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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 77
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 77
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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Request for Submissions for 2013 WAM Coalition Collaboration Award
Time to submit
for the next Collaboration Award!
2013 Collaboration Award
Women Working with Women
The WAM Coalition is excited to send you this information on the 2013 Collaboration Award. Now is the time for women to collaborate with other women on arts and media projects, and be rewarded for their efforts!
Please see all the submission info below, and good luck with your submission.
Frances McGarry and Amanda Cole
Collaboration Award Committee Chairs
Shellen Lubin and Avis Boone
Request for Submissions
WAM Coalition, Inc. (Women in the Arts & Media)
will present the 2013 Collaboration Award
recognizing Women Working with Women
The $1,000 award is designed to encourage professional women in the arts and media from different specializations to work collaboratively on the creation of a new artistic work. The aim of the award is to encourage women to work collaboratively with women of other disciplines. Each collaborative team must be comprised of female members of different Arts & Media associations, unions, guilds and affiliates of WAM Coalition. Eligible teams may suggest any form of creative collaboration on a new work that has had a public performance within the last two years, 2011-2013. A Public Performance can include, but is not limited to a staged reading, gallery show, concert series, etc.
Submissions will be judged on the basis of artistic excellence, diversity, and clarity. All topics and subjects will be considered. Special attention shall be given to those projects which reflect the goals of the Coalition: to advance women's work and women's issues. The team that has been selected and the honorable mentions will be invited to be recognized at an awards ceremony in New York in October 2013. Women outside of New York may send a designee to speak about their project and accept the award.
Teams of two or more women working together on the creative project may apply for the 2013 Collaboration Award on the WAM Coalition website atwww.wamcoalition.org. Applicants must be members in good standing of an organization and/or affiliate with WAM Coalition. Those organizations are: Actors' Equity Association, Dramatists Guild, League of Professional Theatre Women, New York Women in Film & Television, Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, and Writers' Guild of America, East. Affiliates: WomenArts, The Rehearsal Club, The Women's Media Center, Women Make Movies, Dancers Over 40, Professional Women Singers Association.
Deadline: The postmark deadline for the return of completed applications ismidnight 11:59 PM Tuesday, April 30, 2013. Award winners will be announced by August 2013.
Funding for the 2013 Collaboration Award has been provided in part by Sherry Eaker, Yvonne Curry, and Elsa Rael.
Stefanie Zadravec (playwright - Dramatists Guild) and Daniella Topol (director - Stage Directors and Choreographers) for their collaboration on The Electric Baby.
Jennifer Gibbs, author of the play, The Stranger, and director, Kristin Marting. Gibbs based her play on Henrik Ibsen's The Lady From the Sea. Marting and Gibbs plan a multi-media production including film and music.
Playwright Jennifer Maisel and director Wendy McClellan for the play, Birds.
Send your questions to: collaborationawards2013@gmail.com
Labels: Coalition, Collaboration Award, Funding, Submission Opportunities
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Home / World News / She Was Told Surgery Would Cost About $1,300. Then the Bill Came: $229,000.
She Was Told Surgery Would Cost About $1,300. Then the Bill Came: $229,000.
brandsauthority May 21, 2022 World News Leave a comment 38 Views
When Lisa Melody French needed back surgery after a car accident, she went to a hospital near her home outside Denver, which reviewed her insurance information and told her she would be personally responsible for paying about $1,337.
But after the surgery, the hospital claimed that it had “misread” her insurance card and that she was, in fact, an out-of-network patient, court papers said. As a result, Centura Health, which operated the hospital, billed her $229,112.13. When she didn’t pay, Centura sued her.
“I was scared about it,” said Ms. French, 60, a clerk at a trucking company, who eventually filed for bankruptcy. “I didn’t understand because I kind of relied on the hospital and my insurance company to work out what I needed to pay.”
This week, after a yearslong legal battle, the Colorado Supreme Court ruled that Ms. French did not have to pay nearly $230,000 for the spinal fusion surgery she underwent at St. Anthony North Hospital in Westminster, Colo., in 2014.
It said she would have to pay only $766.74, apparently reflecting the remainder of her balance, as previously determined by a jury.
“I was very happy,” Ms. French said on Friday. “I was glad not just for me, but for other people. I think most people don’t get, like I didn’t get, how insurance and hospitals work.”
Centura Health did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The unanimous ruling capped what Ms. French described as a stressful ordeal that began when her doctor referred her to St. Anthony North, telling her she needed back surgery or she could be paralyzed in a fall.
“Personally, it was really hard because I had never had surgery before,” she said. “I was already scared about that.”
Before her surgery, Ms. French signed two service agreements promising to pay “all charges of the hospital.”
Centura asserted that, because Ms. French was an out-of-network patient, those service agreements required her to pay the full rates, listed in a giant health system database known as a chargemaster — a catalog of the cost of every procedure and medical supply Centura provided.
In Centura’s view, the service agreements “were unambiguous and French’s agreement to pay ‘all charges’ ‘could only mean’ the predetermined rates set by Centura’s chargemaster,” the court said.
But the court found that Ms. French wasn’t responsible for paying those rates because she didn’t know the chargemaster even existed and hadn’t agreed to its terms.
The court said that the chargemaster wasn’t mentioned “even obliquely” in any of the service agreements or Patient Bill of Rights forms that Ms. French signed.
“Indeed, Centura representatives testified that the chargemaster was not provided to patients, and in this very litigation, Centura refused to produce its chargemaster to French, contending that it was proprietary and a trade secret,” Justice Richard L. Gabriel wrote.
Justice Gabriel pointed out that courts and commentators have noted that hospital chargemasters have become “increasingly arbitrary and, over time, have lost any direct connection to hospitals’ actual cost, reflecting, instead, inflated rates set to produce a targeted amount of profit for the hospitals after factoring in discounts negotiated with private and governmental insurers.”
Chargemasters, which are used by hospitals across the country, have long been a source of confusion for patients trying to decipher what they may pay for a given procedure, despite efforts to require more transparency.
“They have no basis in reality,” said Gerard F. Anderson, a professor of health policy and management and a professor of international health at Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health.
“The hospital cannot explain to anyone why they charge the prices they charge,” he said. “They are not based on costs. They are not based on accounting principles. They are fictitious instruments created by somebody in the hospitals.”
In 2019, the Trump administration ordered hospitals to begin listing prices for all their services, theoretically offering consumers greater clarity and choice and forcing health care providers into price competition.
But the data, posted online in spreadsheets for thousands of procedures, have often been incomprehensible and unusable by patients — a thicket of numbers and technical medical terms, displayed in formats that vary from hospital to hospital.
“Essentially, the patient has no ability to do comparison shopping for the majority of hospital services,” Professor Anderson said. “There are just too many moving parts. There are too many different services you would need.”
Ms. French called the chargemaster “a mystery” and said she had no idea she was agreeing to its rates when she signed the hospital’s service agreements.
“I’m just glad it’s over,” she said. “And I hope it benefits people who have gone though the same thing I have and might go through in the future.”
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Chicago; Chicago in the 1920s and crimes, looking at this in jazzA killer who dreams of becoming a star, and a “star killer”
In the 1920s, directly after World War I, the societies were rife with alcohol, crime, desire, and violence. At that time, a murder was not considered a serious crime and materialism was prevalent to the point that “money-filled societies.” Thus, the United States was confused. The musical Chicago describes the situation of that time, so let’s go into the disorganization and confusion that was Chicago at that time.
1. Musical Chicago
The musical Chicago has played all around the world and is famous enough to be called the pride of American musicals. There was also a Chicago concert performed by Korean actors. Chicago has been the longest running performance in Broadway. It has received 55 awards at ceremonies worldwide. It has been performed 29,000 times in 474 theatres and watched by 30 million people. The Chicago team visited Korea for their first performance in 2017 and it really heated up Korea.
Unlike other musicals playing MRs, the music of Chicago is played by 14 orchestra members at the stage. So, you can enjoy a high-quality orchestra show as well as the performances of actors.
The actors speak English but there is no need to worry. You can see Korean subtitles on both sides of the screen and VIP and R seats each have a personal screen to see the subtitles. However, if the second floor and the third floor are reserved, you can rent binoculars to see the subtitles before you watch the performances.
2. Chicago's inside story
The main background of the musical Chicago is the chaos of the 1920s and a prison. Many people don’t care about murder, and murder is, in a way, a main character.
There are scenes where prisoners charged with murder talk about their own crimes. The prisoners’ reasons for murdering is very shocking. The motives for murder are often just anger, as in the case of one woman who shot her husband because he was not to her taste.
Velma Kelly, one of the prisoners, wants to become a star. She used to perform with her younger sister. One day, Velma, her sister and her husband stay overnight in the performance area. That night, Velma Kelly witnesses the improper relationship between her husband and her sister. She kills them both and goes to prison. Velma Kelly’s story gets published in a major newspaper because she has killed two people and committed a terrible murder. She receives public concern and becomes popular because of the undesirable behavior but Velma really wants use this interest to be a star.
Roxie Hart, another prisoner, dreams of becoming a brilliant jazz singer, but the reality is that she is only a chorus girl. Roxie Hart marries Amos Hart and lives a normal life, however, Roxie Hart has an inadequate relationship with a furniture salesman, Fred Casely. One day, when Fred Casely says goodbye to her, so Roxie kills Fred in anger. While still in prison, Roxie gets the attention of the world through media-play with the help of lawyer Billy Flynn, but soon public attention shifts to another more exciting event and gets foolish. In the end, Roxie becomes a star through a duo with Velma Kelly.
'Mama Morton' is an influential person in prison. This musical shows how money makes everything possible. A criminal gives her money and she gives the money to someone to help with their release.
Velma Kelly and Roxy Heart also get her support. Mama Morton helps them become stars and eventually star prisoners.
The 1920s is shortly after the war. That period may have been confusing, however, look at the situation in 2017. Has the perception of “money as everything” and 'murder with no reason' changed? The recent unprecedented situation shows that our society is still in an age of materialism. Also, there is murder without a specific reason. How has our society changed in the last 100 years? While income levels have improved significantly during the past century, our perceptions have grown less. I hope you enjoy the musical Chicago, which makes you think about the present through the past.
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» Tuesday, March 23, 2004
European constitution
« Euro | Back to most recent briefing | Tuition Fees »
In answer to questions about the European Constitution, the PMOS said that the position remained as he had set out this morning and last week. The stumbling block at the European Council in Brussels last December had been the issue of vote weighting. The Irish Presidency had been discussing the issue with their European partners and would present an update at the European Council later this week. It was up to them to make the judgement as to whether they thought the IGC could be concluded in the first half of this year. We had no intention of pre-empting their decision. We were relaxed about this matter. We were not among the group of countries who had been central to the breakdown of the talks last December. EU member states were fully aware of our position on the Constitution and our red lines. We would continue to pay a constructive role in the whole issue. Questioned further, the PMOS said that although the centre of gravity had been with us at Brussels last December on the red lines issue and the IGC, we recognised that nothing was agreed until everything was agreed. We would hold every bit as firm to our position in future negotiations as we had in the past. Everyone was crystal clear about that.
Asked if the Prime Minister wanted to see the issue resolved sooner rather than later, the PMOS repeated that the stumbling block was the issue of vote weighting. We would have to wait and see how things panned out, particularly in the light of the fact that there had been a change of Government in Spain, although the outgoing Spanish Prime Minister, Jose Marie Aznar, would be attending the European Council. Desire was one thing, but reality was another. We would have to wait and see how things developed. We would continue to engage constructively on this issue. As we had set out in the White Paper, we believed that enlargement was a good thing for the UK and Europe in terms of improving prosperity and security. Equally, we believed that changes were necessary if a Europe at twenty-five was going to work more efficiently. Similarly, we believed it would be useful to set out the competences clearly to enable people to understand what was decided at national level and what was decided at EU level.
Asked if we believed that a compromise was on the table, the PMOS said that the Irish Presidency had been discussing the issue with their European partners, for example lunch between the Taoiseach and President Chirac yesterday. He had heard what some people had been saying. Whether the Presidency believed that that could translate into something which might offer an opportunity to start the negotiation process again, he really couldn’t say.
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ISPUB.com / IJMH/3/1/4879
The Internet Journal of Mental Health
Mental Health Professionals' Perceptions of Difficult Psychiatric Situations: A Brief Report on Development of the Psychiatric Situations Scale
G Palmer, A Boykin, K Lythgoe, D Bizzell, D Daiss
attitude of health personnel, interpersonal relations, medical staff, mental health
G Palmer, A Boykin, K Lythgoe, D Bizzell, D Daiss. Mental Health Professionals' Perceptions of Difficult Psychiatric Situations: A Brief Report on Development of the Psychiatric Situations Scale. The Internet Journal of Mental Health. 2005 Volume 3 Number 1.
Background: Few measures have been developed to assess staff perceptions with difficult interpersonal situations. The authors sought to develop a reliable instrument that could measure staff perceptions of difficult interpersonal situations encountered in mental health care.
Method: This study presents the preliminary construction and analysis of reliability for a scale measuring discomfort with situations often encountered in mental health care. The Psychiatric Situations Scale was administered to 115 participants in medical, mental health, and administrative disciplines.
Results: A 42-item scale was derived from 69 initial items, with an internal reliability of .93. Total scores on the scale were significantly lower for the administrative group than medical or mental health disciplines, suggesting that situations were perceived to be less distressing for the administrative group.
Conclusion: The 42-item version of the Psychiatric Situations Scale has good internal reliability. Additional reliability and validity studies are needed to determine further utility of the measure.
Mental health professionals are faced with a variety of stressors that occur in the work environment. In mental health settings, most employees encounter situations in their careers that are uncomfortable or distressing. In general, each individual responds in a slightly different manner to each presented situation; and each individual may report a different level of discomfort to similar situations. A variety of factors might influence a professional's response to stressful situations including past work experiences, professional training, and each individual's personality style. The potential for staff turnover and burnout caused by significant discomfort when dealing with coworkers and patients is high (1).
In the mental health setting, appropriate interactions between staff members and their patients, coworkers, and supervisors are important for improved quality of services. However, developing the skills to interact appropriately in the work setting can be challenging. In fact, many educational programs for health care professionals do not provide extensive training and preparation regarding interpersonal interactions in the work environment. Additionally, there is little research available to assess which types of interactions might be perceived as most difficult for persons in mental health professions.
Few inventories have been developed to assess difficult interpersonal situations in a number of areas. One group of researchers developed the Gay and Lesbian Oppressive Situations Inventory- Frequency and Effect (GALOSI-F and GALOSI-E) (2). This inventory was designed to measure negative situations often encountered by gay and lesbian singles and couples. In the area of medical and patient care, the Threatening Medical Situations Inventory (TMSI) was developed to measure cognitive confrontation and avoidance within the area of medical threat (3). Although not specifically designed to measure difficult interpersonal situations, the TMSI was designed to address differences in coping styles in response to medical situations.
Although scales have been developed to assess perceptions regarding difficult interpersonal situations, few human service researchers have attempted to assess staff perceptions of difficult employment situations. Dunn, Umlauf, and Mermis were perhaps the first researchers to address staff perceptions of difficult work situations. The authors developed the Rehabilitation Situations Inventory (RSI), which was designed to measure staff perceptions of difficult behavioral situations in a rehabilitation setting (4). The measure had good internal reliability and later subscale development revealed a six-factor structure (5). Research with the RSI has been conducted with medical students (6), students in health professions (7), and rural versus urban college students preparing for human service professions (8). Findings generally revealed no significant differences between disciplines and scores on the RSI. However, years of employment in disability care produced significant differences between groups on the RSI.
To date, there has been no specific measure developed specifically for mental health professionals to identify which staff-coworker and staff-patient interactions are most difficult. Further, there is no specific outcome-based evaluation that adequately measures a program's ability to modify perceptions of professionals in dealing with difficult interpersonal encounters in psychiatric settings. Outcome-based evaluation is important for many purposes including analysis of a program's effectiveness and cost benefit (9). The purpose of this study is to present development of a scale designed to measure staff perceptions regarding difficult psychiatric situations, the Psychiatric Situations Scale. The authors sought to develop a reliable measure that serves as a preliminary step in developing an outcome measure for the evaluation of staff training.
The first author met with members of several disciplines including psychology (n = 4), social work (n = 4), nursing (n = 4), and psychiatry (n = 1) in order to identify uncomfortable, awkward, or stressful situations that individuals might encounter in the mental health field. Participants were recruited from inpatient and outpatient settings of a private hospital that served persons with mental health needs. A demographic sheet was developed, and 69 statements identified by participants as uncomfortable or distressing were combined to create the inventory.
The Psychiatric Situations Scale then was completed by 115 staff members from 3 major disciplines- medical, mental health, and administrative. Scales were distributed to those who provided inpatient and/or outpatient services in the Midwestern and Eastern regions of the United States. Respondents in all disciplines had significant exposure to persons with mental health needs. Demographic characteristics of the sample according to discipline can be found in Table 1.
Table 1: Demographic Characteristics of the Sample by Discipline
The respondents were asked to rate each statement on a Likert scale anchored by “1 = situation was least disturbing or not applicable to a particular position of employment” to “5 = situation was most disturbing.” Items generally pertained to staff- patient interaction (e.g., patient threatens to kill staff), staff- staff interaction (e.g., coworker frequently calls in sick for his/her shift), or staff-supervisor interaction (e.g., psychologist/psychiatrist overrides healthcare workers' recommendations).
Data Analyses
Statistical analyses were conducted with SPSS Version 13.0 (10). Interquartile ranges were calculated to assist with item reduction. Once reduction of the number of items was conducted, internal reliability was conducted with split-half reliability and Cronbach's alpha coefficient (11). Finally, a series of one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were calculated to assess significant differences between Psychiatric Situations Scale total scores of groups based on occupation (i.e., medical, mental health, and administrative), gender, and years of experience in the mental health profession. In regards to occupation, it was hypothesized that total scores on the Psychiatric Situations Scale might be significantly different between medical, mental health, and administrative groups due to types of experiences/interactions in mental health settings. In the area of gender, the authors predicted that there would be no significant differences based on gender. Finally, it was hypothesized that those individuals with more experience would have significantly less discomfort to items on the scale. Therefore, Psychiatric Situations Scale total scores were expected to be lower for those with more experience in the mental health field.
Reduction of the original 69 items was accomplished by examining the interquartile ranges of each item. Items were eliminated if the item had an interquartile range of less than two between the 25th and 75th percentile. Items with interquartile ranges greater than or equal to two were chosen because they were considered to have sufficient variation to allow for discrimination between groups of respondents. Of the 69 original items, 42 items met this criterion. Remaining analyses were conducted only on the 42 items. The 42-item version of the Psychiatric Situations Scale is provided as an Appendix.
Internal reliability was calculated by two different methods. First internal reliability was calculated using Cronbach's coefficient alpha (α = .93). Then, the split-half correlation coefficient between first and last half of the items of the scale were calculated (r = .86, p < .01). Both methods of calculation revealed good internal reliability of the instrument. Item-total correlations were calculated, as well as Cronbach's coefficient alpha if individual items were deleted. Item-total statistics for the 42 items are reported in Table 2.
Table 2: Item-Total Statistics for the 42-Item Scale
A series of one-way analyses of variance (ANOVA's) were conducted; and Bonferroni adjustments were calculated for multiple comparisons (p =.05/2 = .025). Due to unequal sample sizes between disciplines, preliminary analysis was necessary to address potential violation of homogeneity of variances. The Levene's test was used for preliminary analysis; and results were not significant between variances of Administrative (M = 98.1; SD = 33.3), Medical (M = 126.0; SD = 32.2), and Mental Health (M = 121.3; SD = 24.9) groups on the Psychiatric Situations Scale [F (2, 112) = 1.474, p = .233]. The first ANOVA was then conducted to determine if differences existed between groups on the mean combined total scores of the 42 items of the Psychiatric Situations Scale. A one-way ANOVA was conducted, and results were significant [F (2, 112) = 5.728; p = .004]. Post hoc t-tests were then conducted using the Bonferroni statistic for multiple comparisons. Testing revealed that the Administrative group's total scores on the Psychiatric situations Scale were significantly lower when compared to both the Medical (p = .007) and Mental Health (p = .007) groups. Mean scores between the Medical and Mental Health groups were not significant (p = .921).
The Levene's test was used to confirm the assumption of homogeneity of variances between male (n = 29) and female (n = 86) participants' scores on the Psychiatric Situations Scale. Results were not significant between variances of groups on the Psychiatric Situations Scale [F (1, 113) = .681, p = .441]. One-way ANOVA was conducted in order to determine if there were significant differences between mean scores on the Psychiatric Situations Scale based upon gender. Analysis revealed no significant differences between mean scores based upon gender [F (1, 113) = .004; p = .953].
A series of a priori two-tailed t-tests were conducted to address the hypothesis that those professionals with over 10 years of mental health experience (n = 40; M = 114.3; SD = 29.5) would report significantly lower scores on the Psychiatric Situations Scale (i.e., suggesting less discomfort) than those with less than 5 years experience (n = 37; M = 112.8; SD = 27.8), and those with 5-10 years of experience (n = 37; M = 113.8; SD = 26.3). The comparison between those with less than 5 years experience and those with 10 or more years of experience was not significant [t (75) = -.248; p = .81]. The comparison between those professionals with less than 5 years of experience and individuals with 5-10 years of experience was not significant [t (72) = -.163; p = .87]. Finally, the comparison between those with 5-10 years experience and those with over 10 years experience also was not significant [t (75) = -.091, p = .93].
Table 3 lists items perceived to be the top three most difficult situations by medical, mental health, and administrative disciplines. For medical and mental health professions, the top two items pertained to patient threats of harm to the professionals, other staff, or their families. For the administrative sample, only one of the top two items pertained to threats by patients to harm the employee or their family.
Table 3: Ratings of the Top Three Most Difficult Situations for Each Discipline
This paper presents preliminary findings regarding development of an instrument designed to assess the perception of difficult psychiatric situations by mental health professionals. The Psychiatric Situations Scale was developed and tested among members of three mental health disciplines (i.e., medical staff and professionals, mental health professionals, and administrative staff who deal directly with persons who have mental health needs).
One important finding regarding analysis of the instrument was that mean scores on the Psychiatric Situations Scale were significantly lower for the Administrative group when compared to the Medical and Mental Health groups. This finding suggests that of the 42-items comprising the instrument, the Administrative group found the items less distressing/uncomfortable than the other groups. One explanation for this finding is that Administrative professionals were less likely to encounter the psychiatric situations described in the Psychiatric Situations Scale.
There were several limitations of the study. One limitation of the study was that the sample was one of convenience. Additional reliability and validity studies will be necessary in order to determine usefulness of the tool for medical, mental health, and administrative professionals. The Psychiatric Situations Scale could be potentially applicable as an evaluation tool in both inpatient and outpatient psychiatric settings. Also, a professional's perception of a variety of psychiatric situations does not necessarily translate into lack of skill in dealing with a difficult situation. As pointed out in previous research, a professional's skill level or competence at performing job duties improves at a faster rate than perceived comfort with difficult interpersonal situations encountered in the job setting (4,12,13).
Another limitation of the study was with the scaling of the original 42-item instrument (i.e., scaling of 1 = situation as least disturbing or not applicable to particular position of employment). This might have presented a measurement problem by artificially inflating the variance of the scale. Therefore, the scale is presented in the Appendix with a “not applicable (N/A)” scaling option. Future research is necessary to assess the utility of the new scale with the “not applicable (N/A)” scaling option.
Due to the small sample size, exploratory factor analysis was not conducted to determine what type of factor structure exists. Content of the Psychiatric Situations Scale suggests items pertain to one of three factors including staff-patient interaction, staff-staff interaction, and staff-supervisor interaction. However, exploratory analysis with a large sample is necessary to determine the exact type of factor structure. If different subscales are found, the subscales might provide specific areas of focus for staff training; and the Psychiatric Situations Scale might prove useful in order to further assist with evaluating staff training programs. Furthermore, subscale development could provide important information regarding perceptions of different mental health disciplines.
Future research is necessary to assess whether mental health professionals who go through training to increase competence and reduce discomfort in difficult psychiatric situations will have lower scores on the Psychiatric Situations Scale. Preliminary analysis suggests that the Psychiatric Situations Scale may prove to be useful in the measurement of challenging psychiatric situations, in the face of the mental health professional's comfort.
In conclusion, this study presents the preliminary construction and analysis of reliability for a scale measuring discomfort with situations often encountered in mental health care. The study also provides an important first step in the construction of a scale to assess staff's level of comfort in difficult interpersonal situations. The ultimate objective for the development of this particular scale is to eventually produce an outcome measure for staff training, as well as to identify which situations should be emphasized in staff training.
Correspondence to
Glen A. Palmer, Ph.D. Lanning Center for Behavioral Services Mary Lanning Memorial Hospital 715 North St. Joseph Avenue Hastings, NE 68901 E-mail: gpalmer@mlmh.org
1. Duquette A, Kerouac S, Sandhu BK, et al. Factors related to nursing burnout: A review of empirical knowledge. Issues Ment Health Nurs. 1994;15:357-358.
2. Highlen PS, Bean MC, Sampson MG. Preliminary development of the Gay and Lesbian Oppressive Situations Inventory- Frequency and Effect (GALOSI-F & -E). Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Psychological Association; August, 2000.
3. Van Zuuren FJ, de Groot KI, Mulder, NL, et al. Coping with medical threat: An evaluation of the Threatening Medical Situations Inventory (TMSI). Pers Individ Dif. 1996; 21:21-31.
4. Dunn ME, Umlauf, RL, Mermis, BJ. The Rehabilitation Situations Inventory: Staff perception of difficult behavioral situations in rehabilitation.
Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 1992; 73:316- 319.
5. Dunn, M. Subscale development of the Rehabilitation Situations Inventory. Rehabil Psychol. 1996; 41:255-264.
6. Tervo, RC, Azuma, S, Palmer, G, et al. Medical students' attitudes toward persons with disability: A comparative study. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2000; 83:1537-1542.
7. Tervo, RC, Palmer, G, Redinius, P. Health professional student attitudes towards people with disability. Clin Rehabil. 2004; 18:908- 915.
8. Palmer, GA, Redinius, P, Tervo, RC. An examination of attitudes toward
disabilities among college students: Rural and urban differences. J Rural Community Psychol. 2000; E3.
9. Schalock, RL. Outcome-based evaluation. New York: Plenum Press; 1995.
10. SPSS. SPSS professional statistics 13.0. Chicago, IL: SPSS; 2004.
11. Cronbach, LJ. Coefficient alpha and the internal structure of tests. Psychometrika. 1951; 16:297-334.
12. Dunn, ME. Social discomfort in the patient with spinal cord injury. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 1977; 58:257-260.
13. Dunn, ME, Van Horn, E, Herman, SH. Social skills and spinal cord injury: A comparison of three training procedures. Behav Ther. 1981; 12:153-164.
Glen A. Palmer, Ph.D.
Mary Lanning Memorial Hospital
Angela M. Boykin, Ph.D.
Kyle O. Lythgoe, Psy.D.
Dan L. Bizzell, Ed.D.
Doyle D. Daiss, M.Ed., LMHP
South Central Behavioral Services
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The Eric Ericson Chamber Choir from Stockholm was awarded the Nordic Council Music Prize 2007.
The Eric Ericson Chamber Choir, founded by Eric Ericson in 1945, is a legendary and trendsetting ensemble on the Swedish and international music scene. Standing invites to the most important music festivals and co-operation with the world's leading orchestras like the Berlin and Vienna Philharmonics make EEKK something of a flagship for Swedish choral music.
Longstanding co-operation with its sister choir, The Swedish Radio Choir, represents a magnificent example of the international impact of Swedish choral music. Its great interest in finding new music all the time and new ways of working means the choir's repertoire is very broad: from Renaissance music to avant garde. For several generations of Swedish composers 'the Chamber Choir' has served as an ideal with its typically 'Nordic' sound and immense virtuosity.
Eric Ericson's Chamber Choir is apart of the absolute international elite of professional ensembles, and has won several awards such as the Deutsche Schallplattenpreis and the Edison Prize. EEKK makes multiple tours abroad every year in Europe, the USA and Canada.
It has recorded much of its a cappella repertoire for a variety of labels. The choir also works with the Stockholm Concert House, the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra and the Drottningholm Baroque Ensemble, with which it has toured and recorded Bach's Mass in H-minor, Christmas Oritorium, St. John's Passion and St. Matthew's Passion.
In 2007, for the first time in its history the Music Prize will be awarded to a choir.
12 choirs were nominated for the prize this year. Each of the 5 member countries nominated two choirs and the autonomous areas of the Faroe Islands and Greenland nominated one each. There were no nominations from Åland this year.
DR Radio Chamber / DR Vocal Ensemble
EMO Ensemble
Philomela
Greenland:
Greenland's National Choir
Tarira
Hamrahlíðarkórinn
Norwegian Soloists' Choir
Vokal Nord
Eric Ericson's Chamber Choir
Radio Choir
No nomination from Åland
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Well...Maybe One Power by Chaos
1. Prologue2. The Road to Oxnard is Paved With Good Intentions3. For Every Door That Closes?There's a Guy Trying to Get Out4. All Are Not Merry that Dance Lightly Off the Stage5. Epilogue
I'd never really been out of Sunnydale before, so I'd really been looking forward to getting out and seeing the world. I vowed not to go back until I'd set foot in every single state in the US. Maybe that goal was a little unrealistic, but not once did it occur to me that I wouldn't even make it out of the state. In fact, I didn't even make it two hours out of my hometown before my trip encountered its first disaster.
So, there I was, out in the middle of nowhere and the engine of my car was lying in the middle of the highway. My first instinct was to call it a trip, walk to town, and phone my dad to ask him to come get me. But I really didn't want to admit to him or anyone else that he was right about the fact that I couldn't even make it on my own for 24 hours. No, I was going to prove that I could handle things on my own. I'd get the car towed to the nearest town, find a job and work until I could pay for a car that didn't suffer from rust-induced leprosy.
Sounds simple enough, right?
And at first things just fell right in place.
My first break came as I was hauling the engine out of the road. It was obviously too big and heavy to just pick up, so I was trying to just push it. All I wanted was to get it out of the road so that no one would hit it. If I was lucky some auto salvager would buy it or something. Not that there would likely be too many people out there who would want an engine that had been dropped and run over, but maybe they could salvage something out of it. Besides, I could just imagine some idiot hitting the hunk of metal and then suing me for damages or something.
"Havin' some car trouble?" a man called to me as he pulled his truck over to the side of the road.
"Nah, I just figured I'd give the auto wreckers a hand," I replied, looking up as I heard him chuckling. I smiled as I spotted the fact that his wasn't just an ordinary truck. A tow-truck. The wheel of fortune was spinning my way for a change.
"Looks like yer the one who could use a hand," he smiled back at me, a wide toothy…rather *toothless** grin. I tried not to let it faze me as I saw that he was missing several teeth and the rest looked like they were on the verge of committing suicide.
The next several minutes were spent by the two of us doing back-breaking labor, but we managed to get the engine onto the back of the truck, and he got to work hooking up the rusty carcass to drag it back to town.
"Thanks," I extended my hand to him. "Mister…"
"Don't mention it," he replied, shaking my hand. "Now let's getcha into town and see what we can do fer ya."
I hopped into the cab of the truck, ignoring the fact that he hadn't taken the bait and told me his name. Then again, I hadn't told him mine, either. "Thanks for stopping, by the way," I tried again as he slid behind the wheel. "I'm Xander."
"James Robert Perkins," he replied. "Folks call me Jim-Bob." I stifled a grin. He certainly did look like a "Jim-Bob" if ever I'd seen one.
As it turned out, he was a stereotypical Jim-Bob in other respects as well. I think it's a prerequisite for Jim-Bobs to come from large close-knit families. As it turned out, this Jim-Bob was no exception to that rule.
"My brother owns a dealership just down the road a spot," he informed me as we pulled into Jim-Bob's Service Station. "I think you'll have better luck findin' a newer car than tryin' to fix this one." He smiled at me again. "I could give ya a lift if ya want."
I shook my head. "I don't think I can afford a new car yet. I don't have a whole lot of money." I had a few hundred, but I wanted to get something that would last a little longer than the sort of car one could purchase for a few hundred. I'd planned on working odd-jobs here and there on my trip so that I could stretch the money I had a bit farther, but that didn't help me right now. "I'm going to have to find a job or something to pay for it."
Jim-Bob nodded as he sized me up. "I just might be able to help ya there, too," he smiled.
"Really? That'd be great." Jim-Bob certainly was turning out to be the best thing that could have happened to me under the circumstances. "What do you want me to do? I don't really know a whole lot about cars, but I can certainly pump ga--"
"No, I'm afraid I don't really have any openin's here at the garage, but I do know that my brother is looking for some help right now."
A car salesman? Oh, Lord. On one hand it'd possibly get me a good discount, but…it just didn't really seem like the sort of job I'd be good at. I couldn't really imagine myself out there schmoozing for dollars. Besides, Oxnard didn't seem like a particularly huge town and I figured that I'd probably be working on commissions. Not exactly a high-paying job if there weren't enough car-buyers around. "Thanks again, but I don't think I'd be a very good car salesman…"
Jim-Bob laughed. "No, no, my other brother. He runs a club in town and he's looking for some kitchen help. Bussing tables and washing dishes. That sorta thing." He sized me up. "Yer 18, right?"
"Maybe you could even do some bartending then. Or he's always looking for talent."
Talent? I tried not to laugh thinking about the talent show that Snyder had forced me to be in my sophomore year. My acting debut as Oedipus hardly would earn me any stars on the walk of fame.
"It pays pertty good. I'm sure I could get him to take you on for a couple months. Pay's good and ya should be able to afford something reasonable by the end of the summer."
"Sounds great," I returned. "Where do I find your brother?"
"Why'n't you go get yerself a room and stop by a little later. I'll get somethin' set up fer ya."
I thanked him for what seemed like the hundredth time in the past hour.
"There's a hotel just up the street that should have a spot fer ya." He pointed up the road. "Take the second left and it's just down the block. Ya can see it from the corner."
I wondered briefly if another of his brothers might run that as well, but decided it would probably sound rude to ask, so I bit my tongue.
The hotel wasn't exactly the sort of place I wanted to spend the summer in, but it was cheap, and cheap was good. Well, cheap was good except for the roaches involved. Besides, the woman who ran the place was willing to give me a pretty good discount to pay for a month in advance. If miracles occurred and I managed to get enough money to get out of town before the month was up she would pro-rate me and refund the rest. But, I figured that probably wasn't going to be an issue anyway.
My room was kind of small and it was pretty dirty. On the other hand, my room at home was hardly immaculate, or huge, either. It would definitely do for a few months. Anything was better than going home and facing up to everyone that my summer excursion was a complete failure.
I unpacked my suitcase and went into the bathroom to wash up a little before heading back to the service station. My clothes were grimy and I was covered with grease and dirt. A little showering would probably help my chances of landing a job at the club.
It could be kind of fun working at a club. Music, dancing. Probably lots of ladies…it could end up being a really profitable summer after all. After all, it wasn't Sunnydale, so odds were a lot better that any women I hooked up with would be 100% human and would have a pulse.
Interlude One
"Does this story have a point?" Buffy breaks in to my tale of woe and horror. Okay, so the story is nowhere near the real woe and horror yet, but somehow I can't seem to get myself worked up enough to tell about that part.
"I'll get to that. I just…"
"You're just stalling for time."
"True. But there is a point."
"Does the point have anything whatsoever to do with you making me humiliate myself in front of Riley?"
I shrug. "Not really, but--"
Buffy turns and starts walking away from me, obviously still angry with me. I should have let her leave, but I really can't stand it when she's so upset.
"But it is a story that will humiliate me completely."
Buffy turns around, a slight smile tugging at the corner of her lips. She's trying not to let me know that she's starting to warm up to the idea of forgiving me already. "Okay, I'll give you ten more minutes."
Ten minutes. Okay, I'd have to work my way to that part of the story quickly. I just wasn't ready to skip to that yet. The best way to do it would be to tell one of the less embarrassing things first and work my way to the big one.
"I showered quickly and then tried to go out and get some clean clothes. The door had kind of swelled from the steam from the shower and it didn't want to open."
Buffy grins. "I can see the humiliation factor coming into this story."
"Oh no, not yet," I admit. "But it comes into play a little later."
"I get it," she rolls her eyes. "Foreshadowing, right? Skip it and just get on with the humiliation."
I roll my eyes. "Fine, don't let me tell my story." She held up her hands in mock surrender. "Okay, after a few minutes of panicking," I note her smirk at the thought, "and pulling at the door I managed to get it open and get out on my own."
"Talented guy."
"Are you going to let me get to the humiliation or not?"
"When you put it that way…"
"So, I finished getting dressed and headed back to the service station…"
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A Plethora of Choices: A (Semi) Knee-Jerk Reaction to the 2012 Academy Awards
February 27, 2013 by Travis J. Cook Leave a Comment
“Argo fuck yourselves” indeed.
“Do you want to be happy? I suspect that you do. Well, here’s the first step to happiness: Don’t get pissed off that people who aren’t you happen to think Paris Hilton is interesting and deserves to be on TV every other day; the fame surrounding Paris Hilton is not a reflection on your life (unless you want it to be). Don’t get pissed off because the Yeah Yeah Yeahs aren’t on the radio enough; you can buy the goddamn record and play “Maps” all goddamn day (if that’s what you want). Don’t get pissed off because people didn’t vote the way you voted; you knew this was a democracy when you agreed to participate, so you knew this was how things might work out. Basically, don’t get pissed off over the fact that the way you feel about culture isn’t some kind of universal consensus. Because if you do, you will end up feeling betrayed. And it will be your own fault. You will feel bad, and you will deserve it.” – “Cultural Betrayal”, Esquire 2005, Chuck Klosterman
Well, the Academy Awards happened on Sunday night (the 24th of February in the Year of Something or Other 2013), ostensibly celebrating the year in movies that was 2012. It was not a clean sweep, something that has become a little rarer in recent years, much like Bengal tigers and Bengals playoff visits. The last time I can think of where one movie solidly dominated the goings-on in Los Angeles was Return of the King in 2003. (Well, 2004, but it was a group of movies that were mostly released widespread in 2003. At least, in theaters in NY and LA near you.) Returning to last Sunday’s evening, we were treated to Daniel Day-Lewis turning into a stand-up comedian, tasteful musical numbers, tasteless musical numbers, show-stopping numbers and numbers that almost literally dragged the bloated carcass that is any awards behemoth into the ground. (Thank you, Les Mis, but it’s impossible for a bunch of mostly talented white people who seem otherwise charming to truly follow the awesomeness that erupted from Jennifer Hudson’s mouth. It’s almost institutionally unfair.)
The big winner of the night (if we have to pick one) was Argo, which followed the trends of most awards groups in Hollywood who voted this year and received Best Picture, as well as Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Editing. In the eyes of the elite of Hollywood, Ben Affleck has finally been redeemed. (Though he was quick enough to castigate Seth MacFarlane for bringing up Gigli. See, Ben, that’s the thing about movies: they’re kind of going to stick around in the $5 Wal-Mart bin forever, and popular culture may forgive you for that particular piece of [art] but they will not forget it. No, sir.)
In reaction to the Oscars’ results, there have been several noted popular and cinematic critics blowing up in outrage over Argo’s victory. This should come as a surprise to no one; ranting about the Oscars is an annual pastime that might be even larger than watching the Oscars in the first place. The battle-cry of those critics voicing their opposition to the movie is that Argo is only mediocre when set up against the massive body of work that was casually dumped into theaters last year, and that it skirts its main issues whilst movies such as Zero Dark Thirty and Django Unchained dive full-bodied into topics that had heretofore been commonly regarded as media taboo.
To understand why Argo won, it is important to directly confront several myths that are generally held as spoken truths regarding the ceremony of the Academy Awards, who the voters are, and how a movie goes about winning Oscars.
Myth #1: The Oscars are a ceremony that rewards the best and the brightest of the movies released in the previous year.
This myth certainly can stand the test of time: films such as The Godfather, Casablanca, No Country for Old Men, and Schindler’s List are typically regarded as canons of American cinema. (Key word – American. Name me a foreign movie (Britain doesn’t count) that has won Best Picture, and I will eat my shorts.) However, other movies, including several in the Sight and Sound poll deconstructed by Alex and Andrew like Vertigo and Citizen Kane, are Oscar-less. Other deserving entries, such as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, A Streetcar Named Desire, and Taxi Driver/Raging Bull/Goodfellas all suffer from a lack of recognition. Or, one might think, if we believe…
Myth #2: The annual winner of Best Picture is exactly that: The Best Picture of it’s Calendar Year.
Which everybody and their mother knows is bullshit. As cited in the previous paragraph, Oscar makes mistakes (or public perceptions of mistakes, but we’ll get into that) all the damn time. Sure, there are those who feel that Gladiator, An American in Paris, Rocky, Ordinary People, and Dances with Wolves are monuments to American cinema, and in many cases, they’re correct. (Who can forget the final ballet of Gene Kelly dancing through Paris? Or Mr. R. Balboa running up the steps in Philadelphia? Or Kevin Costner dreaming up the idea that became Waterworld while lying stoned in a fake tipi?) However, the idea that a single collective body of voters can all agree on what they think is the greatest achievement by a single motion picture is patently absurd. Just because one slips through the cracks and receives its due recognition every few years doesn’t mean this is a perfect system.
Myth #3: The Oscars mean something.
I know it might be hearsay to speak this, but the Oscars really are one of the silliest things that we do as humans every year. Seriously, how many people every year do you know who constantly pine about wanting to see all of the nominated movies? And how likely are these people to trek out to see Beasts of the Southern Wild? How often have you made your decisions on which movies to attend because of the Oscars? (If you read the Recorder, chances are that you do, so I might be talking to the wrong crowd, but you get my point. More people saw The Dark Knight Rises in one day in July last year than the total attendance of the entirety of BOTSW’s run. Is that a fair comparison? I don’t know, have YOU seen Beasts of the Southern Wild?
The idea that the winner of Best Picture is something to be hallowed and treasured is an idea that’s been built up a lot over the last thirty years or so, ever since the auteur explosion of the 70’s met the literal explosions of the 80’s and the budget explosions of the 90’s. All of a sudden, the winner of Best Picture stood to receive a hefty box office bump, while simply being nominated could turn a non-profitable indie film into a box office monolith. (Enter Weinstein, Harvey.) In this regard, a Best Picture Oscar does mean something, and that is that the winner will go on to make a gabazillion dollars more than it would without an Oscar. As with so many things in this world, the Oscars are really about a few things: money, power, and entertainment. To say that this means something of great significance, or that art has a place in there (which it should, but doesn’t) is to deny the essential truths laid in front of us. The Oscars are nothing more than a fancy dog-and-pony show, with tuxedos by Armani. (And beards by full-grown badgers, apparently. Hey, George Clooney! Shave!)
Tuxedo by Armani. Beard by a Wild Badger He Found in the Woods.
But you knew this, already.
Considering that the Oscars are all about money, power, and entertainment, it is important to understand who these uber-successful/uber-powerful people really are.
Myth #4: The Oscars are a fair-minded, entirely objective body of voters who have long, storied careers in the film industry, and are completely balanced in their appreciation of art that advances the medium.
Well, maybe I worded that poorly…
Myth #5: The Academy Awards consist of a voting body more corrupt than the IOC, FIFA, and the NCAA combined, composed of with no moral integrity, no taste or understanding of what art actually is, and an ethical consistency more commonly found in spore mold.
And that might have been a bit harsh.
Myth #6: The Academy Awards voting body is comprised of members who are easily swayed by ritzy advertising, a desire to be part of a movement, as well as longtime industry insiders with agendas and grudges, young eyed innocent filmmakers being exposed to the maelstrom that is the Hollywood awards season, and Jack Nicholson.
That one’s actually true. (Especially the Jack Nicholson part.) Let me boil that down to a simpler statement.
Myth #6: Oscar voters are ordinary schmoes like you and me, with a vested interest in their jobs, careers, and movies. And Jack Nicholson.
To understand what we’re talking about here, let’s go back to 1998, the year of Saving Private Ryan. Directed by one of the most beloved of Hollywood directors, starring one of America’s favorite leading males, and completely changing the way that movies about WWII are to be discussed, produced, and viewed in contemporary society. (I would say ‘changed’, but apart from adding Friday the 13th to Omaha Beach, SPR really is nothing more than an episode of the old TV series “Combat”, and the movies that have followed in its wake include, first and foremost, Pearl Harbor. Which is not to slight the impact of adding Friday the 13th to Omaha Beach, since, you know, that’s what war is like.) At the same time, Miramax Pictures released Shakespeare in Love late in the year, a smartly-written romantic comedy portraying William Shakespeare and other men-in-tights competing for the affections of Gwyneth Paltrow. At first glance, and in retrospective, SPR seems like the obvious winner. Yet Shakespeare in Love won.
Because Harvey Weinstein campaigned for that movie as though he was in the running for the Republican Presidential Nomination (interchange with Democratic Nominee in 2016 to keep this joke relevant). In addition, Shakespeare in Love fits many tropes that Oscar voters have historically tended to look for; it’s a costume drama, it has a litany of some of the best actors working today (including Ben Affleck! Hmmm…), and a killer script that continues to make English teachers rejoice. (In all honesty, I prefer Shakespeare in Love for several reasons that simply boil down to what I’m more likely to throw in when I’m not in a depressed-mood-that-coincides-with-my-need-to-watch-Vin-Diesel-running-around-in-combat-gear. That particular state of mind seldom happens, by the way.) Consequently, SPR won Spielberg his second Directing award, while Shakespeare in Love won Best Picture.
Flash forward to the modern day. Following his omission from the Best Director category (thanks in part to an unusually early nominating process, as well as the aforementioned stacked pile of quality directors), Affleck apparently went on a humble-brag campaign, stating that it didn’t matter if he was nominated or not, he was simply happy not to be starring in Gigli anymore. That statement could have been 100% honestly true with 0% hidden agendas loaded into its subtext, or it could be part of a scheming Oscar campaign; either way, it worked, as we now see. Affleck’s film went on to win the SAG Ensemble award, the DGA, the PGA, and the WGA, among several other instances of victories. When one movie is steamrolling through awards like that, it generally indicates a consensus among the awards-voting crowd.
And yet, now that the awards have been handed out, the knee-jerk reaction is as though Affleck took Judy Garland’s ruby slippers from their glass case on Oscar night, defecated in them, and then set them on fire while dancing around them with a broomstick.
“Ben…what have you done?”
Which strikes me as patently silly.
Granted, I’ve already admitted that I’m not as invested in the Oscars as I used to be. (My low point was 2001, when The Fellowship of the Ring lost to the slowly fading from view biopic A Beautiful Mind, and I raged and raged for days on end.) In fact, one of the purposes of this website is to allow my co-editors and I a safe place to vent about popular culture. I’ve even written a column entitled the Grudge Report solely to unleash my unbridled anger upon works I deem to be “less than satisfying.” With that being said, an annual venting about the Oscars is growing far too exhausting for me to keep up with. As I’ve discussed, their relevancy as an institution of distinction is somewhat compromised by their inconsistency of choice regarding the landmark establishments of cinema. To take their word as dogma is to ignore the whole purpose of the concept in the first place, which is to highlight and celebrate insightful, entertaining, and quality works of cinema. (This is where the phrase “It’s an honor just to be nominated” should have far more weight than it does in actuality.) What’s more, it is also important to keep in mind that the recipients of Oscars are based upon a majority of votes, meaning that a plurality of those who watched the movie (or at least shared a beer with Ben Affleck) cared enough to vote for one particular movie. That’s how democracy works, and while there might be movies out there that we care passionately about, losing out on an ultimately empty prize is no cause for shame.
Is Argo the best movie of the year? Maybe. Maybe not. The entire notion of there being a Best Picture of the Year is entirely subjective, based upon your viewing preferences. (Although I did write a column dedicated to the subject, so No. No, it is not. With that being said, I did win $10 from a certain co-editor who didn’t feel that it would win Best Picture.) The matter of whether or whether it doesn’t deserve the award is not the point I’m trying to make. It did, and we can all move on with our lives, either ignoring the movie, or watching it religiously every three weeks with a fresh bucket of popcorn. From where the world of Hollywood is currently sitting, that means that they prefer to watch movies that make them feel better about themselves, judging by the trend of Best Pictures over the last three years. (Which is unsurprising, having just come out of one of the darker decades of American history) Should cinema be something more? It should! Should cinema move to entertain us without having to dumb down the stories it tells? It should! Do all movies need to be overly pretentious collections of images and sprawling over-the-top performances that try and ask deep questions while smacking the viewer upside the head with a symbolic phallus? Nope, there’s plenty of room for crowd-pleasing superheroes and giant robots, but those aren’t the movies winning Oscars, either.
Do the Oscars matter? No. Should they?
You tell me.
Travis J. Cook is the Editor-in-Chief and one of the original founders of the Addison Recorder. He writes about baseball, movies, and music, among other topics. He resides in a hole in the ground near Wrigley Field.
Posted in: Awards Season, Films, Grudge Report
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Life at the heart of Cirque du Freak
The opening scene in the new film Cirque du Freak requires hundreds of gymnasts, acrobats, and firefighters performing giant, intricate challenges as they walk into the dark, while holding their breath and moving slowly….
The opening scene in the new film Cirque du Freak requires hundreds of gymnasts, acrobats, and firefighters performing giant, intricate challenges as they walk into the dark, while holding their breath and moving slowly. After being alerted of the scene by “the belly,” an alarm will sound throughout the circus and the performers will run away. But before the alarm goes off, a supernatural squid (basically a gelatinous, barrel-shaped organism with tentacles) takes hold of the crew and must be released.
The challenge the team of co-directors Jeffrey Blitz and Jason Blum took on when creating Cirque du Freak – a film about humans transported to an alternate world where their prejudices are inverted, and forbidden love begins to bloom — was one of duration. “It really took a long time to take that scene from days to weeks,” Blitz said. “Those guys were on that for five months.”
For director Blitz and Blum, making a film has never been as physically challenging as making Cirque du Freak. Along with Beastly star Kaitlyn Leeb, director Blitz’s face is covered in bruises and scratches from the intense stunts the cast performed on the set. This is, of course, a result of the film’s challenge to harness all the different types of action in one frame — two sets of wingsuits, dozens of trampolines, and a chainsaw in the background.
But one of the most notable challenges the filmmakers faced was ensuring that none of the participating performers lost their teeth. The squid was the only creature featured in the film, but while they thought they had the process down, they were blindsided when all of the performers were stricken with carpel tunnel syndrome. The sound was muffled and bright, making it hard to hear the movements of the actors.
Blitz and Blum decided to give each performer a shot at building their own, one-of-a-kind wetsuit. On their first visit to a manufacturer, the directors found all of the tightlines had been carved out of the men’s chest and back, creating a giant bubble — a ceiling of bubbles, if you will. (Needless to say, it wasn’t practical.) But after about an hour of trying to figure out how to permanently attach them, Blitz and Blum chucked everything they had just made.
Blitz recalled the moment he had to explain to the toothless co-stars that, although they had been told about it, it was “extremely disconcerting.” “To make it sound like you’re getting a free reward … we had a lot of tears in it. There were a lot of days, where there was an actual vomiting happening,” Blitz said. He threw out one word — “gigantic.”
“It was actually this fish,” he continued. “And one of the night shoots, that’s exactly what happened. I lost six teeth that night. But as you can imagine, it actually helped the film a lot.”
To read more about the cast and directing style of Cirque du Freak, pick up the new issue of Entertainment Weekly.
Categories latest Tags boxing, celebrity, clinical trials
Australia’s oldest professional golfer hits 100 years
Russia asks adults to stay home due to gastroenteritis epidemic
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GAFCON challenges Anglican ways
The Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON: see Pittsburgh Update story here) ended June 29 and issued a “Statement on the Global Anglican Future” likely to deepen the Anglican crisis. The Statement declares conference participants to be a “fellowship of confessing Anglicans,” but one “not breaking away from the Anglican Communion.” It justifies continued incursions into provinces, such as the Anglican Church of Canada and The Episcopal Church, that teach a “false gospel,” announces the development of a “Primates’ Council” that would “authenticate and recognise confessing Anglican jurisdictions, clergy and congregations,” and calls for the Common Cause Partnership, headquartered in Pittsburgh, to be recognized as “a province in North America.”
The Primates’ Council would likely comprise the primates of Nigeria, West Africa, Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, and Southern Cone, possibly joined by Tanzania, depending on a vote by its bishops.
As part of the Statement, “The Jerusalem Declaration” enumerates “tenets of orthodoxy which underpin our Anglican identity.” The tenets include the “plain” reading of scripture (“the Word of God written”), subscription to the Articles of Religion, and the 1662 prayer book “as a true and authoritative standard of worship and prayer” to be translated and locally adapted.
Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, to whose prerogatives the GAFCON statement is a clear challenge, quickly issued a response calling the GAFCON proposals “problematic.” The Primates’ Council will “not pass the test of legitimacy” for some, he said, and the claim to be able to operate across provincial boundaries “is fraught with difficulties.”
Durham Bishop N.T. Wright, in a brief essay, “After GAFCON,” applauds the enthusiasm of the participants, but, like Archbishop Williams, he is unenthusiastic about the details of the Statement.
Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori also responded to GAFCON. “This statement does not represent the end of Anglicanism, merely another chapter in a centuries-old struggle for dominance by those who consider themselves the only true believers,” she said.
As reported here last week, Pittsburgh’s Bishop Robert Duncan delivered the opening plenary address in Jordan, but he did not follow participants to Jerusalem.
As we write this, press reports on GAFCON are just beginning to catch up with events. Recent stories can be found in the Telegraph, Christian Broadcasting Network, and Time. More stories will surely follow.
Prominent Church of England bishop to boycott Lambeth
Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali, a prominent conservative voice in the Church of England and spiritual leader of the Diocese of Rochester, says he will boycott the Lambeth Conference as a matter of conscience. “I would find it difficult to be in Eucharistic fellowship with, and teaching the common faith alongside, those who have ordained a person to be bishop whose style of life is contrary to the unanimous teaching of the Bible and the Church down the ages,” he said, referring to Bishop of New Hampshire Gene Robinson. The openly gay Robinson is the only Episcopal bishop not formally invited to the upcoming Lambeth Conference. The story is reported by Episcopal News Service here.
Church court convicts Pennsylvania bishop on charges of conduct unbecoming; attorneys vow appeal
On June 25, The Episcopal Church’s nine-member Court for the Trial of a Bishop announced a guilty verdict on two counts in the trial of Bishop Charles E. Bennison of the Diocese of Pennsylvania. (See Pittsburgh Update story here.) The court finding was unanimous on the count of failing to respond properly 35 years ago, as rector of a church in Upland, California, after learning that his brother, whom he had hired as youth minister, was “engaged in a sexually abusive and sexually exploitive relationship” with a 14-year-old parishioner. The verdict was 6-3 on the charge of suppressing the information about his brother until 2006 and “fail[ing] to minister to people who he understood to have been injured by his brother’s conduct.” Attorneys for Bennison told The Philadelphia Inquirer that he was “obviously disappointed” and said they plan an appeal to an appeals court composed of nine bishops.
The bishop told the court he was unaware of his brother’s sexual abuse of the victim until several years after it began. He also said the church at the time lacked any process for dealing with such situations and that he received no special seminary training in dealing with problems of that nature. The victim and her mother both testified for the prosecution.
All parties involved have until July 30 to submit additional evidence concerning sentencing, which could range from an admonition to deposition. After the trial court verdict was announced, the Diocese of Pennsylvania Standing Committee issued a statement saying it “shares in the grief of the victims and all whose lives have been impacted by these events. Our prayers and thoughts are with those affected by the trial and the verdict. We pray for healing for all. The canonical process is long and far from over.”
The Episcopal News Service story on the verdict can be read here.
Diocese of Maryland consecrates first African-American bishop
The Rev. Canon Eugene T. Sutton became the first African-American bishop in the Diocese of Maryland when he was consecrated June 28 in a service held at the Washington National Cathedral. For the past eight years, Sutton has served as the canon pastor and director of the Cathedral Center for Prayer and Pilgrimage at the the cathedral. In an interview published June 27 in The Baltimore Sun, the newly chosen bishop said he especially wants to emphasize environmental concerns and education. He has testified before Congress on climate change, and he said in the interview that he would like to explore the possibility of establishing an Episcopal school in Baltimore for low-income children. The Sun’s interview noted that that Sutton is the great-great grandson of slaves and that the diocese’s first bishop was himself a slaveholder.
Virginia state court upholds constitutionality of “division” statute
A state court handling litigation between the Diocese of Virginia and congregations that have left it to become part of the Convocation of Anglicans in North America (CANA) has ruled that the Virginia statute on “divisions” in religious bodies is constitutional. (See Pittsburgh Update story here.) In an earlier ruling, the court held that the “division” statute was properly invoked by the CANA congregations. The Episcopal Church is party to the lawsuits, and a number of other churches sided with the diocese and church in friend of the court briefs.
Commenting on the court decision of June 27, the diocese issued a statement that said, in part:
“We are unwavering in these beliefs and will explore fully every option available to restore constitutional and legal protections for all churches in Virginia.”
The Episcopal News Service story on the decision can be read here. A story from The Washington Post can be read here.
posted by Joe Gilliland @ 11:58 PM
GAFCON convenes in Jerusalem
The Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) has now convened in Jerusalem and will continue through June 29. (See Pittsburgh Update story on GAFCON here.) The conference, attended mostly by conservatives from the U.S. and representatives from the Global South, is receiving extensive coverage in the press, including The New York Times, Reuters, and the BBC.
Episcopal News Service reported that Anglican Bishop in Jerusalem Suheil Dawani, who had earlier objected to GAFCON’s being held in Jerusalem at all, has called for participants to show a spirit of “peace, reconciliation and goodwill.” Religion Correspondent for The Times, Ruth Gledhill, has explained on her blog that eight people, not all of whom are even attending GAFCON, have been barred from GAFCON sessions. Among the so-called “GAFCON 8” is Colorado Bishop Robert O’Neill, who was asked by Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori to monitor the conference.
Participants in a closed pre-conference planning meeting that had been moved to Jordan at least in part because of the objections of the Jerusalem bishop adjourned early on June 19. The meeting was transferred to Jerusalem after Archbishops Akinola and Venables were refused entry into Jordan.
Conference organizers made available an on-line book, The Way, The Truth, and The Life, written by the conference’s Theological Resource Team shortly before GAFCON’s official opening. A statement by Archbishop Peter Akinola in one of the book’s essays was widely reported in the press: “There is no longer any hope, therefore, for a unified [Anglican] Communion.” The Nigerian primate’s rhetoric in his speech at the conference Sunday, June 22, however, seemed to hold out greater hope. (See the Telegraph story here.) Other addresses have been given by Pittsburgh’s Bishop Robert Duncan and Sydney’s Archbishop Peter Jensen.
London gay “marriage” condemned by Archbishops of Canterbury and York
In response to the blessing of the domestic partnership of two gay priests that took place in London earlier this month (see Pittsburgh Update story here), the Archbishops of Canterbury and York issued a brief statement in which they expressed “very great concern” over the incident. Clergy are not at liberty to disregard “the Church’s teaching,” the statement said. The statement was reported in The Guardian and elsewhere.
Duncan names “collegiate vicar” for Common Cause congregations in West
In his capacity as moderator of the Common Cause Partnership, an alliance of “orthodox” groups in the U.S., Pittsburgh’s Bishop Robert Duncan has named a priest as a “collegiate vicar” for the Association of Western Anglican Congregations. The individual chosen is the Rev. Bill Thompson, rector of All Saints’ Anglican Church in Long Beach, California. His appointment was announced June 14 at the Western Anglicans House of Delegates meeting in Newport Beach. Ron Speers, president of the Western Anglicans organization, said, “Hopefully, the appointment of the Collegiate Vicar for us can serve as a model for other CCP-related church clusters elsewhere in the country.” The story was reported by the Anglican Communion Network.
First openly gay deacon ordained in Diocese of San Diego
The San Diego Union-Tribune reported June 21, 2008, that Bishop James Mathes, Bishop of San Diego, recently ordained the diocese’s first openly gay deacon to the transitional diaconate. The new deacon is Thomas Wilson, a former schoolteacher who moved to San Diego eight years ago with his partner of 20 years. The Rev. Susan Russell, president of Integrity, said the action shows how San Diego’s generally conservative philosophy is gradually changing under Bishop Mathes’ leadership.
Prominent Fort Worth rector reiterates loyalty to Episcopal Church
The Rev. Christopher Jambor, rector of All Saints’ Episcopal Church—one of the most prominent parishes in the city and diocese of Fort Worth—has gone on record pledging his loyalty to The Episcopal Church. “[L]eaving The Episcopal Church and claiming to be able to take her assets with you is not within the bounds of our polity. Doing so is not reforming that which is deficient. It is abandoning it. For me to support or advocate this course of action would be to break my solemn oaths made when I was ordained deacon and priest,” Jambor says in his statement.
San Joaquin congregation returns to Episcopal Church
The mission congregation of St. Andrew’s Parish has decided to reject the actions of its vestry and priest by requesting recognition as a congregation in the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin. The vestry and vicar of the Taft, California, mission had originally aligned the parish with Bishop John-David Schofield’s breakaway Anglican diocese now identifying itself as part of the province of the Southern Cone. In April, Bishop Lamb of the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin received a petition signed by 25 pledging members of the mission—average Sunday attendance is 18—asking for recognition as part of the Episcopal diocese. Lamb appointed a new bishop’s committee and is providing supply clergy to serve the mission. The congregation has changed the locks to its building to ensure that its rejected leaders cannot seize the property. Conservative blogs have accused Bishop Lamb of theft of both the congregation and its property. When Bishop Schofield broke with The Episcopal Church, he allowed congregations not in debt to choose whether to realign or stay in The Episcopal Church. Mission congregations such as St. Andrew's were given no choice, however; Schofield claimed them all.
Quite different interpretations of what has happened in Taft may be found on the Web sites of the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin, the Anglican Diocese of San Joaquin, and conservative blogger David Virtue.
Pennsylvania bishop cleared of financial charges but awaits court verdict
According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, the Title IV Review Committee found no basis on which to try Bishop of Pennsylvania Charles E. Bennison, Jr., for misuse of diocesan funds. Charges had been brought forward by the Diocese of Pennsylvania’s Standing Committee, which has been feuding with its bishop for some time. Bennison is still awaiting a verdict in his trial for conduct unbecoming a member of the clergy. (See the story from Religious Intelligence Web site here, as well as the earlier Pittsburgh Update story.)
Pittsburgh convention to be held October 4 in Monroeville
Whereas Pittsburgh’s annual diocesan convention is usually held over two days on the first weekend of November, there has been much talk of moving up the date to minimize the time before the convention during which the Diocese of Pittsburgh might be without a bishop should the House of Bishops depose Bishop Robert Duncan in September. (See Pittsburgh Update story here.) The diocese has now posted a letter from the bishop setting the date for the convention as October 4. The venue will be St. Martin’s, Monroeville. As explained in the letter, pre-convention hearings will be held in late September. The diocesan constitution requires that the annual convention be held in either October or November.
GAFCON opens next weekend
The Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) opens next weekend in Jerusalem with registration beginning on Saturday, June 21. The conference will run through Sunday, June 29. According to its Web site, the conference aims to “prepare for an Anglican future in which the Gospel is uncompromised and Christ-centred mission is a top priority,” in addition to providing opportunity for fellowship and to “develop a renewed understanding of our identity as Anglican Christians.” The conference was planned largely by primates of the Global South and their Northern evangelical allies. Some GAFCON attendees have announced that they will boycott the Lambeth Conference, hosted by the Archbishop of Canterbury July 10–Aug. 3, although a widespread boycott seems unlikely. Some bishops, including both Pittsburgh bishops, have said will attend both conferences.
Male priests “married” in London ceremony
Two male priests who had already registered in England as civil partners were “married” June 14 in a London service that used the traditional marriage rite and included a Eucharist. The Telegraph reported on the service performed in defiance of the Bishop of London. The couple, the Rev. Peter Cowell and the Rev. Dr. David Lord, participated in a ceremony at St. Bartholomew the Great Church. The Rev. Martin Dudley officiated. Conservative reaction was strong and quick. Ugandan primate Henry Orombi, for example, called upon the service “blasphemous” and urged the Archbishop of Canterbury to take decisive action to prevent such ceremonies.
Executive Council expresses hope that Bishop Robinson can have Lambeth impact
The Executive Council of The Episcopal Church wound up a three-day meeting Sunday, June 15, 2008, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, by adopting a resolution on this year’s Lambeth Conference. The resolution contains language expressing hope that Bishop Gene Robinson of New Hampshire, although not a formal participant, can nevertheless have some influence. Robinson, the only active openly gay Anglican bishop, plans to be at the conference site as an observer to “see and be seen.” The resolution says that, although the conference’s “structured discussions will not include the voice and face of the Bishop of New Hampshire, who has not been invited to participate, we pray that his voice will be heard through those who are there speaking the truth about The Episcopal Church and hearing the truths of others, to the benefit of the wider Communion." In earlier remarks, Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori reminded Council members that the conference “is not going to be a legislative Lambeth; it’s going to be a conversational Lambeth, as was the first Lambeth.”
In other Council business, Linda Watt, chief operating officer for the church’s central offices, reported that a new regional office in Los Angeles is “up and running” and that another in Omaha is nearing the same status. In Seattle, she said, the church is close to settling on space on a school campus adjoining St. Mark’s Cathedral. But in Atlanta, Ms. Watt said, “hope is kind of faint” that rent-free space owned by the diocese can be found. She said the church remains committed to having a regional office in Province IX, made up of seven Latin American and Caribbean dioceses.
The Council was also briefed on proposed changes to Title IV, the church’s disciplinary canons. An attempt to revise the Title IV canons at the 2006 General Convention was unsuccessful.
Episcopal News Service has provided extensive coverage of the Executive Council meeting, most of which cannot be dealt with in this brief overview. The final ENS story on the meeting can be found here. It contains links to earlier stories.
President of House of Deputies has new Web site
For the first time, the president of the House of Deputies has her own Web site. President Bonnie Anderson welcomes visitors to the site, explaining that “the work and ministries of the deputies continue throughout the triennium.” She pledges to use the site to report on her ministies and those of other deputies to the General Convention. Initial features include remarks Anderson delivered at the Episcopal Relief and Development network meeting in April and at the Diocese of Missouri Flower Festival in May. It also includes news stories and a “Featured Voice” essay by the Rev. Brian N. Prior, of the Diocese of Spokane, the House of Deputies vice president.
Two California bishops urge couples to wed in civil ceremony first
According to an Episcopal News Service story, Bishop Marc Anrus of the Diocese of California said June 11 that all couples planning marriage, regardless of sexual orientation, should be wed in a civil ceremony before seeking a church blessing. He said such actions would be a way to support same-gender couples and “our continued witness to God’s inclusive love.” Bishop Mary Gray Reeves announced similar guidelines to her clergy according to The Living Church. Three other bishops in California—Jon Bruno of Los Angeles, James Mathes of San Diego, and Barry Beisner of Northern California—said their dioceses have not yet decided how they will deal with same-sex couples seeking blessing of their unions. The California Supreme Court ruled that, beginning June 16, gay couples can marry in that state. Interim Bishop Jerry Lamb of San Joaquin said his priority now is continued work to reconcile and restore the diocese because its previous leadership attempted to align it with South American Province of the Southern Cone.
Church court weighs fate of Pennsylvania bishop
A nine-member Court for the Trial of a Bishop is deliberating the case of Bishop Charles Bennison of the Diocese of Pennsylvania. His trial on a charge of conduct unbecoming a member of the clergy ended Friday, June 13, after three days of testimony taken at a downtown Philadelphia hotel. The court has 30 days to reach a verdict. A two-thirds majority is required for conviction on each charge. Bennison faces a sentence that could range from a reprimand to deposition.
Bennison is accused of failing to respond properly 35 years ago when, as a novice rector in Upland, California, he learned that his married younger brother John, a deacon and newly hired youth minister, had a ongoing sexual relationship with a girl that had begun when she was 14 years old. The bishop is further charged with covering up that information when his brother, who had once renounced his orders, was reinstated as a priest. John Bennison was forced from the priesthood a second time in 2006 after the abuse was publicly revealed.
Bennison’s attorney contended that his client had no church training, guidelines, or protocol to govern how he should respond at the time. He said that the 31-year-old rector handled the situation as best he knew how, a position Bennison himself took later in the proceedings when he testified on his own behalf.
The trial has been covered in detail by the Diocese of Pennsylvania. (Detailed accounts of the trial can be found here. Note that they appear in reverse chronological order.) The same reporter, Jerry Hames, who is providing stories for the Diocese of Pennsylvania, is also filing stories with Episcopal News Service. His ENS story on the final day of the trial can be found here. It contains links to earlier ENS stories on the trial.
Bishop moves to claim “Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh”
Rector Harold Lewis, in his latest column in Calvary Church’s newsletter, has revealed details of a recent move by Pittsburgh’s bishop, Robert Duncan, to strengthen his claim that he is the rightful leader of the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh. Bishop Duncan has registered a new nonprofit Pennsylvania corporation named “Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh.” (The Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh, that diocese that is a part of The Episcopal Church, has always been an unincorporated entity.) Lewis speculates that the new corporation is a piece of a plan to claim Episcopal Church property as part of “realignment.” The bishop apparently intends to claim that he is the leader of the “Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh” even in the event of his deposition and a vote by diocesan convention to leave The Episcopal Church. Lewis’s essay, “What's in a name?” and a copy of the articles of incorporation, in the bishop’s handwriting, can be found here. The listing for the new corporation on the site of the Pennsylvania Department of State can be found here.
New Archbishop of Tanzania enthroned
On May 25, the Most Rev. Valentino L. Mokiwa was enthroned for a five-year term as the primate of Tanzania. Archbishop Mokiwa, a graduate of Virginia Theological Seminary, has been bishop of the Diocese of Dar es Salaam since 2002. Among those attending the ceremony were the Rev. Emmanuel Sserwadda, The Episcopal Church’s program officer for Africa, and the Rev. Sandra McCann. McCann is an Episcopal missionary serving in Tanzania and a VTS graduate serving as official representative of VTS at the event. Archbishops Kolini of Rwanda and Akrofi of West Africa attended. Nigeria, Uganda, Burundi, and Kenya sent bishops as representatives. Episcopal News Service reported the story.
The new archbishop has joined Archbishop Drexel Gomez of West Indies and Bernard Ntahoturi of Burundi as primates willing to support the thirteen Episcopal Church bishops who are working on a proposal for a slightly expanded “episcopal visitors” group that could work with parishes or diocese anxious about remaining in good standing within the Anglican Communion. The group has committed to working only where the local bishop gives permission. (See “Communion Partners initiative expands to provide ‘relational fellowship’.”)
Bishop Robinson and partner exchange vows; diocese protests Lambeth snub
Bishop Gene Robinson of New Hampshire and his partner of 20 years, Mark Andrew, were joined Saturday, June 7, 2008, in a private civil union held at St. Paul’s Church in Concord, N.H. The brief ceremony in the narthex of the church was followed by a service of thanksgiving for the couple that included a celebration of the Eucharist attended by approximately 120 friends and family members. The story was reported by the Concord Monitor.
In the same issue, the Concord Monitor also reported that the Standing Committee and Diocesan Council of the Diocese of New Hampshire wrote to Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams on May 28 protesting their bishop’s being excluded from the Lambeth Conference and his being prevented from preaching or celebrating the Eucharist while in England. The letter, which has not yet received a reply, described the actions of the Archbishop as “an insult to the people of the Diocese of New Hampshire.”
Church broadens lawsuit in San Joaquin property dispute
The Episcopal Church and the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin, in central California, filed an amendment in a state court on June 2 to the lawsuit to recover property held by former Episcopal bishop John-David Schofield.
The amendment added two new defendants, Merrill Lynch and a new holding company called the Anglican Diocese Holding Corporation. After the latest brief was filed by the plaintiffs, Merrill Lynch, which manages diocesan funds, immediately froze the disputed accounts pending resolution of the court case. Schofield had begun transferring assets to the new holding company from a corporation he formerly headed as the bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin.
The Episcopal Church and the Episcopal diocese filed suit in April to assert ownership of diocesan property. A December vote of the diocesan convention to join the Anglican Province of the Southern Cone and the subsequent deposition of Schofield by the House of Bishops on March 12 led to the original filing.
The Web site for the Southern Cone-affiliated diocese contains a statement saying that the diocese remains confident the courts will rule for its ownership of the disputed property.
The Associated Press, Fresno Bee, Episcopal New Service and San Jose Mercury News all carried stories on the filing. ENS filed a separate story on the Merrill Lynch action.
San Joaquin reconciliation efforts continue
The Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin, headed by Interim Bishop Jerry Lamb, is moving ahead with its reconciliation program. It will hold a one-day retreat June 14 at Holy Family Church in Fresno, focusing on reconciliation among individuals and congregations.
After the retreat, Bishop Lamb will visit four diocesan locations in an activity being called “Reconciliation Conversations with the Bishop.” The purpose of the “conversations” is “to seek reconciliation with those who remain in discernment about participating in the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin.”
The reconciliation programs are described in “Reconciliation in the Diocese of San Joaquin” in the diocese’s June newsletter.
Bishop Carol Gallagher to offer pastoral services in North Dakota
According to Episcopal News Service, Bishop Michael Smith has requested that Bishop Carol Gallagher assist in his diocese to “reach out especially to congregations and clergy who feel alienated and hurt by me due to different understandings of human sexuality.” Bishop Smith has declined to ordain partnered gays and lesbians, license partnered gay clergy who move to North Dakota, or allow same-sex blessings. The arrangement is pioneering a new kind of relationship between bishops and is intended to aid the listening process and discernment in the diocese around issues of sexuality.
Pittsburgh diocese makes Southern Cone destination official
Diocesan Council made public three resolutions to be voted on by the Diocese of Pittsburgh’s 143rd annual convention, which is expected to be held this year in early October, rather than early November. The convention will be held shortly after the scheduled September House of Bishops meeting at which Bishop Robert Duncan is expected to be deposed for abandoning the communion of The Episcopal Church.
The three resolutions announced by the Diocesan Council are available on the diocesan Web site here. They are predicated on the convention’s passing, on second reading, the constitutional amendments that intend to end the diocese’s accession to the constitution and canons of The Episcopal Church. (The constitutional changes approved at the 2007 convention can be read here.)
Resolution One would establish a canon declaring the diocese to be part of the province of the Southern Cone. Resolution Two gives parishes 24 months to adjust their bylaws or similar documents to be in conformity with the new alignment. Resolution Three adopts as a temporary expedient “until a more comprehensive set of Constitution and Canons can be developed and approved by the Diocese” the constitution and canons of The Episcopal Church, while at the same time explaining that this is not to be taken as indicative of the church’s having any authority over the diocese.
The resolutions follow closely the logic outlined in the diocese’s “Frequently Asked Questions About Realignment.” A different analysis of realignment has been offered by Progressive Episcopalians of Pittsburgh in “Relignment Reconsidered.”
Government seizes churches in Zimbabwe
Government forces have completed the takeover of Anglican church buildings in the province of Harare. Only the handful of supporters of the excommunicated rogue Anglican bishop Nolbert Kunoga, who is a crony of President Mugabe, are being allowed into church buildings. The vast majority of Anglicans support Dr. Sebastian Bakare, who was named Bishop of Harare after Kunonga’s removal. Church Times also reported that Bishop Bakare was being accused of plotting a coup against the government, and that Roman Catholics were also being attacked by government forces. An earlier Pittsburgh Update story can be read here.
Diocese of Huron votes to support same-sex blessings
Anglican Journal reported May 27 that the Diocese of Huron in Ontario, Canada, has become the fifth Anglican Church of Canada diocese officially to vote support for same-sex blessings. Since June 2007, the dioceses of Huron, Niagara, Ottawa, and Montreal have voted to support same-sex blessings. The Diocese of New Westminster did so in 2002. Clergy voted 97–36 for the measure in Huron. The lay vote was 277–87. The synod also voted to devise a ritual for such blessings.
Virginia court hears arguments on constitutionality of division statute
On May 28, The Episcopal Church and the Diocese of Virginia presented oral arguments challenging the constitutionality of a 19th-century church “division” statute on the grounds that it infringes on religious liberty under both state and U.S. constitutions. The statute is key to the property claims of 11 Virginia congregations that have affiliated with the Convocation of Anglicans in North America. The Virginia Attorney General joined CANA attorneys in defending the law. The court also heard arguments from attorneys representing some of the 16 units of other denominations that filed written briefs challenging the law. No opinion is expected before late summer.
When Judge Randy Bellows ruled, on April 3, that the Virginia statute on church divisions applied to the case of the 11 congregations, he agreed to hear constitutional challenges to the law and refrained from making any decision about disposition of property. Arguments on the actual ownership of property are not scheduled until fall.
You can read Pittsburgh Update reports of the Virginia dispute here, here, and here. News stories on the May 28 proceeding are available from the Richmond Times-Dispatch, The Washington Times, and Episcopal News Service.
Dissenters abandon legal fight over Connecticut parish property
The former rector and about 120 ex-parishioners have ended their legal battle to keep the property of Trinity Church in Bristol, Connecticut. The Associated Press quoted the Rev. Donald Helmandollar as saying that he and laypeople who have left The Episcopal Church have decided to worship at an elementary school auditorium. Their first service there was set for June 1. The parish now calls itself Holy Trinity Anglican Church and is affiliated with the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion). The Diocese of Connecticut sued the dissenting group last August to regain possession of the church property. The story was reported in the Hartford Courant.
Lambeth invitation issued to San Joaquin bishop
The provisional bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin, Jerry Lamb, announced in his Friday blog that he received an invitation to the Lambeth Conference on May 26. The invitation was issued to him as diocesan bishop of San Joaquin. Bishop Lamb, who attended the 1998 Lambeth Conference, is making plans to attend the conference with his wife.
Central Florida, Northern Indiana, Springfield dioceses join protests of Schofield, Cox depositions
Leaders of the dioceses of Central Florida, Northern Indiana, and Springfield have added their voices to protests over the recent depositions of Bishops William Cox and John-David Schofield for abandoning the communion of the church. News of the Central Florida and Springfield actions were reported May 27 in The Living Church. The Northern Indiana action was posted the same day on the diocesan Web site.
All join protests already voiced by the dioceses of South Carolina and Western Louisiana, which have asserted that an insufficient majority of the House of Bishops voted to take the actions. Both the Presiding Bishop and her chancellor, David Booth Beers, have defended the actions as canonically valid. (See Pittsburgh Update story here.)
In its statement, the Northern Indiana Standing Committee said it noted “with alarm that the Presiding Bishop has publicly stated her intent to begin, at the September meeting of the House of Bishops, deposition proceedings against Bishop Robert Duncan of the Diocese of Pittsburgh for abandoning the communion before the diocese votes to do so in November. We plead for calm and prayer in the face of temptations to escalate abuses of power in this way.”
Pittsburgh Standing Committee “saddened” by move to depose Duncan
As reported on the diocesan Web site, the Standing Committee of the Diocese of Pittsburgh, nearly all of whose members are supporting the withdrawal of the diocese from The Episcopal Church, passed a resolution May 27 expressing dismay at the move to depose Pittsburgh bishop Robert Duncan at a September meeting of the House of Bishops. The statement described the canons under which Bishop Duncan has been found to have abandoned the communion of The Episcopal Church “misapplied” and “misinterpreted.” “Should our Diocesan Bishop be validly deposed pursuant to the requirements set forth in the canons,” the statement says, the Standing Committee is ready to assume the role of Ecclesiastical Authority in the diocese, apparently leaving open the possibility that the Standing Committee might not recognize Duncan’s deposition should the House of Bishops approve it.
St. Andrew’s forum offers little hope for diocesan unity
About 100 people attended a nearly 2½-hour forum and panel discussion on realignment sponsored by St. Andrew’s, Highland Park, on June 1. The lines of division in the diocese seem clearly drawn, as only three members of the audience admitted, in response to a question by Bishop Henry Scriven at the beginning of the forum, to being undecided about realignment.
Bishop Scriven and the Rev. John Bailey spoke in favor of realignment. The Rev. Daniel Hall, agreed with much of the justification for realignment, but considered realignment premature since the Anglican Communion has not officially declared that The Episcopal Church has chosen to “walk apart.” The Rev. Cynthia Bronson Sweigert disputed the need for realignment or its desirability. None of the panelists discussed the legality of realignment or its potential impact on The Episcopal Church or the Anglican Communion. The Rev. Canon Mary Maggard Hays joined the four speakers in answering questions from the audience. St. Andrew’s rector, Bruce Robison, acted as moderator and offered occasional remarks.
All the presenters acknowledged that a division of the diocese appears inevitable, and there seemed to be a general feeling that a division would provide a sense of relief to those on both sides. Proponents of realignment urged a generous parting of the ways, and Bishop Scriven suggested that the resulting two dioceses could share resources and cooperate on projects.
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Athena - Neith
Athena - Minerva
Minerva - Athena
Minerva was a Roman goddess on the brighter side of living, and a counterpart to Greek Athena. It is assumed that in Etruscan mythology, Minerva was the patron goddess of wisdom, war, art, schools and commerce - also of medicine and doctors - and Minerva's festival was celebrated from March 19 to March 23.
From the 2nd century BCE, Romans regarded her as equivalent with the Greek goddess Athena. In Britain, Minerva was conflated with the local wisdom goddess Sulis. Ancient Greeks identified Athena with the ancient Egyptian goddess Neith, who in some ways resembled the ancient Berber goddess Tanit.
Athena of the Greeks is a goddess of wisdom, of household arts and crafts, of spinning and weaving, and of textiles. Athena is also inventor of the flute, the plough and the ox-yoke, the horse bridle and the chariot. Identified as Athena Nike (Victory) she is usually depicted with wings as the goddess of victory. Athena is not known to have a bellicose nature, nor does she bear arms except when her country is threatened or attacked. Then she fights well and helps or saves her champions too.
Her companion is the intellectual and civilized side of living and the goddess of victory. Her sacred bird is the owl, which is why wisdom is associated with that bird in our culture. She has some other symbols associated with her too. ◊
A "Minerva guy" is someone who "resonates" in the fields or on the wavelengths of Minerva, whether they be arts, domestic arts, city planning, certain kinds of music, victorious literature, and ploughing through books in (higher) study -
There are very many outlets and combinations of them and of our civilization too, it seems safe to say.
More on Athena
"They imported her; they changed some of her features to suit them, and they honoured her as such." In such ways they may have glorified themselves, by subterfuges. Think of it.
Athena, also spelled Athene, was the protectress of Athens. She was a goddess of war, handicraft, and practical reason, and was identified by the Romans with Minerva. Athena was essentially urban and civilised, and probably a pre-Hellenic goddess that was later taken over from Minoans by the Greeks. In so doing the military-minded Greeks made their Athena a goddess of war, but she still kept old and civilised features.
The Greeks made her the daughter of Zeus, produced without a mother, so that she emerged full-grown from his forehead. There iss an alternative story that Zeus swallowed the goddess of counsel, Metis, while she was pregnant with Athena, so that Athena finally emerged from Zeus. Being the favourite child of Zeus, she had great power.
In Homer's Iliad, Athena had better moral and military prowess than Ares (Mars) of blood lust and blind rage. Her qualities like justice and a variety of skills helped. Qualities that led to victory were found on the breastplate that Athena wore when she went to war: fear, strife, defense, and assault.
As the guardian of the welfare of kings, Athena became the goddess of good counsel, of prudent restraint and practical insight, as well as of war.
Athena became the goddess of crafts and skilled peacetime pursuits in general. She was particularly known as the patroness of spinning and weaving. That she ultimately became allegorized to personify wisdom and righteousness was a development of her patronage of skill.
Athena was customarily portrayed wearing body armour and a helmet and carrying a shield and a lance. (Source of this section: Taft 2014)
A tour through lofty concepts and a goddess history
Neith, a painting of the goddess in the tomb of Nefertari
Neith - Athena
The Greek historian, Herodotus (c. 484-425 BC), noted that the Egyptian citizens of Sais in Egypt worshipped a goddess called Neith and that they identified her with Athena. The Timaeus, a Socratic dialogue written by Plato, mirrors that identification with Athena, possibly as a result of the identification of both goddesses with war and weaving. The name of Neith may mean "the one who belongs to the Red Crown" (of Lower-Egypt) or "the one who belongs to the (primeval) floods"
In Egyptian mythology, Neith (also known as Nit, Net, and Neit) was an early goddess in the Egyptian pantheon. She was the patron deity of Sais, where her cult was centered in the Western Nile Delta of Egypt and attested as early as the First Dynasty. In the history of Egyptian myths, she became a goddess of weaving who wove all of the world and existence into being on her loom. Neith was considered to be a goddess of wisdom. As a goddess of weaving and the domestic arts she was a protector of women and a guardian of marriage, so royal women often named themselves after Neith, in her honour.
Proclus (412–485 AD) wrote that the adyton of the temple of Neith in Sais carried the following inscription: "I am the things that are, that will be, and that have been. No one has ever laid open the garment by which I am hidden. The fruit I brought forth was the sun."
Ancient Neith was said to repel evil in general and Egypt's foes in particular - it makes her a protectress as well as a goddess of war. She is also a goddess of hunting, weaving and wisdom. Her war and protectress symbols are the bow, the crossed arrows and shield on her head.
An early goddess in the Egyptian pantheon, in time she came to be considered the personification of the primordial waters of creation - a great mother goddess-creator. All that she conceived in her heart came into being, including thirty gods of Egypt (there are more still).
Neith also became goddess of weaving, and by then her role as a creator changed from being water-based to being a deity who wove all of the world and existence into being on her loom.
Neith is mother of the sun, Ra, in some creation myths. And from associating her with water, she is regarded as the source of the River Nile.
A great festival used to be held each year in her honour. According to the Greek historian Herodotus (c. 484–425 BC). her devotees burned a multitude of lights in the open air all night at that time. The Timaeus, a Socratic dialogue written by Plato, mirrors the identification of Neith with Athena, for both goddesses were warring and weaving.
George Hart descibes Neith as the Creator-goddess of Sais. Her titles include 'mistress of the bow . . . ruler of arrows'. The hieroglyph writing her name comprises two bows bound in a package. The warrior imagery behind these symbols led to the Greek identification of Neith with Athene.
The dominant feature of Neith is her role as creator. The goddess emerged from the primeval waters to create the world. She then followed the flow of the Nile northward to found Sais.
The concept of Neith as divine mother extends to other deities. In this aspect she transforms into a sky-goddess with the title of the Great Cow. (Hart 2005, 100-01)
Virgin Mother Goddess
Sir Ernest Alfred Thompson Wallis Budge argued that the spread of Christianity in Egypt was influenced by the likeness of attributes between the Mother of Christ and goddesses such as Isis and Neith. Parthenogenesis (development of an embryo from an unfertilized egg) was associated with Neith long before the birth of Christ. Other properties belonging to Neith and Isis were transferred to Mary, the mother of Jesus, as a mark of honour, and Catholics stick to the devout "Virgin Mother and Child" theme and seem to like it.
Neith may correspond to the goddess Tanit, worshipped in north Africa by the early Berber culture. Tanit is a virginal mother goddess and nurse, and a symbol of fertility. Her symbol is quite like the Egyptian ankh.
[Wikipedia, "Minerva," Athena," and "Neith"]
Hart, George. 2005. The Routledge Dictionary of Egyptian Gods and Goddesses. 2nd ed. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge.
Taft, Michael, ed. 2014. Greek Gods and Goddesses. New York. Britannica Educational Publishing / Rosen Publishing.
© 2003–2019, Tormod Kinnes, MPhil [Email]
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August 5, 2010 The Perkins Journal
A2 - THE PERKINS JOURNAL, Thursday, August 5, 2010 i ..... I ]1111 r i People Sandra Kay "Sandy" Schatz 1937 - 2010 Sandra Kay "Sandy" Schatz, age 72, passed away July 27, 2010 in Stillwater, OK. Funeral services were held at 10:00 A.M., Saturday, July 31, 2010 at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church with Father Kenneth Harder officiating. Inter- ment followed at Highland Cemetery in Pawnee, Oklahoma. Strode Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements. Sandy was born September 3, 1937 in StiUwater to Cecil and Fern Henrick and grew up in Stillwater around an extended and loving family. She attended Washington Grade School and graduated from Stillwater High School before attending Okla- homa State University. Sandy was united in marriage to her childhood friend, Charles Rea Schatz on June 15, 1957 at Saint Francis Xavier Catholic Church where she was a life- long parishioner. After mar- riage they moved to southem California where Charles was stationed in the U.S. Navy. After Charles's service, they returned to Stillwater where they raised two children. Sandy was employed at Okla- homa State University starting at the Chemistry Department before moving to the Student Union and finally the payroll department in Whitehurst Hall. She retired in 1991. She was also active in the St. Francis Financial Council and Alter Society. To fill her time after retirement, Sandy volunteered at Elite Repeat and enjoyed tending her garden. She passionately baked cookies for her grandchildren, and occasionally "encouraged" Charles to repaint the house. She touched many lives and will be missed by all who loved and cared for her. Sandy is survived by her husband, Charles; her brother Cecil; her daughter Deborah Rabinovitz and husband Joel of TX; son Jeffrey Schatz and wife Mary of WI; and her four grandchildren Kailee Rabinovitz, Zachary Rabino- vitz, Michael Schatz and Hali Schatz. She was preceded in death by her parents. In lieu of flowers the family has asked for donations to be made to the Sandra Schatz Memorial Fund at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, P.O. Box 909, Stillwater, OK. 74076, or to Judith Karman Hospice, Inc. at P.O. Box 818, Stillwater, OK. 74076. Condolences may be e-mailed to the family and an online obit- uary may be viewed by visiting www.strodefh.com. Melinda "Beth" Johnson 1956 - 2010 Melinda "Beth" Johnson, 53, passed away on July 28, 2010 in StiUwater, Oklahoma. Her service was held Tuesday, August 3, 2010, 2:00 pm, at Strode Funeral Home Chapel with Dr. Norman Richmond offici- atingl Interment followed at Fair- lawn Cemetery in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Strode Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements. Beth was born on December 27, 1956 to Arvel and Mattie Lena Sumpter in Sallisaw, Oklahoma. She married Philip Johnson on December 16,1977 in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Beth graduated from Meeker High School in 1975, attended Seminole Junior College, eam- ing an associate degree, continu- ing her education at Oklahoma State University where she stayed to work as a secretary for many years. However, after her second grandchild was bom she made the decision to stay home and help raise her grandchildren. A majority of her time was devoted to caring for her family and others around her. She even worked at Com- munity Access assisting handi- capped adults. She was a very talented indi- vidual. She was an excellent cake decorator and loved any art or craft, as well as animals and children. She is survived by her par- ents, Arvel and Mattie Lena; her husband, Philip, of the home; one son, Michael Johnson of Anchorage, Alaska; one daugh- ter, Mishelle Johnson-Sanogo and husband, Moustapha of Stillwater, OK; four grand- children, Carli B. Winchester, Quinton M. Johnson, Nicholas S. R. Johnson, and Katelin A. Sanogo; one sister Jannie Bar- rington and husband, Joe of Okemah, OK; and numerous aunts, uncles, cousins and other relatives. Condolences may be emailed to the family and an online obituary may be viewed by visiting www.strodefh.com. Margie Louise Ray 1940 - 2010 Funeral services for Margie Louise Ray, 69, of Stillwa- ter were held at 11:00 A.M. Wednesday, August 4, 2010 at Glencoe United Methodist Church with Pastor Ron Weathers offici- ating. Services were entrusted to the care of Palmer Marler Funeral Home in Stillwater, OK. Margie was born on Decem- ber 20, 1940 in Haworth, OK to Thomas Franklin and Rose (Waters) Murray. She grew up and attended school in Tipton, OK, graduating from Lange High School. Margie married Charles Ray on Dec 6, 1974 in Waiters, OK. In 1986 Margie and Charles moved to Stillwa- ter, OK. She became a very she loved more than anything. Margie went to be with the Lord on Thursday, July 29, 2010 in Alamosa, CO. She is survived by her children: Debbie Hudman and husband, Chris of Geronimo, OK, Ruth Ann Harp and husband, Blair of TulM, OK, Charles Andrew "Chuck" Ray, Jr. and wife, Amanda of La Conner, WA, Adrean Sturgess of Alamosa, CO, and Kevin Sturgess and wife Denise of Alamogordo, NM; one brother, Haskell Murray; two sisters, Flora Young and Charlyne Stafford; 11 grandchildren; six great grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews. Memorial donations may active member of the Glencoe be made in Margie's name to United Methodist Church where she was involved in the missions and food ministries. Her hobbies included fishing and traveling to New Mexico in her camper. Her pride and joy were her grandchildren, who the Glencoe United Methodist Church or the Walters Cemetery Association c/o Palmer Marler Funeral Home, Stillwater. Condolences may be sent to the family via our online guestbook at www.pmcth.com Lucretia (Kris) Thomas 1948 - 2010 Lucretia (Kris) Thomas passed away Tuesday, July 27th, 2010 at the OU Medi- cal Center in Oklahoma City. Lucretia Ann (DeLong) Thomas was born on March 3rd, 1948 in Still- water, Oklahoma to Walter Delong and Virginia (Keller) Delong. Kris married Robert (Bob) Thomas on March 3rd, 1967 and to this union two children were born. She enjoyed spending time with her family and friends, yard work, decorating her home, and lavishing her 2 dogs with time and toys. Kris leaves behind one son, Brian Thomas and wife Ginger of Perry, OK; one daughter, Leesa Thomas Silver of Dallas Texas ; sister Janette Stromberg and husband Dave of Stillwater, OK; uncle, Ted Keller of Roff , OK ; aunt, Elsie Engelke of Wichita, KS. Grandchildren: Shawn Newell of Orange, TX, Brady Thomas of Little Elm, Texas, Luke and Jake Thomas of Perry, OK. The family will be follow- ing the direction of Kris's last wishes of no service. The family does request all contributions be made to the American Cancer Society. Condolences may be sent using our online guestbook at www.perrycares.com. Lemons-Bickell to Wed Meagan Elizabeth Lemons and Brian Lee Bickell will wed Sunday, August 22 "d at 4 p.m. at the Marland Mansion in Ponca City, Oklahoma. The bride-to-be is the daughter of Beth Thompson of Shaw- nee and the granddaughter of Shirley Thompson andthe late Kenneth Thompson of Shawnee, Oklahoma. The groom-to-be is the son of Tom and Sue Bickell of Perkins, Oklahoma and the grandson of Ray and Carolyn Allison of Parkland, Oklahoma. Lemons graduated from Oklahoma State University in 2008. Bickell graduated from Oklahoma State University in 2006. Robert Dale Fenimore 1925-2010 Robert Dale Fenimore, the OSU College of Edu- 84, died on July 28, 2010 cation Hall of Honor, the in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Memorial services will be held at 2: O0 p.m. on Saturday, July 31, 2010 at the First Presbyte- rian Church in Stillwater with Dr. B. Gordon Edwards offi- ciating. Strode Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. Bob was born in Wood- ward, Oklahoma, on October 6, 1925, the first child of Orris and Maude Fenimore. He attended Woodward Public Schools and graduated in 1947 from Oklahoma State University (then called Oklahoma A&M College) where he received a B.S. degree from the college of Edu- cation majoring in Social Studies. During his college career, Bob was Oklahoma A&M College's first two-time All-American and played on both the winning 1945 Cotton Bowl and 1946 Sugar Bowl football teams. The Daily Oklahoman named him Player of the Year in 1944 and 1945. In 1947, he was selected as the first round choice in the NFL draft and was third in the Heisman Award. Following his graduation from Oklahoma A&M, Bob was drafted by the Chicago bears and played profes- sional football one year. He then returned to Oklahoma and began his career with the Massachusetts Mutual Life insurance Company in Oklahoma City. In 1953, he and his family moved to Stillwater, where he worked as a district manager for the company until his retire- ment in 1985. During his 40 years with Mass Mutual, Bob was named a National Quality Award Winner for 17 years and a member of the Leaders Club for 15 years. He was a past presi- dent of the Northern Okla- homa Chapter of Chartered Life Underwriters (CLU). Bob's football legacy at Oklahoma State University included his induction into the National Football College Hall of Fame, the Helms Football Hall of Fame, the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame, the Cotton Bowl Hall of Fame, OSU Distinguished Alumni Award, the OSU Track Hall of Honor as well as the OSU Founda- tion Board of Governors. Bob was actively involved in his church as well as his community. He served as an Elder of the First Presbyterian Church of Stillwater for four 3- year terms and Deacon for two 2-year terms. He served as President of the Stillwater Chamber of Commerce, President of the United Way and a member of the Stillwater Parks and Recreation Board of Directors. Bob was a life- time member of the OSU Alumni Association and former vice-president of the Payne County Alumni Association. Bob clearly distinguished himself with his accom- plishments and dedica- tion to his college, work, church, community and family. He and Veta Jo, his wife of 63 years, made their home in Stillwater, Oklahoma, for the past 50 years. Survivors include their two daughters, Eliza- beth Ann Atess and her husband, Robert Dale, and Jo Ellen Jones, all of Stillwater. Also surviving are his three grandchildren, Kathryn Jones McNeill and her husband, R an, of Dallas, TX; Sarah Atess of Cincinnati, OH; and David Atess of Stillwater; his brother, Harry Fenimore, of Stillwater; and his sister, Shirleinne Jennings and her husband, Bud, of Woodward, OK. Bob is also survived by many nieces and nephews. Memorials may be made in Bob's name to First Presbyterian Church, 524 S. Duncan, Stillwater, OK 74074; Judith Karman Hos- pice, P.O. Box 818, Stillwa- ter, OK 74076; Oklahoma State University School of Education or Iba-Fenimore Society of Oklahoma State University c/o the OSU Foundation, P.O. Box 1749, Stillwater, OK 74076 Condolences may be sent to the family and an online obituary may be viewed by visiting www.strodefh.com TATER'S serv g � ood Ole � otmtry � ooktngl land breaded �t hlcken rled teak, �l atfisb, specialty, bur ers and sandwiches. We are serving. your TEXMEX favorttes. 304 N Main St. Perkins, Z days a to and m costs j � : � (405) 547-2500 ,: .... www.pmcfh.com FUNERA�HOME . ..... 405'3720050 "P are" eople who c TATER'S at Lucky Chopstix Restaurant 251 E. Hwy33, Suite B-l, Perkins, OK 74059 (405) 547-401 4 SERVING THE STILLwATER AREA SINCE 1889
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U.S. Championships
Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier win U.S. pairs title in nationals debut
By Maura Sullivan Hill, Team FSO contributing writer
Photos by Robin Ritoss
Both Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier have stood on top of the U.S. pairs podium before. Knierim, three times with her husband, Chris: in 2015, 2018, and 2020. And once for Frazier, with his longtime partner Haven Denney in 2017. But in 2021, they took the gold and stood atop the podium together as partners, not competitors.
“Of course, every time you win a national championship, it means something different to you,” Knierim said in the post-event press conference, held over Zoom. “This one was extra special because it wasn’t something that we expected when we first teamed up. It feels great to win with Brandon, and, to be honest, I felt like Chris was out there in my heart every glide of the way. I’m just feeling really fortunate to have two great guys that support me.”
While Knierim said they were “elated” with their performance, both skaters also said they had to fight through some elements in the program.
“There were several elements, like the death spiral, that got real tight towards the end,” Frazier said. “Our second lift didn’t have a good up, that was a fight there. It wasn’t balanced well. Going into our choreo step, a lot of emotions going through at that point. It’s a long week, so the body gets tired and we both just really had to reach down deep and push through it, and that’s what I was really proud of.”
En route to their first title as a pair, Knierim and Frazier set new U.S. Championships records in the short program, free skate, and total score. They earned level 4s on all their elements across both programs but for one, the back outside death spiral in the free skate.
“We’re very pleased to win, but by no means are we finished,” Knierim said. “We have a lot of cleaning up to do and there’s a lot of things that we can do better. We strive for more every day. We want to be among the best in the world and we have a ways to go.”
Frazier agreed with his partner, while also pointing out how much has changed for each of them in the past year, since forming their partnership.
“Alexa and I both are trying to grow as a team as quickly as possible The result [here] is telling us [to] keep going,” Frazier said. “I told Alexa before coming [here] that showing up is a victory in itself, and I know that sounds cliché, but I mean, one year ago I was doing a press conference after my free program trying to fight back tears and now I’m trying to fight back tears for a different reason, so it’s just amazing what a year can do.”
Jessica Calalang/Brian Johnson
Knierim and Frazier’s training mates, Jessica Calalang and Brian Johnson, earned the silver medal for the second year in a row, but they weren’t satisfied with their performance in the long program.
“That performance wasn’t exactly what we had been training for,” Calalang said in the press conference. “There were quite a few mistakes in the program, but we tried really hard to put it aside and continue the performance strong all the way through.”
Their side-by-side triple salchows were downgraded, and on their side-by-side triple toe loop-double toe combo, Calalang fell and Johnson singled the second jump. Despite the jump issues leaving points on the table, Johnson found positives about their performance.
“One good thing we took away from this was all the hard work we put in this year on the expression, the skating skills, the stamina,” Johnson said. “All that stuff was done really well, so even though we might not have been the happiest with it, we’ve definitely, in our minds, shown improvement in many ways and we’re looking forward to adding on to that.”
Ashley Cain-Gribble/Timothy LeDuc
Ashley Cain-Gribble and Timothy LeDuc earned the bronze medal, after finishing in 4th place last year and winning the title in 2019.
“I know that we had a few mistakes in the program, but for us it felt like a huge win,” Cain-Gribble said. “We came off the ice feeling like Ashley and Timothy again, and it’s been a long time since we felt that way. And we felt like numerous times we were kind of looking on the outside at ourselves, and this time I felt like we were fully in the performance. We engaged with every piece of choreography and every element. We gave it everything that we had, and we chose not to stand in our way today and just let ourselves skate freely.”
In the free skate, Cain-Gribble and LeDuc earned level 4s on two lifts and the pair combination spin, and landed the throw triple lutz, an element that gave them trouble last season. The pair also received a level 4 on their triple twist in the short program, which they said was “a big win for us.”
At the press conference after the competition, LeDuc said, “I think there’s just an overwhelming sense of gratefulness that we’re even here, and that U.S. Figure Skating has put in the work for us to be able to compete in the period of time that we are in in the world. That’s really, I think, what we take away from this: that we still got to have a season, to still move forward as a team and grow as teammates even with everything going on right now.”
Audrey Lu and Misha Mitrofanov, the 2018 U.S. Junior Pair Champions, earned their best-ever finish at the senior level with the pewter medal in Las Vegas. They were in striking distance of the top teams with a strong third-place showing in the short, but Mitrofanov fell on their side-by-side triple toe loops in the free and all their lifts looked a bit tentative, which lost them points on grade of execution. Mitrofanov told reporters in the mixed zone that the zipper on his costume ripped before they skated the long program, which he said threw them off a bit.
Jenni Meno and Todd Sand, the three-time U.S. Pairs Champions and coaches of three teams in this competition, also spoke to the media after the event. Meno and Sand coach the top two teams, Knierim/Frazier and Calalang/Johnson, as well as first-time senior pairs competitor Katie McBeath and her partner Nathan Bartholomay. McBeath previously competed at Nationals in the senior ladies event, while Bartholomay competed in pairs at the 2014 Olympics with former partner Felicia Zhang.
Meno, who coaches alongside her husband Sand at Great Park Ice and Five Point Arena in Irvine, CA, told reporters, “That’s our goal: to get the U.S. [pairs] back on the podium at the World Championships and the Olympics.”
U.S. Figure Skating named Knierim and Frazier and Calalang and Johnson for the World Championships, which will be held in Sweden, pending the situation with the pandemic. The International Skating Union will make a decision about holding the event at the end of January 2021. U.S. Figure Skating has noted that Knierim and Frazier’s selection is pending the International Skating Union’s decision on minimum score. Cain-Gribble/LeDuc are first alternates, followed by Lu/Mitrofanov and Emily Chan/Spencer Howe, who finished in 5th place.
For more Nationals coverage, visit our 2021 U.S. Championships Hub.
Bradie Tennell wins her second U.S. title at the 2021 U.S. Championships
Nathan Chen wins fifth consecutive U.S. title
McLaughlin, Brubaker shocked by newcomers
Pelvic pain no match for Hochstein’s passion
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Marines remembered, war decried at night-fighters' reunion
Elisabeth Sherwin -- gizmo@ dcn.davis.ca.us
Enterprise staff writer
SAN DIEGO - In May 2004 I was one of nearly 100 people who attended the annual reunion of the Marine Night Fighters Association.
I was there out of curiosity and to honor my late father, Frank Sherwin, who was a Marine night-fighter pilot in the Pacific during WWII.
My brother, also named Frank Sherwin, conveniently lives in El Cajon so we came to the reunion with his son, Roy, 8.
The WWII and Korea-era vets, their wives and a handful of adult children who gathered in San Diego were warm and welcoming, even though we were newcomers to the organization and weren't staying at the hotel with the rest of the group.
On Friday morning, May 14, we all gathered on the parade grounds at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot to watch the basic Marine graduation ceremony. It was at that point that I thought: "What am I doing here? I don't want to celebrate the choices these kids made, choices that might end up getting them killed in Iraq."
But I bit my lip and settled back in the bleachers, watching the proceedings, which began exactly on time. With military precision, actually. The Marine band was the hardest working unit on the parade grounds but all the recruits looked good -- spit-shined and professional. It was the sloppily dressed civilians - the wives, mothers and fathers, girlfriends -- who straggled in up to halfway through the ceremony wearing T-shirts and shorts or blue jeans that needed a dress manual.
The group I was sitting with, the Marines who fought in WWII and Korea, were recognized by the emcee and asked to stand, receiving a polite round of applause. It seemed to me that these good men deserved more than just a pro forma nod of the head, but their story is not well known.
John D'Addamio of York, Pa., the association's newsletter editor, agrees that their story is not well known.
In 1942, when the first Marine night fighter squadrons were formed, the Japanese had practically complete control of the skies in the combat areas, he said.
"They had night navigation capabilities, but we had no means of intercepting them. In 1942, a cadre of men were sent to England to study their radar system. Upon their return they immediately applied what they had learned and our first night fighter squadron (531) was formed and served in the Guadalcanal campaign," D'Addamio said.
"The first night fighter aircraft was a Navy discard, a patrol bomber, whose limitations were duly noted. During this period of trial and error, a second night fighter squadron, 532, was being formed, as was AWS 1 (Air Warning Squadron). It was the job of AWS's to direct the fighter planes to targets, provide radio beacons to direct them home, provide anti-aircraft fire control, and myriad other duties required to make things work.
"This combination would bring some sophistication to our night-fighting capabilities and gave us the opportunity to intercept and shoot down enemy bombers as they approached our bases at night," he said. "Many times, the enemy was turned away without dropping a bomb on any of our installations," he added.
"For the first few years of WWII, I think nine night fighter squadrons and 18 air warning squadrons were commissioned. Many night fighter squadrons served in all the major campaigns, while all of them served in the final campaign of the Pacific, Okinawa," said D'Addamio.
Marine night fighters also were active in Korea.
"This doesn't sound like much by today's standards, but imagine flying alone in absolute, total darkness, with only some crackling voice directing you toward someone who wants to shoot you down," he suggested.
"Your life depended on a controller to get you behind the enemy bomber, then your onboard radar would guide you in for the final approach. As soon as you took your shot, you had to veer away to avoid possible flames, explosion and flying debris. Totally disoriented in the darkness, you now pray for the ground to beam you a homing frequency to get you back to your field," he said.
"These pilots were a special breed of men," he added.
Yes, they were. I agree with that assessment, so it was important if not politically correct for me to ask one of the Marines what he thought of our current war in Iraq.
At the dinner on Saturday night we were seated by squadron. Only one man from my father's squadron attended the reunion, and I was happy to meet him. Fred Ballek of Hampstead, North Carolina, had been an 18-year-old truck driver during WWII. He didn't know my father (he called all the pilots "sir") but I appreciated hearing his stories and the story of his life after the war.
Ballek made a career out of the Marines. He later served as a city councilman and mayor of a small town. He worked hard to support his family including his grandchildren. He attended the reunion with his wife, Gloria, and his adult daughter and her partner, also a Marine.
Ballek was kind enough to give me a wonderful souvenir of the war, a 1942 Christmas card that Marines were encouraged to send home to their families and friends that critical season.
I liked this good man, but I still wanted to put the question to him. I hoped it wouldn't bring our lovely dinner to an end. Finally, I asked: "What do you think of the U.S. in Iraq?"
His answer delighted me.
"The United States acted like a bully," he said. We chatted a little about the options open to the U.S. now and our brief evening together ended pleasantly.
Later I thought about the basic rules of human behavior and how the U.S., armed with the best intentions, violated them.
Any student of human behavior will tell you: The only person you can change is yourself. This applies to countries as well as individuals. The United States should concentrate on making itself the best country in the world, and then other countries might follow, if it suits them. Democracy imposed by force is something other than democracy.
Or to put it in Marine terms: Honor, courage and commitment don't leave room for bullying.
--Reach Elisabeth Sherwin at gizmo@dcn.org
Lt. Frank Sherwin, pilot with the VMF(N)543 serving his country from Okinawa in May 1945.
Follow this link to theJune 16, 2002 feature in the Davis Enterprise and part of PRINTED MATTER ON THE WEB
Caption by G. Richard Yamagata
Photo by Robert McEldowney, Jr. ©2002 All rights reserved. Used with permission.
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Shirkah: Journal of Economics and Business (p-ISSN:2503-4235; e-ISSN:2503-4243) is a peer-reviewed journal published by Faculty of Islamic Economics and Business IAIN Surakarta Indonesia that committed to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics and takes all possible measures against publication malpractice. This statement clarifies ethical behavior of all parties involved in the act of publishing an article in this journal, including the author, the principal editor, associate editor, editorial board, reviewer and publisher. This statement is based on COPE’s Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors. Our responsibility is to publish original work of value to the intellectual community in the best possible form and to the highest possible standards. We expect similar standards from our reviewers and authors. Honesty, originality, and fair dealing on the part of authors, and fairness, objectivity, and confidentiality on the part of editors and reviewers are among the critical values that enable us to achieve our goal. Shirkah: Journal of Economics and Business is committed to following best practices on ethical matters, errors, and retractions, and to provide a legal review if necessary.
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Florists in Wolfsburg Germany
Find Florist in Wolfsburg Germany
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WOLFSBURG FLOWER SHOP NEWS
Final VW Beetle drives off Mexico factory floor - DW (English)
Mexico, over 21,500,000 had been produced. The final car (above) received a ceremonial sendoff complete with mariachi band. Dubbed "El Rey" ("the king"), the car was sent to VW headquarters in Wolfsburg, Germany. VW Beetle through the years Political statement Despite no longer being made, the original Beetle remained popular and recognizable, often linked to 1960s nostalgia. However, it also made a political statement. While holding the post of Uruguay's president from 2010-2015, Jose Mujica continued to use his 1987 Beetle to get around (above). The old car, part of his personal abstention from luxury, cemented his reputation as a humble politician. VW Beetle through the years A place in drivers' hearts The VW entered its third generation in 2012, with the production of a new model in the US. But just six years later VW said it would cease making the car in 2019, instead focusing on electric and family vehicles. VW's CEO left the door open to revive the much beloved Beetle in the future. Until then, however, the iconic car will continue to hold a place in the hearts of old and young alike. Devised under Hitler The first "Beetle," or Käfer in German, was conceived in the 1930s by a design team led by engineer Ferdinand Porsche, tasked by German dictator Adolf Hitler. During the war, VW used slave labor at what became its headquarters Wolfsburg in northern Germany and a href="https://www.volkswagena...https://www.dw.com/en/final-vw-beetle-drives-off-mexico-factory-floor/a-49544177-0
Dortmund crush Hannover 5-1 in German Bundesliga - Xinhua | English.news.cn - Xinhua
Freiburg 4-2 after Andrej Kramaric provided a brace on the road. Bayer Leverkusen returned to winning ways through goals from Kai Havertz, Kevin Volland and Julian Brandt against Wolfsburg. Quaison's second-half winner secured Mainz a 2-1 win over bottom side Nuremberg and Eintracht Frankfurt shared the spoils with Werder Bremen following a two-all draw. The following fixtures conclude the 19th round on Sunday: Bayern Munich face Stuttgart and Fortuna Dusseldorf encounter Leipzig. http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2019-01/27/c_137777320.htm
Five reasons to be excited about the 2018/19 Bundesliga season
Schalke, runners-up last season, will share that ambition as Domenico Tedesco starts a second campaign in charge with a trip to Wolfsburg. Mouth watering yet? How about getting your teeth into Borussia Dortmund new-look and talent-charged under Lucien Favre - and their home opener against RB Leipzig while Borussia Mönchengladbach play host to Bayer Leverkusen in a Rhine derby? Happy yet? Yes, thought so. Lucien Favre is charged with bringing the good times back to Borussia Dortmund. © imago / Revierfoto 2) Second season success syndromeIt is always hard to follow up success with yet more, but there is no reason to suggest the men who embroidered the colourful narrative of the 2017/18 season will not weave their magic once again. Step forward James Rodriguez. The Colombia international was stunningly reborn at Bayern last term, and in the second 12 months of his two-year loan from Real Madrid, he will seek to be just as impressively influential.Watch: James Rodriguez's stunning debut season in the Bundesliga Tedesco's maiden season at the Veltins Arena was an unqualified success, one that he will want to back up in the same way his former classmate, Julian Nagelsmann, has done at Hoffenheim. With Mark Uth, fresh from his breakthrough Bundesliga season, in the Royal Blues ranks, you would not bet against that happening.Werder Bremen were one of the largest surprise packages of last season with new coach Florian Kohfeldt earning plaudits in his first major role and goalkeeper Jiri Pavlenka keeping enough clean sheets to spawn numerous puns about blank Czechs. More should be expected.3) Dugout differencesThere is nothing better than the bright sunshine, luscious pitches and overpowering whiff of optimism that a new season brings. The ambitions of clubs and fans differ, and some have more reason than most to be optimistic. Yes, we're looking at you Bayern! Niko Kovac now holds the reins at the Allianz Arena, but hi...https://www.bundesliga.com/en/news/Bundesliga/james-rodriguez-kovac-favre-josh-sargent-5-reasons-to-be-excited-about-2018-19-509740.jsp
Dortmund crave out 3-2 win over Cologne in German Bundesliga - Xinhua
The following fixtures are scheduled for Saturday: Hertha Berlin host Hoffenheim, Freiburg see Bayer Leverkusen, Schalke face Werder Bremen, Mainz encounter front runners Bayern Munich, Wolfsburg clash with newly promoted Stuttgart and Monchengladbach take on Leipzig. http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-02/03/c_136945777.htm
Green party politician remains most popular head of federal state in Germany: poll - Xinhua | English.news.cn - Xinhua
With an approval rate of 66 percent, Daniel Guenther, Minister President of Schleswig-Holstein, was the second most popular head of a federal state in Germany, followed by Stephan Weil of Lower Saxony who was ranked third with 60 percent. At the bottom of the ranking was Berlin's governing mayor, Michael Mueller (SPD), whose work was only rated positively by 27 percent of people living in the German capital's federal state. Following a big win in the European Parliament elections in May, where the Green party in Germany won 20.5 percent of votes and became second strongest political force, support for the Green party in Germany is at a historic high. According to last week's Trendbarometer, the Greens would gain the same number of votes as the governing conservative union CDU/CSU if elections were to be held. With regards to a first Green German chancellor, Winfried Kretschmann recently told the Funke Media Group that a German government led by the Greens would not involve a radical change of policy. "Nobody needs to be afraid of a Green Chancellor. We are not trumps or Erdogans or Orbans who throw everything overboard," Kretschmann told the German newspapers. The head of Baden-Wuerttemberg noted that he did not see "big differences" in alliances with the CDU/CSU and the SPD. "In socio-political issues, we make progress with the social democrats, in economic policy with the CDU/CSU". http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2019-07/16/c_138229413.htm
Berlin moves to greatly reduce ‘solidarity tax’ for eastern Germany - Euronews
The bill, proposed by the finance minister from Angela Merkel’s CDU party, has been encouraged with support from the CDU’s coalition partner the SPD.The Prime Minister of Lower Saxony, Stephan Weil, said: "It is absolutely time to noticeably reduce the burden on small and medium incomes by abolishing the solidarity surcharge."Weil also thinks it's good that 10% of Germans should continue to pay the solidarity surcharge. "Nobody would understand, however, if the highest incomes in Germany were now to be rewarded with tax gifts totalling around eleven billion euros. We'd better invest this money in education and climate protection."Thorsten Schäfer-Gümbel, parliamentary party and state leader of the SPD in Hesse, also supports Scholz.What is the Soli tax?The solidarity surcharge was introduced in 1991, to help reconstruction of the east following the reunification of Germany in the wake of the fall of the Berlin Wall.The tax was originally supposed to be in place only for a limited time but became permanent in 1995.Initially, the solidarity rate was 7.5%, but since 1995 it has been 5.5%. In addition, the surcharge has been unlimited since 1995.Contrary to some assumptions, taxpayers in the west and east have to pay the tax.According to the Ministry of Finance, in 2018 the German state received €18.9 billion as a result.Criticism of the billAccording to the Ministry of Finance, single people with an annual gross income of up to €73,874 would not have to pay anything. From €109,451 gross annual wages, the full supplement would have to be paid.Accordingly, a family with two children and an annual income of €221,375 or more...https://www.euronews.com/2019/08/13/berlin-moves-to-greatly-reduce-solidarity-tax-for-eastern-germany
The German European: how Ursula von der Leyen rose to become EU president - New Statesman
Chancellor Angela Merkel, for one, is a fan. Merkel brought von der Leyen into her first cabinet in 2005, just two years after the latter became a minister in the state of Lower Saxony. In fact, for a while Merkel appeared to be grooming von der Leyen as her successor. (Merkel’s actual chosen successor and CDU party leader, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, will take over at the defence ministry.) But von der Leyen never truly had enough allies in her own party to succeed Merkel in the Chancellery, perhaps because she was always something of an outsider, personally and ideologically. She joined the CDU at the relatively late age of 32 and spent years working as a doctor and taking care of her family before her rapid rise as a member of Merkel’s team. That’s not to say von der Leyen is especially popular with Germany’s other major parties. All of the Social Democratic MEPs broke with their European colleagues to reject von der Leyen in the confirmation vote. The German SPD even distributed a letter in Brussels stating that she was an “inadequate and inappropriate candidate”. The Greens in Europe — the party is surging in Germany and could take over the Chancellery at the next election — also whipped to vote against von der Leyen, though their opposition is not all personal, but rather due to the fact that she is not a Spitzenkandidat (the lead candidate put forward by each parliamentary bloc in the European elections). The German public are not fans either. According to the most recent SPON poll, 68 per cent are unsatisfied with her work as defence minister. Defence minister is a tough job, but that’s a strikingly poor number. Nevertheless, many Germans are pleased that one of their countrymen — or rather women — will head the European Commission for the first time in 50 years. Putting a German face on the EU could improve the Commission’s messaging towards Europe’s biggest member state. span id="docs-internal-guid-36c63774-7fff-ea93-5b1d-71...https://www.newstatesman.com/world/europe/2019/07/german-european-how-ursula-von-der-leyen-rose-become-eu-president
Germany’s Landesbanken still seeking clean bill of health - Financial Times
One public sector bank yet to be given a clean bill of health is Hanover-based NordLB, a lender with €160bn in assets majority-owned by the German states of Lower Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt with regional Sparkassen holding a minority stake of 35 per cent.The bank, weighed down by a vast portfolio of non-performing shipping loans, expects that it will be singled out as the weakest link in Germany’s banking system in the European Banking Authority’s stress test on Friday. “That would not be a surprise,” NordLB told the Financial Times. The lender has started to woo new investors in an attempt to raise fresh capital of about €3.5bn, with the state of Lower-Saxony standing ready to pitch in taxpayers’ money alongside external investors. Six potential bidders are conducting due diligence and have until November 28 to decide if they will table a binding offer. Among the suitors is Landesbank peer Helaba, as well as listed rival Commerzbank, private equity funds Cerberus and three other PE investors, said a person familiar with the process. “I am glad that we have different options and am open for several different scenarios,” Lower Saxony’s finance minister Reinhold Hilbers told the FT, adding that a deal with a different Landesbank as well as one with private investors was on the ca...https://www.ft.com/content/d7d380cc-dcdb-11e8-9f04-38d397e6661c
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Northwest Quarterly > Blog > Archive > Summer-Fall 2019 > Stopping the Spread of Infectious Disease
Health & FitnessSummer-Fall 2019
Posted by Toni Rocha August 29, 2019
Orthopedic Medicine: Relief from Pain for Active Bodies
Infectious diseases are sometimes forgotten, but never gone. Here’s a refresher on the simple steps you should be taking to keep yourself healthy.
Cholera. Typhoid. Whooping cough. Yellow fever. Dengue fever. Polio. Influenza. Bubonic plague. Menengitis. Hepititis. Ebola. These are words that once struck fear and panic in communities across the world.
Thanks to modern technology and incredible advances in medicine, many of these diseases are relatively rare. But make no mistake, they are all still here. And occasionally we are given reason to remember that fact.
The potential for infection is everywhere, says Dr. Robert Geller, infectious disease specialist at FHN. And it’s not just limited to colds, flu and other common contagious illnesses.
“I tell my patients to think about what happens when you go to a restaurant,” he says. “The waiter hands you a menu. You have no idea who has held it before or whether it has been cleaned recently. After you give your order, the waiter takes the menus and places a basket of bread on the table. You reach for the bread with the same hand that held that filthy menu.”
If someone with a communicable infectious disease touched the menu or coughed/sneezed on it, you may well be infected.
“I recommend carrying a small bottle of antibacterial gel to use after handling menus and other questionable items,” Geller adds. “My grandchildren call it ‘Grandpa’s goo.’”
Diseases Spread by Insects and Animals
Bacteria- and virus-based diseases aren’t the only concerns. Insects can carry a multitude of diseases from Lyme disease to West Nile to seemingly obscure, archaic ones such as the bubonic plague. The plague killed nearly half of the population of Europe in the 1300s to 1400s, but it was around in 700 A.D. in the Middle East, killing an estimated 25 million. Travelers on the Silk Highway carried it to China where it continued to decimate the population in two more pandemics.
And most recently, in spring 2019, residents of Los Angeles, Calif., feared an outbreak of the bubonic plague amongst the homeless population caused by piles of uncollected garbage and rats creating unsanitary conditions.
Here in the Midwest, residents are concerned about other insect-borne diseases.
“People worry about West Nile virus,” Geller says. “So far this year, no birds have been found to be carrying the virus, but they did find an infected nest of mosquitoes in southern Illinois. Last year, there were 176 diagnosed cases of West Nile, most of them diagnosed in July through September.”
To safeguard against West Nile, Geller suggests common-sense defense techniques: spray clothing with any product designated to ward against West Nile and let it dry. Avoid areas where mosquitoes are prevalent. Eliminate standing water that lingers for more than a week.
When it comes to Lyme disease, people have every right to be concerned about ticks.
“People say they never go where deer are present,” Geller says. “The truth is, white-footed mice are far more likely to pass on ticks with Lyme disease. If you have an older house with a moldy, dirty basement, you are more at risk than from an occasional deer.”
Doing a total body check after hiking, fishing, camping and other outdoor activities is important, Geller says.
“Lyme disease ticks have to be on the body for 24 to 36 hours in order to pass on the disease,” he explains. “First they bite and suck blood, then the blood absorbs the virus, which is then returned to the human body. A thorough check immediately after being outdoors pretty much eliminates the possibility of getting Lyme.”
Diseases Spread Amongst Humans
Diseases that can be passed hand-to-hand include hepatitis, E. coli, staph infections, bacterial food poisoning and Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Protecting the population from these diseases is becoming more challenging due to the rising number of strains that are becoming immune to antibiotics. Allergic reactions to antibiotics are another issue, as is the number of people who distrust vaccinations.
Meningitis and hepatitis are uncommon in the United States but can become quite serious for those affected.
Meningitis is an infectious process that causes inflammation of the fluid that surrounds the brain.
“Predictably, the first symptom of meningitis is usually a headache,” says Dr. Addie Spier, an infectious disease physician with Mercyhealth. “Patients may also experience fever, chills, nausea and vomiting, stiff neck, and sensitivity to light.”
Viruses are the most common cause of meningitis, Spier adds. There are several specific viruses that can cause meningitis. Enteroviruses are the most common, accounting for 55 to 90 percent of meningitis cases. Enteroviruses spread via contact with someone sick with the disease through their coughing, sneezing or contact with their eyes, nose, mouth or fecal material. This is why hand washing is so important, Spier explains.
“One of the most important causes of bacterial meningitis is Neisseria meningitis,” she says. “It can be rapidly fatal, which is why it’s good that vaccines exist to prevent this serious infection.”
Children ages 11 to 12 should receive a meningitis vaccine and booster covering the most common strains of Neisseria meningitis. College-age students should also receive a meningitis B vaccine, Spier advises.
Rest and pain medications are used to treat viral meningitis, Spier adds.
“The exception is herpes meningitis, which is treated with high doses of IV acyclovir,” she says. “Bacterial meningitis is treated with IV antibiotics, typically for two weeks.”
A Closer Look at Hepatitis
Viral hepatitis describes a group of viruses that are named with letters and cause inflammation of the liver. In terms of global prevalence, they are not very common in the United States.
“Hepatitis A is highly contagious via the oral-fecal route, which means it is spread through contact with feces of an infected person, or by consuming food or drink contaminated by hepatitis A virus particles,” Spier says. “Typically, hepatitis A does not cause chronic liver damage but does cause a short-lived vomiting/diarrheal illness. While there is no specific treatment of hepatitis A, there is a vaccine against hepatitis A which, after two doses, is nearly 100 percent effective.”
Hepatitis B is also highly contagious but is spread when blood, semen or other affected body fluids enter the body of an uninfected person. It can be transmitted from mother to child at birth, through sex with an infected person, by sharing needles with an infected person, by sharing toothbrushes or razors with an infected person, or through direct contact with blood or open sores of an infected person.
“Not everyone who is infected with hepatitis B holds onto the virus and requires treatment,” Spier explains. “The majority of adults clear the infection on their own. Only about 5 to 10 percent of adults go on to develop chronic hepatitis B, which should be evaluated for treatment. Hepatitis B is also preventable by a very effective vaccine given between 6 to 18 months of age. This is very important because chronic hepatitis B, which is preventable through vaccine, can also lead to hepatocellular cancer.”
Spier adds that those who go on to develop chronic hepatitis B should be evaluated by a gastrointestinal or infectious disease specialist to determine if treatment is warranted.
“With hepatitis C, recent advances in treatment and cure have brought an increase in media attention,” Spier continues. “Today, the majority of people who become infected with hep C are exposed through the sharing of needles used to inject drugs. Unlike hep B, 70 to 85 percent of people who are infected develop chronic disease. The majority of these persons have no symptoms associated with their hep C, thus infection may go undetected until serious liver problems develop.”
The CDC recommends hepatitis C testing for everyone born between 1945 and 1965, and for anyone with a history of IV drug use. Since 2011, several new, highly effective drugs to treat hepatitis C have been approved for use by the FDA. As of now, 90 percent of persons infected with chronic hepatitis C can be cured with eight to 12 weeks of oral medications. Unlike hepatitis A and B, there is no vaccine effective in preventing hepatitis C, Spier adds.
Water-Borne Bacterial Diseases
Less common but still of concern are those old, feared water-borne bacterial diseases: cholera and typhoid. The CDC reports that an estimated 3 to 5 million people worldwide are infected with cholera, with up to 130,000 of the cases fatal. About 12.5 million cases of typhoid are recorded annually, most commonly in Southeast Asia, with an estimated 149,000 deaths. Underdeveloped countries are the most likely to produce these diseases because of unsanitary conditions, contaminated water sources and less access to treatment.
However, the CDC also indicates that about 400 reported cases of these diseases are diagnosed in the United States each year. As with any communicable disease worldwide, not all cases are reported, so it’s difficult to put a firm finger on exactly how pervasive these diseases are.
Dr. Vijaya Somaraju, medical director of infectious disease at Beloit Health System, says American cases are primarily imported by travelers or found after massive natural disasters – where flooding and hurricanes have pushed contaminated water into heavily populated regions.
Both diseases can cause diarrheal illness if left untreated, and both can become deadly, via severe dehydration.
The bacteria that is specific for typhoid fever is salmonella typhi, less common in the United States. However, there are several other strains of salmonella that cause food poisoning (salmonellosis).
Cholera, a feco-oral infection, is caused by vibrio cholera, a toxin-producing bacteria. It requires only a small dose of bacteria to cause severe acute diarrheal illness.
“Patients must be constantly rehydrated until the diarrhea runs its course,” Somaraju says. “It is extremely contagious through one-on-one contact with body fluids.”
Somaraju adds that some people are more susceptible for severe cholera or typhoid than others, especially those whose immune systems are weak or compromised by chemotherapy, chronic diseases or other medical reasons.
For anyone planning on traveling to foreign countries, especially those considered underdeveloped, Somaraju suggests drinking only bottled water, or boiling locally obtained water for 20 full minutes before consuming it.
“I know people say it tastes bad,” she says. “Bring water flavorings to cover the flat taste so you are encouraged to drink it.”
Somaraju also recommends that people be careful about eating undercooked foods.
“If you are planning to travel to underdeveloped countries, start planning a few months in advance by scheduling vaccinations for cholera and typhoid at least 6-8 weeks prior to travel,” she says. “This will give you enough time to develop protective immunity that can last for six months to one year. Then, take every precaution to protect yourself from catching one of these diseases.”
Another danger to travelers to Africa is Ebola. As recently as this July, an outbreak of Ebola virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo caused an international health warning. More than 200 died as a result and the situation is still not resolved.
One more travel tip to help prevent infectious diseases that Somaraju likes to share involves booking a hotel room on the third floor or higher.
“It sounds weird, but mosquitoes don’t usually fly that high up,” she explains. “To avoid being bitten by mosquitoes that can transmit malaria, dengue fever, yellow fever and other infections, staying on the third floor cuts down the possibility of being infected considerably.”
Staying Vigilant
In developed countries such as the United States, it is easy to rely on medical advances and take for granted that these diseases are in abeyance. But it doesn’t take a lot to bring them back to the surface. Natural disasters and other factors can contribute to one or more of these deadly diseases appearing without warning.
Remember to practice common-sense habits, like hand washing. A commitment to sanitation and eliminating conditions that encourage the spread of these diseases will do much to prevent them from appearing and spreading.
Tags: beloit health system fhn health infectious disease Mercyhealth
Toni Rocha August 29, 2019
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Using Grain Storage to Market Your Corn and Soybean Crops
Agri-business, Agricultural Economics
View as PDF: P3045.pdf
What are my alternatives for marketing grain?
Proper grain marketing is an essential part of operating a grain farm. Markets have become increasingly volatile in recent years, which further emphasizes the need to have a marketing plan in place. Developing a realistic plan to avoid price discounts, to manage price risk, and to obtain the best available price for the crop can help you avoid situations where the health or survivability of an operation is compromised. An effective marketing plan should be based on what would “normally” be best and should focus primarily on risk management. One of the best pieces of advice when it comes to marketing crops is that if you can pencil in a profit, just do it.
There are several alternatives when marketing corn or soybeans. The first alternative is selling the crop on the cash market with no other strategy in place. While this is a common practice used by many producers, it may also be the most risky.
Forward Contracts
Another common alternative that producers use when marketing their grain is forward contracts. A forward contract is defined as an agreement to buy or sell an asset at a certain time for a certain price. More specifically, a grain farmer using a forward contract is entering an agreement with his/her local grain elevator to sell their grain at a certain price and to deliver the grain to the grain elevator at harvest time. This agreement is typically made during the growing season, but it can easily be made before the crop is even planted.
A third alternative is to use the futures market. The futures market is similar to a forward contract in that it is an agreement between two parties to buy or sell an asset at a certain time in the future for a certain price. However, futures are usually traded in exchanges and have mechanisms put in place by the exchange to guarantee that the contract will be honored. When a grain producer uses the futures market to sell his/her crop, it is called a hedge. To place a hedge, a grain producer will sell a futures contract, typically sometime during the growing season, and will then buy it back at a later date, usually when the crop is sold on the cash market.
How can grain storage be used in a marketing program to improve returns?
Grain storage can offer additional marketing alternatives for producers who have the necessary facilities. The general idea behind grain storage is that grain prices are often cyclical. Prices are typically at their lowest point shortly after harvest because that is when the highest quantity of grain is available. As the season progresses and the supplies of grain begin to dwindle, prices begin to rise and will typically peak in late summer. By storing grain until a later date, a producer can wait out the seasonal price dip around harvest time and market his/her grain when prices are on the upswing. There are exceptions to this rule, such as in 2010 when soybean prices rose from under $10/bu to over $13/bu in December, but on average, the highest prices for corn and soybeans are sometime in mid- to late July, and the lowest prices are typically in October and early November.
We compared several marketing alternatives both with and without storage to find how much more a producer could receive from his/her grain when compared to simply selling at harvest time. We assume that harvest time is in October for both corn and soybeans. While an October harvest may be late for many Mississippi producers, it takes into account any harvest delays that may occur. Other than selling the grain on the cash market at harvest time, we examined one other alternative marketing plan that does not include storage: using the futures market to place a hedge sometime between the first week of January and harvest time.
For producers who wish to use on-farm grain storage, several additional marketing alternatives become available. The first alternative that we looked at is storing the grain and marketing it at a later date on the cash market. This gives you the flexibility of marketing the grain at any point you feel you can receive the best available price. The second alternative we looked at is placing a hedge sometime during or after the growing season to sell the grain at a later date. The sale dates we looked at are the last weeks of February, April, and June. Those dates were chosen to coincide with the March, May, and July futures contracts for both corn and soybeans.
How much more can I receive by using grain storage to enhance my marketing plan?
As shown in Figure 1, the price for soybeans (using the futures market to place a hedge sometime between the first week of January and harvest time while using no grain storage) has ranged from an average loss of $0.20/bu when the hedge is placed late in the growing season to an average gain of more than $1 when the hedge is placed in June or July. Similarly, over the last 3 years, the additional price for corn (using the futures market to place a hedge sometime between the first week of January and harvest time while using no storage) has ranged from a slight loss when the hedge is placed late in the growing season to an average gain of roughly $0.50/bu when the hedge is placed in July (Figure 2).
As shown in Figure 3, when compared to selling soybeans on the cash market straight out of the field, storing soybeans and marketing them at a later date on the cash market gained an average of $1.35/bu when the grain was stored until the following summer and an additional $0.50/bu by storing soybeans until April. Figure 4 shows similar results for corn. Over the last 3 years, an additional $0.50/bu was gained by storing corn until April when compared to selling on the cash market at harvest time.
Using a combination of grain storage and hedging on the futures market can further boost marketing alternatives for producers. Storing soybeans until late February (while placing a hedge in July during the growing season using the March futures contract) gained an average of $1.50/bu more than simply selling directly out of the field (Figure 5). Using the same strategy for corn will yield an additional $0.90/bu when compared to selling directly out of the field (Figure 6).
Holding onto soybeans for an extra couple of months and storing them until late April (while placing a hedge in July during the growing season using the May futures contract) yielded an average of $1/bu more than simply selling directly out of the field (Figure 7). Using the same strategy for corn will yield an additional $0.80/bu more than selling directly out of the field (Figure 8).
Finally, over the last 3 years, storing soybeans until the following June and placing a hedge in July during the growing season using the following July futures contract gained an average of nearly $2/bu more than simply selling directly out of the field (Figure 9). The same strategy for corn will yield better results than selling directly out of the field (Figure 10).
The results of this study have several implications for Mississippi’s grain producers. First, the results emphasize the importance of having a marketing plan in place. Even without a grain storage system, producers could have gained as much as an extra $1/bu for soybeans or $0.50/bu for corn by hedging in advance using the futures market. That translates into an extra $45 in revenue per acre for soybeans and an extra $90 in revenue per acre for corn, assuming yields of 45 bu/acre and 180 bu/acre, respectively.
Grain storage systems have the potential to further enhance a producer’s revenue stream. Over the last 3 years, a soybean producer who chose to store grain could have gained an extra $1.35/bu without using the futures market compared to selling out of the field, or an extra $0.35/bu when compared to a producer without storage who used the futures market to hedge his/her price risk. When combining storage and hedging, a soybean producer could have realized as much as $2/bu more than a producer with no marketing plan and $1/bu more than a producer who had a marketing plan but did not have an on-farm grain storage system. That translates into an average annual increase in revenue of $90/acre from using a combination of storage and hedging to market a soybean crop.
Corn growers can see similar results. Over the last 3 years, a corn producer who chose to store grain could have gained an extra $0.50/bu without using the futures market compared to selling out of the field in October. When combining storage and hedging, over the last 3 years, a corn producer could have realized as much as $1.50/bu more on average than a producer with no marketing plan, and $1/bu more than a producer who had a marketing plan but did not have an on-farm grain storage system. That translates into an average annual increase in revenue of $270/acre from using a combination of storage and hedging to market a corn crop. For comparison, it typically costs around $0.04 per bushel per month to store grain, not including interest, although this estimate can vary widely depending on moisture content and other factors.
While it is difficult to know for sure how much these marketing scenarios might improve gains in individual years in the future, it is reasonable to expect similar trends when averaged over several years. Markets can and likely will occasionally deviate from these trends in individual years, but market fundamentals will always return to similar seasonal cycles in the long term. It is these seasonal cycles that producers should use as a baseline when making marketing decisions.
Use the left and right arrows to scroll through the figures.
Publication 3045 (POD-05-17)
By Brian R. Williams, PhD, Assistant Extension Professor, Agricultural Economics.
Department: Agricultural Economics
The Mississippi State University Extension Service is working to ensure all web content is accessible to all users. If you need assistance accessing any of our content, please email the webteam or call 662-325-2262.
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http://www.ext.msstate.edu/publications/publications/using-grain-storage-market-your-corn-and-soybean-crops
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Talent Profile: Gus Johnson, Play-By-Play Announcer
Sunday, January 13, 2008 , Posted by Christopher Byrne at 10:31 PM, under CBS Sports, College Basketball Play-By-Play Announcers, Gus Johnson, NFL Play-By-Play, Talent Profiles, Talent Profiles - CBS Sports
If you ever thought someone could not make grass grow exciting, then they have not seen or heard CBS Sports' Gus Johnson at work. OK, maybe not grass growing, but one recent web writer said he could surely make Curling exciting to watch. This is Gus Johnson's profile as published by CBS Sports.
Gus Johnson joined CBS Sports in 1995 as a play-by-play announcer for the CBS Television Network's coverage of college basketball, including the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship. He called CBS Sports' HDTV broadcast of the 2000, 2001 and 2002 Final Four and Championship games. He also has provided play-by-play for the Network's NFL coverage since 1998.
Johnson's credits at CBS Sports include play-by-play for college football, track and field, boxing, the Hambletonian, and bobsled and luge at the 1998 Olympic Winter Games. He serves as host of AT THE HALF®, CBS Sports' college basketball halftime studio show, and SPORTSDESK, CBS Sports' wraparound studio show.
Johnson also is the radio voice of the NBA's New York Knicks and provides play-by-play for the Madison Square Garden Network's coverage of the WNBA's New York Liberty. He is an anchor and reporter for MSGN's "SportsDesk" and has provided commentary for that network's coverage of the New York City Golden Gloves Tournament. He also has served as host of "AT&T Yankees Scorecard" and New York Rangers and Knicks "GameNight."
In addition, Johnson has called play-by-play for the NBA's Minnesota Timberwolves, Big East Basketball on the Big East Network, college basketball on ESPN and the Canadian Football League on ESPN2. Prior to joining MSGN, he hosted "Black College Sports Today" on ESPN and was the weekend anchor for WTTG-TV Washington, D.C. (1991-92).
Johnson graduated from Howard University with a degree in political science. He lives in New York, and has one son.
Related Posts : CBS Sports, College Basketball Play-By-Play Announcers, Gus Johnson, NFL Play-By-Play, Talent Profiles, Talent Profiles - CBS Sports
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Nicholas and Alexandra Summary and Analysis
FreeBookNotes found 6 sites with book summaries or analysis of Nicholas and Alexandra. If there is a Nicholas and Alexandra SparkNotes, Shmoop guide, or Cliff Notes, you can find a link to each study guide below.
Among the summaries and analysis available for Nicholas and Alexandra, there are 1 Full Study Guide, 2 Short Summaries and 3 Book Reviews.
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Nicholas and Alexandra
by Robert K. Massie
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Estimated Read Time : 10 minutes
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Top Quotes from Nicholas and Alexandra
These are the top 3 quotes from Nicholas and Alexandra by Robert K. Massie. View all 8 quotes from Nicholas and Alexandra.
“"They say it is a wide road that leads to war and only a narrow path that leads home again."”
“The Imperial Manifesto of October 30, 1905, transformed Russia from an absolute autocracy into a semi-constitutional monarchy.”
“The day, which became known as "Bloody Sunday," was a turning point in Russian history. It shattered the ancient, legendary belief that tsar and the people were one.”
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More Books by Robert K. Massie
FreeBookNotes has 6 more books by Robert K. Massie, with a total of 32 study guides.
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