANGLADESH: 6 TO WALK GALLOWS FOR MURDERING IN CHANDPUR
VIETNAM: NINE MEN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR SMUGGLING 280KG OF HEROIN TO CHINA
UN RIGHTS CHIEF URGES MALDIVES NOT TO RESUME EXECUTIONS
TAJIKISTAN MAY RESTORE DEATH PENALTY
IRAN EXECUTES NUCLEAR SCIENTIST WHO GAVE U.S. INTELLIGENCE ABOUT SECRET NUCLEAR PROGRAM
JORDAN: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR KILLING FIVE INTELLIGENCE AGENTS IN PALESTINIAN CAMP
MALAYSIA: DUO SENTENCED TO DEATH OVER MURDER OF COLLEAGUE
IRAN: TEENAGE STUDENT HANGED IN FIRST CHILD OFFENDER EXECUTION OF THE YEAR
IRAN: FOUR HANGED IN SAQQEZ, TAYBAD
IRAN: TWO UNIDENTIFIED PRISONERS HANGED ON UNKNOWN CHARGES
IRAN: 36 SUNNI KURDS EXECUTED
NIGERIA: FOUR ARMED ROBBERS SENTENCED TO DEATH IN ONDO
DELAWARE SUPREME COURT DECLARES STATE'S DEATH PENALTY UNCONSTITUTIONAL
SAUDI ARABIA: SAUDI NATIONAL SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR CREATING UNREST IN SAUDI ARABIA AND BAHRAIN
MOROCCO: KING MOHAMMED VI PARDONS WOMAN SENTENCED TO DEATH
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Fanny and Alexander
While Ingmar Bergman’s films have often been marked as methodical and arguably slow exercises in emotional rigor, which is often unfriendly to lay audiences, Fanny and Alexander is a wholly accessible, truly haunting journey for its two main title characters.
Fanny and Alexander (1982) dir. Ingmar Bergman
Starring: Bertil Guve, Pernilla Allwin, Börje Ahlstedt
It’s the celebrated ‘final’ film of Bergman’s, although he would write screenplays and direct some notable television mini-series afterwards. This was the intention of the great Swedish master of cinema, to create an opus maximus of a very personal nature, essentially the story of his youth, his life in a theatrical family and the deep penetrating effect of Catholicism on his outlook on life. It ended up as a five-hour film released in its full length on Swedish television but a mere three hours in theatres.
We meet Fanny and Alexander both as young impressionable children of a stage family, the Ekdahls. The opening act, an hour-long Christmas party during which we see the hedonistic extremes of the more drunken and libidinous family members, establishes their whimsy, flighty lifestyle. If anything the scene reminds us of Coppola’s wedding scene in The Godfather, another story about family set up with a similar scene of domestic reverie. But this is the first hour, which had me squirming in my seat. Without any forward movement in the narrative, the carefree decadence of the family felt indulgent and superfluous. But it’s all part of Bergman’s grand plan, setting up the eventual trough of despair experienced by the kids and their eventual triumphant resurrection by the end.
The shoe drops hard when Fanny’s and Alexander’s father dies during a performance. The anguish of the loss is depicted by Bergman in one magnificently shot scene from Alexander's eyes through the crack of a door. The scene shows his mother and grandmother grieving inconsolably – a point of view that typifies the filter on life and family in which Bergman frames his story. It also showcases his remarkable eye for composition, which remains as precise and controlled throughout all three hours of the film.
It doesn’t take long for the mother, Emilie, to move on when she announces her intention to remarry the local bishop, a hasty decision that doesn’t sit well with the family, but a decision to which she is completely devoted. Once in the care of the clergy, the kids find a most barbarous and cruel household, one in which they are commanded to leave all possessions behind in order to start anew and fresh like newly birthed infants. Things turn from bad to worse when Alexander stubbornly resists the Bishop’s authority thus infuriating the authority figure and creating an even deeper power struggle. Heinous acts of corporal punishment, such as caning and prison-like isolation, drive the kids and Emilie mad until the Ekdahls execute a glorious set-up and escape plan.
Knowing Bergman’s previous work, we have to expect the worse for these children, a brainwashing of sorts in the most cynical manner. Yet the finale, including the Bishop’s comeuppance, is so genuinely heartwarming and triumphant it could have been written in Hollywood.
Bergman’s infusion of fantastical elements, such as the Shakespearean-worthy ghostly haunting of Alexander and the ambiguous magical touches of the theatre troupe, set us in the world of magic realism. It also allows Bergman to craft a few moments of truly terrifying suspense. The most affecting comes at the end, in one of the most haunting shots in the history of cinema (yes!). After fully escaping the clutches of the maniacal Bishop, presumably safe and sound in the company of the theatre, Alexander's life would appear to be back to normal. But the return of the Bishop’s ghost, who pushes him to the ground announcing his ominous return, is truly haunting. This moment had me gasping with earth-shattering shock, an effect rare for me these days and a moment that reminded me of my reaction to, say, the rising corpse in the bathtub at the end of Diabolique. It’s that affecting.
Bergman’s masterful control of tone and imagery is evident, as are his artful cinematic tools, which in this picture come together arguably more cohesively than any of his previous films.
Fanny and Alexander is available on Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
Naked Prey
John's Carpenter's The Ward
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Groomzilla: Progress or Patriarchy?
I was watching the 20/20 episode "Wedding Confidential" about a week ago which was supposedly about insider tips for wedding planning; the hook was to save engaged couples money. What caught my attention the most with this exposé was the focus on grooms. Even though my research on wedding books for grooms was published in 2008, this episode continued to depict many of the findings 5 years later.
What was lauded as a creative new tool for grooms, turned out to be a website that was mostly just about consumption: The Man Registry. They promoted it as a site with advice for grooms, such as what colors are trendy. Take a look at the website: it's hard to get past the commercial ads to get to the advice. I guess that makes it the equivalent to websites for brides.
The framing was consistent with what was found in the books targeted to grooms. The increase in the grooms interest in the wedding is explained as a "Battleground for the Sexes". Whereas the voice over labels the wedding planning as the "first challenge in marital compromise", they go on to divide the tasks by gendered stereotypes: she picks her dress, they compromise on the food and venue, and the groom is in charge of entertainment and transportation. Everything else can just be doubled: the registry, the cake, etc. And, as demonstrated with Evan and Erin, the groom ultimately has veto power over a lot of the decisions ("Evan, won a lot of things"). This veto power is then repackaged as "chipping in" and as a "major contributor" because, in case you missed the quick reference, "he's paying for the it (wedding)".
Now, I am so for groom involvement in wedding planning. But, does it have to be gendered? And, what if we could envision actual compromise and collaboration through the process, rather than constructing gender differences in the tasks and dividing them up. Also, it's not a big win for equal partnerships to just double the consumption (his and her registries, his and her cakes, etc.).
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Gary Wenkel Smith's Novel Examines SBC Milieu, Bares Truth Through Fiction
The Last Midnight is Gary Wenkle Smith’s first novel. It might make interesting reading to the Sentinel’s readers on several grounds. Of note is that Smith is a San Bernardino personage through and through. He is the son of Nancy E. Smith, who was San Bernardino County’s Fifth District Supervisor from 1956 until 1976, the second woman to serve as county supervisor in the county. Smith, who grew up in San Bernardino and attended Pacific High School, San Bernardino Valley College, and Cal State University San Bernardino, in his own right has gone on to have a storied law career, during which he has practiced criminal law almost exclusively. He has had notable success in defending individuals charged with murder, scoring acquittals for a host of his clients who were looking at a lifetime in prison or potentially the death penalty. He remains in practice with an office in San Bernardino, a stone’s throw from the new San Bernardino Courthouse.
The Last Midnight takes as its subject matter a murder case, perhaps not too unlike some of the cases Smith has himself been involved in defending. The central character is an attorney, Patrick Moynihan, practicing law in fictional Danbrier, located in fictional Danbrier County, both of which bear too many obvious similarities to San Bernardino and San Bernardino County to make believable the author’s halfhearted assertion, made directly to this reviewer, that no actual correlation between the fictional and the real was intended. Moynihan, as well, bears a somewhat sneaking resemblance, at least in certain aspects, to the author.
The novel opens in the immediate aftermath of a murder that has occurred in a fourth floor room in a Danbrier hotel, as investigators from the Danbrier Police Department and the sheriff’s department have arrived on the scene. Horrifically bludgeoned is the lover of the wife of the ne’er do well son of one of Danbrier County’s wealthiest citizens. Hotel security video footage has captured images that indicate, without actually proving, it is the wealthy young man who wielded the baseball bat used to beat the victim do death. Subsequently, further evidence, consisting of DNA findings implicating the young man, come into the possession of the sheriff’s department’s crime lab.
Moynihan has been retained by the defendant’s father to represent his son. A hard-charging, albeit alcoholic, prosecutor is gunning to convict the defendant and send him to prison for life. As Moynihan and his top-notch investigator carry out their own investigation into the facts for the purpose of being able to mount a convincing defense, they unearth further indicators that Moynihan’s client is a sadistic sociopath and other convincing evidence that he is guilty of the crime he has been charged with. Smith offers a graphic display of the defendant’s depravity, which includes an insatiable affinity for methamphetamine and a host of other sordid proclivities. The defendant’s character flaws do not keep Moynihan from living up to his professional commitment to offer his client an aggressive and effective defense. While he is working toward that end, playing within the rules and the ethical code of conduct he has adopted to justify to himself that he has buttered his bread and established a vaunted professional reputation by getting acquittals of some individuals who have been charged with the most heinous of acts, Moynihan and his investigator learn that someone within the law enforcement hierarchy is militating on his client’s behalf, obfuscating, losing, contaminating or altering, if not outright destroying, the evidence which Moynihan recognizes would under normal circumstances once presented in a court of law, his own spirited legal defense notwithstanding, convict his client of the crime he almost assuredly committed. Soon it becomes clear that his client’s wealthy father is using his financial means and his connection to the corrupt county sheriff to compromise the professional and ethical integrity of the backbone of Danbrier County law enforcement – the sheriff’s department’s investigators, evidence technicians and its crime lab personnel – in a push to have Moynihan’s client exonerated. That corruption of the law enforcement establishment bleeds over into the district attorney’s office, where the alcoholic-but-ever-determined deputy district attorney is himself being pressured to throw the case.
It is this element of Smith’s narrative that is the most compelling and poignant and which makes The Last Midnight for me worthwhile reading. Long before he decided to reinvent himself as a novelist, Gary Wenkle Smith was an attorney, indeed a pretty good one. It is a comment upon our society and our era – I will leave it to the reader to decide whether it is a favorable or unfavorable one – that Smith and his professional colleagues, when called upon to answer, even outside the courthouse, whether their clients are guilty or innocent will with a show of the utmost sincerity and conviction assert that those they represent are absolutely innocent. Reflexively, lawyers will insist that is the case even when a showing of the facts in a court of law has already established or will in time demonstrate, and a verdict has settled or will decree, their clients are guilty. It is as if engaging in the creation of fiction has freed Smith to tell the truth about his profession, or at least tell the truth in a way he cannot when he is in a court of law.
Smith succeeds in his fictional setting in posing questions that go right to the heart of the validity and morality of the venerated American Justice System, one that relies on the adversarial principle, a crucible in which a verdict, or what is supposed to be the truth, is crushed between the mortar and pestle of the prosecution and the defense, either side of which is free to engage in the application, or misapplication as it were, of truth, its own version of truth, misrepresentation, sleight-of-hand, half truth, deception, quarter-truth and even outright lies. The theory is, and all of those participating in this system just seem to accept, this presentation of facts, factoids and falsehoods, what is real and what is not, and what is truth and what is not will enable a jury of the accused’s 12 peers to ascertain some semblance of “real truth.” In this sense, Gary Wenkle Smith manages to inculpate his other self – the lawyer – and all of his fellow attorneys, prosecutors and judges in a philosophical indictment at least as scathing as any actual criminal filing down at the courthouse.
A key element of the plot of The Last Midnight is the deviation from the legal system’s adversarial principle, when sheriff’s department personnel and then the district attorney’s office, at the behest of corrupt higher-ups, undertake to assist the accused, which is the opposite of their traditional role. This creates an imbalance, one that registers with Moynihan, committed as he is to his defined role within the adversarial system. It raises the quintessential question of whether the system, which accepts falsity as one its key components, can ever lead to truth, and whether a system that openly involves the display of falsity, indeed embraces it, can render justice. One ponders whether and how often Gary Wenkle Smith the lawyer, in the quietude of his own reflection while engaged in his life’s work, struggled with these questions.
As the reviewer of the book, it is my role to interest you, a potential reader, in reading the book yourself, so I will not spoil for you whether Gary Wenkle Smith satisfactorily answers the questions he so skillfully poses. You can do that on your own by obtaining a copy in paperback or Kindle from Amazon.com. The Last Midnight is published by Story Merchant Books in Los Angeles. For further enticement, let me add that the novel covers a lot of ground, all of it in Southern California, save for a short interlude in Oregon. It brings in, beside the expected lawyer and police types, a healthy cast of characters, including gangsters, enforcers, hit men, former special forces operatives doing civilian contract work, and nude dancers. It does not lack for action or fast and shiny modern muscle cars. In addition to the murder that is the central element of the plot, there are by my count five other coldblooded, or hotblooded depending on how you look at it, killings that take place within the narrative. To those to whom genre is of significance, The Last Midnight perhaps might be described as a courtroom drama, though less than 20 percent of the action takes place in a courtroom. It is part action novel, suspense novel, crime novel, and novel of psychological realism. Add to that it is part fantasy and part Harlequin Romance, but I will not reveal whether the lawyer gets the girl. –Mark Gutglueck
Labels: Gary Wenkle Smith, Story Merchant Books, Story Merchant Client, The Last Midnight, thriller
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Here I reign
Terry does it again. (Whether that's a good thing or not remains, as always, a matter of taste.)
Written and directed by Terrence Malick
With Rooney Mara (Faye), Ryan Gosling (B.V.), Natalie Portman (Rhonda), and Michael Fassbender (Cook)
Spoiler alert: mild
"I'm not in the business of writing about Terrence Malick," I said about a year ago, as I proceeded to write about Terrence Malick; and now, here we go again. The former lazing teacher and present-day cinematic workhorse released his fifth film in less than six years in the first half of 2017, and I couldn't let it slip by unmentioned—especially since it is, I think, the best movie Malick's made since the first movie in that cycle, The Tree of Life, and (to give the game away) there's a better than even chance it's making my personal top ten for the year. (Though I should be more cautious in one regard, at least: I still haven't seen Voyage of Time yet. Then again, neither has anybody else I know, and I'm starting to think it might be an urban myth, like Avatar 2.)
On the other hand, nothing about Song to Song seems revolutionary in the wake of 2016's Knight of Cups, Malick's other "best film since The Tree of Life," which took the willowy aesthetic that's predominated over all of Malick's filmography and especially his modern works—that is, everything since his first masterpiece, The Thin Red Line—and took it to its ultimate logical endpoint, which was either a wonderful and awe-inspiring thing, or an exercise in self-parody so earnestly ludicrous that it made you question whether the aging director was still in command of his cognitive faculties, even if his technical skills obviously hadn't gone anywhere. I was in the former camp, in case that wasn't clear. If anything, Cups has only grown in my esteem since seeing it last year; though just to go ahead and alienate everybody (all four people reading this, sigh), I should own up to my heterodox appreciation of Malick's body of work, which for me only begins with The Thin Red Line, as if Badlands and Days of Heaven, both rather boring, and neither one possessed of Malick's later maturity of technique, simply weren't there.
Anyway: if there's one big difference between Song and Cups, both of which are concerned above all things with the texture of light and feeling, it's that Song actually is a narrative film, whereas Knight effectively isn't, leaving you instead with naught but the most obtuse allegory possible (Tarot cards mixed with The Pilgrim's Progress)—not that Song is a "narrative film" the way most films are "narrative films," and not that Song is also not, when it comes right down to it, an obtuse (though very blatant) allegory. Take the two together with To the Wonder (the visually-limper predecessor to Cups), and we can see now that Malick's tied off a trilogy of sorts, that either makes sex a metaphor for God—or, maybe, God a metaphor for sex—and seeks to examine, over the course of about six hours, what it means to love, and whether or not that's even possible while living in a fallen world, with all the other fallen angels. Oh, yes: they're super-Christian, and Song no less than the others. If only all Christian films had this much passion and artistry, maybe more of them would be any good.
Further distinguishing it, at least from its immediate predecessor, Song also has a female protagonist, sort of; or at least Song might give slightly more focus to her than its other major players. Though, if truth's to be told, its most interesting character is still a man (who also vanishes from the "plot" thirty minutes before the movie ends); and, amusingly enough, the character with the most onscreen lines (as opposed to Malick's preferred mode of verbal expression, voiceover narration) might actually be Patti Smith, cameoing alongside a whole bevy of other musicians, all of whom seem to have been chosen at random, but that's only because they literally were. (Naturally enough, the music that Malick seems most interested in is still his giant collection of classical cues.)
Alright, "character" may be pushing that word too far, but this is the story as it unfolds in Song, without any stable mooring in time or, often enough, in space: in Austin, TX, there is a music scene, of course, and amongst its denizens are Faye, a young guitarist who might not be as passionately committed to her scarcely-heard music as to what her music and the musical culture around her represents; B.V., Faye's boyfriend, a musician with a rising star, whom she loses over the course of the film; Cook, a grotesquely-wealthy music producer who rules over his town like all music producers do in the movies, and who's fucking, or has been fucking, or will be fucking Faye, depending on precisely which scene we're living in at the time; and Rhonda, the woman Cook married before his hunger turned toward Faye, and whom we notice isn't around anymore. Song follows them through their ups and (mainly) downs, while Cook tempts them, and taunts them; and the arc of every one of these characters, including Cook's, hangs upon whether they can, at last, bring themselves to see through the material illusions which Cook has conjured before them all, and find real happiness in their lives.
As with all Malick, and especially modern Malick, it's amorphous and arty and terrifically pretentious, and once again the animating force of it is Emmanuel Lubezki's jaw-dropping cinematography, as paired with Malick and Malick's three-man editing team's impressionistic montage. In pretty much every regard, Malick and Lubezki are only doing what they already did in 2016 with Cups, which is to take a found location (in this case Austin, rather than L.A. and Las Vegas) and turn it into an alienated landscape, finding all the right angles, and all the right positions of the human objects within it, to make it new and strange and beautiful and thrumming with divine power. Whether or not that power belongs to God or not, however, is a question you'd have to ask Malick: there is a slight but crucial difference in tone to Song, much of it brought about by Michael Fassbender's participation (he reminds you a great deal of his turn as David in Ridley Scott's new Alien flicks), and by Malick's decision to lend Fassbender's Cook the focus almost as readily as he does his "heroes." Knight of Cups' excess and indulgence leapt out at me as essentially pantheistic, a way to appreciate the God inside every human work; Song is gnostic, and necessarily darker, and it wants us to appreciate somebody else. If Cups took inspiration from Pilgrim's Progress, Song looks to Paradise Lost.
And bluntly, at that. Cook, as played by Fassbender and encouraged by Malick, is the literal devil, and while this is scarcely the most innovative thing to do with a music mogul—Phantom of the Paradise was doing this in the 70s, and I'm very sure movies were doing it at least sixty years earlier than that—when Malick goes for it here, that's when Song jumps from "Cups but less novel" into its own unique register of greatness. It does it in the space of one single abrupt cut, with a Tree of Life-style where were you? formal break that put a big stupid grin on my face like nothing else I've seen in a movie all year. The pity is it doesn't sustain this abject cinematic mysticism: the film returns to its more subdued magic immediately thereafter, and remains there.
But "subdued" is a relative term, because while Malick and Lubezki may be resting on their laurels (and they are fine laurels indeed upon which to rest), Malick and his editors are not, and Song is put together without the slightest respect for temporal connection, with conversations taking place over multiple locations and across multiple times. (Strangely, it even flirts with Nolanesque puzzlebox technique, a really odd thing for a movie this aggressively unconcerned with how moments fit together physically: there's a certain closeup of Faye that presents, if anything does, as the film's most noticeable thruline.) It is, of course, more of the same—Malick's been playing with the flow of time forever—but it is one of his most complete and successful experiments in annihilating it, and enslaving it to the flow of the deeper currents he's interested in.
Necessarily or not, but inevitably—honestly, it's surprising that Fassbender's performance is as unbowed as it is—everyone here is reduced to a meat prop, a delivery device for breathy narration, and a body to be arranged within a frame. Though by Malick's standards, they are perfectly cast bodies: Rooney Mara, who has complained of her vague instructions as Faye, does what Mara has always been best at, which is presenting a character who's looking for herself and is well on her way to finding it (though as a musician, she does not convince, looking like she's held about as many guitars as she's eaten pies); as for Replicant Gosling's haunted bearing and yearning gaze, I can't tell you why this was only the first time he's starred in a Terrence Malick movie. Meanwhile, someone decided Natalie Portman should have a southern accent, which was a terrible mistake, though she does "spiritual destitution amidst splendor" as well as anybody else in the film; and, for everybody involved, Malick's usual technique of shooting footage till the actors got bored and started frolicking randomly pays off with some of the choicest frolicks the director's ever captured. (And maybe this is one reason why Fassbender's performance towers over the rest: my theory is that he's actually seen a Malick movie before, and persevered despite the aimlessness, steadfastly refusing to give the director anything but Satan-as-interpretive-dance.)
It is amorphous and arty and pretentious, I said, and, of course, it's also a tiny bit fraught: its paean to monogamy is marked by a small-c social conservatism that also does never gets in the way of Malick making a frequently-gazey kind of movie that it's quite plausible he's masturbated to. My own adoration for Rooney Mara's abdomen being similar in kind, if not in intensity, perhaps I am slightly too forgiving of the results.
But there's a value to Malick's pornographic phase, I think—a value to this too-blatant, compulsive worship of youth and beauty, of wealth and class. At the very least, it serves the film that Malick's made. It makes it opulent and seductive, and this is the point of Song to Song, after all—its oblique retelling of the Fall. (It is wonderful and weird that in a single calendar year, we got to see two great filmmakers as different in mentality as Malick and Darren Aronofsky each find their own hyper-idiosyncratic but equally high-handed way to adapt the Book of Genesis in modern dress.) Anyway, the most powerful thing about Malick's film—besides its images, obviously, and the invisible spaces between those images where the unknowable lies—is its sympathy for the devil: a lost soul, like the rest of us. It is not beyond imagination that he can love, too, as twisted as he is, and still bring his eyes up toward the light.
Labels: 2017, 8/10, film as ornamentation, melodrama, Michael Fassbender, Natalie Portman, opaque allegory, religion and lack thereof, Romance, Rooney Mara, Ryan Gosling, Terrence Malick
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Title XIV
TAXATION AND FINANCE Chapter 216
PLANNING AND BUDGETING View Entire Chapter
216.177 Appropriations acts, statement of intent, violation, notice, review and objection procedures.—
(1) When an appropriations act is delivered to the Governor after the Legislature has adjourned sine die, as soon as practicable, but no later than the 10th day before the end of the period allowed by law for veto consideration in any year in which an appropriation is made, the chairs of the legislative appropriations committees shall jointly transmit:
(a) The official list of General Revenue Fund appropriations determined in consultation with the Executive Office of the Governor to be nonrecurring; and
(b) The documents set forth in s. 216.0442(2)(a) and (c),
to the Executive Office of the Governor, the Chief Financial Officer, the Auditor General, the director of the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, and each state agency. A request for additional explanation and direction regarding the legislative intent of the General Appropriations Act during the fiscal year may be made to the chair and vice chair of the Legislative Budget Commission or the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives only by and through the Executive Office of the Governor for state agencies, and by and through the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court for the judicial branch, as is deemed necessary. However, the Chief Financial Officer may also request further clarification of legislative intent pursuant to the Chief Financial Officer’s responsibilities related to his or her preaudit function of expenditures.
(2)(a) Whenever notice of action to be taken by the Executive Office of the Governor or the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court is required by law, such notice shall be given to the chair and vice chair of the Legislative Budget Commission in writing, and shall be delivered at least 14 days prior to the action referred to, unless a shorter period is approved in writing by the chair and vice chair or a different period is specified by law. If the action is solely for the release of funds appropriated by the Legislature, the notice shall be delivered at least 3 days before the effective date of the action. Action shall not be taken on any budget item for which this chapter requires notice to the Legislative Budget Commission or the appropriations committees without such notice having been provided, even though there may be good cause for considering such item.
(b) If the chair and vice chair of the Legislative Budget Commission or the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives timely advise, in writing, the Executive Office of the Governor or the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court that an action or a proposed action, including any expenditure of funds resulting from the settlement of litigation involving a state agency or officer, whether subject to the notice and review requirements of this chapter or not, exceeds the delegated authority of the Executive Office of the Governor for the executive branch or the Chief Justice for the judicial branch, respectively, or is contrary to legislative policy and intent, the Governor or the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court shall void such action and instruct the affected state agency or entity of the judicial branch to change immediately its spending action or spending proposal until the Legislative Budget Commission or the Legislature addresses the issue. The written documentation shall indicate the specific reasons that an action or proposed action exceeds the delegated authority or is contrary to legislative policy and intent.
(c) The House of Representatives and the Senate shall provide by rule that any member of the House of Representatives or Senate may request, in writing, of either the President of the Senate or the Speaker of the House of Representatives to initiate the procedures of paragraph (b).
(3) The Legislature may annually specify any incentives and disincentives for agencies operating programs under performance-based budgets pursuant to this chapter in the General Appropriations Act or legislation implementing the General Appropriations Act.
History.—s. 31, ch. 69-106; s. 8, ch. 69-82; s. 12, ch. 71-354; s. 11, ch. 77-352; s. 14, ch. 79-190; s. 8, ch. 81-169; s. 14, ch. 83-49; s. 63, ch. 87-548; s. 8, ch. 89-51; s. 17, ch. 91-109; s. 57, ch. 92-142; s. 12, ch. 94-249; s. 1514, ch. 95-147; s. 24, ch. 2000-171; s. 20, ch. 2000-371; s. 6, ch. 2001-56; s. 3, ch. 2001-61; s. 58, ch. 2001-266; s. 237, ch. 2003-261; s. 28, ch. 2005-152; s. 29, ch. 2006-122.
Note.—Former s. 216.181(1) and (2).
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LEN News
Job training program gets high marks
A job preparation program for people of diverse cultures
By abc7news / December 3, 2018
A Bay Area success story is celebrating its 20th anniversary this month. It’s a job training program for low-income people, and it’s showing remarkable results even during tough economic times.
At LEN Business and Language Institute, students are working on English in one corner. Others are learning computer skills, bookkeeping, polishing their resumes or practicing for job interviews.
It’s a modern day version of the one-room school house — adult students with a wide range of backgrounds studying the basics of how to get a job.
“We have students who have never touched a computer before, that barely speak English — and we have students who might have a masters degree or even a doctorate,” said Nancy Rynd, founder and director of the job training program.
Set up to feel more like a busy office than a school, everyone at LEN Institute works at their own level. But they all share one thing.
“All of the students are struggling. Ninety-nine percent of the students have children that they need to support,” Rynd said
Rynd and her husband Tom Ahrens founded the LEN Institute 20 years ago. They take about 140 students a year. Many are on public assistance, and some are in the United States on political asylum.
LEN offers job opportunities and on-the-job
training to individuals interested in pursuing
careers in property management.
leninst@sbcglobal.net
Copyright © 2021 LEN Institute All rights reserved.
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A Decade of Evidence Demonstrates The Dramatic Failure Of Globalisation
international | miscellaneous | other press Tuesday August 23, 2016 15:39 by Fírinne - Fírinne
Original article By Graham Vanbergen – http://truepublica.org.uk/global/decade-evidence-demons...tion/
According to wikipedia, Globalisation is the process of international integration arising from the interchange of world views, products, ideas and other aspects of culture. However, over the last ten years there has been a sea change decline in all the indicators that would measure the success of this model. Democracy, economic growth, freedom and an interchange of world views and culture has all but been abandoned to a vice like grip of globalisation driven more by the corporate principles of power and greed resulting in war, terrorism, a biblical refugee crisis, fear and a fully co-opted media.
By Graham Vanbergen – According to wikipedia, Globalisation is the process of international integration arising from the interchange of world views, products, ideas and other aspects of culture. However, over the last ten years there has been a sea change decline in all the indicators that would measure the success of this model.
Democracy, economic growth, freedom and an interchange of world views and culture has all but been abandoned to a vice like grip of globalisation driven more by the corporate principles of power and greed resulting in war, terrorism, a biblical refugee crisis, fear and a fully co-opted media.
The Economist has just published its annual index on democracy. They found that out of 167 countries, only twenty are “full democracies”. Less than 13 per cent of the world’s countries can now claim to be a democracy. Given that America has graciously forced so much democracy on the world, one could be forgiven for thinking all is not well.
In the meantime, Freedom House have published their annual Freedom Index that makes for just as sobering reading. It found that the number of countries showing a decline in freedom for the year, 72 to be precise, was the largest since the 10-year slide began.
Over the past 10 years, 105 countries have seen a net decline. Think about that fact for a moment.
Unsurprisingly, ratings for the Middle East and North Africa region were the worst in the world during the course of 2015, followed closely by Eurasia. It also found that over the last decade, the most significant global reversals have been in the rule of law.
Not to be outdone, the World Press Freedom Index published recently found that most of the movement in the world press was indicative of a climate of fear and tension combined with increasing control over newsrooms by governments and private-sector interests. The Index asserts that leaders across the world are now paranoid about journalists. And they don’t just mean the dictators and despots of countries many people have never heard of.
To make matters worse, the UNHCR Global Trends report finds 65.3 million people, or one person in 113, were displaced from their homes by conflict and persecution during last year alone. There are now more people displaced from their homes by force than there was from the last cataclysmic episode in human history than at the end of the second world war.
The UNHCR report also finds that the wave of global displacements is now four times greater than it was just ten years ago.
In an environment or war and fear other distasteful acts of human depravity unfolds. The 2016 Global Slavery Index estimates that 45.8 million people are now subject to some form of modern slavery in the world today. This number is greater than at any time in history, let alone the last decade.
There are now many more slaves in the world than at the height of the slave trade in the 1800’s. Back then, the world only required eleven million slaves, today it’s over four times that number. Those countries with the highest absolute numbers of people in modern slavery are India, China, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Uzbekistan. It should not be forgotten that these countries provide the low-cost labour that produces consumer goods for markets in Western Europe, Japan and North America.
Emergent in this new global climate are rival factions, belligerents, radical groups, extremists and governments behaving in an extreme fashion who are often highly adept at their own terror strategies. Amongst all this, innocent people are trapped in their millions.
Last year the Global Terrorism Index reported that “in 2014 the total number of deaths from terrorism increased by 80 per cent when compared to the prior year. This is the largest yearly increase in the last 15 years. In fact, since the beginning of the 21st century, there has been over a nine-fold increase in the number of deaths from terrorism, rising from 3,329 in 2000 to 32,685. Terrorism is spreading to more countries, with the number of countries experiencing more than 500 deaths increasing 120 per cent from the previous year with a 172 per cent increase in the deaths of private citizens.” The 2016 report will surely make depressing reading.
Across the West we are seeing counter-espionage and counter-terrorist measures being misused in the guise of security. Laws are being passed year after year allowing mass surveillance, previously considered illegal until Edward Snowden blew the whistle on this shadowy world. Civil liberties and civil rights are being dismantled all over the globe. In Britain, the most surveilled country in the world, the government even wants to discard the Human Rights Act.
Conflicts of interest have massively increased in the last decade. The West is now experiencing the vice like grip of increasing corporate power in the shape of trade agreements such as TTIP, TPP and CETA which have little to do with free trade and much more to do with profit leading to widespread corruption. Just 147 transnationals out of a total of 43,000 corporations operating worldwide now controls an eye-watering 40 per cent of global trade. In America, just ten companies controls almost all manufactured food.
Transnational organisations, huge as they are, employ less than 20 million people worldwide, less than one half of one per cent of the world population, whilst 1.8 billion adults remain unemployed.
Even the United Nations has been highjacked by a slow motion corporate coup d’tat that over the last ten years has seen the needs of people replaced by the demands of corporations.
The Panama Papers, Swiss leaks and Lux leaks have all combined to graphically demonstrate that what we have now is nothing more than anarchy by the rich and powerful. Social democracy is being dismembered by a surge of austerity where corporate power is usurping political power as revolving doors and lucrative contracts bribe politicians. At the same time we see unimaginable wealth being hidden in tax havens that is literally starving entire nations and depriving people of basics. It is estimated that well over $30 trillion of illegal cash is hidden from tax authorities, mostly by corporations who do not wish to contribute to the societies that raise, educate and provide healthcare for their own workers.
Authorities have tightened their grip on state media and in many cases privately-owned networks have swallowed up so much competition that they now drive national narratives, mainly for corporate interests. In the last ten years there has been a significant decline in media competition. Just one company, Google has an unassailable grip on what we see and hear. Combined with Facebook, we are now hearing of scientific evidence that these huge corporations can determine the outcome of elections. Governments are now fearful of their ability to silently swing opinion, hence both enjoy very low taxes and any form of real governance as their reward.
The world is being battered by wave after wave of crisis that has taken the form of aggression and fear resulting in a battle of states and corporations dependent on the acquisition and sale of natural resources. The principle of globalisation is now a win-at-all-costs scenario. This is globalisation at its shiniest.
The result of the sheer scale of conflict of interest, a piratical banking system, a fully controlled media and the creeping colonisation of nations by corporate domination is that over 70 per cent of the entire adult population of continental Europe now believes corruption by their government is endemic not just to their own country but that of the entire European Union.
And yet, one index, largely ignored by the global establishment press in this context is the Happy Planet Index. The HPI is the leading measure of sustainable wellbeing. It combines four elements – wellbeing, life expectancy, inequality of outcomes, and ecological footprint. It aims to show how efficiently residents of different countries are using environmental resources to lead long, happy lives.
No G8 country appears in the top 30. The UK ranks 34th but it still comes out ahead of France (44th) and Germany (49th). For all of its grand-standing of exceptionalism and global lecturing, America limps in at a thoroughly miserable 108th.
The overall results highlight success stories in Latin America and Asia Pacific, where residents enjoy relatively high and equally distributed life expectancy and wellbeing, while leaving a smaller ecological footprint than other more advanced economies.
It might surprise you to now that the tiny tropical nation of Costa Rica made it to the number one position – for the third time in a row.
In Costa Rica, people are living longer, and are more satisfied with life than people living in all western societies. What really sets the country apart is that it has managed to combine long, happy lives with an environmental impact that’s little more than one third (per capita) of the USA’s.
You might ask how it has achieved such wellbeing. For a start, it abolished its army in 1949. Costa Rica then reallocated its entire defence budget to funding better quality education, health and pensions. In Britain, that would equate to about £55 billion every year, in the USA about $600 billion.
There has been a culture of forming solid social networks of friends, families and neighbourhoods and this has proved to be an invaluable factor contributing to Costa Rican’s high levels of overall wellbeing.
Costa Rica also stands out as a world leader when it comes to environmental protection. It has just managed to achieve over 95% of electricity from renewable sources and the government is way ahead of all other wealthier nations, having committed the country to becoming completely carbon neutral by 2021.
For so-called world leaders, surely, here lies a model that requires little explanation of a route to success whilst proving what a total disaster globalisation has been to billions of people across the world so far.
by Crazy Cat Thu Feb 09, 2017 09:57
Don't quite know where to put this as a comment.
Hans Rosling died and that was when I discovered him!
Here is a very interesting talk on the population of the world:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZmqI6jCQQY
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EARLY DEBT REPAYMENT – NEW BEGINNING” FOR FIJI PINE
Caption: Fiji Pine Executive Chairman, Faiz Khan presenting the cheque for $2.4million to the Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama.
By Ashtosh Singh
Fiji Pine, the state-owned enterprise has paid off a loan it recently secured from Government to clear a 28 year debt.
Just three months ago, Fiji Pine borrowed $2.4-million dollars from Government to finally settle a loan it obtained from the European Investment Bank in 1985.
Its recent financial performance has been such that the Executive Chairman of Fiji Pine, Faiz Khan, was today able to hand the money back when he presented a cheque for $2.4-million to the Prime Minister, Voreqe Bainimarama.
The Prime Minister commended Fiji Pine for the prompt repayment. “I can’t recall another occasion when a state-owned enterprise has paid off an outstanding amount to Government so quickly. It’s a great credit to the Board, management and workers and a clear sign of the success of our reform program at Fiji Pine”, he said.
Mr Khan said Fiji Pine had long been burdened by past failures but was gradually turning its fortunes around and guaranteeing a sustainable future for the enterprise and its workers.
“We made record profits in 2011. And while we have endured an unprecedented slump in the wood chip market over the past 18 months, our marketing strategies will ensure more stable demand for our products into the future”, he said.
Fiji Pine workers were also singled out for praise by the Attorney General and Minister for Public Enterprises, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, who said they had worked hard with the Board and management to achieve “an outstanding result”.
“What we are seeing is proof that our public enterprises can thrive if employees, management and Government work together cooperatively for the common good. This is all good news for those dependent on the industry and for the Fijian economy as a whole”, he said.
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Blog Tour & Review ~ Hardball by CD Reiss
Perfect ass.
Perfect arms.
Perfect swagger.
They call Dash Wallace the Diamond King.
He’s the hottest commodity in baseball and in the bedroom.
When he runs the bases, every woman’s eyes are glued to his stunning body and a smile that puts the night lights to shame.
I’m no queen. I’m a regular girl with a regular job. I just watch him on TV and from the bleachers, season after season.
Girls like me grab a guy like that one in a million times.
My number just came up, and he is as spectacular in bed as he is on the field.
But there’s not a woman in the world who can distract Dash Wallace from the game. Not for a moment. Not even me.
Until the night I do. And everything changes.
Add it to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24982471-hardball
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1PuPDu5
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1SazMCT
Nook: http://bit.ly/1PccpqQ
iBooks: http://apple.co/1PccudW
Google: http://bit.ly/1ZvzC29
Meet Dash Wallace: http://dashwallace.com/
***ARC received for an honest review***
“The very instant that I saw you, did my heart fly to your service.”
This was a new side to CD Reiss and I have to say I loved every word. CD Reiss does Contemporary Romance with ease and soon has you emotionally invested with her characters Dash and Vivian.
Vivian was a beautiful person on the inside and out and had the hugest heart of gold. Having lost her mother at an early age she now lives with her step-dad who has chronic arthritis. The relationship that she has with her step-dad is beautiful and despite not being blood related their bond is impenetrable. Having never known her father, he was the only Dad she had known and he had been the best. Vivian was a school librarian in a school that taught mainly under-privileged kids. Her heart knew no bounds when it came to making sure they were okay and not hungry. While not the highest paying of jobs it was a job that gave her emotional enrichment and she adored those kids.
It is on a school trip that Vivian meets Dash, she needs her baseball signed, he’s a bit of an ass, but an extremely handsome ass.
Dash, Dash, Dash…I adored him and all his little OCD tendencies, he was a man that despite his fame and fortune always questioned his ability and put his success down to his routines. He was a man that shied away from the camera lenses for fear of letting people in and exposing his vulnerabilities. He was a man that had walls around his heart so love wouldn’t escape and more importantly couldn’t be let in but at the end of the day he was a man that needed to be loved the most. My heart broke for him and I just wanted to jump into the kindle and give him the hugest of hugs.
“I feel like the sky is eight feet over my head, a million tons and falling fast. I don’t know what you want from me, but I’m pretty sure I can’t give it to you. I tried. But I’m squeezed.”
For the first time in his life Dash is drawn to a woman, while they only met briefly and he did not come across as the true man he is, there was something about Vivian that wouldn’t leave his thoughts. Vivian had made a lasting impression, so when their paths cross once again he is determined to make one of his own.
“She wasn’t completely broken or completely whole. She was guileless without being naïve. Vulnerable and strong at the same time. A locked box with a tiny window that let me see something shiny inside.”
Dash has to do a lot of fighting in this book, not the physical kind, but the mental and emotional kind. He had to fight his demons, his sub conscience and all his anxieties. He was pushed the furthest he has been out of his comfort zones, sometimes with disastrous effects but he had an end goal and it was one he never ever thought he wanted or deserved.
“Yeah, a two-month bellyache called Vivian-itis…Symptoms include desperate longing and an inability to do anything but feel like a douchebag. Patient can’t do shit on the field but stand there like an ass, wondering what the fuck he’s doing with his life. It’s chronic. No known cure.”
Dash is a man of words too, he is well read (swoon) and loves a good book and their conversations through books had me sighing many times, their cheeky texts and sexual banter has Vivian’s own comfort zones pushed but whereas she was always so sensible and reserved, Dash brought her out of her shell. Dash was all kinds of dominant in the bedroom and CD Reiss certainly knows how to pen a sex scene. These two were insanely hot together and she perfectly captured their connection on every level.
“Were you this irritating when we met?”
“I was charming. Very charming.”
“Where did Mr Charming go?”
“That guy didn’t have staying power…but Mr Irritating? He’ll stick around?”
While on paper these two shouldn’t have worked, they did, in all the best ways. They centred each other, they were great for each other and I was championing them along all the way. These two have mountains to climb but together they make a great team, they just need to reach for the summit. Another great read from CD Reiss.
CD Reiss is a USA Today bestseller. She still has to chop wood and carry water, which was buried in the fine print. Her lawyer is working it out with God but in the meantime, if you call and she doesn't pick up she's at the well hauling buckets.
Born in New York City, she moved to Hollywood, California to get her master's degree in screenwriting from USC. In case you want to know, that went nowhere but it did give her a big enough ego to write novels.
She's frequently referred to as the Shakespeare of Smut which is flattering but hasn't ever gotten her out of chopping that cord of wood.
Connect With Christine:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CDReiss.writer
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1QCijXp
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6896405.C_D_Reiss
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cdreiss/
Website: http://cdreiss.com
Labels: 4 Stars, ARC Review, Donna's Reviews
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Adri Castro
Hayley Lewis
Cheyenne Lentz
Holliwood
Malu Lucero
Tivaughn "T" Lettsome
Vids & Pics
U4RIA Dance Studio
Ben Faustino
Ben Faustino was born in August 20, 1988 in Manila Philippines. He is the youngest of two boys in their family. He moved to Florida with his parents when he was 16. He started dancing at his senior year, with the hip hop dance team at his high school and got awarded as the "most improved dancer". At the age of 18, he started to take dance more seriously and started taking classes at Seans dance factory. From there he learned how to freestyle, pop, lock, house, and breakdance. He became a professional dancer at the age of 19. Soon, he left Seans dance factory and trained with Brian Abadia and took workshops from Nick Wilson, Jaffar Smith, Jun Quemado, Gigi Torres, Candace Brown and Elm Boogie. Now, he's starting to teach at Olympic Heights High School and U4ria dance studio as a guest instructor. And one day he wishes that he will inspire many people by his passion and love for dancing.
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Feb 3, 2016 | 0 comments
They say don’t do it. They say that it’s really too much for one day unless you’re an expert, a mountain runner, or a certified lunatic. But they prefer you just don’t do it. Hiking down and back up the Grand Canyon is almost the equivalent distance of a marathon – one in which the greater half is spent going up and up and up and up. And unlike climbing a mountain, the uphill part on the Canyon is done when you’re already tired from the hike down.
But I only had the one day, the one dream – to hike the Grand Canyon. I’ve never allowed a few unpleasant facts (nor apparently, common sense) get in the way of doing what I want.
At least this time I wasn’t alone in my lunacy. My hiking companion, Berten was a twenty-three-year-old freshly minuted university graduate from Belgium. A trip to the USA was a break for him. His summers were usually spent taking American mountain-bikers on week-long cycling tours through the Swiss Alps.
Yes, seriously.
Out of our entire group, Berten was the only other person who wanted to hike – which was interesting given that, in all other respects he was quite intelligent, thoughtful and possessed of a great sense of humour. The others chose to take a brief flight over the Grand Canyon. (Typically, I wanted to do both but there was that whole thing about only having one day).
The evening before the hike, we all stood on the rim of the Grand Canyon and stared, dumbfounded at the view. The sky is sliced in half horizontally, as though a sharp but jagged blade has cut deep into the earth, randomly scooping chunks away. An earthy palette of colours blend and shape the myriad cliffs and valleys, and the Colorado River below is nothing more than a vague green smudge. The Grand Canyon defies every concept of size and forces you to re-evaluate what your eyes are telling you.
The following morning, long before the sun rose, we filled our packs with water, snacks, sandwiches, flashlights, a thermal blanket and fleece jackets. A tiny – and as it turned out, wholly inadequate – first aid kit was also thrown in. I had on my Oakland A’s baseball cap I’d bought the previous week when I’d been to see their final game of the season. I also wore the pair of lightweight but good quality hiking boots I’d got that same day. They were really comfy.
(Why did I buy new boots? Because I thought I wouldn’t need the serious leather hiking boots I had at home, which weighed quite a bit but which never once hurt my feet.)
Having seen the Canyon the previous day, I was pretty excited to be doing the hike. Berten and I got a lift to the South Kaibab Trailhead and started hiking about half an hour short of dawn. With the path lit by flashlights and the palest glow in the sky, we joined about fifty others as they set out on the seven mile (11.3km) hike down to the bottom.
At first, I had to concentrate on where I placed my feet – the track is notoriously dangerous in the dark and the South Kaibab is the steepest on the South Rim. But as we walked, the crowds thinning out quickly, light began to gently spread across the sky and what it revealed was astonishing.
Colours that in the sunset had been muted and greyed were, in the dawn, punched through the crisp air. Beige became bright yellow, brown a brilliant orange. It became steadily more difficult to watch where I put my feet because all I wanted to do was stare at the sunlight’s journey across the walls of the Grand Canyon.
This was what I’d come for. I was in heaven.
We hiked steadily for about an hour and a half, but it didn’t take that long for me to realised that my pace was about half that of Berten’s. He’d had strict instructions to stick by me (given I had ten years on him, more than a few pounds and I didn’t spend my holidays pedalling up the stiff slopes of the Alps) but he would still find himself a distance ahead and have to wait for me to catch up.
He was so good about it. He didn’t once complain – although he suggested I walk a bit faster. But this was my comfortable pace and I really wanted to enjoy the walk. After a while, I let him to go his own pace. We could meet up at the bottom for lunch. He took some convincing, but it didn’t take long for him to become a bright green dot in the distance.
The South Kaibab Trail down into the Grand Canyon is pretty good. It’s steep but not unmanageable, with plenty of switchbacks to show off the ever-expanding views on every side. With each turn, the ice-green of the Colorado River grew closer and closer and although my knees were starting to get a little sore by the time I got to the bottom, I loved every minute of that hike.
Right up until I arrived at the river and faced that horror – a suspension foot bridge, with slats that show you the river below even as you walk above it! Shudder!!!!
I had no choice but to gird my loins and cross; Berten was somewhere on the other side and I needed to rest before starting the trek back up. But it took me a good couple of minutes to take that first step. I was pathetically proud of myself when I made it to the other side.
I found Berten pretty quickly and we sat to eat and compare notes on our trips down. He’d done the whole thing in just over two hours. It had taken me four hours. So he’d been waiting two hours for me to arrive. Two hours where he’d sat around. Resting.
Which was why, after only twenty minutes, he insisted we start the trek back up. It was only 11am. I wanted to rest longer but he was right – it was going to be a long walk back up (14.4 miles/ 23.2km) before it got dark at about 6.30pm.
I agreed reluctantly. We set off at a good pace up the Bright Angel Trail, but only half an hour in I knew I was in trouble. I didn’t say anything to Berten, but I was struggling with the constant uphill. I tried to up my pace, but it never lasted long. Determined not to inflict this on him as well, I again insisted that he go at his own speed and off he went.
An overwhelming depression swept over me. I couldn’t do it. I had more than 12 miles to go and my legs were already shaky and weak. How in hell was I going to get to the top without a long rest? And if I rested it would be way after dark before I reached the top. Starting before dawn, the sky just gets lighter. Hiking after sunset was lethal, because it just got darker. Even the Search and Rescue teams don’t set out on the trails after dark.
I stopped to rest and consider my options. As I sat, other hikers strode past me, fresh as a daisy, waving or smiling a greeting in that open friendliness I’ve always found in fellow hikers. I envied their long hiker’s legs and their bright, happy faces. I was overheated, sunburnt, tired and short. In short, I was screwed.
But then two things happened that got me to my feet. The first was the full realisation that I had no choice but to go on, and feeling sorry for myself would only make the next eight hours intolerable. So I decided to just embrace my fate and instead, do all I could to equally enjoy the trip back up. After all, I was still in the Grand Canyon, one of the most beautiful places on earth.
The second thing was the unmistakable clanging of bells, warning me of an approaching donkey train heading home. What got me moving was the sudden vision me sitting on one of those poor animals as it heaved me up the unending slope! There was no way I’d accept that kind of defeat! I may be a fool, but I’m not coward. I got myself into this, I would get myself out.
So I got up and carried on. Slowly but surely, putting one foot in front of the other, filling up my water bottle whenever I could, keeping to the shade when there was some available. I took out an orange and ate it as I walked – it took me an hour to nibble at it. My body wasn’t interested in food. All my resources were focused on keeping my legs moving.
A couple of hours later, the first blister on my heel burst. That heralded an avalanche of more blisters and sore spots that swiftly exhausted my first aid supplies. The thin socks I’d so stupidly worn became stained with blood and red ochre dust and did nothing to prevent further damage to my feet.
I was still three hours from the top when the shadows revealed a mere two hours until sunset. I was alone on the trail now; the other hikers had passed me long ago. I should have been horrified by that, or at the very least, a bit scared. But I was either a lot braver than I’d expected – or more likely, fear required far more energy than I could spare right now.
Instead, I began keeping a lookout for places I could shelter for the night, spots where I could gather firewood or leafy branches to use as blankets. Admittedly, there wasn’t much available – but thinking positively about how much control I did have over my worsening situation actually kept me going.
But an hour later even those reserves began to flag. I was walking even slower, but I was in pain from my feet, my back and the sunburn that spread across my cheeks despite my determined efforts at protection. I began to wish I was just done, at the top already. That it was all over. I wondered whether I should stop now and find a place to spend the night while I had light and enough energy to do it. But I never wished I hadn’t done the hike. Not once.
I didn’t stop. I’m not sure I could by that point. My body was on auto pilot, one foot in front of the other, mindlessly trudging along. All I could think about was how bad I felt, how each step was excruciating, and thinking about it of course, just made me feel worse. I thought of Berten, surely now happily at the top, lounging about, probably chatting with others who’d made it. I was glad for him – but I couldn’t help wishing that he was still with me, so that he could talk to me and take my mind off my aches and pains.
Then the strangest thing happened. No sooner had I finished the thought when I heard this voice calling my name, again and again. I stopped and looked up. High above me on one of the many switchbacks I had yet to hike, an anxious face peered down at me.
Berten.
He waved and yelled something I didn’t quite get and then as quickly disappeared. Vaguely confused, I resumed my trudging but after a preposterously short time, he appeared on the trail before me (I found out later that he’d run about two miles down to find me).
“What are you doing here?” I asked. Apparently I still had enough energy to smile and look pathetically relieved to see him.
“I’ve been waiting at the top for you, checking with every hiker whether they’d seen you. I ran out of people to ask so I figured I’d better come down and find you.” He said all of this in impeccable English, accented beautifully with his native Flemish.
I’m not sure I’ve ever been so happy to see anybody.
With kind but very firm words, he got me walking again, keeping to a slightly faster pace and most importantly for me, talking about his home, his family, his hopes for the future. I tried to respond in kind, but I was beyond more than brief statements. The sun began to set but he never stopped and wouldn’t allow me to. He never told me off, but kept encouraging me. He understood my exhaustion, but wouldn’t allow me to give into it long enough to rest.
It was not long after dark when we finally reached the top of the Grand Canyon. Berten sat with me for a moment, but when he found out that there was another girl still on the trail, he headed down to help find her.
Half an hour later he was back. It was a false alarm: the girl had never started hiking in the first place.
That evening, around our campfire, Berten regaled the group with tales of our trek, but left out how he’d come back to help me, and how he’d selflessly gone down to help somebody he didn’t even know, hiking untold extra miles. I wanted to tell everyone, so they could all admire him and see what a great guy he was. But to do so would have been to admit that he’d left me in the first place, which he’d promised not to do. So I never said anything.
Well, not to them.
The next morning as we left the area, we stopped by the Canyon rim so the others could watch the sun rise. Berten and I, aching from every muscle, barefoot to save our bruised and bleeding feet, hobbled like a pair of wrinkled pensioners over to the edge to gaze out over the glowing vista.
“How do you feel this morning,” he asked without looking at me.
“Pretty rough. You?”
“The same,” he smirked. The admission – like his help the day before – made me feel like I wasn’t alone in my misery.
So there I stood, looking out over an icon I’d dreamed about for so long. Me and the Grand Canyon, the Grand Canyon and me.
And my Knight.
Grand Canyon Details
The South Rim Pocket Guide is a great tool for all visitors, whereas the Backcountry Hiking Guide is an excellent resource for anyone wanting to take the plunge and pull on those (well-worn) hiking boots. Both can be downloaded in PDF format.
The Grand Canyon is well worth a visit, even if you don’t hike – although I recommend you hike even a little way down, just to get a better view. The best resource of information is the National Park Service website, which will tell you everything you need to know about visiting, including details such as the free shuttle bus to each trailhead, what to take with you and what times of year to go.
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2010s: Democracy
The 2010s: Democracy
Following election outcomes in the 1930s and 1940s that defied popular expectations, the Social Science Research Council worked to strengthen the science of public opinion polling.
The Council established a Committee on Analysis of Pre-election Polls and Forecasts, chaired by Princeton mathematician Samuel S. Wilks and supported by the Rockefeller Foundation and the Carnegie Corporation.
The committees sponsored undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate research fellowships, organized conferences, and sponsored summer dissertation workshops. Their convenings attracted staff members from the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Education, the Senate Committee on Labor and Human Relations, and the House Ways and Means Committee.
“We know something about the demographic, economic, and political correlates of poor communities and neighborhoods, although Census and survey-based data have rarely been systematically linked to data on the economic structure of industries and labor markets, or to the politics of local, state, and federal governments. The challenge of understanding concentrated and persistent urban poverty is to link these different levels and units of analysis in ways that cast light on the processes that connect the fate of both families and communities. What is also needed is a move from correlational to causal analysis.” (Gephart and Pearson, Items, 1988)
Elijah Anderson, professor of sociology, Yale University and member, SSRC planning committee on persistent urban poverty.
Mary Jo Bane, Professor of public policy and management, Harvard University and member, SSRC planning committee on persistent urban poverty.
William Julius Wilson, professor of sociology, Harvard University and member, SSRC planning committee on persistent urban poverty
“Appointment of the committee rested upon the judgment that extended controversy regarding the pre-election polls among lay and professional groups might have extensive and unjustified repercussions upon all types of opinion and attitude studies and perhaps upon social science research generally.”
— Pendleton Herring, Social Science Research Council President, 1949
In 2015, the Council established the Anxieties of Democracy program to address concerns about democratic governments’ abilities to face pressing societal challenges. The program supported research on democratic governments’ responses to climate change, immigration, security threats, the performance and legitimacy of representative institutions, and more.
Social and behavioral scientists continue to make progress in identifying interventions that can reduce political polarization and support democratic institutions.
Incentivizing Facebook users to reduce time spent on the platform reduces political polarization.
Facebook users can be cost-effectively encouraged to follow counterattitudinal news outlets, reducing political polarization.
Capitol building, Washington D.C.
Making it easier to register to vote and reducing distance to polling places can increase registration and voting.
Rigorous evaluation of voter identification laws reveals that they have no effects on actual or perceived voter fraud.
What other notable contributions have been made by social and behavioral science to identifying solutions to pressing societal challenges?
Explore More History of Social and Behavioral Science
Social Science Research Council
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Brooklyn, NY 11201, USA
Social and behavioral science
for the public good.
The Social Science Research Council, a nonpartisan nonprofit founded in 1923 by seven professional associations in the social and behavioral sciences, mobilizes policy-relevant social and behavioral science for the public good.
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